Leader of Fremont County Dems and Rep. Tim Stubson to spar over Vacation Theft Act

This bit of news comes from the Fremont County Democrats:

Monday at 8 AMish, Fremont County Democratic Party Chair, Bruce Palmer, will be on radio KVOW AM 1450 talking with John Vincent about the Enrolled Act 37, the Vacation Theft Act. Also scheduled to appear is the bill's sponsor, Representative Tim Stubson.

It should be interesting hearing Rep. Stubson explain why taking a workers earned, accrued vacation is actually positive for the worker.

Don't think we can get KVOW in Southeast Wyo. Try this Internet link.

For some background from a Dem POV, read Pete Gosar's "An Unprovoked Attack on Wyoming Workers" in today's Star-Trib. 

Many of us in Wyoming are just one emergency surgery away from ruin

Many of us are a couple paychecks away from ruin. Throw in an emergency surgery and lack of adequate medical insurance, you have a crisis on your hands. This dispatch comes from fellow prog-blogger Meg Lanker-Simons in Laramie:

One of our Bucking Jennys, Meg at Cognitive Dissonance, is recovering from emergency surgery. Like many of us, Meg is underinsured and a member of the working poor. She and her husband will be facing some stiff medical expenses. You've enjoyed her biting editorials on this page, show her some love here if you're able: https://www.wepay.com/donations/send-cognitive-dissonance-your-love

Meg writes that she now has 40,000 followers on Tumblr. That's an impressive number and illustrates how active this indie blogger is on her site. That's the thing -- some of the most interesting content on the web can be found on the blogs of creative people such as Meg. She writes and rants and has her own progressive radio show, not an easy task in Wyoming. But none of this brings in money. That's the blogger's lament, no matter the political bent or passion. We do it because we can't help ourselves. It's a creative outlet too, and unbridled blogging can take you to some amazing places. Meg was blogging at the Republican National Convention in Tampa last year, and at Netroots Nation in Providence.

To keep her  going, I'm kicking in a few bucks. I suggest you do the same.

Poetry and Equality and Tunes on Cognitive Dissonance tonight

Meg Lanker-Simons hits the airwaves tonight. Listen in as Will Welch talks about the Equality Day rally Monday in Cheyenne. Great tunes, too:

Tune into 93.5 KOCA tonight, 10PM-1 AM and keep your dial locked for fab music + Legit Conservative + d-bag o' the week. Our special guest tonight is Dylan Przygocki, who's going to read poetry. Also, listen in for GetEQUAL WY and QAN @ UW state organizer Will Welch talking about what you can do to support equality in Wyoming this MONDAY!

Don't forget to send The Legitimate Conservative some questions! 

Listen online and talk to us in the live chat! Check outhttp://myradiostream.com/cognitivedissonance to listen at 10 PM andhttp://chat.myradiostream.com/FSHs11p6864/ for the chat!

Taking your requests for songs, dedications & d-bag nods til 8 PM. Laramie Civic Center, rm #255

Listen live tonight as Radio Meg counts down the top 25 albums of 2012

Meg's fab tunes & prog-talk now available from Boulder to Birmingham, Tehatchapi to Tonapah:

Tune into 93.5 KOCA tonight, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. and keep your dial locked for fab music + Legit Conservative + d-bag o' the week. Our special guest tonight is fellow music aficionado Cameron L. Maris, who will help us count down the Top 25 Albums of 2012! Oh, and don't forget to send The Legitimate Conservative some questions -- it IS the last show of the year! Listen online and talk to us in the live chat! Check out http://myradiostream.com/cognitivedissonance to listen at 10 PM and http://chat.myradiostream.com/FSHs11p6864/ for the chat! Taking your requests for songs, dedications & d-bag nods til 8 PM. Laramie Civic Center, rm #255

On the mean streets of Tampa with Meg from Cognitive Dissonance

Laramie's Meg Lanker-Simons interviews former Repubican Party Chair Michael Steele yesterday at the RNC in Tampa. Michael is dressed Repub casual (blazer and tennies) for the humid-hot Tampa day. Meg also interviewed Chuck Todd and Lawrence O'Donnell. Re-posted from Cognitive Dissonance.

Citizens for a Better Wyoming: "Time to vote no on Bob Brechtel"

Citizens for a Better Wyoming has been running radio spots during morning air time on KTWO and KWYY in Natrona County. They oppose Rep. Bob Brechtel, a Republican legislator who tends to end up on the right-wing fringes of his party's votes. "Too extreme for Wyoming" -- as the radio ad says. Listen for the spots between 6-10 a.m. on "My Country 95.5" FM (KWYY) and KTWO, 1030 AM, which broadcasts country music and talk shows such as Rush Limbaugh throughout the state.

Here's the text for one of the short but pithy spots:

Bob Brechtel likes to vote no.
He voted no on kindergarten readiness.
He voted no on dyslexia and literacy screening.
He voted no on stronger punishments for domestic violence.
He voted no on open public records.
Bob Brechtel is too extreme for Wyoming.
It's time to vote no on Bob Brechtel.

Campaign season ramps up with gigantic yard signs, Rothfuss on the radio and a Superday candidate invasion

Campaign season is in full swing. In my neighborhood, I've been seeing increasingly larger signs for county commission candidates. C. Bud Racicky talked one homeowner to put a huge sign in his yard but it was partially blocked from northbound Yellowstone Blvd. traffic by an evergreen hedge. Today a guy was cutting down the hedge. So much for planning ahead... and isn't that one thing that county comissioners are charged with, planning?

If you like progressive radio, and you happen to live in the Laramie Valley, do this (says Meg Lanker-Simons):

Tune into 93.5 KOCA tonight, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. and keep your dial locked for fab music + Legit Conservative + d-bag o' the week! Our special guest tonight is Wyo. Sen. Chris Rothfuss from SD 9 in Laramie. Have a question for Sen. Rothfuss? Post it! Taking your requests for songs, dedications & d-bag nods til 8 p.m. See us at Laramie Civic Center, rm #255.

Chris really distinguished himself during the most recent legislative session. We need him back to fight the Right Wing loonies.


And Cheyenne's Superday is tomorrow. It is quite super, with a 5K run, the Tour De Prairie bike race, food trucks, vendor booths, good music and candidates galore. They'll be swarming the place so beware. Of course, you could do a good turn and support one of the local Democrats running for a legislative seat. If you need some campaign literature or assorted nifty giveaways, visit the booth of the Laramie County Democrats/LC Grassroots Democrats. Get your photo taken with (a) President Barack Obama (life-size cardboard replica)! Get a whole album's worth of photos to amaze your Facebook friends -- and infuriate your Republican brother-in-law.

Wonder if the Laramie County Republicans will have a booth and, if they do, will feature a cardboard replica of Mitt Romney. Cardboard cutout and Mitt Romney. Isn't that redundant?

Laramie's Meg Lanker-Simons taking Cognitive Dissonance to Netroots Nation 12

Meg Lanker-Simons of Laramie (a.k.a. Cognitive Dissonance) was one of the top three vote-getters in round two of the Netroots Nation 12 scholarship contest. That means she gets her registration and lodging paid to attend the largest annual gathering of progressive bloggers June 7-10 in Providence, R.I. Interesting to note that Meg was the only Wyoming blogger in the sweepstakes. She undoubtedly will be telling us the story this Friday night on her KOCA-FM radio show and on her blog at http://cognitivedissonance.tumblr.com/

Author Tim Wise guest on tonight's Cognitive Dissonance radio show

Shepard Symposium keynote speaker Tim Wise will be on Meg's show tonight

Laramie's Meg Lanker-Simons, currently numero uno in the Netroots Nation scholarship sweepstakes, sends this out about tonight's radio show:

Tune into 93.5 KOCA tonight, 10PM-1 AM and keep your dial locked for fab music + Legit Conservative + d-bag o' the week. Our special guest tonight is Tim Wise, author of "White Like Me" and "Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority." He'll be live in-studio! Have a question? Post it here! Still taking your requests for songs, dedications & d-bag nods til 8 p.m. Laramie Civic Center, rm #255

The Vagina Monologues & The Wyoming Monologues Feb. 24-25 in Laramie

From my prog-blogging pal Meg Lanker-Simons in Laramie:

The Vagina Monologues is returning to the University of Wyoming on Feb. 24-25 at 7 p.m. at the Education Auditorium on campus. This is marvelous, but there’s something even more fantastic: It will also feature the premiere of The Wyoming Monologues on February 25 at 9 p.m. 

I’m sharing this for two reasons: It’s awesome, and I HAVE A FEATURED MONOLOGUE! It was one of ten chosen. My monologue, “Going Hungry,” is fifth on the list. 

I’m wicked excited and would like to invite my followers to attend. It’s at the University of Wyoming Education Auditorium. You can view a campus map here or a Google map here. The other monologues are incredible. Several deal with GLBTQ issues and body image. I encourage those who can to attend. If you have a question or are attending, email me at meglanker@gmail.com. I’ll post my monologue after the production. 

Please, if you can, come attend The Vagina Monologues at 7 p.m. and The Wyoming Monologues Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. It’s going to be spectacular. If you can’t, please share. The proceeds from this event will benefit 93.5 KOCA FM in Laramie (a bilingual, community station -- and the one that houses my radio show) and Albany County SAFE Project. 

Break a leg, Meg!

Just to be clear -- "The Wyoming Monologues" will be performed only once, on Saturday, Feb. 25, after "The Vagina Monologues" performance.

My vote for 2011's best radio show in WY -- Cognitive Dissonance on KOCA-FM every Friday night

Meg and Cameron counted down the year's top 25 songs the past two weeks on Meg Lanker-Simons' Friday night Cognitive Dissonance radio show on KOCA-FM out of Laramie. In case you live out of broadcast range (as I do), read the lists at the Cognitive Dissonance Tumblr site and go find the tunes in other places. Listen to the show every Friday night, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. at 93.5 on your radio dial if you can. Friends who live west of Cheyenne's F.E. Warren AFB and east of the summit say they can get it. Maybe I just need to get in my car every Friday night and drive Happy Jack Road until it appears on my Ford Fusion's radio. The show offers a great mix of progressive music and politics. I've even been on the show. I'm not in the groove, music-wise, but I am progressive, politics-wise. Happy New Year, Meg! Keep the talk and the music coming!

New Wyoming Public Media site features podcasts of home-grown and visiting performers

WPR's Grady Kirkpatrick (left) with
Teresa Jordan and Hal Cannon.

Wyoming Public Media's slick new web site features a number of excellent podcasts of interviews with Wyoming based performers -- and those with ties to Wyoming. Some of these interviews were conducted by Grady Kirkpatrick on WPR's "Morning Music." One of my favorites is one from Sept. with Hal Cannon and Teresa Jordan. Hal is founder of the Western Folklife Center in Elko, home of the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Teresa is his wife and Laramie County, Wyoming, native, author of the fantastic award-winning memoir, "Riding the White Horse Home." I had the opportunity to see Hal and Teresa perform at a house concert during their September swing through the state. They know their traditional cowboy music -- and they have some great songs of their own! Other podcasts feature Miss "V" the Gypsy Cowbelle (Cora), Spencer Bohren (raised in Casper and now lives in New Orleans), Green River's Brian Ragsdale and bluegrass duo Anne and Pete Sibley of Jackson. Internationally-renowned dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones was interviewed during his fall residency at the University of Wyoming. Ira Glass, producer of NPR's "This American Life," was interviewed before his November appearance at UW. To listen, go to http://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/term/arts

Netroots Nation 2011: Day Two

Started the day with the "Big Steaming News Dump" with Lizz Winstead and friends. The Netroots Nation alternative to “Morning Joe” on MSNBC.

Panelists were pundit and author of the John McCain biography Cliff Schecter, lesbian blogger Pam Spaulding, Leftie media maven Shannyn Moore from Alaska, pundit Sam Seder and Jon Sinton, a co-founder of the late Air America.

Many snarky comments about the news that Pakistan had arrested five men who allegedly helped the CIA spy on Osama bin-Laden's million-dollar hideaway. Conclusion: This was a Casablanca-like "round up the usual suspects" moment.

Next topic: Tea Party-sponsored summer camp for kids in Tampa, Fla. Also known as (unofficially the Ayn Rand Camp for Kids. Motto: "Tea Party Camp -- when you're too f-ing crazy for Jesus Camp." Lizz proposed this course for the little Tea Partiers: "Timothy McVeigh's Gentle Side." And so on.

Sam Seder talked about the Politico story that Right Wing slush funds from Americans for Prosperity et.al.  finance Right Wing talk radio. Progressive bloggers have known (or at least suspected this) for years. This news also brings into question the old marketplace theory of radio talk. Left Wing talk can't survive in the marketplace so it must be no good. Well, Wingnut Radio couldn't compete in the marketplace if it wasn't for these slush funds.

"Right Wing Radio has been subsidized from Day One," said Seder. "Those reporters dump stories and the subsidies roll in."

Very difficult for indie bloggers to compete in this cash-rich environment. Right Wing Radio has all of the beachfront property and not nearly enough Leftie Richie Rich's (Lizz's term)  to keep them afloat. Cable TV is too expensive. However, there are some smartphone and tablet apps coming along that will help to even the media playing field. One is the Progressive Voices app that, according to Jon Sinton, will serve as a "one-stop-shop for everything progressive in audio, print and video." Maybe you'll even see hummingbirdminds on there some day.

"There are over 100 million users of smartphones and tablets," said John. "In 2013, it will be a billion."

That's reaching out directly to a lot of people.

He envisions the smartphone becoming as ubiquitous as the transistor radios of the 1950s and 1960s. I remember those -- every kid had one at his/her ear or next to the pillow at night. My transistor radio brought me pop and early rock from exotic locales such as Chicago.

"This app can help cut the strings to mainstream media," John said.

Pam Spaulding of pamshouseblend talked about the emergence of "fake lesbians" in the blogosphere. Two were recently unmasked -- one in Syria and one in the U.S. Several panelists agreed that this was a strange and alarming trend.

The next item to be discussed was the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska, Shannyn Moore said that the mine will have a tailings' pond 20 miles long and will be perched at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, the continent's largest salmon fishery. It's located -- as is most of Alaska -- along the Ring of Fire volcanic and earthquake zone. She noted that the state's biggest quake in recent history (1964) liquefied the soil -- and the shit will hit the fan when the earthen dam that holds back the waters of the tailings' pond turns to ooze. She brought lots of "No Pebble Mine" stickers to the conference. She also had a bunch of wild salmon shipped in for a party and fund-raiser tonight that I'm too tired to attend.

Lizz rounded up her show with a short interview of the mayor (the guy's everywhere, and he's not running for anything). He wanted us to know about the severe tornado that hit the city's most vulnerable neighborhoods on the side side of town. It didn't get much attention because it happened on the same day as the Joplin, Mo. twister. He said that 5,000 homes were affected. Most housed renters with no insurance and many of the homeowners lacked enough insurance coverage. He urged us to come out Saturday for a big repair and building effort hosted by Habitat for Humanity and Urban Homeworks. Hizzoner told us to go to his Twitter page at rtrybak to get more info. He does his own social media posting. "I don't think that any politician should have someone else doing his Twitter and Facebook.

NOTE: I was at this all day today. Many sessions, many notes. Not a fan of live-blogging because I miss too much. More posting tomorrow....

Rep. Cynthia Lummis votes to eliminate Wyoming's only statewide radio network

Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis joined her Tea Party Caucus fellow travelers in the U.S. House in voting to end federal funding for National Public Radio.

The Wyoming Republican says nonessential government programs must be scrutinized and difficult decisions must be made to address the nation's fiscal problems. Lummis says in a statement that NPR must stand on its own. However, she noted that she prefers what she calls a "glide path to self-sufficiency" for Wyoming Public Radio.

The U.S. House on Thursday voted 228-192 to bar federal funding of NPR and prohibit local public stations from using federal money to pay NPR dues and buy its programs.

"Glide path to self-sufficiency?" Can anyone explain that to me?

Come on down to Meg's Cognitive Dissonance to comment on banner issue

From Meg Lanker of Laramie:

My name is Meg Lanker and I've met some of you before. I am currently hosting a radio show called Cognitive Dissonance from 10 p.m. to midnight every Friday night on 93.5 KOCA FM in Laramie. This Friday, Jan. 29, I am opening my show to public comment on the Platte County School District #1 tearing down the "No Hate" banners from the Anti-Defamation League due to the banners containing the Gay and Lesbian Fund of Colorado as a sponsor.

School board members have commented that Wheatland is not ready for a pro-gay agenda and is "ultraconservative." I believe this is a slap in the face to anyone who cares about tolerance and diversity in schools.

So, how do you comment? Well, you show up to the studio, I turn on the mic, and you say what you want to say. I will be recording the show and each school board member will get a CD copy next week.

Here's the who and when and all that jazz: (pasted from the event on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=274390997172&ref=mf).

If you're on Facebook, please visit the event to RSVP.

Start Time: Friday, January 29, 2010 at 10:00 p.m.
End Time: Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 12:30am
Location: KOCA Studios
Street: 365 W. Grand
City/Town: West Laramie, WY

"Cognitive Dissonance" tonight in Laramie

Laramie rabble-rouser (let's face it -- progressive-minded rabble need rousing) Meg Lanker sends this info about tonight's on-the-air affair on KOCA-FM:

Come check out the Cognitive Dissonance back to class edition!

My sparkling self will be on the air from 10 p.m. to midnight playing the best indie rock and hip-hop offerings. We'll also have local band Blue Routes at around 11:30, fresh off their appearance at Coal Creek Coffee in downtown Laramie from 8-11 p.m. Blue Routes is comprised of Micah Wyatt, Jascha Herdt, and Phillip Cleveland.

Angry Malcontent will be back and d-baggery will be called out. Fundits will frolic. It shall be a marvelous end to break.

We'll also be talking about new shows premiering on KOCA - I guarantee it'll be a good time.

Got a request or d-bag nomination? Deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday. Post it on the wall. Come pre-game it from 10-midnight at KOCA!

Location: 93.5 KOCA studios, 365 W. Grand, West Laramie. Call or text 307-752-7460.

Is this Micah Wyatt of the Blue Routes the same Micah Wyatt who once shaped young minds at the Young Writers' Camp near Story?

More info at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155510164943&index=1

Meg Lanker "wants to rock your face"

Laramie's Meg Lanker at Wyoming News Underground says that she "wants to rock your face! Tune into Cognitive Dissonance on 93.5 KOCA tonight from 8-midnight for the best indie rock, hip-hop, and my own sparkling wit. That's right, an extra TWO WHOLE HOURS! I'll have the Angry Malcontent, 1/2 the Fundits, & d-bag o' the week. I'm taking requests and d-bag suggestions til 6 p.m. Come... get over your New Year's hangover and welcome 2010 at 365 W. Grand."

That's the good news. Too bad we can't get the station over here in Cheyenne.

Tune in to Meg's show tonight if you're in the Laramie Valley.

Hummingbirdminds interview tonight on "Progressive Blogosphere on the Air"

The Stonecipher Report's Michael Sweeney and Tyler Rippeteau will be interviewing me tonight on "Progressive Blogosphere on the Air" at 12:30 a.m. Chicago time, 11:30 p.m. MST (and 1:30 a.m. for you poor East Coasters). Listen at http://www.whpk.org/

Here's a little blurb on the interview from The Stonecipher Report blog:http://tinyurl.com/yj5axqd

AM 760 hosts "real town hall meetings" in Colorado Aug. 20 & 27

My evening drive time in Cheyenne isn't very long, maybe 15 minutes at most. But during that time, I listen to Mario Solis Marich on AM 760 Progressive Radio out of Denver-Boulder. My favorite segment is "Video Clips (pronounced "cleeps") of the Day." Usually it's made up of the latest "audio clips (cleeps!) of the day" from various wingnuts: Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, etc.

This afternoon, Mario was promoting his "real town hall meetings" of Colorado Democratic Congressional reps Ed Perlmutter and Jared Polis. He invited listeners to register for the Aug. 20 meet-up with Perlmutter and the Aug. 27 meet-up with Polis. However, you must sign up in advance and you must be a registered voter in the district your delegate represents. Mario plans to sign up an equal number of Repubs, Dems and Indies. Only those registered will be allowed in the door. You'll be called upon by a moderator to ask your question, which you don't have to submit in advance.

Mario hopes to filter out all those carpetbaggers paid by insurance congomerates, those loudmouths who are shouting down the speakers. It's possible that yelling and screaming still may erupt, but less likely under this format.

Good luck, Mario. I'll be listening.

FMI: http://www.am760.net/pages/mario_solis-marich.html

Steve Earle on World Cafe July 7

On Tuesday July 7, Steve Earle will be hosted by David Dye on National Public Radio’s World Café. Wyoming Public Radio features the World Cafe at odd times. Go here to find the schedule. Visit NPR’s World Cafe for more info.

Go to Steve's web site to listen to a "Pancho and Lefty" excerpt from his newest CD, "Townes."