Haven't heard enough live music to sell it?

I once heard of a potential record store employee not being hired because the manager thought she hadn't gone to enough concerts.  I never understood that.  This wasn't a concert promoter's job.  If you know music reasonably well, have a positive attitude, and can work the register, why wouldn't you be a good fit for a music store?

"You win, pending red tape clearance!"

Years ago, a soft rock station here aired a contest promo telling listeners they could "win a day off, pending (their) supervisor's approval."

I still wonder how that worked.  How can even an exemplary employee win a day off, when the radio station has no connection with the winner's employer?  Even if a supervisor granted his or her approval, did the station compensate the employer for the worker's missed time or provide a temporary employee to work in the winner's absence?

Imagine this flawed contest idea being taken to extremes.  (i.e. "If you've had a perfect driving record for at least 10 years, with no accidents or tickets on your record, you could win our 'Drive Like A Maniac For One Hour' contest.  During an hour of your choosing, the speed limit on the highway closest to your residence will be increased to 90 miles per hour just for you, pending your local police department's approval.")

An Aztec qualifier

I heard this exchange on an AM radio sports talk show in the '80s:

Caller: I saw in a baseball record book that (so-and-so) holds the record for (a particular category), but there was an Aztec next to his name.
Host: I think you mean an asterisk.

Online radio sampler highlights LXIII

All five of these standout late night tracks were released this year:

KBEM (Minneapolis, MN)

• Cherry Blossom Song-Allegra Levy (Torch music meets jazz through Levy's breathy alto voice and the band's more-than-able support.  Although the person about whom she sings sounds generally depressed, the upbeat melody of Levy's original tune, released in March, suggests that there's hope.)
• Brothers Under The Sun-Steve Nelson (This uplifting vibraphone melody is the title track of Nelson's latest CD, released in April.)

KCR (San Diego, CA)

• Real Stuff-Leif Erikson (There aren't a ton of catchy lyrics about living simply and idealistically to which a listener could almost dance.  Erikson pulls this off, however, in this indie rock release from July.)

KVSC (St. Cloud, MN)

• Count Your Blessings-Mattiel (The discomforting yet memorable hook and lyrics suggest a Wild West showdown.  This is another standout indie rock release from July.)

WHRB (Cambridge, MA) 

• Greeney Blue-Mellah (An interesting mood piece, released in May; the guitar and vocals are repetitive in a positive, mantra-like way.)

Context? XXXII

I swear I heard this yesterday on the radio.  There was a sponsor's mention of a product that "contains 47% alcohol..."  I switched away for a second then switched back to hear, "(The product's manufacturer) promotes drinking responsibly..."

Even without hearing the whole plug, it couldn't help but sound disingenuous.

Persistent earworm alert LXXV

If this isn't an earworm, I don't know what is.  I imagine almost everyone has gone through something like this: You're reading a thoughtful article about the dangers of climate change or an email recommending an informative, moving documentary.  Incongruously, one of the silliest lyrics ever written or sung enters your mind and won't leave.  In my case, the lyric that kept repeating itself recently was, "I saw Mr. Bigfoot.  Boogie, boogie, boogie."  It's from "Bigfoot" by Rick Dees, a song I haven't heard in decades.  It would have been a logical flip side for the 45 of the hit, "Disco Duck."  Why it chose those moments to lodge itself back into my brain after so long remains a mystery.

Only in college XXXVIII

In 1993, KCOU improved its signal, allowing listeners who weren't able to pull in the station before to hear it.  If this had happened at a commercial news/talk station, it would likely be promoted in a stately, matter-of-fact recurring promo.  When you work at an irreverent college station, you might be more likely to promote it as I did in May 1993:

"...Hey, we have more power now.  We have more watts.  So, turn us up.  Blast us into oblivion, especially if you weren't able to hear us before or there was a lot of static."