The 24th Annual Salvation Army Radiothon is THIS Friday, February 25th from 6am to 10pm! Hear it live on WJR-AM 760 - and you can even donate now by calling 248-528-0760 or going to www.wjr.com. 
Every penny goes to the Bed and Bread feeding and sheltering program… there are no administrative fees taken out!
Thanks for supporting a cause that means so much to me!
Have a great day and I’ll see you right back here tomorrow!
- Dick
As Egyptians mark the one week anniversary of the resignaton of Hasni Mubarak with on-going celebrations in Tahrir Square, violent and deadly protests continue in Bahrain, Libya, Algeria and Iran. And while the protests that brought down Mubarek were largely peaceful, there was at least one unspeakable act of violence committed during the “celebration”. I say “unspeakable” not just because of the horrific nature of the attack, but the fact that it was “not spoken about” by the media for five long days…
I am talking of course about the brutal rape of CBS’s chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan.
Five days. That’s how long it took for the real story of what happened to make it’s way into our living rooms.
As reporters from virtually all the cable and major network news organizations continued to report on the “joyous atmosphere” of the people who believed they had taken a major step towards democracy, NO ONE, not even her own employers at “60 Minutes” mentioned Logan’s ordeal: That she had been surrounded by 200 Egyptian men, separated from her security detail & crew and brutally sexually assaulted for 20 to 30 minutes.
Even her own network’s statement said Logan was “covering the jubilation” and was attacked “amidst the celebration”.
Well that’s one party I wouldn’t want any woman I know - or don’t know for that matter - to attend.
And the public “discussion” of Logan’s story has me shaking my head. There are those who say she, “should have pulled her hair back and dressed in fatigues” ( TRANSLATION: She asked for it.) or “she had to know something like that might happen”, implying that a woman should know better than to choose an occupation that might put her in harm’s way.
Well guess what? You don’t have to be reporting from the middle of a protest or celebration to be raped. You can stay home wearing a dowdy fleece robe and slippers and be raped right there in your kitchen. A sexual assault occurs in this country every 2 minutes. It happens to girls younger than eight and women older than eighty. AND IT IS NEVER, EVER their fault.
Rape is a crime. Crimes get reported on the news. Sometimes!
In the initial “non-coverage” and then eventual “full coverage” of the Logan case, here’s another rape story that went largely unreported. This week in Bangladesh, a 14 year old girl named Hena was raped by a member of her family. Having “shamed them by being sexually attacked” she was sentenced to 100 lashes for having “sex out of wedlock”. After enduring 80 lashes, Hena died! But the main reason the story was unreported? Because in many parts of the world, this kind of crazy thing happens all the time!
*****
Those were two of the bad-news stories from this week; now for some good news about next week…
The 24th Annual 16-Hour Salvation Army Bed and Bread Club Radiothon is coming up one week from today, Friday, February 25th. It will be broadcast live from the Oakland Mall from 6am to 10pm - this year on WJR-AM 760.
This is the first time in 24 years that I won’t be hosting the event because of my retirement from radio back in March, (this year the microphones will be manned by the WJR personalities), but I have been actively involved in the planning as a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board.
This is the ONLY fundraiser the Salvation Army has to feed and shelter 5,000 men, women, and children in our area, 365 days a year.
A donation of $120 feeds one person for an entire year; $240 feeds two people for an entire year, but whatever you can afford is welcome and appreciated! And remember - no administrative costs are taken from your donation.
As you know, this cause is near and dear to my heart and your donations over the years have been remarkable to say the least. Last year we raised a total of $2.3 million dollars… and while we never set a goal, we always hope for at least a penny more! I hope that you will continue to support this most important program!
Have a great weekend and I’ll see you back here Monday…
- Dick
Charlie Sheen’s call-ins to Dan Patrick’s radio show on ESPN continue. So far this week he’s announced that he’s cured, that doing crack socially is fine (if you can handle it), and that he finds sobriety boring. And now… (drumroll please) he’s announced that he would like to be a counselor for…
Lindsay Lohan because he “knows what she’s going through”. He said he’d tell her, “Work on your impulse control, just try to think things through a little bit before you do it.”
- For instance, Charlie always counts to ten before asking for a porn star to bring him a briefcase full of cocaine.
- Is it just me or would Charlie Sheen counseling Lindsay Lohan be about as successful as hiring a blind guy to be an Air Traffic Controller?
- Lindsay was so excited about the idea she went out and stole some jewelry to celebrate!
Tiger’s first baseman Miguel Cabrera is in trouble again. He was arrested Wednesday night on charges of drunk driving and two counts of resisting an officer in St. Lucie County, Florida. The arresting officer said Cabrera grabbed a bottle of scotch and began drinking after he was pulled over. Cabrera reportedly used expletives and asked the officer, “Do you know who I am?” before being forced into the police car. He was released on $1300 bail.
- Apparently Miguel thought he was in Florida for “Spring Break” not “Spring Training”.
- The official sports term for this is, “The First Baseman is Loaded”.
Wednesday night was the final round in the “Jeopardy!” Man v. Machine tournament. The winner: Watson, the supercomputer created by IBM. Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter came in second and third, taking home $300,000 and $200,000 respectively. Watson ended up with a cool million which IBM says it will donate entirely to charity.
- While Jennings and Rutter celebrated with their families, Watson spent five hours on the phone with a guy in India.
- I’m sure Watson will be doing the talk show circuit… Maybe he’ll be able to figure out what the girls on “The View” talking over each other, are actually talking about!
- Next Up: “Dancing With The Supercomputer”
In an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan, Janet Jackson claimed that some female celebrities are so paranoid about their weight, they eat Kleenex tissue to stop their hunger pangs. She said the pressure on today’s female stars to be thin is “crazy”, but added that she doesn’t eat Kleenex.
- She eats toilet paper sandwiches instead. On a roll.
- When you think about it, eating toilet paper kind of kills two birds with one stone.
- Janet’s brother Micheal didn’t eat Kleenex, he just used it to blow his nose… right across the room.
Rolling Stone is sparking controversy with an interview with 16-year-old ‘tween idol Justin Bieber in which they pressed him to give his opinions on pre-marital sex and the Canadian vs. U.S. health care systems. For the record, he believes in love before sex and joked that America is “evil” for making people go broke paying medical expenses.
- And a lot of parents think he’s evil for making them go broke buying their little girls tickets to his concerts and “I Love The Bieb!” t-shirts.
- If you think he’s upset about health insurance now, wait ten years til he’s off his parents policy!
- If he engages in pre-marital sex, he may end up with a “Baby!” (For the fellow un-hip, Jackie told me that that’s the name of one of his most popular songs!)
In the biggest bakruptcy in the history of the book business, the Borders Book Store chain - which started in Ann Arbor - has filed for Chapter 11 protection to help restructure over $1 Billion in debt. They’ll also close up to 30% of their stores. Some customers expressed shock saying Borders is usually loaded with shoppers.
- So Chapter 11 gets protection… what about all the other Chapters in their books?
- The problem is, readers have “re-kindled” their love of books… electronically.
- A medical clinic will allegedly move into the old store in Ann Arbor… calling their practice, “Doctors Without Borders”.
RIP actor Len Lesser, best known for his role as Jerry’s shoplifting Uncle Leo on “Seinfeld”. He was 88. I thought it appropriate to say “Goodbye” by showing a clip featuring his signature “Hello!”
Have a great day and I’ll see you back here tomorrow. And remember… the 24th Annual Salvation Army Radiothon is a week from this Friday, February 25th from 6am to 10pm! Hear it live on WJR-AM 760 - and you can even donate now by calling 248-528-0760 or going to www.wjr.com.
- Dick
IBM’s supercomputer Watson trounced the two human champions in Game One of their “Jeopardy!” tournament, finishing with more than 35 thousand dollars. The two human contestants Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings ending up with $10,800 & $4800 respectively. The computer was able to figure out puns and oblique clues but wasn’t perfect. On the Final Jeopardy question, Watson’s answer was “What is Toronto?”. The category was…
“U.S. Cities”.
- I guess the computer just froze under pressure.
- It’s so unfair! The computer can just use itself to Google all the answers!
- Jeff Foxworthy has already signed-on as host of the new show, “Are You Smarter Than A Laptop”?
President Obama was giving a speech about his controversial new budget Tuesday when he experienced a “mouth malfunction”. He accidentally replaced the word “share” with “sh—”. He quickly corrected himself and moved on.
- He’s just thankful he wasn’t trying to say the word “buck”.
President Obama’s Tongue Twister
And speaking of malfunctions… Justin Bieber wowed gaggles of girls worldwide when he walked the red carpet in an all-white tux at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards. The only problem? The sixteen year old’s fly was unzipped and captured by a Grammy photographer.
- It wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t been wearing his “Spongebob” underpants.
- That’s supposed to happen when you’re 60 not 16!
The Chilean Miners have shared their experiences trapped underground in a new book. Advance excerpts in the London Sunday Times contain some shocking details previously unreported. For instance, as food dwindled, they considered cannibalism. One miner even said his friends told him they had a pot and saw ready, and he would be “breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
- Now that’s what I call a “Chile Cook-Off”!
Rescuers also smuggled drugs and porn down to the miners to help them pass the time. But their request for inflatable sex dolls was rejected because there were 33 miners and only 10 dolls could be found.
- So when it came to sex, the miners got the shaft.
- The drugs and porn were donated by that great American humanitarian Charlie Sheen!
- Couldn’t they just have shared the dolls? I mean, what guy hasn’t wanted to hit on his buddy’s girlfriend?
Health officials in New York have released a new mobile phone application to help New Yorkers find free condoms. The app is designed to locate the five nearest venues that distribute official NYC Condoms in jazzy wrappers printed with colorful subway maps or other city themes. It provides directions by foot, car or public transportation and also offers tips on condom usage.
- What better place to hand out free condoms than the “City That Never Sleeps”!
- In NYC, you need full latex body suits just to safely ride the subway.
- This gives a whole new meaning to “It’s UP to you… New York, New York!”
China is again under suspicion of faking the ages of it’s athletes. In the 2008 Olympics, many found it hard to believe that their female gymnasts were old enough to compete, but China produced passports allegedly proving it. Now, the AP has noticed that the birth dates of 9 Chinese figure skaters on the official Chinese Skating website don’t match the dates on their International Skating Union bios. Bottom line: some Chinese skaters might have been too old when they won junior competitions, while others might have been younger than the minimum age of 15 when they competed in the Olympics.
- Of course with Chinese Passports you look at them once, and you want to look at them again an hour later.
- The Chinese Cable News Network MS-MSG reports the charges are ridiculous.
- We should have realized they were too young when they all skated to Justin Bieber songs.
The 24th Annual Salvation Army Radiothon is coming up a week from Friday, February 25th from 6am to 10pm live from the Oakland Mall! This year the Radiothon is switching radio stations and will be heard on 760 AM, WJR, and will be hosted by the WJR personalities. I won’t be on the air, but will be working behind the scenes as a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. This Radiothon is the fundraiser to provide food and shelter to over 5000 men, women and children in Metro-Detroit, 365 days a year - no matter what the weather. I hope you’ll support it again this year, and you can do so even now by calling 248-528-0760 or going to www.wjr.com!
Thanks… Have a great day and I’ll see you back here tomorrow!
- Dick
If you were one of the unlucky ones who didn’t have a Valentine to spend last night with… there was a great alternative! The first of two nights of the 135th Annual Westminster Dog Show aired on the USA Network and CNBC live from Madison Square Garden. Nearly 2600 dogs are competing this year including 179 different breeds and varieties. But the breeds don’t include the “designer” dogs like Puggles and Labradoodles.
- No designer dogs? What a bunch of Shitzu!
The Westminster Dog Show always reminds me of one my favorite comedies… “Best In Show”. Here’s a clip of the great Fred Willard as he commentates from the sidelines of the movies fake dog show.
Last night was also a big night for men… as the cover model for the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition was revealed on the the Late Show with David Letterman. This years coveted cover went to 25-year-old Russian-born model, Irina Shayk in a tiny pink-and-yellow halter bikini. Irina said she believes being “happy and healthy on the inside shows on the outside”…
- If that’s true, she must be the happiest person on the planet!
- David Letterman immediately pronounced her “Best In Show” and offered her an internship.
After just two weeks of at-home rehab, Charlie Sheen is cured! He called the Dan Patrick radio show Monday to say that “it’s like I heal really quickly. But I unravel pretty quickly. So get me right now, guys. Bring it!”. He even showed up on the set of his show “Two and A Half Men” to start filming, but nobody was there - since execs shut down production until the end of the month. Sheen added that he finds sobriety “boring” and recently told a group of UCLA basketball players, “Don’t do crack. Drink chocolate milk”.
- Usually when Charlie say’s “Bring it” he’s referring to a briefcase full of cocaine!
- The Pope has declared Charlie’s recovery a miracle and Charlie has now taken the first step to sainthood.
- Doesn’t he know Chocolate milk can be bad for you? Too much sugar!
- Sounds like Charlie is finally ready to settle down… and start a traditional American Porn Family!
RIP jazz pianist George Shearing at 91 and one of the great comedic actors, Kenneth Mars, who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 75. He played the wooden-armed policemen in “Young Frankenstein”. Have a great day and I’ll see you right back here tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy a clip of Mars’ brilliant work! Plus some other scenes from “Young Frankenstein” which in my opinion is one of, if not the funniest movie of all time!- Dick