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Tuesday, April 23, 2002
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Wylie Gustafson is really Yahooing over Yahoo Settlement
[CNN is reporting.] Wylie Gustafson, singer of Yahoo the internet portal's trademark yodel, finally settles with Yahoo for undisclosed sum, but he says "...it will keep his horses fed for the winter with a little left over."
VO people imagine: You're asked to VO a little yodel for an unknown start-up company who wants a non-union VO artist to jazz up their commercial. Pay $590 for a one time use. Not bad by most standards today, but when Wylie Gustafson heard his distinct yodel on Super Bowl and repeated in many commerials for internet giant Yahoo, Wylie wasn't ah-yahoo-ing. So Wylie filed suit in federal court against Yahoo and starteding talking with every radio and television station in the country. Well, finally T. Semel, Yahoo's Chmn./CEO heard about the news and ordered a quick settlement. Nice to see a company do the right thing. Bad it had to take a lawsuit to get them to settle.
3:52:40 PM 
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The Transom: A Winning Example of Convergence in Webcasting and Radio
Sincere "Thank you's" go to Ralph Brandi over at ThereIsNoCat. Ralph is an excellent webmaster and broadcaster in a previous life, who's looking for work. (We should discuss forming a Previous Broadcasters Anonymous group.) Ralph pointed me toward a wonderful new website The Transom that shows the true value of webcasting. Please note, because I do not use those words lightly, especially in with CARP, CBDTPA and all the other garbage going on in Washington.
The nutshell: The Transom is the brainchild of a group of savvy people including Bill McKibben and Jay Allison, winner of the Peabody Award and the Murrow Award in Broadcasting in 1996. Transom is connected to the non-profit group Atlantic Public Media, who administers the Transom.org site and WCAI & WNAN, the new NPR service for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, which is managed by WGBH-Boston. The prime directive for The Transom is to provide a space for experimenting and fostering new work and productions in radio/webcasting and some community. The wonderful thing about Transom-- Transom openly solicits new work and productions from anyone. Yes ANYONE.
Here's what they are looking for...
"We're looking for great radio -- things that are less heard, different angles, new voices, new ways of telling, and any other good pieces that haven't found another way onto public radio. Editors evaluate material more by what it does than what it is. Some questions they'll consider:
On the air, would it keep you by your radio until it's over?
Is the maker someone of talent who should be encouraged?
Does it push at the boundary of conventional radio in an exciting way?
Will it provoke fruitful discussion online?
Submissions can be stories, essays, home recordings, sound portraits, interviews, found sound, non-fiction pieces, audio art, whatever, as long as it's good listening. Material may be submitted by anyone, anywhere -- by citizens with stories to tell, by radio producers trying new styles, by writers and artists wanting to experiment with radio. As long as it hasn't already aired nationally, we'll consider it. "
Hmmm? I can see where this would make a direct connect to what we're doing in the weblogs.
Transom even provides FREE tools and technical assistance to help producers get the proper tools to make a great onair-onweb package.
From where I sit, The Transom is a excellent example of what webcasting and its connection to broadcast radio can do and has all the markings of being successful. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I only wish I'd thought of it. Spread the thread folks!
2:27:31 PM
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 Revenge on the Telemarketers
Tom Mabe has a wicked sense of humor which only comes from having way too much time on his hands. Tommy-Boy, I can relate. Boston Globe and a raft of newpapers and media sources, including Paul Harvey have reported that on Mabe's recent antics. You see-- Tom Mabe HATES telemarketers.
Mabe recently found out the American Teleservices Association's Convention was going on in Washington, DC. On late Sunday night/Monday morning, Mabe began calling the telemarketing owners and mangers IN THEIR HOTEL ROOMS.
"He called the conference attendees in the middle of the night offering to sell them a sleep aid and pretending he was calling on behalf of the ''Telemarketers with Insomnia Foundation.'' None of the people who picked up the phone were amused, with most hanging up and calling him a jerk."
Gee... if I didn't know better I'd think Tom's the Son of Rageboy. ;-)
Mabe's little antics are to give attention to his new CD Revenge on the Telemarketers Round 2 as well as his grass roots program to inform the public about the illegal and unethical practices of many telemarketing groups. I for one find Tom's antics refreshing.
12:37:27 PM
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 Can We Talk? True Confession of a Fashion Impaired Women
I've been having major foot problems in the past couple months and the doctor wants me to wear a corrective orthotic for the next several months in order to see if I will end up needing more surgery or not. So yesterday I picked up my new cushioned orthotics. However-- there is a major problem. The orthotics and my feet will not fit in any of the dressy shoes I own. So the doctor told me to "go find something that fits with everything inside it." Uh huh. Lovely. The doctor didn't volunteer to go shopping with me.
Tonight Doug came home expecting me to be dancing across the kitchen in my new wonder feet. Sorry Tootsie it didn't happen. "We need to go find me a pair of shoes these (holding up the bag of orthotics) will fit with my feet in the shoe." I told Doug. He like most men, did not look amused at the idea of spending an evening in a women's shoe department and asked why doctor didn't volunteer to take me to the mall. (Fat chance.) So-- off we went to the store in search of the Wonder-Shoe and along with the help of a very kind sales lady, I tried on over a dozen pair of shoes in 45 minutes. Nothing worked. Sheepishly she finally said, "Would you mind spending a couple months in this?" (She holds up a pair of the basic canvas tennies pictured.) I wasn't thrilled with the option because, it sure wasn't the fashion statement I wanted to project. But desperate to find something and I agreed to try them on, stuffing the orthotic into the shoe and finally my foot. Lucky for me, everything fit with a little room to spare. In fact with the orthotic they were pretty comfie as long as I didn't have to look at them. We took them home.
Now I need a little help-- any ideas on how to make these or a duplicate pair a fashion statement over the next couple months? Feel free to make comments or suggestions.
Doug is all ready comparing me to Phyllis Diller.She is the one with the tennis shoes and the face lift. I am wearing the tennis shoes. I've all ready threated that if I am forced to wear them to my upcoming 30th high school class reunion-- I'm going to sequin cover a pair!
2:33:01 AM
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© Copyright 2002 Mary Wehmeier.
Last update: 4/23/02; 1:29:20 AM.
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