Life 2.0

Hitting The High Notes

As a baby, she was left abandoned in a bus stop in China, and was taken to a police station and then to an orphanage, where she lived until a family adopted her...from Alaska. So began the incredible journey of Rose Crelli. As a little girl, she used to rub two sticks together, pretending to make music, and now as a world renowned violinist, she performs with the likes of the Trans Siberian Orchestra and Michael Bublé. Rose uses her musical platform to push back on the wave of Asian hate that has surfaced over the past year, and shares insights and inspiration from her incredible journey.

The Man Behind The Mic

Chris Duffy is one of the most recognized voice over and production gurus in the radio business. I met Duff back when I was on the air at WGN Radio in Chicago, and was not only impressed with his production skills, but his insights on the good, the bad and the ugly trajectory of talk radio. This is an insider conversation behind the mic on everything from Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh to Delilah. It's your chance to eavesdrop, as we share our thoughts of a combined half-century of experiences in radio.

20 Years Later

On 9/11/2001, I was on the air for six hours, but we didn't resume regular programming until September 14th, 2001. 20 years ago today, our guest was my friend the late Dr. Wayne Dyer, who's book "There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem" launched on the same day of the terrorist attacks on US soil. I went back and pulled some audio from that episode, as Wayne offered up his insights and inspiration on one of our nations' darkest days, and longtime friend Steve Rizzo, a native New Yorker joined us as well. Two decades later, the cost of "The War on Terror" is still being counted, but the price many have paid, will never add up on a spreadsheet.

The Richest Man

In a week where the worst and best of human behavior was on full display once again, it was the death of a friend, that I served with in the United States Coast Guard, that helped me keep my perspective, in spite of the chaos. In many ways, he was the richest man I ever knew.

Godspeed Lt. Munsey. Semper Paratus. 

Music by John Berry.

By The Numbers

As I watched Kabul taken back by the Taliban, and hundreds of people hanging on a C130 aircraft for their very lives, my thoughts turn to the cost of this conflict over the past 20 years, the ripple effect on those who fought and their families. I am all about finding sense in the senseless, but this time, not sure that's possible. 

What One Man Can Do

In my down time between hosting and producing "The Bridge" international radio show/podcast, I've taken to watching documentaries. I came across "Bobby Kennedy For President" on Netflix, and after spending 4 hours in 1968, I am more convinced than ever before, that if we don't learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it. If we always do, what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always got. 

The Space to Create

On July 20th, 1969 I was a ten-year-old boy, standing in awe of the moon landing. In 2009-40 years later-I was onstage for my TEDXNASA talk, standing in awe of the 5,000 people in the audience that are part of the space program and today, 52 years after that historic day, I watched a billionaire go into space for 11 minutes, and return to earth. My thoughts on all of that, and how there is a beginning, middle and end to everything, even for billionaires.

Father's Day 2021

My banker dad's alter ego was Dracula, and he always wanted to be an architect. Yea-that's him dressed up as "The Prince of Darkness" for Halloween circa 1975.

 

My maternal grandfather Carl, was a muscle-bound Swede, who came to America at 19 with nothing in his pockets and built a life, and my paternal grandfather Big John, was a 6'3 hard charging, plain speaking "jack of all trades" German.

 

Over time-all of their stuff rolled down hill and took up residence in me, to a greater or lesser degree.

 

I learned some valuable lessons from these three men, all of them long gone, but their presence in my life remains alive to this day.

Mr. Motivation

This episode is in response to a former subscriber who cancelled last week because of the Deacon Jones episode. So, I thought I would clarify my concept of motivation, which to me is more than being a "quote thrower" and defend my long held position that finding sense in the senseless is often a difficult process. Especially when we have elected officials that suggest perhaps the best way to counteract climate change is by altering the orbit of the moon and when skipping due diligence in favor of attempting to make a statement, backfires in Georgia. Chris Farley's "Mr. Motivation" skit on SNL is a perfect example of finding the obvious buried in the absurd.

Living On The Edge

I was out early this morning watering the veggies, and decided to take a long drink of ice cold water, directly from the garden hose.

 

According to experts, I might be putting myself at risk by doing so.

 

I call bull$hit...

 

It got me thinking about other things that we did "back in the day" like riding bikes without helmets, leaving the house in the morning, and being gone all day, until the universal signal of the street lights coming on called us home. What it was like to flood the playground and swim around in muddy, nasty water, without a care in the world.