Holden Lives On

Many of us have read "Catcher In The Rye" by J.D. Salinger.

Love it or hate it, the 1951 book has become an American classic. Did you read it in school? It's about a misunderstood teenager named Holden Caulfield. In real life, it was the book Mark David Chapman had in his pocket when he assassinated John Lennon, making "Catcher" all that more eerie. It was the only full length book Salinger published. School board and religious organizations objected to the book that was sprinkled with profanities, making it an odd choice for "required reading in high school.

There are some of us who relate to the main character in "Catcher" - Holden Caulfield.He's a confused character with the angst of James Dean and the mental innocence of Michael Jackson. Holden's perspective was that "everyone is a phony". As I recall, when Holden saw the "F" word written on a wall, it upset him so much that he wanted to become a type of "catcher" who rescued kids (in the rye) before they lost their innocence the the phoniness of the world.

Salinger, the author, became a recluse after the publication and barely spoke to press for 40 years. The mystery of the real man began. He declined all requests to talk about the book, the characters and rejected every offer to bring "Catcher" to film, even coming from Hollywood's most notable stars including Steven Spielberg and Leonardo Dicaprio.

Many people say the movie "Finding Forrester" starring Sean Connery is loosely based on the life of Mr. Salinger.

Me? Ya, I remember reading "Catcher" in Grade 11 and after all these years I still have it on my bookshelf.

J.D. Salinger died yesterday. But Holden lives on.

What's Wrong With Blogging?

I was listening to Ben and Woody on the LIFE Breakfast Club this morning talking about blogging. Woody shared about an L.A. advice columnist who wants more politeness on public blogs.

So how nice do our blogs have to be? Can we state opinions? Be personal? Where does meanness begin?

On my blog, I feel very comfortable being transparent about my life - my feelings, my health, some personal situations. For the most part I try to keep my thoughts positive and uplifting although I'll admit there have been one or two occasions where I may have over shared and stepped on toes.

Sorry.

My blog is a bit like a written version of something I might talk about on the radio. And you may not always agree with my blog or my radio stories - and that's ok. I probably disagree with some of your ideas, too. It's just commentary.

No, blogs should not be gossipy. I enjoy blogs that are insightful and help me to think of things from a different point of view.

Listeners have told me "I dont think you should say THAT on the radio!" I disagree that everything a DJ says on the radio must be positive. Do you agree with everything your friends say? Probably not. Do you agree with Don Cherry? No - nobody does! Haha! It's just commentary. And it's ok to say how you feel.

Blogs are the new version of a "letter to the editor". We write them - you can comment below.

Do you agree?

The Answer To The Question

A bunch of questions are in my email box.

Question: "Where are you playing with the band Ascension?" Answer: Looks like my band has disbanded. One of our musicians has health problems and withdrew. So, I'm looking for a band where I can play drums on an irregular basis.

Question: "do you miss being on the air?". Answer: no, not really. The only part I miss is the show preparation which keeps me in touch with current events. If I don't show prep, I feel out of touch with entertainment and world news.

Question - "why are you off the air?" Answer: I feel like I have nothing new to say. I've been on the radio for 32 years, with a short break here and there. I'm sure I'll return. In fact, I'll fill in for Jen Melanson during her holidays, but as for a permanent return - we'll have to wait and see.

Question - "do you like speaking at churches?" Answer: I really do. I like seeing how other churches worship - different music styles, some charasmatic, some conservative, different pastors each with their own characteristics. Most of the time the Sunday speaking engagements are good fun. It's fun to worship with a different group of people every month.

Question - "what music are you listening to now?" Answer: In my iPod the most played songs are:

"We Weren't Born To Follow"/Bon Jovi
"Can't Stay Away"/Kris Allen
"Down And Out"/Hello Kelly and To Tell
"No Be Nah"/John Reuben
"Salvation Is Here"/Lincoln Brewster

Thanks for the questions. Have a great night!

Pefferlaw Rocks!

I got very little sleep last night and you know when you have an early date in the morning, the anxiety of not getting a good night's sleep contributes to a really bad sleep. Well, with no sleep, we had an amazing time at Cedardale Church in Pefferlaw this morning. Junky picked me up at 7:30 - yawn. Good ride - great weather.

Pastor Ken is an amazing cheerleader for LIFE. He really researched us well because alot of the time when they introduce me, they say something wrong - like LIFE-FM or 100 point 3, or something.

Even with Pefferlaw being on the fringe of our listening area, they still partner with us. I was surprised to see an advertisement for Air Raid 17 in their lobby! Everyone was so encouraging. Nice!

Thanks for the love offering!

What A Retarded Day

I woke up feeling a bit "off". You know ... things just not clicking. Not feeling myself. My first assignment was to give a speech at Georgian College about starting a business - obviously the story of LIFE 100.3. It's a great story. I love to tell it because it's amazing - AND - the story evolves.

So while I didn't feel myself at 8am, the students had questions, made the class enjoyable and it ended up pretty good I think.

Then at 10am things went from stupid to worse.A cranky listener blasts me on email because we don't have a link to Haiti on our website. (Even though on air appealing for Haiti with a variety of initiatives.)

Another listener whining because we've decided to play U2 on LIFE "and I'm pulling my support if you're gonna play their music." Of course they don't sign their name.

Another listener doesn't like the fact that we're playing Creed on LIFE. Again, no signature.

Then, Boston Pizza messed up the dinner order.

But there was a glimmer of hope in my day. NBC finally fired Conan O'Brien! Praise the Lord.

And even better - I see my psychologist tomorrow. Maybe he can figure out my shitty week.

Have "a nice" weekend.

Pre-Shows!

Air Raid 17 is coming! Actually, it's been coming for a year and a half. The last big show was Air Raid 16 with Stellar Kart - and it was big! Technically, we beefed up the production and, we think, we out did ourselves.

To ramp up to 17, we added Air Raid pre-shows.

The first show was in Newmarket January 15 at the Valleyview Alliance Church. Ryan Bordihn was the opening act along with his fanbase. Then The Light Division, who are on the roster for Air Raid 17, hit the stage, playing most of their CD tracks. Good spirit. Good venue. Definitely a church audience.

The second pre-show was January 16 in Peterborough at The Bridge/Youth For Christ. Here We Stand was the opening act from Lakefield. They surprised us as we expected a rock act and they performed all familiar worship songs. The Bridge is a youth centre in downtown Peterborough that is a hangout for mostly non-church kids, so the worship music emptied the place out, except for the parents' of the Here We Stand.

Then To Tell featuring Zach Havens hit the stage doing tracks from his EP including the radio- hit "Closer To You". To Tell is one of the performers at Air Raid 17.

Now the pre-shows are done. Now all we need is Group 1 Crew to get to town to headline Air Raid 17.

Haiti

Turn on the radio, or TV, or open the newspaper - everywhere - it's all about Haiti. My impression is that humanitarian organizations are responding quickly, more so than Katrina. Maybe the world is getting better at responding with compassion.

As a Christian I wonder - why does God allow a horrible earthquake in a country that is already suffering in every way I can imagine?

Wiki says "before the 2010 earthquake, nearly half the causes of deaths have been attributed to HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, meningitis and diarrheal diseases, including cholera and typhoid, according to the World Health Organization. Ninety percent of Haiti's children suffer from waterborne diseases and intestinal parasites and 30,000 people suffer each year from malaria."

Then there's the economy, if you can call it that. Meanwhile, you and I are resting on the beach at an all-you-can-eat resort in the Dominican, right next door, to hell in Haiti.

Spiritually, Haiti is mostly Christian country, with Roman Catholicism professed by 80% of Haitians. Protestants make up about 16% of the population.

We see it on the news and we turn the channel to Letterman, thinking, "World Vision or Samaritian's Purse will take care of it".

I think God allows horrible earthquakes to happen just to see how the wealthy people of the world will respond. Will we "say a prayer"? Will we turn the TV channel? Do we sit in our offices expecting our "rich employers" to write a cheque so we don't have to? Or will we make it personal and send what we can? Or, maybe we are equipped ourselves and can go and help where help is needed?

I know I am unequipped for humanitarian relief. I know nothing about health or construction or how to deal with drugs and violence. But I have a heart for people who have nothing. So I can send money through organizations that I believe in. And I work at LIFE 100.3 and use it to connect equipped people with resources.

That's it. That's what God is saying to me. God is giving me a chance to show my love and resources and money to those in need.

Where Am I Going?

Hey friends. I've decided to take a break and get off the air for a while. I'm facing a situation where I don't feel I have anything more to say. This has happened to me a couple of times - once here at LIFE a few years ago. Musicians call it writer's block. I don't know what DJs call it.

I think if I had to play one more Mark Schultz song I was going to scream! Haha.

You'll still hear me from time to time, filling in here and there, but for now I'll be handling some behind the scenes work. Once the on-air bug bites me again, and I'm sure it will, I'll jump back behind the mic.

Another unusual thing happened this week. Our band, Ascension, got together for a practice jam in Huntsville. It was simply a jam - we have no gigs booked because we had planned to spend the winter recording some original songs. Well, it seems like plans have changed. The friendly jam ended early and everyone just ... sort of ... left. A quick good-bye - and that's it.

It feels like we all went in separate directions. I'm not sure what it means. None of us in the band have spoken since the jam.

So, if you're looking for a drummer.... hahaha!

I feel some odd things happening in my life. I'm not sure where I'm headed.

Taking A Break

I'm hiding for a while.

Bless you.

Scott

I Don't Like Mondays

A great weekend but a sluggish Monday.

Thinking About: American Idol starts tomorrow night! Yeah!
Listening To: Old Vineyard Music
Reading: Job
Praying For: Gary Chapman, Ra & Lance, Big Church missionaries in Rwanda, Wellbutrin

Go Back To Work and Stop Whining

What? Another college teachers strike? Yeeesh!

ossible college strike across Ontario is coming. Isn't this the 2nd teachers strike in 4 years? What's going on? Hello....? Teachers want more money. But aren't college students paying tuition? How's that work? Students pay tuition - and the teachers aren't teaching?

So then the students have to fork out extra rent during the strike time, and they might miss the summer job the wanted if the strike goes long.

I have the answer. Listen to me people. I know it all.

The students pay tuition, right? Ok. The students stop paying tuition whenever the teachers go on strike. Maybe someone will get the hint.

I am so tired of hearing "we're doing it for the students, to improve quality". Ya right. Wah wah wah! What a load!

Go back to work and be blessed you even have a job!

Dobson Not Retiring?

You've probably heard that James Dobson is stepping down from Focus on the family - totally. In 1993 he resigned as President but stayed on as Chairman, then last Feb dropped that title and said he only wanted to host the show. The last Focus on the family show with Dobson is February 28. Just so you know, the Focus program will continue on LIFE.

But get this.

James Dobson is not retiring! He's actually starting a whole new organization called "James Dobson on the Family" and he will co-host the show with his son Ryan!

Whaaaat?

Ryan said he never wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps. He has his own ministry, and he's written books and been successful on his own. But something's changed. It's a new radio show.

So now they need donations to start up. I guess that will compete with Focus - only so much money to go around. If you go on James Dobson's Facebook he tells the whole story - and asks for 2 million dollars to start up.

Ya know when I heard this news - that Dobson is teaming up with son to do a radio show - it kinda reminds me of Jay Leno retiring from the Tonight Show and then starting his own show a couple of months later.

I believe in Dr. Dobson. But I don't quite get this.

2010 - Hi

So, 2009 is done. I think I'm always happy to start a new year. What a sad thing to think of the previous year as a bummer. But the idea of starting a new year brings anticipation. Some surprises. Maybe see the light at the end of the tunnel -new friends - a better me. (That shouldn't be too hard.)

Looking back on 2009, I thought I would share my 10 favourite songs with you. These songs are in high rotation in my iPod.

10 Mess of Me - Switchfoot
9 Salvation Is Here - Lincoln Brewster
8 Johnny Diaz - More Beautiful You
7 Broken - Lifehouse
6 Closer To You - To Tell
5 Jimmy Needham - Forgiven and Loved
4 Group 1 Crew - Our Time
3 Chris Bray - Finally Let Go
2 Sidewalk Prophets - The Things I Would Say
1 The Fray - You Found Me

I love how The Fray lead singer sings - Issac Slade - kinda like he just fell out of bed. Still has the yawn in his voice. It's a cool sound. But really, this song totally ministered to me all year. It kept me company as I've been dealing with some medical problems, I've been asking God. "Where were you, where were you." - man I've been asking God all year. Maybe you can relate. Wondering if God is showing up just a little late. Well, we know God isn't late, but sometimes it feels that way and that's what the songs about.

Hope you had a happy new year's eve and that 2010 has great things in store for you. And me.