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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Web Pick of the Week: Tune Up Media

Posted by Dex On 1:53 PM 0 comments

This Week's Web Pick is a selection from Big Country's own Iain Black. It's called Tune Up and it is a plugin for the popular Itunes media player.

What is it? Well, If you are a music lover like I am, then you have a lot of songs that do not have labels of the album, artists, or many other things.

So far while playing with the software, I have found it a very delightful experience. Not very often does it mess up on songs, and you can even set preferences so that it wont.

Tune Up does cost, but there is a free trial on the homepage. To get there, just click on the logo on the right.

A rather easy Web Pick this week, but a very handy tool for those that are recording their records to digital and such.

Happy Holidays!

Posted by Dex On 11:22 AM 0 comments

I can't believe Christmas is already here! Holy Cow! Hope you are enjoying the snowfall as Christmas day quickly approaches. Make sure you drive out there, and enjoy the time with family and friends. That's what the holiday is about.

Just sit back and listen to the music. I'll be taking your holiday requests today on Big Country, can't wait to hear from you at 225-1440!

Like you I think the best part of the holidays is celebrating with friends and family. Just sit back and relax with those you love.

Big Country has you covered the rest of the way. We have non-stop Christmas music starting at 6 tonight!

Happy Holidays Everyone!
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Hey Everyone!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend so far! Coming up later in the show today, I have the NFL Four Pack for you. Since time is of the essence, I only take John's predictions on the air for our four games of the week.

John White is the owner and producer of Cat Crave Radio. His expertise was greatly appreciated on our game of the week. When Minnesota takes on Carolina, a lot is on the line, including keeping up with the home front.

Click here to listen to the whole interview, in which John and I cover the game of the week in depth as well as the team he covers; the Carolina Panthers. Check out his latest preview of the Minnesota Vikings game at Cat Crave Radio.

Joey D at GFS on Friday!

Posted by Dex On 3:15 PM 0 comments

Come see me live at the Gordon Food Service in Marquette this Friday from 3-6! I can't wait to meet even more of you that listen and I will be giving away quite a bit of things, so you will want to stop by and see me!

Rumor has it I will have some Prime Rib to give away, we will be allowing our five winners to draw for their prizes this christmas. It will be rockin' let me tell ya!

From 3-6 I'll share with you the deals that you want to hear about. With Christmas right around the corner, it is time to purchase that food for christmas. While other places can get real expensive for only a small amount, GFS puts the best products in bulk and delivers with great products.

Whether it be tiger shrimp, holiday cookie dough, prime rib, honey glazed ham or any other holiday item you need.

It's going to be a lot of fun down there, and I hope you join me for the celebration!

--Joey D

Web Pick of the Week: MIXXX

Posted by Dex On 9:34 PM 0 comments
It's another Web Pick for you to enjoy this week! There are a lot of people out there, looking to save money and maybe even pick up a little cash. One of the ways that a lot of people are saving money and even making it is through DJing. Sometimes newlyweds who can't flip the bill for an expensive professional or families just want to have some music at a get together.

For all aspiring disk jockeys, moving your music to the computer can be intimidating. Not only is there a possibility of crashing, but the costs of programs can be outrageous. That's where our web pick this week comes in. Mixx is a free program that allows you to mix, play, and modify your music library for your first DJing job.

Mixxx is available on all platforms: Mac, Windows and Linux. It's very simple to install as well. Here are the instructions.

1.) go to: http://mixxx.org
2.) click Downloads on the top tab of the website
3.) choose your Operating System platform
4.) Install Mixxx

Interface, Usage, and Support:

Once you have Mixxx installed, you will find that right of the bat, figuring out what to do could be quite complicated. What is great about Mixxx, like many of our Web Picks, is that it is open source software. Many continue to improve it and keep it updated as well as free.

One of the first things you will want to do is upload your library. Mixxx will ask you where to locate your music, and if you guide it to it, then it will load it. You can always add to it by just clicking add to library. What I love about Mixxx is that it has great support for a free program. On the website you can find forums, support, and a wiki that answers most if not all questions users have.

The program itself has two channels for you to use, so that you can cue up two different songs at once. There are volume adjustments for each track and tools to help you mix if that is your thing. There are so many options, such as playing your song backwards, adjusting the tempo, depth, and delay. It's a really cool tool to play with.

If you use it and like it, one suggestion I would give is that I would not have this be your only weapon. Setting up some external devices would be the best idea, just in case something does go wrong on your computer.

I hope you enjoy Mixx!



It's Twitter Tuesday! Here are the best tweets of the week! Man, it still gets to me the amount of great tweets this artists produce. Just like the music they put out.

Kelly of Bomshel- So I know this is nerdy and I'm not suppose to b like this. But the fan in me can't believe @blakeshelton follows us! Seriously ole red!

Lady Antebellum- Lady A to release 2nd single, "American Honey," from their forthcoming album, NEED YOU NOW - out January 26, 2010!

Brad Paisley- Just heard my song at the dentist,so guess I'm a has been. career over. Now please enjoy my soothing sounds as you're polished and flossed.

Taylor Swift
-
Just found my old life-size Brad Paisley cardboard cutout. Or better yet.. It found me.

Josh Gracin -
@johncmayer Your song Gravity made me realize what's important about music. Going to record my 3rd album the way i want it so... Thank You.

Michelle Branch- Here are my five food groups for a happier (but not healthier) life: salt, hot sauce, booze, butter and bacon.

First of all, Michelle, if you switched pepper with salt, then you would be perfect for me. Brad, I just want to let you know that you are not a has been. Finally, don't forget to follow Josh Gracin. Our pal is looking to get to 10,000 Followers before New Years! Help a man out.


Country News: 12/10/09

Posted by Dex On 11:24 AM 0 comments

Here is what is new in the Country Music World.... Enjoy!

Trace Adkin's second issue of his comic featuring Luke McBain. If you haven't read the first issue, it is a pretty interesting comic. Okay, it's not the nerdy type comic with super heroes or anything, but Luke McBain is an intriguing character. Check out the second issue and buy it as a stocking stuffer for your nephew haha.....

In other country news, Carrie is back on tour! She announced the Play On tour today, and here are the dates for the upcoming road trip for Underwood. She doesn't come to Wisconsin at all and she makes a stop in Grand Rapids to play at the Van Andel Arena. A great venue to see a concert. Might be worth an early buy and the nine hour travel.


Jake Owen has put the Brittney Spears rumors to rest (Thank goodness for his sake) "I ended up getting a lap dance on stage from her, which was pretty interesting," Jake told Clear 99, a radio station in Missouri. A romantic relationship though is "totally not the case at all ... I haven't talked to her since. "She's a great girl. It was interesting to meet her and be in that whole different world."

In other news, The Noble Things will be released Dec. 22nd. It's a film with the wonderful Lee Ann Womack in it. I look forward to seeing it. A great gift for the country music fan.

Youtube Clip You must Watch:

Holy Cow Dwight Yoakam's new role looks amazing!





Web Pick of the Week: Write Board

Posted by Dex On 1:54 PM 0 comments

For Writer, Collaborators, musicians, historians...heck! Anyone who shares things on the Internet, Write Board is a great program to share ideas with others.

The text based program can be found at http://writeboard.com. There is no need for installation, or directions on how to use because it is so easy. Write Board uses what is called cloud computing to bring text to many different users. What that means is that even though I love this software, I always reccomend that users that are working together always backup the document. You can do so by just saving the text into a word or text document.

Here are some simple directions:

1. go to http://writeboard.com
2. Go to the right side of the home page to the create a write board and enter the following information: Write Board Title, Password (make it something everyone in your group planning to use it will know), Email address (to verify).
3. After your Write Board is created, you can invite people by clicking on the invite people tab. All you have to do is insert the email of the person you want to see your document.
4. Once all of your work is finished, or at any point in the project, you can export your work to a .txt file or a .html file. All you have to do is hit the export button on the top of the write board.

Overall, for an amateur writer like me, I find this program to be the perfect layout to collaborate with writers who might live cross-country or to share your work with someone that isn't very computer literate, but wants to help edit your work. It's a program that's very easy to understand and I would reccomend it to anyone who is looking for a collaboration program that is free.

This Week's web pick of the Week is a great program for Ipod/IPhone users that need a program to tie everything they do together on the web. Whether it be your bank account, netflix, twitter, email or even your student loan accounts (like i do!) It's called Personal Assistant and it can be found free in the Apple App store!

Here is what Lifehacker, A great website dedicated to tech had to say about personal assistant:

Free application Pageonce provides iPhone-friendly access to all of the information you have stored on previously mentioned web site Pageonce, an internet start page dedicated to aggregating your online accounts in one location. The app—like the Pageonce web interface—gives you an overview of everything from your Gmail and bank account to your cellphone usage and Netflix queue. Like the web site, the main concern here is trusting your sensitive logins to a third party. Even if you trust Pageonce with your logins, be sure to require a password every time you open the dedicated iPhone app so you're not screwed should you lose your phone. Pageonce is a free download from the iTunes App Store, works with your iPhone or iPod touch running 2.0 software.

Besides being free, what I love about it is it's usable interface. It's extremely easy to add any business account, email or twitter account to the app. If you are a flyer you can throw your flying company accounts on there. Now this program isnt for everyone, but is definitely worth a try.

Here is a review by an Ipod App website:





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


Roseanne Cash: The List Album

Posted by Dex On 2:25 PM 0 comments

Today on the show we talked about Roseanne's new album, "The List." Here are the details on the album as talked about on air.








Roseanne recently sat down with one of my favorite Writers, Mitch Albom, on his new show "Mitch Albom Live." Here is a pretty good interview with Cash on the new CD compiled from the 100 country songs her father gave her as an 18 year old grunge lovin' teen.




You have to love when the music get's back to the roots. Cash has found a passion in this album that will always be with her. In the songs you hear the influence of her father. Going back to the roots opens up a whole new world for the lovely voice that is oh so familiar. If you like music because of it's roots, then this is the way to go.




Here is a listing and demo of every song on Cash's latest album.

Web Pick of The Week: Netflix

Posted by Dex On 2:13 PM 0 comments
Usually, I try to focus on something that is completely new to you guys, but I was so impressed with the new Netflix, that I decided to try it out.

What is great about the new netflix is that beyond the movies you rent through the mail, is the streaming service online. Not only do you get to watch your favorite classics on your computer instantly, but most of the movies are in hd quality. As part of any dvd package, you get this ability to stream some new movies, a bunch of good ones, and even documentaries. While you are waiting for your dvds to arrive, you can watch some really good film. This is what is enticing to me. With recent starz airings as well, you can catch up on the movies you missed at the theaters and your favorite tv shows.

If you used to have netflix, or have always thought about it, then it is definitely worth the free two week trial. I have always been the type to run down to the local video store, but I really think that Netflix is the way to go. For 13.99 a month you can get out 2 dvds at a time sent to your mailing address (about 8 rentals) and unlimited streaming of videos (as long as it is in the library). If a rental is 2.50 a peice, that is the equivilent of about seven movies.

Hookups to your big screen tv are available as well. It is definitely worth a try.

Josh Gracin is Here!!!!

Posted by Dex On 11:57 AM 0 comments
Holy Cow, would somebody please explain to me where the month of September disappeared to? Just the other day it seemed like the month had started. I think old man winter is behind the move to cold fall months! He wants the snow to land as soon as possible (Grumpy Old Man anyways).

Anyways, back to my point for writing this post! October is here, and that means so is Josh Gracin. As I sit in the studio counting the hours down, I can't help but be excited. This concert is going to be hopping with requests. Since Josh Gracin is so cool and took your song requests, we could hear anything from an original of The Beastie Boys, to Garth Brooks and Cowboy Troy. I hope to see you all there. It is going to be a blast, and just in case you were wondering, tickets will be available at the door. Plus, you can still snag them online if you are a slacker like me!

Iain Black and myself will be "tweeting" from location this evening, so make sure you tap us into your favorite internet device and make us your dates. If you are at the concerts, make sure to tweet us with your awesome thoughts on the concert.

Well I guess I better get back to work..... HAHA! I have nothing to complain about, I love every minute of it. See you all tonight at Vandement Arena, it is going to be spectacular!
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Coming up on Today's Show!

Posted by Dex On 9:55 AM 0 comments

It feels good to be back in the blogosphere, I don't know what got into me, but I just haven't updated the past few days. Shame on me! Today is a very special day in country music, because it is Tuesday, and Albums are being released.

Today on The Afternoon Drive, I will talk about Diamond Rio and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's New Albums. This is the first release from the guys of the The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in the last five years. Speed of Life is getting a lot of good reviews out there, including from The 9513, who had this to say about the new album:

These four men are incredibly talented music veterans with nearly two centuries of experience among them, and it’s reflected in the effortless, freewheeling earthiness of the album, from the first harmonica blast (courtesy of Jimmie Fadden) on opening track “Tulsa Sounds Like Trouble to Me.” From there, it’s an excellent adventure through Americana as the band blends elements of country, bluegrass, folk, and rock with harmonies that are reflective of the Band’s influence on the Eagles and subsequent groups like Little Big Town.

Diamond Rio's new album, titled "The Reason," is this top notch group's first attempt at contemporary christian music. Marty Roe, the lead vocalist of Diamond Rio says that the transition has been easy, because everyone in the band, that has remained the same group of guys for 25 years, shares the same type of faith.

“We’re all believers. We always have been. I think a lot of our songs reflected that part of who we are, but this was different to actually able to say in a stronger voice what our hearts are about.”

Should make for another great album from one of the best groups in Country Music history.

Also on the show today:

  • GM is bringing back 3,000 jobs already to stimulate it's business? I will have the details on the hirings, and how GM expects to grow.
  • Carrie Underwood's Cowboy Cassanova continues to climb charts! We will check in on the latest numbers on the latest Underwood tune.
  • Wednesday Web Pick of the Week: This Week I take a look at a local video production that keeps you updated on Northern Michigan University Athletics.
  • The Latest Road Closures and Marquette Updates as you prepare to drive home
Can't wait to here from you! Get your requests in for the Five O'Clock Traffic Crunch by emailing me: joeyd@wjpd.com.

Also remember to follow me on twitter, if you want to read more heated debates between Iain Black and myself!
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Hey guys and gals! Coming you tonight after the show for some links.....


I Told you how Lee Ann Womack is trying to get traditional. Here is the article I referenced today during the show today. Womack making more traditional country music should be rather interesting. I look forward to hearing it.

---Carrie's Single is Here!



--Jason Aldean Gets....you guessed it.. Big Green Tractors. His latest continues to climb the charts. His Album Label wanted to congratulate him. So how did they do it? They lined up 9 Big Green Tractors near his home. Here are Aldean's thoughts:

"I can definitely feel the love." But the whole thing definitely took him by surprise. "I actually came downtown for a few meetings, which I wouldn't normally do on a Monday because I try and spend those days off with my family at home. I was driving down 17th, and was totally caught off-guard by the tractors parked up and down the street. I guess the record label and publishing companies and everyone had set it up ... but no one told me about it so I almost wrecked trying to read the signs on them to see if they were there for me. I have dreamed about having a few big No. 1 hits back-to-back for a very, very long time, so it just feels really good to have the Nashville music community supporting me."
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Since the first time I heard "The Game of Love" with Carlos Santana and Michelle Branch, I have been in love with what I consider one of the most beautiful voices in music. In a genre that I am not particularlly a fan of, Branch continued to show that she belonged.... At least talent wise.

Then in 2005, Branch made the move to Nashville. The Wreckers, consisting of Jessica Harp and Michelle Branch took the country music scene by storm. Their debut single, "Leave the Pieces," was the first song by a duo to go to number one on the Billboard country music charts since 1991.

Then in July of 2007, The Wreckers seperated for solo careers. And Now Branch is about to release her latest country album. One that she says was not forced and rather natural.

"I said, 'Let's just make the record, and it's going to sound country
because that's the instrumentation I'm in love with and I'm writing with
people here in Nashville. Let's not overthink it.'"

The album is titled "Sooner or Later" and will be released this Fall. I can't wait to hear what she has in store. And of course, I'll let you know when we get it in here at the station!

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Finally Country Music's biggest up and coming star has something new coming out onto the country music scene, and this DJ couldn't be more excited! Carrie Underwood without out a doubt has the selling power to be the best young country music artist in the game.


As the music Scene continues to change, and get younger, Underwood has a chance to solidify the fact that she is the female voice. She has the chance to go from Okalahoma girl, to the internataional voice of a genre.


Will she do it? As a huge Carrie fan, I think that her new album "Play On," which will be released on November 3rd, will be critical to what is next for the Country artist. Most of the music, including the lead single "Play On" are co-writen by Underwood. Originality was something that Underwood lacked in her last album.


And is something that is key in putting her over the top. When I get to hear the album, I'll let you know what I think. Stay Tuned..... I think we might have a deal breaker on the way.
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(Artist Profile Shines the Light on the best of Today's Hit Country Artists every Sunday with JoeyD! You can catch it on Big Country 92.3 WJPD.)


For Craig Morgan, The Country Music Journey wasn't one that started early in life. Born in Kingston Springs, Tennessee, Morgan began his work career at age 18 as an EMT. From there, he served our wonderful country for Ten years, further showing his dedication to his country. After serving in the United States Army, Morgan took on odd jobs that included: Wal Mart, County Sheriff, Construction Worker and whatever it took to put food on the table. In 2000, Morgan got a job singing demos for other record labels and publications. It was then that Morgan hit it big, releasing his first album, the self titled "Craig Morgan."


Since then, Morgan has released a number of hits, including "Redneck Yact Club", "International Harvester", and "That's what I love about Sunday." His most recent album has produced singles "Love Remembers" and "Bonfire."


Now in his fourties, Craig Morgan has become a fan favorite. Like many artists though, it didn't start that way. A rough road finally got smoother when Morgan gave his demo tape to a horse training friend, who boarded a record company employee's horse.



"I dropped off a tape to a friend of mine who trains horses who gave it to
someone from the record label who boarded his horse there. He listened to my
tape and called me."

Thank goodness for that horse trainer. Thank Goodness.


(Currently Craig Morgan is on the International Harvester Tour, that gets back underway in the upcoming week. You can follow Morgan on twitter, by clicking here. To view more interesting facts about Craig Morgan as well, check out this website.)

Sunday Show Notes: 08/02/09

Posted by Dex On 4:25 AM 0 comments
Today is officially my father's birthday! He turns a young 49 today. We have a lot for you coming in the show today. Let's take a look at what is in store for today's show.

Sunday Country News- Alan Jackson has a song coming out about Bologna? Only in true fashion can Mr. Jackson pull off a song like that. We have the details about the song in the Sunday Country News.

Artist Profile- This weekend our artist profile focuses on Craig Morgan. We will take a look at the star's roots and what he is up to these days in the Artist profile.

Cash For Clunkers- Have you heard the term and have no idea what it is about? Coming up on Today's show we look at the now popular way to receive a rebate on your next car purchase.

Local Event Calendar- We will take a look at some events going on in the upcoming week in the Marquette Area.

I can't wait to step in later today! It's going to be a lot of fun. Until 3 PM, have a great Sunday Morning!

Do you love the idea of getting your news or entertainment updates from all of your sources at the same time? With new technology from google incorporated, It is possible! I got to tell ya, I love it too.


Google Reader is a web browser based application that takes your favorite website feeds and puts them all in one place. What used to take sometimes hours to hit up all of your favorite websites, can be as easy as checking your email.


All you have to do is plug in your website's RSS or XML feed, and Google reader will send you the latest articles from your favorite websites. When using Google Reader, you will find that it is very easy to navigate. All you need is a free google account, and you can instantly start loading in your favorite websites by just clicking add a subscription in the very top left corner of your Google Reader page.


There are other subscription applications out there, but google does it best with their product. You can even download an application to read use Google on your Iphone or Ipod Touch.


I love this free program and use it daily to read websites like The New York Times, Washington Post, Sports Illustrated and all kinds of stuff. I highly encourage you get a google account today and link all of your favorite content based websites together with Google Reader.

All of us love music! Whether it be Alan Jackson, Miley Cirus, or OZZY! This Weekend's web pick of the weekend is the Open Source Program Audacity!

What do you use audacity for? There are many reasons you could use this on your computer. It allows you to record audio, edit it, and splice two clips together.

For a lot of you out there, this isn't something you are interested in. But most of us have a music collection that extends back quite a ways. Maybe you want to convert your tapes and albums into digital files or cds. Audacity allows you do that.

From the Audacity Wiki Page:

You can use Audacity and your computer to record sound from any external device which outputs an audio signal. Although cassette tapes and records (LPs) are the most popular examples, Audacity can be used just as easily to record audio from the following:

  • open-reel tape decks
  • Minidisc (MD) players
  • Radios
  • Mixers
  • Video cassette recorders (VCRs) and DVD players (recording from a dedicated line-out containing audio output only)
  • Televisions (via a SCART adaptor cable connected to the computer sound card, or through a VCR's audio out)
  • Personal digital voice recorders (DVRs)
  • Portable MP3 players (such as iPods)
  • even another computer


You need to run an appropriate cable from an "out" jack on the external device (e.g. a tape deck, or an amplifier or receiver connected to a turntable) to the line-in port of the computer. You should not connect a standard turntable directly to a computer - see the next section below. The line-in is normally coloured blue, but check your computer manual. You should not generally connect to the microphone port of the computer, as this port, besides typically being monophonic, will excessively amplify the stronger signals produced by a tape deck or receiver/amplifier. The only exception to this might be the outputs of some personal recorders supplied with a minijack intended for connection to the microphone input of a recorder.

For the average user with consumer level equipment, the headphone jack is probably the best "out" jack to choose, since it will allow you to adjust the output level of the source device. If you choose this approach, the most typical setup is to use a cable with a 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) stereophonic TRS plug at one end (for connecting to the device's headphone jack), and an identical 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) TRS stereophonic plug on the other end (for connecting to the line-in socket on your computer). If the device you are recording from has a 1/4 inch (6.3 mm) headphone jack, you will need to get a 1/4 to 1/8 inch adaptor. Such an adapter is often included free with most new headphones, or can be purchased separately at any electronics store.

Some professionals with high-grade equipment would prefer to use the source device's "aux out", "tape out", "line-out" or "record" output (if so equipped), since that approach bypasses an unnecessary stage of (possibly low-quality) amplification, and standardises the signal at a fixed (non-adjustable) level of approximately 1 - 1.5 volts, resulting in a higher quality recording. If you choose this approach, you will need a cable that has dual RCA red/white plugs at one end (for connecting to the "aux out", "tape out" or "record" jack of the device) and a stereophonic 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) plug at the other end (for connecting to your computer's line-in port).


Audacity is an open source program, meaning that it is constantly upgraded with the influence of it's users. It is a great program to download for free, and as a freelance podcaster on the side, I have found this program to be a good go-to-solution for editing.



Yo Yo Yo! Holy Toledo, where did the week go? Man, I fell asleep last night at about ten pm right after the show, and the next thing I know, it is early in the mornin! Anyways, enough with the rambles. Here is what to expect on this afternoon's show:


Can you Identify the Artist?- I have the details on the latest way to win tickets to Noah's Ark Water Park. All you have to do is find a specific artist on the website, and then be the first caller in with the artist name (watch out our IT guy likes to be tricky!!!!). More details can be found on the front page of WJPD.com.


Country News- Are you a fan of those Rascalls in the Rascall Flats Band? Do you love Itunes like I Do? Then you have to check this out! The Summer of Flatts Pass is available on Itunes for only $19.99 and you get 28 new demos, cuts, and live tracks over the course of seven weeks. Talk about Summer Nights done right! For the price of a CD, you are entering a whole new world of Rascall Flatts music. Of these 28 songs, seven of them are exclusives just to this deal. So if you want the whole Flatts connection, this is your bargain of the summer months.


Kid of the Day Challenge- Today's challenge kids is a good one! Last night, before falling asleep, I was watching Scooby Doo, my favorite cartoon! Be ready for the trivia, and if you are between the ages of 4-10 and have not won in 30 days, call up at 225-1440 and win an ice cream cone from Jilberts Dairy in Marquette if you are the first caller. MMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Win the Lotto, then get Arrested?- That's what happened in Ontario Canada, when 45 year old Barry Shell went to go pick up his oversized check. We have the details on this crazy situation! Let's just say that your past always follows you, no matter where you go.


Remembering Walter Kronkite- It has almost been two weeks since legendary broadcaster Walter Kronkite passed away at age 92. I wasn't around for Kronkite as a member of the CBS team, but in college I did study his work a lot (obviously). I'll give my take on America's most trusted man. You can catch the re-airing Cronkite Remembers this Sunday starting at 11 A.M on the Discovery Channel.


We have a lot in store for today's show. Kick Back, Relax and sip on some Lemonade! Catch the show tonight, from 3-7 only in Big Country!

Happy Tuesday to you! Hope you are relaxing during the work week and not being pushed too hard by the head honcho. Coming up today, I'll be filling in for Ryan Patrick from 3-7 PM on Big Country. I'll be here all week as Ryan takes a much deserved vacation. Here are some of the things to look forward to on today's show:



  • Jason Aldean has a new single? Well Sorta! Aldean's top hit, "She's Country" will have a little remix starting today. The hip hop version of the awesome single will be available today on Itunes. Rich Redmond, Jason Aldean's drummer is part of the New Voice Entertainment team, that came up with the idea to make a club remix of the song. You can here the hippity hop hip to the hip hop version here!



  • Kelly Hildebrandt found the love of her life through the internet, and now she is getting married to him in October. Big deal right? Well, her lover shares the same name! How Wierd..... The two will tie the knot in a few months, let's hope the person filling out the marriage license doesn't get confused!



  • Today's Jilberts Dairy Kid of the Day Challenge focuses on a special event taking place tomorrow. Stay tuned at 4:15 for more details, and if you are between the ages of four and ten, call in at 225-1440 with your answer! The best part? You get an yummy Jilberts Ice Cream cone, if you are the first to get the answer right.



  • On today's show we give you the latest in Marquette Closures and Construction, including the closure times for the Blueberry Festival, and where to watch out for Fire Hydrant Testing in the Marquette Area.



  • Finally, Ronnie and Kix of Brooks and Dunn talk about the changes in the music industry, and how technology has formed a new game for country artists around the world. Ronnie and Kix will be releasing a new album on September 8th titled, "#1s and then some." The album will feature 21 of Brooks and Dunn's number one hits, as well as seven new songs. I cant wait to get my hands on it!

That and more is all coming up this afternoon on Big Country! Stay tuned from 3 PM-7 PM.

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This Weekend is a prime time to add another member to the family. Your probably thinking Wha?!?! Has JoeyD gone completely overboard. We knew the sink was sinkin' but, did somebody cry battleship?!?!

Well Sorta! Ok, maybe not....Nope!

This Weekend the Marquette County Humane Society is dropping adaption rates for Kittens and Cats 50% MCHS needs to move as many little Kittys as possible, to make more room in the shelter. At half the price, and all the personalities down there, you can't beat it.

Last weekend We added a fourth member to our family! Quinn had been at the shelter since the month of Febuary. After getting our first cat Milo in March, we decided it was time to bring home a buddy for him to hang out with during the day. Yet again the MCHS staff did not dissapoint. Always working hard, commiting to what they love, the MCHS staff is some of the best people in Marquette county. I want to thank them for all they do. You should thank them too the best way possible, by going in this weekend (Friday, Saturday or Sunday) and bringing home a Kitty today. You can see my two buds up top, sleepin' away a summer morning! See what your missing out on? :)

Ever want to talk to someone internationally but couldn't afford the minutes? Maybe you wanted to video conference with someone important at work, but couldn't find anything affordable. Are you looking for a cheap landline, and don't the hassle of a phone company. Then Skype for windows and mac is the program just for you.

The Web Pick of the Weekend is something that I have been using for quite sometime. Skype, which is owned by the internet giant Ebay, is a voiceover IP application, that allows you to talk to people around the world for free. Just recently the program has integraded video chat as well. Skype has created many oppurtunities in the field of communication, because it allows two people to communicate from long distances meanwhile keeping the top quality audio they are producing, instead of compressing it through phone lines.

How does it work?

For those of you familiar with the popular messenger services that AOL and Yahoo have produced, then setting up Skype will be a breeze. At heart, Skype is a chatting agent. After installing the program, which can be found at skype.com, the user will be prompted to create a screen name. From there you can text chat with friends, audio chat, and video chat as well. If you know someone with a corresponding username, and you have the proper equipment, all it takes is the push of the talk button! Here are the tools you will need though to get off the ground.

Setup and Additional Costs

For the average user, skype can cost nothing. If your computer comes with an external microphone and you have headphones, you are all set. Most advanced users (myself included) buy headsets, or dynamic Microphones to broadcast to the people we are talking to. In my case, I record interviews and segments with people across the world. I need the highest quality possible. For those of you looking for a cheap, yet high quality device, the Skype store has solid options. Though most uses can be free, sometimes people you want to call won't have a skype username. With a small monthly fee, Skype allows you to call out to all numbers within the united states. You can also purchase minutes from Skype, which allow you to call out internationally.

As an avid Skype user, I have decided to use at a cheap rate of 2.50 a month, plus 35.00 for a landline a year to use skype as my main mobile device. There is no other rates, and for a cheap price under 40 dollars, I have a phoneline directly into my comptuter. I can also forward calls out to an existing number, and allow callers to leave a voicemail. All from my computer. If you are a business owner, client, worker, or have family that is hard to contact, Skype could be the real solution for you. It is definitely a staple in the way that technology is heading.

What You will need:

The Skype Program, Internet Connection, A microphone of some sort, headphones and a username.

To view more about the program Skype, Visit:

Skype.com- Download and find out more about the application here.

Skype Wikipedia- To answer more of your questions or concerns.

Skype How To- A helpful how to video on how to install Skype on Windows.

Coming up this Weekend

Posted by Dex On 2:35 PM 0 comments
Hey All! Hope your having a great week. I'll be back on the airwaves this weekend On Saturday and Sunday from 3-7 PM. Here is what you can expect this weekend

Saturday:

Web Pick of the Weekend- This weekend we will look at the Web Application Skype. I use it nearly daily for what is called VOIP. Stay Tuned, at 4:45 we've got you covered on the newest way to call your relatives and friends in a cheap fashion.

Country News- On Saturday, I'll take a look at the country news that is sweeping the nation! Stay tuned for the latest happenings in the world of country music.

Community Calendar- Coming up this Saturday I'll look at some upcoming events in the Marquette Area for next week!

Sunday:

Sit back and Relax!- With one day remaining in the weekend, it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy the latest in country music. We've got you covered with some of the best of all-time and your latest favorite tune! At 5:15 we will have the Artist Profile of the weekend, detailing the latest news for that country artist and their next tour stops.

On Sunday we will also take a look at the strange buy on Ebay this weekend. Can't wait to see you then! Have a great week!

Programming Note: JoeyD will be filling in for Ryan Patrick next week, starting on Tuesday. Can't wait to hear from you next week as well!
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Have you ever wanted to play with the $700 Adobe Photoshop program, but didn't know how to get your hands on it? Well now you have the chance. Adobe, which are the innovaters that created Photoshop, have began a new free service, that requires no downloading, or money! Got to love that Right?




Photoshop, which is the best and most enhanced photo manipulation softaware in the world, now has a free service with two giga bytes of storage online. Used by modeling agencies, magazines, newspapers and media companies all over the world, the Photoshop series has changed the world of photography, print and even video production. Now, the everyday consumer has a chance to hack into the wonderful software.

All you have to do is visit photoshop.com and set up an account. Once you have done that, you can upload your photos, rotate them, tint them, touch them up, and show them off in your very own gallery. Be cautious though of what you upload, considering you can view eveyone's gallery on photoshop.com, and they can view yours as well.

Review:

What I love about photoshop.com as a regular photoshop user is the simplicity of the website. Right away you can get accustomed to the feel of the interface by taking a test drive (the third tab down on the home page). From there you get to see everything it has to offer. From basic photo fixes (sharpen, resize, red eye reduction) to adding word bubbles and other images to the photo, this is the perfect way to share your photos with friends. Photoshop.com also has an app on the oh so popular facebook.com, and can also be controled through most Windows based mobile phones.

My favorite editing tool has to be the tint function, which simply adds a photo filter of your selected color over your original photo. Usually, what can be a pain in the butt process, has now turned into a simple click of the mouse. I suggest uploading an album today, because it can be a lot of fun. The best part is that is free to personalize your own photo collection.

Final Ranking 8/10

Details:

Where?: www.photoshop.com

What?: Photoshop.com is a free version of the best manipulation software on the planet, and allows you to store up to 2 gigabytes of your photos, while editing them for free.

Why?: Simply it is free, gives you a central location for your photos, and you can have fun with them.

How?: Visit www.photoshop.com, set up a username, and enjoy!



Just a few years ago, the NBC Network launched Nashville Star to find the best talent in country music. Six Seasons later the show, which originally aired on USA has made the big move to NBC. Host Billy Ray Cyrus has tried to give it just a bit of flavor, and it rivals the Fox hit 'American Idol'. But has it produced just as many if not less contributing artists to the genre of country music as the Ryan Seacrest hosted hit. 

Going into the ninth season of American Idol, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Adbul have ripped, loved and criticized the likes of Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Josh Gracin, and Bucky Covington. 

The revolving judges of Nashville Star found Miranda Lambert and Buddy Jewel in the first season. Beyond Chris Young and Lambert, talent hasn't really transitioned to the FM airwaves. Meanwhile,  Carrie Underwood has top the charts continuously since her days on Idol. Kellie Pickler has one of the hottest out in 'The Best Days of Your Life." Bucky Covington made the rounds after his stint on idol, giving him more instant familiarity.  According to Randy Goodman, Of Lyric Street Records, Covington has had the advantage press wise, simply because of his appearance on American Idol. 

"I'm not getting anywhere near the same kind of spin on (new Lyric label mates) Trent Tomlinson and Sarah Buxton that I am on Bucky Covington. I mean, Larry King Live, twice in the life of his single before we drop the album? That's unheard of. He's going to be on (Jimmy) Kimmel, he was on Good Morning America. All because of American Idol."

As we go into season number nine, It will be interesting to see what else can come to the game of country music.  Nashville Star will have to turn it up a notch to stay in the game.  


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