I doubt anyone who was born during the "Reagan Years" would have any vague idea of what this is all about.

Popular culture has moved so far, so fast and the mainstream aspect of that culture has become so compartmentalized, marginalized and abandoned that listening to this entry may seem downright strange to you.

And hearing his tape again I realize just how far removed we are today from that period of time in our popular culture where the Disc Jockey actually served as a sort of Town Crier and imparter of wisdom and musical taste.

In 1967 we had AM radio and AM radio had B. Mitchel Reed, who was one of the most popular disc jockey's in Southern California. A transplanted New Yorker, whose reputation had been cemented at another Top-40 AM radio station, WMCA. Reed was a cornerstone and a bridge between the staid music business of the time and the bubbling under counter-culture in search of the alternative. And it was probably because of his pioneering spirit in the area of free-form radio that made such a dent in audiences growing up in the mid-late 1960's in California.

Here is one hour of B. Mitchel Reed on KFWB from July 15, 1967. We swore by him.

One of the most glowing examples of the Cold War was the 100 yard dash on the parts of the U.S. and the Soviet Union to win "hearts and minds" throughout the world during the Post World War 2 reconstruction and Developing Nations period. President Truman first introduced his Point Four Technical Assistance/Foreign Aid program during his Inaugural address. Simply put, it was Truman's idea to not just throw vast wads of money at the problem, but rather to create a stable environment by introducing American technology and assistance along with a vast array of other goodies in an effort to promote goodwill and well . . . .converts and allies against the Iron Curtain.

During his address at the 17th Annual Newspaper Guild Convention, Truman continues making his case for the Point Four Program, which included something of a Freudian slip at this excerpt:

President Truman: “Point Four is not new and should not become a matter for partisan differences of opinion. However, some critics have attempted to ridicule Point Four as a “do-good” measure. Others have said it is a waste of money. This is the most foolish kind of short sightedness. We fail to carry out a vigorous Point Four program we run the risk of losing to Communism by default, hundreds of millions of people who now look to us for help against their struggle against hunger and despair. And what we won’t do is to teach these people how to help themselves. Point Four is a successor to the old Colonialsim idea. The exploiting idea of the middle 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. We want to have a prosperous world that’ll be interested in buying the immense amount of surplus things that we’re going to have for sale. In order to do that, they’ve got to have something to give back to us in order that they can buy our goods. I want to keep this factory organization of ours going at full tilt. And in order to do that we must help these people to help themselves.”

After a reasonably quick recovery (from "We won't teach these people how to help themselves" to "We must help these people help themselves"), the speech sailed into a successful conclusion.

Carefully pointed out not to be an extension of the Marshall Plan, the Point Four Program was instead set up to cultivate a technical assistance program and it was the first of its kind to be introduced. The program was implemented in October of 1950 and, although modified and discarded in places, remained a cornerstone in Foreign Aid by the U.S. throughout the 1950's and is now known as the Agency For International Development.

So now you know where it got started and who started it.

December 19, 1981 and the news was almost entirely about the Solidarity protests in Warsaw and spreading throughout the country, prompting the Moscow backed government of Wojciech Jaruzelski to crack down on the dissidents and declare a state of martial law. Solidarity leader Lech Walesa was arrested and scores of protesters were killed in clashes with Polish troops.

The protests brought about outrage from many corners of the world, including the Vatican where Pope John Paul II sent emissaries to the strike torn country in an attempt at negotiation.

Here are three sets of newscasts all via CBS Radio's News On The Hour - 3,4 and 5:00 am (PST).

As an additional historic aside, there is a commercial for the diet pill Ayds which, needless to say, was pulled off the market by the mid-1980's.

Times have changed. Protests, not so much.

This September 15th in 1995 was preoccupied with the former Yugoslavia and hammering out a peace agreement between warring factions. President Clinton announced a tentative ceasefire in NATO bombing in Sarajevo - the announcement came in the middle of this newscast.

In other news. Jimmy Carter was readying a peace mission (of sorts) to Cuba to try and work something out with the Castro government. On the domestic front - The Senate was getting ready to vote on Welfare reform, but still in the midst of much haggling between Republicans and Democrats. The OJ Simpson Trial was weathering charges of slanting testimony in favor of the Prosecution and Hurricane Marilyn was churning its way through the Caribbean.

Miss much not being here - perhaps. September 15, 1995 by way of the CBS World News Roundup (and cut-in by President Clinton mid-way in).

In keeping with our current preoccupation with taxes, the deficit and spending, I thought I would run an address President Franklin Roosevelt gave while campaigning for re-election in 1936.

Seems the subject of taxes has been with us for a very-very long time. And it also seems the ones doing the most complaining haven't changed very much in the past 200 or so years.

Comforting, I suppose. But you'd think by now it would get a little tired.

In 1936 though, FDR had a few choice words nestled in what has become a timeless address.

President Roosevelt: “In 1776 the fight was for Democracy in Taxation. In 1936 there is still the fight. Mister Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once said ‘taxes are the prices we pay for civilized society’. One sure way to determine the social conscience of a government is to examine the way taxes are collected and how they are spent. And one sure way to determine the social conscience of an individual is to get his tax reaction. Taxes, after all are the dues we pay for the privilege of membership in an organized society. And as society becomes more civilized government, national and state and local, is called on to assume more obligations to its citizens. The privileges of membership in a civilized society are vastly increased in modern times. But I am afraid we still have many who still do not recognize their advantages and want to avoid paying their dues.”

Tax breaks for the wealthy were a concept well in place by the time Hoover was President.

FDR: “To divide fairly among the people the obligation to pay for these benefits has been a major part of our struggle to maintain Democracy in America. Ever since 1776, that struggle has been between two forces; on the one hand there has been a vast majority of citizens who believe the benefits of democracy should be extended and who are willing to pay their fair share to extend them. And on the other hand, there has been a small but powerful group which has fought the extension of these benefits because they did not want to pay a fair share of their cost. That was the lineup in seventeen hundred and seventy-six and it’s the lineup today. And I am confident that once more, in nineteen thirty-six democracy in taxation will win. Here is my principle, and I think it’s yours too; Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.”

So hearing this now and knowing it was from the dim-distant past of 1936, it makes the current situation and posturing that much more absurd. Unfortunately if it were only absurd it would be laughed off. But it has become deadly serious business in the ensuing years.

And I keep reminding myself that Fair is a place in Pomona California where people get together once a year and show cows.

Staying with Rupertgate for at least a little while, here is a recap via BBC Radio 4's excellent program PM Magazine. Today it was the Home Affairs Select Committee to hold investigations over alleged wrongdoing within the offices of The Sunday Times, the now-defunct News Of The World. Current and Former members of the Metropolitan Police Commission which turned into something of a free-for-all.

Midway through the broadcast it was revealed Rupert and James Murdoch, along with Rebekah Brooks will be testifying before the Select Committee this coming Tuesday. Shortly after the story was backtracked and it was then revealed there was no concrete commitment to show up for the inquiry.

Current Deputy Assistant Sue Akers went on to explain that, of the 4,000 + phones hacked, less that 170 were actually invstigated.

In short, it's going to be a very long summer. One which will mostly likely go in to Fall and Winter without too much problem.

Here is PM as broadcast by BBC Radio 4

A typical day in 1970 it seemed - this July 6th. In Egypt it was revealed Soviet advisers were playing target practice with SAM-2 and SAM-3 missiles directed at Israel and Israeli jets, purportedly downing 6. And in Southeast Asia the Siege of Phenom- Penh was keeping things lively in Cambodia while reports of fighting in Vietnam were considered "light and scattered" on this day. Secretary of State Rogers was paying a visit to Saigon and getting an earful and a shopping list from other Southeast Asian leaders trying to enlist U.S. Aid.

Italy was patiently waiting for their 32nd government since the end of World War 2 to start. And Northern Ireland was accusing the British Army looting and vandalism in their search for weapons in Belfast homes. A civil war between Protestants and Catholics was predicted by many in the area for the summer and there was no end to skirmishes, riots, teargas, firebombs and curfews to go around. Summer would indeed be a hot one.

President Nixon arrived back in Washington from a 12 day sojourn in San Clemente and a series started on this day (from Huntley and Brinkely) focusing on the average Mexican-American living in San Antonio Texas and daily battles of discrimination, racism and rampant unemployment - and that had nothing to do with anybody illegal, it had to do with surnames. Gotta love Texas.

But Los Angeles wasn't without it's own set of blemishes as the Manson Family trial had gotten underway with Jury selection taking forever as the prospects of a lengthy, drawn-out trial loomed very large in everyone's minds.

And as further evidence this July 6th in 1970 was just as skewed as ever, The Universalist Unitarian Church, while holding their annual convention, passed a resolution that concluded the Vietnam War should be taken over by Private concerns and that an army of mercenaries should replace our combat forces. Of course, it was also suggested the U.S. Government just pay for the thing and otherwise stay out of it. Sounds like Iraq and Haliburton and Blackwater.

Maybe they knew something we didn't.

And so that one went - via the Huntley-Brinkely Report for July 6, 1970 (and oh yeah, we were still smoking like crazy back then too).