Issam Awad

I saw the coolest web videos the other day.
This amazing doctor named Dr. Issam Awad has this website where you can actually see video's of his surgery. Since he is a brain surgeon, you can only imagine how amazing this is.
Check out the Dr. Issam Awad website: http://www.issamawad.com

Down 50 Pounds

It's been a while since my last post.. a long while.
The reason for the long delay has been my recent mega visits to local and regional hospitals.
For some reason, unknown to doctors, I have lost over 50 pounds. I have dieted, excersised, or anything. Mind you, many people would just love to loose 50 pounds, and I can't deny that I could have easily lost about 20 pounds worth of Italian Beef sandwiches and Large Fries. Unfortunately, my weight loss wasn't the good kind.

Along with the weightloss came a back ache. At first it was minor, similiar to bad posture or from riding the harley all day. Then it got worse, a lot worse. In fact, it got so bad that I ended up in the emergancy room.

The pain continued 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It didn't matter what position I was in or what I was doing. It always hurt... Bad.

Eventually, the pain was crippling. The doctors did their expensive tests, CT scans, X-Rays, all with no result. Months went by and who knows how many thousands of dollars.

Finally, as a last attempt to at least relieve my pain, I was sent to a pain specialist. He was very concerned about my weightloss, no doubt because I resembled an anorexic etheopian. The good news was he had a treatment that "might help, might not, might only work for a week, might work for a month, might fix it". Not exactly promissing words from a specialist, however at this point I was more than ready to try anything.

So, I laid on the operating table under an x-ray machine. The doctor took out these needles that had to be 8 inches long and proceeded to stick them into my spine. Wow! That was just a little intense. I could actually watch that long dagger penetrating my skin and going into my spine by viewing the X-Ray monitor.

Well, today I feel much better. The procedure took longer than they said it would, however eventually it did numb the pain. Heck, I have even gained 3 pounds, bringing my weight up to a whopping 163 pounds. I'm huge!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
Right now I'm sitting in the WLUP control room. MY stomach full of excellent turkey and way too many cans of classic coke.
Life's good.
I guess that if you have to work on a holiday, playing great rock for all of Chicago is not so bad. Not so bad at all.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

The Countdown to 40

On November 19th, believe it or not, I’m going to turn 40. 40! Man, that’s crazy. 40. Just the sound of it makes my kidneys hurt. 40. I guess I’ll finally have an age appropriate for my hair color. Only 19 days until I’m 40. The countdown has begun.

I use to think that turning 40 was a lot like dying. It seemed to me that when somebody would turn 40 that they have surrendered their dreams and were all pretty much just working for the man. You know what I mean; being 40 was a lot like having nothing to look forward too, at least that’s what I use to think.

As I sit here starring down the barrel of this landmark event I realize how mistaken I really was. I have so much going on over the next few months that it would be impossible for me to even suggest that I had nothing to look forward too. I have opportunities coming out of the woodwork every day. New avenues are opening up for my career, my music, my comedy productions, so much so that I hardly have the time to keep up with it all. There is truly nothing about my life that is settling down.

So, in 19 days I’ll turn 40. There won’t be any big parties or crazy gag gifts. I’m not going to run out and join a gym, although I probably should. The news paper won’t print the headline “Oh My God, He Made it to 40!” The reality of this situation is that I will most likely go to dinner with my wife and maybe catch a movie. My daughters will call and tell me about their latest boyfriend at school while my mother denies the whole event as a bureaucratic mistake regarding my birth date. She’s been 29 forever. Some of my friends will call and chuckle as they remark about why they thought I would never have made it, sighting specific examples from my past that I would rather not remember. At the end of the day I’ll chew up a handful of Rolaids, stair at my head full of grey hair, hang my wedding band on my Harley Davidson watch stand, and climb into bed.

Being 40 isn’t really so bad, it just stings a little when you say it.

Congratulations Chicago White Sox! World Series Champions 2005!

What a series! What a team!

Congratulations to the Chicago White Sox!

World Series Champions, October 26th, 2005

88 Years later, and a 1-0 victory against the Houston Astros has ignited one of the wildest celebrations this town has ever seen, as the Chicago White Sox proudly claim their first World Series title since 1917.

Thanks guys! Thank you very much!

Xbox 360 and Xbox Game Review

I’m very pleased to announce my latest website http://xbox-game-review.com/.

Thanks to some great search engine positions, listed as #3 on Yahoo for Xbox Game Review, and high subscription rates, I have decided to take my Xbox 360 and Xbox Game Review Blog to the next level.

The new website features all of the same great Xbox game reviews, hints, cheats, and walk-throughs, plus many more features. Bob Narleys Xbox 360 and Xbox Game Review has all of the latest Xbox news from around the globe, updated automatically every hour. Along with the usual news and tips, we have a forum where members are encouraged to share their tips and reviews.

If your an Xbox fan, I hope that you will join us at http://xbox-game-review.com/ and help make it one of the largest free resources for Xbox Game Reviews for the Xbox and the Xbox 360.

Johnny B. Back on The Loop

JOHNNY B. BACK ON THE LOOP
Brandmeier Morning Show to return to Chicago on WLUP

Jonathon Brandmeier is returning to the station and show he is synonymous with, Mornings on The Loop (WLUP 97.9FM). “Johnny B.” was previously heard on WLUP from 1983-1997.

Brandmeier has received multiple awards, including Radio’s highest honor; the Marconi Award for Major Market Air Personality of the Year from the National Association of Broadcasters. He is also the recipient of several Billboard Magazine Radio Personality Awards and was named one of Talker Magazine’s “100 Most Important Radio Hosts in America.” Locally he was consistently voted as a favorite in numerous reader polls.

WLUP Vice-President/General Manager Marv Nyren commented, “When Emmis assumed ownership of WLUP late last year, job one was to recruit a morning show that would return The Loop to prominence. After considering well over 500 personalities from across the country, we went the route Loop listeners led us to in the first place and brought Johnny B. back.”

WLUP Program Director Tim Dukes added, “The Loop” hasn’t been “The Loop” since Johnny left. He is the single most important Chicago air personality in the last 20 years and we’re ecstatic to have him back home again.”

Brandmeier will make his return within 2 weeks on The Loop, with a newly assembled morning team, and be heard Monday through Friday 6a-10a. A follow-up release will be sent once an exact start date has been determined.

31 Years of Guitar

I was taking a survey today for Fender. I guess I’m on their list for some reason. Anyways, as they are asking all these questions about what guitars I own, and what I think of their brand, they asked how long I had been playing guitar. So, in my head I quickly put 24 years, thinking “wow, I’ve been playing a long time”.

The next questions were a little redundant, “How old where you when you started playing guitar?” I squinted my eyes and started doing the math. Well, I was in 4th grade, I was 17 when I graduated high school.. so… ah.. mmm.. 9! I was 9.

Wait a minute, if I was 9, then… Brain starts to fizzle, smoke, squeaks, a few pops.

Holy shit! I’ve been playing guitar for 31 years! Wow, that’s a long time.

For some odd reason, in my head I’ve been playing for only 24 years. I think that is because the last time I sat down and counted how long I have been playing, that’s how long I had been playing. I’m such a dork sometimes. O.k. maybe most of the time.

31 years as a guitarist. I feel like I missed an anniversary or something. Shouldn’t somebody send me a watch or something?

I guess the truth is, after 20 years it all kinds of blends together.

I can remember my parents taking me into Consolidated Music of Barrington to get a musical instrument. At the time, I didn’t even want a guitar. I thought they were ugly and I hated the fact that everybody in the world seemed to play guitar. I wanted a trumpet. I had seen Dizzy Gillespie play and I liked the way his cheeks puffed out. My music teacher at St. Anne’s was best friends with Doc Watson, and Doc had stopped by to meet the class one day. I was like, “Man, I want to do that!”

Needless to say, I was really bummed when my parents started talking to the sales person about a “cheap guitar’. They picked up some small sized acoustic guitar and the sales girl showed me a C Chord. My parents paid $35 and the store threw in a plastic bag to carry it around in. I hated it. What did I know; I was just a stupid cocky 9 year-old.

I went to 3 lessons at the store and was really frustrated that they would only teach me 3 notes a week. I thought it was some scam to drag out the boring process. I told my parents what I thought, and I’m sure they thought “See, I told you he wasn’t going to stick with it”. So I quit lessons and instead of paying for my last lesson I bought a John Denver song book. John Denver!?!?!?! Wow.

So, I began teaching myself how to play. The song book had all the basic chords listed in the front with pictures on how to play them. My mom had taught me to read music years before, so I quickly put it all together. Within a day I was playing songs.

That was 31 years ago. Learning guitar was probably the smartest move I ever made. Even when I was broke and bored I could always pick up my trusty guitar and play some music for entertainment. Playing the guitar has opened so many doors for me over the years I couldn’t even begin to list them all. I’ve played concerts with Korn and Joe Satriani, and walked out on stage to crowds of over 15,000 people. What more can you ask for? I guess I owe my mom yet another apology, and a serious thank you.

Every year I pick up a new instrument and begin the process of teaching myself how to play. Some I pick up right away and get pretty good quick, others I suck at no matter how long it takes, like the Violin, I suck at it. My theory is, time keeps going by and before I know it I’ll be writing down, “wow, I can’t believe I have been playing Violin for 10 years”.

Take some advice. Learn to play an instrument. If you have kids, start them on lessons right now. It’s one of those rare gifts that pays off for a whole lifetime.