Goodbye, Live 100.5!

I wish to say goodbye to a great friend, Live 100.5.  You have been a constant companion in my car and sometimes at my computer for eighteen months, providing me with music I love and new music I have grown to love as well.

While Citadel Broadcasting (which I've heard is going bankrupt) decided that music was far less important than middle-aged men ranting on the radio 24-7, I will constantly disagree.  Scott Register and Chirs Adler were forming the basis of a great station only to have the corporate bigwigs tear it down piece by piece.

I think that the loss of this station will send shockwaves throughout Birmingham.  Workplay and other venues won't be able to court top quality artists as well because there will not be an outlet for the music of those artists other than the venue itself.  Why would a musician spare the expense to come to a town that has never heard their music?

I only hope that Reg will podcast or start his own station.  Someone needs to pull some strings at the FCC to get him his own frequency.  And it better be FM, 'cause no one really listens to the ol' AM anymore.  That's why all the broadcasters are thrusting their crappy AM programming onto the FM waves.

Citadel, Cox, and Clear Channel take note: I, like many others, want to hear GOOD MUSIC on the radio, not ranting old men.  Bring back the music and Live 100.5!!!!!

My Open Letter to John Mayer

Dear John (wow, an actual 'Dear John' letter, but not in the normal sense of it):


I will admit that your absence from Birmingham for about 3 years was disheartening for me.  It was a tradition for me and my sister to go to your concerts in Birmingham at least once a year (original member of the Bham Choir *wink*).  Then the tradition just stopped.

Imagine my excitement when I receive an email telling me you are coming back to Birmingham in 2010.  We bought tickets at the exact moment we were allowed, via the JM presale of course, and got very good seats.  I knew I wouldn't be disappointed at all.  You were finally coming back to where it all started.

I know we've never actually met, but I think that we are two people taking a journey together, much like strangers on an airplane.  You get on the plane with a bunch of people you don't know with the only thing in common being the destination.  I don't know what the destination is for me or you, so this may be a connecting flight.

I feel like we've grown upwards together.  Each album is the continuing evolution of yourself and your music, and each song tells a part of that story.  Each song for me tells a bit about my story too.  While different from yours in certain elements, just similar enough to make it logical.

I remember the first song I heard of yours on the radio.  It was on WRAX, and believe it or not, it wasn't Your Body Is A Wonderland; it was Neon.  You had me at the guitar intro.  It reminded me of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and his influence on you is still very evident in your songs.  There's just something about the sound of the guitar....

Then, of course, I had to hear more.  My sister bought Room For Squares before I did (yeah, she discovered you first).  I remember sneaking it out of her stack of CDs and playing it on my boombox (I think I'm slowly showing my age).  I knew during those moments that you would have some staying power in my music collection.

Now I know your having some difficulty as of late with the media.  I truly hate that your so exposed right now.  But the media will continue to feed on this until someone else comes along with more drama.  Your life is under the microscope of scrutiny.  I think its best for you to stay away from the media for a bit.  Clean your wounds, heal your heart, and remember that there are plenty of people out there who like you no matter what stumbles out of your unwatched mouth.  Didn't you write a song about that anyway?

Remember to live, love and have plenty of fun along the way.  Yes, we're still on this connecting flight together.  I'm sure it will be that way for a long time to come.  If you ever need to recharge and find yourself for a bit, there's a pretty good spot atop Red Mountain.  Birmingham will let you be John Mayer the Musician.



Be careful on this connecting flight journey - there will be some turbulence, but we'll make it in one piece.




Beth

Help Me Create a New Title for This Blog!

I know the title needs a LOT of work.  That's why I want everyone who is viewing this to help me come up with a different title for my blog.  It doesn't have to be too fancy, just something that sounds great!!!



Thanks!

Google v. Apple - Next Cyberwar?

At one time, Google and Apple seemed like peanut butter and jelly - they just went together.  Google Maps were seamless on the iPhone, and as an iPhone user, I rightly enjoy having Google Maps within a one-click reach anytime.

Then, Google started creeping into Apple's domain with the introduction of Android.  A one-time ally is now turning into a bitter enemy.

But Apple is not alone in their battle against Google.  A once bitter enemy is stepping up behind the shadows to help Apple wage war against Google - Microsoft.  Its amazing what desperate times make some people, and organizations, do.

I am personally somewhat saddened by the new cyberwar between Apple and Google.  I've always been fond of Google, as evident by my Gmail account and my piece of digital landscape at Blogger, and Apple has always held a part in my computer lifestyle.  Growing up, the computers we used at elementary school were Apples, and you have to love them for their video editing capabilities.  I thought that Google and Apple would come together as a united front, but now that viewpoint is completely false.

May there be swift resolutions and peace in the cyber realm!

The First of Many

So, this is the first entry in what should be a long list of blog entries for me. I'm tapping into my creative forray! Probably not the best use of the word 'forray'....

Hopefully, you will find this interesting. If it does become a complete waste of time, I will apologize to you now for fear I will forget to do it later.

I hope you enjoy my random musings and feel free to send any comments.


Stay happy, warm, safe and sane!!!