For those of you that missed me last week, thanks for the nice messages. Shucks… flatters an old girl. Number #1 question from readers: Are you sick? No, first, my computer updated or did something stupid, then ate all 28 pages of homework notes for this column that could not be found anywhere. I ran out of time to start the column all over again, so I just vacated the premises, went home and packed for a trip to my mom’s to help her with doctor’s appointments and medications. Whooo. I thought this column was hard to write, but figuring out doctor’s appointments and medications is pretty exhausting. Complicated would be an understatement. The doctor took plenty of time (with me being a newbie), explaining everything, BUT names of the medications are hard to figure out. For one thing, I can’t pronounce ANY of them, so I had to write them down, look them up, take pictures, find out generic names, what the heck it is actually used for, plus the complications. (Some of them I did recognize from TV commercials – isn’t that crazy that you can now self-diagnose, then tell your doctor what the drug companies have sold you and what you need them to write the prescription for. ☹ But that’s another story for another column. I took very poor notes, then finally asked for a printout of medications. As it turned out, mom was a little confused and had been taking too much blood pressure medicine, so we got that straightened out and she seems to be feeling much better. I have no idea how people keep their multiple medications straight, especially as we age. Very complicated. If you know of someone that might need your help, then please offer to help them. I got back to the office, worked for one day on busy work, then took a deep breath and again started my search for my ‘lost’ homework. I found it. Life is good. Then I went home, took the dog out for a late walk, and sat down on my front porch chair for just a short moment to enjoy the nice evening. Huge mistake. The next thing I knew it was 2:30am and my mouth was bone-dry, so obviously I fell asleep with my mouth wide-open. Teller was gently nudging me with his nose and a little whimper. I guess he thought I died. I was tired… thanks for missing me.
I thought the dryer was shrinking my clothes. Turns out it was the refrigerator all along.
This is funny. So much pink paint was used on the set of the upcoming Barbie movie (premiers July 21 with Ryan Gosling as Ken, and Margot Robbie as Barbie), there was a pink paint shortage with Rosco, a supplier that specializes in paint for film and theater productions. It completely depleted the global stock for the shade Fluorescent Pink during our time of global supply chain issues. But the good news is, Fluorescent Pink is back in stock and ready to paint your Barbie Dream House. America Ferrera talked about the Barbie movie plotline, “Whatever you think it is, it’s not that. It’s something else.” From what I could find today, the movie is partially based on the best-selling book, Reviving Ophelia, which looks at the effects of social pressures on American adolescent girls. Hmmm. I think I’m liking it.
Speech impediment of the 21st century:
and I was like…
and he was like…
and I was like…
and she was like…
Like, you know what I mean?
For the 11th year, Hallmark will present Christmas in July… it includes two new original movies, A Royal Christmas Crush July 8. Then, The Christmas Reboot July 15. Starting July 1st… there’s back-to-back airing of holiday movies every day from 10 am to 10 pm. Fan favorite movies air July 1 through July 4, with viewers voting for favorite movies on the Hallmark Movie Checklist app. I’m still trying to get through Heartland. All 16 seasons. It debuted in 2007 and season 16 was just released. It’s just so sweet.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Lisa Whelchel of The Facts of Life is 60. Guitarist Lenny Davidson of The Dave Clark Five is 79. Country singer Wynonna Judd is 59. Singer-actor Idina Menzel is 52. Actor Ron Ely of Tarzan fame is 85. Actor Stacy Keach is 82. Actor Jerry Mathers of Leave It to Beaver is 75. Quit It! He just can’t be 75! Comedian Dana Carvey is 68. Singer Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary is 85. Legondary Texas musician Augie Meyers of Texas Tornadoes and Sir Douglas Quintet is 83. Actor Sharon Gless of Cagney and Lacey is 80. Actor Tom Berenger is 73. Actor Gregory Harrison of Trapper John, M.D is 73. Actor Brooke Shields is 58. Bassist Too Slim of Riders in the Sky is 75.
Actor Tristan Rogers of General Hospital is 77. He shall forever be Robert Scorpio to me. Singer Suzi Quatro is 73. 50 million records worldwide. Singer Deniece Williams is 73. Described as “one of the great soul voices” by the BBC. She is best known for the songs “Free”, “Silly”, “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” and two Billboard Hot 100 No.1 singles “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” and “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late”. Four Grammys with twelve nominations. Also known for recording “Without Us”, the theme song of Family Ties. Composer Danny Elfman is 70. Singer Rebbie Jackson is 73. (Oldest Jackson child). Singer LaToya Jackson is 67. (5th Jackson child).
Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician. – Anonymous
Donald Fauntleroy Duck Day is June 9th. Donald was introduced to the world June 9th, 1934, which makes him 89 years old this month. I think he has held up well. Donald Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company, an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. According to Wikipedia, The Wise Little Hen is a 1934 Walt Disney‘s Silly Symphony cartoon, based on the fable The Little Red Hen. The cartoon featured the debut of Donald Duck, dancing to the Sailor’s Hornpipe. Donald and his friend Peter Pig try to avoid work by faking stomach aches until Mrs. Hen teaches them the value of labor.
Anthropomorphic: an-thro-poh-more-fizz-um; Human Traits in Non-Human Things. Anthropomorphic means giving human traits to non-human things, like gods, animals, or objects. Winnie the Pooh, Pinocchio, The Little Engine That Could, Simba from The Lion King, Peter Rabbit, The Berenstain Bears, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Animal Farm, Dory in Finding Nemo, Remy in Ratatouille, R2D2, C3PO of Star Wars and The Giving Tree all feature anthropomorphic characters. Anthropomorphism is also featured in folk tales, mythology, and religious stories: for example, in the biblical book of Genesis, Eve is tempted into eating from the Tree of Knowledge by a talking serpent. The novel The Book Thief is narrated by the figure of Death.
Mary Quant died at 93. She was a self-taught clothing designer who helped define the mini-skirt in the 60’s. Skirts had been getting shorter since the ‘50s, and had reached the knee by the early ‘60’s, but “Quant wanted them higher so they would be less restricting – they allowed women to run for a bus … and were much, much sexier.” In addition to the miniskirt, Quant is credited with inventing the colorful and patterned tights that were worn with the short skirts. Short shorts, berets, home goods, make-up, A-line dresses, and PVC coats, plus she claimed to have invented the duvet cover. In 1966, Quant was named one of the “fashion revolutionaries” by Women’s Wear Daily.
Tina Turner, the Queen of Rock and Roll, who won 8 Grammy awards, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame TWICE, once with Ike and as a solo artist, died at 83 in Switzerland. I could write this whole column about her. I only wish I had seen her in concert. Rolf Harris, Australian-British comedian, actor, painter, singer-songwriter (Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport), and convicted sex offender, died at 93.
Alyssa Marano retired from her teaching job as a Florida math teacher partly as a means of self-preservation, saying “I believe so much in education that I’m willing to leave it right now in hopes of it becoming better in the future.” After eight years of teaching, the gay teacher whose students outscored the county by 15% in geometry and outscored the state by 10%, says there is a culture of fear among teachers worried about getting fired for violating Florida’s so-called Don’t Say Gay law, which limits what teachers can say about gender identity and sexual orientation in the classroom, allowing for a teacher’s license to be revoked if it is decided that they break the law. “Providing students with a rainbow flag doesn’t mean you’re teaching kids to be gay,” Marano said. “The American flag has been used as a tool for the GOP, and I have that up in my classroom. Am I a Republican now?” “You cannot teach kids to be gay or straight,” Marano said. “I just want my kids to be able to solve for X.” She hopes to work in a classroom again in the future. I hope she gets to because we need good teachers.
Just in case you were not lucky enough to have a good math teacher or perhaps you just forgot, Solve for X means to find the value of X that would make an equation true. Think about this very basic, super-duper simple equation: X + 1 = 3. If you were asked to solve it, that would mean finding a value for X that gives you three when you add one to it.
Seen written on a big chalkboard outside a coffee shop. Come in and try the worst coffee one woman on TripAdvisor had in her life. Brilliant!
Mike Pence has filed to run for President in 2024. Kim Cattrall (66-years old) will appear as Samantha Jones on the second season of And Just Like That… Just a small part from what I can figure out. Maybe just talking on the phone so she doesn’t actually have to be in the room with anyone. Oh, well. Who cares! Peloton is recalling nearly 2.2 million bikes due to a seat hazard. They don’t really get a break, do they? There is now an unusual avian flu in wild birds. A rare wolverine sighting in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains is only the second time such an animal has been spotted in California in nearly 100 years. Chuck Todd will be leaving Meet the Press after nine years and Kristen Welker will replace him hosting the public affairs talk show. I sure love watching it on Sunday mornings. I will miss him, but I think she will be a great replacement.
I don’t do alcohol anymore – I get the same effect just standing up fast. – Anonymous
A group of musicians will start naming our planet Earth as a collaborator on their music to raise money for environmental causes. Artists including Brian Eno, Fraser T. Smith, Jacob Collier, Anna Calvi, Mount Kimbie, Erland Cooper, Rostam Batmanglij and Aurora will include a credit to Earth as a co-writer for their upcoming music. The artists can choose a percentage of royalties to go to EarthPercent, a charity founded by Eno. “I am currently writing my next album – it’s an album about interconnectedness and the art of coexistence,” Aurora said. “There is no greater teacher than Mother Earth. There is no greater home, or provider. There is no better place than Earth. And that is why I want to make this whole album with Mother Earth as a co-writer, because without her there wouldn’t be any such thing as music.” EarthPercent has a goal of raising $100 million by 2030. If we could all give back in some way…
We are very fond of paper… in its original form. In order to save a tree and have The Source Weekly emailed directly to your inbox each Wednesday evening, call 285-9200. LJ is performing a chlorine conversion and citywide flushing June 7th through June 11. If you see cloudiness or discoloration, call them. Have a great week and prepare for some really hot weather next week. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.
😊 LISA
Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com
