Snow Blow Hard - Extras

So while we generate new material from our undisclosed location, we present the comedy series Snow Blow Hard: Xmas with a Vengeance, as well as its sequel, Eternal Quest, through back-to-back episodes until they're all played. This should get us halfway through the show premiering on 19 January, when we'll give you a taste of what's to come. One thing we did augment were the number of songs in these series. Originally we had hoped to make SBH a musical, but with only two songs ever making it into the series, we can hardly make that claim. Veteran Sagebrush listeners who are hearing SBH and EQ for the second time will be delighted to find that we've written and recorded more songs for the series.

True Crime of Homeland Security Links - No-Fly Episode

This week's Code Level Red is partly inspired on the notorious excesses of Homeland Security's no-fly list denied (sort-of) by this squirmingly defensive FBI press release. Not that we're "anti-FBI." Indeed, we celebrate the Bureau's efforts to root out public corruption in our side-story based on the University of California San Francisco employee indicted for selling confidential bid information But ultimately, even the Government Accountability Office has a hard time calling the program success in this Terrorist Watch List Screening: Efforts to Help Reduce Adverse Effects... report which should open in pdf for ya.

The big inspiration, however, is the story Amy Goodman has been telling on her book tour of the guy strong armed for wearing an anti-nazi t-shirt. To read the non-fictionalized version see Raed Jarrar's Blog where he tells it in his own words. Finally, watch out for Artists Against the War and their dangerous T shirts.

Updated True Crimes of Homeland Security Links for Premiere Episode - "Breach 'Em"

The premiere episode of Code Level Red was called "Breach 'Em." Airing on Boise Community Radio and Radio Free Moscow the week of September 11, 2006 (available as podcast), it was based a little on the vanity plate on the motor vehicle driven by our station manager but mostly on the real life story of Jim Bensman. I was researching future episodes of Code Red when I came across Jim's webpage with the story in his own words and loads of links to mainstream media reports.

Interfaith Sanctuary

This week we interview Ed Keener, president of the Interfaith Sanctuary board. This is the group that houses Boise's homeless without forcing them to subscribe to any religious activities or imposing any lifestyle rules. This is the second winter this massive operation is being undertaken. Only two paid staff positions coordinate the approximate 70 volunteers that are needed every week to make the shelter work. These are great people doing great things - why not contribute? You can make a financial contribution or find out how to volunteer or donate food, clothing, or other supplies to this cause at the Interfaith Sanctuary website.

Some statistics on housing and hunger (thanks to the Idaho Foodbank:

- A minimum wage worker earns about $11,000 per year. In 1996, the most recent year for which these figures are available, 46% of all jobs in Idaho paid less than the $9.22 needed for a single adult in 1996. The same year, 74% paid less than the $14.42 needed for an adult with two children. (University of Washington Job Gap Study)

- 20% of Idaho’s households don’t make the $20,534 ($9.87 per hour) per year needed to rent a two-bedroom house. In Ada and Canyon counties, the necessary income is $23,200 per year. (University of Washington Job Gap Study)

- A newer study found that in 2003, 28% of Idaho renters don’t make the $10.13 per hour ($19,449.60) per year needed to pay rent and utilities for a two-bedroom apartment. This is an increase of 26 cents per hour from 2002. Idaho renters must earn at least $11.20 per hour to earn enough for a two-bedroom apartment. (Boise Neighborhood Housing Services and National Low Income Housing Coalition)

- This means that on average in Idaho minimum-wage workers must work 87 hours a week at $5.15 per hour to pay the rent. In Ada and Canyon counties, it is 98 hours per week; Bannock is 76 hours; Nez Perce is 79 hours. Madison County has the lowest rents and requires an average of 69 hours; Blaine County is highest at 119 hours. (National Low Income Housing Coalition 2004)

- In Ada County the average rent for two-bedroom apartment was $654 per month, $512 in Bannock, $527 in Nez Perce, $795 in Blaine (highest), $462 in Madison (lowest). (National Low Income Housing Coalition)

- On any given night, there are approximately 2,000 homeless people in Boise. (Boise City, 2005) In 2004, 18 homeless people died in the Boise area, up from 12 deaths in 2003. (Idaho Statesman)

- 20.7% of Idahoans (269,000 people) have no health insurance, compared to the national average of 17.6%. (U.S. Census)

- Bankruptcies in Idaho have risen from 7,119 in 2000 to 9,660 in 2003, the ninth highest total in the country. (Administrative Office of U.S. Courts)

- Idaho’s welfare laws rate 51st compared to all other states and Washington, D.C. when ranked for their likelihood to encourage and support families’ efforts to become economically self-sufficient. (Tufts University’s Center on Hunger and Poverty)

- Idaho was graded as an "F" for having the worst post-welfare reform social safety net (tied with Indiana and Wyoming) among the 50 states. (Center for Third World Organizing)

- Idaho is 11th in the nation in the rate of bankruptcy, 25% higher than it is in the nation as a whole. The bankruptcy rate is increasing over time, too – up 30% from 2000. (Center for American Progress)

- Despite the growing number of food banks and food-recovery programs, the U.S. food service and retail industries throw away 96,000,000,000 pounds of food each year. That is almost 26% of all the food produced for consumption each year. (Former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman) America’s Second Harvest affiliates distributed 1.4 billion pounds of food in 2001. [yours truly's partner personally oversaw the disposal of hundreds of pounds of perfectly good produce at Fred Meyer in just one month. Employees were threatened with immediate dismissal if any of the produce were taken home and were forbidden to give it away.]

Farm Report - Lang Bide Kale!

We couldn't resist throwing in these two links to non-commercial websites run by fellow gardeners who they share our fascination with Kale growing in snow

Monte of Michigan's Veggie Adventures

Growing Taste (Northwest, Zone 6ers)

Bucky's link-of-the-week

Bucky takes his chickens inside when the temperature drops below 10F but he admires these plans for a solar coop. The first Idahoan to contact us and tell us they've built one will be a special guest on an upcoming Backyard Chicken Broadcast.

True Crime of Homeland Security Links

This week's Homeland Security: Code Level Red is almost entirely based on true stories. Honest. In some case we can't reveal our sources (such as our Sagebrush Variety operative working as an "agent" for the FBI) but following is the thoroughly documented inspiration for this week's episode "Footballers."

Our Agent Bailey's misdeeds are based on

Former University of Idaho Football Player Sues Federal Government.

Abdullah Al-Kidd has now started a lawsuit against former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The American Civil Liberties Union on the U.S. District Court decision on federal material witness law in Idaho.

This weeks "balance" story of an FBI investigation based on like, evidence, and targeting actual bad guys comes from this

FBI Investigates Rep. Curt Weldon

The phony threat was based on this story

'Dirty bombs' threat against stadiums was inspired by 'writing duel'

And the crazy comic relief shizzit element was inspired by last month's chemical spill along the Greenbelt. We actually wrote this episode the week this story came out but we had a backlog of material. Alas, we just can't keep up with all the civil rights abuse, public corruption and real-life absurdity out there.

BSU's Arbiter reports on Strange odor on Cesar Chavez Lane causes subsequent investigation

And The TV people's coverage of the same story. Be sure to check out the googy video if you've got the bandwidth.

Robert rides his bike through BSU along the Greenbelt a few times a week and he was convinced that the dorm residents were ordering onion pizzas delivered all day and night.

Ukiah Digby for Coroner Links

Last week, during our "Making of Ukiah Digby for Coroner" episode, we promised to link to some coroner scandals about illegal body trading and unethical use of cadavers. Then, after wrapping the show, we forgot about our vow. So, sorry about the delay. Illegal trade in bodies shakes loved ones, USA Today, 4/28/06 and make sure you while you're there you read the related story on Donated bodies sold for personal profit. The body snatchers about the convoluted supply chain for body parts. Some of this articles propose or imply that the real tragedy here is that it discourages donors or gives parts trading a bad name. We agree but suggest that one way to encourage better regulations might be to refuse to sign the donor card. Former Rock County Coroner Going To Jail: Woman Stole Drugs From Dead People is the story that inspired Robert to add "stealing drugs from corpses" to Umatilla Kenniwick's scandal list. There's lots of "leftover" drugs involved in a coroner's work and it seems that employees of coroners' offices sometimes can't resist the temptation but this is the only case I know of where the Coroner was directly responsible for drug theft. Wecht indicted by grand jury: Medical examiner accused of public use, private gain shows how a shrewd coroner, like any public official, can come up with ways to abuse their public trust for private gain. This one is from early 2006. It seems like whenever we search for this kind of stuff we come up with new ones. and check these out: Critics Say Coroner Puts His Morality Before the Facts on politicizing coroners reports is a case of truth being stranger than fiction. Robert had Digby talk about the dangers of falsifying coroners report in order to protect an interest group or corporate profits but we thought it was his over-the-top sense of humor. We never thought someone would actually think to do that. We hope this guy didn't get the idea from us. And if you still haven't had enough death industry scandal be sure to check out Forensic Science's Hall of Shame. image from Edit International