Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: The Confession Q&A segment during the first hour was really good… sort of a one-topic version of the No Dumb Questions segment. Hearing Kayla and crew rate Christian music was entertaining as always. And who doesn't like to listen to Lino and Father Rob rate potential draftees into the Catholic Church during the annual Catholic Draft?
Lows: Nada.
Our take: Not quite top tier, but definitely worth the time spent listening to it.
Grade: B+
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Show review for 4/25/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Nothing really struck our fancy today, except maybe hearing Lino talk to middle schoolers about the things that they like.
Lows: Fortunately, nothing really rubbed our fur the wrong way, either.
Our take: Another mostly pedestrian show, but it gets a slightly higher grade than yesterday for being a little more interesting overall.
Grade: B-
Highs: Nothing really struck our fancy today, except maybe hearing Lino talk to middle schoolers about the things that they like.
Lows: Fortunately, nothing really rubbed our fur the wrong way, either.
Our take: Another mostly pedestrian show, but it gets a slightly higher grade than yesterday for being a little more interesting overall.
Grade: B-
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Show review for 4/24/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Random Thankfulness is usually a good segment, but it turned into a great segment today when the callers turned on Lino and Father Rob: one was thankful for the times that Father Rob takes the day off and makes room for a guest host, and another was thankful for robbers who stole everything out of his home except for his copy of Sinner, which they apparently didn't see any value in. Awesome way to end the show.
Lows: Nothing really stood out... but most of the rest of the show had a run-of-the-mill feel to it.
Our take: Aside from the last segment, this one was merely okay. Then again, anything had to be an improvement over the previous day's train wreck of a show.
Grade: C+
Highs: Random Thankfulness is usually a good segment, but it turned into a great segment today when the callers turned on Lino and Father Rob: one was thankful for the times that Father Rob takes the day off and makes room for a guest host, and another was thankful for robbers who stole everything out of his home except for his copy of Sinner, which they apparently didn't see any value in. Awesome way to end the show.
Lows: Nothing really stood out... but most of the rest of the show had a run-of-the-mill feel to it.
Our take: Aside from the last segment, this one was merely okay. Then again, anything had to be an improvement over the previous day's train wreck of a show.
Grade: C+
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Show review for 4/23/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Despite it being a complete rip-off from The Price Is Right, we loved loved loved the new game Higher/Lower and look forward to hearing it again in the future. And we'll give Lino and Father Rob brownie points for daring to bring up the HHS Mandate again. That being said...
Lows: Once again, Lino and Father Rob laid a big fat egg when talking about the religious liberty issue. We don't disagree with Lino's assertion that the Church relies too much on press statements and not enough on getting their position out on TV and radio, but to imply that the mainstream media is ready, willing, and able to grant as much face time to the Church as it is the President of the United States shows just how naive he is about the media's priorities and workings. We could see (and have seen) Church leaders reach out to local media outlets on the topic, but getting the media to listen on a national level is much more difficult than Lino made it out to be. And getting the public interested in the topic isn't simple, either. One caller mentioned that the sexual abuse crisis has lessened the public's willingness to listen to the Church's point-of-view, and all Lino could do is shrug his shoulders and agree... and then go right back to pushing for the Church to make its voice heard in the mainstream media. Hey, Lino... care to give us a few pointers on how to make a skeptical public actually listen to the Church? Instead of just telling us what we already know, give us an idea of how to deal with it.
And by the way, if Lino and Father Rob had bothered to actually read some of the statements that the Cardinal Dolan and the USCCB have put out, they'd know that the Obama Administration isn't budging an inch from their current position, so stoking this issue in the media is pretty much a pointless exercise right now. The best way to go about getting the mandate rescinded is to get rid of it either legislatively or have the courts declare it unconstitutional, and those processes need time to play out. And that's why there's nothing in the media about it right now.
Kathleen (the last caller who got mysteriously cut off) absolutely nailed it when she questioned Lino's willingness to regularly bring up the topic, or at least bring somebody on who actually knows something about the topic. A little more research into what exactly is going on with the issue right now would've made for a much more informative segment. Instead, we got Father Rob dredging up a press statement from two weeks ago and telling Lino, "Hey, maybe we can have a little fun with this!" Pathetic.
Our take: This show would've gotten a pretty decent grade if Abbot and Costello hadn't gone off on their whole misinformed religious liberty rant without offering any constructive ways to solve the problem. We'll give them credit for trying, but the amount of effort they put in to reading up on the topic was akin to using Wikipedia as the only source for writing a term paper.
Grade: D+
Highs: Despite it being a complete rip-off from The Price Is Right, we loved loved loved the new game Higher/Lower and look forward to hearing it again in the future. And we'll give Lino and Father Rob brownie points for daring to bring up the HHS Mandate again. That being said...
Lows: Once again, Lino and Father Rob laid a big fat egg when talking about the religious liberty issue. We don't disagree with Lino's assertion that the Church relies too much on press statements and not enough on getting their position out on TV and radio, but to imply that the mainstream media is ready, willing, and able to grant as much face time to the Church as it is the President of the United States shows just how naive he is about the media's priorities and workings. We could see (and have seen) Church leaders reach out to local media outlets on the topic, but getting the media to listen on a national level is much more difficult than Lino made it out to be. And getting the public interested in the topic isn't simple, either. One caller mentioned that the sexual abuse crisis has lessened the public's willingness to listen to the Church's point-of-view, and all Lino could do is shrug his shoulders and agree... and then go right back to pushing for the Church to make its voice heard in the mainstream media. Hey, Lino... care to give us a few pointers on how to make a skeptical public actually listen to the Church? Instead of just telling us what we already know, give us an idea of how to deal with it.
And by the way, if Lino and Father Rob had bothered to actually read some of the statements that the Cardinal Dolan and the USCCB have put out, they'd know that the Obama Administration isn't budging an inch from their current position, so stoking this issue in the media is pretty much a pointless exercise right now. The best way to go about getting the mandate rescinded is to get rid of it either legislatively or have the courts declare it unconstitutional, and those processes need time to play out. And that's why there's nothing in the media about it right now.
Kathleen (the last caller who got mysteriously cut off) absolutely nailed it when she questioned Lino's willingness to regularly bring up the topic, or at least bring somebody on who actually knows something about the topic. A little more research into what exactly is going on with the issue right now would've made for a much more informative segment. Instead, we got Father Rob dredging up a press statement from two weeks ago and telling Lino, "Hey, maybe we can have a little fun with this!" Pathetic.
Our take: This show would've gotten a pretty decent grade if Abbot and Costello hadn't gone off on their whole misinformed religious liberty rant without offering any constructive ways to solve the problem. We'll give them credit for trying, but the amount of effort they put in to reading up on the topic was akin to using Wikipedia as the only source for writing a term paper.
Grade: D+
Monday, April 23, 2012
Show review for 4/20/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Just by itself, having Father Jim on the show is one big high. But apart from that, we really loved being able to hear the entire audio clip that started the whole "What's up with that?" phenomenon, and we were pleasantly surprised that Father Jim remembered as much detail from the Italy pilgrimage as he did.
Lows: We're pulling hairs here, but the whole conversation about kids not having time nowadays to really discern their vocation in life probably lasted just a little longer than it should have.
Our take: Solid, solid stuff. Since Lino stubbornly refuses to allow two priests in studio at once (which is what we'd really like to hear), here's hoping that Father Jim can give Father Rob a chance to play golf a little more often.
Grade: A-
Highs: Just by itself, having Father Jim on the show is one big high. But apart from that, we really loved being able to hear the entire audio clip that started the whole "What's up with that?" phenomenon, and we were pleasantly surprised that Father Jim remembered as much detail from the Italy pilgrimage as he did.
Lows: We're pulling hairs here, but the whole conversation about kids not having time nowadays to really discern their vocation in life probably lasted just a little longer than it should have.
Our take: Solid, solid stuff. Since Lino stubbornly refuses to allow two priests in studio at once (which is what we'd really like to hear), here's hoping that Father Jim can give Father Rob a chance to play golf a little more often.
Grade: A-
Friday, April 20, 2012
Show review for 4/19/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: We were very pleasantly surprised to hear Kayla back on the show helping Lino and Father Rob rate Christian music... and if that wasn't enough, we were treated to Father Rob picking some really bad songs for the segment. We also enjoyed the on-air voicemail message that Lino left for his Dad, who turned 69 today, and were pleased to learn that Father Rob's growth on his neck was nothing more than a treatable infection.
Lows: The low-less streak continues...
Our take: It was pretty much expected that today's show wouldn't be as good as yesterday's gem, but it was still pretty decent... especially with Kayla back on the show.
Grade: B
Highs: We were very pleasantly surprised to hear Kayla back on the show helping Lino and Father Rob rate Christian music... and if that wasn't enough, we were treated to Father Rob picking some really bad songs for the segment. We also enjoyed the on-air voicemail message that Lino left for his Dad, who turned 69 today, and were pleased to learn that Father Rob's growth on his neck was nothing more than a treatable infection.
Lows: The low-less streak continues...
Our take: It was pretty much expected that today's show wouldn't be as good as yesterday's gem, but it was still pretty decent... especially with Kayla back on the show.
Grade: B
Show review for 4/18/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Oh, where to begin. The listeners creating their own Father Rob-themed word puzzles after his Wonderword snub... check. Lino's Mom coming on the show to play Hickety Pickety and get under Father Rob's skin... double check. Father Rob playing sound clips of himself calling into four different Catholic radio shows posing as "Timmy" and making non-stop mentions of his spiritual director "Father Rob" and of himself being "a man"... absolutely priceless.
Lows: It's not a low in the "bad radio" sense, but Father Rob's growth on his neck is certainly not a good thing and merits prayers.
Our take: TCGS has finally broken out of its April rut... this was truly three hours of "pure Catholic pleasure and fun".
Grade: A
Highs: Oh, where to begin. The listeners creating their own Father Rob-themed word puzzles after his Wonderword snub... check. Lino's Mom coming on the show to play Hickety Pickety and get under Father Rob's skin... double check. Father Rob playing sound clips of himself calling into four different Catholic radio shows posing as "Timmy" and making non-stop mentions of his spiritual director "Father Rob" and of himself being "a man"... absolutely priceless.
Lows: It's not a low in the "bad radio" sense, but Father Rob's growth on his neck is certainly not a good thing and merits prayers.
Our take: TCGS has finally broken out of its April rut... this was truly three hours of "pure Catholic pleasure and fun".
Grade: A
Show review for 4/17/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: All sorts of stuff. Let's start out with Father Rob's Righteous Anger over being snubbed for the special Catholic Channel-themed Wonderword puzzle, which was just a delight to hear. That was quickly followed by another Father Rob snub... this time his displeasure over not being invited to go along with Lino on speaking engagements. Interviews With The Saints was funny as usual, and Lino's interview with Vinny G. from Jersey Shore was far more interesting than it had any right to be.
Lows: Again, nothing really bad. Are we still listening to TCGS?
Our take: Now that's more like it... some really good stuff combined with the absence of anything overtly bad equals the show's first top grade in quite a while.
Grade: A-
Highs: All sorts of stuff. Let's start out with Father Rob's Righteous Anger over being snubbed for the special Catholic Channel-themed Wonderword puzzle, which was just a delight to hear. That was quickly followed by another Father Rob snub... this time his displeasure over not being invited to go along with Lino on speaking engagements. Interviews With The Saints was funny as usual, and Lino's interview with Vinny G. from Jersey Shore was far more interesting than it had any right to be.
Lows: Again, nothing really bad. Are we still listening to TCGS?
Our take: Now that's more like it... some really good stuff combined with the absence of anything overtly bad equals the show's first top grade in quite a while.
Grade: A-
Show reveiw for 4/16/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Hearing both Lino and Father Rob butcher the German language in honor of Pope Benedict XVI's birthday was disturbingly entertaining. We also enjoyed hearing Lino describe his time in Texas over the weekend... especially the inordinate amount of attention people focused on his beard.
Lows: Nothing really comes to mind... which is certainly not a bad thing.
Our take: It's funny... there have been fewer "lows" on TCGS this month than anytime since we started reviewing the show, yet overall the show can't get above a "B". Lino and Father Rob are doing something... we're just not sure what it is yet.
Grade: B
Highs: Hearing both Lino and Father Rob butcher the German language in honor of Pope Benedict XVI's birthday was disturbingly entertaining. We also enjoyed hearing Lino describe his time in Texas over the weekend... especially the inordinate amount of attention people focused on his beard.
Lows: Nothing really comes to mind... which is certainly not a bad thing.
Our take: It's funny... there have been fewer "lows" on TCGS this month than anytime since we started reviewing the show, yet overall the show can't get above a "B". Lino and Father Rob are doing something... we're just not sure what it is yet.
Grade: B
Show review for 4/12/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: We're always suckers for an installment of No Dumb Questions, so hearing it today was a real treat. We also appreciated Lino declaring a tie for Lino's Favorite New Catholic when he and Father Rob couldn't come to a consensus on a winner... smart move. But the best part of today's show was probably the whole discussion about forgiveness of others... particularly when the whole segment came to a screeching halt after the first caller revealed that Gus Lloyd had covered a similar topic on Seize The Day earlier this morning.
Lows: While we were happy with the way Lino ended Lino's Favorite New Catholic, we weren't happy with the way finalists were chosen by Father Rob: none of the finalists came from email entries, and Father Rob's sole criteria was that the show was entirely (or almost entirely) responsible for their conversion. Really Timmy? Even Lino thought that was kind of a dumb move.
Our take: Another show, another "B". We wonder if the dynamic duo is running out of ideas... or if Lino is just on autopilot since he'll be in Texas tomorrow
Grade: B-
Highs: We're always suckers for an installment of No Dumb Questions, so hearing it today was a real treat. We also appreciated Lino declaring a tie for Lino's Favorite New Catholic when he and Father Rob couldn't come to a consensus on a winner... smart move. But the best part of today's show was probably the whole discussion about forgiveness of others... particularly when the whole segment came to a screeching halt after the first caller revealed that Gus Lloyd had covered a similar topic on Seize The Day earlier this morning.
Lows: While we were happy with the way Lino ended Lino's Favorite New Catholic, we weren't happy with the way finalists were chosen by Father Rob: none of the finalists came from email entries, and Father Rob's sole criteria was that the show was entirely (or almost entirely) responsible for their conversion. Really Timmy? Even Lino thought that was kind of a dumb move.
Our take: Another show, another "B". We wonder if the dynamic duo is running out of ideas... or if Lino is just on autopilot since he'll be in Texas tomorrow
Grade: B-
Show review for 4/11/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Ironically, the best parts of the show were the ones that were out of Lino's control... specifically, when the phone lines went down during nominations for Lino's Favorite New Catholic, and when Lino pointed out that The Catholic Channel is still playing Lent-themed commercials. We were also pleased to hear Mark Hart destroy Lino/Father Rob in a movie line/biblical quote quiz... thanks in no small part to the 1st grade-level movie lines chosen by Father Rob.
Lows: Wow, another show without anything we truly disliked. This must be a record or something.
Our take: April hasn't been kind to TCGS so far, but with the last two shows we're seeing signs of improvement. Keep it up, guys!
Grade: B
Highs: Ironically, the best parts of the show were the ones that were out of Lino's control... specifically, when the phone lines went down during nominations for Lino's Favorite New Catholic, and when Lino pointed out that The Catholic Channel is still playing Lent-themed commercials. We were also pleased to hear Mark Hart destroy Lino/Father Rob in a movie line/biblical quote quiz... thanks in no small part to the 1st grade-level movie lines chosen by Father Rob.
Lows: Wow, another show without anything we truly disliked. This must be a record or something.
Our take: April hasn't been kind to TCGS so far, but with the last two shows we're seeing signs of improvement. Keep it up, guys!
Grade: B
Show review for 4/10/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: It's always fun to hear Lino lament about not being able to attract girls... and it's even better to hear listeners advise him on what he can do to change that.
Lows: Nothing really stunk up the joint today.
Our take: While this show didn't have a lot that was either very good or very bad, it still made for decent listening for three hours, so it deserves a grade a notch higher than what the show has been earning recently.
Grade: B
Highs: It's always fun to hear Lino lament about not being able to attract girls... and it's even better to hear listeners advise him on what he can do to change that.
Lows: Nothing really stunk up the joint today.
Our take: While this show didn't have a lot that was either very good or very bad, it still made for decent listening for three hours, so it deserves a grade a notch higher than what the show has been earning recently.
Grade: B
Show review for 4/9/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: "He is risen, indeed!" Well, yes, Jesus rising from the dead is always a high... but we were referring to Lino's disbelief that Father Rob didn't know this traditional answer to the declaration "He is risen" heard on Easter. Even more fun were the sound clips Lino played of baseball fans in Milwaukee who justified their decisions to put Opening Day above religious observance by partaking of baseball and bratwurst on Good Friday.
Lows: Nothing really struck us as being particularly bad today.
Our take: It would seem like this show deserves a better grade than it got, but even with no real lows, a lot of the show was merely okay. We're seeing a trend here... and it's not good.
Grade: B-
Highs: "He is risen, indeed!" Well, yes, Jesus rising from the dead is always a high... but we were referring to Lino's disbelief that Father Rob didn't know this traditional answer to the declaration "He is risen" heard on Easter. Even more fun were the sound clips Lino played of baseball fans in Milwaukee who justified their decisions to put Opening Day above religious observance by partaking of baseball and bratwurst on Good Friday.
Lows: Nothing really struck us as being particularly bad today.
Our take: It would seem like this show deserves a better grade than it got, but even with no real lows, a lot of the show was merely okay. We're seeing a trend here... and it's not good.
Grade: B-
Show review for 4/4/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Lino and Father Rob's attempt at one last Lenten parody was delightfully awful... especially when you know that there's just no way Father Rob can keep up with a song as fast as REM's It's The End Of The World As We Know It. Equally as entertaining was the war that ensued over Lino's failed $50 bet with Father Rob, and whether the listener attempting to go to Mass was good enough to satisfy the bet. Brilliant stuff.
Lows: While we appreciate Lino's efforts to finish the show's book club review of Gus Lloyd's Magnetic Christianity before the end of Lent, cramming the last four chapters in one segment and blowing through them at warp speed wasn't the way to go about it. What's wrong with finishing the book after Easter?
Our take: Better than yesterday's show, but a somewhat underwhelming way to go into the Triduum.
Grade: B-
P.S.: There will NOT be a review of tomorrow's show, as it'll just be Lino and Mark Hart going through the Biblical narrative of Holy Week for 90 pre-recorded minutes. But it's bound to be good... when has Mark ever let us down? :)
Highs: Lino and Father Rob's attempt at one last Lenten parody was delightfully awful... especially when you know that there's just no way Father Rob can keep up with a song as fast as REM's It's The End Of The World As We Know It. Equally as entertaining was the war that ensued over Lino's failed $50 bet with Father Rob, and whether the listener attempting to go to Mass was good enough to satisfy the bet. Brilliant stuff.
Lows: While we appreciate Lino's efforts to finish the show's book club review of Gus Lloyd's Magnetic Christianity before the end of Lent, cramming the last four chapters in one segment and blowing through them at warp speed wasn't the way to go about it. What's wrong with finishing the book after Easter?
Our take: Better than yesterday's show, but a somewhat underwhelming way to go into the Triduum.
Grade: B-
P.S.: There will NOT be a review of tomorrow's show, as it'll just be Lino and Mark Hart going through the Biblical narrative of Holy Week for 90 pre-recorded minutes. But it's bound to be good... when has Mark ever let us down? :)
Show review for 4/3/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: The voicemail Lino played at the end of the first hour, where the caller didn't understand the rationale for the show and requested that Lino give him a buzz so that he can explain what the show should really sound like... bold and hilarious.
Lows: The segment where Lino mocked The Fray's rendition of The Star Spangled Banner during the NCAA Championship game... Lino made it seem like it was as horrible as the infamous Carl Lewis version, but it really wasn't, and that made the whole segment less entertaining that Lino had intended.
Our take: Aside from those two segments and Let's Make A Catholic Deal, the rest of show was just kind of "blah". And two hours of "blah" doesn't earn a top grade.
Grade: C+
Highs: The voicemail Lino played at the end of the first hour, where the caller didn't understand the rationale for the show and requested that Lino give him a buzz so that he can explain what the show should really sound like... bold and hilarious.
Lows: The segment where Lino mocked The Fray's rendition of The Star Spangled Banner during the NCAA Championship game... Lino made it seem like it was as horrible as the infamous Carl Lewis version, but it really wasn't, and that made the whole segment less entertaining that Lino had intended.
Our take: Aside from those two segments and Let's Make A Catholic Deal, the rest of show was just kind of "blah". And two hours of "blah" doesn't earn a top grade.
Grade: C+
Show review for 4/2/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: Two words: Gus Lloyd. The host of Seize The Day spent the first hour of the show co-hosting with Lino, and it was a real treat. Nearly as much fun was Father Rob calling in to the show during the third hour, and letting Lino have it for being kept on hold for nearly 15 minutes.
Lows: We really hate to say it, but Father Jonathan Morris' appearance on the show during the second hour was underwhelming. We're sure he's an awesome priest and is a great addition to The Catholic Channel as Program Director... but he speaks in very measured tones, and putting him up against Lino's mile-a-minute delivery speed made the whole conversation seem slow and ponderous.
Our take: This was an odd show, what with two guest hosts for the first two hours and Lino flying mostly solo for the third. You'd think that the show would've hit one out of the park given all of that, but overall it felt more like a ground-rule double... especially during the second hour.
Grade: B-
Highs: Two words: Gus Lloyd. The host of Seize The Day spent the first hour of the show co-hosting with Lino, and it was a real treat. Nearly as much fun was Father Rob calling in to the show during the third hour, and letting Lino have it for being kept on hold for nearly 15 minutes.
Lows: We really hate to say it, but Father Jonathan Morris' appearance on the show during the second hour was underwhelming. We're sure he's an awesome priest and is a great addition to The Catholic Channel as Program Director... but he speaks in very measured tones, and putting him up against Lino's mile-a-minute delivery speed made the whole conversation seem slow and ponderous.
Our take: This was an odd show, what with two guest hosts for the first two hours and Lino flying mostly solo for the third. You'd think that the show would've hit one out of the park given all of that, but overall it felt more like a ground-rule double... especially during the second hour.
Grade: B-
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Show review for 3/30/2012
Click here for a brief summary of the show
Highs: We're not sure what we liked more: Lino and Father Rob botching their parody of Simon & Garfunkel's 59th Street Bridge Song during the second hour (and subsequently slinging mud at each other), or basking in their success at nailing it in the third hour. We also enjoyed Lino admitting on the air to breaking his Lenten penance last night while at a bar with Father Leo Patalinghug, as well as admitting that he lied to the listeners about why yesterday's show didn't happen.
Lows: There's not really much, but the fact that Lino did lie to us about yesterday's show instead of giving us a sufficiently generic yet truthful excuse was disappointing.
Our take: Deception aside, this show was a nice way to end both the week and the month.
Grade: B+
Highs: We're not sure what we liked more: Lino and Father Rob botching their parody of Simon & Garfunkel's 59th Street Bridge Song during the second hour (and subsequently slinging mud at each other), or basking in their success at nailing it in the third hour. We also enjoyed Lino admitting on the air to breaking his Lenten penance last night while at a bar with Father Leo Patalinghug, as well as admitting that he lied to the listeners about why yesterday's show didn't happen.
Lows: There's not really much, but the fact that Lino did lie to us about yesterday's show instead of giving us a sufficiently generic yet truthful excuse was disappointing.
Our take: Deception aside, this show was a nice way to end both the week and the month.
Grade: B+
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