My little one just turned 2 years old two weeks ago. Listen to what she sang today… (yikes!)

There is a commercial on the radio that makes me chuckle every time I hear it. The commercial is for a builder that talks about these lavish homes with extravagant accountrements. At the end of the commercial, the owner says, “a Christian-based company.”

I like the thought of having an indoor pool, an indoor basketball court, or even his and hers master bathrooms. I don’t, however, think that Jesus would build a 4,000 sq. ft home with an observation tower. (though he would deserve it)

By the way, this is not slam on the builder. I like the delivery of the commercials, and I have been in their homes - they are beautiful. I just think the commercial is ironic.

The new anti-smoking commercials are getting on my nerves. Don’t get me wrong, the message is right - kids shouldn’t smoke. The problem with the ads, though, is that they think they need to say “fuck” in every ad to make kids listen. We have pulled the radio commercials from the air because they say “fuck,” bleeped out, of course. Just tonight, in fact, I was watch television and an anti-smoking ad came on. At the end of the commercial, some person was holding a director’s sign that said “WHUDAFXUP?”

Whoever is getting paid millions to put together that campaign should be FIRED!

UPDATE: Here is the WHUDAFXUP website: whudafxup.com

Ugh! Today is going to be a long one. I woke up at 3am, per usual, and left for work. At 10, I am going to Janesville to attend and participate in an “effective copywriting” seminar. Then at 3:45, I will be heading back to Milwaukee for my Business Law class (which ends at approx. 9pm). After that, it’s one hour to home, sweet home. So… assuming I can fall asleep right away when I get home… today is going to be a 20-hour day. I bet tomorrow’s show will be wonderful!

…actually, the radio station as a whole won a 2006 United States Air Force Public Service Award today. It was kind of cool to see over a half-dozen Airmen come in to the radio station to present the award. The guys are just great.

Thank you to all of the troops who are serving/have served. You are the ones who deserve awards - not radio djs.

The networks are finally firing back at the FCC. I am not in favor of indecency on TV or the radio, but they have to be consistent when they hand out their fines.

From the Boston Globe:

Four networks take FCC to court
Four TV broadcast networks and their affiliates have filed court challenges to a March 15 Federal Communications Commission ruling that found several programs ”indecent” because of language. ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox filed notices of appeal in federal courts late Thursday and yesterday. The move represents a protest against the aggressive enforcement of federal indecency rules that broadcasters have complained are vague and inconsistently applied. The appeals challenge the FCC’s finding that profane language was used on CBS’s ”The Early Show,” in 2004, incidents involving Cher and Nicole Richie on the ”Billboard Music Awards” shows broadcast by Fox in 2002 and 2003, and episodes of the ABC show ”NYPD Blue” that aired in 2003.

So a few weeks ago, I went to the Buck’s game with Steve Kearns and two of his business partners.

Kearns takes lent very seriously, so he limits himself to one meal per day, and no snacking, during the lenten season.

Outside of lent, Kearns is big-time into jelly beans. He has a whole armoire full of them in his office. He enjoys a handful of jelly beans and a Mountain Dew for breakfast every morning.

When we were heading to the game, Kearns decided to quick swing into Walgreens because they were “having a sale on jelly beans.” While we were there he bought, literally, 22 pounds of jelly beans.

We were all just having fun and goofing around and I had grabbed a pair of decorative bunny ears an put them on my head. Steve thought it was fun to snap a picture of me. Whatever, fine.

This morning when I came into the radio station, there was a newspaper clipping on my desk. It has a picture of me… in those bunny ears with a buck-toothed look on my face… and it says, “if you know who this fuzzy bunny is, hop online & send him an e-mail. fmartin (at) westbendradio.com.”

DAMN YOU KEARNS!!! 
I don’t know what it says about the local paper (or me for that matter), but I have not received any e-mails.

I’ll post a scan of the ad once I can get to a scanner.

I love the attention… but seriously, Kearns is too funny!

The Dixie Chicks’ new single “Not Ready to Make Nice” did well last week on the charts, but this week fell back four spots to number 40 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles charts. This probably means that a lot of radio stations that were hot to start playing them again, did so, and then received a rash of “I can’t believe you’re playing the Dixie Chicks” phone calls (or test results).

Proof again that what you do play CAN hurt you, and what you don’t play CAN’T.

I wasn’t drunk… I was sick! Ugh!

My daughter and I went for a walk tonight. Along the way we came upon some kids playing basketball. In the driveway there was a radio that was blaring my radio station. I don’t normally think about the fact that people that I don’t know are actually out there, listening. I usually imagine that I’m talking to my friends, family, and acquaintances while I’m on the air… and really, I am.

I wouldn’t trade my job for the world. Thank you to all of you who listen and visit this site.

I don’t know if I have ever showed you the studio before. So, in case I haven’t, here is what I stare at every morning… well, at least most of it.

Either censor it - or don’t! You can’t have it both ways!

Had I actually done a podcast yesterday… this is what it would have sounded like.

Fuzz tells you how to earn a million dollars.

I have to brag for a minute… today I learned that I have the 80th most-listened-to podcast on iTunes. Okay, I actually have the 80th most-listened-to podcast in the “Education” category for podcasts… but at least I’m on the top-100 list, right?

Most of you probably don’t even know that I do a podcast. I don’t actually write it, I just voice and produce it. The podcast is for the fraternity that I belong to, Lambda Chi Alpha. I volunteered to do the audio version of the newsletter because a) I’ve always wanted to do a podcast, and b) to help out any of our brothers, worldwide, who have vision disabilities.

One brother, for instance, who had temporary vision disabilities, (e.g., he married Renee Zellweger):

If you type “lambda chi” while you’re doing a podcast search in iTunes, you’ll find it.

From WBWIFM.com:

92.5 Karaoke Competition Details

Coming this Friday, February 17th, 92.5’s first-ever Country Karaoke Competition! This is your chance to show us your stuff, and possibly win $500 in cash, courtesy of the Mineshaft.

Join us Friday at the Mineshaft on Main Street in downtown Hartford. Registration starts at 9pm, the competition starts at 10. Here’s how it works:

Sign up.

Sing.

Get Applause.

Win.

The top three contestants will then move on to the finals which take place during intermission at 92.5’s 2006 Hodag Pickoff, Sunday, March 5th, at the Washington County Fair Park. Each performer will sing one more song at the Hodag. The winner will again be chosen by applause. That winner will receive $500 cash courtesy of the Mineshaft.

Rules: The Mineshaft requires that you be 21 years old or older to be in the bar area after 9pm. Therefore, you must be 21 or older to attend (and compete.) Contestants will have the chance to sing only ONE song. Winners will be chosen by audience applause. Level of applause will be determined by representatives from the Mineshaft and WBWI. In the case of a tie, the deadlocked contestants will be given the opportunity to sing one more song, and voted on by applause again. Contestants must be able to attend both the preliminary event at the Mineshaft AND the 2006 Hodag Pickoff at the Washington County Fair Park to win. Questions about the contest will be answered at karaoke@wbwifm.com No purchase necessary.

Make sure you join me!!!

http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/06/technology/satelliteradio/index.htm?cnn=yes

Claude, my fraternity brother/fellow web designer/all-around graphic guru, is the coolest, most-talented man in the world. Check out what he put together for me. (click image for full-sized version)

I just moved to Washington County. I love this county. There is the right mixture of barns and businesses. I love the farmer’s market in downtown West Bend. I love the fact that you can drive from Menards to a fresh corn stand in less than 2 minutes. I especially like the fact that I can walk to Kohl’s or Pick n Save and not have to worry about getting run over crossing the street.

There is one thing I do not understand about this area. What’s up with the one day events?

I was yelled at by a listener yesterday because I happened to say “Port Fish Days.” Yes, D-A-Y-S. It was like I had blasphemed upon the Washington/Ozaukee County region. I understand that they only have one Port Fish “Day.” But what I don’t understand is why only one.

The same goes for “Maxwell Street Day.” Back home, which is only 50 miles away, still well within our listening area, we always had “Maxwell Street Days.” The streets of our small town would be packed to the point where you could hardly even drive. The businesses in our small town would also be packed all weekend long. What a great way to promote shopping local businesses.

Now if I told you that Maxwell Street Days happens in a town that is 7 smaller than West Bend, wouldn’t you think that we could pack the people in for 3 full days here, too? There would have to be a few changes. For instance, instead of having the event during the week, could we please move it to the weekend. That way people can actually drive to Maxwell Street Days and not have to worry about making it back to work on time.

I’m not on any planning boards, but I would like to see our area events be successful. Of course, that’s just my theory.