Today's Best Tweets--March 21

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...




Rolling Stone ‏@RollingStone 4m
How Paul Rodgers almost joined the Doors and more wild stories from the Bad Company frontman: http://rol.st/1nJM4IM

Phil Rogers ‏@philgrogers 25m
Either God or Tom Skilling must love baseball. The 10-day forecast now runs until the eve of Opening Day, and it shows 55 w/sun in Chicago!

Baseball Tonight ‏@BBTN 6m
Hot off the press! @keithlaw's ranking of the top 50 draft prospects for 2014: http://es.pn/1jgs7TE (Insider)

Carrie Muskat ‏@CarrieMuskat 9m
How many Javy Baez's do the #Cubs need? Maybe 6 or 7 http://atmlb.com/1dv9szS via @cubs

Talking Points Memo ‏@TPM 14m
Arizona anchor retracted her story about the White House getting questions in advance. Conservative outlets have not: http://bit.ly/1jbA8O7

Senator Dan Coats ‏@SenDanCoats 48m
1. Our summer vacation in Siberia is a no go

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi 57m
A year after the controversial blockbuster, the Marlins are better off than the Blue Jays. My column: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/blockbuster-deal-set-to-pay-off-for-pitching-rich-marlins-032114 … @foxsports1

WGNMorningNews ‏@WGNMorningNews 19m
And now Old Joke Theatre Presents: Dumb Blonde Jokes: http://bit.ly/OHyoht pic.twitter.com/WPUF9NuRdt

Slate ‏@Slate 23m
95 percent of NCAA brackets are already knocked out: http://slate.me/1es71BZ pic.twitter.com/qpX4HRJ543

Mary Dixon ‏@MaryLDixon 33m
It's Friday, we've remembered to wear pants, and we're featuring The Kinks and The Clash. Whew!

John Lennon Letter Up For Auction

This one is particularly funny. It complains about Keith Moon and Harry Nilsen peeing on the console in his recording studio during the recording of "Walls & Bridges".

The Telegraph has the story and the John Lennon doodles.

Also, in related Beatles news, check this out. Here are a bunch of photographs from a Beatles concert in 1961...when the Beatles played to a crowd of 18.

Media Spotlight--March 21

Every weekday in 2014, I'll be keeping an eye on what's happening in the media. My focus will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, and the publishing business. (Read "$everance" if you want a crystallization of my positions on those subjects.) And, of course, I'll also keep tabs on Chicago's media.


Chicago Media

~The Radio Producer's Handbook Goes West
Yesterday I talked to a professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He told me that he uses "The Radio Producer's Handbook" to show his screenwriting students how to come up with ideas (we have a whole chapter in the book about that). Who knew?

~The Tribune News App
This sounds like an interesting development for Chicago news junkies. From the article...

The Newsbeat app aggregates content from hundreds of newspapers and websites, voicing some 7,000 national and local stories each day through announcers and text-to-speech technology. Available free for iOS and Android devices, the format includes local weather and traffic updates in real time.

I'd like to hear more about this text-to-speech technology. My former-voice-over-talent radar just went off. That sounds like a very bad future trend for people who make money with their voices.

The Moguls

~Netflix CEO Admits Net Neutrality Is Already Dead
In this piece he complains about having to pay Comcast more to get higher speed internet (at a price that most companies or individuals can't afford--thereby giving big companies an even bigger edge). That's what Net Neutrality was supposed to prevent. The open internet as we've known it all these years is over. And Comcast wants even more control over the internet, with it's potential merger with Time Warner Cable. There are only a handful of people who benefit from that merger. The CEO of Time Warner Cable is one of them. He stands to personally make $80 million by screwing over his customers and clients. Nice work if you can get it.

~Liberty Media is the Most Profitable Media Company
They own a large stake in Sirius/XM radio, if you're wondering who they are. Their CEO is John Malone, and he's the one who forced Mel Karmazin to scram.


The Radio Biz

~This American Life Loses It's Distributor
The NPR show has been distributed by Public Radio International for nearly twenty years, but Variety reports at the link that the two sides couldn't come to an agreement to continue the relationship. This American Life says they will have a new distribuor in place soon...but at the moment, they don't have one.

Louis CK was actually wrong this time

Listen, and then watch...

Truer Words...

...were never spoken. Thanks to JRL for this one.

Just Another Day at the Job for Italian Supermodels

Not only would I never do this, but the women here are doing it in high heels...

How Well Do You Know Yiddish?

Take the Quiz.

I got 13 out of 15 right.

It really helps to speak to German. Yiddish is basically German with a Hebrew accent.

How Dogs Really Drink Water

I didn't realize they turned their tongues into ladles...

Just One Bad Century--March 21

It's the first full day of spring. Opening day is only ten days away!

Today's Cubs Birthdays include a Civil War veteran. That's right, a Civil War veteran. Also, the greatest Shawon in Cubs history, plus an all-star, and cups of coffee from the 20s, 50s, and 60s.

The A/V club today features Cub's birthday boy Tommy Davis appearing on the Joey Bishop show in the 60s.

Plus in the latest Cubs news, the Cubs traded Gretzy's son to LA for Mike Scoscia's son. Will Mike Olt be the starting third baseman this year? If so, that means Darwin Barney really is the most likely to be traded Cub. And...don't look now, but here comes Clark.

John & Yoko 45 years

John & Yoko would have been celebrating their 45th anniversary today. From Bob Dearborn's The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac...

March 20, 1969…After days of looking for a suitable, legal place, John Lennon married Yoko Ono in the British Consulate Office at the Rock of Gibraltar in Spain, a piece of land still owned by the English and described by Lennon as being necessarily "quiet, friendly, and British." Later, in the Beatles song "The Ballad Of John And Yoko," he described the site as "Gibraltar, near Spain," unintentionally adding fuel to the fire of an international controversy, as England and Spain were then at odds over the area's ownership.

Today's Best Tweets--March 20

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...




Jim O'Donnell ‏@jodonnell17 2m
Yes, Delaware's Threatt is a distant cuz of Sedale Threatt, one of Bulls revolving-Krause PGs back in Jordan startup daze.

World History 101 ‏@WorldHistory101 14m
160 years ago today, anti-slavery Whigs & Free Soilers met in Ripon, Wis., to form a new party: the Republican Party. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/republican-party-founded

TIME.com ‏@TIME 6m
Cincinnati @Reds Aroldis Chapman suffers fractures after taking line drive to the face http://ti.me/1qZmnDj

Rolling Stone ‏@RollingStone 9m
Tony Bennett says modern music is "terrible": http://rol.st/1geriwQ / @HuffPostEnt

steve rosenbloom ‏@steverosenbloom 42s
My idea of March Madness? Players refusing to play this week until they get paid. The RosenBlog: http://bit.ly/1lSNKen

NBC News ‏@NBCNews 9s
Luckiest guess of a lifetime? 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant shocks the world http://nbcnews.to/1fJPscM

Samir Husni ‏@MrMagazine 14h
Buying Newsweek and Bringing it Back to Print – The Story Behind the Acquisition and the Rebirth of the Printed… http://wp.me/p3FXF-2jJ

Taegan Goddard ‏@politicalwire 4m
Brown Awkwardly Finds Some Like Obamacare http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/03/20/brown_awkwardly_finds_some_like_obamacare.html#.Uyr8-kACQ8s.twitter …

CBS Chicago ‏@cbschicago 8m
It's officially spring in about two hours, and in #Chibera that means #snow http://cbsloc.al/1eVxDb4 #firstdayofspring

People magazine ‏@peoplemag 2m
It's International Day of Happiness, Free Macaroon Day, #TBT & Twitter's 8th birthday. I think we're going to break the Internet today y'all

Media Spotlight--March 20

Every weekday in 2014, I'll be keeping an eye on what's happening in the media. My focus will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, and the publishing business. (Read "$everance" if you want a crystallization of my positions on those subjects.) And, of course, I'll also keep tabs on Chicago's media.


Chicago Media

~Len Weiner Gets PD Gig in Miami
Weiner was the program director of both ESPN and WGN radio in Chicago. His latest gig is Program Director of Sports/Talk WAXY-AM (790 The Ticket) and WAXY-FM (FM 104.3).

~Dick Orkin is writing a book
This morning I'm being interviewed by an author who is working with Dick Orkin on a book about the legendary voiceover talent. That's a book I'm eager to read. I interviewed Dick for Chicago Radio Spotlight a few years ago, but I've never met him in person.

~Jim Kerr Celebrates 40th Anniversary
40 years ago a young Jim Kerr left the Big 89, WLS, and moved on to New York. He's still there, still doing mornings, and Radio Ink has a nice feature about him at the link.


Broadcast News

~CNN's Don Lemon Posits the Most Ridiculous Theory About Jetliner


The Moguls

-As the Rupert Turns
Yesterday's revelation in the phone hacking trial was a damning one. The Royal editor was pressured by his bosses to take the fall for the phone hacking. If this jury doesn't find them guilty, I'm going to be very surprised.

The Pundits

~The President Appears on Ellen's Show

Advice for Men

Some good points here. I preach most of these to my boys (the ones about clothes are out of my realm). #32 and #34 are two of the pieces of advice my boys hear all the time...

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: The Loop Christmas Party 1988. The Loop Producers... Jim Wiser (Johnny B), Shemp DeYoung (Kevin Matthews), and yours truly (Steve & Garry) at Garry Meier's night club (Sabrina).

Just One Bad Century--March 20

Today's Cubs birthdays include some great nicknames (Hardrock & Trolley Line), plus an all-star, an alleged steroid user, and a hometown kid who got exactly one start for the team one hundred and twenty seven years ago.

On the A/V Club today, we feature a video about the satellite Telstar--a satellite with a Cubs connection.

In the latest Cubs news, the Detroit Tigers are scouting Nate Schierholtz and Darwin Barney. Schierholtz may be expendable because of the emergence of Ryan Kalish. It looks like Mike Olt is going to get the start at 3B today (for the first time--his shoulder is feeling better), and the weakest position in the Cubs farm system has got to be catcher.

Media Spotlight--March 19

Every weekday in 2014, I'll be keeping an eye on what's happening in the media. My focus will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, and the publishing business. (Read "$everance" if you want a crystallization of my positions on those subjects.) And, of course, I'll also keep tabs on Chicago's media.


Chicago Media

~Don Geronimo Launches Podcast
The former WLS jock (and co-host of Don & Mike) is joining the podcast world currently inhabited by the likes of Steve Dahl and Tom Leykis, by launching his own podcast. The cost is $9.99 a month. Radio Insight has more details at the link.


The Moguls

~How do you know when a board of directors is a bit of a sham?
When they re-elect a 91-year-old chairman without any debate, and they conclude their yearly meeting in 23 minutes. That's what happened at the multi-billion dollar Viacom yesterday. Sumner Redstone still runs that place with an iron fist at the age of 91. He controls 79% of the shares.

~Robert Iger may not retire in 2016 after all
This is part of the Buzzfeed article about Iger....

“Iger could certainly extend his contract again,” said a source familiar with the company who talked about the Disney CEO on the condition of anonymity. “He will leave before it is too late, but that could well be sometime past 2016.” A second source close to the company who also asked not to be named talking about Iger publicly put it more bluntly: “He’s not going to retire when he says he is going to retire.”

~As the Rupert Turns
Not a good day in the hacking trial yesterday for Rupert's cronies. According to Clive Goodman's testimony yesterday (one of the people initially accused, who has since pleaded guilty), News Corp hacked phones "on an industrial scale". He specifically implicated Andy Coulson, and provided specific examples of times they hacked phones from the Royal family. (You'll remember that last week Rebekkah Brooks made the preposterous claim that Princess Diana turned over the Royal phonebook, and that's how they knew all this stuff).

The Radio Biz

~Another politico loses job thanks to wacky radio show
But based on what I'm reading here, she's gained lots of fans. From Tom Taylor's NOW Column:

Press secretary fired for calling Montreal’s CKOI to talk about – her adult toys. That’s not all she talked about – she confessed that she wears red underwear, once had sex in a hot tub, and (says Jean-Francois Racine in a QMI Agency report in the Toronto Sun), that she once kissed a girl in a bar...this was a call-in from Audrey Croteau, who – until this regrettable lapse – was a press secretary for the Quebec political party known as CAQ. The Masked Avengers opened the phone lines Monday morning, and Audrey happily participated. She didn’t mention her last name, though as journalist Racine reports, she “made it clear she was an attaché” for a local CAQ candidate in Quebec City. The world now knows that she owns a couple of sex toys, and visits sex shops once a month. The CAQ party now says she’s been “let go for her lack of judgment.” For the Masked Avengers, it’s just another chapter in their fabled career at Cogeco-owned French contemporary music CKOI/96.9.

Stones Postpone Australian Tour

Variety has the details.

“I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way,” Jagger said in a statement. “We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves. She had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me. I have been touched by the tributes that people have paid to her, and also the personal messages of support that I have received. I will never forget her.”

When will the Cubs win it all?

This writer says 2018.

And he backs it up with a pretty thorough analysis.

I can wait. I've been doing it for 50 years...what's another four years?

Open the Door. No, You Open the Door.

Thanks to "DA" for this one...

77 Facts That Sound Like Huge Lies But Are Actually Completely True

Here are a few of my favorite...

*Maine is the closest U.S. state to Africa.

*Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barbara Walters were born in the same year, 1929.

*Cleopatra lived closer to the invention of the iPhone than she did to the building of the Great Pyramid.

*Hippo milk is pink.

*Cookie Monster’s real name is Sid.

*Betty White is actually older than sliced bread.

*John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, has a grandson who’s alive today.

*There are more stars in space than there are grains of sand on every beach on Earth.

*And there’s enough water in Lake Superior to cover all of North and South America in one foot of water.

*Turtles can breathe out of their butts.

The full list, of course, comes from Buzzfeed. You can read it here if you're interested.

David Before & After

Thank you "GR" for this one...

Just One Bad Century--3/19

Today's Cubs Birthdays include a Hall of Famer, a cup of coffee from the 50s and the 70s, and the creator of Tarzan. Yup, there's a Cubs connection.

That's why the A/V Club today features a great Tarzan trailer from 1932.

In today's Cubs News, the team has opened a new remote parking lot at 3900 N. Rockwell (and closed the one at Devry), more youngsters were sent down including Viscaino, Vitters, and Jackson, and they are grooming Baez for second base.

"Life Behind The Camera" to be Featured by Author Learning Center

"Life Behind the Camera" author Chuck Quinzio was interviewed yesterday by the Author Learning Center, and will be featured soon on their website.

What is the Author Learning Center? It is a website that provides tools, content, & motivation to support writers. The ALC offers resources for Writing, Publishing, and Marketing books, including videos, pod casts, live webinars, recorded webinars, and articles, that focus on both the craft and the business aspects of being an author. The content provides learning and inspiration taken from the experiences and expertise of industry pros, such as public relations and marketing professionals, agents, editors, and authors.

When Chuck's interview is posted, we'll post the link on the Eckhartz Press blog.

Here's a photo of Chuck and his interviewers from yesterday's session. Chuck is the tall drink of water on the right. Glad to see he got dressed up for the occasion.

Today's Best Tweets--March 18

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...




The Book Stall ‏@thebookstall 52m
Vintage #Chicago postcard - #NavyPier circa 1950. pic.twitter.com/7P02U1Uyu4

Alex Koppelman ‏@AlexKoppelman 21m
A "holy shit" kind of story: MT @jacobwe: In 1920s Baltimore, wealthy families turned asylum patients into slaves. http://bit.ly/1l076B3

Craig Newman ‏@craignewman 7m
MT @megancgraham: Drunk guy gets car stuck in snow. Calls his mom. She's drunk too. DUIs all around. #family http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/crime/momandson-NAP-03192014:article …

Gawker ‏@Gawker 9m
Watch a jubilant Stanford physicist find out after 30 years that he was right about the Big Bang. http://gaw.kr/hKTei81

The Dish ‏@dishfeed 13m
Do Extroverts Find Life More Rewarding? http://dlvr.it/59hxDL

Jeff Dickerson ‏@ESPNChiBears 15m
.@vxmcclure23 has the details on Devin Hester's visit to #Falcons: http://es.pn/1l08MdI ”

espn_watkins ‏@espn_watkins 17m
Henry Melton off to visit St. Louis http://es.pn/NqJDKe

Talking Points Memo ‏@TPM 19m
Politico quotes Wall Street executive thanking Putin for taking the heat off the 1% in the US: http://bit.ly/1p7zC0I pic.twitter.com/uz5LMIrUrm

Chicagoist.com ‏@Chicagoist 4m
A Wisconsin man tries to "educate" the public about open carry by walking around with his guns. http://bit.ly/1j0H8sv

James Finn Garner ‏@jamesfinngarner 10m
RT @Bardball: Rick Renteria,
If he ran a cafeteria,
Would sell "We'll have fun" on rye
And half-baked pie-in-the-sky.
#cubs

21 Disney/Pixar Voices Singing "Let it Go"

Pretty impressive effort by the 22-year-old student from Dallas Baptist University in Texas...

Media Spotlight--March 18

Every weekday in 2014, I'll be keeping an eye on what's happening in the media. My focus will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, and the publishing business. (Read "$everance" if you want a crystallization of my positions on those subjects.) And, of course, I'll also keep tabs on Chicago's media.


Chicago Media

~Jimmy deCastro Talks About Changes at WGN Radio & The Game
Jimmy de Castro was on with Steve Cochran to talk about all the changes he has made, and the new sports station. (Audio at the link) They also talk about the future of the Cubs on WGN. It sure sounds like the Cubs are a goner.

~Staffer at Suburban Station (The Fox) Becomes Media Darling
You may have missed this story over the weekend. (Photos are here. Nice spelling on the sign, kid.) The RAMP Newsletter has the gist of the story:

When it was announced that the 50-year-old Des Plaines Oasis truck stop/food court that straddles the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway was going to be torn down to widen the I-90 freeway, Kevin Walters, a part-time promotions drone who had been toiling away in relative obscurity at suburban Chicago Classic Rock station WFXF (103.9 The Fox)/Crystal Lakes, IL, instantly transformed himself from an unknown part-timer to a bonafide "media celebrity" overnight, thanks to what Otter from Animal House would call "a really futile and stupid gesture" that was done on his part -- Walters handcuffed himself to one of the doors at the Oasis, loudly claiming that the dingy rest area was the site of his conception 21 years ago... "It's a weird story, I must admit," Walters told CBS Chicago. "About 21 years ago, my parents were at a Phil Collins concert here in Chicago, and one thing led to another. They ended up at the Oasis... and I was conceived there."

I'm guessing that Phil didn't perform "Take Me Home Tonight" or "You Can't Hurry Love" that night.

~Chicago Radio Ratings
Robert Feder has the top ten morning ratings, and Tom Taylor's NOW Column has the overall top five:

Old Man Winter’s very good to CBS Radio’s all-news WBBM (780 plus its FM companion at 105.9). It repeats at #1, 5.6-6.2-6.6, and that’s its best number since October 2011...Urban AC “V103,” Clear Channel’s WVAZ, is second, 6.4-6.0-6.5. Then comes Hubbard’s hot AC “Mix” WTMX, 4.0-4.9-5.0, and a strengthening Clear Channel CHR “Kiss” WKSC, 3.8-4.2-4.5 (its best since August 2012). Tribune’s talk WGN is holding on, 3.6-4.0-3.7. Four stations are tied at 3.1 – Cumulus classic hits WLS-FM (2.4.-3.2-3.1), Cumulus-LMA’d/Merlin-owned classic rock “Loop” WLUP, 2.4-2.7-3.1, Univision’s regional Mexican WOJO (2.7-2.3-3.1), and CBS Radio’s adult alternative WXRT (2.8-3.2-3.1).

The Moguls

~Viacom and Google Finally Settle YouTube Lawsuit
No money traded hands, and it's a good guess that Google was the big winner here. Maybe we can start seeing Daily Show clips on YouTube again. This is the statement:

“Google and Viacom today jointly announced the resolution of the Viacom vs. YouTube copyright litigation. This settlement reflects the growing collaborative dialogue between our two companies on important opportunities, and we look forward to working more closely together.”

~As The Rupert Turns
On today's episode, Rupert tweets about "gay bullies" ruining the St. Patrick's Parade by coercing Guinness to stop sponsoring it. Rupert urged a Guinness boycott. Let me repeat that. He wanted the Irish to boycott Guinness.


The Pundits

~Jay Carney to Resign...and Become a Pundit Again
According to this piece in mediaite, it could happen soon. Let's face it, the pundit gig is a much easier gig. Criticizing is so much easier than explaining and defending government. And it pays more too.

~Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains How To Stop War on Science on CNN



The Blogs

~Nate Silver is Back!
Bloomberg Businessweek reviews the site at the link above. The actual site is right here. I bookmarked it immediately.

Billy Joel Messes Up "We Didn't Start the Fire"

I thought this was funny...and I like the way Billy Joel recovered.



I wrote a parody of this song for Landecker once and he tried it about a dozen times and said "Screw it."

Just One Bad Century--March 18

In today's Cubs birthdays, the only man ever traded for Jackie Robinson, a Puerto Rican hero, and the man who threw the first no-hitter in American League history (yes, it was a former Cub)

The A/V Club today features a Spanish language tribute to our Puerto Rican Cubs hero.

This Week in 1908 explores Chicago's immigrant "problem", the Germans face the Irish at Cubs camp, & Grover Cleveland and Shemp both celebrate birthdays.

The Kinks

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

March 17, 2004…The Kinks' Ray Davies received a CBE medal (Commander of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for services to the music industry.

Love the Kinks. The BBC told their story in a documentary; the really interesting story of two brothers who didn't get along...

Today's Best Tweets (March 17)

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...




Cliff Lippert ‏@CliffyIndiana 33m
Cubs games on TV
3/17 CSN @ 3:00
3/18 MLB @ 9:00
3/19 MLB @ 8:30
3/20 CSN @ 3:00
3/21 CSN @ 3:00
3/22 WGN @ 3:00
3/23 WGN @ 3:00

Katie Couric ‏@katiecouric 8m
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all celebrating - be safe out there!

Sherrod Brown ‏@SenSherrodBrown 27m
“May your right hand always be stretched out in friendship but never in want.” Happy #StPatricksDay

Choose Chicago ‏@ChooseChicago 17m
Great photo! RT @chuck_37 "@ChooseChicago Happy St.Patrick's Day Chicago. " http://ow.ly/uFjY5

Talking Points Memo ‏@TPM 19m
Rupert Murdoch has had enough of "gay orgs" bullying and taking over St. Paddy's Day parades: http://bit.ly/1eKLFfy

Will Byington ‏@willbyington 22m
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! http://instagram.com/p/lpZWjawXsC/

People magazine ‏@peoplemag 12m
Your morning vertigo: Watch this daredevil perform an handstand on top of a 40-story building. http://peoplem.ag/uFkPX

NewsBreaker ‏@NewsBreaker 21m
KTLA anchors feel the 4.4 L.A. earthquake live on the air, ducking under their desks http://bit.ly/1iUWcfQ @youtube pic.twitter.com/OXeZUg2csF

Hub Arkush ‏@Hub_Arkush 17m
The Bears are different, but are they better? My column taking a look at the first week of free agency: http://shawurl.com/123z

Slate ‏@Slate 20m
Twitter's takedown of Jenny McCarthy is a thing of beauty: http://slate.me/1hrtlub pic.twitter.com/m8su0QcbL3

Media Spotlight--March 17

Every weekday in 2014, I'll be keeping an eye on what's happening in the media. My focus will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, and the publishing business. (Read "$everance" if you want a crystallization of my positions on those subjects.) And, of course, I'll also keep tabs on Chicago's media.


Chicago Media

~Chet Coppock to be featured
I'll be meeting with Chet tomorrow to interview him for my May Illinois Entertainer column. He said "no questions are off the table". Now we'll see if he'll give me my dime and my dance floor. In a weird coincidence, I ran into him yesterday (after not running into him in twenty years or so) at Murphy's Pub in Chicago.

~Harpo Studios Selling West Side Campus
According to the Chicago Tribune, the studio will remain open for the next two years (at least).

The Moguls

~The City of Los Angeles Sues Time Warner Cable
The city says it has been stiffed on ten million dollars in fees. Nice.

~As the Rupert Turns
On today's episode, Rupert posts wacky conspiracy tweets about the missing Malaysian airliner.

The Pundits

~Sarah Palin Plans To Launch "Rogue TV"
I'm guessing this will be based on the Glenn Beck model. This is not a television show, it's a digital video channel. Expect lots of simplistic slogans and insults about the manhood of Democrats. That's the classy way she rolls.

~Scott Brown Out at Fox News
The former Massachusetts Senator was let go by Fox News because he is running for Senator in New Hampshire. Once the cat is out of the bag, the free campaign commercials have to end.

Showbiz

~William Shatner Gets Reality Show on DIY
Variety reports that the show will focus on the Shat's attempt at renovating his house.

~NBC Closes Burbank Studio
The last show aired there was Lawrence O'Donnell's show on MSNBC, but the Burbank location was also the legendary home of Johnny Carson and Jay Leno.

Give Ireland Back to the Irish

Paul and the Wings got political in the early 70s with this one...

Drunken Earl McArsemuncher

That's my Irish redneck name. Sounds about right...

I'm a Swan

I took this "Which animal are you?" quiz, and here's how it came out...

You are a Swan. Romantic and faithful - you make a perfect life partner. You also highly value family life and would do anything to protect your closest ones.

I'm also not easy to approach, and I will bite you if you get too close.

Westboro Baptist Founder on his Deathbed

This news courtesy of his son, who spilled the beans to CBS.

If you're not familiar with the work of his "church", they are the people who hold up horrible anti-gay signs at military funerals. I don't wish ill on anyone, but if there is such a thing as karma, this guy's funeral is destined to be a circus.

Newman's Death Hoax

Somehow a rumor got around this weekend that Wayne Knight, who played Newman on "Seinfeld", was killed in a traffic accident.

Not true. Knight went to Twitter to announce he was still alive.

Not quite the "Paul is Dead" story, but odd nonetheless.

Lost in the Ivy Goes to Press

Here's the front and back cover, courtesy of our designer Kelly Hyde. Click on the image to enlarge it.

JOBC's NCAA Pool

Yes, we know it's the wrong sport, but what the heck.

The winner can get a JOBC shirt.

Just click here if you want to play. (Hint: Don't pick Illinois...they didn't make the tournament this year)

Just One Bad Century--March 17

The St. Patrick's edition of Today's Cubs Birthdays includes some of the all-time Cub greats, including Charlie Root, Hank Sauer, and two well-known celebrity Cub fans.

Today's A/V Club has the video of the fictionalized version of Charlie Root's most dreaded moment--the alleged Babe Ruth called shot.

This week in 1945 was also posted over the weekend. As Hitler orders all of Germany destroyed and the Academy Awards air on radio for the first time, the Cubs are trying to get their team together in spring training.

In today's Cubs news, the team has fired their psychologist for "odd behavior", Samardzija is starting opening day but he has been getting rocked in spring training, Arrieta faces hitters for the first time, and Starlin Castro is a big supporter of Javier Baez.