Ron & Jen’s Great Escape, February 21, 2024 – Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien

by Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien, commentary

ELLA PEGGY-SUE BRIEN

That’s my DOG’S full name. Ella PEGGY SUE. I have no idea why, but that’s her name. I personally hated “Peggy Sue Got Married”, so I have ZERO idea where that came from. 

No matter. Today, I want to tell you a quick story about my dog and what happened to her (and me), and I think you’ll relate. The other day we were going for a quick car ride and when I got home Ella got out and fell and landed onto something sharp in my driveway. She needed stitches on her leg as it was cut open, and we raced to a local Emergency Vet Office (which was phenomenal, BTW – EMAIL ME for info at [email protected]) and for someone who prides themselves on being great under pressure… I lost my $h!T!!

I was so stressed and sweating and my heart sank seeing this sweet dog bleeding and helpless. Honestly. I collapsed. Two days later I was chit-chatting with God about this, and I said to him, “Lord, I thought I was a WARRIOR. Strong minded… emotionally solid, and great in life’s storms. But Ella… she made me become a version of me I’d never seen before”. In my heart I heard God say, “Jennifer, I’m trying to teach you what love is”.

I’ve been thinking about this…people, well, they disappoint us and hurt us. The few do it on purpose, but most are just human and make mistakes, but we still feel the pain deeply when those we love betray or crush our emotions on some level. Animals, our pets, show us a kind of love and tenderness that only comes without words. SURE, they can be fresh and sassy, but it’s never malicious or gossipy, mean spirited or jealous. That ugliness is reserved for humans. 

Ella has a way of making me smile when I’m sad, making me lol when I don’t feel like it, and bringing to my life a simple joy that could never be replaced. I never feel anything negative when my pal and I are together and I’m always enough for her. 

I thank my Lord and Savior for protecting such a precious friend from greater harm and I want all the crazy animal people out there to know I GET YOU and I’m right there beside you . Our pets are teachers, which is exactly how God designed it knowing what humans do to each other’s hearts on a daily basis. Kiss your pet today and tell em’ you love em. They could be the most valuable thing you have inside your home.

Till next week – Jen

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EMPTYING THE TROUGH?

It’s staggering to see some of the salaries of network anchors and apparently one network news honcho is shaking his head. New CNN chief Mark Thompson, on the job since last fall, appears to be going line by line through his budget and is getting a bit teary-eyed. Thompson’s background is the BBC and more recently the NY Times and salaries there are minuscule by comparison. Consider some of these salaries… MSNBC’S Rachel Maddow $30 million, Fox News’ Sean Hannity $25 million take home (and that doesn’t consider his radio gig)… CNN’S Anderson Cooper $20 million. Morning anchors George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, Gayle King and Savannah Guthrie range anywhere from $10 to $18 million. But it looks like those times they are a changin’ as media conglomerates are making massive staff and budget. Serious challenges to on-air news operations are coming from all sides as TV audiences age (as do its “stars”), advertising revenues shrink and younger generations turn to digital platforms. Check out the age of those I’ve mentioned, and you’ll find them to be in their 50’s and 60’s. Dylan is right… the times they are a changin’.

RED SOX NEW COLOSSUS

“Full Throttle?” Maybe the Sox should have gone with, “Give us your tired, your poor.” In this off-season the Sox have given 31-year-old 2016 Rookie of the Year pitcher Michael Fulmer (Detroit Tigers) a 2-year minor league deal worth $1.5 million with an additional $2 million is he sees playing time this year which is unlikely as he recovers from UCL surgery on the same pitching elbow he had Tommy John on in 2018. On top of that, Boston have given FA closer  Liam Hendrik a $10 million 2 year deal. The 35-year old Hendrik is recovering from Tommy John surgery done in August and is expected to miss most, if not all, of this season. The Red Sox recently brought back former GM Theo Epstein as an “advisor.” Hey, Theo, advise John Henry to sell the team.

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Read all of Ron & Jen’s columns, here: https://rinewstoday.com/ron-st-pierre-jen-brien/

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!