tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83113801657677192102024-02-02T02:27:19.910-08:00The Daily DriveEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-30470120293567125182018-06-22T13:03:00.003-07:002019-02-12T15:22:12.681-08:00The Faces Of Facebook<div style="color: #454545; font-family: ".SF UI Text"; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Do you remember the days </span><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext-italic"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: italic;">before</span><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;"> Facebook? When a conversation or discussion was made over the phone; not today’s cell variety but one that was actually attached to a wall? Or better yet, a conversation that was carried out eye to eye and face to face? I do. And maybe that’s why I have become increasingly less interested in opening up my Facebook account over these last several weeks. Admittingly, the need to keep in touch with the latest things going on in the lives of family and friends continues to drive me to click that icon more often than I probably should. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Knowing that a new baby has been born, someone has reached an important place in their lives or yes, even the latest new cocktail recipe or cute animal video are all fine reasons to flip through your newsfeed. Nothing better than to see photos of people you know simply enjoying their lives through work, recreation, exciting events or wonderful accomplishments. Lately though to me it has become a dumping ground for political half truths and sometimes even total fabrication, unwittingly or not by those who post in an effort to force their beliefs on those they think unable to understand the world around them as well as they do. Many times those types of posts come from people I respect and even family members that I love and that is when it becomes hardest not to get sucked into a conversation you, as a commenter, just cannot win. How can people with the same type of background; and in some cases even the same upbringing view the world so differently than you? But expressing an opposing point of view with them on the threads of Facebook? Well, that is tailor made for the origin of the phrase “it’s like pissing in the wind”. So, as difficult as it is for me to refrain from that type of conversation....and with some....it is almost impossible, I will do my best to resist that treacherous “Comment” section and save my energy & opinions for Face To Face conversations rather than Facebook To Facebook.</span></div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-52819900828412323992017-11-14T13:17:00.001-08:002017-11-14T13:17:32.675-08:00Filling Shelves Fills The Heart<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A heartfelt “Thank
You” to all Catamount Radio listeners & especially those of you who listen
to The Drive for all of your help with another very successful Stuff-A-Bus.
More than 21,000 pounds of non-perishable food items were collected this past
Thursday, Friday & Saturday to be distributed to food shelves in Rutland
County. In years past we have pretty much concentrated on the Rutland area for
our food collection, but this year we added the food shelves in Brandon &
Fair Haven to our efforts. So those of you in those areas of Rutland County
deserve a thank you as well. The Drive spent some time in Brandon during this
year’s Stuff-A-Bus setting up our broadcast at Hannaford there & helped the
Brandon Food Shelf pack their shelves with 2,300 pounds of non-perishable food
items. Rutland County is an amazingly generous place to live. One final
thought; if you wanted to donate to Stuff-A-Bus but missed your chance remember
that Catamount Radio is now in the process of collecting monetary donations for
this year’s WSYB Christmas Fund. The Christmas Fund has been helping those in
need throughout the county for more than 40 years. We would love to have you
join us in this ongoing Christmas tradition of giving. Here’s to you enjoying a
very happy holiday season and thank you again.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p>Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-62738657607692315012017-10-31T14:16:00.001-07:002017-10-31T14:16:25.008-07:00Wonderment...And HeartacheThere was nothing better growing up than coming from a large, close & loving family. Not just with ten brothers and sisters but with nearly twice as many uncles and aunts on both my dad's side of the family and my mother's. Add in what seems like hundreds of first cousins and you get the idea of growing up in the Kelly-O'Brien family. Irish Catholic to the core! Perhaps a bit more Irish than Catholic for some
today but the memories of both still linger for us all. The holidays, the
birthdays; the visits. They were all amazingly special in a way that some may never
understand, but amazing they were. Yet, life happens. We get older, we get
grayer, we hopefully get wiser; and in the process we begin to say goodbye. For
the wonderment of such a family is also its heartache. So many to love and so
many to loose. Earlier this month we said farewell to the head of yet another great Irish family line, my Uncle Bill Halloran,
my mother’s brother-in-law. Then just yesterday my mom’s own brother Charlie, the last of her generation. Heartache.
But for those of us who remain we hold on to the wonderment. The wonderment of
the family that they both helped build. The brothers, sisters, cousins….the
families that <i>they</i> now build to
hopefully create that same wonderment that my generation has known. Because
that wonderment will be the only thing to help lessen that inevitable heartache.Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-79345872439759843502017-10-24T09:03:00.000-07:002017-10-24T09:03:17.443-07:00I Love A Parade<div class="MsoNormal">
So it seems that Mother Nature doesn’t feel like turning
things over to Old Man Winter any time soon in Rutland County. She hasn’t even
really invited autumn in just yet but that won’t stop the festivities planned
in Rutland this weekend. Saturday night the streets of downtown Rutland will be
full of the ghosts, goblins, witches & spectacular floats that will make up
the 58<sup>th</sup> annual Halloween Parade. The parade is one of the largest
& longest running Halloween parades in the United States, getting its start
when Eisenhower was still President. The first parade took to the streets of Rutland
in October of 1960 and has been part of Rutland’s history ever since. My first
parade was in 1993 and as a local radio guy I have been part of it ever since.</div>
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So even though Mother Nature isn’t quite ready to relinquish
her hold on the warmer weather, the good news is it should be a perfect fall
evening for the 58<sup>th</sup> Halloween Parade. 94-5 The Drive will be there
on Saturday night as we have been since we went on the air here in Rutland in
2008. Look for us….we’ll be looking for you!<br />
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Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-42076720083457685332017-10-24T08:53:00.003-07:002017-10-24T08:57:35.319-07:00IslaFive years ago this past September I was enjoying one of the special days in my life when my daughter was married to one of the finest men I know. Now, five years on I spent the anniversary of that wonderful day with my granddaughter as mom & dad celebrated their fifth anniversary. When you have a chance to spend time with the innocence of a beautiful child you remember how truly special & truly important the simplest things in life are. The burdens of everyday life that always seem to bog you down melt away when you take the time to let yourself look inward; to the truly important things in your life. Like the wonderment of being a grandfather. A beautiful feeling only surpassed by an even more beautiful little one...named Isla.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-40533046305238446432017-09-05T10:27:00.000-07:002017-09-05T10:27:12.328-07:00Thoughts On Those In the Gulf Region<div class="MsoNormal">
I was thinking about the people in Houston and how so many
have lost so much in such a short period of time. It caused me to think of how
lucky most of us are that we have never suffered through anything of that
magnitude. All of us have gone through a tough stretch here and there I have no
doubt. Some more than others I am sure but so many in the gulf area have lost
everything. Some today grieve over the loss of family members. Others have lost
cars, homes…. And in some cases even jobs. So very many have no place to return
to. We know how difficult it was to put lives back together here in the
northeast after Irene. We can only hope that those in the gulf region will find
a way to put their lives together after a storm that was so much worse.</div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-27133296383013845902017-08-14T09:02:00.001-07:002017-08-14T09:02:22.639-07:00It's Getting Very Near The End<div class="MsoNormal">
Only a couple of more weeks to go before we find out who the
winner is in our Sgt. Pepper Summer Giveaway. All summer long we have been
qualifying our listeners for a chance to win the complete 50<sup>th</sup>
anniversary collection of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The collection
is chock full of great Beatles music, memorabilia, CD’s & DVD’s. You can
see the complete layout of our prize by checking out the Sgt Pepper video here
on our website. So yes, we are coming to the final weeks of our Sgt. Pepper
Summer but you still have a chance to qualify to win this great package by
listening to Uncle Dave weekday mornings and my show in the afternoon. If you’re
a Beatles fan…or know someone who is I can tell you firsthand how great an
anniversary collection this is. You see, I purchased my own set back in early
June. So be sure to listen for your last few chances to qualify over the next
couple of weeks because if you are chosen as the winner…”A splendid time is guaranteed
for all”</div>
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Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-72158220032243183292017-07-18T08:32:00.001-07:002017-07-18T08:32:55.881-07:00Rutland County & BeyondAlthough 94-5 The Drive is Rutland County's choice for great classic hits, it's pretty obvious to us that we stretch well beyond our home county. Thanks to all of our Drivers in Addison County, Windsor County and those of you in Washington County, New York too! We can't say enough about how much we appreciate you all as listeners. Hope you'll keep DRIVING along, and in turn, we will keep playing all the great classics of your past; whether you are here with us in Rutland County or beyond.<br />
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Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-38203181277569609522017-06-26T12:44:00.000-07:002017-06-26T12:44:37.520-07:00Celebrating Sgt. Pepper At 50<div class="MsoNormal">
Though you may not be of that certain age where the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is a big deal, my guess is there is someone in your life that remembers the release of that iconic album when it first came out in America on June 2 back in 1967. Ask them and they will tell you what an amazing thing it was to hear that album for the first time for a variety of different reasons. From the album cover itself to the magic that waited inside for your ears to experience, in its day, it was unlike anything in rock that had come before. And now, 50 years on it has been remastered, repackaged & re-released to rave reviews and sales that in its first week of release put it at the top of the album chart in England and nearly matched that here in the U.S. where it sold over 75,000 copies in its first week to re enter the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #3. The last time Sgt. Pepper peaked that high was on December 30, 1967 after a run at #1 that lasted 15 weeks.<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> I mention all this to set the stage for the package that you could win here on The Drive during our <i>Sgt. Pepper Summer. </i>All summer we will be giving you a chance to win the 50th Anniversary Edition of the LP both on the air and at various locations throughout Rutland County. Before Labor Day we will award the ENTIRE package to one lucky listener. Take a look at the special video here on our website to see what the 50th Anniversary Edition includes and listen to The Drive in the days and weeks ahead for your chance to own a very special piece of rock music history.</span></span></div>
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Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-55341313956583219912017-05-22T09:00:00.001-07:002017-05-22T09:00:49.195-07:00All In The Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Drive is part of the Catamount Radio Group and because
of that we remind you that the <b>Catamount Radio Auction</b> is coming up on June 3<sup>rd</sup>
from 7:30 in the morning until 2:00 Saturday afternoon. We can promise you here
at The Drive that we will be Driving you through that Saturday with the perfect
weekend soundtrack of great Classic Hits, but if at any time on June 3<sup>rd</sup>
you want to take a stab at grabbing some great items at huge savings then tune
to one of our “sister stations” that will be airing The Catamount Radio
Auction. You can hear the auction on Cat Country at 105.3 FM or on one of the
two signals that broadcast WSYB in Rutland. On the AM dial you can hear WSYB on
1380, but Catamount Radio has now added WSYB to the FM dial too. Listen to the
auction there at 100.1. Between now and
the 3<sup>rd</sup> of June you can check out all the latest items that
will be up for bid by clicking “CATAMOUNT RADIO AUCTION” on the front page of
this website. New items seem to pop up there on a daily basis, so check it out.
Save on big, expensive items to certificates for food & services. It’s all
on the radio at 105.3 & 100.1 FM or 1380 AM. So on Saturday June 3<sup>rd</sup>
you have a chance to bid on some great items from local businesses on those
stations….but if that’s not your idea of a good Saturday of radio, remember….
We’re always here with great Classic Hits for all of Rutland County…….94-5 THE
DRIVE.</div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-76766487944534076032017-04-06T15:25:00.000-07:002017-04-06T15:25:18.480-07:00Frampton Comes Alive on The Drive<div class="MsoNormal">
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Earlier today I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes
chatting with Peter Frampton. Yes, the artist that released an album of live
music in 1976 that remains, after more than 40 years, one of the best selling
LIVE albums of all time. Admittedly I didn’t know what to expect from an artist
that has shared the stage, and the studio, with some of the other big names of
our generation; George Harrison, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, B.B.
King and even Jerry Lee Lewis. But what I found was a gentleman. The kind of
guy you would hope to have a chance to meet in a quiet pub and have a sip or
two with. When you found out who he was (if somehow you didn’t recognize him
right away) you would hope he would pull out his acoustic guitar & play a
song or two for you from his amazing body of work. Well, that is just about
what he plans to do at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland on April 12<sup>th</sup>.
He is touring with his son Julian along with his best friend & fellow
musician Gordon Kennedy. Together they bring that intimate meeting I described a
moment ago to the Paramount for a more than two hour show. Plan on an evening
of great music, stripped down to its acoustic form from two of the best
guitarists of our time. I’m looking forward to it. So should you. Get your
tickets at the Paramount Box Office or direct from paramountvt.org</div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-18753915028532663062017-03-15T14:56:00.000-07:002017-03-15T14:58:36.453-07:00Some Thoughts On The Blizzard.<div class="MsoNormal">
During yesterday’s blizzard many things came to mind for me.
Like the stories that my great aunt told me as a child about the famous blizzard
of 1888. She was a very young girl at the time and only remembered that it was
impossible to go anywhere for weeks. The storm dumped up to 60 inches of snow
in its wake in parts of New England including her town in Connecticut. Over
almost two full days the wind blue
drifts as high as 50 feet in some areas. I imagined what it must have been
like. A blizzard more powerful than our blizzard of 2017 trapping people in
their own homes during a time that only offered a hand shovel to most people of
the 1880’s. Roads & walkways couldn’t be cleared for days on end and good
old radio was still more than 30 years away from broadcasting the spoken word. An
event that would be a literal lifesaver in the time of future storms. It’s been
just short of 100 years since radio began broadcasting those first words and
here we are again finding ourselves in the mist of another blizzard and the need
for information that for some could be lifesaving. The difference is today
snowplows, snowblowers and other devices to make our life easier are plentiful
& there are so many other ways to get information that to those who need help
radio becomes an afterthought. Perhaps getting the information that you need
from radio isn’t as important as it once was but a <i>local </i>radio station like The Drive is still a place to know that in
your community of Rutland County Vermont we care about what happens because it
is our community too. I live here with you. So does Uncle Dave and the rest of
the Drive family. By all means, check your text messages, tweets & facebook
pages but remember; we will be here not only as a music radio station, but as a
community one as well. For you.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbjkxXpAcCXCZGqOT079cy87nKtvMp0RB4I2RMKKm1SFxppEDvvv3NYgYI-7l53lksx4JzagGUal308f2p3z5T-qxgIVXv5tUpFynBOhysIulFMpQeEXexN33r2QctlSjvasmpi8hAIs/s1600/NewBritainCTGrandStMar131888Blizzard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbjkxXpAcCXCZGqOT079cy87nKtvMp0RB4I2RMKKm1SFxppEDvvv3NYgYI-7l53lksx4JzagGUal308f2p3z5T-qxgIVXv5tUpFynBOhysIulFMpQeEXexN33r2QctlSjvasmpi8hAIs/s320/NewBritainCTGrandStMar131888Blizzard.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
The Blizzard of 1888. New Britain, CT. My Great Aunt Nellie told stories to us of that day.Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-1549265163605638402017-02-17T12:24:00.000-08:002017-02-17T12:24:13.185-08:00Might Need To Re-work The Image<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmJ_TMVtWqW-S7YtZr4ATFVCcJnGK-voRG7Kgsda6uFwI2JUWhehIG8LzGYPJ3HtLolFDZco3JOC1mjWB5FDiwPDWVjLbsop7yZTIli3UF8dLJEDk6yOLLG-u0eS7iw5ZtuHaqWfNc70/s1600/Ed+2-17-17.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmJ_TMVtWqW-S7YtZr4ATFVCcJnGK-voRG7Kgsda6uFwI2JUWhehIG8LzGYPJ3HtLolFDZco3JOC1mjWB5FDiwPDWVjLbsop7yZTIli3UF8dLJEDk6yOLLG-u0eS7iw5ZtuHaqWfNc70/s320/Ed+2-17-17.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div>
Once in awhile I will walk across the street here in downtown Rutland to grab a coffee from one of the shops. I did that this morning and added a cookie to go along with it and as I walk in with the snack balanced on top of my coffee cup it seems people thought I was enjoying a bit of Guinness to get my day going! So either I need to re-work my image or begin starting my work day with a bit of the frothy brew! Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-8192813852472058692016-11-07T14:38:00.000-08:002016-11-07T14:38:41.763-08:00We Called Him "Big Dog"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I want to take a minute to honor the memory of a man who is well known here in the Rutland community, especially the hockey community. Over the weekend my good friend Phil Varney passed away. Phil was instrumental....and really the catalyst behind the creation of the Rutland Regional Field House which is now Spartan Arena. I remember Phil floating the idea of the Fieldhouse years ago when his kids were playing local hockey for the Rutland Amateur Hockey Assn (RAHA) at the Mandigo Arena here in Rutland. Through his vision and hard work a new place to play hockey became a reality.....something that he was very proud of. Phil was also there at the inception of the Castleton University hockey "Blue Line Club" serving on the board of directors from the very beginning and held the position of the club president for three years.That's just some of what Phil has done for this community over the years, but what was more important to me was the Phil Varney I knew on a personal level. Phil was one of the very first people that I met when I first brought my family to Rutland almost 24 years ago, and we became instant friends. He loved the Red Sox, the Patriots....and The Moody Blues. But most of all he loved his family and I was honored that he considered my family part of his. It is always hard to say goodbye to those who are especially close to you...but sometimes certain lives, like Phil's, make it almost impossible. So instead. I say sleep well my friend, until we meet again. </span></div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-87715812352689809042015-02-23T15:16:00.000-08:002015-02-23T15:16:53.573-08:00Thinking Back<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
I’ve been in this business that we call radio for almost all
of my adult life. I have been one of the lucky ones. I have been able to make a
living & raise a family doing what I love in a business that doesn’t allow
that luxury to most. I say that from my perch here in an “unrated” Vermont
radio market that some working in larger markets may scoff at but it is a place
that I fell in love with many years ago and has become my home just as surely as the place that I was born and raised as a child was once the place I
loved most. I never think much anymore about what got me to this place or the
larger “rated” markets that I worked in years ago but this weekend I was
reminded of one of the best “gigs” I ever had in this business. The reminder
came however in the sad news that one of the best men I ever had the pleasure
to work for passed away last week. His name is Joe Rizza. Joe was my boss for
nearly all of the seven years I spent at WMAS-FM in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Joe and I didn’t always see eye to eye on things but he was always fair and
pleasant no matter what the issue. I certainly wasn’t always as accommodating in
return. The last conversation we had ended badly; and I never spoke with him
again. That was more than 20 years ago. It wasn’t because I was angry at him
and I know it wasn’t in his make up to remain angry over an unpleasant exchange
of words that took place two decades ago; of that I am sure. But life does have
a way of putting you in the position of looking back and finding a regret here
or there no matter how successful or happy you are. And for me, one of those
regrets was never having the chance to finish that conversation. To tell him
that he had a hand in allowing me the luxury to work at what I love so many
years later. All I can do is hope that he knew that already.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgF3USPPs-BFSDenlad0E-QmFuhKb1gzRZ_ZKMP-bdwH1Oc3AvAIoFTUpwZaO5V8DOOmejK7M8_vvntPJnt24O65DSJZ5i3cy_hwXvP3498quusAyW5KdKVFI4rIwshHdlszzr_OVK0Q/s1600/mas_ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgF3USPPs-BFSDenlad0E-QmFuhKb1gzRZ_ZKMP-bdwH1Oc3AvAIoFTUpwZaO5V8DOOmejK7M8_vvntPJnt24O65DSJZ5i3cy_hwXvP3498quusAyW5KdKVFI4rIwshHdlszzr_OVK0Q/s1600/mas_ice.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Me, Bob O'Brien, Jack Kratoville, <b>Joe Rizza</b> & Chuck Herlihy- WMAS-FM, Springfield, Ma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-9841706812573346552014-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:002014-10-01T07:00:10.262-07:00Time's Failure<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was born only a week after the calendar had turned from
December to a new year in January. My first birthday gift was being born as the
7<sup>th</sup> of 11 children right on the heels of a brother who joined a
chaotic but loving family just 15 months earlier. Some of my earliest childhood
memories revolve around the seemingly endless hours I would spend side by side
with my older brother. It seemed we shared everything; from the clothes on our
backs to the bed where we slept. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we
grew older together we watched our family grow larger. My younger brother
followed just a year and a half later. Then it was two more sisters (4 in all)
and finally the last born….a brother that none of us ever knew, losing him just
days after he came into this world.</div>
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Far more than half a century has now passed since that first
January and in all that time so have so many family members. Grandparents,
parents, uncles, aunts, cousins….all lost to the ages. None ever forgotten or
loved any less. But today marks the day that the brother who was born just 15
months earlier than me would have celebrated his 63<sup>rd</sup> birthday. For
as long as I can remember Matt was fun, serious, cerebral & goofy all at
the same time. And then, far too soon, he was gone; less than six months before
his 22<sup>nd</sup> birthday. I was only 20 at the time and like my parents,
brothers & sisters, that sudden loss in a traffic accident cut through me
like a blade so sharp that the wound would never heal. But…time heals all wounds.
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we were told. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But as time has ticked away and attempted to close that
wound all it has been able to do is dull the pain.</div>
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Time has failed. The wounds that it has always been
entrusted to healing never fully close. The pain from the loss of those you
love never fully subsides. The comfort to soothe that enduring pain comes from
those loved ones who remain; through the stories…through the shared sorrow...through the memories. Time has
done its best….but the healing only comes from those you love.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdtLO9hGgrKrzXnM2Ujg5KLy32uag42I1IrSjarhq9wpukdLFyjUrslpFC-Z-jlt38tMx5iMg_XN4aZwmdr7M85c0wMKu9toJ4EFMCvso2UY_L1zT7GrVnEfMcEQMPcYanoM-45ANERg/s1600/Matt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdtLO9hGgrKrzXnM2Ujg5KLy32uag42I1IrSjarhq9wpukdLFyjUrslpFC-Z-jlt38tMx5iMg_XN4aZwmdr7M85c0wMKu9toJ4EFMCvso2UY_L1zT7GrVnEfMcEQMPcYanoM-45ANERg/s1600/Matt.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a></div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-25317703497074664962014-02-07T15:23:00.001-08:002014-02-07T15:56:01.389-08:00Ob–La-Di, Ob-La-Da<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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To many Americans, some too young,
some too old, the anniversary taking place this weekend may be lost amid more
important things going on in their daily lives, but to me and millions of other
Americans the event taking place this weekend is ingrained in our very psyche
just as surely as those often discussed tragic “moments in time” that all of us
young & old remember like it was yesterday. For it feels exactly like
yesterday that on a night in February half a century ago school aged American
kids everywhere sat in front of their television sets (almost all in black
& white) to witness what years later would become “The Night That Changed
America”. For my family, well most of us anyway, it was a major event. With the
exception of my oldest brother who at 20 was committed to the still popular
music that eight or so years earlier gave us Elvis, Buddy Holly, The Everly
Brothers and other early Rock & Roll greats like Chuck Berry and Little
Richard, my other eight siblings and I were all as swept up in the hysteria of
that night as much as any one of the 700 people in the studio audience to watch
The Ed Sullivan Show live or the record breaking 73 million television viewers
across the country. My mom & dad were even less impressed than my 20 year
old brother but as long as we had our homework done & were ready for bed
they allowed us an extra hour of TV time that Sunday night. It was a night none
of us would ever forget….especially me. That night truly was magical for me in
a way even all these years later I cannot completely explain. Yes, like so many
other kids my age I bought every record and collected any Beatles related item
I could get my hands on and now have quite an extensive collection of Beatles
memorabilia, but it was something more. Something deeper; Something that not
every youngster that night would come away with. Oh, we all were equally as
excited and mesmerized by these four guys from England that looked and sounded
unlike anything we had experienced before, but for me it became part of what I
was all about from that day on. My musical tastes, my look and even the very
fact that I began a career that I have had the good fortune to be part of for
40 years can all be traced back to that one night. Even on my wedding day the
songs we chose were written by Lennon & McCartney. And now although it is
hard to fathom, fifty years have gone by since that night in February. Many
musical artists have come and gone, those school kids are all much older….and
much grayer, but the music of those “four lads from Liverpool” continues to
influence a whole new generation.</div>
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And now the same network that aired
that original history making broadcast at 8pm on Sunday night February 9, 1964
will air a special program marking its 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary on February
9, 2014. </div>
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So Sunday night just before eight
o’clock, get ready for bed….make sure your homework is done, and tune into CBS
television. ….and through a combination of modern day artists and memories of a
half century ago we’ll all be brought back to that age of innocence; To that
night in New York City when Ed Sullivan walked out and said:</div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">“Now
yesterday and today, our theater’s been jammed with newspapermen and hundreds
of photographers from all over the nation, and these veterans agreed with me
that this city never has witnessed the excitement stirred by these youngsters
from Liverpool who call themselves the Beatles.</span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">“Now
tonight, you’re gonna twice be entertained by them. Right now, and again in the
second half of our show. Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles!”</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">So enjoy the trip back
because as the last 50 years have proven to so many of us it will only be a
blip in time and soon we will all be back to the reality of our daily lives.
Because after all, “Ob–La-Di, Ob-La-Da……life goes on”</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZGzQtUdpACXzadizR7eVehcZNRLLB6u1Vp87DFW1QGecYZBXK8zkdOpDRFyb2CBA4MrvZ7EjTouo1fh5lQpATW2TV0hX-emv7TMIjaSz1I9DGCXHzmWLvEBEJtwQ88c1gfX-Ir6sXdI/s1600/Beatles+&+Ed+S..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZGzQtUdpACXzadizR7eVehcZNRLLB6u1Vp87DFW1QGecYZBXK8zkdOpDRFyb2CBA4MrvZ7EjTouo1fh5lQpATW2TV0hX-emv7TMIjaSz1I9DGCXHzmWLvEBEJtwQ88c1gfX-Ir6sXdI/s1600/Beatles+&+Ed+S..jpg" height="265" width="320" /></a></div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-26186279375277925972013-11-20T14:33:00.001-08:002013-11-20T14:33:40.616-08:00The Unextinguishable Light<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It’s been a year. How could that be at all possible? How
could days quickly turn into months and then remind you of all the time that
has passed? Wasn’t it just yesterday that a visit with my dad ended with a
wonderful evening with the two of us sharing a few quiet minutes together? I
think my dad knew then that it would be our last visit; although the
conversation never alluded to that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly
didn’t allow myself to think anything other than that we would talk again at
Thanksgiving….. & Christmas too. But that yesterday was our last together.
Just two days later he would be gone. And now 365 other yesterdays have come
& gone since that night. Even so, I sometimes still catch myself reaching
for the phone to just say hello. Then I remember…..his phone no longer rings.
The lamp by his chair no longer gives off light. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But through that silence and that darkness a
light <i>does </i>shine. A light that can’t be dimmed by a <i>thousand</i> yesterdays. The
light that I will always carry in my heart…illuminated by the memories I will
never forget ..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ueIXkRlTuQUwOPpHNmeeGNsMsm02vBRMfgb5w5cIgCxS9PEVBqfAp2Cv44nkplLfg0JsOowL5XQUM6kIXLVl36YSkFloxnkeV-XfVa3a4ETe6VY6vj0xfzlSU1M2bMz9cUnggYv-i7E/s1600/me+&+dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ueIXkRlTuQUwOPpHNmeeGNsMsm02vBRMfgb5w5cIgCxS9PEVBqfAp2Cv44nkplLfg0JsOowL5XQUM6kIXLVl36YSkFloxnkeV-XfVa3a4ETe6VY6vj0xfzlSU1M2bMz9cUnggYv-i7E/s320/me+&+dad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-82732980787034206692013-06-19T10:03:00.000-07:002013-06-19T10:03:48.306-07:00Happy TrailsHe was "The King Of The Cowboys" & she was "The Queen Of The West". Together they made my Saturday mornings and the Saturdays of countless other youngsters a very special time. In the area where I lived as a boy it was 11:30 until noon that took me to a place that kids don't have a chance--or maybe don't even want to go anymore. But I would be in front of the TV in plenty of time to hear the announcer introduce my favorite 30 minutes of the week:<br />
<br />
<i><b>"The Roy Rogers Show," starring Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys;
Trigger, his golden palomino; and Dale Evans, Queen of the West; with
Pat Brady, his comical sidekick; and Roy's wonder dog, Bullet.</b></i><br />
<br />
Each week Roy & Dale would fight the "bad guys" with the help of the bumbling Pat Brady driving around in his jeep named "Nellybelle". Roy's transportation was always more reliable in the saddle of the most famous palomino in TV history, Trigger.<br />
<br />
And so when I read today that The Roy Rogers Museum in Branson, MO. sold off all of its contents at auction & was closing its doors for good I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. I had never been to the museum & only saw Roy & Dale "in person" years ago when they performed at The Big E in Springfield, Massachusetts ...but still, there it was, this sense of losing something from your youth that you can never get back. The reports of the closing & auction stated that Roy told his son (who was in charge of the museum) that if it ever stopped turning a profit to sell everything off. I guess in the age of DVD's & video games a place like Roy's museum wasn't very high on the list of places that today's kids want to go. But me, I took a minute to go to You Tube just to hear that introduction one more time and spend a few minutes at the "Double R Bar Ranch"......and didn't leave until Roy & Dale sang "Happy Trails" to me one more time. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/eEqUyNaSdvg">http://youtu.be/eEqUyNaSdvg</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohPLggAgJolcr5YNqL2xPmmeAhKDe-rzrS790yy_tn06SNpXDssgBJbIdwVMuVzGjeREGv7AJyw1W_MtoT7KVJHZqPhPHEHaq_FYchTZJJmNFLiCWe5pB7p7V56Geu81h02rLUvhQPtE/s1600/Roy+&+Dale+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohPLggAgJolcr5YNqL2xPmmeAhKDe-rzrS790yy_tn06SNpXDssgBJbIdwVMuVzGjeREGv7AJyw1W_MtoT7KVJHZqPhPHEHaq_FYchTZJJmNFLiCWe5pB7p7V56Geu81h02rLUvhQPtE/s320/Roy+&+Dale+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-78646990024969744372013-04-08T14:36:00.000-07:002013-04-08T14:36:57.058-07:00Time To Act<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikj9w-xepJkd8pEMmMevBfypBViZRemg9EbnIo-Vn8tHlVqBSiXfq2pE-7UDcQwup0Ra_PDcERDvzClPlS1gcVXsQQtGdo9uv_-N2m7BT44xWXlpQG5W-dFmJ0hEFYmt5U_PBwOE6IkKM/s1600/sandy+hook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikj9w-xepJkd8pEMmMevBfypBViZRemg9EbnIo-Vn8tHlVqBSiXfq2pE-7UDcQwup0Ra_PDcERDvzClPlS1gcVXsQQtGdo9uv_-N2m7BT44xWXlpQG5W-dFmJ0hEFYmt5U_PBwOE6IkKM/s1600/sandy+hook.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We need to step back & THINK for a moment about the
legislation in front of our lawmakers in Washington right now. I don’t know if
any of you caught the Newtown, CT segment of 60 minutes last night, but if you
didn’t you should search it out on line and view it because it goes to the very
heart of why this legislation was put forth in the first place. Full
disclosure: I am not a gun owner. Not a hunter. I have never been to a shooting
range. I have only pulled the trigger of a rifle once in my life. That was in
my youth as a Boy Scout. Despite all of that I, like most Americans, feel the
time has come for a common sense approach to gun ownership in this country.
Reasonable arguments are valid on both sides. The problem is some of the
discussion on the side of gun owners is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not
</i>reasonable. Why anyone would argue against background checks before a gun
can be purchased is beyond me. Simply put: we have to start somewhere. I don’t
understand the need for assault weapons outside of the military & police
force but that should be a separate discussion at a later time. Let’s get a
handle on those who own, buy & sell weapons first. Law abiding gun owners
should be<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> backing</i> this provision! It
may not be the perfect answer but what’s wrong with making it more difficult
for those who should not have a weapon in their possession to get one in the
first place? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pass the check, have the
freedom to buy. Fail & we close off ownership to someone who we all should
be happy, gun owner or not, was refused the right to buy a gun. It won’t
completely stop the wrong people from having a weapon but even if it has the
smallest effect on keeping guns out of the wrong hands, in my mind it is worth
it. If you don’t think so…..it’s time for you to look into the eyes of those
parents who lost their children in Newtown and tell them why. </div>
Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-61961148389070436742012-12-10T10:25:00.000-08:002012-12-11T07:54:56.873-08:00A Life Well Lived<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><br />
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It’s taken me awhile to pen something…..anything…. about the heart wrenching loss that my family endured last month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the age of 95 my father died peacefully in his sleep in the very early hours of the day before Thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I thought there would be so much needed to be written about a long life so well lived by the most important & influential man in my own. Should I begin with the 12 year old boy at the very beginning of the depression? Or should it be stories of the time he spent in Oregon as a 20 something young man working in the CC camps? Maybe his time as an Ordinance Sergeant during WWII or his lifelong career working his way up to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Superintendent of Mails</i> in the U.S. Post Office. Certainly I could write about my dad meeting my mom for the very first time & the start of a special relationship that would produce eleven children in the process. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could pick just one of any of those topics & fill page after page with the stories that he told and, from more recent times, the memories that we shared during that life well lived. I could write about the times he & I spent in the last years of his life sipping on a glass of 18 year old Jameson as he talked about years gone by and the people & places that meant most to him. I think if I were to concentrate on any one aspect of his life it would be that one because it was a special time for me. Just me & my dad enjoying each other’s company over a perfect glass of Irish Whiskey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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So yes, writing about any of those things would be pages turning into chapters that would no doubt tell a wonderfully interesting story about a very special man. Instead though, I want to share with you how he left this world. I want to share it because it happened just the way he wanted it to. No hospital room, no wires or life support systems. Just his own bed in his own home covered by the blanket that his own grandmother had woven by hand from the very sheep that she raised on her farm in Canada after<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>arriving there from Ireland. Earlier in the day he enjoyed a little breakfast and then later a bowl of soup before he went into his room to rest. He closed his eyes and opened them again several hours later for the very last time as he gazed around the room where all of his children and most of his grandchildren, along with their husbands & wives and a few of his great-grandchildren had gathered to say their final goodbyes. He closed his eyes again…..and was gone. It was a time of great sadness, but in the days and weeks that followed, as the reality of life …and death set in, I was also comforted in knowing that he drew his last breath how and where he did. He wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.</div>
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Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-61438992473817210612012-09-25T13:07:00.001-07:002017-09-18T11:53:36.852-07:00My Moment In Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was one of--if not THE most--perfect days of the year. The weather of September 16 was just that. Perfect. But so too was the wonderful event that took place on that day. I waited more than a week to write about it here because for me it was such a magical day that I needed all that time to savor the day and take it all in. As you get older you tend to look back more & more frequently on your accomplishments--or at least how often you did things right against those sometimes regrettable decisions of your youth. Gladly, most of my youthful decisions where good ones. Not all certainly, but most. But as I sat quietly on that September Vermont afternoon under a cloudless sky that seemed as blue as anything I had ever experienced before I realized that one of the truly important moments in my life was taking place....the marriage of my daughter. Yes, it was her <b><i>day</i></b>....and the <i>day </i>of her new husband. It was my wife Fran's day & my son Kevin's. It was a day not likely forgotten by the hundred some odd family members & friends who sat with me that day, or stood up for the bride & groom. But it was my <b><i>moment.</i></b> In that moment I thought of so many things. The very day she was born; preschool, dance lessons, high school cheerleader & college graduation. Singing her Irish lullabies as a baby & when she was a little bit older "You've Got A Friend" (the song she chose for our dance together). In that moment I recalled every evening kiss on the forehead that she never knew I gave her & all the smiles, kisses & laughs that she has given me. In my moment it was as if I had just realized what a beautiful woman she had become for the very first time. And so, as she walked passed me as a new bride I took a deep breath to help hold back the tears-- and I suppose fill my lungs with that special moment that was quickly slipping away. Hand in hand they both walked further & further from me as I reluctantly let my moment go and grasped the realization that her life with her new husband will no doubt be a long & happy one. Of that I am grateful to the wonderful man she married that Sunday in September......but mine will never be quite the same again.Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-79343458969016195562012-04-19T13:43:00.003-07:002012-04-19T13:57:46.532-07:00Remembering Dick Clark<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilA5Xreuk-ceGwKuytXf2s4Rm75H7xULxSosf1y_I4dSMEhdXYUh712zkCpZSrblyxyQGEHdH6zZgxMFPII9L6h6357Gp2iFAAMrZ6BliSK9_gUsHS6b5mpnaDdQzA7RgHX2lLRDyf0Bo/s1600/Dick+Clark.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilA5Xreuk-ceGwKuytXf2s4Rm75H7xULxSosf1y_I4dSMEhdXYUh712zkCpZSrblyxyQGEHdH6zZgxMFPII9L6h6357Gp2iFAAMrZ6BliSK9_gUsHS6b5mpnaDdQzA7RgHX2lLRDyf0Bo/s320/Dick+Clark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733217111593671346" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">When I was just 14 or 15 I remember listening to some great radio out of Hartford, Connecticut. Disc Jockeys with names like Ken Griffen, Ron Landry & Dick Robinson. Later there was Barry Grant, Bob Marx and Dick <span class="st"><em>McDonough</em></span>. All of these guys were terrific broadcasters and even though they all had an impact on my decision to choose radio as a career, none of them left their mark on the entire industry like Dick Clark. Having a brother 10 years my senior put him at the perfect age to witness the birth of rock & roll & helped introduce me to something before I was even 10 years old that would shape my musical interest for a lifetime. That something was called “American Bandstand”. While most kids my age that were aware of this new TV show wished they could be part of the audience & get a chance to hear the music & dance, I was enamored by this smooth talking, cool looking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">(for the time)</i> host of the show that actually got to introduce the music, and the artists that sang the songs! Since his death yesterday morning many who knew & worked with Dick Clark have shared their own view of a man they knew as a consummate professional and genuinely kind human being. For just about anyone, an epitaph like that would be enough. But Dick Clark was more than that. He was a pioneer, a visionary, creating the way kids listened to music for more than a generation. Even today, more than 50 years after he first sat down behind a microphone the music industry…….and the radio industry owe him a deep debt of gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And so does that young 8 or 9 year old kid from Connecticut. So, just as Dick Clark would salute us all every time he ended any of his TV appearances as he said: "For now, Dick Clark … so long,", here’s a salute back to “America's Oldest Teenager” …..thanks for letting us “Rock, Roll & Remember”.</p>Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-52633313816810912522012-02-28T11:33:00.003-08:002012-02-28T11:47:59.854-08:00Bitter On Twitter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvED1tNWT8rRKFOcPWlG2YgD4H3nq7c_vjyyws1o7x8nr7RQXkP5fSYHSJEDZBngNXEox1AAm8y1SrVO_WiCFUr8B-iPCCUCKTF6InRVB0_Re_a5QbeMrJnRXpW3lUDDqfk5yd03uzrk8/s1600/twitter.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 118px;" 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mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">As I was watching the Oscars the other night I found it interesting that<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>actors like Christopher Plummer & Max Von Sydow who are both in their 80s now were both nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor. Plummer won out over Von Sydow, and, I should add, other actors much younger than them both for that coveted statue. Even at the age of 82 Plummer continues to do great, well respected work. I wonder if anyone was on Twitter asking who is Christopher Plummer? I write that because it really surprised me a couple of weeks ago when Twitter lit up over one of the older statesmen of Rock & Roll during this year’s Grammys.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I actually first heard about it from one of my son’s friends while we were having breakfast at his place in Dorchester, Ma. a couple of weekends ago.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was one of the most notable, if not the most repeated tweets that lit up twitter during the Grammy telecast. At first thought my reaction was “impossible!” How could anyone be so out of touch? After all this was one of the best Grammy shows I remembered seeing in awhile. Something for every generation, and although there were a few acts<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> I</i></b> was unfamiliar with, who could not know who Paul McCartney is!!? Yes, that was the tweet during his performance of “My Valentine” from his new CD.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Young people tweeting back & forth: ”who is Paul McCartney?”. I have yet to become a “tweeter” but if I were, my tweets would’ve concentrated more on the performance of Nicki Minaj or the weird net that Lady GaGa had over her face…but who is Paul McCartney?...C’mon!!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Wait a minute though. McCartney will be 70 in June.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He’s just about the same age now that Perry Como, Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire were when McCartney himself first performed in America back in the 60’s!! (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">I’m assuming those of you reading this know those names</i>). So there lies the culprit: The Grammys themselves! Something for every age group?? What were they thinking? The Grammys is a young people’s show!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Having it appeal to a wide audience is insanity! Nobody who relates to Chris Brown or Lil Wayne got McCartney’s performance & those waiting to see McCartney could’ve done without Minaj’s “Roman” and the fish net stockings that Lady GaGa mistakenly placed over her head. So what we need to do is have a new awards show. A show for the performers of the past. One that those 60 something artists can perform on & no one will tweet “who the hell is that”?? We’ll call it “The Gramps” or maybe “The Grannies”. This way everyone will have a place to perform. Actually, I’m not worried about artists like Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, The Stones, Elton John or, do I dare say it, Madonna. I think they did OK for themselves. But a show like that just might be the saving grace for a few of those performers whose ability comes more from computer generated sound than any <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">exceptional</i> ability. Only time will tell. Great performers can stand that test of time. Christopher Plummer proved that last night……and even that guy that a lot of those tweeters didn’t know during the Grammys has done pretty well for himself. Oscar & actors like Plummer & Von Sydow have been going strong for more than 80 years. Artists like McCartney for nearly 50. So Whether they’re Academy Awards, Grammy Awards or someday maybe The Gramps or Grannies, only a few will be special enough to get that very special tweet: “ Who the hell was that??” </p>Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8311380165767719210.post-23817164811529741802012-02-06T12:31:00.000-08:002012-02-06T12:43:33.849-08:00Maybe Next Time...If There Is One<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">I certainly missed in predicting the outcome of the Patriots chances in Super Bowl XLVI. As a Patriots fan I was anxious about the game, but fairly confident that they could pull out a victory over the New York Giants & history would not repeat itself. The inaccuracy of my prediction is the only thing that gives me hope that the Tom Brady led Patriots may still have a bit of life left in them for another run at the Lombardi Trophy because after that heart wrenching loss last night I really got the feeling that we had seen the last gasp of this proud franchise and their dominance of the AFC. I could write paragraph after paragraph full of reasons why I think they lost that game but the simple fact is they missed their chances to put the game away because they could not execute. Something the Giants were far better at doing. That kind of play by The Pats seems to have reared its head several times this season but Tom Brady & his offense were able to keep winning games despite the teams obvious weaknesses. This time though Brady & his team just weren’t sharp enough to compete at the level they needed to win. So perhaps the best days of the Brady/Belichick era are now behind them. If so, it was a great ride… but my record on predictions does give me a little hope for the future. Maybe, just maybe we can put it all together one more time. But I’m not predicting anything….or should I??!! <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p>Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13908390138043401139noreply@blogger.com0