The Big Wakeup Call

John Rhys-Davies called in to talk about his role in "I Am Patrick," where he plays one of three versions of St. Patrick, in this case elderly St. Pat.  John told a compelling story of the history of the movie and the Saint, gave us an inspirational talk about getting through our current situation, and finding the Word in troubled times.

Matt Fraser joined the show for a chat about his new book "When Heaven Calls" and the latest happenings on his E! Network show "Meet The Frasers."

Ben Cohen joined us to discuss his new book "The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks."  We talked about the lack of Michael Jordan on NBA Jam for Sega Genesis, the difference between "hot hand" and "dumb luck," how to write songs like John Lennon, and a special "hot hand" Spotify playlist.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld dialed us up for a chat about his new book "Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother."  Barry shared stories about the origin of the book's title, breaking his hand while punching Will Smith, and verifying David Letterman's claim that "there is some evidence to suggest he is not hooked up right."

In this week's visit from the World News Center, Bill McCormick shared some exciting news of a medical breakthrough that will make my experimental lung brush invention immediately obsolete.  We also discussed irresponsible coronavirus-related "hacks," the return of high-star smokes and asbestos, assembling your very own T2, and why I'll probably never beat the computer again by the time Madden NFL '28 comes out.

Vic DiBitetto, the Donkey of Comedy and the Working Class Zero, called in for a chat about his lengthy comedy tour which will somehow take him all over the country through 2021 but will not return to Chicago.  Vic is invited to do a house concert in my basement at any time, where massive quantities of deep dish pizza will be provided.  We discussed Chicago vs. New York pizza, Gravy vs. Sauce, and his popular "Ticked off Vic" YouTube segments.

In this week's visit from the World News Center, Bill McCormick and I discuss content provided by our awesome loyal listeners, including many idiotic "cure" and "hacks" that are currently getting popular on social media.  Listen to learn about the dangers of microwave hard-boiled eggs, toaster-cooked grilled cheese sandwiches, frozen toothpaste, and a dangerous medical advice myth perpetuated by "Friends."

Murr and Sal from "Impractical Jokers" returned to the show after a five-year absence for a chat about "Impractical Jokers: The Movie." After figuring out what said or did to insult or offend them that kept them away since 2015, we had a fun chat about the kind of pranks, stunts, and punishments that could be accomplished with a feature film budget.

John Oates is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and The Big Wakeup Call 4 Timers Club! John called us up to announce a new Darryl Hall and John Oates tour, which comes to Chicago on July 18th at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater.  We discussed putting together a set list, dealing with downtime on tour, and touring with their special guests Squeeze.  John also may or may not have announced the existence of "Maneater" underwear at their merch table.

Dani Shapiro called in for a chat about her best-selling book "Inheritance," now out in paperback, as well as her popular podcast "Family Secrets."