What I'm Thankful For - 2009

Once again, Thanksgiving is upon us. I'd like to take a moment to share with you some of the things I'm thankful for this year.

I'm thankful for:

• My wife, whose support and love keeps me going every day.
• My dogs, Baron and Magnus.
• A roof over my head, and a job to provide for my family.
• Family and friends.
• Social networking, without which, I would not be able to connect with many people I have lost touch with.
• The quiet serenity of home.

John Moawad: RIP

There are a handful of people I count among those who had significant influence on my life. One of those was my college jazz professor, John Moawad, who passed away this weekend after a long fight with cancer. Read more here.

His students called him "Coach". He held that he wasn't there to teach us how to play jazz, but to coach us through the process of letting jazz blossom and flourish. His vast knowledge of jazz (and rock and roll) inspired literally thousands of musicians and music educators over more than 5 decades. I had the distinct honor of playing bass in his Jazz Band, Jazz Choir, and his off-hours Swing Dance Band for many years, and enjoyed many gigs playing with him in jazz combos.

For me, Coach provided focus and encouragement at a time in my life when I didn't know my place in the grand scheme of things. For many of us, he was a father figure at some times, and the "cool uncle you wanted to hang out with" at others. He gave me some of the most memorable music moments of my life, and gave me his heartfelt support after I left college and began a career in radio broadcasting.

Many of the best years of my life were under his wing, and I miss him dearly. Rest in peace, Coach. You are missed.

Long Beach Weekend

Photos from our 12-year anniversary weekend in Long Beach are up on my Flickr page. Check them out here!

Glenn Beck to be honored in Mount Vernon Saturday

Once again, I am confused and a bit disappointed by the loony left in Washington State. This time, it's with regards to "Glenn Beck Day" in Mount Vernon.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Glenn, he grew up in Mount Vernon, and got his start in media at a local radio station. He moved to TV as a talk show host, and (on Fox News) has rocketed to a position as one of the most popular radio/TV talk show hosts in the country.

A self-described Libertarian and conservative, his opinions have drawn ire from the left. During the 2009 Henry Louis Gates controversy, Beck argued that President Barack Obama has repeatedly shown "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture," saying "I'm not saying he doesn't like white people. I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist." These remarks drew criticism, and resulted in a boycott promulgated by Color of Change.

Bud Norris, Mount Vernon's mayor and, a childhood friend of Beck, announced plans to honor Beck - not for his comments or political leanings, but for his success. Beck is scheduled to receive the keys to the city (a private ceremony - not an official city function - which really means nothing) on Saturday.

I guess what confuses me is the outrage from the left at this week's MV city council meeting, and from the Snohomish County chapter of the NAACP is that Beck is fostering intolerance. This is amusing to me, in the lack of tolerance shown in these protests. If Beck was a liberal, this would be a non-issue from the left, and a non-news story in the left-leaning local media. But if a conservative talk show host - whose job is to share his opinions - is to be honored for his success, the vehement critics take to the street!

I could write pages about liberal public figures who are honored for their achievements whose views or backgrounds are overlooked in favor of the honors bestowed upon them. The late Senator Ted Kennedy (D - Massachusetts) springs immediately to mind. His 1969 Chappaquiddick incident resulted in the death of automobile passenger Mary Jo Kopechne; Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. The guy pretty much killed the woman, but to this day, he is all but canonized by the left as a bastion of virtue. Glenn Beck, on the other hand, has done nothing as heinous. He's not an elected official, directing the policies of the country, he's a commentator!

A word to the left who are up in arms about Glenn Beck getting the keys to the city - there are more important things than shouting at the mountain top to stop his being honored for "a local guy does good". If you want to show how tolerant you are, get past your disagreement with his political views and stop trying to block Beck's honor. And keep in mind that proceeds from the Beck event are going to the historic Lincoln Theater, which routinely shows independent films (produced and directed by far-left-leaning folks).

My Wife and My Boy

My Wife and My Boy. I love them both dearly.

The Backyard Menagerie Grows

Wifey and the boys (Baron and Magnus) were away from home this past weekend, attending a dog show in Enumclaw. I fully anticipated a very quiet weekend at home. On Sunday, while lounging on the couch, trying to find something on TV worth watching (250 channels, and nothing entertaining was on, as was usually the case), I hear a cacophony from my back yard.

My initial thought was, "those damn squirrels are fighting in the trees again". I turned the TV's volume up a notch or two and waited for the noise outside to subside. Not only did it persist, but it became louder by the minute. Frustrated, I went to the back door to see what was the matter. I was very surprised at what I found.

Huddled in the corner of the backyard, desperately trying to get past our makeshift chicken wire fence to the adjoining property, was 6 Guinea hens. What was surprising was: a) in the nearly 12 years of living at this address, I have never seen these birds; and, b) these birds are not native to NW Washington State - Guinea hens are native to the African country of Namibia.

A neighbor helped me get the birds across the fence, into the neighboring back yard, and their behavior quickly improved. They did, however, remain in that yard for most of the day, foraging for food. I found out later that Guinea hens have been plentiful in Washington Park (a mere stone's throw from my back yard), and limited food there may have forced them to look for sustenance closer to the area's human habitations.

So, aside from insects, the backyard menagerie now includes deer, raccoons the size of small dogs, 2 species of squirrel, numerous species of indigenous small birds (blackbirds, bluebirds, goldfinches, swifts, swallows, etc.), seasonal waterfowl (geese), seagulls, crows and ravens, the occasional predatory bird (hawks, falcons, and bold eagles), neighborhood cats, and - now - African chickens. I should set up a booth, charge admission, and sell collectible coffee mugs or something.

Influencing the Next Generation

Great story to relate to you today...

I got a call this morning from a young lady inquiring about internship opportunities at the radio station. Calls like this one we routinely get, especially during the summer. Kids looking to learn about the radio industry when they aren't in school, that sort of thing. I asked her for her name and contact number, so I could pass along her information to our General Manager. When she told me her name, something clicked.

Flashback to "many moons ago": For over 10 years, I recorded and produced Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", featuring the voices of local elementary school children. Out of all the kids that passed through the station's doors, one stuck in my mind - this little girl who took a genuine interest in how I produced the program. I gave her a rudimentary walk through of how a radio show is produced, and told her about how much fun a career in radio is. Keep in mind, this was a 5th grade child, so I wasn't expecting any words on my part to stick.

Back to present day: As it turns out, this little girl, now in her last year in college, chose broadcast journalism as her major, and she is enthusiastic to start a career in radio. When I said I remembered her from all those years ago, she said my advice to her played a part in her choice of major.

Nuggets of wisdom from me making an impact on someone of the younger generation? I'm taken aback. Years ago, I gave bass guitar lessons to a classmate of sister. He's now a very successful professional bass player. I thought my influence was a one-shot occurrence. Who'd of thunk lightning would strike twice?

All Good Things...

...must come to an end. In this case, it's the week-long "staycation" my wife and I have enjoyed.

Like other vacations, I laid out a list of things to do while trying to do as little as possible. We caught a show (the latest "Transformers" movie - a good diversion). We watched fireworks at night over Fidalgo Bay. I read a good book (four, actually). We visited family in Auburn. We spent an afternoon at the recently remodeled Southcenter Mall, shopping for books and eating Thai and Japanese food (I had some fantastic sushi with tempura shrimp and smelt roe). We spent a quiet day in La Conner, antiquing and walking the small town's quiet streets. We visited the local Scottish Highland Games, where we dined on meat pies, and I enjoyed some haggis (more on that later). We went out to eat at nice restaurants... a lot... and savored every bite.

We unplugged from the office.
We unplugged from our computers.
We stayed up late, reading and watching TV.
We slept in.
We relaxed.

Now, our escape from all things routine is coming to a close. For the first time in a week, the weather is cloudy. It rained a bit this morning, and by noon, it was cold enough to see ones own breath. The feeling at home is subdued, and we are already missing the fun we have had these past few days. We're ready to do it again, as soon as possible.

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone has a great Independence Day. I'm going to be staying away from usual fare, like watching the TV (all that'll be on is "Independence Day" (the movie) anyway). Gonna head downtown to broadcast the 4th of July parade for the radio station, then I'll start a week-long vacation (yes!!!).

So, to all reading this post, enjoy some BBQ, catch a parade or two, enjoy some fireworks, and overall spend the day out of doors. Have fun!

Bark In The Park 09

This past Saturday was Bark in The Park at Storvik Park in Anacortes. The event is much like a children's festival, but for our canine companions. Hundreds of dogs and their owners attended.