What! July 20, 2017
By Lisa Baker • 07-20-17
“Researchers have developed a ‘red wine pill’ that gives all the benefits of red wine without the alcohol. It’s called a grape.” Norm Macdonald
I don’t typically win anything (well, a set of cheap luggage that broke into little pieces the first time I used it, then once, I signed up for Dallas Cowboy tickets in someone else’s name, and the guy that won said thanks, and took someone else to the game…the 80’s were not good to me,) but I recently won $1000 at Tri-City Auto, just because I’m smart, good looking and fun to be with…ok, well, not actually. It was luck of the draw and I had a really hard time walking away with that money because I didn’t do anything to deserve it. But, I’m going to tell you this…if you need your vehicle repaired, call Bart at Tri-City Auto. He’s one of the best and you will leave there feeling like he was honest and did the best job he could do on your vehicle. Just like Henry always did.
A naked, 25-year-old man, sitting in front of a store in Angleton, was taken into custody without incident. Did I mention that he was naked? Perhaps alcohol was involved. I bet many us can remember at least one time that alcohol got us naked.
A woman was found guilty of aggravated murder, felonious assault and conspiracy in the November 2013 killing of a Cleveland veteran firefighter/husband that she had been married to for only four months – she wanted to collect his life insurance Oops, the firefighter was married previously and never changed the name of the beneficiary on his life insurance policy, so his ex-wife will be the one to inherit $100,000 plus his city pension. What goes around, comes around. Sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes it doesn’t. 😊
Blue Bell has announced the release of Sweet ‘n Salty Crunch. It’s a vanilla ice cream base with chocolate-coated pretzel bites, chopped roasted almonds and milk chocolate chunks. If the pretzel bites just had a little dab of peanut butter in them, it would be perfect.
There is an online retailer (because they’re too embarrassed to show these in real stores) that’s selling an $80 male romper (think the blue Dow or Dickies coverall with short sleeves and cut off 10 inches above the knees…yep) with a really, really, close-up picture of North Korean leader Kim Jon Un’s face (eyebrows at underarm level and mouth at belly button level) on it. I can’t make this stuff up. And it sells for $80?!? Well, maybe it sells. I just got my “People of Wal-Mart” pictures that an unnamed friend sends to me, and I didn’t see a single person wearing this romper. Close your eyes and imagine this.
Imagine this: You’ve said yes, to the dress, and the order for the bride’s maid dresses have been made, you’ve made your down payment (or paid the whole shebang), and then…aaauugggh, your bridal dress store files for bankruptcy and shuts their doors with no warning. A bride’s worst nightmare. The bridal chain, Arnold Angelo, did this exact thing. They didn’t even tell their employees. Not nice. Some competing bridal companies are trying to come to the rescue and provide samples, discounts and other dresses that they have in stock. One bride tweeted, “My wedding is in 29 days. I’m glad that orange is my wedding color because I’m gonna be married in jail if I can’t get my dresses.”
A recent study shows that those that drink diet soda are at a greater risk for dementia and strokes.
There’s a business in Houston where you can hire mermaids to entertain and explain the finer skills of mermaiding at your next pool party. I wish this had been around when my daughter wanted to be a mermaid…yikes, it’s $400. Maybe not, but wouldn’t it be fun to try on a mermaid tail and pretend to be Ariel for an afternoon. www.HoustonMermaids.com
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS: Actor Will Ferrell is 50. Singer-musician Christine McVie is 74. Fleetwood Mac. McVie and Lindsey Buckingham are on tour now and were on a late night show a couple of weeks ago sounding really good. Racing Hall of Fame Richard Petty is 80. Writer-director-comedian Larry David is 70. Seinfeld. Daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson Luci Baines Johnson is 70. Actor-comedian-sex deviant Bill Cosby is 80. Ick. Fitness guru Richard Simmons is 69. Actress Cheryl Ladd is 66.
Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi is 46. Actor Tab Hunter is 86. “Young Love” was released in 1956. Actress Sela Ward is 61. Sisters, Once and Again. Rock guitarist Richie Sambora is 58. Bon Jovi. Wildlife expert Jeff Corwin is 50. Folk singer Arlo Guthrie is 70. Singer-actress Jessica Simpson is 37. Chef Wolfgang Puck is 68. Actor Kevin Bacon is 59. Singer Toby Keith is 56. Actor Patrick Stewart is 77. He says, “Being cast as Jean-Luc Picard (in Star Trek) was the most significant thing that ever happened to me because there wasn’t an area of my life that it didn’t touch, mostly for the better.”
Actor Harrison Ford is 75. Doesn’t seem possible. Actor-comedian Cheech Marin is 71. Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 60. Actor Brian Dennehy is 79. Soul singer Leon Bridges is 28. Actor Richard Roundtree is 75. Shaft. Author Dean Koontz is 72. Football Hall of Fame O.J. Simpson is 70. Pianist, composer and TV personality John Tesh is 65. Actor Jimmy Smits is 62. Actor Tom Hanks is 61 Actress Kelly McGillis is 60. Top Gun. Actress-singer Courtney Love is 53. Actor-director Fred Savage is 41. The Wonder Years. Singer Mavis Staples is 78. In the 2015 documentary Mavis! she revealed that Bob Dylan once proposed to her, and she turned him down.
Mark Lester is celebrating his 59th birthday and is the English, former child actor known for playing the title role in the 1968 musical film version of Oliver! You’ve seen him. What is interesting is that he is now an osteopath but was the close, long-time friend of Michael Jackson…they were even godfathers to each other’s children. Lester defended Jackson throughout his trial on child molestation charges in 2005. OK. What’s even more interesting is that Lester believes that Paris Jackson could be his child because he had donated sperm to Michael Jackson as a gift in 1996 and he is willing to take a paternity test to prove either way. Huh. Do guys do that? Make gifts of their sperm? I thought they just borrowed each other’s lawn equipment and tools.
RODEOHOUSTON will have a new rotating concert stage next year at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that is THE latest technology so you can boost YOUR experience. It’s star-shaped with five-star points where each star point can be raised individually or jointly and can be lowered or raised to and from the arena surface…it rotates and as it is positioned and ready for each performance the star points lower and open like the petals of a flower. Watch the video. Garth Brooks will be the first entertainer to perform on the stage on February 27th, 2018.
Krispy Kreme Donuts is celebrating their 80th birthday. KK opened their doors on July 13, 1937, when Vernon Rudolph bought a secret yeast-raised doughnut recipe from a New Orleans French chef, rented a historic building in Old Salem, Winston-Salem, N.C. and began selling donuts to local grocery stores. I LOVE Krispy Kreme.
Houston Rockets owner, Les Alexander, announced that he is putting the team up for sale. Alexander is among the richest team owners in all of sports and bought the team before the ‘93-‘94 season for $85-million. The franchise is now valued at $1.65–billion. That a tidy little profit because there is a big difference between a million and a billion. Many prominent names are floating around as purchasers including Tilman Fertitta, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane.
A Corpus Christi ATM repairman accidently locked himself into a small room connected to the money machine while changing a lock last week. He sent several notes out through the receipt slot… “please help I’m stuck in here and I don’t have my phone please call my boss at (phone number.)” Many people thought it was a prank and walked away so he was in there for several hours. Even the police thought it was a joke. When someone did finally take the plea seriously, they could hear a faint voice calling to them as they approached the ATM. Bless his heart.
Martin Landau died at age 89 of an unexpected complication after a brief hospitalization. He was a true legend of the screen.
In the U.S., presidential job approval ratings were introduced by George Gallup in the late 1930’s (probably in 1937) to gauge public support. President Trump has historic disapproval ratings (58% disapproval to 36% approval) which is the lowest for any President at the 6-month mark in 70 years.
Walmart has upgraded their beef to certified Angus across the US as they compete with others…such as Aldi or Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods.
The Blue Whale Challenge; it’s a social media game (appealing to teens) that presents itself as 50-days of dare-challenges that are assigned by an anonymous administrator with the participant submitting photo evidence each day to prove their task is completed, then on the final day the participant is supposed to commit suicide and post it on social media. Some of the tasks include watching horror movies, drinking bleach and committing acts of self-mutilation. Our world is a crazy one and you better pay attention to your kids because they are being led to believe that crazy is normal.
Nitrates added to processed meats are not healthy for you. Oscar Meyer is now saying that their nitrates are derived from celery juice which sounds healthy…but nitrates can combine with compounds found in meats and at high temperatures fuel the formation of nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens in animals. The World Health Organization says there is a chemical reaction that happens regardless of the source of nitrates (including celery juice.) They say that nitrates are nitrates and are calling for a cancer warning label on processed meats, regardless of how they’re made.
Elevate your legs above your heart every day for 20 minutes to increase circulation and prevent spider veins.
I just finished piddling in my garden and I am “all better” now. I cut some rainbow swiss chard which I will wrap around chicken thighs, sauté, then cover with a white wine lemon sauce that my kids are crazy about, then I cut some lemongrass into 5” sticks that I’ll use as skewers for grilled chicken this week-end – the taste that the lemongrass gives the chicken is yummy. I picked a few Zinnias for my desk and pulled a few weeds. It’s just amazing what 30-little tiny minutes of mindless thought in the heat and sticky air, can do to clear all the mud that gets stuck in your brain during the day. Even the aphids didn’t get a rile out of me. Now the ants are another story. If someone has a great organic recipe for killing those little critters, let me know.
Happy 18th birthday to my sweet girl, Anne-Elisabeth Inez. Seventeen plus years ago, I went to Nick Giannone (Industrial Medicine Doctor) for what I thought was an upper respiratory infection. Dr. Nick was so happy because he didn’t often, get to give such a happy diagnosis. I have had so much fun with you but I never, ever thought the time would go so fast. I love you beyond compare and I am so super-proud to be your mother. The law now considers you an official adult. Get over it.
– Lisa
