Piggies in mourning

I know KPIG isn’t exactly a local station. But since the Santa Cruz-area station started broadcasting in San Luis Obispo County a little more than three years ago, it has garnered a worthy following — even from those who were skeptical at first. And since the station is built on its personalities, the passing of […]

Rules in a Knife Fight

When features copy editor Jay Thompson said it was impossible to create the perfect road music compilation, I quickly said, “Bosh!”
Not because I don’t respect what he says; I just really like the word “bosh.”
Jay’s pretty particular about compilation CDs, though. Every year, he dedicates several weeks to the creation of his eclectic Christmas comp, […]

Idol contestants: Hold the melisma, please

Finally, there’s a word for it.
I’m talking about that annoying thing that Mariah Carey does. That spasmodic vocal filler that seems mandatory for “American Idol” contestants. That thing hack singers
do to stand out because they can’t actually write songs.
It’s called melisma.
I know, I know. It sounds scary. As in:
“Oh, man — did you hear about […]

Save drowning tourists!

The lifeguard stations are out at Pismo Beach again, and you know what that means:
The tourist season has begun!
When those lifeguard stations resurface, I’m not sure whether I should be insulted or flattered.
Think about it: The coastal cities only provide lifeguards when the tourists are in town. So that leads to two possible conclusions:
1.) They […]

See this movie!

It’s true that when you have a child, you don’t get out as much. And that’s OK — though it means I see far fewer movies than I once did and wind up learning a lot more about “Blue’s Clues” and “Dora the Explorer” than I ever expected. (Kids, sing along: “I’m the map, I’m […]