Catherine McCutcheon - blog

A Favour from Catherine

We know we have the greatest listeners at EZ Rock-you come through for us year after year. This is a personal favour. I received this email from a friend of mine –a doctor in South Carolina. This is what he wrote: “A friend of mine has a friend whose 5 year-old-son named Noah has been fighting Neuroblastoma for 2.5 years, and unfortunately, is losing his fight. His parents asked him what he wanted (sort of like Make-a-Wish). Noah told them that he wants to live to see Christmas and get lots of Christmas cards. is parents know that he will not make it to Christmas this year, so they are celebrating it early for him. If you would like to help make his "Christmas" special, please send a Christmas card to: Noah Biorkman, 1141 Fountain View Circle, South Lyon, MI 48178. He likes them from far away places.” I’m mailing mine off tonight-don’t forget you will need an American stamp. Please tell your family and friends. That’s what this season is all about!!! Thank you!!! Catherine

Can You Believe What is Turning 40??!!

The only scarier than my next birthday is that I'm not much older than Sesame Street! Happy 40th to our cast of characters. It's the show that taught me how to count and explained that, "one of these things is not the like the other".  The 40th season begins November 10th with special guest, Michelle Obama. The show is keeping up with the times and some of our favourite Sesame Street Muppets will be doing the talk show circuit.  Big Bird will be guest on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live and Elmo and Rosita will make appearances on late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday March 9th. I  hope Kimmel behaves himself and watches his language. Gee it's late night tv, what about Elmo's bedtime?
This is one of my favourites!!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VDJsgtoizj8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VDJsgtoizj8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

The Flies Have It

Talk about a stroke of genius! At an advertising show in Germany a company attached banners to flies. The flies had to rest more often as they weren't used to the weight of the paper. The banners also caused them to fly lower-about eye level.  Check out the video. Fly swatting height if you ask me.

Does the H1N1 Virus Have Your Attention Yet?

 

Everyday now we can count on information regarding the spread of the H1N1 virus. It's definitely here.

This morning I was listening to Andy Oudman give his 7 o'clock cast and I honestly stopped in my tracks. The story that rattled me was about the most recent case of H1N1 -  the 13 year boy from Toronto that has died from it after playing in a hockey tournament this past  weekend at the Western Fair Sportsplex. According to reports he had a fever Saturday and complained that he wasn't feeling well. He was seen at a walk in clinic in town.  The teen's fever continued on Sunday and he returned home to succumb to H1N1 virus on Monday.  

As a mom of a hockey player in the same age group I am still trying to figure all this out. I have been asking myself: Why was this young boy playing in a hockey tournament with a fever? Even though he spent a lot of time on the bench, why was he not sent home with his family when it was serious enough to warrant a visit to a local walk in clinic? Was there any one sign that differentiated this from a regular flu bug? 

My son battled the flu earlier last week and all his symptoms pointed to H1N1. I kept him home...watched his temperature until he had gone 24 hours with no increase.  Five days of fluids, small meals, lots of rest and children's Advil. Five days later we let him go back to school.  That meant a week without hockey practice, games and of course no school or buddies afterwards.  To a young boy the only thing worse than feeling crummy was his so called house arrest.

Please parent's if your child is coughing, is unusually tired, complaining of aches or pains and has a temperature higher than normal -keep them home. See your doctor. Call Tele-Health.  Don't risk your child's health, or any one else's by sending them to school or a sitter's or an extra curricular activity. .  It's just not worth it.  The team will understand, schoolwork can get caught up on; your boss can work around your absence.  We need to take this virus more seriously and protect our families and others around us.

I Gotta Feeling!

This fall the Black Eyed Peas helped to kick off Oprah Winfrey's new season. Watch this video and see how most of Chicagoi seemed to get involved!

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H1N1 vs Onions

Over the summer on The John Tesh Show, John was talking about food poisioning. He mentioned how every year a lot of people complain of sickness following a visit to a Buffet Restaurant. Many people are quick to blame their upset stomach on the mayonaisse but according to Tesh scientists have proven mayonaisse to be almost indestructable and not the cause. Apparently it's more likely the chopped onions in the salad bar that have caused the upset. Onions contain a lot of water and are the perfect site for bacteria growth.  The lesson: steer away from cut raw onions and at home don't leave them out to reuse the next day.

They say timing is everything ...I also received an email earlier this week about-wait for it-onions and the flu. I figure knowing now what John Tesh said earlier-this article might have some validity. Hey it's worth a try..land bye the way, similar articles can be found in some home remediy books! 

Onions

After reading this you will think that I have really lost it. 
However, this is a true story.
    In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu.  Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.
   The Doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy.  When the Doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then).  The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope.   She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion.  It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.
   Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ.  She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers.  The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop.  To her surprise, none of her staff got sick.  It must work.  (And no, she is not in the onion business.)
    The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home.  If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere.   Try it and see what happens.   We did it last year and we never got the flu.
        If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better.  If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case.

       

Good luck!!

Unbelievable Accident

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when i just happened to catch the end of a news story from Australia. A mother waiting for a train let go of her baby carriage and it rolled onto the tracks at the very minute the train was coming through.  The volume was down at the time so I had no idea the outcome. It is gut wrenching but so incredible that this little one survived with minimal injuries!!

Find The Courage

 

I was sitting in my chiropractor's office this week and as I was waiting, noticed a hand-written note on their quote board. I love what it said:

" Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak.

  Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

How true is that?

Too many times we speak our mind and express our opinions because something has rubbed us the wrong way. We jump to conclusions quickly and the first thing that opens is usually our mouth. Too often we close our mind first then choose to open our mouth and that's when things can get dangerous.  It's pretty tough to talk and listen at the same time. I'm guessing if you were to name the 5 people you love and respect the most-they would have a few things in common and close to the top would be their ability to make you (and everyone else around them) feel special or important. The way to anyone's heart is thru caring-caring enough to listen to them.

It can take a lot of courage to go out on a limb and speak but it definitely takes even more courage and brains to know when to sit down, shut up and listen.

Were You Born Smart or Talented?

I have yet to meet a parent that doesn't think his or her child is brilliant or talented or both! Very few of us, while biased when it comes to our kids, can honestly say our child has  shown the unwavering drive or skill to become world renowned in a hobby or favorite sport.

I doubt many people would contest the fact Tiger Woods is an exceptional golfer, Sydney Crosby a force to be reckoned with on the ice and Yo-Yo Ma one of the most versatile musicians of the 20th and 21st Centuries. How did they get to where they are? Were their talent's born or made? Is it good genes that helps produce such talent or is it simply one's determination?
 ABC's Nightline explored the similarities some of the biggest talents share. It's an interesting piece because there are some very common threads - all of which can be learned! See mom was right, practice can make perfect or darn close to it!!

Enough is Enough-When 8 Is Too Much!!

I am the first to admit that I could live with out the TV. I do have some favourites like House and Castle. For the first time last year my sister-in-law was raving about Jon and Kate Plus Eight. I watched it once to see why it had gained so many followers. Anyone that is married knows it's not easy. Add one child and it's a lifelong adjustment...add eight and you get a tv deal. What sickens me the most about this kind of programming is it's like watching a train about to derail. And when the Jon and Kate train went off the tracks it not only had the selfish parents but their 8 children on board. I am so fed up with Jon and Kate's juvenile antics. Jon's infedlity for starters then introducing his children to a new girlfriend. Kate's outbursts and public slams of her ex husband. He is guilty of the same behavior. TLC announced this week they were going to tape a new show with just Kate and the children -called Kate Plus Eight. Wow how creative. Has TLC not learned? When will these fame hungry parent's learn? All their bashing and terrible behavior is on record so someone can and most likely will point it out to their children as they get older. How sad. Isnt one of our most important roles as parents to lead by example? Grow up Jon and Kate Gosselin. When will they figure out that children learn what they live. No matter what taping the show affords Jon and Kate they won't be able to buy back their children's respect as they grow older.   

An Amazing Version of a Song You Hear on EZ Rock!!

One of the neat things about being in radio is quite often we get to sample songs before they are released to the public. About a month ago we auditioned a tune re-recorded by Karl Wolf. It was originally recorded by the band Toto in 1982 and became their biggest hit. One of my co workers was kind enough to draw our attention to another band that has reinvented the song, Africa. Enter an accapella jazz choir from Slovenia. Perpetuum Jazzile has amazing voices but it;s the beginning of this video that will knock your socks off. Group members simulate an African thunderstorm with their hands and bodies. The sound of thunder is wild!! Listen and enjoy their version!

Remebering Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson's Memorial has wrapped up in LA and even those who are not big fans of his would have to admit there were some very memorable and extremely moving moments. whether it was Brooke Shield's speech to Michael Jackson's daughter Paris taking the microphone. To his children he wasn't just a talented musician but  an amazing dad. Someone they loved and looked up to. Joining Jackson's family on stage were many famous faces and voices. The star power alone was incredible.

Michael Jackson gave us so much to talk about -from the time he was a young boy with the Jackson 5 to his recent rehearsals for what would have been 50 sold out shows at London's 02 Arena. Unfortuantely all Jackson's crazy antics -from what went on behind closed doors at the Neverland Ranch and the charges that followed to his numerous debotched plastic surgeries and child like behavior- over shadowed  his musical style and talent.  Jackson's Billie Jean video was the first video by a black artist to air on MTV. He fashioned the moonwalk and thriller dance moves. Jackson was and will continue to be one of pop music's biggest icons.

Here's a cool website where fans can download their moonwalks in memory of Michael Jackson:

      

                http://www.eternalmoonwalk.com

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Happy April 1st!!!

What Do You Remember?

 

I came across an article from someone talking about all the things they remember..ahem from a few years back.  See if you can relate to any of these memories....I added a few of my own.:

Carbon paper

Physically dialing a phone number on a rotary phone (usually an avocado green or black rotary phone)

Turning the dial on the TV to change the channel or adjusting bunny ears to watch your fav tv show on the available 10 or 12 channels

The fading 'dot' when you turned off the television

Illegally copying music by holding a tape recorder up to a radio. Or, later, using the cassette recorder on a boombox to record directly off the radio.

That you used to have to push 'record' and 'play' buttons to record stuff

8 tracks and cueing your vinyl to the spot on the song you really liked

Adjusting roller skates with a skate key

Phone booths

Crushing soda or beer cans took a LOT more effort, because they were made out of tin instead of aluminum

In public school the smell of melting crayon shavings with an iron and wax paper to create a colourful picture

The sound of another person listening in on a party line....

Important Messge for Dog and Cat Owners