Monday, April 30, 2007

Love On Ice

We hit the Wichita Ice Center. Sunday is "cheap day" and we try to make it out there. Here's me and Kris on the ice. Do we look different than the pictures from 1989???

Oh My Gosh! It's Been Awhile Since This Blog Has Been Updated!!!

It's been a few days since the Blog's been updated! Look at the surprise in Destiny's face when she heard that I was going to update this tonight! There's more pics to come. We went to Eyemaster's tonight and Destiny has the "Old Black School Teacher Look!" The pic will be up soon!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Cheer Power!!!

Destiny is getting Spring Fever! Here she is dancin' to the music on Tuesday night. She is going to be trying out for the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders one of these days. Madison and Destiny's older sister, Tiana are going to be showing her the ropes as they all intend to cheer for the Blue and Orange!!! Oh yeah, Zach and Austin will be playing on the team, too! There's nothing wrong with dreaming.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Getting Retro. Kristi and I from 1989 when we first dated!

Kristi's brother, Kory and his wife, Darla came over to the house the other day with some photos from the old days. Here's a picture of Kris and I when we dated back in 1989. She's so cute! There's more to come.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

KFDI Listener Appreciation Show was HUGE!!!




The KFDI Listener Appreciation Show was Saturday night at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita. It's a free show that we put on for KFDI Listeners. This is all my department now. The Promotions Department is the one that puts this on. We had Phil Vassar as the main act at the show.
Phil is a great guy. He had me and a couple of other members of the crew come up and sing Billy Joel's "Piano Man" with him for the last song. It was pretty interesting singing with a country music star in front of about 7,000 people. I had fun, though. I didn't get home until 3 a.m. after it was said and done. It took forever tearing everything down. It was worth it, though.


Gregg Marshall Named WSU Men's B-Ball Coach

Gregg Marshall (left) has been named the 25th head men's basketball coach at Wichita State University, WSU Director of Athletics Jim Schaus (right) announced Saturday.
We had the KFDI Listener Appreciation Show at Charles Koch Arena (home of the Shockers) on Saturday night. I was there all day Friday setting up for the show and saw Schaus giving Marshall a tour of the arena.
This guy is a good coach. He has been at Winthrop. They have made the NCAA Tournament 7 times in 9 years. Go Shox!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Wichita's Phil Stacey Still On "American Idol"

Wichita's Phil Stacey made the cut Thursday night on "American Idol." He was in the bottom two, but made the cut. He will make it another week. Another Kansan will be on next weeks show. Martina McBride from Medicine Lodge, KS is the guest star on "American Idol" next week. She is coming to Wichita in May for a big concert. You can find out more about Phil at www.idolonfox.com.

Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007

NEW YORK - In books such as "Slaughterhouse-Five," "Cat's Cradle," and "Hocus Pocus," Kurt Vonnegut mixed the bitter and funny with a touch of the profound.
Vonnegut, regarded by many critics as a key influence in shaping 20th-century American literature, died Wednesday at 84. He had suffered brain injuries after a recent fall at his Manhattan home, said his wife, photographer Jill Krementz.
Vonnegut's more than a dozen books, short stories, essays and plays contained elements of social commentary, science fiction and autobiography.
He was sort of like nobody else," said fellow author Gore Vidal. "Kurt was never dull."
A self-described religious skeptic and freethinking humanist, Vonnegut used protagonists such as Billy Pilgrim and Eliot Rosewater as transparent vehicles for his points of view.
He lectured regularly, exhorting audiences to think for themselves and delighting in barbed commentary against the institutions he felt were dehumanizing people. Vonnegut was born on Nov. 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, and studied chemistry at Cornell University before joining the Army. His mother killed herself just before he left for Germany during World War II, where he was quickly taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge. He was being held in Dresden when Allied bombs firebombed the city.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Fire destroys longtime Johnny Cash home

Johnny Cash's longtime lakeside home, a showcase where he wrote much of his famous music and entertained U.S. presidents, music royalty and visiting fans, was destroyed by fire on Tuesday.
Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, lived in the 13,880-square-foot home from the late 1960s until their deaths in 2003.
"So many prominent things and prominent people in American history took place in that house — everyone from Billy Graham to
Bob Dylan went into that house," said singer Marty Stuart, who lives next door and was married to Cash's daughter, Cindy, in the 1980s.
Stuart said the man who designed the house, Nashville builder Braxton Dixon, was "the closest thing this part of the country had to Frank Lloyd Wright."
When Cash moved there, the road was a quiet country lane that skirts Old Hickory Lake.
Kris Kristofferson, then an aspiring songwriter, once landed a helicopter on Cash's lawn to pitch him a song. Roy Orbison was his next-door neighbor for a while.
Parts of the landmark video for Cash's song "Hurt" was shot inside the house.
"It was a sanctuary and a fortress for him," Stuart said. "There was a lot of writing that took place there."
Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys lives on the same road as Cash. "Maybe it's the good Lord's way to make sure that it was only Johnny's house," Sterban said.
The property was purchased by Barry Gibb, a former member of the Bee Gees, in January 2006. Gibb and his wife, Linda, had said they planned to restore the home on Old Hickory Lake and hoped to write songs there. They had not yet moved in to the home, which they bought for a reported $2.3 million.
Gibb's spokesman, Paul Bloch, said the singer and his family are "both saddened and devastated by the news."
Dixon built the three-story house in 1967 for his own family, but Cash fell in love with it. Dixon was reluctant to sell, but Cash kept after him.
"It was a very, very unusual contemporary structure," said Cash's brother, Tommy Cash. "It was built with stone and wood and all kinds of unusual materials, from marble to old barn wood. I don't think there was a major blueprint. I think the builder was building it the way he wanted it to look."
The younger Cash said many holidays and family get-togethers were spent at the house. And while Johnny and June also owned a house in Jamaica and a second house in Tennessee, they considered this one to be their home.
"Johnny and June lived there the entire time they were married," Tommy Cash said. "It was the only house they lived in together until they both passed on."
The fire, in this suburb about 20 miles northeast of downtown Nashville, started around 1:40 p.m. Fire trucks arrived within five minutes, but the house was already engulfed in flames, Hendersonville Fire Chief Jamie Steele said.
Just a few hours later, there was almost nothing left except stone chimneys.
The cause is unknown, but Steele said the flames spread quickly because construction workers had recently applied a flammable wood preservative to the exterior of the house. The preservative was also being applied inside the house.
No workers were injured, but one firefighter was slightly hurt while fighting the fire, Steele said.
Cash's long career, which began in the 1950s, spanned rock 'n' roll, folk and country. His hits included "Ring of Fire," "Folsom Prison Blues" and "I Walk the Line."

Family Time! Free Time! It's Here!

Well, it just happened. The Wichita Thunder just lost in the playoffs. They got beat 4-1 by Bossier-Shreveport tonight in Game #6 of the Central Hockey League Playoffs.
I am upset that they didn't win, but this does mean more time for me to spend with Madison, Zach, Kris and her kids. I am very excited about this. I enjoyed doing the games, but I have been so busy for the past few months that my health has been paying for it. I just went to the doctor yesterday and was diagnosed with a Severe Respiratory Infection, Bronchitis and fatigue, so the timing is perfect.

Sad Day For Wichita and Shockers Fans. Mark Turgeon is Headed South.

Turgeon leaves Wichita State for Texas A&M job

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Mark Turgeon was introduced as Texas A&M's basketball coach Tuesday, just five days after Billy Gillispie left for Kentucky. Turgeon comes to Texas A&M from Wichita State, where he led the Shockers to a 17-14 record in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2007. He was introduced at a news conference in a conference room above Reed Arena before being welcomed by about 2,000 A&M fans at a pep rally style event in the arena. The band played and fans whooped and hollered and some displayed signs that said things such as "Howdy" and "Welcome Turge, Gig Em."
I had the honor of having Coach Turgeon on the air with me a few times and he was a very nice guy. He even gave me his cell phone number. I just called him and congratulated him on the job and thanked him for everything that he did for Wichita. We will miss him. Good luck Coach!

Monday, April 9, 2007

Will He Stay Or Will He Go?

A source close to the situation said Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon has been contacted by Texas A&M and he will talk with athletic director Bill Byrne today.

This would really stink for us WSU fans. Turgeon is a great coach and a very nice guy. He was on the air with me numerous times at Magic 92.3 and was always nice when I saw him around town. We'll see what happens. It's all about the money and I would take it if it was the right amount.

Sunday, April 8, 2007

HAPPY EASTER!

Happy Easter!
Here's Madison and Zach with the Easter Bunny. Grandma Baird took them to see him at the mall on Saturday, April 7th. Notice Zach has something above his lip? He took a header off the steps at the house on Friday night. He scraped it up pretty good. He's fine, though. He is almost as tall as his sister now. They are both going to be so tall when they get older.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

"Christmas Story" and "Porky's" Director Dies In A Crash

LOS ANGELES - Film director Robert Clark, best known for the beloved holiday classic "A Christmas Story," was killed Wednesday along with his son in a head-on crash with an alleged drunken driver, the filmmaker's assistant and police said.
Clark, 67, and son Ariel Hanrath-Clark, 22, were killed in Pacific Palisades, said Lyne Leavy, Clark's personal assistant. The two men were in an Infiniti that collided on Pacific Coast Highway with a GMC Yukon around 2:30 a.m., said Lt. Paul Vernon, a police spokesman.
The driver of the other vehicle, Hector Velazquez-Nava, 24, of Los Angeles and his passenger, described as a 29-year-old woman, were taken to UCLA Medical Center with minor injuries.
The driver remained hospitalized and will be booked for investigation of "gross vehicular manslaughter" after being treated, Vernon said.
"The initial investigation has concluded that Nava was driving without a license northbound in the southbound lanes while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage," Vernon said.
Nava's passenger was released from the hospital after receiving treatment.
In Clark's most famous film, all 9-year-old Ralphie Parker wants for Christmas is an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle.
His mother, teacher and Santa Claus all warn: "You'll shoot your eye out, kid."
A school bully named Scut Farkus, a leg lamp, a freezing flagpole mishap and some four-letter defiance helped the movie become a seasonal TV fixture with "A Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street."
Clark specialized in horror movies and thrillers early in his career, directing such 1970s flicks as "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things," "Murder by Decree," "Breaking Point" and "Black Christmas," which was remade last year.
His breakout success came with the 1981 sex farce "Porky's," a coming-of-age romp that he followed two years later with "Porky's II: The Next Day."

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

My Cubbies are now 1-1 on the season! They beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Wednesday. That rocks! Ted Lilly made a big impact in his Cubs debut, allowing just three hits over seven strong innings of work. The left-hander struck out nine and walked just one, helping Lou Piniella to his first win as manager. Aramis Ramirez paced the offense with three hits and two runs.

Carol Hughes, a co-worker of mine is a huge Cubs fan, too. She is taking the train to Chicago for the Cubs Home Opener at Wrigley. Yes! I am jealous! I also envy Jeremy and Taunia for having them as a home baseball team!



A True Legend Has Passed. Eddie Robinson Has Died

I was driving home for the Thunder hockey game that I had to work at tonight and was listening to my XM Radio. I had it on Channel 140. That's ESPN. I heard the news that Eddie Robinson had passed away. You don't have to be a sports fan to know about him. He was one of the winningest coaches in college football history. He was the coach at Grambling State College for years and years. I was very sad to hear of his passing. He was a true legend.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Sporting A New Haircut

I took this from the camera phone tonight. Zach and I went to Wal-Mart for haircuts tonight. I loved the look on his face. I wish that it wasn't so grainy, but it still looks cute.

Monday, April 2, 2007

My Cubbies Kick Off 2007 Season With A Loss.

The Chicago Cubs kicked off the 2007 season this afternoon in Cincinnati. The Reds beat them 5-1. I am used to the Cubs starting slow....and ending slow. I have loved them since 1984 and will continue to do so. I just hope that they can win a World Series by the time that I die. That would be nice.
I am sooooo excited of the fact that Jeremy and Taunia are moving to Chicago. We are hoping to make it up there one of these days. My goal is to make them Cubs fans. I know that Taunia is a Broncos fan now, and I am sure that Jeremy is a closet Broncos fan. We'll see if they start cheering for the Cubs!

Heritage Call Letters Wasted!


As many of you know, I started in radio back in 1986 in the town of Garden City, KS. The station was 1240 AM KIUL. The KIUL Stood for "Kansas Is Usually Listening." Well, I wouldn't be if I was there. The station is now owned by Greg Steckline. I worked for him for a few short weeks back in 2005. I can honestly say that was the worst job of my life. They wanted me to lie to my employees and would call me and leave messages on my machine using every dirty word under the sun. I forgot to mention that it happened when Madison and Zach were with me a couple of times. It was great when I left that place!
It's very sad to have a heritage station, and one for the oldest call letters in the state be owned by such a jerk. I feel sorry for his employees and wish them all the best of luck. They will need it.