KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve frequently mentioned the radio show Morning Becomes Eclectic from KCRW, the NPR station out of Santa Monica, as a way to listen to new music. The typical format of the show is a 15 minute set, a 15 minute interview, and then another 15 minute set of music. What I didn’t realize is that they have quite an extensive archive of their past shows. The number of bands that have stopped in is pretty remarkable, including Eels, Cake, Elvis Costello, White Stripes, Beck, Flaming Lips (also Beck with the Flaming Lips), Radiohead, the Shins, the Decemberists, Broken Social Scene, and the Arcade Fire, amonst others.

Go find your favorite band!

A’s fan, Red Sox fan: a confrontation

Posted on by
3

I wore my Rich Harden shirt yesterday to support the A’s as they travel to Fenway for a four-game series against the Red Sox. On my way home, I passed a guy wearing a Red Sox hat. He looked at my shirt and gave me a smug look. This is a reenactment of my response:

[Jer's reaction to the Sox fan]

The A’s won, so I hope that after the game he remembered our encounter and cried.

New legislation on organ donation

Posted on by
Reply

As a part of my policy agenda for when I become benevolent monarch of the world, I offer this new legislation on organ donations:

You have two options for what happens to your body after you die:
(A) All organs and tissues capable of being transplanted are available for donation.
(B) You donate your body to a medical school or research institution. This wish should be in a will and reported to a national registry

No more organ donation cards. No more signing your drivers license. Once you’re dead, you don’t need those organs and tissues anymore. What about family wishes? Are they really going to feel better knowing that they not only lost a loved one, but also failed to help someone elses loved one? And later when they visit the grave site, I doubt they’ll be saying, “If only your kidneys were buried here too, I could stop grieving.”

I haven’t been able to find any current data, but it seems like 2/3 of people waiting for organs don’t get them. And that’s just pathetic.

Say what you will about Europe, but they’re ahead of the curve on this issue. Several countries have an opt-out system, where you must sign a document to avoid having your organs donated, as opposed to the opt-in system used in America.