Happy?

I read in the Toronto Star today about a survey that states that people who live in Toronto are the most unhappiest people in Canada. Toronto business people are stressed out and immigrants face employment problems.

Provincially, Ontario and BC are tied for last happy place. That’s weird. I always hear BC people brag about “the majestic mountains on this side and the lovely ocean on that side.” Big deal. It rains everyday, too.

The Star says the happiest people are in Quebec and PEI.

I’m not sure about Quebec. Every time I’ve driven through Montreal I thought the drivers were insane. I wasn't happy.

PEI - I can see that. The pace of life is slower. The cliffs overlooking the Northumberland Strait are incredible! The only problem with PEI is crazy toll you have to pay to leave the island. That’s right - you can come to PEI for free, spend your money, eat and have fun but if you want to leave it's $42. But, I agree, PEI people seem real happy - from those who I talked to on my last visit.

As a country, Canada ranks 5th as the happiest nation in the G7. (Is that 5 out of 7?)

Well, I’m happy. Happy to be Canadian!

Three Places You Need To Visit

1 - Blog by Crystal Martin - my daughter. Her "8 Kinds Of Awesome" is talking about Narnia. Crystal is into audio books. I must confess - I have never read/listened to an audio book. I probably won't either unless someone drops one in my lap. Crystal reads - alot.


2 - Kristen updated my personal website - christianflamethrower.com. Recent updates about my adventures working at LIFE 100.3. ("My LIFE Story") Photos and stories from my perspective. Give it 20 seconds to load.

3 - Artists looking for a sweet recording deal in Nashville? Mixing, demos, vocals, mastering. Have I got a place for you! BBR Studio. Ya, give my son Brett some business. Please and thanks.


Enjoy!

Status

LIFE 100.3 is lovin' the new music intro for our 7pm "Slammin' Christian Hits" show. It's called "Tonight", music and lyrics by Brett Baird, recorded at BBR in Nashville. Lovin' it! Makin' the Slam sound fRe$H!

Reading: Deuteronomy 28. His blessings over take us.
Praying: New friend who just got saved.
In my iPod: House of Heroes “God Save The Foolish Kings” “Imagine” Melissa Greene; “Mine” Taylor Swift.
Movie: 127 Hours with James Franco
Future: Relient K at Rocketown
Thinking About: Something new.

Busy People

It’s been awhile since I posted a rant. I know you missed them. So - enjoy!

Don’t you dislike it when people tell you how busy they are?

Me - “Hey, how’s it going?”
Them - “Oh, I’m so busy!”

What they’re actually saying is “I’m busy because I’m doing important things”. I guess if they weren’t busy they wouldn’t be important, right? R-i-i-ght!

I invited a friend to lunch. He couldn’t meet me for three weeks because - he’s so busy! Three weeks? Like, you have a lunch booked everyday for three weeks? Maybe you eat too much!

Another friend texted me. “Let’s go for lunch”. Ya man! The next line of his text explains that he’s been very busy and - “I’ll let you know when I'm free,” he says. Swell. Get me excited about lunch then tell me how busy/important you are and make me wait. Nice.

I like those people who truly are - busy. I know they are. But they don’t tell me how busy they are. They don’t rush the conversation - I feel important to them.

Busy people have post-notes dangling off the end of their daytimer. I know a guy who really does that. “Dude - you are not THAT important!” (Actually he is - he just can’t control his schedule.)

When people talk about how busy they are - do you feel sorry for them coz they can’t slow down? Or do you feel like you’re not important enough to be part of their “busy” schedule?

Gotta sign off. I’m busy. Call me in two weeks. No. Make it three. I am SO BUSY!

The Toast Is Burnin'

Newsboys - they’re done.

I don’t mean they broke up, although that probably be for the better. I say “they’re done” coz I think they are spinning their career wheels. Ever since Michael Tait joined the band, they’ve become a yawnfest.

The spinning drums - ya ya. It’s still cool. But we’ve seen it a hundred times. Michael Tait is a great singer with a great history - dc Talk, solo, actor. I saw him with Newsboys in Toronto on his first tour as their new lead singer. He was great. Fabulous, passionate preacher.

But their recent songs.... yawn. “Born Again” - yawn. “Way Beyond Myself” - sounds like a dc Talk leftover. Doesn't compare to "I'm Not Ashamed", or "Going Public".

Peter Furler was not just an amazing frontman; his personality defined the band. Guy-liner on a 40 year-old? Sure, it worked! Unpredictable, edgy, yet safe. Newsboys were an Aussie band, transported to Nashville.Now, only one guy is Aussie. As much as I am an advocate for artists and producers in the Music City, in this case Nashville has transformed Newsboys into just another band, which makes them like everybody else. Everybody else is good - but Newsboys were great. Not anymore.

Boys...breakfast is over. The toast is burnt. Let the good memories rest and we’ll pretend this Michael Tait thing never happened.

Rocketown - Relient K - December 3

In previous blogs I’ve written about Rocketown - the youth hangout/concert venue/skatepark that is owned by Michael W. Smith. It’s in Nashville.

They recently relocated. This is their third location since 1994.

It’s an amazing venue and ministry. I would love for this ministry to come to Canada. Like Barrie.

Since my son lives in Nashville, not far from Rocketown, we bought tickets to see Relient K on December 3. It’ll be a short visit. This time, it’s more than a concert experience. I want to find out what makes Rocketown tick.

I’ve requested an interview with someone in charge. Pray that I will have that opportunity, and that I will learns lots about their vision. Then, if it is God’s will .... we’ll see what we can do!

Watch for a follow-up blog after December 3.

The Old Spaghetti Factory! Mmmm!

Last Thursday was my first ever visit to the famous Toronto Old Spaghetti Factory. I loved it! Today was my second visit - and I ordered the same meal! Lasagna! Mmmm! How come it took me so long to discover this place?

Whenever I eat out, the table-server brings me my food, and holy cow - the chef piles on the food! I think “How am I gonna eat all this? Especially all the fries?!” Canadians (and Americans) eat too much. Way too much. Our society is full of over-eaters and this is the reason why!

Restaurants load up our plates with more food than our stomachs can store! And we don’t want to waste it coz we paid for it, so - we eat it all - like pigs! And then we order a re-fill on the drink. And then it's dessert time!

I read that if we reduced our servings by half, we could keep our weight under control. How about this? What if we ordered ONE meal and split it? We’d save a bunch of money.

So today at the Old Spaghetti Factory we ordered ONE serving of lasagna and ONE salad. (We ordered individual drinks, of course!) It was a perfect lunch. Awesome food! Didn’t feel stuffed.Didn’t feel broke.

Have YOU been to the Old Spaghetti Factory?

What do you think of ordering one meal and splitting it?

One Last Ride!

Sunny. 13 degrees. No wind. Ahhh - this is the day I had given up on. My thoughts of one more bike ride this season had deflated, until today.

Now, I am a fair-weather biker. I don't like cold. I don't like wind. And I sure don't like other people's cycling agendas but I digress.

As inviting as the sun was, shorts were not going to work. So I pulled out my track pants and pulled my right jock sock over the ankle, like a goon, but also a smart goon who doesn't want his pants wound up in the chain.

Bike shoes. Gloves. Toque. Sweat shirt and my bullet proof, weather resistant, nuclear protective jacket. Nothing gets through it. Unfortunately, it takes two days for the sweat to dry out but at least I was warm!

I was planning on much more than a couple of blocks. I haven't ridden in a few weeks and I figured my legs would beg me to turn back. Hmmm - I should have known. Once on the bike, the cadence steady and I ended up in Shanty Bay. Generally Shanty Bay is just a warm-up-ride, but today, it was just enough. Especially with no water bottle! I really could have used that in Shanty Bay!

Even with the toque my ears were chilled and it was great to hop in the hot shower at home!

My biking year concluded today - 2,900km.

18

We've sold over 550 tickets in advance for Air Raid 18! Only one other Air Raid sold more and that was "17" featuring Group 1 Crew. It sold out in advance.

Man, Air Raids have come a LONG way!

The first three Air Raids happened before LIFE 100.3 was on the air. In fact, the first Air Raid was named "Youth Concert". Nice title. Catchy. Yes, I'm being sarcastic. As I recall, there was crowd surfing going on at the show and a couple of pastors ragged on me for letting the show become too worldly. I see. How come the kid doing the crowd surfing was a pastor's kid? Ahem.

Each Air Raid features a Canadian band - sometimes local to Barrie, or an artist we've discovered playing a church in Ontario.

The opening act at Air Raid 18 is Hearts In Stereo. These guys are from Ottawa and their song "Alive" is playing on LIFE 100.3 all the time. When they play at Air Raid, they'll be opening for Manafest and Superchick. Nice exposure!

Since LIFE went on the air, I've hoped that Newsboys would headline an Air Raid. Will it happen?

See you Saturday at Timothy Christian School.

A I R R A I D 1 8 ! ! !

127 Days

This movie was released last Friday. Dunno when it's in Barrie but I really want to see it.

It's the "true" story of Aron Ralston who is a mountain climber and got his arm stuck in a rock crevice while climbing. He was stuck for four days. Finally he used a pocket knife to cut off his arm and get freed.

I saw the real life Aron on Letterman. It's quite a story of courage and never giving up.

It's no surprise they made a movie. I'm glad James Franco is playing the role - he's an interesting guy, too.

The trailer says the movie is restricted, probably because of the scene with the knife. Apparently two people were carried out of the Toronto Film Festival on a gurney. I may have to buy some popcorn during that scene. Haha!

Well!

"Though it linger..."

Devos this week. I'm stuck on the verse in Habakkuk -

"Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."
(2:3)

Waiting. That must be our greatest frustration. Wanting something. A event that's in the future. A job. A phone call. A response. Information. God to drop something from the sky. We wait.

Years ago Tom Petty sang "The waiting is the hardest part." Know it?

I understand that waiting is just a fact of life. Why is it that the more I pray for "it to happen" the longer it seems to take? Hmmm.

In Habakkuk he's referring to Babylon being evil and that verse is God speaking to Habakkuk. Maybe I'm taking the verse out of context and inappropriately applying it to myself in the present day. Sometimes it's hard to know which verses were specific to the situation and which ones are universal.

I see problems and so did Habakkuk but God will fix it as He promised. Until He does, the Bible reminds us - to rejoice. And that's hard - when you're waiting!

I'm sure somebody reading this blog today will be blessed by the verse.