from Bruce
Anecdotes
Work
• Comedian Steve Allen once hosted a radio program on KNX, where his boss ordered him to “just play records, and in between do a little light chatter.” Mr. Allen did that, but as time went on, the comedy took up more and more of the radio show, leaving little time for playing records. Therefore, his boss sent him a memo, telling him to stop the comedy and play the records. Mr. Allen read the memo on the air, then argued that anyone could play records but his comedy was original. Lots of listeners agreed with him, and 400 listeners sent in letters supporting him, so his boss told him to go ahead and do his comedy — “But play a little music, OK?
• As a young man, Matt Groening sent cartoons to his friends instead of letters. The cartoons documented his life in Los Angeles, and he titled the cartoons Life in Hell. They were good enough that he collected them in homemade comic books and sold them where he worked — a record store. Eventually, he hit what he calls the “doodlers’ jackpot” of The Simpsons and Futurama. Meanwhile, all of his cartoonist friends who were more talented artists than he stopped creating and got boring, middle-class jobs.
• Emma Caulfield played Anya the former vengeance demon on TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Perhaps it is lucky that she got the job; after all, she admits to being a horrible waitress at a restaurant where she disliked the food. Customers would come in, ask what she recommended, and she would tell them that the food was very bad but the drinks were very good. Her customers ate little, but drank a lot and left her very generous, motivated-by-alcohol tips.
• Comedian Henry Morgan once worked the late shift at a radio station. Among his other duties, he had to read a list of the people who were reported missing. Since he figured that at that late hour, no one was listening to the station, he included the name of his boss among the names of the people who had been reported missing. Mr. Morgan was wrong when he thought that no one was listening — his boss had been listening, so he was fired.
• Robin Williams found out that his TV sitcom Mork and Mindy had been cancelled when he read about it in the trade newspapers — the studio did not even show him the courtesy of calling him on the telephone first before releasing the news to the media. At the time, he was working with fellow comedian Eric Idle in The Tale of the Frog Prince, and he says, “I was so angry and hurt — and I was dressed as a frog!”
• Before becoming famous on Laugh-In, comedian Lily Tomlin worked as a Howard Johnson’s waitress. However, she got fired after grabbing the microphone and announcing, “Attention, diners. Your Howard Johnson’s waitress of the week, Lily Tomlin, is about to make her appearance on the floor. Let’s give her a big hand.”
• During the McCarthy hearings, TV viewers were fascinated. In fact, a TV was rented for employees at The New Yorker but returned after a few days — the staff tended to become so involved in watching the hearings that they forgot that they were supposed to be working on the next issue of the magazine.
• Singer Al Jolson was a very popular guest star on radio programs — he once guested on 10 shows in one week! While he was guesting on the Burns and Allen program, Gracie asked why he didn’t get his own program. Jolie replied, “What? And be on the radio only once a week?”
Writers
• Monty Python member John Cleese once purchased a defective toaster, which made him very angry. He put his anger to use by writing a comedy sketch about his experience. Fellow Python member Graham Chapman often wrote with Mr. Cleese, and Mr. Cleese usually, but not always, ended up doing 80 percent of the work — sometimes he did 95 percent. Nevertheless, Mr. Chapman made some impressive contributions to the sketches. In this case, after Mr. Cleese had written a sketch about a defective toaster, Mr. Chapman said, “It’s boring. Why not make it a parrot instead?” This suggestion resulted in one of Monty Python’s most famous sketches — the Dead Parrot sketch, in which an irate man tries to return a dead parrot to a pet shop, whose owner insists that the parrot is only napping.
***
© 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: "Play the Rush (Live)"
Album: LET’S DO THIS THING
Artist: Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene
Artist Location: Denver, Colorado
Info:
“Kerry Pastine has always gravitated toward an original sound steeped in tradition, but with a modern edge. When it comes to musical projects, she insists on a hint of danger, good times and a damn good dance party. Simplicity rules, but needs to be backed up with taste and musical chops. Until now, she has always hesitated with putting her name on the marquee. But the time is now. It's time to introduce Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene. This ride ain't a vintage Cadillac. This is a souped-up hot rod with bulletproof glass, a modern chassis and a shiny new engine. The perfect vehicle for a life of crime and musical performances born of sin.”
Laurent DESPLANCHES, a fan, wrote: “Long live rockabilly. Another discovery on the web, I love it !” Favorite track: “Follow Me.”
Sherrilynn Nelson wrote about the YouTube “Rush” video, “Beautiful perfection... mesmerizing! What an amazing live recording! You guys are raising the standard, I can't get enough of these videos! I'm blown away and totally missing Denver right now.”
Price: “Play the Rush (Live)” is a FREE track.
$1 (USD) for other single tracks: $9.99 (USD) for 13-track album
Genre: R&B.
Links:
LET’S DO THIS THING
Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene on Bandcamp
Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene on YouTube
Kerry Pastine on YouTube
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
Stephen Suggests
Hillary
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
Vinnie the shitten's sticks are getting bigger - and she's taken to announcing their arrival.
Had 3 announcements this afternoon.
Climate Change Conference
Obama
Former President Barack Obama on Monday urged world leaders to ramp up efforts to combat climate change, lamenting what he referred to as "active hostility toward climate science" from Republicans and the Trump administration.
In his speech before the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Obama criticized former President Donald Trump and other Republicans for reversing policies implemented under the Obama administration and obstructing comprehensive action in Congress.
“When it comes to climate, time really is running out. We have not done nearly enough to address this crisis,” Obama said during the conference, with John Kerry, his former secretary of state and now President Joe Biden’s climate envoy, in the audience.
Obama said that “progress stalled” on climate change when his “successor decided to unilaterally pull out of the Paris Agreement in his first year in office,” referring to Trump. “I wasn’t real happy about that,” he added.
Despite “four years of active hostility toward climate science coming from the very top of our federal government,” Obama said, the U.S. wound up meeting its original commitment under the Paris Agreement.
Obama
California Auction
Amy Winehouse
The dress singer Amy Winehouse wore for her final performance sold Sunday for $243,200, 16 times its estimated value, as part of a trove of memorabilia from the late diva's life auctioned in California.
Winehouse wore the green and black bamboo print dress at a concert in Belgrade in 2011.
The dress was the highlight of an 800-item collection of personal effects, ranging from bras and DVDs to books and make-up that were sold by Winehouse's parents, Mitch and Janis.
The entire collection brought in $4 million, twice the original forecast, according to auction house Julien's, which managed the sale that ran from Saturday to Sunday.
The proceeds will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which supports vulnerable young adults struggling with addiction.
Amy Winehouse
Big Bird
Seth MacFarlane
Sen. Rafael "Ted" Cruz (R-Born In Canada) took on "Family Guy" producer Seth MacFarlane on Sunday, clashing over Big Bird's weekend announcement that the big yellow puppet had gotten vaccinated.
The Texas Republican had criticized a Saturday morning tweet from Big Bird as "Government propaganda…for your 5 year old!"
The big yellow bird has appeared on "Sesame Street" since 1969. Cruz has supported childhood vaccines (such as for measles) in the past but said he believes mandates should be decided at a state level. The senator introduced legislation Thursday that would ban children's vaccine mandates (but not vaccines) by the federal government and any entity getting federal funds, leaving the decision up to parents.
On Sunday morning, MacFarlane reacted to a story about the dust-up with a tweet naming myriad "Sesame Street" and "Muppet Show" characters.
"No surprise Big Bird is smarter than Ted Cruz," the "Ted" and "Ted 2" filmmaker tweeted Sunday morning. "So is Kermit, Ernie, Bert, Grover, Oscar, Cookie Monster, The Count, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, The Swedish Chef, Scooter, Janice, Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, and Animal."
Seth MacFarlane
Awarded Royal Warrant
Dubonnet
Queen Elizabeth has awarded a Royal Warrant to her favourite drink.
The 95-year-old monarch was recently advised to stop drinking Dubonnet, but she's now awarded the beverage a coveted Royal Warrant, meaning bottles can carry a label that says, "By appointment to HM the Queen".
Simon de Beauregard, a director of parent company Pernod Ricard, told The Mail on Sunday newspaper: "We are delighted Her Majesty enjoys our beautiful brand and humbled to have received a Royal Warrant."
The Queen is a long-time fan of the drink and although it's fallen out of fashion over recent decades, Simon noted that the beverage has been making a steady comeback amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Dubonnet
'War On Books'
School Libraries
During the last year, Mary Ellen Cuzela — concerned about students being indoctrinated about sex and "critical race theory" — successfully petitioned her suburban Houston school district of about 83,000 to remove two books from their libraries: The novel “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison and the graphic novel “Losing the Girl” by MariNaomi.
Cuzela, a mother of three who works for the district as a substitute teacher, said she was encouraged by Republican Texas lawmakers’ focus on critical race theory, an academic framework for examining systemic racism — which is not taught in any U.S. public school — that she considers “Marxist ideology” and “anti-American.” She has a list of more than a dozen more books she wants removed from schools along Houston's rapidly growing and diversifying Energy Corridor, home to some of the world's major oil and gas companies.
“I don’t want to ban books. I don’t want to be a book burner. My goodness, no,” said Cuzela, 49, whose children have attended public school for years in Katy. “I’m not into censoring. That is not what this is about. We filter students’ internet access. We have keywords, trigger words, that we know people shouldn’t have access to as a minor. So why isn’t that same process in the school libraries?”
Liberal parents have also pushed to remove books from schools in recent years: Burbank schools last year removed the classics "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Of Mice and Men" after parents complained their depictions of race and racism were harmful to students (they were among the top banned books nationwide last year).
But the latest uproar over school libraries comes as conservatives attempt to ride a wave of “white backlash” among Trump supporters to victory in next year’s midterm election. The strategy appeared to work in the closely watched Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, where Republican newcomer Glenn Youngkin beat former Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe after promising to ban critical race theory in schools.
School Libraries
From a Worker To a Queen
Ants
A slight tweak in the activation of a single protein could determine whether some ants become lowly workers or reproductive queens, according to a new study.
While most ant species are born into a particular caste in their colony, with little to no ability to climb the social ladder, Jerdon's jumping ant (Harpegnathos saltator) is somewhat different.
When a queen of this species dies, workers in the colony duel over who gets to take her place. The ants that are ultimately victorious become what is known as 'gamergates'. Putting aside their foraging work, these individuals instead order other ants around and spend their time reproducing and laying eggs, essentially taking over the queen's role.
Previous studies have shown the transition to a gamergate comes with changes to the ant brain, including different gene expressions, different hormone levels, and different cellular compositions. These reigning ants also live about five times longer than other ant workers.
But what exactly triggers this incredible midlife transformation? Up until now, it's been mostly a mystery.
Ants
Threatened Status Proposed
Alligator Snapping Turtle
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday that it is proposing threatened status for alligator snapping turtles -- huge, spike-shelled reptiles that lurk at the bottom of lakes and slow waterways, luring prey to their mouths by sticking out a wormlike lure.
Every state in their range now protects them, but the long-lasting effects of catching the reptiles for turtle soup are among reasons their numbers are now so low, the agency said.
Alligator snapping turtles can live 80 years, with males known to weigh up to 249 pounds (113 kilograms) with shells up to 29 inches (74 centimeters) long. Their jaws are strong enough to snap bone.
An estimated 360,000 exist in 12 states, but without protection their numbers are likely to plummet to 5% of that or less in 30 to 50 years, the Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday in an online preview of a Federal Register notice scheduled Tuesday.
They once were found in Kansas and Indiana, but now live in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, the agency said.
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Traveling Can
Myrtle Beach
Instead of a message in a bottle, it was the decals on a barnacle-covered trash barrel that shows just how far it traveled, from the southeastern U.S. coast to a beach in Ireland, more than 3500 miles (5633 kilometers) from home.
The City of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina announced Monday that a waste barrel had somehow washed up in County Mayo, on the emerald isle’s northwestern coast.
According to the city, Keith McGreal of Ireland wrote them and shared pictures of the bright blue barrel with city stickers on it.
The city posted the photos online, showing that the barrel’s Atlantic crossing took enough time for it to be encrusted with shells.
City officials also wrote McGreal, saying the barrel must have been carried away in the Gulf Stream during a major wind or storm event.
Myrtle Beach
| CURRENT MOON lunar phases |
