  DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" BEE-OTCH OF THE DAY ON FACEBOOK! A SPECIAL HERO OF THE DAY!  ---
Name: Sen. Wendy Davis (D)
Age: 50 Occupation: state senator Last Seen: Austin, TX Awarded For: preserving women's rights --- Not only does Wendy Davis have a big heart, she must either have a strong bladder or some Depends. Yesterday, the Texas state senator was lauded by women's rights advocates and pro-choice people for throwing an 11-hour filibuster in the Texas state senate that caused a vote to be moot. The bill Davis was protesting would have ordered all but five abortion clinics in the state to shutter for not having the same standards as hospitals, plus ban all abortions after 20 weeks of gestation. Davis' goal was to kill the bill that was to be voted in a special election by filibustering to midnight, the expiration time for the bill to be voted on. During her filibuster, Republicans tried to stop her by stating that she had gone off topic when she started talking about a sonogram, plus cheering from outside the State Capital from pro-choice advocates. After 10 hours, the vote was made, and while the Republicans claimed victory, the truth was that the vote was placed after midnight, making the vote moot. Folks, this is what happens when we vote Republican. Women get the shaft and the rich white guys who run the show make sure that their lives end up miserable. In their dreams, a woman should have children, even if it's rape. Don't like it? Put it up for adoption. Does it come back 20 years later while you marry a real man and have kids, crying that you abandoned him as a baby and it's your fault? Sucks to be you. We need more Wendy Davises. That woman was smart enough and to present FACTS in front of those stupid white guys who think that once there's a living thing in your tummy, it's yours. I'm glad that not all voters in Texas are stupid (after all, Rick Perry is George W. Bush's continuation). I hope that in 2014, the Repukes that were voted in in 2010 because of the Koch Brothers' BS get voted out and this country can move forward. And with Wendy Davis, it already is. --- Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome! Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com! Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!  |
Thursday, June 27, 2013
6.27.13 Hero of the Day: Wendy Davis
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
6.26.13 Hero of the Day: Chicago Blackhawks
DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" BEE-OTCH OF THE DAY ON FACEBOOK!
A SPECIAL HERO OF THE DAY!
---
Name: Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 87
Occupation: NHL team
Last Seen: Chicago, IL
Awarded For: being hockey's best
---
Chicago is one miserable sports town.
The Bulls haven't been hot since the days of Air Jordan.
The Bears are always hit-or-miss, and their "new" stadium sucks.
The White Sox sucks.
Last, but not least, The Cubs will never, ever, ever win a World Series. Not with a .42 record.
But hey! Their hockey team's pretty good!
On Monday night, the Chicago Backhawks won their second Stanley Cup in four years, beating the Boston Bruins at their home arena. The fact that the 'Hawks won is quite astonishing considering that ten years ago, they were the laughing stock of all the NHL. In 2003, their average attendance was only 14,700. Now, they lead the league with 21,775.
Even though I'm a Red Wing fan, I'm appreciative of the Hawks, considering how quickly they have turned around in the past few years. The team was first owned by Fredric McLaughlin, a successful coffee seller and Major in the Army in WWI. During his ownership, the Blackhawks won two Stanleys in 1934 and '38.
However, Major McLaughlin died of heart disease in 1944. So, his estate sold the team to Bill Tobin, the team's president. However, Tobin was a puppet for Red Wings owner James Norris, who owned Chicago Stadium. During Norris' "ownership" of the Hawks, the team only made the playoffs twice and was one of the worst teams in the NHL. Every time the Hawks had a good player, he was automatically traded to the Wings. However, Norris' ownership of the Hawks ended when he died in 1952 and his son purchased the team, fixing his dad's problems. Under the younger Norris's ownership, they picked up legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. They won the Cup in 1961, but that was it for championships for a long, long time.
Thanks to the NHL's 1967 expansion and competition from the World Hockey Association, which took several Hawks like Hull away from the team, the team spent years struggling. Even worse, they were owned by William "Dollar Bill" Wirtz, a man who was more concerned with his pocketbook over keeping players and fans happy.
Under Wirtz's ownership, the Blackhawks were a hated team. Wirtz did not allow home games to be locally televised, claiming that it would be unfair for attendees of the game. Team players all asked to leave the team and be traded. Even legends like Hull didn't want to be associated with the team. Many critics and ESPN called Dollar Bill one of the worst owners in sports.
Then, in 2007, Bill Wirtz died and his son, Rocky took over. Under Rocky's aegis, he reversed his dad's decisions, such as allowing Comcast to televise home games and investing in good players like captain Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Almost immediately, the Blackhawks, once the laughing stock of the NHL, became the hottest ticket in the Windy City. In 2010, after 49 years, Lord Stanley's Cup returned to Chicago. The process was repeated again on Monday.
True, this was a shortened season thanks to the lockout, The Blackhawks deserved it. Since the days of Fredric McLaughlin, they have a good owner in Rocky Wirtz. Hell, I'm starting to like Wirtz better than the Ilitches, especially since they're now buddies with the DeVoses (I cringe that the Red Wings are now "presented by Amway") and the fact that the Wings have deteriorated over the past five years, only BARELY making the playoffs. Then again, the Tigers are hot!
In the end, the Hawks won, fair and square. Toews has some good years left on him, and Rocky will make sure that his team will not enter the same fate his dad made it.
But, there's next year... :)
---
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: 87
Occupation: NHL team
Last Seen: Chicago, IL
Awarded For: being hockey's best
---
Chicago is one miserable sports town.
The Bulls haven't been hot since the days of Air Jordan.
The Bears are always hit-or-miss, and their "new" stadium sucks.
The White Sox sucks.
Last, but not least, The Cubs will never, ever, ever win a World Series. Not with a .42 record.
But hey! Their hockey team's pretty good!
On Monday night, the Chicago Backhawks won their second Stanley Cup in four years, beating the Boston Bruins at their home arena. The fact that the 'Hawks won is quite astonishing considering that ten years ago, they were the laughing stock of all the NHL. In 2003, their average attendance was only 14,700. Now, they lead the league with 21,775.
Even though I'm a Red Wing fan, I'm appreciative of the Hawks, considering how quickly they have turned around in the past few years. The team was first owned by Fredric McLaughlin, a successful coffee seller and Major in the Army in WWI. During his ownership, the Blackhawks won two Stanleys in 1934 and '38.
However, Major McLaughlin died of heart disease in 1944. So, his estate sold the team to Bill Tobin, the team's president. However, Tobin was a puppet for Red Wings owner James Norris, who owned Chicago Stadium. During Norris' "ownership" of the Hawks, the team only made the playoffs twice and was one of the worst teams in the NHL. Every time the Hawks had a good player, he was automatically traded to the Wings. However, Norris' ownership of the Hawks ended when he died in 1952 and his son purchased the team, fixing his dad's problems. Under the younger Norris's ownership, they picked up legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. They won the Cup in 1961, but that was it for championships for a long, long time.
Thanks to the NHL's 1967 expansion and competition from the World Hockey Association, which took several Hawks like Hull away from the team, the team spent years struggling. Even worse, they were owned by William "Dollar Bill" Wirtz, a man who was more concerned with his pocketbook over keeping players and fans happy.
Under Wirtz's ownership, the Blackhawks were a hated team. Wirtz did not allow home games to be locally televised, claiming that it would be unfair for attendees of the game. Team players all asked to leave the team and be traded. Even legends like Hull didn't want to be associated with the team. Many critics and ESPN called Dollar Bill one of the worst owners in sports.
Then, in 2007, Bill Wirtz died and his son, Rocky took over. Under Rocky's aegis, he reversed his dad's decisions, such as allowing Comcast to televise home games and investing in good players like captain Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Almost immediately, the Blackhawks, once the laughing stock of the NHL, became the hottest ticket in the Windy City. In 2010, after 49 years, Lord Stanley's Cup returned to Chicago. The process was repeated again on Monday.
True, this was a shortened season thanks to the lockout, The Blackhawks deserved it. Since the days of Fredric McLaughlin, they have a good owner in Rocky Wirtz. Hell, I'm starting to like Wirtz better than the Ilitches, especially since they're now buddies with the DeVoses (I cringe that the Red Wings are now "presented by Amway") and the fact that the Wings have deteriorated over the past five years, only BARELY making the playoffs. Then again, the Tigers are hot!
In the end, the Hawks won, fair and square. Toews has some good years left on him, and Rocky will make sure that his team will not enter the same fate his dad made it.
But, there's next year... :)
---
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
6.25.13 Hero of the Day: Jack Miller
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A SPECIAL HERO OF THE DAY!
---
Name: Jack Miller
Age: 77
Occupation: radio personality, WTAB Tabor City, NC
Last Seen: Tabor City, NC
Awarded For: being probably the greatest tradio host of all time
---
Now, most of you probably never heard of Tabor City, NC, pop. 4,000 or even its radio station of record, WTAB, a small AM station that broadcasts on 1370 on the dial and operates at 5,000 watts daytime and 109 watts sunset to sunrise.
But if you listen to Howard Stern, you definitely have heard parts of the station.
And to its Swap Shop host and ex-owner, Jack Miller, it wasn't by choice.
It was announced on Sunday that after 58 years as a radio personality and 38 years at WTAB, with 17 of them as its owner, Miller, aka "The Colonel" is retiring. According to the station's Facebook page, Miller's retirement is "not set in stone" but rather "word of mouth". Jack's radio friends believe that his retirement won't be for long, but who knows.
Miller worked at many stations in his home state of Tennessee, Louisiana and of course North Carolina at WTAB, where he started hosting The Swap Shop in 1975. According to Jack, his first day was awful because people in Tabor City didn't know what the show's purpose was about and he had no callers. Eventually, the show became popular, and it's now loaded with advertisers and callers wanting to buy, sell or trade their personal items (except for firearms, of course). In 1996, Miller purchased WTAB, then an AC station and flipped it to its current format of country and gospel (after all, Tabor City was named for a mountain in the Bible).
In recent years, A lot of good and bad has happened at WTAB; Jack sold the station last year to his stepson, Eric Sellers (reportedly for WAAAAAAAAY less than what he bought the station for) and with the addition of new equipment was able to broadcast 24/7 instead of shutting down at 6 p.m. daily, no matter what season it was. However, a popular jock at WTAB, Bobby Pait died earlier this year in a house fire. However, Jack's son, "Uncle Red" Richard "Fluff" Miller came back to the station to take over Pait's Gospel show.
Of course, we can talk more about the greatness that is Jack Miller, but we'll always remember his two greatest callers: Sal Governale and Richard Christy from the Howard Stern Show. Here's a sampling of Sal and Richard's great conversations with The Colonel:
Sadly, they were ID'd by one of Jack's faithful fans, but leave it to Jack to laugh it off.
Nonetheless, Jack was a good sport and gave us some good comedy gold, even if he was the butt of the Stern Show and Sal and Richard's ever-long quest to ruin any Swap Shop or Tradio host's day. He'll be missed, and I wouldn't doubt it if Richard will take over the show. We'll see, but I know one thing's for sure:
Richard and Sal will be listening.
----
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: 77
Occupation: radio personality, WTAB Tabor City, NC
Last Seen: Tabor City, NC
Awarded For: being probably the greatest tradio host of all time
---
Now, most of you probably never heard of Tabor City, NC, pop. 4,000 or even its radio station of record, WTAB, a small AM station that broadcasts on 1370 on the dial and operates at 5,000 watts daytime and 109 watts sunset to sunrise.
But if you listen to Howard Stern, you definitely have heard parts of the station.
And to its Swap Shop host and ex-owner, Jack Miller, it wasn't by choice.
It was announced on Sunday that after 58 years as a radio personality and 38 years at WTAB, with 17 of them as its owner, Miller, aka "The Colonel" is retiring. According to the station's Facebook page, Miller's retirement is "not set in stone" but rather "word of mouth". Jack's radio friends believe that his retirement won't be for long, but who knows.
Miller worked at many stations in his home state of Tennessee, Louisiana and of course North Carolina at WTAB, where he started hosting The Swap Shop in 1975. According to Jack, his first day was awful because people in Tabor City didn't know what the show's purpose was about and he had no callers. Eventually, the show became popular, and it's now loaded with advertisers and callers wanting to buy, sell or trade their personal items (except for firearms, of course). In 1996, Miller purchased WTAB, then an AC station and flipped it to its current format of country and gospel (after all, Tabor City was named for a mountain in the Bible).
In recent years, A lot of good and bad has happened at WTAB; Jack sold the station last year to his stepson, Eric Sellers (reportedly for WAAAAAAAAY less than what he bought the station for) and with the addition of new equipment was able to broadcast 24/7 instead of shutting down at 6 p.m. daily, no matter what season it was. However, a popular jock at WTAB, Bobby Pait died earlier this year in a house fire. However, Jack's son, "Uncle Red" Richard "Fluff" Miller came back to the station to take over Pait's Gospel show.
Of course, we can talk more about the greatness that is Jack Miller, but we'll always remember his two greatest callers: Sal Governale and Richard Christy from the Howard Stern Show. Here's a sampling of Sal and Richard's great conversations with The Colonel:
Sadly, they were ID'd by one of Jack's faithful fans, but leave it to Jack to laugh it off.
Nonetheless, Jack was a good sport and gave us some good comedy gold, even if he was the butt of the Stern Show and Sal and Richard's ever-long quest to ruin any Swap Shop or Tradio host's day. He'll be missed, and I wouldn't doubt it if Richard will take over the show. We'll see, but I know one thing's for sure:
Richard and Sal will be listening.
----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Monday, June 24, 2013
6.24.13 Hero of the Day: James Gandolfini
DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" BEE-OTCH OF THE DAY ON FACEBOOK!
A SPECIAL HERO OF THE DAY!
---
Name: James Gandolfini
Age: was 51
Occupation: actor
Last Seen: Italy
Awarded For: being one of the most-important actors in modern history
---
Of all the people God could have taken from us, he had to take James Gandolfini.
When The Sopranos debuted in 1999, it gave us a modern look into the world of the Mob through the eyes of its protagonist, Tony Soprano, played by Gandolfini. Tony was a hard-working man who despite his toughness as a mafia leader, tried to maintain a simple, suburban family life. He'd suffer panic attacks and would chat with his psychiatrist to try to eliminate the pain of being a mobster. To many, Tony Soprano was the modern spin of the mob, and James did it to a T.
For years, James admitted that portraying a mobster made him sick to his stomach, but maybe that's what he was born to do. A native New Jerseyan born to an Italian father, James was tall, had a balding head and stout. For years, he worked in films, playing medium roles such as a juror in 12 Angry Men and a lieutenant in Crimson Tide. But in 2009, the barge broke and The Sopranos and Tony Soprano was born.
Almost immediately, James Gandolfini was a household name. The Sopranos became must-see TV and when the FCC put the pressure on over-the-air TV networks because of Janet Jackson's nip-slip in 2004, HBO had no problems keeping The Sopranos rough and tough to make viewers see the reality of what it was Mafia. James won the affirmation of critics, winning three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Tony Soprano.
After the show's infamous cancellation in 2007, Gandolfini continued acting, appearing in recent movies such as Zero Dark Thirty and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. He produced and starred in an HBO miniseries called Alive Day Memories where he talked to Iraq War veterans about their struggles with everyday life after their tour of duty.
When news broke out last Wednesday that James had suddenly died of a massive heart attack, the world became stunned. Why would a man like James Gandolfini die so young and still had a good life in front of him? God only knows. Of course, the tributes poured out from his friends, co-workers and co-stars. Even Governor Chris Christie in New Jersey ordered all flags be flown half-staff to honor one of that state's finest gentlemen.
I find it sad that this world is loaded with people who I wish would die, but that's the way God works I think. Maybe Rob Bell is right in his book Love Wins that we're all in hell as we speak, and that Heaven awaits. Good people die young, but there's idiots who live well past 90. Maybe he told James that his time was up on Planet Earth and it was time to move on.
But whatever God's plan is, James had a good ride.
----
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: was 51
Occupation: actor
Last Seen: Italy
Awarded For: being one of the most-important actors in modern history
---
Of all the people God could have taken from us, he had to take James Gandolfini.
When The Sopranos debuted in 1999, it gave us a modern look into the world of the Mob through the eyes of its protagonist, Tony Soprano, played by Gandolfini. Tony was a hard-working man who despite his toughness as a mafia leader, tried to maintain a simple, suburban family life. He'd suffer panic attacks and would chat with his psychiatrist to try to eliminate the pain of being a mobster. To many, Tony Soprano was the modern spin of the mob, and James did it to a T.
For years, James admitted that portraying a mobster made him sick to his stomach, but maybe that's what he was born to do. A native New Jerseyan born to an Italian father, James was tall, had a balding head and stout. For years, he worked in films, playing medium roles such as a juror in 12 Angry Men and a lieutenant in Crimson Tide. But in 2009, the barge broke and The Sopranos and Tony Soprano was born.
Almost immediately, James Gandolfini was a household name. The Sopranos became must-see TV and when the FCC put the pressure on over-the-air TV networks because of Janet Jackson's nip-slip in 2004, HBO had no problems keeping The Sopranos rough and tough to make viewers see the reality of what it was Mafia. James won the affirmation of critics, winning three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Tony Soprano.
After the show's infamous cancellation in 2007, Gandolfini continued acting, appearing in recent movies such as Zero Dark Thirty and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. He produced and starred in an HBO miniseries called Alive Day Memories where he talked to Iraq War veterans about their struggles with everyday life after their tour of duty.
When news broke out last Wednesday that James had suddenly died of a massive heart attack, the world became stunned. Why would a man like James Gandolfini die so young and still had a good life in front of him? God only knows. Of course, the tributes poured out from his friends, co-workers and co-stars. Even Governor Chris Christie in New Jersey ordered all flags be flown half-staff to honor one of that state's finest gentlemen.
I find it sad that this world is loaded with people who I wish would die, but that's the way God works I think. Maybe Rob Bell is right in his book Love Wins that we're all in hell as we speak, and that Heaven awaits. Good people die young, but there's idiots who live well past 90. Maybe he told James that his time was up on Planet Earth and it was time to move on.
But whatever God's plan is, James had a good ride.
----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
6.20.13 Bee-otch of the Day: The Morning Mayhem
DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" BEE-OTCH OF THE DAY ON FACEBOOK!
---
Name: "The Morning Mayhem"
Ages: ??
Occupation: ex-morning hosts, WQXI Atlanta
Last Seen: Atlanta, GA
Bee-otched For: bad sportsmanship
---
Earlier this year during March Madness, a young basketball player broke his Achilles Tendon in front of millions of people.
Immediately, people went into action. Medics came to his aide and so did players from both teams. Other players stood in circles and prayed for the downed player. As for CBS, they did a yeoman's job in trying not to show or repeat the player as his leg broke.
Now that's good sportsmanship.
In sportsmanship, you never knock a man when he's down, especially when he ends up disabled. In the case of the asshole morning hosts at WQXI Radio in Atlanta, well, that's bad sportsmanship.
Steve Gleason was a former safety for the New Orleans Saints who was best-known for his blocked punt in the first quarter of the first game in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2006. He played eight seasons in the NFL, but retired in 2011 after being diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. He is now confined to a wheelchair, and can no longer speak. A sad situation for a man who's just 36 years old.
Last week, "The Morning Mayhem", the morning show on WQXI "790 The Zone" decided to poke fun at Gleason by staging a fake phone call to him with a man imitating a voice synthesizer. The show obviously poked fun at Gleason's disability and listeners complained. Within hours, The three hosts were kicked out of the building. They eventually apologized to their listeners and to Gleason. The ex-football star then Tweeted that he accepted their apology.
WQXI is an ESPN affiliate, so chances are that they're now airing Mike and Mike in the Morning. The station is owned by Lincoln Financial Media.
I find it amazing that Atlanta was the biggest market that never carried Howard Stern when he was in regular radio, but they still have their clones. Yeah, Stern has poked fun at disability, but in good taste in comparison to these pricks. I know, nobody's perfect. Hell, I'm not perfect myself. The point is, this is the lowest of the low: making fun of a man who has an uncontrollable disease that will eventually kill him. Sick.
Morning Mayhem? More like Morning Morons to me.
----
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Ages: ??
Occupation: ex-morning hosts, WQXI Atlanta
Last Seen: Atlanta, GA
Bee-otched For: bad sportsmanship
---
Earlier this year during March Madness, a young basketball player broke his Achilles Tendon in front of millions of people.
Immediately, people went into action. Medics came to his aide and so did players from both teams. Other players stood in circles and prayed for the downed player. As for CBS, they did a yeoman's job in trying not to show or repeat the player as his leg broke.
Now that's good sportsmanship.
In sportsmanship, you never knock a man when he's down, especially when he ends up disabled. In the case of the asshole morning hosts at WQXI Radio in Atlanta, well, that's bad sportsmanship.
Steve Gleason was a former safety for the New Orleans Saints who was best-known for his blocked punt in the first quarter of the first game in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2006. He played eight seasons in the NFL, but retired in 2011 after being diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. He is now confined to a wheelchair, and can no longer speak. A sad situation for a man who's just 36 years old.
Last week, "The Morning Mayhem", the morning show on WQXI "790 The Zone" decided to poke fun at Gleason by staging a fake phone call to him with a man imitating a voice synthesizer. The show obviously poked fun at Gleason's disability and listeners complained. Within hours, The three hosts were kicked out of the building. They eventually apologized to their listeners and to Gleason. The ex-football star then Tweeted that he accepted their apology.
WQXI is an ESPN affiliate, so chances are that they're now airing Mike and Mike in the Morning. The station is owned by Lincoln Financial Media.
I find it amazing that Atlanta was the biggest market that never carried Howard Stern when he was in regular radio, but they still have their clones. Yeah, Stern has poked fun at disability, but in good taste in comparison to these pricks. I know, nobody's perfect. Hell, I'm not perfect myself. The point is, this is the lowest of the low: making fun of a man who has an uncontrollable disease that will eventually kill him. Sick.
Morning Mayhem? More like Morning Morons to me.
----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
6.18.13 Bee-otch of the Day: Bill Simonson
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---
Name: Bill Simonson
Age: 4X
Occupation: radio hack
Last Seen: Grand Rapids, MI
Bee-otched For: giving another BBBJ to the Devos family
---
It's been a while since we've talked about Huge, the big fat idiot whose irritating bullshit sports talk show invades the airwaves at WBBL 107.3.
I was hoping that when 'BBL was sold to Cumulus a while back, they would shitcan this big market reject once and for all. As a matter of fact, ESPN 96.1 usually does better than them in the ratings, especially in the afternoons.
One reason why I hate HUUUUUUUGE is because he's butt buddies with the Devos family. You know, Amway? Anyway, on his Facebook, HUUUUUUUGE wrote a post thanking them for inviting him to their suite at Van Andel Arena (named of course after Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel) during the Grand Rapids Griffins Calder Cup Finals game on Friday. One of the comments came from another Grand Rapids jock, "John the Canuck" on B93, who is also known as "Johnny Molson" on 101-3 The Brew.
His comment? "That post is brought to you by Amway." The large one was nice enough to erase it.
Sadly, HUUUUGE doesn't get it. Nobody in Grand Rapids likes him. He's a dumbass who's only on the air because of his sponsors who somehow kiss his fat ass. The only reason why WBBL even HAS ratings is because of the Tigers and the Red Wings. That's it.
Like many in Grand Rapids, I HATE the Devos family. They're a bunch of stuck-up Hollanders who want the whole town to kiss their ass because they're the richest family in Michigan. I love the fact that they *supposedly* were behind the city's strip club ordinance, yet, at last year's ArtPrize (another Devos creation), they allowed a painting soaked in an HIV-positive man's jizz to be hung at a gay bar. Oh, I love their connection to the Prince family, whose beloved son Erik's Blackwater group helped to kill innocent people overseas because of their choice of religion.
I think that's one reason why I'm not crazy about the Griffins. If they win the Calder Cup, great. Groovy. Fine. I don't give two shits. I'm a Red Wing guy, even though they are now "presented by Amway". After all, the Griffins are an affiliate of the Wings.
As for Huge, there's a reason why he's a big market reject. He got sued for half a million bucks in Austin, TX and got canned at ESPN 1000 Chicago because he had a .3 in the ratings. I would imagine that if Matt Hanlon didn't move WBBL from 1340 to 107.3, that station would be dead and they would have no choice but to fire Huge. But somehow, he's still there even though his ratings suck.
But that's what happens when you kiss right-winged ass.
----
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: 4X
Occupation: radio hack
Last Seen: Grand Rapids, MI
Bee-otched For: giving another BBBJ to the Devos family
---
It's been a while since we've talked about Huge, the big fat idiot whose irritating bullshit sports talk show invades the airwaves at WBBL 107.3.
I was hoping that when 'BBL was sold to Cumulus a while back, they would shitcan this big market reject once and for all. As a matter of fact, ESPN 96.1 usually does better than them in the ratings, especially in the afternoons.
One reason why I hate HUUUUUUUGE is because he's butt buddies with the Devos family. You know, Amway? Anyway, on his Facebook, HUUUUUUUGE wrote a post thanking them for inviting him to their suite at Van Andel Arena (named of course after Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel) during the Grand Rapids Griffins Calder Cup Finals game on Friday. One of the comments came from another Grand Rapids jock, "John the Canuck" on B93, who is also known as "Johnny Molson" on 101-3 The Brew.
His comment? "That post is brought to you by Amway." The large one was nice enough to erase it.
Sadly, HUUUUGE doesn't get it. Nobody in Grand Rapids likes him. He's a dumbass who's only on the air because of his sponsors who somehow kiss his fat ass. The only reason why WBBL even HAS ratings is because of the Tigers and the Red Wings. That's it.
Like many in Grand Rapids, I HATE the Devos family. They're a bunch of stuck-up Hollanders who want the whole town to kiss their ass because they're the richest family in Michigan. I love the fact that they *supposedly* were behind the city's strip club ordinance, yet, at last year's ArtPrize (another Devos creation), they allowed a painting soaked in an HIV-positive man's jizz to be hung at a gay bar. Oh, I love their connection to the Prince family, whose beloved son Erik's Blackwater group helped to kill innocent people overseas because of their choice of religion.
I think that's one reason why I'm not crazy about the Griffins. If they win the Calder Cup, great. Groovy. Fine. I don't give two shits. I'm a Red Wing guy, even though they are now "presented by Amway". After all, the Griffins are an affiliate of the Wings.
As for Huge, there's a reason why he's a big market reject. He got sued for half a million bucks in Austin, TX and got canned at ESPN 1000 Chicago because he had a .3 in the ratings. I would imagine that if Matt Hanlon didn't move WBBL from 1340 to 107.3, that station would be dead and they would have no choice but to fire Huge. But somehow, he's still there even though his ratings suck.
But that's what happens when you kiss right-winged ass.
----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Monday, June 17, 2013
6.17.13 Bee-otch of the Day: Chick-fil-A
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Name: Chick-fil-A
Age: 67
Occupation: fast food chain
Last Seen: College Park, GA
Bee-otched For: coming to Michigan
---
Here in Grand Rapids, we're in Fast Food Heaven.
Yeah, we have the traditional McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King and Subway, plus Taco Bell, Arby's, Long John Silver's and Quizno's. We also have some chains that aren't in all towns, like Sonic, Checker's (aka Rally's in some places), Culver's and Smashburger, plus a few fresh Mex places like Qdoba, Moe's and Chipotle.
Sadly, there's a few institutions missing from west Michigan, such as Jack in the Box and a chain I think a lot of folks would love to see here: White Castle. It's also worth noting that Grand Rapids lost their Dunkin' Donuts locations a few years ago when the local franchisee refused to pay his royalties. However, we still have Krispy Kreme.
Of the top 15 fast food chains in America, Grand Rapids is missing three of them. Dunkin Donuts and Jack in the Box are two examples. Now, another of those chains is coming to Grand Rapids sometime probably next year or in 2015.
Yep! It's Chick-fil-A.
A representative for the Georgian chicken sandwich place revealed that there's plans for them to invade Michigan within the next year or two, namely Grand Rapids. Currently, Chick-fil-A's sole Michigan location is at Oakland University in Rochester. The closest location to Grand Rapids is in Mishawaka, IN, just over the state border.
Chick-fil-A is famous for their ad campaigns, which feature cows holding signs that read "Eat Mor Chickin" in protest against the other fast food chains that serve burgers. However, the chain has been under fire for years because of the family that owns them, the Cathys. They are very notorious Southern Baptists who have used their chain to overly promote their religion by ordering all their restaurants to close on Sundays and even worse, supporting organizations that are against gay marriage. Because of this, Chick-fil-A has gotten lots of support from religious and conservative groups, but a lot of hatred from pro-gay organizations as well. Some groups even staged "gay kiss" days in front of Chick-fil-A locations.
There's no doubt that Chick-fil-A will do well in Grand Rapids, since there's still quite a few Dutch Reformists whose religion is quite in line with the Southern Baptists. Hell, there's a local restaurant chain here in town, Russ', that's also closed Sundays because of the owners' religious values. As mentioned here, last week, Russ' made headlines when they sent a memo to all their employees that they could no longer work over 25 hours because of "Obamacare".
Look, I respect God, but the last time I've heard, he never preached against homosexuality. It's sad when these backwards southerners have to peddle their shit to us smart-thinking northerners. I know, they'll have a customer base here, but I won't be one of them.
As a matter of fact, I'd rather go to the Popeye's on Division and Burton and risk being shot at than to go to Chick-fil-A.
----
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: 67
Occupation: fast food chain
Last Seen: College Park, GA
Bee-otched For: coming to Michigan
---
Here in Grand Rapids, we're in Fast Food Heaven.
Yeah, we have the traditional McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King and Subway, plus Taco Bell, Arby's, Long John Silver's and Quizno's. We also have some chains that aren't in all towns, like Sonic, Checker's (aka Rally's in some places), Culver's and Smashburger, plus a few fresh Mex places like Qdoba, Moe's and Chipotle.
Sadly, there's a few institutions missing from west Michigan, such as Jack in the Box and a chain I think a lot of folks would love to see here: White Castle. It's also worth noting that Grand Rapids lost their Dunkin' Donuts locations a few years ago when the local franchisee refused to pay his royalties. However, we still have Krispy Kreme.
Of the top 15 fast food chains in America, Grand Rapids is missing three of them. Dunkin Donuts and Jack in the Box are two examples. Now, another of those chains is coming to Grand Rapids sometime probably next year or in 2015.
Yep! It's Chick-fil-A.
A representative for the Georgian chicken sandwich place revealed that there's plans for them to invade Michigan within the next year or two, namely Grand Rapids. Currently, Chick-fil-A's sole Michigan location is at Oakland University in Rochester. The closest location to Grand Rapids is in Mishawaka, IN, just over the state border.
Chick-fil-A is famous for their ad campaigns, which feature cows holding signs that read "Eat Mor Chickin" in protest against the other fast food chains that serve burgers. However, the chain has been under fire for years because of the family that owns them, the Cathys. They are very notorious Southern Baptists who have used their chain to overly promote their religion by ordering all their restaurants to close on Sundays and even worse, supporting organizations that are against gay marriage. Because of this, Chick-fil-A has gotten lots of support from religious and conservative groups, but a lot of hatred from pro-gay organizations as well. Some groups even staged "gay kiss" days in front of Chick-fil-A locations.
There's no doubt that Chick-fil-A will do well in Grand Rapids, since there's still quite a few Dutch Reformists whose religion is quite in line with the Southern Baptists. Hell, there's a local restaurant chain here in town, Russ', that's also closed Sundays because of the owners' religious values. As mentioned here, last week, Russ' made headlines when they sent a memo to all their employees that they could no longer work over 25 hours because of "Obamacare".
Look, I respect God, but the last time I've heard, he never preached against homosexuality. It's sad when these backwards southerners have to peddle their shit to us smart-thinking northerners. I know, they'll have a customer base here, but I won't be one of them.
As a matter of fact, I'd rather go to the Popeye's on Division and Burton and risk being shot at than to go to Chick-fil-A.
----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
6.13.13 Bee-otch of the Day: Clear Channel
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---
Name: Clear Channel
Age: 41
Occupation: media giant
Last Seen: San Antonio, TX
Bee-otched For: trying to squeeze more life out of old farts---
Ever since Howard Stern left terrestrial radio in 2006, the medium is still looking for its morning hero.
Hint: it ain't Bob and Tom.
According to Arbitron, public radio's Morning Edition is the top morning show in America. However, no syndicated shock jocks come close.
Not even Bob and Tom.
Right now, the biggest market carrying B&T in Cincinnati. There are a few other decent-sized markets carrying the show, but overall, it's a show aimed at rednecks in the midwest.
However, their syndicator, Clear Channel thinks that it's a "young demo" show.
Recently, CC ran some spots in several radio trade papers claiming that the show, hosted by two 60-somethings that laugh at their own awful jokes, has shown big gains amongst males 18-34. Really?!? When I first listened to the show when I was 16, I didn't last two weeks with their annoying dreck. Overplayed comedy bits and fake laughter is just plain unbearable.
I'll betcha that CC wants to try to make B&T the next Stern in terms of audience. But, it ain't working. Stern had 20 million listeners on terrestrial radio, B&T only have, well, nowhere near Stern's numbers.
I understand that Bob and Tom are Indianapolis institutions, but most elsewhere, they're just two old farts that try hard to be typical morning radio burn-outs. Even here in Michigan where their careers started, they lost Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids. Even in northern Michigan, their numbers suck. I would imagine that Clear Channel begged and pleased to Northern Star Broadcasting to dump Free Beer and Hot Wings because Real Rock 105/95-5's ratings were better than their B&T-hosted sister, The Bear. Bob and Tom dumped in the market where they began? Sacrilege!
Thanks, Clear Channel, but it's time for Bob and Tom to retire. They're old and they're not funny, especially since they went family-friendly after the Janet Jackson nip-slip. Let's go ahead and put them out of their misery.
Clear Channel: where "young demos" means Adults 65+.
----
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: 41
Occupation: media giant
Last Seen: San Antonio, TX
Bee-otched For: trying to squeeze more life out of old farts---
Ever since Howard Stern left terrestrial radio in 2006, the medium is still looking for its morning hero.
Hint: it ain't Bob and Tom.
According to Arbitron, public radio's Morning Edition is the top morning show in America. However, no syndicated shock jocks come close.
Not even Bob and Tom.
Right now, the biggest market carrying B&T in Cincinnati. There are a few other decent-sized markets carrying the show, but overall, it's a show aimed at rednecks in the midwest.
However, their syndicator, Clear Channel thinks that it's a "young demo" show.
Recently, CC ran some spots in several radio trade papers claiming that the show, hosted by two 60-somethings that laugh at their own awful jokes, has shown big gains amongst males 18-34. Really?!? When I first listened to the show when I was 16, I didn't last two weeks with their annoying dreck. Overplayed comedy bits and fake laughter is just plain unbearable.
I'll betcha that CC wants to try to make B&T the next Stern in terms of audience. But, it ain't working. Stern had 20 million listeners on terrestrial radio, B&T only have, well, nowhere near Stern's numbers.
I understand that Bob and Tom are Indianapolis institutions, but most elsewhere, they're just two old farts that try hard to be typical morning radio burn-outs. Even here in Michigan where their careers started, they lost Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids. Even in northern Michigan, their numbers suck. I would imagine that Clear Channel begged and pleased to Northern Star Broadcasting to dump Free Beer and Hot Wings because Real Rock 105/95-5's ratings were better than their B&T-hosted sister, The Bear. Bob and Tom dumped in the market where they began? Sacrilege!
Thanks, Clear Channel, but it's time for Bob and Tom to retire. They're old and they're not funny, especially since they went family-friendly after the Janet Jackson nip-slip. Let's go ahead and put them out of their misery.
Clear Channel: where "young demos" means Adults 65+.
----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
6.12.13 Bee-otch of the Day: Russ' Restaurants
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---
Name: Russ' Restaurant
Age: 79
Occupation: west Michigan restaurant chain
Last Seen: Holland, MI
Bee-otched For: forcing their employees into the soup kitchen---
In all my years living in Grand Rapids, I have never, ever been to a Russ' Restaurant.
And as it is, I never will.
Yesterday, a memo was handed down to non-managerial employees of Russ' that stated that effective immediately, they can no longer work more than 25 hours per week. According to the memo, it is due to the Affordable Healthcare Act, which goes into effect in October.
Russ' management would not go any further as to why they're cutting hours.
According to several business analysts, businesses like Russ' that cut hours due to the new law - often called "Obamacare" - are doing so to avoid paying more for insurance or even paying penalties for not providing it. Several other restaurant chains, namely Papa John's were all under fire for cutting hours citing the new law, crying that it would cost businesses major dollars.
Russ' is based in Holland and is run by Christian Reformists, which explains why they're closed on Sundays. A bigger chain, Chick-fil-A is also run by Jebus freaks and are also closed Sundays, and they've also been under fire for using their faith to attack people, namely gays.
Ya know, I'll betcha that Russ' ain't hurting and it's pathetic that they're spitting on their employees over a new law. I've noticed that businesses run by conservative Christians tend to treat their people horribly and pay them torrid wages. How does Russ' expect their workers when they're only working them 25 hours per week, plus the fact that they're closed Sundays?
Sorry, but when any business is closed Sundays, I tend to avoid them at all costs. There's a ton of restaurants to choose from here in Grand Rapids, and I'll betcha that they a treat their workers much better than Russ'. I feel bad for their employees and hope that they find better jobs soon.
Oh, and I see that Russ' logo is a sin. It's stolen from Big Boy.
----
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: 79
Occupation: west Michigan restaurant chain
Last Seen: Holland, MI
Bee-otched For: forcing their employees into the soup kitchen---
In all my years living in Grand Rapids, I have never, ever been to a Russ' Restaurant.
And as it is, I never will.
Yesterday, a memo was handed down to non-managerial employees of Russ' that stated that effective immediately, they can no longer work more than 25 hours per week. According to the memo, it is due to the Affordable Healthcare Act, which goes into effect in October.
Russ' management would not go any further as to why they're cutting hours.
According to several business analysts, businesses like Russ' that cut hours due to the new law - often called "Obamacare" - are doing so to avoid paying more for insurance or even paying penalties for not providing it. Several other restaurant chains, namely Papa John's were all under fire for cutting hours citing the new law, crying that it would cost businesses major dollars.
Russ' is based in Holland and is run by Christian Reformists, which explains why they're closed on Sundays. A bigger chain, Chick-fil-A is also run by Jebus freaks and are also closed Sundays, and they've also been under fire for using their faith to attack people, namely gays.
Ya know, I'll betcha that Russ' ain't hurting and it's pathetic that they're spitting on their employees over a new law. I've noticed that businesses run by conservative Christians tend to treat their people horribly and pay them torrid wages. How does Russ' expect their workers when they're only working them 25 hours per week, plus the fact that they're closed Sundays?
Sorry, but when any business is closed Sundays, I tend to avoid them at all costs. There's a ton of restaurants to choose from here in Grand Rapids, and I'll betcha that they a treat their workers much better than Russ'. I feel bad for their employees and hope that they find better jobs soon.
Oh, and I see that Russ' logo is a sin. It's stolen from Big Boy.
----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
6.11.13 Bee-otch of the Day: bullies
DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" BEE-OTCH OF THE DAY ON FACEBOOK!
---
Name: various
Age: various
Occupation: bullies
Last Seen: everywhere
Bee-otched For: making peoples' lives a living hell---
For many a kid here in America, four words are on their minds:
School's out for Summer.
Yessir, no more books, no more teachers and most of all, no more bullies. Most kids seem to all have a bully, and their job is to make others' lives a living hell.
Last week, the world was shocked when it was announced that Paris Jackson, the daughter of Michael overdosed on pills, trying to commit suicide. According to sources, the 15-year-old was frequently teased and made fun of by classmates, possibly because of her father's troubles over the years. She's still hospitalized as I'm typing this, but when she's ejected, they are planning to allow her to live with her biological mother and have her attend another school.
After the news of Paris' attempted suicide was released, Marilyn Manson dedicated his 2000 hit "Disposable Teens" in concert to her. The song itself talked about how pop culture had focused its attention on throwaway pop stars instead of legitimate talent. It's rumored that Jackson is a fan of Manson's.
Also last week, a video was uploaded to YouTube featuring David Dramian, lead singer of rock bands Disturbed and Device talking about the subject of cyberbullying. He told people that the best way to fight it is to simply walk away. Cyberbulliers are mentally weak and they bully because they were probably bullied as kids. So, they think they have found their targets and dwell on them.
Watching David's video simply reassured myself that just because I've been bullied online myself that the world isn't over. Just walk on and avoid the past. There's lots of jerks out there and nobody needs to be harassed. It's also one good reason why I don't name names, it only puts poison on the wounds.
Personally, I wish Paris good luck. She's a wonderful young lady and it's sad that people link her to her father's sordid past. Then again, it was bullying from his own father that helped cause Michael to act like a kid to the day he died; he just had no real childhood.
My advice to any young teen out there is this: school's not forever. you will graduate, go to college and maybe get a good job. People (hopefully) grow up and will look back and think on how stupid they were. Period.
If not, maybe they'll never grow up.
----
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: various
Occupation: bullies
Last Seen: everywhere
Bee-otched For: making peoples' lives a living hell---
For many a kid here in America, four words are on their minds:
School's out for Summer.
Yessir, no more books, no more teachers and most of all, no more bullies. Most kids seem to all have a bully, and their job is to make others' lives a living hell.
Last week, the world was shocked when it was announced that Paris Jackson, the daughter of Michael overdosed on pills, trying to commit suicide. According to sources, the 15-year-old was frequently teased and made fun of by classmates, possibly because of her father's troubles over the years. She's still hospitalized as I'm typing this, but when she's ejected, they are planning to allow her to live with her biological mother and have her attend another school.
After the news of Paris' attempted suicide was released, Marilyn Manson dedicated his 2000 hit "Disposable Teens" in concert to her. The song itself talked about how pop culture had focused its attention on throwaway pop stars instead of legitimate talent. It's rumored that Jackson is a fan of Manson's.
Also last week, a video was uploaded to YouTube featuring David Dramian, lead singer of rock bands Disturbed and Device talking about the subject of cyberbullying. He told people that the best way to fight it is to simply walk away. Cyberbulliers are mentally weak and they bully because they were probably bullied as kids. So, they think they have found their targets and dwell on them.
Watching David's video simply reassured myself that just because I've been bullied online myself that the world isn't over. Just walk on and avoid the past. There's lots of jerks out there and nobody needs to be harassed. It's also one good reason why I don't name names, it only puts poison on the wounds.
Personally, I wish Paris good luck. She's a wonderful young lady and it's sad that people link her to her father's sordid past. Then again, it was bullying from his own father that helped cause Michael to act like a kid to the day he died; he just had no real childhood.
My advice to any young teen out there is this: school's not forever. you will graduate, go to college and maybe get a good job. People (hopefully) grow up and will look back and think on how stupid they were. Period.
If not, maybe they'll never grow up.
----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Monday, June 10, 2013
6.10.13 Hero of the Day: Michael Moore
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DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" BEE-OTCH OF THE DAY ON FACEBOOK! A SPECIAL HERO OF THE DAY!  ---
Name: Michael Moore
Age: 59 Occupation: filmmaker Last Seen: Traverse City, MI Awarded For: giving people more choice--- One lesson I've learned in life is that every city and town has its ups and downs. For an example: my hometown of Grand Rapids. We have lots of bars and hangouts, movie theatres and concert venues. Sadly, the town has its prudes, like the DeVos family who dictate what this town can have, which is one reason why there's no strip clubs here. Plus, instead of locally-owned grocers, we're stuck with a Meijer on every street corner since they live here. Not to mention that this town has its share of crime In my life, I've only lived in two major areas: west Michigan and Traverse City. I spent the first 20 years of my life living up north, and they have their pluses over the Furniture Capital, they do have two strip clubs, but otherwise, the bar scene is loaded with seniors. There's hardly any crime, although homelessness is an issue, especially since one of them, Tony Ciccone, is the brother of Madonna. Most of the supermarkets are locally-owned - like Tom's and Oleson's - but they're all supplied by Grand Rapids-based Spartan (who now own two Family Fares in Traverse City). Sadly, one minus Traverse City had for years was its movie theatres. Currently, they have two multiplexes that are only one mile apart from each other and they're as warm as a jail cell. Both were built by the long-defunct George Kerasotes Corporation (GKC) shortly before the stadium seating boom of the mid-90's, and current owners Carmike have done virtually nothing to make their theatres more modern. Even worse, they charge modern megaplex prices for people to go to their theatres that look like they were built in the 80's. But thankfully, they do have competition, and its Traverse City itself. In 2007, a non-profit group led by filmmaker and local resident Michael Moore reopened the long-shuttered State Theatre after over a decade of closure. GKC had previously owned the theatre, built in 1949 by predecessor W.S. Butterfield Theatres. Previously, two theatres were in the same spot as the State, both called the Lyric. The first Lyric was built in 1916 but was leveled by fire in 1923. The second Lyric was built just a few months later, but was also destroyed in a fire in 1948. Butterfield reopened the theatre as the State in 1949, even though there was another State Theatre 15 miles north in Elk Rapids (which was renamed the Elk Rapids Cinema in 1960 and is still open today). Over the years, Butterfield was thankful that their only competition involved theatres in other local towns and a few drive-ins. They were bought out by Kerasotes in 1984; at the time, they had three theatres, all spaced in convenient locations and had two screens: the State, Grand Traverse in Acme and the Plaza at the Meijer. However, in 1992, GKC opened the eight-screen Grand Traverse at the Grand Traverse Mall and the Plaza was closed and demolished. The old Grand Traverse in Acme was renamed the Traverse Bay. Eventually, both the State and Traverse Bay became second-run houses showing films for only a few bucks. However, both theatres' fates were sealed when the 10-screen Horizon opened in 1995. The Traverse Bay became a dinner theater while the State sat dormant for years. Of course, Michael Moore decided to create the Traverse City Film Festival not only to re-open the State, but also give folks in the Cherry Capital an alternative to seeing films in shoebox auditoriums. The Festival was such a success that the then-owners of the State, the Rotary donated it to Moore's group, who remodeled it top to bottom. The theatre was de-twinned, new seats were installed, a new screen was put in, new sound system, projection, the works. And most of all, a lot of the remodeling came from volunteers who love movies like everybody else. Now, the State - under Moore's aegis - is a must-see destination for any movie-lover. Recently, TheCredits.org, a website operated by the Motion Picture Association of America voted it as the best movie theatre in the world. Only two American theatres made the list. The site lauded the theatre for being community-run, plus the fact that they throw parties, 25-cent family matinees and the fact that when the temperature exceeds 100 degrees, they won't charge admission. And best of all, it's all run by volunteers, and normal admission is only $8. Since it's community-run, don't be surprised if they want you to work there if you go there. However, there has been one thing plaguing the State, and it's the fact that they have a clause with Carmike - through ex-owner GKC - that they cannot show films playing in more than 200 screens. In other words, the State can only show indie movies or sub-run movies that have long left most theatres. But thankfully, they are getting around that edict. Last week, Moore announced that the TCFF is buying the long-dormant Con Foster Museum and converting it into a small, 177-seat cinema. According to Moore, it will be just like the State, but smaller. And since there's no edict with other chains, the theatre - being renamed "Bijou By The Bay" - will be allowed to show first-run films to compete with the Grand Traverse Mall and Horizon Cinemas. The purchase of the Con Foster Museum is appropriate since Foster was a long-time manager for the Lyric from 1927 until his passing in 1940. He was instrumental in modernizing the theatre, even making it Traverse City's first theatre with sound movies in 1929. Just because you live in a small town doesn't mean that you should be forced into having big-city hand-me-downs. People in Traverse City love movies, but shouldn't have to go see the chiropractor because they sit in seats that don't recline and are forced to adjust their neck because of no stadium seating (OK, so the State doesn't have stadium seating, but there's a balcony, and the seats are nice and plush). When a community comes together to show their love of something as simple as the movies, things work in the long run. That's why the State's been a success story since Michael Moore's group got their hands on it. I've been to the State before in 2008, where I saw the Australian film "Eddie" about a man who cleans port-a-potties for a living. It wasn't bad, although it never got a wide release. The manager even had me be a doorman, which I was proud doing. If I still lived in Traverse City, I would go to the State often and avoid Carmike at all costs, at least until they can be capable of modernizing their shitty cinemas. Here's an idea: how about if the Traverse City Film Festival raises funds to buy and remodel the Grand Traverse Mall and Horizon Cinemas? It wouldn't hurt. Just imagine: all 21 screens in Traverse City being community-owned like the Green Bay Packers. An idea like this works since the Packers have won many Super Bowls and they're the smallest team in pro sports. Already, Moore has shown that a man and his city can do better with just one screen over a corporation running 19. Anything can happen with community spirit. ----
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more! |
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