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Saturday, April 26, 2014

The Sixth Grader and the Battered Baritone


You know, for all the horror stories that I have from my school days (and believe me, I've listed off several examples over the course of my blogging ventures), there have been some interesting and fun stories that have also stemmed from my school days. 

Allow me to use this space to tell you one of those stories.

If you attended grade school (and I'm assuming that 99.8% of you have at some point in your lives), did you have a concert band?  I would imagine that unless you went to a school that had extreme budget cuts, your school likely had one.



Sure enough, my grade school had one.  And, from watching the school band play a concert back in my kindergarten days, I had my heart set on being a part of the school's music program.  I just knew that it was something that I really wanted to take part in, and being one who eventually developed a love for all things art, I knew that it would be a fun opportunity.

Only problem is, I had to wait six years before I got the chance.

You see, even though we had regular music classes all throughout my elementary school stint, we actually were never allowed to play any of the instruments until we reached the sixth grade.  Apparently the school felt that children under the age of twelve weren't mature enough to play the instruments, and so between the ages of first and fifth grades, we had to settle for music theory and lots and lots of singing.

And, I'll be perfectly frank.  My singing is so bad, I would probably cause The Voice judges Adam Levine and Blake Shelton instant nausea even before I sang my first note!  I was one of four children who was actually kicked out of the junior choir before I even had the chance to join it!  Oh, the rejection!

And, hey...you thought I had problems with my regular teacher in first grade?  I absolutely despised my first grade music teacher too.  He was so mean and scary, and he even grabbed me out of the line to go back to class and yelled at me because I was trying to get the attention of one of my friends.  The jerk.

(Though, I do find it quite amusing that both he and my first grade teacher quit my elementary school after they had me.  You think I ended up being their final straw?  Whatever the case, I think I did the kids who attended that school after I did a favour by getting rid of them both!)

Anyway, from second grade onward, I liked most of my teachers, so all was good.

So, for five years, I struggled with vocal abilities, and when it came to dancing in class...well...I was no Michael Jackson.  I wasn't even Pee-Wee Herman.  Really, the only things that I ever did well at in music class prior to the sixth grade were the days in which we watched music related films such as "Annie", "Peter and the Wolf", and "The Wizard of Oz".  How could anybody fail the "watching a movie" portion of the class?

By the time sixth grade arrived, I was seriously having some doubts over continuing on with music education.  I couldn't sing, I couldn't dance.  What was the point of it all, I thought?  Of course, I couldn't just drop the class because I was forced to take it until graduation.  But really, what else was there for me to do?

Ah, but wait.  Didn't I just say that sixth grade was when we were finally allowed to play instruments and try out for the concert band?  As it turned out, that little clause in our music classes for elementary school was my saving grace.  That little silver lining in a sea of blackened clouds, if you will.

It's absolutely scary how much detail I actually remember from that crisp autumn day in September 1992, but I remember exactly how we ended up choosing the instruments that we would be learning throughout the whole sixth grade year.  And, I also remember that if we chose our instruments successfully (a.k.a. choosing an instrument that we could play somewhat half-decent), our teacher would recommend us for placement in the school concert band for seventh and eighth grades.

So, all of the instruments that we could select from were scattered all over our music room, and we had a chance to try each and every one to help up make our final choice.  And, I'll admit that for some kids, choosing the right instrument was a huge challenge.

Not for me though.  The choice for me was ridiculously simple.

I couldn't even blow into the flute hard enough to even make a note, so that was out of the question.  Truth is, I didn't really even want to play the flute anyway.  My original choice was going to be the alto saxophone because I remember watching "The Simpsons" and seeing how much fun Lisa Simpson had playing her saxophone.  Unfortunately, I also had (and still have) a super killer overbite which posed a dangerous threat to the reeds used for the saxophone.  So, alto sax was out of the question, as were clarinets, oboes, and any other instrument that required reeds.



(Which was just as well, since in elementary school, most of the "mean kids" played the woodwind instruments.  And who wanted to share the concert stage with the mean kids anyway?)



I didn't even attempt to try the trumpet.  While trumpets were an awesome instrument, I knew that it wasn't going to be MY awesome instrument.  Just as well.  I played the trumpet horribly because I didn't like the way the valves were configured on them.




I also avoided the trombone.  It was hard enough trying to learn the notes with valves...when you added the slide into the mix, that was downright confusing!  I give kudos to those kids who did manage to ace the trombone.

So, this left me with only three options.  Percussion, Tuba, Baritone.

I thought percussion would have been the best choice for me.  After all, how many people don't love banging on things with sticks?  Problem was that I lacked the rhythm to keep in time with the music.  Plus, you really had to master the right way to hold a drumstick, and unfortunately, I never did quite get the hang of it.

And, while I could play a tuba quite well, I loathed the idea of lugging that thing home with me every other week to practice.  Tubas are very heavy things, you know.



So, that caused me to pick the baritone - the tuba's younger, smaller brother.  It was almost as if it were made for me to play.  And, on top of all that, I was the only kid in my whole sixth grade class who wanted to play the baritone, so I guess I could say that it was fate.

Of course, choosing the baritone was one thing.  Actually getting to play the one I wanted to play was a different thing altogether.  You see, when I was in the sixth grade, I was the only one who played baritone.  And there were four different baritones available to play.  Unfortunately, there were three other baritone players in the seventh and eighth grades, and they had called dibs on the first three baritones.  So, I ended up with Baritone #4.

And Baritone #4 was something that almost looked like a baritone, only it had turned red with rust, had dents and indentations all around it, and had a permanently closed spit valve.

In short, it was the baritone that only a mother...or a music enthusiast could love.  And certainly, many members of the concert band made fun of me because I played such a pitiful looking instrument, even though it wasn't my fault that I got stuck with it.  It was an old instrument, likely around since the school opened up in the 1950s.  It had been battered and bruised from years of immature grade school students lacking the ability to take care of it properly.  Even worse, my baritone was slightly smaller than the others in the school, and the other baritone players would tease me by saying that it was perfect because it was "a baby baritone for a big baby".

(Yeah...that's one thing that my classmates should fear if they try anything at my grade school reunion.  I remember EVERYTHING...)

But you know, aesthetics aside, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my battered, broken baritone.  Sure, it looked like something the cat dragged in...but it still played beautiful music.  And, my dad actually did the school a favour in treating the spit valve with a chemical that allowed me to open it back up again.  Why, I reckon he saved the school from having to throw the baritone away. 

And, the smaller size of the baritone made it much easier to carry!  Why, I say there never was a finer baritone!

I guess you could say that the baritone that I played in sixth grade was very symbolic when it comes to my own life.  I myself have been battered and bruised by people who weren't mature enough to know how to treat others with respect, and I was made to feel inferior from the other kids because I didn't dress in the latest fashions, or because I didn't style my hair like the others (basically my hair styling back then involved wearing a toque for hours on end), or because I chose to wear track pants instead of jeans for a long period of time.  Believe it or not, I was actually told to act my age and not my shoe size.  Talk about stretching.

(Especially since my massive feet ensured me that my age WAS my shoe size until I turned twelve.)

The point is that I gave the battered baritone a chance, and it ended up being the best thing ever.  And, I'm sure if more people would give everyone that same respect, they might be surprised to learn that they click too.



As for the baritone?  I liked it so much, I kept playing it straight through until eighth grade graduation.  Everyone in the school learned not to take Baritone #4.  That was reserved strictly for me and me alone.  It got me through the trips to the Lions Music Festival, it serviced me well through several school concerts.  And it was the very baritone that I played when I saved the spring concert by playing the baritone solo in "Ash Lawn Echoes" when the other kid who made fun of me for playing the "baby baritone" flaked out on the concert just hours before it started.

As I said.  I remember EVERYTHING.  And yes, our elementary school colours really were royal blue and Sunkist orange.  

Friday, April 25, 2014

Becker

All right.  So, here's a question for all of you reading this blog entry right now.  How many of you actually like your doctor?

I know it sounds like a really bizarre question to ask, but just think about it for a minute.  How many of you actually like your doctor?

As far as my own experiences go, I actually can't give a recent opinion of my family doctor.  I recently switched doctors about six months ago, and knock on wood, I haven't been sick in those six months.  Therefore, I haven't really been to see my new doctor yet.  Though, I suppose I could book a date to have a physical one of these days. 

Anyway, prior to switching doctors, I always had good relationships with any doctor I have ever dealt with.  But then there are some doctors who certainly don't present themselves in the best light.  In fact, I know some people who have actually dropped their doctors because their bedside manner was not to their liking, or they didn't care to hear about their problems, or worst case scenario, the doctor actually is found guilty of medical malpractice.

And certainly, upon first impressions, it's hard to tell whether your doctor is a person who knows exactly what they are talking about and work miracles to try and make you feel one hundred per cent better, or some quack who doles out placebos and outdated medical treatments in an effort to avoid doing things the right way.

Basically, it's trying to compare the doctors found on ER with Dr. Nick Riviera from "The Simpsons".

Well, today's television topic has to do with a doctor who by all accounts appears to be one of those doctors that seems to be universally hated by everybody around him.  And given his personality, I suppose I can see why that is.  He's surly and grouchy, spreads misery to those who come close to him, and has a low tolerance for people who are a little too cheerful for his liking.

(Okay, I have a confession.  I would very much fit in the definition of 'people this doctor cannot stand'.)

However, there is one redeeming quality that makes this fictional doctor one of the best in the entire city of New York.  And, we'll get to that as this television show discussion draws to a close.



For now, let's take a trip back in time to November 2, 1998.  As that was the day in which the television show "Becker" debuted on CBS.  And, the title of the show comes from the name of the character that Ted Danson played on the show.



Dr. John Becker.  The most obnoxious man in the entire world.  A man who absolutely has no tolerance for people and who get annoyed at almost everything in the world.  But when it comes to his actual skills in medicine, he certainly knows his stuff.

The show ran for six seasons, ending its run in early 2004.  It was the second successful television show for Danson, sandwiched in between his eleven year run on "Cheers" and his current gig on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", and it was a show that performed very well for CBS...well, at least for the first four seasons, anyway.  After all, the show did follow the ratings blockbuster "Everybody Loves Raymond" for four years.

The change to Sunday nights at the beginning of season five was the death knoll for the show, as the show was often pre-empted or postponed due to sporting events (golf, football), and many viewers didn't even know when the show was even on.  It nearly got cancelled at the end of season five, but a sixth season of thirteen episodes were ordered, and the show nicely wrapped things up with a proper series finale.

Now, Danson was one of four cast members who stayed on the program during the entire six year run.  Would you like to know who the other three were?



Well, first, there's Alex Desert, who played the role of blind newspaper salesman Jake Malinak.  Blinded due to a car accident in his youth, Jake becomes Dr. Becker's best friend - which is quite surprising, given that Jake cannot see and he can only judge people based on their personalities.  Given that Dr. Becker's mood varies from slightly peeved to obsessively angry, I have to wonder how Jake even finds the strength to maintain a friendship with him. 



The other two cast members who have been around all six seasons were Dr. Becker's staff at his office.  There's Dr. Becker's nurse and office manager Margaret Wyborn (Hattie Winston), who could basically be the only person in Becker's life who will actually tell things as they are and not cower to his grouchiness.  She is a tough as nails woman who stands up for herself and often acts as the voice of reason in situations that otherwise would be silly.  But don't let her exterior scare you.  Deep down inside, Margaret is a sweetheart of a character and she has patience for Becker's patients (and Becker himself).  She may very well be the best thing that ever happened to Becker.

And then there's Linda (Shawnee Smith), a young woman who works at Dr. Becker's office as a nurse's aide.  A product of a wealthy upbringing, Linda is determined to show her parents that she can find her way in the world and make an honest living doing something meaningful.  It's just a shame that she's completely scatterbrained and clueless over how exactly to do the job.  She often ends up causing more stress-related headaches for Dr. Becker and Margaret than any of their patients.  However, there are some moments in which Linda has inadvertently helped Dr. Becker.  For instance, when Becker was having trouble diagnosing a patient who had come back to America sick after a vacation, Linda's observation that the patient still had a tan a month and a half later caused Becker to come up with the final diagnosis which helped save the man's life.



Now, as far as the other cast members went, some of them began with the show and left, while others joined the show later on.  Case in point, Bob (Saverio Guerra).  He began as a recurring character during the first couple of seasons as a comic relief type character who chases after women despite the fact that he is married.  During the second season, Bob's wife leaves him and he is nearly penniless as a result, and he ends up taking a job as the superintendent of Becker's apartment building - which greatly annoys Becker as Bob very rarely responds to any of Becker's complaints.  Though, given that Becker is usually complaining 99.9% of the time anyway, I suppose it might explain why Bob stays away.  And, by the end of the fifth season, Bob moved away.



This set the stage for the appearance of Hector Lopez (Jorge Garcia), who appeared as a friend of Jake's during the show's final season.  When the show wrapped up, Jake was moving away and Hector took over control of Jake's newsstand.

And then there's the two love interests in Becker's life - even though Becker never really did have much "romance" at all on the show at all.  Interestingly enough, the way that the love interests were introduced on Becker paralleled his role on "Cheers" in a sense.

I'm sure that everyone has their own opinions about "Cheers" regarding who Sam Malone should have ended up with at the end of the series in 1993.  Did you like Shelley Long's Diane or Kirstie Alley's Rebecca? 

Well, the same thing happened in Becker, with one woman obviously set to be Becker's love interest during the first four seasons, and then when she left, another woman stepped in.



Well, the first woman was Reggie Kostas (Terry Farrell), the owner of the diner that houses Jake's newsstand.  And, Reggie certainly had an interesting back story.  In her youth she pursued a career as a fashion model, but somehow her career derailed big time, and she found herself taking over the family business. 

A career she HATES.

But despite this setback, she does seem to have an instant repoire with her regulars...well, all except Bob who has annoyed her since high school.  She gets along with Jake, she even allows Becker to use the register to purchase his own cigarettes!  Now, that's trust! 

Truth be told, Reggie and Becker always seemed to flirt with the idea of seeing each other on a romantic level.  They just seemed to have this chemistry with each other and at the end of season four, it appeared as though both Becker and Reggie would live happily ever after.



Well, unfortunately, producers decided to take the show in a different direction, and at the beginning of season five, they fired Terry Farrell and decided to replace her with the fairly new, previously recurring character of Chris Connor (Nancy Travis).  To Farrell's credit, she held no animosity over being let go from the series, though she admitted that she was completely gobsmacked when she first got the news.

Anyway, when Reggie vacated the show, Chris took over the diner, moved into Becker's apartment, and the show picked up where Becker and Reggie left off...with Becker and Chris having a love-hate relationship of their own.  In fact, I still remember that one episode where Chris had her appendix taken out and she told Becker she loved him...but the only reason she said it was because she was doped up on painkillers.

Anyway, I suppose you had to watch it.

So, we've already deduced that Dr. John Becker is not very pleasant with people.  He snaps at people at a moment's notice.  He seems angry with everyone.  So, how does he keep patients?

Simple.  For all his flaws, Becker is one fantastic doctor.  He pinpoints what is wrong with his patients, does follow up care on them (no matter how much they annoy him), and makes sure that his patients recover from their illnesses.  For a crabby guy, he certainly does know his stuff. 

I guess perhaps the reason why Becker is so grouchy is because he focuses so much on work that he had no time for play.  At least, that's how I saw it.  But if I ever needed to heal fast from an illness or injury, he'd be the guy that I'd want on my side.

Okay, since I've ended this blog on Becker, why don't we watch an episode (or at least a PARTIAL one)?



And, why don't I share some interesting facts about the behind the scenes action while we're here?

1 - Ted Danson dyed his hair brown during the whole run of the series.  His hair had gone white since leaving "Cheers".  Makes sense, given that Danson was a month shy of turning 51 when "Becker" debuted.

2 - Alex Desert is not really blind.  He just plays blind well.

3 - Look closely at Shawnee Smith during the first season of the show (which is available on DVD but hard to find since it's out of print).  She is wearing a lab coat to conceal a pregnancy.

4 - Nancy Travis was only supposed to be on "Becker" for four episodes.  She ended up staying for two and a half seasons.

5 - Three former co-stars from Danson's "Cheers" days made guest appearances on "Becker" - Kelsey Grammar, Rhea Perlman, and George Wendt.

6 - During seasons, Shawnee Smith toured with her punk-rock band "Fydolla Ho" (pronounced exactly as it is written).  Every cast member went to at least one show to support Smith, including Ted Danson.

7 - One of the show's writers was Matthew Weiner.  He would later create the successful series "Mad Men" - the pilot of which Weiner wrote while he was working on "Becker" - a full eight years before "Mad Men" premiered!

8 - The cast may have appeared to get along both on and off stage, but before season five began taping, every actor on the show (except Ted Danson) staged a protest over their salaries by refusing to show up for work!  Lawsuits were launched, but in the end the suit was settled (though Terry Farrell would be fired anyway).

Thursday, April 24, 2014

The Class of '95 Reunion...and Films About Reunions

April 24, 2014

Okay, so this blog entry is going to be a little bit of a combination of a Monday Matinee and Thursday Diary entry.  Part of the reason why I did this is because I cancelled the actual movie discussion that was planned for this past Monday as I had something that I needed to get off of my chest.

But here's the thing.  I still wanted to do a diary entry because for whatever reason, April has been one of those months in which I have done a lot of sharing.  I don't really quite understand what the motivation is behind it, but I would wager a guess that this sharing is setting the stage for a big move.  What that big move is, I have absolutely no idea, but I think it's a bit of a precursor.

So, I decided to come up with the idea to combine a diary entry with a series of like-themed movies so that the movie discussion for this week wouldn't be a total loss.

Again, I'm not sure how this is going to work out because I'm basically flying by the seat of my pants as I type this...but hey, you know me.  I LOVE a challenge.

Okay, so the subject of the diary/movie discussion is all about class reunions.  And if you've been keeping up with the blog over the last few weeks, you might know that I have a bit of a reunion coming up within the next couple of months.



Sometime in June, a group of us from my grade school's graduating class (Class of '95, might I add) will be reuniting with each other for an afternoon of fun, reminiscing, and good times.  And, I'll readily admit that I did sign up to attend this reunion because I wanted to see how my elementary school buds were doing.

(Well, that, plus I am more open to attending an elementary school reunion than a high school reunion.  For obvious reasons.)

But it's funny how time can sometimes play tricks with your mind because quite recently, I was having second thoughts about going.

It wasn't because of the fact that there might be people who used to hate me back then and who still might have an axe to grind with me some 19, 20 years later.  Chances are, half of them wouldn't even know who I even was, and those who did know probably wouldn't even waste their time looking back on bad memories.  Admittedly, I did have a little bit of fear regarding that, but I quickly got over it.  After all, they were the ones with the problem...not me.

And, it certainly wasn't the fact that I absolutely hated my time in school that I didn't want to relive it.  Certainly there were some moments in which I did hate being at that school (pretty much all of 1987 and most of 1988) remains one of those periods), but for the most part, it wasn't all that bad.

No, the reason behind my sudden apprehension over the upcoming reunion?  Well, admittedly it has to do with my own insecurities.  I mean, I see pictures and read stories from my former classmates, and how they all have great career opportunities, and have gotten married and have had children.  While I am very interested in seeing how their lives have changed since we left eighth grade, it does kind of make me feel a little bit insecure, only because I really don't feel as though I have any interesting stories to share myself. 

I know...it seems silly.  I do charity work, I have kept a blog going for three years, and have secured a full-time job in times in which full-time jobs seem to be dying a slow and painful death.  I have quite a bit going for me at this time.  I only wish I had more to share.

And, it got me thinking...what kind of an impression would I ultimately leave at this reunion.  When I graduated eighth grade, I was the fat and nerdy kid whose feelings got hurt too easily.  And, well...I'm still fat and nerdy - and my feelings sometimes still get hurt.  So, how could I make the best possible impression on people who I have not seen in almost two decades? 

What if I consult the world of film?  Surely there have been lots of films that have had to do with class reunions!  Maybe one of them will inspire me, and make me realize that reuniting with old classmates can feel so good!



No, wait.  That was Peaches and Herb.  Nevermind.



But seriously...there's lots of movies that showcase some wonderful class reunions.  How about the 1983 film "The Big Chill" in which a group of college classmates reunite with each other after fifteen years?  The movie itself was fantastic with a wonderful soundtrack of favourites from the late 1960s, and the entire film is a beautiful example of friends picking up where they last left off...and certainly, there are some touching moments, as well as some funny moments.

Of course, the only thing about "The Big Chill" is that the reunion takes place after the funeral of one of their classmates who actually committed suicide (TRUE FACT:  The friend was played by Kevin Costner, but his scenes were cut from the final version).  And, well, it wouldn't work, because the reunion I'm going to is built on a happier foundation.  So, yeah, we'll leave that alone.  Still, it's a fantastic movie.  Check it out.



Okay...so, maybe "The Big Chill" is not the way to approach this reunion.  What about the 1986 film "Peggy Sue Got Married"?  You know, the one with Kathleen Turner going to her high school reunion, married to Nicolas Cage, and something happened in which she fainted and woke up in the year she graduated high school and is forced to relive that year...all...over...

...nah, forget about it.  1995 wasn't the greatest year to relive.  The clothes were bad, the music was bad, "Melrose Place" and "Roseanne" jumped the shark.  Yeah, who needs to relive 1995?



And, I think it's a safe bet to say that I probably shouldn't go into this reunion with the "National Lampoon's Class Reunion" film from '82 stuck in my mind.  With my luck, I'd transform into a younger version of Walter Baylor and end up stalking my former classmates one by one.

DISCLAIMER:  I would NEVER wish harm on any of my former classmates.  Not even the ones who bullied me.  Not even the abusive teacher I had from first grade...well, aside from a paper cut.  Paper cuts really hurt.



1997's "Grosse Pointe Blank" is another reunion movie that wouldn't quite fit with the mood that I wish to showcase at this reunion either.  After all, I'm not a former hitman, and I'm pretty sure that if I had a therapist, they wouldn't advise me to go to a high school reunion to ease my murderous rages.  Because as I previously established, I don't have these rages.

Sigh...what's left?



Oh, goody..."Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" from 1997.  Wonderful.  A movie that features two women who don't exactly have the greatest sense of self, and who seem to have about as much brain power as a Christmas tree bulb.  Surely I can't find anything to relate to in this film...can I?

Hmmm...actually, yes.  I can.

Romy and Michele are a lot like me in the sense that neither one of them felt like they accomplished anything meaningful in their lives.  Sure, they worked at a boutique and had an immaculate (if not unique) sense of style, but they always compared themselves to the people who were in the A-group...successful, pretty, gorgeous women who were destined to make it in the world.

Funny thing is, they got to the reunion and found that while they have changed and matured, the girls in the A-group were still as snotty and catty as ever.  And funnily enough, none of them seemed to be all that happy with their lives.  I still cheer over Romy and Michele's speech to the most vapid, vicious girl of the group, letting her know exactly what they thought of her.  In fact, let's see if I can find that moment.





And, you know...I should try to emulate Romy and Michele.  No, I won't put on a shiny short dress (trust me, nobody wants to see THAT).  But I will just try to have as much fun as I can at the reunion, and if anyone does come at me, trying to make me feel inferior...well, I really don't give a flying @#$% what they think!

Well, at least I SHOULDN'T anyway.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Breaker High

Do you want to know how long it has been since I actually did a "Whatever Wednesday" entry?  Too long!

Truth be told, this month has been kind of a wacky and weird one as far as keeping up with the regular schedule of the blog.  I've done a lot of personal reflecting and I've had some really rough days lately which have induced a lot of stress-induced headaches.  Of course, now that I've pinpointed where my stress levels are coming from, I can begin to try and find a way to fix them and move on from it.  But, like anything else in the world, things aren't always so simple.

Of course, the fact that I'm allowing myself to be more flexible in this blog makes me realize that nothing is set in stone...and maybe after nearly three years, it's time to shake things up.  All I can say about that statement is stay tuned next month.



For now, while it lasts, let's enjoy this edition of the Whatever Wednesday entry.  And, for today's entry, we're going to be taking a look at a television series, as I drew the MRS. PEACOCK card.

But here's the thing.  I have never really been the type of person who has the best timing. 

By now, I'm sure that you've heard about the devastating ferry boat crash near South Korea in which hundreds of people are still missing and feared dead.  It's such an unimaginable thing to think about, and from all reports coming out of the media, it appears as though the crew didn't exactly act in their passengers best interests.  My heart definitely goes out to the victims and their families who must be going through so, so much.

So, when I came up with the idea to do a television feature on a show that largely took place on a gigantic boat, I thought to myself...should I even be doing a blog on a show like that given the circumstances?

Well, I thought about it, and in the end, I decided to go through with my original plan.  For one, I think it should be stressed that while the boat tragedy in South Korea was a horrible incident, this is not the norm.  Boat travel is still very safe, and in fact, I've always wanted to know what it would be like to take a cruise.  An extended cruise.



I mean, just think about it for a second.  Part of the reason why I've thought about going on some sort of cruise is because of the fact that I could spend a week or two just enjoying myself not having to worry about anything or anyone...well, aside from having the boat crash into something and tipping over that is.  But I think that risk factors aside, I think it would be something that I would probably enjoy.  It doesn't even have to be one of those singles cruises or anything like that - although I would admittedly feel "singled out" if I were the only one on the boat without a significant other.  Alas, that's another issue altogether that I won't discuss.

Of course, that's just for a couple of weeks.  Could you imagine spending a total of nine months on a cruise ship?  For instance, if you were a high school student who was chosen to attend a year of school on a cruise ship going around the world, docking at ports all over the world every other week where you would get a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience, would you jump at the chance?  I know I certainly would.  Heck, given my own experiences in secondary school, I'd board that cruise ship in a heartbeat and not come back until graduation!

Anyway, the reason why I bring up this scenario is because there was once a show that aired on television that featured this very plot.  Imagine watching eight teenagers cruising along the oceans of the world learning about cultures, life lessons, and a smattering of algebra, geometry, history, and biology in between.

Well, for a brief period between 1997 and 1998, we could.  In fact, I seem to recall that during that time, it aired literally twenty-two times a day!

I'm not exaggerating on that either.  With the show airing on UPN (now the CW), YTV, and countless other channels, it was all over the place.  I think it may have even aired in the same time block on five different channels at the peak of its popularity, making channel surfing a challenge.



The show is "Breaker High", and although it only technically ran for six months between September 1997 and March 1998, it seemed like much longer.

As I said before, it aired twenty-two times a day at its peak.  Not to mention that reruns of the show aired for almost ten years after its last original episode aired.  It was as if the teens in the show spent a whole decade on that damned boat!

(Of course...only three of the eight actors on the show were actually teenagers at the time this show was filmed, so I suppose that it only SEEMED like it.)

So, the basic premise of the show is what exactly would happen if you combined "Saved By The Bell" and "The Love Boat".  We follow the lives of eight teens who are studying in a school program aboard a cruise ship.  It's basically the entire plot of "The Suite Life On Deck" only set in the 1990s.

Who are these teens?  Well, here's a picture of the lot of them below.  Don't worry.  I'll introduce you to them below.



Okay, so from left to right, we have Ashley (Terri Conn), Alex (Kyle Alisharan), Max (Scott Vickaryous), Jimmy (Tyler Labine), Tamira (Rachel Wilson), Cassidy (Wendi Kenya), Denise (Persia White), and Sean (Ryan Gosling).  Some of these names, you may know...others you probably don't.  Don't worry...I'll do one of those "Where Are They Now" features at the end of this entry.

Now, if every single student at "Breaker High" looked the same, acted the same, and dressed the same, it would make for a very boring experience.  Each student admittedly represented a different stereotype that you might see in a standard high school setting.

Ashley, for instance was a spoiled, Southern belle who never left her room without her hair properly coiffed, her nails perfectly done, and wearing only the finest clothing that money could buy.  She could be completely annoying, but had a good heart.  Alex was the token jock and always could be found in storylines that featured his athletic ability.  Sean was the wannabe player who tried his best to charm the ladies, but in actuality was a nerd, while his sidekick Jimmy was the class clown who always seemed to stir up mischief.

Cassidy was similar to Alex in that she was also very athletic, and she certainly played the role of tomboy very convincingly.  Every teen show has to have a brainiac bookworm type character, and Denise was absolutely the school's grade grind.  Tamira was just happy spreading sunshine and rainbows all throughout the ship, and I suppose if Breaker High needed a "hippie", Tamira would epitomize that definition completely.

Now, Max...Max is a different sort of character altogether.  I think Max is the only character who temporarily dropped out of "Breaker High" only to come back again.  The reason?  Well, when your father happens to be the captain of the whole ship (played by Andrew Airlie), it tended to make for some interesting conflict.  I don't even know if the father-son relationship ever became close as I don't even remember a single episode plotline, but from what I do recall, it did seem to be a focal point of the series.

Other cast members were the staff of the actual ship who made cameo appearances.  Anne Openshaw played the school teacher of the boat, Ms. Mitchell.  In the role of the ship's activities director was Richard Ian Cox, who played the role of the manic Tony Gifford.  And of course, every ship has to have a chef...in this case, actor Bernard Cuffling stepped into the role.

Now, many of the adventures on "Breaker High" took place on the ship itself, but there were some instances in which the boat would dock at certain places, leaving the kids to explore various countries such as Italy and Scotland. 

(Of course, since the budget for "Breaker High" was very small, they didn't actually film in those countries.  They didn't even film on a boat!  All the episodes were taped on a soundstage in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.)

Still, it was an interesting idea for a show.  And, just to refresh your memory about this program, here's a couple of episodes that I found of the program.  Just click the links below (which are actually divided into two parts.  For part one, click the episode number, part two, click the title).

EPISODE 24:  TAMIRA HAS TWO FACES

Okay, so now comes the fun part.  What have the teen cast members of "Breaker High" done since?  I'll start from low profile to high profile.

Kyle Alisharan:  His last credit is as an extra in the 2006 film "Snakes on a Plane".

Scott Vickaryous:  Aside from doing guest roles on television projects, he hasn't really had any breakout parts.

Wendi Kenya:  Had a starring role in the Peter Engel produced "Malibu, CA", and has appeared in some films in bit parts.



Rachel Wilson:  Has done voice work for cartoons such as "Total Drama", and is a star on Canadian television, working on "Bomb Girls" and "Republic of Doyle"



Terri Conn:  She's mostly been acting on soap operas since leaving "Breaker High".  She was on "As The World Turns" for ten years playing Katie Peretti, and spent another year on "One Life To Live" playing the role of Aubrey Wentworth.



Persia White:  She most recently appeared in "The Vampire Diaries" in the role of Abby Bennett Wilson, and also enjoyed an eight year run on the sitcom "Girlfriends" playing Lynn Ann Searcy.

Tyler Labine:  He's had his string of successes over the years, appearing in "Sons of Tucson", "Mad Love", and "Animal Practice".  He has also filmed several movies, and performed a voice on "Monsters University".



Ryan Gosling:  Do I even NEED to explain the success he's had since "Breaker High"?  Let's see..."The Notebook", "Half Nelson", "Crazy, Stupid, Love", "The Place Beyond The Pines", etc, etc, etc...

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

April 22, 1970

It's time for another edition of the Tuesday Timeline, and this week, we're going back in time to a pivotal day in history.  A day that many people have celebrated and continue to celebrate years after its creation.

But before we go ahead with that discussion, I think that it's time that we look back on other happenings on this, the twenty-second day of April.

So, let's start with notable events!

1519 - Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez establishes a settlement at Veracruz, Mexico

1864 - U.S. Congress passes the Coinage Act of 1864 which mandates the inclusion of "In God We Trust" on every piece of American currency

1876 - The first ever National League baseball game is played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1889 - Thousands of people rush to claim land in the Land Run of 1889 which swells the populations of Guthrie and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to 10,000 people

1906 - Actor Eddie Albert (d. 2005) is born in Rock Island, Illinois

1912 - The official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union - "Pravda" - begins publication

1923 - Two legends are born on this date; film actress Bettie Page (d. 2008), and television producer Aaron Spelling (d. 2006)

1930 - The London Navel Treaty is signed by the United Kingdom, United States, and Japan

1945 - A revolt takes place at Jasenovac concentration camp which sees 520 people killed and 80 escape, while elsewhere Adolf Hitler admits defeat in his underground bunker after learning that Soviet Forces took control of Eberswalde

1954 - Live coverage of the Army-McCarthy Hearings

1969 - British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston becomes the first sailor to make a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world

1972 - Increased use of bombing by American forces during the Vietnam War sparks protest rallies in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City

1977 - The first use of optical fiber is used to carry live telephone traffic

1980 - American actress/singer Jane Froman passes away at the age of 72

1992 - Fifteen thousand are left homeless and 206 people are killed following a massive explosion in Guadalajara, Mexico

1994 - Former President of the United States, Richard Milhous Nixon, dies at the age of 81

1996 - Journalist/author Erma Bombeck dies at the age of 69

1998 - Disney's Animal Kingdom opens its doors at Walt Disney World

2000 - Federal agents seize six-year-old Elian Gonzalez from his relative's home in Miami, Florida in a pre-dawn raid

2002 - Former porn actress Linda Lovelace dies from injuries sustained in an automobile accident at the age of 53

2004 - Two fuel trains collide with each other in Ryongchon, North Korea, killing at least 150 people

I also want to take the opportunity to bestow birthday wishes to the following famous faces; William Jay Smith, Charlotte Rae, Jack Nicholson, Mel Carter, Ann Mitchell, Janet Evanovich, John Waters, Larry Groce, Peter Frampton, Paul Carrack, Tom Griswold, Ken Olandt, Catherine Mary Stewart, Ryan Stiles, Sean Lock, Chris Makepeace, Lauri Hendler, Dana Barron, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Sheryl Lee, Sherri Shepherd, Ingo Rademacher, Willie Robertson, Dan Cloutier, Daniel Johns, Cassidy Freeman, Francis Capra, Michelle Ryan, Amber Heard, and Cherise Donovan.

My, my...what a lot of celebrity birthdays!

And, well...I guess in some ways you could consider today's Tuesday Timeline date a day that also celebrates life. 



We're taking a trip back to April 22, 1970.

I see some of you nodding your heads (well, not really, but just go with it) because you probably know exactly what I am going to be talking about in this blog entry.  But for those of you who don't, what I can reveal is that 43 years ago, an event took place that has since become a global phenomenon.  Since the very first event in 1970, a reported 192 countries all over the world take part in it, and over the last 44 years, people and organizations have really made it a mission to preserve the planet so that generations can continue to enjoy it.

And, the fact that I've highlighted several pieces in this blog in green may serve as a bit of a hint.



Today happens to be "Earth Day".  And April 22, 1970 marked the very first time that "Earth Day" was observed.  Would you believe that there's even an anthem devoted to Earth Day?  Here's the video lyrics below...and I'll incorporate the lyrics to the anthem underneath - just to get us all in the mood.



Joyful joyful we adore our Earth in all its wonderment
Simple gifts of nature that all join into a paradise
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world

How's that for interesting?  So, how did Earth Day come to be a thing?

Well, as you already know, the first Earth Day was held in 1970.  And, you can thank peace activist John McConnell for getting the ball rolling!



In 1969, McConnell was attending the UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) Conference in San Francisco, California, and he proposed the idea for what would come to be known as Earth Day.  He suggested a day in which people honoured the Earth, and promoted peace within nations, and UNESCO certainly felt that the idea was a good one.  And McConnell even had a date in which this day was to take place.  March 21, 1970 - coinciding with the first day of Spring.  It was sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell, and was signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations.

So, why is it that we celebrate Earth Day on April 22?



Well, as it turned out, a separate day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in...which was scheduled on April 22, 1970.  This caused Nelson to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award, and marked April 22 as the official Earth Day in the United States.

Other countries would soon follow in their own separate observances of Earth Day, and at first, they were all held on different days other than April.  Canada's first Earth Day, for example, was held on September 11, 1980 - nearly ten and a half years after the first Earth Day held in the United States.

But it really wasn't until the twentieth anniversary of Earth Day that it really became a global concept.

And, I definitely remember there being a huge interest in environmental protection right around 1990 - the twentieth year of Earth Day.  I was just about winding down third grade, and it seemed to me that every week, we would have some sort of lesson on environmental protection.  Our town's recycling program kicked off in 1990 with the blue box program, and I remember attending a series of workshops the following year that focused entirely on environmental protection and ways we can fight pollution. 



Well, on April 22, 1990, an estimated 200 million people across 141 different countries got together and brought Earth Day awareness on a global stage for the day's twentieth year.  As it turns out, my town wasn't the only place to kick off a recycling program in 1990.  1990 was the year in which millions of people began abiding by the three NEW R's.  Reduce.  Reuse.  Recycle.  The 20th anniversary of the day was also a success in part to stronger marketing tools, more access to television and radio, and corporations all doing their part to reduce waste in an effort to protect the planet.

By the time that Earth Day celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in April 2000, the Internet was firmly in place, and Earth Day activities could be accessed by even more people than before. 

TRIVIA:  One of the largest celebrations of Earth Day to date was on the day's thirty-seventh anniversary on April 22, 2007.  Some of the larger cities that joined together to promote planet sustainability included London, New York City, Madrid, Manila, Kiev, and Caracas.

These days, Earth Day is still considered to be an important day on the calendar for world preservation.  After all, without a planet, we have no home, right?  And, granted, while I am not exactly the most environmentally conscious person in the world (at least not as much as Jessie Spano from "Saved By The Bell", who actually spent Cut Day launching a protest against styrofoam cups), I do feel that Earth Day is a day that still needs to be celebrated.  After all, while I think we've come a long way in trying to protect our world, there's still a lot more that can be done.

That's why I decided to make the Tuesday Timeline all about Earth Day.  It's this blogger's way of raising awareness for a worthy cause.




Happy Earth Day, everyone.  And, remember, you can practice Earth Day customs any day of the year - not just April 22!