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Although Im a voiceover artist, I remain in radio. not because of the great pay, recognition, fame and fortune, but for the same reason I entered the business 31 years ago I happen to love what I do.

While radio was my full-time career for all but the last of those 31 years, I now do weekends only. The pay stinks, there are no benefits and I do not get to do what I love doing more than anything else in the whole world! Rubbing elbows with my listeners. Meeting our listeners via remote broadcasts, personal appearances, meet & greets, etc. but, there is one thing that seems to remain constant. radio listeners (and Im talking about terrestrial radio here) remain loyal to disc jockeys and formats to which theyre accustomed, despite the fact that disc jockeys are no longer required to be licensed by the FCC, that radio formats, because of consolidation, now seem to supply only cookie-cutter formats. Dont believe me? next time youre on vacation anywhere else in the country, turn on the radio and tell me what you hear. It will be that same list of about 250-400 songs rotated over and over again.

Think about this! commercial radio today can be likened to managed health care the difference being, radio is still free. Enter satellite radio. The predictions I made about this form of our medium several years ago are now coming to fruition. one of those predictions was that people are not going to pay for a radio subscription merely because their listening choices are endless. You may provide the format, but is there any substance? Subscriptions have not met expectations and as a result, the two satellite radio services are merging (sound familiar?).

Also, I found it unconscionable that those very services had to use commercial radio and TV to advertise their commercial-free services. plus, the fact that commercial-free is a misnomer. they just arent presented in same way as they are in terrestrial radio.

Some have argued that the same thing happened with the advent of cable television all those years ago. Many complained and protested that they would never pay for television they could watch for free. Boy, that sure didnt work out to be so, did it?

but until commercial-free radio realizes that they cant merely provide the same programming as terrestrial radio sans commercials, theyre not gonna grow, let alone succeed. The business model hasnt been completely thought through in my opinion. Oh, they figured theyd offer free subscriptions for a year through auto dealers. The idea seemed good enough. but, what they didnt take into account was that after a year of free satellite radio, those subscribers discovered that what was being offered isnt worth $12 a month ($144 a year) to listen. The marketing plan seems backwards to me. As a result, those over-bloated subscriber numbers seemed to melt away after their free year was up. Oops!

I just purchased a creative Zen 60 GB vision W media player. Im in the process of loading it up with what I want to hear.

So what are you listening to?

Doc Phillips has been providing voice work in one way or another for 30 years. He is also an internet entrepreneur who hosts and manages several sites. He built, maintains and "markets" his website, http://www.docphillips.com

Day after day organizations face problems for which they desire effective solutions. An important consideration is how to differentiate between problems for which root cause analysis is justifiable and those for which it is not. Applying resources to such an effort should be made based on considerations such as frequency, impact and risk.

Root cause analysis is the process of first drilling down from the symptoms of a problem to the physical cause, then from physical cause to root cause. Root causes are errors in the design or implementation of formal organizational processes which if corrected will provide a high level of assurance that the same problem will not recur.

So why not do root cause analysis on every problem? Because no organization has unlimited human and financial resources, yet investigations into problems require the allocation of both. Organizations then need a mechanism for helping determine the appropriate depth of analysis for each problem.

Some problems dont even justify an investigation at all. For example, if a company runs out of copy machine paper, going to the local office supply store to get some is likely to suffice. However, it the problem occurs repeatedly, then an assessment of how the paper inventory management process works (or doesnt work, in this case) may be worthy of analysis.

Such logic is often ignored when problems occur across external organizational boundaries. It is not unusual for customers to request that their suppliers perform root cause analysis based on a single failure out of hundreds of thousands of successes. Unless the degree of risk related to the problem is very high, such requests amount to diversions of resources to low value-added tasks.

Unfortunately, organizations often do not understand that root cause analysis is a rigorous mental process. It combines deductive and inductive reasoning to determine the specific cause and effect relationship that creates a particular problem. And it is not a popularity contest, but instead a data/evidence-driven one that can eliminate onerous business problems if used judiciously.

Duke Okes helps organizations implement effective root cause analysis as one component of the business improvement process. He can be reached at http://www.aplomet.com

When it comes to a subject like plumbing, occasionally it is interesting to get an overview of the subject. With that in mind, we give you the role of plumbing through the evolution of society.

The word plumbing derives from the Latin word for lead, plumbum. Plumbing is a skilled trade that works with pipes, tubing, and plumbing fixtures that are designed to provide potable water and to drain waste. Plumbing dates back to the earliest civilizations. The Romans, Persians, Indians, and Chinese all had rudimentary plumbing systems. They were often involved with the supply of water and waste removal was haphazard at best. It was in the palaces of the rulers that some of the earliest examples of indoor plumbing were found. The common people were pretty much on their own.

It was not that people did not desire comfort and privacy when performing basic functions. Archaeologists in China recently unearthed a 2,000 year old toilet in a tomb built for an Emperor. It was complete with running water, a stone seat, and a comfortable armrest. Of course, since it was in a tomb, it was intended for use after his death. There were really very little improvements in plumbing methods and materials for centuries. A relative of Queen Elizabeth made an attempt to manufacture a privy that would provide the Queen Mother with a little dignity and privacy, but he became a laughing stock as a result of his efforts. Another two hundred years would pass before more serious attempts would be made.

The invention of the flush toilet is widely assumed to be the work of one Thomas Crapper who was a London plumber in the 19th century. While it was true that he did patent several plumbing inventions, and headed a shop that produced, among other things, toilets, other men had actually done the real inventing before he came along. In World War I, American doughboys in England saw the name of Crappers shop on toilets around London. They coined the term crapper, and it has stuck especially in the military.

It was not until the mid 19th century that public sanitation, the need for potable water, the proper elimination of waste, and even the regular habit of bathing became common. It may have been because of the realization of the connection between unsanitary conditions and disease. The discovery of bacteria and the understanding of their role in diseases that had been killing people since the dawn of time may have been the catalyst that spurred the growth of plumbing. It may have just been that its time had arrived along with the other technological advances that have led us into a new edge.

Plumbing was certainly a growth industry during that Golden age when the civilized world was converting from no plumbing to full plumbing. Between the years of 1928 and 1954, the sales of plumbing products and water heating equipment went from 498 million dollars a year to a staggering 2.33 billion dollars a year. Now, potable or safe water is required by law in most developed nations. Proper sanitation and the safe removal of waste is the accepted norm. Plumbing has become a symbol of civilization, and retains its place among the ranks of the skilled professions of the world.

Fred Linson is with PlumbingStop.com - a directory of plumbing companies.