Okie Sister

My First, My Last, My Everything

Mrs4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time just blogged about her favorite teen idol. This got me thinking about my own childhood crushes.

My first one was Bobby Sherman. Bobby was a singer and actor who graced the cover of several teen magazines including Tiger Beat. It was the 1968 television show Here Come The Brides that got me hooked on “The Sherman.” The show featured the Bolt brothers and other lumberjacks in Seattle looking for love. David Soul, who later starred in Starsky & Hutch, played one of his brothers. Come on, what six year old little girl doesn't love hunky lumberjacks?
After several appearances on the show Emergency, Bobby Sherman found a calling in paramedic and first aid work. He even started a volunteer EMT foundation. Later he became a deputy sheriff in San Bernardino County.

Bobby Sherman singing Seattle

 

My second crush came from a 1971 television series, Alias Smith and Jones. Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry were outlaws, train and bank robbers, offered amnesty if they could stay out of trouble for one year. It starred Ben Murphy and Pete Duel.
Duel had previously appeared on numerous TV shows including Gidget and Love On A Rooftop. At the height of his popularity, Pete Duel fatally shot himself while drinking at home. He was replaced by actor Jon Roger Davis (Dark Shadows), who narrated the show. (At one time, Davis was married to Jaclyn Smith). 
Ben Murphy has appeared in too many shows to list here. Maybe you remember him in Gemini Man? He played a secret agent that could make himself invisible. (MST3000 alert - watch Riding with Death) Looks like these days, Murphy spends his time playing tennis. Honestly, I thought all these guys were quite handsome.

Oh wait, here‘s a surprise. My third crush comes from a television show too. This time it’s from the soap opera, The Young & The Restless. Starting in 1976, John McCook played Lance Prentiss, love interest of two of the Brooks sisters, Lorie and Leslie. John also sings and has done a lot of theater work. He has been married since 1980 to actress Laurette Spang, (who played Cassiopeia on the original series Battlestar Galactica). It wasn’t until this past year that I realized that “my Lance” was the same actor who could be seen all these years playing Eric Forrester on the soap The Bold & The Beautiful.

10 Questions with John McCook

I’ve blogged about my next crush before, but I never realized that he is also my last crush (on a celebrity). How many time have I told you how much I loved me some Patrick Swayze? Ever since he played the role of Orry Main in the 1985 miniseries North and South, I’ve had a thang for "The Swayze." I wanted to be his Madeline. (Madeline was played by the lovely Lesley-Anne Down, who now stars opposite John McCook on The Bold & The Beautiful)
I also liked The Swayze in Red Dawn, Road House, Ghost, City of Joy, etc. And of course, I've already talked about my obsession with Dirty Dancing.
I don’t know if you watched his recent interview with Barbara Walters. It was heart breaking listening to him talk about his battle with cancer. He came across as very open and honest. I couldn't help but shed a tear.

Hubby (my everything) and I have really enjoyed watching his new series on A&E, The Beast. The cinematography of the show absolutely blows me away. It’s very dark and mysterious and the show is very intelligently written. So much so that when I missed a scene recently, I had to pause and have Hubby bring me up to speed. After this past weeks episode, Hubby and I had the following exchange:
OS: Are you loving some Patrick Swayze now as much as I do?
Hubby: No.
OS: Come on, don’t you have just a little man crush on him?
Hubby: Umm, NO!
OS: But he’s such a good actor...

 

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In Print: Illustrator & cartoonist Ted Key, creator of the comic strip Hazel, died on May 3rd at the age of 95. Hazel first appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1943. Hazel was also a popular television show in the early sixties starring Shirley Booth. I remember watching reruns of it as a child. It was a very cute show; it made you want a sassy maid too. Key is also noted for creating the time traveling dog Mr. Peabody and his sidekick Sherman for Jay Ward’s Rocky and Bullwinkle show. Remember the WABAC (wayback) Machine? He also wrote the screenplays for Walt Disney’s The Cat From Outer Space, Gus, and Million Dollar Duck. I bet most of you have seen at least one of those movies or read The Biggest Dog In The World.

Music Legend: Eddy Arnold passed away last week, only a few days before his 90th Birthday. Arnold was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and an inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was second only to George Jones for having the most hits on the country charts. The most popular being his rendition of "Make The World Go Away." A favorites of mine is "I Really Don’t Want To Know." Arnold preferred love songs over honky-tonk tunes and often infused his music with an orchestra sound. He had a clean-cut, non-flashy persona and was married to one woman for 65 years. Interesting to note, his first manager was none other than Elvis’s own Colonel Tom Parker. I’m sending out a big "Bouquet of Roses" for the 'Tennessee Plowboy' today. I remember him always having a big smile on his face.

Music: 80’s rock band Def Leppard hit number one on the Classic Rock music charts recently with the first single off of their new CD, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge. "Nine Lives" features country singer Tim McGraw, who co-wrote the single with the band. McGraw’s tour manager is the brother of one of the band members, so that’s how the collaboration came to be. Def Leppard is known for it’s heavy metal sound and numerous number one hits. Drummer Rick Allen, who joined the band at age 15, lost an arm in an auto accident on New Year's Eve 1984. He later taught himself to play drums without it. "They are simply one of the best rock bands ever and it was a great time working together," said McGraw. This is not the first time that Tim has crossed over to a different music genre. In 2005, he teamed up with Nelly on the single "Over and Over" and landed on Billboard's Hip Hop/ Rap chart as well as the Top 40. Which made no sense to me, given that Nelly’s explicit lyrics are so extremely far removed from what country music is all about.

Nature Photo: From Hitsujiyama Park near Tokyo, Japan. Over 200,000 Japanese Moss Phlox in full bloom. Breathtaking!

Some of my sightings this week are a little out of date. I guess I should get my news clips from other sources than just The Drudge Report headlines because I had missed those above. Hey, I was sick last week! I did see a headline this Wednesday from my home state. When Oklahoma makes the front page of Drudge, it usually means some hick as done some bone headed move and cast my state in a negative light. Either that, or some city has poisoned a bunch of Prairie Dogs. So, it makes me nervous. Below is what I read.

Local Celebrity: The citizens of Muskogee, Oklahoma just elected a 19 year-old political science student as their Mayor. Oklahoma University freshman, John Tyler Hammons said a key to his platform that resonated with voters was openness of government and keeping citizens better informed of city operations. "Being elected does not change my desire to continue my education," he said. "We will schedule our time in an appropriate fashion so that I can be mayor and stay in school."

In Other News: A 38 year old Texas man tried to sell a 25-gallon drum of cyanide to an FBI informant in Muskogee, OK. He was arrested after being recorded saying he was willing to sell the drum in exchange for $10,000, a thermal imager and a fully automatic Russian-made AK-47 assault rifle. "I could kill a city with that (the cyanide)," he said. "Euthanize a whole village."

So, good luck young mayor. You Okie from Muskogee! You’re going to need it. Do they teach 'Combating Terrorism 101' at OU? And what’s up with the three names?

"Lone gunmen assassins, they always have three names," Jerry Fletcher. (1997, Conspiracy Theory)

TV, Dead or Alive: And speaking of assassins... ‘the powers that be’ at the big networks are making more announcements this week about which shows will be back next season and which ones we’ve wasted our time getting to know.
Dead - Aliens in America, Back To You, Men In Trees, New Amsterdam, and Women’s Murder Club
Anne Heche from Men In Trees has already gone to court to get required alimony payments stopped since she is unemployed and, in her words, broke.
Alive - Eli Stone, How I Met Your Mother, Reaper, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and ’Til Death.
I wrote this mainly for my husband’s benefit. Since I’m the one that sets the DVR each week, he has absolutely no idea what shows are still on TV.

What’s The Story, Observatory?: NASA announced Wednesday that the Chandra X-Ray Observatory had discovered the youngest Supernova in our galaxy. The 140 year old explosion is the newest one known in the Milky Way.
"Finding such a recent, obscured supernova is a first step in making a better estimate of how often the stellar explosions occur. This is important because supernovae heat and redistribute large amounts of gas, and pump heavy elements out into their surroundings. They can trigger the formation of new stars as part of a cycle of stellar death and rebirth. The explosion also can leave behind, in addition to the expanding remnant, a central neutron star or black hole."

Um…Okay. Unless you are ‘a rocket scientist or something’, I guess there is no way to truly understand the implications of such a major discovery.
Prompting Okie Sister to just burst into the song "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis. Why? Because she hadn’t heard it in a really long time and used to enjoy it immensely. Did it really come out way back in 1995?

Later Okie Sister started humming "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden, which was released in 1994.

Okie Sister could then be heard mumbling over in the corner something about black and white TV, Peabody’s Improbable History, The Wonderful World of Disney, fa-fa-fa-Foolin’, and something about being older than dirt.

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Music/TV: You may not have won Celebrity Apprentice, country singer Trace Adkins, but you were sighted yesterday in Genoa City on Okie Sister's favorite soap opera, The Young and The Restless. Trace performed an acoustic version of his hit song, "You’re Gonna Miss This," which has beautiful lyrics about appreciating where you are in life because it goes by so fast. When Trace is not singing about "Badonkadonk," he can sing moving ballads like this one and another favorite of mine, "I Wanna Feel Something." "I just wanna feel something. Somethin that's a real somethin. That moves me, that proves to me I'm still alive." I prefer this more serious, softer side of Adkins. He referred to this last song as sappy.

More Music: Gavin DeGraw's new self titled CD comes out this week. DeGraw says this CD is a little more rock than his last. I'm a big fan of this young, soulful singer and really enjoyed his Chariot CD. It contains many great songs, my favorites being "I Don't Want To Be" and "Belief." Wait, I think I like all the songs on it; that's rare. A fun, lesser known song on it is "Chemical Party." "Chemical party, lover down... It's not the walls, it's not this town. You're just too high to see the point, You think your name is 'pass the joint'." Speaking of chemicals...

In the News: Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann passed away this week at the age of 102. Flash back to 1938, when Hofmann invented LSD. He believed in the medicinal effects of the hallucinogenic drug and tested it himself. He was appalled that the drug was hijacked by 'those damn hippies in the 60's' and that the establishment unfairly demonized his discovery. Hofmann also studied 'magic' mushrooms and other plants used by aborigines.

Just thinking out loud here…but don't you think all plants and animals are on this earth for a reason? For reference, watch the 1992 movie Medicine Man starring Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco. It's about a scientist working on the cure for cancer, doing research in the Amazon jungle, as bulldozers approach the area.

Local News: Another gang on gang shooting occurred in town last week. One of the gunshot victims told police he had gone to confront a man when another man hit him from behind and knocked him down. The victim said he got back up and began to fight when a bright yellow, older-model car pulled up, and from which several shots were fired. The man told police he was hit in the leg by gunfire, and then got up and began to run. The man he was fighting with was shot in the face and arm. He said when he tried to run to a house, several bullets flew by him. He ducked and raised his arm up to cover his head when a bullet hit him in the right arm. He told police he recognized the shooter and furnished them with a name, according to the report.

This happened one block from a family member’s home. Yes, the same neighborhood as the Spice Girl robbery. My husband drove past the aftermath on his way home from work and snapped a couple of photos of the police, CSI and media.

I guess these guys didn’t care that there might be "Chlidren at Play" in the area. Note to city road sign crew: w-rest the wacky weed while writing.

Annie Get Your Camera

Annie Leibovitz is an iconic photographer whose pictures have graced the cover and pages of Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines and have been exhibited at galleries and museums throughout the world. She has shot many legendary photographs throughout her career that are beautiful, insightful, intriguing, clever and sometimes controversial.

It would really be a shame if her most popular photo turns out to be of teen sensation Miley Cyrus, daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Outrage and controversy have erupted this week over a bare backed photo she took of the Hannah Montana star. In the photo Miley is topless, with a sheet covering her chest. Miley was told the photo would be artistic. To me, she looks more like a deer caught in headlights. Miley was upset and embarrassed by the photo, as I'm sure was the Disney franchise that backs her. I would have been upset too if I had the famed Annie Leibovitz take my photo, and this is what I got in return.

Leibovitz has photographed many of the rich and famous of our day. When I think of her work, the first photo that comes to mind is the controversial one of Demi Moore wearing nothing but body paint. This was a very cleaver way to take a nude photograph. She also shot one of a very pregnant, naked Demi.

Second, I recall Bette Midler on the cover of the Rolling Stone covered in roses. Too divine.

Next, I think of Whoopi Goldberg in a bath tub filled with milk. The contrast is intriguing, plus it's also just good clean fun.

Speaking of milk, Leibovitz has even shot several Got Milk ads, including actors Amanda Bynes, Heroes' Masi Oka and Haden Panettiere. This is more the kind of shot a 15 year old should be making.

     

For topless or nude shots, leave those to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sitting atop a steed smoking a cigar or Sting naked and covered in mud. Both of these are clever and macho.

     

For pure aesthetics, admire this very popular shot of actress Nicole Kidman. I love the lighting.

 

For movie buffs, how about Jodi Foster in The Birds?

And you film noir fans should appreciate Sharon Stone, Anjelica Huston and Diane Lane in the Killers Kill Dead Men Die photo spread. As well as, Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire.

   

For a little controversy, what do you think about Chris Rock in white face? The cast of The Sopranos posed for several artsy shots, including one titled The Last Supper.

Several actors have recreated various Disney scenes, Alice in Wonderland, and the Wizard of Oz. Then there's the series of Drew Barrymore in the Beauty and the Beast photo shoot. Drew is a classic beauty.

The list of the famous goes on and on: John Lennon and Yoko Ono a mere five hours before Lennon was killed, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, country singers Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, etc. Not to mention real life photos of everyday people and places that Leibovitz has documented with her camera lens.

Bottom line here, Annie Leibovitz has an incredible catalog of work. Will she now be best known for a snapshot of Miley Cyrus? That would be sad.

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Monkism: What will our Monk do without his beloved shrink? Actor Stanley Kamel, age 65, was found dead in his home in LA on Tuesday. Kamel's last role was playing Dr. Charles Kroger on the popular USA Network show Monk.

Kamel also acted in Murder One, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Cagney & Lacey, Hunter, Hill Street Blues, and Days of Our Lives; to name only of few from the hundreds of shows he has appeared in. He was even in one episode of Star Trek: TNG, Where No One Has Gone Before playing Kosinski.

He once said he was most proud of his work on LA Law were he played Mark Gilliam, one of the first characters on television to have AIDS. He said Tom Hanks and Jonathan Demme studied those episodes long before they started making the movie Philadelphia.

TV/Movies: The NRA has lost their most vocal representative and past president, Mr. Charlton Heston. Some of my favorite Heston quotes: "The law-abiding citizen is entitled to own a rifle, pistol, or shotgun. The right, put simply, shall not be infringed." "From my cold, dead hands!"€And let's not forget: "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"

We all have our favorite Heston movie scenes that will stick with us forever, like the reaction to the Statue of Liberty on the beach. I wrote about one of my favorites Heston movies, Naked Jungle. Not one of his most popular, but I like it. Rest in peace, Mr. C.

Racing News: Mark Martin was inducted into the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame on April 2, 2008. "It's really a great honor to be recognized for what we have been able to achieve at Texas," said Martin. "I've always enjoyed going there."

The Hall of Fame ceremony benefits Happy Hill Farm Academy, a working farm that helps children with a broad range of behavioral and academic issues sometimes as a result of abuse and neglect. You may have heard Dr. Phil talk about it.

In other racing news: Chrissy Wallace daughter of NASCAR driver Mike Wallace, recently made her racing debut, driving to a 18th place finish in Martinsville in the Craftsman Truck Series. She stayed on the lead lap and maneuvered around several wrecks. You, go girl!

Local Celebrity: Ft. Sill Commanding General MG Peter Vangjel and his wife Joanne pictured here with Miranda Lambert before her recent concert.

Food Find: Oreo Cakesters. Do not buy these; they are too delicious for words. Similar to a Little Debbie's product but with that rich Oreo chocolate. I had been fighting the urge to try these ever since I saw it on the Walgreens check out aisle. Excellent product placement, by the way, for the impulse shopper lurking inside us all.

Holly Day

March 20, 2008 - Happy 50^th Birthday Holly Hunter

I think Hunter has always been a fascinating actress. She’s played quirky characters and takes risks with her roles. She’s very funny; her laugh makes me laugh. Some of my favorite Holly Hunter moments are listed below.

Broadcast News (1987) with William Hurt, Albert Brooks, and Joan Cusack. Written and directed by James L Brooks. I smart comedic look behind the scenes of the nightly news. Dialog is crisp and fast paced with many punchy one-liners.

Always (1989) with Richard Dreyfuss and John Goodman. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Romantic remake about love, loss and moving on; set in the world of aerial fire-fighting.

Once Around (1991) with Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Aiello, Gena Rowlands, and Laura San Giacomo. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Renata falls hard for Sam. Sam doesn’t fit in with Renata’s family. Touching and heartbreaking, but also funny and uplifting.

Home For the Holidays (1995) with Robert Downey, Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, and Cynthia Stevenson. Directed by Jodie Foster. My younger brother and I used to watch this together every year, either Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's a movie about family; a dysfunctional family that talk and fight and love each other. Mostly it's about a brother and sister who rely on each other to get through the stress of the holiday with the family.

Saving Grace (2007 TV) with Leon Rippy, and Laura San Giacomo. Something about this TNT original show makes me keep watching it. The first few episodes I kept saying, “Do I like this show?” Now I’m hooked; it’s odd but extremely compelling.

Hunter plays an Oklahoma City cop, Grace Hanadarko, who is visited by an angel named Earl that delivers a message of redemption from God. This “last chance” angel also visits an inmate on death row. Grace’s brother is a Catholic priest: Grace is practically an atheist. They lost a sister in the OKC bombing and as a cop Grace worked the aftermath. Grace shows a softer side when interacting with her best friend, her nephew, and her Native American grandfather. Oh yeah and then there’s the Jesus cow; spots on side of cow forming a face.

I think what makes the show disturbing to watch is the brilliant acting of Hunter; she is convincing as a tormented, slutty, often drunken character with serious issues. I really don’t need to see her bony naked body anymore. There are many odd Oklahoma references in the show. Most character’s last names are a cities in OK: Ada, Dewey, Stillwater, Perry, Norman, Yukon, and Purcell. I personally find this distracting to my viewing. The show has already had the obligatory tornado destroying buildings episode. Scenes have been shot at an oil rig and at a stockyard; like this is the show Dallas or something. Most of us Okies live in cities and wear shoes, not boots people. Oh, by the way, it would be nice if the show would actually film in Oklahoma.

Overall conclusion is that I can’t wait to see what happens next on this show when it resumes in July. Plus I enjoy the cool theme song performed by Everlast.

Naked Jungle

I used to watch old classic movies early on a Sunday morning before my husband would even wake up. I love these old movies; they have interesting dialogue. My father in-law is also a fan of these movies and will watch one at work sometimes. I enjoy discussing them with him.

One favorite of mine is from 1954.

"The Naked Jungle" starring Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker.

Heston plays Leiningen, a man who carved out a cocoa plantation in the middle of the wild South American jungle with the help of his head hunter workers. His brother arranges a marriage between Leiningen and the beautiful and regal Parker. Arrogant Leiningen, who knows little about women, wants to know what is wrong with her upon her arrival. He is upset to learn that she has been married before (she's a widow) and arranges to have her shipped back on the next boat. She tells him while playing his 'perfect' piano, "If you knew anything about music, you'd know that the best piano is one that's been played." Subtle, huh?

Before he can ship her off, the Commissioner (William Conrad) warns of a menace looming in the distance, Marabunta! An army of soldier ants 20 miles long and 2 miles wide is heading their way. Leiningen decides to fights back to save all he has created for himself in the past 15 years. 'Leiningen's woman' stands by her man so that the plantation workers don't flee in fear of the danger; thus garnering his respect for her. These ants are made to look very scary, destroying all the vegetation and anyone who gets in their way. I love this movie; it's part love story and part sci-fi thriller!

As a side note: I recognized actual footage from this movie when it appeared years later in a MacGyver episode,Trumbo's World.

Most Watched Movies

My niece recently asked me what my favorite movie was. In the past, I would have immediately answered Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has been at the top of my list for years now. Can you believe it came out over 20 years ago, in 1985? I love this movie for it’s simplistic theme; take a day off and have fun. We all need to play hooky once in a while. Why? Because…

“Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Well said, Ferris.

Abe Froman, Sausage King of Chicago!

 

Bueller however was not the movie that popped into my head that day. I thought about all the classics and the lists of the 100 greatest movies of all time. I pondered the movies that I had watched numerous times; deciding that the most viewed film had to be my favorite. The result was almost too embarrassing to tell. But, the movie that I have watched the most is….

Dirty Dancing. I know, but I can’t help myself; it‘s my guilty pleasure. At the time it came out, one year after Bueller, I thought Patrick Swayze was really hot. He had scorched up the television screen as Orry Main in the mini series North and South only a couple of years prior to his Johnny Castle role. That’s when I fell for the Swayze. He has this sexy face he makes when he is moving in for an on screen kiss. Ladies you know what I’m talking about here right? Anyway, I actually was inspired to read all three of the John Jakes novels (North and South, Love and War, Heaven and Hell) based on my enjoyment of the mini series. Have you seen these books? They are like War and Peace enormous. Well, enormous for someone that usually only reads magazines articles.

Anyway back to the Swayze and his dirty, Dirty Dancing. I swear this movie is playing on some TV station somewhere at any given moment. I can’t help but stop and watch it when it’s on, waiting for one of those famous lines. “I carried a watermelon.” “But, Daddy, I want to be in the show!” “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” I like the dancing and the soundtrack too; especially the song “She’s Like the Wind” that was co-written and sung by Swayze.

Just this week it was announced that Patrick Swayze is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. While I don’t still have the hots for the Swayze (he looks old now, good thing I haven‘t aged any) I do wish him well and hope that he can recover at his Rancho Bizarro from this awful disease.

Below is a video especially for my younger brother.

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TV/Movie: Andrew Koenig, son of Walter Koenig of Star Trek fame, was arrested earlier this year for stepping in front of a Rose Parade float while holding up a sign that said Free Burma. The younger Koenig is best known for his role as Richard Stabone aka. “Boner” in the television show Growing Pains. He also appeared in a Star Trek DS9 episode titled Sanctuary; playing the character of Tumak. I never put this Boner/Koenig connection together.

There is also a sister Danielle Koenig, who is a actress, writer, and comedian. She is married to comedian Jimmy Pardo.

Walter Koenig is married to Judy Leavitt, also an actress. They both appeared in the Babylon 5 episode A Race Through Dark Places, where she played a Psi Cop.

All four of the Koenigs appear in "InAlienable" a downloadable movie written and produced by Walter; also starring Marina Sirtis, Alan Ruck, and Richard Hatch. (The actor, not the Survivor winner)

In The News: A group of twenty-nine middle school students in Readington Township, NJ upset by their shortened lunch period paid for their $2 meals with pennies on Thursday. School Superintendent Schiff gave them two-day detentions for slowing down the lunch line and disrespecting cafeteria workers. On Friday the students ‘brown bagged” it and gave the lunch ladies apology cards. Sunday, Schiff rescinded the after-school detentions. In his e-mail, he said the students described their actions as a prank and that news reports inaccurately called it a protest. Several parents had complained the punishment was too harsh, but though some thought it too lenient.

Are you kidding me? I love that the kids took a stand; I hope it was a protest. Remember the Boston Tea Party? This is American History in action. Do they still teach history in school these days? Surely their parents or grandparents remember the Sit-Ins of the 60’s. These kids joined together and counted to 200; they didn’t show up with guns! Lighten up people; leave these youngsters alone.

This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard since last week when six year-old Bryan Ruda was expelled from school in Parma, OH because he sports a mohawk. Bryan went on to change schools, not his hair. Rock on little Bryan-ster.

Local Celebrity: Monday, March 3, 2008 marked the first day of Delta Airline flights between our city airport and the metropolis of Atlanta. The jets will leave the airport at 6 a.m. and 12:25 a.m., and arrive from Atlanta at 12:05 p.m. and 9:03 p.m. Vice Mayor Randy Warren, thanking Delta for bringing regional jet service to the city, said the community got behind the idea of bringing Delta to Lawton and now residents will “get behind (the idea of) keeping you here.”

When Worlds Collide: Novelist Stephen King has written the script for “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” with music by singer John Mellencamp. The play will open at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre in April 2009, with the object of getting it ready for a Broadway run. It is described as a ‘sultry Southern gothic mystery with a blues score.’

Sounds dark. Well as least now you can get to Atlanta from here.

I spend a couple of weeks in Atlanta. A tornado touched down less than a block from where I was staying and all the power at my hotel went out. Always travel with a flashlight, people.

While there, I visited the World of Coca-Cola and Underground Atlanta, the downtown shopping mall. This historic area was home to speakeasys and juke joints in the early 20’s.

In the plaza between these two attractions, you can relax by a fountain and admire the wall of whales painted by famed muralist Robert Wyland. Wyland was influenced to study whales and care for the environment by someone I also admire, Captain Jacques Cousteau.

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Real Monk: You can’t keep an obsessive compulsive disorder suffering detective down. USA Network has ordered a seventh season of Monk. “You might say we were ‘obsessed’ with making this deal,” EVP of Original Programming Jeff Wachtel said in a statement. “Let’s face it; It’s not easy to ‘wash your hands’ of a show like Monk. We have high hopes that this summer it will once again ‘clean up’ in the ratings.” (Thanks, Shecky, you’re funny!)

Television News: ABC Daytime has entered into a multi-show product integration partnership with Campbell Soup Co. to promote the company's support of the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement, which raises awareness of heart disease in women.

This is why they are annoying me with all those awkward product placements in the middle of the show; and also why they made the character Nurse Epiphany suffer a heart attack on GH. Boo…hiss…two thumbs down ABC.

Movies on TV: "Music and Lyrics" is a cute Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant flick. "Man of the Year" is a funny (and serious) Robin Williams, Laura Linney election movie. Both worth watching. I tried to watch another movie, but I hated it two minutes into it, "Stranger Than Fiction" starring Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson. I absolutely hate narration...and this is what the movie is about; a man hearing narration in his head. I had no idea! I couldn't watch it.

Local Celebrity: State Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields apologized for his actions Tuesday, three days after being taken to a detox center from a party where he allegedly tried to take a rodeo cowboy’s guitar. At least three people were taken to detox centers after the party that followed a bull riding event. Professional Bull Riders spokeswoman Jodie Edmonds said, “A couple of guys who work for us took him to the ground.”

“I acknowledge an incident occurred last Saturday night,” Fields said. “However, it was simply a misunderstanding of a practical joke among friends gone bad. I am embarrassed about the incident and take full responsibility. I apologize for my actions and ask forgiveness.”

Only in OK: To celebrate national FFA week, tractors of all sizes rolled into the parking lot of Waurika High School Friday morning for "Drive Your Tractor to School Day.” Ag Instructor and FFA Advisor Chris Kidd says he loves helping students prepare for their agricultural careers after high school, but he also wants to make it something they enjoy too. FFA Motto: Learning To Do, Doing To Learn, Earning To Live, Living To Serve.

Food Find: Being that I’m kind of cheap frugal, I picked up a box of cereal the other day for $1 at my local grocery store. I also liked the fact that the box was only about 7 or 8 ounces in size; I get annoyed when I have to throw out stale cereal. I’m the only one in my house that eats cereal so it’s hard to finish one of those large boxes. The cereal, Marshmallow Mateys, was supposed to be comparable to another brand. Well, it was really good; I couldn‘t tell any difference! I also recommend Honey Nut Scooters. They are both produced by Malt-O-Meal and actually have comparable or more ‘good’ ingredients in them than their counterparts. Oh, yeah, and they only cost a dollar a box. (End of awkward product placement.)

Funny Cartoon:

Sister Sightings (2)

New SciFi Series: The animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will debut on Cartoon Network in the fall. The TV series will follow a theatrical release for "Clone Wars" on Aug. 15.

"I felt there were a lot more 'Star Wars' stories left to tell," says creator George Lucas, who's executive producing the animated series. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward." The CG-animated "Clone Wars" will be set in the time between Episodes II and III of the movie franchise and follow Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala in their struggle to keep the galaxy free.

Does anyone else think these characters look scary, as do a lot of cartoons these days?

I freaked out when I first saw that show Zoboomafoo on PBS. Its got a flying, talking lemur puppet thing. It's part live-action, part claymation, and part mind-tripping weirdness.

More TV New: Both “Chuck” and “Life” have been picked up by NBC for a second season. Imagine two shows I watch not being cancelled, that’s so rare.

In Memorium: Ron Leavitt, a veteran television writer and producer best known for co-creating Married with Children, has died of lung cancer at the age of 60. He also worked on The Jeffersons and Silver Spoons. On creating the dysfunctional Bundy family, Leavitt said the show was his "adolescent rebellion against all those shows where everyone sat together at the dinner table and got along . . . and solved the world's problems in 22 minutes." He called it the anti-Cosby show.

"He created that show to make people laugh and show life isn't perfect," said the model and actress Jessica Hahn, with whom he had a relationship. You remember Hahn, the former church secretary, best known for her sex scandal with televangelist Jim Baker.

In the News: Remember all those UFO sightings back in January around Stephenville, Texas? One of the witnesses is now being harassed by military aircraft flying over his property both day and night. Low flying helicopters are disturbing his livestock and his sleep. Why would they do this if not to shut him up?

Maybe it’s all part of that secret military mission to shoot down the spy satellite that is currently hurling towards Earth.

Funny photo: My father in-law emailed me this picture titled Fox Hunt. I got a good laugh from it and it’s sound wisdom: “When you are in deep shit, look straight ahead, keep your mouth shut and say nothing.”

 

Top Dog: Uno, a 3-year-old beagle made history at the Westminster Kennel Club show, becoming the first of his breed ever to win the top prize. He was clearly the fan favorite and got a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. Handler Aaron Wilkerson called Uno a "people's dog" and a "merry little hound."

Monkisms: Watching woman cough into her hand at the Korean buffet line and then reach for the serving tongs. (We were all taught to cover our mouths, weren’t we? People, the new school of thinking is, cough into your arm or shoulder.)

Someone pointed out to me that my opening of doors with my elbow, with my purse or with my hand pulled up into the sleeve of my jacket was unusual, to say the least. (You mean everybody doesn’t do this?)