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10/17/2007 @ 8:30am PST
Wednesday Morning, October 17th! There sure are a lot of Urban Legends running around out there lately.
Among the bunch of emails I get every day, there have been some listeners lately alerting me to what turn out to be Urban Legends.
There's the one that's been surfacing again warning cell phone users to register their numbers with the national "Do Not Call" directory this month to prevent their cell phone numbers from being released to telemarketers. This isn't true! Cell phone users don't have to register their number with the national Do Not Call registry to head off telemarketing calls. Cell phone numbers have generally been excluded from printed telephone books and directory assistance services. There have been some Wireless 411 services proposed, but you will have to "opt in" to have your number included.
The other email circulating on the internet lately is the one is that the new U.S. dollar coins have been designed to omit the motto "In God We Trust." This is another Urban Legend, because the national motto is included on the new dollar coin as an edge-incused inscription, rather than the front or the back of the coin. The word "Liberty" has been left off the new dollar coins, but the Statue of Liberty is depicted.
For more info and to double check any email of this type, there's a great website you can click on here that keeps you up to date on any kind of email legends, lies, or scams. It's http://www.snopes.com/
One final note.....they say life is all about timing. Guess what I got in the mail this week? A summons for jury duty next month. That couldn't have worked out any better, because I won't have to miss any radio shows on the air that I ordinarily would have. The last time I had jury duty, it only took one day because the case I was called for settled, while all of us prospective jurors were waiting outside the courtroom to see who would be picked. Maybe I'll get a celebrity trial this time, there's a lot of those lately!
Check out the "Tuna Clips" today! There's one with Debbie Gibson in studio and her friend Tiffany on the phone from about 6 years ago, plus on that same clip, the very funny Craig Shoemaker, "The LoveMaster", doing his Don Knotts impressions! And more "Tuna Talkback" emails. Thank you again for all your best wishes and support. I can't thank you enough!
Charlie
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10/16/2007 @ 8:10am PST
Tuesday Morning, October 16th! Odds and Ends today include a shocking fact about what makes movies successful!
* I've got a whole bunch of random facts rattling around in my brain today including.....
* A Hollywood data base service report years ago that said Movies and Television shows bearing 17 letters in their titles have a better chance of succeeding than titles with other numbers of letters......and what was the #1 movie at the box office this past weekend? Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married?"....(go ahead, count 'em up!)
* The average woman speaks 7000 words per day. The average man only speaks 2000 words. (no argument here)
* First letter Vanna White ever turned over on Wheel of Fortune was "T" (No, "Tuna" was not part of the puzzle)
* What if the hokey-pokey really is what it's all about?
* Before he was a star, Brad Pitt was a driver for strippers. (Pitt Stop has a new meaning)
* When Babe Ruth played baseball, he wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep him cool on hot days. (One of the original Cabbage Patch kids?)
* When someone says honestly, 9 times out of 10, the next thing they say will be untrue. (...Honestly!)
* Okay, let's play "The Candidates Game"
***********************************************
Candidate A: Associates with ward healers and consults with astrologists.
He's had two mistresses. He chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.
Candidate B: Was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium
in college and drinks a quart of brandy every evening.
Candidate C: Was a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke,
drinks an occasional beer and hasn't had any illicit affairs.
***********************************************************
Which of these candidates is your choice?
Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt
Candidate B is Winston Churchill
Candidate C is Adolph Hitler
Makes you think with all these candidates trying to get our attention for next year's election!
On the "Tuna Clips" today, one of my favorite things I got to do..."Tuna Talking" with my listeners, and my interview with Lionel Richie after nearly 20 years had gone by since we had seen each other. Plus another batch of the latest emails on "Tuna Talkback"!
And one final bit today, click on this link for the dog house puzzle, it'll take just 30 seconds.
http://www.riversongs.com/Flas/today.swf
Charlie
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10/15/2007 @ 8:30am PST
Monday Morning, October 15th! Guess what October 16th is?
Tuesday, October 16th is National Boss Day, and here is Factivia Research's most overused Boss Cliche's! See if they sound familiar.
1. At the end of the day...
2. In the black...or In the red...
3. Level playing field....
4. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX...
5. Wealth of experience...
6. About face...
7. Outpouring of support...
8. Last-ditch effort...
9. Unsung heroes...
10. It is what it is...
And when it comes to Company Policy, enjoy this Pavlov Experiment!
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a
banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a
monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana.
As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold
water.
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - - all
the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another
monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.
Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and
replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants
to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys
attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to
climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new
one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous
newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm!
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth,and
then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs,he is
attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they
were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the
beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have
ever been sprayed with cold water.Nevertheless, no monkey ever again
approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as
they know that's the way it's always been done around here.
And that is how company policy begins.
Hope you're having a great day! "Tuna Clips" today has 2 editions of "Float or Flush" with Peeps and Ping Pong Balls, plus an audio edition of "Amazing Facts". And the email continues to pour in "Tuna Talkback", a bunch of brand new postings from listeners.
Charlie
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10/12/2007 @ 8:00am PST
Friday Morning, October 12th! Today in the "Tuna Clips" section, one of the most asked about guests I've ever had on my show!
One of the biggest challenges everyday for a radio personality is to get a "hot topic" or guest who the audience is really interested in and responds to. In the past year, I can't think of anyone who I got more emails and calls about than a local Valley attorney who specializes in fighting traffic tickets with a 95% success rate. His name is Sherman Ellison and his phone number is 1-866-speeding. That's also his website - 866speeding.com
You can hear Sherman Ellison's on air appearance and info on the "Tuna Clips" link today with my feature "What Would Charlie Do?"
And with the Baseball Playoffs in full swing now, also today in the "Tuna Clips" is a flashback to 1994 with my in studio guest, our own Baseball Hall of Fame Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda (3 years before he was inducted), and one of the outstanding umpires of the National League for 20 years, "Dutch" Rennert. Dutch was on the phone from Alaska where he was conducting an umpire and baseball clinic and had just come out with a book on baseball. Tommy arrived a bit early for his segment on my then SportsTalk show, so I put the two of them together on the air.
A couple of trivia notes on Dutch...he was named the best umpire in the National League in 1983 in a New York Times poll, and was also behind the plate in the 1989 World Series in Oakland when the 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco area.
Oh, and one other note today, I'm still receiving emails about the final song I played on my last show, September 17th. It was called "Cycles" by Frank Sinatra. If you google the lyrics or download it at iTunes, Napster or one of the other sites, you'll understand how it's a capsule of my career and why I do plan to be back on the air!
Have a Great Weekend!
Charlie
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10/11/2007 @ 10:18am PST
Thursday Morning, October 11th! Today, How to amaze your friends with your calculator!
In the "Tuna Clips" section today, Casio celebrated the production of their 1 billionth calculator with a Top Ten list of words that can be written on the calculator display and read when turned upside down. Click on the "Clips" link to hear a few that I tried in studio.
Here's the rest of the Top 10!
1. Boobies (5318008)
2. Bellies (5317738)
3. Bogies (531608)
4. Sizzles (5372215)
5. Gobbles (5378806)
6. Boogie (316008)
And if you want to amaze your friend, hand three dice and the calculator to them, then.....
1. Tell your friend to roll the dice so that you cannot see them. Then ask your friend to enter the numbers into the calculator in any order. (Example: 4 5 1)
2. Now tell your friend to enter the numbers on the opposite side of each die, in the same order as in the the previous step. (Example: The opposite side of 4 is 3, the opposite side of 5 is 2, and the opposite side of 1 is 6. Therefore, your friend should enter 326 after 451, resulting in "451,326" on the calculator screen.)
3. Ask you friend to divide by 37. (Example: 451326 divided by 37 = 12198)
4. Then say, "Divide by 3". (Example: 12198 divided by 3 = 4066
5. Tell your friend to hand back the calculator. Now you subtract 7 and divide by 9. (Example: 4066 - 7 divided by 9 = 451)
Amazing! You have discovered the numbers that your friend originally rolled on the dice!
One more quick one......
1. Give your friend the calculator and tell them to enter their favorite number. (Example: 1 2 3)
2. Multiply by 5 (Example: 1 2 3 x 5 = 615
3. Add 6 (Example: 615 + 6 = 621
4. Multiply by 4 (Example: 621 x 4 = 2484
5. Add 9 (Example: 2484 + 9 = 2493
6. Multiply by 5 (Example: 2493 x 5 = 12465
7. Now tell your friend to return the calculator. Ignore the last two digits of the number on the screen, and then subtract 1 from the remaining number. (Example: If the screen says "12465", only use "124" Then subtract 1 (Example: 1 2 4 - 1 = 1 2 3).
Once again, Amazing! The final answer is your friend's favorite number!
Have fun with this today, and check out the new "Talkback" emails and the very funny Ralphie May in the "Clips" section too today!
Charlie
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10/10/2007 @ 7:55am PST
Wednesday Morning, October 10th! Feel like an idiot sometimes? Just read on to feel better about yourself today!
One of the features on my show over the last decade has been the weekly "Doh" awards, named in honor of Homer Simpson. It's basically a tribute to people in the news who turned out to be idiots. Here's some of the more recent ones.....
* A note demanding money from a Colorado bank teller was written on a check that cops said belonged to the bank robber. The guy apparently scratched his name off of one of his own checks to write a note used in a bank robbery.
An FBI special agent said "we could still make it out even though he blacked it out." The man got away with about $5000, but since he left the FBI his name and address, catching him should be a breeze.
* A female juror in a London murder trial may face jail time for listening to music during the trial. The woman is accused of using a headscarf to hide the earphones of her MP3 player to avoid listening to evidence in the trial.
The juror had previously tried to get out of jury duty. She postponed her first summons and escaped her second two weeks ago by claiming she had a toothache. She attempted to plead her way out of her third summons by claiming she needed to find a job but she was selected for the trial.
* By now, everyone in the world should be aware of these transparently fraudulent Nigerian Internet scams that most people have received an email or two about. So who would send thousands of dollars overseas in the naive expectation of receiving millions in return?
Meet Thomas Katona, professional money manager and the longtime treasurer of Alcona County, Michigan. Thomas apparently couldn't resist the temptation and admitted in court earlier this year that he had lost $1.25 million of taxpayer money, plus his own life's savings, in a Nigerian Internet ripoff. Your tax dollars at work!
*And finally, Three of four men who stole more than $50,000 in video equipment from two companies were arrested after they were caught by security cameras at one of the businesses - a video surveillance company. Cops figure the not-so-brilliant burglars didn't realize what the business was they were robbing from.
Another brand new set of emails on the Tuna Talkback link today, and in the new "Tuna Clips" today, a conversation I had a couple of years ago with one of my longtime friends, Marie Osmond, who's been looking great on "Dancing With The Stars"!
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10/09/2007 @ 8:15am PST
Tuesday Morning, October 9th! Today, hear one of George Clooney's first interviews with me back in the summer of 1985!
One of the things I love about radio is you get to meet the future big stars of Hollywood when they're just starting out. On the "Tuna Clips" page today is an interview with George Clooney when he was still a struggling young actor driving a 25 year old Olds '88 car and his father, Nick Clooney was already an anchorman on the Channel 4 (KNBC) evening news. Of course, his Aunt Rosemary Clooney had been a motion picture and singing star for decades in Hollywood too.
Luckily for George, this interview was to plug his new role for the upcoming fall season of "The Facts of Life" where he played a carpenter. The cool thing about George as you listen, you'll notice his personality hasn't changed after all his success and years of thousands and thousands of interviews.
One other ironic note during the interview, George mentions "ER" being canceled. George actually was a cast member named "Ace" on a short-lived series "Emergency Room", that lasted just one season.
But radio hasn't been the only opportunity for me to get to know people before they were famous. You've no doubt heard me talk about my years of coaching my 4 kids in all their sports and there were some terrific young athletes on their teams I got to work with, including Justin Fargas who now is a featured running back for the Oakland Raiders. Justin was only 12 when I told him with his speed on the soccer field he was destined to be a pro athlete, and please remember me (his coach) for some tickets someday when he was a star:)
And now just yesterday, "Cosmo Magazine" is out with their list of the 50 most eligible bachelors (one from each state), and the 27 year old young man who was chosen from California is one of my son Bryan's Little League Baseball teammates who I coached over 16 years ago. Peter Hudnut is now an Olympic Water Polo player in training for the 2008 Olympic games. Who knew way back then?
Congratulations to all the kids I had a chance to work with and coach over the years. I still occasionally run into them and couldn't be more proud of how they've all turned out.
If you're a parent and have the chance to volunteer your time to coach or help out in any way as your children start to participate in sports, DO IT! You'll never regret a second of it. Not only do you get to spend some fun time with your own child, but you never know, you just might be encouraging a future young citizen who'll always remember your part in his or her life.
Life is supposed to be fun! Get out and enjoy it!
Charlie
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10/08/2007 @ 8:10am PST
Monday Morning, October 8th! Your emails and phone calls are like studying for a Doctorate in Radio!
The emails continue to pour in, and today on the "Tuna Clips" link are some of the countless listener calls I've been receiving on my home studio voicemail (818-344-6749).
The Radio Doctorate comes into play when I read the thousands of emails you've sent me and listen to your calls. It is an education to me even after all these years, about who, what, why, when, where and how you listen to the radio. I've learned so much because this is the first time that not only has a station allowed me to say goodbye on a final show, but also you had a place to find me and communicate with me until my next show on the radio. And in archiving this huge database of email addresses I now am compiling from your comments, I can let you know where, when, and how I will appear next. So if you know other former listeners of mine who haven't heard about my website or email address, please pass it on and I'll put them in the database of email addresses if they send me a note, to let you know what's next for me and when it will happen.
I can tell you what I mentioned earlier that my Clear Channel contract runs till the end of the year and between now and December 31, they have indicated they would like to talk to me about my future of continuing with them, so please have patience about where to hear me next. Radio moves very slowly sometimes in changing things.
By the way, has this been the craziest year you've ever seen in college football with all the upsets this season. Parity in the NCAA is now here. Congratulations too to my friend Mike Scioscia and the Angels on a great run, just too many injuries and a heckuva Red Sox team finally stopped them.
Some more listener calls to my home studio voicemail tomorrow, and some vintage interview clips from decades ago. Have a great day and thank you for being out there for me!
Charlie
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10/05/2007 @ 9:45am PST
Friday Morning, October 5th. We are a celebrity obsessed society these days it seems, and today some celebrity trivia I'll bet you didn't know!
The "Hollywood Scoop" has always been one of the popular segments on my radio show as long as I can remember. People always want to know what's going on with their favorite stars! Look at all the TV entertainment shows and Magazines devoted to Showbiz! Today, here's some celebrity trivia that even they may not realize.....
* Richard Belzer (featured in the "Tuna Clips"), plays one of the longest running fictional characters on TV in "Law & Order:SVU". Richard's Detective John Munch has also appeared in six other television shows and on three networks. (crime does pay, or at least solving it does)
* At age 21, George Clooney tried out to be the center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds. (funny thing is, his income would probably be about the same as it is making movies)
* Whoopi Goldberg once worked a funeral parlor cosmetician. (Enjoy "The View")
* Halle Berry was named after the Cleveland department store Halle Brothers (good thing her parents didn't shop at Bed, Bath and Beyond)
* Brad Pitt left the University of Missouri two credits shy of graduation to move to L.A. (So kids, that just shows you what happens if you drop out of school and don't get that degree. Stay in school and.....what was my point here???)
* Jerry Springer was elected Mayor of Cincinatti at the age of 33. (His term was marred by City Council meetings with flying chairs, fist fights, divorces and paternity tests.)
* Teri Hatcher studied math and engineering in college and was a San Francisco 49ers cheerleader. (laying the groundwork to be a desperate housewife)
* Jackie Chan was a stuntman in the 1971 Bruce Lee film "Fists of Fury". (I've always wondered if you're the toughest and best martial arts guy in the world, why would you need a stuntman?)
* Sharon Stone is a member of Mensa, the high IQ club. (OK, no more dumb blonde jokes)
* Bob Barker's first karate instructor was Chuck Norris, who called Bob his most dedicated student. (Ask Adam Sandler)
* Robert Redford lost his University of Colorado college baseball scholarship due to excessive drinking. (Finally, a backstory to "The Natural")
* As an Indiana TV weatherman, David Letterman once congratulated a tropical storm for being upgraded to a hurricane. (And I suppose he set up a help line when it was downgraded to a tropical depression)
* As a teenager in Hoboken, New Jersey, Frank Sinatra worked as a sports reporter for "The Jersey Observer". (Start spreadin' the news...)
* Singer/actor Meat Loaf is a vegetarian (Doesn't surprise me, I can't stand tuna)
Have a great weekend! Next week, barring any computer glitches, we'll get the photo galleries going for you, and the audio from some of the phone call messages you've left me!
Charlie
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10/04/2007 @ 6:29am PST
Thursday Morning, October 4th! One thing about being out of work, you never stop getting advice!
Thank you again for all your emails, not only offering encouragement and support, but also optimism and advice for the future. Occasionally, I get one of those little gems too from fans, like the poem about "going too fast through life" earlier this week, or last week's video of "The Dash". Here's another one a listener sent that I wanted to share today called "11 Hints For Life".
1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.
2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.
3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
4. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.
5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.
6. Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it only takes a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
7. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be; because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to.
8. Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other too.
9. A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a timely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless.
10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes their way.
11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with a tear. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live life so that when you die...you are the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.
You might just want to print this one out and keep it in your wallet or purse. There are some days it just might help you get through.
Thank you again for all your emails. I read each and every one, and I appreciate them so very much!
Charlie
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10/03/2007 @ 7:53am PST
Wednesday Morning, October 3rd! So I ran across this test that says I'm Tweety! Take the test for yourself to find out if you're Tweety too!
Ever wondered which cartoon character you are most like? Well, a team of
researchers got together and analyzed the personalities of cartoon
characters, and put the information gathered into this quiz. Well, not
really, but this will keep you entertained for a few minutes, so get out a
pen and paper and follow the instructions.
Answer each question with the answer that most describes you, then add up
the points that correspond with your answer.
1) What describes your perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner for two (Add 4 points)
b) Amusement Park (Add 2 points)
c) Rollerblading in the park (Add 5 points)
d) Rock Concert (Add 1 point)
e) See a movie (Add 3 points)
2) What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll (Add 2 points)
b) Alternative (Add 1 point)
c) Soft Rock (Add 4 points)
d) Classical (Add 5 points)
e) Popular (Add 3 points)
3) What is your favorite type of movie?
a) Comedy (Add 2 points)
b) Horror (Add 1 point)
c) Musical (Add 3 points)
d) Romance (Add 4 points)
e) Documentary (Add 5 points)
4) Which of the following jobs would you choose if you were given only these choices?
a) Waiter/Waitress (Add 4 points)
b) Sports Player (Add 5 points)
c) Teacher (Add 3 points)
d) Policeman (Add 2 points)
e) Bartender (Add 1 point)
5) Which would you rather do if you had an hour to waste?
a) work out (Add 5 points)
b) Read (Add 4 points)
c) Watch TV (Add 2 points)
d) Listen to the radio (Add 1 points)
e) Sleep (Add 3 points)
6) Of the following colors, which do you like the best?
a) yellow (Add 1 point)
b) white (Add 5 points)
c) sky blue (Add 3 points)
d) teal (Add 2 points)
e) red (Add 4 points)
7) Which one of the following would you like to eat right now?
a) ice cream (Add 3 points)
b) pizza (Add 2 points)
c) sushi (Add 1 point)
d) pasta (Add 4 points)
e) salad (Add 5 points)
8) What is your favorite holiday?
a) Halloween (Add 1 point)
b) Christmas (Add 3 points)
c) New Year's (Add 2 points)
d) Valentine's Day (Add 4 points)
e) Thanksgiving (Add 5 points)
9) If you could go to any of the following places, which would it be?
a) Paris (Add 4 points)
b) Spain (Add 5 points)
c) Las Vegas (Add 1 point)
d) Hawaii (Add 2 points)
e) Hollywood (Add 3 points)
10) Of the following, who would you rather spend time with?
a) Someone who is smart (Add 5 points)
b) Someone with good looks (Add 2 points)
c) Someone who is a party animal (Add 1 point)
d) Someone who has fun all the time (Add 3 points)
e) Someone who is very emotional (Add 4 points)
Now total up your points and find your character below:
(10-17 points): You are TAZ -You are wild and crazy and you know it. You know how to have fun, but you may take it to extremes. You know what you are doing though, and are much in control of your own life. People don't always see things your way, but that doesn't mean that you should do away with your beliefs. Try to remember that your wild spirit can lead to hurting yourself and others.
(18-26 points) You are Bugs Bunny -You are fun, friendly, and popular. You
are a real crowd pleaser. You have probably been out on the town your share
of times, yet you come home with the values that your mother taught you. Marriage and children are important to you, but only after you have fun. Don't let the people you please influence you to stray.
(27-34 points) You are Tweety -You are cute, and everyone loves you. You are
a best friend that no one takes the chance of losing. You never hurt feelings and seldom have your own feelings hurt. Life is a breeze. You are witty, and calm most of the time. Just keep clear of backstabbers, and you are worry free.
(35-42 points) You are Peppe Le Pew (without the smell) -You are a lover. Romance, flowers, and wine are all you need to enjoy yourself. You are serious about all commitments. A family person. You call your Mom every Sunday, and never forget a Birthday. Don't let your passion for romance get confused with the real thing.
(43-50 points) You are Speedy Gonzales -You are smart, a real thinker. Every situation is approached with a plan. You are very healthy in mind and body. You teach strong family values. Keep your feet planted in them, but don't overlook a bad situation when it does happen.
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10/02/2007 @ 6:52am PST
Tuesday Morning, October 2nd! If this year has gone by too fast for you, here's some good advice from a listener!
It's been two weeks since my last show on the air, and your emails are expressing a little impatience about hearing me again. As I said earlier in these daily news updates, don't expect me to be announcing my whereabouts anytime soon, these things take time, and so far no one has talked to me about scheduling a meeting to discuss any future plans. I am under contract to Clear Channel until the end of the year and I want to give them every opportunity to see what they would like to propose to me.
In the meantime, this break has given me the chance for my son Bryan and I to update my website, which had been neglected for years due to lack of time. I had also been hit and miss with my workout routine with my total commitment of energy and time into each day's show, but now I am starting to get back into a daily regimen of weights and cardio which makes me physically feel so much better. In high school and college in Nebraska, I was always ranked as one of the top 2 or 3 shot-put and discus throwers in the state, as well as playing football and basketball, so I really like staying fit. And finally, I'm getting all my audio, video, and show material organized in my office and studio for the next step in my career.
While doing that yesterday, I came across this email from 5 years ago that a listener had sent reminding me that too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.
We live on a sparse set of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect, then we'll do it. But if you stop and think about it, Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on" and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit". It's with this in mind that you should read on.....
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?
Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow and in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?
You better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last. When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift...Thrown away...Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.
Right now I'm enjoying the music. I think Someone wanted to remind me to do that before my song is over.
Enjoy the new emails and clips today, and the one clip everybody wanted a copy of when they first heard it on the air, "The Texas car accident phone call" is in the Clips section today!
Love, Best Wishes, and don't forget to enjoy YOUR music today too!
Charlie
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10/01/2007 @ 6:29am PST
Monday Morning, October 1st! Can you believe it, Halloween's almost here! Today, how I got the name Charlie Tuna!
Before I get to the "name" story, since I mentioned Halloween, this week my website designer son Bryan is in the process of setting up the Gallery link where I'll be able to post my favorite photos in all sorts of different catergories, including pets dressed up for Halloween. These are priceless, wait till you see them!
Now.....How I got the name "Charlie Tuna", Here's the brief version!
If you look in my Kearney High school yearbooks, you'll see dozens of classmate wishes..."Hope to hear you on KOMA someday"! I was working on the air doing the morning show at 16 on my hometown station in Nebraska, but at night the station that everyone listened to was KOMA in Oklahoma City while they were cruising Main Street, just like the kids in "American Graffitti". You could hear KOMA with its' 50,000 watts in every state west of the Mississippi, all the way up to Alaska and west to Hawaii. This was my dream station to hopefully work for one day.
A year and a half after leaving Kearney for a brief stop at KLEO radio in Wichita, Kansas, I was offered a job at KOMA, with one little catch.....They wanted me to change my name to "Charlie Tuna"! It seems the week before I got the job, nearly everyone on the DJ staff had come down with the flu, everyone except.....Newsman Chuck Dann. (Note: Chuck, whose real name was Chuck Riley, would later go on to a brilliant voiceover career here in L.A. He had one of the most dynamic voices I've ever heard and just recently passed away).
Since Chuck was one of the few healthy ones left on the staff, and the weekend was coming up, KOMA needed jocks to cover the shifts, so they asked Chuck. Chuck was indignant at the request, "I'm a newsman, you want me to demean my journalistic integrity and do a jock show." Given no choice, Chuck pondered his fate over a six-pack of Coors the night before and while watching TV, he saw the Starkist Charlie Tuna commercial and decided then and there that he would call himself "Charlie Tuna" on the air the next day to protect his newsman identity. It caused such a terrific listener reaction, management wanted me to become their permanent "Charlie Tuna" when I arrived the next week to start my new job at KOMA.
I was appalled! Here I am, 21 years old, this is the station I've been dying to work for, but they were insisting I use the name "Charlie Tuna". Reluctantly I agreed, and the rest is history. A Boston station hired me 1 year later, and KHJ in L.A. offered me a job just 9 months after that, each of them wanting me to keep the name "Charlie Tuna". Years later in L.A. in 1978, Channel 4 (KNBC) interviewed me about the name and my real name. The next morning, I polled my listeners on the air that now since they knew my real name, should I go back to that or keep "Charlie Tuna". You can figure out by now which one won....by an overwhelming margin. Then in 1990, when they gave me a Star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" with "Charlie Tuna" on it, well...whaddya gonna do? As so many of you have said again and again in your emails, "You're family"!
Thank you Southern California! I feel exactly the same way about you! And be sure and check the "Tuna Clips" section today to meet another "Charlie Tuna" in studio.
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