8 O'Clock Buzz

Do you have the toys from Happy Meals, or old classic car models you built as a kid, or cool airplanes, or figures from your favorite video game or cartoon character? Then you may be a miniature plastic model collector. Jeff Herne, Chairman of the 2024 International Plastic Modelers Society Annual Convention — going on right now for the next 4 days — talks about the hobby, the convention, and the varied interests that brings all these people together from around the world.

The post International Plastic Modelers Society Convention in Madison appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Chali Pittman, News Director at WORT, talks to Jan Miyasaki about the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, including security, gun policy, a police shooting in the area of the convention, an address to the convention by Teamster Leader Sean O’Brien, abortion in the RNC platform and in Project 2025, and more.

The post Pittman: Summary of the RNC, Day 1 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with RR Moore and Lolo Lature, talking about the Republican National Convention from on the ground in Milwaukee, its impact on the city, and who benefits from what.  But more important, taking the edge off things with some poetry talk, and a live performance from RR Moore.

Events and More:

Music from today’s show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/19246825/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz

Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org!

The post Take Some Time and Listen to Some Poetry appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In recent years, Major League Baseball has adopted rule changes to try to make baseball games shorter and with more action.

But all that has nothing on the barnstorming exhibition baseball team, the Savannah Bananas, who since 2016, have completely rewritten the baseball rule book. To learn more about this new approach to the game of baseball, Monday Buzz host turned to a pair of experts to explain it all.

Biko Skalla is an Emmy-award winning broadcaster, who has worked as an announcer and producer for the MLB and NHL networks.  He now works as the Savannah Bananas’ Broadcast Entertainer.  Filmmaker and television producer Michael Galinsky co-directed the ESPN television series “Bananaland” about the Bananas.

Photo courtesy Savannah Bananas

Web posting by Nicholas Wootton

The post Savannah Bananas Play New Kind of Baseball for Sellout Crowds appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Our national pastime has often been the forum for the advancement of social progress in America. From Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s whites-only policy to Curt Flood fighting baseball’s unfair labor practices, the game played on a diamond has often wrestled with issues of race, class and ethnicity.

But another of baseball’s social pioneers who risked everything when he stepped onto the field, was not even a player. Umpire Dale Scott made history when he came out as a gay man in 2014.

Scott called balls and strikes in the big leagues from 1986 to 2017, umpired three World Series, three All-Star Games, numerous playoffs, and several no-hitters. He is also the last umpire to eject New York Yankee manager Billy Martin from a game.

Scott has written about his life in baseball and his journey to making his sexuality public in his book The Umpire Is Out. Scott talked to the Monday Buzz team from his home in Portland, Oregon. Producer Nicholas Wootton began with a question about how coming out changed his experience on the field.

Photos courtesy Dale Scott

Web posting by Nicholas Wootton

The post Dale Scott Describes Life As First Openly Gay MLB Umpire appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On July 14, former President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump survived an apparent assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.  Trump sustained gunshot injuries to his right ear but was otherwise uninjured.  One bystander was killed, and two others injured in the shooting.

Trump has now arrived in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he is likely to receive the Republican Party nomination for President.

WORT talk producer and reporter Sara Gabler is in Milwaukee covering religion during the convention. Gabler called in to the Monday Buzz to talk about reactions to the convention from the Milwaukee area religious community.

Featured photo courtesy of Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope website

Other photos courtesy Sara Gabler

Web posting by Nicholas Wootton

The post WORT’s Sara Gabler Reports on Community Activism at Republican C... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

John Shelton, Professor and Chair of Democracy and Justice Studies at UW-Green Bay, joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about the recent ruling by a Dane County Judge that certain provisions of Act 10 are unconstitutional by unfairly limiting collective bargaining rights for most public employees.  John explains that the judge ruled that there is no rational basis for guidelines which define public safety type work from that of more general type work which determines the rights for collective bargaining.  The Graduate Worker Union at UW-Madison (TAA) is one of the plaintiffs in the case, and John thinks they will be able to engage in official collective bargaining discussions with the university administration in the near future.  Better late than never.

Image by Open Clipart-Vectors from Pixabay

The post Inactivating Act 10 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Jose Torres-Tama, visual and performance artist, playwright, and poet, pushes back against the US of Amnesia and the hate directed at immigrants by those wanting a homogenous society of interlopers.  Jose speaks with host Tony Castañeda on the Thursday edition of the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss what defines a true American, and the continual oppression by those espousing white supremacist ideals and the concept of “loving the food and demonizing the cook”.  Jose will be giving two shows of his bilingual hip-hop, comedy, and spoken word performances at the Fete de Marquette this Friday and Saturday, July 12th and 13th, as well as a free preview show at the Cardinal Bar this evening July 11th.  Ay Caramba.

Image by Alexey Hulsov from Pixabay

The post No Guacamole for Immigrant Haters appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In his recent article in Inequality.org entitled “To Best Understand Inequality, Think Class, Not Generation: Our age cohorts don’t tell the full story“, author and Associate Fellow at the Institution for Policy Studies, Sam Pizzigati, discusses why the wealth inequality is causing each generation to do worse than the previous one. And, he has some suggestions of how to make the system more equal — by following the formulas that turned around wealth inequality in the early 20th century — including unionization, and recreating the high taxes on the uber-rich.

The post Pizzigati: Inequality is a Class Issue, Not a Generational One appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Lolo Lature and RR Moore, talking Fourth of July and how people celebrate or not, and the life and times of being a poet in the 21st century!

Mad Lit is coming up July 26th on State Street and Lolo and RR (among others) are performing.

Catch Lolo and RR and more poetry at Mi Casa, Su Casa in Milwaukee every Tuesday, search Food For Thought Society on Facebook for more information.

Catch RR Moore and more monthly in Las Vegas, next on 7/20.

RR Moore books: https://www.lulu.com/search?contributor=RR+Moore&adult_audience_rating=00 

Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org!

The post Making Poetry Cool Again appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.