Saturday, February 18, 2012

Congratulations to On The Wilder Side for six years

Congratulations to Kimberly and Ian Wilder of On The Wilder Side who are celebrating their site's sixth anniversary. They've now added a tip jar to their site. Otherwise, it remains the same place where you can find left critiques that don't make it into the MSM or in to most of what passes for alternative media in this country.

I've exchanged e-mails with Kimberly over the years and she strikes me as someone with a strong ethic code but with a non-rigid mind. She seems to forever be pursuing insight. I've never exchanged e-mails with Ian but long appreciated his take-no-crap approach when discussing sell-outs and worse by politicians.

I'm sure there's another wife and husband political site online (with so many sites, there would have to be) but On The Wilder Side is a special site for many reasons besides a couple committed to the political struggle. Among the most praise worthy work they do -- among, not the sole praise worthy work -- is providing coverage of in an election year of candidates who are not Democrats or Republicans.

So congratulations to the Wilders on six years, I hope there are at least six more. A site like On The Wilder Side really matters because it's not part of an echo chamber for the Republicans or the Democrats. This is genuine writing by people trying to grapple with issues and not dust off talking points. A lot of sites offer flash, On The Wilder Side offers substance and they have made a difference in their six years.

I'll also note Scott Simon spoke to Roberta Flack for today's Weekend Edition (link is audio -- on Monday it will be audio and a transcript). Roberta talks about her new album Let It Be Roberta: Roberta Flack Sings The Beatles, about living next door to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, about the power of songs and about plans already being made for a second collection of Beatles songs she'll be recording. Kat reviewed the album at the start of the month with "Kat's Korner: The Sensual Roberta Flack."

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.