OK Boomer

You want to snort, chuckle, groan?  Then tickle your ears as OK Boomer brings you another edition of his recurring segment "Potpourri."  Funny tweets and stories are intermingled with stories that give you the "feels."  Next month, we'll return with interviews from people who share interesting stories from their vocation or hobby. Essential Links: https://okboomer.libsyn.com/site YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ANJjEbjvP0&list=PLkRx0bBfd2KyT7PSb2RVQcGhZyPCvTarp Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/TTaudioworks/?modal=admin_todo_tour Website:  https://tommytones.webnode.com/ Email:  ttaudioworks@gmail.com

Life is happening for me . . . so enjoy a replay from one of my favorite interviews!! How can you tell the difference between a Swami Salami charlatan and an authentic intuitive psychic? Corbie Mitleid, author of THE PSYCHIC YELLOW BRICK ROAD: How to Find the Real Wizards and Avoid the Flying Monkeys," explains the difference to “the friendly skeptic” Boomer. Mitleid, a professional psychic, shares stories from her work of 50 years as an authentic intuitive in an engaging, sincere manner. She, Boomer, and Jimmy have some fun discussing her serious work, including the use of numerous audio clips from the movie “The Wizard of Oz.” Your ride to work doesn't have to be boring. https://okboomer.libsyn.com/site YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ANJjEbjvP0&list=PLkRx0bBfd2KyT7PSb2RVQcGhZyPCvTarp Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/TTaudioworks/?modal=admin_todo_tour Website:  https://tommytones.webnode.com/ Email:  ttaudioworks@gmail.com  

Who doesn't love a good animal story, especially when it involves blood, amputation, or death? Yes, such heart warming tales (one of a missing tail) are brought to you in the format of an animal story contest.   This is part II of our animal story contest that pits original broadcasts from the WLS world renowned Animal Stories from back in the 70s against our guests' own animal stories.  We have two guests, Bruce King and Natalia Cooper, both of them experienced in veterinarian medicine, both willing to entertain us with their tales from the workplace. When this is published on April 15, 2025, it will be Bruces's 64th birthday.  Happy Happy Joy Joy to Bruce!  Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous has been appointed sole judge of these stories and will be choosing a winner for each round of stories told.  In part I, we had two rounds of animal stories.  If you haven't listened to part 1, you're encouraged to do that, so that you don't miss any of the gore involved with pythons, flying fatty masses, and more.  We've got four more rounds of excitement coming up.  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ANJjEbjvP0&list=PLkRx0bBfd2KyT7PSb2RVQcGhZyPCvTarp Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/TTaudioworks/?modal=admin_todo_tour Website:  https://tommytones.webnode.com/ Email:  ttaudioworks@gmail.com

Remember Animal Stories that captured the attention of middle school morons like myself back in the early 70s?  It was quite a popular segment for WLS-AM radio that featured Uncle Lar' and Snot-Nosed Lil' Tommy.  This episode will pit WLS animal stories against the adventures of two guests who have long animal medicine backgrounds.  Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous is tasked with judging the winner of six rounds of wacky stories that feature a python choking on a Pekinese, a bullet proof cow, and flying fatty masses.  Natalia Cooper and Bruce King are the guests who provide hilarious stories of animal antics.

It's an age old question tackled in this Potpourri episode where Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous and I share with you select pieces of prose and poetry collected over the past few months from Facebook.  Some are designed to make you laugh, others to tug at your heartstrings, all of them to make you think.  

If you sell cars for over forty years like my good friend Roger Beard, you're going to have some stories.  Roger's adventures include selling cars to exotic dancers, ball busters, drunks, and a couple who had to offer their cow as part of the deal. In addition to those humorous tales, he answers questionns about vehicles such as Is there a best time to buy a car? Should you use your own financing or go with the dealership? Do you need to follow the car maker's manual on items like cabin filters,,radiator and transmission flushing? How valuable is an extended warranty?   This is part II of our interview with this veteran of the car industry. https://okboomer.libsyn.com/site YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ANJjEbjvP0&list=PLkRx0bBfd2KyT7PSb2RVQcGhZyPCvTarp Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/TTaudioworks/?modal=admin_todo_tour Website:  https://tommytones.webnode.com/ Email:  ttaudioworks@gmail.com  

Imagine leaving the nest and going off to college, only to find the academic scene a bad fit for you.  You walk away from what you've always been told is the path to success.  So, you pivot into a sales career, in which the first month you make zero sales: zilch/nada/nothing.  More failure.  Now what? That's the humble beginning to a successful forty plus year career in car sales for Roger Beard.  He shares with us his early years as a young man trying to find his way, eventually finding traction as a car salesman and becoming a manager of used car sales at a large dealership in Florida that annually generated multi-millions of dollars in sales. In part one of this two-part interview, Roger will tell us about the beginnings of Beard Pontiac, a Prophetstown car dealership that served the surrounding area for twenty years.  He'll tell us amusing stories about various sales he made and insider tips on how to buy a used vehicle, including why you should check the entire length of a seatbelt. [TN1]     [TN1]

Jimmy Ahmuhdoofus and I have been able to share with you interviews with people that have interesting hobbies or vocations,  people who I usually don't know that well, but this episode is a treat for me as I get to chat with a life long friend, Brian Zschiesche.  He's a good enough friend that not only do I know his middle name but also how to spell that wacky last name.  Prior to his current interesting job at the Sterling hospital, he spent over three decades behind the mic at various radio stations, including 20 years at WSDR, where many of my Prophetstown listeners enjoyed his on-air antics.   He'll reminisce about DJs that influenced him, about the demise of radio as we once knew it, and how he disappointed women. 

Leaving a mark With over 30 years of service as a police officer for Prophetstown, Bruce Franks had many experiences that left a mark upon him, some of them quite sad, others inspirational.  He shares these moving moments, his best and worst days as a first responder, his reaction to national events like the George Floyd murder, and his adjustment to retirement.  This is part II of our conversation with Chief Franks.

Franks for the Memories-  and your service. “You've got to be willing to help people when they are at their worst.”  This firmly held belief by recently retired Prophetstown Police Chief Bruce Franks was enacted many times throughout his career.  Bruce will share with us stories about offering a hand to those he too often had to deal with that were mired in misery.  He'll also speak about his tireless involvement in community affairs like the Fishing Derby and Light Up the Park, the difficulties and rewards of wearing a badge, how he managed to avoid becoming cynical, and other aspects of wearing a badge, vest, and a weapon. This episode is part one of our wide-ranging conversation covering his three decades of service.  Part II will be available on the 15th of next month. Listen at this website or wherever fine podcasts are hosted:  https://okboomer.libsyn.com/site Other links: Thomas Nance website for audiobooks and voiceover: https://tommytones.webnode.page/ Email:  ttaudioworks@gmail.com

Once upon a time a Wauconda High School student, class of 2004, was floundering around, contemplating life as a painter, not terribly ambitious about anything.  He a D grade average and a job at Jewel.  He was enjoying life, perhaps a bit much.  But holy about face, Batman!  In a just a few short years, he was excelling in college, scoring a double major while holding down various jobs, all which led to his current position as a top-level executive at the Jim Beam corporation.  Talk about a pivot!  And he does talk about it and about how persistence and passion catapulted him into a life that even today amazes him.  Join Boomer and Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous for an inspiring conversation on how Rob Allen turned his life around.

Naysayers:  Kayla, you're too short.  You're too small.  You can't play softball on an elite level. Kayla:  Hold my Gatorade. Small of stature, Kayla Wedl has proven herself in a spectacular way on the biggest of softball stages, including a stellar career at the University of Illinois-Chicago and now as a professional softball player for The New York Rise.  She shares with Boomer her memories at Wauconda High School (2016 graduate) and UIC.  She talks about her journey and the challenges it provided, how it has affected her on and off the diamond. Kayla is just one of a dozen of WHS graduates featured on this podcast.  Check them out along with other people that Boomer interviews in his continuing series of "Tales From The Workplace."

You don't have to resign yourself to an unfullfilled life, a life of despair with no sense of purpose.  There are tools available to give structure and meaning to your journey.  Genesis Hey Krick is a life coach, author, and motivational speaker who gives practical advice on how to examine where you and how to pivot towards a more satisfying life.  She even gives Boomer suggestions on how to manage his time.  This is part two of our interview on how to transform your life.   Connect with Genesis: Website: https://genesisspeaks.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genesisspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/genesishey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genesisheykrick/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genesisheykrick/

Do you wake up with joy and excitement as you contemplate the day ahead of you, or would you describe your life as stagnant?  Are you running on a hamster wheel and feeling trapped?  Are you being called to do a little bit more?  Are you simply surviving?  Or are you thriving?  Are you, as stated in the title to a Garth Brooks hit song, “Standing Outside the Fire?” Our guest, Genesis Hick-Krey, asks us to reflect upon these questions, to be open to self-discovery, to reconsider where you might direct your life.  And she offers practical advice on how to start this transformational journey.  It's not a fluff ‘n stuff approach to change.   Connect with Genesis: Website: https://genesisspeaks.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genesisspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/genesishey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genesisheykrick/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genesisheykrick/

Surf Therapy-  Say what?  Say yes to an alternative therapy that successfully treats PTSD, chronic pain, depression, grief, autism, and much more.  Say WOW to the International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO) that brings together 133 surf therapy groups all over the world to serve hundreds of thousands of clients a year to get into the water, get on a surfboard, and get on with their lives. This is part II of our conversation with ISTO's Chairman of the Board, Brian School.  Brian explains how their deliberate and analytical approach to surf therapy is a rapidly growing treatment that is changing lives.

Surf Therapy is growing alternative therapy for a multitude of afflictions, including PTSD, chronic pain, autism, depression, grief, among others.  Brian Schoo, Chairman of the Board of the International Surf Therapy Organization, explains the vision of this non-profit and how he and his team hope to improve the lives of people by "hanging ten."  Brian's passion for this effort is highlighted by his recent resignation from the Nestle company where he was a top executive involved with global logistics and then eventually developing The Thrive Network, a branch of Nestle dedicated to mental health.  Enjoy listening to how this young man who grew up in the Midwest is now catching waves and changing lives.

In Potpourri IV, a litany of literary gems await you.   This edition includes these goodies: philosophy by Charles Schultz, an interview with a cat, advice on how NOT to ruin your life and so much more. Let the eargasm begin.

My audio holiday gift to you is the story of "A Christmas Rifle."  Ralphie, in the movie A Christmas Story," cries when he almost shoots his eye out with his treasured Red Ryder.  I cried a bit when I read "A Christmas Rifle" in a Facebook post.  I doubt that you'll fare differently.  May the blessings of this season be upon you and your family and may they be shared with others.  Length: 12 minutes

What type of person interacts with United States presidents, military leaders from the U.S. and other countries, along with various dignitaries and leaders throughout Latin America?  Who briefs Colin Powell on Latin America events, has face-to-face meetings with the "Angel of Death," learns hostage escape tactics and reports on coup d'é·tats?  Someone in the CIA?  Possibly.  But it's also Joanna Esty, a barrier breaking courageous lady who for more than a couple of decades was a linchpin in Latin America as a civilian employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency.  This is part two of our conversation.

Once a quiet student from a small high school in western Ilinois, Joanna spent 18 years in the Defense Intelligence Agency as a civilian officer, an occupation that involved interactions with U.S. Presidents, General Colin Powell, and extensive traveling. She shares with Jimmy Ahmahdoofous and Boomer how she became a significant player in Latin American politics and how even today has a hand in creating diplomatic relations with our southern neighbors.

"You can't pour from an empty cup."  That's one of the important themes presented in this romance novel "My Way To You" by J. Glassburn.  This 400 page book is set in a small town in western Illinois (where Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous is from) where she grew up.  Abbey is a mother of a young son who is finding her way in a new life.  She has left behind a broken marriage and is forging ahead in discovery about herself.  Her plans for the future are complicated by the sometimes enchanting and sometimes infuriating Sawyer, the still single boy wonder she once knew.   Despite tears and fears, she courageously moves forward, determined to make a life for herself and her son.

This second edition of Potporri (a collection of unrelated literary extracts) includes Abert Einstein's response to an often posed question of him, "Do you believe in God?"  It concludes with chapter one of a book (maybe?) that Boomer is messing around with.  In between are plenty of humorous and occasionally thought provoking literary gems that Boomer and Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous trust you'll find intriguing.  Enjoy!

"What an opportunity for me to help somebody get their kids back, to repair relationships, to get a job, … so many benefits…"  That's how Mike Shears, Whiteside County Drug Court probation officer, describes his job.  In part II of our conversation, Mike talks about the successes, failures, and new areas of growth in the drug court program and Boomer describes what he observed in his two hour visit in drug court. Alternative/specialized courts are effectively improving how local judicial systems handle people who are likely to be repeat prisoners.  AND COOL NEW THEME MUSIC FOR THE PODCAST!! YAY YAY YAY.

"No one ever wakes up and says, 'You know, I think I want to be a drug addict,' " says Mike Shears, drug court officer.  That's part of the mind frame that shapes the drug court in Whiteside County, IL.  If you think that drug court, a specialized diversionary court program, is a dark place full of dreary proceedings that involve the dregs of society, you're wrong.  It's a place that regularly celebrates the successes of alcohol and drug addicted felons.  It's a place that transforms lives, mends relationships, and stops the revolving door of recividism- the act of felons being jailed and freed, only to repeat the same crimes as before.  Need some good news?  It's right here. 

In part two of the conversation with Joel Gibbs, a voice over artist extraordinaire, Gibbs explains how Sol Krupnick, currently a YouTube success and soon to be live performance, was created, neglected, and now resurrected.  Joel Gibbs is a multi-skilled artist who has won my admiration and inspires all of us in our later years to continue to create. Laugh along with Boomer and Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous as Sol spins his take on various aspects of human behavior.

Joel Gibbs, a man of a thousand voices, presents Sol Krupnick, Gibbs' amalgamation of various Jewish comedians and various kibitzers.  Joel shares with Boomer and Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous how he "resurrected" Sol and where he plans to take him.  Enjoy some of the stories Sol performs, including details on his surgery down under, during this interview and on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thesolkrupnickchannel8467.  Subscribe to this channel and to the OK Boomer podcast so that you don't miss part 2 our conversation.

Enjoy a hodgepodge of literary delights as Boomer and his cohost Jimmy Ahmuhdoofous share delightful findings from the internet that will make you laugh (you'll love Jimmy's pirate joke), ponder, and maybe even tear up a bit.  It all culminates with their version of Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First?"

"It's just starting [the popularity explosion of pickleball].  TV contracts are being signed.  It's being viewed on the Tennis channel and on ESPN."- so says Mike Shears, an ambassador of pickleball for northwestern Illinois and beyond.  Perhaps the fastest growing sport in America, pickleball is being played by people of all ages and abilities.  Mike Shears gives Boomer and Jimmy Ahmahdoofus the lowdown on this high flying sport.

Shenanigans in shop class continues in part II of our interview with Tim "TR" Rennels, long time Industrial Arts teacher at Wauconda High School.  We also hit upon the value of a college education and discuss our roles as "Superagers" in retirement.  Jimmy Ahmahdoofous gives two thumbs up on this episode.  Apparently, it appeals to his juvenile sense of humor.

Fornication, Fire, Feces: these three elements show up when Tim "TR" Rennels reminisces about teaching high school shop for over thirty years.  Tim shares shenanigans from his three decades ot Wauconda High School along with successes and the transformation that vocational arts has undergone since the 1980s.  

You have to be concerned about long term brain damage.  This is a statement Golden Gloves boxing champion Devin Parrish addresses with honesty and thoughtfulness in the latest OK Boomer episode where we continue to converse with people who have interesting pursuits. Devin talks about financing a World Championship dream, how to use his feet in the ring, and perhaps most importantly how to use his mind on and off the canvas.  Currently ranked number 7 in the nation at his weight class, hear how Devin employs techniques like meditation and yoga to aid him in his quest to be a champion.  

Have you ever met ANYONE who voiced to you that s/he has a goal of becoming a world champion?  Well, you can meet Devin Parrish in this episode and hear him talk about advancing from his current ranking of 7th in the nation as a light middleweight boxer to his goals of becoming an Olympic boxer and eventual world champion.  He discusses the challenges of boxing that he fights with: weight loss, concussions, finances, training, and more.  A 2017 graduate of Wauconda high school, Devin is on an exciting journey.

Chancellor Jackson, author of 14 Days in Beijing, preceeds Brittany Griner with a story similar to hers: incarceration in a foreign country for possession of an illegal substance.  Relive Chancellor's bewilderment, confusion, and concern upon being imprisoned without knowing what was going to happen to him.  You will enjoy a few of his lighter moments as when his Chinese cellmates wanted to know if the stereotypes of African men's intimates were true.

Jimmy Ahmahdoofous's New Year resolutions that include dog porn, my guest's experience as a harpy, your chance to be featured on the next episode-  it's all here in this episode with Kris Keppeler, an actor, writer, narrator, and more. If you were born in the previous century, you might remember noted writers Erma Bombeck or Andy Rooney.  Enjoy Kris Keppeler's podcast Does This Happen To You? which has flavors of Bombeck and Rooney's narratives. 

Seasonal mirth abounds when Boomer and Jimmy Ahmahdoofous exchange Holiday memories which include bad Christmas presents, Jimmy's time as a mall Santa, and the suspicious lyrics to some Christmas song classics.  This is published four days early, just in case you need something to laugh at if you're snowbound in your house, a ditch, or, even worse, in your inlaw's house.  You're ride over hill and dale (poor Dale) doesn't have to be boring.

How did we get from pelting cars with snowballs to to shooting cars on the interstate with high powered rifles?  Bob LeMent of Static Radio podcast discusses this and other fun holiday topics (parade massacres, nuclear station bombing, etc.) along with the wonders of living in the midwest.  This is part two of the conversation.

Boomer's guest, Bob LeMent of the podcast Static Radio, agrees that midwest living is the way to go, that those on the coast can keep their wild fires and hurricanes to themselves.  Gratitude for midwest values and for escaping lethal childhood ventures that include mechanized death are discussed in this episode.

Allegedly, Jesus told the Cubs organization, "Don't do anything until I get back."  That's part of the conversation with Andy as he, Boomer, and Jimmy Ahmahdoofous talk about the rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals baseball teams and Andy's first book "90 Days in the 90s: A Rock N Roll Time Travel Story."   In addition to his new book, Frye has written articles for Rolling Stone, ESPN, and Forbes magazine.

Just in time for Halloween, Boomer and Jimmy take a break from interviewing people with interesting careers to hear the tale of terror from two grandparents in western Illinois that were kidnapped and held hostage in an attempt to extort money from them.  Part I related their abduction.  Part II brings you their escape from their kidnapper but not an escape from being victims as they struggle to find normalcy, to escape PTSD and the permanent scars left behind. 

Remember the scene in one of the Lethal Weapon movies where Danny Glover's character is awakened in the middle of the night by criminals who use duct tape to restrain and silence him and his wife while threatening them and their children?  It is a terrifying scene, even if it was enacted.  But this scene REALLY HAPPENED to two grandparents outside a small town in western Illinois: Larry and Connie Van Oosten were similarly abducted and held hostage for 48 hours.  Hear this story of evil and how they survived not only the initial terror, but the life changing after effects of this bizarre crime.

"Name dropping is really tacky.  Paul McCartney told me so," quips James Alcroft as he shares stories about his decades long success as a comedian in the 1980s and 1990s.  Having performed on the Tonight Show for both Carson and Leno and opened for Diana Ross,  Jamie has a lot of names to be dropped, including Bob Saget who was his competition for the role of Danny Turner in Full House.  Get inside stories on Saget, Paul Lynde, and others in this episode.

Between being jailed for marching for the legalization of marijuana and fathering current star singer Hayley Kiyoko (aka Lesbian Jesus), James Alcroft found his way onto the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, put together a dynamic comedy team and received a heart and liver transplant. His conversation with Boomer and Jimmy Ahmahdoofous is definitely funnier than a heart attack.

Bill Cushing has held many an instrument in his days: a shovel for digging ditches, a weapon for service in theNavy, an ohmmeter for working as an electrician.  He now wields a pen as an award winning poet from Glendale, CA.  Bill discusses the advantages of having a diverse life, about not being locked into aspects of your life, and of course more of his writing.

How does a guy go from years in the navy and working as an electrician to teaching college and becoming an award winning poet?  Bill Cushing explains how he did it and some of his ventures on an incongruous road to becoming an award winning author-  and he shares it via his rotary phone in Glendale, California!

Imagine what it must be like to compete on the national level as an athlete.  Imagine what would be like to compete on the national level as a wrestler.  How about a female wrestler?  A real Beauty AND a Beast, Keira Dafnis continues sharing a bit of her brief 17 years on planet earth as a wrestler and in thoughtful discussion about diversity, her own asexuality, and whether young people can be optimistic about the future.

How many resumes can list winning a beauty pageant and a wrestling tournament? At least one and it belongs to Keira Dafnis, a female wrestler who will continue her grappling in college.  Only seventeen, she is an accomplished wrestler on both the state (Illinois) and national level.  Her beauty pageant winning face regularly sports the badges of honor that a wrestling match produces: bruises, cuts, scrapes.  Listen to Keira talk about the various challenges in her young life, not just about the uniqueness in being part of a male dominated sport. 

"We cant' let ourselves think about what and who we are leaving behind or it will break us.  My daily routine was in every sense life giving.  And what will make me feel that way when I return to the States?" Christine Herbert, Peace Corp volunteer and author of The Color of the Elephant, a book that recounts her African Peace Corp experience, answers this question and others in part 2 of her conversation with Boomer and Jimmy Ahmahdoofous.

Naked, afraid, and alone . . . well, she wasn't naked, but Christine Herbert did have some scary moments (poisonous snakes, floods) spending two years in the African nation of Zambia, thousands of miles away from friends, family, and even people of her race.  No electricity in her mud hut was just one element of her experience that molded an unexpected transformation that challenged the way she understoond the world.  She captures two years of wonder in her book "The Color of the Elephant" and shares the laughter, the mud, and the tears in her interview with Boomer and Jimmy Ahmahdoofuous.

Beware the worm!  Has a worm ever sent someone to the ER?  It sent Jake O'Donnell when he was performing the worm during a pub crawl in Madrid.  Jake chronicles this story and other seminal moments of becoming a man in his book "Walk Like a Man(iac) and in part 2 of his conversation with Boomer.