Jimmy Cagney

He died 25 years ago today, but his message is timeless and will live on forever...

Old Style and the Cubs

You gotta love the new Old Style bottle, which will be debuting later this week (photo). The full details of it's origin are here in the latest issue of Packaging Digest.

That's right, I was reading Packaging Digest. Got a problem with that?

30 years ago today...

John Hinkley took a shot at Ronald Reagan.

I was in math class, senior year of high school, when the assassination attempt was announced through the school sound system...

SI and the Cubs

Sports Illustrated has put their archived articles online, and I'm going to be featuring some of the articles they wrote about the Cubs.

This one was on July 7, 1980. It was about the fact that Wrigley Field still didn't have lights. The story about the Olympic athletes that were affected by the 1980 boycott was on the cover...

One Place That Hasn't Seen The Light
Chicago's Wrigley Field has grass on the ground and ivy on the walls and is the only park where there are never any night games.




It's another recommended time capsule. The article is about PK Wrigley; his stubborn approach and frugality, and the real reason why the Cubs still didn't have lights in 1980.

Pick a Headline

Imagine picking the top story to feature on the front page of your newspaper on this day forty years ago....

March 29, 1971…Lt. William Calley Jr., of the U.S. Army, was found guilty of the premeditated murder of at least 22 Vietnamese civilians. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial was the result of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam on March 16, 1968.

March 29, 1971…A jury in Los Angeles recommended the death penalty for Charles Manson and three female followers for the 1969 Tate-La Bianca murders. The death sentences were later commuted to life in prison.

Some headline writer's head must have exploded at the New York Post.

(Source: Bob Dearborn's The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac)

SI and the Cubs

Sports Illustrated has put their archived articles online, and I'm going to be featuring some of the articles they wrote about the Cubs.

This one was on June 30, 1969.

Leo's Bums Rap For The Cubs
"Chicago's genteel old North Side has a pennant contender after lo these many years, egged on by a raucous bleacher section and -- Mr. Wrigley should chew on another cud -- the irrepressible Durocher."




I read the article, and I've got a good feeling about the Cubs in 1969. Maybe this really is our year.

I kid, but the article is a time capsule gem. I particularly love the part about the Bleacher Bums. Highly recommended.

Steve Vasoli

Landecker & the Legends has lost another family member.

Steve Vasoli was our keyboardist, but he was more than that. He was the life source of the band. He was always smiling, always happy, always had a great attitude. If you ever saw the Legends live, you remember Steve. He took center stage for a few of our numbers, including the old Herman's Hermits song "Henry VIII."

One of my favorite things about touring Chicagoland with Landecker and the Legends was the kibitzing before and after the shows with the guys in the band. Steve was a fun guy to talk to--he could always make me laugh.

He left the Legends after we stopped touring to care for his aging mother, but he was always a part of the band.

I felt like I got the wind knocked out of me when I heard the news yesterday that he passed away suddenly. He was only 54 years old.

It's impossible to remember him, without seeing his smile.

RIP Steve. You will be missed.

Genesis

35 years ago today Genesis began their first North American tour without Peter Gabriel. I didn't really know Genesis until after Peter Gabriel left the band (other than what I've heard on old records), so I thought I'd go back to see if there were any videos.

Here's a good example. Note the full-haired drummer Phil Collins.

Oprah's Last Show

Write this date down on your calendar...May 25th.

That's the official last Oprah Show.

Chicagoans are legally required to wear a black armband that day.

A St. Louis website reviews the Cubs

Guess what they think?

I can't say I disagree, but it still rubs me the wrong way to read it.

Father Knows Nothing

My latest Father Knows Nothing column has been posted. This one is called "When you make a threat..."

You can read it here.

Carlos Silva

Bye Bye Carlos Silva, and don't let the door hit your double digit ERA or your big fat $11.5 million wallet on the way out.

Coming this weekend

I've had a bit of a rough week because the kids are home for spring break, so I haven't had time to do a Chicago Radio Spotlight interview. That will return a week from Saturday. (I'm actually conducting that interview later today, but there's no way I'll be able to whip it into shape by tomorrow morning).

I will, however, be posting my latest Father Knows Nothing column. This week's column will be called "Extreme Lent Bites Back."

Have a great weekend!

Man Begs Dog

I just posted this week's guest column to Kim Strickland's A City Mom blog at Chicago Now. It's one of my typically understated classy contributions...about my dog eating her own poop.

You can read it here.

Going where no man has gone before

Playing the Star Trek theme on a saw...

Cubs roster decisions likely coming today

So says the Chicago Sun Times.

Among the people on the bubble: Andrew Cashner (starter or reliever), Carlos Silva (long reliever, starter or out of here), Reed Johnson (5th outfielder), Fernando Perez (5th outfielder), Augie Ojeda (utility, minors, or DL?), Darwin Barney (platoon 2B, utility, or minors), Blake DeWitt (platoon 2B or minors), Scotty Moore (platoon 2B or minors), and Bobby Scales (platoon 2B, utility or minors).

Should be interesting.

The Cars

Love this new one by the Cars. Great video too. Good to hear them again after all these years.

Jokes for a Monday morning

Contributed by "AH," who of course, is not blonde...




DISNEYLAND
Two blondes were going to Disneyland . They were driving on the Interstate when they saw the sign that said "Disneyland LEFT." They started crying and turned around and went home.


CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly.

She says, 'What's the story?'

He replies, 'Just crap in the carburetor'

She asks, 'How often do I have to do that?'


AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor's office and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it.

'Impossible!' says the doctor.. 'Show me.'

The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left shoulder and screamed, then she pushed her elbow and screamed even more. She pushed her knee and screamed; likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she touched made her scream.

The doctor said, 'You're not really a redhead, are you?

'Well, no' she said, 'I'm actually a blonde.'

'I thought so,' the doctor said, 'Your finger is broken.'


KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!

Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, 'PULL OVER!'

'NO!' the blonde yelled back, 'IT'S A SCARF!'


IN A VACUUM
A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night... It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science & Nature. Her question was, 'If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?' She thought for a time and then asked, 'Is it on or off?'


TIMING
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex. Her friend said, 'Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?' 'HELLLOOOOOOO......,' answered the blonde. 'They're watch dogs'!

First Day of Spring

The boys are home for spring break all week, so I may not be able to post quite as often this week.

We've got some exciting things planned: haircuts, dentist appointments, and several fistfights.

Father Knows Nothing

This week's Father Knows Nothing column has been posted. It's an update about how "Extreme Lent" has been going for me.

You can read it here.