Well, I got that picture e-mailed to Ali, so something's come of this morning. And I did some of my back exercises (which I have neglected lo these long months), and god, I really should have been doing them the whole time. Just because I can get back to 90% of my activities really didn't mean my back was 90% better. It's amazing how quickly it tires.

Sara -- my nearest Best Buy just added Spanish to their signage, you reminded me. I spent way too long staring at Networking Redes wondering what I'd missed before I saw an easier sign.

sarameg, I just read that HFS is off the air. WTF? Why? And since as far as I could tell its competitors all based their formats on "music for angry young white guys" I'm not surprised about the racist tones of the gloating.

But wow, does this mean no more HFSestivals?

We've got a friend in from Moldova (Athens being less cold and miserable in January) and so I've been walking my butt off. Okay, not literally true, but much walking. Hiked the Acropolis (while 6 months pregnant, go me!), walked the Plaka several times, got lost around the old Olympic Stadium. Now of course they are predicting freezing rain and snow for the weekend, so rather than driving to Corinth we will probably stay in and play computer games. Or just shop - there are no tourists here, so when you walk into a store they greet you with "40% off."

One highlight so far was chatting with Greek shopkeepers about politics. My visitor is very pro-Bush, and the Greeks in general are not. This one shopkeeper asked what we thought of Bush, and my friend said, "I like him." I said, "I don't." She said, "I think he's crazy. Also possibly retarded." I swear coffee came out my nose.

Dude. I remember WHFS. I even had friends in the DC area who remembered when it was a folkie-rock, really alternative radio station. By the time I lived there, it was a ClearChannel type "division rock, subclass post-flannel whining," but things like the HFestival were vestigial proof that it had once had a personality.

I spent way too long staring at Networking Redes wondering what I'd missed before I saw an easier sign.

When I came back from the CzR, I was so used to seeing signs in a language not mine that I had a hard time figuring out that signs were in english. "Spa" befuddled me for about a week. As did "Lumberyard."

sarameg, I just read that HFS is off the air. WTF? Why?

Marketing. Purely a business decision, I think. Really random though, especially since until the switch, they were promoting HFSestival 2005. I'm not so fussed , it was just one I scanned to in search of not!commercial when I got tired of NPR. I've liked it less over time as they got more and more obnoxious. It was kinda fun to hear random spanish pop this morning.

Another TV cancellation - The Will on CBS is gone after one airing.

Gronklies, all.

Back in the office today after a bad nose day yesterday. I've now cleared out the not-stupid emails and must address the stupid ones. Don't wanna. Fortunately, I have caffeine.

I had a hard time figuring out that signs were in english.

I'm so used to English/French that my brain had to work extra hard to accept Spanish.

The Will on CBS is gone after one airing

See? Good things do happen. Later rather than sooner, but they happen.

The Will on CBS is gone after one airing

That is good news.

There was no warning, hell, no DJ even announced the change. They just finished one song, had a prerecorded station ID announcement of the new station id, and went straight into the new format with a spanish song.

Infinity Broadcasting is 'considering' continuing the HFSestival, which means they will continue to 'consider' it until the furor dies down, and then quietly drop it.

Protests scheduled for this weekend.

But I am wondering, do they have DJs at the new station? Why switch formats without setting things up?

They seemed to juggle formats in Detroit at the drop of a hat, and they never announced them either. Nothing drastic as a language change, because, well, Detroit, but one day your 80s dominated station would be country, and your alt rock hiphop. Just like that.

Fucking annoying, and weaned me off radio right quick.