Jim (Con't): Janie e-mailed to ask, "What's the deal with Pacifica? It's got nothing on the air but endless fund drives?" I'll grab that. As Ava and C.I. have repeatedly pointed out, Pacifica Radio walked away from Iraq. It was their calling card. As Ava and C.I. have repeatedly pointed out, Pacifica Radio became an echo chamber. That was in 2008 when, despite Hillary Clinton being the most popular Democratic candidate running for the party's presidential nomination, you couldn't find anyone on Pacifica talking about supporting her. A number of columnists and Congress members supported Hillary including those from the so-called Progressive Caucus. But they couldn't get on the air. It was an echo chamber to elect Barack and it's now just a Barack fan club. Of course they're in trouble now, of course they've bled listeners. Of course no one's going to contribute one thin dime for that s**t. Dona?
Dona: I'm the one who argued we needed visuals. In our first four months, we really didn't, we were purely text. So when an e-mail on visuals comes in, it's usually referred to me. Michael e-mailed to note several that he enjoyed and also that he enjoys it when the photos don't "necessarily have a connection with the article or an obvious connection." Michael also asks if someone is uploading visuals to Flickr right now?
Jess: I am. That's what I'm focused on right now.
Dona: And regarding Flickr account, it's accounts. We have to go over this about twice a year due to new readers. Community wide, we had the DIY experience. Do It Yourself. Anyone can do it. We didn't necessarily have a ton of computer skills or what have you. At various times, we've considered leaving Blogspot and going somehwere that would provide us more visual options. However, Blogspot is DIY and anyone can have a Blogspot account. By the same token, we use Flickr. And when we switched to that -- we had to, Hello! ceased to be -- a number of bloggers wrote us with "lots of luck" type e-mails because they didn't like how quickly Flickr filled up. It's a Yahoo e-mail account to have a Flickr account. What we've done is used various e-mail accounts to show that you didn't have to stick to one. So our photos are spread out -- like Isaiah's comics -- over many, many accounts. Again, we're trying to keep the DIY spirit. If we thought we'd be doing this for years to come, we'd have switched to something else.
Jess: Can I speak to that and I won't have anything for the rest of the roundtable. DIY used to mean something. I think it will again shortly. But for a lot of us participating, DIY was a movment when we were in high school and college. You've got a lot of online creeps now who try to think they're 'professionals' and all they are is embarrassing. We've always felt like the Mamas and the Papas were the template, to be professional without being "professional." We've been DIY all along and will remain so because it is important to the person stumbling to this website for the first time who really loves it or really hates it and thinks "I could do that" or "I could do so much better than that." Yes, absolutely. And you can get a free account at Blogger/Blogspot. Just scroll up to the top of this page and click on "Create account" and there you go. Get your voice out there because there needs to be more voices and especially more diverse voices.
Jim: Thank you, Jess. Okay, the vacationing Obamas are basically taking their 1700 vacation of the presidential term. At this point, I think it's actually news when Barack does some work. But they did a layover in Florida while enroute to Martha's Vineyard. Thoughts anyone? Let's give Wally first crack since Florida is his home state.
Wally: Okay. First off, Florida has had tar balls. But Florida's really not the most damaged in the Gulf Disaster. So the visit's a joke. And even more of joke was Barack getting in the water and using his Don't-talk-about-my-child as a prop.
Ann: Which one was it?
Betty: Baby Sykes. The one Ava and C.I. have noted looks like Baby Wanda Sykes.
Wally: Right. And so Barack took the opportunity to whip off his shirt again. It's like, dude, keep your clothes on. You're supposed to be the damn president not a Blueboy's model of the month.
Betty: Rebecca and I were talking earlier about the golfing outing in Florida and Michelle Obama's latest bizarre outfit. Did she think she was Doc Savage or just a pirate?
Rebecca: Exactly. First, she seemed intent on wearing the ugliest colors, then she added to disaster by having some sort of below the belly foundation garmet that preceded the pants. Those 'captive' sandals that hook around the big toe looked ridiculous as well. She has no fashion sense.
Jim: Robert Gibbs, White House spokesperson, is in the news for his big mouth. Weeks after declaring it likely that the Democrats would lose the House and enraging Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, he's taken to launching grenades at what he calls "the professional left." That's a group he defines as not happy unless the US gets Canadian health care and sees the end of the Pentagon. Any thoughts?
Ruth: Robert Gibbs has a press problem that goes far beyond his quoted remarks. He really needs to step down because Barack Obama does not have the guts to fire him.
Trina: I would agree that he is a continued disaster. However, I'm fine with him continuing in his role because I'd argue his level of competence is on par with those of everyone else in the White House. I also tend to laugh at all of his mistakes and his snotty attitude. It turns off voters, Robert Gibbs turns off voters. For that reason alone, I hope he remains through the term, through what I hope is Barack's one and only term as president.
Jim: You think he'll face a primary challenge in 2012 or that a Republican will be in the White House in 2012.
Trina: I think a Republican's in the White House right now. Will Robert Gibbs call me a part of the "professional left" now? I'll be so flattered. But I think a Republican occupies the White House currently. So it really makes no difference. Rebecca had a post last week entitled "good for now" which quoted from Erin Matson's "IS OBAMA PRO-CHOICE?" which asks the important question. Gerald Ford was more pro-choice than 'fierce advocate' Barry.
Jim: Was anyone really offended by the remarks?
Ty: I think I'd have to take Gibbs seriously to be offended and he's like the drunken uncle that you always know will say something embarrassing.
Elaine: He's the Billy Carter of the administration.
Ty: Perfect. Yes, he's the Billy Carter of the administration.
Rebecca: Well, while I see Ty's point, I do think what Gibbs said was offensive and I think it really says a lot about the administration -- that and the fact that he wasn't forced to issue an apology. They not only insult the liberal base of the Democratic Party, when they do, they make a point to stress how damn little they care.
Jim: Elaine's happy. We've got music playing in the background and Graham Nash's "Military Madness" just came on.
Elaine: I am happy. I love the album Songs for Beginners.
Ty: Kat, thoughts on when you'll do your next review?
Kat: I thought I'd do one of the two I have planned this month and then I realized we had Labor Day coming up. So what I'm thinking now is that I'll do two reviews over Labor Day weekend. With one to go up Labor Day. What I'd like us to do here, I'm thinking of Songs for Beginners because it's playing and because I think it's a great album, is to do a list article where we pick the three best albums of each year.
Jim: That groan was Cedric.
Cedric: It sounds like fun but it would be a ton of work and a lot of hurt feelings. Three? We'd never be able to agree.
Kat: You may be right.
Jim: Okay, well what about this, quickly, everyone pick an album they feel would be a real treasure for a reader to discover. There were groans. Okay, just suggest an album you listened to this week.
Kat: I'll go with Graham Nash's Song for Beginners just because I was noting that. I hope that's okay with Elaine.
Elaine: Sure. I'll go with Aimee Mann's The Forgotten Arm.
Ruth: Joanna Newsom's Have One On Me.
Marcia: India.Arie's Testimony Vol. 2, Love & Politics is what I'm listening to the most these days.
Stan: BAMBAM's The Strong Survive.
Rebecca: I'll go with Carly Simon's The Bedroom Tapes because that's what I've been in the mood for lately.
Isaiah: Band of Horses' Infinite Arms.
Trina: Joni Mitchell's Greenpeace concert, Amchitka.
Mike: Beach House's Teen Dream.
Ann: Sade's Soldier of Love.
Cedric: Toni Braxton's Pulse.
Wally: Gorillaz' Plastic Beach.
Ty: Xiu Xiu's Dear God, I Hate Myself.
Jess: Melanie's Crazy Love.
Dona: Elaine and Rebecca's posts last week had me digging out some Cher and I think I listened most to If I Could Turn Back Time: Greatest Hits.
Betty: I'll go old school. Aretha Franklin's Sparkle. I really enjoy her high notes on that one.
Ava: Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More.
C.I.: Wavve's King of the Beach.
Jim: And Biffy Clyro's Only Revolutions will be my pick. That's going to please a lot of people who keep e-mailing asking for music lists. And that's also going to be it for this roundtable.