Sunday, June 16, 2013

Imperialism, Wall Street, and War

Listen to or download Part One now (Good quality 64 kbps--13 MB)

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, Nos. 24-25 -- June 16, 2013

This fortnight in New World Notes, radio programs #276-277, June 18 & 25

Glen Ford on
Imperialism, Wall Street, and War
(in 2+ parts)


In brief

A fine talk Glen Ford gave at Trinity College, in Hartford, on April 6.

Ford shows that much of American foreign policy--including military interventions in the Third World--is all about containing China.

The US cannot compete with China economically because Wall Street sold off our manufacturing assets to inflate its own profits. To protect corporate profits, the US's only remaining source of power is its huge military--which the government is now wielding globally with blatant disregard of national sovereignty and international law.

Ford speaking in Hartford, April 6, 2013

Notes, credits, & links

Ford's talk was recorded on video by The Struggle (www.thestruggle.org). Many thanks to them. I have lightly edited the audio, removing stumbles and hesitations.

For more by Glen Ford, see www.blackagendareport.com/

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "Yum-Yum tree") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.


Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Fat-Free Snake Oil

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No. 23 -- June 11, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio program #275, June 11, 2013

Fat-Free Snake Oil


In brief

Two critical views of the American economic system--one trivial, one profound.

First, product marketing run amok. K.D. discusses the 40 different varieties of Colgate toothpaste at the supermarket.* Then we explore why spray cooking oil--which is 99% fat--is sold as "fat-free spray oil."

Then Noam Chomsky discusses Big Business's expensive campaign to accelerate global climate change regardless of its threat to all life on the planet. This recent talk is titled, Wrecking Nature for Short-Term Profit.

* Full disclosure: Stop & Shop in Manchester had only 29 varieties. Anyone desperately needing Colgate Total Zx Pro-Shield Plus Sensitivity is just going to have to settle for Colgate MaxFresh with Mini Breath Strips--Crystal Mint.

The state-socialist economic system of the Soviet Union resulted in plentiful arctic ice but frequent shortages of consumer products.  The capitalist economic system of the United States has resulted in 40 different varieties of Colgate toothpaste alone--to say nothing of "fat-free" spray oil--but a bit of a shortage of arctic ice.  This proves that the obviously superior economic system is ... er ... give me another minute ... 

Notes, credits, & links

Of particular interest: Chomsky explains that the Magna Carta (signed in 1215) had two sections. The section establishing political liberties (the Charter of Liberties--the part you've heard of) has been largely scrapped by the Bush II and Obama administrations. The section they never told you about, the Charter of Forests,established the people's rights to free use of the natural resources they needed to live. This part was scrapped a couple of centuries back, in the early days of capitalism.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "What, me worry?") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.


Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • June 18 -- Glen Ford, speaking in Hartford (part 1)
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Sunday, May 26, 2013

The "Seven Sisters" and the Oil of the Middle East

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No. 21 -- May 26, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio programs #273-274, May 28 & June 4, 2013

The "Seven Sisters"
and the Oil of the Middle East
(in 2 parts)


In brief

The "Seven Sisters" was Big Oil. It was the cartel of huge private oil corporations that ended up owning almost all the oil in the Middle East. They stole and kept this treasure by hook and by crook, in violation of many laws, with help from corrupt monarchs abroad and muscle from the U.S. government, armed forces, and CIA.

We adapt to radio a new video documentary. Part 1 takes us from the founding of the cartel in 1928 (by Standard Oil, Shell, and BP) to the creation of OPEC in 1960.

Of note in Part 1: The story of how BP came to own all of the oil in Iran--and how, in 1953, Iran's parliament tried to regain control of the country's oil--and how the United States government responded by overthrowing Iran's democratic government and installing the Shah as dictator of Iran. (We then gave Iran's oil to US-based oil companies, not back to BP.)

Part 2 takes us from the creation of OPEC in 1960 to the fate of Iraq today (its oil weath again taken away from the Iraqi people and again handed over to the big oil companies). Includes the Suez crisis, OPEC price hikes, Iraq's nationalizing of its oil in 1972 (succeeding where Iran in 1953 had failed), the Iranian revolution, and Gulf Wars I and II.

Introduction by K.D.

Man of the Year: The last prime minister of democratic Iran, Mohammad Mossadeq (January 1952). In 1953, the Iranian parliament nationalized the country's oil, threatening BP's profits.  The United States overthrew Iran's government, installed the Shah as dictator, and handed Iran's oil back to the big Western oil companies. 

Notes, credits, & links

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "aegis") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • June 4 -- The Seven Sisters ..., Part 2

Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Monday, May 20, 2013

George Carlin on American BS

New World Notes # 272, for Tuesday, May 21 (WWUH)

Broadcast quality MP3 from our normal server (radio4all.net).
Medium-quality MP3 from our normal server.

In case of difficulty, here's another broadcast-quality copy from a different server (archive.org).


In brief:

In his last years, socially-engaged comedian George Carlin seemed less angry, more resigned, and shrewd as ever as he observed American politics and culture rushing to hell in a handbasket. Our show presents some of Carlin's last performances and parts of an interview--plus a new and very Carlin-like song by David Rovics.

The theme is B.S., America, and why the two make an especially bad combination. Prologue by K.D.

Thanks to Chuck Rosina for the live recording of David Rovics' "God Bless the USA"

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

Orwell Rolls in his Grave

Listen to or download Part One now (Good quality 64 kbps--13 MB)

Listen to or download Part Two now (Broadcast qlty. 192 kbps--40 MB)
Difficulty downloading? Try this link to an alternative server.
Listen to or download Part Two now (Good quality 64 kbps--13 MB)

List all . . . and listen to or download any . . . installments
To download an audio file (save it on your hard disk): Click on this link for instructions.

New World Notes News
Vol. 6, Nos. 18-19 -- May 4, 2013

This fortnight in New World Notes, radio programs #270-271, May 7 & 14

Orwell Rolls in his Grave
(in Two Parts)

Why are these men smiling?

In brief

At the recent love fest at the new W. Bush Presidential "Library," the media and Obama too celebrated our most famous torturer and warmonger.

But this was just the straw that broke the camel's back. In the preceding weeks, the Administration had again allowed a giant media company (Comcast) to acquire 100% of another (NBC-Universal).

Then Obama announced that he will cut Social Security benefits to retirees, to reduce the budget deficit. Problem: Social Security is entirely separate from the federal budget. It has no connection to the deficit.

No matter. Wall Street and the corporate press praised Obama's "courage."

The incestuous relationship of "the one percent," the corporate-controlled media, and our prostitute government is getting pretty hard to miss.

Time to hear large parts of a fine documentary on the very subject, Orwell Rolls in his Grave (2006). Introductions and epilogue by K.D.

Update: Obama's new (May 2) choice for Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission--a prominent telecommunications industry lobbyist and venture capitalist--promises more of the same, and the public interest be damned. Details at the end of Part 2 (NWN #271).


Notes, credits, & links

Orwell Rolls in his Grave was produced by Robert Kane Pappas. It was adapted to radio by Lyn Gerry, of the Unwelcome Guests radio program. Her complete adaptation is available (as installment #416) at www.unwelcomeguests.net .

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "Freedom of Information Act") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

George Orwell (1940s).  It's not just that Big Brother is Watching You.  Worse still, Big Brother is controlling everything you know about current events and the past.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • May 21 -- TBA
Catch New World Notes  (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Friday, April 26, 2013

Decade War

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No. 17 -- April 26, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio program #269, April 30, 2013

Decade War

"Obama in Vietghanistan," by George Latuff (2009)

In brief

March 2013 saw the tenth anniversity of the US-led war against Iraq. So this seemed like a good time to air selections from Decade War--Skidmark Bob's 2011 audio collage on the horrors and futility of the US's recent wars.

We'll hear an engaging mix of Hollywood film clips, TV news, new and old music--and a good British documentary about the experiences of soldiers, in a doomed outpost in Afghanistan, slowly being wiped out by the Taliban.

Musical highlights include a stunning update of Country Joe's "Feels Like I'm Fixin' to Die"--plus original (1965) and punk-rock versions of "Eve of Destruction."

Bob's original audio extravaganza is here shortened, edited, and (after some deft censoring) suitable for radio broadcast.


Notes, credits, & links

Skidmark Bob produces the radio show & podcast, PoP dEFECT RADIO. More info. and download links at his blog, http://popdefectradio.blogspot.com/ .

The uncut and uncensored hour-long version of Decade War is available via the installment's blog page.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "thumb") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

 Baghdad, March 2003

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • May 7 -- TBA
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Friday, April 19, 2013

Love and Death

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No. 15 -- April 19, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio program #268, April 23, 2013

Love and Death


In brief

A cockeyed look at love and death--from 10 Downing Street to the mean streets of Steubenville, Ohio.

For Death, we look at the late UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, her awful legacy--and how millions of Brits celebrated her passing by driving "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead" nearly to the top of the pop charts. And we play parts of a newly-released musical bashing of Thatcher by Chumbawamba.

For Love, we read a great essay on the Steubenville rape case--and why gays should think twice before adopting the heterosexuals' institutions of sex, courtship, and marriage.

"Heterosexuality in high school is not pretty," advises
Joanne Wypijewski--and Steubenville is Anytown, USA.

Notes, credits, & links

I've edited and condensed Joanne Wypijewski's essay on Steubenville, "Primitive Heterosexuality." The uncut original is here.

I'm told that Chumbawamba recorded "In Memoriam: Margaret Thatcher" in 2005 and released it upon her death (April 8). The complete version is available on radio4all.net.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "table") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

Chumbawamba

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • April 30 -- Skidmark Bob on the Iraq-Afghanistan Wars
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Friday, April 12, 2013

Puberty Rites

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No.14 -- April 12, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio program #267, April 16, 2013

Puberty Rites

A public part of the puberty rites for girls of the
Ashanti ethnic group of Ghana

In brief

Our culture lacks--and very much needs--"puberty rites" for adolescents, such as civilized societies have. These ceremonies
  • teach kids adult roles
  • reinforce community values
  • celebrate sexuality
  • define the licit and illicit
  • increase social cohesion
  • help teens through a difficult period
  • justify a big party
  • honor the gods
  • etc.
I'll describe the rites of Ghana's Ashanti people, play 2 songs and a 1958 health-class movie for girls, and discuss why puberty rites won't soon be coming to the U.S.

Christian "Confirmation" class in the United States. Confirmation is a sort of "coming-of-age" ceremony but a really poor excuse for a puberty rite. The white gowns are a tip-off.

Notes, credits, & links

This program was originally broadcast in September 2008 (as NWN #31--no blog entry available).

Includes 2 songs of comic satire: Tom Lehrer, "Be Prepared!"; Roy Zimmerman, "Nothing But the Best [For Our Little Girl]"

Movie is Molly Grows Up (1958)

The complete article on puberty rites in Ghana (which I read in part) is here: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/tribes/puberty_rites.php .

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "First Floor") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.
The worst puberty rite ever: the parental "birds and bees" lecture.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • April 23 -- TBA
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Friday, April 5, 2013

A World Without Cheap Oil: Changes We Need to Make

New World Notes #266, for Tuesday April 6 (WHUS):

Broadcast Quality MP3 from our normal server (radio4all.net).

In case of difficulty, here's another copy from a different server (archive.org).

J.H. Kunstler in (he believes) a doomed setting: Suburbia

In Brief:

In this classic speech, urbanist JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER explores some of the changes America will have to make to deal with a world of less oil and much more expensive oil. All these changes will be difficult--but some sound better than what we have now. Commuter rail lines, Main Street stores, and no more Wal-Mart? Sounds OK so far. (Conflict with China over who gets Canada's oil? Possibly not so good.


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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Casualties of War

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No.13 -- March 30, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio program #265, April 2, 2013

Casualties of War

Victims of a NATO drone attack, October 2012, Helmand province, Afghanistan. The three chidren were in a field, collecting dung for cooking fuel.

In brief

A look at some seldom-acknowledged victims of the U.S.'s current wars. Hundreds of children killed by drone strikes ordered by President Obama. (We name 25 of the children.) Thousands of U.S. servicemembers, male and female, raped each year by other U.S. servicemembers. One soldier suicide per day and one veteran suicide per hour.

Why is this happening?

This installment features articles by Dave Lindorff, Alyssa Rohricht, and the New York Times; commentary in song by David Rovics and Roy Zimmerman; and remarks by me.

During a Senate subcommittee hearing on March 13, three former U.S. servicemembers (foreground, right) spoke of their experiences of rape while serving in the armed forces.

Notes, credits, & links

Music added: David Rovics, "The Comets of Kandahar"; Roy Zimmerman, from "Thanks for the Support"; and a dash of Orff's "Carmina Burana" (London S.O.).

Chuck Rosina recorded David Rovics live in performance in Boston on January 27, 2013.

The articles by Dave Lindorff and by Alyssa Rohricht are from CounterPunch online.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "radar") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

One U.S. soldier a day commits suicide. One military veteran an hour commits suicide. Something is very wrong. What could it be?

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • April 9 -- A World Without Cheap Oil: Changes We Need to Make, featuring James Howard Kunstler 
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Friday, March 22, 2013

The Corporations and the Economy

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No.12 -- March 22, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio program #264, March 26, 2013

The Corporations and the Economy


In brief

Corporate profits and stock prices continue to go up, up, up. Yet unemployment remains disastrously high, layoffs are increasing, poverty and personal debt are increasing. How can this be?

Noam Chomsky, Jim Hightower, Dave Johnson, The New York Times, and singer Mike Stout provide some answers.

Hint: don't blame nature, the Internet, new technologies, or China. Changes in federal laws and regulations--which Big Business fought hard for--enabled and encouraged the current mess.

Two of the sources we hear from bring up our local contributor to the Dow Jones Industrial Average: United Technologies Corporation. Two weeks ago, UTC reported record profits and reached a record high share price--and announced it would lay off (that is, fire) 3,000 more workers--on top of the 4,000 it laid off in 2012.


Notes, credits, & links

Chuck U. Rosina recorded the Chomsky segment in Boston on February 25, 2013. (Thanks again.)

Music added: Mike Stout, from "Occupy"

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "infleible deadlines") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.


Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • April 2 -- TBA
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Friday, March 15, 2013

Capitalism, Democracy, and Environmental Catastrophe

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No.11 -- March 15, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio program #263, March 19, 2013

Capitalism, Democracy, and Environmental Catastrophe


In brief

Invited to speak on "the future of capitalism," Noam Chomsky first shows that the actual U.S. economic system is very far from real "capitalism." It is essentially socialism-for-corporations. And the political system actually in place is far from "democracy." Chomsky shows why "plutocracy" is the more accurate term.

So Chomsky will discuss not actual capitalism or actual democracy but instead what he calls "really existing capitalist democracy"--the system that actually exists in the United States.

Alas, its future--and that of the planet--seem grim. Chomsky describes how--for the sake of short-term profit--the leaders of the world's most advanced (alleged) capitalist democracy are working hard to bring about environmental catastrophe as rapidly as possible.

In this powerful and moving speech Chomsky again displays his typical clarity, mastery of fact, and deadpan ironic wit.


Notes, credits, & links

Chomsky spoke at Northeastern University, in Boston, on February 25, 2013. Recorded on location by Chuck Rosina.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "spreading chestnut tree") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • March 26 -- TBA
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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