take your answer off the air...

  • HorsesAss.Org: the straight poop on WA politics & the press
    progressive brilliance from the guy who pointed out Tim Eyman's nascent horse's-assedness
  • Talker's Magazine
    The quirky talk radio trade mag. Check the Talk Radio Research Project- it's not very scientific, but places on the top 15 talkers list (scroll down to Talk Radio Audiences By Size)) are as hotly contested as Emmys (and mean just about as much).
  • The Advocate
    No, not THAT Advocate... it's the Northwest Progressive Institute's Official Blog.
  • Media Matters
    Documentation of right-wing media in video, audio and text.
  • Orcinus
    home of David Neiwert, freelance investigative journalist and author who writes extensively about far-right hate groups
  • Hominid Views
    "People, politics, science, and whatnot" Darryl is a statistician who fights imperialism with empiricism, gives good links and wry commentary.
  • Jesus' General
    An 11 on the Manly Scale of Absolute Gender, a 12 on the Heavenly Scale of the 10 Commandments and a 6 on the earthly scale of the Immaculately Groomed.
  • Howie in Seattle
    Howie Martin is the Abe Linkin' of progressive Seattle.
  • Streaming Radio Guide
    Hellishly long (5795!) list of radio streaming, steaming on the Internets.
  • The Naked Loon
    News satire -- The Onion in the Seattle petunia patch.
  • Irrational Public Radio
    "informs, challenges, soothes and/or berates, and does so with a pleasing vocal cadence and unmatched enunciation. When you listen to IPR, integrity washes over you like lava, with the pleasing familiarity of a medium-roast coffee and a sensible muffin."
  • The Maddow Blog
    Here's the hyper-interactive La Raych of MSNBC. daily show-vids, freakishly geeky research, and classy graphics.
  • Northwest Broadcasters
    The AM, FM, TV and digital broadcasters of Northwest Washington, USA and Southwest British Columbia, Canada. From Kelso, WA to the northern tip of Vancouver Island, BC - call letters, formats, slogans, networks, technical data, and transmitter maps. Plus "recent" news.
  • News Corpse
    The Internet's chronicle of media decay.
  • The Moderate Voice
    The voice of reason in the age of Obama, and the politics of the far-middle.
  • News Hounds
    Dogged dogging of Fox News by a team who seems to watch every minute of the cable channel so you don't have to.
  • HistoryLink
    Fun to read and free encyclopedia of Washington State history. Founded by the late Walt Crowley, it's an indispensable tool and entertainment source for history wonks and surfers alike.

right-wing blogs we like

  • The Reagan Wing
    Hearin lies the real heart of Washington State Republicans. Doug Parris runs this red-meat social conservative group site which bars no holds when it comes to saying who they are and who they're not; what they believe and what they don't; who their friends are and where the rest of the Republicans can go. Well-written, and flaming.
  • Orbusmax
    inexhaustible Drudgery of NW conservative news
  • The Radio Equalizer
    prolific former Seattle KVI, KIRO talk host speaks authoritatively about radio.
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« The tail fires the dog: conservative critic excommunicated for heresy | Main | KIRO's dumping of tom douglas is just plain stoopid »

March 27, 2010

Comments

sparky

What a cool letter....I can only imagine what was going through his mind as he saw how much Seattle has changed. No wonder he went back to Mexico.

Mike Barer

Hopefully you'll feature Burl one of these Saturdays.

joanie

You're a poet, Mr. Cummings. That brought back memories and I enjoyed reading it.

You ought to look up Jaynie Jones. Bet you'd have a lot to talk about.

Sparky is right. That was one cool piece of writing! Thanks.

Bill Wippel

Al: I am so glad you wrote. It's good to know you are alive and still communicating so well. I really enjoyed our time at Mick Kelley's Irishj Pub when you were here.

It was great getting to know you. My prayers are with you! Best, Wip

joanie

"an acre of bivalves for the busybusybusy people . . . "

I just love that line!

Thanks, again.

Nantuckett

Mr. Cummings, I am a newcomer and, sorry to say, I don't remember you on the radio. But I could see old Seattle through your eyes, and my heart aches for those days I never experienced. Much love, luck, good health and happiness to you.

Cynthia Neuberger

Thanks Al Cummings, I'd love to hear more from you. We miss real Seattle characters who are not gagged by political correctness or inspired to contrariness for the sake of being contrary.

Fremont

I have never had a Negro friend in all my life....
Wow! You should have stuck around, Mr. C. Seattle in the "Modern World" has legalized this, finally...

Fabulous to hear from you and thank you, Bla'M, for sharing...

Duffman

I have never had a Negro friend in all my life....

Nor have I; but many African American one's. [smile]

duffman's id

I excel at smarminess.

Dan D.

Mr. Cummings: you helped lay the very foundations of a sense of humor that has proved to be more detrimental in my long life than not. My mother curses you from her grave.

Tommy008

"Cold, hard, distant".......Christ Al, it's 2010...i know it's coldblooded downtown now but did you really think you could stroll into Ben Paris and order a cup of coffee at the diner bar , next to a gawldang logger, and stare up at the Mooseheads, while people shopped behind you for sporting goods over in the sportsman's section of the joint....

Duffman

duffman's id: Thanks, I think. [smile]

Bill Taylor

I'm willing to bet a Bloody Mary (Al's drink of choice during our gathering at Mick Kelly's in Burien)that the Smith Tower newsman whose name Al couldn't recall was Harry Jordan.
I'm also willing to bet that, if prompted, Al could be persuaded to recount his years broadcasting from the "Ape Cage," a glassed-in studio outside the KING Broadcasting Bldg. on Aurora Ave., when Aurora (Hiway 99)was the main north/south thoroughfare in Seattle.
And, oh, the long-ago smoker who used the string-and-bag method of getting his cigarettes from the ground-floor cigar store to the KRSC (later KING radio) studio in the upper floors of the Smith Tower? Well, that guy was the equally notable and revered Jim French, who later held forth mornings on KIRO for many successful years.
And, maybe, just maybe, Al could be persuaded to tell the story about the "Lead Balloon Factory" that he and French conjured up.
And then there's the "Roanoke," Al's live-aboard yacht from back in the day, and his time as one of KOL's "Seven Terrible Tigers."
That's one of the disappointments with Seattle radio nowadays: no more honest-to-goodness "characters" like Al Cummings.

Jaynie Dillon Jones

Al's recollections, observations, and perspective evoked a lot of memories for me. He must have felt almost like an alien visitor from another planet when he returned to Seattle.

I smiled when Al mentioned trying to look up old friends in the phone book about a year ago. He must be one of the last people who has ever looked inside a phone book for anything. He could probably find most of the people he was seeking(those who are still living) on Facebook.

Myrtle Mopup

There is no "personality" in local talk radio anymore. Dori's a pissed-off jock. Dave buries his burlesque tendencies in "thoughtfulness," Carlson is still just a nice boy, even Suits pulls his punches, Boze and Shiers never had any. you didn't used to have to be a partisan idiot to get ratings. We need more balls-out don't give a damn crazies like Al Cummings, Tom Murphy, Lan Roberts, Hardwick, etc.

rick

Damn! it must have been a ripple in the Force... or was it the Ripple that I drank?

I wondered what happened to Al Cummings, and once again, Google to the rescue... I'm glad to hear that you're alive and well, even in Mexico. I listened to you on KOL, in the 60's, and I think you even made it to KOL-FM in the beginnings of AOR programming.

OK, what ever happened to Jerry Holzinger?

Erictheeditor

Here's another vote for a feature on Burl Barer (and I'm not even a relative.)
Incredible multi-talented guy (don't you hate people like that who make the rest of us look bad.)
Burl Barer--too smart to have been just a rock jock.

Ray

I remember Al from his time at Bellevue Community College. I was never quite sure what he did, but I think it had something to do with consulting, teaching or just hanging around and looking important.

As for Jerry Holzinger, I'm not sure where he is now, but the last I heard (and this was YEARS ago) he was working for the state of Washington as some kind of investigator.

Ray

As for Burl Barer, he writes books and, according to his website, is a brilliant writer: http://www.burlbarer.net/

joanie

Who would have thought that such an attractive radio jock would turn out to be an intellectual ? Mmm-mm!

Nancy-Dru Flowers

I really enjoyed reading this reply that my Grandfather sent in after reading what I forwarded to him from the November Blatherwatch. His "favorite things" are having real conversations with real people that have some depth to them. He comes alive! And in this, I see that he has not only come alive, but awoke from a slumber of life-as-usual, into his forte! Thank you everyone!

John

Nice letter, nice coverage Blatherwatch!

Kali

Thanks for the update Grandpa

Love, Kali

marshterry@hotmail.com

Well I'll be damned . . .

I miss you, Al.

Marsh
[email protected]

marshterry@hotmail.com

Diee diee, dee, di, di.
Diee,diee, dee, di, di.

Diee, diee, dee, di, di
Di, Di, Di

Then the baby nods his head
he's ready for his Turkish bed . . .

Marsh

Nancy-Dru Flowers

Hey, thanks all you out there that posted on this blog. To see what Al is up to now, read my blog about his new ideas... http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&bID=535088474
thanks!

Granddaughter Nancy-Dru

J.Russell

Jerry Holzinger (Uncle Jer)passed away some time ago. I believe it was in the early 1980's

Mickiskid

Mr Al Cummings... Do you remember my father, Wally Miller? I remember in the late '50's he would talk to you on the phone, about anything & everything, and then a short ad for his furniture-store,"Wally's Discount Furniture"... "A Smile is Your Down-Payment" - Wally Jr., "[email protected]" God bless...

Mickiskid

Make that "Wally's Discount Furniture BASEMENT" on Aurora - also, I go by the name "Mick Waller" now, (not to confuse you)... I'm a musician - Wally Miller Jr.

Peter Risser

Al - a group of us remember you: Peter & Susan Risser (San Juan Canvas at Friday Harbor; Lutra), Joel & Susan Farley (lived on Roanoake at Blanchards), Rita Saling (Cho Cho San moored next to Roanoake at Blanchards). Greetings from the Blanchards Dock Rats. We were glad to find that you are still sailing through life - San Miguel is a beautiful harbor.

Sonny Warner

Wow.....Al.....the same guy who taught me all I know while at KTNT....who took ol' blues guys from my show cold on his mid-day TV thing....the guy who ran with me with Concerned Adults for a Clean Alphabet (CACA) during the School sex-ed uproar....THAT AL?!!!!! Jeeze...good to see that ugly mug again.

George Warner 'The Bluesmakers' KTNT-AM....a hundred years ago

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