Columbus radio makes me sad and angry. Columbus, Georgia, in case you didn’t know.
Let me explain. The “radio makes me angry” not the “Georgia” part.
I used to work in radio, back in high school and for a little bit afterwards. I know that it’s possible to play one song at a time, and not have two overlapping so you can’t hear either.
I know it’s possible to have one commercial playing at a time, not have two or three playing at the same time.
I also know it’s possible to have up-to-date commercials playing, not some Halloween Sale at the furniture store running the week after Thanksgiving.
Columbus radio stations, many of them anyway, don’t seem to understand that. The typical listener, I suppose, it just confuses. Me, it pisses off. Because I know what’s happening: there’s an idiot getting paid money (not good money, but money, anyway) to not do his job right. A job that I could do well (the production board, not the announcing part, though I did both at the same time) when I was in high school.
Maybe I’m odd that way. But, think about it. If you were witnessing someone do something you know how to do, and they always screwed it up, wouldn’t you want to say something? Or walk away shaking your head? Or take a stick and … well, you understand, right?
That kind of stuff makes me just shake my head. But, I get over it easy enough. It’s called XM Radio. When I find a local station that is playing good music (doesn’t happen often, but it does happen), I’ll listen. But, when they start screwing up (which does happen often) I switch over to XM. They don’t screw up. At least, not that I’ve noticed.
The music isn’t always what I want to hear. Some of the music from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s really sucked. But, with the number of stations they have, I can usually find something I can listen to. Heck, if Classic Vinyl or Classic Rewind are playing crappy stuff, I’ll even drop down to the 40s on 4, or Symphony Hall, or something. The point is, when the local radio stations get me in a bad mood because of their incompetence, I can find something on XM. Happens a lot. I can find music to get me out of a bad mood.
Works for lots of people. That’s why they play Christmas music on the radio starting in August. Seems like that’s when they start it.
XM does the same thing. The playing Christmas music early part. I discovered that a couple of weeks ago when I picked Wife up from work. You see, I normally listen to 60s or 70s music. But, when I picked her up, I switched the radio to XM 23 / Love.
You guys know why. Mood music. You don’t have to play mood music for a guy. Heck, listening to music doesn’t get guys in the mood. Just the fact we have dangly parts is all it takes to get guys in the mood. And music won’t get guys out of the mood. The only sounds that might get a guy out of the mood might be a baby crying. Maybe. Other than that, most guys are ready to go at the drop of a hat. Or at the drop of a skirt.
Women, though, are different characters. That’s why XM Radio (and Sirius, on channel 3) has that Love Songs channel. There are some guys helping out in programming, and they understand.
Anyway, I put the radio on Love Songs just as Wife got into the car. Mood music. And, it worked. Seems that, until the end of the year, instead of Love Songs, that channel is now Contemporary Holiday Favorites. Christmas-like music featuring John Mayer, Colbie Caillat, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, and other people I’ve never heard of. In fact, I though Josh Groban coached the Raiders at one time. Or was it Tampa Bay?
Anyway, as mood music, it worked. Only, instead of us running home and getting busy, we went to Walmart. And Kmart. And Sears. All on the same night.
And, other stores on nights since then.
Yep, that mood music really works.
Maybe we need some mood music for other things, too.
If we could find out what radio Obama listens to, maybe we could get them to play songs to make him, I don’t know, actually be an American president. Like “God Bless the USA.” Then again, I’m not sure Obama believes in either of those.
I wonder what Obama listens to. What kind of radio programs gets him in the mood to do the things he does. Does SiriusXM have an Incompetent Channel? If so, they need to change it. And fast.
The best channel on XM is 166 Patriot (Sirius 144). Mike Church is on 0600-0900 Eastern and is worth the subscription if that was the only program they carried. Molon Labe!
Obama listens only to Pacifica:Real Public Radio that hasn’t Sold Out to The Man like that right wing NPR!
Many of my Favorite XM channels (Fred, Lucy, Ethel) went away. Still love XMU and The Verge, as well as XM Kids and Laugh USA.
Speaking of “mood music”, I always thought Barry White was singing “Cain’t get enuff of urethane, baby” in that one mood song.
[That reminds me… that song used to be the ring tone for when Wife called.]
he should listen to something about basketball and how to not get injured.
“That’s why they play Christmas music on the radio starting in August. ”
I like to listen to “Grandma got run over by a reindeer” in March.
I had XM in my Passat and they started running commercials! I thought, why am I paying to listen to commercials so I didn’t renew. Then we bought a new Tiqan which has Sirius and they don’t play commercials. They rock. They have awesome channels from super hard rock to jazz to folk, etc. Rarely listen to AM or FM anymore!
After a year or so I got kinda sick of online Classical radio stations. Their libraries seem to be quite limited, as with most radio stations online or on the air. So I ripped most of my CDs onto the pooter and listen to them with WMP. Half of them are Classical music, the other half classic rock & stuff. The only time I listen to radio is when I’m in my car & Rush happens to be on.
Oh, and I babysitted a radio station for a year in northern NH in the late 80s. You know you’re in the boonies when you can play Brian Enos’ entire Thursday Afternoon album and not get a single complaint call.
I’m pretty sure Obama only listens to recordings of his own speeches on an ipod.
Or maybe he only gives those to foreign heads of state.
Obama only listens to the “voices in his head”. Usually the ones with a French accent or that say “Don’t Shoot!”
Surprisingly enough, Obama listens to oldies. Sometimes he listens to the The Soviet National Anthem. Sometimes he listens to the Anthem of the People’s Republic of China (March of the Volunteers). When he and Michelle are tooling about in Air Force One, they like to have the The Very Best of the Commies piped in. He and Michelle always sing along with their favorite song — The Happy Pioneer (A Climbing Squirrel in Cheer/So Joyful Is the Pioneer).
On the rare occasion that Obama’s in his office he tunes into his favorite YouTube channel: The Communist Anthems Channel. He gets to toe-tapping with hits like these:
* Socialism Is Good!
* The Internationale in Italian
* Join the Communist Party!
* The Swedish Anti Vietnam War Song
* Soviet Pioneer Song: May There Always Be Sunshine
* The East Is Red
* Soviet Army Choir: Let’s Go!
* The Kindness of Mao
Every song’s a winner! Not a klinker in the bunch
Know what gets me in the mood? Jack Nicholson’s rant from that movie Jack Nicholson is Awesome, Tom Cruise is Teh Sux GUNG HO MARINE.
I’m sure most males of our species would agree.
Hey Basil that is funny, I did Radio all through College. Even was offered a job by an NPR guy I met with. I thought they were bad back then.
Radio suited me very well as theirs was no way yous people could tell if I was lazy and accidentally used the wrong their.
I’m not in the mood for this discussion.
Jeez that was a long post. I tried the satelitte radio thing but they weren’t much better than the local radio dreck here in SoFla and I had to pay for it. So I ended that, then my son gave me an I-Pod Touch (best damn Father’s day gift I’ve ever gotten) and now MY tunes reign supreme in my car. Now I can blast the Dead Kennedys “Holiday In Cambodia” as I cruise to a stoplight. It freaks the hell out of people to see a fifty something man blasting punk rock in his car. Hey, I was in my twenties back in the punk days.
Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot …
[Yeah, Frank’s posts are a lot shorter than mine. I’m old and tend to ramble. You live long enough, it’ll happen to you. – B.]
Infidel,
Have you ever heard the Christmas version of Holiday in Cambodia by Richard Cheese? It’s a lounge singer version. Superb, although it could use a real crooner like Old Blue Eyes.
Can’t say I have, Marko. I bet it’s great, I’ll have to look it up.
Basil, I have lived long enough and it has happened to me. Fortunately, if I ramble on I’m so boring I just put myself to sleep…
Hey Infidel, whatever you do…
Don’t forget your rice!
I can’t say I listen to much radio. I find the “Classic Rock” stations play the same music over and over again. Country music sounds pretty much like rock music. The only thing I really like to listen to is Classical music and I won’t listen to NPR stations not now not ever again. I listen to talk radio but once the host starts shrieking (and they all do, be honest) I’m done. So while I feel your pain, I’m not sure there is anything to be done, except repair the CD play but as I’m getting laid off that is something else that won’t get done anytime soon.
Sorry to hear that, seanmahair. Hope something turns up for you!
Richard Cheese, Holiday in Cambodia… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOBs6-vTYKc
Thanks 21zzyzx, that was a good, cheesy cover. Puts you right in the Holiday mood, doesn’t it?
What does Obama listen to? Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and show tunes, of course.
I HATE PEOPLE
From “Scrooge”
(Leslie Bricusse)
Scavengers and sycophants and flatterers and fools
Pharisees and parasites and hypocrites and ghouls
Calculating swindlers, prevaricating frauds
Perpetrating evil as they roam the earth in hordes
Feeding on their fellow men
Reaping rich rewards
Contaminating everything they see
Corrupting honest men like me.
Humbug! Poppycock! Balderdash! Bah!
I hate people! I hate people!
People are despicable creatures
Loathesome inexplicable creatures
Good-for-nothing kickable creatures
I hate people! I abhor them!
When I see the indolent classes
Sitting on their indolent asses
Gulping ale from indolent glasses
I hate people! I detest them! I deplore them!
Fools who have no money spend it
Get in debt then try to end it
Beg me on their knees befriend them
Knowing I have cash to lend them
Soft-hearted me! Hard-working me!
Clean-living, thrifty and kind as can be!
Situations like this are of interest to me.
I hate people! I loathe people! I despise and abominate people!
Life is full of cretinous wretches
Earning what their sweatiness fetches
Empty minds whose pettiness stretches
Further than I can see
Little wonder I hate people
And I don’t care if they hate me!