MEDIA-RELATED STUFF: OBSERVATIONS AND THOUGHTS FROM THE WEEK BEFORE LABOUR DAY

I can understand why Richard Syrett gave up "The Conspiracy Show." Moses isn't going to be around forever and, if AM 740 were to come under new ownership, anything that doesn't boost the Trudeau agenda is hard to sell.

As far as their playlist is concerned, Moose FM Bancroft has got it right bang on. However, what seriously hampers them is their lack of anncrs or interesting pre-recorded features in certain dayparts.

Man, Ryan Seacrest sounds a lot older.

Picked up Froggy 97 Watertown tonight.     

Caught an episode of that show "Nanalan" and man, did it suck. Would it have killed them to have the grandmother talk properly? Also, Mona is supposed to be three years old but she can barely speak.

DX LOG 8/28

Had excellent DX during the 1:00 hour this morning, even picking up some new catches. An asterisk indicates I logged the station after I got up this morning as opposed to late last night.

88.1 K-Love station from upstate New York with Christian contemporary music.

88.3 Family Life radio station from upstate New York with Christian contemporary music.

89.1 the Point Brockport with Kate Bush "Running Up That Hill", a new one from Green Day and other songs with no ID in at least four songs worth of listening.

89.5 CIUT Toronto with reggae show.

Jazz 90.1 Greece with jazz.

*91.5 WXXI Rochester with classical music.

*92.5 WBEE Rochester with country.

*93.1 WNTQ Syracuse with CHR.

*93.7 CKOL     Campbellford too faint to really make out anything specific.

*94.5 WNED-FM Buffalo with classical, then it faded out and an unid. station faded in with contemporary music.

Radio 95.1 Rochester with unknown talk show, after I woke up the "best" of "Rover's Morning Glory."

96.1 the Breeze (WMSX) Buffalo with Pink "Get the Party Started" and ID about "the hardest working city in America."        

96.5 WCMF Rochester with classic rock.

96.9 Rock Buffalo with Metallica and ID about "Buffalo's original rock station."

97.5 WFRY (Froggy 97 Watertown with country.

100.5 unid. Pure Country station apparently with overnight syndicated show but didn't hear an anncr.

101.3 WRMM Rochester with light AC music.

Star 102.5 Buffalo with Nellie "Hot in Here (Herre)."

103.3 WEDG Buffalo with alternative rock.

103.5 WYRK with country.

Hits 104.1 Buffalo with commercial, ID and then into eighties song.

104.5 CHUM-FM Toronto with hot AC music.

104.7 K-Love station from upstate New York with female anncr talking with female caller about ways to deal with misbehaving children.

107.7 country station from Buffalo with music and ID.

MEDIA-RELATED STUFF: MISCELANEOUS STUFF FROM THIS WEEK

Ian Punnett had a couple good shows on "Coast to Coast" the nineteenth and twentieth.

I checked out the comments on the Puget Sound Radio board about the Lisa LaFlamme situation. They truly did inform me more about the issue, especially the one about checking out what kind of severance package and stock dividend she might have gotten.

That's right, IHeart Media, appoint the area president for Alaska as the simultanious area president for Hawaii. Makes a lot of sense, both culturally and travelwise.

CNN, let me give you some suggestions regarding your overhaul. Dedicate your programming to covering world news, you know, all seven continents, all 210 nations. Dump all the opinion shows and simply tell us what's happening. That way you'll win the respect you've never had, even before you became a total horror show.

YouTube, I do not appreciate having to skip both ads separately now.

Let's hope the performers at KidsFest sing better than Brian Ellis.

MEDIA-RELATED STUFF: THIS WEEK'S BROADCAST DIALOGUE

        Happy retirement to Ed Lawrence, the "plant doctor" on CBC's "Ontario Today."

To me, Aaron Thompkins seems like a case of failing upward. How is it he only hosted "Classic Country Sunday" for a few weeks and now, several years later, he's temporarily co-hosting the Mix 97 morning show?

Thanks for the new podcasts, Accessible Media. "Tripping on Air" sounds worth checking out. Among the other three, one sounds self-serving, one is on a topic about which I don't care and the other one seems redundant, seeing as how if people don't know how to use a screen-reader, how are they going to access the podcast?

As far as all the flap about Lisa LaFlamme is concerned, did anyone actually expect she was going to be the next Lloyd Robertson? Conventional TV was in trouble ten years ago when she took over as national news anchor and TV's plight has only gotten worse since then. Plus, with that butchy monotone I'm surprised she lasted as long as she did.

REPLY AWL

Though I often rag on the mainstream media and will continue to do so, I really enjoyed a lot of the content in the most recent issues of the magazines I receive from CELA (the Centre for Equitable Library Access.)            

My heart was warmed by the book excerpt in the June issue of Reader's Digest (Canada) about the dad teaching his daughters to fly fish, something you don't often think of girls doing and enjoying. I also got my heart heated up with the article about the family trying to find the source of moths in their parents house while their father was dying.

In the June and July editions of Maclean's, I enjoyed the Moving articles, although to do what those featured did you'd probably have to have a pretty penny. I also felt informed by the profile of Faozia, the article about Kidcore and the piece about the future of malls.

The May/June issue of Canadian Geographic was chocked full of interesting articles as always.

As an ironic watcher of "Degrassi Junior High/High" back when CBC reran it around the turn of the millennium (and having read and parodied one of her books), I enjoyed the profile of Susin Nielsen in the Summer issue of Good Times. I also liked the article on Vermont in the same magazine.

Surprisingly, there were several articles in the May/June issue of Chatelaine I found interesting. I thought the article about incontinence (a sponsored article, no less) was well-written, balanced and well-researched. I especially appreciated the fact the sponsor, though mentioned as such at the beginning, didn't push their product in the article and, in fact, only once referred to their product's category in a general way, right next to a quote that such products shouldn't be used for too long. I also appreciated the article about incest, as this is a sin that needs to be a lot more exposed. I even got a few chuckles out of the "One Last Thing" column. 

NORTH OF THE EQUATOR

By Cyril Dabydeen. Vancouver, BC: Beach Holme Publishing, 2001.

One of the best short story collections I've read in a long time.

The author will take you from Canada to the Caribbean and back again. Dabydene is capable of writing well both from the perspective of a man and that of a woman.

Stand-out stories include the title story, "Fagin and His Friends", and "Bernia."

Purchase it here.  

ANOTHER INTERESTING DVD

Came across a dvd (actually recorded on two dvds) from the mid 2010s of a concert by southeastern Ontario gospel group The Proverbs. The show took place at Trinity United Church in Madoc sometime in the Christmas season. One highlight was The Proverbs getting people from the audience to come up and help them sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The volunteers were laughing and flubbing their lines. The concert was introduced, the introduction also including an opening prayer, by Karen Bailey. 

INTERESTING AUDIO

Came across a tape from October 4, 1997, recorded by an older woman. From her brief comments on the cassette, it seems like she was making it for a pen pal. The contents consisted of the Dolly Parton album "My Tennessee Mountain Home" and a Patsy Cline album. 

ANOTHER BLAST FROM THE PAST

Came across a segment from a Canadian radio show called "Country Road" featuring a live session from Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. The anncrs first name was dick and he mentioned playing in a band called Green Meadow. A couple things Dick said make me think "Country Road" was produced in the Maritimes. The broadcast was on an lp which was dubbed onto a tape by a person putting the external microphone of a tape recorder up against the speaker of a record player. A copy of this record is available on Amazon for sixty dollars. 

A THOUSAND YEARS AND THEN FOREVERMORE

Proverbs 10 11

The thousand year reign of Jesus is the life worth living for and only through Him can you get there by joining His church.

Jesus is the Lord and the Saviour of the world. Amen.

Doug 

LIVE TO PLEASE THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Does your lifestyle offend the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Comforter and the Deliverer of truth from God? When the Holy Spirit is leading you, He empowers you in the faith, redemption and the trusting in the power of being baptised and washed in the blood of Jesus Christ's cross as you begin to learn its purpose, its meaning and its restoration with you.

The Holy Spirit does not take your steps for you, only shine the light on God's path for you. It is your choice to follow or not.

Doug 

TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE

    The people you meet

In this world of God's stolen crown

It seems that most are lost

But some are found.

Some are evil

And live under the ground,

But when you walk in Christ's light

You see the ones who are bound,

As they're being led to a place

Where there is a terrible sound,

After listening to Satan

And not Jesus on His mound,

With God's grace and God's glory

And His love all around.

Doug

 

BEING A MEMBER OF THE LORD'S ARMY

When God is your general, Satan is your enemy, the loser from the beginning. Satan's power is broken lies and misleading deceptions and God's power kills 185 thousand of His enemy with one strike of His double-edged sword of truth, wrath and redemption of the two edges and the right hand that swings them.

Doug 

SATAN DEVOURS AND JESUS EMPOWERS

Phillipians 4 8 

God will destroy all evil and there will be a new beginning with the wedge of sin removed. It seems that God is only waiting for His people to come together in the power of His great I Am I Am I Am: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit: love, forgiveness, and the true direction of God's purpose in our lives.

We are not here for ourselves, we are here for Him by His grace, by His wisdom, for His purpose.

Doug     

MEDIA-RELATED STUFF

So "The View" is a daytime talk show about the news but the hostesses can't even be bothered to bone up on basic facts about newsmakers, such as what the first lady's background is in. Either that or the producers can't be bothered to supply that information.

I don't see how streaming is the future for radio. Was hankering for some top forty radio last night so I thought I'd stream Hot 107.9 Syracuse. Turns out, since of course its an IHeart Radio station, I would have had to download the namesake app, which I can't be bothered to do. I found a station on YouTube instead which satisfied me. I don't want to have to download five bloody apps from five different companies just to be able to listen to out of range terrestrial radio.

My spell of excellent FM summer dx has come to an end for now. Couldn't pick up anything tonight. 

THERE IS NO LAW REQUIRING AMERICANS TO PAY INCOME TAX

    I had heard this before, and this video, which I believe is an excerpt of "From Freedom to Fascism", tells you what you need to know or, at least, does a good job of whetting your appetite. 

This video, though dry, explains a whole lot more.

I would be interested in knowing what the truth is regarding income tax here in Canada.

RADIO-RELATED STUFF: 93Q SYRACUSE

Have been listening to a lot of 93Q Syracuse, a station I'd caught but never really listened to before,  in the past week and here are my comments. 

How many things do Ted and Amy host on that station?

I enjoyed the "Street Talk" interview with that community living organization Sunday night.

I think only having "The Top Nine at 9" once a week is a mistake.

Incidentally, its so cool that Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" is a hit on top forty radio now. I've said since I was a teenager top forty radio should be more like in the UK where older songs can re-enter the charts. Now all we need to do is start including novelty songs.

I love that Zoom Tan commercial and the fact they schedule it first in the break to blend in with the music is a brilliant decision on the part of the traffic manager.

IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SICK?

We’re all sick, I don’t mean physically, but spiritually.  There’s a pandemic that has gone on since Adam and Eve fell, the pandemic of sin.  It’s way

more insidious than AIDS, typhoid, Covid, and Monkey Pox.  Is there a vaccine for it?  Yes, and it comes in the form of a relationship with Jesus.

Saturday I had a bit of a headache, and thought little of it.  It had been really hot and humid, so I just thought my body wasn’t reacting well to the

heat.  

Sunday I got a runny nose, and again thought, ok, it’s just late season allergies.  Sunday night I barely slept, and when I woke the next morning

had muscle aches as if I had skied an entire day before with out breaks.  I also had a nagging cough, slight sore throat, and had lost almost my entire

appetite.  I asked someone who helps me out to come up and bring a covid test and thermometer.  I did the test, and in seconds found out I had covid. 

Was I scared?  Not in the least.  I called first my biological family, some friends, and then some church elders.  I also consulted the Great Physician,

because his clinic never has shortages, line ups, or paperwork.

How am I? Definitely not 100%, but God’s got this, and he will heal me.

Gillie

 

Update 08/17:

Today I got a call from Public Health saying that since my symptoms began eleven days earlier I could release myself from quarantine.

Thank you to all the people who prayed, supported, and encouraged me.  I would also like to thank the folks on the frontlines, as they tirelessly work to end this pandemic. 

Gillie

                          

 

THE TRUTH ABOUT PAUL BUNYAN

I'd heard the tall tale of this giant, broad man as a kid, but I never looked into whether there was anything factual behind him until today. This article sheds light on the man and the history behind the story. 

THE TRUTH ABOUT ROBIN HOOD

It is unclear whether the merry outlaw of Sherwood Forest ever actually existed, but what makes this article worth reading is its information on the early iterations of the tale. Just shows you how a story can be altered over time. 

ALAN CROSS DISSECTS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

I really enjoyed this video and now I am passing it on to you. This is for anyone who has ever thought there were some strange things in this nearly two hundred year old Christmas poem. 

THE MOUNTAIN OF FAITH

    The trail that leads to the Lord, our God and Creator, is not an easy one; its like climbing a mountain by yourself for the first time with no experience to fall back on and only God knows where you are. 

When you start to seek God's truth you will stumble and fall, possibly during many attempts but when God's faith is your mountain to climb God's right hand will be there to pick you up, dust you off and prepare you to try again. The more times you return to God's mountain of faith the more wise you become to the snakes and snares who want to cause you to fall and then the day is at hand that you stand at our Lord God's summit where the glory of His creation is the vision you see and know that only by God's grace are you there seeing it.

If you are a man or woman of prayer you will pray and if you are not, you'll start because now you must climb down the mountain of faith. That can be more dangerous than climbing up but God will clear your way so that you can tell all who you meet where you have been and what you have seen. Only by prayer and through God's word can non-believers begin to see. Most will not and curse you from their hate.        

Humility walks the path of truth, pride walks the path of destruction. Lies lead to more lies but truth leads to more truth in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Doug

GLORIFYING GOD (NOT ME) WITH MY GIFTS

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

— Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

 

 

Support Us

 

An interview with Trish Tough: a TBL Volunteer Narrator

 

I'd rather have Jesus than worldly applause

I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause

I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame

Yes, I'd rather be true to His holy name

— “I’d Rather Have Jesus” by Rhea Miller / George Beverly Shea

Trish Tough studied theatre arts in a Montreal university as she wanted to be an actress for all the glory she could attain - attention, fame, wealth, popularity, and the feeling of celebrity stardom. Yet God had another plan for her when she became a Christian during her second year of her three-year theatre arts program. She moved to Toronto after completing the program to pursue an acting career and received few minor roles after many auditions. Slowly God transformed and convicted her, and she would not act in or even audition for ungodly scenes or be dressed in outfits that were previously “alright” for her. After a long struggle, she decided not to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress as her career. Being a young Christian (and the only one in her family) and losing her dream was frightening.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

For fear has to do with punishment,

and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

— 1 John 4:18

This verse reminded her that God’s love is perfect and all she had to do was to trust Him. Instead of acting on stage, she worked as a receptionist at a company that produced radio and TV commercials. She was later in charge of the voice-over audition library there. Soon after, God blessed her with a role of being a full-time mother to three lovely daughters. Her new goal was to be a godly wife and mother for her family, to help them take root in biblical truth. Prior to COVID, her family would serve at her previous home church in Newmarket in various ministries, one of which was the drama ministry where shows with songs and gospel messages were written and produced for both believers and non-believers. It was a joy for Trish to serve God and it satisfied her acting bugs for almost twenty years.

One day, her church friend who was also a member of the Board of Directors at the Talking Book Library introduced to her the organization. With her experience in voice recording from the commercial company, she was immediately drawn to TBL’s mission and volunteered as a narrator after an audition at the office. One of the books that she narrated, George Beverly Shea: Tell Me the Story by Paul Davis, had a tremendous impact on her. Shea’s autobiography contained so many enriching thoughts for reflections that it took her one year to complete narration. Trish had personally learned much from Shea that she would read and re-read a section, praying that God would help her express Shea’s story that had moved her so that the same story can touch another person’s life as well. She was particularly encouraged at how Shea was very clear on God’s purpose for him, which was to use his singing talents to prepare people’s heart to receive God’s message preached through Billy Graham. Shea understood well that to sing on stage in front of the mass audience was not for his own glory but for God’s glory. In a similar way, Trish was comforted to know from Shea’s life that she was more blessed to give up her dream of becoming an actress on a secular stage for personal fame in order to pursue God’s ministry plans for her for His glory. As in the song “I’d Rather Have Jesus”, composed by George Beverly Shea, staying true to Jesus’ name is a higher calling than to achieve worldly applause and fame. Over the years, Trish has wholly experienced what was written in Jeremiah 29:11 — “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Whether it is through the church drama ministry or book narration, Trish is thankful that God uses her gift of being able to translate written words into emotion for someone else to hear the message. To Trish, God wants to transform people’s lives through His words, whether we are hearing or reading it. The Bible is alive, and it is wonderful to witness its fruits lived out by people in contemporary stories that are relevant to us. Trish prays that those who are visually impaired will be surrounded by God-fearing and spirit-led believers who will show them from the Bible that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. After all, God loves them and has a purpose for them too!

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

    If listeners can no longer call into talk radio because they are under constant video         surveillance at work then what's the point of having talk radio?

Have been having a lot of good dx the last couple days, picking up stations from upstate New York (mainly Rochester) and Toronto, including CHUM-FM, CIUT and CJRT.

On its Road Trip Long Weekend, did the Wolf Peterborough include any clips from anything besides the Vacation movies?

That top 100 road trip songs My Broadcasting produced was kind of neat. 

Sad to hear about the death of Larry Josephson, former producer for NPR. His revival of Bob and Ray, which I heard re-runs of on "The WRVO Playhouse" in the late nineties, was what got me into that hilarious duo.

THOSE SPLIT SECOND MOMENTS THAT CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES

Are you the kind of person who is able to decide something in the time that it takes to snap your fingers, or are you more known for thinking things through and considering the consequences?

I read of a man who got in the back of his friend’s pickup truck following a rugby match, fell asleep, and woke up in hospital.  The truck was hit by a drunk driver sending him through the back of the cab, out the front windshield, and off the other car.  He suffered serious life changing injuries, but he was the only survivor.  

You might remember this story from my blog about what drives you.

When I was roughly 15-years-old I was horribly bullied at school, and when you don’t have people around to take your side you get really depressed.  It was actually around three weeks after my 15th birthday when I decided that life was no longer worth living.  I was born with a heart defect, and knew where it was, I also knew where my dad kept the steak knives.  I had heard there was away to cut the defect to create the most hemorrhage to create quick death.  

The moment I lifted the knife to my chest my sister, then 13 walked in asking, “What the blank are you doing?”  

I was honest, and responded, “I hate my life, no one’s going to miss me.” I stood there gripping the knife tighter. 

“Put the knife down!” my sister exclaimed. 

“No, I don’t want to be here anymore.”  

My sister looked at me, and said, “I will tell our parents.”  She moved slightly closer, “Put the knife down Gill!” she pleaded. 

“If I do, please don’t tell Mom and Dad.”  

I put down the steak knife, but my sister didn’t keep her end of the promise. At dinner she blurted out, “Gill tried to commit suicide this afternoon!”  

I was angry, but now, because of her quick thinking, I’m here today.

We seem to think we can do things completely sans help, but we can’t.  When one chooses Jesus they are no longer drowning in their previous lives.  Self seems to die off like a neglected gangrenous limb, and life, though not always smooth is all the better.

Gillie