Clear Channel Sucks. Clear Channel Sucks. Clear Channel Sucks. Clear Channel Sucks. Clear Channel Sucks. Clear Channel Sucks. Clear Channel Sucks.
Did I mention, Clear Channel Sucks? WDFN, Detroit’s beloved Local Sports Radio Station was completely wiped out yesterday by Clear Channel (who sucks, btw). The only Detroit Clear Channel station (of the 7 they own here) that laid off any employees. They wiped out the entire staff. Gone, no notice, nothing. Countless listeners and devoted fans such as myself, are left in disarray. Who do I listen to now? Where do I get my local sports fix? Fox Sports Radio broadcasting on my local station now? You can Die In a Fire, Clear Channel.
I recorded a theme song for the morning show “It Is What It Is” with host Sean Baligean a couple years back. They loved it, and it’s been in daily rotation for two years + until today. Sean is likely the most honest and fair sports reporter I’ve ever known. Level headed, not overly cynical, but doesn’t kiss butt at all. Would never play up to coaches or players to get on their good side. He simply told it like it was, and made no apologies for it. He represented everything that radio should, and could be, if done right.
Stoney and Wojo, the comical duo of Detroit Sports over the last decade or so, are now defunct. Thanks Clear Channel, you can choke on a chicken bone for all I care. Stoney and Wojo made my evening drive on Detroit Freeways tolerable and often times, fun. Ok, Wojo had a tendency to be whiny and annoying, but more often than not, the show was good. Thanks for the “Eat em Up Tigers” song on Jam It or Slam It. That turned into a classic. I can proudly say, I didn’t have anything to do with that.
Diesel, Otto, Marty, Spicolli, Shep, and anyone else. We’ll miss you. God Bless, and I hope you all land on your feet somewhere. Hopefully, some of you land on 97.1 FM and displace the crapfest that graces their airwaves all too often.
RIP to WDFN
New Year, new things, new additions to the Home Theater. I've spent less time blogging as of late, and more time in Home theater heaven in front of my Samsung 50" Plasma HDTV, which is now connected via HDMI and Optical Audio to this little bad-boy. The Western Digital TV HD Media Player.
To those of you with no tech knowledge, let me make it simple. This plays video from a computer hard drive to your TV and Surround Sound system. Very simple.
For you tech-geeks like myself, here's the goods. Full 1080p output and upscale of 480i or 480p SD Content. Plays almost every container or media file type I've thrown at it. MPEG1, MPEG2, MKV, AVI, FLV, VOB, etc... The list goes on. This last weekend, I ripped my sons DVD collection to a portable 320GB USB powered HDD. About 25 DVD's allocated to 100GB of space on the HDD. Full quality rips to VOB in Video TS folder structures. No conversion required. Anything from Pixar looks amazing through this little gem, and especially on the 50" Plasma.
Why would anyone want this? Simple, really. I can host my sons entire movie collection on a hard drive. He no longer gets to play with DVD's and scratch them, rendering them useless. I no longer have to look on the DVD shelf, then upstairs in the bedroom, then in the living room to find a DVD he recently watched, but doesn't remember where. They can all be accessed by the touch of a button (one button on the Logitech Harmony remote, multiple buttons for you people without one).
Blu-Ray rips, mkv containers for TV show downloads from TVtorrents.com (if you need an invite, holler at me) x264 or AVCHD from your Hi-Def camcorder... No conversion necessary. This thing is awesome, and it was priced very reasonably. Less than $100 in most places online. If you catch a great sale like I did, it can be had for less. I got mine from Worst Buy, but only because of the deal they offered. I despise Big Box stores, but that's another blog.
Oh yeah, Happy 09' folks.
out.
Well, we've recently been dumped on here in Southeast Michigan. 10" in the last couple of days, with another 3" supposed to drop today. Looking out my office window at work, I'd say 3" is the least we'll get. It's been coming down steady for the last couple of hours.
My daily commute is 48 miles each way. 90% Freeway, 10% back roads. My 10% back road stretch this morning took me 25 minutes! This is something I'll never understand. I live in Michigan, I realize it's going to snow. I prepare for that mentally and physically. I understand there are extra precautions I must take, and adjust my schedule to accommodate the possibilities on the roads. However, what I don't understand is, why the other drivers in this state act like Anthrax is falling from the sky and their death is looming around each curve.
Seriously. YOU LIVE IN MICHIGAN!!!! Why does snow surprise anyone? How does snow surprise ANYONE in Michigan? This isn't Florida, people. HELLO???? Does this compute? The roads are plowed, they aren't icy or slippery, yet people drive like they've never seen this magical white powder falling from the sky. It's not mana from heaven, you morons. IT'S SNOW!!!!
You'd think I was actually in Florida, in some sort of senile living facility the way these people forget from one year to the next what it's like to live here. It's not that hard to drive in snow, I actually prefer it to the rain. What we need is a mandatory moron lane on the highways which allow anyone driving under the speed limit to mosey along at their personal leisure. This would allow those of us who aren't idiots to drive in the remainder of the lanes and arrive at work on time.
Yes, I complained publicly on a blog. I'm too transparent. Yes it's fleshly and very non Christlike to call people morons. Doesn't take away from it being truthful...
I need to make a bumper sticker for my car.... "Jesus loves you, I think you're an idiot."
Dec 17th, 1999. An Ice Storm, 250 or so guests, and the my beautiful bride. Quite an evening, what I can remember of it. It's such a blur, it went so fast. I think I had two bites of my dinner. My family was in full effect as to be expected... My sister tried to steal a centerpiece...lol... Good times.
So yeah, nine years later. One son (almost 4) and another little one on the way. 4 moves (Apartment, to Town House, to Condo, to current House) and plenty of memories in between. I love my wife more than words can describe. You can call me soft, or say I'm not manly or whatever. I just love my wife, and I'm not embarrassed to let people know it. I need her, as she completes me. God has made us for each other, and we fit better than spandex. Word.
I'm gonna go listen to some Toni Tony Tone.... (if you don't get that, you're mad young)
I love Christmas time. It's a fun time of hustle and bustle, and everyone is so stressed about gifts, and dinners, and family disputes. Hilarity ensues, I benefit from it greatly. That's probably selfish, but at least I'm transparent.
I'm proud to report, for two years running, I've denied all local retailers my income. I'm sorry if that offends some of you unionized folks who believe we should support our local business, but that's reality. 90% of local business's won't or can't compete with online pricing. Why is that?
Is the cost of electricity, heat, and water for a storefront that much more expensive than shipping a few million packages from a warehouse for an online retailer? I truly don't know, but I can only assume the costs are similar. So overhead for the local retailers is merely an excuse.
When the local retailer has an Optimus Prime Transformer for $49.99 + Tax and I can purchase it online for $38.99 with Free Shipping and No Tax, what incentive do I have to drive to that retailer, and plunk down more of my hard-earned coin for the same exact product? This makes NO logical sense to me. Nor should it to you. However, some people will argue that we need to support our local retailers, preserve jobs, boost our local economy, etc...
I'm not buying it. Figuratively or literally. Honestly, we aren't preserving anything by supporting our local Wal-Mart or Best Buy. A local specialty shop, sure. But then you're paying for a service or convenience not provided by other retailers and often not found online. It's the personal touch that draws us to such locations. That I understand. But please, explain why I should buy from my local Best Buy instead of NewEgg.com when I can save $10, $20, or even $300 on an item?
There are multiple reasons why I shop online exclusively these days.
1. Convenience: I don't even have to do anything but click some buttons. That's worth it.
2. Price: More often than not, it's cheaper online and I don't have additional costs in gas, mileage, etc...
3. Availability: I can almost always find what I'm looking for online, when a local retailer may not stock an item or have been sold out.
4. Lazy: Yes, I'm lazy.
5. No Crowds: I'm not a people person (surprise!). I despise crowded malls and stores with people groping products that I could potentially purchase.
I could go on... but I digress. I'm probably talking to the wrong crowd anyway. The four people who read this blog are online, and reading a blog. They probably don't care either... :)
Everyone knows "That Guy" don't they? Everyone seriously dislikes "That Guy" but almost no one tells "That Guy" that he's actually "That Guy". Quite the canundrum. How is "That Guy" supposed to know he's "That Guy" if no one ever says. "Hey, you know you're "That Guy" don't you?"
At this point in the blog you're probably obsessing over the supersaturation of "That Guy" being used in my blogging on "That Guy", right? One more for good measure? "That Guy"...
Good times... but seriously. I have an acquaintance in my life who is the epitome of "That Guy". He's called my cell approximately 10 times in the last week, left several messages, and not once has he left a descriptive message as to why I should call him back. Just, "Hey Change, what's up? This is "That Guy"... so give me a call as soon as you can!" I laugh... then I don't call him back.
It's not that I wouldn't call him back if he had a valid reason, which he may have, but he's yet to relay that information to me. See, this guy is "That Guy" who only ever calls when he wants something from you, and has nothing to offer you in return. I've helped him on several occasions, done things for him that I generally charge other people money for doing, and have given him the benefit of the doubt on several occasions since. I'm simply tired and done dealing with him at this point.
See, I don't mind helping people. In fact, I enjoy it quite a bit. What I don't like at all, is being used. That is what "That Guy" does, he uses people for his own gain, and has nothing to offer in return. I suppose I'll receive a message today or tomorrow with him expressing his frustration about me not calling him back yet (it's happened before) and I'll chuckle at his angst considering he still won't have given me details on why he's trying to get in touch with me.
So, learn a life lesson here. Don't be "That Guy". Capiche?
Yes indeed. I turned 30 last week. I wasn't dreading it like many people (read: women) do. Merely another day at this point. Nothing fancy, nothing monumental.
The only thing remarkable about it would be, I never thought I'd get here. At one point in my life, I never thought I'd live to see 21, let alone 30. There was a stage in my youth where I was quite positive I was bound for an early death or imprisonment.
Thank God for His grace and redemption. Looking forward to forty!
