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Monday, May 12, 2014

Motivation Monday - Parents!

All right, so this edition of the blog is going to be on the short side, but trust me.  I think that you're going to love it. 

Now, as you know from last week, I've implemented some new theme days for the blog's upcoming three year anniversary, and I'm so happy to see that all of you are liking the changes so far.  I'll tell you guys, in my past life experiences, I've not really been all that receptive to changes, but seeing how positive these ones seem to be, I'm thinking that I could summon up the courage to try a whole bunch of new things. 

Well, we'll see anyway.



For now, I just want to go ahead with this week's edition of "MOTIVATION MONDAY".  As you know, I've designated Mondays to be the date in which we will showcase the newest episode of the chat show that I am a part of.  It's a little venture that I like to call "MOTIVE4CHANGE"!

Now, if you tuned into the show last week (and if you missed that episode, you can click HERE to watch previous shows that we taped), you'll know that the Motive4Change name is a bit of a change in itself.  Before, the show was called "MOTIVE2CHANGE", but since we added a fourth person to our team, we figured that "MOTIVE4CHANGE" made a much better name.  It certainly makes a lot more sense, given that there are four of us! 

Yes, myself and my three friends, JOSHUA, CARINE, and JONATHON (of which I am easily considered to be the old guy of the group) have been doing an Internet show for the past month and a half, and can you believe that we're on episode number six already?

As it so happened, the original airdate of the sixth episode of our series aired yesterday, which coincidentally happened to be Mother's Day.  So, naturally, when we were plotting ideas for future shows, we wanted to have a related topic for that week.

So, I now present to you, episode #6 of "
MOTIVE4CHANGE"...

Episode #6 - PARENTAL INFLUENCES (5/11/2014)



I hope you liked the little bloopers that we tacked on at the beginning and end of the video.  You just never know exactly what we're going to say!

And, of course, I mean everything that I say in the episode.  I do appreciate everything that my parents have done for me, even though I have a difficult time showing it on occasion.  I certainly do wish my parents had taught me how to be more assertive towards others.  And, I guess I can say that I am happy that I grew up in a family in which cuss words weren't as taboo as other places because in a way it helped me be more accepting towards others.  Though, I still admit that I very rarely cuss as a result of it because in a way, I'm still trying to rebel against them even though I'll be turning 33 later this week. 

Of course, since we only had a limited amount of time to speak about our families in the broadcast, there are a few additional things that I want to add.



In regards to my own parents, I want to make this clear right here and right now...even though they don't use the Internet and probably couldn't find this blog anyway.  These are some final thoughts to them from me.

First, I am not a 20 Questions game.  I do appreciate that you are inquisitive people, and I think that I inherited that trait from both of you.  But when you go rapid fire on me and ask me twelve questions in twelve seconds...it is AGGRAVATING!  I don't mind you asking me questions, and in most cases, I'd love to give you an answer...but just don't ask me so fast!

Secondly, I readily admit that I am the youngest in the family.  But I also want to remind you both that I am nearly 33.  Not 3.  I am capable of making my own decisions and my own thoughts, and while I will appreciate your feedback on some things, I am at the age where I need to make my own choices and I need to make my own mistakes.  Just trust me enough to know that I can handle most anything that comes my way.  That's all I ask.

And, finally...and most importantly...thanks for being my parents.  I love you both!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

The Mamas & The Papas



The first thing that I would like to do is wish all mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, acting mothers, foster mothers, and guardians a very happy Mother's Day!  And, in celebration of the day, this whole blog is going pink! 

(I'll be turning the blog "blue" for Father's Day when it comes around too.)

Anyway, I have a Sunday Jukebox entry to type out today, and can I just say that it took me a really, really long time to come up with a suitable song discussion for today.

You see, knowing that today is Mother's Day, I really wanted to find a topic that had to do with mothers, but I also had to try and find a song that was also a #1 hit.  And, that complicated my search to the point where I was coming up empty on finding the perfect song.

Almost every single song this week was recorded by either a male, or an artist without children.  And, those artists who were mothers were singers who I have already put in the artist spotlight this year. 

In short, I was really struggling to try and find the perfect song.

So, what did I do?  I improvised.  Since I couldn't find a song about mothers, or a song recorded by a mother...why not do a song which had the word "Mother" in its title, or have the word "mother" (or a variation of the word) in the band or artist name.  Surely there has to be ONE #1 hit that charted the week of May 11 throughout history.

Sure enough...there was one!  And it topped the charts exactly 48 years ago this week.



ARTIST: The Mamas & the Papas
SONG:  Monday, Monday
ALBUM:  If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
DATE RELEASED:  March 1966
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #1 for 3 weeks

Yeah, I know I'm technically cheating here.  The song is recorded by the Mamas & the Papas, and it's a song about Monday.  But under the circumstances, it was the best that I could do.

Listen, to show you how sorry I am for not being able to keep up with the Mother's Day theme, why don't I try to make it up to you by doing a blog entry on the band, this song (which was their one and only hit on the Billboard Charts), and the aftermath of the band - which can only be described as 'stranger than fiction' no matter whether you firmly believe it or not.





So, let's begin by talking about the four members of the band who made up the Mamas & the Papas, shall we?  The group was founded by two former members of "The New Journeymen", husband and wife duo John and Michelle Phillips along with The Mugwumps band member Denny Doherty in 1965.  The three played together before recruiting the fourth and final piece of the band in Cass Elliot, who also played with Doherty in The Mugwumps.  At first, John Phillips was a little bit hesitant to let Cass join the group as he felt that her physical appearance (she was quite heavy-set compared to Michelle), and her low vocal register would be more harmful than good.  Even though Cass was eventually accepted into the band, it took quite some time for John to warm up to her. 

But one thing that Cass did have influence on was the band's name.  And, in this archived transcript from Denny Doherty's personal website, he talks about how the band ended up getting their iconic name.

"We're all just lying around vegging out watching TV and discussing names for the group. The New Journeymen was not a handle that was going to hang on this outfit. John was pushing for The Magic Cyrcle. Eech, but none of us could come up with anything better, then we switch the channel and, hey, it's the Hells Angels on the Carson show... And the first thing we hear is: "Now hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass jumped up: "Yeah! I want to be a Mama." And Michelle is going: "We're the Mamas! We're the Mamas!" OK. I look at John. He's looking at me going: "The Papas?" Problem solved. A toast! To The Mamas and the Papas. Well, after many, many toasts, Cass and John are passed out."

I'd consider that to be quite an interesting story, wouldn't you? 

Now that we know who the members of the band are, let's talk about "Monday. Monday".

Now, I'll be really honest with you.  I find many of the songs by "The Mamas & the Papas" to be wonderfully written songs and I can see why so many people liked them.  But I definitely wouldn't recommend that these songs be played during happy occasions.  To me, their songs seemed to be overly saturated with melancholy.  And, yeah, "Monday, Monday" is no exception in this case.  The song's lyrics are so anti-Monday that you'd have sworn that Garfield had written it!  But in all actuality, the song isn't really about Monday.  Well, not exactly anyway.  It's about the ending of a relationship.  And, judging by the lyrics, it appears as though the end came on a Monday, as the singer kept singing about how on Monday morning he couldn't see that by the evening, their romantic partner took off to parts unknown.

As I said, quite the melancholic song.





The song itself was penned by John Phillips, who boasted that he had written the song in just twenty minutes.  The song is also one that boasts a false ending - you know, one of those songs that seemingly fades into oblivion, only to have a second surprise verse pop up at the true ending. 

But despite its solemn tone, and despite the tricky ending of the song, it was enough to stay on top of the charts for three weeks in May 1966 - the band's only single to top the Billboard charts.  Though, the band was hardly considered to be a one-hit-wonder.  During the time that they performed as a band, they recorded five studio albums, released seventeen singles, and of those seventeen, a half dozen charted within the Top 10.  And, for their performance of "Monday, Monday", the group was awarded a Grammy Award in 1967 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.  I'd say that wasn't bad, given that the band only stayed together for three years before the group split up in 1968, following Cass Elliot's desire to embark on a solo career.  Though the band did reunite briefly in 1971, by the time 1972 had arrived, all four members had decided to go their separate ways.

So, what became of The Mamas & The Papas?





Well, let's begin with the only surviving member of the group, Michelle Phillips, who turns 70 years old this June 4.  Michelle did attempt to get a solo career going with her 1977 album "Victim of Romance", but she soon found herself embarking on a totally different path...

...acting.



Did you know that Michelle Phillips was once a cast member on the long running dramatic series "Knots Landing"?  She joined the cast of the show in 1987 as the role of Paige Matheson's mother, Anne as a recurring character.  She became a regular two years later, and stayed with the show until its May 1993 series finale.  She also worked on several films during that period as well. 



And her musical talent seems to have carried on, as her daughter is Chynna Phillips, one-third of the successful all-girl group "Wilson Phillips", which Phillips formed with Brian Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy.



Michelle and John Phillips stayed together until 1970, when their divorce was made final.  It was also right around this time that John battled a serious addiction to heroin.  Throughout most of the 1970s, while he was experiencing some minor success writing songs for other artists, his drug addiction lead to him getting arrested and convicted of conspiring to distribute alcohol in 1980.  He served a month in jail during 1981 during which time he tried to resurrect the Mamas and the Papas by performing with Denny Doherty, and his two oldest children, Jeffrey and Mackenzie (Phillips would father five children overall which included Chynna, Tamerlane, and Bijou). 

John Phillips died in March 2001, and after his death came the allegations that John had an incestuous relationship with his troubled daughter, Mackenzie.  Whether or not the allegations are true, however, are between John and Mackenzie themselves...and only one side is able to talk.



Denny Doherty, as I mentioned before, tried to reboot the Mamas and the Papas with John Phillips, but he ended up leaving the group once more to be replaced by Scott "San Francisco" McKenzie.  Denny also had troubles with alcohol abuse after the original Mamas and the Papas split up, but found his way to total sobriety and stayed that way for years until his death from kidney failure in January 2007. 



But prior to his death, he had an interesting credit to his resume.  He hosted the Canadian children's television show "Theodore Tugboat" from 1993 until 2001!  I totally didn't realize that, and I do remember seeing an episode of that show here and there!  The things you learn on this blog, huh?



As for Mama Cass Elliot...well, her life has been filled with a couple of urban legends - emphasis on the word legends - and I shall let you know what they are.

Contrary to popular belief, Mama Cass was not let go from the band because she hit her head on a copper pipe which miraculously caused her voice register to rise three octaves (where the heck did they come up with THAT one).  In truth, Mama Cass had been considering a solo career for a while, and in 1968, she made her dream come true with another song about a dream of sorts.



(Though another rumour states that John Phillips had her axed from the group because of her size.  I can't confirm, nor deny this, so let's just this an allegation, rather than an assertion.)

In 1968, Cass was scheduled to perform a three-week gig at Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, but unfortunately, Cass suffered a series of health issues following a crash diet, which saw Cass lose 100 pounds in six months.  She was suffering from a fever and her vocal cords were hemorrhaging, and people urged her to cancel the show, but Cass refused, saying that the show had to go on.  Unfortunately, the show was a disaster, and the rumours spread that Cass had a drug problem.  However, she tried performing in Las Vegas again four years later, and that time, the crowd loved her.

Sadly, Mama Cass' career was cut short as she passed away in July 1974 at just 32.  And, contrary to popular belief, she did not die because she choked on a ham sandwich.  While there may have been some uneaten food in the hotel room where her body was found, there was no food in her windpipe upon closer examination during the autopsy.  In fact, the cause of death was a heart attack, likely brought on by the crash dieting that Cass had done over the last five years of her life.

So, there you have it.  The story of "The Mamas & The Papas"...a band whose history might very well have been as melancholic as some of their songs.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Despicable Me 2

Okay, so this is the final theme day change of the week as we inch closer and closer towards that third year anniversary of "A POP CULTURE ADDICT'S GUIDE TO LIFE". 

Yes, Saturdays are the brand new home of all movie discussions - previously known as the "Monday Matinee".

Now, why I decided to move the movie day to Saturdays instead of Mondays is because of a couple of reasons.  One, I figure that more people are likely to go out and see a movie on a Saturday than a Monday.  And, secondly, I wanted to name the theme day after a television show on TVOntario that featured two or three classic movies based around a particular theme.  The show debuted in March 1974 and ran for an astounding thirty-nine years before budget cuts silenced the series forever.  The final episode aired on August 31, 2013.

I'm hoping that all of you will enjoy the change of scenery for movie discussions, and I think that we're going to have a lot of fun with this new theme day.  In fact, in celebration of this day, I think we should all feel a little bit happy!



I mean, seriously.  It's the #1 song on the charts right now.  Why wouldn't you get happy over that!

Well, actually, there's a reason why I posted this particular song by Pharrell Williams.  You see, this song comes from a movie that was released just this past summer.  Although this movie is technically a sequel (of which I did a blog on the original film some time earlier), it is still enjoyable enough for me to not only recommend it to other people, but to christen the new Saturday Night at the Movies theme day with! 

Yeah, that sentence made so much more sense as I was typing it just now.  Not to self.  Do not start a blog entry immediately after working an eight and a half hour shift at your day job!

And, hey.  The movie does have a little bit of a Mother's Day theme, as one of the plots of this movie involves the main character of the film experiencing the joys of dating for the first time in well...ever.  But, you have to understand, he has childhood insecurities stemming from all the other kids in the playground rejecting him.  Believe me, I know that feeling all too well.

I mean, forget the fact that he used to be a super-villain who plotted the Great Moon Theft of '10!  He's a changed man since he took on the role of father to Agnes, Edith, and Margo, and he's all family man now.  But what happens when he has to dust off his book of villainy and face a new adversary in hopes of saving the world? 



That's the question Gru has to ask himself when he stars in "Despicable Me 2", which debuted in theatres on July 3, 2013.  There's more laughs, there's more slapstick comedy, and there's more minions than ever before!  10,400 of them, to be exact!



Well, at least, that's what the poster claims to show anyway.  I never did count them all. 



And yes, almost all of the voice cast returns to the film.  Steve Carell returns as Gru, Gru's three daughters are once again voiced by Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher, and Russell Brand returns as Dr. Nefario - who has a really interesting role in the sequel.  But if you haven't seen this movie, I won't exactly reveal what that is.  I can't spoil things too much, you know.  But let's just say that Dr. Nefario sees Gru's minions and their manufactured true colours.



And, apparently that colour is purple.  But alas, I've said too much.

When we last left Gru, he and his minions were absolutely happy with how their lives were going.  Agnes, Edith, and Margo loved Gru with all their hearts and fully accepted Gru as their father.  And Gru seemed to have left his villainous ways behind him, instead deciding to become a legitimate businessman selling a line of gourmet jams and jellies - which are probably some of the most disgusting flavour combinations that anyone has ever seen.  Okay, so maybe Gru will never win any cooking awards any time soon.  The fact is that he's not willing to go back to being a villain so easily.




So, when a woman named Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) is snooping around Gru's neighbourhood, Gru thinks that she is up to no good, and tries to use his patented freeze ray on her.  That doesn't work.  Instead, Lucy uses her lipstick taser to knock out Gru and two of his minions and kidnaps them all.  They are taken to a secret underwater hideout - the location of the Anti-Villain League (AVL).  Lucy happens to be an agent with the group, and the group itself is lead by Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan), who explains why they kidnapped Gru.  Prior to the film's beginning, a mysterious event took place near the Arctic Circle.  A secret laboratory was physically stolen by a gigantic magnet, its contents holding a powerful mutagen known as PX-41.  What it does is beyond description.  But needless to say, it's very scary.

And very purple.

The AVL believes that Gru is the perfect person to try and find out who stole the mutagen because of his dabbling in villainous ways in his past life.  At first, Gru refuses, citing his commitment to his new family as being more important than anything else.  But after a major change in the hierarchy of Gru's crew, Gru has no choice but to team up with Lucy to try and find out where the mutagen is and who has it.

The clues all point towards a shopping mall in the middle of town, and Gru observes all of the mall merchants, narrowing their focus to two different people.  One suspect is wig merchant Floyd Eagle-san (Ken Jeong), and the other is Mexican restaurant owner Eduardo Perez (Benjamin Bratt).  And, Gru has reason to believe that Eduardo is the man they are looking for because he matches the description of a villain that disappeared during an evil mission nearly two decades ago.  Nobody knew of what happened to him, but given that his last mission involved a shark and a volcano, it is believed that he is dead.

Or...IS he?



As if that weren't enough for Gru to worry about, Agnes believes that Gru is lonely and that he needs to marry someone so that she can finally have a mommy, and she seems to believe that Lucy is that woman.  Gru, meanwhile, has to deal with the fact that everyone is trying to set him up on a date with every shallow woman in America.  Is there anyone that can love Gru?  And will Gru let love distract him from achieving his mission?

Also, several minions disappear periodically throughout the film.  What happens to them?  And, when Gru sees what happens to them, how will he find a way to save them?

And perhaps every father's worst nightmare comes true when he finds out that Margo has been seeing Eduardo's son, Antonio (Moises Arias).  How does he accept the fact that his daughter is growing up?  And, is it happily ever after for Margo and Antonio?

Well, those questions will remain unanswered for now.  If you haven't seen the movie, I can't reveal too much more than that.

But how about some trivia to whet your appetites?  I'll even do the trivia portion in purple font...you know...just because I can.

1 - The film became the second highest grossing animated film of 2013, with only "Frozen" surpassing it.

2 - It is also the third highest grossing overall film of 2013.

3 - It broke the record for the most profitable film in the century old history of Universal Studios.

4 - The total amount of money the film earned?  Just thirty million dollars shy of one BILLION dollars!

5 - Kristen Wiig is the only cast member to play two different roles in both Despicable Me films.  In the first film, she played Miss Hattie, the woman who ran the orphanage where Margo, Edith, and Agnes lived before being adopted by Gru.

6 - Al Pacino was originally scheduled to play Eduardo, but quit the film over creative differences in May 2013 - just a few weeks before the film was set to premiere!  Benjamin Bratt had to work on timing his voice with the already animated Eduardo because the animators had already animated his character to Pacino's voice! 

7 - The film debuted in Australia on June 5, 2013 - a whole month before the movie was released worldwide!  Lucky Australians!



8 - A "Despicablimp" was launched in March 2013 to promote the movie.  It was designed to look like a Minion!  Cool, huh?

9 - The telephone number that Lucy gives Gru in the movie is 626-584-5723.  I don't know if the number is still in service, but people who dialed the number around the time the film came out were treated to a prerecorded message recorded by Kristen Wiig as Lucy!

10 - You know those yellow jacketed people in the opening scene of the film?  Believe it or not, those were what the Minions were SUPPOSED to look like in the first film.  Due to a budget crunch though, the Minions had to be changed to their current look.  It was a decision that worked out best in the long run!  The Minions are supposed to have their own film the summer of 2015!

11 - A lot of Gru's facial and hand expressions are gestures that Steve Carell has made in real time.  In fact, the actors were all filmed while reading their lines to give the animators more to work with.

12 - Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig ad-libbed several of their lines during the recording of their performances.

13 - Watch the scene closely at the Build-A-Bear store in the mall scenes.  You recognize the boy who has his bear blown up by the store clerk?  It's the same boy who had his balloon animal destroyed by Gru in the first film!  Isn't continuity grand?  

Friday, May 09, 2014

This Foodie Friday Post is Sponsored by COOKIES!

I am not Wolfgang Puck.

I am not Anthony Bourdain.

And, I sure as hell am not Gordon Ramsey, Lidia Bastianich, Rachael Ray, Mario Batali, Nigella Lawson, Guy Fieri, or even that guy who does the Papa John's commercials.  Let's see, what was his name again?  Oh, yeah.  Papa John.

Truth be told...I'm a disaster in the kitchen.  My cookbook is basically the ingredients listed on a standard microwave-only "dinner for one"...which is pretty pathetic when you consider that half the ingredients sound like something that you could probably find in floor wax.  If I attempted to cook up something on a stove, I would likely burn down fifty per cent of the entire city.  I don't even have the confidence to prepare ice correctly!



So, why in the world would I even attempt to start up a brand new theme day entitled "Foodie Fridays"?  Well, there is a slight ulterior motive here, which I will get to in a few minutes.  But first, I'd like to explain what "Foodie Friday" is. 

Now, over the near three years that I have done this blog, you might say that I have covered almost all the bases.  I've done blogs on television, movies, music, video games, toys, sports, history, geography, social issues, and yes, even a couple of blogs on religion and politics (against my better judgment, but I digress).

But one of the topics that I haven't really brought up a whole lot in this blog is food!  And, that really shocks me, given that every single one of us on this planet eats food.  After all, if we don't eat, we die.  And, well...dying would suck.

So, I decided that I would come up with one day per week where the discussion would be all about food!

Initially, I was thinking that it would be a great topic to supplement the blog.  After all, there are a lot of memories from my childhood that have to do with food, restaurants, and even school lunchboxes.  From breakfast cereal to leftover chilled Kentucky Fried Chicken, I could dedicate a whole month to food entries if I so desired!

But then it hit me.  I could do that...but I could also incorporate viewer feedback into this blog as well.  In fact, what if I had a way for all of you to be a part of this blog as well, sharing ideas to others?

You see...this isn't just going to be a discussion on food.  No way.  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think that a recipe swap is in order.

Seriously, what I need from you guys is your favourite recipes!  They can come from a cookbook, or from the side of a Kraft Dinner Box!  They can be recipes that have been in your family for hundreds of years, or they can be brand new creations that you came up with just by accident.  Heck, they can even be hot eats or cool treats!  I'll treat you right!



(And sound like a Dairy Queen commercial in the process...)

If I decide that your recipe is tasty enough for consideration, I'll base a food related story around the recipe (either a personal memory, or a historical piece on the significance of one of the ingredients used in the recipe), and I will give the person who submitted it total credit!  Think about it!  The blog gets an average of 500-600 page views per day.  That's the potential of 500-600 people looking at and trying your recipe!  Now imagine them sharing that recipe with 500-600 people themselves!  Trust me, it's a beautiful thing!

And, because I'll be providing you with full credit, you will share all the glory...or face a huge lawsuit if you stole the recipe from someone else without crediting THEM for it.  But, that's the chance you take, I suppose.  Just in case though, please cite the source of the recipe.  You know...just to cover ALL our butts!  Merci beaucoup!

I'm actually very interested in seeing how this is going to turn out.  I want to see what kind of recipes that we're going to see here.  And, hey...if some of the recipes are simple enough, maybe it'll give me the motivation to try and attempt some of these at some point...with a fire extinguisher present in case I royally screw up.

(Now, see...that's the sound of ulterior motive.  It really should have it's own musical leitmotif.  Too bad I can't compose music.)

But I can compose blog entries.  And, to kick off the inaugural Foodie Friday post, I'm going to be talking about one of my all time favourite baked goods.  In fact, I think I'm going to need help from one of my favourite Sesame Street buddies with this one. 

Take it away, Cookie!



Yes, today's blog post is all about COOKIES!  And, at the end, I'll be posting a recipe or two for cookies!



Truth be told, I've always been a kind of a cookie monster.  Although, I'm sorry to say that when I was a kid, some of my favourite cookies were the store-bought ones.  But, hey...I was a kid.  Your taste buds mature as you age. 

Regardless, I did love some of the cookies from a box or a bag growing up.  I think my favourite were the Double Stuf Oreos, and I'll be the first to admit that at nearly 33 years old, I could definitely still eat an Oreo or two or thirty-six.

Chips Ahoy was also a huge favourite, and I remember trying each variety of Chips Ahoy at least once.  I liked the original ones, the Chewy ones, the Chunky ones, and the ones that had the rainbow coloured chocolate chips.  I honestly have no idea if Rainbow Chips Ahoy are even made any more.  I haven't seen them in ages.



Of course, my all time favourite Chips Ahoy cookie was the "Striped Chips Ahoy", which was a mainstay for the late 1980s.  It was basically a Chips Ahoy cookie that had chocolate stripes drizzled over top of them.  They were so good, but so short-lived.  I would pay any amount to have Nabisco or Christie or whatever company makes Chips Ahoy bring back the Striped Chips Ahoy cookie.  Trust me...they were that good.



I also had a tendency to try cookies that were novelty shaped.  I did enjoy my animal crackers back in the day, and Teddy Grahams were certainly a snack treat that I smuggled into the school playground each and every recess.  I think I even remember trying to make some of the cookies that were featured in the Sesame Street Treasury books.  Some of them turned out great (like the Surprise Cookies), while others were duds (like the stained glass lollipop cookies that tasted like plastic).  But, hey...it was worth the effort.

Of course, as I grew older, the more I began to appreciate freshly baked cookies, and as I matured, I found that home-baked cookies were FAR better than any cookie you could purchase off the shelf.  My mother and grandmother used to make some of the best cookies, and some of the recipes that they used have been in the family for years.

My grandmother passed away when I was ten years old, but I remember her always making a whole lot of cookies.  I do think that I remember her making chocolate chip for me (my favourite), and for everyone else in the family, she made her very special Jam-Jam cookies which were basic shortbread cookies that had a jam center.  I do have the recipe for those cookies, but because it's a "family secret", I cannot post THAT recipe here.  But if you know how to make basic shortbread and have a jar of strawberry jam in your pantry, you could make your own version.

(Coincidentally, that was the one reason why I couldn't eat Grandma's Jam-Jam cookies.  She always used strawberry jam, and I am allergic to strawberries.  But even before I discovered my allergy, I didn't like strawberry jam anyways.)

But you know, with my grandmother's passing, my mother is now the one who bakes almost every baked good under the sun.  She makes her own cookies, brownies, banana bread, and apple pie (though she does buy pre-made pie crust because she doesn't like making her own).  And, I can say from experience that her cookies are definitely the best cookies ever.  I brought some to a charity dinner that my workplace was having and they disappeared very quickly.  My mom also makes cookies for my nephew's hockey team (HAPPY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY, SHANLEY!) and they always get rave reviews.  And, seriously, as we get closer to Mother's Day, I have to say that I love my mom's cooking, and I am so appreciative that she puts a lot of love into everything she bakes. 

I also tell her that she missed an opportunity to rent a storefront and open up a bakery.  She could have done so well!

So, I thought that I would end this blog entry off by posting a cookie recipe from my mother's treasure trove of cookbooks.  Trust me, I know she has a lot.  My sisters and I have each given her at least two or three of them!

And, you know what they say about cookbooks?  The ones that are always the most dog-eared and worn out are the ones that contain the best recipes!  I'm guessing that this one is probably that cookbook!



Okay, so admittedly, this cookbook is from 1962 (which actually predates myself and my two siblings, come to think of it), and you'll see that it's barely held together with scotch tape.  But I'm sure that the ingredients in this recipe are still around in 2014!  At least, I hope so.

Here's the recipe I promised, courtesy of the "Guide to Good Cooking with Five Roses Flour - c. 1962 - Twentieth Edition"!

BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

1 cup butter
1/2 tbsp. salt
2 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
2 eggs, unbeaten
3 1/2 cups Five Roses Enriched Flour (or any brand)
1 tsp. vanilla

NOTE:  When eggs are expensive, use only one, and add 2 tablespoons of milk.

Sift soda with flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix as directed.  Chill the mixture VERY thoroughly, as the dough is soft and difficult to handle otherwise.  Make cookies by rolling the dough or cutting the dough very thin.  Place on greased baking sheet, decorate as desired, and bake at 375-400 degrees Fahrenheit.

For a cookie that is less sweet, use 1 1/2 cups brown sugar instead of 2.


Bon appetit!  Until next week, keep cooking, everyone!

Thursday, May 08, 2014

Tube Talk Thursday - Brought To You by Hans S.

Hello, everyone!  And, welcome to the brand new home for all television discussions!  It's a theme day that I like to call "Tube Talk Thursdays".  And, in Tube Talk Thursdays, anything that has ever aired on television is up for grabs.

So, what are some of the topics that could come up in Tube Talk Thursdays for discussion?  Well, I'm glad you asked.

CARTOONS
SITCOMS
SOAP OPERAS
PRIME-TIME DRAMAS
REALITY SHOWS
CABLE CHANNELS
TALK SHOWS
NEWS PROGRAMS
KIDS SHOWS
GAME SHOWS
PROGRAMMING FROM OVERSEAS
VARIETY SHOWS

And, so much more!  The reason why I decided to do this is so I could give equal attention to all different types of television - not just one.  You'll notice that I have exactly twelve different topics up for possible discussion.  This means that I can go in a twelve week cycle featuring one different kind of show per week.  I certainly hope that you enjoy the new twist on an old favourite!

In fact, I have a confession for all of you.  I decided to start with a discussion on a cartoon series because I was given the idea by one of the readers of this blog!  (Thanks again,
Hans S.!)  He sent me a message through the Facebook Fan Page for this blog (which you can all join if you use Facebook simply by clicking HERE), and we had a great chat about a particular cartoon that he not only used to watch, but is in the process of seeking out quality copies of the program.

Now, I hear what you're saying.  Considering that hundreds of cartoon series can be readily purchased on DVD or Blu-Ray, you're thinking that the discussion that Hans and I had deals with a program that is incredibly hard to find.  And, you're absolutely right.  It is hard to find.  I honestly haven't seen one episode of the cartoon series, yet, strangely enough the name of the series rings serious bells.  It's as if I remember it, but I don't remember it.  You understand what I'm saying?  Yes?  No?  Maybe so?



Have you ever heard of a cartoon series called "Mighty Orbots"?  Well, judging by the entry that I looked up on Wikipedia (seriously, there are literally no other sources where I can find any information on the series), it was a collaborative effort between Japan and the United States, and it originally ran for thirteen episodes at the tail end of 1984.

(Wow...no wonder I don't remember it.  I was all of three years old back then.)

Though, just based on the premise of the show - a group of six robots using their powers to battle against the evils of the world (circa the 23rd century).  When all six robots are formed together, they have the power to become the Mighty Orbots, capable of standing up to any foe in the quest for peace and harmony. 



By the way, the six robots, in case you were wondering, were named Tor, Bort, Bo, Boo, Crunch, and Ohno.

Of course, Mighty Orbots was one of those programs that was quite controversial in its short run.  Whilst doing research for this television show, I discovered that a lawsuit was actually filed against the creators of Mighty Orbots by Tonka Toys!  Apparently, Tonka accused the creators of the show of stealing ideas from their GoBots line of toys - which were adapted themselves from Bandai's Machine Robo line.  It just seemed like it was too much of a coincidence that one of the robots in the cartoon had almost the same exact colours as the Godmars toy from Bandai - even though the colours were later changed.  Though I'm unaware of how that lawsuit ended (I couldn't find any information on any sort of aftermath), I can say that the lawsuit likely spawned the premature ending of the show after just thirteen episodes - and was one of the few cartoons of the 1980s to have a definite series finale.

At any rate, I kind of wish that I was old enough to remember this show.  Judging by the premise of it, it did look like something that I would have been interested in seeing it.  And, some of the voice actors who were a part of this program either already did some iconic voices, or went on to do iconic voices.  Barry Gordon and Jennifer Darling were both principal cast members of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", and of course, the late Don Messick was the voice of Scooby-Doo for nearly three decades!

But you know, just talking about "Mighty Orbots" got me thinking about other cartoon shows that I remember watching as a kid that I haven't thought about in years.  Shows that have only lasted a season or two that I remember really liking but had too short of a shelf life to get really attached to.

Take the show "Camp Candy", for example.  The cartoon aired on NBC for just a couple of years before NBC became the "Saved By The Bell" channel, and I loved that show.  I thought the idea of John Candy becoming a camp counselor to a bunch of children was an ingenious one, and I definitely wish that series would be released on DVD at some point because I would love to be able to watch it again.

Or, how about "Galaxy High", the show where two high school students from Earth are accepted into the only intergalactic school in the solar system?  It was a brilliant show which showed us all that sometimes the top dog of the school will have to start all over again...and that sometimes the biggest nerd in the school can become popular.

And of course I loved "My Pet Monster".  To me, it seemed like that show lasted longer than a year as it was always on television.  But, how could I not watch it?  How could I not love a monster that ate garbage, befriended three kids, ran away from a gigantic evil monster named Beastur, and scared the neighbour's dog in a variety of different ways?  I tell you, that's another show that I want to try and find on DVD format. 

(Don't judge me.  I already have a lot of childhood cartoons in my DVD collection.  If I ever have kids, they'll come in handy someday.)

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

Who Am I Wednesday - The Debut!

All right.  I've been keeping this secret from you long enough.  It's time to reveal the second brand new theme day that will be sticking around for the foreseeable future.  It's a theme day that I have purposely kept from you because I didn't want to spoil all of the secrets at once.  And besides...once I explain what this theme day is, I'm hoping that the secrecy was well worth it.



Welcome to the very first edition of "WHO AM I WEDNESDAY"!

Now, here's the $64,000 question.  What exactly IS Who Am I Wednesday?

Well, this is a day that is going to work as a bit of a game of sorts.  It'll be a combination between a diary entry and the board game "Guess Who?"

You see...while I was doing research on my blog for previous entries, somehow I happened to stumble upon the personal thoughts of your favourite musicians, TV stars, movie stars, fictional characters from books, TV, and film, and even cartoon characters!

(Well, okay...in all actuality, these are diary entries that I myself have written as if I were the characters themselves.  But the part about doing the research on the characters is one hundred per cent true!)

Yes, Who Am I Wednesday is a chance for me to really channel my creative side and take on the writing styles and personality traits of some of your favourite people (real or make-believe), WITHOUT revealing who the character is.  I'll drop a few hints here and there, and if possible, I'll try not to reveal too much blatant information.  I won't reveal a city name (e.g. New York City), but I might mention landmarks or street names).  I'll also try not to mention actual proper names, but sometimes I may not have much of a choice.

And, sometimes I'll really throw you off the track by putting a date from the past...it'll really make you think harder as to who the person might be.

Now, each 'Who Am I' diary entry will feature one of the following categories.

FICTIONAL CHARACTER
TELEVISION ACTOR/ACTRESS
FILM ACTOR/ACTRESS
RECORDING ARTIST
CARTOON CHARACTER

(I'm trying to keep it pop culture oriented for now.  If this is a success, I'll add more categories.)

Now, I won't reveal who the character is just yet.  I'll give you readers a chance to solve the puzzle for yourselves first.  The first person to solve the puzzle will get their name mentioned in the blog for next week.  I wish I could offer more of a prize for you, but I am not rich enough to be able to do that every week.  At least...not yet, anyway.

So, shall we begin with the very first edition of WHO AM I WEDNESDAY to get things started?

Okay, just to make it easy, this first one will feature a FICTIONAL CHARACTER.  And, it looks like this first entry goes back quite a bit.  The question is...WHO AM I?

January 20, 1993



You know, I'm sitting here in my bedroom watching the lights shining across the city.  They really are beautiful.  Especially around that building that is shaped like one gigantic triangle.  I think they call it something like the Transatlantic or Transvestite or some sort of building that starts with the word Trans.  I knew I shouldn't have cut geography class with Kathy Santoni today.  That girl's going to get me in a lot of trouble.



Anyway, I'm sitting here eating what's left of my birthday cake.  Yes, yesterday I turned sixteen years old, and my cake was made out of hash browns and ketchup.  Not exactly the best flavor combination for a cake, but it was sort of made at the last minute.

In fact, my whole party was kind of a last minute thing.  I suppose it can't be helped, given that my best friend actually forgot my birthday! 



Oh, I have to tell you, I was so angry with her last night.  And it wasn't because she forgot my birthday (although I have to admit I was mad over her for that as well).  It was because she thought that I was jealous of her new boyfriend.  I mean, how could she have said such a thing?  I supported them when they got together when we went away on that summer long trip to Spain we both went to.  I think that he's a great guy, and I was so happy that my friend found someone she really liked.  That's what hurt the most over the whole thing.  I'm glad that she found love.  I just missed spending time with her.  She was spending so much time with her boyfriend that I felt like I was competing against him to spend time with my best friend.

We had a really long talk, and she eventually apologized and we're now making plans to go to the mall next week where she will be treating me to a real birthday celebration.  And, as much as I was angry at her for saying such things, I know that it'll take a lot more than that to break up our friendship.

And to be honest, I know that my friend really tried.  When she invited me to her house (which as you know is right next door to mine), she did attempt to throw me a party.  Though, I should have caught on when I saw all the Christmas, Valentines, Thanksgiving, and 4th of July decorations hanging up all over the place.  But I was also told by everyone there that my birthday was such a special day that it should have been made a holiday.  And yeah, I totally bought into it.

And all of her family were there to try and cheer me up.  There was Mr. T, Hairboy, the two Squirts also known as her sisters, and that guy who always talks with that woodchuck puppet.  All of them were there, and they really tried.  Even though it was a mercy party, I like the fact that they tried.  They make it out as though I am a nuisance all the time, and they act really annoyed whenever I come by.  Maybe they really do care for me after all?

And hey, it's not the first time that a birthday party for me has been wrecked.  I completely remember my 12th birthday when I brought these two dumb girls from a junior high school who totally brainwashed me into abandoning my best friend...only for them to ditch me at the mall when they met two guys.  I suppose my friend didn't really appreciate me going around school the next day telling everybody that she was a 'geekburger'.



Sheesh.  Geekburger.  How old was I when I made THAT remark?

Anyway, through it all, I think our friendship will survive.  We became really close when her mom was killed in that car accident six years ago, and we've been inseparable ever since.  And she's really been on my side through all of the wacky things we've gone through.  She stuck by me when I accidentally handcuffed her to her little sister.  





Or the time that we got in trouble for cutting school to get some autograph from some forgettable star from the '80s.  I think her name was Stacey Q?  Oh, and there was also the time that I accidentally threw their living room television over the staircase railing.  We won't get into that.

The point is that through all of the fights we had, we always make up.  And, I think that we're going to continue to do exactly that.  To me, she's like a sister to me.  I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't in my life.  I don't even want to think of how my life would have gone had she not been there.

Maybe there is such a thing as guardian angels.  And maybe mine just happens to be named Donna Jo.

Anyway, I should probably get to bed so that I have enough energy to power nap through geometry class tomorrow.  And, I still don't understand why my parents got me an entire case of Odor Eaters foot powder.  Are they trying to tell me something?