Ron & Jen’s Great Escape, July 12, 2023 – Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien

by Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien, commentary

So, if you didn’t know by now, Ron and I have a wacky Saturday show that airs at 7am on 920whjj.com – 104.7FM locally on iHeartRadio. Now you might think I bring this up to pimp myself and honestly there’s a little truth to that, but I bring it up MOSTLY because we don’t laugh enough anymore.

We don’t escape this world and its trappings enough (in a healthy way) in order to recharge our batteries and jump back into reality with a little more stamina when we have to. What we want to do is get you to stop thinking for one hour. Just one hour. We want you to drift off to somewhere else where you’ll hear zero politics and a load of useless information great to use as cocktail party banter.

I have found over the last few years how vital laughing is and how good for the soul and spirit it can be. The passing of my father, the isolation during the pandemic, my mother falling very ill, the deaths of people I once considered my friends due to the fentanyl epidemic, and so much more has really forced me to take stock in what I watch and listen to. So much is out there EVERYWHERE – arguing, angry, stressful, divisive, sad, sexually explicit, God bashing etc. etc.

It used to drive me nuts. I was glued to the news waiting for the next shoe to drop only to change the channel and put on the ultra-dark and intense “CRIMINAL MINDS” and then wonder why I was having nightmares and walked around with a chip on my very angry shoulder.

Look, sometimes it’s healthy to unplug. To step back, and find alternate ways of using those neurons of yours. Ron and I love being in a place where you can rest for an hour each Saturday. A cup of coffee, bunny slippers and just good ol’ radio that’s entertaining and easy. 

Life is way too short to walk abound pissed off every day, all day. Though you may have reasons to do that, really, we all do. 

Relax, sit back and enjoy the ride on Saturdays.

Join us. A smile can go a long, long way.

Till next week my friends,

Jen

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A LITTLE LATE TO THE DANCE

This billionaire who is causing a ruckus in Pawtucket saying he wants to buy McCoy Stadium and save the structure and return baseball to the city is a tad too late. The stadium has been dormant for three years and the voters in The Bucket OK’d plans to combine Tolman and Shea High into a mega high school on that land. The media bit big on this story, BUT was it a knee jerk reaction to a far-fetched little ditty? It’s a lot more complicated than simply waving a billionaire’s wand. The horse has left the barn as the land is targeted (and approved by the voters) for that mega high school. Secondly, The WooSox (the name still is uncomfortable to me) control whether a minor league team would be allowed to play in Pawtucket thanks to a radius clause. My guess is the best anyone could do is an Independent League entry which is a far cry from being the Triple A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Nope, it’s the bone yard for McCoy. Hey, at least the land will be used for educational purposes.

ROAD TRIP!

Wallet Hub (which seems to have the red butt when it comes to the Ocean State) recently came out with the best states and the worst states for summer road trips. All 50 states were compared across 32 key metrics to find the most fun, scenic, and budget friendly road trip destinations. Texas came in at number one for the beast summer road trips… Rhode Island came in #1 FOR THE WORST.

Seriously, Texas?

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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!