On the Radio Tonight

It's been quite awhile since I've been in a radio studio, but I will be tonight. Tune in around 9:00pm to Sports Night on WGN Radio (720). My co-author Brendan Sullivan and I will be on the air talking about our new book "The Living Wills". Looking forward to chatting with Brian Noonan and the rest of the gang.

Odd Coincidences

This week's Suburban Dad contribution to the City Mom blog at ChicagoNow is about the weird coincidences City Mom Kim Strickland and I have experienced over the thirty years of our friendship

You can read it here.

Pearl Harbor Day

70 years ago today...a date that will in infamy.

A Sample of "The Living Wills"

Today the Eckhartz Press blog features an entire chapter of "The Living Wills", free of charge.

Get a taste of my new book here.

Better yet, just buy the darn thing here.

Ron Santo

Finally. A Hall of Famer.

The JOBC Souvenir Stand

A note for all of you Christmas shoppers out there, even though our website Just One Bad Century has closed down shop for the off-season, the JOBC Souvenir Stand remains open. There are a handful of different shirt options, not to mention our popular JOBC hat.

The "Losing is soooo last century" shirt is a popular choice this year. It looks like optimism has returned to Wrigley Field.

Father Knows Nothing

This week's "Father Knows Nothing" column has been posted. I'm calling this one "10,000 Favors".

You can read it here.

The Catalyst Ranch

From the e-newsletter of the Catalyst Ranch, a chance to meet Eckhartz Press authors Brendan Sullivan and Rick Kaempfer in person at the very location they improvised the story lines of "The Living Wills"...


SAVE THE DATE
Match Books: THE LIVING WILLS by Brendan Sullivan & Rick Kaempfer

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 6pm - 8pm

One novel, two authors!? Creativity coach Brendan Sullivan wants to show you, not tell you how he used the same techniques he brings to clients like Kellogg's, PepsiCo, GE and Harley-Davidson (improv, mind mapping and other ideation processes) to create a just-published novel with co-author, Rick Kaempfer. Much of the work was done during sessions right here at the Ranch! Join us as Brendan & Rick share these techniques with you and show you how to incorporate them into your life and work to be more creatively productive. Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune calls THE LIVING WILLS "rollicking and real on so many levels." This Match Books session is not to be missed!

Radio Interviews

Brendan Sullivan and I will begin making the media rounds promoting "The Living Wills" over the next few weeks if you're interested. So far, we've been booked on two shows.

On Wednesday night (December 7) we'll be on WGN Radio (Sports Night) with David Kaplan, Brian Noonan (photo), and Andrea Darlas at 9:00 PM. (I've interviewed all three of them at Chicago Radio Spotlight over the years. Click on their names to read those interviews)

On December 18th we'll be "Living Large with Geoff Pinkus" on WIND radio (560 AM) at 7:00 PM. (I've also interviewed Pinkus at Chicago Radio Spotlight)



Looking forward to both of those shows. We've got quite a few more in the pipeline, and I'll let you know as soon as they are officially confirmed.

Somebody Wants Soriano?

According to this report, three AL teams are interested in Alfonso Soriano. I imagine the conversations went something like this...

A.L GM: "What would it take to get Soriano from you?"

Theo: "Cough. Cough. Cough. Sorry. I just spit up my coffee. Did you say you wanted Soriano?"

Even if a team is willing to pay only a few million of his $14 million salary, and offers a crappy prospect that has virtually no hope of making the big leagues in return, I say take it.

The Living Wills debuts!

Today is the day we get the actual copies of "The Living Wills" in our hands. The first press run will be picked up at the end of the day, and the large number of people that already ordered it (sheesh--thanks so much) will be getting their copies within a few days.

If you haven't ordered it yet, this is the only place to get it.

Chicagoland Radio & Media Gives Some Love to "The Living Wills"

All we can say is wow! Thanks so much to Larz at Chicagoland Radio & Media for this incredibly kind write up about "The Living Wills". (It looks so much nicer on his site here.. He has links to all of the different things he talks about in the text, and pictures of our middle-aged mugs.)




This is what he wrote...

Well-known blogger, author and former Chicago radio producer/personality, Rick Kaempfer has had a busy year. Not only has he started up a new book publishing company, but he authored all or part of a few new books, one of which gets released today.

Rick Kaempfer, along with his long time collaborator and friend David Stern, founded the new boutique book publishing company Eckhartz Press this year. The name comes from combining the first names of both founder's Fathers and features a logo of a laughing letter "E." The company has a handful of new books coming out by a few different authors.

The very first publishing from Eckhartz Press happens today, as the new novel "The Living Wills" is now released. The book was collaboratively written by both Rick Kaempfer and Brendan Sullivan.

Rick Kaempfer is, of course, the former radio producer for Chicago radio legends Steve & Garry (1987-1991) and John Records Landecker (1993-2003), among others, who also hosted and co-hosted his own radio shows on WLUP-FM/AM. After 20 years in radio, Kaempfer walked away to focus on raising his family, writing, co-owning an advertising agency that specialized in creative radio ads, and other pursuits. He was the author of the hilarious 2007 novel "$everance," which gained universal rave reviews for its satire of the current radio & media industry -- a subject he knew well. In 2004, he co-authored a different book on a subject he knew well, along with another well-known Chicago radio producer, John "Swany" Swanson, called "The Radio Producer's Handbook." That book has been called by many as the definitive how-to book on radio production. Kaempfer contributed to the 2008 book "Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Till Next Year." He is the owner of the humorous Chicago Cubs history website Just One Bad Century. If that wasn't enough, Kaempfer is also a writer and contributing editor for the NW Indiana Times' Shore Magazine, a writer for NW Indiana Times Parent's blog "Father Knows Nothing," interviewer on his Chicago Radio Spotlight website, and a blogger on his own self-named site. Kaempfer won a National Writing Award for an essay written in 1999.

Brendan Sullivan is another veteran of Chicago radio. From 1991-2001, Sullivan was a producer and writer for the Jonathon Brandmeier Radio Showgram. In addition to producing, he would create pre-recorded bits, do on-air character voices, and help create the comedic atmosphere for the program. He has also done his fair share of acting, appearing in national television commercials, feature films, and on the live theater stage. Using his comic timing, Sullivan was a member of the improvisational group Blue Velveeta at Chicago's IO. Since 2002, he has been a successful creativity coach & corporate trainer. More information about Brendan Sullivan's "day job" can be found on his website.

Kaempfer & Sullivan met at WLUP-FM around 20 years ago and struck up a friendship. These two friends recently decided to try a new & innovative way to co-write a book together, using improv skills, brainstorming, mind mapping, and other idea-generating techniques. For "The Living Wills" novel, they came up with a storyline together -- three interweaving storylines, actually -- wrote chapters separately, and then collaborated on the editing, improving and combining of all parts.

The Eckhartz Press website describes the plot of then book this way: "'The Living Wills' is a story about a split-second decision made 30 years ago and the ripple effects it caused. Can the man who made that decision and the people he affected maneuver their way through a world of baristas and Army veterans, bowling teams and exploding port-a-potties, cartoon pirates and young love, to find the strength to heal before it's too late?"

"The Living Wills" is available as of today for only $15.95 and can be purchased online at this link HERE. The authors are hoping to have the e-book version of "The Living Wills" available by the end of December.

I'm not worthy. That is too kind.

David DeJesus?

The first signing of the Theo Epstein era is not exactly a blockbuster. They signed left-handed outfielder David DeJesus.

He had been with the KC Royals for eight seasons before going to Oakland last year. In his nine big league seasons, his highest total of home runs in a year was 13. The most RBI in a season? 73. The most stolen bases? 11. And yes, he was a full-time player.

So, not exactly exciting, but still probably better than what we had there (and how sad is that?). At least he hits for average most years (lifetime .284) and has a good on-base percentage (lifetime .356).

His greatest asset however, may be his wife. She's from Chicago, is a die-hard Cubs fan, had a childhood crush on Ryne Sandberg, and nearly burned out Twitter yesterday with her excited tweets.

You can read them here. It's nice to see that somebody is excited about coming to Chicago.

The Girl Can't Help It

From Bob Dearborn's The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac this morning...

December 1, 1956…"The Girl Can't Help It," starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell and Edmond O'Brien, opened in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters. Regarded by many to be one of the best rock 'n' roll films of the 1950s, the comedy features musical performances by Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, the Platters, Fats Domino, Julie London, Ray Anthony, the Treniers, Abbey Lincoln, Freddy Bell & The Bell-Boys, Teddy Randazzo, Eddie Fontaine, and Nino Tempo.

Bob's right, it was an important rock and roll film, but I suspect the young rockers that went to see this movie were more excited by something else...

Herman Cain Train

A parody song by Edwardo and Squire Hogg..

Nice Herman Cain impersonation...and yes, of course, it's incredibly politically incorrect.