Back To Pearlington

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

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!

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!

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?

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

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

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