Killer Rabbit

When my daughter was at home, somehow, we got swindled into taking care of a good friend's rabbit. Female, we thought until he (it) started making claim to his territory and then we find out she is a he (sounds like a couple of famous songs). All is well until last fall when my daughter decided to go away to college and she can't take the rabbit. Shit. So, after trying to pawn off the beast to anyone who will have him, the rabbit remains in the house. Meanwhile, I've become attached to the little shit and all options of him being farmed out are now dismissed. I have dubbed him Mr. Bunny the Killer Rabbit. I know what you are thinking when I bring up "killer rabbit"...yeah, me too




or with the words, "shh we're hunting cwazy wabbits"


The cage cleaning is a pain but I kinda like the guy. Call me sentimental..

wait...is there a look of...evil?

October

I don't think much good happens in October. The skies gray, the wind chills and there's that first chill of winter that creeps into your conscience. My brother died in October, I have been fired twice in October and then's there this October, 2008. How brutal it's been. First the onslaught of the stock market news which has cost everyone of us something, some much more than others.

I had to "readjust" some salaries last week and then let go someone this week. See, we feel it too. Budgets for the future are challenging and then this week...

The matriarch of the family passed yesterday. Gladys' mother had been sick since July and "just went to sleep". Joanie was a sweetheart and somone whom I will miss deeply. Gladys and I were about 45 minutes into the relationship when the patriarch passed at age 62 from leukemia so, I never really knew Joanie while she was with G's dad. She lived alone for a time then married a wonderful man named John who really extended her life. He passed at the age of 82 a few years ago. Since then, she's been by herself again. A smoker from the age of 12, she finally gave out at the age of 76. She'd been much more than a mother in law, she's been my surrogate mom since my mother died about an hour into Gladys' and my relationship. A confidant, a friend and the last one of this generation left. Now, there's no one in my family that hails from the previous generation. Kind, considerate and a great example for me, and my family. You'll be missed old girl. Have fun with Saul, you two were one of the greatest couples ever. Time marches on.

Today is the twentieth anniversary of my mother's passing. I think about her everyday. Gone way too soon, way too fast. Her life was hard and her sacrifices many. She always made sure we had what we needed and I got my work ethic from her. She tried to escape reality as much as possible, I understand that now. She was getting older and she didn't like it. I remember one time she told me ..."all my friends are dying and I don't understand how anything works anymore, I feel I am left behind and I'm not sure I want to make sense of a world I don't understand..." How true, mom. She was a tough old broad and the time she punched out her daughter in law is one of my favorite stories of her. It's so her. Twenty years, man where did they go? Seems like yesterday, seems like thirty.

It's great to have the boy home. He looks good, strong and healthy and being of great mind and spirit. He had picked up more musical influences while in LA. One being Stevie Ray Vaughan. Very nice. We can certainly educate him here. The girl hasn't left here much, I guess the comforts of home are hard to beat in a time of crisis. We have all rallied around each other. We pray for the swift passage of time to get all of the family through this and behind them. God be praised.

I found out the October is turning into a cruel month for those in the radio business. Cumulus KC just sacked a couple of fistfulls. Namely, one of my mentors in the radio business and a guy who taught me a lot about handling people, Don Daniels. Don is one of the true great inspirations in my career and without him, I am not nearly the manager I am now. Honest, trustworthy, patient and detailed. It doesn't get any better than Don and I am saddened by his departure from this business. He is one that will be sorely missed. He just came off one of his best ratings periods ever and the reward is.... Not only Don is gone but Moffit and Frankie and a number of others. It's tough everywhere, something I don't think I have ever lived through and I lived through the seventies.

Intervention

This show is like crack cocaine. I have never done crack cocaine but if I ever did, this show would be like it. I watch the show for the same reason I watch "Cops" sometimes. No matter how bad my life gets, it'll never be this bad. I can certainly relate to the premise. Before Monday Night Football, this is a weird warm up. It sometimes hits close to home.

Same Old Mizzou?

While the successes have been very nice, the past two weeks in Mizzouland have reminded me of well, the past. After the beatdown in Austin yesterday, that could have been ten years ago in Lincoln, or Norman, or wherever. They didn't look like the team that went 5-0. Of course, after the 5-0 start, their level of competition has increased exponentially. The "Chase" has been called off for the Heisman and he'll be lucky to get drafted. The defense has been exposed and now it's time to get ready for the Big 12 chamionship (if they can beat Kansas) and then get smacked around again by Texas.

"You are nothing but a piece of shit" Coach Mangino of Kansas said that to a KU player on the sidelines yesterday within earshot of a microphone. Class move, coach.

Life On Mars

"Life On Mars" David Bowie with Mick Ronson

So far, I like what I see on the TV Show. The premise is a guy gets into a car accident and is transported back in time to 1973. I have always had an infatuation to get tossed backward into time and end up somewhere previously in my life. Knowing what I know now and being able to use that back then would be my version of heaven. Maybe I will in the next life, in another dimesion. How cool would that be? And hile I am screwing around on a Sunday, Here's what would be on the radio on this day in 1973.

"Photograph"-Ringo Starr, "Keep On Truckin"-Eddie Kendricks, "Top of the World"-The Carpenters, "Space Race"-Billy Preston, "Midnight Train to Georgia"-Gladys Knight, "Just You and Me"-Chicago, "I Got a Name"-Jim Croce, "The Joker"-Steve Miller, "Smokin in the Boys Room"-Brownsville Station "Show and Tell"-Al Wilson.

By what was on the radio at that time, Brenda and I were getting really serious. We were in what we thought was love. I had my GTO and was switching jobs, from pumping gas at the Owens station on 19th avenue to working the overnight shift at Miller Container Corp in Milan. I ran a corrugated press and printer overnight while the owner's son was my boss. He wanted to impress dad with his (our) performance and ran me pretty hard. We constantly broke the record for machine safety (those boxes cut the hell out my hands) and machine speed. We'd run more boxes through there in eight hours than first shift would do in nine. It was a difficult job to have while attending high school. It was also a long way from my house and I was putting a lot of miles on that GTO. I was beginning to feel very strange about where my life was heading, I really didn't have much direction and followed along with events without having much to grab onto. It was a very strange time.

Levi Stubbs

It was a great pleasure to come from a family that loved music. My mother would teach me about the great country artists of her time: Hank Williams, Homer and Jethro, Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Little Jimmy Dickens, Lefty Frizzell and so forth. My older brother would vicariously pull me along in his musical education. When the Four Tops first hit the radio in 1964, I was eight. My brother, on the other hand was 16. See how that worked? I got my musical education at a very early age. That musical education featured the sweet sounds of Motown drifting from the transistor radio that belonged to my brother. The very first time I heard "Baby, I Need Your Lovin", I felt the pain and emotion drenched feeling behind that song, even though I was much too young to know what love was. The Four Tops only had two number one songs, "I Can't Help Myself" and "Reach Out", but it was that heart wrenching baritone of Levi Stubbs that made the Four Tops kings of Motown in my book. If you'll go back and check it out, very few groups were fronted by a baritone, there were mostly tenors fronting the big groups. That's what stood out for me, that ballsy, gruff, deep emotional sound coming from Levi Stubbs, those wonderful harmonies and the perfect instrumental accompaniment from The Funk Brothers. The songs were written in a tenor's range to give them a sense of urgency and it certainly worked for me. There were some low points in their career, but to have hits in the mid 60, then in the early 70's, that proved the staying power of the band. With the passing of Levi Stubbles (Stubbs)earlier in the week, there's only one original member left, just like there's only one original Temptation, too. Through the magic of music, the voices never grow old or out of tune. These guys who are passing will always remain 23, 25 or, in Stevie Wonder's case, a mere boy. In the case of my brother, he'll never be older than 45.
Thanks, Levi, for your contribution to my musical knowledge and thanks for your contribution to my heart. When I listen to music from back then, my heart pangs a bit. It makes me feel a number of different things. Mostly happy but sometimes very nostalgic for times that weren't really like I remember. We tend to choose what memories to keep. We filter out the ones we would like to toss away.

Thanks, Levi for being the soundtrack to a time when my life was full of awe. I miss that.

My favorite Four Tops songs.....

1. "Baby, I Need Your Lovin" #11 1964 They say your first is your favorite, that would be the reasoning here. Johnny Rivers got nothing on these guys. The Funk Brothers, as usual, shine on.





2. "Reach Out, I'll Be There", #1 1966. Nothing more needs to be said, a true musical classic with everything a great pop song should have. This is the definition of soul music. This song still gets me in my solar plexus still after 42 years





3. "Ain't No Woman Like The One A Got" #4 February 1973 This song was a breath of fresh air coming out of my crackly AM car radio speakers during my junior year in high school. The magic of the Four Tops captured in this awesome video...





4. "Standing In The Shadows of Love" #6 1966. This is the song that I discovered how a set of drums could influence a song. This one of my favories to dance to. Soul music at it's best





5. "Walk Away Renee" #14 in 1968. I am not a fan of covers, but this is as good as the original and sung with much more soul. Typical Funk Brothers backing perfection.




As an actor, he provided the voice of the carnivorous plant "Audrey II" in the movie version of the musical Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and the voice of Mother Brain in the animated TV series Captain N: The Game Master (1989). Stubbs has also guest starred in a number of TV shows as himself.
Stubbs and his wife Clineice were married from 1960 until his death, and had five children. In 1995, Stubbs was diagnosed with cancer, and later, a stroke, and stopped touring. Since 2000, Theo Peoples has taken Stubbs' place as the lead singer of the Four Tops, with Ronnie McNeir taking the place that Payton originally held. Levi Stubbs died in his sleep on October 17, 2008 at his home in Detroit from his ailments. Abdul "Duke" Fakir is the only surviving member of The Four Tops.
Stubbs was a cousin of soul singer Jackie Wilson He also had a brother, Joe, who was a member of both The Contours and The Originals, who died February 5 1998.

What Is Old Is New Again

The Business

(heavy sigh)
I just found out two people whom I have known for years were handed their walking papers today. Herndon Hasty, who started three weeks before I did at KY 102 and was one of the most talented sales people ever was told to hit the bricks after serving for short time as GM over a couple of stations. Also benched was Greg Bergen who I always wanted to work for but never got the chance. He presided over the killing of KYYS and had to fire Max Floyd. I am sure the last thing he wanted to do was fire Max or kill KY, but he did what he was told to do. I mean, after all, how the hell can someone fire Max Floyd? I understand why budgets must be cut and people must be let go, but it was NEVER like this back then. How did commercial radio make money hand over fist during the day but not now? If you are a listener, I think you know. Radio back then was run by radio people, now (for the most part), it's run by accountants. Sad.

Back By Popular Demand...

Grampa

..on the left with Amelia and Aspen. They certainly have my eyes?

Well, It's Almost Halloween

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Yeah, Another One

Another great old gas station.

Home Sweet Home

Nice garbage truck, huh? Very modern, probably "green"...

Double and triple WOW!

What A Fine Kettle Of Fish

Things are happening with the speed of light concerning issues that have never been dealt with in this country. I feel that I am on the precipice of ecomomic nightmares. Things my father could only have dreamt about. He was there as a young man about 20 when the depression hit. I am an old man when this tsunami has issued its wrath. I have lost a carload of money from my future, many have lost much more. The question remains, how did we get here? I have a few observations coming from a guy who made a mere pittance in the mortgage business in late 2001-early 2002. I could have made you a deal that would have financed 120% of what your house was worth. All you had to do was take out a loan at a higher interest rate (good for me) and pay more closing costs (also good for me). I could also give you a mortgage at an incredibly low rate. But, with time, that mortgage percentage will probably double and most likely triple. You'll love me then but hate me...right about now. But, no, you wanted that house you couldn't afford at a ridiculous rate, because it was your right to own a house along with the fact that you wanted it and you wanted it NOW! Because you wanted that house now, the loan officer signed you up and shipped your loan to Washington Mutual. Because you wanted that house now, WaMu bundled that loan with other bundled loans and shipped it to an another lender that did the same thing. They traded and bought your house like a commodity. While all this was going on, you found out the hard way that you couldn't afford the mortgage and the personal mortgage insurance that went with it and you fell behind on your payments; slowly at first then it increased along with your mortgage rate like I told you it would. Now, you can't pay the payments, then you return it to the bank who then has to sell it at a loss. That is, if there is a buyer. With all the empty houses on the market, the bank can't sell it. The bank now eats the loss. Combine that by 1,000,000 and that's the main reason we have witnessed the catastrophic mess we are in. All are complicit in this ruse. The mortgage companies that pushed the sub prime loans,the feds who fiddled while Rome burned and the American public. Never underestimate the selfish foolishness of the American people. It's called a starter house for a reason. My mother and father never lived beyond their means. I have tried to follow that example.

In Praise of Pablo Cruise

Yeah, yeah, I know...light weight pretty boys...surf dudes from California. I got it. But, from about 1977 to 1979, they were on my turntable and cassette player a lot. My first exposure to them was when I was putting together an "underground" radio show from the radio school I attended. We broadcast the audio on the local access channel (ala Wayne's World), we were very top 40 during the week except for a short time where we would feature "album rock". We had a trade deal where Co-op Tapes and Records would sponsor the show and in lieu of money, we'd go through the shop and pick out LPs to play. "Lifeline" was one of those. "Crystal" and "Zero to Sixty in Five" were the big songs from his one. Then, stardom happened...

"Whatcha Gonna Do?" hit the top 40 airwaves. Great tune, nice hook. Being a semi fan, I kind of got interested in their career and took interest in this release. It remains to this day, one of my favorite releases. The album and the title track happened right around the time of my divorce and I needed some positive reinforcement. It didn't have the chops of a lot of other bands, but the songs were catchy, the licks were played well and with enthusiasm. Then after seeing them open for The Eagles at Comiskey Park in Chicago, I was convinced that these guys had the goods. Which lead to...

..and huge stardom, right when I hit KC. Although KY didn't play anything from this release, I thought their great pop songs were all the rage. One of the very first women I met in KC loved these guys and that was my "in". Good solid tunes again and then... that was it. They were done. I didn't care for "Cool Love" or whatever it was . I lost interest and I think they did, too.

So...my favorite PC tunes include these gems...

1. "A Place In The Sun"...certainly needed this one. One of my favorites of all time.

2. "Can't You Hear The Music?"...like before, how true.

3. "Whatcha Gonna Do?"..when she says goodbye, just about the time I said goodbye

4. "El Verano"...one of the nastiest killer guitar works ever, great instrumental

5. "Worlds Away"..rock em sock em great song

6. "Don't Want To Live Without It"...perfect top 40 disco(gasp) song

7. "Crystal"...early genius hidden here (had a crush on a girl named Crystal)

8. "Ocean Breeze"...12 minutes of a nice workout jam

9. "Family Man"... for some, very trite lyrics, for me, a lesson

10. "Love Will Find A Way"...killer top 40 song

Yeah, most of this stuff is from two LPs, I find their other stuff very intriguing, too. May be worth a trip to amazon.com to get caught up. From the website...

Thirty years ago, in 1975, Pablo Cruise released its first A&M album simply entitled Pablo Cruise. The album cover was shot in the tropical gardens of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and it featured a huge gorilla standing front and center. The band, David Jenkins (guitars & vocals), Cory Lerios (keyboards & vocals), Steve Price (drums) & Bud Cockrell (bass & vocals) was nowhere in sight. At that point there was a bit of a mystique as to who Pablo Cruise really was. When asked, "who's Pablo," the band, which is a quartet, would answer, "he's the guy in the middle." When asked what Pablo Cruise meant, the well-rehearsed answer went something like this,"Pablo,represents an honest, real, down to earth individual; and Cruise, depicts his fun loving, easy going attitude towards life." In essence that's what Pablo Cruise's music is all about. Honest, real, down to earth vocals, accompanied by fun yet elegant, infectious grooves. To hear Pablo Cruise on record is one thing, but to experience the band live is an exhilarating event.
From 1975 to 1985 the band toured the United States, Canada and Japan extensively, welcoming fans to "Climb Aboard The Good Ship Pablo Cruise." Reaching the top 10 with mega hits like "Watch Gonna Do When She Says Goodbye" and "Love Will Find A Way," and several other radio hits, the band went on to sell several million albums and singles collectively and established themselves as well respected writers and performers within the industry. They appeared on numerous TV shows, including Dick Clark's American Bandstand, The Merv Griffin Show and in 1979 they broke Elvis Presley's attendance record at The Sahara Tahoe in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, becoming the first rock band to play a Casino Showroom. They also became the first rock band to grace the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, but by 1986 after completing several national tours and releasing 7 albums in all, the band seemed to have lost its focus and just stopped. It seemed like Pablo needed some time to think. Cory Lerios and David Jenkins the bands' principal songwriters, along with Steve Price decided to take a hiatus. A hiatus that has lasted nearly 20 years...
Throughout the late eighties, original vocalist David Jenkins continued touring and garnered acclaim in the country markets with the slightly ahead of their time country-rock band Southern Pacific. As they racked up hits like "Midnight Highway," the chart topper "New Shade Of Blue" and "Honey I Dare You" (co-written by Jenkins) the band toured all over the U.S. In 1992 Dave connected with Hawaii's native son, Kapono Beamer, and in '95 the duo released the album "Cruisin' On Hawaiian Time," that became a critics' favorite as well as being nominated for Hawaii's prestigious Hoku Award for "Album Of The Year." Since '99 Jenkins has joined forces with the Classic Voices of Rock, a composite group that includes some of the great singers of the '70's and '80's.
Pianist and Vocalist Cory Lerios decided to turn his writing and producing abilities to Film and Television. In 1986 Lerios landed his first network series, scoring ABC's critically acclaimed "Max Headroom." ABC's "O'Hara" and "Police Story" immediately followed. Writing to "picture" became Cory's newfound passion and in 1989, Cory and partner John D'Andrea landed the theme and underscore for NBC's "Baywatch." Scoring 11 seasons of "Baywatch," garnering several Emmy Nominations, Cory won the coveted award in 1998 for his participation in the music direction of "Days Of Our Lives." Aside from composing music for Film and TV out of his Westlake Village, CA studio, Cory has intimated that he would love to perform live again, so the Pablo Cruise Reunion is a welcome addition to his busy schedule.
In June of 2004, original drummer and groove master of Pablo Cruise, Steve Price was married in Sacramento, CA. For his wedding gift to his wife Nancy, he wanted to throw a concert featuring the original Pablo Cruise, calling Cory and Dave and asking them if they would be up for it. The night of "The Concert," the band did more than just perform, it was reborn. Immediately following the show, Dave, Cory and Steve were so excited to play again; they decided right then and there they were going to make a concerted effort to raise "The Good Ship Pablo Cruise." So .. The search began for a singing bass player.
In 1999 Lerios met composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist George Gabriel. For the last 6 years Lerios and Gabriel have been writing underscore and songs together for all the major networks. Their first effort entitled "Call Me, Beep Me," performed by Christina Milian, was written specifically for what has become one of Disney Animations" most successful series to date, "Kim Possible." While working in NYC last summer, Cory mentioned to George that Pablo Cruise was planning to play live again. George immediately responded, saying he would love to be involved. Cory asked Dave and Steve if they would be interested in meeting George and perhaps running through some of the Pablo repertoire. The rest is history. Joining original members, Cory, Dave and Steve is George Gabriel on bass and vocals.
The fact that Pablo Cruise took 20 years to decide whether they wanted to work together again may be the best thing that ever happened to them. The guys are approaching this whole thing like it's the first time they've ever played together. The point being is that this reunion is generating a lot of excitement within the quartet, and the beauty of it is, is that its coming from the guy in the middle.. PABLO CRUISE.

Stony Vision

I am engaging in what many people in my "hood" call "stoney vision". Yes, I am sitting in front of the television watching the baseball playoffs with the sound down and Bruce* (as in Springsteen) is on the stereo. I guess I get the terminology but without being "stoney", you can't have "stoney vision". It used to drive my mom nuts. She never understood how we did that.
At the age I am now, I don't get it either but it still works for me. Go Phillies!

No Title Needed

Each Presidential candidate is engaged in the most monumental challenge in their lives thus far. How each responds to this challenge is reflective ofhow they will respond to the even more difficult challenges of thePresidency. McCain's answer to this challenge is to resort to division and invective. His efforts further divide white from black, rich from poor and Democrat from Republican. He has chosen to set aside his own principle of civil campaigning for the sake of winning. Civil campaigning is necessary because after any election all must come together to find solutions. McCain's chosen tactics of division will make it even more difficult togovern, no matter who wins the election. "A nation divided against itself cannotstand." Does anyone seriously think that division is good for America? It may be good for Senator McCain, but is it good for the nation? McCain supporters scream that Obama is evil, the anti-Christ, a terrorist. McCain makes no effort to stop these screams and thus he is responsible for rage behind those screams. We are seeing our nation torn apart by Senator McCain's efforts. As President, I think that Mc Cain would be as confrontational and divisive as Bush. His policy would be one of turning Americans against one another. The overriding policy would still be "Divide and Conquer". For those who are addicted to the emotional high of always being angry and outraged, my comment will have no appeal. I acknowledge that. I am speaking those who reject anger and passion in favor of calm deliberation and consideration of the problems with which we must deal. Our problems are worse now than ever before in our lifetimes. Which of the two candidates will best be able to get us through this economic nightmare. If united, we could come out of this nightmare better and stronger for having endured it. If divided, we will fail. "A nation divided against itself cannot stand." Which candidate offers the better hope for unity? You decide. I support Obama because of his calm and reasoned approach to the challenges of the campaign. How Obama handles the campaign is reflective of how he will govern. He will not govern with rage and passion, but with considered opinion and rational deliberation. America has had enough rage and passion for a lifetime. McCain offers America fear. Obama offers hope. The choices are clear:
Reason or Rage.
Division or a chance for Unity

The eve of Friday

I now have internet access at the groovy little hippie pad I call home. Ahhh, the small little things that we take for granted. I have a funky old laptop that has certainly seen better days. A little is better than nothing.

I hope it's the Phillies and the Rays. I hate the old Red Sox nation crap (perpetrated on us by ESPN, Boston homers) and I cannot stand Manny Ramirez. While I respect his talent, I think he's a punk.

Mother Murphy's

We have had a great response to our "Off The Record" program. That's the one where we feature a "vinyl album" on Sunday nights. One business we had to talk to was the local "rock and roll emporium" here in uptown Normal. Yes, Mother Murphy's is a local head shop that has been in the same location for the past 40(yes, 40) years. One of my younger sales people (who I think gets it) went there the other day and presented him with a package for a sponsorship. His first words were.."where have you been I have had customers tell me about it?" We closed the deal today. He wanted to be the only sponsor of the show. It filled the newbie with confidence. That's what they are looking for, just some small victories.

Cell Phone Danger?

Pop Corn téléphone portable micro-ondes
Uploaded by sassiere

Man, this is hard to believe. I'm glad I don't use the cell phone much.

Another Motivational Poster

Gotta Love This...

Prized in Asia for centuries for its medicinal and culinary properties, the shiitake mushroom is now the second most widely produced mushroom in the world. The legendary health benefits of this dark brown, umbrella-shaped fungus stem from a concentration of lentinan, which may help prevent and treat cancer, lower cholesterol, and stimulate the immune system. However, much of the research backing these claims has been done with injectable forms of lentinan.
Still, this meaty mushroom is clearly good to eat -- it has eight amino acids as well as vitamins and minerals including B6, B2 (riboflavin), niacin, and selenium. One cup of cooked shiitake has only 81 calories, is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and is a good source of dietary fiber. It may also be good for your looks: Some beauty products now contain shiitake extracts.

Looking for more ways to add B2 to your diet? Try riboflavin-rich milk, eggs, enriched cereals and grains, ice cream,liver, and green vegetables, such as broccoli.

Shiitake Mushroom Risotto
Makes 8 first-course or 4 main-course servings
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
4–6 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
6 oz crimini, button, or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 cups arborio rice
1¼ cups dry white wine
5 cups vegetable broth orchicken stock
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs for garnish
Heat 1 tbsp oil in heavy large skillet over -medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add all the mushrooms; sauté until brown, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Heat wine and broth in a 4-quart pot until simmering.
In same skillet used to sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms, add rice and 1 tbsp oil and toss to coat over medium heat. Ladle 1 cup of simmering broth into rice and stir until liquid is almost absorbed.
Continue adding liquid and stirring until -mixture is creamy and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in cheese, onion/mushroom mixture, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with chopped herbs and Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Biff Barf with Sports in My Shorts

This one is for the previous 30 years of beatdowns in Lincoln, this one was for Chase Daniels getting spat upon by a Nebraska player (which "pissed him off"), this one was for the time I lived in Lincoln and Mizzou was down 59-0 at halftime, this one was for all the alumni who have suffered at the hands of the Huskerplex curse. 52-17. Mizzou scored in the first minute. I watched this at a party on Saturday night and you could feel the excitement in the room. Who would have thunk this? As of today the University of Missouri football Tigers are ranked number two by the coaches and number three by the writers. This one's for you, Nebraska.

Fear and loathing await the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who come into Columbia also 5-0 and ranked number 17. Still waiting for Mizzou to trip up...can't shake the feeling. Maybe, just maybe, it's not your older brother's Mizzou.

Lou Piniella....what the hell happened? Soriano sucked, your defense sucked and your hitting sucked. Wow, even the most hearty Cubs fan has to wonder what the hell... I am rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays, have been for awhile and I hope they get past the White Sox becasue I can't stand the manager of the Sox. I always like the underdog.

Anyone...anyone but the Red Sox and the "Red Sox nation" which covers...Boston and the northeast.

How bad will the Chiefs be this year? Really, really bad. How did this playoff team two years ago disintegrate into this mess? I know that when I lived in KC the first time, the Chiefs were horrible but at least the Royals put on a good show. Now...

I hate the clowns in the booth for Monday Night Football. They are equally as bad as Chris Berman who has pictures of someone somewhere. Ick. Could I do it better? Give me a shot, Ill try...



Speaking of shot, nothing like a nice shot of Cuervo to calm the nerves.....you should try one, Chris

I hate Sunday night, I always have and I always will, I harken back to being a kid and it's probably separation anxiety issues....thank you Dr. Freud

William Guy (Butch) Raley Jr. October 5th 1948-October 8th 1993

My brother, you would be 60 today. How time files and how much I miss you.

Thank you for showing me what a man was all about. Thank you for your service and dedication to your family and your country. That dedication to your country ultimately lead to your downfall. Thank you for taking time away from your friends to put up with your little brother. Thank you for teaching me about girls, cars and music. Thank you for your children, you would be so proud of them. Thank you for your patience, understanding and your tough love. Thank you for telling me when I was getting off the track. Thank you for the tears when I told you I had finally made it to KSHE. You knew how imporatant it was for me. Thank you for reminding me of my commitment to make things right in the world. Thank you for everything, there is a hole in my heart that will never be filled. Your absence has been felt every day of my life. I lost my big brother on that fateful October day. I just wonder what you'd think of me now. Would you be proud? I hope so. I lived for your approval. I hope I have finally received it.

I love you so much and miss you incredibly. I hope there is no pain but eternal happiness. You deserve it.

These mist covered mountains

Are a home now for me

But my home is the lowlands

And always will be

Some day youll return to

Your valleys and your farms

And youll no longer burn

To be brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction

Baptisms of fire

Ive watched all your suffering

As the battles raged higher

And though they did hurt me so bad

In the fear and alarm

You did not desert me

My brothers in arms

Theres so many different worlds

So many differents suns

And we have just one world

But we live in different ones

Now the suns gone to hell

And the moons riding high

Let me bid you farewell

Every man has to die

But its written in the starlight

And every line on your palm

Were fools to make war

On our brothers in arms

In Praise of Vinyl

One of the additions we've added to our weekly programming schedule on the Eagle is an idea I stole from a friend of mine. "Off The Record" is a show we air every Sunday night at 6:00pm. It is the playing of a great, classic release off of vinyl. That's right, we actually play a "record". Ken Dillon did this at his station in Sedalia and I though it was a great, cool tribute. So, we have set aside some time to play a great old record, starting with the needle dropping on the side, playing side one in it's entirety, stopping for a break, then coming back and dropping the needle on side two. I think it sounds great and even through my shitty car radio, I can still tell the difference between digital and analog. It's the debut Boston release this Sunday night at 6. Thanks, Ken for the idea.

My Church Speaks...

Vatican officials seldom single out political leaders who differ with the Church on issues like abortion rights or embryonic stem cell research. But now that the Vatican’s highest court is led by an American, the former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, we can expect things to get more explicit in Vatican City — at least when when it comes to U.S. politics.
Burke, who was named prefect of the Vatican’s Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature in June, told the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire that the U.S. Democratic Party risked “transforming itself definitively into a party of death for its decisions on bioethical issues.” He then attacked two of the party’s most high profile Catholics — vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — for misrepresenting Church teaching on abortion.
He said Biden and Pelosi, “while presenting themselves as good Catholics, have presented Church doctrine on abortion in a false and tendentious way.”
Pelosi drew U.S. bishops’ scorn for saying in a television interview last month that the Church itself had long debated when human life begins. Biden is a practicing Catholic who also supports abortion rights and analysts have said he could help woo wavering Catholics into Obama’s fold. Both argue that they cannot impose their religious views on others.
Burke said pro-life Democrats were “rare” and that it saddened him that the party that helped “our immigrant parents and grandparents” prosper in America had changed so much over the years.
Burke made headlines as archbishop of St. Louis for his public attacks on public figures who strayed from Catholic teaching. He suggested during the 2004 presidential campaign that Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, a Catholic, should be denied communion because of his views on abortion. Several bishops said at the time they would not give him communion and the media staked out churches where he attended Mass to see if he received it.
“Lately, I’ve noticed that other bishops are coming to this position,” Burke told Avvenire, which is owned by the Italian bishops’ conference.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, wrote a letter in 2004 to American bishops restating the Church position that a priest must refuse to distribute communion to a Catholic politician who supported abortion rights. But Burke lamented that the letter was never distributed.
Burke’s criticism isn’t limited to Democrats. Last year, he accused singer Sheryl Crow of being “a high profile proponent of the destruction of innocent lives” for defending a woman’s right to have an abortion and for being a proponent of stem cell research. He resigned as head of a children’s medical charity that featured the singer for a benefit concert.
Pope Benedict has been encouraging Catholic bishops to speak out more openly on public policy issues to make the Church’s voice heard. Any bets on when we’ll hear from Burke next?

Archbishop Burke may be a holy man, but he was not well liked here. He picked fights with a number of people about a wide variety of things. While I recognize his deep devotion to his church, he is a canon lawyer and a well respected one, he dismisses ANYONE who disagrees with him. Here is what Joe Biden said..."I believe life begins at conception, however I don’t feel it is my duty to legislate my faith on others.” And Joe, you are right. We created a separation of church and state for this very reason. People have different beliefs and views and no one is “right” or “wrong”. It’s simply a religious choice, one that should NEVER EVER be forced on anyone. One thing the Archbishop has had little to say about is the slaughter of innocent Iraqi citizens and the unwarranted killing of over 4,000 of our finest men and women for a fight that wasn't provoked against a sovereign country. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, Bin Laden did and he's nowhere near Iraq. What was said about that, Archbishop Burke? You can't have it both ways. Will the republicans who voted for the war be denied communion too? I love my church, although I vehemently disagree with them on this count.

Friday On My Mind

In St. Louis today, thought I would "gold brick" with an appointment and then take the day "off". Ha! I have a ten oclock appointment, one at 11:30, 12:45, 2:15, 3:20 and 4. The headquarters of Schuncks, Panera Bread, JBucks, Wehrenberg Theatres and others are here. These are my clients in B/N. Ah, maybe Saturday I can "gold brick" and be lazy. Not today, So, time to get the old three piece suit on and hit the "bricks". Wish me luck.

Joke

Little Eric and Jenny are only 10 years old, but they know they are in love. One day they decide that they want to get married, so Eric goes to Jenny's father to ask him for her hand.Eric bravely walks up to him and says, 'Mr. Smith, me and Jenny are in love and I want to ask you for her hand in marriage.'Thinking that this was just the cutest thing, Mr. Smith replies, 'Well Eric, you are only 10. Where will you two live?'Without even taking a moment to think about it, Eric replies, 'In Jenny's room. It's bigger than mine and we can both fit there nicely.'Still thinking this is just adorable, Mr. Smith says with a huge grin, 'Okay then how will you live? You're not old enough to get a job. You'll need to support Jenny.'Again, Eric instantly replies, 'Our allowance. Jenny makes five bucks a week and I make 10 bucks a week. That's about 60 bucks a month and that s hould do us just fine.'Mr. Smith is impressed Eric has put so much thought into this.. 'Well Eric, it seems like you have everything figured out. I just have one more question. What will you do if the two of you should have little ones of your own?'Eric just shrugs his shoulders and says, 'Well, we've been lucky so far.'

Mr. Smith no longer thinks the little shit is adorable

Top 100

Mahogany Rush IV 1976

When I was 20, I listened to a lot of out there, different, eclectic stuff. Yes, he's ripped off Hendrix and I always thought the idea of someone having a near death experience and then returning while capturing the "spirit" of Jimi was a bit much, ( that was the rumour we heard) but this guy can play. I really liked "Strange Universe", and while "Strange Universe" got way out there with some wired and weird shit, this was the release that got me to enjoy Frank Marino's music. He pulled in the "Hendrix" stuff and started to concentrate on making more accessible, strongly crafted music. The album starts with "I'm Going Away", a very melodic song that builds and builds, such a departure from the over the top playing on "SU". "I'm Going Away" is a funky number that does have a Hendrix feel to it. "The Answer" is one of my favorites and I would say the guitar playing on here rivals most. He's backed by a fine pair of guys who provide a nice rhythm section. Yeah, like Hendrix, it's a three piece band. "Jive Baby" is a time and tempo changer that's filled with great funk and nice chops. "It's Begun To Rain" might be my favorite of the bunch, slow, moody and played with great dynamics. A perfect song for a rainy day. "Dragonfly" is a great Robin Trower song, it sounds more like Trower than anyone other than Robin, who many people have criticized for sounding like Hendrix. "Little Sexy Annie" is a fuel driven guitar work out. He lets it rip on this one. "Moonwalk" was the one that I'd play to stump my friends..."well, it's sounds like Hendrix". "Emperor IV" is the slow, drifting epic that closes out the record.

If you are a guitar fan, go to Frank's website http://www.mahoganyrush.com/ and check these out for yourself. Here's the story about the Hendrix rumour and all of that.

He was born Francesco Antonio Marino on November 20, 1954 in Montreal, Canada. Half Italian and half Arabic, Frank is one of five children and only has a 7th grade education that even included a short stint in military school. "Those years were the late sixties and everyone was into the hippie peace movement and we were so busy getting stoned that we certainly didn't want to attend school. All we did besides getting stoned was listen to Hendrix, The Doors, The Beatles and a few others as well as getting involved in movements such as peace, love, anti-war etc. Those were definitely the days, not like now where many young people seem to be into negativism and hate".
It was during those days that his experimentation with LSD would lead him to what was later to become the definition of his life. As a young person doing far too much acid, he couldn't really understand when it finally caught up with him and gave him such an incredibly vivid experience that was so overwhelming, that it landed him in the hospital. "This experience became the basis of everything that I was to do in music, including the name Mahogany Rush, which was a description I would use to describe a certain sensation that I was having on the trip. The artwork on the albums, Child of the Novelty and Strange Universe are an artist's rendition of my trip as told by me to the artist, Ivan Schwartz, who has since passed away".
Since this early drug experience later became known to the press that covered his career, and since he played much in the style of Jimi Hendrix who had recently died, these sensationalists created stories that to this very day Frank has tried immensely and unsuccessfully to dismiss. "The most often heard story is that I took an overdose and woke up from a coma in the hospital and somehow became the spirit of Hendrix, or that I met this spirit and it entered me, endowing me with this amazing ability to play a guitar and magically know everything about it. Later on the story changed into a version that said I was in a car accident, died and came back as Jimi Hendrix in my body. They never ask me the truth and when I told them, they wouldn't listen. The short truth about it is that I learned how to play guitar while recuperating from my trip. The guitar became a soothing help for me because of my great fear of letting my mind wander back into the trip if I wasn't occupied and besides it was the only thing in the hospital relaxation room. I never even thought about the guitar before since I played the drums quite well anyway. I had this trip while Hendrix was still alive and began to play his music because it matched perfectly to what I was going through at the time".
It was only a few short years later after many different band members, that Frank Marino recorded his first album. "In the early years I played in a church and even on a float in a parade. I did mostly cover songs by The Doors, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Cream, Johnny Winter, The Beatles and even The Grateful Dead as well as a few originals that I had written".
Frank Marino's music never reached the mainstream of popularity, but has had a devoted fan base that has grown over the years. Being sober now for over 35 years, he still plays with the enthusiasm that he's always had. Frank is into his music and doesn't really care for the business side of it and has always produced his own albums as well as writing and arranging all of the music.

If you ever get a chance to see him play live, don't pass it up. I have been a devoted fan for 34 years and welcome any newcomers with open arms.

Another Unmissable Movie

Night Shift 1982 A sweet , funny comedy with Michael Keaton's debut role. This movie also features the debut of Kevin Costner and Shannon Doherty. Henry Winkler is trapped a loveless engagement with Gina Hecht and falls for neighbor Shelly Long who happens to be a hooker. After being transferred to the night shift at the morgue, Micheal Keaton devises this scheme to get rich by being "pimps". They succeed beyond their wildest dreams. I saw this movie in the theatre after our resident movie guy at KY102 (Jack Poessiger) loved it. It was relesed in the middle of the summer in 1982. Adam Sandler and Pauly Shore can only DREAM of being as funny as Michael Keaton in "Night Shift." Keaton's hilarious performance only serves to underscore the fact that he's never been near as funny since.Sure, the movie will never be in the AFI's top 100 list. But when I was 26, I only dreamed of being as funny as Billy Blaizejowski, Keaton's character in the film. I credit the script for great lines, but I doubt anyone could have made an annoying character like Billy loveable - except Keaton. Henry Winkler does a bang-up job with a straight role that affords audiences little to get excited about. He is completely convincing as an in-over-his-head nebbish with a nervous stomach, and deserves credit for pulling it off without seeming whiny. We identify with Winkler's character even though we can see how cowardly he is.The plot, of course, is contrived, as is any plot involving hookers with hearts of gold. It's hard to see Shelly Long as a prostitute, but she plays it gamely and has fun with the role.I recommend this film if you have any craziness to your sense of humor, or just if you're a male between the ages of 17 and 25. That's the target audience, but even at 53, I still find Keaton's performance refreshing and laugh-out-loud funny. It came on the Universal HD channel the other night and even though I was dead tired, I watched every minute. One bit of trivia, the music was written by Burt Bacharach and featured Quarterflash singing the title tune and Rod Stewart singing "That's What Friends Are For" over the end credits. I have always liked his version much better than the one that was popular. Once again, a sweet, funny movie with an over the top performance by Michael Keaton and a great role by Shelly Long (who has never looked better) and enough silly stuff to get you through the film.