Radioguy and Droyne's Blog (Home of H&H Industries)

Long Beach Weekend

2009-09-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-24T17:43:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

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

The Backyard Menagerie Grows

2009-08-17T18:21:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-07-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

...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!

2009-07-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

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.

Puppy's First Bath

2009-06-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

We gave Magnus his first bath the other day... Superubercutie alert!

Highlander Rebooted

2009-06-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine alerted me to plans in Hollywood to reboot the cult-classic "Highlander" movie franchise. I read a synopsis of the remake's plot, and - once again - was disappointed with what the folks in tinseltown are up to.

Many times, especially of late, Hollywood cranks out remakes of films that once were profitable for the studios that made them. Sometimes, the remakes are great re-tellings of the original films. Many times, though, the resulting cinematic offering is a pale comparison to the original, and (in my opinion) shouldn't have been produced in the first place. Those poor remakes - again, in my opinion - seem to be weak attempts to glean a few shekels from the movie-going public through various means, most often through the mere addition of a currently popular actor or actress and a generous amount of CGI special effects. Other times, screenwriters and producers will try to "remake" a movie by throwing all the things that made the original so good out the cinematic window. The pending remake of "Highlander" seems to fall in the second category, although it wouldn't surprise me that the finished product will fall into both categories.

A detailed review of the upcoming "Highlander" movie can be found here.

Sometimes, the Little Things Count

2009-06-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

We've got a new puppy in the family, and during most of the week, I don't have much time to socialize/imprint/make myself known to our new young one - Tracy has both of our dogs with her at work for most of the day, and between our work schedules not precisely matching and her very busy after-work schedule, I haven't had much time to spend with the wee one.

This afternoon, Tracy got home at a "normal" time - enough time for me to spend with the puppy in our front yard. Nothing too extravagant - me sitting on the lawn, with the puppy playing with a toy. What made me say "awwwww" to myself was that while playing with the toy, Magnus ran around behind me and leaned up against my back to play.

(read: he considers me a "safe" zone)

That's a big thing for a new puppy to do, and I was deeply touched by the gesture.

Sometimes, it's the little things like that that make my day.

Introducing Magnus

2009-06-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce the latest addition to our family, Magnus. We picked him up from SeaTac Airport on Saturday (he was flown in from the breeder in Wisconsin). He's an 11-week-old Belgian Tervuren puppy, and is a delight. Here's a few pics for you to enjoy (click on each picture for a larger view).

More pictures to come!

New Puppy

2009-05-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we pick up our new puppy, Magnus. He's an 11-week-old Belgian Tervuren, the same breed as our big boy, Baron. We're filled with nervous excitement, and can't wait to welcome him to his new home. Here's a picture of him for added "ubercutie" effect...
More pictures after we pick him up from the airport...

The Friday Morning Fishbowl

2009-05-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Friday mornings, from 9 to 10, we're got a little show put together at KWLE, called the Cozy Homes Friday Morning Fishbowl. It features Yours Truly (Newsguy Glen), DJ Rob, and Trainwreck Johnny. One of our new show segments involves highlighting music we don't like (for one reason or another), then sticking dynamite in the track and blowing it up! Here's a highlight from this morning's show. Crank it up and enjoy!

Great Obedience Weekend

2009-05-18T16:49:00.001-07:00

Tracy and Baron did wonderfully...

Baron Runs At Argus

2009-05-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

Summer Blockbuster Season Begins

2009-05-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's not technically summer yet, but the summer movie season began on Friday with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I do think it's one of a string of (hopefully) great movies this year. Over the past 4 months, the number of movies I really wanted to see was very slim. If anyone who reads this has seen the latest X-Men movie, please let me know if you liked it or not.

The movie I'm really looking forward to is the upcoming Star Trek film. The trailers shown for the film keep getting better and better, and as the Trekkie in my household, it fuels my Trek need nicely. I hope the film lives up to the hype it's been given over the past year or so.

The new Transformers movie may be cool, but we'll see.

Baron in the Tulip Fields

2009-04-20T13:38:00.001-07:00

Got some great pictures of Baron Sunday in the tulip fields of the Skagit Valley. He may be featured in an upcoming calendar. Check out all the photos here.

Pizza Tonight!

2009-04-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to give it a try - my new "special"... sausage, onions, green peppers, pineapple, and tomatoes... YUM!

Ouch

2009-04-13T20:11:00.001-07:00

Oohhh. Headache...

What Are the Folks In Olympia Thinking?

2009-04-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

Every day, I hear a new example of the lawmakers in Olympia coming up with "novel" and "clever" ways to stimulate the economy, which has gone to pot in Washington State.

The latest is from Rep. Hans Dunshee (D - Snohomish), who is floating a bill that would - if approved - would put a $3 billion statewide school bond before voters in the fall. Rep. Dunshee is quoted as saying the bill would provide much-needed improvements to schools, and would provide a couple thousand jobs.

If one were to take that at face value, that sounds like a well-intentioned, feel-good bill. The problem with that bill, though, is economic feasability. Washington state has the highest tax rate among western states in the US, and ranks 42 out of 50 in taxpayer satisfaction, according to a recent survey. Those taxpayers who would take this proposal of Dunshee's seriously would either have no idea how bad the tax burden is on their fellow citizens, or simply don't care about the fiscal consequences. Putting a bill like this before the voters circumvents the blame on the voting public, not the legislature. If the legislature were to pass such a bill without going to the voters, any lawmaker who supported the bill would be hung from the rafters.

I'm also of the opinion that state taxes should not be guised as infrastructure improvements with the purpose of creating jobs. That's not what state government is for. Far too many times of late, the state has touted government programs as "job creators". The bulk of those programs, however, have led to unfinished projects, government waste, and little band for the taxpayers buck. Sure, the state has a load of transportation projects started, but years after the state promised those projects would be done, they're not.

Just two years ago, Washington state enjoyed a rare, $2 billion budget surplus. Republicans in the legislature shouted to the hilltops to save that money for poor financial times, and the majority party (the Democrats) not only ignored those warnings, but added more and more state programs and projects, that now result in a $9 billion budget deficit. Do the math - that's $11 billion in spending beyond the state's incoming revenue!

And now a lawmaker wants to tax the state another $3 billion to improve schools?!?!?

When I was a student, the schools weren't great to look at, but we got the education we needed. We didn't complain about our schools, and neither did our parents or teachers. The schools, as they were, served their purpose.

Perhaps Rep. Dunshee should think again about even suggesting this bill.

Bill O'Mara: 1917-2009

2009-03-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, Bill O'Mara, passed away early Saturday morning at the age of 92 of complications from pneumonia. Bill was best known for his time as sports director at KING-TV in Seattle, where he was the on-air voice and face of the Seattle hydroplane races. During my time at KLKI Radio, Bill was the station's sports director, and among the closest co-workers I have ever had the opportunity to have.

I knew Mr. O'Mara for over 12 years. He always called me "kid", which made me smile each time. He put 110% into each on-air appearance, be it a 2 minute sports update or play-by-play for a high school basketball game. He instilled in his co-workers a desire to be fastidious in preparation. Good Lord willing, if I ever make it to such an advanced age, and I'm asked who influenced me as a broadcaster, Mr. O'Mara will be at the top of the list.

Thank you, Bill, for years of friendship, mentoring, and so much more. You will be missed, my friend.

At Bill's request the family says there is no service planned.

Bill requested any memorial donations be made to:

Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum

5917 South 196th St.

Kent, WA 98032

One Last Ranma Video

2009-03-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

It's been many months since our girl, Ranma, passed away suddenly. I've been able now to put together a small "tribute" vid. Check it out, and comment if you want to.

New Agility Video - Baron at the 2009 Chuckanut Dog Show

2009-03-16T16:51:00.001-07:00

New Agility Video - Baron At the Kennewick Dog Show

2009-03-16T16:29:00.000-07:00