Robert John

Long Time

2011-10-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been some time since I have written anything. Been enjoying taking things a little easier than before. Doing a lot of gaming on Xbox. Currently playing Batman Arkham City. Absolutely GREAT game. Lots of action, tremendous graphics and a ton of fun to play! Battlefield 3 comes out Tuesday and I am looking forward to its release! I've also been riding my motorcycle a lot. Just purchased a 2011 Harley Heritage Softail Classic. What a great bike. Sold my 2006 Harley and my 2010 Fury.

Been also playing around with my two backyard Koi Ponds. I now have several fish, but the exciting news is, I have one...count 'em...one baby Koi. He is orange with a black spot near his head. I guess the big fish ate all the other babies. Awwwwww. But that is to be expected. Had I known what to look for, I would have separated the fri (sp). Means baby fishes. Lol

I have a you tube channel; RjRobertrj. Check it out!

Till the next time!!!

No Longer On The Bear

2011-01-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

There is a lot of speculation about why I am no longer on the Bear. It was simply time for a change. The departure was an amicable one. I had known about the departure for awhile, although the exact date had not been determined. I will miss everyone at the station and the listeners. I appreciate all the loyalty and support from my listeners. I was truly honored being able to spend those 4 hours with you daily from 3pm - 7pm on 92.9 The Bear.

I was lucky enough to meet and interview several top music celebrities, political figures as well as state and local officials. Mike Archer (talented musician, singer and songwriter) and Pat Stipes (Kentucky Tourism) were weekly guests on my show. I will miss being in the studio for Archer's unique renditions of "We Love Our Cats" as well as Pat telling us what is going on in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

On a personal note; My son got married to a beautiful and wonderful lady. We had a houseful of people over the holidays and I'll have pictures of both Christmas and the wedding on my next posting.

Until then, have a great day!

Last Day

2010-12-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

Well, today is/was my last day on the Bear. As many of you know, I wasn't just the afternoon guy on 92.9 The Bear, I was also the Program Director of the Bear as well as News/Talk 590 WVLK. And, I was Operation's Director of the cluster. While my departure may be a surprise to many of you, it was not to me. I have known that this would be my last day for a few weeks. My departure from Cumulus was an amicable one and while I am not at liberty to discuss the details...I can tell you that I enjoyed every day of my job. Getting to work with some of the hardest working most talented people in the business has been a pleasure.

As for my future plans, I have none at the moment...at least not professionally anyway. I plan to enjoy my son's wedding next week. As well as the houseful of people we are going to have over the holidays. If I counted correctly, there will be 18 people spending the night Christmas Eve at the Casa De John. Some will be spending several days and some just that night. It should be a ton of fun. After the holidays I am planning on a little decompression time and then to seriously consider what my next career step will be. Business ownership is something I have been considering for a long time. The right business opportunity has just not presented itself yet.

More to come, soon...

I wish all of you the happiest of holidays!

Trip To Number One Son's House

2010-11-30T13:54:00.011-05:00

Well, on Wednesday of last week, my wife and I packed up the car and headed across a few states to get to my Number One son's house to see him, my daughter-in-law and two grand sons. The trip was horrendous. It took two hours to get from Lexington to Louisville which is normally a 1 hour trip. Traffic and weather was really bad for the whole trip. In what is normally a 5 1/2 hour excursion turned into an 8 1/2 hour ordeal with construction, traffic and mother nature throwing everything she had at us. At one point, the rain was so heavy (like a Florida rain storm), I could not see the lane markers. One should not be driving when it is like that for obvious reasons...but we were on a quest at that point. Get to our destination or die trying! Thankfully, we finally got to our destination.

(Two grandkids in the 1st picture and son and youngest grandson right below)

The kids were great, dinner was outstanding and the company was enjoyable. I had something I don't normally have and that is Peanut Butter Pie. It was unbelievably good. I had two helpings. My youngest grandson gave me a present that I brought back with me, his COLD. That made the drive back home seem as long, for different reasons, than the drive to their house. But a good time was had by all during our visit.

My wife and daughter-in-law braved the elements on Black Friday and went out to catch the deals at midnight Thursday Night/Friday Morning. They got some real deals. I would have gone, but sleep was more of what I wanted that evening/morning. The picture on the left is of the girls planning their Black Friday strategy. My wife is on the right of the picture...daughter-in-law in the center and her mother on the left.

So, if you have listened to my show the past couple of days, you know that I have a cold and now you know where it came from.

Gotta get ready for the airshift. Cats are playing tonight so Archer will be in the studio with a rendition of "We Love Our Cats".

Have a great day!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T13:32:00.007-05:00

We have a lot to be thankful for. In my life, my son served a 1 year tour in Afghanistan and came back in one piece. Thank God! He is getting married around Christmas to a wonderful young lady. Oh, and he just made Sergeant in the Army as well. My daughter is doing fine in Texas with her boyfriend. My two oldest sons are doing great as well. My wife is happy at her law firm and is as beautiful as ever. I am also doing great. So, my family has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

The weather last weekend afforded me one more ride on the motorcycles. What a beautiful weekend it was especially considering it was November 20th & 21st. In this part of the country to have temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's at this time of the year is definitely an added plus. In many parts of the country and here as well, we would be dealing with extremely cold temperatures in mid to late November. Anyway, the two Harleys and one Honda Fury performed very well. Someone asked me what my favorite bike to ride was and I would have to say that the Honda Fury, at the moment, is my favorite bike. This picture was taken a few weeks ago of me on the Fury.

Here's to a Happy Thanksgiving for all!

Turned Cold/ Call Of Duty: Black Ops

2010-11-15T09:32:00.003-05:00

Well the weather turned cold as those of you living in this part of the country know. We had an unseasonably warm week last week. In fact, Saturday was so nice, I actually got my motorcycles out and rode them. That maybe the last opportunity to ride is decent weather. Not to say, I only ride when the weather is nice, but for the most part, why freeze?!?

Have had more of an opportunity to play Call Of Duty: Black Ops on the Xbox 360. I am enjoying the campaign mode, but it is very frenetic and fast paced as I said in an earlier post. Graphics are not as good as Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II. Game play is not as good as that game either. "Hit" detection leaves something to be desired. Bugs plague the story. It is sometimes difficult to figure out what the game wants you to do to get to the next part. I hate to admit it, but at one part, I had to go back to the easiest level..."recruit" just to get through the section. I know, but I tried 30+ times and just could not make it. However, now that I know what to do, I'll go back and play it on a harder level. If you are into Xbox and want to send me a "friends request", my gamer tag is OO7 Biker Dude. The "OO" are capital O's and not zeros. Look forward to seeing you on line.

Gotta schedule some music logs for the station, so I guess I better get busy on it!

November Weather

2010-11-12T14:38:00.005-05:00

It is great weather for November. As I write this, it is 70 degrees outside and it is November 12th. Wow! Barely a cloud in the sky. Wish I had ridden my motorcycle today. But, it was a bit cold today and would be dark when I get off the air at 7:00pm. Not that I am wimp or anything, but I just did not feel like riding and not enjoying it that much. However, tomorrow we should have more of the same type of weather and you can bet I'll be out my motorcycle. Not sure which one I'll ride...the Harley or the Honda chopper. Probably start with the chopper because it is fun.

Got a kick out of the liner that one of the competitors here in town is running. The liner says something to the effect; the only station that cares enough to be live and local. Well, if you listen to their midday show...JB is not local, in fact he is another state and he is not live, he is recorded. OD, who does the midday show at one of the other animal named radio stations in town is also recorded. Now the Bear does have a morning show from Nashville, Tony & Kris, but they are live and our company does own them. Also, Cody at night comes from Nashville. However, Kendra and I are local and live. Kendra from 10a-3p and me from 3p-7p. Although I admit to sometimes recording the last hour of my show, since I get here around 8:00am each day. As the Operation's Director, I have a lot of other duties besides just being on the air.

Oh well, enough for today!

Fable III & Call Of Duty: Black Ops (Spoilers)

2010-11-11T13:57:00.004-05:00

Well, I've been playing Fable III quite a bit. Many, including my son think this current game is much better than its predecessor, Fable II. I would say there are plus and minuses to both. My concern with Fable III is it seems to have two distinct games the beginning/middle game and then the end game. While on the surface you would think this is the natural ebb and flow of a game. Not so. The beginning/middle game is filled with quests and the need to complete the "Road To Rule". It is quite engaging and fun. However, the end game is being handed pieces of paper with your days agenda, sitting on the throne and ruling on the individual good/evil choices from those presented to you. If you do not save a lot of money, you will lose many of your citizens...possibly all like I did. If that happens to you, just sleep a lot and eventually the citizens will re-spawn and things will g r a d u a l l y get back to normal. It appears as if they ran out of time on this title and said; we gotta put this game out, so come up with something for the end game. The last part of the game really fell short for me.

Just started Black Ops. Very frenetic is all I can say about the beginning of the game and that is as far as I have gotten...the beginning.

Happy Veteran's Day to all those who are and have served in our military. I salute you, your family and your efforts! Thanks!!!

Microsoft Kinect

2010-11-08T11:24:00.003-05:00

Thursday at lunch I picked up Microsoft's new motion sensor for the Xbox 360 called "Kinect". In it's developement stage this was called "Project Natal" a bit before launch the name was changed to "Kinect". My guess is that Project Natal didn't mean anything to the average person and was not as marketable as Kinect.

This allows the "gamer" to interact and control games without the use of a controller. Unlike the Wii and Playstation 3's "Move", you need nothing in your hand. It is very cool! It is really the stuff science fiction is made of. You can control menus on the Xbox 360 with the wave of a hand or use voice command. Start, stop movies and control Xbox with hand gestures or voice commands. "Kinect" employs cameras, mics and a motorized base for the sensor all in one neat little package. It comes packaged with a game called "Kinect Adventures" which is a lot of fun for parties, kids and adults alike.

The whole package is futuristic and way cool for us tech guys who love this sort of stuff. Now, the casual gamer can play a game on the Xbox 360 and not be intimidated by a controller. My wife LOVES the bowling on Kinect Sports. You reach your arm out to the right or left and a virtual ball is put in your hand. Then you swing your arm and if preferred take a step and let the virtual ball go. It travels down the alley and strikes the pins. You can even put spin on the ball, control it's speed and obviously and most importantly the balls direction. My wife was comfortable with it the first time she played it.

I bought a fitness game, racing game, sports game and have the "Kinect Adventures" game that came with the "Kinect" bundle. There is no question that this will be a hit. If you can afford it, run don't walk to your nearest Best Buy, Game Stop, Walmart, Target...etc. and grab one of these. You and your family will love it!

Weather

2010-10-05T11:17:00.003-04:00

I am not sure I am ready for it to get cold already. Seems to soon. But, at least Saturday is expected to be in the high 80's. Yaaaay, I can get the Motorcycle out and ride. Not sure where I'll ride to, but I think I may just let the bike and "whim" take me where it will take me.

Turned the heat on in the house yesterday. Hated to have to do that but my wife Patti was cold. Being a good husband, on goes the heat. I have to admit, the nights were a bit chilly! LOL

My wife is hooked on "Dancing With The Stars"! I am not so enthralled with the show. However, I get updates from my wife so I can report them back to you on the air. This Michael Bolton thing seems a bit "cry babyish" to me. The guy went on a show knowing he couldn't dance and when Bruno let him have it, he demands an apology. Come on Michael, is your ego so fragile you can't take a little justified criticism?

Medal Of Honor

2010-09-09T10:02:00.005-04:00

Update 10/5/10... EA Sports, the developer of the game Medal Of Honor, has decided to remove the name of "Taliban" from their game. This is a fairly recent announcement. They said they listened to the families and friends of our military personel and did not want to do anything that would, in any way appear to not support our troops. Gamers will not be able to play as the Taliban and kill allied troops. If you play against the military, you will simply be referred to as the "Opposing Force". So, buy away!

I don't normally post controversial subjects, but this deserves to be told and explored. Electronic Arts, one of the worlds largest game manufacturers is releasing a "First Person Shooter" game called Medal Of Honor on or about October 12th for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and perhaps other game platforms. The controversy is that the game allows you to play as the Taliban and kill American Troops. They are even allowing you to plant IEDs. The President of EA Frank Gibeau said of the game, "It is a creative risk. At EA we passionately believe games are an art form". And, to him this justifies letting our kids, young adults and anyone for that matter think it is okay to play as the Taliban. I am a hard core gamer and not just some adult who thinks all video games are bad. I have 3 Xbox 360s in the house and love all kinds of games. But this is an outrage! It's an insult to all of our American Troops who are fighting and dying in countries like Afghanistan. English Defense Minister, Liam Fox has called for a ban on the game by retailers. He called the came un-british! Well, yea.

I have a son that just got back from a year in Afghanistan, thank God he is safe, but many of his friends are still there. What an affront to our American Military to even consider issuing a game like this.

I hope you will join me in not purchasing this tasteless, un-American game!

2010 Honda Fury

2010-09-08T14:03:00.004-04:00

This is my 2010 Honda Fury. The bike looks like a chopper with attitude but is as docile to ride as you'd expect a Honda to be.

I rode out to Jacobson Park one morning to shoot this picture with the lake in the background. I also own a 2006 Harley Heritage Softail Classic. My favorite thing to do on the weekends, is hop on one of my bikes and ride the scenic backroads of Kentucky. It is good for the spirit to get out there, with the wind in your face and just ride with no particular place to go.

Oh, and if you have a ride you are hosting, let me know as I might join you!

Son Back From Afghanistan

2010-08-27T09:23:00.003-04:00

Most of you who listen to my show know that I have a son in the Army. He was in Afghanistan for the last year. I am happy to report his deployment is over and he is back, safe and sound, at his duty station. My heart goes out to those families who's loved ones are still in harm's way and especially to those who have lost someone dear to them in service to our country. You know, we have the luxury to do whatever we want, within legal reason, but for those at war, it is as real as it gets!

Had a roof leak that was repaired by Back Construction. They did an outstanding job on the repair. What I liked is they did everything. Repaired the roof, chimney flashing, drywall inside and paint. Everything was done the way it should be and no more leaks. Yaaay. Now if I could just get the former owner to split the cost with me... but that is another story at another time.

Hasn't the weather in Lexington been beautiful this week? Low 80's/ high 70's...man oh man, I LOVE IT!

The station has been at low power during the day this week due to tower work. Saturday should be the last day of low power daytime power and then back to our flame throwing 100.000 watts of power. Sorry if you have had some difficulty picking us up, but thanks for your loyalty and sticking with us. The Bear listeners are the BEST in the country!

Update

2010-05-13T13:42:00.003-04:00

Hi:

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted any comments. I have been a tad busy.

Yesterday, I was talking to my son in Afghanistan. He is in the Army fighting for our country. I have so much respect for what he does, but it worries me. Those of you with relatives in the military know exactly what I mean.

My other son who lives in DC visited over the weekend with his lovely wife and my 1 year old grandson. Gosh, I have 8 and 5 year old grandsons as well. I am waaaaaaay to young for that. Anyway, we had a great time. Baby proofing the house was an exciting ordeal (read that as sarcastic). One of the interesting things about my young grandson is the fact that he knows baby sign language. That is soooooo cool. He communicates with you and understands what you say, yet he cannot construct sentences yet. Baby sign language rocks!

Well, gotta get ready to go on the air, so until the next time...Have a great day and stay safe!

Holidays

2009-12-18T10:22:00.002-05:00

Well, it has been some time since I have blogged. Sorry about that. Here is what is going on.

On the last blog, I mentioned Radiothon 2009 for the Kentucky Children's Hospital and Children's Miracle Network that our radio stations do each year. In the past 5 years we have raised 3/4 of a million dollars for the hospital.

Had a meeting with the fine folks at the hospital this last Wednesday and renewed our commitment to be involved with them next year as well. I mean, what better cause to volunteer time or donate money to, than an organization that fixes sick kids. And, they are the premiere Children's Hospital in Kentucky! God forbids your child becomes ill, but if they do, that is the place you want them. They have the best equipment, best staff and this year will have a brand new facility at UK.

HealthE Trim has worked great for me. I continue to maintain the weight I lost...37 lbs. in a little over 10 weeks. I love HealthE Trim. You can contact them by going to: http://www.healthetrim.com or calling them at 1-800-456-TRIM. Tell them I told you to call!

Wow, Assassin's Creed 2 is out and I have been playing the heck out of it on Xbox 360. What a great game! Visuals/graphics are great, game play is engaging and exciting and overall I give it a 9.1 out of 10. I would have gone even higher on it, but there is no way to bring a friend in to help you on story mode and I think co-op play would have put this game over the top.

Had the whole family in for Thanksgiving, all the kids and grand kids, except my son Mike who is Afghanistan fighting for our country. People ask me all the time whether or not I support and or believe in the war. My answer is simple, the question is NOT whether I agree with the politics, the question is, do I support our troops. The answer to that is a resounding ABSOLUTELY! The fact that I can write this, speak my mind, live in this wonderful country and enjoy the freedoms I enjoy are because people like my son are willing to put their very lives on the line for you, me and their country. For them, it is as real as it gets! God bless our fighting men and women, both past and present as they are the ones who have kept America free!

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to each of you!

Robert