Happy New Year

Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy 2011!

Happy New Year from The DJ Joe D Show!

Graphic below is counting down to New Years 2012 (days, hours & minutes)


More countdown widgets at Widgia.com

Did you know...

Did you know that...all still photography cameras once needed film to allow pictures to be taken???

And that once the photo was taken, the film in the camera would need to be "developed" in order to see the actual pictures taken???

Leading up to today (December 30, 2010), the slow demise of film for cameras was inevitable!  Today marked the end of the line for anyone in the world who had a roll of Kodachrome film to be developed as the last film processing machine that had to capability to develop that brand of film was officially unplugged for good in Kansas.

The actual Kodachrome film itself had not been made by Kodak since mid-2009.  At one time, it was the world's most popular camera film, even being iconically documented by Paul Simon in his 1973 hit song of the same name!

Unless you purchase a "one-time use" camera, almost all of the consumer-based cameras today take digital pictures, obviously not requiring a visit to the photo lab to develop the pictures (however, many still flock to photo labs to have them print their digital photos).

Hello Coffee Lovers...Tassimo vs. Keurig

A lot of you may have received one of these single-cup "intelligent" coffee/beverage makers over the holidays as a present or bought one for yourself.  The DJ Joe D family ended up picking up the Tassimo model and we love it!  Many people ask what are some of the notable differences between the 2 units and which one would be better for them?

I am taking some information from the following article: "Tassimo Brewer vs. Keurig Brewing System: Which is the better single cup coffee machine?"  You can find the full article at this link: http://hubpages.com/hub/Tassimo-Brewer-vs-Keurig

Both rely on a microprocessor to brew the "perfect cup of coffee!"  The Tassimo has the edge here because, as it's advertising tagline indicates, "it is the barcode that makes the difference!" 

Indeed, the barcode technology used in the Tassimo is able to tell what you're brewing and it automatically adjusts brew volume, temperature, pump drives and brew cycle to give you the best brewing experience for the particular "T-Disc" product you're brewing.

In Canada, the T-Disc selection of coffee, teas, espresso, cappuccino, latte and hot chocolate appears to be limited to Starbucks, Maxwell House, Nabob, Twinnings and Suchards products.  In the U.S., I have also seen Tazo Teas and Seattle's Best Coffee!

The Keurig "K-Cup" is a simple, easy-to-use cup that you just pop into the Keurig brewer. Inside this little cup is not only the coffee, but also a drip-style filter. The cup helps to protect the coffee from moisture, light and oxygen. However, the Keurig does not make the specialty coffees/drinks that the Tassimo does.

Keurig has pursued a licensing structure for its coffee, meaning that it licenses this technology to coffee companies, who then create the K-Cups. There are currently more than 200 varieties of coffees and teas available in K-Cup form.

Both of these systems operate in a similar way. Both of them require you to open the brew-head to place in the disc or cup.

For usability, Keurig is the easiest. Simply put the K-Cup in your Keurig coffee maker and press the button. Your only choice is brew volume, which is how you can adjust the strength of the brew. A 6 oz. brew is going to be stronger than a 10 oz. brew.

Brewing coffee with the Tassimo brewing system is very similar to the Keurig, but it becomes more complicated if you're brewing a cappuccino or latte. First you must insert and brew the espresso T-Disc. Then, you insert and brew either the cappuccino or latte T-Disc

Keurig has a faster brewing cycle than Tassimo: it takes approximately 45 seconds to heat the water and another 15 to send the water through the filter. The Tassimo system takes about 60 seconds to heat up and another 60 seconds to filter the coffee.

Let us know what you think.  Do you own one or the other unit or both?  Are you thinking about buying one of these products?  What are your experiences?  Which do you prefer.  Just leave some comments here.  We are interested in knowing your thoughts!

Hello Again

DJ Joe D is back after a fantastic Caribbean cruise vacation!  I hope you are all having an enjoyable holiday season and are looking forward to the start of the new year!

The new year will be bringing in a new beginning for The DJ Joe D Show which I will be sharing with you all in the next few days!

In the meantime, peruse the blog and re-discover some of the gems from the past few months in many of the blog postings.  You can hear many of the past broadcasts of The DJ Joe D Show by finding those blog entries with the links and/or media player!

We are also looking for any feedback, comments, thoughts, etc. you would like to share.  What have you been doing during the holiday season? What would you like to hear on The DJ Joe D Show in the new year?  Anything you would like to leave for us is welcome...please do so in the comments section of this blog posting or any of the others!

Thanks!

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Season

The DJ Joe D Show wants to wish all listeners and blog readers a safe and happy holiday season.

Whether you are celebrating a specific observance or have a few days off during this time, relax and enjoy any of the down time you may have during this season!

We have exciting news we will share with you soon.  Keep posted...over the next couple of weeks!

More of the Same

This week is just to short and too busy for a long-winded blog entry...so here is some more little tidbits for you to digest:

Dexter's Troubles:

Did you know that the actor who plays Dexter on "Dexter", Michael C. Hall, was actually married to the actress, Jennifer Carpenter, who plays his sister on the show? 

Don't get too excited about this fact as Carpenter has just filed for divorce from Hall! 

Season 5 of Dexter just ended this past Sunday...I guess this is a way to keep it in the news until the show returns 9 months from now!

Phillies Fly:

The Philidelphia Phillies of the National League in Major League Baseball have now wrapped up potentially one of the strongest starting pitching rotations ever with the (re) acquisition of Cliff Lee late yesterday (December 13). 

Their top 4 pitchers are bona-fide all stars/past Cy Young Award winners--Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. 

Lee was with the Phillies during the 2009 season...he was sent to Seattle to start the 2010 season, traded to Texas mid season and helped them get into the past season's World Series. 

Lee was being aggressively pursued by the bottomless pit of money know as the New York Yankees before the Phillies scooped in to get him for the next 5 years.

A Penny For Your Thoughts:

A Senate committee has recommended that the Canadian penny be eliminated. 

The copper one cent piece apparently now costs approximately 1.5 cents each to make.  More and more pennies have actually had to be made by the Canadian Mint in the last decade because Canadian are hoarding or saving them rather than using them for cash transactions

This committee sites the countries of New Zealand and Australia as examples of "penniless" economies, as these 2 countries both eliminated the penny from their currencies a number of years ago.

Just Some Quick Stuff Today...

Lots going on today...but I didn't want to dissapoint the millions who follow this blog everyday waiting for the next moment I post something...

Here are a few things that caught my attention today that I will gladly share with you all:

• The tickets for the NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings & New York Giants that is being played tonight (December 13) out of Ford Field in Detroit are all free!  This was the game re-scheduled from yesterday that was supposed to be played at the Vikings' home stadium, Mall of America Stadium (aka The Metrodome), however the inflatabile Teflon roof collapsed and ripped under the weight of 17+ inches of snow Saturday evening

• The parent company of the A&P supermarket chain (and other U.S. regional supermarket chains) filed for bankruptcy today.  I only mention this because when I was in university many moons ago, I was a part time employee of a local A&P supermarket.  So it was a little sad to hear of the situation they are in now.  Can you say...cleanup in aisle 3??

• The fantasy NFL football "pick 'em" team I am a part of had its' worst week ever in the 3 seasons we have been in existence.  We won only 3 of the 14 games played Sunday...there is still a small chance to redeem ourselves this week with the 2 games being played today.  Our goal this season is to win just one week...only 3 more to go!

Snow in Minneapolis means...no Sunday Vikings Game Today!

A double whammy has hit the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota today (December 13)!

Due to a late fall blizzard that hit the city starting Friday evening and into yesterday, over 17 inches of snow was dumped on the Twin Cities area, resulting in a collapse of the inflatable Teflon roof of the Mall of America (aka Metrodome) stadium, home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.

Although officials were confident they could get all the snow removed and the roof "inflated" again in time for today's Vikings game against the visiting New York Giants, unfortunately the game has been officially postponed today by the NFL because the visiting Giants have not yet been able to arrive in Minneapolis!

The blizzard resulted in the travel plans of the Giants being altered slightly; they left New York earlier than usual on Saturday for Minneapolis, but the airport there was closed; they had to land and stay in Kansas City instead where they still are at this moment!

Today's game has been rescheduled for tomorrow evening in Minneapolis.  Will this blast of winter weather also affect any of today's NFL matches in other cities across the U.S. Midwest?

UPDATE:

The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants will play on Monday night at Ford Field in Detroit, home of the Detroit Lions, after the Mall of America's (aka Metrodome) inflated roof collapsed in a snowstorm.  The game will kickoff at 7:20 on Monday night, the NFL said.

Officials told the league the roof wouldn’t be ready in time to play Monday or Tuesday

VIDEO:
Here is some cool video of the roof collapsing from the weight of the snow from inside the stadium

I'd Like Some Ice Cream instead with Those Waffles!

An interesting new sports arena trend was born yesterday...waffle throwing from the stands intended for the home team.

After about the umpteenth loss by the Toronto Maple (Syrup) Leafs this season last night (December 9) at home against the Philidelphia Flyers, various home team players began to report waffles being thrown at them by fans (defectors) in the stands at the Air Canada Centre.

And these must have been the homemade variety because there are no vendors at the ACC who sell the dimpled waffle treat!

Players and the media remain puzzled why these disgruntled fans chose waffles to throw.  Many of know the tradition in Detroit around throwing raw octopus onto the ice.  However, lucky for the Leafs, the waffles were covered in syrup or blueberries or chocolate!

 

DJ Joe D Blog Roundup-For Week Ending December 10, 2010

Although you won't be able to hear the DJ Joe D Show live this weekend, we wanted to make sure we could share with you a little bit of the show through one of our newest show features...The DJ Joe D Blog Roundup

Below is a new audio clip for the DJ Joe D Blog Roundup feature...for the week ending December 10, 2010.  You can access this clip via the media player here:



or, you can use the link below to download your own copy to listen to at your leisure (.mp3 file):

http://www.4shared.com/audio/8nqpfE3A/DJ_Joe_D_Blog_Roundup-Dec_10_2.html

From here, look for the big blue "Download Now" button on the page and click on it

Since this is a free site, a countdown timer will appear before the download will begin---wait for all the time to countdown and then wait for the actual download link to appear--in big letters--Download File Now--click on that link...choose your download location and the download will begin

The file is called: DJ Joe D Blog Roundup- December 10 2010_2.mp3 and is about 2.5mb in size

Check out the additional clip found here, the 2010 Google Zeitgeist--a roundup of popular search requests via Google during 2010:



We will be back to you all with our exciting news about the DJ Joe D Show before the end of the year!

Thanks you all for your support of the DJ Joe D Show. Enjoy your week and keep it safe!

Howard Stern to Stay with Sirius Radio for Another 5 Years

As he announced live on his Sirius Satellite Radio show earlier this morning...the "King of All Media", Howard Stern will be staying 5 more years with the organization.  The financial terms of the contract have not been released.

In announcing the news, Stern staged a "fake" announcement that he wasn't coming back resulting in some humorous moments this mornings, especially at the expense of one of his staffers who broke out in tears on the air live before he was told the real news.

Stern came over to Sirius back in 2006 and was paid a reported $500 million for the first five year contract that was to expire at the end of this year. 

In the time Stern has been with Sirius, there has been two channels dedicated to his brand on Sirius, a pay-per-view television channel, a merger with XM Radio (the other competing satellite radio outfit which was absorbed by Sirius a couple of years ago) and a growth in listeners/subscribers from reported a 600,000 at the time Stern started on Sirius, to over 20 million subscribers today.

Stern briefly shared with listeners this morning that his new 5 year deal will give him some more flexibility in his schedule.  He is currently heard live 4 days a week from 6AM to 11AM on Sirius.  His has hinted on air for some time that he wants to reduce his schedule to have time for other things. 

As well, he had also been hinting that he wanted to explore other broadcasting options as the landscape has changed over the last 5 years since he started on Sirius. 

With the growth of alternate media delivery channels, especially through the internet and a perceived challenge being faced by the satellite radio model, many thought he was going...but other believed he was just posturing and negotiating on air to get the deal he desired.

30 Years Ago Today...December 8, 1980

Popular music fans and the world were shocked to hear the news 30 years ago today...the day John Lennon died.

He was shot outside his apartment complex, The Dakota, in New York City, by a deranged Mark David Chapman.  Within hours, he was dead.

The shock of the act, especially given the prominence of John Lennon in popular culture, has had a lasting effect. If he was still alive today...John Lennon would have been 70 years old at this time.

The clip below is from ABC's Monday Night Football telecast from the late evening of December 8, 1980, which was happening live as the news of John Lennon's death started to become public knowledge.  Legendary announcer, Howard Cosell is the one who make this announcement on air...



In a strange coincidence, Cosell had briefly interview Lennon on another telecast of Monday Night Football 6 years earlier (in 1974)...



As a tribute to John Lennon, here is one more clip with him singing a version of one of his best known solo songs, "Beautiful Boy":

How do you watch TV?

Most households across Canada and many in the U.S. rely on cable tv or satellite tv services to bring the multi-channel universe of television into their homes.  With the explosion of HDTV and even 3D TV technologies, without exception, these services will provide consumers with the most channel selections available.

But cable and satellite tv services come at a price...and for many that price is too much. 

Instead, a trend continues to emerge whereby consumers in both countries are dropping cable tv and satellite tv services and opting instead for the old fashion "rabbit ears" and tower antennas for their TV viewing.

  Antennas Direct, maker of the new style rabbit ears expects to sell 500,000 this year, up from 385,000 in 2009.The cost is is between $25 and $150 (U.S. Dollars).

Almost all local television stations and major networks broadcast a 100% digital or HDTV signal that can easily be picked up "over the air" with basic antennas now available more readily at retailers.  The signal comes in crystal clear, even in large metropolitan areas where in the past, using antennas was not an option (interference from tall buildings, electrical wires, etc.).  And best of all...receiving these signals into your home is free!

Digital tv signals, unlike the old analogue ones, tune in 100% without any interference or ghosting.  In large metropolitan areas customers can get up to 40 free channels. And the picture signal in many case is superior to what is offered through cable and satellite tv services (those signals tend to be "compressed" to make room for more and more stations...some people can tell the difference).

Opting for antennas does mean many consumers will lose the multitude of specialty television stations offered through cable and satellite tv providers.  However, many are willing to go without their HBO or ESPN or TSN to actually be able to afford to watch their fancy HDTV's. 

Many are simply finding the content and programming they would be missing on the Internet! The over the air digital spectrum also allows antenna users to pick up "sub-stations" of the main broadcaster...they broadcast a lot of specialty programming. WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, for example, has multiple sub-stations, all broadcasting in digital, and even has one dedicated purely to classic TV sitcoms from the 1950's through to today.

So let us know how you watch TV...do you have cable, or satellite tv or are you a convert back to "rabbit ears?"  Or do you watch all your TV through internet sites instead?  Leave us some comments...sort of an informal poll!  Thanks!

Sad News About Mark Dailey--"The Voice"

Citytv Toronto news anchor/announcer and respected journalist Mark Dailey has died at the age of 57, following a battle with cancer

    He successfully beat prostate cancer a number of years ago, however Dailey announced in September that cancer had spread to his kidneys. He underwent surgery in October, but the disease spread to his lungs and the rest of his body.

He joined Citytv's CityPulse News in 1979, helmed the crime beat for more than 10 years and was Citytv Tonight's news anchor for nearly a decade.  The CityPulse name eventually was changed to CityNews.

He was also the Toronto station's announcer/voiceover expert for both the local station and all Citytv stations across the country...with his distinctive booming voice letting viewers know that Citytv was "everywhere!" He always added a touch of humour to his voice over duties.

Here is a brief clip highlighting the amazing and humorous voice talent Mark Dailey was...he was a jack of all trades when it came to voiceovers at City TV.

Please Read...DJ Joe D Show no longer to be heard on Crazy Radio...

Yes...it is true. Effective immediately, the DJ Joe D Show will no longer be heard on Crazy Radio!

The show will be "on hiatus" until the new year.

We do have exciting news to share with you shortly about the show...we will announce this sometime before the new year!

Thank you all again for listening to the DJ Joe D Show!

Have a happy and safe holiday season and healthy new year. We will be in touch soon!

If you missed the Sunday December 5 DJ Joe D Show...

If you missed the DJ Joe D show this week (December 5, 2010), go the link below and you can download your own copy to listen to at your leisure (.mp3 file):

http://www.4shared.com/audio/b4yxbk9z/DJ_Joe_D_Show_Dec_5_2010.html

From here, look for the big blue "Download Now" button on the page and click on it

Since this is a free site, a countdown timer will appear before the download will begin---wait for all the time to countdown and then wait for the actual download link to appear--in big letters--Download File Now--click on that link...choose your download location and the download will begin

The file is called: DJ Joe D Show December 5 2010.mp3 and is about 59mb in size.

You can also replay the full show using the player below:

Now You Know What Really Became Of...

The video below has been making the rounds throughout the interwebs.

It is a promotional video for a Norwegian television show, featuring mostly U.S. celebrities who haven't been seen much in public for many years or are typically known as "B" stars; not quite as notable or relevant as their bigger named counterparts (some may be "C" or "D" stars)!

They are singing The Beatles' classic, "Let It Be".  The performers are identified in the video, as well, there is also a reference for what each is most "famous" for!

Don't have much more to say about this video.  Watch it and let me know, via the Comments section, what you think.  How many "stars" do you know or remember?

NOTE:  When you click on Play you may be instructed to watch the video at You Tube; simply click on the You Tube link in the player



Here is another star studded video for the show in Norway that supposedly starts the three guys in red sweatshirts--using the actual USA for Africa song, "We Are The World":

Tomorrow...Sunday December 5, on the DJ Joe D Show...

Tomorrow,  Sunday December 5...10AM-11AM EST (3PM-4PM GMT)--the "DJ Joe D" show on Crazy Radio....

All your favourites are here as usual...another installment of DJ Whitney and her Springsteen Minute. Jonah will discuss the potential playoff teams in the NFC during the NFL Minute.

Don't forget..as usual...the Novelty & Canadian Content Songs of the Week. And our new feature..."DJ Joe D Blog Round Up" is back!

Last week on air, we asked listeners around the world to tell us what their favourite chocolate or candy bars were! We had a great response and will be reading some of the best on the air this Sunday!

It's not too late for you to participate in this informal poll...leave your favourites under the comments for the "I Love Candy" blog entry

Give us a try this week. Lots of surprises. We guarantee you will keep coming back.

This is the Best Mix of Music on a Sunday Morning!

All this and more...on the DJ Joe D show...tomorrow

Set your alarm clock! Wake your family! Tell your friends to listen!

Are these typical Toronto Maple Leafs' Fans or are they brand new potential listeners of the DJ Joe D Show?

Crazy weather in Europe...not so crazy weather in Buffalo!

Guess where this photo was taken:



If you said Buffalo...guess again...it is the streets of London, England just yesterday!

Most of the UK and parts of Europe are currently encountering was has been noted as the earliest ever widespread snow event and cold snap.  In some places, temperatures have got as low as minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Celsius during this period.

The snow and cold began to take grip in the UK earlier this week, forcing airport closures in Scotland and Gatwick Airport in London.  They have since been re-opened, but numerous other delays and cancellations have been reported across the region for most of the week.  This is not a typical weather pattern in the UK for this time or any time of the year.

Now, below is a photo of Buffalo just today...these people are more accustomed to this type of weather:



Although residents of Western New York are always ready for this type of weather in the winter (given their geographic location in relation to Lake Erie, which fuels the "lake-effect" snow machine), today, there have been reports of major closures on the portion New York State Thruway around Buffalo which has resulted in motorists being literally trapped on the highway for many hours.

Here is a photo of sunny Miami Beach, Florida today, just to put things in perspective!

Happy Hanukkah!

Tonight is the first of eight nights which make up the Jewish celebration Hanukkah.

Each night, for the next eight, a successive number of candles are lit on the traditional Hanukkah candle holder, the Menorah. 

The eight candles signify the miracle during ancient Jewish times of a tiny amount of oil available to provide a source of light; when lit, it was only supposed to last for one evening but instead continued to provide illumination for a whole eight days.

The Menorah has room for 9 candles in total; typical designs designate the middle candle to be used to light the other candles.  Tonight, the first candle is lit, tomorrow evening, 2 candles are lit, etc. until the eighth night when all candles are lit.

Young children also benefit from Hanukkah because they receive a different gift each of the eight days!  The celebration is a joyous one where families get together, play games (typically ones involving the dreidel, a multi-sided spinning top made of wood or other materials) and enjoy seasonal food (especially the delicious potato pancake, the Latke)

The timing of Hanukkah and Christmas are usually pretty close each year. This year, Hanukkah is early because this holiday, like all Jewish Holidays, is based on the traditional Hebrew calendar which essentially adds an"extra" month to the Jewish year every other year resulting in the changing dates of these holidays each year when tracked on our regular secular calendars!