Tony on the Mic

Today my guest is Yoga guru / enthusiast Jennifer DeMarco. She teaches at couple of colleges, a couple of spas and resorts and has a website dropping soon! Listen to her talk about her introduction to yoga and lifestyle. She ranks Zumba, Richard Simmons, Jazzercise, Tae-bo and other exercise classes, as well as her top all time Swami’s and Gurus! We talk about how to keep cool under pressure, forgive – others AND your self and which band is better, the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin and much more! 

Tracy Stone has been making a living performing since his lip sync days back at Mt. Hood Community College, where we met. He graduated from lip-syncs and dance contests to performing with Romeo and as the Amazing Tracy Stone. He did USO tours, Japan, Guam, Philippines and more! His current band, Designband (not “the” Designband) performs all over the greater northwest at casinos, clubs as well as weddings and private events. We met at MHCC and competed for years in lip syncs, dance contests and everything under the sun. I got a real job, and he has been steady performing since. I have been jealous (in a good way) ever since. 

On this, the farewell episode of Tony on the mic, I have such a horrible performance at a party I seriously contemplate hanging up the microphone for good. Between calling the 90 year old guest of honor the wrong name… about 17 times… and not scouting the place to check Wi-Fi and wireless capabilities, it was a sh*t show from beginning to end. My brother BJ tries to cheer me up and talk me off the ledge – with mixed results. Listen in on how a seasoned vet, with his 10,000 hours (which should make him an expert) on a microphone, completely got the yips and couldn’t do or say anything right. 

So sit down strap in, turn on and turn up this colossal failure episode of Tony on the Mic! 

On this episode, BJ and I talk about my trip to Portland, where I sang with an old friend’s band, saw the Blazers at the new Moda center, got to see my nieces, whom I really like (when they aren’t being mean.) One niece won a state championship in basketball, one won a state championship in Gymnastics and the one who was the biggest winner of all, got to hang out with me! Update on Mom’s stroke recovery and Valory’s cancer journey, a few travel tips and hidden gems, and more!  

Today Jim McDowell and I break down “the slap heard ‘round the world” – Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a joke he made at Jada Pinket-Smith’s expense. The Fresh Prince's life got flipped turned upside down. Did Chris Rock cross the line? Is Will Smith and his wife Jada fair game at an event like that? Was it a roast? Is violence ever the answer? We will tell you. We will answer all of the questions… because we know… everything…  

Today I am joined by John Brooks, writer and producer of “19 Shades of Black,” a documentary asking 19 black women about their experience and women of color in the world today. This award-winning documentary has been in several festivals and is available to the public for a limited time. We meet the author and learn of his inspiration for the project and the process. He shares his passion for language and travel and his encyclopedia level knowledge of Star Trek. We hear about his campaigns for congress, (yes, “campaigns,” plural ... glutton for punishment I guess) his musical proclivity, other projects and what he would have as a last meal. 

Today I am joined by the Macrina Sisters, two airtight sisters who shared experiences like most sisters, then were there for each other as they each went through breast cancer resulting in double mastectomies. They talk about what is was like to go through it, and to watch their sister go through it. How wonderful it was to have the support system, and also how painful it was to watch someone you are that close to go through it. One grew up a star BMX rider, one of the very few girls in the mostly boys sport in the 80s. One wants to be the jump rope queen and once even went to a jump rope “meet up…” One reads smut, one makes comfort pillows and they both love mashed potatoes. Their attitude is instrumental in getting through this. 

Today I am joined by Marina Inserra, the most beautiful woman in the world according to a role she played in a 2019 Movie Ruta Madre! She got the credit, but her part ended up on the editing room floor… She was Miss California 2014 and Scuba Queen USA and competed for Scuba Queen International (Miss India won the title that year.) She has trained dolphins, done lots of theater, and been to at least 17 countries, including living in Abu Dhabi! She tells us which podcast is better, this one or Mike Bissett’s. Find out her origins in the pageant world, her favorite things in several categories and what song she would play in her headphones in the electric chair! At the end of the episode is a mashup of a few of her talent portion songs – check out the original versions on YouTube! 

Today – the topic is Stumptown! I am not sure if anyone actually calls it that, but we went to Portland Oregon to see family and friends! BJ helps ne navigate the tales and the headline is we got very little rain and Mt Hood was out almost every day! I saw cousins and nieces and nephews and lots of friends. Met up with David Walker (27:25) for some inspiration and started scheming to exploit his success, had a Village People / Greased Lightning reunion with some old friends at Hooligans' (49:00) and caught the number 1 girls basketball team in the state of Oregon win a tournament game! (35:25 and 1:17:00) The Best Western Pony Soldier Inn made my son sit outside in 34 degree weather in only a T-shirt because… well… they were stupid and lazy (got to hear that story) and had almost everything on the Elmer’s menu! 

Todays guest is Kyle Keys! Kyle has Adrenomyelonueropathy – AMN. I it is an inherited condition that attacks the nervous system. At 21 he started showing symptoms and at 26 he was confined to a wheelchair. At 36, he talks about dealing with the slow degenerative process, accessibility in today’s world, and the lessons he learned. We discuss the soft bigotry of low expectations and people wondering how he could always or be in a good mood or drive. We hear about his trip to Russia and seeing the actual body of Lenin AND George Hamilton, one was tombed one was tanned (guess which is which) we talk about his favorite movies, Laker his new found love of Tuna Mac and his adeptness at Hambone – a craze that is coming back! 

Adrenomyeloneuropathy

(AMN) is an inherited condition that affects the spinal cord. It is a form of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. On average, people with AMN begin to develop features in their twenties. Signs and symptoms may include progressive stiffness and weakness of the legs; ataxia; speech difficulties; adrenal insufficiency. Some people with AMN also have brain involvement which can lead to behavioral abnormalities, vision loss, hearing problems, and/or seizures. AMN is caused by (mutations) inherited in an X-linked manner