Informationer

Contains two calls, placed by JFK in succession: 1: Sound recording of a telephone conversation held on July 25, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Assistant Secretary of Defense Arthur Sylvester. They discuss the purchase of furniture at Otis Air Force Base and wasteful spending. The recording begins in mid-conversation. This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 23D, which contains additional sound recording(s) following this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-23D, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 23D. 2. A recording of a phone call between President Kennedy and General Godfrey McHugh, the Air Force aide to the President. Ever sensitive to public opinion, President Kennedy was horrified to open the Washington Post to see a photograph of a navy aide standing next to an expensive new naval project -- a hospital bedroom that had been built at a base on Cape Cod, to be ready in case Jacqueline Kennedy went int

Telephone conversation between LBJ and George Smathers, 8/1/1964, 11:00AM. Discussing Barry Goldwater's economic policies as antithetical to the "democratic type philosophy of economics" that made Americans (and America's business leaders) prosperous. Smathers, a Florida Senator known for anti-communism, strategizes with Johnson on how and when he will flip from being against medicare to for it after campaigning against it in 1962, and how it's better not to pass it until after Johnson defeats Goldwater as it'll give older voters a reason to support Johnson. Song: "I Can See Through You (Blanck Mass Remix)" by The Horrors

Noon on Monday, November 4, 1968. Eve of the 1968 election. LBJ at his ranch, discusses with top advisers, Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Secretary of Defense Clark M. Clifford, how to respond to continued interference in Vietnam War peace talks by figures associated with the Nixon administration. LBJ was forced by Nixon and South Vietnamese diplomats to make a decision similar to one Obama apparently had to make about the 2016 election, about whether to make public intelligence of what might be treason by a Republican presidential candidate. Transcript/more background here: prde.upress.virginia.edu/conversations/4006128   Songs: Boards of Canada, 'Chromakey Dreamcoat' Jamie xx, 'Hold Tight' Trentemøller, 'Shades of Marble'

'Former Justice Department prosecutor: James Comey's October surprise is "indefensible"' Vox "HAS THE F.B.I. GONE FULL BREITBART?" Vanity Fair A definitive debunking in tweet form of Hillary email bullshit by T. R. Ramachandran (@yottapoint) "More Surprises: FBI Releases Files On Bill Clinton's Pardon Of Marc Rich" NPR Song Arcade Fire - Porno 8:56am Jan 2, 1973, Nixon and Chief Justice Warren Burger talk instant replay, Miller v California (on legality and definition of pornography) and an promise young justice named Rehnquist. If you live in a swing state, vote for Hillary Clinton.

The second Literary Hangover! Recorded in spring 2016, Kara, Alex, Tyler, and I discuss Sinclair Lewis' novel Main Street, about a reform-minded woman in early 20th century small-town Minnesota. We reflect on the book as four midwestern transplants ourselves.   Sinclair Lewis biographer on CSPAN in 2002 with my man Brian Lamb. Board members of the Sinclair Lewis Interpretive Center and Museum in Sauk Centre, MN. Crappy onboard mic but some bio, and I'm fascinated by small town culture clubs. NBC University Radio Play of Main Street    Here's a good review by Jane Smiley, 

Nixon and Kissinger push Admiral Moorer to increase bombing missions, growing impatient with mission cancellations blamed on bad weather. White House telephone tapes, April 3-5, 1972. Songs: "Weather Storm" by Massive Attack and "Close Harmony" by Tom Furse. Full Nixon tapes available here.   Conversation No. 22-67 Date:  April 3, 1972 Time:  3:19 pm - 3:33 pm Location:  White House Telephone The President talked with Charles W. Colson.   Conversation No. 22-69 Date:  April 3, 1972 Time:  7:12 pm - 7:19 pm Location:  White House Telephone The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.   Conversation No. 22-71 Date:  April 3, 1972 Time:  7:24 pm - 7:26 pm Location:  White House Telephone The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.   Conversation No. 22-73 Date:  April 4, 1972 Time:  9:24 am - 9:28 am Location:  White House Telephone The President talked with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer.   Conversation No. 22-77 Date:  

Hitchens: Orwell's list: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2002/09/26/orwells-list/   Timothy Garton Ash had a good article on the same:  http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2003/09/25/orwells-list/   Here's some other reviews Isaac Asimov http://www.newworker.org/ncptrory/1984.htm Aldous Huxley http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/03/1984-v-brave-new-world.html

On Saturday, June 12th, 1972, President Nixon enjoyed one of his happiest days in the White House, celebrating the wedding of his daughter Tricia in the Rose Garden. A little after noon the following day, he received a call from his deputy National Security advisor Al Haig informing him of the Pentagon Papers leak, a major blow to the already unpopular Vietnam War. Three calls included: 1. Deputy NSA Advisor Al Haig and Nixon, sometime between 12:18pm and 12:42pm, 6/13/71. (WHT 005-050) 2. Domestic Advisor John Ehrlichman the following day, 7:13 - 7:15 pm (WHT 005-068). Ehrlichman tells Nixon to send a warning to the NYT, advises him to call Attorney General John Mitchell who is anxious to do so. 3. Minutes later,7:19-7:22pm, Nixon calls Mitchell. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger joins the call as well. (WHT 005-070)   Music: "Holes" by Mercury Rev    

Beck - “Timebomb” feat. A very concerned Glenn Beck. McCarthy withdraws amidst rumors. Ben Carson tells a weird lie. Nixon’s “Last Press Conference” featuring “Shout” by Tears for Fears. Aphex Twin - "6 fly beats"

The Rakes - "Open Book" White House Tape conversations between Richard Nixon and White House Counsel John Dean as they determine how to respond a request for Nixon to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings following his nomination of L. Patrick Gray as permanent Director of the FBI. With Watergate in the process of dooming his 2nd term, Nixon was eager to avoid speaking under oath. Gray was never approved. March 14, 1973. Tapes 037-099 and 037-109 AJ and I briefly react to the 2nd GOP debate and touch on Bernie and gun control (it was exporting to mp3 as news of the Oregon shooting broke).     

Nixon tape conversation 41-43 Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger June 22, 1973 1:51 p.m.   Song: Bloc Party, “The Pioneers (M83 Remix)”   Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was stateside from June 18-24 in 1973 for meetings with President Nixon. Brezhnev’s visit occurred a month after the Watergate Committee began televising their hearings, though these were paused in the interests of diplomacy for Brezhnev’s visit.     This is the final telephone conversation between Kissinger and Nixon recorded; Nixon ordered the taping system to be disconnected a month later on July 18 after Alexander Butterfield revealed the system’s existence to the Watergate Committee on July 16.   Butterfield's revelation was fatal to Nixon's presidency and is ultimately responsible for these tapes becoming public.   Nixon opens by commenting on Kissinger “unfortunately” not being on stage with himself and Brezhnev. Nixon and Kissinger were notoriously jealous of

Episode 15b - Age of Violence (Kids With Guns)   Nixon Tapes - 5/16/72 (131a)   From Camp David, President Nixon calls Special Council (later convicted felon, later still born-again Evangelist) Chuck Colson to talk about the PR response to the shooting of George Wallace. He then discusses the liberals' supposed “Age of Violence” with Attorney General John Mitchell, who was also convicted for involvement in Watergate. Song: Kids With Guns by  Gorillaz, instrumental here.

Episode 15 - Bobby and Bernie   AJ and Matt talk briefly about how history tends to out and comment on Bernie’s South Carolina speech on August 21st.   The opening song is “Wrong Time Wrong Planet” by Does It Offend You, Yeah? mixed with a call between the Kennedy brothers in the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs. For more background, see this excerpt from Red Heat by Alex von Tunzelmann. The second song is an extended version of Alphaville’s “Forever Young” mixed with audio from a CBS News program in 1967 entitled “Town Meeting of the World,” featuring Robert Kennedy and Ronald Reagan answering questions from an international panel. Link here.

AJ returns from Greece. Interfluidity on Greece. Piketty on Germany. Episode playlist. Nixon with Bill Rogers and Hobart Lewis, April 30, 1973.

More talking in a week or so. In the meantime: Audio is a Cornel West speech at The Nation Institute on May Day '95. https://youtu.be/iNlSnSDfsT4?t=1h21m44s 

Informationer, Episode 13   AJ and I this week talk on Warren Buffet, Bernie Sanders, how robots are taking all the work and how to make that a good thing.   The song this week, on the theme of the Iraq War, is set to “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds. Most of the clips come from the 2013 BBC Documentary entitled The Iraq War.   Along with a few clips from elsewhere, including: John Dickerson asks George W. Bush about his "biggest mistake." Bed: IZ-US by Aphex Twin

Informationer, Episode 12 Seymour Hersh|er The Article In Question: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n10/seymour-m-hersh/the-killing-of-osama-bin-laden Playlist: Tame Impale’s “Keep On Lying” v. Seymour Hersh on Democracy Now! last week on the OBL raid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3COsYaJ47o Kanye West’s “Paranoid” v Hersh in 1983 on C-Span discussing Kissinger with Brian Lamb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGKlTpzcTqU Bed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwPM7u0jvO4 Rundown: First Ten Minutes: Hersh v. Tame Impala 10m20-21m15: AJ and Matt on Hersh 23m20-Finish: Alex and Matt on Hersh    

Informationer, Episode 11 On the UK General Election, 2015. Playlist:  Ed Miliband: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14Wy4Vh-4bM&list=PL5iVS_UFEbj5lAZifStpmdMDbk8GM8GvD Labour documentaries on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5iVS_UFEbj7T0akv5_pK2gmuJMwhVHUP With extended cuts of "Don't You Want Me?" by The Human League and "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears for Fears. Beds:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_1EKF4FvhU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQfq5bAy5uU

Informationer, Episode Ten! Informationer’s new regular contributor AJ Williams and I discuss: Yanis Varoufakis, Greece, Europe http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21649491-immovable-yanis-varoufakis-absent-professor The concept of a Unconditional Basic Income (via Ralph Nader Radio Hour: https://overcast.fm/+Bmix3FZTE) Jeb Bush at the National Review Institute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lIQLWrOJPAVolunteering and not volunteering for Bernie Sanders Hillary as GOP TrollRand Paul, Martin O’Malley, and Chris Christie as becoming irrelevant.Finally, a wider view on rioting. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5iVS_UFEbj4hp9xIUDbPfftha-p7-6a6Playlist:A conversation with Yanis Varoufakis at the Brookings Institution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkxnTTCIR24Mixed with:Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra - Austerity Blues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-6Rf7C8Kd8Beds:https://soundcloud.com/user48736353001/plinkyplonkhttps://soundcloud.com/user48736353001/suzannehttps://

James Baldwin and William F. Buckley debate whether "The American Dream is at the Expense of the American Negro." Mixed with slowed songs from Aphex Twin's "Syro." On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFeoS41xe7w The first 23 minutes contain arguments on both sides by Cambridge students.   23m45s: James Baldwin speaks. 48m14s: William F Buckley speaks. More on the debate here: Ta-Nehisi Coates in The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/04/when-james-baldwin-met-bill-buckley/255787/ Open Culture: http://www.openculture.com/2012/07/james_baldwin_bests_william_f_buckley_in_1965_debate_at_cambridge_university.html