May 6 is a robust day for birthdays as you will see. But I would be remiss if I didn't spotlight Willie Mays. Say hey! And you will note that the picture I used has him in a Mets uniform.
1527: SPANISH AND GERMAN SACK ROME. SOME CONSIDER THIS THE END OF THE RENAISSANCE.
And who are those people who don't?
1536: KING HENRY VIII ORDERS ENGLISH-LANGUAGE BIBLES BE PLACED IN EVERY CHURCH.
And lots of motels.
1542: FRANCIS XAVIER REACHES OLD GOA, THE CAPITAL OF PORTUGUESE INDIA.
I read this so fast that I thought Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffith Show did this.
1659: A FACTION OF THE BRITISH ARMY REMOVES RICHARD CROMWELL AS LORD PROTECTOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND REINSTALLS THE RUMP PARLIAMENT.
Rump is a funny word in any sentence.
1682: LOUIS XIV MOVES HIS COURT TO THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES.
Don't touch anything.
1757: ENGLISH POET CHRISTOPHER SMART IS ADMITTED TO ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL FOR LUNATICS IN LONDON.
If they started a chain like this in America, there would be more outlets than Starbucks.
1835: JAMES GORDON BENNETT SR. PUBLISHES THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Extra. Extra. Read all about it!
1840: THE PENNY BLACK POSTAGE STAMP BECOMES VALID FOR USE IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.
I suppose there are about five stamp collectors who think this is a big deal.
1844: THE GLACIARIUM, THE WORLD'S FIRST MECHANICALLY FROZEN ICE RINK, OPENS.
Somebody call that Zamboni guy.
1861: DURING THE CIVIL WAR, ARKANSAS SECEDES FROM THE UNION.
Who let these peckerwoods back in?
1861: DURING THE CIVIL WAR, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA IS DECLARED THE CAPITAL OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.
And how long did this last?
1862: AUTHOR HENRY DAVID THOREAU DIES.
Under Walden Pond.
1877: CHIEF CRAZY HORSE OF SIOUX SURRENDERS TO US TROOPS IN NEBRASKA.
Sioux? Si.
1882: THE US CONGRESS PASSES THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.
And who's the one who rescinded it. Because COVID-19 is here.
1895: ACTOR RUDOLPH VALENTINO IS BORN.
He doesn't last long. He dies in 1926.
1903: BUSINESSMAN TOOTS SHOR IS BORN.
Seriously, Mrs. Shor. Toots?
1904: ACTOR RAYMOND BAILEY IS BORN.
Milburn Drysdale on the Beverly Hillbillies.
1907: FOOTBALL COACH WEEB EWBANK IS BORN.
Seriously, Mrs. Ewbank. Weeb??
1910: GEORGE V BECOMES KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM UPON THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, EDWARD VII.
And the Royal family just keeps chugging along.
1911: ACTOR FRANK NELSON IS BORN.
Yyyyyessssss???
1915: ACTOR ORSON WELLES IS BORN.
The baby weighed in at 33 pounds and 12 ounces.
1915: AUTHOR THEODORE H. WHITE IS BORN.
The Birth of an Author.
1917: BUSINESSMAN JILLY RIZZO IS BORN.
Sinatra's pal. But mentioned here for one reason that you will read later.
1919: AUTHOR L. FRANK BAUM DIES.
We're off to see....oh, never mind.
1924: PATRICIA KENNEDY LAWFORD IS BORN.
Well, she technically wasn't a Lawford yet.
1931: BASEBALL STAR WILLIE MAYS IS BORN.
No way he appears in a Giant uniform on this blog.
1935: EXECUTIVE ORDER 7034 CREATES THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION.
Just in case you thought Al Gore invented these things along with the internet.
1937: THE HINDENBURG CATCHES FIRE AND BURNS IN NEW JERSEY.
Oh, the humanity! Don't you think this radio reporter was overreacting a bit? I mean, 36 people died. We've seen bigger disasters. Like what's happening now. 1940: JOHN STEINBECK IS AWARDED THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR HIS NOVEL THE GRAPES OF WRATH. If Barnes and Noble has it, I'll be there. 1941: AT CALIFORNIA'S MARCH FIELD, BOB HOPE PERFORMS HIS FIRST USO SHOW. You know this was just an excuse to get on the road and sleep with Marilyn Maxwell? 1942: DURING WORLD WAR II, THE LAST AMERICAN FORCES IN THE PHILIPPINES SURRENDER TO THE JAPANESE AT CORREGIDOR. Now that warrants a "oh, the humanity." 1954: ROGER BANNISTER BECOMES THE FIRST PERSON TO RUN THE MILE IN UNDER FOUR MINUTES. And done without police chasing him. 1960: MORE THAN 20 MILLION VIEWERS WATCH THE FIRST TELEVISED ROYAL WEDDING WHEN PRINCESS MARGARET MARRIES ANTHONY ARMSTRONG-JONES. Yeah, there will be others.
1961: ACTOR GEORGE CLOONEY IS BORN.
He turned out to be some sort of a big deal. 1963: ACTOR MONTY WOOLLEY DIES. One less man for dinner tonight. 1975: DURING A LULL IN FIGHTING, 100,000 ARMENIANS GATHER IN BEIRUT TO REMEMBER THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE. If you think that's a lot of Armenians, try going to the Glendale Galleria on a Saturday afternoon.
1990: ACTOR CHARLES FARRELL DIES.
"But, Dad....."
1991: ACTOR WILFRID HYDE-WHITE DIES.
Colonel Pickering!
1992: ACTRESS MARLENE DIETRICH DIES.
Ya, ya, ya, ya...
1992: BUSINESSMAN JILLY RIZZO DIES.
See! A perfectly symmetrical life.
1994: QUEEN ELIZABETH II OF ENGLAND AND FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS MITTERRAND OPEN THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.
EZ-Pass lanes to the right.
1994: PAULA JONES FILES A LAWSUIT AGAINST US PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON, ALLEGING THAT HE HAD SEXUALLY HARASSED HER IN 1991.
Yeah, there will be others. Lots more.
1998: THE CHICAGO CUBS' KERRY WOOD STRIKES OUT 20 HOUSTON ASTROS TO TIE THE MLB RECORD HELD BY ROGER CLEMENS.
Even better...no walks.
2001: DURING A TRIP TO SYRIA, POPE JOHN PAUL II BECOMES THE FIRST POPE TO ENTER A MOSQUE.
Glad he got this out of the way before September.
2004: THE SITCOM FRIENDS AIRS ITS SERIES FINALE AND BECOMES THE FOURTH MOST WATCHED TV SERIES FINALE IN HISTORY.
I was there for you.
2010: BASEBALL PLAYER ROBIN ROBERTS DIES.
Not to be confused with that hen on Good Morning America.
2012: ACTOR GEORGE LINDSEY DIES.
Hey, Goober! Dinner last night: Sauteed mushrooms, shallots, and baby spinach.
I guess things can get pretty darn repetitive on this blog. I mean, how many times have we seen Nancy Pelosi earn the honor of being my Moron of the Month. I'm just speculating here, but I might need two hands to count them all up. She's the gift that just keeps on giving. But her latest shenanigan was so reprehensible and repulsive that even her staunchest of liberal fans might want to take issue with this human explosion at the Botox factory. Have you heard? A couple of weeks ago, the vaulted Speaker of the House made an appearance on that James Corden's late night gabfest, of which I have never watched a single second ever. As per the norm now with all of live television in this pandemic era, talk shows are done from people's homes. So we got to see the inner workings of the Pelosi kitchen nestled up there in the capital of Homelessville, USA. Corden asked Pelosi how she was coping with the stay-at-home orders. Frankly, I can't say that I've been worried about her since she still has her job at 100 percent of the original salary. But Corden must have thought we were all concerned about how she was dealing with a quarantine. Here's the clip:
As the song in "Love Story" asked, where do I begin? First off, note the two deluxe industrial refrigerators in her home. It's good to see how Nancy is using her free time. Opening packages of chocolate sent in the mails. Or maybe she's ordering it on-line. Um, doesn't excessive candy make your skin break out, Nance? Or is it stretched so tightly that pimples and blackheads wouldn't stand a chance? Acne probably doesn't show up on Botox or plastic. It's gratifying to see how much designer ice cream Pelosi has at her disposal. I was really worried she might have to put on a mask and go down to wait for the Good Humor truck. In all seriousness, this is the perfect illustration of how completely out-of-touch and tone deaf this jerk is. And has always been. She cares little about her constituents and, frankly, anybody in the nation. I know people who have had their salaries drastically cut recently. I have friends who have either been furloughed or eliminated from their employment altogether. Heck, there are tons of homeless folks in her district right now that would clamor for a lick of her cone. Okay, that last remark sounded gross, but you get the point. Pelosi is completely oblivious to the needs of the average American citizen in these trying times. Whoever on her staff allowed this optic to take place is equally ignorant to what is going on right now. She's the quintessential politician and, by definition, that means she is virtually useless. For the first time in my life, I actually thought about contacting a politician and complaining about this thoroughly disgusting display. But my father's voice keeps coming back to me. "They don't care." Indeed, if you do want to contact Madame Pelosi, you really can't. E-mails can only come from inside her district (as if a lot of homeless people have G-mail accounts). Her social media goes to a web master. Folks, your beloved advocate is largely unreachable. Okay, most politicians are despicable on both sides of the aisle. But Pelosi, in particular, is consistently the worst of the worst. A shameful human being that wastes precious air every single day. When we can all come out of our homes, please do not tell Nancy Pelosi. Maybe we can keep her quarantined with her Dove bars for ever and ever. And given her advanced age, I sincerely hope "ever and ever" takes her out of our country's equation sooner than later. Bitch. Dinner last night: Leftover General Tso's Beef.
Next Sunday is our first Mother's Day being celebrated during a pandemic. How would you like to be quarantined with the most motherest of all...Marie Barone from "Everybody Loves Raymond." Dinner last night: Grilled bratwurst and pan roasted tomatoes.
Unlike a lot of other people these days, I can remember what day it is. And, if I'm not mistaken, we would be having the Kentucky Derby just around this time. Of course, we can't trust thoroughbred horses to maintain social distancing. So that wonderful ritual of life has been postponed like everything else. Harumph. At least, it is tentatively scheduled for September. I say "tentatively" because you never know what that dopey doctor who sounds like Garry Marshall will say to ruin that. Well, during this pandemic, there have been various times where I wonder what my parents and grandparents would be thinking about all this bullshit. Right now, it is my father who is on my mind. You see, as long as I can flashback to my youth, Dad was a horse racing fan. I remember him going to Yonkers Raceway all the time. That was a big double date night out. Frequently, my mom would go along and they would be joined by another couple. It was a big deal. When we vacationed in Atlantic City or Asbury Park, there was always one day set aside to visit the local track. As a six-year-old, I was bored to tears. But this stuff seemed to animate my rather stoic dad more than anything else. I have images of him seated at the kitchen table with the racing results spread out in front of him. He studied and studied. He seemed to know his stuff when it came to the ponies. Now, was there gambling going on? I am sure of it. I always remember hearing my parents talk about "hitting the number" whatever that was. And, in those long ago days prior to Offtrack Betting, your wagers on today's card at Aqueduct or Monmouth were handled by some guy parked near the train station at 241st Street and White Plains Road in the Bronx. And there's a little family secret that I only know about peripherally. And likely will never know more. The whispering in my house was a little more intense. There was covert activity that was never really addressed. If I asked a question, I was likely dismissed. Several years later, while retrieving a phone number for my mother from her desk drawer, I saw a "Police Beat" item from the local newspaper. My dad and a friend from work had gotten in trouble with the law for consorting with one said bookie. Oh. Seeing your dad's name printed as an alleged criminal is a little...no...a lot unsettling. I quickly put the clipping away. Do I ask about it? Nah. I wouldn't get a straight answer anyway. All I know is that I never remember my dad being away from home, so I supposed it was all dismissed with a warning. Another mystery of childhood that will never be explained. Moving on from that supposed ugliness, Dad still followed horse racing and yes, he sat me down for three Saturdays every spring to watch the Triple Crown. And then I started to ask him more questions about what the heck I was watching. It was another attempt to connect with my father. Oh, sure, we had baseball and he certainly conformed to my interests and likes there. I mean, he was a longtime Yankee fan who switched to the Mets for me. This was my way of giving it back. Dad started to explain to me how he studied the racing form. Following particular jockeys. The strengths and weaknesses of various horses. The conditions of the tracks and how that affected the rides. He was more than happy to comply. So, it was natural for this eleven-year-old to finally broach the question. Can I go with you the next time? "You were always bored when we went to Atlantic City." I won't be now. Please. At that juncture, I became the regular companion for my father's trip to Yonkers Raceway, which was not the flats but harness racing. No difference. Dad knew all about that world, too. And we went one Saturday night a month for a couple of years. The routine would be very simple. My father would give me ten dollars and allow me to pick every other race. He, of course, had to be the one to go to the window. But I tried to employ all the tricks he had taught me. Of course, he had final say. "You don't want that horse. The rider has never won." "Don't pick it for place. Go across the board." "It's a little muddy out. Don't pick that horse." Sometimes, I came home with winnings after I gave back the ten dollar seed money. But, even if I didn't, there was a treasure of gold in memories that I could never replace. To honor my dad every year, I always make sure to watch the Triple Crown just as he would always insist I do. The Kentucky Derby. The Preakness. The Belmont. I will be there. Whenever the hell they are. Dinner last night: Scallion pancake, hot and sour soup, General Tso's Beef from Mandarette.
Most people who watched this show first run are likely dead. Heck, all of the people who were in the Nelson family are. While life only has one showing, TV can be seen over and over and over again. Indeed, the house pictured in the opening credits is really where Ozzie, Harriet, Ricky, and David lived. Guess what? The house still exists on a small street just north of Hollywood Boulevard.
There have been some upgrades. Ya think? The place is estimated to be worth 5.5 million dollars in 2020. If only Ozzie knew at the time... Then again, back in the 50s, life was more simple. Can you imagine the Nelsons in quarantine?? Dinner last night: Mushroom ravioli.
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