A lady friend chaired a community meeting last week and when it was completed she was chatting with several other women in attendance.  It appears all listen to WGMD weekday afternoons but one of these educated woman exclaimed the show host was a “neandrathal”.  Despite non-opposable thumbs this is my written reply:

I understand there are some women (and men) who don’t find the program worthwhile and I understand no product on market is 100 percent successful.  The humor ranges from some sharp wit to potty jokes.  It’s because the goal is to attract the largest possible audience.  Broadcasters cast wide nets.  Narrowcasting is really what “public” broadcasting is and it only survives with subsidies.  According to TV ratings people like entertainments, even locally the numbers for American Idol are strong.   Some women like to believe their own husbands would never laugh at the basest jokes and certainly not tell those jokes.  I’ve spent a good part of my waking life somewhere in a coffee shop booth with men (since I was a kid with my dad and his associates).  And for a time I was at the end of the end of a bar.  Men laugh at some of the grossest and basest jokes.  Roman priests, Baptist ministers, school administrators, dairy farmers, police officers and bartenders all laugh at bawdy tales.   There are people who claim radio is too important for humor.  “We need to have a serious discussion of the issues”, they claim.  Then I will recommend C-Span.  It’s very good and couldn’t survive without a subsidy.   Shakespeare had serious discussions about issues in his chosen format.  When I was a boy I went to see a production of Macbeth.  In one scene an old man is heading to open the castle gate.  It’s the middle of the night and he has just had sleep interrupted and as he walks to the gate he stops and relieves himself.  It brought a huge collective laugh from the audience.  Did the liberal women of the age condemn Shakespeare?  Did they claim their husbands didn’t laugh at such a scene?  Did they claim they were of a better cut than the author and his audience?   Newsflash for these women… Your husbands must have arrived from the factories with flaws.  Some components weren’t installed correctly or at all.  Or you don’t well know the product line. 

I don’t cure cancer between 3:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. weekdays.  I’m not campaigning for public office and seeking tax-dollars as compensation.  I’m trying to survive all the absurdities that come before me each day.  The day does approach, I suspect for all, when we realize much that we loved has either died or gone away yet life isn’t hell.  It’s a great gift and in its brevity should be enjoyed.  From my perspective “Gertrude” must be a miserable example of humanity.  Members of these ladies families should wrestle them and snatch the telephones and computer keypads away.  The world will be a happier place.

The number of kids known to have autism has increased astronomically in recent years. It’s shocking to me that fourteen years ago, only one 1 in 10,000 children was diagnosed with the developmental disorder. Today the rate is 1 in 150. Combine that with the growth that has taken place in this area, particularly in Sussex County, and you have parents wondering, “What programs will be available for the students after they graduate the Consortium?” Are there enough group homes for these children? WGMD spoke with several parents and members of the Lower Delaware Autism Foundation, and you can hear the audio with their comments here.

You can also hear the interview I conducted with Melissa Martin, Executive Director of the LDAF here.

The Interview with LDAF Board President, John Willey and another concerned parent, Susan Patel can be heard here. 

In addition–6 reports from the interviews on this critical issue have been posted in the WGMD News section of our website in the headlines.

All of the parents say there is a need for more group homes and residential programs for adults with autism and other developmental disorders. The Lower Delaware Autism Foundation is pursuing these goals, and they want to find out what parents want specifically for their children after they graduate the Consortium. The needs vary for each individual and family. If you are a parent of a child with special needs and you want to learn more about support programs, upcoming workshops, or other programs that provide assistance, go to www.ldaf.com or call 302-644-3410

Baseball season begins tonight (that’s opposed to the two games earlier in the week between Boston & Oakland in Tokyo).  It’s going to be an interesting year - with a lot of firsts, milestones and finals.  

President Bush will throw out the first pitch tonight at the Washington National’s new home National Park (they’re playing the Atlanta Braves).  The largest baseball crowd ever (they hope) 115,300 - gathered to celebrate the LA Dodgers 50th anniversary on the left coast with the last exhibition game of their season - played at their former home - the LA Coliseum.  The folks at the Guinness World Record will determine on Monday if it’s an international world record.  

It’s been 100 years since Jack Norworth composed a song that would become known as “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” which is now a game staple during the 7th inning stretch.  And it’s been 100 years since the Chicago Cubs last won a World Series! 

Monday’s Opening Day will be the last ones for two stadiums in the same city - Yankee Stadium & Shea Stadium in New York.  This year’s All-Star game will be the 4th and last played at Yankee Stadium (2008, 1977, 1960, 1939).  

Throughout the season new milestones will be reached in batting, pitching and scoring.  New managers will get their first wins and old managers will call it a career.  Players will get their first home runs, first put outs, first strike outs, more records will fall – and likely more players will get into trouble for one thing or another.  

2008 is a fresh start for a game that’s been overshadowed by the steroid scandal and other headline-making news that has put too many black marks on what is supposed to be “America’s pastime.”  But if you’re a fan – you’ll stick it out through thick and thin – just like I root on my Mets in good years and in bad.  I just hope that September 28th takes its sweet time getting here! 

PLAY BALL!

Jackson Armstrong won’t be right back.  He’s dead at 63.  I got the news just after noon today.  Childhood was 35 years ago for me but it dies only piece-by-piece.  Jackson Armstrong was the night-side disc jockey at WKBW-Radio in Buffalo.  A long time ago during the early 1970s, when I was a boy riding in the back seat of my dad’s Dodge and you could listen on cold winter nights to Armstrong.  There would be a glow on the instrument panel of the car and the voice of Armstrong somewhere an hour away in the darkness of Western New York.  He was having a good time those cold and bleak winter nights.  Legend has it that he got the job by winning a playoff against Doug Tracht.  Tracht later became known as The Greaseman and gained his own infamy.

 

Then one night Armstrong was gone.  It’s radio.  The actors pack and move to the next gig.  Years later I heard Jackson Armstrong was in L.A.  Today I heard his obituary spoken by Doug Limerick or Paul Harvey, Jr. or another one of the names from the past.

 

So many have gone to the next stage since those cold winter nights when I was a boy.  My grandfather Colley died one of those cold winter evenings I listened to Armstrong.  March, I believe, 1972.  My grandmothers died many years later and my parents are now gone along with a growing list of personal friends.  It was cold and dark and snowy all those many years ago but I was surrounded by the comfort of the familiar.  The radio was and is a constant.  Each year I read radio’s obituary and yet it endures.  It’s as reliable as the sun rises and sun sets.  You simply flip a switch and there are voices.  Some are close but more often than not these voices are far away.  The best talk only with me while also talking only with you.

 

It’s what caused me to forego law school and teaching and a government job or two.  It was caused by the nights spent on the roof of my cousin’s sugar shack.  Cloudless and cold autumn in Western New York can be little but barren.  One night I was on the roof with Sean Doyle and Kevin Donavan and someone had a radio and we tuned in WNBC and we lied on our backs against the roof and stared at the stars and knew we weren’t alone.  In the vastness of the universe there was isolation and yet redemption.  There was a voice, 8 hours away, talking with us.  The voices I would often hear at night from Chicago, St. Louis, Montreal, Boston, Cleveland and Philadelphia.  All of these voices and so many like Jackson Armstrong sharing a personal moment from so many places I wouldn’t ever see. 

 

Life is brief and usually hard and it brings its share of grief.  Thursday I will go to work and I’ll open a microphone and I’ll share my story.  It’s what I do and from as long ago as I can remember it’s all I ever wanted from life.  To touch someone on a chilly autumn night as they gaze at the stars or as they huddle for warmth in the backseat of a car, bathed in the glow of an instrument panel, while cold wind and snow howl in every direction.   It’s the voice that reassures there is more and that our dark nights will bring dawn.  A metaphor for all that we believe and hope will be there for us when there are no longer any new gigs.

One of the topics that infiltrates our airwaves, at least during my program, is that of drug abuse. Lately, particularly vicodin, oxy, perkocet, etc… Heck, we’ve even done topics on Poppy Seed Tea. One plauge that we rarely discuss, however, I hear it’s huge in Western Sussex and all across the country for that matter is the scourge of Crystal Meth.

I want you to check out a documentary I caught on Youtube called “Crystal Darkness” — I’m contemplating playing segments of the program on the air in a series. Here’s some information on the documentary from Al Tompkins:

“Originally produced for Reno TV stations in January 2007, “Crystal Darkness” used interviews with addicts from all walks of life, graphic images of the damage done and sobering violent-crime statistics. It also provided a toll-free number for people to get help.

The program that ran on all Reno stations proved so popular, says producer Mike Reynolds, a Reno advertising executive, that other communities sought localized versions of the documentary.

In May in Las Vegas, 50 percent of the households tuned in to the documentary, according Nielsen ratings. In August, 25 stations in five Oregon cities broadcast the documentary, and newspaper reports say the toll-free number was flooded with calls. And in December, San Diego stations blanketed the airwaves.”

Here are the parts of the Documentary from youtube.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/yankee_dixie_quiz.html

The above link was mailed by a friend.  I scored 50 percent Dixie, which makes me believe the divide in this country is more rural/urban than north/south.  The spine of Appalachia runs south/north.  A southwestern NYer has more in common with a fellow in Kentucky than the man in New York City or Boston.  See where you’re from.

LOTS of WGMD listeners have their own websites and Dan Gaffney gave everyone an hour to promote their hard work.  Many people have asked for the links - so here’s most of the links that were called in.

• Judson Bennett for County Council - http://www.judsonbennett.com/
• Long Neck Family Practice - http://www.longneckfp.com/
•  Extreme Brewing - http://extremebrewing.com/
• Coldwell Banker/Katy Werner - http://www.cbmove.com/katy.werner
• Katy Decorates - http://www.katydecorates.com/
• Cyber Game Lan - http://www.cybergamelan.com/
• Vintage Delaware Tags - http://www.vintagedelawaretags.com/
• LowTags.com - http://www.lowtags.com/
• Bethany Beach Vol Fire Co. - http://www.bethanybeachfire.com/
• Gumboro Mudbog - http://www.gumboromudbog.com/
• Sussex County Government - http://www.sussexcountyde.gov/
• Delmarva Insulation - http://www.delmarvainsulation.com/
• Your Pet Food Store - http://www.yourpetfoodstore.com/
• Margarita Man - http://www.margaritamande.com/
• Ghost Hunting at Five Locks Canal - http://www.freewebs.com/5locks/
• Mid-Atlantic Regional Sport Stacking - http://www.midatlanticstacking.com/
• Man-Maid Cleaning - http://www.manmaidcleaning.com/ 
• Keenote Music Studio -
  http://www.makingmusik.com/servlet/KM_DisplayMain?s=3083
• Frank Prekup’s Purple Martin Houses - http://www.atlanticbreezes.com/pprekup.htm
• Johnson’s Country Market - http://www.johnsonscountrymarket.com/
• CopyRight Inc - http://www.copyrightinc.net/
• Community of Independence - http://www.independencede.com/home/
• Delaware State Housing - http://www.destatehousing.com/
• Guardian Property Management - http://www.guardian.us.com/guardian/page.html
• My Kids Support.com - http://www.mykidssupport.com/
• Sussex County Bible Church - http://www.sussexbible.com/
• Smith’s Used Cars - http://www.shopsmiths.com/
• Bella’s Cookies - http://www.bellascookies.com/
• Food 2 Go - http://www.food2gode.com/
• Isorobic - http://www.isorobic.com/
• Millman’s Appliance - http://www.millmansappliances.com/
• Indie Rocks Blog - http://www.indierocks.org/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7306378.stm

http://www.wgmd.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/scofield.thumbnail.jpg

 A great man and perhaps the world’s best actor.  Have seen his few films and A Man For All Seasons is my top movie of all time but a smaller film called The Train is among his best.  Scofield never lived more than ten miles from his birthplace.  No ego.  It makes me think much of his self is on-screen in his roles.

Among screen actors I would place him with Anthony Hopkins and Kenneth Brannagh.  Slightly above Peter O’Toole.

His rivals on these shores were Jack Lemmon and Spencer Tracy.  Perhaps Rod Steiger, Gene Hackman and Burt Lancaster.  Scofield acted opposite Lancaster in The Train. 

I’ve seen so little stage acting that I can’t make comparisons.  Your thoughts?

There were some questions raised about a statement by Indian River School District Superintendent Susan Bunting regarding Easter decorations. Teachers were reportedly told to remove Easter Decorations such as bunny rabbits, Easter eggs and baskets because they are religious symbols (of course, they are NOT religious symbols). According to School District Spokesman Dave Maull. that is not true. He says, “At no time did she say that the teachers had to take down Easter decorations.” There was a statement issued to us by Superintendent Susan Bunting after these questions were asked. She made no mention of decorations in classrooms that teachers were reportedly told to remove. Here is her statement:

Statement from Superintendent Susan Bunting regarding Easter activities at district elementary schools: “On March 20, 2008, Indian River elementary schools will be hosting celebration parties related to the recent completion of the Delaware Student Testing Program. Parents and students can bring food, beverages and candy to school on this day, and children can enjoy what is contributed.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please call your school principal or Superintendent Susan Bunting.”

School district spokesman Dave Maull further adds that what she did say was, “There would be no school sponsored Easter activities.” He says that the reason is explained on the Indian River School District’s Website www.IRSD.net where they have a link that you click on entitled, “Settlement of School Prayer Lawsuit. If you click on that link on the right side of the page, you will come to several more links, such as: http://irsd.net/pdf/school_prayer/IN.1_Religion_w_Real_World_rev.pdf . There you will find information on the policy concerning religious holidays. It states, 

“No religious belief or non-belief shall be promoted or disparaged, by the district. Instead the District encourages all students and staff members to appreciate and be tolerant of the religious views of others. The district shall foster understanding and mutual respect regarding culture, economic backgrounds, and religious beliefs. In this spirit of tolerance, students and staff shall be excused from participating in practices that will impose a significant burden on the excercise of their religious beliefs.  

The District will explain the origin and the historical and contemporary significance of religious holidays in an unbiased and objective manner without sectarian indoctrination. The District may permit teaching about religious and cultural holidays (Christmas, for example) in the context of teaching about other religious and cultural holidays (such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan), so as to provide instruction on religious heritage on particular holidays where it is clear the District is not endorsing or encouraging a religious belief.

The District will permit music, art, literature, and drama having religious themes or bases as part of the curriculum for school-sponsored activities and programs if presented in a prudent and objective manner, as a traditional part of the cultural and religious heritage of the particular holiday, and in a manner where it is clear the District is not endorsing or encouraging a religious belief. The District or any school within the district shall use non-restrictive terms to designate school-sponsored activities or programs involving student participation. 

The District will permit the use of religious symbols such as a cross, menorah, star and crescent, Star of David, crèche, symbols of Native American religions, or other symbols that are a part of a religious holiday, (including, but not limited to Christmas,  Easter, Passover, Hanukkah, St. Patrick’s Day, St. Valentines Day, Thanksgiving and Halloween) as a teaching aid or resource provided such symbols are displayed as an example of the cultural and religious heritage of the holiday and are temporary in nature.”

Those are some of the excerpts related to holidays and you’ll find more information as well if you click on the link above.  

There have been several meetings between the Hispanic community and Georgetown Police and other agencies.  A safety campaign and helping the Hispanic community to know that dialing 9-1-1 is to help them - or to help others if they witness a crime.   WGMD’s Kevin Andrade is a fundamental part of this campaign which is being created by the group Primal. 

This is a Powerpoint presentation - if you need a Powerpoint viewer - it is free

Click on the picture below to launch the presentation (click on each page to advance to the next page)