What's In The Car CD Player

Were they any better, badder or bigger than this? This CD just gets better with time. I was 15 when this came out and "Brown Sugar" got me. There are two of my other favorite Stones songs on this. "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" and "Bitch". Bobby Keys played a bad ass sax and Ian Stewart laid down some nasty Hammond B3 action. But "The Stones" NEVER topped this, in my opinion.
Other than "Alone Together", this is my favorite Dave Mason CD. I thought he was on top of his game at the time and great harmonies from Graham Nash and David Crosby always made me wonder if Dave could have been BETTER than Stills. His playing is first rate and the songwriting superb. In 1973, THIS was the LP on my turntable most of the time and I still listen today. Nice job, Dave.

Random Stuff

April 14th is way too early for the air conditioning. In order to have peace in the family, that is what is up on this day. I am usually pissed if it is turned on before June but with temps in the 90s today, I will try and make peace with the other people that live here.

The boy is back for Easter. He said last night that he will be away most of the summer and he is going to three away games for the Irish. He and his friends are going to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech game, Lansing for Michigan State and LA for the SoCal game. Notre Dame has a shot at a national championship next year. After all the $$ we have sent that school, that's the least they can do.

I remember my dad saying to save at least 10% of what you earn. A "rainy day fund", he called it. After sending two through college, I will have nothing left. Nothing. It sure goes fast. In five years (after the last one gets through), I will have nothing. Nothing. Zilch. Retirement? Me? Ha!

The job search has been very interesting. A number of bites from out of town, but something I interviewed for yesterday may be very cool. Something I have always wanted to do. I won't say what or where, but stay tuned...

It's Easter in St. Louis. They are having the Kirkwood Police direct traffic in front of the Honeybaked Ham store on Manchester Road. Busy trafficway anyway and when you have hundreds of blue haired women getting thier hams, it can only lead to riots and general mayhem.

My yard sucks. I remember many years ago, my father burned our yard. Set it on fire. I asked him why and he said "crabgrass". Shit, I would set the whole thing ablaze this year if I could. I not only have crabgrass but the clover shit that no one else has in my neighborhood. I have sprayed it once and this weekend will give it another dose. Maybe I could burn my yard at night...

Another GTO Picture...

I continue to salivate about certain things in my youth. This is one of them. I had one that looked exactly like the top picture but had the same spoiler as in the bottom. I think it got about 12 miles to the gallon. We would fill it up at about 7 on a Friday and drive all night to nowhere in particular listening to the AM radio play "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder and "Hi Hi Hi" by Wings and "Trouble Man" by Marvin Gaye and "The World is A Ghetto" by War. Then go bowling at 9am on Saturday, sleep, then off to work on Saturday night. How it all seemed so free. I couldn't tell you what date it was, but I sure know it by what tunes were on the radio. Early 1973 if I remember.

Some Writings

I just found some stuff I did for a humor class I took at Meramec dated 2/21/96. The class was taught by Dr. Richard Michalski who later passed of cancer. He was probably the most original professor I have ever had. It was a study in humor. Whether it was written, viewed or spoken, the class dealt with it. My final was doing the George Carlin bit "Wonderful Wino" (both versions) in front of the class.
We were required to write about life and this is something I wrote back then.

A Guide to Request Line Etiquette

I'm about to kick back with a newspaper or go to the john when the infernal blinking of the request line lets me know I am wanted. Is it a collect call from the Department of Corrections in Potosi again? A bored nymphomaniac looking for a little aural stimulation? Rule of thumb on this one is the hotter she sounds, the more likely she will look like Ernest Borgnine with breasts. Or is it someone just calling for a request? Logistically, they are almost impossible to play, but the caller thinks they are making a deep persoanal connection with me even though this is the one zillionth call I have fielded today. So, how do I blow them off without them waiting in the parking lot with a copy of "Catcher In The Rye" and a .22?
"I'll try to get to it." We in the radio business rarely mean it. But however my conscience eats at me, I just can't launch into a detailed explanation of music rotations, the reasons why things are played, music scheduling software, research, auditorium tests and the like, now can I?
Maybe it's best to come up with variations on the theme. How about these: "Great song, I'll put it on the list!" (Of the songs I won't ever play.) "Thanks for having us on, I'll play that if I can." (I can't, so I won't.) "Keep listening for that one."(And you will grow very old.) "I'll get the CD out and see if I can work it in." (Maybe under that short leg on our lunchroom table.)
Scenario one: Drunk and mournful on the line: "Yeah man, my uncle was killed two weeks ago last Thursday and I want you to play "Free Bird" for him." Bad response..."well, why doesn't he just walk up to Ronnie VanZant now and ask him to play it?" Better response..."you know, we have a powerful transmitter and all, but I don't think it'll reach all the way there."
Scenario two: Mistaken identity on the line: "Did I win? Am I the right caller??!!!" (I'm not doing a contest). Bad..."is this Beavis or Butthead? Did you skip kindergarten the day they gave lessons on dialing the phone?" Better..."Yes, YOU WON and congratulations! As a special bonus, we'll give you a chance to win the KMOX VAN! Just come down to KMOX between midnight and 6am. If you get it started it's all yours!"
Scenario three: Obsessive Compulsive on the line. "Yeah, I have called every fucking day for three weeks to hear "Sweet Leaf" by Black Sabbath AND YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED IT!" Bad..."what do think this is, your personal fucking jukebox? If so gimme a dollar for each time you've called." Better..."do you realise that I was JUST about to play it until you called back for the third time in 20 minutes?"
Scenario four: Old, free form KSHE radio lover and chronic camplainer who listened in the seventies when "KSHE really rocked". "You guys play the same shit over and over again. I am really tired of hearing the same crap all the time. Would you puhleese play "Echidna's Arf" from Frank Zappa?" Bad..."you're right I am sooo sick of this crap. Let me piss away my life savings and play this really weird piece of shit, so you can be really happy over one song and I can lose my job." Better.."sure, but only if I can follow that up with a piece from one of Frank's favorite composers Edgard Varese. Shall we do an hour's worth?"
Scenario five: Bootlegger on the line "Hurry up and play my request, Iam trying to tape it." Bad..."you cheap shit. Go buy the damn song at the store for 6 bucks. Good God, man." Better..."while you are at it, go call Channel 30 and request the "All You Can Eat" episode of the Simpson's. Man, I have been trying to tape THAT!" Okay response..."federal rules require me to tell you that unauthorized taping off the radio is a felony punishable by 3 to 6 years in prison and fines up to $30,000."
Scenario six: Little kid on the line "Can you play "Waterfall" by TLC and send it out to Amber, Tiffany and Billy?" Only response..."I will under one condition..I want you to scream really loud and jump up and down knock things over until the song comes on. Don't stop until you hear it..Promise?"
Maybe I will just go to the bathroom after all.

Brush With Greatness 8

SOFTBALL WITH YES!
This photo was taken in April of 1984. From left in the black jacket is Katey McGuckin (still doing mornings in KC), to her left is Jon Anderson (in the sunglasses), to his left is Alan White (drummer) to his left is Trevor Rabin (guitarist) to his left is me (looks like I was high, doesn't it?). Behind me is Jeff (now JC) Lunceford (does mornings in Topeka), behind him is Jeff's brother, in front of him is Frankie (still does middays at the Fox) in front of her is Skid Roadie (afternoons at the Fox) and next to him, his wife Terri. Behind her is Jon Hart's ex-girlfriend Lynn Dean. (Jon is the red ball of fur behind Trevor Rabin). I have no idea who the other people are. I would guess they are with the band or winners. Yes wanted to play softball with us (they had just discovered the game, apparently), and since I was such a HUGE fan, it worked out. Funny how radio stations don't do that kind of stuff anymore. This was the first and only time I ever hit a softball out of the park. What a blast. I will remember that day always.

50 Days...

The days are flying by. It's now been 50 days since no booze, no meat. Boca burgers are fine but man, I am really looking forward to the first steak at Citizen Kane's. As Kent Flounder once said..."this is gonna be GREAT!" Chicken wings at Growlers.... but I am also down about 23 pounds, so we gotta watch that!

Good Night and Good Luck

A much better picture in the theatres than in the living room. I really enjoyed this on the big screen but felt it lost a bit of energy and flow on the old RCA. Still, quite the effort on everyone's part. I forgot how many people smoked back then, but now I think about, ALL of my relatives did. I'll give this one a B+ on the home screen but an A- on the big screen.

King Kong

I loved it. Excellent Friday night fun. My daughter cried her eyes out. I thought it was bit too long but I didn't have a problem with the set up. It kept me entertained. It's an unrequited love story, the kind that has been slayin the audiences since Shakespeare and before. Some parts scared the shit out of me, but still great fun. I'll give this one an A- only because of the length.
Oh, by the way, I loved this one as a kid, too.

Why Gore lost

I am not much of a guy that gets into politics...probably because mine are all over the road. I let others who know more about it and speak better do it for me. Excellent article by Joe Klein in the latest issue of Time. Click here I am looking for a candidate like that, too.