"Come on, work the room"

Okay, I figured out why I'm not a complete fan of Barry Manilow (or, a "Fanilow"). His new album, 15 Minutes, is out. I give the man credit, he's got a full album of new material and some of the songs have interesting beats. However, the lyrics aren't as capturing. I'm sorry to say that perhaps his writing the songs the whole world sings at the Copacabana - days are over. He had some catchy jingles back in the day. But like I said, I'm not a total fan. The singles were okay - catchy and no more. This new album, the back beat is more catchy than the lyrics. I feel, however, they are canned sounds. Purely based on the fact that I keep thinking I've heard the bass line before (see video below). If this is his rock n roll rap album, please just retire, Barry. Either that, or do some cover albums. Stop writing new music. Rod the Mod has done better for himself, and I'm not sold on him all the way, either!

Youtube some of the songs from the album.

Tracklisting is:
1. 15 Minutes
2. Work The Room
3. Bring On Tomorrow
4. Now It's For Real
5. Wine Song
6. He's A Star
7. Written In Stone
8. Letter From A Fan / So Heavy, So High
9. Everybody's Leavin'
10. Who Needs You?
11. Winner Go Down
12. Slept Through The End Of The World
13. Reflection
14. Trainwreck 3:13
15. 15 Minutes (Reprise)
16. Everything's Gonna Be All Right

Amazon has it here for $11.88. I'm not suggesting you run out and get it at your local or buy it online, unless you like his music or want to take a listen. I admit, it's not my cup of tea, but I am not gonna knock it if you end up buying and enjoying it. I just feel it's not worth the new music Tueday.

Tell me what you think! Leave me a comment! I want feedback.

Cheers,







(why does it look like he's reading a teleprompter? His focus is on one place!)

Rocky raccoon checked into his room

Okay, so it's a western-ish type song by the Beatles, but I just saw myself a racoon. Every one pretty much knows I live in a wooded area of the marvelous city of Broke-Vegas. I've seen things from garden snakes to baby bunnies to a mother deer and her fawn. But the raccoons stay out of the light 99 per cent of the time. They don't come to my office window and start scratching the surface, trying to get in.

Swear to hell, a baby raccoon (I'm assuming it was a baby, since it was actually small and most likely didn't know any better) was clawing at my basement window. Both the screen and the window it self were down, so the animal didn't get in. But it was trying its hardest to ply thru the casing. As soon as I turned to see it, it jumped from my window and into the bushes. I saw its backside and tail, as it tried manuevering itself down to the ground and jet off. How do I know it wasn't some cat? Because cats don't claw at a window outside and try to get in. It was grey furred and had the typical black and grey stripe/ ring tail. I must say though, the window is about 2 feet from the ground outside, and has several bushes in front of it, so there is plenty of cover. So definitely a cat would not have the guts to attempt a robbery. Armed or otherwise.

We've been having the occasional skunk parties at night, but this is truly the first time a raccoon has shown itself during the day, and wanted to come inside to meet the missus. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come...


(to give perspective of the window to the ground, I opened the window and stuck my hand out, took these photos on my phone...

 
 
 
 )

Cheers,

Although you match what we are looking for...

in a successful candidate for this line of work, we feel we have found someone more qualified for this position. Thank you for your application and time.

Everyone knows by now that I'm unemployed (if you don't, check some back posts). Well, I just recieved an email for a Board Op job I applied to, telling me, although I have an extensive career and meet some of the requirements, I am unequivally unqualified for the job. I originally submitted my info because I met everything listed and then some.

What I don't understand is, how exactly am I unqualified for a board production position at a radio station, when I have a degree in Communication and have ample years experience (10+)? Who else in today's market, given fresh graduates, can say they can splice tape with ease, use a reel to reel machine, understand how to take the pops and clicks out of recording vinyl (to digital) to make it sound "new" and know how to dial on an ISDN line? College kids these days aren't being trained on the programs I was, or even the machines my predecessors learned on. I am from the age where you could still learn on reels, if you're lucky, but professors leaned more on Pro Tools and Adobe Audition to fix mistakes. Years later, no one knows how to splice. Turntable and vinyl? Oh, that's something DJs use in the club to scratch and mix music with. With their Macs as back up.

Yes, the economy is sinking and the jobs are harder to find. However, I am finding the more places I apply to, the more generic emails I receive back saying I'm unqualified. Gee, thanks. My knowledge of the Digilink, Arrakis and Enco systems mean nothing. My old school learning doesn't play nice with your new school thinking. It is all the same when you get down to the dirty of it. So the knobs on the new flat screened studio boards are different. That doesn't mean when I need to pot up channel 9 so the on air host can spew his propaganda, that I can shirk the responsibility of lowering channel 5's CD track because it's too loud over him. Sorry. I forgot where I was for a moment because I actually like that song.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for people getting jobs, and I do look for my own, but it's just mind blowingly awful how you feel you meet everything stated in the posting and get a reponse saying you fail to have the experience. It's just an awful feeling. But I will truck through it and onto the next email....

I wanna know your thoughts. Make a comment or two... tell me what your experience has been. Have you been in that boat? Maybe other readers know the feeling!

Cheers,

"Everybody's yellin 'Live Free Or Die'"

Okay, I know it's old news already, but I was trolling thru some Youtube videos and I came across The SSP's Granite State Of Mind. It's that "parody" of Jay-Z's Empire State Of Mind, which always brings Billy Joel's NY State Of Mind running its course round my head. But a few months ago, The Super Secret Project did the sequel to GSoM. It's pretty nifty, the way they just are able to go full out and (for lack of a better term) copy a song and do their own version. Check them out.





Cheers,

Macdonald's = #FAIL



(Image courtesy Yahoo article)

















Looks like people just LOVE to do more then their fair share of ad mongering. Front page Yahoo! this early afternoon has a new McDonald's campaign. The picture above this paragraph, "circulated widely on the internet. The image shows what looks like an official McDonald's notice in the window of a restaurant, telling customers that blacks will be charged $1.50 extra "as an insurance measure due in part to a recent string of robberies."


Many internet users retweeted the photo, using the words "Seriously McDonald's," [...]" (Yahoo link)

What a joke! Seriously? Someone had some creative balls to do this and circulate it. I do hope they catch the bugger that started it, but wow dude, I give ya credit. But then again, I've just fallen prey into the group sharing this information. I share, because no, I don't care. I just thought it proves how quick things can fly around the web and people believe it. Try Snopes, try other sites. Google can be your friend. Plus, read the bottom of the article for the kicker. It's a laugh riot, I promise...


cheers,

What...in...the...HAIL?!

I belong to a mailing list, directed for people in the radio industry. It's to get the word out for new (or in some cases, old / reissued) music. There are opportunities to download the new song to have it put in to the daily rotation.

Based on that, I received an email today about a Bowling For Soup song. I am sure people by now have heard about the mis haps of Anthony Weiner (go here for a recap).

Anyway... well, I was about to spam the message until I opened it. I thought it was an advert for Viagra or something:



But I still opened it to find this:



The "click here" video: Anthony Weiner - My Wena




Uhm... this is coming from a reputable media outlet? Poke fun, yes, but that email subject was a tad bit deceiving. I admit, it's creatively ingenius, but I don't know how other people's reactions may be. Considering I've gotten accustomed to random pervy things, this is nothing.

Oh well... always up for a laugh and 'WTF' moment!

Cheers

Insanity laughs, under pressure we're cracking?

Maybe not so much "insanity" towards the "we", but the world, more like it. People know by now I live in a FONZ, and therefore, my neighbourhood is susceptible to its own weather patterns and climate changes. Fortunately, and perhaps unfortunately, this may work in my favour. When we expect flooding, we get puddles. Thunder storms producing power outtage? Nothing but net (sun). But come a random mile stretch of land tornado, we get it. This is not an entry about that tornado. We got it in '05. This is about the new tornado that hit Springfield.

Last week, parts of western Mass were devastated by 4... count them four seperate funnel touch downs. There is literally no Downtown Springfield. Parts of Worcester are claiming the dead parrot; ceasing to be. People are stranded, looking for help. (go to the Red Cross site to see how you can donate). This is not Tornado Alley of the midwest. This is the famed New England, man! Home of the most talked about rivalries in sport histories! It was crazy because the news stations were saying "this is not a joke" because we, as a state, are so unaccustomed, or not used to, serious destruction like that. Stations broke in and stayed on as long as they could, to keep the public informed. That was if you had power. Or a house.

So let this be a lesson to you: no matter where you live, you gotta be careful with storms.