January

Well tomorrow it will be January. The new year will be starting.  But of course you probably know that. Did you know there was no January until sometime in the area of 713 BC? The previous calendars only had ten months and in the winter there were no months. There was no January or February. The Romans added to two months to make the calendar and the lunar year match.
January first is naturally New Years Day and is celebrated world wide but it is also know as The Feast of the Circumcision among many Christians. Makes the mind reel doesn't it!

Happy Birthday Sister Morphine

Marianne Faithful is now eligible to be a pensioner. Sister Morphine is 65 today and it is some what amazing she is alive. She was the embodiment of swinging 60's London and barely made it out alive. Name a drug she did it, name a rock star she did him is the reputation, deserved of not, that swallowed her. Cocaine in the 60's and heroin in the 70's those were her most public addictions. Her career was never really much of anything but a train wreck until she cleaned herself up in the 80's. The once lilting high voice now smoked a raspy baritone her career is better now at 65 than it has ever been. Happy Birthday Mariane Faithful, glad you did what you did!

The Girl With Three Names

Mary Tyler Moore turned 76 today. That's right Laura Petrie aka Mary Richards is 76 years old! America's career girl and favorite wife is Mary Tyler Moore and has been since 1961 when Carl Reiner cast her in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Ms Moore had played some small roles and "Happy Hotpoint" a dancing elf before the role of Laura Petrie. She had auditioned for the role of Danny Thomas' daughter on the Danny Thomas show but was turned down as Thomas thought no one believe that a girl with such a small nose could be his daughter. Thomas did remember her and when he was producing the Dick Van Dyke Show he suggested the girl with three names to Carl Reiner. Mary Tyler Moore went on to play the role of Laura for five years.

In 1970 Mary Tyler Moore and her then husband Grant Tinker formed MTM Enterprises and they pitched the idea of The Mary Tyler Moore Show to CBS. The character of Mary Richards was the first single career woman to be an independent and happy woman. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the most successful sitcoms of the 1970's. MTM Enterprises also produced the spin-off series Rhoda and Phyllis along with The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, WKRP in Cincinnati and Newhart.
Married three times Mary Tyler Moore had only one child during her first marriage,a son named Richard. Her son died at the age of 24 from an accidental gun shot wound. Her second husband Grant Tinker was her partner in MTM Enterprises and eventually became Chairman of NBC. They divorced in 1981. Moore met her third husband a doctor when he treated her mother and made a house call.
She will always be Laura and Mary in the eyes of the television watching public even though she did play one of the coldest mothers ever in the film "Ordinary People". One of her other film roles more fitting to the perception of her persona was that of a nun in the Elvis movie "Change of Habit".

S & H Green Stamps

There was a time when the grocery stores, dry cleaners and gas stations of America would do all kinds of things to get your money and one of the most popular gimmick was "Green Stamps". The stamps were given out at the cash register and the more money one spent the more stamps one got. These stamps were then put into books that could be redeemed for premiums. These premiums were usually housewares and appliances and could be gotten at the S&H Green Stamp Redemption Center.

The S&H in the company name stands for Sperry and Hutchinson. The company was founded in 1896 by Thomas Sperry and Shelly Byron Hutchinson in Michigan. They grew to be the largest trading stamp company in the country and during their heyday 1960's the issues more stamps the the US Postal Service.
Their small green stamps came in denominations of one, ten and fifty points and were stuck into books that when filled counted 1200 points. When a customer had enough points accumulated the books were then brought to the Redemption center and exchanged for items. One could also redeem them through a catalog. The popularity of Green Stamps slowly started to decline in the 1970's and eventually was discontinued in the 1990's.

Annoying Words

The Marist Poll of 2012's most annoying words has come out. They claim "whatever" to be the most annoying. That may well be. There are many more annoying words than whatever in my opinion. The word I find most annoying is "chillax". I haven't any idea why but when I hear it is just cringe. I also have an extreme repulsion by the word "belly". I would much rather hear the word "whatever" any day but "chillax" is like nails on a black board and "belly" just creeps me out. Marist also listed the word "twitterverse" as an annoying word and on that I do have to agree. The thing is I don't think I have ever actually heard anyone say it so it doesn't bother me as much as it might.

Boxing Day

Today is the day after Christmas and in British Isles and Canada it is Boxing Day. American's haven't got a clue as to what it is. The name is kind of a mystery. It is generally believed that tradesmen would receive "Christmas" boxes from the wealthy households that they served and servants who had spent Christmas working would visit their families and take boxes of leftover food. Now it is mainly a shopping day. It is the British equivalent to "Black Friday".

Easy Baking Boys

Baking with a light bulb used to be something made especially for girls but now thanks to McKenna Pope boys can now proudly own an Easy Bake Oven. The Hasbro toy company has bowed to the pressure from Miss Pope a thirteen year old sister of a boy would wanted an Easy Bake Oven. McKenna wanted gender neutral advertising and design. The oven toy has traditionally been made in pinks and purples; colors that are considered "girl colors". Miss Pope was not alone in her desire for gender neutral ovens. She has a face book following of 40,000 and male chefs like Bobby Flay behind her. Hasbro invited her and her parents to their office in Pawtucket, RI to listen to her ideas. The shirts at Hasbro could see the dollar signs in their gender neutral future and jumped on the "boys like ovens too" boat. Boys can now proudly bake with a light bulb too and not have to do it in secret. They can do it for only $39.99 retail.

McKenna Pope



MMMM Egg Nog

Nothing say happy holidays more than a glass of egg nog does it? The frothy yule time treat never fails to bring delight be it spiked or non-alcoholic. Traditionally made from cream, sugar and whipped eggs and spices; egg nog is not a healthy beverage but it is delish.
The history of egg nogg is up for debate by those who debate this kind of thing but it is generally believed to have been developed in the East Anglia area of England. It also could be a variant of Posset a medieval English drink of curdled milk and wine or ale. It is also refereed to as an Egg Flip. Flip come from the way it was made flipping it from pitcher to pitcher to develop the froth. Nog seems to come from a vessel called a noggin that one drank from.
Egg nog became a very popular beverage in Colonial America as there was an abundance of dairy and eggs. In England egg nog was more often drunk by aristocracy. In the colonies egg nog was often mixed with rum as it was cheap and commonly in a colonial home due to triangle trade. During the revolutionary war when rum was sanctioned the locally made bourbons became the substitute. In 1826 an egg nog riot occurred at US Military Academy spurred on by smuggled whiskey.
Egg nog is not a terribly healthy drink because of both the amount of cream, sugar and raw eggs. Egg nog is a close cousin of custard. It is now available in shops for vegans and the lactose intolerant made with soy and coconut milk.
Have a glass of egg nog and enjoy!

Who Would Want to Castrate Justin Beiber?

Sometimes an obsession can go awry. Sometimes is becomes so crazy it is hard to believe it is true but it is. This is exactly what happened to a man named Dana Martin. Poor Dana became obsessed with pop teen star Justin Beiber. Not only did he get a tattoo of Justin on his leg he decided that Justin had to die. Martin had a problem though, he was in prison for the rape and murder of a teen age girl in New Mexico. He did come up with a solution. He met another inmate while in stir named Mark Staake. Martin convinced Staake and his nephew Tanner Ruane to kill Justin Beiber. The plan was for Staake and Ruane to kill Beiber his body guard and two other people. Martin wanted Staake to strangle Beiber with a paisley tie, this is Martin's "calling card" and then castrate him with some pinking shears.

Staake and his nephew were in Vermont hatching their evil plan when suddenly Martin had a change of heart and turned them in. Police officials in Vermont arrested Staake on an outstanding warrant but his nephew made it to New York where Justin was going to be performing at Madison Square Garden. Vermont police recorded a phone conversation between Staake and Ruane where they discussed their disappointment about not being able to commit the murders. Police in New York were able to arrest Ruane who was found with the paisley tie and the pinking shears!
Thanks to the work of the police Justine Beiber escaped penis intact!

One of the Worst Ideas EVER

Paul McCartney the man who brought the world some of the lamest songs ever is teaming up with what is left of Nirvana to perform for the Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert in Madison Square Garden. Haven't the victims of the storm suffered enough?
Paul McCartney as Kurt Cobain? Kurt would shoot himself again if he could! Will they play some Wings songs and maybe pull on Courtney as Linda McCartney? Paul singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is just ludicrous! Will he fill "Penny Royal Tea" with his saccharine deliveries? The remaining un-nameable members of Nirvana should be forced to listen to hours of "Ebony and Ivory"!

Nipsy Russel Comic Poet Laureate

If you watched a game show in the 1960's,70's or 80's you had to have seen Nipsey Russell. He was the consummate game show celebrity.  Nipsy was on everything! Match Game, To Tell the Truth,  Hollywood Squares, Password Nipsey did them all and contributed a small poem on a regular basis.
Julius "Nipsey" Russell was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1918. One of his first jobs was as a carhop where he found if he made the customers laugh he made more money. After World War II Nipsey started performing in night clubs and recorded party albums. He hooked up with an old vaudevillian Mantan Moreland and performed Morelands famous "Interruption Routine" where a conversation ensues with no full sentences just interruptions. He eventually appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show". This lead him to a role on the TV show "Car 54 Where Are You?" He also appeared in the short lived sitcom "Barefoot in the Park" and on the "Dean Martin Show". In the 60's Npsey started doing game shows. This is where his quick wit and charm was able to shine. He was also one of the roasters on "Dean Martin's Celebrity Roast". He was known for his short and amusing poems. He would recite them from memory or at times ad lib them.

If you owe too much on American Express,

And your Diner's Club notes are too hard,

Take a loan on your Visa,

And pay it off with your MasterCard.

Although Nipsey made very few films one of them will be remembered as a classic. He played the Tin Man in the film version of "The Wiz".
Nipsey found a new fame and audience in the 1990's when he began appearing on The "David Letterman Show".
Nipsey died in New York at the age of 87 in 2005.

The Dancing Cop of Providence

Every city has it's own peculiar holiday traditions. Providence, Rhode Island has one that it truly unique; the Dancing Cop. Tony Lepore was a full-time police officer on the Providence police force for 17 years. One of the things that Tony enjoyed doing as a police officer was directing traffic. When Tony retired he didn't completely stop being a traffic cop, he now directs traffic in intersections of Providence's shopping district at Christmas. He doesn't just direct traffic he dances while doing it. He spins, pops, jives and discos about in the middle of the street with his whistle as his orchestra. Tony's "act" may not make for smooth flowing traffic but it gives pedestrians and drivers alike a holiday treat.
Not only does Tony direct traffic on Providence's streets but on television and in movies as well. He has appeared on both the Today Show and Good Morning America directing Manhattan traffic for the cameras. Tony also appears on local children's television as well as private parties. His website has offers of his various services. (http://www.providencedancingcop.com/about.html) He also has a doll!
Tony was a real cop. He saved lives and made arrests and walked a beat. One of the doing foot patrol was directing traffic. One day in 1984 he got bored while directing traffic and the dancing cop was born. He was influenced by an old Candid Camera episode. Tony is a lot of fun to watch unless you are in a hurray.
If you are in the Providence area during December stop and check Tony out!

Miss Jane Hathaway

Possessing the "face of a shriveled balloon, the figure of a string of spaghetti, and the voice of a bullfrog in mating season.", Miss Jane Hathaway always saved the day. Milton Drysedale aka "Chief" hired Miss Jane as his private and personal secretary after she graduated from Vassar. She works 24/7 much of her time is spent seeing after the wealthy Clampett family in their Beverly Hills home. Voted #38 on  "50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time" list Miss Jane was always a hit. An avid bird watcher during her rare free time the spinster Hathaway was secretly in love with Jethro Clampett the nephew of oil millionare Jed Clampett.

Where Is my mind?

 

This has been a quiet week for the "ole" Blog. I have moved from the Hills of Los Feliz and my glass box in the sky to a loft in Swingin' Hollywood.  2 dogs, one cat, an old man and piles of books and little old me are piled pell mell while I enjoy a moment for a beer a cigarette and maybe a comedy show around the corner later. Be back when I know where my socks and coffee maker are.