Hey Hey Hey

We have Bill Cosby on the show Friday AND Monday morning.

He's coming to the FM Kirby Center for two shows on April 25th and we had a chance to talk to him today. Now generally speaking when you get a celebrity on the phone it's because they're doing a "radio tour" and talking to one station after another all in one sitting. Consequently you get pretty much a tight ten minute window to get it done. I don't guess that was the case today, the radio tour thing I mean, as we recorded a thirty-five minute conversation with him and then continued chatting for another ten when the recording was done.

When I say conversation I mean it went mostly like this, "Hi Bill!" and he was off. Seven minutes later I was able to get another word or two in and he'd go again. Mostly I just laughed though I'm proud to say when we got on the subject of football and the Superbowl I got a laugh out of him! It has to do with his idea for the woodpecker football helmet.

Anyway, check out a short piece of our chat with Bill Cosby on the show Friday morning and more on Monday!

You're Out of Central Casting

I don't watch much on TV. I like "The Office", "30 Rock" is laugh out loud great and Alec Baldwin is perfect in his role.

Anything else I watch I just flip around until something catches my attention but invariably I find myself on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, the Science Channel or National Geographic TV. The clip below is from a show I watched over the weekend on NatGeo about Air Force One. It's the tail end of the program and shows then President-elect Obama earlier this month getting his first look at and his first ride on Air Force One as he flew from Chicago to Washington DC.

Security

Along with the heightened security that surrounded the President's Inauguration this past week; security in Washington that numbered upwards of 40,000 personnel, bridges closed, etc., President Obama wore a bullet-resistant suit and rode in the new Presidential limousine, a high-tech, heavily armored Cadillac dubbed "The Beast" by the Secret Service. Said to be part limo, part truck and part tank, it is essentially an armored car with five inch thick bulletproof glass and a sealed passenger compartment that protects it's occupants from chemical and nerve gas attack and that's just the things the public knows about it. Seems like an exaggerated claim but the new Presidential limo is said to be able to withstand "an asteroid strike."

And if you watched the Inauguration on TV or have ever seen a Presidential motorcade you know the entourage always includes several large, black Chevrolet Suburban or GMC vehicles. Here's the one that followed the President Tuesday and will be present in every motorcade going forward.

Relaxation

Another weekend is upon us...almost...and while we wait to catch up on a little rest and relaxation I thought I'd fill you in a little on what's going on at the radio station.

Hoover is riding high on the Steelers in the Superbowl and "Lost" is back.

Ruth is sick of the cold and sick of talking about the cold. I'm with you on that one Ruthie. Ruth also suggested a contest where we'd set up a web cam and a big clock just outside the elevator and listeners could guess what time I show up for work. (We'll do that when web cams and big clocks are free.)

I heard the words "You guys should really start at 5" in a meeting. I'd love that!

Other things heard in a meeting, Birthday Bash, March Madness, Sturges, Small Town Tour, and cleavage.

And I again asked if there wasn't some way they could put a microphone in my house and just mail the check.

January's almost over, there's the Superbowl and things will start to pick up. We're workin' on it.

President Obama

"Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

DangerBoy Goes Scenic

Rock107's DangerBoy is nearly in position on the Mall where he'll be standing for the next few hours as he awaits the swearing in of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

Another report coming up on the radio this morning from DB, our man in Washington! You can find his reports and our interview with Dr. William Parente, professor of political science at the University of Scranton, on www.rock107.com.

DangerBoy Gets Silver Ticket Access

Rock107's DangerBoy, in Washington to cover the Inauguration of Barack Obama, arrived with no press credentials and no official reason to be there whatsoever but as luck or fate would have it a silver access ticket has seemingly dropped into his lap. Don't know if this increases or decreases the chances that he'll be taken into custody. More reports on the show coming up!

DangerBoy and the Capitol

Rock107's DangerBoy has been reporting in this morning from Washington, DC, covering the Inauguration. Rock107 News Director Ruth Miller pointed out, and rightly so, that DangerBoy might be calling in from anywhere and she wanted proof. So here's DB with the Capitol Building in the background. Good enough Ruthie?

More Pics from DangerBoy in Washington

Rock107 News Director Ruth Miller says, "How do we know DangerBoy is really in Washington?" So I texted DB and told him to send a picture of a landmark.

Here's a picture of people pouring out of a Washington, DC Metro stop at the Starbucks where DangerBoy stopped to use the bathroom. I was thinking more like "the Capitol". More pics and call-ins from DangerBoy this morning.

DangerBoy Goes to Washington

Rock107's own DangerBoy is in Washington, DC this morning for the Inauguration of Barack Obama. DangerBoy, with no press credentials and no official business there whatsoever, will attempt to get as close to the action as possible before he's arrested and will be calling in throughout the morning with updates.

He's also promised to send us some pictures along the way. Here's the first, taken about 7AM. Looks cold and blue and kinda blurry in Washington this morning I think it's safe to say. Do they sell tripods for cellphone cameras?

Danger Will Robinson!

The actor/stuntman who "fit the suit" has died. Bob May just so happened to be on the studio lot one day when Irwin Allen was looking for someone to man the B9 robot from the hit 60's TV show "Lost in Space". He was able to squeeze inside and got the job. May died of congestive heart failure over the weekend, he was 69. May made the arms move and the head turn but he wasn't the voice of the robot. Dick Tufeld, who was also the announcer on "Lost in Space" as well as Irwin Allen's "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and "Time Tunnel" made the phrases "It does not compute", "Danger Will Robinson", and others famous.

And I thought you should show that if you were a fan of the show and always wanted a B9 robot to call your own (I did/do) you can buy one! Click HERE. Price tag, $24,500. I thought talking my wife into buying a motorcycle was a challenge!

I Dare Ya

Hey, have you noticed it's a little bit on the cool side out there?

It was pretty much as cold in Hammond, Indiana yesterday as it was here when a 10 year old boy was dared by a few of his 4th grade classmates to try the "stick your tongue on the frozen pipe" trick.

He managed to pull his tongue off the light pole before the ambulance arrived. The EMT's gave the kids mother instructions on how to treat a bleeding tongue.

Your Next American Idol

I don't know if Bikini Girl will be the next American Idol but Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson sure liked her well enough on last night's season premiere to send her on to Hollywood.

New judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi wasn't too impressed with Bikini Girl, real name Katrina Darrell. DioGuardi broke into song to demonstrate how the number Darrell performed was supposed to sound but Darrell came back with "Your demonstration wasn't any better than mine." Me-ow!

The usual coterie of delusional contestants also had their moment in the spotlight and to attempt to describe them here wouldn't do them justice.

Look, I know it's American Idol and people either love it or HATE it and though the ratings have slipped somewhat since it's start eight seasons ago it remains the number one television program in America. If you can't stand to watch the actual competition at least check it out for the next week or two, the auditions are a guilty pleasure.

Cookies?

Dennis Bonvie, pro hockey's most penalized player retired from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last year, his townhouse in Swoyersville is for sale, and he's taken a job as a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs but he's not leaving Wilkes-Barre for at least five years. That's how long the lease is on his new Blue Chip Gourmet cafe at University Corners, South Main and East Northampton.

Blue Chip Gourmet is an Ohio franchise that specializes in cookies, ice cream, coffee, and light menu items. Bonvie's Blue Chip Gourmet cafe's grand opening is set for St. Patrick's Day weekend!

Ya Followin' Me Camera Guy?

For completely different reasons than Flo from the Progressive Insurance commercials I am affected by Vince. The Sham-Wow guy. Not sure what it is but I think it's something about the wiseguy, fast-talking persona juxtaposed with the pictures that show Sham-Wow soaking up a liter of soda out of a rug. You know this guy's gotta be full of crap but look, that thing made the sweater dry in two seconds!

The first time I saw the Sham-Wow commercial I bought it. 19.95, you get eight. I haven't even used them. They're in the envelope they arrived in on the side of the bookcase behind me.

His name is Vince Offer. It is. He's an ex-Scientologist. He's also a writer and comedian who released a movie in 1999 called "The Underground Comedy Movie". Click on it for the details but suffice it to say it generated lawsuits and was panned. The New York Times said, "it stands as a monument to ineptitude and self-delusion."

Whatever. Looks like he's found his niche. Now he's hawking a new product, a kitchen utensil called the Slap-Chop. The commercial is pretty funny and since he's on his second go-round in the As Seen on TV arena I have to imagine Sham-Wow sold pretty well. If Vince can move some Slap-Chops he's on his way to Billy Mays/Cathy Mitchell status!

Now the Sham-Wow tagline, "You'll say wow everytime" risks being overtaken by "You're gonna be slappin' your troubles away" though I think eventually the t-shirt will either be "Stop having a boring tuna" or "You're gonna love my nuts!"

Alcohol May Have Been Involved

From my pal George. Looks like it was a pretty good party.

Russian Christmas

It's Russian Christmas Eve. Also known as Orthodox Christmas, adherents of the Julian calendar in Russia, Eastern Europe and in Orthodox churches here and around the world celebrate Christmas Day on January 7th.

My mom was of Russian descent and when we were kids we actually celebrated both Christmases. Until my Mom died seven years ago, my wife and kids and I and my brother and his wife would head to my parent's house on Russian Christmas Eve for the traditional meal heavy on fish, cabbage, pea and sauerkraut soup and assorted pierogies. While we have our December Christmas Eve celebration at our house, my brother has taken up the custom of Russian Christmas Eve and that's where we're headed tonight.

To everyone celebrating, Christos Razdajetsja! Slavite Jeho!

Thanks Santa!

The Flying Alarm Clock!

Helping Small Minds...

...Understand Big News! From www.unclejayexplains.com, here's Uncle Jay with "2008: Year in Review."

Back to Work

It was a great vacation. Didn't go anywhere or do anything besides holiday related stuff, but I just have a deep appreciation for a schedule-free existence. Don't we all?

I'm redoubling my efforts to come up with a money-making idea that'll allow me to indulge in a "nowhere to be, nothing to do" lifestyle. Even if it's just a fluke, one-time deal that brings in say, two or three million fast bucks, that's about all you'd need, right?

But until I get over the Ralph Kramden hump of knowing "what" but not "how", it's back to "work" (note microphone on chest) on Monday!