Kevin Collard quips

a conversation about Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T14:49:00.002-05:00

I know this guy, he told me for the first time in his entire life that this year he hadn't received a single gift for Christmas.
He said his family was not exchanging names for gift giving this year. He'd been unemployed so he had no co-workers to buy for or vice versa. due to the economy and his lack of a job his wife decided that gifts were out of the question this year. as he woke up Christmas morning the reality set in..."why get out of bed ?" he pondered. nobody cares, whats the point?
as he shook off the self pity and low self esteem he looked out the window, the sun was beating down, not a cloud in the sky. he began to reflect on Christmases past. huge family gatherings at Grandma and Grandpa's, The time his mom and dad hid the huge box under the small Christmas Tree until the very end of gift opening and then he opened it to find (at age 14) he was the proud owner of a beautiful hi-fi stereo, or the time the woman he was dating (who is now his wife) showered him with dozens of boxes of presents for Christmas, beefing up his wardrobe and overwhelming him with her generosity. an over 40 year streak of gift opening on Christmas day is all of a sudden ended. but then he thought, of all those gifts he'd been given, how many does he still cherish TODAY? "don't ask" he says.
the aroma of breakfast wandered into his bedroom, the thought that his gorgeous wife would hop out of bed on Christmas morning to fix bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and the works deeply touched him, he remembered he had not received a gift but neither had she from him(also a first). He recalled the Christmas Eve service at Church "you can have peace this Christmas, God's goodness and Grace are his gifts to you" now there was a gift! he did remember that he had received that gift and he still cherished it, or did he ? was he taking God's love for granted too? suddenly he sat up in bed, his prayers were focused on God's goodness and what he was thankful for, he began to pray "God, thank you for my health, so many folks in my life have died this year, some younger than me. God thank you for a loving wife and family, thank you for keeping Mom and Dad healthy, thank you for sending Jesus to this earth to solve my sin condition, thank you for the promise of a job, the opportunities to work, thank you for this house and the vehicles that sit in it's driveway, and GOD thank you for this renewed Hope, this true sense of peace for the future, although politically, culturally and economically this country is worse off than maybe it's ever been, you rise above all that stuff and reveal our hope in YOU. Amen".
"so" he says to me "it may not have been the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! but once in a while, God nudges you in your materialism and pride and speaks loudly. REMEMBER ME ? and I'm so glad that God did that." he says "now I'm ready for whatever 2012 will bring. 2011 was just a building block, a temporary setback, now it's time to get busy living and stop thinking he's dying."
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

a Blog about my brother Steve Collard who turns 50 today

2011-11-02T03:47:00.001-04:00

November 2nd, 2011 my older Brother Stephen Richard Collard celebrates his 50th Birthday on this planet. which is not his home. I want to blog fifty things about him today in response to a wonderful Daily Blog he started fifty days before his birthday http://stevearino.wordpress.com/

you might think that someone writing 50 blogs about their life influences sounds self serving, we'll you'd be wrong. Steve doesn't really have a selfish bone in his body, he did it I think to remind himself of how good his life on this planet has been thus far, to remember what's important, and what life lessons have stuck threw time...

here are 50 things about my brother in no particular order:

1. My mom told me while I was a child that I had my Brother Steve to thank in part for being alive, you see, he would say his prayers every night to my mom and one day he started praying to God for a little Brother, Mom would tell him in a mommy kinda way, "no honey, we have a complete family now" I was born 6 years after Steve, his Prayers worked, Mom wasn't too happy. Thanks Steve

2. every young boy needs a playmate, and even though our age difference was large Steve was always willing to go out in the backyard to our own half acre version of Tiger Stadium and play wiffle ball, I know we cracked a ton of those wiffle balls, we would go thru ALOT of duct tape and eventually we realized the ball would sail alot farther with those Taped repairs, the ball would also sting a little if you clobbered a hit right at the pitcher...one of my favorite memories was when I decided one day to charge the mound and hit my brother with a yellow wiffle bat, Steve who NEVER showed rage unless provoked came unglued, he chased me down after 10 minutes and the bat returned the favor. good times.

3. Steve started working as early as he could, he began as a dishwasher at the Mexico Lindo in Waterford, owned by the Quintana family ( I once had a crush on their daughter Liz, but I digress...) Steve would often bring home with him after work (which featured a scalding hot sink) a fabulous tasting So papilla (honey,cheese nacho) or deep fried tacos. he was always generous like that.the last few years on my birthday my brothers will often take me to lunch at the Mexico Lindo. and I get to see Liz :)

4. my Annual Birthday gift for years from Steve were tickets to see the Tigers play the Anaheim Angels who were always in town around the time of my birthday(May 5th), Steve would take me and we'd get a hot dog, coke and peanuts and relax and enjoy Tiger Stadium. those are GREAT MEMORIES.

5. Steve made me HONEST. When I was a in 5th grade I had this stupid idea to stand outside of Wilhelms party store with a jar asking folks to give to Jerry's Kids, I had NO intention of throwing Jerry Lewis a penny, I did have dreams of playing "Defender" and "pacman" at area code 313 for endless summer days...by some coincidence Steve stopped in at the store, probably the daily Bread and milk run for mom, and he saw me. he asked "what are you doing ?!" I explained myself and the next thing I know I'm sitting in the Station wagon being driven to 7-11 where they had a Jerry's Kids fishbowl, you drop coins in the bowl and if they land in the small cup at the bottom you would receive a free slurpee. I had atleast $6.00 in change and I missed the cup with every coin, in fact the cashier felt sorry for me and gave me a slurpee anyway. but the lesson had been handed down to me, Stealing is BAD. and it will disappoint those who love you.

6. growing up Steve and I used to share a room, so I witnessed his work ethic virtually every night, I learned to fall asleep with a light on because he was always up doing homework while I went to sleep.

one night we stayed up mimicking the vocal inflections of various Praying men from our Church, we had to "name the speaker" as it were...hilarious.

7. Steve made a huge impact on my life, when I was in 5th grade and 6th grade Steve was doing a daily radio show on WTSD at his high school, I would go home for lunch or be out for recess with a small transistor radio listening to my big brother introduce Seger, Alan Parsons, ELO and in fact I would call in a request every once in a while. he also was the play by play announcer for Waterford kettering's basketball team, I remember one night when they played Pontiac Central at home during halftime a breakdance competition "broke out", Steve in his genius, ran down the hallway to WTSD studios where they had a Don Cornelius photo, he presented it to the winner.

8. continuing with the Radio theme, I began making Radio shows on cassette as a kid, and thus my love for radio was born, WJR was a big part of my life thanks to my Mom and Dad and brother Steve Years before I spent 18 years working there. we listened of course to the GREAT Ernie Harwell & Paul Carey, we woke up every Sunday morning to that haunting Patterns in music theme with Ted Strasser, Mike Whorf or Mike Deja, I remember when Frank Beckmann gave birth to "Sportswrapfoodland supermarket in Waterford and Steve drove me down to Southfield's Specs Howard School of Broadcasting, there I met with a finance counselor and enrolled to learn the wonders of radio, you see, by the time I got to Kettering there was no sign of a radio station or radio class at all. this was the only option I had to "Catch up" to my brothers knowledge of the field. I was the first in my class to receive a paying job in radio, due in part to my promise to Steve not to let his LOAN go to waste.

9. Steve would prove our friendship when he decided to marry his wife Lydia back in 1982, I was a Sophomore in High School and yet he asked me to stand up for his wedding. I was Honored. it took place in Montreal, Quebec and while we were driving up there Steve ran over a Squirrel, you had to be there. but BOY was it funny.

10. Steve coached my elementary school football and softball teams, he stepped up when nobodies Dad was willing or had the time, one year he enlisted Dave Ham to help, for football he had Jay Moultrop pitch in, he had a great play book, I was a fullback and would run back kick off returns. once a year we had a "Game under the lights" which was always a thrill, you felt BIGTIME, I believe we were playing Jayno Adams, it was pouring cats and dogs, the field was nothing but mud, the first play of the game I received the kick off, it felt like super slow motion as I followed Lee Lusk and Greg Brown as they blocked for me and one by one those defenders were dropping in front of me, I ran it back ALL THE WAY for a touchdown! Steve is my only family witness. I'm SO glad he was there to see me do it, no one would have believed it.

11. I quit going to Church on my 16th birthday. I knew it was breaking my parents hearts but sadly I didn't care, I remember Steve sending me a touching note, not to order me to give in and continue to go, just a gentle prompting, saying "we miss you and need you" this has been Steve's way in my life on several occasions, more on that later...

12. GOLF. need I say more ? I really only have three golf buddies in the whole world. my two brothers and my Uncle Tom in Arizona. Mark and Steve have been my Michigan connection, we have Golfed on his birthday(today) right here in Michigan several times. my ball is often located between the duck crap and the falling leaves...

13. ADVICE. Steve has ALWAYS been one of the first people I consult when I face a huge decision, he usually has sound wisdom and respect for my decision, for example I know he did not really want me to move to Aspen, Colorado in 2009 and he expressed several smart concerns, but when I packed up the Ford Escape and left he said he's be praying for me and that he'd miss me, the truth is, I missed him far more.

14. UNCLE KEVIN. I became an Uncle three times over thanks to Steve & Lydia, all three of his kids Andrew, Kristi and Allie are gems, Steve always included Lorna and me for his kids concerts, games and graduations,my life is richer because of those relationships, and now we have Dave & Karalyn as well, great kids!

15. Steve lives a mile away, so if he has extra pizza from dinner or a free hour to talk he always invites us over, we have never reciprocated the favor, keeping our home to ourselves, yet he has never stated to me that this is weird or unfair or strange or anything. that's pretty amazing. and the truth is ? he's someone who can come over my house anytime he wants.

16. keeping in line with the house, I will never forget when Steve would care for our pets when we would leave town, he's mowed my lawn before and I didn't even ask him to, he's even cleaned out my gutters and loaned me his snow blower. a great neighbor.

17. when Steve asks me to lunch, he always takes care of it. that's just wrong.

18. when I was going thru a spiritual struggle in the late nineties Steve invited me to a men's retreat with his Church, normally I loathe these kinds of invites but this time I felt I needed to reconnect with my Creator, during this weekend I was introduced to several great guys like Bob Wilson, Greg Lynn, Phil Minaudo and many,many more.

19. when the Pontiac Silverdome was opened Steve read in the paper that it was hosting a Skateboarding event, he and I REALLY wanted to see the inside of the Dome, so we drove over there only to discover that the event was on the ramps OUTSIDE the Silverdome. Fail. but good try

20. but let me list a few special moments at the Dome, Steve took me to see the Detroit Pistons play many, many times, without Steve I would have Never seen the likes of Dr. J, "Pistol" Pete Maravich, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, George "The Ice Man" Gervin, Daryl "Dunk"ins, and we saw Kevin Porter get his 10,000 assist one night, even though Dick Vitales Pistons were bad, the folks coming into town were magical.

21. speaking of Dick Vitale, Steve heard him on WJR say he would not turn down ANYONE from the media, so Steve and Mark Farnsworth secured an interview with Dickie V AND they brought me along! as we entered his office he threw me a T-Shirt that stated "Pistons Pride" and signed a basketball to me that said "Kevin, Have Pride! Dick Vitale 120%!" I cherish that basketball even today.

22. Steve along with my dad also took me to the Silverdome to see the Detroit Express soccer team, stars like Trevor Francis, David Bradford, Steve Seargeant, Goalie Jim Brown, Keith Furphy, Eddie Colquhoun, Brian Tinnion, Angus Moffat, Pato Margetic, took on teams like the Tampa bay Rowdies, Tulsa Roughnecks, the Chicago Sting and the New York Cosmos, I would have NEVER seen the Great PELE or Chingalia play if not for my brother Steve.

23. Steve also introduced me to the legendary Dick Purtan radio show, we would listen to "Purtans People", folks like the bagman, the whoa boys, Colleen Burcar,Joe Nipote and so many more would make us laugh each day, later in my own radio career I became a friend of Gene Taylor the Producer of Purtans show, he was a wonderful Christian man who died way too soon.

24. currently I'm unemployed, not a great place to be in my life at 44, I've lost my confidence at times and my hope at times, Steve is one of those people who I need to have around, he reminds me that my life experiences are priceless, he keeps seeing the potential in me. ultimately he has been one of my biggest sources of support since birth.

25. Biblical wisdom. Steve often preaches at his Church, for the longest time I made it a point NEVER to miss his messages, his relevant, compelling sermons always challenge me and I never find myself being lulled off to sleep. in recent years he even let me suggest books or authors or insight when prepping his sermon, I consider this a huge honor. although of late I have failed him as a parishioner and as another point of input. but believe me. it's all me. he hasn't said or done anything to scare me away.

26. WORK ETHIC. Steve has never backed away from a project that needs to be done. recently, I went with him to east Lansing to help his daughter Kristi move into her apartment. we had a huge trailer and two cars filled with stuff to be moved from Steve's basement to her place, when we arrived I quickly learned that Steve and I were the moving "Crew", with help from Allie and Kristi and one of Kristi's friends who came after we arrived...Steve (without complaining once) and I (complaining the whole time) unloaded virtually everything! now what makes this amazing to me is up until the moment he left for East lansing he didn't even know if I was going, Which would have left this job to just himself, furthermore he was going thru some weekly therapy for his neck! so he shouldn't be carrying anything! I suggested we go down to the local Michigan unemployment office and pick up a couple stragglers who could use an extra few bucks and have them do the heavy lifting, Steve and I got it done. and he once again taught me an important lesson.

27. a few years back Lorna and I had arrived at our yearly vacation in Arizona, we stay with my Uncle Tom and Aunt Linda each year, well, this particular year Steve and Lydia and the kids went, their week ended as ours was starting, in fact we passed them at the airport, as we arrived at the house Steve had left an envelope in the spare bedroom addressed to Lorna and me, enclosed was a very sweet note and some money to "get a nice dinner" while we were here. awesome.

28. another trip Steve would provide for me growing up was a yearly visit to the LIONS training camp at Oakland university, we kids could literally walk alongside Monte Clark and his players as they prepared for each losing season, I have wonderful memories of speaking to Gary Danielson, Benny Riccardo, Al Bubba Baker, Charlie Sanders and many more as we followed them down the hill for autographs.

29. I can't leave out the Redwings, Steve took me to several games over my lifetime,, Steve Grew up on the Esposito brothers and Bobby Orr and Daryl Sittler, we were both huge fans of Steve Yzerman, Jacques Demers, Bob Probert and even Petr Klima...

30. The Shamrock. These days Steve has a "favorite spot" in Utica. its a burger joint known as the Shamrock, he often calls me if he's anywhere near home at lunchtime and simply says "want a Shamrock burger?" how could I possibly say no ?

31. MUSIC. I was so proud to introduce Steve to some quality Christian music back in the 80's, I started with Michael Card and then tried the Imperials and others, he has since become a fan of folks like Rich Mullins, Tenth Avenue North, and many others.

32. MUSIC 2: Steve and I went together to see Simon & Garfunkel on their reunion tour at the palace, he went for Simon & Garfunkel and I went to hear the Fabulous Everly Brothers. I will never forget it.

33. MUSIC 3: back when Steve was in High School he became a member of the Columbia Record club, 10 records for a penny was just too good to pass up, plus he needed new music for his Radio show, I doubt I can name all ten records but I'm gonna try: ELO-Out of the blue, Walter Murphy-Rhapsody in blue, Alan Parsons Project-I Robot, Smokin in the boys room-Thin Lizzy...that's all I got. boy my memory is bad. but it changed my listening habits for the better.

34. When my wifes dad was in the hospital, the overnight nurse decided to put a straitjacket on him, not because he was crazy or anything, he simply suffered from Parkinson's disease, but when Lorna and I found out what happened from him we were FURIOUS! I called my Brother Steve who worked for a hospital and the nurse was terminated. He knew no matter what hospital it was in that the good treatment and well being of a patient is a hospitals #1 priority.

35. When Lorna's Dad died, Steve and Lydia (along with Church Elder Raju Kunjamen) were the first ones at my mother in laws doorstep, hugging us and mourning with us.

36. When Lorna was out of work, Steve did everything within his power to find her a job. he came thru for her. she worked at that job for many years.

37. Steve was someone who helped me acquire a love for the delicacy known as the "Coney Special" a loose hamburger/hotdog with chili combo including fries...

38. Steve would often try and listen to the varying radio shows I produced over the years, he would listen to David Newman or Frank Beckmann or Ken Calvert and he really enjoyed Foster Braun. I always felt better hearing from when a particular show was good and worthy listening.

39. When I was a kid and Steve was my coach I think I quit his football team every day. he would make me run laps and tell me to pay attention, for some reason I thought since he was my brother I should get away with stuff. it was actually the opposite. I needed to prove to him I wanted to play and hustle and ultimately WIN.

40. back in 1988 I had the opportunity to visit the country of Haiti on a missions trip, I was allowed at WWCM Radio at the time to invite folks to sponsor me if they chose too, Steve was first in line to put some bucks up to send me to Haiti. it was life changing.

41. one of the few times I remember Steve not being the strong, Rock of the family was when he was coming down the hallway at the Hospital where our other brother mark was deathly Ill, the Doctor had just told Steve to prepare for the worst, that Mark may pass away. he told me this as his voice cracked and tears were welling up saying "I just don't know why God is allowing this" both our family and Laurie's family gathered in the waiting area and Steve lead us in prayer, Mark has a new liver today and is feeling much better, Steve and Lydia's intense commitment to Mark & Laurie and their constant Prayers for him played a large role in his recovery.

42. Steve is the guy you call when your tire goes flat, car breaks down, when Mom or Dad are heading to the hospital for unknown reasons, he's THAT GUY. the one who cares. the one who follows thru.

43. Steve is a faithful man. no one would EVER think of Steve being unfaithful to Lydia, or picking up a DUI, he isn't perfect, then again...

44.there's a joke in our family that I use more than most, it simply requires someone saying out loud "what would Steve do ?" or "call Steve, he'll do it, he'll do anything" I don't know how he so consistently pleases our entire family but he does.

45. Steve has introduced over the years to some great authors, he gave me "Blue like Jazz" by Donald Miller, books by Joe Stowell, and books with topics like how to be a better husband, how to serve Christ, how to have a healthy prayer walk...

46. another Silverdome memory with Steve was the Promise Keepers gathering, 60,000 men singing hymns, eating lunch, and listening to speakers discuss matters like marriage and racism.

47. Steve invited me to join the Church Softball team, I was terrible, in fact one game I got kicked out for telling the umpire "he needed Jesus" after calling me out for leaving third too early after a fly ball. but I started several friendships on that team but I was glad when I retired (I retired the same year as Barry Sanders)

48.Steve is still one of those people who will pray for our meal out loud in public, this is a precious quality that is taken for granted these days, where everyone is trying not to offend the folks at the table next to you, Steve is actually praying to his Creator in front of them.

49. recently I had a job interview, Steve loaned me a suit. I didn't get the job but he told me to keep the suit. don't worry Steve I'll pay you back :) soon as I get a job.

50. Today Steve turns 50, he has such a bright future. he will be a phenomenal Grandpa, he will love retiring near a golf course and his kids, he will serve God in some capacity until the grave. I for one am only scratching the surface here for the kind of individual Stephen Richard Collard is...I'm so grateful he's my Brother, best friend, mentor, Elder, sounding board and fellow sports fan. the Bible says to give Honor to those whom Honor is DUE. this expression of heartfelt thanks is LONG overdue. thank you again bro. many times over

My Brothers Mark & Steve stand up for me at

my wedding in 1993.

Steve takes mom and Dad and me to visit Lydia

in Montreal, Canada

Music from my past

2011-10-10T15:16:00.001-04:00

10/08/2011 DATELINE: London, Ontario- Friday night I went to see an old friend, oh, he's not a personal friend, he's a man who influenced my life via the vinyl records of my past, but because of him (in part) I made a choice to believe in Jesus Christ, because of him I went to the Country of Haiti when I was 21 years old,

because of him I value artistry and songmanship (is that a word?)

His name is RANDY STONEHILL, I first heard Randy when I was 9 years old, I purchased his record "Welcome to paradise" and the songs blew me away, "king of hearts" was my favorite...listen to these lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDJOZEN3HUo&feature=related

Randy had a unique comedic approach to faith, he didn't slam it down your throat and he basically said to be a Christian "the least of these" must come first, you can't "brag" about being a follower of Jesus if you don't reach out to the hungry and downtrodden, Loving those in need begins the journey...another lesson Randy taught me was that sincereity and transparency are crucial elements to integrity and representing your Faith. sadly I placed folks like Randy on a pedastal back then and as I began to work in Christian radio I witnessed my musical heroes failing, falling or freaking out and not one of them today is on my manmade pedastal, but I must tell you that Randy Stonehills recent visit to London, Ontario did my soul a world of good, you see, Randy played to about 40 people! a far cry from opening for Petra in 1985 at Pine knob to about 9,000 of us...yet he was gracious, he performed many songs from his huge catalogue from all four decades, he even did an encore of one of his first recordings from back in 1971 (called "I Love you") he hung around after the concert to discuss anythinig and everything from his career to his wonderful wife, he just treated all of us with respect and humility. WOW! was that refreshing. it gave me hope for this Christian music industry again, perhaps they could learn some things from pioneers like Randy Stonehill. never forget why you do this, never forget Who you do this for and most importantly, never forget how blessed you are to still be doing it. Godspeed Uncle Rand. the new album "Spirit walk" is spectacular and your voice is still in fine form. now let the world tour begin again :)

Randy's "Wild frontier" cover AARP edition

http://www.randystonehill.com/

MY TOP TEN STONEHILL SONGS

1. Thankful
2. Light of the world
3. King of hearts
4. Hymn
5. Keep me Runnin
6. Life is tough, God is good
7. Celebrate this heartbeat
8. Christmas at Denny's
9. When I look to the Mountains
10. That's why we don't love God

Mom and Dad's 60th wedding anniversary

2011-09-30T02:38:00.000-04:00

sunday we held a party. it was really a celebration! my Mom and Dad had their 60th wedding anniversary on September 15th and we invited family and a few close friends to Frankenmuth to celebrate the occasion. what it really became was a tribute to the institution of marriage. no one who sits at the front of a Church at age 20 really truly expects "til death do us part" to last 60 or more years! I know I don't, I fully expect Lorna to have had enough of me by our 20th anniversary...but I must admit that time does something to a marriage. it creates such a need, such a bond that the couple really begins to wonder how they could survive without the other. that's where I'm at. I really find that I need my wife. not just for dinner and a movie but for so many important tasks. I need her to be a friend first. I need to know we can do stuff together and have fun and not put on a fake front...I need her to be a counselor of good advice, someone who will tell me honestly what I'm doing wrong, I need her to keep me sane. to show me her confidence in me when I lose mine. I need her to put things in perspective so I don't start hitting the panic button. I need her to simply say "I love you". and she does. my Mom and Dad had a nice day gathering with loved ones and remembering the days of their youth. but I think I came away the most blessed because I witnessed the future and discovered it's possibly not as scary as my mind wants to make it. and that was only one lesson of a dozen more I experienced sunday. thanks mom and dad for your committment to us kids, each other and God. I hope to be half the person you have lived out in front of me. I will always strive to make you proud.

Dan Peek, Singer Songwriter and co-founder of the band AMERICA

2011-07-26T03:30:00.000-04:00

I was saddened to read today that DAN PEEK, the singer-songwriter who co-founded the folk rock band AMERICA had passed away at the age of 60 on July, 24th..I met Dan a few times, the first time was when I was 17 in Canada at a music festival, he was a very kind, friendly and soft spoken artist, he performed with his brother Tom Peek and included several of the AMERICA songs in his set, he was proud of the association he had with the band AMERICA but he was most proud of his association with his Christian faith.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dan Peek (November 1, 1950, Panama City, Florida – July 24, 2011) was a former member of the rock band, America from 1970 to 1977, together with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell. He contributed lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, and harmonica to their recordings during his tenure in the band. As a member of America, Peek contributed with four Top 100 singles: "Don't Cross The River" (#35), his most successful single "Lonely People" hit (#5), "Woman Tonight" (#44), and "Today's the Day" (#23). "Lonely People" and "Today's the Day" also hit number 1 on the Billboard AC charts.
Peek left America shortly after the February 1977 release of the Harbor album. He renewed his Christian faith after years of unhappy recreational drug use and a fast lifestyle, and had begun to seek a different artistic direction than Beckley or Bunnell. He went on to sign with Pat Boone's Lamb & Lion Records, and found success as a pioneering artist in the emerging Christian pop music genre. Outside of rejoining Beckley and Bunnell on stage on one spontaneous occasion several years after, Peek has not reunited with America, contrary to various inaccurate reports which have arisen over the years. Chris Christian co-wrote, produced, and contributed backing vocals on Peek's debut solo album, All Things Are Possible, in 1979, but that was in the context of Peek's solo career, and not as America. This was the first Contemporary Christian Hit to reach the Billboard charts, reaching the Top 10 in the A/C Billboard chart. Gerry and Dewey sang on "Love Was Just Another Word" written by Steve Kipner and Chris Christian in LA which was the last time the three original members of "America" recorded together. Peek followed "All Things Are Possible" with "Doer of the Word". "Doer of the Word" was a Christian hit and Gerry Beckley sang background vocals on the record, but he did the recording at Chris Christian's studio in Dallas and Dan was not present.
Peek would later release an autobiography entitled An American Band, based on America's most successful period, and his own spiritual journey.^[1]
Peek's first album and single became big hits on contemporary Christian music (CCM) radio stations and charts. The single "All Things Are Possible" not only hit number 1 on the CCM singles chart, it also crossed over to the Billboard singles and adult contemporary charts, becoming one of the earliest CCM's crossover hits.
Peek lost much of the momentum gained by the success of his initial hit by not releasing a second album for five years, 1984's Doer of the Word. While several of his songs would make the CCM charts, none crossed over to the Pop or Adult Contemporary charts. The delay really may have cost Peek in that regard with the title track, "Doer of the Word", which was an upbeat, very "America-like" song that was backed by Beckley. It hit number 2 on the CCM charts. 1986 saw the release of his Electrovoice album, again to the CCM market, which included a remake of "Lonely People", featuring a very similar lead vocal treatment and overall arrangement that was done on the original America version years prior. He changed some of the song's lyrics to reflect his Christian faith, for example the lines "And ride that highway in the sky" and "You never know until you try" became "And give your heart to Jesus Christ."
Peek spent much of the 1990s in semi-retirement, occasionally recording music at his home in the Cayman Islands. He released several solo projects and collaborated with Ken Marvin and Brian Gentry as "Peace" on three albums. In recent years, before his death in 2011, Peek released music via his web page.^[1]

^{here's a link to a Dan peek interview from 2007 http://www.drewmarshall.ca/listen2007.html#071110}

Life Improves...

2011-07-14T12:20:00.000-04:00

Life is improving, I'm finding my way back onto the path of truth and what matters. first my wife Lorna has been a GODSEND, thru my loss of a career and confidence she has been a rock, believing in me and supporting the process, we have such a sweet need for one another and the bonds of love are cement like...so far in 2011 I have experienced adventures galore, we went to Arizona together.

I've been to several Concerts like U2 360, Jonny Lang/Buddy Guy, we went to the Sparky Anderson tribute at Comerica park, this weekend we're going to Traverse City, it's just so much fun to be together and explore...now the tough part arrives, I've chosen to leave the position I had at Salem Broadcasting on the paul edwards show and focus my efforts on a good paying job ANYWHERE in the USA, God has to open the door but I'm confident someone will realize I'm a hardworking, creative soul who deserves a chance...so just wanted to update the handful of Blog readers who wondered what happened to me, I will try to start writing on this thingy again, be well. Kevin

Mabel Edith Brockman (my Mother-in-law) just one last note.

2010-10-19T13:29:00.001-04:00

Hospice is tough, just the thought that your helping your loved one die is intimidating enough, for so long we have cared for my Mother in law Mabel, thru many illnesses, and we always witnessed her amazing recoveries, she was like teflon. but this time we were told she would not escape mortality...of course at some point neither will we...and frankly I had not thought much about our mortality until this grueling experience, I actually must prepare my heart, mind and spirit for death. I must stop kidding myself that i have loads of time to accomplish my dreams. by the way, what IS important in life ? what are those dreams anyhow ? wealth ? NO. Popularity ? NO. then what ? well, even from her death bed Mabel taught us a few important things

1. FAMILY, without a family your life has no anchor, no sense of familiar and really no true identity.

2. AUTHENTIC LOVE, to truly think the best in people, to not be cynical towards others actions, to have a genuine transparent heart is to be the better man in every situation.

3. INTEGRITY to do business and handle relationships in a moral, ethical bubble regardless of what politicians and others do, stay true to your own integrity.

4. GRACE Mabel also taught us how to die, she was the sweetest patient on the hospital floor, anyone who came in contact with her loved her manners, her decency and graciousness, she NEVER complained or responded with anger, even if the nurse was trying for the fourth time to find a vein, she would say "that's ok" or "Sorry it's so hard".

Now Lorna and I face empty nest syndrome, we sit at restaurants where we used to tell the wait staff "we need to hurry" (to get home to mother) now we order dessert because our services are no longer necessary, our marriage was greatly impacted by the needs of my mother in law and now we sit here on the edge of a new life with no limits on our idea's on where to start or how to get used to our freedom...we are open to your suggestions...and God's leading. Mom we miss you.

JUNE happenings

2010-06-09T00:21:00.004-04:00

well May is over, I'm another year older and ALOT has been happening...nothing good on the job front, I have met with many folks who seem to really want to hire me but Michigan just isn't in the risk business right now, it's very disheartening.

Nationally the country is consumed with an Oil disaster that is never ending...President Obama has dropped the ball but everyone blames BP anyways so it's not that big of a deal...Michigan is still recovering, there are signs of life which is very encouraging...personally some interesting stuff has taken place, I've met with 4 radio outlets, all expressing a serious interest in my knowledge but not one offering a job on the spot. in fact all of them have gone back to their management to see how they find a way to pay me to work for them, so far I'm still a free agent, Lorna and I have had some rough days financially but were hangin tough, her mom is doing far better than we could have hoped and for that we're grateful to God...I've been getting a little more involved with Church, I opened a worship service one sunday, led a Prayer night for an hour on my birthday, and assisted my Brother Mark with his yearly sermon for high school Graduates. my Tigers have been struggling but the season still has a long way to go, Two legendary CCM folks have passed away, Kevin Thomson of Sweet Comfort Band (Who I never met but their music certainly had an impact on my life) and Dana Key of DeGarmo & Key, Who I met SEVERAL times and I was really torn up about losing him, he was like a distant spiritual mentor to me, I loved him and his music. my youngest Niece Allie had her graduation from High School and her party so I saw lots of family and friends, it was a wonderful gathering with lots of effort put forth by Steve & Lydia, on a deeply personal level I must confess I think I'm addicted to Facebook :) I find it provides me with several outlets, first of all I feel more creative, I try to post things that are fun or clever or worthwhile, my success rate may only be that 3 out of 10 things I post are actually funny, I enjoy the challenge of trying to be relevant, humorous and witty, secondly, I'm able to keep up with friends and relatives more then ever, I love it. I'm also able to keep updated on dear friends who are battling serious health issues, my good friend Foster Braun for example has had a bitter battle with multiple myloma and Facebook allows me to be updated on his condition daily, there are several others who post health updates etc...very good way to keep in touch. I do believe that once I get a job, purpose and vision facebook will be the first casualty in my life, but for now it is one of my purposes for living (sorry Chuck Swindoll:) most importantly, if you know of anyone who could use my knowledge and experience please pass along my name, I really need the work, THANKS.

ERNIE HARWELL - MAN OF GOD

2010-05-07T23:08:00.000-04:00

This week I drove down to Harwell Field in Detroit for the Public viewing of the late Ernie Harwell, I was joined by my brother Mark and nephew Nathan,
over 11,000 fans made the special trip downtown to remember a man that touched many, many souls.

Ernie was a man of God. even the most cynical, hate filled people among us would have to admit that Ernie was not your typical, hypocritical Christian.

Ernie Harwell like a fine wine got better with age, his Christian Faith grew, his love for people grew, his legend grew and most importantly his integrity and character grew.

His friends included Dr. Billy Graham and Paul Harvey two more giants of the Christian Faith who also maintained character and integrity.

The question is WHY ? what makes these three men so common in their Lives to present Jesus to their culture without a public moral failure for 90 years or more ?

here are a few of their Shared qualities:

STRONG FAITH AND MARRIAGE

Ernie Harwell was Married to Lulu Harwell for 67 years ! on the month of their 40th wedding anniversary Ernie was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

"Faith is the No. 1 thing, but that doesn't mean just going to church," Harwell says. "A lot of people who go to church every Sunday don't have a good relationship with Jesus. And that's the main thing with me." Exercise is a regular part of Harwell's routine as well. When he's home, he skips rope and works out on a trampoline. On the road, he takes brisk daily walks. "Well, I've exercised all my life," Harwell says. "I feel just as good now as I did 15 years ago." Harwell has missed only two broadcasts in his career -- once to be inducted into the National Sportscasters Hall of Fame and another to attend a brother's funeral. "He just loves baseball," Lulu Harwell says. "He's been that way as long as I've known him." (CBS SPORTSLINE)

Billy Graham was Married to the late Ruth Bell Graham for 65 years, Even though Billy's travel schedule often kept them apart, he and Ruth were able to keep their marriage strong.

Billy about Ruth's death: "I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we've had in the mountains together. We've rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven."

Source: Mike Baker. "Billy Graham's Wife Ruth Dies." SFGate.com. 6/14/2007.

The Late Legendary Radio commentator Paul Harvey was Married to Lynne for nearly 68 years, They worked as a team most of their marriage. Lynne worked as Paul's inspiration, producer, director, editor, and writer. They were a smart couple -- they each had their own offices !

Paul proposed marriage on their first date while they sat in her parked car but Lynne didn't say yes until a year later.

"Under the pretext of needing a ride to the airport, he asked Lynne for a lift. She drove a snazzy white Nash Lafayette coupe with such speedy abandon that one of her nicknames was the "blond blizzard." The pair wound up on a dinner date that night. Before the entree arrived he was calling her Angel, a nickname she had had since childhood. After dinner, sitting in her car, he asked her to marry him."

Paul when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005: "This is the highest honor I have received since 60-some years ago, when Angel said 'I do.'"

Source: Aaron Katersky. "Paul Harvey's Wife Dies at Age 92" ABCNews.go.com. 5/03/2008.

BIRTH YEAR:

Ernie Harwell, January 25, 1918

Billy Graham, November 7th, 1918

Paul Harvey, September 4th, 1918

AWARDS:

Ernie Harwell was named by The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Michigan Sportscaster of the Year 19 times, and inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1989. Harwell was also honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 as the fifth broadcaster to receive its Ford C. Frick Award, and was elected to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame in 1998, among many other honors. In 2001, Harwell was the recipient of the prestigious Ty Tyson Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting, awarded by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA). In 2009, Harwell was named the first recipient of the DSBA's Ernie Harwell Lifetime Contribution Award. The award, called the Ernie Harwell Lifetime Contribution Award, is named after the Hall of Fame Detroit Tigers announcer. Harwell is the first winner of the award. The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame inducted Harwell in 2008. In 2010 Harwell was named as a recipient of the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award from Fordham University radio station WFUV. The press box at Detroit's Comerica Park was officially named the "Ernie Harwell Media Center" following his retirement from broadcasting. In 2004, the Detroit Public Library dedicated a room to Ernie Harwell and his wife, Lulu, which will house Harwell's collection of baseball memorabilia valued at over two million dollars. On April 26, 2008 Harwell was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from The University of Michigan at their Spring Commencement ceremony. One week later, on May 3, 2008, he was presented with another Honorary Degree of Laws this time from Wayne State University.

Billy Graham has frequently been honored by surveys, including "Greatest Living American" and has consistently ranked among the most admired persons in the United States and the world. Between 1950 and 1990, he appeared most frequently on Gallup's list of most admired people. The United States Postal Service has said that Graham is one of the few Americans, along with the current President, who can be delivered mail that simply reads his name and the country: "Billy Graham, America." He has received the Congressional Gold Medal from the United States Congress and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Reagan, America's highest civilian honors. President Bill Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole awarded Graham the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in 1996. In December 2001, he was presented with an honorary knighthood, Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), for his international contributions to civic and religious life over 60 years. In 1971, Graham's hometown of Charlotte held "Billy Graham Day" at which President Nixon made an appearance. In 2000, former First Lady Nancy Reagan presented the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award to Graham. Graham has been a friend of the Reagans for years. Graham received the Big Brother of the Year Award for his work on behalf of children. He has been cited by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for his contributions to race relations. He has received the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion and the Sylvanus Thayer Award for his commitment to "Duty, Honor, Country". The "Billy Graham Children's Health Center" in Asheville is named after and funded by Graham.

Paul Harvey was named Salesman of the Year, Commentator of the Year, Person of the Year, Father of the Year, and American of the Year. He was elected to the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and appeared on the Gallup poll list of America's most admired men. In addition he received 11 Freedom Foundation Awards as well as the Horatio Alger Award. Paul Harvey was named to the DeMolay Hall of Fame, a Masonic youth organization, on June 25, 1993.

In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' most prestigious civilian award, by President George W. Bush. On May 18, 2007, he received an honorary degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

HUMBLE BOOK TITLES

Stories from My Life in Baseball -Ernie Harwell

Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham

Paul Harvey's For What It's Worth

and they all Started and finished their careers ON THE RADIO!

Ernie Harwell signs a baseball at our Church event

Ernie Harwell & Frank Beckmann

two legendary play by play announcers talk shop.

Lorna in front of Ernie Harwell just outside the Tiger Stadium radio broadcast booth in 1997

Ernie Harwell and me on Ernie Harwell Weekend in Detroit,September 2002
at the WJR Studios for his Tribute.

My "Tuned to Baseball" book was included as part of the Comerica Park Viewing ceremony on May 6th, 2010

Life in these united states in 2010

2010-04-06T12:25:00.005-04:00

for all the HOPE language that was tossed around for the 2008 elections, life in these United States in 2010 seems far from HOPEful, my wife and I take a walk around our neighborhood nightly and thursday nights have become quite the adventure...you see friday morning is garbage pick up on my street, but lately there hasn't been that much garbage left on the street by friday morning...GARBAGE PICKERS by the droves invade our neighborhood after dark and begin to load up their old trucks with ANYTHING remotely valuable...some come on their bike, others by car but this trend of seeing Americans so needy that they steal others garbage is sad and discouraging.

I also have noticed a genuine maliciousness or anger between Liberals and Conservatives, They both snarl or despise the other (more harshly then I can EVER remember) and agreeing to disagree doesn't work anymore, due to ACTIONS by one party or the other. This is civil war preparation it seems and our nation is weaker because of it. and neither side has a solution or calming leader to handle the intensity of those feeling this anger...I only HOPE someone will step up on both sides and calm the rhetoric and vitriol and unite this nation for greater good. NO HOPE IN ANY OF THIS.

also this year (2010) we will lose one of Televisions best examples of Integrity and courage, were down to the last few weeks of JACK BAUER of 24...he will be killed off along with the series 24 in the coming weeks...Jack kept my faith and HOPE alive in the men and women of our Armed Forces and Secret Service and FBI that they are motivated by the principles of love of country and character, not by money or power... my HOPE is that real life Jack Bauers are plentiful, could it be ?

i know these are random thoughts but forgive my Bob Talbert like methodology won't you :)

what has happened to Music ? I can't find a solid, worthwhile song anywhere that was written since 1995 or so...has pop/rock music reached it's pinnacle for creativity ? and Church music is even tougher to take with lyrics like "You're the Famous One" etc...c'mon! songs of HOPE are needed now more than ever.

something different...being unemployed in Michigan

2010-02-10T11:44:00.003-05:00

I left Beautiful Aspen, Colorado on January 4th driving the two day haul back to Michigan, My mother in law's health requires that my wife Lorna and I be available for her 24/7...I left Colorado with no guaranteed job back in Michigan, something I would normally NEVER do. but I come back Trusting God for a new opportunity and exciting challenge.
all of sudden virtually everything I do is seen thru the eyes of an unemployed man...I went to see a film called "Up in the air" about a man who travels the country FIRING PEOPLE...I watch a DVD called "Sunshine Cleaning" about a woman who starts a company cleaning crime scenes but things go bad and she loses her job...what's going on ? why is the world ganging up on me ? every person I see or talk to all of sudden is asking.."find a job yet?" I hate this. my Church wants to put in the bulletin that I need prayer for a job and for some reason I battle the image of loser...but the truth is I am anxious yet excited about the potential, how many times in your life do you get the chance to try and make a decision like this ? 2 or 3 times ? another battle I face is trying to lose or leave my identity with my former employer (having been there for 18 years) I still get calls from folks daily who want me to put them on a radio show I left 8 months ago! it's bizarre, so now I look at the future, what do I want to be ? do I want to conitnue all I've ever known as a radio producer ? do I want to make a transition into Politics or marketing ? do I want to make a huge leap into the medical field or retail/sales ? what is my purpose ? what is my vision for the next 5 years ? my Church has tried to help me decide these issues...friends like Foster Braun, my brothers, my wife and other old friends have been giving me encouragement and ideas but it's alot tougher than I would have thought while I was living in Aspen. Michigan unemployment numbers are intimidating and trying to define who I am with out my job/career has been confusing and difficult. bareing my soul here probably is a bad idea but I really do feel like this crucial next step will make me or break me, GOD HELP ME. I know you will, I'm already blessed just knowing you God.

trying something new

2009-12-11T20:19:00.002-05:00

so I just finally watched the film "Marley & me" on HBO...very nice film, but I couldn't get over how much I identified with John Grogan, his need to move on even though he was succesful in his regional world as a columnist...and his desire to do something else and then thru that process of doing other things he found his calling was right all along :) so here I sit in Aspen, Colorado with a load of ideas and no outlet to share them...so then I remember seeing "Julie & Julia" the story of a blogger who gained a following by consistently writing random comments while cooking thru Julia Childs book in a year...so here I go...twice a week I plan on sharing a random "column" with you...observations on living in 2010 in the USA...I hope someone out there likes my point of views and random thoughts...and memories from the past...I look forward to having this minor legacy to leave behind...i really want input as well so bring it on :) thanks for checking in...Kevin

OREO DIES

2009-08-10T22:01:00.003-04:00

Lorna and I were married for a week or two when Lorna decided we needed a pet or two...so we looked at the paper and a woman had two cats left and she lived in the worst part of Pontiac, Michigan...we walked in the door and she said if you don't take em were putting them to sleep...from the second we got in the car Oreo chose me and Patches chose Lorna...today when Lorna called me crying to tell me OREO had passed and I was overcome with a flood of great memories.

This cat was a dog. she was waiting at the door when you got home, she would wait for you to sit down to jump up on your lap, she would lay on your belly while watching TV and patiently return if you had to get up and go somewhere for a few minutes...she would leap up 6 feet when playing keep away and complain if you didn't feed her on time...smart for a cat don't you think ?

I'm so glad I had her in my life...she's not replaceable or forgetable...she is survived by her brother Patches, cousin Spike and Kevin and Lorna who will never truly get over the purring, seemingly caring soul of one black & white kitty that captured our hearts. I can't believe she's gone.

ASPEN IS BEAUTIFUL!

2009-07-04T12:52:00.002-04:00

Aspen is beautiful! just can't believe how gorgeous this part of the world is...

LEAVING MY RADIO CAREER AFTER 25 YEARS!

2009-06-04T15:59:00.008-04:00

My last day at WJR Radio will be friday, June 12th...I'm moving to Aspen, Colorado to work for a small business not in the broadcasting field...I've been overwhelmed by the kindness of so many folks wishing me well ! Listeners, PR Folks, Experts on Various topics you name it have been very gracious towards me down thru the years and I'm grateful for their kudos.

It's Hard to list Accomplishments but I do find myself being very nostalgic of late:

While working at WJR I've spoken to 5 Presidents,(Ford/Carter/Bush/Clinton/Bush)

I've spoken to personal heroes like BONO, Billy Graham, Don Knotts, George Carlin and Rosemary Clooney, Jackie Chan, Sparky Anderson, Kirk Gibson.

I was cussed out by the likes of Bebe Neuwirth, Jenny Jones, a Detroit Mayor and even Burt Ward (robin on Batman TV series)

I worked 20 hour marathons on 9-11, took three straight days of fan phone calls When JP McCarthy died, worked the Midwest Blackout and the Gore/Bush 2000 election debacle.

we took a "call" from NASA and Jerry Linenger on the MIRS Space station (now I consider Jerry Linenger a friend)

the weirdest "remote" was in 1997 having our WJR News Vehicle wired up to drive Governor John Engler over Detroit's worst potholes LIVE on the radio so he'd get the message to fix them.

my regrets are not being able to set up interviews on the air with the following: Mother Theresa, Neil Armstrong, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne.

I was there when they closed Tiger Stadium and when they Opened Comerica Park, went to the World Cup, Ryder Cup, World Series, Stanley Cup(in Philadelphia and Detroit),Gold Cup Boat races, Buick Open's, Super Bowl Week, 2005 MLB All-star game and the NBA Finals.

BACKGROUND: I started at WJR in 1992 as a weekend Producer for Jimmy Barrett (my fulltime job was working at the Pontiac Rescue mission with the homeless) then i worked with Fat Bob Taylor & Larry Patton, Mike Deja...then produced evenings with various hosts including Doug Ross, Geoff Feiger, Ronna Romney, Mitch Albom etc...then produced the Ken Calvert show in 1996...Paul W. Smith in 1997...David Newman 1998-2001 and Frank Beckmann show 2003-2009 ...it's been a blast!

ALMOST MAY!

2009-04-18T21:50:00.005-04:00

Rock and roll hall of fame Guitarist DAVE MASON join us in Studio to discuss his career starting in the 60's with TRAFFIC
Actor/Comedian Mike Epps who told Host John McCulloch he wanted to know when John was working again so that while he was working he could bust into house and steal the sweater John was wearing...it was very funny but you had to be there.

Two Time GRAMMY winner ADELE let me interview her about her music and life so far as a recording artist.

NELSON: Gunnar and Matthew (sons of Ricky Nelson) I gave them a never before heard interview Ricky Nelson did with Shirley Eder as well as interviews with both their Grandfathers (Ozzie Nelson and Tom Harmon)

Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers and Sam Riddle a Political consultant stop by on opening day 2009 to discuss the Cobo Hall deal.

well, in two weeks I get another year older and life seems to be standing still at the moment but not in a good way...we are poorer and very demoralized by the direction of the nation and the state of Michigan...luckily the Redwings are ruling the play-offs and the Tigers look pretty good early on in the season...my job has continued to be a daily grind of trying to fill the monster with interesting topics and news items while newspapers and sources for fascinating stories continue to go out of business...opening day was GREAT the Tigers won 15-2 over the Texas Rangers and folks in our nation held a huge tea party to send a message that the Olde America isn't dead yet. two encouraging signs for the future...life is bound to get better, thanks for checking in.

It's March already!

2009-03-07T13:53:00.002-05:00

I guess trying to keep up with a blog is more difficult then I thought it would be...Michigan got up to 60 degrees yesterday and spring is in the air as I sit here wathcing the World baseball classic. the invention of Facebook has been a growing phenomenon in the world and I love it. for the first time I have access to my family, friends, Heroes, spiritual mentors and I can even book guests using facebook... I recently made a connection with fellow elementary school class members...band members from groups I have followed my whole life and basically I've kept in touch with family in a whole new media...how could this be bad ? I'll tell you. Lorna my wife wonders when I'll turn the computer off ? and now it's even a "are you done wiht the computer yet ? I have to sign on facebook" for her too! so now the new addiction has to be controlled and it can soak up time doing good things like Church etc...meanwhile The Frank Beckmann show has been extended from 9:00am to 11:30am to 12 Noon daily...with no pay increase and a reduction by two weeks in vacation time my morale has been difficult to maintain at work....our stock is worth 1 cent and the country is losing jobs quicker than nook logan...not sure what is up ahead but I know that if GOD were not in control I'd be weeping on the keys right now :) but with God's grace I'm not. we'll I know I must be boring you (the reader) because I'm now bored but I just couldn't let another day go by with out a new blog entry. thanks for reading mindless thoughts...blessings, KC

2009-01-17T19:35:00.002-05:00

last night we went to see "Slumdog Millionaire"...although it starts slow it is a great date film. It was very good. life is really cold here in Michigan right now...in fact this has been one of the worst winters I can remember but a bad winter usually means Michigan is a beautiful Green in the spring...the middle east is doing battle and the world get's ready to welcome Barack Obama as President this coming tuesday. folks are losing jobs everyday in Michigan and life has alot of stress and anxiety...God is in control. I'm attempting to get back to Church on a more regular basis and I'm beginning to feel the difference in my state of mind. monday is Martlin Luther King Jr day and I'll be working with fill in John McCulloch. that's all for now I guess...

2009-01-09T21:20:00.001-05:00

Trying ping.fm

The show on January 7th

2009-01-08T06:39:00.001-05:00

9:20 Pete Hoekstra, Congressman
9:35 Jim Edmonson, Campaign Manager, Mayor Kenneth Cockrel on hiring Obama’s people
9:45 Kym Worthy, Wayne County Prosecutor on Christine Beatty and the Mayor’s attorneys asking for the Text messages to be destroyed.
10:10 CASH FOR CLUNKERS DEBATE
Steve McDonald, SEMA VP of Government Affairs
Jason Bordoff, Policy Director of the Brookings institution’s Hamilton Project
10:40 Adam Michaelson, former Senior Vice President at Countrywide Home Loans and author of “Foreclosure of America”
11:10 Gary Burtka, Mayor of Allen Park on the potential of a film studio coming to his city

had lunch at the Anchor Bar with a friend...very tired.

1-6-2009 SHOW LINEUP

2009-01-07T06:27:00.001-05:00

9:20 David Littman, Chief Economist, Mackinac Center for public policy
9:35 Candice Miller, Congresswoman on the stimulus package.
10:10 Ed Dobson, Cornerstone University Jesus for a year & Lou Gehrig disease sufferer
10:35 David Cole, Center for Automotive research on the Hyundai assurance idea and sales numbers and his forecast for 2009 ?
10:50 Jeff O’Donnell, His home is used by Clint Eastwood in GRAN TORINO
11:10 Daniel Bagdade, Nathaniel Abraham attorney

Ed Dobson was a very interesting & diverse piece from today's show...suffering from Lou Gehrigs disease and spending a year living like Jesus did was quite a story. that's a wrap.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION -to blog more

2009-01-05T18:25:00.002-05:00

as 2009 gets underway I get the urge to try and blog on this site as frequently as possible...it will help me focus on my daily blessings and hopefully give me some kind of therapeutic encouragement. so here goes for January 5th, 2009.

got up at 4am and headed downtown for a show in desperate need of some ideas...we settled with Daniel Howes on the auto industry battles...Senator Mike Bishop on the budget...two authors who wrote a book about the Stephen Grant murder case...Sheriff Mark hackel responds to them...Jim Barry of the Consumer electronics association...Jim Stark about the delay of the Michigan Sports hall of fame induction ceremony and FOX news contributor John R. Lott about the Al Franken win in Minnesota. while I'm here we also discussed GRAN TORINO the film that was shot in Detroit by Clint Eastwood:

there are movies and then there are films...the difference for me is a movie is mainly a mindless fun plot that entertains and ends there...a film can actually change lives...THIS IS A FILM. they don't come along very often....Shawshank Redemption, Good Will hunting,Amazing Grace and Million Dollar baby are FILMS...GRAN TORINO is a film masterpiece...I can't tell you all the different reasons why but this film will stir your soul. Clint Eastwood is a genius. it breaks my heart to think that this planet won't have his filmmaking forever...I just hope he's passing along all the things he has learned about constructing a film like this one to someone in his life...when you sit down to visit this middle American tale be prepared to experience the heart of Eastwood...the lessons that scream at you include our fear of neighborhoods and being neighborly, racism, the spiritual questions, death and end of life, and finally personal family relationships...this film covers ALL OF IT. If this film doesn't touch you then I'm speechless and your hopelessly numb.Let me tell you one other thing about this film that is truly remarkable...you won't recognize a single player in this film. there are no superstars who demand 20 million a film...dare I say a single actor outside of Mr. Eastwood himself made a single million from this performance and yet that's another beautiful thing about all this...you don't get bogged down by familiarity...it's all new, refreshing and bold...way to go Mr. Eastwood! when does your next film come out ? I'll be first in line.

THE ROCKER FILM REVIEW

2008-08-22T22:27:00.003-04:00

MY SEVEN WORD FILM REVIEW -

"A clever comedy with a weak finale"

Death and it's intimidation

2008-06-15T10:57:00.003-04:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to my Dad Richard Lee Collard...as he approaches the age of 80 he has been a very supportive and concerned dad throughout my whole life. glad that in 2008 I can still spend time with him on Father's day.
I also want to pay tribute to my late father-in-law Norman Elsworth Brockman...seen here at Christmas time..he would always tell us that growing up his gift every Christmas was an orange and a piece of sticky candy inside a sock. so his wife & kids always spoiled him at Christmas time. He was a good man and we miss him dearly.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

"We seem to have reached the age where life stops giving us things and starts taking them away." ―Charles Stanforth Indiana Jones film.

as I sit here and watch a tribute to TIM RUSSERT on NBC who died suddenly in the newsroom after leaving his wife & son in Italy to go home and work. I realize that the intimidating thoughts of how one dies are more present in my life than I would have hoped at my "young" age of 41... as the years fly by I start to stare straight into the face of mortality and that guaranteed end. it's sobering, it's scary, it's my destiny. in the past month I've seen several deaths that were just heartbreaking...a 5 year old daughter of Christian Singer Steven Curtis Chapman...the death of songwriter Dottie Rambo on her tour bus after a traffic accident...comedian Harvey Korman...the sands of time continue to steal away those close and not so close to us...for example I dread the day I wake up and read that Reverend Billy Graham has gone home to be with GOD...but wait, this is where FAITH becomes crucial to one's destiny. i did a quick study on death with the Bible and when one clearly makes a decision to believe in the life & death of Jesus Christ THEN and only THEN can he claim victory over death.

the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

so I recently rented "The bucket list" a film that I was told was lame and "not worth renting" but in fact this film illustrates brilliantly the difference between a man of Faith and a faithless soul. I found the film to be worthwhile viewing if for no other reason than to appreciate family and friends while your healthy.

Ecclesiastes 9 - A Common Destiny for All

1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, [a] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.
3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope [b] —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, [c] where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
12 Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.

Asleep in Jesus! Blessèd sleep,From which none ever wakes to weep;A calm and undisturbed repose,Unbroken by the last of foes.
Asleep in Jesus! Oh, how sweet,To be for such a slumber meet,With holy confidence to singThat death has lost his venomed sting!
Asleep in Jesus! Peaceful rest,Whose waking is supremely blessed;No fear, no woe, shall dim that hourThat manifests the Savior’s power.
Asleep in Jesus! Oh, for me May such a blessèd refuge be! Securely shall my ashes lie And wait the summons from on high.
Asleep in Jesus! time nor space Debars this precious “hiding place”;On Indian plains or Lapland snows Believers find the same respose.
Asleep in Jesus! Far from theeThy kindred and their graves may be;But there is still a blessèd sleep,From which none ever wakes to weep. MARGARET MACKAY 1832

REDWINGS GOING FOR ANOTHER STANLEY CUP!

2008-05-26T12:06:00.003-04:00

WE CELEBRATE THE REDWINGS CHARGE FOR THE STANLEY CUP AGAINST THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 2008!#9 GORDIE HOWE
THE STANLEY CUP IN 1997!
THE STANLEY CUP AND THE NBA FINALS TROPHY IN 2004
LEGENDARY REDWINGS COACH SCOTTY BOWMAN

THE WINNINGEST COACH IN NHL HISTORY!