Electing Barack Obama was a good start to changing the world opinion on "Ignorant Americans".
Next up should be getting rid of the morons on Fox News "Red Eye" show.
I am all for comedy, when it's funny and the comedians know what they're talking about. These uneducated bozos are damaging relations with their nearest neighbours with comments like these.
Barack Obama apologized for his slight on the Special Olympics on Leno the other night. He should have been apologizing for these idiots too.
Check these idiots out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcJn5XlbSFk
I hope Doug Benson tries to do his stand up act in Canada in the near future. Maybe some of our military will want to check out his act and remind him of our record of service.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Moments That Matter - Early March Edition
Pop Culture: What I am into these days.
Music: Eric Church "Carolina" (advance) / Johnny Reid "Dance With Me" / U2 "No Line on the Horizon".
DVD: "Burn After Reading" / "War of the Worlds".
- Happy Birthday To Me
- We had the big birthday party on Friday, February 27th at our place. We had some good friends over for a few bottles of wine. Nothing too crazy, just some good catching up.
- On Saturday, February 28th we went to West Edmonton Mall with the Dynamyx Gymnastics gang for a night at Galaxyland. The whole family enjoyed rides from 7:30 until 10:30.
- On Sunday, March 1st we celebrated my birthday with the family by going out to dinner at Boston Pizza in St. Albert. My actual birthday was on Monday, March 2nd but Mally had gymnastics right after school that day so we opted to do dinner out on the Sunday instead.
Mr. Mom
- Lesley took off for her annual Epicure Convention in Toronto on Wednesday, March 4th. She was gone until the following Tuesday. I had a whole week of being Mr. Mom. I learned that being a single parent would really suck. It was hard to juggle work and all of the various kids activities. On the good side of things, the house was clean when Lesley got home (even though I was exhausted and ready for the loonie bin).
In Like A Lion
- March came in like a lion...so let's hope it goes out like a lamb. We got pounded with snow and cold at the end of the first week of March. It didn't help hearing from my boss, and friend, Rob Chubey about how nice it was in Nashville for Country Radio Seminars (72 degrees!) or from Lesley about how nice it was in Toronto (+15). The kids helped me shovel a couple of times but for the most part it was too damn cold to go anywhere while Lesley was away at her conference.
I Knew The Bride When She Used To Rock N Roll
- Dave and Carol came over on Friday, March 6th to go over some music for their upcoming wedding. We had a good time going through my CD collection and picking tunes that we hope everyone will dance to at the wedding. If Dave and I had our way though it would be all Blues Brothers and Van Halen with a sprinkling of tunes from the Animal House Soundtrack. Good thing Carol was here to reign us in.
Who Do I Cheer For?
- Warren came over to watch the Oilers versus the Leafs game on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, March 7th. I was having a hard time deciding who to cheer for. I want to see the Oilers make the playoffs but I am a die hard Leafs fan. I don't think the Leafs have a shot at the playoffs this year and would almost rather they lose down the stretch to sink in the standings and have a better shot at the John Tavares sweepstakes for the top overall draft pick this off season. Still, it was hard not to cheer for the Buds. It was nice to have Warren drop in for a little adult conversation. The kids were making me a little mental by this point.
Underoath
- I worked with Christian Metal band Underoath on Tuesday, March 10th. The guys were nice to work with and we had no problems with any of our contest winners that got to meet the band at their soundcheck. I have to say that Christian Metal is really not my thing though. I much prefer the more melodic, Satanic version of Heavy Metal. Still, the band put on a good show at the Edmonton Events Centre. I wasn't singing along with any of the tunes when I left the gig but I had been impressed with their stage show as well as the cool lighting and video effects.
Trivia Time
- Wednesday, March 11th I went out to Table Team Trivia at the Beer Hunter, hosted by my good buddy Jake Daniels from Team 1260. I joined Warren and Dave about an hour into the trivia as I had stayed to watch some of Mally's gymnastics class with Lesley and Hope and Ella. We had a decent round of trivia and all of us ended up winning some draw prizes. I came home with a deluxe BBQ tool set and a new t-shirt. Not too bad a haul for a couple of hours of drinking with buddies.
No More Sex and Candy!
- On Thursday, March 12th I spent the day with Marcy Playground. The band is working hard to get the word out about their forthcoming new CD, due out in July. So many people only know them for their huge hit "Sex and Candy" that it makes it hard for them to get the word out about the new material. Hopefully some of the new stuff will cut through though as the band are all great players and the tunes are all quite clever.
I met the band at 8 A.M. at City TV where the guys played a couple of songs on Breakfast Television. They weren't going to do "Sex and Candy" but ended up doing it when John Wozniak's voice gave him a bit of trouble. We chalked that up to just being early in the morning and the dry Alberta air. Later that afternoon I took John, the singer / guitar player from the band, over to Sonic 102.9 for an interview and acoustic performance in the Listener Lounge with Layne Mitchell. John's voice really started acting up and he was getting worried that he might have to cancel the show that night. After the Sonic interview we stopped at London Drugs and loaded him up with Halls and other throat medication to get him through his last radio interview and the concert. Our last media visit for the day was at Joe FM where John did a live interview and an acoustic performance with Gary James.
The show at Jet Nightclub later that night was good despite John's voice problems. Not a huge crowd but certainly some hard core fans that knew more about the band than just "Sex and Candy". John had to pull some of the new songs from the set though as his voice was not going to be able to cut it.
I hope they come back after the new CD comes out this summer. Hopefully John will be able to do those tunes he missed playing here this time around.
Sp-Oil Kings
- Sunday, March 15th I went with Warren and Dave to see the Edmonton Oil Kings play their last regular season home game of the 2008-2009 season at Rexall Place. The team was in a tie for the last playoff spot and only needed to get a single point against the Red Deer Rebels in this game to secure the final spot and make the playoffs for the first time in their current history (the old Oil Kings were a very successful Junior franchise and won the Memorial Cup a couple of times back in the 1960's). The game was not that great. The team didn't look like a team that desperately needed that one last point. They lead 1-0 going into the third period but ended up losing 2-1. Now they have to travel to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan for a one game, sudden death, tie breaker with the Prince Albert Raiders. The winner of that game will get the last playoff spot. Hopefully the Oil Kings will play with higher sense of desperation in that one.
Music: Eric Church "Carolina" (advance) / Johnny Reid "Dance With Me" / U2 "No Line on the Horizon".
DVD: "Burn After Reading" / "War of the Worlds".
- Happy Birthday To Me
- We had the big birthday party on Friday, February 27th at our place. We had some good friends over for a few bottles of wine. Nothing too crazy, just some good catching up.
- On Saturday, February 28th we went to West Edmonton Mall with the Dynamyx Gymnastics gang for a night at Galaxyland. The whole family enjoyed rides from 7:30 until 10:30.
- On Sunday, March 1st we celebrated my birthday with the family by going out to dinner at Boston Pizza in St. Albert. My actual birthday was on Monday, March 2nd but Mally had gymnastics right after school that day so we opted to do dinner out on the Sunday instead.
Mr. Mom
- Lesley took off for her annual Epicure Convention in Toronto on Wednesday, March 4th. She was gone until the following Tuesday. I had a whole week of being Mr. Mom. I learned that being a single parent would really suck. It was hard to juggle work and all of the various kids activities. On the good side of things, the house was clean when Lesley got home (even though I was exhausted and ready for the loonie bin).
In Like A Lion
- March came in like a lion...so let's hope it goes out like a lamb. We got pounded with snow and cold at the end of the first week of March. It didn't help hearing from my boss, and friend, Rob Chubey about how nice it was in Nashville for Country Radio Seminars (72 degrees!) or from Lesley about how nice it was in Toronto (+15). The kids helped me shovel a couple of times but for the most part it was too damn cold to go anywhere while Lesley was away at her conference.
I Knew The Bride When She Used To Rock N Roll
- Dave and Carol came over on Friday, March 6th to go over some music for their upcoming wedding. We had a good time going through my CD collection and picking tunes that we hope everyone will dance to at the wedding. If Dave and I had our way though it would be all Blues Brothers and Van Halen with a sprinkling of tunes from the Animal House Soundtrack. Good thing Carol was here to reign us in.
Who Do I Cheer For?
- Warren came over to watch the Oilers versus the Leafs game on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, March 7th. I was having a hard time deciding who to cheer for. I want to see the Oilers make the playoffs but I am a die hard Leafs fan. I don't think the Leafs have a shot at the playoffs this year and would almost rather they lose down the stretch to sink in the standings and have a better shot at the John Tavares sweepstakes for the top overall draft pick this off season. Still, it was hard not to cheer for the Buds. It was nice to have Warren drop in for a little adult conversation. The kids were making me a little mental by this point.
Underoath
- I worked with Christian Metal band Underoath on Tuesday, March 10th. The guys were nice to work with and we had no problems with any of our contest winners that got to meet the band at their soundcheck. I have to say that Christian Metal is really not my thing though. I much prefer the more melodic, Satanic version of Heavy Metal. Still, the band put on a good show at the Edmonton Events Centre. I wasn't singing along with any of the tunes when I left the gig but I had been impressed with their stage show as well as the cool lighting and video effects.
Trivia Time
- Wednesday, March 11th I went out to Table Team Trivia at the Beer Hunter, hosted by my good buddy Jake Daniels from Team 1260. I joined Warren and Dave about an hour into the trivia as I had stayed to watch some of Mally's gymnastics class with Lesley and Hope and Ella. We had a decent round of trivia and all of us ended up winning some draw prizes. I came home with a deluxe BBQ tool set and a new t-shirt. Not too bad a haul for a couple of hours of drinking with buddies.
No More Sex and Candy!
- On Thursday, March 12th I spent the day with Marcy Playground. The band is working hard to get the word out about their forthcoming new CD, due out in July. So many people only know them for their huge hit "Sex and Candy" that it makes it hard for them to get the word out about the new material. Hopefully some of the new stuff will cut through though as the band are all great players and the tunes are all quite clever.
I met the band at 8 A.M. at City TV where the guys played a couple of songs on Breakfast Television. They weren't going to do "Sex and Candy" but ended up doing it when John Wozniak's voice gave him a bit of trouble. We chalked that up to just being early in the morning and the dry Alberta air. Later that afternoon I took John, the singer / guitar player from the band, over to Sonic 102.9 for an interview and acoustic performance in the Listener Lounge with Layne Mitchell. John's voice really started acting up and he was getting worried that he might have to cancel the show that night. After the Sonic interview we stopped at London Drugs and loaded him up with Halls and other throat medication to get him through his last radio interview and the concert. Our last media visit for the day was at Joe FM where John did a live interview and an acoustic performance with Gary James.
The show at Jet Nightclub later that night was good despite John's voice problems. Not a huge crowd but certainly some hard core fans that knew more about the band than just "Sex and Candy". John had to pull some of the new songs from the set though as his voice was not going to be able to cut it.
I hope they come back after the new CD comes out this summer. Hopefully John will be able to do those tunes he missed playing here this time around.
Sp-Oil Kings
- Sunday, March 15th I went with Warren and Dave to see the Edmonton Oil Kings play their last regular season home game of the 2008-2009 season at Rexall Place. The team was in a tie for the last playoff spot and only needed to get a single point against the Red Deer Rebels in this game to secure the final spot and make the playoffs for the first time in their current history (the old Oil Kings were a very successful Junior franchise and won the Memorial Cup a couple of times back in the 1960's). The game was not that great. The team didn't look like a team that desperately needed that one last point. They lead 1-0 going into the third period but ended up losing 2-1. Now they have to travel to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan for a one game, sudden death, tie breaker with the Prince Albert Raiders. The winner of that game will get the last playoff spot. Hopefully the Oil Kings will play with higher sense of desperation in that one.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Moments That Matter - February Month End Edition
Family Day - Feb. 16th
Officially, Family Day in Alberta was created to recognize the values of the pioneers that built this province and the values of home and family. It is celebrated in a lot of ways but in Edmonton this year it seemed to be “Take the Family to West Edmonton Mall Day”. That’s how we spent it, our family and everyone else’s family. Lesley’s sister, Laura, who was here visiting, wanted to go to the mall so we spent the better part of the day there. The girls had gift cards that they received as Christmas gifts so they had a blast shopping in the various stores. I spent most of the time sitting on benches or pacing the hallways, trying to stay out of the mayhem at the mall. I did enjoy a nice ice cream cone at Purdy’s though.
Feel That Fire - On Tour With Dierks
I was on the road for the better part of week between February 17th and February 22nd. I was working with Dierks Bentley, who was opening for Brad Paisley on his Paisley Party Tour of Canada. We hit 5 cities in 5 nights in 3 different provinces.
My first stop was Winnipeg on Tuesday, the 17th. I flew in and had just enough time to grab a quick lunch with a few radio friends before making my way to the MTS Centre for Dierks’ media schedule. After the show, Dierks and some of his crew went out to Earls for a late dinner and a few drinks before their bus rolled to Regina. I broke my digital camera that night and was not a happy camper about it.
I flew into Regina on the morning of the 18th. Again, I had enough time to visit with a couple of radio people and then had to make my way to the Brandt Centre for Dierks’ interview schedule. I had a good visit with Brad Paisley’s guitar tech, Chad Weaver, who used to work with Terri Clark and then went out shopping for a new camera before the meet and greet.
On the morning of the 19th I visited with a few more radio folks in Regina before driving my rental car north to Saskatoon. It was funny to run into Brad Johner in the small town of Chamberlain, Saskatchewan. I spotted Brad putting gas in the family vehicle as I was driving through town. I had to stop and snap a quick shot with my new camera. This was real life “Corner Gas”. Chamberlain is the real cross-roads of Saskatchewan. It’s really nothing more than a few gas stations and motels at the intersection of a couple of the provinces major highways. Running into one of Saskatchewan’s biggest music stars in Chamberlain was a perfect moment of pure Canadiana.
On the drive up to Saskatoon I got word from Dierks Bentley’s Tour Manager that Dierks needed to change his entire interview schedule for that day in Saskatoon. Dierks had an opportunity to skate with the Saskatoon Blades team at their practice that afternoon. I got busy on my cell phone and moved all the interview times around and then hustled into Saskatoon to go and watch Dierks take part in a real WHL team practice. I was impressed that Dierks didn’t look too far out of place during the drills. The highlight was when Dierks was put on the spot by the coaching staff at the end of practice. They challenged Dierks to a shootout scenario as the whole team watched on. If Dierks scored the practice would be over. If he missed, the whole team had to do wind sprints. Dierks said he has never felt so much pressure, not even when he first opened for George Strait in front of 70,000 people. What he didn’t know is that the goalie was going to let him score. All Dierks needed to do was shoot for one of the corners. He made his moves and decided to try to beat the goalie between the legs. The goalie turtled, giving Dierks plenty of net to shoot at. Unfortunately, because he decided to shoot “5 hole” he hit the goalie as he flopped awkwardly. Everyone had a good laugh. Luckily I had bought my new camera in Regina the night before as I ended up having to take some pictures of Dierks and the Blades players, as the team’s camera battery died before practice was over.
Friday, the 19th, I flew home to Edmonton. I went straight from the airport to Rexall Place for Dierks’ media schedule and then got things set up for his pre-show meet and greet. After Dierks’ set I got to hang out with Oilers players Sheldon Souray and Dustin Penner as we watched Brad Paisley’s show from the side of the stage and from the soundboard out front. During Brad Paisley’s set, Dierks, Crystal Shawanda, Shane Yellowbird and Gord Bamford went up on stage to sing “Alcohol” with Brad. After the concert we made plans to go out but Dierks ended up having to leave early so I ended up going out with Souray, Penner, Shane Yellowbird and a few of their friends to the 100 Club for a bit.
On Saturday morning I drove down to Calgary for the last of the 5 shows in 5 nights run. I got to hang out with a few friends during the show and had a few drinks after the show as well. I was exhausted after the run of dates though so I packed it in pretty early. I could easily have slept all day on the Sunday if I hadn’t had to check out of the hotel and drive home.
MONTH END STUFF
Three Stars of the Month:
1) Barack Obama – Visits Canada and makes great speech to joint session of Congress.
2) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Dynamic duo cleaned up at the Grammy Awards.
3) Brad Slater & Lacey Kapler – For giving me their dinner reservations at Yanni’s Taverna on Valentine’s Day.
Milestones of the Month:
- 50th Anniversary of the “Day The Music Died” – plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper (Feb. 3rd).
- 45th Anniversary of The Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show (Feb. 13th)
- 100th Anniversary of the first Canadian Aircraft Flight (Feb. 23rd).
Best News this Month:
All 22 crew members of the Spanish fishing vessel “Monte Galineiro” rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard after ship sinks 400 kms off the coast of Newfoundland.
Weirdest News this Month:
Chris Brown allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, Rihanna, the night before the Grammy Awards.
Best Sporting Moments of the Month:
- The Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl XLIII in a close game with the Arizona Cardinals.
- Alex Rodriguez admits to steroid use. Now maybe the game can really clean up it’s act.
Best New Music of the Month:
Country: Dierks Bentley “Feel That Fire
Pop: Lily Allen “It’s Not Me, It’s You”.
Rock: GlasVegas “GlasVegas”.
Best Concert of the Month:
Brad Paisley / Dierks Bentley and Crystal Shawanda at Rexall Place in Edmonton (Feb. 20th). Gord Bamford and Shane Yellowbird joined the other three for “Alcohol” near the end of the show. Edmonton Oiler Sheldon Souray joined Dierks on stage during his set.
Best Reads of the Month:
- Johnny Cash: The Biography by Michael Streissguth.
- Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Barrack Obama and the Triumph of Hope” commemorative edition.
Best Screening of the Month:
The Buddy Holly Story – DVD.
Best Dining out this Month:
Valentine’s Dinner with Lesley at Yanni’s Taverna on Whyte Avenue.
Officially, Family Day in Alberta was created to recognize the values of the pioneers that built this province and the values of home and family. It is celebrated in a lot of ways but in Edmonton this year it seemed to be “Take the Family to West Edmonton Mall Day”. That’s how we spent it, our family and everyone else’s family. Lesley’s sister, Laura, who was here visiting, wanted to go to the mall so we spent the better part of the day there. The girls had gift cards that they received as Christmas gifts so they had a blast shopping in the various stores. I spent most of the time sitting on benches or pacing the hallways, trying to stay out of the mayhem at the mall. I did enjoy a nice ice cream cone at Purdy’s though.
Feel That Fire - On Tour With Dierks
I was on the road for the better part of week between February 17th and February 22nd. I was working with Dierks Bentley, who was opening for Brad Paisley on his Paisley Party Tour of Canada. We hit 5 cities in 5 nights in 3 different provinces.
My first stop was Winnipeg on Tuesday, the 17th. I flew in and had just enough time to grab a quick lunch with a few radio friends before making my way to the MTS Centre for Dierks’ media schedule. After the show, Dierks and some of his crew went out to Earls for a late dinner and a few drinks before their bus rolled to Regina. I broke my digital camera that night and was not a happy camper about it.
I flew into Regina on the morning of the 18th. Again, I had enough time to visit with a couple of radio people and then had to make my way to the Brandt Centre for Dierks’ interview schedule. I had a good visit with Brad Paisley’s guitar tech, Chad Weaver, who used to work with Terri Clark and then went out shopping for a new camera before the meet and greet.
On the morning of the 19th I visited with a few more radio folks in Regina before driving my rental car north to Saskatoon. It was funny to run into Brad Johner in the small town of Chamberlain, Saskatchewan. I spotted Brad putting gas in the family vehicle as I was driving through town. I had to stop and snap a quick shot with my new camera. This was real life “Corner Gas”. Chamberlain is the real cross-roads of Saskatchewan. It’s really nothing more than a few gas stations and motels at the intersection of a couple of the provinces major highways. Running into one of Saskatchewan’s biggest music stars in Chamberlain was a perfect moment of pure Canadiana.
On the drive up to Saskatoon I got word from Dierks Bentley’s Tour Manager that Dierks needed to change his entire interview schedule for that day in Saskatoon. Dierks had an opportunity to skate with the Saskatoon Blades team at their practice that afternoon. I got busy on my cell phone and moved all the interview times around and then hustled into Saskatoon to go and watch Dierks take part in a real WHL team practice. I was impressed that Dierks didn’t look too far out of place during the drills. The highlight was when Dierks was put on the spot by the coaching staff at the end of practice. They challenged Dierks to a shootout scenario as the whole team watched on. If Dierks scored the practice would be over. If he missed, the whole team had to do wind sprints. Dierks said he has never felt so much pressure, not even when he first opened for George Strait in front of 70,000 people. What he didn’t know is that the goalie was going to let him score. All Dierks needed to do was shoot for one of the corners. He made his moves and decided to try to beat the goalie between the legs. The goalie turtled, giving Dierks plenty of net to shoot at. Unfortunately, because he decided to shoot “5 hole” he hit the goalie as he flopped awkwardly. Everyone had a good laugh. Luckily I had bought my new camera in Regina the night before as I ended up having to take some pictures of Dierks and the Blades players, as the team’s camera battery died before practice was over.
Friday, the 19th, I flew home to Edmonton. I went straight from the airport to Rexall Place for Dierks’ media schedule and then got things set up for his pre-show meet and greet. After Dierks’ set I got to hang out with Oilers players Sheldon Souray and Dustin Penner as we watched Brad Paisley’s show from the side of the stage and from the soundboard out front. During Brad Paisley’s set, Dierks, Crystal Shawanda, Shane Yellowbird and Gord Bamford went up on stage to sing “Alcohol” with Brad. After the concert we made plans to go out but Dierks ended up having to leave early so I ended up going out with Souray, Penner, Shane Yellowbird and a few of their friends to the 100 Club for a bit.
On Saturday morning I drove down to Calgary for the last of the 5 shows in 5 nights run. I got to hang out with a few friends during the show and had a few drinks after the show as well. I was exhausted after the run of dates though so I packed it in pretty early. I could easily have slept all day on the Sunday if I hadn’t had to check out of the hotel and drive home.
MONTH END STUFF
Three Stars of the Month:
1) Barack Obama – Visits Canada and makes great speech to joint session of Congress.
2) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Dynamic duo cleaned up at the Grammy Awards.
3) Brad Slater & Lacey Kapler – For giving me their dinner reservations at Yanni’s Taverna on Valentine’s Day.
Milestones of the Month:
- 50th Anniversary of the “Day The Music Died” – plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper (Feb. 3rd).
- 45th Anniversary of The Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show (Feb. 13th)
- 100th Anniversary of the first Canadian Aircraft Flight (Feb. 23rd).
Best News this Month:
All 22 crew members of the Spanish fishing vessel “Monte Galineiro” rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard after ship sinks 400 kms off the coast of Newfoundland.
Weirdest News this Month:
Chris Brown allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, Rihanna, the night before the Grammy Awards.
Best Sporting Moments of the Month:
- The Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl XLIII in a close game with the Arizona Cardinals.
- Alex Rodriguez admits to steroid use. Now maybe the game can really clean up it’s act.
Best New Music of the Month:
Country: Dierks Bentley “Feel That Fire
Pop: Lily Allen “It’s Not Me, It’s You”.
Rock: GlasVegas “GlasVegas”.
Best Concert of the Month:
Brad Paisley / Dierks Bentley and Crystal Shawanda at Rexall Place in Edmonton (Feb. 20th). Gord Bamford and Shane Yellowbird joined the other three for “Alcohol” near the end of the show. Edmonton Oiler Sheldon Souray joined Dierks on stage during his set.
Best Reads of the Month:
- Johnny Cash: The Biography by Michael Streissguth.
- Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Barrack Obama and the Triumph of Hope” commemorative edition.
Best Screening of the Month:
The Buddy Holly Story – DVD.
Best Dining out this Month:
Valentine’s Dinner with Lesley at Yanni’s Taverna on Whyte Avenue.
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