Life 2.0

Monsters, Memories and More

Halloween was bigger than Christmas at our house, it was the time of year my dad would transform from banker into full-blow Dracula mode, scaring the snot of out people in our basement, for over 20 years. I felt it was the perfect day to share perhaps the most unnerving event I have ever been witness to, from my book Phenomena, when a voice came through a speaker and gave the name of a man who had died 93 years prior, in the Eastland disaster on the Chicago River. And finally, my high school apparently has residents that have never left, especially in the library, where I caught something on tape that is beyond unexplained. Happy Halloween indeed...

Disposable Heroes

When news reached me last week that my friend Matt Blair had passed away, it set off a ripple effect of emotions-some good, some not so good. Matt played all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Vikings, racking up 1,452 tackles and from 1977 to 1982, Matt made it to six consecutive Pro Bowls with a 1980 All-Pro selection.  In Blair's 12-season tenure with the Vikings, they went to the postseason seven times and played in two Super Bowls. But, Matt Blair was so much more than a football player. His passing from CTE related dementia had me thinking about my own time wearing a helmet, and the "disposable heroes" like Matt, that offer up their long-term health for the short-term entertainment of fans and talk radio. 

Remembering John Denver.

On October 12th, 1997, John Denver perished in a plane crash, the earth lost its greatest voice, the music world lost a legendary performer, and Ron Deutschendorf lost his brother. Ron joins me to share his thoughts about John, and how 23 years later, his influence and impact continues to create ripples of positive change. For me, my friendship with JD is the root cause of the entirety of my radio career, and without a song heard on vinyl back in 1974 and a chance encounter after a concert in 1992, my life path would be very different. 

Remembering The Road Warriors

When news reached me that longtime friend Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis had passed away, I felt like I had been body slammed. Joe was one-half of "The Road Warriors" along with the late, great Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand, the greatest tag-team in the history of pro wrestling. Back in the early 90s, I was fortunate to connect with these two characters, and for a few years, we worked together, and the memories of that time are a headlock on my heart. WHAT A RUSH!

The Friday File

So, what do China, haircuts and cellphones all have in common...? Those elements are part of my recent hiatus that includes launching an international radio show, my visit to Ray's Barbershop (haircut is just $12) back in my old neighborhood and my ongoing angst about cellphones becoming part of people's workout routine in my gym. They are apparently more interested in building up their scrolling muscles instead of their biceps. 

Hannah's War

75 years ago today, August 9th, 1945 the city of Nagasaki was obliterated by the second atomic bomb in human history, the first being on Hiroshima, three days earlier. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only uses of nuclear weapons in armed conflict. 

Jan Eliasberg, an award-winning screenwriter and director of film and television, was perusing microfilm in the New York Public Library and came across an issue in the New York Times published on the day U.S. Forces dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945. A one-sentence paragraph caught her attention. 

"The key component that allowed the Allies to develop the bomb was ... (provided) by a female, non-Aryan physicist." 

That's all it said. 

"My immediate thought was, 'Who IS this woman and why has her face not been staring out of the pages of every science magazine ever?" 

In "Hannah's War," Eliasberg makes her thrilling historical debut, with a novel about a female scientist working to develop the first atomic bomb during World War II, and the young military investigator determined to uncover her secret past. 

Put this book in the "Can't put it down" category, a terrific read based on the life of Dr. Lise Meitner. 

Opening music bridge McGuire's Landing by Pete Huttlinger. Used by permission.

Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?) written and performed by John Denver. Used by permission.

USCG 230th Anniversary Pt. I

I have covered a lot of ground since this picture of me, taken at USCG boot camp in Alameda, CA back in 1980. While I've touched on just about every subject in radio for the past 20+ years, I have never produced anything on the incredible men and women I served with-until now.

This is part I of the recognition and celebration of the efforts of the men and women whom I served with at Coast Guard Air Station Chicago from 1980-84. They are all heroes to me, with tireless dedication to duty and a high degree of professionalism and military bearing-but also knew how to have more fun than legally allowed. Semper Paratus "Always Ready."

USCG 230th Anniversary Pt. II

This is part II of the recognition and celebration of the efforts of the men and women whom I served with at Coast Guard Air Station Chicago from 1980-84. They are all heroes to me, with tireless dedication to duty and a high degree of professionalism and military bearing-but also knew how to have more fun than legally allowed. Semper Paratus "Always Ready."

The Wednesday Rant

It was the great writer and philosopher George Santayana who insisted that-"Those who can't remember the past are condemned to repeat it." History, if studied and learned from, is our greatest teacher-but humans aren't always the sharpest tool in the shed. Basically its the same sh*t, different century as we once again muddle through another pandemic, as Cyrus The Virus continues to remind us that even with all our modern medical advances, its obvious that technology far surpasses our humanity, and that when you strip away all of the bells and whistles of society, and we are left with just ourselves, it's not a pretty picture.

Grass Drills

Little did I know that going out to cut the grass in near 90 degree heat yesterday, was going to be a "Back to The Future" type experience that opened a portal, taking me back 44 years-to 1976. It was the bi-centennial year, Carter beat Ford for the Oval Office, the Concorde enters service and cuts transatlantic flying time to 3 1/2 hours, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was at the theater and gas was .59 cents a gallon. But the big news was that double sessions for football was gearing up and how countless hours spent on a small dirt field have been a rudder for me ever since.