DadJack.com Blog

Well, or at least like I did before I got Wi-Fi at home.  One of the many downsides to being broke is that you don’t have much money to go out with… And what little I do I usually save for when the kids are here so we can go out and do stuff.  But a week straight of no kids has led to a lot of isolation, so I decided to go hang at Panera and write today’s blog.  It actually worked out better than I expected, normally the benefit is unlimited ice tea and people watching, but as I approached my usual outside blogging table (What a beautiful day, 78 and sunny, you have to sit outside!) I saw an old friend that I have known for about 18 years and I ended up sitting with him and his friend for awhile… I had actual adult conversation, it was pretty cool.  (He actually directed a really cool indie film called Chronic Town, I’ll let you know when it makes it to DVD).  So anyway, Here’s today’s blog from your man on the street (The corner of Lankershim and Chandler… You don’t get more street than that!)

Something Stench/Stretch (I’ve known him for 9+ years and I can’t get used to the Stretch thing) said on the Pod has been bugging me for a couple days now.  We got on to talking about Clear Channel (I know, Shocker!) and why he is still and most likely will always be upset with them.  In his rant (Although, by Stench terms this was a very mild one) he said “And my wife and I wouldn’t be having problems if they hadn’t screwed us”… Or something to that effect.  I know he has been catching tons of grief from his wife and is constantly under attack from her and that he was right, If we were still the morning show at STAR that wouldn’t be happening… And most likely I wouldn’t be divorced.  But this fact didn’t make me upset with CC, it made me upset with his wife and my Ex…. That’s not how it’s supposed to be when you’re a team!  When you truly have a partner, they are with you and support you through good and bad.  It just made me sad to think about.

It will be interesting to see now this whole Leno/Conan thing plays out.  I have told you before, but I enjoy Conan way more than Leno, but I’m thinking Leno wields way more power in this situation.

Oh, I forgot to mention, so when I was sitting here with my friend and crazy lady dragging one of those old lady shopping baskets behind her stopped at the corner and started screaming at us.  Most of what she said was in Spanish, but she ended with the three of us were going to hell!  I guess no more worrying about being a good person, the prophet of Lankershim has spoken… Anyone want to go out and be bad!  ( I love crazy people!  They spice things up)

Now where will I get my Billy Ray fix?  Some new Tiger audio for you.  Scramble the fighters, we got a drunk guy!  Now he has 10 years to play with his meat.  This is what I am doing right now!  Obama loves Lost.  No foam please.

Rock on, Jack

I know there are many of us out there, we were “deforced”, it wasn’t our choice to end our marriages.  The other person made the decisions and now we have to figure out how to deal with it.  It is such a hard process to through when your mentally prepared, let alone when you are caught off guard.   I think I’ve been doing pretty good lately, but there are things I think about.

Last Thursday was Lucy’s parents night at school, I went… I really want to be involved with the kids education.  My Ex ad her fiance went too, I was not surprised, but what I was amazed by the lack of shame.  I have noticed this as a growing trend, people can totally disregard what they have done to other people and be totally absorbed in them.  There is almost a universal train of thought that all that matters is “me” in the immediate.  You see it when you drive, walk through a store, wait in line… People no longer feel bad for treating others poorly, in fact they almost see it as their right to do whatever benefits them without care for results on others….  It makes me sad.

I apologize that this blog is all over the place, but my lack of Wi-Fi has resulted in a pile-up of things I’ve wanted to talk about.

The Manertainment funeral (Friday night on the CRN ) was a lot of fun.  A bunch of Pod-People showed up, there was food and drink and Ed and Lisa provided a “dancer.”  It was weird for me, I guess I never realized how much the site meant to Stench.  I kind of always just thought of it as another porn site with Stench’s gossip report on the front (Which is always great).  But he really felt that it was his place to be “him,”  where he could express his views, likes and dislikes, in just the way he really wanted, without care for the audience it reached.  It has broken his heart to have to end it, I feel so bad for him.  Not to make everything about me (I don’t want to turn into one of those people I don’t like, who has to relate every story to themselves), but I guess I have been lucky, I have always just been the real me… On the radio, on the blog, in person, so I haven’t had to feel repressed like Stench has.  I’m sure he will find a new outlet for his “Stenchness” soon!

Saturday the kids and I went to the Red Bull Soapbox Derby , It was a really cool event.  They took over Grand and 5TH downtown and had a bunch of homemade soapbox cars race down.  And Erik Estrada ( That’s right, Ponch!) was one of the judges.  We arrived a hour and half early, so we got to stand right on the rail at the first jump (there are jumps and turns), Lucy thought it was so cool.  There were over a 100 thousand people there (and it felt like most of them were standing right behind us), so we ducked out after about 8 cars (there were 40 entered).  We headed to California Pizza Kitchen to relax and eat, it was right next to the course.  They were so slammed, the service sucked, it took 45 minutes for the kids to get their food and another 30 to get Lucy a side of Alfredo… My food never came.  So to recap, Soapbox good, CPK bad.

Sunday was going to be all about the pool, but like I’ve been telling you, my building sucks!  The pool was too cold for the kids… and the hot tub was colder!  So we went and played a little tennis and then headed to Burbank to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  We saw it in IMAX 3D which was fun.  The kids loved it… And I’m not going to lie, I liked it too!  It had a good story, was funny and had enough action to keep even Bing  interested.  I’m really looking forward to Where The Wild Things Are , which comes out in a couple weeks.  I really enjoy Spike Jonze.  But don’t have high hopes for the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland…  I love Johnny Depp, but I think maybe Burton could go with someone else, his Mad Hatter reminds me of his Willy Wonka. ( At least from the trailer).

Again, I side bar, but there have been two women sitting next to me at Panera (All the outside tables were taken, so I had to sit inside) and all they have done is complain!  They’re driving me crazy, I wish another table would open!

Lucy has really been into her art… It makes me so happy, she draws, cuts, pastes, paints and does all kinds of creative stuff. (the annoying women left! Sorry, I sidebar again) I’ll have to scan some of her work and post it.  Bing, on the other hand, is obsessed with bowling…. Do they have bowling classes for 3 year olds?  If so I need to get him enrolled, I may have the future Tiger Woods of bowling on my hands.  Just imagine, he could have his own “Bowling Girl” product line some day!

Don’t forget about Caylee.  Tell your kids to wash their hands!  Ride ‘em Cow-Cop.  I’ll take the cash, beer and a feel.  You need this anymore.  10 gallons and he’s yours.  The right way to see a movie. Another church molester.   Watch out for the brown widow!  And even harder to be married too.

Rock On, Jack

I think this is the one that won!

Go, Hot Sauce, Go!

Incoming Skydivers

People everywhere!

Every wall was a chair

Bing Jean King

Team Lucy/Bing v. Daddy

My little angel

I was reading an interview with Bill Clinton in Esquire magazine, And something he said really struck me.  In response to question about the state of mind of the American people in the 90′s he said: ” …I think what breaks people is not adversity; what breaks people is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday.  That’s what’s numbing – if you think you can’t change, you can’t be better.”

Do you feel tomorrow… The next day… Next year will be better?  I hope it is, but I am not one of those people that can fool myself into believing something.  I have never known in my lifetime a time so crappy for so many people…  It cuts across every occupation, education level and skill.  You look at how things have changed and it is very difficult to see things going back to the time when we thought we could move up in our jobs… Heck, just not worry about keeping them (for those of you who have jobs).

I’m not trying to be a downer, or spread doom and gloom… I just feel that “hope” that America seemed to have during the election fading… And we all knew it would, reality would have to set in at sometime.

I have been told so many times that you have to keep hope alive, have faith.  And I have tried it… I had hope in my 20′s, faith in my photography skills… But the industry was destroyed by digital photography, no amount of hope could have changed that.  I put the same effort into radio with very similar results in my 30′s. And let’s not forget marriage… Another hopeless endeavor that failed and was beyond my hope and control.

I think we need a sign, some sort of indication that things will be better.  We will have jobs that are secure and pay decently, the world will stop collapsing around us and actually start to re-build, that the worry and suffering of so many will be minimized (I know it is impossible to get rid of).  And it doesn’t need to be complicated… Seeing my friends get back to work, have houses, health insurance, a little extra money, would be the perfect sign.

Anyway, enough of that.  Lucy was feeling better and went back to school today… Which always makes me feel better.  I went for a long walk today, from my house to the Burbank Mall… I like to wonder through the old ‘hood.  BBQ’d some turkey burgers and veggies for lunch… Just trying to take advantage of this summer like weather, it’ll be gone before we know it.  Do you know what you’re going to be for Halloween?  Bing (a.k.a. Bowling Girl) wants to be a dragon or a strawberry and Lucy wants to be a shark or Lisa Simpson… And I’ll be a huge, gay Teletubby!  Still camped out at Panera, my apartment building seriously sucks… If you want to live in the NoHo area I suggest you live anywhere else!

Last night on the CRN show we learned that Tomas lives with his Ex and her new boyfriend (who we named Ted)… I thought my life was messed up!  We’re trying to make things better for him… On tomorrows Pod we try and find him a mate, We’re good friends!

Crime and Grime fighters.  I’m not a fan of the guy, but no parent should have to go through this.  Congrats Tommy.  Priest’s love strippers. Hey, we’re number 63!  Dog fighting and daycare don’t mix.  Guess what the “C” in KFC stands for?  Some things are better left to professionals!  Having trouble counting?  Balls kill!

Rock On, Jack

Sunset From My Table at Panera

They’ve been hyping up the return of the Santa Ana winds for about a week… I was just outside, no wind?  I am still Wi-Fi less is my extremely poorly managed apartment building…  It is so frustrating, it reminds me so much of when Clear Channel took STAR 98.7 over, everything has gone way down hill.  I haven’t got a Lucy update yet today, but when I spoke to her last night she sounded better…  I didn’t get a chance to talk to “Bowling Girl”, but he as of this point is not sick.

Thanks to the failures of my building I have been spending more time at Panera… I highly recommend it, they have free (Wi-Fi… Unlike Starbucks!), so you can have some Tea and Pastries instead!

I really feel like the CRN show may start to take off soon… Thank you guys so much for tuning in, listening to the replays (m-f 6-8a on CRN6), downloading the archives (when they remember to put them up!) and listening online. You Rule!

Abra-ca-burn-ya.  Poles and pricks. Ladies, it’s OK to pump iron! Tan teens.  I guess this is one way to lose weight.  That’s a lot of DVDs!  Go ahead, hug a tree.  Terror bulletin! Someone cares enough to stalk Jewel!?!?!  Gross!  Custody case takes 3 years… over their dog!

Rock On, Jack

This year is flying bye… Slow down, what’s the hurry!?!? It’s always kind of empty the day after the kids leave, you go from noise and craziness to quite and loneliness. I did get a nice long walk in and spent some time sitting at my table at Panera at Chandler and Lankershim watching the valley walk past. Kanye has been the talk of the town… Let’s just all agree, he’s a douche bag! Did you watch the new primetime Jay Leno? Stretch and I stayed at CRN to watch, it was good, although not really different from the old tonight show and I think in a few weeks the novelty will fade and people will want to watch scripted shows… Although, I could be wrong? I have to admit, I’m still enjoying Conan, I find him very funny and witty.

You may want to skip that shower.  Terror raid in NYC.  Congrats Colin.  Another good line-up for the Bridge School Benefit.  What a weird, gross story.  Where did I leave that kid?  That was a big fire!  Even Obama hates Kanye.  Don’t steal bikes.

Daddy's Big Girl - The First Day Of Kindergarten

Daddy and Lucy on Day 1 of school

Rock On, Jack

The kids and I had a good day today.  We started with breakfast at our local haunt, Panera… We like it because the bagels are OK and they have great outside seating where we can people watch.  then we went for a walk, we like to cruise NoHo.  Next it was off to the pool, where we jumped in and played with dive sticks. (It’s going to be so boring when it gets cold!)  We relaxed and watched Land of the Lost for awhile… The original series, not the crappy movie remake…  You don’t realize how bad that show was until you re-watch it as an adult.  And I ended it, before heading to the CRN, by enjoying some live music… NoHo does this discover new artist thing the first Thursday of every month.  We watched Galactic Flo at the Howes Market loading dock… no really.  It was actually really fun and the kids loved it.  Not sure what’s on the menu for tomorrow… Except I do know that we will be going to Cold Stone at some point, I promised the kids we’d go.

Free Chik-Fil-A. He must have been really hungry!  Can we put this to rest now?  It’s a boy! Party like it’s Oktober. This is how the pursuit we spoke about on the CRN ended.  Don’t bring your teachers brownies for the first day of school.  I told you!  Leave the teachers alone.

Bing trying to catch up

Galactic Flo at the Howe's loading dock

it's such a weird place to play

the kids enjoy the show

mouth full of candy

dancing

rocking the house

Rock On… And have a great Labor Day Weekend!!!! Jack

Oh ya, I almost forgot on, on today’s podcast – Josh Blue, you might remember him from Last Comic Standing. And Tuesday, Monica – Our old assistant producer, she gives us an update on her new baby and her life.