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The S and the U in SUV

Wednesday, 28 July 2010 | Uncategorized

Saturday morning I found myself on the road minutes after the area had taken the brunt of the weekend storms.  An SUV was directly in front of me, headed northbound as I was, and in the far right lane of four-lane Crawford Avenue. The lane the SUV was driving in had several large puddles but nothing [...]

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“Nobody Wants Huet”

Wednesday, 23 June 2010 | Chicago Sports, Chicago Blackhawks, Cristobal Huet

Over the weekend I went shopping for Blackhawks souvenirs and came away with a lesson on human nature.  It happened at the Field of Dreams memorabilia shop at Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg. The store has an impressive selection of Blackhawks memorabilia, from pucks and plaques to framed photos.  Going through a stack [...]

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Chicago Sports, Chicago Blackhawks, Cristobal Huet  |  Comments

My Kind of Sports Town

Monday, 14 June 2010 | Chicago Sports, Blackhawks, Stanley Cup

Call it a championship perfectly earned, acknowledged and celebrated.   You can say it was old school or a refreshing change of pace.  Either way, the Blackhawks’ victory in the Stanley Cup and the city’s reaction to it couldn’t have been scripted any better. As for the Hawks themselves, how could you not root for them?  [...]

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Chicago Sports, Blackhawks, Stanley Cup  |  Comments

At Least Armando Gallaraga Got an Apology

Tuesday, 08 June 2010 | Uncategorized, Julianna Canabal-Rodriguez, Scripps Spelling Bee

“What if…” is never a happy question, and seeing defeat snatched from the jaws of victory isn’t fun, especially here in Chicago where we’ve been witness to that scenario a few too many times over the years with our sports teams. I can only wonder how long it will take Julianna Canabal-Rodriquez to get over the [...]

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Uncategorized, Julianna Canabal-Rodriguez, Scripps Spelling Bee  |  Comments

Thank Goodness We Have the Blackhawks . . .

Friday, 14 May 2010 | Chicago Sports

. . . or what else would we have to talk about in Chicago sports these days? Quick:  when was the last time a Stanley Cup Finals featured two Original Six teams? We’re a couple of major steps from having that happen, but wouldn’t it be neat if it did this season?  To wit: The [...]

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Chicago Sports  |  Comments

The Cardinal Rule of Broadcasting

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 | Smooth Jazz and Music

Like any business, radio has its share of unwritten rules.  If you’re an on-air talent, however, your unwritten rules basically boil down to just one, and it’s inviolate:  your shift has to be covered.  Short of a fatal or near-fatal accident, you are expected be seated in front of the microphone at your appointed time [...]

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The Final Days of Penmanship

Monday, 26 April 2010 | Uncategorized, Jancarlo Perez, penmanship, Zaner-Bloser

Zaner-Bloser.  Now there’s a name I hadn’t heard in almost 40 years.  It all came back to me, reading the front page article in Saturday’s Tribune about young Jancarlo Perez of Chicago, who became a two-time winner of a national handwriting contest—sponsored by Zaner-Bloser. When I was learning penmanship in the second and third grade, it [...]

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Uncategorized, Jancarlo Perez, penmanship, Zaner-Bloser  |  Comments

More Fun Than a Barrel of Basset Hounds

Sunday, 11 April 2010 | Uncategorized, Anti-Cruelty Society, Bark in the Park, dogs

I love my Smooth Jazz, but I truly am a sucker for dogs.  That’s why I’d like to invite you to join me at an event that’s an incredible amount of fun for a worthwhile cause:  Bark in the Park, the Anti-Cruelty Society’s annual walk for the animals.  The money we raise will benefit ACS’s [...]

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Uncategorized, Anti-Cruelty Society, Bark in the Park, dogs  |  Comments

Dressing for Smooth Jazz Success

Wednesday, 07 April 2010 | Uncategorized

The April issue of JazzTimes magazine features a lively discussion on how jazz artists ought to dress when they’re up on stage.  It got me thinking, and then it occurred to me:  over the past 23 years that Smooth Jazz has been around, a transformation has taken place in the way performers in our genre [...]

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Mike, Saul and Winnie

Thursday, 01 April 2010 | Smooth Jazz and Music

I’m always curious about how an instrumental tune gets its name, so I’m never shy about asking musicians that question.  Quite often, the answer I get makes for an interesting tidbit I can share with listeners.  Take my vintage-track-of-the-day for today, “Saul Steps Out,” for example, by J. Michael Verta. I’ll let Mr. Verta pick it [...]

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