Tuesday, December 22, 2009

December 2009

Hi. Happy Holidays to everybody. Hope you have a great holiday season, and get a chance to slow down and enjoy time with family and friends. Seems like its harder to do every year. I will actually get 3 straight days of nothing but holiday fun, then its back to work. Back out on the road Sunday with the AF Basketball team in El Paso for their Sun Bowl Basketball Tournament. Its one of the top holiday tournaments in the nation. The 1st time we were there a few years ago they greeted the team with music and singers. I will never forget them trying to get then head coach Joe Scott to dance. Priceless.

2009 was a tough year for a lot of people. I hope as we make the turn to 2010 things (the economy-jobs) loosen up just a bit. We as a nation have to bounce back and hope for good things in the coming year.

Slow down, and please enjoy the holidays, and travel safe.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Happy Holidays!!! I love the snow and cold-Sorry. It puts me in the holiday spirit.....On my mind.....Kvor is working with the Colorado Springs Police Department and Teens With Promise on their annual Toy Drive. If you're shopping please grab one extra toy. You can bring it to us at Kvor at 6805 Corporate Drive or an Springs Police Department. Thanks for helping us spread the true meaning of Christmas.....The Tiger Woods drama has taken so many twists and turns. But here's where it gets interesting. The National Enquirer, US! and TMZ have been accurately all over this story. Traditional media has been way behind. You can say you don't care, but that's like saying you never look at a traffic accident as you drive by it. Tigers silence is not good, mainly because it gives everybody else so much room to speculate. Look at what David Letterman did. He beat everybody to the punch and didn't give them room to go anywhere, and its already out of the headlines. Tiger reportedly is going through marital counseling with his wife at home several times a day. if that's true, no matter how big his house is, its not big enough at the moment. Reportedly his angry wife has gotten a new pre-nup which will put millions in her pocket. Talk to you again soon.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Musings

Post election thoughts.......So Springs residents decide not to help out the city, and turn down a tax increase. Get ready for fewer city services next year, and perhaps slower response times from police and fire crews. But hey, its what you wanted. You won't swim in a city pool next year, and there's a good chance the softball, football or soccer field you and your kids play on will be in lousy shape. But hey its what you want. This city has severe issues, and its not with city council. Part of the problem is some (not all) some of the population is simply clueless. You know who you are......The Air Force Academy and the springs looked great on ESPN's Gameday Show before the Air Force Army Football game. You can't buy that kind of exposure.....There is a hunger strike in a prison in Southern Afghanistan. The prisoners are unhappy. You know what? Let them go hungry!!!!!!....... I love the holiday season, and believe it or not I love shopping amongst the crowds.....

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Do What You Want-Be What You Are

I really feel for Colorado Springs City Employees who have been meeting by department and being told if they have a chance of losing their jobs. It just stinks. I hope and pray this city finally gets wise and realizes we need the upcoming mill levy increase. I don't care what the national reports are suggesting. Things are still not good for our local economy. I'm tired of reading about layoffs every morning. The Doug Bruce's of this community are doing nobody any good. I don't want to see my neighbors and friends losing jobs. You old farts who gripe about tax increases, yet scream when we don't have enough infrastructure and city services can't have it both ways.....Back on the road with Air Force Football. Hats off to Jeff Cosky who, for lack of a better term, is the travelling secretary for the Falcons. How he gets 172 of us around the country and back in 36 hours is incredible....Spent some time with former Air Force Basketball Coach Joe Scott recently. Glad to see he has a 2 year contract extension. He earned it. Also hung out with Denver Nugget Assistant Larry Mangino at Pepsi Center....Had a great summer of concerts. Saw Earth Wind and Fire and Chicago, Aerosmith, Jackson Brown( who was just okay) and my favorites Hall and Oates.....Do you get the feeling we may have a long, wet winter? Enough with the rain already....Why does President Obama feel he has to fix everything in this country in the first year of his presidency? But I like the fact he called Kanye West a jackass....One final thing. I am not a fan of the President. But you so-called birthers who are screaming the President wasn't born in this country are doing yourselves a dis-service. If that's all you can focus on you are losing credibility. Question him on health care, or the stimulus package, but please drop the birth certificate issue.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Musings

Wasn't it fun to watch Tom Watson challenge for the British Open? I love how much the competitor in Watson came out during the match. He said going in he wasn't there to just play well, he was there to win it. Great Show....82% of KVOR listeners believe the Rampart Range Shooting Area should not have been closed. An accidental shooting that left an Aurora man dead was the catalyst for its closure by the US Forest Service. Have never been up there. From what I have been told the place was poorly kept by those who used the range.....Bronco Football practices are underway with a new head coach, a new quarterback, but the same expectations-Win, or else. I have a feeling Denver will find itself back in the playoffs.....Congrats to a close friend, Larry Mangino with the Denver Nuggets. Larry joined the team as an assistant before last season, and look what happens-54 wins and a Western Conference Final Berth against the Lakers....Did you see where Jeff Kingery, the longtime Play by Play voice of the Colorado Rockies will work just one road series the rest of the year? The Rockies reduced his role because Jeff got upset and yelled at a bus driver taking the team from Dodger Stadium back to their hotel in June. According to the Denver Post Kingery had been warned about his behavior in the past. Are you kidding me? He has one of the greatest, and toughest jobs in the world to get, and he risks it because he apparently has anger issues? Geez Jeff, we can understand if you had a fight with your wife, or a relative was sick, but damn-a bus driver makes a wrong turn and you get up in the guys grill? And the Rockies have had to warn you about your behavior in the past? GROW UP!!! Its sad, because he is in the last year of his contract with the team. I will be surprised if they bring him back...An update on Kingery The Denver Post says Kingery can work as many road games as he wants as long as he pays his own way. So he is not traveling with the team as just about all broadcasters do. You wonder if he wants to or has enough time in this season to make up and apologize to the Rockies....Say what you will about President Obama, but asking the Harvard Professor and the Cambridge Cop who's paths crossed, to come to Washington and have a beer is certainly unique. How bout inviting North Korean leader Kim Jung Il to the states for a Washington Nationals game, a dog and a cold one?

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Brave But Chicken

There are a lot of angry, mean people in our society. Here's proof. Go online, read any story where it allows you to post comments. Take 5 minutes and read some of the comments. I think its one of the bad things about the Internet. The anonymity the Internet gives people. The hatred and anger that's out there, all protected by the computer I am typing on right now. It makes cowards of people, and whats worse, makes people less accountable. It emboldens them to, in my opinion, ultimately do things that are wrong and even illegal. Whatever happened to someone standing up, saying something and sticking by their word? It's gone, relegated to a "hide behind the curtain," mentality with a signature of "abc89." And how mean are the comments they make? I hope their not my neighbors or yours, but they probably are. You wonder sometimes why things are in the toilet?

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

And You Want Us to Help?

North Korea recently announced prison sentences of 12 years for two American journalists who entered the country illegally. A spokesman says Americans Laura Ling and Euna Lee were found guilty of a "grave crime." The American Government is working some behind the scenes channels in an effort to win their release. But the Obama administration must be careful that North Korea does not try and link this incident to efforts by Western Powers and South Korea to get the North to curtail its nuclear ambitions. Now this may sound cold and callous-I have a problem with this story. The two women, along with support crew from their American employer Current TV, were indeed on North Korean soil. They were filmed on the other side of the Tumen river separating North Korea from China. Through a translator they were heard on the video as saying they were in a North Korean courtyard and do not have permission to be there. So why should the United States now rush to their rescue? They knew what they were doing. They knew they did not have any permission to enter North Korea. I don't care who is signing my paycheck, you can't ask me (and its still unclear if Current TV ordered the women to make a foray into North Korea) to violate a country's law like that, and especially one as unpredictable and unstable as North Korea. And now we're supposed to bail them out? I feel for them and their families-however they created this mess themselves. And whats worse is now North Korea can use the journalists in a high stakes negotiating game, as they continue to threaten the West with nuclear tests. Just because you're a journalist you don't have carte blanche to wander into any country. Had that been me, I would not have been within 10 miles of the North Korean border. Sources say for the moment the two women are being held in guest houses and probably, despite reports, won't go to the vile and heinous detention camps. But they never should have crossed the river to begin with. And now their families are forced to plead with our government to intervene and win their release. Sometimes when you make your own bed you have to lie in it.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Here's the Problem

For years I have maintainned Colorado Springs needs to figure out if its a small city or a big town. At times it seems like the latter, especially with a one-time but now shrinking hard core group of conservatives. I remember in the early 90's when former mayor Bob Issac pushed for a new airport. All these old farts came out of the woodwork and didn't want to see it happen. I thought it was a good idea and publicly supported it when I did a 1 hour talk show on KVOR. Fast forward to today. Our part-time Mayor is under scrutiny for his efforts to keep the USOC in Colorado Springs. (Yes I said part time). And our part-time city council is trying to unravel, and make sense of, and put back together that same deal the USOC walked away from with the city several weeks ago. It all brings me to this conclusion-Colorado Springs needs to grow up and have a real Mayor and City Council with full time salaries. This is not a knock at all on Mayor Riveria and City Council Members. I admire the work they do on less that 10 Thousand dollars a year. But that's the point-How much can they get done while trying to keep their own jobs and provide for their families? Its a joke that we still have a city manager form of government. Its not about the people who have these jobs-its the system. We may be one of the largest cities in the country with a city manager form of government. We as a city and its citizens deserve more.
These men and women must make time during their work day to deal with the business of running a small city-or are we a big town? It's time we grow up.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Musings

2 good friends of mine passed away within 24 hours of each other-Rich Bircumshaw, the Play By Play voice of the Colorado State University Rams, and Glen Gondrezick, basketball analyst with the UNLV Radio Network. I saw both 6 weeks ago in Las Vegas at the Mountain West Conference Basketball Tournament. "Gondo" had a heart transplant in the summer of 08. He looked good and told me he was feeling great. The doctors now think his body rejected his new heart. Rich had a stroke Tuesday night, and died Wednesday evening. I called Rich because his company, Clear Channel Communications had laid off 950 people, and his job was very much up in the air. I got his answering machine. Two good guys, who loved their jobs and loved their schools. It makes you both sad and sick. Rich was under the gun every single day. He did, and this is not inflated, 54 newscasts every day Monday thru Friday for his radio stations in Fort Collins. He was worried about his job. Seems like there's a lot of that going around. Did the pressure of his job, of the radio business in general, have anything to do with his passing? I don't know. We never will. I know Rich made a lot of sacrifices to call games, because he loved the job. I will miss Rich and "Gondo." I hope we all slow down a little and smell the roses. Death calls 24-7 and you never know when you will be tapped on the shoulder and asked to step out of the line.
I will miss them a lot.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Inspiration

Her name is Susan Boyle. She is the latest Internet sensation. Its not often I am at a loss for words, but after watching a clip of her on YouTube I am speechless. There are moments in life that sometimes cross your path, and if you're lucky, you recognize those instances and appreciate them. I have always been an underdog. I have always rooted for the underdog. And I am rooting for Susan Boyle. She lives in Scotland and recently appeared on "Britain's Got Talent," a show much like "America's Got Talent." The 7 minute segment on YouTube is both a condemnation of how shallow we are as humans, and, a shining example of pulling for the "good guys." If the piece doesn't bring a tear to your eye, get your heart checked. The video on YouTube has been viewed by over 20 million people. The more that see it the better. It needs no more set up. After viewing it, please post your thoughts here.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Tough

I watched and listened over the weekend as U.S. Navy Seals shot and killed 3 Somali pirates, and rescued Captain Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the coast of Somalia . There are so many details to this incredible story that are just amazing , and I'll be commenting on many of them. A couple of things stood out-1) President Barack Obama gave the order to use force, if necessary, to free Captain Phillips. 2) We didn't wait a week, or a month, or 6 months to do something. We used aggression and it saved an American life. I have become sick and tired of the do-gooders in this world who think we need to treat terrorists, murders and thieves with kindness and compassion. No Sir! We are dealing with enemies around the world who are not afraid of dying, and who believe the United States has become soft, especially since the Iraq War. Thank Goodness we had someone, starting with the President, who realized force might be necessary. Thank God we could drop Navy Seals by helicopter to the USS Bainbridge. And Thank God, the Captain of the Bainbridge had the common sense, to realize they had a chance to take those Somali pirates out, and they did. Sorry, but many times violence is the answer to other violent actions. The more countries negotiate and pay ransoms, the more Somali Pirates will hijack vessels. No, the deaths of 3 pirates will not be a deterrent. However it sends a clear message this country will use whatever force is necessary to protect Americans. It would be nice if this policy would extend past the Horn Of Africa and to other conflicts we are involved in around the world. Like him or not, the President of the United States made the right call, and a captain, who gave himself up so his crew could escape, is alive today. More to come.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Musings

Saw the moving "Knowing." Loved it, but I can see why a lot of people did...Ever try to get into the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant in Monument? Standing room only. Better go early....Went skiing up at Monarch not too long ago. What a great day. I used to be an all right skier but have not been up for a while and it showed. Plus I was wearing jeans. So on one run I go headfirst into the snow. As I start to get up a couple goes past and I hear the woman say, "Now that's why you shouldn't wear jeans!!"......Love this time of the year-the end of the college basketball season, baseball begins, the Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway (Go Rangers)...I am a not so closet wrestling fan, and I watched the WWE's "Wrestlemania 25" Sunday with a bunch of buddies. The show was great and the company was better. Had way too much fun....Am also a big concert guy, and although I missed Elton John, I plan to hit a lot of shows this spring and summer.

That's it for now....Stay Tuned

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Bar Codes and Magnetic Strips

I finally realized it while travelling with the Air Force basketball Team the last 2 weeks. I am a bar code and a black magnetic strip. So are you. Thats what we have come to. Go grocery shopping. They scan your item and find the bar code with all this information on the product. Fly around the country. When you check in they ask you to swipe you credit card, and from it they pull all this info about you. Kinda scary in a way. My life has been reduced to a 4 inch black strip (although there are those that would say its more interesting than me in real life!) Rent a car, buy anything in a store, and thats who we are to the credit card people and the computers. And after all, thats whats running this country, not the government. I have two credit cards-no debit cards. My sons have debit cards and kid me about being old fashoined. I tell them, "Look-if you are in a foreign country and there's a mob coming after you, hold up your debit cards and see what happens. You're done. If I am in the same predicament, I pull out a wad of cash. The mob stops, and I have time to plan my escape. From cash to codes, from coins to cards with magnetic strips. Its faster these days, but more colder and impersonal. Oh for the good ole days!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Girl Scouts

How do we get out of this deep hole called a recession? You and I need to start spending money. Sounds simple doesn't it? I was reminded of that walking out of the grocery store when I saw two Girl Scouts selling cookies. It would have been easy to walk past and say, "No Thank You." Instead I stopped and bought two boxes. Now-that won't put any of us in the black anytime soon, but, if we can all do a little, maybe, just maybe we slowly start to turn things around. It cost me $6.50 for those two boxes of girl scout cookies. I bet between your couch cushions and the car you can find money for a box or 2. We have to start somewhere. I would rather trust you and I than the big banks to turn things around. I choose to trust the Girl Scouts. After all, you don't see them asking for bailout money, do you?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

These Are Historic Times

It's amazing what's happening in the economy. It seems like, overnight, things are crumbling around us. Experts say its a long overdue correction. What are we correcting? Did we have too many jobs to begin with? My sister nearly lost her job. My son is in danger of losing his. And I'm in the wonderful world of radio, where anything can, and will happen. Few of us can remember times as challenging as these. Some say the answer is President Obama's Stimulus package.
I hope it is. I worry so much about the people losing their jobs. Many of us don't want government intruding in our life. However that could be what saves millions from being out of work. Men and women smarter than me say they can fix our problems. Let's all hope they are as smart as they think they are.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Advice

I love hearing how different people have succeeded in life. Hey, nothing is easy. There are no shortcuts. It fascinates me how people have climbed the ladder, and the things they do to get
where they want to go. A book I highly recommend, although its out of print is, "Strategies in Winning" by Carl Mays. A great, great book. I have so many things underlined and highlighted.
A long long time ago I read an article on Baseball great Carlton Fisk who was a catcher with the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox. He shared in the article a poem written by his then 18 year old son...

"Dreams are what you make them
It all depends on You
If you really want it bad enough
Desire can make them come true

You can dream about most anything
But Dreams won't get it done
But when you bust your butt
and dreams come true,
That's when You'll have your fun."

I love that poem because it reminds me that hard work, and not just going through the motions,
makes all the difference in the world. I know times are tough and so many people are out of work. But my mom always says when one door closes another one opens. Yes, the doors are fewer and farther between, but they are out there. Don't coast-keep working hard. Dream, but at the same time bust your butt. Success is defined many ways. Keep working hard and good things will happen.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Oh Happy Days

I got together with some friends this past Sunday to watch the NFL Playoff games at a local watering hole. These are people I used to work with and I consider them among my closest friends. As we talked we would ask how each other was doing and the responses were very unenthusiastic, "Okay-nothing great." "Hanging in there-trying to keep busy." There is a mood in the air thats very uneasy and very disquieting. I don't want to say we're all afraid, but most of us are very cautious-about our job, our bank account-and what could happen next. I noticed the same thing when I was in the mall the other day. I like the mall because you can get, I believe, a real sense of whats going on in the community. The mall is usually bustling with people, and you hear kids laughing and such. But the other day it was quiet. People were wandering through and there was a feeling of uneasiness. And these are the times we live in. For better, for worse, its what we have to deal with. And if you are like me and have kids that are grown up, you worry about them as well, because they are new in the workforce and don't have as much experience to fall back on. I am not sure what it will take to turn things around in this country, but the mood is grim and things don't appear to be changing any time soon.

Monday, January 12, 2009

On The Road With Jim

I really like my job-or should I say jobs. One of them is calling the Play-By-Play for the Air Force Academy Football and Basketball teams. I am very lucky to thave this position and always remind myself of that. I travel with the teams and get to see much of the country-or should I say airports and hotel rooms. People come up to me and say, "Wow-you travel all the time. You get to see some great cities and sightsee." No-not quite. Take Football-We leave on a charter Friday morning. We fly in to the city of the team we are playing early Friday afternooon. I grab all our radio equipment and head out to the stadium so we can get set up and make sure everything is working. That can take up to 2 hours. Then I go to the hotel and work on my notes. Most guys who want to do play by play think you just show up and talk. No. I spend up to 15 hours getting ready for a football game. I work into the night and early morning-grab 3 hours sleep-get up and go do the game. Then we fly home right afterwards. Basketball is not much better. I got into Albuquerque for our game against New Mexico Friday afternoon at 5. Went right to the hotel where I spent the rest of the night because I didn't feel well. Up early Saturday and spent the day working on my basketball notes. Got to the arena at 5:55 for a 7:30pm game. After the game prowled around late Saturday night in Albuquerque (not recommended for the faint of heart) looking for a Mcdonalds for dinner. Got to sleep at 1am. Up at 5:30am to catch an 8:15am flight and land in Denver Sunday morning at 9;15. Really glamorous huh? Plus I am dragging a suitcase, 2 bags of radio equipment (always fun passing through security with that) and my bag full of notes. I love what I do, but this job requires long hours-short sleep-a love of fast food and the desire to do your homework. And yes its easy to forget what city you are in.

Monday, January 5, 2009

ALL GOOD THINGS.......

IT WAS A SHOCK TO MILLIONS OF BRONCO FANS WHEN OWNER PAT BOWLEN FIRED HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN. "THE MASTERMIND," AS HE WAS OFTEN CALLED, HAD BEEN DENVER'S HEAD COACH 14 YEARS AND WITH THE FRANCHISE FOR 21 SEASONS. THAT'S FOREVER BY TODAY'S STANDARDS. WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN 1994 WHEN HE WAS NAMED HEAD COACH? YEA, I CAN'T REMEMBER EITHER. BUT ITS A REMINDER THAT ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END. AND MIKE SHANAHAN WAS A GREAT THING FOR THE BRONCOS. BACK TO BACK SUPER BOWL TITLES IS ALL YOU NEED TO REMEMBER. BUT LIKE THAT FAVORITE SONG YOU LOVED FOR A WHILE, OR THAT TIE THAT SEEMED TO ALWAYS LOOK GOOD, YOUR TASTES, AND THINGS, CHANGE. BOWLEN GAVE SHANAHAN ENOUGH TIME TO TURN THINGS AROUND. BUT WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON, WITH A PLAYOFF BERTH RIDING ON THE OUTCOME, AND GIVE UP 52 POINTS, IT WAS TIME FOR BOWLEN TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR A NEW COACH. DON'T FEEL BAD FOR SHANAHAN. HE IS OWED 20 MILLION DOLLARS BY BOWLEN, WHICH SHOULD HOPEFULLY PAY FOR HIS FURNITURE IN HIS 32 THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT HOME. BUT ITS A LARGER REMINDER OF ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END, AND THE ONLY CONSTANT IN LIFE IS CHANGE.