I Am A Boomer

This Boomer Turned 60!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:54:00 +0000

Can you believe it! Well, neither can I. I must say, I was a bit apprehensive about this day. When our parents were sixty, they were old, for sure.We measure events on this planet by minutes, hours, days, months and years. It's quite restrictive, you know. I like to think of being 60 as a third trimester of pregnancy. That makes sense to me.
At any rate, I had a great day! I cruised around my old stomping ground, Bowling Green. I visited old friends, the shops and of course the bars. There was a surprise around every corner. The best thing was, I documented the whole day with my camera and journal. If I loose my mind someday, then at least I can look at the pictures.
So, my words of wisdom to you are, "Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!"
Sixty and lovin' it!

If I Had A Nickel For Everyone Of Them, I'd Be Rich!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:25:00 +0000

I'm talking widom here. You know, those immortal sayings that taught us valuable life lessons? Words of wisdom passed down through the generations to you. And I bet you caught yourself saying the same things to your kids. " Just wait 'till your father comes home" or "Go ask your mother."
I'm wondering if through the years, some of these sayings have changed because our world has. For example, "You better eat everything on your plate. There are starving children in Korea." Do parents now say the same things to their kids except change Korea to Africa?
I suspect these quirkey expressions become part of our DNA and then one day, these valuable words just automatically leave our lips to be passed on to some unsuspecting child. I have made a short list of some from my memory bank. I am sure you will recognize many of them. So, I am asking you, in your comments to share some of what you remember. Why? Because I said so!
"You made your bed, now lie in it."
"Smooth move Ex-Lax!"
"If the shoe fits, wear it."
"Don't kiss the boys or you will get pregnant."
"If I have to stop this car...."
"Were you born in a barn?"
"Two wrongs don't make a right."
"If they jumped off the bridge, you would too."
"Children should be seen and not heard." (would Dr. Spock object to this?)
"If you had another brain it would be lonesome."
"You're so far back in the woods you can't see the trees."
"This too shall pass."
"Waste not want not."
"Don't be a tattle tail."
"Close the door, I don't pay good money to heat the outdoors."
"Either in or out."
"Money doesn't grow on trees."
"If you cross your eyes they will stay that way."
"Wear clean underware in case you have to go to the hospital."
"Be home before the street lights come on."
"If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all."
"Your eyes are bigger than your stomach."
"You would loose your head if it wasn't attached."
"Don't take any wooden nickels."
OK, you're it, now it's your turn.....

Duncan Hines..The Man And His Mixes

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:34:00 +0000

This is such a great picture. Imagine that! A man actually standing by a stove in the fifties and not the barbeque grill. This is the cover of a cookbook advertising the Estate range. Why, it's none other than
Duncan Hines!
Duncan Hines was born in Bowling Green Kentucky in 1880. He was a traveling salesman. During his travels in 1935, he had eaten alot of good and bad food on the road. "I run less risk driving my way across country than eating my way across." During this time, there were no interstate highway systems and only a few chain restaurants in the populated areas, so good food for travelers was found in the local restaurants.
Hines and his wife began putting together lists for their friends of good restaurants across the country. These lists resulted in a paperback book called, "Adventures in Good Eating." It was a must have for any traveler. This book was so popular, that another one was written called, "Lodging For The Night."
In 1952 Duncan Hines introduced bread through the Durkee Baking Company. This was his first step to baked goods mixes. Hines sold the rights to use his name and the title of his book to Roy Park which then was transformed into Hines Park Foods. This was the license to many food related businesses that bore the Duncan Hines name.
In case you are interested, there is a museum in Bowling Green Kentucky honoring Duncan Hines:
http://www.duncanhinesmuseum.com/
"Whipped cream has it's place, ripe olives have theirs. Pickles are nice, but let's be reasonable."
"Have you ever tried a few drops of worcestershire sauce on bacon before broiling? It does things to it!"
If you would like to read the story of the man and his mixes, click the link below. Otherwise, let's bake a cake.
Duncan Hines: The Man Behind the Cake Mix

Enjoy Better Living With Your Crosley Shelvador Refridgerator!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:28:00 +0000

Now that you own the beautiful new 1951 Shelvador, you are going to find that your food will keep better and meals will be so much easier to prepare. For those special occasions, when there are going to be guests for dinner, luncheon, or supper, it will be much less tiring than it used to be.
You'll be surprised at how much food you can store in this new refridgerator. So many things can be kept on the shelves in reach, in sight! And there is plenty of room for frozen foods too. You can shop ahead and save money and shopping time. You will be able to serve more healthful and nutritious foods with your wonderful new Crosley Shelvador!

Some Fun Vintage Christmas Ads

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Santa Should Be Head Of Homeland Security

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:05:00 +0000

This is a repost. It is a perfect time to bring this post back.
You better watch out, you better not cry, Santa Claus is coming to town.
(quell the masses)
I feel Santa is the perfect choice for head of homeland security.
(he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake.)
He know what you are doing at all times.
(he knows when you've been bad or good)
So, we'd better be good, for goodness sake.
Think about it. That guy can enter a house without anyone knowing at all and not leave a trace except bearing gifts, if he chooses to, or eating your cookies.
He can get from one place to another in no time and circle the globe in 24 hours.
Kids and people worship him like a God and he is know universally.
No one, I say no one, is going to cross that man for fear of the consequences, especially on Christmas morning.
So, the president should seriously give Mr. Claus consideration when making the next choice for head of homeland security.
Ho, Ho, Ho!

Stop..Be Still..Listen To your Inner Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:25:00 +0000

Remember in the sixties, everyone was talking about transcendental meditation?
It was hip and cool! It was conscious relaxation.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi helped bring the Eastern influence to Western rockers. The Beatles took off to India to learn transcendental meditation (TM), but they came back dissatisfied. I personally think meditation couldn't help the issues they had. That feeling of being dissatisfied came out in their song, "Every body's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey."
Rumor has it that "Sexy Sadie" was written about the Maharishi making passes at Mia Farrow. I truly don't want to think about that.
The Beach Boys and Donavon among many others were also taught. By the 1970's, some five million people were practicing transcendental meditation.
Have you always wanted to learn how? Well, I got just the ticket for you!
You can meditate like a zen monk using these powerful Cd's!
How do I know? Because I use this program.
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE!
Oohhhmmmm.....

The Aliens Landed! It's a One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +0000

I bet you remember this one! It hit the Billboard pop charts in 1958. It was performed and sung by Sheb Wooley.
"The Purple People Eater" is about a wierd looking alien who comes down to earth because it wants to be in a rock and roll band. The song was written in an hour based on a joke told by the child of a friend. This monster wasn't purple, but it eats purple people instead.
The voice on the record was sped up in the recording, sounding like the "The Chipmonk Song" and "the Witch Doctor", which were both songs of those times.
Once you start singing this song, it's going to be in your head all day!

Well I saw the thing comin' out of the sky
It had the one long horn, one big eye
I commenced to shakin' and I said "ooh-eee"
It looks like a purple eater to me
It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater
(One-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater)
A one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater
Sure looks strange to me (One eye?)

Well he came down to earth and he lit in a tree
I said Mr. Purple People Eater, don't eat me
I heard him say in a voice so gruff
I wouldn't eat you cuz you're so tough

It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater
One-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater
One-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater
Sure looks strange to me (One horn?)

I said Mr. Purple People Eater, what's your line
He said it's eatin' purple people and it sure is fine
But that's not the reason that I came to land
I wanna get a job in a rock and roll band

Well bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin' purple people eater
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin' purple people eater
(We wear short shorts)
Flyin' purple people eater
Sure looks strange to me

And then he swung from the tree and he lit on the ground
He started to rock, really rockin' around
It was a crazy ditty with a swingin' tune
Sing a boop boop aboopa lopa lum bam boom

Well bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin' purple people eater
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin' purple people eater
I like short shorts
Flyin' little people eater
Sure looks strange to me (Purple People?)

And then he went on his way, and then what do ya know
I saw him last night on a TV show
He was blowing it out, a'really knockin' em dead
Playin' rock and roll music through the horn in his head

[Clarinet solo]

Tequila

Crown Roast Of Frankfurters

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:35:00 +0000

I collect cookbooks. I have many that are vintage that I buy just for the pictures. Last night, while looking through a case of old weight watchers recipe cards, I ran across this one. I was laughing so hard, I couldn't stop. I just had to share it with you. It's a perfect weight watchers recipe because no one would ever eat it. Can you imagine being a kid and your mom made this for supper? What would the husband say? Would they love it and think it was cool? Or, would they pretend to love it so they wouldn't hurt mom's feelings? What a culinary horror! I realized that the whole baby boomer generation could have easily been wiped out because of two things. One, the food and two, the X-ray machines in my previous post. It's all very hard to swallow. Literally. I was just wondering what this would look like on the Thanksgiving table instead of the turkey.
Bon Appetite!

Let's Go To The Shoe Store! I Want To Look At The Bones In My Feet!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Now that we are on the subject of shoes, in order to get the proper fit for your Red Ball Jets, it was necessary to stick your feet in the X-ray machine. How cool was that? It was better than an all day sucker and bubble gum! Sticking your feet in the machine, looking at the yellow greenish images of your bones, and wiggling your toes!
These machines were call fluoroscopes. They were on the cutting edge of technology. What a perfect way for the shoe salesman to give kids the best fit. According to one manufacturer, "The machine proved to be a valuable ally of the retailer. It enabled him to demonstrate the correctness of his fit and impress his customers."
These devices were in the stores from the 1930's and well into the late 1950's, which were the peak of popularity. At least 10,000 stores in the United States had them.
Then the concerns of radiation grew. Some of the boxes were not tight and radiation leaked out into the surrounding area. What about our feet? Good grief!
In 1957, Pennsylvania was the first state to ban these machines. By the mid 1960's, they were history.

Run A Little Faster! Jump A Little Higher! Red Ball Jets!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Produced in 1951-1971, Red Ball Jets were the only sneakers to have. There really wasn't much choice back then.
Open the box and the smell of pungent rubber would smack you right in the face. It was almost a crime to put them on your feet, but you just couldn't wait!
The advertisements convinced children that they could actually run a little faster and jump a little higher. It was true. I was sure there was "flubber" somewhere in the shoe.
Uniroyal bought the rights to these shoes in 1971, but never produced any more after that.
Another good thing comes to an end.

Red Rose Tea! Red Rose Tea!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:05:00 +0000

Remember the Red Rose Tea commercial with the wild jazz band chimps? These guys were The Marquis Chimps, Charlie, Enoch, and Candy. In 1960, they were in three TV commercials. One showed them as cowboys, another playing golf, and the most famous was the Red Rose Tea commercial.
In 1961-62, these chimps starred in the comedy called the Hathaways. They also made guest appearances on numerous shows such as The Kraft Music Hall and The Jack Benny Hour.
I bet you loved this commercial as much as I did!

SPAM~The Miracle Meat! The Anytime Meat!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:46:00 +0000

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM Hormel's new miracle meat in a can. Tastes fine, saves time. If you want something good, ask for SPAM! Sung to the tune of the chorus of, "My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean," this was probably the first singing commercial, launched in 1940.
In 1926, this product was developed by Hormel as America's first canned ham, no refrigeration required. During world war two, sales boomed. It wasn't rationed like beef and became a prime staple in American meals.
Nikita Kruschev credits SPAM with the survival of the Russian army. I know my dad survived without it. When he was in the Cavalry during the war, they buried the stuff in the desert.
In the 1940's and 50's, the Hormel Girls performing throughout the country distributed SPAM door to door. Wow! Can you imagine answering your door and finding Hormel Girls standing there and probably singing the song, handing you a can of SPAM?
Did you know that:
*By world war two, over 20 thousand tons of SPAM were sold?
*Hawaiians eat an average of 4 cans of SPAM per year, more than any place on earth?
*In Korea, SPAM is sold in gift boxes and the stolen products are on the black market?
*By 1959 a billion cans of SPAM had been sold?
Some flavors include, hot and spicy, less sodium, lite, oven roasted turkey? hickory smoked, SPAM with bacon, cheese, garlic and even a SPAM spread.
In Hawaii, SPAM is so popular, it is called, "The Hawaiian Steak." McDonald's and Berger King feature SPAM on the menu. The reason for it's popularity in that area of the world, is due to the surplus from the soldiers that made it's way into native diets.
In Europe, during the 1940's, a popular food, in addition to fish and chips, were deep fried sliced battered SPAM called "SPAM fritters."
In Austin, Minnesota, the home of Hormel's headquarters, you can attend the SPAM festival, or stop at the famous SPAM museum. While there, don't forget to drop by Johnny's restaurant for some real home cookin' right off the SPAMarama menu!

Bon Appetit!

Crash Pad

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:41:00 +0000

May 10, 1969

Dear Daddy,
I am having such a cool time. You wouldn't believe Keeper and Mary's place. It's a total crash pad. It's better than any place in BG. There are about 20 of us just hangin out. We camp in the yard and travel around to see the sites. There's a hip fish market on the pier where we buy our dinner to cook. The dude gives us fish parts and we go around the back of his place and drop them down in the ocean to feed the sea lions. It's so far out! The other day, though, Lippy, took us for a ride up the coast. He's from New York and went to college with us at BG. Anyway, he's got this freakie car. It's 1949 Buick. It's big and cool. You have to pull the brake pedal up with a rope. That's not so cool. We were going up the mountain real slow and he had to put on the brakes, I mean, pull the rope. Well, it came off the pedal, the car starts rolling backwards and we all jumped out. Man, I thought I was having a bad trip or something. The car hit the mountain and stopped. We all got back in and were laughing way too hard. It's ok, don't worry. I'm fine and didn't die or something. Maybe I have good Karma after all. Well, just checkin in. We are starting to plan our trip up to Washington, but not too much. It's really not good to plan stuff. It's more fun to just let it happen. Dig?
Love and Peace,
Joyce

I Want To Be A Breck Girl!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:09:00 +0000

Dr. John Breck developed one of the first liquid shampoos in 1908, in Massachusetts.
During the first years of his business, distribution was only in the New England area. Then in 1946, the shampoo was only sold in beauty salons. Advertising began in 1932, but was limited to trade publications.
In 1936, Edward Breck, son of John, took over the management of the company. He became acquainted with Charles Sheldon, a portrait painter and illustrator. He was noted for his art nouveau style, pastels and portraits of movie stars. He created his first pastel portraits for Breck in 1936, which became one of America's longest running ad campaign.
The first Breck girl was 17 year old Roma Whitney and was registered as Breck's trademark in 1951. Sheldon had created 107 oil paintings and pastels but favored "ordinary women" such as family members, neighbors and employees.
After Sheldon retired, Ralph Williams continued the Breck campaign. He used brighter colors and as women became more independent, he carefully integrated each girls personality.
These advertisements usually ran on the back covers of magazines such as Ladies Home
Journal, Seventeen, Vogue, and more. Some of these Breck girls included, Marylin Skeldon, Cheryl Tiegs, Cybill Shepherd, Jaclyn Smith, Kim Basinger, Brook Shields, and Christy Brinkley.
By the 1960's. Breck held about a 20% share of the shampoo market and the Breck girls are now in the advertising records in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Wooly Willy

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:47:00 +0000

Introduced in 1955,Wooly Willy is a classic. "He has a magnetic personality and you can change his character with the wand."
Wooly Willy was born at the Smethport Specialty Company in Smethport, Pa. During world war two, all toy production stopped as the materials were only available for war use.
Smethport Specialty became R.W. Herzog and was a subcontractor for Sylvania Co. supplying mica insulators for radio tubes. (I bet you remember radio tubes) These tubes were used in proximity fuses, a device to control the height of a bomb explosion. Millions of these insulators were produced at the facility.
After the war, mica insulator production continued, but only for civilian use. As materials became available, toy production continued.
In 1955, James Herzog discovered that dust from magnetic grindings could be used for magnetic drawings. Thus, Willy Wooly was born. Lenonard MacKowski, an artist, designed the display cover. He often hid his name in the art.
In the beginning, there wasn't a toy buyer who would purchase this new toy. Finally, a buyer from the G.C. Murphy chain agreed to buy 6 dozen to prove it wouldn't sell. He was wrong , the toy sold out and he then ordered 12,000 more, which sold out in a few weeks.
Wooly Willy, being the toy of choice and for just twenty nine cents, you could play with one of the most popular toys made between 1950-1980.
The demand for the drawing sets exploded to include colored hair. The company then moved to Magnetic Avenue and built a new facility where it continues today.

Let's Twist Again Like We Did Last Summer!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:32:00 +0000

In 1959 Hank Ballard & The Midnighters wrote and released the song, "The Twist." In 1960 Chubby Checker redid the song which then became #1 on the Billboard charts. It made it's debut on the Dick Clark Show and became a dance craze. The critics felt the dance was too provocative and was the first international dance of it's kind.
The Twist's original inspiration came from an African American plantation dance called, "wringin and twistin." It is traced back to the 1890's.
As the years went by, other recordings were made of the song. In 1961 Joey Dee and the Starlighters sang "The Peppermint Twist." I'm sure you remember the Peppermint Lounge. Then in 1962, Bo Diddley released his album, Bo Diddley's A Twistin. His songs were, "Bo's Twist" and "Mama Don't Allow No Twistin."
Bill Haley and The Comets put a twist on the Twist and released the recordings, "The Spanish Twist" and "Florida Twist."
The Twist is easy! Just pretend to drop a cigarette butt on the ground, put the ball of your foot over the imaginary cigarette and twist it to and fro like you are putting it out. Then at the same time, put an imaginary bath towel behind your back and pull it from side to side like you are drying your rear. Voila! You're doing the twist! It's so simple and you can dance alone with no partner contact. Now, I can just see you right now trying to do the twist. So come on baby, let's do the twist. Oh yeah, just like this!

The Music The Mud!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Did you honestly think I would forget about this? August 15, 1969 was one of America's biggest parties. The music, the mud all took place at Max Yasgur's dairy farm in New York. What better reason, other than a terrorist attack, to close the NY freeway.
The Hog Farm Commune helped organize the campgrounds, operate free kitchens set up bad trip tents and introduce yoga and granola bars to the masses. A half a million strong!
There weren't cell phones or the Internet back then, but the underground press spread the word. Originally, Abbie Hoffman referred to the concert as Woodstock Nation, now in the 21st century, it is known as The Woodstock Moment.
Checkout the website woodstock.com for great memories of this great 3 days in our history. Meanwhile, I would like to hear about your experiences at Woodstock.
Peace.

Woodstock: 40 Years on: Back to Yasgur's Farm (6CD, Limited Edition)

Red And The Pledge

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:06:00 +0000

This video was taken from the Red Skelton Hour show January 14,1969. He touched the hearts of Americans with his Pledge of Allegiance, explaining the meaning of each and every word.
Things have certainly changed since then and it seems to me that we as a nation have somehow gotten off track. Perhaps this video can show us the way back.

Let's Have Lunch With Soupy!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:30:00 +0000

I really loved (and still do) Soupy Sales. Once in my travels, I saw him in the San Francisco airport. I thought I just saw God! It was truly a rush!
From 1959-1961, on Saturday's at noon, it was the Lunch With Soupy show. You could have lunch with him right in your living room!
His friends were White Fang. You could only see his big paw because he was the biggest dog in the world. Also, there was Black Tooth, Pookie the Lion, Hippy the Hippo, and Herman the Flea. All of these voices were done by Clyde Adler.
Born Milton Soupman in 1926, his family gave him his nickname. His older brothers were Ham Bone, Chicken Bone and he was Soup Bone, which was shortened to Soupy. Sales came from the name of an Ohio comedian.
While attending grad school, Soupy worked in night clubs as a comedian, singer and dancer. He began his television career with station WKRC-TV with his show, Soupy's Soda Shop. It was TV's first teen dance program.
He was best know for Lunch With Soupy Sales. It was filled with rapid fire jokes and gags and his best known trademark, a pie in the face, He claims to be hit by over 25,000 pies.
Later in his career, Sales had a radio show on WNBG-AM in New York. On New Years Day in 1965, he was upset about having to work. At the end of the show, he told the kids to tiptoe in to their parents bedroom when they were sleeping and take the funny green pieces of paper with the presidents faces on them and send them to him. He in return, would mail them a post card from Puerto Rice. Well, the plan worked and Soupy ended up getting alot of money, which he donated to charity. The station was so upset over the matter and let him go. With so many kids ending up picketing the station, they had no choice but to bring him back.
Howard Sterns had a show at the same station and they did not get along. Sterns cut the strings of Soupy's studio piano just to torture him.
In his career, Soupy did several games shows which I am sure will become future blog posts here. They were, What's My Line, To Tell The Truth, and Hollywood Squares.
No doubt about it, Soupy is one great talent with lots of stories to tell. In fact, you can even follow him on Twitter!

The Whole Earth Catalog...Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:06:00 +0000

You have to remember The Whole Earth Catalog! It was the bible of the American counterculture. Published in 1968 by Steward Brand, his goal was to have anyone to be able to pick up a telephone and find complete information on anything.
The publication was an access to tools and education for the reader to shape his own environment and find some inspiration. This was a large book and later editions were an inch thick. In 1972, the catalog won the National Book Award, the first time ever for a catalog.
In 1966, Steward Brand initiated a public campaign to have NASA release the rumored satellite image of earth as seen from space. He felt this image of our planet would be a powerful symbol.
In 2005, the catalog was compared to Google search engines in paperback form. In the 1960's, there was no Internet or hundreds of cable channels. As the web and blogs arrived, Whole Earth Catalogs disappeared. Everything The Whole Earth Catalog did, the web did better. It became a transfer from counterculture to cyberculture.
There were seven sections in the 1968 catalog:
~Understanding Whole Systems
~Shelter And Land Use
~Industry And Craft
~Communications
~Community
~Nomadics
~Learning
In each section, the best tools and books were listed by the editors. This included reviews, images, uses, supplies and prices.
The catalog was a huge success for hippies and survivalists. The publication was not intended for very long, just long enough for the editors to complete a good overview of available tools and resources for everyone that needed them.
In these times, I think The Whole Earth Catalog is just the ticket. It will take you back to the times when life was a bit more wholesome and basic. I found my old original copy. It's got the whole earth in my hands.

It's Tom Terrific And Mighty Manfred The Wonder Dog!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:13:00 +0000

I bet you remember Tom Terrific. I just loved it! What a great cartoon. My friend once gave me a brand new giant red plastic funnel and I wore it like a hat, just like Tom Terrific. This was about 5 years ago.
Simple and sweet, in case you have forgotten, Tom Terrific was a boy hero who lived in a tree house. Thanks to his magic funnel cap, he could transform himself into anything and also became smarter.
Tom Terrific debuted in 1957 on the Captain Kangaroo show. The budget was small, but the imaginative scripts and stylized designs hid this fact. The scripts were simple and the music was minimal too, mostly just an accordion. Lionel Wilson did all of the voices.
Each episode on the Captain Kangaroo show consisted of a 5 minute cliff hanger everyday and in a week the story was completed. Confident, but never violent, Tom Terrific took on a variety of criminals. They were Sweet Tooth Sam, The Gravity Maker,The Silly Sandman, Captain Kidney Bean and his arch enemy, Crabby Appleton who was rotten to the core.
Here is a flash back for you:
My name is Crabby Appleton,
and I am simply awful.
It does my heart a lot of good
to do a deed unlawful!
I'm fond of gloom, impending doom,
I think good deeds are sappy!
I laugh with glee. It pleases me
when everyone's unhappy!
Mighty Manfred The Wonder Dog was always at Toms side. Manfred really never liked the whole crime busting routine. He was a big baggy-eyed pooch who would rather avoid trouble than stop it. To him, a big long nap would beat a good deed any day.
There were twenty-six full adventures or 130 episodes of the cartoon over a four year period.
"When there is trouble,
I'm there on the double,
From Atlantic to Pacific,
They know Tom Terrific!

Just In Time For The 4th Of July.....Tang Pie!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:35:00 +0000

One of my readers alterted me to the fact that there is a Tang Pie. Well, I couldn't let that get by me so I did a search. Just in time for tomorrow. Impress your friends with this all American (sorry cherries and apples) pie! Be brave and go for it. Your friends and family will love you for it!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Tang orange drink powder
8 oz. sour cream
12 oz. Cool Whip
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 graham cracker pie crusts
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together well. Pour in the 2 pie crusts and set in refrigerator overnight.
Put a twist of an orange slice in the middle of each pie for decoration.

Now how easy is that!
Enjoy the holiday!

Indescribable...Indestructible! Nothing Can Stop it! The BLOB!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:48:00 +0000

Beware of the Blob! It creeps and leaps and glides across the floor. It crawls... It creeps... It eats you alive!
Don't you just love it? It doesn't get any better than this! In 1958, this independently made science fiction/horror film depicted a giant amoeba alien that terrorizes the small town of Downington, Pennsylvania. Today this film is a cult classic.
The film was Steve McQueen's third feature film, but his first starring role. Because of him, this film became a hit in the drive-in theaters. Aneta Corsaut played his girlfriend and Olin Howland was the elderly old man.
In the film, the Blob comes from outer space and lands on earth inside a meteor. The two teenagers, McQueen and Corsaut drive the car to find out where it landed. Meanwhile, the elderly man heard the crash too, finds it and pokes it with a stick.
The rock breaks open and voila! There's the blob which crawls up the stick and attaches itself to his hand. It's all over from there.
By the time the teenagers get the old guy to the doctor's office, it engulfs him and eats the doctor and nurse too.
The film ends with the words, "The End", which then morphs into a question mark. Will the Blob return? Only time will tell.
The blob was filmed in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and several scenes were filmed in Downington. If you are around that area on July 10Th, don't miss the Blob Fest and Ball in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
During this movie, Steve McQueen was offered $2,500 or 10% of the profits. He took the $2,500 for food and rent,not thinking this film would be a hit. Little did he know, this film ended up grossing $4 million.
What was the Blob made of, you ask? It was originally created with a modified weather balloon for the sky shots and later made from silicone gel.
Wes Hark, a horror movie fan and collector, actually owns the Blob. It was love at first fright!

The Blob - Movie Poster - 27 x 40
The Blob - Criterion Collection

Tang.....The Space Age Drink

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Tang is short for tangy and is supposed to have the flavor of tangerines. With more vitamin C than oranges, Tang was the breakfast drink of choice during the 1960's.
Tang was introduced to the public in 1959 and was marketed as the modern breakfast beverage. In 1965 the Gemini astronauts took the drink into outer space and made Tang a household name.
Made by General Foods, Tang is a sweetened drink powder, artificially flavored and colored. It's one of America's favorite chemically treated foods.
The Apollo and Gemini missions took the drink into space and drank it out of silver pouches. Just add water and you can have a days worth of vitamin C.
Actually, Tang had nothing to do with the space program and was developed by General Foods in 1957, 12 years before anyone went into space. But, because of the advertising, "Tang Takes Off," the space program became a valuable asset to the marketing and sales of the drink.
Sales of the drink today are not what they were back then. I'm sure most people decided that drinking real orange juice instead of mixing tangerine flavored chemical powder with water with a six year shelf life was much better for you.
One household tip is that Tang is an excellent cleaning agent and can be used to clean your dishwasher. Just run Tang through the cycle instead of soap.