Monday, April 25, 2005

Recommended Reading

Here are two very funny writers, Lee Kalcheim and Marshall Efron, on Social Security privatization. Thanks to Lennie "Scream like a chicken" Weinrib for the link.

• Posted at 9:35 PM · LINK

Special Two-Way Wrist Radio TiVo Alert!

Here's a nice picture that my pal Ruben Arellano took a few months ago when visiting Pawnee, Oklahoma. As you can see, they're proud that it was the birthplace of the creator of Dick Tracy, Chester Gould. Or at least, they're proud enough to paint something on the side of a building.

This is a good way for me to alert you to an upcoming What's My Line? treasure on GSN. Mr. Gould was a guest on the 4/22/56 episode of that venerable game show, and I think it's the one GSN is airing early Wednesday morning.

Also, if you're a fan of great ventriloquists, you might want to watch or TiVo the following night's (day's?) show, which should be the one from 4/29/56. Paul Winchell is on the panel, with Jerry Mahoney popping up every now and then from under the desk, and the mystery guest is Edgar Bergen with Mortimer Snerd. Winchell was always in awe of Bergen and was genuinely thrilled when he figured out who it was.

A lot of fascinating people popped up on What's My Line?, which is one of the reasons I enjoy watching these hoary reruns. If you watch over the week or two, you'll see appearances by Frank Lloyd Wright, Ronald Reagan, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, Liberace, Bob Hope, Margaret Truman, and the bodybuilder whose torso adorned many a comic book advertisement...Charles Atlas.

• Posted at 1:12 AM · LINK