A Good Metaphor the World

True Olympic Spirit

I haven't watched a lot of the Olympics, but to me this is the kind of story that makes the Olympic Games so compelling.

It's the story of two female runners who crashed into each other during the 5000 meters race. What happened after that crash is what the true Olympic spirit is all about.

Read about it here.

Guess Where I Was Yesterday?

I seem to be taking up permanent residence there. Yesterday my companion was this kid, my youngest son Sean. It's pretty obvious he enjoys the experience more than his brothers. We had a great time. Thanks to my old pal Al Katz for these incredible seats...

WOLD

From this morning's Tom Taylor column. He jogged my memory about an old Harry Chapin song...

“W-O-L-D” was Harry Chapin’s 1974 song about a journeyman DJ, and these days those calls belong in the southwestern Virginia town of Marion. Now classic rock WOLD/102.5 and “Thunder Country 103.5” WZVA are selling, in a deal that makes Marion one of the most active small towns in the country for deals.

I don't care about West Virginia radio, but I did enjoy listening to this old tune again...

DreX

Remember DreX, the former morning personality at 103.5FM in Chicago? He had been hosting evenings in SF, but that stint has just ended. From the RAMP Newsletter this morning...

Yesterday we learned that DreX is stepping down from the night show at Cumulus News-Talk KGO-AM/San Francisco after an 18-month run, citing "personal family issues." DreX, whose real name is Kevin Buchar, is best known for his multiple stints at KTFM/San Antonio and a successful decade-long run in mornings on iHeartRadio Top 40 WKSC (103.5 Kiss FM)/Chicago, along with a stop at the late KSJO/San Jose.

NBC Boss Tell Real Views About Donald Trump

He was his Trump's boss at NBC, and this is how NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt described Trump on his facebook page..

“The sad state of affairs thanks to a pompous businessman turned reality TV star (whose show consistently ran LAST in its time period, by the way) who thinks speaking his mind is refreshing. It’s actually corrosive and toxic because his ‘mind’ is so demented; and his effect will unfortunately linger long after he’s been told to get off the stage.”

Yes, Greenblatt later deleted that comment because he was getting heat for it, but you know that's what he really believes. The problem, of course, is that Greenblatt was partially responsible for creating this reality television Frankenstein. He just never believed that viewers would ever take it seriously.

The Return of Brian Williams

He's still a punchline on the right, but Brian Williams has quietly been making a comeback on MSNBC. Over the past few months he has anchored more than 200 hours of mostly "breaking news" programming on the network.

Between Labor Day and Election Day, he will have his own nightly show on MSNBC. It will air at 10pm Central, right after the Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell.

RIP John McLaughin

McLaughlin hosted one of the first combative political TV talkshows in the nation--and his was on PBS. Over the years, entire cable-news networks have copied his approach.

Among the regular panelists on the show over the years; Pat Buchanan and Chris Matthews.

The show lasted on PBS for 34 years and spawned countless parodies, send-ups, and tributes.

My in-laws (may they rest in peace) never missed a show. McLaughlin may have been a cranky old bugger, but he knew how to do television, and he produced one of the rare shows that represents an era. He was 89 years old.

Elvis

On this day in 1977, the King passed away at the age of 42.

Kurt Melcher

My cousin Kurt made the news again.

After 22 years as the head women's soccer coach at Robert Morris University, and the head of their pioneering E-sports program, he has left the school to pursue the E-sports world full time.

Details are here.

Always wear a jock, fellas

Otherwise a floppage at the precisely wrong time could cost you a successful pole vault.

Pow! Right in the penis

Comedy Central Cancels The Nightly Show

The show was hosted by Larry Wilmore. He did a pretty good job of covering the news in a humorous way, but he never really caught on with the general public. His numbers were way down from Stephen Colbert's (in the same time slot), but even worse than that, he lost a huge portion of the lead-in audience from the Daily Show every night.

NBC.com has the details.

What a View

Last night at Wrigley. Just spectacular...

Whoa. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/FoIZOXBJfM

— MLB (@MLB) August 15, 2016

Trump Threatens NY Times

You see, he's not just running against Crooked Hillary now. He's running against the Crooked Media. You know, the guys who have given him billions of dollars of free publicity. Those guys. The guys he craves attention from like it's the only oxygen he can breathe.

His latest target: The New York Times. He's threatening to revoke their press credentials because of a story he disagrees with. You know, like presidents do. He's also saying that the only way he could lose is if Hillary cheats, even though she now has double-digit leads in polls in most of the swing states. Obviously those polls are rigged. Look at his crowds! Bigly.

And yet, this weekend I spoke with two more people who seem completely reasonable in every other way, who are thinking of voting for Trump because they think Hillary is worse. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a Hillary fan, but this is not a difficult decision. Just listen to this man speak for more than thirty seconds, and then imagine him representing the United States around the world for the next four years.

What am I missing?

Now we know why

Thank God Jon Snow was brought back to life so that he could do those car commercials.

Minutia Men, Episode 15

Rick and Dave discuss flipping off Dad, the Beatles and Sky, Young blood for old men, the Cubs celebrating VJ Day, and Rick's brush with Sam Kinison.

Listen to it here.

Around the Publishing World (August 12)

At Chicago Author Solutions (a division of Eckhartz Press), we stay on top of happenings/trends in the publishing world to help out busy writers who are spending their time doing what they should be doing: writing.


1. Writing tips from....Charles Darwin?
He didn't exactly write tips for fellow writers, but examining how he wrote is quite illuminating.

2. Eight writing tips from Ernest Hemingway
These are actual writer-to-writer tips from Poppy. I've used at least one of these tips since I began writing full time about fifteen years ago.

3. Five writing tips from author Donald Ray Pollock
Pollock's tips are really more for getting the idea flow going.

4. Writing tips from author Tim Lebbon
Some of these tips are a little on the "duh" side ("Work hard"), but they are still worth a read.

5. Five tips from literary agent Carly Watters
These aren't writing tips as much as they are pitching tips. If you still want to go the traditional publishing route, it's worth a read.

6. Ten tips for finding inspiration when you don't feel like writing
Always useful to keep an article like this lying around. There will come a time when you need it.

7. In Small Boxes Launch Party
We had a great launch party for the latest Eckhartz Press book, In Small Boxes, this week. If you'd like to see some photos, click on the link.

Interesting First Amendment Issue

One of the main tenets of journalism is that journalists do not have to reveal their sources. That's necessary to keep a free and open press. On the other hand, there's Glenn Beck. From today's NOW column...

Judge orders Glenn Beck to reveal sources for his Boston Marathon bombing comments. Beck repeatedly said on his Premiere Networks show that Saudi Arabian student Abdulrahman Alharbi was “the money man” involved in the horrific attacks at the April 2013 Boston Marathon. Alharbi is suing Beck, his TheBlaze.com and Premiere for defamation, since he says Beck kept up his line of commentary even after the feds cleared him. (In fact Alharbi was injured, standing in the crowd at the finish line.) Politico reports that the judge in the case realizes there’s a First Amendment question about forcing the naming of sources. But she cites “vague and often contradictory” testimony from Beck and two former associates about the alleged Department of Homeland Security sources of the claim. The next move is up to Beck.

I'm not sure where I come down on this one. I'm normally on the side of journalists, but Glenn Beck is a bomb thrower who makes insinuations--often without actual proof. I suspect in this case there is no source at all, and that's what the judge is attempting to prove.

Still Reading It

I must admit I get a kick out of it when my mailbox includes unsolicited e-mails like these two. They came on the same day...

From "BDH"...

"Just for the record, Rick, as a fellow-radio-producer, I really appreciated your book. It has a home on my bookshelf of radio books I've pored over during the years. Just know you have a fan."

From "TR"...

"Hey Rick shuffling thru stuff at my house Thur evening came across Severance. Remembered how much I enjoyed it. Cracked it open and read it again.Thanks for reminding me how fucked up my business is. Love it. Thanks for writing it."




The Radio Producer's Handbook came out in 2004, and $everance came out in 2007. I love that people are still reading them.

Paul McCartney in Rolling Stone

Great interview with Paul McCartney in the latest issue of Rolling Stone.

I don't know how he does it, but he manages to find new stories to tell in every interview--even though he might be the most interviewed person in history.

Here's my favorite part, and the reason why I'll never approach him if I happen to see him in a restaurant...

You would get fans who'd want something and you'd go, "No, I'm sorry. I'm eating dinner. You've got to go away." They'd go, "Well, we buy your records." We said, "Stop buying them, if that's the trade-off." We were always like that, Ringo more than anyone. They would come to his house, and he'd go, "Fuck off" and slam the door. He would not have any of it. You have to draw the line. Or your sanity goes.