Happy Birthday, Rhode Island!

Today is the anniversary of Rhode Island's state government ratification of the US Constitution, locking in her membership as one of our United States of America.  Rhode Island was the last of the Thirteen Original Colonies.

Date of Ratification

May 29, 1790

Parentage Founded by Roger Williams (the theologian, not the pianist). He was cast out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for wanting more religious freedom. He got a group of like-minded outcasts and together they founded the area that eventually became Rhode Island.
The name comes from either an explorer comparing it to the Island of Rhodes, or to the Dutch name for its reddish complexion, "rode."  So it could have been "Red Island."

Place in the Family:

Lucky Thirteen

Six months after bratty North Carolina (Nov 1789)
because RI wanted to show off her independance separately.  

It would be nearly a year before the first non-Original Thirteen Colony, 
Vermont, would join (March 1791)

Motto:

"Hope"

This is the shortest motto to go with the smallest state.
No kidding. 

Fun Rhode Island Facts

1. Rhode Island was the first colony to petition for separation
from Great Britain, but the last state to ratify the Constitution.
2. Rhode Island shares its anniversary date
with Wisconsin, which became
the 30th State on May 29, 1848 

Nick-Name:

"The Ocean State"

It being an Island and all....
Hawaii was not pleased that this nick-name was already taken

State Flag

Thirteen stars represent the original Thirteen Colonies.
The anchor represents sailing. The state motto is "Hope."

I like that it's white and gold. Too many other state flags are blue. 

First City You Probably Think of

When You Think "Rhode Island"
Quahog

Actual State Capital: Providence

State Size (Area) is 50th of 50.

Population is closer to 43rd of 50.

(per 2000 Census figures)
Every US citizen knows that Rhode Island is the smallest state.

Rhode Island Sports

There are no professional sports teams in (on?) Rhode Island

Good vs Evil

Roger Williams
pioneer in religious freedoms

Clams
I hate them AND I'm allergic to them.
Yuck!

Anybody From Rhode Island
Ever Grow Up To Be President?

Nope.

Nobody.

Not even close.

Celebrities From Rhode Island

Van Johnson
40s-60s Film Star, "Batman" villain


David Hedison

THE FLY, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"

Ruth Buzzi

"Laugh-In," "The Lost Saucer"

Ted Knight

"Mary Tyler Moore Show," CADDYSHACK

Harry Anderson

"Night Court"

Debra Messing

"Will and Grace"

Viola Davis

Award-Winning Actress
(born in South Carolina,
raised in Rhode Island)

Musical Rhode Islanders

George M. Cohan

"Over There," "Yankee Doodle Boy,"

"You're A Grand Old Flag," etc etc  

The Cowsills

"Rain, The Park, And Other Things," "Hair"

model for The Partridge Family 

Bill Conti
composer of ROCKY theme,
"Gotta Fly Now"

Rhode Island Literary Figures:

H.P. Lovecraft

weirdest writer you will ever encounter

Edwin O'Connor
Pulitzer Prize winning writer

David Macauley

Historical Rhode Islanders

General Ambrose Burnside

failed Civil War General; successful facial hair pioneer

Commodore Matthew Perry

Opened up Japan to the West in 1854;
went on to co-star on the TV show "Friends"

Most Famous Rhode Islander

Peter Griffin (The Family Guy)

A Song For You....

Here's "Born Free"

played by Roger Williams
(the pianist, not the theologian)

(following today's theme of freedom...cool, huh?)

music by John Barry

Memorial Day 2012

Memorial Day was created after the Civil War to commemorate those Union soldiers who died while in the South, far from their homes and unable to have individual funeral ceremonies.

Now it is a day to honor all American soldiers who have died while protecting our freedom.

Memorial Day is not another excuse for a holiday sale. It's a time to get together with loved ones and cherish the fact that this is the USA, where we don't institutionalize hate or discrimination. This is the USA. Even though we aren't perfect, there is no other country where I would rather live.

"All gave some; some gave all."

Happy Birthday, Lee Meriwether!

I watched BARNABY JONES for its first few years. It was decidedly UN-cool to do so. As portrayed by elderly Buddy Ebsen, "Barnaby Jones" was not attractive (ala Rock Hudson of "McMillan & Wife") or physical (per Mike Conners as "Mannix") or even all that interesting (Telly Savalas "Kojak" or Robert Blake "Baretta"). He was, however, a great actor. You believed he was a detective; because he really had nothing else going for him, he *had* to have that.

Also, he had a great side-kick in his daughter-in-law Betty Jones, as portrayed by Lee Meriwether. She was smart and attractive. Sure, she wasn't Farrah Fawcett, but as I've said here before, I was more a fan of low-key and smoldering instead of IN-YOUR-FACE sexiness. The main sex symbols never really did anything for me. And that is why I liked Lee Meriwether on BARNABY JONES.  (This is supposed to be a compliment, haha!)

This was the first time I had come across her, but it was not the last. As I got older and watched more syndicated re-run TV, I found her in many very unlikely places....on THE MAN FROM UNCLE, on F TROOP, on STAR TREK, on BATMAN (but not as Catwoman!), in the BATMAN movie, on TIME TUNNEL, and even on my favorite show, MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE. She was awesome on all of these things, of course, but I especially enjoyed her on M:I.

Today May 27 is Lee Meriwether's birthday. Her path to fame started out after she was crowned Miss America in 1955. Then she was on THE TODAY SHOW waaay before my time. Then she became one of those featured supporting actresses for most of the Sixties, appearing on all the shows listed above and probably many many more until she landed her most famous gig on BARNABY JONES. She was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for this role.

as Catwoman in the 1966
BATMAN movie

on the 3rd season STAR TREK
episode, "That Which Survives"

as M:I spy Tracy on the 4th season
episode "The Falcon"

Here's a time capsule from October 11, 1979...the previews, the sponsors,

the theme songs, and even some commercials for BARNABY JONES!  

 Happy Birthday, Lee Meriwether!

I hope you enjoy many more years of good health and activity!

Star Wars 35th Anniversary "Imperial Rhapsody"

Long long ago in a time far far away....

Thirty-five years ago, on May 25, 1977, the motion-picture STAR WARS made its world-premiere.  Written and directed by George Lucas, this film began a modern day "fairy tale" saga that shows no signs of slowing down. 

I remember going to see it two or three times that summer. I was too old for the toys, but I do remember baby-sitting two boys down the street and helping them play with them. I remember thinking, "Gosh, these are pretty cool toys!" I had a t-shirt and I read the Marvel comic-books. I anxiously awaited the sequel, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980), which is still one of my all-time favorite films. Around this time, Darth Vader made the cover of Time magazine!!  By the time THE RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) came out I was in high school, so a whole group of us went to it the first week it opened.


There was similar excitement when the new "episode one" came out, but by that point I knew that the market was for the next generation of fans, and not for me and mine.
Those days of heady excitemen are gone, but when we slip in the videocassette or the DVD or Blue-Ray....the fantasy and excitement comes back. That is the power these films have.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of one of the greatest movie series ever, I present here IMPERIAL RHAPSODY (sung to the tune of Queens' BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, music & lyrics by Freddie Mercury).

Caveat: I didn't write this! I actually have no idea where it came from. I found it recently on some old computer-printer paper from the early 90s. It looks like I saved it from some "chat" or early "text" emails from many many years ago. It's still funny, though. May the FARCE be with you! 

This is the good life
This is a fantasy
Working on Bespin
An escape from reality




Open your eyes
Stand up to these guys and see





I'm just a farmboy
I need some sympathy
Who is my dad I dunno
Little whine little moan






Anywhere the Force goes
Doesn't really matter to me.....to me





Vader just killed a man
Raised an arm up in the air
Now his life it isn't there
Vader we had just begun
And now I've gone and lost the rebel scum
Vader ooooooh
Didn't mean to make you mad
If I'm not here again this time tomorrow
There'll be a new admiral as if nothing ever happened

Too late
My time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time




Goood-bye everybody
I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and learn the Force



Vader ooooh I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all





I see a little silhouette of a man
Palpatine Palpatine can it be the Emperor?
Thunderbolts and lightning
Very very hurting me!

R2-D2 (R2-D2) R2-D2 (R2-D2)
R2-D2 Where'd you go C-3PO......!!!
I'm just a farmboy nobody loves me

He's just a farmboy from a dead family
Spare him this life of such mendacity






Spice'll come spice'll go Jabba let me go









Bo shuddo! (No, we will not let you go!)





Let me go!






Bo shuddo! (We will not let you go!)





Let me go!





Bo Shuddo! (We will not let you go---!!)
We will not let you go!
Never never never let you go----!!
Oh oh oh no no no no no no no!!

Oh R2-D2 R2-D2
R2-D2 Come along









C-3PO has a rebel put aside for me...for me...for me!!!

(Storm Troopers start head-banging)









So you say you're the dear old dad of mine?
But you cut my hand off and you left me to die
Oh Vader! Can't do this to me, Vader!
I know there's some good
I know there is some good in you!


May the Force be with you
Use the Force to see
May the Force be with you
May the Force be with you always.....!



Anywhere the Force goes.....!