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Tuesday, September 02, 2014

September 2, 2008

Hello, everybody!  I hope you're ready for another edition of the Tuesday Timeline - the very first one for September 2014!  And, I'll have to admit that September 2 isn't exactly the most exciting day that I've ever flashed back to.

(Yes, I had a hard time picking a suitable topic for today.)

That said, I think that you will like this one.  Although the Tuesday Timeline blog will once again focus on the last day of a famous person's life, what that person did in the world of animation will forever be immortalized.  You might not know the name when we first begin this blog, but by the conclusion, you'll understand exactly who he was.

For now, let's take a look at the other events that took place on the second of September.  And, this time around, we'll be focusing on quite a bit of history in the BC years!

47 BC - Cleopatra declares her son, Ptolemy XV Caesarion, co-ruler of Egypt

44 BC - Cicero launches the first of his Philippics attacks on Mark Antony

31 BC - Forces of Octavian defeat troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra in the Battle of Actium

1666 - Ten thousand buildings are destroyed when the Great Fire of London breaks out

1752 - The Gregorian Calendar is adopted by Great Britain two centuries after most of Western Europe did the same

1789 - The United States Treasury is established

1792 - The "September Massacre" begins during the French Revolution

1859 - Electrical telegraph service is disabled due to a solar super storm

1862 - After the defeat of General John Pope at the Second Battle of Bull Run, President Abraham Lincoln reluctantly restores Union General George B. McClellan to full command

1885 - The Rock Springs Massacre takes place in Rock Springs, Wyoming, killing twenty-eight Chinese miners

1901 - "Speak softly, and carry a big stick" is uttered by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt

1912 - Arthur Rose Eldred is awarded the first Eagle Scout award of the Boy Scouts of America

1935 - A massive hurricane strikes the Florida Keys, killing 423 people

1939 - The Free City of Danzig is annexed by Nazi Germany following the beginning of the invasion of Poland

1963 - CBS Evening News expands from 15 minutes to half an hour

1973 - "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien passes away at the age of 81

1987 - Sonny Bono announces his plan to run for Mayor of Palm Springs, California

1998 - Swissair Flight 111 crashes near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, killing everyone on board

2005 - "Gilligan's Island" actor Bob Denver passes away at the age of 70

And, we have some celebrity birthdays to share today as well.  A very happy birthday to Marge Champion, Milo Hamilton, Chuck McCann, Mary Jo Catlett, Rosalind Ashford, Walt Simonson, Terry Bradshaw, Rosanna DeSoto, Mark Harmon, Jimmy Connors, Mario Tremblay, Keanu Reeves, Lennox Lewis, Salma Hayek, Tuc Watkins, Cynthia Watros, Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, Shauna Sand, Erin Hershey Presley, Jason Hammel, Rob Ramsay, Shayla Worley, Xenia Knoll, and Montana Cox.

Okay, so what is the date that we will be revisiting this week?



Well, it's not that far away.  We're only going back six years in time to September 2, 2008.  And, as I mentioned before, this date marked the last day that our Tuesday Timeline subject lived.  But don't grieve his loss too hard.  He lived a good long life.  In fact, had he lived, he would be celebrating birthday number 98 in November! 

Yes, his passing on September 2, 2008 at the age of 91 was a sad moment in the world of animation - particularly in the world of Peanuts cartoons.  As many people were well aware, the creator of Peanuts, Charles M. Schulz had died eight years prior to this man's death, on February 12, 2000.  But when this man passed on, it truly marked the end of an era in the world of Snoopy and his friends.



You see, it was this man that helped bring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy, Linus, Sally, Schroeder, Pig Pen, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Rerun onto the small screen.  Through the dozens of television specials, the Saturday Morning cartoon "The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show", and many, many commercials for A&W Root Beer and MetLife.  Charles M. Schulz trusted him and ONLY him to bring his animation magic to the cartoon.  And in the cases of Snoopy and Woodstock, this man literally gave both characters their voices.

Oh, but that's just a small piece of what this man did.  



And today, we're going to learn more about legendary animator, film director, and voice artist Bill Melendez.

Born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico with the given birth name of Jose Cuauhtemoc Melendez on November 15, 1916.  I'm not entirely sure how he shortened that to Bill, but that's a different tale for another day.

(Well, that, plus I couldn't find any sort of information on the name change.)

Anyway, Bill grew up attending American schools, and he developed his love of art rather early in life.  He was talented enough to attend the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, California (which has since been renamed the California Institute of the Arts).  And some of his earliest animation projects were based out of a couple of well known animation studios.  Would you believe that he worked for both Walt Disney Productions and Warner Brothers Cartoons?  Not many people can claim that they have worked with Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny, but certainly Bill Melendez could make that claim...or at least, he could claim that he worked alongside both iconic mascots.

Of course, his work with Disney dried up right around the time that Disney went on strike in 1941, which was when Melendez shifted over to Warner Brothers, working with famed animators Robert McKimson, Arthur Davis, and Bob Clampett.  By the time the 1940s ended, Melendez began working for United Productions of America, where he helped out in the animation process behind such UPA shows as "Gerald McBoing-Boing", as well as further supplementing his income by filming over a thousand television commercials.

By 1963, Melendez had enough money to start up his own company - in the basement of his house!  And it was right around that time that Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz was making huge plans to bring his creations to television.  Schulz had seen his work from prior projects and was absolutely intrigued by the man. 

So, Schulz hired Melendez to work on the animation for the very first Peanuts special to air on television, the 1965 classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

And so began a working relationship with the Peanuts gang that lasted forty-one years.

Believe me when I say that I have seen nearly every single Peanuts special ever made.  I have seen all the holiday ones.  I've seen the ones where Charlie Brown gets his heart broken by the little red haired girl.  I've even seen the one where Snoopy becomes Flashbeagle!  And to think that none of those specials would have been possible without the talent of Bill Melendez. 



Oh, by the way...remember how I mentioned that Melendez did the voices for both Snoopy and Woodstock?  It wasn't planned that way.  In fact, Melendez was quite content leaving Snoopy and Woodstock speechless.  But he relented, and he decided to give both characters a voice after all.

Would you like to know how he did it?  He would speak a lot of unintelligible gibberish into a tape recorder, and changed the speed of the recording depending on the character.  For Snoopy, he slowed it down.  For Woodstock, he sped it up.

And I should also note that Snoopy wasn't the only comic strip character that Melendez worked with.  He also produced the first two Garfield television specials that aired in the early 1980s.

And, Melendez continued working well into his eighties, with his last credited Peanuts special being "He's a Bully, Charlie Brown", which aired in 2006.

Although Bill Melendez passed away six years ago today, his work still lives on.  His vocal recordings of Snoopy and Woodstock have been archived and will be used in future Peanuts special, and he was survived by his wife of 68 years, Helen, and two sons, Steven and Rodrigo.  Steven currently is in charge of his father's production company.

Thank you for the childhood memories, Mr. Melendez.  Say hello to Charles for us.

Monday, September 01, 2014

Things You Have To Say To Customers vs. Things You WANT To Say...

Welcome to another edition of the FUNNY MONDAY portion of the blog!

Before I get things started, I just wanted to wish everybody who is reading this today a very happy Labour Day (or if you live in the United States, Labor Day)!  In many places, this is the last day of summer before school begins for another year.  Or, for some of you, it's the final day of a long weekend before you go back to work on Tuesday.

No matter what your plans are for today, make it a great day.  And for those of you who have to work today, I hope your shifts go by smoothly and quickly.

You know, this leads into something that I just thought of.  The place where I work at stays open on Labour Day.  Personally, I think that all major businesses should be closed on any statutory holiday, but since my workplace happens to be located in a place that is designated as a tourist town, it's part and parcel, I suppose. 

Of course, the thing that people don't realize is that when they go shopping on a holiday, they're really making a statement.  They're saying that holidays no longer seem to hold as much value as they used to.  They would rather spend a holiday spending as much money as possible instead of spending time with their families.  Or, I suppose in some cases, they find a way to do both, but that's beside the point.

So often we have people calling the store the day before a major holiday and asking us if we are open for the holiday.  In most cases, we are not.  The only holidays we are contractually obligated to stay open (because of summer tourism) are Victoria Day (May 24 weekend), Canada Day, the civic holiday in August, and Labour Day. 

So, when I take a call on, say, the day before Christmas, and the person asks if we are open Christmas Day...part of me just wants to scream out "OF COURSE WE AREN'T OPEN, YOU FREAKIN' SCROOGE!!!" to the person on the other end of the phone.  But because I have to be professional and courteous or risk being fired, I have no choice but to say "Sorry, we aren't, but we reopen on Boxing Day".

And, that's what this blog is all about.  Instead of showing a bunch of funny pictures, this post will be all about funny things that I want to say to people who really get on my last nerve in a customer service setting.  And believe me, I've been in the business for years.  I have heard it all.

So, I'm going to do it this way.  I'll post the customer question/observation/braindead thought in
black.  I'll post the way I would respond in blue.  I'll post the way I wish I could respond in red.  So, it'll look like this.

CUSTOMER QUESTION,OBSERVATION, or BRAINDEAD THOUGHT
I HAVE TO SAY THIS
WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SAY

Okay.  Got it?  Good.  Let's begin by keeping up with the holiday theme.  Maybe it'll allow me to release some pent-up frustration along the way.



1.  "Gee, it's too bad that you have to work on Canada Day.  It's so nice outside!"
"Yes, well, there will be other holidays!"
"Yeah, it's just too bad that because of people like you that we have to work on the holiday in the first place!  Go choke on some maple syrup!"



2.  "Why are you trying to sell me a radio with a cassette deck in it?  I haven't listened to a cassette in 25 years!"
"Well, as you can see, this stereo also has a CD player in it as well as a radio."
"Oh, gee...I'm sorry.  Let me go into the back and try to find a more modern device in between the 8-track tapes and Atari 2600s."



3.  "I want a tablet that uses Snapchat!  I need Snapchat for my tablet!  I want you to open up every single tablet so that I can see if it can use Snapchat!"
"I assure you that all of these tablets are capable of loading an app for Snapchat."
"Here's an idea.  Why don't you go to the library and read a book instead of demanding to use a pointless app where you will spend the next three hours of your day taking fifty-seven selfies inside of our bathroom?"

4.  "Hi, do you work here?"
"Yes, I do.  How can I help you?"
"No.  I'm wearing a name badge because I have short term memory loss and I need to wear this badge so I don't forget who I am.  Who are you again?"



5.  "I see that sign that says 'milk'.  Is that where you get the milk?"
"Why, yes it is!  2%, 1%, or skim?"
"No.  It's where we sell our birth control aids so you won't get embarrassed.  Should I go grab the stuff with lubricant or are you fine without it?"

6.  "I want my groceries bagged in alphabetical order!"
"Yes, sir...whatever you say."
"Sure!  But if your bottle of bleach spills all over your apples and chocolate chip cookies, remember...you asked for it!"

7.  "Why can't you get this television inside of my Volkswagon?"
"Because there is no way that a 60-inch television will fit in the car at all."
"Because you're a dumbass."



8.  "You're ALWAYS out of orange juice whenever I come into the store!"
"I apologize, ma'am.  We're having issues with our supplier at this time."
"Yes.  You're absolutely right!  My co-workers and I actually do this on purpose just to spite you because we like the way that your face turns that perfect shade of crimson!"

9.  "Why don't you have any of the chocolate milk that's in the ad?"
"Well, the supply far outweighed the demand, but we will have more in later in the week."
"That's because the meat department ran out of ground beef and we had to sacrifice Bessie, the chocolate milk giving cow for them to meet their quota."

10.  "You must think I'm pretty stupid, don't you?"
"No, not at all."
"One hundred per cent YES!!!"



11.  "Why can't I return these jockey shorts that I bought for my husband?  He only tried on one pair that didn't fit!"
"We have a return policy that states that all sales are final on underwear."
"If you knew that someone had tried on your underwear before you bought it, would YOU wear them?"

12.  "How the hell did my online photo order end up in Alberta?  We live in Ontario!  You dumbasses screw everything up!"
"I'm sure we can come up with a reasonable explanation as to why this happened."
"Um, yeah...you see that spot where you ordered the photos where you have to select your province of residence?  Yeah, you never scrolled down to Ontario.  So, therefore, YOU SENT YOUR OWN DAMN PHOTOS THREE PROVINCES AWAY!"



13.  "Is the store closed?"
"No, we're still open."
"Would you be standing in the store if it were closed, you moron?"

14.  "Since you always seem to run out of cheese before the sale ends, can I put a couple of blocks on layaway?"
"Sorry, we can't put perishables on layaway."
"Are you drunk?"

15.  "I bought a Slow Cooker Solutions meal, and I don't know how to cook it.  Can you help me?"
"There should be instructions on the package."
"Am I on Candid Camera?"



16.  "These shopping carts are wet!  Why can't you have dry carts?"
"Well, sir...it is raining outside.  They should be dry in a few minutes."
"You know, you're absolutely right.  I'll go set that display of Charmin toilet paper on fire so that the heat will dry your cart off.  Of course, you would have to evacuate the store because it will be burning down, but hey, you have to take the good with the bad, right?"

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Come On, Come On, Do The Loco-Motion Times Three!

This is the final entry for the month of August 2014, so naturally, I decided that I would make it a very special one.

And believe me, this edition of the
Sunday Jukebox is exactly that.  What if I told you that today, I'll be featuring not one, not two, but three different versions of the same song by three different artists!  In all three cases, this song reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and in two of the three, the song topped the charts.

It's incredibly rare for a cover version of a song to chart within the Top 5 of any musical chart.  For a cover version to reach the #1 position?  That's even rarer.

In fact, this song holds another interesting record.  It's one of the few songs to chart in three different decades.  The first time was in the 1960s.  The second was in the 1970s.  The third was the 1980s.  And the three artists that helped make the song an instant success on the charts came from three entirely different backgrounds.  One was a nineteen-year-old who worked as a babysitter for two of the most prolific songwriters of the day.  One was a group hailing from Flint, Michigan whose blues rock compositions entertained people throughout the 1970s.  And, one was a soap opera star who would later grow up to become as big as Madonna in her native Australia.

The song itself wasn't anything serious or deep.  Back in the 1960s, when the song was first released, there were many different types of new dances being created that had their own distinct song to go along with it.  You had the "Mashed Potato", the "Peppermint Twist", and even the "Bat-usi" if you really wanted to get campy. 

But do you know how to do this dance?  Everybody's doing it.  I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now.  You just have to swing those hips now!  Now, jump up, and jump back!  Well, I think you've got the knack!



So, put the chuga-chuga motion into it like a railway train now because I want you to come on, come on, and do the Loco-Motion with me!

Yes, long before the Quad City DJ's told everybody to come on and ride the train, this Loco-Motion was pulling into the nearest station and got everybody moving to the beat!  But who was the first person to make this danceable classic a chart-topper? 

Well, it was this little lady - who once worked as a babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin - the songwriting duo that penned the lyrics for this very song.



ARTIST:  Little Eva
SONG:  The Loco-Motion
ALBUM:  Locomotion
DATE RELEASED:  June 24, 1962
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 1 week

I should note that it was exactly 52 years ago this week that the single topped the Billboard Hot 100.



So, here's the story behind Little Eva's recording of the single.  As mentioned before, Little Eva (born Eva Narcissus Boyd) was hired as a babysitter for Carole King and Gerry Goffin's daughter, and we know that King and Goffin wrote the song for her.

The interesting thing about this song is that there seemed to be a whole lot of urban legends and half-truths surrounding it.  The most popular of these stories seem to be the way that the song was created.  According to many tales, the song came about after Carole King was playing music on her stereo and Eva started dancing along with the music while cleaning the house.  Her dance moves allegedly inspired the Loco-Motion.

However, both Little Eva and Carole King have denied this story as being factual, with King simply stating that she and Goffin had heard Eva sing and liked her voice enough for her to record the song. 

However, because the song was written long before the dance accompanying it was even created, Eva had to come up with the dance moves on her own.  This was later confirmed by Carole King in her concert video "One on One".

There was also a story going around that when it comes to Little Eva's payment for the song, she was only given fifty dollars total - which even in 1962 era currency was pocket change.  But that was also considered to be a false story.  Although Little Eva's life took a drastic turn after recording "The Loco-Motion".  She moved to South Carolina in the early 1970s and lived a life of poverty for several years before she was rediscovered in the late 1980s - right around the time that a certain other starlet was getting started in the music business using her song to do it - but more on that one later.  She passed away of cervical cancer in 2003.

Even after her death though, there are still rumours floating around about her.  The most common one is that Little Eva didn't actually sing on "The Loco-Motion", and that Carole King herself was the real lead singer.  This is a claim that many people seem to believe, including one-third of the famous production team of Stock/Aitken/Waterman, Pete Waterman.  It has been confirmed that Carole King did sing back-up on the track, at least.

Now, twelve years after Little Eva wowed the crowd with her version of "The Loco-Motion", a Michigan based band released their own cover version - a cover version laced with loud music and powerful vocals, and had definite edge to it.  This version also hit the top of the charts in May 1974, and actually stayed on the top of the charts for twice as long as Little Eva's version - a rarity for a cover version.



ARTIST:  Grand Funk Railroad
SONG:  The Loco-Motion
ALBUM:  Shinin' On
DATE RELEASED:  February 1974
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 2 weeks



This version was produced by another legend in rock music, Todd Rundgren.  And the decision to record this song came courtesy of guitarist Mark Farner, who just happened to be whistling the song while the band was at the recording studio.  The song - which clocked in at just under three minutes in length - reportedly had two different versions.  There was the original version which included a full instrumental section filled with heavy guitars - and there was a radio friendly version which omitted the instrumental portion and inserted a reprise of the song's bridge, which was basically a rehashing of "you gotta sway your hips now".

That's really about all that I have to say about Grand Funk's version, though I will add one more interesting piece of trivia about it.  It is one of the tracks that you can download and add to your "Rock Band 3" video game - provided that you still own a copy of it.

So, that was version number two.  Version #3 would be an interesting tale.  It would be released a little more than twenty-five years after Little Eva's version was released (which explains the sudden resurgence of Little Eva's popularity in the late 1980s).  And, the story behind how this version was recorded is a rather interesting one.

The year was 1987.  The scene was an Australian rules football charity event which featured a slew of football players, and local Australian celebrities.

Some of these celebrities included the stars of the Australian drama series "Neighbours", which debuted in 1985.  And one of the people who was there was Kylie Minogue, who played the role of Charlene Mitchell on the show.

Anyway, the story goes that at this charity event, the Neighbours cast members all assembled on stage to sing a medley of songs.  Without encouragement from anyone else, Kylie belted out an impromptu performance of "The Loco-Motion".  And shortly after that performance, Australian record label Mushroom Records signed Kylie to a record deal where she would record and release the third version of "The Loco-Motion" to hit the charts in twenty-five years.



ARTIST:  Kylie Minogue
SONG:  The Loco-Motion
ALBUM:  Kylie
DATE RELEASED:  July 28, 1987
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #3

Now, I should note that while "The Loco-Motion" didn't quite top the charts in the United States, it did hit #1 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and Japan.  And, the song's release in the United States only happened because the team of Stock/Aitken/Waterman remixed the single for an American audience.  The single's American release was also delayed by a whole year, being released in July 1988, right around the time that Kylie Minogue's debut album, "Kylie" was released.  But it certainly was worth it in the long run.  The debut single made huge waves in her native Australia and the United Kingdom, and Kylie shifted her focus from acting to music, leaving "Neighbours" in 1988.



Just to put it into perspective, this cover version of "The Loco-Motion" was the beginning of Kylie's massive pop music career.  In particular, on the UK charts, this would be the first of THIRTEEN consecutive Top 10 hits for the singer, beginning with "The Loco-Motion" and ending with 1991's "Shocked".  Over the course of her career, she would release a total of fifty-five singles, with three-fifths of them peaking within the Top 10 of the UK Charts.

It is a shame that her United States success didn't quite take off.  Sure, Kylie did have a couple of Top 40 hits in "I Should Be So Lucky" and "It's No Secret" in 1988 and 1989 respectively, but "The Loco-Motion" would actually be the only Top 10 single that Minogue would enjoy in the United States for THIRTEEN years, when Kylie's 2001 single "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" hit #7 on the charts.  But, I'm sure that no matter where she charted in whatever country, she'll always look back on "The Loco-Motion" as the song that began it all.

And, there you have it.  Three versions of the same song that charted within the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100!  Now, here's the million dollar question.  What version was your favourite?

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Cop and a Half



Okay, everyone!  It's time for another movie review, courtesy of this 10-pack of movies that I bought some time ago.  Many of the movies have been pleasant to watch.  Some have been sloppy.  In the case of last week's feature presentation (Ed), it was easily considered to be one of the worst movies that I've ever written about.

So, in order to redeem myself, I chose a film that I personally liked - and apparently, I happen to be one of the only ones who did.  It's a film that debuted at the box office on April 2, 1993, which made me just a month shy of turning twelve.  I guess that's maybe why I didn't mind this film because I guess I was a part of the intended target demographic at the time. 

And, it's not as though this film had a lot of Z-list talent either.  One of the stars of the film happens to be Burt Reynolds - a man known for such films as "The Longest Yard", "Smokey and the Bandit", and "The Cannonball Run", among others.

Other actors and actresses that were a part of this film included Ruby Dee, Holland Taylor, Ray Sharkey, and the debut performance of then eight year old Norman D. Golden II.

This film even had massive star power behind the cameras as well.  Remember how some forty years ago, Henry Winkler got his first big break in the entertainment industry by playing the role of Fonzie on "Happy Days"?  In this film, he served as the director.

Now, despite all of the star power behind this film, and despite the fact that the film did debut at #1 during its opening weekend...it didn't stay on top for long.  This film famously divided film critics, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, with Siskel thumbing it down and Ebert praising it.  On the positive, the film did earn Golden a nomination for a Young Artist Award, but on the negative, Golden also earned a nomination for a Golden Raspberry Award.  Burt Reynolds actually earned the Razzie for Worst Actor for this movie...certainly not the "comeback" that he had envisioned for himself.

And, to seemingly prove that this film was a failure, here's an interesting piece of trivia.  Usually, when movies are released, it takes about three and a half years for the film to begin making regular appearances on network television.  In this case, this film made its network television debut on January 26, 1997 - the same exact night as the Super Bowl!  Yeah, that was great planning.

Despite all this though, I didn't think that the movie was that bad.  It's not the best film that I've ever seen, mind you, but I still liked it.



I suppose that's why I sort of have a soft spot for "Cop and a Half", today's feature presentation.



Now, luckily, this movie is such that I can give out a plot summary that is vague enough that I don't have to reveal the ending of the movie (which is good, since I don't like revealing movie endings).  And for what it's worth, the plot of the movie is such that while it might seem incredibly farfetched to the average man or woman, it somehow still works.

Which I suppose could describe nearly every single children's movie released in the 1990s, but I digress.



Meet Nick McKenna (Reynolds).  He's one of the most feared police officers to ever patrol the state of Florida.  His toughness intimidates even the most hardened criminals, and his "no fear" attitude has helped him get through some of the most difficult stakeouts.  Sadly, his attitude and prickly disposition has somewhat alienated him from society in general, and his extremely guarded nature has prevented him from getting close to anyone.  When his partner is killed during a drug bust, McKenna takes full responsibility for his partner's death, and he sinks even deeper in despair, throwing himself into his work, leaving little wiggle room for anyone else to get in.



At the same time, a little boy named Devon Butler (Golden) has dreams of his own.  His main ambition in life is to grow up and serve the police force.  He is obsessed with cop movies, he has dreams of going all over the world to stop crimes from taking place, and he is absolutely determined to achieve his goal at all costs.  Never mind the fact that he isn't even ten years old at the time and has absolutely no idea how dangerous being a cop is...for Devon, that's all he wants.

So I imagine that you can predict what happens next.  Devon finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes a witness to a murder while he is playing around an abandoned warehouse.  The murder is committed by an Italian crime boss Vinny Fountain (Sharkey), a very dangerous person to cross paths with, and because he witnessed the crime, Devon is asked to testify so that they can apprehend the criminal.

However, Devon has his conditions.  He'll agree to help the police take down Fountain and his goons, but they have to make him a police officer for one week.  Realizing that they are over a barrel, the police force agree to honour his request.

And, wouldn't you know it?  The "partner" that Devon is assigned just happens to be Nick McKenna!  While Devon sees this as being a real dream come true, McKenna happens to see it as a nightmare.  Not only does he not like being around people...but he especially dislikes being around children.

Nevertheless, Devon and McKenna are forced to work together before Fountain and his goons have a chance to cause more criminal activity.

And, well...I'm just guessing that you can figure out what happens next.

Okay, that's all you need to know about the plot.  Now, how about some trivia about this movie?  There's some interesting facts about the movie that even I didn't know!



1 - This was Ray Sharkey's final film.  He died of complications from AIDS on June 11, 1993 - just two months after the film was released.  He was just 40.

2 - This was the final feature film that Henry Winkler directed.

3 - Originally, this movie was supposed to have been a sequel to the 1990 film "Kindergarten Cop".

4 - This was Burt Reynolds' first feature film in a four year period, with Reynolds taking time out to film television shows "Out of This World" and "Evening Shade".

5 - This movie was attacked by parenting groups over the scene in which Devon has his head dunked inside of a toilet bowl.

6 - Burt Reynolds' nephew, Andrew Reynolds, makes a cameo in the film as a skateboarder.

7 - Lee Ross was originally considered for the role of Devon.

8 - This picture was designed to be a spoof of Hollywood buddy cop movies, such as "Lethal Weapon".

Coming up next week, we take a look at a movie that really explored the world of fantasy gaming - long before fantasy gaming even became popular.

Friday, August 29, 2014

The Whopper of a Deal That Had People's Timbits in a Dither

Hello, everyone.  Welcome to another edition of FOODIE FRIDAY

And in this edition of the Foodie Friday post, we are going to take a look at a recent event in the world of food that has seemingly divided public opinion all across North America at least. 

When it comes to the subject of corporations, sometimes in order for a brand to stay relevant, it might have to impose some rather creative ideas in order to stay alive in the business world.

And sometimes, those ideas might involve a merger of some sort.

I think that most of you know where I'm going with this, right?



Earlier in the week, the news came that fast food hamburger giant "Burger King" purchased the Canadian coffee and donut chain known as "Tim Hortons".  And, who knew that such a purchase would create absolute chaos on social media?  More on that a little bit later.

But first, let's learn a little more about both businesses.  I won't go into too much detail about it because that isn't what this blog is about.

The Stats:

BURGER KING
Year Founded:  1953
Company Founders:  Keith J. Kramer and Matthew Burns
Company Location:  Miami, Florida
Revenue:  $1.97 billion
Net income:  $117.7 million
Total equity:  $1.175 billion
Employees:  34,248

TIM HORTONS:
Year Founded:  1964
Company Founders:  Tim Horton and Ron Joyce
Company Location:  Oakville, Ontario
Revenue:  $3.225 billion
Net income:  $424.4 million
Employees:  100,000+

And, just to put it into perspective on a local sense.

BURGER KING LOCATIONS IN HOMETOWN:  1
TIM HORTONS LOCATIONS IN HOMETOWN:  5

Now, with the purchase of Tim Hortons by Burger King, this deal will make Burger King/Tim Hortons the third largest fast food operator in the world. 

Of course, this news caused a huge storm of commentary on social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  Many Americans took to their keyboards to protest the deal between Burger King and Tim Hortons, claiming that they were boycotting the Home of the Whopper because of the deal.  Similarly, in Canada, people were upset that a fast food giant with a rather creepy looking mascot was invading their territory to dip his fingers in the addictive double doubles that the chain is known for.

It was really shaping up to be a cross-border food fight with onion rings and honey glazed donuts flying across the sky.  It became quite brutal.

But why were people so upset?  I mean, if you look at the merger from a perspective of common sense, it doesn't appear that the move will really affect the products sold inside either location.

I certainly don't see Whoppers being served on a bed of Timbits, nor do I see Burger King imposing their coffee beans inside of the coffee makers scattered throughout a standard Tim Hortons location.  The companies will be linked together, but will still operate separately.  Tim Hortons will still sell their coffee, donuts, and delicious frozen raspberry lemonade drinks.  And Burger King will still sell bacon double cheeseburgers, onion rings, and french fries covered in cheese and gravy.

(Well, okay...the poutine may only be available in CANADIAN Burger King locations.)

And, the way I see it, this merger could be a good thing for Tim Hortons.  For years now, they've been trying to expand down south into the United States.  Maybe this could be the thing that Tim Hortons needs to open up some more shops - really give Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme some competition!

(Of course, I could be biased, since I love Tim Hortons donuts.)

The big argument that I hear on the Canadian side of things is that Tim Hortons will lose their Canadian identity by allowing Burger King to buy the company, and honestly, I think that's the wrong argument to have.  It would be like if I packed up and moved down to South Carolina.  I would become an American citizen, but I would never forget where I came from.  I am a proud Canadian inside and out.  I'd like to see Tim Hortons as being exactly that.

Tim Hortons to me is as Canadian as the beaver tail, the maple leaf, and the twelve feet of snow that the average Canadian winter gets.  Even if an American company takes it over, it will still retain its Canadian charm, its Canadian identity...and most of all, its Canadian coffee.

But that could just be my opinion.  What say you?

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Full House 2.0?

Today's edition of TUBE TALK THURSDAY is being posted at a time in which some news is reportedly breaking in the entertainment world.  News that could figuratively resurrect a sitcom that last aired almost 20 years ago.



If you've kept up with the recent news in the world of entertainment, you'll know that the television show "Full House" is making a lot of headlines recently.  It started with John Stamos, Bob Saget, and Dave Coulier filming a couple of commercials for Oikos Greek Yogurt for the Super Bowl.  Then we saw Candace Cameron Bure competing on "Dancing With The Stars". 

Now comes the news that after nearly twenty years off the air, there are plans to revive the television show "Full House".

Don't believe me?  Read all about it HERE

Admittedly, this idea might sound a little bit bizarre to everyone reading this.  This show idea is not a planned spin-off show, but a continuation of where the show left off when the series aired its final episode in May 1995.  This would mean that if the new show is given the all-clear to go ahead, D.J. would be pushing 40, Stephanie would be in her thirties, and Michelle would be in her late twenties.

And probably still unable to say the words "ice cream".

It's reported that Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin - D.J. and Stephanie - have already expressed interest in the project, as has Andrea Barber, who played Kimmy Gibbler.  Bob Saget and Dave Coulier may also be confirmed to be a part of the venture as well.  Still no word on John Stamos, Lori Loughlin, or the Olsen Twins yet.  But, then again, I suppose that if they did a show where D.J., Stephanie, and Kimmy were the parental figures helping D.J. raise her kids after her husband died, it could be an interesting way to pay tribute to the show with a reverse twist.

Truth be told, that's the only way that I can see this new "Full House" working.  That way, Danny, Joey, and Jesse could make guest appearances, and even Michelle could drop in every once in a while. 



It may sound farfetched...but keep in mind that they did the same thing with "Boy Meets World".  Everyone thought that the show was dead and buried when it went off the air in 2000, but Disney found a way to bring it back with Cory and Topanga as parents of a girl who is just entering the world of middle school.  It's a show known as "Girl Meets World", and it has recently been renewed for a second season.

So, maybe this could be a new trend...picking up where old shows left off. 

And, it got me thinking about a rather interesting idea for the Tube Talk Thursday discussion.  What would happen if we took shows that were cancelled ten, twenty, thirty years ago, and we did the same exact thing that "Boy Meets World" did, and that "Full House" could possibly be doing, and speculate what the characters have done since the show went off the air?

Granted, some shows would never get off the ground.  In the case of "Diff'rent Strokes", three-quarters of the main cast are now deceased.  But there are loads of other programs that we can choose from. 

Like, for instance...



DESIGNING WOMEN

Sadly, Dixie Carter would not be a part of this venture, as she passed away four years ago.  However, I could see the series picking up after Julia Sugarbaker's funeral.  You would see Suzanne, Mari Jo, and Charlene coming back to pay their respects.  I could also bring back in Allison and Carlene to stir things up.  I could see Suzanne and Allison battling each other over control of Sugarbaker's Designs.  This plot might seem more like a drama than a comedy, but somehow, I could see it being funny.

The only thing missing aside from Julia would be Anthony.  Sadly, Meshach Taylor died earlier this year.



SAVED BY THE BELL

Okay, you all know that Lifetime is planning on making a behind the scenes movie about what really happened on the set of "Saved By The Bell".  But many were disappointed that they wouldn't be making a reunion movie about the show.  So, it got me thinking that had Saved By The Bell gone on, and showed the gang some 25 years later, what would it be like?

Would Zack and Kelly still be married, or would they have split up?
Would Screech become principal of Bayside High?
Is Jessie over her caffeine pill addiction?
Has Lisa gotten a restraining order against Screech?
Has Slater found something to do other than wrestling?

So many questions still remaining unanswered...



HANNAH MONTANA

When Hannah Montana last aired in 2010, she had revealed her secret to the world, and she was going to college with her best friend Lilly (or so the episode guide tells me).  Flash forward almost five years later, and something drastically happened along the way.  Join Miley as she makes the transition from young girl to young woman, as well as the struggles with maintaining a public persona without the Hannah Montana image.  There's going to be family drama.  There's going to be singing.  There's going to be wrecking balls?



FAMILY MATTERS

Okay, so if you remember the end of the show (which probably most of you don't because by the time the series ended in the late 1990s, it had gotten so stupid and farfetched that you soon discovered that the youngest Winslow child disappearing into thin air was quite normal.  But one thing that did happen was that after years and years of rejection, Laura and Steve did try dating each other.  Imagine what might happen if they ended up getting married, and they had children.  And, imagine having Carl and Harriette living right next door.  And imagine that all of Steve and Laura's kids were nerdier than Steve!

Oh, wait...they actually did an episode where Carl had that nightmare.  Well, I suppose that they could make it a full spin-off.  All you'd need is to throw Eddie, Maxine, and Waldo Faldo into the mix and you'd have a show.

Just don't count on Bryton McClure to make an appearance.  He's on "The Young and the Restless" now.



BAYWATCH

It's been nearly fifteen years since Baywatch ended.  Sadly, I could still picture Mitch and C.J. still acting as lifeguards on the beach.  As well as possibly two of the Jersey Shore cast members, a former Mickey Mouse Club star, that guy that played Sly on "California Dreams", and Yoanna from "America's Next Top Model". 

Anyway, those are just some thoughts.  It's still unknown as to whether the "Full House" project will get up off the ground yet.  But, I'm sure that fans of the show will be interested no matter what.