What I Heard This Week! 10-03-2019
Neiman Marcus is selling a frankfurter sofa. Yep. The hotdog bun sofa has a lumbar style wiener pillow, slightly longer than the bun, with a stripe of mustard, tomato slice pillow, pickle topping pillow, and bingo, you’ve got a Chicago-style(that’s the city where they put tomatoes and pickles on your dog) sofa for your kid’s game room. Only $7,100. (Deep intake of breath.) Perhaps there’s free shipping to encourage buyers for this outrageously priced piece of fun. Oops. No. The shipping is $295. If pork products aren’t your thing, then there’s a burger chair that retails for a comparably modest $4,950 and also comes with tomato and pickle pillows.
Just because Fate doesn’t deal you the right cards, it doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means you must play the cards you get to their maximum potential. Les Brown
A hummingbird flew smack into my office window while I was working on the column today. We rushed out, wrapped him in a soft cloth and loved on him for awhile. Hummingbirds are so beautiful up close. He had the red spot on his throat and his feathers were bright green. He was breathing heavy, his eyes were open, and his wings looked ok. The little tiniest tip of his bill looked like it might have taken the window, but it wasn’t bad. After about ten minutes of talking to him, I placed him in my back-office garden area in a big pot of lemongrass with a bright red zinnia close enough to sip from and the plastic saucer from a potted plant as a roof so the sun wouldn’t hurt him. All he needed was a cabana boy. I had gone back inside to finish this column and to mix up some sugar water which sometimes revives them, when it started heavy rain, so I rushed outside to save him,but he was gone. I’m so happy. I bet he visits me the next time I’m working in the garden.As humans we need to take better care of the creatures on Earth.
According to the National Weather Service, the beautiful sunsets that you have seen recently are because the volcano called Raikoke in the Kuril Islands in Russia, erupted June 22. Ash and debris blasted out of the nearly ½ mile-wide opening ten miles into the sky, reaching the stratosphere. The particles causing people to see purple light rays are sulfur dioxide gas and is not harmful, it’s just pretty.
The Phil Collins concert that the kids and I attended last week was his “Still Not Dead Yet Tour.” It followed his last overwhelmingly popular tour which wastitled his, “Not Dead Yet Tour.” His 18-year-old son Nic, played drums for him and is really good. Phil Collins is not in very good health (his vertebrae crushed his spinal cord because of the position he drummed in for 40 years), he walked cautiously on and off stage with a cane, then sat for entire performance except for one song. It was a little bittersweet. Great show with lots of singing along, fantastic light show and stage, but sad because of his health.
We’re all precious in the sight of the Lord…He may shake His head a lot, but we’re still precious.
Last month meteorologists in Ohio spotted migrating dragonflies, swarms of them, on their radar. The same thing was reported in Virginia and other nearby states. The National Weather Service commented that it is common for dragonflies, especially green darner dragonflies, to migrate south in the fall to find warmer weather, but the size of the swarms were unusual. Since dragonflies are very sensitive to temperature, it is believed that climate warming could disrupt the presence of their migration. In July, hordes of flying ants invaded Britain in swarms so dense they could be seen from space and were picked up by a weather radar that mistook them for rain. This happensin Britain every year for one day, but not such vast numbers. That same month, swarms of pallid-winged grasshoppers converged on the bright neon lights of the strip in Las Vegas on their northbound migration, attracted to ultraviolet light.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Folk singer Ian Tyson is 86. Four Strong Winds. Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is 50. Actor producer Michael Douglas is 75. Actor Mark Hamill is 68. Star Wars was 42 years ago. Rock star Bruce Springsteen is 70. Actor Jason Alexander is 60. George Costanza in Seinfeld.Actor Robert Blake is 86. Baretta. Rock musician Kerry Livgren is 70. Founding member of Kansas. Baseball Hall of Fame Ryne Sandberg is 60. Actor Wilford Brimley is 85. The trademark mustache, accent and brusque delivery make him one unforgettable character actor.
Baseball Hall of Fame Manager Tony Lasorda is 92. Actor Claude Jarman Jr. is 85. As a12-year-old, he was discovered during an MGM nationwide talent search for an upcoming film, The Yearling (1946), and won the coveted role of Jody Baxter in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings‘ classic story. The critics raved over Claude’s tremendously moving debut, and the boy was awarded a miniature Oscar on Academy Awards night. World Golf Hall of Fame Kathy Whitworth is 80. Dancer choreographer singer Toni Basil is 76. Hey, Mickey. Actress Shari Belafonte is 65. Musician Matt Sharp is 50. Weezer.
RapperFlo Rida is 40. Actress Janis Paige is 97. Her forthcoming memoir, “Reading Between the Lines,” will detail her fascinating life in and out of Hollywood. Bluesman Billy Boy Arnold is 84. Rhythm & blues singer Betty Kelley is 75. Martha & the Vandellas. Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 70. Comedian Molly Shannon is 55. Saturday Night Live. Rock musician Nick Jonas is 27. Jonas Brothers.
Broadcast journalist Barbara Walters is 90. I read her book, Audition: A Memoir, and it is definitely worth picking it up if you need a new book on your bedside table. She discusses her personal life living with her mentally handicapped sister, her father’s constant gambling, her start in journalism and what it was like being a woman in a very male-dominated industry. She started as a script writer and weather girl. Barbara choose the title Audition because, as she says, “as I look back, it feels to me that my life has been one long audition—an attempt to make a difference and to be accepted.”
Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them. Truman Capote
Move over Barbie and Ken. Mattel launched its first line of gender inclusive dolls called Creatable World.You can customize each doll with hair, clothes and accessories to be either male or female…no make-up, facial hair, bosoms or broad shoulders on these dolls.Mattel says, “…as the world begins the celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, we absolutely fundamentally believed it was time to launch a doll line free of labels and free of rules for kids.”
“A Chorus Line” was showing at Hobby Center and I’m part of a girl’s group with season tickets. A Chorus Line is the story of what it takes to try out for a dance chorus on a Broadway show, especially when you are considered too old, too young, too short or too whatever to ‘make it.’ A Chorus Line is one of the longest running shows on Broadway and was considered an artistic breakthrough in 1975 because there was no set, no scene changes, just an empty rehearsal hall and a cast wearing leotards. It told stories of gay men when it was still a taboo conversation. The famous finale was powerful, making us so happy that we didn’t leave early in order to pick up the car.
Beginning October 1, 2020, only state-issued driver licenses and identification cards that are fully compliant with the REAL ID Act will be accepted for official federal government purposes, such as entering secure federal buildings or boarding domestic flights. Texas began issuing REAL ID compliant cards in October 2016, and these cards are marked with a gold circle with an inset star in the upper right-hand corner. Be sure to check your drivers license before you board a plane. You have a year.
According to the office of Dennis Bonnen, if your home has been affected, notify your county emergency management office to receive resources needed to recover from Imelda. You may also dial 2-1-1 for survivor assistance information, or visit the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) website for Imelda Recovery Resources and a directory of non-profit service organizations.The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) offers information for vehicle flooding. 979-848-1770.
The Brazosport Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Brian Casey, will present a special concert featuring the original Eagles tribute band, Hotel California.Saturday,October 12 at The Clarion. I can only explain to you how to have fun. I can’t have the fun for you. Brazosportcenter.org
Don’t forget to put fresh water in your bird bath each day. If you were covered in feathers and couldn’t sweat, you would want to get your feet wet every once in a while, too.
The Brazoria County Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner hosted by Junior Achievement was last month. Master of Ceremonies was State Representative Dennis Bonnen and the Business Laureate Honorees were Anne Johnston of Ann’s Monogramming/Johnston’s Sportfishing, Dr. Gregg Knape DVM, attorney and professional auctioneer Jarrod D. Smith, and Mike Sorrell of Mike Sorrell Trucking, Brazosport Truck Parts, Con Rock Ready Mix, Tidewater Asphalt, Blue Water Wash & Storage, M.S. Equipment, M.S. Land & Cattle, Sorrell Plus, Sorrell Construction Equipment and Materials, and Sorrell Placer Mining. Congratulations to these business owners.
My cable TV went out on September 16th. I fail to mention the company name at this time, but it IS associated with a phone company. I called so many times, and when I say many, I mean MANY TIMES, for repair service.When I could understand what they were saying, I was told several different stories including the fact that I still had to pay for the service that I wasn’t receiving. Hmmm. Twelve days after losing service I was finally waiting at home for my well-deserved appointment time, but no one showed up. No one. So, this week I was determined to get to the bottom of the problem. It took me 59 minutes and I spoke to four different people before I could get another ‘appointment.’ I was even told that I never had an appointment before, according to their records. I told them harshly, “Yep, I made it up.” Yesterday I left the office for my “sometime between 4pm and 6pm appointment” and was very surprised when the doorbell rang.45 minutes later, Tray Baugh had taken care of the dish problem that I had been experiencing and life is now good. Thank you, Tray. Oh, and did I mention that I received my monthly bill from my still-unnamed cable company during this time-off and they were so kind as to increase my bill by around $20.00. Not very good timing if you ask me. I’m not sure that having HGTV is worth what I’m paying. I enjoyed Netflix during the break.There are so many options available now.
Taylor Swift doesn’t own the master recordings to her older albums. When she was an unknown artist, she signed with Big Machine, which released her first six records, and she signed away the copyright to her master recordings. Evidently, it’s not an unusual thing to do as a young unknown.Most standard music contracts have a clause that doesn’t allow an artist to re-record their own songs for a set period of time. Swift says that her contract allows her that option starting November 2020 for her first five albums. She is very excited about it and believes that artists deserve to own their own work. This is easier to do because she writes and owns her songs. Hope I repeated this all correctly.
Coca-Cola is putting Dasani water into aluminum cans as they try to reduce their use of plastic that is filling the world’s oceans and waterways. JUST GET YOU A WATER BOTTLE or insulated cup. Quit being lazy.
Thanks for reading this and I hope you have a great week with lots of laughter and love. I plan to.
Lisa
