Egypt - We're Moving to القاهرة!

So Monaco ended up being so much better than we'd expected. Wouldn't you totally preset that station if it was in your town? Maybe we should get bigger radio antennae for our cars...

Let's continue our trip around the world via radio and head across the Mediterranean to Egypt! Pinky's grandparents and aunt lived in Cairo for a little bit before his mom was born. His folks still have a resplendent gold and blue-striped robe hanging in a closet somewhere that his granddad bought. Pinky tried it on a year or two ago and it was so weird to have it fit. It always dragged on the floor when he was a kid; he's always been awe-struck by that thing.

Anyway, Egypt is one of the biggest time bombs on the world stage today and pretty much no one is talking about it. Hosni Mubarak, the president, is edging into his 80's. And, after almost 30 years in charge, he's still averse to relinquishing any power. His son, Gamal Mubarak, wants the presidency but everybody hates him, including a lot of the folks in his father's administration. Although his ascension would be the easiest, he'd have to really bust some balls to do it.


When Mubarak kicks the bucket, there's gonna be a giant power vacuum from his three decades of stymieing opposition and accruing power. As the largest Arab nation and one of America's closest allies in the region, it's gonna be interesting to watch it play out. Will Gamal Mubarak take the presidency? He's a really good pouter. Like, he could go pro...

but i want the presidency now, daddy! i want it now!

The Egyptian constitution has been meddled with so much, it would be tough for another party to take power via election and Gamal will be sure to carry on the autocratic tenure of his father. Will former I.A.E.A. head Mohamed El Baradei figure out a way to viably run as a candidate in emergency elections? Will there be a benevolent military coup? An organic velvet revolution? Will the Saudis attempt to influence succession with all the Egyptian media companies they've been buying up? Who knows. Certainly not us. (although, secretly our money is on the organic velvet revolution)

Anyway, let's tune in and see what Egypt sounds like today. Our station today is based out of Cairo (القاهرة), the capital city. Cairo in Arabic is al-Qāhira, which means "The Vanquisher." We are totally jealous that we live in towns names Asheville (Village of Ashy people) and Charlotte (Town With No Creative Naming Abilities). Hopefully the music is just as awesome!


Hey look! We lasted this entire post without making a "Walk Like an Egyptian" joke!

oh hey! Ellen is Cleopatra and Pinky is Anthony! and, even though you can't tell, they're walking like Egyptians.

OK! TUNE IN HERE! (YES WE'RE TOTALLY TRYING TO YELL OVER THE SOUND OF THE BANGLES!)

Nogoom FM

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Monaco - Music of the Mediterranean

Man, all that accordion music in Macedonia was pretty great, huh? You don't hear it incorporated into pop too often.

OK, what say we stay in Europe and head to that 'ol city-state Monaco? The second smallest country in the world behind the Vatican, Monaco is home to just 33,000 people. We know folks who went to colleges that size. But, with no personal income tax, the majority of the population are wealthy foreigners using it as a tax haven. And, if we were rich enough to need tax havens, that's where ours would be!

Ellen's a total sucker for the Mediterranean

Monaco has been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297, and though it seems that they've been invaded every time there's been unrest in the region, the Grimaldi's rule on. Want to know how the Grimaldis came to power? The patriarch Francesco, called il Malizia or "the Cunning," disguised himself and others as monks and took over the fortress with swords hidden under their habits. Sweet! It's kind of like Monegasque Monk instead of a Trojan Horse...

what a swanky coat of arms with those guys in skirts dancing with knives

Monaco became a constitutional monarchy in the early 20th century though, and in 1962 they started to let women vote! Good for them - that's a little late. Just sayin'.

Can we take a second and realize how small this place is? Less than a square mile! You could cross the entire country on a pogo-stick!!! They've lost a lot of land over the years to France. In the 20th century they started building out into the sea via landfills. Tell you what though, they utilize every good bit of land available and build an AWESOME road course for the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo Rally though. Those are consistently two of the best races in the world. And, in high school Ellen was aces at those races on the PlayStation2. What a champ!

cars and yachts? Pinky's and Ellen's joint gay/not gay wet dream!

Well, we're gonna have a lot of American and Euro-pop on here, but it seems to be a pretty decent selection. They've played Cee-Lo and Mika, among others, already this morning. We'll see... 

Did you know that Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise? Just found that out. Good thing to know.

Radio Monaco

Click the "Ecouter Radio Monaco" in the upper left corner, then push play in the little window that pops up.

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Macedonia - We're Blaring Битола

Whatcha doin? Just typing 5318008 into your calculator and turning it upside-down so it says BOOBIES huh? Us, too.

yup. this is what we get paid to do all day...

Man, after listening to that awful music, we have even more sympathy for the folks in Burma.

Hey! Let's go to Macedonia!!! You just missed some awesome accordion tunes set to a dance beat. F.O.R.R.E.A.L.

So after the crumbling of the Ottoman Empire, Macedonia eventually ended up becoming part of Yugoslavia. And, then when Yugoslavia imploded with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Macedonia was the only country to declare independence from Yugoslavia with no bloodshed. That's pretty amazing, huh? We all have so many associations of the Balkans with violence, it's nice to know that relative peaceful separation is possible. There was a tiny civil war ten years later, but hey, these things happen, amiright? Amiright? 

Anyway, Greece has been pissed ever since Macedonia declared independence mainly because the country shares it's name with a region of Northern Greece. That's where Thessaloniki is located, Greece's second-largest city and the birthplace of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the almost deified father of modern Turkey. 

and who wouldn't love this man? he looks like mr. magoo (without his glasses)

Buuuuuuuuut we digress... That naming argument has gone all the way to the UN and significantly impacted trade between the two states. It's still unresolved.

What else? Hmm... Mother Teresa and Alexander the Great were both from here, but we don't think they went to the same high school or anything.

Bitola High School Class of  MCCCXLVII

Most Likely to Be on Your 10th Grade World History Final

So! Pour yourself a glass of rakia (ракија) and let's tune into Радио 105 Бомбардер! For those of you who are a little rusty with your Macedonian, that's Radio 105 Bombader, broadcasting out of Bitola (Битола) in the south western corner of the country.

Radio 105 Bombader

And, be sure to check out their webcam, which Ellen likes better than the radio anyway.

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