Somewhere between DC and Princeton there is a spot where the only stations below 92 on the FM dial are a Spanish-language station and a Christian radio station out of Elkton that, when I was in this area, was playing the Extremely White Gospel Hour. Which was actually pretty cool; it sounded like a couple of guys who were as white as Stanard Ridgway strumming guitars and singing Carter Family-style tunes, which I really like.
Then it switched to the Missionary Report and I was bereft until I got in radio range of Philly, or something.
there's nothin' better than switching over to AM as soon as you get into the Shenandoah valley driving west from DC... I was headed out there a couple of summers back, and we were listening to this one guy get really worked up over the calculations of exactly how many people he'd met were saved, and how many were damned to hellfire. He'd met a lot of people.
MTV Italia used to have (98-99- might still for all I know) two VJs, Chris e Kris, who were the incarnation of dumb American blondes (although one was Canadian), and spoke Italian with pronounced gringo accents, even though they were obviously fluent.
While kind of odd, it turns out there is a "rich" tradition in Italian TV of having corn-fed American girls host (or really, co-host, along with a oleaginous Italian guy) shows while affecting American accents, even though they are fluent in Italian, and in fact have spent many years in Italy (one of these girls was profiled in the IHT)
Somewhere between DC and Princeton there is a spot where the only stations below 92 on the FM dial are a Spanish-language station and a Christian radio station
Around Kankakee that's the only stations anywhere on the dial.
Down here, radio is usually only half as fun as late-night Jesus TV. My local favorite is Prophetess Hardaway, who, admittedly, is a poor representation of whiteness, what with being black and all. The evangelizing mostly serves as filler between pitches for their homegrown herbal remedies. The Hardaway's flagship product is the Super Fat Binder (pronounced Supafat Bineduh, very quickly).
"You see this skirt I used to wear? The devil was keepin' me fat, ladies. Keepin' the diabetes and the blood pressure just rollin'. But with the help of Jesus — and the Supafat Bineduh — I said 'Get thee behind me Satan!' And look at me now. I ain't big enough to hide him no more! Hallelujah!"
There's a part of west Texas where there's only one station on the FM dial -- country, of course. My family was once driving through after midnight when they were playing their special show of assorted country music oddities; the only one I can remember was Jeff Foxworthy's version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was awesome.
Oh, it was TV, not radio. I think it was on WKFT (40) at midnight or one in the morning, though they don't mention it at all on their website, so maybe they're no longer producing the show. That would be a pity. It was supa-entertaining.
Hmm. Maybe there's been a change. The MTV Italia I saw featured some guy named Paolino and a bunch of supernaturally attractive Italian girls. I suppose I could just be dense enough to not be able to identify American-accented Italian (I don't think so, though).
tom: could be. Chris e Kris weren't the only people on MTV Italia, but in a six-guy apartment, they certainly were the most popular.
since Matt W mentioned wierd Maryland radio stations, I thought I'd mention my favorite: driving to my grandparent's for Thanksgiving a couple of years back, my brother and I were somewhere near Thurmont (or Camp David, if you prefer), when a spin through the FM dial turned up a radio station playing a "song" that was dogs barking to techno music. We refer to it with reverence at Thanksgiving to this day.
On the train from Toronto to Vancouver for a few hours in western Ontario the only radio station I could get was in French and seemed to be perpetually playing a bland talk show.
I built a crystal radio when I was a kid and the only station I could get was some evangelist preacher admonishing the sinners and heathens. Determined not to have my effort be wasted, I dutifully listened for maybe half an hour. Did more to turn me off of religion than any other single event I can remember.
Despite the scanty textual evidence, it's accepted among the crackerjackest hermeneuts that Jesus used "the kingdom of Heaven" to refer to his, shall we say, inner sanctum.
You know what's gross? Having sex with a camel? Know what's grosser? Doing it every day. Know what's grosser than that?....actually, I don't think I can stand to get any grosser than that.
Singer did have a patent fight with some no-name who claimed to have invented the sewing machine, but who cares? If Singer hadn't invented the sewing machine, wouldn't we know who did?
Singer had all of his 20 or so children by 5 or so wives trained in music, and he favored musicians and singers when hiring and promoting for his company. His daughter Winnaretta went to Paris, married two princes in quick succession, and became a patron of the arts. The first marriage was annulled because she refused to sonsummate the marriage.
Re: 15, one of the grad students was just telling me about how east of El Paso there's a flat, deserted stretch where all the radio stations broadcast a series of announcements saying "Stay awake! Stay awake!" He thought this was ridiculous until one day he woke up and realized he'd driven way off the road--isn't much to stop you once you start going off.
He also said that a guy from around El Paso said that every so often kids from his high school would disappear, and people assumed that they'd just been doing donuts out in the desert and had hit a soft spot and gone through. (At this point I began to think, "This is way too much like an X-files episode.")
And then there was a story--and I don't see how there could possibly be a witness to this--of some kids in a jeep who'd gone up on a hill, and gone through and fallen two miles because the hill was the top of an abandoned mineshaft.
Driving a car in very tight circles (so as to leave donut-shaped tire marks? not sure). There are some instructions here (also panty-blogging, if it's a blog). An innocuous gif animation here
Actually, I lived in Texas for a while, but not out in the desert. And tying this in to the other thread, Austin has a lovely airport. Efficient, almost never crowded - very chill.
the guy at Burger King was the the largest, blackest, gayest man I've seen in a very long time. Better luck on Friday, perhaps.
I would think that would be luck enough for anyone.
Posted by Matt F | Link to this comment | 10-20-05 11:02 PM
the radio here is like it is everywhere else, namely, lousy
Have you tried AM?
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-20-05 11:13 PM
Is AM better? I'll try tomorrow.
Posted by FL | Link to this comment | 10-20-05 11:29 PM
I don't know so much about better, but it's definitely stranger.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-20-05 11:40 PM
Somewhere between DC and Princeton there is a spot where the only stations below 92 on the FM dial are a Spanish-language station and a Christian radio station out of Elkton that, when I was in this area, was playing the Extremely White Gospel Hour. Which was actually pretty cool; it sounded like a couple of guys who were as white as Stanard Ridgway strumming guitars and singing Carter Family-style tunes, which I really like.
Then it switched to the Missionary Report and I was bereft until I got in radio range of Philly, or something.
(See here for background.)
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 7:46 AM
I don't know so much about better, but it's definitely stranger.
He ain't just whistlin' dixie.
And it may help satiate your appetite for whitey.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:25 AM
there's nothin' better than switching over to AM as soon as you get into the Shenandoah valley driving west from DC... I was headed out there a couple of summers back, and we were listening to this one guy get really worked up over the calculations of exactly how many people he'd met were saved, and how many were damned to hellfire. He'd met a lot of people.
Posted by mike d | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:38 AM
Extremely White Gospel Hour
Was it Bill Gaither?
Posted by Adam Kotsko | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 9:50 AM
the Extremely White Gospel Hour
On MTV Italia the rap show is called "Un Cento Per Cento Black"
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 9:58 AM
MTV Italia is so much better than ours.
I was in Italy while they were really pushing an Italian version of Alanis Morrisette. This was early 2001, but it didn't seem pathetic, somehow.
Posted by Adam Kotsko | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 10:03 AM
MTV Italia used to have (98-99- might still for all I know) two VJs, Chris e Kris, who were the incarnation of dumb American blondes (although one was Canadian), and spoke Italian with pronounced gringo accents, even though they were obviously fluent.
While kind of odd, it turns out there is a "rich" tradition in Italian TV of having corn-fed American girls host (or really, co-host, along with a oleaginous Italian guy) shows while affecting American accents, even though they are fluent in Italian, and in fact have spent many years in Italy (one of these girls was profiled in the IHT)
Posted by mike d | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 10:53 AM
Somewhere between DC and Princeton there is a spot where the only stations below 92 on the FM dial are a Spanish-language station and a Christian radio station
Around Kankakee that's the only stations anywhere on the dial.
Posted by ogmb | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 11:02 AM
Down here, radio is usually only half as fun as late-night Jesus TV. My local favorite is Prophetess Hardaway, who, admittedly, is a poor representation of whiteness, what with being black and all. The evangelizing mostly serves as filler between pitches for their homegrown herbal remedies. The Hardaway's flagship product is the Super Fat Binder (pronounced Supafat Bineduh, very quickly).
"You see this skirt I used to wear? The devil was keepin' me fat, ladies. Keepin' the diabetes and the blood pressure just rollin'. But with the help of Jesus — and the Supafat Bineduh — I said 'Get thee behind me Satan!' And look at me now. I ain't big enough to hide him no more! Hallelujah!"
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 11:16 AM
affecting American accents
Radio Nova in Paris did that too. It got annoying fast.
Posted by Jackmormon | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 11:24 AM
There's a part of west Texas where there's only one station on the FM dial -- country, of course. My family was once driving through after midnight when they were playing their special show of assorted country music oddities; the only one I can remember was Jeff Foxworthy's version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was awesome.
Posted by teofilo | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 12:44 PM
A, what radio station is that herb lady on?
Can a person hear it from the Triad?
Posted by winna | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 1:05 PM
Oh, it was TV, not radio. I think it was on WKFT (40) at midnight or one in the morning, though they don't mention it at all on their website, so maybe they're no longer producing the show. That would be a pity. It was supa-entertaining.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 1:19 PM
Hmm. Maybe there's been a change. The MTV Italia I saw featured some guy named Paolino and a bunch of supernaturally attractive Italian girls. I suppose I could just be dense enough to not be able to identify American-accented Italian (I don't think so, though).
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 2:10 PM
There's a part of west Texas where there's only one station on the FM dial -- country, of course.
No,no. I'm sure they had both kinds of music: country aaaand western.
Posted by Doug | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 2:14 PM
tom: could be. Chris e Kris weren't the only people on MTV Italia, but in a six-guy apartment, they certainly were the most popular.
since Matt W mentioned wierd Maryland radio stations, I thought I'd mention my favorite: driving to my grandparent's for Thanksgiving a couple of years back, my brother and I were somewhere near Thurmont (or Camp David, if you prefer), when a spin through the FM dial turned up a radio station playing a "song" that was dogs barking to techno music. We refer to it with reverence at Thanksgiving to this day.
Posted by mike d | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 2:27 PM
On the train from Toronto to Vancouver for a few hours in western Ontario the only radio station I could get was in French and seemed to be perpetually playing a bland talk show.
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 2:33 PM
No,no. I'm sure they had both kinds of music: country aaaand western.
For sure. They both tend to fall under "County, Hot New" on your local ClearChannel™ affiliate, though.
Posted by teofilo | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 2:36 PM
I built a crystal radio when I was a kid and the only station I could get was some evangelist preacher admonishing the sinners and heathens. Determined not to have my effort be wasted, I dutifully listened for maybe half an hour. Did more to turn me off of religion than any other single event I can remember.
Posted by Matt F | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 2:47 PM
Did more to turn me off of religion than any other single event I can remember.
That is, aside from the time Father O'Brien killed and ate grandma.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 2:51 PM
Did this, as Michael put it, satiate his appetite for whitey?
Posted by My Alter Ego | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 3:11 PM
That is, aside from the time Father O'Brien killed and ate grandma.
Hey, I was raised heathen largely because a visiting Episcopal priest stole my mother's antique sewing machine.
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 3:15 PM
That's awful. Losing your antique sewing machine should be something special.
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 3:22 PM
Yup. She never went back to the church.
If I end up in hell it's all Father Whatsisname's fault.
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 3:36 PM
Maybe he just wanted to put a Singer in the hands of an angry god.
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 3:40 PM
Well, as you sew, so shall you reap.
Posted by My Alter Ego | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 4:52 PM
The sewing machine was invented by Isaac not-Bashevis Singer, who may or may not have been Jewish.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:05 PM
Singer didn't invent the sewing machine, and never claimed to have done so.
Posted by slolernr | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:07 PM
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
Posted by Michelle | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:14 PM
It depends on how much you lubricate the camel.
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:17 PM
35!
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:18 PM
But McCormick did invent the reaper.
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:20 PM
Who says all of the camel has to go through at the same time?
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:21 PM
Ah, but Jethro Tull invented the sower.
Posted by slolernr | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:22 PM
Whole-camel transduction isn't necessary, but it is, you have to agree, more satisfying.
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:27 PM
Especially with a slicked up blorping camel. A camel bred especially for such blorpal occasions.
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:28 PM
Despite the scanty textual evidence, it's accepted among the crackerjackest hermeneuts that Jesus used "the kingdom of Heaven" to refer to his, shall we say, inner sanctum.
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 5:35 PM
In other camel news...
Posted by teofilo | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 6:31 PM
"It also stated that the camel be put down as its meat would now be tainted."
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 6:52 PM
I suppose it's moot to ask whether to camel spit or swallowed?
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 7:05 PM
Something something hump something.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 7:36 PM
When Ogged gets back, we'll have to remember to ask him how to say, "I want to sex your camel," in Farsi.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:01 PM
You know what's gross? Having sex with a camel? Know what's grosser? Doing it every day. Know what's grosser than that?....actually, I don't think I can stand to get any grosser than that.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:02 PM
It's healthy of you to recoil from thinking of sex with your mom, Michael.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:06 PM
Singer did have a patent fight with some no-name who claimed to have invented the sewing machine, but who cares? If Singer hadn't invented the sewing machine, wouldn't we know who did?
Singer had all of his 20 or so children by 5 or so wives trained in music, and he favored musicians and singers when hiring and promoting for his company. His daughter Winnaretta went to Paris, married two princes in quick succession, and became a patron of the arts. The first marriage was annulled because she refused to sonsummate the marriage.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:23 PM
The woman whose son said he was going to the pool to look at camel toe needs to start worrying again.
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:28 PM
Today is not a wizard cocksucker day.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:52 PM
A rare shot of 'Wolfson's mom, in he morning, before she has a chance to "put her face on."
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 8:59 PM
How so, Michaelis?
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 9:04 PM
Everyone! Michael's moving to France!
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 9:45 PM
c'est pas vrai.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 10:01 PM
Yet more about camels (snuff this time).
Posted by teofilo | Link to this comment | 10-21-05 11:04 PM
It is indeed a true step, and not a misstep in any way, Michael.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 10-22-05 12:48 AM
How do you like your camel? One hump, or two?
Posted by My Alter Ego | Link to this comment | 10-22-05 7:07 AM
Re 52: Mmmm, MILRATS*.
*Moms I'd like to ride across the Sahara.
Posted by peter snees | Link to this comment | 10-22-05 5:04 PM
Re: 15, one of the grad students was just telling me about how east of El Paso there's a flat, deserted stretch where all the radio stations broadcast a series of announcements saying "Stay awake! Stay awake!" He thought this was ridiculous until one day he woke up and realized he'd driven way off the road--isn't much to stop you once you start going off.
He also said that a guy from around El Paso said that every so often kids from his high school would disappear, and people assumed that they'd just been doing donuts out in the desert and had hit a soft spot and gone through. (At this point I began to think, "This is way too much like an X-files episode.")
And then there was a story--and I don't see how there could possibly be a witness to this--of some kids in a jeep who'd gone up on a hill, and gone through and fallen two miles because the hill was the top of an abandoned mineshaft.
You knew that was how it was going to end, right?
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 10-22-05 8:53 PM
Yeah, that area of Texas is pretty desolate. Nice though.
Posted by teofilo | Link to this comment | 10-22-05 10:24 PM
wtf is "doing donuts"?
Posted by silvana | Link to this comment | 10-23-05 10:35 AM
Driving a car in very tight circles (so as to leave donut-shaped tire marks? not sure). There are some instructions here (also panty-blogging, if it's a blog). An innocuous gif animation here
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 10-23-05 11:34 AM
wtf is "doing donuts"?
heh, yer not from around here, are ya.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10-23-05 12:02 PM
Actually, I lived in Texas for a while, but not out in the desert. And tying this in to the other thread, Austin has a lovely airport. Efficient, almost never crowded - very chill.
Posted by silvana | Link to this comment | 10-23-05 2:37 PM