12 steps on how to be an activist

Rockford's Newspaper Rock River Times

Left Justified: 12 steps on how to be an activist

By Stanley Campbell

If you have a yearning in your heart to make life better on this planet,
to right some wrong or support some effort large or small, then you are an
activist. Instead of feeling frustrated in front of the television set,
here’s some ways that I’ve learned to get things done.

1. Speak out about an issue. Don’t remain silent, but don’t scare people
away. Try to express your concern in a positive manner. The world doesn’t
want you to act, and the rich want you to shop, so God bless the social
justice activist! But if you are concerned about the environment,
pollution, war, poverty, or the high price of living (or anything else),
then speak your mind! Teddy Roosevelt said “do what you can, where you
are, with what you have.”

2. Find like-minded friends. These won’t be your real friends (in fact,
your real friends will think you’re crazy). Pass a petition and sign
people up. Folks who give their name and address may give time, energy and
money

3. Find the official(s) in charge. Everything’s got somebody in charge,
often a chain of command, and you have to find out to whom to address your
concerns. Don’t demonize them, for often they are as concerned as you.
It’s not a conspiracy that the world is the way it is. It’s just the way
it is and it can be changed.

4. A good organizer keeps track of supporters’ names, addresses, telephone
numbers, e-mail addresses, and whatever else comes down the pike. Build
that list. Share the work, by sharing your concern. Delegation of work
means you trust people to help. That trust will help you get things done.

5. Find people who are working on the same issue. And there’s always
people working on the same issue who’ve probably won a few battles, and
can tell you a few stories. It’s nice not having to reinvent the wheel.

6. Use resources like libraries and the Internet to educate yourself and
find national organizations that will support you.

7. Bring in speakers—outside agitators and experts who will enlighten and
educate the community as well as the officials. This is a good organizing
tool, but don’t bust the bank. Find experts who won’t demand high fees,
but who can share information.

8. Use the media. Make a list of every outlet and try to get personal with
the reporters. They are all overworked and appreciate it when someone
writes an articulate story for them to use. Don’t be afraid of radio talk
shows and television cameras. Find spokespeople.

9. Money is no object, but you have to ask for it. Really, this is the
richest country in the world, and people will give to a cause if they
trust you. So learn how to beg. Find folks who will keep track of the
cash. If you need more than $8,000 a year, find a lawyer and set up a tax-
exempt organization, or find an existing group that will take on your
cause.

10. Get a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order and learn its spirit. Your
meetings will devolve into squabbles or be driven off track unless you
learn how to conduct them. Share responsibilities.

11. Celebrate your victories. Use any excuse to have a party, sing some
songs, listen to poetry and reflect; all the while, charge admission or
pass the hat. Try not to treat people on the other side as “the enemy.”

12. Never say no to somebody else’s issue. In fact, encourage people to
get up from their television sets and make the world a better place.

There’s lots of issues. No one thing will bring about redemption, but a
whole lot of little steps get us closer to paradise. Good luck!

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and
spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

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Copyright 2003 - The Rock River Times

Well, this is one way- but certainly not the only way. Whatever works. - FT

International polls show little favor for Bush

Right after "9-11", the whole world supported the US. Since that time, Bush has become the most unpopular leader since Hitler.
The Seattle Times just reported that International polls show little favor for Bush:
"A majority of people in Canada, Mexico and five European
countries have an unfavorable view of the role that
President Bush plays in world affairs, Associated Press
polls found. Only in the United States did a majority of
those questioned, 57 percent, have a positive view of
Bush's role." (3/5/04)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/967959815.html
I don't know if you are a part of that 57%, but I damn sure am not. Perhaps Bush needs to re-acquaint himself with the Founders moral foundations of a free society.
The Declaration of Independence says, We institute government, to secure our rights - our natural rights and the rights we create as we live our lives. This country was formed to devise a government that would be strong enough to secure our rights against domestic and foreign oppression yet not so powerful or extensive as to be oppressive itself. Sadly, today that vision is barely visible. Our natural rights are under constant attack and our government has standing troops in nearly every nation on earth. Read what the other countries think of our government's abuse of power. http://www.free-market.net/rd/967959815.html

Is Haiti our 51st state?

Copied from Jacob Hornberger's Blog http://www.fff.org/blog/jghindex.asp
Is Haiti our 51st state? The federal government, which just invaded Haiti, apparently thinks so. State Department spokesman Richard A. Boucher has declared, “The rebels do not have a role in the political process. The rebels need to disband and go back to their homes. And I want to be quite clear that that’s our position.” Echoing his comment, White House spokesman Scott McClelland announced that the administration would deal only with civic leaders and politicians. Excuse me, but who died and made President Bush king of Haiti? Did anyone invite him to invade the country? Did the president secure the permission of Congress (or even the United Nations) before invading? Where in the Constitution are the president and the Pentagon authorized to invade, conquer, and take over a foreign country? Were there WMD in Haiti? Was there an imminent threat of a Haitian attack on the United States? Were they trying to oust a dictator from office? Or was the invasion of Haiti part of the president’s “war on terrorism”? Please, remind me again: What is the meaning of the terms “dictator” and “dictatorship”?

It's OK To Be a Mormon and a Libertarian

Now is the time to heed Elder Jensen's words of political wisdom

Did the Lord let one-third of the Hosts of Heaven choose eternal damnation
only to see agency stifled here on earth for the rest of us? If the Doctrine
of Agency is central to your beliefs, then you must be a libertarian.

The Libertarian Party believes self-responsibility is the key to a
righteous, prosperous and free society. But, if you're not allowed to prove
you can govern yourself, how will Father in Heaven know you can govern a
world of your own?

Can Lucifer Create a Moral Society?

Does not the use of government to force yourself and others to be good
follow Lucifer's plan? By voting for those who use government power to
suppress activities you should avoid on your own, you deny Christ's greatest
gift . . . your own agency.

But when you vote for the Party of Free Agency (the Libertarian Party of
Utah) you vote to restore true Constitutional government, where people can
learn correct principles and govern themselves.

Libertarians will relieve the burden of taxes so both parents won¹t have to
work for your family to live well. Libertarians will let you educate your
children where prayers aren't forbidden and condoms aren't distributed.
Libertarians will protect your full rights of armed self-defense.
Libertarians will give you limited, principled and accountable government.

Wasn't individual liberty the whole point of the War in Heaven? Where is it
written that the Lord wants you to use force to stop others from straying?
When did God reveal to you that you are so righteous, that your life is so
perfect, that you have the right to order the lives of other adults? And if
you don't have the right, how can you give it to government?

Yet the Republicrats seem to believe that only government can be
responsible. They believe the people, educated in their godless, government
schools, are ignorant and cannot be trusted with most decisions. So, their
ofÞcials practice unrighteous dominion over your life every day.

Divine Inspiration

Did the Prophet Joseph Smith reveal the Constitution to be divinely inspired
just to let the government you elect ignore it routinely 150 years later?
(Did you vote against light rail only to have elected officials decide you
didn't know what you were doing?) The Constitution, which guarantees your
rights and liberties (and freedom from government) is now bound in red tape
and hanging by a very thin thread. Libertarians fear for the Constitution.

Last May, Elder Marlin Jensen announced the LDS Church wants to restore
political diversity in Utah. Now is the time to cross the aisle to the side
that wants to protect everyone¹s right to free agency.

If you vote as you believe, vote Libertarian. We are the only candidates
pledged to give you less government, lower taxes, and the freedom to choose
the right path for yourself. Please contact us to learn more.

Freedom Tips #2 Bartering and Home Storage

Here is some more information about bartering. There are plenty of sources on the Internet with suggestions, so I will skip that for now. What I want to talk about is when to buy certain things.
Let's say you are just beginning to build up your home storage or your barter items. This advice applies to both.
The biggest problems that folks make with their home storage is that they buy stuff they don't eat and they buy stuff that tastes like crap. There are several factors that need to go into your planning:
- Cost
- Preparation - how quick or difficult will meal preparation be
- Nutrition - In the event that you NEED your food storage, it is almost certain that you will also need to be healthy and strong
- Taste - Buy things that your family likes to eat. Variety is the spice of life. Wheat can keep you alive, but if you feed your family wheat for 60 days in a row, they will wish you were dead.
- Emotional - Don't just store "basics". The emotional well being is just as important as the physical. Stock up on licorice, hard candy, chocolate, hot chocolate, and other treats that can store well.

Now remember, don't just stock enough for your family, stock up some stuff to barter with. Here are some good barter foods that are inexpensive - Bullion cubes, Ramen Noodles, Cup O' Soup, Canned soup, Jerky, Chocolates, Viena Sausage, Coffee, canned beans, canned peaches.

Now HERE is some good ideas to build up your inventory. When do you buy candy and treats? After valentines day, after halloween, and after Easter. Why? because you can buy it for 75% off! In fact, if you speak to the manager of the grocery store, he will sell you all the leftovers for 90% off if you will buy a grocery cart full.
When do you buy peaches, soup, and beans? When the cans are dented - but NOT swollen. Dented cans are fine to eat as long as the ends are not "puffed out". Ask your grocery manager when he puts out his damaged goods. As a kid, my Father would take me to the grocery store on Sunday night. We would by two shopping carts FULL of dented and dated goods for $5 or $10. I only remember throwing away two cans. Each cart probobly had $100 worth of products in it but the manager had to get rid of it. Both my Father and the store manager got what they wanted. I scored too because I got lots of goodies that we would otherwise have never gotten. Cereals boxes were often cut, but the inner bag was still perfect. It was nice to have expensive "sweet" cereal for pennies on the dollar.
When is the best time to buy toilet paper and paper towels? When the manufacturer puts a coupon in the paper AND your grocery store has a double or triple coupons day. My friend Keith used to have a newspaper delivery business. When he picked up his papers, he grabbed a stack of "inserts" which was the glossy advertisements. After he delivered his papers, he would clip all the grocery ads, then study the coupons. When he found a match, he would see when the grocery store had double or triple coupon days. He literally FILLED a room with paper towels, toilet paper, mouthwash, cough drops, tooth paste, peanut butter, and cereal for FREE. I'm not kidding. He used to bring me the receipts. In some cases, the store actually gave him back money. You might not be as talented at this as Keith was, but if you practice, you will improve. If your market doesn't offer double and triple coupon days, call all the store managers in your area and within a month, at least one of them will.
When is the best time to buy sleeping bags? When you see one for less than 1/2 price.
When is the best time to buy a camp stove? When the lady at the yard sale says make an offer. I have bought several $90 camp stoves for $5. I also bought a Coleman multi-fuel lantern for $2.50 still in the original box.
When is the best time to buy anything? The beauty of your home storage and your barter stock is that you can build it up when the prices are the best. Keep your mind on finding great deals. You may not need two chainsaws, but if you see one at a yardsale for a fraction of what it is worth - buy it and store it. You will soon learn that when you see an exceptional deal, you can't afford NOT to afford it. Buy it, store it, and learn to USE your home storage. Rotate your stock. If you buy what you like, you will always get the best prices and will have your own grocery store on hand.

Freedom Tips #1

This is the first of a series of freedom tips.

- Keep a weeks supply of water on hand. If you have a second home or a retreat, keep a weeks supply of water there also.
- Get a bugout kit ready. Also known as a 72 hour kit. Have one for the whole family and practice bugging out. If you don't practice, you won't know what you "forgot" until it is too late. How long would it take you and your family leave your home for 72 hours? If it takes you more than 15 minutes to be in the car and on the road, you need a lot of practice. Your goal should be 5 minutes. Where would you go? Does the car or truck have enough gas in it to get you there? Make a plan.
- Write down your goals. How can you hit a target you can not see? What do you want in 6 weeks, 6 months, and 6 years? Zig Ziglar gives the best advice on setting goals.
- Learn to be comfortable without electricity. If the power goes out for a week, what will you eat. Practicing this is easy. Come home from work and switch off the main breaker. Don't warn ANYONE in the family that you are going to do this. This will show the whole family how ill prepared you all are. Have fun!
- Keep an emergency kit in your car. I don't just mean bandaids, I mean a blanket, water, food bars, and boots. There is a lot more stuff that can come in handy. Work on it.
- Start stocking up on items to barter. Lots of folks believe in buying gold in case TEOTWAWKI comes about. Let me ask you this - if your town could not get deliveries for 1 month, what would you miss the most? Toilet paper? Batteries? Rope? Kerosene? Chocolate? Milk? Soda? Candles? You decide what the best "barter" items are. Imagine if you had no food for your family, but you had Ten cases of toilet paper and candy. How long do you think it would be before you had all the food you needed?
- Start collecting "How to" books. You can get these at yard sales and at library sales for almost nothing. Get books on electricity, home building, gardening, small engine repair, english text books, gunsmithing, leather working, animal care, alternative medicine, survival skills, reloading, toy making, wood working, etc. Not only may these books come in handy someday, they can be excellent for "home schooling" and for bartering.
- Become familiar with firearms. If you have never been shooting, ask someone who shoots to take you. If you own a gun but don't practice, shame on you. Start practicing regularly. Learn which guns and ammo are most effective for hunting, target practice, self defense, and long range accuracy.

Don't put this off. Each step you take towards self-sufficiency takes you one step closer to freedom. Enjoy the journey. Make if fun and keep it interesting for the whole family.

Where is the Best Spot for a Free Zone?

For the past six years, I have been putting a tremendous amount of time into researching the best areas for freedom to thrive. Much of this research was duplicated by The Free State Project and many of the participants in the project wrote some excellent white papers on their personal findings. If you want more information on this, email me.
The bottom line is that Wyoming is my first pick and Montana is not too far behind. The big question remains, "should we focus on a state, a county, or a community?" The Free State Project (FSP) chose to pick a state. Now that the state (New Hampshire) has been chosen, many folks who opted out of New Hampshire are looking to start a similar project in the west. The Grand Western Conference II is scheduled for 4/23 in lovely Three Forks, MT. (For more info, go here GWCII Info )
These and other ideas will be discussed. Personally, I like the north west corner of Wyoming. I just discovered Cody and Powell and they appear to be lush, thriving comunities with a good economy and decent prices on homes. I hope to make it to the conference and to scope out some properties in the coming weeks. If you have first-hand knowledge of Cody and or Powell, I would love to hear from you.
ftully@earthlink.net

KTKK Revisited

Well, it has been 4 days since KTKK has implemented their new schedule. Stockwell's shows have been very good and Sumpter's Show has improved quite a bit. Of course, I think Sumpter's mis-use of the word Anarchy needs to be addressed. A few people clamoring to get a gay marrige licence is NOT Anarchy. Anarchy is the absence of a ruler. We should be so lucky. The fact is that we have never been further from Anarchy. The USAPA has infused more government into more aspects of our lives than ever. OK, let me get back on track. I have listened to the Kirkwood/Cook show and I must admit that it is better than I expected. However, it still sucks. I heard Kirkwood for 5 minutes today and had to turn off the radio. The man is a Jackass.

jackass

n 1: a stupid fool [syn: fathead, goof, goose, cuckoo, zany]

He substituted "baby killers and gay marrige folks" for the word Democrats. For crying out loud, get someone on the air with a little bit better vocabulary. The man can't go two days without trying to incite hate and division.
What has any of this got to do with freedom and the west, you ask? It was refreshing to have a radio station that demonstrated that not all radio stations would cave in to the pressures of "the establishment". A radio station like K-Talk is a rare find. I believe such freedom of the airwaves can only exist in the West. Only in the west are listeners passionate enough to listen and participate in a daily discussion about their rights. It was quite a treasure - a diamond in the rough. The freedom movement needs more stations like KTKK. The owner, Dick Perry, is to be commended for his committment to freedom and for allowing the hosts to speak freely for all these years. It is my sincere wish that KTKK will continue the keep this neccessary forum alive. Everyone who listens to KTKK should urge everyone they do business with to advertise on KTKK. We also need to call KTKK and give them positive feedback on the hosts and programs that we enjoy most.
We all need to keep the station a beacon of truth and diversity. While I most enjoy libertarian programing, I enjoy listening to liberals, right-wing conservatives, and independents. These discussions allow us all to learn more about subjects that are outside of our comfort zone. We must all be tolerant of other points of view and relish the thought that there is still ONE station with enough courage to put forth ALL points. You might not like abortion, legalization of medical marijuana, flouride discussions, or gay marriage, but thank God that one man has the guts to allow different points of view to be heard. Call KTKK and say "thank your for being different for all this time. Please continue to offer diverse points of view" - 801-253-4883

Today's Letter to the SL Trib regarding SB48

March 2, 2004

Dear Editor,

In your editorial “Walker should veto SB48…” you give several justifications for why the Board of Regents should be in charge of deciding whether or not guns are allowed on campus. During all of this, you fail to meet two important points: Utah Law and Constitutional protections.

The Utah law on concealed carry specifically prohibits government-owned operations from disallowing concealed carry on their premises unless those operations have clear security measures and reasons against allowing CCW. Courts, jails, and other obvious, highly-secure areas are these exceptions.

By their refusal to abide by this, the University of Utah is breaking Utah law and therefore should suffer the consequences of doing so. However penance is made, reversal of this unlawful gun ban on their campus.

Further, the Utah State Constitution and the United States Constitution both have a “right to keep and bear arms” protection within them, which protects citizens’ rights to keep and bear arms for protection of self, state, and nation. Gun owners and libertarians take this right very seriously; as seriously as your newspaper, takes your right to free speech.

If college campuses are to be “free of intimidation,” should we also not allow “controversial” speech (which is intimidating), persons larger than a specified size (big people are intimidating), famous people (celebrities are intimidating), etc. on campus as well?

Your editorial patently ignores the fact that these are CONCEALED weapons and therefore will not be seen and cannot, therefore, be intimidating! Further, you ignore the RIGHTS of the People as outlined in the state and federal constitutions. Finally, you also ignore the LAW.


Sincerely,


Fran Tully

Gun Grabbers Gone Wild!

This is from Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,112943,00.html

Guns have been largely silent in this presidential campaign. But Congress is forcing the issue into the open with a vote scheduled Tuesday on renewing the ban on assault weapons (search) and extending background checks to gun shows (search).

Since October 1998, 33 cities and the state of New York have brought lawsuits against gun makers and retailers seeking to hold the companies responsible for the misuse of their products. More than 35 major private suits have also been filed since 1998. Funded with millions of dollars from George Soros (search), the Brady Campaign (search) (and its predecessor Handgun Control) has paid for much of the legal costs behind these suits.

The goal has not been to win these legally weak cases but rather, with so many simultaneous suits, to bankrupt these companies through massive legal costs.  Unfortunately, despite most of the city suits having been knocked out on pretrial motions, this strategy has had some success. Litigation fears helped discourage venerable companies such as Colt from continuing to produce handguns, and Kmart, along with other retailers, have stopped selling handgun ammunition.

Yet, amendments to extend the ban on some semi-automatic guns and to further regulate gun shows face close votes. These amendments threaten to kill the bill in conference committee, yet some senators, including Tom Daschle, are simultaneously promising to vote for the bill but also promising gun control groups that they are "solid" for the gun show and assault weapons amendments.

A recent poll conducted by the Roper Center asked Americans whether "companies that make guns should be held financially liable if judges or juries find that their products were used to commit a crime." Seventy-eight percent disagreed. With such grassroots support, 10 Democratic senators from southern and western states have joined 45 Republican senators in sponsoring the current legislation. But can such senators as Tom Daschle and Harry Reid-- who face re-election this year--really convince voters that they want to stop these lawsuits while, at the same time, they vote for additional gun control amendments that jeopardize the final passage of the bill?

Now here are my comments:
One of the big appeals that the west holds for many people is their willingness to allow people to freely carry guns. Several western states - Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona - allow citizens to open carry their firearms. This means that as long as the gun is visible, they can carry the gun in public. Most folks out west are also big supporters of a citizen’s right to carry concealed weapons. While the western states don't yet allow citizens to exercise this right without a permit, it is still a damn sight better than states in the eastern U.S.
The insistence of our elected officials to pass restrictive legislation, to ban weapons that "look" intimidating, to restrict private sale of firearms, and to ignore 78% of their constituents (who believe that manufactures should not be held liable for crimes committed with their products), is extremely troubling. These politicians who proudly display a blatant disregard for our rights should be removed from office. In some cases, it wouldn't bother me if they were removed from the planet. The fact is that the western culture, although the media and some city folks moving in are infecting it, does not agree with the government's never ending war on freedom. Folks in the west are proud of their independence and proud of their heritage. Children in the west receive proper gun safety education at a very young age. The result is that children do not fear guns; they respect them and see them as tools to be handled properly.
The games that our politicians are playing must be stopped. They knew full well that by "padding" the 'manufacture's liability bill' with the assault weapon ban and private sale background checks would effectively kill the bill. They have gotten all to good at playing this game. It is time to create strict guidelines for new bills. "All bills will be restricted to ONE idea." Is this really so complicated? Most bills would either sail through or be rejected immediately. It would actually SAVE time while preventing unethical legislators from slipping by passages that deteriorate our rights and have nothing to do with the main purpose of the bill.
All these lawmakers and politicians who think they are so cute...pulling the wool over the eyes of America should be dragged from office in chains and tried for treason. A public hanging or two of those convicted of treason might be an effective tool against future infringments of our freedoms. - FT

AM 630 KTKK Changes their Lineup

After listening to all the blather on the K-Talk Forum http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ktalkforum, I have chosen to respond here rather than in the forum. I may post a link in
the forum, but I am not sure yet. One of the reasons I am choosing to post my
comments here is that I want to name names. I am going to express my
always-candid opinion, but I am going to be even more blunt, and possible
offensive, than usual. If in a few days I reconsider, I may alter it or delete
it, so please don’t quote me. ;-) My objective is not to insult or hurt anyone,
just to give my take on the situation.

The management of Ktalk radio recently decided to change
their lineup of talk show hosts to "improve ratings". I find this odd
as ratings have never been a priority of theirs - free speech has. I understand
their need to make a living, but they didn’t say they wanted to increase
revenue, they said they wanted to increase ratings. The fact is that the best
way for K-Talk to improve ratings (and revenue) is to give listeners what they
want. And what do listeners want? It seems that people want to listen to shows that entertain them, that make them laugh, make their day seem “not-so-bad”, listen to DJ’s or talk show hosts that
they can relate to – that they ‘feel’ that they know. People don't want to have
positions force fed to them. People don’t want to hear boring hosts read to
them. No-one wants to listen to a “canned”, contrived, or phony broadcaster for two or
three hours a day. Unfortunately, the new lineup gives us just that for much of
the day.

For a short while, KTKK allowed the “Joe Jackson Show” to
air. I intentionally said “allowed to air” and not “hired” because Joe, and
most of the “personalities” are volunteer. Now the Joe Jackson Show (which I am
proud to say I was a part of) was on when MOST of the listening audience was
sleeping and the signal was turned down to less than ½ of its daytime output.
Despite those two important issues, Joe’s Show was one of the most listened to
programs at the station. Joe was actually a TRAINED, EXPERIENCED, professional
radio person…what a concept. He actually put a lot of time and preparation into
his program – as opposed to grabbing a copy of the Salt Lake Trib 10 minutes
before the program starts. Yes, Joe’s preparation included creating humorous
carts and musical interludes that would ENTERTAIN his listeners while making a
political statement. His guests inlcuded political satirists. His callers were treated with respect and usually hung up with a good impression of "Utah's favorite liberal". His production quality was without question, the best that the station has ever had. Those who have heard, “Patriotic Tattoo”, “I Need Drugs For My Team”, and “I Have a Dream” on Joe’s show will never forget them. Calls were stacked on all lines for the entire 2-hour segment. So WHY was Joe not asked to join the new format? He was. In fact, he agreed to come on and later reneged. The problem was that rather than ask Joe to come on and be Joe, they asked Joe to share a two-hour program with Jim Kirkwood and Merrill Cook. Essentially, they realized that the listeners wanted Joe, but it appears that management didn’t really want Joe to be Joe for two hours a day. Instead, they took the two hosts with the worst shows and asked Joe to do a show with them. Now, let me explain
what I mean when I say worst shows. I mean They suck. OK, here is a little more clarification. Kirkwood, while having a very good radio voice and being technically capable is a statist who spews hate and statism for two hours a day. His idea of “entertainment” is inviting a homosexual guest on and insulting them repeatedly and following the insults with insincere giggling. He also takes every opportunity to label a caller with a dissenting opinion an “idiot”, “moron”, and a “jerk” and then hang up on them. While 20 years ago this was cutting edge "shock radio", it is no longer considered entertainment. Labeling everyone in disagreement with the President a “communist” and “un-patriotic” is not only juvenile, it is wrong. Isn’t it our obligation to voice concern about a tyrannical government? Doesn’t the same freedom of speech that allows him to
voice his opinion over the airwaves give callers the right to speak out against the President? One wouldn’t think so from listening to Jim’s show. He often states that “anyone who (fill in the blank) should be shot”. In this day in age, not only are such comments irresponsible, they are also dangerous.

Merrill’s Show is not only one of the most boring shows I have ever heard; it is also difficult to follow. From the moment his dreadful 60’s surfing music starts until he mumbles off the air two hours later, one wonders WHY this guy has the best time slot in the lineup. He mumbles incessantly, he allows boring calls to go on and on and on even carrying them over two breaks, he changes his position on topics – often in mid-sentence, he forgets what he is talking about, and he appears to have no preparation and no agenda for his show. Flip-flopping back and forth on issues throughout the program. How is this entertaining? How is this informative? Why in the hell would a company striving for “better ratings” allow this mumbling, bumbling, has been to stay on the air, let alone in the top-spot in the lineup? It certainly has nothing to do with ratings, because his “book” is abysmal. His ratings are among the worst at the station.

So WHY would management choose to match these two with Joe?
It is widely believe that Jim Kirkwood hates Joe Jackson, he hates liberals, and he hates protestors. Could it be that management wants to see Joe’s issues and beliefs marginalized by having him share the time slot with two nit wits whose idea of preparing for a radio show means getting a cup of coffee?
Thankfully, Joe reneged on doing the show. Hopefully, management will realise that he reason for backing out of the show had nothing to do with work and everything to do with integrity.

No, in my opinion, the best way to improve ratings is to improve the quality of the broadcast. Use headphones! Learn to speak into the microphone. Keep the door closed while broadcasting. Get some clever production quality “carts”. Get professional talent on the air or train the talent that
you are going to put on the air.

Management – Can KTKK management to make sound decisions? Now I like Tom Draschil, but I don’t think he knows very much about managing a radio station. Sometimes I fear that Tom is more concerned with promoting his agenda than in improving the quality of the broadcast? I am not
suggesting that he shouldn’t promote his agenda – it is talk radio – but I am suggesting that when a manager’s agenda is at odds with what is best for the station, there might be a problem. Shouldn’t a manager lead by example? If Tom continues to do a below average show day after day, isn’t that sending the
wrong message? If he is going to host a show he should step up to the standards of any other host that he would hire.

Not being able to afford professional talent is one thing, rejecting it is another. Both Joe Jackson and Mark Marine do professional sounding shows. Mark Marine PAYS for the privilege. There have been rumors about Jim Sumpter getting 6 hours a day. I can’t imagine how Mark Marine would feel about that, but if the other shows on the station don’t improve their quality soon, it will become a detriment to Marine’s show and he will eventually seek a new home for his program. Speaking of paying for a time slot,
I actually told KTKK management that, like Marine, I would be willing to discuss paying for a prime time slot. They never even called me about it. I find this amazing. There are plenty of rumors about the financial difficulties at the station and talk about improving the ratings – yet they ignore even a discussion with me about paying to go on the air. Now I ask you, is that sound management?

I own a couple of businesses and I have advertised a few times with KTKK - nothing huge, just a few thousand dollars. What I found odd was that they would not let me choose when my ads would run. Now that they have made these schedule changes, that policy is unaccepable to me as an advertiser. There are shows that I absolutely do not want to advertise on. This is another tip to management. Certain products will do better with different programs. In addition, some advertisers would be willing to pay more for drive time than for noon.

The bottom line is that all the bitching and whining of the listeners is falling on deaf ears. It is obvious that management is not listening to the audiance.

Jim Sumpter has a good radio voice, has experience with
radio broadcasting, and has some good ideas on how to improve station ID.
Unfortunately, where KTKK is concerned, Jim has chosen to ignore what the
listeners want and to force his ideals, and his agenda down the throats of
listeners. Although he is the newest host and has very few listeners, rumor has
it that he has just been given a three-hour prime time spot and there is talk
that he may get an evening spot in addition. Now Jim has done a ton of work at
the station and has been behind a lot of the positive changes that have taken
place in the last 10 months. For this, he is to be commended. But, for the love
of Pete, does this mean the man has to be on the air for 6 hours a day? I used
to be a loyal KTKK listener. I would almost never touch the dial…until Sumpter
came along. Since his arrival, it seems that he just lurks around the station
waiting for someone to come in late, call in sick, take a vacation, or get
pulled off the air. For a while, I couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing
him. Rather than complain, I just stopped listening. And you know what? I liked
not listening. In fact, I have yet to find a station that doesn’t have better
commercials, have better production, sound clearer, or have a more distinct
station ID. Now, I don’t care too much for the content of other stations, but
as far as Sumpter, Kirkwood, and Cook go – I don’t like their content
either.

OK, enough of the finger pointing, here are some suggestions on how to improve the station:

Buy headsets for the hosts

Give a training class to the hosts – How to prepare, how to use the board, how to speak into the microphone, how to end a call, how to make a cart.

Hire a station manager (or a consultant) with radio experience

Do a poll of listeners and advertisers to find what they like, dislike, and want more or less of.

Mix up the line up. Don’t only allow hosts that suck up to the Bush administration, we already have too much of that on the radio. Allow some liberals, some greens, some libertarians, and some anarchists to get on the radio and have some discussion. Use the medium to stimulate thought and new ideas.

Put the best sounding hosts and those with the best ratings in the best time slots.

Get better equipment. If the CD player skips or starts slow, spend $50 and get a new one or barter for one. KTALK will never increase its audience as long as it neglects its signal and equipment

If the phone system drops every call from Ogden, call a phone repairman or get a new phone set.

Treat the radio station as a business.

Here is the lineup I would like to hear:

5-7 AM – Jim Sumpter

7-9 AM – Jack Stockwell

9-11 AM Dale Williams

11 AM – 1 PM Jim Dexter MTW/ Drashill TH F

1 - 3 PM Accountability Utah

3 - 5 Fight The Liar Within - Shari Hollwig

5 - 8 Joe Jackson Show (with Fran Tully)

8 - 10 Merrill Cook

Saturday

7 – 10 Alan Keyes

10 – 1 Michael
Graham

1 – 3 Best of Boortz

3 – 5 Jacob Hornberger

5 – 7 PM Survival and Self-sufficiency with Kimbel Holliday

Sunday

Jim Sumpter

Tom Drashill

Eagle Forum

Gun Talk

Ron Paul

Alex Jones

I believe that these changes will increase ratings, increase profits, and please the current KTKK audience while attracting new listeners. Please send me your feedback.

ftully@earthlink.net

Garbage Pickin'

It's almost time to build my greehouse, cold frames, compost heap and chicken coop. This past week, I decided that I was going to make them sturdy, attractive structures that I wouldn't be ashamed to show off to those wanting to see the effects of diatomaceous earth or sonic bloom. I had pretty much resigned myself to the idea that I would have to go out and buy all new lumber and building materials. But, as fate would have it, I found a good bit of materials in a construction dumpster.
Now, I could glamorize my find by saying that I am recycling some building materials, but the truth is that I did some dumpster diving to get the stuff. The first thing I found was well-constructed trusses. They are made with double 2x4s and are extremely rugged. I can't imagine why they were thrown out, except that maybe they made too many, but hey - it will sure help me out. Now I won't have to build my own and it is the perfect size for my chicken coop. The next treasure was not recovered by me, but someone else who salvaged some industrial double-pane windows from a construction site and then posted them in an online classified ad. These windows BIG and are ideal for the greenhouse or cold frames. I bought 20 big frames for a total of $75. These frames would easily have retailed for $400 each and are far superior to what I would have used. Next, I got a couple of pallets. I intend to use the pallets to make a movable ark for the chickens. This way, I can move them to fresh grass and have them fertilize as they go without completely destroying one section of grass and ignoring another. I find that if you leave them in one spot for too long, they turn the area into a desert in a hurry.
Another idea for "garbage" as a building material is the "fertilizer-bag" ark. I got the idea from John Seymour's "The NEW Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency", which is my bible for my hobby farm projects. If you do not yet have this book or one of the earlier versions, get one. If I could only have one book for my journey toward self-reliance, this would be the book. I will not be making the "fertilizer-bag" ark myself, but it is dead simple and a great idea, so I will pass on to you how to do it. On your pallet, use rebar and PVC or flexible tree branches to make arches. Then, take horizontal rods of hazel, willow, or PVC and attach them to the arches. These will support your bags. Next, lay your "fertilizer-bags" over the top, being sure to overlap them to keep moisture out. Put a layer of chicken wire netting over the overlapping bags to keep them from flapping. An inspection door for nesting boxes can be made by hanging up fertilizer bags weighted with a heavy batten across their bottoms.
Next thing I will make from "garbage" is a self-feed hopper. These are easy. Take a large old can and punch holes in it, then take the base from a larger can and place it underneath the first. Drill holes in the larger one so that you can hang this new feeder up out of reach of rats, but so that the chidkens can get to it.
Next, I am going to see if I can "salvage" or "recycle" some fence posts and rails. Happy dumpster diving.