RIP Rip Torn

I'm going to have a salty dog in his honor tonight. He was one of my favs...

How a Real President Responds

Proud to rep America’s best team! Congrats @USWNT and thanks for being such a strong inspiration for women and girls—and everybody—all across the country. pic.twitter.com/9Gp6UTZhEE

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 10, 2019

Never Trumpers

I think there are only about a dozen or so of these Never Trump Republicans who speak out, but every time they do, it's music to my ears. Every word of this is true...

“The reason a lot of Republicans haven’t read the Mueller report isn’t because they aren’t illiterate, it’s because they don’t want to read what’s in there. They don’t want to see the truth” @Peter_Wehner w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/flI9m3UZNG

— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) July 9, 2019

Moon Over Mt. Prospect

Snapped this spooky pic last night...

The Stones Troll Trump

From Rolling Stone magazine...

On Sunday night, Mick Jagger paused his band’s show at Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium to take in the perfect New England summer evening. He said he hoped everyone had a great July 4th weekend — and added that the Fourth had always been a “touchy holiday for us Brits.” “In fact, the President made a very good point in his speech the other night,” Jagger deadpanned. “He said, ‘If only the British had held on to the airports, the whole thing might have gone differently for us.’”

How to Look at Immigration

This is a beautifully written piece by former George W. Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson in today's Washington Post. It examines the slightly twisted way our president and his followers look at immigration and offers a much more hopeful and *American* view of the issue going forward.

Janet Sutherland Takes on Washington

It was a big day yesterday for Eckhartz Press author Janet Sutherland-Madden. This is how she described it on her Facebook page last night...

We spent part of the day meeting with Illinois Congressman Sean Casten thanking him for signing Ellie's law. I called Congressman Casten right after my mom died at the request of the Brain Aneurysm Foundation and asked him to sign HR 1648. This is an important bill especially for those who traveled to DC lobbied, worked really hard asking Congress for research and awareness were seeking for passage of Ellie’s Law. Ellie's Law is a bill that seeks federal funding for brain aneurysm research. It is named in honor of Ellie Helton, a 14-year-old Apex, NC teenager, who died on July 16, 2014 as a result of a brain aneurysm. The bill, HR 1648, provides $5 million each fiscal year, for five years, to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to conduct or support further comprehensive research on brain aneurysms, studying a broader patient population diversified by age, sex, and race.Congressman Casten did sign the bill!!! We met with him this morning to thank him for supporting the bill and asked him to support another awareness resolution. We are quite honored to be able to meet with Congressman Casten and hit him with a lot of items on our brain aneurysm "list" which he was open to. I also gave him a copy of my book 🙂 (photograph(copyright 2019, Lee Balgemann)

Minutia Men, Episode 140

EP140 – Rick and Dave discuss sexy dad bods, flatulence that smells like roses, keeping beer away from Nazis, Cubs in big historical moments, Rick’s brush with Elliot Gould, and they interview Starsky, Paul Michael Glaser.

Listen to it here.

Q&A with "I Cu Copper" author Deb Tokarz

Eckhartz Press is excited to announce the release of our latest book I Cu Copper by Deb Tokarz. Although I Cu Copper is largely about a personal struggle with depression and its stigma, it is simultaneously about a 15-year excursion to find an elusive cause that could secretly be harming many women. With the help of her journal entries, Deb recounts each battle with a visceral urgency and effortlessly blends it with the discovery of the science behind it. I Cu Copper is more than one woman’s journey. It could hold the key to the cause of many women’s (and some men’s) depression, anxiety and fatigue.

We recently caught up with Deb and asked her a few questions about this exciting new book…

EP: I’d venture to guess that most people have never even heard of copper toxicity. Can you give us a layman’s explanation of what it is?

Deb: Copper toxicity also referred to as copper overload is an inability eliminate excess copper from the body. This is not the same as Wilson’s disease which is a rare genetic disorder that shows up in the bodies tissues. The copper I’m talking about is unbound and floats freely in the body as a free radical disrupting the reproductive, nervous and glandular systems with devastating effects on mental health. The reason most people are unaware of it is because traditional doctors don’t test copper levels in the blood. If a patient complains of fatigue and mood like symptoms it is common practice for traditional doctors to dispense antidepressants instead.

EP: Your book is a very personal journey dealing with this condition. What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced?

Deb: What happens when a heavy metal like copper roams freely is it leads to high amounts of oxidative stress and attacks the nervous systems causing the body to go into a constant fight or flight state making it difficult to calm down. So one of my biggest hurdles was dealing with constant high anxiety. Then as excess copper disrupted my adrenal glands and neurotransmitters depression ensued. The catch 22 for me was I had never been a depressed person nor anxious so I knew there was something causing these behavioral changes and that’s why I kept searching for answers.

Another awful hurdle was dealing with the regret, guilt and shame after I imploded and loss a pregnancy I wanted. This was an unfortunate trauma that came out of fear from the anxiety and not understanding the depressive behavior. At times I thought I was going crazy and was afraid for and of myself.

I spent 8 years on antidepressants never getting better because antidepressants actually worsen anxiety in high copper individuals. Estrogen dominant women like myself retain copper whether it be the body producing it normally or from external sources like birth control pills, prenatal vitamins, some daily vitamins or hormone replacement drugs. So all along I had an intolerance to estrogen causing my distress. As I explained every symptom to doctors, not one of them linked it to hormonal change nor did they do any tests. So the biggest hurdle of all was getting doctors to hear me.

EP: What made you decide to write a book about it?

Deb: The reason I wrote a book is to create an awareness about copper toxicity to prevent other women from suffering unnecessarily.

Also with 16M adults in the US affected by depression and some 40 million by anxiety I knew I wasn’t alone. It was important for me to make sure others suffering don’t feel alone either. So I am very open about my personal moments and talking about what it feels like to have and hide behind depression. My goal is to spread hope that healing is possible and draw out others to talk rather than hide. It has been very liberating for me to finally talk about what I went through and I feel this is how change and proper treatment will happen.

I believe my book is only the tip of the iceberg because copper is getting more attention as environmental triggers are prevalent in tap and well water, copper pipes, pesticides, plastics, dry cleaning chemicals and some household and personal care products. Not to mention the popularity of plant-based diets which are high in copper. I was a vegetarian for years and thought I was eating a “healthy” diet not realizing I was adding copper rich foods that were causing brain fog and low concentration.

EP: If any readers of your book find themselves wondering if they are suffering through the same condition, what would you recommend they do?

Deb: It is highly likely that women will find themselves with similar symptoms because 35% of women test as estrogen dominant. This not to say that men cannot have copper toxicity as well. It is just more prevalent in women because of the relationship to estrogen.

I recommend getting tested. Again, most traditional doctors will not test but there are labs that will. Finding a doctor who is open to using nutritional supplementation and is willing to treat the cause rather than the symptom is key.

I am creating a resource on my website at debtokarz.com about how to navigate the process of finding practitioners who use molecular medicine and treat with nutritional supplementation.

World Cup Champs!

Best of the best. ✨#OneNationOneTeam pic.twitter.com/RbwptyrVcv

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 7, 2019

And this is how you celebrate! Congrats to the USWNT. They were so much to watch!

My Team twerks postgame #USWNT pic.twitter.com/5BBv6EJZ5E

— Reese Waters (@reesewaters) July 7, 2019

And this is how you react to a crowd shot on Fox News...

here's better quality pic.twitter.com/pecoFWGjMg

— Sara Pearl (@skenigsberg) July 7, 2019

Barry Butler does it again

Light Up the Sky, Chicago. Tonight is the Night! Happy Independence Day. #news #fireworks #chicago pic.twitter.com/tKXZ6QPqZV

— Barry Butler (@barrybutler9) July 4, 2019

Cubs All-Star Game Trivia

While researching my book "everycubever" (https://eckhartzpress.com/shop/everycubever/), I did a deep dive into all-star game history to see which Cub did what.

In all, 27 Cubs outfielders have played in the all-star game, but only six of them have started more than one. Frank Demaree in the 30s (twice), Bill Nicholson in the 40s (twice), Hank Sauer in the 50s (twice), Billy Williams in the 60s (twice), Andre Dawson in the 80s/90s, and Sammy Sosa in the 90s/00s. Andre started four times, and Sammy started five.

Happy birthday America

This sums it up perfectly for me...

Cubs All-Star Game Trivia

While researching my book "everycubever" (https://eckhartzpress.com/shop/everycubever/), I did a deep dive into all-star game history to see which Cub did what.

There have been 89 All-Star games, but only three Cubs have stolen a base in an All-Star game. Starlin Castro has the all-time Cubs record with two. Derrek Lee (2007) and Ryne Sandberg (1984) are the other two, and they both only did it once.

Cubs All-Star Game Trivia

While researching my book "everycubever" (https://eckhartzpress.com/shop/everycubever/), I did a deep dive into all-star game history to see which Cub did what. Here is one of the strangest things I discovered. No Cub has ever hit more than one homer in all-star game history. Bryant and Contreras have a chance to become the first. Here are all nine all-star game homers by Cubs...

George Altman (1961) vs. Mike Fornieles
Ernie Banks (1960) vs. Bill Monbouquette
Kris Bryant (2016) vs. Chris Sale
Willson Contreras (2018) vs. Blake Snell
Andre Dawson (1991) vs. Roger Clemens
Augie Galan (1936) vs. Schoolboy Rowe
Hank Sauer (1952) vs. Bob Lemon
Alfonso Soriano (2007) vs. JJ Putz
Billy Williams (1964) vs. John Wyatt

Disco Demolition

This month's Illinois Entertainer is out and features my interview with Steve Dahl about the infamous Disco Demolition.

Read it here.

What has destroyed America?

One answer: Fox News. I firmly believe it. Here's a great example...

From 2018 but newly relevant. Watch Fox News’ “evolution” on North Korea. pic.twitter.com/weiAxqsY7z

— shauna (@goldengateblond) June 30, 2019

Second Base

The Cubs have been struggling at second base all year, but wouldn't you know it? Both second baseman on the American League all-star team this year are former Cubs.

Debate Ratings

I wasn't among the viewers, but you might have been. More than 18 million tuned in to watch the Democratic debates on Thursday.

Politico has the details.

Cubs All-Star Game Trivia

While researching my book "everycubever" (https://eckhartzpress.com/shop/everycubever/), I did a deep dive into all-star game history to see which Cub did what. Here is one of the strangest things I discovered. There have been 89 all-star games, and 33 Cubs all-star pitchers.

Care to guess how many of them started the game?

The answer is one.

Claude Passeau started the 1946 All-Star Game. He also lost the game.


Here's the list of Cubs all-star pitchers...

Jake Arrieta (2016)
Curt Davis (1936)
Wade Davis (2017)
Ryan Dempster (2008)
Dick Ellsworth (1964)
Don Elston (1959)
Larry French (1940)
Larry Jackson (1963)
Fergie Jenkins (1967, 1971, 1972)
Sam Jones (1955)
Bill Lee (1938, 1939)
Dutch Leonard (1951)
Jon Lester (2016, 2018)
Jon Lieber (2001)
Ted Lilly (2009)
Greg Maddux (1988, 1992)
Carlos Marmol (2008)
Randy Myers (1994, 1995)
*Claude Passeau (1941, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1946)
Mark Prior (2003)
Rick Reuschel (1977)
Bob Rush (1950, 1952)
Jeff Samardzija (2014)
Johnny Schmitz (1946, 1948)
Lee Smith (1983, 1987)
Rick Sutcliffe (1987, 1989)
Bruce Sutter (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Steve Trachsel (1996)
Lon Warneke (1933, 1934, 1936)
Kerry Wood (2003, 2008)
Travis Wood (2013)
Hank Wyse (1945)
Carlos Zambrano (2004, 2006, 2008)