The Sagebrush Variety Show

Chivey Pasta

2008-04-08T08:28:00.001-06:00

As heard on the Sagebrush Variety Show Farm Report, here’s the recipe for...

Chivey Pasta

This is a recipe Robert developed one early Spring day when the only thing growing in our garden was chives--lots of them--and nothing else. He rose to the challenge of finding a way to use large quantities of chives in an easy and delicious dish. It has become a household favorite.

1/2 to 1 C (or more) of chives, chopped
1 lb pasta
1/4 C Earth Balance spread
1/4 C unsweetened soy or rice milk
4 T soy sauce
1/2 C nutritional yeast flakes or powder
3 cloves garlic, chopped
dash olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. In a large skillet, sautee the garlic in the olive oil till soft. Add the pasta to the skillet, along with the chives. Toss together for a moment and then reduce heat to low. Add the Earth Balance and mix until melted. Add the nutritional yeast and stir well, gradually adding the soy milk and soy sauce. Continue to toss ingredients together over low heat, until the soy milk is completely absorbed or evaporated. Add fresh black pepper.

Bucky on Deconstructing Dinner

2008-03-28T17:31:00.001-06:00

Bucky Buckaw's Backyard Chicken Broadcast was recently featured on Deconstructing Dinner, a weekly one-hour radio show and podcast hosted by Jon Steinman. The show covers a wide range of food security issues, and the Sagebrush Players have long been fans of the show. If you haven't listened to it yet, we strongly recommend it.

Bucky's show will be featured again in upcoming shows in the Backyard Chickens theme in the larger context of the Farming in the City series on Deconstructing Dinner.

No-Chicken Soup Recipes

2008-03-19T09:08:00.000-06:00

Mother's Garlic and Spinach Soup 2 heads garlic 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 5 cups good-quality vegetable broth 4 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves, tough stems discarded.

Preheat oven to 425.

Remove the outer papery covering of the garlic (leave the inner skin). Slice off the top of each head so most of the cloves are exposed. Place on a square of aluminum foil for easy cleanup, or select the smallest baking dish you have. Drizzle 1 teaspoon oil over each head. Fold the foil over the garlic to completely enclose it, or cover the baking dish with foil.

Roast for about 45 minutes, until the garlic is completely soft and lightly browned.

When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic pulp into a medium-sized saucepan. Add the broth and stir well to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Just before serving, stir in the spinach and simmer until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir vigorously (the garlic has tendency to settle out.)

Serve hot. Serves 2 to 4.

Adapted from "The Roasted Vegetable," by Andrea Chesman (Harvard Common Press, 2002)

Simple and Clean Potato Soup (aka Flu Season Weapon)

6 to 8 big potatoes 2 to 4 large cloves fresh garlic salt to taste water

Wash, peel dice those potatoes. Peel & mince garlic.

Slightly warm the garlic in pan with something oily, just to get it going (don't brown it or the goodness is gone). Add potatoes, add water just to hover over the potatoes. Cover and cook until soft. Salt to taste during process.

Tip: if you work NOT to mash those potatoes when cooking (contrary to the theory of most potato souping) you end up with lovely shimmery broth.

Serves 4

Hot and Sour Soup

8 c vegetable stock and/or water 1 oz. dried Chinese black mushrooms 3 T dry sherry or rice wine c cider vinegar 2 T soy sauce 1 t salt 1 pound firm tofu, thinly sliced 2 T cornstarch 6 green onions, minced 1 t white pepper sesame oil

In small bowl, pour 2 c boiling water over dried mushrooms. Cover with plate and let sit 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze mushrooms, saving the liquid. De-stem mushrooms, discard stems, and slice caps.

Combine remaining 6 c vegetable stock with mushroom liquid and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer.

Add sherry, soy sauce, salt, and tofu, lower heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

In the bowl, whisk cornstarch into ? c soup until dissolved. Return this liquid to the soup.

Add green onions and pepper, cook another 2-3 minutes, and serve with a few drops of sesame oil on top of each serving.

Optional - If you live with chickens in your backyard and they are still laying eggs you can add 2 eggs, beaten, to the soup just before the green onions and pepper.

6-8 servings Adapted from Molly Katzen's New Moosewood Cookbook.

Subru Uncle's Delicious Spicy South Indian Rasam Curry for Curing Cold Cough Fever or Bad Throat

3 cups water 5 teaspoons salt 6 tablespoons oil 2 medium green chilies, slit 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled,washed and finely chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled,washed and finely chopped 5 tablespoons whole black peppercorns 1 cup of fresh curry leaves, washed and torn 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi) 3 whole red chilies 2 medium tomatoes, washed, peeled and chopped into cubes 1/4 cup water (This is to be added to cook the tomatoes) 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder 2 teaspoons turmeric powder 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder 7 cups water (This is added to prepare the curry for rasam. You can add more or less depending on the consistency) 1/2 cup tamarind pulp 3 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, washed and finely chopped (to garnish) 6 servings

1 hour 50 minutes 50 mins prep

Immunity-boosting miso soup

Half a cup wakame or kombu seaweed Three tablespoons miso paste (gen mai) Four shiitake and/or reishi mushrooms (dried or fresh) One and a half cups of chopped vegetables (leek, onion, carrot, cabbage, turnips, potatoes, yam) Half a cup of tofu pieces Four to five cups of water (or vegetable stock or seaweed soaking water) One teaspoom sesame oil One teaspoon ginger, grated One clove of garlic, minced

If you are using dried mushrooms, soak mushrooms in boiling water for one hour, discard the stems and soaking water.

Soak seaweed in water (wakame: 20 min, kombu: 4 min), keep soaking water. Cut seaweed into strips.

Sauté seaweed and vegetables in a pan with a little oil.

Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Then add tofu pieces.

Cream miso in a little broth and return to soup. Cook on low heat for a couple of minutes. Do not overheat miso as it will destroy the active lactobacillus (beneficial bacteria).

Garnish (seeds, toasted nori flakes, chives, parsley). Serves four.

Serves 4 Recipe created by Lisa Guy 'Art of Healing'

'Activist' Denial System

2008-03-12T23:59:00.000-06:00

Kevin recently recorded a satirical ad that describes a high-tech microwave beam developed by the U.S. Air Force Laboratory called the Active Denial System, ostensibly to be employed against enemy troops, but which is seriously being considered for "crowd control." This "non-lethal" pain ray induces a "burning sensation" on the skin that sends the "target" running. The potential for abuse is unmistakable. Any dictator or self-righteous president might not hesitate to using this weapon against an assembly of civilian protesters opposing his rule.

It has been considered for use against civilians in Iraq. Also see these links:

ADS_Wkipedia and Technovelgy

From Robert: Study Guide to Diarrhea Monster Skit

2008-03-12T23:55:00.001-06:00

I really like this skit but I will admit that upon hearing it the night before its premiere air time I realized it may be one of the weirdest skits I’ve written for Sagebrush as well as the most difficult to understand without any background. So here’s the deal:

A company called Ventria really is developing a genetically modified rice that will be grown, not as a food crop, but as biological laboratories for medicines. The idea is the rice will produce two human proteins found in mother's milk, saliva and tears, which help people hydrate and lessens the severity and duration of diarrhea. The proteins are extracted from the rice after harvest and sold as medicine. Diarrhea really is a very serious problem in developing countries, where it is a leading cause of child mortality but as some of the characters in the skit point out there are cheaper and more sensible treatments and preventions already available such as sanitation and the cultures commonly found in yogurt.

Meanwhile, new studies have recently come out pointing to evidence that genetically engineered crops may produce herbicide while they are in our intestines. The health effects of this are unknown but some pretty terrifying possibilities have been put forth by credible scientists (although I’m the only one talking about people spontaneously exploding).

All this made me imagine a piece of fiction where the theoretically well-intentioned company rushes this dangerous product to market as a profit-generating solution to a global problem but it winds up creating new problems. For some reason, rather than thinking in terms of plausible speculative fiction I imagined it more as cheesy science fiction. Then we constructed it in "featurette" format with just the highlights telling the story - kind of like the audio version of a movie trailer.

For facts on the true stories this flash fiction are based on I recommend reading this article on Genetically engineered rice threatens safety of crops. A link to a piece on Genetically Engineered Crops May Produce Herbicide Inside Our Intestines. And, an overview on the GM industry that recently caught my fancy Seeds of Deception.

This Week's Essay

2008-03-11T09:14:00.004-06:00

This Week's Essay is an unapologetic spoof on the Essay of the Week by Diane Josephy-Peavey (DJP) heard in Idaho on NPR affiliates. For many years, Idahoans have heard her romanticize and glorify ranching in the West through her radio essays, claiming that livestock herds are good for the environment and that ranchers are environmental stewards of the land. She is married to an Idaho sheep/cattle rancher whose family has been entrenched in Idaho politics for generations. The Peaveys graze their herds on public lands in some of the most degraded areas in the state.

This Week's Essay serves not only to ridicule DJP’s familiar reading and writing style, but also to bust some of the ranching myths she (and her corporate and lobbyist sponsors) perpetuates through these essays. It should be noted that Idaho tax dollars also support DJP's work.

We also use the This Week's Essay format to convey thoughts on issues of local interest. Last week you heard:

Weeds: This essay is the most obvious DJP spoof to date. Read in a similar voice, using similar clichés, discussing DJP’s favorite subject—sheep—this essay addresses just two of the many invasive non-native weeds spread by livestock across the West: Canada Thistle and Leafy Spurge. Joanne Sheepsley-Peasy’s delivery is just as cheerful and insipid as the real thing.

Homemade No-Knead Bread on the Farm Report

2008-03-07T16:10:00.002-07:00

Ever since the NY Times interviewed a baker, Jim Lahey, who generously revealed his recipe for idiot-proof no-knead bread, there's been an international buzz about it. News got to Idaho, and we've tested the recipe and some variations with consistent results: amazing, rustic, artisan, old-world style bread.

On this week's show, we asked breadmaking first-timer Kevin Bayhouse to make a loaf. It turned out wonderful!

We're helping to spread the recipe to help you get off your dependence of corporate bread (puh!). It used to be that you could get a decent loaf from a local bakery, but nowadays they have either gone out of business or cater to upscale clientele with big bucks to spare for a fancy loaf to go with their foie gras. Here's a recipe for us lumpenprole:

Step 1:

3 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp yeast
1-1/2 cups water

Mix the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Add the water and mix with your hand for a few seconds until the ingredients are combined. Cover the dough in the bowl and let it sit for at least 12 hours (we've tried up to 47 hours with success).

Step 2:
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface and fold over one or two times. Sprinkle what bran, oat bran, or corn meal on a kitchen towel and wrap the dough in the towel (the bran is to keep the dough from sticking to the towel). Let sit for 2 hours.

Step 3:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F, and preheat an ovenproof bowl or pot in it. When it's hot, drop the dough into it and bake, covered (with lid or dish), for 25 minutes. Remove the lid after 25 minutes and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. When done, allow the bread to cool before slicing.

Here's what Kevin's loaf looked like.

If you're fascinated and want to know more, here's a web site that has a huge online discussion about the bread, different things people have tried, and loads of photos. And here's a link to the video interview with baker Jim Lahey. He says this bread is better than any you could buy in a store, even when made by a 4-year-old.

We also came a cross a related report on the secret behind making baguettes on the fascinating Cooking for Engineers website. Looks like the slow fermentation approach is not such a big secret, after all.

Ever since we insisted that Kevin make bread for the first time ever - and it turned out great - he's become a breadmaking fiend. Here I have graphed his breadbaking activities. He's been baking, on average, one loaf every 2.5 days. He's even been photographing the outcomes. In the meantime I've been testing proportions with whole wheat loaves. For those who have been waiting, here's what I've found:

100% whole wheat loaf: use 1 and 3/4 cups water
50% whole wheat loaf: use 1 and 5/8 cups water

The basic formula is that for every 3 cups of whole wheat flour, use 1/4 cup extra water This, of course, is the recipe we worked out in the semi-arid climate of Idaho. If you're in, say, the Northeast, you might need less water.

Sagebrush on the Air in Olympic Penisula!

2008-03-04T22:23:00.003-07:00

We're very psyched to report that KAYO-LP, 94.3 FM in Aberdeen, WA and Hoquiam, WA, and on their translator in Olympia at 92.9 FM, will be broadcasting the Sagebrush Variety Show twice a week: Wednesdays @ 9pm and Sundays @ 4pm, Pacific Time. And just to remind you, you can hear Bucky Buckaw's Backyard Chicken Broadcast on that frequency, too, Tuesdays 9:45am and Sundays 12:45pm PST. Since they play Bucky's show already, we aren't including it in their version of the SVS, but Carl Etnier's Peak Oil Check-In is still included. The UV-Eye-Opener is not included.

UV Eye Opener Returns for 3rd Season

2008-01-07T14:46:00.006-07:00

Since the producers of the Sagebrush Variety Show also help put together the UV Eye Opener--bringing you the high points and low points of the Idaho legislature while it's in session--and it's all politics, we include it in the Idaho broadcasts of the show. Did that make grammatical sense? Anyway, we miss Roger Sherman's take on the madness in the statehouse, but we're happy to have gotten Jim Hansen on board to take over the writing. Robert will read it, since logistics and Jim's busy schedule (as well as ours) do not allow for us to get together long enough to record the ten-minute piece. The UV Eye-Opener also plays on KRFP, Radio Free Moscow during Morning Mix at 8 and 9:30 am Pacific Time on Mondays.

Peak Oil Check-In Comes to SVS 1/15

2008-01-07T13:39:00.002-07:00

We've decided to add a new regular segment to the Sagebrush Variety Show: Peak Oil Check-In by Carl Etnier. Carl has his own radio show in northern Vermont called Relocalizing Vermont, and his is the first segment included on our show that is not produced by us. We think it fits right in with the rest of our content.

Bucky Buckaw Podcast

2007-11-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Bucky's newest season is podcasting! Subscribe here.

Bucky Comes to Northern Vermont

2007-11-20T15:31:00.000-07:00

Bucky Buckaw's Backyard Chicken Broadcast will premiere in northern Vermont on Thanskgiving! Check out the Relocalizing Vermont show on WGDR, Plainfield, VT 91.1 FM, Thursday mornings 8:30am - 10am. Carl Etnier hosts the show, and he's got quite a bit in common with us Sagefolk, so we're glad to have connected with a kindred spirit.

Autumn Update

2007-11-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we've posted here, but we're making changes to the content available on this website due to storage issues. The podcast will temporarily be suspended, but the good news is that we're going to make selected individual segments of the show available for download.

Unfinished Business: Spuddy Buddy and more

2007-06-09T10:33:00.000-06:00

So in these last few shows, I've pulled out a lot of "unfinished" pieces -- things we recorded or started recording but either didn't finish or get to use. You've been exposed to some of them now: The Militant Grammarian, Male Privilege, and the forgettable Little Spuddy piece.

Little Spuddy is nothing more than Idaho's anthropomorphised potato mascot, Spuddy Buddy. There was some trade mission to Mexico a few years ago that included Butch Otter, Larry Craig, and some other of our fine dignitaries, as well as some guy in a Spuddy Buddy costume. Apparently he was stopped at the Mexican border and not allowed to enter Mexico. Oh, the outrage that ensued. [good photos here] Here's a typically Idahoan and rather racist press release from the Idaho Potato Commission itself. Our Little Spuddy piece was completely unscripted and improvised, but based on these events. There was also the gawdawful National Potato Board song we were going to spoof, but didn't record that. At the time, the Mr Potato Head people had not gotten involved but have since adopted it as their own.

The Militant Grammarian was the first in what would be a series on Linguistic Imperialism. There are mistakes made all the time with idiomatic expressions (not to mention individual words), and this is the nature of language in its spoken manifestation. But we wanted to get at some tangential things going on in speaker's heads that influence the outcome of their utterances. In the Militant Grammarian that got produced, we didn't dig too deep, but managed to make a relaxed connection between black English and cultural appropriation by using the example "jibe with it" or "it doesn't jibe." Originally a sailing term, it got into vernacular use when people wanted to say "something's not quite right" ("that doesn't jibe"). Only recently, we keep hearing people say "that doesn't jive" -- and that, if you take it literally, means something totally different. Think jive turkey or jive talking.

Anyway, listen to the piece for the whole story. You can download shows 55 and on from our Show Guide page or podcast 'em.

Male Privilege and Feminism

2007-06-09T10:18:00.001-06:00

I came across Barry Deutsch's Male Privilege Checklist about a year and a half ago and got the Sagebrush men to read it. I was hoping to do something fancier with it but for some reason it kept getting pushed aside. It's simply a list (by no means exhaustive) of things men take for granted. He based it on an essay by Peggy McIntosh entitled White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, which of course deals with many things white people take for granted because they don't have to go through the same problems as people of color.

It's not accusatory, just enlightening -- and something, IMO, Idahoans in particular need to hear more of. I've never heard more outrageous attitudes and outright misinterpretation of feminism than in Idaho, not even counting all the Limbaugh parroting about "feminazism." In fact, it's such a stifling environment when it comes to equality of any kind that some of the worst offenders are women themselves. I guess that's internalized sexism; I mean, who wants to be labeled a -- you know, I won't even write it because I don't want to perpetuate that crap or risk putting a seed into someone's head who may not be familiar with what I'm getting at.

Feminists come is many varieties and schools of philosophy, but what it all boils down to is wanting to be treated fairly and equally, in terms of respect, in terms of power, income, expectations, standards, and all the unwritten rules that dictate what is okay for a woman to be or do. This is the same for race or class, or men, for that matter, or anyone who falls into one of those "in between" areas.

So why is it so offensive to adopt a belief system that demands equality for all? That is my question.

The Day Idaho Stood Still

2007-05-31T18:00:00.000-06:00

Kevin Bayhouse's satire of the science-fiction classic movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still is currently running on the Sagebrush Variety Show. In this adaptation, a flying saucer lands in a park in Boise and the usual mayhem ensues, including characters Governor Clem Stoat and Boise Mayor Abe Biter.

United Vision for Idaho's UV-Eye-Opener Returns

2007-02-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

It took us a couple weeks to get a hold of Roger Sherman and make arrangements for producing an audio version of his weekly bulletin on the best and worst of the Idaho legislature while they're in session from UVI's progressive perspective. Normally, Roger reads them in his distinctive wry style but to catch you up to January's events all the Sagebrush Variety Show players got together to perform a special multi-voice dramatic reading for presentation on this weeks show. For the ongoing UV-Eye-Opener broadcast check the Boise Community Radio Schedule for webcast times. Highlanders can also tune in to KRFP 92.5, Moscow where it will start to air sometime this week. You can also read the UV-Eye-Opener at United Vision for Idaho's website. But, honestly, the audio versions are loads of hand-free listening fun that you won't want to miss.

Bucky Buckaw on The Bravery of Chickens and the Cowardice of Congress

2007-01-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

Animal Enterprise Terrorist Act (AETA) is as falsely labelled as the PATRIOT ACT. As Bucky says on this weeks Backyard Chicken Broadcast, this bill is not about violent individuals with an agenda. It is about suppressing legitimate criticism of companies. Despite claims that there is a clause in the bill that exempts first amendment protected activities, a wide range of legal experts including Sagebrush Variety Show favorite, National Lawyers Guild, agree that the clause is weak, at best. Undercover investigations, employee whistle-blowing, organizing boycotts, and standing outside a fast food joint handing out pro-vegetarianism leaflets are now all officially equated with terrorism. Seriously, Bucky Buckaw could be convicted and punished as a "terrorist" since his nefarious plan includes telling the truth about factory farms and phony "free-range" operations in order to get people to raise backyard chickens to give up grocery store eggs. AETA is opposed by more than 160 animal protection, social justice, and civil liberty organizations including: National Lawyers Guild, Humane Society of the U.S., ASPCA, Natural Resources Defense Council, the League of Humane Voters and more.

Butch Otter was an original cosponsor of the AETA in 2005. I guess his heroic libertarian streak reaches its limit when the opportunity arises to imprison anyone who might someday picket the Governor's mansion in defense of wolves, ferrets, puppies, kittens or baby chicks. But he was in good company. The bill sailed through both houses with the sole objection coming from Dennis Kucinich as reported here. Barak Obama, "progressive" flavor of the month for the NPR set, attempts to justify AETA in this letter to Blogger, John A. Duerk.

Check out the Equal Justice Alliance anti-AETA site for more information on AETA and how to continue the effort to restore our civil liberties.

Homeland Security Level Red: Photo-Terrorism

2007-01-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

This weeks Level Red is inspired by the Reporter Arrested for Photographing Governor's Inauguration Parade in Connecticut earlier this month. Now, consider that Boise and the Spokane/Moscow area have Criminal Investigation Units that are part of the same Local Franchise Opportunities in Homeland Security as the one that decided that Ken Krayeske's work on Green Party campaigns merited a folder with large glossy photographs and, apparently, instructions to arrest on sight. We really, really, love this annotated arrest record.

In fictionalizing our account we made the educated guess that Krayeske was familiar with the National Lawyers Guild Know Your Rights pamphlet. The Sagebrush Players strongly recommend everyone read it before they are arrested. To recap, listeners to our show know that you may be detained, arrested or at least harassed if you: wear a t-shirt with arabic lettering on it, are a documented Green Party volunteer, make non-traditional dietary choices, display the wrong bumper sticker of your bicycle or motor vehicle, are a clown on a unicycle, etc.

The upbeat angle to the story is that people are finally getting outraged about this sort of thing and supporting their fellow activists as noted on Krayeske's Blog. Particularly inspiring is how Connecticut Democrats in the Legislature have made the uncharacteristic decision that defending a fellow wonk's political rights is more important than silencing the Green Party through restrictive ballot access laws, constant negative spinmeistering and various social punishments.

Bucky's Backyard Broadcast: Background Links

2007-01-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the page with notable quotes from chicken intelligence researchers. and the study indicating chickens worry. In other words they can anticipate the future and act to influence outcomes. Also, a sample conversation from a fairly typical chicken message board. And in all fairness, I should post to the two essays that dared to talk smack about chicken smarts. There's no doubt that Barbara Kingsolver has a profound appreciation of chickens in Lily's Chickens and When Chickens Fall From the Sky got a chuckle from me despite the "size of a pea" crack. It does seem like the hens get more respect than the men in her family.

Homeland Security Level Red: Rutabagas & Emmetonians - Episode Links

2007-01-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

This episode is inspired by The Idaho Green Party, the city of Emmett police and the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) but the main inspiration was this article, Protester=Criminal?, from The Progressive. You know the oft quoted and even more often paraphrased "they came for so and so and I just chilled, then they came for so and so and I was like, it's not my problem, then they came for me and there was no one left to watch my back"? Well, they came for the clowns in 2003 so watch yer back.

I couldn't bear to change the Flying Rutabagas cool name for this episode but the members names and other details are, of course, tweaked for fiction. I'm not sure what the organization or its founding members are up to these days but the original Cycle Circus website is still up.

It is true, however, that Idaho Green Party member, Kevin Bayhouse, ran for Ada County Highway District with a logo featuring a unicycle on his website, pamphlets and road signs. Unfortunately, we never managed to arrange for a real unicyclist to help promote our cause.

Furthermore, although the real Rutabagas didn't protest the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). I'm pretty sure they would agree with our own Bucky Buckaw's anti-NAIS sentiments. NAIS uses the flimsy excuse of disease control as a rationale for a widespread program of microchipping and databasing of poultry and livestock that would be a boon to agribusiness but would most likely smother small farming and backyard animals. After several years of protest from small farmers, homesteaders and "hobbyists," the USDA has officially toned down their rhetoric about mandatory, universal implementation. However, it seems NAIS proponents simply changed strategies to make it appear as if it's not a federal plan but one being implemented by a each states Department of Agriculture. For more on how the NAIS two recommended starting points would NO NAIS and Stop Animal I.D.

The bit about the FBI going through people's trash and the nerdy agent putting a "trash cover kit" in the secret santa pool came from the Sagebrush Variety Shows mole in the Bureau so we can't give you any more details on that. We've said too much already but we thought it was too good to pass up.

And finally, the Sagebrush Variety Show Players have, indeed, been stopped by the Emmet police on flimsy pretexts - at least 3 times. "Technically not breaking the speed limit but failure to slow down well in advance of a new posted speed limit" was one of them and the fictional "interrogation" scene is actually edited down considerably from the interminable and pointless ones we experienced. Tune in next week for Level Red based on Ken Krayeske's outrageous arrest at the hands of his local CIU (it can happen here, folks, Boise's CIU is no doubt spying on your local group as we speak).

The Public Comment

2007-01-23T00:52:00.000-07:00

For all the current public comment opportunities at DEQ mentioned on the program, see the list on their public comment opportunities page. 31 January: Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Case Nos. IPC-E-04-15 and IPC-E-06-32. Idaho Power Co. is seeking approval for two pilot programs. Read carefully; their website is user-hostile. Then again, so is the entire agency. 7 February: Idaho Housing and Finance Association and the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor are accepting public comment on their Annual Action Plan.

Bucky Buckaw on WOOL 100.1 FM Tonight

2007-01-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Bucky Buckaw, host of the Sagebrush Variety Hour's Backyard Chicken Broadcast segment, as heard on Boise Community Radio and KRFP, Radio Free Moscow will be the special guest on Mark Green's "No Depression" music show on WOOL 101.FM serving the Great Falls area of Vermont and New Hampshire tonight at 9:15 EST (that's 7:15 for all you local Mountain Timing Backyard Chicken aficianados). We're hoping WOOL's webmaster will see lots of logins of people tuning in to the webcast from IP addresses in Idaho. We know you Bucky fans are out there!

Snow Blow Hard Songs of the Week

2007-01-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

The original concept for Snow Blow Hard: Xmas with a Vengeance was to combine elements of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life with characters, settings, and events from Idaho politics and business, de-christianize it, give it our leftist spin, and make it as a musical. Last year's debut only included two songs but this year we've written 4 additional songs (so far) and it's a bona fide musical. Today's set of episodes contains a duet between a very old billionaire rancher (guess which Idahoan he's based on) and a version of Tiny Tim recast as one of those "South Park Republican" youths that drive us up the wall. The other is a number about genetically modified organisms sung by an angry food activist. Question: which recently elected Idaho Democrat provided fodder for the first verse of the song with a remarkably uninformed apology of Monsanto et al's success at weakening biodiversity, seeding genetic pollution and then suing for "infringement," introducing allergenic (in some cases fatally allergenic) proteins into the food supply, and resisting attempts at testing or labeling through lies, deception, and manipulation of international trade agreements (for starters)? "Isn't [genetically modifying organisms] just progress?" NO!!

Snow Blow Hard - Extras

2006-12-26T16:08:00.001-07:00

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

2006-12-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

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"

2006-12-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

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

2006-12-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-12-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

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

2006-12-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

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

2006-12-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

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

2006-12-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

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

Addition Facts Bayhouse on Electricity

2006-10-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Customers who volunteer to participate in the air conditioner cycling program have their air conditioners turned on and off (cycled) by direct load control switches installed by the company. Those who volunteer to participate in the program would be given a $7 credit for each month they participate. Customers can temporarily opt out of the program for one day each month. There is no penalty for terminating participation in the program at any time. http://www.puc.state.id.us/internet/press/020405_IPCoACcycle.htm

Show 59

2006-10-25T10:30:00.000-06:00

Part 9 of Ukiah Digby for Coroner, the current radio soap opera the tomatillo is featured in the Sagebrush Variety Show Farm Report the Sagebrush Pollution Report Suburbia Watch Now that you've seen the Otter - Brady debate, compare and contrast it to our production of Welcome Back, Otter The Essay of the Week with Professional Conservationist Merrill Numbnuts on how to sell out public lands, followed by a summary of the CIEDRA bill and, of course, Bucky Buckaw's Backyard Chicken Broadcast.

Welcome Back, Otter

2006-10-25T09:53:00.000-06:00

"But he's not Governor, yet!" That's what Rischak said, too, but we felt the need to market test the series before the elections. If Butch Otter wins the mansion we will at least have plenty of fodder for future episodes. Our regular and attentive listeners may have noticed we've recycled this skit - twice - but it's a short piece and we got some multipartisan feedback that at least the theme song is hilarious and we're a little proud we predicted (in satire form) the state of the "debate" situation. Plus, we've skewered everyone in the race while still giving their fictional dopplegangers a shred of humanity. Or at least charm. That's half of what good political satire should do. As for the other half, where are the outraged emails reacting to what we said about your favorite D or R - or even L for that matter? Huh?! If it's because you haven't heard the show yet, you can still tune in to the webcast tonight at 8pm or this Sat & Sun at 6pm. Or download the podcast - we archive the show 1-24 hours after the last webcast.

Farm Report Links

2006-10-23T12:04:00.000-06:00

I couldn't work anything I found there into the segment but I really enjoyed visiting the website for the German Mint Museum in Eichenau, a suburb west of Munich. Theres some interesting stuff at the Idaho Mint Commission and I feel obligated by regionalism to post it although it's a bit too agribiz for my taste. Also, last week I mentioned the book Organics, Inc. by Samuel Fromartz. I highly recommend it. If you need a little more convincing read the Powells Review. Bonus question - what Sagebrush Variety Show skit featured heroic character Manuel Sosmartz, my thinly veiled nod to the author of Organics, Inc.? also from last week I forgot to post a link to the companion website to the Organics, Inc. book which inspired some of my comments

Bucky's Links of The Week

2006-10-17T00:57:00.000-06:00

The best of the articles I read about the relationship between chicken poop and arsenic. The Humane Society's press release on the lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture's refusal to enforce humane slaughter laws for poultry. The article I mentioned focusing on small farms in California that are voluntarily switching to more humane slaughter practices. And Rural Roots where you can use the Find Farm Fresh Food to locate small farms who share your views on ethicureanism. Oh, and since I'm using a word they probably coined, (eth•i•cu•re•an n. (also adj.) someone who seeks out tasty things that are also sustainable, organic, local, and/or ethical) I have an excuse to humbly suggest you check out the The Ethicurean website and blog.

Pollution Report 10/10/06

2006-10-10T17:50:00.000-06:00

All of the items on the Pollution Report and more can be researched further on the DEQ website.

10/13: The Idaho DEQ is seeking public comment on its draft certification of a federal permit regulating discharge of municipal stormwater to the Portneuf River. The federal permit authorizes the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck, Bannock County, and the Idaho Transportation Department District 5 to discharge municipal storm water to the Portneuf River, Pocatello Creek, and other associated waters.

10/13: Fiberglass Systems fabrication facility in Boise seeks to renew its air quality permit by consolidating all of its existing air permits and state and federal air quality requirements into one document.

10/16: The Jerome Cheese facility in Jerome submitted an air quality permit to construct application so it can install new drying equipment.

10/18: Coeur d'Alene Fiber Fuels facility in Hauser submitted an application for an air quality permit to construct so it can build a wood pellet producing facility.

10/20: The Lignetics of Idaho facility in Kootenai applied for an air quality permit to construct so it can regulate emissions resulting from the installation of a new dryer line and additional equipment at its Kootenai facility. Under the proposed permit, the facility will be required to comply with air quality rules. The state will conduct periodic inspections to ensure permit conditions are met.

10/25: The DEQ is seeking public comment on draft legislation authorizing creation of a state program to manage underground storage tanks (USTs) in Idaho. USTs store petroleum products or certain other hazardous liquids that can harm the environment and human health if the contents are released into the environment. Idaho has about 3,500 regulated USTs.

10/30: The DEQ is seeking public comment on its draft water quality certification of four draft permits regulating aquaculture facility discharges to surface waters throughout Idaho. The permits authorize permitted aquaculture facilities and fish processors to discharge treated wastewater to surface waters throughout Idaho.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Barrel

2006-10-10T17:47:00.000-06:00

This is the last Voyage to the Bottom of the Barrel. Just another experiment that didn't prove sustainable. Kelli mentioned a link on this episode where you can access information about alternative energy sources in Idaho. You can find it at energyatlas.org.

Sagebrush Variety Show Farm Report Links

2006-10-09T23:32:00.000-06:00

As mention in the Farm Report on Zucchini: The website of Ruth Ozeki, gardener, chickener and author of All Over Creation, a book that inspired us to take our garden more seriously. She raises chickens. A press release for the Zucchini Catapult Contest at the Annual Vermont State Zucchini Festival.

Bucky Buckaw's World Egg Day Links for

2006-10-09T23:31:00.000-06:00

Compassion Over Killing's page on the victory in pulling the misleading Animal Care Certified label. And to celebrate World Egg Day print The Hidden Cost of Eggs flyer and post in your office or cubicle. Some places to try and find a chicken for adoption might be your local Craigs List, or Freecycle. I've seen chickens for adoption on both and you can also post a request. Or try the Trade section of the Backyard Chickens Message Board. http://p072.ezboard.com/fbackyardchickensfrm12 For our Boise listeners, I recommend calling the Idaho Humane Society at (208) 342-3508. They have adoptable chickens from time to time.

Farm Report Links

2006-09-11T22:34:00.000-06:00

This week's Farm Report recommendations for further reading are: A discussion of the Fibonacci Numbers in nature. The Tournesol Guerilla's known as Brussels Farmers. Here, I get you started on a search of the International Vegetarian Union Recipe Pages. Just enter "Sunflower" in the search window on the upper left of the page. And a sunflower recipe page from about.com.

Pollution Report

2006-09-05T17:04:00.000-06:00

All of this week's items on the Pollution Report and more can be researched further on the DEQ website.

9/8: DEQ seeks comment on proposed permit to construct and Tier II air quality permit for Woodgrain Millwork, Nampa.

9/15: DEQ seeks comment on draft guidance on point of use drinking water treatment systems in Boise.

9/15: Public comment period extended on draft wastewater reuse permit modification for the Amalgamated Sugar Co. operation northeast of Paul. The draft permit modification would allow year-round irrigation of wastewater at the sugar beet processing facility.

9/25: DEQ is seeking public comment on a draft partial-permit regulating radioactive waste storage and closure activities at an Idaho National Laboratory (INL) facility. The draft partial-permit outlines the procedures for storage of calcined solids and closure of its Calcine Solids Storage Facility.

Andrea Alday's Vegan "Fish" Pate Recipe

2006-09-05T16:39:00.000-06:00

This week's Sagebrush Variety Show Farm Report on dill references a recipe for a vegan "fish" pate, which was used as the vehicle for the Sagebrush Players to taste their dill. Here is the recipe from Andrea Alday (host of RadioBoise's Snow and Thunder show):

1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, drained
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh dill leaves
juice of 1 lemon
1 T capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 sheet sushi nori, crumbled
salt to taste

Put all the ingredients into a food processor, reserving a small chunk of the tofu (about 1/4) and process till the tofu is creamy. Season with salt as desired. Add the remaining tofu and buzz till worked in but small pieces remain. Chill in refirgerator and serve cold with raw vegetables, bread, crackers, etc.

Character Profiles: Linden and Marteline

2006-09-05T16:34:00.000-06:00

This week on Ukiah Digby for Coroner, opponent campaign managers Linden Cuttown and Marteline Mascarpone finally meet face to face. Despite their mutual distaste for each other's politics, they have something in common: they are both Trekkies -- oops, no, Trekkers. And yes, the numbers Linden rattles off to denote which episodes Q appeared in were actually researched by... us. This theme is present throughout the series, so if you have a background in science fiction, there are lots of details to look out for! The inspiration for Linden and Marteline's characters are political consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin. Carville was Clinton's campaign manager and Matalin was deputy campaign manager for Bush W, and since they were both doing exactly the same job for different people, it's really no surprise that they eventually got married. Oops--I hope that doesn't spoil the suspense of our story.

Red Trees

2006-09-01T10:21:00.000-06:00

In this week's Voyage to the Bottom of the Barrel, the Gratzbys observe and comment on the red pine trees. Kelli explains it's a result of heat stress and says she read about it on the NASA website. Here's a link to that report.

Time to Think About Cold Weather Crops

2006-08-29T17:33:00.000-06:00

Broccoli romanesco

Cole Crops or Brassicas like Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi. You can also frow another crop of leaf lettuce, spinach, and radish if you sow NOW. (This is assumung the first frost comes in mid-October.) Rutabagas are supposed to be planted in the fall only, and you might be able to get away with planting turnips and mustard greens, too. Now's also the time to plant garlic and shallot bulbs for their emergence in spring.

Sagebrush Gear Available

2006-08-29T17:29:00.000-06:00

We've set up a souvenir shop where you can get stuff with our radical quail logo. We've also purchased sagebrushvariety.org as our very own. Go tell your friends, and get your Ukiah Digby for Coroner bumper sticker here!

Bucky's Quail Chick Photos

2006-08-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

Quinoa and first quail chick.
Happy hen Quinoa with two of her quail chicks
Quinoa with one quail chick
First newly hatched quail chick.
First newly hatched quail chick with remaining clutch.

Vote for Ukiah Digby for Coroner!

2006-08-28T21:30:00.000-06:00

It's election season and we're broadcasting the radio play Ukiah Digby for Coroner for Idaho Muscovites, which will be a first for them, but for our wecast/podcast followers, it's the second time around. As our very first radio play, it's a little rough production-wise but thoroughly listenable. It's nice to know how much we've improved over the last year. Still, it's worth listening to again and we've even re-recorded a few scenes. We will provide a listening guide for the hardcore fans on all aspects of the show, episode by episode--and hopefully that won't get us into trouble.

Sagebrush Pesticide Links

2006-08-26T16:16:00.000-06:00

As promised by Bucky: Meeting the Challenge of West Nile Virus Without Poisons from Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP). We recommend our Treasure Valley listeners consider joining NCAP-Idaho's listserve for discussion on the decision to aerially spray mosquitoes, explore alternative solutions and avoid future aerial spraying. Send an email to jmiller@pesticide.org if you would like to be added to the listserve. Idaho is late to the spraying for West Nile business. Perhaps we should learn from the past mistakes of others. A good read along those lines is Overkill: Why Pesticide Spraying for West Nile Virus in California May Cause More Harm Than Good from Pesticide Watch.

Pesticide Carnival

2006-08-22T13:13:00.000-06:00

This week's show features the exciting, long-awaited conclusion of the Benjamin Franklin Cipher. The rest of the program is dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of pesticides, disease vectors, and the truth about West Nile virus. In the premiere of a new segment, Voyage to the Bottom of the Barrel, the Gratzby family gets sprayed with Naled and all of them get sick. All the symptoms described are realistic and have happened, in fact, to one of the Sagebrush Players. In the one-act radio play The Goathead Assault, the absurdist/surrealist approach takes the idea of assaulting large groups of people with toxic chemicals without their input or consent to the extreme. We've also re-written the Milfoil Song into the West Nile Song. Unfortunately, we ran out of room and could not include our interview with local beekeeper Ed Keener this week, but that has a spot reserved on next week's show.

CIEDRA Bill

2006-08-15T19:48:00.000-06:00

Your help is urgently needed NOW - today! - to stop CIEDRA from passing the United States Senate. By taking just a few moments of your time to make calls to Senator Larry Craig's local and Washington offices, you can not only save Idaho's Boulder-White Cloud mountains from being privatized; you can also protect the Wilderness Act as we know it. Please take the opportunity to act today.

Make no mistake: the future of our public lands and the qualities we enjoy and treasure about them will be changed forever if we do not act immediately to STOP CIEDRA in the Senate.

Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID) rushed CIEDRA to the House floor as a "non-controversial" bill on a day when a majority of Representatives weren't even present to vote against it. He has been fast-tracking this horrific bill without meaningful debate because he knows that the more people learn about CIEDRA, the less they like it.

We cannot allow HR 3603 to sail through the Senate the way it did in the House of Representatives. CIEDRA is a controversial bill. It can be stopped if we speak in opposition with a strong and united voice.

Please join your fellow conservationists, friends and family in turning up the volume now. YOU CAN STOP CIEDRA IN THE SENATE BY PLACING YOUR CALLS NOW.

Below are guidelines with the steps and background on how calls to Congress are received.

After you've made your calls, please ask at least two more people to call Senator Craig. Ask them to ask two people, each of whom should ask two more people, and so on. In this way, 2 + 2 can grow to become many more than 4.

Please take the time today to make the calls and contact your friends. Your focused action will STOP CIEDRA NOW!

Here's a sample script for making your calls to Senator Craig to STOP CIEDRA NOW!

WHEN CALLING SENATOR CRAIG, TELL HIM: "I'm calling to thank Senator Craig for opposing CIEDRA. There are a number of reasons to oppose CIEDRA, but most important to me is that it gives away public land and erodes protections for the Sawtooth National Recreation Area that Senator Craig has staunchly supported."

Call Senator Craig's Washington DC office at (202) 224-2752 AND The office listed below nearest to where you live:
Boise (208) 342-7985
Coeur d'Alene (208) 667-6130
Lewiston (208) 743-0792
Twin Falls (208) 734-6780
Pocatello (208) 236-6817
Idaho Falls (208) 523-5541

NEVER CALLED A SENATOR BEFORE? IT’'S SIMPLE! HERE’S WHAT TO EXPECT.

From Senator Craig's website http://craig.senate.gov/email/ "When you call my office:

Please be patient as there may be other callers ahead of you, or your call may have to be interrupted briefly to place other incoming calls on hold. If you are calling to voice your opinion on an issue, please be prepared to provide your name and address, or remain anonymous if you prefer. All information provided is kept confidential. If needed, I will respond to your message quickly and thoughtfully and in writing. No matter the issue, my staff will be friendly and polite. I hope you will show them the same respect."

Your call will probably go something like this:

You: "Hello, my name is so and so. I'd like speak with your Environmental Legislative Aid, please.

[You will then be transferred to that person or their voicemail. You may be asked by the person answering the phone what the issue is that you are calling about. Tell them you are calling in regards to CIEDRA].

You (to the Environmental Aide): "Hello, xxx. My name is so and so and I'm calling to thank Senator Craig for his past support of wilderness and to urge him to OPPOSE CIEDRA. There are a number of reasons to oppose CIEDRA, but most important to me is that it gives away public land and erodes protections for the Sawtooth National Recreation Area that Senator Craig has staunchly supported."

If possible, please share your experience in making the call and the response of the staffer with whom you spoke. Email colleen@wildrockies.org and put "Called Sen. Craig" in the Subject line so we can track the number of calls made to the Senator's office.

Pass it on

After you’ve made your calls, PLEASE send this request to call Senator Craig to at least two other people and ask them to make calls just as you did. Ask them to ask their friends to make two calls, too!

Like you, we are grassroots activists in this fight to save the heart of Idaho. We don't have money for slick advertising, telemarketing calls, and paid lobbyists. The more noise we make, the more we can equal this very lopsided playing field.

Finally, thank you.

[unapologetically plagiarized from the Committee to Save the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (CSSNRA)]

Endangered Chicken Links

2006-08-07T15:45:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the delay in posting promised links associated with last weeks backyard chicken broadcast. I've been a little distracted by the suspense of wondering if our broody hen, Quinoa, will hatch the fertilized quail eggs we snuck under her. We may be breaking new ground here - I can't find any evidence of anyone else encouraging a chicken to hatch and raise quail although I've heard plenty about chickens bringing ducks up. My own observation is that some hens really want to experience motherhood and Quinoa has that personality. We really don't have enough space for more birds in the backyard (not to mention the city code limiting us to 3 hens) so I'm hoping they hatch and get some early instruction and then leave to explore the wide world (maybe coming back to visit us from time to time). Most importantly, I hope Quinoa find the experience rewarding. If it works out, I'll do an episode on it. Below are the links on endangered chicken breeds. Regards, Bucky Buckaw American Livestock Breeds Conservancy: Conservation Priority List Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities

Under The Pavement

2006-08-07T15:33:00.000-06:00

I just came across my own name in the "what listeners are saying" section of the website for Under The Pavement, Manchester's radical/ alternative radio show out of ALL FM 96.9, a community radio station for south, central and east Manchester, England. If I'd known they were going to reprint the positive comment I left on a the Post Punk Kitchen messageboard I might have written something more expansive. At any rate, it's one of a handful of podcasts I subscribe to, because the mix of guests and interviews, alternative news and reports from radical and activist groups (mostly out of Manchester, but still inspiring to this Idahoan) has a lot in common with what the Sagebrush Players are trying to communicate and promote. Solidarity, Robert

Corporate Prime: The Making of

2006-07-11T13:16:00.000-06:00

This week we have a special "behind the scenes" discussion of Corporate Prime with writer Kevin Bayhouse, April Hoy, Robert McMinn, Gwen Sanchirico, Jeremy Sinkinson, and Khalil Linane. We'll discuss some of the philosophy and details behind the story, as well as speculate on some of the characters. Next week, we'll premiere the new serial play, The Benjamin Franklin Cipher.

Anacreon in Heaven

2006-07-04T11:56:00.000-06:00

Here are the lyrics to one stanza of the English drinking song on which the Star-Spangled Banner is solidly based:

The news through Olympus immediately flew;
When Old Thunder pretended to give himself Airs
If these Mortals are suffer'd their Scheme to pursue,
The Devil a Goddess will stay above Stairs.
"Hark! already they cry,
"In Transports of Joy
"Away to the Sons of Anacreon we'll fly,
"And there, with good Fellows, we'll learn to intwine
"The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's Vine.

Visit the link above for the full lyrics.

Apparently, it was de rigeur in colonial days to write new lyrics to existing songs. And in 1812, Francis Scott Key concretized that characteristic American tendency to plagiarize in our national anthem.

Click here for a midi file of the song (which sounds exactly like our national anthem).

From Bucky Buckaw: Show Links

2006-06-27T08:18:00.000-06:00

This week's Backyard Chicken Broadcast is another sagebrush piece on transgenics but my first. Here's a link to the article on Creating Transgenic Chickens that got me started on the topic. As you can see the link is to a web reprint of the article on a website I thought I should plug Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering (NW RAGE)

RadioBoise website is back

2006-06-21T14:02:00.000-06:00

Things are back to normal for RadioBoise, so our website is now up to date and you can catch up on downloads/podcasts. Good times, good times.

RadioBoise.org Server Is Being Quirky

2006-06-13T23:56:00.000-06:00

For the record, we've been updating our website but the changes aren't coming up. RadioBoise's host changed their servers recently, so until tha issue is resolved, check this blog for the latest info!

This is what's on this week (June 13):

-part 6 of the current serial drama, Corporate Prime, written by Kevin Bayhouse
-the latest Sagebrush Variety Show Farm (cilantro)
-Bucky Buckaw's Backyard Chicken Broadcast on chicks
-a special edition Sagebrush Pollution Report on the Atlanta Gold mine proposal
-a rant from Kevin on the current governor
-a new Suburbia Watch

Don't forget you can listen to Sagebrush on Tuesday at 4pm PDT on Radio Free Moscow 92.5 FM

Oh, and most of the guitar in the scene transition music in Corporate Prime nowadays is played by Khalil (with tweaking by Gwen).

That Thai "Pesto" Recipe

2006-06-12T16:56:00.000-06:00

3 tablespoons peanuts 3 tablespoons lime juice 4 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon red chile paste or fresh hot peppers (optional) 1 1-inch square piece ginger, peeled, grated 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons water Put all ingredients in food processor and buzz till creamy. You can play with the proportions and quantities easily.

The Secondmen

2006-05-30T00:02:00.000-06:00

We pull a few local Idaho references in addition to ridiculing the Minuteman border project: aged rocker Paul Revere, ex-Governor Dirk Kempthorne, and ne'er-do-well Phil Pimpleslot (actually one of the Simplot clan who we really did watch nearly sideswipe every other parked car in the supermarket parking lot on State Street, famous for terrorizing the town on his hawg).

Essay of the Week: Subtitle D Landfill Burial

2006-05-29T23:57:00.000-06:00

It's been months since we've recorded an Essay of the Week! This one is based on a memo we found on the Idaho DEQ website [PDF]. Joanne Sheepsley-Peasey makes a disparaging remark about Howard Lyman, who's got a great website, and is one of our greatest influences. (Can you tell?)

Khalil's Band in this week's BW

2006-05-25T14:19:00.000-06:00

Khalil Linane, who plays the lead role of David Ortega in the Corporate Prime drama series, can be found in this week's Boise Weekly. His ensemble, the Wilson Street Pub and Sluthouse Band, is interviewed in the Noise section. Too bad the photographer caught him smirking in the photo. He looks better in person. Some of the Sagebrush Players used to play music with Khalil regularly, and we're proud to see him moving on to bigger and better things, musically. We're also trying to get him to record some music for Sagebrush. Maybe if you send him some fan mail he'll be inspired to do that sooner rather than later.

Energy in Corporate Prime

2006-05-24T00:20:00.000-06:00

The "corpytown" in New Arco City lies on nuclear energy from two surviving reactors at the INEL site, while in the Treasure Valley energy is mostly decentralized. By decentralized, we mean there's no major power grid. Most neighborhoods or areas have their own combination of solar panels (all structure surfaces), wind-based generators, and geothermal (shallow and deep), depending on local availability. Sure, the hydrodam generators are still functional, but that's just icing on the cake, and in the event of a drought or some other disaster, there's enough locally generated electricity to keep everyone comfortable. Wind designs such as this, or this, or even ... there ar eso many design possibilities. The solar tree mentioned in one of the episodes is a design conceived by Gwen Sanchirico and Michael Tilbrook when they were PhD students in New York. Starting with the space-saving natural design of a deciduous tree, which contains on average an acre of surface are in its leaves.

WWP's Katie Fite interview

2006-05-23T13:43:00.000-06:00

Desert ecologist Katie Fite (Biodiversity Director of Western Watersheds Project) is this week's guest on the Sagebrush Variety Show. She explains some of the problems with the Boulder-White Clouds bill (CIEDRA) and the Owyhee Initiative. Here are links to some of the sites she recommends:

Western Watersheds Project
RangeNet
Waste of the West: Public Lands Ranching
Alliance for the Wild Rockies
Owyhee Initiative: A Quick Overview

Bucky's Supplementary Links for Episode 37

2006-05-21T20:04:00.000-06:00

http://homefront.silverwarethief.com/ http://www.boggycreekfarm.com/pages/the-hen-house.php which I discovered while researching shows but which never made itheir way into this week's episode

Bucky's Episode 36 Links for

2006-05-15T19:19:00.000-06:00

Heres the link to the NY Times article Migrating Birds Didn't Carry Flu that inspired my spoof of the week. Of course you have to sign up as a free member to view it although I've been told that if you google the title of their articles you might get a direct link.

Whenever I mention any bird flu link I always do an obligatory shout out to the master of all bird flu (and public health) blog, Effect Measure. He's kinda soft on factory farming compared to me but he really knows his science and is one of the few people who actually understands the concept of "objectivity" so I figure if I'm not contradicting Effect Measure I'm probably being pretty reasonable.

Arugula

2006-05-15T12:23:00.000-06:00

The variety we grow at Sagebrush Variety Show Farm is called selvatica aka wild arugula. It takes a little longer to germinate than the cultivated kind, but once you plant it, it'll easily self-sow itself year after year. Even though it's supposed to be an annual, it perennializes, which means the roots don't die in the winter and grow leaves again every spring.

A good way to eat it is in a salad--by itself or with other greens--with a dressing made of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and grated raw garlic. For a creamier variation that sticks better to the leaves, whip some applesauce into the dressing.

Arugula is also good in sandwiches or chopped into pasta salads. You can make a pesto out of it, too.

Here's a link to groovy arugula nutrition facts.

Sagebrush Resource

2006-05-11T14:05:00.000-06:00

On a previous edition of the Sagebrush Variety Show we featured an interview with Alan Durning, President of Northwest Environment Watch on sustainability issues and trends in the Northwestern region known as Cascadia. Podcast Sagebrush Variety Show #30 to hear it.

Just a few weeks later the Sagebrush players received an an email from Alan Durning explaining that after 14 years as Cascadia's sustainability think tank, Northwest Environment Watch has changed its name to Sightline Insitute. (they say the name Sightline better reflects what they do in helping us see a clear way to a better future for us all).

The name change is just an opener to the big news that they’ve revamped their website Sightline.org to make the most of the institutes comprehensive research, statistics, news and dialogue.

There are some excellent new features.

Like the Maps and Graphics Center with close to 100 maps, charts, and animations illustrating trends such as gasoline consumption, changes in human health, and pollution in northwesterners. All available for downloading and printing or computer vieiwng. The graphic maop of clearcutting in the Central Cascade forest is a real eye-opener ad is the chart showing the increased levels of PBDE levels in blood and tissue samples of north american humans since the 1980’s. PBDE is a flame retardent chemical used in many priducts that can cause neurological and reproductive damage.

The publications section features Sightline books and reports available in full text pdf, on each of the issues that they track--such assprawl and transportation, energy, health, and economy.

An active blog—called the Daily Score—with running commentary on the latest news. Some of the latest entries include Alan’s frankly funny yet inspiring diary of his families attempts to live a year in Seattle without owning a car, a report on the latest scientific findings regarding bird intelligence (Sagebrush’s own Bucky Buckaw already knows birds are at least as smart as humans but it’s nice to see the scientific com muntiy catching up), and a really great explanation of how “booming conomy” can mean different things depending on who’s talking and that GDP doesn’t necesarilly mean good for working schmoes.

The name Cascadia refers to an ecological, economic and cultural region including British Columbia, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon which is most instructive to look at as a whole. However, the new website function that allows viewers to browse or search for Idaho-related information only, for example, is a useful way to manage the wealth oif information Sightline offers.

Sagebrush Variety show highly reccomends our viewers make use of the website. There’s an incentive to join as an emailsubscribers in that subscribers get special features-such as complete access to Sightline’s work, including free pdfs of books and reports; and downloads of high-quality maps, charts, and graphics, their email newsletters, and the abilty to add your own comments to their blog.

Plant sales and planning for the season

2006-05-11T09:56:00.000-06:00

Listeners who heard our interview with Diane Jones of Draggin' Wing Farms might be interested to know that there will be a native plant sale this weekend.

Saturday & Sunday, May 13 & 14, 9 am to 3 pm at Castle Drive and Hill Rd. The farm is just off that intersection on Stinger St but there will be signs directing you there.

Also, Draggin' Wing Farm neighbors Peaceful Belly Farm will be selling heirloom tomato plants at $4 each.

Don't feed your loved ones a trite tomato - grow your own! (or at least get some decent varieties from farmers markets/stands)

The Sagebrush Players support backyard gardening and xeriscaping. In fact, we've been growing our own tomatoes already at Sagebrush Variety Show Farms. This year's tomato varieties:

Red Brandywine - the king of heirloom tomatoes
Green Zebra - not an heirloom, but still worth growing for its green color with yellow stripes, great flavor, and ease to grow
Paul Robeson - smallish black heirloom from Russia named after the singer, communist, and equal rights activist
Black from Tula - larger black, Ukrainian heirloom
Black Prince - a smallish red-brown heirloom from Irkutsk that does particularly well in Idaho.
(okay, so we have a thing for black tomatoes)
Yellow Bell - a productive, yellow paste heirloom from Tennessee that grows well here. Great for stuffing with hummus on the run, too.
Big Rainbow - large, multicolored heirloom
Orange Banana - prolific, orange, heirloom paste tomato that's also good for eating and drying.
Striped Cavern - orange-striped red tomato that is shaped like a bell pepper and hollow inside.
Evergreen Emerald - largish all-green tomato

Just reading the brief descriptions of this handful of varieties should make you angry about how corporate farming and food distribution has robbed us of the diversity in our produce--and this is just looking at tomatoes.

Sagebrush vs. the Laws of Thermodynamics

2006-05-08T11:37:00.000-06:00

Listeners who missed last week's premiere of Corporate Prime, our latest serial drama, can check it out again this week. We lost our regular battle with Entropy this week, so last week's show will be re-broadcast.

April and Khalil have finals, Jeremy was kidnapped by his mates for his birthday, Lea is spending a few weeks on the coast for her health, Curtis is helping refugees plant a community garden, and Kevin, Robert, and Gwen are being their usual overextended selves.

Corporate Prime, written by Kevin, is a straight drama (no comedy this time) about life after Peak Oil, after the corporations succeed in taking over all aspects of our lives, and after the U.S. loses its place as the imperial superpower. All this takes place in Idaho, starting in New Arco City. Okay, well, it has a tiny bit of humor in it.

Some listeners might be disappointed to learn that there are no characters based on Dirk Kempthorne this time, but if you really are looking for entertainment based on the Bush administration's latest cabinet appointment, we recommend that you listen to Snow Blow Hard: Xmas with a Vengeance or its sequel, Eternal Quest, for a character very much based on the public figure, in a very satirical way, of course, using examples from real life to move the story along. Alas, we can't tell you which are true and which are fiction, but just keep in mind that often life is stranger than fiction.

I will give you a few hints, though. Kempthorne is indeed very much preoccupied about being perceived as an important person. And you can read about his dream to travel the nation by selling burgers from a grease truck in any newspaper. And what politician is complete without their very own scandal? As a testament to his cognitive skills, allow me to quote him on CAFTA: "I support free trade and fair trade." And I have repeatedly spotted Dirk in the seasonal crap section of Fred Meyer staring at clearance holiday items, as if they were cultural artifacts on display in a museum. And he did have a pet highway project that could best be described as "cockamamie."

I could go on and on, but you could just listen to the shows. Just download them! And don't forget about the Kempthrone's Castle skits, either, which are fictitious proclamations that take place on the grounds of the former Simplot mansion.

Bucky Scooped Jim Hightower

2006-04-19T15:05:00.000-06:00

Just heard a report on that infernal NAIS from Jim Hightower (for my report see archived Sagebrush Variety Show #30). Not to brag too much - I was a bit ashamed that the NAIS was publically released in 2005 and I didn't hear about it until February of this year. Also, Mr. Hightower caught something I missed, the fact that big agribusiness operations get "bulk discounts" on tagging fees.

Sagebrush Week of 4/10/06

2006-04-12T07:55:00.000-06:00

We've got another Eye-Opener (there may be only one or two more coming, as the legislative session is about to end); April wrote a rant on the anti-gay marriage amendment in Idaho; Part 3 of The Dolphinarium (the chilling conclusion comes on next week show); Bucky Buckaw further unravels the nefarious secrets and moneydealing behind the avian flu hysteria; an interview with John Barrett, Interim Executive Director of Idaho Smart Growth on transit options in Idaho; and what will no doubt get us some fan/hate mail, a piece by Robert Blurton on composting human excretion. Send us your feedback, good or bad, to sagebrush-at-radioboise.org.

Bucky's April Avian Flu Links

2006-04-03T23:46:00.000-06:00

My latest favorite source for information on sustainability, biodiversity and democracy in agriculture, GRAIN. For a mainstream article on Rumsfeld's Tamiflu fortune CNN Chuck Schumer's heroic efforts to insure no Tamiflu is left unsold in his own words And a piece on the Tamiflu-related run on star anise from National Geographic

2006 Captain Hook Awards

2006-03-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Aar! The recipients of this annual set of awards given to leaders in biopiracy have just been announced! We did our best to deliver them in our best pirate voices. Here's the list:

Worst Threat to Food Sovereignty: Syngenta
Greediest Biopirate: J Craig Venter
Biggest Threat to Genetic Privacy: Google: Indexing Your Genes
Extreme Makeover Award: Delta & Pine Land
Most Shameful Act of Biopiracy: US Government
Worst Déjà Vu: Human Genographic Project
Access of Evil Award: Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Biggest Tiny Claim On Nature: Nanosys, Inc.
Worst Betrayal: Genencor et al.
Most Hypocritical - Joint Winners: University of California-Davis and The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)

Visit the Coalition Against Biopiracy website (link above) for details, matey.

Dolphinarium update

2006-03-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

The second installment of The Dolphinarium will be webcast next week.

The Commercial Empire Strikes Back

2006-03-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

Khalil's rant on why big-box stores sap the local economy applies not only to Wal-Marts, but also any national chain stores, fast-food joints, and shopping centers. Here are the stats:

small retail stores (local) average +$326 per 1000 sq ft
large retail chains average -$468 per 1000 sq ft

fast-food chains average -$5168 per 1000 sq ft
shopping centers average -$314 per 1000 sq ft

These numbers in red are deficits passed onto the local taxpayers, mainly in the form of road building and maintenance and crime-related costs. Never mind all the other dollars lost from not using local vendors and suppliers such as printers and advertisers.

Some links:

Local ownership pays off for communities
As police costs rise, towns reconsider big boxes

Alan Thein Durning Interview

2006-03-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Gwen Sanchirico talked with Alan Durning of the Northwest Environment Watch (NEW) while he was in Idaho for various conferences, talks, and presentations on sustainability and how societies should define progress. They talked about approaching sustainability issues from different angles. NEW takes the ecoregion of Cascadia and evaluates it on seven factors:

pollution
health
economy
population
energy
sprawl
forests

NEW has recently published the Cascadia Scorecard 2005, which finds Boise to be the "most sprawling city in the Northwest." Gee, what a surprise. This is one of our favorite websites, which is packed with compelling information. Durning is the author of several fabulous books, including Stuff: the Secret Life of Everyday Things, on which several Sagebrush segments are based.

Dirk Kempthorne Spotlight

2006-03-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Now that Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne has received so much attention from outside the state after having been nominated as the new Secretary of the Interior, this might be a good time to go back to the Sagebrush archives and listen to Snow Blow Hard (even though it's really an end-of-year type story). See how many similarities there are between the character Duke Bramblevine and the current commentary in the national press. It's fun, and a lot of it is based on reality.

National Animal Identification System (NAIS) Episode

2006-03-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you having trouble taking Bucky Buckaw's word for it that the USDA is competing with the Department of Homeland Security for most intrusive agency in American History go to the USDA site on NAIS and poke around for yourself. Then get the opposition viewpoint and ways to oppose NAIS from the No-NAIS site and, for something specifically geared to us chicken lovers American Bantam Clubs PDF of NAIS Then, just for fun, look at some pictures of Silkie and Auracana breed chickens at Brown Egg Blue Egg and then ask yourself would you want a world where all the chickens were factory issue broilers? I mean deep down they have the same chicken charm as the "exotics" but once you've seen one you've seen them all. Bred for an average life expectancy of 1 year and to break their own legs by the very act of growing up!

Terry Shepard, Friends of the Liberty Tree

2006-03-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

This week's interview is with Terry Shepard, President of Friends of the Liberty Tree. His bill to recognize April 19 as Patriots Day in Idaho was recently passed by the state legislature, and he hopes to have a tree in Capitol Park (across the street form the Idaho capitol) dedicated as a Liberty Tree. To learn more about the project, you can contact Terry at 208-602-2387.

Sagebrush Variety Show on Radio Free Moscow

2006-03-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Radio Free Moscow KRFP (92.5 FM) is trying out Sagebrush Variety Show Monday afternoons, 4-5pm PST. If you live in the area, you can tune in, even in your economy car!

This Week's Sagebrush

2006-03-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

We've got the latest UV-Eye-Opener and a Sagebrush Transit Report, along with some older bits. As of next week, be prepared to 100% all-new material, starting with the conclusion of Eternal Quest. If you're a new listener, you might want to download the podcast containing the entire series (up until the cliffhanger, of course).

Alan Thein Durning in Idaho

2006-03-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

We mentioned that the piece we did on coffee was based on Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things by John C. Ryan and Alan Thein Durning. Thurning will speak at BSU on Friday, March 3 at 7pm in the Student Union Building--and it's free. We highly recommend going.

There will also be a reception with Durning that Idaho Smart Growth is hosting on Saturday, March 4 5:00-6:30 pm at the Idaho Integrated Design Lab at the corner of 6th and Main in Boise. To RSVP for this event ($40) call the ISG office at 333-8066.

Sagebrush will be there, of course, so if you can't make either event, you will get to hear about it on RadioBoise.org!

New segments this week

2006-02-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

We've worked in a few new segments this week:

the Sagebrush Sprawl Monitor #2 - this will be a recurring report on real estate development. This week Kevin Bayhouse gives an update on the Hammer Flat propposed subdivision. Opponents of it can find more information at www.savetheplateau.org.
the Sagebrush Pollution Report #2 - another newly introduced regular segment that looks at Idaho's polluters and reminds listeners of public comment opportunities regarding polluter permit renewals and expansion. Much of this can be found at the DEQ public input site.

Our "vacation" is almost over, and we've been working hard at developing and producing brand-new material. Our new "season" launches the week of March 13.

Additional Webcast Time

2006-02-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

The Sagebrush Variety Show will now be on three times a week on RadioBoise. The new timeslot is Sunday 8pm MST.

Sagebrush Production Update

2006-02-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

We're working on some great new material we will begin webcasting in mid-March, including Corporate Prime, a serial drama taking place in a post-apocalyptic, post-peak oil setting; our Idaho-ified adaptation of The Dolphinarium, a 1995 BBC radio play by Steve Walker; issue collages on shoes, newspapers, and feminism; more interviews; and, of course, the conclusion to Eternal Quest.

Don't forget to read through this blog for background on issues covered in past episodes. If you don't see them on the front page, search for them (at top). Feel free to download our archived shows to catch up on all the programs. If you like what you hear, don't forget to tell your friends about us!

Diane Jones Interview

2006-02-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

We interviewed Diane Jones last autumn and although winter is far from being over, it's time to think about spring and planting again. She runs Draggin' Wing Farm, which specializes in hardy, drought-tolerant perennials. You can find her plants at the Boise Co-Op in season, and again in the spring at the Annual Idaho Native Plant Society Plant Sale. She's also at the downtown Boise's Farmers Market Saturday mornings (also in season). You can also visit her nursery Tuesdays 9am to noon, and 5pm-8pm (in season). She is in the process of establishing demonstration beds to showcase the many varieties of xeric alternatives to lawns. and roses. Draggin' Wing Farm is located on Stinger St off Castle Drive in NW Boise. You can call her at 345-4199, or hardyplants@cableone.net.

News Jumble

2006-02-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

This week's segment, News Jumble, is an experiment using headlines from the week's newspaper headlines in the local paper's business section. We tried to create new stories based on two or three headlines, but because the exercise wasn't obvious, we provided explanations for the fictions. How many storied did you recognize from real life? That's what Sagebrush is all about -- life is often stranger than fiction, and most of the stories you hear in our serial plays and skits are all true. Tell us what you think of this latest format.

Raven Usher Interview

2006-02-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

In a re-broadcast from October, Curtis Pullin interviews ex-Marine Raven Usher, an LGBT activist here in Boise. She is also the editor of Diversity magazine. Raven talks about her transexual transitioning and gives advice for others who may be going through similar issues.

Conscious Consumer: Slave Chocolate

2006-02-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

One of the most bitter ironies is that no matter how despicable most people find the concept of slavery, their infatuation with chocolate usually overrides any ethical impulses. With the largest supplier of chocolate - Cote d'Ivoire (aka Ivory Coast) - being known to have slaves and indentured servants making up the cocoa-harvesting workforce, it's next to impossible to avoid slave chocolate unless one puts a little effort into it. Here are a few links to learn more about the issue and alternatives (fair-trade chocolate):

14 Worst Corporations of 2005

2006-01-10T12:06:00.001-07:00

We think a yearly update of the worst corporate entities is so important to share that we decided to read the list put together by Global Exchange. Listen to show #20 for details, or visit the Global Exchange website to read their full list of the Most Wanted Corporate Human Rights Violators of 2005.

Caterpillar
Chevron
Coca-Cola
Dow Chemical
DynCorp
Ford Motor Company
KBR (Kellogg, Brown and Root): A Subsidiary of Halliburton Corporation
Lockheed Martin
Monsanto
Nestle
Philip Morris USA and Philip Morris International (a.k.a. The Altria Group Inc.)
Pfizer
Suez-Lyonnaise Des Eaux (SLDE)
Wal-Mart

Coffee Piece

2006-01-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

This week we premiered Coffee, the first in a series of experimental pieces on many topics thread together by a theme, in this case, coffee. Let us know what you think!

Coffee is heavily based on Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things by John C. Ryan and Alan Thein Durning (1997). Their website has a bunch of neat and informative resources on product lifecycles and sustainability.

Fascinating overview of the history of coffee

Fair trade coffee is coffee that is traded by bypassing the coffee trader and therefore giving the producer (and buyer) higher profits. Fair Trade does not necessarily mean that the extra money trickles down to the people who harvest the coffee.

Selections from Mamdou Habib’s affadavit on his torture in Egypt and Guantanamo:

Phillip Ruddock, the Australian Attorney General on Habib’s physical condition after release from Guantanamo

Testimonials from Gemima Mukashyaka on Rwandan fair-trade coffee cooperative s

War on Drugs info

In vitro and ex vivo antihydroxyl radical activity of green and roasted coffee. Daglia M, Racchi M, Papetti A, et al. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Mar 24;52(6):1700-4.

Effect of roasting on the antioxidant activity of coffee brews. del Castillo MD, Ames JM, Gordon MH. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Jun 19;50(13):3698-703.

Comparison of the antioxidant activity of commonly consumed polyphenolic beverages (coffee, cocoa, and tea) prepared per cup serving. Richelle M, Tavazzi I, Offord E. J Agric Food Chem. 2001 Jul;49(7):3438-42.

Antioxidative activities of fractions obtained from brewed coffee. Yanagimoto K, Ochi H, Lee KG, Shibamoto T. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Feb 11;52(3):592-6.

Does caffeine intake protect from Alzheimer's disease? Maia L, de Mendonca A. Eur J Neurol. 2002 Jul;9(4):377-82.

Coffee consumption and risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Salazar-Martinez E, Willett WC, Ascherio A, Manson JE, Leitzmann MF, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Jan 6;140(1):I17.

And, finally, yes, you really can get your own civet coffee. We totally missed another bizarre coffe variation, "Weasel Coffee":

"Wild Weasels roam the coffee plantations and eat the ripe coffee beans, but rather than digest them the weasel regurgitates them and vomits them up! Due to the fact the cherries have been in the weasels gastric juices, it seems to dramatically alter the taste of the coffee once brewed."

Sagebrush Song Lyrics Up!

2005-12-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

We've added the lyrics to all the songs produced for Sagebrush to our website.

Erratum

2005-12-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

This week's show credits Lea Wilson for her acting, but the name should be Lea Williams. She plays Vidalia Gleason on Have-It-All Habitat and the Tourist on Snow Blow Hard.

Saving Energy in Winter

2005-12-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

For more money-saving and heat-conserving ideas, visit some the following links: http://www.nstaronline.com/customer_service/energy_efficiency/wintertips.asp http://www.newdream.org/buy/save_energy.php http://facilities.uoregon.edu/cps/energy/myths.html

Lyrics to "Rebel"

2005-12-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

(PJ Dimdeed:) I've done it all to make a buck I've seized and squeezed opportunity It's got nothing to do with luck I'm a piece of work I'm a one-m,an dynasty I'm a legend But really, I'm just a regular sort of guy (Ghost of Holidays past:) You're poisoining the land You must control your greed There's a better way You must confront your life (PJ Dimdeed:) I'm a rebel and I deserve a medal For inventing recycling I feed corpses to my hogs I spread stoxic sludge on crops I got rich by never wasting nothing I'm the badass grandpappy of the green revolution When you thaw your frozen dinner and you plop it on your plate Think of me and tell me ain't I great? It takes a lot of land but I can get that cheap Good soil, now that takes work and time away from profit So I soak my potatoes in a bath of chemicals Just spray lot of chemicals, that's how you grow potatoes. I'm a rebel and I deserve a medal For inventing recycling I feed corpses to my hogs I spread stoxic sludge on crops I got rich by never wasting nothing I'm the badass grandpappy of farm mass production When you thaw your frozen dinner and you plop it on your plate think of me and tell me ain't I great (Ghost of Holidays Past:) PJ, PJ come with me Come with me, Take my hand We're going back, I'll make you see How you came to be, PJ.

Sagebrush Gets a Grant!

2005-12-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

The Sagebrush Variety Show has been awarded a grant from the Green Institute under its Local Governance Program Area. Green Community Projects funds small-scale local Green projects that are determined by the Institute to be innovative and to further Green values and issues. That be us! Thanks to the Green Instutute for the new audio gear we've been able to procure, which will make us mobile and improve our production quality, not to mention reduce the producer's stress level.

Technical Difficulties

2005-12-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

We apologize to our listeners for re-webcasting show 14 on 12/6/05. Show 15, featuring the premiere of Snow Blow Hard: Xmas with a Vengeance, will be played tomorrow, Wednesday 12/7 at 8pm MT. We had a really rough week and an even rougher series of recording sessions with noisy neighbors and uncooperative software. If you missed it, the show will be available for download after Wednesday.