Sunday, June 20, 2010

June 20, 2010

Happy Fathers Day
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First day of summer: June 21, 2010
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Summer Soltice:
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What is that awful noise?
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Tony Hayward
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BP Moves Chief Executive to Lesser Role in Spill Response
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Where is the proof of God?
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VOTE NO!
H.R.5175 - DISCLOSE Act
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Christie administration wants bill changing N.J. affordable housing system by end of month
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BP Chairman: "We Care About the Small People"
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15 comments:

leWiffenpoof said...

For 21 years, most every Sunday morning, I’ve been getting up at 7AM to listen to Topic A. After this mornings show, I’m beginning to wonder why, after all these years, I still do. The show just isn’t what it used to be. When I first moved down here, Topic A provided a great introduction to Toms River and Ocean County. Seems as though every week I learned about the local area, local people, the local history, activities, events, and more. Over the years Topic A has drifted away from the local until now, week after week, it’s the same thing, with the same people, tooting their own horns, over and over again, samo, samo, blah, blah, blah. As usual, here they all were again this morning, and I’ll bet you, dollars to doughnuts, that any listener who has listened 2 or 3 times can name them all: Walt from Lakewood, Jack from Jackson, Greg from Beachwood, Phil from Brick, Herb from Toms River, Chris from Phoenix, Mike from Lanoka Harbor, George from Toms River, and Toms from Toms River. Missing was Jerry from Beachwood, but now that he has forgiven Bob for the name Bob call him on the air, I’m sure he’ll be back. Another Topic A, just like all the others, blah, blah, blah, boring, boring, boring. From now on, come 7AM Sunday morning, I’m just going to roll over, with the radio OFF, and get a couple of more hours of shut eye until the time comes to watch the talking heads on the various Sunday morning news shows. And you know what …. I’ll bet it isn’t long before an awful lot of other people do the same thing.

Chucky S said...

Bob: Some people don't know when it's time to quit - let me help you out: IT'S NOW !!!

Bill Heyer said...

WOW!!! I'm feeling a small groundswell of like-minded people, here, now!! This must mean, I'M NOT ALONE!!! Bob, nothing personal, but you're TOO OLD to be doing 24 hours of radio, SIX DAYS A WEEK. Turn your Sunday show over to Kevin Williams, PLEASE??!!

AJ from Lakewood said...

Spot on Bill Heyer !! Not only too old, also too set in his ways, too cranky, too grouchy, he’s also rude and disrespectful to his callers. It’s pretty obvious that he really doesn’t enjoy doing Topic A anymore, in fact, he even admitted so on the air, saying that he much preferred to do the weekday show. If he gets no joy out of the show, why does he continue on. Only one thing I can think of, greed, $$$, gotta pay for that Venza. So on Sunday mornings he shows up, goes through the motions, suffers for 4 hours putting up with callers he really doesn’t give a hoot about, then at 11, grabs his check and bugs out of there. You are not only alone in your thinking, Bill, the time has indeed come for the torch to be passed.

Bill Heyer said...

AJ, I knew years ago that Bob Levy would HAVE to go out, kicking and screaming. Apparently, THAT'S what it's gonna' take, too!! Yeah, he's just in it for the money, now. He used to sign off, "know this, I'm out of, here."
I can't argue with a single point you made. There was a time that Bob was good. His heart was in it, his brain was in it. Bob hasn't been good in a good ten years, now!!!

ChuckyS said...

I agree completely with everything Bill Heyer and AJ have said. When someone really enjoys what they do, vs someone who just mechanically goes through the motions, it’s obvious, and for years now, on Topic A, Bob has just been going through the motions. I understand Bob is approaching 80, and just as he is growing old, so is his show. Bob, it’s time to retire, time to pass the torch. You’ve had your day, now it’s time to give someone else theirs.

Bill Heyer said...

Rarely a year went by that Bob Levy DIDN'T invite Ocean County Traffic Safety Engineer, Roden S. Lightbody, to be his guest on "Topic'A.'" Roden would take questions from Bob's audience. A LOT of traffic improvements were made as a direct result of that person-to-person contact. How do you describe it, PROACTIVE? Has anybody seen or heard from Mr. Lightbody, lately, on Bob's show?
Hhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm????????
Oh, yeah, we hear from "Phil," from Brick, all right, and "Jack," from Point Pleasant Beach and "Herb," from Toms River, though! They ALL have their well-coordinated shows, at the same time, week-after-week, month-after-month and year-after-year. At first, they bashed President George W. Bush, then they openly campaigned for Barack Obama and now they do weekly "spin" for the President. What happened to "local stuff," Bob???!!!

BarryG said...

Hmm, I find it interesting that no one has come forward to either rebut any of the claims made in any of the aforementioned comments or to offer any kind of defense for Bob Levy whatsoever.

Don’t worry Bill Heyer, you are not alone. More like minded people (me among them) appear to be coming forward each day. The ground swell has begun, the crusade continues.

Bill Heyer said...

BarryG, Bob Levy was GREAT, in his time. However, "his time" ENDED about ten years ago! I LOVED Bob Levy, I STILL do!! It HURTS me to write these words, it REALLY does!
Bob has ALWAYS said that there are two ways his show could end: 1) He could die at the microphone, or, 2) His calls would just dry up.
Of the two, HE preferred the first.
Well, there IS a third way: He would be ASKED by his audience to call it a day. For the good of the show. For HIS well-being, too!
Are there ANY "suits," down at WOBM, that sees (hears?) what's going on??!! Bob just doesn't WANT to be, there, anymore!! He loves picking-up a paycheck, but he'd rather be sitting by the pool, reading a dime novel. Hey, I heard Kevin Williams when he subbed for Bob during a Bob & Marianne cruise. He was DAMN GOOD!
He wasn't grouchy, he seemed to be enjoying himself, he could remember WHO he was talking-to, he could remember the talk-line phone number (Bob often gives the morning show phone number) and he WAS ENGAGED. He was plugged into the show. Plus, he did the "spots" with professionalism!
THAT'S because Kevin IS a professional!! Look, Bob gave me a personal invitation to come back (to his studio), anytime I wanted-to, and I took advantage of it in the late 1990's. I sat next to Bob for a few broadcasts. Now, though? Bob, get thee to Key West, and enjoy YOUR "Golden Years!" PLEASE???!!!

BarryG said...

Bill Heyer, wow, very moving, straight from the heart, profound, deep, sincere, and obvious that its all said with Topic A’s and Bob Levy’s best interests in mind. Again, you are not alone in your thinking, Bill. It’s clear to me from re-reading the comments that all the writers feel pretty much the same as you do. Most probably like Bob Levy, I certainly do, and I’m sure none of them dislike him, but facts are facts, and the thing is we all remember how really great he used to be; how interesting, timely and informative the shows were and how much we thoroughly enjoyed them. Bob was a fantastic host and a great conversationalist; he was personable and polite; he made the callers, no matter how far out they may have been, feel welcomed, at ease, and at home. He even, at times, had a slight sense of humor. It was easy to tell that Bob enjoyed doing the show and that both his heart and his mind were in it. Unfortunately, like you, over the years, the writers have watched both the show and Bob deteriorate the state they are both in today. It is sad to compare what is to what was and it really does hurt to have to say so.

BarryG said...

Bill Heyer, wow, very moving, straight from the heart, profound, deep, sincere, and obvious that its all said with Topic A’s and Bob Levy’s best interests in mind. Again, you are not alone in your thinking, Bill. It’s clear to me from re-reading the comments that all the writers feel pretty much the same as you do. Most probably like Bob Levy, I certainly do, and I’m sure none of them dislike him, but facts are facts, and the thing is we all remember how really great he used to be; how interesting, timely and informative the shows were and how much we thoroughly enjoyed them. Bob was a fantastic host and a great conversationalist; he was personable and polite; he made the callers, no matter how far out they may have been, feel welcomed, at ease, and at home. He even, at times, had a slight sense of humor. It was easy to tell that Bob enjoyed doing the show and that both his heart and his mind were in it. Unfortunately, like you, over the years, the writers have watched both the show and Bob deteriorate the state they are both in today. It is sad to compare what is to what was and it really does hurt to have to say so.

Anonymous said...

Bob has threatened to pull the plug on "Paul's Blog" and I bet after these negative comments the old curmudgeon's ego won't be able to handle it. See ya blog!!

Bill Heyer said...

Look, THIS is my FINAL WORD on the subject. It's important, no, it's IMPERATIVE that "Topic 'A'" continues, ONLY with a different host. Why? Because Ocean County is the fastest-growing county in the state, but it doesn't even HAVE A NEWSPAPER, anymore!! When the Ocean County Observer closed, it left a severe VOID, that even the Asbury Park Press CANNOT FILL!! Further, when Adelphia Cable sold out to Comcast, it left Ocean County WITHOUT A local news program. "Topic 'A'"
is the ONLY forum that residents have at their disposal to get news,
EXCLUSIVELY geared towards Ocean County residents. Why Bob Levy decided to turn his show over to national topics and interests is BEYOND ME??!! The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan play out on CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, CNN, MSNBC and FOX News. "Topic 'A'" is a LOCAL radio show. WHY HERE, too??!! Don't WE have problems and concerns, here, in Ocean County??!!
I can honestly say, that with the absence of news reporting on a local level, I couldn't tell you the name of the current Toms River Mayor, even if you placed a gun to my head! THAT tells 'ya, something, doesn't it???

Anonymous said...

Is there not a conservative talk show on the radio on Sunday morning ? If you don't like the callers. Pick up the phone and stop hidding behind your computer or just change the station.

mikejsal said...

I refuse to be a nony mouse. I will take credit for the last post.