Q&A with Eckhartz Press author Ken Korber

Children’s author Ken Korber has been on a bit of a roll. His series of books for very young children has taken off, and he has several very exciting upcoming projects. His latest book for Eckhartz Press is a public service: Grace Fights Covid-19

Rick: Ken, all of your books feature the main character of Grace Note. Tell us about her, where she came from, and who illustrated her.

Ken: Our girl character, “Grace”, did indeed have her origin story as a grace note — that was the magical story line of the Winter book in the Musical Adventures of Grace series.

The creative spark for Grace came from a question I asked my musically-talented son: What’s that little note on the music sheet page? Why is it so small…?

His reply — that’s a grace note; it’s usually insignificant in terms of hearing the music, but sometimes a conductor will have an orchestra play it louder as a way to add “color” to the music… and, as they say, the rest is history.

I, initially, was thinking about an underdog-type story (a small note that became a big note), but that morphed into the development of a story line where an insignificant grace note is changed into a little girl through the magic of a holiday concert…

The first 3 stories in The Musical Adventures of Grace series, sprang from that Winter event and were illustrated by Pam Frazier. But, nowadays, I use Jaime Buckley for most of my new character plots and spin-off stories.

Rick: On our site we switch out some of the Grace books by season. Right now you can find the Spring and Summer books about Grace. There’s also a Fire Prevention book available year round. Can you tell us a little bit about those books?

Ken: The Winter book gave me the opportunity to introduce Grace to the world as a new character; and the follow-up Spring and Summer stories allowed me to expand her world and bring new friends into the story mix. For example, the Spring book has Fortissimo and Harry (two brothers) moving into the house across the street from Grace. Spring also brings Arco the dog into their world, as Grace’s puppy.

The Summer story brings back Maestro Vik (from the Winter book) and has another adult, Curly-the-violin-maker, interacting with Grace & Arco.

As you can see, we try to sneak in some music terms & instruments for younger readers — with the ulterior motive of introducing a variety of music vocabulary into the story lines.

This was deliberate and organic – created from the advice I had received from music educators (who, in their STEAM teaching worlds, are trying to introduce music appreciation concepts earlier than the middle school years…)

The creation and production of the Burn Prevention & Fire Safety book served two purposes (1) a way to create spin-off health-related stories from the original Musical Adventures series, and (2) to begin a formal process that supported aspiring authors and first-time writers – a type of mentorship program.

For this book, my co-author, Paul Possenti, is a classmate of mine who became a Medical Director in a burn center. We developed an alliance over the paucity of patient education materials in the Burn Prevention / Fire Safety arena. We launched the book at the podium of the 2019 American Burn Association conference and presented it as a case study in community engagement.

Some of the testimonials we’ve received say the book will have an immediate impact on the work fire departments are doing…

It was a timely and fulfilling writing alliance, for many at-risk communities, and we have a new edition being produced, now.

Rick: Grace’s latest book about Covid 19 is providing a valuable service for parents with young kids. Tell us a little about what inspired you to write that, and where it is being consumed.

Ken: The upside-down world, resulting from this pandemic, essentially took away some traditional formats for authors to share their work with new readers. We can no longer host or be part of book signing events that allow prospective customers to touch and browse our books, in a live face-to-face environment. So, we have to find other venues or formats that let us be the creative advocates of our stories and characters…

In the case of my COVID book, I found (in communicating with my established customers) that there was some generic anxiety, among young parents, about how to explain our “new normal” and dramatic/mandated social behavior changes to the youngsters in the family.

So, “Grace Fights COVID-19…” and the Bug Squad idea was created, almost as a public service announcement for families with emerging readers.

We now have a tool parents can use to communicate (In kid-friendly terms) and explain what a coronavirus is, why it makes people sick, what we are doing about preventing that from happening to the people we love, etc.

I believe it’s the first kid-centric book that uses my characters to invite the young readers to “join the fight” by washing their hands and adopting socially distancing practices — for a better public health outcome.

We actually got a grant to distribute 185 copies of the Bug Squad book throughout communities.

So, I was part of an industrial Mask Giveaway and Food Drive community event, recently — A new way for an author to meet his reading audience.

I hope we’ll be able to participate in more of these public safety events. It’s a great way to show authors in a health & safety spotlight… one where you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see them.

Rick: You are a prolific gentleman. Coming next month you have yet another book coming out. Tell us about that one, and how that came to be.

Ken: I guess the pandemic gives us authors some additional germination time for new ideas…

My unique Musical Adventures model has the characters combine reading skills with the introduction of music vocabulary and uses their stories to promote health & wellness for the next generation of responsible citizens.

So, I wanted to explore other ways to use that musically-themed approach and the Musical Haiku Adventure book became a thing for me.

Now Grace is a poet, I guess. We’ll see if the reading world agrees with that new dimension of her personality…

Rick: And finally, there is a really exciting project on the horizon for you and this series. Tell everyone about who you are teaming up with, and what kind of books we can expect from this team in the near future.

Ken: I am really excited about this project. I have teamed-up with the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation and their TeachRock.org effort. We will be using a new children’s book “Grace’s Rockin’Roll Adventure” as a vehicle to bring the history of rock and roll to younger students. And the unexpected element of this story is that Steven Van Zandt (of Bruce Springsteen’ band fame and a major character in the Sopranos cable TV show) will be the character who gives Grace her first electric guitar— as part of the story!

We are scheduled to be shelf-ready for the Fall of 2020, with this joint-project, and certainly will have it available for this upcoming holiday season…

This is going to set off you know who

This is just another example that @realDonaldTrump is the worst manager America has ever seen. Don, you got conned … by your IT guy. pic.twitter.com/x5i7GRqEYb

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) May 20, 2020

I like this tweet too...

How sad it must be - believing that thousands of scientists, scholars, historians, economists, and journalists devoted their entire careers to deceiving you, while a multiply-bankrupted Reality TV star with decades of well-documented fraud is your only beacon of wisdom & honesty.

— Translate Trump (@TranslateRealDT) May 18, 2020

This day in Cubs history

On the day Charles Lindbergh departed aboard the Spirit of St. Louis from Long Island, New York on the first transatlantic flight, (May 20, 1927), the Cubs were not far away, in Brooklyn, beating the Robins 7-5. The hitting star for the Cubs was pitcher Tony Kaufmann.

May 20, 1935, Babe Ruth came to Chicago for the last time as a player, as a member of the Boston Braves.

Powerless Sears

How odd does this look?

How weird does the Sears Tower look without power?! pic.twitter.com/nOoEahU6I6

— Lauren Wilz & Barkevious Dingo (@LWilz) May 20, 2020

Here's the reason the lights went out, and how it affected Chicago radio and television stations.

Q&A with "Righteous Might" author Keith Conrad

Keith Conrad’s book Righteous Might is available for pre-order now at Eckhartz Press. It will ship in a few weeks. We caught up with Keith and discussed the launch of his book…

Rick: I know the plot of this book is based on the plot of a movie that didn’t satisfy you as a kid. What was it about that original movie that bothered you?

Keith: I think I was seven or eight years old when I first saw the movie The Final Countdown. I always liked the film and I still think it’s a very good and thought-provoking story. However once I saw it again as an adult, a few things really stuck in my mind. First, the story follows a modern aircraft carrier that sails into a storm and suddenly finds itself in between the Americans and Japanese on the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Ultimately, that same storm re-appears and sends them back home before they can have a big impact on things. That all seemed a little too random for me and as someone who likes a good “What if?” scenario, I also always wondered what would happen if they actually did successfully enter the fight. I thought just about any way you could come up with for a modern supercarrier to show up in the past, it would be random enough that it should be a one-way trip. My biggest complaint about the story though was the fact that it followed a very small number of characters and as a result virtually none of the story spends any time examining what the crew would be going through in a situation like that. Most of the crew is unaware of what’s happening until very late in the story, but even when they find out what’s going on there is no time at all spent on their reaction in The Final Countdown. When I wrote this story I was excited to come up with a way to get the ship back in time, and I really liked the thought experiment of what impact the people from the future would have the attack on Pearl Harbor and afterwards in WWII and beyond. I was most excited by the idea of following the crews reaction to everything though. Both the people in command, and the people below decks who are in the dark for most of the story but know something is wrong.

Rick: Time travel novels are tricky. There are so many implications you hadn’t considered yet when you began to write. What were a few of the time travel implications that struck you while you were writing, and how did that change the story (without giving too much of it away)?

Keith: I really wanted to take a deep dive into how the crew would react to that situation. I thought the most interesting part of the story was going to be the crew dealing with their sense of loss from being completely cut off from their family and friends and everyone they ever knew. That was more interesting to me then the fight with the attacking Japanese. That’s still the biggest part of the story, but I was really surprised at were the technological implications they would be dealing with right off the bat. I went into writing the story thinking the ships would have such a massive technological advantage over the Japanese from 1941 that it would not turn out to be much of a fight. In reality though, they’d actually be facing some pretty tough odds. It would be very tough for extremely difficult for them to contact the outside world immediately. There’s encryption with just about everything that the people in 1941 wouldn’t be aware of. Even talking on the radio would be a little like trying to run a VR simulation on a Commodore 64. So it’s not like they could easily warn Pearl Harbor as soon as they realized what was happening. Something that really surprised me was how much of an impact being cut off from the GPS network would have on the fleet. They would not be able to use most of their smart weapons without it, and even navigation would be very difficult. I think I came up with a clever, almost MacGuyver-like fix that gets them some of their gadgets back before they have to fight though, and I hope readers like it. It’s a lot for the crew to deal with though. They also have a lot of civilians under foot while all of this is happening. I decided to incorporate the Tiger Cruise element of the story because it really fascinated me to have the overwhelming majority of the crew facing the prospect of never seeing their family again while some of them actually have their family aboard the ship. It makes a complex and strange situation even more interesting. Once they are all aware of the situation, the crew is having to fix some pretty complex problems and invent new ways of going into combat at the same time they are dealing with the fact that most of them will never see their loves ones again. Plus, at the end story I would hope readers are thinking about the implications for the people from 1941. The presence of these people with their knowledge and technology is really going to change things.

Rick: The details about the aircraft carrier and the chain of command were so believable I thought for sure you must have served some time in the Navy. Where did you research that, and how did you create such an authentic military environment?

Keith: Very early on in the process of writing the story I reached out to Captain James McGrath, who was teaching at the US Naval War College at the time. I gave him a rough idea of the story I wanted to tell and asked about what problems the fleet would run into in a situation like that and what their game plan would ultimately be. He gave me a ton of useful information about how things work on the technical side of things. One of the very early inspirations for starting this project was the PBS miniseries Carrier, which gave a lot of insight into what it’s like to serve on an aircraft carrier. It follows the USS Nimitz through an entire deployment, and I think it gave me a pretty solid idea of who all of the players are and how things work. I was a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol when I was a teenager, and that also probably helped me understand military chains of command. I have also been fortunate enough to cross paths with a few people over the years who have served on carriers and they were kind enough to chat with me pretty in depth about their experiences and what daily life is like on an aircraft carrier.

Rick: Have you ever been to Pearl Harbor?

Keith: I have not actually been to Pearl Harbor personally. My mom and dad took a trip there several years ago however. Afterward when my dad was telling me the story of his visit to the USS Missouri and Arizona Memorial, he brought up the movie The Final Countdown, which got my brain thinking about the changes I thought that story could have used. Ultimately that led to me writing Righteous Might.

Rick: In your day job, you’re a radio producer in Chicago. I recognized a lot of names of people in the Chicago broadcasting world in the character names. Are those characters tributes to the people named or is there another reason you did that?

Keith: There’s a story behind most of the names in the book. A couple of the character names were intended to be a tip of the cap to The Final Countdown and a bit of an Easter Egg for people who are fans of that movie. I also incorporated a few names of people I went to high school and college with who ultimately went on to serve in the military. Although ironically, none of those people actually served in the Navy. So I hope there aren’t any inter-branch rivalries stocked by their names showing up in the story. Matt Stoltz for example is someone I graduated high school with, and he is actually still currently serving in the Army. There are three people: Pete Fanning, Scott Tucker and Ernie Scatton, who served in the Navy and at various times during my writing process allowed me to pick their brains about what daily life is like on a carrier. Ernie and I also worked together in radio, but I added him as a character name because he was nice enough to talk with me about his time serving aboard the USS America. There are also plenty of radio people sprinkled in throughout the story though. Some are people I crossed paths with very early in my career. Darla Taylor was named after Darla Jaye, one of the first radio hosts I worked with when I was still in college. I also tried to throw in people I worked with behind the scenes like Scott Straus and Michael Garay. Mostly because they went above and beyond the call of duty listening to me complain on days when things weren’t working out particularly well.

Rick: I know you are getting married soon. How hard has it been to plan a wedding during the COVID crisis, and how does your bride-to-be feel about her new husband becoming a published author?

Keith: Love in the time of COVID has been an interesting experience. Our wedding date ended up being right in the middle of the stay-at-home order in Illinois. We really wanted to keep that date though, so we just had to get a little creative to make things happen. We both have family and friends all around the country, so streaming the wedding online was always part of the plan anyway. Since the state is still under lockdown, we just canceled the in-person part completely and went with a completely virtual wedding and a party with all of our friends once we’re done dodging COVID and the murder hornets. Originally, we were going to stick with the same venue, but they backed out on us at the last minute causing another brief catastrophe. Luckily though, a hotel in our area was willing to help us out and allow us to do the stream from there and it actually ended up being a pretty swanky backdrop. The situation is not ideal, but we’ve both rolled with it pretty well. Even if we won’t have our family and friends with us there, it will still be an extremely memorable day. As for me becoming a published author, Misty tells me all the time that she’s very proud of me just for finally finishing the book. She is a very talented artist who is working on creating her own indie comic. It’s been a great experience to support her through that process while she supports my writing.

Q&A with "The Unplanned Life" author Roger Badesch

Roger Badesch is the author of the latest Eckhartz Press book The Unplanned Life. He has been waiting patiently through this pandemic to finally have his book released. We caught up with him this week to discuss the book and find out how it’s going…


Rick: You’ve been thinking about writing a book for a long time. What was it that finally sent you over the edge and made you say, ‘I’m gonna do it?’


Roger: Four factors pushed me ‘over the edge’: you approached me and convinced me, Rick Kogan was intrigued by my stories during his WGN Radio program and encouraged me, my wife said I should do it, and i had lots of retirement time on my hands.

Rick: Many people know you as a newscaster on WGN Radio. In fact that cover photo was made famous by your live reports during a terrible Chicago snowstorm. You go into this in harrowing detail in the book, but can you give us a Reader’s Digest version of it here?


Roger: I knew the storm was coming and it was going to be bad. But my full time teaching job was my priority. As opposed to some teachers, I stayed at my post all day putting me at risk for the drive home. Once on the road, I had an over-abundance of confidence that I would make it safely home. Then Mother Nature and human nature laughed out loud! A lost car with ice-encased engine found two days later, frostbite and an adventure for a lifetime later and I’m blessed to be here to tell it.

Rick: The people that follow your broadcasting career probably have no idea that you also spent time working for Chicago’s first female mayor and first African American mayor. Tell us a story about each of them.

Roger: Wow, so many . . . I’m not sure what about me Mayor Byrne found so favorable but it resulted in having more-than-usual access to getting her reaction to news events while I was a reporter for WKQX-FM, including being able to call her early in the morning at her home for interviews. Mayor Washington reminded me of my Uncle Harvey – my dad’s brother – friendly, supportive, accepting, gregarious, a belief in the common good. This was especially evident when I went to his apartment to install the stereo system that his staff had bought him one Christmas.

Rick: Your broadcasting stories and brushes with greatness are fascinating, but to me, the most inspiring part of the book covers your years as a teacher. That wasn’t just a temporary diversion for you. You taught for decades. I know you go into some of those stories, but what part of your teaching career gives you the most pride?


Roger: I think it’s something about my nature – something I still search for and puzzle about every day. I love helping people, yet I feel so woefully inadequate at it. There’ve been a couple ‘watchwords’, I guess, that helped guide me as a teacher, a parent and a friend – that I’ve tried to pass on: 1) you won’t know until you try, even if it doesn’t work out; 2) never take no for an answer – time will let you know if you should move on; 3) it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them; 4) when you’re successful, I’ll be successful (so many of my former students say they remember that the most).

Rick: Now that family, friends, and colleagues are starting to read the book, what kind of reactions are you getting?


Roger: Well, my wife says I was a royal troublemaker as a kid – and she’s already known most of my exploits from back then. A few readers have commented that they feel like I’m right there sharing stories with them – and I’ve heard that before when I’d tell stories during my air shifts on WGN Radio with Rick Kogan, Brian Noonan, Matt Bubala and Dave Plier, amongst others. One close friend, whom I’ve known for about 30 years, called me an ‘f-ing dork’ when she read how Bridget and I first met in Bloomington/Normal IL. And she meant that in the most loving way possible. That was awesome!

We win!

Who are the real winners in America right now?

Marijuana is legal and haircuts are against the law. It took half a century but Hippies finally won.

— RUTH BUZZI (@Ruth_A_Buzzi) May 16, 2020

Love Ruth Buzzi.

Journalism Stats

For those people who say the press is pushing this virus to further an agenda, think again. (Or think for the first time). This pandemic is hurting the journalism profession as much or more than any other industry...

To put things in perspective: After decades of layoffs, there were 88K newsroom jobs by the end of 2019, counting digital. According to the NYT, there have been ~36k lost jobs since then. There is now approximately one mid-sized town worth of journalists covering the entire US.

— Brian Merchant (@bcmerchant) May 15, 2020

RIP Eddie Haskell

Wally's best friend has passed. RIP Ken Osmond (Eddie Haskell). He was 76 years old.

This interview with Bill O'Reilly from a few years ago is actually pretty good.

South of Kankakee, Illinois is Alabama

This man has another sign comparing Gov. Pritzker to Adolf Hitler. I asked him if he’d explain why he has this sign. #twill pic.twitter.com/EFku9YkquQ

— Mike Miletich (@MikeMiletichTV) May 16, 2020

RIP Mike McCaskey

Former @ChicagoBears President Michael McCaskey has died at 76. https://t.co/xwRuMp8Si5

— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) May 17, 2020

This is getting ridiculous

Lost another one. Phylis George is gone at age 70.

Phyllis George, former Kentucky first lady and Miss America, dies at 70 https://t.co/9IC5dBwLZg

— Courier Journal (@courierjournal) May 16, 2020

He's Mad as Hell

I suspect he's not the only one who feels this way...

Any thoughts on what @RepTimRyan had to say? pic.twitter.com/4ROOQ5IIUf

— Brandon Darby (@brandondarby) May 16, 2020

RIP Fred Willard

Lost another one. Comedy great Fred Willard passed away at the age of 86. I loved him in just about everything, but my favorite has to be his performance in "Best in Show". Here's a little taste...

Hey, that's me!

My contribution to the Inside for Indies program, helping to raise money for independent book stores trying to survive this crisis...

We're raising $$ for indie bookstores by bringing you into writers' workspaces. INSIDE FOR INDIES is the name of the campaign. Today, @RickKaempfer is your host! https://t.co/oYai9kbyJT via @YouTube

— James Finn Garner (@jamesfinngarner) May 15, 2020

RIP Astrid

And yet another one. Sheesh.

Danke schön, Astrid Kirchherr. Intelligent, inspirational, innovative, daring, artistic, awake, aware, beautiful, smart, loving and uplifting friend to many. Her gift to the Beatles was immeasurable. She died in Hamburg on Wednesday, a few days before turning 82. RIP. pic.twitter.com/c8UHNK1tj4

— Mark Lewisohn (@marklewisohn) May 15, 2020

60 years ago today

In his first start as a Cub, Don Cardwell throws a no-hitter...

RIP Bob Watson

Lost another one...

Tonight my dad and hero Bob Watson has passed away after a long fight with kidney disease.. #Astros #Yankees #RedSox #Braves #Athletics #USABAseball #MLB #1stBlackGM pic.twitter.com/obKe1mwJYc

— K Dubb (@TheReal_KDubb) May 15, 2020

I have a bunch of Bob's cards including these...

KIng of *arts

I wrote this song with Hall of Famer John Records Landecker back in our WJMK days. The video was created this week by my son Tommy. It's his favorite of the Landecker & the Legends songs. It's one of the two songs the station banned us from playing on the air. (The other was about Jeffrey Dahmer).

Hall of Famer

So yesterday John Landecker was officially inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. (Read the full All Access article here)

The second day of sessions streaming at the NAB SHOW EXPRESS included an opening event celebrating "Achievement in Broadcasting," with a highlight being the induction of legendary radio personality JOHN RECORDS LANDECKER into the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS Hall of Fame.

LANDECKER's career took him to ANN ARBOR, GRAND RAPIDS, LANSING, and a stint at WIBG-A (WIBBAGE)/PHILADELPHIA before his long stint at WLS-A/CHICAGO, where he became a dominant talent in the market for many years; he later hosted at CFTR-A/TORONTO, WLUP, WAGO/WCKG, WLS again, WJMK, and WZZN/WLS-F in CHICAGO, and WIMS-A/MICHIGAN CITY, IN. His induction was preceded by a tribute video including his daughter, actress AMY LANDECKER, her husband actor BRADLEY WHITFORD, his WLS PD JOHN GEHRON, comedian GREG ECKLER, and iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST/LOS ANGELES morning host ELLEN K, and clips from his WLS days, including his "Boogie Check" bit. In accepting the award, LANDECKER said he would say something no other award recipient would say -- "I'm not wearing any pants" -- before closing with his signature line, "RECORDS truly is my middle name."

The Lisagor Awards

This year's Peter Lisagor Awards were handed out virtually, depriving the winners the joy of picking it up on stage in front of their peers. Nevertheless, it's a great honor. I was honored twice during my "Father Knows Nothing" days, which I consider the highlight of "journalism" career.

This year's winners are listed here.

Among the winners is my old pal Charlie Meyerson for his excellent blog Chicago Public Square.

A needed change of pace

If you’ve had a rough week check out these brothers sharing an orange soda.

Dare you to not smile.🌎❤️😂😉pic.twitter.com/2GlI8rRDxz

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) May 14, 2020

Hall of Famer

Free Kicks--Soccer is Back-ish

Soccer is back! Well, at least it is in Germany. In this week's episode, we'll break down the Bundesliga for you and tell you all the latest details about the re-opening of the Premier League.

Listen to it here.

Donald G. Evans

This week's Minutia Men celebrity interview features a chat with the director of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame (and Eckhartz Press author) Donald G. Evans. He has some great stories.

Listen to it here.

Mitch Michaels

Got this e-mail today from Bob Zak, a former colleague of Eckhartz Press author Mitch Michaels. We support this movement...

To Fellow Broadcasters and Radio Fans,

Please take a moment to nominate radio legend Mitch Michaels to the Radio Hall of Fame. His time has come to be recognized for his countless contributions to our industry.

Click this link: http://www.radiohalloffame.com/nominate

COPY THIS BIO:
Mitch Michaels has a long record as a personality, innovator & communicator, with more than 45 years in Chicago radio at WGLD, WXRT, WDAI, WKQX, WLUP, WBBM-FM, WCKG, WLS, WXCD, 9FM and WRXQ. Mitch currently hosts afternoon drive on 95.9 The River.

Thank you!
Bob Zak

Liz Cheney

I'm fairly sure I've never agreed with anything this woman has said since she entered public life...until now.

Dr. Fauci is one of the finest public servants we have ever had. He is not a partisan. His only interest is saving lives. We need his expertise and his judgment to defeat this virus. All Americans should be thanking him. Every day.

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 13, 2020

Lindsay Eanet

Congrats to Eckhartz Press author Lindsay Eanet (co-author of Rich King's "Back in the Game") for being named the PA announcer of the Chicago Red Stars! https://t.co/Xq1msknPpb

— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) May 13, 2020

Felicia Signs Off

A day after the morning drive ratings in Chicago cemented her WBBM show (co-hosted with Pat Cassidy) in first place, Felicia Middlebrooks has announced she's leaving the station. Her last day will be May 29th. She's leaving radio like Michael Jordan left the Bulls...right after hitting the game-winning shot.

Robert Feder has the details about Felicia's next project.

Happy Birthday Stevie!

Lately it seems I'm writing an RIP post every day. This is not one of those. It's a happy birthday post. Stevie Wonder is 70 years old today. One of the all-time greats. In my book, one of the five best songwriters of my lifetime.

Chicago Radio Ratings

Robert Feder posted these figures today. Click here if you want the daypart breakdown...

1. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM all news, 8.4 (7.7)
2. WDRV 97.1-FM classic rock, 6.4 (5.1)
3. WGN 720-AM news talk, 5.6 (4.5)
4. WBEZ 91.5-FM public radio news talk, 5.4 (4.3)
5. WVAZ 102.7-FM urban adult contemporary, 5.0 (5.3)
6. WTMX 101.9-FM hot adult contemporary, 4.4 (5.2)
7. WLS 94.7-FM classic hits, 4.0 (4.3)
8. WXRT 93.1-FM adult album alternative, 3.9 (3.8)
9. WLIT 93.9-FM adult contemporary, 3.7 (4.3)
10. WLEY 107.9-FM Mexican regional, 3.1 (2.4)
11. WKSC 103.5-FM Top 40, 3.0 (3.3)
12. (tie) WGCI 107.5-FM urban contemporary, 2.8 (2.3); WOJO 105.1-FM Mexican regional, 2.8 (3.1)
14. WSHE 100.3-FM adult contemporary, 2.6 (3.1)
15. (tie) WLS 890-AM news talk, 2.4 (2.1); WRME 87.7-FM soft rock oldies, 2.4 (2.4)
17. WSCR 670-AM sports talk, 2.2 (2.5)
18. (tie) WUSN 99.5-FM country, 2.1 (2.7); WBBM 96.3-FM Top 40, 2.1 (2.8)
20. (tie) WBMX 104.3-FM classic hip hop, 2.0 (2.4); WKQX 101.1-FM alternative rock, 2.0 (2.4)
22. WPPN 106.7-FM Spanish adult contemporary, 1.8 (1.8)
23. (tie) WEBG 95.5-FM country, 1.5 (1.2); WFMT 98.7-FM classical 1.5 (1.1); WPWX 92.3-FM urban contemporary, 1.5 (1.4); WVIV 93.5-FM Spanish contemporary, 1.5 (1.3)
27. WCKL 97.9-FM contemporary Christian, 1.3 (1.3)
28. (tie) WMBI 90.1-FM Christian ministry, 1.2 (1.0); WMVP 1000-AM sports talk, 1.2 (1.2)
30. WIIL 95.1-FM album-oriented rock, 0.8 (no previous share)

50 years ago today

Ernie's 500th homer. I remember it vividly...

RIP Zay Smith

So sorry to hear this news. I followed him in the Sun Times. He followed me on social media and we engaged in spirited banter.

RIP Zay N. Smith. https://t.co/fEuxJxyu8w

— Andrew Huff (@me3dia) May 12, 2020

Longest Home Run I've Ever Seen

Exactly 20 years ago today...

He hit it on the roof!

On this day in 2000, Glenallen Hill hit a monster home run 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WEH5hYmSHQ

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 11, 2020

Misinformation really can kill

This is stunning to watch: 60 Minutes details a "political disinformation campaign" that went from Matt Gaetz to Tucker Carlson to OAN to Trump and killed one of the most important virology programs in the world. No "both sides" here. https://t.co/imy2GYl1YN

— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) May 10, 2020

Not Exactly a Partisan

The US is becoming an embarrassment. This is the guy who killed Bin Laden. Listen to his point of view on the subject...

The guy who helped kill Bin Laden says we are under attack by Donald Trump. If you aren’t paying attention at this point you can go fuck yourself. pic.twitter.com/EUC8iDFt2e

— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) May 10, 2020

Dreams

I think we all feel this way. Hoping it can happen safely and soon.

RIP Jerry Stiller

Another great is gone. He will always be Frank Costanza to me.

This is a hilarious blooper from the DVD collection. RIP Frank.

What is the latest science on this virus?

The Washington Post has a great piece explaining all the unexpected ways COVID-19 damages and attacks the body. It's not just a respiratory virus, it's a cardiological virus--and that's the part that is killing so many people. (It also may be why finding a vaccine will be very difficult)

John Hopkins Corona Virus Resource Center felt it was necessary to release this paper, explaining why it's a bad idea to shoot for herd immunity. Bottom line: We still haven't seen any evidence that people become immune to this virus. That seems like a pretty important point.

Look, I understand why you want to get back out there. I do too. I saw my mom over the weekend for the first time in almost two months. But we wore masks and kept our distance. This is just too friggin dangerous.

RIP Betty Wright

Lost another one. R&B singer Betty Wright has passed away at the age of 66. Wow has this been a bad year...

Minutia Men--Grocery Bags & Body Bags

Rick and Dave discuss the lighter side of the virus with stories about Dave’s senior advantage, a woman who doesn’t quite get the concept of the mask, the best place in the world to be quarantined, and a government employee who just made one heck of a goof. Also, two interviews–recently inducted HOFer John Records Landecker, and Emmy-award winning comedian Dwayne Kennedy. [Ep179]

Listen to it here.

RIP Roy

2020 will definitely be the year of the celebrity death. RIP Roy. A tiger couldn't kill you, but this virus was too much.

Roy Horn, of "Siegfried & Roy," has died from complications related to COVID-19, according to his partner Siegfried Fischbacher. He was 75. https://t.co/mLeHc7PtU7

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 9, 2020

RIP Little Richard

Sad to hear this news, although it's been expected for a while. Little Richard, the king AND queen of rock and roll, has passed away at the age of 87. I met Richard once at an outdoor Oldies concert in the 1990s. He has the biggest head I've ever seen, and there must have been five inches of pancake makeup on it. But once the show started, he lit up and rocked.

Little Richard's Rock Hall induction speech for Otis Redding is full of music, joy, and moments like this. He was legitimately hilarious. pic.twitter.com/lUmqVxEeBB

— Who Cares About the Rock Hall? (@rockhallpod) May 10, 2020

Video proof

I agree with the assessment of this former George Bush speechwriter...

Every citizen should watch this Morning Joe montage to understand how badly they have been betrayed by an incompetent, delusional, deceptive, ignorant, overmatched president. https://t.co/eYByDaPOcL

— Michael Gerson (@MJGerson) May 8, 2020

Shelter in Place Schedule

Got a kick out of this, written by one of my friends, author Christine Sneed.

Brian May

I can think of a few fat bottomed and Freddy Mercury jokes, but I choose to take the high ground. Hope he recovers fully. Great guitarist.

Queen’s Brian May Hospitalized After Ripping Glutes ‘to Shreds’ While Gardening https://t.co/8xyrGwa4ai

— Variety (@Variety) May 8, 2020

Robbie Rist

This week's Minutia Men celebrity interview is with the man who played Cousin Oliver on the Brady Bunch, Robbie Rist. His take on his place in Brady history..."If you think a nine year old can destroy a show, your show might have bigger problems." https://radiomisfits.com/mmci19/

Pick Your Bundesliga Team

The German Bundesliga will be the first to return. They begin play next weekend. For those of you who don't follow the league, here's a handy guide for picking a team...

John Landecker

Robert Feder has a few more details about Landecker's induction into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame...

Good news for fans of John Records Landecker: When the legendary Chicago radio personality is inducted in the National Association of Broadcasters’ Broadcasting Hall of Fame next week, we’ll all be able to watch it live. The ceremony had been set for April 20, but the coronavirus shutdown canceled the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas. So now it’s happening online at noon May 14 on NABShowExpress.com. Registration is free. (Here is the link.) Previous NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees from Chicago include Larry Lujack, Dick Orkin, Tom Joyner, Wally Phillips, Harry Caray and Paul Harvey.

Look at that group he's joining. Talk about the elite of Chicago broadcasting elite.

The First One to Return

Bundesliga is coming back! 🇩🇪🙌

The German Football League (DFL) will convene with clubs Thursday to discuss an exact date of return. pic.twitter.com/Fp2f6knUd5

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 6, 2020

Count me in! Going through withdrawal here.

NAB Hall of Fame

John Landecker was scheduled to be inducted into the NAB Hall of Fame in April but it was postponed because of the virus. Now they are going to do it virtually. He forwarded me this info, if you'd like to watch it live...

John, I want to make sure you know that we are airing your induction at NAB Show Express during our Achievement in Broadcasting session on May 14 beginning at 12noon EST. Registration for the event is free and is now open at NABShowExpress.com.

I'll be watching!

Obscure Stat

Willie Mays turns 89 today.
He is the only player in MLB history to have at least one career Home Run in every inning from 1-16 pic.twitter.com/OmIXyfOgbk

— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) May 6, 2020

Here's the Willie Mays baseball card my mom threw out during one of her "pick up your baseball cards or I'll throw them out" tantrums. I bought it back as an adult. It remains my only Willie Mays...

RIP Florian

Very sad news. Another great has fallen. Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider has died at the age of 73.

The German electronic band Kraftwerk was an innovator and one of the most influential bands in electronic music history. It's also the band that my son Tommy and I bonded over...we both loved them. They were scheduled to do a rare world tour and we were going to see them, but it was canceled because of the virus.

RIP Florian!

My two favorites...

20 strikeouts

May 6, 1998

I was there, sitting in my regular seats, freezing my butt off that day. I must confess, I didn’t recognize at first the magnitude of what I was watching. I remember thinking, “boy he’s got a lot of strikeouts,” but I had no idea he had as many as he did.

At one point I leaned forward and tapped the shoulder of the guy sitting in front of me. He was listening to the game on the radio.

“How many strikeouts does Wood have?” I asked him.

“12,” he answered.

That’s when I really started paying attention. The Astros, it should be noted, were in first place, and had a very formidable lineup that day including Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Derek Bell, and Moises Alou.

You could almost feel the ballpark catching on to what was happening, slowly but surely. With each successive strikeout, the cheers got louder and louder. This might have been the most dominating performance in baseball history. The Astros only managed to hit it out of the infield twice, two weak fly balls. Wood only allowed two runners, a squib infield hit by Ricky Gutierez, and a hit-by-pitch to Craig Biggio.

In the ninth, the few thousand of us who braved the really horrible weather conditions to stay, all rose to our feet as Wood struck out pinch hitter Billy Spiers for his 19th strikeout. We applauded when Biggio grounded out.

And we roared when Wood struck out Derek Bell to end the game.

20 strikeouts.

A game I’ll never forge

RIP Salty Saltwell

The Cubs today mourn the death of former executive Eldred R. “Salty” Saltwell, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 96.

Saltwell served a variety of roles within the organization during a 30-year career. pic.twitter.com/CNhHzQnuOj

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 5, 2020

Here's his write-up in EveryCubEver...

~Salty Saltwell 1924--2020 (Cubs GM 1976)
His actual name was E.R. Saltwell, but everyone called him Salty. In 1975, after the long reign of General Manager John Holland ended, P.K. Wrigley replaced Holland with the only logical choice on the payroll: the team’s former concessions manager E.R. “Salty” Saltwell. P.K. was no longer just thinking outside of the box; he didn’t even know where the box was anymore. Salty was the GM of the Cubs for only one season (1976) but he made his mark. Who could forget his fleecing the Cardinals of Mick Kelleher? Or his stealing of Rick Stelmaszek from the Yankees? He also acquired big names like Mike Garman, Ramon Hernandez, Tim Ireland, Tom DeTorre, and reacquired the incredibly washed-up Randy Hundley. Salty’s deft touch in the draft was something to behold as well. In 1976, the Cubs had two first round draft choices. They selected Herman Segelke with the 7th overall pick, and Karl Pagel with the 20th pick. Salty knew better than to waste his time with the other future stars selected in that same first round: Steve Trout (White Sox), Mike Scoscia (Dodgers), Leon Durham (Cardinals), and Bruce Hurst (Red Sox). Salty’s crowning moment as general manager, however, had to be when he unloaded future slugging All-Star Andre Thornton for reserve outfielder Larry Biittner (and Steve Renko). Renko won 10 games in his Cubs career, Biittner hit 12 homers in his Cubs career, and Andre Thornton hit more than 30 homers three times. In September 1976, Steve Stone informed Saltwell of his impending free agency and attempted to get a contract. Salty responded by telling Stone that Mr. Wrigley was in the middle of a divorce and he would have to get back to him. Salty was demoted shortly after that. To this day, Salty Saltwell remains the only general manager in baseball history to rise from concessions manager to general manager and then back again to Director of Park Operations.

Roger Badesch

Can you tell that Roger is getting a little impatient about his book not being out yet? :)

Social distancing kept me away from the printer today but they were kind enough to take a picture of pages from the book as they were getting them ready for binding!! EXCITING!!! The arrow points to the front and back cover stack!! pic.twitter.com/8ttgNxNKqz

— Roger Badesch (@TeacherRB) May 5, 2020

Cinco De Mayo

On this Cinco de Mayo we celebrate all of the Mexican-born players who have played for the Cubs. All of them are featured in EveryCubEver…

~Jesse Flores (Cubs 1942)
The first Mexican-born pitcher in big league history made his debut with the Cubs during the war. He only pitched in four games and posted an ERA of 3.38 before the Cubs sent him down for more seasoning. He later pitched for the A’s and the Indians. After his playing career, Jesse became one of the best scouts in baseball. His signings for the Minnesota Twins included Bert Blyleven, Lyman Bostock, Bill Campbell, Rick Dempsey, and Jesse Orosco.

~Hector Torres (Cubs 1971)
The Cubs aquired Torres in a straight shortstop for shortstop swap with the Houston Astros. The Astros got Roger Metzger in return. Torres hit .224 backing up Don Kessinger and Glenn Beckert in 1971. It was the Mexico native’s only season with the Cubs. Metzger, meanwhile, was the Astros starting shortstop for the next seven years, and won a Gold Glove. Torres was nicknamed “La Malita”.

~Horacio Pina (Cubs 1974)
The Mexican-born Pina was acquired from the Oakland A’s for Bob Locker in November of 1973. He was only two years removed from his most productive season in the big leagues, when he saved 15 games for the Rangers, and a month removed from contributing to the 1973 World Series Champion Oakland A’s, but he was a total bust for the Cubs. In 59 innings pitched, he allowed an astounding 89 baserunners. Not the kind of numbers you need from someone you expect to be a key member of your late inning bullpen. The Cubs traded him to the Angels by the end of July. After the season, Horacio went back to his native Mexioo. He pitched a no-hitter there in 1975, and a perfect game in 1978.

~Daniel Garibay (Cubs 2000)
Garibay was born and raised in Mexico, and didn’t get his first shot at Major League Baseball until he was 27 years old. The Cubs used him as a spot starter and a reliever, and he didn’t do well in either role. He went 2-8 with an ERA over 6.

~Ismael Valdez (Cubs 2000)
The Cubs acquired the former 15-game winner along with Eric Young, and immediately placed him in the starting rotation. Unfortunately for the Cubs, Valdez developed blister problems and had a hard time staying healthy. He won a grand total of two games in Chicago. Before the season was over, they traded him back to the Dodgers. He later pitched for the Angels, Rangers, Mariners, Padres and Marlins. He won 104 big league games, but he also lost 105. He was known as “The Rocket”.

~Rodrigo Lopez (Cubs 2011-2012)
The Mexican-born Lopez was a two-time 15-game winner for the Orioles, but by the time he came to the Cubs, he was getting by on fumes. In 30 appearances over two seasons his ERA was over 6, and he allowed 18 homers. Chicago was the last stop of his big league career.

Merica

I'm really starting to worry about this country...

A park ranger was pushed into a lake in Austin for trying to enforce distancing requirements.

These thugs need to respect authority. We need law and order back in America. Blue Lives Matter. And when is Trump going to stop this white-on-white crime?pic.twitter.com/ts2zU474fr

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) May 5, 2020

Just Sign This, And I'm On Board

Kent State

A great report about Kent State massacre exactly 50 years later from the photographer who took that iconic photograph. https://t.co/E5Otq3Blgh

— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) May 3, 2020

Hilarious

This is really well done.

Family Guy - Griffin vs. Trump fight from Cody Stumma on Vimeo.

The Last Kick

After the Last Dance series ends in a few weeks, look for the 10-part series about the glorious run to the quarterfinals (or was it the semi-finals?) of the 1980-1981 Prospect High School varsity soccer team. Never-before-told stories of practice skirmishes which led to running laps with "that Swedish kid". The unforgettable advice the assistant coach, "you know the guy I mean--the biology teacher" gave to the boys right before that big game against "that orange team". Vague memories. Gripping drama. Bad Haircuts. Don't miss it.

Phil & Greg

Last night news came out that Hubbard Broadcasting in Chicago had fired a dozen staffers, including some people I know and respect. Among them, WDRV (The Drive) jocks Phil Manicki and Greg Easterling.

Both are fellow former WPGUers (University of Illinois) and both are consummate pros.

I interviewed Greg back in 2009 for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

I interviewed Phil just last year for Illinois Entertainer.

Minutia Men--Michael Jordan & Josh Gondelman

Rick and Dave discuss the most unusual smoothies ever, the fact that Michael Jordan can do absolutely anything he wants, Rick’s brush with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young, and they interview writer/comedian/producer/author Josh Gondelman. [Ep178]

Listen to it here.

Black Water (Live in Isolation)

RIP Bart & Bob

I missed the passing of two of my childhood baseball heroes over the last few weeks. Bart Johnson and Bob Oliver both died in April. Neither played for my Cubs, but I always loved these baseball cards. RIP Bart & Bob. pic.twitter.com/sGx76C1kAh

— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) May 1, 2020

You are the Champions

Queen is revisiting a classic to salute health workers...

Rock band Queen and singer Adam Lambert are raising money for health workers fighting COVID-19 with a new single ‘You Are The Champions,’ an updated version of classic hit ‘We Are The Champions’
pic.twitter.com/hlsjOvHBrC

— Rich Tehrani (@rtehrani) May 1, 2020

Whip

The May issue of Illinois Entertainer is out and features my interview with Brian Paruch, aka Whip, from the Mix Morning show (WTMX)

Read it here.

Is Premier League coming back?

Players are beginning to train, but oh boy, has the world changed.

*Players must arrive at training grounds in kit and wear masks at all times.

*They must not shower or eat on the premises. If clubs want to provide players with food, it must be delivered as a takeaway to players' cars.

*Only essential medical treatment would be allowed, with all medical staff in full PPE.

*All meetings and reviews must take place virtually and off-site.

More information is here.

Grace Fights Covid 19

This book is the first American parental resource that explains the coronavirus to the youngest member of the family. The Musical Bug Squad becomes a kid-centric tool that all parents should give their emerging reader children. And teachers can use it in the classroom, too!

Priced to simply cover our costs.

Find out more about it here.

Fun Fact

Only four ex-Cub pitchers have defeated all 30 current MLB clubs, and only one of them was a Cub when he beat the 30th team (John Lackey). The other three are Terry Mulholland, Dan Haren, and Jamie Moyer. (Only 19 pitchers in MLB history have ever done it)

Illinois

Free Kicks

This week's episode of Free Kicks has all the latest news about the potential re-opening of the European soccer leagues (and there is some, by the way).

Listen to it here.

News Radio From Home

I really thought this was an interesting look at how a Newsradio station like WBBM-AM in Chicago handles the current situation. They remain an essential source of news for Chicago, but they also have to protect their employees from the virus. It's a demanding format requiring lots of people in the best of circumstances.

Here's how they do it.

Thanks to Robert Feder for that report.

Robbie Rist

This week's Minutia Men Celebrity Interview is with Cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch, Robbie Rist.

Listen to it here.

America's Lost Soul

Lossano and Friends

Tony Lossano has been posting previous episodes of his podcast Lossano and Friends. This first episode he posted includes me as a guest (promoting my new at the time book "Father Knows Nothing"). I remember it well. It was the first (and possibly last) time I got to broadcast with the immortal Dick Biondi. That was a thrill. I've known Dick since I started at WJMK in 1993, but this was the only time I was actually on the air with him.

#VintageLossanoAndFriends! with @LarryPotash @DickBiondiFilm @tracyswartz @RickKaempfer @MinutiaMen @LossanoFriends @LOSSANO https://t.co/YbNlPBjDcp

— Radio Misfits (@RadiosMisfits) April 28, 2020

David Ross story

Pretty funny story about Cubs manager David Ross during his broadcasting days...

ESPN’s Jon “Boog” Sciambi recently hopped on “The Compound,” a podcast hosted by Cubs Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, Dakota Mekkes and Zack Short. Sciambi recalled a time where Ross got up to use the restroom during a commercial break of a Red Sox-Phillies entering the 10th inning.

The 10th already started by the time Ross returned to the booth, giving Cubs legend Rick Sutcliffe — the third member of broadcast team — a chance to mess with him.

“[Ross] puts the headset on kinda quiet, like he’s sneaking back into the booth. And Sutt, to his credit — and Sutt’s not the brightest light on the Christmas tree — sees it.

“Rossy puts his headset back on, and Sutt goes ‘That’s a great point, Boog. What do you think about that, Rossy?’

“[Ross’] eyes bulge out. He looks at me and I look at him, like ‘Well…’ It’s like one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, he realizes we’re ****ing with him, and he just blurts out ‘You guys are like camels; you never go to the bathroom.’”

Yes, this happened live on the air during a national broadcast of an MLB game. Three Red Sox-Phillies games went to extras from 2017-18; which of the three this story occurred during is uncertain.

Tulips

The great Barry Butler photographs one of the most beautiful times of the year in downtown Chicago. I may have to make a trip down there to check it out...

How is this story not getting more attention?

Am I wrong? This seems like pretty big news.

Pentagon formally releases 3 Navy videos showing "unidentified aerial phenomena" https://t.co/HpbbVoiT2P pic.twitter.com/f7vVQV8h3v

— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 28, 2020

A True Bulls Fan

Freddie in Quarantine

Quarantined in France — this guy doing his best Freddie Mercury on the balcony while playing “I Want to Break Free” is the Twitter content I’m here for...🌎❤️😂🤣pic.twitter.com/YYtiz005gX

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) April 27, 2020

The Gov

SNL cut this for time on the air, but posted it online. I thought it was pretty strong...

Winds of Change

Try to wrap your head around this one. From Deadline...

Did the CIA write Scorpions’ hit song Wind of Change? This is the wild story of Spotify’s latest original podcast documentary series.

The audio platform has teamed up with New Yorker investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, Pod Save America producer Crooked Media and Missing Richard Simmons producer Pineapple Street Studios for Wind of Change.

The eight-part series, which debuts May 11, follows Keefe as he explores a rumor he heard from a source within the CIA: The CIA was behind the 1990 international hit. He will look at spies doing the unthinkable, a secret history of propaganda hidden in pop music, and a maze of government secrets as he attempts to untangle one of the great mysteries of the Cold War.

I played this song a million times when i was on the Loop. We pushed it hard. Don't think we were part of the conspiracy, but I must admit, this song never spoke to me. And I'm German. And I was blown away by the Berlin Wall coming down. And I love the Scorps. This song just isn't that good.

Minutia Men

Click here to listen.

What's Up With That?

This bit hasn't been pulled out of the closet for a while, but it was done very well on SNL this weekend. My son Tommy's all-time favorite SNL bit...

Walking on Sunshine

This song is 35 years old today and it still puts you in a good mood. Much harder to write a truly happy song than a sad one...