About A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

Living the good life in Ventura, CA.

A Couple of Things…

Posted on July 13, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

1. One of the perks of writing a blog is that it’s a conversation starter. I’ll run into a friend and they’ll say, “Oh! I know what you mean about….” I like that.

2. Some women have gone way overboard on Nazi-feminism. I get it. But I’m still proud to say that I am a feminist. I publicly admit it; but I’m also guilty of keeping stereotypes of women being a lesser sex alive. I’m working on it, but whenever I get a fellow female up on the court with me, I tell her not to shoot like a girl. How demeaning is that? I saw a short clip produced by “Always” (a feminine hygiene company) about how it’s derogatory to say, you run like a girl. or you hit like a girl. They ask the question, “what does it mean to do something like a girl?” Furthermore, they ask, “When did doing something like a girl become an insult?”

I shoot hoops like a girl, because I am a girl. And you know what? That’s pretty cool because I play hard and I love the game and I’ve beaten guys half my age – although not Stephen show in this photo with me. But I have beat guys in their 20’s; you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.
The thing is though, it should never be men against women. Boys against girls. it should be, be the best you can. PERIOD. Oh! And have fun doing it! #LikeAGirl

Here’s the video:
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3. In a related subject: I’ve never understood bands who glorify the demeaning or violence towards women. Death metal, rap, whatever. Do they think it’s funny? Do their fans? Seriously, not cool.

4. I like living at the beach and the feel of being a member of this community, but I swear to God, a small number of those short-term vacation rentals really discredit that viewpoint. Some of these “vacationers” are guilty of one or all of the following infractions: they park illegally, leave trash on the beach, leave trash in front of the house, stay up late partying loudly on weeknights, have screaming kids, have yapping dogs. Fortunately most are really nice folks looking for a fun time, but don’t really realize they are in the midst of a family neighborhood, not a vacation resort.

5. In a related subject, Sammy is going deaf. She has high blood pressure. Even with her poor hearing, the 4th of July fireworks drove her crazy and her heart was racing. Fireworks at the beach are off the hook!!! But spending the evening at home with the doors and windows closed tight and the T.V. playing loud is worth the sacrifice of giving up a holiday party or two.

6. I don’t follow politics as closely as some, and typically only pay attention to National elections and California and Ventura politics, but I saw Congressman John Lewis from Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District post on Twitter that he was released from Parchman Penitentiary 53 years ago after being arrested in Jackson for using “white” restroom. What an inspiration seeing that this man fought for injustice and then become a champion and leader in the same “white” governmental process. Our own mini version of Nelson Mandela.

7. I read the following news story “‘Well-Behaved Kids’ restaurant discount sparks online debate” and I thought about it. I think it’s brilliant, mostly because we would have received the discount all the time! You were a good kid Syd Rose; but then, we have to take some credit because we didn’t take you to a restaurant if you were feeling out of sorts.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/well-behaved-kids-restaurant-discount-sparks-online-debate-1.2644240

8. Going out and taking in live music never gets old for me.

9. A little known fact about me: I have a piece of the Berlin Wall. When the wall came down in 1989, a listener of 96-ZTR had several pieces of it which he acquired while in Europe during that time. How thoughtful of him to give me one. It’s an ugly piece of aggregate material, but I can’t imagine tossing it out.

10. You ever look at your Friends list and think, “Who the hell is that?” Yeah, me neither.

11. Tacit consent is a sticky matter. You can argue all you want, but if you don’t stand up to evil or something YOU believe to be wrong, YOU are a part of the problem. End of story.

12. I would like to refute the following study: “Wide-Hipped Women Have More Sex Partners, Controversial Study Shows”. 😉

From my favorite quotes file, “”Depression is merely anger, without the enthusiasm.” – Steven Wright

Thanks for listening!

Ventura Music Week 2014 Wrap Up

Posted on July 11, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

This was the fourth year for Ventura Music Week, my second year helping. Even though last year was so much work, I was still surprised at how exhausting it is to pull this event off.

Of course each year the goal is to surpass the previous one, and I believe we did that. We generated more interest in our music scene, further marketing this city as a music destination. Of course you’ll always have Monday Morning Quarterbacks. To them I say, “Shut up unless you want to help make it better.”

Again, this VMW team is on a volunteer basis. Some of the team members are on a payroll for their perspective jobs such as Economic Development crew, Peter Brown and Lilly Rudolph, from the City of Ventura; Kevin Clerici and Meredith Hart from the DVO (Downtown Ventura Organization), David Comden from the VC Reporter; but Kat Merrick, Sam Benner and myself don’t work for companies that cover their time spent on this.

Kat Merrick owns Totally Local VC and is also hired by different companies to help on their event planning; Sam Benner has moved away from marketing and has started working in real estate; and while I work for the City of Ventura, what I do to help is completely separate. I take personal time off for meetings, and I use my vacation time during Ventura Music Week. Many of the salaried helpers went above and beyond their day jobs helping to pull off events and showing up to lend a hand.

Again we had around 6-7 people attending meetings and making decisions on the direction we wanted to go. We really did want to start earlier on the planning stages, but somehow we managed to work on rushed deadlines which added stress to the equation.

That being said, last year there were clearly only a few people working their asses off, this year, more of us were. I’m so grateful to Kevin Clerici and Meredith Hart of the DVO (Downtown Ventura Organization), for their support. Yes, they have a vested interest in seeing their section of town (DOWNTOWN), thrive, but they took control of the budget and financial aspects, rallied their workers on physical help, and ran so many errands contributing to the success of the week.

As a committee we also put on a handful of events including the launch party, a movie screening, a visual arts presentation of rock photographers and a wrap party. Some were more successful than others, but again, “movie night” was one of the highlights for the week with a screening of the Academy Award winning documentary, “20 Feet From Stardom.”

All participating venues are responsible for their own entertainment. We just ask that they try not to hire bands/artists who are already scheduled during the week so we have lots of diversity.

Again this year we scheduled VMW so that the anchor event for the second weekend would be Roadshow Revival (RSR). We lost however Rock Picnic. No one could blame Brian Parra for throwing in the towel on this one, but I was sad none-the-less as this had been the anchor even for the first weekend. Taking its place were two solid events, the SRO Benefit (which just happened to fall during VMW), and the Global Guitar Greats Tour held at the W Gallery.

But as great as RSR is, we really don’t want this event to fall during graduations and Father’s Day. People have other things to take care of! We’re hoping next year that RSR can be moved to an earlier weekend, or we’ll find another hot event to take its place.

Even before our first official meeting, there was some heartbreak for me personally as I worked with a national touring act who has members who live here in Ventura. I went back and forth with one of the members of the band and their management trying to work on having this band launch the week with a show at the Ventura Theater. It would have been AWESOME!! But even after we met their monetary demands, management passed. I tried not to take it personally, but I truly believe, if anything business should be personal, and this left me heartbroken.

So with some air deflated early on, we still managed to increase participation up to 50 venues from 30 last year.

While Sam sets up the website, I once again took on the responsibility of entering in all the content. That’s FIFTY venues, with their specific information, and then their entertainment line up. Some changed, some came in at the last moment. I’ll be honest, I spent over 80 hours on the website and Facebook setting up information, 40 before VMW even started, and 40 while it was going on. I was up by 6 in the morning, I had to enter changes during the day, create downloadable PDFs of the schedule and update with some photos late at night.

We only had two people going out to as many venues as we could, checking in with social media, then posting photos to add to the excitement. Even with only two people, social media was abuzz with all the events. The wrap party at Discovery was super fun with some of Ventura’s top guitarists jamming including Tommy Marsh, Erik Lemaire, Guy Martin, Alastair Greene and Mark Masson.

It took several weeks for my head to stop spinning. I had taken personal vacation time, but returning to work the next day felt more like vacation as I could slow down and focus on one task at a time.

It’s been over month and I’ve started asking for feedback from the venues on what they thought, and whether they thought it was worth their time. None of the responses have surprised me. Some can’t think out of the box and only think in terms of how it benefits them personally, but most do look at the bigger picture and know that this effort benefits our town and as a result, it trickles down to them with more people coming to Ventura to hear music. But the responses I loved the best, were those who had ideas of how to better this event next year.

We’re gathering theses ideas, there will be changes, and we may lose some help from some of the entities, but we will certainly gain help from other sources. Ventura’s music scene is gaining more momentum and catching attention from neighboring counties. We are putting us on the map and this is all worthy of our time…even worthy of our blood sweat and tears.

A Couple of Things…

Posted on July 2, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

This was my name tag badge from my last high school reunion. . I can honestly say though I’ve been through ups and downs, losses, and trying times, I never imagined having such a blessed life. I’m glad I didn’t know then what I know now. It’s been an incredible ride! If you were born with wisdom shining, wouldn’t that be boring? Games consist of overcoming not unknown barriers. Now with that viewpoint, let’s play!

1. It’s been over a month since my last post. I’ll be honest, I’ve been busy. There was no time whatsoever while working on Ventura Music Week, and even after it was over, I was exhausted and not quite in the right frame of mind to express myself. I find that when I’m tired, or irritable, I’ll usually regret what comes of out of my mouth.

I’m feeling more myself now…

2. Ventura Music Week 2014 is over. There was lots of blood sweat and tears. To think there are forces that go against Ventura being a music town. Last year we had 30 venues. This year we had 50. That’s 50 venues who believe that having music is a good thing. 50 venues who support live music. Now that rocks and makes it all worthwhile.

3. After a certain point in life you would think us girls would stop talking about you boys. Yeah, you would think.

4. I always admired Bugs Bunny while I was growing up. I still don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

5. I saw this headline on the Huffington Post, “Janeane Garofalo Comes Out in Defense of Public Hair”.

I mulled it over wondering if Janeane was trying to help out women who wear burqas, you know, those mysterious veils. Or maybe she was trying to help women who were always worried about their hair and how they feel they are judged. But sadly no, Janeane was referring to PUUUUBic hair. Yeah, the hair down there. I missread, it actually said, “Janeane Garofalo Comes Out in Defense of Pubic Hair”. I believe she said they were like eyebrows, which confused me even more.

6. Alice from The Brady Bunch passed away recently. Her name was actually Ann B. Davis, but who didn’t love Alice? Whenever someone mentions anything about the Brady Bunch it always reminds me of my former roommate Tina Bettiol who could – and I kid you not – name that episode within the first five seconds of any show.

7. I’m coming to terms with the fact that I can’t be trusted with a box of crackers.

8. I can’t even try to explain why the line, “Don’t poke the bear” made Sydney & I literally cry from laughter. Loved Dr. Doolittle 2.

9. My biggest hit day ever for my blog was the day I posted on Facebook that on my blog I talk about leaving my panties lying about. Coincidence? I think not.

10. I SWEAR TO GOD, I saw this posted on Facebook: “Am I aloud to throw in the towel and quit , and start over.”
And I SWEAR TO GOD, NONE of his friends commented on his atrocious misuse of the word “ALOUD”. #Allowed

11. I saw a poster online that read, “You don’t need religion to have morals. If you can’t determine right from wrong, then you lack empathy, not religion.” Anonymous

I would like to add, “Religion without empathy is evil. Those people are called extremists.” I know a few of them. Yeah, you can quote me on that.

12. From my favorite quotes file: “Not one drop of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me.” – Quincy Jones

Thanks for listening!

Religious Rights

Posted on May 19, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

(This essay is not about the religion of Islam. I know too many people this religion has helped. Keep in mind, there are EXTREMIST in almost every religion.)

I have always known that I am a spiritual being; I have never doubted this. I am a strong woman steadfast in my beliefs, yet I will support and protect the rights of others to believe in the religion of their choice.

I do not engage in any discussion where the other person is not willing to take a look at other points of view. If they have tunnel vision and are empathic that their religion is the only choice, then there is no discussion to be had.

The subject of religion is taboo in many circles. Some people avoid it as it can bring up arguments. I’ve spent a lot of time discussing religion with a lot of different people throughout my life. The subject first came up in my household where neither parent followed a particular religion so they allowed me to make my own personal choice. Then my friends and I would compare our thoughts on our personal religious choices, but as we became teenagers we started to question not only authority, but organized religion.

I’ve never tried to change someone’s beliefs. I’ve never tried to convert someone away from their religion. In fact, when I find a sane person who is happy in life and helps others as much as they can, I find that comforting no matter what their religion.

I have been personally attacked for my religious beliefs and it’s quite unsettling because I’ve never harmed anyone, in fact I do my best to help wherever I can. And to be honest, it’s unsettling for about two minutes and then I remember, we live in a country where we have freedom of religion. The fact that someone thinks they have the right to undermine someone’s religion is almost laughable…that is until I read about the oppression that still exists in other countries.

Have you read any of the articles about Meriam Yehya Ibrahim? (Google her name if you have not). I thought the first headline I saw was a little sensational, “Islamic court permits pregnant woman to give birth before she is hanged.” Are you kidding me? She has been tried and sentenced to hang for apostasy (a total desertion of or departure from one’s religion, principles, party, cause, etc.). She is 27 years old, married a Christian, and is eight months pregnant. She is also faces a sentences of flogging of 100 lashes for adultery on the grounds that her marriage to a Christian man from South Sudan is considered void under Islamic law.

Amnesty International and Western embassies are expressing outrage. CNN, Time, NBC, ABC, and other agencies have been covering this story. The White House released this statement the day of her sentencing on Thursday, May 15, 2014:

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on the Sentencing of Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag in Sudan

Today in Sudan, Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag was sentenced to be flogged for adultery and to be hanged to death for apostasy because she married a Christian man. We strongly condemn this sentence and urge the Government of Sudan to meet its obligations under international human rights law. We call on the Government of Sudan to respect Ms. Ishag’s right to freedom of religion, a universal human right enshrined in Sudan’s own 2005 Constitution as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Since 1999, Sudan has been designated as a Country of Particular Concern for its ongoing, egregious, and systematic violations of religious freedom. We continue to urge Sudan to fulfill its constitutional promise of religious freedom, and to respect the fundamental freedoms and universal human rights of all its people.

I support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I support religious freedom of choice. I condemn this sentence. I am grateful I have a choice, and I am grateful I have a voice.

(Posted June 23: I would like to follow up on the essay I wrote last month on Religious Rights.)

It is a bittersweet victory today:

I rejoice in the fact that Meriam Yehya Ibrahim has been freed. An appeals court found that an initial judgement against her was faulty.

But while the judgement was faulty because the facts were inaccurate, it is still an atrocity that a person can be put to death for apostasy (a total desertion of or departure from one’s religion, principles, party, cause, etc.).

A Couple of Things…

Posted on May 10, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

1. Some mothers want time with their families on Mother’s Day, yet others want time off from their families on Mother’s day.

Me? Just knowing my baby loves me and is thinking of me is all I really need. It has to be, since she is over 900 miles away.

My “Posthumous Happy Mother’s Day” Post from last year

My previous post on “Being a Mother“.

2. I mentioned in my last post that I would have another baby in a heartbeat. The other night I had a dream that I did. I felt a contraction, and then I felt something (you know, “down there”), and I pushed it out, and there was a baby! The great thing is that while the contraction hurt (in my dream), the baby the size of a watermelon coming out a hole the size of a lemon, did not hurt.

I love my dreams.
————————–
2a. In case you’re wondering where that quote orginally came from, it’s from Look Who’s Talking. Kirstie Alley’s character, Molly actually says, “Why don’t you try squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of an opening the size of a lemon and see how hot YOU look?” Love that movie!

3. Well I did survive Cinco de Mayo. Shots of tequila were involved, and thanks to Jonny at Amigos, some were free. They had a gal going around with samples of new “organic” tequila which according to her, doesn’t add sugar to the distilling process. I asked if a lot of others do, and she conceded that no, in fact they don’t. But it was a nice selling point.

4. By the way, Maggie is the Queen of selfies. This photo of course is not a selfie. I call it, “the making of a selfie” courtesy of my father.

5. Some days I learn more than others.

6. While speaking to a co-worker about my basketball mix tape which has Linkin’ Park, Foo Fighters and Rage Against the Machine on it, I commented that one of these days I’m going to have to grow up.

His reply? “Why bother? We all die anyways.”

You are very wise Mr. Towers.

7. I learned to scuba dive in a swimming pool. It felt like I was at the bottom of the ocean…that is until, of course, the following week when I was. Too cool, and completely exhilarating!!!

KXBS had me certified so I could talk about my experience on air. I dove off the coast in Malibu, off the Channel Islands and then off the coast in Catalina.

8. My new favorite video I came across. The dog is not allowed on the bed, so the owners put up a camera to see what happens while they’re gone. Such joy!!! The cat? Not so much!:

9. I heard that The Simpsons has been on the air for 24 years? Crazy! I’m kind of proud to say I’ve never seen an episode.

10. The #2 ingredient in that devilishly delicious Sriracha hot chili sauce is sugar. It all makes so much sense now.

11. From my favorite quotes file: ““Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Thanks for listening.

A Couple of Things…

Posted on April 30, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

1. The year following my divorce, one of the first things I did was to invest in my teeth. I actually went in to get veneers on my top teeth, but when my dentist learned I wanted my bottom teeth fixed the same way he stopped and refused and said he would not ruin ALL my teeth. So I wore braces for a year, he whiten my teeth, and I couldn’t be happier. Best investment I ever made in myself.

Note: Having crooked teeth never stopped me from smiling, but having a straight smile took my attention off myself and put it on the person I was actually smiling at. Does that make sense?

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2. Clearly a mistake.

I took another one of those Facebook questionnaires to estimate what age I actually am, and it determined I was nine years old. So some are not so flawed.

3. Cinco de Mayo is coming up and like most holidays, it’s just a sneaky way to get out with friends and have a great time. Guac, carnitas, shots of Patron? What could possibly go wrong?

4. A musician friend here in town gave me good advice when I bought by new fender stratocaster, he said just pick it up and play it everyday. Doesn’t matter how long. Well I’ve been playing it often (not every single day), and I find the more often I play, the longer I want to play. I’m remembering songs I learned YEARS ago and I’m having fun, so much so, I actually got a mini blister on my pinkie.

Thank you Beatles for the reality, but, “I’ve got blisters on my fingers!” is now stuck in my head.

5. I have a confession. I would have another baby in a heartbeat, but it would take a serious miracle.

6. I am grateful that someone was clever enough to come up with denim material that stretches…just a little bit.

7. Speaking of clothes. The other day I was multi-tasking and while cooking dinner (yeah, I know! Me cook right?!) I was folding clothes at the kitchen table and taking them to my room while stirring and mixing and stuff. After I finished cooking, I took my meal to my room to eat while working on websites. The next morning I got up early for work and there on one of the kitchen chairs was one of my sexiest pairs of panties. I can’t help but wonder what my roommate’s expression was if he saw them! He’s like 75 years old and we rarely even speak!

8. The problem with Molly is that I always compare her to Kitty Sanchez and I know that isn’t fair. I wouldn’t have ever compared child #2 to Sydney Rose if I had ever had one (wink wink Sydney, you know you’re my fav); but Kitty Sanchez was in fact the best cat in the whole wide world; and Molly, is a kitty snob, she treats you like Pepe le Pew when you pick her up.

9. I may have been too quick to smack down “smack talk from people about the Clippers being owned by Sterling. But you know what? More than anything, THEY need to support this team. There is no room for that sort of bigotry in this world let alone in the fuckin’ NBA. Are you kidding me? This smack talk sounds like they’re accusing Clipper fans of supporting racism. Give me a small break!
Or worse, they get joy out of the misery of others??? Either way, inappropriate in my book. Its probably a good thing that I have never wanted to commit to a specific franchise. I just love a good team, and Chris Paul brings it.

10. (Okay, deep breath…) Speaking of sports (and my attempt to lighten the mood), back in radio they’d send me out to host Monday Night Football where quickly my air name Stephanie Rose morphed into Stephster the Refster, with a referee shirt and a whistle to grab fans attention when it was time to give away crap. Never mind I knew very little about the game and never mind I cared even less about it. But I did enjoy shaking hands, shooting pool and getting to know the guys who hung out for it. Tough job working a room full of mostly men, while partaking in libations and bar food. 🙂

Side story: whilst pregnant with Syd Rose (sans libations), I had only one food craving during my entire pregnancy and that was for Tabasco. I craved ANYTHING and EVERYTHING as long as it had Tabasco on it. Popcorn, burritos, eggs, I couldn’t get enough of it. I discovered this while hosting Monday Night Football and being served hot wings, with yes, Tabasco on them.
What could my body possibly be lacking to cause the craving? Vinegar?

11. I went out dancing with Maggie recently and a well-known gentleman about town asked me to dance. I’ve danced with Jerry before so I knew going in I would be taken care of. He basically does the two-step with a little salsa thrown in for fun. When I caught Maggie taking a photo, you should have seen the stink eye I gave her. Too bad she didn’t capture that one!

12. Here’s the deal, I signed up for that LinkedIn JUST to shut them up. I’ve never dealt with a more persistent entity before! All those requests for me to accept an invitation to… blah blah blah. Well I finally did about a year ago and thought well maybe it might be a good networking tool.
I just got an email where the Subject said: “Congrats, you got 1 profile view last week‏” So I guess my efforts on LinkedIn have been really paying off.

13. From my favorite quotes file: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

Thanks for listening.

A Couple of Things…

Posted on April 23, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

1. This is what I come home to. I love my puppy dog. We’re thinking she’s about 13 or 14 years old. I’ve had her 12 years and they thought she was a couple years old when I picked her up from the pound. Samantha “Boom Boom” Baumgardner.

This by the way is also what I leave everyday. It’s like she’s saying, “You’re coming back, right?”

2. I understand that the 9-1-1 emergency call system is a public service. I also understand the “rights to public records” but honestly, the media playing 9-1-1 tapes seems like an invasion of privacy. Some of these calls are at the person’s most vulnerable moments and they’ve become entertainment for the masses.

3. Bike to Work Day is coming up! I had to post the news on the City’s official website. It’s a great way to exercise; it’s a fantastic way to start the day; and it helps the environment! (click to enlarge photo)

So ride your freakin’ bike to work on May 15th!!!

4. I wrote a blog a few weeks back called, “Being a Victim Sucks“, and how some people will play the victim. One aspect of being a victim is not wanting to take responsibility, but the other aspect, and I’m warning you this could be harsh, is to just make the other person wrong, Wrong, WRONG.

I’ve seen it. I’ve done it. It’s a completely bullshit thing to do.

5. If you don’t take a stand against bad behavior you are tacitly agreeing it is okay.

Just sayin’.

6. The first song we ever sang together while listening to the radio was “Where it’s At” by Beck. Syd would sing “Where’s it’s At” and I would come in with “I got two turntables and a microphone.” This was around 1997 or 1998 when the song was all over the radio, so Sydney had to be only three or four years old.

True story

Most parents go with “The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round” Not this Mom!

7. Let me just say right off the bat, it must have been horrifying being attacked by a bear. That being said…

I confess that this news story of a woman in Florida being attacked by a bear made me kind of chuckle. She had walked into her garage where she found up to five bears rummaging through her trash. One of them picked her up and removed her and placed her in her driveway.

The bear obviously could have killed and eaten her. But he didn’t. It’s truly unfortunate that he has huge claws and sharp teeth because they did damage to her while removing her from harm’s way so they could continue their business.
(full story)

8. I conceded a few years ago that I do in fact have an hour-glass figure, but for most of my life my own attention just went to the bottom half of my body and I always felt awkward about that. I had “birthin’ hips” and they were what determined every single outfit I’ve ever worn.

9. I like it!

10. I was killing time in Trader Joe’s the other day (a dangerous thing to do), and I found peanut butter that had only peanuts and salt listed on the label. I had read about it before and thought perhaps it was just an urban legend, but it’s true! And though I have to refrigerate the jar after stirring up the PB, I’m digging it!

11. So I was sitting there minding my own business (playing “Shoot Bubble Deluxe” on my phone) during a weekly work meeting one morning, when the subject of Monkey Butt came up. That got my attention because I had never heard the term. One of the guys was complaining he didn’t want to exercise that afternoon (crossfit) because he had developed a rash from the gravel on the ground at the top of his, um….crack. The guys insisted it was a real thing so when I got the chance, I Googled it.

What came up was this: “Relieve the friction of monkey butt and painful butt rash…” http://www.antimonkeybutt.com.   They even have a Facebook page.

How funny is that? I guess if you pay enough attention, you never stop learning.
(I thought it nicer to share a photo of Shoot Bubble Deluxe than an actual case of monkey butt. You’re welcome.)

From my favorite quotes file: “A word to the wise ain’t necessary – it’s the stupid ones that need the advice.” – Bill Cosby

Thanks for listening.

A Couple of Things…

Posted on April 15, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

1. I’m not exactly sure when I lost my shyness and decided to just work through the panic and fear of being in front of people, but somewhere along the way I did. See when you work in radio, you just have to overcome nervousness on one level, which is trying not to sound stupid; but live in person, that’s a whole different story and it has it’s own set of fears to overcome.

I remember watching Craig Powers from KEZY in Anaheim do live broadcasts. He was the master and he just ate it up. He was so calm and so “on” when that microphone went live. I learned a lot just watching him.

After I left KEZY and moved on to Ventura and KZTR with my first full-time on air position, and later with KXBS the Bus, I knew I wanted to be like Craig, but I was so introverted and worried about what people thought of me. I really did suck at it; but for some reason the station managers insisted on sending me out to shake hands, kiss babies, bowl in leagues, do remote broadcasts, introduce bands at concerts (I think David Cassidy at the Ventura Theater was one of my first) and host radio events and before long I calmed down and started to have some fun with it. The dumbest yet bravest thing I ever did was to sing Karaoke, I can’t carry a tune to save my life and the audience loved it.

But I do remember the very first time ever I did something live on air was when I was in college taking radio broadcasting classes and doing shifts on KBPK, and one of the assignments was to go out during “A Night in Fullerton” and do some interviews with random people. I don’t think I said a coherent thing (and I even had questions written on index cards) and I certainly didn’t hear a single word the person was saying, which is a critical point when doing an interview, you actually have to listen to them while preparing your next question. I was a frazzled mess by the end of the evening.

My advice: “Practice, practice, practice!!!”

2. The title of an article found on The Onion website, “Poll Finds the Majority of Americans Have Never Met Willem Defoe.”

Classic!

3. Great news! I was telling a co-worker about my one degree of separation from Kevin Bacon and she pointed out that since she knew me, she now only had two degrees. So I thought I’d inform you that since you know me, you too now only have two degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon.

You’re welcome!

(click here for original story)

4. One of the funniest blogs I’ve read in a while was called, “Ode to the Medium-Sized Woman,” by Isabel Foxen Duke. Before I started exercising, I could totally relate to a couple of these:

“I can literally wear S, M or L depending on the brand, and sometimes, I’ll size out of a brand altogether.”
“I would never be called “overweight” or “plus-size” or “heavy” or “the F-word” (you know, Fat).”
“I’ve definitely had sex with guys that weigh less than me, but I don’t think they knew that at the time.”

Too funny!

5. There are some movies that I can watch over and over, others that were a complete waste of my time and I soon forget, but there are just a few which really left a lasting impression, but I could never watch again for their disturbing nature:

Requiem for a Dream
Adaptation
The Butterfly Effect
Ted
Cape Fear

Yeah I know, Ted? Really? REALLY.

6. I have a confession. I will not miss David Letterman.

He use to be clever and funny, but since his open-heart surgery, he just became more pessimistic and mean. I am pleased that Steven Colbert will replace him.

7. Recent MSN article on Healthy Living called, “The 14 Best Things You Can Do For Your Body”.

“You don’t need anyone to tell you to have more sex, but it doesn’t hurt that research is piling up about the benefits of getting busy. Regular time spent behind closed doors can make you look and feel younger, reduce stress, boost immunity, enhance sleep, protect against prostate cancer and improve cardiovascular health. What’s more, a 25-year study from Duke University found that the more sex you have, the longer you’ll live. Guys, I think we’ve discovered the fountain of youth.“

What’s funny to me is that they spent 25 years studying this. LOL!!! “Um yeah Dean, we need more grant money to continue this study, because (wink wink) it’s really important work.

I’m guessing, these people who lived longer were actually mentally and physically healthy and as a result, they enjoyed sex more often.

8. I hope when I die, that my wake is a celebration, especially for my family and close friends. I’m pretty sure I won’t be hanging around, I’ll be ready for my next adventure, so feel free to talk about me behind my back. 😉

9. Typically when my father calls me “Little girl”, I know I’m in trouble. Thankfully after the age of 21, I stopped caring.

(Sydney at the Cross April 2013)

10. I had to call my daughter up in Oregon from my tax accountant’s office to ask whether she had claimed that she was a dependent or not when she filed her taxes earlier this year; then she started to upbraid me because she said it was just a few days before taxes were due. I had to stop her right there and point out, “No baby, they are actually due tomorrow.”

That didn’t help my case.

11. People who are intentional cruel, who seek to bring harm are even more scary because they truly believe they are justified in their actions.

People who are intentional nice, who seek to bring happiness to others rock even more because they truly believe in the brothership of mankind.

Thankfully the truly evil are only 2%.

People who are just typically mean and in a bad mood are not included in the two-percenters, because a lot depends on their environment and so they are constantly at effect…instead of at cause over their life. They just need an attitude adjustment…or a vacation or better still, get rid of the assholes in their lives. 🙂

12. From my favorite quotes file: “The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
― Albert Einstein

A Couple of Things…

Posted on April 11, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

1. Did I ever mention I’m listed on Wikipedia? They used my maiden name (Pam Sanchez), but also gave my air name which was Stephanie Rose! My first job was working both the AM, KPZE and the FM sides at KEZY. This article just covers the AM history of AM 1190.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KGBN

2. Elephant Journal posted a blog called How to Say No (in 25 Bad A**Ways).
Number 16 is my favorite:
#16 “Fuck no. That would be stupid.”

3. April 8th was Equal Pay day. It symbolizes how much further women would have to work at the same job to receive the same pay men did in 2013. It illustrates the gap between men’s and women’s wages.
I still hold resentment from being paid less as a woman Program Director (and full-time on-air position) at my radio station than a male office manager. Later, I was told it was because he was the sole breadwinner for his family. I still call “bullshit” on that one.

Here’s more on that: http://www.pay-equity.org/day.html

4. Yusuf wrote an article for Rolling Stone Magazine about how he (Cat Stevens) felt about being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I LOVE Tea for the Tillerman and I still listen to it quite often. This is what he said:

“The announcement of my enrollment into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will certainly bring happiness to a lot of my loyal fans, and fulfillment to all those who have long campaigned for it – not to mention how kinda tickled it makes me feel too.”

I love how it kinda tickled him!

5. I’m loving the new trend – well at least the effort to start a new trend – of converting lawns to gardens. I believe you still would need a green thumb to pull that off though.

6. I read an article titled, “The 3 Best Ways to Beat Sugar Cravings.” Listed as number 3: “The Psychologist says…walk away.”

Do you really need a degree to come up with that one?

7. Tipping Smart Cars? Funny yes, but not cool.
Three Smart Cars were recently found “tipped” in San Francisco. Hot Rod Magazine posted an editorial online in an attempt to nip this activity in the bud, and I support their efforts. To quote John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, “Don’t fuck with another man’s vehicle. It’s against the rules.”

8. Whenever I watch a really good musician play acoustic guitar I like to pay attention to their fret work and try to figure out what they’re do. Usually when I go up to meet them, they ask if I play, and I always reply with a chuckle, “not really.” That always gets the understanding nod.

9. I’ve always enjoyed reading. The most recent novel I read was the fourth novel from Helen Fielding regarding Bridget Jones. It was called “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.” I blushed throughout the novel because parts of it hit too close to home. But honestly, I’m hoping for the same happy ending for me. I’m an eternal optimist!

10. OH!!! Last February I wrote about my one degree of separation from Kevin Bacon and how we ended up with the cardboard cut out they used when Kevin Bacon guest starred on Will and Grace. Well that exact episode was on the other day so I took a picture of my T.V. Can you imagine walking into your office and seeing Kevin Bacon standing there?
https://acoupleofthings.us/2014/02/25/a-couple-of-things-34/

11. Peter Matthiessen passed away Saturday, April 4, 2014, just days before his latest novel, “In Paradise” was to be released. He was quoted as saying that he wanted readers of “In Paradise” to consider the potential for evil in all of us. “The number of people killed in the past century — human beings killing each other is phenomenal, you know?” Matthiessen said. “How has civilization — so called — come this far and people are still designing tools to kill each other? For no other purpose than killing. Why are we doing it? Why are we doing it?”

Okay, the potential is there. But gratefully the majority of us rise above it EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I’ve shared this quote before, but it ubber appropriate here:

“Be the change you wish to see in the World.” Mahatma Gandhi

Thanks for listening.

A Couple of Things…

Posted on April 6, 2014 by A Couple of Things by Pam Baumgardner

1. This photo is proof that I can laugh at myself. And my dad too!!!! Matching perms!
HAHAHAHA!
The 80’s really did suck! Bad hair, bad furniture.

2. You will know when I win the lottery by two things.
a. I buy a new home on the hillside overlooking the ocean.
b. I own a car that does not remind me of the motorboats at Disneyland.
Otherwise, everything for awhile should be status quo.

3. I admit I got a little excited and may have started to salivate when I read that In-N-Out added bacon to its menu.
Sadly it was an April Fool’s joke posted by FoodBeast.com.
They even had a name for it, “Piggy style” complete with a photo.

Bastards!

4. I was thinking I should start acting my age, or at the very least dressing it. Then I woke up in a cold sweat. That was a close one! 😉

5. I’m considering adding “I met Trent Reznor in New Orleans in 1997” to my resume. Couldn’t hurt.

6. I remember clear as day the moment I realized I was not five and a half feet tall. It was when my doctor tried to inform me while going over my vital statistics during my annual physical that I was in fact 5′ 4″. See I thought I was 5′ 5″, which also isn’t five and half, but the number five seems like it’s half, but really isn’t. Make sense? So I after questioning my doctor’s methodology, he conceded that I was exactly 5′ 4.5″… so you know… Five-Five.

7. To this day, it still makes me giggle when someone calls me a baller. See logically I know they are referring to the fact that I love to play basketball. But in the 70’s, it meant something COMPLETELY different. Even as I’m writing this, I’m giggling. 😉

8. When I was pregnant with Sydney Rose, I started a journal of sorts for her. I wrote about how I was feeling during the pregnancy and the story about when I felt her kick for the first time, about her family history, about my hopes and dreams for her. I added all kinds of pictures for her including her footprints when she was born. I wrote in it until she was about three or four years old, then I promptly forgot about it!

I Found it and handed it over this past year. God how I wish my mother had done that for me. I hope Syd does that for my future grand kids.

9. LOVING the new Better Than Ezra single called “Crazy Lucky”.

10. “Compassion is a sign of strength.” – The Dali Lama

Thanks for listening.

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