Coming Up Tomorrow On The Dickenbock Report: National Punch Day

(image found here)

September 20 is National Punch Day. Not that the United States has a "national punch." Perhaps it's best understood as a "National Day Of Punch." You get to choose the punch you want to consume on this day. & to spike it if you so choose. & with whatever delicious spirit as well.

Certainly we'll all be a little punchy tomorrow, Sunday. from 11am to 1pm. That's on XRAY FM, which is on 91.1+107.1fm in Portland, online everywhere at xray dot fm.

Let's hope Dick Dickenbock made enough for everyone!

This Week In Self Help: September 13 + 15

No biggie, just two shows this week. Enjoy this picture of a sunset taken in Texas many years ago.

The Dickenbock Report on XRAY FM reported on National Bald Is Beautiful Day.
Listen to that show here.

Self Help Radio on KBOO had the theme Howard Gently To Infinity.

Listen to that show here. Or listen to that show here.

More radio shows this week tho (sorry).

Self Help Radio 091526: Howard Gently To Infinity

(original outer space image by NASA found here)

My friend Russell would have turned 60 years old today. It's a bittersweet birthday present I am giving him: the very last times he appeared on Self Help Radio as the Rev Dr Howard Gently.

These shows - he was on SHR so many times that it took fourteen episodes to share every appearance - have been both difficult & comforting - how often do we get the chance after a loss to spend so much time with the person when they were being creative, funny, clever - all the things we admired about them? I wish it could've gone on forever.

But all things end & tonight's show features the last bits Russell & I made together. I did play a song from the show before each bit so it wouldn't get too monotonous for the listener. You can be that listener at either the KBOO web site or the Self Help Radio website.

Howard Gently appeared on the show at least 166 times. In the early days, Russell worried that he couldn't find enough material to keep the character funny. Despite all he was going through, he was magnificent until the very last appearance. Which was almost certainly true about him in real life too.

Love & gratitude forever. To infinity.

Self Help Radio Howard Gently To Infinity Show

"Seven African Powers" Russell Miles _Six Tunes By 'Russ'_

"Golden Ring (with Tammy Wynette)" George Jones _The Essential George Jones: The Spirit Of Country_

Howard Gently on the theme "Rings"

"Address Unknown" Marty Robbins _Country 1960-1966_

Howard Gently on the theme "Unknown"

"So Glamorous" Sam Cooke _The Complete Singles 1956-1962_

Howard Gently on the theme "Glamour"

"Birthday" Caspar Babypants _Baby Beatles!_

Howard Gently on the theme "Biorhythms"

"Alexander The Swoose (Half Swan-Half Goose)" Kay Kyser & His Orchestra _The Best Of Kay Kyser & His Orchestra_

Howard Gently on the theme "Geese"

Howard Gently on the theme "Christmas 2020"

"Private Plane" Hüsker Dü _Flip Your Wig_

Howard Gently on the theme "Privacy"

"Glow In The Dark" Iggy Pop _Free_

Howard Gently on the theme "Auras"

"Souvenirs" John Prine _Diamonds In The Rough_

Howard Gently on the theme "Souvenirs"

"Victory" Curtis Mayfield _Heartbeat_

Howard Gently on the theme "Victory"

"Sally Cinnamon" Stone Roses _The Complete Stone Roses_

Howard Gently on the theme "Cinnamon"

"Stones For Avalon" Tyrannosaurus Rex _Unicorn_

Howard Gently on the theme "Stones"

"Wally Ballou: Disaster Prone" Bob & Ray _Classic Bob & Ray: Volume 2_

Howard Gently on the theme "Disaster"

"Kids" Bill Hicks _Salvation (Oxford November 11, 1992)_

Howard Gently on the theme "Kids"

"TVC15" David Bowie _Station To Station_

Howard Gently on the theme "Holograms"

"One Night Stand" Bryan Ferry _Avonmore_

Howard Gently on the theme "One Night Only"

Howard Gently's Anniversary Message # 1

Howard Gently's Anniversary Message # 2

"Solea" Miles Davis _Sketches Of Spain_

Whither Howard Gently To Infinity?

From 2014 to 2021, my friend Russell appeared on Self Help Radio in improvised bits based on the show's theme as my spiritual mentor The Rev Dr Howard Gently. Russell left us in 2023. It was very hard, he was one of my best friends & someone I had known since I was 12 or 13. He was also the funniest person I've ever known.

Though my count is probably off, I am estimating one-hundred sixty five appearances of Howard Gently in interviews over those seven years, plus a final pair of messages he made for my twentieth anniversary show in 2022. Since his death, I have played those appearances in chronological order every three months on Self Help Radio. Tonight's episode will be the last.

You can listen tonight starting at midnight on KBOO: 90.7fm in Portland, kboo dot fm everywhere. One last time for Russell as Dr Gently to improve my show with his creativity, quick thinking, & humor.

Preface To Howard Gently To Infinity: There's Always A Last Time

This week is probably the last installment of my Howard Gently collection. My dear friend Russell appeared on many shows - nearly 170 of them - as my "spiritual mentor" in improvised bits. We lost Russell just over three years ago & I've played his appearances in chronological order every three months since then.

Since we're nearing the end of these appearances, I was thinking about the last time I saw him in person. I think it was about a month before I left for Portland. My wife & I visited with him & his wife in Dallas to say goodbye. I did return to Dallas only once before he died, but it was during my mother's memorial, & I didn't imagine I had the time to visit him - & it was deep in the pandemic & he was a germaphobe. Once I repeated something someone said about the pandemic - "We're all going to get Covid eventually." He responded, "I don't think I'll get it." & I don't think he ever did.

Russell & I as kids spent most of our time together on the phone, & as adults, since we lived far apart, we spent most of our time together chatting on the computer. We did occasionally see each when we were both living in the Dallas area, but going away was not a big barrier to our friendship.

However, I didn't think it would be the last time I'd ever seen him, but I guess most of the time we don't know it's going to be the last time. We spoke pretty regularly once I moved to Portland until the last year of his life - but I've talked about that. It makes me sad to think about that.

But I kinda wish we had said goodbye at one of our favorite places to eat, Kalachandji's in Dallas. We did eat together there probably in 2018. & that was a last time, too. Sigh.