On-Air: M-F, 7p to Midnight, and weekends Email: bishop@alice.fm Facebook: BishopOnAir Twitter: @BishopOnAir Youtube: /BishopOnAir
Part-time jock, part-time reporter, all-time new media--Here I'll share with you things I've come across in the world!
First, a refresher for those unfamiliar with the concept; Zero TV is being described as a group of people--typically younger--who don't do the "traditional" forms of motion pictures like cable or broadcast TV. The Zero TV crowd watches things through streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, Hulu, etc. Videos are watched on everything from smartphones to netbooks and laptops and desktop and smart TVs ... all of which are connected to the Internet.
I haven't had cable TV or watched broadcast TV in years, and frankly am not the slightest worried about missing anything. A recent example of how I was still able to stay up-to-date with a current TV series was The Walking Dead. Even though I didn't have AMC pipped into my living room, I was able to purchase and view the most recent episodes the day after they "aired" by purchasing the episode on my smart TV through Amazon.
I also can watch past TV shows and other movies on Netflix. If I need to catch the latest viral craze, I've got YouTube at the ready.
There are some very exciting things in the future for the Zero TV crowd. Firstly, there's the return of Arrested Development! Season 4 is set to premier on Netflix only, later this month. Netflix plans on releasing the entire season at once. If you're so inclined you could watch the entire deal in one setting. There's speculation that the season is the same story told through the lens of each individual character. A preview of the new season seems like it's gonna be a ton of fun. Watch that below or at this link.
Netflix is already ahead of the curve on providing original content to streaming subscribers. Another of their Netflix originals is House of Cards, the American adaptation of the British mini series starring Kevin Spacey. That series was fantastical! I can't wait for the second season.
Something else on the verge of breaking through on the original production circuit is Amazon. They are actually providing several pilots (including several programs geared towards children) for viewers to watch and judge. Viewers then provide input back to Amazon and surely they will then turn around and fund the new productions. I watched two of them. The first I watched was Zombiland which is an episodic show based off the popular movie. What did I think? 'Eh ... the acting was sub-par, the script was pure cheese and it was just uncomfortable to watch.
Another pilot I watched, which definitely had me contacting Amazon to tell them I wanted more, was Onion News Empire. That's right ... it's a TV series based on the satirical news website that's given all of us at least 200 belly laughs each! Watch a preview below or at this link.
Surely there are more bigger and better things on the horizon when it comes to those of us who have cut the cable and couldn't give a care to what's on "prime time." What's on prime time is not my time and developers and producers are quickly realizing they are going to have to change their business model to reflect the growing Zero TV trend.
Enough rambling from me ... What do you think? Email, Tweet or comment below:
David Bowie's new album The Next Day is great! I can't stop listening to it! There are some absolutely wonderful tunes including "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" which we currently spin on Alice.
Another great tune is "Love is Lost."
The opening and title track "The Next Day" is equally as catchy and fun. The video, on the other hand, has sparked some controversy. Watch (at your own risk and after logging in to YouTube to prove you're over 18) the video starring Bowie and one of my favorite actors Gary Oldman below:
It's reported that YouTube actually took the video down temporarily because of the graphic nature of the content. It's not just provoking religious insensitivity, there is also blood and even some brief (not entirely) nude models. But, YouTube recognizes Bowie as a music legend so they put the video back up saying:
"with the massive volume of videos on our site, sometimes we make the wrong call. When it's brought to our attention that a video has been removed mistakenly, we act quickly to reinstate it."
I know from first hand that YouTube doesn't act quickly or at all. A couple of years ago, I accidently deleted a YouTube channel and after contacting YouTube they essentially told me that it's a free service and I should just deal with it. Ha!
Well, surely they gave Bowie a pass, because ... well ... it's Bowie!
The latest on SOHO is this: The organizers are securing their new location on Adams between 6th and 7th street in downtown Springfield and Mayor Mike Houston says that he does not have a personal vendetta against the charity music festival. From our news department, who spoke with Mayor Houston this morning:
"[Mayor Mike Houston] insists he does not have it in for the popular festival that draws thousands of people downtown each year. Houston says he welcomes events that draw happy crowds into the heart of the city… and says it was just a snafu that left this year’s event in doubt. Houston says all of the details have been finalized for SOHO to proceed June 7th and 8th on Adams, between 6th and 7th Streets."
That's promising. There was also some talk during Tuesday's City Council meeting that the bank building on the north side of the Old State Capitol is having some work done to the facade and there are gates up around the building--something that could cause some safety concerns. I remember those fences were put up last year and thinking "this is just in the way." So, maybe it will be best to have the festival just down the street.
Organizer Eric Welch told the city council Tuesday that he'd be find, in the future, to move the date. But it's just a matter of ensuring that the city doesn't double book the space again.
Either way, SOHO and the civil war reenactors will live in peace and harmony.
Screen shot from Facebook post about a Springfield UFO sighting
UFO update
Meanwhile, there's been a bizarre twist in the recent UFO sighting here in the patch. Read the initial blog here.
Yesterday afternoon there were some responses to the blog post on Facebook. Facebook just so happened to be where the initial report of an unidentified flying object was made.
Well, that of course got me to not only head to The Timmys Facebook Page and like 'em, but it also got me to take a look at their upcoming tour dates. So, there ya go ... even if the UFO sighting wasn't an elaborate plan from The Timmys to drum up interest, them merely saying that got me interested! I knew the photos were a bit fishy!
The great thing about everyone carrying around smartphones with cameras is that everyone gets to capture the things that they experience ... be it a live concert or a UFO.
Last night Springfield was visited by two things that were out of this world! Well, at least one of them could have been from out of this world.
Bush in Springfield
Our brother station QLZ celebrated their 20th anniversary of being The Rock Station. To celebrate they brought a rock show to town. Alice favorites Bush were there last night, and QLZ listeners have been posting fan-pics to the QLZ Facebook Page all day. Here is one of the really good ones featuring Gavin Rossdale gettin' down with his Fender Thunderbird (picture taken by Marjeana Livingston)
Now, Gavin Rossdale and Bush weren't the only things visiting Springfield last night. Apparently there were some tourists checking out some Lincoln sites while flying around in an unidentified flying object checking--also known as a UFO. I first saw a message posted to Facebook about a UFO sighting early this morning. I then saw a Facebook friend post some pictures. You can see the pictures below:
Photos reportedly from Mike Pratt
I talked with one of the witnesses to the UFO. Tim Day tells me that he is not a UFO guy ... he doesn't obsess about this stuff. He claims to have seen a large triangular object floating over South East High School in Springfield between 12:30 and 3 am Wednesday morning. Day says that the object made some bizarre sounds like what you'd hear off in the distance after a crash at a race like the Daytona 500. He also said that the object would ascend and descend rapidly. Day also says that at that time of day there are typically helicopters flying around. He didn't see any other aircraft overnight. After calling around to various officials with radar equipment and even making a call to the Springfield Police Department, Day said he took to Facebook where he found some friends reporting they witnesses something similar.
Now, I did talk with a deputy chief with Springfield Police and he told me that there wasn't a flux of calls talking about unidentified flying objects. He also said "Bishop, I'm starting to question your sanity." Me too, deputy chief ... me too.
Is this a legitimate UFO sighting? I don't know. One thing I will say is I don't believe in "extraterrestrials." I do believe in unidentified flying objects as they are defined: objects that are unidentified and flying. When it comes to the possibility of some kind of "disclosure" this satirical cartoon always comes to mind.
Whatever you make of this, one thing's for sure--there's rarely a dull moment in Springfield!
I'm super excited to be with you on Alice from 7p to Midnight weeknights! This is going to be a ton of fun. Hopefully you're as excited as I am!
Be sure to check out the blog regularly for all kinds of ramblings!
Elfenland the board game
Over the weekend, I went to a "wine night" with some friends. It's a place where we like to get everyone together in a family-friendly environment to have some drinks and play some board games.
We played a game I've never played before called "Elfenland." Needless to say I didn't get the gist of the game because I thought I had won in the first round. Yeah, that wasn't the case. By the end, I eventually lost miserably! My elf didn't travel to enough places ... I didn't get the most souvenirs.
Aside from that, a friend's kid used the word "swag" as a verb and everyone debating what the dictionary (and yes even the Urban Dictionary) meaning of the word is. We dug deep to learn the history of the word and even all the slang terms surrounding that word. I think the Urban Dictionary even said "swag" is the
"The most used word in the whole f**king universe. Douche bags use it, your kids use it, your mail man uses it, and your f**king dog uses it."
I think it's important to schedule out those times with friends. Getting together in a family environment away from the chaos of a downtown bar or house party can be really rewarding, not just for you, but for your friends who may have children. Not only do they get to socialize, but their kids get to socialize. Plus they can provide some great entertainment, because nobody direct a conversation about the epistemology of a word like an 11-year-old!
A year after the SOHO music festival was threatened by Mayor Mike Houston’s call for an outdoor amplified sound curfew, there’s a new threat to the downtown street festival.
Houston says a conflicting permit has been granted for a Civil War re-enactment group to use the Old State Capitol grounds and adjacent Washington Street on the same weekend as SOHO.
The mayor acknowledges that both permits should not have been granted, but says it is now up to SOHO to either find a new date or to move to a different downtown location… or risk not being granted a city liquor license.
Even though I wasn't nearly the "winner" of the race or of my class, I feel as if I have accomplished something amazing! You can see my actual time online at RunAbe.com.
What a rush! This whole journey has been eye opening.
Bishop with his post half-marathon penny!
Team Checkers!
I went from hating running to fully embracing the important health impacts of taking to the streets for a jog. Plus, I think I may have inspired several other people to take the initiative and get ready for long runs in the future!
I lost 40 lbs, quit smoking, gained a new appreciation for making the right nutrition choices and also ignited a new found sense of overcoming adversity and accomplishment.
I have to send out some mad props to a few people.
Firstly, big thanks has to go to my girlfriend Meghan for all the support she gave me in the months of training. She put up with quite a bit of me complaining of aching knees and also being tolerant of my crazy training schedule.
I also have to thank my general manager Mark Birch. He didn't have to, but he ran with me for the entire 13.1 miles Saturday. I know he could have made the race in well under 2 hours, but he kept with me for the race and gave me the real-time support! Thanks Mark!
Big props go to Team Checkers: Tiffany, Jaxon, Meesa, Adrienne, Paul, Siona, Cameron, Biz and others--Seeing you all early before the race and at mile 11 was a total morale booster!
Also, mad props to my mom who miraculously appeared at three different parts of the race AND the finish line! Wow!
Special thanks to AthletiCare and The Springfield Running Center for the training info and running equipment. Without the knowledge you guys passed on, I wouldn't have been able to do what I did!
And, I can't go any further without thanking all of the amazing organizers and volunteers. You guys really made the race possible. I could have just gotten up and ran around for 13.1 miles ... but the experience was much bigger than the run. Seeing the smiling, clapping, and cheering volunteers at every intersection, at the water stops, at the finish line, was an absolute thrill!
Thank you all for your support! Here's to next year's 50th Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon!
I'm here in between shifts and thinking about how amazing it's going to be tomorrow, running with over 1700 people on the streets of Springfield.
We're all going to run 13.1 miles past all of the President Lincoln sites! Our friends and family will be there to cheer us on! Makes me smile. I'm cheesy.
Anyways ... I did this because I want to make right choices. I also hope to inspire others. I think I may have! At least a couple!
The first mile was great! Probably the fastest mile ever, at least for me! But I definitely felt a bit of a lag into my second and third mile ... maybe I should stay clear of coffee the next 48 hours.
Tomorrow, it's just a ten-minute run.
Sleep ... gotta get that sleep tonight and early tomorrow.
What else am I missing? Oh yeah! Running gear!
I gotta get those last minute supplies and to do that, I'm back at The Springfield Running Center. A while back, I stopped in to test some products.
I found what I really needed was something to keep the sweat out of my eyes.
Typically I have been running with a beanie on because it's cold ... I also found it keeps the sweat out of my face.
The crew at The Springfield Running Center said I should probably stay away from the beanie because it may be a bit warm this Saturday. The forecast for central Illinois is sunny, breezy (25 mph winds) and a high of 70. The Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon is going to gorgeous!
I also picked up some GU Chomps that have electrolytes and vitamins. "They have electrolytes!" I'll be able to chew on some of those midway through to give me mid-run energy boost.
They've got everything there, by the way. The Springfield Running Center has everything else you need from tights, to jackets, and even some defensive spray (for those creepers [and maybe vicious unleashed dogs]) that could get too close. If you think you need it on a long run, The Springfield Running Center has you covered!
