Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Then of course there is Digital Trends and other publications

I was going to title this report, the Limited View from the Cubical, but decided to dance on the idea that such online publications such as Digital Trends and so on, follow me on Twitter. Before I get into that and I knew that this was in the works years ago, but congrats to Kim Fields of KTVB 7 out of Boise for attaining the anchors chair at KTVB 7 News. I always said that she had it in her, and was one of the reasons I watched Channel 7's news anyway, Although Dee Sarton who I met back in 1974 when I with our high school journalism class of Hazzard High , Dee was just a rookie there, and we had I think her first sit down soda pop talk, as I was already on the air at then KEEP AM 1450 (now KEZJ AM) out of Twin Falls. Even then and I can't figure out why, but even then and hey we were as far as it counted a 4H truckers Club, with a educational radio station on the air for truckers, hence KDSL FM 89.1 / Long Haul Radio/Diesel-Kid(me) then. But few people looked on the Magic Valley and especially tiny Hazzard, for any kind of inspiration as to commerce, e-Commerce was then just a embryo. Yet we made headlines. At the time nobody had anything on the air west of Mississippi for truckers. At least on radio based out here. Sure the legends the Truckin Bozo, Melody Mike, Bill Mack and others were there, but if you made a request or had news, by the time it aired was at least 3 hours advanced so it, whatever it was , was no longer news. The then TeenAge Truckers Association that grew into the United American Independent Truckers Association the parent organization of the Hazzard County Knytes, Knytes-of-Dixie as well as the Knytes-of-Anarchy, together with the AyreWolvez , found by sheer accident a defaulting operation based out of Utah called Joc Radio, that rebroadcasted out of AM 77 KKOB out of Alberquacky New Mexico. We thought we can do this; so with the purchase of some rather well worn, and some we still use, radio gear, KDSL or KAY/DIESEL went on the air, in 1976. Through a helluvalot of lobbying, Overdrive Magazine in 1978 just before We discovered Hazzard County or vice versa, we gained some national recognition, and the rest as some say is history. But a bunch of thanks needs to go out to Mike Parkhurst, the original Overdrive Magazine and the original staff, of that publication, the Original ITA(Independent Truckers Association) for getting our foot in the door. But here's the thing, daily I get tons of invites to go to seminars, trade fairs, and the like to group mind share ideas etc. All have ridiculous high fees to attend and rarely if ever occur in Salt Lake City or Boise. It's always San Francisco, Los Angeles, SanDieago or some other long distant location. Just like towing fairs and jamborees and such. Its either Reno, or Florida and occasional midwest , but never here. One happened several years ago, in a medium sized town in Oregon. I got the money together and me and my mini Kenworth went. Only to find not only did you have to pay for lodging, food etc, but also the dang seminars those were extra. Couldn't they just put that together in a package? Fortunately I was residing in Eagle a part of Boise at the time so not a long drive, but long enough. Thing is back then Boise was maybe 75k in population, Salt Lake City was inching up to 150k population but large enough to be a great spot that most everybody in the business could get to. Same thing for IT and electronic media firms. There is a helluvalot of activity in these Mountains if only these major publications and all would just get out of their cubicals open their eyes and minds, and sniff around a bit, they'd find all kinds of hidden bones and industry bubbling to the degree that their limited focus hinders them from inside the Las Vegas, and NYC offices . 
The other day, when I told my majority partner at the shop, about the club, since he has not taken the time to come out and really look or meet, but he said what the Mystery club? Thing is there are all too many members in both traditional mechanical and related roles as well as those from Law enforcement, government, and yes military arenas that wear the patch of the Hazzard Knytes. All rural gearheads, but two are even FBI agents, two are NCIS agents and two are former County Sheriffs, as well as two former police chiefs. One is a farm equipment dealership owner, and the list goes on, yea some mystery club. Ain't no mystery. Its like the folks at CenturyLink, both from Twin Falls as well as here now in Evanston Wyoming. They have people sitting in call centers taking orders from people both enterprise as well as standard consumers. Yet these people are limited in what they know. Or who. Surely there is someone in Salt Lake City and I know there is a major executive bunch in Boise that know the economic expansion of these areas as well as Utah, yet, the people taking the orders can't escalate or know who to escalate a concern to . Official census numbers of Twin Falls, not taking into consideration places as Hazzard, Gooding, Wendell, Jerome, Kimberly, Burley etc is at 44k. However in reality the real population numbers of Twin Falls Idaho is near 80K . You'd think the visionaries at CenturyLink, would think lets fiber optic the entire city, and increase bandwidth now. Now will tiny Evanston Wyoming achieve that number of people? Hard to say, but at the rate that commuters and all from Metro Utah, are migrating to Evanston, which is still confused as to being either Utah or Wyoming, but this tiny town is about to explode. Just like Twin Falls 15 to 20 years ago, was caught between outdated thinking by an outdated Planning and Zoning Commission, and old money of voters saying no grow here, died and got voted out of office. After which up went property values and increased incomes. Same thing is happening here in Evanston, Randolph, Woodruff , and immediate areas. What was sanctuaries are looking at becoming economic hubs, its tuning up and the band is getting ready to play. While construction costs are low, it'd be my thinking that CenturyLink would want to join the band and at least be a part of the concert, rather than just a lounge act observer and spectator. As for the Knytes? Hey we are writing the music here, and are the conductor. SpeedWrench Radio at 10:00AM to 13:00 on www.livestream.com/speedwrenchradio