• Jack Benny was capable of great enthusiasm. In 1956, he attended a revue titled For Amusement Only in London, and he laughed and laughed. Unfortunately, he was the only one laughing. The actors thought a wise guy or a drunk was in the audience, and they asked the theater manager to talk to him during the intermission. After a few minutes, the manager returned and, awe-struck, said, “It’s Jack Benny. He loves the show.” In fact, Mr. Benny loved the show so much that he saw it more than once, and he made sure that VIPs such as Sam Goldwyn, Van Johnson, and Tyrone Power also saw it.
• Whoopi Goldberg can be controversial. One of her theatrical sketches features a teenage girl who gives herself an abortion. Many people were upset by this sketch and picketed the theater where she was performing, but Ms. Goldberg declined to stop performing it. Instead, she thanked the picketers for giving her lots of free publicity.
• When magicians Penn and Teller won an Obie, their theatrical show was so unusual that the presenters of the award didn’t know what to call it. Therefore, they officially gave the award to Penn and Teller for “whatever it is they do.”
Tobacco
• Comedians Paul Rodriguez and Elaine Boosler were getting ready to perform in a prison when guards came by with a prisoner in shackles. Mr. Rodriguez picked up Ms. Boosler and carried her over to the prisoner and asked, “Hey, man, how many cigarettes will you give me for her?” The prisoner replied, “No offense, but I don’t like women anymore; however, I’ll give you a carton if you’ll spend the night with me.”
• Comedian Joe Cook used to hang 26 “No Smoking” signs in 13 different languages in his dressing room—but he didn’t mind if his visitors smoked.
Work
• During the Joe McCarthy era, people were scared of Communists and of anyone who was politically to the left of boring—uh, center. Zero Mostel was called to testify before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. The blacklist had hit Hollywood, and Zero was no longer being offered work by Twentieth Century-Fox. When Zero was asked if he had ever been in Hollywood before 1942 to work in his profession, he replied, “Oh, yes, I was signed to a contract with Twentieth Century-Fox—or was it Eighteenth Century-Fox?” Another thing Zero did was to point to the Committee chair and say in a loud stage whisper, “That man is a schmuck,” but this was deleted from the official record of his testimony.
• Comedian Jay Sankey learned quickly that a stand-up comedian does five minutes when the comic is supposed to do five minutes, 20 minutes when the comic is supposed to do 20 minutes, and an hour when the comic is supposed to do an hour. In fact, comedy clubs have a red light that flashes on and off to let the comic know it’s time to wrap up the set. One night, he didn’t see the red light come on, so he was startled when the speakers boomed out with the sound man’s voice, saying, “This is the voice of God! Get off the stage!” Mr. Sankey ran off the stage—and bought a wristwatch.
• Buddy and Vilma Ebsen were a brother-and-sister dance act whose first big break came when they danced in the chorus of Eddie Cantor’s hit show Whoopie. They rehearsed on stage, but to rehearse they had to use the work lights. This expense upset some people, and in Chicago they weren’t allowed to use the work lights to rehearse. However, the star of Whoopie, Eddie Cantor, found out about it, so he had this sign posted: “If any youngsters are ambitious enough to practice every day in order to get out of the chorus, I will pay for the work lights. Eddie Cantor.”
• For a while, comedian Tim Conway worked in Cleveland television, but often he would commute to Los Angeles and get work there. Eventually, he was offered a part in the TV sitcom McHale’s Navy, starring Ernest Borgnine. He was uncertain about whether to accept the job offer, but his Cleveland boss made the decision for him, saying, “You’re fired. If you don’t go out [to Hollywood], you’re nuts. So you’re fired.” Mr. Conway went to Hollywood and became a star.
What is the name of this rubber-faced comic actress, probably best known for holding her own opposite Sid Caesar on "Your Show Of Shows", and who also won an Emmy at 80 for an episode of "Moonlighting"?
"Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" is a novelty song written by Phil Gernhard and Dick Holler and recorded in 1966 by the Florida-based pop group The Royal Guardsmen. The song was recorded at the Charles Fuller Productions studio in Tampa, Florida, and was released as a single on Laurie Records. Debuting at #122 on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 on December 10, 1966, the single skyrocketed to #30 on December 17, 1966, shot up again to #7 on December 24, 1966, and peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 during the week of December 31, 1966 (behind the Monkees' "I'm a Believer"); made number 6 on the Record Retailer (UK) chart in February 1967; and was number one in Australia for five weeks from February 1967. On the Hot 100, "Believer" at #1 kept "Snoopy" at #2 from reaching the Hot 100 summit from December 31, 1966 through January 21, 1967, after which "Snoopy" fell off while "Believer" stayed at the top for another three weeks.
The Royal Guardsmen went on to record several other Snoopy-themed songs, including two follow-ups to "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" – "The Return of the Red Baron" and "Snoopy's Christmas" – together with other tunes such as "Snoopy for President". In 2006 they released "Snoopy vs Osama".
"Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" was inspired by the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz, which featured a recurring storyline of Snoopy imagining himself in the role of a World War I airman fighting the Red Baron. The song was released approximately one year after the first comic strip featuring Snoopy fighting the Red Baron appeared on Sunday October 10, 1965. Schulz and United Features Syndicate sued the Royal Guardsmen for using the name Snoopy without permission or an advertising license. (The Guardsmen, meanwhile, hedged their bets by recording an alternative version of the song, called "Squeaky vs. the Black Knight"; some copies of this version were issued by Laurie Records in Canada.) UFS won the suit, the penalty being that all publishing revenues from the song would go to them. Schulz did allow the group to write more Snoopy songs.
Source
The Royal Guardsmen are an American rock band, best known for their 1966 hit singles "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron", "The Return of The Red Baron", "Snoopy For President", and the Christmas follow up "Snoopy's Christmas".
Source
Dave responded:
Snoopy. The single almost wasn’t released, but eventually Charles Schultz gave permission to use his intellectual property. I’m feeling upbeat this morning since it looks like both Democrats won their runoff elections. That will degrade Moscow Mitch to minority leader, which will prevent him from stonewalling all progress.
Jim from CA, retired to ID, said:
The song was Snoopy vs the Red Baron
David of Moon Valley wrote:
...n i even had the album in my youth....
about Snoopy and the Red Baron…..’ten twenty thirty forty fifty or more, the bloody Red Baron was running up the score….’ oh noooooooooooooo
Dave in Tucson answered:
The cartoon character in question is none other than Snoopy who was battling the Red Baron (which was the style of the time).
Deborah, the Master Gardener responded:
Their most famous song is “The Red Baron,” or the bloody red baron of Germany. I think Snoopy used to play the famous pilot from atop his doghouse.
Dreary and seasonal, a good day to make soup.
Daniel in The City replied:
Snoopy
Joe S said:
I know that one, Snoopy.
(He preached insurrection, he invited insurrection, then hid from sight. Impeach him, then convict him .Don't let him get away with it. Put him in prison)
Jacqueline took the day off.
Doug in Albuquerque, New Mexico, took the day off.
mj took the day off.
Kevin K. in Washington DC, took the day off.
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Barbara, of Peppy Tech fame took the day off.
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George M. took the day off.
Gary K took the day off.
Roy the (now retired) hoghead (aka 'hoghed') ( Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. ~Frank Zappa ) took the day off.
Saskplanner took the day off.
Gateway Mike took the day off.
Steve in Wonderful Sacramento, CA, took the day off.
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BttbBob has returned to semi-retired status.
~~~~~
Our country is hanging on by a thread. Why isn't he (I can't even write his
treasonous name) being removed from Office? He must be relieved from the
White House NOW.
CBS opens the night with a FRESH'Young Sheldon', followed by a FRESH'B Positive', then a FRESH'Mom', followed by a FRESH'The Unicorn', then a FRESH'Star Trek: Discovery'.
Scheduled on a FRESHStephen Colbert are Rachel Brosnahan and Julien Baker.
Scheduled on a FRESHJames Corden, OBE, are Michael Sheen and Jo Ellen Pellman.
NBC begins the night with a FRESH'Mr. Mayor', followed by another FRESH'Mr. Mayor', then a FRESH'L&O: SVU', followed by 'Dateline'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Fallon are Ricky Gervais, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and the Avett Brothers.
Scheduled on a FRESHSeth Meyers are Bill Hader, Fran Lebowitz, and Chris Coleman.
On a RERUNLilly Singh (from 4/2/20) are Aisha Tyler and Rob Huebel.
ABC starts the night with a FRESH'Celebrity Family Feud', followed by a FRESH'The Chase', then a FRESH'The Hustler'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Kimmel are Tessa Thompson, Paul Bettany, and Steve Earle.
The CW offers the RERUN'iHeartRadio Music Festival Night 2'.
Faux has a FRESH'Hell's Kitchen', followed by a FRESH'Call Me Kat', then a FRESH'Last Man Standing'.
MY recycles an old 'Dateline', followed by an old 'L&O: CI'.
A&E has 'The First 48', another 'The First 48', followed by a FRESH'The First 48', then a FRESH'Killer Cases'.
AMC offers the movie 'The Shawshank Redemption', followed by the movie 'GI Jane'.
BBC -
[6:00AM - 11:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE
[12:00PM - 5:00PM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
[6:00PM] CLIFFHANGER
[8:00PM] THE PATRIOT
[11:30PM] THE PATRIOT
[3:00AM - 5:00AM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION (ALL TIMES ET)
Bravo has 'Southern Charm', another 'Southern Charm', followed by a FRESH'Southern Charm', then a FRESH'Watch What Happens: Live'.
FX has the movie 'Furious 7', followed by the movie 'Furious 7', again.
History has 'Swamp People: Serpent Invasion', another 'Swamp People: Serpent Invasion', followed by a FRESH'Swamp People: Serpent Invasion', then a FRESH'Mountain Men'.
IFC -
[6:00am - 9:30am] Community
[10:00am - 1:30pm] Parks And Recreation
[2:00pm - 5:30pm] Three's Company
[6:00pm - 12:30am] Two And A Half Men
[1:00am - 3:30am] Parks And Recreation
[4:00am - 5:30am] Community (ALL TIMES ET)
Sundance -
[6:00am - 12:30pm] the andy griffith show
[1:00pm - 1:00am] law & order
[2:00am - 5:00am] perry mason (ALL TIMES ET)
SyFy has the movie 'Robin Hood', followed by the movie 'Ouija'.
TBS:
On a RERUNConan (from 11/19/20) is Sarah Silverman.
John Fogerty has dropped a pointed new song called “Weeping in the Promised Land,” a gospel-flavored, piano-driven lament about the state of the country and the world. With multiple references to President Trump as a “forked-tongued Pharoah” as well as Covid (“With dread in their eyes all the nurses are crying”) and the deaths of George Floyd and Breanna Taylor (“Out in the street on your neck with a knee the people are cryin your words i can’t beathe and the white judge say been no crime here today”), the song clearly is intended as a successor to Fogerty’s topical songs of the late ‘60s with Creedence Clearwater Revival, such as “Fortunate Son” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.”
The song’s video features now-familiar footage of 2020 protests with Fogerty, wearing his trademark flannel, performing the song on piano on a hilltop (about as socially distanced as a person can be).
“I took a look back at what 2020 has been and tried to get my feelings out about the political climate, Black Lives Matter, Covid and everything else that occurred this year,” Fogerty said. “Friends are dying, we are stuck at home, we are indeed weeping in the promised land.”
Neil Young is the latest high-profile musician to cash in on his song rights, selling a 50 percent stake in his music to British investment company Hipgnosis.
The company said it acquired half of Young's global copyright and income interests of his catalog, which includes 1,180 songs.
Hipgnosis did not disclose terms of the deal.
The writer of hits including "Heart of Gold", "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Cowgirl in the Sand," Young has remained famously guarded and outspoken against the commercialization of music.
Merck Mercuriadis, founder of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, described himself as a lifelong fan of Young's and vowed the music would be used tastefully.
Longtime network news star Katie Couric has been signed to take over the hosting reins of "Jeopardy!" for a week, according to several people familiar with the plan.
Couric will be among the first guest hosts to helm the iconic game show after the final episodes with long-running emcee Alex Trebek air this week. Trebek, who died Nov. 8 after battling pancreatic cancer, taped the programs in October.
Couric declined to comment when asked about the booking or and whether she is interested in being Trebek's successor on a full-time basis. A representative for Sony Pictures Television, which produces "Jeopardy!," also declined to comment.
The producers of "Jeopardy!" have previously stated their plans to have guest hosts after the final Trebek episodes air until a permanent replacement is chosen. "Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings, who has an overall deal with Sony, has also been booked to handle the program. Episodes with Jennings as host are scheduled to air starting Jan. 11.
It's likely that the guest host stints will play a role in determining who will succeed Trebek, who fronted the syndicated version of the program since its launch in 1984.
As a mob of President Trump (R-Lock Him Up) supporters stormed the Capitol building Wednesday, one face stood out from the crowd in photographs: A tattooed, shirtless man donning horns and red, white, and blue face paint inside the chambers.
The horned man in question is none other than 32-year-old Jake Angeli, a familiar face at pro-Trump rallies and a purported QAnon conspiracy theorist sometimes referred to as the “QAnon Shaman,” according to the Arizona Republic’s website.
In the past year, Angeli has been spotted — often in costume — at various demonstrations across the country, including a Washington D.C. protest after Joe Biden’s presidential win in November.
The Arizona native has also been photographed multiple times at the Arizona State Capitol — and in one instance, during a pro-Trump rally in February, held a sign that read, “Q Sent Me,” according to the paper.
According to Arizona Central, Angeli was shouting, “You all know who Q is?” and explained to passersby that Q “was a government agent who wanted to ‘take the country back’ from pedophiles and globalists.”
The head of a major U.S. business group that represents 14,000 companies including Exxon Mobil Corp, Pfizer Inc and Toyota Motor Corp urged senior U.S. officials to consider removing President Donald Trump from office after supporters of the outgoing president stormed the U.S. Capitol.
National Association of Manufacturers Chief Executive Jay Timmons said Trump "incited violence in an attempt to retain power, and any elected leader defending him is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy. ... Vice President (Mike) Pence, who was evacuated from the Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy."
Trump has 14 days remaining in office before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20.
The mayhem at the Capitol forced Congress to temporarily postpone a session to certify Biden's victory.
Other business groups issued strong statements but did not go as far as the manufacturers' group. Under the amendment’s Section 4, never invoked, the vice president and a majority of either Cabinet officials or "such other body as Congress may by law provide" may declare in writing that the president “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”
One of the leading developers of COVID-19 vaccines has now been placed in the ranks of people like Martin Shkreli—the disgraced pharmaceutical executive infamous for jacking up the price of an old, life-saving drug by more than 5,000 percent. He is now serving an 84-month prison sentence from a 2017 conviction on fraud counts unrelated to the drug pricing.
Moderna, maker of one of only two vaccines granted emergency authorizations to prevent COVID-19 in the US, has been shamed with a 2020 “Shkreli Award” by the Lown Institute, a healthcare think tank. The awards, announced annually for four years now, go to “perpetrators of the ten most egregious examples of profiteering and dysfunction in health care.”
Award judges cited Moderna’s pricing of its COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed with $1 billion in federal funding. Still, despite the tax-payer backing, Moderna set the estimated prices for its vaccine significantly higher than other vaccine developers.
In August, the company set the estimated price range of $32 to $37 per dose, making the two-dose regimen $64 to $74 per person. At the time, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its partner BioNTech—which now have the other US-authorized COVID-19 vaccine—had inked a deal with the US government to supply doses at $19.50 each, for a two-dose regimen of $39 per person. Notably, Pfizer and BioNTech developed their vaccine without any federal funding. Also, Johnson & Johnson had a deal to supply the US government with doses of its vaccine—still in the works—at a rate of $10 per dose.
In November, amid criticism, Moderna reportedly lowered its estimated cost to range in price from $25 to $37 per dose. And, in the end, it signed a deal with the US government to provide the vaccine at a price of $15 per dose, or $30 for a two-dose regimen per person.
A mysterious series of letters and numbers are appearing on the door frames of houses across the country.
It may look like a string of code, or a particularly complicated scientific equation, but those worrying that the end is nigh, fear not – this is merely the resurrection of a centuries-old Christian tradition, currently being touted as ‘Holy graffiti’.
The trend for ‘chalking the door’ – a blessing which is believed to have originated in, and spread from, Central Europe at the end of the Middle Ages – has seen an uptake in recent weeks as Britons look for a sense of community in a bid to lift spirits.
Those partaking in the trend chalk their doors with the names or initials of the three wise men, or Magi, and the numerals of the New Year, connected with a series of crosses.
The initials C, M, and B commemorate the Magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar), but also stand for the Latin prayer-request Christus Mansionem Benedicat: “May Christ bless this house.” In this way, this year doors are being marked with the commemoration: 20+C+M+B+21.
Denmark has released a children’s TV show about a man with a giant penis – and it’s been getting mixed reviews.
John Dillermand is an animated series aimed at four-to-eight-year-olds which chronicles the life of a man who has “the world’s longest penis”.
The first 13 episodes, aired by public broadcaster DR on 2 January, tells how the character’s uncontrollable ‘diller’ - Danish slang for penis - often gets him into trouble.
But it can also be used as a force for good and he saves the day by rescuing babies, hoisting a flag and using it to catch fish when he forgets his rod.
Responding to criticism, DR said the programme could have easily been about “a woman with no control over her vagina”, the Guardian reports.
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