from Bruce
Anecdotes
Money
• In the 1960s, Ernie Anderson played wild-and-crazy horror-show host Ghoulardi in Cleveland, Ohio. After quitting, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he made big money as a TV announcer. One day, he and his friend Linn Sheldon walked into a studio, where Mr. Sheldon lit a cigarette. Before Mr. Sheldon had finished smoking the cigarette, Mr. Anderson had read four TV promotional spots and made $30,000.
• Comedian Soupy Sales used to collect portraits of United States Presidents and American founding fathers. On his TV show for children, he once told his young viewers to go through Mommy’s purse and Daddy’s wallet and mail him “the little green pieces of paper with pictures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln, and Jefferson on them.” In return, he promised to send the children a postcard from Puerto Rico.
• The British tongue-in-cheek spy series The Avengers was definitely capitalistic. It even had an Exploitation Manager whose job was to sell product placements — if you had a product you wanted to appear on the series, this was the person you had to deal with.
Music
• Ron Sweed, aka the Ghoul, hosted several mostly bad movies on a television program airing in Cleveland, Ohio, during the 1970s and 1980s. The Ghoul tended to show the same bad movies over and over because the station bought the rights to very few movies. To keep things interesting, The Ghoul used to change the sound tracks. For example, an actress in Attack of the Mushroom People sang a song on a cruise ship. The Ghoul disliked the song, so when she sang, he dubbed in “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves” or “Who Stole the Kishka” or some other song instead. And when a disembodied head babbled in The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, he played a song whose lyrics went “PAPA-OOM-MOW-MOW.”
• Early in his career, following a radio broadcast in 1936, Robert Irwin received a fan letter from famed tenor John McCormack. The following year, the non-music firm for which Mr. Irwin worked booked a recital at which Mr. McCormack would sing, and Mr. Irwin was present — although he had not yet met and been introduced to Mr. McCormack — at a press conference which had been arranged for the famed tenor. A newspaper writer asked Mr. McCormack whether any of Ireland’s younger singers were promising in particular. He replied, “Well, there’s a young fella called Irwin ….” Of course, the two were introduced immediately, and Mr. McCormack became Mr. Irwin’s mentor.
Police
• As a child attending the Peninsula School of Creative Education in Menlo Park, California, Wah Ming Chang and his friend Torben Deirup created a life-sized dummy that they used in practical jokes. Once they placed the dummy in a gutter, then hid across the street and watched as some people came out of their house, looked at the realistic dummy, then ran back into their house to call the police. Wah and Torben removed the dummy without being seen, and the neighbors had some explaining to do when the police came. Later, after playing several more practical jokes, Wah and Torben were caught red-handed with the dummy. A police officer sternly told them that if their dummy ever appeared in a gutter again, they would be attending reform school. As an adult, Mr. Chang became an artist and a special-effects wizard for the TV series Star Trek.
• Before starring as the lead actor in TV’s Hogan’s Heroes, Bob Crane was a well-known disk jockey in Connecticut. Because he was a celebrity, police officers in Connecticut sometimes let him go with a warning (and no ticket) when he was caught speeding. When Mr. Crane moved to California, he wanted to continue receiving favors, so he wrote on the back of his driver’s license, “I am a radio star,” where any police officer who stopped him would be sure to see it. Sure enough, he was stopped for speeding, but this time the police officer wrote him a ticket. Across the top of the ticket was written this note: “I am a police officer.”
• When Will Smith was starring in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, one episode revolved around his character driving around in an expensive car and being stopped by the police because they think it is suspicious for a black man to drive such an expensive car. This episode was based on Mr. Smith’s real life — often the police stopped him because they thought it was suspicious for him to drive such an expensive car.
***
© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
***
The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes — Buy
The Funniest People in Television and Radio — Buy The Paperback
The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes — Buy Kindle
The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes — Buy Apple
The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes — Buy Barnes and Noble
The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes — Buy Kobo
The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes — Buy Smashwords: Many Formats, Including PDF
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: "Easier Said Than Done"
Single: This is a one-sided single.
Artist: Mike Ratliff
Artist Location: McConnelsville, Ohio
Info:
“It was 4 in the morning when it happened. Another trucker swerved into Mike Ratliff's 18-wheeler, sending him off the highway. Ratliff found himself pulling the man out of the vehicle in flames saving his life. Within moments, the truck exploded. This event would not only change the course of his route — it would change the course of his life.
“Now emerging as a solo artist, Mike is your everyday everyman who proves there's something special about that. In the Ohio coalfields, Mike Ratliff was raised with grit in his teeth, and a heart of compassion. He grew up listening to his uncle's band, and once had a short-lived band of his own. But for the 20 years he worked as a trucker, he also worked on his craft. On highway berms and in all-night diners, he wrote songs about the things he observed and the people he encountered.
“During this period, Mike formed the Non Members, a performing duo that played everywhere from nursing homes to notable regional songwriter showcases, including Charleston's community radio's ‘Musician's Edition’ and the Woody Hawley Series, hosted by NPR's Mountain Stage bandleader Ron Sowell. In this time, he cut his musical teeth as a writer and performer.
“His songs are standouts of lyrical storytelling — and, his stories themselves are extraordinary. His acoustic guitar work provides an earthy backdrop that reminds us there's power in simplicity. He narrates these stories of the day-to-day with an evocative vocal delivery that is both passionate and well-restrained.
“The accident on that fateful day, though tragic, had a redeeming effect: it emboldened Mike Ratliff to live his artistic vision on his own terms.
“He is currently working on his first album, HALFWAY UP THE HIGHWAY.” — Arthur Deras
Price: Name Your Price (Includes FREE)
Genre: Singer-Songwriter
Links:
“Easier Said Than Done”
Mike Ratliff on Bandcamp
Mike Ratliff Music on YouTube
Mike Ratliff Music Official Website
Other Links:
Bruce’s Music Recommendations: FREE pdfs
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
David Bruce's Blog #1
David Bruce's Blog #2
David Bruce's Blog #3
David Bruce's Apple iBookstore
David Bruce has over 140 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
New Venture
Michael Egan
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
The shittens were puzzled by yesterday's festivities and have been extra clingy today.
Hell Of A Victory
Satanic Delco
Satanists earned a victory after convincing a Pennsylvania school district to remove a student dress code ban on clothes that are "satanic in nature."
The Rose Tree Media School District, just west of Philadelphia, had included a ban on satanic clothing, along with clothes those that are sexually suggestive, obscene or promote violence. But earlier this week, the superintendent issued a statement that the dress code's reference to satanic clothing would be removed, reported WPVI-TV, an ABC TV station in Philadelphia.
"Although we have had no complaints or concerns brought forward by any student, parent, or resident we will remove this language from our current dress code information in the student handbook," the announcement read, according to WPVI.
Joseph Rose, founder of the Philadelphia area group Satanic Delco, began contacting the school district about a month ago after learning about the dress code language from parents with children in the district. The wording is discriminatory, he argued.
The group Satanic Delco does not "promote a belief in a personal Satan," it says on its website. "We believe that religion can, and should, be divorced from superstition. … To embrace the name Satan is to embrace rational inquiry removed from supernaturalism and archaic tradition-based superstitions. Satanists should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things. Our beliefs must be malleable to the best current scientific understandings of the material world – never the reverse."
Satanic Delco
Super Bowl Scandal
Janet Jackson
FX and Hulu are moving from Britney Spears to Janet Jackson with their latest documentary in The New York Times Presents strand.
The cable network and streamer are set to launch Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson on November 19.
The film will tell the story of the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, which saw Justin Timberlake briefly expose Jackson’s breast to millions of viewers. Jackson’s career never recovered but Timberlake went from strength-to-strength.
It will feature rare footage and interviews with several people who were at the controls that night in Houston, including NFL and MTV executives, to reconstruct an incident that shook the country and explain how it shaped culture in the decades to follow. With new reporting by The Times, as well as insights from music industry insiders, cultural critics and members of the Jackson family, the film illuminates the fallout, and CBS boss Les Moonves’s role in it.
Janet Jackson
Cancels Upcoming Las Vegas Residency
Kiss
Kiss have canceled their upcoming Las Vegas residency that was set to begin in December.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Ticketmaster notified ticket holders of the 12-date residency’s cancellation via email. The page to purchase tickets for the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood shows was similarly taken down, and the Zappos Theater confirmed on Twitter, “Unfortunately, KISS cancelled their residency.”
Kiss — who are currently at sea on their Kiss Kruise — have not yet commented on the residency’s cancellation; the Review-Journal cites “soft ticket sales” — and not Covid-related matters — as the reason behind the nixed concerts.
Despite the precautions, members of Kiss and their road crew — including Simmons and Paul Stanley — still tested positive during their subsequent tour, culminating in the death of the band’s longtime guitar tech Fran Stueber, who died two days after testing positive for Covid-19; Stueber was quarantining in a Detroit hotel room at the time of his death.
Kiss
Returns To Form
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to its pre-pandemic form this year, with its route restored through Manhattan, high-flying helium balloons once again pulled by handlers and crowds welcomed back to cheer them on.
This year’s parade — the 95th annual — will snap back to form after bowing to pandemic restrictions last year. It will feature 15 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 36 novelty and heritage inflatables, more than 800 clowns, 10 marching bands and nine performance groups and, of course, Santa Claus.
New balloon giants joining the line-up on Nov. 25 include Ada Twist, Scientist and the Pokémon characters Pikachu and Eevee. Broadway will be represented by the casts of “Six,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Wicked.” The Rockettes will be there, as will the cast of the upcoming NBC live production of “Annie.”
There will be new floats led by the cast of “Girls5eva” — Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell and Busy Philipps — Nelly and Jordan Fisher, while Jon Batiste will be on an alligator-themed float celebrating Louisiana’s music, food and culture.
Other celebrities on hand include Carrie Underwood, Jimmie Allen, Kelly Rowland, Rob Thomas, Kristin Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Foreigner, Andy Grammer, Mickey Guyton, Chris Lane, Miss America Camille Schrier, Muppets from “Sesame Street” and the three past and current hosts of “Blue’s Clues” — Steve Burns, Donovan Patton and Josh Dela Cruz.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
On Par
Torture
A military jury wrote a letter condemning torture tactics used by the CIA against a convicted terrorist after sentencing the man to 26 years in prison, The New York Times reported.
On Thursday, the jury, which was made up of active-duty senior military officials, heard graphic descriptions of the torture Majid Khan, 41, was subjected to while being held at CIA black sites. Khan, who graduated from a high school near Baltimore, served as a courier for Al-Qaeda before he was captured.
He spoke before the jury, who had been brought to Guantanamo Bay where he has been detained, to determine his sentence. He became the first person to openly describe the torture he went through at a black site.
Khan said he experienced force-feeding, waterboarding, and physical and sexual abuse. He said he was isolated while nude, chained up in the dark, and nearly drowned.
On Friday, the jury, which was required to deliver a sentence of 25 to 40 years, sentenced Khan to 26 years. Seven of the eight military jurors also wrote a letter to Pentagon officials asking for Khan to receive clemency, the Associated Press reported.
Torture
More Than 400 Unarmed People
Traffic Stops
A recent investigation from the New York Times has unveiled startling, yet unsurprising news regarding police force in the United States. Over the last five years, police officers have killed more than 400 drivers or passengers who were not holding a gun, wielding a knife or under the pursuit of a violent crime. Furthermore, more than 400 deaths over the span of five years equates to at least one death per week.
Making matters worse, an overwhelming majority of the officers responsible for these deaths were not convicted of a crime. The report explains that less than 0.1% of those killings resulted in the conviction of a police officer. In many cases, taxpayers were held responsible for these police shootings. The New York Times reports that local governments have paid at least $125 million to resolve more than three dozen wrongful death lawsuits.
"Prosecutors and courts give more leeway to officers’ decisions to use force at vehicle stops, as a result of the exaggerated concern about the potential for officers getting hurt,” former Justice Department prosecutor Michael Gennaco told the New York Times.
After digging deeper into the data, investigators found that "many stops began with common traffic violations like broken taillights or running a red light." Across the board, the report found that these minor infractions led to Black motorists being killed at a disproportionate rate. In recent memory, a number of Black motorists like Philando Castile, Daunte Wright and Ronald Greene were all killed during or shortly after a traffic stop. Not to mention, instances in which a Black person is found dead shortly after a traffic stop, à la Sandra Bland, were likely not even included in the figure of 400 or so deaths.
Statistically speaking, officers do not face the same threat during a traffic stop. The report indicates that 280 officers have been killed on duty since late 2016. Of those 280 deaths, motorists were responsible for approximately 60 of them. Excluding accidents, two studies cited in the New York Times report found that there is a one in 3.6 million chance that an officer would be killed in any stop. For common traffic stops, the odds are even slimmer. Professor Jordan Blair Woods of the University of Arkansas found that there is a one in 6.5 million chance that an officer would be killed in a common traffic stop.
Traffic Stops
30,000 Visitors Locked Inside For Hours
Shanghai Disneyland
One woman who visited Shanghai Disneyland on Saturday either later tested positive for Covid or came into contact with someone who had it, according to reports. As a result, more than 30,000 visitors were locked in the park Sunday by Chinese government officials and forced to test negative before they were allowed to leave. According to AP “all 33,863 people who had been at the park” did indeed test negative.
The Shanghai property would remain closed on Monday and Tuesday at the very least, according to a statement from park officials obtained by AP. Shanghai Disneyland told the WSJ “it would refund tickets and notify guests as soon as there was a confirmed date for resumption of activities.”
Disney’s parks and resorts division swung to the black last quarter in a slow turnaround for one of the entertainment sectors hardest hit by the global pandemic. Parks posted an operating profit of $365 million for the fiscal third quarter ending in June from a loss of close to $1.9 billion the year earlier. Revenue jumped to $4.3 billion from just over $1 billion. But the global shocks from the pandemic are far from over, especially in China.
The Disneyland lockdown the latest in a string of increasingly strict measures taken by the government. The policies include requiring visitors to quarantine for three weeks upon arrival, requiring those in a hospital to stay another two weeks after recovery and holding ships at port until all crew are tested, according to the the Wall Street Journal.
Shanghai Disneyland
Exploding Over And Over Again
FRB 121102
Astronomers have watched a mysterious cosmic object shoot out 1,652 blasts of energy over a short period of time. Though researchers are still stumped as to what caused the repeated eruptions, they hope the observations will help them get closer to an answer.
The entity in question is called a fast radio burst (FRB), an enigmatic phenomenon first observed in 2007. FRBs produce pulses in the radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum; these pulses last only a few thousandths of a second but produce as much energy as the sun does in a year.
Some FRBs emit energy just once, but several — including an object called FRB 121102, located in a dwarf galaxy 3 billion light-years away — are known to repeat their bursts. Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) in China, a team of scientists decided to conduct an extensive study of this repeating FRB.
The campaign was meant to just gather routine data about this particular entity, Bing Zhang, an astrophysicist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Live Science. “Initially, it was just stamp collecting.”
FAST is the world's most sensitive radio telescope, Zhang added, so it can detect things previous observatories might have missed. Over about 60 hours, the researchers watched FRB 121102 explode 1,652 times, sometimes up to 117 times per hour, far more than any previously known repeating FRB. The team's results appeared Oct. 13 in the journal Nature.
FRB 121102
| CURRENT MOON lunar phases |
