Today's Best Tweets--April 30

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




SportsCenter ‏@SportsCenter 30m
Oprah Winfrey considering teaming with David Geffen & Larry Ellison to make bid to buy Clippers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/7biRYYb0Nt

CollegeHumor ‏@CollegeHumor 17m
Go ahead and jump on that trampoline, looks fun doesn't it? What's the worst that could happen? http://ow.ly/wkFqE

Colonel Tribune ‏@ColonelTribune 6m
This is true, but we love it. Wrigley's quirks are charming and annoying. http://bit.ly/1mcFqWz #Wrigley100

Romenesko ‏@romenesko 4m
No climate change talk on Fox News * Ailes won't let Shep come out * Sun-Times seeks fewer square feet * Nieman news. http://jimromenesko.com/2014/04/30/morning-report-for-april-30-2014

Steve Scott ‏@SteveScottWCBS 22m
#RIP actor Bob #Hoskins. Dead at 71.

KevinSmith ‏@ThatKevinSmith 5m
Harold in LONG GOOD FRIDAY. Eddie in ROGER RABBIT. Just 2 of the memorable characters BOB HOSKINS gave to cinema:http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27224995 … #RIP

steve rosenbloom ‏@steverosenbloom 4m
Now that the Bulls have been ousted from the playoffs, tradition dictates that it’s time for Derrick Rose to declare himself ready to play.

Big Cat ‏@BarstoolBigCat 17m
Carlos Boozer's girlfriend got in a fight during the 4th quarter of last night's game http://www.barstoolsports.com/chicago/super-page/video-of-the-cat-fight-at-the-bulls-game-last-night-over-carlos-boozers-dignity/ … pic.twitter.com/iAW3kQ9pea

Talking Points Memo ‏@TPM 7m
GOP congressman falsely claims Donald Sterling is a Democrat (VIDEO): http://bit.ly/1iIuKA5

Taniel ‏@Taniel 21m
The worst news Rick Perry has gotten since the "oops"? Dick Morris predicts he can win: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/04/30/dick_morris_predicts_rick_perry_can_win.html

Let it Be

From Bob Dearborn's The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac, this little tidbit from 45 years ago today...

April 30, 1969…At EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, George Harrison overdubbed a new guitar solo on the master take from the January 31 Beatles recording session for the song "Let It Be." He overdubbed another solo on January 4, 1970. The first overdub was used for the original single release, the second overdub solo was used for the original album release.

Record Companies Are Satan

This is a great example of why I believe that record companies are Satan. It involves the royalties (or lack thereof) for the gigantic mega-hit album "Bat out of Hell" by Meatloaf.

I had never heard this story before, but I've heard many other similar tales.

It's the main reason I feel zero sympathy for the state they find themselves in today.

Turning Black & White Into Color

This is an interesting look at the past. It takes classic black and white photos and colorizes them. There's something about seeing these photos in color that makes the subjects of them seem more real. This is just one example below...(Image credits: imgur.com, Colorozed by: zuzahin)

One for the Kids

In my house the date is circled (and that's definitely not my doing). Thanks to "RH" for this one...

The Clippers

I did something last night I've never done before. I rooted for the Clippers. I've been very impressed with Chicago's very own Doc Rivers. He's handling an incredibly difficult situation like a champ.

Just One Bad Century--April 30

With the loss last night in Cincinnati, the Cubs are now officially going to end April without winning a single series. Looks like we've got one more year of trolling for top draft choices.

Today's Cubs birthdays feature a journeyman pitcher who pitched the game of his life on September 9, 1965--unfortunately the opposing pitcher was throwing a perfect game. (The A/V club has a video about that game.) Also featured, a man called Jumbo, one of the first home run champs, a guy who was hit by a train, and the great-grandfather of a kid on the soccer team I'm currently coaching (true story).

Today in Wrigley history we go back to 1933 and 1949. That 1949 game features "an inside the glove home run". Hat tip to Jerry Pritikin for pointing that one out to me. There's a link to a whole story about it. (By the way, a new week's worth of highlights have been posted if you're one of those people who likes to work ahead)

Today's Historical Event is the birth of Willie Nelson. Where were the Cubs?

Booing Robinson Cano

Funny reminder that the people you boo are actually human beings.

Today's Best Tweets--April 29

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




Gawker ‏@Gawker 1m
Nevada militias set up armed checkpoints, demand to see drivers' papers in the name of LIBERTY http://gaw.kr/Ruz6uBM

Rolling Stone ‏@RollingStone 4m
Dave Grohl recalls his first-ever listen to Soundgarden's 'Superunknown,' "Holy shit": http://rol.st/1pK0hX2

Lisa and Ray US99.5 ‏@LisaandRay995 8m
A Glen Ellyn woman gave birth to a baby girl on I-88 earlier this morning! http://cbsloc.al/1kaDafY

Jim O'Donnell ‏@jodonnell17 18m
New Ill Racing Board member Orion Samuelson to fulfill lifelong dream & call a race at Arlington International this summer?; race-o profondo

thecubreporter ‏@thecubreporter 36m
#Cubs lead all of MLB in runners picked off with 6. Most teams (16) have either had one runner PO'd or none. (via @baseballpro)

Stephen Colbert ‏@StephenAtHome 26m
If Obama's Asia trip wasn't suspicious, why are all of his meetings taking place while Americans are asleep? http://on.cc.com/1mTN8sq

The Daily Beast ‏@thedailybeast 28m
Magic Johnson could save the Clippers – by buying them himself http://thebea.st/1fsvmKu

Richard Lewis ‏@TheRichardLewis 30m
The fearless film Drunks, which freaked me starring in being newly sober, 20 nears ago,is finally on DVD and ready to stream.

Andy Richter ‏@AndyRichter 36m
Congrats to @BryanCranston on his Tony nomination! For those who don't know, Tonys are awards for the sexiest podcasts, I think.

Chicago Blackhawks ‏@NHLBlackhawks 1m
Been enjoying those @BlackhawksTV all access features? You'll love this GREAT Game 6 stuff! http://bit.ly/1nCk9cE

Slang Terms For Old People

The Huffington Post headline actually says: 11 Vintage Slang Terms that Need to Make a Comeback

But because I still use seven of them, I decided maybe I should retitle it.

Where Can You Find the Most Entertaining Personal Ads?

Would you believe "The London Review of Books"?

Here's a sample: Save it. Anything you’ve got to say can be said to my lawyer. But if you’re not my ex-wife, why not write to box no. 5377? I enjoy vodka, canasta, evenings in, and cold, cold revenge.

Media Spotlight--April 29

My media focus this year will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, radio, 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

~Roy Leonard Has a Scare
He fell down after a show at the Lyric Opera and lost a lot of blood, but Robert Feder reports that Roy is in good spirits and doing well. One of my favorite Chicago Radio Spotlight interviews was with Roy (in 2010). You can read that here.

Showbiz

~Live TV Version of "Grease" Coming to Fox
I hope it's better than the Sound of Music fiasco on NBC. Although, I'll admit this now. I'll be tuning in just to watch the train derail. No word on the casting yet, but if they hire the Sound of Music casting people, we'll probably see a pairing of Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian.

Journalism

The New York Times Bets Big on Video
If you're a kid who wants to get into journalism, you better have some chops when it comes to video. It's the future of the business. (I know this article is in Women's Wear Daily, but it happens to be absolutely correct).

The Pundits

~The Daily Show hires Michael Che
He will join the show after the season of SNL ends. Here he is doing a recent stand up bit on Seth Meyers show...


The Radio Biz

~Radio Listening Allegedly Hits Record High
I don't want to besmirch my old industry (which I still love), but this just doesn't sound true to me. Radio Ink reports on the latest findings by Nielsen:

Despite the bombardment of new services now offering audio entertainment to consumers, Nielsen says radio listening is at an all-time high. Today, Nielsen is releasing its second quarter report called "State of the Media: Audio Today." The report concludes radio listening remains at an all-time high with 92% of all Americans 12 and older, or 244.4 million people, tuning into radio in an average week. The report also provides detail on the Hispanic and African American radio listener. Those two categories account for nearly 30% of the national radio listening audience.

~Multi-Format Success
Again, I'm not trying to besmirch this report from the RAMP newsletter, but the seven different formats mentioned here would have all fit under the Top 40 umbrella back in the day (except maybe Triple A). But it is good to see we're having a cross-cultural moment in music:

Pharrell Williams continues to forge musical history, as his now-ubiquitous anthem "Happy" becomes the first and only song to ever reach No. 1 at six different Mediabase radio formats. This week, "Happy" jumps to No. 1 at Mediabase AC, as it remains No. 1 at Hot AC and Urban AC. The song recently hit the top spot at Top 40, Urban and Rhythm, marking six total formats at No. 1. Just weeks ago, "Happy" broke yet another Mediabase record, reaching 272 million in weekly audience, breaking the previous record set by Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" -- which, awesomely, also contains Pharrell. In total, "Happy" has charted at seven Mediabase formats -- Top 40, Rhythm, AC, Hot AC, Urban, Urban AC, and Triple A.

~The Voice of Tony the Tiger Dies
He was much more than that obviously. From Tom Taylor's column today:

Lee Marshall was the voice of Tony the Tiger, after the 1995 death of Thurl Ravenscroft, and that’s being prominently mentioned in the headlines about Lee’s death of esophageal cancer, at age 67. Aside from that signature role in voiceover work, he did tons of jobs in radio (especially news), TV and cable. Lee loved sports announcing, and he did wrestling for Turner Broadcasting. LARadio.com runs down the list of Marshall’s radio credits, from KCBQ San Diego, Detroit-market “Big 8” CKLW (delivering the “20/20 News”), and Los Angeles stations such as KHJ (starting in 1970), KDAY (1976-78) and KABC. LARadio’s Don Barrett says “in recent years, Lee was teaching voiceover classes at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks...and as former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said of Lee – ‘If God ever wanted to make a speech, Lee Marshall would get the call.’”

The Publishing Biz

~"To Kill A Mockingbird" Finally Becomes an E-book
In honor of author Harper Lee's 88th birthday (yes, she's still alive), Harper Collins is finally releasing the e-book version of one of the all-time great novels, "To Kill a Mockingbird". Her birthday is on July 8th.

22 Sarcastic Zen Phrases

Thanks so much "MC" for pointing this out to me.

22 Sarcastic Zen Phrases.

I think my favorite is: "Always remember that you’re unique. Just like everyone else."

Death By Flying Muffins

I guess I'm just not made to be scary...

Donald Sterling Sex Scandal

Is LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling racist? Yes.

Is he a lover of women? No. The Smoking Gun has a deposition about a previous sexual scandal involving Sterling and a woman who would exchange sex for money. The way he talks about her and other women is not pretty. I gotta say, these women he chooses also aren't exactly the pride of their gender either.

Then, read the comments section at the Smoking Gun. The commentors all rip him for being a Democrat. Only one problem with that: He's a registered Republican. Wait, there's another problem with that. This story has absolutely nothing to do with politics.

Just One Bad Century--April 29

The Cubs didn't lose yesterday. Sometimes the Lord provides rain. They'll try to squeeze in another one today in Cincy, but the forecast calls for rain again. It's probably for the best.

If you want to go back to a happier time, This week in 1908 has been posted. It's a good week for the Cubs, although I'll warn you. It was also the week a murdering Indiana vixen mysteriously disappeared. Her story is featured, along with the man who prosecuted another mysterious murderer--the sausage vat killer.

OK, so maybe going back to 1908 won't make you happy. How about 1983? On this day in Wrigley history, Lee Elia launched his famous tirade. I'll grant you he wasn't happy, but if listening to his rant doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will. We've got the bleeped and the unbleeped version at the link.

The A/V Club today also features a comedy. Today's the anniversary of the movie "Elmer the Great". It starred Joe E. Brown as a cocky Cubs player. Did I mention it was a comedy?

Today's historical event is the death of one of our great writers, Mike Royko. His devotion to the Cubs is chronicled in an extended form essay at the link, complete with an audio clip of Royko explaining what it means to be a Cubs fan.

Today's Cubs birthdays features one of the Cubs Royko used to make fun of--who was ironically celebrating a birthday on the day Royko passed away. Two other obscure Cubs are also featured.

59 Famous People Who Are Lefthanded

I have to give this list to my son Johnny (a lefty).

It's a pretty impressive list.

Today's Best Tweets--April 28

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





Sheldon_Jokes * ‏@Sheldon_Jokes 1h
Whenever I'm feeling sad, I just remember that somewhere in this world there is an idiot pulling a door that clearly says "PUSH".

Steve McEwen ‏@SteveMcEwen 6m
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore is not an act but a habit."
~ Aristotle #Excellence #Motivation

Taegan Goddard ‏@politicalwire 1m
Have Republicans finally surrendered on Obamacare?
http://theweek.com/article/index/260609/have-republicans-finally-surrendered-on-obamacare

MLB Milestones ‏@MLBMilestones 25m
Happy 50th birthday to @Reds legend and Hall of Famer, Barry Larkin: pic.twitter.com/v7FJtGauyF
(Rick's note: Yikes. I'm older than a Hall of Famer)

SportsCenter ‏@SportsCenter 51m
Crazy Stat of Day: Sunday was 1st time in MLB history that 10 pitchers went 7+ innings while allowing 3 or less hits. (via @EliasSports)

MLB Stat of the Day ‏@MLBStatoftheDay 25m
Jose Abreu has 65 total bases – the second most since 1914 for any first-year player in a March/April. @PujolsFive had 68 in 2001.

NBC News ‏@NBCNews 1m
Singer Paul Simon arrested on domestic violence charges. http://nbcnews.to/S1HYhy

The Onion ‏@TheOnion 6m
[American Voices] “Glad to hear someone fixed the flaw in standardized testing.” http://onion.com/1m1oFSs pic.twitter.com/tjOQs5wLA4

Gawker ‏@Gawker 15m
Failed college prez walks away with a half million bucks, teaching students that life is rigged. http://gaw.kr/JpfARyE

HuffPost Sports ‏@HuffPostSports 17m
NBA players want maximum punishment for Clippers owner Donald Sterling http://huff.to/1kbA2BO

Media Spotlight--April 28

My media focus this year will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, radio, 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.




The Moguls

~Rupert wonders if Google is an ethical company
He actually tweeted that this weekend. I love Buzzfeed's headline about his tweet: "Rupert Murdoch Tweet Questions Google’s Ethics, Twitter Dies From Irony"

~Remaking Ben Hur?
This one's an inside joke for $everance fans. Viacom's chairman is Sumner Redstone. If you read his autobiography, he's still pissed off that his father's movie theatre was not allowed to show the original Ben Hur when it came out. I based an entire chapter of "Severance" to this lingering anger. The main character of the book, Zagorski, tries to get fired by turning his office into an homage to his boss' most hated film of all-time, Ben Hur. Now the real Sumner Redstone has apparently green-lighted (greenlit?) a remake of the film. He finally has his closure.

The Pundits

~John Oliver's HBO Show debuts
Here's a clip from the show. There is some swearing in the clip. Probably NSFW.


~Cosmo will now cover hard news and politics
That's not a joke, by the way. They hired a writer to cover the beat of important news. I sure hope they don't use different headline writers. I'd love to see this on the next Cosmo cover: "25 backroom moves that will set him on fire". Or how about this one: "How To Back Him Off When He Invades Your Crimea".

Showbiz

~Future of Star Wars Will Rely Only on Past Movies, Animated TV Series
That means all of those books and comic books that took the Star Wars story line in various different directions are immediately considered invalid. I've never read any of them; just reporting this news to those of you who have.

~Four U.S. Shows Ordered Off Chinese Websites
You know these shows will wear this banning as a badge of honor. The shows are "Big Bang Theory", "The Good Wife", "The Practice" and "NCIS"

~The Other Woman
The girl's night out movie "The Other Woman" was #1 at the Box office over the weekend.

Find Your Cocktail Name

This doesn't work for me...I'm a Dribbling Sunset. Sounds like something they serve at the old folks home. Thanks to "CC" for this...

Pothole Store Goes International

This weekend the entire French speaking portion of Canada was reading about the pothole store. Dave did an interview with the wire service, and reached a circulation of 7 million. Here's the screenshot of Le Journal de Montreal...

An Open Letter To Bearded Hipsters

I thought this was pretty funny. It's written by a woman who used to have a beard fetish, but had to give it up because of bearded hipsters. Yes, it's harsh ("The beard has turned into the padded bra of masculinity. Sure it looks sexy, but whatcha got under there? There’s a whole generation running around looking like lumberjacks, and most of you can’t change a f***ing tire."). But if you're a gal who used to love guys with beards (my wife is not one of those gals...she could start up an anti-facial-hair group), you'll get a kick out of this article. If you're a bearded hipster, don't read it.

Just One Bad Century--April 28

April ends on Wednesday, and the Cubs still haven't won a series. They dropped two out of three over the weekend to the Brewers. Former Cubs Matt Garza and Aramis Ramirez seemed to enjoy the festivities. Last chance to win one begins tonight in Cincinnati.

Today in Wrigley history has better memories. We go back to two big wins on this day, in 1945 and 1973.

Speaking of 1945, This Week in 1945 reminds us that it might have been a great week for the Cubs, but it was a terrible week for Hitler and Mussolini. One shot himself in a bunker, and the other one was killed and strung up by his heels.

Today's Historical Event is Muhammad Ali refusing his military induction. Where were the Cubs? The A/V Club features Ali throwing out the first pitch at an all-star game.

Today's Cubs birthdays include the greatest Cubs player in history with a mustache and a last name that starts with Q, plus a trade throw-in, and a starting pitcher who couldn't strike anyone out. Over the weekend you also missed a few big birthdays; Rogers Hornsby and Hack Wilson. After you read each of their profiles, and note that their birthdays are only one day apart, you'll dismiss the notion of astrology forever.

The latest Cubs news provides one little bright spot (remembering my cup-is-half-full New Years resolution): Jose Veras won't be pitching for the Cubs anytime soon. He's on the DL. (No offense Jose, but we'll take our chances with the other guys who blow big leads).

Today's Best Tweets--April 25

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





Matt Yglesias ‏@mattyglesias 30s
Northwestern University’s football players are voting on unionization today. Here’s the whole controversy explained: http://www.vox.com/2014/4/11/5602616/unionizing-college-football-players-explained

ESPN Big Ten ‏@ESPN_BigTen 17m
Former NU walk-on Michael Odom, who quit team after 2013 season, said he's pro-union and that players have been pressured to vote no.

Ellen Miller ‏@EllnMllr 28m
A petition on the WH petition page demanding net neutrality is gaining signatures at rate of 1000+ per hour. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/maintain-true-net-neutrality-protect-freedom-information-united-

Cristiano Ronaldo ‏@Cristiano 14m
Such an honour to be one of TIME's 100 most influential people. http://time.com/70818/cristiano-ronaldo-2014-time-100/ …

Slate ‏@Slate 6m
Yes, if you ask the question in the right (B.S.) way, Virginians oppose Medicaid expansion: http://slate.me/1fefZFn

Dean Obeidallah ‏@Deanofcomedy 1h
The NRA's worst nightmare: Mom's protesting outside its convention this weekend. My new @thedailybeast article http://thebea.st/1frTtnb

The AV Club ‏@TheAVClub 4m
Seth Meyers will also host this year's Emmys http://avc.lu/1iVwqWp

670 The Score ‏@670TheScore 6m
Stained by PEDs, Sammy Sosa needs to come clean if he's ever to be welcomed back at Wrigley Field, writes @wischlist: http://cbsloc.al/1jLZixa

Brett Taylor ‏@BleacherNation 8m
#Cubs: Sammy Sosa is Upset That He Wasn't Invited to the 100th Anniversary, May Reach Out http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/04/25/sammy-sosa-is-upset-that-he-wasnt-invited-to-the-100th-anniversary-may-reach-out/ …

BobVorwald ‏@BobVorwald 4m
"Wrigley 100: A Century Celebration" airs tomorrow on @WGNTV and WGN America 4-6p central.

Baseball Fan Map

This was in the New York Times. An interesting look at who roots for which team based on region. (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

One Town That Won't Let You Down

Very cool time lapse video of my favorite city...

Random Facts

Thanks to "FC" for sending this. I got a chuckle...

The Pothole Store

Fox News Chicago posted this on facebook:

PERSONAL POTHOLE: You've probably heard of naming a star, but now you can get a semi-official certificate to name one of the city's many potholes on the International Pothole Registry. It costs $6.99. Would you be willing to pay that much for a pothole of your own?

The comments below this post are absolutely hilarious. You'd think I would no longer be surprised by the seemingly endless supply of hateful, cluesless, and humorless comments, but I laughed out loud reading these. There are something like 200 of them, and only ONE guy gets the joke.

Don't think they'll get this either...



LATE UPDATE: Tomorrow the Pothole Store goes international. That's all I can say right now, but we'll have more news tomorrow.

Just One Bad Century--April 25

With a loss yesterday, the Cubs still haven't won a series all season long. They're pacing themselves.

Today on JOBC we go back to 1948 in Wrigley history. A one-hitter was tossed by a man nicknamed "Mad Monk".

Today's Cub Birthdays features nine Cubs related birthdays, including an infamous Cubs fan, a player from the last season at West Side Grounds, another who played in the Cubs first season at Wrigley, plus cups of coffee from the 1920s, 1930s, 1980s, 1990s, and a big contract free agent outfielder from last decade.

Today's historical event is the birth of Ella Fitzgerald (in 1918). Where were the Cubs?

The A/V club celebrates an important moment from this day in 1976: Rick Monday saving the American flag.

As for the latest Cubs news: Justin Ruggiano is on the DL and is being replaced by a pitcher. We now have 13 pitchers and 12 hitters. Neil Ramirez (the new reliever) is one of the players the Cubs got for Matt Garza. He also has a 7.71 ERA in Iowa. Whoo boy.

Also, people are still talking about Sammy not being invited to the 100th birthday celebration. Joe Borowski says the Cubs created the monster, and doesn't believe Sammy needs to apologize to old teammates.

The Cubs are playing in Milwaukee this weekend. Are you going up there to catch a game at Miller Park?

Throwback Thursday

1995. Back in the old condo downtown with my baby son Tommy...

Soup of the Day

Thanks to "OG" for this one...

Today's Best Tweets--April 24

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




Edward Silha ‏@Edzila 2m
Congrats to Jonathan Toews, named a finalist for the #Selke Trophy, given to the #NHL's best defensive forward!

The Daily Beast ‏@thedailybeast 4m
President Obama played soccer with a Japanese robot http://thebea.st/1nIEOcv

Neil Steinberg ‏@NeilSteinberg 7m
Why settle for the fever fantasies of right wing fabulists when you can read the moderate original that set them off? http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/26902035-452/rauners-best-friend-that-money-can-buy.html …

Mark Glaser ‏@mediatwit 8m
FCC to propose new 'net neutrality' rules (@gnagesh via @WSJ) http://ow.ly/w7pC9 #MustReads

Jesse Rogers ‏@ESPNChiCubs 1m
RR asked several diff ways who would close today if needed. He's not sure yet. Depends on avail etc.

Taegan Goddard ‏@politicalwire 1m
McCain predicts a big scandal is coming
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/04/24/mccain_predicts_big_campaign_finance_scandal.html …

Romenesko ‏@romenesko 11m
Why hyphens matter - even in police department news releases. http://bit.ly/ROCnLe

Greg Sargent ‏@ThePlumLineGS 13m
Counterintuitive column from @JoshuaGreen: "Here's why Obamacare will help Dems and hurt Republicans: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-24/heres-why-obamacare-will-help-democrats-and-hurt-republicans …

Dave Wischnowsky ‏@wischlist 14m
Pretty dead-on: "The Infographic of Chicago Neighborhood Stereotypes" http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/23/this-week-in-chicago-neighborhood-stereotyping.php …

Paul Sullivan ‏@PWSullivan 18m
Standing in Cubs clubhouse while MLB Network shows Bartman clip again.

Pothole Store Strikes Again

The man is a promotional machine. In today's Red Eye...

Just One Bad Century--April 24

So, I was there at the ballgame yesterday and took a few photos...



But none of those photos can really recreate the feeling of being there at the end of that game like this GIF from the broadcast...



It was a perfectly fitting way to celebrate the 100th birthday.

So, today we carry on at Just One Bad Century as if nothing happened.

Today in Wrigley history goes back to 1918 and 1923. A one-hitter and a two-hitter.

Today's Cubs birthdays feature a current Cub, a part of their rotation from the late 50s and early 60s, a member of the 1929 pennant winners, and two relief pitchers.

Today's historical event is the release of Jane Fonda's legendary workout tape. Where were the Cubs?

It's also the anniversary of Bud Abbott's death, so the A/V club has the classic "Who's on First" bit by Abbott & Costello.

School Lunch

(Ring) "Hello"

"Is this Mr. Kaempfer?"

"Yes."

"Your son brought his lunch box to school, but there's nothing in it."

(Sigh) This is our 13th and final year at the elementary school (three boys), and I'm pretty sure we've set some sort of emergency "bring your son's lunch" record that will never be broken.

Just One Bad Century--April 23

I don't need to tell you that today is the 100th birthday of Wrigley Field. If you want to know what it was like on that first day one hundred years ago, we have a full report, including quotes from the 1914 Chicago Tribune. It's all right here.

For today's A/V Club, we've chosen to highlight Steve Goodman's ode to the park and it's fans. Watch him perform "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" from a rooftop overlooking the ballpark.

What is Theo Epstein thinking watching this birthday celebration? He's not digging the constant references to the losing. (And by the way, people keep saying there have been no championships, but that's not true. The Bears won several in Wrigley, and the Federal League Whales won one too).

The rest of the usual features are still here today as well. Today's Cubs birthdays feature an MVP, a member of the last pennant winning Cubs team, a backup outfielder from the 20s, and the player they we had to take in order to get rid of Milton Bradley.

Today's historical event was a cosmonaut tragedy in Russia. Where were the Cubs?

If you want to know where I'll be, I'll be at Wrigley Field helping to celebrate the old gal's birthday. I'll post some pictures either today or tomorrow.

(photo: Bernie Tafoya)

Media Spotlight--April 22

My media focus this year will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, radio, 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.


The Moguls

~Jeff Bezos Net Worth Takes A Dive
I don't want to brag, but my little internet publishing company Eckhartz Press has made me $6 billion more than amazon has made Jeff Bezos so far this year. That, my friends, is an absolutely true statement.

~Comcast Bucks Industry Trend By Adding Customers
Bloomberg's story about Comcast leaves out one little thing: One of the ways they are doing this is by crushing their competitors. Believe me, people aren't flocking to Comcast because they love it. They often are reduced to only having one choice.

The Pundits

~Jon Stewart Takes Down Sean Hannity
And his completely inexplicable love of the thieving rancher. These are my favorite Daily Show bits. Taking the person in question's own words and showing them how randomly they argue their points to suit their political agenda at the moment...

The Daily Show
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~John Oliver's Show Debuts This Weekend on HBO.
I've already set the DVR.

Broadcast News

~Forner CBS Reporter Claims Bias
Sharyl Attkisson says that CBS News has a liberal bias...and she used to work there. I think this is a fair charge. Obviously this sort of thing doesn't rise to the heights that Fox News takes it (CBS News still, for instance, fact checks, abides by the rules of journalism, and corrects errors when they are made), but it's still not good...

“The tendency on the part of some of these managers who have key influences has been they never mind the stories that seem to … go against the grain of the Republican Party,” Attkisson told “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter yesterday. “But they do often seem to feel defensive about, almost, personally defensive on stories that could make the government look bad.”

How Much Do You Hate People?

I thought I would score higher on this quiz.

I got a 22. Here's the results: "You only sort of hate people. Sometimes. When they’re being the worst. And that’s perfectly natural. You don’t put up with any nonsense but you’re probably not a dick."

A Nesting Falcon

Thanks for this incredible nature shot, "DM"...

Dylan Gardner Rocks Out

The son of Landecker & the Legends guitarist Mark Gardner is a superstar in the making. He's only 17. This is the official first single from his debut album...

Randy Richardson Book Signing

Just One Bad Century--April 22

When the Hawks game was getting too tense for me last night, I was flipping back to the Cubs, and for once...it calmed me down. Nice victory last night against the Diamondbacks.

Today on JOBC, we go back to opening day 1908. This Week in 1908 tells the tale of how that game went, as well as what else was going on in the world 106 years ago this week.

Today's Cubs birthdays feature a World Series winning manager (who played for the Cubs), the most common name in Cubs history (three different players had this name), and a guy who pulled off an unassisted triple play. That play can be seen at the A/V Club.

Today in Wrigley History goes back to 1938 and 1965. The Daily Herald's Mike Imren lists his top five favorite childhood Wrigley memories.

Today's historical event is the first Earth Day in 1970. Where were the Cubs?

In the latest Cubs news: The Cub's top pitching prospect Kyle Hendricks is dealing in Iowa. The future looks bright. Right?

The "Lost in the Ivy" Book-Launch Party

You won't want to miss our special book launch party for the Eckhartz Press book "Lost in the Ivy." Celebrate the release of the all-new, revised edition of Randy Richardson's Wrigleyville murder mystery at Murphy's Bleachers, a baseball throw away from Wrigley Field.

Here are the details:

The Date: Friday, May 9, 2014 from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
The Location: Murphy's Bleacher's, 3655 N Sheffield Ave (right outside Wrigley)
Admission: $20 ($25 at the door) - includes 1 signed copy of Lost in the Ivy, appetizers and drinks (beer, wine, and soft drinks). Buy your advance tickets here.

There will be door prizes and trivia contests for Cubs tickets, T-shirts and books.

Come one, come all!

Today's Best Tweets--April 21

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




Len Kasper ‏@LenKasper 1m
The game I love needs some tweaks: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140420/sports/140429886/ …

Slate ‏@Slate 4m
Why people are freaking out over General Mills' new legal policy: http://slate.me/1h5qnOu pic.twitter.com/Pcw5vb8Y4v

Deadspin ‏@Deadspin 5m
RT @DSconcourse In praise of unhinged (and underrated) late-night king Craig Ferguson http://deadsp.in/7M7RnwX

Hub Arkush ‏@Hub_Arkush 5m
The Bears' history drafting quarterbacks isn't pretty, and they don't need to take one this year. My column: http://shawurl.com/14c1

Andy Shaw ‏@AndyShawBGA 7m
Study: Rahm's pension plan will seriously cost taxpayers and retirees, but not doing anything could be worse http://bit.ly/1lvLdL0

CBS Chicago ‏@cbschicago 8m
After one of the most brutal winters ever, the Easter weekend weather was one of the warmest on record. http://cbsloc.al/1nCIHzB

Talking Points Memo ‏@TPM 10m
New study from Princeton spells bad news for American democracy—namely, that it no longer exists: http://bit.ly/1mrUYH4

Chet Coppock ‏@ChetCoppock 14m
#Cubs vs.,#Arizona tonight at the #FriendlyConfines. if that isn't grounds for a rain out I don't know what is.

Groovyhoovy ‏@Groovyhoovy 15m
Blackhawks need to win tonight. The longer hockey can eat into the baseball season, the better. LET'S GO HAWKS!

ESPN FC ‏@ESPNFC 37m
More on the news that sources have told @ESPNFC that the sacking of David Moyes by Manchester United is "imminent."

Media Spotlight--April 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

~Afternoon Radio Ratings
Robert Feder posted the top ten over the weekend. My personal choice for afternoon drive is on the list. By the way, I like the way Feder is posting these regularly now. His column is still must-reading for Chicago media types (including me).

Broadcast News

~Meet the Press Keeps On Sliding
It's number 3 in the ratings right now after dominating for many years. Articles like this one should be making David Gregory very nervous.

~The Clinton Conspiracy Memo
Remember when Hillary talked about the vast right wing conspiracy (when she was First Lady). Here's the memo that made her think that. And, based on my nearly twenty years of researching this very topic, it's exactly correct. I'm not making a judgement on whether or not the information being transmitted is accurate or not (that is always debatable), but the way it is distributed (as described in this memo) is simply the way it is distributed to broadcast news outlets. It's a fact. (It's also the basis of a good chunk of $everance). The only thing that has changed since this memo came out is that the left wing does it now too. (Using the exact same methodology)

The Moguls

~As the Rupert Turns
Another day, another lawsuit paid off. This time it was Rupert's "Sun on Sunday", and the victim was comedian Russell Brand.


The Radio Biz

~Ryan Seacrest Looking to Expand Role at Clear Channel
That's what the Hollywood Reporter is reporting today. Sounds like he's going to drop some of his TV gigs to focus on more radio (which is where the real money is for him, believe it or not).

~Randi Rhodes Ends Her National Radio Program
The talk show's last day on the air will be May 16. It had been distributed by Premiere.

Kermit & Fozzie Improv

From 1979. This is really cool...

A night at the bar

Thanks to "FC" for this one. I can relate...

Just One Bad Century--April 21

I didn't get a chance to watch the beloved this weekend, but I can read box scores and standings. They stand at 5-11. Not so good. But...but...um...bright side, bright side, think bright side...well, they had some beautiful weather. Oh, here's something else. The Diamondbacks come to town tonight, and they are also off to a terrible start. Maybe we can actually win a series.

This Week in Wrigley History goes back to 1950 and 1959. Two incredible Cubs pitching performances. (Don't forget--the 100th anniversary of the ballpark is this Wednesday. I'll be there)

Today's Cubs Birthdays at JOBC feature one of the most colorful players in Chicago history, plus a Hall of Famer, and two relief pitchers (one from the 20s and one from 80s).

The A/V Club features a clip from a movie that debuted 25 years ago today...Field of Dreams. People will come, Ray.

Today's Historical event was the death of the Red Baron in 1918. Where were the Cubs? Also, there's a full bonus-feature writeup on an event that happened on this day in 1986--The opening of Al Capone's vault.

This week in 1945 was posted over the weekend. It was the last stand for a bad guy in Germany, but the Cubs had a very good week. If you missed it over the weekend, it was the anniversary of the Cubs first televised game yesterday (1946), and there was also an interesting Cubs birthday: A Supreme Court Justice.

As for the latest Cubs news: There could be some late inning relief help on the way from Daytona before the end of the season (and a good one too), and here are four other players that might be up to the big club before the end of the season.

Gotta look to the future, Cubs fans. We should be used to that by now.