| Monday Brian Standing |
Tuesday Aaron Perry |
Wednesday Jan Miyasaki* |
Thursday Tony Casteneda |
Friday Jonathan Zarov |
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8 O’Clock Buzz
Brian Cronin
12/18/12 10:57 AM | buzz
On Tuesday, December 18, host Aaron Perry spoke with former Idaho State Representative Boise Brian Cronin, now a Senior Vice President at Strategies 360. They speak about the referendum that Idaho recently voted on regarding the state’s teacher’s union rights and collective bargaining. In 2011, the state was faced with a series of education reform proposals – “at the heart what they tried to do was erode the collective bargaining rights of teachers, but [these were] also proposals to require students to take online courses before graduation, and to put a laptop in the hands of each student.” This was for the purpose of saving money: through a combination of online courses and laptops, students would not need as many teachers and would use the other tools as replacements. There was a large public opposition to this, with enormous protests and rallies at the state house. Brian explained that there was bipartisan opposition, although the majority was Democrats. Nevertheless, the legislation did pass. “At that point, the opponents had about 6 weeks to generate enough signatures to put this on the ballot for 2012 …we had to gather roughly 48,000 signatures. We did that, we got close to double that number in a very short amount of time, so we knew it would be on the ballot on 2012.” Brian, who described himself as a parent and former teacher, explains why he opposed the legislation himself, “This is personal for me… There was nothing about these reforms that suggested that we were going to improve student’s achievements…these were highly politicized measures that were designed to undermine and/or destroy teachers unions, and to do education on the cheap.” Brian explains that their campaign was strong. All three of the laws were struck down, “In fact, on the third law – the one that was going to mandate online classes and a laptop to each student, the ‘No’ votes were higher than the number of votes Mitt Romney got in Idaho. And of course, Mitt Romney did very well here; this was one of his best states.” Read Brian Cronin’s blog. Visit Strategies 360 here. Listen to the interview:
Handmade Madison: Indie Craft Marketplace
12/14/12 10:58 AM | buzz
On Friday Dec 14, Jonathan Zarov speaks with Jackie Matelski and Rachel Dolnick to speak about Handmade Madison: Indie Craft Marketplace. They encourage people to visit the marketplace so that they can meet with the artists who make the crafts. The items are all hand-made, including pet themed art, screen printed clothing, handbags, wood cutting boards, recycled leather jewelry, and more. The aim of the event is to provide a wide variety of locally-made items, with the artists present on site. “The marketplace is the best way for an artist to be making money. There’s no middle man for a gallery… once the vendor has set up and paid their booth fee, everything goes to them.” Jackie and Rachel are themselves artists – a potter and a jeweller. Handmade Madison: Indie Craft Marketplace Monona Terrace Saturday Dec 15 9 AM – 4 PM Visit the Handmade Madison website. Read more about Handmade Madison, Rachel Dolnick, and Jackie Matelski on the Friday Buzz Bin Tumblr site. To learn about her pottery, visit jackietmatelski.com Listen to the interview here:
Sandee Seiberlich Tech Report: Buy Local
12/14/12 10:51 AM | buzz
On Friday Dec 14, Jonathan Zarov speaks with Sandee Seiberlich for this edition of the 8 O’Clock Buzz Tech Report. Today they speak about buying local gifts online. Sandee speaks about a variety of gift ideas that can be bought that are local, including the Wisconsin Historical Society’s State Capitol Ornament Liberty, featuring the liberty mosaic in the capitol. A part of the proceeds go towards the Capitol Renovation project. Also provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society is the Locally Yours, 2013 Art Calendar, produced by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission. The Historical Society also has a series of marionettes, including Gaylord Nelson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bob LaFolette, Hank Garin, and John Muir. Sandee speaks about a series of other gift ideas from other establishments, including Budget Bicycle Center, Wisconsin Union Terrace Stores, and donating money to Community Shares on behalf of a gift recipient. View the full list here. Visit the Buzz Bin Tumblr website for the full description. Listen to the interview here:
read article »Mad Rollin’ Dolls
12/14/12 10:48 AM | buzz
On Friday, December 14, our host Jonathan Zarov speaks with the Mad Rollin’ Dolls, Madison’s Premier Roller Derby League. They speak about the Here Comes Slamma Claus event that begins tomorrow, Saturday Dec 15. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services. The event will feature the teams Reservoir Dolls vs. Quad Squad, and Vaudeville Vixens vs. Unholy Rollers. Jonathan Zarov interviews ‘Mouse’, ‘Nefarious’, and ‘Donna Stunner’ from the Mad Rollin’ Dolls. The teams practice together in the same facility, and compete against each other during their home season. The travel season is made up of the winning skaters who form an all-star charter team called the Dairyland Dolls, which competes nationally. This February they will be playing in San Diego, California. Up to 2,000 people in the community attend the season opener events each year, a sign of the growing popularity the Mad Rollin’ Dolls enjoys in Madison. They explain that everyone who works with the League volunteers their time, which cuts down on costs. The women explain that Derby helps people develop self confidence. “It changes you a lot more than any other sport. It evokes a passion, definitely provides a lot of community connections, a sense of sisterhood that doesn’t come from other traditional sporting atmospheres. Derby is open to people that don’t have any sporting background as well as people that do [have it]. Once you are here, you find that you can connect with so many different types of people, and that draws in the types of people that had difficulty connecting to peoples socially or maybe have become disconnected from sports… women aren’t socialized to have an appropriate outlet for aggression…this a great way to get that out in a positive way…Derby is a symbiotic relationship… I can’t imagine my life without it,” the team members explain. Visit the Mad Rollin’ Dolls website. Read the Buzz Bin Tumblr piece about the Mad Rollin’ Dolls for additional features. Here Comes Slamma Claus Alliant Energy Center 6 PM, Saturday Dec 15 Listen to the interview here:
Jason Huberty – Wisconsin State Capitol
12/13/12 10:51 AM | buzz
On Thursday, December 13, our host Tony Castaneda speaks with “the most arrested man in Madison,” Jason Huberty. Jason, a political activist, has maintained a steady presence at the State Capitol, receiving 19 citations, around $200 per citation, till date. Although thirteen citations have been dismissed, there are still six that remain. Since July, 112 citations have been issued in total at the Capitol. Jason explains what the presence around the capital is like. Since March 2011, a solidarity sing-along has taken place each weekday, either within the Capitol Rotunda or outside. The Department of Administration, which sets the rules for how the Capitol is run, has issued that groups of four or more must obtain a permit to hold an event inside the Capitol. Jason reports that there has been a drop in attendance at the Capitol since the new rules have been instated. Jason explains the change that he has seen since people began protesting in March 2011, “People who came down last year in February and March, they saw a lot of cooperation between everyone who was down there. I’d say that’s still the case, but now, when you go to the Capitol, you don’t know whether or not you’re going to get a ticket, simply for being there. And that’s happened to several people who’ve never had police contact, not while they’re at the Capitol, they’ve just been there exercising their right to speech and peaceably assemble.” They also discuss the amount of resources the state spends on ticketing and pursuing the individuals at the Capitol. Jason has observed at least ten police officers posted each day, monitoring the solidarity singers, four Department of Justice Attorneys General who are prosecuting the cases; twenty local lawyers and forty citizens involved with the cases. The National Lawyers Guild in Madison helps people find attorneys that are willing to help the individuals who have been cited. Since Chief Erwin has become the Chief of the Capitol Police, Jason says, the number police officers present at the Capitol to monitor the solidarity singers and protestors has grown. A Bake Sale will be held this Saturday, December 15 at the fountain on State Street to help raise funds for the direct legal costs to those going to trial. Visit the Facebook page – Solidarity Sing Along Listen to the interview:
Dane County Humane Society
12/12/12 11:02 AM | buzz
On Wednesday December 12, Jan Miyasaki speaks with Gayle Viney of the Dane County Humane Society (DCHS). They speak about a program to “Help Keep Pets in Their Homes“. In the last few years, an increasing number of households have been finding it difficult to afford food for their pets. DCHS is working in conjunction with Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Inc to provide individuals in need with pet food and cat litter. Oftentimes, those who can no longer afford to supply their pets with food and other necessities end up surrendering their pets to the Humane Society. This program will help alleviate the situation by providing food pantries with pet food and cat litter to distribute. Gayle reports the program’s success, “so far, we’ve collected over 20,000 pounds of pet food and kitty litter. We’ve just heard such good response on how appreciative people have been to have these items that they have needed.” There are several collection bins at drop off locations at participating businesses and organizations. Gayle shares helpful tips for keeping pets safe during the winter season. She recommends shortened walks during colder weather, protective boots for dogs, and coats for short-haired dogs. She also suggests that people check the hoods of their cars during especially cold weather, because often stray cats will try to crawl into the hood of the car to stay warm. Gayle also speaks about Club Whiskers, a winter break day camp for children ages 7 – 12. The camp features service projects, caring for animals, games, and guest speakers. The camp runs from 9 AM – 3 PM. After care, from 3 – 5 PM, is also available. Visit Giveshelter.org View more information on how to donate pet food. View the full list of Participating Dane County Food Pantries Listen to the interview here:
Sebastian Rotella: Migrants from South of the Mexican Border
12/12/12 10:48 AM | buzz
On Wednesday December 12, host Jan Miyasaki spoke with Sebastian Rotella, an award winning foreign correspondent and a senior investigative reporter at ProPublica, Sebastian Rotella. Prior to working at ProPublica, Sebastian worked for the L.A.Times for twenty three years. He has most recently been focusing on changes in immigration patterns, especially migrants coming in to the United States from south of the Mexican border, a group that is often not focused on. Says Sebastian, “Overall illegal immigration has gone down a lot, even though sometimes the political debates make it seem like it’s out of control. And the proportions have changed – what my story shows is that although Mexicans are still the biggest group that crosses, the proportions have changed dramatically.” Sebastian explains that the number of Central Americans crossing into the U.S. has substantially risen, especially those from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, countries especially faced with violence and poverty. The demographic of this group is largely young adults who are traveling alone. While there are relatively fewer obstacles to face when crossing into the Southern Mexican border, the migrants face numerous problems at the Mexican-American border, where they are highly vulnerable to extortion, robbery, rape and murder by gangsters, smugglers, and corrupt officials. The Mexican drug cartels also play a heavy role in the thriving smuggling business.Sebastian explains that many of the youth are escaping the environment of violence from their hometowns, but only encounter more violence at the hands of those networked around the smugglers. He describes a situation of “systematic recruitment” by the drug cartels at the border. Sebastian had interviewed two individuals from Ecuador, Marco and his wife, who paid $11,000 per person to come to New York, “They move through a very loose but highly organized network – they were given a phone number and a codeword… They started in Ecuador, and went to Honduras where they stayed at a safe house, to Guatemala, and then to Mexico.” At Mexico, they had been placed on a train alone where they got caught by Mexican officials. Sebastian explains that although they were disappointed, the couple was also relieved that they did not have to go through the most dangerous part of the smuggling process that was still to come at the Mexican-American border. The detention centers, Sebastian describes, were packed fully with migrants from across Central America and Mexico who were caught. After the migrants are discharged from ….
Professor Beth Richie: Arrested Justice
12/11/12 10:46 AM | buzz
On Tuesday, December 11, host Aaron Perry speaks with Professor Beth Richie, author of Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence, and America’s Prison Nation. Beth Richie is a professor at University of Illinois at Chicago and Director of a research institute that looks at race and public policy. She has also been an activist in the anti-violence movement, and has been conducting research on the prison industrial complex. She speaks about the situation, “The prison industrial complex and all of its apparatus has really targeted black men. So we know that, and not that we’re not interested in that, but there’s an untold story about the ways that the prison nation – the law enforcement, the court system, the way jails and prisons are run – those same factors disproportionately affect black women, and it rubs right up against the ways black women experience domestic and sexual violence. So the book is really about making sure that in our work and our attention to the problem of mass incarceration and its impact on black communities, we don’t forget the sisters in that struggle.” Beth explains that in addition to the way mass incarceration has a profound impact on the black community, it poses as especially difficult for the women. “We are additionally vulnerable to excessive violence from police officers, we experience domestic violence, and we sometimes don’t call the police because we don’t want to turn our men over to the criminal legal system. We are experiencing sexual assault at profound rates in our community, but we don’t talk about that because of the shame associated with sexual violence and because we don’t want to feed that larger narrative about black men as rapists.” She wants readers to consider possible alternatives to prison incarceration, for people who have human, social, or medical needs. “If we put a few mental health clinics, a couple of health care facilities, a day care center, all of that would cost so much less than incarcerating people, and we’d be a stronger society because our communities would be healthy.” Read more about Arrested Justice on Facebook Listen to the interview here:
Senator Lena C. Taylor
12/11/12 10:39 AM | buzz
On Tuesday, December 11, our host Aaron Perry spoke with Senator Lena C. Taylor from the 4th District of Wisconsin. She speaks about the latest news in the state government. She explains that because the Democrats lost the Senate majority, there has been a lot of shifting of offices. She says what she is concentrating the most is the police brutality issue in Milwaukee, which she describes as “systemic”. She describes some instances of police brutality, such as not allowing a mother near her dying son, or officers nearly beating a man to the death. “We have a systemic issue here that we have to deal with as a community… There is definitely a systemic racism… Businesses hired individuals who were white males with a felony record when there was a black male who did not have a felony record and had all the credentials necessary for the job. Those are the kind of issues that we’re dealing with in this community, and it’s surely keeping us busy at the local level, and at the state level we are very busy because we have many things trying to take our elections from us…like, ‘what can we do to continue making it difficult for people to vote’.” Senator Taylor explains that her number one priority is jobs. “People are struggling…and looking for us to create jobs, and a sustained type of living that our citizens desire and deserve.” Her other priority, she explains, is education. Aaron asks Senator Taylor to speak about how she feels about the future of the nation, “I am encouraged that the President is really trying to make sure we do things in a balanced approach. He provides an opportunity for individuals from different sides of an issue to come together to try to come up with solutions to move forward…. The President has a solid recovery plan, and a vision.” She also explains her concerns at the federal level, “I don’t think there’s anything more important than the fiscal cliff, and I think the states even have to be concerned about the fiscal cliff because it’s going to have an effect on what dollars they are going to get.” Visit the website of Senator Lena C. Taylor here. Listen to the interview here:
Norma Gay Prewett – Dec 10
12/10/12 11:03 AM | buzz
On Monday December 10, our host Linda Jameson spoke with Norma Gay Prewett about poetry, and read aloud two of her poems. She also speaks about the process of writing stories and poems. She quotes Ernest Hemingway, who said “write the first true sentence that you know, and the rest will come easily.” She explains that prompts come naturally, and that is where one begins the piece. “The first thing you will write down is a cliché…the job of the poet is to go out and find the closest way you can to communicate [that] to the person out there, and make them believe that they have been there, or are there at that moment.” Listen to the interview here:
