Whether Art has some "pent-up anger" or not I neither know nor care. It is fair to note, however, that many of us who're not the beneficiaries of TM do, when we're angry, mean to do harm. Otherwise why be angry?

You two bring up interesting observations!

I read Art Dudley with my "Dial tone filter" on. I read along, and when he leaves Earth to pontificate from on high, I actually hear a dial tone in my head instead of the usual hearing of words as I read (without moving my lips, by the way.)

For example, when I read his work, it may go something like this:

"...the Sansootchie Trivalent Amp makes for a clear and true midrange with my Flutterby planar speakers. Much clearer, in fact than... rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...foreign policy....rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...right wing..........rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...in fact, compared to the previous Bivalent amp, this new piece of gear will remain at my house for long term listening in my reference system, which, I hope is longer than....rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...and his ilk....rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...will remain in the White House."

See how nicely that works?

Seriously, though, Art is in a bind. If he is saying what he does because he feels he needs to try and stir things up to generate interest instead of using his hi fi listening/writing skills, then that's too bad.

However, if he means the stuff he says and this is his only way to feel he's being heard, then that's too bad, too.

The cynicism center of my brain is pulsing with the "stir things up" answer. Ironically, maybe TM could raise his level of self esteem and he could talk hi fi instead of ranting to get the readers excited.

AD probably gets this way when he hangs out with Fremmer too much.

Maybe we should start a bunch of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter threads when they do this.

Although my political position is a little right of Ghengis Kahn, I can't bring myself to be offended either by Art's political digressions or your advocacy of TM. Just an old softie, I guess.

It seems to me that Buddha just has Telephone and Rubber Band by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra playing in his head...

I would think after 30 years of "centering", the babblings of some old coot would fall on mute ears. Perhaps you have yet to find your "spot".

As for anger, I did not detect any. Just a account of an experience he once had. Although I fail to see the connetion between Myrtle Blocks and TM, apparently somewhere in ADs' mind there is.

Similar to Buddha, I tend to go in to a speed read mode until I hit on something that once again seems to be related to audio.

I sympathize with reviewers who must continually replay the same ole familiar reference discs (we all know the ones) and repeat the same ole adjectives to describe the sound (we all know the ones).

I applaud those who can mix it up a bit in a effort to entertain us even when I don't subscribe to their thinking.

As Art states in his review on the Yamamoto A-08 in the current issue of Sphile:

"Some people deserve to be blessed for their point of view, even as the world moves away from it"

RG

Well, my March issue got here yesterday!

That is way early for me, I wonder if I have a new guardian angel in the mail room....thanks, if I do!

Anyway, had a chance to peruse the article and it all became totally clear. Art obviously ended up half a column short and had to tack something on at the end.

I bet he got a report back from editorial that he needed an extra hundred words and he tossed that baby in to meet space demands.

It's obviously tacked on and not connected to the body or theme of the previous 95% of the article and it is oddly truncated. I think he's just trying to toss in a couple grenades about TM and his religious inclinations to distract us from the fact that his article should have ended halfway down the page.

I have insight because I used to sit in third grade trying to fill the last five lines of my loose leaf themes about Iceland, Magnets, and why I like animals in much the same way.

By the way, Iceland is not to be confused with Ireland, another island nation that is 600 miles east of Iceland and has a population of 6 million; without magnets, we would not have engines, electricity, stereo gear, or medical imaging; I like animals because they are tastey and I have been given dominion over them to make use of as I see fit.

Don't fade out!

Stay and get used to the place and have fun!

If I listened to Air America, I'd be angry too.

I was listening to a media demographer (I know, fancy word for nerd) and was awestruck by a revelation he imparted...

He was asked why conservative, angry, male oriented talk radio currently rules the waves and why it has been hard for Air America or other more liberal biased talk radio to take off with regards to listenership, especially when the country is so precisely divided in terms of voting and philosophy.

I was pondering that, too, and he explained it beautifully:

It turns out, all the women and liberals are busy during the day with work/career or parenting. The eight dozen of us with jobs have alot of people to support while they sit home and listen to talk radio.

The only people with enough time on their hands to sit and listen to angry conservative radio are the shiftless (masked by anger) under-employed conservative males. They like to listen to something that assures them their plight is not of their own doing and makes them feel beter about themselves.

I gotta go get tested and see what I am. Can you be a Goldwater liberal?

Wouldn't it be great if one could be a Goldwater liberal. No chance, though, considering the current liberal power structure. The problem with Barry was that he knew what he wanted to do and scared the hell out of everyone by telling what that was. Today's liberals want only to condemn what others do while they offer no alternative proposals.

That notwithstanding, all talk radio is crap even when the views expressed agree with mine. Throw your radio away or if it is a Tivoli Model One, just set it aside as an homage to Henry Kloss. Such actual news and weatherforecasting as we all need is available on the web and you can read it while listening to good music on your headphone rig.

The real problem is that the correct answer is "none of the above", for either party. All too many if not all worry mostly about getting re-elected and just trying to find out what 51% of their consitutents think or want and then market themselves toward that end. It will only continue to be about "sound-bites" and BS with no real leadership to found. Often candidtates get a positive push from an strong economy even if they did nothing to cause it. The reverse can also be true.

Talk Radio and TV exist because Americans like to talk, just like I do on this forum. How else can you explain the cell phone phenom. which is not about "emergency communication" but really talk radio for the masses. We are willing to spend $100 - $200 a month just for the privilage just to sound off to anyone who will listen.

The only time you can really claim it is a need is if in business your competition is using it and getting the best of you service wise, or you have some family crisis that can require immediate contact.

Many people usually decide with every election if some issue is important to them or are they better or worse off after the last 4 or 8 years? Then it becomes personal.

It has all become so tiring. If you are a news watcher and don't find it all fairly depressing I would be amazed. IMHO