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Ron and Jen’s Great Escape – 6-29-2022 – Ron St. Pierre & Jen Brien
by Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien, commentary
You CAN hate the USA!
Hi, gang! Here we are, getting ready to celebrate July 4th and we are sure a hot mess right now in America. We know the issues – crime, inflation, gas prices, Roe vs. wade, sexual indoctrination of kindergarten kids, cultural and social strife, political division so deep we have families hating on one another because they think differently, and last but not least, people literally cursing this country, burning the flag, and burning down their own communities.
This is nothing new, people have long held negative views on the founding of America, and people have definitely been acting out in violence for centuries. Yes it makes me sick to my stomach at times, and I just don’t get it, but I see the bigger picture. These people live in a place where that type of behavior can happen.
What I want to remind people is what makes our nation so extraordinary is that people have the freedom to speak out. Act out. Protest. Picket. Many countries would execute you for this. Many countries would lock you up and throw away the key and collect your entire family in the process and punish them all as well. Sure, we have a long way to go, sure we are a young nation, and yes, we have a lot to learn.
Don’t be disheartened this July 4th, hoist a frosty to the founding fathers, thank God that you LIVE HERE, and try and remember the reason millions of people want to escape to America each year is because we truly are, the greatest country in the whole world. Flaws and all.
Happy Birthday, America!
God Bless friends, Jen
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Have a little fireworks decorum
Supposedly, only ground fireworks are legal in Rhode Island (cue laugh track), but we know folks who feel they are amateur air display artists travel to distant lands to load up on pyrotechnics. Many neighborhoods in the Ocean State can be confused with downtown Beirut this time of the year. How about considering your neighbors’ infants and pets… and how about folks suffering from PTSD this time of the year? This isn’t our “GET OFF MY LAWN” moment. It’s just a request to consider a decent window of time to fire off your backyard celebrations.
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Keeping Fido anxiety-free
Fireworks can be fun for humans, but not for pets. Besides the fear of them, the noise can do a number on their ears. A survey by PET AMBER ALERT shows 45% of dogs have a fireworks phobia. Over 40 million dogs and 23 million cats will experience fireworks for the first time this year. Also, 30% more pets become lost between July 4th and 6th than any other time of year. So, how can you help keep things anxiety free for your pets? Pet compression garments… like the Thundershirt can help some animals. Perhaps the best idea is to create a “fear free fortress” in your home by picking out a room with the best soundproofing and provide calming sounds like using a box fan.
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What’s in that dog?
As we gather to celebrate the 4th of July around the grill, how about we answer the age old question, “Exactly what’s in a hot dog?” Considering over 20 billion are consumed annually in the USA, you might want to know. According to one poll, there’s always been a great mystery about what’s inside those dogs with 43% of Americans claiming to be frightened about their contents. Relax, there’s no reason to be scared (or ASCARD as they say in Johnston) because it turns out water in the main ingredient with 57% of the median weight. Of course, meat is the other main ingredient coming from beef, pork and chicken. Not all hot dogs are created equal (it’s in the Constitution we believe), so be sure to check the packaging to see what you’re getting with your favorite brand of dog. And by the way, your Fourth of July cookout with cost about 17% higher than a year ago.
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Ron St. Pierre is a veteran broadcaster whose career has spanned over four decades. Ron has programmed, performed on and managed WHJJ, WPRO, WWRX, 790 The Score in Providence, as well as WBZT and WKGR in West Palm Beach and WABC in New York City. Ron also anchored sports on WPRI Ch 12 in Providence. He is a member of both the Rhode Island Radio and Television and the City of Pawtucket Halls of Fame. He was born and raised in Pawtucket.
Jen Brien has over 20 years of radio broadcast experience having hosted shows on WPRO and WHJJ with Ron as well as her own shows on WRKO and WBZ in Boston, WXTK on Cape Cod and WHAM in Rochester, New York. Jen was born and raised in Woonsocket and served six years in the Army MP Canine Unit.
Hazel, Ron’s dog, makes regular appearances.
“Ron and Jen’s Great Escape” podcast, a more lighthearted look at the events happening around us, can be found on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes premiering each Wednesday and listen to Ron and Jen’s Great Escape call in radio show Friday afternoons 2 til 4 on 101.1 FM, 1540 WADK and streaming everywhere on WADK.COM.