Ron & Jen’s Great Escape – Feb. 8, 2023 – Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien

by Ron St. Pierre & Jen Brien, contributing writers, commentary

Photo: Chatting with our publisher!

2023 WHAT THE?

I mean, KAH MAHNNNNN!!!! 

This year just got rolling and I already feel like we are knee deep in a swampy, nasty mess. Ben and J Lo are having spats in public… we got Chinese balloons floating around America gathering intelligence & plotting our demise, we have Satan worship going on at the Grammy’s, the ladies on the “VIEW” can’t slow down their INSANITY as they blame the death of a black man at the hands of black officers on “white supremacy”, we’ve got sub zero temperatures in New England AND, we have the GOAT, taking embarrassing selfies of himself in his underwear to prove a point to Gisele. (Though he’d deny he was sending a message to her. We KNOW Tom…. we know) 

So much has happened already I’m actually peeking through the keyhole into 2024.

I don’t know about you, but these last few weeks I literally have felt like I’m hanging on a cliff edge by my fingertips. Stressed to the max, not getting enough sleep or exercise… and just salty. 

Thing is, everyone seems to be “Salty” right now. Why do so many people want to fight? Over nothing? I lay awake at night mulling this one over. HERE’S what I did TODAY to get off THAT train and take my mental and spiritual power BACK.

TUESDAY AM: I got up, went over to the sink, started doing my dishes and turned on a good sermon that could stir my soul. I did. I didn’t want to. I was tired, AND SALTY, but I did. Every time I’m stressed, or cranky, or afraid, I know that’s a clue to spend time with God. If it wasn’t winter, and I lived in New Hampshire, and was surrounded by mountains and owned my own farmhouse (all my dreams laid out to dry right there), I’d work around my property then go on a hike and talk to God. However, such is not the case. I live in a tiny apartment in East Providence surrounded by nosey, SALTY neighbors. Arrrgghhhh!

No matter. I spent time this a.m. thanking God, talking to him, and then took communion. While I am still strung out, I do feel relief. I felt Better. I was happy knowing God is right beside me. That he’s on this crazy salty journey with me. 

You know, I woke up on my 48th birthday many years ago and wrote on FB, “I’m ashamed of who I had become”.  Wow. 

That is SO SAD TO ME! Knowing that I suffered like that and was flailing around, without God, wandering the earth. Awful. Just awful.

Now, I know what to do, who to turn to when I’m struggling, and how to communicate with my heavenly father. So many people try everything BUT God. They drink, take pills, gamble, or disappear in drama or relationships…

What I’ve learned – none of that fills the void or comforts the soul. Been there done that. God is the only cure. For all that is soul crushing in this young year. If you feel stressed, sad, confused, or alone, give God a shout out. I promise, one way or another, he will let you know, he is right beside you. (DM me if you get the big “James Earl Jones voice… PLEASE!!!!)

Till next week my friends,

Jen

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SUPER SMALL TALK

If you’re going to a SuperBowl viewing party and need a few ice breakers, here ya’ go.

– Tickets to “The Big Game” have reached an AVERAGE price of $10,959, possibly making it the most expensive ever to attend. The first SuperBowl ever played, back in 1967, had a $12 ticket price.

– Super Bowl I was broadcast by both NBC – the official broadcaster of the AFL –  and CBS – the official broadcaster of the NFL and remains the only Super Bowl to have been broadcast live in the United States by two television networks.

– In 1967, the first Super Bowl Halftime show consisted of the Liberty Bell that was performed by the University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band. For an extra point, The Liberty Bell is also the opening theme song to Monty Python’s Flying Circus TV show.

– The National Chicken Council says a record 1.45 billion chicken wings will be consumed during Super Bowl 57 weekend. If you’re the party planner, figure about 6 wings per guest.

– Two Tennessee lawmakers have introduced a bill to replace Columbus Day with the day after the Super Bowl as an official state holiday.

– Advertising for Super Bowl 57 on FOX is sold out with 30-second commercials costing about $7 million bucks a pop.

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A BREAK FOR BRADY

Tom Brady is pushing back his broadcast career a year. THE NY POST reported Brady asked for  and received the OK to begin his analyst career with FOX in the 2024 season. The reason? In Brady’s own words “I want to be fully committed and not let anyone down. It takes time to strategize, learn and grow.” Brady inked a 10-year, $375 million dollar deal with the network. Fox first-year A TEAM broadcast analyst Greg Olson has gotten rave reviews for his work this season alongside play by play man Kevin Burkhardt (they’ll have the call Sunday), so it’ll be a nice problem for the network to have on its hands. Someone at CBS should post Brady’s words somewhere for Tony Romo to read and digest.

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YEA….THAT’S THE TICKET!

The late Lisa Marie Presley’s mother, Priscilla, is defending her action of challenging her daughter’s will, which she did just hours after her daughter was laid to rest. The grieving mom insists she did so to “protect her family by challenging the will.” In her statement, Priscilla says “My wish is to protect my three grandchildren and keep our family together. From the first moment I held Lisa in my arms, I’ve protected, loved, and guided her, as I have my son.” Apparently, Priscilla only recently discovered a provision in Lisa Marie’s will from 2016 that cut mom out. Insiders say Priscilla’s challenge of the will is a “money grab.” Grist from the grave for TMZ.

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CANDY IS DANDY

CandyStore.com has released its annual list of favorite Valentine’s Day candy by state and those dreadful Conversation Hearts are the fave in 17 states including Massachusetts. Rhode Island’s favorite is Chocolate Hearts. Something called Cupid Corn, which is a pink and red version of the hideous Halloween Candy Corn somehow is the top choice in Michigan and Nebraska. The website claims the average American spends $114 on Valentine’s Day candy with 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates sold before Valentine’s Day.

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Ron St. Pierre is a veteran broadcaster whose career has spanned over four decades. Ron has programmed, performed on and managed WHJJ, WPRO, WWRX, 790 The Score in Providence, as well as WBZT and WKGR in West Palm Beach and WABC in New York City. Ron also anchored Sports on WPRI Ch 12 in Providence. He is a member of both the Rhode Island Radio and Television and the City of Pawtucket Halls of Fame. He was born and raised in Pawtucket.

Jen Brien has over 20 years of radio broadcast experience having hosted shows on WPRO and WHJJ with Ron as well as her own shows on WRKO and WBZ in Boston, WXTK on Cape Cod and WHAM in Rochester, New York. Jen was born and raised in Woonsocket and served six years in the Army MP Canine Unit.

Hazel, Ron’s dog, makes regular appearances.

“Ron and Jen’s Great Escape” podcast, a more lighthearted look at the events happening around us, can be found on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes premiering each Wednesday and listen to Ron and Jen’s Great Escape call in radio show Friday afternoons 2 til 4 on 101.1 FM, 1540 WADK and streaming everywhere on WADK.COM.

Go here to read all Ron & Jen’s columns: https://rinewstoday.com/ron-st-pierre-jen-brien/