The People Speak: Howard Zinn

With the death on January 27 of historian Howard Zinn (author of “A People’s History of the United States,” the first book to present American history through the eyes of working people rather than political and economic elites), we wanted to call to your attention the release of Zinn’s DVD “The People Speak” on February [...]

Save the Century Plaza Hotel

On June 23, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson attended a $500-a-plate Democratic Party fundraiser at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City.  A peaceful anti-Vietnam War demonstration assembled outside the hotel; I was one among approximately 10,000  protesters — representing groups ranging from Another Mother for Peace to Students for a Democratic Society to Trotsky [...]

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music

Hey ex-Hippies: It’s time to set your soul free again (“We are stardust, we are golden”). This year marks yet another benchmark for aging hipsters: the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Though I was unable to attend the event ( I did, however, attend a few other benchmark musical events, including the first L.A. concerts of [...]

More Yearend Tidings

The Falsies This year marks the Center for Media and Democracy’s fifth annual Falsies Awards. The Falsies are the non-partisan group’s attempt to shine an unflattering light on those responsible for polluting the information environment during the past year. According to the group: “Don’t think this is an award in name only. Heavens no! Falsies [...]

2008 Toppers

As 2008 drew to a close and 2009 began, we were inundated with Top 10 lists (movies, TV shows, books, etc.) and while we get tired of all the ballyhooing of the “tops” in the entertainment world, there are some lists we thoroughly enjoy. Below is a sample. Let’s kick things off with: The 10 [...]

The Smothers Are Back

One of the offbeat highlights of the late-1960s was “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” an hourly variety show that debuted in February 1967 on CBS. Showcasing the talents of irreverent folk-singer/comedians the Smothers Brothers (who had a bevy of folk-tinged musical/comedy album hits in the 60s), the show quickly morphed from a “hip” version of [...]

Sputnik at 50

History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world’s first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball, weighed only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While [...]

The Sahl Still Shines

Mort Sahl turned 80 on May 11. Along with Paul Krassner and Lenny Bruce, Sahl revolutionized comedy in the 1960s by making satire (cultural and political) a staple of standup routines. His career flourished from the beginning of the Eisenhower era (he got his start at the Hungry i in San Francisco) and continues to [...]

Weather of Mass Destruction

F rom the latest e-mail Progress Report from the folks at the Center for American Progress Action Fund comes this depressing scenario. Last month, the Military Advisory Board, a panel of esteemed retired military officers, issued a report that found “projected climate change poses a serious threat to America’s national security” over the next 30 [...]