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!!!!!