Hoyt Smith in the Morning

In this economy people are generally trying to keep their heads down and get the job done and try not to attract negative attention. Still, Betsy and I were talking about people who are still late for work, some on a consistent basis. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder.com one in five of us are late to work every week. In this economy you'd think one would try really hard to show up to work on time. The most common excuse is traffic, followed by a lack of sleep and getting children ready for school or day care. A shocking one in 10 workers say they are late to their jobs at least twice a week.
Some of our favorite weird excuses are:
* My heat was shut off so I had to stay home to keep my snake warm.
* I feel like I'm in everyone's way if I show up on time.
* I had to go to bingo.

I could hear the boss saying it now to his colleagues, "He had to go, period",

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I came across this item the other day and had a tough time tracking it down on the web. Finally I Googled the correct message and "voila". What is it? The "Gran Slang" dictionary. You know, a list of words our grandparents use that may be out of vogue like "hullabaloo", "urchin" or "poppycock". As an added bonus there is a "Youth Slang" dictionary for older folks. It all comes from a reverse mortgage company from the UK so some of the slang terms are decidedly British, but it is still relevant and fun.
Here is the link ...  

http://www.homecapital.co.uk/hct/about/press/2009pr/2009-02-19.pdf

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The Infinity is throwing another "get acquainted" party this Sunday March 1st just down the street from KDFC's studios. I've been working, shopping and dining south of Market for the last 15 years or so and it just keeps getting better. I like our part of SOMA right next to Moscone Center, but I have to admit some of the most special parts of San Francisco are right near the water. That's where they have constructed the two distinctive round green glass towers of the Infinity complex. I spent a night in Tower 1 last year and I went back the other day for another tour with one of the personable sales reps, Carrie Barrett. This time it was a look around Tower 2 and a "once in a lifetime" chance to stroll around one of the 42nd story Penthouse residences. Wow.
Here's a view you could live with till the end of time. The ever-changing, magical, unique San Francisco waterfront. I hope you'll join us at the Infinity's Club Lounge Sunday from 2 to 4pm at 301Main Street at Folsom for appetizers, tasty La Crema wines and your tour of all the Infinity has to offer.

We'll see you there.

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I mentioned this one a couple of times over the last week and if you are a fan of film music this ones for you. It's called "Discover Film Music" and it's part of the educational series on the label Naxos.
There are two CDs, one featuring music from American film and the second from films from the rest of the world. Some familiar music, some unfamiliar, but the  in depth essay from John Riley really brings the tracks to life and showcases other composers and film score missing from the CD set. If you love the classic film sounds of Max Steinrer and Bernard Hermann (Hitchcock's favorite) amd some of the recent crop like Danny Elfman this one is worth checking out.

The Academy Awards are Sunday night and if you've seen a few of the telecasts you've heard some rambling, awkward acceptance speeches. What would you say if you were up there on stage? Wonder no more. Click here for the handy Oscar Awards Speech Generator from Atom.com.

We'll wrap up KDFC at the Movies on Saturday. As always we love your feedback on our annual Oscar tribute.

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During the Valentine's week we've focused some on composers in love and on Wednesday's Morning Blend at 10 we led our themed hour "Satisfied Staying Single Day" with music of Beethoven. Perhaps you've heard of the "immortal beloved" that he wrote a letter for, but never mailed. Have you ever read any of it? It is filled with passion and frustration. Here is how it starts...

"My angel, my all
my self - only a few
words today, and indeed with pencil
(with yours)
only tomorrow is my lodging positively fixed
what a worthless waste
of time on such - why
this deep grief, where
necessity speaks -
can our love exist but
by sacrifices
by not demanding everything
can you change it, that you
not completely mine. I am not
completely yours - Oh God"

If you'd like to read the rest and find out more about Beethoven, here is a link to a great website. Follow the links at the top of the page to explore the great man's life.

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Bustling Bangkok. It's home to at least 10 million, but that just the known population. Could be as many as 13 million so I'm told. Like any big city, most folks are nice and helpful and there area few out to scam you. Beware the Tuktuk drivers who offer a 20 baht ride, but first a stop or two (like to the high pressure environment of a jewelry shop or tailor shop that is paying them to lure you in). Or the taxi driver that would rather not use the meter, but charge you a flat 100 baht for a two block ride. Or the helpful well spoken man or woman out to aid a lost tourist and send you on a wild goose chase that may involve one of the aforementioned "cheap" Tuktuk rides. All that could happen in one form or another in any big city, but the big city still offers so much for the well informed traveler. One of those treats in Bangkok is the free outdoor concerts presented by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra during the winter months. A KDFC fan and  former Bay Area radio guy by the name of James Marple invited Jacquie and me to join him at one of those last Sunday night in Lumpini Park just down the road from our hotel. The Bangkok Symphony manages to exist and serve without any government aid thanks to robust ticket sales and the generous support of patrons and corporate sponsors. At the park you can buy some tasty munchies, rent a straw mat to sit on and enjoy the show from 5:30 to 7pm. Free outdoor symphony concerts - one of the best things about big city life around the world.

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Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and Anthony McGill play during the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

It was a beautiful buffer; a musical interlude between acts and it has created a lot of listener interest here at KDFC. I'm talking about the quartet piece performed between the swearing in of Vice President Joe Biden and that of  President Barack Obama on inauguration Tuesday. John Williams wrote "Air and Simple Gifts" for an all-star lineup; violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Gabriela Montero.

Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun had this to say about it "The remarkably intimate interlude opened with a sober, almost melancholy theme, as if to recall the many challenges facing the country. That gave way to a familiar melody, first intoned by the clarinet - the gently uplifting Shaker hymn, "Simple Gifts," used so indelibly by Aaron Copland in his 1944 ballet score Appalachian Spring. The four instruments rhapsodized on that tune before returning to the quiet opening material."

The response to it has been wonderful here at KDFC. I've received many emails and calls regarding it and so we decided to place a video clip of that premiere on our video page. Enjoy

While playing some of the Otorino Respighi's "The Birds" today I went searching for the source material ("the Birds" is made up of melodies from the 17th and 18th century keyboard pieces) and came across this animation that uses the music from Rameau's "La Poule" (the Hen).
Enjoy



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Dang! We are one interesting species and here is one more bit of proof. A video out of Japan where there seems to be a fascination (at least for one man) with turning vegetables into musical instruments...a whole line of healthful instruments you play, then eat. Wow! Thanks to Rik Malone for forwarding this to me. "Broccoli We Have Heard on High", just in time for Christmas...dinner.



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Not all of us do it, but we all seem to have opinions about it. Tipping. When, how much, why, etc. Some people we might like to tip, like a flight attendant who was really nice to you in the midst of your miserable travel experience is not allowed (unfortunately) to accept any remuneration. They are just doing their job and besides, that may cement the vision of them being really well trained wait persons instead of trained safety professionals. But I digress. There are so many people in our lives that may deserve a little "thank you" in the form of a gift card or cash. Consumer Reports recently made a list of suggested amounts. As I mentioned on the air when I read some of them, this is a nationwide average. Remember we live in one of the most expensive areas in the country and you might want to give more.

• Cleaning person $50
• Child's teacher $20
• Hairdresser $20
• Child care provider $38
• Manicurist $20
• Newspaper carrier $20
• Barber $15
• Building superintendent $25
• Pet care provider $25
• Mail carrier $20
• Lawn care worker $25
• School bus driver $15
• Fitness instructor $25
• Sanitation worker $20

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I'm just back from some islands in eastern Thailand near the Cambodian border and having relaxing classical music was icing on the cake. I thought you might be interested in what CDs really added to the relaxation.

First and formost was the "KDFC Islands of Sanity 4" with it's signature blend of very relaxing music.








I found it especially nice sipping that first cup in the morning sitting on the deck overlooking the gentle waves at Koh Mak.









A similar CD is "Adagio Chillout", a compilation from Naxos.








Guitar music can be so restful and one of my favorites for a while now has been "Air on a G String" By David Russell









For meditative moments I turned to a surprise hit on the U.K. charts called "Chant - Music for the Soul" by the Cistercian Monks. I must admit I couldn't get into the Gregorian chants sitting around my house in SF, but floating over the water in a hut in Thailand it worked just fine.

I'm off for two weeks for post election rest and recharge.
Here is the first stop. I may never want to leave...












Latitude 12 6’13” N Longitude 102 21’7” E

Back on the 24th of November,

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I played this not-so spooky music during the Morning Show on Halloween and I thought you'd like to see a video of this cute showpiece for violin.

Here's Maxim Vengerov and friends


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Thought I'd share some photos of our stay in one of the luxury residences at the Infinity in SF. What do they say in real estate..."location, location, location." My wife and I live in the City now, but don't enjoy the convenience of the Infinity's location or bennies. We hardly ever get to the embarcadero or the Ferry Building so it was a treat to have all that right out our front door. I'll be hosting a party on Sunday (10/19) from 2 to 4pm at the Infinity at 301 Main at Folsum in the Infinity's Club Lounge. We'll have hors d'oeuvres and wine and you'll have the chance to see all the open models. Really spectacular views and amenities. The two story townhouse around the 31st floor with the view over South Beach and the marina was the one we fell in love with. Wow! Here are some pictures of the view 21st floor view from our one bedroom unit. See you there!

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We are always losing greats of classical music. People retire, or worse, die, and we justly celebrate their life and accomplishments in the media. The flip side of course is the emergence of new talent. Thankfully young people are still discovering classical music and dedicating their lives to the pursuit of excellence. Often we only hear of the new talents when they release an acclaimed CD or make a debut as a protege of an established superstar. Now with the tireless search bots, the internet offers up news of rising stars at even earlier stages in their development. Such is the case with a lauded apperance by 17 year old Thai pianist Thaya Kongpakpaisarn who was a crowd-pleaser at the recent 2008 Beethovenfest Bonn. The event, which brought together more than 1,900 artists to perform 60 concerts at 24 venues, ran for a month from August 29 to September 28 in Bonn, Germany. "Amazing" and "stunning" were just two of the many adjectives being passed around after Thaya's impressive performance. I've scanned the web looking for a record deal, but couldn't find word of a new contract, but it sounds like just a matter of time. Read more about him here. I have the feeling I'm going to need to learn how to pronounce Thaya Kongpakpaisarn sooner or later.

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23 years in the spotlight. Not bad for someone who still has her 40th birthday in her sights. Midori is one of the best known names in classical music and that's why it was a natural to feature her new retrospective CD "The Essential Midori". Her website, www.gotomidori.com. is presented in three languages and is packed with info about her life and career. One of the facts i came across was that she recently received her Masters degree in Psychology. Along with Midori and Friends, started in 1992 in response to serious cutbacks in music education in New York City schools, she has a similar organization in Japan, Music Sharing, which concentrates on music education for young people with a special focus on both Western classical music and traditional Japanese music, including instrument instruction for the disabled. A remarkable musician who gives so much to our world.
Here's a video of a teenage Midori and how she kept her cool in a tough performance situation. Remarkable.

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A lot of people have what I call "lottery dreams". You know, hit the big one, call in rich and head off around the world, or open a cool small hotel in an exotic hideaway, or finally support my favorite charities with some "serious" money and /or time. For some very talented individuals there is no buying of tickets or applying for financial aid (grant money). No, for some, the good folks at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation find you and bestow on you a "Genius grant" of half a million large. Such good fortune just rained down on violinist Leila (pronounced Leelah) Josefowicz. ``It makes me so happy and gratified that my passions about music are reaching people,'' said Josefowicz, 30, who got the news about her selection last week. ``The grant gives me the liberty and freedom to use my time to study music the way I want and work on new projects with composers that have something special to say.'' From all of us here at KDFC, "Congrats Leila!" (BTW: She plays at Davies with the SFS, April 1 - 4)

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Ah the Fall Arts Season. The faithful belly up to the ticket counters all over the Bay Area and show their support for all the great local talents. The newly converted or just plain "classical curious" are there too and sometimes when the two meet it can be a bit awkward. How refreshing and helpful it was to stumble across a recent piece in the Sacramento Bee about what works or doesn't for classical audiences. A big question: Should you applaud only at the end of a piece or at the end of the movement, or if you are blown away by a particular passage or soloists performance during a dazzling passage? Michael Morgan of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Sacramento Philharmonic says "Audience applause at the 'wrong' times is always a good sign. It means people are new to the experience and showing enjoyment of being there." You may get a dirty look from the cognoscenti, but don't let that bother you. To read the whole (and very worthwhile) article click here.

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Picked this item out of today's WSJ. There's a new animated series from public television aimed at 4 to 8 year old called "Wunderkind Little Amadeus" that seeks to interest the little ones in classical music by exploring the early life of W.A. Mozart. Each episode features at least one Mozart work and there's an accompanying website. From the link to KQED it looks like they feature it on their HD Kids Channel (I saw some episodes scheduled for 11:30 at night! "Go to bed...NOW") We're looking for it to produce a bump in the 6- 11 year old demos here at KDFC. One can only hope.

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I played a bit of this on the KDFC Morning Show and promised you the link, so here it is. The Rabbit of Seville (with apologies to G. Rossini).
Look for the "cast card" at the start of the toon for one "Carlo Jonzi". That would be the director, Chuck Jones.


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I have a box at home that is the grave yard of outdated technology. You know, the old cellphones, PDAs, MP3 players and digital cameras that have been replaced by "faster, sharper, flashier tech". Many of us have a collection we hate to just throw away, but don't know what to do with. I've heard of non-profits, schools and the like, who'll recycle your old cellphone, but in a recent Wall Street Journal, tech columnist Katherine Boehret wrote about some websites that offer cash for your old tech collection. Check out Gazelle.com or VenJuvo.com for starters. MyBoneYard.com accepts only laptops, desktop PCs, cellphones and flat-panel monitors and gives Visa gift cards rather than cash. A site that will start you on the fast-track to recycling is the Consumer Electronics Association website, www.MyGreenElectronics.org. You'll find the complete WSJ article here.

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I was looking for more info on the CD of the Week piece I played Thursday on the KDFC Morning Show featuring Vladimir Horowitz and came across a video of the piece on You Tube. There are some great close-ups of his hands flying deftly over the keyboard as the "magic" happens in the piece by Mortiz Moszkowski called Étincelles (Sparks). Enjoy.

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Just back from a VERY relaxing and fun cruise to Alaska with about 20 KDFC listeners. For some it was their first cruise, but everyone seemed to have a great time. The neat things about cruising is that you can enjoy it any way you want. You can wonder about free as a bird during each port visit, sign up for activities like, fishing trips, kayaking adventures, zip-lining through the trees, float plane or helicopter sightseeing...whatever. Or you can just hang out on board and read, spa, walk, and, oh yes...EAT. I think we were better at avoiding temptation this time around, but not by much. The MS Statendam is a nice sized ship housing around 1200 passengers and nearly 600 crew who took great care of us. Alaska hasn't had much of a summer, but we did get some sun at our last port of call, Ketchikan.

Jacquie and I signed up for some fun excursions since we thought this might be our one shot at the 49th state. Our first port of call, Juneau, saw us outfitted for glacial adventuring by helicopter. A listener called me months back to say that stepping out in the middle of a glacier was something almost "spiritual" so we had to splurge on the chopper flight. It was raining lightly through much of the flight, but the views were spectacular and the "glacial blue" is almost "otherworldly"(maybe a movie highlight of it later).

On to Skagway and an ambitious kayaking and train adventure that rousted us out of the sack at 6am! Hey, this is supposed to be "vacation". You know, no early calls. Oh well. It was exhilarating to be on the lake up in the mountains and the train is one of the world's engineering marvels. I do have a video of this ready to go. The music by Heitor Villa-Lobos is inspired by a train trip in Brazil.

Glacier Bay was our next stop and a must on everyone's list. It was fascinating to float just nearby and watch a bit of the face "calving", but after actually setting foot on a glacier it was more of a spectator event.





Our final stop was Ketchikan. We arrived with no plans, but it was a beautiful sunny day so we chatted up a salesman on  the pier and decided to take a float plane trip back into the "Misty Fjords" which on that sunny day were not particularly "Misty", but they were breathtaking (more video of that, to come, I hope). Our pilot, Kevin, explained about the bear population around Ketchikan and if I remember correctly there are half as many bears as people. This explains this tee-shirt wisdom seen in Juneau.

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Some of the quotes of the day and other bits of wisdom have started the email flowing in to the KDFC Morning Show mailbag. Clive and some other listeners have asked about the quote form last week about "two kinds of people". Here it is courtesy of AP.

Thought for Today:
"There are two kinds of people in one's life - people whom one keeps waiting - and the people for whom one waits." - S.N. Behrman, American author and dramatist (1893-1973).

Stephen Lange wrote in after that quote with these thoughts...

"Actually, there are only two kinds of people in the world.  Those that put people in two groups, and those that don't."

Well done Stephen.

Anne LeGache wrote  asking  about the 25 Things you Should Have Learned by Middle Age and three that I mentioned this morning. Here they are...

"Don't worry about what people think; they don't do it very often"

"By the Time you can make ends meet, they move the ends."

"A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel good."

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Open Letter to All Airline Customers

Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn because of skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, but by pulling together, we can all do something to help now.

For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our customers.
Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation.

Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that are known. Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per barrel in unnecessary speculative costs.

Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations to control excessive, largely unchecked market speculation and manipulation. However, over the past two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing these limits, along with several other modest measures, will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound market oversight. Together, these reforms will help cool the over-heated oil market and permit the economy to prosper.
The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil markets and solve this growing problem.
We need your help. Get more information and contact Congress by visiting www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com.

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This one showed up in an email to Betsy earlier this week. It was attributed to Bill Gates, but it turns out it goes back years and sadly, Gates never made the speech. All that said, there still are some words that young people should hear. Frankly, I could have learned something from this list as I was heading into the "real world" years ago.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time..

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Hoyt's Rule 12: To win in the 102 Days of Summer from KDFC join our Club KDFC now and listen for your name weekday mornings at 8:40AM. Good luck!

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Tim Russert's untimely death last week has many wondering if they're next, including me. I think things are okay, but it's been a while since I had a face-to-face with my cardiologist and a check of my cholesterol and meds. Betsy and I talked this morning about a Men's Health article that came to my attention about a pro-active approach. 10 Ways to Protect Your Heart starts with convincing your spouse to stop smoking. Nonsmoking husbands and wives face a 92% increase in their risk of heart attack. We know about exercise and avoiding stress, but how about eating more watermelon? Read the article here.

So what are your favorite things about summer? a recent poll showed flip flops, popsicles, cookouts and beach visits high on everyone's lists. What one piece of classical music captures all the best of summer? Let us know for our Sumer Sets that start Friday (the official first day) and runs through Monday. Make your requests here.

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It's a pretty popular item recently on the morning show...the excerpts from the book "Ignorance is Blitz, Mangled Moments of History From Actual College Students" by Professor Anders Henriksson. Yes, gems like "Cesar was assassinated on the Yikes of March when he is reported to have said, "Me too, Brutus!" or "The major cause of the Civil War was when slavery spread its ugly testicles across the West." and a personal favorite, "Without the discovery of the flying buttock it would have been an impossible job to built the Gothic Cathedral." John, an online listener from St. Croix in the British Virgin Islands (yes, we're all jealous!) emailed to say "Really sad part is not that college students 'know' this, but that they ARE/will be the teachers too soon." A slobbering thought indeed (as one of those students might have put it).

Have a great weekend. I'm off Friday, but back Monday at 5am for more of KDFC's 102 Days of Summer.

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If you were a fan of West Wing you know that was one of the effective aspects of that show. The characters we're always walking and talking around the White House. It must have been tough to shoot, block and act, and it is one of the things I remember best. Talking and walking works fairly well, but new research from the University of South Carolina suggests the urge to speak and the act of speaking are way more taxing on the brain than just listening. So much for hands-free cellphones. "It's really an attention problem, not really about holding the phone in your hand" said Dr. Armit Almor, an associate professor of psychology. Almor and his colleague Tim Boiteau, who measured attention levels in 94 people, found that talking was four times more distracting than listening. "People can tune in or out as needed when listening," said Almor. How about talking to a passenger? "When you have someone sitting next to you they are acting as an extra set of eyes, something that a remote  person can't alert you to." Read the whole article here.

Most excellent! We had a winner today in the 102 Days of Summer. Timothy from San Francisco called right after he heard his name and picked up a KDFC logo tote bag filled with goodies like an overnight stay at the historic Palace Hotel in San Francisco, lunch for two at the Garden Court, tickets to the hottest museum exhibits and music from the times of great artists. Any Club KDFC member can win, but you have to log in and let us know that you want to hear your name some weekday morning at 8:40am between now and Labor Day. If you're not yet a member remember it takes just a moment to join, it's free and your info is kept private.

See you around the pool,

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Many (if not all) of us notice it as we reach a certain age. Words go missing in conversation. "Where did I park the car?" "And I 'd like you to meet my new co-worker...umm..." I notice the older I get the harder it is to come up with the just the right word on the air. As The Wall Street Journal's Melinda Beck put it in "The Science Behind 'Senior Moments' ", of all the telltale signs of aging, the scariest are those that affect the mind. She adds that paying attention is critical to laying down memories, which scientists now think are distributed all around the brain. When, though, should you be concerned about memory lapses? If you forget the names of simple things, if you can't remember the make, color and model of the car you've driven for years then it may be time to be concerned. Changes in behavior or mood or memory can also signal early Alzheimer's. There are also a host of other things that can cause memory problems including depression, alcohol abuse, thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies and hormone fluctuations, and many are treatable. It's an excellent article you can read in it's entirety here.

We've just finished up day three of our 102 Days of Summer and come Wednesday morning at 8:40 a.m. our KDFC Beach tote has $400 worth of Classical Gas inside along with baseball game tickets and the soundtrack to the new Indiana Jones flick. Sign up now to join our Club KDFC here. If you're already a member click here to let us know you'd like to play along this summer.

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We mentioned how grphologists are being asked to analyze the three remaining presidential canidates signatures. No surprise that they are all ambitious. From what I read in the article on Yahoo News I'd like to see my own signature (not to mention my co-worker's) analyzed for personality traits. "Handwriting is a reflection of the inner personality. It shows a person's ego strength, how good they feel about themselves, their intellectual, communication and working styles," graphologist Sheila Lowe, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Handwriting Analysis", told AFP. You can read the article here.

No winner on Friday so our KDFC 102 Days of Summer beach tote will have $200 worth of "Classical Gas" inside (in card form...less mess). Also inside KDFC sunscreen, ball game tickets and the soundtrack to the new Indiana Jones film. Coming up next week, tickets to the Black and White Ball. Make sure you're registered in our Club KDFC. See you Memorial Day Monday with the next name announcement at 8:40a.m.

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This is one I saw this morning on Yahoo, but didn't have time to cover on the air. With gas prices soaring out of sight people are trying to squeak more miles from a tank. This CNN Money link explodes a few myths (not gas tanks) like the currently popular tip that filling up in the morning is better. According to the web page, "The theory goes that fluids are more dense at lower temperatures, so a gallon of cold gas actually has more gas molecules than a gallon of warmer gas. But the temperature of the gasoline as it comes out of the nozzle varies little during the course of the day, according to Consumer Reports, so there's little, if any, benefit, to getting up early to pump gas." Check out the rest of them here.

Friday morning at 8:40 we'll call out the first Club KDFC member name to win a beach tote stuffed with tickets to ball games, KDFC sunscreen, a copy of the soundtrack to the new Indiana Jones flick and Classical Gas...a $100 gas card. It's the kick-off of KDFC's 102 Days of Summer. Join our Club KDFC to win. If you're already a member, sign in to the club page and tell us you'd like to play along.

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Thanks to Ben Fong-Torres for the nice article on yours truly yesterday in the Sunday Pink Section of the SF Chronicle. He interviewed me in the heat of battle, so to speak. It was during the busy 7am hour of the show a month or so back. I had no idea afterwords what he asked me and much less of how I responded so I was a bit nervous I'd come off like a moron. Ben accurately distilled my professional life down into three columns of copy. I love my job and realize I'm a very fortunate guy as so many of the great talents I worked with are either un-employed or under-employed.

Just a reminder: KDFC's "102 Days of Summer" starts up Friday morning at 8:40. We'll call out a name of a Club KDFC member who'll have 15 minutes to call back to claim a KDFC beach bag filled with goodies...hot tickets and cool getaways. If you haven't joined our Club KDFC, now is the time. If you are a member it's time to update your profile. Club members should look for the e-Notes going out Monday the 19th.

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I was just reading on Yahoo news that there will be some relief at the pump coming up. Oil demand will probably ease due to many factors and I've heard rumor of more refining capacity coming online in the next year. I won't argue the merits of the internal combustion engine here, just pass on some tips on finding the cheapest gas from a Wall Street Journal article from last week. Here are three web sites that help drivers find the best deals on gas.
www.gasbuddy.com
www.gaspricewatch.com
gasprices.mapquest.com

The cellphone link: www.getmobio.com/learn/cheapgas

If you're into widgets check this one out: www.automotive.com/widgets/gas-prices/index.html and for Macs www.interdimensionmedia.com/widgets/index.html

While we're at it lets not forget public transit: www.google.com/transit

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Another good one from the Wall Street Journal from their excellent tech guru Walter Mossberg. We've all received those emails with warnings from our bank or from Ebay saying there is trouble with our account. "Click on the link and respond" or some such. Or how about an offer of free software or some product or other. They are all "social engineering" examples sent by nefarious types trying to coax info out of us, or getting our computers to share that info behind our backs. Another popular come-on is the request to download free software to view a site. Whatever. The answer should always be "No". The most up-to-date browsers like Internet Explorer 7, or Firefox 2.0 can help warn you, but being aware of the problem is the first line of defense. Read the column in full here.

We had some nice response to our Blind Date piece Thursday morning at 8:30. It was from Tolga Kashif's "Queen Symphony" crafted out of the best from Freddie Mercury and Queen back in our mystery year...2002, the same year that Rudi Giuliani was made an honorary Knight by Queen Elizabeth II.

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Melinda Beck from the Wall Street Journal  wrote a great column Tuesday about "self-efficacy", the unshakable belief some people have that they have what it takes to succeed. Stanford professor Albert Bandura first described it in the 1970s and it has become a key concept in educational circles. Don't confuse it with self worth. Bandura says, "it's easy to have high self esteem...just aim low". Self-efficacy is a person's judgment of specific capabilities. Professor Bandura, still at Stanford at age 82, says there are people with high self-efficacy who "drive themselves hard but have low self-esteem because their performance always falls short of their high standards." Bandura adds, "People need to learn how to manage failure so it's informational and not demoralizing." Some notable failures who didn't give up? Take Julie Andrews who was told at 12 she was not "photogenic enough" for film. Or J.K. Rowling who was turned down by 12 publishers until she signed with a small London publishing house. Then there's local nerds Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who were turned away by Atari and HP when they tried to sell an early Apple computer. Some are born with the determination but self-efficacy can be acquired by mastering a task; by modeling behaviors of others who have succeeded and by effective encouragement tied to achievement as opposed to empty praise. Good stuff. Read the article here.

In our Blind Date  year Tchaikovsky wrote Sleeping Beauty and Henry Cavendish Jones convinced the "All England Croquet Club" to replace a croquet court with a lawn tennis court in... 1875.

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"Without heroes, we are all plain people and don't know how far we can go". Bernard Malamud, American Author.
That was our quote  today from AP and it got me thinking about the heroes around us every day. I'm thinking of the ordinary people who face up to extraordinary challenges thrown at them in the moment, or those who see a need in their community, country or planet and give way more than most of us do. That applies to an article in the Contra Costa Times today in their Monday Profile about Oakland based investment adviser Karl Mills. Seven years ago he was asked to take the full-time, unpaid position of President of the San Francisco Opera. He'd helped his investment firm grow from 130 million to assets of around $3-billion. The new job would have an enormous impact on his families finances, but he jumped at the chance and in two years time turned the opera's $7.6 million deficit around to a $25-thousand dollar surplus. He called it an expensive, but rewarding experience. Heroes are all around us. None of them fly, or wear capes, but they are heroes never the less. I found more rewarding stories at CNN.com as they search for heroes and you can read more about them and nominate your own here.

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That's the title of an old Broadway musical song from the 1940s sung by a woman who has come to terms with her easy virtue. The lyric came to mind while reading an article on the website onlineorganizing.com called "20 Ways to Say No". Many of us have a hard time turning down a request whether it's from our boss, co-workers, children, significant other or friends. There may be some valid reasons, the article explains, like your qualifications, lack of time, comfort factor, previous committments , inexperience and more. One of the 20 ways to say "no" is the direct approach "No", but saying it with respect and courtesy leaving a door open for good relations. Read all twenty of them here.

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My oldest daughter has just got her foot in the door of the post-college job market. She's thinking about culinary school, but first there's college loans to pay and the rest of her finances to put in order. Like many a college grad she's back living at home (with her mom). It's different from my early years after college. Since she graduated and I didn't, I thought it would be easier for her, but that doesn't seem to be the case. In 1974 the world was less automated and merged and efficient than it is today. An article in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal caught my eye about adjusting to your first job after graduation. WSJ reporter Erin Chambers interviewed Paula Lee, director of the Wasserman Center for Career Development at NYU. Point number one "Your role as a student is a lot different than your role as a full-time employee." Some of her other words of wisdom to recent grads:
* You are the new employee. You need to fit in at work.
* Reach out to peers and office support staff to get what you need.
* Check yourself. Even if it's informal, getting feedback is important after the first  few months
* Reap the available benefits. Most are "opt in" so you cannot be passive and expect them to sign you up to 401Ks or car pool reimbursement, etc.
There was no 401K when I started. I had to be convinced in the late 80s by my then General Manager that since the company was matching my contributions I'd be a fool to not get with the program. I didn't get any feedback till the mid 80s as well. I was probably too insecure about my talents earlier to ask for any feedback, from anyone. Sadly, too many managers can't offer "constructive" criticism. It is an art not easily acquired. I can't find the WSJ article to link to, but her are more first job tips for recent grads.

We are in the final three days of voting for the KDFC Classical Star Search semi-finalists. You can vote here and buy tickets to our big finals show coming up Monday April 28th here.

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What is it about some people that they feel the need to distinguish themselves by making the largest whatever. I started thinking about it this monring after reading this..."MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - One of South America's smallest countries proved on Sunday it can hold the biggest barbecue in the world. Some 1,250 Uruguayan grillmeisters sizzled up 26,400 pounds (12,000 kilograms) of beef Sunday, beating a 2006 record set in Mexico." I thought that kind of thing was more of an American obsession, but it must be a weird human trait. If you're looking for some home-grown really big attractions, consider these "World's Largests"

Baseball Bat in Louisville Kentucky - 120 feet high and weighs 34 tons.
Teapot in Chester, West Virginia - 14 feet high
Ketchup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois - 170 feet high
Office Chair in Anniston, Alabama - 33 feet high
Thermometer in Baker, California ("Gateway to Death Valley") - 134 feet high honoring the 134 degree temp recorded in Death Valley in 1913.

So there are some possible vacation ideas for the summer of '08...or not.

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Months back I was complaining on the air ("Whaaa") that I couldn't find a definition for a word. A listener called up with a Google search trick that has really helped. Well that and some more dropped in my lap the other day I thought I'd share with you. Besides definitions Google has a calculator function, can search for specific file types and through specific websites not the whole web and more.

Removing Unwanted Pages

Calculator

Dictionary Definitions

Search A Single Website

Search for A Specific File Type

 Pretty helpful stuff.

Remember, Monday morning at 7:15am we'll ask for the 12th caller to suggest a non-profit music program that should receive the first $1500 of the $15-thousand dollar total in our Save School Music Week cash account. All the details and rules are here.

Have a great weekend.

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A news item this morning got me thinking about the fact that kids (and too many adults) today don't know how to manage money. I had frugal parents who were smart with money, but sadly the lessons were lost on me. As a young adult I got into trouble with easy credit and I worry that my kids are following in my footsteps. They did see their parents struggle with debt as youngsters so hopefully they don't want to be in that spot. My oldest is already swamped with student loans as she looks for work in a tough job market.

After Betsy's story on personal finance I mentioned that schools should require graduating high school seniors to know the basics: how to balance a checkbook, read bank statements, understand loan applications and disclosure data. Ken from Concord emailed to say, "When I was in High School, seniors had to take a course called Family Living. It taught, among other things, how to take care of a household which included learning about finance." Ken also remembered the great high school music programs at De Anza High in El Sobrante. Well, there's precious little money for that anymore. Our elected officials in Sacramento seem powerless (or could care less).

I also heard from Kay Long-Martin who works for Wells Fargo and she told me about the banks free site aimed at teaching financial literacy to young people. It's called handsonbanking.org. It aims at four different age groups (including adults) and it deals with budgets, handling credit, savings and checking, smart investing and more. It may not answer everyone's questions, but it's a nice start and it's free. Thanks Kay.

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I saw an articel on Yahoo News, a reprint of something from CNN talking about simple ways to save at the pump. The simplest...just slowing down. According to the article "In a typical family sedan, every 10 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about 54 cents a gallon". I though I'd put it to the test driving down to Stanford Shopping Center on Saturday for the "Prelude to Spring" concert. As I headed down on 101 I tried to keep it at 60 or less. It was hard to do as I am used to going faster. My right foot was itching to push down further to "comfortable" territory and the traffic whizzed by like I was standing still. A listener called in today to suggest using the cruise control. That's a great idea! I was driving my wife's convertible and the cruise control was disabled recently to fix the main computer. Time to get that hooked back up and save some gas. The bottom line, to save gas, and money, takes a conscious effort: slow down, keep your tires inflated, fill up in the cool of the morning as you get more actual fuel than when it's warmer later in the day, no "jackrabbit" starts...all that stuff. Here's the link to the Yahoo/CNN article. Oh, and remember to cruise along to calming, classical music, KDFC style.

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No, but no one seemed to get the "lights out" word on Saturday for Earth Hour. We were cruising up the Seine and the City of Light was living up to it's name. Maybe since France is so powered by nuclear energy they didn't feel the need. They seem to have worked that tricky technology to its maximum potential even have a huge nuke fuel regeneration plant on their coastline. Still it would have been nice to see them "playing along" with the rest of the planet. Maybe they did elsewhere in France, but Paris was aglow. The coolest lighting effect is the Eiffel Tower that "sparkles" with hundreds of strobe lights for ten minutes at night every couple of hours. Here's a vid, but way better in person, natch.

Wednesday on the Morning Show mentioned two books that our hosts had lying around the apartment on Rue Dante. One was "Paris 1919: Six months that changed the world" by Margaret MacMillan. Quoting the Random House site, "For six months in 1919, after the end of “the war to end all wars,” the Big Three—President Woodrow Wilson, British prime minister David Lloyd George, and French premier Georges Clemenceau—met in Paris to shape a lasting peace. In this landmark work of narrative history, Margaret MacMillan gives a dramatic and intimate view of those fateful days, which saw new political entities—Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Palestine, among them—born out of the ruins of bankrupt empires, and the borders of the modern world redrawn." It explains a lot of why the world is the way it is today. An enlightening read.

The other page turner was "My Life in France" by Julia Child. Completed just before her death on 2004, it is a fascinating insight into one of the most influential chefs of the 20th century and how she became "The French Chef". I read half in Paris. My sister said she just bought it so I hope I can borrow it and finish it up.

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Just back from Paris and before I get back on the air I thought I'd share some music we stumbled on Sunday the 30th in the Paris Metro station at Chatelet. Music is everywhere in the City of Light. Enjoy!



Talk to you Wednesday 5 - 11am.


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It's great to be back in the City of Light. Winter is not in a hurry to leave Europe this year. We spent Easter Sunday in Bruges, Belgium and it snowed! Actually we were treated to three of the four seasons in our two days there. All the while it was just darn cold. Somewhat warmer in Paris and there is always a cozy cafe to duck into to share a coffee and some delectable treat. We have rented an apartment on the Left Bank to celebrate our tenth aniversary of our engagement. It's great to have your own kitchen and washer and dryer, oh and the killer view down the street to the towers of Notre Dame. We are really feeling at home here as we make our way around and my five years of first year french is really being put to the test as I head to the market to buy ingrediants for the evening meal. I'd forgotten how wonderful all the food is here (how could I?) and the music as well. Posters all around our neighborhood advertising things like a Chopin and Liszt piano recital at a nearby church aglow in candlelight. Vivaldi's Four Seasons across the Seine in another church setting. Yesterday as we explored The Marais (a neighborhod on the other side of the Seine from us) we came across a fascinating music shop filled with ancient instruments, many of which I'll admit to having never seen before. The old proprietor took great delight in demonstrating them to the folks who wondered in. Great music, food, art, wine and people. Paris.

au revoir

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We were musing about a social networking site for the post-50 crowd the other day. I came up with "Face-lift Book". No? Yeah, probably a lawsuit in the making. This is as close as I'll come to "My Space". Thanks for checking in with me.

I realized the other day about how nice it is to have a "partner". Some prefer to go it alone, some have no choice. I'm lucky as I have two partners; my wife Jacquie and my friend and co-host Betsy O'Connor on the Morning Show. I feel they both "complete" me. I won't say I'm lost with out them, but they sure make my life experience more fun and just...better.

We try to make your life better and more fun with a great prize opportunity weekday mornings at 6:30am during the Commuter Quiz. This week we're sharing tickets to hear marvelous violinist Nikolaj Znaider next Wednesday at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. Our Whiz Kid Wednesday caller number one today was Lou from Santa Rosa. She knew that the thing a doctor, a mailman and Dominos have in common is...they all "deliver". Clever gal. Good luck tomorrow.

The weekday Blind Date at 8:30 this morning was from the year Bach wrote the Triple Piano Concerto in c and John and Charles Wesley founded the Methodist sect in Oxford, England. That was...1730.

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Traditionally it's a major event in Ireland, St. Patrick's Day fun has spread around the world with the movement of Irish immigrants and is now even celebrated in locations like Moscow and Tokyo, which have no significant Irish populations. But according to many sources it has been rescheduled in many parts of the world for 2008. Because of the very early arrival of Easter this year the Catholic Church in England and Wales says St Patrick's Day is simply not on the calendar of feast days this year. In San Francisco the Diocese moved the official date to last Friday. Yeah, I missed it too. No worries though. Unofficially it's still celebrated today. In the Republic of Ireland St Patrick's Day was observed on Saturday 15 March, instead of Monday 17 March. This week is known as Holy Week in the church and takes precedence over all saint's days.

Peter from San Rafael has Irish roots and actually taught in Ireland years ago so he knew the answer to todays' St. Paddy's Day trivia in the Commuter Quiz at 6:30am. "What do you have to do to kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland and receive the gift of flattery and well, b&**$#!t?" You have to hang upside down a hundred feet in the air holding on to some pipes and plant your lips on a hunk of rock that's been part of the castle for 500 years or so. You first. Peter has done it and smooth talked his way into a pair of tickets to hear star violinist Nikolaj Znaider at the Herbst Theater Wednesday the 26th. Good luck tomorrow through Friday.

Out Blind Date music this morning at 8:30 was written for brass band by John Ireland the same year that Amelia Earhart flew from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland. She had broken several records on this flight...the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo and only person to fly it twice...the longest non-stop distance flown by a woman...and a record for crossing in the shortest time. Oh, the year was ...1932.

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The mention this morning about the new book "Bad Baby Names" by Michael Sherrod and Matthew Rayback resonated with some listeners who either and unusual names or came across them. As the New York times column mentions there are studies to show that kids with odd names get worse grades and were less popular than other classmates in elementary school. Growing up with the name Hoyt had me wishing that I could just be a Billy or Tommy or Jack and just be less of a square peg. The only classmates name I didn't want was "Werner", not in Marin in the 50s. Uh, uh. I've gotten used to Hoyt after all these years. I know that I could change it, but my favorite grandmother suggested it so it was bestowed with love. And with the surname of Smith it's nice to have a Christian name that stands out in a family of Richards, Roberts, Davids, Philips and Pauls. In the scheme of things Hoyt Smith is garden variety when compared to some of the horrors out there. Names like Garage Empty, Emma Royd, Hysteria Johnson, Please Cope and Helen Troy. Listener Teresa Moore over at the Cal Library mentioned in an email about a colleagues discovery of a newspaper article about the Venezualan government of Hugo Chavez trying to mandate a list of approved names from which parents would have to choose. According to the article, in that country it has become fashionable to give children non-traditional names, such as Batman, Superman, and--her personal favorite--Tutankhamun del Sol. She adds it'll make for a colorful introduction at the Olympic games in, oh, 2020. Here's a link to the New York Times article by J. Marion Tierney.

In our Commuter Quiz we're giving away tickets to a rare appearance by the wonderful Academy of St. Martin of the Fields and Murray Perahia at 6:30am this week. Toni from Benecia won because she knew it was Coco Chanel's Chanel No. 5, premiered in May of 1921 that is the worlds best selling top flight perfume. Coco's favorite number was 5. Good luck Thursday and Friday.

Our Blind Date piece at 8:30 am was Enrique Granados' Zapateado that hails from the year Alice Sanger broke in to the boys club in the Executive Mansion as the First female staffer in White House history. That was...1890.

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It was a taste I acquired later than some. There was no alcohol in my home growing up. I didn't work up a thirst for "oat sodies"  until well into my college years. Now I find one of the fun discoveries during my travels is raise a glass of the local brew. I remeber "Hell" and "Fixx" during travels around the Med years ago. Our Commuter Quiz question this morning at 6:30 was "what tasty product world wide is sold under 20 thousand different brand names? Your right! Beer, and there are 180 different varieties too. Beer has been a popular beverage for a long time. Babylonian clay tablets show detailed recipes of beer making in 4300 BC. Beer was also brewed by the ancient Chinese, Assyrians and Incas. An Egyptian text of 1600 BC gives 100 medical prescriptions using beer. A few years ago, the New Castle Brewery in England brewed 1,000 bottles Tutankhamun Ale from a 3,200-year old recipe found in the sun temple of Queen Nefertiti. Commercial beer making was established in 1200 AD in present-day Germany. In 1506, the German Purity Law is issued, specifying that beer ingredients must only be water, barley, wheat and hops. Bottling of beer started in 1605. I found all that at the "Did You Know" website. Congratulations to Tom from San Jose. He won tickets to the San Francisco Symphony presentation of Murray Perahia and the Academy of St. MArtin in the Fields at Davies Symphony Hall Sunday March 30th. Your chance to win Tuesday through Friday at 6:30am

Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty was a hit the year the Washington Monument opened in Washington D.C.
That was our Blind Date year...1888.

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