Category Archives: Conversations Across Time

Warren Harding and Teapot Dome

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This Monday, I’ll take part in the taping for the show Conversations Across Time, http://www.conversationsacrosstime.com/, broadcast over PhillyCAM (Verizon channel 29, Comcast channel 66), where we discuss the scandals currently going on in Washington; I will play Warren G. Harding, 29th President of the United States, who was the front man for the Teapot Dome scandal, who put in place the crooks in his cabinet who carried out the sale of the nation’s natural resources and line their pockets in the process.

For research I borrowed from the Free Library of Philadelphia (http://freelibrary.org/) a book, The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought The Harding White House And Tried To Steal The Country, by Laton McCartney. It’s a great history of how deep the connections have long been between the corporate world and the political elite in this country. Oil companies, and corporations in general, have bought and sold politicians in Washington for centuries, and we the people do not at all benefit from it, “free enterprise” myths and the ravings of Ayn Rand notwithstanding. After I get done with it, please look it up.

Save Wall Street GIF by Feliks Tomasz Konczakowski - Find & Share on GIPHY

Upcoming October 3, 2018

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Tomorrow, October 3, 2018, I’ll take part in the taping of a panel discussion on the show Conversations Across Time, at PhillyCAM (Comcast channel 66, Verizon channel 29/30). This time, we will be ourselves, not playing any roles.

I’ll also attend the monthly meeting of Philly for Change, at Tattooed Mom, 5th and South streets. Speaking there will be State Rep candidate Malcolm Kenyatta, and environmental activist Alex Lola. Plus there will be discussion about volunteer work for candidates in the November 6 elections, where we will urge people to get out and vote.

Update, September 16, 2018

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Thursday, I went to a taping of the show Conversations Across Time, on PhillyCAM  (channel 66 on Comcast, channel 29 on Verizon). There I portrayed Rabbi Stephen Wise, one of the leading figures of the Jewish Community in America, a counselor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and leader of the Zionist movement. With one person playing FDR and the other playing Hermann Goering, we discussed the situation with the tRump regime in America today, with such topics as the recent New York Times op-ed by the “anonymous” White House staffer (we speculated it might be a group of them); the book Fear by Bob Woodward, which shows the tRump White House to be a madhouse; the possibility of impeachment, which is all fraught with politics as is everything else in DC; and the 25th Amendment, whereby supposedly the Vice-President and a majority of the cabinet might decide that the President is not physically or mentally capable of carrying out his duties, and would force him to give up the office to the Vice-President. (Pence would like that; he thinks God has anointed him to be President.)  We cannot count on the hope that sensible people in the right office can save us; only we the people, conscious of the issues at stake and voting accordingly, can save this country. Contact PhillyCAM at https://phillycam.org/.

Friday, I attended the dinner-cruise aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia , of the Philadelphia chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the organization of African-American trade Unionists, founded by A. Philip Randolph, who was America’s leading African-American trade union leader. (I’m Recording Secretary of the Philadelphia chapter.) we held our awards ceremony then:

The A. Philip Randolph & Bayard Rustin Leadership Award went to Sam Staten Jr., International Vice-President of LIUNA (Laborers) and Business Agent of LIUNA Local 332.

The Rosina Tucker Award went to Carla M. Insinga, Director of AFSCME District Council 90.

The A. Philip Randolph & Bayard Rustin Outstanding Activist Award went to Boise Butler, President of ILA (Longshore workers) Local 1291.

The President’s Award went to Dionne Gary, of District 199CC of AFSCME (hospital and health care workers).

Saturday, I went back to PhillyCAM, where I sat in the audience of The Chef Trek Adventures, a cooking show produced by my friend Delmer Gill, who allowed me time to go on stage and speak about my writing career. Delmer’s web site is http://cheftrek.net/.

 

Conversations Across Time

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One of my many activities is acting in Conversations Across Time, broadcast over PhilyCAM, the public access channel of Philadelphia (Verizon channel 29, Comcast  channel 66). The format is that we portray historical figures discussing contemporary issues, like immigration, nuclear arms, poverty, etc. In this show I have portrayed John Foster Dulles, Roy Cohn, J. Edgar Hoover, Henry Kissinger, George Wallace, Lyndon Johnson, and Horace Greeley, among others. I urge you to look at the show and think about the issues they discuss.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpRDVfJTfRQCnodW4NP2HGg

My Work In PhillyCAM

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Thursday I once again performed on the program Conversations Across Time, on PhillyCAM (Verizon channel 29, Comcast channel 66) the show where we impersonate historical figures discussing today’s issues; this time we discussed the Electoral College, and the presidential election of 1876, where Samuel Tilden (Democrat) had more popular votes than Rutherford B. Hays (Republican, whom I portrayed), but there was a dispute in the electoral votes. Due to a backroom deal, southern Democratic House members voted to allow Hayes to become President, and in return, the US troops were withdrawn from Louisiana and South Carolina, states that had Reconstruction governments run by Republicans. This left the newly-freed Blacks vulnerable to their former masters. The federal troops enforced the reconstruction laws, but the troops were later used to put down strikes by workers starting to organize into union, and revolts of Native peoples.

The great thing about PhillyCAM is it empowers neighborhood people by helping them produce their own shows and get their own message across, thereby circumventing the corporate media, which tries to make a quick buck off of low-income culture.

To see the show, please look up conversationsacrosstime.com.

 

I did PhillyCAM

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This afternoon, I performed again in Conversations Across Time, the show hosted by my friend Vivienne Crawford; and again, I portrayed Lyndon Johnson, and Mark Hoffman portrayed Michael Schwerner, one of the three civil rights activists who, while trying to register Black people to vote in Mississippi, were killed the Klan, with collusion by the local police.

The theme was to urge people to vote; it is a precious right to have, not to be neglected, especially when we have a flat-out racist-sexist-fascist psychopath running for President. People like Schwerner, Goodman, and Cheney gave their lives to make sure people have the right to vote; please, don’t let their sacrifice be for naught, get out and vote tomorrow.

You can contact PhillyCAM at phillycam.org.

ConversationsAcrossTime Abrams – YouTube

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Wednesday, I performed in a taping of the show Conversations Across Time,
on PHILLYCAM. I enjoy trying new things and developing new skills. Along with the writing which I love, I will add acting to my skill set.

via ConversationsAcrossTime Abrams – YouTube.

▶ Part 3 – Mary Chestnut & Governor George Wallace – YouTube

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Here is my performance as George Wallace on Conversations Across Time.

 

▶ Part 3 – Mary Chestnut & Governor George Wallace – YouTube

via ▶ Part 3 – Mary Chestnut & Governor George Wallace – YouTube.

▶ Conversations25 – YouTube

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Here is my performance as Lyndon Johnson on the show “Conversations Across Time,” with my friend Vivienne Crawford and Babette Josephs, on PhillyCAM.

 

▶ Conversations25 – YouTube

via ▶ Conversations25 – YouTube.