Alice’s Restaurant is a Thanksgiving tradition at most radio stations I worked at over the years, normally played around 12 noon or so.
Courtesy of YouTube, here is Arlo himself telling the story with some clips from the movie of the same name to go along with it:
A few years go some other guy, Adam something or other, that tried cash in with a Thanksgiving Song of his own, which sounds an awful lot like the Chanukah song he also did.
Update1: Jeez, there is apparently a Wikipedia article about everything. Here is teh background on Alice’s Rest-a-raunt.
For those familiar with WKRP, here is the Turkey Drop:
I was cleaning out the engineering room at WBEC in Pittsfield, MA today. The previous engineer, Ken Jones, past away last July and we have been hired to do the engineering work. Part of that job is knowing where key information and parts are, thus the clean up.
Whilst in the middle of that fun, I found a sheaf of papers consisting of this:
That is the classic engineering department bitch-o-gram, typed out on a typewriter. There were no fewer than eight memos to Ron (Stratton), who appears to be the General Manager, from Don Coleman, the lowly engineer. Since WBEC was a directional AM station, the engineers had to walk out to the towers every day and take a set of base current readings to confirm that the antenna sample system was working properly. A rule no longer in effect. Like many AM stations, WBEC is located in a low, swampy area. You will notice that this engineer had given the swamp a name and one wonders what the significance of that name is.
Back in the day of typewriters, sending off memos was no easy task. After the document was typed, a copier had to be found, copies made and distributed to all parties. Often times, distribution consisted of handing a copy directly to the person and waiting for a response. It was a way to put things in writing and to create a paper trail if needed in the future.
Here is another one:
In this memo, our hero references all of his previous memos on the same topic. Obviously, this engineer was very concerned about tower access and not breaking his or anyone else’s leg. I like the invitation for a walk out to the tower. The studios and general manager’s office are located at the WBEC transmitter site, so it would not have been a long walk.
These are fairly mundane, I can remember typing a few memos to the programming department on asbestos paper to keep them from bursting into flames. Ahhh, those were the days.
For some reason, this idea just popped into my head. Sometimes engineers get a little leery when it comes to a new project, especially in this micromanaged digitally connected world. I have learned to beware of buzz words and phrases like:
We couldn’t do it without you
We need you to guide this project through
I’ve got your back
Failure is not an option
Engineers are what makes radio stations tick
What they really mean is:
If we could figure out a way, we’d do it without you
We need you to answer your cellphone and email 24/7 so we can direct your guidance
Watch your back
This is such a lame brained idea, it’s going to fail and we are going to blame you
Who really knows what engineers do?
What management does not seem to understand is what motivates engineers. How do you get the guy who is on call 24/7 three hundred and sixty five days out of the year (even on vacation) to rise above his normal performance level and really shine?
Have no fear, there are things that engineers daydream about, those special little projects that can only be categorized one way: “NEAT!”
Most engineers that I know are enamored with efficiency. Anything that can increase efficiency, increase data throughput, provide more information and or make a difficult job easier may fall into the NEAT! category. Things like IP enabled remote controls, transmitters and processing that can be accessed from lap tops or smart phones. Installing VNC or like program on computer automation systems, servers and the like so that they too can be viewed and fixed from lap tops or smart phones is another good example. Of course, exactly what qualifies as NEAT! varies from engineer to engineer.
Here is the complete list of engineering motivators:
Having some projects with the aforementioned NEAT! items on occasion
Increased compensation and or bonuses for good performance, completed projects, etc
Decreased number of “pocket protector” jokes, glassy eyed staring, silly remarks and the like
Engineers are highly trained professionals. It is not up to us to fix the chair your ass broke, fix the toilet your cheap ass had installed, tape the worn out carpet you got on trade, fix the leaking roof you also got on trade, change light bulbs or wash the station vehicle. So don’t ask.
If somebody could figure out how to include one of these with all new equipment installations or projects, perhaps in the ancillary kit or something:
Readers of this blog will know that I enjoy history. Old photos are great things to study, as they say, picture… thousand words… etc. Here is one that I found on the RadioMarine website:
WER radio, 192X?
Here we have three gentlemen at work at an early radio station. It seems like a posed shot, nobody can study a meter that intently. They are sitting directly in front of the transmitter and it looks like the antenna tuning coils are behind the operating position. Notice the open wire and transmission line, presumably all under power when this picture was taken. There seems to be no concern about RF or electrical safety, I suppose it was trial and error back then, with a heavy price paid for error. Meter boy should be careful not to back up too far, if he does, he’ll get a little behind in his work.
We’ve been a little busy this last week, I’ll catch up on the blogging this weekend, there are many things to tell.
Some days there are far too many obstacles to be an effective writer:
Cat likes using the computer
We were adopted by this stray cat last summer. He seems to be right at home napping on my computer keyboard. Actually, a little afternoon nap seems like a good idea…
I found this picture of Bob Struble’s vacation last summer:
HD radio flagship
To the uninitiated, this might seem quite alarming; boat sinking, rigging all ahoo, this poor guy waiting rescue or certain death. But to understand what is going on here, you have to see the whole picture. Things are not what they seem, in fact, it’s designed that way:
The rest of the story
All this time, I have been lamenting the technical flaws IBOC, when really; its supposed to do that. Holy cow! All these years of wondering, “What the fuck are they thinking?” and decrying HD Radio, especially AM HD radio. Boy am I embarrassed. Makes me want to do this:
Baghdad Bob Bob Struble latest quote, brought to bold typed prominence on the pages of Radio World magazine: ”Consumers now expect to see album covers when they listen to music.” I think he means album art, but anyway.
You mean to tell me HD radio is failing because of lacking album art! Of all the Bob Struble quotes, to prominently feature this one in their article makes me think 1) the editors at Radio World have a sense of humor, or 2) they have a sense or irony, or both.
So anyway, there you have it: Album Art. The rest of the so called technical flaws are “design features” that will enhance HD radio in the long run. They’ve got us right were they want us.
One of the great side benefits of working at a radio station is the regular availability of free food. I almost don’t want to do a post on this because somehow, some corporate boss is going to read about it and a no free food edict will result.
Every so often, some local deli or pizza place will drop off something for the air staff. Usually, it is a friend of a friend and nothing nefarious is going on. When it arrives, the odor of good things to eat wafts through the building. With the smell of blood in the water, the sharks swim out of the sales bullpen and a feeding frenzy develops. Just watch out for your fingers, during the scrum, it is difficult to tell the difference between a digit and a sausage.
It goes fast, when I walked by this table 15 minutes ago, there were five full pizza boxes, just delivered.
radio station food
Now there is one box with two slices of some meat lovers heart attack special.
This is The Stairway to Heaven for a different decade.
It is so big. She looks like, one of those rap guys’ girlfriends. But, you know, who understands those rap guys?
They only talk to her, because, she looks like a total prostitute, ‘kay?
Ordinarily, I don’t much go in for such things as rap music. But this is entertaining, and somewhat universal.
Hard to believe that it was almost twenty years ago. Almost every lyric in that song is innuendo for some sex act. Like it. Dislike it. No rules were broken when making this song. It went to number 1 on the billboard chart in the summer of 1992 and no radio station anywhere ever received a fine for playing it. It was quite scandalous at the time, of course, we were young and naive then. Things have changed.
To the beanpole dames in the magazines: You ain’t it, Miss Thing!
I occurs to me that part of the reason that the radio industry sucks is because the music industry sucks. The radio and music industry used to have a symbiotic relationship, each benefiting greatly from the existence of the other. Of course, the greed and poor business practices of the last decade have driven every fun and thus entertaining element away from both industries. Leave it to the bean counters, who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Sadly, no hit that I have heard on the top 40 station these days even comes close to the entertainment value of this 18 year old song.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
~1st amendment to the United States Constitution
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
~Benjamin Franklin
...radio was discovered, and not invented, and that these frequencies and principles were always in existence long before man was aware of them. Therefore, no one owns them. They are there as free as sunlight, which is a higher frequency form of the same energy.
~Alan Weiner
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers
~Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, Article 19
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