Anybody Have a Rock?

Why do I stress when I have a bad week?

I've had so much bad stuff happen in my life, I really shouldn't sweat the stuff that can happen to make me have a bad week. I mean, I've almost died many times, I spent most of my childhood in a hospital, I've had family members with whom I was close die, any number of bad things like that. I would think that something happening to make me "have a had week" would be minor compared to this stuff... yet I stress and stress. I guess that just human nature.

The biggest thing I've had on my mind for the last little bit is Rachel. She's been pretty sick off and on over the last few weeks; she gets one thing licked, something else pops up. Being sick, being pregnant and having two kids to take care of have sure taken their toll on her... yet, she's remained strong through it all. I really admire her for that. It's one of the reasons I love her. She's had a really tough time finding a new job too and today she told me that if she doesn't find something by the end of the month she's probably going to move back home for a while. Home would be Ohio in a town (somewhere around Columbus) that's 3-4 hours away from here. Since she has two kids to take care of and another one on the way, I completely understand why she might need to make this move... but it sucks none the less. We haven't really talked about it much so if/when this happens I have no clue where this will leave us. I've never really been faced with something like this before so it's not like I know how to handle it except for taking it a day at a time. Pray for us.

Work's been rough this week too. Our ratings come back next week so we've all been anxious to see them. I've been looking at music stuff and making sure that everything is tight and good to go. Not that that's a tough job, it's just time consuming and takes a lot of mental toll. I also had my performance review this week, which went well. Actually, it went better than I expected.

I've also been stressing out over something I found out this week. A mentor and former boss took something I said totally the wrong way and has been kindda pissed at me ever since... for over a year! I emailed him and tried to explain what I intended to say and apologize. Hopefully he accepts it. Had it not been for Brian, I wouldn't be in this business and I damn sure wouldn't have enjoyed the success that I have.

As you can see, I've been about to go insane. It's been one of those weeks where I wish I could just crawl under a rock and stay there for a few days.

Enough depression... I'm going home for dinner.

--Jonathan

They Do What a Brain!

A letter writer back home does have a brain! They agree with me on my opinions of "The Book of Danial" not being shown before it even aired. This letter appeared today on The Meridian Star's website:

Will WGBC please allow me, and not some station employee, the right to determine if I want to watch a program or not?Could “The Book of Daniel” really be worse than all of the murder and mayhem seen on TV every night? I think not. WGBC can stop playing censor and allow the viewing public to determine what programs they want to watch.

For those who heard that the program was so awful (without actually viewing it), don't watch it. Please stop imposing your views on me and allow me to make my own decision on what programming I want to watch.

Robert Connor
Meridian

YES!!!! I now have hope of sanity down there. :-)

--Jonathan

Book of Danial

Last night, NBC debuted their new show called Book of Danial. The show is about an Epescopalian pastor who has many life troubles and Jesus appears through out to give him advice, etc. Unfortunately, I didn't see it because I was with Rachel taking her son to the E.R. (he's ok) so I didn't get to see it. However, I can't help but notice a news article today in The Meridian Star that indicates that the NBC affiliate in Meridian (along with affiliates in Terre Haute, IN, Beaumont, TX and Little Rock, AR) refused to air the show because of complaints from viewers. Complaints, I might add, that came in before the show even aired.

That's stupid.

Why would you complain about a show before even seeing it? Just because you see a promo for a show, that doesn't give you the full picture of what it's about. It gives you a snippet that attempts to intice you to watch. Instead, the extremely relegious among us went into panic mode. Don Wildmon's American Family Association sent out letters and urged their members to boycott any advertisers who ran spots on the show and to boycott the television stations who aired the show. So, naturally since they're all his sheep, they flooded television stations with letters and emails about their utter disgust at a show that "pokes fun at Christians." People not only contacted the stations in their areas, they contacted stations all over the country.

That's right, people from other cities are dictating another station's programming.

And all of this before a single episode even aired, I might add. This is nonsense. Why would you judge something without seeing it for yourself and getting all the facts? Even pastors are saying they can't make an accurate judgement on it without seeing it. Says one Methodist pastor: “It's entertainment, and if I don't like something I see on TV, I turn away,” (Carl) Jackson said. “From what I've seen on the advertisements, it's hard to tell if it is art imitating life or life imitating art.” (Meridian Star article)

Now, to me, if even a pastor is admitting that he can't make a judgement about the show until he sees it then maybe others should have that mentality. I am a Christian and I, like any true Christian, don't take kindly to mockery of my faith. However, I also have a sense of humor; I also don't form an opinion about something until I've been able to get all the facts and see what it's really all about. Anyone who does this is foolish and I admonish all of those who complained to the TV stations without first seeing the show. I also admonish the stations for their diservice to their viewers. Why are you going to dictate opinions to your viewers? Air the show and let them decide if they like it... don't decide for them. Last time I checked, everyone had freedom of speech in this country. Essentially what you've done is slap the First Amendment right in the face.

My final words of advice to people who get all worked up about this like this is simply this: Whether it's TV, radio, whatever... if you hear or see something that you don't like, don't bitch to the station about it. Simply change the station. That's why there are tuning buttons and knobs.

You're welcome.

--Jonathan

Goodbye 2K5...

...and don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!

I'll be very honest: 2005 was not a very good year for me. Don't get me wrong, I had some good experiences with many different people and met several good friends for the first time during that year. However, I also spent a good chunk of it down in the dumps, depressed and ready to say "fuck it" and just chunk it all. But I got through it, I am smiling now and 2K6 is only almost four days old. A new year: A time of new beginnings and looking forward to the new experiences that await us. I, for one, plan to run into the new year with open arms and shouting with excitement.

So it's with that that I'm going to have a proverbial bonfire and burn all the bad things that happened. Gone are all the bad experiences, some of which I won't get into just out of sheer respect and, in some cases, professionalism.

So let's look ahead to this new year. I have a feeling that things are really going to be better, both personally and professionally. Professionally may have to wait a bit longer since ratings don't come out for another couple of weeks. Personally, things are already starting to look a little better. Shortly before I went home for Christmas (which I'll talk about in a few), I started seeing a wonderful woman named Rachel. Rachel is 23, originally from Ohio and the mother of two great kids. She also has another one on the way. Before you ask, no I'm not the father; she became pregnant shortly before she and her ex boyfriend broke up but she didn't find out until after she and I got together. It's really tough to describe the bond she and I have. In fact, I can't... it's indescribable. What has really impressed me about this woman is how she has gone above and beyond to reach out to my family and some of my close friends. She emailed my mom when we got together! I've never had a woman do anything like that for me before. It totally blew my mind and let me know right then and there that I have someone special. :-)

As I mentioned above, I went home for Christmas. It was awesome being down there! I didn't wear a jacket the entire time I was at home. It felt so good to get out of the ice and snow for a few days (although that was kindda dampened when I got back and realized that the snow and ice had melted LOL). With the exception of some new businesses that had opened, it was as if I never left. The town had literally not changed one bit. My mom and step dad's house has been totally redone, though. I seriously didn't recognize it at first! But it was great, comfortable and all that stuff so I wasn't complaining. It felt awesome to be down there and do next to nothing.

I resolved to not think of the station or listen to the radio much while I was down there. Quite honestly, radio in my old market (Meridian, MS) really depressed me. My old station has gone completely into the shitter. The music is ok for the most part (a bit too rhythmic, especially during the day, though) but everything else sounded awful. Quite honestly, it sounded half assed. There are liners that were running for several months before I left almost two years ago! I didn't get to hear the night guy (who I helped hire, I might add) but I got to hear everyone else. I'm sorry but they all sucked. Laziness, no preperation at all. The morning show is syndicated! SYNDICATED! There are now only two live morning shows in Meridian now (WOKK and WMOX) that I'm aware of. And Saturday night now has Open House Party (one of the crappiest shows ever put on the air in any market--I can't stand it!). It really broke my heart... I was honestly depressed. The station has no soul, no personality. Everything that made the station special when I was there is now gone and dead. In the CHR format, you always have to have something going on that creates a buzz and gives people a reason to listen. Jay King, the program director of WYYW, has said many times that radio stations in that type of format should "sell the sizzle." Unfortuantely, there's no sizzle to be had when the grill is cold. Before we were cookin' with gas... but no more. I'm not saying that my being there did or would give the station its success but at least someone was there/would be there who gave/gives a damn (seemingly, unlike those who are there now). I hate to say it but Q101 sucks. Hard.

Ok, I'm done. Time to head home, unwind and prepare for a nice nap. Have a happy new year!

--Jonathan