Friday, November 28, 2008

Oh those Cubs !!



Yeah, yeah...I know. We just got past Thanksgiving, Christmas is right around the corner AND I'm still licking my wounds caused by my beloved Cubbies. But for whatever reason, I'm kinda jonesing for some Cubs baseball!

Now, being a baseball fan & a huge Cubs fan, I usually get antsy for some baseball in or around early to mid January. Whether it's because the Cubs broke my heart again this year or the fact that I'm not over the heartbreak of the playoffs or because I'm looking forward to the MLB Network kicking off on Jan 1 '09, my baseball craving is at an all time high !

With that said let me share a great story regarding one of the world's greatest cubs fans courtesy of MLB.com:

Cubs fan Goodman sang of pain, love
Late songwriter's anthems still played at 'ivy-covered burial ground'

Baseball Perspectives
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Bauman



Steve Goodman, also known as Chicago Shorty, wrote "Go Cubs Go," which is played at Wrigley Field following every Cubs victory.





This one's for Chicago Shorty. In fact, this one's pretty much by Chicago Shorty.
This being the time of giving thanks, we're going to give thanks today for the memory of the late, great singer-songwriter Steve Goodman, a tiny man with a big voice and a bigger heart. His sense of humor was in tune, too. Maybe that helped, because he was a true blue Chicago Cubs fan.

A bit of Goodman lives on now, every time the Cubs win at Wrigley Field, with the playing of his boisterous little ditty, "Go Cubs Go." This year, some members of the Chicago media took pains to be critical of the song. Big deal. It's simple, it's upbeat, it's bouncy, it's written by a Chicagoan, it's perfect for the situation at hand, but it's not his best work, all right? And you could tell, because his best work was better than anybody else's best work.

In the broader popular culture, Goodman might be best known for writing "City of New Orleans," one of the finest, most touching slices of Americana in song that you're ever going to hear. As the folksinger Arlo Guthrie told the story countless times on stage, Goodman handed off the song to him and asked him to give it to Johnny Cash. As Guthrie relates the story, he didn't see Cash for some time, possibly because he was consciously trying to avoid him. Guthrie knew a great song when he heard it. "City of New Orleans" became a big hit for him, and his rendition of the best railroad song in the long history of railroad songs was worth the effort.

Goodman, for those of us who had the privilege to know him even a little, had a career far bigger than that one song. He had a beautiful, rich voice, and his stage presence was much bigger than his stature would seem to allow. His songwriting had a unique sensibility about it. It was evocative, it was intelligent, but it had a common touch to it. He was like a musical Studs Terkel in that way. He put out a series of albums that always contained wonderful songs, and typically met with more critical acclaim than commercial success. If you ever had a chance to see him in one of those cozy old venues like the Earl Of Old Town, nothing else existed while you watched, just Goodman and his songs.

But like a lot of people, in a lot of different walks of life, Goodman had this lifelong affection/obsession regarding the Chicago Cubs. What set him apart was his ability to write songs about what often came down to a heartbreaking situation. You wish that Goodman had been alive this autumn to find the lyrics and the music to suit the 97-victory season, best-record-in-the-National League, followed by three-games-and-out in the postseason, six runs scored, no games won, oh, no, not again. A situation so Cubs as that, all hope and glory followed by defeat and despair, could use a Goodman song.

But maybe it already had a Goodman song. More than "Go Cubs Go," the Goodman song that embodied the Cubs fan experience was and is "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request." This is the chorus:

Do they still play the blues in Chicago
When baseball season rolls around
When the snow melts away
Do the Cubbies still play
In their ivy-covered burial ground?
When I was a boy, they were my pride and joy
But now they only bring fatigue
To the home of the free
The land of the brave
And the doormat of the National League.

The current Cubs may have moved beyond "the doormat of the National League" description -- the song was written in the early 1980s -- but the emotion once again remained valid this October. This is a song about a man who is dying, who is bitter that his lifetime dream of the Cubs' ultimate success has been repeatedly crushed. And yet, of course, it is also hilarious.

What the dying Cubs fan wants is a Wrigley Field funeral. It is a trademark of Goodman songs that the general theme and the specific detail are both completely in order. For instance:

It's a beautiful day for a funeral,
Hey, Ernie, let's play two!
Somebody go get Jack Brickhouse to come back,
And conduct just one more interview.
Have the Cubbies run right out into the middle of the field,
Have Keith Moreland drop a routine fly
Give everybody two bags of peanuts and a Frosty Malt,
And I'll be ready to die.

The record is going to sadly show that, after a long battle with leukemia, Goodman died at age 36 in 1984, just before the Cubs clinched a division title.

But it is no stretch at all to say that Goodman's spirit lives on in all of the music he left us. And in this particular song, he left us with the ability to take disappointment and defeat and turn them into a series of smiles. That's a human triumph. And it is Chicago Shorty's never-ending gift to his fellow Cubs fans.

Mike Bauman is a national columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.



Now, this little ditty descriped and explained oh so well in the above article has become a tradition on the Kev Show every opening day !

Please enjoy this little tribute to the 2008 Cubs, that yes, once again fell short: (and no, I did not put it together!)



Brainbuster Question of the day for Fri, Nov. 28th '08

Q: Which actress played the role of Forrest Gump's mother?



A: SALLY FIELD

Home For The Holidays


The Annual Home for the Holidays celebration kicks in to high gear today and runs thru Sunday. All sorts of fun stuff is planned for young and old alike !

For a schedule of all the activities, click here.
One exception on the schedule is the lantern making activity for the kids, that is happening this afternoon from 1:30 til 4:30 at a NEW location: 120 Washington Street (next to Red Carpet Travel)...the lantern parade will follow @ 4:45, just before the Lighted Holiday Parade @ 5.

I'd like to thank the Home for the Holidays Commitee for having me back as the Master of Ceremonies for the parade and tree lighting ceremony on the courthouse lawn. I truly enjoy it !!

I hope to see you there tonight ! Be sure to stop and say hello !

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Continuous Christmas Music Weekend !!



Beginning tonight at Midnight and thru Sunday Night at Midnight, to celebrate Black Friday and the first Christmas shopping weekend along with Home For The Holidays, WCSJ will air continuous Christmas Music !!

If you'd like to suggest we play one of your favorite Christmas tunes, email me !

Sensational '70's tune for Thursday, Nov 27th (Thanksgiving Day)

Enjoy !


Brainbuster Question of the day for Thu, Nov. 27th '08



In 1967, the heaviest turkey ever raised was recorded in the record books. How heavy was it ??




(+/- 5 lbs.)













75 lbs.

Mike Spiel's Thanksgiving Forecast

Thanksgiving Forecast:

Turkeys will thaw in the morning, then warm in the oven to an afternoon high near 190 degrees. The kitchen will turn hot and humid, and if you bother the cook, be ready for a severe squall or cold shoulder.

During the late afternoon and evening, the cold front of a knife will slice through the turkey, causing an accumulation of one to two inches on plates. Mashed potatoes will drift across one side while cranberry sauce creates slippery spots on the other. Please pass the gravy.

A weight watchsf and indigestion warning have been issued for the entire area, with increased stuffiness around the beltway. During the evening, the turkey will diminish and taper off to leftovers, dropping to a low of 34 degrees in the refrigerator.

Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday, high pressure to eat sandwiches will be established. Flurries of leftovers can be expected both days with a 50% chance of scattered soup late in the day. Expect a warming trend where soup develops. By early next week, eating pressure will be low as the only wish left will be the bone.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Happy Thanksgiving !

I truly hope you enjoy this wonderful holiday with all your family and friends and pause to reflect on all you have to be thankful for.

And without fail, I receive this in my email at least once a year ! A Thanksgiving poem:

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Brainbuster Question for Wed, Nov. 26th '08

Q: In January, 1994, Delta became the world's first airline to ban... what... on all its flights?





A: SMOKING

$500 Holiday Shopping Spree !!
















Hot off the presses, here are some of the details for this year's $500 Holiday Shopping Spree...

  • Listen to 103.1 FM, WCSJ for a list of businesses where you can sign up for the grand prize.
  • Filling out forms at those businesses also qualifies you for various prizes from those sponsors that will be given away daily starting 12/08.
  • Prizes can also be won by participating in our Holiday Gift Guide Trivia Contest. Gift Guides are available this week. Answer the questions we ask live on WCSJ by giving us the answer and page number you found it on inside your Gift Guide. Entry forms for the $500 Shopping Spree are in those guides as well. Trivia starts 11/28.
  • The grand prize drawing will be 12/18 at 6:50am on both 103.1 FM and 95.7 FM.
  • You'll have 15 minutes to call in and claim your prize. We'll draw a new name every 15 minutes until we get a winner.

Complete rules are at the station. Keep listening -- always a good rule of thumb -- for more details, and good luck!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Thanksgiving

I want to hear from you ! What are your Thanksgiving traditions...Do you have any ? Are you beginning a new one this year ?

Whatever the case, just click on the "comments" below and a pop up window will allow you to let me know what you're planning for Thanksgiving...I'll share some of these on the air on Thursday morning !


Brainbuster Question of the day for Tue, Nov. 25th '08

Q: Which country's flag contains a red and blue ying-yang symbol in the center of a white field?























A: SOUTH KOREA

Monday, November 24, 2008

Brainbuster Question of the day for Mon, Nov 24th '08

Q: This person immigrated without money from Scotland to the United States in the mid 19th century. He made millions in the U.S. steel industry, and gave away most of the proceeds to educational, cultural, and peace-making organizations. Who was he?





A: ANDREW CARNEGIE
Free public libraries in many cities and to the establishment of Carnegie Hall.

Good Monday morning.....

Hiya gang --

Hope your Monday's off to a good start ! More to come soon......

Friday, November 21, 2008

Brainbuster question for Fri, November 21st '08

Q: This film's title included the name of the largest island in the Florida Keys. Name the film and two of the main stars of this film.



OR:





A: KEY LARGO / HUMPHREY BOGART / LAUREN BACALL / EDWARD G. ROBINSON

Behind The Scenes

How 'bout a little story about this morning's 6:20 am weather with Mike Spiel ?? For those of you tuned in and wondering what went wrong, when the conversation abruptly ended...I have had to rely on a "walkman" type radio to monitor the station with over the past couple of days. As I was talking to spiel the batteries went dead in the walkman...could no longer hear him !!

That's it ! Nothing more than that.

Sensational 70's tune for Friday, November 21st, '08

Today's choice for the Sensational 70's tune was by Joe Tex, "Ain't gonna bump no more (with no big fat woman)"

Yes, kiddies, there was a time before political correctness, 1977 was it ! Need more proof??




This was from the Grammy Awards show in 1977 !!
Go figure ! (no pun intended)

Wanna suggest a song for the Sensational 70's segment, post it in a comment or email me !

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Brainbuster Question for Thursday, November 20th '08

Q: Name a Shakespearean play containing TWO people's names in the title.





A: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA // ROMEO AND JULIET / TROILUS AND CRESSIDA // TWO GENTLEMEN FROM VERONA (most likely not Verona Illinois !!)

Hello & Welcome !!

Hi everybody !! It's your buddy and pal Kev, heard mornings on 103.1 WCSJ ! Welcome to my little corner of the internet...this is gonna be fun and hopefully it will be as fun for you as it is for me. After many of you have asked about the station having a spot on the internet, here it is !! (With more to come in a little while, more on that later!!)

This will be a forum for you to enjoy many of the things that you hear about on WCSJ as well as an opportunity for you to be interactive with us here at the station.

The question I get asked the most about is the brainbuster question of the day. Many of you have asked me if there is a place on the net where you can find the answer to that morning's question...So that's how I'll get this started !

Let's have some fun with this !!

Later,
Kev