San Francisco's "Crookedest" Street

Every tourist who visits San Francisco knows of Lombard Street. One of the most photographed streets in the world is renowned as San Francisco's crookedest street. Well it isn't! It may be pretty and have some lovely gardens but it is not the crookedest street in San Francisco. Tucked away in a residential neighborhood rarely visited by tourists and locals for that matter is Vermont Street, San Francisco's truly crookedest street. Vermont Street is in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. What you have never heard of Potrero Hill; well that is just how the locals like it! Vermont Street and Potrero Hill are tucked away on the eastern side of the city and graced with beautiful views and something almost unheard of, sunshine. Potrero means pasture in Spanish and for many years that is what it was. Another old name for the neighborhood is Goat Hill as it was a goat pasture originally owned by the de Haro family. Potrero Hill was mainly a working class neighborhood undiscovered by developers and real estate speculators until the 1990's. The north/south streets in the neighborhood have state names ie: Texas, Missouri, Rhode Island and Mississippi while the east/west streets are number names.

On the western side of the neighborhood is a park running up a steep hill from the 101 freeway to Vermont street is a park called Mckinley Park. The edge of the park is Vermont Street the true crookedest street. There has been a long debate as to which street Vermont or Lombard is the crookedest. An engineering study was done and it was determined that the sinuosity of Vermont is more than that of Lombard. Lombard has its tourists but Vermont has its locals who actually use the street to get off the hill. One of the few celebrations of the street is the Big Wheel Race.

If you are travelling to San Francisco go and see Vermont Street but just don't tell anyone!

Jo Napot Kivanok is Hello in Magyar

Jo Napot Kivanok is Hello in Magyar. Magyarorszag is them name of the country in Hungarian. The capital and main city of Hungary is Budapest. Hungarians aren't western Europeans and the aren't eastern either they are Magyar. The Magyar have shared the Carpathian Basin for millennium with the (Cgnyie) or the Roma aka the Gypsies. The Romans have been there, the Persians have been there, the Turks have been there, the Austrians have been there, the Germans have been there and finally the Soviets were there and they all tried to control the Magyar but they never could. Hungarians will claim to do what they are told but that is not true. They will do what they think is right. They are usually correct.  Hungary used to be larger but in the 20th century during both World War I and World War II they just capitulated. They more or less said sure to the German's and the Italian's. They didn't help them mind you but because of those two wars, and being sort of on the losing side both times, Hungary lost a lot of territory. Parts of Slovakia and Monrovia are truly Hungarian as is Transylvania, now part of Romania.
Budapest is millennium old and there are signs of it throughout the city. Budapest (pronounced budapesh-t) is actually an amalgamation of two cities; Buda and Pest. The two cities separated by the Danube became one in 1873. In the late 1800's and early 1900's Budapest rebuilt it self and modernized. Subways, Grand avenues and a semi-circular grid were part of the grand urban European development plans common in the era. Budapest was a world class city and a cultural powerhouse for centuries. Budapest gave Paris a run for it's money.

The Budapest of today is not your grandfather's Budapest. It is a modern city with a thriving economy, comparatively, in Europe. The arts scene is as vibrant today as it was during Bartok Bela's time. Hungarian's say their names surname first. So it is Lizst Franz, Gabor Zsa Zsa...
The language also sets Hungary apart from the rest of Europe. It is neither Germanic, Romance or Slavic based. Magyar is closer to Finnish and Korean in its roots. A very complicated language that if a traveller tries to use Hungarian's take them to heart. Russian was required in schools during Soviet rule. English was a language that had to be requested to study. It was a very popular request. Most educated Hungarian's can and will speak a smidge of English and can't wait to use it. Especially in a bar. Budapest has bars everywhere. Apartments are generally not conducive for entertaining so bars and coffee houses are the centers of socializing. There are also the Baths. Budapest is built on a series of hot springs and since the times of the Pasha, 1,500 years ago there have been spas and Baths in Budapest.  Night life is vibrant and always evolving.

Budapest and Hungary are a must see when doing Europe circut. Cheaper and more fun than most European cities Budapest is a treat to all the senses. Eat on the street and drink in the beer bars and remember to say Köszönöm szépen or Thank You.

Kathleen Freeman Professional Battle Axe

You may not know her name but you certainly know her face. She is Kathleen Freeman. A character actress who appeared in scores of films and TV Ms Freeman worked steadily in Hollywood for decades. Her forte was comedy usually playing a nurse, maid or overbearing nosy neighbor. Jerry Lewis loved her and used Ms. Freeman in eleven of his films. When Kathleen Freeman wasn't acting in TV shows and movies she taught acting in her studio in Studio City.
Born in Chicago in 1919 to vaudevillian parents. She made her first stage appearance at the age of two dancing in her parents act. After briefly studying music at UCLA Ms Freeman became a full time actress in 1946. Besides her roles in the Jerry Lewis films she had many other film roles including "Singing in the Rain", "Myra Breckinridge", "The Fly" and "The Blues Brothers" where she played Sister Mary Stigmata aka The Penguin. Ms Freeman was a friend of Lucille Ball who cast her five times in various roles on her television series.
Freeman always the face you knew but the name you didn't was once approached by a fan, who said to her, "I do not know who you are or what you did, but you were wonderful!" Freeman roared with laughter and hoped someday to use that line as a title of her memoires. In 1999 Ms Freeman performed a one woman show at the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood titled "Are you Somebody?"
She was always the consummate actress, a pro. Her last performance was in the Broadway production of "The Full Monty". Ms Freeman died of lung cancer at the age of 82. She was survived by her long time companion Helen Ramsey.

Is Victoria Jackson Nuts?

Does anyone really care what Victoria Jackson thinks? I guess somebody does because she gets asked her opinion all the time. Why? She was recently asked what she thought about Todd Aiken and his remarks on rape. She said if she was raped and a baby was born out of it, it would be a blessing. First off Victoria Jackson you are well past child bearing age and have a really annoying voice. You might be gagged but...

She is also a right wing christian homophobe who claims to have "gay" friends but she has never seen them being "gay". Does this mean she hasn't been in a threesome with them? Being a good Christian she says the bible says homosexuality is a sin. She is also not a huge fan of the Muslim religion either. In an interview she said "I just want to know why the liberals are pro-Muslim and pro-gays. Muslims kill gays. That's what's confusing to me. And the only thing I can come up with is the Muslims hate God and the gays hate his word."
She also called Barack Obama a communist. Her reason his picture is on all the magazines "Like that guy from China. Victoria do think Mr. Obama's picture could be on the magazines because he is the President of the United States?
There is a possibility that she might just be nuts. A plain old fashioned kook. Her support of Michelle Bachman seems to bear that theory out.

Last Day for Seersucker

Labor day is traditionally the last day of the season one can wear seersucker. What exactly is seersucker? Well it is a woven cotton fabric thin and puckered and light weight. The puckers of the fabric keep it off the skin allowing air flow thus making it a cooler fabric for summer. The name seersucker comes from the Persian phrase "shir o shekar" which translates to milk and sugar.

Seersucker came into popularity during the British colonial period in the hotter colonies like India and Africa. In the US it became very popular in the south in the days before air conditioning. Seersucker was a mainstay in gentleman's summer suits. During the 1920's it became a fad to wear seersucker. A seersucker suit is meant to be baggy to accentuate the air flow. The most common color is the traditioal blue and white but seersucker comes in many colors. The fabric is also easily washable and requires no ironing. During World War II it was the fabric selected for the uniforms of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve.
Get out your seersucker and enjoy your Labor Day!

Hal David Dies at 91

Hal David wrote the lyrics to some of the most recognizable songs form the 1960's and 1970's. He died in Los Angeles. David partnered with Burt Bacharach wrote songs recorded by Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones and The Carpenters among others. This past May he received received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at a ceremony at the White House. His award was accepted for him by his wife as he was recovering from an earlier stoke.
He and Bacharach often worked over the phone when they started out as David was living in New York and Bacharach in Los Angeles. He won an Academy Award for the song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and was nominated for "Alfie". David also worked with Henry Mancini and Willie Nelson. David, Bacharach and Dionne Warwick had a falling out ending in a law suit but buried all of their grievances and reunited in 1992.
He is Survived by his wife Ann of 65 years and two sons.

Brownie Wise the Orignal Tupperware Lady

Brownie Wise didn't invent home sales parties but she turned them and Tupperware into a marketing revolution. Brownie (her real name) was born in 1913 to a poor family, her mother was a single mother and worked leaving Brownie alone much of the time to take care of herself. She met and quickly married and man named Robert Wise in 1936. They had one child Jerry but things didn't work out between Brownie and Robert, he a apparently was an abusive alcoholic so Brownie did the almost unthinkable in the 30's, she divorced him. She was now a single woman with a child to raise and needed to work. She tried working as a secretary but that just didn't feel right. Brownie then discovered Stanley Home Products becoming a saleswoman. She started working for Stanley becoming part of the new "Home Sales Party" trend. It was during this time she discovered Tupperware products being sold in a department store. Tupperware was founded by Earl Tupper, a one time DuPont plastic engineer, as a line of kitchen storage containers in 1946.

Brownie added Tupperware products to her home parties and the sales started to take off. Brownie then called Earl Tupper personally and convinced him to hire her.
The "Tupperware Party" was born in 1951. Tupperware because of Brownie and her home parties became a sensation. Earl Tupper was never a man to listen to advice but Brownie's success proved to be too compelling and he made her Vice-President. Brownie was a success in a male dominated business world.
Tupperware moved its corporate headquarters from New England to Florida in the mid 50's. One of the sales incentives for "Tupperware Ladies" created by Brownie was a trip to Florida to enjoy the annual Jubilee or sales conference. The Jubilee and other incentives grew increasingly expensive and tensions between Earl Tupper and Brownie mounted. Brownie's success brought fame. Earl didn't care for being over shadowed by Brownie and in 1958 he forced her out of the company.
Brownie undaunted by what she considered a forced retirement and Earl considered her firing started her own cosmetics company called "Cinderella". She once again employed her home party concept. This time she did not succeed. Her concept was used to a success though by Mary Kay Ash with her new company Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Brownie Wise lived out the rest of her life in relative obscurity in Kissimmee, Florida where she died in 1992 at the age of 79. Brownie never owned any Tupperware stock and when Earl Tupper sold the company for 16 million dollars she got nothing.