To-BLOG-ganing at Christmas

Here I am a few years ago on the set as a mannequin for "Living Nativity" - our church's popular annual gift to the community.

I used to be in radio - but NOT that long ago...

Following up on my previous post, here is the before and after footage of Buffalo's own Patrick Kane leaving a memorable mark in his hometown.

Sabre Claws - We have won 6 straight and go for 7 in a row on Boxing Day versus our best rivals: Ottawa. Santa Claus does not want to miss this one! When we played Ottawa last month for the first time this season, my opening on MSG-TV had a dramatic movie trailer feel.

• My voiceover friends recently collaborated on 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Have a listen here. It all started here. It ended with Kara Edwards' voice and she lists all the wonderful performers here.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

I know that is what is in store for me. I feel every Christmas gets better because you have more memories to cherish.

4444 Sure!

My Sabres opener started off like this last night on MSG-TV:
THE SABRES MADE THEIR POINT WEDNESDAY...
SCORING SEVERAL FROM THE POINT...TO NET TWO POINTS IN THE STANDINGS.
NOW...CAN THEY GET TWO IN A ROW?
(For sure! We won Friday night 5-3 against Washington - one of just 4 games on a Friday night).

Tonight will be extra special in Buffalo as homegrown talent Patrick Kane comes to visit with the Chicago Blackhawks. He grew up
about 6 miles from the Sabres' HSBC Arena and is now producing at a point-a-game pace after being selected Number 1 in the NHL draft in June.

Can you say Rookie Of The Year? For sure!

Here is the list of rookie winners over the years. Chicago hasn't had a Rookie Of The Year since goalie Ed Bel4444 in 1990/91. It has been even longer for the Sabres: goalie Tom Barrasso won in '83/84 - a year after Chicago's Steve Larmer and a year before the legendary Mario Lemieux. This week Barrasso was promoted to goalie coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. They lost 4-3 to Calgary last night - their third straight loss...so sorry HurriCANES - NOT:)

Good luck tonight Patrick KANE!

Hey, with Christmas coming don't forget to share a candy cane...

4444ever?

My Sabres opener last night on MSG-TV went like this:
It seems like forever ago...and the Sabres would like to forget it even happened. The Islanders return to Buffalo for the first time since the season opener. (They won that one 6- 4; we won last night 5-3!)

Two recent corporate videos I voiced are here:

• Forever Post & Board - I kick into gear 43 seconds in :)


• Quic-Key Painter family of products

Don't be fooled by the above! I am not a home handyman...

Plenty of great advice for homeowners at this site though: Hometips. Guy Kawasaki's blog had a cool story on the company and their success with Google Adsense. Guy's post ended with these words of advice that can be applied to those of us in voiceover: Do what you love, focus on a niche, find a viable business model, and work for yourself.

Yesterday's post from Guy has a marketing lesson to share as well:

Create something great, sow fields (not window boxes), “let a hundred flowers blossom,” and pray that “regular folks” will spread the word.

4444get about it!

The Sabres lost 4-1 last night to the Ducks and the two guys I slammed in my last blog post were the first (Todd Bertuzzi) and third (Chris Pronger) stars of the game. Ooops...

The first shutout in Sabres history happened on this very date in 1970. Thank you Roger Crozier! It was a 1-0 win against the Minnesota North Stars. One of his partners in the net that year was Dave Dryden. His brother, Ken Dryden, was a future Hall of Fame goalie with the Montreal Canadiens. I have a nephew named Dryden turning three this month. His Dad played a lot of goal "back in the day" so that's how he got his name.

My youngest son is Jordan Michael - and yes, he loves basketball right now. Had a grade seven b-ball practice this morning at 7 am. I'll be on the hardwood in the men's league at 9:15 tonight.

My three stars of the day...ladies first:)

• Liz de Nesnera - sending a lovely Christmas greeting to all her voiceover colleagues. Liz has inspired us all this year!
• Tom Dheere - of Rognog Productions. Founder of the Good Karma Network. He graciously shares marketing tips and links and encourages us with his weekly newsletter, which goes on his blog too. Rognog eggnog? Sounds like a great idea Tom!
• Glen Dufresne - National Sales Coordinator, Shaw Advertising

Un4444gettable!

My Saturday Sabres opener on MSG-TV went like this:
THE SABRES HIT A SPEED BUMP WEDNESDAY NIGHT
AS ST LOUIS HIT A HIGH NOTE IN BUFFALO.
(They won 4-3 getting the winner with 58 seconds left)
WITH NOVEMBER NOW IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR...
BUFFALO LOOKS TO GET BACK ABOVE .500 BEFORE HEADING WEST.
TONIGHT...CAROLINA COMES CALLING.
CANES...SABRES...NEXT IN MSG!

Well, the script to Saturday's game couldn't have gone any better as Buffalo had a gre8888t night winning 8-1! It was a balanced attack (our strength) but it was disappointing to see Ryan Miller lose his shutout with 2 minutes remaining. The Sabres will hopefully conquer California this week. Thursday, they play LA and Saturday they find their way to San Jose. Tomorrow night Ryan faces his brother, Drew Miller, and the Anaheim Ducks. #44 is assistant captain Rob Niedermayer. A former #44 with the Vancouver Canucks is now #4 there: Todd Bertuzzi. Another former #44 on Anaheim is their captain, Chris Pronger. He now wears #25. Hockey fans in my neck of the woods like to boo both Bertuzzi and Pronger for acting like butchers on the ice!

The most famous #4 of all-time in the NHL is defenseman Bobby Orr. The Sabres have a recent addition on the blueline who wears #4 too. Nolan Pratt was the Hartford Whalers 4th pick (115th overall) in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. That same year the Whalers drafted Chris Pronger 2nd overall. The General Manager of Hartford then, Brian Burke, is now his boss again in Anaheim. The #1 overall pick in 1993 was Alexandre Daigle of Ottawa. Anaheim grabbed Paul Kariya 4th overall while Florida got Rob Niedermayer 5th overall. Quebec took current Sabre backup goalie, Jocelyn Thibault, 10th overall while the NY Islanders took Todd Bertuzzi in the first round at #23. Boo!

The Hartford Whalers were known for "going green" before it was environmentally friendly. Check out their uniforms here. Finally, two football teams that are lean, mean green machines this year - and both have quarterbacks wearing #4. The 10-2 Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre and the Grey Cup champions here in Canada: the Saskatchewan Roughriders with MVP Kerry Joseph. He actually played a few games on defense as a safety over 4 years for the Seattle Seahawks between
1998-2001. And yes, he was born on the 4th - in October 1973. I know July 4th would have been so cool but...it does get VERY cool in the winter in Saskatchewan. Here is the current forecast. Boo again...or bbbbbrrrrrr....

November Number$$

I guess you could call me a "numbers man" as my previous three posts all had numbers in their title. November also saw me publish six blog posts - topping the record set just a month earlier in October with five.

But the number I am most excited about is the total income received in November! It is my highest total since going full-time with my voiceover career in January, 2006. I also secured my first agent in November and look forward to what he will "put on my plate."


If you love hockey and numbers like I do, get the book here.

It will be a nice fixture on the coffee table as you can just pick it up and relive some great memories.

As for me, I am going to work now on an e-learning project for one of my great clients on the east coast.

I want to beat November's totals! And I hope YOU do too:)

SABRES: GIMME FIVE!!

Buffalo is on a roll! They won their fifth straight - tonight against Washington, 3-1. Number 55, Jochen Hecht, had 2 goals and an assist. His first goal came at 10:55 in the first period. The Sabres looked sharp in sweeping Montreal Friday and Saturday night. We won at home first, 4-2, then backup goalie Jocelyn Thibault shutout Montreal in his hometown,
3-0. He played for the Habs from 1995 - 1999.

Next up for the Sabres is St. Louis, a team I have supported as a fan over the years. In fact, I wore my Blues jersey proudly over the weekend as they beat Vancouver 3-1. Jochen Hecht actually played for St. Louis between 1998 - 2001. The Blues will be tough; they have won five in a row at home - BUT unfortunately for them they will be playing in Buffalo Wednesday night. There is a number 55 on St. Louis too: Christian Backman. Buffalo fans will remember another blueliner who is there now: Jay McKee. After ten years as a Sabre he signed in St. Louis last year. Until the Canuck game he was a scratch in five straight though.

The National Hockey League was founded on this date in 1917 in Montreal after a series of disputes within the (Canadian) National Hockey Association (NHA), which would see the NHA suspend operations and the new NHL start play. Montreal fans will also remember this date in 1984 when Guy Lafleur retired after 14 years and 518 goals with the Canadiens. Relive the memories with this YouTube footage!

Another classic Habs moment happened on November 26, 1958 when Maurice "Rocket" Richard scored his 600th career goal at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The current roster of Montreal does not have a number 55 - but there is a # 54: Mikhail Grabovski. Like the Sabres' Jochan Hecht, he was born in Germany. Here in Kelowna we cheer local boy Josh Gorges on!

Voice 123 and 23andme

The 16th annual "Living Nativity" is coming to my church December 7-9. This video with my voiceover is "hot off the press" and will be shown during weekend services tomorrow and Sunday.

Voice 123 launched the SmartCast system 4 1/2 months ago and I haven't been too pleased with how it has worked for me. In fact, I made fun of it here. But, SmartCast did land me this TV commercial for a bank in Kansas and I am looking forward to being the voice of a car dealer in Guelph, Ontario after an advertising agency apparently found me through Voice 123 this month.

Kansas is known as the Sunflower State. Now, spitting sunflower seeds is a popular thing when we go to baseball games. The big sunflower seed company out there is called Spitz. My friend, Guy Kawasaki, just wrote about a "spit party" on his blog. It doesn't involve sunflower seeds per se but unlocking the secrets of your own DNA. The company involved is 23andMe. Interesting pictures Guy - but I preferred your hockey references:)

Sweet 16?

The 16th was sweet for the Sabres! A 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens! We play them in a home-and-home series next Friday
and Saturday so hopefully we will "french fry" them again...

"The French Connection" for Buffalo had their jerseys retired together on November 15, 1995. There were no number 16's playing
in the game last night as both have been retired:
Pat LaFontaine for Buffalo early last year and Henri Richard for the Habs in 1975. 16 could be considered bittersweet for Lafontaine as he suffered a career-ending head injury in a game vs. Ottawa on March 16, 1998.

The Vancouver Canucks had an easy 6-2 win last night against Minnesota and their popular #16 had his first goal of the season!
Trevor Linden is in his 16th season with the Canucks (19th overall).

Two not-so-sweet 16's went at it before their game last Saturday.
Here is the footage as we Ralph 'N' Roll WITh the Punches!

Concrete Evidence

As I said yesterday - and Arnold Schwarzenegger first said in 1984's "The Terminator" - "I'll be back." Arnold was a six-time Mr. Olympia. That title currently belongs to
34-year-old Jay Cutler for a second time. That Jay Cutler is not to be confused with the current starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos, Jay Cutler. You can see him in next week's "Monday Night Football" game as Tennessee visits the Mile High City. Remember, I warned you about the "Colorado Conspiracy." I should also warn you about the duds showing up on "Monday Night Football" lately. This week Seattle beat San Francisco 24-0. First downs favored Seattle 27-6. The Monday before, November 5, saw Baltimore get a measly five first downs in getting pummeled by Pittsburgh 38-7.

Concrete Evidence

Did you know Bronco Jay worked at his dad's Cutler & Son Concrete starting at age six; was pouring concrete by age 10. Meanwhile, Olympia Jay worked at his brothers' Cutler Bros. Concrete starting at age 11. He credits it with developing his physique.

Last week I had the opportunity to be a customer voice in a corporate video for one of the world's largest suppliers of quality cement products. My thanks to Robert Jadah for throwing this "slab of cement" voiceover my way.

On October 4, 2007 in Kelowna, a new, continuous-concrete-pour record took place at the Verve 8 condominium building. It took the entire day for 125 truckloads of concrete to be poured into place to make the 36, 000 square foot suspended slab that acts as the ceiling of an underground parking lot and the foundation of the four-storey 68-unit building.

Finally, let's wrap this up with another sports tie-in featuring Charlie Brown. This article appeared in The Sporting News seven years ago. Paragraph 3 has Lucy's not-so encouraging words of "Throw it in there, Cementhead!" Lucy's philosophy of life is also shared: "If you can't be right, be wrong at the top of your voice!" In closing, I would like to encourage all of my voiceover colleagues by quoting Robert Jadah: "Voice On!"