Printer's Row Lit Fest

I'll be at the Printer's Row Lit Fest tomorrow afternoon along with fellow Eckhartz Press authors Joel Daly, Chuck Quinzio, Randy Richardson, David Stern, and Dan Burns. Look for us in the Chicago Writer's Association tent from 10am -- 2pm. Stop by and say hello.

The Real Curse Uncovered

I just had a thought regarding the Cubs leaving WGN after 90 years. Maybe WGN is cursed, and not the Cubs! When GN came aboard, it had only been 16 years since they won it all. I'm restarting the clock at 16 years, and considering this curse officially broken.

Make some room on that trophy shelf, Mr. Ricketts.

Find Your Porn Name

You can call me "Tasty Screamer"

I'm Not The Only One That Hates Amazon

Add Stephen Colbert to the list.

They just indiscriminately change prices, change payments, and more. But as much as I complain about them, Colbert's publisher is really getting the full wrath of amazon. It's a great example of why a monopoly is ALWAYS a bad thing.

I've got to get some of those "I didn't buy it on amazon" stickers.

Casey's Critical

From this morning's Radio Ink...

CNN is reporting that Kasem is in critical condition at a hospital in western Washington, where a spokesman for that facility says Kasem is alert and appears comfortable at this time. "Mr. Kasem is receiving antibiotics through IVs, blood pressure support medicine and care for his bed sores." Kasem was admitted to the hospital Sunday after Kerri Kasem retrieved him from a home where he and his wife were staying with friends. Kerri Kasem friend Danny Deraney told CNN Casey Kasem's brother and others were en route to Washington. When asked if they feared Casey Kasem might die, Deraney said it could be his last moments or he could get better.

Pat Foley's in the Hall of Fame

From Today's Tom Taylor column...

Pat Foley is undoubtedly bummed that his Chicago Blackhawks couldn’t quite squeeze through to the Stanley Cup Finals – but he must’ve been happy to get the phone call that he personally will be entering the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He’ll be given the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award at ceremonies on November 17. Foley’s called the games for the Blackhawks for almost all the time between 1981 and now.

Well deserved! Foley makes hockey even more fun.

This Year's Radio Hall of Fame Class

The list is here.

Only one of them has a connection to Chicago this year (Dick Orkin), and for the first time, the dinner will be held in LA.

I say go to LA. I have no desire to spend $350 to attend this event.

Just One Bad Century--June 6

Another draft is in the books, and the Cubs picked someone I didn't see anyone predicting they would take on their mock draft boards. Meet their first pick (4th overall): Indiana University catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber. The Cubs say they had him ranked #2 on their board, and #1 as a hitter. Although, it sounds like they don't think he's going to be a big league catcher. More likely a left-fielder.

But what about pitching? Don't the Cubs need pitching? Yes they do. So, meet their second pick (45th overall): University of Maryland's Jake Stinnett.

I'm still willing to give Epstein/Hoyer/McLeod the benefit of the doubt. I watched a lot of reactions last night via twitter and on television, and I haven't seen too many experts claiming these picks were horrendously bad (like they correctly predicted some previous pre-Theo Cubs drafts had been). How bad were some previous drafts? Check out this analysis.

Today in Wrigley History we go back to 1923 and one of the foggiest days in the ballpark's history.

You'll be seeing this in the news all day today--it's the 70th anniversary of D-Day. It's why we chose it as today's Historical Event. Where were the Cubs?

The A/V club features a fun old baseball record we uncovered on Youtube. Ralph Houk explains pitching to kids.

And finally, Today's Cubs Birthdays are a smorgasbord of Cubs fun: A man called Little Eva, a player who ran to the wrong base after hitting the ball, a Cubs draft pick who was a bust as a pitcher but made it back to the big leagues as a hitter, Lefty, and a cup of coffee from the 1950s.

World Cup Fever

With the World Cup starting up in a few days I thought it would be fun to watch this commercial from the last World Cup. In the final few seconds of this ad, you'll see my son Sean (representing the future of soccer). He was 8 years old at the time, and he had the toothless youngster look they were looking for. We went down to the lakefront to film this with the ad agency at the break of dawn on a Saturday. His payment was new Nike cleats and a US Soccer jersey.

Today's Best Tweets (June 5)

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...





Darren Marlar ‏@darrenmarlar 2m
It's NATIONAL SHUT UP DAY. But if I didn't listen to the boss the other 364 days of the year, what makes anybody think I’d do it today?

Tristyn Bloom ‏@TK_Bloom 1h
Need some coffee in your pot? Cannabis coffee coming soon: http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/04/need-some-coffee-in-your-pot-cannabis-coffee-coming-soon/ …

Bob Nightengale ‏@BNightengale 13m
The draft bonds the Tom Gordon family with Nicholas going in 1st round tonight. http://usat.ly/1hcMp3Z

Russell A. Carleton ‏@pizzacutter4 41m
I command you to read: Our official @PerfectGameUSA mock draft @baseballpro. Now you don't even have to watch! http://bit.ly/SxyIBs

Tim Siedell ‏@badbanana 21m
Forcing my kids to sign nondisclosure agreements. If anyone's going to write embarrassing stories about this family, it's me.

Newsweek ‏@Newsweek 10m
Top 5 green companies in the U.S.:
1. @Allergan
2. @Adobe
3. @BallCorpHQ
4. @Ecolab
5. @SigmaAldrich
More: http://j.mp/1ulXHp8

SPN ‏@espn 16m
Don Zimmer spent six decades with 12 teams. He was married on the diamond. He was baseball personified. pic.twitter.com/6hNXHEQ7Sq

TomLoxas ‏@TomLoxas 3m
“@DEvanAltman: For @TomLoxas and For me, Don Zimmer was the face of baseball...http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-insider/2014/06/former-cubs-manager-don-zimmer-was-the-face-of-baseball/ … pic.twitter.com/FtWjCLcKlT”

Amy Guth ‏@amyguth 4m
Tremendous note spotted at work: @ Tribune Tower http://instagram.com/p/o3iWWDCP7x/

daveweigel ‏@daveweigel 44s
Clearly it’s “football” and “American football.” Like George Will says, our game combines 2 worst things about USA: Violence and meetings.

25 Extremely Awkward and Unintentional Sexual Shadows [PHOTOS]

You can see them here. All are innocent. None look like they are.

Throwback Thursday

The 1983-1984 WPGU Radio (Champaign-Urbana) Managers featuring (in no particular order) Dane Placko, Phil Manicki, Mark Bretsch, Dave Priest, Paul Sevigny, Chris Aronson, Greg Sraders, Pam Derk, Karen Tockman, Debbie Schoenecker, Gary Schwartz, Margie Mueller, Sheryl Spetnagel, Ken Gorelick, Joe Miller and me. Pardon the misspellings. It's been thirty years. Don't I get credit for remembering all the names?

The Loop's New Boss

His name is Wade Linder, and he comes to Chicago via Minneapolis. Robert Feder has the details.

Wayne Juhlin

Nice piece in the Sun-Times today about Chicago radio/advertising/voice over legend Wayne Juhlin. He passed away a few weeks ago. A big loss.

The Lit 50

Every year New City comes out with their Top 50 list of literary figures in Chicago. You can read it here.

Once again, Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and Dave didn't make the list. I'm going to blame the pothole store this year.

The high-falutin folks don't appreciate good shtick.

Just One Bad Century--June 5

Sad news about Don Zimmer. The Sporting News has a very nice obituary today. He'll always be remembered in Chicago for his days as manager of the 1989 "Boys of Zimmer", but he also played for the Cubs in the early 60s. That story was featured on Just One Bad Century on his last birthday, January 17. RIP, Popeye.

Today in Wrigley history features a game that was immortalized in film in 1985. Read about the day they filmed Ferris Bueller's Day Off at Wrigley Field. And watch the scene at the A/V Club.

We also posted a whole new week's worth of historical events. Today's historical event is the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Where were the Cubs?

Today's Cubs birthdays include a famous Cubs fan, an important trading chip, a cup of coffee from 1890 (yes, 1890), and the manager of the 1918 pennant winners.

But most die-hard Cubs fans are focused on one thing today: draft day. Who will the Cubs pick? At #4, it's guaranteed to be a great prospect.

What 1939 Thought 2000 Fashion Would Look Like

I think it's safe to say they nailed it...

Speed Limit Math

It's not a tough one, boys and girls, but maybe not something you should be figuring out while driving. Thanks "KS" for sending it...

Just One Bad Century--June 4

The big news yesterday was that the Cubs are parting ways with WGN Radio after 90 YEARS at the radio station. Robert Feder has all the reasons why. Starting next year they will be on WBBM-AM 780. WGN-TV, by the way, is also getting rid of Cubs games so that they can become a generic cable television channel. I suppose the financial details are what they are, but I can't help but think that the Cubs helped build both of those institutions. It wasn't the other way around. I guess we'll find out if I'm right or wrong. If the Cubs really do stage a revival (and we're kind of banking on that, aren't we?), both the radio and television station will rue this decision. If they don't, then they did what they had to do.

On JOBC today we posted a whole new This Week in Wrigley History. Today's entry goes back to 1983, 1985 and 2003. That 2003 entry is featured at the A/V Club.

Today's Cubs birthdays feature two Cubs catchers who were born on the exact same day and were traded for each other. There's also an Arnold, an Orlie, and a Chang-Yong. It's safe to say this is the only day that three Cubs players with those names were born.

Today's Historical Event is the passing of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Where were the Cubs?

In current Cub news, the team wisely (finally) released reliever Jose Veras. That one just didn't work out.

There's some news on the farm today too. Kris Bryant is tearing it up at Double A Tennessee. Will he be up with the big club before the end of this month? And there's good news on the CJ Edwards front too. His MRI came out clean.

John Oliver's Video Helps Crash the FCC Website

The incredibly great John Oliver video explaining why you should care about Net Neutrality (see a few posts below this one) has gone viral and apparently crashed the F.C.C. website.

That's a beautiful thing. Just when you thought America had gone completely insane, it does something that gives you hope.

Joke for a Tuesday Morning

Thanks to "JH" for this one...

A priest meets a drunk outside a bar. The drunk claims to be Jesus.

The priest says, “prove it.”

The drunk brings the priest inside the bar.

The bartender says, “Jesus Christ, not you again.”

Today's Best Tweets--June 3

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...




Brett Taylor ‏@BleacherNation 6m
2014 MLB Draft Primer: The Schedule, the Coverage, the Order http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/06/03/2014-mlb-draft-primer-the-schedule-the-coverage-the-order/ … #Cubs

Slate ‏@Slate 18m
Here is everything Louie's Hungarian girlfriend said to him, translated--WATCH: http://slate.me/1rHwKhX #youarewelcome pic.twitter.com/AJxJl9YTYr

David Kaplan ‏@thekapman 10m
R.A. Dickey on overcoming sexual abuse at age 8. “You cannot keep quiet. Otherwise you are insuring that it happens to someone else."

steve rosenbloom ‏@steverosenbloom 14m
One big reason the Bears offense will be better. The RosenBlog: http://trib.in/1o4lI25

Vox ‏@voxdotcom 30m
A day after Obama's new climate rule, China hints it may cap its own emissions: http://vox.com/e/5539561

David Frum ‏@davidfrum 17m
ICYMI My Atlantic post on why Putin should not have been invited to D-Day commemoration http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/05/should-vladimir-putin-be-invited-to-normandy/371574/ …

BillMoyers.com ‏@BillMoyersHQ 20m
#MorningReads: @joshtpm thinks Mitch McConnell may have spun himself into a corner w/ the ACA. http://bit.ly/1pOW7cQ

Rolling Stone ‏@RollingStone 54s
Watch Ricky Gervais and Jimmy Fallon get ridiculous playing "Word Sneak" on #FallonTonight: http://rol.st/1iPpO8X

ChicagoNow ‏@ChicagoNow 2m
The Blackhawks ruined my sex life, so there's one good reason they lost. Not really. http://www.chicagonow.com/chi-town-mommy-mayhem/2014/06/the-chicago-blackhawks-ruined-my-sex-life-and-other-hit-i-like-to-tell-myself/ …

NY Daily News Sports ‏@NYDNSports 10m
David Beckham hints he could come out of retirement and play for his Miami MLS team - when he's 41 or 42. http://nydn.us/1osCTZy

Study: Stephen Colbert More Effective Than Journalists At Explaining Campaign Financing During Last Election Cycle

Non-viewers will mock this story, but I'm here to tell you that it's true. At least for me. I learned all about the ridiculousness of campaign finance reality by watching Colbert. He started up a Super PAC and had an attorney on the show to explain what was and wasn't legal to do as a Super PAC, and his answers were simply jaw-dropping.

Sometimes comedy writes itself.

Deadline Hollywood has the full story.

Just One Bad Century--June 3

The Cubs are back in action today against the hated New York Mets.

Meanwhile at Just One Bad Century, we've got some highlights from previous years. Today in Wrigley History goes back to 1975 and 2003. That 2003 entry involves a corked bat. Instead of showing the video of the corked bat affair today, the A/V Club has video of Ken Holtzman's no-hitter from 1971. Today was the day he tossed that gem in Cincinnati. (Don't worry, we'll feature the corked bat tomorrow)

Today's Cubs birthdays include the only Molina to wear a Cubs uniform (Yes, we had one of the catching brothers at one time), plus a cup of coffee from 1902 and 2002. There's nothing like obscurity from the turn of two different centuries.

Today's Historical Event goes back to 1989, and the famous Tienanman Square crackdown in China. Where were the Cubs?

Tonight, they are in Chicago, facing the Mets at 7:05. This homestand will celebrate the 1940s.

John Oliver Perfectly Explains Why Net Neutrality Is So Important

This has been one of my pet issues. John Oliver explains it so much better than I ever have...

Danielle Tufano

My latest media column has been posted in the Illinois Entertainer. This month I feature The River's Danielle Tufano

You can read it here.

Next month: Bob Stroud talks music

Gangnam Style Hits 2 Billion Mark

As in 2 billion views on YouTube.

That's nearly a billion more than the next closest competitor.

I'm not sure what it says about our society, but the facts are the facts.

Casey Kasem Update

This is getting weirder and weirder every day. From Radio Ink this morning...

NBC News is reporting that Jean Kasem threw raw meat at stepdaughter Kerri Kasem when she arrived with an ambulance for her father on Sunday. Kerri Kasem testified at a Friday hearing that a doctor told her that her 82-year-old father had developed infections in his lungs and bladder and has bed sores. A judge ruled Kerri could take the radio icon to the hospital if necessary. NBC reports that Jean Kasem said, "In the name of King David, I threw a piece of raw meat into the street in exchange for my husband to the wild rabid dogs."

RIP Ann B. Davis

Bummer. Alice from the Brady Bunch has passed away.

The Today Show had a piece on her passing this morning.

Harry Caray's Diary

Neil Steinberg got his hands on Harry's diary from 1972. Turns out that Harry lived pretty much exactly the kind of lifestyle you thought he did.

Read Steinberg's take on it here.

Phil Collins Performed 'In The Air Tonight' With Son's Middle School Band

This would be pretty cool, wouldn't it? It happened in Miami, Florida...

100 Years Ago

William Harley and Arthur Davidson, 1914. The tattoos are obviously covered by their starched white shirts.

Just One Bad Century--June 2

The Cubs are off today after losing their 14th consecutive road series over the weekend.

Over the weekend we also posted a few gems on JOBC in case you missed it. This Week in 1945 features Nazi loot, the second tallest building in Chicago (in 1945), Marilyn Monroe before she was Marilyn, and a real life Stooge. This Week in 1908 is about white slavery and a Cub who only got one at-bat during a championship year.

Today's Cubs birthdays include a 24-game winner, the poster child of the Dusty Baker era, and cups of coffee from the 60s and 90s.

Tdoay in Wrigley History goes back to 1956, and the A/V Club is a great video about the 1970 Cubs.

And finally, today's Historical Event is President Grover Cleveland getting married in the White House. Where were the Cubs?

Proud Moment

I got a little verklempt...