The real change in the White House

"DM" contributed these two photos that he says best describes the change in the White House over the past few months. Not sure what he means exactly... :)

What Media Moguls Make

The New Yorker has a review of three books about media moguls. The writer of the piece, Nicholas Lemann, presents a compelling argument that Rupert Murdoch is more like the media moguls of a century ago (Hearst & Pulitzer) than he is like the moguls of today. It's a good read if you get a moment.

MJ at Wrigley

It happened on this day, 15 years ago. Michael Jordan played for the White Sox in an exhibition game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

He hit a double.

I was there, freezing my tush off in the upper deck with John Landecker.

Mr. Cub

This week's Great Nickname at Just One Bad Century is simply the greatest player to ever wear a Cubs uniform: Mr. Cub.

Undefeated

1-0. Yeah, baby. First place. (I know this early season gloating drives Sox fans crazy...but it's all we've got.)

See if you can spot the one Cub in this video that shouldn't be there...

Blockbuster in trouble

The headline says: Blockbuster may not be able to stay in business.

My reaction? Blockbuster is still in business?

I don't think I've gone there in three years. I'm not even sure if I still have the membership card in my wallet. (Although I probably do...I have a George Constanza-esque wallet)

Montel Williams

The latest nationally syndicated radio host: Montel Williams. He just signed with Air America. Read all about his show here.

Melissa Forman

WLIT Morning Gal Melissa Forman is celebrating a birthday today. I interviewed Melissa, one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, about a year and a half ago for Chicago Radio Spotlight. If you'd like to read the interview it's here.

Note: There have been a few changes in her show since this interview. She no longer also hosts afternoons, and her newsman was let go in Clear Channel cutbacks earlier this year.

The Train Station's Alive with the Sound of Music

People make fun of me for my love of "The Sound of Music," but let's just say that I have hundreds of brothers and sisters in Antwerp. Watch this video and tell me it doesn't bring a smile to your face...



I've previously written about my Sound of Music brushes with greatness, including Julie Andrews and Charmain Carr (Liesl).

World War I

I've read just about everything there is to read about the Cubs (I know, I know, it's a sickness), and if you ask me the most interesting year in Cubs history is 1918. (PHOTO: soldier Grover Cleveland Alexander)

It's so interesting, in fact, that I'm working on an entire novel set in 1918 Chicago. (The Cubs are only a small part of the story).

This week's Cubs through History takes a look at that really interesting era. You can read about it here.

OPENING DAY!

Snow is on the ground, and that can mean only one thing. OPENING DAY!

Thank God the Cubs are in Houston and not Chicago...

Take a look at some of the highlights from opening day throughout this one bad century...



1909-1961

1962-2008

And here's my all-time favorite Opening Day moment. It happened in 1994...

Cremation Recap

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at a funeral home in Schaumburg, along with several hundred other Cubs fans, and we cremated the various different curses that have plagued the Cubs for the last 100 or so years.

Tom Dreesen did a bang up job as the MC. Several ex-Cubs were there to give some credibility to the pursuit, and a half dozen or so knuckleheads (like me) were on hand to deliver eulogies to the various different curses.

My speech is here is you'd like to read it.

My speech focused on the curse of the Lutheran Seminary, which Tom Dreesen accidentally introduced as the Lutheran Cemetery (I called him "Norm Crosby," a joke that only he seemed to get).

Anyway, I've been thinking about this Lutheran curse, and if there really is a Lutheran curse, how long would that last? Didn't Martin Luther tack a list of 95 grievances to the door of that Catholic church? If so, wouldn't he also have tacked a 95-year curse on the team that built a ballpark on his former seminary?

If you're doing the math at home, that means the curse was inflicted in 1914 (when Wrigley was built). Add 95 years to that, and you've got...2009.

Hmmmm.

The Onion's take on The Cubs

Always funny. Always sarcastic. The Onion nails the Cubs.

Wall Street worried about new Pixar movie

I'm sure it will be great because Pixar movies always are...however, Wall Street and Disney are worried about this one because the merchandising isn't going well.

Remember when they used to make movies so people would go see them?

The Urban Hunter

Thanks to "BP" for tipping me off to this article. It's called Urban Hunter, and it's about a man who lives in Detroit and specializes in hunting and selling raccoon meat to poor people. There's a video at the link too.

How do you know when you've gone over the geek cliff?

If you buy this keyboard you will never kiss a girl. Guaranteed.

Ball One

Worst "First Pitch" Ever.

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest "Father Knows Nothing" column at NWI Parent. This week's column is called "Forget Me Not" and it's about a knucklehead dad, that obviously forgot.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Rich Koz

This week at Chicago Radio Spotlight, I interview the legendary "Svengoolie," Rich Koz. You can read the entire interview here.

This week in 1908

How long ago was 1908, the last year the Cubs won the World Series? Chicago had a Republican Mayor. Read all about the honorable Fred Busse (photo) here, along with everything else that was happening this week in 1908.

An inferiority complex

That's what the AP headline says the Cubs have. I'd say the headline is all wrong, but the article is a pretty accurate assessment.

You can read the version the USA Today printed here.

30 QBs in 30 years

Why are Bears fans so excited about Jay Cutler?

This photo gallery by the Chicago Tribune explains it well: 30 Quarterbacks in 30 years.

Cremating the Curse!

If you're out and about on Sunday and looking for something to do, how about coming out to a funeral home for a fun event? That's right. You read that correctly.

It's being staged by George Rawlinson, the publisher of "Cubbie Blues: 100 years of waiting til next year." George is staging this event at Michael's Funeral Home in Schaumburg, and he's calling it "CREMATING THE CURSE!"

Comedian Tom Dreesen will MC the event, and an array of notable local Cubs celebrities will be on hand to deliver eulogies for the 100 years of losing (including me), as we actually cremate artifacts from the various different Cubs curses I've written about on this site, including Merkle, the Revenge of Martin Luther, the Goat, the Black Cat, and every other curse we can think of. (I found two new ones for my eulogy...we're taking no chances).

Please come on out and enjoy the festivities. It's a worthwhile fundraising event for Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities. All of the details about this event are here at the Can't Miss Press website.

Of course she's a Cubs fan

Presented without comment...


Hot Chick Loves The Cubs - Watch more Funny Videos

Blago's only good side

Again, I'll admit that I'm stretching it here. But on the morning after our former governor was indicted, it's only right to take some time out to look at his good points too.

OK, sorry. Make that singular. Good point. One good point.

Three years ago today

How much has the world changed in three years?

On this date in 2006, George Bush threw out the first pitch at the Cubs opening day game and met Cubs manager Dusty Baker in the dugout.

Who do you miss more?

Watch the video here.

Marlon Brando

If he were alive today, he'd be 85 years old...

Cutler arrives, Blago departs

Big day in Chicago news yesterday.

We got our first real quarterback in more than twenty years. Jay Cutler was acquired from the Broncos. So what if he's a whiner that quit on his old teammates? He's a 25-year-old Pro Bowl QB. We've got an actual quarterback! I haven't been this excited about a Bears quarterback acquisition since we got Mike Phipps.

Oh wait. Maybe that's not a great example.

We finally got the Blago indictments too. I was starting to worry that they didn't have a case. I just read the whole indictment. Whoo boy. Racketeering, wire fraud, attempted extortion, extortion conspiracy, and false statements. Stick a fork in that haircut.

Look who is back!

Here's the information, and here's the confirmation in the form of this picture...







Good for Garry.

Actual Marlboro Ad

Signs written in English around the world

Contributed by "PH"



In a Bucharest hotel lobby: The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.

In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

In a hotel in Athens: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers: Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

On the menu of a Polish hotel: Salad a firm's own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people's fashion.

In a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results.

In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.

In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

In the office of a Roman doctor: Specialist in women and other diseases.

In an Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water served here.

From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner:
Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.

Glenn Beck Smackdown, Part 2

I love Stephen Colbert...

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The 10/31 Project
comedycentral.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

Peabody Winners Announced

After speaking with Bruce DuMont a few weeks ago about the selection process of the Peabody Awards (he used to chair the committee), I'm even more impressed with Peabody Award winners. All of the choices must be unanimous.

This year the list includes SNL, and The Onion (I highly applaud that selection). The entire list can be found here.

Tom Dreesen

He's coming to town this weekend and will be MCing our "Cremate the Curse" event at the funeral home in Schaumburg (more details coming tomorrow about that), but he's also featured this week at Just One Bad Century as our Celebrity Cub Fan. You can read all about his Cubs credentials here.

E-mail, we get e-mails

I missed this yesterday. An April Fools Joke on WLS. From "AS"...

"So, I was listening to Mancow and Cassidy this morning (I know, I know. Don’t judge!) on WLS when Drew Peterson called in and punked Mancow for April Fool’s. While I would normally think that this is hilarious, the fact that it was Drew Peterson doing the “gotcha,” made my skin crawl. Not to mention that that he claimed that he was going to “confess” something on the air. Isn’t that like O.J. telling Nicole and Ron jokes? That ruins the whole thing for me!

I must say, it was very well played, though.

Of course, they could have set it all up with Peterson to punk the audience, since they’re supposedly “church buddies,” but I have a feeling that Mancow was genuinely pissed off. There was dead silence except for the dial tone for a good 15 seconds after Peterson hung up, followed by Pat Cassidy trying to smooth things over with a stammering Mancow. Throughout the whole thing, I kept thinking, “Is he crazy? No WAY is that guy going to confess anything on the radio!” So, it may well have been an audience punking, because I can’t imagine the guys at WLS being that gullible…..wait….these are the same folks that put Blago on the air this week. Forget I said that."

Herman Franks

Sad news yesterday; former Cubs manager Herman Franks passed away at the age of 95. The Tribune did a nice obit for him.

My favorite Herman Franks story is one I have told a few times at Just One Bad Century. Herman was old school, in the Leo Durocher mold (read the obit to see where Leo mentored him), and he couldn't deal with the crybaby players on the 1979 Cubs. At the end of the season he resigned because they were "selfish, coddled and uninspired."

"Some of these players are actually crazy. They don't want to talk to the newspaper people, and they want separate buses for themselves and reporters. It's silly things like this that get you fed up."

He singled out Bill Buckner, Ted Sizemore, Barry Foote and Mike Vail as the worst of the "whiners."

Wish we had a dozen more managers like Herman Franks. May he rest in peace.

Rick is leaving the basement!

I'm actually making a personal appearance tonight to promote the book "Cubbie Blues: 100 years of waiting until next year." This is not an April Fools joke.

Here are the details from the "Reading Under the Influence" website...

Join us from 7-10 p.m. on Weds., April 1 for Cubbie Blues, featuring readings and trivia games by contributors to the "Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting till Next Year" anthology, including Cubs' blogger extraordinaire Rick Kaempfer (JustOneBadCentury.com), short story writer Christine Sneed (Best American Short Stories 2008, Other Voices and more), author/playwright Mary Beth Hoerner ("Atomic Honeymoon"), Windy City Story Slam founder Bill Hillmann, Sheffield's owner Ric Hess and RUI's Julia Borcherts. As always, we're in the back room at Sheffield's, 3258 N. Sheffield Ave. There's a $3 cover.

Rick's note: Yes, there will be alcoholic beverages served there, hence the name of the event ("Reading Under the Influence"). Stop by if you're in the neighborhood. It should be fun.

Mamie Van Doren

That's blonde bombshell 60s sex symbol Mamie Van Doren holding a picture of her 3rd husband. If you look closely, her husband is wearing a Cubs hat. That's right, he was a minor league pitcher with the Cubs.

You can read that whole story here. It's today's Tale from a Bad Century.

Biggest media company in the world?

It's no longer Time Warner after they spun off their cable operations.

The biggest media company in the world is now...

An unexpected outcome

The prosecution of Ted Stevens, which has been called a railroading by his Republican friends even though he prosecuted by fellow Republicans, has turned out to have been... a railroading.

Obama's AG Eric Holder looked at the case and decided to drop it because the prosecutors were overzealous.

I must say, I didn't see that one coming.

Operation Elwood

I know I'm a little late to this story, but did you get a chance to read yesterday's Chicago Tribune cover story about the secret negotiations between Blago and Sam Zell about the sale of Wrigley Field? There are a number of disturbing details, but to me the weirdest detail is that they called these secret negotiations: Operation Elwood. Presumably that's a reference to the fact that Dan Ackroyd's character Elwood (in the Blues Brothers) uses the address of Wrigley Field as his address.

The other disturbing detail: Sam Zell, the owner of the Tribune, was unavailable for comment in his own newspaper.

Read the entire story here.