Huh? What's Up With That?

  in the air...                                                          My wife's Jazzercise group is often entertained by someone identified with a particular day or holiday.  Such was the case last August 16th when the franchise owner brought in a tribute artist to commemorate the death of the King of Rock and Roll.     Retired UPS pilot, Captain Gary Katz, 64, played the role of the man from Memphis.       This interview was conducted several weeks prior to the fatal UPS crash at Louisville's airport earlier this month.   Gary, my wife said you did a great job.   Thanks.  We had a good time.   Tell me about yourself.  Do you have a significant other?   I do , he said.  My wife and I will have been married 40 years next year.  We have two kids, a boy and a...

  oddities, observations, & ?'s...#16                       Most of this post was written last June.  Health issues prevented me from gathering content, researching and writing.  I am grateful to be pounding the keyboard to finish this post and for future publications.    A tribute to the most talented man I ever worked with in my radio career.  Gary Burbank passed away at the age of 84.  He was Earl Pitts, Eunice and Berniece, and, so many other rich and colorful characters.  He was a husband and a father.  He was memorable.   Brevard County, Florida, Sheriff, Wayne Ivey, held a press conference in Florida prior to President Donald Trump's military parade which was held in the nation's capitol last Father's Day.  In his speech, the peace officer warned protesters that anyone who threw a brick or any other object while protesting the parade would be ... shot graveyar...

more pos..#11                                                                                            When I think of retired folks, I am inclined to defer to those pretty much like myself....people who worked for decades and stepped down at their discretion.      I haven't dwelled on those with disabilities and sometimes overlook those who retired out of necessity.   John Wells, 77, is a Vietnam Veteran who has had his share of health issues all related to his time in the service.   I have Parkinson's Disease, he told me.  It is associated with Camp Lejeune when I was going through school down there for field medical training.  Then, I spent a year in Vietnam and was in contact with Agent Orange.     ...

tv repairs?...                                                                                 RCA, Zenith, Admiral, Crosley, Westinghouse, Philco , Motorola and others   were all television manufacturers in the days following the medium's introduction at the New York World's Fair in 1939.     Today, of that group, only RCA and Motorola produce   televisions.  Other companies like LG and Sony have taken the place of the original companies, and, in some cases, the old brands have melded into today's offerings such as Zenith becoming LG .   Donny Koch, 78, has been in the television repair business in Louisville, Kentucky for over 60 years.   My dad and his brother opened Clarksdale TV Repair back in 1938, he told me.  They started repai...

job$ somebody's gotta do...                        job$ somebody's gotta do  is a tribute to the late Indianapolis broadcaster,  Jim Gerard,  and his radio feature,  Sounds of the City,  heard weekly on  WFBM-AM  debuting in 1962 .   The host interviewed people with jobs held by very few people, such as a jackhammer or crane operator, or, language interpreter.    Following a 12 day stay in an ICU unit last August, I came away with a profound admiration and respect for those who serve our medical needs.  I am not sure they qualify as angels 24/7, but, during their working hours they fill that role.     There were a minimum of 20 different medical staff assisting me and doing their best to keep me headed in the right direction.  RNs, respiratory therapists, a kidney doctor, heart doctor, lung doctor, ICU trained nurses, aides, and, phlebotom...

is a dog's life so bad...                                                                    By any measure, a dog's life today doesn't compare to the bare bones like existence of most four-legged critter's life 70 years ago.  We are in an age of, What can I do as a human being to make my dog's life easier .       HUH ?  What's up with that ?   Back in the day, most canines in the neighborhood, and there were many, lived in a dog house in the back yard.  Few lived in the luxury of a warm residence alongside its owners. When temperatures plummeted, Fido was brought indoors for a rare overnight stay.     An exception to that dictum were the three boxers owned over an eight year period of time by the George Family.  Ace, Blade, and, Rusty, lived indoors with us a...

  changing workforce...                    The last time the four George Brothers were seen together was at a wedding reception at Plum Creek Country Club in Indianapolis.  It was early May of this year.   Ken's daughter, Mollie, and her husband, Danny, tied the knot during a beach ceremony in Mexico last April and their reception was held a few weeks later in their hometown.   It was about an hour into the celebration when Ken drifted over to Carl, David, and me as the three of us were standing by the bar.  The bride's dad had been greeting guests but found a few minutes to chat with us.  The band had not yet begun to play.   This could have been the transcript of the conversation as we started the dialogue by complimenting our youngest brother on his part in planning the reception.     Thanks, boys.  I hope you are all having a good time at my expense ., he laughed.  As I was ...