Celebrities always seem to die in threes. R.I.P.,…

Recently with the death of Harvey Korman, I was thinking of that saying Celebrities Die in Groups of Three. Here are some of the recently dead celebrities:

• Dick Martin
• Sydney Pollack
• Eddy Arnold

The myth that famous people die in threes is thought to have started with the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the “Big Bopper,” who died together in a plane crash in 1959. Since that time there have been many examples of celebrities dying in groups of three. In a similar hit to the music community in 1970, Janice Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and Jim Morrison all died within weeks of one another. In early 2006, Hollywood lost Don Knotts, Darren McGavin, and Dennis Weaver.

By Frogdoc, published Feb 01, 2008

Here is a site that I found several years ago to find out if a celebrity is Dead or Alive? This site tracks whether famous people are still alive or whether they have passed away.

Another site that lists the celebrities deaths is NNDB. This site is like a “Who’s Who” “people we have determined to be noteworthy, both living and dead.” One of their listing is: Recent Deaths: 2006 · 2007 · 2008

And there is Dead People Server – Celebrities and Notable People Who Died in the Year 2008.

I’m glad there are sites like these to remember our favorite celebrities and notable people who died.

V–J day in Times Square Picture

Who hasn’t seen the V–J day in Times Square picture of the sailor kissing the nurse in Time Square? This picture is one of the most famous photographs from the 1940’s. The image evokes a celebration of the times and is a representation of Americans.

THE SMACK SEEN ROUND THE WORLD

The pretty arc of the nurse and the seaman’s stylish stance made a “one in a million” composition, says Eisie. “They were very elegant, like sculpture.”

Alfred Eisenstaedt’s most famous photo, “Times Square, May 8th, 1945,” tells an extraordinary story without a word. Eisenstaedt (1898 – 1995), whose masterful, candid photography of celebrities filled Life’s pages and covers for 50 years, was one of the magazine’s four original photographers. Eisenstaedt took this classic shot on V-J day, after following a joyous sailor who was running through the streets randomly kissing women in celebration of the end of World War II.

On August 14, 2008, on the anniversary of the end of World War II, the Times Square Alliance invites couples from all generations and of all types to celebrate again in Times Square, in honor of the US Armed Forces and in celebration of the universal ideals of peace, love and hope.

Here is an srticle that was written abiut the V-J Day in Time Square

“Who is the kissing sailor?” (Life article from 1980)

Some of the BEST TV Theme Songs

I was looking at some videos on YouTube the other day, not pay attention, I started view theme songs from TV shows from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Before I knew it, I watched over 10 of them. They brought back a lot of memories of watching those TV shows when I was a kid.

What were your favorite TV them songs? Here are some of the theme songs that are on my top of my list of the best.:

Underdog – BEST cartoon theme song!

Welcome Back Kotter

Magnum P.I. – Another cool theme song.

Growing Pains

One Day At a Time

Good Times

The Jeffersons

Mary Taylor Moore – one of my favorites

S.W.A.T. – one of the BEST theme songs

Sanford and Son – For a guy I used to work with Richard L.

WKRP in Cincinnati

Blossom – Check out Joey

The Love Boat

Family Ties – 2nd all-time favorite theme song

I think one of my all-time favorite theme songs is: Eight is Enough

Where’s George?®

Do you ever wonder where that paper money in your pocket has been, or where it will go next? This is the place to find out.

Track US or Canadian dollar bills as they travel across the country. Enter the serial number and zip code to track its past history.

“Seasons of Love”

Have you ever heard a song that makes you cry? Not like a “I’m sad cry“. But when you hear the lyrics to the song, they are so meaningful and just bring out an emotion that makes you cry.

Well “Seasons of Love” written by Jonathan Larson for the Broadway play “Rent” has that effect on me. I have not seen the play or movie, but I heard this song and it’s one of my favorites.

Seasons of Love

Seasons of Love is the well-known, beautiful song by the Broadway musical Rent.

This romantic song concludes that love is the only proper measure of a year in a human life.

ALL
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love

Seasons of love. Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.

ALL
It’s time now to sing out,
Tho’ the story never ends
Let’s celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!

Oh you got to got to Remember the love! remember the love,
You Measure in love know that love is a gift from up above Seasons of love.
Share love, give love spread love Measure measure you life in love.

Things I miss from my hometown – Flint, Michiagn

A couple of weeks ago, I posted “You know if you’re from Flint, Michigan…” the my blog I created for my high school AHS Class of 1985 Blog.

Well, I was talking to one of my friends, Jeff and we started naming things from our hometown. That got me thinking about some of the tinngs that I miss from my hometown: Flint, Michigan.

• A & W hot dogs with red sauce with popcorn & rootbeer in Flushing, Michigan. The red sauce they use is AMAZING!! I found this recipe online:

A&W Hot Dog Sauce

1 (32 oz) can tomato paste
1 (32 oz) can tomato puree
3/4 cup sugar
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp plus 1 tsp salt
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp celery seed

Place all ingredients in a skillet and simmer for 3 1/2 hours. Stir frequently as it will tend to stick. This recipe freeze’s well.

My opinion, the reason this recipe sticks is because of the tomatoes. I would cook it over very low heat, covered about 90%. Leave a little opening so that the liquids can reduce, hence it then will begin to thicken. Stop cooking when you get the consistency that you require, no matter how long it takes, whether 1 hour or 5 hours.

• Fish & Chips from any Coney Island Restaurant
• Big John’s Steak & Onion with yellow peppers
• Coneys from Angelo’s – They will even ship the Angelo’s Coney Sauce and Kogels’ Hot Dogs
• Halo Burger – Cheeseburger with olives and Onion rings (the BEST ever). If I could have one FedEx to me, I would!
• Meijer – One of my favorite places to shop at 11:00 pm.
• Italia Gardens – The original sauce they use is from 1931 is sweet and very good.
• Latina’s – The BEST Stromboli and Antipasto!

I haven’t been back to Flint to visit since 2005. The next time I will be up there is probably in 2010 for my 25th Year Class Reunion. So until then, I will have to wait to have some of my favorite things from my hometown.

Treasure Hunt (US game show)

Does anyone remember the game show Treasure Hunt?

“Ladies and gentlemen, this bonded security agent has just placed a a certified check for $NN,000…in one of THESE sixty-six surprise packages…today someone may win any one of our fabulous prizes or that GRAND prize of $NN,000 on…Treasure Hunt!”

from Treasure Hunt at Game Show Utopia

I have been trying to remember how the game was played, but I only remember bits and pieces of it. One thing I do remember was all of the different size prizes on the stage for the contestants to pick from. There are a few sites online about the game.

From www.retrojunk.com

Each game began with 10 female members of the studio audience opening their surprise gift boxes; three of them concealed the numbers 1-3. Those lucky audience members were invited onstage to open their choice of three more boxes; the one who chose the box containing a jack-in-the-box earned the right “to go on a treasure hunt.”

The contestant then chose one of the 30 boxes onstage. Each box contained a cash amount, of between $500 and $2,000, and then she was given a choice: Keep the cash, or take whatever prize was contained inside. That prize, you see, could be anything from cars, trips, rooms of furniture, appliances, fur coats, jewelry, a larger cash amount (the aforementioned grand prize, or smaller cash prizes of $5,000 to $14,000) … or it could be a worthless nonsense prize called a “klunk.”

This is where the fun began. Edwards and the show’s cast engaged the contestant in a comedy skit, all aimed at making her think she had chosen one of those klunk. Almost always, a klunk would be initially announced as the contestant’s prize, but then the skit would continue and she would be shown the actual prize, which could be another klunk or (more often than not) one of the decent prizes. There was no skit if the contestant selected the $25,000 check, although Edwards — as he did with boxes that did involve skits — would often chat with the contestant before revealing the prize.

Two games were played per show, with a new initial field of 10 contestants playing the second game. If neither contestant found the $25,000 check (or if it were not found in just the second game), security guard Emile Autouri would reveal the whereabouts of the check.

Here are some of the sites where I found information on Treasure Hunt.

• Matt Kaiser’s Treasure Hunt page, focusing on the 80s version
• Chuck Donegan’s page outlining the rules of the show
• The New Treasure Hunt at Game Show Utopia

DWTS – My pick finally WINS!!

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas win Dancing With The Stars.

From MSN.com

‘Dancing’ queen: Coming as a surprise to absolutely no one who watched Kristi Yamaguchi make short work of the competition all season long, the gold-medalist won the ballroom blitz. By Tuesday night, she hardly had anything left to prove, but Kristi and pro partner, Mark Ballas, took the stage anyway to reprise their previously perfect jive, and as far as the judges were concerned, it was still the standard of perfection. Bruno Tonioli called it “another great achievement from the great achiever,” and Carrie Anne Inaba thanked the figure skater for representing the ladies so well. The first woman to take home the trophy since season one ended won all three rounds of the finals with a perfect score of 90 out of 90, a first in the history of the show.

I picked them to win at the beginning of the season and I stuck with them throughout the season. I was a little scared these past couple of weeks with Jason Taylor and Cristian de la Fuente doing better.

Here is Kristi and Mark’s free style dance. I can’t wait thill next season.

Dancing With the Stars – The Finals

The finals of Dancing With the Stars is tonight and a champion will be picked and announced on Tuesday’s results show.

My pick in the beginning of the season was Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas and they are the one’s that I am sticking with.

Here are the reasons I think Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas will win:

• She is The GUCH!
• Their dances have been more difficult than the other teams – Mark has done a terrific job with their routines
• Kristi is by far the best dancer and should win this competition

Even though I like Jason Taylor and Cristian de la Fuente, they aren’t at the same level as Kristi. And I don’t think Cheryl Burke should not win again.

Overall, I have enjoyed watching Season 6 of DWTS. The funniest part has been blogging about it and people out there responding to my posts! I can’t wait till next season!

Big Brown – Triple Crown: 2 down, one more to go

I have always been a horse racing fan. Living in Michigan I would watch the big three races:

• Kentucky Derby, run over 1.25 miles (2.01 km) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky;
• Preakness Stakes, run over 1.1875 miles (1.91 km) at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland;
• Belmont Stakes, run over 1.50 miles (2.41 km) at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Then when I lived in Louisville, Kentucky, the excitement of the Kentucky Derby was all around the city. And I really enjoyed the two-week celebration before the Derby.

So this year, Big Brown has the chance to win the Triple Crown.

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (although sometimes shortened to Triple Crown, the full name is used to avoid possible confusion with other sports) consists of three races for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a thoroughbred racehorse. In recent years, the Triple Crown has become a very rare achievement, with most horses specialising on a limited range of distances.

Big Brown‘s win at the Derby was bittersweet because Eight Belles was put down after breaking her front ankles, but he won the race with no problem at all.

This past Saturday was the Preakness Stakes and there was no horse to challenge Big Brown. He finished a comfortable 5 1/4 lengths and looked like it could run around the track again. Before the race, the TV announcer was talking about Big Brown. He said that when Big Brown parades for the cameras, he almost knows when to poise for the camera and show-off.

In three weeks, we will see if Big Brown can pull off the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes. It will be an exciting race to watch. And even if your not a race horse fan, you should take the time to watch the race and see if history can be made by Big Brown. The last time a horse won the Triple Crown was Affirmed who won in 1978.