Ramblings of Narc

So I haven’t written much lately ’cause the extent of the stuff I’ve been doing lately on this site has been just organizing. However, the very funny (in my opinion) event that happened just a few minutes ago has me wanting to share.

So what happened?

Well, I got a phone call from a nice-sounding young woman asking “if there was anyone in the house between the ages of 19 and 45 who listens to the radio”. That sincerely amused me, but since I’ve been known to listen to the radio on occasion (especially since obtaining the uber-phone, which has FM radio included), and I was pretty much the only person in the house in that age range, I figured what the hell, so I had her ask her questions and answered to the best of my ability. I’m not a very rabid fan of radio, because I’m of the opinion that most music nowadays is complete and utter crap, but I do listen sometimes, so I told her what and how much and what I like and what I particularly dislike.

And then she explains why she was asking the questions in the first place — apparently, Romanian radio is setting up a focus group to discuss methods of improving the radio medium, and programming in particular, and I was invited (at least in principle) to join in. I figured “why not?”, if I have time for it, I’ll go for it with no real worry. It’ll do me some good to be out in the world, too. She also said there would be a reward for participating, which can’t hurt, but I honestly don’t care that much. I’m after the novelty of the experience, and the chance to see for myself just what a focus group does, and how it works (or doesn’t, as the case may be). And who knows? I might have a chance to make a point about radio to the people who are most likely to make a difference. Now if only I could figure out what point to make Certainly, the radio folks can’t help that music nowadays is crap, can they?

The most interesting part to me is that I admitted from the start that I’m a very rare radio listener, and I think that at least signals I’m probably part of the target group they want to focus on — people who would listen to the radio, if only it weren’t crap, and who might know what they want. The problem is people so rarely do know what they want… which is what makes me think this focus group probably won’t accomplish very much in the end. But, hey, if I can help, I’m down with that. And if not, the reward, whatever it is (probably on the T-shirt level), will probably make up for it.

The only thing I can waste is time, right?

ETA: Hey, I might get some readership for this blog out of it, ha!

I’ve written a short story called “Safeguard” and I welcome any and all comments.

Please give it a read. Thanks!