V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N...In The Summertime!

Yes friends, as of 6PM this fine day of June, yours truly is FINALLY on vacation! I've been is sore need of some time off for quite a while, and I intend on doing pretty much nothing for the next 7 to 10 days.

In OTHER good news, the flood waters here in NJ are starting to recede finally. We had about 24 hours of non-stop rain, which caused the Deleware River to GO WILD and overflow its' banks in many spots, both here is Joisey and on the Pennsy side.

Hoping everyone has a nice dry weekend on tap and we'll talk again on (or before) the 4th.

Happy trails!

This 'n That

Hey Kats and Kittens...thanks a mil for all the birthday greetings, that was very cool of all of ya! Much appreciated! :)

As you know by now, finally got some new shows up on the RFNY Archive Page, which makes me pleased as punch. Hope you enjoy 'em!

Got so much good stuff in the last batch of tapes I don't know where to begin. I've decided to concentrate on finishing up the rest of September and October of 1985, which were badly water damaged and need to be cleaned by hand. It's very time consuming, so I try to do some things at once. Or, as the kids say, "multi-task".

What a grand time at the Yankee game Friday night - good times had be all, even though it was about 150 degrees! Nice of the Yankees to win, too I might add!

Archive Update - 6/16/06

Hey eveybody! It's the WHEEKEND!

Good news re: the WHOT Archive Project. A trip this week to the Tape Storage Wharehaus (in Hank's basement) has yielded a treasure-trove of early tapes that I had feared lost. The FIRST-EVER WFAT broadcast is now accounted for, along with several other "previously-MIA" things, like a pair of WQXQ broadcasts, Several WGUT shows (circa 1981 to 1983) and a TON of WWCR-era Radio Free New York shows!

There were lots of other nice bits and pieces recovered, all of which I will begin cataloging at some point this weekend, most likely following tomorrow's Father's Day festivities up at the in-lawses in PA.

Details to follow!

Pete

It's Been a Good Day

You know it's going to be a good one when you wake up to the news that a murdering, demonic thug has been sent to meet Allah via being on the receiving end of a U.S.-made-and-delivered 500-pound bomb:

Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Killed in Air Raid

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq who waged a bloody campaign of beheadings and suicide bombings, was killed when U.S. warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on his isolated safehouse, officials said Thursday. His death was a long-sought victory in the war in Iraq.

Al-Zarqawi and several aides, including spiritual adviser Sheik Abdul Rahman, were killed Wednesday evening in a remote area 30 miles from Baghdad in the volatile province of Diyala, just east of the provincial capital of Baqouba, officials said.

"Al-Zarqawi was eliminated," Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said.

It's more than a good day. It's a very good day. Good riddance.

Boogey Boogey Boogey...it's 6-6-06!

Not EXACTLY "666", the way it's being played up all over the place (because, well, actually - it's 06-06-06, which, if flipped upside down would be 90-90-90, which has NOTHING to do with the apocalypse OR this week's Pick 10 drawing). Still - enough to make the overly-superstitious shift their rumps uncomfortably in their seats, and make the uncomfortably religious pull out the ole rosaries and hum many novenas.

Don't worry...you can all go back to being miserable human beings tomorrow.

Unrelatedly...you all know my experience with diet soda was less-that-successful. Knowing that, I think I finally found a useful excuse to buy Diet Coke, other than drinking that nasty whizz water:

The Extreme Diet Coke & Mentos Experiment.

Enjoy!

What Goes Around...

I like when I pick up the paper and see things that amuse me.

You see, it's not good to be a total bullshit artist, because sometimes that bullshit comes back to bite you in the ass:

A double-amputee Iraq-war vet is suing Michael Moore for $85 million, claiming the portly peacenik recycled an old interview and used it out of context to make him appear anti-war in "Fahrenheit 9/11."

I hope this guy takes that fat, lying bastard to the cleaners.

Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day. Be sure to take some time out to remember the men and women that fight to keep this country free. The toughest thing to do is defend something you believe in, and if not for the brave men and women of our fighting forces, instead of enjoying a beer and a barbecue today, we'd either be a member of the Axis, suffering under Communism or dodging Allah-bound 747s today.

I have been dragged kicking and screaming into MySpace world. You can go visit my page at http://www.myspace.com/peterfny. I'm still gonna keep the main blog over here at BlogSpot, so I'll mirror the two for a while unless I decide to dump one of them (not likely).

So, feel free to check over there or here, whatever. Also, remember to visit the Radio Free New York site to enjoy the fruits of my blood, sweat and beers.

In the words of Phil Leotardo, I love you all like a brother...in law.

Just waiting to enjoy the freedoms we have here in the good old US of A and fire up the BBQ and open a beer myself. Loving the WABC Rewound right now.

And in closing, big thanks to Reverend Greg for the sugary soda treats in glinting glass bottles that were smuggled into his local bodega via happy Mexican guest workers.

Love, luck and lollipops,
Pete

Archive Update

Just a quick update to let you know what's going on with the WHOT archive since things have been quiet on the ole RFNY site lately.

Tapes are being digitized at a frantic pace. I'm well into 1986 now and going steady. There's a ton of stuff on the old hard drive waiting for FLAC and MP3 archiving. All in due time, my children.

I will be sure to get new shows up soon, I promise. Fifty lashes with a wet gnocchi.

They're Ba-a-a-a-ck...

...and I don't mean Poltergeists in the television. I'm talking of course about the ever-dreadful Dixie Twits. You know - the ersatz-country-music trio of bleached-blonde bombettes that have decided to use their music to showcase their politics, or vice-versa (both of which are of equally dubious quality). The 'Head Twit' (and self-confessed catalyst for the music-politics crossover) is Named Natalie, in case you forgot. She's hard to miss, but could easily be mistaken for your Grandmother's lucky Bingo Troll.

When politics and music mix, nothing good can ever happen. Especially naive politics and bad music.

I look at it this way: I don't suddenly interrupt political discussions to sing country music, so I expect the same courtesy. If you're gonna put that bullsh*t in people's faces, be prepared to get bullsh*t right back. And don't complain about it.

Twits.

Miracles DO Happen!

Sometimes, all you need is the proper motivation to create a miracle.

Saints be praised!

Nothing is "Free"

Commuting in and out of New York City is enough of a pain in the ass that you don't need help in making it an even BIGGER pain in the ass than it already is.

For the last couple of years, New York commuters have had to not only deal with the daily hell of bumping into hundreds of other fellow commuter-sapiens, but now we have the added joy of being accosted by dozens of derelicts of questionable origin hawking "free" newspapers.

The two main culprits are publications called the Metro and AM New York, both of which exhibit questionable editorial content and massive advertisments - hence, the "free" part.

Even the fledgling New York Sun (now back in production after a bazillion years) has gotten into the act, recruiting varying levels of human flotsam to hand out the normally two-bit newspaper (and I use that term literally).

So where do you think these idiots stand? Right in front of the Subway exits. That's right - you're trying to escape the Subway station via a narrow set of concrete steps, surrounded by a hundred of fellow New Yorkers, all of which you'd like to zap to Mars, and some moron is standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EXIT with two OTHER morons, all yelling "Free News! Free News!" in your ear.

I don't understand why the MTA allows this, as it's not a MINOR inconvenience - it's a MAJOR inconvenience. Plus, if I own a newsstand in or around a train station - and I'm paying top dollar for that piece of real estate - I'm not very happy about seeing Sol, Mutt 'n Jeff handing out bird cage liner directly in my line of sight.

I'm sure this will go on until one of these guys gets flung into a double-decker sightseeing bus by an angry commuter experiencing train rage. And if they're not careful, it might be ME.

An Action-Packed Weekend

Wanna talk about an eventful weeked?

It all started on Friday when we went to a going-away gathering for our friend Mark, who is going off to Iraq (kick some ass, Mark!). Things took a turn for the interesting when I found Mon and Jeff tending to a party girl who drank to the point of falling down (ouch) and splitting her chin open (double ouch). Since alcohol thins the blood, there was red stuff all over the place.

Pretty wild - it was like watching ER, only not as fake.

So, then we capped things off today by going to see a taping of Emeril Live - BAM! - courtesy of Bootleg Steve, one hell of a guy. What fun! I'd have to say it was probably the most fun I've even had at a show taping - and I mean that. Those people know how to have fun, let me tell ya.

In Other News...

I decided to cut down on my sugar intake and so I'm trying ONCE AGAIN to switch over to diet soda. I simply cannot drink Diet Coke - I can't take the tongue-curling aftertaste. BUT I managed to find a few that I DO like. Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Mountain Dew, and even Diet Coke with Lime - sort of.

I must monitor this closely and carefully, as the last time I switched to aspertame-sweetened drinks, I started to exhibit all kids of weird and sundry side effects: dizziness, fatigue and massive short-term memory loss.

So I guess it's a trade-off: you lose weight from the lack of sugar intake, but suffer brain damage from the chemicals. As Fernando used to say, it's better to look good that to feel good, right?

All Pollen All The Time

Well, I knew it was just a matter of time until my allergies kicked in, and boy - have they kicked in...with a vengeance.

The past few nights I've been dying dead. It got to the point last night that after an hour of lying on the couch with a wet washcloth over my face, I gave in and actually turned the air conditioning on. The AC is on again this evening - on May 4th.

Thank goodness, the old allergies have been getting better as I get older...but there's just been no helping me the last few nights. Watery eyes, scratchy throat and head that feels like a sack of wet weasels.

And according to Hank Hayes, it's only gonna get worse. Yay.

All fellow sufferers get my fullest sympathies.

New Website Update FINALLY Up!

Yes, at long last - the remainder of the reference materials AND two new shows are up right now!

Radio Free New York

Now let's hope I didn't exceed the allowable server space! LOL!

Petezs

RFNY Web Site Update Coming

Hey Everybody,

Just wanted to post the latest on what's going on with the Radio Free New York site, since it's been sitting pretty much dormant since New Year's.

I've been working on a big upgrade of the site. I finally got a working scanner I like (hoo-ray!), so I have been scanning all the documents that SHOULD be up (as well as re-scanning some of the nasty-looking old ones). Rather than put everything up in dribs and drabs, I wanted to wait until I am ready to "go live" with the new materials before I do an update.

I also have a batch of new shows ready to go up and perhaps an additional picture page. I have learned that the site's storage is almost at 98% full, so I will have to work accordingly. I'd love to have endless space to post EVERYTHING, but what can you do.

I may even change the design eventually. This was my FIRST excursion into web design, and there are a lot of things I'd like to change, but that is a ways down the road.

So fret not - RFNY.us is alive and well and will be better than ever very soon.

In Other News...

Congratulations to Tony Snow for being named White House Press Secretary yesterday. Tony's a great guy who I have had the pleasure of working with on occasion, and hey - he's addicted to Smarties like me, so he's definitely ready to take on the job!

I'm sure he'll be more-than-capable of keeping the ravenous blood-sucking leeches that ARE the White House Press Corps in line. Best of luck!

Some "United 93" Feedback

The TriBeCa Film Festival opened in New York last night, and the first film spooled was the controversial "United 93", which depicts the events that took place on board the ill-fated flight on September 11th, 2001.

With one decent take on this already done in made-for-TV form, this is Hollywood's first go at the topic. Thankfully - and suprisingly - the initial feedback I am seeing is pretty positive (i.e., the film is rooted in facts, low on embellishment and does not cut corners to appease people).

Blogger Debbie Schlussel was there and gives her take HERE.

Props and thanks to Tammy Bruce for the review link.

Until Next Year...

The NHL season came limping to an end for the hapless Islanders, with a 4-1 poorly-played loss to the Flyers. A perfect way to sum up the entire season.

It's becoming incresingly difficult to watch this once-great franchise - which used to be the benchmark for the NHL - fall further and further into the depths of dispair, thanks to mad management and idiotic ownership.

Every year, those four Stanley Cups get smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror.

Let's not even talk about all the bells and (literal) whistles the NHL added to "bring fans back" this year. Between the never-ending penalty calls and the super-ridiculous "Euro-Shootout" tie-breakers, just watching hockey proved to be an annoying exercise.

Much as I did with last year's baseball post-season, I guess I'll keep an eye on the NHL playoffs...when I can. At the very least, for the first round, I can be a tempoarary Devils fan.

RFNY Site News...and Opening Day!

Hewwo Evwybody!

I know, it's been a while sing I had anything to say. None of y'all have, either so SHUT UP!

Just kidding!

Since it's been a while, just wanted to let you know that I think I've found a scanner that I'm happy with. It's an HP and it's nice (although based on my last HP experience, the software will probably be clungy and busy, but what can you do). It's an all-in-one, so I'll be able to solve my printer issues as well.

In other bits of important business...the Yankees home opener is tomorrow at 1PM vs. the Royals. As much as I'd love to go, I think my Opening Days are over (too much bad weather, too much "big crowd" nonsense). I'll enjoy it from the comfort of home, nachos and beer at the ready. And no lines for the restroom!

After a shaky road trip out west to begin the season, let's hope the Yanks can get rolling...rolling...rolling...la ta dee da...

Petezs

The Rites of Spring

Spring Training is here, and Yankee camp begins tomorrow.

I'm as happy as a little girl.

I Just Don't Get It

OK, so one of my favorite shows of the moment is Cold Case over on CBS. Come to think of it, I'm noticing that MOST of the shows I watch these days are on CBS. I like crime shows and CBS has the cream of the crop.

Anyway, so I'm watching Cold Case tonight, and tonight was the big episode that they kept making a big deal about because it featured the music of Bruce Springsteen. Good enough story (as usual), but having to sit through an hour's worth of Springsteen is like being questioned by the Nazi dentist in "Marathon Man".

"Is it SAFE?", I kept hearing in the back of my head. "Oh yes, it's so safe you can't believe how safe it is".

I never understood the psycophantic appeal of Springsteen. As I see it, he's had a handful of decent enough hits (Born To Run, Pink Cadillac, Hungry Heart...and that that's about IT), but I don't get the rabid following of the Bruce Force.

We're talking about a guy who can barely croak, never mind sing. This whole "hero of the working class" act is a big load of steaming dog turds and top that off with a cherry of political idiocy, and what do you have? A no-talent hack to is more of a name than an actual artist.

Look at Springsteen's most accessible work: the 'Born in the USA' period. All the records he put out at that time feature Bruce at his gravely worst ("Baaahhhn in the YOOO ES AYYYY") and are mixed and produced to sound like dental drills (an empty tiled room full of knives comes to mind). Decent enough music, but nothing that makes one pee their pants with glee.

Maybe if I grew up in Red Bank and hung out drinking at the Stone Pony until my tear ducts bled, I'd get it. But as a guy who likes music and appreciates a nice singer / musician, I just don't get.

Probably never will.