Uncommon Content
Welcome to Uncommon Content; the podcast where we explore the extraordinary in the everyday. Join Michael as he delves into thought-provoking discussions from the intricacies of society, to the lighter side of life with stories about personal adventures and local legends.
Each episode promises a unique blend of humor, critique, and insight on topics ranging from the power of perspective to the peculiar habits of our society. Whether it's analyzing the impact of empty government buildings, celebrating the spirit of animal lovers, or uncovering the truth behind "nice fuzzy words" used in deception, Uncommon Content offers a fresh take on both the mundane and the sensational.
Tune in for a journey through the unconventional, the untold, and the undeniably entertaining."
Michael is the author of OFF THE RESERVATION; Stories I Almost Took To The Grave Probably Should Have, published in 2015. You will be able to listen to the book chapter by chapter for free, beginning October 1st!
Equal parts shocking and moving, Off the Reservation is an absurdist confessional memoir, accurately detailing the reckless hijinks of a bipolar alcoholic. This stranger-than-fiction true story spans over three (five now!) decades, as Michael recounts his tales with wincing honesty. Eventually, the maniacal nights of booze, drugs, and sex give way to rude awakenings in empty rooms, jail cells, and beds of snow from a failed suicide by Mother Nature. Rossi learns most of his lessons--gradually, reluctantly, painstakingly--without imposing them on anyone. Thankfully for us, these unapologetic, darkly comic tales haven't been taken to the grave just yet.
Uncommon Content
Hope & Baseball
The 1982 St. Louis Cardinals were my introduction to the fairness of sport, in a world where nothing else made sense, and everybody wanted something. To hope for, or be crestfallen by, circumstances completely out of my control was a valuable lesson. I'll let you know when I've learned it.
Thank you baseball... GO CARDS!
Favorite baseball joke before they finally won a championship:
What did Jesus say to the Cubs?
Don't do anything until I get back.
" People will come, Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn into your driveway, not knowing for sure why they’re doing it.
They’ll arrive at your door, as innocent as children, longing for the past. “Of course, we won’t mind if you look around.” You’ll say. “It’s only twenty dollars per person.” And they pass over the money without even thinking about it. Whereas money they have, and peace they lack….
And they’ll walk off to the bleachers and sit in their short sleeves on a perfect afternoon. And find they have reserved seats somewhere along the baselines where they sat when they were children. And cheer their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come, Ray.
The one constant through all the years Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steam rollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People most definitely will come." Darth Vader - Field of Dreams