Filed under: PadCasts
Yeah I know… is that dead horse dead yet? Well hey, it’s my blog/podcast, so sue me. 
A final (I PROMISE) recap of New York, the cruise that died, and a bit more talk about Father’s Day and our idiot president, which I know you’ll enjoy.
That and a visit from Screech just to make things cute.
All wrapped up in less than 30 minutes. What could possibly be bad about that?
Music: Smokey Robinson- Cruisin’ (Where There’s Smoke…) iTunes Download
Simon and Garfunkel – America (Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits) iTunes Download
Subscribe to my Podcast: 
My Odeo Channel (odeo/da9946fa062508ee)
Filed under: PadCasts
I’m baaaack!
The title of this “Pad-Cast” is twofold– a return from my self-imposed podcasting “holiday”, and a nod to the obivous– the three-day-weekend of the Memorial Day holiday.
Clever ain’t I? 
I got back from the beach today and just decided it was time to dust off the microphone and see what happened. So take a listen… and let me know what you think.
SPECIAL NOTE: Click here for an interesting dialog about the origins of Memorial Day. (Thanks, Frank, for starting that discussion!
ATTENTION: All readers! All listeners! Do you have Skype? Do you have Yahoo Messenger? Let me know! I’d love to talk to you on a future “Pad-Cast”.
Skype: Rick Aiello
Yahoo: RcktMan
Email: rick(at)rcktman(dot)com
Subscribe at iTunes: Click Here!
Music: Elton John: Rocket Man ‘03 (Remix EP- on iTunes) ; Madonna: Holiday (The Immaculate Collection – on iTunes)
In all acutality, the show is OVER. But what an amazing show it was!! I’m not talking about my podcast– I’m talking about The Ten Commandments: The Musical. What a great show it turned out to be — and so much fun!
But all good things must come to an end, unfortunately. Except I’m kinda hoping this show has another life very soon. It was THAT good. Just ask Spencer and Mark… they saw it and sent some lovely kudos my way. Thanks, guys, for heeding my command.
On today’s show I talk about the Chorus show as well as a few other things going on… and about how I nearly quit the podcasting world altogether. I’ve changed my mind since then– but I still have a lot of things to sort out where this show is concerned. I want to take it in a new direction. Not all about me… but about a lot of things. I just don’t know where to start.
I guess in that respect, “The Show Must Go On” refers to this show as well.
Have any suggestions? I’d love to hear them.
No music in this show… just me and my blabbermouth.
Have a great week!
You know how you’re at brunch with your friends, and there’s smooth, sexy jazz music playing in the background; and while you spend most of the time eating and shoveling delicious food in your mouth, you spend the rest of the time trying to solve the problems of the world?
That’s sort of what today’s podcast is like.
Give it a listen. And please respond in the comments with your feedback. Thanks!
Music: from the album Fourplay “Between The Sheets” (on iTunes)
Filed under: PadCasts
My stormy disposition from yesterday, coupled with yet another huge thunderstorm to tear through Chicago, make up the subject of today’s podcast.
I’ll be the first to admit– I was in quite a mood yesterday. I’m still in a bit of that mood today. I’m not sure quite what caused it.
So I went with what I was feeling, and wrote yesterday’s post.
It really wasn’t a note to anyone in particular– just an indication of how I was feeling at that particular moment.
Sorry if I offended anyone. Or maybe I’m not sorry. I don’t know.
Maybe there is some truth to the myth that men have some sort of “PMS” syndrome like women. I’ve often wondered if that was true. Yes, I know we don’t menstruate (and thank goodness for that!); but the mood swings at certain moments in life can’t be denied. I know I’m not alone here. Fess up, men. You’ve been there, too.
In today’s podcast, I talk about my unusual mood from yesterday, tonight’s intense thunderstorms (with lots of thunder to back me up!), and also play a little experimental podcast I recorded after a very sleepless night the same night I told everyone to F-off.
And no, I wasn’t having sex. Damn it. I think that would have cheered me up just a bit, don’t you think?
I’ll be better soon. I know I will. Just give me time. I think I just need more sleep.
And sex wouldn’t hurt, either. 
I’d like to conclude this post with shout-outs to Scott-O-Rama, who is dealing with some rough times of his own right now. I’m thinking about you, Scott… stay strong.
And also to Fausto and co. at Feast of Fools, celebrating the 9th birthday/anniversary of the Feast of Fools– not necessarily the podcast itself, but the Feast of Fools as an enterprise. It took them 9 years to become famous. Patience is a virtue, people.
And finally, please subscribe to my podcast; listen to it here, or download it and listen to it later at home. And PLEASE let me know what you think. I’ve got lots of great ideas for the future… it’d be great to know what you’re thinking so I can maybe do something really cool.
Thanks… and enjoy the show.
MUSIC: Stormy Weather: Ella Fitzgerald (?) – Don’t know where I got this. I can’t seem to find its home!
(Last Night) I Didn’t Get To Sleep – Fifth Dimension (Up Up and Away! The Definitive Collection) Amazon.com
SUBSCRIBE to my podcast on iTunes by clicking here!
Leave comments by clicking down there….
A trip to Borders this weekend brought me down memory lane when I purchased a book called “Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz”. I’ve always identified with Charlie Brown, the main Peanuts character, and considered myself to be a lot like him– often teased, maligned and the butt of people’s jokes, yet always sincere and well-meaning with a good heart.
Yep. That’s me.
In today’s podcast I talk about my connection to Charlie Brown, the future of this show, and the wonderful week we all had this last week. (It sucked!)
HEY! Do you have a high-speed connection, a microphone, and one of the following programs: Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Skype, or MSN Messenger? Then let me know, because you could be on a future podcast! Send me an invite to your messenger list (I am rcktmanil on each of the services) or drop me a line at rick (at) rcktman (dot) com. (you know how to REALLY type that into your Email program… I get enough spam as it is. I’d love to hear from you and maybe have you on a future show!
MUSIC
Linus and Lucy – Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas (iTunes)
You’re In Love, Charlie Brown – George Winston – Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi (iTunes)
Filed under: PadCasts
When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to slip on my father’s shoes and clomp around the house pretending I was him. I also used to like to take his pipes and pretend I was smoking them.
I think there’s even a picture or two of me in boxes in my parent’s closet documenting these adorable scenes.
Now, as I am getting older, I am noticing similarites between me and my father when he was my age. Ugh. I can’t believe I can remember him being my current age.
And so goes the name of today’s podcast.
Today’s blatherings range from family health issues to playing with new toys to ending of eras and beginnings of new ones. Think that’s vague? Give the show a listen… it’ll clear it up for ya.
I should mention that I talk a bit about the sound effects mixer and play with it in this show. It sounded really cool when I was recording it, but in the final mix, I don’t hear much of anything. So forgive me. I’m just playing with toys.
I am a man, after all.
Just like my father.
Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Music: Son of Your Father: Elton John (from Tumbleweed Connection)
Into The Old Man’s Shoes: Elton John (from Tumbleweed Connection – iTunes version only!)
So just to start things off… he didn’t call.
But I DID call him. Thank you very much. So that was one text message and one phone call on my part… and NOTHING on his part.
Men suck.
Anyway… I’ve been gone for a while so in today’s podcast, I talk about the fact that men suck (sorry men!), the creep from the Oscar Party, the huge thunderstorms that hit Chicago (some of which you can hear during the podcast!), my crazy dad, and a few other things to tempt your ear buds.
So with that, I’m going to bed, because there is nothing I like better than sleeping while rain is hitting the windowpanes and thunder and lightning are flashing and crashing around me.
Thank goodness I have the kitties to keep me company.
Music:
Thunder and Lightning: Chi Coltrane (Best of Chi Coltrane, only available on Amazon.com)
Thunder and Lightning: Phil Collins (Face Value, available on iTunes)
Podcast:
A photograph. An old shirt. A song. The sound of a voice. The scent of perfume or cologne.
Memory is an incredibly powerful thing, and the older we get, the harder it is to access those deposits of information at will.
Sometimes it takes one of the triggers mentioned above to make the memory jog itself, and recapture what you thought you had lost for so long.
This past weekend I found a casette tape I had recorded on Christmas Day 1982. I was 11 years old. As I listened to the tape, and laughing at how young I sounded, and how little my sister was, I realized that I was hearing my Grandma’s voice again for the first time in nearly 20 years. I was instantly rushed back to that day, unwrapping presents and just being a kid again. It felt warm. It felt comfortable.
In today’s podcast I talk about memories and how powerful they are to me. At the beginning of the podcast, you’ll hear a brief snippet of that tape. Try not to laugh at how dorky I sound. I was truly dorky back then. There are just no other words to explain how dorky I was.
But the thing I noticed while listening to that tape was how normal we were. At the time I thought we were the most dysfunctional family in the world. But now, hearing how we interacted as a family, and how Christmas morning was as special to us as it would be to any family– I see that I had a pretty doggone good life.
The song that opens today’s Podcast is called Remember by Harry Nilsson. The song is as beautiful as the message it conveys. It suits today’s show perfectly.
It was also the very first song I learned when I joined Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus.
I remember it all well. Thanks for sharing these memories with me.
Music: Remember: Harry Nilsson (from the album All Time Greatest Hits) on iTunes
It’s not just the name of a great song. It’s been my mantra for this entire week.
No, Mother Mary did not come to me and whisper words of wisdom… I just found myself saying “let it be” many times over the past week for various situations. From kidney stones to chorus shows to work woes and everything in between. Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be.
From hospital stays to hair that grays to laundry piled to the ceiling; there will be an answer. Let it be.
Hey, you have to look at the humor in life sometimes, right?
Music:
The Beatles: Let It Be (from Let It Be… Naked) (click to buy at Amazon.com)
John Denver: Let It Be (from Poems, Prayers & Promises) (click to by on iTunes)
