Perfect Indian Summer

Started off a busy morning with breakfast and the Monchichhis. Moncho is thrilled when they inadvertently awaken his hero, the Mighty Manfred. He's really more of a "Helpless Hero" who would rather eat pies and brag than face danger. The others let him take the glory when they're the ones who stop the Grumplins from chasing them, but he really learns a lesson in bravery when they go on a quest to find a banshee's treasure.

Hurried out the moment the cartoon ended, but it wasn't fast enough. I had to dodge a lot of road work I forgot about, not to mention the traffic on Haddon Avenue. Considering the road work, I'm probably lucky I was only about 5 minutes late at SJRA Radiology on the border of Haddonfield and Westmont. Thankfully, it didn't take long to sign in and get my mammogram done. I went in, changed into my wrap, they squeezed my chest, and I left. 

Continued down Haddon Avenue next to the Haddonfield Library. On one hand, heavy remodeling a few years ago left this as one of the largest, most modern, and best-looking of the local libraries. It also left it a maze. There's more tiny rooms in that building than there is in your average haunted house. I had to ask where the non-fiction was. Turns out it was in the basement. 

Once I got down there, I spent a pleasant 40 minutes or so looking at a guide to Disneyland. Why Disneyland? Well, for one thing, I've never been there. I've never been to California, period. Closest I've gotten is a brief stop over in Salt Lake City. I've been to Walt Disney World, but not since 1990. For another thing, I used to like looking at Disney World guides at the Haddon Township Library when I first moved here 20 years ago. Thought I'd give the other coast a try.

I was originally going to eat at the Bistro, but it was getting kind of late when I finally got out of the library. Opted for the Haddon Diner instead, which is on the way home. I had two very large, fluffy banana pecan pancakes. Yum! They were huge, full of thick banana and pecan pieces. I did manage to eat most of them and drink half of a glass of iced tea. 

There wasn't much time when I finally got home, so I read a chapter of Cookies and Clairvoyance by Bailey Cates while listening to the soundtrack from K-Pop Demon Hunters. This was a huge hit on Netflix last year, and the music is a big part of why. "Golden" was the hit and won the Oscar, but my favorite is the dynamic "Takedown" as Huntrix challenges their male rivals. The boys respond with the moody "Your Idol" and almost annoyingly catchy "Soda Pop."

Went back out to the Thomas Sharp School, and yes, I made it on time. The kids were all standing in the hall when I arrived. The music classes expanded to Monday and Tuesday. We did get them into the library for some coloring. I joined a few of the kids at my table to draw a rainbow. 

Once we got back into the cafeteria, there was some confusion. They started eating their snacks, but most of them hadn't used the bathroom yet. One boy refused to leave his snack for anything, but I did get the rest of my group down the hall to the bathrooms. Thankfully, no trouble there. They all got in and out relatively fast.

We weren't inside for very long after snack time anyway. It was just too darn nice to spend the day inside! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny and dry, with a nice, cool wind. It wasn't too hot for them to run around the slides and draw with chalk this time. Maybe it's just as well that there were fewer kids who wanted to ride the swings, because I had trouble with some of the ones who did. A few of them just would not get off once they were on, even with a five minute limit and other kids who wanted to ride. One girl threw a fit when she couldn't ride with her friend and hid behind a tree, and that was after she'd already been on the swings three times. Thankfully, by 5PM, there were two left, and we'd moved them around to the blacktop to play with the three remaining older kids.

Made a short stop at CVS on the White Horse Pike to use the bathroom and buy Ibuprofen. I didn't realize I was out yesterday, or I would have gotten it at the Acme. At least CVS wasn't busy, and I was able to get what I needed quickly.

Went right into Match Game '76 and dinner when I got home. Didi Conn, later of Grease, made her first of two appearances on the show this week. She was joined by the ever-creative Patti Deusch and by lovably nutty Dick Martin. 

Finished the night at YouTube with some of the most unique game shows ever created. Unfortunately, unique ideas don't always translate to big ratings. Canadian show Pitfall from 1981 started out like Family Feud, with two contestants guessing how the audience will vote on four answers in a certain category. Winner goes on to face the dreaded bridge. They have to guess questions on a hydraulic lift set. The set might go up and down randomly. If it does go down, they lose time to answer. Not only was this awkward to watch, the lavish up and down set proved to be so cumbersome to sustain, it bankrupted its producers. Neither the contestants nor host Alex Trebek ever got their money or prizes. 

Not all creative flops had fates that were that dire. Most of them were more like The Money Maze from 1974 and The Magnificent Marble Machine from 1975. Money Maze had two couples answering questions, with the husband guiding the wife through the title labyrinth to prizes. Magnificent Marble Machine was a giant pinball machine that contestants played to win prizes and cash with the help of a celebrity teammate, in this case Florence Henderson and Roddy McDowell. A young Nick Clooney hosted Money Maze. Art James was in charge of the Marble Machine. 

Both shows ran into the same set problems as Pitfall, though in this case everyone did get their cash and prizes in the end. That lavish Money Maze was difficult to set up, cost ABC a bundle, and the show ultimately did badly in the ratings. The Marble Machine was cool to look at, but cumbersome to play and not all that exciting to watch. 

Whew! from 1979 may be the ultimate big-set crazy idea. One person sets up blocks on a board filled with goofy puns surrounding a topic. The other contestant is the "charger" who answers the puns and figures out what the real word that belongs there is. Winner answered questions while running through a "gauntlet" of Hanna-Barbara-designed baddies. It's too bad this doesn't ever seem to have worked, on CBS in 1979 or when it re-ran on Buzzr a few years ago. Buzzr's commercials were right that it is as fun to watch as it is to say.

Not every big set or unique idea went over that badly. Press Your Luck and The Joker's Wild are two beloved shows that find ways to make their big sets work without getting dull or cumbersome. Press Your Luck has people answering questions to earn spins, then going around on that famous board in the hope that the animated Whammies don't steal their cash and prizes. Joker's Wild does something similar, but this time it's answering questions on a huge slot machine. 

Game Show Network had its own problems with big concepts in 2002. Russian Roulette has six contestants standing on trapdoors. One contestant asks another a question. If they answer correctly, they earn money. If they don't, they may end up sliding through that trapdoor and out of the game. Though this one did manage two seasons and is fondly remembered by Game Show Network fans, it proved to be a little too unworkable (host Mark L. Walhberg and several crew members accidentally fell in those trapdoors too) to keep around beyond a year. 

See which big idea worked and which didn't with these creative explorations into some of the most imaginative game shows of all time!

The Money Maze (1974)

The Joker's Wild (1974)

The Magnificent Marble Machine (1975) 

Whew! (1979)

Pitfall (1981)

Press Your Luck (1984)

Russian Roulette Pilot (2002)

All Quiet On the Oaklyn Front

Started off the morning with breakfast and Monchhichis. Moncho and the others visit "Cloud City" when it arrives over Monchia and won't stop raining. An old magician friend of Wizzar's was accused of stealing the magical key that drives Cloudy City and produces its weather. The real thief is the owl king's buzzard prime minister, but he keeps saying everyone else did it. The Monchhichis have to rescue their magician friend, then find the key and convince the king that they're no thieves.

Headed out on my bike after Monchhichis ended. It was a gorgeous day for a ride up to Haddon Heights. I did have to dodge some sidewalk and street repair in between Audubon and Haddon Heights, but otherwise, it was a lovely ride. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It remains sunny, breezy, and dry, probably in the lower 80's. 

My first stop was the Haddon Heights Library. I've been there a few times, but I've never really explored them for very long. Their non-fiction books are in a loft-like area upstairs. I found a book written in 1991 on the Broadway musicals of the previous decade, including long-forgotten flops like Tintypes, Rags, and Dance a Little Closer. 

I dug up another Images of America book in the history section that proved to be even more interesting. I didn't know the Coast Guard base at Cape May went so far back. It started as a Naval base during World War I and would be one again in World War II. In between, the Coast Guard used it to catch rum runners and train recruits. In fact, Cape May is the recruit training ground for new Coast Guard trainees. No wonder I have fond childhood memories of seeing young guys in Coast Guard sweatsuits jogging down Ocean Avenue, past the Beach Theater, chanting sea shanties as they followed their sergeant. (The houses where most of my friends on the base in the 80's lived are brand new, though. In fact, they'd just been built when my friends moved into them.) 

I had lunch a block down the street at Ralph's Pizza. I made it there just in time. I no sooner ordered a brownie, an unsweetened iced tea, and two mini stromboli (pepperoni and cheese steak), than a pack of elementary school-age boys came barreling in behind me. All six of them managed to slide into one booth with their pizza while I enjoyed my meal at a smaller one. Honestly, far from being offensive, they were really funny (other than they did block the sidewalk with their bikes as I was trying to leave).

Stopped at the big CVS down the White Horse Pike on my way home. They didn't have the Listerine Gum Protection mouth wash that I wanted. I had more luck buying those Nature's Valley vitamins buy one, get one, and bags of small toys for my Trick-or-Treat Mystery Bags next month. 

There was a package waiting for me when I got home. I ordered one of those Radio Spirits clamshell sets of a specific old-time radio show from the 90's on eBay, in this case Let's Pretend. I know it's a kids' show, but it does retell fairy tales that don't often turn up elsewhere, like "The Yellow Dwarf," "Princess Moonbeam," and "The Donkey, the Table, and the Stick." I started off with something better-known. Their version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" starts off pretty normal, with a slightly older Jack climbing that stalk and taking his father's hen and gold back from the giant. Where this one diverges is in the end. Jack has to rescue kid cousins of his who were taken by the giant, too. 

Headed off to Thomas Sharp after "Jack" ended. We all started off in the library, due to the first music class of the year in the cafeteria. This time, we had 19 younger kids, 6 at what would normally have been my table. Other than one young lady being pokey, I had no trouble with them in the bathroom. In fact, it ended up being a rather pleasant afternoon. They drew on a paper taped to a table and played with Barbies and magnetic tiles after lunch, then went outside. I was able to get them to wait long enough this time that there was less arguing about the swings. They all took their turns while running around and dancing to "Zoo" from Zootopia 2 and songs from The Lion King, Encanto, Trolls, Moana, and Frozen 2. 

When we got back inside, the remaining five kids had new toys to play with. The older kids came in from the blacktop as they set up atom-shaped building toys and plastic farm animals with a fenced enclosure, a tractor, and hay. There were only two younger kids and five older kids left by the time I went home, and one of the younger kids headed out at the same time I did.

Took a shower when I got home, then had dinner while watching Match Game '76. Tonight finished out the week with Dick Gautier, Fannie Flagg, and Della Reece. There was a lot of joking about Dick's artwork on his cards, including a really nice caricature of the champ he gave to her. Fannie's attempt at artwork wasn't quite that...developed. There was also Richard hugging another contestant after she won and refusing to let go, even when Gene tried to separate them.

Moved to the final three episodes of Remember WENN next. Gertie's writing again in "The Sunset Also Rises." This time, it's a TV script about a fading radio star (Hilary) who wants a writer (Scott) to create one last big show for her...but the others butt in with their own ideas. Hilary would rather play the ingenue, Eugenia and Mr. Eldridge think they'd make great divas, and Victor...is there, too.

"At Cross Purposes" starts with a woman walking in...who turns out to be Jeff in costume for Charley's Aunt. Jeff's outfit ends up inspiring everyone at the station to jump into drag in order to avoid process server Cribby Menlow (Ray Ianncelli), who has marriage papers for Jeff and is familiar with Scott and Maple, too. It's newsgirl Betty, however, who runs in with the real "big, big news" - Pearl Harbor was bombed. The US has just entered World War II.

Which takes us into the series finale "All Noisy On the Pittsburgh Front." Victor claims there's a "captain" coming to take care of military business at WENN, but it's not likely to be the lunatic in camouflage gear (J.K Simmons) who thinks he's Amazon Andy. Scott, who has enlisted, and Victor get Betty up against the wall about who she really loves, Eugenia asks Mr. Foley to marry her, and Hilary claims she's married to someone else...

And that, sadly, is that. The show was supposed to get a fifth and final season, but was canceled instead when the new head of AMC wanted to focus on movies instead. The abrupt ending of the series still hurts, even after 30 years. At least AMC is acknowledging its existence now. It can be found in full on AMC Plus. The first two seasons are free on Plex, and most of the first two seasons and a few scattered episodes of the fourth are currently on the Internet Archive. Even with the truncated ending and off-and-on 4th season, I still recommend this for fans of period shows or sitcoms that go way outside the box. 

Finished the night with I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat. Surprisingly, the Looney Tunes songs are actually really good. The title song, as you can guess, is on Sylvester and Tweety's relationship. "Daffy's Rhapsody" shows how he feels about being the resident miser and oddball. "Yosemite Sam" tells us why he loves his guns and chasing after Bugs. "That's All Folks" is a charming ballad for Petunia Pig as she wishes Porky would pay more attention to her. Too bad the other side is given over to songs about Bozo the Clown, whom I have no interest in whatsoever, and frankly gets annoying. The Tunes' numbers are honestly pretty fun, especially Porky and Petunia's sweet "That's All" number. 

Beautiful Day In Audubon

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man. Queen Elmora becomes the "She-Demon of Phantos" when Skeletor hypnotizes her and steal the precious metal she gave the Eterniana for weapons. He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Battle Cat, and several others go after her. Teela comes along as well, even though her father is concerned for her safety.

Headed off to the Acme after that. No trouble whatsoever today. I arrived on time. The Acme was quiet as can be. It's the end of a month that's not known for being busy to begin with. If people weren't at work, they were on vacation or getting kids ready for school. Once a college boy came in to handle the carts, there was even less for me to do. I spent the last half-hour putting away unwanted items. No trouble whatsoever.

Changed my shirt after my shift ended, then headed out. It was too nice of a day to sit inside. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and the breeze felt great. I rode across Audubon to Simply Soups and More. I hadn't eaten there in ages. This small cash-only hole in the wall features different soups every day of the week. I went with sweet potato. Oh yum, that was good. It tasted like a liquid sweet potato, thick and sweet and earthy, with caramelized pecan bits and bits of ham. Sat at one of the chrome-trimmed tables in the window, daydreaming as I ate.

I kept getting turned around, so it took me a few minutes to arrive at the Audubon Library after lunch. This tiny 50's-era building is only slightly bigger than the Oaklyn Library before they closed. Their adult non-fiction selection isn't great, but they do have a rather nice children's section. I ended up settling down to read The Secret Garden On 81st Street, a graphic novel modern retelling of The Secret Garden. 

I've seen this around, but had never read the full book until now. Here, Mary Lennox is a video game fan who basically lives online. Her parents work all the time and are too busy for her, until they die in an accident and she's sent to live with her uncle in New York. The unwanted garden is on the roof, there's a cat leading her to it instead of a bird, Molly is her babysitter and she and Dickon are neighbors, the gruff old man is a garden store owner instead of a gardener, and Colin can walk just fine but has horrible panic attacks following the death of his other father. The anime-esque artwork was lovely and colorful, and the entire story was well-done and very charming. (I saw a modern Little Women graphic novel that I might have to take a look at someday as well. Later research revealed a modern Anne of Green Gables set in Philly, and there's apparently a modern Little Princess coming out next spring.)

After I left, I went down the street to the Audubon WaWa. Thought I'd do something I hadn't in a while and mess around with the Coke Freestyle machine. Mixed Tropical, Lime, and Cream Coke Zero. Not bad. I think the cream really came across more than anything tropical or citrus. Returned briefly to the Library after I left when I realized I left the bag with my work shirt there. 

Since the Child Safety and Development certificate hadn't gone through, I just did the entire class over. Listened to the soundtrack from Working Girl while I did the class. Movie and soundtrack are long-time favorites of mine, one of the few romantic comedies I ever liked (and one of the first R-rated movies I watched as a kid). Carly Simon's Oscar-winning "Let the River Run" and Chris de Burgh's "Lady In Red" were the hits here. We also have the Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited" and a few more numbers from Simom, notably the instrumental "In Love." 

Watched Steel Magnolias next in honor of Dolly Parton, who passed away yesterday. Parton plays Truvy, a "glamour technician" whose beauty shop is the epicenter of their small Louisiana town. Her best friend is M'Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field), whose adored daughter Shelby (Julia Roberts) is about to get married when the movie starts. Truvy hires shy Annelle Dupuy (Darryl Hannah), who just arrived in town to escape her criminal husband, to work in her store. There's also Clariee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis), wife of the former mayor, and grumpy Ouiser Bourdreux (Shirley MacLaine), who are both regulars at the shop. Delicate Shelby has Type 1 Diabetes, but she and her husband Jackson (Dylan McDermott) desperately want to have a baby. M'Lynn thinks this is a bad idea...and proves to be right when Jackson Jr. comes out ok, but she has to donate a kidney to Shelby afterwards. When even that doesn't help, M'Lynn's friends are there to comfort her and let her know that she isn't alone in her grief.

This is one of my mother's favorite movies. Sally Field is her favorite actress. Mom grew up in Virginia and West Virginia around women very much like the ones in this movie. Honestly, the best thing about this are MacLaine and Dukaukis. They steal the show as two of the coolest and funniest older southern ladies you'll ever meet. Roberts got an Oscar nomination and early exposure as the youngest of the women who literally gives her life to have a child. The melodrama in the second half can be a little much now, especially for those who have lost a grown child, but for the most part, this remains a lovely and charming look at one small southern town and how six women grow together in the course of a few years.

Switched to Match Game '76 during dinner. They're on to the Joey Bishop-Mary Wickes week that was on the Joey Bishop YouTube marathon a few weeks ago. Mary and Brett had a bit of a crush on a handsome contestant that looked a lot like Allen Ludden. Joey actually gave the guy a kiss at one point, saying he was tired of not getting to kiss somebody.

Watched more Remember WENN next. Betty lets Mackie manage WENN while she's at a convention. It goes to his head, until gangster Palermo Racine (Phillip Bosco) turns up at the station. He was once Racine's driver, until he got him into trouble after he robbed a warehouse and Racine in turn claimed he was in on it. He thinks he'll have to be "A Star In Stripes Forever" and go on the lam after Racine starts asking for favors, but the others know how to expose Racine's ruse without revealing Mackie's secret.

Former stripper Maple LaMarsh is tired of being regarded as "A Girl Like Maple," the station's tomboy and loose woman. She's thrilled when a handsome congressman (Broadway star Boyd Gaines) flirts with her when she takes over temporarily for Hilary on Men In the Headlines. Trouble is, she used a much different voice from her normal Brooklyn accent, and now he thinks she's a cultured lady. The others try to help her preserve the illusion (Hilary reluctantly), until she realizes that the guy is far from what he claims, and she's fine just being herself. 

Finished the night with the CD All My Tomorrows. Grover Washington Jr. was "the most popular saxophonist in jazz" when he made this album in 1994. No wonder, with his gorgeous renditions of "When I Fall In Love," "For Heaven's Sake," and the title song. We also gets some nice vocals on "I'm Glad There Is You" and "Overjoyed." 

Trouble On a Summer's Day

Began the morning with breakfast and Monchhichis. "Thumkii's Pet" is a small, adorable yellow creature that hatches from an egg Thumkii found at the jelly bean fruit orchard. The Monchhichis think it's an orphan and take it home. Not only does it have parents that are searching for it, but it keeps growing rapidly until it becomes too big to fit in Monchia. The Monchhichis have to get it back to its angry parents and dodge Grumplins that are trying to capture them and impress their leader.

Headed off to work after the cartoon ended. Thankfully, no trouble whatsoever. I arrived at work on time. Spent most of the day sweeping and gathering carts. The head bagger was cleaning the store. She did take the last sweep, allowing me to focus completely on the few carts there were. We were honestly dead the entire morning. It got a little busy around 11, then just cleared out again. The weather was too beautiful for anyone to be shopping. It was sunny, breezy, and dry, probably in the lower 80's. Perfect as it gets around here in late August.

It was so nice, after I went home, I changed and went back out for another picnic. This time, I bought a tilapia sandwich and fries from Crown Chicken and Gyro and rode my bike down to the other playground at Newton Lake Park, the one across from Parkview Apartments. This one had an even more dramatic improvement. Most of the rickety, rusty picnic tables had been replaced by brand-new fiberglass and metal tables and benches. I enjoyed my lunch at one of the tables, then went down the twisty slide on the larger set for older kids, and one of the short straight slides on the one for younger kids. 

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride. The park looks gorgeous now, with all the rain we've had. I've never seen it so green in August! Usually by this point, everything is dusty and brown. The waving green waters in the lake sparkled. There was a new meditation garden surrounding a small maze that attracted fluttering orange butterflies and a brand-new fishing pier some boys took their bikes on. The breeze ruffled the glossy emerald leaves on the trees overhead.

When I got home, I called the Union to see what was going on with my insurance...and promptly wished I hadn't. They hadn't processed my paperwork because I have to pay them a bundle for July. Apparently, I didn't make enough hours in June, probably because I took all that time off due to the half-days at Thomas Sharp. I have to pay Cooper a bundle, too. I didn't really take it well. I told the lady I'd pay, but I was furious and in tears when I let her go. 

I just sat there and spent a while calming down before I put on Remember WENN. Scott's first day on the air in "Two for the Price of One" does not go well. He's late, and he turns the elderly gardener character Betty wrote for Hilary's starring show Bedside Manor into a sexy suitor for Hilary. He's more of a help when Pruitt's snooty secretary Miss Cosgrave (Audrie Neenan), in an attempt to bump up revenue, has them making shows for rival station WEEP along with their own. Though Gertie does enjoy her gardening show, it not only ends up wiping out the staff and engineer C.J McHugh (C.J Byrnes), but WEEP's owner James Crawley (Lee Wilkoff) wants all of the shows for himself. Scott comes up with a way to cross the shows and keep Crawley's hands off of them.

The staff learns "The Importance of Being Betty" when she's offered a job at The New Yorker. She's excited, until she realizes the others are trying to do everything she does, and aren't doing well at it. Not only that, but Pruitt is doing all the writing, and he's turning everything into financial spreadsheets. It's not until he messes with her favorite show This Girl's Kinfolk that Betty realizes how much she's truly needed at the station. 

Went right into Match Game '76 after that. The first hour finished out the Avery Schriberer and Joyce Bulifant week. Dick Gautier turned up the next week, along with Betty White and Mary Ann Mobley and her very, very long and involved explanations of where her answers came from.

Finished the night with some much-needed comedy-oriented game shows. Match Game and Hollywood Squares are probably the long-runner comic panel game champs. Match Game has been reappearing off and on since 1961, Hollywood Squares since 1968, including their current incarnations on ABC and CBS respectively. I have the first Match Game episode following Richard Dawson's acrimonious departure in 1978 and an utterly hysterical Hollywood Squares from 1998 that brings together alumni from the Comic Relief specials, including Billy Crystal, Bobcat Goldthwait, and a really wild and crazy Robin Williams, here.

Families and soap opera stars could be even crazier than the comedians. Family Feud is celebrating 50 years of letting wacky families answer goofy survey questions.  The episode I have here is one of the specials from the original Richard Dawson run featuring the casts of General Hospital and One Life to Live playing for charity. (General Hospital gets extra points for their whole team going classy in tuxes.) 

Match Game and Hollywood Squares were far from the only comedy panel shows on the air in the 70's. Break the Bank from 1976 had celebrities sitting on two sides of a rectangular board. Two contestants turned over squares that had money on them. They had to guess which of the two celebrities had the real answer to a question asked by host Tom Kennedy. If they got three money bags, they'd get the bank. If they got a blank square, that's the end of their turn. It's too bad this doesn't seem to have ever worked, either during a brief run on ABC or a slightly-longer syndicated run. The celebrities can be hilarious, and honestly, it's a lot of fun to watch.

Ernie Kovacs may not have appreciated the show, but he ended up pioneering the comic panel show format anyway with Take a Good Look in 1959. A celebrity panel tries to figure out the (often obtuse and non-existent) clues to mystery guest's identity from hilarious sketches featuring Kovacs. I'm not sure either Kovacs or audiences got what was going on here at the time, but that didn't stop the sketches from being funny. 

MTV cranked up the laughs with their first game show, the truly unique Remote Control. Supposedly set in TV super-fan Ken Ober's basement, he asks three college kids trivia about TV shows or music videos of the time. The kid who has the least points by the end of the second round is literally yanked back behind the set. The two remaining contestants try to "Think Real Fast" and answering as many questions as possible in 30 seconds. Winner moved on to an adjustable bed and the bonus round, guessing the music videos seen in nine TV monitors. My sisters and I loved this show in the late 80's, and while the questions have dated, the laughs sure haven't. 

Even kids got in on the laughs. The Noggin show Sponk! from 2001 is basically Junior Who's Line Is It Anyway. Kids act out skits on vaguely suggested subjects and have to guess what they're acting out. Too bad this only lasted a year. The kids and energetic host Johnathan F. McClain really have a ball with the wacky gags and pantomime they come up with.

If you need a laugh as much as I do now, check out these hilarious explorations into comic game shows past!

Take a Good Look Premiere (1959)

Break the Bank (1976)

Match Game (1978)

Family Feud (1982)

Remote Control (1988)

Hollywood Squares (1998)

Sponk! (2001)

Night of the Summertime Ride

Started off the late morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "T.J's Visit" wrecks havoc when Tyg's little nephew turns up and causes trouble. He does bond with Kip and convinces her to join him on a hot air balloon. The others go after them when they have no idea how to bring it back. "The Big Set-Up" is the Shirt Tales' attempt to sign Dinkel up for a pen pal dating service. Dinkel is nervous when the lady he's been writing sends a photo of a gorgeous blonde and wants to meet him. He sent her a picture of a handsome movie star. The Shirt Tales try to tone him up and show him how to be more romantic, but it turns out his girlfriend has been doing some fibbing of her own.

Let Tubi continue with the Shirt Tales as I got organized. "Kip's Toy Caper" gets her and Bogey into a heap of trouble after they discover toy shops have been robbed. She follows a remote control teddy bear and finds a robber intends to make them all robots who will steal money and priceless relics for him. The other Shirt Tales try to follow Bogey's broken signal and rescue them. "Dinkel's Gift" is a briefcase the Shirt Tales bought for his surprise birthday party. When the briefcase gets switched with one that holds a top-secret formula, the others have to switch it back while Digger keeps Dinkel busy.

Headed out after the second episode ended. Dropped a few books at the kiosks down the block, then made my way down to Collingswood. Grabbed a Bodyarmor drink at Haddon Culinary before heading across Collingswood to Cooper River Park, then over the bridge to Route 70, or Marlton Pike. It was too nice of a day to drop my bag of donations at the Audubon Goodwill and ride home again. The weather was stunning for mid-July, breezy, sunny, warm but not too hot, slightly humid but nothing overwhelming. There wasn't a cloud to be seen in the soft blue sky that beamed over the waving green Cooper River waters. Lots of people out on bikes or walking their dogs, too, including a lady in a wheelchair. Besides, I hadn't taken my bike over here since the last time I went to this Goodwill in April 2024. 

This time, I rode through the parking lot for the luxury apartments 202 Park before heading across the Marlton Pike to the Goodwill. After I dropped my bag in one of the boxes outside, I took a look around the main store. It's twice the size of the Goodwill in Audubon, but not even as slightly organized as that one. The books, CDs, and DVDs are all lined up or thrown every which way in a wooden bin as you enter. 

I didn't see any clothes I liked this time, but I did pick up a CD, the DVD for the Alfred Hitchcock comedy thriller Family Plot, and a Squishmallow. I've been wanting a stuffed shark since I started working at Thomas Sharp. Their mascot is a shark. Gordon the Shark is apparently one of the original Squishmallows released in 2019 (though the version I found has a 2021 tag). Ironically, Gordon's tag said he's a friendly fellow who loves to help others and wants to start his own nonprofit. So that's what he was doing at Goodwill. He was doing market research!

Oh, and the CD is:

Diana Krall - Quiet Nights

After that, I figured it was time for lunch. I originally rode a few blocks down to Kaighns Avenue. Not only was there not a whole lot there other than a florist and a liquor store, but I didn't feel like dodging traffic further down looking for the Cherry Hill Mall. Went back to the Marlton Pike and rode two blocks in the other direction, finally coming across a small, slightly dilapidated shopping center. Had enormous slices of cheese and Hawaiian (pineapple-ham) pizza at Gaetano's while watching The George Lopez Show. (George's teen daughter ran away with her boyfriend to San Francisco, and he was having nightmares about what she was doing there.) Gaetano's was a pretty typical hole-in-the-wall with Formica tables and counters, but the guy who worked there was really nice, and the pizza delicious, with giant slices and soft crusts.

Continued riding down to WaWa, until I realized that the highways crossed here and I could go no further on my bike. I just turned around, crossed at Goodwill, and headed past 202 Park and back over the bridge to Collingswood. I got turned around in the back roads of Collingswood, but I finally came out at the small park next to Grooveground. They still haven't finished remodeling (I would love to know what's the hold-up there - they started in April 2025), so I ended up at the Candy Jar after I used the library's bathroom. Bought a small bag of mini fruit slices (I usually get them at Peanut World in Atlantic City, which burned down last year) and a cup of Cherry amaretto gelato. Yum! Sweet, refreshing, and very cherry. Returned briefly to Haddon Culinary for a Diet Coke this time before I finally made my way back to Oaklyn.

Rested while watching Enchantment when I got in. This lovely 1948 romance starts with American ambulance driver Grizel Dane (Evelyn Keyes) coming to live with her great-uncle Rollo (David Niven). She falls in love with a handsome pilot (Farley Granger), but waffles on getting closer when he receives his orders and she worries about losing him. Rollo tells her not to give up on love so easily. Flashbacks reveal how he had fallen in love with his sweet cousin Lark (Teresa Wright) 50 years before, only to lose her when his manipulative and spoiled sister Selina (Jayne Meadows) lies about him taking a position overseas and she ends up marrying a Marchese (Sheppherd Strudwick) instead. Rollo never saw her again, and he wouldn't return home while Selina was there. He encourages Grizel to find her love, before she loses him the way he lost Lark. 

This is such a lovely, sweet movie. Though Niven, Keyes, and Wright are all good as the star-crossed lovers and the ambulance driver dealing with her own romance, Meadows steals the movie as the nasty sister who doesn't want to share her power over the household and her brothers with anyone. If you only know Meadows from her work on TV and cartoons, this will certainly be a revelation. Highly recommended for fans of doomed romances and the other fantasy-oriented romances from the mid-40's like The Enchanted Cottage and Portrait of Jennie. 

Switched to Match Game '75 during dinner. The entire two-hour stretch covered the week with Rona Barrett and Clifton Davies. Sweet single middle-aged aunt Dorothy was the big winner that week. Richard and Charles brought her tissues the first time she won. She also got to hear some of the hilarious answers to whom Richard Dawson wouldn't be happy to marry.

Finished the night with The Wild, Wild West. "The Night of the Watery Death" has James West investigating a "dragon" that somehow managed to blow up the ship he was on, and the mermaid at the bar (Jocelyn Lane) who led him there. Artie is pretty much the only person who believes him. Turns out it's a plot by a crazed sea-loving French nobleman (John van Dreelen) to destroy the US Navy and create his own country under the Pacific Ocean. 

Oh, and here's the review of the live-action Moana that I saw on Tuesday!

Moana

Birthday Lady's Blues

Began my birthday with breakfast and The Yogi Bear Show. Kellogg's wants "Yogi's Birthday Party" to be a huge TV special with all his friends. Ranger Smith tells Yogi it's going to be one of the variety specials that were popular in the 60's and 70's. Yogi takes lessons (from thinly veiled spoofs of then-popular entertainers), but takes off when he discovers he's not more talented than the average bear. It takes a picnic basket to lure him back and reveal it's a show with all the Hanna-Barbara funny animals who had been created up to the early 60's.

Switched to Paw Patrol while making the bed (and removing several blankets it's now too hot for). "The Pups' Great Race" will be all around Adventure Bay. They're sure one of them will win...but when they're called to rescue Mayor Goodway after her hot air balloon flies away, it's Alex on his trike who proves slow and steady does win the race. "The Pups Take the Cake" when they help Mr. Porter replace the cake he burned and make the perfect edible recreation of their Lookout Tower that will beat Mayor Humdinger's entry in the Tall Cake Contest.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. Originally, my first stop was Peak Secondhand, a new thrift shop in Audubon, but I forgot they don't open until noon on Tuesdays. I was there a little after 11. I didn't want to hang around, so I dodged traffic going across Audubon and down Nicholson and Cuthbert to Westmont. At least it was a nice day for a ride. It was sunny, breezy, and humid even at 11:30, already in the upper 70's-lower 80's. 

When I got into Westmont, I first went across the street to Samaritan Thrift, but they didn't have anything that interested me. Stopped at Koupa Espresso Bar for an iced drink when I went back across Haddon Avenue. Had a Chai Cherry Latte. Oooh, spicy and very sweet...and very cherry! I downed that pretty fast. They were pretty busy for almost noon, mainly with people getting drinks and reading their phones.

Phidelity Records down the block had a lot more of interest. In fact, I found two out of four of what I picked up right away in the New Arrivals bins. The others came out of the $2 bins or were in CDs and DVDs: 

Bette Midler - Broken Blossoms (Which it turns out I already have - I'll donate it to Goodwill.)

The 1977 K-Tel collection Stars

A Peter Pan Superman book and record set from 1978 with the stories "The Myzptlk-Up Menace" and "Alien Creatures"

The Who - Hooligans (2-disc greatest hits collection)

The one CD was Carole King's Greatest Hits. (Which I also already have and will also be donated.)

The DVD was the 1959 Lil' Abner, which means yes, I'll be reviewing that on the Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog sometime in the next few months. I've had the original cast album since college, but I haven't seen the movie.

Rode down to Collingwood for lunch. Made up for the line at Sabrina's Cafe on Easter by having them for my birthday...and boy, am I glad I did! The lemon-raspberry poppyseed pancakes off their seasonal menu were incredible, soft and swirled with raspberry lemon cream. The turkey bacon was a little more limp than the Westmont's thick bacon...but probably a lot better for me. I washed it down with a tart (and much-needed) lemonade. They were busy, but not so much that I couldn't get a table in the back.

Walked around in Collingswood for a little while after I ate. I didn't linger too long here. Not only was it past 1 PM, but a lot of Collingswood stores are closed on Tuesday. Collingswood is holding their big Green Festival on Saturday, too, and it's also Record Store Day. I'll hold off on Innergroove until Saturday, but I did pick up a few things from Collingswood Music:

Two vintage children's albums, Strawberry Shortcake's Exercise and Fun Album and Sesame Street Happy Birthday! (Not only did the Sesame Street album have the wrong record in it, but it was badly scratched. It goes in the donation bags.)

Beach Boys - Smile (I think it's a bootleg, but it has two of the Beach Boys' best songs, "Heroes and Villains" and "Good Vibrations.")

I heard my phone go off when I was in Collingswood Music. I called it back when I got outside. It was Allyssa from Camden County, telling me she was having trouble getting me through that loan. They don't count the Healthy Kids job because I've been there slightly less than a year, and I don't make enough at the Acme job to pay for a loan. That really hurt. I assumed that getting a second job, and one that I loved, would be enough. I feel like nothing I do will ever be enough for these people. She said she'd keep trying, but I was bitterly disappointed when I headed across the street and back to my bike. It was late, and I had to dodge kids coming out of Collingswood High School. I ended up being five minutes late to Thomas Sharp.

I felt much better when I arrived and got settled in with the kids. I had many happy birthday greetings, from kids and adults. One cherubic little miss gave me a bag with candy, a fruit bar (which I appreciated - I forgot a snack), rubber bracelets, and a card she drew herself of her and me together. (I think her parents wrote "Happy Birthday." They have very nice printing.) Later on, one of the boys gave me his own artwork. 

We started off in the library due to the music class taking place in the cafeteria. I'm glad I took my 10 kids to the bathroom first. They were all antsy, though they generally weren't that rowdy. They were better once they had their snacks and a lot of water. We waited a little while until the big kids were outside before we took the little ones out. It was beautiful, but so hot! Most of them either looked for ants or people walking dogs under the big shady trees or hung out in the shade of the slide equipment. Those who ventured into the sun danced to "Sharks In the Water," "The Big Pink Tiger," the theme from Bluey, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "Pink Pony Club," and songs from Moana 2 and KPop Demon Hunters.

Jessa's car has a bike rack, so she said she would pick me and my bike up at the school. What she didn't add was Mike was with her again. I was once again very disappointed. I was hoping we could spend time together on my birthday. Don't get me wrong, Mike is a nice guy. He's funny and he tells good stories...but I was hoping it could be just the two of us. He did pay for dinner at Carraba's Italian Grill in Maple Shade, which was pretty pricey. I had ravioli stuffed with chicken, spinach, and cheese. Jessa had grilled chicken in a wine sauce with broccoli and mashed potatoes. Mike had chicken Parmesan with mashed potatoes. We all had salads. They had Caesar. I had the "house," lettuce, carrots, and red cabbage in a creamy dressing (with olives and banana peppers that I picked out). I had a tasty peach-blackberry fold over tart for dessert.

Finished the night listening to old favorites from my childhood and teen years. I've had The Wild, the Innocent, and the E-Street Shuffle on CD for so long, I forget when I got it now. I think Mom may have had the LP when I was a kid. This and Greetings from Asbury Park always hit the hardest of Bruce Springsteen's albums because...what he's describing was my world, from the time I was born through my college years. "The E-Street Shuffle," "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," "Incident on 57th Street," "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"...that's the Jersey Shore I remember. There's a reason Springsteen is called "the Boss" in his native New Jersey. Even though he's from further north (and I believe still lives up there) and Cape May and Wildwood were in largely better shape than Asbury Park in the 70's and 80's, it still sounds and practically smells like my childhood and adolescent memories.

Elton John's Greatest Hits Vol. III features the John songs I grew up with. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" and "Little Jeannie" used to play constantly on the jukebox at the Ugly Mug in Cape May during the 80's. "Mama Can't Buy You Love," "Sad Song (Say So Much)," "Empty Garden," and "Blue Eyes" were heard constantly on the radio. I think it's hilarious that the kids seem to have fallen in love with Taran Egerton's recording of "I'm Still Standing," given that came out around the time I was their age and I loved it just as much. 

Light Up the Neighborhood

Began the morning with breakfast and It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special. Buster is directing the Toons' big holiday show, but nothing is going right. Montana Max, who is stuck in a wheelchair after a skiing accident, sabotages the show, and Babs gets jealous of Cher when she sees Buster whispering in her ear. Upset after Monty is giving the directing job, Buster is literally ready to jump out of the film. He's stopped by a large white bunny with a familiar laid-back accent who shows him what life in Acme Acres and for his friends would be like if he was never on Tiny Toons.

Watched Card Sharks while getting organized to make my last batch of cookies. Looked like Christmas 1978 or 1979, from the men's hair and suits. We had two guys with accents playing, a young Hispanic man and a somewhat older British man. The Brit won the round and did all right on the Money Cards.

I spent the rest of the morning working on the Cherry Coconut Bars. These are basically lemon bars with a cherry-coconut custard filling instead of lemon. They're rich, super-sweet, but oh-so tasty. This may have been the best they came out in years. The cookie base baked perfectly and smelled terrific. The custard came out just right. (And at least I didn't almost forget the coconut this time, like I did last year.) 

Watched Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol while I ate lunch and packed up the bar cookies. I went further into this classic TV animated special at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog back in 2019.

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

Hurried out after the show ended. I arrived at the Thomas Sharp School just in time. Once again, we were busy, with 20 pre-schoolers and kindergartners who hadn't been outside at home or school in almost a week. The blacktop was clear enough for the older kids to go out and play a ball game, but the younger ones still had to stay inside. Once again, they were incredibly rowdy until we got them settled down with toys, coloring, and books. I spent most of the evening working with the kids at the table with the magnetic tiles. I helped one boy build a space station, admired the geometric shapes another made, and shook my head as two more built a tall tower they kept knocking over, screaming with delight, before they'd build it back up again. One of the little girls wandered in and out. Another little girl and her family even gave me a gift card to Dunkin' Donuts and two Christmas shortbread cookies.

Had dinner at Crust n' Cravings on Collings after I left the kids. They were quiet except for the two guys making pizza and vacuuming and Action News. I ate a slice of chicken bacon ranch and a slice of broccoli tomato while half-listening to Channel 6. A mother and her grown daughter were just settling down with cheese steaks when I left.

Spent the next hour riding around, looking at lights displays in West Collingswood and Oaklyn. I traditionally do this about a week before Christmas, on a night after I've spent the day baking cookies on a hot stove. Since I was already out on the bike, I stayed on the bike instead of walking. I love how festive the local towns get at this time of year! I saw houses with electric candles in the window, with just the roof outlined, with the entire house wrapped in lights Clark Grizwauld-style. My favorites of the inflatables were the two Santas riding dinosaurs (Finley and the kids in the after-school program would love those) and a pig in a Santa hat. 

When I got home, I took a shower, then watched This Christmas. I go further into this R&B musical about a black family gathering for a memorable and melodramatic holiday season at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

This Christmas

Finished the night with two more holiday variety specials on YouTube. The Perry Como Winter Show is a more general holiday special from 1973 (complete with commercials that include recipes using Kraft products). Perry takes Sally Struthers, Jack Burns, and Avery Schriberer from the Metromedia Studios in sunny Califoria to wintry Vermont. Struthers, Burns, and Schriberer play broken toys who admit that they're glad they have each other. Schriberer insists that Como take him to sit on Santa's (Burns) knee. Como and Struthers have a romantic moment in the kitchen late at night over a sandwich. The group the Establishment perform chorus numbers and join in for a very peculiar tribute to vintage Hollywood. Struthers does Mae West, while the Establishment parodys Astaire and Rodgers and MacDonald and Eddy.

The 1966 Andy Williams Christmas Show is far more homey. Though we do have a very strange Osmond Brothers number "Whistle While You Work" with them as elves and a comic opening to "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," most of the show revolves around either Williams singing "Winter Weather" with his brothers, or Williams, his huge family, and his French then-wife Claudine Longet. He and Claudine get to sing a very sweet "Love In a Home" from Lil' Abner together. Williams finishes with a simple "Silent Night" on a bare stage.

Summer Magic

Began the day with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Everything is "Mopsy-Turvy" when a recipe gone awry leaves such a horrible mess in Alice's kitchen, even the kids and the Card Guards can't get it clean. The Silver Queen of Looking Glass Land sends her adorable "mop dog." The kids and the Cheshire Cat think he's just playing, but when he does get things clean, Alice sees that even cleaning can be fun, and that there's more than one way to solve a problem. Fergie is excited about his 50-foot carrot and invites most of Wonderland over to help pull it out of the ground. When it turns out to not be nearly that big, Alice turns it into a "Jambalaya Jamboree" using the many other vegetables from his garden, and reminding him that the important thing is everyone is together, not how big the carrot turned out.

Headed out to run errands after the cartoon ended. I know there's a CVS a few blocks away on the edge of Oaklyn and Collingswood, but it didn't have the electric toothbrush heads I needed. The CVS on the corner of the White Horse Pike and King's Highway is so big, it was the Audubon Acme before that moved to its current location. Yes, I did find it there. Thought of getting a drink there too, but decided I'd wait on that. 

Since I wasn't far from Haddon Heights, I had lunch there. Most small stores and restaurants in Camden County are closed on Mondays. One of the few that remained open was the Local Links Cafe. They were busy, too, maybe because it was past 12:30 at this point. I had three crispy tacos stuffed with yummy grilled chicken, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes and "The Clarity," a smoothie made from apples, oats, cinnamon, honey, and milk. I think they overdid the cinnamon, and the oats do make their smoothies grainy. Otherwise, it was tasty, cold, and wet, which is what I wanted after the long ride.

Made a brief stop at John's Friendly Market next. They're the only other place I've seen 20-ounce bottles of Fresca in Camden County besides the Westmont Acme. Got a Cherry Coke Zero and a bag of locally-made ricotta cookies with icing and sprinkles, too. (I had the cookies for dessert later. They were really yummy, super-soft and just sweet enough.)

Spent the next hour riding back towards Audubon, or trying to. I kept getting lost. I thought I crossed King's Highway, but...somehow, I ended up looping back to Haddon Lake Park. I thought following the path through Haddon Lake Park might be a better idea, but I didn't realize how treacherous that path was. The dirt path at one point was mainly dirt and roots running closely along a stream, with the roots forming steep steps. I carefully manipulated my bike over the roots, eventually ending up behind the stage and amphitheater used for children's shows and local concerts in the summer. 

It also led me back to King's Highway. This time, I followed the concrete path at Haddon Lake Park until I got further down Audubon. Finally made my way back to Market Street, and then over the train bridge and into Oaklyn. Stopped at WaWa for a much-needed frozen chai. (Sweet, but not too bad.) 

At least the weather was perfect for a long bike ride. It was sunny, windy, and probably in the mid-80's. Warmer and slightly more humid than last week, but nowhere near what it's been all summer. No wonder I was far from the only person eating outside at Local Links and I saw tons of families out for walks and kids riding bikes. It was too nice to be doing much of anything else.

Took my laundry downstairs when I got home, then went straight into working on Hilary and the Beasts. Hilary confronts Pavla backstage at the Nixon Theater in Pittsburgh after her last performance of The Rivals. Pavla finally admits that yes, she attacked Jeff, Scott, and Victor because they uncovered her involvement with some unsavory groups in Europe. They'd already found out about her having cursed other men into monsters. Scott didn't believe it...but he became the first one she attacked after she found out that he was the one breaking the codes. Jeff was her ticket to wealth, a beautiful home, and better acting roles in the US...and when he and the others threatened her with taking their discoveries to the authorities, she lashed out.

Pavla manages to corner Hilary and is about to turn her into a kitten when C.J emerges from the wings and reveals he recorded her entire confession on disc. Betty and Doug run over with the two FBI agents, who have been suspicious of her for years, but had no proof. Pavla does manage to escape and vanish, but Hilary is ready for her now. Not only does Betty finally know who Bear is, but Hilary has a pretty good idea of what happened to Jeff and the others. She, Doug, and her siblings convince the FBI agents to come to Troll's mansion at midnight on New Year's Eve to get the information they want...and take down Pavla for good.

Listened to two versions of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and some lesser-known Disney while I worked. I've loved the animated film since my family saw it in the theater when it debuted in November 1991. It received the first standing ovation I ever saw live, and it remains worthy of that today. Rose, Mom, and I were particularly big fans. We've all felt like Belle at one time or another, out of place and too smart and well-read for small communities. I had to have the soundtrack, which I think I might have gotten for Christmas or sometime in 1993. I finally replaced it with the CD version over a decade ago. Most people prefer the title song, but I like the ensemble numbers - "Belle," the hilarious "Gaston," the sweet "Something There."

Mom and my sisters and I were far from the only people who loved Beast. It went over so well, Disney adapted it as its first venture on Broadway in 1994. It was an even bigger hit there, running until 2007 and opening in the West End as well. It uses all of the songs from the original show, with several more written by Tim Rice added. Of the additional songs, a dark ballad for the Beast, "If I Can't Love Her," is my favorite, along with the expanded "Something There" that shows Belle teaching the Beast how to read. 

One of my favorite finds from Innergroove Records is a British collection of songs from Disney movies. Not just the animated ones, either. The 1977 vintage means more than half the songs on 40 Walt Disney Originals are from live-action movies released in the 50's and 60's. There's "Eglantine," "The Old Home Guard," and "Portobello Road" from Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the title song and "The Ugly Bug Ball" from Summer Magic, "Feed the Birds" and "Step In Time" from Mary Poppins, "Are We Dancing" and "Fortuosity" from Happiest Millionaire, "For Now, For Always (Maggie's Theme)" from the original The Parent Trap, and a sweet uptempo ballad from Annette Funicello, "Dream Boy." Songs from animated and hybrid films included "Rescue Aid Society" and "Tomorrow Is Another Day" from The Rescuers, "Love Is a Song" from Bambi, and "Stick-It-Tivity," "County Fair," and "It's Whatcha Do With Whatcha Got" from So Dear to My Heart. 

Watched Match Game Syndicated during dinner and while I finally brought my laundry upstairs. Jamie Lee Curtis and Richard Paul joined in for this week. Gene got so into his lectures to the contestants, most of the panelists walked off-stage. Richard took a nap, and Jamie looked close to doing the same. Charles joked twice about throwing away any other attempts by Gene to play professor.

Finished the night with game shows hosted by Dennis James, whose birthday would have been last week. James goes back so far with game shows and television, he hosted the very first network game show, the shopping-themed Cash and Carry on DuMont, in 1946. Unfortunately, that means that the vast majority of his work is lost to time. I did manage to dig up episodes of the 1955 talent show Chance of a Lifetime where he was the host and primary judge and the hit Stop the Music from 1956, where he shared hosting duties with Bert Parks. He also briefly took over The Name's the Same in 1954 when Robert Q. Lewis left and they revamped the show.  

He had more luck in the 60's with the syndicated PDQ. Two contestants rearrange letters for a celebrity, who has to guess what the word or phrase is from the letters used. The fewer letters used, the more points you got. The bonus round had the winner guessing a series of words from three letters. Sammy Kaye and Giselle MacKenzie were the celebrities. This later got a brief revival as Baffle, and I'm surprised no one has tried this format again. This is a lot of fun to play along with, even if watching those poor contestants running around, forming words and trying to get people to guess, can be exhausting. 

James' last network hosting gig was the daytime Name That Tune in 1974. This one was played a bit differently from the more popular nighttime Tom Kennedy show. The contestants came from the audience, and it started with one contestant grabbing money from a metal "tree." The longer a contestant took to name songs, the more the other contestant could grab. It also meant that the contestant had to grab the same amount, or lose the round. The other rounds proceeded pretty much as the nighttime version did. Ok, the money tree thing is just weird, but otherwise, this doesn't seem to be that bad. I'm guessing the market was just saturated by 1974-1975. It would run until 1981 in syndication, but couldn't make a year on NBC.

He'd been the original choice for the host of The New Price Is Right before that gig went to Bob Barker. He did end up hosting its nighttime version for five years, from 1972 through 1977. This basically plays the same as the original half-hour Price from 1972 through 1975. Three contestants play pricing games. The two biggest winners come back for the Showcases in the end. Once again, this isn't bad, but James, who frequently sounds like a racetrack tout at the best of times, can be grating. (It's also said that this version doesn't turn up as often because fur coats were frequently offered as prizes. Indeed, one is a major prize in the early 1972 episode I have here.)

Travel far back into game show history and explore the varied career of the very first TV game show host ever with these rare episodes!

The Name's the Same (1955)

Chance of a Lifetime (1955)

Stop the Music (1955)

PDQ Pilot (1965)

The New Price Is Right Nighttime (1972)

Name That Tune (1974)

Picnics and Games

Began the morning with breakfast and What's New, Scooby Doo? Mystery Inc is in San Francisco to check out the Grind Games, a major skateboarding competition, and meet their friend and real-life skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. Turns out, there may not be a competition at all, if "The San Franpsycho," a legendary Alcatraz prisoner who vanished during his escape, keeps kidnapping skateboarders. The kids have to find out what's going on with this seaweed-covered creep, including getting stranded on Alcatraz Island.

Switched to The Roku Channel for Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater. "Kittylocks and the Three Bears" learns a lesson about entering strangers' homes when she wanders into a house in the woods...that turns out to be owned by three very peculiar bears. The reason I did this episode was for "Paws: The Great White Dog Shark" in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jaws. Kitty and Lifeguard Sam's insistence that there's a shark out there terrorizing the town costs Sam his job, so the two of them and Chip the Scientist head out to the ocean to find out why Paws is attacking.

Headed out after Hello Kitty ended. I had my appointment with PNC Bank today. Though we did look at my finances, I mainly wanted to discuss the possibility of my buying a condo. I badly want a place of my own, but I really don't know what I can reasonably afford, or even where would be a good place for me to live in South Jersey. I have looked at condos online, but after having such a hard time finding and affording a place in 2021 - 2022, I'm not rushing into anything. I want to make sure I buy a home really love, not just one I take because I have to or there's nothing else. He later said their manager in charge of loans and housing would call me and discuss this further with me on Wednesday.

It was such a gorgeous day, sunny and still humid but also a bit cooler, in the lower 80's, I decided to go on a picnic. Stopped at Shamrock Deli for a turkey hoagie, popcorn, and a Coke Zero, then rode across Westmont and Audubon to the Audubon Recreation Center. They were a lot busier than usual! I must have arrived in the middle of their summer camp program. Kids played soccer and basketball at the courts, and ran around inflatable games next to the Recreation Center. I enjoyed my soda, popcorn, and sandwich at a picnic table, chuckling at their antics, and later enjoying the quiet sunshine when their leaders took them inside.

After sitting in the sun and heat, I thought I'd stop and get a drink somewhere. My original thought was the Brown Dog Cafe, but apparently, they're closed on Mondays. I ended up at Common Grounds in Oaklyn by default. They're open all week. They were pretty busy when I arrived. I just barely got my much-needed chai latte with almond milk ahead of the crowd. I took it outside to enjoy that soft, earthy sunlight.

Finished out the second season of Remember WENN when I got home. "Like a Brother" throws the spotlight on Scott, silent sound effects man Mr. Foley (Tom Beckett), and kindly old go-fer Mr. Eldridge (George Hall). The latter is excited when his old friend, former vaudevillian Pepper Carnasie (Eddie Bracken) visits the station. Unfortunately, Pepper's new boss is Blair Foley (Michael Patrick McGrath), a loudmouth salesman for a hearing aid company who uses Carnasie as a shill and never lets his little brother get a word in edgewise. Scott, Foley, Hilary, and Jeff finally use the new laugh track machine Foley developed for Mackie's comedy act to prove that the real joke is Blair's puffed up opinion of himself.

There's "Magic" all over the station when Hilary and Jeff show off their code act for several important Pittsburgh officials, including sponsor Kurt Holstrom (David Leary). Turns out that Pittsburgh's most beloved acting duo aren't the only ones speaking in code. Scott discovers that the strange messages in the Amazon Andy codes are real codes, which piques Holstrom's interest. Mackie's more worried when Hilary claims "someone at this station will pass through the doorways between life and death." She's not wrong...for after a night of revelations, excitement, and danger, Betty discovers that a certain "grandeloquent" deceased former station manager isn't as dead as everyone thinks he is...

The second season is where the show really starts to flourish. Maple's vivacity adds warmth and sparkle to the ensemble, and while Amanda Naughton and Kevin O'Rourke have the most fun playing off Scott and Betty's growing relationship, everyone gets a chance to shine. The sweet hour-long holiday extravaganza "Christmas In the Airwaves" is by far my favorite episode from this season. I'm also fond of "Close Quarters," "Scott Sherwood of the FBI," and "Magic." And if you thought "Magic" got crazy, things get even more complicated from here on in...

Switched to "The Mirror Crack'd" after WENN ended. In this 1980 British adaptation, Miss Jane Marple (Angela Lansbury) is as excited as anybody when a movie production company sets up shop to film a big costume drama about Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I. Delight turns to horror when local matron and devoted fan of star Marina Rudd (Elizabeth Taylor) Heather Babcock (Maureen Bennett) recalls how she went to see Marina perform while sick, then dies of poisoning. Marina insists it was intended for her, but Miss Marple disagrees, especially after Marina's secretary Ella (Geraldine Chaplin) also turns up dead by poisoning. Miss Marple suspects it all goes back to Marina's rivalry with campy Lola Brewster (Kim Novak) and her brain damaged child with her husband and director Jason (Rock Hudson).

All-star cast and lovely shots of small-town England in the 50's anchors this charming and supremely sad mystery. Lansbury is a lovely Miss Marple, sweet and only slightly pushy, while Elizabeth Taylor plays her wounded grande dame to the hilt. Hudson and Chaplin are also excellent as the concerned, loving husband and secretary with her own secrets. 

Spent most of the afternoon working on Hilary and the Beasts. Maple celebrates the 4th of July by teaching Eagle to dance, while Betty and Bear read The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere under the shade of a peach tree. Hilary spends it planting rose bushes with Troll. She admires how well he handles them. He does come with his own gardening equipment in his long, sharp claws. He calls himself stupid and a freak, but she protests, pointing out that he's neither. Troll says Mackie thought he was, which gets them bickering about how he got her there. He finally claimed he was an admirer and it was the only way he could think of to get her to come. They end up making a date to meet under the later fireworks...and his boyish smile, even without lips, leaves Hilary feeling like she's weak in the knees...

Moved to YouTube for Sailor Moon R: Promise of the Rose next. Usagi, Mamoru, and the girls are at a nursery admiring roses when a young man appears, claiming he knew Mamoru when they were children. When Mamoru doesn't remember him, he throws roses in their faces. Turns out he's an alien who befriended Mamoru as a child. He left to find a perfect blossom for him...and came back with the Kisseniem Blossom, a flower that drains the life energy from any planet or being it touches. It has Mamoru's friend under its power, to the point where he kidnaps Mamoru and takes him to a asteroid covered in Kisseniem Blossoms. Sailor Moon and the Guardians have to rescue Mamoru and stop the asteroid, before it hits Earth and the Blossoms absorb everything.

Watched Match Game '76 during dinner. Jimmie Walker and Elaine Joyce joined in here. Marcia Wallace protests Ugly Edna jokes rather vehemently. Brett spends most of the episodes complaining that she doesn't like the questions.

Finished the night after a shower with children's game shows from England. I enjoyed watching Knightmare and The Raven so much a few months ago, I thought I'd look for more shows for kids. The Adventure Game is a forerunner of The Crystal Maze and other shows involving a group solving puzzles in fantasy worlds. Here, five adults solve space-themed puzzles from a group of "dragon" aliens, some who pose as humans. This second series episode also features a contestant from the previous season who acts as a mole and confuses the group. A little slow and low-tech compared to the slightly higher-budget stunt and puzzle shows that came later, but the world-building involving the aliens makes this worth checking out.

Jungle Run from 2005 is basically a cross between this and Legends of the Hidden Temple with a jungle theme. Three kids in "survival gear" have to solve slightly more complicated puzzles in a more lavish jungle set while searching for gold, silver, and ruby monkey statues that will give them more time in the bonus round. Slower-moving than Legends, with less story but equally-interesting puzzles and stunts, and just as much fun to watch. 

Runaround is less fantastic but more colorful. This circus-themed quiz show had two teams of kids answering questions by running to spots on the set. Those still moving or not on the right answer by the end of the time are eliminated. Cute and fast-paced, I can see this was a hit that ran until Southern Television was disbanded. (Apparently, an American version with Paul Winchell didn't do nearly as well in 1972-1973.)

Fun House is another American import that did better in England. This one pretty much plays the same as the American version, with an even more lavish "Fun House" in the end and fewer questions...and the host, Pat Sharp, was just as cute as J.D Roth. Apparently, this was one of the more popular kids' shows on ITV and remains a touchstone with British folks who grew up in the 90's in particular. (And I'm seriously jealous that the British got to watch this show pretty much for the entirety of the 90's, since my sisters and I loved the US version.)

Most English game shows for kids were more like Screen Test or Finders Keepers. Screen Test is pretty dry, but it ran from 1970 through 1984. By the time of the 1984 episode seen here, it was two groups of kids from schools throughout England answering questions about clips from movies. Finders Keepers is a tad more interesting. Basically a cross between Battleship and Junior Jeopardy, the kids have to answer questions or take a hit on their computerized "battleships."

Take a trip to jolly old England and check out the world of children's programming in the 80's and 90's with these unique and adorable shows!

Runaround (1980)

The Adventure Game (1981)

Finders Keepers (1982)

Screen Test (1984)

Fun House (1997)

Jungle Run (2005)

Oh, and I heard from Healthy Kids. Turns out they do have room in their summer program for me after all. I'll be starting with them at the Oaklyn School on Thursday at 2. On one hand, I was hoping for a quiet summer...but to tell the truth, I was also getting bored, and I could use the extra money. It's 2 to 5 again, so I can write in the mornings. 

Biking Angels

Started off my morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. "A Royally Mad Tea Party" goes off the rails quickly when the Queen of Hearts and Dad Hatter end up arguing over croquet. They separate the tea table, but Dad Hatter has the tea cups and jelly jam, and the Queen has the tea and crumpets. Alice and the other kids come up with a plan to show them that they need what the other has. JoJo Dodo has been staying with Fergie and his family while her father was at sea. Fergie hopes that "JoJo's Bye Bye Party" will have a dessert that represents all the fun they had together...but JoJo assumes they're cutting her out.

Took Uber to work again. The bike repair guy wasn't going to be around until the afternoon. Fortunately, there were no problems this time. The morning driver got there in 7 minutes; the afternoon came in less than 3. Neither took longer than five minutes to get me to work, and there was no traffic.

Work remains dead as it has been the entire week. I actually had enough time to do everything they wanted me to do, including cleaning out the bathrooms and gathering the trash. It was a gorgeous day for pushing carts, too, sunny, breezy, and in the lower 80's. 

Got my schedule around noon. In good news, more time off, and Wednesday is the only early day. In bad news, fewer hours than I had even before the last two weeks. I got the hours I have the last two weeks because the head bagger was busy or on vacation.

Did my grocery shopping after work. Restocked oranges (mandarins were on sale), yogurt, soda, and granola bars (Made Good were on sale with an online coupon). Finally found a Coke Zero that literally had my name on it. (Lauren reported getting one with her name on it weeks ago.) The Acme's been pushing lemon-flavored "limited edition" treats. I thought I'd try the lemon tortilla chips. There was a pack of slim sparkling water on a really good sale that might be worth trying, too. 

Went upstairs when I got home to change and put everything away. Watched The Persuaders while I got organized. I never did finish "The Old, the New, and the Deadly" when I watched it last year. Danny becomes the target of a French count (Patrick Troughton) when he mistakes him for having taken a priceless statue. It could save the reputation of the father of the young woman he's blackmailing...if the woman's husband doesn't knock Danny and Britt to heck and gone first!

The guy from the bike shop arrived while I was upstairs. He took the bike with him to his shop after I gave him the spare tire and inner tube. I puttered around on the computer until he returned. To my shock, it cost $67, due to him having to fix spokes on the rim, too. And he wouldn't take cash, only credit card. I assumed he'd want the cash. Since he did do a good job on the bike and was nice about it, I did pay with credit card and gave him a tip.

It was such a nice afternoon, I decided to test the bike and went for a ride in Collingswood. Stopped at Innergroove Records to make up for them not being open on Easter. He was an hour from closing, so I tried to go through everything quickly. I still made some good finds, including one I adored as a ten-year-old:

Tiffany - Hold An Old Friend's Hand (My sisters and I absolutely loved the cassette in the late 80's and early 90's. I listened to it constantly, especially the first song "All This Time.") 

Wynton Marsalis - Think of One

The original 1971 cast of Follies (Yes, I have this on CD...but I've never seen such a pristine record copy. This is my favorite Sondheim show. It was on the dollar shelves, too!)

Ran across a new bakery a block down from Innergroove. Mario's Cookies just opened a few weeks ago. They too were almost closing, so I went with their daily special. The chocolate chip brownie cookie was just that, a chocolate chip cookie with a brownie middle. Oh yummy. So soft and chocolately! 

Actually, the real reason I was in Collingswood was to hit the bank. The records only cost me 10 dollars, the cookie 3. I kept any dollar bills and put the remaining $30 back in the bank. 

Headed straight home after that. Watched Charlie's Angels when I got in. Kris is a "Caged Angel" when she goes on the inside to find out who has been forcing innocent inmates to take part in robberies. One of the women is a huge, hulking brute who, along with the warden and two other women, forces girls with connections to large companies to join their robberies. While Kris deals with their abuse and befriends one of the inmates, the others do research to find out what they're up to.

Switched to Match Game '77 next. This wound up being one of the wilder episodes of the year. Brett gave an answer that was censored. Gene bent over to read the question to a contestant and showed far more of his rear than anyone ever wanted to see to the camera. The whole thing ends with Gene freaking out, trying to get the director to fade to commercial. 

Finished the night at YouTube. Thought I'd check out another different version of Snow White. This one is very obviously a dubbed East German film from 1955. The dwarfs look and sound like the children they are. It's kind of bizarre to hear them sound like the 10-year-olds Snow White assumes them to be. On the other hand, this one largely sticks to the original Grimm's fairy tale. The wicked queen attacks Snow White three times, not just with the apple, and Snow White coughs the apple out instead of being awaken with a kiss. The Queen's death is more in line with the Disney version (though she's struck by lightning here). 

Match Game Productions ran the first All-Star Family Feud special tonight. Four of the most popular shows of 1978 - The Love Boat, Soap, Eight Is Enough, and Three's Company - played each other. Some of this was flat-out hilarious. John Ritter was adorably dorky even on a game show, Bernie Koppel could never seem to spit any answers out, and Susan Richardson made some absolutely hilarious faces when she couldn't come up with an answer. In the end, no one in the late 70's could beat Jack Tripper. Despite John's own obvious nerves on Fast Money, Three's Company won $10,000 for their charity. 

Here's the show, so you can see how all of this went down for yourself! 

Family Feud All-Star Special #1

Spring Is Just Around the Corner

It took longer to finish At the Back of the North Wind than I planned this morning. I had just enough time this morning to throw on a skirt, stockings, and my good black flats, grab breakfast, and call Uber. Even then, it took them 16 minutes to arrive. Thankfully, there was no traffic anywhere on the road to Marlton. I was barely 10 minutes late to my appointment at Innovative Charity Events.

As it turned out, I could have been infinitely late. They wanted me to work for commission and had no health insurance. No and no. I need the health insurance, and I want either a straight job, or one that I create. No commission. I kindly told them thanks anyway, and that I appreciated making it to their second round, even if it wasn't what I was looking for. At the least, they were all really nice about it. I called Uber when I got back downstairs. He arrived within 7 minutes, and got me back in less than 20. I wound up spending less than an hour in Marton.

Called Bryanna and told her what happened at the interview after I got in, then changed into less formal clothes. Looked up volunteer opportunities online. I'd still like to give back to my community, even if it's not actual work. 

Watched Spring for Strawberry Shortcake as I puttered online. The second of four hour-long specials that re-introduced Strawberry and her friends in 2002 operated on a somewhat similar premise as Strawberry Shortcake and the Winter That Would Not End. Once again, Strawberry and her friends have to figure out why winter is lingering. This time, it's not a stolen crystal, but a naughty fairy who would rather play in the snow than do her job. Strawberry, Ginger Snap, and Orange Blossom remind her of how important spring and the warm weather is, that working together can get a lot of things done, and that there's a time for play, and a time to work.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. The gentleman who drove me home mentioned that his favorite local pizzeria is Antonio's in Audubon. I thought I'd try them. Besides, it was too nice of a day to hang out inside. The weather remains gorgeous here. It's a little windier, but it's also sunny and warm. It was so warm, I was fine in my black cardigan when I went out.

Antonio's is next-door to the Speedy Mart and about a block from the main downtown district on Market Street in Audubon. With its chipped tan and green Formica tables and wooden paneled walls, the dining area screamed "70's" at the top of its lungs. It reminded me a bit of Figaro's Pizza, the pizzeria my family frequented in Cape May during the 80's and early 90's. (Figaro's still exists, but it's now known as Mario's Pizza.) 

I had pineapple and ham and plain cheese. The pineapple and ham wasn't bad, but the cheese....oooh. It was perfect. Good and greasy with just enough cheese. Washed them down with a bottle of Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi.

The weather was so gorgeous, I continued down Market Street, then turned down to Haddon Lake Park. Though the trees are only showing the barest signs of leaves, green grass is starting to pop up in lawns, and crocus and the beginnings of daffodils can be seen in gardens. Fountains sparkled and shot water in the air as people relaxed on metal benches around the paths. 

Took the long way home behind Goodwill, Ross, Marshalls, and Walmart, then onto Nicholson. They weren't too bad for 2:30 in the afternoon. I cut through Oaklyn so I could finally stop at Phillies Yummies. This time, they were open. I had a milkshake yesterday, so this time, I had a small coconut water ice. Oh yummy. It was perfect, sweet and tropical. I leaned on the counter outside and enjoyed my ice while watching parents stroll to the school as the kids began to get off class.

I was so tired when I got in, I went upstairs and into The Price Is Right. Bob wasn't too happy when the lady playing the Grand Game only managed to get one high-low price right, which only gave her one chance at finding $10,000. As it turned out, one was all she needed. Bob pulled out the $10,000 on his first try.

Put on One Night of Love after the show ended. I go further into the major hit opera backstage film that turned diva Grace Moore into a star at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

One Night of Love

Returned to Buzzr after the show ended for Match Game Syndicated. We meet a college student studying poetry in the first two episodes. This leads to a round of poetry jokes and attempted poetry from the panel, including Jon "Bowser" Bauman repeating the poem he wrote for the panel in 1978. Brett spends the next week lamenting to Stephanie Edwards, Robert Pine, and Debralee Scott that Charles would be leaving the show for the remainder of the season to appear in a play on Broadway.

Finished the night with disc 6 from my Reader's Digest Treasury of Operetta record set. The Student Prince is the romantic, star-crossed tale of the royal pupil of the title who falls in love with a barmaid, but has to abandon her and marry a princess he doesn't love for political purposes. The big hits here were the prince's duet with his teacher "Golden Days," "The Students' Drinking Song," and his duet with the barmaid, "Deep In My Hear, Dear." 

Victor Herbert's The Red Mill is a lot more fun. In fact, with goofy marches like "Every Day Is Ladies' Day With Me" and sprightly ballads like "Because You're You," this is more of a prototypical musical than a flat-out operetta. This tale of tourists in Denmark who gets involved with an innkeeper, his daughter, and her sweetheart produced standards in "Lady's Day" and the comic tourists' description of their hometown, "The Streets of New York." 

Beautiful Day for Toons

Began the morning with breakfast and the Superman cartoons made at Paramount during World War II. Given the tenor of the comics at the time, it was probably inevitable that Superman would fight the Axis on the big screen as well. "Japoteurs" has Superman saving Lois and an experimental bomber that was captured by terrorists. "The Eleventh Hour" features wonderful, shadowy animation and a mature plot with the enemy holding Lois until Superman stops sabotaging them. "Jungle Drums" has Superman rescuing Lois from being burned at the stake by African natives, then stopping the Nazis who intend to send bombers to attack an Allied fleet. Superman also helps a "Secret Agent" get important papers to Washington when he rescues her from a burning bridge.

Headed out after the cartoons ended. My first, brief stop was at WaWa for Propel water. It was too nice of a day to hang out inside. Though it wasn't as warm as it had been and the strong wind was much cooler, it was still nice enough to get out and enjoy a ride. Had lunch at Simply Soups in Audubon. I hadn't eaten there in a long time. Enjoyed a cup of chicken orzo soup and half of a grilled chicken with spinach and mandarin oranges wrap at a chrome table in the wide, sunny picture window. 

It was past 1:30 when I finally made it to Barrington Antique Center. They were a lot busier than usual for them. I forgot that not only is this a holiday weekend, but the kids are already off for the NJEA convention. I explored for over an hour, but I didn't really find a whole lot. Picked up a pretty vintage journal with a purple flowered fabric cover and home-made cranberry thumbprint cookies for me and a cute ornament for Amanda.

I had thought of going to the House of Fun, but it was past 3 when I finally got out. I wasn't crossing Clements Bridge Road during rush hour. Rode back under the highway and past Stanfill Manor and Towers and the Atlantic Avenue School to Haddon Heights instead. Hit the bathroom at the Haddon Heights Library quickly after I got in. Didn't see anything interesting on their sales shelves, so I moved on.

I didn't initially see anything interesting at Doc's Finds, either. Not only do their rock albums tend to be expensive, but I was wary of them after the mix-up with the Rolling Stones album a few months ago. I did pick up gifts for Lauren, but I didn't see anything for me until I looked under the main record racks. Apparently, they're so strapped for space in there, that was the only place the owner could fit the soundtracks and cast albums! I dug through the piles and came up with some doozies:

The soundtracks for The Pink Panther and A View to a Kill

The original cast albums for the flop early 60's musicals The Happiest Girl In the World, High Spirits, and Tenderloin. Happiest Girl and High Spirits feature star turns by Cyril Ritchard and Beatrice Lille and Tammy Grimes respectively, while Tenderloin has some of the earliest work by later Fiddler On the Roof songwriters Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock. All three are fairly rare, making it ironic that they came to $5 each.

My last stop was at Market Links for one of their tasty smoothies. I went with the PBC, the peanut butter and cocoa with almond milk, oats, and honey. Not bad. Not very sweet, and kind of chewy with the oats, but not bad. Cold and wet, which is what I needed after my ride. They weren't busy. Doc's hadn't been, either. And no wonder. By this point, it was past 4:30, and the traffic was getting worse. I headed home down the back roads just as the sun started sinking slowly on the horizon.

Went straight into The Monkees when I got home and put everything away. The Monkees don't know what to think when a pretty young reporter chooses them as Typical Young People of the Year and wants to write about them for a prestigious fashion magazine. They're "Monkees a La Mode" when it turns out that the the head of the magazine (Patrice Wymore) and her photographer is so unimpressed by their antics and turn in a fictional article on them. After their friends are insulted, the guys turn the tables.

Micky Dolenz gets quite a surprise when the LAPD reveals he is identical to incarcerated gangster Babyface Morales and they want him to contact his boys and find their loot. It's "Alias Micky Dolenz" when Micky first gets into a brawl, then is corralled by the gangsters to retrieve their money. It gets even scarier when Peter and Mike are forced into the theft, too.

Spent the next hour or so working on the inventory. Added everything I found today, plus You Only Live Twice from earlier in the week. I've been looking for those three cast albums for a while now, especially Tenderloin. (There are times when I'm really glad that most of the people buying records around here seem to be more interested in classic rock and jazz than show tunes. It's likely why I've been able to find some cast albums for mere pennies at some yard sales.)

I also got my schedule at this point. Surprisingly, I got not only Veteran's Day off, but Sunday as well. I guess they figured they'd have plenty of college students around to help them those days. I do work Friday this time, though I'm off Thursday for a doctor's appointment. I was also disappointed to note that a lot of the week between Christmas and New Year's had been blocked off (though not the actual holidays). I may end up taking those days off and using up my vacation time from New Year's through the end of that week. 

Broke for dinner and Match Game Syndicated. Charlene Tilton spent her week fending off a drooling Gene Rayburn and Bill Daily. Jon "Bowser" Bauman was more interested in playing his own songs on a toy piano and showing off the plastic chains on his leather jacket. Poor Patty Duke complained about feeling more like Thelma Ritter with Charlene on the other side of the tier!

Finished the night with more classic wartime shorts featuring beloved cartoon characters. Superman wasn't the only Famous Studios character who fought in World War II. Popeye was drafted before the US even entered the war in "The Mighty Navy." Most of his wartime shorts had him either fighting the Japanese, as in "Fleets of Strength" and "Blunder Below." or fighting Bluto for Olive's hand, as in "Kicking the Conga Around" and "Olive Oyl and Water Don't Mix." Swee'Pea isn't content with the toy boat Popeye gives him. "Baby Wants a Battleship" and will wander all over said ship until Popeye uses spinach to retrieve him. He's not saying "Many Tanks" when Bluto dumps him in the Army before a date with Olive and steals a tank to get him back to her. "Spinach Fer Britain" is his only go-around with the Nazis as he dodges their submarines and takes food to England.

The Looney Tunes threw themselves even harder into World War II propaganda. Their wartime shorts fell into three categories. There were the ones featuring regular characters like Bugs ("Herr Meets Hare") and Daffy ("Daffy the Commando"). A subset of these were shorts with one-off characters, like the "Gremlins from the Kremlin" in "Russian Rhapsody" who sabotage Hitler's plane and "The Draft Horse" who desperately wants to do his part on the front. 

The second types were allegories on how we'd gotten into the war ("The Duckinators") and how we intended to get out ("Third Column Mouse"). The third were sketch comedies about life in the barracks. "The Weakly Reporter," on life at the home front, is my favorite of these. I love how one woman fixes an entire factory with her bobby pin. "Hollywood Canine Canteen" parodies the real-life Hollywood Canteen and other serviceman hang-outs staffed by stars with dog parodies of popular 40's celebrities. We even get Warner Bros' first major cartoon star Bosko honoring World War I as "Bosko the Doughboy." 

My favorite wartime shorts were the utterly insane trio directed by Bob Clampett that are among the best to feature Daffy and Bugs. "Super Rabbit" has Bugs eating a carrot that gives him superpowers. He makes use of these powers to stop a rabbit-hating cowboy and his horse from attacking local animals. When push comes to shove and they finally gain powers, Bugs dons the uniform of a real hero...a Marines officer. 

"Draftee Daffy" goes into panic mode when he gets a visit from the annoying "little man from the draft board." He does every single thing he can to get rid of the guy, but he's remarkably persistent. Daffy thinks he's finally gotten rid of the guy in the end, but it turns out this little fellow can go many places, including down below.

Bugs is a "Falling Hare" when he catches another gremlin sabotaging an Allied plane. He tries to get rid of him, but for once, one of his antagonists can give as good as they get and isn't so easy to fool. The rabbit really goes crazy when they end up in a free fall...but they may not have enough ration coupons left to make the trip.