by The Cranky Media Guy!

Friday, Nov. 17

Lemme 'Splain A Thing Or Two

I feel like I really owe all you Cranksters an explanation about why things have been, shall we say, a bit tardy around here of late.

I know I've said some of this before, but just in case anyone missed it, I want to tell you what's been going on in my life lately. Just over a month ago, I was working for a teensy little publishing house, editing books. I was, as they say, "between" radio jobs; in plain English that means that I couldn't find anyone reckless enough to put me on the air again.

Along came a friend I hadn't seen in about eight years who offered me a job working with him on a rock and roll morning show in Boise, Idaho. That would be pretty odd in most people's lives, but it's the kind of thing that happens to me periodically.

So off I go to Boise, leaving my wife and kid back in Virginia temporarily. For my first month out here in Idaho (where you can be arrested for voting Democratic while not carrying a firearm), I lived in a motel room. Posting to this li'l web site was accomplished via my Palm thingie plugged into the side of the room's phone--awkward, but it worked. Since I was adjusting to my new schedule (waking up at 4:30 AM instead of going to bed at 6 AM) and the long hours I've been putting in at the station, it got hard to get stuff posted to the site on schedule.

I was hoping to be able to hang out at the motel until I flew back to VA just before Christmas to collect the wife and kid for the Big Drive back here to the City of Trees. Alas, it was not to be. I had used up all of the station's trade with the motel, which meant that I had to find a place to live, ASAP. Naturally, procrastinator that I am, I waited until two days before I would become homeless to start looking for a place to call my own.

I started calling ads I found in the paper and after placing a grand total of four calls, astonished my coworkers by finding an affordable place I could move into immediately that is a five-minute drive from work.

I now have my Macintosh hooked up to the phone line that I only got three days ago. I still don't have a lamp or chair in my living room, though; I'm typing this by sitting on the arm of the couch (which was given to me secondhand by the guy I'm working with). The arm is more narrow than a chair would be and it's making my ass crack sore.

Anyway, the point of this whole diatribe is that this move has been a wee bit more disruptive than I expected it to be. My day has been turned upside-down and it's been difficult to block out time to work on the site.

Hmm, I just realized that this might sound like I'm building up to saying that I'm giving up the site. Nah, I'm not going to do that. Hey, this whole radio thing could collapse at a moment's notice. I figure someone's going to figure out how to make money off this web thing and I want to be there when it happens. Maybe we can start one of those "IPO" things; I hear those are going real well these days.

Bottom line? I honestly appreciate everyone who visits this site and especially those who take the time to send e-mail to me about whatever. I think I've finally adjusted to the new gig and hours and I think that things will start being posted on a (reasonably) timely basis again. Thanks for hanging in with the Crankster and putting up with my tardiness of late. If things with the radio show go like I think they might, you're going to to want to brag to your friends that you knew me "when".

I'd Say Something About The Election...

but what the hell is there to say until the thing gets worked out? Both sides are totally full of shit, worrying about winning rather than what's right or good for the country. A plague on both their houses. We'll deal with this in a few days when the dust settles, okay?

The E-Fat Lady's Singing For

BeautyJungle.com