Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...



Kim Strickland ‏@acitymom
Down at the Golden Coin a "spiritual adventure" from a reviewer across the pond! http://best-book-review.co.uk/2012/10/down-at-the-golden-coin-by-kim-strickland/ …

Andy Borowitz ‏@BorowitzReport
If you're an actual slutty nurse Halloween is a very hurtful time.

Deadspin ‏@Deadspin
In need of cash, a Greek soccer team signed up a local brothel as its sponsor. http://deadsp.in/xWUlpW

Sam Stein ‏@samsteinhp
Reuters/Ipsos polling independents. predebate Romney's fav/unfav was 51/49. Post debate it was 51/49. Obama went from 53/47 to 60/40

The Onion ‏@TheOnion
"I let Ann decide everything about the kitchen. That sound like a policy from a man who doesn’t respect women?" –Romney http://onion.com/T1fdxO

Jimmy Greenfield ‏@jcgreenx
Thinking of giving "The Onion Book of Known Knowledge" to my kids without explaining what satire is. They will laugh so hard in 8 years.

Harold Ramis ‏@harold_ramis
it takes me an average of 30 minutes to find where the hell tbs is before i actually get a baseball game on. let's stick to real networks.

Len Kasper ‏@LenKasper
I wish BB the best. INCREDIBLY fortunate to have worked 8 yrs w/him. His next partner hit jackpot. Sad for us. Change is part of life/biz.

BobVorwald ‏@BobVorwald
Again, just cross out the "v" on all those yellow bracelets and you're all set.

Eckhart Tolle ‏@EckhartTolle
The significance is hiding in the insignificant. Appreciate everything.

Where does spam come from?

Not the meat-ish product, the annoying stuff that arrives in your e-mail box, and messes up your facebook page.

Would you believe it comes from India? One in every six spam e-mails comes from there. Italy is in second place (really?) and the United States is third.

Monty Python is not even in the top ten.

Candy Crowley on "The View"

Debate moderator Candy Crowley was on "The View" yesterday discussing the moment she interjected in the debate. She has been getting hammered by the right wing (cough) press because they say she is biased...even though what she said was absolutely true.

Watch her tell the View ladies why she did it.

I personally think she's being a little too defensive. You can tell she's rattled by the venom she's getting from the folks on the temple throbbing side. You did nothing wrong, Candy. You did your job. It's not your fault that Romney has no idea how to handle it when someone challenges him. He's even afraid to appear on "The View", so you're one up on him already.

Pete McMurray

The RAMP newsletter has a little more information on the departure of Pete McMurray from Merlin Media...

"Tough day around the Merlin Media radio ranch in Chicago as the company parts ways with veteran personality Pete McMurray. McMurray (pictured) had done mornings at Classic Rock WLUP (The Loop) for almost four years until this past August, when Maxwell took over the shift and McMurray crossed the hall to Adult Hits sister WIQI (i101). "I had a fantastic run at the Loop," said McMurray, whose lengthy history with The Loop dates back to 2001. "We accomplished some great ratings increases over the past couple of years," he continued. "Unfortunately you can't control the owners and what direction they want to take." No replacement has been named yet by OM Jim Richards. McMurray can be reached at pete@petemcmurray.com."

Michael Savage

Michael Savage will be back on the radio soon.

Cumulus signed him to a big deal. Cumulus owns WLS in Chicago, so don't be surprised if he turns up on the big 89.

Bummer.

Cubs 365, October 18

On this day in 1910, the Cubs played Game 2 of the World Series against the A's in Philadelphia. The team had to feel like they were snake-bitten that year.

With Johnny Evers already sidelined with a broken leg, Mordecai Brown (the scheduled starting pitcher of Game 2 and the team's best pitcher) got into an auto accident just before the game. He pitched anyway, and lost uncharacteristically 9-3.

The day before Game 3, manager/first baseman Frank Chance got into a fist fight on the streets of Chicago. A heckler was giving him a hard time as he drove by, so Chance stopped the car, jumped out, and attacked the guy. Then in Game 3, Chance became the first person ever ejected from a World Series game when he went crazy arguing a disputed ground rule double.

The A's won the Series in 5 games.

This officially ended the Cubs dynasty. In a five year stretch 1906-1910, they had won four pennants and two World Series.

In the next hundred years they would win only five more pennants, and we're still waiting for another World Series title.

Say it ain't so!

This is a bummer: Bob Brenly leaves WGN/Chicago Cubs TV booth after eight seasons.

My take on the debate...written by an actual writer

His name is Charles P. Pierce, and he writes for Esquire Magazine. He also has the added benefit of living in Massachusetts, so he knows Romney better. But wow did he nail it with his description of the debate.

I bow at his ability to put into words exactly what I was feeling watching Romney in action. He picked out the exact moment I had a visceral reaction, and why...

The one thing nobody can ever say now is that they didn't know the exact character of Willard Romney, and exactly how he feels about The Help, including that member of The Help who currently holds the job that Romney believes should have been his by virtue of his god-kissed, golden life.

"You'll get your chance in a moment. I'm still speaking."

Put all those Romneys together and that's what they sound like, even when they're talking to the president of the United States. It's the voice of the bloodless job-killer, the outsourcing Moloch of the industrial Midwest, and the guy who poses with his Wall Street cronies with dollar bills in his mouth. People who claim to be interested in "character" should remember that.

I couldn't have said it better myself. And I tried.

Pete McMurray

Robert Feder just tweeted the following...

‏@RobertFeder
Chicago radio veteran @PeteMcMurray out as morning host at @i101FM. Co-host @JaneMonzures stays.

Sorry to hear it.

Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...



Harold Ramis ‏@harold_ramis
"@FoxNews: 14-year-olds found working in #apple iPhone maker's factory in China - ask them if iPad mini is going to come in green.

Chris Rock ‏@chrisrockoz
Actual Newt Gingrich Quote: "I find it pretty hard to justify rich guys like Mitt Romney who find clever legal ways to loot a company."

Slate ‏@Slate
That "binders full of women" story. Apparently, it wasn't even true: http://slate.me/RF8KIW

Greg Sargent ‏@ThePlumLineGS
The right's unwillingness to face reality of losing debate contrasts sharply with left's acknowledgment of Obama Denver failure

daveweigel ‏@daveweigel
Folks in my hotel breakfast snort when the "he did, in fact, say 'acts of terror'" moment is replayed.

Neil Irwin ‏@Neil_Irwin
WHOAH. Huge gain in housing starts, up 15%, blowing out forecasts.

Life Advice ‏@ozlifeadvice
Arguing politics is like trying to convince someone that their baby isn't cute.

Mark Edwards ‏@markedwards
You get what you pay for. @Cubs reduce ticket prices for 2013 - Chicago Sun-Times http://bit.ly/QSdacD

Slate ‏@Slate
Wow. Lance Armstrong steps down from Livestrong, loses Nike deal: http://slate.me/RFfOVQ

James Janega ‏@JamesJanega
Out of curiousity, are people still wearing their Livestrong bracelets, given Lance Armstrong's past week?

The Debate

I watched it last night (although I missed the first fifteen minutes because of a Cub Scout pack meeting). I watched all the pundits afterwards too. They all seemed to think Obama won. I agree with them, but not for the same reason.

To me, last night proved once and for all what I've always suspected but never knew for sure until I saw it in action--Mitt Romney is the walking, talking, caricature of the completely unlikable CEOs I created in my novel "$everance". I studied CEOs for years before I wrote that book, and Mitt Romney could play one of them in the movie.

Just to be clear, those are NOT the heroes of my story.

Last night Romney didn't show strength, he showed contempt and disrespect. The way he talked to the President of the United States was shameful. The way he talked to the moderator was downright rude. That's the real guy right there, not the one that puts on the phony smile and says he cares about the 100%. (Have you heard a more insincere thing in your life?) The real Mitt Romney is the guy we saw on that 47% tape.

Until last night I wasn't sure. I thought, "Well maybe he was just pandering to those people too." But when he walked around that stage like he owned the place, I knew. There's only one kind of person that does that so casually and easily. It's the kind of person I instantly dislike when I meet them in real life.

I had doubts until last night. I no longer do.

Hard Days Night (outtake)

Bart Shore's Time Warp podcast has been featuring Beatles outtakes all week. I really enjoyed this one...The Beatles working in the studio with George Martin on "A Hard Days Night"

Cubs 365, October 17

On this day in 1906, future Cubs pitcher Paul Derringer was born. To say that Derringer was a colorful personality is to understate the case.

*He once woke up from an operation in the recovery room, swung at a nurse, and knocked her out cold.

*In 1936 he got into a fight at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. He knocked on the door of a party in a nearby room, angry that he hadn't been invited. He was drunk and wasn't wearing a shirt. Among the party guests; the Secretary of War, and an envoy (Robert Condon) that had been sent to confer with the Secretary of War by New York Mayor LaGuardia. After being told to go away, Derringer attacked Condon, putting him in the hospital for eight weeks.

*In 1939, Derringer and Dizzy Dean got into a fistfight on the field before a game at Crosley Field. They wrestled each other to the ground right on home plate and exchanged punches before being separated by teammates.

*In 1946, while pitching in the minors for Indianapolis, he tried to bean Jackie Robinson on two different occasions. The second time he narrowly missed Robinson's head--and Jackie hit a triple on the following pitch. After that Paul told Branch Rickey that Robinson "will do."

Derringer won over 200 games in his career, was an all-star, and has the distinction of winning the first night game in baseball history (for the Reds in 1935), but he only pitched for the Cubs the last three seasons of his career.

His very last game in the majors was the last World Series game in Cubs history. He came in to relieve Hank Borowy in the first inning of Game 7 against the Detroit Tigers. Derringer pitched 1 2/3 innings, walked five, gave up two hits and three earned runs.

Announcing: The Balding Handbook

One month from today, Eckhartz Press will be shipping our newest book: "The Balding Handbook: 5 Stages of Grieving for your Hair Loss" by David Stern. On November 1st we'll start taking pre-orders for this self-help classic, at the Eckhartz Press website.

David Stern is no ordinary cueball. He's a fully actualized bald man. Stern has gone through all five stages of grieving for his hair (that's the author on the cover during stage 4), and he's now in a better place. If you or someone you know wants to join him there, "The Balding Handbook" will provide you with a road map.

"The Balding Handbook" takes you beyond those embarrassing denial moments (hats, combovers, plugs, pieces), keeps you out of jail during that angry second stage, helps you construct a perfect offer to God while you bargain for your hair back, comforts you through the depths of balding depression, and brings you into the light. Of course, you'll need sunscreen when you get there, but the few extra bucks you shell out to the Tropicana people is a trifle when you consider the incredible life that awaits you after reading this book. Whether you're a fellow sufferer, or just a mean person that wants to give this book as a gag gift to that baldy you know ("Tee hee, Get it? You're bald!"), The Balding Handbook is for you.

"The Balding Handbook" isn't just a book. It is going to change the world...$15.95 at a time.

Cubs 365, October 16

On this day in 1967, Smoky Burgess was released and retired from baseball. His real name was Forrest Harrill Burgess, but no-one called him that. He was simply Smoky. Old Smoky, who inherited his name from his father, was a five-time National League All-Star. He was a very good catcher, but he became even better known as one of the best pinch hitters of his era. He retired with a record 507 pinch at-bats. Only Manny Mota has more pinch hits.

Unfortunately, none of that happened with the Cubs because they traded him after his second season in the majors (1951) for little remembered Johnny Pramesa and Bob Usher. If he had stayed with the Cubs, he likely would have been their starting catcher for a decade. (Pramesa played 22 games for the Cubs, Usher played 1.)

Smoky always said that his most satisfying pinch hit was his home run off Cubs pitcher Sam Jones with two games left in the 1956 season. The Reds, his team at the time, were going for the record--most home runs by a team in a season. The record was 221, and when Smokey came up to bat, the Reds had 220. Reds manager Chuck Dressen ordered Burgess to pinch hit for Roy McMillan, and said, "Make it a home run - or nothin'!" The ball landed on Sheffield Avenue.

Smoky ended his career as a pinch hitter for the White Sox. That's who released him on this day in 1967. At the time, Smoky was 40 years old.

Hulk Hogan Sues Gawker

Hulk is not only suing Gawker, he's suing them for $100 million.

Bubba the Love Sponge is also named in the lawsuit. It's all about a videotape of Hulk having sex with Bubba's ex-wife six years ago. Gawker got their hands on it somehow, and posted it. Hulk had no idea he was even being taped.

Hogan, by the way, was the best man at Bubba's wedding.

Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...




Eric & Kathy ‏@EricandKathy
This guy was kicked out of an Australian bar b/c of his mullet! It broke their "dress code". pic.twitter.com/EnLU7q6K

Josh Liss ‏@JoshLissSports
"There's dislike in the division between all of us. We're not sending each other Christmas cards." Lovie Smith #BearsInsider @WBBMNewsradio

daveweigel ‏@daveweigel
Tonight, Obama should take his debate advice from columnists writing conventional wisdom on deadline.

Talking Points Memo ‏@TPM
Jon Stewart mocks Fox News' post-VP debate spin http://tpm.ly/P6UvO5

Roger Ebert ‏@ebertchicago
Paul Ryan turns up uninvited at charity soup kitchen for photo op. Does nothing. Charity pissed off. http://cbsn.ws/S0x9b3

Mike Baker ‏@MikeBaker45s
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards on NBC January 13 from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

Sarah Silverman ‏@SarahKSilverman
I feel badly for people who are annoyed by everyone and yet can't seem to ever be alone

T Dog Media ‏@tdogmedia
Phillip Rivers throws like Joan Rivers. #Chargers #Impolde

Zach Galifianakis ‏@ZachGalifinak
Dear Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies, F*** YOU.

Mark Edwards ‏@markedwards
'The Larry Sanders Show' Reunion: Gary Shandling And Jeffrey Tambor Reflect On Classic Comedy's Legacy (VIDEO) http://huff.to/QCnHII

Gangnam Style parodies for the election

I think this first one is brilliant, if not exactly suitable for the workplace (bad language). I posted it on my facebook page, and a few of my Republican "friends" got really upset, so I deleted it there. Lesson learned. I inadvertently violated my own rule. I haven't posted anything political on my facebook page for two years because I can't handle reading the instant temple throbbing hate. It depresses me.

Apparently it's too difficult to explain this in a status update, but I honestly didn't post it to make a political statement. I posted it in admiration of the comedic work. (Writing parody songs used to be what I did for a living.) I'm posting it here in the same spirit. If you're humorless, or you can't find any humor in making fun of Mitt Romney, don't click on it. I think it's hilarious.

CollegeHumor's Favorite Funny Videos

Here's another one that isn't done quite as well, but I admire the attempt anyway...

John Paul Stevens

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is still a Cubs fan, despite the Nationals trying to convert him.

That story is here.

Stay strong, Judge. Stay strong.

Father Knows Nothing is Moving

Well, actually, it's already been moved. If you have my weekly column Father Knows Nothing bookmarked*, please change it to this address: http://www.nwitimes.com/niche/yourfamily/blogs/fatherknowsnothing/

*Don't laugh, some people have bookmarked it.

The Jump

I would have vomited all over myself. But that's just me. I'm a vomiter.

Meet the Moderator

The next debate moderator is Candy Crowley, and she has both the Romney and Obama campaigns unnerved...which leads me to believe that this might be a good debate.

Politico has the story today.

Kindle Users To Get Refund?

From a Reuters report this morning, an explanation of the e-mail I received yesterday from amazon...

"Owners of Amazon.com's Kindle e-readers will receive refunds on past e-book purchases and see e-book prices drop if a judge approves legal settlements with publishers accused of fixing prices, according to the Internet retailer. Amazon told Kindle owners in emails on Saturday that they could receive a refund of between 30 cents and $1.32 for e-books they bought between April 2010 and May 2012. The books must have been published by three publishers who have agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused them of inflating e-book prices."

The publishers that agreed to settle were HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette. Those are the big boys.

Colbert on Meet the Press

The 24 Mile Jump

Scientific American has a great write up on Felix Baumgartner's 24-mile jump. I didn't watch it, but then again, I'm deathly afraid of heights.

24 feet is scary enough for me.

Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...



Richard Lewis ‏@TheRichardLewis
Emotionally, the hardest part about living for me is being me.

Max Armstrong ‏@maxarmstrong
MOM WOULD TWEET IF SHE WERE HERE (her note I found today) "Politicians and diapers should be changed often--and for the same reason."

Albert Brooks ‏@AlbertBrooks
Fiat ad where car drives off cliff into ocean it says "Fictionalized. Do not attempt." Thank God. I was a block away.

Huffington Post ‏@HuffingtonPost
Daredevil skydiver makes history, photographs capture the joy http://huff.to/TjWJVG

Chris Nickles ‏@nickles71
My new bumper sticker: "I'd rather be free free falling for 41/2 minutes at over 800 mph." ©

Michael Calderone ‏@mlcalderone
George W. Bush has "taken up painting, making portraits of dogs and arid Texas landscapes." http://bit.ly/PwsDm8

Greg Sargent ‏@ThePlumLineGS
New Post poll: Obama leads 49-46 among likely voters; 50-43 among RVs: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postabcpoll_20121013.html

Keith Conrad ‏@keithrconrad
The worst legacy of the Watergate scandal isn't distrust of our government institutions. It's the constant use of "gate" for every scandal.

Ron Smith ‏@oldiesmusic
B.B. Cunningham, singer of the Hombres' "Let It All Hang Out," dies in a Memphis shootout: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm - http://youtu.be/XnxXZtCBRlE

Chris Rock ‏@chrisrockoz
Gay marriage is legal in 6 states. Having sex with a horse is legal in 23. Goodnight everyone!

Father Knows Nothing

This week's Father Knows Nothing is my annual tribute to my son Tommy, born 17 years ago this week.

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, October 15

On this day in 1918, the University of Illinois released a report about the influenza epidemic. Among other things it reported: "An analysis of the influenza situation in Chicago today shows that the epidemic has not reached its crest here. For the week ending September 28, there were 598 cases reported in Chicago with 176 deaths. During the week ending October 7 there were 6,106 cases reported with 627 deaths. The week which ended October 14 produced 11,239 cases and 1,461 deaths. The total number of deaths from influenza and pneumonia in Chicago during the past three weeks was 2,264 compared with an average of 156 for the same period during the past five years."

On one horrible October day 381 people died from influenza in Chicago.

Baseball was not immune, either. Among the victims, former Cubs outfielder Jake Stenzel. In addition to Stenzel, Boston Braves outfield Larry Chappell died in San Francisco. Former St. Louis Browns outfielder Emmet Heidrick died in Pennsylvania. American League umpire Silk O’Loughin also perished in the pandemic. As did former Tigers owner William Yawkey.

By the time it finally subsided in 1920, a fifth of the world's population had been infected, including 28% of all Americans. An estimated 675,000 Americans died of influenza during the pandemic, ten times as many as in the world war.

Little Richard & Paul

Fifty years ago today, they met each other for the first time. From Bob Dearborn's The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac...

October 12, 1962…In New Brighton, England, the Beatles met Little Richard for the first time when they opened for him at the Tower Ballroom. Although Richard apparently found John and George to be "rude," he was quite taken with Paul, reportedly to the point of trying to seduce him.

Paul loved singing Little Richard songs, and even called his song "I'm Down" a little Richard impression. This song was already part of the Beatles repertoire the night Richard and Paul met...

How is the Kindle so cheap?

Because they sell it at cost. According to amazon's CEO, they do it because they're concentrating on the profits of the on-line content.

Maybe.

And maybe, just maybe, they're trying to crush their competition and create a monopoly. Which one do you think is more likely?

The Many Gesticulations of Joe Biden

This is very funny.

Buzzfeed has named all of Joe Biden's facial expressions and hand gestures from last night.

Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...




Julius Sharpe ‏@juliussharpe
I'll vote for whichever candidate promises to get rid of banner ads that move when you scroll down.

Bill Maher@billmaher
Hello 9 1 1? There s an old man beating a child on my tv

‏@jedishua
I can't believe how (your candidate) is so (horrible/stupid/rude) ! (My candidate) is obviously much (better/smarter/more talented)!

Karl Klockars ‏@karlklockars
Nailed it. RT @jesteinf: OK, one more. The VP debate in one GIF http://bit.ly/RARQIG

Greg Sargent ‏@ThePlumLineGS
RT @matthewjdowd Republicans hated Biden. Democrats loved him. Undecided voters sided with Biden by large margin. Good night for Obama.

The New York Times ‏@nytimes
All the NYT fact-checks from Biden and Ryan's vice-presidential debate in one place http://nyti.ms/RB4ZS6

Andy Richter ‏@Andy_Richter
I am working on a TV commercial, & my trailer is an RV that has the keys in the ignition. Really tempted to take a spin around the block.

darren rovell ‏@darrenrovell
StubHub says it has 11,675 tickets for tonight’s Yankees game for resale. Thats’s 23.2% of the stadium capacity! (H/T @chrislynch2)

chuck swirsky ‏@swirsk054
Friday in Champaign IL. A great day for basketball on the campus of one America s finest institutions. Bulls TV with pre-post and tweets 7PM

Huffington Post ‏@HuffingtonPost
New book claims Elizabeth Taylor had a threesome with JFK & actor Robert Stack http://huff.to/VUIqNn

Joe Biden

This photograph of VP Joe Biden was taken immediately after last night's debate. Biden's mopping solution (Paul Ryan) was said to have made the floor quite shiny.

Cubs 365, October 12

On this day in 1915, future Cub Lou "The Mad Russian" Novikoff was born.

He was born to Russian immigrant parents in Arizona, so the second half of his nickname is obvious. The "mad" part came from his eccentric proclivities. He had a colorful past before joining the Cubs, working as a harmonica player, a carnival strongman, and a striptease performer.

Novikoff was a legend in the minor leagues. His minor league roommate said of Lou: "I roomed with Lou's clothing. I don't know what he did or where he went. I know he was often coming in when I was getting up."

The Mad Russian became a wartime Cubs fill-in (1941-1944) and an entertaining eccentric. He said he feared touching Wrigley's ivy-covered walls because he thought ivy was poisonous. He also claimed the foul lines were crooked. He once stole third with the bases loaded because, he said, "I got such a good jump on the pitcher." He had a pet Russian wolfhound, which he only fed caviar.

Novikoff could hit (he hit .300 twice), but was a butcher in the outfield. His well publicized difficulties with any ball hit near him (one local writer described his fielding as "wrestling a ball to the ground") ended his Cubs career in 1944. The Phillies gave him one more shot in 1946, but that was it for his very colorful major league career.

Imagine

From Bob Dearborn's The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac, this tidbit from 41 years ago today...

October 11, 1971…John Lennon released the single "Imagine" in North America. Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Imagine" #3 in their editorial "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It was not released as a single in the UK until October 24, 1975.

Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...



Salman Rushdie ‏@SalmanRushdie
Unintentional comedy: "@MOHDshadKHAN1: .... U Knw u r totally illiterate .... U Dnt Knw how to rite novel ..... U need kindergarden.... :-)"

New York Daily News ‏@nydailynews
Scientists have officially pinpointed the world’s worst sound http://nydn.us/T8Cieo

WSCR AM ‏@670TheScore
Score Producer/Host Jason Goff Accepts Hosting Job In Atlanta http://cbsloc.al/RisIcb

Jimmy Greenfield ‏@jcgreenx
I'm liking the 2-3 format for the divisional series. You get Game 5 without delay and it's proving to be fair to higher seed.

John Fisher ‏@heyjohnfisher
FIRST LISTEN: The new Rolling Stones song. It rocks! http://bit.ly/RReTRp

Jeff Greenfield ‏@greenfield64
I'll never forget the '96 VP debate. Why? It was the night of the Yanks-O's Jeffrey Maier game--which I watched while in the debate hall.

Gawker ‏@Gawker
New workout photos PROVE Paul Ryan is not fit to lead. http://gaw.kr/JVmRlk

The Daily Beast ‏@thedailybeast
A guide to the angry old rich guys who hate Obama, featuring @Jack_Welch, @RupertMurdoch, and more http://thebea.st/RzllKJ

The Onion ‏@TheOnion
Joe Biden's Handlers Suggesting He Forget The Words 'Pink' And 'Stink' Altogether http://onion.com/R9vBZp

Steve Cochran ‏@CochranShow
Lot of guilt tonight RT @BuzzFeedAndrew: This Is the first debate on the presidential level between two Irish Catholics.

Completely Wrong

Check out what happens when you Google "Completely Wrong" on Google Images: Here's a link.

Pretty funny.

Don Wade update

WLS morning man Don Wade released a statement about his surgery and his recovery. He'll be undergoing chemo and radiation therapy, but he sounds pretty upbeat.

Robert Feder's report is here.

National Book Award Nominees

The nominees were announced yesterday live on MSNBC. Among them, a fellow University of Illinois man, Dave Eggers ("A Hologram for the King").

He's a few years younger than me, but I met Dave briefly at an Illini Media Hall of Fame event a few years ago. He was inducted the same year as cranky old salt Robert Novak. Unlike Novak, Eggers gave a very gracious (and funny) speech.

The whole list of nominees is here.

Here Come the Female Moderators

According to the critics, Jim Lehrer was steamrolled. Will female moderators Martha Raddatz (the VP debate tonight) and Candy Crowley (the pres debate next week) get better treatment?

The Washington Post analyzes the possibilities.

Cubs 365, October 11

On this day in 1929 the Cubs won a World Series game against Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's.

Guy Bush was on the Shibe Park mound for the Cubs, and the Mississippi Mudcat scattered nine hits, and gave up one run. But the big bangers on the A's were ineffective. Hall of Famers Al Simmons and Jimmie Foxx combined to go 0-7.

Meanwhile, the Cubs had a few Hall of Famers of their own, and all three of them showed why they were enshrined. Rogers Hornsby and Hack Wilson each had two hits, and KiKi Cuyler knocked in the game winning runs.

After the game ended the Cubs had cut the A's lead to 2-1. It would be as close as they would get. The A's swept the final two games to win their fourth championship.

Mongo is Gone

The news is just across the wire, Alex Karras has passed away at the age of 77. He was one of my favorite players. I became a Lions fan after seeing the George Plimpton movie "Paper Lion", and Karras was memorable in that film. (I still have this football card). He went on to an acting career, which included a starring role in the television series "Webster", but his most memorable moment was this one in the Mel Brooks classic "Blazing Saddles"...

David Lee Roth

Van Halen front man is 58 years old today. (I thought he was older, to tell you the truth). I went on YouTube looking for a David Lee Roth video and found this very interesting "vocals only" version of "Running with the Devil"

The screaming sounds ridiculous, but the singing actually isn't as bad as I thought it would be. In the comments section was this very funny quote: "If cocaine had a voice, it would sound just like this."

Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...




Redbird Craig ‏@RedbirdCraig
Dusty totally knows how to handle this whole "we only need to win 1 out of 3" thing.

Kief Wahoo ‏@KiefWahoo216
"I prefer my martinis like my women: extra dirty + with 3 olives stuffed in them" -@alancoxshow

The Balding Handbook ‏@BaldingHandbook
Dwight Eisenhower? Fullhead bias again. If the bald look is a boon in business, why doesn’t it work in politics? http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/if-the-bald-look-is-a-boon-in-business-why-doesnt-it-work-in-politics-8202769.html

Phil Rogers ‏@ChiTribRogers
At 19, Javier Baez is the second youngest player in the Arizona Fall League. He's also among the most talented http://sulia.com/my_thoughts/dbe905bf-5361-49dc-93f0-c697e456f2c6/?source=twitter

Chet Coppock ‏@ChetCoppock
#WhiteSox boadcast booth. Stoney will return with hawks this summer. i suggest they use separate booths.they're already twenty feet apart

Seinfeld Quotes ‏@seinlanguage
George: "Yeah, well, the jerk store called, they're running out of you!"

Ricky Gervais ‏@rickygervais
“@GavGavR: What's your thoughts on horoscopes? I think they're a lot of shite!” You sound like a Gemini. ;) Yes they are nonsense.

Zach Zaidman ‏@ZachZaidman
Only the 49ers (68) and Seahawks (70) have allowed fewer points than the #Bears (71) this season.

Zach Zaidman ‏@ZachZaidman
Only the Patriots (165) and Giants (152) have scored more points than the #Bears (149) this season.

Roger Ebert ‏@ebertchicago
No power on earth can convince me the American People will elect Mitt Romney as President.

Debate Moderation

There appears to be an anti-media rumble coming in advance of the VP debate this Thursday. The Daily Caller (edited by Tucker Carlson) is said to be working on a piece "outing" moderator Martha Raddatz for being friends with Obama--because he attended her first wedding over twenty years ago. (Her first husband was current F.C.C. Comish Julius Genakowski--a classmate of Obama's in college).

TV Newser has the details, which includes a pretty robust defense of Raddatz from her employer ABC News.

Dave Fogel

Congrats to former WLS-FM morning man Dave Fogel. Just two weeks after being let go by WLS, he has already landed back on his feet. He'll be doing 7 to Midnight on WLS' direct competitor, Classic hits WJMK (104.3 FM).

Robert Feder has the details. (Second item)

Cubs 365, October 10

On this day in 1908, the World Series began in Detroit amid much fanfare, but not a great deal of excitement. The Tigers, led by Ty Cobb, were the prohibitive underdogs and the city of Detroit wasn't optimistic that they could win it all. Especially against the defending champs who had beaten them the previous year.

Big Ed Reulbach (photo), who had been on fire for the past month, was given the ball to start this game and he didn't quite have it. The Cubs went to the bullpen in the seventh and eighth, calling on their big guns Orval Overall and Mordecai Brown to rescue the win. Neither man pitched that well, but the Cubs came back to score 5 runs in the top of the ninth to win the game 10-6. The bottom of their order, Solly Hofman and Johnny Kling (each with two RBI), were the heroes of this Game 1 victory.

Romney disses kids

So says Nickelodeon, because Mitt Romney refused to appear on the network's special about the election, unlike the president, who gladly appeared.

Nickelodeon's spokesperson said: "They don't deserve to be dissed. But former Gov. Romney also blew off Letterman and Big Bird, so I guess we're in good company."

Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...



Fred Winston ‏@FredWinston
Morning from Chicago, saw a rat the size of a small woodchuck while walking pup. Maybe a chef on his way to work?

The Associated Press ‏@AP
Steak 'n Shake joins brands flocking to the United Arab Emirates with plans for 40 restaurants: http://apne.ws/Rtd23g -BW

Mully And Hanley ‏@mullyhanley
Steve Stone just told us he will for sure be back with #WhiteSox next season. He hopes to finish this contract & future contracts w/#Sox

Lizz Winstead ‏@lizzwinstead
I feel like I got a pass today as I am the only person Jerry Sandusky didn't blame in this *conspiracy* against him.

Lisa and Ray US99.5 ‏@LisaandRay995
Totally Gross or Totally Acceptable: 42% of men admit they wear their undies more than once before washing? http://bit.ly/R3k91u .

amy walter ‏@amyewalter
ABC/WaPo poll: Romney favs are up, but still underwater. No cand. w/ higher unfavs than favs in Sept/Oct has won WH. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/one-month-to-go-and-the-polls-they-are-a-changin-the-note/ …

MarkCz.com ‏@MarkCzerniec
Today is the last day to register to vote in Illinois: http://www.elections.il.gov/votinginformation/register.aspx …

chuck swirsky ‏@swirsk054
Happy Birthday to John Lennon celebrating his 72nd birthday. He may be gone physically but his spirit fills the soul of millions.

Josh Liss ‏@JoshLissSports
Alshon Jeffery OUT up to 6 weeks. Lovie on @WBBMNewsradio, "He'll be banged up for a while...but we know we're getting him back this year."

Rolling Stone ‏@RollingStone
Watch Elvis Presley perform part of "Suspicious Minds" at Madison Square Garden in 1972 in this fan-filmed clip: http://rol.st/RaEA02

Happy Birthday John

He would have been 72 years old today.

This is a rare version of the Beatles singing "Happy Birthday"

Pete Townshend

One of my favorites was on the Daily Show last night. I thought this discussion (which was on the web only...it was part 2 of the interview) was really interesting...

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The New York Times reviews his book here.

Dan Patrick

Five years ago yesterday he joined Fox Sports Radio, and since that time he has expanded to 270 cities. This year he won the Marconi Award for Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year.

That's pretty darn impressive. Congrats to Dan Patrick.

Keeping it Classy

Jerry Sandusky is being sentenced today, and will read a statement in which he still denies everything and blames the victims. From the Yahoo report, this is part of the quote...

"A young man who was dramatic, a veteran accuser, and always sought attention, started everything. He was joined by a well-orchestrated effort of the media, investigators, the system, Penn State, psychologists, civil attorneys and other accusers. They won. I've wondered what they really won: Attention, financial gain, prestige … will all be temporary. Before you blame me, as others have, look at everything and everybody. Look at the preparation for the trial and the trial. Compare it to others. Think about what happened. Why, and who made it happen?"

You made it happen, pal. I love conspiracy theories as much as the next guy, Jerry, but there's a very good chance you're the only one who will ever buy this one.

Hollywood's Highest Paid Women

Forbes has their annual list out, and you won't be surprised who is #1: Oprah. I was surprised, however, by #2 on the list. Would you believe it's Britney Spears?

The rest of the top ten are Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Ellen DeGeneres, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Giselle Bundchen, Katy Perry, and Judge Judy.

A song about Columbus

It even mentions the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria...

Today's Best Tweets

I've begun to spend a few minutes every day reading my twitter feed. Here are ten that caught my eye today...



Phil Rogers ‏@ChiTribRogers
The Cubs didn't place a single player on Baseball America's Florida State League top 20. That's disappointing http://sulia.com/my_thoughts/802fe8b4-59f2-46e5-b4fb-e2c3511f835f/?source=twitter

ColonelTribune ‏@ColonelTribune
Soccer team or TV drama? Both. @ChicagoFire players already seeing confusion ahead of show's debut. http://trib.in/QP5Wbu

New York Daily News ‏@nydailynews
Mila Kunis named Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive 2012 http://nydn.us/UzqTuS

Glenn Greenwald ‏@ggreenwald
I'd like to vote for the candidate similar to the one the Right absurdly claims Obama is.

Slate ‏@Slate
Barack Obama has joined the bandwagon of Democrats making fun of Barack Obama's debate performance--WATCH: http://slate.me/R6VGM6

Dan Bernstein ‏@dan_bernstein
Who is this #Bears assistant, and why did he want to do this on TV? http://deadsp.in/TlNdX6

The Heckler ‏@The_Heckler
Marshall shatters Bears all-time record for receiving yards in a season after 5 games http://ow.ly/2szEf3

pourmecoffee ‏@pourmecoffee
Celebrating Columbus Day by discovering people and giving them my cold.

Perez Hilton ‏@PerezHilton
Danny DeVito Splits From Rhea Perlman After 30 Years Of Marriage!!! http://perez.ly/SHNiD5

Seinfeld Quotes ‏@seinlanguage
George: "I love a good nap. Sometimes it's the only thing getting me out of bed in the morning."

What will happen to Tribune now?

The bankruptcy is finally settled after four ridiculous years. Now the Tribune is owned by JPMorgan Chase, and the investment firms Oaktree Capital Management and Angelo, Gordon & Co. What are their plans?

An attempt to read the tea leaves is here.

The Lone Ranger

Count me in...

ABC News Weatherman Comes Out

Sam Champion, weatherman on Good Morning America, has come out of the closet and admitted he is gay.

Details here.

I suspect this is going to happen more and more. My hope is that this sort of thing will one day be considered so un-shocking, that it will no longer even be a news story.

A Scary Lunch

Fox News president Roger Ailes' contract runs out in June. Over the weekend he was spotted having lunch with Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes.

Time Warner owns CNN. Uh oh.

Father Knows Nothing

My latest Father Knows Nothing column is called "Another Hold Your Breath Moment"

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, October 8

On this day in 1945, the Cubs won a World Series game for the very last time. It was Game 6 of the series versus the Detroit Tigers, and it was captured on newsreel film.