catholicguyshow.blogspot.com

A Fond Goodbye :-'(

2012-01-13T08:25:00.000-05:00

This blog's coming to an end, it's time to say farewell. All good things have to come to an end. It's been so much fun taking part in this blog, and I wanted to share some good and not so good memories!

I remember one time I got an inspiration of a blog post just by listening to The Catholics Next Door, a replay at that. It's where Greg related a problem with their baby daughter having a poopy diaper disaster during Mass. The idea was to imagine Lino dealing with such a thing. Haha. Ain't gonna happen!

I also remember ruffling the feathers of a certain dating coach whose name rhymes with Yoko Ono. He wanted Lino to straighten out and settle down, and I said Lino's "old" and set in his ways. Dating Coach wasn't happy, but hey, so far I'm right. Be yourself Lino, don't settle for an invalid marriage.

And my happiest time? The time I got to speak to Mama Rulli around Christmas 2010 and she admitted she liked the blog, because she does read it. It meant a lot, because I love that funny lady, and miss my own Mom who died 12 years ago.

So as we look ahead in the future, good luck God Bless everyone. Who knows, perhaps someday Lino will work in the Vatican with a new Pope named Timothy Dolan who will take the name Linus. Nice, but hopefully that won't happen for a good many years.

Ending on a high "note"

2012-01-13T07:27:00.001-05:00

We're really sad to be ending our run as Lino's Officially UnOfficial Fan Club. We just love being a part of the show, and a part of all your lives, it has simply become time to move on. Life sometimes surprises you. Lino has given me so much through The Catholic Guy Show. I never imagined listening to a Catholic radio show could enhance my life in so many ways. Besides the two biggies (marriage and a baby) I've gained so much; I had the confidence to teach a year of CCD, spent two years with a scheduled hour of weekly Eucharistic adoration, made many new friends, and so much more.

We want to end on a high note. Be sure that our love for Lino has not faded, we will still be listening and calling in. We wouldn't be a good fan club if we just let this site get neglected and pushed aside so we will simply end on a good note.

Please pray for us and know that we are praying for all of you. I leave you with a song:

I was going to make a parody of this song, but as I read the lyrics I realized that they still fit the situation.

How do I say goodbye to what we had?

The good times that made us laugh

Outweigh the bad.

I thought we'd get to see forever

But forever's gone away

It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.

I don't know where this road

Is going to lead

All I know is where we've been

And what we've been through.

If we get to see tomorrow

I hope it's worth all the wait

It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.

And I'll take with me the memories

To be my sunshine after the rain

It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.

Hello, Goodbye, Hello

2012-01-13T03:01:00.000-05:00

"Hello, Catholics and everybody else! (I borrowed that from Lino and I hope he doesn't mind.)

I can't believe we are ending our time as bloggers on the Catholicguyshow.com so soon, but I am thankful for the opportunity I was given to be a part of this exclusive group of Lino fans.

It's funny how things work: I had been berating myself for letting my own blog go over the past few months and thinking my New Year's resolution would be to write more on my own blog. It is almost as if God was saying, "Hey! Get Busy!" when I got the e-mail from Dustin saying we were closing down. There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. (Eccl. 3:1) ran through my mind immediately.

First, let me say to Dustin: "Thank you." Plain and simple. You are an amazing young man that God is using every day. You and Alli are very special young people and you are going to make wonderful parents. It warms my heart to see a young Catholic couple living their faith. I hope one day to meet you face to face.

Now, Lino- You bring me joy and laughter and teach me through it. Thank you for being a trailblazer for those of us who don't believe being Catholic= being boring. There is a time and a place for reverence and a time for joy. (See the verse above.) Thank you for writing your story and reminding us that we are all sinners and that God still loves us anyway. Thanks for being yourself and letting us know that being "human" is ok and that we don't have to be that "pious prude" to be Catholic.

And hey, Fr. Rob- Thanks for showing us that a priest can be a regular guy. Thanks for being there for us and 'taking up the slack' when Lino (and we) needed you the most. Writing about you has been a challenge I have loved.

So I hope everyone will continue to listen to the Catholic Guy Show as often as they can. I know I will. Be sure to follow Lino on Twitter and Facebook and if you haven't done so, get his wonderful book, "Sinner" (available at Amazon.com and where ever fine books are sold.)

Peace, LaJuan

The Post where we say goodbye

2012-01-13T00:00:00.012-05:00

After nearly four years, we are closing shop on catholicguyshow.com. Not because of any disdain we have toward Lino Rulli or The Catholic Guy Show, but because it's just simply time. I want to give this blog a definite ending instead of all of us slowly drifting away.

When we began this blog, we had a ~~beatific~~ bold vision: To create a place where we got to write about our unending love of Lino Rulli and The Catholic Guy Show. And years later, I think that myself and our writers have stayed true to this mission.

We didn't do a big countdown or announcement of our end date because the blog was never really about us. Oh sure, we loved getting mentioned by name on the air. Any time we wrote something that was fun enough for Lino to plug during his show, it was like a second birthday. And yes, I do list this blog on my résumé. But in the end, the focus is all on Lino Rulli and The Catholic Guy Show.

I think we accomplished a lot on this blog, including two crew appreciation weeks, prediction columns that often went awry, hacking RBI Baseball to include Catholic Channel personalities, turning Lino into an enigma, published in-studio commentary, somehow convinced Lino's intern to do profiles of crew members, complimented his assistance in impregnating others, and heaped well-deserved praise upon the amazing Mama Rulli. And while we were unsuccessful in our efforts to get Sinner on the Nook or get Lino to release Generation Cross Volume Two, I feel that we have accomplished everything we can as a fan club. I also believe that all of our writers are talented enough to start their own ventures in Catholic Media and be wildly successful.

After all, we learned from the best.

So we bid adieu. As far as a personal post from me, I can't praise Lino enough for what he's done in my life. Because of him, I became Catholic and met my wife. And now we're having a baby! Seriously, aside from people in my family, Lino Rulli has had more influence on my life than anyone else. This post I wrote on his birthday sums everything up.

There might be a few more posts today from our writers saying goodbye, but after Jan. 13, 2012, this blog will cease to be updated. By the end of the month, catholicguyshow.com will actually redirect to Lino's own web site, but catholicguyshow.blogspot.com will forever stand as a monument to our love of Lino Rulli. Also, our twitter feed, twitter.com/catholicguyshow, will be given to Lino to do as he wants. We're hoping that he takes advantage of it's 3,500+ followers and uses it to tell listeners what's coming up on each show.

We'll miss writing about Lino Rulli, but we're confident in our future.

Below is a list of sites where you can go to keep following all of our writers.

dustin Faber - dustinfaber.com, thecatholiclovebirds.com
Allicia Faber - thecatholiclovebirds.com, twitter.com/alliwait
LaJuan Tallo - woundedfaithful.blogspot.com, twitter.com/lktallo
Elaine Payne - facebook.com/elaine.payne, Elaine's Google+
Krista D'Amore - twitter.com/kcdamore
Jamie McAdams - Romancatholiccop.com, twitter.com/JamieMc4525
Jim Bitz (Doug in Kansas) - Napoleon Livestock, Jim's Facebook
Fr. Jim Chern - msunewman.com, chernjam.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for reading our work. God bless you.

Love,
dustin, Allicia, LaJuan, Elaine, Krista, Jamie, Jim and Fr. Jim.

Seriously, this might be the best phone call in the history of TCGS.

2012-01-12T23:19:00.001-05:00

I'm digging into the archives on this one. A few years ago (February 2009 actually), Lino got preempted for Notre Dame basketball. Before getting preempted, he told listeners to call in and stay on hold if they wanted to hear the show that only internet and overnight listeners would get to hear.

Thankfully, it was one of those days I was recording the show. And after nearly three years, this is one of the most entertaining moments Lino and crew have ever put together. A young woman named Kim calls for wedding advice. If you do a roll call of the people in studio, it's Lino Rulli, Fr. Rob Keighron, Brett Siddell and Lou Ruggieri (Maureen McMurray was producer, but she had the day off).

Enjoy.

Lino's Locks

2012-01-12T15:23:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago, The Catholic Guy asked our opinion about dying his hair, which has been going gray, especially since that 40th birthday! I've been thinking about this, and have some advice:

First of all, watch the skin tone. Nothing says "creepy old man" worse than a bright black head atop a faded, wrinkled old man's face. You're not fooling anyone!

Secondly, what's wrong with going gray? It will match your skin tone and age and be most natural. Both Lino's parents have some gracious gray, Lino could definitely grow his out in a mane like his Dad's, change his name to Lino the Lion. Nice ring. Of course, dear Mama Rulli is graciously gray and looks very fine. Plus, look at our Holy Father! Even though he's German and not Italian, he's got one awesome white head of hair and he's not afraid to show it.

Whatever you do Lino, check with a professional first. You don't want black hair dye running down your head after you break a sweat! Geez Louise, man, just let nature take its course!

Boo this man!

2012-01-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

Found this clip while surfing Youtube. I instantly thought of The Catholic Guy Show.

Seems like it would be the perfect sound clip for Lino or Fr. Rob to play when they vehemently disagree with each other.

Lino Rulli meets Mark Wahlberg

2012-01-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

Today, Lino Rulli had Mark Wahlberg on the show. They talked faith, movies and yes, Lino goofed on himself. Hopefully the interview will be on the podcast soon. Photo courtesy of Lino's Facebook.

Hopefully this means that Sirius XM will feature The Catholic Guy Show on their download commercial that gets played, highlighting famous people on Sirius XM shows.

And maybe, just maybe, Mark Wahlberg helped Lino get a date.

Call Any Time

2012-01-09T02:42:00.000-05:00

Any listener of Lino Rulli on The Catholic Guy Show is familiar the routine. Someone calls in, let's say it's "Doug from Kansas," and they share some witty banter back and forth and at the end of the call Lino says, "Thanks for the call. Call any time."

He says it so fast and so often that after awhile a person might feel that he is just trying to be nice but doesn't really mean it. After all, I'm sure that he isn't really thankful for every call. Some callers are boring. Some callers don't have a point. Some callers make fun of Lino. Yet, he nearly always says thanks and makes them feel free to call.

I think that Lino making his callers feel free to call in is one reason for the success of his show. His interaction with the callers is one of the draws. As a listener and a fan, it makes me feel like I am part of the show and not just someone listening from Kansas City. It makes me feel wanted and appreciated. The callers are normally funny and quite often--they really have something to say. As a caller, Lino makes you feel comfortable. He makes it feel as if you are talking to a buddy and not like you are an international radio talk show.

I never realized how much I appreciated Lino's phrase and how he makes the callers feel with his line until the other morning when I was listening to a show on another channel. (We are free to change the channel outside of the hours of 4-7pm Eastern, 3-6 Central, correct?) First of all, I was on hold for about 30 minutes and sat through several commercial breaks. We've all heard callers talk about sitting on hold with Lino but this was different. On TCGS, if you are on hold that long, normally the call taker will come back on the line a couple of times to check up on you. They make sure you are still there. They offer you some tea or a bagel. It's like you are in a green room. No so much on this other show. I sat there the entire time on hold and not know what was going on.

Finally they come to me. No witty banter. Just BOOM! What do you got? I said what I was going to say and then the two hosts start talking back and forth and after a minute or two . . . dial tone. No "good-bye." No "thanks for calling." No "go jump in a lake." Nothing!

I have to admit---I was a little ticked off! I mean, sure, I've been hung up on by Lino but that was schtick. That was funny. I don't know who these guys thought they were. I bet they've never written any best selling books like Lino has (Sinner, now available at Amazon.com and where ever fine books are sold)

It was then that I realized that Lino has brought us all together. We not only enjoy the show because of Lino but because of all of the other callers---from Bad Connection Bob to "dustin in Where-ever-he's-living-today" Just as we are all one Body in Christ---we are also a community of listeners--all brothers and sisters.

Thank-you, Lino. And you can call me any time. (Fr. Jim has my number)

Watching movies with Lino Rulli

2012-01-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, five days with Lino Rulli, plus the podcast, just isn't enough time. To truly be number one in Catholic Media (something he's already clinched, actually), we need to feel like we can connect and bond with Lino away from the radio show.

Twitter and Facebook do this really well, but the fans need something more. And as I saw a friend write about watching the movie The Notebook, I came up with a brilliant plan. Why not watch a movie with Lino Rulli?

I realize not all of us could fit into his apartment, but what if Lino recorded his own audio commentary to films he loves, such as The Notebook and Love Actually, and uploaded it as a podcast? Technically speaking, it seems ridiculously easy to do, taking more time than skill. Record yourself talking, listen to the movie on headphones so it doesn't get into the podcast, and upload to your web site. Then listeners could download, hit play when Lino tells them to in the podcast, and have an instant film companion.

I think if he did this once a month, it would be a real treat for fans. I'd love to watch a movie and hear is own personal take on it. Lino could bring up religious aspects he enjoyed about the film, tell you if something is off-base theologically, or tell you why the scene you just saw is the funniest movie scene ever filmed.

This would also be something unique in Catholic media, as I'm unaware of someone doing the type of commentary that Lino could pull off. I think the style of radio he does each day would really transfer well into an audio commentary.

Archbishop Dolan named Cardinal: What this means for Lino Rulli

2012-01-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

Today I got word that Archbishop Timothy Dolan was named a Cardinal. He will be instituted in a formal ceremony on Feb. 18.

What does this mean for The Catholic Channel, specifically Lino Rulli?

I think TCC and all of its programming just got a little more prestige. Sure they've had Cardinal Egan beforehand, but Dolan is a charismatic, popular figure in the church. The fact that he's been named a Cardinal while overseeing Sirius XM 129 gives the channel a little more visibility with the rest of the Church.

The increased attention on Dolan will no doubt get Lino and the rest of our TCC friends a little more credibility, meaning now is the time to shine.

And while this is just speculation on my end, I think that Dolan has a good chance at being made Pope someday. If he becomes Pope, specifically the next one, that would do wonders for Lino, Busted Halo, Gus Lloyd, The Willits and everyone else who is involved with The Catholic Channel on a day to day basis. It wouldn't just be a quality Catholic radio station, it'd be the one the Pope used to work at!

No doubt this would make those hateful internet folks just cringe at the thought of Lino's channel being the one that a Pope came from.

In the end, Dolan's appointment to Cardinal means nothing but good things for Lino Rulli.

You've got (hate) mail!

2012-01-05T08:11:00.005-05:00

Brush off the haters (right after you forgive them.)

If you listened to the latest podcasts of the CGS, you know exactly what I am talking about. Lino gave us a tiny insight into the types of voicemails he gets- crazy, off-subject,full of bad theology and just pure hateful voicemails. The crazy, off-subject, full of bad theology ones were just funny. The hateful ones-not so much, in my opinion.

Lino and Fr. Rob goofed on those hateful voice mails and concluded that forgiveness of those wretched people was the right step to take and he said so. He encouraged it, in fact.

So the voicemails' complaints about him not being serious, not teaching Catholic/Christian faith, not setting the right example - all negated, All zeroed out. And a lesson in forgiveness taught in return.

I am quite sure that he puts up with a lot more criticism and hatefulness directed toward him than he cares to tell us about. But our "Sinner" will always be a winner, becuase he has a heart that is in the right place.

Sinner named top religious book of 2011

2011-12-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

It's no surprise, but the New York Times named Sinner the best religious book of 2011.

We're taking Lino's word for it, but we can't find any mention of it on the New York Times web site or a google search. Still, no reason for Lino to lie, and I'm sure it's probably either me not looking hard enough or being a print-only feature.

Congratulations Lino! Here's hoping for future books getting this honor!

Generation Cross Volume 2, where are you?

2011-12-28T21:25:00.000-05:00

It's been years since Lino Rulli hosted Generation Cross. He won two Emmy awards for it, so it makes sense to release the show on DVD.

Well we got that. 90 minutes of Catholic Pleasure. Great segments all around. However, when it was released on DVD eleventy-billion years ago, we took the inclusion of the words "Volume One" in the DVD title to mean that we'd get more episodes soon.

But alas, it's been nearly four years, and I've only got one DVD. Only one! The thing won two Emmys, and all I get is 90 minutes. In the words of that sound clip on the show, "That's bush, bush league!"

I jest, but still, where is Generation Cross Volume 2? We know Lino is busy, and can ill afford to waste his time. But now that the book is finished and the promotional tour is winding down, we think he needs to get busy cranking out more DVDs.

Here are some ideas for Generation Cross Volume 2.

• More content! With Generation Cross Volume 1, we got 90 minutes of great show content, a bare bones DVD menu, and that's all. For volume two, there should be more special features. Maybe some audio commentary with Fr. Rob during one of the episodes. More outtakes. Video of an actual TCGS segment. Trailers for his other projects. The list could go on and on.

• Digital distribution! Lino wants to be at the cutting edge of Catholic Technology, right? DVDs were introduced in 1997. Why not take individual episodes and allow people to purchase them on iTunes? Or actually release seasons of the show on DVD, instead of just compilation discs?

I realize I may be asking too much, but I think with all the new attention on Lino, releasing new Generation Cross DVDs is the right thing to do at this time.

Two Best?

2011-12-27T21:44:00.000-05:00

First off, thanks Lino and Fr Rob for broadcasting live today. Just because it's Christmastime doesn't mean we aren't listening to the radio!

One of the callers today challenged Lino about his "two best" ongoing joke. That is, if I called in to TCGS, Lino and Fr Rob would inform me that North Carolina was recently voted one of the two best Carolinas. Same with the Dakotas, or Virginia and West Virginia.

Well, I say, if we have something better, then let's let him have it! For example, here in North Carolina we have Placid Solari, OSB, who is the "One Minute Monk" that Lino so dearly loves to mock! In my humble opinion, that's much more unique than being one of the two best Carolinas! And yes, Fr Rob, that's his real name, he's Abbot of a Monastery that's also on the grounds of Belmont Abbey College, that's an awesome Catholic college, maybe you have listeners there!

Cleaning up Lino's Wikipedia page

2011-12-26T19:13:00.000-05:00

Ever been to Lino's wikipedia page?

The spot on the internet anyone can edit was rife with grammar errors. Seriously, who puts punctuation marks outside of quotation marks? Sentences should read, "Lino Rulli is an amazing radio talent," not "Lino Rulli loves jelly".

Regardless, bad grammar drives me nuts. I know, our web site isn't perfect, and I'm sure you'll find grammatical mistakes littered about the entire place. But Lino deserves better than half-way done things, Lino deserves the best.

And while his Wikipedia page is very well-written, it just needed tidying up.

New producer, new pilgrimage, new news

2011-12-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

What a crazy week on The Catholic Guy Show! To recap:

- Lino and Fr. Rob get a new producer named Scott, who is married with two kiddos, according to our friends at twitter.com/linorullidotnet. Work has been nutso busy this week, so I haven't got a chance to hear much of Scott, except for yesterday when Fr. Rob was "lashing out" at him for asking a more educated question than the priest did (Which Wine Bar did you go to, as opposed to Fr. Rob asking if Lino went to McDonalds on a date).

Scott has prior radio experience, which should certainly help him keep up with Lino and Fr. Rob. Scott, we pray for your sanity and wish you the best!

- Fr. Jim Chern is going on a pilgrimage...we think. Fr. Jim is adamant that he's going, but Fr. Rob and Lino have a side bet they made on-air Monday where Fr. Rob gets $100 or so if Fr. Jim drops out. Personally, I think a bet like that is ridiculous and just makes everyone look mean, so I really hope Fr. Jim goes on the trip. It will be good for Fr. Jim and the listeners to hang out for a week.

You can find out more about the pilgrimage at www.catholictraveler.com.

We should be thankful that God has allowed Fr. Jim to go in the pilgrimage. Being the chaplain on a college campus is probably one of the more time-consuming jobs a priest can have, especially when you're the only one. The kids need Fr. Jim more than radio show listeners, and the fact that he is so devoted to them speaks volumes about the integrity he has.

- As far as other news goes, it's about time for our annual predictions for 2012! Over the next few days, we'll recap what we got right and wrong in 2011, and we'll offer some predictions for 2012. It should hopefully be a good year, and I pray to God we don't lose any other staff members!

Preparation A: Behind the Advent Doors

2011-12-18T22:25:00.005-05:00

Ok, it's a given that our Advent Calendar is probably the weirdest one you will ever find anywhere, but there are no words I can think of (that would not land me in the confessional) to describe what was behind this past Friday's door. Our own Fr. Rob (He' s such a giver) decided to grace us with his own rendition of the Christmas favorite "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" not once, but (Lord, help us) TWICE.

My ears were still ringing hours later when I decided to ask Lino (via Facebook) if he was mad at us. I figured we must have done something terribly wrong for him to punish us that way. Fr. Rob doing karaoke to a Journey song is one thing, but none of us (Merry Gentlemen or Ladies) will get any rest with that going on.

So this last week of Advent, as we progress in "Preparation A," who knows what we will find behind those doors?

Book giveaway madness!

2011-12-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

This week, Lino held a contest: Whoever responded on Twitter with funny reasons why they should get his book won a copy of Sinner.

I really liked this, as it threw a bone to the many Twitter followers Lino has. He's always reading Facebook comments on the air, whereas Twitter is usually just a place for some funny jokes. It's a nice way to get involved with many different forms of media.

Here's hoping he uses the catholicguyshow Twitter account more in the future. Using this would be a great way to inform the 3,300+ followers of what is coming up on the show.

Up next? I think Lino should donate copies of his book to local libraries. That way, when people get bored with Charles Dickens, they can read the exploits of Catholic Media's top sinner!

Words that help

2011-12-15T14:52:00.001-05:00

Lots of times, I like to enjoy Lino's show at the end of the workday to help me laugh and unwind. I've now decided to help me get through the actual day.

I'm sure many of you are like me...you have to put up with some crazy people. They're our every day lovable psychos. My incident today: the biddies...um women, were pitching a fit about my shoes. When did I get them, what did I pay for them, I spend too much money.

Next time this happens, I'm going to reply: "I like turtles." Nothing else. Perhaps, "that's mint" or even for us old timers "that's some fine meat there." I just wish I could belt out a song like Fr Rob does.

I'm also hoping Mama Rulli will come on with some Italian phrases we can use. I sure enjoyed her Christmas carols yesterday! Mama Rulli, work it out with Lino that you can give us some Italian lessons! Just keep coming on, we love you!

Merry and Blessed Christmas to one and all. I like turtles.

Quick Advent Thoughts

2011-12-08T08:39:00.002-05:00

My daughter and I were going through a drive through window yesterday afternoon during Mama Rulli's Advent segment yesterday, laughing along with Fr Rob's wonderful laugh; I was happily making a total fool of myself! It came to me: sometimes we just have to break the rules! I know our Catholic Guy is always laying down the law to his Mom, but I say, Mama Rulli, I totally understand you and feel most of the other fans feel the same way!

I propose a new virtue: the one of bringing happiness and laughter: it should be called Mama Rulli!

Blessed and happy Advent and Christmas to all!

Breaking: Ryan Grant leaving The Catholic Guy show

2011-12-06T18:57:00.001-05:00

Ryan Grant, who joined the staff of The Catholic Guy Show earlier this year, has resigned as producer effective immediately, according to Tuesday's show.

Grant is discerning his vocation, and cited his desire to finish school as some of the reasons for departing.

Grant's departure is the fourth on TCGS this year. Assistant producer Lou Ruggieri and producer Maureen McMurray left earlier this year, and Fr. Jim Chern's weekly Friday appearances have given way to substitute appearances when Fr. Rob Keighron has the day off.

A successor to Grant has not been named.

We at Catholicguyshow.com will miss Ryan dearly, as he has shown himself to be extremely classy, professional and highly talented. We just wish we could have heard him talk on-air a lot more.

To keep up with Ryan's post-TCGS activities, visit Ryangrantmusic.com

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Catholic Channel celebrates five years!

2011-12-05T22:14:00.001-05:00

I posted my thoughts about The Catholic Channel's anniversary at our own blog, which you can read here.

Just wanted to say a big thank you to Lino Rulli and the rest of The Catholic Channel for reminding me why faith is such a wonderful thing to have in my life. God bless you for everything, you best-selling emmy winning man!

A birthday bash for Ryan Grant and Fr. Rob!

2011-12-03T18:50:00.000-05:00

Amazingly, Fr. Rob Keighron AND producer Ryan Grant share the same birthday! It's like God reserved December 3 for awesome people or something. Today is also Ozzie Osbourne's birthday, so that kind of proves my point (also the birthday of Phoebe Hearst, which kinda trumps my theory, but anyways).

A feat like this CANNOT go unnoticed! I present to you, the tale of the tape.

First we have Ryan Grant. A producer with musical talent, he studied in the seminary before realizing that it wasn't God's calling for his life. He could have chosen to become a dentist, but instead Ryan chose to produce Lino Rulli's humble little radio show, The Catholic Guy, after Maureen died.

Then there's Fr. Rob. A scrappy fellow of 43 years of age, Fr. Rob has been a priest 1957. He sings and dances, both noble talents that could have earned him work to feed his family in depression-era Vaudeville times. But instead, he decided to give his life to the spirit of the Lord and joined a radio show, where his cackles, charm and sophisticated noble knowledge can be on display for years to come.

So which of the two would win this Birthday bash? If this was a WWE event, here's how their promos might sound.

Grant: Father Rob, God may love you but I think you're nuts! You stink, your logic is all off, and you bring your D-game to work each day! If I earned a better salary from The Catholic Channel, I could afford to smash this guitar over your Irish head. Your wish of a demise has...been....GRANTED!

Keighron: You want to come at me with that, Grant, you big dummy? All night, all night, every night you'd better hold tight, cause when I bash this bottle of Schnapps over your head, the only thing you'll have left to produce is your own will!

But thankfully, these two get along. Sure, we don't hear Ryan on the air as much, but when he does talk, they seem to have a civil relationship.

They are two great men of faith, and we as fans are blessed to have them on the air. But for what it's worth, I'd wager on Grant by submission.

Anniversary Reflections

2011-12-01T21:20:00.004-05:00

So, Lino is in California and Fr. Rob in New York, and the 5th Anniversary party is underway thanks to the "magic of technology" as Lino likes to say. (I couldn't believe I heard Fr. Rob say that today!)

As I listened to Lino interviewing that lucky listener Regina today, I found myself reflecting on my own "first experience" with the Catholic Guy. (no Hey Oh necessary).

About two years ago, we relocated to Birmingham from a small town in Mississippi due to a job change for my husband. After finding a job, I was faced with a longer work commute for the first time in many years. My car had XM and I heard a commercial for the Catholic Channel on another channel. I decided to give it a try and tuned in on the way home.

Much to my surprise, I heard this crazy guy playing a game with a listener that afternoon. Once I got over the initial shock that someone was having fun on a Catholic show, I began to really connect.

It was "Win Lou's Money," and Lino was asking the caller whether or not Ash Wednesday was a Holy Day of Obligation. Of course, the caller said "Yes," and of course I was screaming at the radio, "No, you big dummy, it's not!" I was hooked.

I have listened to Lino every day I could since then. I have listened to every podcast of the Catholic Guy Show that is available, and am in the process of listening to every "Lino at Large" podcast there is. I read and enjoyed "Sinner" and love being a Facebook Fan and a Twitter follower. I dream of going on a Pilgrimage, and love blogging on this crazy blog. (Thanks, Dustin). I probably have 20 friends on Twitter and Facebook that I did not have before because of the Catholic Guy Show. I am learning the true meaning of our universal church.

So thanks, Lino. (And Fr. Rob and Ryan) Happy Anniversary!

Tweet of The Day #6 - Thanksgiving Edition

2011-11-28T11:10:00.001-05:00

Lino has good witty banter. Seeing his struggle to get it in under 140 characters is even funnier. We present Lino's Tweet of the Day!

Lino flew home to be with Mama Rulli on thanksgiving (aw, what a sweet boy) and shares something he is thankful for.

Today's post is dedicated to the Turkey that got pardoned at the white house, and also, to the turkey that didn't get pardoned. Let's be real here, we all know they had some tasty turkey on thanksgiving.

Visit CatholicGuy.com for links to Lino's facebook and twitter.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T14:13:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from the writers at CatholicGuyShow.com to all the LinoFans across the globe. We are thankful to have all of you in our lives.

Hmmmmm....

2011-11-23T08:41:00.005-05:00

Who knew listening to somebody humming could be so much fun?

I have never heard Lino laugh as hard as he did during the segment when people had to guess what Fr. Rob was humming. I don't think I have ever laughed that hard either. If Fr. Rob humming wasn't funny enough, Lino and Ryan laughing in the background was even funnier to me.

Fr. Rob literally cannot "carry a tune in a bucket", as we like to say down South. But that doesn't stop him from trying, and being a good sport about it, too. God has endowed him with great intelligence, a knack for theology, a love for Jesus and an incredible wit. He just has no talent for anything musical. God works like that. He gives us great talent for certain things so we can use it to his glory, and leaves us out on others. I like to think God plans it that way to keep us humble.

I couldn't call in when the segment was going on, so I posted on Lino's Facebook that I "pray to God he doesn't have 'The Hallelujah Chorus' on his iPod." Lino replied, "Believe me, he doesn't." (I guess we can thank God for small favors.)

I just had one more thought. I wonder how many songs Fr. Rob does have on his iPod?

Live chat today at 3:45 p.m. ET (click here)

2011-11-11T13:04:00.002-05:00

With my work schedule being from 11:30 to 8, I hardly ever get to conduct these live chats.

But I have today off from work. And since Lino Rulli is live, why not do a live chat? Come back here at 3:45 p.m. ET to join in for the entire show! We'll have witty banter, polls and more to make listening to Lino more enjoyable!

Hope to see you back soon!

<p><a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=e14e9e9dec" >TCGS live chat 11-11-11</a></p>

Perception is reality

2011-11-10T08:27:00.002-05:00

Yesterday before Lino and Fr. Rob started their segment on Cardinal Law's birthday bash, I fully expected them to discuss the Penn State mess. They prefaced the segment with a teaser about how what they were going to talk about was controversial and they would probably get in trouble with the channel management, etc.

Truth is, in my opinion, they were exactly right in their assessment of Cardinal Law's decision to throw himself a lavish 80th birthday party.

As Lino pointed out, the Cardinal has the right to have an 80th birthday party. No one is questioning that. But given the circumstances of the sex abuse scandals, particiularly in his former diocese of Boston, and the scrutiny the Church came under as a result of it, was it really the wisest decision Cardinal Law could have made? That is what Fr. Rob and Lino were trying to get across.

In other words, "perception is reality." Ask anyone in the limelight. We think we know everything there is to know about Pope Benedict, Angelina Jolie, Michael Jackson, Barak Obama or anyone else who is a household name. But do we really?

Read today's news and you will find that beloved, long-time Penn State Coach Joe Paterno has been fired. People are all up in arms about it, taking sides on the issue as we speak. What did he know and what did he do about it? Was it enough?

Those same questions were being asked a while back about Cardinal Law.

Nook :-'(

2011-11-06T18:33:00.002-05:00

I'm sure many of you are on Facebook. It's no secret that Lino's book still isn't in the e-pub digital format that would make it available on the B&N Nook and many other fine e-readers. So I found his publisher, American Catholic, and they have a Facebook page. I joined and posted on there asking for Lino's book to be on the Nook. Anyone else want to join me and bug the hell out of them?

Wanted: Sinner on Nook!

2011-11-05T13:02:00.000-04:00

I really loved Lino's book Sinner. I would love to buy another copy on Nook. Only one problem. It's not there yet!

Which is a shame. And it's something that won't be rectified unless the publisher, Servant Books, gets their act together.

To help speed up this process, click on this link to send an pre-typed email to Servant Books asking for Sinner to be available on the Nook. You don't have to do any typing or anything. Just click the link, which will open up a pre-written email in your email program, and send away!

Hopefully we can get this out by Christmas!

Take a Podcast Pilgrimage

2011-11-03T12:38:00.002-04:00

You gotta admit (once you get over your jealousy) that The Catholic Guy Pilgrimages sound awesome!
While Lino and the crew were gone and we were listening to “Best ofs” I was waiting with bated breath for them to get to Vatican Radio. Not because I wanted the listeners’ trip to be over (well maybe I did because I was just a wee bit envious) but actually because I knew the Vatican Radio broadcasts would be fantastic! I was not disappointed.
I was able to listen to a good bit of the Live (to tape) broadcasts and scooped up the podcasts this week as soon as Ryan said they were available. I think the three podcasts from this week are among some of my favorites.
If you haven’t downloaded those three podcasts, what are you waiting for? Think of what you are missing! Dinner with Lino, On the bus with Lino and Fr. Rob, an exclusive Fr. Rob homiliy, a visit from Mama Rulli in studio and the Retention Game, starring “Jeff?”
So for those of us who were not on the Pilgrimage, Lino has given us the best he could. (Hey Oh) After all, he’s a “lover,” a “sharer,” and a “giver” to quote Fr. Timmy.

Show formats that need to happen

2011-11-01T21:45:00.000-04:00

Lino Rulli's radio show, The Catholic Guy, blazes new trails when it comes to innovative programming.

But I think it's only scratched the surface of originality.

If Lino were to keep doing this same show for the rest of it's run, nobody would complain. It would continue to set new standards for quality Catholic radio. Nobody disputes that. The overnight lock-in was a new type of show that was wildly successful, and there's no reason why other formats can't be tried.

Here are three show ideas that would go over extremely well.

1. A live studio-audience
Lino's done shows on location before, but usually they're done from a hotel room (the Vegas and New Orleans shows) or on the street when the focus is elsewhere (World Youth Day). A show with a live studio audience on a Saturday afternoon would be epic. To Lino's credit, a similar show has been done before, when Lino went to some Catholic singles event and did a dating game.

But a three-hour show with live audience members instead of phone calls would be amazing. He could even charge $5 and donate the money to charity, something that would get the Catholic media buzzing: A live radio show raises money for Ferret research? Brilliant! And getting the chance to see Lino Rulli, Fr. Rob and Ryan Grant do their show live would be a treat for any fan.

2. The crossover
This idea has been done before: When Pope Benedict XVI came to the United States, a lot of Catholic Channel programming featured the different hosts hosting shows together. But a special TCGS with guest host Greg Willits, Fr. Dave Dwyer or Gus Lloyd would be something different. It would be fun to hear other hosts take on the things Lino says on air, and to hear them all muck it up together would increase interest in the channel as a whole.

3. The Musical
Now THIS would take the cake. Lino does song parodies and they're usually a lot of fun. Take a few weeks and create 9 or 10 songs (Ryan is a musician, so it should be feasible for him to do this), and he could easily have The Catholic Guy Musical. Sure, it'd force the show into a more rehearsed style than an anything-goes conversational show, but three hours of Fr. Rob, Lino and Ryan Grant singing? Now that's entertainment.

Tweet of The Day #5 - Birthday Celebration

2011-10-27T12:36:00.002-04:00

Lino has good witty banter. Seeing his struggle to get it in under 140 characters is even funnier. We present Lino's Tweet of the Day!

Lino has been in Italy on Pilgrimage, and stayed behind a bit longer to broadcast from The Pope's Microphone at Vatican Radio. He cleverly planned this trip to coincide with his monumental 40th Birthday.

Today's Tweet is dedicated to Mama and Pops Rulli. Thanks to them we've been blessed with the magic that is Lino Rulli.

Visit CatholicGuy.com for links to Lino's facebook and twitter. You can also send him a happy birthday message by clicking CONTACT or buying his book!

40 things I learned from Lino Rulli

2011-10-25T21:51:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Lino! In honor of 40 years of greasy love, I am putting together a list of 40 things that I've learned from you! You inspired my conversion to Catholicism, led me to my bride, and give me funny radio each day I turn you on!

Thank you Lino Rulli.

1. Christians can laugh.
2. Doubting is OK.
3. God can handle our anger
4. The Eucharist is really Jesus' body
5. The Foo Fighters are an amazing band
6. All Italians have a lawyer and a priest of some sort in their family.
7. Pilgrimages can be expensive
8. You can only get baptized once.
9. It's ok to call your Mom every day
10. There are really men named Goob
11. Howard Stern is a genius.
12. Jay Leno is a giant tool.
13. Every day is a struggle if you really want to follow Christ.
14. Praying to saints just means talking to them, not worshipping them.
15. Boring Christian media should not be acceptable.
16. Somewhere in Minnesota there is a huge ball of twine.
17. Apparently people can cheer for Green Bay and Minnesota without issues.
18. Goddaughters can be bribed to not get pierced tongues.
19. Don't say the word "cock" on the radio, even if you're referring to your chickens.
20. Living in the Bahamas is beyond cool.
21. Priests don't reveal what is heard in confession.
22. NYC is filled with Urine
23. It's possible to lose games on your own show
24. Your boss is truly clueless.
25. Bella Napoli has the greatest pizza in the world.
26. It's ok to listen to Eminem and call yourself a Christian.
27. It is possible for Catholic media to win top secular awards like Emmys
28. Peabody awards can be elusive.
29. The Bible started out with 73 books.
30. St. Peter was the first Pope.
31. Brett Favre allegedly sends cell phone pictures (Lino broke that story to me) of his naughty bits.
32. Apparently Catholic celebrities can still be wrong about some things. Yes Lino, Kris Allen, not Adam Lambert, deserved to win American Idol.
33. And they can be right about some things to. Yes Lino, The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Title in 2010, not the Boston Celtics.
34. Commercial breaks are horrible.
35. Priests actually start out as deacons before becoming priests.
36. You should fast an hour before Mass.
37. If you take Brett Siddell on vacation with you, prepare to lend him money.
38. Catholics are Christian.
39. Beautiful women that are willing to marry me also listen to The Catholic Channel.
40. My Mom was a genius when she bought Sirius Satellite Radio for me in 2002. Best gift ever.

There are many more things I've learned from Lino, but I'll save those for another birthday. In the utmost seriousness, so many wonderful things have happened to me just because I decided to listen to your show. I'd be a complete bum, probably destined to Hell, had you not come along and inspired me to care about my faith.

Happy Birthday Lino Rulli. You will never know the impact you've had on so many lives. I hope and pray that God continues to bless you for the amazing work you've done for His Kingdom.

Another Sinner Interview

2011-10-24T12:11:00.001-04:00

We are so happy to see Lino getting the word out about his book. Here he is talking to The National Review.

and HERE is a link to buy the book if you haven't yet (or if you need some Christmas gifts for everyone you know)

Tweet Of The Day #4 Pilgrimage Edition

2011-10-21T13:55:00.001-04:00

Lino has good witty banter. Seeing his struggle to get it in under 140 characters is even funnier. We present Lino's Tweet of the Day!

Tweet of the Day -Pilgrimage Edition is brought to you by... Wait, no one sponsors our site, I guess we'll dedicate the posts instead! Today's TOTD is dedicated to The Vatican. Go check out the website. You can actually tour the Sistine Chapel from home, in your pajamas!

Now, the real reason you came here, a tweet from October 20, 2011.

Don't forget to visit CatholicGuy.com for links to Lino's Facebook and Twitter.

You've got the "best of" our love

2011-10-17T23:12:00.004-04:00

I know this is going to be a bit controversial, but, personally, I don't mind the "best of" re-broadcasts. I am not always able to listen to all three hours, so I have to sometimes depend on the podcasts to really stay on top of what is going on. The Best Ofs give me a chance to hear something I may have missed the first time around.

Yeah, I will admit I am usually miserable when Lino, Fr. Rob and Ryan are not live, but I am trying to be happy and find the positive in those re-broadcasts. I think to myself how happy I will be when they are live (or in our near future- live to tape). It is gonna be a blast next week when they are broadcasting from Vatican Radio again. I can't wait for Lino's birthday too. Then when they get back, there will probably be some great shows with highlights of the Pilgrimage.

In the meantime, I am wondering- does Mama Rulli get to join the broadcast from the Vatican? What kind of birthday bash will they give Lino? Will they translate "Sinner" into Italian? or Latin?

We just have to wait a while and we will find out!

Tweet of the Day #3 Pilgrimage Edition

2011-10-17T13:21:00.001-04:00

Lino has good witty banter. Seeing his struggle to get it in under 140 characters is even funnier. We present Lino's Tweet of the Day!

Tweet of the Day -Pilgrimage Edition is brought to you by... Wait, no one sponsors our site, I guess we'll dedicate the posts instead! Today's TOTD is dedicated to The Catholic Traveler. Go check out the website for the guys who organize Lino's crazy pilgrimages. They're cool. We'd vouch for them!

Now, the real reason you came here, a tweet from October 15, 2011.

Don't forget to visit CatholicGuy.com for links to Lino's Facebook and Twitter. There may even be a link to go buy his book Sinner (even though you should have it by now!)

Lino Talks

2011-10-14T08:43:00.000-04:00

Lino didn't tweet much yesterday so there won't be a tweet of the day. He was very busy and important celebrating Communications Day in Minnesota. You can still click HERE to get the link to Lino's twitter.

Below is a video from the CommDay sponsor The Catholic Spirit

Tweet of the Day #2

2011-10-13T10:47:00.003-04:00

Lino has good witty banter. Seeing his struggle to get it in under 140 characters is even funnier. We present Lino's Tweet of the Day!

Lino is heading to Minnesota for a speaking engagement, which of course means we get a best of. Oh well, like cold Pizza Lino is sometimes better the second time around.

Visit CatholicGuy.com for links to Lino's facebook and twitter

Tweet of the Day #1

2011-10-12T09:26:00.000-04:00

Lino has good witty banter. Seeing his struggle to get it in under 140 characters is even funnier. We present Lino's Tweet of the Day!

Be sure to visit CatholicGuy.com for links to Lino's twitter and Facebook pages.

Lino on the Cover!

2011-10-06T13:26:00.001-04:00

Thomas Peters of CatholicVote.com takes on Lino Rulli ... Click here to see the Papist Magazine interview ... And wow, awesome picture of Lino. Ladies, be warned.

Matt Maher responds to Lino's song choice

2011-10-06T10:14:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday's show, Lino Rulli, Ryan Grant, Kayla Riley and Fr. Jim Chern (back from the dead!) were choosing the best Catholic song for a first date. Of all the tunes, Matt Maher's song My Only Love was chosen as the best song of the handful that the crew listened to that day.

Here's the fun Twitter response from Matt Maher.

Congratulations to @mattmahermusic! His song "My Only Love" was chosen on today's show as best Catholic song to play on a first date!Wed Oct 05 22:32:29 via EchofonCatholic Guy Show
catholicguyshow

@catholicguyshow really? a song about an anniversary? i would like that rather intense and a little creepy hahahaThu Oct 06 03:22:48 via webMatt Maher
mattmahermusic

@catholicguyshow i meant "think", not "like".
maybe i meant "liken that to be"Thu Oct 06 03:26:14 via webMatt Maher
mattmahermusic

Lino in the News(letter)

2011-10-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

Click here to see Lino mentioned in the Grace Before Meals newsletter from Fr. Leo Patalinghug.
and don't forget to visit GraceBeforeMeals to check out Fr. Leo's work.

A song parody for Lino

2011-10-03T21:50:00.004-04:00

Lino sounded a bit out of sorts a couple of times last week. I was a little worried about him.

He talked a good bit about his frustration around going with the Catholic publisher as opposed to a "secular" publisher (otherwise known as a publisher). Lino told of how on a Saturday night, he had gone to Barnes and Noble and a couple of other bookstores to look on the shelves for "Sinner" only to find it was not available.

His frustration was evident as he wondered aloud if it had been a good idea to take this path and kind of pave the way for other Catholic writers. I took it upon myself to remind him (on Facebook) that all "pioneers" and "trail blazers" struggled, to which he replied, "Thanks for the support, but it is still annoying."

Later that week, he mused (on Facebook) about whether or not he would always be an "outsider" and whether or not that was a bad or a good thing. I personally hope is stays an "outsider." I don't want him to be any different than he is. I want him to continue being a trail blazer and a pioneer in Catholic media. He has done more through his work in Catholic media to bring people back into the church and strengthen the faith of those of us who were practicing our faith, than even he knows.

So, Lino! You play Billy Joel songs for your Saturday night concerts-You do song parodies for us so, how about this? (Cheesy, but fun).

"Don't go changing to try and please us
You never let us down before
Don't imagine you're too familiar
And we don't see you anymore

We would not leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
We took the good times, we'll take the bad times
We'll take you just the way you are."

We need Nook! Let's help Lino

2011-10-02T20:04:00.002-04:00

Ok, hope I didn't screw this up like Lino's book publisher.....

For weeks we've hoped for a Nook, or e-pub version of Sinner, Lino Rulli's new book. His publisher constantly reassures him it will happen soon. Well as we all know, so far, no good. So it's time to help, yes, take action and help!!!

Barnes and Noble DOES have a spot where you can REQUEST A NOOK VERSION FROM THE PUBLISHER.!!!!! So, please click the link I'm giving and do it!!! I suspect the publisher has dropped the ball. Well fans, no excuses, just click one lousy link, which I'm enclosing again. CLICK HERE for the link

A Life Without Lino

2011-09-29T12:18:00.000-04:00

I am SO BUMMED. I was in a little car accident the other day. I'm fine, the little Faber to be is fine. My car however took a nice hit to the front end. What does this have to do with Lino and The Catholic Guy Show? Well, my friends, not knowing how long it will take to repair means I also don't know how long I will be without an XM radio. Thus the appropriate bumming out. Luckily, my husband has a Sirius radio so we can still listen in. No more Lino on the commute home though. It was one of my favorite things about leaving work!

A Review on Fr. Timmy!

2011-09-26T02:46:00.004-04:00

It's been a few weeks since Fr. Rob has been full time on The Catholic Guy Show and I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised. I wasn't greatly thrilled when it was announced that Fr. Rob was going to be a permanent member of Lino's staff (I'm pretty sure there is a "Hey-O!" in there someplace) Don't get me wrong, I've always liked it when Fr. Rob made his Thursday appearances. But I did not know how the "angry little leprechaun" act would play out day after day.

Fr. Rob has proven to be a nice companion on the show. I don't know if I could say that he has taken any of the limelight away from Lino but at the same time I wouldn't say that Fr. Rob is playing Ed McMahon to Lino's Johnny Carson either. He is more than just a side-kick. The role seems to be that of a spiritual director or an expert on religion. An obvious role for a priest on a Catholic radio show, I realize, but not really one that he has filled in the previous years. But at the same time, he is still Fr. Rob---the fun loving, vocal, out-spoken, guy who makes people ask, "this guy is a priest?"

I shouldn't be surprised that there is this side to Fr. Rob. It's been eluded to in the past that Fr. Rob is an intelligent guy. After all--I don't think the church would send a dummy to Rome to study (although, I could be wrong). I've also heard a listener call in who stated she had gone on the pilgrimage to Greece and remarked about how pleasant it was to have Fr. Rob hear her confession. Finally, Lino is a smart guy and a fantastic entertainer. I believe there is a method to his madness and a reason he would ask Fr. Rob to be a permanent part of the show.

Fr. Rob fills a hole on the show, I believe, that wasn't being met when it was just Maureen and Lou on the show--that of an expert and someone besides Lino who can talk about the faith. At the same time, he is goofy and fun and not boring.

There is still something missing on the show. There needs to be a third person to balance out the act. Someone to play the straight man, maybe. Ryan seems to be too busy and not really an on-air presence. I'm not sure who that person might be. I do know that Fr. Rob seems to be working out.

Imagining the Sinner movie poster

2011-09-25T22:03:00.000-04:00

Since most best-selling books eventually get turned into movies, I thought Lino's book Sinner needed a movie poster in case it follows in the footsteps of To Kill a Mockingbird or Gone Baby Gone. I hope you enjoy!

Show yourself if you want to spew hatred

2011-09-23T21:01:00.000-04:00

I just deleted a blog comment a few minutes ago. It never got published, but it basically ripped apart someone connected to The Catholic Guy Show (names not mentioned).

The part that gets me? It was left anonymously.

Most of the time, I TRY to brush off any criticism of TCGS or its members. But this one just nagged at me in a way that I can't fully express. Hey, if you have a real beef with the show or it's crew members, why don't you give yourself a name, instead of posting some grain of alleged truth anonymously.

Ugh. Some people are jerks.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Wearin' of the collar

2011-09-21T21:17:00.003-04:00

Was it just me, or did Lino a little less worldly and a little more holy today?

Our "sinner" saw the world from a different perspective today when he wore Fr. Rob's Roman collar for the day. I don't think he knew quite what to expect, but it sounded as if he was pleasantly surprised by the reactions he got. It was good to hear that people treated him with respect, and were friendly to him. It gives you hope to think that most people look kindly on our priests.

I think one of the greatest things about the Catholic Guy Show is that the listeners are exposed to priests who are just regular guys. Like the apostles and the saints, they are just regular people who answered God's call to carry on his work. We feel like Fr. Rob and Fr. jim are not only priests - they are "our" priests. And they are our friends.

Maybe wearing the collar taught Lino something else, too. Maybe he has a new found respect for his friends Rob and Jim and all of the men who have followed that call.

Will Lino discern for the priesthood? I really doubt it. I think God is using him in the best way possible- he is using the natural gifts God blessed him with to bring the faith to the people in a way they can understand and relate to.

(And on a personal note: I don't know where Lino got those black pants, but I am sure glad he decided to wear them. I had nightmares about him going out in jeans, or his signature cargo shorts!)

Fr Rob is Right

2011-09-20T08:56:00.001-04:00

Yes I said it, Father Rob was in the right... the Rite of Marriage that is.

On Monday's show Fr Rob mentioned that he refused a bride's request to say "You may now kiss the bride." I wanted to share my experience to enforce the fact that Fr. Rob did the right thing.

When I was getting married a few months ago, I was not willing to let anyone call into question the validity of my marriage at a later date. I wanted it all by the book. If it wasn't part of the Rite I didn't want to mess with it. Our priest was clear about when would be an appropriate time to kiss (following the exchange of vows and exchange of rings-when the couple is actually married) then the mass goes on to communion if you've chosen that option. I did a lot of research before planning our ceremony. I loved Busted Halo's War for the Perfect Wedding which is a video series arguing for and against a lot of the 'secular customs' that have found their way into a religious ceremony. (i.e. unity candles, getting married outside, etc)

The suggestion to kiss at the end of the mass seems out of place, by that point the couple has been married at least 30 minutes! That's right, communion during the wedding mass takes place after the couple is officially married. Look, I don't know about you guys, but I don't ask the priest if I can hold hands with my husband in the pews, I didn't need him to announce that I would be kissing my husband. And frankly, would we want the priest announcing what happens later? I think if the newly married couple can figure that out on their own, they don't need anyone announcing a kiss.

Crew Appreciation Week: Mama Rulli!

2011-09-16T03:30:00.002-04:00

I've been reflecting on just why we love Mama Rulli so much....she's so popular and we can't hear her enough! Mama R just comes up with some of the most wonderful zingers, and the unexpected timing is perfect!

photo copyright Linose Productions and catholicguy.com

Using my foggy memory, I was trying to recall the first time we heard her on the air. I believe it was when Lino was trying to sell his condo and there was a bit of a family situation. Mama called in and explained, and it wasn't long after that she got to visit the studio. Oh my, that was so funny! It was Christmastime and Mama wanted to see the big tree in Rockefeller Center. She was only supposed to be on the show a short time, but her son just couldn't send her out in the cold by herself, now could he? At the time, the program director was a short little guy Rob "Ron" Astorino, and Mama called him a "little creature."

Or how about the time when the gang was in Rome broadcasting from Vatican Radio and Mama was on the air?! She had a wonderful little story and made reference to "big jugs." I emailed Lino trying to get him to use that as a catchphrase for the show, but never got a reply!

There's others: Lino and the former crew visiting Minnesota for Lino Rulli Appreciation Day. That was a time full of laughter too!

There could be more, like Hickety Pickety, don't remember exactly, but it was Jacob's Brother, and Teetertotter, which turned out to be Esau Seesaw! Love that one!

Yes, every time Mama Rulli comes on she makes me laugh with joy! Why? I think the bottom line is that her sayings have so much TRUTH in them! And like I tell my own kids when they question me, I remind them I have far more life experience than they do! So it goes with our dear Mama Rulli! We all love ya, gal!!

New Segment

2011-09-15T18:30:00.002-04:00

Right now on the show...a brand new segment- 19 Questions! (no its not the same as 20 questions...how dare you imply that!) Tune in - SiriusXM129 / catholicchannel.org

Crew Appreciation Week: Ryan Grant

2011-09-15T03:03:00.012-04:00

Does anyone else think Ryan's sofa looks a lot like Lino's... hmmm, is there a Single Catholic Man Furniture Store no one has told the rest of us about? ;) kidding, keep reading to hear more about Ryan Grant.

I have to say right off the bat. I like Ryan. I was really excited when he started with the show a few months back. I think he is a great addition to the All Male Revue going on now that Fr. Rob has joined the cast.

In order to best appreciate Ryan, I thought I would showcase a few of his other talents. A few music clips and videos of Ryan Grant's musical prowess.

First we have Ryan's entry to the "Create the New Show Open" contest before he got the gig on The Catholic Guy Show. This was our first taste of what the 'future' new guy was good for. I think he did a solid job. Very smart to use the Foo Fighters.

I comment Ryan on one of his first big ways of stepping up on the show when he orchestrated (yes a pun, just go with it people) a Music Makeover Monday full of Ryan Grant Music. 1-BOLD MOVE, 2-classy, and 3-dangerous. Way to go dude. We all know Lino likes to rip apart the music on the Monday Music spot. Putting himself up there was wicked outgoing of Ryan. It shows he isn't afraid to take a little criticism in the name of good fun.

Here's a little video of Ryan singing a cover of Howie Day's Collide. Full confession, I love this song... better yet, Ryan nails it!

Ryan has been a great fit for the new direction the show has taken. He's a former seminarian so we know he can hold his own with Lino and Fr. Rob. He clearly has passion, which this Catholic Guy Show fan thinks is a huge deal for anyone trying to do GOOD CATHOLIC MEDIA. I enjoy hearing Ryan on air when he can. I have to imagine it is incredibly busy on that side of the desk-SO MANY BUTTONS over there, and answering the phones... Good Luck Ryan. We are really happy having you on the team!
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p.s. You guys all have to visit http://www.youtube.com/ryangrantmusic for the rest of his stuff. I'm a harsh critic when it comes to 'Christian Music' and I think Ryan has got some of it really right. A little birdie told me to direct you all to this last video I included, which is an original song that was recorded live at a Youth2000 Catholic retreat.

Crew Appreciation Week: Fr. Jim Chern

2011-09-14T03:30:00.000-04:00

When I was growing up our parish priests were Benedictine monks from a local monastery. Because of this, my image of priests were of old men. Men with grey hair, balding, and wrinkles. As such, my image of priest for most of my life were of old men. Not exactly someone that I could really associate with.

I don't think I'm alone with this type of association. Lino has repeatedly said on his show that he wants people to see priests as normal, every day people. He wants us to see priests as fellow human beings, people with hopes, dreams and desires. People who are with us in the long race to get to heaven.

This is one of the reasons Lino has made Fr. Jim a regular guest on The Catholic Guy Show. He is your every day Joe. He is just like you and me. He is the type of guy you can sit around and talk baseball with. He is the type of guy you can sit down and have a beer with. The only difference is that he has chosen, or should I say--God has chosen Fr. Jim's vocation to be a priest. Fr. Jim has chosen to follow that vocation.

Fr. Jim has been a priest for 12 years. Seven of those years he served as a parish priest and the last five years he has been in the mission fields as a campus minister at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ. I realize that when you think of a missionary you think of someone who is preaching Jesus to some native in the Amazon or something like that. But I challenge you to think about what Fr. Jim is doing. He is preaching Jesus to college kids who are away from home and away from their parents for probably the first times in their lives. They are being exposed to sex and alcohol and having to face the repercussions of their decisions. Fr. Jim is there praying for them, offering them the Eucharist, hearing their confessions, praying with them and helping them get to Heaven. And he isn't doing it at a Catholic college. To make it even more difficult, he is doing it at a secular college----or as people call it . . . a college.

In order to minister to these college kids, he has to be "normal." He has to be "in the world" while not being "of the world." He can't act all pious and at the same time, he can't be fake. Otherwise, he would turn the kids off and they would see right through him. In order to connect with them he has to be "normal."

I first corresponded with Fr. Jim several years back on MySpace when I was discerning the diaconate. He gave me advice and felt a connection with him. I hadn't realized that he had been a chaplain for his local police department so he understood a little of what my life was like as a police officer. I sent him a patch and a shirt from my agency and we've kept in touch. A couple years ago, he traveled to Illinois for a conference and we met at a St. Louis Cardinal's game. I had a great time with him and I can attest that Fr. Jim is indeed---the type of guy you can sit at a baseball game and share a beer with--because I've done it.

I remember my mom talking about how they used to have the local priest over for dinner when she was growing up. I always thought this was odd. I could never imagine growing up eating dinner with a priest and having them be----normal. Fr. Jim has proven me wrong. I feel like I could open up with him and tell him my problems and get sound advice from him. I think the students of Montclair are blessed to have him there. I consider him a friend. That . . . is what's up with Fr. Jim.

Crew Appreciation Week: Fr. Rob Keighron

2011-09-13T03:30:00.000-04:00

He’s probably the worst singer I have ever heard, and based on what I have seen, he’s not much better at dancing. Anybody reading this blog knows exactly who I am talking about. It’s that fiery redhead, Fr. Rob.

Mostly everyone was happy when Lino announced in the summer that Fr. Rob was joining the show full time in September. After Lou and Maureen left, I for one was wondering what in the heck was going to happen to the show. To be quite honest, I would not have blamed Lino if he had thrown in the towel himself.

But Ryan was hired, and Fr. Rob proved himself to be a fast friend to not only Lino, but to the listeners. Up until the time that he joined the show, Fr. Rob came in (without pay) every week like clockwork to add a bit of spice to the lineup. After Maureen left, his appearances on the show increased, and helped Lino and us through a difficult transition.

My first post to the TCGS blog was about how Lino was “an enigma” to us because we never knew what he was going to say or do. The same can truly be said about Fr. Rob. One of the priests who went to seminary with Fr. Rob and met up with Lino at WYD described him to Lino as “joyful and very angry.” That about sums it up. Fr. Rob said, “I just love to have a good time. I’m happy about my anger. It just makes me angry when people don’t make me happy.” Lino replied, “ It makes us happy when Fr. Rob is angry.”

Whether he’s runnin’ hot about something- his San Francisco Giants, some priests who aren’t following the rules, or a mechanic who doesn’t know what he’s doing, you can count on Fr. Rob to entertain you just by being himself. He’s extremely intelligent and very devoted to his calling as a priest. He loves food and drink and having fun, but when challenged, was able to drop 30 lbs. and change to a much healthier lifestyle.

Fr. Rob is a real person and thank God, a real priest.

On Today's Show

2011-09-12T12:19:00.002-04:00

On Today's Show...oh yes, everybody loves a good song parody. We have a brand new song parody for you! Tune in to hear the song and find out what happened over the weekend in the lives of the Catholic Guy Show crew...
TUNE IN SiriusXM ch. 129

Crew Appreciaton Week: Lino Rulli

2011-09-12T03:30:00.000-04:00

Lino Rulli is unashamed of his love of Howard Stern.

In any other circle, this isn't a big deal. So you like Howard, big deal? It doesn't make you bad or good, it's just something you listen to. But for some reason, his vocal support of Stern's show gets everybody all riled up.

On a recent Howard 100 News, Lino said that he has had speaking gigs cancelled after the event-planners found out about his admiration for the king of the airwaves. I found this a little shocking and a little sad: Why is Howard Stern such a lightning rod? If I was going to cancel one of Lino's speaking engagement, I'd do it because he likes Family Guy.

That said, I have a huge amount of respect for Lino Rulli's honesty. It's one of the reasons I started listening to him in the first place: a Christian radio host that was actually honest for a change. It was unheard of in my life. Growing up, I was used to hearing people focus on other people's faults and misgivings. For someone to freely admit that they are a sinner and that screwing up isn't some event delegated to the past, well, that just takes the cake.

Lino Rulli is one of those radio hosts you couldn't quit listening to even if you tried. It isn't just the big things that he's good at: Lino is amazing at the little things. For instance, you don't hardly ever hear him hang up on a caller. Other shows, after the caller makes a point, hang up on the person while the host reacts to whatever statement is made. Lino, on the other hand, actually takes the time to say goodbye to most people, and tells them "Call in anytime."

You could make a case, by the way, that line is probably the show's catchphrase: It's said on a regular basis.

Before I started listening to Lino, I didn't really have any aspirations of becoming a writer or blogging or anything like that. Sure, I worked at a newspaper doing page design when I started listening to Lino, but Lino has inspired me to use my God-given abilities for the betterment of Christianity. I started listening to Lino, and thought, 'Here's a guy who uses Media to help spread the love of God in his own unique way. Why can't I at least try doing that?

I'm not saying that my talents are on par with Lino's: He's light years ahead of me in that regard. What I am saying is that Lino showed me that we all have talents that God has blessed us with, and that we shouldn't just rest on our laurels hoping that one day, they'll magically appear and flourish all on their own. Lino taught me that when you do something for the glory of God, you shouldn't half-ass it. God deserves better than some half-hearted attempt at Christian radio, TV, blogging etc.

God is amazing, and our level of dedication to our individual crafts should reflect just how much we love and respect Him.

I made a similar statement a few days ago on this blog, but I'll say it again. While Lino has Howard Stern to thank for getting into radio, I have Lino to thank for getting into blogging about my faith, and hopefully I become successful at that. Because of Lino, I was able to meet Fr. Jim Chern and start designing the campus bulletin for his Newman Center. This is my fourth school year doing that, and it's a wonderful experience. And best of all, because of Lino I met my wife and am expecting my first child.

OK, maybe he's not this inspirational, but he still rocks

For me, Lino Rulli is my Howard Stern: an influential, honest and damn entertaining radio pioneer dedicated to making the best show in the world. And like Howard Stern, Lino succeeds beyond any of our wildest expectations.

Thank you Lino Rulli.

Crew Appreciation Week starts Monday

2011-09-11T11:40:00.001-04:00

This week marks our second annual Crew Appreciation Week!

Each day this week, there will be a post from one of our authors praising a member of the show. Some will make you laugh, others will make you cry (well, maybe not cry, but it sounded way more dramatic).

Here is the schedule:
Monday - Lino Rulli
Tuesday - Fr. Rob Keighron
Wednesday - Fr. Jim Chern
Thursday - Ryan Grant
Friday - Mama Rulli

Lino on WCCO in Minnesota

2011-09-10T22:08:00.001-04:00

Our fearless leader Lino Rulli appeared on WCCO tonight to talk about faith, his book, and the 10th anniversary of September 11. I forgot to record the audio, so I do apologize for not having a clip available.

Here are memorable quotes from the interview, some paraphrased:

On Catholicism having so many rules and restrictions: "I don't mind those things," Lino said, stating that he actually found it fun.

On his trip to Thailand: "I'm one of the worst people on earth. I claim to be religious, love God, love Catholicism, and I want to get a prostitute (Lino revealed that since his Mom was listening that no, he did not get a prostitute, but the temptation was strong).

"I just thought thats a story I'm going to put in this book. Maybe there are other people who go, 'Wow i fail too.' ... I think lot of people who fall short on what we believe in."

On honesty in Catholic media: I don't see enough in my personal life and faith is honesty. I want to be as honest as humanly possible. We all have struggles, why not laugh at them.

"I'm a real goofball. I want to laugh at myself. When you take yourself lot less seriously, you're more open to taking God seriously.

On 9-11, the anniversary, and God: "There's a feeling in NYC of hesitation, even on my walk here, there's more police presence. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but people are yet still living their life. People all over the place.

"As far faith is concerned, that was something done in name of religion. I can understand that people think religion is a bad thing. The most I can say is that God can make good out of bad, God can take meaning out of suffering.

" Where was God is question?Why does God allow things to happen. God gives us free will, we get to do good or choose to do bad. Many people talk about God being in suffering. God is in the firefighter that races into building to save someone, laying down your life for someone is one of Christ's greatest commandments.

"I know that answer is not helpful, adequate to a lot of people. It's important to be honest. I'll be the first person to be honest and say its ok to find doubts and sadness in this. Allow ourselves to ask important questions, and if we don't find answers, dig deeper.Somehow I still trust, have faith in all of this."

On not having a date tonight: I'm 39 and single. Being on a radio show on Saturday night, I can blame you for being dateless, but we know the truth.

Howard News 101 features Lino Rulli (audio link here)

2011-09-10T14:44:00.003-04:00

Lino appeared on Howard 100 News yesterday, talking about how Howard Stern was an influence on his radio career.

"I've gotten hundreds or thousands of emails from people saying 'I hate you because you like Howard Stern,'" Lino said. "I've had speaking engagements canceled because they go wait a minute you like Howard Stern, I go yeah, they go well then we don't want you speaking at our event."

Lino went on to say that one of the highlights of getting a job interview at Sirius was getting to see where Howard works.

As Howard Stern is a great influence on Lino, I hope he realizes that he is "Howard Stern" to so many of us who listen to him each day. As Howard inspires and entertains Lino, so too does Lino inspire and entertain us.

You can listen to the clip here.

Lino's Whole Living appearance

2011-09-09T11:14:00.000-04:00

Lino Rulli's appearance on the Martha Stewart Channel's Whole Living with Terri Trespicio show was a lot more tame than the one on Jay Thomas' show earlier today. The segment was called Crafting With Dudes, and in a rematch from Lino's last appearance on the show, he and board op Steve were trying out "outcraft" each other.

The task? Create book covers for school textbooks. I wish there were cameras in studio, as seeing Lino trying to do crafts would be amazing.

Audio below. As we said last time, we hope and pray nobody sues us. And yeah, Steve dominates once again.

Lino's Jay Thomas appearance

2011-09-09T10:06:00.000-04:00

Very good appearance on Howard 101 this morning. Jay Thomas, the host, was very complimentary of The Catholic Channel, stating that as a programmer, it's one of the best channels on Sirius XM.

One of Lino's best attributes is that he's able to blend in without swearing. This was on display when the topic of masturbation came up. He didn't talk about masturbating, but was able to still have fun and not sound like a prude.

By the way, that was the most awkward paragraph I've ever written on this blog.

Here's a short clip of the show, and we hope and pray that nobody sues us.

Programming Update: Lino on Stern's Channel, not Stern's show

2011-09-09T09:05:00.001-04:00

We goofed! Last night we posted that Lino would be on Howard Stern. ACTUALLY, we read Lino's Facebook status incorrectly: He's on Howard Stern 101, the Jay Thomas Show actually, at 9 a.m. ET today.

He'll be on Martha Stewart at 10 a.m. ET.

We apologize for the error.

And yeah, earmuffs are def recommended for younger listeners. You'll probably want to exercise caution on the Stern channel appearance too.

Lino Rulli to appear on Howard Stern, Sirius XM 101 at 9 a.m. Friday

2011-09-09T00:11:00.001-04:00

The subject line says it all. Lino will be appearing on Howard Stern at 9 a.m. Friday, something that he has been prohibited from doing in the past. Since Howard Stern's show replays all day, it shouldn't be hard to catch a replay if 9 a.m. is too early for you.

We'll have reaction tomorrow, that is, if the power doesn't go out here in flooding Harrisburg, PA.

Should be a VERY interesting appearance. We can't wait!

Mess with him, you mess with us

2011-09-08T21:00:00.004-04:00

These past couple of weeks seem to have been an emotional roller coaster for Lino.

A couple of weeks ago, some idiotic woman wrote him a horrible e-mail on one of the dating sites. She basically insulted his looks and his height and then told him she wished him good luck. Lino admitted he had already had enough of the online dating and now he has decided to give it up. Good for him - he doesn't need it anyway.

On Sept. 1, "Sinner" came out to rave reviews and big sales on all fronts. Lino was a bit put out because people (including his own mother) got a copy of it before the release date. Actually, he was more than put out- it really drove him nuts!

But, now that it is has gone "nationwide" as they say, all seems to be well. Except for some unknown people who want to crash the party. Lino mentioned on Wednesday these people, who were "friendly" to him on the surface, were really itching to stop his success. On air, he struggled against the temptation to expose those people for who they are, and rail against them publicly. He sought advice from Fr. Rob and from us, his faithful listeners. In the end, the "sinner" did not give into temptation, but took the high road.

As I was listening to the podcast where Lino read the e-mail from that awful woman, and then to the show hearing that these people were out to destroy him, I found myself feeling like a member of my own family was being abused and insulted. It really made me mad! I had to ask for grace to forgive these people who were mistreating my "brother."

"Sinner" is breaking the records left and right. Next week really oughta be better.

Something's Missing Part 3

2011-09-08T14:30:00.000-04:00

With the show receiving a new makeover, we thought we'd take the next few days to bemoan the things that are gone from the world of Lino Rulli. Today's topic? Lino's Myspace. Tomorrow? This magic moment.

One of the best parts about the replays from yesteryear was hearing Lino plug his Myspace page. "Visit me on Myspace!" Lino would shout, almost begging for for someone to visit. But then, Facebook took over, and Lino never plugs his Myspace page.

From a common sense standpoint, it doesn't make sense for Lino to plug his Myspace page. Nobody likes Myspace. Myspace is the Relevant Radio of social networks. I mean, just look at the thing! The man only has 10 friends! And one of them is a goat named Doug.

Still, it would be fun for Lino to try to revive his Myspace page. Let's see if The Catholic Guy can make it relevant again. Perhaps he could be Myspace's saviour, rescuing them from the baking coals that is eternal internet damnation. Or he could skip that challenge, wisely using his talents to answer Facebook fan questions instead.

The challenge awaits, Catholic Guy!

Something's Missing Part 2

2011-09-07T14:23:00.000-04:00

With the show receiving a new makeover, we thought we'd take the next few days to bemoan the things that are gone from the world of Lino Rulli. Today's topic? Lino at Large. Tomorrow? His Myspace page

Anyone remember Lino at Large? That plucky little show used to play every Saturday night. And then...it stopped. Gone like the former morning duo on The Catholic Channel from way back when. Or is it gone? I honestly have no freakin clue.

New episodes got cranked out each week. And then, in February, it stopped. There were two episodes released this summer, but those were replays.

Could this show ever be resurrected? I hope so. Sure it times it seemed a little too tame for constant The Catholic Guy Show listeners, but it was a fun way to kill time on a Saturday night, or in podcast form at some point throughout the week.

I'm not sure what the future of Lino at Large will be. They still replay the show on Saturdays. And there are plenty of recordings to last another few years. I do hope the show will return though, hopefully with a little more edge. Perhaps Lino's new book Sinner will rejuvenate interest in this fun little show that doesn't get enough credit.

Something's Missing Part 1

2011-09-06T21:23:00.000-04:00

With the show receiving a new makeover, we thought we'd take the next few days to bemoan the things that are gone from the world of Lino Rulli. Today's topic? A fourth voice. Tomorrow? Lino at Large.

Last week's Behind the Lino was epic. In case you missed it, Ryan Grant played OLD episodes of the show, which is great since many of the clips were before my time (Hard to believe right, me not being around for Lino Rulli's radio show. What an ass I am). One of my favorite parts of the show was that it featured FOUR distinct personalities. Producer Maureen, technical director Lou, host Lino Rulli and phone screener Tom.

After hearing the show today, it sounds like a two-man gig: Fr. Rob and Lino did all of the talking, and the breaks even introduced the two ~~as a couple~~ as a pair. Which is fine, as the two can carry the show. But it made me miss the days when there was a third and fourth voice that consistently chimed in.

I really love conversational Lino. It made for great radio. I realize that Tom didn't do a whole lot of talking, so to say that it was a consistent four-man show would be off. I do wish that a phone screener would get hired again though, if only to free up Ryan so that he can talk more, and to have a fourth, random opinion to give Fr. Rob and Lino a rest.

I think I'll like the new format. I'm still just fond of the idea of a Fantastic Four.

The Sinner Searches for the Seven Deadly Sins

2011-09-01T20:40:00.000-04:00

Lino was at the Minnesota State Fair looking for some sins... Did he find any? Check out his appearance on KARE11

Lino On Boston's Fox 25

2011-09-01T08:43:00.001-04:00

The Catholic Guy: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Review: Lino Rulli's book more Saint than Sinner

2011-08-31T23:43:00.001-04:00

*The following review contains slight spoilers. For instance, at the very end of the book, Haley Joel Osment is stabbed to death. Be warned*

Surprisingly, my favorite genre of book is the biography. This is strange because normally I could care less what someone else does with their life. Oh they make more money than me? Good for them. Screw off.

However, in high school, I got the chance to read The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase's book, "Every Man Has His Price" and to this day, I love the heck out of that book. I loved that it blended the two things I love the most, faith and pro wrestling, and gave me the best read of my life. It was the first instance in my life where I saw that you CAN make faith fun and entertaining.

Eleven years later, another biography is laying claim to "best read of my life." That autobiography belongs to Lino Rulli. His book Sinner is an amazing piece of work.

This book is a love-letter to anyone who has ever enjoyed his three-hour radio show.

I may be biased. After all, it was Lino Rulli's show that led me to my wife Allicia, and gave me the courage and knowledge needed to convert to Catholicism. So if I ever sound like a brown-nosed ass-kisser, well, so be it. Lino has done enough for me that saying nice things about him on blogs is the least I can do.

But I believe in honesty. And if Lino's book had sucked, I would have mentioned it. But it doesn't suck. This book is a love-letter to anyone who has ever enjoyed his three-hour radio show. For instance, there are chapters, such as Cave-Girl, that are simply elaborations of stories that we've heard on air before. It's rewarding to read those stories and remember the day he first talked about it.

I like that Lino didn't begin the book with the obligatory, "I was born on a dark and stormy night in 1951." Instead, the book kicks off with perhaps the funniest childhood memory he's reminisced about: His dad becoming an organ grinder.

For as much as Lino goofs on his parents, you can hear his voice beaming with pride as he talks about them in this book. The chapter about his mother was especially touching, as he stated that he was "devoted to the most virtuous woman I know: My Mom."

The book is like an extended episode of The Catholic Guy Show. Lino is just as honest as he is on the radio, something that still feels cutting edge and fresh. A Christian author admitting to stories of prostitution? Who would have guessed such a thing?

Without giving away anything, I dare you not to laugh at his recollection of being on a beach with the pot-smoker, or his detailed explanations behind each major break-up he initiated.

The book has a great flow. Reading it, I really did feel like I was listening to the show, only without the stupid breaks. It made it easy to rip through 50 pages in 40 minutes, which is also a let down because the paperback is just a bit over 200 pages long.

And those of you expecting detailed reports on EVERY drunken escapade will be sorely disappointed. Yes, Lino shares some sordid tales, but he doesn't go into great, lavish detail about every drunken night he's had. And I like that. If he had done so, it would have definitely raised some eyebrows, with people no doubt wondering if he was just a little TOO fond of the good old days.

But you don't get that sense at all. When you read Sinner, you really get a taste of a man who is honest about is shortcomings, but even more honest about wanting to stay right with Christ. One moment, I'm reading the book thinking, "Wow, I'm glad I'm not that bad.' The next moment, I think to myself, "Geez, I'm just as bad as Lino: I should feel more apologetic than I do."

The book does make you examine your own conscience, wondering what ways you could improve your relationship with God. And when you aren't wondering how you could improve your relationship with God, you're laughing with what might be the most enjoyable Catholic book written in years.

There were things I wish the book had done though. Some of us are so used to Lino having cronies who chime in and offer witty banter, that Lino just talking by himself just feels slightly empty sometimes. Lino is at his best when he has someone to banter with. Yes, it's Lino's book, but having Fr. Rob, Fr. Jim, Maureen, Ryan or Lou contribute sidebar commentary would have been an excellent addition to the book (Stephen Colbert's book executed footnotes flawlessly, and I hope that Lino's next book makes use of these).

And it's so damned short! I know that a shorter book keeps costs down, but a few extra chapters would have been a welcome addition (or perhaps pages photocopied from his man journal).

All in all though, Lino has a natural gift of communication, and it has never been more clear than it is in the pages of this book. I really do hope he branches out and writes more books.

Lino Rulli may be a sinner, but this gift of a book brings him one step closer to sainthood.

Visit the links at the top of this page to order Sinner. Or visit St. Anthony Messenger Press at www.americancatholic.org

Behind The Lino: A Catholic Guy Retrospective

2011-08-29T16:26:00.002-04:00

Join us all this week for true "Best of" shows. The best moments in Catholic Guy History...going back all the way to day number 1 of the big show. Enjoy! We are back LIVE Tuesday September 6th with the new and improved "Catholic Guy Show with Lino Rulli and Father Rob Keighron". Have a great week and safe Labor day weekend.

-Catholic Guy Show crew

No Show Today

2011-08-26T15:48:00.002-04:00

First the Earthquake on Tuesday, the expected landfall of Hurricane Irene this weekend and finally, the fact that Lino saw John Cusak drive by in a limo that had no door spooked Lino enough that he is fleeing New York City while he can get out. Because of this today will be a "Best Of."

It's okay, maybe now I can do some of those chores my wife Abby has been wanting me to do all week instead of listening to the show.

In all seriousness, stay safe Lino and prayers to all those on the east coast that are going to be affected by the hurricane.

Sinner

2011-08-25T18:03:00.002-04:00

So I'm listening to Lino talk about his upcoming book so I decide to go to the Barnes and Noble website (I'm getting the ebook for my Nook) and there's a whole list of books with "Sinner" in the name.

So there, unknown woman who thinks MY Catholic Guy is too short and has a funny face.

Kudos to Lino, Brett and Fr. Rob

2011-08-24T22:51:00.006-04:00

Listening to the podcasts today, and then to the live show, you could really get a sense of how much fun Lino, Brett and Fr. Rob had at World Youth Day this year. Their banter and laughter does the heart good. I can't imagine any other Catholic media folks having that much fun over there.

Even though there was a lot of fun being had, Lino still managed to convey the true reasons Catholic youth were there: to celebrate our faith and love of Jesus. He played funny clips of sleepy folks being pestered by Brett, but also played clips of people who knew it was a pilgrimage, and they were there to revel in our universality and faith. Lino's message: The "Body of Christ" is alive and we are one people. Some people may think we are crazy for our beliefs, but at the end of the day, we are the church founded by Christ himself and the gates of hell (or critics and nay-sayers) will not prevail against us. We are vibrant and alive!

So kudos to Lino, Brett and Fr. Rob for taking us with them to WYD in the theatre of the mind.

A job well done.

Stupid woman drives Lino away from dating web sites!

2011-08-24T22:41:00.000-04:00

From what I heard on the show today, a woman out of the blue messaged Lino on one of the dating web sites he is a member of, and told him that he was too short and had too funny looking of a face for her to be seen in public with him.

Now, there is such a thing as a joke. Throwing a goofy insult into an email and pairing it with a genuine compliment would be a joke in good taste.

But this message came out of nowhere and ended with one of those holier than thou "Best wishes in your search" taglines. Hearing someone put down Lino, who by all accounts is a genuinely attractive and nice looking man, is beyond childish.

It's so childish that I feel silly addressing it in a blog post, but I needed to vent. With so much cyber-bullying and rudeness that is out there, people need to take a stand even if it seems like a small, trivial issue (I don't think Lino feels bullied, but behavior like that shouldn't be tolerated).

What nerve does someone have randomly messaging people and telling them their alleged faults and imperfections. I'm sure this woman has her own imperfections, and if someone pointed out to her in person that her face looks like the surface of the moon, and that her teeth resembled Christmas lights, she would be up in arms about how rude other people can be.

If that mystery person happens to be reading this, let it be said: We don't have to see a photo of you to know how ugly you really are: Actions show a much clearer image than any mirror.

He's back!!!

2011-08-22T20:28:00.000-04:00

I for one enjoyed the broadcasts from World Youth Day (I'll probably never be able to see an event like that in person unless it comes stateside).

Regardless, as much as I like Lino on special shows, I like the shows better when its inside the studio and the crew is doing the normal thing. It's not as exciting for Lino I'm sure, but for me it's when he does his best radio work.

I think my favorite part of World Youth Day was the day when Irish pilgrims started chanting his name. That was a kick in the pants.

Not sure when Lino will be back on the air, but I do know one thing for certain: It ought to be excellent hearing all of those stories!

Day 1 of World Youth Day coverage

2011-08-16T22:10:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone who wrote to The Catholic Channel asking for more coverage. Our email campaign was not successful enough to get more than one hour, but at least we were able to let our voices be heard. One can only pray that the next time Lino or any show is sent to do coverage of such a great event in The Church, they are given more than one hour to do coverage.

Easily the dumbest radio decision anyone can make.

That bitterness out of the way, I thought today's World Youth Day coverage was really great. Part of me was surprised that Fr. Rob was on the show: all of the promos TCC runs only mention Brett Siddell and Lino Rulli. But the three had great chemistry (creepy), and Brett's segment at the end of the show where he tried to meet people from different countries and find out people's ages was very good.

You can hear the coverage of World Youth Day each day this week at 4 p.m. ET and at 9 p.m. ET. on The Catholic Channel, Sirius XM 129.

Congrats to one of our own!

2011-08-11T18:18:00.000-04:00

A short congratulations to our very own blogger Doug in Kansas. He and his wife just had a new baby today. Her name is Ava Marie, and she's pretty healthy.

If she grows up to marry a real guy named Doug from Kansas, that'll be a treat.

Congratulations Jim from all of us here. God bless you and your wonderful family!

How to Make the Best of Best ofs

2011-08-11T16:26:00.003-04:00

I'm going to show my age here a little bit, but I remember suffering through summers when we only had three television channels. During the summer all of the television shows were repeats and we had to wait until the fall for new television shows. Even today with a million channels and a hundred television shows out there, we still have to suffer through our favorite shows going through an occasional hiatus. Unless you like watching soap operas you are going to have to suffer through reruns.

Repeats aren't necessarily a bad thing. Heck, I love watching past episodes of Modern Family on Hulu. I even have a cabinet of movies on DVD and VHS (I'm too cheap to get a Blue-Ray). Yet fans of The Catholic Guy Show are notorious for complaining about "Best of's." Obviously, we can't have new episodes every single day. Well, we could--but some crazed fan would have to chain lino to a radiator of a broadcast studio (something I think Lino fears anyway). But let's face it---Lino deserves to take days off for vacation or sick time just like the rest of us. The show can't go on without him. He IS The Catholic Guy after all. Besides, Lino gets good material for the show from his trips abroad. Sometimes, like this week as he goes to Spain, he is traveling for the show and we benefit.

My complaint has always been that the "Best of" episodes is that they always seem to be rebroadcasts of shows from a week or two ago. I think TCGS fans would be much more entertained and pleased of the "best of" shows were from four to six months ago. The shows would not be so fresh in our memories. The jokes would be fresh and new and fans would be less likely to change the channel.

I enjoy listening to old pod casts of the TCGS. I'm several months behind in them though. The one I listened to last was recorded during lent. I wonder if they think that not everyone listens every day so people may catch a show they missed but I think, for the most part, people are every day listeners. They many only catch a certain hour but they listen every day but overall they listen ever day.

What do you guys think? Would you rather that the "best of" shows be recent shows or older ones?

"What's that?"

2011-08-10T22:19:00.004-04:00

I have been listening to the Best ofs on the radio and the podcast on my iPhone to get my Lino-fix this week.

Anytime I am listening and Lino makes a joke he has made a thousand times before, I still laugh. Out loud. I will give an example or two:

On the podcast, Lino is playing one of my favorite games: "Minor Confessions." When John from San Antonio calls in, he begins to confess how he and his classmates fooled their poor teacher into thinking his hearing aid had gone bad. Of course when John said "hearing aid," that immediately prompted Lino to ask, "What's that?" "I didn't get that." I burst into raucous laughter, right in the middle of shelving books in the library where I work.

On today's re-broadcast, a guy called in from North Dakota. If you are a regular listener, you know exactly what is coming next. "North Dakota has been voted one of the two best Dakotas." Same schtick, different day. I still laughed out loud.

I started wondering why, even though I know exactly what Lino is going to say, I still find it funny. Then it hit me - It is like being in a family. The same family stories, the same family jokes are told every time you get together, and you always enjoy them and laugh. It makes you feel like part of something. That is what Lino does- he reminds us that we are all one family in Christ. That's what draws us to him and the show. We are all one Body.

Could we be getting our iphone wish?

2011-08-09T00:10:00.000-04:00

No, we don't know anything about the success or failure of our email campaign to get more TCGS from World Youth Day. However, on Friday's show, Lino mentioned that they are taking a week off to get ready for Fr. Rob's debut as a full-time cast member. Among one of the things Lino said they were working on was an iphone app.

Back on May 1, we suggested this very same thing. Among the things we really wanted out of an app was the ability to hear the live show by logging in with your Sirius XM subscription, and then being able to listen to the same replay on a loop until the next broadcast. This would really give people who missed part of the show a chance to catch up on what they missed, and give the rest of us the ability to enjoy our favorite parts over and over.

I realize that Sirius XM might see this as competition to the app they have, but I think an app that lets you use your Sirius XM subscription to get more out of shows you love would only make the subscription more appealing.

Maybe, just this one time, our dreams will come true.

One hour is not enough World Youth Day coverage

2011-08-08T19:10:00.002-04:00

With Lino going to World Youth Day in Spain to cover the event, I thought I'd be getting three hours of fun, much like the shows in Rome after pilgrimages.

Instead, Lino announced that the mustaches at Sirius XM said he could only do one hour. Not two, not 90 minutes. Just one.

Is it just me, or does this seem extremely short-sighted and ignorant? The Catholic Channel already has Lino, Fr. Rob and Brett Siddell on site. Why not take advantage of that opportunity and broadcast more than one hour a day?

For the life of me, I cannot figure out the rationale used in determining that only one hour is necessary. It's not like Lino and crew are covering some joke like John Corapi. This is the once-ever-three-years World Youth Day complete with appearances from Pope Benedict XVI. Why send the crew if you are only going to do an hour a day? That seems like a waste of valuable resources.

Besides, is a replay really more important than a coverage of an even that attracts hundreds of thousands of young Catholics every year? I have no doubt EWTN will have more than one hour of daily coverage: if they can do it, I know The Catholic Channel can do it too.

With one more week to go, I think there is still time to get The Catholic Channel to change their minds on this. I urge everyone reading this post to send an email to cc@thecatholicchannel.org and politely ask that more coverage of the event is absolutely necessary.

If you don't have the time to type, but still want your voice heard, here is a short form letter that you can copy and paste into the email.

I am writing to ask that you please give Catholic Channel listeners more than one hour of daily World Youth Day coverage. I believe that this is a very newsworthy, important event in The Catholic Church, and that you are doing listeners of this channel a great disservice by limiting coverage.

I ask that you reconsider the amount of time each day you devote to covering this event. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely

With enough emails, we can hopefully convince The Catholic Channel to give us the coverage that we deserve.

Best Of Shows...

2011-08-08T15:55:00.002-04:00

The Catholic Guy Show is in "Best Of" mode this week...however, this doesn't mean we aren't hard at work. Lino is preparing to broadcast from World Youth Day in Madrid Spain next week. The broadcast will air daily from 4-5pm EST and then replay at 9-10pm EST during the last hour of the Busted Halo Show. Besides all the World Youth Day preparations, we are getting ready to welcome Fr. Rob Keighron to the show full time...5 days a week!
So, in the mean time...follow Lino on Facebook and Twitter (visit catholicguy.com for the links). Also check out this week's new podcast at ITUNES or catholicguy.com.

A quick recap

2011-08-05T11:36:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone,
Thought I would give a quick recap on a few things from the show this week. First, as many have probably already heard, Father Rob Keighron will be joining the Catholic Guy Show full time in September! Fr. Rob 5 days a week... This will be a great thing that will take the show in a whole new and refreshing direction. In anticipation of that, there is a lot of things that need to happen behind the scenes...so the week of August 8th will be "Best of" shows in order to get a lot of that done. Plus, Father Rob and Lino will be headed to Spain to prepare LIVE (to tape) broadcasts from World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain. Lino will be doing a daily one hour broadcast as well as calling in to all of the other shows on the channel. It should be a great week of programming for the Catholic Channel.

In the world of the Biggest Catholic Loser, both Lino and Father Rob reached their weight goals. Father Rob succesfuly lost 32lbs and Lino (barely) gained his 10 pounds of muscle. Congrats to the both of them.

If you have been listening, you may have heard that we have started a new contest! Send us a song parody about Father Rob joining the show for your chance at a Lino Rulli bobble head. Submit your entries at catholicguy.com

Enjoy the show today! - Father Jim Chern will be stopping by the big show

Why I Love Lino (But My Wife Does Not)

2011-08-03T18:39:00.003-04:00

It never fails, I hop in the car and turn on the radio and turn it to The Catholic Guy Show. Within about five minutes, my beautiful wife Abby gets annoyed and either starts actually making comments about not liking the show or makes those grunts and sighs that make you well aware that she is not happy. I've been married for 18 years and one of the reasons why we remain happily married is because I subscribe to the mantra, "If Abby ain't happy, ain't nobody going to be happy." So, I end up changing the channel. This stinks though . . . I LOVE listening to TCGS. I've been a Sirius subscriber since 2008 when I got my car. The only reason I've renewed my subscription is because of Lino's show. I listen to his podcasts (which makes it easier to steal his jokes when no one has heard them for several months) I even pre-ordered his book, Sinner (which can be ordered from the link on this page)

I think the reason my wife doesn't like the show is because, while Lino does a great job entertaining his fans (as observed by the popularity of the show,) he isn't exactly raising the bar as far as maturity level. Many of his jokes are juvenile. He tends to push people to the limit. Sometimes he won't drop a joke. In other words, all of the things that make me laugh. All of the things that I like to do, but are smart enough not to do much in front of her. She has a great sense of humor and makes me laugh like crazy but Abby humor and Jamie humor is not the same.

There is more to the reason that I love Lino than his juvenile sense of humor though. I think we have a lot in common. Well, except for the fact that I'm married, with kids and live in Kansas City [recently named one of the top two Kansas City's] while he is a world traveler and lives in New York City with a popular Catholic radio show. I see in Lino, someone my age who isn't afraid to be goofy and funny and who tries to bring smiles to everyone's face. I see someone who isn't afraid to admit his flaws while at the same time is seeking perfection. I see someone who says, "I'm a sinner and I need confession." But does it in a way that doesn't make him seem pious. I see someone who loves their Catholicism and tries to help people find their faith in unconventional means---by showing what a great religion it is and by showing that you can live in the world and still be faithful. I see many similarities.

As Catholics we love our saints. The problem is that we see them in their finished, "look at me, I'm a saint" product. The great thing about the saints is that many of them had a past and had struggles and if we researched them enough we would know that they were people with struggles too. But we don't always think of them like that. We seem to think that God gave them some sort of special grace and "poof"---instant saint. We don't think of their inner struggles.

With Lino, we do get to see that. We see a man living in the world, facing interior struggles and trying to be saintly. Falling and rising time after time. He's someone who gives me confidence because I know I'm not alone.

The reason I love Lino is because I can see how we are similar. He gives me confidence that I can go on. Abby doesn't see how we are similar. After all, she already gets to see me in my perfect state.

It's your mama, Rulli

2011-08-02T22:47:00.003-04:00

At least twice in the past two weeks, Lino has patiently explained why his mother will not have a segment on the show every day. The fans have been clamoring (well, maybe just asking) for her to be a regular on the show. As Lino said, while she enjoys coming on from time to time, she has her own life in Minnesota.

Let's examine this: She likes to play games like "Limerick" and "Hickety - Pickety." (This drives him crazy) She constantly breaks his cardinal rule by referring to past events or people the audience may or may not know about. (This drives him crazy) She loves to talk over him and won't let him get a word in edge-wise. (This drives him crazy)

All that said, it is evident to anyone listening, that even though she drives him crazy, he loves her dearly. He calls her every night. He has even gone as far as to say that she is his favorite parent! (Agghhh, I just broke the cardinal rule!)

Now that is not to say that he doesn't love his dad- they just appear to have a different relationship than he has with his mother. His dad, to use an old phrase, simply "marches to the beat of a different drummer." (kind of like Lino does) Like Lino says, "Pops is Pops."

Say what you will about Lino, but I think he knows a secret- sometimes less is more. So we need to appreciate Mama Rulli's appearances on TCGS, and realize that he knows best what works and what may not.

Lino Rulli and the Quest for Perfection

2011-08-01T19:54:00.000-04:00

On today's show, Lino Rulli mentioned that he found yet another grammatical mistake in his upcoming autobiography Sinner (preorder links at the top and side of this blog), and how it frustrated him.

He wanted to be the one author that didn't have those kinds of mistakes in a book that he spent so long working on. On the surface, it's easy to dismiss Lino's contempt for mistakes as foolish. "What's wrong with you Lino, stop being such a perfectionist."

I initially thought that, but then took the time to think of my own life. How many times do I strive for perfection, fail, and get annoyed by it. True, I don't have an autobiography coming out in the next few months, but I design the bulletin for Fr. Jim's campus ministry each week, and when there's a flaw, I get so frustrated. True, most people don't care that one photo has part of it's caption in bold while the other does not, but I see the mistake as something I messed up. I see the mistake as a flaw in my work, which eats away at me until I create the next bulletin.

How then is Lino any different from me, or the person who panics that the cupcakes they made for guests didn't turn out 100 percent correct? Or the soccer player that scores two goals but whifs on the third and focuses only on the miss? He's not any different than someone who loves and cherishes what they do each day.

If anything, hearing Lino's complaints about bad grammar makes me even more anxious to read the book. If he spent that much time worrying about grammar, how much more did he worry about the book's content? This is a man who spent Christmas break in a monastery just to write.

If that commitment to excellence doesn't excite you to buy the book, then you must hate literature.

The best and worst of Lino Rulli's Twitter, 7.24.11 through 7.31.11

2011-07-31T20:22:00.002-04:00

Lino Rulli is very proficient when it comes to Twitter. He tweets on a daily basis, free of charge at twitter.com/linorulli. Sometimes his tweets are solid, other times not so much. Each week, we find four tweets of Lino's that are solid, funny, and worth the time it took to read, and then we find a dud. Hey, nobody's perfect.

The best
Brett Favre is trending again. If he's not going back to the NFL, I think he should take Weiner's seat in Congress. #picturethat - July 24

NFL players & owners agree to terms. There WILL be a season! Sadly, the Detroit Lions are already mathematically eliminated. #needamiracle - July 25

Looks like Donovan McNabb is coming to my Vikings! We love old QB's. I haven't seen this many old guys since the last Papal Conclave. - July 27

Just boarded the flight to NY and didn't get upgraded to First Class. Where is God when you need Him? #dramatic - July 31

Groan-inducing
Another restful night of sleep in a hotel. Thankfully, no woman tried to break in and steal anything or I'd have had to Trebek her. - July 31

The fun is just beginning (again!)

2011-07-29T12:24:00.004-04:00

Now that I know Fr. Rob will be a permanent fixture on the show starting in September, I feel so much better. I think it will be good for all of us who listen and for Lino and Ryan too.

The last few months have been really stressful on Lino I would guess, but he has really hung in there and been a real trouper for us. Fr. Rob stepped up to the plate (I'm sure he would love that anaolgy) and helped his friend through a difficult transition.

Hearing them play games like "Catholic Password" and "Do you watch more TV than a parish priest" these last couple of weeks has made me feel better. Its like sitting in a comfortable chair, or watching an old favorite movie. It gives you a sense of peace and stability. It's like being home again after a time away.

Thank goodness Dustin (and kudos to him for staying on top of the situation) was able to secure information that Fr. Jim will still be appearing from time to time on the show. Now we look forward to Lino and Fr. Rob's coverage of World Youth Day next month. For now, let's hope he has a great weekend in Minnesota. (No enormous fireballs needed, Lord.)

All is well in Linoland today, folks!

Fr. Rob joins the show Full time!

2011-07-28T18:23:00.008-04:00

Lino revealed his big announcement on today's show. For those not in the know, Lino said on Maureen's last day that he was praying for"someone to say yes," when it came to taking over the position of producer. It took a long time, but on Friday, July 22, in the year of our Lord 2011, Lino revealed via Facebook that he finally got the answer from God. And it was a good one, the response Lino wanted from God.

After a day of teasing the audience, under orders from his boss not to reveal the news, Lino made the announcement on Friday that Fr. Rob Keighron is a permanent addition to the Catholic Channel!

Lino mentioned that while praying, he got a really nice job offer that would have allowed him to work with friends in a different, non-Catholic radio setting. He got so frustrated that the night before his answer, he begged God to just say no, that he was tired of waiting. And then, the answer came in.

This obviously raises a huge question: What becomes of Fr. Jim Chern? We honestly have no idea what happens to Fr. Jim's normal Friday slot. Does he appear with Fr. Rob? Does Fr. Jim become a special attraction instead of a once-a-week man? We love Fr. Rob, but we love Fr. Jim just as much, and would be heartbroken/annoyed if we didn't get to hear him on the radio anymore.

(UPDATE: Lino stated on his Facebook wall that Fr. Jim is still a part of the team, just a little busier. A huge sigh of relief!)

Hopefully we'll get an answer on this soon, along with another answer: who gets hired to do technical work? Fr. Rob may be a great guy, but he can't run a board or answer phone calls, and this would be too much to ask of Ryan. Along with Fr. Rob, we're sure to get someone else on the show, even if it's in an anonymous role.

I myself have to say that I was sour on Fr. Rob from the beginning, but I've grown to enjoy the red-haired malcontent priest from Queens. I'm excited about Fr. Rob joining the show full-time, as Lino always works best when he has someone to banter with.

This hopefully keeps the show great!

New York Yankees Hope Week

2011-07-28T14:03:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone,
Here is a quick preview of what is on today's show. Father Rob Keighron will be stopping by the show today. Last evening after the show, The Catholic Guy Show crew stopped by Saint Patricks Cathedral in NYC to meet up with some of the players from the New York Yankees. Find out who the players were and why they were there...all on today's show. Tune in!
Sirius/XM channel 129.

Top 5 Prayer Possibilites for Lino Rulli

2011-07-28T06:04:00.003-04:00

On yesterday's show, Lino talked about how he had been praying for something for several months and last week his prayer came true. He said it was in regard to the show but he was not free to announce what exactly he was praying for. This, of course, just makes my imagination run rampant so I thought of five possible things the Lino could have been praying for. These are just figments of my imagination and since my imagination can be a scary place, we won't get into TOO much detail.

#5) The show is hitting the road- Several months ago, Lino talked about how he wanted to take the show to Iraq or Afghanistan so that he could thank the troops and talk about the good work that the chaplains are doing there. Perhaps, Lino will be the next Bob Hope.

#4) They are getting rid of the commercial breaks-The breaks have been a point of contention for Lino ever since they started making him take more of them a few years ago. Maybe Lino is going to announce that he has received a dispensation from having to do breaks. From now on, we get 180 full minutes of Lino every show.

#3) In-Studio Cameras- Something else that Lino has been trying to get for years. Fans have been clamoring to be able to actually see what has been going on in studio. Can't you imagine, being able to log in and see the hilarity?

#2) Maureen is coming back!- At first, I thought maybe the announcement will have to do with getting a new producer and then I realized---Lino is just getting his old producer back! It's not like she hasn't left and come back before.

#1) A new name for The Catholic Channel- We all know that Lino is the biggest draw on The Catholic Channel, so I predict a whole new name, "The Lino Rulli Channel-All Lino, All the Time." They could play not only new TCGS episodes but also Lino at Large and "best of" after "best of" after "best of."

Those are just five of the ideas that were swimming around in my head. Of course, I have more but since it's my first post on CatholicGuyShow.com I figure I should restrain myself so I don't have to get fired already. What ideas do you guys have?

2011 TCGS Draft

2011-07-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

Lino Rulli and Fr. Rob Keighron held the 2011 Catholic Guy Show draft, in which they picked celebrities that would most benefit the Catholic Church if they became a full, practicing member (I personally would have chosen Barack Obama or Steve Jobs).

Here is a rundown of their picks:

Lino's number one pick: Oprah Winfrey
Lino cited her influence, and even though it could be waning (no more daily show), he reasoned that she got Obama into the White House, so she could definitely get some people into the Church.

Fr. Rob's number one pick: Lady Gaga
"Who has more influence than Lady Gaga right now?" Fr. Rob asked. They cited her 11 million Twitter followers and general popularity among many different types of people, before mentioning that she does indeed claim to be very Catholic.

Start practicing a little more visibly, Lady G. I know you can pull it off!

Audience picks (in order): The Dali Llama, Joel Olsteen, Harry Potter, Prince William and Katherine, James Earl Jones, Rush Limbaugh, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, Howard Stern, Jud Apatow. Olsteen and Howard scored high, while Jones and the Sheltons didn't get much love from Lino and the malcontent priest.

With time running out on the segment, Lino read off the list of picks that audience members on hold suggested. Brock Lesnar, the leader of China, Tier Woods, Yao Meng, Jimmy Buffett, the Kardashians and Barack Obama.

And Fr. Rob closed out the segment with more of his picks. Webster (the dictionary guy), Captin America, Warren Buffett, Lebron James and Mark Zuckerberg.

It's a fun segment that doesn't get overblown. I liked Lino and Fr. Rob's number one choices, but I think they discounted the popularity of country music. Shelton converting would be the talk of the town in the Bible Belt.

Meet Lino's new dating coach: Fr. Rob?

2011-07-26T20:21:00.005-04:00

Lino! Really? You were asking Fr. Rob for advice on how to approach a woman?

Ok, so you see the woman lectoring at church, and she makes "eye contact" with you a couple of times, and you were completely distracted all during mass by this woman (who you describe as the "marrying kind") and in the end, you never even spoke to her? Even Fr. Rob knew that was a missed opportunity. He was giving you some sound advice before he started speaking in his creepy Muppet voice and laughing hysterically in the background.

So, you felt starting up a conversation out of nowhere after you already blessed yourself with holy water and were heading out of the church would be awkward. That makes sense. What about just going back to that parish again and waiting for an opportunity to present itself? I never met anyone who learned to swim without getting in the water. You're at church. Say hello.

Where is Anthony Buono when you need him?

Save The Catholic Channel?! Maybe Mama Rulli can.

2011-07-26T17:38:00.003-04:00

The wonderful (as always) episode with Mama Rulli playing Hickety Pickety really got me to laughing....and thinking.

Recently there was programming cuts and changes at The Catholic Channel.....mainly Bob Dunning's show being cancelled, and other shows rescheduled. Interesting how they put Lino's replay in the difficult 10 PM Eastern time slot.

I was very unhappy about the cuts and changes and complained like a good Catholic. I did get a personal reply from Joe Zwilling, the program director. He did explain that there were some budget cutbacks and they hope to bring Bob back someday. Well, that's going to take some money!

I don't know anyone who enjoys those awful Life, Love, and Health commercials except to goof on the things. I don't really like the Notre Dame sports, but they DO bring in some money. In our difficult economic times, let's not turn away money.

I had a meeting yesterday so had to catch the replay of The Catholic Guy. So here I am in bed, having a wonderful happy laugh at our precious Mama Rulli, and her son, of course. The more I hear her, the more I love her.

My suggestion: why don't we have Lino and his Mom record some commercials for TCC and play them throughout the day? That would sure get my attention! I've been going through some difficult times lately, and the laugh at Hickety Pickety, especially Esau Seesaw (Hairy Old Testament Guy and teeter-totter) made my heart much lighter. Thanks Lino and Mama Rulli! Love you both!!!