Just Lucky, I Guess

Happy Birthday Carol Channing!

Kaseburger in der Dose

Good news, campers! Those wiley Germans have invented the Cheeseburger In The Can, or Der Kaseburger in der Dose.

This'll be fun to pop open on those cold nights in a National Park, and/or after the Nuclear Winter.

You can order yours at the Trekking Mahlzeiten Online-Shop. Thanks James for the heads up.

Das Schmekt Gut!

Patti LuPone Scares The Living Corky Out Of Me

Last night my friend Terri and I went to the 2008 Nightlife Awards. The winners of the awards (for Jazz, Cabaret, & Comedy) each performed selections from their acts - so for $25 it was like a greatest hits of the past year of NYC nightlife. It was what I call "a good time" and "bang for my buck."

One of the presenters was Dame Charles Busch, who is pretty funny and was one of Amber's Cinema Studies teachers at NYU. He made a reference to Patti LuPone performing "What's New Buenos Aires" on the 1981 Tony Awards. Thanks to my friend the internet, I could find out myself what this super insidery theatre reference meant.



Also thanks to my friend the internet, I'll sleep with the lights on for a while now.

Dang Laptop!

I love everything about this picture. This man had a laptop? And he kept it in the front seat of his pick-up truck? And it exploded?

Friendship, Take 2

It seems that every kitty that comes into my life likes to celebrate diversity amongst his friends. Here's a snap of Marcus & Co from the Past, which reminds me very much of Zach & his pals.

Why are cats so chummy with aquatic beasts?

Miss Shelley Winters

Whew. I sure am glad that Amber is back, because I was getting pretty wiped out. All this blogging, plus a day job!

I was saddened to remember that Miss Shelley Winters went up to Heaven two years ago this week. It was a sad day, indeed. I was reminded of this because her old nemesis Ernest Borgnine, is celebrating his 91st birthday today. Shelley should be so lucky.

If in fact one does cross the River Jordan on one's way to the afterlife, I'm sure Shelley made that crossing the best of anyone. No one has ever died as beautifully, and as wetly, as Miss Shelley Winters in so many of her films. In the water she's a very skinny lady.

After she got up there in years, her main job was to go on the Carson show and be a goof. One of my favorite thing to do at the "Museum" of Television & Radio is to watch old appearances of hers. Here she is having fun with Miss Annie Potts.



Rest in Peace Shelley.

What Style, now?

It sure is tiring writing for two blogs - I don't know how Arianna de Huffington does it.

I'll take a break from Amber & for a moment and remember back to our trip to San Francisco last fall. Which do you think was my favorite business at the Sloat Garden Center?

Burgers I Have Loved, Revisited

This appears to be on of my earliest favoritist burgers.

The Heavenization of Emily

Always a friend to the Chosen People, dating back to her time in DIARY OF ANNE FRANK replacing Dame Patty Duke, Suzanne Pleshette rushed up to Heaven over the weekend to make sure Bobby Fischer wasn't let in. I'm sure her late, third husband Tom Poston met her at the gates to lend a helpful, if bumbling, hand.

Some kindred spirit posted this tribute to SP on the youtube. I'm not sure why it's to a Bread song, but there you have it.

Amber & Fish House Punch

Every other year, when Amber lives on Avenue B and all is right in the world, she has a very warm holiday party which I attend. One year I left the leather pants at home and brought my friend Paul.

That year Amber decided to serve Fish House Punch. My exhaustive internet research indicates this was invented in that leap year of 1732, the same year that George Washington was born. It was served at Gentlemen's Parties to help them escape domestic tribulation. I know it helped me and Paul escape sobriety. We had a bit too much mirth that night, from what I can recall.

Later, we realized that we had inadvertently brought the Abominable Snowman home with us.
Danger!

Heaven's Birthday Cake

They must be having a joint birthday party up in Heaven today, with both Ethel Merman & Aaliyah blowing out the candles at God's Diva Table.

Other than the fact that they were both married to Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine, the two dames don't have much in common. Here's hoping they performed a lively duet at the party! Rest in Peace, ladies.

Kiwi Culture

The native New Zealanders are Maoris. Unlike the Native Americans in the USA or the aborigines in Australia, the Maori makeup a high percentage of the Kiwi population: 15%.

They also make some Art which some might say is pervy. I say it is not, and stand by it.

Cats & Watermelons

I don't know what it is about cats & watermelons, but they seem to go together like chocolate & peanut butter.
This gray puss has yellow eyes, and likes to hide behind his melon.
Yellow boy here is just so proud to pose.
I fear something bad has happened between puss & melon before this picture was taken.
This one is my all time favorite. Pepper & Lucy are having a little adventure here. I don't know what's happening - are they going up on a glorious adventure to the heavens? Or are they going down to a crushing splat? Why are they so relaxed? Pepper seems to know something's up, but Lucy is enjoying the ride. I know this is Great Art because it makes me ask many questions.

The Right To Bear Lions

Woman, 80, Shoots Lion to Protect Dog
The Associated Press / January 8, 2008

Acting to protect her dog, 80-year-old Martha Smith killed a mountain lion at her home along French Creek near Fairburn. She missed with her first shot, went into the house to call 911, then went back outside with a .22-caliber rifle.

"And he was a spittin' and a growlin'," said Smith. "All I saw was flashing eyes and teeth. And I knew I was gonna have to kill him if I could."

Smith, who lives alone, said she'd like to have the lion mounted, but doubts the state Department of Game, Fish & Parks will return the carcass to her.
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This, in fact, is I think what our Founding Fathers meant with the 2nd Amendment.

I'm sorry for the Lion but I would do the same for Zach.

Bowling!

In the old days, I would go bowling a lot. I would go every year to ALH's birthday party, and for some reason a bunch of times with my office. I haven't been in a few years now.

There is much controversy over who invented bowling, it was probably either the Egyptians or the Fins. I don't know because I wasn't around. When I was a tot my mom would go bowling to a candlepin place on Route 9 in Westboro with other moms and we kids would sit around and be childlike.

I think this picture is circa 1997 as I still have sideburns.

Burgers I Have Loved

I have been lucky in my life in that I have had some wonderful burgers.
I had this bad boy, which comes with foie gras, with Doug one Superbowl Sunday at the db Bistro in the City Club Hotel in midtown. It was the same Superbowl with Scandal Boobs.


I had this one in Napa at Taylor's Refreshers with Sarah. Bleu Cheese! Bacon! Onion Ring!

Burgers are one of those things that makes life good.

Have you had a good burger? Send in pics!

It Was Otterly A-Maze-ing

On our way to see the Otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in the recent past, we stopped at the Arata Pumpkin Farm to enjoy a Hay Maze. And by enjoy, I mean Tyler had the time of his life.

Maze!

Faces: Funny & Not So Funny: Take 2

I was reminded by The Past that Once Upon A Time, I *did* know when it was appropriate to make a Funny Face.

In the Present, not so much.

A Good Scan Is Hard To Find

As a special treat for me on Sunday, Target had scanners on sale!

I am happily digitizing my past.

Can you figure out which one is me? This picture seems to have been taken the day after my 10th birthday. God Bless Mrs. Larson's Grade 4 Class.

R.I.P. Ruth Wallis (1920-2007)

On Christmas Eve Eve, Ruth Wallis went up to heaven.

I didn't know that much about her, so thankfully the New York Times filled in a few blanks with their obituary.

Ruth was a cabaret singer-songwriter known for her risque (i.e. dirty) lyrics. She sang about the gays, and sex, and men who can't get it up, and other fun things. Many of her songs were filled with double entendres, like "His Little Dinghy."

Maybe my favorite song by her is Boobs. It's more of a single entendre song, but that's OK. Click on the link below to give it a go.

God Bless Boobs, and Ruth Wallis. Rest in Peace, Ruth!

Chicken Pot Pie

One of my least favorite things about Winter is that it stinks.

One of my most favorite things about Winter is Chicken Pot Pie. My research on Wikipedia revealed very little about the history of the Chicken Pot Pie, or CP2 as some of us call it. Still, I would guess that it was invented by the Pilgrims and was probably one of the meals at the original Thanksgiving, or perhaps the first Christmas that the Pilgrims and the Indians shared together.

I had my first CP2 of the season at an Irish pub in midtown last week. I am heartily looking forward to my second one.

Friendship

I think it's important in life to celebrate diversity, and it is especially nice when your friends are different from you, because you can learn things about their cultures

41 Cents Later

Eat your heart out, Lucille LeSueur.

Kiwi Babies!

Baby New Year came this morning, so let's celebrate other babies.

When I was in New Zealand I got to stay with my friends Shelley and Ian, and their wicked cutie baby Millie. Millie and I became besties, as the kids say.
Apparently, during the night Millie would cry but I have a superpower which allows me to sleep through babies crying, so I missed out. And also she got a cold which spread to everyone in the house but me, so again, superpowers.

I want Millie to be the prettiest Kiwi baby ever, so I got her a special outfit from New York. Those other babies are sure going to be crying with jealousy.

Here she is moving about and making noise. It's kind of like the Cloverfield preview with the shaky cam and off-screen sounds, but with less scary.




God Bless New Years!