Deep Thoughts

By Jack Handey

Hitler as a Cubs fan

"R" pointed this video out to me. It's from the website HireJimEssian.com, and it has some fun with a scene in a Hitler movie. (Warning for the youngsters or the easily offended--there are some bad words.)

VIDEO: Hitler as a Cubs fan

Suburban Man

If you're stopping by to read Suburban Man today, this is just a reminder that Suburban Man is now called "Father Knows Nothing" and it can be found at the NWI Parent blog. I post it every Sunday, but for the next few weeks or so I'll keep reminding you here on Tuesdays. (Old habits...)

This week's story is about my unreasonable and inexplicable fear of returning gifts. You can read it here.

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais is taking some heat today because of a few fat jokes he made on his website. I do think the jokes were a bit much, but I will say this about Ricky Gervais--it's not like he doesn't make the same jokes about himself. (He's not exactly what anyone would describe as skinny).

Check out this hilarious scene from his HBO series "Extras." David Bowie co-stars...

The next Senator from Minnesota

It looks like it's actually going to happen. Ladies and Gentlemen, performing on Solid Gold, the junior Senator from Minnesota...Al Franken...

Blago, oh Blago

Now that Roland Burris is actually trying to be seated in the Senate, Blago is back in the news again today.

While I was on blogging hiatus, I contributed this piece about our *cough* Governor to the Beachwood Reporter (2nd item in the link): "Twas the Night before Fitzmas"

By the way, Bridget has some relatives in Louisiana, and they were giving us grief in their Christmas cards about our corrupt government here. When Louisiana is giving you grief about corruption, you have officially become the laughing stock of the nation.

Just One Bad Century

Today's feature at Just One Bad Century is "This week in 1908." Highlights include the first ball drop at Times Square, J. Edgar Hoover, J. Ogden Armour, and some actual music from 1908. (OK, that last one may not exactly be a highlight. It's Opera.)

This will be the last new "This Week in 1908," which means we're about to celebrate our first full year in operation. Starting next Saturday (Jan 10), we'll be moving "This week in 1908" to the weekend to make way for a new feature.

A joke for a monday morning

It's an oldie, but a goodie. Thanks to "T" for sending it.





Morris returns from the doctor and tells his wife that the doctor has told him that he has only 24 hours to live. Given the prognosis, Morris asks his wife for sex. Naturally, she agrees, so they make love.

About 6 hours later, the husband goes to his wife and says, "Honey, you know I now have only 18 hours to live. Could we please do it one more time?"

Of course, the wife agrees, and they do it again.

Later, as the man gets into bed, he looks at his watch and realizes that he now has only 8 hours left. He touches his wife's shoulder and asks, "Honey, please... Just one more time before I die."

She says, "Of course, Dear," and they make love for the third time. After this session, the wife rolls over and falls to sleep.

Morris, however, worried about his impending death, tosses and turns, until he's down to 4 more hours.

He taps his wife, who rouses. "Honey, I have only 4 more hours. Do you think we could..."

At this point the wife sits up and says, "Listen Morris, I have to get up in the morning... You don't."

My First Time

I just posted a new "Father Knows Nothing" column at the NWI Parent blog. It's called "My First Time" and it's about my ridiculous fear of returning gifts.

Greatest scene from greatest baseball movie

I've got it posted here at Just One Bad Century. Tell me I'm wrong.

Video Vault

Have you seen this yet? This is the bizarre pre-show ritual that Jackie Bange and Robert Jordan go through before they do the news at Channel 9. It was captured on video, and posted on the Tribune website...

E-mail Box

I got this e-mail yesterday...


Hi Rick,

I just wanted to email you or John Swanson to say that this book is one of the most useful resources I've ever come across for beginners in the industry so thank you very much for taking the time to write it.

Its great to find someone as openly enthusiastic about University (yes, I'm from England) radio as I am. I started a Film & TV Production course at University and after some experience at hospital radio I quickly realised I wanted to be radio producer but there's no student station here. I have been spending the last year trying to persuade the university to help raise the money to build one but there's a surprisingly low amount of interest!

Anyway, I just wanted to thank you both for this book. It's very helpful and gives me a bit of insight into the American radio industry too.

Regards

Liam

Father Knows Nothing

I continued to write for my NWI Parent blog while I was on blogging hiatus here. If you like the Suburban Man column, you may like my column "Father Knows Nothing."

Columns from the last month include...

The Oma Game (a story about the unique present my kids made for my mom).

Dumb Dad (a couple of videos to make me feel better after not being about to help my seventh grader with his math homework)

The Saga of 8 Eyes (the unforeseen dilemma caused by my middle son Johnny getting glasses for the first time)

and my 2008 Christmas letter.

There will be a new Father Knows Nothing on Sunday, and I'll also link to it here.

Blackhawks at Wrigley

I did watch that Hawks game yesterday, but I couldn't help but think..."How much did people pay for those seats in the bleachers?" Those looked like pretty crappy seats.

When this game was first announced, we had a little fun with the concept over at the Beachwood Reporter. We called it "Take Me out to the Hawks Game."

Just One Bad Century

Even though I wasn't posting on this blog for the last month, I have still been busy over at Just One Bad Century.

I finished up the "This Week in 1908" feature (one last one coming on Monday--it didn't start until the second week of January last year), told stories about guys with nicknames like Jittery Joe, Jigger, The Human Icicle, and the The Hoosier Hammerer, and featured the last few mustaches in my Great Mustaches feature.

I also wrote about some very bad Cubs shortstops like Dick Bartell, Lennie Merullo, Roy Smalley, and Gene Mauch. Read about those guys and you'll feel like we're living in the Cubs golden era right now.

This year I'll be unveiling two very cool new features at Just One Bad Century. I'll let you know more about those as we get closer to their unveiling.

Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Til Next Year

In December a new book came out called "Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting til Next Year," and it contained an essay by yours truly.

Long time readers of this blog may be familiar with the essay I wrote. It first appeared on this blog during the summer of 2007. It's about the Cubs-White Sox rivalry, and how my White Sox friends are mostly unhappy people who hate the Cubs more than they love the Sox (I believe the actual quote was people who "eat sunshine for breakfast"), particularly my good friend Dave. Dave is thrilled to be immortalized in the pages of a Cubbie book.

It really is a good book. There are essays from famous authors like Mike Royko, Rick Kogan, James Finn Garner, Jonathan Eig, Robert Goldsborough, Randy Richardson, Scott Simon, Dave Hoekstra, and Sara Paretsky as well as local media celebrities like Lin Brehmer, and Mike Murphy. It's available here, if you're interested.

Happy New Year!

I'm back in the saddle again. Happy New Year everyone.

This year I'm going to be doing the blog a little differently. I'm not going to have regularly scheduled features on this blog, but I'm going to be posting more--not less.

It will be more of a traditional blog. I have 30 or more mini-features I'll be doing exclusively on this blog on a semi-regular basis, and I'll be linking to my full length pieces that I'm writing for various publications elsewhere (instead of re-posting the entire pieces here).

Each of the elements of my previous blog will remain in some form. Suburban Man is now going to be called "Father Knows Nothing," but it's the same column, and it will still appear weekly at NWI Parent. I'll be linking to each column here.

The various elements of musings will remain. I'll still be posting jokes, linking to articles that interest me, and posting funny pictures and videos. I just won't be doing them all at the same time once a week. Keep sending 'em in. I'll post 'em when I get 'em. That way I'll be more timely.

As for the media stuff, I'll still be doing weekly interviews with Chicago Radio personalities (starting up again soon), but I won't post the entire interviews here. I'll just link to them. I also won't be doing a full media notebook anymore, but when something big happens, I will post a link to the story along with my analysis.

The Cubs stuff at JOBC will still be coming fast and furious too. I'll post links to what I'm working on over there on this blog.

And finally, I'll have some new stuff coming too.

I hope you don't mind. I've been feeling a little confined by the old format and I'm just going to write what comes to my mind. Plus, to be totally honest, I'm working on so much other stuff now (including my next novel), and I need to be as flexible as possible.

My hope is that the blog becomes a little easier to navigate. With this new format it should be easier to skip over what doesn't interest you without scrolling forever (a common complaint).

I'll start up again tomorrow with links to what I've been working on while I took a blog vacation.

Happy New Year!

See you in 2009

After 1063 posts over the past three years, I need a bit of a break.

I have a screenplay to finish (oh so close), and I'm working on two book projects that need research and care.

So...I'm taking the month of December off from this blog.

I will still be writing my Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. I usually post those on Sunday. Check them out and please, feel free to comment. My latest "Family Room" essay is on the back page of the current magazine. It's called "The Rest of the Story" and it's my take on Twas the Night Before X-mas."

I will also still be writing new material for my Just One Bad Century website. In December I've got stories about the last month of 1908, Cubs with nicknames like HoJo, the Hoosier Hammerer, the Human Icicle, Jigger, and Jittery Joe, stories about some of the worst shortstops in Cubs history (you've got to read these to believe 'em), and another batch of world class mustaches. Check it out if you think of it. I'm working on two very cool new weekly features for 2009. I think you'll really like them (if you like the other stuff).

And don't forget that all of your Christmas Shopping needs can be taken care of there for any Cubs fan on your list.

If you like Chicago Radio Spotlight, check out my post on December 6th. I'll have links to one hundred interviews I've done the past two years. A new one, however, won't appear until next year.

I'll be back here in 2009 with all sorts of new material.

I'm thinking of trying out a few new things, but I'll still be writing about my family, my team, and my former profession (although...probably less), among other things. It just might be a little different than it has been these last three years.

So, happy holidays to one and all.

Talk to you next year.


--Rick

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Update

I've interviewed the following people over the past two years and they have all undergone a change of some kind (either personal or professional) since our original interviews. So, I dropped them each a line...


Todd Manley
When I interviewed Todd in November 2007, he was the creative director at WGN. He has since moved to St. Louis and is the program director of KTRS. I asked him how he is liking his new gig...

Todd: I’m lovin’ the work. The team here is full of energy, and can do it all. You’d dig it, because that’s your background. Sling sound. Host. Book. Package. Kiss babies. I just got our FIX-IT guy booked as the builder on the St. Louis episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition !!

August 18th we re-launched our morning show – I reunited our current star with his former partner and they’re really a great combo platter of jib and jab and have a taste of Bill and Wendy(aka Q101 days). I always loved those two. It will be a re-freshing way to do News-Talk. Also very proud of our web-site – www.ktrs.com – Our PM drive star has a tremendous blog internal to the site. I sure miss Chicago – but this has been a really rewarding adventure.


Bob Stroud
When I originally interviewed Bob Stroud in June of 2007, he was denying a published report in Bill Zwecker's column that he was thinking about marriage. He is now married, so I asked if he would like to revise those statements...

Bob: Well the "potential wedding" became reality in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on February 7th, 2008. (the date Buddy Holly was laid to rest in Lubbock, Texas in 1959....very important for a guy like me to have a date that means something to me so I don't forget what it REALLY means to me now). No family, no friends, no muss, no fuss, just us, a beach and a justice of the peace who we couldn't understand. Thank god they provided a translator or who knows what I might have been saying "I Do" to. And then I see where those copycats Susanna Homan and Tom Negovan went and got married as well. Sheesh, some people. Anyway, she is the former Diane Totura and she's the best friend I've ever had. And this February is the 50 year anniversary of Buddy Holly's funeral and our 1st anniversary. I'm trying to figure out a way how we can celebrate both.


Jenniffer Weigel & Clay Champlin
I interviewed Jenniffer and her husband (and fellow broadcaster) Clay Champlin in December of 2007, not too long after her book "Stay Tuned: Conversations with Dad from the Other Side" came out. She has since turned that into a one woman play, and I asked her about the status of that show...

Jen: The producer of Tony N Tina's wedding has picked up my one woman show, "I'm Spiritual, Dammit!"! It re-opens at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts on Dec 10th. The show is based on my book and talks about my life in broadcasting and all that got me where I am, so broadcasting is definitely in there! It runs until Feb 1st- on Wednesday and Thursday nights 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm.


Cara Caravieu
I originally interviewed Cara back in February of 2007 and updated her status in May of this year, but just a few months after I did so, she got a brand new gig--midday host at WTMX. I asked her how things were going in the new job...

Cara: The old saying "when one door closes, another opens" is so true! I am so happy working for Bonneville hosting middays at WTMX. I love coming on after Eric & Kathy, a morning show I've long listened to and admire even more strongly now that I've witnessed first hand the mass amount of work that goes into it. And to be back working for Bonneville, the best company in the broadcasting industry, is awesome!

I worked really hard to earn this position - unlike other radio stations that claim they are doing a nationwide search but ultimately promote from within rather quickly, WTMX truly did take months deciding on who would fill the midday slot because they really were looking all over the country. Since I was competing with a nationwide search I put together quite a unique demo package and even designed a specific website just for the job including a power-point presentation about why they should hire me (taking the time to learn HTML really paid off). When the position was finally offered to me, I was absolutely thrilled. My bosses didn't choose me just for my on air presence - they also recognize my ability to harness the internet and are also utilizing my talents in many ways in that arena, which I truly enjoy. Check out my Mix web page "Cara's Connection" for a constantly growing amount of content.

Besides hosting middays at WTMX, I continue to host my Cara's Basement podcast, provide artist interviews for The Chicago Music Guide, supply content for the NBC Chicago website, and co-host a podcast with my husband Bill Busch called Fitness From The Inside Out. I'm really busy but I enjoy everything I'm doing so it's a pleasure.

Life is very good right now and I'm thankful every day for not only having a full-time job but having one that I love so much. Especially in this crazy economy. I'm well aware of the many talented broadcasters who are currently "on the beach" and my advice to them is to take this opportunity to learn something new and enjoy some much needed R&R while you have the chance. I consider my time in between gigs a blessing.

Media Notebook (November 27, 2008)

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer





Highlights and links to the big stories in the news this week about the media. This column appears twice a week at MEDIA NOTEBOOK


Happy Thanksgiving! No media notebook today. If you'd like to read Tuesday's column, click on the link above.