Artificial Indignation

Phil Robertson (SI.com)

In this season where we hope for "peace on earth, good will toward men" there are enough actual problems that we face without manufacturing more.   The media deserve their fair share of the blame with the crises and controversies that would never gain any momentum without them.   

 

Phil Robertson, the patriarch of TV's "Duck Dynasty" Louisiana family that manufactures duck calls got in hot water with the reality show's cable channel (A&E) over some anti-gay comments.   Cracker Barrel restaurants briefly stopped selling some Duck Dynasty merchandise, much to the chagrin of the popular show's fans.   This is a rare case in which I agree with one suggestion by Mike Huckabee that A&E and Cracker Barrel should have merely issued statements saying the comments were his own opinions and not necessarily their own, but don't get me wrong.  The high profile suspension was something A&E had every right to do.   If I went on one of the radio stations I work on and made these comments, my employer could suspend or fire me.  However, A&E's action only served to unleash a torrent of conservative protest over an alleged violation of his free speech rights.    To my friends on the left, I say we need to cool our jets over how offended we are with something a duck call maker says.   He's not the President or the Pope, and it wasn't so long ago when that was more of a majority opinion.   There has been real progress against homophobia.   To the right of the spectrum, the Duck Dynasty guy is no poster boy for free speech.   He doesn't merit this mentality of being a victim of political correctness.   This non-issue needs to go away quickly.   Chill out and have a Happy Holiday OR Merry Christmas... whatever you prefer.    

Memorable Radio Interviews

Peter Noone

I saw a radio blog post asking folks in the business, "Who was your favorite interview?"   The bulk of respondents really raved about how nice and down to earth country artists have been.   That was certainly the case when I talked with Ronnie Milsap in the eighties.   Rockers got mixed reviews.    I never thought of myself as primarily an interviewer.   That is partly because I've always had more of a passion for programming music (a dying art) and reporting news.   I also have a secret terror of sounding like a discussion went way longer than it needed to go, but over the years a lot of interviews come to mind.    My very first interview was folk rocker David Bromberg at my college station.   As with anything I do for the first time, I was very uncomfortable.   Through the years, I had many chats with politicians and civic leaders and learned a lot at a station I programmed - WLAD/Danbury, CT - from the midday talk show host Rhoda Daum whose show I produced.   I also got to see firsthand how Brad Davis at WDRC/Hartford handled some big name personalities back in the day like Johnny Cash, Andy Williams and Bobby Vinton.   Listen and learn.

 

My favorite interview was from my WDRC-FM days.   Peter Noone - Herman of Herman's Hermits - stopped by our studio before his headlining performance at out daylong Big D Oldies Fest in 1996.   He rolled so well through whatever I and the crowd of fans threw at him.   It was the fastest and most fun twelve minutes of my radio career.   Some recorded interviews can take a strange twist.   Rebecca Morse Whitten and I once talked with singer Andrea Boccelli at WBMW.   His English was very rough, so I edited it so thoroughly that he sounded fluent!     The worst interview?   Let's just say I never want to deal with a certain WNBA team again.    

Fitting Tributes, Little Policy Change

It is right to let the Newtown community mark the one year anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre by staying away from private memorial observances in a town that has seen so much tragedy.    It is proper to respect the wishes of the victims' families by lighting a candle and performing random acts of kindness.   While access to that day's 911 tapes is part of our freedom of the press, it is also fitting that most media outlets responsibly kept these disturbing recordings off the air or greatly restricted them from public exposure.  

 

Yes, we have had many comforting words, wonderful gestures and good deeds in the wake of the Newtown shooting, but the disturbing issue remains.   Gun related violence remains as American as apple pie and is still a taboo subject among too many policymakers thanks to well funded gun manufacturer lobbies refusing to include access to assault rifles in the public debate.   Nationally this year, there have been many more initiatives to loosen gun laws than to tighten or enforce them while another 31,000 people died in gun violence.   The NRA and others shift all the blame on violent video games or access to mental health care while supporting the same politicians who cut mental health funding.   Connecticut politicians could no longer ignore this.   Do we have to wait for a bigger incident to rekindle even a discussion to include guns?   

Greatness

Former South African President Nelson Mandela passed away last week at 95.    This iconic figure personified hope in a society once legally defined by racial divisions under the brutally repressive system of apartheid, reconciliation under his presidency and a peaceful transition of power when he stepped down after one term.   All this happened on a continent where democracy and the rule of law have been more the exception than the rule.   That being said, the extreme right wingers have been very critical of the man as a "terrorist", working with radical organizations advocating the violent overthrow of the white-dominated South African regime fifty years ago.  

 

Wait a minute.   Didn't George Washington lead us in a bloody revolution against colonial rule and then preside over the founding of our country?   Didn't Abraham Lincoln oversee a bitter civil war to free the slaves and then call for malice toward none and charity for all?   Don't forget many members of the Jewish underground in Palestine who resorted to violence before establishing the democratic state of Israel.   In what way was Nelson Mandela different?    Examine the totality of his life and even when you factor in that he was not exactly always like Gandhi, he is undeniably deserving being called a great man.           

The Decision

Put on a smile.   Grow a thick skin.   Think only positive thoughts.   Get on with your life.   A lot of people have it worse off than you.   

 

People prone to depression hear these bits of advice from others who may mean well but aren't geared the same and don't understand the depths of this affliction.    From time to time, I get to feeling depressed.   It could happen during the holidays or the middle of summer when we're told to make the most of a joyous time and I'm just not feeling it.   It doesn't mean the same garden variety sadness that everyone gets.    It can affect someone's energy level and overall health.    It can be an isolating feeling that is not diminished with a few words of admonition, pep talk or pop psychology from friends.    I admit to some bouts of mild to moderate depression, most notably in my late teens when it felt like I was missing out on life.   If I knew how to snap out of it at will then I would have done it, but I did experience a moment of clarity almost 40 years ago to the day when the word "decision" really hit me.   It may have been subconscious thinking, but on some level I had made the decision to let this dark force rule my life.   Then I made a reverse decision to take control of what I could and not let depression rule over me.   Depression would return from time to time, but only when I temporarily forgot the lesson of 40 years ago.   

 

To friends and loved ones of people who suffer depression, please remember that a few simple supportive actions or words can be the best remedy you can offer.    Lincoln and Churchill suffered from depression, so don't assume their feelings are from some shameful character weakness.    Check this video equating depression with a "black dog".   Hopefully the depressed person will realize how much of their destiny is under their power when they take a step in the right direction.   

JFK Plus 50

This Friday, we arrive at the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.   What hasn't already been said about it?   Despite the Warren Commission report, many still believe Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone.   We'll never absolutely know, one thing is certain.    Anyone old enough to remember another Friday - November 22, 1963 - will recall where they were when they heard the news.   Admittedly, I wasn't really sick that day when I decided to skip a day in fifth grade at Jerome Harrison Elementary School in North Branford, CT.   We had a new black couch delivered to our house that day and I was in the living room watching a rerun of the Gale Storm sitcom "Oh, Susannah!" on WNHC-TV Channel 8 when they interrupted for an ABC News bulletin.   I relayed the news to my mother in the other room while everyone waited to hear about the President's condition.   We didn't have to wait long.   Even at that young age, I found myself glued to the TV for days.   

 

Our political beliefs are often imprinted on us early in life, and I have no doubt that the result of the groundbreaking election of 1960 had a profound effect on how I thought about Vietnam, civil rights and so many other issues of the turbulent sixties.   Kennedy's shortened Presidency is hugely significant for his handling of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis alone.   To me, his legacy is an idealism that still refuses to let go.   This Friday morning, I get to discuss JFK when I fill in for local radio veteran Wayne Norman on Willimantic's WILI (1400 AM).

War On Christmas? Not In Retail... Or Radio

Sarah Palin is the latest attention getter who claims in her new book that there's a "war on Christmas".   Has she been in a Walmart lately?   She obviously hasn't driven through Rhode Island this week.   On November 6th, WWBB (B-101) in Providence went to an all-Christmas music format.   That's seven weeks before Christmas!    This station is owned by broadcasting giant Clear Channel, so they must have some audience research showing the wisdom of such an early and drastic switch.   That apparently meant Cumulus Media, another force in that market with WWLI (Lite Rock 105), felt the need to jump into the holiday fray early so as not to be outdone.    Obviously they're out there, but who are these people who can't wait until Thanksgiving to hear wall to wall holiday hits?    

 

I'm not the most nostalgic broadcaster for the way everything used to be before big conglomerates gobbled everything up, but this level of saturation makes the seasonal music seem less special than it was back in the day when most stations would gradually ramp things up after Thanksgiving.   This all or nothing strategy caters to the increased polarization we find in media today.   They may be a distinct minority, but the early holiday music listeners make up enough of an audience to justify the trend.   Once you get into December it becomes less of an issue anyway, but right about now it's a love it or hate it thing.   Sarah Palin is taking Bill O'Reilly's cue by aiming at the crowd who mistakenly feel our traditional attention to the holiday is under attack.   She'll make lots of money propagating that idea when she finds her audience.   I won't be buying her book, and I don't plan on tuning in Christmas music until December.   On both issues, neither the nonstop Christmas station operators nor Governor Palin will care.   They've already pinpointed their niche.

It Could Have Been Much Worse

Does this CCSU student look suspicious? (NBC CT)

How do you prevent stupidity?   Monday's unfortunate incident at Central Connecticut State University could have been totally avoided if one student - a son of a geography professor - had the common sense to not wear a camouflage costume with a ski mask and plastic weapons days after Halloween.   We're told if we "see something, say something", and people on campus certainly did.   The system worked well, but thousands of lives were disrupted.   Somehow $1000 bail and a breach of peace charge seem like light punishment.   Then the guy gets arrested a second time the next day for violating an order not to return to the campus!    Some of the stupidest acts I've ever witnessed were the work of college students, but they don't represent everyone trying to actually learn something.   Student or not, this kid is stupid for not realizing you can't do what he did.

 

In other news, it was revealed that the deranged shooter at LAX airport had enough ammo to take out the whole terminal in what should have been one of the most secure public areas in the country.   If he didn't limit himself to hunting down TSA officers, this could have been even more tragic.   Likewise at the huge shopping mall in Paramus, New Jersey, where a gunman there could have taken many lives.   He instead limited his mission to one of suicide.   Less than a year after the Sandy Hook massacre, we seem to look upon these increasing incidents as part of the American way.   That's unacceptable as we passively await the next Sandy Hook.    

Boston Strong

Even for a Yankees fan, the Red Sox clinching this World Series feels right in so many ways.   While MVP "Big Papi" David Ortiz dominated the season, this has been a true all-star team lineup.   The 2004 win ended their World Series drought with an away game, but this 2013 victory at Fenway for the first time since 1918 serves a certain poetic justice in a season that began around the time of the Boston Marathon tragedy.   The whole Boston story this year serves as a quintessential American one.   I don't think we're done, either.   Will the Patriots be the next big story after Tom Brady's incredible pass a couple of Sundays ago?     

Pizza Pie Everywhere!

Being originally from the New Haven area, this survey should come as no surprise to me.   The website The Daily Meal put together a list of the top 101 pizzas in the USA.   Frank Pepe’s in New Haven came in at number one with its white clam pizza, made with clams, grated parmesan, olive oil, garlic and oregano.    The tomato pie from Pepe's Wooster Square neighbor Sally’s Apizza placed seventh.   The Italian Bomb pizza from Modern Apizza on State Street in the Elm City came in at number eleven.     While these pizza places were within ten miles of where I grew up, I have more vivid childhood memories of going to Tolli's Apizza in the center of East Haven.    That's where we washed it all down with Foxon Park soda as Connie Francis sang "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" on the jukebox.    Going out for pizza was a rarer treat back then, making the memories even more special. 

 

Here in New London County we benefit from Frank Pepe's expansion into the Mohegan Sun casino.    Most of my visits to pizza restaurants in southeastern Connecticut have been very positive.    The few that didn't measure up are no longer around.    Although chains don't always get the highest acclaim, I admit to a fondness for Papa Gino's and was sorry to see their Norwich and Waterford locations shut down.    Last weekend we had a great pie with "everything" at Papa Gino's Willimantic/Mansfield store, but I am usually fine with a simple cheese pizza.    Here in Colchester, the crosstown drive to Papa Z's is always worth the trip.    Only the most difficult to please can complain of a "pizza deficit" locally or regionally.   What's your favorite?

A False Equivalency

Texas Senator Ted Cruz

Once again we have found ourselves at the midnight hour on Capitol Hill, this time over raising the Debt Ceiling.   Thanks in large measure to its Tea Party faction, Republicans are taking more blame for the impasse than President Obama or other Democrats, but Congress and Washington as a whole have not been spared from bad press.    When I hear people say there's plenty of blame on both sides, I can't help but think the Republican party's meltdown is by far the prime culprit.   The American public feels a genuine disgust with politicians in general, but it only takes 50 representatives of extreme right wing constituencies to thrust the American political system into gridlock over legislative procedures like raising the debt ceiling.   Spurred on by Senator Ted Cruz, these self-styled Tea Party "patriots" are totally ready to take down the full faith and credit of the U.S. government just to block the President's signature healthcare law.   Does anybody in their right mind really believe Obamacare is going to destroy our economy more than a default on debts we've already rung up?    The Tea Partiers say it will.   Beyond every other extreme position the right has taken, the fact that they are willing to risk our modest economic recovery to block a law that has been validated by the voters and the Supreme Court should tell you something about their other positions.   Too many Americans think blame can be equally assigned to both sides.   The mountain of myths perpetuated by the Tea Party types proves something else.   Obamacare can be tweaked, but the damage from not paying our debts can be disastrous.   Hang on, it could be an even bumpier ride!

He Cared

Connecticut is known as the Land of Steady Habits, and mornings have been radio prime time for decades.   That may help explain why many Connecticut morning radio hosts have occupied their air chairs for decent amounts of time in a business where longevity is rare.    Jerry Kristafer had been the wakeup guy and best known personality at Hartford's WDRC-FM 102.9 for over twenty of the past thirty years.   Last Friday was Jerry's last day at the "Big D", where he was the station's most familiar personality from 1982 to 1997.   He returned to 'DRC-FM in 2007 after a  ten-year morning stint at WELI/New Haven.     I remember hearing his debut on the old WCDQ/Hamden in 1977 as "Crazy Jerry" with his time-telling pig!

 

WDRC turned out to be my radio home longer than anyplace else.  I spent four months back in 1995 as morning newsman for and Brad Davis on WDRC-AM and Jerry on the FM.   Brad, Jerry and the powers that be were very positive about my performance in the morning, so the FM program director Frank Holler decided to put me in with Jerry as a sidekick or perhaps a co-host (I'm still not sure).   That move was not welcomed by Jerry, who'd been made to feel that he was "training his replacement" given the strained relationship he had with Frank.   I can still understand why Jerry felt that way, but if the plan was to make yours truly the new morning guy then it was news to me.    After six months of less than stellar on air chemistry I jumped at management's offer to take the evening shift.   I do know Jerry was appreciative of the job I did as music director; not everyone shared that appreciation.    Jerry could be rough around the edges to people, but he was toughest on himself and one of the more honest and hardworking people I've known in radio.   He cared a lot about the community, using his stage to promote the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and other good causes.    I know his dedication to those causes will continue whether or not he has a morning radio show.   His name will also be the one most associated with WDRC-FM for years to come.

Disgraceful

Welcome to October!   The idiots did it.   They managed to shut down the U.S. government.   Radical right wing Tea Party Republicans - and mainstream GOP leaders lacking the courage to stand up to these political newcomers - have failed to do their job of keeping government running.     Tying these shutdown threats to the repeal of President Obama's signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act, was a foolish move that will come back to haunt them.    Tea Party grandstander Senator Ted Cruz of Texas hails from a state that has the most citizens lacking health insurance, yet he spent 21 hours on a fake filibuster devoid of real facts about what's wrong with the new health insurance laws.   Several GOP Representatives were asked on CNN if they would join thousands of government workers and forego being paid if they shut down the government.    Do you think they had a yes or no to that?    Of course not.    The American people may not know exactly how Obamacare will play out in the coming months, but they do know that shutting down many government services and then threatening to default on our existing debts later this month is unacceptable.    Obamacare is the law of the land, ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court and validated by last year's Presidential election.   Radical Republicans fail to face that fact, blinded by their ideological hatred of President Obama.    We're in dangerous territory now.    The end game is unknown.

The Big E - Just One Difference

At Big E Radio Booth - But Nobody's Here

The Eastern States Exposition - The Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts - is the sixth largest fair in the USA and the biggest on the Eastern Seaboard.    Its bigness isn't the only thing that doesn't change much over time, so it's not a destination I feel the need to visit every year.    That consistency provides something comforting about making the hour journey up there.   I know that was especially true right after 9/11/01.  That was when I did some remote broadcasts on WDRC from the Connecticut Building on the Avenue of the States, my favorite section.   It was such a relief getting out of the solitary studio and being among thousands of other people trying to deal with one of the most shocking chapters in American history.   Maybe I missed it at an unmanned "Big E Radio Booth", but I didn't see any radio stations live on location during my visit.    Perhaps it says a lot about how broadcasting has changed.   Maybe the listeners don't miss it, but this was one opportunity for broadcasters to get out of their isolated studios in a big and interactive way you don't get at a car dealer or furniture store remote.    The rest of the Big E continues to offer unusual and high ticket products, livestock galore and food that is all certifiably unhealthy.   I didn't try something called Fried Kool-Aid, sticking with your basic hot dog and soft serve cone.   My wallet still managed to feel a lot lighter afterwards.   See you later in a few years, Big E!     

Who Doesn't Get It?

"It's a Southern thang and y'all don't get it!"    I saw that quote around a picture of  a Confederate flag.    For months now, everyone traveling along a stretch of Route 16 in Colchester has also been treated to a "stars n' bars" flag prominently displayed in front of one of the trashiest properties in town.     You can't look away from this symbol of Dixieland - it's sticking way out onto this state highway.    I know that some images of the Confederacy are often included as symbols of a self-proclaimed redneck America, but anyone who thinks it is perfectly cool to shove a Confederate flag in my face is displaying an outrageous level of ignorance.    In this age of a return to far right wing politics not seen since the fifties, many extremist hate groups, politicians and broadcasters are even pushing reactionary agendas that make 1955 or even the pre-1860s era seem like the good old days.   Over 620,000 people died in this bitter dispute over slavery and preservation of our union.    Despite a devastated postwar South and continued suppression of civil rights for another century, we have made great strides in breaking down these barriers.   There's no going back.   Confederate battle flags belong in museums or historical reenactments.    They are not acceptable in telling our first black President that you won't let him take your guns.    When I visited Alabama in the 1990s, I saw a compelling exhibit at Birmingham's Civil Rights Museum, advances in American rocketry at Huntsville and a proudly charged up football crowd at the University of Alabama's opening game.   Those images should represent the South.    The Confederate flag should represent a bygone and no so nostalgic chapter in American history.   

Destinations Past

Yours truly (front) in 1968 at Frank Davis Resort, Moodus

When Linda and I took our dog Oreo to the Moodus section of East Haddam for a walk in one of Connecticut's newer state parks, little did I know that a wrong turn would take us into one of the creepier properties next door.   As we entered what looked like the remains of one of many resorts that used to dot the Moodus landscape, it dawned on me that I'd been here before in the sixties on a day trip with grandparents and cousins.   A quick Google search confirmed that the former Sunrise Resort had gone out of business in 2008 and was sold to the State of Connecticut.   It was known as the Frank Davis Resort when I was originally there.   I remember the day rowing down the nearby Salmon River, diving into a huge pool and eating in a big hall.    These days, only a couple of buildings at the entrance, cracking pavement and a few old basketball hoops remain after vandals and demolition crews moved through.   Check out this commercial and video taken after it closed and before most buildings were demolished.     Being there this year brought me back to a time 45 summers ago that seemed so different.    The decline of these resorts - a smaller scale version of New York's Catskills - shows how more sophisticated types of recreation have replaced these venues more likely to be owned by a family than a conglomerate.   There was a time when working class families only had an opportunity to escape the heat of the city by coming to these resorts.   Now that supersized theme parks, cruise liners and tropical beaches have become must-see destinations for the masses, I wonder which generation is actually missing out. 

 

A Dangerous Gamble For The World

President Obama is absolutely right.   Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime has crossed a red line by the use of chemical weapons on over 1,000 of their own citizens.   This flaunting of what has been an accepted norm in warfare since the end of World War I is totally unacceptable.   It's not about deposing Assad at this point.   It's about punishing someone for using these weapons and letting them know that the consequences would prove devastating.    Teaching a tyrant this lesson is worth the effort, except for one thing.   Nobody's on board... not the American public, not the British Parliament, not the UN Security Council.    Russia and China are up to their necks in financial interests in Assad's Syria.   Sunni-dominated Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would like nothing more than hitting Assad hard, but they refuse to join the US out in the open.   Iran, Iraq and their Hezbollah puppets out of Lebanon have helped shore up the Assad regime.   Many refuse to believe the evidence because they don't want to believe the United States.   Secretary of State Kerry has made a compelling case for a military strike, but what is the point of teaching a bad guy a lesson if most of the world refuses to listen?    The world gives a pass on chemical weapons at its own peril.    I'm afraid all the Obama administration can really do is provide a bully pulpit to the world about the folly of looking the other way.    Our own moral imperative has diminished as we failed to punish Saddam Hussein for gassing Iranians and Kurds, hurriedly went into and out of Somalia, ignored the Rwanda disaster and failed to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.   Sadly, it's going to take a more spectacular chemical attack to get the world to get past the politics.   President Obama has become a voice in the wilderness.    It's sad.

Roxy Mornings: Mission Accomplished

I admit to being a bit surprised when I heard who had been named to be the new host of the 100.9 Roxy FM morning show.   Franco made quite a name for himself for years in the New London market as a very upfront personality on Q-105.   The new Roxy FM is more music intensive, including in "AM drive" where four live announcer breaks an hour are confined to sixty seconds each.    Then at 8:00 AM, a 100-minute nonstop commercial-free music marathon kicks off.   In that environment, Franco will undoubtedly make adjustments and I'm sure his bosses will as well.   He starts September 4th, and I do wish him well.   He knows radio programming, has paid his share of dues, is as psyched as anyone I've ever witnessed and has been very positive about what I've done in this interim period.    As someone who's been on the receiving end of disappointment more than once in a profession we love, I can certainly appreciate when something works out.    I'll continue what I was originally brought in to do with the knowledge that I accomplished my Roxy morning mission in a positive way.  

Shadows Of Their Former Selves

Anyone who tells you the economy of eastern Connecticut has made a robust recovery is being either inaccurate or just plain untruthful.    The lingering effects of the federal budget sequester have cut into the buying power of hundreds of civilian workers connected with the Sub Base in Groton.    Now comes word of the layoff of 500 workers at Electric Boat, another reminder of how heavily the area chronically counts on too few industries.     In the advertising business, I can speak to the issues facing print media.    The Day and The Bulletin, like most daily newspapers, continue to lose circulation as readership ages and people rely more on internet sources and regional TV stations.    The weekly local editions of The Reminder are not filling the void either, as offices in Windham and Danielson close their doors.   These publications try to stem the financial bloodletting by downsizing staff, consolidating facilities and shifting emphasis to their online presence.   All of those actions fail to restore their former dominance, but it does buy them time.    While our monthly direct mailed shopper papers and neighborhood mailers hold more steadily than many forms of print media, we are by no means taking up all the slack from some less consistent competitors.   The fact of the matter is that most of these papers have cut back overhead to the point where they can stick around longer without totally going away.   They are all shadows of their former selves.     "Surviving" doesn't equal "thriving", and there can be a thin line between survival and throwing in the towel.   We know direct mail remains viable.   Can daily newspapers or weekly papers that don't get into the home say the same thing?    

A Morning Show Test Drive

Call it a summer vacation from blogging, but not from work.   The past few weeks have been the longest I've been away from updating my blog since it started five years ago.   The online masses haven't been waiting on the edges of their seats for my return, but it's become a habit of mine that defies complete explanation.   I attribute the hiatus to being sleep deprived a lot lately, but I blame more of that on a bone spur in my left hip than anything else.   It's not like this is the first time I've ever done a morning radio show.   This will have been my third week covering the morning show on the New 100.9 Roxy FM (WKNL/New London).    The show feels like a "test drive" since I've expressed interest in full-time status, but realize that they are considering other applicants.   I await word from management soon as to whether this temporary assignment will become permanent.    This still new format targets 25-44 year old women.   While I'm not close to that age group (nor of that gender), I've felt pretty good about sounding relatable enough and keeping the show elements moving along and focused on the music mix.   So I'll just keep the presentation "bright and tight" on Roxy FM while maintaining what I do with my direct mail advertising sales.   An actual vacation would be nice, too. 

Blame A Draconian Law

George Zimmerman

George Zimmerman is a free man after a Florida jury decided against convicting him on second degree murder or manslaughter charges.    I wouldn't have had it play out that way, but I respect the verdict for several reasons.    He was the only surviving witness to a struggle that ended in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.     The jury apparently found him credible enough, but I wonder if some of Zimmerman's actions may have made him more criminally liable for this tragedy.   I believe some of Zimmerman's actions were avoidable, including ignoring the caution of a police dispatcher, which is probably why the jury asked for clarification on the manslaughter option.     If there were no proven "ill will, spite or hatred", why is the Florida manslaughter law mandating 30 years in prison almost as severe as that for second degree murder?     In this case, the jury had little choice.    The justice system worked because the prosecution failed to prove its case, but that's not the only reason.    I believe George Zimmerman should have faced some penalty, but the manslaughter sentence was too harsh.     Blame Florida lawmakers for that, not the court.      Finally, I just want to say how on target President Obama was with his heartfelt remarks on race in America and this trial in particular.    The fact that he waited this long to sound off on the topic shows him to be a President for all Americans who just happens to be black.    Senator McCain was right: it was "impressive."    If the Martin family has some success in a civil suit and the streets stay nonviolent, there will eventually be a measure of justice for Trayvon.

Radio Respite Over

At Sailfest New London

My self-imposed exile from local radio lasted a little under five months, thanks to a call from the folks at Hall Communications in Norwich, owners and operators of 97.7 WCTY, 98.7 WNLC, 100.9 WKNL and 1310 WICH.     Many faces and voices there are quite familiar to me.   VP/Programming Jim Reed and many other staffers were also there when I worked weekends on WICH back in 1990.   Yes, the Hall Group is a remarkably stable place.   Just since my first fill-in on WICH News over a week ago, I've done my first country show ever on WCTY and put in an appearance on the recently launched "100.9 Roxy FM" (WKNL) during their Sailfest New London broadcast.   While the harbor fog put a damper on Sailfest fireworks, I was impressed at how smoothly the station handled the fireworks music simulcast on Roxy.    To this day, I still get nervous when I'm not yet familiar with new procedures.   I had little reason to be, given the supportive reaction from management and other air personalities there.    They really made me feel welcome.   I guess I'm back in radio for awhile!     

So Near Yet So Far

Explosions in Lac-Megantic, Quebec

This past weekend, American cable news networks ran wall to wall coverage of the plane crash of a Korean airliner at San Francisco airport.    That type of breaking news coverage is most certainly warranted.     Meanwhile, in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, a runaway train loaded with oil derailed and produced explosions and fires large enough to devastate the center of this small lakeside town.    Over 2,000 people in the town of 6,000 were evacuated, at least a dozen were killed with dozens more missing.    If you were watching most television news over the weekend, you probably had little or no idea about the Quebec disaster unless you saw a sentence in a crawler at the bottom of your screen as the San Francisco crash aftermath played out in great detail.    Why was one story that much more important than the other?    Lac-Megantic is ten miles from Maine.   The train involved was owned by an American company.   Maine lent firefighting assistance.   Many New England families have deep French Canadian roots.    Does a plane crash at the doorstep of a major U.S. market mean better ratings?    Don't American news networks have coverage arrangements with their Canadian media counterparts?    For a "foreign" news story, it can't get closer to home than this.    I may have Canada on my radar than most Americans, but I can't help but think that CNN, Fox, MSNBC and even New England Cable News executives feel viewers on this side of the border care that little about what goes on over there.    Ignorance about the rest of our world is very dangerous.  

A Tour Through History

Monuments are everywhere

A week on a cruise ship, beach or perhaps a campground may be the ultimate getaway for many people, but I prefer exploring lots of different places on the road.    Tourism through history is my favorite vacation, and no destination focuses on that theme more than Gettysburg, PA.   That's where I went in the summer of 1993.   That year marked the 130th anniversary of this pivotal Civil War battle which lasted three days in July and arguably marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.   A visit to this well-preserved expanse of American history left me with the distinct impression of the hell the combatants on both sides endured in a struggle that could have gone either way.    Beyond the horrific medical care, the idea of wearing scratchy wool uniforms in blistering heat would have been enough to drive me out of my mind.    Gettysburg exacted a huge price, providing a history lesson that applies just as much on its 150th anniversary as the day Lincoln gave his memorable address months after a battle that was still in the process of being cleaned up.    Deer now graze in the tranquil field where Pickett's Charge turned the bloody tide of battle, but the legacy of Gettysburg should never be sanitized.  

Radio Flashback: Half A Lifetime Ago

MTV had already started, but Top 40 radio had hit a slump as the 1980s began.   Then along came the pop infusion of 1983.   That winter I handled lots of fill-ins on WNVR, a Top 40 AM station practically across the street from my apartment in Naugatuck, CT.   It was a great little station, even if it was "revenue challenged."   By that spring I found a full-time radio gig 42 miles down the highway at WLYQ/Norwalk.   "Q96" was also Top 40, but it had been all automated up to that point sounding exactly like Q105/New London did in its pre-live announcer early days.     At first it seemed inconsistent coming out of a six hour midday show with a recorded, robotic and generic announcer into a live and local, afternoon show, but as the automation was cut back the "Q" really came alive.    Q96 had the new music of 1983 on its side, as new artists like Bryan Adams and Duran Duran shared the airwaves with established icons who really hit their stride.   David Bowie and Michael Jackson come to mind.    I remember during my brief tenure in mornings getting a wakeup call from the overnight guy saying I might want to get in earlier since the Connecticut Turnpike's Mianus River Bridge had collapsed.    Of course, Fairfield County's Q96 couldn't keep its Top 40 exclusivity long with this wealth of new music as New York's powerhouses WPLJ and WHTZ (the legendary Z100) joined the fray from less than forty miles away.   KC101/New Haven also got more Top 40 and less adult contemporary.   The "Q" began to attract some impressive Top 40 talent, many making it to the big time in NYC, Boston and beyond.    As the presentation got more high energy, I found a spot that matched my more adult style next door at sister station WNLK-AM 1350.    WNLK had a great news department.    When I didn't get the program director job there, I went up Route 7 to take the PD job in Danbury.    All in all, my Norwalk excursion was a positive one.    Owner Mike Hanson once told me, "I hire good people and let them do their jobs."    That simple philosophy says a lot.  

$140.00... For What?

It seemed like a simple procedure.   We clearly needed storage space, so we took a trip over to Carefree Small Buildings here in Colchester and found a nice 8"x12".   They also set us up with some paperwork so we could get a building permit from the town.   At first I thought we'd have to pay $60 to the regional health district.   Then I was informed I didn't have to pay till it was approved.   I then got a letter saying they couldn't process the request because we didn't pay some unspecified fee, meaning another trip to town hall.   Upon my return I was told, "Who sent you this?"   They said my building was small enough to be exempt from the health district fee.   I got a call today saying my permit was approved and the cost is $140.00!   Where did that figure come from?   If there's that much confusion over a storage shed less than 100 square feet, I can't imagine what I'd be dealing with for a real building.   I know everybody wants their pound of flesh, but could I have gotten a hint of the cost ahead of time?   Oh well, I went this far.  
P.S.:  When I went to pay for the permit, I was informed that $60.00 of it was a state-imposed charge "special" to Connecticut.   Also, the town's addition was wrong; it was actually $151.00.

Damned If You Do...

The latest revelations on intelligence gathering by the U.S. National Security Agency have made for some strange political bedfellows.    Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has been called a hero and a traitor by folks on both sides of the political spectrum for leaking information on government access to millions of phone records.   I don't see any heroes so far in this story.   While President Obama has assured the American people that the government has not been listening to calls without a warrant, I am doubtful of his assertion that Congress has been closely consulted over this activity.   While some of this information has evidently been useful in preventing more terrorist attacks, governmental checks and balances - and as much personal privacy as possible - must be preserved.   Without that, what makes us any better than China?   By the way, should it come as all that surprising that the U.S. has been giving China a dose of its own medicine by hacking their computers?    I find a lot of the indignation on both sides a bit unbelievable.   No matter who's in power, we need to achieve a balance.    We also need to make whistleblowers feel they have recourse within our own system.   Compromising intelligence was the wrong way to go, but it's not all about Mr. Snowden.   It's about what kind of balance we want between freedom and security.   Both sides of the argument have gotten very heavy handed.    

Simple Explanations Don't Work

What century are we living in?    I ask myself something like that whenever an issue comes up surrounding the so-called "Battle of the Sexes" like the latest statistics showing women as the main breadwinner in forty per cent of American households.    Is it really all shocking or terrible?    I heard one commentator (Matt Allen on WPRO-AM/Providence) lament that more men have to "act like a man", as if recreating a scene from The Godfather would bring men back to the roles where they belong.   No doubt there are men who are lazy and looking for instant gratification with no personal responsibility.    Is it just a massive failure to "man up"?    That narrative is all too simple, and it is an insult to the majority of men who work to do the right thing in raising a family, pursuing a career or being an integral part of a community.   Do most young men want to live with their parents forever and shirk work?    I don't think so.   Roles are continually changing for many reasons, some positive, some negative.   Chalking it all up as a bad thing due to the feminization of America demeans us all.   It's more complicated than that. 

Combining Two Households

So this is settling down?  In the weeks since Linda and I got married, things have felt anything but settled.    Perhaps one aspect of marrying later in life is the likelihood of now having at least two of everything.    As she gets ready for the closing on her newly emptied home, the migration of "stuff" to my house has been overwhelming.    We're no hoarders, yet people who didn't arrive on this planet yesterday don't have to be rich to amass a lot of worldly possessions.   I hardly ever needed one rolling pin; now we are blessed with two.   Whether it's mugs, dishes, storage containers, lawn chairs, televisions or Christmas decorations, chances are we've got way more than we need.    After last weekend's big move, one look at my once spacious living room was more than I could take.   The purging process kicked into even higher gear.   The final phase was the integration of her two cats, complete with litter boxes and scratching posts, into this household.    So far, so good on that front... but my dog Oreo must be wondering what the hell is going on.

The Top Ten Radio DJs

As if CNN didn't have enough of its own problems these days, they decide to compile a list of the Top Ten Radio DJs of all time.   First, they need to base the list on the definition of a disc jockey.   To this humble old radio guy who unashamedly never made it bigger than a medium market like Hartford, I would think of a prominent DJ as one who excelled in being an air personality presenting music.   Howard Stern may have been a DJ in his early career, but is his claim to fame in a music environment?   No way!    If you're talking major radio personality, that's different.   Is a program director like Cleveland's Kid Leo a top DJ because he pioneered an album rock format?    Not necessarily.   He's an influential programmer.   Sure, Allan Freed deserved the DJ recognition for coining the term "rock n' roll" and exposing the new genre early on when few others would.   Cousin Brucie had one of the biggest radio audiences in history and Casey Kasem brought his countdown show nationwide, but I don't know how you can narrow down music radio's superstars to a Top Ten.   My favorite DJ is conspicuously absent from the list: WABC's Dan Ingram.   This guy had the quickest wit.  Big Dan was a decades-long essential ingredient of the most listened to station in the nation and an incredible commercial voiceover talent.   He's the "DJ's DJ."    CNN should have done a "Top 40 DJs" list, but Dan Ingram still should have made the Top Ten.

Seven Days In May

It does seem that the past week or so has not been particularly kind to those who lean left on the political spectrum.   After a devastating loss in the Senate to the national gun lobby over universal background checks, dashed hopes for a Democratic congressional seat win in South Carolina and the undying yet unfounded allegations over last year's Benghazi attacks,  the road remains bumpy for the administration's progressive agenda.    For the most part, the left may have been unrealistic in their expectations.    Now we learn that the Internal Revenue Service has been singling out right wing organizations for special scrutiny while the Department of Justice under an administration obsessed with plugging leaks has been snooping through Associated Press reporters' phone records.    Before we rush to judge President Obama as Nixon Revisited, we have no indication he was involved in any of the inappropriate activities attributed to the IRS or DOJ.    Nixon was caught on tape.    That being said, the President needs to do everything in his power to get to the bottom of this outrageous stupidity.    Some Republicans have referred themselves lately as the "party of stupid."    Democrats who get careless about where they pick their battles risk major harm to their brand too.             

Gone In A Flash

The lead time for our May 4th wedding day was not particularly long as weddings go.    One thing is for sure when it does arrive: The day itself comes and goes like no other.    Our event was wonderful with good company, great food, all the essentials and a few extras.    It was certainly not the wildly extravagant  over the top production many couples can't seem to do without.   We're both fine with that, really.   The average American wedding costs $26,000, with some soaring past $100,000.     Why jump into debt for years over something that's over in an instant?     I don't begrudge someone who can afford it, but to us that seems like way too much to spend in one day.    What's the biggest issue to divide couples?    Money.    My new wife and I would rather not get our marriage started with that problem due to a one-day spending spree.    How happily you live through the days that follow is what's important.  

Taylor Swift's New Neighborhood

Taylor Swift's New Digs

Celebrity sightings are not unheard of along our stretch of pricey shoreline, and the Watch Hill section of Westerly just added a big name to its list of property owners.   Pop and country sensation Taylor Swift plunked down over 17 million dollars in cold hard cash to purchase a huge beachfront mansion on five acres.    That deal was negotiated down from an asking price of $20 million, but I still would've loved to have been her realtor.    This is kind of a big deal to locals, but I have to wonder how much time many celebrities even get to enjoy a luxury home when they're so busy touring or making the gossip columns.     Although Watch Hill is slightly off the beaten path, a prominent estate like this is not likely to provide a lot of privacy in this village of small shops.    I guess if Katherine Hepburn could escape the media spotlight spending so much of her later life in Old Saybrook, then perhaps Taylor Swift can get away from the paparazzi during her time in Watch Hill... but I doubt it.     

This Is Obscene

A novice weekend anchor at a small-market North Dakota TV station got instantly and infamously canned when he let out a couple of swear words when he didn't realize his microphone was live.   This was obviously a very dumbass thing to do, but a post today on rock station WPLR's Facebook page brought my attention to something much more obscene.   It mentioned an outrageous rant KTCN/Minneapolis morning co-host Bob Davis made about families of Newtown victims getting involved in the national gun control debate   According to All Access, the original comment, directed at the victims of Newtown "or any other shooting," aired on the April 12th show, went this way: 

 

"Just because a bad thing happened to you doesn’t mean that you get to put a king in charge of my life. I’m sorry that you suffered a tragedy, but you know what? Deal with it, and don’t force me to lose my liberty, which is a greater tragedy than your loss.  I’m sick and tired of seeing these victims trotted out, given rides on Air Force One, hauled into the Senate well, and everyone is … terrified of these victims. I would stand in front of them and tell them, ‘Go to hell.’ ”

 

One Connecticut resident invited Davis to visit Newtown himself.   Maybe then he can see how "exploited" they have been.   He never responded and even continued his warped talking points for days after.   It took Davis an entire week to issue a brief apology.   How sincere could the apology have been if he is allowed to continue his show uninterrupted with the loss of only one sponsor?    To my disgust, some posters on WPLR's Facebook actually said, "but he does have a point."    No, he has a deal breaker.   You've lost any legitimate argument when you have to stoop to that level.   Davis needs to visit Newtown himself or leave talk radio.  It's just the latest shameful tale in a diminished industry.  

A Celebration Turns Tragic

The Boston Marathon, one of this nation's most massive celebrations of life, turned deadly in just a matter of seconds as two explosions rocked the area of the Boylston Street Finish Line.   As the images flash across our screens over and over, we draw from what we learned from the worst attack in our history: 9/11.    Again, in this visit by humanity's darkest side we witness the most inspirational deeds.   Emergency responders and others on hand made their way to the center of the carnage to help.    Yes, we're going to hear a lot about who might have committed this unspeakable act.   That's unavoidable.   Outside of the loss of life and limb, I find the most emotional part of an event like this to be the work and words of the helpers.   That spirit was everywhere on 9/11.   It was on display in Newtown and hasn't left yet.   That is the real spirit of America which will undoubtedly be celebrated by even more the next time the Boston Marathon comes around.     

Life's Curveballs

Linda and I will be getting married May 4th.   You would think that everything related to the wedding would now be the center of our attention during the weeks leading up to it.   Think again.   Other aspects of our lives seem to be crying out for immediate attention.   I wouldn't pretend to play down the importance of our wedding day, but it was made simpler for me by listening to friends' advice and deferring to Linda on the details (although I did get the DJ).    Life has other complications now.   For one thing, Linda has been trying to get her house sold so she can then move in with me.   Selling a house is nerve wracking enough.   I tell her it will work out, but she'll believe that when the deal is done.   Some medical issues have dragged on for me since last summer, thanks to some neck arthritis that has painfully radiated into my shoulders and can seriously disturb my sleep.    I really want to be on the road to recovery as I start this new phase of my life.    Some folks say it's just part of getting older, but I refuse to attribute it all to that.   I've still got years that require me to be productive and I wouldn't have it any other way.   When life throws curveballs, it's more important than ever to prioritize and simplify.   The wedding itself?    Piece of cake!

The Bipartisan Route Through Hartford

As the NRA waits for the "Newtown Effect" to fade, we got two reminders today of the continuing impact of the mass shooting.   Before the Red Sox/Yankees opening day game in The Bronx, there was a fitting remembrance of what happened in December.    Meanwhile in Hartford, Connecticut lawmakers announced a deal on what they called some of the toughest gun laws in the country.    Unlike many other states, the newly enacted laws drew both Democratic and Republican support.    I heard a local talk show host waste no time in riling up his right wing listener base claiming the new laws would have done nothing to prevent the Newtown massacre.   Since the 1993 national assault weapons restrictions expired in the last decade, we'll never know that, will we?    The one thing the NRA has proposed has been making armed camps out of all our public schools.   Sure, that "take it or leave it" contribution to the national gun debate guarantees even more widespread business for the gun makers they represent, it's not enough.   Towns can hire more armed guards if they so choose, but if mass shootings can occur on military bases then what makes this the one effective answer to a determined killer armed for maximum destruction?    The only other argument by gun control opponents is the whole idea that this is the start of a federal government plan to confiscate all firearms.   That is pure paranoia based on nothing real.   Today, our Connecticut lawmakers can be proud of reaching across the aisle and taking a stand.   Are you listening, Washington?    I have my doubts.

They Love Their Dump

Blame it on this winter that refuses to go away.   My blog topics have all been serious for weeks on end.   How we get rid of our trash may also be a weighty issue, but some folks in Montville apparently find regular trips to the town landfill to be an enjoyable experience.   Those comments came from residents who spoke out against a proposal by town council member Dana McFee to have town-wide trash pickup.   Now, residents either pay a private contractor or take the trash to the dump themselves.   Some say this destination has become a social gathering place where their kids even like to come along.   They like it!    I do admit a feeling of accomplishment when I cart away big things that do nothing but clutter up my home, but a weekly jaunt to the town landfill just to get rid of everyday trash can get old very quickly.   Maybe one man's trash can be another man's treasure, but I see little evidence of that.   I've also always felt the dump was a place to jettison junk and not a prime spot for a scavenger hunt.     For one thing, I find little intriguing in most tag sales or in that old pogo stick or golf bag left at the curb, let alone picking over what others leave behind in a landfill.   No one will ever call me a hoarder, and whenever I exhibit my penchant for holding on to all things electronic I recall an episode of TV's Hoarders and find the process of letting go easier.