DadJack.com Blog

I’m baking brownies and have a half hour to kill while I wait for them to be done, I so I thought I’d bake up a blog too.

I wish I had some good news, but things are about the same here… Still out of  work, still no real prospects.  I know economic indicators suggest things are getting a little better… But I have yet to see it.

Angela, Ethan, the Kids and I had the chance to go to San Diego last weekend which was really nice.   San Diego is such a great city, perfect for the young and single and the old and boring with kids (Like me!) alike.  The kids actually ran around in the shallow tide looking for seashells…. something you couldn’t do in much of the rest of the country in December.

Speaking of Angela and Ethan, Ethan’s one-man band, State Shirt, just released a new album… if you get a chance check it out.

We’ve been kind of busy so we haven’t had a chance to catch many of the family films released recently.  The kids want to see Arthur Christmas and Hugo.  We did see the Muppet Movie…  The kids enjoyed it, I thought some of the musical numbers seemed forced and the story stalled a little in places, but it wasn’t horrible.  The film the kids are really pumped for is the Lorax which comes out next year.

Timer just beeped, gotta check my brownies! Enjoy the Lorax trailer while I check on them:

And they are perfect… and the whole apartment smells like yummy brownies!

The Podcast continues on… we may be small, but we’re persistent.   We’re 5 years in… which means it’s been 5 years since we were all on the radio together.  That reminds me, Happy Belated Birthday Jamie…  Here B-Day was yesterday!   Those were good times on Star 98.7!

Here’s a couple holiday deals on Amazon today:

Air Swimmer Shark is $27 with free shipping
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is $7
V-Tech Kidzoom Lightning McQueen Digital Camera is $25 (OK, it’s 24.99… if you spend a penny more you get free shipping!)

The brownies should be cool enough to sample by now!

Rock On (and Happy Holidays!!!) Jack

But I’m not feeling it yet.  I have been unemployed over Christmas in the past, but this time it just seems worse.  I’m giving it the old college try, tree is up and finely decorated by the kids (which means all the decorations are in two locations at the exact height of their reach… kids don’t get the concept of evenly spreading the decorations on the tree!), lights are in the windows and I even baked some goodies.  I’m sure I’ll get more in the mood as we get closer.

I have yet to hear of a hot toy this year… I can usually gauge by what the kids want but this year they both asked for generic things (Books, puzzles, golf stuff, etc.)  I am glad they’re still young and like fun stuff (I like playing with their toys too!)… I just read an article on what teens want this year and cash, cloths and iPads topped the list.  I like to get the kids stuff that inspires imagination and creativity (because if they had their way they would play on the computer and ipod all day!)  Bing loves to play with “toy food” ( like Melissa & Doug Wooden Sandwich-Making Set ) …. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “Daddy eat this… but don’t really eat it” as he hands me something he has “cooked.”  Both kids are really into making art and they love having their own supplies ( like Darice – ArtyFacts – Portable Art Studio. Deluxe Art Set. 131 Pieces w/Wood case. )…  The link goes to Amazon, but check your paper for Michael’s coupons, they have a huge selection and you can almost always get 50% off.  Lucy is currently really into Junie B. Jones books ( Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus (Junie B. Jones, No. 1) (Book & CD) ) … It’s great to see her enjoy reading (Especially since I’ve never been a big reader!)  They also both love to put on “shows” and make videos, so I’m thinking puppets ( like Melissa & Doug Chef Puppet )  might be a good idea.  Just some ideas to help you start thinking about what the kids in your life might enjoy.

On the podcast front we have submitted the pod to the Guinness Book of World Records for most recorded hours… We currently have 1155 hours of podcasts in our archives, so we’ll see what happens?  It takes them 4-6 weeks to process and decide.

And I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I post interesting/funny/disturbing news stories daily on my facebook “fan” page … So if you get a chance like me!

Rock on, Jack

It’s Halloween weekend and the kids are so excited.  With the holiday falling on a Monday it has given us the whole weekend to fill with costume fun.  Lucy the witch and Bing the frog will be on a whirlwind tour of trick or treats and ghouls and ghosts.

It is always a great time of year for us… although it kicks off the crazy season for us.  It’s Halloween, then one week later Lucy’s 8th and Bing’s 5th birthday, followed shortly thereafter by Thanksgiving and then Christmas craziness.  As fun as the holiday’s are I’m not looking forward to the stress… It’s a tough time of year for many of us who are unemployed, especially those with kids.  You have to get creative on a limited budget!

Some of the things that I found that help are: Keep an eye out at local retailers for pre-holiday clearance sales and grab any deals you see.  Target will sometimes clear out last years toys to make room for new arrivals saving you sometimes over 50%.  Sites like Groupon , Fab.com and others give you credit for referrals… Which then gives you credit to spend on gifts.  And let’s not forget one of the best options, a handmade gift.  Go through the photos you’ve shot over the past year, find some good ones of friends and family, print them out and frame… In this age of digital photography we really actually print out our photos, so it makes for a thoughtful, unique gift.

It’s looking like Stench may have a job… And it’s in radio!  I’ll post details as soon as he is able to publicly able to discuss.  I’m really happy for him…  After the slaughter of a bunch of radio people nationwide this week I’m just happy to see anyone actually get hired in the industry.  Not much on the horizon for me, I’ve been trying to escape radio, but so far no other industry wants me!

Stench had technical problems this week so I’ve been posting the Podcast… I’m always amazed when I see how many podcasts we have in the can! 1137 hours of pod power…  or over 47 days of non-stop listening!  Thanks for sticking with us!

Have a great Halloween!!!!!! Boo, Jack

When you’re unemployed people think everyday is like a weekend for you…  Which is only true in that there is nowhere I have to be, but trust me it is incredibly stressful to not have a job.  I’ve tried to keep busy with my free time… Which has included volunteering at the kids school.  Today was P.E. with the second grade… Which was slightly less chaotic than P.E. with the Pre-K kids.  It’s easier this year because a lot of the kids remember me from last year so they listen to me a little (only a little!)  It was fun today, we practiced our soccer skills and played some game with hoola-hoops which required running and push-ups and other things that make old guys sore!

Tomorrow is another Happy Hour, this time at Champs in Burbank from 5p on.  They’re always a good time and last time we had a lot of people show up.  I like to throw these together and see what happens… It reminds me of the old radio days!

The kids are pumped up for Halloween.  As of right now Lucy is going to be a witch (good or evil she has yet to decide) and Bing is going to be a frog.  The older they get the harder it gets because they stop making cute costumes in sizes larger than 6X.  It will always amaze me the slutty costumes they market in little girls (and I’m not just talking teens), they have fishnets in toddler sizes.  If I had any talent what-so-ever I would market my own line of costumes for sizes 6 and up that are fun and cute, instead of trampy and whore-like!

The pod continues on, hot topics recently:  Should adults go to Disneyland alone?  Is it dressing in a costume when you wear a sports jersey while watching sports?  After 39 do you have to settle or can you still find true love?  And whatever other random things pop into our minds and out our mouths!

You know I love to share sites I’m into, lately it’s been Fab.com …  They sell cool designer stuff (Housewears, t-shirts, toys, furniture, etc.) at discount prices.  Sales run for about 3 or 4 days and they have some really unique stuff.

Have a great weekend!

Rock on, Jack

(Well besides a paycheck!) Are the friends.  I have always had a close relationship with the people with I have worked with and they were a large part of my personal life.  The great thing is that I have remained friends with many of these people and through the magic of Facebook I get to stay up-to-date with what they are up to… no matter how far apart we are now.

When my divorce started I was working with Tony and Kris in San Diego producing their country music genre morning show.  They were both so great to me during this horrible time in my life and continue to be great friends…  Which makes it even better to watch their syndicated show grow, getting bigger ad better all the time.  They have announced they are hosting a country music cruise next year about this time ( all the details can be found here.)  They have not announced the musical line-up yet, but here’s what I know: 1. They throw a great party (T,K and I tore up San Diego on more than one occasion!) 2. They know everyone in country music (many of which they have tore up San Diego and now Nashville with!), so odds are good they are going to get some great artists for these 5 days cruising Mexico. 3. They didn’t let anyone tell them they couldn’t continue providing quality morning radio, when they presented with a road block they plowed right through it and built their own successful syndicated radio show!  I guess what I’m saying is that you won’t find a better party with better guys than their cruise (and you have plenty of time to plan ahead!)

I was bummed when my friend Bradley moved back to Boston earlier this year, we had some great time over the years at both KROQ and STAR 98.7…  Not to mention in the years since.  I am excited that not only did he find a radio gig there almost right away, but he is now working on building his own advice show on Mix 104.1 in Boston .   It airs Sunday night 7-9pm Pacific, if you get a chance give it a listen online…  you may even hear a familiar voice asking Brad and Meredith for some of their wisdom.

I would love to have an update for you on Stench and I… No news as of right now.  We continue to look and the podcast chugs along with at the time of this posting 1123 hours of pods under our belts!

I’ll be joining whoever shows up this Friday at 5pm at Champ’s in Burbank for some Happy Hour fun…  We do these every once in awhile, they’re always a good time!

Rock on, Jack

I have always enjoyed making my opinion known… On the radio, on the podcast and on the occasional survey.  I participate in one of those online survey companies which offer rewards for filling out surveys (I’ve been with the same one for about 5 years and it’s actually a pretty good deal… I’d give you the link, but they’re currently not taking new members).  The surveys always start the same way… How old are you, where do you live and relationship status.

The options are usually: Married, Widowed, Divorced and Single.  I have been clicking “Divorced”, but I am also “Single?”  Is there a mourning period where you click divorced and then get to transition to single?  And if so whats the time line?  I changed my status on Facebook to single long ago at the urging of friends, but seemed kind of like denial to me.  Although, there has to be a point where you consider yourself simply single right?  Although, I did come up with a plan to break the cycle… I need to get into a serious relationship and then break-up, then I’m technically single and not divorced because the divorce was not my last official relationship – But that really seems a lot of work, so I’ll stick with checking “divorced” for now.

Lucy has her “Spring Sing” today… Which is always fun, well if you can actually get into the auditorium.  We live in So. Cal. I’m not sure why they don’t do these things outside so everyone can see?

We announced on the Pod this week that we will be recording live in Orange County later this month.  Stench and I will be at Farrell’s in Mission Viejo on Wednesday June 22nd from 6-8pm.  I will once again participate in the ice cream eating contest (You can go head to head with me, it’s only $20 and proceeds benefit Children’s Hospital of Orange County) and experiencing the pain that is an extreme ice cream headache.

The job search continues… it has been very discouraging, I have applied at so many places and have had no response.  I need to find something quick!

Rock on, Jack

Last Thursday I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, the kids playing with Grandma in the living room, knowing the next day would be my last at work. As I tried to drift off I thought about past “lasts” and how more often than not we don’t know they’re coming. Some arrive quickly, without warning, others slowly evolving.

I don’t remember the night before we were fired from the morning show, I know we were on Christmas/New Years vacation, but I didn’t lie in bed knowing I would be fired the next afternoon. I don’t remember my last night truly being married… I remember the night before my marriage legally ended, I prepared a shirt and tie, gathered all the necessary papers and tried to sleep knowing the following morning it would, with a few words from a judge, be over. A marriage is one of those things that disintegrates slowly, so pin-pointing the last night we were truly a couple is almost impossible.

Some lasts are exciting, the last day of high school, knowing that when you wake the next day your whole life will change.  That energy of the unknown and hope is something I will never forget.  And there are those planned lasts like actually planning on changing jobs, the last night of being single before getting married or the last night in a home before you move.

So as I lay there in the darkness, kids laughing and running around, I know that would be the last night I go to bed as the Executive Producer of The Insana Quotient and hope that it will not be long that I am resting my head preparing for something new.

I have been using some of this unwanted down time to get caught up on some recent releases I hadn’t had time to watch, this week Red Box has a great deal, each day you can text DEALS to 727272 and they will send you a special offer… so far I have received a free rental the last two days, you can’t beat that.

Stench is out of the hospital and back on the pod!  He was in the hospital almost all of last week suffering from diverticulitis.  He seems to be recovering well and is back to true form.  Alina has been having medical issues too, so we wish her a speedy recovery… Without Alina who would we torture on the pod?

Have a great rainy spring day (If you’re in L.A.).

Rock on, Jack

Have a Corona for me, I still have a little more than a week of getting up at 1:30am so no fiesta for me!

It been weird being at work this last week knowing I won’t be here much longer.  People treat you differently, they try to be very positive even though you can tell they’re thinking “oh, crap. what is this guy going to do.”  I’m trying to look at this a positive development, hopefully I will find something with slightly better hours and I can live a more “normal” life.

The podcast is chugging along.   With over a 1000 shows under our belt it continues on.  We just created a new hotline to send texts and voice mails  916-67-BACON… So if there is anything you ever want us to know hit the bacon line!

It seems to me that it is lining up to be a weak movie summer, as I look through all the summer film previews there is not much to be excited about…  I do want to see the Hangover 2 and I hate to see it, but Cowboys v. Aliens looks like it might be interesting.  I’m hoping we get some surprises and there is a reason or two to go to the movies, there is still something more enjoyable about seeing a great film in a theater instead of just popping on the Blu-Ray while the dog barks in the other room and the kids jump on you.

Rock On, Jack

Stench and I are going to celebrate making it to 1000 podcasts by recording the big 1K show live in front of a studio audience… Or at least some people at a bar!  March 19, 2011 starting at 5:30pm we will be at Cafe Tutu Tango at The Block at Orange.  We’re hoping to get some special guests out there!

It will just be great to spend an evening with all the people who made this possible.  When we started, after being fired from STAR 98.7, we were a joke in the radio community… Now all of the people who publicly mocked us are also off terrestrial radio and podcasting.

The food is great at Cafe Tutu Tango, it’s a restaurant so kids are welcome (But they do have a full bar).  They are reserving tables near our “broadcast” so call ahead to guarantee you get a good seat.  ( 714-769-2222, mention The Jack and Stench Podcast)

YOU RULE!!!!!!