Ascension: Invocation Read Online Free PDF

play lists and typically bland radio. A lot of talent had been displaced, and many Djs were willing to work in markets once thought below their stature, for smaller salaries, in order to avoid selling used cars for a living.
    To a degree, Mike benefited from this, of course. Yet, he made a point of treating his employees well. Whatever he couldn't provide in the way of financial stability, he tried his best to make up for with hospitality and a genuine sense of family amongst his team. He often had his employees over for Sunday dinner, he gave bonuses for a job well done and he had even been known to trade out necessities like groceries for jocks down on their luck.
    Radio was certainly not the lucrative business it had once been. Gone were the days when even small town clusters were million dollar profit centers. The Internet had happened, and radio had been slow to react. Rather than embracing the technology immediately, the corporate monoliths relied on their outdated Wall Street strategies to turn a profit and, consequently, had left behind an entire generation of potential listeners. This trickled down to private owners like Mike as well. As advertisers discovered new, more cost effective ways to advertise via the Internet, the newspapers were rendered irrelevant. Radio was next in line to fall, and while it wasn't dead yet, most owners were scrambling to play catch up with technology in a last-ditch effort to survive. Couple this with the fact that a great deal of the industry's talent pool had migrated to satellite and online radio gigs and a perfect storm of mediocrity had crept in.
    Graham didn't know Mike from Adam when he applied for the gig. He had just been unceremoniously let go in Georgia thanks to budget cuts, and he began shot-gunning tapes and resumes. Mike was the only one who called. Graham was immediately struck by his smooth, Southern charm and his penchant for telling long, compelling stories about his adventures in the industry. As they swapped philosophies and anecdotes, something seemed to click. Mike hired him over the phone. It was the first time that Graham had accepted a gig sight unseen, but he was behind on his rent in Georgia and eviction was imminent. It was best to high tail it out of there, and Mike was the first to throw him a paycheck.
    When Graham arrived in Tuscumbia, he was impressed. It was a beautiful small town. There was an enormous park with a waterfall, a big fountain, and even a train for the kids to ride. The town actually had an old time drug store with a malt shop inside. When he drove up to the address Mike had given him, he was surprised to find the yellow Victorian house. He was even more surprised to find Mike on the front porch, wearing an apron and flipping ribs on a large grill, surrounded by billows of white smoke. It was lunch time, after all. When Graham introduced himself, Mike smiled, gave him a slap on the back and handed him a tall glass of sweet tea.
    "Welcome home, Graham," he said.
    It did feel like home. In fact, for a few days it actually did become Graham's home. He had not yet found a place to live, and since Mike was unable to arrange a hotel trade, he had set up a cot in what was to be Graham's office. It could have been weird but given the fact that this office was actually a former bedroom in the home, it felt somewhat appropriate. There was a complete kitchen downstairs, his office had cable TV, a fireplace, and a large desk with a computer. After 10pm, all of the stations were on the bird, so Graham had the place to himself. The only inconvenience was the lack of a shower at the station. Mike had solved this problem by insisting that Graham join him and his wife for dinner at his home every evening until he found a place to live. He could shower there.
    The two became fast friends as Mike toured Graham around the town, introducing him to local business people and showing him the sights. He visited the Helen Keller homestead, which was located only a