Friday, November 06, 2020

Minutia Men Celebrity Interview--James Breakwell

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Free Kicks--Shakespeare

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Righteous Might

 The Eckhartz Press book "Righteous Might" takes place on the USS Gerald R. Ford. Now, if you happen to go on that ship, you can read "Righteous Might" in the ship's library. We got a letter today from the ship's Captain. What an honor. Congrats to author Keith Conrad!



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Thursday, November 05, 2020

How the rest of the world sees this

 


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When the Cubs were on the top of the world

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Election Coverage

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Wednesday, November 04, 2020

Mob Adjacent excerpt: Art Carney

 Today would have been Art Carney’s birthday. He plays a small part in the Eckhartz Press release Mob Adjacent. This excerpt comes from Chapter 7: “Airport Adjacent”…

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Upstairs from the nightclub, Nick Giannotti initially ran an Italian
restaurant. Giannotti was quickly becoming a celebrity chef long before
being a Celebrity Chef became a Thing. Nick worked the room, prompting
diners to sprinkle a little Parmesan on the escarole soup, suggesting
a slice of homemade ricotta cheesecake, or explaining how a dish was
made. A little over a year after Dad bought Orlando’s Hideaway, Giannotti
started itching for a bigger canvas to paint on, so he took over a place
on Roosevelt Road in Forest Park. Naturally, in our mob adjacent world,
Giannotti’s new location turned out to be the former Armory Lounge.


The Armory had been Sam Giancana’s unofficial headquarters for
years, until the constant Fed surveillance became too burdensome, and
he found a new place. (Fun fact: The Armory was so named because it was
directly across the street from a former World War II torpedo factory.)
Giannotti’s new restaurant served as a mainstay of fine Italian cuisine for
decades. Nick eventually passed the torch to his son, Vic, who carried the
family business into the new millennium, eventually launching a line of
premium bottled marinara pasta sauces under the Giannotti brand name.
After Giannotti left, Dad brought Uncle John in to run the restaurant.
Under Dad’s careful control, the restaurant thrived and began attracting
a celebrity crowd. One night, a pair of entertainers walked over from the much larger Sahara Inn next door to have dinner at Orlando’s Hideaway.


Former TV costars, Jackie Gleason and Art Carney toured the country as
a comedy act in the 1960s. They enjoyed their meal so much that they sent
for the chef. Uncle John blushed, hemmed, and hawed under the praise
of his high-profile diners. Gleason, a dedicated gourmand, couldn’t say
enough about the veal, which Uncle John promptly re-christened Veal a’
la Gleason. “Ralph Kramden” and “Ed Norton” were staples of our childhood.

Monday through Friday, WFLD-TV Channel 32 broadcast reruns
of The Honeymooners at 10:00 PM. We never missed an episode, and Michael and I were bitterly disappointed that we didn’t get to see Jackie Gleason and Art Carney in the flesh.

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President Biden

 It looked a little scary for a while last night, but it appears clear now that Biden is the next president. It also looks the Senate will remain in Republican hands, unless the Dems win both runoff elections in Georgia. That's why this tweet made me laugh...


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Tuesday, November 03, 2020

It'll never be enough, DJTJ

Daddy just won't ever love you enough...
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A Bigger Boat

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Radio's 100th Anniversary

 I didn't realize this. Thank you Robert Feder for this info today...

“We’d appreciate it if anyone hearing this broadcast would communicate with us as we are very anxious to know how far the broadcast is reaching and how it is being received.” With those words — uttered by announcer Leo Rosenberg — Pittsburgh’s KDKA Radio began what historians consider the first commercial broadcast in the United States. On the night of November 2, 1920, the Westinghouse station carried results of the presidential election that day between Warren G. Harding and James M. Cox. Within two years more than 500 licensed stations were broadcasting across the country — including Zenith Radio Corporation’s WJAZ in Chicago.

Radio had a good run. Glad that I lived during the radio century.

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Monday, November 02, 2020

Top 100 Scandals

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Bruce for Joe

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A Glass Case of Emotion

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Happy Birthday Eckhartz Press

 On this day in 2011, Eckhartz Press was born.

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Eckhartz Press was founded in Chicago by Rick Kaempfer and David Stern. The name “Eckhartz” is a tribute to the men that gave them their creative genes; Kaempfer’s father Eckhard, and Stern’s father Fritz. Eckhartz Press is a boutique Chicago publishing company dedicated to serving the brave new 21st century publishing world; the laughing “E” logo a constant reminder that life is too short – don’t ever lose your sense of humor.

The first Eckhartz Press book was released in 2011 (“The Living Wills”), and as of our 9th birthday, there have been 65 more.

*Memoirs from local Chicago celebrities like John Records Landecker, Joel Daly, Rich King, Bobby Skafish, Chet Coppock, Mitch Michaels, and Roger Badesch.

*Novels from the likes of Chicago Writer’s Association president Randy Richardson, Chicago Literary Hall of Fame founder Donald G. Evans, and more.

*Most recently, a children’s book featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Little Steven Van Zandt.

*Ten finalists for Chicago Book of the Year.

This little publishing company has gone far beyond our wildest expectations.

We thank you so much your continued support.

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Jon Lester

What a great gesture on what might have been his way out of Chicago. Good for the fans who drank the beer. Good for the bars that sold that beer. Good for the city that we had this guy on the Cubs these last six years.
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Stevie for Joe

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The John Landecker Radio Oasis

 


The November issue of Illinois Entertainer is out and includes my article about John Landecker.

You can read it here.

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Sunday, November 01, 2020

Minutia Men--Balds, Booze & Britain

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