Monday, February 13, 2012

Finally, Brothers And Sisters...

Whatever is true, whatever is noble,

Whatever is right, whatever is pure,


Whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable;


If anything is excellent or praiseworthy,



Think about such things!

Philippians 4:8

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Schfifty-Five


My wife showed me this strange animated video called Schfifty-Five.

I'm not sure I really get it, or why it's funny, or if it's really funny...but today I turn schfifty-five, and I guess that's the only reason it is appropriate or relevant!

Schfifty-Five

Ralphie

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Nothing New...That's The Problem


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

Friday, November 18, 2011

Keepin' Santa Cruz...Weird?!


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

Friday, October 28, 2011

How I Spent My Summer Vacation


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!!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Don't Forget To Sing And Dance


Music and Life!

I seem to have lost my yodel...

Monday, July 25, 2011

Fast Forward


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