We recently returned from a little vacation trip—up and down Interstate 95…And I discovered that the older my kids get—the more I need to learn about road trips with kids…

REVELATION #1

I learned the arrival time indicated on the GPS device is never correct when you travel with kids…

Add at least two additional hours for potty breaks, eating, and stops to settle the “DAD-MACKENZIE’S-LOOKING-AT-ME; NO-I’M-NOT-MORGAN’S-BREATHING-ON-ME” disputes that arise from the back seat of the van.

REVELATION #2

I learned that the utility outlet in the vehicle that provides electrical power for all those neat devices to keep the kids occupied is JUST THE RIGHT SIZE to fit a penny….

…A copper, ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE penny….

REVELATION #3

I learned it’s almost impossible to extract that penny from a short circuiting outlet while neither child will admit HOW the penny got there..

Hello Scoobie-Doo, we’ve got another mystery here….

REVILATION #4

I learned it’s a good idea for the kids to take every Gameboy, Nintendo, Ipod and Laptop computer they own to keep them occupied on the road trip…

And I learned it’s a BETTER idea to check and make sure extra batteries and power cords were actually brought along with those devices so they aren’t just dead, non-functioning paperweights during the 578th hour of the trip…

REVILATION #5

I learned the only piece of land in the entire southeast that doesn’t have a “South Of The Border” billboard is my front yard….

…I think I’ll have one installed there—’cause I miss the kids asking me me 98 times a day  “can we stop there daddy???”

—Steve

Link here for the story Steve covered today on NBC-17

In TV— the audience gets what it sees..

But, back in my radio days—when you were just a voice—-everyone had their own mental picture of what you looked like…

I used to get a kick out of watching the reaction of people when they met me for the first time.

You could see the disappointment in their eyes. They were expecting a tall, handsome, blond guy. Instead they got this…

But there are still some voices that remain a mystery.

They are the folks who you seem to hear EVERYWHERE— from movie trailers to soup commercials.

They’re a small, elite bunch…

But now—you’ll get to not only hear them doing the narrations—you’ll see them too…

They got together to produce this video for an awards ceremony that honors people in the commercial production business… And, they had no trouble placing their tongues firmly in cheek, and making fun of the styles that made them famous.

So, sit back, and watch your impressions evaporate before your very eyes…

Of course, you still might not recognize one of those mystery voices even after seeing him in that video.

More people probably recognize Don LaFontaine now—as he looks today without the wig—in the Geico commercials…

Well, at least he’s not a tall, good looking blond guy either!

—Steve

Link here for the story Steve covered today on NBC-17

When Katrina hit—you could see the damage occurring on live TV as the storm rolled in—and in the days and months that followed the destruction remained a constant reminder of the event…

When the wildfires struck Southern California—again—the losses were instantaneous and obvious…

But a drought is different…It is a disaster in slow motion…

The damage from the drought occurs in increments—and it’s cumulative…

As the water supply dries out—we gradually start to see the results…

The crops begin to die… We see food prices begin to rise. Farmers don’t have enough feed for livestock… They begin to suffer economically.. Farms get sold… Our agricultural self-reliance diminishes..

As the drought’s effects increase—so do restrictions.. Businesses are affected..

Small businesses first—like folks who powerwash for a living or car washing operations…..

Then bigger firms that use vast amounts of water in their manufacturing processes… Folks like the high tech firms of RTP…

The economic impact gradually increases—and we pay for it in scores of different ways…

And—long after the back of the drought is broken—the effects of it continue to plague us…Both in society and economically.

With a fast moving disaster like a wildfire or hurricane—there is little we can do to mitigate it.

But with a slow moving disaster like a drought, we–and–our leaders have a chance to mitigate its effects—IF we act early enough–and seriously enough…

And some of that serious action ought to include permanent conservation measures that will help us when the next dry period comes our way.

—Steve