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Thursday, March 02, 2017

March 2, 1933

Greetings, everybody!  And welcome to the first edition of Throwback Thursday!  Don't worry...this feature is going to remain in place for the rest of 2017.  It won't be bouncing around the schedule as it has the past few weeks. 

For today's topic, I've got one that is quite gargantuan.  It's colossal.  And, it's related to another event that is set to happen within the week!  It's very rare that I can tie a past event to a future event, but we're going to go with it!

So, today is Thursday, March 2.  What sorts of events took place on this date in history?  Have a look!

537 - The Siege of Rome begins

1657 - Over 100,000 people are killed in the city of Edo, Japan (now called Tokyo) following the Great Fire of Meireki - a fire lasting three whole days before being put out

1797 - The Bank of England starts issuing one-pound and two-pound banknotes

1867 - The United States Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act

1882 - Roderick McLean tries and fails to assassinate Queen Victoria in Windsor, England

1902 - Baseball player/American spy Moe Berg (d. 1972) is born in New York City

1903 - The Martha Washington Hotel opens its doors in New York City - it becomes the first hotel to cater exclusively to women

1904 - Author Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel (d. 1991) is born in Springfield, Massachusetts

1917 - Actor/singer Desi Arnaz (d. 1986) is born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

1942 - Singer Lou Reed (d. 2013) is born in Brooklyn, New York

1950 - Singer Karen Carpenter (d. 1983) is born in New Haven, Connecticut

1956 - Morocco gains independence from France

1961 - In a nationally televised broadcast, John F. Kennedy announces the creation of the Peace Corps

1962 - Wilt Chamberlain sets a record within the NBA - scoring an impressive 100 points during one game!

1969 - The Concorde has its first test flight in Toulouse, France

1972 - The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida

1983 - Compact disc players and compact discs are sold in stores for the first time in North America

1987 - Actor Randolph Scott passes away at the age of 89

1989 - Twelve nations within the European Community makes a vow to ban all CFC's by the year 2000

1990 - Nelson Mandela is elected deputy President of the African National Congress

1992 - Nine nations that were formed as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union join the United Nations

1999 - Singer Dusty Springfield dies of cancer, aged 59

2004 - The Ashoura Massacre takes place in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding 500

2008 - Musician and singer Jeff Healey succumbs to lung cancer at the age of 41

And celebrating a March 2 birthday are the following famous faces; John Cullum, Mikhail Gorbachev, John Cornell, John Irving, Peter Straub, Laraine Newman, Jay Osmond, John Cowsill, Jon Bon Jovi, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Laird Hamilton, Daniel Craig, Method Man, Hayley Lewis, Chris Martin, Rebel Wilson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ben Roethlisberger, Deuce, and Reggie Bush.

(Is it just me, or are there a lot of John's born on the 2nd of March?)

Okay, so what's the date going to be for our very first Throwback Thursday post?  Let's find out.



Looks like the date is March 2, 1933.  So, if my math is correct, that would be eighty-four years ago today.

But what could an event from 1933 have to do with an event that is taking place in March 2017?



By now, I'm sure you have all seen the movie trailers for the upcoming movie "Kong: Skull Island".  The film is set to be released worldwide on March 10, 2017, and the film stars quite a few big names in the movie industry.  Names such as Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, and John C. Reilly among others.  It's unclear as to how the movie will do in theatres as it hasn't really made its debut yet.  But what I can tell you is that this film is supposed to be a re-imagining of a classic film.

Or, reboot as the cool kids call it.

Here's the thing though.  We wouldn't be able to have a movie like "Kong: Skull Island" without the original for the movie to draw inspiration from.  And, while this movie has been remade several times (most notably in 1976 and 2005), the original was made eighty-four years ago.



And it was on this date in New York City (a place that is very much linked to the film in question) that the original film had its premiere.  It wouldn't be until April 1933 before the film was released worldwide, but in New York City, the main attraction was the 1933 film "King Kong", which starred Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot, Robert Armstrong, and a gigantic ape who some would call a hero, while others would call a villain.  It's all a matter of perspective.

Now, the reason why the city of New York was chosen to host the premiere was simple.  After all, the final moments of the film (spoiler alert) takes place atop the then brand new Empire State Building - a New York City landmark.  It made perfect sense for the premiere to be hosted there.



And, of course most of us all know the story behind King Kong, so just to briefly go over it with you, a Cliff's Notes version.  Filmmaker recruits actress to go to a mysterious island to film a project.  Actress falls in love with one of the crew members of the boat taking them to the island.  Group arrives in village where actress is made a sacrificial bride of Kong.  Giant ape arrives to kidnap actress and takes her to prehistoric jungle filled with dinosaurs.  Actress is rescued by ship member.  Kong captured and made to become Broadway sideshow.  Kong escapes, kidnaps actress and climbs building.  And so on, and so on.

But you know, when it comes down to the impact that "King Kong" had on the motion picture industry, that impact is still felt all of these years later.  On the film review website, "Rotten Tomatoes", it currently holds the top spot for the greatest horror film of all time.  And in 1991, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry after being deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress.  Not bad, huh?

And since I have a bit of extra space in this blog entry, here are some more pieces of trivia about the original King Kong film!

- The estimated budget for King Kong was just under $700,000.

- Filming began in October 1931 and wrapped up in February 1933.

- The film grossed over $90,000 during its opening weekend - then considered a record!

- Fay Wray was told when she won the part of Ann Darrow that she would be working with the tallest, darkest leading man in all of Hollywood.  Wray mistakenly believed that it would be Cary Grant.  Instead, it ended up being King Kong!

- King Kong's iconic roar was achieved by combining the roar of a lion and the roar of a tiger, and then the two sounds were played back in reverse and on the slowest speed possible.

- The model of King Kong crafted for the movie was only eighteen inches tall, and was made of metal mesh, rubber, foam, and rabbit hair.

- Co-director and co-producer of the film, Merian C. Cooper, came up with the idea for the film after a dream he had where he imagined a giant gorilla wreaking havoc in New York City.

- In a weird twist of irony, when actress Fay Wray passed away in 2004, the television in the emergency room of the hospital she was in was playing the movie "King Kong"!

- King Kong actually doesn't make his first appearance in the movie until 47 minutes into the film.

- Jean Harlow was offered Fay Wray's part, but she turned it down.

- Fay Wray wore a blonde wig for the role.

- The elevated train sequence was inspired by Merian C. Cooper's childhood, in which his family lived near a train track that kept him up at night.

- Stop motion animation was used to animate the dinosaurs in the film.

And that was the big event...and I mean, BIG event of March 2, 1933!

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Random Thoughts Brought Upon By A Decapitation

Sometimes I like to go back to some old stuff that I wrote years ago, and see how much I've grown since then.  This was a piece I wrote way back in April 2009 - way before I started this blog.  And I have to say that it's bittersweet.  Eight years ago, I had an epiphany about life, and it was linked to the supportive co-workers that I had...but eight years on, most of that support has moved on, and I sort of find myself at a brutal crossroad that I'm unsure of how to overcome.  But looking back at this piece, it's nice to know that there was a time in which I didn't seem so jaded.  Hopefully I can find a way to get back to that again.

For now...enjoy the tale of how a broken garden statue became a philosophical moment.




I am about to confess to a crime. 

I murdered an innocent garden nymph in the middle of our garden centre area at approximately 1:15 in the afternoon of Thursday, April 16, 2009. 

The poor gal did not stand a chance. I merely brushed up against her with my elbow, and just like the popular rhyme involving ripping the tops off of dandelion plants, her head popped right off. 

Now, granted, the fairy was just a statue on the shelf, marked at $9.96, but needless to say, I bumped off an innocent young statue with her entire life ahead of her. She could have gone places. She could've been a part of the most beautiful garden in all of the world, surrounded by tulips, azaleas, and marigolds. Instead, she'll be buried in the depths of the west receiving trash compactor, destined to be forgotten in the abyss of time. 

Now that I have gotten that confession off of my chest, I can continue. 

Of course, why was I in the garden centre in the first place? If I not had been out there, this whole tragedy might never have happened, right? 

I was outside pricing the now deceased fairy statue, and all of her other friends too. For, while all the statues of cute frogs and scary looking garden gnomes were displayed beautifully, they were also deemed too priceless to sell to anybody. 

No, seriously, none of the items had price tags on them at all. 

So, with my trusty pricing label gun (which I almost smashed against the pavement on the ground for it getting jammed twice in the process), I stuck prices on every item made of stone, porcelain, and brick I could get my hands on. 

But, hey, at least I can say that fairy statue was the only casualty of the day. 

Truth be told, I actually liked being outside for the day. With all the plants and flowers in full bloom, and the nice breeze blowing through and the sun beaming down all day long, I was in a Zen-like state. It was peaceful, calm, and enjoyable. Of course, the sunburn I am currently dealing with is kind of sore, but who expects to get sunburned in the middle of April? Especially in Canada, where some people believe we frolic with the Eskimos and polar bears eleven months of the year. 

But, don't get me wrong. I am very content in my normal job of being a dairy stocker. No temptations for junk food, it's always nice and cool there, you never stand around doing nothing because it's always so incredibly fast-paced. It's great. 

And, while it has taken me nearly five years to realize this, I've come to the conclusion that I actually have it pretty good at my current job. 

I mean, sure, it's not the most glamourous or exciting place to work, and, granted, there are a LOT of things that could stand improvement there. But, all in all, I'm making the best of it. 

Times are tough all over, and in this recession (one of the worst that I've lived through thus far), I am lucky to have a job. Especially one with full-time hours. In that aspect, I'd rather work than be unemployed. 

But, also, I've noticed that I have a ton of people who care about me, and want to see me succeed.  

Let's be real. Five years ago, self-confidence was an issue for me in the aspect that I didn't have ANY whatsoever. I even explained and drilled that point at my interview, because I figured that I wouldn't get the job anyway. To my surprise, I did. And, over the years, I grew within the company from shopping cart collector to a man who can somewhat handle the day-to-day aspects of keeping an entire department looking good (although I will NEVER fully understand that Dairyland/Saputo order that is eight and a half pages of hell in itself). 

And, I got there through the support of my friends and co-workers at my workplace. 

That support means so very much to me. 

I know that I've had some good days, and that I've had some days that I would rather forget having. But, regardless of how sad or angry I might have gotten, my co-workers have never once turned their backs on me, and that means a lot. It was also something that was kind of new to me. Having been distrustful of people beforehand due to being bullied and embarrassed by former classmates and people who completely misunderstood me and never bothered to get to know me, it was hard for me to believe people when they said I was doing a good job. I had done such a good job of closing off my heart to people because I was always so afraid of having my trust abused and broken again. 

I'm now at the point where I do feel as though there are some people who I can really confide in, and, while it has taken a long time, I feel that I'm at the point in my life where I can be comfortable in my own skin. There are some days in which I feel like I am still not confident in my own abilities and my own strengths, and there are days in which I retreat into the wall I built up around myself. Fortunately, those days seem to be few and far between, and I do feel like I am getting better at knowing the one person who does count. Myself. 

My job is not perfect by any means. There are some days in which I admit that I'm sorry I came in, as I'm sure most of you reading this note are feeling, or have felt at one time in their lives. But, there are lots of good qualities about it too, and I am sorry that it took me this long to discover them. 

Of course, you must understand that if I ever come across that couple that tore me a new one because I dared put a limit on their cheese blocks that it will be war. I'll just make sure I have a lot of friends around to defend my honour, so to speak. 

And, in a strange and funny way, I never thought that I would be writing about my friends, because for the longest time, I didn't think that I was capable of having any. 

Working in retail though has made me realize that I have more people on my side than I ever did growing up. And, in a way, it makes a guy like me feel loved, and valued. 

Do I see myself staying there forever? Only time will tell. Personally, I would like to move on to bigger and better things at some point in the future. If that happens, it would be fantastic. But, if I end up staying, at least I would have some good, solid people by my side. And, if I have to get my badge bronzed, I no longer see it as a death sentence...well, most days anyway. 

And, to think, all it took was me killing a nymph to open my eyes to what was really important.

I wonder if that makes me happy, or just plain crazy? 

Friday, February 24, 2017

Jem Reviewed: Episode 49 - Journey Through Time


So, last week on Jem Reviewed, I had a difficult time recapping the episode as it was one that I wasn't a fan of.  Basically they go to a fictional place, they play weird music, and they get chased by the abominable snowman.



I have a feeling that this week's offering isn't going to get any better.  The reason?  This is Episode 49: Journey Through Time.  The more I think of it, the more that title sounds like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel I read in the fourth grade.  I've got a funny feeling I'm going to hate this episode too.



We begin with an announcement, courtesy of Lindsey Pearce.  Apparently there is a huge event that is going to be taking place called the World History of Music Concert, where bands from all over the world gather to celebrate music.  I suppose it's like the Eurovision Song Contest only with all nations participating. 



Naturally, Jem and the Holograms are taking part in the festivities.  And the Misfits are not.  But fear not.  Eric Raymond is on the case, and he has an idea that will keep Jem and the Holograms away from the stage so that the Misfits can go on.  Given Eric's track record, I'd say the Misfits are already doomed, but let's watch and see what happens.

Jem and the Holograms are in their studio rehearsing a song for their concert...a song that they originally sang back in Episode 21.



This time around, the song "Rock And Roll is Forever" is set to the clip of the girls standing on flags of their country of origin while playing a tune.  Good idea in theory...except that the storyboard artist seemed to forget that Aja is from CHINA, not JAPAN.  And, I'm not sure why Jem gets an American flag and Kimber gets Scotland - unless the Benton family is Scottish-American.  Does this mean that Emmett Benton sounds like Scrooge McDuck?



Jem's not overly pleased with the song that they're playing, and Kimber tries to encourage her by saying that their song sounds great.  Kimber, the song you're playing was written by Bobby Bailey!  Remember him?  The guy whose apartment you saved?  Sheesh, no wonder Bobby hated you throughout much of Episode 21!  Jem's determined to make their performance stand out though, and she takes the rest of the band to Synergy's room so they can ask her for advice.



Unaware of what is happening outside, there's a transport truck parked outside of the front gates of Starlight Mansion.  Inside is Eric, the Misfits, and Techrat, who apparently has built - get this - a time machine.  I'd be more impressed if it looked like a TARDIS or a DeLorean.  This looks like something a high school student in 2007 would build.



But despite the Misfits disbelief, Techrat sets the time traveling device to the year 1781, and as soon as he pushes the button, something happens inside the mansion and Jem and the Holograms fade away along with Synergy!  



To make this already illogical plot even more unbelievable, as soon as the Holograms disappear, a woman who appears to be dressed like Marie Antoinette appears inside Techrat's truck!  Apparently, she's confused and looking for her beloved "Wolfie".  The Misfits wonder what is going on, and Techrat explains that while his time machine works, there is one flaw.  In order to keep the balance in check, the Holograms are traded out for someone else who shares the same body mass.  Um...unless this woman from the past weighs close to 1,200 pounds, I call BS on that theory.



The Holograms arrive safely in Vienna, March 1781.  But they have three problems.  One, Synergy isn't with them.  Two, Jem has reverted back to Jerrica.  And three, they're so not following the hip new trends of the late eighteenth century.  Someone call the fashion police!

Fortunately for them, these problems magically go away in seconds.  Synergy has found herself trapped underneath a sewer system, but the good news is that she has battery back-up power.  How convenient.  With that power, she turns Jerrica back into Jem, and gives all the girls a makeover 1700s style.



Not too shabby, huh?



At this point, a young man with probably the most annoying laugh I have ever heard in my life comes barging in looking for his lady friend, Constanze.  Ah, I'm guessing this must be "Wolfie".

Actually, the group recognize him immediately as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!  Wow, they're actually meeting a celebrity that's already dead in the flesh.  This is...kinda weird.  Also weird is today's Jem Trivia.  Apparently, Mozart is voiced by voice actor Cam Clarke, who also is best known for playing Leonardo in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".  Wow, so we've had Leonardo and the guy who plays Raphael make cameo appearances.  You think Michelangelo or Donatello will complete the set?  Well, I know for a fact that a third TMNT voice actor is coming up...and he plays a significant role in Season 3.  But that's all I can say.  This episode is after all about the past...not the future.

Anyway, it seems as though Mozart is in a bit of a pickle.  He's determined to play his latest composition, but he worries about being sabotaged by a rival of his - one Antonio Salieri.  The Holograms agree to help him get to the concert without fear of getting ambushed, and it appears as though Aja has developed a crush on him.  Well, at least it's not Kimber or Danse this time.



The plan?  While the real Mozart sneaks off to the concert venue where Salieri is waiting, the Holograms transform Shana into a Mozart hologram to fool the henchmen of Salieri.  Sure enough, the Holograms end up getting kidnapped by Salieri's goons and are taken to another area via horse drawn carriage.  Seems their plan is to make Mozart miss the concert so that Salieri can take over the whole show.



Needless to say, when Mozart arrives on stage a few minutes later, it thwarts Salieri's plans, and the concert goes ahead as planned.  It's also interesting to note that they actually incorporate classical music into the episode - one of the few positives I can note about it.



Jem and the Holograms escape their captors by having Synergy summon a hologram of a band of thieves ready to attack the carriage, causing their kidnappers to flee.  I'm not making this up.  And, Jem and the Holograms arrive at the concert hall in time to catch Mozart in action.  But those storm clouds in the sky don't look too promising.



Remember way back in Episode 12, when the plane the band was on passed through thunderclouds and it reverted Jem back to Jerrica?  Seems like the same thing is about to happen given Synergy's...shocking appearance.

Sure enough, Jem and company revert back to their 1980s counterparts - which doesn't make sense as Jem doesn't change back to Jerrica.  But whatever the case, the audience sees Jem and her friends as witches and they launch a full out assault on them by throwing rocks at them.  



Yep...apparently in the 1700s, stoning people to death was perfectly legal.



Luckily, Techrat manages to do some tweaking and Jem and the Holograms escape their fate.  Little Miss Constanze also gets teleported back.  But a new problem arises when two soldiers make an appearance in Techrat's truck, and they question whether they're still in London.



Wherever they came from, it's under attack as buildings are on fire and war sirens are going off.  What a perfect place for Jem and the Holograms to hide out at.  Much safer than getting pelted with rocks.  Jem and the others wonder where they are.

Shana notices a poster hanging on a wall advertising a special concert event starring the hottest band of 1944.  Apparently the show didn't get clearance rights to use the Glenn Miller Band name, so they've been renamed to the
Ben Tiller Band.  Oh, and Jem and the Holograms are in the middle of London during World War II!  Needless to say, they need to get off the streets before they get blown to bits!



Luckily, Synergy's battery power is still working, so Jem transforms her and the others into 1940s outfits - which immediately draws the attention of two soldiers who happen to be nearby.  They seem taken aback when Jem introduces themselves as a female band, mainly because these sexist blokes don't seem to think that girl bands can exist.



Jem and the Holograms are quite taken aback themselves, as these two guys happen to be members of the Ben Tiller Band.  Ben is also skeptical about the playing power of the Holograms, but Kimber issues them a challenge.  If they give them thirty minutes, they will show them that they know their stuff.  It's a challenge that Ben accepts and before we know it, we have what could be one of the most unusual songs in the Holograms discography.



Thing is, I kind of like "We're Making It Happen".  Sure, the Holograms singing style kind of resembles the Andrews Sisters, but that was the idea back in the 1940s.  And the combination of brass horns and piano certainly makes this single stand out.  It's a rare departure of style for them, but it really works.  Again, credit to Britta Phillips for making this song a brilliant one.  It's very reminiscent of another song that was performed earlier called "Jazz Has".  Simple, but effective.



Unfortunately, the Ben Tiller Band doesn't have time to congratulate them as a bomb detonates outside of the club they're performing at.  Well, that's one way to stop a show.  The Holograms are huddled in a corner as the club collapses all around them, and they think their time is up...and it is.  Well, in London 1944 anyway.  They fade out of the scene just as the ceiling falls down.  That was too close.  But where are the Holograms headed now?



Considering that the soldiers fade away in Techrat's truck and are replaced by a group of 1960s hippies, I'm guessing that the swingin' sixties are the next tour destination through time.  At this point though, the Misfits are getting pissed off with Techrat and they launch a barrage of insults towards him, causing Techrat to send the Misfits back in time as well!  I get the feeling that Techrat enjoyed that a little too much.  But as more hippies fill the truck, Eric is now upset because he has no idea where the Misfits went to.  I've a feeling that the Misfits and Holograms are going to meet up very soon.



The place?  The Woodstock Music Festival of August 1969!  A festival that I would gladly travel through time to experience!  Lucky ducks.



The Holograms arrive in time to accidentally make a man fall onto the ground.  Whoops.  But it's okay...the man just happens to be...wait for it...guitar legend Johnny Beldrix.  I'm guessing Jimi Hendrix had the flu.  Seriously, just take the fine and use their real names.  This ain't the Jem Jam you're at.

Fortunately, the Holograms are dressed crazy enough to blend into the scene - which is a good thing as Synergy is apparently trapped on a truck and is incapacitated at the moment.  But Johnny tells the Holograms that he is not very impressed with his concert promoter as he is making Johnny perform with a group called the Misfits.  It's only at THIS point that the Holograms clue in that the Misfits are responsible.  Because apparently time travel is perfectly normal for them.  As is getting trapped in an erupting volcano.  Or driving a car in the Indy 500.  Or having your very own Broadway musical.

The Holograms promise Johnny that they will find a way to release Johnny from the contract so he can perform by himself.



I should also mention that at this point, the Misfits are EXCITED to be performing at Woodstock.  Never mind the fact that if they perform at the concert, they'll be screwing up history and keeping the tabloids in business by having them speculate on how a band from the 1960s look so young.



And get a look at their promoter, who happens to be named Willy.  My theory is that Willy is a relative of Eric Raymond, as both of them act exactly the same way.  It would be awesome if the show eluded to that possibility, but they don't.  Instead, Willy is talking to an associate of his about some exciting light and sound box that they plan to unveil during Johnny's performance.  Why does that description sound familiar?



Ah, here it is.  The big confrontation between Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits, and of course, the Misfits can't wait to rub it in their faces about how they are going to play one of the biggest concerts in history.  But Jem seems to have an ace up her sleeve.  By now, Synergy's able to respond to Jem's requests and she summons up a hologram of Eric...



...who is dressed up like one of the members of Strawberry Alarm Clock!  Seriously, this is the funniest things I think I've seen on this episode.  And Strawberry Alarm Clock Eric informs the Misfits that they are still under contract to him which means no performing at Woodstock!  And Willy is furious that the Misfits lied to him and he tells them that they are finished...well, at least they are for the next sixteen years, anyway.



Willy convinces Johnny Beldrix to go back on stage, and he launches into a rousing solo performance of the Star-Spangled Banner using his guitar.  It's quite good.  I actually kind of wonder if they re-recorded it with different musicians or if they used Jimi's version...which seems much worse to use his music without permission over his name.  Whatever the case, it's great.



And true to his word, Willy unveils his magic light and sound box on the stage...which happens to be Synergy.  The thing is that Synergy is being lowered on the stage using standard ropes...and it's at that moment that the Misfits get into a shoving match with Willy which causes the ropes to break and Synergy to go plummeting towards the ground.  Uh-oh!  If Synergy hits the ground with that much force, it's bye-bye Jem and the Holograms.  Because we all know that Jerrica would never dye her hair pink and sing the songs herself.



But before the worst happens, everyone vanishes from the scene leaving a bunch of concert spectators to question what sorts of substances they were on to create such illusions.  Everybody returns back to the year 1987 safe and sound, and the Holograms are thrilled to have undergone the fantastic, yet impossible journey they went through.  Though, Aja reminds them not to say anything as they'll get institutionalized.  Ah, Aja...always the voice of reason.



The Misfits also return to the present where they immediately turn on Eric Raymond for destroying their chance to play Woodstock.  For once, Eric is innocent and he tries to defend himself by saying that he was in Techrat's truck the whole time.  But Pizzazz forcibly grabs Techrat's keyboard, eager to teach Eric a lesson.



She types in Eric's name on the computer and he's the one that is transported back in time.  And thanks to the baby dinosaur that makes a sudden appearance, I'm guessing that Pizzazz has sent Eric all the way back in time to the year 65,000,000 B.C.!  I'm amazed Pizzazz actually knows a number that's higher than fifty!



Of course, Eric comes face to face with the baby's mama who is none to pleased to see him.  Eric runs away in terror at the sight even though in all likelihood that dinosaur is not a carnivore.  Still, she could step on him.



Back in the present, it seems as though our baby dinosaur is a bit of a brat, and he instantly turns Techrat's time machine into a pile of metal junk.  But with the time machine inoperable, it does one final trade off, with the dinosaur going back to the prehistoric times...



...and a physically frightened Eric coming back to 1987.  Though in Eric's case, I'm not sure what would be a worse nightmare.  Getting chased by a giant dinosaur or having to face four angry Misfits and a Techrat?  It's too close to call, really.

And while Techrat cries over another lost invention and Eric gets drawn and quartered by Pizzazz, Roxy, Stormer, and Jetta, the Holograms are taking their rightful place as the head entertainers for the World History of Rock Concert.



The song they perform is "Rockin' Down Through Time", and it's easy to see that they used their own time travel experiences to inspire this song.  Though one GLARING inconsistency...they mention the Glenn Miller Band in the song lyrics!  So, it's okay to sing about real musicians, but not okay to depict them in cartoons?  You know, trying to understand broadcast standards and legal terms in the 1980s would be like trying to understand how this episode could be considered realistic, so I'm not even going to try.

Despite the impossibility of the plot, I ended up liking this episode more than I thought I would.  There's some genuinely funny moments in this episode, and I think some of the music was great.  I would have liked to have seen the Misfits perform once though.  They seem to be getting the shaft in the second part of the second season.



Maybe this will be remedied in the FIFTIETH edition of Jem Reviewed.  We go back to England for this one where we learn more about Jetta's family, are reintroduced to an old friend, and are treated to a royal mystery.  Sounds intriguing!

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

February 22, 1878

Welcome to this week's Wayback Wednesday entry - the final one of the year.  But that's not to say that we're going to say farewell to the pop culture history lessons for good.  I'll get to more about this at the end of today's entry.

For now, grab yourselves a seat and enjoy today's specials, starting with a heaping appetizer of events that took place on February 22.

1632 - Galileo's "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems" is published.

1848 - The French Revolution of 1848 begins

1856 - The United States Republican Party hosts its first national convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1862 - Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the first President of the Confederate States of America

1872 - The Prohibition Party hosts its first national convention in Columbus, Ohio

1918 - Announcer Don Pardo (d. 2014) is born in Westfield, Massachusetts

1924 - Calvin Coolidge becomes the first American President to deliver a radio address from the White House

1932 - Politician Ted Kennedy (d. 2009) is born in Boston, Massachusetts

1943 - Christoph Probst and Hans and Sophie Scholl are executed in Nazi Germany for being members of the White Rose Resurgence during World War II

1944 - American aircraft make the mistake of bombing several Dutch communities resulting in loss of life in the cities of Arnhem, Deventer, Enschede, and Nijmegen

1959 - Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500

1962 - Steve Irwin (d. 2006) - "The Crocodile Hunter" is born in Essendon, Australia

1976 - Former Supremes member Florence Ballard dies at the age of 32

1980 - The "Miracle on Ice" takes place during the 1980 Winter Olympics where the American hockey team defeats the Soviet Union team with a final score of 4-3

1983 - The Broadway play "Moose Hunters" makes history in the worst way possible - it becomes one of the first plays to open and close in the same night!

1986 - The People Power Revolution begins in the Philippines

1987 - Artist Andy Warhol passes away at the age of 58

1997 - Scottish scientists make the announcement that they have successfully cloned a sheep (named Dolly)

2002 - Animator Chuck Jones dies at the age of 89

2011 - At least 185 people are killed in Christchurch, New Zealand when an earthquake strikes - the second deadliest in the country's history

2014 - New Zealand born television personality Charlotte Dawson takes her own life at the age of 47 following a personal struggle dealing with cyberbullying

And celebrating the day with a slice of birthday cake are the following famous faces; Paul Dooley, Bruce Forsyth, James Hong, Sheila Hancock, Ishmael Reed, Judy Cornwell, Jonathan Demme, Julius Erving, Julie Walters, Ellen Greene, Kyle MacLachlan, Rachel Dratch, Thorsten Kaye, Jeri Ryan, Thomas Jane, Clinton Kelly, Lea Salonga, James Blunt, Chris Moyles, Drew Barrymore, Jenny Frost, and Shamari Fears.

All right...so considering that today is the final Wayback Wednesday of the year, I thought I would make this date worth the trip.  How would you all like to go back in time to the 1800s?



The date?  February 22, 1878.  By my calculations, that date was exactly one hundred and thirty-nine years ago today.

Now, before I go into why this date is so important, I would love to share with you a personal story related to the subject of this date.

And no...I wasn't around in 1878.  Or, 1978 for that matter. 

But when I was a kid, I definitely had my favourite places that I liked to go to in my little town.  I loved going to the park to swing on the swing sets.  I loved throwing pennies into the town fountain in the middle of Court House Square to make a wish.  I loved going to the movie theatre whenever a movie that I really wanted to see was out.

And I loved our little
Woolworth's store that was located downtown.



Okay, so obviously this is a very old photo of the store.  I found it on the website for our town paper and the photo was taken by a local town historian, Doug Grant.  If I had to wager a guess, it was taken sometime in the 1950s or 1960s just based on the cars driving down the street.  But when I was a kid growing up in the 1980s, it was a place that I loved to go to.  I think I loved going to that store more than I did other big named department stores that existed back in those days.

I think one reason I loved Woolworth's so much was because of the lunch counter inside.  I remember once a month, Mom would take me to the lunch counter where I could order anything I wanted for a special lunch.  I always got the cheeseburger, and to this day, their burgers were among the best fast food burgers that I can recall eating.  And the food was relatively cheap as well.  At least, it was back in the 1980s anyway.



And I also had fond memories of perusing the toy department of Woolworth's, deciding on what toy I wanted.  Sometimes I'd spend tooth fairy money there, and other times I would spend allowance money there.  Back when I was a kid, there were endless choices.  I could have bought a gigantic balloon with a Wuzzle or a Sesame Street character on it for a dollar.  I could have bought a couple of storybooks to add to my growing book collection (had the store sold Archie comics, I'd have been in heaven), or I might have even bought a colouring book and a 64 count box of their store brand crayons (which I maintain were better quality than Crayola crayons and would happily pay four times their price for a box of them today). 

I can't recall a single time in which I left Woolworth's without a huge smile on my face.  It was such a great store that contributed to so many memories for me.  I actually cried when Woolworth's closed up shop in the early 1990s and was replaced by the substandard "Bargain Shop". 

So, I'm sure you've already guessed that Woolworth's is the subject of today's blog post.  And the date that I've chosen - February 22, 1878 - is an important one in the department store chain.  It was the date that the very first Woolworth's Five and Dime store opened its doors.

Now, five and dime stores are not exactly a new thing.  It was how Walmart got their start, and back in the 1870s, it was how a lot of businesses operated.  The idea for them was to charge consumers a fixed price on a variety of different kinds of merchandise - usually for nickels or dimes - as an effort to undercut other merchants who sold the same items for higher prices.  The F.W. Woolworth Company was actually one of the first retailers to display merchandise on the sales floor of their store locations WITHOUT the assistance of a sales clerk.  Prior to those days, people would often line up behind a counter with a list of the items they wished to purchase, and the person behind the counter would grab the items themselves.

I suppose looking back on it, the old way of selling merchandise is similar to putting stuff on layaway at Kmart or Walmart locations.

In 1878, Frank Winfield Woolworth obtained credit from a former boss and combined the money loaned to him with his previous savings to purchase the building and merchandise for the grand opening of Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store in Utica, New York on February 22, 1878.  Woolworth had high hopes for the new business, but it closed up shop just three months later in May 1878.  Despite the failure of the initial business, Woolworth refused to give up on the idea, and so the following year, he reopened the Great Five Cent Store in the community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and unlike what happened in Utica, the store quickly became a success.  So much so that a second location was opened in nearby Harrisburg (this time his brother Charles Sumner Woolworth) would run it.  Unfortunately, the Harrisburg store was forced to close after a disagreement with the landlord, and a couple of other stores opened up without much success.  But in 1880, when the Woolworth brothers opened up a five and dime store location in Scranton, Pennsylvania, their fortunes improved.  By the turn of the twentieth century, a total of six chains of affiliated Woolworth's locations had opened up in the United States and Canada. 



By 1962, Woolworth's had expanded to include Woolco stores - single floor discount stores that specialized in fashion, electronics, toys, and some household merchandise (the store would later become famous for their $1.44 sales which were held every Monday for many years).  By the time of the company's 100th birthday in the late 1970s, it was considered to be the largest department chain in the world, with the company having expanded across North America, Europe, and Australia. 

Woolworth's was also the location of the first of the sit-in protests that took place in Greensboro, North Carolina (the event in which four black students from a nearby college sat down at the lunch counter that was reserved for white customers and refused to leave in protest of the segregation laws that existed back in the early 1960s.



Unfortunately, the company ran into some major financial trouble during the 1980s.  Having tough competition from other retailers who were offering similar products and employing similar business methods, stores began to close up throughout the 1980s.  Although Woolco was still doing quite well in Canada, in the United States, all stores bearing the Woolco name were closed up by 1983.  In addition, the store sustained some bad press following a devastating fire at one of the largest Woolworth's locations in the UK, and despite the store being rebuilt, it was closed for good in the mid-1980s.  Though the incident caused the UK chains of Woolworth's to break away from the parent company and as a direct result of this, the Woolworth's name remained in the UK until January 2009.

Here in North America, the 1990s signified the end of what was once a very powerful company.  Restructuring in 1993 meant the end of the Woolworth's name for a good many stores.  In the United States, almost all Woolworth stores were shut down by 1993, and the last of the stores bearing the name were closed for good in the summer of 1997.  In Canada, many Woolworth's locations had been transformed into "The Bargain Shop", and in 1994, the majority of Woolco stores were rebranded as Walmart locations (save for the few that turned into Zellers locations - a chain that became defunct in 2013 when Target Canada took it over for two years before it pulled out of the country in the spring of 2015).

Still...as I've shared up above, I do miss the Woolworth's name.  I miss the lunch counter.  I miss the toy department.  I just miss having that childhood staple around.  I don't care what people say.  Ordering a Quarter Pounder at McDonald's is no comparison to sitting at a lunch counter stool and eating a burger that you see made right in front of you. 

But I suppose that like most things in this world, they never truly die if you keep the memories close to your heart. 

So, this marks the finale of Wayback Wednesday.  But fear not.  Next week, the day shifts again to Thursdays.  And the first "Throwback Thursday" post will be shared on Thursday, March 2.

Stay tuned.  There is more to come!