Moving on -a retrospective LP version

When you spend a significant amount of time at your job-career-something to do to pay the bills- it's a bonus if you really like what you are doing. I've had the fortune to enjoy the Media Business for 23 years as a vocation. I was a fan as a wee lad (don't think I wee'd all that much?) listening to AM stars on my Dad's radio like Gary Burbank, Wayne Perky and the stars of Chicago, and Atlanta markets late at night standing on my bed with coat hangers angled over to the window in attempt to improve the signal. I never missed a Sunday AM with Casey Kasem and Rick Dee's. I remember being mesmerized at their talent and the music I stole each week. Learning to start a cassette recorder at just the right moment to steal music was an art (This was Old school Napster). I was destined to be in this business, I always got in trouble for talking ever since 1st grade. My first radio job was at 1380 WHRS-AM in Winchester in the Fall of 1988 pushing buttons, doing the weather, swap shop shows, on a Big Band station. My great aunt loved the format. I ruled the 70+ demo in Birch! The sister station was the highly popular FM Radio station WFMI- later WLFX in Winchester. My first shift on the FM station- was A Sunday night overnight. I had made it, a DJ at last! It was great until 3am came. That's when your body feels like a train hit you and your mind starts imagining things like "was that a camel that just walked by?" Put the needle on the record! Then at 6am -The Skip Grinn and Ty Barrett morning show rolled in. I would then get in my car and nearly crash all the way home for many weekends after that until I got my own night time show, 10p-2a as Nasty (yeah right) Neal Thomas. But, I was living the dream. I went to work at a station in Glasgow (Owned by Steve Newberry- Former Mayor Jim's brother) right after college for about a year or so. I returned to Lexington to work for Ralph Hacker's Bluegrass Broadcasting Group based in the Central Bank building in 1994. I got 20 hours or so a week via Robert DoubleU Lindsey at the mighty 590 and worked at the Transmitter, where the blowtorch K-93 studios were located. I ascended to producing UK games, became PD at Arrow 101.5 the Rock station with Kruser and Missy Ward, then moved to the Heritage station K93 fulltime as Midday host thanks to Matt (Shuff) Austin, I maintained one of the last 20 plus shares in this market on K93. After Matt left, I got the chance to be PD at K93. But, under Cumulus it was a joke, as PD's now a days can attest. But, I have to say my biggest thrill in Radio was working on VLK AM in the Afternoon Drive opposite Jack Pattie. I guess mainly because he was the most popular radio personality in the market, my Dad knew who he was, and I grew up on AM radio. Jack is the best and will always be one of my favorite people in this business-a hero I got to work with.
I got married about this time, and you start to realize the importance of weekends, so I investigated getting into sales. I had seen Lee Harper in action on a Sales Call and said if he can mumble "you need to buy this" for an order for $25,000, imagine what could I accomplish-I'm going to be rich! I enlisted Harold Browning, Alan Stein and Terry Barton as my key mentors (swallowing hard), with help from Sallie Slone, Shari Paris to keep me honest and nearly raise me as their own. Connie Joiner and Rick Shaw gave me the shot to move in to sales in 1998 and I've never looked back. After the Cumulus boys came to town and bought out Ralph and others, the UK Broadcasting contract was lost to Jacor who begat Clear Channel or is that vice versa? I went across town to work for Keith Yarber, Gene Hardy, and Brad Hogan. I felt like it was time to move on after a couple of years there, radio wasn't what it used to be, corporations, daily reports, stockholders and commodity trading wasn't for me. I wanted to get into TV and work with the best and there was only one place on my mind. WLEX. They had the MaxTrack doppler so they had to be the best. Unfortunately, the good ol' Non compete signed in blood with Clear Channel prohibited that from happening until nearly a year later. But, In 2004 Mary West and Andrew Shenkhan gave me a shot of selling with pictures and I've been here ever since. Due to the shift in technology, need from the clients I work with I recently moved into the Digital side of the business within the company on Kristy Lowery's team in late January of this year. It's been a fun ride, (shorter upon reflection) with incredible people, characters and clients, and can't thank everyone in this unfortunately, the band is starting to play, and the light is flipping on and off but you may make the book! It's time to move on again and try to make a difference somewhere else. I've been offered a position with WebMedley, a Lexington based, Digital marketing company (Account managment, consulting, agency work so to speak), and it's a new challenge that I'm anxious to start on August 15th. But, this will be the first time in nearly 23 years that I won't have call letters next to my name. But, I will still be doing my favorite thing, working with clients and giving them solutions to their problems. You can find me everywhere;  nmetcalfe@webmedley.com or FB, Foursquare, Google+, Twitter @nealmetcalfe, I also answer to Dad, Honey or the old fashioned form of communication, call me 859-312-8069.

Rainconvenience

Change brings about all kinds of emotion. But so does LACK of change. The squishy weather patterns in my neck of the woods are making the natives restless. Plus, keeping the Weathermen and Ladies jacked up on RedBull for these sleepless nights. Bill Meck's pre game routine includes everything but Eye Black for the show down with the MaxTrack. Think of all those kids who won't make it to the majors because they can't start Baseball season yet, No Soccer (do you really want to go to that?) Mowing the yard, er..rather bushhogging it in mid May has a ring to it. We always have something to complain about and less to be grateful for. The devastation in Alabama and the continued flooding across the south today should be enough of a sobering reminder of just how blessed most of us are. I would agree that bottling some of this liquid sunshine for my turf management in July and August would be more ideal. But, for the sun deprevation we are experiencing now it's just a Rainconvenience. Like the word? I just made it up. Maybe it's time the good Lord wants us to spend together slowing down perhaps? I am grateful that the Mrs. got a rental car and was able to find a hotel room before dark in suburban ATL tonight. What are you grateful for these days?

Back in the Day

You don't really appreciate the amounts of sleep you amass as a Teenager. I  know "back in the day" I could knock out 10-12 hours easy before my Mom or Dad would get me to join the world and get busy on some task. Not much has changed, except that I am the parent, and am deprived of that marathon sleep everyday. 6 would be a luxury, and ocasionally happens on Fri nights-Sat am. Honestly I don't think I could do that now even if I had a quiet, unoccupied house and  taken a big swig of Nyquil. I don't know if you have the same issues? But, I believe It's my mind, work responsibilities, the dog shaking his collar, waking up to see the clock every hour on the hour, whether or not Stephano is going to win American Idol. Last but not least, which kid will be getting nose to nose with me at 2:30 am asking for a drink or "is it time to get up yet"?
New Rule, If I'm not up, it's not time to get up. Don't make me call up Alex "the elf on the shelf" in March.

Heading to NYC

Well I'm making my first trip to NYC at the end of this week with the Mrs. for her birthday. We have wanted to do this trip for around 5 years. Leaving the kids behind with out the control of getting back easily due to flying honestly scares me. I know we need together /couple time, and I'm going to have to bravely get over it. We're staying in Murray Hill area of Manhattan in a 1929 Hotel, which we are extremely excited. Planning on the typical site seeing, and just reviewed the Canal /Broadway tips for the "knock off" products. Hope to see a show, and maybe even lobby for Lee Cruse for Governor on the Today Show next Friday if I can get the signs printed up in time. I'm also excited to see the architecture, and looking forward to taking some very cool Black&White photos, taking in a Deli, Pizzeria, and maybe even a sidewalk Hot Dog.  

A Great need

I was forwarded an email today from my friend, Jason Koerner about a couple in the UK that have unselfishly fostered many kids over the years. In case you didn't know, I've been a foster parent for around 6 years. We adopted our 6 year old just as she turned 1 year old. We currently have a 4  year old girl that we (God willing) will get to adopt after 15 +months in our home. The email/ story goes, this couple who happen to be Christians have... wait for it....been teaching their foster children Christian beliefs and the truths of the Bible. As opposed to what soceity is consistently allowing to become "acceptable" behavior and morals.
A Judge in the UK is ruling that Christian Adoptions won't continue due to this type of Christian teaching, specifically the discouragement of Homosexuality and that marriage should be between a man and a woman. The judge or court ruled as it were,  can mandate to Foster parents what morals should be taught in their homes. Specifically asking Foster parents to teach positive views on homosexuality.
As a Christian myself, it is not up to me to judge other people's behavior or morals. However, there will be someone who will one day judge all of us whether we like it or not. But, this, believe it or not is not the point of my blog tonight. The point is; are there more Foster parents than Foster kids needing homes now? Nah baby nah. Are these ridiculous rulings going to prohibit kids from getting love from families or people that are willing to give it? Probably.
 Being a foster parent can be a remarkably rewarding experience for the child and you. If you have any interest in this, I encourage you to proceed with it.  It's all about loving the child, and giving them a foundation they have never had.

Here is a link to the story.

 mohttp://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home/2011/03/02/will-christian-adoption-be-bannedrals

Importance of Sleep

500K+ twitter followers in less than12 hours? Who is this media behemoth? His Dad and family have to be hurting and wondering what can we do? Did you watch the train wreck on 2020 last night. It reminded me of "the hangover" scene on a loop when the naked guy jumps out of the trunk with a tire iron and plays taps all over the boys. BTW my chin has now returned to it's rightful place since watching Charlie Sheen on 2020/ABC last night. I'm still waiting for the "punk" cameras  and AK to pop out and say "ahhhh, gotcha". But, Sheen seems to have gone so "far out" there running from "the Trolls" that are likely appearing from his lack of sleep and speed balling that we all can imagine where this is going. Lack of sleep is likely the in direct reason behind the deaths of Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson because of the drugs they likely took due to their travel habits that left their bodies not knowing what timezone they were in.
It's a miserable, torturous feeling to need to go to sleep and not be able to, I've been there. When Sheen mentioned in that interview he took Ambien I said I can guess what's going on. The demands of a Hollywood upper eschelon star can be stressful I would assume? The travel, responsibility to many others living wages and the selfish need to be on top or in the spotlight to keep working catches up with most. Well unless you are Charlie Sheen "who's winning" after being fired and living like a modern day Hef. "Let's go!". Not to mention $110K PER MONTH in child support. Yikes..he's got kids that will see this one day on youtube.
Sidenote: I took small prescription dosages of Ambien for about a year and it replaced the "switch" in my mind that shut's you down and allows you to go to sleep. I would panic in between refills thinking I couldn't go to sleep at night. I guess I'd say I had a small addiction because it took about 7 days of very limited sleep (not refilling) to get off of them and reset the "original" switch in my head. These are dangerous drugs. Don't take them or Tiger blood either for that matter. Guh-night.