Friday, October 13, 2017

Cubs Reaction

That felt like a World Series game to me last night. It was so tense and exciting it took years off my life. Here are a few reactions from around the twittersphere...





















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A Damning Editorial

Michael Gerson is the former head speach writer for President Bush (43). Yes, he has always been a critic of Trump, but yowza, today's editorial is the roughest one I've ever seen. This one calls out his fellow Republicans. It's called: "Republicans, it's time to panic"
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Thursday, October 12, 2017

Love this picture

It's like one of those pictures from the circus in Victorian times...

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Minutia Men, Episode 69



EP69 – Rick and Dave discuss Jenkins during a robbery, a Dutch treat, anti-Nazi video games, a man called Pep, and Rick’s brush with Bill Kurtis.

You can listen to it here.
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Trump Threatens NBC License

There was another story by NBC that the president didn't like yesterday. He called it Fake News and untrue. I've begun to believe that every time he says "Fake News" the story is 100% accurate. These stories usually have quite a few sources (as this one does--even though they are anonymous), and end up being confirmed by other news outlets.

But apparently, calling them Fake News is no longer good enough for the insulter-in-chief.

Now he says NBC should lose their broadcasting license.

Can we all just take a breath and realize where we are headed?

UPDATE: I didn't see this response yesterday from an FCC Commissioner. Good on her...

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Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Actual Shark Tank

This is exactly how I would have handled this...

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More Pub for Eckhartz Press Author Bill Paige

Unfortunately, it's not available on-line. For you youngsters, this is a newspaper...

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Cavuto Takes a Shot

Here's something I never thought I'd write: I agree with Neil Cavuto...

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Eminem Goes Nuts on Trump

He will lose fans over this. He knows it too. But that's some authentic rage right there...

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USA Blows It

I couldn't watch the game last night because it was on beIn TV (?!?), and it looks like that was a good thing. All the US had to do was beat or draw with Trinidad and Tobago, the worst team in the entire bracket, and they would have qualified for another World Cup.

They lost 2-1. The first goal was an own goal.

They could have still made it to the World Cup if Honduras lost to Mexico (Mexico was heavily favored) and Panama lost to Costa Rica (Costa Rica was heavily favored). Both teams upset the favorites.

The USA not only didn't qualify for the World Cup, they ended up in fifth place in the weakest bracket in the world.

Time to blow it all up.

Just saw this Taylor Twellman rant. I agree with every word...



Roger Bennett is one of the "Men in Blazers"...

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He's got the highest IQ

Funny observation by MSNBC's Chris Matthews...

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Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Harvey Weinstein, Part 2

The piece in the New York Times last week was bad, but this piece in the New Yorker (written by Ronan Farrow) is worse. It has names and details and reveals what a monster Weinstein really is. It also, I think, correctly points out why people didn't (and felt they couldn't) out him publicly until now. Really disturbing stuff. The issue shouldn't be "outing" him, by the way. The issue should be "why isn't he in jail?"

UPDATE: The New York Times has another piece today. This time involving Paltrow, Jolie, and more.
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Equal Comedy Time for Trump

P.S. Don't mess with the late night comics, Mr. President. They will always win.



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More Pub for Chasing the Lost City

Thanks so much to Robert Feder for posting this information in his column this morning...

Tom Weinberg, the veteran Chicago producer who created “Image Union” and founded the Media Burn Independent Video Archive, has a new book out about his life’s greatest adventure. Chasing the Lost City: Chronicles of Discovery in Honduras is a first-person account of the expedition in search of the Lost City of the Monkey God hidden deep in the dense Central American jungle. It’s a miracle that he and his companions endured and overcame the incredible challenges they faced. And it’s a pleasure that he shares their story with such honesty and insight. Weinberg will celebrate the publication with friends October 17 at Billy Goat Tavern, 430 North Michigan Avenue. Published by Chicago-based Eckhartz Press and featuring more than 180 stunning photos, the book is available at chasingthelostcity.com.
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Russia Story is CLEARLY not a Hoax

Now that Facebook and Twitter have confirmed that Russians bought ads in support of Trump and/or anti-Hillary, it's obvious that the Russian story is real. Every day there are more revelations. This morning it's further confirmation from Google that Russians bought ads on YouTube. They still haven't found one example where the Russians were helping Hillary. Again, it was all Anti-Hillary, or anti-racial unity, or Pro-Trump.

The Russians flat out tried to sabotage our election.

Next time someone calls the story a hoax, it's time to call them out. Period.

And here's an idea for Congress. Let's figure out how to make sure they never do it again.
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WBEZ Wins a Murrow Award

Congratulations to WBEZ, the only Chicago radio station to win a prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award this week. They won their award for writing.

This is the incredible piece that brought home the hardware: The Gross Gatherings: A Climate Fight on Chicago's South Side.
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Jemelle Hill Suspended

She got in trouble last week for calling the president a white supremacist on social media, but she got suspended for another reason altogether. She told people to boycott Jerry Jones' advertisers. Now THAT'S over the line. From Radio Ink...

In a story that has ramifications for radio, Foxnews.com is reporting that ESPN personality Jemele Hill has been suspended for two weeks for breaking the network’s social media policy. In the wake of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones statement that any of his players who don’t stand for the national anthem will be benched, Hill called on fans to boycott advertisers associated with the club. ESPN called this a “second violation” after Hill had previously calling on fans to boycott the NFL and calling President Trump a White Supremacist.

Hill’s latest tweet read: “Change happens when advertisers are impacted,” Hill wrote. “If you strongly reject what Jerry Jones said, the key is his advertisers.”

Mess with the president, fine. Mess with the advertisers? Grab some bench. That's the media, baby.
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CUBS WIN!

I went to the game yesterday afternoon with my old buddy (and Eckhartz Press author) Bobby Skafish. We saw one of the best games I've ever seen. We were on the edge of our seats the entire game.

Thanks to my brother-in-law Brian for getting me the tickets, thanks to Bobby for coming to the game with me, and thanks to the Cubs for an incredible win! Bridget is going to this afternoon's game. Hopefully it's the clincher.

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Our latest Eckhartz Press signee

We met at the East Bank Club yesterday for lunch and finalized the deal. Chet Coppock is writing his fifth book for Eckhartz Press. It will coming out in April.

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Monday, October 09, 2017

Happy Birthday John!

He would have been 77 years old today. He may have been a dreamer, but he's not the only one...

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Just Like Columbus Did

My annual posting of the only pop song ever written about Christopher Columbus...

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Another New Eckhartz Press Author

Our latest author is Tom Weinberg.

He's a well-known media figure in Chicago, former producer of Image Union on WTTW, and owner/proprietor of the great website mediaburn. He's also the author of our very first coffee table book, Chasing the Lost City: Chronicles of Discovery in Honduras. It's an incredible story about his years-long quest to find this lost city in Honduras. (Spoiler alert: He found it!)

The orders have been pouring in for this book, available for pre-order now (until Oct 16) at a discount price. On the 17th, he'll have his book launch party at the Billy Goat downtown (lower Michigan). More details to come on that.

In the meantime, congrats to Tom!

Here are a few incredible photos from the book...

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Very Sad News

Delilah hosts a nationally syndicated show that aired for years in Chicago on WLIT. From this morning's RAMP newletter...

The thoughts and prayers of a nation are with Premiere-syndicated personality Delilah, who is now dealing with the unimaginable -- the suicide of her 18-year-old son, Zachariah. On Saturday, Delilah shared the devastating news with her millions of fans via Facebook. The post reads, "My dear friends, I need to share some devastating news with you. In the early morning hours, Tuesday, October 3, my son, Zachariah, took his life. He was being treated, counseled and embraced fiercely by family and friends while battling depression for some time now. My heart is broken beyond repair and I cannot fathom how to go on... but I have to believe he is at peace with the Lord and that God will get us through."

She continued, "I will be absent from the radio and on social media for a time as I grieve and try to process this loss with my family. In the meantime we'll be playing some of my favorite shows from the recent past. I'll look forward to my return, as you all lift me up so very much! Please pray for my beloved Zacky, and I will pray for all suffering from this debilitating disease called depression."
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The Drive's Ratings

Robert Feder takes a closer look at a local success story. The Drive is suddenly surging in the ratings...

WDRV FM 97.1, the classic rock purveyor that’s been on the air since 2001, is enjoying an outstanding resurgence in the ratings. In the Nielsen Audio quarterly survey released last week, The Drive ranked No. 1 among men in three age groups — 18 to 49, 25 to 54, and 35 to 64. With a cumulative weekly audience of 1,450,500, it tied for fifth place among all listeners with a 3.9 percent share.

Congrats to my friends who are still over there.
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The Ridiculously Expensive Publicity Stunt

Vice President Pence was so outraged (outraged!) that he spontaneously left the stadium when a few players kneeled during the anthem.

Of course, he kept the press outside the stadium because he knew he probably would be leaving "very early" and the president later tweeted that he sent him there to do this. It was strictly a pre-meditated publicity stunt.

That trip to Indy probably cost the taxpayers close to a million dollars.
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Corker vs. Trump

If you weren't following the news over the weekend, you missed a full-on hissy fit from the commander-in-chief after a Republican senator took a shot at him. The Washington Post has the details...

Trump Tweeted...“Senator Bob Corker ‘begged’ me to endorse him for re-election in Tennessee. I said ‘NO’ and he dropped out (said he could not win without my endorsement),” Trump tweeted. “He also wanted to be Secretary of State, I said ‘NO THANKS.’ He is also largely responsible for the horrendous Iran Deal! Hence, I would fully expect Corker to be a negative voice and stand in the way of our great agenda. Didn't have the guts to run!”

-- Corker, who has felt liberated since announcing his retirement last month, gleefully fired back. His office quickly went on the record to insist that Trump had, in fact, promised to endorse him, urged him not to retire and just last week asked him to reconsider his decision. The 65-year-old then tweeted this:


Corker later went on to do an interview in which he warned that every Republican senator essentially agrees with him, and that they fear our reckless president could inadvertantly start World War III.

Again, this is a Republican senator saying these things. Nothing to worry about here.
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Harvey Weinstein Fired

Yes, it took far too long for Hollywood to react to this. But don't forget that the press DID out him, and the company DID fire him.. And at no point has anyone defended him (like they did the president or O'Reilly or Ailes or Cosby) as a "very good man". The one way that this case is the same as the others is that he almost certainly won't end up where he deserves after this.
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The Doors at 50

The Doors debuted 50 years ago. The two surviving members talk about that to the Washington Post.

I was never a huge Doors fan, although I do really like a few of their songs. This one is probably my favorite...

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SNL Gets it Right

Perfect opening of SNL this weekend. The man who was performing during the massacre in Vegas sings a song from a rock icon we lost this week. I got chills.

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