Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This one is about my loud children. I call it "Loud." You can read it here.

Eddie Waitkus

Sunday is our bonus "Tale from a Bad Century" and this week we tell the fascinating tale of Eddie Waitkus. He was shot by a crazed fan, one of two such incidents in Cubs history. Together they were the inspiration for the novel "The Natural."

Read the whole story here.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Greg Easterling

This week's Chicago Radio Spotlight shines on Greg Easterling, the overnight host at WDRV, The Drive. Greg has had a long and interesting career in Chicago radio. Read the entire interview here.

This week in 1908

The big story in the news This week in 1908 (the last year the cubs won the World Series) is white slavery. I kid you not. Read the details here.

Bonus Friday video

Leo Durocher on the Judy Garland show. Judy is not a baseball fan.

NWI Parent

The latest issue is out and includes my "Family Room" essay on the back page. This one is called "Summer Camp Blues". It's about my mixed emotions about sending Tommy & Johnny to summer camp this year.

It's also an homage to Allan Sherman's "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh."

Larussa sues Twitter

From the Associated Press


"St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is suing the social-networking site Twitter, claiming an unauthorized page that used his name to make light of drunken driving and two Cardinals pitchers who died damaged his reputation and caused emotional distress."


I'm not a La Russa fan, but this is pretty bad. Making fun of his DUI is one thing. Making fun of the dead pitchers is another. Good for Tony. He should sue.

Please don't tell anyone I defended La Russa.

Sights and Sounds

Sights & Sounds at Just One Bad Century today goes back two weeks for a Will Ferrell/Harry Caray video, and twenty years for a song about the 1989 Cubs. Check them both out here.

Jeff Garlin

He's a comedian, a Cub fan, and a birthday boy. It's Jeff Garlin's 47th birthday.

More about David Carradine

It's starting to sound like his death might be a little more similar to the death of INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence. I won't get into the gruesome details, but you can click on this link if you're interested.

Funniest ad you'll never see on TV

I have been remiss

I didn't mention yesterday's passing of Chicago icon Koko Taylor.

I met her a few times many many years ago, and saw her perform at Blues Fest. She was one of the greats. Don't believe me? Watch this.

Remember, the Blues aren't sad. It is music for people with the blues...to get them out of their funk.

Clear Channel finances very shaky

Check out this piece in Radio Online this morning. It sounds ominous...

Some of the largest lenders to CC Media Holdings, the parent of Clear Channel, intend to turn down a proposed debt exchange, reports the Financial Times. Instead, lenders would like to see private equity groups Bain Capital Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners default in hopes that the company will violate its lending agreements enabling them to take control of its equity at a "steep discount."

That can't be good for Clear Channel. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of guys.

David Carradine found dead in Bangkok

Sad news just off the wires.

Loved Kung Fu in the 70s.

A small taste.

Old Jews Telling Jokes

This made me laugh...

Sportscaster bleeds on camera

The full color Hitler pictures

Life.com has purchased a collection of full-color photos from Hitler's personal photographer.

I checked them out this morning. There's something even more chilling about seeing these pictures in color. When you see him and those giant crowds of supporters in black and white it just seems like it happened a very long time ago.

When you see it in color you realize that this all happened during the lifetime of our parents. As a German-American this really shook me up, particularly the shots of the adoring crowds.

Italians rejoice!

A chemical found in tomatoes -- lycopene, an antioxidant -- may help keep the heart healthy, according to a British study.

"An apple a day is no longer the only fruit that will keep the doctor away," the New York Post says in its story on the study.

And if you can't believe a guy in his basement (me) quoting an AOL report quoting a NY Post story that's quotes a British study, who can you trust?

The story is here, tomato fans. Or do you say tomahto?

Dan McNeil is back

They made the announcement yesterday at 5pm: Dan McNeil is back on the Score. He will host the midday show ("The Danny Mac show"), and Boers & Bernstein will remain on the afternoon slot. They'll also do some crosstalk, which should be fun.

It's good to have Danny back. He says he's going to announce some of his show staff next week, which I assume means a co-host of some kind.

More details here in Fred Mitchell's column.

Radio & Records is dead

This is really hard to believe. Radio and Records, the leading trade publication for both industries, shut down yesterday. The charts will continue to be published in sister publication Billboard, but R&R is dead. They issued a statement yesterday...

"The current state of affairs has left The Nielsen Company with no other alternative but to immediately cease all services, products and events related to Radio & Records," said the company. "The magazine's final edition is the June 5 issue. Electronic products end today, the web site will be taken offline soon."

The web site is gone already. 40 people have been handed their walking papers.

Support Reaches Majority Against Airplay Royalites

I've been following this story from afar. It looked like new royalty charges were about to be inflicted on radio to directly pay additional fees to music artists. It would have crippled music radio at a time when the entire business is on life support. Looks like it's not going to pass after all...

From today's Radio Online

"The Local Radio Freedom Act has reached a majority in the House with 219 members supporting the non-binding anti-royalties resolution, which counters the Performance Rights Act, a bill aimed at levying royalties on local radio for airplay. Some 27 Houses member have signed on tohe the LRFA since mid-May."

52 years ago today

If you'd like to hear audio play by play from this day in 1957, click here.

Sandy Koufax is pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dick Drott is pitching for the Cubs. Guess who won?

Actually, Koufax didn't have his A-game that day. Ernie Banks hit a 3-run home run off him in the 6th. On the other hand, he did win the game (7-5) and struck out 12.

More $everance news

$everance is now also available as an e-book. You can read a great big chunk of it if you click here.

Bryant Gumbel

Is he a little snotty? Yeah. Is he a likable? Not really. But is he a Cubs fan? Yes, definitely.

He's featured as Just One Bad Century's Celebrity Cub fan of the week. Read all about his Cubs love here.

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

I think that Cubs loss last night really affected people, judging by my bulging e-mail box. Here's one from "AS."


I want to rant, too. May I? Thanks so much.

You know what? You’re right.

And as I look at the top of the standings and see my childhood favorite sitting there, it’s like even MORE taunting from Beelzebub (who looks a great deal like Bud Selig in my dreams).

I grew up in Wisconsin . I rooted for the Milwaukee Brewers in the AL and the Chicago Cubs in the NL. Everything was nice. It was almost perfect. Well, with the exception of the number of championships I actually saw, which was ONE. The 1982 AL pennant. I actually went to see a World Series game! I don’t remember a lot of it, but I know that I was there (enjoying a great deal of Old Style). I think I have a stub somewhere to prove it. Back in 1982, it didn’t cost half a year’s salary to get a ticket and the Wisconsin drinking age was 18. SCORE!

Then, in 1984, I moved to the “other side” of Lake Michigan to continue school. Without the internet, Brewers news was scarce. It’s so much easier to follow your out-of-town favorites, now. Anyway, I had cable (and thus WGN), so I got to see my NL team. Driving to Chicago for a game wasn’t so bad. I could glance at the standings and see that the Brewers were in the midst of years of basement dwelling suckitude, so they NEVER appeared on national television broadcasts. Once Paul Molitor (my all time favorite player) and Robin Yount left town, I could barely name anyone on the roster.

When Bud Selig got the bright-assed idea to move the Brewers to the National League and into the Cubs’ division, I was faced with a Sophie’s Choice. Pick one, dummy. Bud says you have to. I think lots of southern Wisconsin baseball fans were faced with the same dilemma. It wasn’t difficult to hate the White Sox when the Brewers were in the AL . They’re the WHITE SOX, for chrissakes. They wore ugly uniforms, played in a crappy stadium, and their fans came to Milwaukee and threw beer and peanuts at the locals. My first live baseball game was a Brewers/Sox doubleheader with a two hour rain delay tossed in. I was in sixth grade. I’ve never seen so many drunks in one place in my life. There was even a fight on the field. The Sox wore those hideous, untucked, beer league softball uniforms. I came home after nine hours at the ballpark, reeking of beer and repeating many new colorful phrases that I had learned, thanks to the Sox and Brewers fans screaming at each other. My parents were so pleased.

I didn’t buy this whole “we wanted to establish a rivalry with the Cubs” bullspit that Bud Selig was dishing out when he moved the Brewers, either. What makes more sense? Putting Milwaukee in the AL Central with the Sox, Detroit , Minnesota and Cleveland , or sticking them with the Cubs, St. Louis , Houston , Cincy and Pittsburgh ? The AL Central actually resembles the NFC North (then Central) where there are long time, established, bitter football rivalries between folks in the SAME STATES, Bud. What a doorknob you are.

So, anyway….I didn’t make an immediate choice, but logistic came into play. I moved away from Wisconsin (a move I still question to this day). Which team does my local sports guy talk about now? Cubs. Which team can I see on TV? Cubs. Which team did my little boy (who was born in South Bend ) like and ask to see? Cubs. Which team have I seen in person the past 20 years? Cubs. A natural progression. I had chosen the Cubs without consciously doing so. However, I can never root against the Brewers. When the Cubs play them, I root FOR the Cubs, but never really against the Brewers. I can’t yell at the TV and call them colorful names. I just sit there, watch the game and cheer when the Cubs do something right. It’s weird. I LIKE to hate the opposing team. I like to call their star players “pansy asses,” and the like.

Now, the Brewers are sitting in first place and the Cubs are blowing no hitters and five run leads. I’m in HELL. The Brewers are waving at me, taunting me, saying, “You never stopped being a Packers fan after you left, did you?” Football is different. They play once a week and you can see just about any team you want at any time. There was never a lack of coverage. It was easier to stick with them, even in the Lindy Infante era. Plus, being around Chicago Bears fans in 1985 was OBNOXIOUS, especially to someone who had just left Wisconsin . It kind of cemented my Bear hate for eternity. Plus, my ex was a Bears fan. ‘Nuff said, there.

Sorry to ramble, but I’m pissed. I made a SACRIFICE for these guys! I CHOSE THEM over my other baseball love, and what have I gotten since? Heartache. Steve Garvey and Bartman balls. Sammy Sosa, corked bats and steroid accusations. LaTroy Hawkins, Corey Patterson, Bob Howry and now Kevin Gregg. Dusty Flippin’ Baker. What did I do to deserve this? Oh, and did I mention my spurned team is in FIRST FREAKING PLACE?

Sigh.

Stephen Colbert to guest edit Newsweek

No, this isn't a bit. The New York Observer has all the details here.

$everance

There is an on-going discussion about the state of the media (specifically as it relates to my book $everance) on the ENC Press page at Facebook. If you're on Facebook, and you've read $everance and would like to participate, click here.

By the way, this week is the two-year anniversary of $everance's release. If you'd like a $everance refresher course...

My original interview with John Records Landecker is here.

The first three chapters of the $everance audio book is here.

The $everance radio commercial is here.

And a sample chapter of $everance is here.

It's still available for purchase too. You can get it here for a very reasonable price.

The Crying Cub shirt

Sold a bunch of these last night. It really does help you recover from a loss like that monstrosity on Tuesday...

Get one and see for yourself.

All better

After a good night's sleep I'm all better for now.

There's a bunch of new stuff at Just One Bad Century, if you're interested. The tale from a bad century is about the history of Ladies Day, and the blog feature is about Ken Holtzman's no-hitter. (Just don't let Randy Wells read that one this morning.)

The Cubs...

...are dead to me.

Did you see that game?

Wow, does it suck to be a Cubs fan.

I mean, seriously, every now and then a mirror is held up and I see what it is that I have become.

I see that blue and red Lucifer looking back at me,laughing at me, and saying "you think you will ever experience happiness watching one of my games? HA HA HA HA HA HA! NEVER! You will NEVER have happiness rooting for me and I've dug into your soul and made sure you will NEVER be able to root for a different team. HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

"Think you're safe with a five run lead in the eighth during a no hitter? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Right now I'm whispering in Kevin Gregg's ear saying 'Channel your inner Mel Rojas/Latroy Hawkins/Dave Smith/Doug Jones/Terry Adams/Kyle Farnsworth and throw the one thing the fastball hitter won't expect in the bottom of the ninth...a fastball right down the middle.

Whoops? Did he hit out of the ballpark?

Oh, sorry, my bad. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Tomorrow I'm going to add up the number of hours I've spent watching this team, figure out how many years of my life I've lost, put a monetary value on it, and send them a bill.

Mary Poppins on Acid

I thought this was pretty cool. You may or may not agree...

Thanks!

I must admit, I was a little surprised when I saw this on the site meter this morning because I haven't checked it in a long time. There have now been more than 200,000 readers of my blogs this year.

Thank you for checking 'em out.

It makes me feel like I'm not just a guy sitting in a basement cranking this stuff out (although that's exactly what I am).

U of I suspends clout list

I know this will shock everyone, but there was a special "clout" list at U of I for people who know someone in high places. They suspended it when it was discovered by the Tribune.

Patti Pottymouth eats a tarantula

It was on NBC last night. A full review along with the video is here.

Conan's first bit

I thought this was pretty funny. Note the baseball park he runs through...

Stephen Colbert

This is one of the best profiles of Stephen Colbert I've read. It appeared in the LA Times yesterday.

Here's the money quote: "We deconstruct the news into a joke, and then we falsely reconstruct the news into how my character would see it. The writers and I talk about how it's like driving an 18-wheeler backward down a highway. It's possible, but you have to constantly readjust the steering."

Andy Richter is back

One of the best parts of Conan hosting the Tonight Show is that Andy Richter is back as his sidekick. I missed Andy.

The LA Times did a very good interview of him in their Sunday paper.

Sounds like the post-Conan Hollywood experience wasn't so great for him.

Paul & Ringo reunite

For a video game.

From Reuters this morning...

"Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving members of The Beatles, appeared together in Los Angeles on Monday to present a "Rock Band" videogame that will give fans a chance to relive the Fab Four's musical triumphs. McCartney and Starr put in a quick appearance at the E3 videogame trade conference to rousing applause. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, also appeared at the event. "The Beatles: Rock Band," which will be released on September 9, marks The Beatles' first leap into digitally releasing their music. The band has not allowed its songs to be downloaded on Web sites such as iTunes. The game allows players to follow in The Beatles' footsteps by singing in three-part harmonies and physically holding plugged-in versions of musical instruments to play the band's songs, including "Back in the USSR" and "I Am the Walrus."

Oh my kids are going to love this. They love it when I sing. They usually scream "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DAD!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP!!!!!!!!!

Limbaugh jumps the shark

I understand political passion, but this comment by Rush is beyond ridiculous. "Outraged" by the latest Supreme Court nominee by Obama, this is what he said:

"How do you get promoted in a Barack Obama administration, by hating white people, or even saying you do, or that they're not good, or whatever. Make white people the new oppressed minority and they are going along with it, because they're shutting up. They’re moving to the back of the bus. They’re saying I can’t use that drinking fountain, ok. I can’t use that restroom, ok.”

Yup, the half white guy who was raised by a white mother hates white people. That reasonable guy who looks for middle ground on every issue is trying to oppress white people.

Okey dokey.

The Penguin

This week's Great Nickname at Just One Bad Century is "The Penguin." He was one of the stars of the 1984 Cubs.

This week in...

1929

The Cubs are in the midst of a pennant winning season.

*On the same day the Cubs survive a 10-9 Wrigley Field slugfest against the Giants thanks to homers by Hack Wilson (he hit two), Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Grimm, and catcher Earl Grace, George Eastman demonstrates the first technicolor movie (in Rochester New York)

********************
1969

The Cubs are in the midst of one of their most memorable seasons.

*The bottom of the Cubs order, Jim Hickman, Randy Hundley & Don Young, drive in all four runs to lead Bill Hands to victory over the Astros at Wrigley Field. A few hours later the final episode of Star Trek airs on NBC.


********************
1984

The Cubs are hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since World War 2.

*On the day that Ryne Sandberg is hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to break a 0-0 tie in the eighth inning versus the Cardinals, Cyndi Lauper's song "Time after Time" becomes the #1 song in the country.



********************
1989

The Boys of Zimmer are taking Chicago by storm.

*Rick Suttcliffe wins his seventh game of the season as the Cubs beat the Cardinals 5-2 despite Doug Dacenzo's unsuccessful attempted steal of home plate at nearly the exact moment that 10,000 Chinese soldiers are blocked by 100,000 citizens protecting students demonstrating for democracy in Tiananmen Square, Beijing.

Some classy humor

Thanks to "JH" for pointing this one out...

Octomom scores reality series

Who could have seen this coming?

Up

Another huge hit for Pixar.

These people are not capable of making an unsuccessful movie. I'll be seeing it over the next few days (the begging has already begun). I don't know how you rank your Pixar movies, but this is how I rank the top 3...(and keep in mind that I've been forced to watch them all many many many many many times).

1. The Incredibles
2. Toy Story 2
3. Cars

(I also like "Toy Story", "Finding Nemo," "Monsters Inc," and "Wall-E." Not that crazy about "Bugs Life")

I'll let you know if I think "Up" cracks the top 3 after I see it.

Time Warner for sale?

At one time it was the biggest media company in the world. Since then they have faced severe financial difficulties. They recently spun off AOL, which was thought to be dragging down the entire company.

According to this morning's Wall Street Journal, now it looks like the rest of the company is for sale.

The media giants are dying a slow painful death. It won't be pretty to watch, but when it's all over, the media business will be in a much better place.

Princess Diana

Her visit to Chicago is featured in this week's "Cubs through History" at Just One Bad Century.

Jimmie Foxx

On this day in history the Cubs acquired the legendary Hall of Fame slugger Jimmie Foxx. Unfortunately for the Cubs it was 1942, not 1932. Oh what a difference a decade would have made.

His nickname was THE BEAST.