I
hope you're ready to step back into the POP CULTURE
ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR!
If
memory serves me, we're already at Day #6 - which means that I will
be posting my twentieth favourite song of the holiday season!
Now, if you've been keeping track of my list so far, quite a few of the songs
I've selected have been happy, carefree songs that you can dance to. And that is purely intentional. I believe that Christmas Day should be as
much fun as possible. While the more
traditional tunes do appear on my list as well, I think Christmas should be
more of a celebration, and having fun with your family members and friends.
Well, okay, maybe on the drama series EastEnders, it's anything but. But one song that I am sure that you might
hear playing in the background of some Christmas themed episodes of British
soaps is this one at #20.
Ah, yes. "Step Into
Christmas" by Elton John. I mean,
as the years have passed by, we all knew Elton John could belt out a tune. He's had the many #1 hits and top selling
albums to prove it.
But what is interesting about "Step Into Christmas" was that it was
released right around the time that Elton was beginning to make a name for
himself as a musical artist. Remember,
by this time he had already scored hits with "Crocodile Rock",
"Daniel", and "Rocket Man". So, the fact that this song became a huge hit in the UK at that
time really speaks volumes.
In fact, not only did the single reach the Top 30 in the UK, but it also became
a #1 single on the Billboard Christmas charts just in time for Christmas
1973! And did you know that it's the
ninth most played Christmas tune in the United Kingdom forty-four years after
it was originally released? Talk about
staying power!
Now, for years, the only way you could get a copy of this single was by
actually buying the album single (of which the B-side was an amusing tune
called "Ho, Ho, Ho (Who'd Be a Turkey on Christmas?)". But in 1995, the track was finally released
on CD format on a remastered version of his 1974 album
"Caribou". It also appears on
Elton's Christmas album "Elton John's Christmas Party". And I seriously recommend that you do pick
up this single and give it a spin because it really does make you get in the
mood of having a very merry Christmas!
Oh yeah, Bernie Taupin appears in the music video of "Step Into
Christmas". See if you can spot
him!
And that wraps up the twenties of this list.
Stay tuned for song #19 tomorrow, where the tale is bittersweet, and the
setting is...the frozen foods section?
Hello,
everyone! And welcome to Day #5 of the POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR!
In case you're just joining us, I'm counting down what I believe to be the best
25 Christmas tunes ever released. Of
course, that is strictly my own opinion.
Feel free to agree or disagree with me all you like. But try to do it respectfully. We are twenty days until Christmas and Santa
Claus is still watching and judging you.
Watching
and judging.
Oh...ahem. That's right. It's time to have a look at song #21, isn't it?
Before
I post it, I will say this as a bit of a disclaimer. In Canada, we tend to have a listen to songs from the United
Kingdom a lot sooner than the people of the United States do. So as a result, I don't know if a whole lot
of you will know who this artist is - or even what the song is. But this song has always been a part of my
Christmases from the time I was growing up, and on the rare occasion that the
radio did play this song during the month of December, I loved it.
So,
here's the song I have picked for #21
Born
Michael Barratt in Cardiff, Wales, he changed his stage name to Shakin' Stevens
when he was starting out in the music business. Though his career in the UK began in the 1960s, it wasn't until
he was in his thirties that his career really took off in the UK.
And, I suppose it's needless to say that in the United States and Canada, his
career didn't seem to take off at all.
I have to admit, I didn't know that it was him who sang my twenty-first
favourite Christmas tune until four years ago!
But in 1985, Shakin' Stevens released the tune "Merry Christmas
Everyone" in the UK, where it topped the charts that Christmas. You see, in the UK, it's not uncommon for a
Christmas tune to reach the #1 spot, and not only did the song chart at the top
of the pops in 1985, but over the last ten years, the song has re-charted -
going as high as #17 in 2016!
The song is sort of arranged in a way that makes it sound as it was released at
the beginning of the rock and roll era.
This was quite common with a lot of Shakin' Stevens' early works. He was likely one reason for the brief
period in the early 1980s when everything 1950s was hot again.
The music video is quite nicely done as well, with somewhat decent production
values for its time period. And it does
just what the song intends to do - makes everyone feel happy and excited that
the holiday is here and celebrating it the best way they can. From snowman building to sleigh rides to
that incredibly ugly Christmas sweater Stevens is wearing - this video just
screams Christmas!
They didn't have to look hard to cast some of the children in the video - two
of them were played by his own children!
The final footnote I have to offer regarding this tune is that it was
re-recorded and re-released in 2015 in an effort to raise money for the
Salvation Army. Only instead of the
rock influenced tune that the original was flavoured with, Stevens decided to
transform it into a country tinged tune complete with a banjo for emphasis.
So, why do I like this song so much? Well, it's been a part of my holiday
experience since I was a kid. It also
reminds me of a much simpler time, when the only thing you had to worry about
was making sure Santa had the right cookies, or trying to fall asleep on
Christmas Eve night when the anticipation of opening gifts was too hard to
handle. Those are the days that I
cherish the most, and while I can't quite go back in time to experience them
again, I can think about them each time I hear this song.
We'll be closing out the twenties with another holiday favourite from the UK -
this time, it's from a British chap...and I doubt you'll see any crocodiles in
this one.
Certainly
when I think of the holidays, I think of traditions. And on Day #4 of the POP CULTURE ADDICT'S GUIDE TO LIFE, tradition is definitely the name of the
game as we check and see what song is at #22 on the list of Top 25 Christmas
Songs (According to Me).
In
case you've missed the last three days, here's a recap of the ones heard so
far. I'll be doing this periodically
the closer we get to Christmas.
25. Here We
Come A-wassailing Medley 24.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree 23. Have
Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
As you can tell, there's a little bit of tradition blended with a
modern twist. Much like the selection
that I have for song #22.
Ah, Darlene Love. What a
set of pipes on that lady. Can you
believe that at 76 years old, she is still going strong with her musical
chops? Though she has built a career
with several albums and singles to her credit (as well as taking a turn at
acting on the side), she's probably best known for her work on holiday
albums. I'm wracking my brain trying to
come up with a Christmas song she hasn't sang.
Her first major Christmas tune was Christmas (Baby Please Come
Home) - a song that has been covered by such artists as U2, Mariah Carey, and
Cher. It first appeared on the holiday
album "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector", and that album
also contained hits from the Crystals, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, and a
certain group that (SPOILER ALERT) you will hear a little later in this
Christmas countdown.
And what a song it was too!
She belted out those words in such a brilliant way that at the time I
don't think anyone else could have done it the same way. And that song would become an annual
tradition in every sense of the word.
Particularly for one late night talk show host.
It's hard to believe that
David Letterman's show has been off the air for nearly three years now. And it's especially hard to believe that in
those three years, Letterman has somehow grown an epic Santa Claus beard! But back when he was clean-shaven and one of
the kings of late night television, he and Paul Shaffer would entertain
audiences year round - well, at least until the Christmas holidays began.
You see, David Letterman had his own set of traditions that he honoured on the
last show before the Christmas hiatus.
Those traditions usually included at least one visit with Rupert at
Hello Deli, a holiday themed Top 10 list, and Jay Thomas attempting to knock
off the meatball at the top of his Christmas tree.
(R.I.P. Jay Thomas.)
At at the end of the holiday themed spectacular, Paul Shaffer and the CBS
Orchestra would invite singer Darlene Love to perform "Christmas (Baby
Please Come Home) every single year since 1986. And she made it to every single performance for the rest of the
time David Letterman hosted the show.
(Well, okay, due to the 2007/2008 writer's strike, she had to sit that one out
- but the 2006 performance was broadcast instead.)
I suppose really that's what the holidays are all about in the long run. Yes, the holidays have gotten more
modernized with online shopping and phone apps that let you track Santa around
the world on Christmas Eve. But at the
root of it all, there's traditions that have lasted centuries. Darlene Love has certainly been a part of
holiday traditions for a few years at least!
So, that's four out of twenty-five songs complete. What do I have next at #21?
How about a song that sounds like it was released in the 1950s, actually
came out in the 1980s, and was a huge hit for a guy whose stage name sounds
like something you might do to James Bond's martini!
We
are continuing the countdown of the Top 25 Christmas songs according to my own
personal opinion. And as we kick off Day #3 of the POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR, we will actually be having
a look at song #23 on my list.
Yep. This year, I'm counting down
backwards.
It's actually been a lot of fun doing this so far. All year long on my Facebook page, I've been counting down my
list of my top 750 songs of all time, and let's just say that when I post my
Boxing Day entry, I will be sharing that list with all of you to analyze and
break down however you see fit.
Now,
as the late Casey Kasem would say - on with the countdown!
Have you ever seen the 1944 film "Meet Me in St. Louis"? To be perfectly honest with you, that is one
movie that I have never seen. I know, I
call myself a pop culture addict, yet there are a few movies that I have not
yet seen! I suppose that I can be
forgiven though. It was released
thirty-seven years before I was born.
However, the film starred a standout performer in her own right. Actress Judy Garland had already made a name
for herself five years earlier when she took on the role of Dorothy Gale in
"The Wizard of Oz". The film was
an instant success worldwide (and admittedly was one of my favourite movies
growing up and is still held in high regard for me personally), and catapulted
her to success.
Of course, we all know that Judy Garland's star burned out prematurely. By the time the 1960s rolled around, she had
a serious drug and alcohol problem which was a factor behind her death in 1969
at the age of 47. But back in her
prime, she was as beautiful as she was talented.
What
was interesting about Judy Garland's voice was that she sang almost every song
with a mixture of happiness, hope, and heartbreak. I mean, if you listen to her song "Somewhere Over The
Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz", it was as beautiful as it was
melancholic. You could hear the sadness
in her voice as she sang about how she longed to be over the rainbow, but you
could also hear the resolve that one day she would get there.
(And she eventually did in all of her technicolor glory.)
I
suppose that my choice for song #23 - "Have Yourself a Merry Little
Christmas" is also a song that brings about those conflicting
emotions. Granted, the song is one of
my favourites anyway no matter who sings it (and honestly, I almost picked the
Pretenders' version from 1987 as Chrissie Hynde rocked that song quite
well). But there's something about Judy
Garland's version that makes it stand out more.
The song itself could be interpreted as a happy song, as the genuine wish for
someone to have a merry Christmas is a good one. But the way that Judy sang it, there's that added depth of
despair - almost as if something is missing from Judy's life that would make it
a merry little Christmas. I think that
a lot of people out there are feeling that way. Sometimes I feel as though I should be happy during the holidays,
but there's something missing that would make it perfect, which leads to
seasonal depression, and so on and so forth.
I think it's because of the emotion that Judy Garland used to sing the song
that cemented it at #23 on this list. I
knew it had to be included somewhere, but I also knew that there are others
that I liked more.
Such as the song that I have listed at #22.
Although the song was first released in the 1960s, it became an annual
tradition at one late night host's talk show - well, at least until 2014
anyway.
Welcome
to Day #2 of the POP CULTURE
ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR! Also, this is the first time
in what seems like months that I've done two blog entries in a row! I'm telling you, 2017 has been a challenging
year to say the least.
Now,
in case you're just joining us, I'm counting down my Top 25 Christmas tunes of
all time - well, at least in my opinion anyway. As of right now, I've only got one listed so far.
25.
Here We Come A-Wassailing Medley
By the time Christmas comes though, we will be adding twenty-four other songs
ranging from the classic to contemporary.
In the case of some songs, I will be selecting what is my favourite
version. Believe me, in some cases, the
choice was incredibly tough as there are so many wonderful interpretations of
the same song. But in other cases, it's
pretty obvious that I will choose one version over the others.
Such
as this song that is at #24 on my list.
Ah,
Brenda Lee. She started in the music
industry so young. Would you believe
that when she recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", she was
just thirteen years old?
Of course, the screenshot that I took to make the image above clearly shows her
to be older...unless thirteen year olds really dressed dowdy in 1958. But it's no wonder that her nickname in the
music industry was "Little Miss Dynamite". Imagine having such a husky controlled voice as a teenager. No matter whether you liked her style of
music or not, she truly was gifted.
And
I have to admit that "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" will always
be a favourite of mine. I can remember
the first time I heard the song playing in my life.
I
want to say that I was five years old at the time, and I was in the car going
to see Santa Claus at the mall. It was
a simpler time where cars were as enormous as spaceships, cassette tapes were
the format of choice for music consumers, and the top holiday toy was the Teddy
Ruxpin doll. And yes, I am totally
dating myself.
But I do distinctly remember that the song was playing just before we pulled up
to the mall, and it was a song that I really liked. I mean, I liked it so much that I actually refused to go inside
the mall until the song was over. And
let me tell you, as a four year old who was just getting into music at the
time, this was a huge deal.
I also remember being sad that it only played once a year every December. But then the song was used in a scene in the
film "Home Alone", and I realized that I could listen to that song
whenever I wanted every time I popped the movie in the VCR (well, okay, now it
would be the Blu-Ray Player). And yes,
I just dated myself again.
Since the first time I heard the song, I admit
that it has become a holiday necessity for me.
I have to hear the song played at least once. And only by Brenda Lee.
That being said, I don't think that it would be appropriate to post a
video of myself singing along to that tune while decorating my own tree. Your ears do not deserve that punishment.
But they do deserve to hear Brenda's version below! Enjoy!
Do pop in for #23 tomorrow. There may
be no place like home for this singer, but only she can sing a song with a
mixture of happiness and heartbreak.
I'm
back!!! Didya miss me? I know I sure missed all of you!
To
say that the last couple of months have been challenging would be the biggest
understatement of the year. I know I've
missed a lot...such as half of the people I've written blogs about have now
been fired for sexual harassment. And
good on those who spoke out against it, as that sort of stuff has no place in
this world.
But
for now, it's time to do what I have done every December for the last few
years. It is time for...
...THE POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR!!!
And welcome to Day #1 of the calendar at that.
So
the theme of the advent calendar is music.
In particular, we'll be taking a look at some of the holiday music that
has made me smile over every Christmas I have experienced.
But
we're going to be doing things a little bit differently this year. We're actually going to start off with
number 25 and go backwards to #1. Hey,
I figure if Rick Dees and Ryan Seacrest can do it, why can't I?
Because this year, I'm going to be sharing (in my opinion, of course), my Top 25 Songs of Christmas Past. After
listening to Christmas music for the last three weeks (seriously, working in
retail, I have literally no choice), I've compiled my list of 25 favourite
songs. Some are contemporary, some are
classic, and some are really obscure.
But the one thing that these songs have in common is that at some point,
they've made an impact on my enjoyment of the holiday season, and Christmas to
me wouldn't quite be the same without these tunes.
But I will say this. There will be no
Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, or Madonna's "Santa Baby" on this
list. That much I can promise. And the list of songs that I have is quite
eclectic. The newest song is from five
years ago, and the oldest song is from the 1800s!
So,
let's kick it all off with song #25!
Now,
this song is actually a medley that was performed in one of my favourite
Christmas specials of all time. Will
Vinton's "A Claymation Christmas" was first shown on television in
1987, and it has since become a bit of a forgotten show. I haven't seen it air in at least twenty
years. Luckily, I bought the DVD of it
so I can watch it whenever I want - even in June if I choose to!
Anyway, in between the special performances by
ice skating walruses, bells that hammer themselves in the head, and raisins
singing about red-nosed reindeers, there were news reports hosted by a pair of
dinosaurs. And they were trying to talk
about the Christmas carol "Here We Come A-wassailing", but neither
one of them knew what the word wassailing meant. And every time they tried to explain the meaning, they were
always interrupted by groups of people who misinterpreted the meaning.
First we had a group of dogs singing about how they were going a waffling! Of course, we had the dogs giving the dino
hosts free waffles.
Then we had a group of beautiful geese warbling about how they were going a
waddling. And while I think they would
have been more appropriate for Easter, they were handing out eggs to share.
And then we had the group of pigs who sang about how they loved to go a
wallowing. And yes, they too brought
lots of goodies and treats to share.
It actually wasn't until the end of the show that we learned what wassailing
was from a group of tiny elves...or maybe they were leprechauns. It was really hard to tell as a
six-year-old. Anyway, they explained
that wassailing was when you went around the neighbourhood greeting your neighbours,
wishing them well, giving them treats and singing Christmas carols.
It was a great way for us kids to learn about the meaning of a Christmas tune
(and it was cool to learn what wassailing really was). And as a result, I'm starting the countdown
with this tune.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a video of the medley...but I did find a link to
the whole Claymation Christmas special.
Click HERE to watch it. And I'll
tell you right now, this is not the only song you will hear on my list from
that special.
Coming up tomorrow - song #24 is a tune that was belted out by a thirteen year
old that was dubbed "Little Miss Dynamite!"
I
think it's been a while since I last wrote in this blog. Well over a month, in fact. This has actually been the first time I've
actually had time to sit down and compose something after the last month of
pure hell.
Yes,
that's the reason why I have been staying away for so long. Sometimes life has a way of smacking you in
the face, kicking you in the stomach, and stealing all of the money in your
wallet. That's kind of what happened to
me this past month.
(Well, not LITERALLY, of course.)
Now, I can't quite go into specifics about what happened too much because it's
still somewhat of a private matter within my family. The only thing that I can say at this time is that not long after
my last entry (which was October 9th), one of my family members was involved in
a major accident, and they were hurt really badly. At that point, my priority became less about the blog and more
about helping them get through the ordeal.
It was quite the traumatic experience for all involved, but I am happy
to report that despite some setbacks, they are well on their way to
recovery.
Sometimes
it takes an event like that to make one really re-evaluate their priorities in
life. And that's essentially where I
have been the last month. I have had to
step up and help take care of things while my family member recovers from their
injuries. Most of my free time in the
earliest part of this ordeal has gone towards trying to keep things
together. Balancing that with a
full-time job makes it even more challenging.
The one thing I can definitely say though is that this experience has really
shown me what true friendship and loyalty really is. From people sending their well-wishes, and to the family pitching
in to support each other, to random acts of kindness from acquaintances to make
sure that we were all taken care of.
Given that we're getting into the holiday season, it's something that we
can all really appreciate.
Besides, I think some of you can understand that lately I've felt a little bit
of writer's block, and that I have been having a creative lull. I guess it's something that all writers go
through at some point, but it was a source of frustration for me. It was like, I love to write, but have I run
out of stories to tell?
I suppose that as much as I didn't want it to be like this, and that I wish
that my family member didn't get hurt, in some weird way, it was the catalyst to figuring things out. I needed to take some time away
from the blog to really figure out what I want out of it...what I want to tell
people. How to make A POP CULTURE
ADDICT'S GUIDE TO LIFE entertaining again.
2017 has definitely been my biggest year of self-reflection yet, and
while I could definitely use a do-over of everything after October of this
year, it has helped me understand that sometimes it is okay to take some time
away to help others get through tough times.
Fortunately, I have come up with a way that I can end the year on a good
note. While this may be my only post
for the month of November, I've already got plans for the 2017 POP CULTURE
ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR. I won't spoil
too much, but it will have to do with music.
Thank you all for reading this post. Believe me when I say that while I needed
this break away, I did miss all of you.
Take care, and I will see you in December...or maybe earlier than that. I haven't decided yet.
I
can still remember the first time I ever heard a Tom Petty song...and it
traumatized me at first!
I think the year was 1988 or 1989...it was right around the time that my
parents got a brand new television for the living room. Not only that, but it was the first time
that our household had cable television!
(Okay, granted, my parents could only afford the basic cable package which
meant that we couldn't see any channels past Channel 37, but still...two dozen
more choices to choose from! Yay!)
Anyway,
one of the channels that we were blessed with was MuchMusic (Canada's version
of MTV), and at least back in 1988, the channel was airing music videos
approximately twenty-one hours of the day.
So, back then, you were guaranteed to see your favourite artists and
their contributions to the music video world at some point in the day.
And that's where I came across the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers video for
"Don't Come Around Here No More".
Now,
keep in mind, I was probably around seven when I first watched this video, and
keep in mind that my television viewing didn't include a lot of violent
shows. So the scene in which Tom Petty
was slicing Alice from Alice in Wonderland with a cutting knife was really
disturbing and I think I grabbed the remote with enough force to probably snap
it in half in order to switch the channel.
(Though,
keep in mind that the part of the music video for Phil Collins' "Don't
Lose My Number" where the guy activates a capsule of fake blood
traumatized me enough to swear off MuchMusic for six months! Yeah, I was a weird child. No apologies. No regrets.)
But
once I got over the initial shock of the video and really listened to the song,
I dug it. I mean, I really dug it.
And
it wasn't too long after I saw that video for the first time that Tom Petty
released the album "Full Moon Fever".
It was a massive success all over the world and gave us hits like
"Free Fallin'"
And,
"I Won't Back Down".
And, "Runnin' Down a Dream".
From that moment on, I became a fan of Tom
Petty's music. I sought out that album
and became acquainted with many more of his older releases. Songs such as "Refugee", "You
Got Lucky", "American Girl", and "Even The Losers" all
earned a spot in my music collection, and as time passed, I grew to respect the
man even more.
I loved him when he was a part of the supergroup "The Traveling
Wilburys" - a group which also included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff
Lynne, and Roy Orbison. His 90s hits
were just as polished and fresh as his stuff from the 1970s and 1980s (though I
must say that the music video for "Mary Jane's Last Dance" creeped me
out even more than "Don't Come Around Here No More" - the song is
kick-ass, but the video is major disturbing).
And as time passed, we all believed that Tom Petty would continue to
rock our worlds with his classic rock tunes, his incredible work ethic, and his
down-to-earth personality for decades to come.
Sadly, as we all well know, Tom Petty passed away on October 2, 2017 - just
days before his 67th birthday. The cause
of death was cardiac arrest - and for a while, it was unknown as to whether or
not he actually passed on. With the Las
Vegas tragedy still fresh on everybody's minds at the time, I suppose it was
easy to have a misunderstanding over what was really going on.
But once the news was confirmed, I have to say it really bummed me out. I'll never get the chance to see him in
concert. All I really have are the
songs that he sang - songs that defined many people's childhoods and songs that
sent a message. His death really hit a
lot of people hard - myself included.
It was a similar feeling to how I felt when I heard that Michael Jackson
died, or Robin Williams, or David Bowie.
Even though the only time you ever interacted with them was by watching
them on television or listening to them on the radio, hearing that they had
passed on is very much like losing an old friend. They were always there with you when you were feeling happy or
feeling sad. And while the memories
will remain via all of the work they released, there will still be that void in
a sense.
But I have a feeling that if there is a heaven in this world, Tom Petty is
probably giving one of the greatest performances ever.
I'd like to think that he learned to fly...because he got his wings.
This
has certainly been a sad week in the world this week. October 2017 hasn't been the most positive month so far with the
mass shooting in Las Vegas and the death of Tom Petty (which I will be doing a
special blog on once I get the time to do so).
I think that for this week's Throwback
Thursday post,
I wanted to feature a positive post. I
think we can all agree that there has been too much sadness this week.
Before
we get to the topic that I have chosen for this week, let's see what other
events took place on October 5.
1582 - As a direct result of the adoption of the
Gregorian calendar, October 5 actually doesn't exist in Italy, Poland,
Portugal, and Spain
1789 - Women of Paris march to Versailles to
confront Louis XVI of France about his refusal to promulgate the decrees on the
abolition of feudalism
1813 - Shawnee leader Tecumseh is killed during
the Battle of the Thames in Canada
1857 - Anaheim, California is founded
1864 - A cyclone nearly destroys the city of
Calcutta, killing over 60,000
1869 - The Bay of Fundy region in Maritime Canada
is devastated by the Saxby Gale
1902 - McDonald's founder Ray Kroc (d. 1984) is
born in Oak Park, Illinois
1905 - Wilbur Wright pilots Wright Flyer III in a
flight of 24 miles in 39 minutes
1917 - Game show host Allen Ludden (d. 1981) is
born in Mineral Point, Wisconsin
1921 - The 1921 World Series becomes the first to
be broadcast on radio
1922 - "The Family Circus" cartoonist
Bil Keane (d. 2011) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1943 - Ninety-eight American POW's are executed
by Japanese forces on Wake Island
1945 - A riot erupts at the gates of Warner
Brothers studios in an event that would come to be known as "Hollywood
Black Friday"
1947 - The first televised White House address is
given by Harry S. Truman
1950 - Actor Jeff Conaway (d. 2011) is born in
New York City
1955 - Disneyland Hotel opens to the public three
months after the park officially opens
1957 - Comedian/actor Bernie Mac (d. 2008) is
born in Chicago, Illinois
1962 - The first James Bond movie "Dr.
No" premieres; also on this date the Beatles release their debut single
"Love Me Do"
1968 - Police baton civil rights demonstrators in
Derry, Northern Island - the incident that many believe sparked the beginning
of The Troubles
1982 - Johnson and Johnson issues a mandatory
recall of all Tylenol products after several people die after taking Tylenol
laced with cyanide
1983 - Earl Tupper - the founder of Tupperware -
dies at the age of 76
1984 - Marc Garneau becomes the first Canadian to
go into space
1999 - Thirty-one people are killed in the
Ladbroke Grove rail crash in West London
2001 - Barry Bonds breaks a record previously set
by Mark McGwire by scoring his 71st and 72nd home runs within a single season
2004 - Comedian/actor Rodney Dangerfield dies at
the age of 82
2011 - Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passes away
from cancer at the age of 56; also on this date actor Charles Napier dies at
the age of 75
And
celebrating a birthday on October 5 are the following famous people; Dean Prentice, Roy Book Binder, Stephanie Cole, Steve Miller, Heather MacRae, Brian Johnson, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Karen Allen, Bob Geldof, Clive Barker, Harold Faltermeyer, Lee Thompson, Kelly Joe Phelps, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Daniel Baldwin, David Bryson, Dave Dederer, Mario Lemieux, Patrick Roy, Guy Pearce, Josie Bissett, Grant Hill, Parminder Nagra, Scott Weinger, Kate Winslet, Vinnie Paz, Jesse Palmer, James Valentine, Jesse Eisenberg, Naima Adedapo, Nicola Roberts, and Tim Ream.
All
right, so what year will we be going back in time to this week? I wonder...
...hmmm...how about October 5, 1970? That sounds like a great date to flash back to. Granted, I wasn't around then...but what
happened on that date had a definite effect on not only my life, but the lives
of millions of people.
When
I think back to one lesson in life that I always hold true to my heart, it is
the idea of being never too old or too young to learn new things. I'm always wanting to figure out ways to
become a better writer, or to learn about subjects that I may not have known a
lot about, or discovering new skills that I never really knew I had. Life is all about learning new skills, be it
at the age of four, forty, or 104.
Therefore
it may not seem all that surprising that some of my favourite television shows
as a kid were shows that inspired all of us to learn more about the world, and
were educational in nature. I can
recall my geography knowledge widening just by watching "Where in the
World is Carmen Sandiego". I
recall "Square One Television" getting me through math class with
ease. "Ghost Writer" helped
me understand the complexities of writing and made me a better writer as a
result. "3-2-1 Contact" broke
down the science of things as well as offered brand new perspectives on the
world. And of course if it wasn't for
"Sesame Street", many of us probably wouldn't have known how to count
to twenty or learned our ABC's.
Well,
at least the "Sesame Street" that predated Elmo, that is.
Now,
all of these television shows, in addition to being shows that celebrated
education and learning, all had one other thing in common.
Did
you know that all of these shows aired on the Public Broadcasting Service? Or PBS, as most of us know it
as. And it was on this date in 1970
that PBS made its official launch as a television network. Neat, huh?
Now
as most of us know by now, PBS differs quite substantially from other networks
on your television dial such as ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and the CW. Whereas the other networks compensate
affiliate stations to carry their programs, PBS provides television content and
related services to its member stations.
And nearly all of the programming that is aired on PBS is aired with the
support of viewers like you. Thank you!
Seriously! Why do you think PBS has
like eight different pledge drives every year?
It's not just so you can spend $300 and get a Downton Abbey baseball
cap, an EastEnders tote bag, and a sew-on Mister Rogers Neighbourhood patch
that you can put on your leather jacket!
All the money and memberships help keep certain programs on the air for
you to enjoy without the hassle of commercial breaks.
As
mentioned above, PBS was founded by Hartford N. Gunn Jr. in June of 1970, but
it would not be until October 5 that the first programs would air on television.
And
what an assortment of programs there were to choose from!
Now, I've already shared with you some of the shows that I remember watching on
PBS when I was a kid. And granted, most
of these were shows for children. But
the programs that kept me entertained and informed back then were just a
smidgen of the children's shows that were on the air. I missed out on quite a few of the older shows that aired before
I was born. I grew up never watching
the original series of "Zoom" or "The Electric Company". Both shows no longer aired on my PBS
affiliate by the time I came around.
(It sort of explains why I was kind of confused in that one episode of the
rebooted "One Day at a Time" where Rita Moreno's character screams
"Hey, you guys!" - I totally thought she was re-enacting that scene
from "The Goonies". Who knew
she did that on "The Electric Company" too?)
And
of course the children's programming that aired after I became too old for kids
shows. Shows like
"Cyberchase", "Liberty's Kids", and "Clifford the Big
Red Dog" were known kid pleasers and also taught kids how to do a lot of
things and helped them learn about math and history.
Though not all PBS shows were winners.
I have a hard time trying to figure out the educational value of
"Teletubbies" and "Caillou". And I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard.
But
don't think that PBS is just for the children to enjoy. There's plenty of programming for adults to
enjoy. I mean, let's get this out of
the way first. All of those memes
starring Bob Ross and his little trees of happiness wouldn't be possible if PBS
didn't air any of his painting shows.
Truth be told, as dry and dull as Bob Ross shows could be, they were
strangely captivating and informative at the same time.
PBS
also aired classic and modern British television. It was the prime network where viewers could watch the hit series
"Downton Abbey". It was the
network that first got me hooked on Rowan Atkinson and his delightful comedic
talents in both "Mr. Bean" and "Blackadder". It was the network that introduced me to
British sitcoms such as "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Are You
Being Served?".
Oh,
and my parents wouldn't have anything to watch on Monday nights were it not for
"The Antiques Road Show". PBS
has saved them from boredom!
And I have to admit that PBS was the main reason why I got so addicted to the
British drama "EastEnders".
They used to air two episodes every Sunday night, and I watched
faithfully and continue to do so online.
Of course, my niece and nephews refer to the show as the "angry
British people show".
Anyway, that's my love letter to PBS - a network
that started airing 47 years ago today!
It
has been a couple of nights since the streets of Las Vegas were filled with
panic and fear. Two nights since
fifty-nine people were gunned down and over five hundred more were wounded as
they were celebrating the end of a three-day country music festival. A couple of days since the worst mass
shooting in modern American history.
And it's taken me a couple of days to actually try and compose some thoughts on
the whole thing.
At this point, we may never know what possessed the perpetrator to check into the
Mandalay Bay resort, smash some of the windows in his thirty-second floor suite
and just randomly shoot at the crowd that was trying to enjoy the Jason Aldean
concert. And considering that this
coward pulled the trigger on himself after the fact, we may never know. At this point it is speculation as to what
made him do such a despicable act. But
one thing you can't deny was that this attack was planned. And yes, contrary to what people might argue
otherwise, it is absolutely an act of terrorism.
Just
as the case with the knife attack in Marseilles, France earlier this week. Or the stabbing incident involving a police
officer and four other people on the streets of Edmonton during a football
game. All acts of terrorism as far as I
am concerned.
The shootings in Las Vegas was definitely a wake-up call. The question is, will anyone do anything
about it?
I'm being serious. Back in 1999, two
students entered a high school armed with guns and shot a teacher and twelve
innocent students in Colorado. There
was a huge debate about gun control back then with lots of divide. Many wanted stricter laws on the sale and
distribution of guns and other weapons, but people also argued that it was
within their rights to carry a gun as per the Second Amendment. The Columbine school shootings were eighteen
years ago. Everyone knew that something
had to be done so that this never happened again, but nothing really came of
it.
Flash
forward a few years, and you had a man shooting people inside of a movie
theatre in the same state. But, no, we
didn't need to reopen the gun control debate.
Five months later, a man wreaked havoc on an elementary school, killing several
students under the age of eight years old.
Again, the debate was opened up, but once again nobody seemed to want to
do anything about it. Or, how about the shootings at Pulse nightclub in Orlando? Was anything done then to stop the violence?
And yet here we are. Fifty-nine people
are now dead, with the casualty list expected to climb. Fifty-nine families forever broken and
damaged. Fifty-nine funerals planned
over the course of the next few days. All
because of a man who stockpiled a bunch of weapons and ammunition for the sole
purpose of inflicting as much damage as possible.
Still want to put this on the backburner, America?
Look, I get that there are some of you who will fight to the death to have the
right to bear arms. It's the right of
the Second Amendment, you say.
Know what I say? The Second Amendment
needs to be amended. It needed to be
amended YEARS ago.
I have no problem with people who want to have a rifle for hunting
purposes. Granted, I don't think
hunting is a sport I would enjoy (and I am definitely against hunting
endangered species), but that's just my thought. I also have no problem with people who want to keep a small
pistol in their homes for protection.
Again, I probably wouldn't have one in my house because I don't like
guns, but the Second Amendment does state that people have the right to bear
arms.
That said, it is absolutely ridiculous for one man to want to have an entire
arsenal of guns at his disposal. On top
of that, as far as assault rifles or bazookas or any high powered machine gun,
I don't think that any civilian should even have the power to purchase one of
these guns in the first place. Unless
you are a soldier in the military, or even a high-ranked police official, there
is NO reason why anyone should even have this on their person. As far as I am concerned, I don't have an issue with people having the right to bear arms...I do have an issue with people who stockpile weapons for the sole purpose of causing terrorist attacks, and I think that there needs to be better screening, better record keeping, and for sporting goods and weapon shops to have the right to refuse sales to people who are unfit to carry weapons via psychological issues or past criminal convictions.
Of course, the amendment of the Second Amendment has to be government approved
- and frankly, I've got little confidence in #45 to make the necessary
amendment happen. Apparently he's too
busy making a mockery of democracy one tweet at a time to even think about that
right now. And yes, I did go
there. No apologies. No regrets.
The time is now to say enough is enough.
The time has come to face the issue of gun control head on. The time has come to realize that by putting
it off, the bigger chance of more lives being lost senselessly. Do the right thing and amend the second
amendment. The fact that in 2017,
there's now an average of one mass shooting per day - that is way too high of a
number. This is officially a
crisis.
My heart breaks for the people of Las Vegas...in fact, it breaks for people all
over the world. In fact, a couple from
the next town over from where I live got caught in the crossfire. Though both of them managed to survive to
tell the tale, not everybody was so fortunate.
However, to close this off, I do want to state that I've heard people say that
they won't be going to another concert after this, or that they will be staying
away from public gatherings. While I
can understand how in shock they are, I want to also state that this should not
deter anybody from living their lives to the fullest. If anything, this tragedy makes all of us realize just how
fragile life is. We shouldn't live our
lives in fear just because of the chance that something bad could happen.
Yes,
the lights of the strip have dulled a little and the Gulch may have temporarily
lost its Glitter. But the people of Las
Vegas are tough and I am sure that one day they will bounce back louder and
prouder than ever and show the world that they are not afraid. In fact, we saw quite a lot of that present
in the minutes after the shootings.
People using wire fences as makeshift stretchers to place wounded
victims on. The paramedics and police
officers who worked all hours of the night to treat the wounded. The concert goers who stayed together and
protected each other in the darkest hours.
Everyday people who became heroes.
People who became the light along the neon streets of Las Vegas in the
city's darkest hour.
Those are the people who will hopefully help the
rest of the world see the way. At
least, the optimist in me says so.