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O.J. Simpson was “acquitted”. The word “acquitted” doesn’t mean “not guilty”. There is a legal difference. Michael Jackson, a writer tells me, was “acquitted” twice. Then he went on TV and chatted about sleeping in the same beds with little boys. This is a man who wasn’t unfamiliar with social mores. He understood clearly how his behavior would be viewed. His callousness is evidenced in the video of the man hanging one of his infant children over a balcony in Berlin. Had he been a poor man, Jackson would’ve been imprisoned and segregated for his own protection from other inmates. Last night a Washington Post columnist wrote Jackson benefited from the dawn of the music video and the tight production of Quincy Jones. When the video fad waned so did Jackson’s career.

Now, earlier I stated Ed McMahon was a role model. He left a budding broadcast career to return to the Marine Corp and dodged flack over North career on 85 distinct occasions. Ed McMahon was a great man. His TV obituaries reduced him to some sad clown guffawing at Johnny Carson’s jokes. For the record, Carson flew no missions over North Korea.

I’m also hearing comparisons between Jackson and Elvis Presley. The latter walked away from his career when it was at its peak and gave his country two years in the Army. Then he returned and had two distinct and successful careers before dying.

In an earlier note I mentioned I live a short drive from Dover Air Force Base. It houses a mortuary where fallen heroes come home for the last time. It was recently in the news as mainstream news media demanded they be given access to some very private family (relatives and military family) moments. Partial access was granted; the media showed up for a couple of days and then vanished. Most of the young men and women come home from their final battles and their names are rarely remembered beyond some urban neighborhood or small Nebraska town. Some came from hardscrabble backgrounds even more trying than anything the wealthy Mister Jackson endured. Yet they didn’t complain, they instead put on uniforms and sought more hardship. Past generations of Americans were almost wholly that way, taking depression in stride and then still offering to do a duty for their country.

There are no apologies I’ll make about my feelings for Michael Jackson. He was a media creation. The current media frenzy tells us a great deal about where we’re headed culturally and why there is so little hope for the future. Jackson could dance, sing and fellow a choreographer’s directions. Apparently far better than most people but what does he leave us culturally? The circus has left town and perhaps we need to take stock of what it really means to be an idol. A hero, for a much better description, and next week a large plane will land at Dover. Then how will you define greatness?

I’ve read comments at Facebook from cousins and old friends calling me a monster for suggesting Jackson was anything less than a demigod. He was just a man given great gifts, which then were squandered for some inexplicable reason. He’ll deal now with God as the rest of us will. Alone, carrying nothing from the temporal world.

For the first time in 30 years I’m chemical free.  Aside, that is, from whatever is injected into the food I’m eating.  Nine days ago I gave up coffee.  I did this last summer for six weeks.  I did it for a diet but I continued sipping “diet” soda pop.  For the last 9 days I’ve had no coffee, cigarettes, alcohol or soft drinks.  I’ve given up many of these things individually since I graduated high school.  I’ve given up some in combination.  At no time over three decades have I sacrificed all of them.  Until 9 days ago. 

I’m guessing there are a great many coffee drinkers thinking caffeine is an easy drug to break away from.  Let me tell you something, giving up beer is easy.  You just stop.  Giving up tobacco required me to spend a couple of days ten years ago battling lightheadedness, which in some ways was kind of cool.  Soda pop is also something you just stop buying.  Caffeine is another matter.  Holy, mackerel, there were headaches last week and moments about 2:00 P.M. when I wanted to put my head on my desk and sleep.  This wouldn’t be a problem but it happened when I was preparing for a 4 hour long show set to begin at 3:00 P.M.  A show I yawned through for several days.  Thank the Lord it isn’t TV.  I let loose with a yawn Monday afternoon on a couple of occasions when I had 2 guests in-studio but those were the last on-air yawns.  Then I came home and slept for 10 hours. 

Water consumption is also at an all time high.  I’m not one for buying bottled water when I can pour a glass from the tap, however.  At Super Giant I found a raspberry-lime seltzer called “Zazz” and watching a hockey game the other night I drank a quart of seltzer.  Sunday I mowed the redhead’s lawn and when I finished there was a big glass of iced seltzer on the picnic table, which I had downed in a couple of minutes.  She discovered it was sold in cans by the case at a greatly reduced price, on the bottom shelf in the beverage aisle, where apparently I hadn’t looked. 

This morning I got out of bed straight up at 7:30 and believed I had to offer a testimonial.  I feel wonderful and I’ve lost 4 pounds over the last week and one half.  And just think, only another 76 to go! 

None of this would’ve come about until the day the redhead had a long talk with me about getting back in shape.  She saw an old photograph of me standing along a railing with the field behind me at what used to be called Rich Stadium.  She thought I had a Tom Selleck look! 

My last caffeine came one week ago this past Monday.  My employer sponsored a sports banquet at the country club next door and I sipped two cups of delicious coffee during dinner.  We were at a table with some folks from work and when the keynote speaker launched into his remarks the redhead and a coworker’s girlfriend left the room, went outside and smoked.  When they came back to the table I pointed out I had pressed for a trade.  I take up clean living and the redhead would quit tobacco, which she washes down with liberal amounts of coffee.  What was her response?  She didn’t ask me to go on a hunger strike.

Remember our prime responsibility.  Take care of self, set an example and then go out and save the world.

Susan Boyle is God’s messenger.

A writer at the Boston Globe named Paulson asks us why Boyle has touched so many people around the planet.  He admits to his worries about the demise of his paper but is transfixed by the You Tube video of Boyle singing on television.  M. Paulson quotes theologians and wants your thoughts on why Boyle is important to all of us. 

The theologians have it right but I’ll go beyond.  Boyle is God’s message.  She has lived quietly and unassumingly for almost 50 years in Scotland in preparation for our times.  The Globe writer fears for his job.  There are food riots around the world.  The Chinese have eaten our lunch.  Newsweek charges Americans have given up on God. 

Then comes a humble Scot and we are moved from our self pity and shaken by the voice.  By Friday I stumbled across a ten year old recording of Boyle singing.  Tears formed in my eyes. 

Boyle’s voice is God telling us, “Be not afraid”. 

Beth Cayhall, is competing for a spot to open for Little Big Town (fantastic modern country band). The deadline to vote for her is this Friday, Feb. 27th She is currently at number eight, but needs your votes to help her fly to the top!!! (Vote now - and vote often!!)

For those who don’t know - or haven’t heard her music occasionally on the Dan Gaffney Show - Beth is a country singer, but also a local girl - and daughter to State Representative Gerald Hocker.

http://eventful.com/littlebigtown

Since arriving on Delmarva almost 15 months ago I’ve often been reminded of regional differences. For instance where I come from we speak English and you only think you do. Back in the highlands people live in homes and here people live in humes. You drive cars and we drive kurrs. You drink wawder and we drink wodder.

Some drunken wife beaters refer to me as a New Yorker and this is technically correct. I was born in the southwestern part of the state, which is the northern spine of the Appalachian range. The Alleghenies, if you will. New York City was an 8 hour drive. Cleveland, Toronto and Pittsburgh were just 3 hours at a steady clip. The closest city of any consequence was Buffalo, an hour or so to the north. Why of any consequence when it’s known for just three things? Snow, disappointing sports franchises and chicken wings. Snow can’t be exported unless on the back of an Alberta Clipper. The Bills can be exported to Toronto but we aren’t sure it’s going to be successful transplant surgery. The history of chicken wings is unique. Birthed at The Anchor Bar in 1964 this snack has conquered much of the world. With the exception, it appears, of Delmarva. You lack for any consistent efforts at pizza but we’ll leave that for another day.

This is just as much a restaurant review as it’s a chicken wing review.

Let me say that the folks at Uncle Willie’s make great fried chicken. I didn’t expect this as I thought of it only as a place for gassing up and buying a newspaper. The staff at Uncle Willie’s uses the same method for wings, however. It’s fried chicken in the shape of a chicken wing. If you want them hot you get a packet of deli hot sauce to tear open and barely cover your wings. Nothing special about prepackaged hot sauce and while I’m saying this I should note traditional chicken wings aren’t breaded. If I want breaded chicken I’ll buy Banquet at Food Lion and heat it in my oven at hume.

A good chicken wing isn’t breaded and while it requires more than a thumbnail measurement of hot sauce the wings shouldn’t be swimming in sauce soup. Sauce soup is my experience at Grotto. On Sundays Grotto offers a wing special during football games. Last year it was 5 dollars per order. While you can’t beat the price and the atmosphere of the joint is friendly let me argue good wings aren’t pulled from chicks. Good wings come from grown animals and while eating require the use of both hands. An order of wings is also one dozen and not ten or less. It isn’t a special if the wings are downsized. It’s also not a special if I can’t order it at a table while watching the Bills. Philadelphia fans have their own special foods. For Buffalo fans there are just two choices, wings or beef-on-weck. Recently I discovered you can’t order the wing special unless you’re at the bar. The restaurant has a dozen or so TVs but at the bar you get Eagles, Redskins or Ravens. At least those are the limits at the Long Neck location. So the offer should read wings on special only if you like Philly, Washington or Baltimore.

Good wings are meaty. When you bite into them the meat is white. Pink meat is meat somebody hasn’t fully cooked. Good chicken wings are crispy and the sauce is thick but adheres to the skin of the chicken. Wings may be barbecued but this is just an option for children. Many years ago I went into a restaurant and ordered some wings while watching a baseball game. I asked for them hot. The owner came out and explained he had his own recipe for garlic wings. Henry Ford once said you could get a Model T in any color as long as it was black. Buick countered with blue and green and yellow and Henry learned quickly about customer service. I ate the garlic wings. Then the owner wanted to know what I thought about his artistic creation. “If you’re planning on reinventing the wheel best to keep it round”, I replied. He wasn’t happy. He wasn’t alone.

A fellow telephoned my show a couple of weeks ago and told me I could watch the Bills at a bar at Peddler’s Village. So on Sunday I dropped in. The specials include chili and some tiny cheeseburgers. An order of wings will set you back 9 bucks. I counted 7 in my bowl. Then I had to ask for blue cheese. You don’t have blue cheese and you don’t have a chicken wing eating experience. The wings came plain but I was given a bottle of sauce I could sprinkle across them. Aw, Shucks, J.D., I’m not coming back.

Lately you’ve seen these chain restaurants opening in various neighborhoods and claiming to specialize in wings. The wings are meaty, well-cooked and the sauce clings to the skin. A few years ago I read where some restaurant chain bought wings at The Anchor Bar and spirited the order off to a lab for analysis, then copied the sauce. The Chinese do this with manufacturing technology. Some folks call it patent infringement. Others simply call it theft. I don’t like thieves.

Old Dom’ at The Anchor Bar intended wings to be finger food. Like popcorn or peanuts or even as I once found at a bar in Auburn, New York, smelt. In the beginning of the wing era there was no extra charge. The wings brought in the working men who then bought drinks. Some folks in these parts don’t have a clue.

 

 Jared Morris Radio Show Video 10/10/08: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

BLOG: Today Listener Stacy called me and said, “Did you see the story about the “Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo” doll that’s speaking an islamic message? I said, “No.” But, I had an open ear.. She played me the sound of the doll over the phone and she said, “It just gives me the creeps.”

There have been several stories written now about how this doll supposedly says “Islam Is The Light” — Well, Stacy brought the doll to our studios at WGMD and we decided to give it a test over the air. Overwhelmingly, WGMD Listeners say that this doll does say “Islam Is The Light” — Check out the video here and on your youtube site www.youtube.com/WGMD927

 

 Podcast Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The first record I ever owned was Weird Al’s “Eat It” — My Uncle Randy sat on it the first day that I got it.. Christmas 1983.. I’ve continued to listen to Al and I even play his music on the air at times.. For the first time in his career Al has released a song that is a parody of a song still topping the charts, a song called “Whatever You Like” by TI — (I should disclose, that until today, I’d never heard the original song) — However, even though this song is funny as most of Al’s hits are.. It’s also sort of sad..

Weird Al In Wildwood, NJ 2007

It starts out with the line, “Hey Girl, Even though our economy is in the toilet, I’m still gonna treat you right” — then he goes on to tell the girl in the song that he’ll take her to Burger King and serve her Ramen Noodles… “Whatever You Like” — maybe this song hits too close to home.. As one commenter on iTunes writes: “I do find it difficult to laugh at how Yankovic predicts America’s, and perhaps my own, spending habits will decrease as the result of the economy.”

I say Kudos to Al, however, for writing a song topical and pertinent to what’s directly going on today, and still being as funny as ever.

For iTunes users, the song was released on iTunes yesterday and can be purchased at the following URL for 99 cents…

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=292862894&s=143441

Youtube users can hear the song on youtube here… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRVi0paZlfI

Tijuana Taxi is now sponsoring the 8:30 am news on WGMD.   After years in downtown Rehoboth Beach, the restaurant has moved to Rt. 1 Lewes, in the Tenley Court Shopping Center.  I visited on Tuesday and found “build your own nachos” for only 4.50!!!  What a great deal!  Here is my concoction with spicy chicken, white bean salsa, olives, and other goodies.

I’m a sucker for Key Lime Pie and the Taxi delivered a surprise with a truly home made version, with strong lime flavor, and a heavy crust.  Much better than the too light and fluffy version that seems the norm in most area restaurants.

Wednesday it’s half price fajitas!  Hungry?  Try the Taxi today!

Hello all!

First off thank you to everyone who posted and has made me feel welcome….yes, even you momma.

So this entire week I have been in gaming nerd heaven. There was a convention held in LA called the E3 Convention. All week, the big gaming companies like Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony showed people what they can expect for the upcoming year with new games, updates to the consoles and demos of games. As I sat back and watched all the new game demos and trailers, and interviews, I was in amazement about how far we have come. I remember as a child my parents had a old computer called a Commodore 64. There was a game that I used to be obsessed about called Wizard. it was a simple 8-bit game filled with dungeons and puzzles and over 100 levels to have a ball with. The fact that I can remember certain levels is amazing, but the fact that now I am playing games where I am in whole other worlds, I am someone else, with graphics that make me think I am looking at real time, not a game is amazing. I know that games have had a bad rap these past few years. I was waiting in line with my boyfriend at midnight to get the new Grand Theft Auto IV game. Talk about a game that has gotten a lot of publicity, both good and bad. But that topic is for a whooooooole other blog when I feel like being on a soapbox.

As I sit and think about how technology has come so far, I also think about how the criticism has gotten harder as well. But I also think about how maybe 80 years ago, movies were going through the same kind of criticism, and actually sometimes they still have a hard time. I think that everything has to go through the paces. While right now people have problems with the gaming industry, there will be something else in the future that takes the heat off of the industry. It’s the circle of life baby.

The fact of the matter is, the gaming industry is here to stay. During Microsoft’s conference there was a fact that I found very interesting. More people buy games than anything else. More than DVD’s or music, right now games are “the king of the world”. Instead of a family sitting around the dinner table playing Monopoly, they are all sitting on the couch playing a game of bowling using the Wii. We are evolving every year. Sometimes I wonder if the Parker Brothers would approve or not, but the fact of the matter is, while you may disagree with some games, you cannot deny that they are beginning to bring families together. Instead of Mom and Pop thinking that a kid who loves video games is a kid heading for trouble, now you are seeing more parents trying to understand where the kids are coming from. And trust me, kids are dying for you to be involved and understand.

Another piece of information I found interesting was the fact that the ratio of men who buy gaming systems or games is almost even now with women. 52% of men vs. 48% of women. I am proud to say that I am one of those people. I know that my boyfriend who is also an avid game player enjoys the fact that he can sit down and play a game and I will happily watch him or play along as well. As a matter of fact, I am considering buying a Nintendo DS to add to our growing collection of gaming consoles (between the two of us we have 3 so far).

At the end of the day, video games have made such an impact on my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I will always have the memories of playing Wizard with my sister and friends, of playing Decent with my Father and Frogger with my mother, of how Super Mario helped me survive my first semester of college, and how some of the happiest memories of me and my boyfriend has been playing some kind of game just laughing and having a great time being together. The E3 convention makes me think of this every year, of how far we have come technology wise and how far gaming has come with me and the memories I have made in my life.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. Until the next blog, take care!

Happy Birthday America!

Check this out - Flag Jumper

sent to WGMD by Irv & Edie Blackburn!!