A Very Public Tanning Session

I like to quote the greats.

John Kennedy dropped a great one about blame right after the Bay of Pigs about success having lots of fathers and defeat being an orphan.

Krusty the Clown came up with another, while the bored "Simpsons" t-v clown was dispatching an autograph seeker hell-bent on telling a life story: "Hey, good luck with that."

It's he of the greasepaint and bulbous nose who's words fit in the case of Channel 12 morning news anchor Caroline Lyders, who is outed as one of "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks' female buds.

"Yes, Taylor and I are friends," Lyders told OnMilwaukee.com, "and as a journalist I respect your asking. But beyond that, I'd rather not comment on my personal life."

Insert clown quote here.

I respect privacy as much as the next guy. Just because someone is dating one of the biggest names in pop culture doesn't mean she has to dignify every detail, but it's naive to think that she's defused the gossip herd by asking for a little space.

I'm still waiting for my callback from Ms. Lyders' boss--all references about what's going on with Hicks were being deferred to 12's News Director as of Wednesday morning. The message light on my desk phone wasn't blinking when I got here at 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

What Ms. Lyders does away from the anchor desk is certainly her business. That ends, sadly, when one is being squired by one of the most famous men in music.

There's a huge gossip beast that needs to be fed every day to satisfy we lifeless worker-bees who have nothing else to do but wonder who's lap Lindsay Lohan threw up into last night. It's a huge industry, and Hicks is one of its key cogs.

Ms. Lyders won't have to say word one about what's happening between her and Hicks because, rest assured, the rest of the world will be saying it for her.

Every move will be documented, and there'll always be a camera somewhere--Exhibit A: the Hawaiian beach shots of Hicks and the local morning news anchor that are now the wallpaper of untold Lyders' fans in Milwaukee.

I found out about the Lyders/Hicks situation without so much as lifting a finger--a buddy called and directed me to the website, where the whole sand caper was there for the world to see, just needing someone to add the caption with the names.

Ms. Lyders' own station deals in this sort of thing--coincidentally, right after the 6:00 news. It's a little venture called "Entertainment Tonight", and it does quite well in the ratings. How soon before Mary Hart and company are breathlessly reporting about "the blond in the bikini at Taylor Hicks' elbow in Hawaii"?

No one would care if Hicks worked second shift at Ladish or was doing oil changes at the local Quick Lube.

He doesn't, though. His fame means his life is an open book--the guy won't be able to go to the restroom without someone from a tabloid checking to see if he washed his hands on the way out. Or, go to the beach without someone taking pictures. Sadly, those who bask in his afterglow are doomed to the same treatment.

Hey, good luck with that.

Seranaded In The Key Of "Boooooooo!"

One look at the Miller Park stands this sun-drenched Wednesday afternoon tells you one thing: the number of fans in the seats is a testimony to the power of warm weather and the good will the team earned while it set the baseball world on fire in April.

The harsh reality is that the Brewers have done nothing to merit this kind of attention since the free-fall that began when the team peaked at 24-10.

They've gone 5-14 ever since. Seven of the last eight tilts ended with "L's".

Sports Illustrated jinx?

One too many soap opera cameos?

Schoolkids sat next to businesspeople during today's matinee-turned-horror show as Atlanta tattooed Milwaukee 9-3, turning a 2-1 Brewers lead to mush with a seven-run outburst in the eighth.

Good teams win at home.

They beat the teams they should, and play even with the ones who are at their level or better.

When the pitching falters, a good team's hitters pick the squad up. The converse applies when the batters are in a funk. One part of the team saves the other's bacon.

Good teams play through bad luck, and always think their next hit will find a hole, their next pitch will induce a double play to end an opposition rally.

How much of that have you seen in the last 19 games?

The April Afterglow is wearing off, but the high standards set by the early-spring Brewers remain--the fans got downright surly this afternoon as reliever after Milwaukee reliever added more gas to a growing late-inning fire. I remember rustling in the past, and maybe the occasional boo, but the crowd today expected more, and let the Crew know it when they felt they weren't getting it.

I wonder how long it'll be before the boos end, and the disgruntled fans start showing up disguised as empty seats.

So THAT'S What She Looks Like Without That Anchor Desk In Front Of Her!

First, it was Shaun Robinson and former Milwaukee Brewer Daryl Hamilton.

Now, Channel 12 may be siring another gossip grand slam: you'll probably recognize the guy in these photos as "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks. You may not recognize the woman he's frolicking with, unless you know a local morning anchorwoman a little better than the average viewer does:

http://www.splashnewsonline.com/2007/05/25/sorry-ladies-taylor-hicks-is-off-the-market/#more-12250

A source told me Tuesday night that the woman in question is Channel 12's Caroline Lyders but I can't get anyone else to fess up. I see OnMilwaukee.com is onto the caper, too.

I'm guessing it's only a a matter of time until someone in the Soul Patrol ferrets this one out.

She's Off "The View" But The Show Goes On...

Fueled by Sam Adams beer and a boot-kissing pal (who IS that woman?), Rosie O'Donnell speaks.

A home video Internet q-and-a with fans done Saturday is up on the Web for all to enjoy. These are the O's first public comments since her on-air flame-out with "View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck Wednesday.

See it all at:

http://www.rosie.com/blog/2007/05/26/no-ja-hero

You Don't Have To Watch Just Because They Tell You To...

"Crash".

"Garden State".

"Little Miss Sunshine".

"Pieces of April".

Four of my favorite movie-going experiences of all time, and none of them created a character that ended up as a McDonald's toy.

None had a huge budget--no huge ad campaign to back 'em up.

They didn't generate lavish sequels--follow-ups that, in many cases, are only made to milk the cash cow regardless of quality.

All four are independent films, and damn good ones at that.

I used to think that people who went to the Downer or Oriental were beret-sporting elitists, too cool for pop culture and driven by some incredible need to read subtitles.

Wrong.

There's quality out there, and lots of ways to find it.

You don't have to chain yourself to the multi-plex and trudge with the masses to see "Shrek 9" or "Pirates of the Caribbean, now with 15 seconds worth of Keith Richards' cameo". Expand you mind.

Plus, the popcorn is just as good. The "Oriental" even puts some of it's candy in the fridge.

Mmmmmmm. Cold chocolate.

Here's a "Wall Street Journal" article that'll whet the appetite for the indies. And, you can leave the beret at home.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118012953063215144.html?mod=at_leisure_main_reviews_days_only

Guaranteed To Get A Reaction: GUARANTEED

I dare you.

I double-dog dare you.

Read this column by Lee Iococca and NOT have a reaction.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=610753


If you're GOP born and raised with a George Bush growth chart taped to your pantry door, I guarantee your head will explode about half-way through.

There's something in here that I think EVERYONE can agree with, or argue about.

I don't offer this as a reflection of my personal leanings. Instead, I wave it in front of you to get you to do something that is sorely lacking these days: think, and talk. Rationally. Without political slant or bias. No liberal. No conservative. No imitations of your favorite talk show host. No yelling, like Rosie. No parroting what she heard at her folks' dinner table, like Elisabeth.

Use your own head. Your own sense of right and wrong.

Think...then talk.

Remember the war dead this Memorial Day, from wars long ended and the one that continues today. And, remember that being a patriot means more than making sure your flag is properly displayed.

It means plugging in, listening, talking, and reasoning with those who don't share the same view.

It's time for all of us to step away from the echo chambers we love to stick our heads into--listening to what we want to hear, what makes us comfortable, what doesn't challenge our beliefs. Stop thinking that someone who doesn't share your thought patterns is somehow less concerned, less informed. Less American.

We're already getting earfuls from those who want to be President in 2008. Let's make 'em work for it by challenging them with hard questions, demanding real answers instead of sound bites and, for Christ's sake, stop making our choices based on t-v spots. We're not buying dish soap here, people. And, this just in: POLITICAL ADS DON'T TELL THE TRUTH.

Hang your flag. Watch your race. Grill your brats. It's Memorial Day, and we deserve it.

But, sometime this weekend, read Iacocca's piece, think about what he's saying and chat it up with whoever's around.

Our country deserves it.

There's The Studio...And The Men's Room...But I Can't Find The Star Chamber!

What a ride.

My first week is officially over at Newsradio 620 WTMJ and, unless I hear otherwise, I assume I'll be back Tuesday to try it again on Wisconsin's Morning News.

It's been quite the adjustment: I liken it to high school, where you stay in the same building but change teachers and classes each fall...the only difference in this case being that it's been 24 years since I moved up a grade.

I'm having a blast while learning the ropes, finding out which buttons do what, who's on which day and what features air on certain mornings. It'll be a lot easier to be creative once the scenery is a little more familiar.

Then there are the e-mails--scads of them, many from longtime listeners of both stations with honest questions, suggestions, and observations. I thank each and every one of you, and I'm trying to respond to each as time permits.

Some stick out more than others.

One that left a mark came from a long time buddy--someone I've known since high school who remains a close friend. He's brilliant, media-savvy and a huge sports fan.

He sent in a first-week critique of my performance, and also had a take on the week-long Bob Harlan series, "A Green and Golden Legacy". He pointed out that there were blemishes on the outgoing Packers C-E-O's record, and that maybe we gave Harlan the kid-glove treatment because of our station's ties to the team.

I've heard this before, and I can emphatically say that I've never been taken before the Journal Broadcast "Star Chamber" for the marching orders demanding that only milk and honey flow from the speakers when talking about our flagship squads.

I never EVER got told what to say or what to cover when I spent a year hosting "Packers GameDay" in 2002--the only criticism I got was from our program director who mentioned one housekeeping flaw in my presentation but not a word about content, direction, or opinion.

And, anyone who ever listens to the post-game call-in knows that the BEST radio comes AFTER the Packers lose. That's when things get visceral, when everyone and everything is in play for both host and caller. The team, the players and certainly the coachers are all up for, to quote an absent friend, "an ass-ectomy without a local."

Think that happens if the Packers are squatting on us?

To that end, I've never been given the speech that so many listeners think we in the media get about leaning to the left--that somehow all of us get marching orders to dump on the right and triumph all that's liberal.

Hasn't happened.

I remember when I first got to Milwaukee to do mornings at the former WQFM--I'd read the Journal and Sentinel radio/t-v columns and just naturally assume that everything had a pro-Journal spin. I just figured that anything that made the paper had been sanitized and was presumably Journal-centric.

Then I started working here, and got to see how things are from the inside. I learned how far off my original perception was.

It's always tough when you cover yourself or those you care about. You try as hard as you can to avoid conflict of interest. You want to be fair. And, admittedly, we don't always cover ourselves in glory when we...cover ourselves. But we try. We really do.

And no one tells us to do it any other way.

"The View": A Full Sensory Experience

You can hear 'em...even with the volume turned almost all the way down.

The women of "The View" made new headlines this week via the shouting match pitting co-hosts Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck against each other. Panelist Joy Behar started it by prattling off a list of things she claimed made George Bush unworthy of remaining President, and, as they say, "it was on!"

Turns out you not only have to listen--you need to watch "The View" very, very carefully.

The drama wasn't over.

The argument mercifully ended, but the next guest, Alicia Silverstone, kept the tension high with a subtle diss to one of the combatants. Check it out:

http://entertainment.bodogbeat.com/alicia-silverstone-snubs-elisabeth-hasselbeck-on-the-view-91774.html

And, the drama continues on Rosie's website as a breathless midday television nation wonders if she'll be back.

http://www.rosie.com/blog/2007/05/24/ask-ro/

Going Grassy Knoll About The Grassy Knoll...

I have a Kennedy assassination conspiracy.

I think there's a plot to keep us confused.

Is it a coincidence that new bullet evidence suggesting Lee Harvey Oswald didn't act alone comes out practically the same week that famed author/prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi's mammoth work on JFK's death, "Reclaiming History", is getting critical reviews for it's thoroughness in detailing his conclusion that Oswald acted alone?

Hmmmm.

New bullet research from Texas A-and-M purports that the tests used by the 1979 House Assassinations Committee to prove that all of the fragments from the killing came from Oswald's rifle were flawed. One of the guys behind the study had a hand in helping the FBI change the way it links shooters to crimes, so it seems the work has some cred. Read the "Washington Post" story right here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051601967.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Confused?

I am.

It shouldn't be this hard to link a gun, a bullet and a crime--if the evidence in the Kennedy case is flawed despite the reams of tests that have been done in the 44 years since he died, what then of the most mundane street crimes? How many folks are doing hard time because the same lead analysis was used to send them to the jug?

Which makes me think this is a lot of bunk.

Okay, there's nothing that links the bullets to the same box Oswald used the day he decided to change history. Is there anything there to suggest a bullet from another shooter? If I'm reading this correctly, the bullets are still made for the same type of rifle Oswald used--there's just nothing to show they came from the same box or can be ID'd individually.

And, this wouldn't be the first swing-and-miss by the Assassinations Committee, which used flawed acoustical evidence to suggest a second shooter fired (and probably missed) from the famed grassy knoll. That got debunked years later, when further analysis discredited the authenticity of an audio tape of the Kennedy shooting that was used to "map" the gunshots.

Bugliosi's book weighs almost six pounds and goes into great detail about how and why Oswald acted alone--how the evidence rules out multiple shooters. It dovetails Gerald Posner's work of several years ago, "Case Closed". Add that to new computer analysis of the famed Zapruder film of the Kennedy shooting which explains, among other things, how the so-called "magic bullet" actually did what the Warren Commission concluded: that it struck both Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally before JFK's fatal head shot. Conspiracy buffs rallied for years around the magic bullet, saying it was proof Oswald couldn't have squeezed off all of the rounds in the amount of time given.

Now, they have new "magic bullets" to trot out, and that can make for many, many more books and a whole lot of money for people who pose legions of questions without providing any answers or evidence to back up outlandish claims.

As someone who recently went through a very major and public job change, I was struck by how fast sensitive, private information that was known by only a few people within our company was out on the internet well before other people who had a right to know it were actually brought into the loop. The theory: even a handful of people have a hard time keeping a big secret.

What secret is larger than the assassination of a world leader? If, indeed, this was some sort of plot, even between as few as two or three people, is it fathomable that the participants would be able to keep it quiet for 44 years? And, what are the odds of the secret staying private if the number of those involved is truly as large as some of the theorists say it is?

Oswald did it.

A dark, angry soul who lived the life of a contrarian desperate to make a mark on the world, he bought a cheap rifle, used his Marine skills to squeeze off a deadly round, and got killed by another fame-seeker before he could tell his story. It's opportunity plus coincidence, all rolled into one. We can't get our arms around that, though, because the thought of a sap like Oswald killing someone like JFK makes all of usthat much more vulnerable. Such a crime HAS to be bigger than it really was.

Conceding to the facts would dry up the conspiracy industry which, at last count, was one thousand books strong and probably growing, what with this week's bullet news.

Read Posner's book, or, if you want to build your assassination mind as well as your forearms, try wading through Bugliosi's. Then, let me know what you think.

I'm guessing you'll come off the knoll.

They Scream...You Decide

Wow.

As advertised today on "Wisconsin's Morning News" on Newsradio 620 WTMJ, here's the entire Rosie Vs. Elisabeth dust-up from yesterday's "View".

This stuff is better than Russert, Stephanopolous and Schieffer on Tony Soprano's peyote buttons.

...Don't You Hate It When Your Spouse Is Right?

She tried to warn me.





My wife, who seems to be on the cutting edge of all that is popular on t-v, told me night after night to skip "American Idol" and instead join her on the couch to catch "Dancing With The Stars".





Truth be told, I'd rather have nails driven into my eyes than watch either--my show of choice would be the Brewers, or anything NHL--but the job requires that I know enough about reality television to be, what shall we say, dangerous?





"Idol" was the show that got the early buzz. It earned the nickname "death star" from rival networks because it destroyed everything in it's path. The others purposely scheduled away from "Idol's" weekly slots, knowing that anything sent up against Ryan, Randy, Paula and Simon would turn to Nielsen flotsam and jetsam.





"Dancing", on the other hand, was the bastard stepchild--they had a hard time finding stars, settling for the likes of Billy Ray Cyrus. What it sorely lacked to me, though, was sex appeal, in the person of Stacey Keibler.

Sorry, when you come back after a season of Stacey with the likes of a John Ratzenberger or even Clyde Drexler, well, sorry, that just ain't going to cut it.


And, when one has only so much time and stomach to devote to shows one doesn't even like, a choice had to be made and I went with what appeared to be the ratings sow.

So, off to my man-cave I'd trot every Tuesday and Wednesday night to watch America whittle away at "Idol's" pile of Carrie Underwood wannabe's, while my wife stayed upstairs, watching "Dancing" and lusting after some guy named "Maxim". Sounds like a brand of condom.

I was supremely confident I'd made the right choice, based on the early ratings.

Until this week.

This is the headline that greeted America in this morning's Drudge Report:

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272613566.shtml

It's the mouse that roared.

"Idol" numbers reportedly started tumbling as the show progressed--lots of us want to see people who sing worse than we do, but when it came down to watching talented folks go for the brass ring, many went elsewhere.

Sanjaya flamed out, so that little bit of intrigue was gone--remember people debating "Idol's" cred as if they had just seen Walter Cronkite doing an Oxy Clean ad? "Idol" lost a lot of it's sex appeal when both Faux Hawk and Haley got sent home, leaving behind a crop of talented but admittedly plain singers who had a lot of chops but little in the way of flash.

Having never watched "Idol", I expected more of a Roone Arledge touch to the production--the up-close-and-personal portraits of the remaining contestants so I'd have an emotional attachment to each and maybe one that was stronger than the rest...a tie so binding that I'd actually pick up a phone and vote, thus putting some skin on the game, as gamblers are wont to say.

Never happened.

Blake seemed like Chris who seemed like the bald guy who could sing well when loud but crappy when trying to eek out a ballad. The women--though skilled--didn't peg my interest meter, either.

Then there's the reality Paula Abdul--yes, Paul Abdul made a cogent point--kept alluding to toward the end of the Tuesday night show: they're all winners, because copping the "Idol" crown really doesn't mean much any more. This is one of the rare American competitions where the fans DO CARE who came in second, or third, or ninth. Contestants get weeks to develop fan bases which get stoked during the post-Idol tours and that can also produce recording contracts, fast tracks to radio play and thus, stardom. Yes, one can become famous (Chris Doughtry) without winning and one can also fade into oblivion (Ruben Studdard) even after posing for holy pictures with the judges once the final votes are in.

Hats off to my wife, who in the past has yanked off my blinders long enough to turn me onto such gal-friendly fare as "Gilmore Girls", "Seventh Heaven" and "Grey's Anatomy." She taught me the difference between Rachel Ray and the Barefoot Contessa, and also even turned me onto the original incarnations of "The Iron Chef."


Perhaps it's time to venture out of the man-cave more often and see what she's watching in her den.

Or, maybe it's time for me to master the wonders of picture in picture--I'll use the small screen for sports, and the big one for a possible Stacey Keibler comeback special.

How Far Did Larry Harris Toss His Lucky NBA Draft Rock, Anyway?

There's a dumpster somewhere in the Bradley Center, full of the Bucks' hopes and dreams.

It's probably full of the mock-ups of newspaper ads touting Milwaukee's re-emergence as an NBA power...brimming with discarded t-v and radio scripts hailing the fact that the Bucks landed the number one choice in the upcoming draft.

Then there are the ticket office phones...the ones that literally would've melted right on the desktop from the sheer volume of calls coming in from anxious fans wanting season packages, based on the hope that Greg Oden or Kevin Durant would be wearing green and red this fall.

Last night's NBA Lottery show--which amounts to watching a man in a suit open mail, as per one Internet description I read--gives Milwaukee one more reason to feel ambivalent about Secaucus, New Jersey.

It could've changed EVERYTHING: the Bucks' fortunes on the floor, it's prospects in the NBA, it's fate in the community.

General Manager Larry Harris did a fine job this morning when he joined us on Newsradio 620 WTMJ, touting the fact that Milwaukee will still get a fine athlete when the Bucks go sixth in the first round. That's not blowing smoke--it's a deep draft, but the glam is at one and two. Those are the guys who'd make a worst-to-first scenario very, very possible. They would've put the Bucks back on the local map. The finest GPS couldn't find Milwaukee on that chart after January, when injuries devastated the team.

It's not that fans don't like the Bucks. It's worse.

They feel...nothing.

Can that be turned around with a number six pick?

Doubtful.

A number one or two in the draft would've confirmed relevance upon the Bucks.

Now, it's going to have to get it the old fashioned way--they'll have to earn it.

One Is Done

"You read so SLOWLY. It sounded like you tried to enunciate EVERY WORD."

"Don't you know how to say 'plethora'?"

"I don’t expect to be surprised by audio of torture on my morning wake up show. "

So much for my Newsradio 620 WTMJ honeymoon phase.

The first one is done, and the fans are speaking. Many of you were very kind in assessing my first AM morning--for that, I thank you. And, a few were willing to give me constructive criticism as I try to refine my newfound craft. Thanks as well, for that.

Some could sense that I wasn't entirely comfortable--hence the comments about my news cadence. One early riser didn't care for my "Sopranos" summary, especially the part where I played the audio of Tony kicking in a rival's teeth--twice.

Live and learn.

My pants stayed dry but my pits were soaked by the time 4:59 rolled around, and hearing the top-of-the-hour-sounder put the adrenal glands into Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant overdrive. It's pretty intimidating to be looking across the studio at John Jagler--a quintessential pro, a great newsman, and an incredible local personality. Toss in Green Bay Packers voice Wayne Larrivee and you're talking a genuine pinch-me-and-say-I'm-really-doing-this-with-these-guys moment.

And, for all of the years I sat back in the radio newsroom with the likes of Frank Richardson, Ron Irwin, Kevin Fischer, Mark Reardon, Bob Reddin, Cheri Preston and others as they prepped their WTMJ shows as I did the same for 'KTI, I never actually had to go over to their side of the hallway and execute. That happened today, and it was a real education. I hope my tentative approach didn't detract from the performance.

We've all been through the rigors of the new job--different office, new computer systems, a group of strangers who suddenly are your co-workers. I'm fortunate in that I'm still in the same building, working with friends, for the same generous company that keeps giving me chances to grow. My duties may be new, but I'm surrounded by friendlies in a building I've been able to call home for almost 25 years.

I ask for your patience as I learn the proverbial ropes. It's a big tent, this Newsradio 620 WTMJ, inviting many folks to sample it's wares each morning. Some come for news, others for sports, weather, or business. And then, there are those who want a little personality tossed in.

Once I learn what happens when, and what all these new buttons mean, and when it's safe for me to leave the studio to go to the bathroom, I'll be a much better co-worker for John, Wayne and the rest of the Wisconsin's Morning News crew.

I'll also try dabbing on a little extra deodorant until the butterflies flutter away. That should be, oh, spring of 2008.

This Year's First Round NFL Draft Pick--Future Caption Contest Exhibit

Ah, weddings!





A couple exchanges vows before family and friends.





A gathering of the young and old.





And, a chance for all involved to terminally embarrass themselves.





Enter Brady Quinn.





The freshly minted Cleveland Browns quarterback got caught in costume at the recent nuptials uniting his sister, Laura, with Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk.

Good thing there's no such thing as the World Wide Web, where such photos could live on forever and ever.

D'oh!

Read A.J.'s take on his new bro-in-law in this morning's Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=608112

We Move On, After This...

Whew.

Never in my professional and personal life have I seen such an incredible, invigorating, sad, week. A new challenge awaits tomorrow morning, albeit minus a pair of valued co-workers.

My daughter is home, recovering after extensive oral surgery that left her mouth and hip sore, her pride a little bruised. She's on our couch again...a happier, healthier young lady who taught me many a lesson about grace when dealing with adversity.

One of the biggest ones: change often comes with pain, and almost always with a bit of uncertainty.

I'm nervous as hell heading into my new job tomorrow morning--I've been in radio since my junior year in high school (1973) and reading news since the Nixon administration. Still, the butterflies in my stomach will be the size of condors at 4:59:59 tomorrow morning when the Newsradio 620 WTMJ top of the hour sounder fires and it's show time.

Thanks to everyone--and I do mean everyone--who's written, called or commented on what's happened in the past seven days. I tried to get back to as many of you as I could, but I might've missed a couple of comments and I sincerely apologize if you didn't hear back. Between the professional turmoil and the personal upheaval, I hope you'll cut me just a little slack.

I've tried to read as much as I could about this, too--chats, blogs, links, newspaper columns. So many people with so many different takes, and more than a few conspiracy theories. There are plenty of hurt feelings, too, and it's all understandable.

This blog is a two-way street--I love the comments, good or bad. I'm flattered that so many of you came here looking for answers in recent days, and I hope you found what you were looking for. All I can give you is my honest take. I have no reason to sanitize or varnish.

Many have asked questions I can't really answer--I didn't pull any of last week's triggers, didn't put anyone into any new position, didn't show anyone out any door. I've been asked to do a job, one that I admittedly love, and I can't wait to take my hacks.

As for those answers, I refer you to my former boss, WKTI Program Director Bob Walker. He's been trying to stay out in front on all of this since the day it went down, and I commend him for facing the heat. His blog gives a concise explanation of what happened on the FM side of the building. I ask that you read it, and, if you have any more questions, be sure to contact Bob. I bet you get an answer.

http://ktipd.blogspot.com/index.html

This Won't Hurt A Bit, Mr. Mueller...

Scared?

You want scared?

Try listening to the radio one morning while you're talking your kid to school only to hear Charlie Sykes say that he has some "questions" for you later that day.

Welcome to Newsradio 620 WTMJ, Bucko!

I finally got into work Friday morning, for the first time since the events of earlier this week and my daughter's oral surgery. Time to move my stuff from one desk to another on the other side of the building (a cubicle with a corner window view). Time to say goodbye to FM colleagues (even though we'll still see each other in the coffee room and at the snack machines, among other places). Time to shake hands with friends on the AM side who are now co-workers striding toward the same goal.

And, time to chat on the air with Charlie.

Mr. Sykes is a kind, gracious guy with a quick wit, a massive intellect, and an interviewing technique that makes you feel as though your story is the most important, compelling one he's ever heard. I'd be honored if you'd give our conversation a listen:

http://media2.620wtmj.com/sykes/051807_Mueller_and_Sykes.mp3

The new era starts Monday morning. I'm anxious, scared, eager and worried all at once. Sleep won't come easy Sunday night, but it's a good kind of anticipation: the kind that comes with stepping into the unknown alongside such an incredible team of co-workers including John Jagler and the rest of the early crew that makes Wisconsin's Morning News what it is.

You can't believe how flattered I am to be part of it.

Perspective...

Everyone knows of the professional changes involving myself and those around me. Many of you have made a reach-out either via phone or by e-mail, and I appreciate each and every one. I've tried to answer as many as I can, but there's something else going on in my life that has my attention. It's not about cleaning out one desk and moving into another, or making sure my new computer at work is up and running.

It's my kids.

My daughter came home from college last week and got wheeled into an operating room hours after I said my professional hello's and goodbye's Tuesday morning. Nothing life-threatening, but anytime your kid leaves you on a hospital cart surrounded by folks in caps and gowns, it's a little unnerving.

She underwent scheduled oral surgery--six hours worth, as we try to undo the effects of a birth condition that left her with a bunch of missing teeth. She's recovering as we speak and should be home Friday, leaving me at the blender to hone by skills at malts and smoothies until her snags are up to my pork chops on the grill again.

Then there's my son--this was to be his big week, with a couple of solos and featured parts in his spring choral concert at Marquette High. Mom and I were to be in the crowd that same night, but all he got was me in the seats as my wife stayed at my daughter's side as she came out of the recovery room. He hit every note, and never bitched a bit about not getting the full treatment.

Perspective.

Tons of things may be going on in your life and you may think you're all that and the proverbial bag of Ripples. You may see your name in headlines, you might be all excited about personal prospects and professional accolades.

What matters is your kid coming out of surgery all pink, healthy, and intact.

What matters is your child on stage, reaching personal goals and conquering fears.

In the end, you are...well, you're dad. That's the job that counts. It won't get you in the paper if you do it right, but the rewards exceed any paycheck.

That stays the same, no matter what call letters are at the top of your blog.

Goodbye...and Hello!

First, a big thanks.

Thanks to everyone who came to this blog looking for something new, and finding nothing until now. I apologize, but as you can understand, it's been crazy-go-nuts for the last 24 hours or so.

Besides today's big news on the radio, my daughter is undergoing some rather involved oral surgery this afternoon at an area hospital. She's been in the O-R for six hours, and all is well, but as you can see, I've had to tend to the home fires before addressing what went on this morning. Add to that a son who has a solo in tonight's high school spring concert--he needs a cheering section, and I'm proud to provide it.

Time is at a premium, and I'd just like to say that the last hours have been the textbook definition of "mixed emotions": great joy at the honor of being given a chance to joint the legacy that is Newsradio 620 WTMJ, and sadness at the departures of two colleagues, Ken Hererra and my sidekick, Gino.

The way in which these two guys handled some really bad news is something to be admired--I don't know if I could do it as well as they did. I truly meant what I said on the air this morning about good things happening even after suffering such a setback. There were a million things I wanted to get in, but emotions made it hard to croak out even the basics during the final FM moments.

A new life awaits yours truly down the hall with an incredible ensemble--I'm humbled to be among them, and will do my best to deliver the proverbial goods. I'm TRULY stoked.

I'll be away the next few days, making milkshakes for a post-surgical daughter and trying to find out where they stash the stationery on the 'TMJ side of the building. Stay with me, folks, because the blog isn't going anywhere.

I just have to change three letters in the name.

I Don't Like Being A Headline

Funny when someone in the news business BECOMES news.

I can't speak to anything that you've read in the paper or on the web in the last 18 hours or so, but things will be made clear at around 7:35 or so this morning on KTI.

Thanks for everyone's interest.

This, Too, Shall Pass. Like A Kidney Stone.

I get the feeling that if Brett Favre told reporters he liked the green grass at Lambeau Field, Packers G.M. Ted Thompson would have it ripped out and replaced with blue Astro-Turf.

So it goes in Green Bay these days as Favre vents about the team's inability to land wide receiver Randy Moss. Packers nation is once again forced to ponder life without Number 4, while wondering as well if the face of the franchise will ever be able to play nice with it's general manager.

Favre is in full retreat after apparently making a trade demand right as New England swooped in and swiped Moss from the Oakland Raiders. He may be saying all the right things now that it hit the papers, but is there any doubt he actually said it?

Thompson never denied it in his limp-wristed Mother's Day response on Packers.com, saying only that he and Favre share the same goal: 2007 success.

A couple of things strike me about all this:

1) Would Randy Moss honestly turn the Packers from an 8-8 team into Super Bowl contenders?
Sure, he as skills that could make the Green Bay offense more dangerous, but there are still
gaping holes on this team that make me wonder if it could win the division, much less the
conference.

2) Did we all suddenly get amnesia as to what a horses' hand-down Moss can be? Do Packers
fans REALLY want this potential cancer in a locker room full of young impressionables?

3) Moss used to torment the Packers as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Is anyone struck
by the fact that he's doing the same now, in this tumultuous offseason, without even putting
on pads?

4) Do the ongoing retooling of the Packers and Favre's sunset years have to be mutually
exclusive? Can't Thompson tweak his roster without operating contrary to Favre? Is
Favre out of line for asking for a veteran wideout or some other sort of free agent
acquisition?

5) Isn't it time for both of these guys to man-up and go in front of a microphone to explain
this Mother's Day Mess, instead of hiding behind sugar-coated news releases and
secretaries that are paid to say, "No, I'm sorry, he's not in. May I take a message?"
Favre has a history of going away after bad games, or giving his best stuff to the national
media. Thompson's rapport with Packers Nation is, what shall we say, tepid at best, with
all the warmth that comes when a taxpayer sits down with the IRS dude for an audit.
This is a team full of citizen owners who deserve more accountability.

6) The timing of this is VERY suspect--it's keeping me from devoting 100% of my attention
to things that really count: the Brewers, "Dancing With The Stars" and the final week or so
of "American Idol".

Happy Mother's Day! Favre Wants A Trade!

We interupt this era Brewer warm-and-fuzzies to tell you about one p.o.'d Packers quarterback.

Brett Favre wants to be traded, or, at least he did right after the draft.

That's the news that shattered those Mother's Day gatherings dotting the land this fair Sunday afternoon.

FoxSports NFL beat writer Jay Glazer broke the story and it's getting fleshed in with other pieces in the Journal/Sentinel (which made no mention of the trade demand--just Favre's displeasure with the team's inability to land Randy Moss).

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=604780

There's more grist for the mill in Favre's apparent organ of choice, the Biloxi Sun-Herald, which has a Favre friend on staff in the person of Al Jones. Read his Sunday piece on the situation right here:

http://www.sunherald.com/228/story/52533.html

The website ProFootballTalk.com has more, including this article that ran in the hours before the Glazer story broke:

HAS FAVRE ALREADY ASKED FOR A TRADE?

"We've received several e-mails over the past week or so suggesting that message board postings from an administrator named "DavidPHX" on Brett Favre's official web site indicate that Favre has asked for a trade. "DavidPHX" has been characterized to us by multiple readers as a long-time Favre friend.
In response to a rumor that Favre has asked to be traded in the wake of the Randy Moss mess, DavidPHX posted on May 5, "Sorry Folks but I can't deny this rumor."
Later in the day, DavidPHX elaborated: "Hypothetically let's say it was true, it is more a personal issue between someone and [Ted Thompson]. Honesty, integrity is very important to some. It is not an issue of a player demanding a certain person on the team. That person would never do this. It could be a issue that a certain person told him you give an answer [about playing in 2007] before the [Super Bowl] and I will get you help? Then that person leading him to believe that he was serious about Randy?"
Then, DavidPHX added this: "Many of the reporters in Green Bay have heard this rumor also. Problem is they fear someone to[o] much to write about it. They want a certain person to confirm and that person is way to[o] loyal and not that type of a football player to let personal issues become part of the game?"
Apparently, "that person" recently has decided to blow off some steam on this one, and it might not be long before word comes out that Favre has asked to be moved."

The site goes on to say that it's insiders have been telling them Favre doesn't care for Thompson, and opines that one or the other will be gone before the 2007 begins.

Yikes. Hope we didn't spoil your special day, Mom. And, I wonder what this story will be like when it's Dad's turn in the hammock.

Hints For The Horsehide-Challenged...

So now we're ALL Brewers fans, huh?

That's great. Winning baseball games does that for a franchise and we who've suffered through Izzy Alcantara and Randy Ready are more that willing to share a Miller Park seat next to someone who thinks the Brewers just got to Milwaukee last month.

That said, there are some things the newbies need to know.

--The "wave" sucks. And, if you're going to do it, at least have the smarts to roll it out during a dead-spot, not when the game is about to turn. If you want to "wave", wait 'til September and go to Madison. It's a big hit at Wisconsin football games and the fact the students are so into it makes it almost cool.

Almost.

--Kill the cellphone. I don't want to hear you making post-game plans with your buddies, trying to do business during a day game, or, worst of call, trying to find out where another knot-headed pal with too many extra minutes to burn is sitting in the ballpark. If you're really that good of friends, you'd probably be sitting next to each other or at least talking out the seating arrangements ahead of time. If he wasn't worth inviting to the game in the first place, he's not worth ruining my enjoyment of the contest now.

--Lastly--never, ever say the phrase, "Boy, this game is REALLY going fast!"

I covered a handful of games in the course of my broadcast career, and had press box privileges on a few occasions. A sure way to be ostracized by veteran baseball scribes, reveal yourself as an idiot, and be shunned by anyone who knows the game is to remark how rapidly the day's/night's proceedings are moving along. It's the baseball equivalent of Nellie Connally saying to JFK, "You can't say Dallas doesn't love you, Mr. President!" as their limo rolled into Dealy Plaza in November of '63.

It's a sure way to bring the game to a screeching halt. It's usually uttered around the fourth or fifth inning when it appears that, yes, if things continue at their present clip, you'll be home in time to see "CSI". The newbie's math is dead-on, but the logic is tragically flawed.

National League games don't really start until about the fifth or sixth, after the starter's been on the bump for a while and the hitters have had a few cracks at him. Adjustments are made, the offense usually starts kicking in and the runs start piling up. With that come pitching changes, and thus, much slower proceedings. There's a reason they put the sausage race where they do--it's to keep the marginal fan in his/her seat as the process comes to a near-crawl.

Keep these simple suggestions in mind, and you'll not only enjoy the game more yourself, you'll also come off as someone who knows the difference between John Jaha and Jeffrey Leonard. You'll look like a fan who remembers the halcyon days of Bill Wegman and Dicke Thon...Jeff Cirillo's first Milwaukee tour of duty...and the local anchorwoman who Brewers outfielder Darryl Hamilton married (Shaun Robinson, who's now a big-time LA entertainment reporter).

I'll continue to publish suggestions as the season progresses--let me know if there are any I missed at mueller@wkti.com. And, let's hope the good times keep rolling this summer--newbies at the ballpark are a sure sign of baseball success.

Why Didn't I Invent This Thing??

THIS is my summertime gift to you.

I don't cook--well, I do, but nothing fancy and very little that's really good, but it's enough to stick to the family's ribs as my wife keeps working late. She often says, "You REALLY like to cook!" I say, "No, I really have to EAT!"

That said, I take the guy's way out once things warm up and lean heavily on my grill to get me through dinnertime.

They don't allow you to leave Sheboygan until you know how to grill a brat--soak 'em, fry 'em, then finish them in beer and onions. Hamburgers, steaks and fish--can do. Turkey? Possibly the easiest thing to do over charcoal, and guys can be golden for the rest of the year if they're willing to brave a freezing deck/patio and d0 up a Freezer Eagle on the Weber come Thanksgiving Day. A cheap eat, too.

The issue for many people, though, is how to start said coals.

Back in the day, my dad used something called "white gas" which he bought in exotic places and which I always suspected was some sort of moonshine. Then again, if that were the case, he would've poured it down his cakehole instead of over charcoal.

There's lighter fluid, which is relatively efficient but leaves behind that "refinery" flavor that makes your food taste as though you cooked it on the engine block of a '66 Impala with blown gaskets.

That's where the charcoal chimney comes in.

Simple in design, brilliant in it's simplicity.

The cylinder is split roughly into thirds--the top two go to unlit charcoal. The bottom to unlit newspaper.

Light the paper, and let the magic begin.

The charcoal chimney never fails, and the coals aren't tainted by refined fossil fuels, so you get the pure taste of grilling without your brats tasting as though they got soaked with Mobil 87 octane.

Chimneys can be had almost everywhere--Weber makes their own, and I know Rokamko in West Allis has 'em in stock. Hardware stores have knockoffs. All work. Some last longer than others.

This, my friends, is my contribution to your summer. Think of me as you drop the match.

The only thing that'll make your food taste better, or your cooking time go faster, is listening to Uecker and Powell while you turn your links. And, might I suggest, a cold frosty one on the side.

Watching Less? No, Watching BETTER...

Do you know ANYONE watching LESS television?

Didn't think so.

I don't see appliance stores going dark. The lots at American and Colders seem fairly full. Same for Best Buy and Circuit City.

I don't see landfills brimming with discarded sets.

If anything, the people I know don't have enough time to see all the shows they want.

Which is exactly my point.

"Figures Show TV Viewers Decreasing" screams the "Time" magazine headline this morning. It may not be true, but it sure snags you by the orbs.

"In TV's worst spring in recent memory," the article says, " a startling number of Americans drifted away from television the past two months: More than 2.5 million fewer people were watching ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox than at the same time last year, statistics show."

Then comes the money shot: "Scariest of all for the networks, however, is the idea that many people are now making their own television schedules. The industry isn't fully equipped to keep track of them, and as a result the networks are scrambling to hold on to the nearly $8.8 billion they collected during last spring's ad-buying season."

It's not that we're watching LESS. We're just doing it when we want to, and the industry doesn't know how to measure it.

TiVo and DVR shows only get weighed into the Nielsens if they're viewed within 24 hours of airing. If not, it's as if you never wasted that hour seeing "Ugly Betty."

This ratings business isn't a perfect science. Need more proof?

Nielsen also doesn't count I-Pod or computer downloaded shows, either.

I don't doubt we all have things to do--kids' soccer, a child's school play, the siren song of the computer with endless "YouTube" downloads. There are only so many hours in the day. But most folks I know seem to work in all of the above, and then some, while still staying conversant about "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" via the new-fashioned time-shift.

The networks have unique issues, for sure: they don't have the latitude to be as adult as cable offerings. Shows cost a lot, which is why they only make a certain number, to be dolloped out only during "the sweeps" (that's why many of your faves go away for weeks at a time--and the Big Four wonder why we lose interest in "Lost" or "Heroes" after they get us hooked?). Speciality cable channels suck away those who'd rather get home repair tips, a new chili recipe, or a fresh take on a modern marvel.

The folks who should really be worried are advertisers. In the course of managing the fine art of Nielsen Meter Massage, the networks are killing their own products with momentum-crushing hiatuses that remove hot shows from the prime time grid for what feels like an entire high school semester. Numbers sink, and the Big Four aren't getting as big of a bang for their buck.

Toss in the fact we, the people, can now push a button and make entire blocks of commercials vanish and, well, it's pretty obvious that the ad industry has some 'splainin' to do.

It's a great time to be a t-v viewer. A myriad of programs on cable and satellite. Content that appeals to all tastes. High def to make shows/events come alive. The ability to time shift, so we can see what we want, when we want, as often as we care to see it. The ability to be your own editor to zap away slow parts/annoying ads.

No, it's not that we're watching less television--far from it. The power is in the hands (and remotes) of the viewers. The industry just has to figure out a way to count us. We're out there, watching.

I have an ass-groove dug deep into my couch to prove it.

Read the "Time" article right here:

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1618796,00.html

I've Got "The Secret"...

I haven't bought it...and probably won't.

I haven't read it...and I doubt I will.

But, like every other good American and radio talk show host, that won't stop me from having an opinion on it.

We're talking "The Secret" here--the Oprah-approved self-help tome that's become an industry onto itself. It's a book, it's a C-D, it's a floor wax, it's a dessert topping. It's raking in millions.

But, is it a scam?

I've blogged before about "The Secret"--not so much about the content, but rather the phenomenon. I've never doubted the power of Oprah--NEVER doubt the power of Oprah. And, I guess that I shouldn't be amazed that there are so many people out there, desperate for simple answers to all of their problems. That's why people living through hard times manufacture scapegoats. That's why there are shelves full of diet books, telling you that you can lose weight eating nothing but pizza and frozen custard.

I haven't ponied up for "The Secret" but I'm living it vicariously through others who have--the results, suffice to say, are mixed, with the more critical reviews tending to come from those who live outside the gravitational pull of Planet Winfrey.

The latest comes from Slate magazine. I invite you to read it, and to tell me about your own experience with "The Secret".

http://www.slate.com/id/2165746/

Thanks Again For Sticking Around...

Change sucks.

My inner-Milwaukeean chants that mantra over and over again--I like things the way they are, and if I don't, I don't use/touch/talk to/hang around them.

Our happy little radio chuckle hut is getting more than its share of change lately, and I want to thank those of you who've stayed with us during this long, winding journey.

We had the year-long sendoff of our beloved Bob Reitman, and then, three months later, the depature of Amy Taylor. Both deserve the lives they want: Reitman's retirement is well earned, and he left at the top of his game. Amy's choice was admittedly abrupt but impossible to challenge--who's going to argue with a mom who wants to stay home with triplets in their formulative years?

That leaves Gino and me to hold the fort, with the talented Jenna Mueller filling in. We're glad to have her, and I thank you for the comments you sent in both via this blog and on mueller@wkti.com. They're overwhelmingly positive toward Jenna, and we've relayed what you've said to her, altho the woman remains virtually IMPOSSIBLE to compliment. She dismisses almost every one of the valentines sent her way the past week--usually figuring that the writer is a relative or close friend.


No one likes their morning routines disrupted--be it someone leaving the cap off the toothpaste, burning thru all the hot water, or goofing with their a.m. radio cohorts. We've been blessed to have been a relatively steady ship for almost a quarter of a century, and we who remain thank you for your continued support.

Again, I ask that you send your thoughts to us as we work through the transition. Tell me what you like and what you think should go by writing me at mueller@wkti.com. I'll share the knowledge with my colleagues and, yes, even with management, even if you're doing a rip-job.

And, I'll pass the compliments on to Jenna, alto I'm sure she won't take kindly to them.

Rolling Out The Barrel...

Oh, THIS will fix EVERYTHING.





The St. Louis Cardinals take beer out of their locker room in the wake of the recent death of pitcher Josh Hancock...a locker room build inside BUSCH Stadium...an ediface that honors, salutes, hails, memorializes and pours beer. Barrels of it.













Baseball and beer go together. Take it from someone who just spent the afternoon at Miller Park...MILLER, that is, named after the brewery that sits just down the street from the stadium.

It's the home of the Brewers, who are named after those who make beer. It's filled with taps and bottles and glasses and cups all brimming with the stuff, not to mention signage that encourages you to drink more of it.


And, I don't see anything wrong with that.



Beer is made for adults, and adults make choices. Some are better than others. My choice this very afternoon was Diet Pepsi, since I drove.


Josh Hancock made a bad one. A fatal one. A choice that thankfully, didn't take anyone else's life.


He did the bulk of his drinking his last night in a bar, after the game. Most of today's athletes opt for protein shakes and the weight room after the final out. Hancock opted for 12 ounce free-weights across the street.



Banning beer in clubhouses may make management feel good, by sending a sign to fans that, damn it all anyway, we're serious about our players drinking. To accomplish that, we'll treat grown men like children.

The truth is, they probably do it for liability reasons--they don't want to get sued if an employee gets crocked on premises and slams into a family of six on the way home from the park.



Clubs should extend to players the same courtesy they do their fans: you make the choice, and you're trusted to make the responsible one. If baseball was truly serious about distancing itself from alcohol, it would roll the barrels out, replace the taps with milk cartons and take the brewery names off the cornerstone.

That won't happen. And, it shouldn't.

Treat fans like adults. Players, too.

Josh Hancock got a wake-up call three days before the crash that claimed his life, when he was in an accident that authorities say was inches away from killing him. Hancock didn't get it. He made irresponsible choices, right up until the one that killed him. The team didn't intervene with dicipline or counseling when it was apparent Hancock was hitting it too hard.

He won't get another chance to make another one--others, though, shouldn't lose their opportunity because of his poor ones.

The Textbook Definition of Schadenfruede

Joy, from the misery of others.

That's schadenfreude--a German term immortalized in the bawdy and hilarious Broadway hit, "Avenue Q". And, it's what's washing over me like Lake Michigan waves today upon hearing the Lakers' Kobe Bryant whining for help after L.A.'s elimination from the N.B.A. playoffs.

“Do it and do it now,” he said. “Personally for me, it’s beyond frustration — three years and still being at ground zero. This summer’s a big summer. We have to see what direction we want to take as an organization and make those steps and make them now.”

My infant daughter put it best from her crib 19 years ago when she said, "wah, wah, wah".

This is the same selfish thug who got what he asked for: Shaquille O'Neal shipped out of Los Angeles because Kobe couldn't stand sharing the spotlight. There's only one ball at any N.B.A game, and Bryant isn't happy unless it's constantly in his hands being fired at the closest rim.This is the same Kobe who has the stones to cry for help when, in the final game against Phoenix, he is credited with one--count 'em, one--assist. The same Bryant who missed 17 of the 33 shots he took on the evening, including a stretch where he missed eight in a row, while going 2-8 from three-point range.

I had no ax to grind against Byrant as he became the N.B.A.'s all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips early in his career--there was no doubting his talent altho questions lingered about his head.

Then came the allegations in Colorado, the admitted infidelity and the ring that won the wife back, the O'Neal trade, the selfishness, the elbows launched in anger at foes who had the audacity to play defense against him. His unique brand of hoop that has his teammates refusing to play as one, as proven by the fact the Lakers had a mere SEVEN assists as a team in the finale. Contrast L.A. with the Suns and Steve Nash who had more assists by himself (10).

And now, Kobe is surrounded by the likes of Luke Walton, Smush Parker, and Ronnie Turiaf. No stars, just the way he wanted it.

And, no title, just the way we Bryant Bashers love it.

This could almost make me enjoy pro basketball again.

...But When THEY Do It, It's News

When in doubt, do a story ripping TV news.

The latest Shepherd Express packs a column that pretty much disembowels local news--the piece by Dennis Shook can be had online:

http://shepherd-express.com/1editorialbody.lasso?-token.folder=2007-05-03&-token.story=177047.113121&-token.subpub=

In the interest of full disclosure, I work in a building with a TV station down the hall. I know many of the folks who work there, on-air and off. Some even share time with us each morning.

Are they perfect? No. Nor am I, or anyone else who ever sat at a keyboard and tried to tell someone else's story. We strive to get it right, and fell worse than you can imagine when we don't.

I even agree with some of Dennis Shook's observations, but I also understand that TV news, sad to say, is just like "American Idol", "House" and "Grey's Anatomy" in that it's success is measured ratings period to ratings period. That's the business. Deal.

Shook brings up one of the biggest, most consistently raised beefs about television news: the way it's reporters stake out victims, witnesses, and loved ones for reaction pieces on a terrible event that's just occurred in their lives. The "how do you feel" video that is often cited as the work of the lazy reporter...or, worse yet, the critics say, the interview with the relative of someone who's just lost a loved on.

Why, then, is it okay for newspaper reporters to do those same stories?

I'll tell you: you don't see the process in action.

Would we even know that the man shot at a local gas station a few weeks ago was, indeed, a much-loved and respected Waukesha area boxing coach had a reporter not asked some questions of those who knew him best?

Did anyone complain about pestering grieving relatives and friends when the story--lush with reaction and even some pictures--ran in the local paper a day or so later?

No, because the tears don't show up on newsprint, the way they do on videotape.

No, because the pain in a voice doesn't come through in a quote that's read in black and white.

The electronic media capture the face, record the voice and pump the emotion right into your living room. Yes, it's hard to watch or hear. You're in on the process as it's being done--the paper doesn't let you in on that. It can't.

The hardest assignment any reporter ever gets is the "reaction" piece--knocking on that door or picking up the phone to call someone affected by tragedy. Yet, it's part of the story--whether it's in print or on the tube--to put a "face" on those we cover. To let the world know that the guy dead at the gas station is more than just another faceless murder victim--that he had a name, a job, a life, and that his death created a void. It's how readers and viewers connect.

And, don't forget, the grieving have a right to say "no" when the phone rings and the cameras show up.

Our print brethren are in competition for eyes, too. Pick up a Milwaukee Journal or Sentinel from 20 years ago, and compare it to the one that landed on your doorstep this morning. See any difference?

Milwaukee Magazine does some pretty fine work--the most recent edition packed a compelling piece on home improvement magnate John Mennard, but you'd barely know the story was within the pages of an edition swaddled with a cover touting "25 New Restaurants." "Best Of's" catch eyes. A picture of the "Save Big Money" man probably wouldn't.

The marriage of journalism and commerce is an uncomfortable one, to say the least. In a perfect world, television news wouldn't be rated and it would run strictly as a community service.

You know what would happen then?

No television news, because there'd be no way to pay for it.

There are electronic journalistic atrocities, yes, and there are trends that make some cringe. The quest for big numbers is no justification for sloppy journalism, sensationalism or lack of conscience.

Sadly, the numbers seem to show that more and more of us are liking the skeevier side of life on the tube, the flash and the flare and the "what would Jack Bauer do" kind of stuff that gets branded as "the most local coverage."

As easy as it is to criticize, the viewers sometimes get the news they want--or at least, accept.

Life Minus Amy--Day Three

My cellphone NEVER buzzes at 5:45 A.M.

Those who know me know where I am--working--and they don't call.

So, when I felt the dull buzz along my pant leg Monday morning I figured I knew who it was.

Amy Taylor.

On a day when most people who'd just gotten off a shift requiring ridiculously early alarm settings would be sleeping in, Amy's calling to say hi and thanks and any number of incredibly nice things about her final day at KTI.

That's the kind of woman she is and why we're happy to have had her as long as we did.

Jenna Mueller is filling in--no relation, by the by--and we're having a blast. Some of you remember her from her days as a reporter on Today's TMJ 4. Like Amy, she left when kids came along, but she'd fill in on occasion when Amy or Gino were gone. She's a natural--a local, who knows the area, blessed with a husband who doesn't mind being the butt of Jenna's on-air jabs.

Thanks to everyone who sent e-mails or who called in, wishing Amy a fond farewell or complementing Jenna for her work over the past few days.

It's been a strange stretch--what with Reitman's retirement last December and now, Amy goin' home. Change doesn't come easy, but it goes down better when you know that people you care about are happy in their new roles: Bob as a man of leisure, Amy as a full time mom. They left a rocky, unstable business of their own accord, which is something very few who do radio can say. Usually, it's crappy ratings, an ownership change, a new program director, or some focus group that determines when you're turning in your key lanyard. I salute anyone who gets out before they're gotten.

Thanks to all of you who've stayed with us through the changes. We're having nothing but fun with Jenna, on the air and when the mikes are off. We hope she feels the same, and that the listeners are liking what they hear.

No matter what--good or bad--I want you to tell me about it. Drop a comment here, or you can reach me at mueller@wkti.com.