Memory Rock, 2009, benefitting the Alzheimer's Association-Greater Illinois Chapter is being held on Thursday, August 27 at Joes Sports Bar, 940 West Weed Street from 7-10.  Dr. Bombay is playing, once again, and the $30 entry fee gets you beer, wine and soda.  This is a great event.

Many shout-outs are deserved, but none more so than for those who have helped us for many years, including sponsor Bill Barry.  Michigan Plaza and our buddy Mark Buth are Gold Sponsors, too, as is yours truly.  And, of course, the Doctor himself, Lee Golub, is  a sponsor and supplies great music!  Our emcee this year is Comcast SportsNet's Sarah Kustok -a fantastic sportscaster and anchor.  You need to check out Sarah on Comcast SportsNet.  She's extremely talented and professional and I make it a point to watch her in the mornings when I'm slugging away on the elliptical trainer.

It's a fantastic night and I hope you all can make it.  Please visit the website for more info:  http://www.memoryrockchicago.com  Finally, Ed Warm and Tom DeSanto of Joes have been gracious hosts for the event since its inception three years ago.  Joe's is a great place to watch games and is the city's top concert venue.  I hit Joe's a lot and hope to see you there.

If you're up early on Sunday, August 23, listen to me on Rick Kogan's Sunday Morning Paper on WGN at 7:30 a.m.  I'll be talking about Memory Rock.

Thanks! SM

The second annual Memory Rock is being held at Joes on Friday, September 5 from 9-Midnight.  $25 gets you all of the beer, wine and soda you want!  $10 goes to the Alzheimer's Association -Greater Illinois Chapter.

This is a fantastic night.  Last year, my friend Marilyn Martinez and I organized the first Memory Rock -about a month ahead of the event!  This is a "wrap-around" event for the Alzheimer's Association's fundraiser - Memory Walk.  Thus, it's always one week and two days ahead of Memory Walk.  Last year we had two bands, headlined by Dr. Bombay.  It was unbelievable!!  The bands were great and this year, Dr. Bombay, led by real estate developer Lee Golub, agreed to play again.  Sponsors are Bill Barry, Grubb & Ellis Company and yours truly.  We hope to get 500 people to attend and we're fortunate this year to have Comcast SportsNet's Kerry Sayers as our emcee.  Drop whatever you have planned for that night and join us.  It'll be a ball.  Great music, people watching and for a wonderful cause.

Alzheimer's disease is not simply an "old timers" disease.  It touches people of all ages and is not a natural part of aging.  Funds need to be raised for research, care and support.  I encourage all to read more about this disease -great articles recently in the Chicago Tribune as well as many other sources.  See you Friday, September 5!!!

I'm watching the 3rd season of The Wire on dvd now and it continues to thrill me.  The episodes are taut, authentic, moving and engrossing.  I enjoyed the first two seasons immensely, but am now completely caught up in this wonderful series.  Reading the Chicago Tribune every day (and especially the wonderful columnist John Kass) it's now easier to read between the lines and intuit how politics shapes big cities to a degree the average citizen (count me among them) rarely notices. I'd highly encourage anyone who hasn't seen it to watch this great series.  The acting, directing and writing are superb.

I've just read some excellent books for research purposes, including all of Connie Fletcher's books ("What Cops Know" is excellent!) as well as Daniel P. Smith's, "On the Job -Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department" and multiple books on forensics.  But, for the first time in my life, I'm caught up in multiple pleasure reads at the same time.  I'm listening to Richard Price's "Lush Life" on my iPod (and just finished Bryan Burrough's "Public Enemies") while reading Dennis Johnson's "Tree of Smoke" as well as Jean-Dominique Bauby's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin's "Three Cups of Tea."  I highly recommend all of these books and if you volunteer with any charitable organizations, you must read "Three Cups of Tea."  Finally, I did use two train rides to read "The Last Lecture," which certainly lived up to it's hype.  Great book with sound advice.

Next, I hope the Cubs complete the sweep tonight as they host the White Sox at Wrigley.  It's a great sign that the Cubs were able to come back after being swept by the Rays and falling behind the Sox on Friday afternoon.  This is a team that has received huge lifts from practically everyone on the roster.  I've taken a lot of heat from my buddies because I'm a bit tough on Mark DeRosa, and he's certainly contributed a lot.  But, has any batter ever come up with the bases loaded more frequently and done less?  I think he's had nearly a dozen at bats with the bases full and had one hit this year.  Am I a DeRosa fan? Sure.  But this seems to stand out. Has anyone else noticed this?  That's another signal of a great year -when the only complain is so minor and nearly irrelevant. 

And, another note: Kudos to Len Kasper for giving a "shout out" to my literacy class at Anixter center during Thursday night's game -and for highlighting my student and Cubs superfan Ron Cluck.  To read more about Ron, go to his site: beyondhandi-caps.com 

Finally, please mark your calendars for our Alzheimer's Association benefit concert, "Memory Rock."  It's at Joes -940 West Weed Street on Friday, September 5 at 9 p.m.  We're fortunate to have Dr. Bombay playing again -and thanks to Lee Golub for agreeing to headline again!  Best. SM