THROUGH THE WHIRLWIND

CULTURAL REVERBERATIONS

Back in the land of blue sky.  It's warmer 

here too! The dash across the country and

back reminds me of how I made

a living for many years. 

 Then, as now, I suffer a

kind of cultural or location blurring.

Certain scenes become icons of a time, place

or feeling. This trip was a joy, but

also bitter sweet.

 Some of these images tell the story.

One of the first jobs of my dad was here. 

Just out of high school and before the Army and  WWII he worked as nightwatchman at Warner Gear on the edge of Muncie Indiana. 

 The job was a kind of favor to a lad who had

been a star basket ball player. It was only a place holder job for dad. Later he played semi pro ball and took other work before the war changed everyone's world. But Warner

Gear kept turning and over the years thousands of Indiana 

families built futures by the work done here.

Today its a windy echo of a Bruce Springsteen landscape

of broken dreams and shut down jobs.

So-- that was at one end of the sentimental journey.

 The other pole was the premiere of the documentary

about an historic radio showdown, that also symbolizes

 change. 

I was lucky to be on a team that put modern FM

radio into the American culture.

 To look at us now it is, maybe, hard to imagine

 these guys created a new genre of radio, promotion, public interaction and new formats that continue today.

Buster Bodine, Mike Griffin and Cris "Moto Groove" Conner

were new stars of a new kind of radio.

 As film editor Brad Schushard looks on,

Al Stone, in the cap, signs posters next to

the AM radio star Roger W. Morgan.

Just out of college, Stone assembled a group of young

broadcasters to try something new.  They ended 

up toppling the vaunted and legendary WIFE, the highest

rated AM station in the nation. WNAP became the

first commercially successful FM Rock station in America.

The rest is history.

On this evening the old adversaries were colleagues in the celebration of the historic battle.

 In the film, this gent, tells just a little about his own infamous reputation of being the king of the groupie magnets. He said he "never really needed a good opening line."  He said he had "a role to play and he lived up to his name- Fast Freddie Fever." The stories of his experiences 

are legion.  Most will probably remain untold.

Fans of that era paid a premium price to attend

a private VIP reception that featured a limo ride

to the red carpet premiere.  Here Mike Griffin

is again the center of attention, giving his fans

new memories.

 It was humbling to see and hear how the 

sold out theatre audiences (they had to add a second

showing) reacted to moments from the film.

Even more humbling were those who approached us at the gala or the opening recalling something we said or did

all those years ago, that meant so much to their lives and in some cases had a life long impact.  

We were doing a job, having fun being innovative but without a thought to the fact we were making history, let alone influencing lives in the manner

we heard about on these evenings of memories.

Bitter sweet in its own way.

The trip back gave me a private moment to pay

respects to my family members.

I'm sure that doing so on a frigid, windy, gray day

turned up the emotional vibe a mark or two.

I had to wonder what my parents or my grand parents

would make of what has become of modern media

and cultural tastes.  Could they believe that some of

what we did left the mark it has?

It's also bittersweet to know those 

once young guys and gals, like their fans, are becoming

nostalgia, though still comfortable and

even talented, in the spot light.

Buster Bodine's antics in the follow up

Q&A after the film being a case in point.

I told people who asked what I was doing now

that I had become a "villager," acclimated to quiet

and serenity far away from hubba hubba and hoopla.

It was fun to be back on the television stations, 

even keeping a tight schedule, and being in the spot, because I  knew it was a bit like Cinderella.  The ball would soon be over.  It is wonderful to be back in the village.

There is blue sky and sooo much warmer!!!

See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER :) A SIDE TRIP

ROCK RADIO WARS

My long time pal, former colleague and blog mentor

Bruce Taylor, a.k.a. The Catalyst has been

dumbfounded about why I would leave the climes

of the California Central Coast for the bone chilling

temperatures of Indianapolis, especially since the 

Super Bowl is a couple of weeks away.

The reason is a red carpet premiere of a

a documentary in which I am interviewed.

Film maker David Fulton has flown a few of us who now live

on the west coast back to Indianapolis for a round of 

radio and TV interviews, VIP events and the screening

itself. Here's the trailer.

In the last couple of days I've been able to catch up with

former colleagues, see old friends and catch a whiff of the

Super Bowl mania in Indianapolis.

I've been on the 3 major television stations 

including where I anchored for many years.

 David was surprised by how cordial all of the 

television people have been.  I told him that is 

partially a result of having been colleagues

with people who now staff the stations.

The journey also provided a chance for a sentimental

visit to Muncie, home of my Alma Mater Ball State, 

my kid hood home and where my family members are

interred. It is also home to the Pizza King which is the 

home of the ground beef, barbecue pizza.

So, Bruce, even though it has not risen above

20 degrees, there has been some benefit indeed!

The VIP Party, Red Carpet, Limo ride and all of that

is tonight.

See you down the trail.

AREN'T THERE PALM TREES AT THE SUPER BOWL?

OR SO THE ROAD ADVENTURE CONTINUES

(Indianapolis) Part of the mission here is to get an

early look at the Superbowl festivities. Oh boy are

some Super Bowl partiers going to be in for

a shock, if the early February weather is

like this. Indianapolis is great at hosting,

staging mega major events, making sports fans

feel right at home, putting on a party, but...

Most Super Bowl revelers equate the big party down

with palm trees, maybe even leisurely strolls along

the beach, or avenue.

Here is a quick thought about that in the form of

MORE FROM THE ROAD

Finally got out of the Phoenix airport into the air

a little before 8PM.  Arrive Indianapolis at 1:02 AM.

The jet gateway was frozen, so there was that time 

when all the folks, eager to deplane, are standing

tummy to fanny balancing carry ons and craning their necks

to see the front of the line, as if that might by some

power, expedite the process.

That first blast of 12 degree weather was a balm of 

sorts on this weary traveler who started his forward process

at 3:45 am PT.

Thank you for rapid reservation service at the car rental, except I'm stopped at the gate by the security guy who

radios in to the main office that Mr. Cochrun is in a car without paperwork.  A few minutes of back and forth

and I end up backing up, finding the "right" car in the

"right slot" and off onto the freeway which is

snowy and ice covered.  It's been a while for that experience as we don't get snow or ice on the Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 46, aka The Green Valley Road, or our stretch of the 101. I keep looking for pavement and

believe the signs that war of ice on bridges and overpasses.

To the hotel, finally, knuckles a little tight from

the grip on the wheel and to the room. Lights out at

3 AM.

DAY BOOK

SUPER BOWL AND SUPER WEATHER?

 The walkway to the parking  garage

gave first glimpse of the wonderland outside.

 Morning dawns.  12-14 inches of snow an

hour north.  School delays and icy roads

here.

Ah, the joys of travel.

See you down the road.

MORE FROM THE ROAD

MISERY MUST LOVE COMPANY

Update

Arrived Phoenix with prospects of a seven hour wait and

the best plans of the day- radio and tv interviews and

dinner with friends-down the drain.

US Airways could take us to Pittsburgh and then in,

saving two hours but still missing the events, or through

Charlotte with the same outcome.  We opted to avoid

flying directly into a snow storm or through one so we could

enjoy the thrill of two more plane changes.

Delays?  Phoenix is the capitol of misery today.

As the harried but cool customer service rep told us,

"we are down to just one runway today.  We have planes sitting on runways and people missing connections all over the place."  Don't you wish you were here with all these happy campers?

Maybe it is good then that people traversing airports

 go into this kind of zombie mode?

 Stunned, bewildered, confused, eyes a glaze.

Maybe it is the carpets.  Something in the patterns

akin to hypnosis-some old mind control research

sold to the keepers of the nation's airways.

Maybe that explains how an airline can delay the 

first flight of a trip, making you miss a connection and

not bother to change the rest of the flight plan to 

accomodate and for this you say 

thank you.

7 Hours in the Phoenix airport?  And I say Thank you?

Oh--I understand there could be 3-7 inches of snow when

we get in early tomorrow morning.  Hope the rental car

agency is open.  I wonder if any of my fellow 

Phoenixians for a day travel with a snow scraper?

A snow scraper?  

Thank you?

See you down the trail. 

NOTES FROM THE ROAD

AH, TRAVEL!!

Posting today in a series of airport waits.

Fog delayed the "equipment"-read that as plane-from arriving

our small airport last night.  Thus our 6:30 AM departure was  delayed, making our intended connection out of Phoenix impossible-unless the inbound "equipment" onto which we would transfer is also delayed by something.  That something today most likely would be weather. A lot of snow is 

expected in the Great Lakes, near our intended destination.

The already delayed flight is further delayed, but we

now have a 7 hour window.  What we don't spend of that here in San Luis Obispo, will be spent in Phoenix. This time

we have time to give.  7 hours in the Phoenix airport!!

We've already dropped appointed meetings in addition to radio and television interviews that had been scheduled.  Same for a dinner with former colleagues and friends.  A 3:30 PM arrival in Indianapolis has now been scheduled for 1:00 AM.

Stay tuned America.

See you down the trail.  

DECIDING FOR YOURSELF OR A PRIORI

OLD IS SOMETIMES BETTER
Have you followed the almost other worldly debate between
Twitter and Google about access to data and subsequent
sharing of that information?
Link here for background from Reuters news.

This very medium that we are sharing at this moment is 
extraordinary in its depth, reach and ability to be 
instant. It continues to change how we live, inform ourselves and think.  And yet as we rely on its
capacity, it begins to replace some of our
own intellectual command.  Decisions are being made for us.
This video appeared here earlier, but many of you missed it,
according to the analytics available to even a blogger such as me.  And that is part of the point.

The technology is impressive, even if inevitable.
But I wonder what happens as the decision making, fed by 
 data mining and analytics, continues. Will
we become like the humans depicted
in the Pixar masterpiece Wall-e?
What happens to the human specie if everything
is done based on convenience, prior patterns
and algorithmic decision making?
I fear that anything that begins to shape or trim 
our curiosity and free exploration leads us
to being intellectual chia pets.


HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IT HAS CHANGED
The video was recorded during a break
on the NBC Today show in January 1994.
Bryant Gumble and Katie Couric ask
WHAT IS THE INTERNET ANYWAY?

I assume Bryant and Katie now get a kick out of 
their naivety. In those days
there was no threat to the media from the new
technology platforms that today call
institutions like the network news "mainstream" or "lame stream" media. Of course all news organizations
calculate how to survive.
Computer mined and manipulated data leads to 
a kind of apriori decision making,
but how free or unbounded is it?
What price for convenience?
I hope you sometimes visit the 
21st Century Intelligence component at the
very bottom of this page.  It does a great 
job of tracking the business of our tech future.
See you down the trail.

RESPECTING NATURE'S ELDERS

THEY DESERVE MORE RESPECT

I am, literally, a tree hugger.  Years ago I learned 

 a native practice for young men. Sorry to report I can't recall which tribal nation.

  It requires standing in the spring with your spine aligned  with a tree that is of your relative age. You put your arms behind you, encircle the tree and clasp your hands.  

This is done at a time of year when the sun and damp earth create an awakening and budding in the tree.

The idea is to sense or feel the energy flow along your spine

and to be "one" with the tree. In the practice, the

young brave stood for hours.  I've been a piker by

comparison but it is something I try to do each spring,

though young is no longer an apt description.

I think of trees as a kind of planetary elder.

I am in awe and marvel at the age and size

of redwoods and sequoias.

I've been to this point before.

A story through-line and subtext of my

second book, THE SANIBEL CAYMAN DISC,

deals with development vs. nature

and how civilization interacts with the environment.

Those under pin the surface story, the black market

in chemical and biological weapons.

I tell you this so you know my bias when

I say old trees deserve respect.

These are scenes of a recent cutting of

eucalyptus trees in Cambria.  I understand

 eucalyptus trees are fire hazards. But when a tree, still healthy, gets to this age, what is gained from felling it?  This cutting occurred on public land,

near to a trail and at a great distance from power lines. 

Smaller trees nearby were left standing.  In fact

there are many in the area that should be

pruned.  Thinning also makes sense.  I am not averse

to sound forest management practices and indeed

there are areas of the Central Coast where work needs to be done.  I am left wondering though, why an ancient tree, posing no threat needs to be felled.

I'm sure there is an official rationale.

 I've heard such explanations before and 

often they are narrow minded and usually involve

funding. 

Maybe I'm wrong headed, and overly sentimental

on the value of a tree.  But how many people do you 

know who survive to 150, 300 or even 2,500 years?

See you down the trail.