Phil's Cool Car

Phil is a co-worker of mine and he has a cool car.

Our Own Oddities

The water tower in Tipton, MO.

Junior Parent Weekend

Was this weekend at Notre Dame. A very fine celebration and an opportunity to drink alcohol with the kids. My stepson Paul is a junior at Notre Dame, so this was the weekend to go. As usual, when going to South Bend, you can expect any kind of weather. Cold, colder and coldest. Notre Dame is an awesome school. I was never a fan in football (although I did root for Digger Phelps in basketball) but these kids are stuck to each other like glue. A school where faith DOES matter and it is more than just a slogan. On Friday night, the four roomates and their families all met at Rocco's in South Bend for truly some of the best pizza I have ever eaten.
Friday night was also "beer pong" with the roomates and their parents

The local drug store can't keep a supply of solo cups in stock


Paul shows us how its done.


One of the parents gets in the game.


Paul and Mom get tough.


The "Dome" on Saturday.

Saturday was see the kids room day and do some cool orientation stuff...


Five thirty Mass was held at the Joyce Center then dinner...but Saturday night... Paul and Mom hit the floor with zest and fervor.


The Fab Four Sean, Sebastian, Micheal and Paul...ALL great kids.


Mom, Paul and stepdad.

Sunday...breakfast for how many?

I was so blessed when he came into my life and I have watched him grow up. I am so proud of him and his life. I envy where he is now and if I had ONE change in my life it would be the college environment especially in a place like Notre Dame. I am thrilled when I get to see him but somewhat saddened when I have to leave. I know that again, he has taken another step away from us, never to return. it's the way it should be and is, but I still can't help but miss him. I am SO lucky. I have three wonderful kids that will ALL graduate from college. I never, ever even dreamed that would have happened. Thanks, kids for I am eternally grateful.

POST NUMBER 200!!!

I thought I would put up something clever or noteworthy or meaningful...ah, what the hell....
I was flippin through the channels at the hotel room today and came across...Star Jones...


My, she certainly looks different after losing all that weight.

The Olympics Random Thoughts...

I love watching the Olympics, summer or winter doesn't matter to me. I have always been that way. I actually remember the 1964 Olympics in Sapporo Japan. I remember because I am weird like that. Anyway..I swear to God I thought one of the announcers was talking about the "hash-pipe" last night. Yes, I know it was "half-pipe", but my mind wondered back a few years and for a second, I was standing at the podium, listening to the National Anthem, only it was the Hendrix version. But I digress...Michelle Kwan, evil or good? It seemed like to me she was damn upset but others I have talked to said she is going along with NBC's evil plot to spike the ratings with the drama. Hasn't worked yet. The American male ski jumper was 5'10" and 135 lbs. Really? I haven't been that thin since chemo. Bode, have another beer. Too much hype but I think NBC is doing at least a decent job of coverage. Ann Curry rocks my world and Katie's just too damn perky. We certainly won't win as many medals as we thought, but give me a shot of courage and watch me luge my ass off.
"lookee here..."

In 1996, I was lucky enough to go to the Summer Games in Atlanta through KSHE.

The best part about the whole trip was seeing Bob Dylan at midnight at the House of Blues. Incredible. He was lucid, coherent and really into it, My friend Joe Vonderhaar of A/B set that up. Awesome!


The second best part was watching the finals of team handball. I had no idea what this was about but I had tickets to the finals, and damn it, that meant something. The mighty Swedes (according to the guy next to me, the "Micheal Jordan's" of team handball)against the hapless Croats who were there by luck. Remember, at this time, Croatia was a mess. The Croats won on a last second goal. I never witnessed more big, brutish men openly weeping in my life. Hell, I cried when the medal ceremonies were held. Huge men absolutely gave it all for their country..or whatever it was at the time and buckled over with emotion in front of God and everyone.


The third best thing was sharing a hotel room with Katy Kruze, and ordering pitchers of Margaritas via room service...one of the all time sweethearts in the biz.


One of the weirdest deals was getting up at 4:30 to catch the bus to get to the stadium to watch the race walking start. They went around the stadium once and we didn't see them again for 3 hours. I fell asleep in the mist of Turner field at about 6:30 one morning.


During halftime of the Greece-Italy Basketball game, I noticed that the entire Greece team had fired up smokes during the coach's talk. All of them...then they kicked the shit out of Italy.

It was great trip, and yes, I do watch the Olympics.

So...where the hell am I?

Where I Come From (part one)

I moved back and forth between two communities growing up. One was "The Quad Cities". A bustling river town (with all intended meanings)> Now, the problem with the Quad Cities is that there are actually five of them (as you can see by this map)
I grew up in East Moline. I believe this was the city thrown out of the "Quad" cities. You see, East Moline was the city in the "Quad" Cities that was thrown out for bad behaviour. This is where the factory rats, the hispanics and blacks moved. My high school had a graduating class of over a thousand. I would venture to guess that 25% were black and 20% hispanic. I LEARNED to get along. In fact, some residents of the city of Moline, for some reason had to send their kids to East Moline schools. They sued. Anyway, my fellow compadre from Campbell's (cannibals) Island sent me these fact about the Quad Cities. Probably only relevant to those who actually live there, but that's OK.

The rope used in the Tug Fest between Port Byron, Ill., and LeClaire, Iowa, is 700 pounds dry weight, one inch in diameter and 2,400 feet long.

Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as a captain in the militia in the Black Hawk War of 1832 at a spot on what is now Andalusia Road, across from the Showcase Cinemas in Milan. (ed. note no longer there) There is a historical marker there today.

Buffalo Bill Cody, famous Wild West showman and well-known Indian scout, came from LeClaire, Iowa.

The lowest point of land in the Quad-Cities is the bottom of the Mississippi River just below the roller dams of Lock and Dam 15. The churning water at that point has dug the river bottom to a depth of 515 feet above sea level or about 40 feet lower than the surrounding community.

The highest point of land in the Quad-Cities is 770 feet above sea level,two blocks west of Utica Ridge Road a half mile north of the Interstate 80 overpass.

The geographic center of the Quad-Cities is behind K&K Hardware in Bettendorf, at the intersection of Brown and 18th Streets.

The steepest road in the Quad-Cities is Davenport's Fillmore Street. From 9th to Clay streets, the street rises 79 feet in a 500-foot stretch, for a 158 percent incline.

Arsenal Island was once used as a Civil War prison camp.

The longest creek in the Quad-Cities is 21-mile-long Duck Creek in Scott County.

Credit Island was an early trading post and the site of a battle between the United States and Great Britain in 1814.

The longest public road in the Quad-Cities is Locust Street in Davenport and Middle Road in Bettendorf. Together they run 14.3 miles.

Hero Street in Silvis is a Quad-City street which honors veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Camp McClellan was a former Civil War training camp located in what now is the Village of East Davenport. The camp was named for a Union general.

In 1856, Abe Lincoln came to the Quad-Cities as an attorney to defend the first bridge to cross the Mississippi River. It was hit by a steamboat two weeks after it was opened, setting the bridge and boat on fire.

The first bridge to span the Mississippi River was a railroad bridge from Rock Island to Arsenal Island to Davenport, about 750 yards upstream from the current Government Bridge. Completed in April 1856, it was dubbed the "white bridge" because of its color.

The oldest area bridge is the Government Bridge. Built in 1870, it is a mass of sprockets and gears. Its swing span weighs 2.1 million pounds.

There are more than 300 churches and 450 civic organizations which thrive in the Quad-Cities area.

The area's largest parking lot is at NorthPark Mall. The 60 acres of parking provides 5,935 spaces.



The longest elevator shaft in the Quad-Cities is the 200-foot Montgomery Elevator Tower in Moline. The tower has three elevators. (Owned by someone else, now. I used to work there).


The most populous city in the Quad-Cities is Davenport, the second largest city in Iowa, with 120,333 residents in the 2005 census.




The oldest eatery in the Quad-Cities is Lagomarcino's Confectionary, at 1422 5th Ave. Moline. The restaurant and candy store has been in business since 1908, and in its current location since 1919. Yum friggin yum!



The Rock Island Arsenal, one of the largest manufacturing arsenals in the world, employs about 7,800 persons locally.

The largest federally owned home in the United States is the White House in Washington D.C. The second largest is the commander's home on the Rock Island Arsenal.

The largest Quad-Cities manufacturing facility is the Alcoa plant in Riverdale, with 127 acres under one roof.

The first post office in the Quad-Cities was established at Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island (now known as Arsenal Island), in 1825. Col. George Davenport was its first postmaster.

The oldest city in the Quad-Cities is Rock Island. It was founded in 1835 as the separate communities of Stephenson and Farnamsburg.

The oldest business in the Quad-Cities is Deere and Co., which began operation in 1837.

The first brick church in Davenport was St. Anthony's Catholic Church,built in 1837.

The first waterslide in the Quad-Cities was not at Wacky Waters or Riverside Park. At what is now Black Hawk State Historic Site, in the late 19th century, a slide took riders down the steep bluff in a "car" and dropped them into the Rock River.

The first appendectomy in the United States was performed at Davenport's Mercy Hospital, now part of Genesis Medical Center.

The area's largest clock sits atop the Clock Tower on Arsenal Island, featuring 12-foot-diameter faces. The clocks are also the oldest public clocks in town, installed in 1868. The pendulum weighs 3,500 pounds and is 32 feet tall.

The first McDonalds restaurant in Iowa was built at 33rd and Brady Streets in Davenport, opening in 1958.

About 49,000 cubic feet of water passes Davenport's Main Street every second, according to a 100-year average.

The first lock and dam was built between Arsenal Island and Davenport in the 1930s. Each time it is used to move a boat up-or downriver, 16,330,400 gallons of water is moved.

Everything you needed to know about a place that's nice to be from. Thanks, Keith

Thank God It's Over

I love college basketball. We are getting to the most exciting part of it. "Rivalry Week" or whatever, we are witnessing the trimming of the herd, keeping the contenders, losing the pretenders. One of my top three teams to root for (other than Iowa and SLU) is Mizzou. The Mizzou basketball heritage has been ruined by Quin Snyder. He had two good years with Norm's talent and then lost it. It got to the point of boycotting games in my household. Lose to Baylor by a gazillion? Unheard of. It was rumoured that Quin had problems personally (alleged drug use and a tryst with golden girl that messed up his marriage), but he just seemed aloof, arrogant and above the rest of the state. Who's the next guy to take his place? What about Kevin Stallings of Vanderbilt? Or Mark McDermott of Northern Iowa? UNI has gained a place in my basketball vision, becuase my daughter goes there and the fact they are 21-5 and ranked nationally. Hey! Can we bring back Norm?

The "Pointy House"

#20 Clayton Terrace. The family rented this house for one year before they tore it down. The rent was cheap and the house was a blast. There were actually wings for bedrooms. There would be a sitting room before each bedroom in that particular kids "wing". The parents "wing" would be on the left and the kids "wing" on the right. We knew they were going to tear it down and it kind of fell in before that happened. But for about 9 months, a very cool place to live. My daughter still calls it "the pointy house". The only time I have even had the word "luxury" in my vocabulary. A short time but a fun time.

"I'm Never Going Back To My Old Schooooolll..."

In Ava, from the hotel (one side of town) to the Pizza Hut (the other side of town), it's about 1.8 miles. Easy walk. On the way back to the hotel, I noticed a girls basketball game was in progress. I used to love to be in that gym. I ruled in 1971. It was a game against arch rival Thayer. Ava lost 43-39. It was weird. I remember it as being much brighter than that. And let me tell ya...if the 3 point line would have been in play back then...

Random thoughts...

If the Kansas City Chiefs would have won their game against Buffalo (Buffalo?),instead of gagging..(Chiefs lost 14-3), Pitsburgh would have never made it to the playoffs. That could have been Dick Vermeil holding that trophy again.

How can U2 win the Grammy for song of the year, when the album it cames from "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" was released in 2004?. Same thing for Green Day. I think these are two of the most talented bands out there but wha?


This is one of the greatest rock instruments ever. I know that Jimmy Smith is credited as the master of the Hammond B3(you should go get any Jimmy Smith CD you can find), but there were some mighty fine Hammond players in rock. Here are five songs that make the hammond B3 impossible to ignore:
"Gimme Some Lovin'"-Spencer Davis Group- 15 year old Steve Winwood makes the Hammond sound like a frigging freight train
"Love The One Your With"-Stephen Stills-Mike Finnigan's solo in the middle makes this whole song.
"Looking for Love"-The J. Giels Band-23 seconds of the best Hammond riff ever.
"Roundabout"-Yes-Rick Wakeman's solo here is pure genius
"In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"-The Allman Brothers- hell' it's Gregg Allman, nuff said.
"Time of the Season"-Zombies Good God, what a solo at the end. Rod Argent was a master keyboardsman. "Hold Your Head Up" wasn't a fluke either

A Guy I Have Known Forever

Well, there's Beauregard, Hildegard and Mabel (left to right) along with Mrs and Mr Tom Gunter. Hard to believe that I have known this guy since I was 10! Really hard to believe. Very wonderful people, filled with love and I really enjoy seeing them. Ya done good,son (soon to be grandad for the 17th time) Just kidding. Great times in Ava!

Brush with Greatness Part Four (I think)

In 1982, KY 102 in Kansas City hosted the "Rock Awards" with different categories voted on by the public. Best band (Journey), best new group (Saga). Saga was from Canada and apparently liked their LaBatts. They performed a live show at the Hyatt where the awards were held and seemed to be decent dudes. Everytime I hear "On The Loose" (great song) or "Wind Him Up" I think of this evening. After the show, we all got together and quaffed to the God of Molson.
Back row...Joe MacCabe (PD of KY), Jon Hart (still, to this day, one of my best friends), Vaughan Mac (overnite dude and mysterious human being), Saga guy, Saga guy, Katie McGuckin (who now does the oldies thing every morning on KCMO FM), Saga dude, Lynn Dean (Jon's old girl). Front row...Paul Fredrics (Fredrocks!), me (come on, I was 26) and a very young Skid Roadie.

A bit of a pickle...

...that we found ourselves in. Didn't we learn in 1973? 1979? President Bush says we are addicted to oil. No shit? Really? Since he and Dick Cheney are oil guys, aren't they partially responsible for this? In the presidential campaign of 1980, John Andersen said that he would raise the gas tax by $.50 a gallon with all of the money going to research alternative fuels. Oh, the horror! What a bad, bad man. How dare he to raise our taxes? I wonder where we would be now if we would have had 25 years of federally funded research to kick our addiction to oil behind us. Instead, we went back to sleep and let Congress and the White House, fueled by lobbyists money, succumb to the oil industry and the carmakers. Fuel economy? What? How dare the government tell the carmakers what to do. Now, Iran hates us, Venezuela hates us and the Saudis are getting impatient. The next oil "crisis" will shake us to our foundation. Meanwhile, we drive our hummers and gas guzzlers and continue to sleep. Exxon made more money in the last quarter of last year than ANY OTHER COMPANY EVER. I would almost believe that this a one big conspiracy, but I am not sure our leaders are that smart. And the band plays on...

Cool lists...

Wikipedia's list of songs that feature a cowbell.
Wikipedia's list of Seinfeld references to real people

I Don't Get It...

...apparently. I am someone who has an opinion on just about anything. I am also a very tolerant guy, as I think my saviour is. If Jesus were alive today, he wouldn't even be on this continent. I think he would be hangin' in Africa with the TRULY poor. So, tell me this...why is the Muslim population so "outraged" about a cartoon but are not "outraged" about the people amongst them that want to hijack their religion? Islamic fundamentalists. Where has been the outrage about the killing in the name of Mohammed? To kill in the name of a prophet of God? I don't understand. My God's not like that. At least his son isn't. "Blessed are the peacemakers..."

My dad, on the other hand...

Had a family that grew hemp in Kentucky after the turn of the century. My dad was 20 years older than my mom. (Her dad really dug that, I am sure) and the family was pretty well off when, in 1937, the US government outlawed the growing of hemp for fiber in favor of the oil companies latest thing...nylon. Front row left to right...my grandfather Charles Madison Raley (I never met him), my uncle Wilbur (who was six foot four). On top was my dad (five foot seven) and my uncle Charles (six foot three). Yes, I got the short bus of genes. Not pictured is my Aunt Bette, for some reason.

My Mom Could Kick Your Dad's Ass

If anyone would mess with her brothers when they were in school, my mom would whup their ass. I know that in 1973, when my mom was 47, she beat the s%^t out of my brothers wife for calling her a beyotch. My brother's wife was 23. It happened on my back porch and it happened in a flash. It was a smackdown, took her down and out in about 15 seconds. God love her, a woman that saw pain we could never imagine. Her mom and dad in front...my uncle Karl, uncle Ray, uncle Jack and her left to right. I love this picture of her. She was about 20 when this was taken.

It was 20 years ago today

i had just taken a shower at my apartment in Chesterfield. It was all over my little Trinitron and I had a sinking feeling in my gut because so much was made of Christa McAuliffe being on the misson. Ronald Reagan's speech was brilliant but also ironic. It turns out that it WAS NOT safe to send them up. NASA wanted the teacher in the air during the State of The Union speech and apparently threw caution to the wind. I will never forget the horror of the McAuliffe's parents after it exploded. It was almost as if they were saying "this really didn't happen did it?" Godspeed to all who gave their life in the name of exploration. One of the worst memories was when I got to KSHE that afternoon and one of the staff members said I should play "Bits and Pices" by the Dave Clark Five in honor of them. That's just the kind of guy he was.

Music from my youth

While listening to the Moody Blues last night, I was thinking about how important they were when I was in my adolescence. The four releases in question would be "On The Threshold of A Dream","A Question of Balance","Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" and "Seventh Sojourn" The critics hated them. They weren't edgy enough. But, after having discovered "2001 A Space Odyssey" when I was 13, they were the perfect band for me. Back then, the music MEANT something. They were talking to me..Billy Bumpkin from the midwest. I would stay awake at night and listen to the entire first side of "Dream". The mellotron scared the hell out of me at times ane thrilled me at others. After all this time,I knew every word of every song.John Lodge and Justin Hayward formed Bluejays and released one great album. Now, they are just a mere shell of the original band (which is to be expected) and with the exception of "Long Distance Voyager" and the song "My Blue World", they were pretty much done in 1972. I had the great pleasure in meeting them and getting an album signed by Justin and John in 1986. They did the nationally syndicated "Rockline" show from the studios in Crestwood. They may have been the last rock stars to set foot in the cinder block building in Crestwood. I remember they posed for pictures, signed autographs and were very accomodating. Does today's music mean as much to today's kids? Have they made the connection? Will they ever? How cool to be a composer of music that really affects people.

Pictures from Roadtrip 14

Wisconsin Wind Power. These things are massive.

The birthplace of the Republican Party in Ripon. For all of my republican friends, this is where it started.

No one from the Quad Cities will believe that THIS is the Rock River, just southwest of Fond du Lac, WI.

The Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison. I really like Madison.

Ice fishing on Green Lake, Wi.

My man Bernie Phillips of WISS radio. In one half hour I heard Bobby Vinton, The Rolling Stones, Abba, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Hall and Oates, Linda Ronstadt and Dean Martin. Bernie's a sweet guy.

While waiting for my appointment in Berlin, I decided to catch the local wildlife...this will be in the new "Duck Gone Wild 3" movie.

The round building with the arches is where the Wisconsin Broadcasters Assn meeting was held. This is Lake Monona.

"Six days on the road and I'm a gonna make it home tonight..." Taken at about 40mph on the Poplar Street Bridge.

Road tunes..from Madison to Sheboygan to Fond Du Lac

A masterpiece, he was never better.

His best album ever.


Heard it on headphones all the way through...nice.

Leonard in Sheboygan

I was early for my five oclock appointment in Sheboygan. Myself, a consultant and a GM were supposed to talk biz. As I got to Nino's Steakhouse, I realized that this was one of those places frequented by the elder generation. Lots of smoke and I was informed that "the Masons met there" every Tuesday night. Damn, missed that. I decided to get a drink in the bar and took in the scenery as someone who looked like my aunt Velma took my request. I came upon this elderly gentleman who's duaghter was celebrating a birthday in the restaurant. I love old people. My mom and dad have been gone a long time, and those were the people (those of that age) that I used to hang with. His name was Leonard, and by God, he had lived in Sheboygan all of his life except the eight years he gave to his country. He was a gunner for the big planes that went to Europe in the big war. He was proud of his service but thinks the country is "really fucked up" right now. He doesn't understand why we are in Iraq. He has been married for fifty nine years and just celebrated his 82nd birthday. When I asked him how he made it this far, he said that he liked good beer and good times. He still likes to dance with his wife. "Not anywhere where anyone can see us." I bought Leonard a beer and made my way to my appointment. After dinner, I went back to say goodbye to Leonard. It was apparent that, indeed, Leonard liked beer. When I shook his hand, he gripped it with his other land, looked me in the eye and said "thanks for the chat." I saluted him and left. I will never see him again. I love old people.

Christopher Glenn

This guy has a voice from God. He is retiring at CBS News after being there for over 35 years. I can still hear his newscasts on KMOX and I always wondered what he looked like. I remember he used to do a bit on Saturday morning TV between cartoons that was aimed directly at young people. It was called "In The News" and that is when I first fell in love with his voice. Too bad (for me), it will be gone soon. Enjoy your retirement.