A home for those who love almost everything about The Ticket (1310 AM, 96.7 FM, Dallas-Fort Worth), and who would like to discuss -- respectfully and fondly -- their thoughts on how (and whether) to eliminate the "almost."
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Michael Gruber Has Exclusively Advised the Nation to be Tuned in at 11 am Tomorrow
It's official, I'm out on CdS. They do an excellent, professional, and respectful of the situation interview with a survivor of that doomed Italian cruise liner...only to follow it with some horrible early Ben and Skin kind of "character study" of some guido, moron NFL prognosticator. I can't take the Jekyll and Hyde dance any longer. ATTN CdS: You guys are good at sports; your sports opinions are worth listening to; but PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S GOOD IN THIS WORLD STOP WITH THE CONSTANT "FUNNY"!!!!! It's not your strength, by a long shot. At least not on-air. That's not to say that you can't be humorous from time to time, or that you shouldn't try to inject levity or even an attempt at humor every now and again. But I am saying that you boys need to end the constant barrage of b.s. that will no doubt keep your show forever a weekend product. And I know that's not the goal here; if it was, then you guys wouldn't do weekday fill in spots. You're not Gordo, stop with all the characters and bits; you're not Ben and Skin, so stop with the rapid fire inside jokes that no one gets except you. What's so bad about being a credible sports voice who happens to "get it" and isn't afraid to-judiciously-show it when appropriate? Why must you guys sound like what I see when I watch my nephew play games on his XBOX? That is, a whirlwind of head-spinning, ADHD addled, vertigo-inducing, maelstrom of activity in the guise of entertainment.
I'd like to add to my post: I say these things because I think CdS has the potential to really go places, not because I'm trying to be a jerk or hypercritical. It's just that there's already enough of that type of programming on the station. Be different, fellas. You're great when you set yourselves apart from the pack. Be sportsy. The station could use an alternative option to Norm in that category. Sure Bob's all about it, but he must contend with Dan and at times Donny. You guys have such a golden opportunity here. Don't lose your sense of humor, but also don't let it steer the ship. Alright, I've vented enough. I said I was out, but I'm not. I'm a CdS fan, but I am on the fence...
I'm not as passionate or negative as Anonymous, but there is some valuable advice there. (By the way, Anon, I appreciated the second post that banked the fires a little bit.)
I also like CdS and believe that it has potential to "move up" the Ticket food chain. But I happened to be tuned in today and heard that interview with the cruise ship guy (quite interesting) and the chaos that followed. I've mentioned in the past that CdS gets pretty everyone-talking-at-once sometimes.
Both Mike and Cash are appealing personalities. But some Cirque segments can be a frustrating listen for the reasons Anonymous sets forth.
Hey, how about this? Get the best of both worlds on Saturdays: Orphanage and CdS do a wife-swap. The two gloomy comatose guys and the two happy coffee-achiever guys do a switch. Danny and Mike on the first two hours, Cash and Dave on hours three and four.
I just saw on Twitter where Grubes said there's been a delay and that it's coming down at noon. ap and dwpp I hope you boys are recording this... The entire team is on right now (11:36 a.m.), even George Dijon!
I'm in the general store, regretting that I'm missing the noon switchover. Pay up, load up, get in the Conestoga, fire up the Philco at maybe 12:10 or thereabouts and -- Yahoo Sports Radio comes out.
But after about a minute, YSR fades out, and fading in is the familiar voice of Gordon Keith, but speaking over a telephone line. He reported that Jeff Catlin had just informed the assembled celebrities that, uh, there would be no live broadcasting from The Ticket's new studios today. Some problem with the microphones not being hooked up or something.
What followed was five minutes or so of very funny improvised broadcasting, made funnier by the fact that it was taking place over a phone line that sounded like something Thomas Edison rejected.
Gordon reported that the only hosts who stuck around to deal with this mortifying situation were himself and Junior "Spank Spank" Miller. After noting that their fancy new equipment was reporting that The Ticket at that moment had 110 listeners, Gordon attempted to interview Junior, who, when he was audible at all (he was fading in and out), managed to sound as pathetic and defeated as it is possible for a human being to sound.
Pressing forward, Gordon took a couple of calls, with predictably catastrophic results. Finally giving up, he reported that he'd been ordered off the phone line because the troops were being summoned to a further gathering to schedule the next titanic fail.
========
One can easily imagine that a major switchover is going to have a glitch or two. But I have a question: Don't these beta switchover runs usually take place in the wee hours of the morning? Even if you want to make a big deal out of it during prime time, don't you do an unobtrusive dry run deep at night sometime in advance?
Anyway, I was glad to hear Gordon. I can picture the possibility that the CTO was going to let the FUBAR pass without notice when it became clear that the switchover wasn't going to work, just let is slide, but Gordon or someone says -- hey, we've been tweeting and emailing and that damned Plainsman is publicizing it and the word is out that the switchover is supposed to happen right around now and we've got P1's listening and nothing's happening, we've got to do something. And The Americas' Catman says, sure, fine, get on the air however you can and say something.
Yeah, sorry about that one... basically, there were still some technical issues that needed to be ironed out before we went on the air. As of now, though, the plan is to be on the air with the most gentle of musings from our new digs in the morning. Tune in for technical chaos and fun!
Poor Grubes is heading up to the new Mothership tonight (i.e. 2:00AM) to test stuff out. I'm rolling, just in case he decides to whip out the audio Ginsu's in the wee hours of the morning.
Knowing how sensitive the commenters are here (as well as the host), I'll put this in the strongest terms possible that won't get my comment yanked: Anonymous, you are wrong. CDS is brilliant, and their comedy is frequently golden.
Also, Plainsman, I hope you were kidding about The orphanage. It is consistently the funniest thing on The Ticket; even if you feel they don't blow the proper amount of sunshine up your skirt.
Anonymous, you have correctly perceived that I was kidding -- actually, just overstating for the sake of the gag.
Perhaps you are a newer Anonymous. This site is a frequent booster and vocal admirer of The Orphanage and its stars. See, e.g., http://myticketconfession.blogspot.com/2010/08/confessor-nation-i-respectfully-request.html
Last Anonymous: Seeing how sage, how brilliant your analysis on all things Ticket is (and by necessity, your related opinions), I, on behalf of all sensitive commenters, readily accept your unsubstantiated, purely subjective, but nevertheless wholly correct, claims. I mean, c'mon: "I'm right and you're wrong." And it's qualified with smarm! You can't argue against that! Again, brilliant stuff.
Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Anonymous/Cumulus Employee/Etc. Yeah, it's you again, Sir or Madam Troll.
I like Danny when he's on the Hardline. But I have to say that the Orphanage is one of the biggest mail ins I've ever heard. If listening to middle aged guys desperately cling on to their 20s is entertaining to you, good for you. I think the time could be put to better use.
CDS has potential but the first anonymous is right, it's too much. They need to calm down and eliminate the mass input of voice from whomever else is there with them. It's hard enough to follow along with just the Sirois brothers. The Orphanage is god awful. It's easily the worst program on the Ticket. It's often ridiculous or disgusting and pointless opinions about things no one I know wants to hear about it. But then again, this is part of what makes the Ticket so great. Two shows I'm not a fan of at all have many people who enjoy them. There's something for everyone out there on the Ticket. We all have shows and personalities we like and dislike and have strong opinions about. I know guys who can't stand the Musers and refuse to listen to them but listen to the Ticket the rest of the day. And I know guys who can't listen to the Ticket during the day but can't stand the Hardline. It's a great mix of personalities and with all the shows, I think there's a lot of love and a lot of hate out there from people about the various interactions and personalities they portray on the air.
Wow, I lose touch for a couple days and find you've posted a good 4000 words while I was away. I'll have to spend some time getting caught back up.
About CdS and The Orphanage: You have to accept that they are what they are. The Orphanage is specifically built to be a weekend time-killer and will never be more than that. It's The Bohemian Rant that won't die. Not that I want it to - it's hit-and-miss, but when it hits, it hits with a vengeance.
CdS basically ARE Ben & Skin before they went to The Fan. They're sportsy schtickmiesters that are happy to be where they are and are biding their time until their big chance comes along. They have good strong sports knowledge and love bits and coming up with funny/awkward new ways of saying things. I loved B&S when they were on the Little One, and while I'm not as big a fan of CdS, I do see how they have a ton of potential. I do agree with the 1st Anon that they need to focus a bit more and not weave all over the road quite as much, but I'm hoping that they'll develop that awareness before too long.
I hear you on the Orphanage, birq. But why can't the station find something that really wants to be there? I'm sow-rrry (a la Norm) but surely there's another program in the wings or in someone's noggin that could make better use of that time slot? I know Danny and Davey would deny the heck out of this, but the show comes off as an ego trip. Sure, Danny gets all the exposure in the world from his now pretty much being the third member of the Hardline to his place in the local music scene, but that doesn't mean what I'm saying isn't true. And Davey's history with the Ticket is less remembered with each year. This is all he has Ticket related. Now is what I say true? Who knows. Probably in some ways yes, in many ways no. But it sure comes off as such. Whatever it is, the show has run its course. The thing is stale and boring. Get something new in there, Ticket. Heck, I'll bet Danny could use the regular Saturday sleep. And same goes with Davey who has a small child. If you want your two hours of pure yuks and scatology, you could do a lot worse than It's Just Banter. Give those guys the time slot. Give them a shot. Churn the bottom of the roster, CTOs. It works for the Pats, it can work for you. But if you're not going to, then at least inject some get up and go into the hosts. And for the record, Danny kicks major butt on the Hardline. He's become the best thing about that show. Davey was great on the Rant and during his Ticker disaster heyday. And I'm sure he's a great guy. But like the Little River Band song says, 'time for a cool change.'
I don't agree that The Orphange is two middle aged men desperately hanging on to their 20s. What, are you supposed to stop being passionate about music or quit paying attention to and enjoying pop culture at a certain age? Are you supposed to only find British humor or the Marx Brothers funny when you hit 40? That makes no sense. When you get older, you hopefully get wiser, but you don't all of the sudden become a different person. You are what you are. And Danny and Davey are alright in my book. As to giving another show a shot and The Orphange getting stale goes, there might be something to that. I say "might be." Maybe it is time to turn the page on that front. I think the suggestion of It's Just Banter is a good one. Having said that, I think Danny and Davey have earned the right to stay where they are for as long as they want.
If I can make a diversion, what are we all to make of the fact that the powers that be (those above Cattt) made the decision to move the streaming equipment right before Gordo's 8:40 bit? The stream lay dormant all afternoon, and returned to life just before WTDS. Apparently, moving the equipment on a Sunday was not deemed "critical"; only "important."
Fortunately, DP lives in the broadcast area and was able to post a low-fi version of the 8:40bit as well as the corner on theunticket. In the latter, Cattt and Gordo discussed (in a very passive-aggressive fashion) the importance of the stream to help supplement the crappy AM signal. It's the first time I've ever heard them discuss that directly on the air.
Also, two new technological advances that are worth noting: - Hosts apparently have a real-time system that allows them to count the number of people listening online via the stream - Hosts also have call display now, so callers may act differently knowing they are no longer anonymous (or they'll have the caller ID blocked for the usual nominal fee).
"Technical difficulties" is perhaps the understatement of this year so far. Jer, Grubes and Jake were GD pros for the way they fought through all of the crap that came up today...And, of course, with the stream going down, they were probably also deluged by angry twitter comments from the likes of me (sorry about that). Sure, the hosts had to deal with the inconvenience, but those guys had to actually *do* something about it.
From what I was able to gather, they fought through overly-hot mikes (especially the producer microphone), a completely empty cupboard of drops and production music, a Dan McDowell that was badly in need of some Midol, an entirely new system for screening callers, a CD player that sounded like it was inside of a paint shaker, a freaking jackhammer outside of the hallways, constant hammering of the tile floor above the production room, and engineers working on fixing equipment during live segments. And Grubes had to do it without even wearing a shirt!
I can only imagine what it must have taken to put together the broadcast today, and P1's really appreciate the effort. Hope the new battlestation becomes fully-operational soon.
It's official, I'm out on CdS. They do an excellent, professional, and respectful of the situation interview with a survivor of that doomed Italian cruise liner...only to follow it with some horrible early Ben and Skin kind of "character study" of some guido, moron NFL prognosticator. I can't take the Jekyll and Hyde dance any longer. ATTN CdS: You guys are good at sports; your sports opinions are worth listening to; but PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S GOOD IN THIS WORLD STOP WITH THE CONSTANT "FUNNY"!!!!! It's not your strength, by a long shot. At least not on-air. That's not to say that you can't be humorous from time to time, or that you shouldn't try to inject levity or even an attempt at humor every now and again. But I am saying that you boys need to end the constant barrage of b.s. that will no doubt keep your show forever a weekend product. And I know that's not the goal here; if it was, then you guys wouldn't do weekday fill in spots. You're not Gordo, stop with all the characters and bits; you're not Ben and Skin, so stop with the rapid fire inside jokes that no one gets except you. What's so bad about being a credible sports voice who happens to "get it" and isn't afraid to-judiciously-show it when appropriate? Why must you guys sound like what I see when I watch my nephew play games on his XBOX? That is, a whirlwind of head-spinning, ADHD addled, vertigo-inducing, maelstrom of activity in the guise of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to add to my post: I say these things because I think CdS has the potential to really go places, not because I'm trying to be a jerk or hypercritical. It's just that there's already enough of that type of programming on the station. Be different, fellas. You're great when you set yourselves apart from the pack. Be sportsy. The station could use an alternative option to Norm in that category. Sure Bob's all about it, but he must contend with Dan and at times Donny. You guys have such a golden opportunity here. Don't lose your sense of humor, but also don't let it steer the ship. Alright, I've vented enough. I said I was out, but I'm not. I'm a CdS fan, but I am on the fence...
ReplyDeleteI'm not as passionate or negative as Anonymous, but there is some valuable advice there. (By the way, Anon, I appreciated the second post that banked the fires a little bit.)
ReplyDeleteI also like CdS and believe that it has potential to "move up" the Ticket food chain. But I happened to be tuned in today and heard that interview with the cruise ship guy (quite interesting) and the chaos that followed. I've mentioned in the past that CdS gets pretty everyone-talking-at-once sometimes.
Both Mike and Cash are appealing personalities. But some Cirque segments can be a frustrating listen for the reasons Anonymous sets forth.
Hey, how about this? Get the best of both worlds on Saturdays: Orphanage and CdS do a wife-swap. The two gloomy comatose guys and the two happy coffee-achiever guys do a switch. Danny and Mike on the first two hours, Cash and Dave on hours three and four.
Call it The Endorphinage.
Well, 11:00 a.m. has come and gone and we're still on the Yahoo Sports feed. I guess whatever Grubes had planned is not to be. Too bad.
ReplyDeleteI just saw on Twitter where Grubes said there's been a delay and that it's coming down at noon. ap and dwpp I hope you boys are recording this... The entire team is on right now (11:36 a.m.), even George Dijon!
ReplyDeleteColossal, stupefying, fail.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the general store, regretting that I'm missing the noon switchover. Pay up, load up, get in the Conestoga, fire up the Philco at maybe 12:10 or thereabouts and -- Yahoo Sports Radio comes out.
But after about a minute, YSR fades out, and fading in is the familiar voice of Gordon Keith, but speaking over a telephone line. He reported that Jeff Catlin had just informed the assembled celebrities that, uh, there would be no live broadcasting from The Ticket's new studios today. Some problem with the microphones not being hooked up or something.
What followed was five minutes or so of very funny improvised broadcasting, made funnier by the fact that it was taking place over a phone line that sounded like something Thomas Edison rejected.
Gordon reported that the only hosts who stuck around to deal with this mortifying situation were himself and Junior "Spank Spank" Miller. After noting that their fancy new equipment was reporting that The Ticket at that moment had 110 listeners, Gordon attempted to interview Junior, who, when he was audible at all (he was fading in and out), managed to sound as pathetic and defeated as it is possible for a human being to sound.
Pressing forward, Gordon took a couple of calls, with predictably catastrophic results. Finally giving up, he reported that he'd been ordered off the phone line because the troops were being summoned to a further gathering to schedule the next titanic fail.
========
One can easily imagine that a major switchover is going to have a glitch or two. But I have a question: Don't these beta switchover runs usually take place in the wee hours of the morning? Even if you want to make a big deal out of it during prime time, don't you do an unobtrusive dry run deep at night sometime in advance?
Anyway, I was glad to hear Gordon. I can picture the possibility that the CTO was going to let the FUBAR pass without notice when it became clear that the switchover wasn't going to work, just let is slide, but Gordon or someone says -- hey, we've been tweeting and emailing and that damned Plainsman is publicizing it and the word is out that the switchover is supposed to happen right around now and we've got P1's listening and nothing's happening, we've got to do something. And The Americas' Catman says, sure, fine, get on the air however you can and say something.
So although it was a memorable fail, it was fun.
Yeah, sorry about that one... basically, there were still some technical issues that needed to be ironed out before we went on the air. As of now, though, the plan is to be on the air with the most gentle of musings from our new digs in the morning. Tune in for technical chaos and fun!
ReplyDeleteI will be up at 5:15 as usual and awaiting crystal clear musings, which I expect will be gentle, assuming they can be heard.
ReplyDeleteIf "Jer" is the great Jeremy Moran...well what a treat it is so see you gracing these comboxes! Keep up the genius, my man!
ReplyDeletePoor Grubes is heading up to the new Mothership tonight (i.e. 2:00AM) to test stuff out. I'm rolling, just in case he decides to whip out the audio Ginsu's in the wee hours of the morning.
ReplyDeleteAtta boy, ap.
ReplyDeleteKnowing how sensitive the commenters are here (as well as the host), I'll put this in the strongest terms possible that won't get my comment yanked:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, you are wrong. CDS is brilliant, and their comedy is frequently golden.
Also, Plainsman, I hope you were kidding about The orphanage. It is consistently the funniest thing on The Ticket; even if you feel they don't blow the proper amount of sunshine up your skirt.
Anonymous, you have correctly perceived that I was kidding -- actually, just overstating for the sake of the gag.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you are a newer Anonymous. This site is a frequent booster and vocal admirer of The Orphanage and its stars. See, e.g., http://myticketconfession.blogspot.com/2010/08/confessor-nation-i-respectfully-request.html
Last Anonymous: Seeing how sage, how brilliant your analysis on all things Ticket is (and by necessity, your related opinions), I, on behalf of all sensitive commenters, readily accept your unsubstantiated, purely subjective, but nevertheless wholly correct, claims. I mean, c'mon: "I'm right and you're wrong." And it's qualified with smarm! You can't argue against that! Again, brilliant stuff.
ReplyDeleteThank you for gracing us with your presence, Anonymous/Cumulus Employee/Etc. Yeah, it's you again, Sir or Madam Troll.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI like Danny when he's on the Hardline. But I have to say that the Orphanage is one of the biggest mail ins I've ever heard. If listening to middle aged guys desperately cling on to their 20s is entertaining to you, good for you. I think the time could be put to better use.
CDS has potential but the first anonymous is right, it's too much. They need to calm down and eliminate the mass input of voice from whomever else is there with them. It's hard enough to follow along with just the Sirois brothers.
ReplyDeleteThe Orphanage is god awful. It's easily the worst program on the Ticket. It's often ridiculous or disgusting and pointless opinions about things no one I know wants to hear about it.
But then again, this is part of what makes the Ticket so great. Two shows I'm not a fan of at all have many people who enjoy them. There's something for everyone out there on the Ticket. We all have shows and personalities we like and dislike and have strong opinions about. I know guys who can't stand the Musers and refuse to listen to them but listen to the Ticket the rest of the day. And I know guys who can't listen to the Ticket during the day but can't stand the Hardline. It's a great mix of personalities and with all the shows, I think there's a lot of love and a lot of hate out there from people about the various interactions and personalities they portray on the air.
Wow, I lose touch for a couple days and find you've posted a good 4000 words while I was away. I'll have to spend some time getting caught back up.
ReplyDeleteAbout CdS and The Orphanage: You have to accept that they are what they are. The Orphanage is specifically built to be a weekend time-killer and will never be more than that. It's The Bohemian Rant that won't die. Not that I want it to - it's hit-and-miss, but when it hits, it hits with a vengeance.
CdS basically ARE Ben & Skin before they went to The Fan. They're sportsy schtickmiesters that are happy to be where they are and are biding their time until their big chance comes along. They have good strong sports knowledge and love bits and coming up with funny/awkward new ways of saying things. I loved B&S when they were on the Little One, and while I'm not as big a fan of CdS, I do see how they have a ton of potential. I do agree with the 1st Anon that they need to focus a bit more and not weave all over the road quite as much, but I'm hoping that they'll develop that awareness before too long.
I hear you on the Orphanage, birq. But why can't the station find something that really wants to be there? I'm sow-rrry (a la Norm) but surely there's another program in the wings or in someone's noggin that could make better use of that time slot? I know Danny and Davey would deny the heck out of this, but the show comes off as an ego trip. Sure, Danny gets all the exposure in the world from his now pretty much being the third member of the Hardline to his place in the local music scene, but that doesn't mean what I'm saying isn't true. And Davey's history with the Ticket is less remembered with each year. This is all he has Ticket related. Now is what I say true? Who knows. Probably in some ways yes, in many ways no. But it sure comes off as such. Whatever it is, the show has run its course. The thing is stale and boring. Get something new in there, Ticket. Heck, I'll bet Danny could use the regular Saturday sleep. And same goes with Davey who has a small child. If you want your two hours of pure yuks and scatology, you could do a lot worse than It's Just Banter. Give those guys the time slot. Give them a shot. Churn the bottom of the roster, CTOs. It works for the Pats, it can work for you. But if you're not going to, then at least inject some get up and go into the hosts. And for the record, Danny kicks major butt on the Hardline. He's become the best thing about that show. Davey was great on the Rant and during his Ticker disaster heyday. And I'm sure he's a great guy. But like the Little River Band song says, 'time for a cool change.'
ReplyDelete11:23am and 3:51pm Anonymi (is that right?):
ReplyDeleteI don't agree that The Orphange is two middle aged men desperately hanging on to their 20s. What, are you supposed to stop being passionate about music or quit paying attention to and enjoying pop culture at a certain age? Are you supposed to only find British humor or the Marx Brothers funny when you hit 40? That makes no sense. When you get older, you hopefully get wiser, but you don't all of the sudden become a different person. You are what you are. And Danny and Davey are alright in my book. As to giving another show a shot and The Orphange getting stale goes, there might be something to that. I say "might be." Maybe it is time to turn the page on that front. I think the suggestion of It's Just Banter is a good one. Having said that, I think Danny and Davey have earned the right to stay where they are for as long as they want.
If I can make a diversion, what are we all to make of the fact that the powers that be (those above Cattt) made the decision to move the streaming equipment right before Gordo's 8:40 bit? The stream lay dormant all afternoon, and returned to life just before WTDS. Apparently, moving the equipment on a Sunday was not deemed "critical"; only "important."
ReplyDeleteFortunately, DP lives in the broadcast area and was able to post a low-fi version of the 8:40bit as well as the corner on theunticket. In the latter, Cattt and Gordo discussed (in a very passive-aggressive fashion) the importance of the stream to help supplement the crappy AM signal. It's the first time I've ever heard them discuss that directly on the air.
Also, two new technological advances that are worth noting:
- Hosts apparently have a real-time system that allows them to count the number of people listening online via the stream
- Hosts also have call display now, so callers may act differently knowing they are no longer anonymous (or they'll have the caller ID blocked for the usual nominal fee).
I'm trying to listen to the Top 10 since I missed a bunch of stuff when the stream was down, but I've heard 20 straight minutes of commercials...
ReplyDeleteOops...as I type this Jake came on and said there were technical difficulties and he threw on network content.
"Technical difficulties" is perhaps the understatement of this year so far. Jer, Grubes and Jake were GD pros for the way they fought through all of the crap that came up today...And, of course, with the stream going down, they were probably also deluged by angry twitter comments from the likes of me (sorry about that). Sure, the hosts had to deal with the inconvenience, but those guys had to actually *do* something about it.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I was able to gather, they fought through overly-hot mikes (especially the producer microphone), a completely empty cupboard of drops and production music, a Dan McDowell that was badly in need of some Midol, an entirely new system for screening callers, a CD player that sounded like it was inside of a paint shaker, a freaking jackhammer outside of the hallways, constant hammering of the tile floor above the production room, and engineers working on fixing equipment during live segments. And Grubes had to do it without even wearing a shirt!
I can only imagine what it must have taken to put together the broadcast today, and P1's really appreciate the effort. Hope the new battlestation becomes fully-operational soon.