Just some observations in this crazy world

Dude, I’m tellin’ ya………..

Thought it was time to take a quick look at the world around me lately and tell you what I see.

First off, the hard chargin’ band  West 34  is ready to jam out again this Saturday night at Rolling Lanes (bar) bowling alley in Countryside. If you missed them at this same venue last month, they rocked out big-time. My boy “Big Wave” Dave Johnson, the lead guitar virtuoso, was walking from tabletop to tabletop at one point like Eddie Van Halen in the Hot for Teacher video. Their version of Summertime Blues comes complete with the Pete Townsend windmill effect. And the drummer’s version of Moby Dick brings visions of John Bonham to mind.

Here’s the specifics:

WEST 34
Saturday, February 27, 2010    9PM
Rolling Lanes Bowling Alley (bar)
6301 Joliet Road   Countryside, Illinois

If you want a rollicking Saturday night out with your woman and hear some great rock and blues, this is your ticket.

Speaking of some of the boys kicking ass, I have to mention my old alma mater’s basketball team. And I’m not talking about Southern Illinois here. I’m talking about the Lyons Township High School (LaGrange, IL) boys basketball team. These guys are now 23-1 and ranked among the top 10 teams in the state in most polls. They started out 23-0 and just suffered their first loss this past Friday night to a talented team out of Oak Park-River Forest (18-5). The LT basketball team has had some occasional solid seasons and usually puts out a competitive team. But this year is the most successful so far in about 40 years. Keep it up guys…..and I’ll be watching you in the state tournament in a few weeks.

And then we have the US men’s hockey team in the Olympics. I’m not much of an Olympics guy. But hockey is one of my favorite sports and one of the few I will watch during the Games. And on Sunday evening, the US knocked off Canada for the first time in about 40 years. We did beat them in a World Championships tourney back in ‘96 or so, but this was our first Olympics triumph over the Canadiens in about four decades. When the Miracle on Ice team won the gold medal in 1980, we didn’t have to face the Canadian team. So we are now in the quarterfinals on Wednesday and will face Switzerland. If we don’t beat them, I’ll be sorely disappointed.

So between the Chicago Blackhawks, my high school basketball team, and the US men’s hockey team……we have some good teams to root for until the baseball season starts. Which is in the first week of April–just about  five short weeks away !!

In my recent post { see Feb 16:  I’ll Give Ya a Hero } where I identified some of my heroes to match the overhype of people like Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, and NBA players, I neglected to name a few due to space limitations. Besides the heroes I did mention like Lucky Luciano and Attila the Hun, I didn’t have room to give proper kudos to great men like Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Robert E. Lee, Carlo Gambino and Tony Accardo. I don’t know what it is…..I like ass kickers. I like guys who play by their own rules for the most part–since most of the rules we are forced to live by are mythological, utopian ideas. Notions that the average man is expected to follow and is penalized heavily (or incarcerated) if he doesn’t. But the people in authority who make up these rules never seem to abide by them theirselves. So I guess I tend to respect and like the people that say, ” This is a steaming pile of bullshit and I’m not going to play your little game. “  

Just wanted to give a shout out to those deserving men of accomplishment.

There’s been some really good posts on my buddy’s website ShareMyShot.com recently. He had one named after Jimmy Conway from Goodfellas and just yesterday he paid tribute to the men’s figure skating team in the Olympics. Check it out when you have a chance. Funny stuff.

How about that little speech that Tiger Woods made last week? I have a feeling I’ll be writing about him in a little more detail in the next few days as we near the end of this month. He tried to say all the right things in his meticulously prepared statement written by someone else. Nice try, Tiger.

That’s what I don’t get about these fallen celebrities. They come out with a statement written by their publicist or a spin control firm and read it right off the page and want us to believe they are sincere and truly sorry for their behavior. If you can’t take the time to memorize the statement……or blow us all away and actually write one yourself obviously penned from the heart…….then don’t even bother. What does it take to write 1000-1500 words of sincere apology?

I write between 1000-1200 words on this blog every day in about 45 to 60 minutes. And I have to think of a topic every single day. These celebs know what their topic is; their own asinine behavior. So all they have to do is sit down for a few hours and write about being truly regretful and sincerely apologize to those people they have hurt. Maybe have someone proofread it and change a handful of words to make it sound polished. That’s it.

But when they read a pre-prepared statement verbatim and then raise their voice and admonish the media for trying to gather all of the actual details in the situation (like Tiger did), they often just dig themselves a bigger hole. If you want the media to back down and go find a new witch hunt, then come forward sooner and fill us in on why you acted like a jackass. The only reaction I have heard from friends about his little speech is some smirking and mostly dismissals of Tiger’s half-assed “apology”.

Finally, as I looked out the window yesterday, I saw yet more snow falling in my yard. And then this morning my driveway had another thin layer on it. I have to feel that I am that much closer to fulfilling another one of my Dirty Dozen prophecies with certainty. We received another 3-5 inches in my area from Sunday night into Monday. And now it has been falling again the past few days. And I’d be very surprised if this is the last snowfall we see. So the total accumulation records continue to add up for certain regions and my prophecy of it being a bastard of a winter are just about confirmed.

Hope you make it out to see the band on Saturday night. And check out my buddy’s blog:

www.sharemyshot.com

If you don’t have a brother, get yourself one

Dude, I’m tellin’ ya……….

I’ve extolled the virtues of family on some of my posts here a few times. My dad is battling some ill health right now and the whole family’s thoughts are with him constantly. My mom is the rock of the family. The epitome of a classic mom. Marian Cunningham from Happy Days. June Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver. I had a cousin who was one of my best buddies. A real crazy man. We had a million laughs before he died way too young.

But I’ve only mentioned my brother in some passing events. He’s one of the regular Sunday football guys and he sometimes can go a little overboard when the Steelers are losing. And I’ve mentioned him as we went to the Chicago Blackhawks game together behind the glass last month and went to check out the band  West 34  together. 

The thing is, if you are a guy and you have a brother, you know what I’m talking about here. You are truly a rich man. Especially if you have just one brother. You have an ally that will have your back in any fight. You have a drinking partner any time you need one. A confidante any time you’re pissed at the world.

This brother of mine is really something. Ask anybody who knows him. Quite the character.

And the cool thing is that we enjoy doing things together and hang out quite a bit. I just went out for some hot wings and a few beers with him this past Friday afternoon. Of course, he picked up all my beers as soon as he got to the bar since he knows I’ve been off work for so long. And that’s not the first time. When I was off work the last time the economy was in the shitter—shortly after 9/11/2001—–we used to join a few other friends every Wednesday night for “Marguerita night” at Pepe’s Mexican restaurant. And he covered my end of the tab for a good four or five months.

Not only have we seen Hawks games right behind the glass together, but we also went to a Chicago Bears game at the 50 yard line courtesy of tickets from Mrs. McCaskey herself. Bro was her personal assistant at the fine china and giftware store that we worked at together. He had gotten me a job there after I had used up my usefulness at my prior stop. So whenever Virginia McCaskey came into the shop, she requested that my bro assist her. And eventually she gave him a pair of tix for a game. Sweet tix. And bro never hesitated in taking me to that game. {We beat the Chargers’ ass when they still had Drew Brees as their rookie quarterback}.

We also saw Game 1 of the 1984 National League playoffs together when the Cubs drubbed the Padres 13-0. Our dad threw in the big assist on that one by letting his young sons skip school that day and go to Wrigley on our own—sacrificing the experience himself. Me and bro had the time of our lives as the Cubs whupped ass that day.

The cool thing is that I have a lot of friends that have a single brother themselves. One of the best guys I know, Dick Ourada (front man of the legendary Dick Ourada Band lauded in this blog) has one brother. He’s the drummer in the band. So the two of them are pushing 40 at this point and still get together and kick out tunes and hang out all the time. Very close.

Then I have another set of buddies that are brothers. They live together at the moment. They’ve actually lived together on-and-off because usually at one point……just like me and my bro……if one guy is UP, the other guy can often be DOWN. But both of them are like brothers to me and would happily give you the shirt off their backs. Two of the greatest guys that I know.

When we were smaller kids, my brother and I used to wrestle like cats and dogs. We’d argue over a game of electric football or an Atari game. And I vivdly recall how one time my dad broke up one tussle by saying,

“Knock it off !! What is the matter with you guys? You’re supposed to be buddies ! When I had two sons, I thought they’d be friends for life. You’re supposed to look out for each other. I always wished I had a brother (he had three sisters). It breaks my heart to see you guys fighting all the time.”    

He had a legitimate pained look on his face. And I can honestly say that what he said ended that particular argument right there. And I have to think that he’s pretty happy about the buddies that me and bro have turned out to be. If anyone messes with my brother, they’re messing with me. And I have every confidence in the world that it is vice verse.

My bro and I play in the same fantasy baseball league. We share entries in various sports pools. We check out cool music together and share CDs. When we were kids, we egged houses together and set off smoke bombs on the neighbors’ porches. Threw snowballs at buses and cars. We shared a paper route. He came down to see me in Carbondale at SIU and it was Animal House down there. We’ve seen AC/DC together twice, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy (numerous times), the Who (that was quite an adventure), and numerous others. I even turned his ass on to the TV show Survivor (which he mocked with a passion previously). He turned me on to Family Guy.

We’ve gone to Vegas together and tore it up.

He’s the only guy who can keep up with me shot-for-shot when we’re drinking. The only one.

I just wish that some of the cool friends I have that don’t have a brother had one.

I have a sister too who is the ultimate. Without her, the family would kind of be splintered with my p’s living in another state and everything. She’s awesome in a thousand ways.

And one time, my mom told me that sis once said in a conversation that she wished she had a sister that she could hang out with and confide in and be close to. I know where she is coming from. I would feel exactly the same way if there was another sister and I didn’t have bro.

Man, that would suck. Big time.

So if you don’t have a brother, I’m very sorry. There is a friend that no matter what happens, I will drop what I’m doing and go on a rampage if necessary. Nobody…..and I mean nobody..messes with my brother.   

Ever.

Tidbits, observations, and tips

Dude, I’m tellin ya……..

As I enter Day 8 of my battle with the flu, I’ve had some ample TV time and lots of down time to think about things going on around me.

First off, is it me or is it just so ridiculous the way the incumbent party jumps to its feet 116 times every time a President gives a State of the Union address? As you all know my opinion on politics at this point, I’m sure it’s rather obvious that I don’t watch these spectacles. But seeing as how they broadcast it on every other channel when they do occur (like Wednesday night), one can’t help but catch four or five minutes of the whole affair. And every time I’m flipping past the speech, the Prez can’t say 50 words without the people in attendance jumping to their feet and giving him a standing O.

I mean it’s comical after a while, isn’t it? Putting aside my disinterest in politics, I just find it funny how the live audience of Washington insiders do this. And it’s been going on as long as I can remember. No matter who the President. Obviously, most of the people in live attendance are his staunchest supporters including his own cabinet members and closest allies in Washington. But I have to admit that sometimes I stop and watch perhaps 2-3 minutes of the speech just to see how many times the audience jumps to their feet in Pavlovian-esque response to what the man is saying.

He could say, “When our forefathers laid down their lives to build this great nation (standing O)………they knew that they were part of something bigger and better than just advancing democracy (standing O). They knew that they were laying the foundation for our children (standing O) and their children (standing O) and many generations of Americans to come (standing O).”

I just find it hilarious to watch the grandstanding and the blind support and the whole pageantry. And then when it is over, the other party gives their reply. And the speech was written prior to the President’s address. No matter what the President says while he is on-stage, the response has already been written, edited, and re-edited. The Prez could sing the praises of the other party, state that their approach to government is indeed best, and announce that he is switching political affiliations. And the other party would read the same pre-prepared response.

Such nonsense.

On a more serious and legitimate subject, if you didn’t come out to that last show I was pumping for the band  West 34  at Rolling Lanes earlier this month, y’all messed up big-time. They blew the friggin roof off the place. My buddy “Big Wave” Dave Johnson did me the favor of playing my usual request. I’m sure he gets tired of me asking them to play the Eric Johnson guitar piece Cliffs of Dover. But he usually does it for me every time I attend their shows and I just love it. He belts it out like EJ himself and you won’t hear a better rendition if you go and pay $50 at The Aragon downtown (Chicago) when Eric Johnson rolls thru every three or four years. Or ten.

So if you missed the show, you messed up. But you can redeem yourself. The band is playing the same venue on Saturday, February 27. They have several gigs in-between now and then where you can see them play. Check out their website at the end of this post. But me and my friends will be back up at Rolling Lanes in Countryside to hear these guys sing the blues. Last gig, Dave was up on top of the tables while a group of hot blondes were shaking their thing up by the stage. Raucous stuff for a bowling alley bar.

I’ve also spent some time on-line reading another buddy’s website called ShareMyShot.com

I think I have mentioned this site long ago when I was offering suggestions on great hot wings, cool websites, and other such things. But now this site is well-established and it’s really pretty entertaining. This buddy of mine goes downtown to work every day and actually tries (alcoholic) shots that people have sent in or suggested to the people that work there. They have a big office on the floor of some building on Wacker Drive and he gets paid to drink shit like Buttery Nipples and the Vulcan Mind Meld.

Unbelieveable.

But the write-ups he gives these drinks are often kind of funny and they give you the exact recipe and offer up a nice, little history of some of the ingredients like Ouzo or Hpnotiq. Check it out. Bookmark it. They put up fresh material almost every day and it’s often worth a chuckle.

Finally, as I’ve been laid up ill, I’ve caught up to reruns of my all-time favorite show——All in the Family. I just love Archie Bunker to death. And one of the chief reasons why is because Archie reminds me so much of my dad. My father isn’t a bigot as Archie was. Not by any means. It’s the other personality traits that they share that makes the connection for me.

Like mispronouncing celebrity and sports stars names. My brother and I always got such a big kick when we were growing up when my father would refer to former Chicago Blackhawks superstar Stan Mikita as “Stan Mosquita”. Or when he would misquote old cliches or adages that people use. Combine them like, “You know what they say…..the early bird always lets sleeping dogs lie.”

Sometimes he would do it on purpose, but many times he was serious about it. The thing I relate to the most is when Archie picks on his son-in-law Mike about how lazy he is or how much he eats. My dad would often call my brother or I  ” Billy Big Eyes ” as we forked some corn beef on to our plate or grabbed several slices of pizza out of the box. And whenever we cut the grass or mowed the lawn, somehow it was always “a half-assed job”.

On a recent episode of Archie, his wife Edith gave kudos for the son-in-law fixing the light in the kitchen. And Archie told her, “The guy changed a lightbulb, Edith. Don’t act like he re-wired the joint.”

Start feeling better soon, Pop.

Don’t make me come out there to Vegas.

You know how I am out there.

Nuts.

http://www.sharemyshot.com

http://www.west34.com

Your weekend fun-time planner free of charge

Dude, I’m tellin’ ya………

Well, my weekend is shaping up to be pretty good despite concerns for my dear, old dad not feeling so well out in Nevada. Other than those worries, there are tons of things happening this weekend to help a man (or woman) get their mind off of stressful things.

As I’ve excitedly mentioned already, my weekend starts tonite when my brother and I hit the Chicago Blackhawks game together at the United Center. It’s their last home game until February 3. We have some sweet tix right behind the glass (OK….three rows back). But it’s the closest I’ll have ever been to the ice and I’m totally jacked. Bro and I are going to hit the cozy sports bar Moretti’s on West Jackson beforehand and have a couple of cocktails before taking their shuttle over to the game. It’s a little thing we do to save money. They will valet park your car for about $10 versus paying your first-born son to the greedy folks at the United Center. Then afterwards, we hightail it back to the bar on foot while the traffic jam ensues in the UC parking lot and have a couple of nightcaps before easily jumping back on the highway and heading home.

And absolutely do not forget to join all of us at Rolling Lanes on Joliet Road in Countryside on Friday night for the big  West 34  gig in the bar. This will be the last reminder I can throw you before they hit the stage. Between the band’s website, this little blog, Facebook, and the guys’ own loyal following, the place looks like it’s going to be packed. So get there by 9:30pm if you have any desire to land a table. Band leader Dave Johnson says they plan to pull out all the stops since this is their first time at this particular venue. It’s a “can’t miss”.

But if for any reason you can’t make it out to “the Lanes” for the  West 34  gig, then you can try and hit bluesman Buddy Guy’s Legends downtown on South Wabash. This one could be a longshot, though. Buddy started his annual string of January dates last Thursday when Chicago got hit with that six inches of snow. It was a cold, miserable day, but according to the Chicago Tribune’s review in the Sunday edition, Buddy was sizzling hot. These are the last gigs he’ll be playing before the current location moves a block or two down the street later this year. Tickets are mostly sold out, but the paper indicated that there are still tickets available for at least 1 or 2 shows before the month runs out. So if this weekend proves impossible to get in, keep it in mind for another night before January ends.

According to the paper, ol’ Buddy mentioned how he recently had a battle with gout, but that he was feeling much better and totally recharged. He did his usual bantering with the crowd and was even up near the front of the bar greeting fans and signing autographs before the show—which is something he usually waits to do until after his set. But apparently he wants to thank his loyal fans and make sure he’s more accessible with this being the last go-round at the old spot.

Let me tell you something, you’re hard pressed to find a better plate of jambolaya and corn bread than Legends. And the catfish bites and okra are out of this world too.

My Cub fan friends would be upset if I didn’t mention the Cubs Convention that runs this weekend. Newly elected Hall of Famer Andre Dawson is going to be there signing autographs and all the rest of the big names will be making their appearances. This is the 25th Convention and I’m sure they’ll be pulling out all the stops too. Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, and a long list of other notables will be on-hand.

Not enough excitement for you yet?

Well, the Chicago Boat, RV and Outdoors Show is already running at McCormick Place. It started yesterday and runs thru Sunday the 17th. Last week was the fishing (muskie) show at Harper College. So now this week, you can go and pick out a boat to hit the water in to catch ‘em. If you’ve never been to this show, they have a little bit of everything there. They even have a contest scheduled this year with those dogs that leap as far as they can across a 40 foot pool of water. It’s called DockDogs and they show these competitions on ESPN sometimes. Pretty cool.

Friday night, the Bulls host the Washington Wizards at the United Center. I’m afraid the league suspended Gilbert Arenas for that crazy locker room incident, so there won’t be any gun play involved. But that just means you can feel safe bringing the kids now !!

Still nothing that catches your fancy yet? Jesus Christ !

OK…..if you just want to lay around the couch all weekend and veg out, there’s another full slate of NFL playoff games going on. Two games on Saturday and two more on Sunday. Just like last weekend. And if any of the four games come close to the Arizona–Green Bay game from last Sunday, it should be an awesome weekend of pigskin play.

We’ll see if my Indianapolis Colts can keep my prophecy / prediction alive that they’ll win the Super Bowl this year. 

So I don’t know what more I can offer you to drum up a good time this weekend. I did my best here. It also goes to show what a happening, cool place Chicago is just about every weekend. If you don’t think any of these things is worth your precious time……….

….then go back to Russia.

New year off to a bang already

Dude, I’m tellin’ ya……….

So far the year is only four days old. But in several regards, it’s already off to a flying start. At least in Chicago and the surrounding area.

First off, I want to remind you about the  West 34  gig coming up at Rolling Lanes in Countryside, IL on Friday, January 15. I wrote about these guys in the December 7, 2009 post. This is the first time they’re playing this bar and the lead guitarist, “Big Wave” Dave Johnson said they are looking to pack the place–and then blow the freakin’ roof off it. Here’s the specifics:

West 34
Rolling Lanes Bowling alley (bar)
6301 Joliet Road in Countryside, IL.
Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9:30pm

I said it before, and I’ll say it again. These guys are the best band I know personally that plays out in the area. They do a wicked combination of hard rock, classic rock, and blues. They were named the house band at America’s Historic Roadhouse (formerly Walter Payton’s Roundhouse) out in Aurora where they will be the night before they play at Rolling Lanes. Check out the blistering guitar work of both Dave J. and Tim Majewski. They added a new bass player in the last three months or so and Dave tells me this guy has added yet another awesome dimension to the band that will have people floored.

Oh, the drummer kicks some major ass too. He even throws in some vocals every now and then along with Tim and Dave.

So mark this down on your calendar. It’s a “can’t miss”. There will be a large contingent of supporters from the dudeimtellinya.com website as well as LTAlumni.com —-both websites having a large following that has known Dave J. for a good twenty years.

So what other Chicago ass kickers are getting it done already in 2010?

The Chicago Blackhawks followed up a New Years Eve bitch slap on one of the two best goalies ever in the NHL….Martin Brodeur and his New Jersey Devils…….with a spanking of our rival St Louis Blues on Saturday night. The Blues thought they were going to come out and roughhouse the Hawks in the first period. It was a really fun, scrappy game to watch. Tons of scrums and penalty minutes. And when it was all said and done, the Hawks had a 6-3 victory. Then on Sunday night, they finished the weekend by spanking the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 to move to 29-10-3 on the season. They’ve won 10 of their last 12.

These guys are just phenomenal. They are so young and fast. Everyone contributes. It reminds me so much of the Hawks teams of the early ’90s. We don’t have to rely on a Jonathan Toews or a Marian Hossa to score. One night it might be Troy Brouwer. Another night it might be Andrew Ladd. We have a half-dozen guys with 10 or more goals already. Hossa scored 2 on Sunday night to give him 8 goals already in his injury shortened season. The Saturday night game marked the half-way point of the season for the Hawks. What if all seven guys finish with 20+ goals? When was the last time that happened?

It wasn’t too long ago when Eric Daze or Steve Sullivan would lead the team with 27 or 28 tops.

My brother scored a pair of tix three rows behind the glass for January 14 thru his job. So he and I will be at the United Center on Thursday the 14th and then rockin’ out with the band the next night at “the Lanes”.

A little farther south in the state down in Carbondale we have my alma mater kicking some ass in college hoops. Southern Illinois University outscored Bradley 14-2 in the final 90 seconds on New Years Day to win it. That gave them six wins in a row and left them at 10-2 on the season. This is a team to watch as they have some really talented underclassmen that are starting to blossom at the college level. At least two of these guys….and I’m thinking three….were ranked among the nation’s Top 100 recruits when they signed with SIU out of high school. That’s the sort of commitments you expect the University of Illinois or Indiana University to achieve. Or so they hope.  

Hopefully SIU can return to the NCAA tournament this March. That’ll give me another reason to hook up with my old college roomie and hit the bar for a couple of coldies. He may be joining me for the  West 34  gig on the 15th too. He’s a good man……..a really good guy. I mean, c’mon….he’s a fellow Saluki for chrissakes.

The NFL finished up it’s regular season yesterday. And lo and behold, the Chicago Bears won their final two games. When they upset the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football last week, it was still the waning days of 2009. But when they whipped up on the Detroit Lions yesterday, that meant they are starting 2010 off at 1-0. We’ll see how long that winning streak lasts come this September.

Factor in the Chicago Bulls pasting of the first place Orlando Magic on Saturday night and they are also 1-0 on the new year. That gave them four wins in a row and they look like they’re starting to come around. They may just reach that 41-41 mark that I prophecized in my Dirty Dozen predictions.

So no one (important) has really lost yet in the year 2010 as far as Chicago sports teams go. And with the sweet hockey tickets from bro and the band’s gig coming up soon, the year seems to be off to a pretty good start.

Now all I need is for the Bears to fire Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Ron Turner and bring in some new blood. Sure, they won the last two games of the season, but something has got to change there. Two of their seven wins this year were against the Lions.

And that simply ain’t good enough for me and the boys.

Oh…….pitchers and catchers report in about 60 days for baseball.

Only January 4 and it just keeps getting better and better. Check out my boy’s site for more info on West 34 :

www.west34.com

Counting my blessings for 2009

Dude, I’m tellin’ ya……..

I’ve noticed in the last 30 days or so how a handful of people have addressed me in a very soothing, friendly, caring tone about how I shouldn’t worry; the year 2010 is going to be much better ” than this past year was for me “. These reassurances come from people that care about me and are very sincere in their positive thoughts toward me. I really appreciate them and their encouragement for sure.

I’ve made similar spoken gestures to some friends that “2010 is going to rock for both of us !  ” . But I’m not telling them that their 2009 was awful or disappointing. I’m just saying that the coming year is going to be a kick-ass one. There’s no reference to their past year at all. The well wishes I receive almost always point out how bad 2009 has been for me.

But despite the challenging year it has been on a financial level, 2009 wasn’t all that bad for me. Really, no shit….it wasn’t. I know I bring it on myself with all the griping, grousing, and bitching that I do. But the people who are the most close to me……the ones that really know me….understand me and my sense of humor….they know that I am kidding 90% of the time when I bitch and moan. It’s a comedy act. Call it a defense mechanism. Whatever. But most of my tirades are of a George Carlin tilt. There’s always some chuckles to be found within. I’ve been told that if I took some of my “anger” and “resentment” up on-stage and polished it into a proper show, I might make some coin. 

So I do acknowledge that to those people who don’t know me well…..which I guess is about 3/4 of my acquaintances……they think I’m often mad or unhappy. There’s an assumption that 2009 sucked. Hell, I said it sucked big-time in my last post (yesterday). But the entire post about my 2010 resolutions was meant in a humorous vein. That’s what most of the people in my real-life daily encounters seem to miss about me and my personality. I guess I’m just not that damn funny.

The truth is, except for a dented sense of self-esteem from having nowhere to report to every day—-and the resulting financial burden—-2009 wasn’t all that bad a year for me. I’ve enjoyed it.

In January, I was fresh out-of-work and we had a new incoming President ready to take office on 1/20/09. Nobody…..and I mean nobody was hiring. Even so, my work ethic and personal drive saw me apply for 30-40 jobs and garner my first interview of the year. I’d been out-of-work for three weeks and already broke that barrier down. The almighty interview.

But with no one really hiring before Obama got sworn in and started implementing his strategies for the economy, it was a dead market. So while it was bitter cold out and a slushy, snowy mess most days, I was sleeping late and enjoying the holidays and ready to get back to hardcore job searching in February.

Which I did. And I haven’t stopped.

In the meantime, I’ve again put the work ethic that my parents gave me in motion and have found at least a dozen ways to make money this year. I’ve done everything from the traditional odd jobs of helping people move furniture and other manual labor to donating plasma twice per week at the local center. I’ve gone to focus groups downtown and answered on-line surveys. There’s been product trials like toilet paper and dishwashing detergent for cash rewards. A friend of mine throws me an occasional computer project.

Thru careful, conservative game play and a strategic approach to when I play, I’ve made money in 2009 playing Texas Hold ‘Em on-line. I just won an 18-man tournament on Christmas Eve for $72. It’s not a mint, but that’s not the first time I’ve won over $70 in these things. And my original out-of-pocket investment was $60. I have that back in my wallet and now play with “their money”. One of my keys is to only play one tourney per sitting. If I win, I don’t think I’m “hot” and try to win another tourney back-to-back. I walk away. And if I lose my game, I don’t get mad and try to force a victory in the very next game. Again, I walk away.

So when I lose, it is typically $5.50.

And when I win, it’s somewhere between $9 and $250.

There’s a number of other ways I have made some spending money in 2009. And thru those earnings, I went to 5 baseball games this year. That’s the most in about four or five years—when I was working all the time. I’ve already been to 3 Chicago Blackhawks games this year and now my brother just scored us tickets five rows behind the glass for January 14th. Again, that will make the most Hawks games I’ve been to in 6 -8 years.

From about May thru October, I took a nice 12-14 mile mountain bike ride or a brisk 5 mile walk any damn time I felt like it. The most exercise I have had in almost ten years. I loved having the summer off and getting outdoors every single day.

The highlight of 2009 though was easily the Caribbean cruise that I went on with my entire family for my parents’ 45th anniversary. I was six months into unemployment and I there I was swimming in the crystal clear water of Megan’s Bay in St. Thomas  (Virgin Islands). That was just a few days after I hit four deuces in the ship’s casino to the tune of $250. Spending the quality time with my entire family, the hot women, the beautiful weather, the food, the drinks……..easily the highlight of 2009.

Factor in stuff like seeing the Dick Ourada Band three times, my buddy Dave Johnson’s band West 34  five or six times, my buddy Phill’s annual summer BBQ extravaganza, his annual Christmas party spectacular, the Bulls and Hawks playoff runs this past April/May with all my buddies at the bar……..

…….going for the best hot wings in Illinois (and a few coldies) every other Friday afternoon with my former coworker/mentor Steve and often my brother, getting together with all of the guys in my fantasy baseball league numerous times to talk some ball and drink a few beers, having dinner over at Phill’s countless times with his family all year long, the whole recent holiday season with my sister and her family…………

……the women that have taken pity on me and gone out for dinner, drinks, movies, etc. throughout the year {and sometimes settled for the diner at the local bowling alley}, the housing arrangement I secured where I went from a 800 ft. condo to a 3 BR house with a backyard, the fact that I just played in the Super Bowl of my fantasy football league after a great season (I lost the Bowl), the good times and the laughs with all of the boys I watch football with every Sunday………

……..of course all of the new people I met this year and the new friends I made here, there, and everywhere.

So I’m hoping you can see how much I enjoyed 2009. I do hope 2010 is a better year for me simply in that then it will truly kick some ass.  

And I’ll be buying y’all drinks along the way as it does.

Here’s another truly great band for ya

Dude, I’m tellin’ ya………….

After everyone had such a great time seeing the Dick Ourada band last month, I wanted to turn you on to another extremely talented group of musicians I know.

Whereas the Dick Ourada band is a versatile group of guys that have been playing together since the early ’90s and have a song catalog of over 200 songs, this other band is a lot more “in your face” rock-and-roll. These guys tear the house down with a wall of sound. Dick O. and his merry men write a lot of originals recalling high school principles and crazy keg party memories. While they take their music quite seriously and have a lot of pride in their shows, the chief thing is to laugh, join in, and have fun. Dick dons various costumes throughout his shows and once they even did a medley of popular beer commercial ditties.

“Come to think of it……..I’ll have…….a Heineken”

On the flip side, you have West 34. Like Dick O, the leader of the band is a good friend of mine going back over twenty years to high school. Since the day I met him, “Diamond” Dave Johnson has been the best musician that I personally know and hang out with. And I’m here to tell you, it’s like hanging out with Joe Satriani or Joe Perry or somebody like that. In his band, they’ve assigned Dave the moniker “Big Wave” Dave Johnson. And it is appropriate because like I said……this band blows you away with a wave of  ”in-your face” music jams.

Dave is classically trained on trumpet and piano and used to play in weddings when he was just a kid. Both elements (actually trumpet, piano & keyboards) have been incorporated into the band. He wears many hats. But his main role is as the ass-kicking lead guitar player. This guy can friggin’ crank it out.

Back in high school when there’d be 30 or 40 of us hanging out at the forest preserve drinking beer and playing softball, Dave would entertain the crowd with his playing. Other guys would have their acoustics out and try to impress the girls as well. But Dave was the king. He’d take requests and play sixty or ninety seconds of whatever tune you threw out there. Then to play as many suggestions as he could, he’d stop the melody, kind of smirk as if no one could stump him, and say, “Ok…….what else? “ 

He had a swagger and a cockiness about him which he definately earned. Used to crack me up.

The cockiness is gone—–he’s a family man now and pretty humble—-but the swagger on-stage is still there. He’s a true showman.

So the band is called West 34. It’s one of those bands where every guy is a master at his instrument. And every guy is allowed to show off his talent each show they do. Like the drummer does an awesome version of the Led Zeppelin composition “Moby Dick”. He thumps that shit out. They cover the heavier, more jammin’ rock tunes. They also have a strong dedication to the blues roots of rock music. Dave has played with many collaborators including Chicago bluesman Melvin Taylor and his band. 

I’ve seen West 34 play many times; a good six or seven in 2009 alone. The last time I saw them was on Halloween night after I left a house party. I was just in time to catch their third and final set of the evening, which was basically what they tongue-in-cheek called their “instrumental” set. A couple of the tunes they selected had vocals, but otherwise they just rocked out.

Dave Johnson led the way on a sweet version of Eric Johnson’s “Cliffs of Dover“. Then they went right into the Rush anthemn “YYZ“. The set included the drummer’s showcase of “Moby Dick” and they did a couple of extended bluesy jams. Dave likes to play with the cordless amp pack strapped on and was out in front of the bar on the sidewalk playing to surprised people on the street. A little schtick that I’ve seen Buddy Guy do at his Legends club a number of times.

There’s another guy in the band who impresses the hell out of me every time I go to see these dudes play. He’s the youngest member at about 24, and he does most of the lead vocals and plays rhythmn guitar. That’s not exactly being fair to him though, as he often steps up and does a searing lead guitar as well. His name is Tim Majewski and he and Dave combine to make a talented duo up there. He too has been playing guitar since he was about 8, and played with the Southsiders blues band all around Chicago before hooking up with West 34.

I can’t tell you enough to come out and see this band play. Whereas Dick Ourada and his crew try to thrill their loyal Dickheads and provide a lighthearted night of solid entertainment, West 34 tries to blow the roof off whatever venue they’re playing. They actually just landed a spot as the regular Thursday night house band at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse in Aurora starting in January.

But you can see them at the exact same venue as the Dick Ourada Band just played. If you came out for that show, don’t miss West 34. They are playing at:

Rolling Lanes (bowling alley bar)
Friday night    January 15, 2010      at   9:30pm
Joliet Road    Countryside, Illinois

They play some sweet Allman Brothers tunes, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ted Nugent, Clapton, Albert King, and so much more. Typically they play the tunes that are too intimidating and technically challenging for most bands to try.

So check out their website and listen to a demo or two. These guys freakin’ rock !! I will definately be at the January 15 show and I’m going to try and get as many people up there as I can. West 34 is the best band I know of on the local scene.

www.west34.com

The Dirty Dozen

Dude, I’m tellin’ ya……….

I had to pat myself on the back last night after Mariano Rivera recorded the last out for the Yankees for them to win the World Series.

Did I call this one pretty good or what?

In earlier posts, I predicted the Yankees win it in 6. They did. I predicted that after Cliff Lee, the Phillies starting pitching sucked and they ended up losing every game Cliff Lee did not start. I pointed out that Brad Lidge was always shaky, but Mariano Rivera was on fire. Lidge blew a tie game in Game 4 that the Phils ended up losing. Mariano was brilliant from start to finish. Finally, when the Yanks held a 3 games to 1 lead and could have closed it out in 5, I stood my ground and said Lee would get the Phils to Game 6 where the Yanks would then win it.

To those of you who took my advice and bet the kids college funds, you may send my cut to:

1234 Fake Street
Springfield

But I feel like I’ve been on a pretty good psychic roll lately and thought I’d throw out some more prophecy for you to profit from. My spidey senses have really been tingling. In no particular order of significance, this is the dirty dozen:

1) As I’ve said in my covering of the Chicago Bears all season, they will be no better than 8-8. Of course I hope I’m wrong on this one. But it’s what I’ve said from the beginning and I’m not going to slink away from it now. Even with the team 4-3 and above the .500 mark at the moment. Do note that I’m saying no better than 8-8. They can be 7-9, or God forbid 6-10, and this one is still good.

2) The Blackhawks will at least make the conference finals….same as last year. Anything short of that and I’ll be pissed. And the team and all Hawks fans collectively will deem this year a failure. But I do see us making the conference finals at a minimum. If we don’t even qualify for the conference finals, this is a loser. And I’m not saying WIN the conference finals…..I’m saying we’ll make them.

3) The Chicago Bulls will finish 43-39 at the very best. That’ll be more than good enough to make the Eastern Conference playoffs like every year. But you will not see anything close….not even close to the exhilirating, exciting playoff run the Bulls made last year. We may not make it past the first round. They are pretty much a .500 team but I envision a 42-40 record….or 43-39 at best.

4) Jake Peavy will win between 16-19 games for the Chicago WhiteSox next year. Anything out of that range and this one is a loser. But if he ends up winning 20 or more, I hope it’d be recognized that I was predicting some nice success for him. What the prediction really says is that he will not be a major bust. And this one is a double dipper……Now that the whole sale to the Ricketts family is done, I see the Cubs acquiring another big-money front line free agent. Or working a rather big trade for a major name. Like packaging Bradley and Harden in a single deal for a stud. Or trading Harden or Bradley and signing a starting pitcher like John Lackey.

5) The Indianapolis Colts will win this season’s Super Bowl. Book it. That’s my prediction. See address above to send me my cut.

6) I agree with the security expert Juval Aviv that I discussed in a recent post {See: Let’s Face it: There’s Really No Stopping Terrorism} in that the next major terrorist attack within US borders will happen in the next 3-5 months. And we’re not talking about something terrible like one little cell blowing up a small apartment building and killing six people. We’re talking about a serious undertaking in the works for a long time now that kills dozens or more. I hope this one is wrong too. But it’s those friggin spidey senses. 

7) From 11/1/09 thru 11/1/2010 , a major music star under the age of 45 will die. And by a major star, I mean a really big star. I’m not talking about a drummer from the White Stripes or a bass player from Blink 182. I by no means hope any of these people fulfill this prophecy, but I am talking about (and not limited to) people like: Beyonce, John Mayer, Keith Urban, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Britney Spears, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Gwen Stefani, etc etc…. One of the really big names in music. Hey, the shit happens. Watcha gonna do?

In the same token, so does divorce. And between 11/1/09 and 11/1/2010, a really huge high-profile couple will file for divorce. And again, I’n not talking about a Steven Seagal and whoever he’s married to. Or even a Gwen Stefani and her rock star husband. I’m talking big like Angelina and Brad splitting up. Or say a Beyonce and Jay-Z. Or at the very least, a Jesse James and Sandra Bullock. OK…OK…just to set a minimum, the lowest I’ll accept is something on the level of Courtney Cox and David Arquette. Or David Letterman and his wife.

9) Christmas sales will really suck this year surprising only the White House and the American media. This will demonstrate how very little economic progress has occurred across the country despite everyone high up trying to tell you it’s getting much better. There will be a lot of disappointing sales reports. We will head into 2010 with a little less optimism than if it was a bustling holiday shopping season.

10) There will be a really, really aggressive move made on a neighboring country between the dates 12/1/09 and 12/31/2010 by one of the two countries most likely to do it: Iran or North Korea. One of these countries will aggress against one of their declared enemies in a way that draws world condemnation and serious repurcussions. Unfortunately, it will happen by the end of next year.

11) This winter will be a real bastard across the US. I mean totally brutal like we haven’t seen in about 15-20 years at least. There will be some incredible snowfalls in many parts of the country. Even warmer areas like the far west and deep south will get some winter loving. It will be one that is the topic of much conversation and concern.

12) Finally, perhaps we can call this a good one. Either Fidel Castro or our other buddy out there in the world Kim Jong-il ——one or both of them will be deceased by 12/31/2010. Bet the kids college funds on it. Only one has to pass away for this to be a winner. So to speak.

So I will watch for events that may apply to these prophecies over the next 13 1/2 months. My judgement will be fair when it comes to celebrity divorces and the like. Kinda looks like a rough 2010, doesn’t it?

Look at it this way, if nothing else……….at least the Hawks will be in the conference finals.