David 2's Brutally Honest Random Thoughts

Post-Show Thoughts - 1/23

2012-01-23T23:53:00.003-05:00

I'm not going to do this for every show, but I thought I'd give a few thoughts about tonight's show.

First, thank you to everyone that tuned in for the first show of 2012, and those that showed up in the chat room. It was great to see previous listeners and even better to see new listeners show up in the chat room.

There was a lot that went on in preparing for this new season. RJ managed to cobble together a brand-new theme song for the show, which I've incorporated into the opening, ending, and each of the commercial breaks of the show. A lot of thanks goes to RJ for doing that, because this is 100% all his creation. He even did the voice-over introduction this time around.

Some elements were still very new and need to be tweaked a little more. The intro to the new "Welcome to the Plunder" segment certainly needs to be tweaked up a bit. We're trying to also get more commercial spots, such public service messages, so we're not recycling the same ones over and over like we've been doing.

In terms of subject matter, I was pleased to see the positive response in the chat room over matters of the economy, especially when it came to the parasitic philosophy of plunder. Believe me, you'll be hearing that term more and more in 2012. Also, some pretty strong views about the GOP contenders.

Well, that was the first show of the year, and if you missed it, don't worry, we'll have the archive up next week. And be sure to check out the rest of the new ShockNet schedule this week as all of our shows will be back on the air at their new or returning times.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 01/23/12 - Show Notes

2012-01-23T13:37:00.000-05:00

Welcome everyone to the NEW SEASON of "Brutally Honest" here on ShockNet Radio!

We're here with a new day, new time, and a whole lot of other new goodies.

What sort of goodies? Well, you'll just have to find out.

So tune in TONIGHT, MONDAY (01/23) - yes, MONDAY - right here on ShockNet Radio at 8pm Eastern (7pm Central and 5pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category!

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

WHEN THE TRUTH IS NOT ENOUGH... IT'S TIME FOR... BRUTALLY HONEST!

Special Holiday Rant

2011-12-23T20:27:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, haven't had a chance to say too much because of all the work I've been doing with other projects (including this one), but I took some time to reflect on a particular issue that's been bugging me this past month.

Hope you enjoy it and hopefully I'll have at least one more before the new season of "Brutally Honest" debuts on ShockNet Radio in January.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Last show for 2011 is now in the archives.

2011-11-22T04:40:00.004-05:00

For those who missed out on the last broadcast of "Brutally Honest" for 2011, you can click HERE to listen to it.

Or if you have subscribed via iTunes, you'll be getting it automatically.

"Brutally Honest on ShockNet" will return on January 23rd 2012 at its NEW day and time: Mondays 8pm ET, 7pm CT.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 11/12/11 - Show Notes

2011-11-12T18:59:00.000-05:00

This is it... the last show of the year for me!

Yes it came up suddenly, but it needs to be done. So here we are.

What am I going to talk about? Well, I'm going to answer how we got here, what sort of state we're in, and what to look out for when I come back on the air in 2012. When will that be? Well that will be a BIG part of the show!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (11/12) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category ONE MORE TIME FOR 2011!!!

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

VERY IMPORTANT Scheduling Notice

2011-11-09T16:15:00.003-05:00

For those who missed this past Saturday's show, you missed out on an important announcement.

This coming Saturday's broadcast (11/12) will be THE LAST SHOW OF THE YEAR for Brutally Honest.

No, we are not being canceled. We've been asked to wrap things up a little earlier than usual because we have all sort of changes in store in the next two months as we get ready for 2012. We're talking new hardware, new software, new promos.

HOWEVER, that does not mean it will be the end of the weekly column, as that will continue at least until the end of November. Nor will it mean the end of the other projects that I've been doing online, including the NEW comic series "The Guardian Powers", which will make its debut around Thanksgiving. And if you haven't seen the trailer for it, click here to see it.

I'll still be pretty busy during this time, even if it's not "on the air".

So PLEASE be sure to tune in this Saturday at 7pm ET, 6pm CT, over at ShockNetRadio.com for BRUTALLY HONEST and find out what I have in store for us for 2012!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 11/05/11 - Show Notes

2011-11-05T18:02:00.000-04:00

The theme for this week's show is "In the Limelight", or out in the public, and I have a few of them to talk about.

First, what lasts 72 days? You'd be surprised how that fits into tonight's discussion.

Then there's the Brutally Honest Archive from 2006. It's about what should be in the public and why.

Finally, there's talk about people that have been OUT in the public for a little over a month, but they're really not the subject of the rant. Rather it's the detractors that I take aim at.

Plus, I have an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT about this show that you really need to hear.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (11/05) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 10/29/11 - Show Notes

2011-10-29T18:14:00.000-04:00

If the cold wind blowing through much of the country isn't any indication, then a quick check of the calendar should let people know that it is the end of October, which means it's HALLOWEEN TIME!

It's time for us to check with the things that go BUMP in the night... the things that make us lose sleep... the things that some of us FEAR.

Join me as we go over three tales of WORST FEARS, including some of the best and one that is brand new! What is it? Why does it make people afraid? Find out!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (10/29) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 10/22/11 - Show Notes

2011-10-22T18:44:00.001-04:00

Tonight I'm going to rag on groups...

First, using the unfair advantage of certain groups in our society.

Second, an archived rant from 2006 about how certain groups deal with an international menace.

And then about an old group conflict and how one is being played by the other.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (10/22) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 10/15/11 - Show Notes

2011-10-15T18:34:00.001-04:00

Tonight's show is really simple... it's about "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!"

But the question is what KIND of "Jobs" are we talking about?

That you'll have to find out!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (10/15) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 10/08/11 - Show Notes

2011-10-08T18:43:00.001-04:00

YES, we're back! It's been a relaxing fall break, but it's time to get back to rambling and ranting, and I've got some stuff to get the ball running.

During the break, my fellow ShockNet personalities had an interesting subject come up that I found myself in the minority on. But rather than limit to to the email discussion, I felt it was worth defending HERE on the show.

Then, I have an archived rant from five years ago that show just how infuriating the GOP were and why the needed to be removed from power.

And THEN, following from that, I have a warning about a "certain group's" arrogance, and it's a warning that I'm really not supposed to advocate. But that doesn't mean I can't warn people about it.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (10/08) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Radio show update and New D2 Rule

2011-09-19T12:06:00.007-04:00

Just wanted to update you guys with the latest about the radio show.

Been talking with RJ, who just got back from a great vaca with his wife. I won't bore you with the details. Then we went right to work talking about the radio shows.

We will be making a schedule change for 2012. Don't worry, I'll make sure you guys know about it when I figure it all out myself. We'll have all-new promos and plugs airing when we get all the details settled down.

One of the things that will also be going away real soon will be the "replays". In other words, if you missed last week's "Rock & Roll Diner", then you missed it, period. Same for "Hard Luck Chuck's Juke Joint" when it returns... thankfully, though, it will be back at an earlier time. Repeats during the normal scheduled time will still go on every so often, but there won't be the "second serving" if you missed out the first time around.

There will be a few more things going on that I can't talk about right now, but it will deal with one of the more nagging questions asked about the ShockNet Radio programs. Sufficient to say, for those that have asked, you'll get what you want, but it won't be AS you want it.

The radio show archive is still down because Ourmedia.org is still down. There is no ETA when it will be fixed. I just hope that iTunes doesn't decide to give up on it like they did the last time around. The previous shows are still in the Internet Archive, but Ourmedia is the engine that makes the links to iTunes possible, so no Ourmedia means no iTunes link. Sorry; I wish I had better news in that regard.

And finally...

New D2 Rule: the people who come up with slash-fanfic need to admit their own sexual preference.

Now I say that as a fiction writer myself... I understand Rule 34 and Rule 35, but just because you CAN create it doesn't mean that you should be poisoning every male friendship into something that you'd have to pay $19.95 a month for and making sure the kids aren't watching over your shoulder. Seriously guys, if you have that on your mind so much so that you have to write about it and share it for the world to see, then maybe there's something about your own lives that you have to be honest about.

Fall Break and Archive News

2011-09-11T09:32:00.003-04:00

All of the ShockNet Radio shows will be taking a few weeks off, including "Brutally Honest", which was the last one to keep going simply because of the special 9/11 anniversary show. ShockNet Radio will continue to play classic rock music in the meanwhile.

"The Rock and Roll Diner" will be back on the air on September 26th. "High Instability" SHOULD be on the air on the 28th, but please check with their Facebook page to make sure. "Brutally Honest" will be back on October 8th.

OH, and even though the radio show will be taking a few weeks off, the weekly column will still continue, as well as my other comic book projects.

One more thing: for those of you who don't bother tuning in on Saturday nights and instead get your radio fill through the archives, I found out a few days ago that Ourmedia, the website that hosts the archives, has been offline due to some technical problems. The archived shows themselves are still online over at the Internet Archive (click on this link to hear them) but I will not be able to upload the new archives until Ourmedia is back online.

I'll keep you guys updated as to when this has been resolved.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 09/10/11 - Show Notes

2011-09-09T22:28:00.001-04:00

This Saturday's show is a very special one for Brutally Honest.

Ten years ago, America was attacked and traumatized. Now, David 2 brings you his thoughts from ten years ago and sees where we are today.

What has happened since the day the nation stood still? Are we truly better as we claim to be? Have we truly moved forward, or are we still stuck on that fateful day in 2001?

If there is one show you hear live instead of waiting until the archives, this is the one!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (09/10) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 09/03/11 - Show Notes

2011-09-03T18:41:00.000-04:00

History... you can either learn from it, or you can be just another lesson.

This is what we'll cover tonight...

... a certain politician's bad timing and fixation on decades gone by.

... an archive rant from 2007 about why conservative talk radio prospers and why liberals just can't connect anymore.

... when promises made fail to be covered over and over again.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (09/03) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

D2 Rule For Shops

2011-09-02T18:33:00.003-04:00

D2 Rule:

If you're not willing to defend the message on a T-shirt in your brick-and-mortar store, then you shouldn't sell it online either.

Read this if you don't know what I'm talking about.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments section.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 08/27/11 - Show Notes

2011-08-27T18:13:00.000-04:00

It's really not funny...

... when an app turns everything into a political crusade against one person.

... when a comedian's satirical comment in 2007 is used as an excuse for goon squad behavior.

... when we start to see the very thing Americans claim to want to see and then certain groups dismiss it out of fear.

So why are they not funny? You'll just have to tune in and find out.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (08/27) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 08/20/11 - Show Notes

2011-08-20T18:53:00.001-04:00

I'm keeping this simple... because I HATE having last-minute changes to stuff here before showtime.

First, Hollywood's on another remake kick, and it's time someone b*tchslap those Hollywood idiots and show them how to do remakes right.

Then it's an archived vent about a certain political party and why they are the miserable FAILURES that they are even today.

Then it's a simple question: who's REALLY your worst enemy? And how did that enemy came to be? You'll be surprised by the answers.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (08/20) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 08/13/11 - Show Notes

2011-08-13T18:48:00.000-04:00

I've got three separate subjects to talk about tonight...

First, can you believe it's back-to-school already? Yes, it shocks me to hear that too. And there are a few issues I want to bring up about it.

Second, it's a look back the need for superheroes.

And then it's a look at some really VILLAINOUS activities. Think you can be callous enough to sell out eight million Americans? You'd be surprised!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (08/13) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Geithner Must Go! RIGHT NOW!

2011-08-08T13:15:00.005-04:00

I'm going to make this as short and simple as possible...

Given recent events concerning the debt and concerning the downgrade of our debt credit rating by Standard & Poors, one thing should become crystal clear by now:

Timothy Geithner has failed as Secretary of the Treasury.

The man that helped to write and implement the Wall Street Bailout of 2008 (otherwise known as the "October Surprise of 2008") has shown that he does not have Main Street's interests at heart. His department, through their actions, have been so focused in appeasing "Too Big To Fail" and the Wall Street Masters of the Universe and using THEIR unrealistic success as the measuring stick for the economy that they could not take the scope of our problems into consideration.

Wall Street is NOT the same as Main Street. And as long as we have people in Washington that cannot differentiate between the two, the misery we are going through WILL GET WORSE.

Someone needs to pay the price for our misery. Someone needs to take the fall for this colossal political fail, and it needs to happen right now. We cannot fire the members of Congress quite yet. We cannot fire President Obama quite yet. But as the GOP quite astutely pointed out a few years back, the people who work for the President do so at the President's pleasure.

Political rumor mills have long said that Geithner was planning on leaving soon anyway. Now is the time for him to do so. Let him fall on his rhetorical sword so the White House can demonstrate they are finally serious about dealing with this problem.

Secretary Geithner, for the good of the nation, RESIGN NOW!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 08/06/11 - Show Notes

2011-08-06T18:56:00.000-04:00

I'm keeping this simple... tonight's theme is LANGUAGE... and how it's being twisted about.

Oh, by the way, if you tune in via ShockNet (instead of iTunes or iPhone), our MARCI playlist program is down, but that doesn't mean the station is. Yes, the people who came up with the program ARE working on it.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (08/06) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/30/11 - Show Notes

2011-07-30T17:17:00.001-04:00

Let's see... what's up for tonight?

Well given the raucous political posturing and people saying "throw the bums out", I though I'd show you why YOU WON'T do it

Then... nope, no archives this week... this week we have a little story about businesses and regulations.

THEN... I follow up with what was discussed on Friday's special AH show concerning the Norway terrorist, and I'm going all-out on this one.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/30) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category for this SPECIAL EXTENDED broadcast.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/23/11 - Show Notes

2011-07-23T10:04:00.000-04:00

Okay folks... tonight's show will be different.

First, it'll be longer than normal. Seventy minutes long. Yes, most shows are barely an hour, but this one is longer than most.

Four years ago, before bringing my show over to ShockNet Radio, I did a four-part series about the failures of our political system. I went over each of the four elements and showed how they have abandoned the American people, and while three of the four elements were pretty much obvious to people, the fourth one took some folks by surprise.

Now, given the continued collapse of our economy, given the continued failure of the Obama Fail, and given the continued INSANITY of the GOP, I thought now was the time to bring that series back from the Brutally Honest Archives and see how they match up to what they are doing today. Unfortunately I couldn't bring back ALL FOUR parts, because then the show would be close to TWO HOURS, but when you find out which part I've had to put aside, I think you would understand why.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/23) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category for this SPECIAL EXTENDED broadcast.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/16/11 - Show Notes

2011-07-16T19:11:00.001-04:00

Sorry guys, I'm not very talkative about tonight's show because I've been a little busy.

In short... Faith, Reason, and JOBS... three things that occupy a lot of airtime.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/16) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/09/11 - Show Notes

2011-07-09T18:37:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty passionate sometimes about issues... tonight I've got some good subject that I'm going to get off on a serious rant about.

First, a little look at Space, and how we've FAILED the "final frontier"... and WHY we've failed it.

Second, an archived rant from 2006 about the manipulative ways a certain political agitator.

Third, a subject I DID NOT want to get involved with, but ended up get sucked into it for different reasons.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/09) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

A July 4th special on FREEDOM

2011-07-04T14:43:00.003-04:00

Happy Fourth of July, America!

For those who missed this past Saturday's radio show, I replayed the Brutally Honest special about freedom and what it really means.

And I thought to myself... why don't I put this into a video? I have three elements, three segments, and three parts all within 15 minutes.

So that's what I did.

So sit back, relax, and hit PLAY as you hear AND SEE the Brutally Honest special about FREEDOM!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/02/11 - Show Notes

2011-06-30T22:37:00.000-04:00

Okay... This weekend IS the July 4th weekend (it falls on a Monday so it still counts).

And what better way to spend the weekend than to talk about what REALLY matters about it?

Barbeques, fireworks, parades, patriotic symbolism? Aw heck NO! We're talking FREEDOM! The very REASON why people are having parades and barbeques and fireworks and symbolism. Right? That's what the hype and rhetoric is all about, right? Well let's go into that.

Yes, it's time for my not-so-oldie-but-goody look at FREEDOM and everything that makes it what it really is.

NOW... even though the show will be a repeat from last year, I WILL be in the chatroom on Saturday night. So if you're new to the show, this is a GREAT place to jump in and also to get my thoughts on the subject as well.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/02) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 06/25/11 - Show Notes

2011-06-25T16:30:00.000-04:00

Riddle me this...

Since when is prayer an acceptable substitute for actual work?

What do underwear-stealing gnomes and a push for democracy have in common?

And what is the difference between a fiction writer and a presidential candidate?

Don't know the answer? Well you can find out as I give the answer on this week's show.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (06/18) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 06/18/11 - Show Notes

2011-06-18T18:04:00.000-04:00

I don't care for the games politicians play. I really don't. I hate them with a passion. But the people in power seem to be fixated on playing them on us.

We got the latest game by the media being played out, we have an old game-player from 2005, and then there's the little subtle game that's getting played by the politicians that defy reality itself.

Personally, I'd rather they just play World of Warcraft... but I guess that's asking too much, isn't it?

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 06/11/11 - Show Notes

2011-06-11T18:49:00.000-04:00

I don't have too much time right now, so I'll just say that tonight's show is about people doing STUPID things.

Some people are members of Congress, others are so-called "celebrities", and others are just ordinary people that do things that get us PO'd. I'll have an archive rant about some of those things, AND I'll even offer some actual alternatives to the stupid going on.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (06/11) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 06/04/11 - Show Notes

2011-06-04T17:57:00.000-04:00

YES! I'm back! I'm here! I'm ready to go! I wasn't raptured away!

So let's get to it...

Does PR0N viewing lead to divorce? Someone in HuffPo asked and then failed to address it properly... so guess what I'M going to do?

Then, remember when the promise was about jobs, jobs, jobs? And then it became Planned Parenthood and unions and scrapping government programs? Well this isn't the first time we got hit with this bait-and-switch! You'll hear what I mean in the Archive rant.

Then it's the subject I WANTED to discuss on the 21st but couldn't. What is it? You'll just have to tune in and find out!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (06/04) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Enjoy the Memorial Day weekend

2011-05-28T10:05:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to wish all the Brutally Honest readers, listeners, and supporters a joyful Memorial Day weekend.

There won't be a show this weekend, but our normal ShockNet schedule will resume next week.

Oh, and for those who read my comic series... I'll have an update on Issue #25's release shortly! This one is BIG!

And I've even managed to finish Monday's column, which will be ready to go bright and early Monday morning!

So try to enjoy the weather... watch out for those tornadoes... and I know gas prices have gone down a bit, but if you really don't have to go anywhere, then don't. Make this weekend a staycation, okay?

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - No shows until June

2011-05-21T07:50:00.003-04:00

Hey guys,

Sorry, but I've been under the weather for the past 2 days, so it has been extremely difficult to work on anything related to my show, as much as I wanted to. So I've had to cancel tonight's show.

And NO it's NOT because of the supposed "Rapture" that takes place later today.

Also there won't be a show next week because we're all taking Memorial Weekend off, so we'll be back in June. There will still be a weekly column though, so please check in Monday for the latest on that.

Sorry guys... really wanted to go into that break with a bang instead of a whimper, but like the Stones say... "you always can't get what you want".

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 05/14/11 - Show Notes

2011-05-14T18:45:00.001-04:00

"So what are you... Man or Superman?"

Know who said that? Well it was Lana Lang in the CW's Smallville. I'll be covering that a little bit, but that really covers some of the subject matter tonight.

But there's also something else that happens around this time of the year. You can guess what it is, but if not, just tune in... and bear with me too because this one WILL go over the one-hour mark.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (05/14) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 05/07/11 - Show Notes

2011-05-07T18:47:00.001-04:00

I got three subjects tonight...

First, you KNOW I've got to be talking about OBL being dead. Good news? Sure, but not for everyone.

Next, a Brutally Honest Archive from five years ago about the sordid lot we have in politics.

Then I go after something that Keith Olbermann (from MSNBC and soon to be on Current TV) said recently on his website about "Lotto Nation". What is it and how crazy is it? You'll have to find out.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (05/07) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Breaking News - Bin Laden is DEAD

2011-05-02T05:47:00.003-04:00

This is not a trick. This is not a hoax.

Osama bin Laden IS DEAD!

And WE GOT HIM!

For once the Obama Fail did something that the Bush Imperium couldn't even do!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 04/30/11 - Show Notes

2011-04-30T18:12:00.000-04:00

Tonight I have some serious discussions about the pains at the pump.

Well, for starters I'll have another kind of pain to discuss, but that's just human stupidity. The MAIN pain will be something that we ALL have to deal with right now, and it's NOT at a good time to happen. In fact it's something that's been going on for a LONG WHILE now, and it's only just reared its ugly head these past few weeks after taking a few years break. And it's only a matter of time before the mis-directions start up, along with that email hoax about a 1-day "gas out" that seems to continually show up with the rising prices. But if you're REALLY mad about this stuff, you'll WANT to pay attention to what I have to say on the subject, because the REAL culprits of our misery know how this game is played, and they don't want you to know that you're getting played.

And for once in a long time, I'm not being rushed to get this in on time! That in and of itself is a relief for me!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (04/30) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 04/23/11 - Show Notes

2011-04-23T18:56:00.001-04:00

Don't have too much time here... once again I'm pushing the limits... but tonight's show is about CONSEQUENCES.

What sort of consequences? Well you'll have to tune in to find out!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (04/23) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 04/16/11 - Show Notes

2011-04-16T13:55:00.001-04:00

For those who did not know... NO there wasn't a show last week because we all too the week off over at ShockNet Radio. I still had my column, but all of the programs had the week off to relax and recoup and recharge their batteries. Or at least that was the idea. In my case it was running around doing errands, working on my comic series, and getting very frustrated at things not working like they are supposed to. I also needed to get a new monitor for the soundboard computer after the one I've been using finally gave up the ghost. It was a nice little 14" monitor whose time apparently came and went, and I ended up getting a widescreen monitor for half the price of its replacement.

Anyway, because there was no show last week, there won't be an archive show this coming Monday. Those of you that subscribe via iTunes should keep that in mind. Also I apologize for the weird upload of the archive. Once again Ourmedia and the Internet Archive screwed up, and I wish I could find a way to fix it on the spot, but the way things are right now we're stuck with it.

Now that we've caught up, now it's time for THIS week's show, and unless you're a new listener to the radio show, then you can pretty much guess what tonight's main subject is...

TAXES!

Yes, with the federal Tax Day this coming Monday, it is time to once again go over our convoluted tax system and WHY it is as messed up as it is, WHY we can't seem to fix it, and how SHOULD we fix it. That's a lot of stuff to talk about, but thankfully I have a WHOLE HOUR to discuss it. The real challenge, then, is will you be willing to hear what needs to be done and then be able to support it?

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (04/16) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show to discuss the subject LIVE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 04/02/11 - Show Notes

2011-04-02T11:52:00.000-04:00

This week's show is a very special one for Brutally Honest fans. This weekend marks the FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY for us here in the Command Center!

FIFTEEN YEARS!

Okay, some of you are thinking "Wait, how can David 2 talk about being on the air for fifteen years when his show has only been on the digital airwaves for three?"

Well, this radio show has only been on the air since 2008, but I've been doing online commentary for FIFTEEN YEARS NOW, and THAT is what we're here to celebrate!

Fifteen years of online commentary, both on web pages and digital audio. Fifteen years of exposing the lies and hypocrisies of the politicians, pundits, preachers, and media pontificators. Fifteen years of laying out the issues in a way that people can comprehend. This is the ULTIMATE in "Brutally Honest Archives", where we look back at those fifteen years to see where we were and compare that with where we are now and where we are headed.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (04/02) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

AHN - Conservatives protest new display

2011-04-01T10:01:00.000-04:00

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 03/26/11 - Show Notes

2011-03-26T18:37:00.000-04:00

Tonight's show may seem a bit depressing... at least at first. Blame it on the weather... and the media as well.

I mean there's talk about doom and gloom and "End Times" prophecies and people thinking that we're heading there faster than Charlie Sheen on Tiger Blood... but there's more to it than just doom and gloom, and I'll explain why I think some of the talk is laziness and why CERTAIN "doomsday" ideas are allowed while others aren't.

Then I'll go over the idea of villains. Bad guys. Nasty people who do nothing but ill. Why do they seem like cheap cartoon characters? Well there's a REASON for that as well.

(Cripes, you'd think with my fascination with justice and villains that I was working on a comic book or something... hint-hint...)

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (03/26) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 03/19/11 - Show Notes

2011-03-19T18:28:00.000-04:00

Tonight's show is very TAXING for me to do.

Well, TAXING is the subject of the first segment, but it wasn't just that. The third segment is something that's been in the news off-and-on of late, especially this past week thanks to a certain viral video. You can probably guess which video I'm talking about, but I have a very personal stake in this subject. Those who know me from "way back when" will know what this is. The rest of you will just have to figure out when I get to that part of the show.

Oh, and I have an archive rant from 2006 about a certain group of people that are sort of responsible for me doing all of this stuff for fifteen years now.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (03/19) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 03/12/11 - Show Notes

2011-03-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

WOW! I'm actually surprised this week that I have so much to talk about.

Let's see...

* Giving something up for Lent

* A story about "wrong turn signal" people

* A quick discussion about the NFL lockout

* Five words that certain people have a problem with (which ones? You'll find out!)

Just think, NO ARCHIVE this week! Everything topical and current this week. What a switch, huh? Been a while since I've been able to do that.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (03/12) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 03/05/11 - Show Notes

2011-03-05T18:43:00.001-05:00

Hey guys... little rushed to get this out, so I'm just going to list what's up for tonight...

* A review of "Kingdom Coming"

* A Brutally Honest Archive rant from 2006 that sets up the Supreme Court decision that was issued this past week

* The BS going on in Wisconsin and why a lot of this is BS!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (03/05) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 02/26/11 - Show Notes

2011-02-26T18:50:00.001-05:00

Tonight we're going to talk about the stuff that's happening "OVER THERE", and its connection to the stuff happening "OVER HERE".

Yes, the two things ARE related, and the cons and neo-cons DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT!

HOW are they connected? You'll just have to find out.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (2/26) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 02/19/11 - Show Notes

2011-02-19T17:58:00.001-05:00

Okay, what do Bieber fans, Neo-Cons, and two overhyped events have in common? You'll be shocked!

No, seriously. They DO have something in common. And you'll find out in tonight's program!

There will be more to talk about, but I think that's enough of a teaser as is to get your attention.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (2/19) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 02/12/11 - Show Notes

2011-02-12T15:27:00.001-05:00

Wow... it's the weekend before Valentine's Day and you have to ask... "Where is the LOVE?"

Well, sorry, you won't find too much of it on tonight's show. But, hey, it's not my fault! Really, it isn't!

For starters, I have a little thing about a certain "Magic Trick" that I need to dispel. Then I have some thoughts about Egypt and what's going on there, I mean you know I'd have something to say about that situation. THEN there's a poll question that got me fired up about something normally very beautiful. THEN I want to take a trip down memory lane, but it's NOT about the Brutally Honest Archive. It's about something that goes back even LONGER than the archives. Something that we used to treasure, and we really need to take stock in again.

Yeah, no Archived Rant this week! Just NEW rants!

PLUS some listener mail! I actually have feedback I want to share with you, along with a certain update that some of you may be wondering about. What is it? You'll just have to listen to find out.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (2/12) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 02/05/11 - Show Notes

2011-02-05T18:33:00.000-05:00

There are lines that get crossed, lines that get blurred, and lines that get ignored.

Tonight's show deals with two different kinds of lines. The first deals with the economy and a certain kind of business that doesn't operate under the same rules as expected. What business is this? It's something you take for granted.

Then we go back in time five years to show you a Brutally Honest subject about politics that unfortunately is being carried out today.

Then we pick up on a subject that we left off a few weeks ago. Remember when I said that a certain topic would require me to dedicate a whole segment to discuss? Well it's HERE.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (2/05) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 01/29/11 - Show Notes

2011-01-29T18:39:00.000-05:00

Ah the "State of the Union" speech...

What diction! What FICTION!

"Huh?" you ask.

Yes, what FICTION! Well, I'll explain on the air.

I'll also have another great archived rant that should make you pause. And then I want you to consider the two most DANGEROUS words in any society. Know what they are? You'll find out, and also find out how they apply to a little tale wrongly applied to Aesop's Fables.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (1/29) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 01/22/11 - Show Notes

2011-01-22T18:49:00.000-05:00

"Be careful what you wish for..."

I think that best describes the theme for tonight's show. I'll be starting out with the one word that you'll hear more times in your life. Then I'll have an archived rant from 2007 about change, and who would REALLY be opposed to it. And then I'll be answering the question that SOME people have been asking me about a certain cable news channel. You can probably guess which one, but are you ready to hear the reasons WHY? Are you REALLY ready to hear it? I guess you're going to have to find out for yourself.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (1/22) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 01/15/11 - Show Notes

2011-01-15T18:34:00.000-05:00

Well here it is, 2011! And once again I'm busting my butt to get this show out to you. You'd think that I'd have five weeks of time to do this, but as always, it just creeped on by.

So... what's on tap tonight? Well it's the start of the new year, so I figured I'd let some of my new listeners in on what this show is about... and it's a good thing too, because the segments after that will deal with tragedy and blame, and I'm NOT in a good mood when it comes to one of those things. (You can probably guess which one.)

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (1/15) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... and it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

SyFy Syucks

2011-01-02T11:07:00.002-05:00

Let's see how many ways we can trash the abomination that used to be called the SciFi Channel...

And they all start with their catchphrase... "SyFy: Imagine Greater".

SyFy: Imagine Greater... but expect far less.

SyFy: Imagine Greater... just not on our budget.

SyFy: Imagine Greater... as long as it's being performed by professional wrestlers from the WWE.

SyFy: Imagine Greater... now imagine it in a bikini... with palm trees... and she's handing you a beer...

SyFy: Imagine Greater... as long as "Greater" is defined as being in Europe.

SyFy: Imagine Greater... imagine how "Greater" it would be if we actually put as much effort into giving you better quality movies as we did in paying for our campaign to tell you how "Greater" we want you to "Imagine" us to be.

SyFy: Imagine Greater... but in the meantime here's another "Twilight Zone Marathon".

SyFy: Imagine Greater... in 13-week cycles that show up once every two years.

SyFy: Imagine Greater... because the BBC told us to stop pestering them for more "Doctor Who" episodes.

SyFy: Imagine Greater... as long as the good parts are all censored and covered with mosaic bubbles.

SyFy: Imagine Greater... because if you don't we'll have to resort to having everything done in 3-D with the stupid glasses!

SyFy: Imagine Greater... because we need you to forget about those episodes of "Star Trek", "Firefly", and "Dark Shadows".

SyFy: Imagine Greater... because we ran out of stuff to imagine about.

Seasonal Thanks and Thoughts

2010-12-28T15:49:00.002-05:00

This is the first time since doing my last show of the year that I could get in a few thoughts.

First of all, I want to apologize for not giving you enough notice about the special live broadcast. This was something that we had in the works for a couple of weeks, but we could not say with any certainty that this WAS something we could do. RJ and his wife did everything in their power to make this happen, but they couldn't say with certainty that it WOULD happen until two days before flight time. Believe me, if we knew with certainty that this was going to happen I would have given you guys plenty of notice and would have been advertising it to the hilt that it was going to happen.

To that end, I had two different formats in mind for my last show of the year. The first format was the same kind of show I did last year, which was my final rant on politics, followed by some archived holiday specials, and then my special thanks before calling it a year. The second format was pretty much what you heard on the air, although I also didn't have a guest in mind either until the night of the Friday special. You can thank RJ for arranging Chuck's guest appearance.

Clearly doing a live show isn't the same as a pre-recorded one, and, um, it, um, showed... If, um, it seems... um... if it seems, um, like I did a lot of... um... you know... that's because that part was all ad-libbing.

But the first segment of the show... the rant on politics... was something that really shocked both RJ and Chuck. Neither of them have really heard my show, and especially concerning the subject matter, so when I really went off on a rant, they were impressed.

So first and foremost I do want to thank RJ and his wife for not only making the arrangements for me to fly out to Oklahoma City, but also for giving me the forum for the show and recognizing the talent that goes with the show.

Second, thanks to Dr. Charles A. Doswell III (aka 2BuckChuck) for agreeing to be my guest at the last minute. I hope everyone tunes in come January for his first-ever late-night blues show called "Hard Luck Chuck's Juke Joint" as well the (returning) regular weather-related "High Instability" show.

I also want to thank Carrie Kube (aka Yaoi-Huntress Earth) for all of her feedback over the past year. I wish I could have been able to read all of the feedback she's sent me, but I just didn't have the time to do that. I had to keep an eye on the clock, and I actually had to pare down the second commercial break because of the time spent in that segment.

If you missed out on the show... first, you suck... second, PLEASE listen to the archive, because it explains the rationality for the new "nickname" for the White House under Barack Obama's tenure. This will be the new reference for the White House from this point on.

A few other subjects have popped up since my last show, and since I may not have the time to discuss them, I'll give a few thoughts on them now.

DATA Repealed: This was a surprise move by the Dems, and one that the GOP didn't consider. I don't have a stake on this subject, other than it being a matter of freedom, but I'm curious that with all of the fear rhetoric about "openly gay and lesbian" soldiers, I was wondering if they can point to one off-hand if they can't identify themselves as one beyond their military attire. Go ahead Field Marshall Torquemada; go ferret out an "openly gay or lesbian" soldier in the platoon just on sight alone! I DARE YOU! By the way, isn't an "openly straight" soldier equally frowned upon?

Wow... next thing you know, you'll try to convince me that there aren't foxhole atheists... oh, wait, have I introduced you to RJ Evans? Or how about Ernesto Haibi? Boy those assumptions of yours are just making total ASSES out of you neo-cons, huh?

9/11 Responders Aid: Another surprise deal, especially after a certain Senator from Oklahoma practically vowed to kill it by any means necessary. It is absolutely disgusting that the SAME PEOPLE who in 2003 and 2004 stood on the floor of the Senate and said that 9/11 Responders deserve all the help they can get for their acts of heroism, then turned around in 2010 and went back on their word. THEY ARE SCUM! And they KNOW it!

Tax Cuts for Unemployment Aid: I had a feeling the neo-cons were going to relent on the unemployment aid, but I have to call BS on the terms. $300 BILLION in tax cuts for TWO YEARS, but they want to haggle over ONE PERCENT of that number for unemployment benefits for ONE YEAR? ONE!?! By the way, you Neo-Con ass-clowns, since you sold this idea on the PROMISE that the tax cuts would "create jobs", it's now on YOUR HEADS TO CREATE THEM! Oh, and see this neat little sharp object? I got it from Damocles. Guess where it's going to be displayed? (Here's a hint: don't look up.)

Finally... January's schedule. ShockNet Radio is going to be down a few days as we get brand new equipment in. When I was in OKC, the tentative date for this equipment was pushed back to the end of January, but now I've found out that it actually showed up EARLY. As in, as of this blog post. That means that ShockNet Radio's returning schedule is back on track.

January 14th: American Heathen® with RJ Evans, David 2, John Mill, 2 Buck Chuck, and Linda D.

January 15th: Brutally Honest with David 2

January 17th: Brutally Honest Column for 2011
January 17th: Rock and Roll Diner with C.A. Wood and RJ Evans

January 19th: High Instability with Gene Rhoden and Dr. Charles A. Doswell III (aka "2 Buck Chuck")

January 21st: Hard-Luck Chuck's Juke Joint with 2 Buck Chuck (an hour after AH)

So there you have it! Oh, and I'm also working hard on promos for 2011, PLUS my work with "Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight" #20 (which will be released January 3rd), and a special "City of Comics Creator Compendium" #6. So I'm certainly NOT taking it easy this holiday season!

WHEW! Okay, back to work... lots to do and Father Time is NOT on my side here!

Seasonal LIES

2010-12-18T08:17:00.004-05:00

With the HOLIDAY (F.O.A.D. O'REILLY) Season in full swing, now is the time we start to get barraged with emails from "well-intentioned" friends and family members.

Some of these emails will be cute little cheesy messages offering well-wishes. Others will be smarky stories about the season. Still more will interject pseudo-patriotic guilt, reminding people that we have soldiers in harm's way, oh, and bad guys still want to do harm (never mind that the REALLY bad guys are the ones inside the United States who dream up ways to keep us afraid and get itty-bitty Yule logs in their pants when they can get us to tremble).

But then we have the ones that send seasonal LIES. The continual retelling of history that is more fiction than fact.

And to combat the LIES, I turn to a group that spend its time doing what CERTAIN news groups (*coughFOX*) fail to do, namely fact-check! (Hey Rupert: your employees find any more breaking news stories from THE ONION?) That fact-checking group is SNOPES.

So the next time someone you know forwards some "seasonal secrets" about the HOLIDAY (F.O.A.D. Neo-Cons!) season, just direct your browser to this address...

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/christmas.asp

And YOU find out if it's the truth or just another Neo-Con fantasy.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 12/11/10 - Show Notes

2010-12-07T23:19:00.001-05:00

Normally I don't post the show notes this early, but I really won't be able to post the notes AFTER I record the show, because I won't be PRE-recording my last show of 2010.

This Saturday, December 11th, the FINAL show of the year...

WILL BE LIVE!

Yes, this Saturday's broadcast will be coming to you LIVE from Studio B in ShockNet Studios in Norman, Oklahoma! That means I will have RJ not only as my producer, but also as my wingman. It also means we WILL have phone lines!

The toll-free number: 866-400-6684 - but remember, it will only be on when I announce it, not before.

So... what's on tap for this Saturday? Well it's the end of the year, so I will have some final thoughts on the state of where we are at, and given the news this past week, you can imagine it won't be nice. I'll also have some reflections on the HOLIDAY season, and especially on the attitudes of late. I've been going over some of the previous articles I've done over the years and there were quite a few things that I'll be bringing up about those sentiments.

Also, you know at the end of the show when I say that the best feedback that I get will be read on the air? Well this coming Saturday, I WILL be reading some of them!

Whew! LOT of stuff. But I think with RJ as my producer and wingman I should keep the party going right up to the end.

So tune in one more time THIS SATURDAY (12/11) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show! I won't be able to be as chatty as I usually am in there, but I'm sure you can understand why.

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... IT IS LIVE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 12/04/10 - Show Notes

2010-12-04T19:34:00.002-05:00

Sorry folks, I really don't have time to do notes this week. It's been a long day for me and I've been pressed to get the show done.

BUT I do have something brewing right now that I need for you to keep checking the blog site for updates concerning this coming weekend.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 11/27/10 - Show Notes

2010-11-27T13:56:00.001-05:00

Hope you haven't overdosed on Tryptophan yet. We still have a show to go through!

First we have a little advisory from the not-so-far future concerning YOUR travel arrangements.

Then we have a blast from the Brutally Honest past concerning the season and what has become a seasonal thing.

And then we talk about RECENT travel arrangements and something that was supposed to happen and pretty much didn't. What is it and why did it fail? And what could have been done differently? You'll find out. And if you think it's no big deal, then you haven't been to the airport lately.

So load up on leftovers, get your antacids, and tune in THIS SATURDAY (11/27) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 11/20/10 - Show Notes

2010-11-20T17:54:00.000-05:00

Sooooo... my birthday is this Sunday.

What do I want? Well it's not hard to figure that out.

Unfortunately what I want for my birthday is over in California having fun with a bunch of dudes with the last name of Hefner.

But you can still wish me a happy birthday by listening to tonight's show. I'm pretty talkative this week. I don't even default over to the archives!

First, some distractions... then a little rant about the lack of justice... and then it's story time about a big billboard and what it spells out. It's not going to be nice, but you'll know what it is soon enough!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (11/20) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 11/13/10 - Show Notes

2010-11-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

Post-Election, Pre-Holidays... yup, it's time for a little public introspection.

WE ARE getting close to the end of the year hiatus... which this year should be the weekend of December 11th. Plenty of things to look back on, and some of them a bit unpleasant.

For instance, I have an update on last week's rant concerning MSNBC's Keith Olbermann. I have a challenge for the so-called "deficit hawks" that needs to be repeated. I have a look at the worst possible kind of torment from the Brutally Honest Archives. And then I have the story of a salesman and of a sales tactic that you probably HAVE heard being used someplace else. It'll all make sense when you hear it.

PLUS... during the breaks you'll hear a new seasonal promo. If you like it, PLEASE sound off about it! I'd like to have it a part of the normal ShockNet Radio rotation from now until January.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (11/13) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 11/06/10 - Show Notes

2010-11-06T18:37:00.000-04:00

Sorry, but I have to be quick again...

My thoughts about the mid-term election... a Brutally Honest rant from four years ago (for those of you who don't remember what happened the last time around)... and my thoughts on something that hit the news just last night.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (11/06) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 10/30/10 - Show Notes

2010-10-30T18:45:00.000-04:00

Sorry, but I have to be quick and say that some of this stuff WILL surprise you!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (10/30) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 10/23/10 - Show Notes

2010-10-23T18:15:00.000-04:00

Sorry folks, but this show is going to be a little short, not to mention a little softer than last week.

Oh I still have a few zingers for ya... including NPR, Juan Williams, Bill-O-Fraud, and the answer to a question that I was asked the other week...

But it it seems shorter than normal, and if it sounds like my voice goes soft, sorry. It's just been a really long week for me.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (10/23) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

The sprit of a hero

2010-10-17T13:17:00.004-04:00

Normally this would be reserved for the "Battlerock X Chronicles", but since we're talking DC and not NCSoft, I figured this would be better.

"Smallville: Homecoming", which aired this past Friday on the CW network, was the show's 200th episode. As such it had some of the biggest pieces to it, including a look at the past, the return of Brainiac (now Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Superheroes), Clark seeing how his adopted father died, finding out what the "darkness" is that is corrupting him (besides bad writers and stubborn producers), and a look at the future, where Clark and Lois are married, and Clark sees his future self... both as "nerdy reporter" and as Superman.

But this scene was one of the best. It's Oliver Queen, fresh from his big reveal as being Green Arrow, being grilled by the media and suddenly turning it into his advantage after seeing Clark supporting him. This is the spirit of a hero.

I've long since had issues with the show's lack of direction, their endless refusal to put Clark in the tights and cape, and their refusal to have him fly. Clark may have been more Slackerman than Superman, but it's refreshing to finally get a hint that the writers still know what the ultimate goal is with the character.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 10/16/10 - Show Notes

2010-10-16T16:39:00.000-04:00

Did you miss me?

Ok, I know I didn't exactly hype my return as much as I should, but it's been a pretty hectic time for me and my return sort of came up quickly for me.

Anyway, now that I AM back on ShockNet Radio, I have a few things that I need to discuss... such as some helpful tips on how to deal with talk radio hosts... and about a certain political catchphrase that really got me fired up. Oh, and while I was at it, I had an old political rant that I decided to bring back up too. What is it? Well, you'll just have to listen in and find out.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (10/16) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

My Challenge To CNN

2010-10-01T19:56:00.003-04:00

Okay, I have two messages really quick...

First, to Rick Sanchez, now FORMERLY of CNN... welcome to struggling Americans. A quick word of advice... next time you start in on a nutcase rant about who owns what in this country, be very careful you don't lump in the people who sign your paychecks. Oh, and good luck getting another job after that very public comment now that it's gone viral.

Second, to CNN... I suppose now you're looking for a late-afternoon host. Well I have a challenge for you:

HIRE ME!

Why waste your time with either a liberal or conservative media personality when you can get someone who is a little more attune to the rest of America? Someone who has a better understanding of the problems in this nation?

You want a blogger? I am one. You want someone familiar with broadcasting? I've been doing online radio off-and-on for the past decade. You want someone who can cut through the BS and get to the meat of the matter? I'm that person.

So go ahead CNN... I DARE you to be different! I DARE you to try something different! I CHALLENGE you to not play the same games as the other cable news channels and instead take the path not followed! Now is the time to be different.

Good Riddance Rahm

2010-10-01T10:39:00.006-04:00

So the good news is that Rahm Emanuel, the so-called "bulldog" Chief of Staff, is leaving the Obama Administration to pursue his lifelong dream of being the Mayor of Chicago.

Goodbye Rahm. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Unfortunately this move should have happened about a year ago.

This is what I really despise about politics... the people in power are able to actually dictate WHEN they will leave and under what conditions. And Rahm's departure is certainly no exception.

Rahm is leaving after the damage has pretty much already been done to the Obama Administration. In fact, you could pretty much follow the growing failure of the Obama Administration all the way back to the moment he was tapped to be Chief of Staff.

Rahm pretty much set the tone for the White House, and that one was one of appeasement, compromise, and keep the status quo going at all costs. Fix the economy? Just pass a bill and then move on. Fix healthcare? Just pass a bill by any means necessary and move on. Fix the financial sector? Ditto.

His departure comes as Obama's so-called "financial experts" are also abandoning ship. These are the same people that kept the status quo going. Don't make waves, don't rock the boat, don't ruin a good thing... all of which would be sound advice FIFTEEN YEARS AGO! But certainly not now. Not when the economy is still sinking and millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Status quo today means the continual economic DEATH SPIRAL of this nation!

Damage done, country in ruins, mission accomplished.

So I know I'm a little premature about this, but good-bye Rahm, you "F-n R-tard". Take your "experts" with you, and I hope that you LOSE in your bid to become Mayor of Chicago so you can know what it's like for the rest of us to go on in this world.

Radio Show Updates

2010-09-24T16:48:00.003-04:00

Okay folks... you've probably noticed that it's the end of September and I'm not talking about the return of either American Heathen or Brutally Honest to ShockNet Radio.

Well initially both shows have been on hiatus because RJ was enjoying himself in Mouseworld. And the original plan was to come back at the last weekend of September.

Unfortunately there have been a few other things that have popped up while he was away that I cannot avoid at this point. I cannot go into detail with them, but sufficient to say technical problems are preventing me from going through with the radio shows for at least a few more weeks. Yes, I've been talking with RJ about this, and while it is frustrating for us both, I really have no choice in the matter.

So the INITIAL estimate is that AH and BH will be on hiatus until at least mid-October. This is subject to change, so please keep checking in here for updates when they are available. And also check out our pages on Facebook.

In the meantime, please continue to tune in with ShockNet Radio as the "Rock & Roll Diner" is back on the air, and of course we still have plenty of great classic rock music to enjoy. And the weekly columns are still going on as well as the other projects that I'm working with. So it's not like I've completely fallen off the face of the earth.

Again, I'm sorry we have to do this. As I am continually told over and over and over again... "this to shall pass"... I just wish it wasn't like a kidney stone wrapped in acid-tipped barbed wire.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 08/28/10 - Show Notes

2010-08-28T17:02:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is going to come as a big shock to some people, but I'm going to be going on hiatus for a few weeks.

Sorry folks, this pretty much snuck up on me. RJ and his wife will be away from the studio which means nobody will be there if the computers go down. So rather than risk doing the work and not having a show, I'm going to just take a break and be back around the end of September.

BUT that means I still have one more show to do before then and that means I'm going to go into the break STRONG! I am calling out the conservatives and neo-conservatives on their biggest LIES concerning the business world and jobs and politics in general. I'm also going to be talking about the biggest delusion of them all... the ones that you'll hear in email junk passed by your friends and regurgitated in talk radio.

This is the show that you SHOULD be listening to! If you've never listened to my show before, THIS is the one you need to!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (08/28) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 08/21/10 - Show Notes

2010-08-21T16:19:00.000-04:00

I finally found figured it out, boys and girls... the thing that kings, gods, and demigods have sought after...

I finally figured out... JACK KIRBY'S ANTI-LIFE EQUATION!

The problem is that I don't know how to make it work for me, but at least I'll be willing to share it with you on this week's show! Well, hopefully there will still be a world around once I reveal the equation.

There are a few other things that I'll be talking about too... such as the update on a certain commercial that insults human intelligence... offensive words... and an archive rant from 2007 that really show just how far we HAVEN'T progressed.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (08/21) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

Oh, and if you hear hoards of people chanting "Anti-Life justifies my hate"... shut down your computer and HIDE!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 08/14/10 - Show Notes

2010-08-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm back on the air... in case you didn't hear me on AH last night... and I have quite a bit to say. For starters, what happened that caused me to take a week off. That's important. Then it's all-business... as in the economy.

Then there's a Brutally Honest archive rant from 2007 that might get a few people annoyed...

And then I give a name for my pain. What is it and why should it matter? Well you'll just have to tune in tonight to find out.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (08/14) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I'll be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 08/07/10 - Show Notes

2010-08-04T16:13:00.002-04:00

For those who do not know, I lost my best friend of sixteen years this past Saturday. He's been on the air a few times, even if I never introduced him. Anytime that you would hear a soft "meow", that was him.

Anyway, with all that has been going on here, I really cannot get a show going this weekend. So I'm going to play a "best of" for you. Which one? You'll just have to tune in and find out.

I really need things to get a whole lot better really soon. Really, REALLY soon! (Oh, and Facebook folks, PLEASE do not ask where the "dislike" button is, because I'm not happy about this as any of you are.)

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (08/07) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category to hear which "best of" makes it on the air.

And while normally I have the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show, it won't be online this week because it'll be a repeat.

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/31/10 - Show Notes

2010-07-31T09:47:00.001-04:00

Sorry folks, but I have a lot on my mind today... so I'll make this short and sweet.

There's a TV show that sucks... and I mean REALLY sucks, and you'll find out why it sucks.

Then there's a rant from 2006 about a certain kind of fatalistic mindset that has been sinking on.

And then I REALLY go off on something concerning the economy that actually has roots almost fifty years ago.

What is it? And what could REALLY get me set off? You'll just have to tune in and find out!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/31) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I have the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show, so feel free to join in the discussions.

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/24/10 - Show Notes

2010-07-24T13:25:00.001-04:00

For once, I FINALLY have something to be happy about!

No, it's nothing about the big issues. It's really a small issue.

You see, when I do this show, I have a few dozen programs running, and one of them is the old staple for Brutally Honest... RealPlayer. Even though I've switched things over to MP3 format, I STILL use RealPlayer for their automatic playlist creation, which I haven't been able to duplicate on Windows Media Player or any other free player I could get my hands on. The problem is that for the past few versions, RealPlayer's playing capacity was CRAP! It could create playlists, but when it tried to play them, the player would skip like it was an old record player. This only applied to RealPlayer, though, NOT to WMP or any other media player. And of course RealPlayer developers are in full denial of the problem. They want to blame it on the hard drive or the files themselves.

So for the past year or so, I've had to keep a watchful eye on my playlists that run on RealPlayer, and often having to replay and edit out the skips. And it's a REAL pain in the butt to do that.

But now I have a workaround. I create the automatic playlist in RealPlayer, I convert the whole list to MP3 format in specific folders, and then set up those playlists in WMP and play them there. No skips. No hassles.

It's just a pity I couldn't make the subject of this week's program hassle-free.

What are they? You'll just have to tune in and find out!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/24) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I have the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show, so feel free to join in the discussions.

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/17/10 - Show Notes

2010-07-17T15:23:00.001-04:00

Okay, after a week off from doing my show, I obviously have a little catching up to do, so right off the bat, it's time to burst a few blood vessels.

Plus I have something a little more cerebral to discuss. It's something that should make you seriously ponder yourself and the things that you believe in.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/17) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I have the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show, so feel free to join in the discussions.

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/10/10 - News and Notes

2010-07-07T19:57:00.003-04:00

I normally don't get to plug the show this early, but this time around I have no choice.

This Friday, American Heathen® will be a special FOUR-HOUR LONG show. That means a lot of work going into this show that I'll have to spend some time doing. Between this and some of the other projects I've been busy with of late (and a few other things), it was suggested to me that I should take the weekend off and air a repeat.

I don't normally do this! People know I'm pretty consistent about doing these shows. I am more dedicated to Internet radio than the overpaid talk show hosts on radio and Cable TV ever could be! That is not an exaggeration either... that is THE TRUTH!

So, my apologies to everyone who normally listens on Saturday nights (yes I REALLY DO have regular listeners) but this weekend's show will have to be entirely from the Archives! If you want to hear me LIVE, you'll have to tune in on Friday. Otherwise, you'll be hearing the best of previous shows.

Which show? You'll just have to tune in and find out.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/10) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And while normally I have the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com open during the show, obviously I won't be in there this weekend, so you'll just have to get your chat fix on Friday or wait until the following Saturday.

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Few snippets of frustration...

2010-07-04T12:08:00.003-04:00

Just a few random thoughts of things that are bothering me...

* Why is it that best add-ons for Mozilla programs (Firefox/Thunderbird) are the slowest to be updated? I am tired of seeing applications suddenly not work because there is an upgrade to the main program and these developers don't want to keep up with the versions. Or better yet, how about a little reverse-compatibility here, Mozilla devs?

* To all the women who complain that centerfold models give guys an "unrealistic expectation"... why aren't you stepping up and speaking out when it comes to the teen girls and their obsession over this whole "Twilight" hysteria? Do you REALLY think that young girls that are pining for brooding vampires and obsessive-possessive shirt-challenged sexually-questionable werewolves are doing themselves any kind of favors down the line? At least the main characters in the "Harry Potter" series look REALISTIC, even if they're dealing with magic.

* Can the folks at SyFy at least make an EFFORT to pick movies that don't pathetically suck? Last night's airing of "2012: Supernova" was so pathetic that I would rather spend two hours watching YouTube videos of people vomiting. I know Saturdays normally suck, but for those of us who do not have a life on Saturday nights, you're really not doing anyone any favors! There are 15 million Americans out of work, so there are 15 million people that can probably do a much better job coming up with quality movies than the regurgitated horsecrap you spew that are full of bad stereotypes and plot holes so big they could be mistaken for dark matter if not for the rancid smell of rotted food.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 07/03/10 Show Notes

2010-07-02T10:08:00.001-04:00

I normally don't get to plug the show this early, but this time I know EXACTLY what the subject will be.

This weekend is Independence Day Weekend. As has been tradition, the subject is about something we pretty much take for granted. Longtime listeners know what this subject is, but this time around I'm NOT going to be recycling the archives. This will be a FRESH look on the subject. What subject? You can probably guess what it is, but if not, you'll just have to WAIT until Saturday!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (07/03) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 06/26/10 Show Notes

2010-06-26T17:46:00.000-04:00

Sorry folks, I'm running really late getting this show together, so you're just going to have to tune in to hear what I have to say!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (06/26) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Two quick thoughts...

2010-06-23T07:09:00.003-04:00

First from Neal Boortz, formerly a libertarian, currently neo-con...

Dirty little secret: Boortz has a handler who does his website. Some of it is his, but the rest is by his handler who speaks for him. The handler usually posts the "Reading Assignments"... or did you REALLY think that Boortz spent that time going through news stories?

So on Monday morning, his handler posts this on his behalf:

Al Qaida is warning us about more attacks on America .. .and that the new attacks will kill even more Americans than 9/11. Oh thank God for Barack Obama! I just know he is the best man to protect us out there.

Now if this came across his desk three years ago the jerk-jerk reaction would be something along the lines of... Now do you understand why we need to fight two wars and kill them over there?

Ladies and Gentlemen... here is the walking, talking, online definition of smarky.

Oh, by the way, I have a prediction for Gen. Stanley McChrystal. I predict that following his departure from the military (be it sooner or later) he will be courted by FoxNews media personalities. He will be lionized, defended, and praised. Sarah Palin may wink at him. Glenn Beck could even honor him by saying McChrystal's departure was part of some master plan whipped up by ACORN, George Soros, and Barack Obama and stick a picture of him on his blackboard.

And then, a few months later, the now-former general would become the newest military consultant for FoxNews. He'll probably get a book deal and speaking tour out of it as well.

Hell of a scam you got there, guys. Hell of a scam indeed.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 06/19/10 Show Notes

2010-06-19T11:33:00.001-04:00

For the past few weeks, the folks at Facebook have provided the inspirations for my ramblings and rants. But this time around I need to look at a couple of blog posts on the Huffington Post that really got under my skin.

PLUS... defusing the "next big bailout"... and a blast from the Brutally Honest past on the nature of the way things are.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (06/19) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 06/12/10 Show Notes

2010-06-12T16:08:00.001-04:00

People wonder about my blood pressure when I go off on a subject. When I get really riled up about something...

Well my question isn't one of "why not" but rather it's "why am I the only one who is?"

We certainly have plenty of reasons to get pissed off right now, and I explain why we need to.

PLUS... my take on RJ's editorial from last night's AH program... and a classic example of Faux Patriotism from 2006.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (06/12) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

Just don't expect this to be a "Made for TV" program. This is NOT one of those weeks!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 06/05/10 Show Notes

2010-06-05T16:44:00.000-04:00

FAIL! Get used to hearing it. And get used to hearing me lose my temper. In fact at some points I even almost lose my voice. Ongoing frustrations. Ongoing exasperations. Ongoing FAILURES.

Sometimes cutting through BS is painful. Sometimes I have get people pissed off so they can understand just how pissed off I AM on the subject. That's what you're going to have to deal with tonight.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (06/05) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

Just don't expect this to be a "Made for TV" program. This is NOT one of those weeks!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 05/29/10 Show Notes

2010-05-29T07:09:00.001-04:00

I'm just going to put this email out there...

This is in regards to my online column from May 24th, which discusses the lack of any real REFORMERS in the political system, especially from the Tea Party crowd.

To be sure David's article touches on lots of things, but I will take a stab at some of it.

My guess is, when the Tea Partier’s are saying we want a return to constitutional government, which means limited government, and that means a lot. To begin with the Rule of 545 would end. By that I mean that every aspect of every Americans’ life is controlled to some extend by the Federal Government, which is controlled by 435 US representatives, 100 US Senators, 9 Supreme Court Justices, and the President. Those 545 people, in some cases a simple majority thereof, control the 300 million of US. If it seems a little absurd, it is because it is. The founders envisioned a system of governance were power was dispersed and defused through out the land, not concentrated in the hand of a relative few. This gave a lot more people in put into running things and insured true and meaningful diversity in the US. This Rule by 545 has implications in most problems we face as a nation. Most of our problems did not arise over night, nor did the rule of 545.

It is absurd the 5 of nine members of the court, could legally choose to create or ignore, amendments to the constitution. How did it happen? It all started with Marbury vs Madison, a case from 1803 where by the Supreme Court began to assert itself as the ultimate of the “co-equal branches”. If we are to remain a free people we must rediscover our constitution.

As for the Taxed Enough Already portion of the protest: In the beginning, the constitution prohibited direct taxation. The federal government was small and with in its constitutional limits in part because there simply was not the money to do other wise. Well all that has changed, with federal tax rates on individuals in the US reaching has high 97%, during WWII. That is nearly slavery, no one should suffer that. The argument that only the wealthy slaves had to pay that much is hollow. Thanks to politicians of both parties, we now have debts that are beyond comprehension. How will those debts be dealt with?
I and the Tea Partiers, suspect it will be a combination of higher tax rates, the devaluing our currency and the forcing of future generations to pay for it. That is if the system does not just collapse out right. You know, there is a reason Ponzi schemes are illegal, at some point there is no longer the ever increasing amounts of money needed to keep the game going. The result is game over. This is exact model we have for Social Security. Why is the US government allowed to run systems like that while and you or I would go to jail for it? Can the US government somehow change the laws of geometric progression? I don’t think so. This can mean one and only one thing in the end; system failure. What will happen then? Is that the crisis the Rahm Emanuel does not want to waste? I and the TEA Partier s suspect a change in the rules. What kind of change? I also suspect the candidate Obama tipped his hand when he told Joe the plumber...’ we will all benefit when we spread your wealth around.” Hmm. Is he hoping for a return to the 97 % rate?

I have spoken with liberals with much more money than I who think is it a good think for the government to spread wealth around. While at the same time they are unable to explain why the US is the worlds wealthiest nation. When I ask, them should the Gates' and Buffets be required to share their vast wealth with you? The answer is a quick “yes”. When I asked, should you be required to share what you have with the vast penny less populations of the third world? I just get a stare. Show how their vision of social justice did not include that. But for the globalist from Kenya, they are included. If you think wealth is the result of luck, or cheating, being able to talk quick on your feet and speak in platitudes, or something other than hard work dedication and deferred gratification (saving for the future), sometimes for generations, then you probably do think it is unfair that some should have more than others.

Studies have shown a nearly surefire way to retire comfortably. Got to school, study hard, acquire useful skills, don’t abuse drugs or alcohol, get married for the right reasons, stay married, don’t party too much, and save some regularly, invest wisely. It is the same formula for a nation. Have we been living that way as a nation, or is it more like a TV series based on “Animal House”.

The Tea Partiers are saying is “this is unsustainable, lets return to the path the country was on for it first two hundred years “. Our great grand parents saw some dark times, but there was a bright future, what do you see in our future?

My response will take up most of the show. It won't be the ONLY thing that I'll talk about, but it will be the dominant subject.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (05/29) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

And now a word from our producer...

2010-05-25T21:55:00.003-04:00

You've probably noticed a new little seal on my blog sites...

This is, of course, MY seal... or at least the seal of my production company.

If you heard my radio show, then you would hear me mention "Get Brutal Productions" at the end of every show. Some of my articles would mention these come from "Get Brutal Productions" as well.

But when it came to doing comic books, that was a different subject. Not to mention a little tricky... because as a fan-made series using material owned by NCSoft, I couldn't claim to own the material myself. But then again GBP doesn't OWN the material that the series is based on... only the story itself.

Okay, let's get the big stuff out of the way... GBP does not mean that I've sold out or been bought out. GBP is me, and I am GBP, just like Oprah is HARPO. This just ties all of my work and resources so I can tell people "I did this" or "I created this". Get it?

Plus, hey, on the comic cover it looks really good... or at least you'll find out when "Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight" #13 comes out in a few days bearing the new seal.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 05/22/10 Show Notes

2010-05-22T15:14:00.001-04:00

Lot of stuff to discuss tonight... but I'm sure this will get you thinking...

What do "putty bricks" have to do with the economy? And what IS a "putty brick"?

It won't be the only thing I'll be talking about, though. I'll be talking about a guy named Dick, another named Rand, recycled movies, and something to do with a movie that has the words "Thr0bbing" and "Justice" in the title.

But I think the whole "putty brick" thing will really stick in the back of your mind until the show.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (05/22) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 05/15/10 Show Notes

2010-05-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'll make this simple... lots of stuff to discuss, including a graduation speech, Net Neutrality, and I get to verbally berate cons and neo-cons again.

And to answer your question now before you ask it, YES I AM ANGRY! But that's a long story.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (05/15) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 05/08/10 Show Notes

2010-05-08T15:26:00.001-04:00

I wanted to take the week off. RJ and CA both took the week off. I was about to as well... but then I couldn't.

You want to know why? Well you'll just have to listen in to find out why. But you won't have to wait for very long, because the culprits will be discussed right there in the first segment.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (05/08) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category.

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Guessing the Chickenhawks

2010-05-03T13:00:00.004-04:00

Okay... big story over the weekend... it was Amateur Terrorism weekend in New York City. Someone wanted to turn an SUV into a frag grenade. Wasn't that good, though. Only managed to set off some smoke, which alerted the police and they got the whole thing diffused before it could blow up.

Good job NYPD.

NOW... the fun part comes in. Who tried and failed?

A terrorist group has CLAIMED responsibility. But that doesn't mean they really did it. A Shiite group claimed they did the Oklahoma City bombing fifteen years ago, but they clearly didn't do it. So keep that in mind when we start hearing the news reports dealing with the progress of this investigation.

But this is not going to be about my speculation about WHO really did the deed... rather it will be on the REACTION of our most vocal extremists... the conservative and neo-conservative chickenhawks. The same ones who pushed us into two wars that we are now having to deal with. How THEY will react will depend entirely on WHO is discovered to have done this.

IF the bad guys are Muslims... Expect the chickenhawks to be pounding their chests and strutting up and down like peacocks proclaiming that their fear-mongering rhetoric was right all along. They will declare this to be nothing less than the complete and total vindication of EVERYTHING that George W. Bush and his Neo-Roman Imperium did for eight years, and they will immediately crucify President Obama and the Democrats in Congress for "endangering" the nation.

IF the bad guys are conservative extremists... Expect the chickenhawks to immediately pound their chests and scream "PERSECUTION" at the top of their lungs. Expect them to scream that President Obama and the Democrats in Congress will use this to enact the Fairness Doctrine to "shut down talk radio" and to persecute Fox News and the conservative/neo-conservative websites.

IF the bad guys are any other group... Expect the chickenhawks to blame it all on liberals. Expect them to proudly strut around like peacocks and beat their chests and proclaim "Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity were RIGHT ALL ALONG! These liberals are a THREAT to America and they have to be STOPPED!" Expect them to immediately call for a "War on Liberals" and to defeat any Democrat that is running for election or re-election in November.

Oh, and for the record, I am a LIBERTARIAN and longtime political outsider. Don't think for a microsecond that I have any appreciation for the Do-Nothing crowd. The only difference is they don't have a track record of shooting first and not-apologizing later.

Update: Turns out the bad guy is from Pakistan.

Okay chickenhawks! Prove me right! Start strutting around like you always do and beat your chest and scream at the top of your lungs about it.

Update #2: The chickenhawks are strutting!!

SQUAWK! SQUAWK! Eric Cantor!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 05/01/10 Show Notes

2010-05-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

A lot of stuff to go over this week...

We have TV channels telling to pretend they're better than they are; we have more commercials that insult our intelligence; websites that presume we'll accept anything they shove us; we have the REAL reason for Congressional hearings; and then we have broken promises and what to do then.

Lot of stuff. Oh, and I also have some programming announcements to make concerning next week. You don't want to miss out on those.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (05/01) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category to see what kind of "stuff" I'll be talking about!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 04/24/10 Show Notes

2010-04-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

Wow... two weeks full of Tax Reform and I'm out of stuff to talk about...

Oh just kidding, I always have "stuff" to discuss... even if it's weird "stuff".

Like... "The Rules". Well, not MY rules, but they are SOMEONE'S rules. And how about my take on how certain people in government aren't doing their jobs? SOMEONE asked me about it, and I get to explain it in detail. Who? You'll just have to tune in to find out. Oh, and I came up with some more "stuff" from the Brutally Honest Archives as well. Some really interesting "stuff" that I'm sure will have you guys thinking about them.

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (04/24) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category to see what kind of "stuff" I'll be talking about!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 04/17/10 Show Notes

2010-04-17T14:19:00.000-04:00

Last week I did a special hour-long look at taxes... and those that joined me in the chatroom wanted more. They wanted to know what my solution would be.

Be careful what you wish for... because tonight you're going to hear my idea of what the system SHOULD be.

That and this coming Monday is a certain anniversary that some people don't want remembered. What anniversary is it? Well you'll find out.

That and, as promised, I have some more listener feedback!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (04/17) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 04/10/10 Show Notes

2010-04-10T09:25:00.001-04:00

Tonight's show is going to be about one general subject only... TAXES!

We're always complaining about them. We want to change the system, make it work FOR us instead of AGAINST us, and get rid of this stupid TAX DAY crap once and for all, right?

So why don't we? Well, a few years ago I explained WHY we can't seem to fix this system... but I don't think too many people caught on about that. SOooooo... I'm pulling up a whole month's full of Brutally Honest Archives to explain it to you, because I really couldn't say it any better than the way I did back then!

So tune in THIS SATURDAY (04/10) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

The Religion Cheat Code

2010-04-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

(The following is a transcript to the April 3rd broadcast of "Brutally Honest on ShockNet Radio". This transcript is being provided for the 2010 Blog Against Theocracy Blogswarm Weekend and is done with permission of the author.)

I love to play video games. This is something that goes back for THIRTY YEARS now. But computer games can also get very frustrating at times… especially when they involve a random number generator, because it sometimes seems like no matter how many times you run that, you’ll always lose. It’s like playing blackjack with the computer and the computer will ALWAYS give you two fours while it always gives itself blackjack. After a while you begin to think that the game is rigged and that you’re NEVER supposed to win.

That’s when you bring in… the cheat code.

Oh cheat codes are FUN!

Now cheat codes are not hacked codes. You’re not actually hacking into the computer and making these changes yourself. These are cheats that are INTENTIONALLY written in by the game developers so they can test certain features without wasting a lot of time going through the game from start to finish.

SO… let’s suppose that you’re a programmer for the new Final Fantasy game that just came out on PlayStation 3 last month. You want to test out a change that you made to the final stage of the game, but you don’t want to waste your time going from the beginning all the way to the end. SO you write in a code that allows you to skip scenes. And because you don’t want to get killed all the time, you write in another code that allows you to keep your character’s health. And you don’t want to run out of abilities or resources while you’re testing out this game, so you write in another code to keep that plentiful.

By the way, this is what is known as a GOD MODE. You’re unstoppable and all-powerful. And sometimes you’re considered invisible as well.

Now a programmer is SUPPOSED to write those codes out before the game is released. But quite often they will either forget about that or they’ll leave them in on the off-chance that they would have to fix a problem they didn’t already take into account. And because they don’t want people to accidentally trigger God Mode, they sometimes can’t be triggered until you put in some conditions. Like if you pause the game, go to the menu screen, THEN trigger the codes.

And of course there are plenty of people who will figure out what those cheat codes are and how to access them, and then they will post those cheats out on the Internet for others to use. And I won’t deny that I’ve used them on occasion… because sometimes it beats tearing up the apartment in frustration.

Now… wouldn’t it be great if there was a cheat code for LIFE? To be able to pick up some short-cuts and get an advantage in life?

Some people certainly come into this game that we call reality with a few advantages over the rest of us. Money, looks, charisma, connections… and sometimes people end up getting a few disadvantages, and not necessarily through any fault of their own. Those with those advantages certainly would like to keep them, and the people with disadvantages certainly would like to level the playing field. But how can you do that? Real life, of course, isn’t as simple as a computer game… as much as we would wish otherwise.

Well, to some extent, we have something of a cheat code to life. It’s not really an ACTUAL cheat; it doesn’t REALLY give you a “God Mode”. You can’t turn yourself invisible or be invulnerable or have infinite resources if you use it. But we certainly ACT as though it is a cheat code to life.

Of course I’m talking about… religion. And I’m sure some of you are scratching your heads on this and wondering where I’m going with this. Well, bear with me and should all be crystal clear.

Now in the course of normal human affairs in a supposedly free society, my opinions SHOULD carry no greater weight than would your opinions or those of anyone else’s. If I like the color red, then that doesn’t mean that everyone else should also like red. If I - hypothetically - think that the world was created by a big glob of snot sneezed out from the Greek God Zeus, then that’s fine. That idea of how the world came about should be no different than yours or of anyone else’s, even if science and reason could prove otherwise.

BUT… what if I wasn’t happy with that? What if I didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t convince a lot of people that the world was created by a chunk of snot sneezed out from Zeus? It gets a little tiring to have to continually go back and remind people that this is what I - hypothetically - believe in. And I may not like the fact that I don’t have too many people who agree with me. I may want MORE people to agree with me. I may want EVERYONE to agree with that idea; that the world was - hypothetically - created out of a huge chunk of snot sneezed out from Zeus.

If all things are equal then my view carries no more weight than anyone else’s… UNLESS I cheat. Unless I invoke RELIGION. Now this is no longer about what *I* believe in. This is now about what *GOD* believes in. And in this hypothetical case, *GOD* is Zeus. So now if you insult me, or if you belittle my view, or if you criticize what I believe in, then you’re really insulting *GOD*… or Zeus, in this case. All-knowing, all-powerful, invisible, works in mysterious ways… and you’re not supposed to mess with a being like that.

So let’s suppose you ask for PROOF that Zeus created the Earth out of a ball of snot. Well I don’t HAVE to prove it to you. That’s my religion. That’s my BELIEF. You’re supposed to simply ACCEPT that what I said is the truth. Remember: all-knowing, all-powerful, invisible, works in mysterious ways and all that other stuff… we’re not SUPPOSED to know all those secrets, we’re just supposed to ACCEPT them as the way things are.

So you then follow-up with some proof all you own. You pull out science studies and geology reports and theories from noted astronomers about how the universe came to be. And all of that is utterly WORTHLESS, because I have already invoked the RELIGION cheat code, and now all your facts and theories and evidence are meaningless. ZEUS trumps man, end of story.

Now let’s take this to the next level, because if we just left it at that you’d just write me off as a hypothetical loon.

Let’s suppose that I somehow manage to get some people to believe with me that the world was hypothetically created by a chunk of snot sneezed by Zeus. Housewives and business people, police officers and firemen, a few doctors, and a couple of elected officials. They also agree with my hypothetical belief that the world was created by a divine chunk of Zeus-snot. And they’re also hedging towards liking red as their color. And WE… because it’s not just MY belief anymore… WE now want this to be an accepted TRUTH in society. Because WE now have influence in government, and therefore WE want that government… and thus society itself… to be reflective of OUR beliefs. After all, that is what ZEUS reportedly wants us to do… or so we hypothetically believe.

Now in a truly free society, we’d have a problem with that. Because in a truly free society, it doesn’t really matter HOW many people agree with you. All religious beliefs are SUPPOSED to be on an equal footing.

Ahhh… but that was BEFORE I invoked the religion cheat code. Sure all religions are SUPPOSED to be on equal footing. But I have NUMBERS on my side. I have key people of influence in society on my side. They will vouch for the benefits of believing that Zeus sneezed the world into being…and also on the benefits of wearing red-colored clothing. You can believe what you want to… but since WE have influence in government, and thus influence in society itself, OUR beliefs now carry more weight than yours.
Oh, and you might want to be careful about what you say about our beliefs now… because, you know, Zeus is all-knowing, all-powerful, invisible, works in mysterious ways… and you never know when an accident could happen. Oh, we won’t WANT that accident to happen, but it’s not really in OUR hands is it? It’s in Zeus’ divine hands, and he works wonders, and sometimes he works through other people. Hint-hint.

That sounds a little scary doesn’t it? Now substitute Greek Pantheism with Christianity. Or Islam. Or any other religious belief. It’s all pretty interchangeable at that point.

Oh but wait! I’m sure some of you are hemming and hawing and saying that it’s not reflective of what YOU believe. You don’t believe in threatening people. Your belief is a religion of PEACE.

Yeah, it’s peaceful… as long as nobody tries to question your position. As long as nobody tries to challenge your dominance. As long as nobody tries to interject doubt. Then all of a sudden you start hearing talk about “God Warriors”. Or in this hypothetical case… “Zeus Warriors!”

Ahhh… but then the OTHER side of the cheat code comes in! The one that absolves you of such “rash thinking”!

You see, thanks to that cheat code we call religion, you can talk about WAR all you want to. You can talk about violence and mayhem and chaos and anarchy and death and destruction. You can talk about wanting warriors for your faith, soldiers for your army, crusaders for your cause… but the minute someone actually DOES what you’re talking about, you can just write them off as not being a “true follower”.

And what about if you catch me wearing something other than red? What if I’m wearing blue? You know, after all that hypothetical talk about the benefits of wearing red and telling people they NEED to wear red to appease Zeus. Well there’s a cheat code for that as well. You see, I can beg forgiveness and be expected to just let the whole thing go away. You know why? Because Zeus is supposedly a forgiving deity, like ALL deities somehow end up being. Never mind the bit about unleashing the Kraken. Ancient history, right?

Do you guys see it yet? It is becoming clear yet?

Let’s get brutally honest here… even though cheat codes really don’t exist for the real world, we are still guilty of using our beliefs as though they ARE a cheat code! We use it to give us an ADVANTAGE over other people, especially those that don’t share in what we believe in.

And then we compound that problem when we use that cheat code so often and so frequently and for so many years that our government institutions essentially PROCLAIM it to be real! When you have judges and politicians look at the abuses of faith and they actually say “yeah, it’s a cheat, but you know what? This has been going on for so long that we’re just going to allow it to keep going on.” There have been SEVERAL court decisions this past decade that have said essentially that.

If you were a marathon runner and you found out that the person who just beat you really didn’t RUN the whole course, you’d get pissed off about it right? You’d want that person punished. They CHEATED!

But what if you find out that other people did that as well? What if, instead of running the full twenty-six miles, half the runners boarded busses and cabs and raced on out to the finish line and then ran that last mile? You’d feel sort of stupid wasting your time running the whole twenty-six miles, right? I mean, what’s the use of rewarding training and good health if all you have to do in order to reach the finish line is to just board a cab to cut twenty-five miles and then run the last mile to the finish line?

Well that is what we, in general, are doing with religion. We are using religion as a CHEAT. We are using religion not to guide us, not to help explain the unexplainable, not to help explain some of the things going on in the world, but rather as a way to justify that we are somehow BETTER than other people. That we are SUPERIOR to other people. That our beliefs give us the power, even if in our minds only, of a GOD-MODE. And in a supposedly free society, where all are SUPPOSED to be on equal footing in terms of what we believe in, that cheat SUBVERTS the very nature of a free society.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 04/03/10 Show Notes

2010-04-03T12:45:00.001-04:00

Okay, the SHOW hasn't been on the air for fourteen years, but yours truly has been putting his thoughts out there for the past fourteen years now. So tonight's a great night to reflect on that.

THEN after a trip through the archives to set the story straight about our Founding Fathers, I give you an interesting look at how religion has been abused in society. How do video games fit in with this? Well you'll just have to tune in and find out!

All that is THIS SATURDAY (04/03) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Fourteen Years Ago...

2010-04-01T08:12:00.002-04:00

Fourteen years ago I started a little website...

It's not there anymore. AOL arbitrarily decided a year or so ago that they didn't want to mess with the old websites.

But it was on this day fourteen years ago that I decided to start a weekly online column. That column continues to this day... albeit at its new location.

This is not a joke. In fact I didn't realize that it WAS April Fool's Day when I first put up the column. It was only AFTER it went online did I realize that I was doing it on April Fool's Day.

Fourteen years later... I'm running not one but SEVERAL websites. I'm the host of one Internet Radio show and the co-host of another. I'm the author of an ongoing comic book series, with a shocking new issue almost ready to be released.

I guess you can say I've come a LONG way from those simple AOL pages.

Happy 14th anniversary BRUTALLY HONEST.

No jokes... but no cake either.

If you want to read the ORIGINAL column that started it all... here it is.

If you want to extend anniversary wishes, please feel free to leave a comment.

This says it all...

2010-03-30T21:45:00.002-04:00

I really don't have to add anything to this.

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 03/27/10 Show Notes

2010-03-27T10:11:00.000-04:00

Liars and Frauds, the common theme, has resurfaced again this week.

First, time to chide the cons and neo-cons and tea party people for their actions this week. No ice cream for you guys. Then we go back in time for an insightful Brutally Honest rant from 2005. And then it's right back to the present and a look at certain a political MYTH.

All that is THIS SATURDAY (03/27) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 03/20/10 Show Notes

2010-03-20T14:10:00.000-04:00

It's been a pretty stressful week for me... so I'm sorry if it seems I don't have too much to add to the discussion of tonight's program. You'll just have to tune in and find out.

Join me THIS SATURDAY (03/20) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!

Brutally Honest on ShockNet - 03/13/10 Show Notes

2010-03-13T14:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, tonight's show is going to be weird.

First, we have some things that simply insult our intelligence. They don't challenge us, they INSULT us! What are they? You'll just have to find out.

Then we have a little problem on the other side of the world. Yeah, normally I stick to the stuff going on in the US of A, but we're also throwing millions of dollars at this problem and if we're doing that then we need to make sure we're getting our money's worth, so I'm going to be talking about it.

And then a little talk about stereotypes, and how they are used in government and how you can use them to also deter the government from stuff.

Fun stuff! Oh, and I have a little reminder for those of you who DO listen to my show, so you may want to pay attention this week.

Join me THIS SATURDAY (03/13) right here on ShockNet Radio at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central and 4pm Pacific) over at www.shocknetradio.com and also at Apple's iTunes Radio Player under the "Classic Rock" category!

And don't forget that I will also be in the "Brutally Honest" chatroom at www.shocknetradio.com during the show, so I hope to see you there!

It's Social... It's Political... It's IN-YOUR-FACE... it's BRUTALLY HONEST!