Rich & Gary

Life in the fast lane. That’s life for many of us. We are so busy that we don’t take the time to reflect on the good things we have. Sure life is tough, but there is a lot to be thankful for. Remember those things. Reflect on those things. This is part of a list I found on the web that made me stop and think. #75 is just about the best of all. (Oh, and please be thankful that you have the right to vote. Tuesday is Election Day!!)  

1. A comfortable chair
2. A cool breeze
3. A drink of cool water
4. A full moon
5. A gentle rain
6. A glass of cold milk
7. A good book to read
8. A good coat
9. A good pillow
10. A good wife
11. A scenic drive
12. Air conditioning
13. Banana splits
14. Beaches in the morning
15. Beautiful women
16. Birds singing
17. Blue jeans
18. Brothers
19. Ceiling fans
20. Children laughing
21. Christmas morning
22. Clothes that fit
23. Comfortable shoes
24. Compliments
25. Computers that work
26. Cooing Babies
27. Dark Chocolate
28. Dishwashers
29. Diversity
30. Dried pineapple slices
31. Fairness
32. Crackling fire in a fireplace
33. Flowers
34. Freedom of religion
35. Freedom of speech
36. Fresh ideas
37. Friendly dogs
38. Good conversation
39. Good eyesight
40. Good friends
41. Good health
42. Good movies
43. Good teachers
44. Good tires
45. Grace
46. Grandchildren
47. Grandma
48. Grandpa
49. High-speed Internet access
50. Homemade ice cream
51. Honest people
52. Ice cubes
53. Indoor plumbing
54. Kittens
55. Laughter
56. Live Christmas trees
57. Morning coffee
58. Parking spaces near the front door
59. Peanut butter
60. Polite drivers
61. Porch swings
62. Puppies
63. Quiet mornings
64. Rainbows
65. Remote Controls
66. Roasted peanuts
67. Shade trees
68. Sisters
69. Smiles
70. Snow covered mountains
71. Soft toilet paper
72. Sunrises
73. Sunsets
74. Thanksgiving dinner
75. That I wasn’t in the obituaries today
76. The color of autumn leaves
77. The ocean
78. The smell of a Sunday roast cooking
79. The smell of homemade bread
80. Tire swings
81. True friends
82. Uninterrupted dinners
83. Warm showers
84. Wrinkle-free clothes

I know I’ve missed a few. Some important ones too like: Family, Moms, Dads. Feel free to add to this list. Just click on ‘Comments’ and type away!

In the meantime, please have a safe, fun and enjoyable Thanksgiving Weekend and be thankful for those that work to make your long weekend a little bit better.

As I write this, we’re less than 12 days away from the federal election.

Please remember to vote. Check for that card from Elections Canada. It should have arrived in your mail by now.

In the meantime, here’s a laugh or 2 with thanks to a listener and the Rick Mercer Report.

Enjoy!

We’ve had e-mail and calls asking about that new way to curb telemarketers from…..well….doing what they do.

Below is the info you’ll need to stop, (or at least cut down on), those calls that seem to come in at the most inopportune times:

National Do Not Call List—Get on the List! 

How YOU can prevent annoying telemarketing calls:  

Is there any way I can prevent annoying telemarketing calls? Yes, there is. The CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) is set to launch the National Do Not Call List. You can get on the list starting on September 30, 2008. 

I’ve heard about the DNCL—what is it, exactly? The National Do Not Call List is a free service designed to assist Canadians by reducing the number of telemarketing calls they receive. 

If I’m on the DNCL, I won’t hear from telemarketers anymore? Not quite! Some telemarketing calls are exempt from the National Do Not Call List, such as those from charities, political parties, and companies that you do business with. However, telemarketers that are subject to the rules of the National Do Not Call List will stop calling you 31 days after you are on the list. 

How does it work? It’s easy: register your telephone number(s) with the National Do Not Call List by telephone or on the Internet and you will be removed from many telemarketers’ call lists within 31 days of your registration. 

Okay, it sounds great! How do I register? You can register online at www.LNNTE-DNCL.gc.ca , or by telephone at (toll-free): 1-866-580-DNCL (1-866-580-3625). Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (toll free): 1-888-DNCL-TTY (1-888-362-5889). 

There are other websites that offer to put people on the DNCL. Are they safe?  

Absolutely NOT! Only trust the official CRTC and DNCL websites for the service listed here—they are completely safe. All other websites that offer this service or demand a fee may be fraudulent or lead to increased telemarketing calls. Registration is easy and free at the DNCL website or by calling the DNCL’s toll-free number. 

I’d like more information before I register. More consumer information regarding the National Do Not Call List can be found on the CRTC website: www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/dncl.htm 

Most days, the news is just way too serious for my taste.

Thought you might get a laugh out of this blast from the past.

Favourite moments include the 2:40 mark and the 4:27 mark, involving a piano and 10,000 ping pong balls.

Enjoy!

I never played High School Football myself but my middle son, Nick absolutely loves it.
He’s in Grade 11 at St. Charles and this is his second year on the varsity team.
The games are hard hitting and extremely well attended with some great school spirit.
It reminds me of the “old days” when fans were literally hanging from the rafters at Stanley Stadium in Copper Cliff for the hockey rivalry between the Lively Blackhawks and Copper Cliff Braves. I had the pleasure of being part of the Lively team as a student manager (stick boy) and the fan support and passion was absolutely amazing.
Fast forward 30 + years and all of a sudden, I’m a proud father watching my 16-year old in action on the grid iron.
Time does fly doesn’t it ….especially once you have children.
Someone once told me to enjoy these days for all their worth …the running around to football, soccer and hockey rinks …because in no time at all it’ll be over and you’ll miss them dearly.
As far as the picture below ….I’m the one on the left.

Always great to hear from you about a concert, an event, a restaurant or a movie.

You can always contact us at:   rich.griffin@sudburyradio.rogers.com  or  gary.beech@sudburyradio.rogers.com

Just wanted to share this amazing e-mail with you. It’s proof that being an EZ Rock Platinum VIP is truly worth it:

 Hi Rich & Gary,

I just wanted to take a moment to extend a very heartfelt thank you to both of you and the rest of the staff at 105.3 EZ Rock.  I was lucky enough to be one of the winners of the Celine Dion tickets, for the show she performed last week in Toronto.    To say that I am a huge fan of hers would be a severe understatement.  I travelled to Vegas to see her show there, and was so happy to have the opportunity to see her a little closer to home.  Not only was the show spectacular, but she is truly blessed with an amazing gift.  My sister and I laughed for parts of the show, and also cried when her voice sent chills down our backs.  My sister has had a very difficult year with her husband being critically ill, so this trip was a really nice break for her – and well deserved too!  Her and I had a wonderful time, and got to bond again, the way sisters do!  I can’t tell you the last time that we were able to do something like that together.  So, again, thank you so much for selecting me as one of your winners.  It meant more than I could ever verbalize and I got to spend time with someone I love dearly (my sister, of course!)  I idolize Celine’s talents and if you ever have the chance to see her live, I strongly recommend it – she is worth every dime.  I am actually trying to get more tickets to her show at the end of September because it really is that good!!!

Thanks again – it was one of the best experiences of my life (so far!)

With enormous thanks,

Stacey Vehkala

When cool concerts, events, etc…happen, EZ Rock VIP’s always get a chance at ‘perks’. If you’ve got a friend who’s not a Platinum VIP yet, let them know there’s a 5,000 point bonus for signing up, valid until September 25th.

Keep in touch!

I found some pictures that brought home the point that in Canada, we really have nothing to gripe about.

While we’ve been complaining about the price of gas, our wet summer weather, silly politicians and the state of our roads, the country of Haiti has just been trying to survive.

That part of the world has been ravaged by no less than 4 hurricanes. Ike was the latest.

With 9/11 memories, political stories, etc… dominating the news, its easy to forget what’s happening elsewhere.

Please take a moment to watch this:

Doctors Without Borders says the situation is desperate. The UN is asking for $108 million in aid. If you can help, go to this website to find out how:

 http://donate.ifrc.org/?navid=02_02

Thanks.

Wow! Now I understand how the kids feel when they get this assignment for the 1st time. Looks like everyone got back to school okay, but to help myself understand what some of the little darlings are going through, I thought I’d give myself some homework. Hang on. It’s been a while since I wrote a paper…. of any kind! Here goes:

How I Spent My Summer Vacation??

How I spent my summer vacation…. is hard to remember. If you’ve heard the Rich and Gary Morning Show, you know I often forget Gary’s name. Please give me a moment while I check my day-planner. If I’d had a day-planner when I was 7, this assignment would have been wayyyyyy easier and I would have got an A+. Anyway, if I was 7, here’s how I’d write this assignment:

How I spent my summer was on my family trip to The Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls in June. They have these waterslides and stuff, inside and everything, so I got to act crazy!! Wa-WHOOOOO!! The best part was the wave pool. This light flashes on and off just before the waves start. Then you have to swim like crazy to stop from being sucked into the machine that makes the waves. Everyone screams when they’re in the waves….well….mostly the girls that is. It’s wayyy cool!!! (Or should that be ‘SiC’?)

There’s also this big bucket the dumps water on you if you wait a few minutes. Because the whole thing is inside, its like 29 degrees celcius all the time. That means you can hang around and use the waterslides longer than if you were outside.

My favourite part was this waterslide called The Vortex. But I called it The Toilet….That’s mostly because you ride down this slide on a raft then go round and round in this bowl until you get forced down this drain that looks like the bottom of a toilet. It’s way sic!! The sign at the top of this ride said Vortex, but we knew it needed to be called “The Toilet”. For the 3 days I was at the Great Wolf Lodge, everyone kept asking, “Hey, Rich, do you wanna go down The Toilet?”, or…”Rich, you look like you need to go down The Toilet.”  I always said. “Yes”, so we did use the waterslide known as “The Toilet”. If you’re a grown-up and are stressed out, you should try “The Toilet” too.

The rest of the time we were there, we ate pizza and ice cream. We also went to Niagara Falls and rode in this giant ferris wheel. Some people got sick because it was so high up. I still liked it though.

For the other part of my vacation, I went to the beach and helped some good friends with chores around their house. And every night at 8, we would watch this guy on TV do this News show. He would yell at people and wave his hands while talking and holding a pen…. I think his name was Bill. I miss him because he seemed to know what he was doing and his show was very flashy. And he always gave me a new word to look up.

Anyway, that’s how I spent my summer vacation. By the way, is it too early to say that for Christmas I want a Red Rider Bee-Bee Gun with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time?

Thanks for reading this and welcome back everybody!! 

There’s something in the air. Is it a cool evening breeze? A desire to shop? Chalk dust? The need to buy the fall preview edition of TV Guide?

I haven’t been back to school for over 20 years, but every September, there it is. That strange feeling. That notion that I should be headed back to class…..And every school year, Hollywood comes up with some show or movie that does its best to capture what its like to be back at school.

Happy Days, Welcome Back Kotter, 90210, Saved By The Bell, The Breakfast Club, Back To School, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty In Pink, To Sir With Love…….not a bad list, eh. That’s off the top of my head. No googling!!

It’s kinda cool that all of the above have a surprising innocence……….With one notable exception. An exception that has proven to me times have changed.

The latest reincarnation of Beverly Hills 90210 is not all that innocent. First, let me explain.

Throughout a good part of the 90’s, my wife and I lived in a small town. A town of less than 3,500. Because of that, on Wednesday nights at 8p.m., we got hooked on Beverly Hills 90210. Not obsessed, just hooked. We needed something to do on Wednesdays is all. From Brandon to Brenda to Donna to David to Dylan to Nat to Jackie to Kelly to Steve….and on and on and on.  We used to call it “The Stupid Show”. Who could forget Brenda and Dylan’s on-again off-again relationship. Steve always getting into trouble. Andrea being just a little too serious about running the school paper. The chant…”Donna Martin graduates, Donna Martin graduates!!”. The Walshes, The Peach Pit, Nat not really fitting in. By the way, did you ever notice that for about 3 seasons, no one ever drove to the Peach Pit? Even though it seemed that it was miles away from West Beverly High? In later shows, we see Dylan parking his car behind the Peach Pit, but somehow in a number of shows, everyone just seemed to magically meet there. Oh well. That’s life in the land of TV. But I digress.

The original 90210 had a silly, preachy, Aaron Spelling-kind- of-charm that made it watchable. It was about bad fashion and hair. There was usually a message about life’s little and/or big issues. We were told that rich kids have problems too, and when we got to the end of the show, everyone would hug.

Fast-forward to September 2008. Unfortunately, it looks like the new 90210 has lost some of its “stupid charm”.

This 90210 is not your big sister’s 90210. Back to class has gotten crass!!

The original was a show you could laugh at. This show is just harsh, obvious and quite frankly, should be on after 9p.m. The sets are the same, but the attitude seems way too edgy. (I’ll bet the network has gotten some complaints.) Its like the producers have tried to combine Degrassi, 90210 and Desperate Housewives. After about a half hour of the first episode, we gave up. Too bad. Because the first 3 minutes, when the new “Brandon and Brenda” arrive in Bev Hills from Kansas, looked promising. 

Looks like I’ll have to rent Dangerfield’s Back to School or find the channel that runs Happy Days and Welcome Back Kotter.

For old time sake, here’s a classic 90210 intro, made up of at least 3 different audio files and 6 different video files. Enjoy!

Got a favourite Back to School TV show or movie? Feel free to let us know about it.

Hi everyone. 

We just want to be sure that you have quick access to any recall information.

The best place to start is www.mapleleaf.ca

Toll free, you can call 1-800-568-5801 to find out more.

**What to look for:   On packaged meat, you’ll see the code 97B close to, or next to, the “Best Before” date.  This meat should be thrown out.

Hope this helps you and your family.