Social Activist. Born Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr. on August 17, 1887, in St. Ann's Bay, Jamica. Self-educated, Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, dedicated to promoting African-Americans and resettlement in Africa. In the United States he launched several businesses to promote a separate black nation. After he was convicted of mail fraud and deported back to Jamaica, he continued his work for black repatriation to Africa.
Marcus Mosiah Garvey was the last of 11 children born to Marcus Garvey, Sr. and Sarah Jane Richards. His father was a stone mason, and his mother a domestic worker and farmer. Garvey, Sr. was a great influence on Marcus, who once described him as "severe, firm, determined, bold, and strong, refusing to yield even to superior forces if he believed he was right." His father was known to have a large library, where young Garvey learned to read.
At age 14, Marcus became a printer's apprentice. In 1903, he traveled to Kingston, Jamaica, and soon became involved in union activities. In 1907, he took part in an unsuccessful printer's strike and the experience kindled in him a passion for political activism. Three years later, he traveled throughout Central America working as an newspaper editor and writing about the exploitation of migrant workers in the plantations. He later traveled to London where he attended Birkbeck College (University of London) and worked for the African Times and Orient Review, which advocated Pan-African nationalism.
Inspired by these experiences, Marcus Garvey returned to Jamaica in 1912 and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) with the goal of uniting all of African diaspora to "establish a country and absolute government of their own." After corresponding with Booker T. Washington, the American educator who founded Tuskegee Institute, Garvey traveled to the United States in 1916 to raise funds for a similar venture in Jamaica. He settled in New York City and formed a UNIA chapter in Harlem to promote a separatist philosophy of social, political, and economic freedom for blacks. In 1918, Garvey began publishing the widely distributed newspaper Negro World to convey his message.
By 1919, Marcus Garvey and UNIA had launched the Black Star Line, a shipping company that would establish trade and commerce between Africans in America, the Caribbean, South and Central America, Canada, and Africa. At the same time, Garvey started the Negros Factories Association, a series of companies that would manufacture marketable commodities in every big industrial center in the Western hemisphere and Africa.
In August 1920, UNIA claimed 4 million members and held its first International Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Before a crowd of 25,000 people from all over world, Marcus Garvey spoke of having pride in African history and culture. Many found his words inspiring, but not all. Some established black leaders found his separatist philosophy ill-conceived. W.E.B. Du Bois, a prominent black leader and officer of the N.A.A.C.P. called Garvey, "the most dangerous enemy of the Negro race in America." Garvey felt Du Bois was an agent of the white elite.
In 1922, Marcus Garvey and three other UNIA officials were charged with mail fraud involving the Black Star Line. The trial records indicate several improprieties occurred in the prosecution of the case. It didn't help that the shipping line's books contained many accounting irregularities. On June 23, 1923, Garvey was convicted and sentenced to prison for five years. Claiming to be a victim of a politically motivated miscarriage of justice, Garvey appealed his conviction, but was denied. In 1927 he was released from prison and deported to Jamaica.
Garvey continued his political activism and the work of UNIA in Jamaica, and then moved to London in 1935. But he did not command the same influence he had earlier. Perhaps in desperation or maybe in delusion, Garvey collaborated with outspoken segregationist and white supremacist Senator Theodore Bilbo of Mississippi to promote a reparations scheme. The Greater Liberia Act of 1939 would deport 12 million African-Americans to Liberia at federal expense to relieve unemployment. The act failed in Congress, and Garvey lost even more support among the black population.
Marcus Garvey died in London in 1940 after several strokes. Due to travel restrictions during World War II, his body was interred in London. In 1964, his remains were exhumed and taken to Jamaica, where the government proclaimed him Jamaica's first national hero and re-interred him at a shrine in the National Heroes Park. But his memory and influence remain. His message of pride and dignity inspired many in the early days of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. In tribute to his many contributions, Garvey's bust has been displayed in the Organization of American States' Hall of Heroes in Washington, D.C. The country of Ghana has named its shipping line the Black Star Line and its national soccer team the Black Stars, in honor of Garvey.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Jackie Robinson
Baseball player, civil rights activist. Born Jack Roosevelt Robinson on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Breaking the color barrier, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in baseball's major leagues. The youngest of five children, Robinson was raised in relative poverty by a single mother. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, where he was an excellent athlete and played four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938.
Robinson's older brother, Matthew Robinson, inspired Jackie to pursue his talent and love for athletics. Matthew won a silver medal in the 200-meter dash—just behind Jesse Owens—at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Jackie continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to win varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, despite his athletic success, Robinson was forced to leave UCLA just shy of graduation due to financial hardship. He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played football for the semi-professional Honolulu Bears. His season with the Bears was cut short when the United States entered into World War II.
From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He never saw combat, however; Robinson was arrested and court-martialed during boot camp after he refused to move to the back of a segregated bus during training. He was later acquitted of the charges and received an honorable discharge. His courage and moral objection to segregation were precursors to the impact Robinson would have in major league baseball.
After his discharge from the Army in 1944, Robinson played baseball professionally. At the time, the sport was segregated, and African-Americans and whites played in separate leagues. Robinson began playing in the Negro Leagues, but he was soon chosen by Branch Rickey, a vice president with the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help integrate major league baseball. He joined the all-white Montreal Royals, a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1945. He moved to Florida in 1946 to begin spring training with the Royals, and played his first game on March 17 of that same year.
Rickey knew there would be difficult times ahead for the young athlete, and made Robinson promise to not fight back when confronted with racism. From the beginning of his career with the Dodgers, Robinson's will was tested. Even some of his new teammates objected to having an African-American on their team. People in the crowds sometimes jeered at Robinson, and he and his family received threats.
Despite the racial abuse, particularly at away games, Robinson had an outstanding start with the Royals, leading the International League with a .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage. His excellent year led to his promotion to the Dodgers. His debut game on April 15, 1947, marked the first time an African-American athlete played in the major leagues.
The harassment continued, however, most notably by the Philadelphia Phillies and their manager Ben Chapman. During one infamous game, Chapman and his team shouted derogatory terms at Robinson from their dugout. Many players on opposing teams threatened not to play against the Dodgers. Even his own teammates threatened to sit out. But Dodgers manager Leo Durocher informed them that he would sooner trade them than Robinson. His loyalty to the player set the tone for the rest of Robinson's career with the team.
Others defended Jackie Robinson's right to play in the major leagues, including League President Ford Frick, Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler, Jewish baseball star Hank Greenberg and Dodgers shortstop and team captain Pee Wee Reese. In one incident, while fans harassed Robinson from the stands, Reese walked over and put his arm around his teammate, a gesture that has become legendary in baseball history.
Jackie Robinson succeeded in putting the prejudice and racial strife aside, and showed everyone what a talented player he was. In his first year, he hit 12 home runs and helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant. That year, Robinson led the National League in stolen bases and was selected as Rookie of the Year. He continued to wow fans and critics alike with impressive feats, such as an outstanding .342 batting average during the 1949 season. He led in stolen bases that year and earned the National League's Most Valuable Player Award.
Robinson soon became a hero of the sport, even among former critics, and was the subject for the popular song, "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" An exceptional base runner, Robinson stole home 19 times in his career, setting a league record. He also became the highest-paid athlete in Dodgers history, and his success in the major leagues opened the door for other African-American players, such as Satchel Paige , Willie Mays , and Hank Aaron.
Robinson also became a vocal champion for African-American athletes, civil rights, and other social and political causes. In July 1949, he testified on discrimination before the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1952, he publicly called out the Yankees as a racist organization for not having broken the color barrier five years after he began playing with the Dodgers.
In his decade-long career with the Dodgers, Robinson and his team won the National League pennant several times. Finally, in 1955, he helped them achieve the ultimate victory: the World Series. After failing before in four other series match-ups, the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees. He helped the team win one more National League pennant the following season, and was then traded to the New York Giants. Jackie Robinson retired shortly after the trade, on January 5, 1957, with an impressive career batting average of .311.
After baseball, Robinson became active in business and continued his work as an activist for social change. He worked as an executive for the Chock Full O' Nuts coffee company and restaurant chain and helped establish the Freedom National Bank. He served on the board of the NAACP until 1967 and was the first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number of 42.
In his later years, Robinson continued to lobby for greater integration in sports. He died from heart problems and diabetes complications on October 24, 1972, in Stamford, Connecticut. He was survived by his wife, Rachel Isum, and their three children. After his death, his wife established the Jackie Robinson Foundation dedicated to honoring his life and work. The foundation helps young people in need by providing scholarships and mentoring programs.
Robinson's older brother, Matthew Robinson, inspired Jackie to pursue his talent and love for athletics. Matthew won a silver medal in the 200-meter dash—just behind Jesse Owens—at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Jackie continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to win varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, despite his athletic success, Robinson was forced to leave UCLA just shy of graduation due to financial hardship. He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played football for the semi-professional Honolulu Bears. His season with the Bears was cut short when the United States entered into World War II.
From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He never saw combat, however; Robinson was arrested and court-martialed during boot camp after he refused to move to the back of a segregated bus during training. He was later acquitted of the charges and received an honorable discharge. His courage and moral objection to segregation were precursors to the impact Robinson would have in major league baseball.
After his discharge from the Army in 1944, Robinson played baseball professionally. At the time, the sport was segregated, and African-Americans and whites played in separate leagues. Robinson began playing in the Negro Leagues, but he was soon chosen by Branch Rickey, a vice president with the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help integrate major league baseball. He joined the all-white Montreal Royals, a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1945. He moved to Florida in 1946 to begin spring training with the Royals, and played his first game on March 17 of that same year.
Rickey knew there would be difficult times ahead for the young athlete, and made Robinson promise to not fight back when confronted with racism. From the beginning of his career with the Dodgers, Robinson's will was tested. Even some of his new teammates objected to having an African-American on their team. People in the crowds sometimes jeered at Robinson, and he and his family received threats.
Despite the racial abuse, particularly at away games, Robinson had an outstanding start with the Royals, leading the International League with a .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage. His excellent year led to his promotion to the Dodgers. His debut game on April 15, 1947, marked the first time an African-American athlete played in the major leagues.
The harassment continued, however, most notably by the Philadelphia Phillies and their manager Ben Chapman. During one infamous game, Chapman and his team shouted derogatory terms at Robinson from their dugout. Many players on opposing teams threatened not to play against the Dodgers. Even his own teammates threatened to sit out. But Dodgers manager Leo Durocher informed them that he would sooner trade them than Robinson. His loyalty to the player set the tone for the rest of Robinson's career with the team.
Others defended Jackie Robinson's right to play in the major leagues, including League President Ford Frick, Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler, Jewish baseball star Hank Greenberg and Dodgers shortstop and team captain Pee Wee Reese. In one incident, while fans harassed Robinson from the stands, Reese walked over and put his arm around his teammate, a gesture that has become legendary in baseball history.
Jackie Robinson succeeded in putting the prejudice and racial strife aside, and showed everyone what a talented player he was. In his first year, he hit 12 home runs and helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant. That year, Robinson led the National League in stolen bases and was selected as Rookie of the Year. He continued to wow fans and critics alike with impressive feats, such as an outstanding .342 batting average during the 1949 season. He led in stolen bases that year and earned the National League's Most Valuable Player Award.
Robinson soon became a hero of the sport, even among former critics, and was the subject for the popular song, "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" An exceptional base runner, Robinson stole home 19 times in his career, setting a league record. He also became the highest-paid athlete in Dodgers history, and his success in the major leagues opened the door for other African-American players, such as Satchel Paige , Willie Mays , and Hank Aaron.
Robinson also became a vocal champion for African-American athletes, civil rights, and other social and political causes. In July 1949, he testified on discrimination before the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1952, he publicly called out the Yankees as a racist organization for not having broken the color barrier five years after he began playing with the Dodgers.
In his decade-long career with the Dodgers, Robinson and his team won the National League pennant several times. Finally, in 1955, he helped them achieve the ultimate victory: the World Series. After failing before in four other series match-ups, the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees. He helped the team win one more National League pennant the following season, and was then traded to the New York Giants. Jackie Robinson retired shortly after the trade, on January 5, 1957, with an impressive career batting average of .311.
After baseball, Robinson became active in business and continued his work as an activist for social change. He worked as an executive for the Chock Full O' Nuts coffee company and restaurant chain and helped establish the Freedom National Bank. He served on the board of the NAACP until 1967 and was the first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number of 42.
In his later years, Robinson continued to lobby for greater integration in sports. He died from heart problems and diabetes complications on October 24, 1972, in Stamford, Connecticut. He was survived by his wife, Rachel Isum, and their three children. After his death, his wife established the Jackie Robinson Foundation dedicated to honoring his life and work. The foundation helps young people in need by providing scholarships and mentoring programs.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Skippy
A woman goes to her boyfriend's parents' house for dinner.
This is to be her first time meeting the family and she is
very nervous. They all sit down and begin eating a fine meal.
The woman is beginning to feel a little discomfort, thanks to her
nervousness and the broccoli casserole. The gas pains are almost making her
eyes water. Left with no other choice, she decides to relieve herself a
bit and lets out a dainty fart.
It wasn't loud, but everyone at the ta ble heard the poof.
Before she even had a chance to be embarrassed, her boyfriend's father
looked over at the dog that had been snoozing under the woman's chair, and
said in a rather stern voice, "Skippy!".
The woman thought, "This is great!" and a big smile came across her face.
A couple of minutes later, she was beginning to feel the pain
again.
This time, she didn't even hesitate. She let a much louder
and longer rrrrrip.
The father again looked at the dog and yelled, "Dammit Skippy!"
Once again the woman smiled and thought "Yes!" A few minutes
later the woman had to let another rip. This time she didn't even think
about it.
She let a fart rip that rivaled a train whistle blowing.
Once again, the father looked at the dog with disgust
and yelled, "Dammit Skippy, get away from her, before she shits on you!"
This is to be her first time meeting the family and she is
very nervous. They all sit down and begin eating a fine meal.
The woman is beginning to feel a little discomfort, thanks to her
nervousness and the broccoli casserole. The gas pains are almost making her
eyes water. Left with no other choice, she decides to relieve herself a
bit and lets out a dainty fart.
It wasn't loud, but everyone at the ta ble heard the poof.
Before she even had a chance to be embarrassed, her boyfriend's father
looked over at the dog that had been snoozing under the woman's chair, and
said in a rather stern voice, "Skippy!".
The woman thought, "This is great!" and a big smile came across her face.
A couple of minutes later, she was beginning to feel the pain
again.
This time, she didn't even hesitate. She let a much louder
and longer rrrrrip.
The father again looked at the dog and yelled, "Dammit Skippy!"
Once again the woman smiled and thought "Yes!" A few minutes
later the woman had to let another rip. This time she didn't even think
about it.
She let a fart rip that rivaled a train whistle blowing.
Once again, the father looked at the dog with disgust
and yelled, "Dammit Skippy, get away from her, before she shits on you!"
Jan 30, 1933 The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit radio
With the stirring notes of the William Tell Overture and a shout of "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!" The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit's WXYZ radio station.
The creation of station-owner George Trendle and writer Fran Striker, the "masked rider of the plains" became one of the most popular and enduring western heroes of the 20th century. Joined by his trusty steed, Silver, and loyal Indian scout, Tonto, the Lone Ranger sallied forth to do battle with evil western outlaws and Indians, generally arriving on the scene just in time to save an innocent golden-haired child or sun-bonneted farm wife.
Neither Trendle nor Striker had any connections to or experience with the cowboys, Indians, and pioneers of the real West, but that mattered little to them. The men simply wanted to create an American version of the masked swashbuckler made popular by the silent movie actor Douglas Fairbanks in The Mark of Zorro, arming their hero with a revolver rather than a sword. Historical authenticity was far less important to the men than fidelity to the strict code of conduct they established for their character. The Lone Ranger never smoked, swore, or drank alcohol; he used grammatically correct speech free of slang; and, most important, he never shot to kill. More offensive to modern historical and ethnic sensibilities was the Indian scout Tonto, who spoke in a comical Indian patois totally unrelated to any authentic Indian dialect, uttering ludicrous phrases like "You betchum!"
Historical accuracy notwithstanding, the radio program was an instant hit. Children liked the steady stream of action and parents approved of the good moral example offered by the upstanding masked man. Soon picked up for nationwide broadcast over the Mutual Radio Network, over 20 million Americans were tuning into The Lone Ranger three times a week by 1939. In an early example of the power of marketing tie-ins, the producers also licensed the manufacture of a vast array of related products, including Lone Ranger guns, costumes, books, and a popular comic strip.
The Lone Ranger made a seemingly effortless transition from radio to motion pictures and television. The televised version of The Lone Ranger, staring Clayton Moore as the masked man, became ABC's first big hit in the early 1950s. Remaining on the air until 1957, the program helped define the golden age of the TV Western and inspired dozens of imitators like The Range Rider, The Roy Rogers Show, and The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. Although the Lone Ranger disappeared from American television and movie screens by the 1960s, he lived on in a popular series of comic books well into the 1970s.
The creation of station-owner George Trendle and writer Fran Striker, the "masked rider of the plains" became one of the most popular and enduring western heroes of the 20th century. Joined by his trusty steed, Silver, and loyal Indian scout, Tonto, the Lone Ranger sallied forth to do battle with evil western outlaws and Indians, generally arriving on the scene just in time to save an innocent golden-haired child or sun-bonneted farm wife.
Neither Trendle nor Striker had any connections to or experience with the cowboys, Indians, and pioneers of the real West, but that mattered little to them. The men simply wanted to create an American version of the masked swashbuckler made popular by the silent movie actor Douglas Fairbanks in The Mark of Zorro, arming their hero with a revolver rather than a sword. Historical authenticity was far less important to the men than fidelity to the strict code of conduct they established for their character. The Lone Ranger never smoked, swore, or drank alcohol; he used grammatically correct speech free of slang; and, most important, he never shot to kill. More offensive to modern historical and ethnic sensibilities was the Indian scout Tonto, who spoke in a comical Indian patois totally unrelated to any authentic Indian dialect, uttering ludicrous phrases like "You betchum!"
Historical accuracy notwithstanding, the radio program was an instant hit. Children liked the steady stream of action and parents approved of the good moral example offered by the upstanding masked man. Soon picked up for nationwide broadcast over the Mutual Radio Network, over 20 million Americans were tuning into The Lone Ranger three times a week by 1939. In an early example of the power of marketing tie-ins, the producers also licensed the manufacture of a vast array of related products, including Lone Ranger guns, costumes, books, and a popular comic strip.
The Lone Ranger made a seemingly effortless transition from radio to motion pictures and television. The televised version of The Lone Ranger, staring Clayton Moore as the masked man, became ABC's first big hit in the early 1950s. Remaining on the air until 1957, the program helped define the golden age of the TV Western and inspired dozens of imitators like The Range Rider, The Roy Rogers Show, and The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. Although the Lone Ranger disappeared from American television and movie screens by the 1960s, he lived on in a popular series of comic books well into the 1970s.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
1936 : Baseball Hall of Fame inducts first members
On January 29, 1936, the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects its first members in Cooperstown, New York: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson.
The Hall of Fame actually had its beginnings in 1935, when plans were made to build a museum devoted to baseball and its 100-year history. A private organization based in Cooperstown called the Clark Foundation thought that establishing the Baseball Hall of Fame in their city would help to reinvigorate the area's Depression-ravaged economy by attracting tourists. To help sell the idea, the foundation advanced the idea that U.S. Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown. The story proved to be phony, but baseball officials, eager to capitalize on the marketing and publicity potential of a museum to honor the game's greats, gave their support to the project anyway.
In preparation for the dedication of the Hall of Fame in 1939--thought by many to be the centennial of baseball--the Baseball Writers' Association of America chose the five greatest superstars of the game as the first class to be inducted: Ty Cobb was the most productive hitter in history; Babe Ruth was both an ace pitcher and the greatest home-run hitter to play the game; Honus Wagner was a versatile star shortstop and batting champion; Christy Matthewson had more wins than any pitcher in National League history; and Walter Johnson was considered one of the most powerful pitchers to ever have taken the mound.
Today, with approximately 350,000 visitors per year, the Hall of Fame continues to be the hub of all things baseball. It has elected 278 individuals, in all, including 225 players, 17 managers, 8 umpires and 28 executives and pioneers.
The Hall of Fame actually had its beginnings in 1935, when plans were made to build a museum devoted to baseball and its 100-year history. A private organization based in Cooperstown called the Clark Foundation thought that establishing the Baseball Hall of Fame in their city would help to reinvigorate the area's Depression-ravaged economy by attracting tourists. To help sell the idea, the foundation advanced the idea that U.S. Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown. The story proved to be phony, but baseball officials, eager to capitalize on the marketing and publicity potential of a museum to honor the game's greats, gave their support to the project anyway.
In preparation for the dedication of the Hall of Fame in 1939--thought by many to be the centennial of baseball--the Baseball Writers' Association of America chose the five greatest superstars of the game as the first class to be inducted: Ty Cobb was the most productive hitter in history; Babe Ruth was both an ace pitcher and the greatest home-run hitter to play the game; Honus Wagner was a versatile star shortstop and batting champion; Christy Matthewson had more wins than any pitcher in National League history; and Walter Johnson was considered one of the most powerful pitchers to ever have taken the mound.
Today, with approximately 350,000 visitors per year, the Hall of Fame continues to be the hub of all things baseball. It has elected 278 individuals, in all, including 225 players, 17 managers, 8 umpires and 28 executives and pioneers.
Friday, January 28, 2011
A 106-year-old woman who loves fish and chips
A woman in Britain, who just turned 106, says she neither drinks nor smokes, but she does have a 'vice' - fish and chips.
Selina Kellett says she loves her regular helping of chips.
'I don't drink or smoke but I do love my fish and chips,' the Daily Express quoted her as saying.
Kellett, whose husband Ernest died 44 years ago, lives at home in Leeds and she broke her hip last year in a fall.
'Fish and chips are her only vice and seem to do her the world of good,' said her eighty-year-old daughter Mavis Fear.
'Since the fall, she can no longer walk by herself to the chippie, so has to rely on her niece Winnie to take her in the car.'
'She's always loved fish and chips, dark chocolate and gooseberries,' she added.
Selina Kellett says she loves her regular helping of chips.
'I don't drink or smoke but I do love my fish and chips,' the Daily Express quoted her as saying.
Kellett, whose husband Ernest died 44 years ago, lives at home in Leeds and she broke her hip last year in a fall.
'Fish and chips are her only vice and seem to do her the world of good,' said her eighty-year-old daughter Mavis Fear.
'Since the fall, she can no longer walk by herself to the chippie, so has to rely on her niece Winnie to take her in the car.'
'She's always loved fish and chips, dark chocolate and gooseberries,' she added.
1985 : American recording artists gather to record "We Are the World"
The special instruction Quincy Jones sent out to the several dozen pop stars invited to participate in the recording of "We Are the World" was this: "Check your egos at the door." Jones was the producer of a record that would eventually go on to sell more than 7 million copies and raise more than $60 million for African famine relief. But before "We Are the World" could achieve those feats, it had to be captured on tape—no simple feat considering the number of major recording artists slated to participate. With only one chance to get the recording the way he and songwriters Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie wanted it, Jones convened the marathon recording session of "We Are the World" at around 10 p.m. on the evening of January 28, 1985, immediately following the conclusion of the American Music Awards ceremony held just a few miles away.
Singer/actor/activist Harry Belafonte was the initiator of the events that led to the recording of "We Are the World." Inspired by the recent success of "Do They Know It's Christmas?"—the multimillion-selling charity record by the British-Irish collective Band Aid—Belafonte talked Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones into helping him organize an American response under the name "USA for Africa." Ritchie and Jackson wrote the song over the course of several days in January, and Belafonte's manager, Ken Kragen, who would go on to serve as President of the USA for Africa Foundation, the nonprofit organization that managed the profits from "We Are the World," came up with the plan to hold the session on the night of the AMA's in order to guarantee that the greatest number of big names would be able to participate.
Among the 45 stars who sang on "We Are the World" that night were huge-in-the-80s figures like Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis; Country stars like Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson; pop icons like Smokey Robinson, Tina Turner and Paul Simon; and musical giants like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan. Also in the studio that night were half of the Jackson family, one Irishman (Bob Geldof, co-organizer of Band Aid) and one party-crashing Canadian, comedian Dan Aykroyd. Egos fully in check, the group laid down the chorus and solos before sunrise on the 29th, and "We Are the World" was in the stores and on the airwaves just five weeks later.
Singer/actor/activist Harry Belafonte was the initiator of the events that led to the recording of "We Are the World." Inspired by the recent success of "Do They Know It's Christmas?"—the multimillion-selling charity record by the British-Irish collective Band Aid—Belafonte talked Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones into helping him organize an American response under the name "USA for Africa." Ritchie and Jackson wrote the song over the course of several days in January, and Belafonte's manager, Ken Kragen, who would go on to serve as President of the USA for Africa Foundation, the nonprofit organization that managed the profits from "We Are the World," came up with the plan to hold the session on the night of the AMA's in order to guarantee that the greatest number of big names would be able to participate.
Among the 45 stars who sang on "We Are the World" that night were huge-in-the-80s figures like Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis; Country stars like Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson; pop icons like Smokey Robinson, Tina Turner and Paul Simon; and musical giants like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan. Also in the studio that night were half of the Jackson family, one Irishman (Bob Geldof, co-organizer of Band Aid) and one party-crashing Canadian, comedian Dan Aykroyd. Egos fully in check, the group laid down the chorus and solos before sunrise on the 29th, and "We Are the World" was in the stores and on the airwaves just five weeks later.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jack Lalanne Dies At Age 96; brought Fitness To Masses
Jack LaLanne was prodding Americans to get off their couches
and into the gym decades before it was cool. And he was still pumping iron
and pushing fruits and vegetables decades past most Americans' retirement
age.
The fitness fanatic ate well and exercised — and made it his mission to make
sure everyone did the same — right up to the end at age 96, friends and
family said.
LaLanne died Sunday at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast,
longtime agent Rick Hersh said. The cause was respiratory failure due to
pneumonia.
"I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best
friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for," Elaine LaLanne,
LaLanne's wife of 51 years and a frequent partner in his television
appearances, said in a written statement.
Lalanne, who had heart valve surgery two years ago, maintained a youthful
physique and joked in 2006 that "I can't afford to die. It would wreck my
image."
"He was amazing," said 87-year-old former "Price is Right" host Bob Barker,
who credited LaLanne's encouragement with helping him to start exercising
often.
"He never lost enthusiasm for life and physical fitness," Barker told The
Associated Press on Sunday. "I saw him in about 2007 and he still looked
remarkably good. He still looked like the same enthusiastic guy that he
always was."
LaLanne credited a sudden interest in fitness with transforming his life as
a teen, and he worked tirelessly over the next eight decades to transform
others' lives, too.
"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," LaLanne said.
"Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."
His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the '70s. LaLanne
and his dog Happy encouraged kids to wake their mothers and drag them in
front of the television set. He developed exercises that used no special
equipment, just a chair and a towel.
He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent
years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a
machine called Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.
When he turned 43 in 1957, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23
minutes on the "You Asked For It" television show. At 60, he swam from
Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco — handcuffed, shackled
and towing a boat. Ten years later, he performed a similar feat in Long
Beach harbor.
"I never think of my age, never," LaLanne said in 1990. "I could be 20 or
100. I never think about it, I'm just me. Look at Bob Hope, George Burns.
They're more productive than they've ever been in their whole lives right
now."
Fellow bodybuilder and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
credited LaLanne with taking exercise out of the gymnasium and into living
rooms.
"He laid the groundwork for others to have exercise programs, and now it has
bloomed from that black and white program into a very colorful enterprise,"
Schwarzenegger said in 1990.
In 1936 in his native Oakland, LaLanne opened a health studio that included
weight-training for women and athletes. Those were revolutionary notions at
the time, because of the theory that weight training made an athlete slow
and "muscle bound" and made a woman look masculine.
"You have to understand that it was absolutely forbidden in those days for
athletes to use weights," he once said. "It just wasn't done. We had
athletes who used to sneak into the studio to work out.
"It was the same with women. Back then, women weren't supposed to use
weights. I guess I was a pioneer," LaLanne said.
The son of poor French immigrants, he was born in 1914 and grew up to become
a sugar addict, he said.
The turning point occurred one night when he heard a lecture by pioneering
nutritionist Paul Bragg, who advocated the benefits of brown rice, whole
wheat and a vegetarian diet.
"He got me so enthused," LaLanne said. "After the lecture I went to his
dressing room and spent an hour and a half with him. He said, 'Jack, you're
a walking garbage can.'"
Soon after, LaLanne constructed a makeshift gym in his back yard. "I had all
these firemen and police working out there and I kind of used them as guinea
pigs," he said.
He said his own daily routine usually consisted of two hours of
weightlifting and an hour in the swimming pool.
"It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne
said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep
eating? You just do it."
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Dan and Jon, and a
daughter, Yvonne.
and into the gym decades before it was cool. And he was still pumping iron
and pushing fruits and vegetables decades past most Americans' retirement
age.
The fitness fanatic ate well and exercised — and made it his mission to make
sure everyone did the same — right up to the end at age 96, friends and
family said.
LaLanne died Sunday at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast,
longtime agent Rick Hersh said. The cause was respiratory failure due to
pneumonia.
"I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best
friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for," Elaine LaLanne,
LaLanne's wife of 51 years and a frequent partner in his television
appearances, said in a written statement.
Lalanne, who had heart valve surgery two years ago, maintained a youthful
physique and joked in 2006 that "I can't afford to die. It would wreck my
image."
"He was amazing," said 87-year-old former "Price is Right" host Bob Barker,
who credited LaLanne's encouragement with helping him to start exercising
often.
"He never lost enthusiasm for life and physical fitness," Barker told The
Associated Press on Sunday. "I saw him in about 2007 and he still looked
remarkably good. He still looked like the same enthusiastic guy that he
always was."
LaLanne credited a sudden interest in fitness with transforming his life as
a teen, and he worked tirelessly over the next eight decades to transform
others' lives, too.
"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," LaLanne said.
"Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."
His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the '70s. LaLanne
and his dog Happy encouraged kids to wake their mothers and drag them in
front of the television set. He developed exercises that used no special
equipment, just a chair and a towel.
He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent
years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a
machine called Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.
When he turned 43 in 1957, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23
minutes on the "You Asked For It" television show. At 60, he swam from
Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco — handcuffed, shackled
and towing a boat. Ten years later, he performed a similar feat in Long
Beach harbor.
"I never think of my age, never," LaLanne said in 1990. "I could be 20 or
100. I never think about it, I'm just me. Look at Bob Hope, George Burns.
They're more productive than they've ever been in their whole lives right
now."
Fellow bodybuilder and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
credited LaLanne with taking exercise out of the gymnasium and into living
rooms.
"He laid the groundwork for others to have exercise programs, and now it has
bloomed from that black and white program into a very colorful enterprise,"
Schwarzenegger said in 1990.
In 1936 in his native Oakland, LaLanne opened a health studio that included
weight-training for women and athletes. Those were revolutionary notions at
the time, because of the theory that weight training made an athlete slow
and "muscle bound" and made a woman look masculine.
"You have to understand that it was absolutely forbidden in those days for
athletes to use weights," he once said. "It just wasn't done. We had
athletes who used to sneak into the studio to work out.
"It was the same with women. Back then, women weren't supposed to use
weights. I guess I was a pioneer," LaLanne said.
The son of poor French immigrants, he was born in 1914 and grew up to become
a sugar addict, he said.
The turning point occurred one night when he heard a lecture by pioneering
nutritionist Paul Bragg, who advocated the benefits of brown rice, whole
wheat and a vegetarian diet.
"He got me so enthused," LaLanne said. "After the lecture I went to his
dressing room and spent an hour and a half with him. He said, 'Jack, you're
a walking garbage can.'"
Soon after, LaLanne constructed a makeshift gym in his back yard. "I had all
these firemen and police working out there and I kind of used them as guinea
pigs," he said.
He said his own daily routine usually consisted of two hours of
weightlifting and an hour in the swimming pool.
"It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne
said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep
eating? You just do it."
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Dan and Jon, and a
daughter, Yvonne.
1935 : First canned beer goes on sale
Canned beer makes its debut on this day in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production.
By the late 19th century, cans were instrumental in the mass distribution of foodstuffs, but it wasn't until 1909 that the American Can Company made its first attempt to can beer. This was unsuccessful, and the American Can Company would have to wait for the end of Prohibition in the United States before it tried again. Finally in 1933, after two years of research, American Can developed a can that was pressurized and had a special coating to prevent the fizzy beer from chemically reacting with the tin.
The concept of canned beer proved to be a hard sell, but Krueger's overcame its initial reservations and became the first brewer to sell canned beer in the United States. The response was overwhelming. Within three months, over 80 percent of distributors were handling Krueger's canned beer, and Krueger's was eating into the market share of the "big three" national brewers--Anheuser-Busch, Pabst and Schlitz. Competitors soon followed suit, and by the end of 1935, over 200 million cans had been produced and sold.
The purchase of cans, unlike bottles, did not require the consumer to pay a deposit. Cans were also easier to stack, more durable and took less time to chill. As a result, their popularity continued to grow throughout the 1930s, and then exploded during World War II, when U.S. brewers shipped millions of cans of beer to soldiers overseas. After the war, national brewing companies began to take advantage of the mass distribution that cans made possible, and were able to consolidate their power over the once-dominant local breweries, which could not control costs and operations as efficiently as their national counterparts.
Today, canned beer accounts for approximately half of the $20 billion U.S. beer industry. Not all of this comes from the big national brewers: Recently, there has been renewed interest in canning from microbrewers and high-end beer-sellers, who are realizing that cans guarantee purity and taste by preventing light damage and oxidation.
By the late 19th century, cans were instrumental in the mass distribution of foodstuffs, but it wasn't until 1909 that the American Can Company made its first attempt to can beer. This was unsuccessful, and the American Can Company would have to wait for the end of Prohibition in the United States before it tried again. Finally in 1933, after two years of research, American Can developed a can that was pressurized and had a special coating to prevent the fizzy beer from chemically reacting with the tin.
The concept of canned beer proved to be a hard sell, but Krueger's overcame its initial reservations and became the first brewer to sell canned beer in the United States. The response was overwhelming. Within three months, over 80 percent of distributors were handling Krueger's canned beer, and Krueger's was eating into the market share of the "big three" national brewers--Anheuser-Busch, Pabst and Schlitz. Competitors soon followed suit, and by the end of 1935, over 200 million cans had been produced and sold.
The purchase of cans, unlike bottles, did not require the consumer to pay a deposit. Cans were also easier to stack, more durable and took less time to chill. As a result, their popularity continued to grow throughout the 1930s, and then exploded during World War II, when U.S. brewers shipped millions of cans of beer to soldiers overseas. After the war, national brewing companies began to take advantage of the mass distribution that cans made possible, and were able to consolidate their power over the once-dominant local breweries, which could not control costs and operations as efficiently as their national counterparts.
Today, canned beer accounts for approximately half of the $20 billion U.S. beer industry. Not all of this comes from the big national brewers: Recently, there has been renewed interest in canning from microbrewers and high-end beer-sellers, who are realizing that cans guarantee purity and taste by preventing light damage and oxidation.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
1957 : Toy company Wham-O produces first Frisbees
On this day in 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company roll out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs--now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees.
The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Students from nearby universities would throw the empty pie tins to each other, yelling "Frisbie!" as they let go. In 1948, Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the disc called the "Flying Saucer" that could fly further and more accurately than the tin pie plates. After splitting with Franscioni, Morrison made an improved model in 1955 and sold it to the new toy company Wham-O as the "Pluto Platter"--an attempt to cash in on the public craze over space and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).
In 1958, a year after the toy's first release, Wham-O--the company behind such top-sellers as the Hula-Hoop, the Super Ball and the Water Wiggle--changed its name to the Frisbee disc, misspelling the name of the historic pie company. A company designer, Ed Headrick, patented the design for the modern Frisbee in December 1967, adding a band of raised ridges on the disc's surface--called the Rings--to stabilize flight. By aggressively marketing Frisbee-playing as a new sport, Wham-O sold over 100 million units of its famous toy by 1977.
High school students in Maplewood, New Jersey, invented Ultimate Frisbee, a cross between football, soccer and basketball, in 1967. In the 1970s, Headrick himself invented Frisbee Golf, in which discs are tossed into metal baskets; there are now hundreds of courses in the U.S., with millions of devotees. There is also Freestyle Frisbee, with choreographed routines set to music and multiple discs in play, and various Frisbee competitions for both humans and dogs--the best natural Frisbee players.
Today, at least 60 manufacturers produce the flying discs--generally made out of plastic and measuring roughly 20-25 centimeters (8-10 inches) in diameter with a curved lip. The official Frisbee is owned by Mattel Toy Manufacturers, who bought the toy from Wham-O in 1994.
The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Students from nearby universities would throw the empty pie tins to each other, yelling "Frisbie!" as they let go. In 1948, Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the disc called the "Flying Saucer" that could fly further and more accurately than the tin pie plates. After splitting with Franscioni, Morrison made an improved model in 1955 and sold it to the new toy company Wham-O as the "Pluto Platter"--an attempt to cash in on the public craze over space and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).
In 1958, a year after the toy's first release, Wham-O--the company behind such top-sellers as the Hula-Hoop, the Super Ball and the Water Wiggle--changed its name to the Frisbee disc, misspelling the name of the historic pie company. A company designer, Ed Headrick, patented the design for the modern Frisbee in December 1967, adding a band of raised ridges on the disc's surface--called the Rings--to stabilize flight. By aggressively marketing Frisbee-playing as a new sport, Wham-O sold over 100 million units of its famous toy by 1977.
High school students in Maplewood, New Jersey, invented Ultimate Frisbee, a cross between football, soccer and basketball, in 1967. In the 1970s, Headrick himself invented Frisbee Golf, in which discs are tossed into metal baskets; there are now hundreds of courses in the U.S., with millions of devotees. There is also Freestyle Frisbee, with choreographed routines set to music and multiple discs in play, and various Frisbee competitions for both humans and dogs--the best natural Frisbee players.
Today, at least 60 manufacturers produce the flying discs--generally made out of plastic and measuring roughly 20-25 centimeters (8-10 inches) in diameter with a curved lip. The official Frisbee is owned by Mattel Toy Manufacturers, who bought the toy from Wham-O in 1994.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Every action has a reaction
A shy young man is sitting at a bar eyeing a pretty girl. Finally he works up his nerve and walks over to her and says, "Excuse me, but could I buy you a drink?" In a voice loud enough for the whole bar to hear she replies, "NO, I WON'T SLEEP WITH YOU!" Mortified, he creeps back to his bar stool and resumes sipping his drink.
After a couple of minutes the girl walks over to him and quietly says, "I need to apologize. I'm a grad student in psychology and I'm doing a study on how people react to horribly embarrassing situations. Can you forgive me?"
Noticing many in the bar were watching, he says in the same loud voice she had used before, "$200? NO WAY!"
After a couple of minutes the girl walks over to him and quietly says, "I need to apologize. I'm a grad student in psychology and I'm doing a study on how people react to horribly embarrassing situations. Can you forgive me?"
Noticing many in the bar were watching, he says in the same loud voice she had used before, "$200? NO WAY!"
Monday, January 17, 2011
Idiot Sightings and a good chuckle
These aren’t idiots. Nope, they are bloomin’ idiots…………..
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'it's open!' His reply: 'I know. I already got that side.'
This was at the Ford dealership in Canton , MS
IDIOT SIGHTING:
We had to have the garage door repaired.
The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower..
He shook his head and said, 'Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower.' I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, 'NO, it's not.' Four is larger than two.'
We haven't used Sears repair since.
IDIOT SIGHTING:
My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her a quarter.
She said, 'you gave me too much money.' I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a dollar bill back. She sighed and went to get the manager, who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the quarter, and said 'We're sorry but we could not do that kind of thing.' The clerk then proceeded to give me back $1 and 75 cents in change.
Do not confuse the clerks at McD's.
IDIOT SIGHTING :
I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.'
From Kingman , KS
IDIOT SIGHTING IN FOOD SERVICE:
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.' He said he was sorry, but they only had iceburg lettuce.
-- From Kansas City
IDIOT SIGHTING:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?' To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?' He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'
Happened in Birmingham , Ala.
IDIOT SIGHTING :
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, 'What on earth are blind people doing driving?!'
She was a probation officer in Wichita , KS
IDIOT SIGHTING :
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker who was leaving the company due to 'downsizing,' our manager commented cheerfully, 'This is fun. We should do this more often.' Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare.
This was a lunch at Texas Instruments.
IDIOT SIGHTING :
I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and, for the sake of her life, couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.
A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriff's office, no less.
IDIOT SIGHTING :
How would you pronounce this child's name? "Le-a"
Leah?? NO
Lee - A?? NOPE
Lay - a?? NO
Lei?? Guess again.
This child attends a school in Kansas City , Mo. Her mother is irate because everyone is getting her name wrong.
It's pronounced "Ledasha", When the mother was asked about the pronunciation of the name, she said, "the dash don't be silent."
STAY ALERT!
They walk among us .... and they VOTE!
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'it's open!' His reply: 'I know. I already got that side.'
This was at the Ford dealership in Canton , MS
IDIOT SIGHTING:
We had to have the garage door repaired.
The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower..
He shook his head and said, 'Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower.' I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, 'NO, it's not.' Four is larger than two.'
We haven't used Sears repair since.
IDIOT SIGHTING:
My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her a quarter.
She said, 'you gave me too much money.' I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a dollar bill back. She sighed and went to get the manager, who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the quarter, and said 'We're sorry but we could not do that kind of thing.' The clerk then proceeded to give me back $1 and 75 cents in change.
Do not confuse the clerks at McD's.
IDIOT SIGHTING :
I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.'
From Kingman , KS
IDIOT SIGHTING IN FOOD SERVICE:
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.' He said he was sorry, but they only had iceburg lettuce.
-- From Kansas City
IDIOT SIGHTING:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?' To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?' He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'
Happened in Birmingham , Ala.
IDIOT SIGHTING :
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, 'What on earth are blind people doing driving?!'
She was a probation officer in Wichita , KS
IDIOT SIGHTING :
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker who was leaving the company due to 'downsizing,' our manager commented cheerfully, 'This is fun. We should do this more often.' Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare.
This was a lunch at Texas Instruments.
IDIOT SIGHTING :
I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and, for the sake of her life, couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.
A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriff's office, no less.
IDIOT SIGHTING :
How would you pronounce this child's name? "Le-a"
Leah?? NO
Lee - A?? NOPE
Lay - a?? NO
Lei?? Guess again.
This child attends a school in Kansas City , Mo. Her mother is irate because everyone is getting her name wrong.
It's pronounced "Ledasha", When the mother was asked about the pronunciation of the name, she said, "the dash don't be silent."
STAY ALERT!
They walk among us .... and they VOTE!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Flo Gibson, Grande Dame Of Audiobooks Dies
Flo Gibson, who for decades read soothingly
to Americans as they toiled at the gym, behind the wheel or over
housework, died on Jan. 7 at her home in Washington. Mrs.
Gibson, the universally acknowledged grande dame of audiobooks,
was 86.
The cause was cancer, her daughter Carrie Gibson said. At her
death, Mrs. Gibson was halfway through taping 'Les Miserables1'
which would have been, give or take a title or two, the 1,134th
recorded book of her career.
Mrs. Gibson was the founder of, and chief reader for, Audio
Book Contractors, which she ran for nearly three decades from a
specially built recording studio in the basement of her home.
The company produces audiobooks for sale to libraries and
individual consumers.
Audio Book Contractors, which specializes in unabridged
recordings of the classics, seeks out an audience for whom a
well-told story on tape and the latest bodice-ripper tend to be
mutually exclusive. (That said, Mrs. Gibson did record 'East
Lynne1' an 1861 novel by Mrs. Henry Wood that The Chicago
Tribune once cheerfully described as 'riveting Victorian smut.')
Known for her impeccable diction -- she was a former radio
actress -- and scrupulous fealty to the text, Mrs. Gibson
narrated everything from 'The Wind in the Willows' to capacious
adult books like 'Pride and Prejudice' (11 hours, 41 minutes) and
'Middlemarch1' which spans 31 hours, 7 minutes, over 24
cassettes, an effort that took her more than 10 weeks in the
studio.
Today, thousands of audiobooks appear annually -- read by
authors, celebrities and professional voice-over artists -- and
other companies besides hers do the classics. But Mrs. Gibson's
work, colleagues say, was notable on several counts.
For one thing, she was an early entrant in the field, starting
out in the mid-1970's recording talking books for the blind for
the Library of Congress. She went on to found Audio Book
Contractors well before recorded books were commonplace in stores
and libraries.
For another, she was almost certainly the field's most prolific
practitioner. A busy voice-over artist might typically narrate
several hundred books in a career; to record more than 1,100, as
Mrs. Gibson did, is almost beyond contemplation.
What was more, reviewers agreed that if one were to invest,
say, the 36 hours and 7 minutes required to hear 'Anna Karenina1'
then there was no better voice to hear it in than Mrs. Gibson's:
deep and throaty, it evoked a firm but favorite schoolteacher and
let her juggle men's and women's roles with ease.
Mrs. Gibson was also praised for her meticulous preparation
(to tackle the Bronte sisters, she haunted Yorkshire to soak up
dialect) and for the intimate compact that appeared to exist
between her and the listener. As she often said, she approached
every narration as if she were playing to an audience of one.
Her scrapbooks of fan mail attest to the results. An
upholsterer's assistant once wrote Mrs. Gibson to say that her
'Pride and Prejudice' had made 'the stitches melt down into
insignificance' as she labored over an antique chair.
Florence Corona Anderson was born in San Francisco on Feb. 7,
1924. After earning a bachelor's degree in dramatic literature
from the University of California, Berkeley, she studied with the
noted acting teacher Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood
Playhouse in New York.
She acted in several West Coast radio serials -- including 'Pat
Novak for Hire1' which starred a young Jack Webb -- before
marrying Carlos Gibson, a Peruvian diplomat, and raising four
children.
Soon after her youngest child left for college, Mrs. Gibson
auditioned for the Library of Congress and was accepted. She
later narrated books on tape for several commercial producers
before starting Audio Book Contractors in 1983.
As Mrs. Gibson discovered, a narrator's experience of
literature differs crucially from a civilian's. Though she
adored Henry James, she was often moved to shake her fist and
shout at him: 'Why don't you punctuate? Why don't you paragraph?
She invariably forgave him, though, and recorded much of his
work.
Mrs. Gibson's husband, whom she married in 1947, died in 1989.
Besides her daughter Carrie, she is survived by two other
daughters, Nancy Gibson, known as Derry, and Katherine Gibson
Bolland; a brother, Buck Anderson; and three grandchildren. A
son, Chris, died in 1985.
Audio Book Contractors, which offers hundreds of books on tape
and CD, continues to operate. Many of its titles, including
dozens narrated by Mrs. Gibson, can also be purchased as digital
downloads from audible.com.
What with treadmills and traffic and troublesome chairs, her
voice will soothe listeners for decades to come.
to Americans as they toiled at the gym, behind the wheel or over
housework, died on Jan. 7 at her home in Washington. Mrs.
Gibson, the universally acknowledged grande dame of audiobooks,
was 86.
The cause was cancer, her daughter Carrie Gibson said. At her
death, Mrs. Gibson was halfway through taping 'Les Miserables1'
which would have been, give or take a title or two, the 1,134th
recorded book of her career.
Mrs. Gibson was the founder of, and chief reader for, Audio
Book Contractors, which she ran for nearly three decades from a
specially built recording studio in the basement of her home.
The company produces audiobooks for sale to libraries and
individual consumers.
Audio Book Contractors, which specializes in unabridged
recordings of the classics, seeks out an audience for whom a
well-told story on tape and the latest bodice-ripper tend to be
mutually exclusive. (That said, Mrs. Gibson did record 'East
Lynne1' an 1861 novel by Mrs. Henry Wood that The Chicago
Tribune once cheerfully described as 'riveting Victorian smut.')
Known for her impeccable diction -- she was a former radio
actress -- and scrupulous fealty to the text, Mrs. Gibson
narrated everything from 'The Wind in the Willows' to capacious
adult books like 'Pride and Prejudice' (11 hours, 41 minutes) and
'Middlemarch1' which spans 31 hours, 7 minutes, over 24
cassettes, an effort that took her more than 10 weeks in the
studio.
Today, thousands of audiobooks appear annually -- read by
authors, celebrities and professional voice-over artists -- and
other companies besides hers do the classics. But Mrs. Gibson's
work, colleagues say, was notable on several counts.
For one thing, she was an early entrant in the field, starting
out in the mid-1970's recording talking books for the blind for
the Library of Congress. She went on to found Audio Book
Contractors well before recorded books were commonplace in stores
and libraries.
For another, she was almost certainly the field's most prolific
practitioner. A busy voice-over artist might typically narrate
several hundred books in a career; to record more than 1,100, as
Mrs. Gibson did, is almost beyond contemplation.
What was more, reviewers agreed that if one were to invest,
say, the 36 hours and 7 minutes required to hear 'Anna Karenina1'
then there was no better voice to hear it in than Mrs. Gibson's:
deep and throaty, it evoked a firm but favorite schoolteacher and
let her juggle men's and women's roles with ease.
Mrs. Gibson was also praised for her meticulous preparation
(to tackle the Bronte sisters, she haunted Yorkshire to soak up
dialect) and for the intimate compact that appeared to exist
between her and the listener. As she often said, she approached
every narration as if she were playing to an audience of one.
Her scrapbooks of fan mail attest to the results. An
upholsterer's assistant once wrote Mrs. Gibson to say that her
'Pride and Prejudice' had made 'the stitches melt down into
insignificance' as she labored over an antique chair.
Florence Corona Anderson was born in San Francisco on Feb. 7,
1924. After earning a bachelor's degree in dramatic literature
from the University of California, Berkeley, she studied with the
noted acting teacher Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood
Playhouse in New York.
She acted in several West Coast radio serials -- including 'Pat
Novak for Hire1' which starred a young Jack Webb -- before
marrying Carlos Gibson, a Peruvian diplomat, and raising four
children.
Soon after her youngest child left for college, Mrs. Gibson
auditioned for the Library of Congress and was accepted. She
later narrated books on tape for several commercial producers
before starting Audio Book Contractors in 1983.
As Mrs. Gibson discovered, a narrator's experience of
literature differs crucially from a civilian's. Though she
adored Henry James, she was often moved to shake her fist and
shout at him: 'Why don't you punctuate? Why don't you paragraph?
She invariably forgave him, though, and recorded much of his
work.
Mrs. Gibson's husband, whom she married in 1947, died in 1989.
Besides her daughter Carrie, she is survived by two other
daughters, Nancy Gibson, known as Derry, and Katherine Gibson
Bolland; a brother, Buck Anderson; and three grandchildren. A
son, Chris, died in 1985.
Audio Book Contractors, which offers hundreds of books on tape
and CD, continues to operate. Many of its titles, including
dozens narrated by Mrs. Gibson, can also be purchased as digital
downloads from audible.com.
What with treadmills and traffic and troublesome chairs, her
voice will soothe listeners for decades to come.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
David Nelson Of Ozzie and Harriet Fame Dies At 74
LOS ANGELES – David Nelson, who starred on his parents' popular television
show "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," has died, a family spokesman
said. He was 74.
Nelson, who was battling complications of colon cancer, died Tuesday at his
Los Angeles home, said family spokesman and longtime Hollywood publicist
Dale Olson.
Nelson was the last remaining member of the Nelsons TV family, which
included actor/bandleader Ozzie, his singer wife, Harriet Hilliard and his
teen idol brother Rick. The show originated on radio in 1952 as "Here Come
the Nelsons," then ran for 320 episodes on TV from 1952 to 1966 as "The
Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" with some of the story lines taken from the
stars' own lives. David Nelson also directed and produced numerous episodes
of the show throughout its run.
Singer Gunnar Nelson, a son of Rick Nelson, issued a statement Wednesday,
saying his uncle's death was "a great loss to the Nelson family."
"We will all miss Uncle Dave's laughter and evolved sense of humor," Gunnar
Nelson said.
Exterior scenes for "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" were shot outside
the Nelson family home in the Hollywood foothills, and it remains a popular
attraction for visitors on celebrity bus tours. The home's interior was
mirrored on a studio sound stage where the series was shot.
Born in New York City, David attended Hollywood High School and the
University of Southern California.
His film credits included "Peyton Place," "The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,"
"The Big Circus," "Day of the Outlaw," "30,""The Big Show," "Love and
Kisses" and "Swing Out, Sweet Land." In 1976, he costarred with his mother
in "Smash-Up on Interstate 5."
His television credits included "Up In Smoke," "The Love Boat," "High School
USA," and "A Family For Joe." Directing credits included "O.K. Crackerby,"
"Childish Things," "Easy To Be Free," "Ozzie's Girls," "Death Screams,"
"Last Plane Out," "Goodnight Beantown" and "A Rare Breed."
Nelson also was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He is survived by his wife, Yvonne; four sons and a daughter; and seven
grandchildren. A service will be held Thursday at Pierce Brothers Westwood
Mortuary.
(This version CORRECTS that interior shots of Nelson home were shot on a
studio sound stage, not at the family house.
show "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," has died, a family spokesman
said. He was 74.
Nelson, who was battling complications of colon cancer, died Tuesday at his
Los Angeles home, said family spokesman and longtime Hollywood publicist
Dale Olson.
Nelson was the last remaining member of the Nelsons TV family, which
included actor/bandleader Ozzie, his singer wife, Harriet Hilliard and his
teen idol brother Rick. The show originated on radio in 1952 as "Here Come
the Nelsons," then ran for 320 episodes on TV from 1952 to 1966 as "The
Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" with some of the story lines taken from the
stars' own lives. David Nelson also directed and produced numerous episodes
of the show throughout its run.
Singer Gunnar Nelson, a son of Rick Nelson, issued a statement Wednesday,
saying his uncle's death was "a great loss to the Nelson family."
"We will all miss Uncle Dave's laughter and evolved sense of humor," Gunnar
Nelson said.
Exterior scenes for "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" were shot outside
the Nelson family home in the Hollywood foothills, and it remains a popular
attraction for visitors on celebrity bus tours. The home's interior was
mirrored on a studio sound stage where the series was shot.
Born in New York City, David attended Hollywood High School and the
University of Southern California.
His film credits included "Peyton Place," "The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,"
"The Big Circus," "Day of the Outlaw," "30,""The Big Show," "Love and
Kisses" and "Swing Out, Sweet Land." In 1976, he costarred with his mother
in "Smash-Up on Interstate 5."
His television credits included "Up In Smoke," "The Love Boat," "High School
USA," and "A Family For Joe." Directing credits included "O.K. Crackerby,"
"Childish Things," "Easy To Be Free," "Ozzie's Girls," "Death Screams,"
"Last Plane Out," "Goodnight Beantown" and "A Rare Breed."
Nelson also was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He is survived by his wife, Yvonne; four sons and a daughter; and seven
grandchildren. A service will be held Thursday at Pierce Brothers Westwood
Mortuary.
(This version CORRECTS that interior shots of Nelson home were shot on a
studio sound stage, not at the family house.
Singer Margaret Whiting Dies At 86
TRENTON, N.J. -- As a songwriter's daughter and a singer who sold millions
of records herself in the 1940s and '50s, Margaret Whiting knew what
separated a good singer from a great one. Being a great actress, being very
dramatic," she said in a 2001 interview. Some people sing beautiful songs,
but they don't put all the meaning into them, and that's the important
thing. To read a lyric, to make the words come alive, that's the secret.
Whiting, a sweet-voiced performer known for sentimental ballads such as
"Moonlight in Vermont" and "It Might as Well Be Spring," died Monday at the
Lillian Booth Actors' Home in Englewood, N.J., home administrator Jordan
Strohl said. She was 86. She had lived in New York City for many years
before moving to the home in March. As the daughter of Richard Whiting, a
prolific composer of such hits as "My Ideal," "Sleepy Time Gal" and "Beyond
the Blue Horizon," Whiting grew up with the music business. She began
singing at a young age, and her career almost seemed predetermined. Born in
Detroit on July 22, 1924, Whiting moved with her family to Los Angeles after
musicals became the rage and her father headed west to write for them. He
turned out songs for Maurice Chevalier and Bing Crosby while at Paramount
and composed "Hooray for Hollywood" and "Too Marvelous for Words" for Warner
Bros. And on at least one occasion, his daughter provided him with
unexpected inspiration. In 2000, Whiting recalled how she came home from
school one day with an all-day lollipop while her father was trying to write
a song for a Shirley Temple movie. At first he was annoyed by the sticky
kisses, but then inspiration struck. He called lyricist Sidney Clare and
said, "How about 'The Good Ship Lollipop' for Shirley? The Whiting family's
home in the posh Bel-Air community in Los Angeles was often a gathering
place for such songwriters as George and Ira Gershwin, Frank Loesser, Jerome
Kern, Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. And as Whiting grew, her father's
friends took note of her talents as a singer and encouraged her to perfect
her craft. Among them was Mercer, her father's lyricist and close friend,
who inspired the young Whiting to take years of vocal training when he told
her following an early audition, "Grow up and learn to sing. And when Mercer
became a founding partner in Capitol Records in 1942, the 18-year-old
Whiting was the first singer he put under contract. Fifty-five years later,
Whiting and her fourth husband, Jack Wrangler, honored Mercer with a musical
tribute called "Dream," which ran for 133 performances on Broadway. It was
Mercer who had coached the teenage Whiting through her first recording, of
her father's "My Ideal," and although Chevalier and Frank Sinatra had
already recorded the tune, her version sold well. She followed it with a
remarkable procession of million sellers: "That Old Black Magic," "It Might
as Well Be Spring," "Come Rain or Come Shine" and her biggest seller and
signature song, "Moonlight in Vermont. Like most recording stars of the
1940s and early '50s, her career was eclipsed by the rock 'n' roll
revolution, although she continued to find work in such Broadway productions
as "Pal Joey," "Gypsy" and "Call Me Madam. She also toured regularly with
the big bands of Freddy Martin, Frankie Carle and Bob Crosby and sang in
cabarets, in auditoriums and with the St. Louis Symphony. With Rosemary
Clooney, Helen O'Connell and Rose Marie, she crossed the country in a revue
called "4 Girls 4. In all, she recorded more than 500 songs during her
career and was one of the first mainstream artists to delve into Nashville,
Tenn., combining with country star Jimmy Wakely on the hit "Slippin' Around.
She also recorded rock, novelty and sacred songs and continued touring as
late as the 1990s. But in later years, it was Whiting's romance with
Wrangler, an openly gay porn actor 22 years her junior, that turned heads.
The two met in the 1970s, then lived together for many years and married in
1994. When asked about their relationship, Wrangler told the Chicago Tribune
they "see things the same way, comically, professionally and romantically.
After meeting Whiting, Wrangler turned his attention to theater and cabaret,
crafting her cabaret acts and several shows. Their marriage lasted until his
death in 2009.
of records herself in the 1940s and '50s, Margaret Whiting knew what
separated a good singer from a great one. Being a great actress, being very
dramatic," she said in a 2001 interview. Some people sing beautiful songs,
but they don't put all the meaning into them, and that's the important
thing. To read a lyric, to make the words come alive, that's the secret.
Whiting, a sweet-voiced performer known for sentimental ballads such as
"Moonlight in Vermont" and "It Might as Well Be Spring," died Monday at the
Lillian Booth Actors' Home in Englewood, N.J., home administrator Jordan
Strohl said. She was 86. She had lived in New York City for many years
before moving to the home in March. As the daughter of Richard Whiting, a
prolific composer of such hits as "My Ideal," "Sleepy Time Gal" and "Beyond
the Blue Horizon," Whiting grew up with the music business. She began
singing at a young age, and her career almost seemed predetermined. Born in
Detroit on July 22, 1924, Whiting moved with her family to Los Angeles after
musicals became the rage and her father headed west to write for them. He
turned out songs for Maurice Chevalier and Bing Crosby while at Paramount
and composed "Hooray for Hollywood" and "Too Marvelous for Words" for Warner
Bros. And on at least one occasion, his daughter provided him with
unexpected inspiration. In 2000, Whiting recalled how she came home from
school one day with an all-day lollipop while her father was trying to write
a song for a Shirley Temple movie. At first he was annoyed by the sticky
kisses, but then inspiration struck. He called lyricist Sidney Clare and
said, "How about 'The Good Ship Lollipop' for Shirley? The Whiting family's
home in the posh Bel-Air community in Los Angeles was often a gathering
place for such songwriters as George and Ira Gershwin, Frank Loesser, Jerome
Kern, Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. And as Whiting grew, her father's
friends took note of her talents as a singer and encouraged her to perfect
her craft. Among them was Mercer, her father's lyricist and close friend,
who inspired the young Whiting to take years of vocal training when he told
her following an early audition, "Grow up and learn to sing. And when Mercer
became a founding partner in Capitol Records in 1942, the 18-year-old
Whiting was the first singer he put under contract. Fifty-five years later,
Whiting and her fourth husband, Jack Wrangler, honored Mercer with a musical
tribute called "Dream," which ran for 133 performances on Broadway. It was
Mercer who had coached the teenage Whiting through her first recording, of
her father's "My Ideal," and although Chevalier and Frank Sinatra had
already recorded the tune, her version sold well. She followed it with a
remarkable procession of million sellers: "That Old Black Magic," "It Might
as Well Be Spring," "Come Rain or Come Shine" and her biggest seller and
signature song, "Moonlight in Vermont. Like most recording stars of the
1940s and early '50s, her career was eclipsed by the rock 'n' roll
revolution, although she continued to find work in such Broadway productions
as "Pal Joey," "Gypsy" and "Call Me Madam. She also toured regularly with
the big bands of Freddy Martin, Frankie Carle and Bob Crosby and sang in
cabarets, in auditoriums and with the St. Louis Symphony. With Rosemary
Clooney, Helen O'Connell and Rose Marie, she crossed the country in a revue
called "4 Girls 4. In all, she recorded more than 500 songs during her
career and was one of the first mainstream artists to delve into Nashville,
Tenn., combining with country star Jimmy Wakely on the hit "Slippin' Around.
She also recorded rock, novelty and sacred songs and continued touring as
late as the 1990s. But in later years, it was Whiting's romance with
Wrangler, an openly gay porn actor 22 years her junior, that turned heads.
The two met in the 1970s, then lived together for many years and married in
1994. When asked about their relationship, Wrangler told the Chicago Tribune
they "see things the same way, comically, professionally and romantically.
After meeting Whiting, Wrangler turned his attention to theater and cabaret,
crafting her cabaret acts and several shows. Their marriage lasted until his
death in 2009.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
1973 : American League adopts designated hitter rule
On January 11, 1973, the owners of America's 24 major league baseball teams vote to allow teams in the American League (AL) to use a "designated pinch-hitter" that could bat for the pitcher, while still allowing the pitcher to stay in the game.
The idea of adding a 10th man to the baseball lineup to bat for the pitcher had been suggested as early as 1906 by the revered player and manager Connie Mack. In 1928, John Heydler, then-president of the National League (NL), revived the issue, but the rule was rejected at that point by the AL management. By the early 1970s, Charlie Finley, the colorful owner of the Oakland A’s, had become the designated hitter rule’s most outspoken advocate, arguing that a pinch-hitter to replace the pitcher--a player that usually batted poorly, exceptions like the legendary Babe Ruth notwithstanding--would add the extra offensive punch that baseball needed to draw more fans.
At a joint meeting of the two major leagues in Chicago on January 11, 1973, presided over by baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, the owners voted to allow the AL (which lagged behind the NL in both scoring and attendance) to put the designated hitter rule into practice. The NL resisted the change, and for the first time in history, the two leagues would play using different rules. In addition, the introduction of the designated hitter (Rule 6.10) marked the biggest rule change in major league baseball since 1903, when it was decided that foul balls would be considered strikes. Though it initially began as a three-year experiment, it would be permanently adopted by the AL and later by most amateur and minor league teams.
On April 6, 1973--Opening Day--Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the league’s first ever designated hitter. In his first plate appearance, he was walked on a full count by the Boston Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant. From the beginning, baseball purists decried the designated hitter in bitter, moralistic terms, arguing that it took away from baseball’s integrity. The rift between pro- and anti-designated hitter fans has continued into the present day. At first, the designated hitter rule did not apply to any games in the World Series, in which the AL and NL winners met for the world championship. From 1976-1985, it applied only to Series held in even-numbered years, and in 1986 the current rule took effect, according to which the designated hitter rule is used or not used according to the practice of the home team.
The idea of adding a 10th man to the baseball lineup to bat for the pitcher had been suggested as early as 1906 by the revered player and manager Connie Mack. In 1928, John Heydler, then-president of the National League (NL), revived the issue, but the rule was rejected at that point by the AL management. By the early 1970s, Charlie Finley, the colorful owner of the Oakland A’s, had become the designated hitter rule’s most outspoken advocate, arguing that a pinch-hitter to replace the pitcher--a player that usually batted poorly, exceptions like the legendary Babe Ruth notwithstanding--would add the extra offensive punch that baseball needed to draw more fans.
At a joint meeting of the two major leagues in Chicago on January 11, 1973, presided over by baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, the owners voted to allow the AL (which lagged behind the NL in both scoring and attendance) to put the designated hitter rule into practice. The NL resisted the change, and for the first time in history, the two leagues would play using different rules. In addition, the introduction of the designated hitter (Rule 6.10) marked the biggest rule change in major league baseball since 1903, when it was decided that foul balls would be considered strikes. Though it initially began as a three-year experiment, it would be permanently adopted by the AL and later by most amateur and minor league teams.
On April 6, 1973--Opening Day--Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the league’s first ever designated hitter. In his first plate appearance, he was walked on a full count by the Boston Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant. From the beginning, baseball purists decried the designated hitter in bitter, moralistic terms, arguing that it took away from baseball’s integrity. The rift between pro- and anti-designated hitter fans has continued into the present day. At first, the designated hitter rule did not apply to any games in the World Series, in which the AL and NL winners met for the world championship. From 1976-1985, it applied only to Series held in even-numbered years, and in 1986 the current rule took effect, according to which the designated hitter rule is used or not used according to the practice of the home team.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Legendary Harlem Record Shop Owner, Bobby Robinson, Dies
Harlem legend dead Bobby Robinson, owner of Happy House on 125th St.. BOBBY
ROBINSON, whose tiny record shop on Harlem 's 125th St. spawned No. 1
national hits and made him an uptown patriarch for six decades, died
yesterday. He was 93 and had been ill for several years - though he
regularly went to work at his shop until it was forced to close in January
2008. Impeccably dressed, well-spoken and ambitious to make his mark in the
entertainment business, Robinson opened Bobby's Happy House in 1946. His
shop was the first black-owned business on 125th St., and within five years
he used it to launch a series of record labels. Sometimes working with his
brother Danny, who also had an office on 125th St., Robinson recorded
hundreds of artists from Gladys Knight and the Pips to Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious Five. Knight's first hit, "Every Beat of My Heart," was
released on Robinson's Fury label. Robinson, a South Carolina native, had
a No. 1 national hit in 1959 with Wilbert Harrison 's " Kansas City " - and
said years later that a hit of that magnitude crippled his business because
he had to press so many copies he couldn't promote any other artists. But
his Red Robin, Whirlin' Disc, Fire, Fury and Enjoy labels became legendary
in the rhythm and blues world, and his releases by artists like the
Channels, Teenchords and Scarlets helped define the sound of the New York
streets through the 1950s. Robinson ultimately recorded a wide range of
artists that included the great bluesman Elmore James , whom Robinson
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . In the late 1970s, Robinson
became one of the first label owners to record rap music, cutting artists
like Flash, Doug E. Fresh and Spoonie Gee. Robinson eventually had to move
the shop around the corner in the late 1990s, and he closed for good on Jan.
21, 2008, when his new landlord decided to raze the building for a
development. I've seen 125th St. at its best and worst," Robinson said in
late 2007. And I'll tell you, there's no more exciting place in the world."
ROBINSON, whose tiny record shop on Harlem 's 125th St. spawned No. 1
national hits and made him an uptown patriarch for six decades, died
yesterday. He was 93 and had been ill for several years - though he
regularly went to work at his shop until it was forced to close in January
2008. Impeccably dressed, well-spoken and ambitious to make his mark in the
entertainment business, Robinson opened Bobby's Happy House in 1946. His
shop was the first black-owned business on 125th St., and within five years
he used it to launch a series of record labels. Sometimes working with his
brother Danny, who also had an office on 125th St., Robinson recorded
hundreds of artists from Gladys Knight and the Pips to Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious Five. Knight's first hit, "Every Beat of My Heart," was
released on Robinson's Fury label. Robinson, a South Carolina native, had
a No. 1 national hit in 1959 with Wilbert Harrison 's " Kansas City " - and
said years later that a hit of that magnitude crippled his business because
he had to press so many copies he couldn't promote any other artists. But
his Red Robin, Whirlin' Disc, Fire, Fury and Enjoy labels became legendary
in the rhythm and blues world, and his releases by artists like the
Channels, Teenchords and Scarlets helped define the sound of the New York
streets through the 1950s. Robinson ultimately recorded a wide range of
artists that included the great bluesman Elmore James , whom Robinson
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . In the late 1970s, Robinson
became one of the first label owners to record rap music, cutting artists
like Flash, Doug E. Fresh and Spoonie Gee. Robinson eventually had to move
the shop around the corner in the late 1990s, and he closed for good on Jan.
21, 2008, when his new landlord decided to raze the building for a
development. I've seen 125th St. at its best and worst," Robinson said in
late 2007. And I'll tell you, there's no more exciting place in the world."
Saturday, January 8, 2011
1946 : Elvis Presley receives his first guitar
In competing versions of the story, what Elvis Presley really wanted for his birthday was a rifle or a bicycle—both fairly typical choices for a boy his age growing up on the outskirts of Tupelo, Mississippi. Instead, Elvis's highly protective mother, Gladys—"She never let me out of her sight," Elvis would later say—took him to the Tupelo Hardware Store and bought a gift that would change the course of history: a $6.95 guitar. It was January 8, 1946, and Elvis Aaron Presley was 11 years old.
The historical significance of putting a guitar into the hands of a young man who would later help define rock and roll is obvious. For Elvis himself, however, getting that guitar was just one more step in a thorough yet totally unplanned program of childhood musical development that prepared him perfectly to ignite a revolution 10 years later.
Music surrounded the young Elvis Presley—music of all the types that would inform his later recordings and performances, from country, bluegrass, blues and gospel to mainstream pop and even opera. Gladys Presley told stories of Elvis as a toddler jumping out her lap and running down the aisle of the First Assembly of God Church so that he could stand directly in front of the choir, singing along and imitating their movements. The local radio was dominated by country and western music, which Elvis adored. And as Peter Guralnick, author of the definitive early-Elvis biography "Last Train to Memphis" put it, Elvis "absorbed the blues from the radio and the pervasive contact that a poor white family like the Presleys, always living on the edge of town and respectability, would necessarily have with blacks."
Born within five years and 500 miles of one another, future greats such as James Brown, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Sam Cooke were being shaped by this same mix of musical influences, as well as by a culture in which listening to music generally meant participating in it, too. This generation of musicians would give birth to whole new genres and subgenres of American music—not just rock and roll, but rockabilly, rhythm and blues, soul and more. With his first guitar in hand, Elvis Presley took a key step toward joining that list of music greats on this day in music history, 1946.
The historical significance of putting a guitar into the hands of a young man who would later help define rock and roll is obvious. For Elvis himself, however, getting that guitar was just one more step in a thorough yet totally unplanned program of childhood musical development that prepared him perfectly to ignite a revolution 10 years later.
Music surrounded the young Elvis Presley—music of all the types that would inform his later recordings and performances, from country, bluegrass, blues and gospel to mainstream pop and even opera. Gladys Presley told stories of Elvis as a toddler jumping out her lap and running down the aisle of the First Assembly of God Church so that he could stand directly in front of the choir, singing along and imitating their movements. The local radio was dominated by country and western music, which Elvis adored. And as Peter Guralnick, author of the definitive early-Elvis biography "Last Train to Memphis" put it, Elvis "absorbed the blues from the radio and the pervasive contact that a poor white family like the Presleys, always living on the edge of town and respectability, would necessarily have with blacks."
Born within five years and 500 miles of one another, future greats such as James Brown, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Sam Cooke were being shaped by this same mix of musical influences, as well as by a culture in which listening to music generally meant participating in it, too. This generation of musicians would give birth to whole new genres and subgenres of American music—not just rock and roll, but rockabilly, rhythm and blues, soul and more. With his first guitar in hand, Elvis Presley took a key step toward joining that list of music greats on this day in music history, 1946.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
1920 : New York Yankees announce purchase of Babe Ruth
On this day in 1920, the New York Yankees major league baseball club announces its purchase of the heavy-hitting outfielder George Herman "Babe" Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for the sum of $125,000.
In all, Ruth had played six seasons with the Red Sox, leading them to three World Series victories. On the mound, Ruth pitched a total of 29 2/3 scoreless World Series innings, setting a new league record that would stand for 43 years. He was fresh off a sensational 1919 season, having broken the major league home run record with 29 and led the American League with 114 runs-batted-in and 103 runs. In addition to playing more than 100 games in left field, he also went 9-5 as a pitcher. With his prodigious hitting, pitching and fielding skills, Ruth had surpassed the great Ty Cobb as baseball’s biggest attraction.
Despite Ruth’s performance, the Red Sox stumbled to a 66-71 record in 1919, finishing at sixth place in the American League. New ownership took control of the club, and in early January, owner Harry Frazee made the decision to sell Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000 in cash and some $300,000 in loans (which Frazee reportedly used to finance his Broadway production interests). After the sale, the Yankees took over Ruth’s contract, which called for a salary of $10,000 per year. Aware of his value, Ruth had demanded a salary raise, and New York agreed to negotiate a new contract with terms that would satisfy their new slugger.
The deal paid off--in spades--for New York, as Ruth went on to smash his own home run record in 1920, hitting 54 home runs. He connected for 59 homers in 1921, dominating the game and increasing Yankee revenues to the point that the team was able to leave the Polo Grounds (shared with the New York Giants baseball team) and build Yankee Stadium, which opened in 1923 and became known as "the house that Ruth built." Throughout the rest of the 20th century, the legacy of Frazee’s lopsided trade continued to hover over major league baseball, as the Yankees won 39 AL pennants and 26 World Series titles and the Red Sox went 86 years without a World Series win. In 2004, the Sox finally shook the "Curse of the Bambino," coming from behind to beat the Yankees in the AL Championship and beating the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first Series since 1918.
In all, Ruth had played six seasons with the Red Sox, leading them to three World Series victories. On the mound, Ruth pitched a total of 29 2/3 scoreless World Series innings, setting a new league record that would stand for 43 years. He was fresh off a sensational 1919 season, having broken the major league home run record with 29 and led the American League with 114 runs-batted-in and 103 runs. In addition to playing more than 100 games in left field, he also went 9-5 as a pitcher. With his prodigious hitting, pitching and fielding skills, Ruth had surpassed the great Ty Cobb as baseball’s biggest attraction.
Despite Ruth’s performance, the Red Sox stumbled to a 66-71 record in 1919, finishing at sixth place in the American League. New ownership took control of the club, and in early January, owner Harry Frazee made the decision to sell Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000 in cash and some $300,000 in loans (which Frazee reportedly used to finance his Broadway production interests). After the sale, the Yankees took over Ruth’s contract, which called for a salary of $10,000 per year. Aware of his value, Ruth had demanded a salary raise, and New York agreed to negotiate a new contract with terms that would satisfy their new slugger.
The deal paid off--in spades--for New York, as Ruth went on to smash his own home run record in 1920, hitting 54 home runs. He connected for 59 homers in 1921, dominating the game and increasing Yankee revenues to the point that the team was able to leave the Polo Grounds (shared with the New York Giants baseball team) and build Yankee Stadium, which opened in 1923 and became known as "the house that Ruth built." Throughout the rest of the 20th century, the legacy of Frazee’s lopsided trade continued to hover over major league baseball, as the Yankees won 39 AL pennants and 26 World Series titles and the Red Sox went 86 years without a World Series win. In 2004, the Sox finally shook the "Curse of the Bambino," coming from behind to beat the Yankees in the AL Championship and beating the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first Series since 1918.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Malaysian man, 110, to marry 82-yr-old woman who agreed to be his bride
A man in Malaysia who is 110 years old is set to marry again after an 82-year-old woman agreed to become his bride.
According to Utusan Malaysia, Ahmad Mohamad Isa, who has 20 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren, had revealed that he wanted company and a wife to take care of him.
The article caught the attention of Sanah Ahmad, a widow of 30 years and mother of nine, who in turn told her children she was willing to do so, and for them to contact Ahmad's family to make arrangements.
"It doesn't matter who she is, as long as she can cook for me," the Telegraph quoted Ahmad as telling the paper Sunday.
"It is lonely to live alone and I am afraid to sleep alone. If I have a wife she can take care of me," the centenarian, who has five previous marriages and suffers mild hearing and vision problems, added.
Four of his wives have died and he divorced the fifth.
Sanah told the paper that she was attracted to Ahmad as he bears a striking resemblance to her late husband and both men shared the same name.
According to Utusan Malaysia, Ahmad Mohamad Isa, who has 20 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren, had revealed that he wanted company and a wife to take care of him.
The article caught the attention of Sanah Ahmad, a widow of 30 years and mother of nine, who in turn told her children she was willing to do so, and for them to contact Ahmad's family to make arrangements.
"It doesn't matter who she is, as long as she can cook for me," the Telegraph quoted Ahmad as telling the paper Sunday.
"It is lonely to live alone and I am afraid to sleep alone. If I have a wife she can take care of me," the centenarian, who has five previous marriages and suffers mild hearing and vision problems, added.
Four of his wives have died and he divorced the fifth.
Sanah told the paper that she was attracted to Ahmad as he bears a striking resemblance to her late husband and both men shared the same name.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
STAY!
I pulled into the crowded parking lot at the local shopping center and rolled down the car windows to make sure my Labrador Retriever Pup had fresh air. She was stretched full-out on the back seat, and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically,
"Now you stay. Do you hear me? Stay! Stay!"
The driver of a nearby car, a pretty blonde young lady, gave me a strange look and said,"Why don't you just put it in Park?"
"Now you stay. Do you hear me? Stay! Stay!"
The driver of a nearby car, a pretty blonde young lady, gave me a strange look and said,"Why don't you just put it in Park?"
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