From time to time I have noticed that radio personalities start to believe their own hype a bit too much. This usually happens when they become the central figure in the morning show.
I noticed this when Hal Anderson moved from Power 97 in Winnipeg to CJOB. The morning show was left to Wheeler as the star. He became preachy at times and can be quite arrogant. He ruined a great bit and turned it into just another thing that has to be done. I remember the moment it changed. It's too bad, when Hal was there it was an engaging bit with real conversation. Now it is just a syndicated personality going through a script.
This situation has appeared in my life again.
Since moving to Ottawa I have started listening to Virgin 106.9. It plays similar music to Power 97 in Ottawa. As far as I can tell the station was rebranded Virgin about 2 years ago. Before that is was known as The Bear. I don't know all the details as it was not part of my life before two months ago.
So many of the listeners want the station to go back to The Bear. Gonzo, the central character of the morning show was apparently told by the station management to stop discussing it on the air. He did not and has apparently quit over this.
Now this may all be a hoax, the station may be going back to being The Bear, or this may be real. In any case, Gonzo is a little full of himself in any case. If someone thinks that they matter so much that quitting their radio job will make a difference then they are sadly mis-informed. If they think this hoax will drive up ratings, again they are sadly mistaken.
People listen to radio that plays music for the music. I don't listen to country or hip hop stations no matter how good the personalities are. People don't go out of their way to listen to music radio. This whole thing is just foolish.
I really only chose this station because ether play a lot of music I enjoy. I don't care what it's called or who is talking between songs. In fact all radio would be better if they had more rock and less talk. However, from time to time radio personalities start to believe their own hype a bit too much.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Instant Analysis
Every news reporter wants to be Walter Cronkite. I've noticed this for years but it often slips out of my consciousness until, something that may be significant happens.
I caught the tail end of President Obama's latest State of the Union address. He spoke well as he always does. The instant analysis following the speech was nearly unbearable.
When you look at old footage, Walter Cronkite always said what was obvious. He just put into words what the viewers were thinking. It really wasn't revolutionary. It was just the truth. This straight ahead approach made him become a very trusted man. The garbage that is spewed out now buy the so called experts is terrible. They are trying to be first to say it. They want to have the scoop. In 2011, there is no such thing as a scoop. News travels quickly and everyone knows at the same time. This relentless but futile rush for a scoop leads to very silly comments.
You can never know how history will judge a person or a moment until it is in the past. It is only with reflection and a broader view of the entire picture can you see how the individual or moment fits into the whole system. Making a statement of how this moment will be judged is futile. You don't know. You only know how you feel or react in the moment.
Reporting or discussing the news should be living in the now. It is not soothsaying. Although we all try to predict how things will go, we are often wrong. We should quit kidding ourselves. Our news reporters should report on what is happening not what may happen.
Every news reporter wants to be Walter Cronkite. I think they should just be themselves and tell us what is happening not what may or may not in the future.
I caught the tail end of President Obama's latest State of the Union address. He spoke well as he always does. The instant analysis following the speech was nearly unbearable.
When you look at old footage, Walter Cronkite always said what was obvious. He just put into words what the viewers were thinking. It really wasn't revolutionary. It was just the truth. This straight ahead approach made him become a very trusted man. The garbage that is spewed out now buy the so called experts is terrible. They are trying to be first to say it. They want to have the scoop. In 2011, there is no such thing as a scoop. News travels quickly and everyone knows at the same time. This relentless but futile rush for a scoop leads to very silly comments.
You can never know how history will judge a person or a moment until it is in the past. It is only with reflection and a broader view of the entire picture can you see how the individual or moment fits into the whole system. Making a statement of how this moment will be judged is futile. You don't know. You only know how you feel or react in the moment.
Reporting or discussing the news should be living in the now. It is not soothsaying. Although we all try to predict how things will go, we are often wrong. We should quit kidding ourselves. Our news reporters should report on what is happening not what may happen.
Every news reporter wants to be Walter Cronkite. I think they should just be themselves and tell us what is happening not what may or may not in the future.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Not So Quickie Mart
So, in Ottawa there is a chain of convenience stores branded as Quickie Mart. Yes, I had visions of Apu the first time I saw one. How could you not. I occasionally purchase items from the Quickie Mart. Tonight was one of those nights.
When I arrived at the store there was a long line at the cash register. Not a long line for a convenience store but a long line for nearly anything. There were nine people in front of me. I picked up the bottle of Coke I wanted and joined the line. It turns out the line was not moving. Two more people entered the store and eventually joined the line that was still not moving.
Upon further investigation it appeared the lone employee was conducting some type of cash-out.
There are two problems with this.
First, a convenience store is supposed to be convenient. You should be able to get in and out quickly. You pay a premium for them to be open at all hours and you can quickly make your transactions.
Secondly, and possibly more importantly, the security within a convenience store is based on not a lot of people being in the store at once. If you have to many people in an convenience store it gets a lot easier for someone contemplating a robbery to pull it off. It is easier to generate confusion. It's easier to control a larger crowd. It's easier to get conflicting witness statements that may help prevent a conviction.
It is understandable that employees must compete reports. Managers must know what is happening in the organization. That being said, serving customers should always be the first priority. Customers should not be made to wait. A waiting customer has the ability to change their mind. It costs you sales.
Tonight the Quickie Mart was not so quickie, maybe they should seek out and hire Apu.
When I arrived at the store there was a long line at the cash register. Not a long line for a convenience store but a long line for nearly anything. There were nine people in front of me. I picked up the bottle of Coke I wanted and joined the line. It turns out the line was not moving. Two more people entered the store and eventually joined the line that was still not moving.
Upon further investigation it appeared the lone employee was conducting some type of cash-out.
There are two problems with this.
First, a convenience store is supposed to be convenient. You should be able to get in and out quickly. You pay a premium for them to be open at all hours and you can quickly make your transactions.
Secondly, and possibly more importantly, the security within a convenience store is based on not a lot of people being in the store at once. If you have to many people in an convenience store it gets a lot easier for someone contemplating a robbery to pull it off. It is easier to generate confusion. It's easier to control a larger crowd. It's easier to get conflicting witness statements that may help prevent a conviction.
It is understandable that employees must compete reports. Managers must know what is happening in the organization. That being said, serving customers should always be the first priority. Customers should not be made to wait. A waiting customer has the ability to change their mind. It costs you sales.
Tonight the Quickie Mart was not so quickie, maybe they should seek out and hire Apu.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Winnipeg Cold
It was -29 degrees Celsius this morning when I left to walk to work this morning. That's Winnipeg cold. There was an upside, the sidewalks were not slippery so I could walk fairly quickly. It took my usual thirty minutes to get to the office. I caught quite a few lights along the way.
There were a few things I noticed today. The most obvious is people were very bundled up. I don't blame them. It was cold. There were significantly fewer pedestrians on the sidewalks. I think what I liked the most is there were no vagrants anywhere on my walk home. Usually there are some around and they can be a bit much to deal with.
It looks like the coldest is over. It is supposed to warm up a bit over night and be -16 in the morning. I realize that is not quite suntanning weather but it will feel quite a bit better than this morning did. If it warms up to single digits during the day, going home will be quite fine.
A Winnipeg cold is a real shock to the system. You need one once in a while, mainly to remind you how good you have it most days. I'm happy we are not in for a 2 week deep freeze. That would be a bit much.
There were a few things I noticed today. The most obvious is people were very bundled up. I don't blame them. It was cold. There were significantly fewer pedestrians on the sidewalks. I think what I liked the most is there were no vagrants anywhere on my walk home. Usually there are some around and they can be a bit much to deal with.
It looks like the coldest is over. It is supposed to warm up a bit over night and be -16 in the morning. I realize that is not quite suntanning weather but it will feel quite a bit better than this morning did. If it warms up to single digits during the day, going home will be quite fine.
A Winnipeg cold is a real shock to the system. You need one once in a while, mainly to remind you how good you have it most days. I'm happy we are not in for a 2 week deep freeze. That would be a bit much.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Lucky Ron
Yesterday, I went to The Lucky Ron show at The Laff in Ottawa. If you have never heard of this I'm not surprised. That being said, this is a bizarre cultural vortex in Ottawa.
The Laff is located in The Chateau Lafayette. It also happens to be the oldest bar in Ottawa. It is not a big place and doesn't even have a stage.
The Lucky Ron Show is a one man act. The first 4 songs are always the same. There is a lot of audience participation. The show rarely changes. The fans of Lucky Ron are very dedicated. They are into the show. All that makes it a lot of fun.
Although I had heard about this I had never gone to a show before yesterday. Now that I have gone I can see how he has been doing the same show every Saturday for 25 years. This is a show that would not work on tour. Much of what makes this entertaining is the crowd and how into it they are. They giver hard.
The show is unique. The crowd is rowdy and dedicated. It's a lot of fun. If you are in Ottawa on a Saturday afternoon. Head down to The Laff, you will see a show like no other.
The Laff is located in The Chateau Lafayette. It also happens to be the oldest bar in Ottawa. It is not a big place and doesn't even have a stage.
The Lucky Ron Show is a one man act. The first 4 songs are always the same. There is a lot of audience participation. The show rarely changes. The fans of Lucky Ron are very dedicated. They are into the show. All that makes it a lot of fun.
Although I had heard about this I had never gone to a show before yesterday. Now that I have gone I can see how he has been doing the same show every Saturday for 25 years. This is a show that would not work on tour. Much of what makes this entertaining is the crowd and how into it they are. They giver hard.
The show is unique. The crowd is rowdy and dedicated. It's a lot of fun. If you are in Ottawa on a Saturday afternoon. Head down to The Laff, you will see a show like no other.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Mind Over Weather
To be honest, I don't like winter. I never have and I probably never will. That being said, I don't have to succumb to the trappings of winter.
I think wee all need to understand how windchill works. Windchill is an approximation of what exposed skin feels based on the ambient temperature and wind speed. The windspeed is measured at the airport. This is out in the middle of a field. If you are walking next to a building that is shielding you from the wind, you cannot feel the windchill factor.
The other point is you can't let yourself feel defeated. You have to believe you can overcome the elements. You have to believe the weather is not bothering you. You have to look for the benefits you are currently enjoying.
Since moving to Ottawa, I now walk to work. The weather is not always nice. There have been several days that have been cold or very snowy. If you don't believe this is a bad thing, it won't bother you. I know we are not always perfectly cheerful but if you don't approach the weather with a generally positive disposition, you will lose to the weather.
It's easy to let the weather discourage you. You can't. There are too many days where it is not perfect, so you must make a point of living mind over weather.
I think wee all need to understand how windchill works. Windchill is an approximation of what exposed skin feels based on the ambient temperature and wind speed. The windspeed is measured at the airport. This is out in the middle of a field. If you are walking next to a building that is shielding you from the wind, you cannot feel the windchill factor.
The other point is you can't let yourself feel defeated. You have to believe you can overcome the elements. You have to believe the weather is not bothering you. You have to look for the benefits you are currently enjoying.
Since moving to Ottawa, I now walk to work. The weather is not always nice. There have been several days that have been cold or very snowy. If you don't believe this is a bad thing, it won't bother you. I know we are not always perfectly cheerful but if you don't approach the weather with a generally positive disposition, you will lose to the weather.
It's easy to let the weather discourage you. You can't. There are too many days where it is not perfect, so you must make a point of living mind over weather.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
I Want My MTV
As most Canadians know by now, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has deemed parts of 'Money For Nothing' by Dire Straits to be offensive and cannot be played on the radio in it's original form.
Before I say too much more we must remember that this is a rock 'n roll song. At the same time that's the whole point. It doesn't matter what is said or written we must stand up and defend everyone's right to say it. If what is said is wrong, hateful, or ridiculous, it will be judged as so.
There are two parts to free speech.
First, everyone is allowed to stand up and say what they believe. No matter how twisted or wrong it may be, if you believe it, you have the right to say it.
However, you will be judged by individuals and society on what you say. Sometimes, we seem to forget about the second part. Sometimes people think that free speech means that I can say what ever I want and I will not be judged. This is not the case. It should be judged.
By censoring other people's words we don't know everything they have said and can't properly judge them. We lose the complete picture and as such, we lose the proper context for the remaining parts. Without context we cannot see the whole picture.
I also wonder, who feels they are a guardian of what should be censored. Who has the right to say I can't be given the opportunity to judge for myself. Who's moral code is being used to decide this is offensive. The biggest problem with censorship is we don't get to see what is deemed offensive. How do we know that the censors are properly applying society's values. If we permit censorship we don't know. That's a big problem.
In the specific case of Money For Nothing, the song is 25 years old and almost everyone who cares, knows what the offending homophobic slurs are. That being said, the song doesn't really make sense without that verse.
We must stand up for free speech. The only path to enlightenment and understanding is through the sharing of uncensored ideas. Only by hearing what others truly believe can we understand our differences. Understanding our differences is the first step to accepting others and living in harmony. Anyone who does not want to live in harmony should be judged for their views.
Before I say too much more we must remember that this is a rock 'n roll song. At the same time that's the whole point. It doesn't matter what is said or written we must stand up and defend everyone's right to say it. If what is said is wrong, hateful, or ridiculous, it will be judged as so.
There are two parts to free speech.
First, everyone is allowed to stand up and say what they believe. No matter how twisted or wrong it may be, if you believe it, you have the right to say it.
However, you will be judged by individuals and society on what you say. Sometimes, we seem to forget about the second part. Sometimes people think that free speech means that I can say what ever I want and I will not be judged. This is not the case. It should be judged.
By censoring other people's words we don't know everything they have said and can't properly judge them. We lose the complete picture and as such, we lose the proper context for the remaining parts. Without context we cannot see the whole picture.
I also wonder, who feels they are a guardian of what should be censored. Who has the right to say I can't be given the opportunity to judge for myself. Who's moral code is being used to decide this is offensive. The biggest problem with censorship is we don't get to see what is deemed offensive. How do we know that the censors are properly applying society's values. If we permit censorship we don't know. That's a big problem.
In the specific case of Money For Nothing, the song is 25 years old and almost everyone who cares, knows what the offending homophobic slurs are. That being said, the song doesn't really make sense without that verse.
We must stand up for free speech. The only path to enlightenment and understanding is through the sharing of uncensored ideas. Only by hearing what others truly believe can we understand our differences. Understanding our differences is the first step to accepting others and living in harmony. Anyone who does not want to live in harmony should be judged for their views.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Good Idea?
Two months ago yesterday I left Winnipeg to move to Ottawa. Two months ago tomorrow I will have arrived in the Nation's Capital to make it my new home. I have not spent all my time here. I have been back to Manitoba twice since moving (one was a work related trip) but I have had some time to start to settle into life.
Any time you are presented with a change opportunity you never know if things are going to work out for the better or not. That's part of the fun of life. That's part of the adventure. That's part of why we live. I could have stayed in the job I knew in the city I knew but I chose to uproot everything and move on.
The natural question that I have been asks several times is, "How do you like Ottawa?"
I have no regrets changing jobs and moving to a new city.
I find I really like the city. It is clean, historic, fun, and very safe. I found a great place to live. I have lots of space, the layout is good, and everyone likes the view. I work with good people and have an interesting job. I find the people in Ottawa very friendly. I find the vagrants entertaining. I see a few everyday walking home from work.
I also have come to discover I love to walk to work. I was not sure about this part and figured it may be a show-stopper. Not only has it not hindered my experience I think it has improved my quality of life. I look forward to walking to work every single day and the walk home helps me release the inevitable stress of the workday.
The only thing that has not exceeded my expectations is my lack of social life. I know a few people in my new city but not a lot, yet. I am meeting people and things are slowing improving. I knew this was going to happen. I knew it would be like this and its ok. Meeting people takes time and as I become more involved with things and become a part of the community and not just a resident of the city I will build a network of friends. In a way it is very exciting that I get to meet new people and forge new friendships.
I wasn't sure if I was going to miss living in Winnipeg. To be honest I miss my friends but I do not miss Winnipeg. If I could transport a few here I would not look back. Life does not work that way but we can always wonder. There are a lot of great things about Winnipeg. It has a vibrant and accessible music scene and a CFL team. I'm sure those gaps will be filled.
Relocating to a new city is difficult. You are forced to evaluate your life. You have to look at your finances, your needs, your wants, and your future. You have to let go of some of your past and be open to new experiences in the future. For this small town town prairie boy trying to make it in the big city I would not trade this experience. I'm excited by what each day will bring.
Picking up and moving is not for everyone. Each of us has a different situation and different considerations. That being said, if you are considering picking up and going somewhere new and have some reservations but think it might be ok, give it a try. It will make ordinary life exciting and can be very rewarding.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
WalMart On A Sunday Morning
I had a couple of errands to run so I thought I should get up early and take care of it before I settle down to watch football all afternoon. After buying groceries I headed over to WalMart to pick up a couple items.
I don't think it matters where you go to a WalMart you will see the same type of person. The WalMart person. Living in Winnipeg this was expected. There is a lot of people who fit the mold in my old home. I know there are some in Ottawa as well but I still had to snicker.
There was the young family who's oldest daughter was wearing most of the clothes they were buying for her as she sat in the shopping cart. It just screamed WalMart.
There was the middle aged woman and her mother who were checking the prices of everything on their receipt while still standing at the cash register. It just screamed WalMart.
I understand why WalMart attracts many of the people they do. It's why I buy things there as well. They compete on price, and only on price. You can get incredible value for your money on items you are going to buy regardless. Since you need it you might as well spend as little as possible.
It doesn't matter where you go to WalMart you see the same kind of person.
I don't think it matters where you go to a WalMart you will see the same type of person. The WalMart person. Living in Winnipeg this was expected. There is a lot of people who fit the mold in my old home. I know there are some in Ottawa as well but I still had to snicker.
There was the young family who's oldest daughter was wearing most of the clothes they were buying for her as she sat in the shopping cart. It just screamed WalMart.
There was the middle aged woman and her mother who were checking the prices of everything on their receipt while still standing at the cash register. It just screamed WalMart.
I understand why WalMart attracts many of the people they do. It's why I buy things there as well. They compete on price, and only on price. You can get incredible value for your money on items you are going to buy regardless. Since you need it you might as well spend as little as possible.
It doesn't matter where you go to WalMart you see the same kind of person.
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