Four Years Already

It's Nine O'Clock On A Saturday     The Regular Crowd Shuffles In     There Is An Old Man Sitting Next To Me    Making Love To His Tonic And Gin      He Says ," Son Can You Play Me A Memory? I'm Not Really Sure How It Goes    But It Is Sad And Sweet And I Knew It Complete    When I Wore A Younger Man's Clothes"      Sing Us A Song     You're The Piano Man    Sing Us A Song Tonight  

Billy Joel 1973

CYCLING:

Definitely one of my better months this calendar year but nothing impressive by any means. Believe me, I am far from tooting my own horn here. 

Hours - 47

PR's - Zero

Miles - 253 / 407.16 K's 

Days On The Bike - 27

Days Not - 3

Activities - 32

SEPTEMBER:

Talk about a Nut Case of a Month!!! No Sh*T 

One of the bigger punches to the gut, there will be a few in the post, a Sunday text informing me that my office space on the third floor will no longer be available as of November 1st. No Phuc-N Way 

Paying rent on time, walking the walk of the talk you talk, and a team player just doesn't carry the merit it once has. So I am now fending for myself, the cost of new Biz Cards / Advertising, losing the ideal space, and having to reach out to clients to explain what's beyond my control totally blows chunks.

But the optimist in me is understanding that the glass is HALF FULL AGAIN. Hosting an open house, reaching out to clients that have been dormant for a period, and a new design of biz cards will be refreshing and full of opportunities for me. Well, it's how I am projecting myself at the moment. 

BULLSH*T:

Talk about digital BS. When blogger added or switched or updated the RSS formate, this particular blog has been lost in the shuffle. My lasted post hasn't broke 100 yet. I mean it is what it is after all and this blog of mine is just that, my entries. A journal of my own documents and reminders of the good times. Damn Good Times 

When the blogger site "fixed" the comment errors and all that awhile back, my 1,000+ views dropped significantly. The saying is so true; You Get What You Pay For. And why is my SPAM folder full of updates from Blogger?? Who Knows  

HERASSMENT:

Yes, you are reading this correctly. The Executive Director at KAFM is a defensive narcissistic. She hired her girlfriend for the Program Director position and that lady is beyond useless and is completely in over her head. Her middle schooler education at best hasn't helped her cause as a Program Director. I say this as her emails are ALWAYS followed up with a second email correcting her first email. Plenty of examples I could bore you with. For over a year she has been a laughing stock and greeted with a shake of a head when her name is mentioned by fellow volunteers. Embarrassing  

This PD sent me 12 emails demanding that I sign her Employee Hand Book back when she first came on staff with KAFM. Yes, I have all 12 of those emails in a folder as I presented them to the Board of Directors. This same PD sent me 4 emails recently after my last four shows pointing out all my faults and 'rule' breaking infractions. One email claimed that I have jeopardized the station of a $20,000 fine from the FCC. 

We all know she pulled that figure out of her A$$ and if it was true, an email should not have been the form of communication. A phone call for setting up a face to face in person meeting would be the professional way of handling this matter. Outreach 101

Now I have been forwarding ALL of her email to friends, past board members, and business associates and the feedback is always entertaining as we are all well aware that this lady is a nut job. Her emails are lame, pathetically full of grammar errors, and how does anyone miss spell words in this day and age. Two Words SPELL CHECK 

So I hosted the Tied To The Tracks program and featured The Munsters and the PD lost her Sh*t. She emailed me the most fragmented unprofessional email with phases of " I Hate " taking ownership of the station has never been in her wheelhouse and my favorite sentence " ... just send me an email like everyone else does ... " This email has gone viral among us volunteers and the replies are a classic. 

She poked the wrong bear here. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and called her at KAFM. My intention was to ask her to call a truce. I called her extension 8 times last week and she never once answered to phone. This led me to began a crusade to boycott the Fall FUNd Drive at KAFM but ...

I made it very clear as I spoke with fellow programmers that I do NOT want to "bring" KAFM down and I am not disinclined with KAFM the station. Would never ask programmers to bail on their shows during the fund drive or any time slot for Phuc sakes. Simply boycott this Fall Drive as a communal way of waking the Board of Directors up. Here is the problem. All 17 programmers emailed me back, They Haven't Donated A Dime In Over A Year. I have spoke with about 18 or 19 programmers in various locations and they all married the same phase. A majority of past programmers have ether quit their show and / or pulled their funding means. The stories they shared with me about the interaction with staff is repulsive. We all knew the current situation was bad but this is even more than damaging for the station as a collective. My goal now is to bring life back into the station. KAFM's legacy CAN'T end with these two Phuc Wits in play. 

There is a boycott already in place but we all never knew it or spoke of that fact amongst the masses. Everyone still speaks highly of other programmers but it is across the board that nobody supports staff. Only because I have attended numerous Board Meets as Joe Q Public , have been frequently attending off and on for 20 years now , the fund raising has plummeted over the past two years. The ED has continued to blame COVID but the problem with that "hide behind" suggestion is the other 5 Non Profit Community Radio Stations On The Western Slope Of Colorado have thrived this year. Well, four stations for sure but I can not verify or speak for the station in Crusty Cortez. For Context Here

KVNF made their $60,000.oo goal, KDNK went over their $85,000.oo goal over a three week fund raiser, KOTO had a goal to raise the funds to pay off their building and successfully accomplish that endeavor, and KBUT in Crested Butte raised $40,000.oo during a week long fund drive. KAFM's ED told the board during the May B.O.D. meeting that KAFM raised $17,000.oo during the Spring Fund Drive. However, thanks to inside information, only a few pennies over $12,000 was actually collected. Let That Sink In 

The other writing on the wall was in the latest group email sent out from the PD. This dipSh*T sent out an email regarding this Fall FUNd Drive 2022 and failed to add dates, times, and promote new programmers. Well, the two new programmers. But Still!!! Anyway, she claims that the annual Zombie Prom, no theme was mentioned, will be at the Mesa Theater. Well what do you know, the Theater is booked with bands and ZERO mention of Zombie Prom on their calendar of events. The PD attached a PDF for October's on air schedule and there are 28 available time slots. 28!!!! That clearly displays how many volunteers these two wack jobs have run off. 28 Open Time Slots in October 

Below is the email that this inadequate PD sent me after my show featuring The Munsters I previously mentioned above. She clearly deserves, no, is entitled to an increase of pay for such an amazing job performance. I am pretty sure that I have never heard a mentor or supervisor tell me they hate what I have done. I know for a fact that I have never had a boss tell me that they hate my style in writing. Who emails with hate in their banter of reasoning and fails to go back to delete or rework their thoughts or concerns?? 

atie Meyering	Wed, Sep 28, 10:59 AM (4 days ago)
to me, Cyrene

Travis,

When you sub for a show you need to log Spinitron and make music logged is correct.  The mashup you did for Suzi came up as Scott Bradlee's Post Modern Jukebox feat Morgan James and the song came up as Take me to Church.  We pay royalties based on the accuracy of Spinitron, we need to get it right.

The descrep log is not the place to let me know that the Peter Trosclair Studio is dusgustingly filthy.  We have a cleaning service that come in Wednesday and cleans the studio and office.  The rest of the time we, being whomever is on air or in the studio that notices it dirty, we clean up.  Take trash out.  I don't "clean up after" the volunteers.  Everyone needs pitch in.  so if you notice the dirt, clean it up.  No one is above doing this.  The discrepancy log is to be used for technical issues, not to complain.  If you want to complain then send an email like everyone else.

Stop talking over music.  It doesn't sound cool and I hate it when a good instrumental comes on and someone talks over it.  It's disappointment, listener want to hear the music not you going on and on.

Icecast:  The number that shows up is NOT the number of listeners, it the number of IP addresses that are listening which could be way more than what you are talking about.  Just an FYI.

Katie

Program Director

KAFM Community Radio

1310 Ute Ave 

GJ CO 81501

Does that email boggle your mind?? Besides the unprofessional elementary grammar errors, who would ever send this rant to a volunteer?? The Spinitron she refers to is a company that collects data. Spinitron has added Japanese or Korean or Chinese characters to songs airing that it does not seem to recognize in realtime. Spinitron auto fills song titles so that it eliminates the miss spelled 20 something enters of Beatles White Album as an example of the problems Spinitron faced when the software was in its infancy. Whatever?!?!? It is also new to me and fellow volunteers that KAFM has been paying royalties. Again, WoW. On that discrepancy log that she mentions , she never addresses the other entry I made that the Entertainment Calendar read was for the previous week that already happened. Yes, the Entertainment Calendar was out dated by a week and my current show she is bagging on was Labor Day Weekend.  Again, not her job apparently as accuracy eludes her these days in the Program Director position. 

The PD fails to recognize that us volunteers have cleaned, mopped bathrooms, pulled weeds outside of the building, and have vacuumed countless times. We have instilled more pride in this building than she ever will and even states that she refuses to do so in that Email. These basic tasks are no longer going on as a result of NO Leadership Skills throughout this entity. But she is right, I should just send off an email to deaf ears like the troops have. Classic 

They other funny thought and pettiness is the fact that she believes I never knew the Icecast tracks IP Addresses. Duh!!! Throughout my show, two hours or three hours, I read the weather in Celsius and acknowledge the streaming listeners. Always Have, Always Will. I send text messages for years now promoting my upcoming show and you readers have been updated about an upcoming show a time or two. I will start  the show with 7 on line listeners, then 14 listeners, and update throughout the show. I mention by name of the caller that took the time to call me while on air and express their joy of hearing Herman Munster clips and what nots. Happily read appropriate text messages on air from folks and have always acknowledged Gary in Glade Park when he resurfaces. Here is the bigger question: What makes her email attractive for anyone to donate $$$$ to the station? Follow up question: Who would join an organization with this kind of feedback? Last Statement, a board member informed me during my failing crusade that the ED required all the current board of directors to fill out an online Harassment sheet and complete that program. Calling The Kettle Back 

Now, for the 'Rule" breaking!! This refers to the PD 's email that I could have cost the station $20,000 for not airing the KAFM Liner Produced Spots that Traffic produces. I.E. you are listening to KAFM Grand Junction. Now, during a membership drive, a listener calls in, they give the station a credit card number, a debit card number, or a bank account number and KAFM deducts $5, $10, or whatever amount and that is coined a sustaining membership. All sustaining members receive an entry into KAFM's yearly raffle. These raffles are monitored by the State of Colorado to curve cheating, embezzlement,etc. There are a handful of rules and guidelines that you must comply with when you are a non profit hosting a raffle of goods. Two of my friends, G & B were burnt last year by the ED and pulled their sustaining membership. They have not donated a dollar in almost two years now. Guess what??? They BOTH received a raffle tix as a sustaining member in good standing for the Elton John in Vegas Raffle last month. And I am the full on rule breaker here??? Staff has displayed zero accountability and clearly have no clue as to who or how they are collecting funds for the station. 

I was riding yesterday when I crossed paths with a husband and wife duo that have hosted a show on KAFM for years now. I wasn't up to speed that he had quit the station because of the ED and she is still holding strong. As I was sharing my thoughts of boycotting , they explained to me the husband only dropped $120 during the wife's show last spring, this text rolled in from long time programmer. I gave them the look, showed them this text, and said," I am telling you, I receive texts just like this at least once a month." 

KAFM is built into my helix and I am not about to quit or turn my back on the station. I completely sympathize with those that have left and understand where they are coming from. But quitting the station only allows the ED and PD the advantage in believing that they are winning. The facts speak for themselves and the ED and PD are not capable of growing a non profit radio station. Outreach is a foreign concept for these two. Again, they poked the wrong bear. 

BOY DOG:

Where did the time go?? The Boy Dog Passed away four years ago back in September and I just can't believe that his passing was that long ago. Best Karelian Bear Dog Ever!!  I still have no interest in adopting a dog and I assemble all my puppy needs by house and dog sitting. So Thats Cool

Shadow Boy hovered around 105 pounds and his heaviest weigh in at the vet was 118 pounds. In his prime, he was a solid muscular working breed and never threw in the towel during a car camping hike. Oh, and he never missed a meal.

Speaking of missing meals!!! In the above phone, after an hour, realized I hadn't plugged the dang thing in. What A Knucklehead

Snapped this photo above during Friday Night Bike Night. Still enjoying these meandering cruises around town. That is The Dude by the way. Oh wait, as the PD mentions, Just An FYI 

And during one of my house sitting gigs, harvested all of these tasty goodies from their garden!!! Fresh peach salsa was quite the hit at a small gathering of friends last weekend. Socializing 101

GOALS:

1. Find A New Office Space
2. Work On A New Design
3. Embrace Change
4. Play Well With Others
5. Cycle With Vengeance 

Thank you so much for allowing me to vent here. This would be the first time here with this blog that I have openly expressed my deep concerns with leadership or operations regarding KAFM. I have never posted anything negative about KAFM here on this blog. I still believe in the station as KAFM is one hidden gem. We were all faced with diversity as September offered up challenges for sure. Rock Toe Ber will have its moments as well and it is just a phase. We are well aware of this and you all have prevailed numerous times throughout your lifespan. I am so looking forward to future advances of success for all of us. Again, I want KAFM to prove superior but this bullying needs to stop. 

Autumn is just so flipping magical here in Colorado. The East Coast is also gorgeous during the turning of leaves but if you had to be else where, Colorado Baby. And Yes, Think Snow Please 

Go Team Human,

Cheers