Bored while waiting for Godot.
Our dear KCSB colleague, Bill “Billy Clarke” Savoy, passed away this morning. I’d just like to pass along my condolences to Bill’s family. As a wrote earlier, Bill was a tremendous part of the KCSB community. He hosted the very eclectic and outstanding KCSB music program, Music Soup, edited some episodes of KCSB’s Santa Barbara Lecture Series, and was generally one of our more dedicated volunteers. Beyond all of that, he was simply a great guy.
Goodbye, Billy Clarke. You will be missed.
One of the things I received around my recent birthday, which was largely responsible for my lack of excitement, was the news that my friend Bill was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Bill was experiencing chronic ear aches, which were eventually accompanied by short-term memory loss. When he went in to have it checked out, the doctors discovered several tumors, and within a week (which was exactly two weeks before Christmas) it was determined that he didn’t have much time - three months if the chemotherapy worked. Bill’s condition changed so drastically, in such a short period of time, that when I went to see him last Monday he was up-beat and lucid. When I saw him on Wednesday, he was on morphine and conscious for very brief moments. Bill is 65 years old, and a KCSB dee-jay.
At some level, I want to wax philosophical about the meaning of life and death. I just don’t have it in me. Bill is a pretty significant part of the KCSB community - his work is literally in the walls of one of our studios, and I learned a great deal from him. Like with Tom Borghi and Mike Petrini, KCSB is a better place with Bill walking through its doors. And along with Tom and Mike, it is hard to remember what KCSB was like before he arrived, and I’ll never quite get over the fact that he will be gone. On a small level, this all serves as a reminder that there’s little you can do to prepare for what is inevitable for all of us. On a larger level, it just plain hurts.
In any case, as the holidays once again come and go, do yourself a favor and hug you loved ones a little bit tighter.
Leave it to me to wish myself a happy birthday a day late. For reasons I won’t go into, I was a little more introspective this year than last - so without going into any histrionics, I’ll just allow Tom Waits, whose birthday was last Friday, to sum up my feelings on getting another year older.
Here’s a hint. He’s the one showing his laptop to Public Enemy’s Chuck D.
Once a year, for ten days, KCSB-FM holds an on-air fund raiser. Yesterday, Chuck D dropped by KCSB and went on the KCSB airwaves to help us raise some money. You can hear the interview, conducted by KCSB DJ Nat Pyle, on KCSB’s website. It’s a very good interview.
And if you are so inclined, please drop some money KCSB’s way - either by calling (805) 893-3921, or donating online via Network for Good or Paypal. And if you are turned off by the idea that any of your money might go to pay my salary at the station, my paycheck comes from an entirely different budget.
So I am back in Santa Barbara after an amazing three and a half weeks in Oaxaca. Despite the illnesses - both the Montezuma’s Revenge and a rather nasty cold I managed to catch post-Montezuma, I still had an amazing time. I saw some lucha libre (including finally getting a photo with my favorite luchadore), went to Puerto Escondido, and hit all the major tourist sites (Monte Albán, Mitla, Hierve el Agua, etc, etc.). I drank my (and your) share of mezcal, ate plenty of mole, and made some really great friends. As much as I am glad to be home, I already miss Oaxaca - which is a testament to the amazing place it is. And, once again, thanks to Andrew and his restaurant (El Naranjo) for making my last night in Oaxaca very memorable enjoyable.
And I’d like to thank the Acadamy (I’m starting to ramble a bit)….
Unfortunately, coming home yielded some not so positive things. Typically, when I am away, I like to leave a window open to keep the place from getting too musty. There was some bad timing in that decision, as the Sedgewick Fire managed to coat Santa Barbara with a fine-grained soot - which also includes most everything in our place. I’ve spent my first day back cleaning the entire our place four times times. Compared to other places in SoCal, I should consider myself lucky. The fire in Irvine, for example, was a mere mile from where I grew up - and my parents have some friends who were evacuated (they are all back home now).
Still, not the best welcome home present.
But who am I to complain (aside from, well, me). Over three weeks in Mexico is still a great time - and no soot can rain on that experience.
