Wow!

MIKE! from my studio here sent out a notice that it is my birthday today and I've been getting Birthday Greetings from all around the globe.

Some have gotten quite creative.

Below... a greeting from a friend from my UMass Marching Band Days - who ALSO was a friend of my future wife while she was at Smith College (though I didn't meet her until 12 years later) SMALL WORLD!

This is a HOOT!

 

Thanks Everyone!

In light of my last post on Facebook I thought I'd share this little compilation of Ho's that have come across my studio console over time.

For your listening pleasure.

Happy Holidays!

Save Me From the Ho Ho Ho's!

Here's another great article from my good friend Dan Kennedy

Enjoy!

John

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Burning Desire
by Dan Kennedy

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"I've been around only a few people who have exhibited
sustained burning, overwhelmingly intense desire to
accomplish a particular goal or learn a particular skill and
it's my observation that such people rarely waiver from an
optimistic, enthusiastic, constructive attitude. Fire in the
belly seems to prevent distractions in the mind."


Do you have a goal, a mission or a passion that is so
powerful that it ignites a fire in your belly? If you
answered "yes", congratulations. If you answered "no", it's
never to late to discover it.

----

P.S.Discover Essential Dan Kennedy Principles and Strategies Swiped
From The World of Direct Marketing To SUPERCHARGE ANY BUSINESS OR
SALES CAREER
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Many of you know in addition to being a voice actor and producer that I have a passion for drumming and a big fan of the band RUSH from Canada.

I think part of my interest in drumming comes from watching RUSH's drummer Neil Peart (Pronounced "Peert"). For those who don't know about Mr. Peart, he is considered one of, if not the best, rock drummers in the world.

Back in the 1990s Neil was stuck in his playing. He was amazing back then and a casual observer might ask "He's the best. Why does he need to get better"?

But Neil felt his playing could improve, so he sought out a coach to help him with his playing. He found Jazz great Freddy Gruber who taught him a new way to hold his sticks, that the space between the hits on the drum head were just as important as the hits themselves.

Freddy worked with Neil and he relearned his drumming from the ground up. His drum kit was set up differently. He re-learned the drums after 30 years of playing.

What compels someone to do that? Excellence.

Neil also did something interesting. He went outside his field to find a coach. It's no accident that Neil went to find a new way to improve his craft by asking a Jazz player instead of another rock drummer.

Sometimes it's better to go outside your area of expertise to get a different perspective and achieve the most growth.

Who needs a coach? In my opinion, anyone who wants to achieve excellence in what they're passionate about.

It's hard to believe 10 years have almost passed since that terrible day when Al Qaeda Terrorists attached our country. We were all touched by loss that day, either directly, or indirectly. A High School friend of mine, Ted Hennessy was on the first plane that crashed into the World Trade Center.
Ted and I weren't super close friends. He was a year older than I, but we were in Cub Scouts together. His father was the Pack leader. We were in band together for many years, went to the same church. Ted was a very talented musician, and what a whit. Cutting, hysterical and... kind.
I didn't see Ted much after he graduated High School, but he worked for a company that provided printing software that was used in my parents' business. He trained my folks how to use it. In short, both our families lives intersected in many ways.
It's odd, sometimes, how we as people measure time and that somehow, in some way 10 years, a decade... has slightly more significance than say 7, 8 or 9 years. It's something we all do. And so we do it this year in remembering that terrible day, that horrible and painful time.
I went through my archives and came across an audio montage of clips I pulled from our sister station WBZ AM 1030's broadcast on 9-11-01 and the days following. I combined it with other clips we had archived from coverage of another tragedy here in Worcester, Massachusetts where several fire fighters were killed battling a warehouse blaze a few years earlier.
I set the piece to Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man." Putting it together was part of my grieving process. It was what I could contribute at the time. It was the only thing I could think to do.
It aired several times during the few days after 9/11/01. It has not aired since.
I present it to you now, in memory of Ted, the First Responders and Service Members and all of us who lost a little more innocence that day.

9-11 Firefighters

Ok... In the land of Equality of Opportunity Vs. Equality of Outcome, this one has me a little more than bewildered. Indulge me, for this post is dripping with sarcasm. You might want an umbrella.

Economics professor Daniel S. Hamermesh of the University of Texas at Austin is proposing another class for Affirmative Action... for ugly people. The professor has done some research and from all appearances he's got figures that prove "Ugly people" earn fewer dollars over their lifetimes than "Good Looking people." Life just isn't fair, is it?

Hey professor! When I was a kid I wanted to play in the NBA. Guess what? I'm 5 feet 11 inches and I can't shoot straight to save my life. That's not fair either.

He claims ugly people can't really change their ugliness. Therefore, in his opinion, ugly people should get affirmative action... uh... what's the term here... benefits/protections?

Seriously? How are we going to determine this? Isn't "beauty in the eye of the beholder"?

What if someone dropped a few pounds or got a different haircut, or a nose job, or dental bonding, etc? Will this take them out of the "Ugly" pool? Will plastic surgeons be put out of business because people won't get as much plastic surgery because they get better benefits being ugly? Did you ever think of that, professor? Maybe we should then give affirmative action protection to plastic surgeons to help them out too.

Will we be setting up yet another government review board so people who feel less than comfortable in their appearance can get their official "Ugly Stamp of Approval"? What kind of acronym can we come up with for this? Here's one: "BURP" Board of Ugly Review Process. Here's another: "DUPE" Department for Ugly People Equality. How about another? "BUPKIS" Bureau for Ugly Persons Kindness In Society"

Picture this. A person walks into the "BUPKIS" and says: "I want to be a protected class, because I think I'm ugly. Please label me 'Ugly'."

"Whaddya think? Is he really ugly or not?"

"Looks pretty ugly to me."

"Me too."

"Whoooooooooo Weeeeee! You're Ug-guh-ly!"

"All those in favor of deeming the person 'Ugly' say 'Aye'."

"Aye!"

"Congratulations, you're officially 'Ugly.' Here's a paper bag. Please put it on."

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!"

What about the Fugly people? Will they get "Uber Ugly" Status?

I don't think I'm ugly, but I've "got a face for radio" and I've done pretty well, if I do say so.

To me this is utter nonsense. Our economy is on the ropes. Businesses aren't hiring because of the uncertain business environment and costly regulations and this guy Hamermesh wants to add "Ugly" into the mix. Spoken like a true professor who hasn't a clue about running a business. Maybe he does, but I doubt it if he's got time to study ugly stats.

This is an ugly idea that should get neither affirmation nor any action to further the cause.

So last week I went to the laundry room at the Condo to do a load of laundry only to find all 4 washers full of washed clothes. The wash cycle was completed.

Always kind of a weird situation. I stood their thinking, "Do I wait, or should I move the clothes and do my laundry"? Then the another thought occurred to me. "These clothes could just be sitting here. Who knows when their owners might return?"  I've been in this situation before and moved the clothes without incident.

This time was different....

The couple came back to find I had moved their laundry to the clean laundry table in the room and proceeded to harangue me about not following "The Rules".... blah blah yadda yadda.

Back and forth we went - to neither sides' satisfaction.

So I took the question to the masses.
I went on the air about it and asked the Boston Radio Listening Public to weigh in.

Listen to My Story:

The Great Laundry Room Incident

And Here's What the Listener's Had to Say:

The Great Laundry Room Incident: The Listeners Weigh In

What do you have to say? I'd love your feedback!

Here's a little something I put together at the request of the Morning Show for April Fool's Day.

The humor is a little sick, but hey, it's April Fool's Day. It's a joke.

For your listening err..... pleasure?

Make My Baby Beautiful

I would rather be rich through hard work and remain frustrated with lazy people who are spoon-fed by government programs than be a lazy person, reliant on the generosity of taxpayers and the government who resents rich people.