The GabCast (A podcast about BellGab)

[GravitySucks]

As SredniVashtar's campaign manager and spokesman in the colonies, I need someone from the locale to grab the lad and shake some sense in him.

The chap needs to learn to shorten his messages for the unschooled masses. He has no concept of the cost of Super Bowl ad time. There is no way we can rent the whole halftime slot to convey his messages.

Besides, sitting up absolutely straight while trying to read his diatribes makes the colour drain from one set of cheeks and gather in the other.

[theONE]

From reading the comments yesterday, it sounded like this show was going to be one huge disappointment. Although a lot of questions went unanswered, I think it was a bit more revealing than many people realised. First of all, it would have been uncomfortable and unfair to do any sort of interview that didn't give Art all the respect in the world for being such a great broadcaster. I have been listening to a few old Art shows recently, and he was peerless at what he did. They also, however, show that there crept in a certain lack of enthusiasam once he 'retired' back in the '90s, and I don't think he every really recaptured the glory days. Turning the GabCast into some sort of adversarial showdown would have done the man a disservice, because it's just a radio show, and it would have been out of place. But this was still an opportunity for Art to clear a few things up for his listeners.

When it came to the 'stalker' question I think you needed to read between the lines. Now that we have had the chance to hear him recount it, event by event, I don't think it's hard to see that he is using it as an excuse to stay off the air. The first 'event' could have been anything. If those shots were meant to be aimed at the house the 'stalker' must have the worst aim in the world. If they were meant to intimdate then they ought to have been seen by Art, which they weren't. It makes no sense, and the most obvious conclusion is that his neighbour got confused. It sounds like there was a lot of stuff going on that night, and she could have got caught up in the general hysteria along with Art. The second 'event' seems more credible until you remember that this was the man who also considered shooting a 'shadow person' in his home a few months before. Finally, the third 'event' has become a bit garbled with the telling. Art has forgotten that he told us that he heard a voice from the darkness telling him 'you were...', but that sounds like it has been dropped from the story now. Again, it could have been anything. It's a handy story because it's open-ended and doesn't have to rely on evidence. At the same time there is nothing whatsoever to back up his claim. If you think you have been shot at then you don't equivocate and say it might have been a firecracker. It was ironic that he later said that his reason for believing Bob Lazar was because his story never changed. You can believe Art's story, if you want; but I hope that the short bus has comfortable seating, because you are going to be riding it for a long time.

Art said he thinks he knows who it is, but didn't want to take out a restraining order. His reasoning was that it 'could make things worse'. How could it be worse when he has been driven from the airwaves because he fears for the safety of himself and his family? He later went on to say that the 'stalker' must be 'crazy'. So he refuses to do anything to prevent an insane person who is threatening the lives of his family, because it might make things worse? The reason that there has never been another incident is clearly because there doesn't need to be. There's no reason to believe that staying off the air is connected with his safety at all. All you need to do is look at Art's behaviour â€" not listen to his words â€" to see how seriously he is taking this 'stalker'. I don't think MV needed to bang the table over this, it was enough to leave the more intelligent listeners to figure it out for themselves.

I was disappointed in the whole Heather discussion (if you can call it that) but not surprised. I don't think you need to start by saying how wonderful you think she is, even if you believe it to be true (which I hope he doesn't). I wish someone would tell me why there is a code of silence around her (or 'Sister Heather of the Perpetual Meltdown', as she is known in the convent). The way some people talk about her I expect her to start turning water into wine pretty soon. I never found out how a total novice can be Art's 'first choice'. Art knows what it takes to succeed in broadcasting but he hands the show off to a total amateur. What. The. Fuck? I wish MV had asked why someone so inexperienced is also saddled with running the board and being her own producer. Couldn't Art dig into his jeans and get her some support if he's that keen for her to succeed? I thought Art's aside that 'she's done some good shows' was quite revealing. She's been doing this for two months, and the best he can say is that she's done 'some' good shows? How many, and which ones? The only way people talk about St Heather is polite euphemism. 'She's doing a great job under the circumstances' means that she's rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. 'Heather's getting better' sounds like the sort of thing you say about a child in a remedial class. I took MV's comment that she could get a job on lots of radio stations to mean that 'there are lots of shitty broadcasters out there, and she isn't the worst'.   

Art said he wanted fellow BellGabbers to give Heather advice. Perhaps Bateman? I might suggest something along the lines of 'you are in the wrong job'. Putting Heather behind a mic long enough does not automatically turn her into a tolerable broadcaster, any more than attaching wheels and pedals to my grandmother transforms her into a bicycle. The fact is, even when she did the GabCast she wasn't very memorable, but it wasn't worth pointing out. When you regularly do a show with someone like b_dubb (who seemed to make it a point of professional pride to fuck a goat every single show) then anyone is going to look good in comparison. You could stick Terri Schiavo in there under those circumstances and she'd look like Rush Limbaugh. Yet, Art never had any doubts that this woman â€" totally inexperienced â€" could take over a show in an area of broadcasting that is notoriously difficult to make interesting these days. Preferred above someone like Howard Hughes, who has been doing that sort of show off and on for nearly two decades. If you can't get Art to answer those questions then you failed to do a proper job. You never know, he may have made a good stab at telling us what we are missing. Instead, all we got was that 'despite what you may have heard, she's doing a great job'. In other words, 'the audience doesn't like her, but I do. So there!'

I think the overall tone of the show was that Art's over it but he doesn't want to say it in so many words. There's no point criticising the man, but I wish he'd be a little straighter with the listeners and stop treating us like babies. He was also being disingenous about the show - saying that she should make it her own - if Heather needs all the bumper music to be pre-approved. The only reason that most people are continuing their subscriptions is simple inertia at the moment. If Art categorically stated that he was done with the show then we would see a sharp drop. He knows this, but is being duplicitous. This isn't adult behaviour. Neither is it smart to claim that Heather is 'carrying the network' in a dig at Hoagland. If Art announced tomorrow that he was quitting for good we'd soon see how capable Heather is of carrying anything. Art sounded lucid but he has also shown some deplorable judgement over the last months. Having the lunatic Leo Ashcraft fouling the airwaves with his news segment shows us that Art's sense of what is good on the air is defective these days, to say the least. His fussiness over basically irrelevant details like sub-optimal audio quality is another example of the way that his priorities have become skewed over the years. He was always a bit of an audio nut but this has developed into a neurosis.

So, we learned that Art's reason for staying off the air is, at best, thin. But we never found out why a total amateur is good enough to follow a broadcast legend. If he'd been challenged on this then he might have been able to put up a good case. But he wasn't, so we are none the wiser. As it is, I don't think many people would have been encouraged to retain their subscriptions, let along bring in new ones. It's not mean-spirited to ask these question, and it doesn't have to come across in a bad way, so it was an opportunity lost.

Fuck, SredniVashtar You did it again !!.

I had enough of this,...it is high time I'm reporting You Sir for a Pulitzer Prize !!!
Fuck, this is honey to my ears reading your humble words.
So many pointed ...points of...indisputable logic. Thank You,...Profusely !!

"I expect her to start turning water into wine pretty soon"
here I don't agree with You Sir,..I think Heather should start with turning her piss into beer first,
vine is of a more noble character, may I suggest.

'Sister Heather of the Perpetual Meltdown' -- hahaha , lol   Very.Fucking.Good
don't let her close to the candles ...

THANK YOU Sir. Bravo.

[Yorkshire pud]

As SredniVashtar's campaign manager and spokesman in the colonies, I need someone from the locale to grab the lad and shake some sense in him.

The chap needs to learn to shorten his messages for the unschooled masses. He has no concept of the cost of Super Bowl ad time. There is no way we can rent the whole halftime slot to convey his messages.

Besides, sitting up absolutely straight while trying to read his diatribes makes the colour drain from one set of cheeks and gather in the other.

If you try and stifle his wordsmanssmithing, thing...you'll rip the very soul out of his soft southern underbelly; a belly he's spent several decades nurturing into a haven for rare species of sea grass and a thriving colony of bats who live under the overhang.

On your conscience be it sir!

[theONE]

The whole show is up now:
http://lnmradionetwork.com/late-night-in-the-midlands-george-mcclure-the-9th-wave-of-creation-mv-addresses-art-bell-and-bellgab-02-06-16/

Vara talks about it for the first 20 minutes, then has Leggiere on starting at 2 hrs. 21 mins.

Thankz for the link.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

I had enough of this,...it is high time I'm reporting You Sir for a Pulitzer Prize !!!

You have to be a US Citizen to win the Pulitzer.

[GravitySucks]

You have to be a US Citizen to win the Pulitzer.

As campaign manager and SredniVashtar's spokesperson in the colonies, I can confirm that we have located the original long form birth certificate in time for the elections.


If the ink is dry by then.

[theONE]

I've had words with him about it before now; he should try to type up a synopsis so the average six year old can comprehend it. He loses a lot of the readers on here when he delves into reasonable adult level English. I'll tell him again.

I had no problemo reading and comprehending SredniVashtar's  texts...
and english is my third language,...and I made mistake and never went to school to learn properly
, so my grammar sucks...

[theONE]

It's not the words he uses per se. It is the fact that I can hear his eyes bugging out when I read his rantings.  Perhaps he could try some of those tranquilizers they use for elephants?  Anything to slow him down so mere mortals can follow his train of thought.  He obviously feels strongly about whatever he is trying to convey.

So you saying you are that dull and dumb ?? hehe , lol

I had no problemo reading and comprehending SredniVashtar's  texts...
and english is my third language,...and I made mistake and never went to school to learn properly
, so my grammar sucks...

So you whoozit  you are saying that you are dull and dumb  ??  hehe , lol

[theONE]

As SredniVashtar's campaign manager and spokesman in the colonies, I need someone from the locale to grab the lad and shake some sense in him.

The chap needs to learn to shorten his messages for the unschooled masses. He has no concept of the cost of Super Bowl ad time. There is no way we can rent the whole halftime slot to convey his messages.

Besides, sitting up absolutely straight while trying to read his diatribes makes the colour drain from one set of cheeks and gather in the other.

I consider them to be ..others man honest opinion, aka Free Speech,...
...oh no ,she is no more ,I killed that bitch the other day in the park.


I was walking today in the park, and I saw female figure laying on the ground by the bushes
I walked closer, she was motionless, I said "hey you" but there was no answer, so I come closer
and give her a kick to the ribs,..and said, "hey you bitch I'm talking to you bitch", she raised her
head and mumbled something that she is not wanted any more, that people don't respect her any more,
that nobody cares for her any more, that people are talking about her but no body gives a shit any more.

I ask her,.."hey bitch,-what's your name bitch" - she whispered, Free  ,I said what's your last name bitch,
she whispered, Speech.
Hearing that, I give her ONE more kick, this time I was aiming at her chest, and I got her
straight in the heart,...she turned her face towards me smiled at me and let out her last breath.

So now, now you are FREE, the bitch is gone.....


And now "you know the rest of the story"   

[Imconfused]

A very good assessment, SV.  I enjoyed listening to the cast.  Your analysis is similar to mine.

THIS

[Value Of Pi]

I've had words with him about it before now; he should try to type up a synopsis so the average six year old can comprehend it. He loses a lot of the readers on here when he delves into reasonable adult level English. I'll tell him again.

Cliff Notes are usually available over here, YP. If not with Sredni, he might reasonably ask a small fee
to do the work. It's much more difficult to do this kind of editing job than people think.

[Value Of Pi]

Couple of points; That is hardly ranting, bloody hell the threshold for what constitutes a rant is ridiculously low if that is defined as such.

Secondly, if mere mortals can't follow the post they should reassess where English comes in their first/second language list. I've no degrees of any kind, let alone English language, but it makes sense to me.

Sure, the precis could be: "AB let off lightly, and he's a bit vague on the details; 'Heather' has ambitions above her ability, and for reasons we can only guess at, AB thinks she's grade A broadcasting material"; but SV's full post is more rounded and in-depth.

Which is why it deserves at least a linked footnote, if not a full quote, on the Wikipedia Art Bell page. This is as good an analysis and play-by-play as Edward R. Murrow did during the Blitz.

[Value Of Pi]

Art has a history of making momentous decisions impulsively and trying to shore them up later.  He pretty much admitted this with his quitting announcement.  I am sure both he and Heather know her selection was a matter of convenience.  But I don't for a minute expect Art to say so while she is still trying to make a go of it.

The code of silence you perceive (somewhere other than here, surely!) is the courtesy given someone trying to make the best of a shitty situation.  That's all.

So, two polite fictions of the kind that make the world go around.  No mystery there.

The general idea with this type of thing is to not prolong the situation longer than absolutely necessary. Also, try not to defend what you are doing too much. Just keep repeating that it's all temporary and will be over soon. Art's not good at this.

[zeebo]

Look, Heather's not Art, never will be Art, just like everyone else on planet earth.  Heck even Art will never be "90's Art" again. 

But I do honestly think Heather's putting on a fun show.  I like her enthusiasm, I like her openness, I like her conversational style.  I like that she's actually reading messages from the Wormhole!

Ok so I'm biased since I've known her from this board, but that wouldn't make me listen, and I do.

I thought her show the other nite with the "rods" dude was classic.  Really enjoyable.  I loved how she kept him spinning his yarns, showing a certain amount of incredulity but also provoking the "maybes" and "what ifs" which make paranormal radio work, even to the point of imploring the audience to go get their own "evidence".  Haha, I can just see all those "rod hunters" hiding out on moonlit ridgelines trying to grab that classic vid for Jose's movie.

I mean that was just fun and I certainly never could have gone 3 hours with that guy without blowing a friggin logic gasket - which, although probably warranted, does not make for good radio.  Kudos to Heather for playing that one for all it was worth.

Now, I think so much of the annoyance/confusion we've seen on this thread, is because of the rash decision to just plop another host, any host, into the hallowed spot that we all had waited so long for Art to take back.  Bad idea.  Really put alot of us off at first, and was just not a well-thought out plan.  Shoulda just killed the show - completely, no reruns, nothing - finito.  Then after a few weeks given Heather a shot with her own show with it's own name, music, segments, and maybe someone to help with producing.  This may have helped avoid some of the impossible comparisons 'twixt the two. 

I mean I personally can't help feel a twinge with the opening/closing tracks and many others laced with nostalgia.  The ads with Art are tough to hear after all that happened.  The references to "keeping the chair warm" is, athough a respectful gesture on Heathers' part, really obsolete at this point.  Even Art said the other nite she should make the show her own.  I'd like to see her change all the music up, add a new segment, broaden the guest pool, etc.  Probably too late to change the name now though so we'll just have to think of it as Heather's MITD, which, on it's own, I think is a pretty fun show.

[Autistic Star Children]

From reading the comments yesterday...

It's great work. And the ciradelo's of the world that tl/dr your post, they aren't apt at reading that much at one time.

[onan]

It's great work. And the ciradelo's of the world that tl/dr your post, they aren't apt at reading that much at one time.

Or maybe those of us that did a tldr don't need any vindication for our likes and dislikes. FFS, it's a done deal. Heather is far from the only show to listen to, go ahead keep twisting the knife, but as many have suggested the horse is dead.

[GravitySucks]

Look, Heather's not Art, never will be Art, just like everyone else on planet earth.  Heck even Art will never be "90's Art" again. 

But I do honestly think Heather's putting on a fun show.  I like her enthusiasm, I like her openness, I like her conversational style.  I like that she's actually reading messages from the Wormhole!

Ok so I'm biased since I've known her from this board, but that wouldn't make me listen, and I do.

I thought her show the other nite with the "rods" dude was classic.  Really enjoyable.  I loved how she kept him spinning his yarns, showing a certain amount of incredulity but also provoking the "maybes" and "what ifs" which make paranormal radio work, even to the point of imploring the audience to go get their own "evidence".  Haha, I can just see all those "rod hunters" hiding out on moonlit ridgelines trying to grab that classic vid for Jose's movie.

I mean that was just fun and I certainly never could have gone 3 hours with that guy without blowing a friggin logic gasket - which, although probably warranted, does not make for good radio.  Kudos to Heather for playing that one for all it was worth.

Now, I think so much of the annoyance/confusion we've seen on this thread, is because of the rash decision to just plop another host, any host, into the hallowed spot that we all had waited so long for Art to take back.  Bad idea.  Really put alot of us off at first, and was just not a well-thought out plan.  Shoulda just killed the show - completely, no reruns, nothing - finito.  Then after a few weeks given Heather a shot with her own show with it's own name, music, segments, and maybe someone to help with producing.  This may have helped avoid some of the impossible comparisons 'twixt the two. 

I mean I personally can't help feel a twinge with the opening/closing tracks and many others laced with nostalgia.  The ads with Art are tough to hear after all that happened.  The references to "keeping the chair warm" is, athough a respectful gesture on Heathers' part, really obsolete at this point.  Even Art said the other nite she should make the show her own.  I'd like to see her change all the music up, add a new segment, broaden the guest pool, etc.  Probably too late to change the name now though so we'll just have to think of it as Heather's MITD, which, on it's own, I think is a pretty fun show.

Thanks Zeebo. Good post.

[onan]

Look, Heather's not Art, never will be Art, just like everyone else on planet earth.  Heck even Art will never be "90's Art" again. 

But I do honestly think Heather's putting on a fun show.  I like her enthusiasm, I like her openness, I like her conversational style.  I like that she's actually reading messages from the Wormhole!

Ok so I'm biased since I've known her from this board, but that wouldn't make me listen, and I do.

I thought her show the other nite with the "rods" dude was classic.  Really enjoyable.  I loved how she kept him spinning his yarns, showing a certain amount of incredulity but also provoking the "maybes" and "what ifs" which make paranormal radio work, even to the point of imploring the audience to go get their own "evidence".  Haha, I can just see all those "rod hunters" hiding out on moonlit ridgelines trying to grab that classic vid for Jose's movie.

I mean that was just fun and I certainly never could have gone 3 hours with that guy without blowing a friggin logic gasket - which, although probably warranted, does not make for good radio.  Kudos to Heather for playing that one for all it was worth.

Now, I think so much of the annoyance/confusion we've seen on this thread, is because of the rash decision to just plop another host, any host, into the hallowed spot that we all had waited so long for Art to take back.  Bad idea.  Really put alot of us off at first, and was just not a well-thought out plan.  Shoulda just killed the show - completely, no reruns, nothing - finito.  Then after a few weeks given Heather a shot with her own show with it's own name, music, segments, and maybe someone to help with producing.  This may have helped avoid some of the impossible comparisons 'twixt the two. 

I mean I personally can't help feel a twinge with the opening/closing tracks and many others laced with nostalgia.  The ads with Art are tough to hear after all that happened.  The references to "keeping the chair warm" is, athough a respectful gesture on Heathers' part, really obsolete at this point.  Even Art said the other nite she should make the show her own.  I'd like to see her change all the music up, add a new segment, broaden the guest pool, etc.  Probably too late to change the name now though so we'll just have to think of it as Heather's MITD, which, on it's own, I think is a pretty fun show.

Thanks Zeebo. Good post.

Yep and shorter by 30%.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

But I do honestly think Heather's putting on a fun show.  I like her enthusiasm, I like her openness, I like her conversational style.  I like that she's actually reading messages from the Wormhole!

I've noticed how over time this show has become a Romantic Quest narrative.
The traditional pattern is:
A hero -> enters the Underworld -> to rescue an image of the pastoral -> defeats a dragon -> world is restored to a harmonious state.

Heather -> enters a world with people trolling her -> to save Art Bell's image -> this is where we are at now.

[Imconfused]

Or maybe those of us that did a tldr don't need any vindication for our likes and dislikes. FFS, it's a done deal. Heather is far from the only show to listen to, go ahead keep twisting the knife, but as many have suggested the horse is dead.

I don't know,  but I thought this is a discussion forum about AB's show .  Would you rather discuss your incontinence problem?  I'm up for it,  no problem.  Just start a new thread.

I just can't stand it if somebody has a different opinion then yours,  they are trolls and should stop posting.  This site started as a GN hate site.  It was no problem then to bitch.  It is a problem now,  however.

Get a grip and lay off with the dead horse shit.

btw can you send the link to the gif of the dead horse beating again?  I lost it somehow and it's my favorite.

And yes,  I am aware of the oxymoron here.

[onan]

I don't know,  but I thought this is a discussion forum about AB's show .  Would you rather discuss your incontinence problem?  I'm up for it,  no problem.  Just start a new thread.

I just can't stand it if somebody has a different opinion then yours,  they are trolls and should stop posting.  This site started as a GN hate site.  It was no problem then to bitch.  It is a problem now,  however.

Get a grip and lay off with the dead horse shit.

btw can you send the link to the gif of the dead horse beating again?  I lost it somehow and it's my favorite.

And yes,  I am aware of the oxymoron here.

I do have a grip, as much as you do, maybe that isn't a good argument. This is the gabcast thread. And it appears to me that it is all fair to post. Maybe you haven't been around, I don't know, but I was one of the hosts of the gabcast in it's early days. We spoke about many different things, not just about Art Bell.

If you want to ask favors of me, perhaps suggesting I am bothersome to you is a poor strategy. Use google it is your friend. dead horse beating gif.

[Imconfused]

I do have a grip, as much as you do, maybe that isn't a good argument. This is the gabcast thread. And it appears to me that it is all fair to post. Maybe you haven't been around, I don't know, but I was one of the hosts of the gabcast in it's early days. We spoke about many different things, not just about Art Bell.

If you want to ask favors of me, perhaps suggesting I am bothersome to you is a poor strategy. Use google it is your friend. dead horse beating gif.

found it,  thanx.

[starrmtn001]

I was one of the hosts of the gabcast in it's early days. We spoke about many different things, not just about Art Bell.

I remember that.  It would sure be nice to hear you again as a co host.

[Imconfused]

I remember that.  It would sure be nice to hear you again as a co host.

aaaaaaaaaaaand here we go...........

next is chefist,  white crow etc.

this is gonna be fun!

[pyewacket]

From reading the comments yesterday, it sounded like this show was going to be one huge disappointment. ...

Bravo Sredni! I enjoyed your review better than the show itself.

Which is why it deserves at least a linked footnote, if not a full quote, on the Wikipedia Art Bell page. This is as good an analysis and play-by-play as Edward R. Murrow did during the Blitz.

^this ^

Couple of points; That is hardly ranting, bloody hell the threshold for what constitutes a rant is ridiculously low if that is defined as such.

It's beginning to look that way, which is too bad. 

[Imconfused]

Bravo Sredni! I enjoyed your review better than the show itself.

^this ^

It's beginning to look that way, which is too bad.

Absolutely Fabulous!

[Imconfused]

here...

[zeebo]

Thanks Zeebo. Good post.

Thanks GS and Onan ... actually oops I didn't realize I was posting on the gabcast thread, probably shoulda put on the Mitd thread.   

As for the Gabcast in question, it was a good show and I thought Art sounded sincere, and MV handled it with tact and skill.  I felt a sense of resolution after that - not that every detail is known (or needs to be) - but that generally I see where Art's coming from.

It was cool he stepped up and owned the decisions and his thanks/apology to the supportive bellgabbers was really nice to hear.  Sad though that he confirmed what many of us felt, which was the show was really about to take off.  Oh well, time to drop this one in the overstuffed "What might have been" drawer, and move on along.

Thanks to both MV and Art for doing the show. 

[Imconfused]

I'm on a roll..........

Don't try to stop me!

[Imconfused]

Why isn't this gif moving,  people? It was so funny when it was moving.  Any ideas?