MORE RADIO FOR THE HOLIDAYS

• Alex Smith produces a program in Vancouver called Radio Ecoshock and had me on this past week. He told me it will start broadcasting on 24 college and community stations this Friday, Dec 24th, and on through that next week. At the end of the show I told Alex he did the one of best interviews I'd ever done. I loved how prepared he was and also how clear he was about what direction he wanted the interview to take. You can listen to the entire interview here

• I missed doing our weekly radio show last night on WBOR at nearby Bowdoin College along with co-host Peter Woodruff who works at Bath Iron Works. We've been doing the show for the past two years - playing political music and commentaries. I hurt my back and after a trip to the chiropractor yesterday I was not in any condition to sit for two hours on a stool at the radio control board. Next week though I've got to be there as Peter will be away and I have to do the show on my own. I'm think I'll play a bunch of songs by The Kinks.

• During this holiday time I am thinking of the growing number of poor people in this country. As welfare for the rich grows (more tax cuts and corporate subsidies) we are seeing more "little" people hit rock bottom. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that 42,389,619 Americans received food stamps in August, a 17% rise from the same time a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which tracks the data. That number is up 58.5% from August 2007, before the recession began.

In our nation's capitol, Washington DC, 21.1% of the public is on food stamps - the highest in the nation. In Maine 18% of the population now qualifies for food stamps. I've recently heard that the government is cutting back on how much money they give to the poor each month in food stamps as the demand grows for that support.

During this holiday season, when people all over the world go to church to pray and celebrate the birth of the "Prince of Peace", it might be good to remember what Jesus had to say about killing and the poor. Isn't it time that more of the good Christians spoke out on these important matters? It's nice that they help feed the poor, but how about turning over the tables inside the temples of the money changers? How about speaking out about the structural impediments to ending war and poverty?

What would Jesus say about that?