Please Leave Me Alone

You can read Bon Jovi's mind here. He wants to be left alone, but is practically forced to join in. Normally I would have felt sorry for Jon. That all changed when those DirecTV ads that haunt my sleep began. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really hate those ads.

The story behind the story

This Roger Ailes sexual harrassment suit has got legs (no pun intended), and people at Fox News are getting a little freaked out.

In the first place, the response by Ailes and Fox News was inexplicably tardy and delayed, even if the eventual response was predictable. (They claim Carlson is seeking retribution for getting fired, and that she was fired for bad ratings--something that is pretty easy to rebut, by the way)

But the real odd response was that all the usual outlets (including Fox News) weren't used to defend Ailes as they usually are. Instead, they pretended like nothing happened.

That's a giant red flag. Fox News believes in one approach, and one approach only. Scorched earth. If they aren't using that approach, Ailes isn't making the call. If Ailes isn't making the call...somebody is very nervous about this lawsuit.

Read the first link in this post. It sounds like Carlson may even have this on tape. If she does, yowza. It also sounds like a dam could burst about other women at the network, and what they have gone through. One anonymous producer basically admits she accepted a job there with sexual strings...just because she needed the job.

Keep an eye on this story. It could get very interesting.

Uh Oh, Cub Fans

I can always tell when Cub fans start to panic. Just One Bad Century starts to get orders for this t-shirt. Don't panic, guys. When the injured players return, and Theo makes a trade to shore up the bullpen, everything will be fine.

On the other hand, keep buying this shirt. It does help soothe your nerves.

Media Moguls Gather

When I wrote my book "$everance", I wrote about a media mogul gathering in Sun Valley, Idaho. This gathering is an off-the-record weekend at a resort where the people who control virtually all the information we receive talk about God only knows what. It sounded a little suspicious to me, so I wrote about it.

People thought I was making it up. I wasn't. It's happening again this weekend.

What are they talking about this weekend? No-one knows. But reporters who are staking it out have noticed a subtle change in the guestlist. For the first time in forever, Viacom CEO Phillipe Dauman is not there, and Sumner Redstone's daughter Shari is. Looks like the coup is complete.

Shocker

Well, at least we already know what he looks like in red and black ... pic.twitter.com/fnPo01TgcN

— ESPN (@espn) July 7, 2016

Minitua Men Episode 10

The newest episode has been posted.

Rick and Dave discuss dirty licking, funny town names, animal fact comedy, a momentous day at Wrigley, and Rick's brush with Martin Short.

Listen to it here.

Throw Back Thursday: 1999

My old pal Catherine Johns sent me this today. I love it. It's an article about a live broadcast we did in 1999. During that hot summer, we set up shop at an ice cream joint in Worth Illinois, and gave out ice cream. That would hit the spot around now.

I'm in the picture on the left, next to John. Sucking on an ice cream cone, of course.

Around the Publishing World (July 7)

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. 3 tips to burn through writer's block
These tips come from the Huffington Post...who didn't pay for them.

2. Five Tips to Help Beat Creative Burnout
For those of you counting at home, that brings our number of tips up to eight this week.

3. How to submit to The Good News Review
The Good News Review is a publication that focuses exclusively on good news. The link will take you directly to their submission page.

4. George R.R. Martin asks for tips from Stephen King
What do you do when you're a writer who has a very difficult time getting his writing done by deadline? You talk to the most prolific writer in history, who seemingly writes a book a day. How do you do it?

5. Writing Romance for Men
This sounds like an Onion article but it isn't. Good tips here for romance writers who want to attract men, and for men writing romance.

6. Five Tips for Writing a Successful Mom Blog
I've always encouraged this sort of blog, because it forces you to write, and gives you the bonus of chronicling the lives of your kids. Take it from me (author of "Father Knows Nothing"), you will never regret putting in the time doing that.

Happy Birthday Ringo

He's 76 years old today. Here he sings to girls who are 16...

Gretchen Carlson Sues Fox News Boss For Sexual Harrassment

If she was still sitting in that chair between doofus 1 and doofus 2 everyday, you know they would be saying a lawsuit like this is part of the political correctness problem they claim is the biggest problem facing America today. I had to say that. I've seen enough of the Barbie doll anchors on Fox News say that.

On the other hand, this sounds real bad for Roger Ailes, who has long been rumored to be a weirdo in this department. What do you do if your boss is a fat, sweaty, bloated, nasty man who offers you the choice between having sex with him or keeping your job? If you have any self respect, you say "See ya". But that also means you've lost your income--which is why sexual harrassment is a real thing with real consequences, and it must be treated as such.

Read the allegations. They sound pretty convincing to me.

(Photo: Variety)

Chicago Radio Ratings

From Tom Taylor's NOW column yesterday...

Chicago suddenly has a real horse-race in the country format, with iHeart’s upstart “Big” WEBG (1.8-2.0-2.3) seriously pushing CBS Radio’s incumbent “US 99.5” WUSN (2.8-2.9-2.6). (But imagine what WUSN’s big shares used to look like - these are now both at relatively low levels.) The CBS station retains a sizable cume advantage (about 1.2 million versus about 930,000 for “Big”). But Chicago media savant Robert Feder says that despite having “very limited marketing behind it,” Big won the 25-54 demo. Starting at the top of the standings, CBS all-news WBBM/WCFS drops from first to second (6.5-6.4-5.8), below iHeart’s highly-consistent urban AC “V103” WVAZ (6.1-6.1-6.1). V103 is tied for first in middays and nights, and wins PM drive and weekends. WBBM is still #1 in mornings and tied for first in middays. After those two, it’s Hubbard with hot AC “Mix 101.9” WTMX (4.8-4.9-5.0) and iHeart’s top 40 “Kiss” WKSC (3.7-3.9-4.4). According to Chris Huff, that’s the largest share for Kiss since October ’14. Next is Cubs-boosted “Score” WSCR (3.2-4.2-4.1). It’s a steady month for Tribune’s talk WGN (4.3-3.7-3.6). It holds onto third place in mornings. With the Cubs at the Score and the White Sox at Cumulus talker WLS (2.0-2.2-1.9), Disney-owned/ESPN-run all-sports WMVP loses ground (2.0-1.9-1.4). The Windy City’s most popular station for weekly cume is CHR “Kiss” WKSC (2,375,400).

Played Hooky Again Yesterday

Ah...summer. I probably shouldn't have played hooky again so soon after returning from vacation, but I had Cubs tickets yesteray, and son #3 was itching to go. So we went. It was hot, sticky, and the Cubs lost...but the two of us still had a good time.

Got a cool throwback jersey out of it. They were giving out 1916 Cubs jerseys in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Cubs playing at Wrigley.

Minitua Men at Taste of Chicago

Dave Stern and I will be there this Sunday @ 2:00P. If you're in the area, come on by.

Larz at CRM has a listing of all the podcasts that will be there.

Oh, and by the way, in case you missed last week's podcast, here is episode 9. Rick and Dave discuss foreign accent syndrome, the most annoying commercial on TV, Charity porn, Prohibition at Wrigley Field, and Rick’s brush with Ivana Trump.

The One-Disc White Album

Last night after the fireworks, my oldest son Tommy and I sat outside and listened to Beatles music. We discussed the fact that George Martin always insisted the White Album should have only been one album (not a double album). So...we listened to the whole thing and tried to cut it down to 14 songs. Try it...not an easy task. This is the list we came up with, and it includes cutting a big hit (Obla-di Obla-da), an iconic tune (Helter Skelter), and at least four other songs that I absolutely love.

1. Back in the USSR
2. Dear Prudence
3. Glass Onion
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
5. Happiness is a Warm Gun
6. Martha My Dear
7. I'm So Tired
8. Blackbird
9. Rocky Raccoon
10. Julia
11. Birthday
12. Mother Nature's Son
13. Sexie Sadie
14. Revolution 1

We debated this for hours, and at one point had a few others in there instead, but this is the list we finally agreed upon. What are your thoughts?

Vacation is Over

Spent the weekend in Disneyworld with my brother's family, my sister, my wife, and my youngest son. Really enjoyed it. Hadn't been there since 1981...

Bruce Bohrer in the Daily Herald

When Buffalo Grove author Bruce Bohrer’s “Best Seat In The House! Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher” was published in 2014, the Chicago Cubs were in last place, with key players such as Starlin Castro, Luis Valbuena and Darwin Barney struggling to produce more runs than high-priced pitcher Edwin Jackson gave up.

Today’s Cubs, under manager Joe Maddon, are riding an influx of young power to sit atop the baseball world after a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. Likewise, Bohrer, who recently added a popular PowerPoint presentation to his book tour, is on top of his literary (read more)

Buy Best Seat in the House