Episode #208: "Where We Stand Today"
First Broadcast: 4/10/00 Repeated: 6/25/01 Opening animation cut off.
Once again, I can't help but rant against
Manhattan Neighborhood
Network. Yes, they provide the very air (or should I say cable
space?) for this program; yes, they provide an important forum
for alternative viewpoints; and yes, I much prefer life with MNN
than without it. But when they so frequently fail at their basic
mission (which is, of course, to show the programs), like
they did with our program
last quarter, then what else can I do
but go off on it on my own program? I tried complaining to MNN;
I even wrote a letter to
the head of the whole organization.
The result? Nothing. A few emails and nothing else. No
explanation for why
our program wasn't aired at all twice
last quarter and
once already this quarter. No explanation for the several times our program started either
too late or
too early.
No explanation for the programs which were
cut off before the end.
No explanation for why
one episode was returned with the case
sealed with masking tape and the words "damaged tape" written on
it. Nothing! Not even the pretense of a reason! I have
repeatedly contacted MNN many times in many ways, asking--
begging for some kind of response. Anything! Please!
All I want is to be informed! But no, nothing. They can't be
bothered. I haven't gotten one single answer from them as to
why things happened the way they did last quarter, so the only
conclusion I can make is that they just don't care. Our show to
them is probably now an inconvenience more than anything else.
Too bad. If they ever give me some explanations for why things
have been so screwed up, then I'll be satisfied. Until then,
I must unfortunately hold the opinion that ... (sigh) ...
MNN sucks.
Episode #209: "Do You Want Chocolate?"
First Broadcast: 4/17/00 Episode started several minutes past the
beginning, ran for a few seconds, then was replaced by a MNN graphic which lasted for a minute before episode was finally started at the beginning.
Dr Pepper,
MNN problems (like the problem which happened with tonight's
broadcast), and
Elian Gonzalez transfixed us this week. When will
people learn, I ask you? Learn what? you ask me. Oh, who knows, I
say in return. Who knows indeed.
Episode #210: "Must You Kill Me
With Your Mind?"
First Broadcast: 4/24/00 Episode started late; i.e., all of our
opening animation and all our opening credits were cut off--AGAIN. When the episode was returned to us,
we examined it and found that no tone had been added by MNN
before the program, and a few frames of silence had been inserted
in our audio tracks in the beginning of our program.
Repeated: 10/30/00 This time, after I explained the problems that
occurred in April, the episode began on time at the correct point,
showing all our opening animation and opening credits--and the
point at the beginning where the tone was incorrectly placed last
time.
Repeated: 4/16/01 Episode began at 1:59:30 AM and ended at 2:28:30 AM.
28-Minute Reformat: 5/5/03 (DV) Episode began at 2:01 AM
Repeated: 10/13/03
Attempted Repeat: 12/13/04 Episode did not air; MNN's transmission on Channel 67 was video "snow" (i.e., total lack of signal), and MNN's web transmission did not connect.
Repeated: 6/20/05 Transmission began at 2:00:49 AM and ended at 2:27:59 AM, cutting off approximately 50 seconds from the end of our program, including all of our end credits.
Repeated: 1/2/06 Transmission began a few seconds after 2:00 AM with program in progress, cutting off our "Free New York" title.
Repeated: 3/17/08 "Free New York" title cut off.
Repeated: 12/15/08; 4/27/09
Attempted Repeat: 3/21/11 Episode did not air. MNN repeated our episode #567 instead.
Repeated: 4/18/11; 11/21/16; 9/28/20
The original description of this episode read like this:
"Ah, Tim Leary would have been proud of this episode. Or at least his friends might have enjoyed it."
Those old links no longer work the way they used to. So, enjoy these new links about Tim Leary and his friends instead!
Episode #211: "Gauntlet Of Rats"
First Broadcast: 5/8/00 Episode started late (all of our
opening animation and all our opening credits were cut off--
YET AGAIN.
Where we talk about MTV
(when they used to play videos),
rats, and
economic injustice--you know, the usual.
Episode #212: "Two Enemies He Can't Arrest"
First Broadcast: 5/22/00
Referring of course to
Rudolph Giuliani's spouse
(Donna Hanover) and his prostate
cancer, two factors which probably played no small role in his
decision to drop out of
the 2000 race for Senator from New York.
Also discussed:
the U.S. Army survival manual--which is
not for
the squeamish.
Episode #213: "No Alternative"
First Broadcast: 5/29/00 Episode started late at 2:02 AM, cutting off our opening animation (which is only 9 seconds long, by the way).
Which comes from
"There Is No Alternative" or "TINA", the flippant
answer given to anyone who suggests that the present economic system
in the U.S. and Europe--i.e.,
capitalism--is inherently unfair and
needs to be replaced by a system (not neccessarily communism--or at least not the system used by the Soviets or mainland China) in which the disparity of wealth among citizens and nations is at least not as
great as it is now. This, as well as typical
election-year madness,
occupies us in the great Metropolis of ours.
Episode #214: "Stuck In That Coal Mine"
First Broadcast: 6/5/00 Episode started late at 2:02 AM, cutting off our opening animation for the 8th time since the beginning of the year, and cutting off our "Free New York" title for the fifth time since the beginning of the year.
Where, among other things, we discuss The Ramones, their movie
Rock 'n' Roll High School, and
P.J. Soles, whose name I completely
forgot during the program. Oh, did I mention that
VH1 censored "Teenage Lobotomy" to get rid of all references to
DDT for the movie's
broadcast? Well, now you know.
Episode #215: "Choice Is A Good Thing"
First Broadcast: 6/12/00 Episode started 2 minutes late at 2:02 AM, cutting off some of our opening animation.
Whether it's a choice to
give Bill Gates your money or not,
or a choice between
politics as usual and
politics which might
make a difference, or a different kind of
choice altogether,
having the choice to make is usually is a good thing.
Whether or not people make good choices is another
question entirely.