First Snow Nightmare

When you work at a radio station, the first snow day of the year always becomes the worst DAY of the year.

Start with a weather warning for 3-5 inches of snow.  The town goes into panic mode.... grocery stores are packed, long lines at the gas station....etc.

Then the forecast gets scaled back for 1-3 inches.  The panic continues, everyone worries that they only have three weeks worth of their prescriptions on hand.  Homeowners start to prepare to defend their families from the hordes of marauding wolves sure to descend from Canada....  and at about 6pm, the kids start to call the station....

Kid - "Is there School tomorrow?"  
DJ - "So far no one has canceled." 
Kid - ""Will they cancel?" 
DJ - "I Don't Know... my psychic abilities are being scrabbled by all the snow panic." 
Kid - "O.K.  If the DO cancel, when will they call you?" 
DJ - "Um, I really don't know." 
Kid - "But when do they usually call you?" 
DJ - "When they WANT to, I suppose.." 
Kid - "O.K.  I will call back later." 
DJ - "You know, this is a radio station.  When any cancellations come in, we will announce them every 10 minutes or so...." 
Kid - "Oh, I don't listen to the radio."
DJ - "We also post the info on our web site..."
Kid - "Nah, I'll just call back.  *click*"
DJ - "Great, because I have nothing else to do but answer all these calls..."   (Beats head against wall)

A local TV station has solved the problem.  They have a crawl with all the announcements, they post the info on their web site.... and refuse to give it out over the phone.  I understand where they are coming from.  If all the phone lines are clogged up with kids and their parents (who don't know how to use a radio or TV) the people who make the decisions on cancellations can't get through and your staff is all tied up answering phone requests and not taking care of the airwaves. 

When I got to work this morning our new morning guy (who is already a bit "high-strung") was literally climbing the walls!  Now the guy does not respond to adverse conditions well, but it was enough to drive anyone over the edge.  The biggest problem is when schools issue a 2 hour delay, and then decide to cancel.  Not only is he trying to keep an updated list, bu also to get the info on-the-air and answering the phones.  He had help, but still got pretty frazzled. 

When I was doing the morning show (which I did for a number of years) these were always my favorite times.  I actually enjoyed the challenge of juggling 12 things at once, and can't remember it ever throwing me off my game.  I really miss it!

Since this IS a gaming  community, I should probably mention something about games...... 

Last night, I tried some COD4 multiplayer for the first time.  I haven't felt like such an idiot for a loooong time!  Don't get me wrong, I had some great fun.  The style of play takes awhile to get used to.  I was playing on a 'hardcore" server, which usually means "one bullet, one kill."   I must say I made a great target.  There is a lot of available cover, and you have to quickly learn how to both use that cover and quickly scan it for enemies.  I seemed to do OK in the scoring, but still felt like I was pretty ineffective.  I will be back for more!


Posted by Kakman @ 12:32 pm EDT | Permalink | 2 Comments

Christmas came early!!!!

One problem with being a gamer who is "old enough to know better" is that the games budget is constantly shrinking.  When you have a mortgage, car, 3 kids and other places for the money to go, the need to have the next, greatest title is tempered a bit.

Needless to say, I was simply thrilled to learn that Nvidia's Club SLI was sending me a copy of Bioshock back in October.  I still haven't played all the way through the game, but am loving how well it runs on my SLI rig. 

Then, this past Friday, I got a copy of Call Of Duty 4, again courtesy of Club SLI!   Now I have never been what one could consider a lucky person... yet I feel like I've hit the lottery! 

I have only touched the surface of COD4, playing just a couple of the single player missions.  So far, I like the feel of the game.  The sound design is great, the graphics are very solid, and the whole thing runs as smooth as butter on my rig.  I haven't played enough to give anything more than my early impressions, which are all positive.  I have been especially impressed by combat in enclosed areas.  There's nothing quite like storming through a house with night vision!

My plan is to play a bit more of the single-player to get a better feel for the game mechanic, and then humiliate myself in multiplayer.  Should be fun!

I am still looking for a job in the Cleveland area.  The market really sucks right now.... I am looking in both the Radio and Technical arenas right now, and am getting very little response from anything I've sent out.  I am really hoping for a job in Public radio, where my attitudes about media make the most sense.  As long as I keep sending stuff out there, something will come..... just gotta keep at it!

Posted by Kakman @ 10:50 am EDT | Permalink | 0 Comments

I believe I DO want to succeed!

The "Get Motivated" session in Columbus today was actually kinda fun.  Steve Forbes was obviously using the forum to tout his ideas for federal income tax reform.  His ideas really are appealing to the libertarian awakening inside me.   Colin Powell was even better than I hoped.  He focused on what it's like to be Secretary Of State one day.... and then "you aren't."  He came across as much more relaxed and just plain HUMAN than I have ever seen him.  He also wasn't really selling anything other than general ideas about reforming the k-12 education system and the idea that even someone from humble beginnings can eventually walk the halls of power if they decided to make a difference.  Favorite quote..."A true leader is someone who's followers will go along even out of simple curiosity ."  Referring to the fact that a leader should inspire such trust that, even when the chips are down, folks will follow, wondering "how is he gonna get us out of THIS one?"

In kind of a sad note, motivational speaker  extraordinaire Zig Zeigler, who is 81 years old, had a recent fall on some stairs and is now plagued with situational vertigo and short-term memory loss.  He did his presentation seated and was interviewed by his daughter.  He was able, when prodded, to recall many of the stories he has used to illustrate points over the years, but would immediately forget what he said and repeated himself often.  When he descended into a loop of the same thought, they ended the presentation.  They were trying to illustrate his point of "It's not what your circumstances do to you, but what YOU do with your circumstances" but I thought that it came across as a bit sad.  They say he is improving, and I wish him the best.

There were also a couple of financial guys who gave a really hard sell on some seminars and programs they were hawking.  I have NO money to spend, so I really didn't pay much attention to those.  Dr. Robert Schuller (of the Hour Of Power and the Crystal Cathedral) proved that he is still a very powerful and dynamic speaker.  When he wanted your attention, he COMMANDED it.  Like great musicians, he understands that if you are going to be loud, you need to be able to convey the same power and authority when you are quiet.  Vladimir Horowitz once said he had 15 levels of pianissimo.  Schuller is an equal master with his voice.

Overall, I enjoyed the program.  At times it was a bit too "rah, rah!!!" for my taste, but then I am a fairly  low-key person by nature.  Some of the introductions seemed more appropriate for a big time wrestling match!

My main issue with the program was the common thread of spirituality running through.  Some was traditional, some was waaaay out there new-agey stuff.  But most speakers made it a central point of their program.  I am an unapologetic atheist.  I didn't just decide one day to be that way.  I spent years of soul-searching, researching and questioning (I can't imagine that my parish priest was THAT unhappy to see me go!) to arrive at my own personal conclusion and I am completely comfortable with it.  Don't get me wrong.  It was their program, and they can say whatever they want in it.   It just seemed like there was an intentional effort to exclude anyone who didn't share a Christian viewpoint.  Success in business and beyond is not exclusive to those that have a "personal relationship with God."  Just my opinion.

The BEST part was that the boss picked up lunch and dinner for the whole group!  The best I have eaten in weeks!

Posted by Kakman @ 9:29 pm EDT | Permalink | 2 Comments

Do YOU want to succeed?

Ugh!  Tomorrow, the better part of the radio station staff will be going to a "motivational seminar" in Columbus.

The event starts at 8am and runs through 4 in the afternoon.  I think it would be in poor taste to bring my mp3 player, so I am probably going to leave it at home!  This kind of thing is not really my cup of tea. Motivation has never been my problem... at least not in my job.  Motivation for personal success....now that is something completely different!  One of the hardest things about being married has been to change my benchmark for success from simply "being respected by people who's opinions matter to me" to "being respected by people who's opinions matter to me.... and making enough money to make my family comfortable and secure."  It turns out there is a big difference between the two!

So, I will actually be approaching this company outing with an open mind.  If any one of these speakers can help me find motivation to improve myself as a person and be a better provider for my family... count me in!  If (as I suspect) the event is more geared toward making me a better "salesman," then I should be jamming pencils in my ears buy hour four!

The line-up includes Colin Powell (who I am most excited about hearing), Joe Montana, Zig Zigler, Dr. Robert Schuller (Yep, The Hour Of Power Guy) and Archie Griffin (for all you Buckeye Fans!).  I just wish I could get a little one-on-one time with Powell.  A little off the record Q&A about his time as secretary of state and what the administration did to him would be fascinating!  An on the record discussion (after all, I've done radio interviews for ten years!) would be a dream come true!   Alas, they would probably confiscate my recording rig at the door!





Posted by Kakman @ 7:46 pm EDT | Permalink | 5 Comments

Feeling Better....

Sorry about the downbeat tone of my first couple of entries.  I recently switched health insurance providers (at a small business, this happens frequently) and that resulted in a change to my meds.  To say that I reacted poorly is a bit of an understatement!  A three week long depression has finally lifted enough that I am finally starting to find some enjoyment in life again!

I started taking anti-anxiety meds a few years ago after my wife threatened to leave unless I looked for some help.  I would apparently regularly go into deep depressions (sometimes for weeks at a time) and would be nearly impossible to live with.  Also, my levels of anxiety were so high that even talking about normal relationship stuff like buying a house, looking for a new job, having children, etc.... were enough to bring about an advanced "fight or flight" response where I was incapable of having a rational discussion.  So, I agreed to go see someone and do marriage counseling. 

It was just like when I first got glasses at the age of 13.  I couldn't believe that everyone else saw so clearly!  My depressions are much less frequent and don't last nearly as long as before.  I still have anxiety issues, but I can now understand what's happening and take steps to settle down.  My improvement was really brought home to me a few months ago when I ran out of my Lexapro prescription for a few days.  I was talking to a friend on Skype for about an hour or so when they asked me if anything was wrong.  I explained about the missing medication and they said "Wow..... it was just like talking to the disjointed Kakman I knew back in college!"

I don't think that mind-altering medications are the ticket for everyone, but for me, the difference is all good!  My only regret is that I didn't realize what was going on earlier in my life.  I could have saved myself a lot of grief, and maybe gained a little self-confidence along the way!

BTW - I am not looking for sympathy, I'm just trying to explain my own experience.   I think that a lot of people are in the same boat, and in an age where we are constantly bombarded with negative images, bad news and bad opinions.... it's a particularly rough time to be depressive!

I know that I am in a funk when I can't even get enjoyment out of playing games.  Played TF2 last night for the first time in more than a week and had a blast!  I haven't seen much activity at the 2o2p server, so I assume that everyone is getting busy.  Right now, it looks like I won't have to work too much this weekend, so I'm looking forward to some quality time with Bioshock and TF2.

For some reason, I am still having a problem with lag in TF2.  It doesn't seem to be related to my internet connection, but at random points the sound will stutter and the framerate will drop down to about point-five fps.  After about a minute, everything will get back to normal.  I have tried everything I can think of with no success.

Posted by Kakman @ 1:01 pm EDT | Permalink | 0 Comments