Front page Archive Why Arlen? Arlen is the TV home of "King of the Hill." It's a small conservative town that is threatened with ruination on a regular basis by twig boys, enviro wackos, diversity nuts, "PC" police and other ivory tower liberals. I like to think of Arlen as a metaphor for this here great nation of ours.

Monday, September 29, 2003 Posted 3:57 PM by Hank LIBERAL CENSORSHIP, PART II After various government officials demanded his termination, conservative radio show host Bob Lonsberry was, in fact, fired. According to the radio station's press release: “WHAM-AM fired on-air personality Bob Lonsberry for inappropriate behavior,” the statement reads. “After Mr. Lonsberry made inappropriate comments on the air, he convinced us that he was willing to face his mistakes and learn from his behavior. Although Mr. Lonsberry expressed a willingness to change, it became obvious to us that he is not embracing diversity... Ah, yes, the ultimate liberal crime: thought crime..."the failure to embrace diversity." Still waiting for the ACLU, the supporters of the Dixie Chicks, the defenders of Bill Maher and the rest of the crowd that claims to worship free speech to come to Lonsberry's aid.... Saturday, September 27, 2003 Posted 8:35 AM by Hank LIBERALS: THE REAL CENSORS A conservative radio show host in Rochester New York has been indefinitely suspended from his job and is to undergo "diversity training" after making what a local paper called: "comments that alluded to Rochester’s African-American mayor as a 'monkey' and 'orangutan.'” Lonsberry made two controversial remarks recently that alluded to Mayor William A. Johnson Jr.’s campaign for Monroe County executive. Late last month, Lonsberry made the first comment after an orangutan briefly escaped from a cage at the Seneca Park Zoo. “Headline: Orangutan escapes at zoo, runs for county executive. Fascinating stuff,” Lonsberry said. On Thursday, Lonsberry played what he said was the last caller of his show. Music that suggested a jungle scene with monkey sounds was then heard. Lonsberry responded, “Freakin’ monkeys loose up at the zoo again. That’s really fine, really fine. Yeah, yeah, and he’s running for county executive. What is with that? I think we better go now.” After he was accused of racism, Lonsberry called the Mayor to apologize, and insisted that he had no racist intent with his comments. Despite his apologies, Lonsberry may lose his job. The local liberals, including the Mayor and other elected officials are opening calling for him to be banned or suspended from Rochester airwaves. Do I approve of Lonsberry's comments? No. However, the way that his comments are being addressed is a perfect demonstration of the liberal double standard on censorship. When Dixie Chick Nathalie Maines said she was ashamed over the President being from Texas, it offended a lot of people. A lot of whom decided--of their own free will--not to buy or play Dixie Chick records any more. Nobody from the government said they should be banned. People took it upon themselves to vote with their pocketbooks. But a lot of people on the left called that "censorship." Contrast that to what's going on in Rochester: we have the Mayor of a City, the local NAACP and the members of a government legislative body calling for a talk show host's termination based on something he said. Government officials are openly calling for someone--someone who in the past has disagreed with them--to be taken off the air. In other words, we have government figures directly calling for someone to be punished for their words. Ladies and Gentlemen, that's real censorship. Where are all the self-proclaimed guardians of free speech now? Probably listening to their Dixie Chick records and figuring out ways to get more conservatives silenced. Monday, September 22, 2003 Posted 10:18 AM by Hank A MORE OR LESS RHETORICAL QUESTION Will the same liberals who have denounced the military "brass" as warmongerers for at least thirty years, and who claimed that Colin Powell's status as a retired general made him unfit to serve as Secretary of State, suddenly start arguing that Wesley Clark's military service makes him more qualified to be President? Saturday, September 13, 2003 Posted 8:15 AM by Hank JOHNNY CASH, R.I.P. It's possible that, if you consider his longevity, conisistent level of quality, and influence on other musicians, Johnny Cash was the greatest recording artist in American history. His career spanned nearly half a century. Cash first started recordinging at legendary Sun Records in the 1950s. He was present alongside Elvis at the birth of rock and roll. He was still recording up to his death at 71, earning a grammy for best country album a few years ago, and an MTV video award just last month. Everyone from Bob Dylan to U2 to Justin Timberlake considered him a role model and an essay at MTV refers to him as the "Original Gangsta" for his outlaw personna, best epitomized with probably the greatest single line in all of country music: "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die" from "Folsom Prison Blues." However, calling Cash a "gangsta" ignores the fact that, with his marriage to June Carter in 1966, he became a devoted family man. A successful singer-songwriter in her own right, Carter nursed him back to health several times over the marriage. Totally devoted to each other, she wrote--and he sang--"Ring of Fire," a song written about the depth and inevitability of their love: Love is a burning thing and it makes a firery ring bound by wild desire I fell in to a ring of fire... June Carter died in May. Johnny Cash was never well after that. According to the press, Cash died from "diabetes that resulted in respiratory failure." I say he died of a broken heart. Rest in Peace, John. And give June a hug for us all. At my door the leaves are falling A cold wild wind has come Sweethearts walk by together And I still miss someone Thursday, September 11, 2003 Posted 4:50 AM by Hank AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT WORK The Associated Press is reporting that a Rochester, New York, school is sending its children out to document and write essays about the poverty and drug dealing in their neighborhoods: The public school's 75 sixth-graders are preparing for an unusual assignment this month: Using donated disposable cameras and their essay books, each one must come up with a personal view of "health and safety" in their impoverished neighborhood on the city's west side. This is not, in itself, a particularly offensive excercise. However, a statement from one of the students is telling. As part of his assignment, one boy will be on the lookout for "those little bags they put drugs in that be all over the ground." "...that be all over the ground"? Maybe they should be teaching grammar instead. Monday, September 08, 2003 Posted 5:17 AM by Hank WARREN ZEVON, R.I.P. Very sad news today. The press is reporting that Warren Zevon, who struggled with terminal cancer while finishing his latest album, The Wind, died Sunday in his sleep at his home in West Hollywood, Calif., a spokesman said. Zevon was 56. He was the author of such wry tunes as Werewolves of London and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. I don't know what Zevon's politics were. He was probably a liberal. But his music and tough-guy lyrics were tailor made for conservatives, being full of (as one of his best songs put it) "Lawyers, Guns and Money." While other artists in the 1970s were singing of peace, love and understanding, Zevon was gleefully writing songs about solidiers parachuting into third world countries for a little "Jungle Work." Writing about boxing in "Boom Boom Mancini," Zevon summed up the warrior aesthetic of the sport, with lyrics as blunt as "the name of the game is be hit and hit back." With the exception of "Werewolves," Zevon never had a lot of wide-spread success as a singer. However, as a song-writer, Zevon was widely respected by his peers, with his songs being covered by such diverse artists as Linda Rondstadt, Dwight Yoakam, Meat Loaf and the Grateful Dead. In fact, Zevon was so respected that no less a luminary than Bob Dylan took to covering Zevon songs in concert, including "Accidentally like a Martyr," "Mutineer," and the ubiquitous "Werewolves." Zevon considered this late fact a special honor, telling the New York Times, ''There are levels past which things no longer connect...There's nothing to relate them to; there's no way to really analyze them. To hear Dylan sing not just one song, but another. . . . It's a big thrill, but beyond the honor, it's just so strange, beyond even computing.'' Like a lot of truly great artists, it looks like only death may bring Zevon the following he deserved in life, after laboring as a cult figure for over twenty years after "Werewolves," Billboard is reporting that his final album, the beautiful "Wind," with its self-aware cover of Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," entered the charts at Number 16 and has gone to Number One at Amazon.com. Still, Zevon apparently had few regrets. Appearing on David Letterman last October, Zevon was asked if he had any "great insights" about dying that he wanted to share with his fans. Rather than launch into a long, self-pitying sermon, Zevon chucked and said "...Enjoy Every Sandwich." Sleep Well, Warren. Home