Weather...Or Not February 2010 Entries - Wandtv.com, NewsCenter17, StormCenter17, Central Illinois News-
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2/27/10
It's a rare Saturday that has me blogging. At around 12:30 this morning there was a major earthquake just off the coast of Chile. It measured an 8.8, which is devastating. There is damage and there are injuries/deaths. But it is far too soon to know how much. Here is a link that shows the "specs" of this one.
2/26/10
Meteorologically speaking when I am wrong I like to be VERY wrong. Yesterday I thought our highs would stay in the upper 20's. I was about 10 degrees off! Happily, though, I erred on the side of cold, as most of us got into the middle to upper 30's yesterday. Frankly I hope I am undershooting again this morning. I'm saying middle to upper 30's, but hoping we get into the 40's this afternoon!
I have not talked about B. Lime, The Green Store, much on the blog lately. But I am still working there. Right now I am working there every Thursday afternoon from 3 until 6. Again…my friend Wendi owns the place and my working there helps her fill some hours and allows her to do some other things for a bit. It also happens to be a concept in which I believe: reduce, reuse, and recycle. This is not about global warming, which as I have posted here before, has become a political mess.
B. Lime is about sustainable living. Many of the items sold in the store were made locally. And everything is made in a sustainable way. I leave the link to their website at the top of this blog, and I would love it if you would hit the link and check out the store. It is so important to support our local businesses, now more than ever. And this is truly a business in which you can believe. Wendi is trying to do the right things in the right ways.
As an example…B. Lime recently got another shipment of soap nuts. These are nuts that you put into a little baggie and use to wash your clothes. You pop a few nuts into this little bag and throw it in your washing machine. It is amazing…but it gets your clothes clean. The weirdest part to get used to is that there are no suds. A few decades ago some genius in some marketing department came up with suds as a marketing ploy.
The thinking was that if you could "see the soap" you would think it was working better. Well…you don't need suds to get things clean. We have just been trained to believe that the more suds a soap produces the cleaner it will get things. It's just not true. With these soap nuts there are no suds…and that means there are no suds to go down your drain. And that leads to cleaner waste. Think about it. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Not much feedback this week…but let's get to it anyway!
From Doug in Mattoon (2/21/10):
Hi Greg, About that "politician" Ryan, he didn't get enough time! If that had been "average Joe", would've got book throwed at him. Guvners of IL are "run" by the 'Chicago Machine' and bottom line is this. If you are not prepared to "do the time" then DON'T do the crime!
from Dougie B @ muh-TUNE
That is a good mantra, Doug! If only more people would listen to it.
From Mary Jo in Decatur (2/23/10):
I have to agree with you, So far I'm not impressed with the changes to the website, it's not very user friendly. Also I'm sorry to her Elizabeth and Brian are leaving, but they sound happy with the move so that's what counts.
Hi, Mary Jo. The other day at work the person that had the most say in our website redesign caught up with me. Needless to say he was less than enthused about my comments on the new design! But I roll honest on this blog, and he respects that.
Keep in mind that it is a work in progress. I mentioned here on the blog that the new look does not thrill me either. My hope is that the powers that be plan to tweak this baby to make it as user-friendly as possible. But those decisions are "above my pay grade", as they say.
Yeah…losing Brian and Elizabeth will hurt. But they are moving back close to family and you just can't argue with that. Speaking of their families…did you know that Jodice's Father and Brother are in the military? Jodi's pops is actually pretty high up there, a general or something. That kid's family has gone above and beyond for this country…and that is pretty special. Good people all around.
From Frances in Argenta (2/26/10):
HELLO!! You must admit I haven't been a pain for AWHILE-However for all the ribbing- I sent you a peace offering, Hope you enjoy--We have a sign at one of our local churches "WHOEVER IS PRAYING FOR SNOW-STOP!" Best Wishes-Fran
FRAN! My old nemesis! Great to hear from you. I got an email last night from Vanessa Murphy saying someone left me a tee shirt here at the station. I have not seen the shirt yet…but will track it down later this morning. My hope is that the thing is not ticking! Heh.
To catch everyone up with me and Fran...a while back this crazy lady from Argenta sent me a scathing and scorching email of complaint. I replied back to her in my even and mild-mannered way…and we became email buddies! Turns out Fran is not actually crazy!
Thanks for the tee shirt, Fran! And don't be offended if I have someone else try it on first to make sure it isn't laced with Nair, or something like that! :-)
Have a great weekend, all! Early next week I hope to have the link back up to my "other thing" so you can get back to looking for savings. I will likely explain it again next week, too.
2/25/10
--Here is a fear I have for the future…I think in about 20 years this state will be radically dumber. Have you been paying attention to the financial situation our state is in? Even the University of Illinois is feeling the crunch and doing forced days off without pay. And now many school districts are being forced into cutting even basic things like pre-school programs, because there appears to be no money…anywhere. I don't see how we will be better off in the long run without these types of programs. But I guess if there is no money…there is no money.
In situations like this it is easy to say things like "the government is wasting our money". But is that really the case? Is our government, both state and federal, so inept and careless that we literally waste billions of dollars a year? Or could it be that even with well-structured budgets we really just don't have any money anywhere? Either way…it is a sad state of affairs when we don't have enough money to teach our kids.
Man…a person could get depressed thinking about this stuff! I thought I saw a flicker of hope the other day when that new Senator from Massachusetts made a vote based on what he actually believed, as opposed to voting his party line. I thought that he was showing what we actually need from our elected representatives. But now he is being lambasted by his own party. Maybe we should seriously think about dissolving our Congress and starting all over. Hold new elections for every single congressional seat. And the new crew coming in will automatically have a two term limit.
Really…you serve your two terms and are done. It will be someone else's turn to serve their country. Career politicians mostly vote to keep their careers, from what I can tell. If someone had no concern about keeping their job then maybe they would not feel the need to vote based on what their financial backers want. These are just some thoughts from an inexperienced political junkie here. But I think this is what the Fore Fathers had in mind when they set this bad boy up. Of the People…remember that? You serve a couple of terms, enjoy the perks, and then move back into the private sector.
Now what career politician would actually vote for that? And thus continues the vicious cycle of American politics…
--Some of you have asked why I removed the link up above to my "other thing". There was an issue with the website that should be resolved early next week. I am hoping to have the link back up by Monday or Tuesday next week. And then you can get back to looking for deals on things like satellite TV service, and cell phones, and home security, etc!
2/24/10
--If you have been reading this blog for a while you might know that I don't want it to get too popular. If it gets too popular someone in charge might get the idea that it would be a great idea to get some sponsors for the blog. And with sponsors on the blog would come great pressure to do the blog…a certain way. I have fiercely defended my right to do this blog the way I want to do it, within reasonable corporate limits. And I just wouldn't be into this bad boy if I had to do it on someone else's terms.
Having said all of that…I am happy to announce that "Weather…or Not" is today brought to you by Evian Water…
http://www.youtube.com/user/evianbabies?blend=1&ob=4
Aren't we just about to the point where we don't even need actors anymore? After a while a contract to make a movie will just be to use someone's image in the movie. The actual physical person won't even be involved with making the movie! How would you give Oscars for that??
--Yesterday on his blog Brian Jodice announced that the weekend duo of Jodice and Moors will be leaving us next month. Yeah…Brian and Elizabeth are married. They are both from the East Coast. Elizabeth is hard-core Philly bred, and Jodice calls Politico Central his home (D.C.). Elizabeth is getting out of the TV biz in Washington D.C., and she is dragging Jodi along with her! Kid doesn't even have a job yet!
People tend to come and go around here. This media market is in the lower 80's, which puts us somewhere in the middle of the country on that particular scale. So this TV station is either a launching pad, or permanent residence. We catch a lot of people on their way to somewhere else. They put in enough time here to build a resume, get some experience, and move on to bigger and better things.
The list is a long one. Remember Jane Kingseed? She used to anchor the 5 o'clock news here. (I think that was her name.) She went on to do financial reporting for CNN as Jane King. Was her name Jane? I really do forget.
Eun Hee Pai…I know I butchered that name. She anchored the 5 o'clock evening news a while back. She went from here to Connecticut, and a few years ago popped up in Chicago as Ellie Mae Pai Hong, or some derivation.
The one that impacted me the most was the relatively recent departure of the Family Thorpe…Marcus and Mikaela. They are very good friends of mine, and they used to do the 5 o'clock news together. Now they are anchoring/reporting together in Columbus, OH. Hmmm…maybe there is something about doing that 5 o'clock news!
Most of the time people stay…and leave…and life goes on. But once in a while I really miss the people on their way out. I'm not best buddies with either Brian or Elizabeth…but I consider them friends. Brian is a tremendous guy with a big heart and fantastic personality. Elizabeth is…heh…a lot of fun to be around, too.
Liz and I worked the morning show together for a little while back in the day. She moved to Decatur before Brian did…but he shortly followed her. Getting to know Elizabeth was a great experience. She is just a tiny little thing…but man…get her peeved and the Philly comes out! We had a blast working early in the morning.
There is actually a great story about Elizabeth from the first time I spent time around her outside of work. Unfortunately if I tell it right now on this blog she will cut me. After she is out of knife range I might share a couple of stories about her! You don't mess with people from Philly…
I will miss seeing Jodice on the air doing sports. He obviously loves it. And he makes it fun to watch. And I will miss chatting with Elizabeth during the week.
Good luck, Peeps!
2/23/10
There is pretty big news happening here at StormCenter 17. The news involves Elizabeth Moors and Brian Jodice. It is their news…and I don't want to steal it. So instead of telling you about it I will provide a link to more information!
The link is to Jodice's blog. He dishes the scoop on his blog. Maybe tomorrow I will comment on it.
Meanwhile…I am not sure why the changes were made to our website, but I have to honestly say I don't like the new website more than the way it was a couple of weeks ago. I really like going to a website that has a drop-down tab to better find what you are looking for. The old website…if you wanted weather, you click the weather tab. Everything that was on the weather page would drop down in a tab so you could select exactly what you were looking for. Now it takes longer to find what you are looking for. Why is it necessary to change things all the time, just to have a new look?
For instance…this morning I was looking for a page that has "Central Illinois A to Z" on it. I have no idea where it is on our website now. After about 10 minutes of searching I figured out that it is under the "Community" tab. I was looking for it because apparently there is video there of some guy gorging himself on pizza and then throwing up. I have no interest in seeing that…as I think competitive eating is vulgar, considering the number of people in our own communities that can not even afford food. Wasting food in the name of sport slaps these unfortunate people in the face, doesn't it? But I was going to post the link to the video here on this blog just to pass it along. But it took me forever to find it!
Here it is, for those of you that care to see it:
2/22/10
Here is a bit of advice someone sent me about winter weather and your vehicle.
There's no need to buy expensive de-icers and defoggers to keep your car running in winter conditions. Just use the following household items:
Keep your car's headlights clear with car wax
That wintry mix of slush, snow and road salt can coat your car's headlights and reduce visibility. But there's an easy fix: just wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights. It contains special water repellents that will prevent messy mixtures from accumulating on your lights. And the best part is the protection lasts several weeks.
Ice proof your windows with vinegar
Fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water and spritz it on your car windows at night. In the morning, they'll be clear. How does it work? Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water, preventing water from freezing. Windows already coated with ice? Just spray the mixture on your car windows and watch the ice melt.
Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray
Spritz cooking spray on the rubber seals around car doors and rub it in with a paper towel. When snow melts into these seals during the day and then refreezes at night, car doors freeze shut. But the oils in cooking spray prevent water from melting into the rubber seals in the first place.
Fog proof your windshield with shaving cream
Shaving cream creates a protective film on the glass that prevents fogging. Spray some on the inside of your windshield and wipe it off with paper towels. Shaving cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers.
Squeak proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol
Windshield wipers squeaking or leaving streaks that make it hard to see? Wipe them with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. These solvents cut the buildup of grease and grime, the main culprits that prevent wipers from working properly.
De-ice your lock with hand sanitizer
Can't get your key into a frozen lock? Just put some hand sanitizer gel on the key and the lock and the problem's solved. Just make sure you use a sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol.
Get unstuck from the snow with your floor mat
Stuck in a snow drift, and no kitty litter or other traction materials in sight? Turn your car mat over to the rubber side and put it under the spinning tire. It could provide the grip you need to get out of the ice or snow.
From the Nov. 30, 2009 issue of Woman's World
2/19/10
I saw that former Governor of Illinois George Ryan is trying to get out of prison early. That is no surprise. What prisoner would not want to get out early? But now his people are going to President Obama hoping for an early release.
Honestly I am not sure what kind of corruption put Ryan in prison. Was it the license plate thing? I don't know. But here is how I would decide whether or not Ryan gets out early…did his crime ruin any one else's life? If his corruption did ruin another person's life then he should not be let out. Poor health? Sorry…you ruined other people. Sick wife? Sorry…you ruined other lives. Stay where you are and do your time.
However…if his corruption, whatever it was, did not have a real impact on other people's lives…then let the dude out early so he can be with his wife before they both pass from this world. Just my opinion…
Now here are some of your's on other topics…
"Feedback Friday"!
From Joyce in Decatur (2/15/10):
I will make a comment about the roads in Decatur especially the side roads which are cleaned off after awhile, but as they shovel they piled snow at the end of peoples drive ways. Try getting over that, sometime.
Ha! Joyce…I know exactly what you are talking about! It is frustrating to spend a lot of time and effort getting your driveway clear only to have the end of it filled with snow again as the plows go by. But I am not really sure what the solution is here. I mean…they have to get the snow out of the road. And there are too many driveways for them to make sure no one gets "re-snowed". I think that might be something we just have to learn to laugh about?
From Trish in Decatur (2/17/10):
Greg, I think you should try to catch a show on Tru TV. It is called It Only Hurts When I Laugh. It is the most funniest show. It is on late during the week days but you can sometimes catch it on the weekends. YouTube action has nothing on this. :) Have a great weekend.
Hmmm…I am not sure if I get Tru TV. I gave up on the cable company a couple of months ago and made the switch to Dish Network (got a great deal…and I can get one for you, too!!)
I will look into it, though!
Here is something to do tomorrow night, for those interested!
Once again, The STILL, Sliderz, 4-7PM on 2/20(Saturday)
That's all the feedback from this week! There is a big press conference at 10 this morning. Apparently Tiger Woods has something to say. He is doing this very controlled statement, answering no questions, and then will head back to rehab. You can't really call this a press conference, since there will be no questions. I have to admit…I plan to listen. I'm not an avid golfer, or a huge fan…but I love to watch Tiger play. I want to see if/when he is coming back to the sport. But I still don't really care to hear what is happening in his personal life.
Have a great weekend!
2/18/10
--You people send me some great stuff. Most of it I can link here on the blog, and of course some of it I can't! But I got one the other day that dog lovers should like!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvqmrFPpLqo
--As you may know we live in a very giving society, by and large. When there is a big disaster anywhere in the world we are usually first on the scene to help. But…we tend to have a limited attention span. We quickly move on to the next situation.
Haiti still needs help. They are quickly closing in on the rainy season, and many are still without shelter. There is a website discussing this nasty situation. They are asking for tent donations. It's pretty simple. Just a tent to get people out of the rain is all they ask. And it says on the website that there are over 450,000 churches in this country. If every church donated one tent the problem would be solved. Here is the link: http://ahomeinhaiti.org/
--Speaking of Haiti…some local peeps seem to have the right idea. Check out this link: http://haitidome.com/index.html Tents are okay…but these fellas seem to have a much better idea.
Naturally they are looking for some cash to get the start up going. You can find out how to donate by hitting the link and looking around a bit.
2/17/10
--Most of the time I dig YouTube. A person can see some pretty good stuff there. Here is a vid of some unfortunate souls that tried to tackle a snow covered hill…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWT1pY1mVlY
--Have you stopped in to check out the newest blog at wandtv.com? Vanessa Murphy is one of our reporters that likes to dig into stuff hardcore, and now she is blogging. For you more serious newsy types…you might check it out! Here's a link: The Real Scoop
--And did you read about the huge pot bust Monday night? Apparently the police nabbed 4400 pounds of marijuana during a "routine" traffic stop. The biggest question I always have during these situations is "why would someone driving down the road with that much pot in the vehicle be doing something to get themselves pulled over in the first place??" Morons.
--For some reason I've been typing about the road conditions this week. I am happy to report that Interstate 72 was clear this morning all the way through my commute, even in Macon County. Splendid!
--Pardon the random thoughts this morning. In a sense I feel like I am coming out of a two day coma. You might notice the two previous blog entries were…um…less than stellar! As I continue through the situation in my personal life I am trying to pay more attention to things like feelings and emotions. One thing I am noticing is a bit of a swing from time to time. I suppose it is to be expected.
Monday and Tuesday I really did not feel like getting out of bed. Some of that may be a simple function of my schedule. Coming off a weekend of not sleeping when I normally do and then jumping right back into waking up around 2 in the morning can take it out of a person. I am sure that part of it is also the up and down nature of this personal situation.
This morning, though, I am feeling much better and more optimistic. I think the important thing with this is the fact that I am aware of it. Recognizing is one of the most important steps in getting through anything, in my opinion. If only I can keep my sanity in the process!
--"Feedback Friday" is fast approaching. If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns just use the feedback form above. I will post just about anything that won't get me into trouble, and even a few things that will get me into trouble! Don't forget to sign up for email alerts, either. That list is becoming a long one. It is a great way to keep up with the blog. It would seem the website renovations are done for now…but by signing up for the email alerts you will ensure that you can always find "Whether…or Not" no matter where Shea the Internet Content Provider puts this thing!
So the drive in this morning was a lot better. And even though the interstate in Macon County was still a lot sloppier than in Champaign and Piatt, I did take the drive around the speed limit for most of the way. Like I said yesterday…I don't think this road condition difference has much to do with road crews. This morning I was paying attention to the wind and the road. I really do think it is a difference in the landscape around the road that makes the biggest difference in how the snow blows back on the road in Macon County. While this is not an official study…I do drive 25,000 miles a year and I am a meteorologist. So I am comfortable in saying that this is the likely reason the roads are generally worse in the Winter in Macon county than in the others, as far as I can tell.
For tomorrow's blog we will watch paint dry.
I did receive a bit more feedback from last week's issue. I've decided not to post them. I think there was so much said about this pinkish shirt/WeatherBug issue that posting more would be beating the horse, as they say. And as much as media tends to do that these days I don't want to contribute! It should be said, though, that all of the feedback was supportive not just to me…but to the issue of equality.
2/15/10
Is anyone watching the Olympics? Maybe it is just me…but I might turn them on once or twice to see the pictures in HD, but other than that I don't really care about them at all. I suppose a lot of people will watch and enjoy the Olympics. For some reason I just don't get that excited about them. But the HD stuff is amazing.
This is not an indictment of road crews, because I am not sure why this is. But on snow mornings I can tell when I am driving into Macon County. This has been the case for years. Maybe it is because I 72 turns into the predominant wind as you get into Macon county. I am not sure. But the road through Champaign and Piatt counties is usually pretty good, and then as soon as I get into Macon county the roads are generally much worse.
This morning even the interstate in Champaign and Piatt counties was in poor shape. It had the two-stripe driving lane that was drivable…but I had to go about 60 miles per hour. And then as soon as I hit Macon county, like clockwork, there wasn't even that two-strip lane on which to drive. The interstate was completely snow covered. For most of the drive in Macon county I had to slow down to around 40 miles per hour. And then as I was getting off 72 and onto Route 51 I passed a snow plow that was pulled over underneath the overpass. I have no idea what that was about.
The snow will taper to flurries through the morning. I think I am ready for the Spring thaw.
Gotta be honest here, as always. I am glad this week is over! With the snow days early in the week, and other things behind the scenes the rest of the week…I feel like I earned my money this week. Now comes the weekend and I plan to relax…a lot!
There has been a lot of feedback on this email issue from yesterday. Let me say right off the top that obviously on my blog most of the feedback will be positive and show support. People that do not like me are not likely to read this blog…so naturally the feedback will show that.
"Feedback Friday"!
From Jerrie in Decatur (2/5/10):
good morning I like the new weather 3-d you have been spot on with the weather hope you have a good day and weekend I don't like driving in this mess so I take the city bus it stops right at my door I used to work there for 15 yrs but now am retired keep up the good work and tell of the morning crew good morning and all of you have a very Blessed Day jerrie
Thanks, Jerrie! I like the 3D, too. Just wait until we start getting the Spring storms. This thing is going to look fantastic!
You know…taking the bus is a great idea. I personally can't for my commute because I am going from Champaign to Decatur, and there is no bus at 3 in the morning. But taking the bus does so many good things. It saves you the trouble of driving in this crap. It also cuts down on gas consumption, which as we know helps many aspects of our country. Kudos, Jerrie!
From Tammy in Stonington (2/5/10):
I hope people slow down and stay safe. Better to be safe than sorry.
Word, Sister! We are getting to the time of Winter where I think people are finally getting the idea. The past few days I did not see nearly as many cars in ditches as I tend to early on in the Winter.
From Mary in Assumption (2/5/10):
Hey Greg Just commenting on the post of weather to turn someone in or not. I have called in a couple of times to turn someone in. when I was going to work at 4 am. A car with no lights on and then a car that flew by me doing probably 100mph and swerving all over. I lost a brother and sister in 1983 because of a drunk driver. As my girls grew up I would tell them if u r anywhere with someone and they are drinking you call me and ill pick you up. When something like this happens to your family it changes your whole perspective on life.
Sorry about your bro and sis, Mary. I've mentioned that I have not personally been impacted by a drunk driver, and I am sure that affects my decision making when it comes to calling in a possible drunk driver.
It is certainly good of you to offer to drive anyone that has been drinking.
From Sandy in Decatur (2/5/10):
Hey Greg, You're still our Favorite weather guy! Just wanted to Touch Base with you. You have a Special way of showing us the weather reports with your comments. Keep up the great work!! For You Greg: S M I L E on my face -Ain't nobody gonna take your place (a song hubby sings to me).
Love the updates about the dogs, on the blog, too.
Happy Trails~
Awww…thanks, Sandy. Good to hear from you again! It had been a while, and I was afraid that you were spending more time with your horses than here on "Weather…or Not"! We certainly don't want that!
Thanks for the song, too!
From Cleo in Decatur (2/9/10):
Hi, I finally got to see you on TV. I was in the kitchen, thought I heard a different voice than Lee Davis. Yup, you were on, but you didn't say weatherbug.. lol I did notice the new change on here, it is more difficult to find your blog.
I sent you pictures using a postcard website. I'm not sure if you got them. I sent some to teen using the same website and she wasn't able to get to them. Sorry. It was pictures of Boy and Sadie.
Love,
Cleo
Hey, Cleo! Sorry you missed the "WeatherBug" bit…but keep trying! I don't do it as much as I used to because I was asked not to, but I still do it a couple of times each morning.
I did not get the pictures of your pets…
From Mark in Decatur (2/9/10):
Hi Greg,
I have a question to ask you. Has there ever been a time where the entire weather team (You, JC, Jeff, Laine, and Lee) have been stuck at WAND studios? Just curious and I hope it never happens
Oh, Lordy…I also hope it NEVER happens!! Heh.
So far it has not happened. Just as a function of schedules we are rarely here all at the same time. And for me…I am a firm believer in being able to drive in anything. It is just a matter of slowing down, and not worrying about how long it takes you to get anywhere. It would take a HORRENDOUS situation for this germiphobe to stay overnight in this building!
From Kevin in Atlanta (2/10/10):
Good Morning Greg,
I never here Atlanta's temperature from you, so here it is. The temperature in Atlanta at 5:51 a.m. is 19 degrees.
Thank you, and have a great day.
And another from Kevin:
Thanks Greg.
One more thing and I'll leave you be.
If you need someone in my area for weather things let me know. I'll help you out anyway I can.
Thanks,
Kevin
Kevin…thanks for the temp report! Once in a great while we will hit Atlanta for a temperature, or wind speed, etc. The reason it does not happen all that often is because there is no WeatherBug site there. Once in a while I will hit Atlanta with Live Doppler 3D and show a "ball park" temperature, but there is no reporting station there.
If you would like to send in some weather stuff now and then that would be awesome, Kevin! Just use my work email, greg.trumbold@wandtv.com.
From Sharon in Decatur (2/11/10):
Greg, I think you're great & the "emailer" is a JERK. Amen
Thanks, Sharon! I did not even have to take out any cuss words in that feedback!
From Kevin in Atlanta (2/11/10):
Good Morning Greg, You, Tara, and Scott, make the mornings fun, which puts me in a good mood for the day.
I just want to thank you all for that.
Have a great day!!!!!!!
Kevin-Atlanta
And by the way Greg.........Atlanta is at 4 degrees.
Thanks,
Kevin
Thank you for the kind words, Kevin. I would say that I would pass them along to Scotty and Tara…but you just did! Yeah…even Stone Age England is addicted to this blog now! Basically what I am saying is that they both just read the nice things you said about them.
And please do keep the weather reports coming!
From Scott in Decatur (2/11/10):
You are now forever to be known as Decatur's Barry Gibb. That may be the best nickname you could ever get!
Scott
I would be honored, Scott! Funny thing is…I was not comparing myself to Barry Gibb. Being a huge fan of The Brothers Gibb, even to this day, I was just trying to point out that a falsetto does not imply effeminate, or "limp wristed" as the emailer suggested. And honestly…so what if it did?
From Phil in Cissna Park (2/11/10):
Ahhhh, Greg. I trust you know ME well enough to know I would comment to this. But, I trust you know ME well enough that I can and will keep it clean. You mentioned not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and I am up here in "Cornfield, USA" laughing so hard that I am crying! First of all, let me tell this clown that for each falsetto "Weatherbug", you echo a baritone version that I doubt he and/or she could match. But most of all, you are having fun with it. There are, in fact, many more of US than there is of HIM, HER or it. Your sexual orientation is not my business, their business, nor anyone else's...and I, too, doubt that a REAL doctor would have the gall to mention it in your forum. I give advice to my kids and grandkids...not as much as I'd like because they live all over the Eastern US, but it goes like this. No matter who you are and what you stand for...be yourself and stand proudly for it.
In summary....you prefer goats? So what, I prefer StormCenter17 and I prefer Greg Trumbold and your way of delivering the weather. Preference to goats, mops or anything else is quite irrelevant and not my business!! It doesn't change the weather, either.
In closing, to "Frustrated Gynecologist"...you are entitled to your opinion just as I or any other reader is. There are other weather channels in the area that you are also invited to change to if you so prefer. I, being the neighborly and friendly sort, would be MORE than happy to show you where the remote goes, afterward.
Wow, Phil. That was a thing of beauty, and there isn't much I can add to it! Although I will say that you have given me advice, too…and I thank you for that!
From Jerrie in Decatur (2/11/10:
greg please keep up the good work dont let one persons bad comment get you down you do a very good job maybe he is jealous because he don't have a job if we all took the time to look in the mirror we could be better ourselves ask ourselves what can we do to make this a better place for all keep up the good work and thank you and your crew for doing good and making the show good jerrie
Hi, Jerrie! Nah…I don't let emails/feedback like this get to me. Like I said in yesterday's blog you just take these with a grain of salt. Sometimes there is a lesson to be learned, and sometimes it is just someone that needs to vent. But they are almost always entertaining!
As an example…a while back someone sent a very well-worded complaint email to one of "The Suits" around here about the way I occasionally say "WeatherBug". The viewer made good points…and we decided that I wouldn't say it as much. So now, if you have noticed, I don't say it in a funny way each and every time. I have been mixing it up a bit.
It's a funny thing to me that this is such a big issue. Think about it…there has been a lot said around here about the way that one person says one little word. Is it really that important? You know…people are trying to get a roof over their heads in Haiti before the rainy season starts there…yet a supposed medical doctor has time during what has to be, especially in Illinois, a very busy day of treating sick people, to send someone on a local TV station 4 emails about the way that person says one word once in a while. Me thinks that time would have been better spent sending those emails to a Congressman to complain about our healthcare system in this country. But that's just me!
I will say this…you people have said some nice things about me and my coworkers, and we appreciate it. I am sure, though, that there may be other people that happen to agree with the emailer. But this blog being what it is…those people that don't care for me probably don't read this blog. So naturally the feedback I post here will be mostly positive. I'm just saying…
Of course once in a while there will be some feedback that does not exactly show support!
From Geoff in Glory (2/11/10):
I think your correspondence with that man yesterday really proves how great of a guy you are. You have a guy who blasts you on your (obviously) fake attempts to play gay to get the homosexual demographic. A normal man would probably lash out in some way to preserve his sense of manhood, but not you. No, not Central Illinois meteorologist Greg Trumbold. You took the time to begin talking about Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees and their platinum success. It was a wise move. You couldn't begin decimating this viewer, because it is he who pays your salary (more or less). You know what that means? You're being paid by a homophobic doctor. Whenever you pay a bill with a check from now on, you'll have to put in the note field: "This debt was paid by bigotry."
Let's move on to the homophobia. This man, or this man's wife, claims you wearing a pink shirt…oh, I'm sorry, a ‘pink-ish' shirt, is you trying to pretend to be gay. Does that mean all those local athletes lately who have been wearing pink to support a cure for breast cancer are only doing it to pretend to be gay? I think some Illini players might want to have a word with this man if this is the case. Plus – pink is fashionable! This man says his wife is offended by you wearing a pink shirt and pretending to be Barry Gibb. That makes her pro-breast cancer and anti-70's classics. What is wrong with this family? Is this what Central Illinois has come to? Please tell me this isn't true. Anything but that. This altercation very easily could have been your victory, Greg….
…but he wins, because he's still got a wife.
Oh wow. You had me until the very end, Geoff! Nice feedback!
Don't worry, Peeps. In my close group of friends we play very rough. That last crack about the wife is actually very funny to me! Well played, Geoff.
From Dena in Shelbyville (2/11/10):
Dear Greg:
I am very sorry to hear about your recent "fan mail".
As you mentioned in your letter – for every negative response you receive you can count on one or more positive responses. Please file this letter in the positive pile.
Just this morning my child was repeating your weather forecast to me and said Weatherbug in a falsetto voice. We both had a good laugh and it set the tone for our morning.
Thanks for bringing laughs and smiles to our house!
Best wishes,
Dena
No worries, Dena. I really don't take these things to heart. But it is freaking awesome that your kid was doing the "WeatherBug"!!!
From Lisa in Myrtle Beach (2/11/10):
I wonder why you went from 'Greg' in the first email to 'Mr. Trumbold' in the second. What a nut. I think you are fabulous (is that a gay word?). Have a great weekend :0)
Ohhh…Little Sister. We really did climb out of the same womb, didn't we!
From Mary in Assumption (2/11/10):
Hey Greg, It doesn't matter what color your shirt is or how high your voice gets. The only thing that does matter that u are a very good weatherman and u do a good job. One more thing ONLY REAL MEN WEAR PINK. Hope u have a wonderful day! (Hope your dad had a nice birthday.)
Thanks, Mary! My Dad did report to me that his birthday was excellent.
From Teri in Decatur (2/11/10):
Greg:
Thank you for the plug for the Easter Seals Bowl-a-thon that is this Sunday, February 14th at Spare Time Lanes.
As for the person complaining I love watching you, Tara and Scott each morning. I have you on from 5 - 7. I learned a long time ago that I cannot make everyone happy. Although it does hurt your feelings. Have these people have not heard of the "Real Men Wear Pink Campaign to promote Breast Cancer Awareness.
Teri
Hi, Teri! As you know I am always up for plugging charity events. I am happy to give the Bowl-A-Thon space on this blog!
It really did not hurt my feelings. This emailer has actually provided me with entertainment, and great blog fodder!
From Trish in Decatur (2/11/10):
Greg,
I think it is funny how people can have such a fast judgment on others. I personally think it is funny and you can still go about your day like nothing is wrong. Keep up the great work. Trish
I agree, Trish. From a Christian stand point one of the major tenets of the religion states that you should not judge other people. While I am still up in the air on a lot of religious issues…it does say in the Bible that God is the one that will do the judging when our day is done. Wouldn't it be nice if more people actually followed that rule??
From Cindy in Macon (2/11/10):
Hi Greg, Just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your weatherbug, I wouldn't pay any attention to small minded people who have no sense of humor. If it's so bad then why don't they flip the channel? You always look very nice and professional when you do the weather. Real men aren't threatened by the color of a shirt they wear, even pink. I've seen alot of men wear pink because they support someone they love that has or has had Breast cancer. So if the jerk doesn't like it then flip the channel. I don't know what he's talking about as far as flipping your wrist or talking girly, I just don't see it. I'm a happily married woman but when I watch you on the weather I see a very nice looking, caring, honest man. You have alot of people who will stand behind you so keep on doing exactly what you're doing.
The one thing that puzzles me…okay…two things that puzzle me about this so called doctor, Cindy. One…why wouldn't he and his wife just go ahead and turn the channel? Here is a little broadcasting secret: When someone takes the time and the emotional investment to send a complaint…you already have them. If he were going to actually stop watching he would just stop watching and not send the complaint. But now he is emotionally invested, and I know at least for a little while he will keep watching now just to see if I keep doing the "WeatherBug".
The other thing I would like to know is how in the Hell does a so-called doctor in the state of Illinois have time to send me 4 emails during a work day??
Thank you all for the feedback. I am assuming there will be more over the weekend, so I will keep posting it on Monday. You have given us your thoughts on the email. Now I will give some of mine.
I really don't mind receiving email like this. While sometimes the things people say/imply are disturbing, I have learned to not take it personally. This particular emailer said many things to me without actually typing them out. Of all that he typed it is the implication that being gay would be a bad thing that bothers me the most. You will notice in my response to him and my responses here on the blog that I have not once declared whether or not I am gay. This "doctor" was attempting to get that answer from me, as I see it.
As Phil so well stated up above…it really is no one's business. If you have read this blog for more than five minutes you know the answer to the question. But the implied bigotry and small-mindedness of the guy's emails makes me sad. For someone that claims to be "traditional", which to me also means "conservative", he sure makes a huge judgment on this gay thing. I do not believe that it is bad or evil to be a gay person. But it is people like this guy that harbor this "hate?" for gay people that lead to bashing and violence and unspeakable things of not only gay people, but anyone that does not fit someone's idea of what "normal" should be.
Keep the feedback coming, using the form above. If there is still something to talk about with this emailer issue we will do it on Monday. And you are more than welcome to sign up for email alerts above, too…so you never miss an update. And take a second to go to the bottom of the blog and give me a star or two, or five!
Have a great weekend. Imma try to do something manly, like kill some animals or something…
2/11/10
Even the so-called "Suits" at this job are good and decent people. My referring to them here as "The Suits" may be interpreted as a label of disdain, and I understand that. , , B, ut I actually like "The Suits". They seem to know what they are doing. A, nd w, hile I don't always like the decision, s, that they make I will be the first to admit that they make those decisions based on information that I simply do not have. They know more about what is going on around here than I do. They have a grasp of the big picture.
Having said all of that…it does not mean that this job does not come with its challenges. It does. The mental and emotional stress of actually being on-air can get to you. There is a lot of pressure to "make people like you". That is actually the most important part of my job, as I see it. Making people like me is more important than actually getting the weather right. You can know more about weather than God…but if no one likes you and no one can stand watching you on the tellie then you are just out of luck.
One of the harder things to get used to with this job is the fact that being in such a public setting can make us open to criticism from…just about…anyone. I've mentioned some of the emails that the women around here have received. People, usually other women, are very tough on the women that work on-air at any TV station. And occasionally we men will get hammered, too. And occasionally I have shared some of these criticisms here on the blog. Most recently I told you about the mailed note that said I was an idiot.
I take these things with a grain of salt. Sometimes the author makes some valid points and I try to learn from it. More often than not the person is just having a bad day and we are an easy target for venting. The key is to not take it personally, and I usually do not. But everyone once in a while you will get some complaint or feedback that just blows your mind, and usually not in a good way. I got one of those emails yesterday. And I have decided to share it with you this morning!
For some reason this email stuck with me for part of the day. I won't share with you names and such. But I looked this person up and have found no record that this person even exists. So there is a fairly good chance this is someone using a fake name. I am not sure…and it does not really matter. This is not an email that is going to have a huge personal impact on me. But it is such an interesting email I had to share it. I will follow it with my response, and then the emailer's follow up to my response. I let it go after that…
Dear Greg,
I watch your morning newscasts regularly and I'm at the point of turning the channel. Your insistence on saying "weather bug" in a high pitched girly voice is annoying. Quite frankly, it scares me. My wife thinks you're trying to act (pardon my french) gay, especially when you wear a pinkish shirt. I'm not joking. She is offended. Then again, she overanalyzes everything. I don't want to sound like a homophobe. I'm being serious. I don't really care about sexual persuasion. That's your business, and I apologize if you are. I don't mean there is anything wrong with it. You might think the weather bug thing is funny but it's like nails across a chalkboard.
Please take this note in the spirit in which it was intended.
Thanks for listening,
"Emailer"
My response:
Dear "Emailer"...
Thank you for your email, and I do take it in the spirit in which it was meant. And although you did say that you do not mean to offend...the implication of your comments is offensive.
A falsetto voice is not a "girly voice". It is simply a higher tone. You might remember Barry Gibb and the singing group "The Bee Gees". Barry used a falsetto voice with great success.
I do value every viewer in the morning. For every email I receive that states unhappiness with the falsetto I can show five that enjoy the change of pace it brings. I hope you decide to stay a viewer in the morning, but understand if you decide it is no longer for you.
Thanks again for the email!
Greg Trumbold
And the emailer's response back to me (I let it go after this):
Mr. Trumbold,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I hesitated on whether to
include my wife's observations. I think she came to that conclusion on a day you wore a pinkish shirt, did the falsetto, and waved at some map in a limp-wristed manner. I thought it was unintentional. But the comments and observations are what they are. As for the Bee Gees, I was not a fan of them. I thought their voices and music were horrible. I know plenty disagree, but plenty will agree. Comparing yourself to the Bee Gees is a stretch. I think you would be somewhere else if you were a rock star. I realize plenty will disagree with my family's statements about your falsetto. But understand for us traditional viewers, a straight forward presentation will do. I don't think you would alienate your fan base if you stopped the high-pitc, hed thing. Howeve, r, you would alienate some if you continue to do so.
"Emailer"<, /p>
Now I am not going to take the time to break this down and analyze the emails here on the blog, mainly because it would be a book. The email is so full of implied bigotry that it makes me laugh, or cry…I can't decide which yet. But one thing I did want to mention is that I love it when people include in an email that "you are no big deal, if you were you would not be working here". But apparently we are a big enough deal to make a person take time out of a busy day and waste it by sending email to someone they watch on TV. Wouldn't it just be easier to hit the remote and watch someone less "limp-wristed"??
In the end I actually do love getting email from people. I even love getting this piece of lovliness from someone that is obviously hung up in a few different ways. And honestly…this person's information did not even check out. The person claimed to be a doctor in the area…and there are no doctors in the area with this person's name. But the emails did give me something to blog about this morning!
Tomorrow is "Feedback Friday"! Get your thoughts in now! I will post feedback on this morning's blog tomorrow…but let's keep it clean. Emails like these do tend to bring out the nasty words…
The Elgin area had a bit of a shake up this morning when an earthquake hit a 3 on the scale. That is not a huge earthquake...but enough to rattle things around a bit!
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US10/37.47.-95.-85.php
2/10/10
I hope you were able to find this blog okay this week. As you may have noticed we gave ourselves a bit of a face lift on the website. For a little while off and on the blogs were not easy to find. But since you are reading this now I will assume that we were not impossible to find!
I am not sure what the final product will , look like, but I assume there will be some t, weaking here and there for a bit. Just be patient and when the website is finished I will address the issue! In the meantime if you want to make sure you don't miss any blog updates while we get this situated…just sign up for email alerts. I know that the link in those emails will take you to the blog.
The person in charge of our internet site is named Shea. Yesterday before I left work for the day I caught up with Shea and spoke with him about our website redesign, and when it might be done. We are anxious for "Weather…or Not" to get back to normal. Her, e is what Shea had to say abou, t it:
There are many, many magical , processes the web site sorce, rers have to proceed with before a web page can be at its most ideal look. Due to this, wandtv.com and the leprechauns and fairies that help update the site must look over each and every spell/blog update and make sure it is the finest producible. Over the next few days, there will be many a tweak, many a change! Under the bylines of the International Isotropic Internet Ideas(IIII), we are granted this time to fine-tune the budget record player. Forthwith! Demanded! Who are you? What have you come for? These are just a few of the existential extraterrestrial thoughts we hope to answer through our accomplishments. Is there a web around here? I wash my hands. I follow all the rules, I'm good. I'm Tyyyyyllllleeeerrrr……
I have to admit. I love that weird little kid.
2/9/10
So did you wake up extra early to catch us doing the weather at 4:30? The station made the decision to go on early this morning, and that is why this blog is a little late today. Sure…a few inches of snow is hardly going to shut down Central Illinois…but our job is to show you what the weather is doing. That is what we were told to do…and that is what we did!
I got some feedback the other day that I thought should be posted this morning. It's from Teri in Decatur.
Greg:
Could you give the Bowl-a-thon a plug on your blog this week? Thank you
EASTER SEALS Bowl time to get signed up! Will be held on Sunday, February 14th at Spare Time Lanes. Teams bowl at 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.. The cost is $10.00 per person or $40.00 per team. Auction starts promptly at noon and we will be having photo shoots from 11:30 – 1:00. The photos can be bought individually or value pack at $22.00 which contains 20 – 4x6, 20 – wallets, 3 – 5x7, and 3 8x10.
There you go, Teri! Good luck with the event! Bowling for charity is always a blast…
2/8/10
Today is my Father's birthday. Happy birthday, Dad! Your card is…ummm…in the mail!
It was a pretty good Super Bowl last night, in my opinion. The game ended on a surprising turn. You don't often think that the biggest mistake of any game will be made by Peyton Manning. And how about that onsides kick to open the second half?? The game gave us something unique, and it was a close game up until the interception late in the fourth quarter. I won't call it the best Super Bowl of all time…but it was a good one.
I thought some of the commercials were very good. The beer commercials, as usual, were over-the-top funny to me. And what was the deal with that marriage proposal?? Did anyone keep watching to find out if the lady said yes or not? It was certainly an interesting idea from our local competition to pull that off. Kudos for trying something new!
I heard from Vanessa Murphy over the weekend. She wanted to thank me for the plug for her blog I left here on Friday. It was in the middle of "Feedback Friday". I know some of you just skim through that, so I figured I would leave the link again. Vanessa also mentioned she did not realize the picture of her on the blog was going to be so…big! Heh. We rarely get to be a part of those kinds of decisions. Here is the link: Vanessa's blog.
Today we are starting with a little bit of light snow through the day. Tonight business will pick up, and we should start tomorrow with a couple of inches already on the ground. It is looking pretty good for us to have several inches by early Wednesday morning. Hang in there!
2/5/10
Oof. The next day could very well be a mess! So far this morning it has just been rain. But through the morning into the afternoon things are going to start freezing up. That means MAYBE a very little bit of ice, and certainly snow in the afternoon. We are only talking about a couple of inches of snow through the afternoon, which most people can handle. But unfortunately I am assuming I will still see cars in ditches on my way home.
It'll keep snowing a bit tonight. By the time it is done we should have between 2 to 4 inches right along and north of interstate 72.
"Feedback Friday"!!!
From Tammy in Decatur (1/29/10):
Greg, I just have to say that I really enjoy this blog and I look forward to reading it daily! I have noticed that you are a little more yourself lately and I love it when you say "weatherbug" in the high pitched voice! Keep the good work!
Tammy
Thanks, Tammy! Imma try to keep doing the "WeatherBug" thing for as long as they allow it. While it is fun, and different, it is not the hill that I will choose to die on, if you know what I mean. But so far no one has threatened my job to make me stop! And I have been feeling more myself lately…
From Mary in Assumption (1/29/10):
Hi Greg Im new to this blogging not really quite sure what to do but ill learn. My daughter knows a lot about computers so she helps me out alot when i need it. Hope u have a Fabulous day.
Welcome, Mary! If you are able to send me feedback like you did then you are ahead of the game! All you really have to do with this blogging stuff is read! If something stirs you enough that you are compelled to comment just go to the feedback form towards the top of the blog like you did to send me this feedback. Pretty simple once you figure out how to do it the first time.
Also…you can sign up for email alerts above. Basically you put your email address in the form, and when I update the blog you will get an email to let you, know.&nbs, p; This is especially helpful for when I go on va, cation. That way you , never miss a blog!
And while you are on this website you, should check out some of the other blogs around here. JC Fultz does a good one, and lately JC has been a bit more personal on his. He is giving you more of a look at who he really is. And he is a good dude.
I have not mentioned this here yet…but one of our reporters just started a very interesting blog. Vanessa Murphy started an investigative blog a few weeks ago. Basically she gives a more in-depth look at some of the stories she has done recently. Good stuff. The station even gave her a great billboard on our page with nice graphics and a big picture of herself. Not that it bothers me to see someone actually get some promotion around here… :-)
From Cleo in Decatur (1/29/10):
Greg, ahh.. I'm hoping that you would turn them in, if you knew for sure they had been drinking. I know that it would make me feel bad, but they are the ones doing it to theirselves and they know what drinking causes.
I had a cousin that was very young that was killed by a drunk driver. So, I look at it a bit differently. They weren't thinking about who they could kill when they get behind the wheel, so I don't have a problem turning them in.
But if you don't, I'm sure it will catch up with them sooner or later.
When I was younger, I really didn't know all the severe problems that alcohol can have on a person and Others. Luckily I pretty much stayed away from it, it is sooo addictive.
Hope the Trumbold Family is doing Great this weekend. *SMILEs* Love, Cleo
Hey, Cleo. I would imagine having someone close to you personally impacted by a drunk driver hardens your stance on it. I think if someone was just ridiculous with their driving I would call it in. I mean…if they were obviously all over the road and very much a danger to other drivers it would be an easy call. But I think outside of that I would not feel qualified to know if someone was driving while impaired. There are enough sloppy drivers without booze to make me not want to turn someone in that I wasn't sure about. Tough call.
I would also add that you are right about alcohol being soooo addictive, but I would say only to certain people. For instance, I can have a few drinks on a weekend and be done with , it. But we all know people that can't have, one drink and stop. If they have one drink it quickly turns into a bender. I think those people are actually in the minority. But in no case is there ever room to involve an automobile in that process.
From Lisa in Myrtle Beach (1/30/10):
Hi Greggo. I just wanted to agree that yes, you do have a great family. Love ya!
Thank you, Little Sister, for that completely biased opinion. Kiss that beautiful little girl for me!
From Jerrie in Decatur (2/1/10):
dear greg im glad you are on the am show you work with a very good team you scott and tara make the show thank you for a good spirit and good laughter. keep up the good work its a new year take time to heal yourself hold your head high and you can do anything i have been through a divorce and the loss of my mother father and both of my dogs but i have my children and grand children this has helped me get through I hope that life is kind to you have to go god bless and have a good week jerrie a faithful fan
Awww…thanks, Jerrie. I agree that Scot and Tara are fantastic. Although Tara can get downright MEAN that early in the morning, overall these are people of substance. And yeah…England is a little weird. You know…like wearing a Captain Stubing hat for a solid year when he was a teenager. But overall that is one good egg.
(In all honesty…and they know this…I do think the world of them both. It is very nice to actually like the people with whom you work.)
I'm doing fairly well, Jerrie. This process is certainly not something I would like to experience again, but it is survivable. One of the keys for me has been having great people around me to give me a lift.
From Phil in Cissna Park (2/2/10):
Thanks for the blog plug, Greg. I sent a link to it to all the band members' Facebook. Hey, it may even bring the blog more fans. Now I KNOW they will want you to come see them sometime soon.
Ha! Well thank you for the FaceBook plug, Phil! As I told you via email I just happened to already be set to see "The Vagina Monologues" this weekend in Charleston. But it sounds like your friends play around here quite a bit, so I will make it a point to catch them down the road!
From Ralph in Decatur (2/2/10):
Thanks for the shout, Greg. We'd love to see you at one of the shows sometime soon. As a general rule, we play Sliderz the first and third Saturday's from 4 to 7 p.m. I keep telling Dawn she needs to get a sitter for Ella so she can get out.
-- Ralf Pansch, bass & vocals, The STILL
I think Dawn should bring Ella to the show! Okay…maybe not. But maybe I would offer to babysit so Dawn could go to the show.
It will definitely be on my list in the future, Ralph. Break a leg tomorrow night!
From Angie in Charleston (2/2/10):
Greg...thank you so much for the shout out! It's going to be a great show!!
You know I am always up for supporting you, Angie! I just booked my tickets for Saturday night the other day. The show should be a good one, and the cash goes to some great organizations.
Have a great weekend, and drive safely tod, ay!
2/4/10
Current events in my life lately have had me thinking about my future. It makes sense that this is a good time for me to figure out what I really like and what I really want. , ; With my situa, tion at home and my upcoming status at work in such flux it would be a great time to make major changes, if there are changes to be made.
I've mentioned both situations here on the blog before. There won't be much chatter around the blog about my home situation, unless there is something significant that develops. But the situation at work is something I will CAREFULLY discuss from time to time.
Most of the people you see on StormCenter 17 work on contract. It makes sense for the station and, in most cases, the employees to work this way. Usually the contracts are a couple of years in length, and like any other employment contract just stipulate the terms of employment. Every couple of years the station and employee get together and work out a new contract, or move on. It is pretty standard.
Hopefully this is not too much information to divulge here on the blog (not that it has stopped me before!) but my deal is up next month. I've stated my intention here on the blog that it is my wish to stick around as long as they will have me. But on my end of this exchange…you never know what The Suits have in mind. My assumption is that I will stay put…they will be happy and I will be happy. That is the way it has worked up until now. And I personally see no reason for that to change. But again…you never know.
With that in mind I have been thinking about what I would do if I were no longer doing the weather. I really don't think I would want to do weather anywhere else if I were not at StormCenter 17. This job is great, and I love doing it. But in my career I have had many varied jobs. If they tell me they would like to go a different direction I will see it as an opportunity to change it up and do something else.
I started off my broadcasting career in radio. When I signed up for Lake Land College, the second time, I chose radio/TV because someone told me I had a , good , radio voice. That was literally the only reason I signed up for it.&, nbsp; But once I , went on the air at Lake Land I knew my future would be in radio/TV. It just felt…natural.
At Lake Land I met a fellow student named Gary, and we started doing the morning show on Lake Land's radio station. We called our show "The Posse", and I think for a local college radio station it was fantastic. We were completely raw and unpolished…but man we had a natural chemistry together. I still have a lot of our shows on cassette, and once in a while I get the thought of listening to some of them…but haven't heard that stuff in a long while.
Gary and I actually went on to work at some radio stations in Mattoon together, culminating in getting the morning team back together (under the name "Sunrise Supermen"). But something had changed. Actually…a lot of things had changed. We both contributed our share to the problems. For me it was the pressure of actually getting paid to be doing the show. It made me pull back who I am quite a bit, and the show suffered because of it. I was afraid of getting fired. Plus we had a few different people trying to tell us what to do and what to say (ummm…authority issues??). I don't work well in those circumstances. It makes me cranky. I need the freedom to be me and to mess up once in a while. That's why this current weather gig gets to me once in a while. Too many cooks in my kitchen! :-) (TV is a lot different than radio in that regard. Much more "scripted", and it probably needs to be.)
We also did not prepare like we should have. Going on a college radio station where you don't care if anyone listens is a lot different than having to maintain and hold an audience. We couldn't just "rip and read" like we used to at the college station. And we did not have anyone around to really show us how to prep for a show. So after a while we both left the radio biz…and here I am.
I think if the TV thing goes south at some point I would love to get back into radio. I've done country radio, pop radio, oldies radio…even "memory music" on an old AM station. But I have never done talk radio. I think if The Suits decide it is time for a change that I will try to get into talk radio, probably somewhere around here. I've always had a pretty big mouth, and now I am old enough to believe in my opinions. I think I could have a lot of fun at talk radio, and be fairly entertaining.
It's all just speculat, ion, though. And I am just thinking out loud. Do, n't most of us think "what, if" once in a while?
2/3/10
I am generally a loyal voter. I've hit most of the past several years' worth of elections. Yesterday, however, just flew right by me. Maybe it is everything going on in my life right now…but this election just passed me right by. For the first election in a long while I did not cast one vote.
It doesn't shame me, in my opinion. I missed one, but there will be others. There were some interesting races that concluded yesterday. To me the governor's race should be interesting. And of course we have the race that might actually get more headlines…the race to fill President Obama's former senate spot. Both races will likely get their fair share of attention, though. Obviously the person that legit wins our governor's race will be under close scrutiny.
Illinois seems to me to be a microcosm of our country. The U.S. has obviously had a rough couple of years. President Obama was handed a big bag of crap, and has been struggling to get things done. Likewise…Governor Quinn was handed a big bag of crap in Illinois. In addition to the specter of corruption left by our previous governors, Governor Quinn has also been dealing with a God-awful budget situation.
No one in the country seems to have any money, at least no government does. Whoever wins the big election in November certainly has his hands full. (And it is too bad I could not say his/her hands full, no?)
2/2/10
There is a big event coming up this weekend at Eastern Illinois University. Four women from Eastern are putting together a production of "The Vagina Monologues" as a fundraiser for SACIS and HOPE. These are two organizations that I have supported before here on the blog and in person. Both groups do tremendous work for people that need it.
The performances will be Feb. 4, 5, and 6, at 7 P.M., in the Tarble Arts Center Atrium. That would be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for EIU students and senior citizens. For tickets you can call the Women's Resource Center at (217) 581-5947, or SACIS at (217) 348-8815.
I am going to try to go to one of these shows this weekend, either Friday or Saturday evening. I am a sucker for a good show! And it is a fundraiser of sorts for the two organizations. And as we all know…organizations like these always need more money to continue providing these literally life-saving services.
And while we are busy making weekend plans…for those of you not in Coles County this weekend, I am told there is a good band playing at Sliderz Bar and Grille in Long Creek. "The Still" can be found and friended on FaceBook. The show starts around 4, and should wrap up by around 7 this Saturday. And please…don't forget to tip your waitresses…
2/1/10
As I type this I have no idea who won the Pro Bowl last night. I've mentioned this here before…but I don't even care who won the Pro Bowl last night. I am sure at some point t, his morning it will come up during the news and I will find out then. The ga, me seems to be a waste of time to me. And now that they slipped it in just before the Super Bowl it seems even more pointless to me.
I used to watch it just because I knew it was going to be the only football I saw until the following season. And it was a nice, light game to finish the season on after what is usually an intense playoff run. But this season it just didn't matter to me because I know next weekend, if I choose to stay up, will be what could be the best Super Bowl we have seen in a while.
This past weekend was fantastic. Friends came over most of the weekend. Yesterday I ended up meeting a kid that is interested in meteorology. He is the friend of a friend of a friend, you know how that works. So the point was for us to get together and talk about our shared interest. But it came out during conversation that he is a Star Wars fan. So a chunk of the afternoon was spent with me dragging out my original Star Wars toys. It was a lot of fun, and a little depressing.
One of the toys that I brought out was in the original box. And at one point when I was showing off my toys it dawned on me that the friggin box I was holding was close to twice the age of this college student. Time does seem to fly right on by, doesn't it??
It is always great to talk to another Star Wars junkie, though. There is something fun about someone that understands where Uta, pau is! (Yeah...that is extreme geek stuff...)
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