"Your music sucks!"

Hey, how come I here a wide variety of songs in an hour or a half hour of time - why can't there be a theme every hour or even two? Or, why does the/your music suck?

Well, you do, there is, and we don't care if you think the music sucks!

90% of what you hear during automation times (when there is no Live DJ) is at least 3 hours of the same music genre. Occasionally, the other 10% is heard differently - usually during peak CLC network usage times (up to about 6 months ago) - for instance Classical music in the early morning at the top of an hour (on clcradio.org between 6am to 9am, in Lancers however not before 8am) but somewhere midway through any hour becomes a light pop variety of music - not the Classical expected. This glitch is due to many factors - all out of any one person's control. The reason we use light pop is because it is middle-of-the road and shouldn't really jar anyone's sensibilities.

At CLC Radio, the Chief Engineer is continually improving the status of this in everyway humanly possible. Just know that it can happen, it does happen, and will happen occasionally, and you all know this - when it comes to automation.

With Live DJ talent, another solution is always at hand:

The DJ On-Air (or Off, if you prefer) phone number for the studio is 847-543-2929. The staff will not, shall not, and cannot take blame for the music that DJs want to play. While it is in a DJs best interest (to gain audience) to play what the students want to hear (faculty, staff, and administration must understandably wait in line for the privilege of songs desired), you might want to make a request; just call the DJ at 847-543-2929 or just 2929 from your IP. Skype, or a CLC Tan House Phone.

When you are listening to us during Automation hours, you can always make a request through our automated system on this website. ONE SONG AT A TIME and only TWO PER HOUR and each song you choose will play approximately 2 to 4 songs later. Anything else would actually violate DMCA Internet Audio Streaming Regulations. KEEP IN MIND: Our request page has a glitch due to our ISP's insistence of using direct linking of asp.net libraries (which is ludicrous just knowing the basic of ,net programming) rather than releative linking! Whatever. Just don't be fooled off by the error at the pre-load time of the request page, nor the error that says your request didn't "go through" - it did, actually, but due to the above issue, it will just "appear" to be faulty. The request did "go through" and you will hear it shortly, between 3 to 5 songs later.

You can also send us emails regarding any issues you may have with our music choices, but you must keep this in mind: complaints about our website have absolutely no connection with our music programming, and do not confuse the two, please. There are good places within our site to make suggestions or complain about that!

Why, at the top of the hour, do I hear an announcement, then it fades out in the middle?

Short answer: We are aware and we will be fixing it. At least the programmers of the software we use say it is fixable!

Slightly long answer: Most likely the person speaking in the announcement wasn't watching the clock - to keep it at or under 2 minutes, OR the announcements longer than 2 minutes ended up being put in the wrong folder by an actual person - and probably the person speaking that announcement. (We train all our DJs to speak - as well as edit - the announcements; as much as possible)

Sound and songs listed don't always sync up in the various players' text scrollers offered?

Well, kids, and Moms & Dads; the reason? Because there are various players to choose from and each player is governed by servers out of our direct control, due each having a different set of scripts that support/don't support song title streaming at any given time or time frame.

For example: Live365 uses what they call their Nano Servers (so-named because they are LIGHTING fast) that will allow a proprietary stream coming from the originating streaming computer (clcradio's main DJ computer in our case) containing such important text; text that is actually required by the DMCA. Reports of the text are later randomly required by BMI, one of the 3 major Music Publishing Clearing Houses and specifically the one designated to collect royalties, which CLC pays every year. The Nano Servers are only set up to allow updates every 60 seconds (the bare minimum) to every five minutes or so (so far it has been set to their minimum and is completely server-side, therefore we cannot control it), so if you hear a 30 second sponsorship or CLC announcement play, and then hear a song, you might not see the sponsorship listed until 30 seconds after the next song has generated upon 60 seconds. However, it will show in the "Song played" area of the Live365 player in the order of its play along with exactly when it played and for how long it played in reality - not just its listed timing which is really from the MP3 "tag" that must accompany each song once it has played completely (the latter which is required of our automation software as well as the SIN-TV text song title scroller thingy).

Probably our most accurate player is our own ASX player (the type that just launches in most browsers automatically upon visiting our site, but only if your browser is set up to allow popups for our site). This ASX player maintains a fairly close relationship as to what is playing. Not only that, but the quality is higher for our player than what Live365 is willing to give us for free! (This is why we usually reserve some sports broadcasts for the Live365 player, only when there is a competing Live Music concert that we ill cover in a higher quality always).

COMPLAIN? You want to complain, why, just look at these shoes; I've only had them for a week and already the soles have worn through.....

M. Python

All complaints or constructive criticisms must first come to the DJ line, 837-542-2929, then to our Program Director, 847-543-2391. If you get no satisfaction there, you can then call Dan Prowse (GM and Chief Engineer of CLC Radio) in his office at 847-543-2637.

DO NOT CALL AND COMPLAIN ANYWHERE ELSE UNTIL YOU HAVE AT LEAST MADE AN EFFORT TO CONTACT THESE PEOPLE ABOVE. It is not fair to you, us, our managers/supervisors, nor especially the employees and managers of Lancers. The employees and managers of Lancers have little time to deal with what CLC Radio produces as Lancers' and the committee that helps think of ways to improve Lancers' (the Food Service Committee) main concern is making the excellent quality food you are likely to eat there everyday or whether there acoustical control installed on the floor, walls, or ceiling, what lighting they may have, color schema , etc.

Make your complaints or send your compliments and kudos of CLC Radio to CLC Radio staff on the SAME DAY you notice an issue - not weeks later in casual conversation with others. Frankly, we receive about 6 to 10 complaints a YEAR regarding music choices - something that needs no fixing and will fall on deaf ears all the way to the "top" (if you now what I mean, nudge-nudge), and maybe 3 to 6 complaints or less per year of volume control (either too low or a bit too loud - usually "...too low when Lancers is crowded"). These numbers are based upon actual audience participation and eyewitness accounts.

Soon, all complaints will be logged and signed by both parties; if the complaints are to be considered at all credible. "Stacks of complaints" older than 10 days will not ever be considered, so you might as well turn those post-it notes over, and then reuse. All our shows - automated or live - are archived to 10 days officially and 60 days unofficially (for DJ use).

Time & Space - they have the money

Yes I am both Part-time Faculty Advisor to & Manager (Supervisor if you prefer) of CLC Radio. I keep my time delineated between the two (for the few of you who mistakenly believe that that delineation is warranted). I stopped by CLC personnel Friday and I have been told to answer, when asked, "what do you teach", when referencing the Part-time Faculty designation, I need only reply, "I am Part-time Faculty in advisement. I am currently Advisor to CLC Radio". Any further inquiry would be considered nonsense to those in personnel. I was also informed that my first choice of answer was correct but may be too difficult to understand.

CLC employs people of the Lake County community as Part-time faculty Credit (or non-credit) with the intention for advisement or training only, not specifically for teaching classroom-style, but usually when the employee or incumbent holds a particular niche expertise or developing expertise in that area, or as a Counselor (they are all either Part-time or Full-time Faculty now, but are not assigned classes at first; Regular FT-Faculty are given first choice, of course, per their contract), or within Career & Placement Services for their expertise.

In other words, Part-time Faculty as Advisors are hired where it would not be efficient nor prudent to hire FT-Faculty to do the "job", because by necessity a lot of the work in niche areas is just that: a job. In the department of Career Services & Placement, there are also PT-Faculty Credit Course employees that can teach, have taught, but some currently do not. Kent Korth would be a good example of one that is not presently assigned to any credit course - but he does advise.

All of the above mentioned hires come under the roof of Student Development and so does anyone employed within the Office of Student Life or Student Activities. Currently in the Office of Student Life, then activities there are three employees qualified to teach: Felicia Ganther (OSL), Cindy Sarkady (OSA), and Dan Prowse (myself)(OSA). Ms. Ganther has taught Speech Class several times at CLC, Ms. Sarkady her own created seminars at CLC, and me, my own training methods I use everyday for DJ students and station staff that need that guidance, and I am good at it. I also teach privately, percussion (you know, drums). I am good at that, as well. They become good at it because of me, and sometimes, in spite of me (as I have planned all along).

There are no broadcasting courses at CLC again, yet - there aren't many even just within the Skyway Conference system - there once was at CLC, three attempts approximately 8 years ago, with the assignment of the then General Manager of "WCLC" (now, of course, correctly and legally given the name, by my insistence, "CLC Radio", in lieu of an illegal name perpetuated), Rodney Findley as the PT-Faculty for that credit course. But the course (actually may never have started due low enrollment) and Mr. Findley proved a supreme disappointment. Besides, a basic or intro course, somewhat necessary for study in Electronic Media Communications, would not generally include a Lab component, as it is introductory at most schools who have just one course in Radio. An introductory course alone will not teach you how to operate a station, it should just generally teach of history, position, job descriptions (as best as can be done, given the industry standards), different types of transmissions, and an overview of equipment. A trip to am FM station can also help a course improve. CLC Radio presently provides for out-trips to Radio Stations & Recording Studios.

In addition to only one course, even IF there would be a Lab attached, CLC has no separate Lab space to be used to teach what I already teach, On-hand, on Real-World equipment - WHEN TIME ALLOWS. These are the key elements in teaching radio, both Time & Space - and not just Standard Time nor Standard Office Space. Perusing the Nine AQIP Points, one can see that even a course, under CommArts, in Sound Design/Backstage, has been postponed due to lack of Space and Funds (if those are the only things holding it back, then CommArts needs to hire me full time just to do the research. Frankly, I am very curious in how a Sound Design and Backstage Rubric mix, so to speak, would look like - at least on paper).

In a production environment that provides the CLC Community a vast array of programming, programming which would sound excellent in your car stereo, if....LPFM? No. Educational entities are not allowed to enter into LPFM licensing - that is reserved to Religious or Governmental bodies. Educational entities may only apply for Educational Licenses - a higher power, if you will forgive any anecdotal reference, I intend none at this time. Applying is not a lengthy process by any means, and carries nothing more serious than the desire to do it, and the revelation that - from a PR stance - we are foolish not to attempt it. Doing so could prove CLC outstanding.

Those that can afford some sort of Internet Access can hear us or if you can stand to listen to us in Lancers' Cafe, that is fine for you, too; the Cafe is mainly devoid of acoustical treatment - CLC Radio has gone as far as technologically possible using electronic means to smooth out rough audible "edges" exposed if using no alteration in that space. (And no, using a noise monitoring device would not only fail - they just don't work as expected - but, using one would surely bring questions from the 1984 Camp, located just upstairs in any Speach & Communications Faculty Office). At least, when at a computer or in your car, you can control the volume and equalization to suit your personal comfort zone.

But, then when asked, my first answer has been, "I am not currently assigned classes. I am Part-time Faculty Advisor to CLC Radio, I am also their manager.". CLC Radio is not only an "it" to me, CLC Radio are people, too.

That last sentence sounded like a Super Computer wrote it.

Look, there is much more I can say here - especially about sound design, as I am expert in it - but, let me save that Draft for another blog time and space.

Lobby: Intermission Impossible

Lobby.

Main.

I guessed 37 cents.

I won the money.

If I were to use the pond to make a wish, I would wish for more clear discussion into the use of Lexan.

Here are some links (my idea from 9 years ago)

http://www.piperplastics.com/html/materials.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexan

http://www.infolink.com.au/Showcases/GE-Plastics-Australia/141038


The idea here is to propagate better thinking in the Lobby design and use.

Surround the whole Main Lobby in Lexan walls. Install a second level of Lexan flooring above the Main Lobby. Put a roof (recently: not my idea) of Lexan over the courtyard between the ML and CL. Wow, huh?

You could also put a second level Lexan floor in the C-wing above the Auditorium Lobby. The wall between the Glass Lounge and Auditorium Lobby should be Lexan.

The cost of Lexan (and possibly Peek) per lf/sf is identical to Sheetrock installation at 6 inches thick.

Wow.

Email Privacy at work or play?

Taken from:
Network World, 12/27/04 (no doubt, copied & pasted without permission)

"The blurring of personal and business e-mail is a serious problem at companies today, says Mich Kabay, associate professor for information assurance at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., and author of the "Network World on Security" newsletter. "Any e-mail message that is written on a corporate account should be considered written on company letterhead," he says. "It should not be taken lightly." "

I say: BULL*HIT

The problem is niether serious and letterhead is just that, the HEAD OF THE LETTER, not an email introduction - not the same thing. The only exception to my exception is when you are sending email correspondence to customers or vendors OUTSIDE your company "walls".

If you are ALLOWED the PRIVELEDGE to send private emails to and from each other in or out of work between family, friends, or co-workers, then you have a RIGHT to your privacy to ALL TYPES OF EMAILS.

All you need to do is sign yourself up for a digital certificate. Most will plugin to all the popular and even some of the not-so-popular (read: propriatary) email systems and will not harm their proper operation.

At the very least, if it is assumed that the emails moving around a network at work are private and internal, then they, too, should be protected with a cert.

There can be no argument against this policy, given my opening rebuttal.

Kosuth's argument for early destruction of emails and having to protect an archive is aggregious thinking. You migh have to keep certain types of documents for up to 10 years if attached to emails, so you might as well save them. Besides that, it is more likely to want to have your archive to protect you in defense o aclaim rather than just to delay discovery purposes. If an FBI investigation needs old "deleted" info back, they can get it - with current technology, data forensics can now uncover thrashed data to upward of 50 times rubbed-out - most of us have probably seen that episode of CSI!

You asked for it, we give it to you.

Statement Issued by a college's Board of Trustees September 11, 2006

The Board of Trustees is very concerned about the communication issues, and the resulting level of distrust, that have emerged at the college over the last several months.

The college has long been an institution that prided itself on having a climate that fostered open dialog and mutual trust. We have not always agreed on every issue, and sometimes difficult decisions have been made, but we have respected and trusted each other.

Over the last several months, however, we have experienced mounting anxiety and distrust in the college community. At times, the level of rhetoric has risen too high. At other times, decisions have been made without providing opportunities for feedback through the governance system.

As the elected leaders of the college, the members of the Board of Trustees have no higher priority than addressing the current campus climate issues. Toward that end, we wish to speak to several points.

We recognize that ultimately decisions must be made by those responsible for them. However, providing broad-based opportunities for feedback through the governance system is one of the college's most deeply held values. Using the governance system as intended helps build understanding of issues and helps ensure that the best ideas surface. The Board is unequivocally committed to the governance system and processes.

Likewise, we are committed to treating our employees fairly. We are aware that concerns have arisen over the processes for administrative evaluation and contract renewal. We are reviewing these processes, and we reaffirm the college's commitment to treating employees fairly while holding them accountable for their performance.

And given the current campus concerns, we wholeheartedly agree with the Faculty Senate, as does the president, that now is not the right time to engage in the previously announced strategic planning process. Our energies need to be focused on the important work of coming together again as a community.

We believe the president and the administration have had a role in escalating tensions at the college, and we are directing them to immediately begin taking steps to rebuild the level of trust and collegiality by actively seeking feedback on issues through the governance system, respecting differences of opinion and listening to ideas with truly open minds.

At the same time, we call upon all employee groups - faculty, administrators, specialist and classified - also to be open-minded and willing to make a fresh start. We know that re-establishing the climate of trust and collaboration that we all want will not occur overnight. It will take all of us being willing to step outside our comfort zones, and it will require changes in behavior and actions over time. But if we are truly open to talking and really listening to each other, we can become an even stronger community. Please join us in that effort.

--------------------------
In reality, all employee groups did not receive this email. All employee and governance groups were not mentioned in this email. As there is more than one governing body set up at that college, and one of those bodies is the Student Governance body, this is reprinted here to cover those forgotten comrades.

Shame on whomever sent this on the board's behalf, forgetting the most important groups that make this college exist and function: The students and the Temps.

The board, however, must be supremely congratulated for this message.

I only hope, as I cannot command, that this message in its entirety, as printed here above the dashed marker line, is equally disseminated to the print press and the main college Website (as few more important issues are sometimes not - as in the September 13th deadline, instead we have to see it only printed in the School Newspaper, 2 days after the deadline!).

One key point buried in the above announcement is that of emphasizing the governance approach to foster ideas. A good philosophy to latch onto is the gathering of ideas and then voting on the choice of highest merit (if the merit system is being used to judge the criteria), but governance is there primarily to air questions or concerns, comment, make decisions, and comment further, not primarily to come up with ideas or brainstorm, absolutely not. Brainstorming is just that, as the AQIP approach dictates.

The governance approach in idea making I call bad, on the flipside a brainstorming session is not the place to vote nor just "send the best of 3 to 5 ideas" up the flagpole to see who salutes, no. That is bullstorming, not brainstorming. All brainstormed ideas ("no idea is invalid") must find their way into council chambers for council members to deliberate over, and then vote upon the best choice.

And how about keeping everyone informed, surely a part of the message above? Well, to that end, what should have been properly delivered, has. Right here. You asked for it, we give it to you.
----
Don't get too overly concerned by what I have done here. I rarely make this a habit, and no names have been mentioned (proving that I, too, can hold back).

Posting

Where can I get a copy of the College of Lake County's posting policy?

OK, you can start calling me the "Media Guy", but instead start thinking, Technical Media Sepcialist. Done. Now vote.

PS; Dave, are you actually reading these? Well, if you are, here's a cookie.

The Curtis Gentry Show?

The Curtis Gentry Show? On another radio station? We didn't even know he was interested. He never came to us, and you can bet Bish didn't come to him with the idea.

CLC has its own radio station, clcradio.org, perfectly capable of producing a Sports Talk & Opinion show, as well as all the other AWARD WINNING shows we do! Mr. Gentry is a faculty member at CLC!

Why anyone employed by CLC would want to compete with us using a completely unaffiliated station (and it better remain that way), frankly just pisses me off and should piss off all Lake County tax payers, students, and especially employees of CLC. Was there absolutely NO REASON to send Kent Korth, CPAA, The Lancers House Announcer and CLC Radio's PxP Announcer down to the Danville, Spring 2006 Playoffs? Korth is a certified Public address Announcer of the NASPAA (National association of Sports Public address Announcers). He is also the House Announcer for the Lake County Lakers.

That better not change. If this college, College of Lake County, spends one thin dime for a local LPFM station to go anywhere but Round Lake - instead of its own in-house experts going, then I won't be the only one going to board meetings.

I just hope that he doesn't ramble on about CLC Sports, because clcradio.org is the goddam VOICE OF of CLC SPORTS. Mainly, Coach Gentry's show is Football Talk - a call in show.

Curtis? Didn't Shawn bring anything to the table? Should we blame him for not making you aware of clcradio.org?

Should we even bother to archive the past games' broadcasts? (YES, we will, always, as long as WE do it).

Get Curtis to do a show on clcradio.org, and I will say no more about the Lobby. That is, until he agrees, then of course it will be business as usual, which by the way is always improving, so don't fix it!

CLC Radio - always improving our controversial skills. Besides, controversy and in-fighting is what sports broadcasting is all about.

".........be the ball, Danny, be the ball......."

I don't blame Curtis, or that other station - I blame the media - that's right, I blame the poor usage of all-distribution emails! That last one reminded me of the one I sent, and got my wrist slapped for. You should have CTS by now!

blogger.com spell checker not working properly!

It's true! The spell checker window that pops up when spell chacking your propsed blog no longer has the text tracking. Y0ou have to guess where the checker is pointing!

Maybe they'll fix it once they see this blog entry is tracked on Google!

(and the horrible spelling unchecked)

Trillian AND GAIM signing into MSN hotmail/MSN Live still a problem?

The Trillian MSN hotmail/Live signin problem may soon be solved, according to the latest (September 1) report from Admin of the Trillian forums, amoeba, that Scotty the engineer at Trillian's Cerulean Studios has been informed by amoeba that the signin problem that begun on August 13th is real and actually happening - to amoeba! And, probably Scott as well.

So here's to hope!

12-23-2006 Add-in
Forget it.

Both GAIM and Trillian have given up on trying to fix an extremely fixable situation (it only involves adding a feature to both where the end user can change the parameters needed for proper sign-ons; usch as server name and proper ports).

The 2nd installment of the LAIR REPORT

As of September 1st, guess....you guessed correctly! Someone in authority actually went down to the LAIR and HEARD how damned loud the one TV was and FIXED IT. There was also a change, a rotation, of channels. And that after one administrator said, "We aren't changing the channels...bla bla...". Dude, whatever.

This is thoughorghly amazing, as generally, it takes that person a very long time to agree to anything proposed (misinformed, miscomunicating, almost Ludite in fact). The sky is blue, "no it isn't", barring any dicsussion of physics, however.

This is a journal of my opinions, as outlined above, and I write in it when I am happy, sad, or pissed. I guess on this issue I am all three. Equally.

HA!, WAH!, and GRRRH!

Now, on the WARNING front: WARNING: Surf or work at your own risk is the watch-phrase from IT staff. DO NOT expect to do important work or even long-assed downloads of huge ZIP files.

1st, the large ZIP files wil hang about half-way through, and you will have to reboot the computer

2nd, rebooting the computer will bring it bcak to its original DAY ONE installed state of being. LIKE NEW. NOTHING ON IT. It won't even remember your IM settings. Is this kind of an oops? I don't know yet. The jury is still out on this issue. I wouldn't even call it an issue. Just BE CAREFUL and mind that reset button - touch it and say good bye to ANYTHING you did up to that point. You will NOT be able to UNDELETE the missing work. So just relax and enjoy browsing through all the computer hardware porn you can stand, as no website has been forbidden. Yet.