May 19, 2006
Last night Wonderful Russ and I travelled down to Mary Morrison’s TV and Radio Museum on Fifth Avenue in Scottsdale to attend a party for the Twentieth Anniversary of KSLX (100.7 fm). I started on the station not long after they went Classic Rock, so it's been twenty years! Amazing. John Giese, Robert Hancock and Peggy Atchison were there as was Steve Trella, who is still on the air! I asked him how he has survived seven regime changes (I survived three, then got nuked) and he said, “It’s hard to hit a small target.” Plus, he told me every time they brought in a new “hero” program director, and were getting set to fire the “former hero”, they came to Steve and asked him if he could keep the station on the air during the transition and he assured them he could, and did, then went back to his airshift and stayed small. Amazing. He deserves a statue on Scottsdale Road for radio longevity.

Afterwards Russ and I motored up Scottsdale Road and landed at Houston’s for dinner. As the hostess walked us to our table she turned to me and said, “We ask that you take your hat off in the dining room.” Of course I obliged, but I wondered who that rule was intended for? Gang bangers? Baseball cap wearing punks? Republican Lobby Spooks? Or Kingman Cowboys who spoil the Snottsdale ambiance? Not sure. Meal was good. Had the chicken salad, an Oriental spiced take on the dish. Russ bought ($55). Much talk about True West Moments and True West financials. While Russ was giving me great advice (True West financials is "Target One"), our waiter came up, and asked Russ for advice on real estate (the waiter just got his real estate license and recognized Russ from his TV commercials). Russ gave him a $1,500 seminar on how to list and sell every time. The waiter was African-American and Russ also told him flat-out not to hide his blackness). Both the waiter and I were much impressed as we both got stellar advice from a zen marketing genius.

The article by David Ashford (see May 17 post) is going to appear in Illustration Magazine. Yesterday I ordered a subscription and all the back issues. It’s an English pub and I really like what they’re doing with it. Here’s the website address:

www.illustration-mag.com

True West Moments Update
“Hey, Bob, this is Richard in Virginia. I’ve been a railroader for 25 years and the locomotive you’re walking by [in the True West Moment filmed at the Tucson Train Station Museum] is off the Southern Pacific Railway and it is a 2-8-0 oil burner. The Southern Pacific done that because there was no wood or enough coal for all of the railroads out there. The SP learned real fast so that they could have longer runs between stops and pull more loads.”
—Richard

“I enjoy your spot on Encore's Westerns Channel. It's good to hear real stories about the West. There is one item I'm hoping you'll include some day—leather craft.

“I have been carving leather for the last forty years and really enjoy the craft. We always see carved saddles and holster in all of the movies along with saloons, general stores, black smiths, and more; but, you never see a saddle shop. And, you never ever see a craftsman carving the leather. Soooo.where did all of those saddles and holsters come from? I would be nice if you could include it in one of you spots.

“By the way, you might consider a trip to Sheridan, Wyoming, if you ever get the chance. That's the birth place of a special style of Western carving.

“Thanks again for the entertainment.”
Ray Chrisp

Tales From The Triple BBB: “Two Girls For Every Guy.”
Well, I went to Surf City for the two to one
But all I got for my trouble was sunburned buns
I tried to make time with the Beach Boys’ honeys
Seems I was a tad short in the jammies with surfin’ USA money
I jumped the skate, the frug, did the ska too, I moved real bitchin’ and almost got the nod
But I always went home early ‘cause I had a real job

So I missed the revolution and the three-way with tripped out hippies
And I flat-out never got to experience the Swinging Sixties

But now I live in Sun City where it’s two to one
And I snuggle every night with another hon
Widows and divorcees, I’ve had them all
Listening to Zeppelin and sipping Geritol

Two girls for every guy—Boy Howdy!
If you live long enough two’s just the start of a crowd—Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

I thought of this little dittee while executing my six sketches yesterday (see art). I found this goofy, old guy (probably from the Class of 65!) in an Indian casino ad in the Republic. The ad was appealing to seniors and as I was drawing his jowlly countinence, I thought about all of us horndog Boomers who never got to live the Beach Boy/Jan and Dean driven nirvana of “Surf City” where it’s “two to one” and I realized that if you take care of yourself and live long enough, you will live that fantasy in spades. Sun City is full of knocked-out-honeys who lost their husbands (probably because those guys didn’t miss out on the Swinging Sixties and died of a heart attack, or worse). But here’s this little old guy who was a wallflower in the Girl’s Gym, but now he’s the Sultan of Sun City.

End of pitch. Tell my agent to get a meeting with Tom Hank’s people. It’ll be perfect for him in about six years, or six minutes.

Favorite Onion Headline de Jour
CIA Asks Bush To Discontinue Blog

”Hindsight, usually looked down upon, is probably as valuable as foresight, since it does include a few facts.”
—Old Vaquero Saying