My Quiet Life

So, this is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but it comes from a genuine curiosity and a real question: why is WRVU worth saving? I'm not convinced that it is. I realize and appreciate the value that college radio had in years past: providing a voice for people and music that normally couldn't make the cut on mainstream radio. Maybe I'm being naive, here, but does anyone listen to the radio anymore? And even if they do, is it a demographic that intersects with the people that most need the voice of college radio? When I think of radio's current core demographic, I think of an older generation. Hence, the boom of conservative talk radio -- the only thing I imagine keeping radio alive. Somehow I just don't imagine kids out there getting their first doses of new/broader horizons via WRVU anymore, sorry. Are we trying to save it out of a misplaced sense of sentimentality, or an out-of-touch overestimation of its value? I don't get it.

And this isn't because I don't appreciate the *content* on WRVU. I have friends that have/had great radio shows on WRVU that I'd love to listen to, but I never can, because .. who has time to listen to the radio? I don't even own a radio. (no really -- even my car doesn't have one). Give me a podcast, or at least a live stream, and now we're talking.

If you want to preserve what was valuable about WRVU, ditch the airwaves and move to a medium that actually reaches people. Start a non-profit/consortium that collects donations to pay for streaming costs, start a blog. Whatever. Let the radio station die a natural, peaceful death -- the rest of the traditional broadcasting industry will be following right behind it anyway.

Am I missing something obvious?

Baptist minister (pastor? priest? whatever.) uses scare tactics in an attempt to combat the movement to get wine in grocery stores:

Those behind this push in Tennessee have no concern whatsoever for the well being of Tennesseans. They have no sense of compassion for those fighting the addiction of alcohol who will be forced to shop for the staples of life, while being confronted by their personal demon with every turn they make in the store. They feel no responsibility for the broken homes, shattered lives and stolen futures of those who will become trapped by addiction as a result of easy accessibility of high proof alcohol.

Personally, I think the idea of confronting demons at the store sounds pretty awesome -- World of Warcraft meets grocery-shopping. I guess I shouldn't be shocked -- I'm surprised he didn't just say we'll all go to hell.

A good rebuttal here.

I know it's an expression for a reason, but I'm trying anyway: I need to teach an old dog new tricks. Cait's dog e-v is a great dog -- super friendly, sweet, and (mostly) willing to please/learn. I've been working with her to run through the basics that she had forgotten.. the usual litany of sit, down, up, come, and so on. She's been doing very well, and as the weather has improved, I've started taking her out and working on heeling, which she does "ok" at.

But she was never trained with any strict obedience as a puppy, and she's 7 or 8 now. She's also very, very skittish -- to the point of being scared of her own shadow. This makes for a pretty bad combination at times. And so we have the classic instance of a dog that is great and obedient when it's convenient for her, but the first time there's something more interesting (or worse, frightening), you may as well not exist Today represented a classic example of this, as I took her for a walk down to the greenway and back, and she was good, but easily distracted by the 8 bajillion other dog scents along the way. When we got back home, my landlord had some people there to look at the house (he is thinking of selling it), and she got so freaked by the people on the porch that she reeled back and actually slipped right out of her leashed collar and took off running down the street -- literally right down the middle of the heavily-trafficked 3rd avenue north. At this point, I had literally no control -- she wouldn't come back, and was doing the "wait until you're 3 feet away and then bolt off again" taunting thing that dogs do so well to infuriate you. Each time she'd bolt into the road. A very dangerous situation, and I had no control.

It's this level of control with dogs that I am curious about how to achieve -- some owners manage to put that fear of god into their dogs, where the dog can literally concieve of no higher power than you saying "Come."

I realize that Rome wasn't built in a day, so probably the biggest thing I need to work on is my own patience. But I don't even know where to start with this level of training (i.e. obedience, specially). I'm trying to lean heavily on praise-training versus treats, though I do use a treat now and then. And like I said, she does great great: she's very smart and a quick learner, but there's just no discipline -- and I am not sure how to instill it. Advice?

Dear scientists,

What on earth would lead you to believe that this is a good idea. Seriously, you guys. We've talked about this already. It's like none of you guys have ever seen Terminator.

Sincerely,
The Society of Concerned Citizens Against Becoming a Slave/Foodstock Race (SCCABSFR)