Pink Yarn

Twice a year a bunch of we "MATURE" broadcasters gather enmasse to swap old war stories. The soiree was initiated by three media account executives several decades ago.  

Over the years they've allowed a good number of we on-air and byline narcissists into the room. We've all good humouredly [humour spelled that way on purpose] accepted the group appellation, Denver Dinosaurs.

 As we've aged? Nobody wears makeup anymore. We all pretty much look and sound alike. If you're "GenX"? At first glance  you're likely to  peg us as Walmart greeters.

The man in the picture up there, John Rayburn, has never met a camera or microphone he didn't (love) like. And watch out. His legendary wit and energy will exhaust you. And believe me, you can't just hear one story. His punchlines are just transitions into the next saga.

If you are of our wizened era? You could walk around the room and recognize many a face and name tag. That is probably not true of the woman in that picture up there. And that's too bad.

That's Betty Demerest. Betty spent most of her adult years keeping a Radio/TV station, and then later just a Radio station, alive. While most of her legacy comes from what she did behind several desks? She holds one important distinction that doesn't get enough attention by my way of thinking.. 

Betty was one of the first voices in the country to be on the air on Sunday mornings reading us the "COMICS."

Betty is no slouch at spinning a yarn either.

There is one clear distinction between the Ad People  and the "talent." The Ad Person's joke is shorter and snappier. Even now he or she wants to get the point, and then close the deal.

I've missed the last two of these get togethers.  That has kind of an interesting effect. We all tell the same stories luncheon after luncheon, after luncheon. But with short term memory issues? A year and a half hiatus makes it seem like you're hearing them all for the first time.

I'd show you more pictures? But most of us don't like our pictures taken without makeup anymore. I asked permisssion for this one. And picture 2 is from  retired TV director Tom Dickenson, whose legacy will be his annual performance as Santa Claus. ( I hope you're reading this after all the kids have gone to bed.)

Say...there's a little sidebar story to go with my pursuit of the Pink Simi Driver.  Have you read the story about the Texas sheriff who has solved his jail over crowding issue?  How? According to AOL the guy has painted his entire jail pink.  The website tells us he makes the prisoners wear pink jumpsuits, even to court.

 AOL says in  the  year after going PINK? The sheriff records no, that's zero, repeat offenders booking rooms in his facility..

That quickly reminds me of a noise nuisance story I covered here in Colorado. In this rural county, a judge's punishment for violating the town's noise law? You must sit in his courtroom for two hours listening to classical music. If you like classical music? The judge has some old L.P.s of cowboy crooners like Roy Rogers and Gene Autry.  And there are some Rap and Hip Hop CDs.

I'm not there obviously, but rumor is it's pretty quiet up in that little corner of Colorado.

I don't know. What do you think? Pink or Gene Autry? Tough choice. But I'm thinkin' this is just the kind of thing that reminds John Rayburn of another story.

Sit down and prepare to linger a while.