The Sunday Memory Drawer - A Rite of Spring

Well, technically, it is spring.  But I am guessing we will still have some MLB games snowed out in the month of April.  And Easter is late this year.  

But, still, we get think about the changing of seasons and the photo above is a reminder of one of the rites of spring every April or May in Mount Vernon, New York...my hometown.

I will 'splain.

I connect with some grade school pals via Facebook and this book.  Voila.  Pictures like this one are shared and the flood gates open. 

Don't squint trying to find me.  I'm not in this photo.  But two of the aforementioned chums are.  Diane and Cheryl, the latter graciously letting me use this snapshot for my own weekly babble.

In the spring of every year, the city set aside one weekday afternoon for a school parade.  The entire public school system was involved as one after another lined up at the starting point, which was Third Avenue and Second Street.  From there, they'd all march, each with their respective bands, through the major shopping district of Fourth Avenue and then Gramatan Avenue.  The marchers included not just band members, but school officers, teachers, and the like.

Everybody but me.  Somehow, I wasn't any of those things. 

I can remember those springs with trepidation.  Weeks before, the preparations would begin.   Band practice in the afternoon.  One friend after another would be excused from class to rehearse for some parade-related exercise.  Before you knew it, the classroom was empty and I was left alone to read "Henry Huggins and Ribsy" or whatever Beverly Cleary book I had just pulled out of the school library.

I recall thinking that, somehow and some way, there must be some reason for me to march along with all my friends.   Didn't the fact that I always got stellar report cards count for something around here??

Apparently not.  So I decided to try the conventional route.  I would learn to play a musical instrument.

Okay, backing the story car up a bit...

I had never before shown any musical aptitude whatsoever.  One Christmas when I was about eight or nine, my parents inexplicably gave me a guitar.  Not one with Donald Duck on it.  Nope, a full blown "Peter, Paul, and Mary coffee house" guitar.  Why?  No clue.  Did they suddenly want me to become another Trini Lopez?

So, I dutifully took the lesson booklet also provided and sat down to learn the guitar.  To my surprise, I figured out how to play a few chords and notes.  One afternoon, I went downstairs and played for my grandmother.  I serenaded her with a tune I had fashioned myself.  "Taps."  On a guitar.  Yes, I know.  So did Grandma.

"That's supposed to be played on a bugle."

Sorry.  That's all I got.

Not to be dashed, I commenced a few days later to put together the first few chords of the "Theme from Bonanza."

Bum dee dah bum dee dah bum bum bum...Bonanza!  Well, that's how it sounded to me.  Not to Grandma.

"When are you going to play a polka?"

Never at this rate.  Meanwhile, the blisters were forming on my fingers.  A few weeks later, the guitar wound up in the closet with a lot of other not-so-bright gift ideas.  Ironically, to this day, I still have that same guitar.  In a place where it belongs.  In an East Coast closet with other junk I simply can't bring to a dumpster.

But, back then, I realized that a guitar wasn't going to be my entry into the loftiness of the spring parade.  Unless, of course, I strummed it all the way down Fourth Avenue like I was some waiter in a Mexican restaurant. 

Nope,  I had to try something else.

The clarinet.

Our school had a program where they tried to cultivate your musical skills.  They rented out instruments, case and all.  I remember the day I received my clarinet.  I opened up the suitcase.  It didn't look like the thing on the Benny Goodman record album cover at home. 

Oh, I have to put it together?

That took a day and a half to figure out alone.  I blew on the damn thing.  Nothing came out except a little spit.

Oh, you have to put this reed on it?

That took another day and a half to master.  My reed kept falling off.  Perhaps it knew what it would be in for.

Luckily, the school system wasn't dumb enough to simply hand over musical instruments and tell kids to "have a nice day."  They did provide lessons.  I don't remember the name of the teacher.  That person, however, probably has not forgotten me.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find a note.  Or hit one.

I'd practice at home.  More air blowing in, more air blowing out.  Grandma, who was the only one home during the day, had a suggestion.

"I liked the guitar better."

Thanks, Grandma.

At the rate I was going, my musical participation in a college football halftime show ten years later was probably a stretch.  There was no way I was walking down Fourth Avenue anytime soon.  President John F. Kennedy had made two promises to the American people.  By the end of the decade, there would be a man on the moon.  And Len would hit a note on his clarinet.

I'm glad NASA held up their end of the bargain.

An unwitting person would act as the ultimate savior to all those suffering around me.  My orthodontist.  I've written about him here before. As he liked to call himself..."Dr. Arthur Ash not the Tennis Player."  I had my first appointment with him to get my Bugs Bunny overbite fixed.

"Once we start, no apples, no Turkish Taffy, and, oh, yes, no musical instruments."

And that was that.  I handed back the clarinet.  There was the hint of faint applause all throughout Mount Vernon, New York.

I never did march in the freakin' parade.  But my friends did and they have the photos to prove it.

Gang, keep the snapshots.   I will provide the memories and the laughs. 

And a little pain, too.

Dinner last night:  Chinese beef and shrimp from Panda Express.

Classic Musical Comedy Production Number of the Month - March 2019

Yay!  It's a five Saturday month which means we have time to sample a great musical comedy production number.

One of the unheralded MGM musicals is a gem called "Good News."  Never heard of it?   You should check it out.  Meanwhile, here's one of the best numbers in it.  Joan McCracken is the star of this scene and, sadly, she did not become a big star.   Too bad.

Dinner last night: Chicken sausage papardelle at Maria's Italian Kitchen.

Len's Recipe of the Month - March 2019

Stumbling onto this recipe was pure serendipity...and then pure heaven.

It started very simply.   I had a cup of chocolate chips and a container of sour cream left over from another dinner.   I hit the internet to find a recipe that would contain both of them.   

Hence, this chocolate chip bundt cake.   I brought it to an office I work out of and was asked if I could bring this again.   Like the next week.

Want to enjoy it?  Here's how.

Take a bundt pan and grease it or spray Pam thoroughly into it.   

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the following:

1 package of yellow cake mix.

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding mix.

1/2 cup vegetable oil.

1/2 cup water.

4 large eggs that have been at room temperature.

With the mixer's paddle attachment, beat at low speed for 30 seconds.   Then ramp it up to medium speed for about three minutes.

Fold in a cup of semisweet chocolate chips.  Pour into the bundt pan.   Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.   

Now here's a trick with any bundt cake.   You must get it out of the pan fairly quickly or it will stick to the bottom of the pan.   So let it cool for just ten minutes and then slip it out of the bundt form.  Let it cool on a wire rack for about an hour.

What's even more enjoyable?   Serving this wonderful concoction with a dollop of mascarpone whipped cream.

What a hit you will be!!

Dinner last night:   Sandwich.

This Is All You Need to Know About Today

Baseball is back and so is this view.

Dinner last night:  Chopped salad.

This Date in History - March 27

It's a slow birth date in history, which is why I'm stuck saluting idiot Quentin Tarantino.  But, wait till you see who all died on March 27, 2002!

196 BC:  PTOLEMY V ASCENDS TO THE THRONE OF EGYPT.

Did he invent ptomaine poisoning?  Seems logical.

1309:  POPE CLEMENT IMPOSES EXCOMMUNICATION, INTERDICTION, AND A GENERAL PROHIBITION OF ALL COMMERCIAL INTERCOURSE AGAINST VENICE.

So, no intercourse in Venice?  Well, there goes that bloodline.

1329:  POPE JOHN XXII ISSUES HIS "IN AGRO DOMINICO" CONDEMNING SOME WRITINGS OF MEISTER ECKHART AS HERETICAL.  

Meister Eckhart?  Didn't he become commissioner of baseball later on?

1625:  CHARLES I BECOMES KING OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND AS WELL AS CLAIMING THE TITLE KING OF FRANCE.

Talk about being pushy.

1794:  THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHES A PERMANENT NAVY AND AUTHORIZES THE BUILDING OF SIX FRIGATES.

Oh, what the frigate.

1814:  DURING THE WAR OF 1812, US FORCES UNDER GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON DEFEAT THE CREEK AT THE BATTLE OF HORSESHOE BEND.

I must have missed this battle in eleventh-grade American History with Miss Castriota.

1851:  FIRST REPORTED SIGHTING OF THE YOSEMITE VALLEY BY EUROPEANS.

Is this before Sarah Palin saw Russia from her backyard?

1879:  YANKEE MANAGER MILLER HUGGINS IS BORN.

No, his middle name wasn't "Light."

1881:  RIOTING TAKES PLACE IN BASINGSTOKE IN PROTEST AGAINST THE DAILY VOCIFEROUS PROMOTION OF RIGID TEMPERANCE BY THE SALVATION ARMY.

Now I'm sorry I put all those dimes in the bucket.

1884:  A MOB IN CINCINNATI, OHIO, ATTACKS MEMBERS OF A JURY WHO HAD RETURNED A VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER IN A CLEAR CASE OF MURDER.  THEY WOULD LATER RIOT AND DESTROY THE COURTHOUSE.

Paging Fred Goldman.

1886: APACHE WARRIOR GERONIMO SURRENDERS TO THE US ARMY.

You can stop jumping now.

1899:  ACTRESS GLORIA SWANSON IS BORN.

"I wasn't a big baby.  It's just the womb that was smaller."

1915:  TYPHOID MARY, THE FIRST HEALTHY CARRIER OF DISEASE EVER IDENTIFIED IN THE UNITED STATES, IS PUT IN QUARANTINE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.

So no Match.com for her.

1931:  ACTOR DAVID JANSSEN IS BORN.

Let the manhunt begin.

1945:  DURING WORLD WAR II, OPERATION STARVATION, THE AERIAL MINING OF JAPAN'S PORTS AND WATERWAYS, BEGINS.

Effectively shutting down the import of ramen noodles.

1948:  THE SECOND CONGRESS OF THE WORKERS PARTY OF NORTH KOREA IS CONVENED.

Workers Party, ha!  They're Communists.

1958:  NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV BECOMES PREMIER OF THE SOVIET UNION.

Shoebanging will commence shortly.

1963:  DIRECTOR QUENTIN TARANTINO IS BORN.

Asshole Unchained.

1968:  RUSSIAN ASTRONAUT YURI GAGARIN DIES.

He, at least, outlived a couple of those chimps.

1976:  THE FIRST 4.6 MILES OF THE WASHINGTON METRO SUBWAY SYSTEM OPENS.

As if any members of Congress would be caught dead on it.

1977:  ACTRESS DIANA HYLAND DIES.

Apparently, Forty-One is Enough.

1981:  THE SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT IN POLAND STAGES A STRIKE, IN WHICH AT LEAST 12 MILLION POLES WALK OFF THEIR JOBS FOR FOUR HOURS.

The workers on top of a skyscraper walked off as well, which, of course, is your typical Polish joke.

1993:  ITALIAN FORMER MINISTER AND DEMOCRACY LEADER GIULI ANDREOTTI IS ACCUSED OF MAFIA ALLEGIANCE.

Surprised??  Anybody???

1998:  THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION APPROVES VIAGRA FOR AS A TREATMENT FOR MALE IMPOTENCE.

Up, up, and away.

2002:  COMIC MILTON BERLE DIES.

Glad Uncle Milty got to use that Viagra.  Meanwhile, here comes an amazing fatal hat trick.

2002:  ACTOR DUDLEY MOORE DIES.

Coming up short.

2002:  DIRECTOR BILLY WILDER DIES.

He lived across the street from me at the time and I do remember the hearse showing up.  Meanwhile, no jokes from me on Billy.  A genius.

2006:  TV PRODUCER DAN CURTIS DIES.

Now how dark are those shadows?

2011:  ACTOR FARLEY GRANGER DIES.

Last stop for that train, stranger.

2016:  MOTHER ANGELICA DIES.

That nutty TV nun.  The one that couldn't fly.

Dinner last night:  Leftover roast chicken.

The Best Of Intentions

I have always thought that Mary Kay Place was one of the most underacted actors working in film and television.  From her initial TV work to her great performance in "The Big Chill," there's a natural quality and organic flavor to her work that, to me, has gone virtually unnoticed.   Why did she now work more?  How come she never got the chance to take on starring roles?   

So, when I was invited to a free advance screening of "Diane" starring Ms. Place, I jumped at the chance.  Finally, in her 70s, Mary Kay was going to get her opportunity to shine.  

And shine she does.  She's in virtually every scene of the film.  She brings her usual easygoing nature to the role.  Plus she was at the screening for a question-and-answer.  Sweet,

I just wish the whole production was better.  I truly wanted to be Sally Field.  I really, really wanted to like it.   Ultimately, I couldn't.

The problem here with the film's writer and director, Kent Jones.   He, too, was at the screening and his post-film commentary explained some of the problems.  And highlighted others.  From what I can see, Jones' work to date is in the documentary arena.  He did the film "Hitchcock/Truffaut."  That was good.  But, as for telling a fictitious story, Jones is clearly out of his league.

"Diane" is about...well...Diane.  An older woman in a small New England town where all the senior citizens know all the other senior citizens.  Diane is the reliable one.  Bringing casseroles to somebody with a bad hip.  Dishing out macaroni and cheese at a mission.  Helping everybody who needs it.   

The only place where Diane is seemingly powerless is with her own son, who is first a drug addict and then reforms to be a religious zealot.  Truly this transformation happens in the blink of an eye and is truly confusing to the viewer.  It's this kind of jump cutting and then creative meandering that does "Diane" in.   Indeed, the film winds up simultaneously being too fast and too slow.  How the hell is that even possible??

Essentially, this is a tale of an older person coming to grips with the end of life as she watches her universe dwindle away one by one.  A theme worth exploring.  I just wish the cinematic guide had more experience taking you on that journey.  I know this was a personal tale for Kent Jones.  I just wish he was able to tell it better.

At the end, he was truly lucky to have Mary Kay Place in the lead role.   Without her, "Diane" would be a complete failure.  Still, if you are a fan of hers, definitely check it out.   After being first shown in the Tribeca Festival last year, it is finally getting a limited release.

And, in short order, will be available on Netflix or Amazon.  Where mediocre independent movies go to die.

LEN'S RATING:  Two-and-a-half stars.

Dinner last night:  Pasta and tomatoes.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - March 25, 2019

Closing out our blog anniversary month with the most popular video laugh in 12 years!!!

Dinner last night:  Roast chicken and vegetables.

The Sunday Memory Drawer - Those Are The Spring Breaks

Ah yes, another movie from my childhood.  It seemed to be rerun over and over and over when I was a kid.  And I always watched it with amusement.  My reactions went from "gross" to "embarrassment" to "hmmmm."

When I was old enough, I suddenly found myself propelled south.  In the direction of Fort Lauderdale.   What was this phenomenon called spring break?  And how can I participate?

Okay, when you look at the cast of this movie, I'm certainly not on a level with George Hamilton and Jim Hutton.  Okay, I see Frank Gorshin's name.  That's more like it.  But, kids went on these excursions for one reason and one reason only.  To meet some members of the opposite sex.   With emphasis on the last word of that last sentence.

Truth be told, when I was in college, I didn't have the money to go on spring break.  Not with my father taking out a college loan to get me through four years of it.  But, as soon as I graduated and was making some small semblance of a living, it was time.  

My college roommate and I were going to Fort Lauderdale.   Where the boys are.  Well, in our case, where the girls were.   And, oh, yeah, we were boys ourselves.  Given that we were a year out of college, we fancied ourselves as some of the more refined guys on the beach.  Experienced, older men.

Yeah, right.

I remember telling my dad about my travel plans one March many years ago.  Of course, he always replied in the same way when I told him I was going someplace.

"What do you want to go there for?"

I didn't really want to tell the truth.   I simply told him I was exhausted after working in a real job for the past five months.  Plus it was my dough and I could spend it as I liked.  He gave me a cautionary word.

"Don't get anybody in trouble."

WHAT???

I asked him to repeat it.

"Don't get into any trouble."

It's not what I heard.   I didn't ask for an additional clarification.  At this age, you don't necessarily discuss THAT with your father.

My friend and I sought the use of a travel agent because, back in this day, that's how you went on a trip.  There was no website to access.  The lady got us into a nice hotel that was literally on the beach.  Sweet.  And, unlike the way most kids ventured to Fort Lauderdale, we would not be sleeping seventeen to a mattress.

It would just be us.  And maybe....

Oh, who the hell were we kidding?  It would be us.  Because, in a comparison to the movie, neither of us were George Hamilton or Jim Hutton.  Or even Frank Gorshin.  We were simply shy and borderline dorky us.

Of course, I was going to give this all my best shot.  For the six weeks prior to our planned trek into sun and fun, I would lie down on the floor of my bedroom and do 100 sit-ups every night.  I needed to present the best possible package.  I didn't want to look like Poppin' Fresh in a bathing suit.

Meanwhile, with an eye to this spring break nonsense, I had gone for official swimming lessons the previous fall.  I had known how to stay afloat when I was a kid in my cousin's backyard pool.  Now I had to look like a professional.  Just in case any damsel needed saving.

Oh, who the hell was I kidding?

We went from a blustery March day in New York to a deliciously warm 80 degrees at the Fort Lauderdale airport.  The hotel was as advertised.  Right on the sand and we immediately went out to lie on it.  

Day 1?   Major sun burns for the both of us.  The kind of skin frying that makes you want to stay in bed.  And not move.

We did just that on Day 2.

We were better on Day 3 and, after a cautious day in the sun, we settled into what would be our nightly Florida routine.  The beach during the day.  Back to the hotel for a shower.  Then dressing in our finest Qiana shirts and double knit slacks for dinner out at some swanky restaurant.

After gorging ourselves on steak and sautéed mushrooms, we'd then put ourselves out on another kind of meat market.  We found one of those glitzy dance clubs, grabbed a bottle of beer, and stood on the side.

Watching and looking and surveying and...

Ultimately doing nothing.

Oh, we eventually, after much deliberation, asked a couple of girls to dance. Some said yes.  A lot said no.  And I began to wonder.

I did 4200 sit-ups for this??

But, as fruitless as this all was, we never varied our routine the entire time we were there.

Beach.

Shower.

A big steak.

Standing around and doing nothing.

Would you like to dance?

"I'm waiting for my friend in the bathroom."

"I stubbed my toe on a shell today."

"I can't.  I'm having my period right now."

Yes, I heard that.

So, unlike the movie, there was no Dolores Hart or Paula Prentiss or Yvette Mimieux or Connie Stevens in our immediate future.  We came to that realization pretty quickly and then began to focus on the last day of our trip.  When we would drive up to Orlando and spend the day with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

On the day before our big drive to the Magic Kingdom, we saw a note on the bulletin board in our hotel lobby.

"THREE GIRLS LOOKING TO SHARE RIDE TO DISNEY WORLD ON SUNDAY."

Whoa!!!

All of a sudden, there was a very attractive feature about the two of us.  Forget the sit-ups and the swimming lessons.  We had a freakin' rental car. 

We contacted them immediately.  And then spent the night before trying to figure how to evenly divide three girls with two very nice young men,

Another waste of energy. 

Which we found out fairly quickly at 6AM that Sunday when we all met at our car.

We had fantasized about a wonderful day at Florida's Happiest Place on Earth.  Deliciously flirtatious small talk on the way there.   Bonding over a chocolate chip cookie baked into mouse ears.  Throwing up together on the teacups.

Wrong.

These gals were the original Post-Its.  Stuck up.

The small talk didn't get far.  I asked what college they were from.

"Michigan.  And we all have boyfriends."

Hey, that wasn't my second question.  Or third question.  Or thirtieth question.  But, thanks for the information, bitch.

All the way to Orlando, it was a meeting of the Marcel Marceau tour group.  Nary a word was spoken.  

My college roommate and I had a great time at Disney World.  We debated leaving these chicks there.  Oh, sorry, didn't we tell you we were leaving at 8PM?  Ooops.

We were nicer than that.  And sat through another funeral service as we drove back to Fort Lauderdale.

We had gone all the way to Florida.  Where the girls are.  And found a whole lot less.

Yep, I had done all those sit-ups for nothing.

Dinner last night:  Kung pao beef from Century Dragon.

Classic Movie Trailer of the Month - March 2019

Hard to fathom.  One of my all-time favorite movies opened sixty years ago this month.

Dinner last night: Sandwich and German potato salad.

Your Weekend Movie Guide for March 2019

I don't know about you, but I'm curious about the second movie on this double feature.  A featurette "Date With Disaster."  Hmmm.   We can all identify with that one person we took to the movies and probably shouldn't have.

Most of the time these days, the real disaster in the theaters is what is on the screen.   You all know the drill, gang.  I'll drift through the movie pages of the local newspaper and give you my gut reaction to what is polluting the cinemas of our lives.  

And, now focusing on the main feature above, I guess we can all remember a night we might have spent with a real blob, too.

Captain Marvel:  He's a woman!

Wonder Park:  An animated theme park.   At least you can save on parking.

Five Feet Apart:  A young girl with cystic fibrosis falls in love.   Just goes to prove there is somebody out there for everyone.

How To Train Your Dragon - The Hidden World:  Luckily I live in a dragon-free apartment building.

Captive State:  An extra-terrestrial force takes over Chicago.  I thought that was Oprah.

Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral:  Proud to say I have never seen a Tyler Perry movie.

The Lego Movie 2 - The Second Part:  The number "2" and the "second part" are redundant in the title.

Alita - Battle Angel:  More futuristic garbage.  As if the present day isn't bad enough.

Green Book:  Sorry, Spike, it was the Best Picture of the Year.

Isn't It Romantic:  Probably not.

Fighting With My Family:  The family that wrestles together stays together.

Greta:  A young girl gets more than she asks for when she returns a handbag she found on the subway.  No good deed goes unpunished.

Apollo 11:  Blog review coming.  Trust me.  This documentary is worth your time.

The Upside:  I hear there is none.

What Men Want:  A romantic comedy with Tracy Morgan.   How about a tutorial for Tracy on how to wear seat belts.

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase:  Can a Hardy Boys reboot be far behind?

Gloria Bell:  Reviewed here recently.  Absolute garbage from a director who is so full of himself that he remade his own movie.

A Star is Born Encore:  With extra footage!  Just what this piece of junk needed.

Everybody Knows:  About this movie, I know little.

Happy Death Day 2.0:   Just when I finally figured out V 1.0.

The Russian Five:  Collusion!!!

El Chicano:  It's a drama but George Lopez is in the cast.  Wait.  That makes sense.  He's not funny.

Wheely:  A cartoon about a city where cars are citizens.  Insert your favorite New York or Los Angeles traffic joke here.

Hotel Mumbai:  Terrorism in India.  When is check out time?

Ramen Shop:  All about a ramen chef.  You're out of your noodle.

Trading Paint:  John Travolta as a stock car racing legend.   Maybe his car needs some "Grease."  Okay, go ahead and groan.

Maze:  All about the 1983 breakout of 38 Irish Republicn prisoners from Maze Prison.   Well, it is the season of St. Patrick's Day.

Dragged Across Concrete:  Mel Gibson as a cop suspended for assaulting a suspect on video.  I love the title.

Out of Blue:  A New Orleans cop investigates the murder of an astrophysicist.  Talk about falling into a black hole.

Us:  Four masked strangers descend upon a family at a beachfront house.  Well, there goes that vacation.  Jordan Peele is the director, so assume there's a teachable moment or two about diversity.

They Shall Not Grow Old:  I hear this is a wonderful documentary by Peter Jackson about those who fought in WWI.

Stan and Ollie:  Still playing around and I still think this sweet and charming movie is worth your attention.

Dinner last night:  Bratwurst and German potato salad.

And Another Generation Catches On...

Now I don't profess to be an expert on fashion.   But when I do see people wearing something several times over the course of a week, even I can spot a burgeoning trend.

In New York last week and on the plane back to LA, I saw five different young people wearing something similar to what you see above.  A t-shirt heralding the TV show "Friends."  Heck, there were two girls on the plane wearing them.  Then I caught another one wearing for a cab at LAX.

Hmmmm.

Now, allegedly, the show has found a new life on Netflix.   From what I am told, it is one of the most downloaded shows on the service and that says something, given it's been off the air over ten years.   But I always had a feeling that "Friends" would be one of those rare TV programs that spanned generations.  

I mean, think about it.  What TV show was watched by your great grandmother, your grandmother, your parents, you, and your kids?  The only one I can think of is "I Love Lucy."

And now, at least for one generation span, "Friends."  Indeed, I had this feeling that this could happen while it was still on the air.   Let's face it.   It's a universal theme that never leaves us.   Everybody has...well...friends.  It's really a timeless commodity.  And will never really go out of style.   It helps that the show was funny, well cast, and slickly produced.   Might I add that it's a multi-cam show with a live studio audience?   Those always rerun the best.

As I notice the fashion trend in play right now, I realize that my prediction was right.

"Friends" has staying power.  And good for them.

Dinner last night:  Reuben sandwich at R and D Kitchen.

This Date in History - March 20

Happy birthday, Carl Reiner.  Let me know what time you want me to pick you up.

235:  MAXIMINUS THRAX IS PROCLAIMED EMPEROR.  HE IS THE FIRST FOREIGNER TO HOLD THE ROMAN THRONE.

So, would Maximinus' father's sister be his Aunt Thrax?  On a slow historical news day, that may be the best joke I got today.

1208:  MICHAEL IV AUTOREIANOS IS APPOINTED ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

Told you it was a slow day.  You're going to be digging that "Aunt Thrax" gag any minute now.

1600:  THE LINKOPING BLOODBATH TAKES PLACE ON MAUNDY THURSDAY IN LINKOPING, SWEDEN.

Maundy Thursday?  Wasn't that a Mamas and Papas song?

1602:  THE DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY IS ESTABLISHED.

A news day as slow as Adrian Gonzalez.

1616:  SIR WALTER RALEIGH IS FREED FROM THE TOWER OF LONDON AFTER 13 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT.

That gave him a lot of time to collect those coupons that used to come on the backs of those cigarette packs.

1726:  PHYSICIST DR. ISSAC NEWTON DIES.

Don't sit under the apple tree with anybody else but me.

1760:  THE GREAT FIRE OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, DESTROYS 349 BUILDINGS.

And they thought Bobby Valentine was devastating to this city.

1815:  AFTER ESCAPING FROM ELBA, NAPOLEON ENTERS PARIS WITH A REGULAR ARMY OF 140,000 AND A VOLUNTEER FORCE OF AROUND 200,000.

Now that's what I call a "community organizer."

1852:  HARRIET BEECHER STOWE'S "UNCLE TOM'S CABIN" IS PUBLISHED.

Topsy turvy.

1861:  AN EARTHQUAKE COMPLETELY DESTROYS MENDOZA, ARGENTINA.

Talk about your "Mendoza Line."

1903:  ACTOR EDGAR BUCHANAN IS BORN.

And that's Uncle Joe...he's a-moving kind of slow at the Junction.

1906:  NY MAYOR ABE BEAME IS BORN.

Coming up short again.

1906:  ACTOR OZZIE NELSON IS BORN.

Good.  Now Harriet will have somebody to sleep with.

1913:  SUNG CHIAO-JEN, A FOUNDER OF THE CHINESE NATIONALIST PARTY, IS WOUNDED IN AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AND DIES TWO DAYS LATER.

I will bookmark this factoid when March 25 rolls around for its "Date in History."

1914:  IN NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP TAKES PLACE.

And today's historical news slows to a tortoise-like crawl.

1916:  ALBERT EINSTEIN PUBLISHES HIS GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY.

Which states....that your aunt's son is your cousin.

1918:  TV GAME SHOW PRODUCER JACK BARRY IS BORN.

Joker, joker, joker...

1922:  RADIO PERSONALITY RAY GOULDING IS BORN.

Because Bob needed somebody to play off.

1922:  ACTOR/PRODUCER CARL REINER IS BORN.

I had a whole conversation with him once about people who throw paper towels on the floor in a public bathroom.  Hollywood can be so glamorous.

1928:  TV HOST FRED ROGERS IS BORN.

A beautiful day in his neighborhood.

1933:  GIUSEPPE ZANGARA IS EXECUTED IN FLORIDA'S ELECTRIC CHAIR FOR FATALLY SHOOTING ANTON CERMAK IN AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST PRESIDENT-ELECT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.

So if you shoot a President-elect, does that still count?

1935:  ACTOR TED BESSELL IS BORN.

Happy birthday to....That Guy!

1936:  COMEDIAN VAUGHN MEADER IS BORN.

Had a show business career for 1,000 days...or however long JFK was President.

1942:  GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR MAKES HIS FAMOUS SPEECH REGARDING THE FALL OF THE PHILIPPINES, IN WHICH HE SAYS: "I CAME OUT OF BATAAN AND I SHALL RETURN."

I read this too fast and I thought he said "I came out IN Bataan."  Completely different angle on the story.

1952:  THE UNITED STATES SENATE RATIFIES A PEACE TREATY WITH JAPAN. 

After completely rebuilding the country for them.

1972:  ACTRESS MARILYN MAXWELL DIES.

Bob Hope will need to find somebody else to warm his feet.

1974:  JOURNALIST CHET HUNTLEY DIES.

Smoking does kill.

1985:  LIBBY RIDDLES BECOMES THE FIRST WOMAN TO WIN THE 1,135 MILE IDITAROD TRAIL SLED DOG RACE.

And the slow historical news day hits rock bottom.

1990:  IMELDA MARCOS GOES ON TRIAL FOR BRIBERY, EMBEZZLEMENT, AND RACKETEERING.

Bad shoes should have been added to the list of offenses.

1999:  LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA, THE ONLY LEGOLAND OUTSIDE OF EUROPE, OPENS.

Well, it didn't really open.  It was snapped together.

2010:  POLITICIAN STEWART UDALL DIES.

A hearse U-Haul for Udall.

2015:  A SOLAR ECLIPSE, AN EQUINOX, AND A SUPER MOON ALL HAPPEN ON THE SAME DAY.

Which is news on a slow news day.

Dinner last night:  Leftover chili.

Four Paws Up

 ubest part of all these streaming services we now have access to is the ability to watch a plethora of documentaries.   Those films that often run for just one week in the theaters are now available to a wider audience and that is a very good thing.

A perfect example of this is the utterly charming and tear-provoking "Pick of the Litter," which brought me into a world I knew nothing about.  And I left with a big, old smile on my face.

This film is all about the training of guide dogs for the blind.  This is a cottage industry that is well controlled and monitored.  Not just any pooch can be thrown into this role.  Nope, like race horses, they are bred from specific pedigrees.   This movie takes you from the birth of five pups to their evolution and training to be guide dogs for the sight-impaired.   Trust me.  Not every dog makes it.  And it's a pain staking process.

"Pick of the Litter" opens with the birth of the five pups you see above.  For some reason, they are all given names which begin with "P."  Potomac, Patriot, and Phil are the males.   Primrose and Poppet are the females.  Over the course of two years, the cameras follow their progress.  First they are outsourced to families who are adept in training.   If they continue on the path, they are then returned to an even tougher regiment of training.   If along the way, it is deemed that they will never be a successful guide dog, the dog is said to experience a "career change."

Even though this is a film, you fall in love with these dogs.  I even ended up rooting for one of them to make it.  Ultimately, just two of the litter actually wind up as guide dogs and I'm not going to ruin the ending for you.  It's fascinating documentary-making when the filmmakers are able to sustain such a high level of suspense.   When the two "winners" are matched with their sight-impaired companions, I was moved to tears.   And so will you.  It makes you want to have a dog yourself.

Seek this one out and enjoy it.  You will thank me.  Just don't lick my face.

LEN'S RATING:  Four stars.

Dinner last night:  Had a long travel day so nothing really.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - March 18, 2019

Another flashback to a video laugh from our blog's archives.  Happy anniversary to me!

Dinner last night:  Leftovers as I clean out the NY refrigerator.