Doctor Doctor - Give Me The News ...

KTI people are honest and don't wanna miss work. For that, I am very grateful. I have managed staffs in the past where the art of using one's sick days was a game.

But I never heard any this good (courtesy of http://www.careerbulider.com/)

• Employee was poisoned by his mother-in-law.


• A buffalo escaped from the game reserve and kept charging the employee every time she tried to go to her car from her house.


• Employee broke his leg snowboarding off his roof while drunk.


• Employee's wife said he couldn't come into work because he had a lot of chores to do around the house.


• Employee's mother was in jail.


• The employee was sad.
  

41% of managers say they have received suspicious excuses. The rest of them must have used web-sites like this:

http://www.wikihow.com/Call-in-Sick-When-You-Just-Need-a-Day-Off

I love the WARNING area at the bottom ... like you're going to BLOW IT STUPID ... I didn't have the guts to click the link on "How To Fake An Injury."

The Results Are In

Here are the totals for last weekend's GET OUT THE VOTE on Katherine McPhee's "Over It"

58% - I Love It
30% - I Need to Warm Up to It
11% - Stop Playing It

I know - it adds up to 99% - but we ask the software to round to even numbers so there is a percent spread out evenly among the three.

How do we use this information?

88% of our listeners want to hear the song to some degree (love it + need to warm up to it)

Of those listeners, 65% (or about 2/3) said they loved it.

We play it.

Yesterday's News ...

Is there any one show-biz event that is more "yesterday" than the Oscars? Steeped in tradition - yet out of touch with today's scene.

The people who produce the show have known it for years. They keep trying to find a host that will resonate with today's vibe. Letterman ... Chris Rock ... Ellen.

But they don't - and the Oscars becomes harder and harder to sell at a premium in an 18-49 demographic world. Even if today's coveted demo was interested - how can anybody watch an awards show that takes 4 hours.

The challenge the Oscar producers face is similar to that of the evening news. CBS thought Katie Couric might finally convince someone under 40 to watch - and they did - that night. But the Oscars - like the evening news - is a relic. Something that was communal viewing. Trying to get today's new adult demographic to watch an outdated concept simply by putting in a hip host just ticks off everyone.

I loved Ellen ... just like I loved Letterman doing it. But the old guard hated it. Not enough glamour ... not enough clout - remember: this is the generation that resents our casual Friday.

The Oscars would do best just being what they are - a tribute to a time gone by. Just roll out Billy Crystal every other year (every year would be too obvious) and prop up Jack Nicholson and the establishment will be happy.

For the rest of the world - we've got 299 other channels.

BTW: This would have been an interesting slide. How many celebrities signed-up for the new GREEN LIMO service. It's not the top of the line ride they are used too - but it is in line with the environmentally responsible theme of the Oscars.

http://httwww.cinematical.com/2007/02/22/green-limos-lined-up-for-enviro-friendly-oscar-nominees/

Waith a minute: Here is a way to 'hippen-up' the Oscars:

Imagine going to commerical with a "Green Ride, or Polluting Ride" question - then the answer on the way back. That would be totally in sync with today's vibe

Of course the establishment (Aristocracy) would hate it.

I bet Geraldo would do it for free ...

You Have Mail

Don't forget ... with one final winter storm brewing for '07 (at least we hope it's the last one), we can text message weather and news information to you in real time. If there are any cancellations - we can text just the ones you need.

How do we do it?

I have no idea. But it sure is cool. Sign-up now ...

http://wkti.com/Article.asp?id=324400


We don't charge anything. All you pay is whatever your phone company charges for text messages.

If you don't know that - ask your kids. I bet they know.


Pace yourself when shoveling!

Have You Got the Mc-Phee-Ver?

This weekend, our new song awaiting your vote is Katherine McPhee's "Over it."

Beginning at 6am, you can log-on and tell us whether or not you want to hear this song on 'KTI.

I got a call from someone who does not like Nelly Furtado's new single Say It Right.

I asked him if he voted last weekend. He did not.

I asked him if he knew we were voting on the song. He said he did.

I asked him if he voted. He did not.

Why ...

He did not have time.

I guarantee that the time it took to place a call to me was double, maybe triple the time it took to vote on-line.

I know there are those who think one vote among hundreds means nothing. But I can tell you it means more than one phone call.

Why?

Because we are a mass appeal hits station. We play what the masses want to hear: not one caller. Taking information from a survey is valuable.

BTW: Our next INSIDERS music survey will post Monday morning @ 6am. After a couple of 90's surveys, we are once again back into the 00's.

Again - if you want to have a say in the music we play: this is the way to be heard.

RS Audition # 3

The final audition for the Verizon Wireless Rockstar Project meant the last chance to join the competition for $10K.

Audition# 3 was the busiest. Most of the night, the line was 2-3 hours long. This is the end of the line as it wraps around the Brass Bell Music Store in Glendale.

Still 30 minutes left in line (it wraps around the left)

Final approach to the audition studio.

Stopped by on the way home from work.

Ain't No Other Man ...

Ain't Too Proud To Beg ... Sweet Baby ...

The judges like what they hear.

Each singer is put in our digital photo archive.

Good luck to all - as the Top 10 are announced today.

Now the competition begins!

Too Good To Be True?

I think Ellen is the best TV talent in the biz today - peroid. She's doesn't bore us with her politics (Rosie!) or always take the easy "cheap" shot (Leno). She's the real deal.

That is why this segment puzzled me. It is AWESOME. Actually - almost too good to be real.

I'm not suggesting the whole thing was made-up, but I think Gladys was prepped and Ellen knew where she was going.

If anything - I'm even more impressed. Ellen cares about the quality of her show and would not waste our time putting a boring caller on the air.

Either way - I was entertained. How about you?

Hollywood Tragedy - The Next Genration

Seems like there is a lot of talk about Anna Nicole Smith being a modern-day Marilyn Monroe - or not. Those on the "not" side of the argument are passionate - almost to the point of suggesting blasphemy to even think it.

I don't think there is any way we can compare celebrity in the early 1960's to that of the late 2000's. The era's are just too different.

Anna Nicole Smith in 1960 without reality TV, the Internet and Access Hollywood would have simply been a ditzy blond who did some films and was spotted on the arms of the 'rat-pack.' She would have done some classy lay-outs and would be a house-hold name for glamour. We would only see one side of the story.

Marilyn Monroe in 2007 would be the darling of tabloid TV and we would know a whole lot more about her than we can imagine now - and I'm not sure we would like it. Her relationship to the president alone would be "breaking news" on MSNBC 24/7. Her substance abuse and alleged ties to the mob would make awesome DATELINE specials. She would probably surrender to the lure and big paycheck of reality TV.

You just cannot compare stars and starlets from different eras - just like you can't compare Cy Young to Roger Clemons on the pitching mound.

The only thing for sure is that Hollywood cares less about your status as living or dead - and more aobut telling a great story.

Is It Time For A Man-Purse?

The bulge in my wallet is so big, I cannot stuff it into my back pocket.

The sad part is that I only have 8 bucks there.

I have so much stuff to carry around, that my wallet is no longer getting the job done. I finally spent a few minutes taking inventory of my wallet and found:

• Mastercard
• ATM Card
• 7 restaurant loyalty cards (you give it to the cashier each time you eat there, earn points and eventually get free meals). These used to be paper-weight - but now a days are plastic.
• Health insurance card
• Dental card
• Lab work card
• 3 Starbucks gift cards (each with about 2 bucks left on them because I grab a different one whenever I find myself in Starbucks)
• 3 Call-ahead dining cards (with phone number, so I can call ahead and get a seating time at one of our trendy chain restaurants)
• Sam's Club card from 2004 (okay - I finally parted with that one)
• Best Buy Rewards Card (loyalty card that get points when you buy stuff)
• Oil change VIP club card (have no idea)
• 3 frequent flyer cards (which I never even remember to use - instead the poor ticket person has to look up my number ...)
• 1 Barnes and Nobles Gift Card (Xmas gift - still waiting for the right time to use)
• 1 Borders Gift Card (xmas present from last year - probably lost 15% for not using it yet)
• 8 WKTI business cards (in bad shape after being stuffed in there with all of that plastic)
• 3 Supermarket club cards (Is Kohl's Food Emporium still around?)
• Driver's license
• Novelty driver's licence they give you when your kid is born (license to charm with the kid's photo - funny I only have one for the first kid...)
• Proof of auto insurance
• 1 photo of kids (believe it or not - from this year...)
• 1 photo of wife and kids
• Journal Broadcast Group Photo ID (photo actually worse than driver's license)
• 8 dollars (1-Five, 3 - Ones)

What am I supposed to ditch? I thought about leaving all of the restaurant loyalty cards back at the office. But face it: fast food is an impulse buy. Nobody my age plans on grabbing a burrito at the drive-thru. It just happens.

Even with the few obvious things I lost - my wallet is bulging. What if I ever did have any money to put in there? I laugh about the man purse ... but society may be pushing us there with loyalty cards, ID's and everything else.

Maybe I'll call it my business organizer ...

RS Audtition # 2

After the camera phone 'incident' at Mayfair - I was a little apprehensive to just whip it out at the RS Project (the phone ... the phone ...). But that I did ... and here is what I saw:

Registration is at the Cellular Connection store in New Berlin. As usual - we had a line outside one half-hour before start time.

Thanks to Baker's Ice Cream Parlor for acting as our holding area. Once contestants were checked-in, they waiting in comfort at Bakers. The smart ones tried a burger and one of those amazing shakes!

A quick photo - and it's SHOWTIME ...

Once your name was called (or sent to Baker's as a text message ...), it was time to return to the Cellular Connection and the "on-deck" area. Contestants could watch the current audition live on the plasma TV

No pressure!

For Gene Mueller - It's all about the music ...

Gotta adjust the microphone between auditions.

"What I Need Is A Good Defense, 'cause I'm Feeling Like A Criminal ..."

- Fiona Apple

The judges compare notes.

All auditions are recorded in digital audio.

Good luck to everyone waiting to Audition. We'll see you again Thursday night at the Brass Bell in Glendale.

Get Out The Vote - THIS WEEKEND!

This weekend, you have the chance to vote on Nelly Furtado's latest single "Say It Right." Go back to our main page at http://www.wkti.com/ and tell us whether or not you want to hear this song on 'KTI.

What a whirlwind 8 months it's been for Furtado. Her first two singles were big - but not mainstream smashes. This one could be it - Tell us what you think beginning Saturday morning @ 6am.

If you want to hear the single ON-DEMAND, go to:

http://www.nellyfurtado.com/

BTW: Our INSIDER music surveys have been kicking butt in '07. The current "Back to the 90's" survey was so well received, that I will have an encore 90's survey ready to go for INISDERS on Monday - fresh new 90's songs for you to vote-on.

It's just like politics - if you don't vote, you cannot complain ...

Second Hand Stress?

Can someone else's stress be stressful? Apparently so ... says this week's Lady's Home Journal (and yes - I'm okay with my manhood in reading LHJ...)

At first you try to be understanding,

If there's no improvement, you probably end up feeling the strain yourself.

In effect, another person's stress can spread like secondhand smoke: It becomes your problem because you're there. According to researchers, other people's excessive or ongoing stress pollutes the environment. It erodes civility and causes anxiety. A stressed person is a loose cannon. You never know what is going to set him off when, and that's enormously unsettling.

This may be even worse than your own stress (firsthand stress). On that you can act -- confront your problems, attempt a resolution, count to 10.

In living with someone else's stress, there isn't much more you can do except stand there and take it. So combine the stress ... feeling of helplessness ... and inability to escape ... and you have a very unhealthy situation.

Second Hand Stress.

Need A Valentine?

How can a man increase his sex appeal?

Just in time for Valentine's Day, here is the secret to male sex appeal as copied from the current issue of Best Life:

"He should learn how to tell a funny, self-deprecating story. Researchers from McMaster University found that 62 percent of women want a man who makes them laugh rather than one who can bench his body weight. But remember that guy humor is different than girl humor. Men laugh at a guy who can make fun of others; women are attracted to a man who can make fun of himself."

All the proof you need is below ... Happy Valentine's Day!

But it's too early ...

The male of the species did not invent Valentines Day. He is just along for the ride. So please - I am asking the 'fairer' sex to have mercy on us again this year.

Try this ...

Stop at any Walgreens in SE Wisconsin tomorrow night on your way home from work. The aisle with the cards and chocolate hearts will be lined with men in sport coats grabbing for that last candy heart.

Man - that is risky ... What if they are all out?

In 'man-land,' stopping by tonight is not only safer - it's considered thinking ahead. See you in the aisle!

RS Project Audition # 1

The line forms at the NE entrance to the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

The judges take their place and fans begin to gather behind them to watch.

Time to begin - "What are you going to sing for us today?"

Everyone brings a support group - here they line-up to watch.

Singing something original ...

More fans gather to support their favorite ...

Let me sing Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" for you ...

Every moment is captured in digital audio.

The judges are impressed.

The line wraps out into the lobby - everyone will be heard!

See you next Saturday in New Berlin ...

What's that song that goes "Woo-Hoo ?"

I get a lot of calls from 'KTI listeners wanting to know artists and titles of songs. Most of the time they will have picked up the 'hook' ... sometimes referred to as a 'refrain' in the music world. They will sing us a line or two:

"To the left, to the left," - Beyonce / Irreplaceable

"It just takes some time ... da, da, da...." Jimmy Eat World / The Middle

"I said Woe hoe ... woe hoe ... woe how ... you're not the one for me." KT Tunstall / Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.

As much as we want to help - when listeners call and can't sing any lyrics - it gets tough. I always make sure callers know I am not insulting their humming ... but I usually cannot make it out.

Thank goodness for the Internet. Here is a site that should do it for you:

http://www.midomi.com/

I have yet to try it - so if you do: let me know if it works.

12.85 Seconds ...

Someone sent me this game - and it's been driving me absolutely crazy. My best time: 12.85 seconds ... Try it - it will occupy your weekend!

http://members.iinet.net.au/~pontipak/redsquare.html

The Game Is On!

Want to bet on a long-shot? Forget horses. Bet on anyone who wants to make it in the music biz.

I cannot imagine a tougher career choice.

You may not see it that way when you read about LeAnn Rimes cranking out hit songs at 12. Or Kelly Clarkson going from nobody to mega-star in 6 months.

They are the exceptions. They are the 4 leaf clovers. For every new star you hear on the radio, see on TV, or download on iTunes ... there are hundreds of thousands who never got that far.

All of this is why the Rockstar Project was formed 5 years ago as a partnership between Kevin Sucher of the Laboratory, Neil Willenson of Camp Hartland, and WKTI. We thought it would be interesting to find someone in whom we all believed - and push them to the front of the line.

The hardest part for our young talent is that the lines to musical success are set-up like the lines to Space Mountain in Disney World ... The first thing you see when you get to the front of the line - is that there is another line ahead - and you are now at the back of that line.

This is where we pick-up in 2007. Our three past winners have each recorded a single, produced a video, performed all over Wisconsin and had their song played on the radio over 250 times.

This year we wanted to help them move up that next line - and that takes cash. So we are proud to welcome Verizon Wireless as the presenting sponsor of the RS Project ... and this year we are offering a 10-thousand dollar signing bonus.

With the song ... airplay ... and $10K in cash: the rest is up to them. More to come ...

Attack Of The Giant Jellyfish!

I was in the beautiful Pabst Theater about noon yesterday and witnessed an amazing site. The crew was cleaning that giant chandelier above the center of the theater.

I guess I never thought about it being cleaned. And I'm not sure I ever looked directly up at it. Surely there are no ladders that tall ...

So down it comes.

Of all the gadgets I have ... I think the camera phone is my favorite. You just never know when you're going to stumble across something cool like this.

Ramblings From Out In The Cold ...

• When I was a kid they never cancelled school because it was cold … (they should have! My feet hurt by the time I got to school. There was two heating vents on the bus … and only the bullies got vent time)

• The Country Springs indoor water park pool temperature? 80 degrees

• How about those people getting off their charter from Mexico … from 85 to minus five in a few hours …that’s gotta hurt. Welcome to Milwaukee - claim your bags on carousel three before it freezes ...
  
  


• We’re not going to keep playing Cold as Ice. It really wasn’t that clever the first time and you’re not being clever requesting it.
  
  


• Since crime comes to a stop in sub-zero weather … and I’m afraid my locks will freeze: it’s another leave the car unlocked day.
  
  


• I laughed when I heard the weather guys say it would feel warmer this morning. After all what’s the difference between a -30 and a -20 wind chill. But I swear – it did feel warmer. The mind is powerful.
  
  


• You would think that only Chicago and NY are sub zero if watching the networks (Minneapolis if you watch CNN).
  
  


• That ground hog was full of crap.
  
  


• Hard to believe we have to warn anybody about using the oven as a space heater …
  
  


• Why do dogs take 3 times a long to do their ‘business’ when it’s 10 below?

• The steam coming off Lake Michigan was beautiful. The steam coming off my hand was scary.

• Why didn't I spring for seat warmers in the car?

• Tomato soup rules ...

• Remember last month's heating bill? Those days are over.

• I'll bet even Britney would wear long underwear in this weather.

• I bet it felt colder in Chicago today ...

Leave Superbowl Sunday Guilt Free!

I was thinking about how much we American's love Super Bowl Sunday. It's a holiday without guilt.

• We're not expected to be in church.


• We're not expected to drive across the country to see in-laws


• We don't have to go to a parade.


• We don't have to worry about the implications of wishing one a happy Superbowl Sunday.

We can just throw a party - guilt free. Right?

Not so fast.

I saw a story on the news about Superbowl Sunday and all of the bad things associated with this day of male gluttony. This wasn't Lifetime TV or The View - it was a mainstream network program and they were actually trying to make me feel BAD about enjoying Superbowl Sunday.

They used a correspondent from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who has been researching ways to make Superbowl Sunday less destructive. After seeing the story, I Googled the article on-line - and of course it wasn't as anti-superbowl as the TV story (on a network which did not have the superbowl). But it was kind of goofy: .

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast and avoiding going hungry to a Super Bowl party can reduce the temptation to gorge on junk food during the game, experts say. And to avoid over imbibing when the beer starts flowing, they suggest alternating drinks with glasses of water.

The game is at 5:35pm. Do you think something I ate at 8:30 will make a difference? Also - who over imbibs?

If you're the party host, place the food beyond the reach of those on the couch, ideally in a different room. If you have to get up to get your food, you're being a little more active and it cuts down on unconscious gorging in front of the TV.

Sure - why not let the ground-in crumbs and chips spread to your carpet in the living room, family room and the den.

For every cookie …eat a carrot.

I had some carrot-cake ...??

Try spending a quarter of the game on a treadmill or, put out weights, resistance bands and balance balls for your party guests. If you're going to sit and watch the game, you're actually going to develop more muscular toning by sitting on a fitness ball rather than a couch.

Maybe you can receive your worst-superbowl party ever trophy at half-time ...

During half-time, encourage everyone to take a walk – the fresh air will do you good.

Those who aren't killed by the 40 below wind-chill can have an extra turkey burger!

Don't you think better advice would be to have fun without making a total pig out of yourself ... Then substitute a few salads for burgers ... fruit for fries all this week?

Tell me you didn't reach for something greasy when the Bears ran back the opening kick-off for a TD ...

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-gen/ap/Health_Medical/Diet_Super_Bowl.html

Now What?

"Brett Farve saw his shadow today - and will be returning to the Packers in 6 weeks." - Lips Labelle on 94.5 WKTI.


What exciting news - Number 4 is coming back for another year. It's all anyone wanted to talk about today. Not the bitter cold ... not the Superbowl ... even Joe Biden fell off the radar.


Now what?


Not for the Packers. It will be a glorious season with lots of press for # 4. But I kind of have this empty feeling - like when you're flying stand-by and you clear the first leg of your trip. That doesn't guarantee you're going to make your connection.


Don't get me wrong: I am excited about seeing Brett for another year in Lambeau. But I still wonder - What is next? Are the Green and Gold good enough to make the post-season this year? The sports radio crowd says they were a game out. But the NFC stunk last year. Maybe it will stink again next year - let's hope!


So John Jagler's tractor watch is over. Maybe he can begin a Jenkins watch. How many days until the Brewers announce they have solved their outfield problem? Since Lance Allen never got a chance to stake out the Waffle House for Farve information - maybe he can scour the desert for someone to take Geoff?


Hey - there is still a long chuck of winter ahead (Groundhog's are usually wrong). We need some burning question to keep us warm.