Country News Daily

Posted by Joey D On November - 18th - 2009

Join Joey D every weekday at 3:18 for the latest Country News Swirling around the Country World. Whether it be artists, albums, movies or family news. If it has to do with country, Joey D has you covered daily at 3:18.

Twitter Tuesday

Posted by JoeyD On November - 17th - 2009

Join Joey D for Twitter Tuesday every Tuesday on WJPD at 3:50 PM. Find out what is going on in the Country Music Twittersphere, get up-to-date on the latest Country Music artist joining twitter and find out the Tweet of the Week, every Tuesday at 4:50 on Big Country.

Wednesday Web Pick of the Week

Posted by JoeyD On November - 16 - 2009

Every Wednesday at 4:50, join Joey D for the Wednesday Web Pick of the Week. Joey digs into the internet to find the best web applications, websites and free programs to make your life that much easier.

NFL Four Pack

Posted by JoeyD On November - 20th - 2009

Phillip Rivers and the Chargers are on a four game winning streak as they take on division foe Denver. Who Will win? Check out JoeyD's Predictions on Saturday.

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Hey Y'all! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving meal and enjoyed the family! I'm not going to act like I didn't enjoy the day off, but truly I did miss my listeners. It's good to be back at it today! Well today, I am not going to post any show notes or anything, but I do think I have something very cool to talk about this afternoon.

The Boot
is one of my favorite country websites and they are running their top ten songs of the 2000s. Here is their list:

10. 'Before He Cheats,' Carrie Underwood (2006)

The same 'American Idol' winner who let Jesus take the wheel showed her sassier side by taking a bat to a pair of taillights. This crossover hit has wandering eyes seeing straight with its clever tale of a jilted girlfriend who gets sweet revenge.

9. 'Stay,' Sugarland (2007)

Only Sugarland can make you root for the "other woman." This CMA, ACM and Grammy winning song gets live audiences cheering when its lonely heroine who aches for a married man finally throws him to the curb in the last verse.

8. 'Redneck Woman,' Gretchen Wilson (2004)

Not since Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash has a country singer been nicknamed the title of one of their songs. Gretchen shot to superstardom with this unapologetic tune that embraces the eccentricities of being a "redneck," from walking around barefoot to keeping Christmas lights up year round.

7. '
Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),' Toby Keith (2002)

The events of September 11 combined with his and his late father's unwaivering patriotism led Toby to pen this song, which he originally never planned to release but only performed it live during his many concerts entertaining American troops. Promising terrorists to "put a boot up your ass," the song proved both motivational and controversial.

6. 'Not Ready to Make Nice,' Dixie Chicks (2006)

The talented trio swept the 2007 Grammy Awards, winning all five categories in which they were nominated, on the strength of this defiant, wildly personal song. Airing their frustrations over what was perhaps the biggest backlash in country music history, the Chicks refuse to apologize for denouncing President George W. Bush, even if it means losing fans and even fielding death threats.

5. 'Bless the Broken Road,' Rascal Flatts (2005)

This poignant ballad celebrates lost love that ultimately leads down the path to true love. The song stayed at No. 1 on the country charts for five straight weeks and will stay on wedding playlists for years to come.

4. 'Whiskey Lullaby,' Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss (2003)

This tearjerking tune, co-written by country legends Jon Randall and 'Whisperin'' Bill Anderson, tells the devastating tale of a man who goes to war and comes back to find his wife with another man. Stricken with grief, he drinks himself to death. Stricken with guilt, she does the same.

3. 'Live Like You Were Dying,' Tim McGraw (2005)

Tim dedicated this inspiring song to his late father, baseball great Tug McGraw, who passed away a year before its release. With their message of living life to the fullest, the lyrics include several adventures that might be on one's 'bucket list,' like skydiving and bull riding.

2. '
I Hope You Dance,' Lee Ann Womack (2000)

This uplifting, crossover smash is about way more than just cutting a rug -- it's about "taking chances," giving "faith a fighting chance" and never losing "your sense of wonder." In short, Lee Ann's career-defining song defines what country music is all about.

1. '
Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning,' Alan Jackson (2001)

The event that devastated our decade inspired our No. 1 pick for the hit of the decade. The "singer of simple songs" wrote it just a few weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks, voicing the fears of a grief-stricken nation and giving an anything-but-simple message of hope and love in a time of devastation.


On the air I said that Alan Jackson's 'Where Were you When the World Stopped Turning' was not the number one song in my opinion. Though it molds a grief-stricken time like The Boot mentions, I just don't think it is the best song of this decade. A lot of these titles seem to be based on emotion-based songs. Not for songs that changed country music or were fan favorites. What do you guys think? Share your thoughts in the Comments!
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At this point of the season, games matter most. Teams are jockeying for position. Those who struggled early are looking for any advantage to exploit to get back into the playoff race. In Detroit, the battle of the two worst teams will give one team a sigh of relief when it is all said and done. Well, for the other, the scar of being the worst team of the season will linger like a bad hamstring injury. Some games though do matter down this week. Here are the four games of the week on your NFL Four pack, with a backed prediction from yours truly.

Game #1 New York Jets (4-5) @ New England Patriots (6-3)- This game is a statement for both teams that compete in the AFC East. For the Jets, a win is needed to keep pace with the 5-5 Dolphins and their opponent this week who is 6-3. A win for Tom Brady and the Patriots deepens the gap in the division. At Gillette Stadium, I like the Patriots by seven to ten points. Rex Ryan has his defense back on track, but with a rookie quarterback in a hostile environment, I like the veteran Patriots.

Game #2 San Fransisco (4-5) @ Green Bay (5-4)- Here are two teams pinned against each other with post season hopes. Both teams might need to rely on the wildcard to get into the post-season. The questions in this game have to be both based on defense. Can the 49ers Secondary contain Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones and Company? Can B.J. Raji plug the holes up front against the running attack of the 49ers? I think that Green Bay will do a better job of the two and will win at home in a rather close game. I'll take the Packers by six.

Game #3 Indianapolis (9-0) @ Baltimore (5-4)- If there is a defense that could confuse arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, it is this Ravens group. Despite the change over and the record, this defense is smart enough to shut down tight end Dallas Clark and the short passing game. The Ravens could force the Colts into running the ball, which is not their strong suit. If it comes down to going deep all game, this could be a game the Ravens control at home. Despite that all being said, it is hard to count out this rather talented Colts squad. I'll take the Colts by two touchdowns on the road this weekend.

Game #4 San Diego (6-3) @ Denver (6-3)- After starting hot, the Broncos have began to sink back to where they belong on the football field. The Chargers who struggled to start the season, have now finally found a rhythm. Even though the Broncos have lost three straight, Invesco at Mile High does give them a distinct advantage. Can the Broncos get their offense going again though? More importantly, will that defense ever be at the par it was to start the season? The Chargers have won four straight and I believe this Sunday is the weekend that San Diego makes the statement that they are for real and will win the AFC West outright.

That's your NFL Four Pack for this weekend, Enjoy this week in NFL Action and GO Lions!

Show Notes: 11/20/09

Posted by Dex On 2:56 PM 0 comments

Hello All! I swear sometimes that the winter is sneaking up on as and is going to blow our houses down! Man, can't complain about the mild November though. Alright, enough blabbing let's get to today's show notes.

[Country Music News] Lee Ann Womack is going to join George Strait and Reba McEntire on Strait's latest tour starting in January. Lee Ann's Biggest worry: “what to wear, because you can’t out-starch George and you sure can’t out-spangle Reba.” That is one heck of a trio to come together for a tour. I would love to hear "I Hope You Dance" performed by all three during the same concert. How unreal would that be? Pretty Sweet!

[Thanks and Giving] Congrats to Joe for being the final entry into our Thanks and Giving Thanksgiving Dinner giveaway. Iain Black and I will be announcing the winners on Monday, as five lucky listeners will have their Turkey Dinner paid for by Big Country 92.3 WJPD and our great sponsors!

Sleepy Turkey Day- If you are like me, you are one of the more than half of Americans that take a nap someday on Thanksgiving. I am always passed out after the turkey dinner and I dont blame any of the chemicals in the body. Plain and Simple, I eat too much! Add a depressing Lions loss and you have the perfect combinations of reasons to sleep on Turkey Day (I don't to ignore In-Laws either I promise!). According to a study by Dunkin' Donuts:

· 60% of adult males will take a Thanksgiving Day nap, compared to 56% of adult females.
·
Among those who do nap, the majority prefer to nap after Thanksgiving dinner (76%), versus before the meal (24%).
· 56% of U.S. adults who are not able to nap on Thanksgiving Day envy those who can. The majority of these envious adults are women (70%).


I have no idea why you would take a nap beforehand, that is absurd! What is wrong with 24% of nappers on thanksgiving....

[Taylor Swift and John Mayer] I have the utmost respect for Blues/Pop Artist John Mayer and I think he hit the nail on the head with his recent comments about Taylor Swift. Swift, who performs on Mayer's new 'Battle Studies' album was noted by Mayer as being "like a character in a movie about a small town girl who has her dreams come true," said John on Access Hollywood. "And what any small town girl would do when their dreams come true is to freak out."

Swift is featured on the track 'Half of my Heart' which can be purchased on Itunes. Mayer is an artist who rarely performs with others on his cds, but he saw something special in having Swift Contribute.

"I don't normally make records to share tracks with people," he points out. " I've never had somebody's name underneath the title of my song -- and I couldn't be happier that she's on there. I think she's a really remarkable person, and it'll be nice to have her name on the record for the rest of my life."

[KOD Challenge] Congrats to Austin for answering today's question: The Winter Olympics are coming up and there will be some awesome sports. Which one of these Sports is not included in the winter olympics
A. SpeedSkating
B. Luge
C. Curling
D. Broomball

Well that is going to wrap it up for me this week, make sure you stick around for the NFL 4 Pack, Four games you should watch this weekend with predictions

Show Notes: 11/18/09

Posted by Dex On 1:08 PM 0 comments

What a show packed with information today! Let's get right to it with your show notes for Wednesday, November 11th 2009.

[Country News] Faith Hill has parted ways with her manager of over 16 years. Gary Borman and Faith had been through thick and thin throughout the years. Just months after Tim McGraw changes managers, so does faith. Here is what both had to say in a joint statement:

"We love each other like a sister and a brother but have made the difficult choice to dissolve our professional relationship."
I think this will be good for both sides, because Borman has to focus his time on Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum. Lady A currently has the number one song in country music and Keith Urban did just less than a month ago. For Faith it will be good to get a new start. If her husband is any example, he got working on "Southern Voice" once he switched management. Hopefully something is will be in the works for one of the best voices in music period.

In other Country News, Kenny Chesney is going to be in 3D. Ladies, don't get too excited! Chesney released the trailer for his new movie that documents this summer's tour. For those of you that love Kenny, you know he is one of the great live performers in country music. If you couldn't afford to see him, this is a great way to see how his summer was. Here is the trailer for the movie! Fingers crossed it comes to Marquette.




Kid of the Day Challenge: Today's Winner knew that Honey was a sticky, yummy and thick substance that Bees make.

[Web Pick of the Week: Rescue Time] RescueTime is the Web Pick of the Week this Wednesday. This is a solid program that allows you to monitor what you are doing on your computer. For a full fledge look at RescueTime, including installation instructions, click here.


[Thanks and Giving] Congrats to Jillian and her family for being entered into the Thanks and Giving Contest. We have two more slots left for our drawing of the five Turkey Dinners we are giving away. It has been a lot of fun, and I wish we could give all the contestants a very special dinner!

TV Lineup: Here is what is coming up tonight on Prime Time and Late Night! I will defintely have my boob tube locked Law and Order: SVU

Primetime Lineup:
Hank (ABC)
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)
Cougar Town (ABC)
In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts: Janet Jackson (ABC) Janet Jackson is interviewed at her Malibu, California, home.
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
Glee (Fox)
Mercy (NBC)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
Larry King (CNN) Patrick Swayze’s widow, Lisa Niemi, tells Larry how she’s been doing since the death of her husband. Patrick’s brother, Donny, joins the discussion.
The Jay Leno Show (NBC) Larry the Cable Guy and Featured Segment: Who Cares What They Think!
America’s Next Top Model (The CW) Season finale.

Late Night Lineup:
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (NBC) Seth Green, Heidi Montag & Spencer Pratt and Brian Setzer.
Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Stupid Human Tricks, Robert Pattinson and Ray Davies.
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS) David Duchovny and Lewis Black.
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC) Kristen Stewart, Jamie Kennedy and The Avett Brothers.
Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC) David Plouffe.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (COM) Andrew Ross Sorkin – author “Too Big to Fail.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) 50 Cent and Marv Albert.
The Colbert Report (COM) Norah Jones.
George Lopez (TBS) Oscar de la Hoya, Bill Engvall and Amerie.

Have a good night all! Go Red Wings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Do you often find yourself wasting hours away on the internet? Is your mother no longer over your shoulder making sure you are being productive on your computer? Over the past week I have been trying a product that manages your time on the computer. No, it isn't one of those stinking programs that boots you after a certain type of time. It doesn't spit updates at you and it doesn't send you constant emails letting you know it is time to get off the computer.

The product is called Rescue Time and it can give you an insight on what you are doing on your local machine. Local Business that need to track time on projects or productions could also find Rescue Time effective. Often times purchasing clients want a log of how much time is spent on one project. As part of the business package, that is plausible. There are many different packages on a per month basis for Rescue Time, but there is also a free solo lite option. I recommend starting here for all interested users.

Installation Instructions:

1.) Start by going to http://rescuetime.com

2.) Go to the individuals box on the right hand of the screen and click sign up

3.) Click Sign Up For Solo Lite

4.) Fill out your email address, password and check agree and click sign up

5.) Download the Data Collector. Once downloaded click next. Make sure to install the collector
once you are done setting up your account

6.) Configure your profile- What is the most distracting activities and the most productive? After configuring your profile, click next step.

7.) Next you will confirm your settings. This includes your goals and the amount of times you want to be alerted. Once you have decided on your settings, click next step.

8.) Once you click next step, the profile and installation is complete. At this point it is imperative to make sure you have installed the data collector program you downloaded earlier. If that is done, then the next step is to go back to what you would normally do. Rescue Time will do the rest of the work.

Dashboard
:

Once you have let Rescue Time do it's job for a while, it is time to check in at your dashboard. To get there, all you have to do is go to the Rescue Time Homepage and log in. Once you log in successfully you will be transferred to your dashboard. From here, you can see many different breakdowns of what has been happening on your computer. Whether it be full reports or graphs, they are broke down in many ways. You can visit daily usage, weekly usage, monthly and even yearly.

In the picture to the right, you can see the break down of my productivity for today. The majority of my usage today has been productive today, based on my settings earlier established. I have spent over an hour working with media and reading up on entertainment. This is just one of the many graphs you can view. Others include efficiency summary and breakdown of usage on your computer by the preset categories in Rescue Time. Once your week is over, you can view your goals, overviews and complete productivity.

Overview:

Rescue Time is a great program that allows you to monitor what is going on a specific machine. Not only is the free version effective, it is a great glimpse into what monthly plans bring to the table. If you own a marketing or production company in the Marquette area, then this is an ideal product for you. If you are like an individual like me, here is a free way to monitor what you are doing. Whether it be 24/7 monitoring or selected times during the day, Rescue Time is a solid product to consider. Plus, you have to love the placebo that some program is watching what you do!








Happy Tuesday evening to all of you, hope your night is going as good as mine. If you didn't notice, I am a very talented individual and as I bring you today's Afternoon Drive, I am also bringing you today's show notes! My Mother would be very proud. So far on the show today, I have had a lot of fun. Today is Twitter Tuesday, and today's Tweets can be found by clicking Twitter Tuesday or by reading below this post! Here are the rest of the links for today.

[Country News] Today's Country News surrounds the great Lady Antebellum. Today Lady A has gone number one on the Billboard Charts! I love Lady Antebellum's infusion of raw emotion into their lyrics. "I Run to You" without a doubt is one of my favorite singles of all time. It's great to see their second straight single go number one.

[Twitter Tuesday] Here is my audio thoughts on Brad Paisley's monologue of his final concert on the American Saturday Night Tour. You got to love Brad's comedy on twitter and his ability to show that country music artists belong on this technology format. Between he and Blake Shelton, country music is taking the Twitter world by storm.

[KOD Challenge] Hannah knew that the Red Wings were a hockey team. As a matter of fact, she is a big fan of Henrik Zetterberg (Me too!).

[Thanks and Giving] It's a Thanks and Giving time of year in Big Country, and Danielle is thankful for her mother in law and mother for watching her kids while she is at work. Family has been easily the most important thing to contestants this season and it is no fluke. Friends and family is what keeps us afloat. Congrats Danielle, hopefully this seasons turkey dinner will be on us!

Well that is all for show notes today. Stop back as I continue to make this place home and more internet friendly! Have a good night!

Today on Twitter Tuesday, We take a look at Brad Paisley's monologue during his final concert on the American Saturday Night Tour. Paisley had a lot of fun and even pushed the boundaries just a bit. I loved that he did. He is proving that Twitter can really have an effect on the world of country music! Go country music and technology.

Here is Paisley's Monolouge from the Concert. Enjoy:

  • I’ll be sure to tweet from stage tonight! Who’s all going?
  • What a set! The opening act was great!
  • Little Jimmy is out there warming up the crowd now. They’re in stitches.
  • Allison is here, going to do whiskey lull together live.
  • The band and I couldn’t decide what to wear. So we’re going out shirtless.
  • Oh, and I can’t believe tickets to this were only 4 dollars and 75 cents. Steal.
  • Crowd’s going nuts!!!!…and here we go….
  • …oh crap… Power outage! The whole arena is dark!!! Hope they get it fixed!!!
  • Ok, we’re standing out here shirtless and no one can see us. Even Allison got into the act, but it’s totally dark. Bummer.
  • Electrician is here…something about voltage regulation through a faulty relay and capacitor switching germanium resister…hang on
  • Well shoot..he’s shutting us down. We have to refund 4.75 x18,000. Who’s got a calculator? Why the hell didn’t we just make it 5 dollars?
  • Crowd was so angry i had 2B helicoptered out. they lowered a rope through the ceiling n lifted me out. Not my best show, but best exit ever.
  • Now I’m flying over the city thinking back on this crazy night. Close call. I don’t think we’ll play this town again.
  • So the chopper buzzed the bus over the interstate,matched speeds @ 72mph,lowered me down,I climbed through a roof hatch,now I’m in my bunk.
  • Wait..red bunk phone’s ringing..”hello,uh huh…got it. Thanks M”: out the window I see a silver Aston Martin matching speed with the bus..
  • I climb to the roof&carefully calculate the distance,velocity& wind resistance; I leap & land safely in the passenger seat(convertibleDB9)..
  • I’m off.Oh I long for the safety of the American Saturday Night Tour. But for now, that will have to wait until January. I have a mission…
  • A lone fan managed a snapshot from their car as the chopper hovered…the sole proof of my adventure. http://twitpic.com/pqfli
David Nail is Jealous- We gots to spread the word! @blakeshelton has 60plus thousand followers. I'm jealous...

Blake Shelton is excited about hunting-
Hunting deer with @thecrushtv this week.... I'm so ready to see one of those cute little things... So I can shoot it in the face!!!




Show Notes: 11/16/09

Posted by Dex On 12:42 PM 0 comments
Hello Deer Hunters and Country Music Lovers! Hope you're having a great Monday! A lot on the Show Today, as we gear up for another great week.

Here are your links from the Show:

[Country News] Taylor Swift continues her sweep of the year 2009, and will be now headlining her own tour. A long time coming for the 19 year old.

[New CD Releases] Nothing major coming out today, but a cool re release from Bloodshot records is coming out tomorrow. The artist is Old 97's and the album is titled, Wreck Your Life... and Then Some: The Complete Bloodshot Recordings. The Vinyl release is remastered and is something you might enjoy. The band has never hit it big, but you have probably heard their music on TV. Their music has been featured on Scrubs, and the Vince Vaughn/Jennifer Aniston flick, "The Break-Up."

[Twitter in Space?] Is it me that just doesn't get it? NASA successfully launched Atlantis today into outer space, while also allowing 100 contestants to tweet live from the event. Cool concept but really? How can words describe something like that? "Look! The Ship is in Mid Air!" You can follow astronauts on twitter as well. Mike Massimino is the first Astronaut ever to land on mars have a twitter account.

[Paisley Record Label] It isn't surprising that the man that wanted to take some time off has now started his own country label. Brad Paisley is the perfect type of person who understands the business, talent and people performing to run this type of endeavor. The label will be called
Sea Gayle Records.

Also on today's show, I want to congratulate Joy of Marquette for being entered to win one of the awesome turkey dinners we are giving away for thanksgiving. Joy was thankful for her health, the troops serving our country and Big Country. It makes my day knowing that a listener is thankful for the station I work for. Thanks Joy for the smiles and thank you all for listening!

Coming up Tomorrow on Twitter Tuesday, Brad Paisley had to be evacuated by Helicopter from one of his latest shows, and twitter let us know about it! We got the details plus more of your favorite artist's tweets tomorrow on the Afternoon Drive. Well, I am out of here for tonight, enjoy House! Hugh Laurie is crazy awesome!

Hello All! It has been a long time since I have updated the Blog, but I think it is well overdue. Everyday now I am going to try to update this puppy with what is going on during the show and around the area. It is surely important to make sure that for our listeners.

Today on the Afternoon Drive:

Iain Black and I wrapped up for you the CMA Awards from last night! You can hear our discussion on his show here and the discussion we had on The Afternoon Drive here.

On the show today, we gave away the final tickets to Blake Shelton's concert this weekend to Dave Meyer. David couldn't be more thankful and I love it when I can touch listeners like that. David is going to bring his girlfriend to the concert and have a blast this Saturday! I hope all the listeners will have a blast down in Harris and you might just see me there!

Also on the Show I talked about Sugarland's new possible CD coming out this summer. The news broke right after the CMAs last night. Jennifer Nettles told Entertainment Weekly that most of the writing has already been done and the Duo of the Year is looking forward to getting back to the studio. I can't wait to hear what they are working on.

In other Country News that I didn't get to, Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" just went number one, but what about the new CD Play On? It has now topped the Billboard top 200 and continues to climb in sales. Play On sold 318,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This was less than Underwood's 2007 album, Carnival Ride, which moved 527,000 albums in its debut week, but it was more than enough to beat out Michael Jackson's This Is It, which came in number two. Congrats Carrie!

In the Five O Clock Hour, the Traffic Crunch was put together by CMA Winners which was a lot of fun! Brad Paisley/Keith Urban, Sugarland, Darius Rucker, Taylor Swift and Brooks and Dunn highlighted the Traffic Crunch. Ronnie and Kix deserved a play despite not winning. Last night capped their last performance ever together.

That's about it for now, make sure you follow me on twitter for random thoughts on Country Music at http://twitter.com/joeydbc