Looks Like I've Got Some Traveling To Do

This list of the top 50 cities to see was published in the Huffington Post.

I consider myself a pretty well-traveled person. But I've only visited 17 of the 50. I have a feeling I'll never make it to most of them, but I did get a few good ideas.

Bill Cosby

This Bill Cosby story doesn't seem to be going away.

There are stories going all the way back to the late 60s about Cosby allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting women. He settled a case out of court back in 2006, but there are two new stories that emerged recently--one from 1969 and one from the 80s at the height of his popularity.

Now his megadeal with NBC is probably in jeopardy. He was slated to come back with another family comedy. Writers had already been working on it. But here's the little footnote on that story. If they choose not to do the show (and they'd be idiots to go ahead with it under the circumstances), Cosby is still going to be paid. A lot.

Variety has the details.

Mitch Rosen Gets A Promotion

Mitch Rosen had been the operations manager of the Score. I interviewed him a few years ago about that job.

Now, he's been given added responsibilities. He'll also be doing that job for WXRT.

Robert Feder has the details.

Father Knows Nothing

Lookee here. One step closer to publication. We'll be going to press very soon. Getting very excited. (Pre-order your copy today!)

Cubs trade

Kind of scratching my head on this trade the Cubs made over the weekend. They traded Arodys Vizcaino for another infielder--a 25-year-old second baseman from the Braves. Vizcaino was one of their most-hyped minor league arms. They got him from Atlanta a few years ago in the trade that sent Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson to Atlanta.

And they got another infielder for him?

Are they about to make another move? Sure sounds like it to me.

Details are here.

Jon Hansen

Jon Hansen has just been added to WGN Newscasts, via DNAinfo.com. I just featured Jon in my recent piece at Illinois Entertainer about WPGU alums. He's a bright young talent, and now you'll be able to hear him every day during the WGN 8am and 3pm newscasts.

Robert Feder has the details.

Scott Miller

I met this youngster when he was 12 years old. He was a groupie of Oldies 104.3--particularly Dick Biondi's show. He went into radio himself. Always happy to see him do well. From today's RAMP Newsletter...

Some well-deserved congratulations go out to Scott Miller, Executive Producer and co-host of The Pete McMurray Show on Tribune's WGN/Chicago, who has been rewarded with a lot more responsibility -- in addition to his current duties, Miller is now also the newly named Supervising Producer in charge of overall booking at WGN Radio and its subsidiaries. So there's that. "The last 14 months at WGN Radio have been incredible," said Miller (luxurious mustache sold separately). "I am honored to now be the Supervising Producer under Jimmy de Castro and Todd Manley's leadership. I have received interest in my talents from markets larger than Chicago, but I so believe in what is happening and what will be happening at WGN Radio and all of its platforms."

Joel Daly

Having breakfast today with Eckhartz Press author and broadcasting icon Joel Daly . I haven't seen him in a few months--looking forward to it.

Meeting and working with Joel has been one of the coolest things that has happened to me as a publisher. What a gentleman.

Ivy Shoes

Cubs prospect Kris Bryant tweeted this picture of his new shoes...Ivy Adidas. I need a pair of these immediately. And I'm loving that he's already considering himself a Cub even though he hasn't made it to the big leagues yet. Looking forward to the day he is in the Cubs lineup.

Rauner and the Loop

I found this little tidbit in today's Tom Taylor column fascinating. Details about the agreement between Merlin Media (still technically the owners of the Loop), and Cumulus (the people currently running the Loop). Never realized that current Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner was involved...

Here’s what Cumulus is paying to LMA and eventually buy Chicago’s WKQX and The Loop. We not only learn the monthly LMA fees, we discover that Cumulus can run Merlin Media’s alternative rock WKQX (101.1) and classic rock “Loop” WLUP (97.9) all the way through October 2017 without actually buying them. That’s equivalent to renting a house instead of making a more expensive all-cash mortgage payment upfront, and it favors Cumulus. Here are the terms – Cumulus started the LMA with Merlin (backed by Chicago-based private equity fund GCTR) in early January, and for this first year of the LMA, it pays $300,000 a month. That nut rises to $400,000 next year, $500,000 in year three of the deal and $600,000 in year four (2017). Cumulus gets to keep the operating profits from those stations, and CEO Lew Dickey indicates he’s happy with the results so far. What if Cumulus chooses to buy outright? There are several scenarios, but it would be paying something like $70 million (through October 4, 2017) or $71 million (for the ten days after that, at Merlin’s option). However, Cumulus would get credit for all the LMA fees, which are going to be substantial – potentially close to $20 million, if Cumulus runs the string out to October 2017. By that date, the actual purchase price would be around $50 million or so. And at that point, Merlin has the legal right to require Cumulus to buy the stations. (Note that former GTCR principal Bruce Rauner, the “R” in the company name, has a new job – governor of Illinois.)

Time for some Christmas Music

Starting today, WLIT in Chicago (93.9 FM) is playing all-Christmas music. WILV (100.3 FM) is playing a mixture of their usual format and Christmas music.

My calendar says November 14.

On the other hand, the weather sure feels like December. Might as well roll the tunes.

Silver Bells

Um, excuse me Kenova, West Virginia. That should be "Silver BElls" with an E, not an A. Simple mistake. Could have happened to anyone. (Thanks to JG for this one)

Dad's House

My father-in-law passed away last week, and my wife has been helping clean out the house. One of the things she found was an envelope with my name on it, containing a bunch of press clippings that my mother-in-law and father-in-law had saved.

Press clippings about me.

One of them was a Chicago Tribune article about a writing contest I won in 1999, written by current Chicago Sun Times publisher Jim Kirk. Here's a short excerpt...

From radio to writer? WJMK-FM 104.3 morning executive producer Rick Kaempfer may have found a new calling. Kaempfer was the national winner in a Diet Coke writing contest on living life to the fullest. His 500- word essay earned a trip to New York to meet some publishers.

"I was shocked," Kaempfer said. "They called me at home and I was taking a nap. My wife wouldn't wake me up because she thought it was a salesman."

Luckily, they called back.

I forgot all about that clipping. And now I have it for my kids.

The envelope also contained the press release announcing my first book, "The Radio Producer's Handbook" (from 2004), and the brochure promoting my first business (AMISH Chicago Advertising) from 2000.

I didn't have either of those in my archives either.

I should note that during these years, my father-in-law routinely called me Chris. I'm guessing the envelope was saved by my mother-in-law (who passed away in 2005). Regardless, it's nice to know they cared.

The Kardashian Butt Photo

Thanks to "LM" for this one...

Today's Father Knows Nothing Tease

I hear what you're saying out there..."But Rick, I don't have any children. I'm more of an animal lover. Why would I want to read this book?"

Are you kidding me? An entire chapter is devoted to you!

This little unassuming pit bull-mix named Ivy has provided fodder for Father Knows Nothing for almost five years now. Every dog owner will be able to relate to our incredibly embarrassing misadventures featuring skunks, hormonal neighborhood dogs, dishwashers, and why no subject is taboo in your house when the first thing you have to do is apologize for a wet nose in your guest's crotch.

(Father Knows Nothing is available for pre-order now.)

Jon Lester

He's meeting with the Cubs. He's meeting with the Cubs.

Trying to calm down.

He's only the best pitcher available, and has a previous relationship with Theo.

Trying to calm down.

Museum of Broadcasting Unveils New Studio

From Tom Taylor's NOW column...

There’s now an “Art Laboe Control Room” at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. That honors the Southern California personality/entrepreneur who embodies (and heck, owns) "oldies but goodies." The act of generosity by Laboe was revealed by Bruce Dumont at Sunday’s National Radio Hall of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles.

I will be appearing in that studio on November 29th to promote "Father Knows Nothing". I'll tell you more about that appearance as it gets closer. Looking forward to it.

Art Laboe, by the way, is a legendary Los Angeles disc jockey who is credited with coining the term "Oldies but Goodies".

Wall Street Journal Getting Out of Radio

Jim Romenesko has the memo that announced their intentions.

Read the memo if you want the full scoop. It actually sounds quite reasonable. They are concentrating on expanding their digital products instead.

Randy Jackson is out at American Idol

From USA Today...

Jackson on Tuesday issued a statement via his publicist: "After 13 seasons I felt now was the perfect time to leave American Idol. I'm proud to have been a part of a series that discovered some incredible artists and will go down in history as one of the most successful television shows ever. A true original, Idol started it all. Onto what's next."

Fox and Idol producers also had a statement: "Randy has been such an integral part of American Idol since day one, both as a judge and as a mentor. He's provided great advice and support, shaping the success of so many Idols we have discovered over the years. We wish him all the best in his next chapter. Randy will always be part of our Idol family and we hope he'll visit from time to time."

I know a lot of you watch it, but I have to admit I haven't seen it in years.

German Sesame Street

Good bit...

Advanced Reviews For "Father Knows Nothing"

So far, exactly four people have read advanced copies of "Father Knows Nothing" (other than my editor & me). Here is what they have to say about it...

"Kaempfer's triumphant achievement is also his greatest success. The most famous, hilarious, suburban stay-at-home dad of all-time!"

- Pat Colander, Associate Publisher & Editor/Shore Magazine

"Father Knows Nothing is a loving, humorous, insightful and abundantly entertaining tale of a dad and his sons."

- John Records Landecker, WLS-Radio

"Rick is the new Bill Cosby of parenting books. Minus the fact that he is white, middle class, and doesn't wear bad sweaters."

- Jeff Hoover, WGN-TV Morning News

"It doesn’t matter whether you’re the father of sons or daughters, the stories in Father Knows Nothing will hit close to home. I laughed out loud picturing Rick breaking up fights between his sons, flinging the top layer of a pizza across the kitchen and scaring his son out of lawn maintenance. The frequent laughs are balanced with emotionally touching stories and insights. This book is a wonderful record of an exciting, tumultuous time that all parents will relate to."

- Brian Noonan, WGN Radio


Father Knows Nothing is available for pre-order now, and it ships right after Thanksgiving. It's the perfect Christmas present for the dad (or dad to be) in your family.

Dad's House

My father-in-law passed away last week, and now the difficult chore of cleaning out his house begins. Several of his kids (he had 7) spent the entire day there yesterday, and while it's beginning to sink in how big this job is (he lived in the house for forty years)--there are occasional gems being uncovered.

This is my favorite so far...

John Farneda Leaves WXRT

People simply don't leave WXRT. John Farneda has been their Operations Manager, and before that, just about every other position in the programming side of the WXRT operation for three decades. The RAMP Newsletter posted his e-mail about why he is leaving...

"After 31 years at Chicago's Finest Rock, I realized that I have achieved all my goals at the radio station and it is now time to set new ones. In 1983, I was hired as an intern to type public service announcements and schedule interviews. Since then, I have been trusted to program one of the most respected, unique and influential radio stations in the country. I have served as Assistant Program Director, Music Director and Operations Manager. I have produced/co-produced all 16 volumes of ONXRT: Live From The Archives (a compilation CD of exclusive live performances that has raised close to $1,000,000 for various charitable organizations both locally and globally). In 2015, I look forward to exploring new adventures in the music industry. I hope to share my decades of programming experience with friends wanting to innovate and entertain."

Hmmmm. That last sentence sticks out to me. I'm sure it also sticks out to the brass at WXRT.

FCC Chairman Backtracks

The FCC Chairman met with the Telecom lobbyists...and now he's backtracking from what he said yesterday, according to the Washington Post.

Depressing.

If he decides to rule in favor of these telecom giants and lets them create fast lanes and slow lanes on the internet, despite the overwhelming majority of Americans opposing it--and the President of his own party urging him NOT to do it--we have reached a new low point in this country. Even more depressing to me is reading the comments section of the article. As I predicted yesterday, now that Obama has chosen sides, the knee-jerk Obama haters are agreeing with the four CEOs.

This is like watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and rooting for Mr. Potter. "Yeah! Stick it to 'em, Potter! Gouge the suckers!"

Actually it's worse than that, because in this case, even Mr. Potter is against it. Every business is against it. They all sell with the help of the internet these days. They know their cost of business will now go up if the telecom giants are allowed to do this, or the quality of their internet service will go down. They will have to make that choice. That's what is being proposed here. As a consumer, your costs will go up. Period. And your internet experience will be worse. Period. Read the tortured attempts at trying to pretend that isn't the case. Of course it is.

Only four people are in favor of doing this. And, of course, the politicians they have bought (of both parties), and now, also the people who hate everything Obama proposes.

That's the coalition who is urging us to crush the last thing in America that allows anyone to innovate on a completely equal footing.

I understand why those four guys want it. I even get why the politicians they bought want it. The rest of you? I will never understand.

I've Been Calling His Show This For Years

Father Knows Nothing

The pre-orders have been pouring in for "Father Knows Nothing" and I'd like to thank everyone who has already placed an order. If you'd like to pre-order your copy, you can get it here. I've been posting little teasers about what you can find in the book, and today I'll tell you about Chapter 3: Injuries, Sicknesses, and Close Calls.

Perhaps the most entertaining part of that chapter (in retrospect only) is the story of this photograph. Two broken bones at the same time. The typically graceful Kaempfer causes of those injuries, and the challenge of dealing with them simultaneously, provides the (unbroken) backbone of Chapter 3.

History of Veteran's Day

Stan Hyde

Sorry I've been sort of off the grid for the past few days. I've been spending most of my time with my wife Bridget's family, taking care of the many details surrounding the wake and funeral of my father-in-law, Stan Hyde. That's a picture of him from happier times.

I want to thank everyone who came out to the wake and funeral, and those of you who sent flowers. The family greatly appreciates it.

The last thing Stan said to me was "Rick, will you please write my eulogy?" I've written and delivered quite a few eulogies over the past twenty years (unfortunately), but this is the first time the dying person asked me personally. I hope the eulogy lived up to his expectations.

RIP Stan.

MLB investigating Cubs for tampering

The Rays have accused the Cubs of tampering with their former manager Joe Maddon, so MLB is going to investigate.

SI has the details.

Look at that cute little Cubbie. He wouldn't tamper, would he?

Net Neutrality

There was a huge announcement by the president yesterday regarding Net Neutrality...



Even the FCC Chairman, who came from the telecommunications industry, has now openly come out on the right side for the first time...

The President's statement is an important and welcome addition to the record of the Open Internet proceeding. Like the President, I believe that the Internet must remain an open platform for free expression, innovation, and economic growth. We both oppose Internet fast lanes. The Internet must not advantage some to the detriment of others. We cannot allow broadband networks to cut special deals to prioritize Internet traffic and harm consumers, competition and innovation.

For those of you who automatically hate anything the president says, just because he is the one saying it, try to take a deep breath and listen to what is really happening here. There are only four or five people in the world who REALLY want this new internet that charges a premium to companies with deep pockets (and allows everyone else to have a slower internet)--the CEOs of the cable providers. Every other business in America is happy about this ruling. Not just private citizens (the nearly 4 million who wrote in)--businesses. It's a no-brainer that is only opposed by four or five companies and people who are allowing themselves to be convinced simply because the wrong guy is in favor of it.

Don't be one of those people. It takes zero effort to poke holes in the flimsy arguments presented by the opposition to this.

This is about one thing, and one thing only--an equal opportunity internet.

Concert for Valor

There's a huge concert tonight in Washington to honor our veterans on Veterans Day. From the RAMP Newsletter...

In a massive Veterans Day salute to our nation's brave military personnel past and present, HBO, Starbucks and Chase proudly present The Concert For Valor, a huge live music event happening tonight on The Mall in Washington, DC. The Concert For Valor is the first-of-its kind event that is designed to bring artists, celebrities and millions of Americans together to honor the courage and sacrifice of our brave veterans, active-duty service members and their families. Artists scheduled to perform include The Black Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Carrie Underwood, Dave Grohl, Eminem, Jennifer Hudson, Jessie J, Metallica, Rihanna and Zac Brown Band. Among the special guests on the program are Meryl Streep, Jamie Foxx, John Oliver, Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, George Lopez and Bob Woodruff as well as tributes from Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Reese Witherspoon and others.

John Landecker in Morris

The Daily Herald has a nice piece on the John Landecker book signing at the Morris library over the weekend.

Sounds like he was a big hit.

One Town That Won't Let You Down

Tribune Lets Jim Wiser Go

Bad call, Tribune.

Robert Feder has the details.

Wiser will be picked up by someone, and probably very soon. He's one of the very best producers in the biz.

RIP Stan Hyde

Sad news in our family this week. My father-in-law Stan Hyde passed away. Wake is on Sunday, and the funeral is on Monday.

The obituary is in the Sun Times this morning.

I'm working on the eulogy. This is going to be a tough one.

Al Roker's Early Days

Roker is going to try to break a Guinness record next week, doing a 34-hour weather forecast. No joke. Details are here at TV Newser.

Enjoyed this video of Al explaining his big break. It had something to do with his predecessor's misuse of the word "Front". Very entertaining.

ESPN Radio Wars

From this morning's Radio Ink...

Radio wars, for the most part, seem to be a thing of yesteryear. When they were in vogue, typically it pitted one competing radio station against another. On Wednesday, the radio war was between two hosts working for the same company. Bill Simmons seems to be a magnet for controversy lately. Yesterday he was called out by ESPN morning show co-host Mike Golic. Then, it was on. On the Colin Cowherd Show, Simmons said Lebron James was not as formidable as he was in Miami. Golic, on the Mike & Mike Show, said, “I think it’s one of the most ridiculous statements I’ve heard four games into a season in my life in any sport." Then, typical of how confrontations play out nowadays, the fight moved to Tweets and Simmons went on his second Twitter rant in just a few months. The first Tweet from Simmons: "What Mike and Mike did today was absolute garbage. I would say I lost respect for that show, but I never had it." Then another, "For an ESPN Radio show to pull an interview out of context from another ESPN Radio show, then play the moral authority card, is disgusting." And another, "Have the balls to call me to discuss it on the show. Don't pull it out of context just because you need fodder for a segment. Pathetic.

There's more at the link. I've always liked Golic, so my inclination is to side with him.

AC/DC drummer arrested

Some pretty serious charges too: Threatening to Kill, and possesion of drugs.

Rolling Stone has the story.

Read the statement from the band. They aren't exactly rallying to support him.

Martin Short Recalls His SNL Days

I love this excerpt from Martin Short's book. Salon titles it: "My Saturday Night Live Hell"

Highly recommended for any SNL or Martin Short fan.

Father Knows Nothing

These two boys conducted the single funniest conversation I ever heard. It took place when they were putting on their snow boots to go outside and play. All I can tell you about the subject matter is that they were discussing what kind of snow was appropriate to eat. I transcribed it at the time, and I'm so happy I did. You'll be able to read it in Chapter 2 of my upcoming book Father Knows Nothing.

It's available for pre-order now!

Classic Commercials from the 50s & 60s

Got a kick out of these...

Music Preference by State

Pandora did a breakdown of listener music habits by state or region, and there are some interesting findings.

Billboard Magazine has the details.

My favorite one is Oregon. They apparently prefer comedy.

Here Comes the PTC

Remember the Parents Television Council? With the Republicans back in power, the PTC is back to complaining about "outrageous" television programming. Details are here.

It's true that the F.C.C. has been pretty lax about pursuing indecency complaints against the networks, but 99 out of 100 Americans are fine with it. We understand that there really isn't much of a difference between network television and cable anymore, at least not to viewers. What's the difference between channel 3 or channel 400? Why should channel 3 be censored when channel 400 can say or do whatever they want? The days of people having only three networks and nothing else are long gone. In fact, all the studies show that kids don't even watch television anymore. They watch YouTube, and Netflix, and video games.

And if they do still watch TV, every television, and every remote, and every cable delivery service has parental controls built in. You can block the shows you don't want your kids to watch. And if you're an actual parent doing some actual parenting, you can tell your children what they can't watch, and you can enforce it yourself...as a parent. OR...and here's an even more radical idea...you can turn it off. Every television comes with a fancy new device called an off-switch.

This is why I get upset when I hear complaints about a "nanny state" because a seat belt law is passed, or I hear about "freedom" being in danger because you have to get health insurance. The very same people who complain the loudest about that, want to control and censor what you can see or hear...because they believe everything needs to be reduced to something an eight year old can watch without supervision.

Why? Because they are apparently completely unable to parent. And they have the gall to use the word "parent" in their name.

The Continuing Saga of Casey Kasem

The poor man has been dead since June and still isn't buried (and his body is in Norway for some reason), and now there's a fight over the insurance money. Here's the way the RAMP Newsletter explains the situation...

The seemingly endless showdown between Casey's three children from his first marriage vs. his second wife, Jean is now headed for court. And yes, it's about $2 million in life insurance money. TMZ recently reported that MetLife actually filed the lawsuit, telling the judge the company is confused as to which party should get the insurance payout. Both Jean Kasem and Casey's adult children Kerri, Michael and Julie have laid claim to the money; however, MetLife doesn't want to make the wrong decision and then have to pay out twice, so the insurance giant wants a judge to decide who gets the money. Casey's kids hired a lawyer, who fired off a letter to MetLife reiterating their earlier allegation that Jean essentially killed Casey by neglecting his care during his later days (including spiriting him out of a Santa Monica care facility and driving him up to Washington State), resulting in fatal bedsores and dehydration which lead to his death on June 15 at St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, WA. It is the contention of Casey's kids that a person who causes someone else's death can't inherit that person's money. Here's hoping that all of this heartache can be resolved soon, and maybe someday, Casey can finally rest in peace.

Tribune Publishing

When the Tribune broke off it's newspapers into a seperate company a few months ago (Tribune Publishing), experts speculated that the new company would have a rough go of it. Yesterday they released their first earnings report since the split.

Tribune Publishing operated at roughly break even, recording a tiny net loss (less than a tenth of a percent) on revenues of $404 million. Advertising revenues were down 9.5 percent compared to the same quarter in 2013 when the company was a division of Tribune. National advertising was a particular culprit, down 17.1 percent for the quarter and 12 percent year to date.

It's actually not a terrible first report, considering. On the other hand, I'd look for some layoffs based on the following statement from their CEO...“We have much work to do to get operating margins in line with our peers."

Father Knows Nothing

Today's Father Knows Nothing tease: Chapter 1 is called "This wasn't in the job description." Discover how this angelic sleeping 3-year-old boy used a dime to cost me $1200, managed to get captured by his overalls and some neighbors down the street (2 seperate incidents), and had a pre-school graduation ceremony that his teachers are almost certainly still talking about nearly ten years later thanks to a very bad, bad, pre-school dad.

Father Knows Nothing can be pre-ordered today!

The book ships right after Thanksgiving.

Non-Political Story

Went looking for a non-political story today, and finally found this:

Donkey stuck in manhole in Switzerland.

Not a cartoon Democratic donkey. An actual donkey.

David Letterman on Last Night's Election

Pretty good joke...

“This is what happens when we have the midterm elections. The Republicans, of course, have turned against Obama, and the Democrats have also turned against Obama. That’s a lonely, lonely gig being president, ladies and gentlemen. Take a look at this: gas under $3 a gallon – under $3 a gallon. Unemployment under 6%, whoever thought? Stock market breaking records every day. No wonder the guy is so unpopular.”

My Favorite Moment of Election Coverage

I performed my civic doody yesterday (homophone intended), and I also watched my share of the election coverage.

I didn't see this live because I was watching another channel, but this moment on MSNBC was the best moment of last night's election coverage.

It involves Tom Brokaw, a phone alarm, and a pretty good recovery. TV Newser has the video at the link above.

Father Knows Nothing Bonus Audio

The introduction to Father Knows Nothing (available for pre-order now–right here), features a few highlights from my radio days. My kids were part of the John Records Landecker show on WJMK from the moment they were born. Their births were recorded and played on the air, and I phoned into the show from the delivery room to provide live reports.

The two oldest boys were also regularly featured beginning at the age of 2 or so. A few highlights that didn’t make the book are posted today at the Eckhartz Press blog.

Election Day

Very excited about this election. Not because I like any of the candidates, but because the end of this election will finally mean an end to the constant advertising bombardment that has ruined every ballgame for me since around July. I swear I can't take it for one more day.

I love this guy!

The Cubs introduced their new manager Joe Maddon at a press conference yesterday at the Cubby Bear.

After answering all the questions, Maddon bought all the reporters there a shot and a beer.

My kind of people.

Bruce Wolf

My latest Illinois Entertainer media column has been posted. This month I interviewed WLS Radio's Bruce Wolf

You can read it here.

Some Love for Father Knows Nothing

Thanks so much to Larz at Chicagoland Radio & Media for writing this nice piece about Father Knows Nothing: Former Chicago Radio Producer Rick Kaempfer Releasing Humorous Book About Parenting.

I wasn't expecting that at all. I hadn't even spoken with him. What a pleasant surprise!

When you gotta go, you gotta go

Countdown to Father Knows Nothing

My book "Father Knows Nothing" went on pre-sale over the weekend. (http://eckhartzpress.com/shop/father-knows-nothing/) It features humorous stories about my parenting experience, but there are also a handful of tales about my own childhood, including the stories behind these two pictures. The first one involves Hansel & Gretel, and the second one takes place in the mountains near Salzburg, Austria. The co-star in these stories is my sister Cindy Kaempfer.

Real Life Imitates the Movies

Remember the movie "Disclosure" starring Demi Moore and Michael Douglas? It was about a female executive who sexually harrassed a male employee. It allegedly has happened in real life...in radio, no less. From Tom Taylor's NOW column this morning...

Fired male staffer sues Cox for alleged sexual harassment by his female supervisor. Michael D. Koerner says Cox Media Group “was fully aware of this woman’s misconduct as regards to over-sexualizing the workplace, and took no action to stop it.” Lawsuits like this depend on specific incidents to document a “hostile working environment,” and here are some of Koerner’s examples – That at the Houston Rodeo in 2011, “Mr. Koerner observed [GSM Jaymie Kosina] straddling a male client in the Cox suite and grabbing the man’s buttocks.” Later that evening, Koerner claims that Kosina “suddenly hugged him and tried to kiss him on the mouth.” He says he reminded her that he’s married and that his wife was in treatment for breast cancer. There was at least one other incident of an attempted kiss, during a corporate training meeting in Atlanta. The suit claims that things got strange “almost as soon as he began his employment.” That Kosina ”constantly discussed her breasts and would massage them.” One time, she allegedly flashed him on the way to a client’s grand opening, and Koerner says he told a co-worker about it, who supposedly reported it to corporate. Koerner says that shortly after that episode, Kosina and market manager Mark Krieschen began to question his sales results and “commitment to the team.” Then there was an alleged “retaliatory termination.”

Chris Rock on SNL

As usual, Chris Rock killed...