Author: admin

I have a few things on my mind.  I apologize in advance because most of what I’ve got to post is pointing towards women in a less than positive light.  Hopefully what I state is constructive.

J-Lo’s Woes- Jennifer Lopez is not having a good year.  Tickets to her upcoming concert tour were not selling and she just canceled the whole three- month summer road run. She claims dropping the tour was because she wants to spend more time with her family.  Granted, Lopez’s marriage (her 4^th) to Ben Affleck is all but over but trust me folks, had ticket sales been going great, J—Lo would’ve put the  tour before anything else.  Add to this, Jennifer Lopez’s latest movie “Atlas” got brutal reviews and minimal views.

My advice for J—Lo would be to first settle her marital issues with Affleck.  Next, I think she would benefit by hiring a new management team who could better guide her to more worthy film projects. Finally, it would be smart to slip away from the public eye for several months, maybe longer.  Bad publicity on Jennifer Lopez’s woes isn’t helping matters.

MY ADVICE TO J-LO: LAY LOW, GET NEW MANAGEMENT AND CLEAR THE DECK ON YOUR 4TH MARRIAGE. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR KIDDOS AND PUT ROMANCE ON THE BACK BURNER.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is on a bad run.  Two weeks ago, she posted a jab at Indiana Fever and WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark on social media.  The gist of Reese’s words was how the Sky was winning because of team efforts and that Clark alone can’t win it all for the Fever.  It was a mocking and totally unnecessary slam at a fellow female athlete. Caitlin Clark’s popularity is helping benefit the ENTIRE league of women’s hoopsters, Angel Reese included, and Reese is throwing shit on her?  Angel, a rising tide lifts all ships. 

Then last weekend when Reese’s Chicago Sky team played Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever, Sky player Chennedy Carter drew a flagrant foul for hip checking Clark to the floor when she didn’t even have the ball.  Angel Reese was seen cheering that foul from her seat on the bench. 

Carter refused to answer press questions and Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon defended the physical hit claiming her players are just competing. I’m not saying Caitlin Clark should be babied or treated with kid gloves, but for a league trying to grow in popularity, I’d hate to see them damage the star who  helps them all!

NOT SO ANGELIC ANGEL REESE. TIME TO WISE UP AND GROW UP.

Have you heard about Ozempic Face?  It’s the result of women who are using the diabetes drug to quickly lose weight.  Turns out, that kind of rapid weight loss causes many to develop sunken eyes and drooping skin on their face.  So, these weight losers might be thinner but they’ve got a hanging look to their faces.  Yikes!  I know there’s all sorts of plastic surgery fixes to aid any failing physical feature but think of the wise words of one of the most beautiful women of all time, Catherine Deneuve: “After a certain age, a woman has to choose between her fanny and her face.”  In other words, if you want a skinny body and a trim tush, you may end up with a face that resembles the cartoon character Droopy Dog.  If I were a woman, I’d opt for the more attractive face than the smaller backside.

OZEMPIC USE CAN LEAVE WOMEN WITH SAGGY FACIAL FEATURES, MUCH LIKE DROOPY DOG.

I watch a lot of TV news, sports and interview shows. A couple weeks back, I  slammed the men on screen for wearing suits with gym shoes on their feet.  Now for the women on TV, I see the new trend: White nail polish.  Ugh.  Now while finely manicured white nails are a better choice than the past fad of black nails, this still isn’t a good look.  I keep thinking these women have had their fingernails and toenails done over with Liquid Paper. 

I DON’T CARE HOW WELL DONE THE MANICURE MIGHT BE, WHITE NAIL POLISH IS NOT A GOOD LOOK.

Finally, one of the bright stars on local TV can be found on the WGN Morning News.  Bhrett Vickery has been doing traffic reports and fill in news spots for the weekday show since last December and her youth and newness has been well received.  So, you guessed it, me and Al Flash had to put together a parody song for her.  Al had the idea to twist Paul McCartney’s 1970’s hit “Jet” and that’s what I put together.  (We actually have another song for Ms. Vickery ready to record as well.”

NEXT BLOG: When I know, you’ll know.

June 4th, 1984 is when Bruce Springsteen’s monster album “Born in the USA” hit record stores.  The lead single “Dancing in the Dark” came out on May 9th and radio stations were all over that track. I have to admit I was dubious about the album but that was judging on this opening single which sounded pretty popish to me. It sure wasn’t stark and gritty like Bruce’s most recent release, 1982’s “Nebraska” album was.

THE PICTURE SLEEVE FOR THE ‘DANCING IN THE DARK’ SINGLE. I WAS MORE PARTIAL TO THE FLIP SIDE, ‘PINK CADILLAC.’

Still, I was ready to hear more from “B.I.T.U.S.A” and the weekend before I could buy it, my buddy Dave Ross called me from the WMET FM studios in Chicago.  Dave worked in promotions there and had his hands on the new album.  He was raving about the songs and needle dropped snippets of each track over the phone to me.  The music sounded big and fascinating.  I remember clips of “Cover Me” blew my ears off.

That week, like many fans of Springsteen, I rushed out to a record store and secured my copy of “Born in the USA” with Bruce’s blue jeaned ass on the cover.  Needless to say, that slice of vinyl remained on my turntable for most of that summer and beyond.

YEAH, THAT’S BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’S ASS ON THE COVER OF HIS ALBUM.

I first saw Springsteen in concert three years earlier when going to school in Carbondale. I got to meet Bruce as he arrived for his soundcheck that afternoon and scored his autograph too.  Me, my buddies Marko, Bobbo and other guys from my dorm floor all sat together for our virginal night with the Boss at the S.I.U. arena. 

During Bruce’s intermission that night, I saw a woman in the concourse with vomit all over her top.  Not sure whose puke it was but she ducked into a restroom and came out a few minutes later with a vomit free but soaking wet blouse.  That’s how dedicated some Springsteen fans are!

Walking back to the dorm after the show, my college pals and I just kept looking at each other in amazement at the high energy killer night of music we’d just witnessed.   It was like nothing we’d ever seen or heard before. Or since.

In 1984 the Born in the USA tour kicked off in St. Paul, Minnesota. That’s where Bruce filmed the infamous “Dancing in the Dark” video, directed by Brian DePalma and featuring the stage dancing of a barely known actress named Courtney Cox.  It was comedian Bobcat Goldthwait who commented that in the video, Springsteen looked like he’d joined “Up with People.”  No matter, millions of fans ate it up and everything else that was on “Born in the USA.”

SPRINGSTEEN DANCING IN THE DARK WITH LITTLE KNOWN ACTRESS COURTNEY COX.

The Boss’ tour hit the Rosemont Horizon for three shows in mid-July.  I had tickets to the third night but after hearing the buzz of his opening show on July 15th, I went down to the venue to buy tickets off anyone who was selling for concert number two on July 17th.  Me and a former park district co-worker landed two seats in the upper level, 2 rows up and right behind Bruce and the band.  The tickets sold for $15 bucks, we paid five dollars above face value and it was damn worth it.

That night, Springsteen took the stage and in the dark, he called off “One, two, one two three four!” and launched into ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ I thought a bomb had gone off in the Horizon.  It was insane! Just a wild ride of hot music played with relentless energy.  Bruce and the band were still doing two sets back then.  Play about an hour, take a twenty- minute break then roll out two hours or more of rock and roll.

THIS WASN’T MY TICKET BUT THIS IS WHAT SEEING BRUCE IN CONCERT IN 1984 COST YOU.

Springsteen played several of the new songs plus he and the band handled some of my favorites from “Nebraska.”  Then there were rockers from “The River’, “Darkness on the Edge of Town”, “Born to Run” and all.  But the star of the night was the fever pitch that the new tracks from “Born in the USA” was bringing to the crowd.  Nils Lofgren replaced Little Steven Van Zandt who went out to do his own solo tour.  And there was a chick back-up singer named Patty Scialfa who a few years later would become Bruce’s second wife.

When the show ended, my friend and I walked back to my car drenched in sweat and exhausted from this crazy frenzied night of amazing music.  I turned to him and said, “Bruce’s life will never be the same.”  He agreed.  And it wasn’t. 

HIS BODY BULKED UP, AND AN ALBUM FULL OF HIT SINGLES. BRUCE’S “BORN IN THE USA” TOUR WAS A HUGE DEAL.

It didn’t take long for Springsteen’s mega-stardom forced him to play football stadiums across the country and the globe.  I next saw the Boss in concert in August of 1985 at Soldier Field.  At the time, I was producing the Larry Lujack morning show on WLS AM & FM.  Larry wondered aloud to his newscasters Jeff Hendrix and Catherine Johns what was so great about a Springsteen concert.  I buzzed in from my producer’s desk and shared my view of what a special thing an evening with Bruce was.  They took my word for it when I said, “You have to see him to believe him.”

So, here we are.  Forty years down the road from “Born in the USA” and still rocking to those songs.  As Springsteen sang on that record, “Glory Days, yeah they’ll pass you by, glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye, glory days!”  

NEXT BLOG- J-Lo’s woes, A not so angelic Angel, Ozempic Face, White Nail Polish and more.

Memorial Day 2024 is in the books, the weather is warm, the grass, trees and plants are thriving.  Wrigley Field’s ivy is fully flushed and green, school days are winding down and we can smell the season of summer approaching.  We had a mild winter but no matter, the days of the summer solstice are always pined and looked forward to.  Here’s some of what’s going on.

Suave Don Draper from “Mad Men” shares thoughts on the coming of summer.

On the subject of baseball, the Cubs are chugging along O.K. in spite of plenty of players injuries.  The White Sox? Not so much.  Al Flash and I put together a Sox suck parody and as critical as I often am towards our works, this one turned out damn good.  So good that it has garnered hundreds of views on You Tube with very little push from me or Al.

Three weeks ago^, I drove by East End Pool and all swimming splashing sections of the place were completely filled with water.  That seemed early until I realized that the lifeguards who’ll work there this summer need to undergo their annual training and safety certifications and that takes a bit of time.  East End opened on Saturday May 25^th. More on that to be shared on a future post.

One caveat this year is the Elmhurst Park District agreed with my pleas to give us season pass holders freebie guest passes for friends.  We each get four of these passes so folks who normally aren’t at the pool can hang with us for some sun, fun and swimming. 

The Memorial Day weekend weather only allowed me to swim on Saturday but it was still good to be back in the water.

I’ve got freshly bought Reef flip flops to wear to the pool and a new tote bag.  My previous tote was in fine shape but I gave it to one of my students who was in need of a book bag.  She likes that bag and I was happy to give it to her.  Once the swim season is in gear, I pretty much live out of my tote bag.

This is the pool & beach tote bag I’ll be living out of for most of the summer.

Speaking of students, today Tuesday May 28^th my school holds its annual graduation commencement ceremony for high school and middle school grads. It’s a simple but touching event where we teachers get to pay personal tribute to the kiddos who’ve achieved and are preparing for the next step in their academic or real world lives.  I have three seniors from my caseload to honor that day and it’s going to be fun to launch them to the next phase of their lives.

Our school’s Graduation Ceremony happens on Tuesday May 28th. It’s always a special event.

Later this week, we’ll start ESY (Extended School Year or as most call it, ‘Summer School.’)  Those four weeks fly by fast and then we’ll get to our anticipated vacation time.

Summer school starts at the end of the week. And “Summer School” the movie is a fun watch.

ODDS & ENDS.  In June, I have an appointment to be re-fitted for contact lenses, which I haven’t worn in over ten years.  Glasses are O.K. but it’s time for a change both at school and at the pool.  I just need to remember when swimming to not open my eyes underwater when wearing those lenses.

Other things to take care of include getting my house fully scrubbed and cleaned by a local maid service which is something I do a few times a year. I’ll patch up a few driveway cracks then have it re-sealed and my back steps need to be water sealed.   I’m also out shopping for a new bed.  My mattress and box spring are worn down to the thinness of a Matzo and it’s time!

So, here’s to the tasks to take care of and the fun to be had come summer…

Clint Black sings it and we can feel it, Summer’s Coming.

Next Blog- A Special 40 Year Anniversary.

This past Sunday my alma mater York High School hosted its graduation ceremony.  It was held at the football stadium (Clarence D. East Field to you old timers) on a beautiful warm and sunny day.  The bleachers were packed butts to guts as were all other spots to witness the class of 2024 as they walked across the stage to get their diplomas. 

As we all know, the commencement event marks the end of one part of the students’ lives and the start of everything else.  These young folks had to endure remote learning in their first ever semester at York thanks to COVID and they now see a world full of plenty of other challenges. The whole Israel/Palestinian/Gaza conflict, our own country sharply divided in politics and loads of social issues, not to mention another contentious presidential election that will take place in November.   I wish them all the luck they can get.

As I drove by York’s event, I saw some late arriving family members rushing in with balloons, cards, bouquets of flowers and all sort of things to help celebrate the day.   A block north of Saint Charles Road, some kids around age 10 or so, were peddling freshly made lemonade.  I pulled my car over and asked how much. The drinks were free as the kids explained they were doing this to celebrate graduation day!  I thanked them for the drink and said in a couple of eye-blinks, THEY’LL be the ones graduating high school.  They smiled and waved as I pulled away.

This June will mark the 45^th year since I graduated from York at that very same football field.  Earlier that day in 1979, my family took in a lunch at the Café Parisien on North Avenue as a pre-grad celebration.  After the ceremony while my dad drove my sister and grandparents back home, my mom and I ended up walking the half mile home together.  Once at the house. we enjoyed cake and gifts.  The best one being the Norelco electric razor I asked for and my grandpa Kahler gave me.  I also got a cool steamer trunk for future moves. 

Then it was time for me to go out with friends and party it up a bit.  We ended up at a classmate’s house (I’ll withhold that person’s name) because the beer bash was packed enough to draw the police who swooped in to break up the fun.  I recall some girl cried out that she’d been maced!  Next, it was me and three pals heading out for late night beers at Stimac’s bar in Hillside and I rolled into my bed that night at about two a.m.

That summer of 1979 I spent working at White Castle, playing American Legion baseball and seeing most of my buddies leave to attend college out of town.  I did a year and a half at College of Du Page then scooted off to S.I.U. before settling my academics down for a three stint at Elmhurst College (now called Elmhurst University) and graduating in May of 1984.  The five-year plan wasn’t such a bad deal.  Ten months after that I was hired to be Larry Lujack’s producer and writer at WLS AM.  The rest after that was a crazy and memorable history.

But this all started with graduating from York High School.  Just like the class of 2024 has just done.  If those young people have just half the fun, adventures and success that I landed in my post-grad life, they should consider themselves lucky.  Heck, I wish them even more than that!

NEXT BLOG- Summer’s Coming.

The cicada invasion is underway.  The first 17 year cicada visit that happened in my lifetime was in 1973 when I was twelve years old.  Our whole street was lined with huge Elm trees and those bugs were all up in them!  The loud buzzing sound they made was one thing but so was the crunching sound that happened every time my blue suede Converse All-Star shoes walked on the cicadas and their leftover shells as well.

Those red-eyed bugs are back in town!

The next cicada tour stop was in 1990. Our Elm trees were gone thanks to Dutch Elm Disease but there were still lots of those red eyed buggers to see and hear.  There was talk of people baking cicadas into cookies and my mom did this.  We talked about it on the air as I was producing the Murphy in the Morning Show on Q-101.  Our host, Robert Murphy even agreed to EAT one of those cicada cookies and did so!  Murf was braver than I was.

Here’s a new tune from me and Al Flash as we celebrate the return of the cicadas.

The most recent tour of the cicadas happened seventeen years ago. Let’s look back on what was going on back then.  Some of these events didn’t happen when the bugs were here but within the calendar year of 2007.

Richard M. Daley was elected in what would be his final term as Mayor of Chicago.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama announced his candidacy to run for President.  

Down in Miami, the Bears lost to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17 in Super Bowl 41. Prince played the halftime show and while in a dressing room before the show, he was told it was raining hard.  Prince smiled and asked, “Can they make it rain even harder?”

The Chicago Blackhawks landed two young kid players who would turn the team’s fortunes around in just 3 years; Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. 

The first I-Phone made its debut.  Apple bigwig visionary Steve Jobs was still alive, not passing away until 2011.

The Eagles released their last original set of songs, the double album “Long Road Out of Eden.” Then they went on another of their big money tours to support it.

Speaking of concerts, The Who went on a tour to support their “Endless Wire” album.  Since then, Pete Townsend and Rogers Daltrey and company have done 7 more world tours.

Taylor Swift’s debut album “Taylor Swift” was released late in 2006 and had amassed 5 top 40 singles by the end of 2007.  In the coming years Tay Tay would take over the world in music sales and sell out stadium concerts.

Top grossing movies in 2007 included “Spiderman 3”, “Shrek the Third” and “Transformers.”  Also, in the top 10 that year was, “Ratatouille.”  My mom and I saw that fun film the first weekend it was out.  Driving home mom said she’d like to try to make ratatouille for the first time ever. She went straight to Jewel, picked up all the ingredients and that night for dinner we were dining on the most delicious stew ever!  That was my mom.  Great cook and adventurous as she could be.

Also, in 2007- “Mad Men” premiered on AMC and would run for seven great seasons and “The Sopranos” ended its eight years of excellence with a controversial final scene. Was Tony Soprano whacked in that eatery?  Hard to know but I’d say yes.

Famous deaths in 2007 included the passing of Anna Nicole Smith, Robert Goulet, Charles Nelson Reilly and TV mogul Merv Griffin.

I’m sure there are other landmark events that happened in 2007 but these mentions give a peek at where we were in our American lives.  We were still mired in the Iraq War and eight years away from Donald Trump becoming a disruptive force in American politics.

Finally, for me back in 2007 I was out of radio and in my 5th year as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher at South East Alternative School.  I was also finishing my part time studies at Roosevelt University to become a Special Education teacher.  All that waited for me in September were stints of student teaching:  Five weeks at Jefferson Middle School in Villa Park then ten weeks at Fenton High School in Bensenville which I wrapped up in December.  After passing my final state exam I became an official LBS1 teacher.  And what a ride that’s been since!

So where will we all be in 17 years when the cicadas return for another short visit of noise making and mating?  Here’s hoping we’re all still above ground.

Next Blog- Summer’s Coming!

I’ve been enjoying some serious big screen and little screen time.  Here’s what I think.

“The Fall Guy” gets a solid grade of a “B” from me.  I normally don’t go in for action movies but this one has more to it than cool stunts and fights.  Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have great chemistry and their relationship prevents this from being a mindless action romp.  Also, a 45 year old song from Kiss is at the forefront of this film.  Enjoy it plus stay to watch ALL of the closing credits for 2 reasons. One, there’s serious tributes paid to the stuntmen and stunt women in the movie and there’s another little twist at the end that will bring a smile to your face.

THE FALL GUY IS FAST AND FUN ROMP. THIS COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO RARELY GOES IN FOR ACTION FLICKS.

“Unfrosted” is a Netflix offering as Jerry Seinfeld directs and co-writes this made- up history of the creation of the Pop Tart.  So many quick jokes and twists on pop culture and history both long ago and very recent are in this ninety three minute movie. It co-stars Jim Gaffigan, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Shumer, Bill Burr and hilarious scene stealing by Hugh Grant as Tony the Tiger. There are other guest stars that pop up and I don’t want to spoil any of that fun.  I’ve heard the critics reviews aren’t the greatest for “Unfrosted” but to be honest, I think to “get” this movie, you need to be at least 50 years old or older.  In fact, I think anyone 60 and older will get the best tastes out of “Unfrosted.” My grade for this one is a strong “B+.”

LOTS OF POP CULTURE LAUGHS AND MORE WILL BE SEEN AND HEARD WITH THIS LATEST OFFERING FROM NETFLIX.

Amazon Prime Video offers up “The Idea of You” which stars Anne Hathaway as a woman who falls for the much younger star of a boy band.  It’s a typical Lifetime romantic styled movie until it gets racy with some steamy sex scenes.  Kind of a weird twist but the movie is rated R.  On the subject of letters, I graded this movie a ‘C-.’

THE IDEA OF YOU IS NOT MY IDEA OF A GOOD MOVIE, BUT I THINK MOST WOMEN WILL ENJOY IT.

HBO Max brings us a third season of “Hacks” starting Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder.  Smart’s character, Deborah Vance is a more polished and bawdy version of what Joan Rivers used to be and Einbinder’s “Ava Daniels” is unflinching in standing up to the woman she writes and advises for.  There are side characters and subplots but it’s Deborah and Ava that make this series a fun one to watch.  Plus, Jean Smart’s cackle is timely and always cracks me up.

HACKS IS A WELL WRITTEN SERIES AND I’M GLAD IT’S BACK ON HBO MAX.

Back to Netflix, David Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” has started a new season.  Dave’s first guest featured is the very cleverly funny John Mulaney.  They do a revealing sitdown interview at the Den theater in Chicago and visit Mullaney’s old high school, St. Ignatius Prep High School.  Letterman and Mulaney also have a dinner table chat with John’s father who is often featured in his son’s comedy.  Frank talk about Mulaney’s addictions happens and while Letterman asks great questions, he also often offers some insight to his own life and psyche.

JOHN MULANEY IS ON A ROLL WITH HIS STAND UP COMEDY AND HE AND DAVID LETTERMAN SHINE ON THIS SHOW.

On a side note, if you’ve never seen John Mulaney’s “Baby J” comedy special, that’s another one to see on Netflix.

I’m posting in a link to a recent CBS Sunday Morning feature on country star Randy Travis.  You’ll see how Artificial Intelligence and some backing vocals from another singer have brought stroke victim Randy a new song that’s been released.  Full disclosure: Randy Travis was and always will be one of my favorite country singers and I was blessed to spend time with him on several occasions during my radio days and before a stroke took away his voice.  The story behind what’s being attempted with Travis’ music is incredible and inspiring.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/randy-travis-sings-again-courtesy-of-ai

CLICK THE ABOVE LINK TO SEE A COOL FEATURE ON HOW A.I. IS BRINGING RANDY TRAVIS BACK TO COUNTRY RADIO.

Side Note on Show-biz- I read that tickets to Jennifer Lopez’s concert tour are not selling. Earlier this year, J-Lo released her “This is Me Now: A Love Story” record.  It’s a tribute to her re-discovered love for actor Ben Affleck and their subsequent marriage.  I have not heard any of the songs from that disc but have my own theory on why the Jennifer Lopez concert tour is struggling to attract fans. 

#1. Lopez and Affleck’s relationship has been magazine and online fodder for going on 3 years.  And that’s not including their first go-round a couple decades ago.  Folks are tired of them and familiarity breeds contempt.

#2. J-Lo’s music is being overpowered by the works of Taylor Swift double album and Beyonce’s popular country set of songs.  Swift and Beyonce’ tours are also a major draw as is Rhianna’s and Madonna just finished her massively ambitious world tour.  Lopez is left in the dust.

#3. Jennifer needs to figure out who she wants to be.  A movie star or a singing star.  Trying to be both leaves her failing on both attempts and it’s hard for fans to embrace her identity.

#4. So much attention is focused on J-Lo’s butt, her age defying looks and dancing. But when you see a concert you’re gonna ask about her voice and the songs.  I think she’s lagging there.

So, if you want to see J-Lo when she comes to Chicago this summer, have at it.  My guess is you’ll be able to buy close-up seats and below market value prices.  And have fun!

NEXT BLOG– Here Come the Cicadas.

I’ve a few things on my mind.  Here it all is.

All the hubbub about Taylor Swift’s new double album.  Wow!  I admire her work ethic and the massive fandom she’s built around the world.  Pretty incredible stuff. With all that said, Taylor’s music really isn’t for me.  And at age 34, she’s still writing songs from the perspective of a spurned 15 year old girl.  Oh well.  Actually, my favorite Taylor Swift song is one she wrote but gave to the country band Little Big Town.  It’s called “Better Man” and it really carries the message of someone leaving an abusive relationship.  Well done Tay Tay!

“Better Man” is such a great song that Taylor Swift wrote and gave to Little Big Town to record.

At the start of the baseball season, I said the White Sox would lose 100 games. I need to amend that prediction.  In baseball’s 162 game schedule, every team wins at least 50 games and loses 50 games.  It’s what happens in the other 62 games that reflects what kind of season it’s going to be.  Well now I have to say I don’t think the Sox are even going to win 50 games!

They just won 3 games in a row but this White Sox season still looks grim.

Rumors say Adam Sandler is putting together a sequel to the 1996 farce fest “Happy Gilmore.”  In my sarcastic voice I say- “Did they ever make a sequel to the classic “Citizen Kane”?  No.  So why touch a film gem like “Happy G?”

Let’s see if a modern day classic gets a sequel.

I’ve posted on Facebook at how weak the final season of Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” was.  There were lots of lame confrontations and way too much yelling which is a telltale sign that the comedy has dried up.  However, the next to last episode of “Curb” titled “Ken & Kendra” was really good.  Bruce Springsteen made a guest appearance and is spot on funny.  When Larry tried to visit Bruce’s L.A. house, Springsteen is damn hilarious.

Bruce and Larry were pretty funny together on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’.

It’s official, Mc Donald’s prices have spiked way too high.  The other day I hit their drive-thru for a dinky caramel sundae and it cost just under five dollars!  Jeez, for a buck and a half more I could get a much bigger and better treat from Culvers.  Sorry, Mc Donald’s, I’m NOT loving it.

People who drive cars with dark tinted windows are often the most aggressive and dangerous drivers on the road.  Kind of scary.

I’m puzzled these days by men on TV doing the weather or hosting sports reports & talk shows wearing sneakers.  (or do you say gym shoes?) These fellas are dressed in suits and ties, looking classy and then when you get a full body view, they’re sporting the latest in New Balance or Nike trainers.  Really?  Come on guys, let’s class it up a bit.

Dunk Tanks at carnivals would be more fun if the person getting dunked dropped into water that was loaded with flesh eating piranhas.

Elmhurst has many beautiful homes. Driving around town I see lots of them have Adirondack chairs set on front porches or neatly positioned in their yards.  Only one problem.  I NEVER see anyone actually sitting on them, relaxing and enjoying some chill time. 

Plenty of nice chair set-ups are out there. But I don’t see anyone sitting in them.

NEXT BLOG- The Return of the Cicadas.

Former major league pitcher Ken Holtzman has died at age 78.  Apparently, he’d been dealing with heart issues and was hospitalized for the past three weeks. Good ole number 30 remains the winningest Jewish pitcher with 174 wins.  He was and will always be my very favorite Chicago Cub player.

Watching him in person hurl for the fabled 1969 Chicago Cubs was an early sports memory for me.  He threw lefthanded as did I. It was Ken’s success that made me want to become a pitcher which I was in Little League, high school and American Legion ball.  Then my arm gave out.   

Ken Holtzman hurling for the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

August 19^th, 1969.  I swear on the lives of all my family members that this next story is 100% true.  I was at home one afternoon watching the Cubs-Atlanta Braves game at Wrigley Field. The game was four innings old and Holtzman had a no-hitter going.  I had to leave watching the ballgame to go with my mom to Sears in Oak Brook to get some back-to-school clothes.  Before turning off our black and white TV and getting in the car, I said a little prayer out loud.  I asked for God to help Kenny get a no hitter on this day. I told my mom about this prayer and she hoped it would come true.

So, my mom and I shopped at Sears for over an hour and before heading home we went to their little cafeteria to get a snack.  Probably got some pie and a soft drink.  We’re eating our treat when I saw two Sears salesguys sitting at the table next to us.  A third co-worker walked up to them and asked, “Did you hear about Holtzman’s no hitter?”  I was stunned!  I said “Mom!  He did it!  I prayed for it and Kenny got his no hitter.”  Mom was equally thrilled and watching the sports coverage on the news that night was never sweeter.

Trade Winds. Holtzman eventually asked to be traded and went on to pitch for the Oakland A’s and it was great to see him win three World Series with Charlie Finley’s mustached ballplayers.  The swinging A’s were colorful guys and awesome ballplayers.  After that, there was a short stint with Baltimore then the Yankees then back to the Cubs in 1978.

Holtzman won three World Series Championships with the swinging Oakland A’s.

Sparky Lyle’s book “The Bronx Zoo” wrote how smart Ken Holtzman was when doing crossword puzzles and playing Password and various card games in the clubhouse.  Lyle also shared when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner wanted to trade his lefty pitcher because he’d been relegated to the bullpen and was costing the owner valuable dollars. Steinbrenner pitched a trade plan to his hurler and Holtzman, being a 10 year league veteran had the final say.  Ken Holtzman heard Steinbrenner’s proposal then looked him right in the eye and said, “Veto.” The Yankees boss was steamed.  He basically told Holtzman, ‘Fine, you sit in the bullpen and rot away and I’ll be here in my owner’s box and we can wave to each other during every home game.’    Ken Holtzman eventually made it back to the Cubs for his last two seasons.

One last Ken Holtzman anecdote.  In the Ron Santo biography movie “This Old Cub” they show when Santo waited for a call hoping to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  The call did not bring good news.  The next scene showed Santo reading a beautifully worded letter telling him how his day would come and how number ten deserved to be in Cooperstown.  It Turned out that letter was from Ronnie’s former teammate, Ken Holtzman!  Still classy, years later.

So long number 30, you’ll always be number 1 in my book and my favorite Cub!  God bless you.

NEXT BLOG- Some things that are on my mind.

Learning of the death of O.J. Simpson, I thought it best to crank up the personal memories I have of the infamy he attained back in 1994.

Monday June 13^th 1994.  I was producing the JD and The Katman Show on US*99. During the show, John Katman Katzbeck and I were writing in our tiny morning show office just outside the air studio.  A newswire machine in the room rang its bells which meant a big story was coming across.  That’s when we learned O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman were found murdered outside her townhome in Brentwood.   At this point O.J. was not a suspect but it was still a big story.  Then later that same morning came newswire information that Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg was retiring, effective immediately!  Katman and I talked about what a crazy news day it was becoming.

As circus-like as the whole O.J. trial was, at the heart of it was the brutal murder of two innocent people. This pic is one of the less graphic ones of the death scene outside Nicole Brown Simpson’s townhome.

The slow speed Bronco chase. Four days later, O.J. Simpson was a runaway murder suspect who had not turned himself in to authorities as his lawyer Robert Shapiro promised he would.  Police cars were in a line behind the Bronco and network TV covered every mile up to the point they made it back to O.J.’s house to turn himself in.  Many people remember where they were during this chase.  I was with my US*99 co-workers, sitting in a luxury skybox at Comiskey Park watching the White Sox play.  We had one eye on the ballgame and one on the skybox TVs as the chase continued.

The infamous slow speed Bronco chase. Most folks remember where they were when this insanity happened.

The trial of the century.  January 24^th, 1995 is when the trial began and CNN had gavel to gavel coverage every weekday from L.A.  Most days I’d get home from work around 11 a.m. so the trial was what I watched most of the day.  Like me, my mom was totally glued to everything that happened with Judge Lance Ito and the whole legal procedure.

A few weeks after the trial started, I was at an Eagles concert at the United Center.  As the band launched into the haunting dirge start of Don Henley’s solo hit “Dirty Laundry,” Henley asked the crowd, “Are you sick of this trial yet?”  The whole crowd roared its approval.  That was February of 1995 and the trial didn’t wrap up until eight months later in early October!

The Jury.  I remember the O.J. jury got the instructions and the case to debate late in the day on the last Friday in September.  (The 29^th) Throughout the trial, they were sequestered in a hotel but had the weekend off from formal deliberations.

Monday October 2^nd.  I was taking a nap after work and woke to find my mom standing at my bedroom doorway with a sick look on her face.  I asked what was wrong and she said, “They already have a verdict.”  “Who has a verdict?” I asked. My mom replied “The O.J. jury!”  I was stunned.  Everyone figured all the months of evidence meant the jury would be out for a week or two and make a carefully reasoned decision.   This kind of quick verdict meant only one thing.  O.J. would be found not guilty. That’s how most murder trials roll.  While the country may have been divided on Simpson’s guilt or innocence, me, my mom and most folks I know felt he was guilty of those brutal murders. 

Tuesday October 3^rd.  The verdict in L.A. was to be announced around 1 p.m. Chicago time.  Security measures in all major cities across the country were put in place.  Race played a massive part in this story and depending on how the verdict turned out, things could get crazy.  O.J. of course was found not guilty. 

After the verdict was read, one of the legal experts on CNN was asked what was next.  The answer was, “O.J. Simpson gets released right away and is a free man.”  As the TV crews in helicopters tracked O.J. being driven back to his home at 360 Rockingham, I remember sitting on my bed feeling so helpless and in total shock.  I had no doubt a miscarriage of justice had happened thanks to race issues and a piss poor prosecution team that made idiotic strategies. 

O.J. and his legal dream team react to the news that he was found not guilty…Verdict notwithstanding, rational people know he did it.

Yes, not long after the criminal trial, O.J. was found liable for the murders in a civil case but that meant no jail time and barely any of the awarded money ever went to the families of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman.  Many years later Simpson did do 9 years jail time for armed robbery charges as he tried to steal back some of his old memorabilia but real justice for him was still missing.

Now O.J. Simpson is dead.  And now he’s faced the ultimate judgment from his maker.  Enough said.

NEXT BLOG: Lots of things on my mind.

I don’t subscribe to Sirius/XM satellite so I never hear the Howard Stern show when it’s on.  However, there are times when Stern’s best celebrity interviews end up on YouTube and then I catch plenty of material and details I would never have heard otherwise.  It’s always good stuff and Howard gets the fun stories and revelations out of everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Paul McCartney to Pamela Anderson with ex-hubby Tommy Lee and even Dolly Parton.

One of the other highlights from Stern’s shows is when pop, rock and country music stars perform their best known songs and even cover tunes in Howard’s studio.  Here are some of my favorite performances that have taken place in recent years on Stern’s show.

Sammy Hagar & the Circle doing “Finish What You Started.”  Sammy and his players do this Van Halen classic up well but there’s also a fun story about the writing of that track.

Don Henley doing “The Boys of Summer.  Henley did an extensive visit with Howard and then played “Desperado”, “Please Come Home for Christmas” and the 1984 gem “The Boys of Summer.”  As Don said, this is a more thoughtful version of that hit song.

Brandi Carlile covering the Elton John classic “Madman Across the Water.”  The country music singer-songwriter shares with Howard her Elton fandom then does a fine read on this Elton oldie.  Brandi reminds me of Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl in that she is a major musicologist and advocate of songs and artists who were on the scene many years before she was.

The Highwomen playing Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.”  This supergroup is made up of Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires. Four years ago, they put out their own record with great songs like “Redesigning Women” and “Crowded Table.”  On Stern’s show they did up “The Chain” and did it damn well, captivating for sure.

Bruce Springsteen going solo on “Tougher Than the Rest.”  ‘Tougher’ is in my top 5 of favorite Springsteen songs.  In this clip, Bruce plays the song on the piano but also does a detailed explanation of how he wrote the track and what it means.  So damn good!

So, there’s 5 cuts to enjoy. I look forward to sharing more of the best of music that comes from Howard Stern’s shows.

NEXT BLOG: A Few things on my mind.