Ralphie's Ramblings

Nothing New...That's The Problem

2012-01-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

It always amazes me when I see how many people have stopped by this site....especially since I go through long periods where I don't write anything!

I know some people are just following a link and end up here, maybe for only a moment, and then they move on...some may actually take the time to read something they see here...and then they move on.

I know there are some who check in occasionally to see wut up, and they must think "dang, Ralphie, wut up?!"

Well, right now there is just nothing interesting going on.

My personal life isn't very interesting...now or usually! My meds are keeping me level, my wife makes me laugh, my sisters makes me crazy and my work makes me sad...sometimes mad...sometimes mad and sad and quite often bored! (remember, I am a multi-tasker!)

And speaking of work (oh here it comes) work is still the same, although our ratings did go up this last quarter, (yay!)...sadly, the DJ's pay did not, (boo!). Perhaps if 5 years ago after Laura Ellen died the management had not stopped all promotions and advertising of the station and festivals and t-shirts...well, maybe our ratings wouldn't have gotten so low to begin with. Even with this new rating, I can't help but feel the station is circling the drain....and the new management does nothing to give any indication to the contrary...I mean, would it have killed them to at least send out an email/memo letting the on air staff know that we had a good book this quarter? You know, "good job guys, keep up the great work" ... I never saw such a memo, and if I wasn't here every day, I don't know how I would have heard about it...OH, and by the way...when the ratings are down, it's the DJ's fault...but when they go up, it's managment's success...nothing builds morale like being told you suck! That's how all radio seems to work!

So there...aren't you glad I took the time to bring you this update?!

I really will try to have a little more presence here, but life just gets so dang busy...and boring. Even I'm dozing off right now....

Zzzzzzzz

Keepin' Santa Cruz...Weird?!

2011-11-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

A Trip To Santa Cruz

I think the Tourist Bureau needs to update their promos!

And yes...because it is about Santa Cruz, the running time is 4:20...enjoy!

Ralphie

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2011-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Where to begin….

I have always been someone who has experienced depression…I also suffer from the “O” in OCD…I am very obsessive, but not very compulsive, and that’s probably because I also have ADHD (that’s Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder)…actually, I have HDADD (that’s High Definition Attention Deficit Disorder!!) so at least it’s all very spectacular! And thank you, Steven Wright!

I think all of those things all work together to make me reeeeaaaalllly good at what I do!

But apparently I never had anything more than a mild case of “the blues” …I had never been anything more than just “bummed out” before these last couple years!

I fell into a depression that I could not come out of.

I had never experienced anything like it before. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t concentrate…I was like the dog in that movie “UP” ….”Squirrell!” …it was the weirdest thing. I couldn’t even think about being social or going anywhere, I didn’t want to see anyone…sadness, despair, crying…laughing….laughing and crying at the same time (I like to multi-task!)…it was really all I could do to get up and come to work every day!

And through all of this I knew that I had a good life, that I am blessed with a good wife, and good job, a roof over my head, good family and friends, talent…so how come I feel so crappy?! How dare I be depressed and whine about anything when I have all this going for me?! I felt that I had this wonderful life, but I was not enjoying it...I had lost my joy, and that’s the worst thing ever.

A lot of it (most of it) has to do with the myriad of B.S. happening at work over the last few years…plus, not getting enough sleep, since I have to get up so early it’s often hard to get to sleep early enough to get at least 7 hours. That’s because I’ve always been a night person and having to go to bed early is strange and foreign to me! But then, of course, when you’re depressed, you have trouble sleeping…and when you don’t sleep you get depressed…then psychotic!

So, you take all that and add the stuff from back in paragraph one and, woo boy, you got yourself some genuine, bonafide, severe, debilitating depression!

Finally had to drag myself into the doctor. Like the joke commercials on KPIG “My Doctor Said Medicine”…She said she could give me something to help me sleep that was an anti-depressant; and even though I knew I needed something, I hesitated…anti-depressants…do I really want to go there?! Then I thought about where I had been and I said “Fuck yeah, let’s go….squirrell!”

I started getting better sleep and noticed some improvement in the first month, but not perfect, so she added another anti-depressant to take to work in concert with the first one…and again, I was hesitant …but now, after three months I feel soooo much better. The hyperactive part of my ADHD has actually kicked back in, and it was really unsettling at first…I didn’t know what was happening…then I realized, “this is how I have always been…oh yeah, that’s right, I remember this!”

It had been so long since I felt like myself, I forgot how I was!

I really missed me…and so did my wife!

I want y’all to know that I was only hesitant because I really don’t like to take meds of any kind…I don’t even really like holistic, organic, natural meds…I just don’t like taking anything unless it is ab-so-lutely necessary…and with my last bit of rational thought I knew that I needed this… I mean, it was really an answer to prayer. I was having trouble concentrating even to get through a simple prayer, but “help me Lord” was enough…so, here He was helping me, and I’m going, “um, yeah, not what I was hoping for”

…and then I thought of that joke:

About the man in the hurricane and the water is rising, its up to the porch and a guy in a small boat goes by and offers the man a ride, but the man waves him on, saying, “My Lord will save me!”

Well, the waters keep rising, and they are up to the second story, and another boat comes by and offers him a ride, but he waves them on, saying, “My Lord will save me!”

The waters continue to rise, and he scampers up onto the roof, where a helicopter spots him and drops a ladder, but he waves them on, saying “My Lord will save me!”

The waters continue to rise and the man is swept away, drowns and goes to heaven, where he meets God:

“Lord, why didn’t you save me?!”

And God says: “Hey, I sent you two boats and a helicopter…!”

Maybe not what you want, but what you need, to paraphrase the Rolling Stones and the Bible!

I like the sentiment of the gospel song “Lord don’t move that mountain, help me to climb it”

I’m still working my way back out of this pit…I’d say I’m feeling about 60 percent better…some days better, some days worse.

When I think back to where I was a few months ago, I can’t even believe it. It was a nasty, frightening place…I can’t even describe it and I’m not sure I even understand it…or why I let it go so long…what am I, nuts?

Yes, but in the most wonderful way!

Squirrell!!

Don't Forget To Sing And Dance

2011-08-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Music and Life!

I seem to have lost my yodel...

Fast Forward

2011-07-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Here is an excerpt from my very first posting here

Greetings and Salutations!

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ralph Anybody, morning DJ at KPIG radio, broadcasting out of Freedom California at 107oink5 FM, and on-line at kpig.com
we also simulcast The Pig in San Luis Obispo, California at 94oink9 FM

Those of you who do know me…I mean really know me, know my real name, and those of you who don’t know me only need to know me as Ralphie…besides, if you know Ralphie, than you know me, and that’s all you need to know, because we are the same person….confusing enough for you?….I’m confused and I wrote it!

You can Google KPIG, or, better yet, it’s founder Laura Ellen Hopper and find out more about the greatest radio station on the face of the earth…sadly, most of the hits for Laura Ellen are from the many obituaries published after her untimely death back in 2007...we miss you Laura. Laura was the Pit Bull that kept our Corporate Masters (Mapleton Communications) from coming in our yard and stomping (crapping) all over our beautiful format!!

They never understood what a gem of a radio station they owned, and instead of polishing this gem and taking good care of it and putting it in a glass case, they shoved it in a drawer with all the other faux gems and fools gold they own, never realizing it’s worth.

Fast forward to

Now...there is a new group running KPIG, trying to clean up Mapleton's mess. These people actually know radio...and even though that's very encouraging, nothing much has really changed...there is still this huge disconnect between management and we the (little) people! And even though they know radio... it seems to me (and others) that they keep missing obvious opportunities.

We'll see...

As always, thank you for your support!

I guess that’s all for now!

Ralphie

Sleepy On Laura

2011-07-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

This is nice!

In Memoriam

2011-06-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is a video from my nephew Steven's band!

Laura Ellen...

2011-05-27T15:30:00.001-07:00

...we miss you.

It seems a lot longer than 4 years.

Thank you for your vision, and for including me in it…and thank you for not taking crap from anyone!

If you need to know more about Laura, simply Google Laura Ellen Hopper …especially check out Antsy McClain’s post about Laura, and listen to the podcast of the interview he did with her.

Ralphie

Her first job in radio was at KDNA in St. Louis. That's her lying on the floor. I still think this looks like an album cover from the sixties!

With Joe Ely

I don't see her much, since she started to ride!

This was midnight on KPIG Y2K!

Not Feeling It

2011-05-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been stopping by this site and have not seen anything new posted for a so long, I apologize. I’ve been in a little bit of a funk …I just haven’t been feeling it…not feeling very chatty, or creative, or really anything. Just busy!

There has been so much going on, not just in my own little world, but the world in general…

I mean with earthquakes and tsunamis,

nuclear melt downs,

Tornados,

Floods.

Obama,

Osama,

Yo Mama (yo mama, that would be Donald Trump)

Yet…not really feeling it.

There is some good news on the management of KPIG…the new guys running the radio stations actually seem to know what they are doing! And, they seem to be willing to spend some money to fix and promote the station! What a concept! However they are dragging their heels when it comes to raises! Some people here have not had a raise in 10 years!

Overall, though, things are looking up! Stay tuned and see what happens next!

But of course the biggest news story for today is…Santa Cruz’ own American Idol James Durbin is returning to meet his fans and do a short concert at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk…Yes, it’s “Durbin Day” in Santa Cruz!

Yawn…

Ralphie

Bunches Of Lunches

2011-02-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/faith/ci_17301248

This Is Wonderful!

2011-01-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.caregiverstress.com/2010/07/a-reminder-that-laughter-is-the-best-medicine/

Ralphie

RIP Jack LaLanne

2011-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

If you don't know health, then you don't know Jack!

More On Pearlington

2011-01-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

So when we were done in Pearlington, the trailer at Captain John's went bye-bye...

and his ramp was finished

Here is Mr. Ben explaining to steven that he's using the ramp incorrectly!!

Here's Sammy and her high-ladder act replacing some of the molding and paint on the front of the house!

And we finished the drywall in the two front rooms at the purdy house

It was getting dark out that last day as we finished the last of the drywall...D.J. hooked up the lights to that room so we could finish...and we did!

Bill putting on the last piece of the puzzle! (under Mr. Ben's watchful eye!)...

Then, all there was left to do was to bid a tearful goodbye to Mr. Ben and D.J (wasn't that a sitcom in the 60's?!)Happy to be done, sad to be leaving. Everyone had sweet and shiny eyes!

I had noticed all week that people drove by the purdy house and when they saw people working they would honk! Imagine what they thought when they drove by and saw the lights on!!

Ralphie

This Just In...

2011-01-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

There was an interesting memo in everyone’s box today from Adam Nathanson.

He announced that he is stepping down as the head of Mapleton’s radio empire and will be moving to some other endeavor at Mapleton. (Yes, I’m sure it was all his idea!)

We don’t know who will be replacing Adam…will it be someone with a radio and broadcast background, or simply a money person?!

I’ll keep you posted as best I can! As always, thank you all for your support!

Ralphie

Pearlington, Mississippi 2010

2011-01-08T17:04:00.001-08:00

The Players

From California
Front row L to R: Gail, Ralphie, Ellen, Lynn, D.J., Doug, Mary, Debbie, Brittany. Back row L to R: Steven, Jonathan, Sammy, Bill.

And taking the group picture: Mr. Ben. Mr. Ben is our man on the ground in Pearlington. He knows everyone and what jobs need to get done. He cracks the whip pretty good!!

D.J., a volunteer from Virginia; He is an electrician and jack of all trades. He has been doing the wiring at the Purdy house, living in a trailer on the property, since October, and hoped to be done by about this time. He was funny, kind, hardworking...a real joy, and a blessing to everyone on the team! He helped us tear down Captain John's trailer...he said "anything to get out of the attic for a couple days!" I was sure glad he was there helping on that project!

Ellen and Captain John. He used to take people out on tours of the swamp. Big biz down there!
Mr. Ben gives us our orders...although it looks like Brittany is taking his order..."Do you want fries with that?" Pull up to the window!

One team to do the drywall at the Purdy house...one team workin' on the ramp at Capn' Johns, and one team to tear down the old travel trailer behind Capn' John's house.

Our Work

2011-01-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

The yellow house, the pretty house, the purdy house...all names we called it...I guess purdy house stuck with me!
That first day the whole group worked here getting it ready for the sheet rock.
D.J., our friend from Virginia!
Lots of wood and other debris...throw it on the burn pile! Ellen became know as Woodchuck in our homage to the Geico commercial....when there was something to throw away I'd yell "Hey Woodchuck!" and she'd yell back "I'm chuckin' that wood!" Just about every yard in town has a burn pile.

Day Two....

One team stayed at the purdy house, and two teams crossed the Pearl river into Louisiana to work at Captain John's house.
Brittany and her team we determined to finish the walkway/ramp they had started back in April, when John and his sons finally moved into the house.
That houseboat in the background was lifted up by the 18 foot wave and carried into town. When the water subsided, it was sitting on a house! Maybe it was trying to mate!?!
Sidewalk ends...

Meanwhile....the other team headed out back....

To meet our foe......

The Trailer!!

2011-01-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

dun dun dun!

This is the trailer that Captain John and his sons lived in for at least three years. It was too old, rotted and moldy to refurbish, so we take it apart and sell it for scrap!
I could almost hear it taunting us!

I kept hearing that music from Jaws!
The door was the hardest part to get off...it had glue and screws holding it in...so I grabbed my tool of choice...a crowbar, which my wife was calling a Mississippi hammer because I was using it with both hands to hammer the crap out of that trailer, as well as pry and poke!

But the door could not defeat me!!

I know that in the back of all our minds we were thinking that a hurricane could have taken this place down in minutes, instead of the two and a half days it took us.

What they couldn't sell or recycle, they threw on the burn pile!

Trailer? What trailer!

Picked it clean to the bone like a Christmas Turkey!!

That Christmas stocking was amidst the clutter inside the trailer, so we hung it there because...what better gift than to be rid of this painful reminder.

And God bless us, everyone!
This really is one of the most meaningful pictures that I took. I can't even describe how it makes me feel!

Ralphie

Product Placement

2011-01-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Okay...Here We Go!

2010-12-30T14:43:00.000-08:00

This seemed like a good picture to start with!

I think I found the name for my first band!

Ralphie

Recovering

2010-12-28T06:35:00.000-08:00

I think I'm almost all caught up on my sleep since returning!

Still sifting throught the over 600 photos I took; hopefully will have some ready for posting in the next few days.

Ralphie

Greetings From Pearlington

2010-12-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, busy!

Brittany has been posting regular blogs since we got here, so if you've read them you can keep up. I would write more often, but I don't have my own laptop...which I really should have since I now have a lap!

We all started the first day at the "pretty" house, (but being in the south it comes out "purdy"). This house needed the sheet rock put up and we all got busy cleaning an prepping for that.

Last year while we were here at Christmas, we worked to finish Capt. John's house. He finally moved in on April 1st, with the help of our team that came during Spring Break. He had been living for four years in a travel trailer on his property. One group has been working on a ramp, that is more of a raised walkway. The property is right on a bayou so that even when it rains a little the water level rises enough to make getting to your car kinda dicey. The ramp/walkway will make it easier for him (he is an older slow moving gentlemen) to get out to his truck and when the water rises.

And while we are here to build up, some of us have been busy tearing down...Ellen and I have been helping tear down that trailer that Capt. John and his son Joel and their two dogs lived in for almost four years. It's a travel trailer that started it's life down in Florida after one of the big hurricanes down there, later it ended up in Colorado, and when Katrina hit the first responders from near Aspen brought it here and used it for their command base. Eventually it was given to Capt. John, and now it is going to trailer heaven.

Well, we tore that trailer up real good and John and his sons were mighty glad to have it gone...probably as glad as they were to get it when they needed it, but now it was just sitting there as a painful reminder.

We've been working with a fellow named D.J. who is from northern Virgina. He first came here shortly after Katrina with a group from his church, and has been coming back ever since. He is an electrician and he is a wonderful man with a great sense of humor and a loving heart. He has been here since October living in a trailer on the property at the "Purdy" house doing the wiring and is now about 85 percent finished. He was happy to come out and help us tear down the trailer, saying "it was nice to get out of the attic for a few days". He has been a real blessing to all of us, because he is more than just an electrician, but a jack of all trades and ready and willing to jump in and help with any project!

He will be working here until after new year, and he is anxious to get home to his family (they are expecting another grandchild after the first of the year). But he and his family know how imporant this work is.

I really have this tremendous desire to stay here and help him finish this project so he can go home sooner! I think he and I bonded because his name is D.J. and I am a D.J. He thought that was pretty funny!

Tomorrow is our last day of work and it looks like the ramp will be finished, and the two front rooms of the Purdy house will be done and we will all be sad to leave here since this will most likely be our last trip here.

It has been a real amazing journey.

The first day we were here, four of us went into Walmart for some groceries and the greeter saw us in our matching team swearshirts, asked if we were volunteers, almost...well, actually did cry as she shook our hands and hugged us and thanked us for our service.

That was probably the best greeting anyone has ever gotten at any Walmart anywhere!!

Ralphie

Gonna See Miss Liza, Gonna Go To Mississippi

2010-12-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Well here we are, the doggies are off to Camp Thormann, and in just 10 hours we will be on our way to Pearlington!

Ralphie

KPIG's Greatest Hits

2010-11-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

I think if you're going to spend money on any KPIG item, it would be best spent on the KPIG Greatest Hits Volume 3 CD...lots of cool songs recorded live on the air in the Sty, and it's only $10.99 plus shipping (great stocking stuffers!!) ...and for the more local folks it's available at Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz, San Francisco and San Jose, and Cheap Thrills Records in San Luis Obispo!

It's a good deal, because you get some cool, unique cuts of music, and most of the money from the sales of the CD goes to charity! The Santa Cruz Chapter Of Surfrider Foundation and Jacob's Heart, which helps children with cancer and their families!

www.surfridersantacruz.org/

www.jacobsheart.org/

And the CD is dedicated to our fallen leader, Laura Ellen, who made all of this possible!

These are two of my favorite photos of Laura Ellen!

Ralphie

The Sherry Austin Band Rocks!!

2010-11-07T00:32:00.000-07:00

The show was great, and we had a great turn-out! Thanks to all who attended and made the evening a rousing success!

Thanks to Sherry Austin, Sharon Allen, Dan Eyde, Tracy Parker and Jimmy Norris for doing a perfect job! And the same to Elisabeth Carlisle for opening, (thanks for playing my request!)

And thank you to Patty and Alta Organic Coffee & Tea Company from Davenport for providing the coffee we served. Check them out http://www.altaorganiccoffee.com/

I love the slogan "Drink Coffee With A Good Conscience: It's A Sustainable Addiction!"

Also thanks to Jill McFarlen for making the Welcome To Pearlington sign we used for our backdrop...excellent!!

And a HUGE thank you to Toby Gray for doing a wonderful job with the sound! Reeeaaallly couldn't have done it without you!

39 days, 5 hours 42 minutes and some seconds until we leave for Pearlington!

Thanks again to everyone for everything!

Ralphie

www.ca2ms.blogspot.com

Somewhere Near Roswell, NM

2010-09-28T07:43:00.001-07:00

I guess that would be a UFWD...Unidentified Flying Wiener Dog!

Back To Pearlington!!

2010-09-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's official...here we go...trip number 10 to Pearlington, Mississippi!!

Looks like about a dozen of us will be going December 16th thru the 24th. There might not be too much work for us because money has dried up so work has slowed. But we are willing to do any job big or small, clean or dirty!!

If you wish to contribute to this trip and help the Pearlington team to git-er-done, then go to Brittany's blog page http://www.ca2ms.blogspot.com/ and click on the PayPal button that says "Donate". Make sure you write in the space provided at PayPal that it's for Ralphie's Pearlington Trip.

You help us, and we'll help the folks of Pearlington!

Ralphie

You Are What You Eat (or, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Calories)

2010-08-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

Remember Uncle Fester from the Addams Family TV show? That's what I think of when I look at this picture! That's waaayyy scarier than Uncle Fester could have ever been!!

I've lost 100 (and a quarter!) pounds as of today! Only 30 more to go to get to my goal...and yes, I see the irony of using the words "quarter" and "pound" when talking about dieting...after all, it was all those Quarter Pounders, Big Macs, Big Boys, Fatburgers...hmmm, I guess you really are what you eat!!

Thank God I met Cheri Bianchini, the owner of The Healthy Way...my Earth Angel, my healthy eating mentor...when she first took my measurments, she had to use the extra large measuring tape...now, not only 100 pounds, but I've lost about 110 inches ...and that was just my neck (ba-da-boom!)

The one picture that's really frightening is the one I posted a couple blogs down. I looked like the Michelin Man's illigitimate son! People didn't think I ate all the Girl Scout Cookies...they thought I ate all the Girl Scouts!! (ba-da-bing!) Even Cheri agreed I looked like an advertisement for really sturdy lawn chairs! Feel free to scroll down and post your own one-liners on that one!

When I see the profile I'm always amazed at how much back I have...and I don't mean my butt, I knew that was big, I mean my actual back!

I did have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, but even now those numbers are lower and under control! I was lucky I didn't have diabetes or bad knees or any number of other health problems! And to answer the question I often get "YES"... Yes I do feel better and have much more energy...and I don't require a nap after every meal...and I don't get winded just opening my eyes!!

100 pounds...I'm not sure I can even lift a 100 pounds now...good thing I don't have to!

Thanks Cheri!

Ralphie

http://www.thehealthyway.us/

2010-07-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

For now...

OMG

2010-07-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is right before I got busted for smuggling innertubes !! (ba-da-boom)

So good to be free!

Ralphie

Ralphie In The Morning

2010-06-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

I put this picture on as the screensaver today in the Sty...it kind feels like the Sty is connected to this cozy little coffee house, like looking into the other room, and it makes me feel warm and relaxed. The Mockingbird Cafe is where we went for our fru-fru coffee, fresh baked breads and free WiFi when we were in Mississippi. Kinda wish I was there right now...if I could figure out a way to broadcast live from the Mockingbird Cafe, that's where I'd be spending my mornings!

Ralphie

More Pearlington...And By The Way...

2010-03-27T14:36:00.001-07:00

Here's a photo of the team that was there for week one of our last trip to Pearlington

That's Brittany down in front...she has planned and led all nine of these trips to Pearlington...

And by the way...

Brittany Overbeck is one of this years Jefferson Award Winners!!

Yay Brittany!!

She is currently leading another team to Pearlington for a week, and she will be blogging about the zany and not so zany antics of the Mississippi Team and their trip at http://www.ca2ms.blogspot.com/ this is exactly what she looks like when blogging...except I'm not there this time!

Congratulations!!

Ralphie

THIS JUST IN:

Brittany was chosen as the Jefferson Award Winner who will get to go to Washington D.C.

Return To Pearlington

2010-03-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is one of the many photos I took on our Mississippi trip...I can't remember if it's sunrise or sunset, but it sure makes me feel good!

Right now 8 people are boarding a plane and heading back to Pearlington to continue helping the victims of hurricane Katrina...I wish I was one of them! No one offered to hide me in their suitcase...!

I pray they will have a safe, productive and fun trip...and if they see a sunrise (or sunset) like this one, I hope they will take a moment to stop whatever it is they are doing and appreciate it!

You too!

Ralphie

Huh? Duh? Wuh?

2010-03-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

To defray the monthly cost of running the KPIG stream….that’s why they are charging 5 bucks a month for you internet folks. That’s fine…I know a lot of people who wouldn’t mind supporting the Pig in this way…as one listener said, (after she made sure she would still get to hear all the DJs and usual programming) “you guys are worth it!”….well…yes….yes we are….damn right, frickin-A, we are totally worth it..!!! But, I digress….

I think the problem is what we, the DJs, and many of you the listeners keep wondering….why couldn’t they at least offer the option of listening free with the commercials?! And whichever group of suited gentlemen it was sitting in their boardroom that thought of this idea never had it enter their minds to offer something for, gulp, free! If they had asked us, that would have been the first question….is there going to be an option to listen for free…are they going to have a choice?!

Of course, no one ever asks us folks on the front line anything…but now that we brought it up at our meeting with Ed, they say they are going to look into getting, what Sleepy John and I were calling, “The Public Option” ….I hope they can make it work. They did say that they would bring the free stream back when the economy gets better! Hmmm, that sounds familiar….where have I heard that….oh yeah, that’s what they said a year ago about bringing the live DJs back at night…when the economy gets better.

I think that’s a very blatant way of saying, “We'll try, but don’t hold your breath”! For, as bad as the nation’s economy is, the economy of Mapleton Communications is even worse. And that’s why everyone is a little edgy right now, from Adam down to us lowly DJs at stations up and down the central coast…nobody really knows what’s going to happen…and if they do know, they certainly aren’t telling any of us little people… Is Lazard going to get more proactive in the operation of the radio stations?

Are they already?

Is this internet thing their idea?

Inquiring minds want to know!!

Eventually Lazard is going to want their money back…so stay tuned to see what wacky thing happens next!!

I will if you will!

For all of you fine swine who have decided not to pay...thank you for your support!

And for all you fine swine who are subscribing, thank you for your support!

And if you’re one of those who can’t afford it right now, maybe you could find yourself a Piggie sponsor…one of your cyber pals out there who could help you out… (cue the Patriotic Music!) ...I know y’all chat with each other and keep in touch…help a Pig out…you guys and gals never cease to amaze me with your generosity ….that’s what it’s all about, Pigs helping Pigs…in this case, helping to spread the music around…and music is so important and powerful!

As that lady said, “we are worth it”….and we do it because we think you all are worth it…and we all keep proving it to each other again and again!

We all are;

Real People

Real Music

Real Radio

Real Ralphie

Miss Donna

2010-02-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven’t been posting much lately, but, my mind has been whirling these last couple weeks, and there are many things going on that have distracted me.

I heard it snowed as far south as Mississippi….I’ve been thinking about Miss Donna, who’s house we worked on in Mississippi. She is a wonderful lady, who works 9 to 5, and lives in a pretty large house with her wiener dog named Molly (sooooo cute!). Her house is full of stuff…wall to wall, floor to ceiling! There are boxes and furniture and clothes in every room but her bedroom and kitchen.

It’s not that she’s a pack-rat…but that her neighbors and friends needed a place to store their belongings after Katrina. She has plenty of room, so she’s let people store their stuff at her house. She is a kind compassionate person reaching out to her neighbors…didn’t even have to think twice!

Her house still needs weather stripping done around the windows, and some boards around the window replaced, that’s probably the main thing, but there are lots of smaller jobs to get that house repaired. Since she lives further inland, she didn’t get the water damage that they got along the coast, but the high winds from the hurricane kicked up a few tornados, and that’s what caused the most damage.

The area is beautiful farm land, and everyone along the road knows everyone and keeps an eye out...Miss Donna lives at the end of the road, which is named after her father-in-law. As I looked around I realized what that saying “Land rich, and cash poor” really meant! She may not have all the funds she needs to do all the projects, but she sure is rich with friends and family. She’s got family living “just up the road apiece” , including her parents, so she can see them and watch her grandson, Kinley, grow up. He’s about 10, and way into Sponge Bob…something we had in common!

Her best friend Cynthia invited us over to dinner one night as a way to thank us for helping their friend. She brought us red beans and rice one day for lunch…and the last day Miss Donna cooked us Gumbo and fresh greens, sweet potatoes and Mexican cornbread!

We didn’t starve that week, is what I’m saying!

We did work hard for that week….here, some of the photographic evidence….

Every morning before she went off to work, Miss Donna would write us these short letters in a notebook. One letter in particular got us a little choked up:

“….As I reflect on what you’ve given me, words still cannot express my feelings as my heart burst and overflows with joy. I look forward to spending more time with y’all, I will be home on Thursday and Friday…”

Then at the end, in a slightly more excited hand, one more paragraph…

“You are a fresh breath of life to me. Renewed hope. New life. I hadn’t realized that Katrina had worn me down to a frazzle. I did not know that I was so depressed…Have a Blessed day!”

A few of us have been keeping in contact with her by phone and email and snail mail. It seems like there haven’t been any volunteers showing up since we left, plus she’s a little low on funds for the various projects, so I know she’s feeling a little down.

But she holds on to God and to her family, and Molly of course, and she presses on!

Ralphie

Haiti Relief

2010-01-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

Right now the best thing I think we can
do in the direct aftermath, after some strong prayer, is send money to the relief efforts so they can get the medicine, food, water and clothes that are so desperately needed. Both prayer and donating money are easy…you can do it…go on, give it a try!

Here are a few ways that I can suggest….

Heifer International does great work, and I've had dealings with them before...

www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.183217/#

Doctors Without Borders already have a strong presence in Haiti...and doctors and medicine sound like what's needed there...

www.doctorswithoutborders.com

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance...they have done a lot for the victims of Katrina...

www.pcusa.org/pda/r esponse/latinamerica/haiti-earthquake011310

And here's a couple that Brittany suggested...

www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/disasterrelief.htm?referer=105910

www.worldvision.org/home.nsf/pages/home.htm

Come on, let's do this thing!

Ralphie

Christmas Day Outing

2010-01-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day the weather cleared and it was calm and beautiful. Good Day to check out the Gulf. Still lots of evidence of Katrina...broken piers, new beach front homes and empty beach front lots.

Very nice homes, but more empty lots...many driveways leading up to nothing!

More to come...

Ralphie

More On Our Trip

2010-01-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

It was dark when we arrived on Friday. The house that would be our home for the next two weeks is in Waveland, about ten miles East of Pearlington. You couldn't see much from the deck at night, but in the morning I was the first one up (most mornings, force of habit!) I got the coffee made and stepped out onto the deck. It was a beautiful neighborhood, but you could see that a lot of the homes around were new. Waveland and Bay St. Louis also had a lot of flood damage and are slowly coming back.

The towns are lined with canals, so it's no wonder the storm surge did a lot of damage. It rained on the 23rd and 24th and just one day of rain and high tide brought the water behind our house up noticably!

Brittany and I braved the storm on the 23rd to go out to the local fish market called Clawzilla's to get some fresh shrimp for the Christmas Eve Scampi! The folks there were so funny and friendly, I felt like I was in a movie! About peeling and cleaning them he said "I'm from Louisanna, and I don't mind leaving that vien in there...but my Mama, she's from Louisianna and she don't like that vien in there...it's up to you" To which Brittany said, "Oh no, we don't want the vien...my Grandma taught me how to clean them..." and volunteered to clean the shrimp...all five pounds.

We then found our way to the Mockingbird Cafe where they had told us we could still use the free WiFi from out in our car if it was after hours, so we sat in the car and Brittany posted her first blog in the storm! Again, very surreal!

On Christmas Eve Brittany, Regina, Jolynn (Regina's Mom) and I went to work for a few hours in the morning at Mr. Pat's scraping tiles, and on the way we cruised by the Mockingbird Cafe when they were open and got some good coffee, and some Serious Bread from the bakery in the back!

Fresh Local French Bread, Fresh Local Shrimp...it was quite a feast for Christmas Eve!

I even brought a recording of my Christmas Eve show on KPIG from last year, so we had that going while we cooked and ate! It was very festive!

Brittany and Jolynn peeling shrimp!

Dinner is served!

The stockings were hung on the staircase with care, in hopes that a chiminey soon would be there!

And Santa came! I heard a noise in the night, I peeked down the hall and I saw Santa filling the stockings. He looked a little like Brittany!

It was Christmas...just like the ones I used to know....only different! We got up and had a relaxing morning, coffee, real breakfast, not just a quick bowl of cereal and out the door...we opened our presents...it was a Christmas I will always cherish and always remember...even if I didn't get my Red Ryder BB gun!!!

Ralphie

First Thoughts

2010-01-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Finally a moment to sit and think about Pearlington…trying to form sentences about it is another matter!

There is still so much to do all along the Gulf Coast. Even when we were driving into New Orleans on our way home there were neighborhoods where every second or third house looked wrecked and abandoned.

Pearlington is getting there, but it seems that we get one family in to a new home, and you find 3 more still living in trailers…or what they call Katrina cottages, which is a single-wide mobile home.

Capt. John, who’s house we painted and did some electrical work on, is living in a small trailer with his son and two dogs. Here's before and after painting photos with the trailer in the foreground.

Fortunately, it looks like he might be in his new home by the end of January because of the work we did over those two weeks. They will probably have to install a lift since there are a lot of stairs and Capt. John is an older fellow. That’s another problem for the elderly residents and the building codes having to build the houses up on stilts. I think that’s why so many have not returned.

Here's Capt. John with my wife, Ellen, as we were saying goodbye on our way out of town. He lookes just like you'd expect someone name Capt. John to look. He was a sweetheart with lots of humor!

If you read Brittany’s blog, you know that the house I was working on for the first week was quite a challenge! They had put the wrong kind of flooring in this house and we had to remove all the peel an stick tiles. Every room, even the closets had this tile, and until it was up, they couldn’t put the right kind of flooring in….and that was really the only thing holding this family up. Mr. Pat is also an older fellow who is in the early stages of dementia, and his granddaughter, who is helping with some of the finances and who will be living with him, wants to get him in so that he can be in familiar surroundings. Right now he is in another town and he keeps trying to get back to Pearlington.

Mr. Pat's house...Regina gets to work!

Peeling those tiles was hard, the long handled tools they gave us didn’t really work, and after the first day I had only gotten about a dozen tiles up. Regina, one of the college kids on the trip (I like to refer to them as The Youts) gave up and just got down and used a hammer and a putty knife to scrape away the tiles. I don’t really do well sitting on the floor for long periods, or kneeling for any length of time (that’s why I stopped going to the Catholic church…ba-da-boom!) At dinner I was saying that if I could just be a short ways up off the floor…something with a cushion…maybe something with wheels like those things mechanics lay down on and roll under cars. That night Brittany and Douglas (another Yout) were at Walmart and Douglas found a 9 dollar skateboard and 6 dollar cushion and voila!

Ralphie has wheels! And let me tell you, once I had that I was all over that floor!!

We ended up getting about 2 thirds of the tiles off by Christmas Eve.

The second week another group from a church in San Jose was there, and they finished the tiles, and began putting in the new floor! So it looks like Mr. Pat will be in by the end of January too!

So who’s gonna finish the work? The Mennonites! They send groups down over a three month period, so two days after we left, they arrived, and the work continues!! Believe me, I would have stayed for another two weeks if I could have!

At the end of the trip some felt like we didn’t really get much done…Ohh, but we did!

Sure, we went there help physically, but even more, to bring these people hope!

These folks, many of whom have a strong faith in God, didn’t lose their faith, but they had lost a lot of their joy and much of their hope…and to see a bunch of strangers show up, many of them college age kids, and jump right in and do what needs to be done, to have people who would listen to your stories, or in Capt. John’s case, his silly jokes…to know that there are people who genuinely care about you and what you went through initially and what you are still going through four years later…that goes a long way my friends!

And everyone I talked to who I told about where I worked and how my listeners had donated to help get me there …they were, dare I say…blown away! They would get this look on there faces…this funny little smile…this twinkle that they didn’t even know they had in them anymore and they would say how awesome or amazing or wonderful y’all are (meaning you Piggies) and some got a little choked up....oh wait, that was me!

I’ve really only touched on the first week. My mind is reeling as I think of all this!

The second week 7 of us worked at Miss Donna’s house. She lost her home in Pearlington and moved to her families home in the northern part of the county. The homes further inland didn’t have the water damage, but they got the wind, and the tornados spawned by Katrina. It was a beautiful home in a rural farm-like setting…and she had this silly little wiener dog named Molly, so I got my wiener dog fix while I was away from Emma!

I will write about our work with Miss Donna later…right now, I need to shut my brain off, eat some dinner and go to bed! Or shut my bed off eat my brain and go to dinner…Or shut my dinner off, eat my bed and go to brain…

Thanks Piggies….The Team thanks you, the people of Pearlington thank you, and I thank you!

Ralphie

Countdown To Pearlington!

2009-12-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Well the countdown to Pearlington continues!

Four more days and the first wave of the Pearlington Team (8 of us) will be winging our way to the deep south for Christmas….well, we’re not going there for Christmas, we’re going there to work, but it just so happens that some of us will be there for Christmas…and New Years! The day after Christmas 2 people return home, and 11 more arrive for week two. My wife and I will be there for both weeks and are both very excited about going and doing and being!

I think everyone on the team is bringing something personal and “Christmasy” with them to help spruce up the house we‘ll be staying in, so that it will feel like we’re not so far from home and family. It’ll be a house filled with different family’s traditions…No surprise that my tradition has to do with food!!! For me, it’s not Christmas without Shrimp Scampi and pasta, so I will be in the kitchen on Christmas Eve.…a definite family tradition!! (now you want to come too, don't you?!)

I was looking through some old photos and found these couple of me and Santa! The first one I look pretty excited about talking to the fat man…although he looks a little young under that beard.

The second photo made me laugh because I look bored and unimpressed with this storefront Santa…and I think, as I look closer at him….is that?....no, it can’t be…..it is!…it’s Unkle Sherman!!!

Here is one of my faves of Emma….

This is her first Christmas!

Could that be any cuter?!

I want to wish all of you out there a great season…thank you so much for all your love and support…and whatever it is you celebrate at this time of year, even if you don’t celebrate anything, do it with those people you love and care about the most.

And if you can’t be with them…go be with your family!!

Wacka-Wacka!

Happy Happy Joy Joy !!

Ralphie

Getting Excited

2009-12-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

I’m getting excited about our trip to Pearlington! We leave in less than two weeks, on December 18th!

I’ve been excited about going back since before we returned from our last trip!

The last trip we were only there for one week, and it just didn’t seem like enough time (there’s so much that still needs to be done there), but this time around some of us have the opportunity to go for two weeks!

Thanks, Frank, for getting me the time off, and thanks to Arden and Vick and others who will be doing my shifts while I’m gone!

And I must thank all you Pigs who have unselfishly contributed to this team, to help us get there and help one small town get their lives back! You guys never cease to amaze me!

I plan to be posting blogs (and Squeals) from Mississippi, internet access permitting…

Right now, it’s just planning and packing…I do kind of miss not having our Christmas tree up, but why bother! We’ll go cut one down from someone’s yard when we get to Mississippi!! OKAY, we won’t really do that…probably!

Brittany will also be blogging at the www.ca2ms.blogspot.com site. If you haven’t made a donation yet, you can get all the info there on how to do that!

And if you don’t want to give to this trip, that’s okay…give to Second Harvest Food Bank, or Valley Churches United, or The Salvation Army , or Jacob’s Heart, or any person or group that moves you…that needs you…and not just at this time of year, but all year long!

If you have the means to help someone, then you must do it!

If we all do a little, we can get a lot done!!

Ralphie

Giving Thanks

2009-11-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

For nine days of the year my parents were the same age. Then, on November 30^th, Mom would jump ahead. She would have been 86.

And, like my Dad, I thank God for my Mom each and every day, and I miss the heck out of her!

There was this great contrast in my parents…while Dad was silly and outgoing, Mom was quiet, reserved, almost shy. She was happy to be at home reading or working in the garden, but, like Dad, she was very creative and talented, but in a quieter way. She would knit and crochet these amazingly intricate afghans, and in later years she crocheted blankets and hats for the newborns at Dominican hospital.

Mom was calm, practical and pretty rational, which is hard to do when you’re raising four kids! She was a great audience for me when, as a kid, I would try comedy routines and jokes out on her.

Of course, around the holidays you tend to get a little misty eyed when thinking of loved ones who have passed. At Christmas I think more of Dad because that was his favorite holiday…he was like a kid himself…he loved all the decorations and the music, and especially the family gathered around the table with lots of wonderful homemade food!

Mom I miss most around Thanksgiving, because that was her big day. Nobody put on a better Thanksgiving spread than Mom, and her stuffing was the best in the world…(now I know you could try and tell me that your Mom’s or your Grandma’s stuffing was the best…but that couldn’t possibly be…’cause my Mom’s was THE best! )

With both these holidays and both their birthdays all so close together, it makes for a long month! And though I feel those tears welling up when I think of them (like right now), they are less tears of sadness, as they are tears of joy! I rejoice every time I think of Mom and Dad…I am so happy that there were enough similarities in their personalities to attract them to each other, and enough differences to make it really exciting and interesting for 48 years!!

I really did get all the best of both my parents…the creative, outgoing, comedic side of my Dad, which allows me to go out and entertain and do what I do… and the creative, reserved, practical side of my Mom, which allows me to go out and entertain and do what I do…without getting arrested!

Thanks Mom!

Love,

Your Son

All The Best

2009-11-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

My Dad died 3 days after New Years in 1994.

Today, November 21^st , is his birthday. He would have been 85.

I still miss him. I thank God everyday for him, and I thank him everyday for all that he gave me.

I wonder how he would have aged…Gracefully? Painfully?

He was an incredibly funny person (he performed with a comedy team in college and went on to write for Bob Hope and Red Skelton in the 50’s) so I often wish I could pick up the phone and see what he thought of some new movie or show on TV. Would he think that Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert and their shows were funny? I think he would have appreciated them, though he was kind of old school comedy…Mel Brooks or the early Pink Panther films were really his style.

Besides a great sense of humor and a zest for life, Dad was kind, loving and giving. He was a creative and talented writer, and he had a great voice…sound like anyone you know?!

And, oh yeah…he was also one of the most amazing cooks you could have ever met. More than a cook, he was really a Master Chef! Everyone who ever had a meal in our house said he should have had his own cooking show! I don’t think anything gave him more pleasure than to create a meal and have family and friends gathered around the table…the more the merrier! Our kitchen and dining room were the loudest, most fun-filled rooms in the house!!

So that’s him in a nutshell…and me too!

I truly got all the best of him!

So, again, thank you God!

Thank you Dad!

You are missed every day.

Reenie

Thrill Ride

2009-11-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

I was looking at a newspaper article from this past summer about The Lazard Group taking over Mapleton Communications. I saw a quote from Adam Nathanson from a few years back that said he was “thrilled” to be collaborating with Lazard. Well of course he was “thrilled”, at that time they were giving him a butt-load of money to buy up a bunch more radio stations!

I wonder if he’s still “thrilled” now that Lazard has taken controlling interest in Mapleton after they couldn’t pay back the loans….I mean, after all, it was because of Adam that this thrilling new business opportunity has come about!! I wonder if he still has that excited, wide-eyed, kid-in-a-candy-store look on his face now that he’s found out the candy ain’t so sweet!

More than likely Adam has his usual expression on his face, that of a deer-caught-in-the-headlights.

Well, actually, Adam is more likely the scapegoat-caught-in-the-headlights! I know that Adam is the one who seems to be in charge, who we see at the helm, who we Pigs interact with whenever it is that we interact with management…but if you look closer, you’ll probably notice his fathers hand in his back moving the mouth and shaking hands over deals.

Unfortunately, there is now another hand in the back controlling events…a hand that’s not family! I guess that’s why there has been little if any chatter from our corporate masters in recent months…they are busy nodding yes and trying to protect their phoney-baloney jobs!

That sound you hear is the quiet...right before the other shoe drops!

Big business…it’s so thrilling!!

Ralphie

Thanks Norton

2009-10-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

Getting word that Norton Buffalo passed away yesterday. Very sad indeed.

Since the days listening to KFAT right up to today, he has been there always putting a smile on my face.

The day after Laura Ellen died when we were on the air celebrating her life (what a day that was!) Norton was one of many artists who called to share their condelences and stories, and he played Amazing Grace for Laura...I will have to dig that out and play it for him.

Thanks Norton...fly high!

Ralphie

2009-10-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Just kidding!

Beyond The Music

2009-10-19T19:16:00.001-07:00

Back before I was a famous radio personality, I was a stand up comic. In the early seventies I started as a solo act, then I teamed up with my brother Terry. We called ourselves “Jeff & Stan”, because “Ralph & Terry” just sounded too much like some sort of stomach disorder! (Think about it, but don’t dwell on it!)

We played some of the hottest nightclubs with some of the biggest names in showbiz.

The summer we spent in Las Vegas headlining two shows a night at The Sands was really a turning point in our careers…We had the pleasure of working with two of the giants of the business, Chip & Dale.

It was kinda weird having Chip & Dale opening for us…I mean, these cats had been in the biz for years doing movies and TV and nightclubs before we came along. Their routines about nuts and berries were a little old fashioned, but they were polished and professional and well liked by the audiences….their act was completely opposite of the edgy drug humor that Stan and I were doing…it made for a very interesting evening of entertainment.

We bonded and hung out with Chip & Dale almost 24-7…Chip liked the booze and the broads, and Dale barley left the crap table, except to go out back with Stan and me to smoke a doobie or 2 or 5 before the show!

We were living large…the American Dream…Sammy Davis, Jr. started hanging out with us poolside and after the shows…and It was Sammy himself who dubbed us the New Rat Pack!

Stan became really close to our fuzzy opening act during our summer run in Vegas, and when the tour was over, Stan decided to leave the team and join Chip & Dale. They called themselves “3 Hairy Guys” (Hairy, by the way, was Dale’s real name!) and started doing and act that was a cross between the 3 Stooges and the edgy drug humor we had been doing. Sadly, they did only one tour, where they were booed off almost every stage, and then disbanded.

I went back to doing a solo act and had great success all throughout the seventies and eighties, until I was hired to work at KPIG in 1992.

Chip & Dale left the stage and opened a string of successful nightclubs featuring male dancers (turns out Chip didn’t really like the broads all that much).

And Stan…well, he lost his desire to perform, after winning the lottery!

There’s no biz like showbiz!

Ralphie

Traffic Trafficking

2009-10-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

I drove my wife and her mother and sister to the airport in San Jose this morning. The traffic going over the hill wasn't bad, and I got back before the rain started!

Praise the Lord and pass the motorhome!

Aren't you glad you took the time to read this posting?!

(see posting from July 10th for disclaimer!)

Ralphie

Vacation Bla Bla Blog

2009-10-18T17:26:00.001-07:00

Well here I am, on vacation. I did make my yearly pilgrimage to Monte Carlo...ahh the sites, the sounds, the smells!! I know you're thinking "Wow, that Ralphie is quite the jet-setter"...actually, Monte Carlo is THE best Italian Deli down in Beautiful Downtown Burbank. You can gain weight just going in and taking a deep breath....mmmm! Don't tell Cheri at the Healthy Way, but I took 2 deep breaths!! I'm such a naughty boy!

No other big plans for this vaction, which is good because on Thursday I started catching a cold. I finished catching it on Friday, and, well, here I am…sick as a dog…but not sick as a pig, just a regular old head cold!

The good news is at least I’m on vacation and don’t have to worry about getting up early and going to work when I feel like crap….the bad news is that I’M ON VACATION AND I’M SICK!!

Today I did make it to one of our planning meetings for our up coming Pearlington, Mississippi trip. It looks like we’ll be going for two weeks in December instead of just one…which is good because one week just didn’t seem like enough time to get ‘er done! Still hoping for donations from some of you Piggies, the blog down below has the address to send checks, and this year Brittany made it even easier to donate by setting up a PayPal account at her blog site http://www.ca2ms.blogspot.com/
For those of you who are actually lucky enough to still have a credit card…with a balance…just click where it says donate…and tell them it’s for Ralphie!

Actually, it’s for any number of people still digging out and rebuilding in Pearlington….you click, and I’ll do the rest! Remember, its tax deductable!

So…one more week off….I could get used to this…without the head cold of course!

Take care Pigs, and don’t forget the Purell!

Ralphie

Sales Swine

2009-09-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

You know...I'm sure there are some good, well qualified salespeople out there....I just wish some of them worked for KPIG!

Our salespeople put the suck in success!

Ralphie

Back To Pearlington

2009-08-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

I put this picture that I took of this beautiful oak tree with the hanging moss on this quiet road in a little town called Pearlington, Mississippi onto my screensaver on the computer in the KPIG Sty and my computer at home. It’s such a quiet, peaceful scene. Look at it…then imagine the entire scene covered in water as high as those branches hanging out over the road.

It’s hard to imagine, but that’s what the residents of Pearlington woke up to the day after Hurricane Katrina made landfall…not that any of these residents slept that night!

Hurricane Katrina was the costliest hurricane of the 2005 season, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge. Huge waves, as high as 40 feet came up the Pearl River right into Pearlington. Cowabunga!

I took this picture last December when my wife and I went on a mission trip to help the folks of Pearlington continue the clean up and rebuilding of their quiet little town. When you stand there on this road now it looks almost like nothing happened, but when you look to the left and right you see the remains of homes… you see foundations…homes wrecked and abandoned, empty lots, rebuilt homes, half built homes, temporary trailers where people are still living...and many people are now in danger of being evicted from this temporary housing.

I think of that Johnny Cash song, “Five Feet High And Rising”…only this was more like 18 feet.
That little sign up on the pole that I’m pointing at is how high the water rose! Yikes!

It seems appropriate that I was looking through these photos today, since this month marks the
4th anniversary since Katrina hit.

My wife and I, and 15 to 20 others from our church will be heading back in December to help in any way we can. The trips usually happen during Christmas break and Spring break, because many of the people who go are high school and college age kids…certainly not what I was doing on my school breaks, how ‘bout you!!

This will be the 8th trip that a group from our church has made in the last four years…just one of many churches and groups going to help Pearlington and any number of towns all along the Gulf coast. There is actually a camp in Pearlington that houses volunteers year round…and after four years far too many of the residents of Pearlington and many other towns, including New Orleans, haven’t been able to return.

Heckofa job Brownie!

I had posted several blogs before, during and after our last trip, on the KPIG blog page, but we all know that page mysteriously vanished (maybe not so mysteriously!)

Soooo…

If you want to help, or know more, start with http://www.pearlingtonms.com/ or Google it and find many other sites. Maybe some of you reading this on-line live somewhere near one of the many towns affected by Katrina…spend a weekend and go help…even if you don’t have any particular skills, just being there helps! Another good place if you want info, or to donate your time or money is www.pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/gulfcoast/index-gulfcoast.htm

Maybe some of you could help support me and my group. We do fundraisers throughout the year to help with the cost for building materials, food and clothing, but each team member is responsible for paying their own way there….generally costs around $800, and anything we raise beyond that goes into the general fund. If you felt so inclined you could donate to the “Get Ralphie To Pearlington Fund”…or just the mission trip in general! It doesn’t have to be much…I know that you Pigs have big hearts…I also know that, given the state of the economy, many people don’t have two nickels to rub together…so, just do what you can, do what you feel, that’s all anyone can ask! Hey, it’s tax-deductible!

If you want to contribute to my trip, send a check to:

Felton Presbyterian Church
Attn: Brittany Overbeck
6090 Highway 9
Felton, CA 95018

And put Ralphie/Pearlington in the memo line…and if your address is not on your check, include that, so they can send you a receipt (remember, tax-deductible!)

There are lots of places that need help, and you can find them on-line…get involved!

And remember…you don’t always have to go across the country or the world to find someone in need…sometimes you just have to cross the street.

I love you Pigs!

Ralphie

P.S. Brittany Overbeck has been planning and coordinating these trips and has been blogging about them since the beginning....read more about Pearlington and the work there at her blog page www.ca2ms.blogspot.com/ You can also donate at her blog using PayPal...just click where it says Donate and tell 'em its for Ralphie!

Leaping Lazards

2009-07-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

I’m sooooo surprised that this has happened!

Mapleton Communications, LLC. borrowed from the Lazard Group to buy a bunch of crap radio stations that they should never have purchased, and now, are having trouble paying it back to Lazard, who now appears to have controlling interest in the company!

Some listeners out there think this might be a good thing…that maybe Lazard knows more about running radio stations than Mapleton does!

Lazard is in the business of making money, for themselves and for others…and they are very good at it. I’m sure they have no interest in the day to day operations of Mapleton and it’s fabulous radio empire! (I mean, they left Adam in charge didn't they?...) However, if Lazard does decide they want to be hands-on, if they do decide they want to get jiggy with it, if they decide they want their money back anytime soon, they would be more likely to cut and hack away at the stations, and so, I do not have a very good feeling about all of this.

Why didn’t Mapleton just spend a little of their own money to fix up and maintain and promote the stations they already owned? Wouldn’t that have been a lot cheaper? It certainly would have been more beneficial to them and to us and to you the listeners.

I think this quote from one of my earlier blogs (originally found on the KPIG website) explains it pretty well…

“I think the problem with our corporate masters and, indeed, with most corporate masters, is that they have dollar signs burned into their eyeballs…which blinds them and causes them to make mistakes…the more money, the bigger the mistakes…mistakes that hurt people, including themselves!!

This morning on the porch of my fortress of solitude, I came across these verses in Ecclesiastes Chapter 5 (yes, that’s the Old Testament!) that made me shake my head and chuckle:

Whoever loves money never has money enough;

whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.

I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,

or wealth lost through some misfortune,

Naked a man comes from his mother's womb,

and as he comes, so he departs.

He takes nothing from his labor

that he can carry in his hand.”

Ralphie

Damn Right!

2009-07-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

From one of the radio industry magazines.

I believe this is from 2000.

I look at this photo and I think what a difference 9 years makes...Pig has gone through some staff changes since then...some went willingly, some left disgruntled (there's nothing worse when you're a Pig) and of course, Laura Ellen died.

I've been missing Laura alot lately...we could really use her strength now more than ever to keep us goofey music playing misfits in line, as well as our suit wearing corporate masters.

It's hard to say who she yelled at more!

Ralphie

I Thought They Worshiped Cats!

2009-07-11T17:18:00.001-07:00

I was watching a show on the History Channel and the mystery of the Sphinx was revealed....turns out it was a Wiener Dog!

It all makes sense now!

Ralphie

Nothing Better To Do?

2009-07-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

These blogs are intended for the entertainment of the KPIG listeners (and anyone else with far too much time on their hands!)

It doesn't mean that you will be entertained...it just means that it's my intent!

Ralphie

My First Blog

2009-07-10T15:58:00.001-07:00

Actual photograph of my first blog!

I was writing about the cruelty of being forced to eat creamed spinach, and the injustice of early bedtime!

Two things that I'm still not very fond of!!

Ralphie

Something In The Way Of An Apology

2009-07-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

I guess the blog page on the KPIG website is no more…it has ceased to be…it is an ex-blog page…I know it says “Temporarily Unavailable”, but I think we all know that Adam Nathanson shut it down.

Was it something I said?!

I must admit, I feel bad… Maybe if I were to say “I’m sorry” that would help.

I’m not very good at this, but here goes….

(ahem..throat clearing)

Adam,

I’m sorry!

I’m sorry you don't seem very qualified to do your job; and that it appears that the only reason you have this job at all is because your Dad owns the company….I’m sorry that you have to micro-manage every aspect of the company to the point where none of the qualified people you hired have time to do their jobs because you are constantly pestering them with phone calls and emails.

I’m sorry you can’t seem to follow your own philosophy or the 10 standards you call “The Mapleton Way”, which you proudly display on the company’s website:

The Mapleton Way

10) Be innovative, be creative, be flexible

9) Help build a better local community

8) The truth is the best policy

7) Fight complacency - past successes are not for resting on but for building upon

6) Admit your mistakes and learn

5) Be logical and explore all the options

4) Believe in your abilities; if you think you can do it - you can do it

3) Act with honesty and integrity or don't act

2) Treat others as you would like to be treated

1) Customers come first... think of them and you will always win... your audience, advertisers and staff

I'm sorry, but, I've highlighted some of the ones I think need improvement.....I do want to help!

Seriously, though…I feel really, really bad...I mean reeeeaaally awful...I mean you have no idea how much it’s tearing me up inside that I can’t think of one nice thing to say about your management techniques...

I'm sorry...I told you I wasn’t very good at this!

Ralphie

THIS JUST IN....

2009-07-08T06:59:00.001-07:00

......Michael Jackson is still dead!

What?! Something Happend To Michael Jackson?!

2009-06-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

The North Koreans could have set off a nuke this week that wiped out Hawaii, and we wouldn’t have heard about it for daaaaayyyys because of the tragic death of the King Of Pop!

I have to say that I was shocked to hear about the death of Michael Jackson. MSN is my homepage on my home computer, so when I opened my internet explorer on Thursday afternoon that was the first thing I saw. The big box at the top of the page was even bigger than usual, going across the top of the whole page…huge headline MICHAEL JACKSON DEAD AT AGE 50. It’s one of those things where you do a double-take and you wonder if you’re reading it right, so you stare at it for several seconds until you are sure you are reading it right.

Wow…didn’t see that one coming…

The media frenzy that has followed to the exclusion of all other news…that I did see coming!!

Especially when I scrolled down the page, and near the bottom of the page, where I almost missed it, was a little tiny picture of Farrah Fawcett and one line next to it “Remembering Farrah Fawcett”….What? Farrah died too? Another double-take….and my first thought was “shouldn’t this story be at least as prominent as the Jackson story?” Sure she was older (not by much though) and we knew she had cancer and would not be with us much longer, so it wasn’t as big a shock as Jackson’s passing…but still…Farrah has become some strange footnote to the Michael Jackson story…

“Michael Jackson died tragically today…oh yeah, Farrah Fawcett died too…now back to the tragic death Michael Jackson story! We’ll talk to anyone who has ever heard of Michael Jackson…we’ll talk to the doctors, the crowd in the street, every A-B-C and D-List actor, actress and musician that ever stepped in front of a camera…we’ll read their Twitters and Blogs and…gosh, too bad Farrah Fawcett isn’t still with us so we could ask her how the tragic death of Michael Jackson has affected her…I wonder what Ed McMahon would have to say about the tragic death of the tragically tragic Michael Jackson and his tragic life of tragedy!”

I was just happy that Ed McMahon had passed away earlier in the week, or we might never have heard about that!!!

I do feel that Michael Jackson’s passing is sad…sad mostly because he was so young. I’m 52, so anyone younger than me is too young to die…heck, anyone under 80 is too young. It bothers me because Michael had what many people would consider “everything”, yet I don’t think he ever got to enjoy it even for a minute….and believe me, that’s the saddest part of all.

I do feel a strange and selfish sadness at Michael’s passing…I feel sad about Farrah and Ed too…all for the same reason, and that is because they were all very talented, and they were all such icons, and they were all a huge piece of my life and my consciousness and now they are gone….and that closes the door on another little section of my life….

I know it's not about me, and I shouldn't make it about me, but damnit, this is the kind of thing that makes me feel old!!!

(heavy sigh)

Ralphie

Now That I Have Your Attention

2009-06-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Time to ramp it up Piggies!

Uncle Sherman keeps leaving the message on the KPIG Pig Squeals that says keep those cards and letters comin’ in!

I agree…don’t let up…if you are dissatisfied with the programming decisions of the management of KPIG, especially the cutting back of live DJs in favor of automation, let them know.

I’m not sure Mike Anthony, VP of Programming for the Monterey Bay is reading or caring much about your emails. But don’t stop writing manthony@radiomontereybay.com

Adam Nathanson, the owner of Mapleton Communications is really the one who’s eye and ear you want to catch. hr@mapletoncommunications.com

I believe Adam sees these emails…the more long winded ones he may just glance over, but he sees them. So try to keep it short and to the point…keep it honest and cordial, and, here’s the important part… do it everyday! Send an email when you get up and before you go to bed…send one at lunch and dinner and anytime you find yourself at your computer. Put something like “Dissatisfied KPIG Listener” in the subject line so he’ll know without fail what this email is about, and when he comes in to work in the morning, he will have no doubt that people are not happy…he may not even have to read further than the subject line!

He also my not care, but email daily, email hourly, email often!

And maybe you could send emails to the websites of your favorite KPIG Artists and KPIG Sponsors (if you haven’t already) and let them know what’s happening (if they don’t already know) and tell them how you feel and urge them to write (if they haven’t already). Hey, they have a stake in this too!

And don’t forget the faxes and phones and good old fashioned snail mail as lines of communication!!!

Get yourself a roll of stamps and a box of envelopes or some nice postcards and have at it!!

Here’s the info straight from the Mapleton website http://www.mapletoncomm.com/

Adam Nathanson
10900 Wilshire Blvd., #1500
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Ph. (310) 209-7221

Fax (310) 209-7239

And for Radio Monterey Bay:

Mike Anthony, Sr. VP Programming
60 Garden Ct., Suite 300
Monterey, CA 93940

Ph. (831) 658-5200

Fax (831) 658-5299

Will it do any good? Maybe not…they’re the owners and they’ll do what ever they please…even if it only pleases them.

But, we’ll all be able to say that we cared and we tried!

So let’s ramp it up and be heard!

Keep those cards and letters, faxes, emails and phone calls coming in!!

Love you Pigs,

Ralphie

Gotta Have It!

2009-06-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

GOTTA HAVE MY BLOG PAGE!!!

How else can I keep you informed on what’s really important…what you really need to know….the only thing that really matters…the one thing I know you’re all really concerned about…MY DIET!!

I’m still losing weight through the healthy way diet plan, so even if KPIG isn’t around much longer, I plan to be!

http://www.thehealthyway.us/

I have been on a plateau after losing 70 pounds, but I’m still losing inches and building muscle and feeling great, and boy do I look maahhhvelous!!

Onward and Downward!

Ralphie

Real People Real Music Real Radio

2009-06-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings and Salutations!

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ralph Anybody, morning DJ at KPIG radio, broadcasting out of Freedom California at 107oink5 FM, and on-line at http://www.kpig.com/ we also simulcast The Pig in San Luis Obispo, San Francisco and Chico, California.

Those of you who do know me…I mean really know me, know my real name, and those of you who don’t know me only need to know me as Ralphie…besides, if you know Ralphie, than you know me, and that’s all you need to know, because we are the same person….confusing enough for you?….I’m confused and I wrote it!

You can Google KPIG, or, better yet, it’s founder Laura Ellen Hopper and find out more about the greatest radio station on the face of the earth…sadly, most of the hits for Laura Ellen are from the many obituaries published after her untimely death back in 2007...we miss you Laura. Laura was the Pit Bull that kept our Corporate Masters (Mapleton Communications) from coming in our yard and stomping (crapping) all over our beautiful format!!

I feel that Mapleton, through some bad business decisions and an uncertain economy, is slowly and painfully killing The Pig. They never understood what a gem of a radio station they owned, and instead of polishing this gem and taking good care of it and putting it in a glass case, they shoved it in a drawer with all the other faux gems and fools gold they own, never realizing it’s worth.

Don't get me wrong, there is still no radio station like it with it’s eclectic mix of music and comedy, but I fear it will soon be gone and then there really will be no station like it…anywhere…at all…ever again!

Some of our incredibly loyal and longtime listeners have started a grass-roots campaign to help save the pig, and a website where you can post your comments, which will be sent to our Corporate Masters, at http://www.savethepig.us/

So thank you for your support!

I guess that’s all for now!

Ralphie