Ron & Jen’s Great Escape, April 26, 2023 – Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien

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

Ella the Golden Doodle

I have a dog. Her name is ELLA. I have been praying that God send me my very own little pal again. I haven’t had my own dog in 9 years. Last time I had pets I had been in and out and in and out of detox programs and AA programs. The undiagnosed PTSD was ruining my life and I struggled to get by, work, function in the world, and care for my pets. I was forced to re-home all 3 dogs I had. I was living on the Cape then in an awesome cottage on the water. Had a 6-figure radio gig, motorcycle under the tarp, clothesline, dock for the paddle board… beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I had it all. Thing is… I really didn’t. I got it all and something was missing. Anyhow, I was struggling and found great homes for the dogs, moved out of the cottage, and tried to figure it all out for 4 years. I didn’t. So, another 5 years had to pass for me to say, now, I have what I was missing and though life is a challenge, it’s stable with God at the center. I was separated from God and that was the thing that caused my soul to suffocate. It’s breathing again. God has rescued me. It has humbled me. 

Circling back to the dogs, after all the losses and tough times I’ve had, having to say goodbye to my animals was the most difficult. For me anyway. I’ve never forgiven myself for causing them stress, or confusion. Making them wonder if they’ll ever see me again and making them sad and also have to start over. Honestly, it’s one thing that makes my heart ache and ache. So, I started praying for God to send me a new friend. I prayed and prayed, and well… here she is. She found me. Ella the dog. A super sweet, needy, tragic little Golden Doodle. Afraid of the wind blowing and needs to see where I am every 10 seconds. She has taught me to laugh and laugh again, how to be patient, tender, sweet and in the process, God said, “Here you are, Jen. I can trust her with you now”. 

You sure can God. I won’t let you down. Thank you for blessing my life with this sweet soul I call ELLA THE DOG. 

GO GIVE your pet a smooch, and thank God he sent him/her. Cause he really did. He knows exactly what we need .

Till next week my friends,

Jen

TUCKERED OUT

I think the FOX decision to part ways with Tucker Carlson was simply the Murdochs making a calculating business decision, RISK VERSUS REWARD. FOX is anxious… let’s make that desperate… to surface from the cloud of negative press it’s gotten during the Dominion trial. Also factor in mainstream advertisers staying far away from Carlson’s show… it’s always about the Benjamins… PLUS RUMOR IS Murdoch is looking to sell the network and feels it would be more attractive to a potential buyer without Carlson. Is FOX NEWS bigger than one person? The Murdochs have history on their side. Look at Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly (who actually had higher ratings than Carlson) and Megyn Kelly who hit the bricks and FOX carried on just fine. None of them have bigger platforms than they did at FOX. Time will tell with Carlson.

I’ve been around this kind of stuff during my management career in local talk radio. Granted it’s a MUCH smaller scale, but I’ve seen bombastic personalities jettisoned because the station made the decision the RISK wasn’t worth the REWARD… I’ve also been privy to decisions where the REWARD WAS worth the risk. I’ve got no horse in this race. I’m just sittin’ here watching the wheels go round and round as a somewhat interested spectator.

-Ron

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WORN OUT

A majority of Americans don’t want either President Biden or former President Trump to run for the White House in 2024. Both have made it official they’ll seek the office with Biden making his announcement this week. An NBC News poll finds 70% of those surveyed, INCLUDING JUST OVER HALF OF ALL DEMOCRATS, believe Biden shouldn’t seek a second term. Half of them citing Biden’s age as a major factor. 60% of those polled, including a third of Republicans, think former President Trump shouldn’t run in 2024. Another poll asked what emotion comes to mind should we be looking at Trump-Biden 2 and the far away number one answer was “EXHAUSTION.”

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DO THE CLAM

Little Rhody’s latest tourism gambit is a 7-foot, three dimensional replicas of a Stuffie. Yup, a $4.5 million dollar campaign to market Rhode Island to air travelers at destinations by Rhode Island’s TF Green Airport. $4.5 million riding on the thought travelers will be lured here by chopped quahog meat mixed with breadcrumbs and herbs baked into a half shell. Can you say COOLER & WARMER PART TWO? Have a little fun where you work and walk the floor asking 10 people if they know what a Stuffie is. I’ll bet the higher percentage don’t know… and IT’S A RHODE ISLAND THING!

Lastly, if you think this was a “mutual” parting of the ways, I have some lovely Rolex watches at super discount prices in the trunk of my car to show you.

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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 on NewsRadio 920 and 104-7 FM, Saturday morning, 7am!