I did something a bit strange today. It's somewhat shocking and appalling. You might want to sit down for this.
I listened to the radio.
I know, I know. It's a terrible piece of news, isn't it? I did not listen to doPi.
It stems back to Katie telling me the other day that I seem to be a bit behind on current events and that I should occasionally try tuning in to the radio to get my daily fill of what's going on in the world.
To some degree, I suppose I can agree with her. For weeks upon weeks that seem to be turning into months upon months, I've done nothing but plug in my trusty iPod and listen to music or podcasts. It's just so nice to not have to deal with the plethora of commercials that lay waste to the airwaves. There's no quicker way to make me lose interest in a radio station than by playing an unceasing chain of commercials.
But, on the other hand, I'm not completely out of the loop on current events. I do work on the Web all day, after all. I'm sitting in front of one of the timeliest (if not unreliable) sources of news in the modern world. I get the current events insofar as the top three headlines on my Yahoo startpage are concerned. Okay, that may not be the most comprehensive source of news out there.
So, this morning, I tuned in and I'm glad I did.
WLUP, 97.9 FM "The Loop" here in Chicago, recently welcomed Jonathon Brandmeier (fondly known around the city as "Johnny B." -- sorry, Johnny C, but he's got you by a letter) back to the Chitown airwaves. The man is a legend in Chicago and had been on the air for as long as I could remember. But he left several years ago for the West Coast. Now, he's back and I missed him.
This morning on the Loop Morning Show, Johnny B. interviewed Dr. Elmo, the genius behind the modern Christmas classic "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." The interview was hilarious as Dr. Elmo described the creation of the song and its inspiration (can you believe the song is only 26 years old?). He also talked about how his goal was to give people an alternative to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" so he revels in the knowledge that his song is one of the top sellers each holiday season. He also soaked up the news from Johnny B. that, in his many years of radio work, he never once had a request for Crosby but always hears people clamoring for "Grandma."
Then, Dr. Elmo played his classic live on the air. I had forgotten just how long that song really is. It seems to go on forever, which, to me, is a testament to his creative spirit. To come up with that many lyrics in what is pretty much a spoof song is just incredible.
But the best part, to me, was when he played a song dedicated to Johnny sung to the tune of "Grandma"...
Johnny got run over on the West Coast
Working out in Malibu by the sea.
Now he's back in ol' Sweet Home Chicago
Playing songs on W-L-U-P.
That made my morning.
Okay, so this doesn't exactly constitute "current events," per se. But I'm still attempting to nurture the holiday spirit that seems to be running through me. And do you really think that news about the NYC transit strike or Saddam Hussein branding the White House a bunch of liars (though I do tend to agree with some of his points) is really the best way to help me in this regard?
So, let's review: Kevin wants to stay in the holiday mood, should we, 1) listen to an interview with Dr. Elmo, or, 2) read news about children sleeping in cages?
Yeah, I think I know which one I prefer.
I'll return to hard news next week.
