Thursday, October 16, 2014

BREAKING / EXCLUSIVE: The New World Catman Confesses


Well  .  .  .  it's not a Ticket Confession, exactly.

Jeff "Cat" Catlin ("The Catman of the Americas," as Mike R calls him), Ticket Program Director, flew by the site the other day.  He doesn't do that frequently, he says, but perhaps it's like binge watching a TV series.  He takes some time and browses the site a time or two a year.  And, if the spirit moves him, he might drop me a line with some impressions, corrections, and occasionally a nugget.

He did that a couple of days ago.  I asked him if I could post his thoughts, and he was kind enough to agree.  Bear in mind that this is not a planned essay of the exquisite construction you have come to expect at My Ticket Confession -- it's just an email that he has graciously allowed this site to reproduce.  It appears between the asterisks without editing.  So don't look for a distinctive beginning, middle, and end.

I'll have a brief note after his remarks.

*      *     *

First I think its nice and even charming and I LOVE p1s for having the attitude that The Ticket somehow operates outside the normal rules of a business. Wish it did, but it doesn’t.  We have to follow EEOC, Hippa Laws etc and all the rest. Long gone in radio and on the Ticket are the days where “one employee can get another employee blown out because they don’t like them”.  In radio wholesale format changes and blowouts went by the boards in 1996 when the telecommunications act was passed. But I digress.

Point being, employees are let go because of actual real performance issues. It has nothing to do with anything else. And certainly it’s not on a whim because, for example,  the Musers decide they didn’t like someone.

Side comment as it relates to Sean moving, TC on BaD,  etc. (See comment above about EEOC) the Hosts aren’t in management. They don’t hire or fire anyone. It sounds fun and all on the radio but its just not true. I hire these guys with corp approval. Now do I ask the shows for opinions? Of course I do. THEY Have to work in the studio with these guys every day. I don’t.  But the decisions I make, I make for the good of the station, the good of the show and how all the other pieces fit together and based on normal employee evals or interviews. Not everyone likes every decision and I can live with that. I don’t love every content segment every show does, but I respect the ability of the guys to make those choices, and I like to think they in turn show that same respect to me when I make a decision they disagree with, but still support.

And a word on the subjective "like vs dislike" —I get it, its radio, they are on air personalities….TC left here in the proper way. At least to me, he gave notice, he was trying to better himself in his career and all that…And he got blown out in Pensacola and I did what I thought any human being would do. He called me, and I extended a hand—I didn’t give him his old job back, I didn’t offer charity. I told him what I had available and how it would work and then he had to decide himself if wanted to start from the bottom now he’s here.  He did. I give anyone credit for that.  I also recognize that he HAS gotten better,  because he has.  And all of us in life have had situations that have helped us grow and change. Kudos to those that actually do. He got the ticker job because he was most ready for it right now and his tickers were consistently the best of the group that applied. (PS-some of the other guys that applied will be heard on weekends PT)

Sean moved to AM Drive because (see above again) It was best for the station, best for the show and best for all the other pieces. And he’s still planning on doing Dtalk next season.  He was happy and excited to do it..and no I didn’t really give him a choice. But he saw the writing on the wall when I asked him to start getting his head right with it. But he knew it was the best move as well. Everyone up here, to a man, is a team player. When it comes down to it, everyone wants to do whats best for The Ticket first.

Justin IS good at tickers and he’s growing. He is on the proper career path here and he will get more opportunities to grow. But at this time for this spot, TC was the choice.  (BTW BaD Radio nor Jake hard sold me on adding or not adding TC to the show. In fact they told me when I asked, that they were cool with any move I ended up making including keeping Sean 10a-3pm) J.

Newbury’s role at the station I think has actually increased with his presence on Cowboys Countdown to Kickoff.
Jake is doing a fine job as BaD Radio Producer….and all of the guys, All of us,  LIKE Tom. For real. He still works here.

The Shake Joint has the highest ratings of any weekend show on the ticket and that is pretty consistently true and its usually a pretty significant margin.

*      *     *

I would ask that Confessors bear in mind that Cat's doing us a nice turn here and that criticism or disagreement be expressed in your inside voice and like your mother is at your elbow.

He mentioned that he likes the illustrations.

Thanks, Cat

My thanks to the Western Hemispherical Catman.

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com
@Plainsman1310




66 comments:

  1. Thanks, Cat, for your candor. As much as I dislike TC, I agree he has improved. I also agree and appreciate how he decided to leave the right way. Those that do should be offered the same decency of reciprocation. I just wish I didn't hate him so much.

    Now... when are we going to spend some money and get some regular Welpton air time?

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  2. Corby: Tony, what's it like being the best quarterback ever?

    Tony Romo: something generic

    Corby: that's awesome dude. hey, man, is it weird being so great all the time?

    Tony: something generic + football

    Corby: so dude, what's it like probably being the best father on the planet?

    Me: vomit

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  3. So, did I read that right and see that Tom (Gribble?) still works there? Thought he was at ESPN?

    Pretty cool to get a full email like that from Cat though.

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  4. Fn a. MTC is the tits. So cool that Cat cruises by and drops science. Totally rippin' and laydeez not be trippin' and things and stuff. Keep it coming up Pman.

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  5. Totally agree. That was awesome. Thank you Cat, thank you Plainsman. T4 -- cumulus has been in charge of running the local ESPN radio station for about a year now. So yes Tom "still works there"

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  6. Appreciate the Catman's remarks.

    and . . .

    nice pussy.

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  7. • Cat = good dude

    • T.C. May have "gotten better" at tickers, but going from an F to a D- is still technically better.

    • T.C. may have "left the right way" in management's official eyes, but that's never been the issue; it's the shots he took at everyone on his way out (via Reddit, podcast, etc.)

    • Sean = good dude

    • Sad that TSJ does better than Orphanage or CDS (the best shows on The Ticket)

    • T.C. sucks

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  8. After two ticker fart-and-fall-down moments yesterday, do we still think TC has "gotten better?" Why is the bar so low for this hack?

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  9. @9:25 and @9:27,

    I think one fo the things to consider, regarading the mysterious promotion of T.C. Flameout, is that the Ticker job involves more than just writing and/or reading the ticker. As BAD Radio touched on yesterday, there is also an element of attending games and getting audio. T.C. may not be good at his job, but he is blissfully ignorant of this fact, and he has no trouble walking into a locker room and interviewing players. Justin M. may simply not be ready for that responsibility.

    -Not Blue, Not Green, NOT Purple

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  10. TC won the e-brake this morn so I think the haters are very few in the grand scheme.

    Cool that Cat provided some insight. I call BS on only one thing: homey cruises by here WAY more than once or twice a year. It's one of the few venues he can get instant feedback on his team. True, most of us are knuckleheads and I'm sure he doesn't make decisions based solely on MTC chatter but it goes into overall mix. Of that, I have no doubt.

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  11. That was really cool of Cat to share this info. Glad to hear to he pays some attention to this site as it does have a decent amount of P1 feedback when you get past the constant bitching like the 2nd post complaining about a great Tony Romo appearance yesterday.

    As someone who bitched about T.C. getting the Ticker job over Justin I appreciate Cat going into some detail about why that decision was made. Also, I'll give credit to T.C. for being pretty solid so far. At least some of his mistakes lead to E-brakes and pretty funny moments like another new sound this week.

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  12. Tomorrow's Orphanage = Rant Reunion. Davey, Corby, and Gordon.

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  13. I highly and aggressively agree with what gunther said. Catman definitely reads MTC more than he lets on. And why wouldn't he? It's a great place for him to look "beyond the ratings" books and see and hear what the P1 really think.

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  14. For reals Shaggy? I'm all over it...used to get up early on Saturdays because of The Devil's own.

    Catman is a good m'fer for popping on, and y'all might as well get over the TC hate..he isn't going anywhere, everyone has a dorky friend...and if you don't, look in the mirror.

    In closing, keep effing that chicken P-man..we are appreciative of your efforts.

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  15. @8:03,

    Thank GOD I decided not to turn on the stream for my normal E-News appointment when I found out that TRomo was calling in to THL at that time yesterday.

    I expected some high-order butt kissing to take place, and it sounds like that's what happened.

    Yuck.

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  16. @1047
    Yes, Tom still works there. ESPN and the TIcket are the same family now. Right across the hall. As much as the hosts make it sound like they are all enemies with the other stations, it's not like that. The company si the company and different station's have common employees. They all go to the same meetings, water coolers, etc.

    Let me say that I'm REALLY glad Cat came here and did this. Totally speaks to the flames i've been throwing for years on here, that the majority of confessors ideas of what happen behind the scenes are FAR OFF.

    Alas, Cat has the balls to use his name and thus present his credentials. I do have such credentials, but no such balls.
    -Not Spittle, Not Dawson, Not Richie

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  17. Anonymous Shaggy said...

    Tomorrow's Orphanage = Rant Reunion. Davey, Corby, and Gordon.


    Best news I've heard in months. I'm going to set my alarm on a Saturday for once.

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  18. @gunther How is TC winning a contest of who effs up the worst some kind of proof that he isn't hated. Sometimes things you say don't make any sense. Dan was right about you.

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  19. @126

    Please go away.

    -Not Vassar, Not Radcliffe, Not Bryn Mawr

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  20. Anyone got a link to a pic of the new traffic girl, Cristina Rae (sp?)

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  21. She's not new, she's been around a while.

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  22. He still hasn't climbed out of the hole he dug for himself with the train wreck Sunday show featuring female functioning illiterates.

    I'm still expecting the video of whatever he got in exchange to be leaked by Jana Weckerly some day because it was certainly not a business decision.

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  23. Really insightful and glad he did this. I'm ok with everything except TC being back. Yes, he's gotten better, but as someone else pointed out, he couldn't have possibly gotten worse. He constantly makes mistakes, isn't interesting in the least, has an awfully annoying voice, and the list could go on and on.

    I've tuned out mid days now and I know others who have as well. I feel like Cat and the sponsors should know that. If it was just tickers, maybe people could handle it but not when his mic is allowed on during segments.

    Really hope they get the compound or campout back up and running, so much greatness and perfect to listen to on long road trips.

    In closing, keep doin whatchu do playboy...

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  24. Not Spittle and crap: Your inside scoop on Tom is not inside at all. Bob and Dan said the very same thing the day he left and Jake climbed aboard. The fact that Cumulus/Ticket is overseeing to some extent 103.3 is also publicly known. Been for a long while now. So just stop it, ya ding a ling. No one buys what you sell.

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  25. For someone who is supposedly so loathsome, so inept that he has "forced" self-identifying long-time listeners to turn away, T.C. sure seems to, much like Jerry Jones, garner a lot of attention. Sustained "bad" attention that isn't criminal (and that depends on the crime; as all crimes related to marijuana these days appear to be a badge of honor) isn't really bad attention. Quite the opposite in most cases. It means you're relevant, you're topical, you're on the, in this case, P1's mind. Perhaps the lad is doing something right after all? And perhaps Cat knows what he's doing?

    -Not Primo Conti, Not Enrico Pampolini, Not Gino Severini

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  26. Sustained "bad" attention that isn't criminal ... isn't really bad attention. Quite the opposite in most cases. It means you're relevant, you're topical, you're on the, in this case, P1's mind.

    Are you mental? Pissing off the listener is not a good thing. It does not inspire the listener to "lock it in." It makes the listener turn off, which means the commercials (the lifeblood of a station) are not heard.

    You're making a terrible argument along the lines of "any publicity is good publicity," but that's simply not the case for radio. Radio works by keeping the listener from changing the station for another frequency (or a CD, podcast, etc.). The Ticket is excellent at this NORMALLY. But TC is driving people to tune out. There is no way to spin this as a good thing.

    You're right that Fah Fuh Fu is certainly topical and on the P1's mind, but not in a good way. He's The Station Cancer.

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  27. Oh sweet, sad, pathetic, lonely, 1:46 AM. Perhaps your moniker ought to be "Last Call."

    The Ticket is dying. A month ago, it was flying higher than ever. But in a scant few weeks, since the hiring of one T.C. to do the mid-morning and mid-day Tickers…well, pal, it's all over now. Everyone's abounding ship. The P1s, the P2s and 3s; hell, I have it on good authority (from the same unimpeachable source that Not Spittle, Not Dawson, Not Richie uses) that BaD and Norm are about to quit because of Cat's gross negligence.

    All that and a bag of chips -- as Chris Arnold used to say when Corby was padusa dis show.

    Have a nice night, Last Call. And keep lookin' up, cuz that's where it all is. Now go get your shine box,

    -Not Sa Ga Yeath Qua Pieth Tow, Not Ho Nee Yeath Taw No Row , Not Tee Yee Ho Ga Row

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  28. Seriously. Chuck is fine. not great, but certainly not worth getting all worked up over. His impact on the station overall is minimal

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  29. @Bart Reager,

    I think it's pretty much common knowledge that the e-brake is actually a popularity contest. Jub leads and he's arguably the most popular host. If he's up for one, he typically wins it, even if oftentimes it's not as funny or as much of a train wreck as others against him.

    I listened yesterday and in my view the voters for TC, albeit only 5, were voting out of love for him, not out of malice. I'm no fan myself but yeah, I made an assumption based on that vote among other things I've heard and read, that TC haters are in the minority, notwithstanding what buckethead Dan thinks of me.

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  30. A couple of you are flirting seriously with tone violations. I haven't deleted anyone yet, but close.

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  31. 953 makes a point about T.C. that I've made in the past and I think deserves repetition. (Talking about going to get tape in the locker room.)

    Whether you find his presentations worthwhile or not, there is something admirable, if not likable, about the guy. 953 uncharitably puts it as T.C. being "blissfully ignorant" that he's not good at his job, but I think that mischaracterizes what's going on. T.C. has succeeded to the extent he has because he is possessed of a certain fearlessness that enables him to present himself for nad-kicking and rejection with the thought that somewhere along the line, if he can just stand to hang in there, he's going to get his foot in the door, and then a little further, and then, whaddya know, he's on the radio.

    He stumbles, he insults, he annoys, he miscalculates his audio allure, and he's far from my favorite, but the guy gets in there and takes a swing at it. Doesn't mean he's successful or good -- it just means that he's got some character traits that some of us could probably copy with profit.

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  32. Greatness just broke out on The Orphanage - Gordo and Rhynes on with Danny and Dave riffing over Mike's resurgence in the living life to the fullest department. Good stuff. They are all on location at Dogtoberfest in Ft Worth

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  33. Greatness just broke out on The Orphanage - Gordo and Rhynes on with Danny and Dave riffing over Mike's resurgence in the living life to the fullest department. Good stuff. They are all on location at Dogtoberfest in Ft Worth

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  34. Dang!!!! I missed that!!!!! I hope the Unticket has it available soon.

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  35. Davey seems to be talking about going out more like his bachelor days. Did he get divorced? None of my business of course, just curious. The rant reunion was glorious.

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  36. It's a pretty common thing for a once and longtime 4-7 nights per week hit the bar kinda guy to at least in some capacity take up his old habit once the kiddo/s gets to the age of going to bed early and staying there. The magic will quickly wear off for him. The rekindling of that old saucy romance will snuff itself out in short order. He'll realize he didn't miss much if anything. And from that point on the bar will be a every now and again deal.

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  37. Oh man, poor Davy. That sucks.

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  38. I think the e-brake voting will generally go to whichever nomination lends itself to an hilarious bit by the caller. That's one reason George or Mike almost always win when they are nominated.

    If it were up to me, e-brake nominations would be limited Ticket shows. Politics and national TV or radio broadcasts should be disallowed.





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  39. The was no negativity intended in my post. I assumed Bart Reagor was kidding around because someone earlier pretended to be Dan and "called me out", but I took that also, as a joke. So, I was responding in kind. Guess I should have added a ;-) as sometimes tone can be misinterpreted but I truly was just messin around, no vitriol intended whatsoever.

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  40. Fire TC, and Cat won't have to explain/try and justify any of this.

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  41. Get off the sick, Cat!

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  42. Back at ya @P1 Dan. Wait, lemme add this ;-).

    Pretty cool trip the Musers have planned, count me envious.

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  43. That's exactly when I intended, gunther. I hate emoticons (I'm a man! I'm 40!), but that might've been a good place for one.

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  44. Since we're so fond of TC through the last two posts-

    Corby: "Do you think he's been trying to get in shape for his wedding?"
    Ty: "In _a_ shape."

    Hilarity ensues.

    Corby: "Um, I'm gonna go for...pear."
    L4G: "I think I might try...pumpkin."

    Wow.

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  45. Sorry if this was discussed elsewhere, but what happened to traffic chick Becca?

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  46. TC spared her to death.

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  47. I would like a link to pic to the new traffic chick, Christina Rae (sp). Someone commented on my earlier post that she had been around awhile.

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  48. I'm ready for the "gun show pricing" ad to end its run.


    Not a robot

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  49. ETP1--

    I fear that you will foul yourself to the picture if I post it.

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  50. Here you go ETP1

    https://twitter.com/kbyford

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  51. "FIRE HIM! FIRE HIM! FIRE HIM" - Norm on TC

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  52. Is George admitting to loving norms colon in those storage ads?

    Ps, TC still sucks

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  53. I'm a big fan of The Catman of the Americas but, I can't believe that a guy as smart as him honestly believes that TC is getting better because he's not. He's terrible. He has his boyfriend Jake don't make the station better. I no longer listen to 12-3 due to their involvement in BADD Radio. They are terrible. As for The Shake Joint having high ratings....what the hell are they going against? Nothing. I'm a fan of Sean Bass but again, Jake is radio anthrax. He's not funny. He reads stats and throws out the contrary opinion simply to show he's cooler and smarter than everyone else in sport media....see Tyson Chandler.

    Love The Ticket. Love The Musers and The Hardline but, giving guys like TC and Jake more airtime will be the downfall of my favorite radio station.

    Curve it.

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  54. The recap of Corby's horrible Romo interview was brilliant. Corby & Romo are now buddies so you can't expect Corby to be objective. Not that he ever was.

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  55. @Mushmouth

    What other weekend show doesn't get bumped every week? TSJ might be the highest rated but they are also the only ones that are on all the time without interruption.

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  56. Train Station and Tee Box are on every week.

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  57. Train Station and Tee Box pay for their time. They can't be bumped.

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  58. Bart Reagor said...
    Train Station and Tee Box pay for their time. They can't be bumped.

    Well...ANYTHING can be bumped...it's just that it takes a lot to bump Paid Programming...like replacing the dollars directly with something else...usually not pXp for ratings.
    -Not Spittle, Not Dawson, Not Richie

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  59. Sebastian SenstanensonOctober 22, 2014 at 5:17 PM

    Where's Becca? I miss her adorable voice and her bottom.

    Christina Rey sounds cute but, I sense a little yack tongue. Keep an eye on that...

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  60. Listening to Corby talk about Romo is like listening to George W & Dick Cheney talk about Iraq....no credibility

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  61. The point was that The Shake Joint is not the only show that is on all the time without interruption. Whether they pay for their time is irrelevant as far as comparing ratings goes.

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  62. What was your point anyway, Shaggy?

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  63. @Sebastian, she got really sick right around the time the EBOLA outbreak started and she's been in and out ever since then.

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  64. No longer a listener for Norm and BAD. TC is that terrible.

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