Thanks, Buss. I'm especially glad you enjoyed "Lydia, The Tattooed Lady". Bill loved the Marx Brothers (as do I). Over the years, we did three or four 4-hour Marx Brothers specials combining music, radio program appearances, trivia and listener memories.
Today's program was very hard for us. Mourning the loss of a friend is one aspect, but this is one we had some opportunity to adjust to when his condition worsened. The harder part was striking a balance among reminiscing, mourning without being too sad, celebrating without being irreverent, mentioning Bill's death without listeners feeling we were talking about it too much (or, to the contrary, hearing it for the first time and potentially being shocked). We also had so many emails and calls. We're glad with the way everything came together. Bill would have loved Four Shillings Short, too!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
More to come...
With Bill Lucker passing away this week (2/20), it's been hard for me to find time to write. Please expect more general inside information to come as well as some additional thoughts about Bill. For a link that will describe our lifelong friend, the best man at our wedding, longtime producer/co-host and Advisory Board member, please see our FAQ as well as this Post-Gazette article and guest book.
Here's a picture of Huck the Kitten, the 10 a.m. guest on today's program. Feel free to post your thoughts on today's program here.Friday, February 15, 2008
This week's show...
This was another busy week. Monday and Tuesday, I had the pleasure of meeting (by phone) Buss Cravener of the Back Street Diner (Clarion, PA). Buss is a kindred spirit with a rich background, including working as a TV weatherman in Parkersburg, WV and holding multiple degrees from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. In part due to a referral by our mutual friend Steve Obenreder, Buss tuned into our maiden voyage aboard 91.7 WCUC Clarion. He's since become an SLB underwriter, supporter, and SLB Bugler distribution point.
Wednesday was a long and successful work day with Darren Morton, station manager at WCUC and all-around incredible human being. Darren designed and installed wiring to make it simpler to broadcast from anywhere in the museum and also helped us tackle a list of small technical issues. He'll be back tomorrow to finish up.
Kimberly, our Washington & Jefferson College intern, was here today. Hosting a high school or college intern is something we take very seriously -- we want to be sure we can provide good mentoring and significant experiences. Although she's been to SLB a few times prior to today, those visits were more like field trips. Her first working day was today and she did an outstanding job. As has often been the case with interns I've had the pleasure to work with, Kim finished what I thought would be about 4 hours worth of work in less than half the time I had estimated.
We have a great program planned for 2/16. Please feel free to add any comments here.
Wednesday was a long and successful work day with Darren Morton, station manager at WCUC and all-around incredible human being. Darren designed and installed wiring to make it simpler to broadcast from anywhere in the museum and also helped us tackle a list of small technical issues. He'll be back tomorrow to finish up.
Kimberly, our Washington & Jefferson College intern, was here today. Hosting a high school or college intern is something we take very seriously -- we want to be sure we can provide good mentoring and significant experiences. Although she's been to SLB a few times prior to today, those visits were more like field trips. Her first working day was today and she did an outstanding job. As has often been the case with interns I've had the pleasure to work with, Kim finished what I thought would be about 4 hours worth of work in less than half the time I had estimated.
We have a great program planned for 2/16. Please feel free to add any comments here.
Friday, February 8, 2008
I just realized I have not posted anything since Monday. Our "behind-the-scenes" work this week included filling out an incredibly detailed census form for the U.S. government, meeting with two good attorney friends who are going to help SLB with some routine business issues, interviewing an employment candidate, providing sound for a panel discussion, conducting three after-school workshops and...I'm sure there's more!
We have a great program planned for tomorrow. Please feel free to post comments on the program or anything else you'd like.
We have a great program planned for tomorrow. Please feel free to post comments on the program or anything else you'd like.
Monday, February 4, 2008
A favorite toy; online Sears catalogs
Do you perhaps remember this toy? Here it is as shown in the 1964 Sears catalog. I believe it was made for Sears by a Newark, NJ company called Remco, who, per my online research, made a very similar-looking model sold as a kit that also had a transmitter and took two extra batteries. Remco made a few similar products, too, as well as many other toys of the 1950s and 1960s.The reason I ask is because this was one of my favorite toys when I was about 5 years old! I used to pretend to do radio programs using the push-to-talk microphone and loved looking at the electronics in the open back. The image of this toy has been in my mind for a few years and I wanted to see if my memory was correct. It took a long time to find a picture, but I'm sure this is the item. I can see my parents buying this at Sears, too, since the store on William Penn Highway (still there) was the closest store to our house in Churchill.
Did this toy have anything to do with my eventual (or perhaps then-existing) love of radio? Surely! I also recall building Heathkits, "repairing" my dad's old high-fidelity tube gear and Garrard changer, making radio programs and comedy skits on reel-to-reel and cassette tape in 5th through 8th grades, a pretend 6th grade radio classroom station my friend Matt Shaffer and I operated, and a few other apparent foreshadowing events.
This toy really mesmerizes me, though, as it was undoubtedly my first foray into radio play/pretend -- at age 5. I did not remember this toy clearly until three or four years ago (as I get older, I'm finding that different memories "bubble up" from time to time). It clearly had an impact on me, though. I hope to ask my parents how they came to choose it for me (did I ask for it?) and will report back what I learn.
By the way, here's a cool website that helped me find this picture -- http://www.wishbookweb.com. This contains complete Sears catalog scans from the 1940s to 1980s (and some from other stores) and may help you find some lost memories, too.
Congrats to Robert Morris University
I attended the grad opening of www.rmuradio.com in Moon Township today. Michael DiLauro and Joe Hale of RMU contacted me about this project almost a year ago. We shared alot of information and ideas from SLB's experience in studio design, and it was rewarding to see that RMU had followed alot of our suggestions. Michael and Joe are great people and it was a pleasure to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony they held today. The university community has some noble ideas for the facility, too, from public affairs to live music and more. It's nice to see emphasis on radio. The fact that the project stemmed from the desire of students to have an on-campus broadcast facility is inspiring, too.
I otherwise spent most of the day at home as I've generally been taking Mondays off. All in all, I'd like to go into our offices on Mondays but I'm trying to make Monday an "SLB is closed day" lately to be sure we all pace ourselves, especially given how buys the weekends can be.
I otherwise spent most of the day at home as I've generally been taking Mondays off. All in all, I'd like to go into our offices on Mondays but I'm trying to make Monday an "SLB is closed day" lately to be sure we all pace ourselves, especially given how buys the weekends can be.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Today's radio program...
A few thoughts on today's program...
1. As is sometimes the case, I wish I had arrived just a little bit earlier! The SLB studios spoil us. We do all of our preparation in advance and stage things in the studio on Friday. In the old days, I always had to arrive at least 90 minutes before the start of the program. These days, we can roll in at 5:50 a.m. or so if we feel we need a little extra time at home for a little more sleep, another cup of coffee, etc. Because I did not leave the museum until after 8 p.m. last night and knew today would be a long day, we chose to arrive a little later. But the way this forces us to rush start-up (and the fear that traffic could delay us, etc.) really makes me conclude that we would be best to always arrive by at least 5:30 a.m. After 4 years, we still have not convinced our bodies to comply, though :).
2. Our Historiddle drew some very nice calls. It was fun to hear Ted from Squirrel Hill talk about having heard Ayn Rand lecture several times. Tom from McCandless and Dr. Beth added great insights, too. Other early callers this morning included Maxine in Oakland (who talked about her grandfathers lumbering activities, in which the crew would build a raft from their harvest and use it to float the wood through the Tigris valley. Shirley from Avalon Heights shared her experience with "Laughing Yoga" which, just as it sounds, involves yoga along with ad hoc laughing. It reminded me of a story I once heard about walking into a roomful of people laughing (or crying) and how a person who does so usually picks up either emotion. This is a good reminder to be cheerful and positive; and to try to surround yourself with people who also are.
3. The Afterthoughts Puzzle and Wonder Word puzzle were fun. Dr. Dan (a dentist) gave a great interview regarding the importance of good dental care for children.
4. Our Saturday Stumper elicited some great callers as did our Crossword Puzzle of the Air. A 6-year old named Edgar was especially memorable. As we were talking about his interests, he mentioned chess. Edgar revealed his favorite chess piece is the rook (because it is the second-most powerful piece in his estimation). This was a great conversation; Edgar was with his father when he called and its the exact type of involvement we like to see (and hear) during SLB.
This is The Insider so here's something I don't talk about too much since we like it to be magical -- it is very hard to create an atmosphere that allows this kind of genuine and interesting conversation and togetherness to occur. This is at the core of what we do -- everything we do -- and moments like Edgar's call still nearly move me to tears. Partly, because it's good radio and mostly because it's an indication that our concepts and methods are working.
5. The Numbers Stumpers game -- an old chestnut we've featured every 18 months or so since 1978, but not-so-often in recent years -- was a big hit, drawing lots of calls and creativity. It was nice to have Jeff on the air for this hour.
6. What can I say about the Cowboy Poets at 10 a.m.? The poems were incredible and the Ross and 16-year-old Oscar were unlike anyone I've ever met. Real working cowboys who prepare packs for animals. And who also happen to write and recite wonderful cowboy-themed poetry, a genre I never knew existed. Distinctly interesting people accomplishing things we don't often encounter -- another hallmark of our mission at SLB.
7. During our Breakfast Brigade segment, Stage 62 did a great preview of "Bigger than Life" and Mark Weakland turned in a wonderful performance, including -- for the first time -- poems as well as contemporary and classic acoustic songs. Our audience was large enough and attentive enough to allow singing and clapping, and all had a good time. Although broadcast from the Grand Hall and the museum cafe presents a number of technical challenges, all went smoothly.
After the show, I had a ball showing our visiting Tiger Cubs our real studio and demonstrating equipment. By 2 p.m., Rikki and I were heading back home for lunch.
I guess that "just-in-time" arrival I described above worked out okay!
Your comments on today's program are always welcome by email, phone or right here.
1. As is sometimes the case, I wish I had arrived just a little bit earlier! The SLB studios spoil us. We do all of our preparation in advance and stage things in the studio on Friday. In the old days, I always had to arrive at least 90 minutes before the start of the program. These days, we can roll in at 5:50 a.m. or so if we feel we need a little extra time at home for a little more sleep, another cup of coffee, etc. Because I did not leave the museum until after 8 p.m. last night and knew today would be a long day, we chose to arrive a little later. But the way this forces us to rush start-up (and the fear that traffic could delay us, etc.) really makes me conclude that we would be best to always arrive by at least 5:30 a.m. After 4 years, we still have not convinced our bodies to comply, though :).
2. Our Historiddle drew some very nice calls. It was fun to hear Ted from Squirrel Hill talk about having heard Ayn Rand lecture several times. Tom from McCandless and Dr. Beth added great insights, too. Other early callers this morning included Maxine in Oakland (who talked about her grandfathers lumbering activities, in which the crew would build a raft from their harvest and use it to float the wood through the Tigris valley. Shirley from Avalon Heights shared her experience with "Laughing Yoga" which, just as it sounds, involves yoga along with ad hoc laughing. It reminded me of a story I once heard about walking into a roomful of people laughing (or crying) and how a person who does so usually picks up either emotion. This is a good reminder to be cheerful and positive; and to try to surround yourself with people who also are.
3. The Afterthoughts Puzzle and Wonder Word puzzle were fun. Dr. Dan (a dentist) gave a great interview regarding the importance of good dental care for children.
4. Our Saturday Stumper elicited some great callers as did our Crossword Puzzle of the Air. A 6-year old named Edgar was especially memorable. As we were talking about his interests, he mentioned chess. Edgar revealed his favorite chess piece is the rook (because it is the second-most powerful piece in his estimation). This was a great conversation; Edgar was with his father when he called and its the exact type of involvement we like to see (and hear) during SLB.
This is The Insider so here's something I don't talk about too much since we like it to be magical -- it is very hard to create an atmosphere that allows this kind of genuine and interesting conversation and togetherness to occur. This is at the core of what we do -- everything we do -- and moments like Edgar's call still nearly move me to tears. Partly, because it's good radio and mostly because it's an indication that our concepts and methods are working.
5. The Numbers Stumpers game -- an old chestnut we've featured every 18 months or so since 1978, but not-so-often in recent years -- was a big hit, drawing lots of calls and creativity. It was nice to have Jeff on the air for this hour.
6. What can I say about the Cowboy Poets at 10 a.m.? The poems were incredible and the Ross and 16-year-old Oscar were unlike anyone I've ever met. Real working cowboys who prepare packs for animals. And who also happen to write and recite wonderful cowboy-themed poetry, a genre I never knew existed. Distinctly interesting people accomplishing things we don't often encounter -- another hallmark of our mission at SLB.
7. During our Breakfast Brigade segment, Stage 62 did a great preview of "Bigger than Life" and Mark Weakland turned in a wonderful performance, including -- for the first time -- poems as well as contemporary and classic acoustic songs. Our audience was large enough and attentive enough to allow singing and clapping, and all had a good time. Although broadcast from the Grand Hall and the museum cafe presents a number of technical challenges, all went smoothly.
After the show, I had a ball showing our visiting Tiger Cubs our real studio and demonstrating equipment. By 2 p.m., Rikki and I were heading back home for lunch.
I guess that "just-in-time" arrival I described above worked out okay!
Your comments on today's program are always welcome by email, phone or right here.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Do we have a role in preventing youth violence?
At a Leadership Breakfast sponsored by the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management this morning, United Way President and Chief Professional Officer Robert Nelkin made some opening remarks about the recent shootings of a teen on the North Side and another in Homewood, both traced to (likely inadvertent) neighborhood "turf violations" being "enforced" by gang members. A challenge was issued to the nonprofit community to think through how it could help address this problem.
While there are many factors here (economics, joblessness, family support, and more), one outside-of-the-box wrinkle I began thinking about was how someone who clings to and defends turf must otherwise feel very empty. I further thought about whether SLB could do anything to help change these feelings of emptiness. Encouraging kids to express their feelings (and frankly first identify them) and then explaining how these feelings are uniquely "owned" by the individual outright and forever could be a unique way of creating healthy personal turf. Imagine..."My voice...my turf..." It's just a thought, but one we'll look into more. And..on a more conventional level, we'll be looking into ways to get kids talking to each other and to adults about the root causes of violence.
I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman from Hill House during this meeting (which actually was about IRS issues, believe it or not) and we made some connections regarding oral history collection. I also re-located an old friend who now works in corporate philanthropy. Meetings like these are always a great way to catch up and stay active within the community.
On the way back, I learned that a grant request has advanced to board review by the foundation. On return to the studios, I put finishing touches on tomorrow's show, had the pleasure of showing our studios to a few visitors, and worked through technical issues for tomorrow's Breakfast Brigade.
While there are many factors here (economics, joblessness, family support, and more), one outside-of-the-box wrinkle I began thinking about was how someone who clings to and defends turf must otherwise feel very empty. I further thought about whether SLB could do anything to help change these feelings of emptiness. Encouraging kids to express their feelings (and frankly first identify them) and then explaining how these feelings are uniquely "owned" by the individual outright and forever could be a unique way of creating healthy personal turf. Imagine..."My voice...my turf..." It's just a thought, but one we'll look into more. And..on a more conventional level, we'll be looking into ways to get kids talking to each other and to adults about the root causes of violence.
I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman from Hill House during this meeting (which actually was about IRS issues, believe it or not) and we made some connections regarding oral history collection. I also re-located an old friend who now works in corporate philanthropy. Meetings like these are always a great way to catch up and stay active within the community.
On the way back, I learned that a grant request has advanced to board review by the foundation. On return to the studios, I put finishing touches on tomorrow's show, had the pleasure of showing our studios to a few visitors, and worked through technical issues for tomorrow's Breakfast Brigade.
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