Amanda's Adventures and New Product Reviews

Goodbye Cubs, hello Tigers  Goodbye Cubs, hello Tigers The Chicago Cubs broke their  losing streak , but they’ve lost me. This was not an easy decision. I’ve loved this hard-luck baseball team literally as long as I can remember. The love of the Cubs was passed down from my grandfather to my father to me. It’s one of the few things that we shared in common. I asked my dad if his grandpa was a  Cubs  fan. It is possible, but he can’t remember which team he loved. He does recall watching the CBS game of the week with Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean with him, though. So I’m a possible fourth-generation Cubs fan, but surely a third. That’s why it’s so hard to say I’m done. When I flipped on the radio last week and heard the Cubs hadn’t had a lead in 53 innings, it was then I decided to resign — to quit, throw in the towel, return my credentials, tender my resignation, give up, etc. I can’t do this any more. Just watch this awful throw from pitcher Matt...

Little Loris Twins Born a Duke Lemur Center - ZooBorns Slow Loris Fans must read this blog!

Where were you? | Group Tour Magazine Blog Where were you? This blog by Senior Staff Writer Amanda Black ponders how TV nostalgia is good for group tours The problem with having hundreds of cable channels is there is no time to watch them. Last night, in a bout of laziness, I decided to venture into the high register of channels and stumbled on Antenna TV. It’s one of those old timey TV channels like TV Land was before it starting showing  George Lopez  and  Friends  reruns. Anyway, I was drawn to an episode of  Too Close For Comfort from 1984. It was awful — the humor was as outdated as the jeans. In case you want a little trip back to 1984, here's the  Too Close For Comfort  intro. Enjoy the Ted Knight pratfall. One part made me chuckle, however. The blonde bombshell daughter was trying out for a news reader job. The joke was she couldn’t pronounce the name of Muammar Gaddafi, and then she quipped “How long could he really last?” If on...

From follower to fan | Group Tour Magazine Blog My radio romance and how group tours can experience the dedication behind the dial: A blog by Amanda Black MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012 Photo: James Cridland WGN Radio has been a Chicago institution for decades; the lively conversation continues 24 hours a day.  From follower to fan By Amanda Black Anyone who’s listened to me for more than a few sentences, either in person or in print, has heard me utter the phrase: “I heard this on the radio.” This love of mine started young. My family moved to Chicagoland when I was two, and we immediately started listening to  WGN, AM 720 . Chicago’s hometown talk station has been a Windy Institution for more than 75 years. It was started by Col. McCormick, the same impresario behind the Chicago Tribune . In fact, the radio’s call sign stands for the World’s Greatest Newspaper. I still think it’s the world’s greatest radio station. I have fond memories of listening...