Venting...Radio Without Tom Joyner Is Not A Change I Appreciate

***UPDATED BELOW

Okay, I have been out of pocket since last week’s birthday. Let’s add that with age come other things such as my back giving me the business for over a week. All I am going to say is if you have never had a back spasm before, you don’t realize you actually stop breathing when it happens.

However, I am not back to ramble on about things going on in my life. I am here to vent. Folks, I am mad as hell. On Monday, I made it to work, barely. When I turned on my radio in my office, which stays on 97.1 here in Montgomery because it is the old school, R&B station, I heard Steve Harvey. Now, I was off Friday and I thought for just a second that J, who cleans my office, had changed the station on my radio. I tried to find Tom Joyner on the radio thinking J had changed the station to our Hip/hop & R&B station 105.7, which airs the Steve Harvey morning show. Well, after 10 minutes, it finally dawned on me that Steve was on 97.1. I called my co-worker but she had no clue about what the heck was happening since she listens to the gospel station. I curse too much to listen to the gospel station all day. Well, I do.

So what is a girl to do when she doesn’t know what the heck is going on? I googled. I found the fb page and low and behold a few folks had posted the question what happened to the Tom Joyner Morning Show? No answer, but folks were mad. Hell, I was mad. One, because I don’t handle change well unless I am giving some notice. Secondly, Steve Harvey is now on 2 damn radio stations in the morning. Thirdly, I don’t like Steve Harvey in the morning. Yeah, I said it.

Seriously, change is scary for me at times. If I am given a forewarning, I can wrap my head around the situation and go with the flow. However, if you throw me in without warming me up to the situation I am mad. I struggle with change and even though one of my favorite quotes is “The only lasting truth is change,” by Octavia Butler, I struggle. Badly.

Look, this is my morning routine. I viggle the Today show at 7 am and watch either a Law & Order episode or A Baby Story as I get dressed and made up for work. I get into my car for the 10 minute ride to work and I listen to Russ Parr, because usually by this time they are playing mostly music and I don’t have to listen to silly chatter, gags and such because let me be real, I don’t officially wake up until 10 am. When I get to my office I usually have the last hour of Tom Joyner to listen to, which includes news, music and information. I can handle that before 10 am.

Steve Harvey on 105.7 was fine for me, because I didn’t have to hear him because I listened to TJMS. I give Steve respect for all he has accomplished; however, I ain’t no Stan. I lost a lot of respect for him after his last divorce due to the way he did his ex-wife and yeah his ex-wife had some culpability in the situation as well, but he made my stomach turn. So I am not watching all his shows and listening to him on the radio. Frankly, SH is too damn silly for me in the morning. The stuff ain’t funny it is more irritating. Now his ass in on two, count them two radio stations at the same time. Ugh!

105.7 and 97.1 are part of the iHeart radio thing so I have no idea who thought this was a sound decision. Folks are mad as hell on the FB page and they ain’t happy one bit about being subjected to the change with no notice. We understand the money thing, we understand the numbers thing but what we don’t understand is basically ignoring the demographics that actually listens to the TJMS. SH and TJ have different listening audiences. Just like publishers don’t know what African-American readers want to read the radio big wigs don’t know what we want to hear either. Money dictates so much in this society, it is no wonder there is so much discord and unhappiness. I just want my Tom Joyner Morning Show back.

After I wrote this, I checked the fb page and this is their response:

We have made a change concerning the Tom Joyner Morning Show on WWMG(Magic 97.1). We have nothing but respect and appreciation for our relationship with Tom Joyner and & his cast over these years. He’s a legend and we understand there are people what enjoyed his show. However, we’ve also heard from many folks who welcome the switch to the Steve Harvey Morning Show. Currently simulcast on both Magic 97.1 and Hot 105.7 for this week only. Next Week a new fast paced, entertaining, cutting edge, informative morning show that better reflects what the station is known for “Hip Hop & R & B” will debut on WZHT(Hot 105.7). The Steve Harvey Morning Show will settle in as the permanent morning show on Magic 97.1. It has been a ratings winner and occupied the #1 position in Montgomery since its inception 7 years ago. It is an amazing show that is humorous, entertaining, informative and fund with dynamic personalities Steve Harvey, Shirley Strawberry and Nephew Tommy, It’s already been proven to be a great Adult Urban Show. Thank all for being loyal listeners.

Just as I said…money talks be damned the listeners who don’t care for Steve’s brand of humor because he is #1. Sighing…any suggestions for online music?

P. S. Blogger is on my nerves!  All the symbols and stuff that is all blogger and because I can't really edit my stuff now because it has been acting weird for months now...I am thisclose to ending this relationship.  Yeah, I am mad!

9/24/13 - The Breakfast Club took over Steve's spot on 105.7.  Yeah, SH is still on 97.1.  However, to my delight and sadness yesterday was the last day for the Russ Parr Show and Tom Joyner has found a home on 97.9, which is really the Hip Hop station here.  I was so happy to hear Tom, my eyes welled with tears.  Then I thought about the young folks who listen to Russ and thought they probably feel like I felt last week.  There is no winning.  I am just so glad Tom is still here in Montgomery.  Yes!!!!!!!

Harrison Is Pretty Randoms…

Saturday's high bun...For book club meeting

Am I the only one thinks this has been a long week? Geez, I am exhausted.

I am so glad I finally got my Scandal fix. Seriously, these past 3 weeks have been pure torture, what is one to do? I could watch the reruns, but seriously this show takes a lot out you emotionally and I just can’t watch the reruns. Yet. LOL!

So Beyonce is Satan now? Wow! You make a record basically to shut down your haters and folks think you are the devil. Seriously, the media is controlling too many people’s lives. Get you a life. And I ain’t even a Beyonce stan. Nobody has time for this shyte!

Speaking of Satan. I have been watching The Bible series, but I catch it on Lifetime, because I am working when it airs originally. So the Satan looks like President Obama? Seriously, people? Get you a damn life.

I can’t decide if I am doing a raised garden and/or a container garden. I love my flowers and I love saving money on fresh veggies, but I am going to be out of town a bit this summer and I fear my plants will suffer. We shall see. I have some seeds. Need soil and a new raised garden container. The one I have just didn’t survive the rainy winter we had. We shall see.

I need to tell my oldest niece that I will be twerking ala Miley Cyrus at her graduation brunch. I am so serious. Okay, I am kidding, but I want to see her face when I tell her what I am thinking about doing.

I almost got sucked in last Friday thinking Lil Wayne was on his death bed. Almost. But my sister reminded me I was on the slippery slope to being obsessive about it. She went through my bout after Aaliyah died. It was bad.

I need a new recipe for something anything. Nothing right now is grabbing me and seducing me to make right now.

I have a friend who is getting married. I am trying to be supportive. I refused any thoughts of me being in the actual wedding. Been there and am still waiting on a refund on the dress material I paid for. No can do. Plus, she has failed to express the emotional feelings she has for the dude. No mention of feeling cherished, loved or even he is paying all the bills. Sighing…All I hear are what things cost for a wedding, blah, blah, blah. Marriage isn’t the wedding. That is all.

Sighing…We have a “small” family trip ahead for my niece’s graduation. I have to go. I don’t want to go. Why? Because nothing good comes from me traveling to Virginia ever. I always say my mama intervenes because something always happens. It does and I am not exaggerating. The first time after my mama died, we went for my stepfather’s wedding. I told them, meaning the adults, I didn’t want to go and there was no need in me being there. But the “adults” decided I had to go, so they decided we would leave the Friday before and get there early Saturday. Well…they should have listened to me because the van we were traveling in broke down on Jimmy Carter Blvd in Georgia and we couldn’t get it fixed until the next morning. So we were stuck in Georgia and had to sleep in the van. Ugh! After the van was fixed my uncle filled up the van and preceded to hit the car behind us and drive off. I am not kidding. We never turned back. Then we got lost in North Carolina trying to find this hidden church. It was uncomfortable asking for directions from folks with confederate flags on their businesses. To add insult to injury, my stomach decided it boil over. Sorry, folks we had to stop every 15 minutes because of my stomach. (I could be graphic, but I won’t). We made it to the wedding, when it was over. We were hungry, tired and funky. My uncle said he was going inside the church because he wasn’t funky and to be sure we understood that he decided to but cologne over the funk. Thanks. And remember the BVD commercial where the guy goes to the front desk in his underwear because he locks himself out of the hotel room? My uncle did that well before the commercial ever aired. I almost died after my brother’s graduation because my uncle decides to drive us directly into a vehicle luckily the vehicle got out of the way just in time. I saw my life pass before my eyes. Or the time I went and we had to get on 3 different airplanes before we could fly to Norfolk and then when we get there we must circle the airport because of the major thunderstorm. So my nerves were tore up, bad. So I just don’t have this great want to be in VA, because these disasters follow us there. This year 8 of us are going in a 7 passenger van for a 13 hour drive. You know I wanted to die when we went to Myrtle Beach. I gotta to go pray on this some more because the family keeps calling about how long, when, where, hotel blah, blah. I am over it already. Why the hell were they planning to be there for a week? No way. I have been to VA and have lived there briefly. No. I don’t even do beaches. Ugh! Maybe you all should pray with me?

Where will The Guy and I go for some R&R?

Blood pressure is back to normal. Or at least my new normal.

I need a new physician. Badly. I love my doctor, but his office? No so much.

Is your weather wonky? Monday we had a high of 83 degrees and we endured a hail storm, bless it my area got pea size hail (I went to praying when I heard it hitting the house). And today’s high will be 55 degrees. And it is raining…again. We are going to hell…

Can people stop using FB as the place to communicate about personal issues and their woes?  I am easily irked when you post truly personal stuff on social media, but are unable to communicate your issues with actual people and in person.  FB is the devil.

This is what I am finishing and reading this weekend.

I will do a review of Black Water Rising by Attica Lock next week.  Sinners & Saints is book club read for April

Any plans? Not for me except relax.

Enjoy your weekend!

Sorry not kiddie pictures, but my smile will hold you until next time...



Internet Retribution...Parenting In a Social Media Age: Old School Style

One of the authors I follow on FB posted a picture of her daughter holding a sign saying in essence, since she didn’t know how to use social media properly she would be taking a hiatus from it until she learned how to use social media responsibly. Her picture went viral and she had comments from one end of the spectrum to the other. In an entry later, she said the majority of it was positive, but she had a small portion that thought she was the worst mother ever and her daughter would have serious problems later in life.


I applauded her actions. I wish more parents had the gumption and the mind to do what she did. Really. In my family I am known as the Internet crawler. I am going to be on your FB page and blog and I will monitor what the hell you are saying, posting and showing on your pages. Drives my niece crazy, but I do. My normal manner is to tell their parents and let them handle it from there. Sometimes I personally tell them to take the mess down.


My sister monitors her children on the computer. Faithfully and she will always do so. (I do not agree with reading her journal, but I am a child whose mother read her journal so I purposely would say hateful things). She has parental controls on the computer and the computer in her home is in the living room so anyone walking in will see what you are doing.  Social media also made my oldest niece bold and brazen, where she tweeted a situation that she failed to think her mother would see and my sister took it to her old school.  Posting personal things, especially things about your mother is really, really not a good idea.
My cousins cannot curse on their pages, the younger ones. The older ones I send direct messages asking are they going through something because I am sure their coworkers and supervisors are viewing their page with wonderment as well. There are no bikini shots for the females, AT ALL. Take that mess down. My niece tried it a few times but as soon as she posted it, she had to take it down. I am good.  I also do not believe and putting all your business on your page.  Even if it is going out to eat, you are basically telling your so called friends you aren't home and they can come rob you.  Extreme, but it could happen.  (An alleged rapist in the area used FB to meet new friends and set up his targets.)


Now I have some younger cousins who I would never have allowed to establish a FB page, they are too young to handle the responsibility. A few weeks ago I was doing my nightly crawl and I notice the 12 year old cousin (yes this is too young for FB, but I am not his mama) had posted a picture of Mil.ey Cyr.us, it wasn’t just the picture that was the problem it was the picture of pen.is in her mouth that was the problem. Mind you I am on my phone so I using the fact I am extremely nearsighted in my left eye, I put the phone up to the eye and dang, my mouth dropped opened and I was done. Who the heck was monitoring his behind on the computer and how did he get the picture? I called his grandmamma and she called his mama and his page was taken completely down. It had only been up on the computer for an hour before I spotted it. Yeah, I was angry, but I was concerned because neither the grandparents nor the parents have parental controls on their computer. I talked to his grandmamma about it and asking her to move her computer out of the bedroom and into a more visible room.


Parents are not their kid’s friends. The Guy told me of how he handles cleaning the kitchen in his household. His sons have to clean the kitchen and that includes hand washing the dishes and wiping down the counters and stove, but they must also sweep the floor. You know old school clean up. He unplugged his dishwasher. Yes, because dishwashers make them lazy, my opinion. Anyway, if they do not clean the kitchen properly he will get a dirty dish with water in it and wake them up in bed with a nice thought, wet thought, now you have to go clean the kitchen in the middle of the night, but you also have to change your linen. I love it. His son told him he had folded up his clothes after washing them. Well, The Guy found the clothes just thrown into the laundry basket. He asked his son if he was sure he put the clothes up and told him to go check his room. I wish I could have seen his face, because The Guy took all the clothes piled into the laundry basket and threw them all over his room along with the dirty clothes. Now he had to re-wash everything.  Be still my heart.  Old school style.


My sister has the same problem with my niece about cleaning the kitchen. I told my sister old school style works. My aunt only had to wake me up out of my sleep once. I learned quickly what a clean kitchen meant. If my sister would do that, just once, she would save herself the pressure issues.


I don’t have kids and the kids I helped raise are grown. However, they know how to clean a kitchen, wash clothes and clean a house better than most women. They love their mama, even though they are reminded of the butt whippings they got because each of the whippings taught them a lesson and mainly not to make the same mistakes again. A whipping is not a beating, keep that in mind. In this age, punishing your children has to take on a different method. Not punishing them means when they are working their first jobs with me, I am trying to play catch up on discipline with them and sometimes it helps, but as I am seeing it really is too late. Your kids are not your friends; they will appreciate the discipline when they are older because at least they know you cared.


Again, I applaud the parents who are parenting in this day in age. And in the age of social media, you have an added measure to deal with, but you know what will work best for your kid, but know you have to discipline.  Handle your kids the way you see fit, because if you don’t the system will. I know I see it every day!