Summer Friendraiser

Thank you so much for your support of WCQR! Tuesday we kicked off a Summer Friendraiser looking for new friends to support us. The goal of the Friendraiser was $34,000 and when we closed down right after 10 yesterday morning....an incredible $36,445 had been donated to WCQR!!!

In case you missed it, or want more info check out the link:

http://www.wcqr.org/pages/events/wcqr-friend-day.shtml

Thanks again!!!

Blessings...brian

Biggest Loser is the Biggest Winner for Big Daddy Weave

Win a family 4 pack of tickets for Big Daddy Weave at Highlands Fellowship in Abingdon on Saturday August 1st.

Mike Weaver of Big Daddy Weave is on a quest to loose 90 pounds in 09. We are looking for 2 big losers, people who started the year out to loose weight.

The 2 biggest losers will be big winners to see Big Daddy Weave next Saturday! Email us your name, address, phone number and how much you've lost to breakfastradio@wcqr.org

The 2 winners will be announced on Thursday morning at 7:20.

Mike also shared a speech Bill Gates gave at a high school:

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Have a great weekend...brian

Daytime Tri-Cities

This morning Mike and I had a chance to cook on Daytime Tri-Cities with Morgan King. We had a blast and we do have some people to thank!!!

Babara Buttry and her winning breakfast pizza recipe!

Stacy Perry for doing the shopping and the cooking.

Morgan King for the invite and his kindness, he made us feel right at home.

WJHL and their wonderful Daytime Tri-Cities kitchen.

Amy Greer for the aprons.

Thanks to YOU for watching. Be looking for the video soon!

Blessings...brian

Cooking Contest

This Thursday, Mike and I are cooking on Daytime Tri-Cities. We asked you to submit easy and delicious recipes and we'd pick a winner. We also wanted to keep it along the theme of breakfast since we are "Breakfast Radio". We give you our winner courtesy of Barbara Buttry of Bristol TN.

Breakfast "Radio" Pizza:

Breakfast Pizza

1# bulk pork sausage
1 (8-oz.) pkg. Refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup frozen loose-pack hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
5 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
½ tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
2 Tbls. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Optional: Whole pimientos
Fresh oregano

Cook sausage in a medium skillet until browned; drain. Set aside.
Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles; place triangles with elongated points toward center in a greased 12” pizza pan. Press bottom and sides to form a crust; seal perforations. Spoon the sausage over dough. Sprinkle with hash brown potatoes and Cheddar cheese. Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour over sausage mixture. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake another 5 minutes. Garnish with pimientos and fresh oregano if desired. Yield 6 to 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Tom Watson Inspires!

The weekend story of 59 year old Tom Watson almost winning the British Open got us wondering this morning. We asked about people you know, who are older, but still impacting lives.

We heard about a 77 year old construction worker, 91 year old hospital volunteers, 88 year old parents who also volunteer. One guy told how a 70 something lady inspired his family to enter a race and a daughter told of her 85 year old dad who walks 2 1/2 miles daily and does his own lawn work.

Psalm 92:14 - They shall bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing.

Blessings...brian

Mike Perry's Tribute to Dr. Vernon Baker

Mike represented all of Doc Baker's radio station managers and paid tribute to him at yesterday's funeral in Blacksburg VA. Here's what he said:

My name is Mike Perry and I am the general manager of WCQR radio in Johnson City, TN. It was almost 14 years ago to day that I had the privilege to first meet Dr. Baker.

I answered a add in a trade magazine for a new management position for a start up radio station in Northeast, TN. I met Dr. Baker on the porch at Cracker Barrel and he gave me a tour of the area and he explained what his vision was for WCQR. The next day he introduced me to something wonderful, the world of Krispy Kreme donuts in Kingsport, TN. As he was showing me around town we stopped in and had a couple of hot donuts under the red light. I went there this weekend and had a few in his honor. We then went on to Blacksburg and he and Mrs. Baker allowed me to stay with them in their home as we continued the job interview. You know it’s not everyday that you stay in the home of the person interviewing you for a job. Talk about pressure. But they were both very gracious host.

I’m not sure if he didn’t want to get me a hotel room or if he just wanted to see what I was really like. I think it was the latter. He was sneaky that way. I loved to watch him talk with an engineer or electrician and he would give them that, I’m not quite sure how this works would you explain it to me. Well of course he could write the instruction manual for whatever it was, but he just wanted to see if they knew what they were talking about!

Over these 14 years I’ve come to love and respect doctor Baker , Virginia Baker and Eddie Baker as I’ve worked with them and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to be a part of the Positive Alternative Radio family.

And family is the key word. It’s never seemed like you were working for some large corporation that didn’t know you or care about you. Dr Baker always asked how my kids were doing every time we talked and he usually had a story of his life growing up. That man had a fascinating life! I am amazed at the things he has done in his 88 years of life. Most of the time he had a joke he had heard and was wanting to share. Some funny, some not.

The one thing I will always remember is the day I accepted the job at WCQR. I was on the phone with him and I told him quite honestly, I’ve never done this before Mr. Baker and I’m not 100% sure I know what I’m doing. He told me “well we’ve all got to start somewhere. Here in this room today is a group of Positive Alternative Radio managers and team members who are all thankful that he was willing to give us a shot. He created something that has given us all the chance to live out our dreams and make a difference in thousands of lives.

Although Doctor Baker never opened a microphone and went on the air himself, he is responsible for every can of food we have collected at local food drives. He is responsible for every drop of blood we collected through blood drives. He is responsible for every blanket our stations collected to keep the homeless warm. Dr. Baker is responsible for helping thousands of non-profit organizations feed and clothe our communities. He is responsible for getting vital information to our communities in times of trouble or disaster. Most importantly, he is responsible for sharing the Gospel, the Good News of God’s love, to hundreds of thousands of people.

Without uttering a word on the radio he is responsible for making a difference in thousands of people lives everyday. They turn on the radio looking for a little fun, the news and weather and a little encouragement and they find it on a Positive Alternative Radio station everyday and he made it all happen.

So on behalf of all our radio stations and on behalf of all our listeners who never heard your voice or met you in person, let me say thank you Doctor Baker. Thank you for giving us a voice. Thank you for giving us a chance and thank you for your vision.
God bless you.

Famous or Infamous Names

This morning we talked about a man in Maryland named Harry Potter who gets phone calls everytime a new book or movie comes out. He says the calls last for a couple of months and he's thinking of changing his phone listing to just "H Potter". We wondered if you knew anyone with a famous of infamous name and we got lots of calls and posts on Facebook. Some of the names included:

Dennis Miller

David Letterman

Faith Hill

George McGovern

George Jefferson

Martha Stewart

Jimmy Carter

Charles Barkley

James Brown (several)

James Bond

Don Williams

Tom T. Hall

Steve Miller

Richie Cunningham

Will Smith

Charlie Brown

Elizabeth Taylor

Robin Williams (female)

John Wesley Hardin

John Paul Jones

Charles Manson

Carl Malone

Walt Disney

Brittany Spears

Eddie Murphy

Jim Henrichs (pronounced Hendricks) staff calls him Jimi to bug him

Cindy Crawford

Michael Myers

Ben Franklin

and of course...LOTS of Michael Jacksons

My old pastor is named Earnhardt, it's fun to go to a restaurant and get a table with him. "Earnhardt party of 4, your table is ready."

(pictured...Jerry and Nancy Earnhardt, along with my wife and I at Charlotte this year)

Remembering Doc Baker

The founder of Positive Alternative Radio, the company that owns WCQR, passed away this weekend. Dr. Vernon Baker lived quite a life. He was an engineer, professor, WWII veteran, and owner of several radio stations.

I met Doc Baker several years ago, and like my grandfather and others of the "greatest generation" he was a hard worker. I'll remember his smile and his laugh and I'm thankful for his vision to reach other with the Gospel through Christian radio.

Here's a link for more info on his life, a life well lived:

http://www.wcqr.org/pages/news/in-memory.shtml

Thanks Doc!!! brian

Cow Appreciation Day

This morning we talked about the Chic-fil-A 5th Annual Cow Appreciation Day. You can go into any Chic-fil-A dressed as a cow today and get a free meal. To find out more, check out this link:

http://www.cowappreciationday.com/

ALSO, here's a link to photos from Faith and Family Night!!! The biggest one ever with close to 2500 fans and over 1800 pounds collected for the Project 52 Food Drive.

http://www.wcqr.org/scrapbook/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=3397

Have a GREAT weekend...brian

Faith and Family Night/ Work 23rd Psalm

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported the BIGGEST Faith and Family Night EVER with the Johnson City Cardinals!!! What an AWESOME night with Mark Harris, a great game with the Cards and Greeneville Astros, and almost a ton of food collected for Second Harvest with the Project 52 Food Drive. Grace Freewill Baptist (pictured) won the autographed bat for bringing 60 people to the game!!!

Thanks to:

Milligan College

Johnson City Cardinals

AVI

Mark Harris

YOU for coming!!!

Here's the 23rd Psalm for the Workplace I shared this morning:

The Lord is my boss, and I shall not want.

He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining.

He reminds me that he is my source and not my job. He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions, that I might honor him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of emails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping coworkers, discriminating supervisors, and an aging body that doesn’t cooperate every morning, I still will not stop…..for He is with me!

His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.

He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.

His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check. His retirement plan beats every 401K there is!

And, when it’s all said an done, I’ll be working for Him a whole lot longer…..and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!!

Blessings...brian

Faith and Family Night

We are teaming up with Milligan College for "Faith and Family" Night with the Johnson City Cardinals...TONIGHT! Gates open at 4:30, concert w/Mark Harris at 6, and game at 7 w/Greeneville. Admission is $1 and a can of food for the Project 52 Food Drive. Let me share an email I got today:

Good morning Brian. We are attending the Faith and Family night tonight and would like to challenge everyone to bring a canned food item for each year they have been married. My husband (Wade) and I are high school sweethearts and have been married for 19 years TODAY! What better way to celebrate what the Lord has blessed us with during the past 19 years (including wade serving in Air Force 4 yrs - and being Desert Storm Vet) than to be at the Faith & Family night tonight... Rather than spending alot of money going out to eat, we plan on putting our money to a better use...buying alot of canned goods to bring with us (19 items)... Thank you for all you and WCQR do for all of the listeners. I am so thankful to the Lord that I can listen to WCQR 24/7. I listen to you all day at work and it is a constant reminder of what our Lord has done for all of us and - even if you having a crazy/hectic day - the music just puts a smile on your face :) THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU!!!! Have a blessed day.

ALSO...the church with the largest group wins an autographed trophy bat from the Cardinals!

Here's a link for more info and one to an interview we did with Mark this morning:

http://www.wcqr.org/pages/events/wcqr-faith-and-family-nig.shtml

http://883wcqr.podomatic.com/

Take me out to the ballgame!

brian

Dream Vacations

This morning I wondered if you could take a dream vacation anywhere, where would you go?

Some "dream" spots include:

Greece

Walkabout Creek (Crocodile Dundee)

Hawaii

Bora Bora

Fiji

Ireland

Paris

a "cruise"

Venice Italy

Nassau Bahamas

New Zealand

Kenya (mission trip)

Disney World

Camden Arkansas

Thanks....brian

What is old?

This morning I talked about a new Pew Research Center survey that asked people what age was old. Naturally most people said they were not old and felt younger than they really were. The average age considered "old" was 68.

Other findings, more than half of those under 30 said people were "old" before 60.

Middle-aged respondents say it's closer to 70, while those 65 or above said 75 is "old".

I asked you what you consider old and this is what you said:

92

95-100

a day older than you currently are

you are as old as you feel

30 years older than your current age

80

90

14 (?)

72

Thanks again...brian

International Joke Day

Thanks to everyone who called with a favorite "clean joke" today! We got several calls this morning and posts on our Facebook page. I'm share a couple of my favorites:

How do you may a Kleenex dance? Put a little boogie in it!

Why did the golfer wear 2 pair of pants? In case he got a hole in one!

Why DIDN'T the skeleton cross the road? Because he didn't have the guts!

Thanks again...brian