Merry Smoochmas!

From Ivy and Sean...

Lennon or McCartney

I watched this whole video...famous and not so famous artists choosing which one they preferred, John Lennon or Paul McCartney.

More said Lennon, and that would be my first choice, but upon reflection, I'm not so sure it's the right choice. I think long after we are gone, it will be McCartney that is considered the musical genius. He may be the greatest songwriter of all time. His melodies are timeless. (The songwriter from Counting Crows agrees with that assessment in the video.)

I listened to "Let it Be" again the other day, and that is a perfect song. Absolutely perfect.

Also, just as a side note, they are using the music from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as the soundtrack to this video. That's a George Harrison song.

Casey Kasem Finally Buried

He died months ago, and his body has been transported all over the place, but it appears his final resting place is Norway.

Details here in People Magazine.

He literally has no connection to the country at all. His wife just wanted to keep him away from his children. What a sick and weird story.

Conducting His Own Exit Interview

This is really interesting reading.

Chris Courtney worked at the Tribune for 14 years and recently resigned. He wasn't offered an exit interview, so he conducted one on himself and posted it on his blog.

After reading it, I'm afraid the corporate media world hasn't changed in the slightest since I wrote $everance nearly a decade ago. I suppose I knew that, but it's still depressing reading it in such detail.

Twas the Day Before Christmas Eve

A New Pee Wee Herman movie?

It appears that it's finally going to happen. Judd Apatow and Pee Wee Herman have signed a deal to produce a new Pee Wee Herman movie for Netflix. Pee Wee's got to be 60+ years old by now, and that may be a bit disconcerting when we see him doing the little kid voice, but I'm all for him getting another chance.

Is there a Hollywood star who has paid a longer pennance than Pee Wee? His "incident" occured almost 25 years ago, and if there was ever a victimless crime, that was it.

The Rolling Stone Rape Story Under Review

This story has been getting headlines for weeks now, but I haven't chimed in, because I didn't think of it as a political issue. (Even though, somehow, it's being treated as one).

To me, it has always been a journalism issue. How in the world did this get published?

And now it's being treated as such. Rolling Stone is bringing in Columbia Journalism School to find out how and why this happened, and they vow to publish the results. That's the right way to handle it.

I suspect the answers won't be pretty for the writer and the editor.

Way Ahead of My Time

Here's a story about Stay at Home Dads...by choice.

We make up 16% of the population now.

Ten years ago (when I started) it was only 5%. Although, after reading the article, I see some things haven't changed. There's a story of a guy who is treated like a moron at the dentist's office. The medical world still universally thinks dads are idiots, for some reason.

RIP Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker has passed away. Sorry to hear it. He was one of the greatest rock and roll vocalists of all-time...



Here he is with Joe Cocker impersonator John Belushi...

An E-book Gifting Tutorial

Don't forget our big Christmas seller "Father Knows Nothing" is now available as an e-book at amazon. You can pick it with a single click, right here: FATHER KNOWS NOTHING e-book.

It only costs $5.99.

Were you hoping to buy "Father Knows Nothing" as a present for someone else? You can do that with an e-book too. It's actually one of the most perfect late Christmas gifts you can purchase, if you think about it. There's no delivery required. This little graphic will show you how to do it...



Nearly every Eckhartz Press book is also available as an e-book.



You can find their e-books here...

Rich King's Back in the Game

John Records Landecker's Records Truly Is My Middle Name

Bruce Bohrer's Best Seat in the House: Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher

Joel Daly's The Daly News

David Stern's The Balding Handbook

This Eckhartz Press author (Randy Richardson) has two books available as an e-book...

Lost in the Ivy

Cheeseland

And that's not all (he said, using his best K-tel Records voice). These two guys below (Rick Kaempfer and Brendan Sullivan) wrote the very first book for Eckhartz Press, which was also our very first e-book.

The Living Wills E-book

Wait a minute? Isn't that Rick guy also the same guy who wrote Father Knows Nothing? And isn't that available as an e-book now too?

Yes it is. Right here.

And please, if you do purchase any of our e-books via amazon, review the books there, especially if you like them.

That's a good way to help us spread the word.

Thanks to everyone, and happy holidays!

Media Tracks

Congrats to my old friend Reed Pence on the 25th anniversary of his company. From Chicagoland Radio & Media...

The Des Plaines-based MediaTracks Communications, a leading producer of radio public affairs programming, celebrated its 25th anniversary on December 22nd. The company was founded by Shel Lustig and Reed Pence. Lustig had previously been Production Director and host on WXRT-FM, as well as a host/producer for the WBEZ-FM. Pence was previously a reporter/producer for WLUP-FM, the AP Radio Network, and CBS Radio. MediaTracks began operations as producer of the syndicated "The Search for Mental Health," created for Forest Hospital in suburban Des Plaines. The company launched its flagship half-hour public affairs program, "Radio Health Journal" in 1992 on 53 stations. Today the program airs on 485 stations with a weekly audience of more than 3 million. In 2000, MediaTracks added a second weekly offering, "Viewpoints," a general interest news program now airing on 509 stations nationally. Each of the programs has won multiple national and regional awards. MediaTracks Vice President and co-founder Reed Pence said: "It speaks to the quality of the programming we provide. We have always been focused on providing our stations and their listeners with the best content available on air."

Personal Delivery

Last second Xmas shoppers, I feel your pain. For anyone in Chicagoland who purchases 10 books or more from eckhartz press (www.eckhartzpress.com) before Christmas Eve I will personally deliver the books. The kids are all home and Daddy is more than happy to leave the house.

(This is a serious offer)

Steve Dahl

Mike Thomas interviews Steve Dahl for the Chicago Sun Times.

Nice piece. I didn't know a lot of this stuff.

Fun Time Waster

The Hartford put this out, so there's a very short commercial at the end, but it is a fun little time waster...