Up All Night

In other radio news, I accidently ran across the Phil Hendrie show late last night. Turns out his new syndicated show occupies the graveyard shift on KTLK. This is great news, and the biggest threat to good night's sleep since Art Bell went off the air on his latest semi-retirement.

For those who aren't familiar with Hendrie from his former syndicated show, or even his WCCO show back in the early 90's, he is a great comic talent and a radio original. Check out this web site for a podcast of his hilarious final WCCO show back in March of 1994. (Lots of other classic WCCO radio moments from the good old days there too -- assuming you consider lutefisk jokes from Charlie Boone to be good).

Hendrie does more than comedy. Last night featured a live interview with none other than our former Governor, Jesse Ventura. I guess it ended up as comedy, but it wasn't intentional. Jesse was there to promote his 9/11 Truther positions and to compare the modern America political environment to Nazi Germany. But Hendrie tripped him up at the outset by challenging some quote Jesse was attributing to Thomas Jefferson. Turns out it was an urban myth, some BS originating on the Internet. Jesse wasn't prepared to be challenged on this, didn't know how to respond, and the next 10 minutes degenerated into pouting and childish retorts of the "I know you are but what am I " variety. Hendrie then started pushing him on the comparisons to Nazi Germany, embarrassing Ventura to a level that he actually hung up the phone. I was stunned. Never thought I'd see the former brash bully of the local wrestling and political scenes run out the ring so easily.

Sadly, it looks like no podcasts of Hendrie are available for free download. His web site sells access via membership at $7/month. Charging for the content on the Internet? Who the hell does Hendrie think he is, Pajamas TV?

Hendrie is about as close as it gets for me to consider paying for Internet entertainment. But not close enough! Looks like he'll have to be enjoyed the old fashioned way, LIVE and ephemeral. The way radio was meant to be.

While I was Googling in vain for a place to find Hendrie podcasts, I did find a update on the latest activities of Gov. Ventura. For some reason he was in Arizona this week and added this contribution to their 9/11 memorial services:

It was a strange site for visitors at the Arizona 9/11 memorial today if they happened to see former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura try to debate a Valley firefighter about the World Trade Center fires.

Sun City West firefighter Bill Marshall was paying respects at the Arizona 9/11 memorial when former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura started questioning him about smoke color.

Ventura is skeptical about the World Trade Center fire. Marshall didn't want to hear it.

"I choose not to be involved in any kind of controversy over 9/11, sir" said Marshall. The firefighter also said he doesn't like it when people use 9/11 for political or commercial reasons. "I think it's quite disgusting actually."

"It should be a day of remembrance. Not politicking, not benefiting. Any of those things are quite appalling to me." He says he doesn't want to be involved in conspiracy theories.

Marshall says he was at the memorial to remember his fallen brothers and sisters - not to argue conspiracy theories.

Good to see Jesse taking the show on the road and not saving it just for us folks back home.