Pacifichaos

If you have ever listened to a streamed telephone meeting of Pacifica's National Board, you have undoubtedly noticed the disorder that inevitably builds up as bylaws are misinterpreted, factional feuds erupt, and more 20 minutes is taken up discussing whether there ought to be a 10 minute extention.

Some members seem to attend for the purpose of disrupting meetings and there have been times when these intrusions or protests have taken on a novel approach, the most memorable one probably being the so-called Mozart attack.

These meetings rarely accomplish anything, but they cost money and serve well to give us outsiders a grim closeup of the sores and bruises on Pacifica's governing body.

Tracy Rosenberg of Pacifica Radio in Exile captured a couple of moments streamed from the November 3, 2016 meeting, which was another treadmill of cacophony that left one wondering why they even bother. She published it on the Exiles' excellent, informative website (check it out) along with her own comments. Both comments and audio are reproduced here: 

(As a personal note, on behalf of your long-suffering audiences, I must invoke a mass point of privilege. Adriana definitely hurt my ear drum. And not for the first time. Those in glass houses must be careful not to throw stones. There is such a thing as irony).

At a 3-hour Pacifica National Board meeting on 11-3 at which nothing actually happened, Houston listener rep Adriana Casenave, always notable for the volume of her participation, goes for irony of the first degree by invoking a point of privilege regarding her nemesis, Houston rep Bill Crosier, accusing him of busting her eardrum.

Casenave then embarks on a lengthy screaming fit at 4x the volume as she goes to war with the chair – over a two-minute extension of time. After she loses her shrieking challenge to the chair and the 2-minute extension of time is approved, Casenave exits the meeting, apparently unable to bear her defeat.

Be warned that the clip can cause aural discomfort. Listen at your own risk.

From the same meeting is a brief bonus clip of a hilarious segment when no less than five board members change their vote at the last minute, apparently succombing to confusion about which faction is voting is yes and which one is voting no,  on a fairly innocuous motion to notice an  affiliates director election for 2016-2017. It was the only substantive motion voted on for the three hour duration of the meeting.

Adriana's hangup        The PNB Switch Fest