Daddy Unscripted Podcast

The 1st of 2 episodes with Brad Rothschild, this conversation is now becoming a line that is stretching out from its epicenter: my previous guest, Bruce Mendelsohn. So, again, a ton of thanks to Bruce for starting this rolling ball.

Brad makes up half of the team that does The Amen Corner podcast. His partner, Steven A. Cook, you may recall was a recent guest on my podcast as well. But, don’t let yourself think for a second that means the 4 episodes of them are anything alike. They really aren’t. Aside from the fact that it got really close to tears being shed on Steven’s Daddy episode and the same happening here. Although, truth be told, it was me on this episode, rather than the guest.

This part of our conversation got really deep, even if there were a lot of laughs. The history of Brad’s family is intense. His own Father’s family fled the Nazis as Jews in Germany shortly before many people they knew and loved were put in concentration camps. They became refugees, moving from country to country before they eventually came across the ocean to settle in New York.

This episode got a tremendous addition, thanks to an interview that Brad’s Dad did with Kean College back in 1988. I was able to select a few minutes of the audio from that to let everyone here some of that intense struggle in his own words.

Like Brad’s podcast co-host, Steven, we also share the fact that our Dads are no longer with us. We delved into how the passing of a parent changes your life. This also went into a very interesting territory: dying with dignity and some of the other ways death effects a family.

I hope you all enjoy this episode with Brad. I almost felt like I may be able to hang a little with the guys on their podcast after we had this conversation. Even though, as a Red Sox fan dealing with these two Yankees fans, I may have to let them humiliate me in some way in order to make that happen.

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

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Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is episode 2 of 2 with author and critic Matt Thorne. Like I said on the last episode, if you’ve been here for a while, you noticed that his episodes were released in reverse order. Again: don’t call the authorities. I did that on purpose. The previous episode came out first because it was a little closer to the 1 year anniversary of Prince’s death. That episode was focused very heavily on Prince and the book that Matt wrote some years ago chronicling his life through his music. So, that episode preceded this episode that is more about his being a Dad.

Again, it’s worth repeating that I searched for a while for the right person to sit and record for my podcast with that I could delve deep into my love for Prince and his music. Of course, that someone would need to be a Dad, also. You better believe that Matt Thorne was the perfect guy to start this off with. Yes. This is a start of something. I completely plan on recording more episodes with other Dads out there who can talk about Prince with me. In fact, spoiler alert, I already have. So, that will be coming out soon as well.

As someone who used to call himself a writer years and years ago, I know what it can be like to really write. I mean, write a novel. Write a screenplay. These things normally take a ton of time. I honestly cannot imagine trying to do something like that while being married with children. So, this part of my conversation with Matt was extremely interesting to me.

Matt was also extremely introspective and forthcoming with stories about his own Dad. I got very involved while I listened to him harkening back to his days as a young boy, moving pretty much to the beat of his own drum. I really appreciated Matt’s honesty about his relationship with his Dad. Even with not having my Dad alive anymore, it inspired me to make more efforts with the people I love and to recognize their efforts with me, as well.

I told Matt toward the end of this episode that he is basically living my parallel universe dream life. Which felt awkward as soon as I had said it. But, it rings very true. I hope you rather enjoy this conversation with this remarkable man.

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

You’ll find more of and about Matt Thorne here:

You can follow Matt on Twitter at: @8minutesidle

All of Matt’s books can be found on Amazon by clicking here. The link to his book Prince: The Man And His Music is right there for you to click on. That’s to Amazon. Get it. Read it. Love it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the 1st of 2 episodes with author and critic Matt Thorne. For those of you who are regulars, you’ll catch that his episodes are being released in reverse order. That’s not an error. I held off on releasing this episode so as to not completely coincide with the 1 year anniversary of Prince’s death. Matt & I agreed that may not be in the best taste. But, it still made more sense to me to have this one out before his Dad episode (which will follow, shortly).

I had been waiting a long time for the right person to record an episode for my podcast with that I could delve deep into my love for Prince and his music. Matt Thorne was absolutely the right guy to start that off with. Yes, what that implies is completely true. I hope and plan to record more episodes with other Dads out there who can talk about Prince with me.

You can get a little more lead information to this episode and a little extra look into why I am the way I am about Prince by reading my last blog post. Here’s a link, just to make it easier for you: READ THIS

Matt’s biography of Prince is so much more than that. I almost don’t really like calling it a biography…though it sort of is. Though, it also, sort of isn’t. It does tell a lot about Prince’s life…but it really deeply discusses the music side of Prince: the albums, the performances, the very difficult to get/unreleased music. Matt spent 7 years of his life gathering information for his Prince book, attending dozens and dozens of concerts, speaking with a tremendous number of people that were somehow connected to Prince, the man or his business. It’s really a fascinating book. I’m not just saying that, either. It’s on my bedside table right now, as a matter of fact.

Though it’s pretty much a prerequisite that you’re some level of Prince fan to read Matt’s book, I am not convinced you have to be that to listen to and enjoy this episode. Feel free to allow our passions to rub off on you. And, you can take that sentence however you want; this is an episode about Prince, after all.

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

You’ll find more of and about Matt Thorne here:

You can follow Matt on Twitter at: @8minutesidle

All of Matt’s books can be found on Amazon by clicking here. The link to his book Prince: The Man And His Music is right there for you to click on. That’s to Amazon. Get it. Read it. Love it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the 2nd episode with Steven A Cook. He is the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Before speaking with Steven, I not only had no clue what all that meant, but it made me laugh a little at the idea of my having a political conversation with him. Kind of like those videos you sometimes see of a professional athlete playing against a little kid. Oh, isn’t that cute? Look how the pro is not even really trying and letting the kid feel like he’s good. Yeah, that would be me as the kid.

Regardless of the vast difference in our levels of knowledge about all things politics, here in the USA and around the world, this was a good and informative conversation between the two of us. I’m not judging my audience, but if you’re anywhere closer on the scale of poli-sci knowhow to where I am, don’t let Steven’s wisdom scare you off from listening to this. I think having me as the other side of the conversation makes this a lot more listenable and accessible than a round-table of the political geniuses may seem to a lot of you.

I hope you all enjoy this episode with Steven. His latest book is coming out in a matter of months, so make sure you keep an eye out for “False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East”. You can find his previous books on Amazon. Links to many things Steven A Cook are just below.

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

Steven A Cook is on Amazon. Steven on Twitter: @stevenacook. Steven’s blog is called From the Potomac to the Euphrates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My conversation with Steven A. Cook was made possible by last episode’s guest, Bruce Mendelsohn. So, many thanks to Bruce for that. I did my research on Steven immediately when Bruce mentioned him. My first thought, frankly, was that he was going to be out of my league if or when we touched on things other than just about being Dads. I saw that he is the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and I not only had no clue what all that meant, but it made me laugh a little at the idea of my having a political conversation with him. Kind of like those videos you sometimes see of a professional athlete playing against a little kid. Oh, isn’t that cute? Look how the pro is not even really trying and letting the kid feel like he’s good. Yeah, that would be me as the kid.

Our episodes prove me wrong. Which serves as a solid reminder in life, really. Not to get a certain 80’s song stuck in your head or anything, but People are People. It’s very true. Which isn’t to say that every human is as gracious as Steven is. But, we are all people… people with stories to tell, with feelings to share with others. It’s up to all of us whether we decide to share those or not, and how far we actually extend that, beyond our little circle of comfort within the people that we know and love.

Steven and I have something in common in that our Dads are both no longer with us. Steven’s Dad passed away 9 years ago, so his experience of loss is not only a bit more fresh than mine, but very different in the way that he experienced his Dad’s passing as an adult. We dug a bit into the grief we both feel and how it still affects us to this day. Steven had some great stories about his Dad and I’m so glad we were able to have this conversation. I think I’m not reaching when I speak for both of us in saying it offered a little bit of emotional healing.

I hope you all enjoy this episode with Steven. His latest book is coming out in a matter of months. So, make sure you keep an eye out for “False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East”. You can find his previous books on Amazon. Links to many things Steven A Cook are just below.

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

Steven A Cook is on Amazon. Steven on Twitter: @stevenacook. Steven’s blog is called From the Potomac to the Euphrates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode with Bruce Mendelsohn sincerely has changed my life. Bruce tells his story of the day’s events back in 2013 of the Boston Marathon Bombings. He was a bystander, just there to meet his brother who ran in the marathon at the finish line and hang out with him afterward. The day’s events, of course, changed from what everyone expected and Bruce acted before he really reacted. Bruce was very heavily involved in one of those stories of that day. One of the stories that involved people that were injured and others who helped them, in one way or another. There are many heart-wrenching and emotionally charged stories from that day. Most of them, at their core, champion the side of human nature that shows how – as Bruce put it – ordinary people can do extraordinary things. How Bruce and eventually others coordinated to save the life of then 20 year-old Victoria McGrath that day is quite compelling.

We talked in this episode about how there are some positives that aren’t all that difficult to discover out of something so hateful and tragic and negative that took place that fateful spring day in Boston. That was a theme that came out of that day and those that followed; that these events that are geared at creating fear and tearing people or communities or our nation apart so many times, serve to do the opposite. The words Boston Strong resonate and continue to live on as proof of that.

I probably changed the title of this episode, altered the episode’s intro and re-wrote that last blog post more than 5 times each. I didn’t want to mess this one up. I didn’t want to have this look like I was click-baiting off of the Boston Marathon Bombings, that is why I didn’t use Bruce’s taken from the window on that day on anything I posted on social media. I worked hard to not use the word hero anywhere, either, per Bruce’s request. That was difficult for me. Because, frankly, I do see what Bruce did that day as heroic. I don’t at all disagree with what he said about the branding of heroes in this episode, but all the same…his fight rather than flight reaction says hero to me.

I hope you all get something out of this episode with Bruce. Please, take another few minutes to read my previous post about this as well. It is an important companion piece to this. And if you have any heroes to send me, please let me know. I love having their stories get told to inspire myself and all of you!

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the 2nd episode with Joe Bruzzese, a SAHD who is a Northern California transplant from Boston. Joe and I connected over Twitter some time back and I couldn’t help but become friends with him, due to his extreme loves for Boston sports teams and music. Those common interests of ours made it easy for us to get along well from the get-go.

There’s a lot of bouncing around in this episode, since it’s edited from our over 3 hour recording that made up his 1st episode and this Fork in the Road episode. I accidentally pushed Joe’s buttons a little at the beginning. How could we not talk about politics, with all that was happening at year’s end? We quickly changed direction, right into music. Some of you who are privy to Joe’s Twitter rants about sports and the Red Sox may be very surprised to find out what a big hippie he actually is. It’s true. We explored all around our love for, what some may simply describe as, the jamband scene.

We eventually found our way back to sports. Which meant a lot of Red Sox talk and some discussion about how we both found our way into loving baseball the way we do. Of course, we hashed out the Twitter spat between Joe and the player Red Sox Nation will fondly remember as The Mayor of Ding Dong City: Travis Shaw. We got out some of our complaints about the 2016 season; we talked John Farrell, we analyzed and compared David Price and his body language to that of Jake Peavy, we made a small list of hopes and predictions for the coming 2017 season.

Again, you don’t have to be a Red Sox fan to enjoy this episode. It obviously will help, but a love for sports should be good enough. And who doesn’t love music? I hope you all get a kick out of this episode and hearing Joe and I becoming even better friends during the recording of it!

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the 1st of 2 episodes with Joe Bruzzese, a SAHD who is a Northern California transplant from Boston. Joe and I connected over Twitter some time back and I couldn’t help but become friends with him, due to his extreme loves for Boston sports teams and music. Those common interests of ours made it easy for us to get along well from the get-go.

I spent between 1 and 2 years being a working from home SAHD with my oldest child. Because of that, I’ve always had so much more respect for single Moms, SAHM’s and SAHD’s. I was so pleased to finally record with Joe and hear of his family history to his becoming a Dad, himself. Joe has a very rich Italian heritage that we delved into a bit. It was very interesting to hear how they ended up in Boston, and, in turn, ended up in my home state of California.

I am sure a lot of you may be here for the first time, wanting to learn up a little more on who this Bruzzo guy is from Twitter or his rants on the Section 10 Podcast. If that’s you: welcome! I hope you enjoy this episode and come back for his second episode, as well.

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the 2nd episode with Kevin Browning, aka KB, the manager of the band Umphrey’s McGee. In our 1st episode, we really dug deep into some parenting philosophies and uncovered the background on Kevin’s upbringing to piece together some of what has helped build him into the Dad he is today. Kevin successfully balances managing Umphrey’s McGee while holding strong to the roots of his wife and their three children.

Originally, I thought this episode might end up similar to the route the Fork in the Road with Umphrey’s McGee’s bassist Ryan Stasik did: close to a 50/50 split of talking sports and music. Especially because we recorded this during the MLB playoffs while KB’s beloved Chicago Cubs were battling the LA Dodgers for the National League Pennant and a chance to go to the World Series. However, we got into a lot of questions regarding the background of the band he more than successfully manages and detailing how some of the decision-making process works currently for the band that sports ended up taking a major back seat.

In my opinion, the interest in this episode doesn’t have to be tied to an interest in Umphrey’s McGee. Even though they do a lot of unique things many bands don’t do — or haven’t yet attempted, I think for anyone who loves music, this can be an insightful look into what bands go through to keep their collective machine chugging along. And for those of you who are big Umphrey’s McGee fans, don’t miss out on our side conversation about what each band member would be doing today if the band didn’t exist. Good times!

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the 1st of 2 episodes with Kevin Browning, aka KB, the manager of the band Umphrey’s McGee. Kevin has always really been someone I’ve wanted to be able to have a lengthy conversation with, as I’m always so impressed with the way he has been able to balance a very busy work life with being a husband and father of three children.

I know I often think about how it really is fascinating how many of us match up with someone who, at the very least, share an interest in one another. The bonus is: a lot of couples out there have found someone who shares common interests with them. Take it a step further, into super bonus mode, and you find someone who is compatible and understanding of some of the more intricate parts of our life. Kevin’s life (and maybe a lot of guys with successful marriages in the entertainment world) is definitely all of that. It says a lot about his wife and both of their love for one another that they do what they do…and do it so well.

Daddy Unscripted can also be found at:

iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play

Twitter: @DaddyUnscripted

Facebook: Daddy Unscripted

www.daddyunscripted.com

All music proudly provided with a partnership by Umphrey’s McGee.

You can send questions and suggestions for future guests to our podcast/blog website at www.daddyunscripted.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.