Must See Radio

Civilization by Marco Brambilla

2010-03-29T14:00:00.001-07:00

Inspired

Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D

2009-08-13T16:52:00.001-07:00

This caused a "holy crap" moment in me.

Vinni Puh

2008-10-25T13:42:00.001-07:00

Winnie the Pooh in Russian?!!

This makes me smile. I like it even better than the Disney version.

I guess the Russians do know their bears.

Allergy Alert

2008-10-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

I spotted this helpful sign at the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston Salem a few weeks ago.

1958 - Global Warming

2008-10-23T00:12:00.001-07:00

Fig. 1. The Underpant Worn By the Rat

2008-06-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Christmas Goodness

2007-12-03T10:15:00.001-08:00

James Brown gives you dancing lessons

2007-11-14T10:54:00.001-08:00

Ow! My Knees!

Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich!

2007-10-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Link

Welcome to the Monkeysphere

2007-10-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

Good food for thought. If by food you mean monkeys.

And by thought you also mean monkeys.

Actually, possibly not good food for thought. I just thought about 150 of you should be up on what I found interesting.

From the hard hitting investigative news team at cracked.com.

Julius Sumner Miller - Physics - Evaporation, etc pt. 1

2007-10-02T15:37:00.001-07:00

I remember this show we watched in physics class back in high school.

My friends and I were fascinated by Julius Sumner Miller. He was like Mr. Wizard on different... um... chemicals.

In fact, we thought he was FANTASTIC!!

Here is a clip I have wanted to see again ever since in which he freezes water by boiling it.

The only thing missing from this clip is his oft repeated habit of yelling "Watch It! Watch It!" while pointing at an experiment.

Annie Hall

2007-09-27T10:28:00.001-07:00

Marshall McLuhan: "The Medium is the Massage."

I could really go for a massage right now.

The L-Curve: Income Distribution of the U.S.

2007-09-09T22:14:00.001-07:00

Who Owns America's Wealth?

2007-09-09T22:08:00.001-07:00

Mr Show - The Civil War Re-Enactments

2007-09-02T22:31:00.001-07:00

Iggy Pop chats with Dinah Shore, 1977

2007-08-27T11:43:00.001-07:00

How George Carlin Made Legal History

2007-08-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

How George Carlin Made Legal History

Robert Anton Wilson
from Quantum Psychology

Here is an interesting article by Robert Anton Wilson about the concept of why certain words are considered "dirty" and others are not. This subject has been somewhat fascinating to me ever since I started working in broadcasting. It was of particular relevance when I started supervising college student radio announcers.

WARNING: Contains dirty words.

"One cannot dismiss this mystery as trivial. When comedian George Carlin made a record ("Occupation: Foole") discussing, among other things, "The seven words you can never say on television," WBAI radio (New York) played the record, and received a fine so heavy that, although the incident occurred in 1973, WBAI, a small listener-sponsored station, recently announced (1990) that they have not yet paid all their legal costs in fighting the case, which went all the way to the Supreme Court. The Eight Wise Men (and One Wise Woman) thereon upheld the Federal Communications Commission.

The highest court in the land has actually ruled on what comedians may and may not joke about. George Carlin has become something more than a comedian. He now has the status of a Legal Precedent."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is a link to information on Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation; the supreme court case referenced in all of this.

Here is a link to the text of the ruling.

Keep in mind: I studied this in college.

Flight Of The Conchords - Foux Da Fa Fa

2007-08-07T22:32:00.001-07:00

More Conchords. A great opportunity to brush up on your french.

Mirror - Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky

2007-08-03T12:05:00.001-07:00

This brief haunting sequence is from the movie "Mirror" by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky.

All of his films I have seen (Mirror, Andrei Rublev, Solaris, The Sacrifice...) have this amazing visual style to them. The experience of watching these movies seemed to me almost like looking into someone else's dreams while they sleep.

After Stanley Kubrick, Tarkovsky may be my favorite director.

This clip is just a minute long. This isn't like when I posted the entirety of "Day of the Triffids" a few weeks back. Here is a longer clip from "Mirror" to give at least a little context to the above if you feel the need.

xkcd Bookstore

2007-07-31T13:52:00.001-07:00

This reminds me of something I wrote on here last year.

Robert Anton Wilson's Thought for the Day

2007-07-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

“Cynics regarded everybody as equally corrupt. . . . Idealists regarded everybody equally corrupt, except themselves.”

--- Robert Anton Wilson

Charles Mingus Cat Toilet Training Program

2007-07-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most interesting cultural artifacts I have found for a while.

Legendary and enigmatic Jazz musician, educator, and composer Charles Mingus wrote this guide for toilet training your cat.

I will have to give this a try with my cat. I probably would have never tried such a thing (even though I have heard of this and considered it before) if I hadn't found this Mingus endorsement of the procedure.

From The Onion: Report: Many U.S. Parents Outsourcing Child Care Overseas

2007-07-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Report: Many U.S. Parents Outsourcing Child Care Overseas

Wired Reports Temporary Reprieve for Internet Radio

2007-07-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Wired online is reporting a temporary reprieve for Internet Radio. The increased royalty rates that may have effectively shut down the industry this Sunday will not yet be collected.

Link to the article.

British Legal System Dragged Kicking and Screaming Into 17th Century

2007-07-13T09:06:00.001-07:00

That headline is misleading, but I couldn't resist. Apparently, powdered wigs will no longer be required in some British legal proceedings.

Click here to read more.

tarepanda

2007-07-12T19:34:00.001-07:00

I don't know anything about what this is or where it comes from.

All I know is IT IS THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD.

Well, maybe not that great, but pretty darn good all the same.

WOXY.com Goes to Washington

2007-07-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

WOXY.com's Bryan Jay Miller recently addressed the House Committee on Small Business on the subject of the Copyright Royalty Board's recent decision to raise royalty rates for webcasting.

His remarks have been posted on YouTube.

Mommy The Boofa is Gone

2007-07-02T21:54:00.001-07:00

Wow. The connections just wired themselves together in my brain.

I just found out that Brad Bird, the guy behind The Incredibles, The Iron Giant, and the new movie Ratatouille, is the same guy who wrote and directed The Family Dog.

This may not mean much to everyone, but to me and a select number of my childhood friends this is significant cultural information.

It all fits now.

Is you good baby?!!

Adam's Diary "translated" by Mark Twain

2007-06-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

I was digging around Borders the other day and flipped through a copy of

Extracts from Adam's Diary, translated from the original ms. by Mark Twain.


I always appreciate any book than can make me laugh out loud (or LOL
as the young chaps are saying these days)and embarrass myself in public.
It seems even more impressive when an old public domain book can have
that effect.
I have enclosed a brief excerpt from the version available on gutenberg.org.
If you haven't checked out Project Gutenberg yet, now is your chance.
Great old books are available for your enjoyment free of charge.

----------------------------------------
"We have named it Cain.  She caught it while I was up country
trapping on the North Shore of the Erie; caught it in the timber
a couple of miles from our dug-out--or it might have been four,
she isn't certain which.  It resembles us in some ways, and may
be a relation.  That is what she thinks, but this is an error,
in my judgment.  The difference in size warrants the conclusion
that it is a different and new kind of animal--a fish, perhaps,
though when I put it in the water to see, it sank, and she plunged
in and snatched it out before there was opportunity for the
experiment to determine the matter.  I still think it is a fish,
but she is indifferent about what it is, and will not let me have
it to try.  I do not understand this."
-----------------------------------------

Flight of the Conchords - Think about It (CUT)

2007-06-29T20:03:00.001-07:00

Flight of the Conchords- Business Time

2007-06-29T17:55:00.001-07:00

Click Here

2007-06-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

Click Here

Windows Error Messages - A Love Story

2007-06-26T21:25:00.001-07:00

Day of the Triffids

2007-06-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

Day of the Triffids from 1963.

I would like to thank my father for introducing me to all kinds of cheesy sixties sci-fi goodness during my childhood.

Internet Radio Day of Silence Today

2007-06-26T13:43:00.001-07:00

Here's a Washington Post Article about the Internet Radio Day of Silence.

Here's the BoingBoing post on the subject.

More Idiocracy

2007-06-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

Here is some more information on the film "Idiocracy."

This is an article from Esquire magazine about some of the film's release Problems.

Here is a blog post about the graphic design elements of the film.

An MSNBC report on the film from 2006.

Here is the movie's introduction from YouTube. I should note the small distorted screen in this version makes some of the more subtle aspects of the film more difficult to see. It also qualifies as NSFW.

Welcome to the Healthmaster Inferno!

2007-06-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

I finally found a trailer for Mike Judge's "Idiocracy."

I didn't think one even existed.

I was one of the chosen few with an opportunity to see this movie in the theater last year. One of these days I need to write about the experience.

As far as my claims to hipster legitimacy are concerned, I rank seeing this film in the theater right up there with seeing Nirvana in concert back in 1993.

This is destined to become a true cult classic.

HANDS ON A HARD BODY

2007-06-17T19:17:00.001-07:00

I am still waiting for this movie to become available on DVD.

"Hands on a Hard Body" is a documentary about a contest in which the participants keep their hands on a pickup truck for as long as possible. The last person still touching the truck (after several days) wins.

The movie was filmed in Longview Texas which is where I lived from 2004 through 2006. It might give you a pretty fair idea what sort of folks I saw on a regular basis.

I think it was last year the BBC sent a correspondent to cover the contest in Longview. One of the recently disqualified contestants walked to the K Mart around the corner, stole a gun, and shot himself with it.

I haven't heard anything else about the contest since.

Theremin Kit

2007-06-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

If you find the Theremin as interesting as I do, you may appreciate this Theremin Kit available from PAIA.com.

They also have kits to build your own analog synthesizer. One of these days, I'm going to totally nerd out and get one of these.

I understand the kits and plans are put together in such a way that they teach you about electronics and the physics of sound while you build your toy. Plus there is the fun of inhaling all those great fumes coming from the soldering iron.

SO CUTE

2007-06-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

Maybe you are crazy.

2007-06-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

How 'bout that? How can anyone pass up the opportunity to hear (and see) Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" played on the Theremin?

Actually, I think I could pass that up on further reflection.

Regina Spektor - On The Radio

2007-06-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

"We listened to it twice 'cause the DJ was asleep" - Regina Spektor

Link

I CAN HAZ CHEEZBURGER?

2007-06-11T20:42:00.001-07:00

EMI Records Folds?

2007-06-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

This article reports the apparent demise of EMI: one of the oldest record labels.

Link

Soviet Video Games

2007-06-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

Wired Magazine presents video games of the Soviet Union.

My Cyrillic is a bit rusty, but I think this machine says Vozdushny Boy. The caption says it means Dog Fight.

Take that Maverick! You Imperialist Stooge!

Be sure to check out the extensive photo gallery

Old Spice Commercial ft Bruce Campbell

2007-06-01T21:34:00.001-07:00

I am very reluctant to refer to a television commercial as a work of art. Bruce Campbell just happens to be one of my heroes.

It should be noted, however, that Old Spice still smells like a Jr. High locker room.

Sviatoslav Richter

2007-06-01T12:24:00.001-07:00

For comparison, here is what Richter could do when he wasn't trapped in a sack.

Monty Python - Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1

2007-06-01T12:18:00.001-07:00

The incomparable Sviatoslav Richter makes an appearance on British Television.

And Rita.

2007-06-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Media Landscape Redefined By 24-Second News Cycle

ATLANTA, GA—Media critics have argued that segments lasting less than four seconds are missing out on some of the nuance and context the old 45-second pieces provided.

6 Years Ago

2007-05-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

I was rummaging through some of my old pictures when I ran across this shot of me in the KRTU booth back in the summer of 2001.

The short version of how I reacted is I went for a two hour bike ride.

This was taken during a time where I was mountain biking at least 4 days a week and playing ultimate on the weekends.

I was also apparently the palest person in San Antonio, Texas.

I haven't been nearly that athletic for years, but it is still a fair indication of the way I view myself. My latent self image as it were.

What I can't really fathom right now is where the last 6 years got to. I got injured, I got fired, the country went kind of mental, I moved, I got pregnant.

OK that last one didn't really happen, but compared to what I used to weigh, I think I look it.

I CAN HAS LOLCATS

2007-05-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

LINK

WKRP on DVD

2007-04-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Imagine my excitement when I found out recently that WKRP in Cincinnati finally, at long last has come out on DVD. I've patterned my life after this show since I started watching it at a very young age. I actually worked for a while in the building shown at the base of the tower in the WKRP opening credits. I should note, that building does not house a radio station.

Reportedly, the series was delayed on its journey to DVD by extensive problems acquiring the rights to music used on the show. How disappointing.

However, as soon as I found out the series was available, I moved it to the top of my Netflix queue.

I feel a bit ripped off. The way they got around the music rights issue was to remove almost all of the music from the original episodes. The opening and closing credits still have the original music, but virtually all of the scenes in the studio, especially those involving Dr. Johnny Fever have been changed severely. I'm most upset because this meant removing what may be my favorite radio joke of all time.

At least youtube has it for the time being.

I understand the economic reasons, but I wish they could have left the Pink Floyd in and not just the Hallelujah Tabernacle Choir singing "You're Having My Baby."

Internet Radio In Trouble Again

2007-04-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

From SaveNetRadio.org:

"The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on May 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). If the increased rates remain unchanged, the majority of webcasters will go bankrupt and silent on this date. Internet radio needs your help! H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act was introduced by Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL ) to save the Internet radio industry. Please call your congressperson to ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060 by clicking below."

Link

300 The Director's Cut

2007-04-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

300 men in leather panties and a cat tackling a dog.

The horror!

Cute Overload

2007-04-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

I admit this may be a touch out of character for me, but why should everything about this blog be completely cynical?

Link

Internet Radio May Stream North to Canada

2007-04-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

Here is another article on the future of internet radio:

"Despite their popularity, there is growing fear that a recent U.S. royalty decision could effectively shut down thousands of webcasting services. The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board recently established a new royalty scheme that dramatically increases the fees that webcasters will be required to pay to stream music online."

An Onion Classic from 2003

2007-04-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

This War Will Destabilize The Entire Mideast Region And Set Off A Global Shockwave Of Anti-Americanism vs. No it won't

George W. Bush may think that a war against Iraq is the solution to our problems, but the reality is, it will only serve to create far more.

XKCD.com

2007-04-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Austin Chronicle: Red State Blues

2007-03-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Kilgore, Texas is not yet a ghost town. I always got the feeling it was headed in that direction during the 2 years I worked there.

Now that I live and work in a place that is less hostile to outsiders, I hope I'm getting enough perspective to write coherently about my impressions of East Texas.

This is a recent article from the Austin Chronicle that reminded me of some of my experiences in that area.

Top 15 Unintentionally Funny Comic Book Panels

2007-03-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Noooo!

2007-03-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

Bong Hits for Jesus Revisited

2007-03-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

When I lived in San Antonio, I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Nuke An Unborn Gay Whale for Jesus."

Radio's Big Bully

2007-03-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

This is another Salon article from 2001 about Clear Channel Communications and why everyone loves them so.

Good Mornin' (Your Town Here)

2007-03-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here is an Wired article from 2002 about radio automation.

Bong Hits 4 Jesus

2007-03-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

I aspire to be a satirist someday. Until I come up with my own original satire, I will continue to transcribe the satire disguised as reality I see all around me.

NY Magazine Article: Kids, the Internet, and the End of Privacy

2007-03-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

I am pretty shy when it comes to sharing too much about myself online. That causes tension in every post I make here. It also probably makes this blog much more boring than it would be otherwise. I would like to think so anyway.

Maybe I just feel like I got burned when the most fame I have ever received was for getting fired from a job.

Here is an interesting article from New York Magazine about the changing face of privacy on the internet and the new generation gap.

Radio Payola News

2007-03-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

Here's some new payola radio news from the Associated Press:

Stations Agree on Anti-Payola Settlement

WOXY.com Back in Business

2007-03-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

This isn't exactly timely information, but WOXY.com is back in business again after a brief silence. They have set up a satellite office of some sort in San Francisco I believe so they can record more bands for their Lounge Acts series.

Those recordings are also available as a podcast by the way.

And, as always, they have one of the best live streams on the interweb.

Century of the Self Documentary

2007-03-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a Google Video post of "The Century of the Self," a BBC documentary from a few years ago which is one of the more thought provoking films I've seen in recent years.

Century of the Self

Takes me back to when I studied marketing in college.

Wanky the Safety Cat

2007-02-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

I recently started receiving messages from the PubTech public radio mailing list.
Here is just some of the useful information I've gotten from these highly trained professionals.

WANKY THE SAFETY CAT

Kilgore Texas Revisited

2007-02-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

Here is an update on the old station in Kilgore.

2007-02-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Mee Mee Me Meeeee Mee.

Update

2007-01-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a nutshell version of what has happened since my last post.

I am now the operations manager of WSNC FM 90.5 in Winston Salem North Carolina. I'm back doing Jazz on the radio again. I must say. It feels good.

The station is located on the campus of Winston Salem State University which is a HBCU and part of the UNC system.

I moved to Winston Salem back in November. My first day of work was November 15th of 2006 which was 2 years to the day from when I started work at KTPB in Kilgore, Texas.

Switching to a new city every two years can be a pain, but I like this place more than where I used to live. Maybe that could just be because I don't have to be at work at 6am every day.

More later.

Happy New Year

2007-01-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Radiohead - Pyramid Song

Timely Update

2006-10-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

A month without a post.

A month with too much to write.

Here is a portion of my updated life story.

I moved out of East Texas about a month ago. My parents were kind enough to come down and help me move my belongings to a storage unit in Ohio while I figured out what my next step should be.

I've been alternating between my hometown and Cincinnati every few days so I can eat the food of both family and friends.

I have also accepted a position as Operations Manager at WSNC, the radio station at Winston Salem State University in North Carolina. I will be starting there on November 15th.

I get to move again. Yay.

I am excited and nervous about the new job. I hope it goes well.

Sharpies

2006-09-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of packing up all my belongings so I can move to ... um... somewhere I guess. I stopped by Wal Mart yesterday to pick up some packing tape and markers. I used the self-checkout since it was open and had no line. The weird checkout computer came up with an error message which summoned the checkout helper and kept me from doing it all myself.

According to the nice lady, the system requires verification that the purchaser is over 18 in order to purchase Sharpies.

Is this a drug thing? Is there an epidemic of sniffers out there? The only other possibility I came up with is that there are tons of people marking up desks and things in schools.

Does anyone know anything about this?

I'm going to sniff all of these markers just so I can find out for myself.

2006-09-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

SALVADOR DALI starring TV CM (2) ALKA-SELTZER

Idiocracy

2006-09-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the folks at The Onion AV Club for announcing the release of Mike Judge's new film Idiocracy.

I've done just a bit of research on the history of this film. I must say I'm very intrigued to see it. Not just because Judge's previous film Office Space is one of the most dead-on chronicles of modern life ever to appear on film.

Keep in mind this film was supposedly finished two years ago, and it hasn't even been given a theatrical trailer or any advertising yet.

I see two strong possibilities here: Either this confirms my Brazil theory that any movie that accurately satirizes bureaucracy will be interpreted by the bureaucrats responsible for releasing it as a direct attack on them, or this is truly such a smoking turd of a movie that it couldn't get past the studio that brought us "Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties" and "John Tucker Must Die."

Blogofractal

2006-09-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Keeping With the Must See Radio Theme

2006-09-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Anyone Else Feel Like a Break From Reality?

2006-09-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia too credible for you?

Try Uncyclopedia: The Content Free Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit.

WOXY.com Puts in 2 Weeks Notice

2006-09-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Well the fun just doesn't stop.

I stopped by WOXY.com just a few minutes ago to hear some decent music for a change. Turns out the reaper seems to be at their door right now.

After a few years of webcast only operations, it seems that they couldn't find a way to make it work financially. I pretty much saw this coming a while back, but it still doesn't make me any happier.

Read more here at their website.

Give them a listen now while you still can.

The Contrarian Perspective

2006-09-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of years, I think it changed my perspective on the news to start every morning with different perspectives.

Every morning, I would wake up at 4:45am to the clackety-thunk of the CD changer on my alarm clock engaging. I would turn on the BBC news on the Dallas PBS affiliate and that would be the background noise while I got ready for work. I could tell it was time to get out the door when the news would end at 5:30 and "Sit and Be Fit" would come on, an incredibly depressing show where a smiley older woman would show you how to exercise when you can't stand up anymore.

After I drove to Kilgore, I would switch from the overnight Beethoven Network classical music feed to live broadcasting with my introduction from 6:00 to 6:01 when I would switch to about 3 minutes of live BBC radio news. Then I would print out the morning's AP headlines for me to read when the BBC reader would kick it back to me.

After 2 minutes of AP headlines, I would introduce the first piece of music, start it up, and try to stay awake until my next break.

I have a real distrust for the mainstream news. I'm particularly sensitive to it when I'm using my own voice to read news which I can't verify with my own eyes. Even if it wouldn't really change what I would read, I felt the need to use the internet to find different perspectives.

Disinformation at disinfo.com is one of the best sources of contrarian information I've found in the past few years.

An example of what I mean by contrarian: On Pearl Harbor Day last year, they had links to stories from writers who either theorized that FDR was behind Pearl Harbor or that he purposely left Hawaii open to attack to pull the US into the war.

The best thing about the people who put together Disinformation is they don't seem to take it all seriously. It is a great place to find out what the underground is saying about the news, and one link may flatly contradict the next.

Now if you really want to end up paranoid and confused, I recommend the Jeff Rense website at rense.com.
This is a great place to find out about what is going on with Chupacabra, bigfoot, aliens, strange unexplained diseases, global conspiracies, and other weirdness. After a few hours of sorting through this stuff, you may never believe anything ever again. Of course, if any of this nonsense turns out to be true someday, you can tell the people listening to you mumbling incoherently on the street that you knew about the truth behind cattle mutilations years before anyone else.

Bad Time

2006-09-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

More Coverage of KTPB Farewell

2006-09-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

Coverage of the KTPB Farewell in the Longview News Journal

KTPB is Dead

2006-08-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

KTPB is dead. Long live KTPB.

"The night that KTPB died... Nana Na naNa naNa..."

KTPB sale still not complete

2006-08-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

From the latest Kilgore News Herald:

"KTPB sale still not complete

by LESTER MURRAY news2@kilgorenewsherald.com
When Kilgore College agreed to sell KTPB to a California-based Christian radio network, all parties expected the deal to be done by the end of day on August 31. "

It goes on to say essentially, "Yeah, but we're firing the staff today anyway."

The article will be available to read online in 4 weeks.

Also today: Kilgore College Rangerettes lost in field, and Texas ranks 49th among US states in number of residents with high school education.

One Day Left

2006-08-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the last day of my employment at KTPB.

Here is a fun picture of the windowless building I have been working in for the past year.

It's the beige one.

The red one on the left is the building that was supposed to be demolished last year. It is full of ripped carpet and toxic mold.

Yay.

The sky is pretty though.

More Thoughts and Perspectives on Radio

2006-08-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here is an article from the Austin Chronicle

Another article from somewhere else on the fortunes of Public Broadcasting

Thoughts on media ownership from the Future of Music Coalition

and of course

Corporate Radio Sucks T-shirts from Woxy.com

2006-08-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Zack of All Trades - Future Blob

Now I understand.

This nameless faceless anxiety I'm feeling about the end of my job.

It was lodged in my subconscious somewhere back in the eighties on a Saturday morning.

News Policy

2006-08-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

National news policies and priorities are still an interesting subject for me.

Much of the priorities are set by the the Associated Press and the New York Times. In other words, what they see as important is parrotted by virtually every other news outlet in the country. If you read a newspaper, pay attention to how many articles are written by AP or NYT reporters rather than anyone local.

One advantage I have as a local news reader: I was able to take the entire first page of my AP news feeds last week and skip it since I didn't think the hullaballoo about the Ramsay case was news. That's right. Many of last weeks news feeds had like the first three national or international stories on that one subject.

Radio Sucks

2006-08-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

It is official.

On the cover of the latest edition of Wired.

Radio Sucks.

Thank you Mr. Hansen.

Radio Update

2006-08-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed how few of my postings deal with the ongoing saga of the sale of KTPB. I have many things on my mind lately, and frankly I still don't know what to say about it.

My last day of employment is the 31st which I guess is Thursday.

Since there will be no music director and no staff after then, I guess they will go to a constant feed of Peter VanDeGraff from the satellite Beethoven network like we have been on our overnight hours. I'm sure there will be many listeners who won't even notice. There is rarely any mention of any of this on the air.

Kathy, the station GM and one of the announcers, has been out of town for a few days since she has a job interview in her home state of Kansas. She pre-taped the final edition of her Friday afternoon Musical Theatre Hour program which I started before I left the office this afternoon. All of the music on the show was about goodbyes. It was titled "The Party's Over."

I guess that is the most blunt expression of the present situation which has aired recently.

I am spending a great deal of mental energy trying to figure out what I am going to do next. I can't imagine living in this area any longer. Other than that, I'm sending out resumes to Ohio, New York, Colorado, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis among others.

I have given some thought to what piece of music would be fitting as my final act as Music Director. I have too many good choices so I will probably wait and see how I feel next week.

Part of me wants to end with Beethoven's 9th symphony to go out with an air of overcoming obstacles. Another part wants to go out with Mahler's 6th symphony, also known as his tragic symphony since it ends after more than an hour of music on a note of complete despair.

The loudest voice in my head can't help but think of the song written by John Hickman when his band Cracker was saying farewell to a long and complicated relationship with Virgin Records. The title was "It Ain't Gonna Suck Itself."

I am somewhat disappointed to see that this job for which I moved to this area of the country is ending under unfortunate conditions. Of course, the majority of my time of employment here could be considered unfortunate conditions. I remember last summer we were operating out of a temporary office in a building with no air conditioning that should probably have been condemned. Certain members of the staff speculated at the time that it almost seemed like the college administration was trying to get rid of us.

I'm not really bitter. Chances are good I will end up somewhere much more pleasant. This was a good cause to fight for, but the fight is over.

I came in somewhat unsure of whether I could be the Music Director of a Classical Music station. That insecurity led me a while ago to almost feel it was my fault the station was going under. I would hope if that was the case they would have replaced me rather than just letting me destroy things. That's a pretty good insight to my thinking.

This place has had bigger problems for a long time. They had a good run. We had a good run.

The party's over. Almost anyway.

Starbuck's here I come.

2006-08-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Killing us softly 3

This is a video I first saw a version of when I was in college studying mass communication. It has had an enormous influence on how I view advertising, movies, magazines, and virtually any sort of visual communication. I think everyone should see this at some point whether they come away agreeing or not. The other 3 parts are available on youtube.

You're the Man Now Dog

2006-08-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you once again to an example of the greatness possible with this brandly newfangled internet thingamawhosit.

This is my way of paying tribute to YOURETHEMANNOWDOG.COM

This now legendary site has spawned a whole culture of what have come to be known as YTMND sites, a YTMND Wiki site, and tons of imitators.

As a mental exercise, imagine travelling back in time about 10 or 15 years and trying to explain this to your younger self.

I'll wait here.

Heff Ra on Myspace

2006-08-20T23:40:00.000-07:00

I just found my old friend and co-conspirator from the KRTU days on MySpace.

You can find Heff-Ra at www.myspace.com/heff_ra

2006-08-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

R.A. Wilson - Quantum Mechanics for Dummies

One of my more fascinating discoveries on netflix recently is the film "Robert Anton Wilson - Maybe Logic." Here is one of my favorite segments where Wilson is asked (through his drunken Pauli Girl translator)to explain quantum physics simply. He actually kind of does it.
Maybe not for everyone, but I loved it. Fnord.

Meddling With the Primal Forces of Nature

2006-08-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

"I try to think about things logically, and, as a result, people think I'm a satirist."
- Robert Anton Wilson

I have great difficulty naming an absolute favorite in any category. I can talk at length about why I like certain movies or songs or books or genres or cars or whatever, but, like the pyramid on the great seal, I have difficulty envisioning the apex.

I've lately been identifying my favorite movie as Network from 1976.

I am not necessarily mad as hell, and I assume I will be taking it for quite some time, but I must say I identify more now than I used to with Howard Beale's plight of being removed from the air for bad ratings.

I just ran across some not exactly breaking news that George Clooney plans to produce a live television production of Network sometime in the near future.

I wonder if anything in the story will have to be updated to make it seem like satire now.

Must See Birth Control

2006-08-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

I was just working at my computer with the TV on, and I heard a song I recognized from somewhere.

Then it struck me.

It was the song Sure Thing by St. Germaine that I used as the background for my legendary Must See Radio promo from a few years back.

It was used in a commercial for what is apparently a hip, happening new birth control pill called (I'm not making this up) Yaz. The commercial features several hip, happening yuppie women hanging out at a stylish restaurant or bar while listing possible side-effects of pharmaceuticals in great detail to each other.

Wow. How appropriate.

It really is dope.

G

Patton Oswalt on Morning DJs

2006-08-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun little essay by the comedian Patton Oswalt on the sheer joy of appearing on wacky morning radio shows.

Click Here to Go to There

Reminds me of my years doing the wacky morning classical music and BBC news morning show in the morning.

I never bothered to pretend I was enjoying myself. I did however pretend I was conscious. Still do.