Here comes Oprah Claus! Here comes Oprah Claus! Right down Oprah Claus Lane!
on Nov 21, 2009 in liberator most interesting man in the world bela lugosi christmas discovery health television leaving las vegas doctor G bad lieutenant oprah winfrey run-dmc dos equis lily munster It's Christmas time in Hollis QueensMom's cooking chicken and collard greens Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese And Santa put gifts under Christmas treesAhh, the traditional sounds of the Holidays.  But I'm not feelin' it yet, even with the...

"She feeds you Tea and Oranges that come all the way from China" - L. Cohen, 1967
on Nov 16, 2009 in wolf blitzer humor obama administration cnn china candy crowley sarah palin politics Man, I tell ya - people are blastin' Obama for bowing to the Japanese Emperor.  Come on!  Are we really as a country that stuffed full of Ugly Americans who find any gesture besides an arrogant sneer to be a sign of weakness?  Sadly, i...

Look what the Bug Dragged In
on Nov 15, 2009 in whining sick Creeping Jesus, I'm sick.  I spent most of the day attempting to get out of bed and the last few hours trying to eat the same little dish of Jello (unsuccessfully).  I've finally gotten to the point where I can concentrate enough to both si...

Slicing Sally and other Aquatic Nightmares
on Nov 15, 2009 in dreams sid and marty krofft abba humor all in the family sesame street It's strange the kind of dreams one has when sleeping with a fever. Weird, even for me. Last night I was floating on a giant pair of scissors, cutting smoothly through a boiling ocean of Listerine. I didn't realize scissors were buoyant but damn...

Louzing my Religion
on Nov 12, 2009Lou Dobbs is pulling up stakes from his perch at CNN, answering the cries of the great unwashed as he presumably prepares to run for some sort of public office. Help us, Obi-Wan Kenobe, you're our only hope. Superman in a suit and tie (if Superman ha...

Masterpieces come in all shapes and sizes (Roger that)
on Nov 11, 2009 in movies martin scorsese 1960s memories francis ford coppola roger corman The Academy of Motion Pictures is going to honor Roger Corman with a lifetime achievement award. This is, to me, a very welcome if surprising decision. Welcome, because I grew up loving Corman's work on the late show (back when that term signfied n...

Sesame Street? Give me the City Dump
on Nov 10, 2009 in j.p.patches seattle 1960s memories television childhood memories So Sesame Street turns 40 today, eh? So Google tells me, anyway. Is there no end to notable 40th anniversaries this year? Obviously, 1969 was a year of consequence, more than just the summer of Bryan Adams' first wet dream. I was 7 when Sesame Stre...

Vick and Dick (S&M - Hold the M)
on Nov 9, 2009 in michael vick humor richard nixon commentary Michael Vick.  What a punk.  The guy's an unrepentant sociopath (I guess to be a sociopath sort of implies that you're incapable of being repentant).   I didn't buy his crocodile tears or his 'heartfelt' regrets.  I couldn't...

A muted Sunday with Skeletons in its Closet
on Nov 8, 2009 in skeleton stories nancy pelosi discovery health politics It's Sunday in Drexel Hill and oddly quiet in my neighborhood.  A gorgeous autumn day here - the foliage at its technicolor peak.  This is probably my favorite time of the year, and yet it doesn't feel that way this go round. Things are mut...

My head's been filled with Mr. Yuk
on Nov 6, 2009 in mr. pibb commercials 1970s memories curb your enthusiasm unforgiven mr. yuk humor clint eastwood mad men kill bill Whatever happened to Mr. Yuk?  I recall him clearly from my childhood and he's apparently still out and about, but keeping a mighty low profile since his glory days in the early 70's.   Not sure why: there's far more poisons to strike...