Monday, July 30, 2007

Congrats to my cousin Mike. He's hitched!

Congratulations goes out to my cousin, Mike Collins. He was married over the weekend in Milwaukee. I was not able to attend. The finances and job kept me in Kansas. My parents and brother were able to make the trip up north. I spoke with Jeremy and he said that it was a nice wedding. My Uncle Ken was also quoted as saying "If you get Married again...it's going to be in Silt!" Uncle Ken is a hoot! Silt is a small town in Western Colorado about 5 miles from Uncle Ken and Aunt Peg's house, if you didn't already know.
Congrats Mike! I am looking forward to seeing you and your wife soon!

Talk-show host Tom Snyder dies at 71

What a weird day. Bill Walsh wasn't the only well known person to pass away in the San Francisco area in the past couple of days.

Tom Snyder's smoky voice, thanks to his omnipresent cigarette, was as legendary as his robust, infectious laugh.

The casual way he sat on the set of his late-night interview show on NBC beginning in 1972 and later on CBS was so distinctive that Dan Ackroyd lampooned him in the early days of Saturday Night Live.

Snyder, 71, died Sunday in San Francisco from complications associated with leukemia.

He'll be remembered "as one of the guys who stood out before the era of homogeneous TV anchors who looked the same, acted the same and had the same funny hair," said Tom Rosenstiel of the Project For Excellence in Journalism.

Snyder excelled at one-on-one interviews, Rosenstiel said, easily traversing the line between serious interviews and the so-called "infotainment" chats that are popular today. "He excelled at them both and elicited interesting things from people because he was genuine."
Snyder announced on his website in 2005 that he had chronic lymphocytic leukemia.


"When I was a kid leukemia was a death sentence," he wrote then. "Now, my doctors say it's treatable!"

Snyder's career began in Milwaukee in the 1960s as a radio reporter. He then moved into local television news and anchored newscasts in Philadelphia and Los Angeles before moving to late night in 1972.

Among his guests on NBC's The Tomorrow Show, which followed The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, were John Lennon, Charles Manson and Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols.
After a stint on CNBC, Snyder returned to late night TV in 1994, hosting The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder on CBS, which followed David Letterman's Late Show.

At the time, he told USA TODAY, he was thrilled to get back into late night TV. "Sometimes I think the alarm clock will go off and this will have been a very, very pleasant dream."
That gig ended in 1998, when Snyder was replaced by Craig Kilborn.


I always liked Tom Snyder. I always remember his laugh and the funny faces that he made while laughing.

Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh, dead at 75

Bill Walsh, the groundbreaking football coach who won three Super Bowls and perfected the ingenious schemes that became known as the West Coast offense during a Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers, has died. He was 75.

Walsh died at his Bay Area home early Monday following a long battle with leukemia, according to Stanford University, where he served as coach and athletic director.

Walsh didn't become an NFL head coach until 47, and he spent just 10 seasons on the San Francisco sideline. But he left an indelible mark on the United States' most popular sport, building the once-woebegone 49ers into the most successful team of the 1980s with his innovative offensive strategies and teaching techniques.

The soft-spoken native Californian also produced a legion of coaching disciples that's still growing today. Many of his former assistants went on to lead their own teams, handing down Walsh's methods and schemes to dozens more coaches in a tree with innumerable branches.
Walsh went 102-63-1 with the 49ers, winning 10 of his 14 postseason games along with six division titles. He was named the NFL's coach of the year in 1981 and 1984.

I have never been a big Niners fan, but my dad has always liked them. Bill Walsh was one of the best coaches ever. He did a lot for the NFL and football fans of all ages. My tough ts are with his family and friends.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Happy Birthday Dad

He was born on July 28, 1948 in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. His parents were Claire and Wanda Hubbard. He has three sisters. He is the only boy in the family. He's my dad! Happy 59th Dad! Love Ya!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Disney says "bye bye" to smoking!


Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday became the first major Hollywood studio to ban depictions of smoking, saying there would be no smoking in its family-oriented, Disney-branded films and it would "discourage" it in films distributed by its Touchstone and Miramax labels.
Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger also said in a letter to U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, whose committee last month held hearings on the effects of movie images on children, that the studio would place anti-smoking public service announcements on DVDs of any future films that feature cigarette smoking.
He said the company would encourage theater owners to show screen anti-smoking public service announcements, or PSAs, before such films.

Iger cautioned, however, that "cigarette smoking is a unique problem and this PSA effort is not a precedent for any other issue."
Markey described Disney's commitment as "groundbreaking" and urged other studios to follow suit.
Dr. Cheryl Healton, president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation, commended Disney's move but said the studio left "some ambiguity about what would happen in relation to Touchstone and Miramax."

Research cited by American Legacy, a nonprofit created out of landmark litigation between the tobacco industry and states attorneys general, shows that 90 percent of all films depict smoking and children with the highest exposure to smoking in movies were nearly three times more likely to start smoking.
Tobacco is featured in three-quarters of G, PG and PG-13 rated movies and 90 percent of R-rated movies, the studies showed.
The independent Weinstein Co. already is using PSAs produced by American Legacy ahead of its films that depict smoking, Healton said.

Monday, July 23, 2007

I wish that I could go to Vegas for Tami's Wedding. I am missing my family and more!!!

Kris and I were hoping to make it to Tami's wedding in Las Vegas on August 18th. It would have been a great time. Jeremy's B-day is also that weekend. We can't really afford to do it, and it's the kid's first week of school.
I am going to miss seeing everyone, plus In and Out Burger! Here's a picture to tempt your taste buds. Uhmmmm!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

R.I.P. Tammy Faye.

Tammy Faye Messner, who as Tammy Faye Bakker helped her husband, Jim, build a multimillion-dollar evangelism empire and then saw it collapse in disgrace, has died. She was 65. Messner, who had battled colon cancer since 1996 that more recently spread to her lungs, died at her home Friday, said her booking agent, Joe Spotts. A family service was held Saturday in a private cemetery, where her ashes were interred, he said.

This was very sad. I was watching Larry King Live earlier in the week and Tamy Faye was on there. I was almost in tears to see how bad she looked. I didn't think that she had to much more time, but it was just a couple of days.

I know that a lot of people didn't like her, but I thought that she was a cool person. She seemed to be pretty open-minded a lot of the time, even though she had different believes. I remember watching her on VH-1's "Surreal Life." She seemed to be very nice. I am glad to know that she is not suffering any more. I would hate to go through that pain. Kristi's mother passed away from cancer 5 and a half years ago after battling it for years.

My thoughts go out to Tammy Faye's family in this time of mourning.

Friday, July 20, 2007

New Harry Potter movie was blah!

I took the kids to see the new Harry Potter movie earlier this week. I am a big fan of the movies. Madison and Zach like them, too. They are very lucky, both their mother and I see nothing wrong with them watching Harry Potter movies. Some people think that it's bad and it's full of witchcraft and the bible forbids that stuff. That's bunk! Give me a break! Nothing wrong with an imagination.
The new movie wasn't nearly as good as the others so far.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

A friend of mine comes to town. Dr. Ian Smith from VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club"

Dr. Ian Smith is in town today. He is one of the stars of "Celebrity Fit Club" on VH1. He has also been on the New York Times Best-Sellers list with "Fat Smash Diet." He has a new book out called "Extreme Fat Smash Diet." He is in town to promote that. Him and I became friends last year when I heard him on Opie and Anthony's show on XM Radio. I looked up his information and e-mailed him about doing a phone interview when I was on Magic 92.3. He did better than that! He flew down and did it live. We have become very good friends. He now lives in Chicago, as well as New York. You can get more on Ian at http://www.celebrityfitclub.com/www/xnt/cfc/pages/Splash.aspx?cm_mmc=Yahoo-_-PaidSearch-_-masterLink-_-R20010 or http://www.doctoriansmith.com/

Monday, July 9, 2007


Bye Bye Wild West World! Here's the official press release.

On July 9th, 2007, Wild West World, LLC will file for Chapter 11 protection under the United States Bankruptcy Code with the United States Bankruptcy Court in Wichita, Kansas. Wild West World will close immediately as of this date and will cease day-to-day operations. All employees have been paid through Sunday, July 8th. In Chapter 11, the management of the company will be allowed to conduct the affairs of the business as a Debtor-in Possession.
Since January, 2007, the Wichita area suffered excessive amounts of snow, ice, rain, storms, and tornados. Since the park opened to the media on May 1 and the general public on May 5th, approximately 50 of the last 60 days have been either rain, storms, overcast, tornados, tornado warnings or poor weather of some sort. On May 4th, the Greensburg tornado devastated that community. In the months of June and July, Kansas experienced unprecedented rain and flooding, having a devastating impact on Wild West World’s attendance and projected revenue. As a result, Wild West World cannot meet its operating expenses from the actual revenue generated.
Wild West World management is currently negotiating and will continue to negotiate throughout the world for a new purchaser for the park. It is not the intention of Wild West World management to permanently close the park. Thomas and Cheryl Etheredge state that they believe in Park City and Wichita and the need for family entertainment. They will continue to do everything possible to have Wild West World emerge from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy through a sale of the assets.
Wild West World retained the law firm of Redmond & Nazar LLP of Wichita, KS to represent it in its Chapter 11 proceeding.

A PRESS CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT 2:00 P.M. CDT today at the Johnny Western Theater at Wild West World.

For further information contact:
Edward Nazar or Thomas GilmanAttorneys at LawRedmond & Nazar, L.L.P.245 North Waco, Suite 402Wichita, Kansas 67202(316) 262-8361 Phone(316) 263-0610 Fax

Friday, July 6, 2007

Greetings from Lake of the Ozarks!

Kris and I finally got a Honeymoon! It's Friday. We are at Lake of the Ozarks. we got in Thursday evening. We stayed at Uncle Ron and Aunt Kay's house until 11:30 p.m. Right now, it's about 4:30 p.m. on Friday. We are getting ready for dinner with Ron and Kay and then we are going to Main Street Opry.
Here's a picture of us on the boat earlier today. I got a sunburn.
Bye now!