Re-Connecting

-I've returned. Sorry for the absence. It all started with vacation...then trying to catch up with work after vacation...and then simply getting out of the habit of writing. For those who have written to say you wanted fresh material...Thanks for visiting...and here ya go!

-Speaking of vacation, Barb and I got together with sons Ian and Stewart in Colorado in August and it was a great time. Some of the sights we saw during our time there were amazing. Ian has chosen a spectacular area in which to live. I wouldn't want the weather he will have between now and the end of April though. Photo by Barb (Flat Tops Wilderness Area)

-Update on our "Actor Guy". Stewart..stage name Stewart W. Calhoun... is in the final days of rehearsals for his role in the world premier of How Cissy Grew, a new piece from playwright Susan Johnston. It's Stew's third major stage show since re-locating to L.A. in '07. This one is different in that the cast contains actors who are already stars. James Denton of Desperate Housewives and his wife Erin J. O'Brien are the leads in the show. Denton talks about the show in this interview with Entertainment Tonight. Stewart is joined by Liz Vital in supporting roles. The play opens with a red-carpet extravaganza this Saturday (10/18) at the El Portal Forum theater in North Hollywood. Many of Tinseltown's top names (performers, directors, producers etc.) are expected to be on hand. Very exciting times for the kid from Millstadt. Details on all this at Stew's website.

-Update on "Colorado Guy". Oldest son Ian has made a right-turn in his life. He announced to the folks back home a few weeks back that he has decided to dedicate himself to the teaching profession from here on. In fact, he's already teaching at Battle Mountain High School near Vail. He indicates that he's excited and happy at his new post and looks forward to gaining full teaching certification through a Colorado program that allows one to gain it while being on the job. The folks are happy that he's "settling in" to what appears to be a very rewarding part of his life.

-Catching up on sports--

• I'm excited about the Blues prospects for '08-'09. No, I'm not saying they're going to win The Cup...but I am excited about the make-up of the roster with the young kids (Oshie, Berglund, Pietrangelo) playing a prominent role. Like all Blues fans, I can only shake my head at the bad luck the team continues to suffer. Erik Johnson blowing out a knee while driving a golf cart?? Holy mackerel...what other team in pro sports has had more whacky things like this happen to them over the years? Anyway, the veterans appear to be re-energized and the youngsters seem to have injected a new life into the roster. If we keep adding key players over the next year or two...look out.
• The Albert Pujols surgery appears to be a "comfort thing" and did not address the torn tendon. We'll still be worried about that. Especially if he doesn't have the pain to remind him that he's throwing with a bad elbow.
• The Rams, as we expected, are a bit better than their 0-4 start. With Sunday's win at Washington, it proves to me that they had tanked for Scott Linehan. This bunch likely won't win more than 2 or 3 more games this season. But you have to be happy for Jim Haslett that he was at least able to get that win in his first try. And, by the way, do the Rams have a team psychologist that might consult with Richie Incognito on a regular basis?
• I wrote here a few months ago that I was surprized that no major league organization had picked up Gateway Grizzlies catcher Charlie Lisk. He was hitting for average and power..and was an excellent receiver/thrower behind the plate. Well, the Detroit Tigers caught notice and his contract was picked up by them yesterday. Good luck to Charlie in making the climb through the Tigers minor-leagues.

-As to the Presidential race... It appears that unless Barack Obama makes some sort of uncharacteristic major speaking gaffe between now and November 4, he will be our next President. The polls just don't lie...that much. Although, I read the other day that some pollsters are worried that the polls don't reflect certain groups (cell-phone only households, whites who won't admit racist tendencies etc.) But, unless John McCain pulls some kind of rabbit out of his fedora soon, Obama-Biden appears to be the next team in charge. But an extended run of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin would have been fun.

-If you're like me, you don't fully understand the current economic meltdown, bailout and re-structuring. I don't know if anyone who doesn't work with these economic equations on a full-time basis can. It seems...at least temporarily...that the folks in charge have gotten something of a handle on the worst of it. But most experts that I've read feel that there's a long way to go to fix the original problems that created the situation in the first place. I guess the question I come back to is.."Is capitalism really capitalism when the government has to play such a large role in oversight and, in this case, ownership?" I suppose the economics professors all over the world are having fun with this one.

-I've been gratified by the reaction I've gotten to hosting Total Information AM-Weekend on KMOX. The show is one of the most highly-rated in St. Louis radio in comparison to it's competition in those dayparts. It seems everywhere I go someone mentions to me that they are listening, or heard something we've broadcast. That's when being on the radio is both fun and rewarding. Working with co-host Maria Keena has been great as well. She's a strong news-oriented broadaster with a great voice, and is fun to be around.

Come back again soon. I'll try to be more regular with updates.