Vacation

I'm going to be on vacation from the blog until July 8th.

A new Illinois Entertainer column will drop on July 1st, Just One Bad Century will continue to update daily, and a new Shore Magazine will come out in the meantime (including my article about my upcoming 50th birthday), but other than that, I'll be off the grid for awhile.

Have a great week or two, and happy birthday America.

Green White

One of my on-going writing projects is writing the history of Green White Soccer Club, a club co-founded by my father in 1956. Every month I write about one month in Green White history. This month it's 1977.

Today's Blackhawks Tweets

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




thecubreporter ‏@thecubreporter 8m
Typically great Posnanski piece. "Could anyone ever remember a Stanley Cup game where BOTH goalies were pulled?" http://bit.ly/14oD8ur

steve rosenbloom ‏@steverosenbloom 10m
ICYMI: Stanley Cup promise made, Stanley Cup promise kept. The RosenBlog: http://trib.in/18cFnGL

Dave Wischnowsky ‏@wischlist 12m
Was just thinking, can you imagine what Chicago would be like if the Bulls and Blackhawks ever won titles on consecutive nights?

John Chatz ‏@Jkchatz 13m
#Blackhawks are special because they did not let winning window close. http://www.chicagonow.com/its-never-just-black-and-white/2013/06/blackhawks-do-not-let-the-winning-window-close/ … #cnblog @ChicagoNow

TheBeverlyBrewmaster ‏@BvrlyBrewmaster 19m
People annoyed w/ hockey tweets, do what I do when you tweet about Mad Men/Game of Thrones/Doctor Who/your cat: ignore them.

Andy Daglas ‏@AndyDaglas 21m
I'd like to thank last night's gaggle of anonymous drunken hooligans for their hefty stimulus to the window repair industry in Lincoln Park.

BLACKHAWXX 88 ‏@KEVZZHERE 50m
@mullyhanley @670TheScore Shaw plays with 12 stitches in his face, cracked ribs. Derrick Rose doesn't play a yr cleared after surgery. Huh?

Chicago Blackhawks ‏@NHLBlackhawks 46m
For those of you just waking up, and those of us who haven't slept, here's Bickell and dad talking to BHTV on ice. http://bit.ly/19oKBAq

Amy Guth ‏@amyguth 47m
Blackhawks Game 6 action photos from @chicagotribune photographers http://bit.ly/19oKh4H

Viktor Stalberg ‏@VStalberg 1h
The swedes!!! http://instagram.com/p/a-3pkjRsbG/

RIP Gary David Goldberg

The producer/writer of "Family Ties" and many other shows passed away over the weekend.

He was eulogized beautifully by fellow writer Ken Levine.

In a very cynical business, Goldberg was one of the good guys.

Some Pub for "Recalled to Life"

From the LaGrange Patch, an interesting piece about "Recalled to Life" author Dan Burns. He revealed his atypical method of constructing the story...

For Burns, a 22-year resident of La Grange, that meant developing a unique process where he writes a screenplay first that he then adapts and fleshes out as a novel.

“It is completely different,” he said, “but it works for me.”

Burns said a screenplay's simplified structure helps him to see if it makes sense to expand the story into a book.

The story is also ready to film should Hollywood come calling.

“By the sheer process (of turning a novel into a screenplay), you have to make cuts, and a lot of times the essence changes because so much is cut,” he said. “People who read the book, in this case it will be what you read.”

Lots more about Dan Burns and "Recalled to Life" at the link above.

Of course, "Recalled to Life" is available at eckhartzpress.com.

Twinkies are Coming Back

The date for the return of the Twinkie is July 15th.

I still won't buy any, just as I haven't for the past thirty plus years.

It's not part of one of the three major food groups: coffee, salami, and beer.

What a Stanley Cup!

And what a great way to end it...



Now please shave.

Paula Deen

I love watching television cooking shows...it's a weakness of mine...but I have to tell you I was never a fan of Paula Deen even before I heard about her racist comments. I tried one of her recipes once, and it sat in my stomach like a boulder.

Just a tad heavy.

She was fired by the Food Network over the weekend if you haven't heard.



UPDATE: She'll be going on the Today Show on Wednesday. That should be interesting.

Cubs 365

There was some good stuff on Cubs 365 this weekend at Just One Bad Century.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the Sandberg game.

Saturday was the anniversary of (Cub fan) John Dillinger's birth.

Check them out here, if you are interested.

I went to the Cubs game yesterday with my middle son Johnny and roasted (it was 93 degrees), but the Cubs won. Johnny's record is now 15-1; a statistical freak show.

The Recalled to Life Book Release Party

We had a wonderful time last night in LaGrange at the "Recalled to Life" book release party. The Hammer Boutique was packed to the gills with people coming out to support Eckhartz Press author Dan Burns. Thanks so much to everyone who came out!

We met artist Susan Rackish Janssen there. Her painting inspired the cover of "Recalled to Life". She was even manning the wine-stand, pouring complimentary wine for the attendees. Eckhartz Press co-publisher David Stern and I gravitated to the food spread (Salami! We love salami!).

We were so happy for Dan Burns, who was in element, schmoozing through the large throng of people on hand. We're guessing his signing hand is a little cramped up this morning.

For those of you unlucky enough to have missed this fun event, don't forget that "Recalled to Life" is available right here at Eckhartz Press. The e-book has been submitted to retailers, and will be available soon at the usual outlets. Keep watching this space for more information.

The painting...



The artist...



The author...



The foodspread...



The crowd...

Sumner Redstone's Girlfriend Adopts a Baby

She's 42. He's 90. The New York Daily News has the details.

I'm sure all of Sumner's children (who have all at one time or another had public tiffs with their own pops) are rolling their eyes.

From the article...

Viacom spokesman Carl Folta also assures us that “Mr. Redstone doesn’t have any involvement with this child,” though a source close to the May-December pair, who were born nearly half a century apart, says the little girl is named Alexandra Red, which was shortened from Redstone. “They cut the last name on purpose so the media doesn’t find out,” says a source close to the pair. “They are not telling anyone.”

Good luck, kid.

RIP Slim Whitman

Slim passed away this week. He was 90 years old. This infomercial is the thing I'll remember about him...



It ran on television endlessly during my favorite reruns.

Lake Shore Drive 1900

This photo was tweeted by historian Michael Beschloss. Things have changed a bit in the last 113 years...

Vin Scully Tweets

I love this story. Vin Scully, the legendary baseball broadcaster (now 85 years old!), began tweeting this week.

Paid Content has the details.

According to the article, he immediately rocked it. No surprise to me. Vin Scully is one of my heroes. He's the last of the baseball broadcasting giants (though he broadcasts for the Dodgers).

Cubs-Cardinals

I'll admit I haven't been watching many Cubs games this season, but I did check out a few moments of the Cubs-Cardinals series. Those are always worth a quick perusal.

On this day in history, the Cubs actually contributed mightily to the very first Cardinals World Series championship. It's true. They traded them a pitcher who had showed up drunk 60% of the time over the previous two weeks.

That pitcher was instrumental in the World Series for the Cardinals later that year. The story and the video is here at Cubs 365.

Indecency and the FCC

Broadcasters are coming together to urge the F.C.C. to give up it's nonsensical enforcement of stringent indency rules, particularly when they are fleeting indecenies that the broadcasters themselves had nothing to do with. From today's Tom Taylor column...

Fox tells the FCC it’s time to get out of the indecency business. It demands “the full First Amendment protection bestowed on all speakers by the Constitution.” The comments by Fox are perhaps the sharpest of any of the big owners. (Read the filing here.) Though NBC Universal also says that “the agency’s current indecency policies and procedures violate broadcasters’ First Amendment rights and cannot be maintained.” It cites the tools that parents now have to “control the content available in their homes.” But Fox insists it’s time to scrap the whole indecency enforcement mechanism. Though it, like NBCUniversal and the NAB, has the fallback Plan B argument of “fix the rules.” Radio licensees are also imperiled by the confusing state of the FCC rules, and they’re filing comments, too. Emmis and Radio One join TV owners New Vision and Nexstar to suggest improving the way indecency complaints are reviewed...Entercom, Greater Media, Lincoln Financial Media, Beasley, Galaxy, Americom and other radio groups want a return to the previous standard about “fleeting expletives” or on-screen nudity. Their joint filing also says the agency should get out of the indecency enforcement business.

I couldn't agree more. The times have changed, technology has changed, and it's time for the F.C.C. to change this rule. The whole world is still laughing at our ridiculous reaction to the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.

Cheech & Chong

They have reunited and are appearing in the Chicago area this weekend (actually Hammond)

I bought their albums in the 70s and thought they were hilarious at the time, but I fear their comedy doesn't exactly stand the test of time. Here's an example of one of their famous bits from that era...



See what I mean?

Today's Best Tweets

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




Los Angeles Times ‏@latimes 36m
Stephen Colbert rarely breaks character, but his beloved mother's passing prompts one of those times. http://lati.ms/me2qm

Bob Woodruff ‏@BobWoodruff 2h
James Gandolfini committed much time 2 wounded current war veterans-I met him after I left the hospital w/my own injuries. I truly miss him

Beth Fouhy ‏@bfouhy 10m
Just remembered Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign video spoof of the Sopranos final diner scene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shKJk3Rph0E

ChicagoNow ‏@ChicagoNow 23m
RT @670TheScore: Report: Hernandez will be arrested in connection w/ Mass. murder http://cbsloc.al/12NOA65

Talking Points Memo ‏@TPM 1m
Reports: Howie Kurtz to join Fox News http://bit.ly/146XpEt

Brian Stelter ‏@brianstelter 3m
CNN spokeswoman thanks Kurtz & says "Reliable Sources will continue on CNN, and will be hosted by a variety of people in the coming months."

The Daily Beast ‏@thedailybeast 4m
‘Star Wars’ Casting Call Revealed http://thebea.st/11AYjHS #cheatsheet

Rob ‏@rlincolnharris 26m
Blackhawks-Bruins: A Series To Savor | ChicagoSide http://chicagosidesports.com/blackhawks-bruins-a-series-to-savor/ …

Sarah Silverman ‏@SarahKSilverman 27m
Ate pot before I played basketball. Noticed myself saying "not on my watch" a lot.

Huffington Post ‏@HuffingtonPost 28m
John Paul II takes another step towards sainthood http://huff.to/1bWjWqC

RIP James Gandolfini

This was a shocker last night. James Gandolfini is dead. He was only 51 years old. That's waaaaaay too young (says the man about to turn 50). Of course, Gandolfini will always be remembered as Tony Soprano. The clip below is an examination of The Soprano's place in television history.

Marketing Superman in Church?

This AP article claims that's exactly what Warner Brothers is doing.

The studio enlisted Christian-focused firm Grace Hill Media to promote "Man of Steel" to faith-based groups by inviting them to early screenings and creating trailers that highlight the film's religious themes. They also enlisted Craig Detweiler, a Pepperdine University professor and author of "Into the Dark: Seeing the Sacred in the Top Films of the 21st Century," to create a Superman-centric sermon outline for pastors titled "Jesus: The Original Superhero."

Wow. I would have loved to have been in the meeting they decided that was a good idea. "We missed the boat on The Hulk," I imagine one of them saying. "Remember, Jesus was transformed too when he was resurrected. Same thing."