When I heard that today is the 60th birthday of Mr. Potato Head, I immediately thought of my experience with the toy-riffic spud.
No, I'm not old enough to remember when the Mr. Potato Head "kit" was just the eyes, mouth, pipe, and other features and you had to provide your own potato. And I wasn't watching when this particular toy became the very first to be advertised on TV.
But I do remember that when I got a Mr. Potato Head as a Christmas gift, I also got something that just seemed a little weird. It was his interesting green friend, Cooky Cucumber. Not Mrs. Cooky Cucumber, so I presume she was footloose and fancy free.
Unless of course you lost her foot in the couch.
A little google research told me that other veggies were available in the 1960's as well, including a carrot and a green pepper. But for some reason turnips were excluded.
Apparently that idea caused the toymakers to turnip their noses.
The other day I posted a picture on facebook of my childhood friends, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Greenjeans, Mr. Moose, Dancing Bear, and Bunny Rabbit. Everybody seemed to go nuts for it!
For some reason, that got me thinking about all the Captains that have been in my life over the years. So I've decided to share with you my list of favorite captains.
Kitty's Favorite Captains, in no particular order:
1. Captain Kangaroo. His voice is so soothing when he reads The Story of Ping, or Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Yet he's vulnerable, always falling for Mr. Moose's shenanigans when he drops ping pong balls on his head.
2. Captains Pierce and McIntyre. While B. J. Hunnicutt has his moments, Hawkeye and Trapper are screwballs I would like to hang out with. As long as I don't have to go to Korea.
3. Captain Daryl Dragon. Toni Tennille's husband looks great in that sailor hat and manages to bang away at that keyboard through "Muskrat Love" and "Love Will Keep Us Together" with unbridled joy.
4. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. You can't really go wrong with 1970's Elton John. Except for "Bad Blood," his duet with Neil Sedaka.
5. Captain Trips. Who wouldn't want to go on long, strange trip with Jerry Garcia?
Captains That Don't Make the Cut
Sorry Captain Crunch, you cut the roof of my mouth and leave a sugary after-taste that lasts for days. And Captain Morgan, I do like your pirate attire, but I'm a Bacardi girl myself.
When Bob Marley died in May of 1981, I was enjoying reggae at the student union at UW-Stevens Point of the reggae musician Tony Brown. I've got to admit, it was kind of a bummer moment when that was announced.
But that's not the spirit of a new documentary about Bob Marley that debuted online and on demand, fittingly, on 4/20. If you want to see it in a theatre, looks like you'll have to wait until May 4th to see it at Sundance in Madison. But you can watch it on a variety of other sources, including Charter On Demand now.
Entitled MARLEY, it's the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend, from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, the film features rare footage, incredible performances and revelatory interviews with the people that knew him best.
Amidst all the other celebrity death notices this week, comes news that Jonathan Frid, who played Barnabas Collins on the Dark Shadows soap opera in the 1960's, has died of natural causes at age 87.
I don't get it. Isn't a vampire, by definition, already dead?
Seriously, I loved that show when I was a kid. I really did race home from first grade to watch it, even though I probably didn't exactly know what was going on. My older brothers watched it, as did my brothers' friends, who'd sit around drinking Coca-Cola and smoking cigarettes in my parents living room.
I've amassed a small collection of Dark Shadows' items over the years, including a board game, a soundtrack CD record album, a 45 of Quentin's theme..and one item I've had since back in the day. A Dark Shadows Viewmaster reel. Jealous?
Johnny Depp is going to play Barnabas in an upcoming movie. I hope it's not so horrible it makes Jonathan Frid roll over in his grave.
You know, for a guy who got his start working in the mailroom of his uncle's radio station, Dick Clark did all right for himself.
Dick Clark, who died Thursday at age 82, amassed a fortune over the years...through Dick Clark Productions which did everything from creating the American Music Awards to So You Think You Can Dance. He owned a bunch of restaurants, a luxury property management firm and more.
Now most of the tributes about Dick Clark are focussing on American Bandstand, Pyramid, and Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve, for some reason nobody's mentioned his contribution to the fine TV show Batman, which you can see below.
Now I am not generally a cat person (despite my name). But I do enjoy the occasional cute cat video on the youtubes.
I found myself getting hypnotically entranced by the latest viral offering. And while the cute little kitty that's falling asleep is indeed adorable, I found myself watching the ones off in the distance frolicking by the office chair.
Enjoy.
And for you dog lovers out there..here's this one that was viral a few months ago. Just in case you missed it!
I'm not sure I need a specially designated holiday to recognize the fact that I'm stressed.
But since some one has gone to all the trouble to create Stress Awareness Day, I might as well embrace it, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it.
Do I send out Stress Awareness Day cards?
Do I take my blood pressure every five minutes? "Oh my gosh, it's so high. I better take it again. Oh no, now it's REALLY high!"
Do I just take a lot of deep cleansing breaths?
I know. I think I'll bake myself a National Stress Day Cake! Frosted with anguish and anxiety!
And I'll eat it all in one sitting. Or am I supposed to wait until National Stress Eating Day to do that?
I used to love watching the TV show "Crossing Over" with John Edward.
For those of you that aren't familiar with him, he's a psychic medium who has the ability to communicate with people who have "crossed over," or in other words, he sees dead people.
Having lost quite a few close relatives over the years, I think I'm a prime candidate for believing in him..hook, line and sinker. And I would guess that I really want to believe what he's saying is true. So when Jonathan and I got the opportunity to interview him about his book Infinite Quest, I jumped.
I was hoping that one of my dead relatives would come through, but alas that did not happen. He wasn't in "reading" mode during the interview. What he had to say though was still interesting. You can hear the complete, unedited interview below.
Click here to find out about his latest book, which is now available in paperback.
Apparently stuffing pizza crust with cheese just wasn't enough. At least not in England, where Pizza Hut is introducing crust stuffed with..hot dogs.
With mustard drizzle, at no extra charge.
While it seems kind of shocking that we don't have the opportunity to gorge ourselves on that taste treat here, it's not entirely surprising that the British have embraced an all-American food to stuff their crusts with. I'm pretty sure that even the English would not be interested in dining on pizza with crust filled with the British staples like steak and kidney pie or Yorkshire pudding.
I just wonder when Pizza Hut in Wisconsin will start offering a 'za with crust stuffed with bratwurst. And perhaps a drizzle of complimentary sauerkraut.
Today would have been the 80th birthday of rock and roll pioneer Carl Perkins, one of the rockers rockers admire most.
When George Harrison was a teenager, he liked to call himself "Carl." Some of the biggest rock stars of all time recorded his songs, and scrambled at the chance to play with him.
Pick up the 1996 tribute CD "Go Cat Go" and check out the list of performers..Tom Petty, Paul Simon, Bono, Johnny Cash..and all four Beatles are on there! Even Hendrix covered Mr. Perkins.
If you can find a copy, check out the documentary "Blue Suede Shoes, A Rockabilly Session," which featured quite the list of guest stars--among them Eric Clapton George Harrison and Dave Edmunds.
Here's just one performance from that program, which was filmed in 1985 in London.
When people think of female rock and roll pioneers..they might think of Janis Joplin or Grace Slick..maybe the band Heart. But way before they were doing their thing, there were a couple women who went before them that I think you should know about.
One was Big Mama Thornton, who was the first to record the song "Hound Dog" later made famous by Elvis Presley. She also recorded ""Ball n Chain" that Janis poured out her soul with more than a decade later.
The other is Wanda Jackson, who was an amazing rockabillly singer. She also sang some country stuff, but it was actually Elvis who encouraged her to give rock and roll a try. She's still touring to this day, and a couple of years ago made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jack White recognized her amazing ability and did a record with her too.
In this video, Big Mama Thornton is accompanied on guitar by none other than the great Buddy Guy.
Saying "Rest In Peace" for somebody known for LOUD seems almost an oxymoron.
Jim Marshall, the creator of the famous Marshall amplifier, died today in England at the age of 88. Some people say he's very much responsible for the guitar sound of the 1960's.
As the story goes, Marshall ran a drum shop in London that guitarists frequented by Pete Townshend, Ritchie Blackmore and other guitar players. They wanted to know why he didn't carry more guitars and amps..so he added some, including some American made Fender amps. Marshall got the idea to try and create some amps that could be made more cheaply than the Fenders. WIth the help of some engineers, the Marshall Amp was born.
Aside from Townshend and John Entwistle of the Who and RItchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, others who used mainly Marshalls included Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Duane Allman and Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band..and down on the line to Randy Rhoads and Slash.
While many guitar players look to Marshall for a certain sound, others just like the image they bring. Often you'll see a wall of Marshall amps on stage..when only one is actually plugged in (or the guitar's plugged into something else entirely).
My boyfriend Mike is a guitar player, and I know when he decides to plug in his Marshall, it's time for me to go run an errand or two because they really are LOUD, even when set on the lowest settings.
I called Mike to tell him about Jim Marshall's passing, and to ask him for his thoughts. He tried to explain the technicalities of the Marshall sound, but quite frankly it was mostly over my head. But he did mention that both Dickey Betts and Duane Allman played through Marshalls (Dickey a 100 watt Marshall and Duane a 50 watt version).
Here's a video featuring the two amazing guitar players from the incredible Live at Fillmore East album. You can see the Marshall amps in the background.
Paul McCartney's son James mentioned to a BBC reporter that he's reached out to the sons of other Beatles, in an effort to put together a musical group of some sort.
What a bloody stupid idea.
Now Zak Starkey is a drummer who's played in his dad's All-Star Band and in the Who. Jason Starkey has done some drumming as well, in bands with fascinating names including The Exploding Nudists. Dhani Harrison has dipped his beatletoe into several difference musical waters..working on his dad's album Brainwashed and various George tributes, and in the bands Fistful of Mercy and thenewno2.
The young McCartney appears to have the least musical experience of all.
But it doesn't matter how much musical experience they have. They could have all gone to Julliard and they still woudn't measure up to the Beatles. And I'm not just saying that because I'm such a HUGE fan of the group. They are without a doubt the most famous band of our lifetime, loved by millions and millions of people. Even people who aren't big fans respect them for their talent and the changes they brought to the world of music.
Anything this new group would be compared to the Beatles. I can just see the headlines of the reviews.
Beatles II--getting better all the time--NOT
Beatles II--Being for the benefit of no one
Beatles II--They can't work it out
Beatles II-And your bird can sing, but this band can't..
Jack White gets more and more awesome all the time.
Have you heard how he released the single for his new solo album? No he didn't include it in giant bars of chocolate, Wonka-style. He released it on helium balloons.
You read that right. He attached the flexi-vinyl single of "Freedom at 21" to helium balloons, along with a postcard asking the finders to return it to him, perhaps with their review of the record. He and his record company, Third Man, released 1000 balloons, hoping to get some kind of response from around 100 people.
Think that's weird?
For record store day, they're also releasing Jack White's single "Single Saltines" for Record Store Day on extra funky etched vinyl (the first etched vinyl record that actually plays), and another one (even more limited) with psychedelic blue liquid in it. What? Check out the video below to see what it looks like (at around the 3:30 mark.) And makes plans to go to Third Man Records In Nashville to get your copy April 21st, because that's the only place that will have it.
Flipping through the Sunday paper, I came upon something that has me mystified.
No, not a letter to the editor or a confusing Family Circus cartoon. It was something I found in the coupon section.
It was a coupon for something called "Duncan Hines Frosting Creations."
How does it work? "Grab a can of frosting starter. Pour in a flavor mix. Stir up endless possibilities."
If you're going to use canned frosting, why not buy a can with the flavoring already in it? What's next? I fear a troubling trend is forming. Will we be seeing these products soon?
ORE-IDA FRENCH FRY CREATIONS: A bag of potatoes and a shaker of salt. Create taste-tempting fries with your choice of style--crinkle cut, shoestring..it's all in your hands!
LAND-O-LAKES BUTTER CREATIONS: A gallon of milk and a butter churn. Get fresh from the creamery taste right in your own kitchen, and tone your arms at the same time.
MRS. PAUL'S FISH CREATIONS: A fishing pole and a map of area lakes. Make-your-own tartar sauce kit sold separately.
If you believe the hashtag, #johnmayerisback!
His first tour since his vocal cord troubles cleared up kicks off on the 4th of July, and includes a stop at Milwaukee's Summerfest on July 6th.
In addition to preparing for a tour, he's been...
Are kids today over-photographed?
Now that everybody has a camera on their phone, and now that Facebook is a greedy beast that must be fed, it seems parents take WAY more pictures of their kids than was the case back in the 1960s and 1970s. It...
People have been wondering why Billie Joe jumped off the bridge since this song came out and made it to number 1 in 1967. Singer Bobby Gentry says people always asked what was thrown over the bridge and why did Billie Joe jump. She never would give a...
Happy birthday to the Cute Beatle, SIr Paul McCartney! He turns 71 today.
One of the rules for Beatles fans is that you must memorize tidbits of Beatle trivia to try and impress other Beatle fans. This is not that easy to do....as things like...
In 1968, Jeannie C. Riley topped both the pop and country charts with "Harper Valley PTA". She was the first female singer to accomplish that feat and it wasn't repeated until Dolly Parton did it in 1981 with the song "9 to 5". The song was...
This week we're doing story songs on the World's Worst iPod. We start with the story of Billy who really wanted to be a hero. He was a hero, but didn't live to see it and his girlfriend was pretty angry. The song was originally done by...
This week' s Gabby's Pick is another track from emerging artist ZZ Ward's debut album , called "365 Days."
In addition to all the radio airplay " Put The Gun Down" has received, you may also have heard her music on several television...
Apparently Oreo flavored Oreos are not sufficient.
Nabisco is continuing its trend of introducing special limited edition flavors for its Oreo cookies. Last year, the internet was all abuzz about candy corn Oreos, which supposedly didn't really...
If you believe the hashtag, #johnmayerisback!
His first tour since his vocal cord troubles cleared up kicks off on the 4th of July, and includes a stop at Milwaukee's Summerfest on July 6th.
In addition to preparing for a tour, he's been...
Are kids today over-photographed?
Now that everybody has a camera on their phone, and now that Facebook is a greedy beast that must be fed, it seems parents take WAY more pictures of their kids than was the case back in the 1960s and 1970s. It...
People have been wondering why Billie Joe jumped off the bridge since this song came out and made it to number 1 in 1967. Singer Bobby Gentry says people always asked what was thrown over the bridge and why did Billie Joe jump. She never would give a...
Happy birthday to the Cute Beatle, SIr Paul McCartney! He turns 71 today.
One of the rules for Beatles fans is that you must memorize tidbits of Beatle trivia to try and impress other Beatle fans. This is not that easy to do....as things like...
In 1968, Jeannie C. Riley topped both the pop and country charts with "Harper Valley PTA". She was the first female singer to accomplish that feat and it wasn't repeated until Dolly Parton did it in 1981 with the song "9 to 5". The song was...
This week we're doing story songs on the World's Worst iPod. We start with the story of Billy who really wanted to be a hero. He was a hero, but didn't live to see it and his girlfriend was pretty angry. The song was originally done by...
This week' s Gabby's Pick is another track from emerging artist ZZ Ward's debut album , called "365 Days."
In addition to all the radio airplay " Put The Gun Down" has received, you may also have heard her music on several television...
Apparently Oreo flavored Oreos are not sufficient.
Nabisco is continuing its trend of introducing special limited edition flavors for its Oreo cookies. Last year, the internet was all abuzz about candy corn Oreos, which supposedly didn't really...
