The "I Guess I Gotta Blog" Blog

The recent fiasco over the country’s debt ceiling further illustrates just how divided those on Capitol Hill believe us to be.

I got some news for you guys and gals … Most of us aren’t that divided.

Sure, there my be some ideological differences. They can even get heated, at times, depending on the issue, but overall most of us want the same things: security, prosperity, and for the dumbasses we elect to ACTUALLY GET SOMETHING DONE!

Politicians, on both sides of the spectrum, have painted themselves into a corner.

They’re so indebted to special interests, and so busy pandering to their so-called “base,” that they’ve completely forgotten about what Nixon called “The Silent Majority.”

You know, the rest of us.

As I’ve written before, “job one” of any politician is to get reelected. That’s their main concern.

To do that, they’ve got to “please the choir,” and appeal to the most active (and most actively contributing) of their followers.

That’s why you get a scene where the Speaker of the House of Representatives feels the need to “brief” a radio host on the negotiations.

Because preaching to the already converted is easier than trying to win new followers.

With the explosion of partisan media, people are no longer exposed to other points of view, as a matter of course. If you’re interested in a differing opinion, or (gasp!) are curious about other points of view, you have to actively seek them out.

It’s so much easier to wrap yourself in a cocoon of like-mindedness, and constantly be reassured that your way is the “right” way, that you stop thinking for yourself, and you stop learning about the world.

I recently had a conversation with someone who believes that “gray areas” do not exist. There is no room for compromise or moderation on any issue.

Until you bring up a scenario that they hadn’t considered. Then, because they’ve been spoon-fed the rhetoric of their own chosen point of view, the clam up, because they don’t know how to respond.

Until the pundits that that provide they masses with their opinions stop demonizing “compromise,” we, as a nation, will continue to struggle.

Finally, after a few weeks of new job training, new town acclimating, and new home unpacking, I’ve finally got a few minutes to breathe.

Earlier today, I was in the final stages of my unpacking, performing the task I was least looking forward to … unpacking and shelving my CDs and DVDs.

As I looked at the boxes stacked next to the empty media cabinet, I asked myself, why, in this era of online entertainment, cloud storage, and pocket media players, I’m lugging what seems like a billion pounds of discs with me, every time I relocate (and yes, I’m including vinyl …I still have some of those, too).

It just seems like the smart thing to do, would be to archive everything on a hard drive somewhere, give everything to charity, take the write-off, and lighten my load.

But, then, as I started to unpack, I realized how much these discs have meant to me.

From the memories that come flooding back just looking at the album cover, to the fact that, without being exposed to all this incredible music, I might be an accountant, or schoolteacher, or something, and have never had the opportunity to experience all the things that my radio life has exposed to me.

I just couldn’t say goodbye.

So, I dusted them off, arranged them alphabetically, and carefully placed them on the shelves …where they’ll likely stay, untouched, until the next time I relocate, and have this internal debate all over again.

It’s come to my attention, that I haven’t posted an update here in a while.

Sorry about that.

It’s just that I’ve been a little swamped with cramming stuff into boxes, and looking for a place to put said boxes.

Yes, I got a job.

It’s a great opportunity, in a pretty stable situation, and I’m looking forward to broadening my horizons, while adding to my skill set (if you’re playing “corporate-speak BINGO,” let me also throw in “paradigm shift,” “take it to the next level,” “lightning in a bottle,” “no personnel changes are planed,” and my new favorite, “pitching to contact”).

I’ll post more info once my situation settles down, a little bit.

In other words, once I have a place for my stuff.

Well, I’ve now been unemployed for five months - the longest period of inactivity in my career.

It had been 13 years since my last “involuntary vacation,” and I knew that, given the current state of radio, and the economy, finding my next opportunity would be difficult.

I’m fortunate that (so far) I haven’t had to worry much about finances, thanks to a union severance package, but what I wasn’t really prepared for was the mental strain.

People who have jobs tend to think that the unemployed have nothing but “down time,” at least, that’s what I used to think.

But that isn’t the case.

You wake up, and you hope that today is the day you’ll get some positive feedback.

As the day goes on, you continually scan the internet, work your contacts, and keep your ear to the ground.

And before you go to bed, you convince yourself that TOMORROW will be “the day.”

Your lack of work is constantly in the back of your mind, no matter how you try to distract yourself.

As the days pass, you begin to question your talent, and your confidence starts to falter.

But those feelings eventually pass, and, hopefully, you keep pushing forward, confident that your chance will come.

It’s funny how much of ourselves we tie to our occupation.

One of the first questions we ask of people we meet is, “So what do you do?”

Not having an answer is tough, and not knowing when I will is tougher.

Maybe tomorrow …

The shock and sadness of the tragic events in Tucson, AZ over the weekend has stunned much of America.

The senseless loss of life, the horrifying violence, and the realization that something like this could happen just about anywhere, at just about any time, are numbing to the system.

But, almost immediately, on the air, and in cyberspace, the finger-pointing began.

First up, people lashing out at Sarah Palin, and other Tea Party members, condemning their use of violent imagery (“Don’t retreat … RELOAD … ” “We’ve got to take our country back … ” “It’s time for a revolution … “, the use of bullseyes on “targeted” members of congress, etc.).

Almost immediately, right-leaning blogs, and websites, began removing any evidence that these images, and quotes existed. All the while, denying that these words and images had anything to do with the Arizona gunman’s actions, or that there was anything inherently wrong with their use.

Then, people started putting up fake Facebook profiles, for the alleged gunman, filling them with indicators that he was, in fact, a liberal extremist. And just as soon as they were up, Facebook took them down.

Then came the articles from Tea Party groups, instructing members, when discussing the tragedy with the media, to call the gunman a “lunatic liberal.”

Job one: Assign blame

Job two: Cover your ass.

Because THAT’S what’s important.

A sitting member of the United States Congress was shot, point blank, in the head, in a meeting with her constituents, in a very public place.

A nine-year old girl was murdered, along with five others.

People were injured, some severely, and everyone who was there may be scarred emotionally for life.

We may never know what the gunman’s motives were.

But, each side is trying to paint the other as, at least, partially responsible.

The right says that their choice of words and imagery, is as likely to have had an effect on the gunman, as those Judas Priest albums did on those teens who killed themselves several years ago (a court of law determined that the band was in no way responsible for the teens’ deaths).

For a rational human being, words, music, and imagery might not be enough to push someone over the edge … But if they’re already unbalanced, who knows what might set them off.

But, as anyone who has ever repeated a “catch phrase” knows, words from influential people do have an effect.

And the left’s rushing to judgement, before all the facts are known, is just as damaging.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day, reading “I don’t trust the LIBERAL media.”

Does that mean you trust the CONSERVATIVE media?

Wouldn’t it stand to reason that if the left-leaning media has an agenda, wouldn’t the right-leaning media?

What’s the difference? They’re both distorting the truth, and trying to spin the facts, to support their platform.

People are only going to believe what they want to believe, and listen to the opinions and information that they agree with.

There doesn’t seem to be any way of convincing anyone to consider other ideas.

Whatever the gunman’s motives, this incident has the potential to be the end of rational discourse, or, if we’re lucky, a sign that, maybe, we should all just take a step back, take a deep breath, and learn to listen to each other again.

For the first time in my life, I approach the new year with nothing guaranteed.

Well, there’s the obvious stuff … family, friends, the need for oxygen, etc., but there’s no job to go back to in the new year, and I’m not even sure where I’ll be living three months from now.

I look into the future, and everything’s kind of blurry.

And I’m excited about it.

As things slowly come into focus over the next few months, I anticipate a lot of change, and, as the cliche goes, “change is good.”

My life is in transition, and I’m looking forward to whatever the next chapter is for me.

New places, new faces, new challenges … they’re all headed my way.

Fortunately, amid all this uncertainty, there are a few steadying influences.

My family, who will love and support me, no matter what my future holds.

My friends, who keep me grounded, and steady me when I get a little wobbly.

And my faith, the unwavering belief that whatever is coming is exactly what I need, and wherever I’m going is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

In the meantime, I’m doing everything in my control to get to where I need to be … the rest is up to the universe.

Please keep a good thought for me, as I start to add brush strokes to this blank canvas.

I wish you and yours the best of everything in the coming year.

jonB

My apologies for having been AWOL for the past few weeks.

I’ve been putting the job search into overdrive, or, at least, mechanisms for the job search, so I can hit the ground running in 2011.

For example, I’ve created an iPhone app (Droid, Blackberry, and Desktop versions coming soon).

Of course, the app will be a lot more useful once I find a job, but it’s done, and I’m wildly amused by it. Check it out: http://www.mobbase.com/app/4812/

In other news, I’m heading home for the holidays.

So, unless something out of the ordinary happens, this will probably be my last blog of the year.

I really want to thank you for reading this stuff, and for all your emails of support.

I miss being on-the-air with you, too.

Despite a seemingly backward step, I have faith that whatever comes next will be bigger and better than before.

And, now, with all this crazy new technology, I can take you along for the ride.

Back when I started in the business (I promise to make no mention of walking uphill, both ways, in the snow, to get to the studio), when the guy you listened to on the radio disappeared, that was it.

Unless they popped up on another station, in town, you never heard them again.

Now, we have the ways and means to continue our dialogue, and that’s really cool.

All the best to you, and yours, this holiday season … And may we all get what we want (rather than what we deserve) in the coming year.

- Ballard