KPFT Notes

Sad news to report just before the holiday.

Kenneth Dale Peters, 55, stepfather of long-time volunteer and former host of KPFT’s Friday Morning Mix Christi Schwanbeck, was killed in Venezuela earlier this month by bandits aboard the family’s sailboat.

Regular morning listeners will recall Christi used to give regular updates about her parents’ sailboat travels. It was apparently on this boat that Christi’s stepdad was assaulted, as bandits boarded the vessel to rob him and others.

Regional police chief Gustavo Palacios told the Associated Press earlier this month that Jose Rodriguez, Jonas Marcano and Johan Isazis were arrested in connection with the case. They will face charges of homicide and attempted homicide.

She and her mom are dealing with this tragedy as best they can; your kind thoughts and prayers are very helpful and appreciated.

We will keep you posted on any further developments and information as we receive it.

Last week’s InnerSide may have been the end of the ongoing KPFT/PUMA rollercoaster, complete with a live read of one of the funniest comments from the WTF Was That? warzone. In case you missed it, here’s an edited mix of the show, courtesy of Scooter. Pro-PUMA or anti-PUMA, you have to admit everyone did a damn funny show.

One of the comments on rumproast (which you’re welcome to go by) bemoans PUMA not calling for a rematch in comments here. Hey, if that can be worked out, I’ll bring the chips and dip. Please bear in mind that y’all are always welcome to toss down in my house, no apologies needed. It’s been great reading, though some comments have tested my belief in the certainty of evolution.

Elections have been the theme the last few days on this blog, and Campus Progress jumps in on the subject of student involvement in politics. While probably wrong with some examples (the focus on voter registration/participation obscures the fact campus organizing has always been hard business, and students are still often apathetic), other insights are provocative.

Political scientists believe that first-time voting and political socialization tends to set a generation’s ideological preferences in a permanent way, an observation that led veteran congressional observer Norm Ornstein to argue that securing the youth vote is tantamount to securing power for the next generation. The data backs this up: Conservatives won the youth vote every year from 1980 to 1992, and in 2000, it helped them build electoral majorities. This year, it looks like progressives have started to build the foundation of their own majority.

Full piece is here.

Speaking of 2.0 participation, I meant to suggest Obama CTO to you. Really unique interface, in which the incoming Obama Administration is seeking ideas and topics for the incoming Chief Technology Officer to take on. Repealing various restrictions and improving election technologies are in the top ten. Check it out and suggest your own.

Amy Goodman, host of one of the most popular shows on KPFT and, certainly, one of the most prominent names in independent media, spoke at McGill University on November 7. Her discussion spanned a wide array of topics, including Obama, racism, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the role of media in democracy,

Check out audio from the talk here.

But come back from Archives Day on KPFT!

Tune in to Music Beyond Borders on KPFT on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, from 2-3 p.m., when Koy Severino will be hosting a special edition of kayumanggi Pinoy rock Radyo sa Amerika. He will be spinning a set of classic Filipino hits from the 1950’s and 60’s with guest host, Koy’s mother! She will talk about her favorite songs of that era. Very cool.

KPFT’s own Scooter of the InnerSide just sent this out.

Tonight on KPFT Houston (stream here).

9pm Central: Glenn and Staci, the folks who were pre-empted last week for the PUMA EPIC FAIL radio spectacle will be addressing last week’s program, sharing their astonishment with the listeners and taking phone calls. 713 526 5738 If you’re calling in to point and laugh at PUMA from out of state, mention that to the phone grabber, and you may get bumped forward a little.

10:30pm Central: Scooter goes on the air with more PUMADY and Mayhem, joined by the mysterious Dr. Strange, Tony Stark of Pittsburgh and PUMA stalker. Also Christina, creator of the Yes to Democracy blog will also stop laughing long enough to speak with us. And a Mystery Guest.

TEASER: Here is a brand new PUMAMIX starring Ice Pick and Murphy’s Law from Scooter.

“Achieving Global Goals Through Innovation”
Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, April 19, 2009
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

The conference challenges students, professionals, educators, doctors, scientists, lawyers, universities, corporations, nonprofits, and others, to develop innovative solutions to achieve global goals.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

“Global Health Challenges and Opportunities,” Susan Blumenthal, MD, MPA, Former US Assistant Surgeon General, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown School of Medicine and Tufts University Medical Center; Senior Medical Advisor, amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research; Chair, Global Health Program, Meridian International Center

“The Challenges of Development and Making Aid Work,” Nicholas Kristof, Columnist, The New York Times

Jeffrey Sachs, PhD, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon

“Millennium Villages: Update,” Sonia Ehrlich Sachs, MD, MPH, Health Coordinator, Millennium Village Project

“Preventing Blindness; Saving Lives,” Al Sommer, MD, MHS, Professor and Dean Emeritus, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

“New Perspectives on Global Health and Science,” Harold Varmus, MD, President and Chief Executive, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Former Director of the NIH; Nobel Prize Recipient

Confirmed Leaders of Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Speakers

“Unite For Sight: Social Entrepreneurship As A Symbol of Hope for the (Poor) Blind Villagers and Refugees in Ghana,” James Clarke, MD, Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, Crystal Eye Clinic, Ghana

“Strategic Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Advancing Global Health,” Greg Dees, PhD, Professor of the Practice of Social Entrepreneurship and co-founder of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

“Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool to Strengthen Health Systems,” Julia Devin, JD, MPH, Director of Programs, VillageReach

“Improving Public Health Delivery Through Social Entrepreneurship,” Gene Falk, Co-Founder, Executive Directors, mothers2mothers

“The HealthStore Foundation: Improving Access to Life-Saving Medicines through Micro-Franchising,” Scott Hillstrom, Chairman of the Board, CEO and Co-Founder, HealthStore Foundation

“The Impact of the Food and Nutrition Crisis on the Global Health Agenda,” Charles MacCormack, PhD, President and CEO, Save The Children.

“Health Care From The Grassroots,” Joia Mukherjee, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Partners in Health; Director, Institute for Health and Social Justice; Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School; Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Plus 200 more renowned featured speakers. Info here.

The Pacifica Radio Archives surpassed its $135,000 goal yesterday (making reportedly around $160,000) during the special PRA fundraising day, and gifted 850 schools with recordings. You can still donate here. Thanks to everyone who supported the valuable resource that is PRA.

Since Glen Urbach took a personal leave from The Other Side (Thursdays at 9 p.m.) earlier this year, I’ve gotten lots of calls asking when he’d be back.

Well, dear listeners, the wait it over.

Urbach, the “Aggressive Progressive,” has hosted The Other Side with a blend of bombast, critical intelligence and humor for a few years. He’s won over many, many listeners along the way. No secret why: The Other Side has been the alternative to the howling talk shows that dominate AM radio.

My kudos to Staci and Rick, who have held down the fort in Glen’s absence and done a great job. Catch Glen’s return tomorrow at 9 p.m. on 90.1 KPFT.

Not that I want to take listeners from the fantastic Pacifica Radio Archives day of fundraising programming today, but the “WTF Was That” post and requests for the show itself have been so popular, I wanted to share.

Feel free to discuss.