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Thursday, April 06, 2017

April 6, 1974

Hi, there!  Welcome to the first Throwback Thursday of April!  And you know, sometimes when it comes to picking topics, one just happens to stand out.  In this case, I really can't remember if I ever did a blog post on today's subject before (then again, I've been doing this for nearly six years now, so I'm starting to forget what I talked about in 2011 and 2012).  So, I thought...why not today?

Before we get to today's selected topic, let's see some of the others that didn't make the cut - though still very interesting subjects nonetheless.  This is April 6 in a nutshell...

1453 - Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople

1520 - Renaissance artist Raphael dies at the age of 37 - some reports state that he actually died on his 37th birthday

1712 - The New York Slave Revolt of 1712 begins, near Broadway

1808 - John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company

1841 - Two days after the death of William Henry Harrison, John Tyler is sworn in as the tenth President of the United States of America

1862 - The Battle of Shiloh begins during the American Civil War

1865 - The Battle of Sailor's Creek takes place

1869 - Celluloid is patented

1896 - The opening of the first modern Olympic Games takes place in Athens, Greece

1917 - The United States declares war on Germany during World War I

1929 - Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long is impeached

1937 - Country singer Merle Haggard is born in Oildale, California - sadly this date would be significant for him in another way...

1941 - Comedian Phil Austin (d. 2015) is born in Denver, Colorado

1947 - The Tony Awards hold their inaugural awards ceremony

1957 - Aristotle Onassis founds Olympic Airlines

1968 - Pierre Elliot Trudeau wins the Liberal Leadership Election, paving the way for him to become Prime Minister of Canada

1992 - The Bosnian War begins

1994 - The airplane carrying Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down, which sets the stage for the beginning of the Rwandan Genocide

1996 - Actress Greer Garson dies at the age of 91

1998 - Country singer Tammy Wynette dies at the age of 55

2001 - Charles Pettigrew of Charles and Eddie dies at the age of 37

2009 - 307 people lose their lives near L'Aquila, Italy following a 6.3 earthquake

2014 - Actor Mickey Rooney passes away at the age of 93

2016 - Country singer Merle Haggard dies on his 79th birthday

Now, let's see which famous faces are turning one year older today...James Watson, Billy Dee Williams, Roy Thinnes, Don Prudhomme, Barry Levinson, John Ratzenberger, Marilu Henner, Patrick Doyle, Rob Epstein, Michael Rooker, Cathy Jones, Warren Haynes, John Pizzarelli, Rory Bremner, Black Francis, Kathleen Barr, Jonathan Firth, Paul Rudd, Zach Braff, Candace Cameron Bure, James Fox, Imani Coppola, Tim Hasselbeck, Myleene Klass, Max Bemis, Heidi Mount, and Charlie McDermott.

All right.  Shall we have a look at what today's Throwback Thursday date is?



We're going back to the 1970s for this one.  Specifically April 6, 1974.

We're also going to take a trip to the city of Brighton in the United Kingdom, for it is here that our story begins.

Have any of you ever heard of the Eurovision Song Contest?  It has been a song competition that has gone on in the continent of Europe since 1956.  It is also one of the most watched television broadcasts worldwide, with up to 500 million people watching at least part of the contest.

The way that the contest works is that each country that enters the contest chooses an artist or a band to submit an original song that is then broadcast live on radio and television.  The songs are judged by a jury of panelists - and recently votes cast via phone are also a factor in determining a winner.  The winner of the contest would usually become the host country for the following year's contest (though there were five years in the contest's 60-year history where that rule was not observed).



Interestingly enough, the 1974 contest was one of those years.  If the tradition continued, the contest would have been held in Luxembourg.  Abut with the country winning the contest in 1972 and 1973, they declined the offer to host again, and they opted to let another nation host the contest instead.  And when it came down to the 1974 Contest, there certainly was a lot of stiff competition.

Seventeen countries participated in the 1974 Eurovision Contest that year, and many of them had submitted some really great tunes.  In fact, one of the competitors was Olivia Newton-John, who was representing the United Kingdom (she was born in Great Britain so she was eligible to compete).  Would you believe though that she came in fourth that year?  Sure, her song "Long Live Love" was wonderful, but she didn't realize that the competition would be so fierce.

In fact, the winners of the contest hailed from the country of Sweden.  Made up of two men and two women, they ended up with a final score of 24 points.  Each country (without voting for their own) gave their favourite song five points, the second favourite would get four, and so on and so forth.  Though this group from Sweden only received fives from Switzerland and Finland, they received enough ones and twos from other countries to beat Italy, whose second place score only tallied eighteen points.

Little did this group know that this victory at the Eurovision Song Contest would be the starting point towards a lengthy singing career - one that would last from 1974 until the band's break-up in 1982.  They would become the most successful group to have won the contest, having sold a total of well over 100 million records worldwide.

And that song that they performed at the contest would become the band's first of many chart-toppers, reaching #1 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.  Interestingly, the song only peaked at #3 in their native Switzerland.

In the United States, it made the Top 10.  Have a listen.



ARTIST:  ABBA
SONG:  Waterloo
ALBUM:  Waterloo
DATE RELEASED: March 4, 1974
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #6

Yes, it was on this date forty-three years ago that Swedish group ABBA won the Eurovision Contest with this song.  The band - made up of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, and Agnetha Faltskog - initially had a different title for this single (it was originally supposed to be called Honey Pie).  As well, the band had initially wanted to release a different single entitled "Hasta Manana" for the contest, but decided that "Waterloo" would make a better choice.



It certainly was a show stopper for the group.  Most entries for the Eurovision Song Contest were slow ballads - but the song entry by ABBA was an upbeat rock and roll song, with the members of ABBA dressed in flashy outfits with silver platform boots! 

ABBA also made a bit of history at the time by singing the song in English.  I know it seems kind of weird, given that most of ABBA's discography is English.  But prior to ABBA winning the contest, the Eurovision Song Contest had a rule that stated that all songs must be performed in the language that is the singer's native tongue, and is most used in the country of their residence.  So, this meant that Italy would release an Italian song, or Greece would release a Greek song, and so on.  Given the old rules, ABBA would have had to have released "Waterloo" in Swedish (which they would later do in their native country).  But since that rule was not in practice at the time that ABBA entered the contest, they were free to sing the song in English.  Which was a good thing, as I'm not so sure I'd understand the Swedish version.

So, that's the story of how ABBA began.  The winners truly did take it all.  And while they may have had several moments where they wanted to send out for an S.O.S., their fans decided to take a chance on them, and they became the kings and dancing queens of an entire generation.

If that doesn't make you sing Mamma Mia, I don't know what will.

Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Why I Will NOT Be Lighting It Up Blue For Autism Speaks...

According to several sources, I've been told that April is "National Autism Awareness Month".  To be honest, I had no clue that there was even a month devoted to this.  I knew that October was "Breast Cancer Awareness Month", and I believe that June is "National Pride Month"...but this was something new to me.

And I couldn't be happier that such a month exists.  I'll explain why a little bit later.

I only wish I had known that April 2 is the official day for "Autism Awareness" - otherwise I would have done it a couple of days ago.  But that being said, I think considering that National Autism Awareness Month lasts until April 30, I still have time to talk about it here.

Certainly, I've seen lots of people posting little blurbs about Autism Awareness month.  They are posting personal stories of what their lives are like raising children who have autism, or people sharing stories of what it feels like to be autistic, which is fantastic to see.  Some of them post memes and status updates to help raise awareness of autism, which is also cool to see. 

Then there's the temporary Facebook frame portraits that I see people using as well.  You know the ones I mean, don't you?  They allow you to download a frame onto your Facebook profile picture for a few days, a month, or even permanently if you so choose.  Believe me, I've had fun with this feature myself.  I have so far used a 2016 Rio Olympics frame, a Super Mario frame, and a Bones frame to commemorate the finale of the show that aired on March 28. 

But one frame you won't see me use is the one that urges people to turn their profile blue in the name of "Autism Speaks" - a charitable organization that was founded twelve years ago by the grandparents of an autistic child.  You can recognize the logo by the blue puzzle piece above the name. 



And the reason why I won't use this frame is because I don't particularly believe in the values that "Autism Speaks" holds true.

I realize that some might be looking at me with daggers in their eyes, but allow me to explain my stance.  If at the end of this, you still support this organization, then feel free to do so.  I won't stand in your way.  But I do implore you to understand why I feel this way.

I suppose it stems from this letter that was posted on the Autism Speaks website by one of the co-founders.  To read it, click
HERE.  Go ahead and read it.  I can wait.  I'm semi-patient.

Now, I partially get what she is trying to say here to a degree.  I can imagine that depending on where a child falls on the autism spectrum, it can definitely be a challenge.  However, almost all of my friends who have autistic children wouldn't trade that experience for the world.  They just want what is best for their child.

However, my nods of approval come to a screeching halt when she only seems to focus on the hardships of those who happen to be raising autistic children. 

Not once does she even show any sort of compassion for those who happen to be on the spectrum in the first place. 

It almost seems that she is grouping everyone who has autism into the same category, which is a complete mistake.  Sure, there are some extreme cases of autism where the child is in constant need of assistance.  But there are also so many people who are high-functioning autistic people, who might have a few quirks but are very capable of becoming proactive members of society.

And honestly, I think in order to ensure that children with autism have a chance to make a difference in the world, I think more needs to be done to help them understand that they do have a purpose in this world and that they should NEVER be seen as a burden to anybody.  Autistic people are human beings and they deserve to have the chance to be loved, to be respected, to have the chance to work, to have the chance to do all the things that everyone else in the world can do. 

They are not broken individuals.  Rather they absorb and process information differently from other people.  They might not always understand social cues that many of us take for granted, but they can also possess incredible intelligence.  They may possess super sensitivity to loud noises and can somehow be emotionally sensitive to other people.  They might have a better time communicating to a person using a computer or a pad of paper rather than talking to someone face to face. 



Believe me.  Most of the things I've described in the previous paragraph fit me to a T.  And, to be honest with you, I feel as though I'm somewhere on the autism spectrum.  I've never been formally tested - and let's face it - I couldn't afford to be tested even if I really wanted to find the truth.  But if I could hazard a guess, I would say that I might have Asperger's Syndrome - ironically, it'd be within the blue section of the above graph.  I guess I could say I'm a high-functioning autistic person.  At least I believe that I could be. 

But here's the thing.  I don't necessarily see myself as being all that different from anybody else.  I can't speak for anyone else who is autistic, but I can say that I am a person who is trying to make sense of this planet.  I want to be able to walk down the street and not have to worry about people pointing out my quirks.  I want to be able to get through a shift at work without people talking down to me as if I am seven years old.  I want to be able to build strong friendships without people looking at me as if I am a space alien. 

Basically, I want to be treated the same way that anybody else is treated.  I don't want to be talked down to.  I don't want to feel as if I am broken and need to be fixed.  I don't want to feel as though I am sick or diseased.  I don't see it as such.  I don't want people thinking that it is contagious.  Trust me, it's not.  I don't want people telling me that you won't vaccinate your child because of the fear that they will develop autism.  Personally, I'd rather have an autistic child that has a happy outlook on life than a child who dies of smallpox at the age of four.

Yes, autistic children have challenges that are difficult, but with proper guidance, compassion, and acceptance, I believe that they can find success.  The last thing that I want as someone who suspects that he has a place somewhere on the spectrum is to be told that I am a burden on someone else, and that I will need help for the rest of my life to make it in this world.  I don't want an organization telling me that this is the case.



Therefore, I cannot support Autism Speaks.

However, I can support the following groups and organizations which not only provide support to families of autistic people, but helps the children realize their full potential and treats them with the dignity and compassion that everybody deserves.

THE AUTISTIC SELF ADVOCACY NETWORK
THE AUTISM NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Friday, March 31, 2017

Jem Reviewed: Episode 54 - The Stingers Hit Town, Part 1

This is it.  We are in the final stretches of the Jem Reviewed series.  Season 2 ended with a marriage proposal and Jem losing the Academy Award.  How will Season 3 begin?  Why, with a new band, of course!  Because having only two bands just isn't enough.



This is yet another two-part episode.  Episode 54: The Stingers Hit Town, Part 1.  And we begin at Misfits Music where Eric is having a meeting with the band that has been his cash cow for the last three years - the Misfits.  And, might I add that it's about time we see them again!  I was almost missing them the last couple of episodes.



Unfortunately, that cash cow of Eric's has been running dry, and Eric is basically admonishing them for spending more money than Misfits Music is making.  They've been destroying things, shopping way over their budget, and they are all unrepentant about it.  When Eric tries to throw his weight around, Pizzazz helpfully reminds Eric that her father owns the record company, so he can't really do anything to them.



Actually, that's not true.  Eric could purchase the company from Harvey Gabor, which would give him full power.  And after Eric shares with Harvey all of the things that the Misfits have done (including smashing musical instruments and charging thousands for room service), Harvey is unimpressed with Pizzazz, and decides to make Eric an offer.  I'm still wondering what the hell Pizzazz ordered from room service that would cost that much money - A pint of Haagen-Dazs topped with beluga caviar?



But Harvey also knows business when he sees it, and he shocks Eric by doubling the offer he made the first time.  That means that Eric will have to come up with some major funds in order to purchase Misfits Music.  And in what I believe to be the greatest use of laser-guided karma that I have ever seen, Eric sells close to everything he owns - including his own home!  It actually makes me feel some schadenfreude when I see Eric basically living in one of the offices of Misfits Music.



And the first thing he does is set the Misfits straight.  Although he will still keep them on contract at Misfits Music - or Raymond Records as he has the desire to rename the company - they will have to do what he says and pay for any expenses out of their own pocket.  No offense, but if Eric didn't want the Misfits to be spoiled, he probably should have been doing this before he took them on.

Naturally, Pizzazz is furious that Harvey sold the company to Eric and she threatens to pull the Misfits out of his company.  But Eric takes her dare and says that now would be the time to add some new blood to the mix.  When did Eric suddenly develop cojones?!?



Over at Starlight Music, Jerrica's secretary Joanie is expressing some concerns of her own.  Although Starlight Music is still generating profits, most of the money is going towards the maintenance and upkeep of Starlight Mansion, so there's not a lot of money left to go around.  Jerrica seems to think that they need to sign a couple of new bands to Starlight's roster to increase profitability, but she's not sure who the next big thing is.



Perhaps Lindsey Pearce can help Jerrica out.  Turns out that Lindsey has a bit of gossip that she's sharing exclusively with Jerrica.  A band who hails from West Germany (remember, the Berlin Wall didn't get knocked down until 1989) is playing at Le Klub Kool.  They call themselves The Stingers, and they have already established a career in Europe.  However, they're looking for an American record label to spread their popularity even further.  Jerrica seems to think that she could get them signed with Starlight Music, and she decides to take Kimber along for the ride.



Unfortunately for Jerrica and Kimber, it seems as though Eric Raymond has the same idea.  After a heated verbal confrontation which requires a waiter at the club to move the Benton sisters to another table, Jerrica is more determined than ever to score a deal with the Stingers before Eric has a chance to.



And just who are the Stingers?  Well, they're all dressed in black and yellow like bees.  Because bees when they get aggressive sting.  Yeah, I find it kind of lame myself.  But let's introduce them, shall we?  The male lead singer with hair like Bon Jovi and clothes like Liberace is Riot.  And Riot loves himself.  Yes he does.



The woman on keyboards with the hat, long hair, and German accent is Minx



And the other woman with the giant ponytail is Rapture.  Interestingly, she has an American accent just like Riot.  I wonder if we'll find out the story behind that.



For now, it's time for the very first Stingers song heard on the show.  Appropriately, it's called the "Stingers Theme".  The lyrics are not something to write home about.  It's just Riot singing about how the band rocks and incorporates lyrics around the band names.  The musical arrangement though?  Stunning.  Definitely nothing we've ever heard before in the series.  It certainly seems to have worked on Kimber as she is following him around the stage as if he's the Pied Piper of Hamelin.



For that matter, the entire audience bar Jerrica and Eric Raymond gather around the stage and get into a major scuffle as a result.  Tables are tipped, drinks are spilled - it's just a gigantic mess.  At least, that is until Riot opens his mouth and tells everyone to sit down in the most soothing voice ever, which actually works!  Even Kimber is hypnotized into sitting back down which frightens and amuses Jerrica all at once.  But hey, since we're talking about Riot's voice, let's go ahead with Jem Trivia.  Riot's speaking voice is performed by voice actor Townsend Coleman, who has been a major force in the voice industry, having played roles in "The Tick", "Inspector Gadget", and most notably as the voice of Michelangelo in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".

Yeah...picture it.  The same guy who voices Riot was the one yelling "Cowabunga" all those years on the Ninja Turtles.  Mind blown.



Eric rushes up onto the stage, nearly shoving Jerrica out of the way in the process, and hands Riot his business card.  Eric informs Riot that he is the owner of Raymond Records and that he would love to have the Stingers under his roster.



But wait!  Jerrica arrives with a business card of her own, informing Riot that if the Stingers sign with Starlight Music, she will promise them a fair deal.  Eric is seething, but Riot announces that he will consider both offers as he is a fair man.  A very vain and egotistical man, but a fair man.  Jerrica even offers to sweeten the deal by having the Stingers as guests at Starlight Mansion, but Eric snaps back that he has a mansion.  Eric, I don't think Fisher-Price mansions count.

Of course, Minx seems to have developed a bit of a crush on Eric, and tells Riot that they need to go with him, so Riot decides that the Stingers will stay with Eric.  Of course, Eric sold his house to buy the record company, so he's pretty screwed.  He does tell them to wait until tomorrow and he'll have everything set up.



And Eric's idea involves convincing Pizzazz to use her mansion to house the Stingers, which immediately gets a "Flock You" look from Pizzazz.  There is NO way that she or the rest of the Misfits will allow the band that is essentially serving as their replacements for flavour of the month to come and move into her home.  Okay, Pizzazz, technically it's your father's home, but whatever.  The doorbell rings and Pizzazz marches to the door with an eclair in her hand ready to tell off the Stingers...



...and then she gazes upon Riot in all his glory and she melts like an ice scuplture in the middle of June.  If this is going to be what it's like for the next twelve episodes, I'm going to be finding myself hating Riot.

Sure enough, Pizzazz changes her tune and does a 180 about letting the Stingers move in, which stuns Jetta, Roxy, and Stormer.  After all, Pizzazz is supposed to be the STRONG Misfit.  Roxy decides that if Pizzazz won't tell the Stingers to leave, she will...



...well, at least until Pizzazz crams an eclair into her mouth and Roxy can only watch in anger and disgust as Pizzazz shows Riot, Rapture, and Minx to their new rooms.



Riot is definitely someone who thinks highly of himself, and as Pizzazz shows him around Gabor Manor, he comments about how this exquisite mansion is suitable for him.  I'd sure love to see where he lives.  Perhaps it's the Taj Mahal?  By now, it's fairly obvious that Pizzazz has fallen hard for Riot, and Riot keeps saying all the right things to make her swoon.  It's actually kind of vomit inducing, I have to say.



But after Pizzazz leaves the room, the true intent of the Stingers comes out, and Riot, Rapture, and Minx talk about how they plan on having a lot of "fun" with the Misfits.  Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Stingers.  The new antagonists of the Misfits.  But I wonder how they'll get along with Jem and the Holograms?



Well, over at Starlight Music, Jerrica is annoyed that she hasn't heard back from the Stingers yet.  She's submitted her offer to the band three times and she is worried that Eric might have gotten the Stingers to sign with Eric instead.  But the other Holograms tell Jerrica not to worry about it and instead focus on the special presentation that they will be making at the Hard Rock Cafe.  Ah, so this explains why everyone but Jerrica is dressed as if they are going to the Academy Awards.  Fortunately, Jerrica does a "Showtime, Synergy" spiel and looks as good as the Holograms in just three seconds.  I bet a lot of women (and maybe some men) wish they had that power.



Back at Gabor Manor, Eric is trying to get Riot to accept his deal, but Riot refuses to make a decision until he hears from Jerrica...but admits that Jerrica hasn't contacted him yet.  But Jerrica just said she tried to make an offer three times.  I bet Eric's playing dirty again.

As for the Misfits, Pizzazz continues to throw herself at Riot which makes the other Misfits angry, and when Riot hears that Jem and the Holograms are making an appearance at the Rock Hard Cafe, he decides that he wants to go.  Pizzazz decides she wants to go as well, leaving the other Misfits behind.  The other members of the Stingers are acting kind of weird as well.  Minx pushes Eric away when he gets too close, saying that she finds his American ass boring as hell.  Rapture, meanwhile, grabs a quartz statue worth nothing and brings it along.  At least Rapture asks Pizzazz if she could have it before taking it, so I'll suspend judgement.  For now.



Over at the Rock Hard Cafe, it appears as though Jem and the Holograms have made enough of a musical impact to have some of their memorabilia displayed inside the restaurant.  Jem's contribution is an old guitar of Aja's.  I wonder if all five members signed the guitar.  And as Jem thanks everyone for their support, she announces that she couldn't have done it without the help of their technician and engineer Rio Pacheco.  Mainly because if she thanked a seven thousand pound computer that looked like an extra in Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" video, she'd be carted off to a mental asylum.



But before Jem can finish, there's a commotion at the entrance of the Rock Hard Cafe.  Looks like the Stingers and Pizzazz have made their appearance, and much like what happened at Le Klub Kool, everyone is flocking towards them as if they were the Royal Family.



Jem decides that now would be a good time to get Riot alone to discuss the offer from Starlight Music, but Aja tells her that she'll just come across as another fan if she does.  Again, Aja's the brains of the operation for Season 3.  I see her ranked highly on my Season 3 wrap-up.  Jem agrees with Aja and decides to fight fire with fire...and she does this with a song we haven't heard since Episode 2.



I'll admit that I wasn't quite fond of the music video for "Like a Dream" the first time I saw it.  Too much imagery and too much Rio.  But this time around, with Riot trying to find Jem only to get thwarted at every opportunity...it's much more effective.  Definitely a contender for best use of a classic song for Season 3.

Now, here's where things get interesting.  After Jem's song, Riot gets mesmerized by Jem and actually pushes Pizzazz out of the way to get to know her better.  Wow, so Riot has a thing for Jem?  I wonder what Rio would say about that?



I'm guessing based on this screenshot, he doesn't think much of it.  But to my disappointment, Rio and Riot don't get into a fist fight.  And, yeah, I'm just realizing that Rio and Riot only have one letter separating their names so I'm cursing myself that I'll have to be extra careful when both of them are in an episode together.  But to Rio's shock, Jem brushes Rio off to speak with Riot and to introduce him to the rest of the Holograms!  Wow!



It appears as though the rest of the Holograms seem to find Riot quite charming.  Shana doesn't say too much (sadly this is getting to be normal for her), but Raya and Kimber seem enchanted by Riot.  Oh, here we go again.  At this point, you could drop Sean Harrison in the middle of the club in his underwear and Kimber would still swoon over Riot.  Thankfully, Aja is not swayed by the yellow and black clad rocker, and tells Rio that she does NOT trust him, and she hates the way that Jem treated Rio.  Um, Aja...Rio's treated Jem just as badly in some cases.  She must have selective amnesia.



But Aja does seem to be right about the true intentions of the Stingers.  As soon as Rio leaves the Holograms, Minx basically throws herself at Rio and tells him that they need to be alone together.  Good lord, Minx must throw herself at any man that moves.  She and Kimber should get along great!



And we learn why Rapture wanted the statue so badly.  She's using it to scam people out of money by promising that it will grant wishes.  You know, I'm sensing the theme for the Stingers.  If you get stung, your mind belongs to them.  They could be extremely dangerous for both the Misfits and the Holograms.



As for Pizzazz, she interrupts a meeting between Jem and Riot about Jerrica's offer, and when this happens, Riot turns on Pizzazz and tells her to go away!  I...I don't think anyone has ever told Pizzazz that, much less a man that isn't Eric Raymond!



Pizzazz doesn't seem to take this rejection very well and decides that she will take revenge by ripping the guitar off the wall and smashing it into a hundred pieces.  The owner of the cafe sees what she is doing and tries to grab the guitar back.  There's a bit of a struggle, but the cafe owner wins and sends Pizzazz flying into a replica of the Statue of Liberty...



...which crashes into a table filled with customers.  Shortly after, a massive food fight erupts right in the middle of the cafe, and everyone is trying to get out of the way.  I, meanwhile, am laughing at the irony of Riot unintentionally being the cause of another Riot.  I'm thinking we know where the stage name came from!



Though I have to give Riot some credit.  Around Jem, he's a perfect gentleman, and he gets her out of the chaos safely.  Though Rio is not impressed when he and Kimber spot Jem and Riot driving away in the Rockin' Roadster.  Kimber's probably upset that the other Holograms have no way to get home, but Rio has reason to be more upset than that.  Pizzazz is also steamed until Rapture cozies up to her and tells Pizzazz that she will help her win Riot's heart.  Yeah, given Rapture's introduction, Pizzazz should be frightened.



As Jem drives down a secluded area, Riot tells her a little more about himself.  His real name is Rory Llewellyn, and he was an army brat growing up, having moved all over the world (ah, so that explains Riot's American accent).  As for how he and the Stingers got together, I can tell you that we'll find out more about this in the second-to-last episode of the series, but we're not quite there yet.  Either way, Jem seems interested in learning more about him.



They make their way towards a...giant harp?  Okay, anybody living in Los Angeles in 1988 - was this really a thing?  And if so, does it still exist?  I'm really curious to know!  Anyway, the breeze is causing the strings to vibrate and there's beautiful music in the air as Riot lets Jem know how he feels.  Riot wants her.  He thinks that he and Jem would make the perfect couple.  At first, I think Jem might accidentally out herself as she explains that Rio and Jerrica are dating...but Riot doesn't pick up on it.  Instead he tells Jem that Rio can have Jerrica...what Riot wants is her.  Cue the final song of the episode.





You know, I can sort of understand why Eric and Jerrica are fighting over the Stingers in spite of their toxic personalities.  The song "Perfect Match" is definitely a standout!  Very different from any song heard in Jem before, but in a really good way.  Incredibly smooth, and very reminiscent of what was hot in pop music at that time.





And as the episode ends with a TO BE CONTINUED graphic, Riot plants a kiss firmly on Jem's lips.  Okay, let me see if I have this straight.  Jerrica and Rio are technically dating, but Rio's in love with Jem as well even though Jerrica and Jem are the same person.  Minx also has developed a crush on Rio, but Rio rebuffs her.  Riot on the other hand has Pizzazz after him, but Riot's heart seems to only want Jem.




This sounds like an episode of Dallas!  I can't keep up!  Hopefully part two of "The Stingers Hit Town" will clarify some things.  That's coming up next Friday.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

March 30, 1981

All right...this is the final Throwback Thursday for the month of March.  And while I can't really say that this event that we are flashing back to is a happy occasion, it was a very important part of modern day history - one that I am sure will be making an appearance in future history textbooks.

Let's have a look at some other events that took place on March 30.

1822 - The Florida Territory is created in the United States

1841 - The National Bank of Greece is founded in Athens

1856 - The Crimean War ends following the signing of the Treaty of Paris

1867 - Alaska is purchased from Russia by William S. Seward for $7.2 million

1870 - Texas rejoins the United States of America following Reconstruction after the American Civil War

1929 - Actor Richard Dysart (d. 2015) is born in Massachusetts

1943 - Singer Jay Trainor (d. 2014) is born in Brooklyn, New York

1945 - During World War I, Austria is invaded by the Soviet Union, while the city of Danzig, Poland is liberated by Soviet and Polish troops

1949 - Following Iceland's decision to join NATO, a riot erupts in Reykjavik's Austurvollur Square

1965 - Twenty-two people lose their lives and 183 more are injured following the detonation of a car bomb outside of Saigon's American Embassy during the Vietnam War

1973 - Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein (d. 2009) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1979 - British MP Airey Neave is killed by a car bomb outside of the Palace of Westminster

1982 - Space Shuttle Columbia lands safely in New Mexico following the completion of the STS-3 Mission

1991 - Gloria Estefan's "Coming Out Of The Dark" - the first single released since her 1990 bus accident - reaches #1 on the Billboard charts

2002 - Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother passes away at the age of 101

2003 - Actor Michael Jeter dies at the age of 50

2004 - Journalist and former host of "Masterpiece Theatre" Alasdair Cooke dies at the age of 95

2014 - Actress Kate O'Mara passes away at the age of 74

And birthday greetings go out to the following people; John Astin, Rolf Harris, Warren Beatty, Kenneth Welsh, Eric Clapton, Eddie Jordan, Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, Dana Gillespie, Robbie Coltrane, Paul Reiser, Maurice LaMarche, Martina Cole, MC Hammer, Tracy Chapman, Piers Morgan, Celine Dion, Mark Consuelos, Norah Jones, and Jason Dohring.

So, as I said...this date in history that we're flashing back to today is a dark day - but it's one that I'm sure most people who are old enough to have experienced it remember as if it was yesterday.

Unfortunately, I am NOT one of those people.  I was still in the womb at the time and wouldn't be born for another seven weeks.



That's because the date is March 30, 1981.



Thirty-six years ago, a stunning event took place in the middle of Washington D.C. which had the whole world talking.  In the middle of broad daylight at 2:27 that afternoon, somebody would take some shots of the current American President at that time, Ronald Reagan.  Only instead of using a camera, they would use an actual gun.

It was the first assassination attempt on an American president in six years - an unsuccessful plot to kill Gerald Ford was foiled when the gun of the planned assassin - Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme malfunctioned.  In the case of Ronald Reagan, the end result was much different.  Reagan was shot, as were three other people.  The most seriously wounded of the four was White House Press Secretary James Brady, whose injuries from the shooting left him permanently paralyzed for the rest of his life. 

Fortunately for Reagan, he would recover from the shooting and remained as President for two full terms before being succeeded by George Bush in January 1989.  The gunman, John Hinckley Jr. was arrested and found not guilty by reason of insanity.  He would spend the next thirty-five years in psychiatric care before being released into the care of his mother in September 2016.

But what would cause John Hinckley Jr. to do such a callous crime such as assassinating the President of the United States?

Would you believe that it had to do with a girl?  In fact, one could call her one of the biggest child stars of the 1970s.

These days, Jodie Foster makes her living behind the camera as a famous director.  But during the late 1960s all the way through the 2000s, she made a living as an actress.  Who could forget her role as Clarice Starling in "The Silence of the Lambs"?  Or some of her roles during her teen years during the 1970s which included everything from "Bugsy Malone" to "Candleshoe"?



Perhaps Jodie's finest performance was in the movie "Taxi Driver", where she played the controversial role of a child prostitute opposite Robert DeNiro.  The film was a cinematic masterpiece (at least in my opinion anyway), and it earned her an Academy Award nomination at just fourteen years of age.  But while "Taxi Driver" was a huge hit for the young starlet, she would have no idea that it would be her performance in this film that would trigger John Hinckley Jr. to commit his crime.

You see, Hinckley watched Jodie's performance in "Taxi Driver".  A lot.  It is estimated that he watched the film at least fifteen times prior to 1981 and had developed an unhealthy obsession with her.  He even went so far as to tracking down where Jodie's dorm room was at Yale University and called her, sent her notes, and even tried enrolling in a writing course.  But despite Hinckley's attempts to get closer to Jodie, Jodie turned him down, and started to show the dean of the university the notes that she continued to receive.

At some point, the school had tried to contact the police department to bring Hinckley in for harassment, but the school failed to track him down.  By then, Hinckley started to put his plan into motion.

Having been a fan of "Taxi Driver", Hinckley decided to emulate the role that Robert DeNiro portrayed - a man who plotted the assassination of a U.S. Senator to try and protect Jodie's character from harm.  Hinckley had attempted to kill President Gerald Ford in 1980, but he was taken in by authorities for possession of illegal firearms, and wasn't able to follow through with the plan.  And even though Ford was in Washington at the time that Hinckley planned to take him out, the incident was not reported to the Secret Service as authorities failed to make a connection between Ford and Hinckley. 

So, Hinckley decided that he would shift his focus to the newly elected Reagan, and he believed that if he killed Reagan, he would impress Jodie Foster enough that she would immediately fall for him. 

On March 30, 1981, Hinckley made his move.  Having read his schedule printed in a copy of the Washington Star two days prior, he decided that he would meet Reagan at the Washington Hilton Hotel - where Reagan would deliver an address to AFL-CIO representatives.

While most public events would have required the President to wear a bulletproof vest (something that became commonplace after the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy), Reagan chose not to wear one as he would only be in exposure for the 30 feet between the hotel and the limousine that would take him back to the White House.  That was mistake #1.

Mistake #2 was related to the Secret Service and a "colossal mistake" that was made.  While the majority of the people in the area were screened by the Secret Service to prevent anything from happening, a small group of unscreened civilians were left standing just fifteen feet away from the area behind a rope line.  Can you guess who was part of that unscreened group?



Needless to say, the cards were set up for a perfect storm.  And as Reagan passed Hinckley on his way to the limo, that storm struck in the form of half a dozen bullets.

Reagan was struck in the abdomen.  Press Secretary James Brady took a bullet to the head.  Police officer Thomas Delahenty was struck in the neck.  Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy was shot as he dove onto the wounded President to protect him from further harm.

It didn't take long to apprehend Hinckley, and all of the wounded were immediately taken to area hospitals.  Because the brand of ammunition that Hinckley used were "Devastator" cartridges - bullets that were designed to explode upon impact - surgeons had to wear bulletproof vests to extract the bullets.  Amazingly, the bullet that struck Brady was the only one to fully explode - explaining why Brady ended up taking the most physical damage.



Although Reagan had sustained some internal bleeding and a punctured lung in the attempted assassination, he would go on to make a full recovery.  Delahanty and McCarthy also recovered, though due to the severity of his injury, Delahanty was forced to retire.  



As for Brady, even though the attack left him paralyzed, he continued to serve as Press Secretary until Reagan left office, and afterwards became a serious advocate for gun control.  As a result, the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act was passed in 1993.  Brady passed away in August 2014, and in a surprising move, his death would be ruled a homicide thirty-three years after the shooting.

The events of March 30, 1981 served as a terrifying reminder that being in political office is a very risky job.  And it's a date that for those alive during that time remains a shocking event.