Friday, March 04, 2016
Save the Date: May 20
My cousin's son Caleb is one of the recipients of this years Beat Tom & Bill Golf Outing. Thanks to everyone who sent me prizes for the silent auction/raffle. (I got some great prizes!). If you'd like to participate in the golf outing itself, registration opens on St. Patrick's Day In the meantime save the date: Friday, May 20. Golf is at the White Pines Golf Course - Bensonville, IL. Dinner will be at the Diplomat West Banquets - Elmhurst, IL. Your support means the world to me, and of course to Caleb's family (and the eight other families being helped this year).
Chicago's Birthday
Some beautiful pictures. She doesn't look a day over 150.
Happy 179th Birthday #chicago! I'm going to dedicate most of the day showing you off. @ChooseChicago @DNAinfoCHI pic.twitter.com/fMfPXQAqIh
— Jeff Lewis (@ChicagoPhotoSho) March 4, 2016
Knife Found Buried at OJ's Estate
While the actual trial was going on I was the executive producer of the John Landecker show on WJMK, and we followed this trial incredibly closely. We did four different songs about it. We did untold bits about the news of the day. We created the "Dancing Itos" concept that was later stolen by Jay Leno. I watched the trial daily to get bit ideas. And I remember it incredibly well. So, when I say they are doing a great job recreating it, I know what I'm talking about.
And now, while this series is being shown on television, new evidence has emerged. According to TMZ this morning, a knife has been found buried on the grounds of OJ Simpson's former estate. Remember, the murder weapon was never found. They searched the woods here in Chicago for it (because he flew to Chicago the night of the murders), and they searched his estate, but they never looked to see if it was buried there. And, according to the article, the knife appears to have blood residue on it.
Of course, even if it proves to be the murder weapon, OJ cannot be charged with the crime again. He was acquitted. Double Jeopardy precludes a second trial. But still, wouldn't it be nice to know?
RIP John Rook
We've lost another legend -- longtime programmer, consultant and station owner John Rook, best known for his successful stints at KQV/Pittsburgh, WLS and WCFL/Chicago and KFI and KABC/Los Angeles, died on Tuesday, March 1. Rook, who was 78, had been living in Coeur d'Alene, ID with his sister Dot and his adopted son Jason. Veteran programmer Dennis Constantine was a close friend of Rook, who hired him at Y100/Miami in 1973 and brought him out to do nights at KTLK/Denver six months later. Constantine told RAMP he and Rook had spoken on the phone almost every day over the past few years. "John was most proud of his years at ABC, first at KQV/Pittsburgh, then at WLS/Chicago," he said. "Years later, he competed against WLS when he went to WCFL. He has programmed and consulted many amazing radio stations with a very simple philosophy -- play the hits! He had a great ear for picking hits and he was a great coach for air staff. He was the first who taught me about 'one thought per break.'"
When I interviewed Clark Weber for Chicago Radio Spotlight a few years ago, he mentioned that Rook was the man who replaced him as PD at WLS in 1966...50 years ago.
"I learned I wasn’t prepared to be the program director. I was just lucky that everyone there got along well. It wasn’t really until Lujack arrived that I started to run into problems. That’s when they brought John Rook in to be the PD, and I was the happiest guy in the building."
Totally Presidential
Donald Trump last night during the Republican debate:
"I have to say this: he hit my hands. Nobody has ever hit my hands. I have never heard of this. Look at those hands. [Holds hands up] Are they small hands? [Laughter] And he referred to my hands — if they are small, something else must be small. I guarantee you, there is no problem. I guarantee you."
Donald Trump responding to the blistering Mitt Romney speech yesterday afternoon:
"I don't know what happened to him. You can see how loyal he is. He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, 'Mitt, drop to your knees.' He would have dropped to his knees."
Donald Trump responding to the blistering Mitt Romney speech yesterday afternoon:
"I don't know what happened to him. You can see how loyal he is. He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, 'Mitt, drop to your knees.' He would have dropped to his knees."
Thursday, March 03, 2016
Melissa Forman Interview
You can read it here.
The Who's 50 Greatest Songs
Rolling Stone Magazine has put together their list, and of course, it's bound to spark disagreement among Who fans. As for me, this one (that didn't make it in their top ten) is the greatest Who song ever...
Spring Training "Opening Day" lineup
The Cubs are playing their first spring training game today, and they just announced their lineup...
1. Kyle Schwarber - LF
2. Kris Bryant - 3B
3. Anthony Rizzo - 1B
4. Jorge Soler - RF
5. Miguel Montero - C
6. Javy Baez - CF
7. Tommy La Stella - 2B
8. Dan Vogelbach - DH
9. Munenori Kawasaki - SS
Travis Wood - P
I am so ready for this season to begin.
2. Kris Bryant - 3B
3. Anthony Rizzo - 1B
4. Jorge Soler - RF
5. Miguel Montero - C
6. Javy Baez - CF
7. Tommy La Stella - 2B
8. Dan Vogelbach - DH
9. Munenori Kawasaki - SS
Travis Wood - P
I am so ready for this season to begin.
Mitt's Speech
Meanwhile, the FBI has offered immunity to the guy who created Hillary's e-mail server, which is surely not a good development for her.
This election in the fall could be amongst the two most hated candidates in history; one who is clearly emotionally unstable and despised by a majority of his own party, against another who could be facing an indictment. Unbelievable.
This is the first presidential election my two oldest sons are eligible to vote. Good luck picking a candidate, boys.
Tribune Publishing
Adweek has the ugly details.
Joe Walsh & Bad Company
This is a heck of a double-headliner show: Joe Walsh and Bad Company.
Details (and tour dates) are available here. They come to Chicago on June 23.
I'm going to try to make it to this one (and as many others as I can). The way these guys have been dropping over the past year or so makes we want to see them all one last time.
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
Fox News Receives Its Marching Orders
Look for the anti-Trump talk to immediately disappear from Fox News...
The suits are figuring out that the monster they created still needs to be fed. Unfortuately for them, the monster now gets to order whatever it wants from the menu.
As predicted, Trump reaching out to make peace with Republican "establishment". If he becomes inevitable party would be mad not to unify.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) March 2, 2016
"We're finished with Rubio," says Fox News chief Roger Ailes: https://t.co/2bNsx9ayci pic.twitter.com/VUehx0NE5s
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) March 2, 2016
The suits are figuring out that the monster they created still needs to be fed. Unfortuately for them, the monster now gets to order whatever it wants from the menu.
Norm Winer Quits WXRT
Robert Feder has the details and the full text of Norm's farewell to his co-workers.
Couldn't help but notice this comment from Norm: "I’ll soon have plenty of time to start writing my memoirs while I can still remember all the names, places, and punchlines that have given me so much pleasure – or at least adrenaline—for so long."
Norm, I know a publisher. Give me a call.
10 Years of Blogging: Bonus Father Knows Nothing "Dad's on TV"
My kids never tire of hearing stories about my childhood, but there is one thing they will never ask me about under any circumstances.
My career.
They just don't care. I can understand that on a certain level. My own father was an engineer, and I remember that after I discovered he wasn't a train engineer...he was just a civil engineer...his job didn't interest me in the slightest. Even when I attended a school that he had personally designed (Heidelberg American Middle School), I wasn't impressed. I remember telling him: "The hallways are a little confusing."
So, I suppose it's only fair that my own kids are similarly unimpressed with my career. When they were little, I worked in radio. My two oldest sons Tommy and Johnny were even featured on the show quite a bit. But I remember their reaction one time when a stranger was impressed by meeting them because he had heard them talking on the radio.
They thought the guy was nuts.
When this fan asked Tommy what it was like hanging out with a famous disc jockey like John Records Landecker, he just shrugged his shoulders. So did Johnny. To them, John was just one of Dad's friends. No big deal. And being on the radio was also no big deal. It's just a bunch of people sitting in a room with microphones.
When my first book came out, I gave an autographed copy to my oldest son. He put it in the closet. When my first novel came out two years later, I gave copies to all three boys. Two of them have no idea where their copies are now. When my most recent novel came out, none of the boys wanted a copy. None of them even asked me what it's about.
But there was one time, I did something that I thought might actually interest them: I was interviewed on television.
I mentioned it to the boys at breakfast that morning as I put on my suit.
"Is it going to be on the Internet?" Sean asked.
"I'm not sure," I said. "I hope so. If not, I can probably post it on YouTube."
"Do you know how to do that?" Tommy asked.
"No. Do you?"
He just shook his head and continued eating his waffles. No follow up questions. Not the slightest bit of interest. After they came home from school I asked them if they wanted to watch the interview. All three of them said no. Bridget, to her credit, actually did want to see it when she came home from work. I even heard her guilting the boys into watching it too. Only two of them were moved by her techniques; Tommy and Sean. Johnny still didn't care. He stayed in his room reading Captain Underpants.
The rest of us watched the segment together. After it was over, Tommy said: "That's it?"
"Yup," I replied.
Sean didn't say a word, he just walked away. Bridget said: "That was pretty good, but..."
"What?"
"You were a little slouchy."
Gotcha.
I must say, there's very little chance of getting a big head in this household. I suppose that's probably for the best. But I also have a pretty good idea now how my Dad felt when I told him the hallways in his school were a little confusing.
Daniel Day Lewis as...Obama
Clever.
Steven Spielberg's Obama TrailerA trailer for Steven Spielberg's Obama starring Daniel Day Lewis and Tracy Morgan.
Posted by Consequence of Sound on Saturday, February 27, 2016
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