Resume - Reg Griffin

ROGER “Reg” E. GRIFFIN

111 CHICKORY LANE

Canton, Georgia 30114

Email:  reggriffin@comcast.net

Home:  770.479.9272

Cell: 404.245.9902

www.twitter.com/reggriffin

www.facebook.com/reggriffin

___________________________________________________________________________________

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

§  Corporate Communications

§  Media Relations and Training

§  Employee Communications

§  Community Affairs

§  Crisis Communications

§  Social Media 

§  Special Events Planning and Execution

§  Financial/Budget Management

§  Message Development

§  Executive Speech Writing

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

                                                                                                

VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS     November, 2002 – December, 2010

Comcast Southern Division, Atlanta, Georgia

• Acted as primary spokesperson and media liaison for Southern Division, serving five-million customers across 12 Southeastern states
• Developed strategies and plans for communications and community relations efforts for systems located in 11 states
• Managed 12 public relations professionals in regions and systems
• Wrote and produced Connections, a monthly newsletter and e-mail news bulletin distributed to more than 20,000 employees
• Managed annual community events, including Comcast Cares Day and United Way Campaign
• Cross functional integration with marketing, government affairs, human resources and executive team
• Responsible for coordination of all division special events, including promotions with national programmers, special projects presented in conjunction with government affairs and employee meetings
• Supported local systems in customer communications and notifications, including annual subscriber notices, subscriber handbooks and promotional announcements
• Handled customer issues escalated through media contacts and corporate Web site

 

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS                                                       October, 1995 – November, 2002

AT&T Broadband/MediaOne, Atlanta, Georgia

• Acted as primary spokesperson and media liaison for Atlanta Region, serving more than 600-thousand customers across metropolitan Atlanta

• Wrote and produced bi-monthly newsletter and e-mail news bulletins distributed to more than 1,600 company employees 
• Produced and hosted weekly television programming used in strengthening customer communications, franchise relationships and non-profit partnerships
• Led successful integration of AT&T Broadband into Comcast managing internal and external communications around same
• Developed media materials including messaging documents, press releases, media alerts

Community Relations Manager                                                            May, 1995 – October, 1995                   

Wometco Cable TV, Conyers, Georgia

• Coordinated all communications and community relations efforts for cable TV system serving more than 100,000 customers in a three-county area 
• Responsible for maintaining strong franchise relationships with 15 city and county governments 
• Created, produced and hosted Wometco Spotlight, a weekly community affairs television program 

General Manager                                                                                  April, 1994 – May, 1995            

Wometco Cable TV, Conyers, Georgia

§  Managed all day-to-day operations of cable TV system serving more than 14,000 customers in growing suburb of Atlanta 

§  Served as public relations representative to three government franchise authorities and the general public 

Assistant to the Chairman                                                                    February, 1991 – April, 1994

Rockdale County Board of Commissioners, Conyers, Georgia

• Developed and managed all communications, media relations, public information and special events for Rockdale County (Ga.) Board of Commissioners (Population: 60,000) 
• Prepared speeches, position papers and special correspondence for the Chairman
• Served as troubleshooter for citizens’ needs and concerns

Manager of Membership Services                                                        November, 1989 – February, 1991

Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce, Conyers, Georgia

• Developed and implemented successful fundraising campaigns and effective membership relations program for 800-member Chamber of Commerce
• Coordinated special events and facilitated committees on Small Business Development, Education and State & Local Government

News Anchor-Reporter                                                                         July, 1988 – November, 1989               

WSB Radio, AM 750, Atlanta, Georgia

• Prepared and delivered regularly scheduled newscasts and special reports on 50,000-watt premiere radio station of the South
• Worked as general assignment reporter covering wide variety of news stories 
• Worked as weekend personality with WSB-FM, participating in remote broadcasts and station promotions

AWARDS & COMMUNITY INVOVLEMENT

• Inducted into Tower Club by the Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina Cable Associations "in recognition of leadership and dedication to the cable TV industry"
• CTPAA (Cable Television Public Affairs Association) Beacon Award for Outstanding Education Campaign/Series for Comcast presents the James McBride “Riffin’ & Pontificatin’” Tour
• CTAG (Cable Television Association of Georgia) Award for Outstanding Community Service for Comcast presents the James McBride “Riffin’ & Pontificatin’” Tour

• CTPAA (Cable Television Public Affairs Association) Beacon Award for Outstanding Customer Service for Inside AT&T Broadband-Atlanta: An Open Line with Steve White 
• Cablevision Innovator Award for Community Service: Inside AT&T Broadband-Atlanta: An Open Line with Steve White.
• Young Professionals Sunday School Teacher and active member of The Church of The Apostles; Atlanta, Georgia

EDUCATION

Georgia State University; Atlanta, Georgia

BA in Broadcast Journalism.  Minor:  Political Science

Choosing our Heroes

Isn’t it funny how we choose our heroes?  Maybe yours is a president, a performer, an athlete or even someone at your church or in your neighborhood.  Whatever the case, in these people, we see something that we would love to see in ourselves.  Maybe it’s their talent or abilities.  Maybe it’s the money they make from their talent and abilities.  Maybe it’s the people they attract with the money from their talent and abilities.  As they say, the possibilities are endless.

I was thinking about my heroes the other day and wondering to myself what this array of personalities says about me, and who I really am.  Let me lay them out for you, in order of my awareness and fascination: Glen Campbell, Johnny Carson, Ronald Reagan, Kenny Rogers and David Letterman.  Sure, I have admired other people.  Don’t for a moment let these five characters of varying reputation narrowly define who I am. 

And as a Christian, I realize that my ultimate role model is Jesus Christ, who by his grace allows me to make mistakes, but accepts me anyway, bridging the gap between God and me as only He, and He alone, can do.  But enough preaching, I feel an offering coming on.

Let’s see if I can explain this Hall of Fame I created in my youth.  Why Glen Campbell?  The music, his singing, the guitar.  “Try a Little Kindness” was the first 45 record I ever bought in a place we used to call a record store.  I brought it home and played it until the needle burned permanent scarring into the vinyl.  (Kids, for an explanation of 45s and vinyl, ask your parents.  No, wait.  Your grandparents.  No, just shoot me an e-mail.)

Glen Campbell had it all: “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston” and “Rhinestone Cowboy.”  He had a hit TV series on CBS and amazing hair that was parted on the side and seemed to hang in mid-air, as if designed by George Lucas and Industrial Lights and Magic.  Back then, I wanted hair like that.  Today, I’m not as picky and any hair will do.  Glen had a cavernous dimple in his chin, which seemed to impress the ladies.  That explains why my mom found me rubbing a quarter into my flat, void of all character chin one day in order to make a dimple of my own.  It didn’t work, but I learned something about metal burns.

Johnny Carson was the guy I wanted to be: Life of the party, topical humor, laughs with a simple double-take and a clothing line with his name on it.  Before the DVR, you had to beg your parents to stay up late and watch Johnny at 11:30 PM weeknights.  Once a year, he did an anniversary show, with all the best clips from the show’s history.  I would come home and take a long nap so I could stay up and watch it.  And the best thing about being Johnny?  The cool people came to him, while he sat comfortably behind an impressive desk and a nighttime skyline of Los Angeles.

But if not Johnny, then Ronald Reagan.  He’s still on my short list of the first people I want to meet in heaven.  I first noticed him in the mid-70s, when he would appear on talk shows or give speeches.  He was the master communicator, with the perfect mix of facts, inspiration and humor.  I know others wrote the speeches, but Ronnie delivered them.  That “aw shucks’ twinkle in his eye, and unashamed optimism for this country.  I was so proud to cast my first vote in a presidential election for Ronald Wilson Reagan in November, 1984.  Not gonna lie to you, I teared up a little.  But that was nothing compared to the day he was shot by Hinkley, or when the word came that he had finally given in to a body and mind ravaged by Alzheimer’s.  We say it about a lot of things, but there will never be another.

Family photo with The Gambler prior to his Christmas Concert with Holli in Anderson, South Carolina.  Proud moment for a dad.

 This photo was taken just before the TV interview with Kenny Rogers at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Fall, 2001.

Kenny Rogers was all about a girl.  Doesn’t it work that way most of the time?  At 17, I had a girlfriend who loved Kenny Rogers and asked me to get tickets to his upcoming concert at the Omni in Atlanta.  I drove down early one Saturday for a shot at the best seats.  At the concert, I found that I knew and liked most of his songs.  But more than that was his personality.  It was captivating, and I loved to see him work an audience.  The relationship with that girl ended, but the one with Kenny did not.  I went back every year, sometimes twice a year when he was in nearby towns.  My two daughters have grown up listening to his music, and often singing along.  I have had the honor of interviewing Kenny on TV and this Christmas, my oldest daughter Holli sang backup for him with a small choral ensemble at Anderson University in South Carolina.  “You got to know when to walk away, and know when to run,” but I never have from Kenny Rogers.

And then there’s Dave.  Never liked him when he used to fill in for Johnny.  Maybe it was jealously, because I envisioned myself behind that desk and the cool microphone.  But then in 1980, while on summer vacation, I caught a new morning show he was doing on NBC.  It was unlike anything I had ever seen: Viewer mail, stupid pet tricks, Larry Bud Melman.  I couldn’t get enough.  Before long, he was moved to Late Night, right after Johnny.  The VCR had come along by then, so you know what dominated by personal library.  Followed Dave over to CBS in the early 90s, and am still disappointed Johnny’s throne somehow went to Jay.  They’ll talk about this along with the Fall of the Roman Empire in future generations of history classes…or at least journalism.

So, there you have it, my heroes in life.  Among them are numerous divorces, alcohol abuse, egos and other vices, but I admire and love them still.  I have learned to separate art from the artist in many cases.  They will never be perfect.  And for that matter, I won’t either.

Which brings us back to Jesus.

If it seems too good to be true....

Like most of you, I am occasionally approached by “friends” about getting involved in some kind of side-business, known in some circles as a pyramid scheme.  And also like many of you, I am not interested…at all…ever.

The difficult thing about this situation is that these invitations often come from people I truly like, and would love to keep it that way.  But how to respond without hurting their feelings?  My older brother has no problem with this.  “NO,” he would say bluntly with little to no expression in his voice or on his face.  A second attempt would get, “HELL NO,” with a little more expression, and ultimately he would kill you.  But I have always been different.  The “People Pleaser,” or so they say in college sociology classes.  I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, even if I am just another name they jotted down on the back of a napkin from some “recruitment party” somewhere.

So to save myself some time and embarrassment, I have come up with this template response for all future invitations into pyramid schemes.  My plan is to simply cut and paste this response in a reply e-mail or facebook message.  You have the same problem?  Then feel free to use it for yourself.
But keep me posted.  I may want to sell these to your friends and family.

TEMPLATE RESPONSE TO PYRAMID SCHEME INVITES:

Dear _______________:

Thanks so much for your note.  I was surprised to hear from you since we really haven’t talked in at least 20 years.  In fact, I had to look you up in my high school annual and Google you online just to recall who I was dealing with here.  But that made your concern for my family and wellbeing during these hard economic times that much more sincere and heartfelt.

I am pleased to hear you are doing well, working in your primary job and then selling this product on the side.  You sound thrilled about the whole thing.  I was touched with how this experience has almost become a hobby for you and how through it you have found extra income, personal satisfaction, exotic vacations, a better sex life and a closer walk with the Lord.  All of that --- amazing.  I guess we really do have so much in common.  You would have thought we would have spent more time together in (college/high school/elementary school/church).

But see, _____.  That was your name, right?  I am extremely busy, not only in my job, but raising two beautiful teenage daughters; trying to be a good husband to a beautiful wife and teaching a Sunday School class of some outstanding young adults at my church.  All of that leaves very little time for your (shampoo/diet drinks/cosmetics/dinnerware/timeshares/TV dinners/intimate apparel/Canadian pharmaceuticals), although I am thrilled for what they have come to mean in your life.

Sadly, I understand that by not taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I may never fully realize my dream of being an empowered Independent Business Owner (IBO), but I guess I am simply willing to take that chance.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am ecstatic that you have been able to make an additional $_________/year working only _______hours/day in the comfort of your own home and had the opportunity to meet ____________ (famous name from pop culture) on that recent cruise to ________ (exotic place) and just bought a brand new ______________ (something I really want).

Please have fun at the party on _________ and give my best to the other people we went to  (college/high school/elementary school/church) with that we both haven’t talked to in more than 20 years.  You realize that most of them will never speak to you again, right?  Oh well, if it’s worked for the past 20 years, what’s another 20, right?

Oh, and one last thing.  Please stop talking up this (shampoo/diet drinks/cosmetics/dinnerware/timeshares/TV dinners/intimate apparel/Canadian pharmaceuticals) at church.  It’s not the appropriate setting and I have it on good authority that God frowns upon it.  His son made a pretty big scene in a temple once, turning over the tables and displays of many fine, upstanding IBOs.

Feel free to call me anytime about the family, life in general, or old friends we actually knew.  But let’s keep business separate.  Tends to make me edgy.

All the best and God bless,
Reg

Finally on the Team

In the winter of 1981, I was a senior preparing to graduate from Heritage High School in Conyers, Georgia.  I had a steady girlfriend, a part-time job at a local radio station and a church where I loved to be whenever the doors were open.  Life was good, and I was all about living for the moment, with little if any thoughts about the future, beyond the spring and graduation anyway.
While other kids my age were getting letters from major universities and setting up visits, I had given very little thought about where I might attend in my life after high school.  Oh sure, I would go to college.  That was sort of a given, but exactly where had not been determined.  Joyce Chandler was my senior counselor at Heritage and while I can’t prove it with scripture, I believe she will receive extra crowns in heaven for putting up with kids like me.  One day, she called me to her office.  “Reg, have you thought about where you want to go to college?”  “Not really,” I responded.  “But did you hear my radio show last Saturday?  It was hilarious.”
Mrs. Chandler encouraged me to consider Georgia State University.  It was convenient, known for having a strong school of journalism, and might not be offended by the fact that I was applying a mere six-months before my freshman college classes would begin.  I was familiar with GSU.  My brother, a graduate of the University of Georgia, had gone there for his Master’s Degree in Accounting.  At this point, we were the classic “house divided,” with Dad, a ramblin’ ‘reck from Georgia Tech, and my brother an avid Dawg fan.  Maybe Georgia State would be the right fit.
Letters were written, tests were taken, applications were completed and checks were cashed.  Yes, I matriculated in public (thanks Ludlow for that classic joke).  Miraculously, by the following September, I was a freshman at Georgia State.  We were the Panthers, although I always thought the mascot should be the “Raving Commuters.”  The logo could be a steering wheel and a fist. 
Despite the commuting and parking challenges of the “concrete campus,” I grew to love Georgia State.  It looked, felt and even smelled like a major university.  I loved Sparks Hall, Kell Hall and the General Classroom Building.  I loved the cheeseburgers and fries at the B&D (which we claimed stood for “Bite and Die”) cafeteria.  I loved my professors, even the strange ones that taught bizarre classes in things like sociology and “non-verbal communication.”  You can imagine me in a class like that, right?
There was only one problem.  While friends at other universities talked up their gridiron accomplishments, GSU did not have a football team.  We had a strong basketball program, baseball and soccer too.  But no football.  At first, I thought that might not be a bad idea.  My brother and dad could have spirited debates about the Dawgs and Jackets, and I could pick a side, depending on how the teams were faring that season.  But there is a real identity that is established when a school has a football program, even when it’s not the most successful, year in and year out.
And so it was, for the whole time I was there: No football for GSU.  Until this year.  I remember reading about it a couple years back.  How the school was considering starting a program and hiring Bill Curry, former head coach at Tech, Alabama and Kentucky, to lead the charge.  This year, it all became a reality.
It’s been over 20 years since I graduated from Georgia State, and I wasn’t exactly sure how excited I was about prospects for a football program, until that inaugural game rolled around on Thursday night, September 2.  Somehow, it really meant something to me.  For the first time in the school’s history, GSU would field a team that night in college football, under the lights at the Georgia Dome. I downloaded the iPhone app for an Atlanta radio station I had never even heard of, just to follow the game that night.
On Saturday, September 18, my wife and I attended our first GSU game in person, as the Panthers met the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.  A good friend of ours, Drew Hinesley, serves as an excellent stadium announcer for the Panthers and got us some great seats.  The game was amazingly close, going into overtime, with the Gamecocks finally edging out the Panthers by a touchdown.  But the spirit in the Dome was great.  The players looked great on the field; there were cheerleaders, a marching band and even a rambunctious student section.  It felt, looked, smelled and tasted like college football, and it was a thrill just to be there.
As I write this, the Panthers hold a respectable inaugural season record of 2-2, going into a Homecoming Game tomorrow against the Morehead State Eagles.  And I’ll be listening, clinging to that iPhone for every exciting play.
So go GSU Panthers and hunker down just one more time like a hobnail boot with sugar falling from the sky.  No wait, those are someone else’s lines.  Better call Drew for a refresher course.

Your humble Blogger on the field of the Georgia Dome following the September 18, 2010, football game between the Georgia State Panthers and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Graduation Day - June, 1989 - with my incredibly hot girlfriend (now beautiful wife)

Save the Children

Attention America.  We have an opportunity to save a precious child --- specifically a 10-year old little girl from a town outside Pittsburgh --- from the same path of sin and iniquity followed by the likes of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan.  I would include Snooki from “Jersey Shore” in this list, but I’m talking about actual celebrities here.

The child’s name is Jackie Evancho and she has a darn good chance of winning this national TV talent show known as “America’s Got Talent.”  It’s actually a very entertaining show that has aired on NBC for five seasons now.  You know the drill.  People from all over the country come and audition before a panel of judges in hopes of fame, fortune, a million-dollar prize and supposedly a big show in Las Vegas.  Unlike other reality contests, AGT brings them in from every conceivable area of “entertainment,” and I use the term loosely.  Sadly, I have watched all five seasons, so I am a bit of an expert.

On AGT, for certain you will see singers, dancers, musicians and the like.  But you’ll also see magicians of every genre, old guys playing harmonicas, bicycle stunt artists and young people messing with electricity.  There always seems to be an abundance of older people, grasping at this opportunity as their one last chance to fulfill a lifetime dream.  It can be inspirational, touching and sickening, all at the same time.

But back to Jackie.  This season, the show has come down to four finalists: An opera singer who dresses like a clown and acts like Lady Gaga; a bluesy singer-guitarist who is actually pretty good, but has little to no personality; a performing troupe of what looks like 50 people all dressed in reflective black light clothing doing acrobatic stunts to music; and then Jackie, a fresh-faced little girl with a voice you would expect to come out of someone much older and accomplished.  To say she sounds angelic is an understatement.  She really is very good.

But here’s my issue.  Based on what we know from this experiment of American Pop Culture, do we really want to throw a 10-year old girl, no matter how talented, into the pressures of a Las Vegas show and all that comes with it?  Many young girls have walked into that limelight before and, like a bad tanning salon, it burns bad.

There were other talented kids on this year’s show who were somehow spared from this danger.  Two African-American hip-hop dancers called Future Funk; an impressive dancing duo named Anna and Patryk; and singing sisters named Christina and Ali.  Keep an eye on Anna and Ali, as I think they’ll be back in some form or another.

But sweet little Jackie: A talent, no doubt, but is she ready for fame?  As a kid, I remember watching my grandmother bake delicious cakes and cookies, which I would want as soon as possible.  I would open the oven door, only to hear “They’re not ready yet.”  Sure, I hated the delay, but learned later that it was worth it.  As the country song says, “Let Them Be Little,” because they’re not ready yet.

So here’s my prediction, roughly eight-hours before the show’s finale takes to the air tonight.  Michael Grimm, the singer, wins the whole thing.  He’s older and seasoned and ready, even if his voice is not as good as Jackie’s.  Prince Poppycock, the opera singing clown, fades into the world of Cher impressionists; and the dance group, Fighting Gravity, realizes it was a nice run while it lasted but it’s time to move on….with the lights off or on.

Where does that leave Jackie?  If we are a good and decent people, we send her back to suburban Pittsburgh with an enormous boost to her self-confidence, maybe a CD project here and there, and a life where she is able to do what other 10-year olds do: Grow up.

So let her be little.  There’s always time for sin and iniquity when she’s older. 

Just ask Snooki.

Jerry's Kids

So I’m flipping through the channels last night and stumble upon the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.  Having just walked in from a trip out of town, I had almost forgotten it was that time again.  But every year, there he is: Jerry Lewis, the slapstick comedian whose heyday was easily 40-50 years ago when he teamed with Dean Martin, followed by a not-as-successful solo career in movies and television.

This was the 45th annual telethon for Muscular Dystrophy and Jerry is now around 108-years-old.  I confirmed it all on Wikipedia, so it must be true.

Something draws me to Jerry and his telethon every year.  I think it represents something we don’t see much anymore.  The program is, at best, schmaltzy.  Coming to you live from Las Vegas, where else can you see Charo and Norm Crosby rubbing elbows with David Archuleta and Lynyrd Skynyrd?  In Jerry’s World, Billy Gilman is still a big star.  And women like Nancy O’Dell and Alison Sweeney fawn over the host like he’s still, you know, 75 or something.

I love watching the telethon, especially in the wee hours of the night when the star power tends to wane.  “Ladies and gentlemen, he’s always here to help my kids, please welcome Emmett Kelly, IV, right cheer.”  That’s followed by jugglers, plate-spinners and more Billy Gilman.  And does Jerry ever wear the complete tux?  That tie always seems to be dangling from the collar, even in the first hour.

But Jerry and his Vegas cast are not alone.  Each hour, there is a local cut-in, where hosts from your town are shown standing in front of the phone bank, talking to firemen, business owners, beauty queens and even local victims of the disease.  It can all be very touching, and always seems to make the phones ring.

Here in Atlanta, for more than 30 years, the team has been made up of a local weatherman, Ken Cook, along with country disc-jockey Rhubarb Jones, and a third person from the independent station that now carries the program.  It used to be carried on the local CBS, then FOX, affiliate, but I guess compassion is passing when there are Labor Day retail sales to advertise.

In the 70s and 80s, the host was Guy Sharpe, one of the old guard local weathermen who preceded today’s fancy meteorologists.  Guy didn’t need a seal from the American Meteorological Society to draw his storm clouds and smiling sunshine’s with a grease pencil.  And radar?  Who needs a radar?

Guy was perfect as the local MDA host.  He would start strong on the opening night, but before it was over, true to his roots as a United Methodist minister, he would be crying and pulling on your heartstrings.  He could get me every year by simply interviewing that year’s local poster child.

Ken followed Guy as the weatherman at WAGA-TV, and in doing so, picked up the MDA hosting duties, but they often brought Guy back from the rival NBC affiliate for old time’s sake.  Such was the spirit of Jerry’s telethon.

As a child one summer, I went the extra mile, and signed up to host a Ronald McDonald MDA “carnival” in my driveway.  You sent away for a kit and they mailed you back all kinds of game ideas and signage.  With the help of several friends, we threw the best MDA carnival Farris Drive in Decatur, Georgia, had ever seen.  And after a fun-filled day, when we totaled up the proceeds, it was over $500.  I don’t think any of us had ever seen that much money in one place before.  Then the ethical quandary raised its ugly head.

Did we really need to send in all of that money?  Couldn’t we keep some of it for ourselves?  To be honest, the question was debated for a while.  Certainly they would expect us to cover expenses.  What about all the time we had put into the carnival, preparing for over a week?

Then we all thought about Guy Sharpe interviewing those kids in the wheelchairs and the stories about how they lived for a summer camp where they could play and swim together without people staring; the stories about advancements in medical treatments, and how they might be getting closer to a cure.  We just couldn’t do it.  We mailed in every last penny, and even threw in some money of our own, just to make the total look better.

Someone once said that integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.  That day, my friends and I showed integrity, because we knew God was looking. And for all we knew, Jerry Lewis also.

As I write this, this year’s telethon is drawing to a close.  The total raised appears to be well over $59-million, even at a time when the economy and the job market are so tough.  I’m glad Jerry was there again this year, and I hope that somehow they find a cure for muscular dystrophy and its related diseases.

Now, they’re interviewing that poster child again.  Where did I put that phone?

If this touched you in any way, let’s call that a sign and follow this link to make a donation:
http://www.mda.org/telethon/2010Telethon

Words with Friends

If you have an iPhone, and these days who doesn’t, you’re most likely familiar with a game called “Words with Friends.”  There’s an app for that, and honestly, it’s driving me NUTS.

“Words with Friends” is basically the board game Scrabble, where you try to use the letters given to you at random to spell out words that will give you more points than your opponent.  Each letter is worth a certain number of points and placement is everything since you may land on a square giving you two or three times the total value of the letter or two to three times the value of the word.  There are bonus points for using all seven letters during your turn.  You go horizontally or vertically, and even a simple four letter word can bring a huge payday if it’s placed just right.

Incidentally, I come up with all kinds of four letter words while playing this game, but none of them can be placed on the board.

A couple of things fascinate me about “Words with Friends.”  First, unlike board games you might play at home, this game runs 24/7.  Since you’re playing on your iPhone, opponents can be located around the world, down the street or in your bed.  The bed option should be limited to a very select group of friends.
You may play a word at 8:30 Tuesday morning against someone, and not hear back from them until that afternoon, or even the next day.  Then, when you least expect it, and sometimes in overnight hours, you see where Kelsey at UGA or Lindy in New Orleans has hit pay dirt with “XYLOPHONE.”  To which I boldly add an “S” for “XYLOPHONES.”  That’ll show ‘em.

The other amazing aspect of this game is that it actually does the opposite of what you might think.  Being a word game, you would expect it to somehow enhance your vocabulary.  My grandmother used to keep a Webster’s dictionary close at hand when we played the old Scrabble, because you had to prove the word exists.  All of that is done automatically by “Words with Friends.”  And you learn what might appear as nonsense words actually work in conversation, at least somewhere on the planet.

Some two letter words are acceptable like, “AH, OW, XU.”  Go ahead and use one of those in a sentence, I dare you.  In a game with my wife, I tried the word “GOR,” and it actually took.  Of course, GOR refers to the Counter-Earth, an alternate-world setting for John Norman’s Chronicles of Gor (sometimes called the Gorean Saga), a series of twenty-eight novels that combine philosophy, erotica and science fiction.  Had no idea I was so well versed in geeky literature.

The game has encouraged me to take any guttural sound I might be familiar with and spell it out there on the board.  Placed just right, it might be worth something.

Another interesting feature on “Words with Friends” is you can flip the board over and engage in a chat with your opponent.  A little trash talking, if you will.  Normally, my friends use it to pass along encouragement like, “I am trouncing you,” “Are you still there?” and “Is this you or the dog playing?”

Some have tried to add a new dimension to the game by requiring each other to only use words related to a certain topic like cooking, sports or religion.

I write this blog post as a tribute to Lori, Adrienne, Carly, Doug, Jennifer, Karen, Kelsey, Lindy and Taylor, all of whom normally beat me by at least a 2-to-1 margin.  But with every match, I get a little BETTER and grow a little STRONGER.

So, try it out.  “Words with Friends” may be just the thing to bring this world together.  They say what the world needs now is LOVE.  Especially if you can place it on a Triple-Word and somehow spell it with a Q.

On the Air

As far back as I can remember, radio has always been a major part of my life.  It started as a small child when I couldn’t sleep at night.  Mom suggested turning on the radio on my nightstand and listening to stations both far and near until I fell asleep.  The illuminated dial also served as a night light of sorts, although I would never admit that to my friends.
I loved everything about the radio: The music, the news, the sports and the announcers.  I loved the way the stations identified themselves with singing jingles.  There was a fascinating world out there, and radio brought it right to my bed in the amazing clarity of the then crackling and popping AM dial.  Somehow, I needed to be a part of it.
At first, my radio experience was only imaginary.  I created a station appropriately called WREG, and used tape recorders and record players to make the magic happen.  I would intro records, do the weather and read the news.  I even had my dad drive around Atlanta with me to record traffic reports.  Then I would play the tapes back for hours, often forcing friends to listen.
While the imaginary world of WREG was fun, it didn’t pay very well and the audience was limited at best.  So, when we moved from Decatur to Conyers, Georgia, imagine my surprise when we saw a small 1,000-watt AM radio station called WGFS in nearby Covington, right there on Interstate 20.  As fate would have it, the station was looking for a high school news reporter from each of the area’s three high schools, and I auditioned at mine.  I got the gig – a weekly high school news report from Heritage – and that led to my very first job offer, at the ripe old age of 13.
Bill Hoffman, God bless him, was the owner and general manager of the station.  He needed someone to work part-time Saturdays and Sundays at WGFS and, if my parents were willing to provide the transportation, the job was mine.  Unbelievable.  Now I would be on the same radio I used to listen to in order to fall asleep at night.
The year was 1977 and WGFS was what the industry called an MOR station, for “middle of the road.”  We played an interesting mix of music, from Perry Como, Dean Martin and the Carpenters to the Eagles and Doobie Brothers. Local news was a mainstay, as were the local funeral announcements, which at the time I thought really cramped my style as the newest Top 40 DJ to hit the airwaves.  But, who was I kidding?  What Top 40 DJ plays Perry Como?
I soon learned how seriously we took the funeral announcements.  First, it was news that people really wanted.  “Haven’t seen Joe in a while, maybe I should go turn on the radio.”  It was also a form of advertising for the local funeral homes.  They paid us to make those announcements, as sad as they might be.
This was also the fertile ground of my first big-time radio blooper.  We did the funerals 3-4 times per day, immediately following local news.  You might have only two or three…sometimes more…but you read them all in detail and concluded with this somber benediction: “WGFS offers its condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of those who have passed away.”  Then it was back to the music.  I always picked my records out early (that’s right kids --- records --- Google it sometime).
Always wanting to have the latest hits, I filled my time on the air with only current stuff.  So, on a Saturday afternoon in 1977, I read the funerals, did the closing statement and immediately played the Bee Gees and “Staying Alive.”  The phone lit up.  Our more mature audience was not amused by the rock-and-roll teen DJ who had just arrived at the station.  Was this his idea of a joke?
But everything worked out fine.  I stayed there for five years, later moving up Interstate 20 to WCGA (later WTPO, WPBE) in Conyers, and then back to WGFS for a brief stint as general manager in 1987.  I treasured my time at both stations, and the many friendships I made while behind the microphone.  It was work, but I was hardly working.  I loved every minute of it.  From election night coverage at the courthouse to live high school football on Friday nights; ice storm coverage in the winters, and an ever increasing array of holiday music as we approached Christmas Day.  In fact, I spent many a holiday, including Christmas, behind a microphone, with some take-out of turkey, dressing and the trimmings prepared by mom.
In 1988, I moved on to WSB-AM and FM in Atlanta, hardly a small town station, to do news and play some music.  But it was only because of the experience I had gained from the smaller stations out east of town.  Sadly, both stations are all but gone, from the mainstream anyway.  WGFS was sold several times, ending up with a group programming it with Caribbean music and specialty programming, while the Conyers station was sold to a Hispanic radio company and moved to Gwinnet County.  But I will always have the memories.
They say that radio waves can travel for millions of miles into outer space, which always led me to believe that somewhere out there, beyond the planets and stars, some intelligent life form may be listening to some really bad programming from a kid in Covington and Conyers.
But they’ll also have a good laugh when the funeral announcements are followed by the Bee Gees.