These Are A Few Of My Favorite Fools!
Did you know April Fool’s Day has been around for centuries?
Turns out there are oodles of wacky stories about its origins. One of the best stories took place in Britain in the 13th century. At the time, royal law stated that any road the king touched became his property. When the town of Gotham got wind of this, they hatched a plan to hang onto their land.
When King John approached Gotham, the residents refused him entry. But he was, after all, the king, and he sent knights to storm the town. So all the Gotham townsfolk pretended to be completely looney tunes by “drowning fish” and “trying to trap birds in roofless cages” (cutting-edge comedy in the 13th century). The king fell for it and declared Gotham “too foolish to punish.” And the people of Gotham kept their hamlet all to themselves!
Much later, in the 20th century, theater owners realized that fools equaled comedy gold!
From vaudeville to movies and, later, television, we’ve fallen in love with bumbling buffoons. The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and Abbott and Costello all boast at least 1 to 3 fools. Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show is another fine fool. Bad Boy Benny Hill mixed foolery with saucy hi-jinks for an irresistible combination (you know you watched when your parents weren’t around).
Some of my favorite fools are the cartoon characters I grew up with.I still crack up when Daffy Duck hisses “You’re despicable!” I giggle when Bullwinkle says “Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!”
So, this April Fool’s Day pay homage to The Fool with your old friends: Scooby Doo, Johnny Carson, Fred Flintstone, Rodney Dangerfield, Charlie Brown, Bob Hope, Homer Simpson–and more.
And yes: I did just put Bob Hope in the same category as a crime solving dog. Doh!
Happy April Fool’s Day!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Grease Is The Word!
The Pink Ladies Are Back & Better Than Ever!
I feel I can admit to you guys that when Grease first came out 30 (really?) years ago, I became so obsessed with Olivia Newton-John, that I made my mom buy me a flannel nightgown just like the one Sandy wears in the sleepover scene so that I could practice singing “Hopelessly Devoted To You’ into my hairbrush night after night. I honestly don’t know how many times I made my mother take me to see Danny and Kenickie hold court with the coolest girls in the universe–The Pink Ladies!
Sure, the Frankie Valli song was great. The duets between Olivia and Vinnie Barbarino were magical. And the whole “boy meets Australian girl at the beach/disses her/wins her back at carnival where girl is painted into shiny Lycra pants” theme was mesmerizing.
But to a 9 year-old girl just entering the awkward Ugly Duckling phase of adolescence, The Pink Ladies were the girls I desperately wanted to be friends with. They were cool, tough, and funny. I knew, even at nine, that I was supposed to identify with sweet Sandy and aspire to ever-lasting love in a pleated poodle skirt.
But, honestly? It was Rizzo I empathized with the most. She tried so hard to keep her guard up when, deep down, she was a mess just like me! Besides, she was played by Stockard Channing and I thought “Stockard” was the coolest name ever besides Cher and Daphne from Scooby-Doo.
Frenchy’s hot pink helmet hair and Marty Maraschino (another great name) with her wallet-full of boyfriends were the perfect comic foils. Ask any girl between the ages of 30 and 60 to hum a few bars of “Look At Me I’m Sandra Dee,” and I’ll bet you get the whole song, complete with props!
We love those Ladies because they connect us to the fun of the 1950’s–and to our own childhoods. We don’t get to sing songs in our PJs with girlfriends much these days, but we can play with these new Mattel Barbie dolls based on our favorite Grease trio!
Sandy, Frenchy and Rizzo are more fun than ever in our set of 3 collectible Grease dolls. From Sandy’s pom poms to Rizzo’s pencil skirt, they bring back wonderful memories. My daughter had to pry them out of my hands and now she won’t give them back! She loves Grease, too! I guess it’s her turn. She just turned eight and I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure I caught her singing into her hairbrush the other night...
We go together like ramma lamma lamma–ka dinga da dinga dong!
I feel I can admit to you guys that when Grease first came out 30 (really?) years ago, I became so obsessed with Olivia Newton-John, that I made my mom buy me a flannel nightgown just like the one Sandy wears in the sleepover scene so that I could practice singing “Hopelessly Devoted To You’ into my hairbrush night after night. I honestly don’t know how many times I made my mother take me to see Danny and Kenickie hold court with the coolest girls in the universe–The Pink Ladies!
Sure, the Frankie Valli song was great. The duets between Olivia and Vinnie Barbarino were magical. And the whole “boy meets Australian girl at the beach/disses her/wins her back at carnival where girl is painted into shiny Lycra pants” theme was mesmerizing.
But to a 9 year-old girl just entering the awkward Ugly Duckling phase of adolescence, The Pink Ladies were the girls I desperately wanted to be friends with. They were cool, tough, and funny. I knew, even at nine, that I was supposed to identify with sweet Sandy and aspire to ever-lasting love in a pleated poodle skirt.
But, honestly? It was Rizzo I empathized with the most. She tried so hard to keep her guard up when, deep down, she was a mess just like me! Besides, she was played by Stockard Channing and I thought “Stockard” was the coolest name ever besides Cher and Daphne from Scooby-Doo.
Frenchy’s hot pink helmet hair and Marty Maraschino (another great name) with her wallet-full of boyfriends were the perfect comic foils. Ask any girl between the ages of 30 and 60 to hum a few bars of “Look At Me I’m Sandra Dee,” and I’ll bet you get the whole song, complete with props!
We love those Ladies because they connect us to the fun of the 1950’s–and to our own childhoods. We don’t get to sing songs in our PJs with girlfriends much these days, but we can play with these new Mattel Barbie dolls based on our favorite Grease trio!
Sandy, Frenchy and Rizzo are more fun than ever in our set of 3 collectible Grease dolls. From Sandy’s pom poms to Rizzo’s pencil skirt, they bring back wonderful memories. My daughter had to pry them out of my hands and now she won’t give them back! She loves Grease, too! I guess it’s her turn. She just turned eight and I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure I caught her singing into her hairbrush the other night...
We go together like ramma lamma lamma–ka dinga da dinga dong!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Gotta Have Game Night!
New MONOPOLY Games Take You From Oz To The Caribbean!
Call me nostalgic, but I miss Family Game Night.
Every now and then, my parents would reach into the hall closet and slide out our slightly-dented Monopoly box. I can still smell the folded press board and crisp paper money. My brother and I always fought over the top hat token–why, I now have no idea.
Oh, it started out innocently enough: somebody bought Marvin Gardens; somebody plunked down their first hotel. But eventually, it turned competitive and before we knew it, we were fleecing each other for all we could! Afterwards, we finished off with ice cream and, if it was a chilly night, hot cocoa (with those mini marshmallows)!
I miss those nights and therefore, I’m hereby bringing Monopoly back! And there couldn’t be a better time!
With our treasure chest of specialized versions, fame and fortune await in all sorts of far off exotic lands...if you dare to roll the dice!
‘80s kids can buy, sell, and trade their favorite Nintendo characters: from everyone's favorite red-capped plumber, Mario, to barrel-tossing Donkey Kong in Nintendo Monopoly!
Or duke it out with Megatron for Anti-Matter and Energon Cubes in Transformers Monopoly!
M&M’s lovers can wade through a veritable sea of chocolate, trading adorable M&M’s ads along the way. But don’t “Lose our M!” You could lose your cash!
Other collectible versions include the metal and chrome Harley-Davidson Monopoly, A Christmas Story Monopoly (don’t lick the pole, Ralphie!) and...coming soon...The Wizard Of Oz Monopoly allowing you and your siblings to fight over tokens of the Ruby Slippers, Tin Man, Dorothy and Toto, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion–even a Tornado token and no, I have no idea how they made that one!
Want more? Hop on over to our sister site, The Lighter Side, for Cat Monopoly, Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy Monopoly, and more!
Settle in for a cozy night, the fun old-fashioned way. Before you know it, you’ll be tearing around the board waving wads of cash in your kids’ faces. Just don’t forget the ice cream, Hot Shot!
Call me nostalgic, but I miss Family Game Night.
Every now and then, my parents would reach into the hall closet and slide out our slightly-dented Monopoly box. I can still smell the folded press board and crisp paper money. My brother and I always fought over the top hat token–why, I now have no idea.
Oh, it started out innocently enough: somebody bought Marvin Gardens; somebody plunked down their first hotel. But eventually, it turned competitive and before we knew it, we were fleecing each other for all we could! Afterwards, we finished off with ice cream and, if it was a chilly night, hot cocoa (with those mini marshmallows)!
I miss those nights and therefore, I’m hereby bringing Monopoly back! And there couldn’t be a better time!
With our treasure chest of specialized versions, fame and fortune await in all sorts of far off exotic lands...if you dare to roll the dice!
‘80s kids can buy, sell, and trade their favorite Nintendo characters: from everyone's favorite red-capped plumber, Mario, to barrel-tossing Donkey Kong in Nintendo Monopoly!
Or duke it out with Megatron for Anti-Matter and Energon Cubes in Transformers Monopoly!
M&M’s lovers can wade through a veritable sea of chocolate, trading adorable M&M’s ads along the way. But don’t “Lose our M!” You could lose your cash!
Other collectible versions include the metal and chrome Harley-Davidson Monopoly, A Christmas Story Monopoly (don’t lick the pole, Ralphie!) and...coming soon...The Wizard Of Oz Monopoly allowing you and your siblings to fight over tokens of the Ruby Slippers, Tin Man, Dorothy and Toto, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion–even a Tornado token and no, I have no idea how they made that one!
Want more? Hop on over to our sister site, The Lighter Side, for Cat Monopoly, Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy Monopoly, and more!
Settle in for a cozy night, the fun old-fashioned way. Before you know it, you’ll be tearing around the board waving wads of cash in your kids’ faces. Just don’t forget the ice cream, Hot Shot!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Happy Birthday, Telephone!
March 10, 1876–The First Telephone Call Was Made
In our fast-paced, techno-savvy world, it’s darn near impossible to imagine life without the telephone. I don’t just mean living without the finger-dancing text message goodness of the cell phone–I mean any phone, period. Whatsoever.
If you lived before 1876, you either got a lot of exercise running door-to-door to share your thoughts and office gossip, sent loads of telegraphs, or quietly seethed with pent-up gossip and bitter sarcasm you never got to express. Combine that with no pizza delivery and life looked pretty bleak, didn’t it?
And then a scientific genius named Alexander “Aleck” Graham Bell moved from Scotland to Canada and everything got a lot better!
Born in 1847, Bell was profoundly affected by watching his mother slowly lose her hearing, which began when he was only 12 years old. He invented a “finger tapping language” he used to communicate to her what other family members were discussing so she wouldn’t feel left out. It was this devotion to her, and his dedication to helping her, which led him to study the science of acoustics.
After years of teaching elocution–the art of public speaking–just as his father had, and later running a school for the deaf in Boston where he tutored countless students including Helen Keller, Bell returned to his primary obsession: transmitting the human voice across telegraph wires.
Enduring many agonizing, exhausting trials–on March 7th, 1876 Bell and his lab partner, electrical engineer Thomas Watson, received U.S. Patent Number 174, 465 for the “telephone” even though Bell hadn’t quite perfected it yet.
Three days later, on March 10th, he did! Bell, at one end of his experimental telephone transmitter, spoke into it saying the now-famous words, “Mr. Watson–Come here–I want to see you.” Watson, at the other end in another room on the receiver, heard all of Bell’s words clear as a...well, you know.
The Bell Telephone Company was created the following year and the rest is history! And some enormous cell phone bills for parents with teenagers!
One really neat way to add a functional touch of retro to your home is with a vintage-style telephone. Outfitted with modern push-button technology, all three of these models take you back to simpler times with sleek, classic style. Choose from the 1950’s Pay Phone (no coins necessary), the Black Candlestick Phone, or the Deluxe Wood Wall Phone.
Trust me, with phones this cool around, you’ll save your cell minutes for “Venti or Grande?” text messages and enjoy good-old fashioned gab sessions at home, just like you did when you were a teenager!
Have fun!
In our fast-paced, techno-savvy world, it’s darn near impossible to imagine life without the telephone. I don’t just mean living without the finger-dancing text message goodness of the cell phone–I mean any phone, period. Whatsoever.
If you lived before 1876, you either got a lot of exercise running door-to-door to share your thoughts and office gossip, sent loads of telegraphs, or quietly seethed with pent-up gossip and bitter sarcasm you never got to express. Combine that with no pizza delivery and life looked pretty bleak, didn’t it?
And then a scientific genius named Alexander “Aleck” Graham Bell moved from Scotland to Canada and everything got a lot better!
Born in 1847, Bell was profoundly affected by watching his mother slowly lose her hearing, which began when he was only 12 years old. He invented a “finger tapping language” he used to communicate to her what other family members were discussing so she wouldn’t feel left out. It was this devotion to her, and his dedication to helping her, which led him to study the science of acoustics.
After years of teaching elocution–the art of public speaking–just as his father had, and later running a school for the deaf in Boston where he tutored countless students including Helen Keller, Bell returned to his primary obsession: transmitting the human voice across telegraph wires.
Enduring many agonizing, exhausting trials–on March 7th, 1876 Bell and his lab partner, electrical engineer Thomas Watson, received U.S. Patent Number 174, 465 for the “telephone” even though Bell hadn’t quite perfected it yet.
Three days later, on March 10th, he did! Bell, at one end of his experimental telephone transmitter, spoke into it saying the now-famous words, “Mr. Watson–Come here–I want to see you.” Watson, at the other end in another room on the receiver, heard all of Bell’s words clear as a...well, you know.
The Bell Telephone Company was created the following year and the rest is history! And some enormous cell phone bills for parents with teenagers!
One really neat way to add a functional touch of retro to your home is with a vintage-style telephone. Outfitted with modern push-button technology, all three of these models take you back to simpler times with sleek, classic style. Choose from the 1950’s Pay Phone (no coins necessary), the Black Candlestick Phone, or the Deluxe Wood Wall Phone.
Trust me, with phones this cool around, you’ll save your cell minutes for “Venti or Grande?” text messages and enjoy good-old fashioned gab sessions at home, just like you did when you were a teenager!
Have fun!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Take Me Out To The Ball Game!
The Season Is Almost Upon Us!
A funny thing happened in Boston...
Last October, your Aunt Betty planned a glorious 4-day getaway to Beantown. I’d never been and had long dreamed of wandering along cobblestone streets as bright orange, yellow and brown leaves hushed and shuffled under my shoes.
What I didn’t plan on was turning into a baseball nut.
Growing up, I was not what you’d call “athletic.” To be precise, I was that girl in P.E. class who ran–often screaming–from whatever ball was in play. In fact, I once ran from a volleyball with such gusto that I plowed into my gym coach, toppling him to the ground. We rolled across the grass like a human pretzel for about 5 feet, coming to a stop in front of my stunned classmates.
So the idea of being in Boston for The World Series was...how shall I put this? Not important.
And then I watched Game 3.
It was Saturday, October 27th. The Sox were set to play The Rockies in Colorado and the entire city of Boston was on pins and needles. I'd never seen anything like it! I knew the long and loyal tradition around the team, but to experience it first-hand was truly magical. Everyone I ran into was talking about it!
Snug in my hotel bed with some room service snacks, I watched Game 3 and in those four or so hours, I “got” it: I got why baseball has been America’s pastime for over a century. The superhuman dedication and drive by players like Ramirez, Lowell, Ellsbury and Pedroia was astounding. I was hooked. I planned my dinner reservation that night in a restaurant where there’d be a big screen TV showing Game 4.
As you now know, we won. That’s right–“we.” I came back to Florida with 2 shopping bags full of Sox mementos and a brand new love. For the girl who once scored a basketball goal for the opposite team, this was huge!
Spring Training is in swing and if I listen really hard, I can hear the crack of the bat!
To get all of us into a springtime mood, I’ve selected my favorite Attic baseball items. Check out the Opening Day Stadium Baseball in its own display case, honoring Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium or Wrigley Field; our Baseball Hall Of Fame Card Set featuring Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio and more; the beloved Harry Caray Book With accompanying CD capturing the legend’s fun and fervor for the sport; and–for long car trips to the game, the Baseball Pinball Game, a mini-sized arcade treat shaped like a baseball field!
And get ready...because that first regular season pitch is coming...!
A funny thing happened in Boston...
Last October, your Aunt Betty planned a glorious 4-day getaway to Beantown. I’d never been and had long dreamed of wandering along cobblestone streets as bright orange, yellow and brown leaves hushed and shuffled under my shoes.
What I didn’t plan on was turning into a baseball nut.
Growing up, I was not what you’d call “athletic.” To be precise, I was that girl in P.E. class who ran–often screaming–from whatever ball was in play. In fact, I once ran from a volleyball with such gusto that I plowed into my gym coach, toppling him to the ground. We rolled across the grass like a human pretzel for about 5 feet, coming to a stop in front of my stunned classmates.
So the idea of being in Boston for The World Series was...how shall I put this? Not important.
And then I watched Game 3.
It was Saturday, October 27th. The Sox were set to play The Rockies in Colorado and the entire city of Boston was on pins and needles. I'd never seen anything like it! I knew the long and loyal tradition around the team, but to experience it first-hand was truly magical. Everyone I ran into was talking about it!
Snug in my hotel bed with some room service snacks, I watched Game 3 and in those four or so hours, I “got” it: I got why baseball has been America’s pastime for over a century. The superhuman dedication and drive by players like Ramirez, Lowell, Ellsbury and Pedroia was astounding. I was hooked. I planned my dinner reservation that night in a restaurant where there’d be a big screen TV showing Game 4.
As you now know, we won. That’s right–“we.” I came back to Florida with 2 shopping bags full of Sox mementos and a brand new love. For the girl who once scored a basketball goal for the opposite team, this was huge!
Spring Training is in swing and if I listen really hard, I can hear the crack of the bat!
To get all of us into a springtime mood, I’ve selected my favorite Attic baseball items. Check out the Opening Day Stadium Baseball in its own display case, honoring Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium or Wrigley Field; our Baseball Hall Of Fame Card Set featuring Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio and more; the beloved Harry Caray Book With accompanying CD capturing the legend’s fun and fervor for the sport; and–for long car trips to the game, the Baseball Pinball Game, a mini-sized arcade treat shaped like a baseball field!
And get ready...because that first regular season pitch is coming...!
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