from Bruce
Anecdotes
Children
• In the early days of television, TV sets were dangerous — it took 42,000 volts of electricity to operate them. When Wayne Halverson, a childhood friend of author Gary Paulsen, turned 12, he licked the end of his finger then brought it close to the ventilation panel of his family’s TV. An arc of electricity grabbed him, threw him against a wall, and knocked him unconscious for several minutes. Later, Wayne discovered that the incident had given him a superpower similar to those of comic-book characters — Wayne was the first in his group of young male buddies to be able to talk to girls.
• Art Linkletter became famous in large part because of his interviews of children on his various TV programs. He would chat with the children a few minutes before they went on the air in order to find out who would be a good interview subject. Occasionally, a child would be so hyperactive that Mr. Linkletter would be forced to calm the child down by being “stern” with the child — for example, Mr. Linkletter would sometimes tell a hyperactive child to be on his best behavior because the President of the United States would be watching the show.
• R.L. Stine worked as a writer on the TV series Eureeka’s Castle, which featured many puppets, including a large puppet of a dragon that took as many as three people to operate. The people behind the TV series received a letter from the mother of a young girl who wanted to visit the set, and they invited the mother and the young girl to visit. Unfortunately, when the young girl arrived, she looked around the set and then started crying — she was disappointed because she had thought that the characters of Eureeka’s Castle were real.
• As young children with cerebral palsy, which affected their muscle control, comedian Geri Jewell and her best friend, Christine Kellogg, enjoyed watching the children’s TV show Engineer Bill. Among other educational games, Engineer Bill taught children to drink all their milk by use of a game called “Red Light, Green Light.” When he said “Green Light,” the children were supposed to drink their milk, but when he said “Red Light,” the children were supposed to stop. Because of their cerebral palsy, Geri and Christine spilled more milk than they drank.
• Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, and her husband, Hugh Franklin, a professional actor who played Dr. Charles Tyler on the TV soap opera All My Children, decided to move back to New York City after years of living in the country. They explained to their three children that cities were much different from the country, and that they could take only one of their seven cats and only one of their three dogs with them. Their youngest child opened his eyes wide and asked, “And only one child?”
• When she was a little girl, comedian Carol Burnett pretended that she had an identical twin sister named Karen, and she tried to convince the neighbors that Karen really existed. Therefore, Carol would go home to her apartment, change clothes quickly, leave using the fire escape, then reappear in the front door of the apartment house as Karen. Eventually, Carol grew exhausted trying to be two people, so Karen left on an extended vacation from which she never returned.
• Tex Avery created the personality of Bugs Bunny and directed many cartoons starring the character, as well as some Kool-Aid TV commercials featuring Bugs. When some little kids found out that he had some cels and drawings of Bugs Bunny in his car, he gave them to the kids. Soon after, a little girl asked him for more. He replied, “I gave you a whole batch of them!” She said, “But my brother takes them to school and sells them for fifty cents apiece!”
• TV’s Mister Rogers once attended a children’s program at an outreach facility. Because he did not want his celebrity to detract from the attention that ought to be given to the children, he and his wife sneaked into the auditorium. However, the children knew that he would be attending, and they wanted to see where he was sitting, so during the program, one of the children yelled, “Where you at, Mister Rogers? Where you at?”
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© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
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Presenting
Michael Egan
U.S.A. took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Music: "Montecarlo race"
Album: LET’S GO!!
Artist: Los Winston Lobo
Artist Location: Community of Madrid, Spain
Info:
Rock'n'Roll Steve, a fan, wrote, “Everything here is good, lots of it is great so it was hard to pick a favorite. Anyway, this comp has something for everyone — it would be a bargain at twice the price. Favorite track: ‘Muleface.’”
“Los Winston Lobo is an instrumental rock & roll band with their own songs and versions. Influenced by instrumental surf music, Blues, Swing, Jazz, Rockabilly and movie soundtracks. His influences, to mention a few, are mainly in groups from the sixties such as Dick Dale or The Ventures but also some more modern from other decades such as Los Straitjackets and Los Coronas. Music as disparate as that of Benny Goodman, Brian Setzer, Ennio Morricone or Link Wray inspire the themes and repertoires of Los Winston Lobo.
“The group lives the revival of surf and rock and roll music of the sixties for the premiere in 1994 of the film PUKP FICTION, due to this and because of the charisma of the character in the film played by Harvey Keitel, they decide to call the group Los Winston Lobo. The live shows stand out for their impeccable sound and for the rich repertoire of versions of classic surf and sixties rock and roll, movie soundtracks and TV series.” — Los Winston Lobo YouTube website
Price: €3 (EURO) for 70-track album
Genre: Psychobilly. Various.
Links:
LET’S GO!!
Los Winston Lobo on YouTube
Other Links:
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‘History Of The World, Part II’
Mel Brooks
The 1981 Mel Brooks film History of the World, Part I was never meant to have a sequel, but Deadline has confirmed Brooks’ high jinks across history will continue as part of an eight-episode variety series at Hulu. The writers room for History of the World, Part II will begin this month, and production will commence in spring 2022.
“I can’t wait to once more tell the real truth about all the phony baloney stories the world has been conned into believing are History!” Brooks, who will write and executive produce, said in a statement.
The big-screen original parodies various moments in history from the Roman Empire and Stone Age to the Old Testament and the French Revolution, among other periods. It starred Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Gregory Hines, Cloris Leachman, Mary-Margaret Humes and Sid Ceasar.
Part II will also be executive produced by Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, David Stassen and Kevin Salter. Searchlight Television and 20th Television are the studios.
Mel Brooks
Presenters Announced
Rock Hall of Fame
Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Drew Barrymore and Angela Bassett are among the presenters set to celebrate the inductees at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, which returns to a live format in Cleveland on Oct. 30. Swift and Hudson are also booked to perform.
Barrymore will be on hand to induct the Go-Go’s. Bassett will be the presenter for Turner, whom she famously portrayed in the film “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Christina Aguilera, Mickey Guyton, H.E.R. and Bryan Adams will perform Turner’s songs. McCartney will induct Foo Fighters, while Dr. Dre will do the introductory honors for LL Cool J.
Swift will share the honors of inducting Carole King with the Oscar-winning Hudson. King and Hudson appeared together on the cover of Variety this summer, talking about their experience writing a new song for the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” in which Hudson starred. King said in that interview that, while she rarely leaves the state of Idaho, she would be making an exception for the Hall of Fame.
Swift will be returning a favor to King, who presented her with the American Music Award for artist of the decade in 2019. “Over the years, I have known some great songwriters and I have also known some great singers and performers,” King said in her speech on that telecast. “It’s rare to see all those talents in one person… She is one of the only modern pop artists whose name (sometimes) appears as the sole songwriter in her song credits. Her lyrics resonate across all generations, her songs touch everyone and her impact around the world is extraordinary.”
Lionel Richie will also be on hand to induct American music executive, entrepreneur, and film producer Clarence Avant into the hall. Avant dubbed “The Black Godfather” (and subject of a documentary of that name), will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, named for the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. Avant, 90, is known for being the first Black board member or executive at several record companies.
Rock Hall of Fame
Raising $1 Billion
Michael J. Fox
When Michael J. Fox moved to the U.S. from his native Canada about 40 years ago all he was thinking about was being an actor and landing, at the very least, some commercial work.
He booked a McDonald’s commercial in 1980. He eventually shot to fame as Alex P. Keaton on TV’s “Family Ties” and became a box office draw with films like “Back to the Future.” In his four decades in show business, Fox has earned five Emmys, two Golden Globes and two SAG Awards.
But in 1991, at age 29, he was told he had Parkinson’s disease. Two years after going public with his diagnosis, he launched the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to help fund research for therapies and cures. The organization has since raised more than $1 billion.
On Oct. 23, Fox will celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the foundation with his annual fundraising gala A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s. The milestone event was originally slated for last year, but was postponed due to the pandemic.
Hosted by Denis Leary, the evening will take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City with a lineup that includes Mike Birbiglia, Michelle Buteau, Lisa Fischer, Brad Paisley and Sting. “All I wanted to do was book that McDonalds commercial,” the now 60-year-old Fox recalls about his early days in Hollywood. “I didn’t know I’d be trying to find a cure for Parkinson’s.”
Michael J. Fox
Halts Production
'America's Got Talent: Extreme'
America’s Got Talent: Extreme has officially halted production after contestant Jonathan Goodwin was hospitalized after a horrific accident last week.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with Jonathan Goodwin and his family as he continues to recover from his accident on Thursday," an AGT production spokesperson tells Yahoo Entertainment. "In order to focus on the wellbeing of our crew, we will be temporarily pausing production on America's Got Talent: Extreme and will resume the last few days of filming at a later date. The health and safety of our cast and crew continue to be our priority."
Goodwin, a 41-year-old British daredevil whose Instagram bio calls him the "world's greatest theatrical stunt performer," was severely injured on Thursday night on the Georgia set of the new series, which is a spin-off of NBC competition series America's Got Talent. The stuntman was crushed by two cars, which then erupted into flames during his act, which was filmed at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
He then fell a reported 40 feet to the ground and missed the airbag on which he was supposed to land, falling on his head instead, according to a 911 call obtained by The Sun. The production spokesperson said Goodwin was responsive while being airlifted to the hospital for care.
His condition is unknown beyond the production company saying he "continues to recover." TMZ reported he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, had surgery and is in a trauma unit.
'America's Got Talent: Extreme'
Ransomware Attack
Sinclair
Sinclair Broadcast Group, the second-largest TV station operator in the US, said a ransomware attack has locked up some servers, workstations and networks. The company detected the issue on Saturday and it has been trying to restore operations. It said the incident still was affecting systems as of Monday morning. For one thing, the attack has disrupted ads on local broadcast stations. Sinclair hasn't yet determined the impact on its business.
In addition, the company confirmed the attacker(s) stole data from its network. It's unclear as yet exactly what the data included. An investigation into the incident is underway after Sinclair brought in a cybersecurity forensic firm and an incident response team. It informed law enforcement and relevant government agencies about the matter.
The Biden administration has made fighting ransomware and bolstering cybersecurity a priority, and it planned to bring together representatives of 30 countries this month to discuss the threat. Earlier this year, a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline disrupted fuel supplies across the US for several days. Other prominent companies and organizations that have fallen victim to ransomware this year include meat supplier JBS, Bose, Acer and health services in Ireland and the US.
Sinclair
~ Sinclair Broadcasting does not observe MLK Day as a paid holiday ~
Driest Year In A Century
California
In a year of both extreme heat and extreme drought, California has reported its driest water year in terms of precipitation in a century, and experts fear the coming 12 months could be even worse.
The Western Regional Climate Center added average precipitation that had been reported at each of its stations and calculated that a total of 11.87 inches of rain and snow fell in California in the 2021 water year. That's half of what experts deem average during a water year in California: about 23.58 inches.
Based on the diminished levels of both precipitation and runoff, the last water year was the second driest on record, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
Climatologists have compared the drought conditions that spanned 2020 and 2021 to the 1976-77 drought, which included California’s lowest level of statewide runoff in a single water year.
The average rainfall in 1976-77 was 28.7 inches; in 2020-21, it was 28.2 inches.
California
Huge Hole
Arctic
A huge hole opened in the Arctic's oldest, thickest ice in May 2020, a new study revealed. Scientists previously thought that this area of ice was the Arctic's most stable, but the giant rift signals that the ancient ice is vulnerable to melt.
The polynya, or area of open water, is the first ever observed north of Ellesmere Island. But in their report on the hole in the ice, published in August in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers deduced from old satellite data that similar polynyas may have opened in 1988 and 2004.
"North of Ellesmere Island it's hard to move the ice around or melt it just because it's thick, and there's quite a bit of it," study lead author Kent Moore, an Arctic researcher at the University of Toronto-Mississauga, said in a statement. "So, we generally haven't seen polynyas form in that region before.
The sea ice off the northern coast of Ellesmere Island is typically more than 13 feet (4 meters) thick and has an average age of 5 years. But this "last ice" of the Arctic is proving vulnerable to the rapid warming that's occurring in the northern latitudes. In summer 2020, the Wandel Sea, or the eastern reaches of the "last ice" region, lost half of its overlying ice, a July 2021 study found. Another 2021 study showed that the ice arches that connect the stable sea ice to Greenland are forming later and melting faster each year.
Now, researchers say that the last ice area may melt completely each summer by the end of the century, spelling the end for animals that depend on year-round sea ice, such as polar bears.
Arctic
Not The Biological Mother
Tetragametic Chimerism
In 2006, Lydia Fairchild applied for assistance to help her support herself and her children from the state of Washington. As part of the application, she and her family were tested, in order to prove that they were all related.
Shortly afterwards, the Department of Social Services called her into the office to discuss her case, with a completely unexpected problem: they had determined that the children she had given birth to and subsequently raised were not related to her. According to their tests, the children were not biologically hers.
What was stranger still, was that her boyfriend – the father of the children – was confirmed to be related to them. It was only Fairchild, who remembers giving birth to them, who was not related to her own children. As well as this disqualifying her from receiving financial assistance, she was now suspected of welfare fraud and was at risk of having her children taken away.
In 2002, 52-year-old Karen Keegan suffered renal failure and needed a kidney transplant. When she turned to her family, she too found out that two of the three children she had given birth to and raised were her husband's biological children, but not hers. Investigation into the cause of this would eventually help Lydia win her case against the government.
Samples were taken from all over Keegan, who they suspected of having tetragametic chimerism. Tetragametic chimerism occurs when two separate eggs are fertilized by two different sperms, and then one of the embryos absorbs the other during the early stages of development. People with this type of chimerism may have two blood types, different eye colors, or other physical signs such as birthmarks down their center.
Tetragametic Chimerism
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