The SmorgShow Podcast (Smorgasbord Radio)

We welcome our Chief Conspiracy Correspondent (CCC) Jerry Malauskas back to the studio again to co-host this episode of the SmorgShow Podcast.

With the COVID-19 lockdown still in effect and no end in sight, Chris and Jerry sample a flight of moonshine.

As 2020 comes to a close, Chris and Jerry reflect back on the year and the state of affairs we find ourselves in.

Van Morrison launches the Lockdown Financial Hardship Fund to support musicians who are facing financial hardship as a direct result of government restrictions.

International News Correspondent Baba Gonesh reports on a wedding that was canceled, not due to COVID-19, but rather the decision to serve chicken biryani instead of mutton biryani.

It's hard to believe that is has been 8 years since the last time we took to the woods, but after a long year of being cooped up indoors due to the pandemic, we head back to the Great Outdoors - this time at Hoover Forest Preserve in Yorkville, IL - to record a very special episode of the SmorgShow Podcast - Campfire S'morgs edition! Unfortunately, most of the gang is not in attendance this time around. In fact it is just Chris and Jerry. Is it wrong for two men to share each other's company in the woods?

We try to make the best of it by telling scary campfire stories as well as discuss some topical events.

Other Features Include:

• Our famous Campfire S'morgs Recipe is shared
• Baba Gonesh records his first installment from his recording studio as things start to loosen up in India and he can travel more freely. This week, Baba delivers another installment of "Baba Blue - Spicy Baba". Apparently Bollywood Actress Sunny Leone is back in the news and is spatting on social media with another film actress who is shaming other actresses who used to be in the adult entertainment industry and trying to break into the Bollywood scene.
• Tech Update: Facebook Lawsuit around image recognition
• 5 Types of churchgoers who will never return to church after COVID-19.
• Jerry goes to church!

OktoberFest 2020 - With the official festivities in Munich being canceled this year due to COVID-19, the SmorgShow Podcast brings OktoberFest to you! In this 3rd annual tradition of celebrating the occasion, Chris is joined once again with Jerry Malauskas live in the studio and Dave Jackson via Zoom.

We discuss some interesting Oktoberfest facts and test the guys' knowledge with a game of trivia.

Chris is now officially an empty-nester after Ally moves away into her own apartment. The guys share some stories about their days of being roommates together, and living on their own for the first time.

Other Topics Include:

• Apple iOS14 and the new COVID-19 Exposure Notifications.
• Geoffrey Gleason Tech Talk: Apple Watch Handwashing Notification and special tips on how to properly wash your hands.
• Baba Gonesh - Breaking Baba News: The monkey mayhem continues in India as monkeys steal COVID patient blood samples.

Special guest co-host Jerry Malauskas joins Chris live in the studio. Jerry is the first visitor to the SmorgShow lounge since the COVID-19 lockdown began in March, so we hope for the best. We celebrate Jerry's 55th birthday (wow, is he old!), discuss Chris's altered vacation after three previous getaway plans were canceled due to the virus shutdowns. Jerry discusses current happenings in the city of Chicago with respect to riots and violence.

International news correspondent Baba Gonesh is still in lockdown in Chennai, India but still manages to cover the breaking news. The monkey mayhem continues throughout his country where monkeys have taken over the local pools as they become increasingly confident by the lack of human being presence on the streets.

Indie-pop band Echosmith joins Chris and Ally via Zoom on this episode of the SmorgShow Podcast as the COVID-19 lockdown continues.

The Sierota siblings just finished the first leg of their tour to promote their new album 'Lonely Generation', but now they are living through the Coronavirus pandemic just like the rest of the country.

They join us to discuss how they are dealing with life during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order.

Additional Features: Geoffrey Gleason Tech Talk : Online Dating Tips during COVID-19 and Breaking Baba News - Monkey Mayhem! International News Correspondent Baba Gonesh reports from Punjab, India while in lockdown: Monkeys invade India government buildings!

Life During COVID-19: We bring this episode to you during the midst of the Coronavirus lockdown where Chris and Ally, through the miracle of technology, connect remotely with co-hosts Dave Jackson and Jerry Malauskas via Zoom.

We discuss many of the subtle ways life has changed during the stay-at-home period and even the positive things that have come out of it.

Jerry Malauskas - our Chief Conspiracy Correspondent shares his views on what is happening as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baba Gonesh, also in lockdown in India, but still manages to serve his role well as International News Correspondent for the SmorgShow Podcast.

Monkeys Rule the Streets of India during the COVID-19 Lockdown!

In the latest installment of Breaking Baba News, Baba discusses how monkeys have reclaimed the streets of India during the lockdown.

Jerry Malauskas is our special guest host for this latest podcast installment. In this post-Valentine's Day episode, Chris talks about his experience with ordering a heart-shaped pizza from Lou Maltati's as well as a new, local restaurant establishment and their impossible-to-follow instructions for calling ahead for seating.

Jerry shares a story of how he earned the 'pat-on-the back' good citizen award for rescuing a squirrel from being torn apart within the elevator shaft at the Mount Prospect Public Library.

Baba Gonesh's investigative reporting exposes the India textbook industry for reporting that Japan bombed the USA in WWII (among other poorly translated historical facts)...the latest of Breaking Baba News!

Finally, Gwyneth Paltrow's new candle line with a vile brand name.

First there was Valentine's Day, then Galentine's Day. Now Chris and Dave bring you the first annual Palentine's Day…a celebration of manhood.

On this episode we talk about the top recommended male bonding activities as well as the origins and purpose of the man cave.

Baba Gonesh delivers another installment of Breaking Baba News where he discusses the disturbing trend of Bride Burning.

It's really hard to believe we have been at this little hobby of ours for 10 years, but the calendar confirms it. This episode is a look back on the past 10 years. This is not the same type of retrospective that we did when we hit our 100th episode. Rather, Ally and I look back on life's events and major milestones of the past decade. Considering we began this podcast when Ally was in 6th grade and now she has graduated college and planning a wedding, we have a lot of ground to cover.

We'd like to thank all our listeners who were in some way entertained by our brand of crazy antics over the years. This is certainly not the end of this podcast, even though at times this episode sounds like we are winding things down. This has been a part of my DNA since I was 7 years old so I imagine I will continue doing this for another 10 years.

Recorded and published on the longest night of the year, this episode is dedicated to my father, William Nicholas Bockay, who passed away after a long illness on November 23, 2019.

On this episode, I discuss the last several weeks that I spent with my dad, including the final hours I shared with him in the hospital.

My dad has made a couple of appearances on this program over the years and I share those clips again here. Recordings include the French quiz we gave him to test his knowledge on French culture before he went to live in Paris as well as the time that he phoned into 'Date Line' on my high school radio show. I also share the eulogy that I delivered at my dad's visitation which provides a glimpse into my childhood and the influence that my dad had on me during my formative years.

Peet McCain also phones into the studio to share some of his memories of my dad.

My dad's passion was classical music and he adored my daughter Ally's musical abilities. To close out the show, I play Ally's recent original music composition, "Danze delle Piume" (Dance of the Feathers), which was the last sounds my dad heard as he drifted from this world.

Slideshow Celebrating the Life of William Bockay