Mix Tapes

Years ago I would buy albums that I liked and pull a couple of my favorite songs off of the albums to make custom mix tapes. Sometimes a friend would ask me to make a tape for them with specific songs onthem. I always thought that it would be great to make a custom CD with my favorite songs on them, but we did not have the technology available.

Now with home pcs sold with cd burners and dvd burners built in, and the internet with downloadable songs all over the net, we can all do that easily. Yet I don’t and I’m not sure why. Perhaps the thrill of having the music I liked right at my fingertips has waned. Perhaps the music has changed.

There is very little new music that even spurs me to go buy an album. Where I used to buy at least one album from every single paycheck, now I buy just one or two albums a year. Yes, it has gotten that bad. I really don’t like today’s music much and I’m not willing to spend my money on something that I don’t like. I find myself listening to talk radio in the car and you don’t buy albums of talk radio shows.

Interesting Listening

While driving through Chattanooga last week I tried a local radio station with a talk show underway. It was interesting to hear someone besides the big mouths like Rush for a change. This guy, Neal Boortz, was funny, had strong opinions, and made good conversation.

I don’t get his show on any local radio stations. That sucks. Wish I could find a way to listen online – it would be fun to hear a few more of his shows, especially now that the conventions are about to happen and the race for President takes off seriously after Labor Day.

Sports Talk

Every Thursday I listen to sports talk radio. It’s FM, but I know there are some decent AM stations out there and if I’m driving late at night I might surf the AM airwaves for something different.

I do listen to Jim Rome. He’s a bit of an ass but he is plugged in and has some good interviews. I hate the callers who read their “call” from a written script like third graders struggling to read aloud in class from their Dick and Jane primers.

Dan Patrick puts on a good show but he’s a pompous ass, too. I’m starting to think that the ass syndrome is part of the radio hiring requirements.

Our local boys do a better job with their show. George Plaster is a good host and another with the ass syndrome. But he has access and that’s what I’m paying for, I guess. Plus, when I really have something to say, he will take my call.

So, in the words of another radio pompous ass, “Well, there you go.”