WCMF » Kane-O!

Work Force Blocks

Kane-O! — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:25:09 +0000

Blocks @ Noon today–AC/DC, WHO, STYX! MORE REO tix to give away, too!

JURY DUTY

Kane-O! — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:08:38 +0000

I was called for jury duty recently. I’m sure that anyone who gets the summons in the mail feels that same sense of dread. Usually, the next line of thought is, “How am I gonna get out of this?” Now, I always joke about how I would get out of serving when I say I’ll go in and blurt out, “I can spot a guilty guy a mile away!,” or “Off with his head!” or something similar. Well realistically, you can’t do that. There are legitimate reasons to not serve, and those are not evident until the actual jury selection process. If you try any of those hare-brained approaches mentioned previously, there’s a good chance that you’ll be cited for contempt of court, and pay a hefty fine. The fact is, it is your civic duty to serve on a jury. I am very glad that I did. I’m not lying when I tell you that it will, in all probability, remain one of the more memorable events in my life. Seriously. It was fascinating, and interesting, and solemn, and important. It’s not like it is on the court room dramas that we see on TV. Sure, the surroundings are what you’d expect, and all of the principals are there: judge, lawyers, prosecutors, defendant, sheriff’s deputies. But when you sit in that jury box and listen to testimony and opening & closing statements, the reality is inescapable. And it’s very powerful. At least it was for me. As my jury duty was for a criminal case, it was jarringly real to know that myself and 11 other individuals were going to decide the fate of 2 people, with one of them very possibly going to jail. Jail is not a place you or I would wanna be. I found myself totally immersed in the whole procedure. I listened intently to every word that was said by everyone involved. You have to. This is not TV where there’s going to be a commercial break. This is not Judge Judy. This was real life. The deliberations were very intense and at times troubling. 12 people in a room deciding the fate of someone based on information that was gleaned from the trial. Sometimes, you can’t get all of the info that you might want in order to reach a verdict, and that adds to the difficulty of reaching a unanimous decision. But in the end, that is what is needed-unaniminity. After having answered the call to serve my civic duty, I feel more than ever that if you’re called, you need to do it. Look forward to it, embrace it, be involved in it, and see 1st hand how our judicial system works. And it does work. No system is perfect, but I believe that the way we do it in the U.S. is as close as you can get. An amazing experience.

Off Shore Customer Service

Kane-O! — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:21:11 +0000

It kills me every time. I call for an inquiry on some kind of bill and I get connected with a person in another country. Sounds like India or some similar locale. They allegedly speak English but I have trouble understanding them most of the time. These conversations take twice as long because I always have to ask them to repeat what they just said. Oh yeah…with a heavy accent, they tell me their name is “Jeff” or “Jane.” Right. Your name is Sanjay or Rajeev, but it ain’t “Jeff.” Please. Now, truth be told, if English is not your first language, it is an incredibly difficult and complicated language to learn. All I ask is that all of these companies who are saving a buck by having their customer service outside of the US of A get people from a country that can speak…the…language. Or, at the very least, teach them a little better. No, a LOT better. Better yet, bring the jobs back here to the US. Maybe it’s a conspiracy to discourage people from calling to complain or dispute a bill…It kills me every time.

Hey…Does This Look Infected?

Kane-O! — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:37:13 +0000

I writng this from my office computer ’cause my computer at home is now toast,thanks to a really nasty virus that it picked up a few days ago. No, I wasn’t surfing porn sites, altho that’s a good place to pick one up. No, it was a regular, legit site that reviews current movie releases and whatever got into my system really f***ed it up. It shows up as a very realistic-looking Windows security program that immediately warns you of really bad trojans, viruses, worms, etc. on your computer. If you see this, it’s probably too late and you should plan your computer’s funeral. A complete takeover of my system…couldn’t access any programs, couldn’t run anti-virus, nuthin’! Fortunately, I was able to back up some files I really didn’t wanna lose, but I’ve had to completely re-format my computer and reinstall the OS and other programs. I guess I’m just advising you to be careful where you surf, always run your anti-virus software scans, and always back up your stuff to a separate hard drive. That last tip is crucial. These stand-alone USB hard drives are not very expensive and believe me, they’re worth it. There’s a lot of nastiness out there on the Net and it can seriously mess with your computer and be really, really, aggravating. Arrrrgh!

What a Useless “Holiday”

Kane-O! — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:57:48 +0000

Columbus Day. That’s the holiday where you get a good buy on a new sofa, right? Or is it a great deal on a new car? Or possibly, some savings on a new set of clothes…I forget which. Lookit, I learned in school that Columbus “discovered” America in 1492. I get it that Italian Americans celebrate their heritage with this day, and I certainly would never demean anyone’s right to observe or celebrate. But here’s what I say: Columbus was lost. He got here by accident, and when he did, he found that the land was inhabited by Native Americans, who had pretty much settled throughout the country. In the name of “European Colonization,” he disrespected, slaughtered, and displaced the rightful inhabitants of our land. And we “celebrate” this? From an economic standpoint, it’s a huge waste of people’s productivity. You think anyone really gives a s**t about who discovered America or whatever? Nah, people like a day off from work though…

My dog, Roscoe 2/2/99-10/8/09

Kane-O! — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:10:37 +0000

I had to euthanize my beloved doggie today. He was almost 11 years old. I am devastated, heartbroken, and absolutely crushed. He was the most awesome dog. He was a 125 lb. lap dog and was the most docile, loving pet anyone could ever ask for. He was a good looking dog too. He didn’t have the kinda snarly, menacing look that many Rotties have…he kept his “puppy face” his entire life. When I would walk him around my neighborhood, people would make a point to say, “what a beautiful dog.” Some people would literally stop their car to ask what breed he was and would also comment on what a handsome pooch he was. He was the sweetest dog with a great temperament and playful spirit. Good watchdog too, altho if an intruder came with a box of doggie cookies, well, we probably would’ve gotten cleaned out. Roscoe was a member of the family and I am so sad that he is gone. As many pet owners would attest, you know when the end is near but you’re never prepared for that moment, especially if you have to make the awful decision to put him down. I will miss him at the front door waiting for me to arrive home. I will miss my nightly walk with him padding along at my side. I will miss his big bark that seemed to resonate within the house. God, I will miss him. He was the best dog ever. Rest easy my beloved Roscoe.

Roscoe Von Kano

Jon & Kate & Pieces of Snot in Costumes…

Kane-O! — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:52:15 +0000

Jon & Kate need to go away. The latest in in a never ending line of “celebrities” who are so vacuous, so without any substance, and for some reason, fascinating to many Americans. I can’t believe how much attention their sorry lives have garnered: they’re on CNN, they’re on every supermarket tabloid, they are fodder for every talk show. Enough! Go away! Quickly. And quietly, please. A good reason why I don’t watch too much TV. I am watching a little more major network stuff than I usually do because some of my favorite TV shows are back in first-run. This means I have to endure the onslaught of intrusive & personal products being advertised during the commercial breaks. Like the pieces of snot that are dressed up in costumes. Pieces of snot in hard hats & wife beaters. They’re in hats & party outfits. Oy! I anticipate that it won’t be too long before there are little plush toys of the cute little boogers in time for the holiday season. Go away!

Glutton For Punishment

Kane-O! — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:51:04 +0000

Y’know, I was born a NY Giants fan. Didn’t become a Bills’ fan until years after I came to Western NY. And unfortunately for me, there’s no turning back. I know I’m not alone. Ya gotta root for the “hometown” team, Yah, I know they’re in Buffalo, but that’s splitting hairs. The Bills are the Western NY football team. Has there ever been such regular, predictable torture for fans of a football team as Bills’ fans endure, and regularly “sign up” for? The Bills are unprecedented in finding new ways to lose football games. And, not just lose…they break your heart in the process and make you incredibly angry and frustrated. Arrggh! But I (and possibly you) just can’t turn away. I’m hoping that the Bills get sick and tired of being sick and tired of losing.

Password

Kane-O! — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:59:16 +0000

I meant to write this a coupla days ago. I forgot my password. It’s not that I really forgot it, what I forgot is which one to use. Ya see, I have many, many passwords for computer usage. At last count, I have 4 different passwords for checking email, system log-in, blogging, and web site administration. And that’s just for work. I don’t even know how many I have for other on-line activities like banking, bill paying, email log- ins, Facebook, etc. If I ever get a knock in the head, I’m gonna be in trouble, cause I keep most of the passwords in my head. Now, I have trouble remembering what I left a room for to go retreive by the time I leave that room, so maybe I should write my passwords down. With my luck, I’ll lose the piece of paper with the passwords on it!

New “Don’t Text & Drive” TV Spot

Kane-O! — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:35:43 +0000

Gotta give credit to our friends across the Atlantic in the UK for producing the new Public Service TV spot about texting & driving. It’s very, very graphic. And it needs to be! It amazes me how many people fail to grasp the seriousness of this activity and the tragedy that can result. I see it all the time on the expressways and it’s scary. Not just teens, mind you, it’s all ages. Used to be you had to watch out for people who just can’t drive, now you can get killed by idiots sending/reading text messages while they pilot a 2-ton machine at upwards of 60mph. F**k’n insane! Anyone who texts should be made to watch that commercial numerous times. Some will get the message, but sadly, we all know that many won’t. Please pay attention to your driving.

Allman Bros. @ CMAC 8/22

Kane-O! — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:14:39 +0000

Late summer in Western NY and the Allmans play Canandaigua again. Beautiful night. Big crowd. Excellent show! Opening with “Hot Lanta!” and then “Done Somebody Wrong,” & “Midnight Rider.” Not a bad note all night. It’s always nice to have seats under the shell, but it’s always a nutty scene on the hill. Walking the hill at about 11:15, I counted at least 2 dozen unconscious people. And that was just on one side! Yikes! Great jams for a great night!

I’ll still take Rochester…

Kane-O! — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:38:59 +0000

As I read the news about the start of Hurricane Season and the always-burning wildfires on the west coast, I always reflect on where we live. True, Summer apparently got here only last week and there’s no guarantee that it’ll hang around long, but…we don’t get hurricanes (we get a sh**load of rain, tho), wide expanses of Western NY aren’t burning, Lake Ontario is not getting ready to flood lakeshore communities, and the earth generally doesn’t shake us out of bed or cause our buildings to crumble. Yeah, winter can be a little rough around here but it isn’t as bad as some places in the Midwest. So, all in all, it ain’t that bad. Besides, if the weather wasn’t always interesting, we’d have a lot less to talk about.

Joe Perry (AEROSMITH) stops by WCMF

Kane-O! — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:00:14 +0000

Joe & Kane-O!

4:30 PM Thursday: a rep from JOE PERRY’s management company calls and sez, “Joe’s passing thru, can he come up to talk with you?” “Sure!” I sez, “C’mon up!”

6:40PM Thursday: Joe Perry shows up (in his very cool JOE PERRY GUITAR HERO bus!) and we proceed to spend about 45 minutes hangin’ out and chattin’ about all kinds of things: hot sauce, new knees, mac & cheese, video games, Les Paul, and music too. Joe shared a taste of his new solo record called “Have Guitar, Will Travel,” and he was a gas to hang out with and talk to. With Steven Tyler currently out of action, and a handful of AEROSMITH dates having been cancelled as a result, Joe is on his way back home to Bah-stin and he’s stopping in at rock stations that matter and sharing some of his time and his music.

7:45pm Thursday: Joe and I say goodbyes, he promises that he’ll be back in the area “sooner than later.” Joe & his guys are hungry so I give his bus driver directions to the Dinosaur BBQ. Whatta afternoon. One of the many reasons why I love my job!

Listen to Kane-O’s interview with JOE PERRY

Election Season is Comin’ Soon…Oh Boy

Kane-O! — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:57:50 +0000

So, I was playing Alice Cooper’s “Elected” today and I realized that the “political season” will soon be upon us. More impassioned pleas from those either in or hoping to be in elected office. Commercials on radio & TV, fliers, robo-calls, all with the same message: “I can make a difference,” or “I want to do things differently than the other guy.” Yeaaah. Heard it before, and I’m not looking forward to hearing it again. This year I am very tempted to vote ‘em all out of office. That is, I might vote for anyone who doesn’t currently hold an elected office or position. Lookit, we can’t do much worse (IMHO) than the people who currently occupy various elected positions in the region, in the state, or in the country. The NY State Senate stayed out of work for a month. And they got paid! Rochester’s elected office holders couldn’t come to agreement on Ren Square. (don’t get me started on that one!!) Nothing is getting done and I know people besides myself are upset. Don’t get me wrong…I know that among the elected, there are a number of dedicated, honest, & hard working individuals. But the fact remains, that each side of the aisle (Democrats & Republicans) despise each other simply because of their political party affiliation. Needless to say, when legislation is introduced by one side, it’s a sure bet that it will be voted on along party lines. One side will vote against it simply because it was introduced by the other side. Who are these elected officials representing? Not you & me. This is utter nonsense and I am really, really tired of it. Now, I realize that my one vote against incumbents might not amount to much of an influence but….if everyone makes the decision to not vote for those already in office or seekeing re-election, well, that might make a difference.

Ren Square

Kane-O! — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:34:45 +0000

Y’know, I wanna see a revitalized, happening, downtown Rochester as much as anybody. Without a vibrant downtown area, the city will continue to be a destination for people going to work and precious little else. The tumbleweeds will roll down Main Street every night at 6:30, right after the sidewalks are rolled up. I hope the people in charge of the city & the county will be able to come to agreement on the Renaissance Square project. BUT….if you don’t have the money for a Performing Arts center, then you can’t build one! Everybody would like to have a nice house, but if you or I don’t have the money, and no one’s lending it to us, you can’t build that house. Just because you want it doesn’t mean you’re gonna have it. A new performing arts center is appealing to everyone, but let’s be real…there’s no money for it. A downtown MCC is crucial and a new bus terminal will be a welcome addition for the people who ride the bus regularly. There’s gotta be a way to have them and make the project work! Trying to build a Performing Arts Center without the $$ is destined to join the Fast Ferry as a huge mistake.

Bad Co. & Doobie Bros. @ CMAC 7/2

Kane-O! — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:22:37 +0000

Sheeeeeeit….that was one helluva fine show! That the rain held off was a good thing too. I gotta say, both bands delivered most excellent sets…hard to say whose was stronger as there was no shortage of well-known classics. I’d probably give the edge to BAD CO. with literally every song a killer: “Can’t Get Enough”, “Rock Steady,” Burnin’ Sky,” “Run w/ The Pack,” “Movin’ On,” all of ‘em! And they sounded great! Paul Rodgers has still got a voice that is rich & powerful, and it’s strength and tone belie the fact that he’s 60+ years old. F***’in awesome! Ladies & Gentlemen, on guitar…Mick Ralphs! When there are as many classic guitar riffs that Bad Co. has, you don’t want anyone other than the originator of those licks to be playin’ them. There’s no more of a “classic” rock sound than a Gibson Les Paul thru a stack of Marshall amps. Sweet! Let’s not forget 2nd guitarist Howard Leese, who spent a bunch of his years with HEART. He really added some depth and fine guitarring to the show!

Doobies were also really “on it.” One hit after another, delivered with passion & enthusiasm made for a great opening set. The addition of the sax player really rounded things out nicely, especially for “Takin’ It To The Streets,” and my fave of the night, “Long Train Runnin.” Man, did that songs have BALLS! “Listen To The Music,” China Grove” (of course!), “Black Water,” “Rockin’ Down The Highway,” and some excellent blues/boogie numbers. A full shell of rockers @ the CMAC made a whole bunch of noise. Whatta great way to start the long holiday weekend!

Hey CMAC…lose the $8 beers! There’s a recession goin’ on, ya know! Sheeeeit.

MJ

Kane-O! — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:53:18 +0000

Any way you look at it, 50 years of age is too young to die. Take away the eccentricities, the oddness, everything that made people raise their eyebrows, and you have one of the most original, incredible, exciting musical talents that people will ever see or hear. I guess if he is to be remembered for anything it should be the music he made, his indelible stamp on popular music, and the joy he brought to his fans. I must say that I too raised my eyebrows frequently from all of his public misadventures that fueld the tabloids. I was very bitter about the fact that MJ owned the publishing rights to a majority of the BEATLES song catalog, and I hated it when I heard Beatles’ songs used for advertising and knew that he would profit from it. But he was an incredible talent, and his passing is premature, stunning, and sad.

WCMF & FREE MUSIC THIS SUMMER…

Kane-O! — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:31:15 +0000

Have receieved more than a few phone calls about “Parties In The Park,” which ‘CMF has hosted (along with Gerard and the nice folks at UP ALL NIGHT PRODUCTIONS) since it’s inception a dozen years ago. We are not involved this year with PITP as the City of Rochester decided to go “in another direction.” Huh? Not to worry though! We’re cooking up some excellent, FREE musical entertainment later on in July with “BANDS ON THE BRICKS” at Rochester’s Public Market, so watch this space and keep it locked on The Mighty 96.5 WCMF!

Finally on Facebook

Kane-O! — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:25:35 +0000

After many looks of disbelief and exclamations of “You’re not on Facebook yet?!” I did indeed sign up on the world’s most popular social networking site over this past weekend. Okay then. So, am I now supposed to keep the world informed of my every move? Or do I just spend my time reading about others? I’ll probably keep away from too many “status updates” but it is kinda cool seeing people and names that I haven’t been in regular contact with lately. I can see the usefullness of the site in terms of tracking down and/or connecting with people who’ve been in your life at one point or another, but I can’t see living on the site, which apparently, many people do. I did find out that you can spend a whole lotta time checking things out, but maybe that’s ’cause I’m a “newbie,” and was poking aorund all over the site. It’s very flattering that people want to be my friend. So if you wanna be my friend, you know another place you can find me now.

CSN @ CMAC 6/10/09

Kane-O! — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:18:16 +0000

a much older picture of a much younger Me, GRAHAM NASH, & Scott Spezzano (mid-1980's)

Ya know, there are few things as enjoyable as going to a show at the amphitheatre in Canandaigua. A beautiful Spring evening, the rolling green hills of the campus, and the warm, fuzzy, nostalgia that accompanies a CSN show. It was a really good show. The 3 grizzled Veterans of the Cosmic Wars ambled out on stage (Crosby & Stills looking a little more grizzled than Nash) and started the show with a very quiet and tasty selection of acoustic songs. They opened with “Helplessly Hoping” and “You Don’t Have To Cry” before they they launched into a 4 song tribute to “some people they like,” which were the ROLLING STONES (Ruby Tuesday!), JAMES TAYLOR, TIM HARDIN, AND BOB DYLAN. Very nice indeed. After that came all of the time-tested favorites: “Long Time Gone,” “Southern Cross” (excellent!), “Wooden Ships,” “Our House,” “Guinnevere” (AWESOME!), “Deja Vu” (again, AWESOME!) BUFALO SPRINGFIELD songs-”For What It’s Worth” & “Bluebird.” The singalong encore of “Teach Your Children” was nice. Noticeably missing (and missed!) was “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. No matter as there was plenty enough to groove on. Besides, that’s a tough song to do and I think that if they thought they couldn’t make it worthwhile, then it was probably best. The 3 men can still harmonize bee-yoo-tifully! Granted, there’s not as much power behind the voices and the songs are sung in a somewhat lower and gentler register, but they still blend those beautiful and distinct voices together like no other performers. Made the little hairs on my neck stand up. Just excellent. Steven Stills has long been considered a most talented guitarist. He still is. Without a doubt. He made his Stratocaster wail. He attacked it in solos like he was beating off a swarm of angry hornets. The crowd (median age of at least 45, I’d say) loved every minute of it. So did I.

Where you there? What’d you think of the show? Feel free to comment!

Cancer Sucks

Kane-O! — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:02:42 +0000

My Mom used to say, “If you live long enough, you’ll get cancer.” Unfortunately, sometimes you don’t get to live a long enough time before this insidious disease can take you. My mom died from cancer 8 years ago this month at age 69. My beloved Uncle Al was only 53 when he passed. My older brother was just diagnosed with prostate cancer, altho he’ll probably (hopefully) beat it.

Chances are that you, someone close to you, or someone you know has come face to face with cancer.

It is with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing today (June 5, 2009) of PAT KELLY, a.k.a. “PK” from Piffard N.Y. He was taken away at the tender age of 51 and leaves many friends and loved ones to mourn his passing. I mourn his passing as well as PK was a long time, dedicated, loyal listener and friend of WCMF. He loved PINK FLOYD and was always on the phone either requesting a Floyd song, or thanking us for playing one previously. He was a real ball buster (in a good way!) and it was always a pleasure to speak with him and occaisionally run into him at ‘CMF happenings. He was one good dude. Safe journey PK.

If you or someone you know and care about has been affected by cancer, maybe think of making a donation to the American Cancer Society.

Pat Kelly-aka “PK” WCMF fan, Pink Floyd fan, Razorsharks fan, Good Dude.

Blog Schmog

Kane-O! — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:32:08 +0000

Welcome to My Blog. Management here is pretty big on this kinda thing. We all gotta blog, so I’m blogging too. Personally, I don’t read blogs and I don’t know that what I write will be of any interest to anyone, but I will try to make things here worth the minutes that you may spend here hoping to read or find out something interesting. Of course, if you’s have anything you want to know about, complain about, suggest or comment on, well, I’m all ears and will address your concerns. Honestly.

A coupla things: I have been here at the Mighty 96.5 WCMF for 28 years. (not counting the 3 months of “imposed exile” from Dec. 07-March 08) I cannot be any more proud of this radio station or feel any more privileged to have worked here for so long. It is quite uncommon for an air talent to stay in one market for so many years. It happens, but as a whole, radio has always been a very transient business by nature. I was very fortunate early in my career to find something I like to do in a place I like to do it. I love living and working in Rochester N.Y.

I love this radio station. If you cut me, I will bleed WCMF. I remember listening to the radio station while in college (SUNY Brockport) and when I got a job at the Ames Department store out that way, I always had it on in the car stereo department. I used to tell the guy I worked with that I was gonna get a job at ‘CMF. He told me he as gonna get a job at Kodak. I don’t know if he ever did but I got the job I wanted and I’m still here. And WCMF is still here. After 40 years. In one format! We have always been Rock & Roll in one form or another. I guess we know how to do it after all this time. We have also dispensed with a number of challengers and wanna-be’s. I’ll tell you this right now: we have always and will always be committed to providing Rochester with the best possible Rock & Roll music, personalities (all “Live”, btw), features, giveaways, etc. We actually give a shit about you. WCMF doesn’t “import” talent from other markets. Everyone on the air at WCMF lives here. This radio station is part of the fabric of Rochester. We span generations. Your parents probably listened to us. (that is, if your in your teens or 20’s or 30’s) I (We) sincerely hope that you will continue to recognize WCMF as Rochester’s Premiere Rock & Roll Radio Station.

I hope you will listen to the radio station. Lots! I invite you to contact me with any questions, concerns, gripes, praise, whatever.

I will respond.

You can post comments here, or email me at davekane@wcmf.com If ya wanna chat, my direct phone # is 585.423.2906, so ya don’t have to mess around with going thru the switchboard.

Thanks for reading this. More to come…