Schlitz Happened! (An Old Milwaukee Blatz From The Pabst)

24/03/2026

I treat myself to ONE Big Mac a year, and it's on or around March 24th which was my brother Larry's birthday.

If I could describe Larry in one word it would be "magnificent".

He had a black belt in martial arts but also in kindness, even though our father used to beat him mercilessly throughout his childhood and nobody could ever understand why.

Larry was as loving as anyone I ever met, and even though I have done a routine for years about getting tortured and bullied it never happened - at least not from him.

I don't ever remember even one cross word between us, and how many siblings can lay claim to that?

Larry was two years older and while we didn't grow up together we did spend a lot of time in our teenage years.

I painted my first car to look like the Batmobile, and we had a blast cruising through Milwaukee getting stared at by passers by.

One day we went to a big flea market called Rummage-O-Rama which any Milwaukeean will tell you was a huge event.

As we walked through the aisles, we came upon a vintage Batman t-shirt which cost $10 - a fortune at the time.

I admired it lovingly for a minute or two, and then we kept walking.

At the end of our visit Larry said he had to go to the bathroom, and he was gone for a long time.

I began to get impatient and then it came to a point I wondered if he was OK.

Several minutes later Larry came back and I asked him what happened when he flipped me the Batman t-shirt and said "OK, NOW we can go."

He spent the very last money he had on that shirt, and I started to weep right there in front of everyone.

"Oh geez, let's go before everyone thinks I have another sister." He said with his typical humorous touch, and we left.

Larry's favorite food of all time was the Big Mac, and he ate them as often as he could.

I surely wasn't rich at the time but I bought him one in sincere gratitude for his kindness and he ate it how he always did.

I've never seen anyone eat a Big Mac like Larry before or since.

He would first eat the top bun, which I found out is called the crown.

Then he'd eat the top beef patty by itself, and then eat the rest of it like a mini sandwich.

Our whole family used to mock him but that's how he did it for a lifetime and we just came to accept it.

Years later Larry had a severe stroke and spent five long years in a nursing home in Beaver Dam, WI where he lay paralyzed on his entire left side.

My sister Tammy and I would try to visit as often as we could, but that was no easy task even though he understood.

Every time we saw him his face would light up, and we brought him more than a few Big Macs over those five years.

His favorite TV show was "Everybody Loves Raymond" and he would watch it with other patients in a TV room every day.

I happen to have a comedian friend named Rob Sherwood who knows Ray very well and I asked Rob for a special favor of a signed picture for Larry.

I told him even if it wasn't signed I'd sign it myself because it would be a huge thrill for not only Larry but everyone in the nursing home.

A few days later I got a certified package with not only a signed picture but it came in a frame.

When I presented it to Larry he wept just like I did when he gave me the Batman shirt and I said "Stop your crying, people around here will think I have two sisters."

We laughed and he said "Payback isn't always a bitch."

Larry's condition worsened through the years, and one day I was performing not far from his nursing home and was running late and called to tell the staff as I didn't know if I'd make closing time.

They told me he wasn't in good spirits of late and they'd be glad to sneak me in the back door after hours which is what they did.

I walked in and Larry's face it up as always, and we had an extra long visit where we went over our whole lives in detail.

He asked if I wouldn't mind getting him a Big Mac, and I scolded him "What do you think I am, your personal taxi service?"

We laughed as brothers would, and of course I got him his request and one for me and we sat and talked some more.

Finally it was time to go, and I put my hand on his shoulder and told him he was the best brother I could ever ask for and how great our times were together despite all the family turmoil we endured.

"I love you brother." I said softly.

"I love you too."

The next morning Tammy called to say Larry had a seizure not long after I left, and died shortly thereafter.

I was stunned, devastated but SO grateful for the chance to have one last visit and one last Big Mac together.

I don't work for McDonald's and have no reason to plug this other than sibling love, but if you are looking for something to eat for lunch or dinner today or in the next little while please have a Big Mac in Larry's honor.

If you happen to have siblings you love please forward this story and tell them to their face how much you love them as you never know when you won't have that chance anymore.

THANK YOU Larry, if there is a heaven and you aren't in it I don't want to go.

And thank you Rob Sherwood and Ray Romano for an act of kindness you will never truly realize how huge of an impact it had.

I hope this made you shed a tear or two, as these are the things that are truly important in life.

Thank you if you read this far, now back to our regularly scheduled daily insanity.

More to come...

, , , , ,

08/12/2025

Born December 8th, 1953 in Yakima, WA was Samuel Burl Kinison, one of the most original comedians of the modern - or any - era.

I was fortunate to have a very unique experience in meeting Sam before he got famous as his brother Bill owned a club in Madison, WI called The Comedy Cellar in 1984 when I was just starting.

Madison is about 70 miles from my hometown of Milwaukee, and I would take a Greyhound bus there to perform on their open mic night and occasionally on weekends to watch the headliners.

Bill was very supportive to new comedians and there was a budding scene in Madison that was much more alive than Milwaukee so I went as often as I could.

One night after I did a set Bill came up to me and said "My brother is coming in a few weeks and you really ought to make a point to see him, he's going to be huge."

"YOUR brother is a COMEDIAN?" I sneered in the cockiness of youth.

"Uh huh. Remember the name, Sam Kinison." he said calmly.

"Sam Kinison. Sam Kinison. Sounds like a used car salesman." I said, trying to be funny.

Sure enough, a few weeks later I was there as Bill suggested and was hanging with the other comedians when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"So, YOU'RE the guy my brother said thought I sounded a used car salesman. Sam Kinison, nice to meet you."

"Well...it kind of does." I said sheepishly and blushing, while Bill sat laughing hysterically a few feet behind Sam.

It was all in good fun and then the show started and I would give my life savings to have it on video.

Sam tore the room apart like few I have ever seen, and to this day it sends chills down my spine thinking about it.

Nobody had ever seen anything like it, and needless to say I came back the next night and watched him again.

I was willing to invest bus fare to and from Madison to watch him work, and I became an instant fan as did every other comedian.

I had started to work the road a bit a couple of years later and Sam was in Pittsburgh and I got to see him perform at a rock club and also got backstage and he came up to me and said "Hey, I know you."

How flattering was THAT?

He invited another comedian and me back to his hotel suite for a party and I had no idea what I was getting into.

As it worked out Rodney Dangerfield's movie "Back to School" was on the hotel cable and we were all in the main room of the suite as his famous scene came on.

It was surreal to see Sam in person blasted out of his mind sitting with a hot babe on his lap right next to the TV where his scene was playing, and that's another picture I wish I had to show now.

Things got a bit out of hand and I have never been a partier so I excused myself and went back to my dingy hell hole hotel to think about life and what I was getting myself into doing comedy.

I heard stories through the years how Sam could be difficult and downright mean to people but he was always great to comedians and the few times I hung with him he couldn't have been nicer.

What a talent he was, and I also got to know his best friend Carl LaBove very well and heard all kinds of stories of their adventures.

Sadly The Comedy Cellar was only open a short time but I have fantastic memories of cutting my teeth there and wish Bill Kinison all the best and thank him for allowing us all to have stage time.

Chris Farley is from Madison and tried standup ONCE at the Comedy Cellar but bombed horribly and never came back.

That's another story for another time, but that place has stories.

Below is a link to his first appearance on Letterman which I vividly recall watching and then hearing people talk about it the next day.

Much love and respect for Sam and the meteoric career he had.

More to come...

Sam Kinison's first appearance on the Tonight Show with David Letterman, 11-14-1985

28/11/2025

Thanksgiving is a great concept, but I have taken it to another level and made it a daily habit.

Years ago I heard of starting a "gratitude journal" and cataloging a few things each day to be grateful for - and they DO exist.

Even on the worst days there is always something positive to find like maybe a smile and kind word from a cashier or having our favorite food for lunch.

For years I promised myself "I'm going to start one myself" and New Year's Day of 2025 I finally did it.

I bought a notebook for .99 at a thrift store and started jotting a list of things big and small I had to be thankful for each day.

Sometimes I had to think for a while but I have not missed even one day and it's to the point I look forward to it every single day.

I average about 4-5 things each day, and it's nothing elaborate but it's a tangible list of something I had to be thankful for.

At the end of each week and month I look back over what I wrote and many times I had already forgotten about it but it reminds me and I relive the good experience all over again.

I have made an extra focused point this year of doing things like holding doors open for people or complimenting strangers on little things like how their hair looks great or they have on a cool jacket.

The smiles I get back are soul cleansing, and I admit sometimes I get stared at like an ax murderer but that's fine too.

The small positive friendly connections are worth any and all rejection, and it has literally rewired my entire life day in and day out.

I always tried to be a nice person before, but now I feel it's my destiny and life purpose, and then at the end of the day I jot a few brief points down and they are seeds for rereading later on.

I can't stress enough how wonderful this has been this year, and I thought Thanksgiving day would be the time to share it.

Nobody has an excuse not to do this and I didn't either, but alas it has taken into approaching geezerhood before actually DOING it.

I still have more faults than most and am far from the person I ultimately dreamed of becoming since childhood, but this is an exceptional way to plant seeds of winning for the rest of my life.

Please feel free to share this if it speaks to you in any way, and I hope I can inspire others to do the same.

If you don't have the .99 for a notebook I'll send it to you, but only if you DO it and list your own blessings that come your way.

Many will consider it corny or sappy and that's fine as I might have as well at some point in my life.

That time is not now, and I could not be more proud of myself for taking ACTION which has blossomed into a full blown good habit.

This is both THE best book I have ever written and the best book I have ever read, and it's not even 100% finished yet.

I am going to finish it, and guess what?

Next year I intend to write (and read) an even better one and there is no excuse why you can't do one as well.

Will you?

Only you can answer.

I can't wait for the movie! 😉

Happy Thanksgiving, but don't let the gratitude stop now.

01/07/2025

I am once again filling in for KB on the "Drew and KB" program on 97.3 "The Game" in Milwaukee from 3-6pm Central Time on July 1st, 2025.

The show is billed as "sports and stuff" but today we have a lot of sports to talk about with NBA free agency and the Milwaukee Bucks making a splash up front.

We also have lots of fun features to get to and if you're not near Milwaukee the station streams online and there is a talk and text line where you can check in and let us know you're listening.

The station has been doing really well as have Drew and KB in particular, and it's a statewide thing so we have a broad audience.

Nothing is more fun than being on a popular radio station and I am always grateful to get the call to fill in.

Hope you can listen, and if you do please check in and let us know!

Thank you.

97.3 The Game is Sports Talk That Rocks! Featuring local and live programming from The Steve Czaban Show in the morning, Nine 2 Noon, and Drew & K.B. in the afternoon. 97.3 The Game is your home for Milwaukee sports talk, including the Brewers, Bucks, Packers, and Admirals, and college sports at Wis...

30/06/2025

Last night at American Place Casino in Waukegan, IL was one of THE highlights of my entire life.

Billy Gardell and I first worked together in West Palm Beach, FL many years ago, and have kept in touch since.

He is and always has been the living, breathing and walking example of the term "class act" and he didn't disappoint.

We hadn't seen each other in person in years, and last night he was performing in Waukegan which is about thirty minutes from me.

The person on the right is another long time comedian named Ben Creed who I also have known for decades and also had not seen in years.

Billy not only insisted I do a guest set, but went up first and brought me on stage himself!

Unheard of in 99.999% of cases, but that's Billy and always was.

He was always funny, but watching him destroy the audience last night was a true treat, and he has found his stride and then some as a comedian and I was totally blown away.

Ben was great as always too, and then the casino took us out for a spectacular meal at their North Shore Steaks and Seafood restaurant where we could relax, catch up and share road stories.

Billy has lost a remarkable 173 pounds and is looking terrific and he enjoyed some shrimp cocktail and a watermelon and cucumber salad that looked scrumptious.

Ben had a lobster tail the size of a barracuda and I had a rib eye steak cooked "blue rare" like I like it and couldn't finish but had a breakfast fit for a king this morning!

The staff at the casino and restaurant were magnificent, and they all treated us like royalty along with fans who stopped not only Billy but all three of us to get pictures and autographs all night long.

Billy "gets it" more than just about anyone I have ever met, and I am proud and honored to call him not only a friend but a long time supporter.

We may not get together often, but for at least thirty years we have kept in touch and as his star rose he didn't have to do that.

MUCH love and respect to Billy, Ben, the casino and my other long time friends Drew Olson and Kevin Brandt aka "Drew and KB" from 97.3 "The Game" in Milwaukee the station that sponsored the show.

Everything came together how it's supposed to for a night, and this is exactly how I always thought life was supposed to work every day.

It doesn't, and that's why I am extra grateful.

What a blast!

Hanging out with great people makes life itself great.

I am so grateful for the gems I have met in my life, and I try to be one myself.

This was one for the ages.

, , ,

11/10/2024

October 10th was the birthday of one of THE most generous, kind and encouraging comedians of all time the great Jimmy Wiggins.

He was a wonderful soul and a mentor to many - me included.

I have never met anyone who loved standup comedy more than he did, and he gave his all in front of any audience anywhere, and after a lifetime of experiencing comedy myself that is no easy feat.

This is his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at age 64, and it was magnificent.

Watch how he commands the room from the second he walks out on stage and it's very obvious how much fun he was having - and he was.

I spoke to him right after, and this was a shining moment in his life and everyone who knew him was overjoyed to see him have his day.

Wigs passed away a few years ago, but his influence and spirit lives on in many.

I am honored to be one of them, and I wanted to celebrate him on his birthday.

RIP good sir, you are royalty and a life well lived!

Please subscribe to my channel. Thank you many boat loads.

27/09/2024

I haven't been online in several weeks but wanted to check in and say hello and hope you are on a good groove in your life.

For me this is THE best I have ever felt at least in my adult life, and it is all due to the fact I have consciously focused my myself of late.

I have been spending every single day rebooting, reshaping and reassessing every part of my life on stage and off, and I have to say I am already reaping the benefits but have no plans to stop.

Today happens to be my 900th day in a row of walking at least 10,000 steps a day but in September I have averaged 14,000!

To make it even harder, I have been getting up and out walking by 5am every morning and that has taken it to an even higher level as I challenge myself to "win the day" before most others wake up.

Below is a video by a woman named Mel Robbins I admit I never heard of before this month but I have been playing what comes up in my YouTube feed and have been getting fantastic inspiration.

I have been cataloging my videos watched and if you would like to have a copy I would be delighted to send it as my gift if you send me your email address please.

My intention is to create a newsletter eventually and I promise I am not going to pester anyone or try to give them the hard sell.

Getting in a positive groove is a challenge but SO worth it, and I am looking to connect with as many other like minded people as I can to keep building on this magnificent month of constant growth.

I'm paring down clutter and reshuffling the cards, and not exactly sure when I will get back on line regularly but for today I wanted to say hello and share this video on day 900 of my walking streak.

Have a wonderful weekend and I hope I can inspire even ONE other person to start a walking program to change their life for the better.

You don't have to start with 10,000 steps, but you do have to START!

Ready to change your life? 🔥 https://bit.ly/melrobbins_what 👈 Download my FREE, 26-page workbook designed to help you discover what you REALLY want and bu...

21/08/2024

This is a video I listened to on my morning exercise walk today (day 863 in a row and counting) and I want to share it here.

I have been changing my entire life by far for the better this whole year, and a big part of that includes having a daily exercise regimen.

I have been weeding out many negative people and habits and replacing them far better ones and I feel better than I ever have.

It's not always easy and some days are brutal and I wish I was never born, but who doesn't have rough days?

One thing that has really been good to let go of is political angst.

There is SO much hate flying in all directions that any time I see an attack on either side I snooze that person for 30 days as a minimum and if they do it again they're gone.

I think we all know at this point who we are going to vote for or if we are going to vote at all.

Why the constant hate mongering has to continue I don't know, but I refuse to participate in it and will spend all my time improving ME so no matter who gets in I will be able to live my own life better.

I have done plenty of research and know who I am going to vote for in November, and it's none of your business who that is.

Who or if you vote is none of my business either, and I'd like to keep it that way please.

This video is by Jim Rohn, an all time classic motivational speaker who has passed but his words ring true and will for all time.

Truth is truth, and I am going to keep looking for it wherever I can find it.

No politician or motivational speaker or anyone else but ourselves is ever responsible for our own life's outcome, and I for one am on a mission to take charge and build my own best life.

So there.

Hopefully this will speak to you like it did me.

Jim Rohn was great, but there are others as well.

Focus on positive energy and good things will happen.

That's my plan anyway.

Imagine vanishing from your current routine and stepping into a world of endless possibilities! In this powerful motivational video, Jim Rohn explores the co...

14/08/2024

Did you know that August 13th is International Left Handers Day?

I have known that for years, only because I am the ONLY lefty in my immediate family and it has been a lifelong source of pain, ridicule and constant mockery.

Left handers are about 10% of the population, and truly the only minority that is spread among ALL races, creeds and cultures.

Left handed females are even rarer, as about 10% of left handers fall into that category or about 1% of the general population.

Lefties know the agony of having to use a can opener, scissors or trying to find a baseball glove as a kid.

Trying to write on a school desk that's made for right handers can be torture as well, and to add more fuel to the fire left handers are more likely to live shorter lives and die from accidents as well.

Still, we are a proud lot and this is our ONE day a year to unite.

If you're in the club, give a left handed salute and know you are special!

Spread the word fellow sinstrals, today we are in the spotlight!

09/08/2024

I spoke with a long time radio friend of mine today and he informed me it is "National Book Lovers Day".

Who didn't know THAT? ;)

Seriously, there are all kinds of "national days" that are used for promotional purposes so I wanted to not only plug my book "Monkey in The Middle" but anyone else who has written one.

Writing a book is one of THE most challenging things I have ever done, and it took about twenty years to finally "get around to it".

If you are not familiar, it's a true crime story about my childhood best friend who robbed a bank he used to work at - TWICE - and tried to blame one of the robberies on me.

I wish it were fiction, but it's a true story I wish never happened.

People who have read it have been very complimentary, and I am grateful beyond words for their kindness.

I know I have a lot of new people in my Facebook friends list so if you would like a PDF of the book as my gift send me a valid email address and I will send it immediately.

I will use your email to put you on a mailing list to let you know about upcoming comedy shows just so you know, but I promise I won't sell it to any cults or Nigerian princes with extra cash. ;)

If you want to purchase one they are available at www.eckhartzpress.com and cost $20 plus postage FYI.

But I want to know who else on my list may have written a book?

My long time friend Drew Olson was a sportswriter for years and he co-wrote a book with Milwaukee Brewers TV broadcaster Bill "The Rock" Schroeder which is excellent, and I highly recommend it.

That's a starter, and if you have one please plug it below.

Happy National Book Lovers Day, and many more. :)

08/08/2024

In Chinese culture the number 8 is associated with financial success, prosperity and good fortune much like the number 7 is in the West.

As much as I have tried to master money throughout my life, it has been an ongoing struggle and I have reached a breaking point.

I have been able to squeeze out a living for going on forty years doing standup comedy and being a radio personality - two of the most stressful and unstable vocations one could imagine.

There were times when I had a double income of radio and comedy and lived like royalty, and then I'd lose my job and be back to the struggle.

Some years have been better than others, but lately it has been a huge struggle just to keep bills paid and I live like a cockroach.

Good thing I enjoy being thrifty, or I'd be sleeping in a rest area and eating out of a dumpster.

Money is a mindset, and I just haven't mastered it for whatever reason.

Maybe it was because I was raised by my grandparents who lived through the Great Depression (and by how they described it it wasn't that great) but somewhere there is a short in my wiring.

Life is all about a vibe, and all of us put one out to the world.

What has taken me so long to learn is we are in control and can change that vibe for the better if we so choose - and TODAY I do.

I have been using the summer months to clean and sort and pare down and just rework and reshuffle the cards in my life deck and prepare to take a final run at fulfilling the potential I know I have.

We all get sidetracked and distracted in life, but it's those who can find a way to have the courage to make their dreams happen are the ones that are remembered - even if their lives were difficult.

I am just now starting to see things the way they should be, and it took a lifetime of sorting out pain and problems to see that vision.

Today is "8/8", and I made it a point to clean off my workspace and allow myself a fresh start and a new - and better - vibe to start flowing.

It got to be overwhelming and was choking me out creatively, so I took action and now I feel much better and am ready to chase the money vibe and when I get it use it for good to help others.

In order to help others we must all help ourselves, and sometimes that can be the task that gets overlooked the most.

With all the political poo that is being slung over social media these days I am going to make it a point to go in exactly the opposite direction and focus on the positive both in my life and life itself.

Today is a fresh start, and whether anyone reads this or not I am in a groove and on a mission to make my life a whole lot better.

I finished my 850th day in a row of walking 10,000 steps before 9am, and have spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon cleaning out my outer world so I can do the same with my mind.

Every day is a chance to improve, and it's our choice to accept it.

From today on I am in, and hope you are too.

Your vibe attracts your tribe, and I can feel mine getting better!

01/08/2024

Here is a terrific video I want to share that is packed with timeless truths that will nourish your mind and hopefully touch your soul.

I heard it on my daily exercise walk this week, of which today happens to be day 843 in a row without missing even once!

It has become a way of life and I can't picture myself NOT doing it, and I know if you get yourself on a program it will help you as well.

You don't have to do 10,000 steps minimum like I do or even seven days a week, just do SOMETHING to get yourself moving regularly.

My life is markedly different, and in a much better way on many levels.

I sleep sounder, think clearer, feel better and actually ENJOY doing it.

Listening to uplifting and healthy content like this makes the time go faster, and the benefits are really starting to show.

I just can't take any more of the political insanity that is going on, and I don't watch the news at all anymore.

I don't even like scrolling through Facebook because a vast majority of posts are mean spirited and condescending on both sides.

I fully intend to vote on November 5th and I know who I am going to vote for, so in my mind swimming in the cyber toilet of all the daily poo slinging is not an option.

Instead, I am going to focus on building a better ME, and hope the world is around long enough to use it for the good of humanity.

If you happen to live in the Chicago/Milwaukee area and want to do a walk with me, I am happy to meet you and get you started!

You don't have to do 10,000 steps at first, as I wasn't able to either.

It took about a month to work up to it, but now I haven't stopped.

I also have an inspirational coach named Samara Palubiski who will be glad to help you as well.

Fill your head with GOOD mental and spiritual nutrition, and it will protect you from the dark ugly vibe that is much of life in 2024.

Not me, and it doesn't have to be you either.

Jim Rohn was one of the all time greats, and this is really powerful.

FORCE YOURSELF TO BE PATIENT AND STAY FOCUSED - Jim Rohn MotivationEmbrace Jim Rohn's motivational wisdom to develop patience and maintain unwavering focus. ...