Random Thoughts: January 2014

Last week at the school I work at, we had a safety drill for the staff. This actually is a law signed by Governor Quinn requiring all schools to go through this procedure. Basically, it is what to do and how to act if an intruder invades your environment. It was non-mandatory for some of the staff but I'm glad I went. As we were involved in this exercise of caution and safety, we all got word of yet another shooting, this one at Purdue University. This left one student dead. As we all shook our heads in sadness and horror, I made the comment that these things seem to be happening on a frightening average of once a month. A few days later, another shooting happened at another school. I amended my statement and said that now we are averaging one a week. Sadly, the next day, we had the shooting at the mall in Baltimore. Now, we seem to be averaging one a day. The extraordinary part is we have reached such an immune and acceptance of these killings that many news organizations did not put the shooting in Baltimore at the top of the news. It was buried after the lead about our Arctic weather. Now, bad weather certainly is important. However, it is common in these parts this time of the year. A public shooting now rates below this for some outlets. The death of human beings, lives being taken away from them in a flash of gunfire, is not as important as sending some poor schmuck reporter out in the cold to stand beside the Kennedy Expressway and tell us how terrible it is outside. I don't need the news to inform me that the weather is dangerous. I pretty much figured that theory out at an early age. But, the shocking death of innocent people, whose only crime was going to a public place to do some shopping, is brushed aside like it is a normal thing. Well, in this world we have created today, maybe, it is........ And, about this Arctic cold weather. A few weeks ago, I pointed out in a post of Facebook that people need to chill out [ sorry] and go with the fact that we get this type of weather every year. If you don't like it, I bellowed, leave and don't come back. I still feel this way, but, I must amend my original bellicose behavior. The weather we have been receiving the last several weeks does not qualify as winter. Winter should be of the vein of ''walking in a winter wonderland'' feeling. You know, some snow, with temperatures in the low 20's and teens. It is not the nicest of weather but it is what we have been trained to live in during this darkest month of January. However, this shit we have been receiving the last few weeks is not weather. It is an Unholy Horror sent down by the Gods. Record cold and school and work closings have been happening. Frostbite is at an alarming rate, along with people being found frozen to death. You know who I really feel sorry for? Animals that live outside in this. I know some have a protective DNA that humans do not have to stave off this killer cold. But, most do not. I feel bad for the rabbits and other little creatures. Hopefully, we will get through this soon. As I write these words, I just got a message saying the school I work at is closed tomorrow because of inclement weather....... I used to be a fan of the legendary radio team of Steve Dahl and Garry Meier. They were pioneers in free association radio, the first reality show for radio. They lived their lives as an open book from 1979 until 1993, gaining fame and fortune and trailblazing the radio landscape for later personalities like Howard Stern and your favorite current morning drive-time duo. It was no-holds barred radio, with Dahl living his life and anxieties for the world to see, and, Meier, as the comic foil for Dahl's misadventures. Every morning or afternoon, depending on what station they were on, millions of people in Chicago-- and competitors in other markets--- turned into the soap opera that was the ''Steve &Garry Show''. Comic gold was often mined in these broadcasts. Their influence in the culture was enormous. I heard people say things that came from the show, while these same people were stating how much they hated this show. That was the crux of Dahl and Meier--- you either hated them or loved them. When they split up bitterly in 1993, it was a public falling out that took many years to heal. The Dahl camp blamed the breakup on Meier's new wife, Cindy. It was said that she held a ''Yoko'' type of control over Meier. The Meier camp blamed Dahl's alcoholism [ Steve was one of the great drinkers in Chicago history] for the breakup. Either way, it cause much bitterness and public sniping as the sides were drawn. After a dozen years, a thaw in their feud appeared when Meier showed up unannounced at a live broadcast that Dahl was doing at the Air and Water Show. He came on, surprising Dahl. Immediately, they went into their comic gold. It was if they had not been separated by bitterness and bad feelings and took up right where they left off. Soon, word spread out around Chicago that they had reunited and the media swarmed in. The usual questions were asked like if they were gonna get back together again. Both Steve and Garry laughed it off and said, lets see. For about four hours, it was good feelings and good times. When the show was over, the two old partners shook hands and went their separate ways. Both stated that they were open to working together again, but, it has never happened. I write this because something has been sticking in my craw for a couple of months. In November, Steve and Garry were inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame in Chicago. Broadcasters all over the world have been enshrined here, it is like the Baseball Hall Of Fame for radio people. According to Dahl, he reached out to Meier and asked that they go up and accept the award as a team. Meier never returned his phone calls. After much back and forth thought, Steve declined to attend the ceremonies. Garry, however, went. And, in a move that stunned the audience, mentioned eleven people who were instrumental in him receiving this honor. Not once did he mention Steve Dahl. True, their feud seems to have sadly revived, but, I thought it was completely classless of Meier to not mention the one person who helped him the most in his career. Without Steve Dahl, Garry Meier would just be another faceless disc jockey roaming the country. Dahl opened up the whole world of celebrity and fortune to Meier, which ultimately led to Meier meeting his wife. To not mention the biggest influence in your professional life seemed petty to me...... Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend. Even people who do not like football enjoy this day and the gathering with family and friends. It has become an unofficial holiday. Two very good teams will play, Seattle and Denver, and it should be back and forth. I saw a poll recently that 50% of the population considers itself at least a casual fan. Football has long replaced baseball as the National Pastime. And, rightly so. Your favorite team plays once a week. You plan your Sundays around watching it, sometimes with friends, sometimes in bars with new bar friends, sometimes in the privacy of your home. And, if you can scrape together a couple of hundred bucks, you can go to the game personally. However you watch football, it is the only sport that crosses all ethnic and gender lines. Everybody watches the Bears on Sundays. And, usually, you have another team you root for. Fantasy football, once a hobby, now is in every area of life. Housewives bet side by side along with Vegas oddsmakers. Football has become the sport where families gather together and have tasty snacks and even more tastier beverages to consume. It is the fun sport, the sport of the blue-collar and the rich man. The only negative about this game on Sunday is that it will be the last football game until the players put on pads in July. So, enjoy the game and the eating of ''bad'' food. And, go Broncos!!!!!

The Blues Brothers

In the summer and fall of 1979, there was a sharp presence around Chicago. It was a whirlwind of frantic activity, mixed with the excitement of fun being created. This kind of energy had never been seen in the city because The Old Man, Richard J. Daley, had decreed that this type of behavior would not darken his beloved city. You see, some network in the 1960's had shown the audacity to have a show set in Chicago. That was fine with the mayor, for he was the cheerleader of all things that were good in Chicago. But, this show, now lost to history, had the nerve to show a Chicago police officer taking a bribe!!! A corrupt cop on the mob payroll!!! Well, Mayor Daley was so horrified that he firmly rejected any further attempt by that evil and vile Hollywood to show his city in any kind of light, good or bad. Therefore, while he was alive, the city of Chicago did not have any TV or movies made here. The Old Man was steady fast in his resolve, a feeling that lasted until his last breath in 1976. By 1979, Chicago had a new mayor, Jane Byrne, who saw the opportunity, and, most importantly, the riches, in opening up the city to Hollywood again. She approved the first movie that came calling. It was the movie that created all of the whirlwind and havoc in that magical summer and fall of 1979. It was the story of two down-and-out blues musicians named after the music they loved. Joliet Jake Blues and his brother Elwood, The Blues Brothers....... The genesis of this act actually came from the first meeting of its principals. It was 1973 and Dan Aykroyd, a most versatile and talented performer at the tender age of 21, was backstage at his gig at the Toronto branch of the famous ''Second City'' theater. Dan and his fellow performers, John Candy, Gilda Radner, and Eugene Levy, were preparing to go finish the show with the nightly improv set when, suddenly, the backdoor of the stage came flying open, and, according to Aykroyd, an enormous force of nature walked through the door among the whirling snow in the background. This was the man they had all heard of in the cast but had never met. His name was Belushi, John Belushi, age 24, a walking genius of unbridled talent and energy.  He had been a star in Chicago at the ''Second City''   [among many brilliant impressions, John did a flawless Mayor Richard J. Daley]. They knew he had moved to New York to star in the ''National Lampoon'' show ''Lemmings'' and was now the director of the ''National Lampoon Radio Hour''. Belushi was in Toronto scouting talent for the ''Radio Hour'' and had heard about this extraordinary cast of talented people. After a quick introduction, Belushi joined the cast onstage for the improv set. Afterwords, the cast went to a bar that Aykroyd ran, an illegal bootleg joint. While all of the cast mingled well, both Belushi and Aykroyd sensed a special and immediate kinship with each other. It was if two long-lost brothers had been reunited at last. As they sat at the bar throwing back shots of the bootleg booze, a deep and lasting friendship was forged. And, while they talked of their lives, Aykroyd would play the music he loved. Blues music. Belushi had never really gotten into the blues, he was a rock and roll fan. But, sitting there listening to the sounds of the blues--- of people down-and-out, victims of life's cruelty---- a new musical bond was formed. That night they made the decision that someday down the line, if they ever worked together, they would put together a band for themselves, celebrating the blues......... Then came ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1975. Gilda, John, and Dan were all hired for the show, which would revolutionize comedy. During the course of the show, Belushi and Aykroyd's friendship deepened. And, that dream of the musical group finally came to fruition. It started in early 1976 as ''The Bees'', a silly running bit that the cast hated. But, John and Dan had convinced their producer, Lorne Michaels, to let them sing a blues number on the show. Lorne said fine, but, you must wear the Bee costumes. After much arguing, the boys finally agreed. They went on the show and sang the old blues number, ''King Bee''. The performance was a fun bit which really did not show much in terms of musical ability. But, it was a start and the audience loved them. For the next couple of years, John and Dan would warm up the studio audience before the show. Finally, in April of 1978, the Blues Brothers were the musical guests on the show. It was a warm response. The host of the evening, Steve Martin, was so impressed by his friends performance that he suggested that the Blues Brothers open for him when he played the Universal Amphitheater in September of 1978. John and Dan agreed and then a deal with made with Atlantic Records to record the band and release the recording as a live album........ No one expected the magic that came out of those nights. The Blues Brothers--- which included some of the finest musicians alive, such as, Steve Cropper, Donald ''Duck'' Dunn, Matt ''Guitar'' Murphy, and Paul Shaffer---- blew the roof off the building. All of Hollywood showed up and was instantly captivated by the raw energy and fun the band displayed. The recording of the album, named ''A Briefcase Full Of Blues'', was released in December of 1978. It quickly shot to the top of the charts and rested at Number 1. John Belushi, riding high with his film ''Animal House', and the enormous success of ''Saturday Night Live'', and now, the Blues Brothers, was the hottest performer in show business. So, in early 1979, Universal came begging Belushi and Aykroyd for a film of the Blues Brothers. They signed up the director from ''Animal House'', John Landis, to helm it and a summer 1979 date was selected to begin filming. It didn't matter to the studio if no script was available. Or, a budget. The studio just wanted John and Dan to make the movie. Chicago was chosen to be the place to film it......... Anyone who was old enough at the time and lived in Chicago remembers this movie being filmed. It was a big news story at the time. Everyone seemed to be talking about this movie and the action that was being generated. There were reports of them driving an old car through the Daley Center, wreaking havoc [ The Old Man must have really hated that wherever he was ] and the bizarre sight of a big helicopter dropping a car several hundred feet. The Blues Brothers were running the city and the crazy antics being filmed also spilled over into real-life. There were constant stories of Belushi and Aykroyd being spotted at this place and that spot. They were jumping onstage with bands and hailing police cars as taxis. The city was an open playground for the boys and they sure used it for their fun. Director Landis remembers going to Wrigley Field with Belushi. He said it was like walking with Mussolini in Rome. The crowds would part for him. And, Belushi, the hometown hero who had made good, reveled in all of the attention. He was a good-hearted man who was the life of any party. But, for him, he did not know how to turn the party off and go home to bed. His cocaine addiction, which would later kill him, became rampant during this time. As there were the scenes they were shooting of cars piling up, there were also the stories piling up about his nocturnal partying. He was spinning out of control and no one around him that loved him--- his wife, Judy, Dan Aykroyd--- could stop him. The same manic comic energy that made him a star was starting to bring him down in his personal life. It wasn't until after filming stopped that he made the effort to kick drugs. And, he did succeed, for a while. But, addiction never really goes away. It hides in the corner of your soul, awaiting a dark moment to spring forward again. It did for this great comedy giant and sweet man in 1982....... The plot of ''The Blues Brothers'' isn't really that much. Two orphan men return to the orphanage where they grew up and learn that it is about to close due to unpaid taxes. The brothers decide to reunite their old band and make enough money to pay off the debt. This plotline goes back to the Mickey Rooney--Judy Garland musicals of the thirties and forties [ ''Hey, kids, lets put on a show!'']. But, the plot is not important in this movie. It is just an excuse to take us from one musical number to another. And, these numbers are quite exceptional. Start with the boys visiting a church to get some spirit. The pastor, the Reverend Cleophus James, is played by James Brown. After some verbal words to the faithful, Ole James gets into the music. Suddenly, the music starts blasting, the congregation feels the Spirit Of The Lord, and there is joyous dancing and singing spreading through the church. The Blues Brothers eventually see the light and join in, with Belushi doing flips down the aisle, and Aykroyd doing his two-step dance, like a football player running through the tires at practice. This is the part in the movie when the boys get the idea to reunite the band. The first half of the flick is the brothers gathering the old band back together. Along the way, they manage to piss off the police, the American Nazi Party, and a white trash country and western band. These moments are all played with wonderful comic invention. They drive through a shopping mall, drive the Nazis off the bridge they are spewing their hate from, and, in the best comic scene in the movie, play a dive bar that only has plays ''both types of music: country and western''. Theyhave to immediately ditch their set music and come up with country music to please the hostile crowd. This segues into two hilarious versions of songs, ''Rawhide'', and ''Stand By Your Man'', [ a man in the crowd cries into his beer during this ]. Intercut with these comic gems is the central part of the movie: the music. The movie was designed by Belushi, Aykroyd, and Landis to showcase the great R&B music that was slowing fading away. With an enormous audience out there for them, the three creators of this movie decided to have such established stars such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, and Ray Charles perform, hoping to restart their sagging careers. And, it did. All of the black performers testify that the success of this movie gave them a second career. It is plain to see why while watching this movie. Aretha, James, Brother Ray and Cab are all electrifying in their numbers. Aretha blows the movie away with her song ''Think''. Ray Charles sings the chestnut fun dance number, ''Shake Your Tailfeather''. And, Cab brings out his biggest hit from the Cotton Club era, ''Minnie The Moocher''. All of these numbers were revelations for the audience that came to see Belushi and Aykroyd. These audiences, mostly white, were exposed to the great music that they did not know existed. And, from this movie on, white audiences have kept the blues alive by visiting the numerous blues clubs around the city and around the world. Sadly, black audiences have moved away fro this music and embraced the vile sounds of rap....... When the movie was released in June of 1980, the reviews were mostly pans. Many white critics were indignant that two white performers were, they felt, denigrating the black music in the movie. These simple-minded critics failed to see that the movie was celebrating this golden music. The black artists in the movie stated this forcefully.Thankfully, the movie was a big box office hit here and around the world. In Australia, it has become such a cult movie that on Friday nights, there are midnight showings of the movie where people show up in full costume as Jake and Elwood and recite the lines of the movie in tandem with it playing........ The final analysis of this movie is its impact on the culture. Blues music continues to bounce off the walls of clubs all around the planet, as men and women sing of their pain of lost love and broken dreams. But, blues is also good dance music, a celebration of life. ''The Blues Brothers'' movie and act helped give this music the shot in the arm it deserved. It still rankles me that John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd have not gotten the proper respect that is due to them. They helped reinvent a cultural source of pride, while spreading out to all different colors and ethnic groups..... And, to think, it all started in a bootleg bar in Toronto when two comic geniuses met for the first time......

Baby, Its Cold Outside

Since we are in the teeth of winter now, with its obscene cold and hazardous snow, I thought I would give some friendly advice on ways to beat the cold. If we live here [ and, we do, by choice ] then we have to suck up the hardship and move forward!! If that bullshit is not to your liking, then try good, old-fashioned whining and complaining. We are good at that........ The first thing you should do on a day like this is to call in sick to work. If you are like me and have weather days built into your job it is not necessary to do this much. But, people in the real world--- of which I was one for many years--- have to be a little more creative when contemplating going out in this bad weather. Sudden illness, always a threat, strikes the human with swift precision. A few sneezes can develop into a cold and then something more serious. Surely, you, as a dedicated worker and loyal employee, do not want to inflict your fellow co-workers with a dreaded cold. You are a humanist [ possibly, the last among us] and you want to suffer your sickness in the privacy of your own home. That is nice of you. I would give you a raise for being so thoughtful in these trying times...... If you are not genuinely sick, tell them anyway that you are. Fuck work!! What good are you to them anyway on a day like this? You would be forced to go into your job and that could create tension and bad feelings. Being the humanist that you are, that would go against your natural order as improving as a human being. Being forced to go to work on days like this makes a personality adjustment that is just plain bad. You will be resentful, bitter, snap at people, and the unhappiness will spread to those around. Fortunately, this is how I normally feel at work on good weather days, so I know what I am talking about. Therefore, staying at home after calling in sick is beneficial to not only yourself, but, your beloved company also. You supreme humanist, you!!!!.......... After the sick call, you should do the natural reward of staying home from work: roll over and get some more sleep. On cold days like this, pulling the covers over you is a wonderful feeling because you are warm and safe. And, you are not going out into the world like your fool friends and family to their jobs........ Oh, I forgot!!! Call or text your friends that you are staying home. This is imperative!!! After you have had your extra hour of sleep [ sadly, I must confess, you will only be able to pick up an hour of sleep because your body is used to getting up at the regular time] you must contact these people. After all, being the humanist that you are, you want the best for them. You want them happy and healthy. How happy will they be getting dressed and going out into this horror of bad weather? Their best interests are your best interests, so show them the light of staying home. Oh, you may encounter those nervous nellies who never call in sick when they aren't sick. Those people need to be watched because they actually enjoy working. No normal human being likes to work, it goes against our built-in whining and complaining that our Forefathers fought for our right to do. Override these silly workaholics with common sense and a little bullying. Why would you want to go outside on days like this?, ask them. If they give you some baloney about responsibility and pride in their work I would drop them as friends and call the police immediately. These people are a genuine threat to society......... After you have convinced the loyal non-workers to call in sick, get out of bed and roam your home. Never once get the feeling that you will do something productive today. You are sick, after all, so, of course, you are not gonna clean the house or go do laundry!!! The dust will be there tomorrow, awaiting the cloth to wipe away. And, the pile of dirty clothes won't be getting bigger because you won't be wearing fresh clothes today. This is a no-shower day. Just pick up some sweats and the old T-shirt that is tearing apart and you look fine. In terms of being lazy, that is the ''GQ Look''. You have convinced your friends to come over [ this day off being your idea, your friends should pay homage to your genius thinking and come to your home] so, who needs to dress up for friends who are soon gonna be farting and smoking in your house. A poker game is a nice alternative to daytime TV. Get one going. You must have one of your friends bring the essentials on a day like this. Alcohol and pizza are human staples for bad weather. As soon as they come through the door, the beer is opened and the pizza is being devoured. What? Did you think you were eat healthy on a day like this, or drink mineral water? No!!! Haven't you been following my advice closely? This day is a celebration of bad habits, like laziness and gluttony. Relax!!! Since Mother Nature is kicking us all in the sack we have a ready answer: you're gonna kick out the jams and go crazy!!!! I won't even bother bringing up exercising on a day like this. Those people are sadists........... If you don't like poker---- and, truth be told, I don't---- then a movie or sports event will suffice. You must watch a classic, though. ''The Godfather'' movies are always most welcome on any day, but are really applauded on bad weather days when you are ''sick''. But, I will leave it up to you and your tastes among the group. Hey, you have earned this day off, so, be my guest and entertain yourselves.......... There is a great alternative to having your beloved friends come over. That is having sex on a day like this. Convince your better half to call into work. You will be surprised on how good the sex is when you are lying to your boss about your health state. The sex has a winsome naughtiness to it, a sense that the Devil in you put one over on The Man. Your partner will be delighted by this devilish streak inside the humanist, so, the house will be rockin!!!!.......... You will end the day most restful and filled with good cheer. You gave your soul a break from your work. Applaud your efforts and take a bow. The only downside is that you have to go to work tomorrow. Now, if you really sold your illness to Boss Nasty, then you might be able to pinch another day off. If this is the case, reward your second day off with sleep. Sometimes, a day off can be most tiring.......