E-mail, we get e-mails...

Dina Sanchez, a former colleague of mine, also worked with Norm Van Lier. She wrote this to me in response to Tom Serritella's tribute to Norm...


"Hi Rick, I'm not much of a sports fan, but when I worked at the LOOP and AM 1000 with you and Bridget, Norm was sweet and great to all of us. I'll never forget his story of running into a young mom who stopped and asked for his autograph, which of course he was happy to do. As he picked up the pen, she said "I really love you on those Jell-O commercials, Mr. Cosby!" I'm sure you can guess what Norm did -- he signed Cosby's name and made her day. What a great guy! Tom, thanks for sharing!"

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Maura Myles

I interviewed Maura Myles this week for Chicago Radio Spotlight. We talked about her diverse and interesting career, including her current stint as the midday news/traffic anchor at WLS Radio. Read the entire interview here.

E-mails, we get e-mails...

From reader "AS"...



"That was a great tribute to Norm Van Lier by his former producer. Van Lier sounds like he was a quality human being, which is the most important thing of all. And now I need a tissue, and I’m not even a Bulls fan!"

Rick responds: I agree. Tom really did a nice job. It was from the heart. My wife Bridget knew Norm pretty well (he called her "little Mama") and she was also very touched by Tom's piece.

Rhodes vs. Zorn

If you haven't been following this battle between Eric Zorn at the Chicago Tribune and Steve Rhodes at the Beachwood Reporter, you're missing some fireworks. Check it out...

The battle takes place here

Video Vault

Louis CK is a very funny man. Check out his rave out against the entitlement generation. Very funny stuff on Conan's show.

Joke for a Thursday morning

Contributed by "MB"...

A 3-legged dog walked into a bar. He said, "I'm looking for the man who shot my paw."

Coolest baseball video I've ever seen

Included in this 10 minute video...footage of the 1910 World Series (!) between the Cubs and the A's. Also, footage of the famous 1919 Black Sox World Series (!). There are clips from the 1904 Series (NY Giants) and the 1909 Series (Pirates/Tigers) too.

I know I'm a geek, but I've been looking for stuff like this for the past two years and I've never seen any of it before...

E-mails, we get e-mails...

Wow, that took only about ten minutes before I got my first sarcastic e-mail about the Cubs. "SA" writes...

"I can't believe you're already getting sucked in! It's just one stupid spring training game."

"SA" is right. Maybe the Losing is Soooo Last Century shirt isn't right for you. Maybe you still want to go with our very popular Crying Cub shirt.

It's also still available for 19.08% off until Opening Day at Just One Bad Century.

Get yours today.

(A new design will be unveiled soon)

Losing is soooo last century

Don't look now, but the Cubs are undefeated. We are UNTOUCHABLE in February. I don't want to over-react to the big spring training debut, but this shirt kind of says it all, doesn't it?

Our shirts and hats are still 19.08% off until Opening Day.

Get yours here today.

A familiar headline

Don't get me wrong, I always liked the guy, but seeing this headline no longer has me reaching for the Pepto Bismol.

Kerry Wood slowed by a sore back

Joke for a Wednesday morning

Thanks to "TH" for contributing this one...It's an oldie, but a goodie.


HAVING MOM OVER FOR DINNER

Brian invited his mother over for dinner. During the course of the meal, Brian's mother couldn't help but notice how beautiful Brian's roommate, Jennifer, was. Brian's Mom had long been suspicious of the platonic relationship between Brian and Jennifer, and this had only made her more curious.

Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between Brian and Jennifer than met the eye.

Reading his mom's thoughts, Brian volunteered, 'I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you Jennifer and I are just roommates.'

About a week later, Jennifer came to Brian saying, 'Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don't suppose she took it, do you?'

Brian said, 'Well, I doubt it, but I'll send her an e-mail just to be sure.' So he sat down and wrote:

__________________________________________________________


Dear Mom,

I'm not saying that you 'did' take the gravy ladle from the house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take the gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.

Love, Brian

__________________________________________________________


Several days later, Brian received an email back from his mother that read:

____________________________________________________

Dear Son,

I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Jennifer, I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Jennifer. But the fact remains that if Jennifer is sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the gravy ladle by now.

Love,
Mom

LESSON OF THE DAY - NEVER LIE TO YOUR MOTHER

Just a Thought

I love the symbolism of the "Party of No" choosing a "Politician from N.O." to give the response to the President last night.

Suburban Man

If you came to the blog today looking for Suburban Man, this is just one last reminder that the column is now called "Father Knows Nothing" and it's posted at the NWI Parent blog every Sunday.

This week's column "Fat Pants" has gotten quite a bit of reaction from my female readers who seem to be happy to welcome me into the fat pants club...

Anita writes: "Ahhh, the suit has been moved to the "I Have a Dream" section of your closet. That's the same section (in the dark recesses) of my closet that my size 6 & 8 jeans reside, waiting for the day "when I can wear them again."

Barb writes: "Welcome to every women's problem! The fat pants....at least guys can do the dunlap! You know when your belly dun laps over your belt!"

Kim writes: "My 6 & 8's have grown tired of the wait. And if I wait a few more years, they just may come back into style again. Seriously, wearing something 100 times is just too much. I bet your wife was ever so glad those pants were a bit snug."

Karen writes: "You need the basic wardrobe - black pants up a size and down a size."

ML writes: "It's not just you, Rick... Skinny ol' me is not so skinny anymore... Last summer (when I was at my heaviest) I was leaving a convenience store in a bad section of Tampa when a crackhead going in stopped in said, "DAYUM! You got the finest booty I EVER seen on a white girl!" I laughed, then fled. One more moment for my Hall of Shame!"

Some love for $everance

It was nice seeing this yesterday. A review for $everance from the blog "Bibleeophile"...

"So, $everance. Absolutely hysterical.

Seriously, I was reading it on the subway and I kept laughing out loud. The people around me no doubt thought I was insane. The author, Richard Kaempfer, really nailed the whole black humor he was going for in his novel, about a radio air jockey who just wants to be fired already, but of course the office manager won't fire him because then the company would have to pay him eighteen months' pay as severance. Zagorski, the disk jockey, actually goes so far as to send the most ridiculous e-mail ever to everyone in the company, including the CEO, thinking that of course the guy will fire him for all of these stupid suggestions...but instead the CEO thinks Zagorski is brilliant; the CEO implements one of the off-the-cuff idea and it makes the company millions! Instead of getting fired, Zagorski ends up getting promoted and eventually realizes that nothing he does is going to get him fired...unless he comes up with something that loses the company money. And that's when the fun really starts.

It's totally poking fun at Wall Street, the five media companies that run the media, and politics, while also pointing out that (hello!) there are only five companies (men) who control almost everything we read, watch, and listen too and maybe someone should pay attention to that? I honestly think that this book is going to be given out as a gift this year; I can't think of anyone who wouldn't get a kick out of reading it."

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest "Father Knows Nothing" column. This one is called "Fat Pants."