A note about "The Pontiff of Rock 'N Roll", Michael P

After my previous post about the passing of the infamous Michael P. Langley ("Michael P" to Magic 105 listeners), I received an email from his sister that made me feel much better about his last years.

I would like to comment on your piece about Michael P. Just to let you know, he did not die "alone". He was living with me (his sister) and my family in Lafayette, LA. He was also in the hospital when he passed. He was my big brother and I loved him immensely. He had even visited with our younger brothers and our mother and spent time with all of them. We all appreciate the time that we had with him over the last year. He did become somewhat a recluse while living in Little Rock due to some back and heart problems. Since he moved in with me, he became the old Michael that everyone knew. He was even thinking about looking for another radio job down here. He got out and about more in the last 9 months than he did in the last 2 years living in Little Rock. One thing that he was proud of was his love for his listeners. I think that everyone in Little Rock, and maybe even in Arkansas, knew his voice and his name. He always tried to give back to the friends and loyal listeners he had and he never met a stranger. He could put everyone at ease and make everyone feel that they had known each other for years. I have received a lot of calls and cards from his friends and each and everyone expressed a great sadness that he had passed. I may be prejudiced, but there will only be one Michael P. Langley. He was our big brother and we will miss him very much. I appreciate you remembering him and hope that everyone will remember him as the "consummate professional" that he was.

Sincerely,

Renee Langley
(Michael P's sister)

Some things begin...others come to an end

OK, so I go outside this morning to head to my new employment. I'm feeling good, it's been a good week, and everything just seems to be clicking. I've been at this job for all of a week, and already I got a $2/hour raise! How much of a difference is that in layman's terms? Let me lay it out for you--estimate 2000 hours per year. Take that figure, multiply by $2. You get $4000. That's a lot of cabbage! I won't go into details about my exact wages (contract conditions), but I can say that this raise equaled out to 10% of my previous wage. You math whiz kids can figure out the rest, can't you? And if you went to school in Mississippi, you'll have to remove your shoes to count that high.

Back to my original gripe...I get outside, and what do I see? The trees are budding, the flowers are blooming, and my damn car is YELLOW from all of the pollen! If the damn trees would stop fucking, we might be able to alleviate this little annual problem! My car is yellow...the streets are yellow...my roof is yellow...EVERYTHING is yellow! GAAAHHHH! Have you ever wondered what this crap that you're inhaling LOOKS like? Check out this picture--this shit is nasty! Imagine sucking up broken glass, sand and dirt. This is the same thing, only it's smaller. And MUCH more prolific. I hate it all. Damn pollen. But enough about that crap!

As I watch the news about the war in Iraq/Afghanistan/Pakistan/wherever, I wonder why we're still there. Yes, I have been a supporter of 'W' since Day 1; however, the time has come for us to make our withdrawl. Enough people have died, enough bombs have been bursting in air, and enough money has been spent. You won't hear me badmouthing our President. I think if you feel the need to speak badly of our President, our country or our flag, you need to take your ass out of that country, away from that flag, and outside of the freedom of that elected President. I am so sick of these pansy-assed do-gooders who think they know everything. Truth be known, they couldn't handle the job of the President for even one week. So suck it, libs...this war will end, and then we'll find someone else that's pissing us off, and we'll go over there and attack them, too. That won't happen on 'W's watch, though!

In closing, I received some very sad news yesterday. For those who grew up in central Arkansas in the 80s and 90s, you would know the voice of Michael P from Magic 105--the 'Pontiff of Rock 'n Roll'. Michael P. Langley died alone in his home yesterday at the age of 51. He had never been married and had no children. I knew this man when I first started dealing with Magic 105 back in the early 90s while I was at World Lynx. He was 'the man' when it came to setting up the website for the station, but he was also the one who was instrumental in getting my name known at the station. He was terminated one year before me for the very same reason--downsizing. He was never able to work full time again after that, and he became more and more reclusive as the years passed. He finally moved away to Louisiana to be with what little family he had, and that is where he spent the last days of his life. Rest in peace, my friend...and godspeed.

With that said, I leave you as always...until next time...

Colts win the Super Bowl--and other anomalies

Well, I gotta say that I'm so proud THE COLTS WON THE SUPER BOWL! It was indeed a great day for the household, as I have somewhat converted my spouse into a Colts fan, and she was able to celebrate with us. We had a great party with lots of food and lots of people, and a good time was had by all. Oh, and did I mention THE COLTS WON THE SUPER BOWL!

In other news, the new wheels/tires for my car finally arrived after those that were on the car were damaged in an accident on 12/26 last year as I was leaving town for work. The car was damaged on both sides in a freak accident caused by a 78 year old man not paying attention (read: not my fault!). The car looks great--thanks to A & J Collision Repair, whom I have been using for about 10 years now. The guys did a great job on the car, and $5000 later, we have most of the car repainted and a full set of new tires and Tempo R wheels to go with them!

I have also finally re-established a relationship with my soon-to-be 17 year old son, although he still is very much lacking in the responsibility department. He likes to act like he knows what is going on, but in actuality, he knows very little. He totaled his mom's car a couple of months ago acting like an idiot (aren't most 16 year olds?), and now he's still unemployed and acting like he is, in his words, a "caublasian"...1/3 caucasian, 1/3 black and 1/3 asian. I don't know what that's all about, but I smell some pretty deep bullshit. Welcome to my life.

Other than that, not much else has changed. We saw a very LIGHT snowfall last week, but being in Arkansas, it actually amounted to two days out of school for the 'school people', as it was actually two separate "storms", either one resulting in a whopping 1" of snow on the ground. Of course there was a bit of ice, too...but for the most part, it was all bark and no bite. Welcome to Arkansas.

Well, that's enough for now. I'm so happy my Colts made it thru the Super Bowl, and once I have all of my Super Bowl XLI commemorative memorabilia in (newspapers, Sports Illustrated, autographed helmet, etc.), I'll post photos for all of the haters out there! Until next time....

Colts finally make the Super Bowl

For anyone that has known me at all, you know that Sunday, February 4, 2007, is going to be a day that will live in infamy--at least for me! The Colts will finally make their first Super Bowl appearance since they moved to Indianapolis. You can bet your sweet ass that I will be posted dead center in front of the big screen in the living room, beer in one hand, Doritos in the other. To hell with eating healthy--it's the Colts! HOLY SHIT!

We have placed all of my Colts memorabilia around the house, including a full size Colts flag in front with a couple of smaller garden flags at the side of the house. There are Colts signs, photos, jerseys and T-shirts scattered about on the walls, and my lovely bride has even gotten into the spirit by allowing me to "decorate" in such a male fashion. Damn, I love that woman! :-)

Not a lot else to report. Things they are a-changin', but I dare not speak of these changes just yet. When the time is right, you'll know. There are plenty of people who feel the need to spout off to me via email about this or that. I welcome all comments, and if I like them (or I can make fun of them), I will even post them in here! Yeah, I know..."YIPPEE!"

OK, I'm outta here. Be sure you listen to "Blue Sunday" on the opening page. There is a really cool video that WISH-TV in Indianapolis made for it. You can see it at www.wishtv.com. Check it out!

Until after the Super Bowl...

The holiday season

It just seems like last week it was 100º and we were bitching about mowing grass and sunburns. Now, we're bitching about raking leaves and cold rain! Don't get me wrong--you'll NEVER hear me bitching about cold weather EVER. I live for this season, and I get wound up around 30º or so. I hate raking leaves, but it's not a repetitious task like mowing the grass. You do it a couple of times and you're done! Bring on the snow!

The Razorbacks are doing well this year, and I'll tell you why I make note of this fact. Anyone that has known me for any length of time knows that I've not been a Hog fan for many years--not because they won, or lost, or anything. It's simply because there are other teams in this God-forsaken state that get nearly no recognition for their national championships, and it pisses me off. As a UCA alumnus, I remember numerous NAIA championships that were never even acknowledged on some TV stations. This year, UCA is a contender in NCAA Division I, and although I don't know the school, UAPB is the SWAC champion. Yet, the HOGS steal the spotlight because they're having their first good year in 10 years. Fair? Not really. However, I make mention of this for one primary reason. When the Razorbacks are doing well, I can sell parking spaces in my yard (3 blocks from War Memorial Stadium) for 2-3 times what I am accustomed to getting. Last year, parking was $10 per spot. This year, spots go for as much as $30! How much difference does that make? Last year, I would make $200 for a game day. Last month for the ULM blowout in Little Rock, I made nearly twice that! I have 17 spaces in my yard, and I hawk them like they're the only parking in town. Parking for the LSU game will start at $20 and go up to $30 within an hour of the game. I love the Razorbacks!

Work is going well. My new job is settling in nicely. I ordered my new car this week, and it should be here sometime in January or early February. I actually had to order two different models because they weren't sure which fleet we would be using. I will be getting either a Chevrolet Equinox or an HHR. Either one is nice, but since I am not an advocate for the SUV, I would prefer the HHR; however, since I don't pay for it, I guess I won't bitch either way! I got my new laptop and Blackberry this week, so I'm all wired up and ready for action. My 'official' title is Computer Support Specialist, Midwest region. In layman's terms, that simply means I cover Arkansas, western Tennessee, northwest Mississippi, northern Louisiana and a bite of Texas and Oklahoma. It's a nice pay raise (read: significant), and I get to do many of the things I do well--driving, computers, teaching, and laboratories. I hope this job stays with me longer than my previous attempts, as it's time for some stability! My family deserves it, and I deserve it! I will be spending the entire week after Thanksgiving in Kansas City training. I then will be visiting the clinics in my area to see what their needs are and shake a few hands--you know, the fun stuff!

I've heard it too many times here lately, but apparently it's true--"Everything happens for a reason." I didn't get to keep the last job or two because this job was coming open for me. This job fits me very well, and I like the direction it is going. The pay is excellent, and the benefits are even better. My wife and my daughter and I will benefit greatly from this position, and when the time comes for me to move, I may even get the opportunity to transfer to my locale of choice (Indiana?) and not lose any service time. Sweet deal!

That's all for now. If I don't post before then, have a great Thanksgiving. I have more to be thankful this year than many, many years past. My wife--bless her heart--has made it through nearly three years with me, and she certainly deserves to be acknowledged for her effort. My hat is off to her for overcoming the drama and the hard times. She has taken my daughter in as her own, even with all of the "white trash-isms" we have to work out of her. She was around her mom long enough to really learn some bad habits, and they don't break easily! But I am truly blessed, and this year, I intend to let that fact be known. Never forget your foundation--ignoring the smallest cracks can lead to a major failure.

Until next time...