Fifty years for "The Flintstones!"

"The Flintstones" turned 50 today! I was glad to meet them in my formative years and remember watching them at this time after school...even with my kids I think:)

My friend, Stu Gray, asked on his blog yesterday: What are the best activities you do with your son?
It was fun for me to remember. They grow up so quickly...

My commercial voiceover for New Era Cap recently hit the big 5-0!
50, 000 views and counting!


Flashing back to other nifty fifty posts on this blog:
50 posts & 50-yard line = Canada Day football! (from this summer)
50 years of fabulous announcing! (Dick Enberg and David Mainse from this spring)

Raise a Toast to Bloggers!

The first Bloggin’ Okanagan mini conference took place on Sunday and it was fun to attend! I had the chance to meet fellow bloggers and Facebook friends. Here is the recap from the Kelowna Art Gallery, which includes a list of blogs from this area.

When I arrived at the event I was first greeted by one of the panelists, Cherie Hanson. She is a retired high school teacher who now concentrates on artistic endeavours, from computer enhanced digital photography to writing. Among the various continuing education classes Cherie teaches at UBC Okanagan is one on weblogging, and she also keeps a blog on her life and travels as a multimedia artist at http://www.cheriehanson.com/. There you will be greeted with the header:

expressions

Never put a sock in a toaster.

 

I raise a toast to you Cherie! Keep up the fabulous work!

New England 38, Buffalo 30

The Buffalo Bills looked a lot better today BUT the Brady bunch prevailed  =  a Patriots 38-30 win. Tom Brady was 21/27 for 252 yards and three touchdowns while the Bills' Ryan Fitzpatrick had similar numbers: 20/28 for 247 yards and two touchdowns BUT two fourth quarter interceptions were the difference.

Here is this weekend's "Thurman Thomas Show" Billieve Moment as promised five days ago.

I have never blogged five days straight and tomorrow we'll make it six straight!

Refereeing The Situation?

What do you think about this Kelowna Rockets print ad?
I started a discussion on a local forum yesterday in the lunch hour wondering if it was sending the wrong message.

It is the season opener tonight for the Rockets hosting the Prince George Cougars in the Western Hockey League. I will be there with my son Justin! That is not him...

Here is one hockey voiceover job I would NOT want...

Which Voice Am I? Voice 1, 2 or 3?

Which voice am I on this Buffalo Bills TV commercial? Voice 1, 2 or 3? Hint: Faster is better!

Today on the Voice 123 blog, I got a little plug for my brand (Has The Voice). Thanks Steven! As with the TV commercial, you'll find me at the end.

PS Earlier this week he shared with me that he is an odd sports fan mix of Yankees, Jets and New York Islanders.

Raise a glass to Hass?

It appears my stunt double, Dan Aykroyd, was in Kelowna yesterday. He was promoting his Crystal Head Vodka but didn't have a chance to raise
a glass for my blog's birthday.

Some awesome advertising advice from Aykroyd below on location.
He is a great Canadian!

Four-tune cookie?

My blog is four years old today so I thought it was kind of funny I was issued the numbers 424 while waiting to renew my car insurance today.

Then at 4:54 pm my scripts for this weekend's "Thurman Thomas Show" were emailed.  As you can see on the Billieve Moment script, the Bills were "Down by four with 12 seconds left."  

The 10-6 (differential of four!) refers to their won/loss record in the 1981 season. Who did they play and beat? Who were the Bills' heros that day? I'll have the answers and all the amazing football footage this weekend for you.

I am off now for my Blogiversary dinner:
Lasagna followed by Yoplait Exotik yogurt...

Yes, blogiversary is a real word. Look at the pictures here. Or just ask the king of voiceover blogs, Bob Souer. Thanks for the mention Bob! 
And thank you to ALL who drop by this blog when you have the chance.
I sincerely appreciate it!

The last laugh goes to?

The answer is Peyton Manning.
In a showdown on Sunday night football, he led
his Colts over his brother's Giants, 38-14.

Last weekend, "Saturday Night Live" repeated Peyton's appearance from the spring of 2007. This was a great spoof of his work with the United Way.

Peyton's team, the Indianapolis Colts, were featured this weekend on the Buffalo Bills' "Thurman Thomas Show." But it was from the season before he joined the team. Let me tell you more:

As I said, the second greatest comeback in NFL regular season history with the Bills defeating the Colts 37-35.  The number one comeback in NFL regular season history? Joe Montana and San Francisco came from 28 down to New Orleans to beat them 38-35 on December 7, 1980.  Those two teams play tonight on Monday Night Football and you should probably pick the Saints - the defending Super Bowl champions!

Like father, like son

Yesterday, Kyle Drabek made his major league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays in the same park where his father, Doug, closed out his career with the Baltimore Orioles. Dad was in the stands for his 22-year-old's first game, which he lost 3-1. A bright future is ahead for Kyle though!
Doug Drabek won 155 games during a 13-year career with the Yankees, Pittsburgh, Houston, the White Sox and Orioles, winning the NL Cy Young Award with the Pirates in 1990.

Here is a list looking at five other father and son combos.

Hockey is running through my sons' veins too! While I voiced the promos for the first two WHL games on Shaw TV this week (October 8 – Swift Current Broncos at Calgary Hitmen / October 27 - Chilliwack Bruins at Edmonton Oil Kings), my 15-year-old's audition for the Phoenix Coyotes was well received. Unfortunately, the script was later changed to use a couple of 20-year-olds. Way to go Jordan!

It is the home debut tomorrow of the Kelowna Chiefs hosting the Revelstoke Grizzlies. Here is my radio ad. As I have mentioned before (The Chiefs are in charge!), I am handling the PA duties for the Chiefs this season. My older son, Justin, will be keeping track of the stats for the Chiefs' home games. Way to go Justin!

One of the great supporters of the Rutland neighbourhood where we live is realtor Grant Wiebe. I can recommend Grant no problem! I also know his Dad, Ken, well. Here is Grant's video blog shining light on the culture, business and people of Rutland – Kelowna's friendliest community.

PS 4:30 PM thought: If I become a realtor I will be changing my name to Rock House!

Talkin' Proud/Bloggin' Proud

This is blog post #70 this year (previous high was 68 last year) and my 233rd overall. That is a third as many as Peter K. O’Connell, who recently hit his 700th post.  Keep it up Peter!

My first blog entry was four years ago this month. There is a local event called Bloggin’ Okanagan - a mini blog conference happening September 26, 2010 from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Kelowna Art Gallery. I plan to be there. More details are here.

What a collaboration this was! Peter wrote the script to celebrate
National VoiceOver Month while Dave Courvoisier produced it.
Around 25 voices helped out - including yours truly:)
Click here.

Talkin' Proud is the name of this flashback segment I voiced for the Buffalo Bills' "Thurman Thomas Show" this weekend.

Best "Kicking" Voice on the Buffalo Bills?

If you answered Ralph Hass, I appreciate that as National VoiceOver Appreciation Month continues!

It is 9/9/10 on the calendar and here are numbers 9 and 8 of the Buffalo Bills in a fierce farce best-of-seven competition:


Life, like football, offers scoring opportunities. You can get out there, get dirty and grind out the short yardage. You can also choose to go deep if you’re brave enough. This is all part of David Goad's great post:

Going Deep.

Enjoy the NFL season - starting tonight with Favre against Brees!
Strike one against Favre tonight as the win will go to New Orleans!

Listen very closely...Voiceover talents deserve their due!

It is National VoiceOver Appreciation Month!

I have been doing voiceovers for five years now and
appreciate this recognition because we do work hard.

The following is contributed by Peter O’Connell:

Most people are familiar with the art of acting, having watched performers on stage in a play, on television or in the movies. Using the physicality of their bodies, their facial expressions and their voices, actors bring to life a multitude of characters from a script.

But the arts are home to another kind of actor who most often resides behind off camera or stage but may actually be experienced by the public much more frequently (often daily) than stage or screen actor. This artist is called a voice actor and his/her business is known as voice over. It is this industry that September’s National Voice Over Month celebrates and honors.

Today, with the explosion of communication tools brought on by the success of the Internet, just a small sample of the places voice talents’ work can be heard around the world include computers, stadiums and arenas, video games, telephone systems, airports, colleges and universities, the Internet as well as television and radio.

The specialized work of voice over talents is featured in commercials, video and DVD narrations, e-learning programs, cartoons and other animation, on hold messages, political announcements, radio and television station promotional announcements, documentaries…basically anywhere a story needs to be told with more than pictures.

For the thousands of professional male and female voice over talents, the joy of participating in this industry is recognition enough. But with National Voice Over Month, it allows everyone the chance to understand and appreciate these special artists.

=====================================

• Here is Peter's blog post yesterday getting the ball rolling for National Voice Over Month.
• The original seed was planted by Dave Courvoisier, who updates today about the tremendous response to NVOM. 

Without question, in the voiceover world, we "get by with a little help from our friends."

Look very closely...Dentists do!

...and you will see McDonalds on the lower left or Dairy Queen in the middle on the right...

Would you want a dentist named Swift or one that made you say EEK? The team dentist for the Kelowna Chiefs this year is
Dr. Swift.

Every hockey team needs a good dentist - and a nearby Tim Hortons.
The TH is actually just beyond the McDonalds here on Highway 33.
By the way, my wife's dentist used to be Dr. Wageman.

Hang in there Dr. Eek! I know what it is like to have a funny last name...