July 28th - mcdermott, jones and chief keef

Kelly Christy gives JED a massage

Mayor Tom McDermott

1pm on Tuesday. 

It's not necessarily sunny outside, although according to the WJOB weather forecast, it's supposed to be. Rode the bike to work amidst a glorious sunrise and no geese in the way. After the show, rode the bike to WalMart and bought a bike lock and a baseball mitt (don't ask why, on sale) and then rode bike to work out at Planet Fitness. That's where the manager waved me down.

Hey, I gotta put in a bike rack. Who would I talk to about that? Where would I even start?

Yes, you do have to put in a bike rack. Why don't you call Phil Tailon with the city?

I know Phil.

Or better yet. Start with Mitch Barloga of NIRPC. He's the bike guy around here. He may know someone.

Thanks. Everyone says you're the guy to ask, since you ride bike everywhere and all.

Thanks back at you, I could have told him. I certainly don't mind being known as the guy who rides his bike all over the place. And I do. Yesterday I rode to work, to the nephew's house, to the nephew's game, the bank and the gas station for a pack of smokes.

I'm just kidding about that last part. I didn't really ride my bike down to the gas station for a pack of smokes. Don't you just like saying that, though? It's what my neighbor as a kid used to say and do every day of his drug and alcohol-filled teenage years. He was several years older, and he talked with a lisp and walked with a little limp, but he was about as cool as they come, esepcially when he'd stop my mom -

Hey, Mithiss Deed-whoa, how bout ten buckth for a pack of thmokes?

Now I don't know if my mom ever gave him the ten buckth for a pack of thmokes. Maybe she felt sorry for him, or was a little scared of him and she snuck him the ten buckth once in a while. Either way, whenever he sauntered down Madison St. toward the Marathon station for a pack of thmokes... he was the coolest there ever was.

....  About radio yesterday and today.... what did you think of the show? Verlie sat with me today we got into it when she suggested - or at least I interpreted it as such - that I somehow censored things on WJOB. I don't remember the particulars. I just remember the red anger underneath my purple Ray Ban sunglasses (it was sunny as hell, earlier). "I put my life savings so that we could all talk freely on the radio and I consider what you just said an insult..." She backpedalled a little bit. I did too. And we moved on.

But Verlie did say something during a break that keeps ringing in my ear - "You have too many guests on the show. People want to listen to you - or you and me - and call in and just talk about things."

"That's fine, Verlie. But there's a lotta charities that we gotta get on the air and promote."

Verlie wrinkled her nose, like Bewitched. And her nose may have a point. Concentrate on what makes the show, and radio in general, strong. And that's talking directly to people, taking their calls, their criticism, their energy. Let's count it up over the last two days and see if Verlie's right.

Monday.
6:30 - Chuck Pullen. He was there when Hammond cops pulled the plug on Chief Keef at Wolf Lake Park on Saturday.
6:45 - Nick Egnatz, celebrating 10 years of protesting every Saturday at Ridge and 41. We talked about money equality and stuff.
7:00 - Dan Gelarden, Munster Little League Invitational tournament. We talked about the 39 teams competing and who won.
7:05 - Bill Baker, my childhood chump, who, in all irony, I met playing Little League in Munster 45 years ago.
7:20 - Tom Dabertin, chairman, Pierogi Fest. Talked about great weather, record crowds.
8:00 - Jeff Detlo, on the show to promote Pints in the Park, a craft beer festival at Wicker Park.
8:20 - Doyle Godbolt, of Optimist Youth baseball. One of his teams won the Midwest regional.
8:35 - Will Glaros with Michael Andrews, who grew up in Gary and foster homes in Merrillville, gives motivatinal talks.
9:05 - Making Finance Personal - three really smart guys about investing.

That's 11 people on Monday. What about today?

6:00 - Verlie Suggs. Not sure if she's a guest or a co-host. You be the judge. Either way, she's got strong opinions.
7:30 - Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, told why he gave the order to cut power off during Chief Keef hologram.
8:00 - Malcolm Jones, Chief Keef promoter, called in to defend putting Chief Keef on the stage.
8:20 - VJ Damasius (pharmacist) and Nate Mills of Cardinal Health on spread of prescription drug abuse.
8:50 - Craig Harrell and Kelly Christy of Hospice. Kelly gives me a massage live on the air.
9:20 - Janet Venecz, Anne Herbert and one other woman on crime watches in Hammond.

That's 10 on Tuesday. 

21 people in two days. So who's right? Producer Ryan says that we gotta reserve time for me to speak directly to callers, to ramble  extemporaneously (that's my term, not his, stolen from high school Speech). But then again Ryan keeps scheduling a lotta people. In the end, it's just best if I let him line up the show, people or no people. So whether Verlie's right or wrong, it doesn't matter. It's still all Ryan's fault anyhows.