The Dance Machine

I'm making a photo album for my Dad for Christmas and combing through old photo albums.

I was a DJ in Kingston at CKLC from 1978 til 1985. Mostly really good years. The most fun came from the “Dance Machine”.

(L-R - Joe, Charlie Watts, Jim Elyot, me and Bruce Anfossie)

The CKLC jocks hosted the show. Sometimes Charlie Watts hosted. (Charlie did the overnight show and was a full-time Queens U student during the day.) Other dances were hosted by Jim Elyot, or Chris Ryan, or Steev Jordan, or “the Dude” Bob Keys, or me. It was common that one of the DJs would make a guest appearance at another jock's dance just for fun. Jim and I would air-guitar to AC/DC songs and dance around like goons, sometimes cracking open the mic to singing along.

What began as a couple of turntables and a DJ turned into a silly, egotistical, possibly outstanding roadshow with lighting, fog and free pop.

(L-R Jim Elyot and me, rockin' out to the Knack or the Stones)

When we peaked around 1983/84 we had four guys as roadies. Bruce our sound guy would oversee the logistics of the show. John our bodyguard wore a beat up leather jacket and sported a long Motley Crue haircut to look tough. There was Joe our lighting tech and a couple of other guys who came and went. Plus the CKLC groupies.

Being a the big Rolling Stones fan that I was, I tried to use any 1981 Stones tour idea I could, mostly in the wardrobe department. (The football pants were my favourite I think although the Platinum Blonde black and white spandex were kinda cool, too!) If CKLC management had provided a budget for set design I would have really gone nuts!

One of the contests I ran on stage was awarding a disco album - to a guy, who absolutely hated disco. (It would be the equivalent of giving a teen guy a Justin Bieber record now.) Once he got the album in his hands I would taunt him until he tore the album jacket in half, for which the crowd would go nuts!

(I bought this jacket from a kid for $10. It was ready to be given to good-will but I thought it had some life left in it!)

We’d take two or three vehicles in a convoy to the schools, most of which were in K-town, but other times we’d visit “Gan”, Sharbot Lake, Sydenham, and Snap-a-nachee! As I recall, Regi (the Catholic school) was the most enthusiastic. Frontenac was the school that other schools hated cuz they won all the football games - and Frontenac gigs made me nervous. I guess I thought Frontenac was the pinnacle of doing dances.

Good times.

This is the best I can recall it. It’s been nearly 25 years. Some of the facts may be somewhat embellished.

X Factor Predictions

X Factor is awesome! I'm lovin' all the "upgrades" beyond American Idol. The judges acting as mentors has added so much passion. We can see the judges rooting for their proteges.

PREDICTED WINNER - JOSH KRAJCIK

I'm also loving the sets. Each song has it's own lighting and set design. I wonder how much work that is! It sure adds to each performance.

X Factor is everything great from American Idol, on a bigger scale, plus some new ideas. Who would have thought you could out-do the number one show?! Both X Factor and American Idol have done something unique - they are both shows that the whole family can watch.

A quick review of Facebook and you see all aged people comment on their favourites.

2ND PLACE - MELANIE AMARO

I was sad to see Leroy Bell leave the show. I think we all hope we would look that good at his age! (60) Great attitude, great vocals!

Who's going to win? Here are my picks.

WINNER - Josh Krajcik
RUNNER UP - Melanie Amaro
THIRD PLACE - Astro

How do you follow that up? Easy - "American Idol"!

3RD PLACE - ASTRO

Toronto update!

It's been a long, tedious project assembling an application to acquire 88.1FM in Toronto for a new radio station.

For 12 years listeners have asked us to start a Christian station in Toronto and until now it has not been possible. Why? Because the FM dial is jammed. There are no places on the dial for even one more station. But with Ryerson losing their license, (so sad!), now 88.1 is available! Woo hoo!

The application I have been working on feels like "the application that will never end".

I have hired two consulting companies to provide factual data to back-up my ideas. Two engineers have consulted us on the technical feasibility. I have formed an Advisory Committee that consists of artists, media, technicians and event planners to help contribute to the development of the new station.

And the LIFE staff has backed me in prayer every week.

Last week, additional, last minute information was added.

This week, "the application that will never end" grew again as I enhanced it with another idea that I believe will appeal to the CRTC's concept of "the best application".

One non-Christian consultant told me he would not help us with this application, even if we paid him a million dollars because "that's how sure I am you will not be successful to get the license". That's ok. I have a secret weapon.

So - listen! I am 100% excited about this project. It is a NEW station, not a repeater station of LIFE. It is designed specifically for the GTA and has a new name that won't be revealed for a while. Already a couple of potential employees are on the "hire me" list!

I can hardly wait!

Louder

This song by Dominic Balli is in high rotation in my iPod. LOVE IT!

Devo - Getting Through Today

Today I am not burdened. I have time to do devotions, think about what I am reading, meditate on it. When there's alot of distractions blowing through my mind, only the first part happens and it's not a quality job either.

The devotional I am using is "Live Loved" by Max Lucada. The devotions are two pages each, a different topic each day and several verses to support it. Today I'm reading about God giving us our daily bread; which means providing for us one day at a time. One of the examples is about God giving Moses the strategy, not the whole plan at once. The people saw dry land and problems and God showed them provision for that one day. (Exodus 16:4)

I tend to look at my "to do" list and see all of it at once. I thought that was a good thing - sizing up the list and going for it. I'm a fairly good organizer. But now I'm thinking, I need to take that list, select the assignment for today and ask God to help me with it. Ask God to give me strength for it today, and whatever is left over to do tomorrow, then I ask him to get me through that tomorrow.

Same thing with the junk (on-going sins) that bugs me. I'm going to just focus on getting through ONE DAY and not whether or not I'll get through two or three days without messing up.

I don't know if this plan will work - praying over the daily steps rather than the whole deal. I'm going to give it a try. If nothing else, I will be able to see everything in smaller portions.

My iPod

The iPod is amazing! In the 80's when I worked at CKLC, I would haul a bunch of vinyl albums to the after-hours production studio and, using two turntables in the production studio, I would create a "mix" tape, that had all my favourite songs from the month. Songs were mixed together. Of course if I made a lousy mix, then I would have to either a) just accept it, or b) re-record the entire tape over.

My mix tape only appealed to me. Friends would wonder how I could enjoy a diverse selection of Sly and The Family Stone with John Cougar and Bon Jovi. Ah, but it was a good mix!

Then came the CD, although I didn't make too many "mix" cds. Then came the iPod. The flexibility of adding and deleting songs, changing playlists, shuffling or not, the digital quality - not to mention the convenience of the iPod shuffle...! Wow! I love it!

My iPod gets primary play at the gym and secondary useage at bedtime.

At night, as I go to sleep, I will listen to "Sleepless Nights" - an instrumental soft recording of popular worship songs. Or maybe some 80's Vineyard "Psalms".


Or, "Ram" by Paul McCartney. Love the variety of sounds and ridiculous lyrics! ("Monkberry Moon Delight"!?

Still my favourite "go to sleep" album is "Coram Deo" - a collection of Christian artists, their original songs, produced by Charlie Peacock specifically assembled for this project. It's one of those albums you can put on and listen straight through. It's a "desert island" album on my list.


In my "November new mix" playlist, here's what's shuffling this week!

Up Down/The Ambassador
Simple Days/B. Reith
You Lie/The Band Perry
Never Wanna Lose/Dan Bremnes
Crawling Back To You/Daughtry
People Know You By Your First Name/Dean Brody
Breakdown/Group 1 Crew
Darling/Handsome and Gretyl (my son)
Blessings/Laura Story
I'm Gonna Love You Through It/Martina McBride
Start Somewhere/Toby Mac
How He Loves/David Crowder
Not So Average/V. Rose
and - just added... "Alive" by Whosarmy.

It's quite a mix-mash of stuff. Ah but - I like it.

My Dog Watches TV

My dog loves to watch TV! (dogs cannot see 2D!) Well mine can. She likes other animals, loves Animal Planet, loves the MGM lion, any football game and action movies! Favourite movie is 8 Below. Don't believe my dog watches TV?

Funny Wedding Proposal

The Oro Station Super City Centre Casino and Resort

Shout-out to and from Scott Carpenter

You're reading my blog. By the way, thanks. I hope you find it entertaining, or informative, or whatever it is supposed to be.

Meanwhile, I'm reading the other blog by the LIFE 100.3 jocks. And - I'm reading Scott Carpenter's blog. Scott Carpenter is the CHUM radio DJ from the 70's whom I not only idolized when I was a teen, but he was the catalyst for me choosing radio as a career.

Today I read Scott's blog titled "The Birth Of The Boogieman" - and to my surprise I got a shout-out! How cool!

Thanks Scott!

Click here for Scott Carpenter's blog.