This Date in History - March 4

 

Happy birthday to Paula Prentiss.   She starred in "He and She."   Guess which part she played?

51: NERO, LATER TO BECOME ROMAN EMPEROR, IS GIVEN THE TITLE PRINCEPS IUVENTUTUS...OR HEAD OF THE YOUTH.

 I guess there's a reason why they don't teach Latin in schools any more.

932:  TRANSLATION OF THE RELICS OF MARTYR WENCESLAUS I, DUKE OF BOHEMIA, PRINCE OF THE CZECHS.

Good King of the Christmas song.

1152:  FREDERICK I BARBAROSSA IS ELECTED KING OF THE GERMANS.

Barbarossa?   Wasn't that a movie with Jane Fonda?

1351:  RAMATHIBODI BECOMES KING OF SIAM.

Yul Brynner could never pronounce that, which is why he was simply the "King."

1386:  WTADYSLAW II JAGIETTO IS CROWNED KING OF POLAND.

It's Crazy Name Day on the blog.

1461:  THE WAR OF THE ROSES IN ENGLAND.

Wasn't this a movie with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner?

1493:  EXPLORER CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS ARRIVES BACK IN LISBON, PORTUGAL, ABOARD HIS SHIP NINA FROM HIS VOYAGE TO THE BAHAMAS AND THE CARIBBEAN.

Going all the places we later went on the Love Boat.

1681:  CHARLES II GRANTS A LAND CHARTER TO WILLIAM PENN FOR THE AREA THAT WILL LATER BECOME PENNSYLVANIA.  

As opposed to a lead No. 2 pennsyl.

1789:  IN NEW YORK CITY, THE FIRST CONGRESS OF THE US MEETS, PUTTING THE US CONSTITUTION INTO EFFECT.  THE BILL OF RIGHTS IS WRITTEN AND PROPOSED TO CONGRESS.

Back when we were civilized and actually wanted to follow a constitution.

1791:  VERMONT IS ADMITTED TO THE US AT THE 14TH STATE.

Saps.

1837:  THE CITY OF CHICAGO IS INCORPORATED.

Vote early, vote often.

1861:  THE FIRST NATIONAL FLAG OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA IS ADOPTED.

National?   What is it?   About 10 states???

1865:  THE THIRD NATIONAL FLAG OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.

Oh, make up your mind!

1888:  FOOTBALL STARE KNUTE ROCKNE IS BORN.

What were his parents thinking with that name?

1909:  US PRESIDENT WILLIAM TAFT USES A SAXBE FIX, A MECHANISM TO AVOID THE RESTRICTION OF THE US CONSTITUTION'S INELIGIBILITY CLAUSE.

History majors, please call to explain.

1913:  THE US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR IS FORMED.

I'm dying to know who got the very first unemployment check.

1925:  COMPOSER PAUL MAURIAT IS BORN.

Love is blue.  Unless you're color blind.

1933:  FRANCES PERKINS BECOMES US SECRETARY OF LABOR, THE FIRST FEMALE MEMBER OF THE US CABINET.

Even here, women can't escape labor.

1938:  ACTRESS PAULA PRENTISS IS BORN.

My writing partner met her and husband Dick Benjamin in a super market and they had a long talk about spices.

1943:  DURING WORLD WAR II, THE BATTLE OF THE BISMARCK SEA ENDS.

The Bismarck is sunk?

1945:  FINLAND DECLARES WAR ON NAZI GERMANY.

What took them so long?

1949:  ACTRESS CARROLL BAKER IS BORN.

I don't know anybody who met her in a super market.

1962:  A CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS FLIGHTS CRASHES ON TAKE-OFF FROM CAMEROON, KILLING 111.

And losing at least 111 suitcases.

1966:  A CANADIAN PACIFIC AIRLINES FLIGHT EXPLODES ON LANDING TOKYO, KILLING 64 PEOPLE.

And losing at least 64...never mind.

1970:  FRENCH SUBMARINE EURYDICE EXPLODES UNDERWATER.

So, if a submarine explodes underwater, does anybody hear it?

1974:  PEOPLE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME.

And now we all have something to read on the toilet.

1985:  THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION APPROVES A BLOOD TEST FOR AIDS INFECTION, USED SINCE THEN FOR SCREENING ALL BLOOD DONATIONS IN THE US.

Also a great day to own stock in white surgical gloves.

1994:  ACTOR JOHN CANDY DIES.

Killed perhaps by a dentist.

1996:  COMEDIAN MINNIE PEARL DIES.

Howdy?   Bye!

2001:  A MASSIVE CAR BOMB EXPLODES IN FRONT OF THE BBC IN LONDON.   THE ATTACK WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE REAL IRA.

You mean there was an imitation IRA?

2001:  POLITICIAN HAROLD STASSEN DIES.

Known as a big loser in elections, he's really out of the running now.

2016:  TENNIS BROADCASTER BUD COLLINS DIES.

Net!

2019:  ACTOR LUKE PERRY DIES.

Does Heaven have a zip code?

Dinner last night:  Salisbury steak.

Moron of the Month - March 2026

 

If it was up to me, there should be an appearance element thrown into every US election.   For instance, somebody like Katie Porter, a Congresswoman from somewhere in the bowels of California, wouldn't stand a chance.   I mean, she rates high on the fat and dumpy barometer.

But, frankly, this slob wouldn't have a chance even if she were a runway model.   On sheer brain power alone, Katie is disqualified.

You know, this monthly moron feature really could be turned over to nominating the newest idiotic Democrat to make an appearance.  With the upcoming gubernatorial election in California and the future 2028 Presidential race, there will be no shortage of morons kissing babies at the mall.  There will be the raising of one ugly head after another.

And that's where Katie Porter comes in.   One of those clowns educated by the most liberal colleges in the country, Katie doesn't have an original thought in her head.   Look at some of her political stances on-line.   Every word out of her mouth comes straight from the Democratic Party.   She must get a daily download.  There is nothing original or even remotely unique with her political stance.

And that's why she is looking to replace Gavin Newscum as Governor of California as yet another stupid and worthless civic leader.   Dopey Gavin has his eye on the White House, while Katie has her eye on Sacramento...and probably a bucket of KFC.  Being able to recite from the liberal playbook doesn't make you a leader.

Indeed, if you do some research on Katie, you will see she is hardly leadership quality.   She allegedly goes through staffers like onion rings at In N'Out Burger.  Anger management incidents follow her daily.   She supposedly poured a pot of boiling potatoes over her first husband's head.  There's already a restraining order between her and the latest boyfriend.

But this is all trivial stuff, right?   Because Katie Porter knows how to recite political viewpoints as if Senor Wences had his arm up her back.  Is there no end to the number of useless politicians out there?   

Boy, oh, boy, do we throw our votes in the toilet every November?   Morons electing morons.   Katie Porter is an idiot.   But somebody will vote for her.

Dinner last night:  Leftover General Tso's chicken.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - March 2, 2026

It's my blog anniversary and I am beginning Year 20 this month.  As is the habit in the past, let's recall some of the funnier video laughs.  And let's swing into action.

Dinner last night:  Chicken cacciatore at Osteria Vera.

The Sunday Memory Drawer - Buried Memories

 

Located on a quiet hill in the even quieter hamlet of Hartsdale, New York, Ferncliff Cemetery is the eternal home of lots of famous people. Songwriter Harold Arlen, James Baldwin, ice cream meglomaniac Tom Carvel, Joan Crawford, Basil Rathbone, Toots Shor, Ed Sullivan and his orchestra leader Ray Bloch, director Preston Sturges, Moss Hart and his wife Kitty Carlisle Hart, renowned troublemaker Malcolm X, Oscar Hammerstein, Moms Mabley, and Judy Garland. Beatle John Lennon was cremated there. The list goes on and on and on. The place includes also a whole passel of my relatives. And the relatives of several good friends of mine.

And my parents.

Indeed, my mom would be happy to know that her top floor studio apartment/niche was once a mere three dozen footsteps away from Miss Garland, whom I would have allegedly be named after. If I, of course, was a girl. Not that gender ever made a difference to Judy. Meanwhile, Judy's family has since moved her casket to Los Angeles.  But, I digress...

Believe it or not, cemeteries were a prime destination for Sunday drives, especially with my grandparents.

"Come on, let's go see Uncle Fritz."

The eight-year-old comedian in me could not resist the witty retort.

"Yeah, but he can't see you." 

Ha ha. My grandmother didn't find the funny in funny.

"Don't be fresh."

Almost as punishment, I was loaded into the car along with a whole bunch of gardening tools and off we went to Tombstone Land. I never understood why my grandmother felt the need to garden some graves, except perhaps we had some family members who were too damn cheap to pay for the perpetual care offered by the cemetery. My grandmother would survey the lawn on top of some relative and if she found it a little too weedy, there would be the beckoning call to my grandfather.

”Pop, bring me the shears!”

And then they would spend an hour manicuring the grounds while I played hopscotch on the bronze nameplates all around me. And then get scolded for that.

”Don’t walk on them. That’s where their head is.”

Huh?

Now, in our family, there were two cemeteries of choice. The old and staid Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. Most of the older folks wound up there. Cousins who had died of sinus infections in the pre-antibiotic days of the 30s. One young nephew who had accidentally stabbed himself to death while slicing some pork chops in the butcher shop. And now, there in Woodlawn, “reside” my grandparents. In a plot they selected twenty to thirty years before they died. By the fence so they could watch all the cars drive by on Webster Avenue. That was the reason I was given. I kid you not. And, I digress again…

The younger relatives were all found in the more modern and up-and-coming Ferncliff up in the suburbs. And that place always managed to give me the creeps. Invariably, I would get sent into the mausoleum to get some water for vases. And the eerie, somber music that was piped into that joint made my trips into them as time-condensed as possible. I walked through there wearing imaginary blinders. If you looked at any of the crypts on the left or the right, you would find decorated to look like real living rooms with kids’ toys on the floor. Audible scream!

There was one grave that my father scared the shit out of me with. It seems some real jerk had a bust made of his head. When he was buried, the bust was placed under the nameplate and you could lift it up to look down. One day, my father said, “come on and say hello to Uncle Charlie.” Not knowing the horror to come and being a dumb kid, I did so. Uncle Charlie looking up from his resting place. 

Audible scream all over again! Nightmares for a week. Thanks, Dad.

Ironically, I’d unwittingly get back at him for this injustice. Years later, the day after he passed away, I went through the robotic process of “making arrangements.” There never was a thought in my mind that his eternal resting place would be at Ferncliff. Besides, all the good spots by the fence at Woodlawn had already been taken. 

Anyway, as if I was playing the bonus round on Supermarket Sweep, I blew through Ferncliff and got everything settled in the space of fifteen minutes. Cement vault, hole in the ground, lettering and design for the plaque, timing for a graveside service. Because I don’t believe in the ritual, there would be no funeral parlor viewing. It would be just like the Wild West. 12 Noon at Boot Hill. Be there or be square. And your attendance would be by invitation only. I had it all solved in a flash.

The day before the burial, I got a call from one of my dad’s cronies who had made my A List of invitees.

”So, Len, what time is the cremation tomorrow?”

Huh???? I told the guy there would be a burial.

”But your father always told me he wanted to be cremated.”

I thought about the cement vault. Already invoiced. The grave. Already dug. The in-ground plaque. Perhaps being engraved as we spoke. I called my mother and asked if she had ever heard that request. Knowing my parent’s virtual disregard for any timely communication, I was not surprised that she had not. And naturally this was complete breaking news for me.

So, indeed, in death, there would be one last time where I screwed up something for Dad. And, in a way, I was getting back at it for the fright show that had been Uncle Charlie. But, I also thought that my father might have enjoyed the faux pas that only I could have constructed.

On the day of the burial, we stood in the street near the gravesite and waited for the hearse to show up. We saw it enter the gate and it immediately made a hard right turn. Into the section where all the Black people were buried. Most of us couldn’t help but giggle. Suddenly, the hearse slammed on its brakes and started to back up. We imagined that the drivers had been startled by a rap on the window in the back of the hearse. And perhaps a faint voice from the beyond.

”What are you idiots doing? You can’t put me here with all those coloreds.”

When I make my annual visit to Ferncliff now, I survey all the nameplates around my dad and realize that his pain is continuing. Every name is Chinese.

Sorry again.

Dinner last night:   General Tso's chicken.

Classic Movie Trailer of the Month - February 2026

 Fifty years old this month.   And, yes, I'm talking to you.

Dinner last night:  Cheese and crackers.

Photos Provide Such Memories

 

Obviously, the photographer had told them this would be nothing but a head shot.

If this is a familyu portrait, I have some questions.

Little Petunia is being blocked by, well, a little petunia.

The way Dad is sitting behind Mom, you would think she would have a bigger smile on her face. 

This time, the dog is giving Mom a bath.

Future pole dancer.

Trying to fit a size 6 baby into a size 4 wagon.

"Mommy, this uncle is drunk now, too."

I need her phone number.

Surprisingly, the most awkward thing in this picture is the sofa.

Dinner last night:  Chili from my freezer.

Hollywood Then and Now - February 2026

 Back when Hollywood was brand spanking new in the Roaring Twenties and Thirties of the last century, the entire growing city was one big sound stage for the movie making world.   It was very easy to go and shoot whenever they found a great location.

A few years back, I visited one such memorable spot nestled into a quiet neighborhood in Silver Lake.

If you are fans of Laurel and Hardy, you might remember their Academy Award winning short "The Music Box."  Stan and Ollie lugging a piano up a large flight of stairs.

This might be one of the funniest Laurel and Hardy adventures ever.

Well, the internet allowed for me to search where these steps are and Hollywood has already turned the spot into a shrine.

With a street sign.

And a plaque.

But nothing is official until I visited the steps.   Notice I only went up one flight.  My knees, even then.

Yep, Hollywood's back lot just might have been your backyard.

Dinner last night:  Leftover chicken tenders.

This Date in History - February 25

 

Happy birthday, Tea Leoni.  Our Secretary of State looks like this...at least on the CBS show a few years back.

138:  THE ROMAN EMPEROR HADRIAN ADOPTS ANTONINUS PIUS, EFFECTIVELY MAKING HIM HIS SUCCESSOR.

This bunch was changing leadership as much as they were changing their togas.

493:  ODOACER SURRENDERS RAVENNA AFTER A THREE-YEAR SIEGE AND AGREES TO A MEDIATED PEACE WITH THEODORIC THE GREAT.

Theodoric was later nicknamed the Beaver.

628: KOSRAU II IS OVERTHROWN BY HIS SON KAVADH II.

Who Cares II?

1336:  4,000 DEFENDERS OF PILENAL COMMIT MASS SUICIDE RATHER THAN BE TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS.

Doesn't say much about the Teutonic Knights.

1570:  POPE PIUS V EXCOMMUNICATES QUEEN ELIZABETH I OF ENGLAND.

This is the Queen Elizabeth without the handbag.

1797:  COLONEL WILLIAM TATE AND HIS FORCE OF 1000-1500 SOLDIERS SURRENDER AFTER THE LAST INVASION OF BRITAIN.

Lots of tails between lots of legs.

1836:  SAMUEL COLT IS GRANTED A US PATENT FOR THE COLT REVOLVER.

Malt liquor to follow.

1843:  PROVISIONAL CESSATION OF THE HAWAIIAN OR SANDWICH ISLANDS ESTABLISHED BY LORD GEORGE PAULET.

A combination would be a Hawaiian sandwich, probably with pineapple slices.

1866:  MINERS IN CALAVERAS COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, DISCOVER WHAT IS NOW CALLED THE CALAVERAS SKULL --- HUMAN REMAINS THAT SUPPOSEDLY INDICATED THAT MAN, MASTODONS, AND ELEPHANTS CO-EXISTED.

Until, of course, the mastodons and the elephants got hungry.

1870:  HIRAM RHODES REVELS, A REPUBLICAN FROM MISSOURI, IS SWORE TO THE US SENATE, BECOMING THE FIRST BLACK EVER TO SIT IN CONGRESS.

Liberals, please note all the irony in that sentence.

1901:  JP MORGAN INCORPORATES THE US STEEL CORPORATION.

Money to be made there.

1901:  ACTOR ZEPPO MARX IS BORN.

Oh, horse feathers!

1913:  ACTOR JIM BACKUS IS BORN.

Watch out for that next step, Magoo!

1913:  ACTOR GERT FROBE IS BORN.

Gold-fing-uh.

1920:  RELIGIOUS LEADER SUN MYUNG MOON IS BORN.

Rising in the east.

1929:  MUSICIAN TOMMY NEWSOM IS BORN.

He once asked to borrow my pen.   Long story.

1932:  ADOLF HITLER OBTAINS GERMAN CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION, WHICH ALLOWS HIM TO RUN IN THE 1932 ELECTION FOR PRESIDENT.

Jesse Owens also got to run later on, too.

1940:  BASEBALL PLAYER RON SANTO IS BORN.

He used to click his heels when the Cubs won.   That was while he still had heels to click.

1941: IN OCCUPIED AMSTERDAM, A GENERAL STRIKE IS DECLARED IN RESPONE TO INCREASING ANTI-JEWISH MEASURES INSTITUTED BY THE NAZIS.

And you wonder why the Franks went to the attic.

1943:  BEATLE GEORGE HARRISON IS BORN.

My sweet Lord.

1948:  THE COMMUNIST PARTY TAKES CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT IN  CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND THE PERIOD OF THE THIRD REPUBLIC ENDS.

Czech, please.

1954:  GAMAL ABDEL NASSER IS MADE PREMIER OF EGYPT.

Nasser later is the place where all US space shots were made.

1966:  ACTRESS TEA LEONI IS BORN.

If Tea Leoni married James Lipton...

1968:  DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, 135 UNARMED CITIZENS OF HA MA IN SOUTH VIETNAM ARE KILLED AND BURIED EN MASSE BY SOUTH KOREAN 
TROOPS IS WHAT WAS LATER KNOWN AS THE HA MY MASSACRE.

Ha, indeed.

1986:  PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES FERDINAND MARCOS FLEES THE NATION AFTER 20 YEARS OF RULE.

Wait!  You forgot your wife!

1987:  ACTOR JAMES COCO DIES.

Death by Death.

1996:  ACTOR HAING S. NGOR DIES.

The Killing Fields, indeed.

1997:  YI HAN-YONG, NORTH KOREA DEFECTOR, IS MURDERED.

He didn't defect fast enough.

2006:  ACTOR DARREN MCGAVIN DIES.

I guess he was frag-ile.

2013:  SURGEON C. EVERETT KOOP DIES.

Hazardous to his own health.

2014:  GAME SHOW HOST JIM LANGE DIES.

A Straight-From-The-Coffin Kiss!!!!

2017:  ACTOR BILL PAXTON DIES.

Reliable actor.

Dinner last night:   Leftover pappardelle.

Len's Recipe of the Month - February 2026

 

I follow a couple of cooks with YouTube channels.  Around Christmas, three of them posted recipes for a traditional Bolognese sauce.   I was intrigued and gathered the fixings to do this myself.

Two days later, a couple of hernias sent me to the hospital.  So much for Bolognese sauce.

So, five weeks later, I finally tackled it with great success.   When done traditionally, it is a convention of flavors you cannot imagine.   So, follow along.

Buy one of those 8 oz packages of diced pancetta.   Heat up some EVO in a Dutch oven saute the pancetta for about five minutes.  You need the fat you are rendering.

Next, some mirapoix.   What is that, you ask?   It is the holy trinity of cooking up a sauce base.  Carrots, onion, and celery.   Chop two carrots, an onion, and two celery ribs.   Or, thanks to Bristol Farms, you can buy it ready made.

Add a little more EVO and saute the mirapoix with the pancetta.   Now, for the meat.   After all, this is a meat sauce.   The cooks I follow suggest a pound and a half of a mix of beef and pork.  For maximum flavor, I used a pound of ground Italian sweet sausage and 1/2 pound ground beef.   

Into the Dutch oven it all goes and, for about 15 to twenty minutes, you brown the meat and get the veggies translucent.   Keep stirring it.

When the whole mixture is a brownish gray color, mince four or five garlic cloves and add that.   Take this opportunity in the process to salt and pepper it all.

Mix in a tablespoon of tomato paste.   Then deglaze the pan with a cup of red wine.  Make sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape up the stuff stuck to the bottom.  That's flavor, gang.

Now add a cup of beef broth.   Or mix one tablespoon of Better Than Boullion with a cup of water.

There's more.

Now add two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes.   Use a brand like Cento that is made in Italy.

Salt and pepper again.

Most chefs add a piece of Parmesan Reggiano cheese rind.   This is another key for flavor.   You can buy these at most super markets.  Drop it in.  Over the long cooking time, it will melt.

And here's another trick up the sleeve.   Stir in a cup of whole milk.   Apparently, that's the way it's done in Italy.   Who will argue?

Drop in two bay leaves and the prep is done.  

Now, for cooking, there are two schools of thought.   One is to stash it away in the oven for three to four hours.   The longer the better.   But you can also let it simmer on low for four to five hours on the stove with the cover slightly ajar.   

But the real secret is what these chefs will recommend next.   Don't serve it the same day.  When you are done cooking, put it in the fridge and let it mull overnight.   Somehow and some way, it tastes even better this way.  One of those cooking magic acts.

Now traditionalists will tell you to use this sauce with a wide pasta noodle like pappardelle or fettucine.  I did that and it was fine, although a bit clumsy to eat.  Frankly, I think this would work with most pastas, except for spaghetti, linguine, or angel hair.  

Regardless, this is one meal you will never ever regret making.

Dinner last night:  Chicken tenders.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - February 23, 2026

 The snows of February conclude.   After the storm, there is...the snow blowers.

Dinner last night: Pappardelle with homemade Bolognese sauce.

The Sunday Memory Drawer - Springtime for...

 

Well, sort of. We were in the same place. We were literally one table away from each other. I could pretty much hear his whole conversation. If I talked as loud as he did, he could pretty much hear my whole conversation. And he could see what I was eating.

That's where the root of this story lies.

Years ago, I was lunching with a producer-friend of mine at the 20th Century Fox commissary. If you think this is particularly glamorous, you've been watching way too much Entertainment Tonight. I've eaten at both Fox and Warner Brothers, and all the people around you tend not to be stars. They're office people, prop masters, and computer programmers. The closest I ever got was seeing George Clooney stop at the cashier for a pack of Altoids.

But Mel Brooks behind me at Fox was very real. You couldn't miss the manic voice. It bounced off all four walls. I knew he was there, but my friend and I just kept talking. The trick is that you really try to zone in and not focus on the people around you. The waiter brought our food. Mine was a club sandwich and a side of French fries. I started to chow down. I noted that the cacophony at the table behind me had subsided. Mel was off peeing. But his companion was not. She tapped me on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, you're eating French fries."

Huh??

"You'll have to hide them before Mel comes back."

Huh???

"Mel loves French fries but he's on a very strict diet right now."

So???

"He can't see you eating French fries."

How does one respond to a request for covert dining? I wondered what kind of consequences would result if Mel Brooks saw my French fries.

"He'll go nuts."

Oh.

I had no idea why, but I suddenly became conscious of offending Hollywood royalty. I took a piece of leaf lettuce from my sandwich and tucked the French fries underneath it. Mel walked by a few moments later. There were no air raid sirens. He had seen nothing.

Until he left about ten minutes later.

In a comfort zone, I had gotten a little loose with my fries. One had sidled over to the other side of my plate. Mel saw it as he walked by.

An icy glare. His companion quickly hustled him out the door.

I exhaled. Another day in Hollywood.  Meanwhile, the man hopefully celebrates his 100th birthday this summer.

Dinner last night:  BBQ Chicken Salad from Maria's.

Classic TV Theme Song of the Month - February 2026

 Sadly, the only thing I remember about Inger Stevens and this series from 60 years ago is that she killed herself shortly thereafter.

Dinner last night:  Salisbury steak.

Smile!

 

More snapshots from Hell. I don't know why this baby is smiling. He's next.

For once, they're not looking through bars.

Toucans bite as she will soon painfully discover.

My three sons. An arsonist, a molester, and a serial killer.

It was a bitch sliding these things down my birth canal.

"Dad, I told you. I'm in the witness protection program. No photos!!!!!"

Dinner last night:  Grilled hamsteak.

Overheard...

I can only relay the conversation exactly as I heard it in Aisle 6 of Bristol Farms.  Two young female gremlins (if you saw them in person, you would agree with that description) were talking as they took turns looking at cans of crushed tomatoes.

Girl #1: It was a hassle, but it was so worth it for my own protection. It's not hard to get a temporary restraining order. If my boyfriend comes within 20 yards of me, I can call the cops.

Girl #2: The one I got for my last boyfriend, he couldn't come within 10 yards. And my friend's TRO on her ex-husband didn't allow him to be within one mile of her.

They moved onto Aisle 7.

So, how easy are these temporary restraining orders to get? 

Is there a department at Target for them? 

Or, maybe you can get the fancy ones at Nordstrom's. You know they are all so customer-service-oriented there. "I know you want the 30 yard one, but I think you'd be much happier with the 15 yard TRO. They are more popular these days."

Actually, I am going to request my own TRO and start with these two super market cookies.

Dinner last night:   Salad.

This Date in History - February 18

 

Happy birthday, John Travolta.  I love your outfit.

1229:  FREDERICK II, HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR, SIGNS A TEN YEAR TRUCE WITH AL-KAMIL, REGAINING JERUSALEM, NAZARETH, AND BETHLEHEM.

I'd walk a mile for Al-Kamil.

1268:  THE LIVONIAN BROTHERS OF THE SWORDS ARE DEFEATED IN THE BATTLE OF RAKVERE.  

Which means you get February 18 off if you're a Livonian or a Rakverian.

1478:  GEORGE, DUKE OF CLARENCE, IS CONVICTED OF TREASON AND EXECUTED IN PRIVATE AT THE TOWER OF LONDON.

Today it would be a sweeps special on Fox.

1546:  MARTIN LUTHER DIES.

Thanks to him, I have a church to go to.

1564:  PAINTER MICHELANGELO DIES.

Come on down, we've decided to wallpaper.

1766:  A MUTINY BY CAPTIVE MALAGASY BEGINS AT SEA ON THE SLAVE SHIP MEERMIN.  

Mutiny on the Meermin.   Doesn't roll off your tongue like the Clark Gable movie.

1781:  CAPTAIN THOMAS SHIRLEY OPENS HIS EXPEDITION AGAINST DUTCH COLONIAL OUTPOSTS ON THE GOLD COAST OF AFRICA.

Don't call him Shirley.

1797:  SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY AND A FLEET OF 18 BRITISH WARSHIPS INVADE TRINIDAD.

Any word from Fitch?

1861:  IN ALABAMA, JEFFERSON DAVIS IS INAUGURATED AS THE PROVISIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE STATE.

So who will be the president of Texas when they secede from the union?

1865:  UNION FORCES UNDER GENERAL WILLIAM SHERMAN SET THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE ON FIRE DURING THE BURNING OF COLUMBIA.

Well, there goes the housing market in Columbia.

1885:  THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN BY MARK TWAIN IS PUBLISHED.  

Cliff Notes are out when?

1890:  ACTOR ADOLPHE MENJOU IS BORN.

He was in every movie made in the 1930s.

1892:  POLITICIAN WENDELL WILLKIE IS BORN.

Nobody Won With Willkie.

1913:  PEDRO LASCURAIN BECOMES PRESIDENT OF MEXICO FOR 45 MINUTES---THE SHORTEST TERM OF ANY PRESIDENT OF ANY COUNTRY.

He was double parked.

1919:  ACTOR JACK PALANCE IS BORN.

And immediately did ten push-ups.

1920:  TV GAME SHOW HOST BILL CULLEN IS BORN.

I'll freeze, Bill.

1925:  ACTOR GEORGE KENNEDY IS BORN.

Lord, he's old.

1930:  WHILE STUDYING PHOTOGRAPHS, CLYDE TOMBAUGH DISCOVERS PLUTO.

I thought that was Walt Disney.

1930:  ELM FARM OLLIE BECOMES THE FIRST COW TO FLY AND BE MILKED IN AN AIRCRAFT.

Talk about your Stupid Pet Tricks.

1933:  SINGER (?) YOKO ONO IS BORN.

She killed more Beatles than a can of Raid.

1943:  THE NAZIS ARREST THE MEMBERS OF THE WHITE ROSE MOVEMENT.

White Rose?   Did they used to make ginger ale?

1943:  JOSEPH GOEBBELS DELIVERS HIS SPORTPALAST SPEECH.

And he goebbeled all the way through it.

1954:  THE FIRST CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY IS ESTABLISHED IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

Ironically, this occurs on the same day as...

1954:  ACTOR JOHN TRAVOLTA IS BORN.

Who knew???

1957:  WALTER JAMES BOLTON BECOMES THE LAST PERSON LEGALLY EXECUTED IN NEW ZEALAND.

I guess the key word here is "legally."

1957:  TV STAR VANNA WHITE IS BORN.

H_PP_ _I__HD_Y!

1970:  THE CHICAGO SEVEN ARE FOUND NOT GUILTY OF CONSPIRING TO INCITE RIOTS AT THE 1968 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.

Yeah, sure.

1977:  ACTOR ANDY DEVINE DIES.

Daughter Loretta must be distraught.

1979:  SNOW FALLS IN THE SAHARA DESERT FOR THE ONLY TIME IN HISTORY.

Put some snow chains on those camels.

1991:  THE IRA EXPLODES BOMBS IN THE EARLY MORNING AT PADDINGTON STATION IN LONDON.

Hope the teddy bear wasn't hurt.

1998:  SPORTSCASTER HARRY CARAY DIES.

No formaldehyde needed to preserve him.

2001:  SEVEN-TIME NASCAR CHAMPION DALE EARNHARDT DIES IN AN ACCIDENT DURING THE DAYTONA 500.

What color flag do they wave for that?

2006:  SINGER BILL COWSILL DIES.

The Rain, The Park, and Death.

2025:  ACTOR GENE HACKMAN DIES.

At least, we think that's the date.

Dinner last night:  Sandwich.

The Claire Danes School of Acting

 

If such a school existed, there would be a limited curriculum.

Anguish 101.

Advanced Anguish.

Master Class in Anguish.

Don't get me wrong.  I think she's a fine actress.  But she does have a habit of taking roles that are...well...anguished.   I mean she had the same look for five seasons of "Homeland."  In this recent Netflix limited season, she does take it one step further and plays...wait for it...an anguished lesbian.  I would love to see her branch out and do a screwball comedy with Will Farrell.

That said, "The Beast in Me" is another dark series from Netflix and, on the recommendation of friends, I gave it a shot.   Yes, it is dark but the plot is compelling and sucked me in.  Sadly, I must report that I watched all eight episodes over four days.

I hate when that happens.

Danes plays an....ANGUISHED...author with a new neighbor out on Long Island.  The new dude next door is a creepy and sinister urban developer played by Matthew Rhys and he has some skeletons in his closet.   One just might be the real skeleton of his first wife who "disappeared" several years ago.   Meanwhile, Danes has her own brand of anguish dealing with the local kid who accidentally killed her son in a car crash several years ago.

Somehow, Nil Jarvis the businessman and Danes' author character connect and she is contracted to write his bio.   Of course, to do that, she must learn the story behind the first wife's disappearance.   So, everybody has a nasty angle here and the story peels back slowly like an onion.  Even though it is dark, there is something about the story that sucks you in like a Dyson floor cleaner.  And the good news is that the tale does end definitely after eight episodes which means you won't get trapped with several sequels over the next five years.

Check it out.  He said in anguish.

Dinner last night:  Leftover beef with Chinese noodles.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - February 16, 2026

 The February weather videos continue with this snapshot of bad drivers in Canada.

Dinner last night:  Roast chicken dinner at the home of Amir and Kevin.

The Sunday Memory Drawer - My Birthday with George's Aunt

 

My birthday was last Wednesday and regardless of how I celebrate, it will never top a birthday I enjoyed about 30 or so years ago.   And it involves none other than the lady in the photo above.

Rosemary Clooney is one of the things I inherited from my parents, other than the maddening mix of personality flaws (stoicism from Dad, impulsiveness from Mom) I got from both. Her music was always playing in our house on those monaural long playing records that were stacked up five-at-a-time on the "Hi Fi." Vikki Carr, for some bizarre reason, was always being piped in throughout the house, and this made no sense to me, as half of her songs were always in Spanish. But, I digress...

I developed an affinity for Rosemary Clooney at an early age, and I continued it as her musical stylings changed over time. Indeed, when she got to that small cabaret stage in the early 90s, this was a fastball over the plate for me. I ate it up. So, you can imagine my absolute glee when I heard that she would be appearing at the old Rainbow and Stars supper club on top of Rockefeller Center on a Saturday evening in February about two plus decades ago. And it was my birthday! Touchdown. Score the goal. Touch 'em all. I would be there.

I made a pact with God not to louse up this amazing quirk of timing. The only thing that could stop me would be one of those crippling blizzards that renders New York City as useful as power brakes on a turtle. I enlisted two cohorts to share in my glory. And then I called for three reservations to the show. And here comes what might have been a fatal mistake.

Supper Club: "Will you be dining with us or just coming for the show?"

Me: (knowing fully well how pricey their menu was) "No, just the show, please."

An oops moment. Except I did not know it at the time.

When the evening arrived, it was cold and blustery. But nary a winter cloud in the sky. The only flakes were the usual tourists that hover around like Rock Center like ants on picnic blanket crumbs. We ate dinner, but at a venue certainly a little more downscale than the 75 buck burgers the supper club was hawking.

An hour before the 11PM show, we made our way up the elevator to that wonderful room that overlooks the entire city. I walked up to the hostess and announced our arrival.

There was no reservation in my name.

WTF!

I stressed there must be some mistake. I recited the day, date, and appropriate time that I called.

Still nothing. Sorry.

And, of course, the show is sold out, so there was no chance of getting another table.

WTF!!

I asked to speak to the manager. He was not available. But we were more than welcome to have a cocktail in the bar and enjoy the view.

Happy birthday to me. And a glorious Fuck You from the Rainbow Room.

My friends did their best over drinks to make me feel better. It didn't work. As I sat there staring at the Empire State Building with that red heart of lights all ready for Valentine's Day, I got more and more agitated. And then I kicked into what I call Murphy Brown mode. Or something akin to that scene in "Terms of Endearment" when Shirley McLaine screams at the nurses' station to get her daughter more medication.

I got ugly.

Leaving my friends with their adult beverages, I went Rainbow Room manager hunting. And I didn't care who I asked. Or interrupted. I finally tracked the guy down in the main part of the Rainbow Room, where he was coordinating somebody's wedding reception.

Yeah, I didn't care.

At first blush, he tried to blow me off. But, then I explained it was my birthday that was now ruined. Of course, I added, other people in the same situation may use that "faux birthday" excuse. I assured him my birthday story was true. I whipped out my driver's license and shoved the date in his face. There was a small glimmer of hope in his face. He told me to go back to the bar and that he would send somebody for us just before the show was scheduled to start.

And he was good to his word. Just before 11PM, the same snarly hostess, who was now off my Christmas card list, came to get us. She explained that the reason for the mix-up was due to a late reservation request from.....Harry Crosby. Okay, if I'm going to get upended by a Crosby kid, make it Mary Crosby. At least, she's the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question. Nevertheless, they were creating an extra table for us. The only caveat was that we couldn't enter the show until the very last minute and we had to do so from a side door. Perhaps, there was surveillance set up by the Fire Department? Who knows?

Anyway, the skank ushered us to said side door. Which was not really a side door. It was actually the wings to the stage.

And we were standing there alongside Rosemary Clooney!

It took me about five seconds to realize that this was the ultimate birthday present. I thought really fast about what to say to her. I know not to say "break a leg." Besides, I know she already had several years before.

Me: "Have a great show."

Rosemary: "I'm a little nervous."

Me: "Don't be. All friends in there."

And Harry Crosby is in my original seats.

Rosemary: (patting my arm) "You're sweet."

And off she went for an hour of musical nirvana.

Oddly enough, after the show, we ran into her again near the coat check. She was apparently using the area to mingle with her friends. I was standing about three feet away from her as she gabbed with Skitch Henderson. Another friend came over to take their picture. I realized I was positioned right in the center of the intended photo. They smiled. So did I. Flash.

I've always wondered if anybody questioned who the hell was this schmuck standing between Rosemary Clooney and Skitch Henderson.

Hey, I'm the one who was celebrating my birthday that night.

When Rosie died in 2002, I posted this story to a memorial website that her family had set up for fans. About three months later, I received a handwritten note from her brother, Nick Clooney (father of George). He mentioned that the family was touched by my story and they wanted to invite me to the Hollywood memorial concert being held later that year. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there. And I didn't need to be.

I still had my story. And I was sticking to it.

It really was my birthday!

Dinner last night:  Beef with noodles from Chin Chin.