KRVM

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“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul”

- Plato
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When I first came to Eugene one of my great "discoveries" (think Chris Columbus) was finding a local commercial free radio station. A station that plays Rock and Roll, Blues, Bluegrass, Reggae, World, Classical, Swing, Country...

The station? KRVM... "A high powered mega-corporate owned station where the music is mainsteam and the DJs without personality?" you may ask... "No," I respond, "a station run 99 % by volunteers, housed in a local High School and operating at 1100 Watts." That, dear friends, is (or was) KRVM, 91.9 FM .

These days things are - like the rest of life - the same, but different. KRVM is still housed in Sheldon High School, here in Eugene. During the school year student DJs are still spinnin' the wax in the daytime.

You see, KRVM has a mission:

"To provide quality community radio while educating area high school students and volunteers in the techniques of broadcasting."

Really. This station TEACHES people! Really... and they entertain. Evenings and weekends have programs tailored to specific musical genres. Here is their program guide. Personally... I have my favorites but you should go see what programs they have that fit your tastes. After all, you don't have to be in Eugene to listen to KRVM. And you don't have to listen to 1100 Watts. These days the station is scorching the ether with 15,000 Watts of listening power - ONLINE as well as on the FM dial of your radio! Yes... this little slice of that something-is-right-in-the-world pie can be heard anywhere that has internet. To listen online go HERE. Also... not only is KRVM now broadcasting at 15,000 Watts, they're broadcasting in HD. That rocks.

The folks who host KRVM's programs are knowledgeable and personable and they don't play commercials! They may have short blurbs about the businesses that underwrite much of the station's costs but they also read the names on-air of those listeners who donate, even if you're a supporting listener in Dublin, or Cincinatti, or Morocco!

I really have only a few shows I make it a point to listen to. Otherwise I'm content with whatever is on. On Wednesday, between 5 and 7 p.m. is Professor Pete with "the Bump School - the best in funk - new skool, old skool & nothin' but funk." And of course, where would I be without the native tunes Nick Sixkiller lays down on Thursday nights at 7. Indian Time plays a lot of powwow music, but Nick mixes in rock (Indigenous!), folk (Joanne Shenandoah) and the razor sharp tomes of John Trudell. Nick starts each show with Jake Swamp's "Giving Thanks" from Joanne Shenadoah's wonderful Covenant album.


Nick Sixkiller

Of course... being the old '60s and '70s era fan that I am, my favoritest show is on Saturday's at noon... Magical Mystery Tour, hosted by Ed K and TC. Of course you may also find Nick Sixkiller sitting in as host, or the Professor himself, Jivin' Johny Etheridge. That's the way this station is... you just can't lose! I mean heck, you can even listen in on Sunday evenings to Rockin' Rome dancing in his underwear...

Oh, and by the way... KRVM is in the midst of a pledge drive right now. If you go HERE, you can donate and maybe receive a gift from KRVM. Support radio that supports us, the listeners! And without the support of the listeners, KRVM would not exist!

Many thanks to Ken Martin and Nick Sixkiller for giving me the ok to come down and shoot the station during Indian Time (Thursday nights at 7pm!). So folks, here is an inside (and outside, but not so much) look at the greatest radio station ever... Welcome to KRVM:


Karen Proden. host of Thursday Free 4 All (a variety of acoustic, rock, world and electronic music - plus occasional studio interviews.)


Karen and Nick


Jivin' Johny Etheridge


Two minutes to airtime!


Look at Nick go! 1 minute to airtime!


Nick talks to a listener... with only 30 seconds to go! Will he make it?!?!


Headphones on, Chief Jake Swamp cued up... it's 7 o'clock and Nick's on the air.

And the stacks of CDs:





KRVM is a classic and wonderful slice of what is best about Eugene. And a slice of what I like best about people...

Oh, and when you join KRVM, tell 'em "that Donut guy sent me."

A few items I should have added when I did the original blogpost:

Friends of KRVM
KRVM-FM - Wikipedia
KRVM 91.9 FM on MySpace
KRVM 91.9 FM - Facebook
KRVM (KRVM) on Twitter

And "Oh" #2... don't forget to buy one of my all new, first ever, awesomely beautiful 2010 calendars!



Until next time...
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“It's not true I had nothing on, I had the radio on.”

- Marilyn Monroe

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Thoughts...

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“Without forgiveness, there's no future”

- Desmond Tutu
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Ok, first things first.

2010 is coming up. We all need calendars don't we? heh... (drumroll please)

Well I have calendars! Yep... now don't hurt yourself in your orgasmic fit of glee and joy... but if you enjoy my photography and like reading my blog, be one of the first to buy my first-ever photo calendar:

Oregon





Doesn't that just make your mouth water? And at only $25.65? Wow... buy 10 and give them out as Christmas gifts!

But really? These are nice, quality stock calendars and your purchase(s!) will help me continue doing whatever it is I do. What do I do anyway? Hmmm... I'm gonna have to look into that.

Thanks friends. Support the arts and support your local artists.
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Many years ago... decades ago actually... I lived with a woman (yes, a woman. Shocking isn't it?). We lived together for quite a few years and I was unofficial step-dad to her daughter. She was near life-long best friends with my best friend's now-wife (who is also one of my best-friends). We did stuff together. We got along really well. My family liked her. Her family tolerated me... She was my match. No offense to any woman I've been with since, but she was the best. Gorgeous/cute, small, smart, funny... sigh...

... and then shit happened. It ended. Life went on for us both and we never saw each other again.

Well, I had wondered all these years what happened to the daughter and about a month ago did some googling and came up with a phone number. I called and the gentleman I needed to talk to wasn't home. Later that evening I get an email from best friend's wife with a picture of C, the woman I used to live with. Well, with some more googling one thing (as they tend to do) led to another and C and I are now back in contact. We've exchanged emails and spoken on the phone a few times. This Saturday we'll be seeing each other again for the first time in over 25 years. I figured she'd be living in some upscale multi-$100K type house so big she'd have someone hired to clean it. Wrong. She's single...

I know the dangers of projecting so I'm not investing any what-ifs, nor am I ignoring the obvious... and the obvious to me is that the universe has a weird sense of humor! I'm heading to California to my nephew's wedding this Saturday. C's nephew has his wedding Saturday. My nephew's is at 6 pm. Her nephew's wedding is at 6 pm.

I mean c'mon... God has a script writer? Anyway, it should be fun. I'll clue you all in somewhere down the road. But not a bad tale, eh?

And remember I said she was smart? Well she teaches HS lit. And she writes.

You all didn't know I also wrote poetry did you? I haven't much since college (as someone once said to me "we all write poetry in college") but C sent a poem, I responded with one of my own. She sent another, I responded with one of my own. Here then are those poems, published here for the first time anywhere, ever! ©Copyrighted of course...

C's #1:

Before Desire sighed her first
lonely breath, this was unfolding;
from the rise of her heave came Love
and with the fall of it came Life.
Between the two you and I gasped
our first breath on a path free,
curious, blessed, and inspired.
This is my source, my spring,
my umbilical cord nourishing me
with Desire eternally.

From what source are you?
Is it the same as mine as I claim
or is it Nature that gave to Uruk
its walls gleaming like copper;
its leagues of city, gardens, lowlands
and temples laid out by the Seven Sages?
Open your copper tablet box—
open its bronze lock and tell me
the gleaming glory of your source.
I desire to know.

And I responded with this:

Desire...?
... to get home
again, lost
on trails crossing generations
following...
what? Life? Love?

Or is mere survival
the core? Desire?

My desire is light
love and flesh and kin
desire to crush
those who hate and harm
desire to cradle
babes and lovers,
petals and feathers...

Desire to get home
to leave these plunderers
desire to be safe
a moment, an eve
a day, a year,
a life...

Home... the source,
the well,
springs eternal
quench the thirst
when long journeys
lead us on
paths shared,
paths lost,
paths found again.

Desire? Desire? DESIRE?!?

God yes...

In all its forms
desire drives and lifts
and builds and crashes
mighty walls.

Desire...
... a touch
that makes us gasp,
that gasp
that is solely the moment
and uniquely
ubiquitous.

Desire?

Like Joseph
the Chief
and Teresa the Saint,
Martin the lamb...
desire drives
unbidden.

Source?

...aaah, yes.

So I wrote another and because that's the way she is, C responded with her own. I like the way they dovetail side by side:

Spontaneous Eruption______Visceral affection

I see not_________________I feel surely
what is ahead_____________what is ahead
I know this road___________I know this chance
curves__________________awaits
and twists________________with promises
and passes places__________and lingers divinely
ever much so strange_______laced with grace so dear

And I may pause__________And I may recall
or stay a bit_____________or remember differently
but I travel______________but I recall
often long periods________the tender nights
alone_________________together
never afraid____________youthfully hopeful
for me_________________for us
but for those_____________but for us
whom I love_____________love melted down

And tragedy stalks_______Yet Draconian vows
while blessings make_____prove matchless when
this road sometimes______fate with peace
sweet.____________________embrace.

Epic should it be__________Epic surely it is
an adventure shoor_______a journey needed
because always___________because surely
- it seems to me -________-it seems to me-
a shortage________________a curse
of men___________________of men
and women willing________and women unwilling
to give all_________________to affirm their soul
that it takes_______________and live nobly
to make this place_________to make this place
THIS earth________________THIS earth
ours again.________________ours again.

Want to___________________Sure, let's
walk awhile?_______________walk awhile,
Talk awhile________________Talk awhile
and share_________________get caught up
this path a bit_____________and gaze up
and perhaps_______________at the moon again
a meal____________________over a meal
maybe two?_______________or two or three.

And that's it. No photos today, altho I have quite few to put up. I'm going to try and do another post before I head to dueling weddings this weekend. If not, then next week for sure.

Thanks for stopping by for a donut! I'll be back soon.
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“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together”

- Desmond Tutu

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