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Monday, August 25, 2014

School Signs 101

Hey, everyone!

Today is FUNNY MONDAY, and in the spirit of back to school, today's topic is all about school once again. 

Now, if you remember last week, I posted a whole bunch of test answers from test papers that make you laugh, chuckle, chortle, and think outside of the box.  I'll admit that some of the ways that people answered the tests were quite clever, and had I been a teacher, I would find it difficult to tell them that their answers were wrong!

I suppose that it's probably a good thing that I'm not a teacher. 

Anyway, test answers are fun, but do you want to know what else is fun?  Preparing for back to school by advertising back to school sales, welcoming students back for another year of classes, or just some miscellaneous signs that have to do with school being posted all over school hallways.

So, it got me thinking.  Surely there has to be some examples of some school signs that got lost in translation, were spelled incorrectly, or were just a really bad idea all around.

So, that's what this post is all about.  A post I like to call "SCHOOL SIGNS 101". 

Now, I should note that some of these signs are funny.  Some of them are wrong.  Some of them are funny AND wrong (I like those ones best of all).  But of course, I can't take credit for the images.  So, I would like to give credit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show official website, World Wide Interweb, Smosh.com, Flickr, Pinterest, and Huffington Post for the inspiration behind the fifteen signs you're going to see today.

This is going to be a fun post!

So, are you ready to go back to school?  Let's go!



I'm not sure what the big college fads were back in 2010, but if beer pong is just as popular as it was a couple of decades ago, then the person who came up with this endcap display deserves a huge raise simply for creativity!



Somehow I feel really cheated.  I had to get my Brother printer for $150.00.  Mind you, it wasn't marked down from $10,000, but still...I'd like to find a printer for that price, just so I could save more than 98% off!



Apparently the class of 1990 didn't get in on the purchase of this high school sign.  I'm guessing they were too busy spending their money on the beer and pornography inside...



Ah, yes.  Colton High School.  Their standards are high on everything...except maybe, you know, the English language.



Okay, I've heard of many different kinds of races, but I don't know how one could do a race for "eduction" when I'm not exactly sure what "eduction" is.  I could understand a race for education, or hell, even a race for "reduction", but "eduction" doesn't exist.

Then again, I blame the fact that this sign seems to care more about when school is CLOSED, rather than open.



Implementing live music at a school for the deaf fundraiser is like implementing an art gallery at a national institute for the blind.



Yes.  Beware.  School is coming back in full force.  And this school is scared.  They're so scared, that they ran out of E's, and had to resort to backwards 3's to get the message across.



Sweet Jesus, some schools start earlier than I thought!  The red background and "YOU WILL LEARN THINGS" sort of makes it out like this is a school for the damned, doesn't it?



Oh dear.  Here's hoping that the "differance" that these teachers are making aren't in their ability to teach spelling...



Hmmm...well, I suppose that in botany class, this deal would be one to jump all over.  Or, at the very least, you could grow a vegetable garden for extra credit in science class - well, in the precious time before the first frost anyway.



Ahem...not that I would actually know anything about this at all...but when you're in high school, some schools offer these for free!  It's also a sad statistic on the state of the world, but not as sad as the one that the next photo showcases.



See what I mean?



Since when do pharmacies sell beer?  Maybe it's an American thing?  At any rate, it seems like kind of a pointless deal, since anyone in high school would be too young to legally purchase it.  Unless of course, it's for the teachers.



Ah...wine displays for Back to School.  Yep, it's definitely for the teachers!




On that note, what a perfect quote to end this blog off!  See you next Monday, everybody!

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Where Did Our Love Go?

I hope that you're all prepared to time travel, because for this edition of the Sunday Jukebox, we're going back in time a whole half-century!

Now, I don't remember the year 1964, for obvious reasons.  It was, after all, a good seventeen years before my birth.  I don't even know if my parents had even met each other yet.  They didn't get married until August 1965.  But 1964 was one of those years in which there was a lot of good music on the radio.  As someone who is a huge fan of 1960s era music, I find that 1964 was one of the better years of the decade.  I would rank it third on my list.

(Personally, I always saw 1967 and 1969 as being slightly better, but 1964 ranks right up there.)

And just what was it about 1964 that was so special?  Well, it kind of links to another kind of music that I love listening to.



I don't know what it is about classic Motown music, but I can't get enough of it.  From The Temptations and The Spinners to Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, and Mary Wells, there's very few examples of Motown music that I don't like.  You know how in that Rod Stewart song from a few years back talked about bringing over some of your old Motown records and putting the speakers in the window?  Well, I'll admit to doing exactly that - only I was born a little too late for the record era.  I mean, yes, records still existed in the 1980s, but cassette tapes were more common at that time.  Regardless, Motown music is awesome.  And even though many of the artists who were the stars of Motown are now deceased, I still find the music coming out of that record company to be some of the best pop music ever recorded.  I can't get enough of it.

So, when I discovered that the #1 song on the Billboard Charts fifty years ago was recorded by a group who epitomized the Motown charm, I simply couldn't resist talking about it.  And to make this even sweeter, this song is considered one of this all girl group's biggest and most remembered hits.

So, what was the #1 song some fifty years ago?  Why, it would be this one, of course!



ARTIST:  The Supremes
SONG:  Where Did Our Love Go
ALBUM:  Where Did Our Love Go
DATE RELEASED:  June 17, 1964
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 2 weeks

So, where did the love go?  Actually, when it comes to The Supremes, it didn't quite leave right away.  If anything, this song marked only the beginning for this Detroit, Michigan based group, as it was the first single of theirs to top the Billboard charts.



Of course, you all know that The Supremes at that time were made up of Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson.  But what you probably didn't know was that the song was one that the group wasn't initially enthused to sing.

Of course, that could also be because the song wasn't initially given to The Supremes to sing.

According to Mary Wilson, the song was originally offered to The Marvelettes (the group behind the single "Please, Mr. Postman").  But Motown's main production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland, refuted this claim.  The Marvelettes also denied that this was the case, although Marvelettes member Katherine Anderson-Schnaffer would later state that the song wouldn't have fit the group anyway.  They were more used to upbeat, fast songs, and "Where Did Our Love Go" was considerably a lot slower.

And, well...considering that "Where Did Our Love Go" is considered to be a song that one might listen to when their relationships go on the rocks, I doubt that I would classify this song as being upbeat.

So, whether you believe Mary Wilson's tale or not, regardless, when The Supremes were handed the song "Where Did Our Love Go", they recorded the single, albeit begrudgingly.  The group had hoped for a stronger single that would have gotten them noticed, and they didn't believe that the song had the hook necessary to get people interested in the single.

Little did they know that the single would become so popular that it would be the group's first major success!

Coincidentally, there is an interesting story behind the actual recording of the single itself.  And this story surrounds the actual choice of who would record the lead vocals.  The song's background music was arranged in such a way that it fit Mary Wilson's vocals almost perfectly.  However, Motown president Berry Gordy seemed to recognize the fact that Diana Ross was slowly becoming the leader of the group, and he decided to have Ross sing the lead vocal, while Ballard and Wilson sang the word "baby" at periodic intervals. 

Poor Ballard and Wilson.

Now this lead to some problems.  Because Diana Ross' vocals were at least a couple of registers higher than the song called for, when the first recording was completed, she was told to sing it at a lower register.  Ross did so, and when the group listened to the song's playback, they were all very pleased with how it came out.  Diana Ross reportedly ran down to Berry Gordy's office in excitement and anticipation to hear his thoughts on the song.  His thoughts?   It had the potential to be a Top 10 hit!

And it was.  It became the group's first #1!

Released in June 1964, the single debuted at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It only took six weeks for the song to reach the top of the charts - an impressive feat!  What was interesting about the timing of the song release was that during this period, The Supremes were on tour with Dick Clark's "American Bandstand Cavalcade of Stars" as one of the groups.  At the beginning of their tour commitment, they were one of the lesser-known groups on the tour.  By the time the tour wrapped, they were considered the best of the bunch!

What a difference a month and a half makes!

The Supremes would later go on to make a German language version of the single (as Germany proved itself to be a huge Supremes supporter), and the song also seemed to be released at exactly the right time in the United States.  The song reached #1 just as the American Civil Rights movement was beginning to pick up steam and as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.



Over the years, the song has continued to make an impact in the world of pop culture, and in the last 50 years, quite a few artists have covered or sampled the single for their own works.  Perhaps the most famous version of this comes from the British New Wave band Soft Cell, whose 1981 single "Tainted Love" (itself a cover version of the original performed by Gloria Jones) contains a version of "Where Did Our Love Go" after the initial song played.  As well, the Pussycat Dolls redid the single in 2005 for their "PCD" album.  Other artists who have sang the song include The J. Geils Band, Ringo Starr, The Spice Girls, Sinitta, and Declan Galbraith. 



Believe it or not, it was even re-recorded by the fictional group Kidd Video for their NBC Saturday Morning cartoon of the same name!

Oh, and one final piece of trivia?  The footstomps that you hear in the song?  They weren't done by the Supremes.  They were performed by Mike Valvano.  And, yes, he did get credited for it!

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Ed



Well, earlier in the week, I wrote a piece on the movie "Matinee", which was one of the ten movies that were featured on the above compilation of family favourites that I purchased from my workplace a few weeks ago.

I was supposed to post this last Saturday, but a time crunch caused me to make a change in plans.  It was just as well.  "Matinee" was worth the wait, as it happens to be the best of the lot of films that are featured on this compilation, and I was really happy to do a film that was well-liked by moviegoers.  The movie itself was a classic, and I really am glad that I waited to do a proper entry on it instead of attempting to rush through it.

With today's film selection, on the other hand, I can't say the same.  In fact, this film currently holds a Fresh Rating of ZERO per cent on the film review website "Rotten Tomatoes".  Of the ten films that are on this compilation, it easily is the worst of the lot.  And, after watching this movie, I would be inclined to agree with that perspective.

In fact, this may very well be the shortest movie entry that I ever do because I can't find any sort of trivia on this movie whatsoever.  At least any trivia that would salvage this hot mess of a movie that I'll likely never watch again.  Thank goodness that the other nine on the compilation are somewhat decent.

This is a movie in which the main star of the picture isn't a man, woman, or child, but an animal.  Now, I'm sure we all have our favourite movies that have an animal as the star.  "Flipper" made you laugh, "Free Willy" gave you hope, "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" was nice, and "Old Yeller" broke your heart. 

Mind you, there have also been some absolute clunkers in the movie world.  Did we really need all those "Air Bud" movies?  One would have been plenty!  And, don't even get me started on that 1981 film "Going Ape".  It's a wonder that Danny DeVito and Tony Danza even got work after that mess!

I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that depending on who the director is, and the cast members who are involved, and even the type of animal that is used can have a huge factor in whether a movie does incredibly well at the box office, or incredibly poorly.

In this case, the film made four million at the box office...on a budget of $24 million.  Ouch.

The film also had the unfortunate distinction of being nominated for four Razzie Awards, including nominations for main human star Matt LeBlanc (whom most of you remember from "Friends" as Joey, the soap opera day player who couldn't catch a break).  Luckily for LeBlanc, he lost out to Pamela Anderson.  And luckily for this movie, the awards that this movie was nominated for lost to Demi Moore's "Striptease".

But that's not to say that the nominations weren't warranted though.  Truth be told, I think if this movie had won any Razzies, I would not be shocked. 

You see...this film has a dirty little secret.  One that isn't quite so secret now that it's been out for eighteen years, but nevertheless, it's still pretty scandalous.  You see, most movies that have animals in the starring roles use real living animals.  They use real dogs, cats, mice, hamsters, elephants, porcupines, rattlesnakes...whatever the animal that is needed for the scene, they usually bring in the real thing.  Sometimes the animals are added in via CGI, which admittedly I find annoying, but I can at least understand the reasoning behind it.  You wouldn't put a poisonous snake in the arms of a seven year old, so you'd simulate it to protect the child.  Sometimes it doesn't work out, but other times it can look amazing (see any and all of the Harry Potter series of movies).

But when your idea of inserting an animal into a film involves using a part-time mechanical chimpanzee model who plays baseball?  Yeah...that's a recipe for box office Kryptonite.



Such as the case of the film "Ed".  The film, directed by Bill Couturie, was released on March 15, 1996 to scathing reviews. 

The most depressing part of the story?  Couturie is a multiple Emmy Award winner, and even won an Academy Award!!!

Anyway, the film in addition to Matt LeBlanc also starred Jim Caviezel (clearly BEFORE he made it big in Hollywood), Jack Warden, and Jayne Brook.  I wonder how each of these actors feel now about being a part of the film back then.

(Well, okay...we can't ask Jack Warden.  He died in 2006.)

It's just so unfortunate how this film turned out.  I mean, if they did manage to find a monkey that could actually play baseball.  If anything, that would have been cool to see, and might have salvaged some of the film.  That said, the mechanical chimp that they did use was so...what's the word I'm looking for...cheap, that it really destroyed whatever little credibility the film had.

In fact...the plot can only really be summarized as this.  Farm boy Deuce goes to an open baseball tryout to join a minor league team.  He makes the team because of his natural talent and insanely wicked "rocket arm" pitch.  And as the newest member of the team, he becomes the roommate of one of the other team members.

Did I mention that the roommate just happens to be a chimpanzee named Ed?  Yeah, that's not contrived at all.

The rest of the movie pretty much goes as planned.  Ed and Deuce develop their skills and become friends.  Deuce falls in love with a woman who has a little girl.  Ed is sold by the owners of the team, and Deuce tries to rescue him before it's too late. 

Yeah, you know something?  I think that's all I really want to say.  The less said about the film, the better.

One final note.  Matt LeBlanc's co-star from "Friends", Matthew Perry, was offered this role.  For some reason, Perry turned it down.  I can't imagine why.

Sigh...you know, maybe I'll just hope that the next film that I review is better than this one.  Maybe one with Burt Reynolds.  Yeah, that might work.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Betcha Can't Create Just One Potato Chip Flavour!

Are you ready for another edition of FOODIE FRIDAY?  I hope you are!  And believe it or not, I have to say that someone else gave me the idea behind today's blog post!

So, I want to give credit where credit is due, and I want to thank
Viki A. of Pincourt, Quebec, Canada for the inspiration behind today's post!  Thanks, Viki!  What a great idea!

All right.  So, today's topic was inspired by a post that I happened to come across on Viki's Facebook page.  You see, she and I have known each other for a few years from a mutual discussion group that we both belonged to years ago, and somehow we decided that we would become friends.  And, I'm glad we did because she's become quite a great pal.

Anyway, back to the story.

In Canada (the country where both of us were born), we just wrapped up a contest sponsored by Lay's Potato Chips.  Lay's, of course, is one of the biggest potato chip makers in the Western Hemisphere, and certainly you can see all sorts of different flavours of Lay's chips over the years from Original to Sour Cream and Onion.  From Barbecue to Dill Pickle.  From Smokey Bacon to Sea Salt and Pepper.  And many many more.



Well, over the last couple of years, Lay's has come up with a contest that allowed Canadians to come up with their own flavours of potato chip.  By going online to the Lay's "Do Us a Flavour" website, you could choose a variety of different ingredients and flavour combinations to make your own flavour of potato chip and give it a creative name.

The stakes were quite high for having the winning chip flavour.  The winning chip would get $50,000 in cold hard cash, plus 1% of all future bags of chips sold.  I know that percentage doesn't seem like a lot, but if, say, 75,000 bags of your flavour sold in a week, you'd get $750 that week.  And, if that trend continued, you could make $39,000 a year.  Not a bad chunk of change for just coming up with a flavour idea.

I remember entering that contest last year.  I would have thought that my flavour idea of Spaghetti and Meatballs would have done extremely well in the competition, but alas, it was not chosen.

In fact, last year, the four top contenders were Grilled Cheese and Ketchup, Perogy Platter, Maple Moose, and Creamy Garlic Caesar

I certainly had my favourite flavour (Perogy Platter received my vote), and I really wanted it to win.  Alas, the concoction known as Maple Moose (which was reportedly inspired by adding maple syrup to roadkill), ended up pulling off the biggest upset ever, winning the whole kit and kaboodle.  To be honest, it wasn't my favourite flavour, although I didn't dislike it.

And, well...to be honest, the flavour was pulled after ninety days due to low sales.  But hey, you had to admire the fact that the person who created the winning chip added a Canadian flair to the flavour combo.



The contest has also been held in America, and lets just say that some of the flavours they came up with are just as strange.  Chicken and Waffles, Cheesy Garlic Bread (yum), Sriracha, Wasabi Ginger, and Cappuccino.

Somehow, I don't see potatoes and coffee going very well.



Well, in Canada, they once again have come up with four brand new flavours to choose from.  This year's choices?  Bacon Poutine, Cinnamon Bun, Jalapeno Mac 'n Cheese, and Tzatziki.  Once again, I have my favourite (go Bacon Poutine!), and once again, I have the flavour that I really question (surprisingly enough it isn't Cinnamon Bun, but Tzatziki).  It's too soon to tell which flavour will win, but it looks like a fairly close contest.

So, this leads to the main body of the blog entry.  If you could come up with your own potato chip flavour, what would you make it taste like?  Would it be salty?  Sweet?  Bitter?  Spicy?  Or, would it be absolutely gross?

Well, once again, I submitted a couple of choices to the Lay's people...and once again, I was denied.  I keep saying that one of these days, my flavour will get chosen. 

Anyway, I'll share my two rejected flavours, as well as other ideas that I came up with.  Many of them I think are tasty...but I threw in one flavour that is kind of a joke one.  Would you try any of my creations?



1.  SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Yes, this was the very first flavour idea that I came up with for the Lay's contest, and I thought that it had real promise.  If anything, I thought that it would have a real Italian kick to it.  After all, the ingredients I selected were cheese, tomatoes, and beef.  Really, if anything, it would have been a combination that nobody else would have thought of.



2.  HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN WING

Okay, so whenever I grab an order of chicken wings from a deli or a restaurant, I typically like mine to have a little bit of sweetness to it.  I tend to gravitate towards honey garlic flavouring.  Surprisingly, I think this flavour would work very well as a potato chip flavour, and this was the flavour that I submitted this year.  Again, it got ignored.  Probably considered too safe a flavour.



3.  PRETZEL AND MUSTARD

Okay, bear with me folks.  If you've ever tried one of those fresh baked pretzels that you see on the streets of any major metropolitan city in North America, you know that for some reason, they always taste a little better with mustard.  It would definitely be a weird flavour for a potato chip, but I would eat them.



4.  SESAME CHICKEN

Okay, maybe it's the "I love Chinese food" part of me talking here, but colour me crazy - I think sesame chicken could be potentially a delicious flavour for a chip.  If you combine it with the right dip, it could be a flavour explosion of pure joy.



5.  LEMON POPPYSEED

Well, if Creamy Garlic Caesar can be a finalist last year, you could try other salad dressing combinations.  Somehow, I think Lemon Poppyseed would work better than Raspberry Vinaigrette.



6.  TOOTHPASTE AND ORANGE JUICE

(Heh.  Just kidding.)

Okay, so what flavours of chip do you think you would create?

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Remembering Don Pardo and Other Announcers of the Past

Before we kick off today's edition of the Tube Talk Thursday for this week, I have some condolences that I wish to leave in this entry.

How many of you are fans of "Saturday Night Live"?  I imagine some of you watch it every Saturday on NBC.  I know I used to watch it all the time when I was old enough to laugh at and understand all the jokes.  Hard to believe that the show will celebrate it's fortieth anniversary next year.

I found it even more unbelievable that one man was on the show's cast for thirty-eight of those forty years!  But yet, you might not remember him for any sketches.  He never really appeared on any.  I mean, yes, we all know of names forever linked to "Saturday Night Live".  Chevy Chase, Mike Myers, Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Dana Carvey, and the late Phil Hartman.  But this guy took on a more behind the scenes role.  You might not have known it, but you heard his voice on nearly every single episode of Saturday Night Live. 

And on Monday, August 18, 2014, he breathed his last breath.



Although longtime announcer Don Pardo has passed away, he did so at the ripe old age of 96.  And would you believe that his career in radio and television lasted a grand total of SEVENTY years?  I don't even think Regis Philbin has lasted that long yet!  But again, you probably wouldn't have known that because he liked to work on shows as the announcer.  And, of course, "Saturday Night Live" was his most well known work.  But I bet you didn't know that he began his career in 1938 as a radio announcer for Providence, Rhode Island station WJAR.  He was hired by NBC six years later, and spent the rest of his life working for the station in some form or another.

Would you believe that he also was an official announcer for a series of game shows before the game shows became popular?  It's absolutely true!  Don Pardo was one of the very first announcers for the game show "Jeopardy!"

(Well, the old version of the show.  Not the modern one that's been hosted by Alex Trebek the last three decades.)

He also served as an announcer for "The Price Is Right", "Jackpot", and even the NBC Nightly News! 

So, the death of Don Pardo got me thinking about a possible topic for today.  What about other television and game show announcers who made a career of working behind the scenes announcing all of those fabulous prizes that you could win by answering questions, solving puzzles, or deciding whether you'll take the deal or not?  We've had quite a few talented people who made a living on those shows off camera, and sadly many of those famous voices have since passed on. 

So, I suppose you could make this an "In Memoriam" of all the game show announcers we've lost over the years.

Let's begin by talking about one of my favourite announcers that I remember from my childhood.



ROD RODDY (1937-2003)

Okay, so anyone who watched "The Price Is Right" sometime in the 1990s knows who this guy is.  This Texas born announcer had a voice as loud as his brightly coloured suits.  Seriously, this guy could have given Don Cherry a run for his money in the style department.  But, regarding his wild style, he started wearing the wild colours on "The Price Is Right" merely by accident, and Bob Barker's encouragement helped him keep his bright fashion sense for good.  He even flew to Bangkok, Thailand to have his suits custom made.



So, naturally, because of his wild attire, he was dressing to get noticed.  Certainly he made more on-screen appearances than any other announcer that I can remember.  And those of you who were into game shows know that he appeared on several over his career.  Of course, the ones that he was most associated with were "Press Your Luck" (which he announced between 1983 and 1986), and "The Price Is Right" (which he announced between 1986 and 2003). 

Sadly, on September 11, 2001, Roddy was diagnosed with colon cancer, and despite battling the disease courageously for two whole years, Roddy lost his battle on October 27, 2003 - just one month after turning 66 years of age.



JOHNNY OLSON (1910-1985)

Interestingly enough, Rod Roddy secured the permanent announcer job on "The Price Is Right" for a couple of reasons.  One because "Press Your Luck" had not been renewed for the 1986-1987 season, and another because he had been hired to replace the previous announcer, who passed away on October 12, 1985 at the age of 75.

But here's the interesting thing about Johnny Olson.  Although his most well-known gig was announcer of "The Price Is Right" between 1972 to 1985, he had his hand announcing a grand total of THIRTY-TWO different game shows during his career!  That is mighty impressive.  Sadly, I don't really remember Olson that well.  I was only four when he died, and anything before 1986 is pretty hazy for me.  But anyone who was alive during the 1950s and 1960s would remember him very well as the voice behind "Name That Tune", "What's My Line", "To Tell The Truth", "Match Game", and selected episodes of "Supermarket Sweep" (the original, not the ones hosted by David Ruprecht or Tino Monte). 

One final footnote.  Several of Olson's final episodes of "The Price Is Right" were aired posthumously, as his death of a cerebral hemorrhage was so sudden.  His final episode aired November 8, 1985 - almost a month after his death.



GENE WOOD (1925-2004)

Of all the game show announcers on this list, I thought that Gene Wood had one of the coolest voices.  Here he is in action from a classic episode of "Family Feud" - the show that he is best known for.



Oh, but Mr. Wood did so much more, yes he did.  He served as the announcer for "Beat The Clock", "Card Sharks", "Tattletales", "Match Game-Hollywood Squares", "Classic Concentration", and "Win, Lose, or Draw".  Many of those shows I remember watching as a kid.  I particularly loved "Win, Lose, or Draw" myself. 

Anyway, Gene Wood's career lasted quite a long time - almost three and a half decades total.  After retiring from game show announcing in 1999, he passed away on May 21, 2004 at the age of 78.



CHARLIE O'DONNELL (1932-2010)

The last name on our list, this man's voice was almost as much of a staple on "Wheel of Fortune" as Pat Sajak and Vanna White.  For two separate stints, O'Donnell served as announcer for the program.  The first one lasted from 1975-1980, back in the days in which Chuck Woolery hosted the program.  He left for a few years to do other projects, and returned to the show at the tail end of the 1980s, remaining there until his death from heart failure on November 1, 2010 at the age of 78.

So, when he wasn't describing trips, cars, or those really wacky shopping spree segments during the 1980s where people would buy lamps for $500 and elephant statues for $1,111, he was working on other game shows.

You might have heard him as the announcer for such game shows as "Tic-Tac-Dough", "The Joker's Wild", and "The $100,000 Pyramid".

But here's an interesting fact as well.  Did you know he also served as the official announcer for many awards shows such as "The American Music Awards", "The Emmy Awards", and even "The Academy Awards"?  How about that?

Can you think of any other names to add to the list? 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Matinee

Well, today is Wednesday, and normally I would be doing a WHO AM I WEDNESDAY entry in this space.  However, this week, we'll be taking a look at a movie instead, as my crazy schedule prevented me from doing a proper blog on a movie last Saturday.  I promise, my schedule will be back to normal next week.

Besides, sometimes it's good to switch it up every once in a while.



Okay, so if you have been keeping up with this blog for the last three weeks, you'll know that I'm in the middle of a 10-part movie series in which I review one of the movies featured in this 10-film compilation that I picked up at my workplace for five dollars.  I'm on film #4 this time around, and let's just say that from a critical standpoint, these films didn't do so hot at the box office, or they were completely trashed by film critics. 

So far, I've taken a look at "The Wizard", "A Simple Wish", and "Ghost Dad".  One I still love, one I'm indifferent on, and the last one I used to like twenty some years ago, but can't really stand now. 

I think it's time that I choose a film that was critically acclaimed, don't you?  How about a film that has a 93% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes?  How about a film that made nine million dollars at the box office?  How about a film that has not one but two films within the film?

Interestingly enough, the name of the film happens to be a term for a type of movie that you might go to in the middle of the afternoon.  In fact, its film title was a part of the old themed movie day that I used to have back when Mondays were the movie discussion day.

You remember?  It was called the Monday Matinee. 



Well, today, we're going to take a look at the 1993 film called "Matinee".  The film - released in January 1993 - stars John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Omri Katz, Kellie Martin, Lisa Jakub, Jesse Lee Soffer, and Simon Felton in a film that depicts going to the movies during the scary and uncertain times of the beginnings of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.  The film was directed by Joe Dante (who also directed the two Gremlins films, "The 'Burbs", and "Small Soldiers"), and written by Jerico Stone and Charlie Haas.

What made "Matinee" different from the standard films released during the early 1990s was the film structure.  There was a main plotline, but inside the film, there were movies within the movie.  Two, to be exact.  One was "Mant!", and the other one was "The Shook-Up Shopping Cart". 

Now, I suppose that you're thinking that this structure might seem quite confusing, but it really did blend together beautifully.  The film is also separated into two separate parts, which I'm briefly going to summarize, as if I reveal too much about it, I'm going to be breaking my promise about never revealing a movie ending.

Okay, so as I mentioned, the film takes place in 1962, during the early phases of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and what many people declare was the catalyst behind the commencement of the Cold War, which lasted for nearly three decades.  If anyone was around during that time, they knew that nuclear weaponry was gaining in popularity, and they also knew the total devastation that nuclear weapons could have on the world.   



In Key West, Florida, a boy named Gene (Fenton) and his brother Dennis (Soffer) live on a military base.  Their father is out at sea, and they are completely bored out of their minds over what to do.

But then they hear word that Lawrence Woolsey (Goodman) will be in town exclusively to promote his latest picture - a thrilling horror show that depicts what might happen when atomic radiation turns a man into a half-man, half-ant.  It's a classic masterpiece known as "Mant!" (a brilliant spoof of those B-movies that you often would see on Mystery Science Theatre 3000).  And, naturally, Gene and Dennis want to go and see the film.  Unfortunately, with President Kennedy announcing on television that Soviet missiles have been located in Cuba, it puts the movie premiere in jeopardy, as concerned citizens don't feel that a movie that features atomic radiation is appropriate to air.

Naturally, this sets the stage for the main plot of the movie.  The quest to bring the movie to Key West despite all the protests and the fear that is being brought by the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Oh, and there's also the challenges of first love, the desire to try and find freedom and joy in a world gone mad, and of course, lots of popcorn, goobers, and bonbons.

Seriously, I can't really go into much more than that, but check this film out.  It's certainly a wonderful film, and it showed us all that John Goodman could play other roles than blue-collar worker Dan Conner from "Roseanne".

Now since I can't go into too much plot detail, I'll have to make up for it with trivia.  Ready to hear it?

1 - This film was one of the first American films that Naomi Watts appeared in.  Look for her in the shopping cart movie scene.

2 - Lisa Jakub would go on to make another successful movie in 1993 - "Mrs. Doubtfire".  She would play the eldest daughter of Sally Field and Robin Williams.

3 - Many of the actors who appeared in the fictional "Mant" film were actual actors from 1950's sci-fi movies.  These actors included Robert Cornthwaite, Kevin McCarthy, and William Schallert.

4 - The theatre that was used in the film was a real theatre.  Well, at least it was on the exterior.  The interior was built entirely on a soundstage in Universal Studios Florida.

5 - The seat gimmicks that were used in the movie were actually used by William Castle for screenings of 1959's "The Tingler".

6 - Three schools in Central Florida were combined together to depict Gene's high school in the movie.

7 - Jesse Lee Soffer became a huge star after this movie was released.  He went on to play the role of Will Munson on "As The World Turns", and is currently on the series "Chicago Fire".

8 - You might not be able to tell this because of the film, but Simon Fenton was born in the UK, and has appeared in the UK television series "Grange Hill" and "The Bill" after wrapping up "Matinee".

9 - Jerico Stone lost an arbitration on "Matinee" and received only a shared story credit.  He was so upset, he tried to replace his credit with a four letter word that began with "F".  His request was denied.

10 - John Goodman filmed this movie in between the fourth and fifth seasons of "Roseanne".


All right.  The curtain closes on another "Matinee".  We have another movie discussion coming up this Saturday, and we're going to be taking a look at a film that features a former "Friend"...and a monkey?

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

August 19, 1963

Hello, everyone!  Today is August 19, and it happens to also be the day where we flip back through the fabric of time to look at another Tuesday Timeline entry.

I think I've got a pretty good topic lined up for this week, and I don't want to waste any time here.  Let's get on with this entry by getting down to the other business for today which includes the history happenings and celebrity natal days! 

All right.  So, what happened on this date in history?  Lots of things!

1561 - Mary, Queen of Scots - then eighteen years of age - returns to Scotland after spending thirteen years in France

1612 - Accused of practicing witchcraft in Britain, the "Samlesbury Witches" go on trial

1692 - The Salem Witch Trials take place, in which one woman and four men are executed after being accused of performing witchcraft

1768 - Saint Isaac's Cathedral is founded in St. Petersburg, Russia

1839 - The French government announces that Louis Daguerre's photographic process is a "free gift to the world"

1871 - Orville Wright, one of the Wright brothers (d. 1948) is born in Dayton, Ohio

1909 - The first automobile race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

1914 - The Ottoman-Bulgaria Alliance is signed in Syria

1921 - Gene Roddenberry (d. 1991), creator of Star Trek, is born in El Paso, Texas

1930 - Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt (d. 2009) is born in Brooklyn, New York

1934 - Dayton, Ohio becomes the host city for the first official Soap Box Derby

1940 - The first flight of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber

1942 - Dozens of Canadian troops are killed or captured during Operation Jubilee

1955 - 200 people are killed when severe flooding caused by Hurricane Diane takes place in the Northeast United States

1960 - The Korabi-Sputnik 2 satellite is launched into space by the Soviet Union

1977 - Actor Groucho Marx (b. 1890) passes away at age 86

1987 - Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with a semi-automatic rifle and then turns the gun on himself in the Hungerford Massacre

1989 - The British and Dutch governments raid pirate radio station Radio Caroline

1991 - Mikhail Gorbachev is placed under house arrest while on holiday in Ukraine

2005 - A series of strong storms in Southern Ontario spawns dozens of tornadoes and causes flash floods to occur within the city of Toronto

2010 - The official end of "Operation: Iraqi Freedom"

2012 - Director Tony Scott, aged 68, commits suicide by leaping off of a bridge in San Pedro, California

And, let's have a look and see who is celebrating a birthday today.  Blowing out candles today are...L.Q. Jones, Renee Richards, Bobby Richardson, Joe Frank, Diana Muldaur, Johnny Nash, Jill St. John, Buzz Kilman, Ian Gillan, Bill Clinton, Gerald McRaney, Tipper Gore, Jonathan Frakes, Peter Gallagher, Adam Arkin, Kevin Dillon, Kyra Sedgwick, Lee Ann Womack, Matthew Perry, Clay Walker, Fat Joe, Sammi Cheng, Jaime Zubairi, Callum Blue, Tracie Thoms, Erika Christensen, Tammin Sursok, Christina Perri, and Travis Tedford.

And, just to let you know...today's Tuesday Timeline subject is also celebrating a birthday today.



Their date of birth and today's Timeline date?  August 19, 1963.

Now if you took a look at him now, you might be hard-pressed to believe that this man is turning fifty-one years old.  However, you have to also keep in mind that one of his first roles was well over thirty years ago on a daytime soap opera.  He's since appeared in a successful sitcom, was part of one of the most successful medical dramas of all time, and once substituted as a drummer for one of the most recognized bands of the 1960s.

Oh, and he sells Greek yogurt too.  But I suppose that makes sense, given that he comes from a Greek background.



Yes, today marks the fifty-first birthday of actor John Stamos, a man who has been in the entertainment industry for almost as long as I've been alive.  And, in celebration of John Stamos' life, I thought that I would provide fifty-one factoids about his life and times.  I've done this before with other celebrity spotlights, and it's a fun way to bring up some little known facts about celebrities that you may or may not have known.

So, let's get started, shall we?

1 - John Stamos was born in Cypress, California.

2 - His mother was raised in England and was a former swimsuit model.

3 - His family's original surname was "Stamatopoulos".  His paternal grandparents shortened it to Stamos when they immigrated to the United States from Greece.



4 - His very first role on television was on the soap opera "General Hospital", where he played aspiring rock singer Blackie Parrish.

5 - Stamos was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his role in 1984 - the same year he left "General Hospital".

6 - He had a short-lived role on a sitcom called "You Again?", which starred Jack Klugman.



7 - When he was cast as Uncle Jesse on "Full House", his character's name was supposed to be Adam Cochran.  Before the pilot was filmed, Stamos convinced the producers to change the character's name to Jesse.  By the beginning of the second season, Jesse's last name was changed to Katsopolis to reflect his Greek heritage.

8 - Stamos is still really close with all of his "Full House" castmates.  He recently attended the wedding of "Full House" co-star, Dave Coulier a few months ago.



9 - Ever wonder why John Stamos and Lori Loughlin had such chemistry with each other?  It's because they once dated before "Full House" debuted!  The relationship didn't work out, but they remained good friends.



10 - John wore a wig in the last few episodes of season one.  He had cut his hair for a movie role.  The debut of season two was the first to show off his new look.

11 - John Stamos once guest-starred on "Friends" - a show that began filming in the old studio where "Full House" once filmed after the show was cancelled in 1995.



12 - He was cast as Dr. Tony Gates for the final three years of "ER".

13 - Prior to that, he starred in a couple of shows that didn't last one whole season - "Thieves" and "Jake in Progress".

14 - Stamos learned how to play the drums when he was four.

15 - Stamos even had his own band - Destiny.

16 - This could explain why Jesse's main storyline on "Full House" was making it big with his band "Jesse and the Rippers".



17 - Jesse and the Rippers reunited with each other on an episode of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon".  Lori Loughlin made a cameo appearance.



18 - In the spirit of reunions, Stamos reunited with former co-stars Bob Saget and Dave Coulier for another skit on Jimmy Fallon...



19 - ...and in this commercial for Oikos Greek Yogurt.

20 - He has only been married once - to model Rebecca Romijn for nearly seven years.  The marriage ended in 2005.



21 - He made an appearance in the Beach Boys video for "Kokomo".

22 - Truth is that John Stamos has occasionally jammed with the Beach Boys for almost thirty years.

23 - This could explain why members of the Beach Boys periodically appeared in episodes of "Full House" between seasons two and five.



24 - Oh, and the song that Jesse sang for Becky at their "Full House" wedding?  It was a Beach Boys song!

25 - I wonder if John Stamos was also partly responsible for the time the show filmed in Walt Disney World?  He is a self-confessed Disney fan.



26 - John Stamos even has a lifetime pass to Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

27 - And, Stamos even bought a Disneyland sign for over $30,000!



28 - He directed the video for Diamond Carter's song "Let Yourself be Loved".

29 - And, Stamos is also credited as a co-writer for the above song!

30 - He's also appeared in Broadway musicals "Cabaret", "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", and "Bye Bye Birdie".

31 - He was awarded with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in November 2009.

32 - In 1984, he won a Young Artists Award for his role on "General Hospital".

33 - He is six feet tall.

34 - He was originally considered for the role of Cyclops in the 2000 film, X-Men.  James Marsden would eventually get the role.



35 - He is a huge fan of Elvis Presley in real life.

36 - He has two younger sisters.

37 - His ancestry is predominantly Greek, but he is also part English and part Irish.

38 - He played the drums at the wedding reception of good friend Howard Stern.

39 - He worked as a spokesperson for long distance carrier 10-10-987 in 2003.

40 - His production company is called St. Amos Productions.

41 - His middle name is Phillip.

42 - He was chosen as one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive.

43 - He was once romantically linked to Paula Abdul while he starred on "Full House".

44 - While he worked on "General Hospital", he also held down a job at his father's restaurant!

45 - He is a regular poster on Twitter.

46 - According to an US Weekly article, he once played the bongo drums with Willie Nelson.

47 - He also claims to do Pilates three to four times per week.



48 - He and Bob Saget filmed a hilarious YouTube video demonstrating the joys of cuddling!

49 - However, in Bob Saget's memoir "Dirty Daddy", Saget reveals that he really did once share a bed with Stamos.  After having a few too much to drink, Stamos stayed with him to help him sober up.  Though Saget maintains that nothing happened between them.

50 - His last name is pronounced STAY-mohs.

51 - He is currently starring in the USA Network television series "Necessary Roughness".



And, there you have it.  Fifty-one facts for each and every year of John's life!  Happy 51st, John Stamos!