ALL ABOUT 954 !

[The-Major]

954 - Tech writer ... copywriter .... reporter ... editor ... ghostwriter .... writer of song parodies ... opera fan ... radio geek. Started writing about radio in college.

Hey 954 - I noticed that you recently expanded your description of yourself !

So tell me about some of these song parodies that you've written. I'm intrigued ! 8)

Webmaster od South Florida Radio Pages since 1995.

I haven't gotten to that point yet where I did an 'OD' on webmastering ! This board is a nice break for me from my web site duties.

THE MAJOR

 

[954]

Touche!

954 - Tech writer ... copywriter .... reporter ... editor ... ghostwriter .... writer of song parodies ... opera fan ... radio geek. Started writing about radio in college.

Hey 954 - I noticed that you recently expanded your description of yourself !

So tell me about some of these song parodies that you've written. I'm intrigued ! 8)

I wrote and recorded two songs:

(1) The Who-To-Vote-For List (parody of Gilbert & Sullivan's I've Got A Little List), was performed live in a political comedy fundraising show in 10/2000, the Yellow Feathers Comedy Show.

The show parodies and gives awards to politicians, though having been started by the media it has a mostly left slant. WFTL's Joyce kaufman was head of the group for years. The 2001 show was cancelled because of 9/11, and it was never revived. It had been around in various incarnations since the 70s, I think. I first attended in the early 80s.

(2) The Ballad of Saddam Hussein is a parody of both The Beverly Hillbillies and The Man Who Never Returned, with some Smothers Brothers and Allan Sherman thrown in.

But I'm not a musician. I'm a writer who sings, somewhat.

Better than Mrs. Miller, though.

Webmaster od South Florida Radio Pages since 1995.

I haven't gotten to that point yet where I did an 'OD' on webmastering ! This board is a nice break for me from my web site duties.

Maybe it was supposed to be 'odd"? I forget.

73s

 

[The-Major]

I wrote and recorded two songs:
(1) The Who-To-Vote-For List (parody of Gilbert & Sullivan's I've Got A Little List), was performed live in a political comedy fundraising show in 10/2000, the Yellow Feathers Comedy Show.
(2) The Ballad of Saddam Hussein is a parody of both The Beverly Hillbillies and The Man Who Never Returned, with some Smothers Brothers and Allan Sherman thrown in.
But I'm not a musician. I'm a writer who sings, somewhat.
Better than Mrs. Miller, though.

I didn't know that you had those hidden talents. I learn something new and refreshing each and every day right here on the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale board of Radio-Info !

I'm a big fan of song parodies. And just because I'm a mere 39-years-old does not mean that I only know about the iconic 'Weird Al' Yankovic. I am well aware of the late Allan Sherman. I've heard all of his great songs from the early-to-mid-1960s. I also know all about the beautiful musical stylings of one Mrs. Miller. The all-comedy AM station that I listened to in 1983 in the D.C. area (where I was a regular call-in guy at night) played many of both of their extensive song libraries.

THE MAJOR

 

[The-Major]

954 - Tech writer ... copywriter .... reporter ... editor ... ghostwriter .... writer of song parodies ... opera fan ... radio geek. Started writing about radio in college.

954,

How did you become a self-described 'radio geek' ?

What got you interested in writing about radio in college ?

Have you ever worked for a radio station ? If so then what types of jobs have you done ?

We now know so much about DJ Stuart Elliott's distinguished radio career at 96-X, I-95, and Y-100, but we know so little about you. Step up to the podium, and tell us all how you developed your intense passion for the radio biz.

THE MAJOR

 

[954]

not much about 954

954 - Tech writer ... copywriter .... reporter ... editor ... ghostwriter .... writer of song parodies ... opera fan ... radio geek. Started writing about radio in college.

954,

How did you become a self-described 'radio geek' ?
What got you interested in writing about radio in college ?

Listening to radio while commuting to college, two hours a day, I was annoyed that newspapers devoted so much space to TV programming, but very little to radio. I had to do my own searching and still do.

Have you ever worked for a radio station ? If so then what types of jobs have you done ?

Nope.

I've written for newspapers, magazines, and trade journals and a p.r. firm -- wrote software installation & user manuals, training materials, and online help for multinationals -- sold print ads -- worked in a print shop -- and even counted beans (but didn't like it).

And co-authored the largest chapter of a book published by UF in '83. And wrote a chapter in a '95 book about the Internet.

I was a guest/guest host in the mid-80s on several WWNN programs, speaking about the Internet. And a guest once on WLRN, about radio history, in 2003.

We now know so much about DJ Stuart Elliott's distinguished radio career at 96-X, I-95, and Y-100, but we know so little about you. Step up to the podium, and tell us all how you developed your intense passion for the radio biz.

I answered that one above.

Passion? I'll save that for females.

My fame is merely as a listener and writer. Nothing as interesting as Stu's tales.

That's all the exciting stuff I can think of, unless you count Bolivia.

73s ... now listening to the funny jazz of Slim Gaillard on web radio.

 

[The-Major]

Re: 954 Is More Interesting Than He Thinks He Is !

I was annoyed that newspapers devoted so much space to TV programming, but very little to radio. I had to do my own searching and still do.

I grew up with the world-famous Washington Post. Every weekday in the 'Style' section an entire page was allocated to television listings (on about a quarter of the page), and an extensive daily column on local and national television news and ratings written by longtime columnist John Carmody encompassing the rest of the page. The guy knew his TV. His daily column was 'must-read' material for me (and apparently thousands of his daily readers). He got me excited about the wonderful world of television (back then).

A tiny amount of space down at the bottom of the page was allocated to basically two small charts listing all of the local AM and FM frequencies and their respective radio stations and formats. These charts were often inaccurate / outdated.

In my world Casey Kasem is to radio for me as John Carmody is to television. Any list of lifetime role models / idols for me would not be complete without the two of them included on there.

wrote software installation & user manuals

YUCK - Do you know that I've never learned anything from a computer user's manual ?

Did I ever mention on here that I'm an I.T. Systems Administrator / Manager ? That's my job in real life that I actually get paid to do !

I was a guest/guest host in the mid-80s on several WWNN programs, speaking about the Internet. And a guest once on WLRN, about radio history, in 2003.

Got airchecks ?

THE MAJOR

 

[954]

I was annoyed that newspapers devoted so much space to TV programming, but very little to radio. I had to do my own searching and still do.

I grew up with the world-famous Washington Post. Every weekday in the 'Style' section an entire page was allocated to television listings (on about a quarter of the page), and an extensive daily column on local and national television news and ratings written by longtime columnist John Carmody encompassing the rest of the page. The guy knew his TV. His daily column was 'must-read' material for me (and apparently thousands of his daily readers). He got me excited about the wonderful world of television (back then).

The Sun-Sentinel has Tom Jicha, whom I am equally enthusiastic about. He's been at the S-S siince the Miami News went under, at the end of '88. Remember the News? Jicha doesn't take TV too seriously, unlike most TV writers. Oh, yeah, I was Broward Correspondent for the News in its last two years, 87-88.

A tiny amount of space down at the bottom of the page was allocated to basically two small charts listing all of the local AM and FM frequencies and their respective radio stations and formats. These charts were often inaccurate / outdated.

In my world Casey Kasem is to radio for me as John Carmody is to television. Any list of lifetime role models / idols for me would not be complete without the two of them included on there.

wrote software installation & user manuals

YUCK - Do you know that I've never learned anything from a computer user's manual ?

Because they were lousy manuals or because you didn't bother?

I've found that one reason so many manuals are so bad is they are written by programmers, not writers.

I'm presuming you like my writing style here and on RadioPages.net....

Did I ever mention on here that I'm an I.T. Systems Administrator / Manager ? That's my job in real life that I actually get paid to do !

I was a guest/guest host in the mid-90s (correction) on several WWNN programs, speaking about the Internet. And a guest once on WLRN, about radio history, in 2003.

Got airchecks ?

Somewhere I think, on a cassette.

73s!

 

[The-Major]

He's been at the S-S siince the Miami News went under, at the end of '88. Remember the News?

It's interesting that you should bring up 'The Miami News' because it was on this sad day 25 years ago on August 07th 1981 that my former hometown lost its longtime award-winning daily afternoon newspaper - 'The Washington Star'. I should know. I delivered their newspaper after school for the 8 or so months leading up to that sad day.

I've found that one reason so many manuals are so bad is they are written by programmers, not writers.
I'm presuming you like my writing style here and on RadioPages.net....

From one writer to another writer - I like your writing style !

THE MAJOR

 

[954]

Birthday!

He's been at the S-S siince the Miami News went under, at the end of '88. Remember the News?

It's interesting that you should bring up 'The Miami News' because it was on this sad day 25 years ago on August 07th 1981 that my former hometown lost its longtime award-winning daily afternoon newspaper - 'The Washington Star'. I should know. I delivered their newspaper after school for the 8 or so months leading up to that sad day.

I thought that in 1981, Ronald Wilson Reagan was the Washington star! And Nancy was a starlet!

In the last two decades, South Fla has lost many daily newspapers:

Palm Beach Times (absorbed into the Palm Beach Post, I think) ??

Fort Lauderdale News (absorbed into the Sun-Sentinel) ??

Miami News (closed because it was more profitable to do so under the JOA) 12/31/1988

Hollywood Sun-Tattler (closed after new owner couldn't hack it) 1990?

Many formerly independent weeklies, like the Jewish Journal and City Link, are now owned by the Sun-Sentinel's parent company.

Just like with CC... less choices for the consumer.

I read an article this morning saying today was the web's 15th b'day.

Neat to think that my site's been around for 10 2/3 of those years, also as of today!

From one writer to another writer - I like your writing style !

Gracias! U2!

73s

 

[The-Major]

Happy Birthday To The Web !

I read an article this morning saying today was the web's 15th b'day.
Neat to think that my site's been around for 10 2/3 of those years, also as of today!

Let's see 15 years ago today in August of 1991 I didn't know what the web or the Internet was all about. I didn't even own a computer at the time. I was about 19 months away from discovering the wonderful world of personal dial-up bulletin board systems via a 2400 baud modem !

My web site - a spin-off of my original BBS (not much unlike this one) - will celebrate its 11TH anniversary during the 2ND weekend of November !

THE MAJOR

 

[954]

I read an article this morning saying today was the web's 15th b'day.
Neat to think that my site's been around for 10 2/3 of those years, also as of today!

Let's see 15 years ago today in August of 1991 I didn't know what the web or the Internet was all about. I didn't even own a computer at the time. I was about 19 months away from discovering the wonderful world of personal dial-up bulletin board systems via a 2400 baud modem !

My web site - a spin-off of my original BBS (not much unlike this one) - will celebrate its 11TH anniversary during the 2ND weekend of November !

THE MAJOR

So my 11th is about 3 weeks after yours. I don't have an exact date, but my first usenet posting to announce it (that I could find) was on Pearl Harbor Day.

In '91 I signed up for a Prodigy account and thought it was stupid.... you had to wait so long for the ads to be redrawn for each page and the content was on about a Weekly Reader level. And this was a 286 laptop. I cancelled after a few months. Got on the Internet with a shell account in 93 or 94. Created my first web pages in '95. Time files.

I never did much with BBSes.

Next month is 22 years since I bought my first PC for $2200. Still have it.... keyboard in the closet, monitor on the porch, CPU was under a portable TV but I don't know where it is now!

73s

 

[954]

Manual Labor

Do you know that I've never learned anything from a computer user's manual?

Maybe you'll like this manual, Major:

http://radiopages.net/writer/soup.html

BTW, no, I don't think you mentioned I.T.!

Earlier, I asked "Because they were lousy manuals or because you didn't bother?"
I'm curious. Really!

73s

 

[The-Major]

We Learn By Doing !

Earlier, I asked "Because they were lousy manuals or because you didn't bother?" I'm curious. Really!

I was never good with books in general. This may sound strange, but I don't like to read. I like to write (as if you didn't already figure that out). A lot of people I know are avid readers but lousy writers. I'm the other around. My co-workers and employees come to me so that I can proofread their writings. Most of the time I'm astonished that their writing abilities are so poor.

As for learning how to do things (such as my real-life job) I learn by watching and doing.

Getting back on-topic with the radio business I guess it's the same way there. Most DJs, MDs, PDs, GMs, etc. learn by listening, watching, and doing. I'm sure that they don't read an owner's manual such as 'How To Be The Perfect Program Director' or 'Announcing For Dummies'. Someone recently stated in another thread on here that if a PD thought that he could learn his trade by reading a book then he has another thing coming because there would be thousands of listeners who would point out everything that he is doing wrong and then show what that ineptitude means to them - by tuning out and not listening. It all makes sense to me.

THE MAJOR

 

[954]

RTFM

Earlier, I asked "Because they were lousy manuals or because you didn't bother?" I'm curious. Really!

I was never good with books in general.

OK... that's what I suspected you were going to say.

Can't blame the manuals or the writers for people who don't even try to read them, can we?

That's OK..... You seem to be doing OK, regardless.

So I won't hold it against you. 8)

73s

 

[The-Major]

At one time, about 1981, I thought the IBM Correcting Selectric was mankind's greatest invention of all time. That had the white stuff built in, and with its memory, it could remove the last few letters you had typed, limited only by its buffer size, whatever that was.

954 !

I remember that typewriter ! That's right around the time that I took 'Typing 101' in High School. I got straight-As in that class. The biggest reason why I was so good at it is because during the latter part of the 1970s I used a manual (non-electric) Royal typewriter with the split black and red ribbon. I learned how to type on that machine, and it was not that easy. I had a 'T' key that continuously stuck to the ribbon whenever I pressed it, so anytime I hit it I had to reach up and bring the key back down again. I established a rhythm to it. Even with the sticking 'T' key I still managed to average about 40 to 50 words per minute. I got up to 70 to 80 words per minute on the sleek new electric typewriters in High School several years later.

What does all of this have to do with Radio you may ask ? I practiced my skills by typing songs (titles and artists) that were being played on the radio as I heard them. I had fun when Casey Kasem came on every Sunday to count down the hits from coast to coast ! All of that early typing in my life was essentially a precursor to my eventual web site of today.

THE MAJOR

 

[954]

ALL ABOUT THE MAJOR AND HIS MYNAH

At one time, about 1981, I thought the IBM Correcting Selectric was mankind's greatest invention of all time. That had the white stuff built in, and with its memory, it could remove the last few letters you had typed, limited only by its buffer size, whatever that was.

954 !

I remember that typewriter ! That's right around the time that I took 'Typing 101' in High School. I got straight-As in that class. The biggest reason why I was so good at it is because during the latter part of the 1970s I used a manual (non-electric) Royal typewriter with the split black and red ribbon. I learned how to type on that machine, and it was not that easy. I had a 'T' key that continuously stuck to the ribbon whenever I pressed it, so anytime I hit it I had to reach up and bring the key back down again. I established a rhythm to it. Even with the sticking 'T' key I still managed to average about 40 to 50 words per minute. I got up to 70 to 80 words per minute on the sleek new electric typewriters in High School several years later.

What does all of this have to do with Radio you may ask ? I practiced my skills by typing songs (titles and artists) that were being played on the radio as I heard them. I had fun when Casey Kasem came on every Sunday to count down the hits from coast to coast ! All of that early typing in my life was essentially a precursor to my eventual web site of today.

THE MAJOR

Shouldn't that be on the ALL ABOUT THE MAJOR thread?


Are you trying to confuse me ... or just bragging? ? ?

73s from confused

 

[The-Major]

Re: ALL ABOUT THE MAJOR AND HIS MYNAH

Shouldn't that be on the ALL ABOUT THE MAJOR thread?
Are you trying to confuse me ... or just bragging? ? ?
73s from confused

I was either going to post it in the heritage 'All About 954 !' thread that I created way back when or the 'Massive Smashed Potatoes' thread that you created a few weeks ago. Either thread would have accomplished my goal to get the thread refreshed atop the first page of this board and push down that meter-long Wikipedia hyperlink Subject: that you posted a few days ago that distorts the screen and makes it difficult to read everything. I figure it's almost ready to jump to that second page, so that our first page returns back to normal again.

67s

THE MAJOR