Ok! Cheesy title I know. But hey. It takes you back doesn't it. Nothing like copying a copier. But A-N-Y-WAYS, I know it has been forever since I blogged. I am pretty sure that is going to change as I have a bit more time on my hands these days, but I have enjoyed being away that's for sure.

We have made a lot of changes to allenhuntshow.com and I wanted to brief you on some of them. So, feel free to watch this short video on about 6 or 7 additions to the site. Feel free to email me at andy@allenhuntshow.com if you have any other suggestions on how to improve allenhuntshow.com

And if you went away, be looking back more often as I will probably be writing once or twice a week. With out further ado, here's the video...

This will most certainly sound pretentious. Most often we think that we pick music, but every so often I think music picks us. Take Steve Winwood's "Back In The High Life."

If this song reminds me of anything, it reminds me of driving with the windows down with Dad in the old 3-series - and for some reason more particularly driving down Getz Rd in Fort Wayne, IN.

The last time I heard this song was June 18, 1996 (that probably isn't accurate).

While looking for Ryan Hood's Back Into Blue about two months ago (which by the way is impossible to find), I stumbled onto "Back In The High Life" on iTunes. Played the sample. Brought me back. Downloaded it.

Of course as a child I never really listened to the lyrics that closely. As I listened again, it was like listening for the first time. I was taken back by the opening lines.

It used to seem to me
That my life ran on too fast
And I had to take it slowly
Just to make the good parts last
But when you're born to run
It's so hard to just slow down
So don't be surprised to see me
Back in that bright part of town

I don't know about you, but for me I am not sure there is a song that describes life better.

The past three months have been back in the high life. I am now officially a pilot per the FAA. Started a beautiful relationship. Relaxed at night more with friends. Gone to the beach a few times. Climbed a "mountain" here in Georgia. Went to the Orchestra and the Theatre and the Braves game. Guest hosted the Allen Hunt Show. Ate great food. Spent time with great people.

It's strange how you have to fight for that sometimes. You'd think it would be easier to choose the "good parts." And maybe for most of you it is. But I find life almost naturally forces you to ignore the good parts. To keep pushing forward faster and faster even though your not sure what exactly your pushing forward towards.

I'll be writing a bit more now that pilot lessons are over and a few projects are out of the way. I know a lot has happened in the past couple of months. I need to admit I was wrong about my predictions regarding healthcare. I need to post my annual Presidental taxes blog. And I'll get to that. But for now, it's nice to be "back in the the bright part of town."


Photos of the past couple of months can be found here
Flight tracker of the piloting can be found here

Recently I got into a fairly surprising discussion with someone on what we really wanted out of life. And I don't mean like wanting to be famous, or wealthy, or a Senator. But when all is said and done, what is it that we really wanted? Or in other words: what is it about being famous, or wealthy, or a Senator that we think will be beneficial to our life?

I even surprised myself a little with the simplicity of my answer (which I am not going to share). But I'll leave it at there are really only two things I want out of life. That's it. Two.

I have since had this conversation with a few other people to decide whether or not I am crazy. The verdict is mixed. But most agree that "knowing me" they don't believe my simplistic answer.

When I was in college, a relative of mine sent me a book to read titled Running on Empty: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers by Fil Anderson. There are two things I remember about this book.

1. How super offended and hurt I was that this person sent me the book. It sounds a bit overly sensitive (and looking back it probably was), but nevertheless it had some larger context to the feelings.
2. More importantly, the story of the fisherman and the businessman.

It's a bit long, but I read it 5 years ago and I still can't get it out of my head.

There was once an businessman who had finally taken some time off work to go on holiday with his family, whilst taking a walk on the beach one day he saw a fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore and noticed that the fisherman has caught quite a number of big fish. The American was really impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”

The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a few hours.”

“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and you could catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.

The fisherman replied, “This is enough to feed my whole family,” he says

The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day then?”

The fisherman replied, “Play with my kids, take afternoon naps with my wife in the hammock, go out in the village in the evening with my friends for a drink where we play the guitar and sing.”

The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman.

“I am a specialist in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. And when you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. As you go on, you will be able to afford to buy more boats, recruit more fishermen and lead a team of your own. Soon you will be able to set up your own company, your very own production plant for canned food and do direct selling to your distributors. At that time, you will have moved out of this village and to the City, and then expand your operation to around the world, and finally you can set up your HQ to manage all your other branches.”

The fisherman asks, “So, how long would that take?”

The businessman reply, “About 15 to 20 years.

The fisherman continues, “And after that?”

The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, by then you will be rich, your income will be coming in by the millions!”

The fisherman asks, “And after that?”

The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house on an island, play with your kids, take afternoon naps with your wife in the hammock, go out in the village in the evening with your friends for a drink where you play the guitar and sing”

The point is that a lot of the time we think we are working hard towards a life that we want, only failing to realize what we really want might be right in front of us and attainable.

It's a question I ask myself almost everyday: what is it that I am working so hard for and how does that fit into what I want out of life?

What about you?

(And if you don't want to share your own, feel free to try and guess mine)

April 2005: Currently Facebook only supports 800 college campuses. President Bush was 4 months into his second term. Pope John Paul II had just been put to rest. Airbus's new Jumbo A380 takes it's very first flight. Carrie Underwood was just about to become a household name by winning American Idol. Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani had just hit the airwaves. Sahara and Fever Pitch had just been released into theatres. And The Office had just started it's first season.

It was also the last time I had a normal weekend.

Wow!

And just so we are clear. By normal weekend I mean: working Friday, taking both Saturday and Sunday off, and returning to work on Monday, with out leaving the city (Atlanta).

The last time I did that I was a senior in College. It was April 23/24, 2005 - and I can't for the life of me remember what I did. Probably because I didn't think it was anything special: it was the weekend.

Allen was up in Green Bay to watch a Packers game, so we took Sunday off. And although I was initially tempted to go up to Chicago, and then almost took a last minute trip to Orlando, I eventually decided to do nothing but stick around Atlanta for the first time since moving here over 4 years ago.

Now obviously I have taken vacation in that time period. And there have been a handful (say around 20) of other non-vacation, 2-day weekends - most of which were spent on quick trips outside of Atlanta. But none of those were a "normal" weekends as defined above.

I do have to admit this past weekend was a bit weird. Watched football all day long on my couch, only to get off the couch and go watch football on my Aunt and Uncle's couch. Watched 7-hours worth of Dexter after Blockbuster finally had Season 3 on DVD in stock. Went to a movie with some friends (Couple's Retreat: not as good as I thought it was going to be, but it did feature breathtaking views of the hotel I have wanted to stay at for years, and it did feature Kristen Bell...so...worth it.).

All and all a pretty normal weekend, only thus making it a completley abnormal weekend.

Here's to not having another 39,336 hours until the next one

P.S. For all of you who are sick of reading about my weekends. I promise, I am releasing a more serious blog later in the week. Thank you for your patience over the past 2 months due to the hectic schedule changes.

It was another busy week this week. Maybe not 84 hours like last week, but probably 75. Got major progress done on the new Allen Hunt Show website. Very productive. But with the production, I was also very tired and looking forward to a Saturday of doing absolutely nothing.

At 11:45pm on Friday night, my friend Glenn swings by the studio. As he was leaving he asked, "hey you want to join us for tomorrow's Alabama game at Ole Miss? Plane takes off at 9:00." I don't care what I am looking forward to, if it involves taking a private plane to a great day of tailgating and a live SEC football game, I am dropping the other plans.

So even though I desperately needed the rest, I traded it for a day full of fun.

So because I am lazy on blogging right now, here is a post in picture form (with commentary):

I am exhausted. I would be lying if I said I wasn't. It has been a hard month. 6 days a week. 14 hours a day. All just to keep my head above the water. Not ever feeling like I am making much progress.

I have sat down to write a column on many different topics, but nothing comes out. It is why my last post was 3 weeks ago (and actually I wrote that post a week before I posted it).

I had a 36-hour trip to Chicago that was fantastic and had some semi-profound thoughts from it, but even that has been difficult to write about. I am even having a hard time just staying up with the shows I DVR.

Speaking of which, this past "weekend" (Saturday) I hung out with a few friends, and caught up on my DVR. I was watching Dollhouse and then this caught my ear.


WHAT?!? Did I just hear what I thought I heard. Am I the only one who heard, "why do people get married in fuckin' stilettos?"

I Google-searched to see if anyone else noticed, and there were a few posts. But many still felt that couldn't possibly be the case. Then I checked the Closed Captioned version on Hulu.



What I loved is that I still swear she drops the F-bomb here. On a network show. In the 9pm slot on a Friday night.

Maybe the script called for "frickin'" but Eliza dropped fuckin' instead. I don't know. But I love the fact Fox uses the Closed Caption to try ad convince us we are hearing things :) I might try that the next time we have a caller drop the F-bomb and a station throws a fit (*cough* you know who you are).

Now I have one or two theories about what happened. As many said, Fox might just not have noticed and it slipped through. But I doubt that. I think it was done on purpose. It was done on purpose to figure out a.) whether or not anyone was watching, and b.) to figure out whether or not anyone cared.

I am not going to complain. I don't really think "swearing" should be outlawed by the FCC anyways. Extension of power by the government that they shouldn't have. But I did want to at least put my stake in the ground that I noticed.

So for now, this is about all I have energy for. Please excuse me for the superficiality of the post. But I at least thought it was interesting.

So what do you think? Am I so over worked that I am hearing things now?

I love all teams Chicago (except the insufferable Bears). Cubs of course are on the top of the list. But growing up I too loved the Chicago Bulls. I spent many a nights in front of the television watching WGN and the magic that was Michael Jordan. I had the shoes. I drank the Gatorade. I sang the song.

As life has proven time and time again, 19 years later and things are far more complicated.

Athletes have gone from psuedo-gods to people; many times really shitty people. Jordan is no exception. In fact, Jordan is probably - like all things Michael - the best example. The most recent example of course being, as Rick Reiley put it, his "tactless, egotistical and unbecoming" Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

It's sad really. In the same way I sometimes long for the faith I had when I was in my teens, making Jesus' words of child like faith all the more clear, I too wish I could approach the world as I did when 8 years old.

But alas that usually isn't an option. As Cardinal Thomas Wosley once said, "Be very, very careful what you put into that head, because you will never, ever get it out."

Similarly, when I was 12 I hated John Stockton. Ok, really I hated Karl Malone. But my associated hatred of Stockton proves my point later. Both Malone and Stockton played for the Utah Jazz - at the time - an arch enemy of the Chicago Bulls.

On September 11, 2009, both Jordan and Stockton were admitted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. And while Jordan's speech was the worst 23 minutes you could imagine; John Stockton had 11 seconds of brilliance that unfortunately most will never hear.


Maybe it is because I have been super stressed. Maybe it is because I feel the burden to be the best at everything (unfortunately making me a lot more like Jordan than Stockton). Or maybe it is because in that moment I realized all those years I should have been rooting for Stockton, and not Micahel. But those simple words of humility and honesty brought a tear to my eye.

When I watched Stockton he wasn't the best on the Jazz - Karl Malone was. But that didn't stop him from having a phenomenal career and supporting his team. And years later, the joy and love he brought to that stage was evident beyond his words.

That's a message kids should hear. Most of us will never be the "Michael Jordan" in our fields. And that's ok. In fact, that is probably a good thing.

So while my 8-year old self was spent looking up to Michael Jordan, I know my 27-year old self will look up to John Stockton. What can I say. John, you finally went down as the best at something. I wanna be like Mike John.

This week marked two things I can't believe are here already.

It seems like only yesterday tiny Jadyn was asleep on my chest 9 days after being born (lower left hand photo above). We spent her 1st birthday at the Lake (photo 2). Her 2nd birthday was more low key and spent it at the house (photo 3). I didn't make it for her 3rd birthday due to Asher's premature delivery in Hilton Head (picture 4) and the craziness that ensued in June and July. And I didn't make it today because of our M-F launch.

I was however very humored to see the following Facebook Status update from Andrea this morning.

ANDREA: it's your birthday sweetie!
JADE: it is?
ANDREA: yes, you are four now
JADE: I don't want to be four, I want to be three

Typical woman always lying about her age and wishing she were younger :)

As much as I love Jadyn and as important as she is in my life, her turning 4 wasn't the biggest thing that happened this week.

At 9:00:00 PM on Monday we launched our Monday-Friday presence into the talk radio universe. If I can't believe Jadyn is turning 4 because time has flown by, the M-F radio presence is the exact opposite. I can't believe this is finally here because sometimes it felt like it was never going to happen.

But ohh has it happened. The week has been incredibly busy and I am still trying to find my routine (and get the new website done). For the most part there have been few errors - actually surprisingly few to be honest. And I think once things settle down, this is going to be a lot of fun.

Opening night was a blast. We opened for sure with Charlottsville, VA, Saginaw, MI, and Warner Robbins, GA. The remaining of our 30 launch affiliates will come online within the next week or so.

Afterwards we (myself, Allen, Anita, and Phil) went out (at 12:15 am) and celebrated at Taco Mac. Got some drinks. Had some queso dip. And even though there were times I never thought that day would come, it finally did, and it was great!

Check out the photos from the first night and leave some comments if you'd like. Be sure to invite Allen and I to be your friends on Facebook as well. We'll be using that a lot more in the coming months.

There is no other way around it that the job market sucks right now. No matter what field you are in. No matter how talented you are. It is just awful.

For me personally it started about a year ago when a good friend was laid off pretty suddenly. Since then my brother has been laid off twice, a good friend is having a really tough time finding a job after law school and had to move back in with her parents, and a family member was laid off for the second time in five years. Not to mention the countless friends I talk with who are really depressed in their jobs, but know they are stuck. And whole other group of people who actually kind of like their job, but know they are "probably next to go" if another round of layoffs are coming.

This blog typically leans to focus on the 20-something and single - which has it's advantages in this situation - but also has some serious disadvantages. I remember when my first friend got laid off, knowing she didn't really have any pressure to provide for a family, but thinking how hard it must be for her to go home to an empty house and an empty bed and face this "alone."

But I think the key in this tough economic times is to make sure no matter what, you aren't facing this alone.

What to do if you have been laid off / can't find work

1. Remember that we are in a historically poor market, and it isn't a reflection of you
2. Keep in mind how little time a year is in the grand scheme of things and don't get discouraged by what feels like no growth
3. Lean on those that love you. TRUST ME. I am as prideful as they come. The thought of moving back in with parents, or asking for help; makes me cringe just thinking about it (and I actually like my parents). But it is ok. Those of us that love you, want to help
4. Remember, you are not a failure by any means

What do do if you know some one who has been laid off / can't find work

1. Help in any way you can. I have offered financial assistance to my brother, a place to stay for a friend free of charge (including food), and financially "counseled" another friend including a detailed budget, cash flow analysis, help with health insurance, etc...
2. Reiterated over and over that this is not their fault and that you are proud of them
3. Help with networking. Let's face it. This world is who you know and there is nothing to be ashamed of getting your foot in the door because of a connection
4. Don't neglect them. I am an AWFUL person at keeping up with people on the phone. But after my brother got laid off, I was on the phone all the time. Not badgering him with have you found a job. But just to see how he was doing, what he was up to, if he needed anything, etc...
5. Adjust your lifestyle. Don't suggest let's go to a movie or the theatre or out to eat all the time. They will either feel a.) pressured to join with money they don't have or b.) feel depressed because they missed out. Instead have people over, rent movies, cook out, etc...

One last thing to think about is to offer an escape. I think this might seem strange to some, but sometimes people just need to get out of their environment (especially if depression is setting in). It doesn't have to be elaborate. If they are just going to watch TV / sit by a pool / make dinner / go bike riding, etc... they can do that with you. A cheap (read: provided) week away with a friend can be incredibly helpful. Plus, they can still send out resumes, make phone calls, etc... from your place.

As cliché as it sounds: it's tough out there. And we are all in this together. The more we lean on one another to help, the better off we are all going to be.

In 8th grade I took my first trip out of the country. Me and about 40 other middle schoolers took a field trip to France. It was wonderful. Nice. Castles. Lyons. Tours. Versailles. Paris. Even at 14 I was in awe.

I have always loved France, but this week I found myself saying, "I wish I were French."

According to this CBS article, the French are required by law to have at least 5-weeks of vacation and work a maximum 35-hours a week. And in actuality, many French people get 8 weeks of vacation. I have to admit I am a bit jealous.

We don't have a vacation policy here at the Allen Hunt Show. But my vacation schedule seems to be something like this:

• 1 week in May with CJ & Andrea at the Beach
• 1 week in July or September in Indiana with CJ, Andrea, and my family
• 2 weeks in December/January in Indiana with CJ, Andrea, and my family for Christmas

I freely admit that 4 weeks of vacation is pretty fortunate. This of course does not count the weekender trips I take once a month just to get out of Atlanta.

Allen pointed me to another article that states 2/3 of Americans aren't planning on taking a vacation this summer.

This is a huge mistake. Now I know not everyone loves to travel like I do, and in this tough economy, traveling might not be an option anyway.

But I am not talking about travel, I am talking about vacation. Even if you stay at home and do nothing, taking time off work to relax and refocus is of huge importance.

I know I am in a way better mood after coming back from vacation - to which the people I work with are grateful. Even getting away once a month for short trips has been monumentally helpful.

Now before Sean Hannity calls and rips me a new one, yes I know French economy is horrendous and their unemployment is double ours. I am not saying that the US should become France. All I am saying is there has to be a balance between the two. The French could learn something from us, and we could learn something from the French.


P.S. This post is dedicated to Mark Arum for giving my traveling habits so much crap :)

P.P.S. I put up all the pictures from this past vacation to Sunset Key. All the photos can be found at my website, and the "best" photos I also uploaded to Facebook (which you don't need a Facebook account to see the album).

• 2Timothy42.org Photo Album
• Facebook Album (open to the public)