STEVE'S AFTERNOON BLOG

The best things in life...

2008-07-09T18:11:00.002-04:00

are free. That's what we're told. Here's a list of them. (Check out #8!) Yeah, I know I haven't posted in a while. I thought my heckler needed a break. http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/mot1/best_things_in_life.htm

Oh, are we on the air?

2008-05-13T18:45:00.002-04:00

For a little dose of comedy this afternoon, here's reporters having meltdowns with the cameras rolling. http://gawker.com/390156/ten-angry-on+camera-meltdowns Warning: some of them are potty-mouths!

Do your good deed

2008-05-06T18:14:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my cousin Dave for this link. It's a website where you try to define words (relax, it's multiple choice.) Some of the words are uncommon, but for each one you get right, they donate some rice. http://freerice.com/index.php

And another website where you can help animals just by clicking your mouse. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Danger, Danger

2008-05-05T18:59:00.002-04:00

Chicago managers exploding! Just last week I mentioned the anniversary of the Lee Elia rant and now we get both Chicago managers going off after frustrating losses. OK, not calling the fans bums, but Lou asked a reporter if he thought he was stupid after the reporter had asked if he thought about taking Soriano out for defense. "Damn right I thought about it," he said. The next question should have been why didn't you do it, but the reporter perhaps didn't want a black eye! Then Ozzie Guillen, who's always good for a cuss word or two after a tough loss, said his team is the "bitch" of Chicago and that no matter what they do, the Cubs will be more popular. He also questioned the second guessers (sounds like he and Piniella have a lot in common.) I can't wait til the Cubs and Sox meet up this season, I just hope the Cubs have their act a little more together then.

To really send a message

2008-05-01T17:48:00.003-04:00

I found this picture among the many websites calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. There are a lot of reasons people give for wanting a boycott, and many reasons protestors have been disrupting the torch ceremonies. Human rights violations and China's policy toward Tibet are two of the biggest. It seems to me a boycott, while it might be considered a moral victory for some, would ultimately not have much effect. Look at all the products that say Made in China next time you're shopping. Perhaps not buying these products would make a bigger impact. Just a thought.

Leave It To Beaver

2008-04-29T13:44:00.002-04:00

I recently got to meet Jerry Mathers, of Leave It To Beaver fame. He was in town promoting an organization that helps get prescription drug coverage to those who need it. Read more here...www.pparx.org

And print it!

2008-04-28T14:04:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Lee Elia's infamous 1983 rant in which he labeled Cubs fans bums. Those were the days when it was easy to get a ticket to Wrigley. The team was horrible and they'd be lucky to get 10,000 fans. They'd close off some sections so they didn't have to clean them later. Oh, there were no lights either, but it wasn't bums who hung out watching daytime baseball. It was the true-blue fans who were there, taking a half day off or playing hooky. The fans who supported the team even when they were hopelessly out of the race even by the All Star break. I know he was sticking up for his players but as Harry Carey might have said it at the time "Holy Cow, they stunk."

Welcome!

2008-04-26T09:49:00.003-04:00

First let me say congratulations to Elizabeth Wooley on the birth of her daughter! And welcome to Marianne Manko who takes over the 10pm anchor chair with Jerry Lambert at Channel 20. Let's see, you just missed an earthquake, but tornado season is upon us. And coming from Texas, our winters will take some getting used to as well. Then there's the government goofiness (that's probably the same everywhere.) So if I haven't scared you off yet, congratulations and welcome to Springfield!

Bad Example

2008-04-24T18:07:00.002-04:00

I found this interesting. You may have already known that for years, advertising cigarettes on TV or radio has been banned, but did you know in the early 60s the Flintstones actually endorsed Winstons? See the video here...http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4ed37fe846 What else don't I know about my beloved cartoon characters? Did Shaggy ever calm his nerves after a ghostly encounter with a shot of Jack Daniels? Did Yogi Bear steal cases of camper's beer along with their pic-a-nic baskets? Was it spinach or steroids that made Popeye so strong?

Gesundheit!

2008-04-17T14:38:00.002-04:00

Well, here I am thinking deep thoughts again. Like, why do people say "Bless You" when you sneeze? A sneeze isn't a life threatening situation and often means nothing more than the environment you're in may be dusty or something has tickled your nose. Now, a cough which could be the sign of a cold, bronchitis or something worse, seems like a better time to bless someone. Why not a "bless you" if you bump your head, stub your toe or even get a painful paper cut? Perhaps the sneeze is simply more of an interruption, some being quite loud. Maybe the "bless you" is a way of saying, "your loud sneeze has interrupted my thoughts, but it's ok."

Tax Time!

2008-04-14T17:39:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow's April 15 so if you haven't done so, get those tax forms in the mail. You may have heard there's a simplified form this year, only 2 lines. 1. How much money did you make last year? 2. Send it in.

Driving 101

2008-04-05T07:20:00.003-04:00

Ok, time for a quick refresher. When you see this sign (such as in the construction area on I-72) it means you should merge to the left as soon as possible. It does not mean keep going in the right lane til the last possible minute, then put your blinker on and hope someone lets you in. This causes a bottleneck. Or maybe you think the sign is kidding...ha, ha, I'm sure the lane's open...what are all those orange cones for? Construction season's here again, let's drive safely and smartly!

Go Cubs Go

2008-03-28T14:16:00.001-04:00

Besides giving you a lovely view of my stove, I thought I'd show off my colors! The season starts Monday. Anyone remember these 1970's jerseys?

Happy Easter

2008-03-18T18:43:00.002-04:00

So you and the kids are decorating eggs this weekend? Here's some inspiration for you! Actually it's an emu egg. Read about this amazing artist here...http://theeggshellsculptor.com/EmuEggs.html

Staind

2008-03-05T17:12:00.003-05:00

Wow, two blogs in one day. Making up for lost time. This entry is not about the band Staind despite the title. It's about me as a stain. What? Did you see the commercial during the Super Bowl with the talking stain? My friend Candy (with the help of the Tide website) has created a talking Steve stain. Check it out http://www.mytalkingstain.com/?mid=26204238

Job change

2008-03-05T17:03:00.003-05:00

After watching several of the speeches given by the presidential candidates following primary wins, I think I am ready for a new career. Goodbye commercial writing, hello speech writing. They seem to follow a formula and be pretty easy to write. For example, "Wow, it's great to be here in (fill in the blank.) (pause for applause.) Today you sent a clear message at the polls (pause for applause.) I want to be your president because (fill in hot topic of the moment and pause for applause.) I have the experience necessary to lead this great country in the years ahead (pause...well you know.) (Now go into personal story of someone you met while in this state and how their life will be better with you as president...pausing often of course for applause.) Again, thank you and remember to vote for me in November! (applause)

Spring's almost here

2008-02-22T18:07:00.002-05:00

OK, you can't tell by looking out the window today, but spring is coming. I know. Spring training is about a week away and Cubs regular season tickets went on sale today too. Of course, after being in the virtual waiting room for an ungodly amount of time, I attempted to order, only to be told the volume was too high and I should try again later. See, us Cubs fans aren't only used to disappointment at the end of the season, but before it starts too!

Congratulations, you're the winner

2008-02-08T18:11:00.000-05:00

I remember the first thing I ever won. It was a small AM/FM radio (no cool boombox or anything like that) in some kind of contest at my grade school. Since then, I've won...well, not much. I've entered here and there and occassionally play the Lottery. I once won $50 or something like that on a pick 4 game. Other than that, I can't say I'm very lucky. And don't get me started on my lack of luck at casinos. But here's a guy who's won so much over the years, his house is overflowing. What's his secret? You can read about it here...http://thephoenix.com/article_ektid55869.aspx Envy him all you want, but imagine all the junk mail lists he's on from signing up for this stuff!

A Matter of Trust

2008-01-31T16:37:00.001-05:00

Did you ever play that game as a kid where you stand with your arms at your sides and someone stands behind you and you are supposed to fall backward, and they catch you? It was meant to build trust. That trust comes in handy now. I was traveling behind a truck loaded with what looked like telephone poles yesterday (the truck pictured here seems tame by comparison.) I wondered to myself as we both sped down the Interstate, "how do I know he has these secured properly?" "Will he hit a bump and send one of the poles flying?" "Would he even see what had happened if one of them came smashing through my windshield?" It made me realize that there are a lot of times where we simply must trust others. In a restaurant, "is this food cooked properly?" "Did the person picking these mushrooms know good ones from poison ones?" Walking down the street, "did the person with that big, mean dog secure the gate or am I about to be mauled?" You get the idea. So remember as you go about your day, it's all a big game of trust.

Miserable

2008-01-30T16:20:00.000-05:00

"What does he mean, miserable?" you ask yourself. The word is a perfect description for the weather outside or the feeling Simon gets as yet another American Idol contestant warbles a song completely off-key. However, today the word describes a study Forbes magazine has done. You've seen the lists of the most expensive cities, the best places to live, the fittest cities. Now, the most miserable places to live, as determined by crime rate, unemployment and even the amount of Superfund dollars going to clean up toxic messes in the city. Detroit comes in at number one, followed by Stockton California and Flint Michigan. New York and Los Angeles also show up in the top ten. http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/01/29/detroit-stockton-flint-biz-cz_kb_0130miserable.html Interestingly, the pictures don't look miserable at all, a Stockton bookstore is featured for theirs! You think they could have taken a picture of a Superfund site or abandoned buildings or something more miserable.

This temper tantrum brought to you by...

2008-01-29T19:12:00.000-05:00

This story comes from a little community radio station in Austin. The "star" of this story is a 24 year old volunteer for the station. He hosts an overnight internet broadcast. Jazz is his favorite music. One night, he arrives at work to discover someone has changed his music list. He is angry, very angry. In fact, he sets fire to the place and causes $300,000 in damage. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/5493674.html While you're reading the story, note the name of his show, "Mellow Down Easy!"

Music to their ears

2008-01-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

It's always interested me, especially since I work in radio, the effect music can have on people. Studies have been done that suggest music can improve people's moods, help babies sleep, even benefit autistic children. A recent study has concluded that animals can also benefit from the calming influence of music. Now before you start playing Aerosmith for Fido, you should read this article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22539914/ It seems harp music is the way to go. There's even a cd available. If it's so relaxing, could it be dangerous for people to listen to in the car? Perhaps before bedtime is a better time to try it.

The Brady Bunch never had this problem

2008-01-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

But they didn't have 14 children! A Sacramento, CA, family may want to do a head count next time they drive off somewhere. Six-year-old Thomas was found wandering around a rest stop by himself. His family was on a road trip, made a stop and left without him. No one noticed he was missing. After all, his 13 siblings were in the van! The parents didn't realize anyone was missing until they were tucking the kids in bed. Police say it was an honest mistake and no charges will be filed.

12 for the price of 1

2008-01-21T17:42:00.000-05:00

Well, what music lover wouldn't be excited about that offer? I recently came across an ad for the Columbia House DVD club. They've branched out, you see. But when I was young, it was the 8 track or cassette club. Then the cd club. It was great. In fact it's still around, even in this day of digital downloads and file sharing. You get like 10 or 12 cds for the price of 1 (although you have to pay shipping on all.) I remember joining the club, buying the one or two discs you had to buy to fullfill your contract, then quitting. Sure enough, in just a few months you'd get an offer in the mail of so many free cds if you joined again. So the process started all over again. Of course, with all the free cds, I sometimes ordered something I would not have bought ordinarily. Maybe a cd with only one hit on it. Or something that seemed like a good idea at the time, then it arrived and I'd be like "what was I thinking?" I think Kenny Roger's Greatest Hits falls into this category. What cds are in your collection that you pretty much use as beverage coasters now?

Farewell Mr. Knerr

2008-01-17T09:19:00.000-05:00

A man who had a hand in providing fun when we were kids has passed away. And we never knew him. Richard Knerr was one of the founders of Wham-o, the company that gave us the original frisbee, Slip N Slide, Superball and other cool toys. Knerr and his friend started the business in 1948 selling slingshots (the company wouldn't have lasted long nowadays.) Ten years later, they took an Australian product and introduced it to the states, the Hula Hoop. I never did get the hang of that one, but I still enjoy a game of frisbee with friends now and then.