Way back in the days when vampires used to be scary instead of sexy….
Halloween was a different beast. 

In elementary school, we would get dressed up in our costumes and march around the different classrooms in the Halloween parade. We scarfed down orange frosted cupcakes and candy right in the middle of the school day. Man, that was really living!

Going Trick or Treatin’ back in the day was also very different than today. It was an art form. 

I lived smack dab in the middle of suburbia. Our house was situated within a continual maze of friendly streets and adjoining neighborhoods. We would carefully map out the best route for the most possible coverage. This  of course would insure that we would come home with a giant sack of Halloween goodness. We would travel which seemed like miles away from our house to accomplish this.

Every year we made it a point to visit the trick or treatin’ hot spots. Like the lady who always came to the door with a bowl of nickles. She used to let us grab as many as we can with one try. For some reason I can’t see that happening today, nor would kids think that it would be much of big deal to get nickles. Well, quarters maybe. *snicker*

I remember dressing up as a gypsy EVERY single year and wearing the same skirt which was passed down from my two older sisters. The costume was topped off with a kerchief on my head worn sideways, a single gold earring sewn to the kerchief and two circles of rouge on my face. (not very PC back in those days)

Every year my mother would add a few extra buttons and bells to the skirt so it would jingle when I walked ran from house to house. It really didn’t matter what my costume looked like, since my mother ALWAYS made me wear my coat over it. Of course this annoyed me to no end and sweat would always pour down my face from wearing too many clothes.

I remember one year my mother actually broke down and bought me a costume, after caving in to my sad puppy dog eyes. We were never allowed to bug my parents for things, and I always cringed when my father would say “well..we’ll see”. That used to drive me totally nuts.
 
At the department store I picked out my favorite costume out of the stack of boxes on the table, and my mother gave me the very serious ”ARE YOU SURE?” 
I nodded my head yes like a bobble head doll. Needless to say, I was beside myself with joy.

Looking back, I get so silly when I think about that costume today. It was either a princess or cinderella costume, I don’t think the box even specified. It was nothing more than a shiny piece of blue fabric cut into a square which had a slit in the back at the top of the neck with strings to tie it closed. And it probably cost all of $2.98, if that. 

“The gown” had yellow lines painted down the front to give the illusion that it had some sort of shape, and to make it look more ”gown like”. The plastic mask that came with it had blonde hair with pink painted lips that sported an eternal smile. It really was a piece of crap. But to me, this costume was the creme de la creme.

I remember I could hardly eat my dinner that night, as I knew trick or treating was just an hour away and I had visions of fellow trick or treaters ooohing and ahhhing over my magestic costume and I couldn’t wait to show it off.

I hurriedly gobbled down my dinner and put on my costume AND my coat,  *grumble* grabbed my pillow case and bolted out the door with my sisters. By the time I got to the end of the driveway, I noticed that trying to see out of my princess mask was going to be quite the challenge, especially in the dark. My eyelashes were rubbing up against the eye holes which of course were cut way too small. I didn’t notice any problem before when I tried it on in the house in the bathroom mirror. I guess I was too busy admiring the mask and did not pay attention to it’s functionality. Besides, I didn’t want my mother to think that I had made a bad choice.

My mask problems coupled with the fact that I was running in a tube sock shaped gown and trying to keep up with my sisters, didn’t make trick or treating very easy. By the time I got to the forth house, I was struggling to climb the stairs. Mainly because I just couldn’t see the stairs through the slits in that stupid mask. A layer of sweat was starting to form between my face and the mask and the elastic was already starting to tangle in my hair every time I adjusted it, which was every five minutes. I was no longer liking my princess costume and I found myself wishing that I had worn that dern gypsy skirt again.

But all that seemed to dissapear into the night as my pillow case bulged with precious candy.
FREE CANDY!

Going back home with my “loot” for the evening, I always had mixed emotions. Should I have gone down one more street? Maybe get one more Crunch bar?

Of course since my sisters were much older, many times they would drop me off and go back out. But that didn’t bother me. I was sweaty, tired and looking forward to the best part of the evening …
which was the almighty candy sort.

Apples (why did people hand out apples?) and unwrapped candy were tossed immediately and all the yucky candy like Mary Janes and “old people hard candy” was thrown in the “icky” pile. My Dad always had dibbs on the Hershey candy bars with almonds, but I didn’t mind one bit. It wasn’t my favorite candy bar back then.

I think my favorite candy bars as a child were Milky Ways and Nestle Crunch Bars. Besides my other candy favorites, which were Candy Dots, Twizzlers, Chuckles, (not the green one) Good n Plenty, Pixie Stix, and Jujubes. I never liked the wax whistles and lips. I couldn’t understand why kids would chew on those huge balls of wax. Yuck! Even back then I thought that was gross. 
Ironically today, my favorite candy bar is the Hershey bar with almonds. I find it’s simplicity equisite. *snicker*
But Good n Plenty and Twizzlers are still very dear to my heart.

So back to the trick or treating after glow….
My parents would let me choose a few pieces of candy to eat and then it was off to bed. Another one of my favorite holidays was done for the year. But at least the candy would last for weeks.

These days, I don’t hand out candy on Halloween any more.
I used to.
I would make trays of goodie bags stuffed with candy and even dressed up to hand the candy out. But now I only make goodie bags for the little ones in my neighborhood of the families of whom I am friendly with.

I stopped handing out candy when I noticed that there were really BIG and much older kids that were trick or treating. College kids. Most of these older kids didn’t even wear costumes when they came to my door. Apparently to them, wearing a “hoodie” with the hood up was considered costume.

Some of the kids, although younger, were being dropped off by their parents by CAR. An SUV would pull up on the corner of our street and about 5-8 kids would jump out. Can you imagine that? Trick or treating by car? That’s all I would have to do is ask my parents to drive us around trick or treating. They would have laughed us into the following year. NOBODY did that back then. Besides, what fun would that have been?

So between the trick or treating college kids and the other kids that were being bussed into our neighborhood, it just kind of disgusted me and I said that’s it, no more.

We decided to turn off our lights and keep our door closed. We thought that would suffice. After all, when were were kids, we never went to houses that didn’t have lights on, that was the rule. But that didn’t stop the kids around my way from ringing our bell and knocking on the door. So rather than sitting through the constant door bell ringing while trying to watch TV, we said the hell with it and decided to go out for dinner.

Our Halloween tradition these days consists of going out to dinner and perhaps a cocktail.
Gone are the days of making trays of goodie bags and going to costume parties and staying out till all hours of the night.

Tomorrow night, I will wear my black jacket and my rhinestone spider pin out to dinner. That is the extent of my costume these days. Although today I don’t have to wear my coat over it if I don’t want to. *snicker*

And to my Mom…
for all the years I put up such a fuss when I was a kid about wearing that hand me down gypsy skirt another year, I have to admit that the store bought princess costume that you reluctantly bought me was not nearly as grand as I imagined it would be. I guess mothers are always right. 

Who would of thought that the gypsy skirt that I loathed so much as a child, would end up being my fondest memory of Halloween today. *smile*

A very safe and Happy Halloween to you all!

I’ll take Johnny Depp please!
Is that the way the clients of California Cryobank sperm bank order their baby makers?

Apparently the California Cryobank has come up with the idea of matching up their sperm donors with famous celebrity faces. Are they genius entrepreneurs helping their clients make a tough decision of who they should pick as their baby daddy? Or are they just trying to make more money than other sperm banks by claiming their donors are celebrity look alikes? Or both?

How does this sperm bank match their donor’s faces with celebrities? With high tech face-recognition? Nope!
Employees of Cryobank sit around a table and put the donor’s pictures up on a screen and argue which celebrity looks like that donor the most. When they come to a consensus, they add that information to the donor’s file, and then the donor’s name goes into a huge data bank. Clients can then search the data base for a donor by which celebrity they want their child to look like.

Although clients are not allowed to see the donor’s ACTUAL picture by law, clients can  search for a potential donor by picking out a celebrity name.

Too superficial?
How will the general public weigh in on this?

I wonder if someone will pass up a donor with a better IQ, for a donor that looks like Mario Lopez? I also wonder if people out there will pick a celebrity look alike in hopes on trying to cash in on their offspring down the line, especially if their child ends up as a dead ringer of a celebrity.

Hey Kate Gosselin, this has your name all over it! Only eight kids? What’s the big deal? The Duggars have you beat by a landslide! It can be your new show! “Kate Plus Eight Plus Elvis!”
And remember Kate, there is a plus side besides the new show…which ever donor you pick… he can’t take money out of your bank account! 

Now I have seen just about every way there is to make a buck in the ol’ USA, and a lot of it ain’t too pretty. And there are some wackos out there who may try to claim that their child is the child of an actual celebrity. I wouldn’t put it past them. Far fetched? Perhaps.

But take the case  of a women trying to collect millions from Keanu Reeves. She is claiming that he is the father of at least one of her four adult children.  *snicker*
Even though Reeves took a DNA test to prove that he wasn’t the father, and he also said he never met the women, she still isn’t backing off. 
What did Reeves have to say about this whole ordeal? 
Rest assured, he didn’t say, ”eeeeeexcellent!” *snicker*

Of course Cryobank does have a disclaimer to cover their butts in this overly litigious world:

“No celebrity is meant as an exact match for any donor, nor should you assume that your future children will look like any celebrity listed.”

NBC’s Today Show covered the sperm bank story, and on this video, you can see the employees sitting around a table with the donor’s picture on a screen and trying to figure out who the donors most resemble. Man, where do I sign up for this cream puff gig?

Scott Brown, communication manager of the California Cryobank said to NBC TODAY,

“It’s not that our donors look like celebrities, it’s that celebrities look like our donors,”

Oh! I see what he did there…. he is SO crafty!

You can also pick a young or older version of the celebrity too. Perhaps you would like a young Sean Connery as OO7, or the older more sophisticated Sean Connery. The choice is yours!

There are MANY stars as well as athletes listed in their data base. And let’s not forget musicians and the less than famous celebs. You can pick from Eddie Van Halen to Jackass reality star Stev-O!
I kid you not, he is on the list.
Wow, seriously…if anyone picks the Steve-O look alike, I am afraid I just don’t understand, unless he is a nuclear physicist.

 
So are there people out there opposed to this celebrity look alike baby daddy factory? YES.

Some snippets from NBC’s TODAY,

The program has its share of critics, especially in the bioethics world. University of Albany professor Bonnie Steinbock bashed California Cryobank’s celebrity-match program on CNN, saying, “There’s something strange about a culture that has stratified rigid types of beauty where everyone looks alike; now they’re trying to create children through who the actor of the moment is.”

Brown’s defense:

Not so, says Brown. While the process may seem superficial, it is actually extremely helpful in guiding prospective parents through a stressful and often confusing time, he asserts.

“Seem superficial”?
Some people would argue that it is superficial. But don’t people have the right to choose which donor they want for whatever reason, since they are the ones paying for it? And what if it does help the client make their choice?

Take the opinion of a perspective Mom who was trying to pick a donor:

“I’m flipping through the catalog with a friend of mine, feeling like I was about to recruit a basketball team, because it was just all stats.” And while she whittled down her list, the Cryobank couldn’t show her a picture of the donor — but it could tell her one of her finalists resembled Freddie Prinze Jr.
“For me, that clinched it right then and there,” she said. “I’ve always found him attractive!”

Freddie Prinze Jr.? Really? That clinched it for her? To each their own.

So matching a face to a donor may actually make some clients feel more at ease about who they pick, or actually help them to decide who to pick. I hope people have the good sense to pick donors with good qualities, rather than picking a donor because they like Orlando Bloom.
But then again, this is the land of the SUPER DUPER superficial, so nothing would surprise me.

I wonder if Cryobank’s business will be booming?

I can see it now…
Mothers with their kids are at the playground and one mother says to another,
“wow your little boy really looks like Leonardo DiCaprio! Any relation?” 

The proud Mom says, “Well no, it was donor #09756-QL5, we were really big fans of the movie Titanic, so that’s why we went with him”.

I guess if there is one guy who is a real dead ringer of a handsome celebrity, he will be in big demand and asked to come back quite often. There can be a panic at Cryobank if they run out!  What happens then?

It may go something like this:

“OMG! We are fresh out of the Ryan Reynolds look alike! Get 9087-K490L on the phone stat! Tell him we have some new vids and magazines! Yeah I know he has been in twice a day for the past month and he’s a bit tender… Chain him down again if you have to, until he puts out. We are in the baby making business people!”

MORE???

I guess in the long run it can become quite a lucrative and fun “job” if you are a celebrity look alike donor. What guy wouldn’t want this gig? At $50- $75 a pop, I am surprised that there is a job shortage for men in the US! Hell, they ain’t getting paid for doing it at home!

Tough luck for all you donors out there who look like Gary Busey (sorry Gary) or OJ Simpson. (not sorry OJ)

I imagine their “stuff” wouldn’t have too many takers and is probably passed up for the gloopus of a more hunkier looking celebrity look alike.

But things may not work out exactly the way you have planned. Even though you picked out your favorite celeb look alike, don’t forget there is a 50/50 chance that your child may be a girl and you may end up with a pretty scary looking child! And I am more than sure that Cryobank does not issue refunds for fuglies.

Very Scary Indeed!

I bet some clients just won’t really care if the donor they picked has only two brain cells….
Just as long as their celebrity knock off looks good in a tux!

Will Ferrell, Thomas Lennon (Lt. Jim Dangle on Reno 911), and Don Faison (Kirk from Scrubs) and a host of other celebs got together to convey their message against the super rich health care executives by starring in this Public Service Announcement (spoof video) which was listed on Funny Or Die. 

It was sponsored by MoveOn.Org which started out in 1988 as an email group and blossomed, well, more like exploded. As of 2009, MoveOn has a membership of 5.2 million, with 20 full-time and 20 part-time staffers. Not too shabby!
Wikipedia says MoveOn.Org is:

An American non-profit progressive, liberal public policy advocacy group and political action committee which has raised millions of dollars for candidates of the Democratic Party in the United States. Formed in response to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton,it has been cited in some accounts as a factor which helped propel the Democratic Party to power in the 2006 midterm elections.

This video received two million views in two days! It’s funny stuff!

Examiner.com wrote:

Celebrity PSA video about Obama’s health insurance plan gets 2 million views in 2 days.
With celebrities like Will Ferrell, John Hamm and Donald Faison opening the video with a “Something terrible is happening” chant.

“Health insurance executives are getting a bad rap,” Will Ferrell explains, dead pan.

“We need to remember who the real victims are,” Donald Faison, best known for his role in Clueless, says.

John Hamm fades into the viral video in black and white and explains: “Health insurance executives.”

A variety of stars then go on to explain in fits of sarcasm that if their little boy falls off his bike, he should pay for it himself and stop whining.

The US is in a complete tug of war over the skyrocketing health care costs and Obama’s plans to fix it. This video is a refreshing and funny look at just how wrong it is to keep padding the pockets of these health insurance companies.

I wish there were more PSA announcements that would show just how ridiculous it is to not support a total change in the health care system. 

Obama may not have all the answers right now. Hell, he has been in office for less than a year, and I am not saying everything he does will go right, but people are expecting miracles right off the bat in a very short time. They seem to have a very short memory of the mess that was left behind. The US citizens’ impatience totally boggles my mind. 

My wish is for Democrats and Republicans to ban together and fix what has been so wrong for so long.
Oh to dream…

Seth Green, 35, has starred in many movies over the years, including heavy hitters like Austin Powers, Rat Race and the Italian Job. He has lent his voice to Chris and Dylan’s son on the Family Guy. He is also well known for palying Oz, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Seth also co-writes Robot Chicken, and Adult Swim where he performs anywhere from 35-60 voices a week and recently finished a movie called Old Dogs with Robin Williams and John Travolta. (no comment)

This is barely scraping the surface of what this young man has accomplished. He has worked non stop since about the age of seven. You can visit his website, and read his bio, it’s pretty darn amazing.
And Seth’s life just got a little sweeter. Literally.

It was just announced that Seth will be the new mouthpiece for Butterfinger TV ads and their new video contest, where Butterfinger wants to know, “How far would you go to protect your Butterfinger bar?”
(Hmmmm… Sounds very close to ”what would you do for a Klondike Bar” to me)

Contestants will send in their videos, and the winner with the highest number of votes will win $25,000! *sweet* And they may also have the chance to have their video aired in a 15 second spot on TV.
 
Looks like the voice of Bart Simpson which hasn’t been used for the past decade (done by Nancy Cartwright who gave the cult of Scientology 5 MILLION DOLLARS last year)  will not be used for this new ad campaign. Smart Move Butterfinger!
After all… we wouldn’t want to start seeing “Way To Happiness“ PR inside the candy wrappers! *snicker*

TRH.com writes:

Green is laying a finger on Bart Simpson’s Butterfinger. The writer, actor, director and producer can now add Butterfinger spokesperson to his resume. Green has been tapped as the official “Butterfinger mouthpiece” for a new national TV ad campaign and video contest.
 
The creator of the Cartoon Network’s Emmy award winning “Robot Chicken” will be the first celebrity to represent the Butterfinger brand since Bart Simpson’s memorable run ended nearly a decade ago. But while the spokesperson is new, the “Nobody’s gonna lay a finger on my Butterfinger” tagline will again be used in the company’s national TV spots, developed by ad agency Dailey & Associates.
 
To accompany the familiar tagline, the brand is also running a user-generated video contest in which entrants create one-minute videos answering the question of “How far would you go to protect your Butterfinger bar?” Contestants can visit ProtectYourButterfingerBar.com to enter their videos. Visitors will vote on them. The biggest vote getter wins $25,000 and may have their video aired as a national 15-second spot for the candy bar.
 
Butterfinger, which spent only $125,000 on adverting last year, has beefed up its ad spend considerably in 2009. It already investing $1.6 million in advertising for the first six months of this year, per the Nielsen Company.

The selection of Green, who also voices the character of Chris Griffith on Fox’s “Family Guy,” is an appropriate successor to the last cheeky spokescartoon, said Tricia Bowles of Nestle Confections & Snacks, in a statement. “[He] made perfect sense for a brand that honors humor and praises the punch line,. Butterfinger has been a fan and supporter of comedic talent, such as Seth Green for years–as evidenced by our promotions highlighting clever, irreverent humor.”
 
Green agreed. “I’ve been eating all kinds of Butterfinger candy all my life, so this union seems not only natural, but predestined.”

It looks like just about everything Seth touches turns to gold, and at the ripe old age of only 35, he has just begun. He has also managed to stay squeaky clean as far as his reputation goes, and has stayed out of the whole Hollywood party drug scene.

Added to the fact that this young  man must be worth a pretty big chunk of change by now and it will only continue to grow.

And although I was never partial to redheads, *snicker* I bet he is way up there on the desirable bachelor list due to his vast fortune. He has has many love interests over the years, but he’s not married yet!

And what does Seth have to say about this success?

Wallet Pop had some Seth quotes about his success:

Growing up as a child actor, Green’s parents taught him from an early age how to pay his bills and live within his means.

Green may not be Dr. Evil, but he’s coy on this one. “You do your best,” he says. “Everybody does.”

“I don’t spend a ton of money,” he says. “I work very very hard. I save very well. I have assets in specific things, in property, and I live a very simple life. I’m happy with that.”
Green’s advice for success is equally simple: “Work hard, acquire many skills, and don’t take anything personally.”

Nobody really gives you anything,” he says. “It’s really up to the individual to propel themselves forward with drive and commitment to a singular purpose.”

“Anytime you’re taking a risk for pleasing someone else, you’re doomed for failure,” he says. “The best risks I’ve taken were the ones I wholeheartedly believed in. I rather risk and fail than never jump.”

“Every company that has had dramatic success has stepped on someone to do it,” says Green. “The very fact that they have risen to a dominant position is that they are able to play harder than other people, breaking rules when it’s appropriate. Whatever philanthropic things they do is just to sleep better at night.” Does the same apply to business leaders? Or to himself?

Wise words from a wise young man.
I wish Seth continued success and happiness.

Trivia Question:
Which president was responsible for making Labor Day a holiday and why?
A little history snippet on Labor Day from Wiki …

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.  All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

 

So while you’re firing up the grill or heading off to the stores for that half off sale…. pause and think of the people who perished during the Pullman Strike and raise a toast or a hot dog  to Grover Cleveland.

So for everyone who is fortunate to have the day off today… relax and enjoy!

The Big Bang Theory, no I am not talking about ”a cosmological theory holding that the universe originated approximately 20 billion years ago from the violent explosion of a very small agglomeration of matter of extremely high density and temperature”. (Thanks Wiki)

I am talking about the CBS hit show about a bunch of geeks that nabbed the TCA (Television Critic’s Award) this past summer.

Yes geeks have been cool for quite a while now and the word geek has received some long awaited respect. Who can forget Revenge of the Nerds? 
Nerds really became popular for a while there. That is, I should say MOCKING them was popular. Many people dressed us as Nerds for Halloween parties and I even came across a Revenge of The Nerds Cruise!

Times have changed, and nerds or geeks, (which ever you prefer) have been totally reinvented since the Revenge of the Nerds movies. Geek seems to be the popular term now over nerd. They are no longer portrayed nearly as geeky as before. The days of bullying and being beat up are long gone. (well a t least in the movies and on TV) It’s no longer the norm to show a geek with tape on their eye glasses, pants hiked up to their nips and sporting a pocket pen protector.

Yep, geeks finally have their much deserved recognition. Not only in Hollywood, but in the real world too.

Geekdome even hit reality show status with Beauty and the Geek, and let’s not forget the geeks on the TV sitcom Chuck where they run the fictitious ”Nerd Herd” at  the “Buy More”.

In real life, Geek Squad and Rent a Geek company cars can be seen scurrying on their way to fixing people’s computers in many states.
Years ago, it would have been considered rude or a joke to name your business with the name geek or nerd in the title and have it blazed all over the company cars.
But now more than ever, geeks and nerds are respected for their smarts and it has become the new sexy.

The Big Bang Theory’s geeks certainly fit the new criteria of geeks. Although their clothes and personalities are not de-geeked completely, their look is nowhere near the full blown high water pants  and taped glasses stereotype and they don’t laugh like braying donkeys.

I have to say, I just plain adore  this show. The cast members mesh so well together.

The show is based around it’s two main geek characters in their twenties and also their neighbor Penny played by Kaley Cuoco.
Dr. Leonard Leakey Hofstadter is played by Johnny Galecki and Dr. Sheldon Cooper is played by Jim Parsons. Their character’s MO’s are two Caltech prodigies and their ditzy neighbor Penny who is a waitress at the local Cheesecake factory.
Leonard and Penny had a little thing going on and went on a date.

The classic beauty and the geek strikes again. But their date was a disaster and their brief affair fizzled out. Although… Leonard’s and Penny’s little tryst is far from over, as the show clearly hinted in it’s season finale. We will get to that later.

Leonard and Sheldon have some super geeky buddies that visit, hang out and eat nothing buy Chinese food in their walk up apartment with the constant broken elevator which is located in Pasadena. I’ll tell you one thing, if they ate as much Chinese food in real life as they do on the show, I think the cast would be sporting some serious moobs and spare tires and would be candidates for Celebrity Fit Club.

Their buddies of course are also total brainiacs.
My favorite geek is Howard Wolowitz played by Simon Helberg. On the show he still lives at home with his Mom. His fashion sense is hysterical in his 1960’s threads, complete with big kitschy belt buckles.
He portrays a corn ball loser with the gals and he is just plain hilarious. There is a great video on Youtube that  has some real classic Wolowitz clips.

His bed (in his bachelor pad) at his Mom’s house has black satin sheets, red fur blanket and leopard print pillows. But he also has some geeky collectibles here and there in his room of course.

His Mom who you never see, and only hear is played by Carol Ann Susi. Who has had a very long and impressive career on television.
Her character of playing an over bearing Jewish Mom with a raspy accent and how she treats Wolowitz like a ten year old, is just a riot.

Over the years there were many people in comedy you never got to see or hear. Like Norm’s wife Vera in Cheer’s, Nile’s wife Maris in Frazier, or even more recently Dr. Kelso’s wife and his gay son in the TV comedy Scrubs, just to name a few. Even though you never got to actually see these people, fans formed their own mental picture of what they looked like.

Speaking of which…I don’t want to spoil it for Big Bang fans, so if you don’t want to see the real Mrs. Wolowitz, close your eyes, because the next picture is of the lovely Mr’s Wolowitz , known on the Big Bang Theory for her brisket that melts in your mouth.

Although Mrs. Wolowitz’s better half, Mr. Wolowitz has not been mentioned on the show as of yet, rumors have it that Beatles Ringo Starr may be doing a cameo as Wolowitz’s Dad. YES RINGO STARR. With Wolowitz’s big snoz, it totally makes sense. Wolowitz can definitely pass for a child of Ringo Starr who was also known for his big snoz. I hope that rumor turns into a reality. It would be hilarious.

Now Wolowitz had a couple of brief encounters with Leslie Winkle, Ph.D played by Sara Gilbert.

Fact… Many people may not remember that Sara Gilbert’s boyfriend David on Roseanne was none other than Johnny Galecki who plays Leonard on the Big Bang. Also Laurie Metcalf, who played Jackie on Roseanne, did a few cameos and played Sheldon’s mother.

Sheldon, the star of the show, whose charachter idolizes Star Trek is played by Jim Parsons. Sheldon is socially inept, and an over all finicky pain in the butt who is a giant laugh and a half.

Jim won the well deserved award for individual achievement in comedy this past summer.
Oddly enough when Jim accepted his award for his genius contribution to the show, (no pun intended) he sounded an awful lot like his character Sheldon. I got a big kick out of that.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to memorize his script which is loaded with physicist jargon that would make any one’s head spin. He also has the uncanny talent of spewing out his very difficult lines at breakneck speed like a well oiled machine gun.

I wondered if Sheldon’s scientific sputum was in fact mumbo jumbo or if it had any validity behind it. After all, he plays a theoretical physicist. 

Since everyone knows how people love to challenge a shows’ ability to get it right, I looked into it and found out they actually went to a real physicist and consulted him on not only the script, but also the props and diagrams used in the show.
They explain on wiki:

“David Saltzberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles, checks scripts and provides dialogue, math equations and diagrams used as props. According to executive producer/co-creator Bill Prady, “We’re working on giving Sheldon an actual problem that he’s going to be working on throughout the first season so there’s actual progress to the boards … We worked hard to get all the science right.”

Hmmm, smart cookies… since any geek who tunes into this show will certainly be watching with a very discerning eye and would jump at the chance to disprove or argue any incorrect data found.

Back to the cast.
That leaves us with last but not least the meek Dr. Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali played by Kunal Nayyar. His character is unable to talk to women unless he drinks. He wears mismatched clothes and tries to talk hip and talks to his parents in India via we cam every now and they totally disprove his lifestyle. Koothrapali, like all the others is a sheer delight to watch.
All together these characters meld into one hell of a show.

But who is the real genius behind the show besides it’s talented and brilliant writers?

The Big Bang Theory is the brain child of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. 
Lorre was interviewed by GeekHeeb at Comic-Con, and it was posted on the Jewish Journal:

GeekHeeb caught up with series creator Chuck Lorre (“Two and a Half Men”) and actor Simon Helberg at Comic-Con to discuss the show’s Jewish characters: Howard Wolowitz, a Caltech engineer/ romantic loser who still lives at home with his never-seen, overbearing Jewish mother, known only as Ms. Wolowitz.

Lorre says that Wolowitz is based on his own Jewish background as well as that of Helberg.
While Wolowitz’s mother (played by Carol Ann Susi) has more than made her presence known (even if we don’t see her), we have yet to hear from Mr. Wolowitz.

The Big Bang Theory went through a real rough patch when they were hit with the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike and had to halt production. Whew! Glad everything worked out.
Thankfully the show is back in full swing and has been picked up for both 2010 and 2011.

The season premier is slated for Sept 21st, and it picks up where the end of season two left off.
Sheldon is approached by the Dean of the University and asked to hoof it up to the Arctic for a three-month mission to prove the validity of string theory. Naturally all the guys are convinced to join Sheldon, even though he is impossible to live with in his apratment, never mind a tiny shack in the Arctic.

Penny knitted a scarf and hat for Leonard and gives it to him before he leaves along with a snuggie. Of course Leonard still has feelings for Penny and asks what the gesture meant, and Penny says “to keep you warm”, but then goes into her apartment and behind the door says “It means I wish you weren’t going”. Awwww.

The new season’s teasers are showing Penny lunging at Leonard and giving him a big kiss on their return. So the plot thickens…
The guys are shown with big bushy heads and beards from their stint up North and it looks like the season premier is going to be killer.

The theme song for the show was written and sung by the Bare Naked Ladies.

The show just oozes cool hilarity.If you haven’t had the chance to see The Big Bang Theory yet, free up your Monday nights.
If you don’t, you are really missing out on some serious dopamine level increases and some multiple endorphine releases.
And that’s about as scientific as I get.

Look Edward! You Can Suck On That Rabbit Over There!

Ok all you Twilight freaks out there. Now you can have Bella and Edward to play with in your home!
Well, not exactly. Barbie has jumped on the Twilight movie merchandise band wagon and they have just introduced Edward Cullen and Bella Swan Barbie dolls. Edward Cullen is Barbie’s first vampire doll, complete with shiny skin. No mention if the doll actually has fangs or not. *snicker*

Twilight, which was released last year, was pretty much bashed by movie critics and people who read the book. But it was uber popular with the yougin’s. It raked in $383,489,834. world wide and won several awards. It won the Teen Choice Awards, Young Artist Awards, MTV Movie Awards and  Bravo’s A-List Awards. Granted all the awards lean towards the youngsters, but hey isn’t that were all the money is? Right Hanna Montana?
You can buy Twilight posters, clothing,a soundtrack,key chains,jewlery,t-shirts,back packs,messenger bags,pillow cases, etc… and now of course… Barbie dolls.

People reported:

If Twilight-inspired greeting cards and clothing weren’t enough to satisfy fan-pires’ desires, now they can add Edward
Cullen and Bella Swan Barbie Dolls to their collections! As a tribute to the on-screen lovers, Barbie has created a set of dolls modeled after Robert Pattinson’s Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan. Featuring Robert’s strong jawline and vampire-glow and Kristen’s long brunette hair and innocent face, the dolls are almost an exact replica of the stars. Looks like Bella’s wish for immortality is finally coming true! The Twilight Barbies, $25 each, will be available starting November 1, 2009 — just in time for the release of New Moon.

Where did this mania begin? With a book by author Stephenie Meyer.The book became a best seller. Many people thought the book was ten times better than the movie. But I think that consensus was from a crowd that was a tad older and from those who read the book first before seeing the movie. And rightly so. The movie was just not that good.Young gals think Robert Pattison is the cat’s meow, and they didnt’ really care if the movie did not receive the critic’s nod.
With the movie sequel ”New Moon” coming out  soon, I am sure movie producers will have a bigger budget to work with this time around and the Twilight stars will be staying on the top of the heap once again in popularity polls among young teens.

Of course the mystique and sexiness of vampires has been around a long time. One of my all time favorite movies was simply called Dracula and starred a very young Frank Langella and seasoned actor, Laurence Olivier. (you just have to get over Langella’s late 70’s poofy hair in this movie) This was the first movie to bring sexy to Dracula in my opinion.

Langella was quoted as saying:

‘It was like being Elvis Presley for two years. It was like being a rock star”

The movie came out in 1979 and it was well filmed, frightening and steamy. The underground scenes in this movie were totally gruesome and the end of the movie was simply incredible. I won’t spoil it for you. If you haven’t seen it, walk don’t run and rent it. Or I guess it’s download or “click to order” these days. This movie also has one of my favorite lines in the whole world.
Dracula says:

“If at any time my company does not please you…you would have only yourself to blame”

Wow talk about cocky! You can see the original “fuzzy” trailer with Langella as Dracula on YouTube, along with other countless clips from the original movie. Keep in mind the trailer does not do the movie ANY justice at all.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Christopher Lee  in Dracula Has Risen From The Grave.  NOT at all sexy, but totally creep and the ending is classic.

I was always afraid of Dracula when I was young. The Dracula movies from way back were ultra creepy and I always had nightmares. From the early Bella Lugosi movie to Christopher Lee, they always scared the crap out of me. But then later in the 70’s, they made Dracula sexy. And in the same year decided to also give Dracula a sense of humor, in the movie Love At First Bite. That film’s tagline was: “Your favorite pain in the neck is about to bite your funny bone!” Egad, they would never get away with that corny stuff today.

But then Dracula took a second seat to just plain vampires. More edgier and creepier vampire movies sprouted up in the 1980’s like The Lost Boys which was about a gang of fighting teenage vampires. Sounds silly, but it was it was pretty freaking scary. Then on to Anne Rice’s Interview With A Vampire, which became a cult classic in 1994 and brought back creepy to vampires once again, and this movie even featured a child vampire. And let’s not forget the whole Goth culture of kids that sprouted up and really got into the whole vampire thang.

But today, producers thought that vampires needed an update. So in Twilight, vampires were not only going to high school, but also going to the prom. They frolicked around during the day in the meadow and perched in trees. But creatures going to highschool is not a new concept. Let’s not forget the corny movie Teen Wolf  which starred Michael J. Fox. He wasn’t a vampire, but a werewolf. And he was quite popular in school I might add. *snicker*

Twilight also put a bit of a spin on their leading vampire. Edward only drinks animal blood. That way his love interest Bella, would remain mortal and not be ”vampirized“. Perhaps Bella’s wish to become immortal will happen in the upcoming movie(s). After all, vampires are once again… back in. And back in a BIG way. With all the merchandising  that goes for movies these days, you can buy anything under the sun. (or should I say moon). I am really  surprised that Burger King didn’t come out with “Twilight Burgers” yet. I guess there’s always the next movie! 

So back to vampire Barbie dolls. I wonder if Edward comes with a mirror, some garlic, a cross and wooden stake?  Nah.. that’s the old vampire image. It’s more likely that if these Barbie dolls came with any accessories, they would probably come with a mini mp3 player and a skateboard.
After all Edward is forever 17 years old.

Yes Barbie has come a long way. Barbie Corvettes and Barbie Dream Houses are totally out, and Ken has been replaced by a hunky vampire.
And now I feel officially old.
What’s next ? Vampire baby dolls in Osh Kosh overalls? Oh wait….

Listen up all you Saved By The Bell closet geeks. Looks like some of the cast members from one of the biggest guilty pleasure shows of all time may get together and appear on the Late Nite With Jimmy Fallon show. Former SNL star, Jimmy Fallon, had Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack) as a  guest on his show to promote Gosselaar’s current TV show Raising the Bar. Gosselaar came out  dressed as Zack, in his 90’s garb and stayed in Zack’s character through out the whole interview, complete with looks and winks at the camera and even did a couple of ”Time Outs” where everyone around him freezes. Zack called former castmate Elizabeth Berkley on his 90’s brick phone and asked her if she would be willing to reunite on Fallon’s show. She said she was in. Fallon actually started an online petition to get fans to vote and pledge their support for the cast to reunite on the show. So who knows, maybe a made for TV movie may be in the works or a special reunion show.

At the end of “Zack’s” interview, Fallon wheeled out a huge SBTB display of the cast members and filled in the faces that said they would reunite on the show. Followed by ”Zack” doing a rendition of the “Friends Forever” song with the band which he of course called “Zack Attack”. And since then, Mr. Belding played by Dennis Haskins, was on Falllon’s show and has also agreed to participate.

A question mark must still remains over the face of Screech on Fallon’s SBTB display. Apparently Dustin Diamond will not be participating in the the reunion. And thank goodness for that. Many Fans liked Dustin Diamond as Screech (I never could stand him), but today he is not so popular to say the least. His antics over the years have left a real sour taste in people’s mouths. From his reality show hissy fits to his “Save Screech’s House Fund Raiser” escapade, to his leaked porno flick named “Screeched”. He was also filmed at porno conventions. He has become a real seedy guy, and his personality is that of a complete and utter douche. It is doubtful that fans will care less if  he participates in the reunion or not. In fact it is believed that many fans would prefer that he stay away. Everyone knows that Diamond showing up at this reunion will mean a  potential disaster, and the reunion will end up being all about him. I am not a prude in any sense of the matter, but anybody who has been nick named Dustin “Dirty Sanchez” Diamond should stay far, far away. And if you don’t know what a Dirty Sanchez  is, bring it up around the water cooler at work. Just make sure your boss is out of ear shot.

Now I was never a real  fan of Saved By The Bell and I have never seen an entire show, but it did had a huge fan base. It ran between 1989-1993. “Bayside High School” was set in Malibu, it originally was set in Indinapolis. It was the scene of numerous break ups and love problems. The many problems that high school kids have and of course all of Zack’s silly schemes. A lot of people don’t realize that the show started out as “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” and originally starred Hayley Mills. Characters Screech, Zack and Lisa Marie were there from the very beginning. You can go here,to listen to the original song of the earlier show. You will understand why the show really needed a LOT of tweaking and a new song. The show then got  revamped and featured a new song. It was going to be called “When The Bell Rings”, but in the end, Saved By The Bell was the title of choice. If you want a blast form the past… you can go here and hear the original SBTB theme song and the “Friends Forever” song  and some assorted cast pictures.

Lots of people may not remember that many other stars joined the cast of SBTB in the past. Denise Richards once got rescued by Slater. Soleil Moon Frye as well as Tori Spelling played Screech’s girlfriends. And believe it or not even Scientologist Leah Remini played one of many of Zack’s love interests. (so glad Zack didn’t join the cult! Take Screech! *snicker*)

The show didn’t end all together with Saved By The Bell. It had one season of Saved By The Bell -The College Years, and then there was  Saved By The Bell- The New Class, which was a tad more successful. That show lasted from 1993 to 2000. But hey, don’t fret there are still DVDs and cassettes of the all the episodes you can buy. There is even a 1995 soundtrack of the show available for all you extra big nerdies.

People Magazine did a whole story on some of the cast members for the 20th Anniversary of SBTB which was on their front cover . 
You may notice they took Screech out of the vintage group shot at the bottom of the cover.
Mario Lopez told people:

“Everybody is fired up. People keep coming up to me saying: ‘When are you guys going to do a show?’

Of course Screech was missing from the interview and the photo shoot for the People issue. Perhaps he was too busy doing another porno. Man you couldn’t  pay me enough. I also read a blurb that Dustin Diamond said the next project he was working on was a tell-all called, “Behind The Bell?” Haven’t heard anything else thus far.
I didn’t talk too much about the gals on the show, and where they are today. Everyone knows that Tiffani Thiessen went on to be a part of 90210. She did do a spoof video on Funny Or Die where she says she has a sh*t ton of stuff to do and says she is just too busy doing cat films and knitting  to participate in the reunion. So according to Fallon’s online petition, everyone is in except Screech, I would call that a rap and get on with the reunion.

But I would totally be remiss if I didn’t talk about the hunkiest cast member of Saved by the Bell…  and I don’t mean Mr. Belding.  I am of course talking about  the ever so yummy Mario Lopez. I never gave him a second look when he played Slater, and most gals liked Zack. I am not partial to blond guys to begin with, but talking about “time being kind”. Mario has aged into one smoldering HOT piece of eye candy.
IS there a man out there better looking than Mario Lopez ? Those dimples! That six pack! Cold shower time.
Over the years Mario has been very busy hosting his butt off from animal shows, to Miss America to  Dancing With The Stars.(he can dance too) He is also involved in the Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board. Hunky, wealthy, charitable and he can dance. Wow, he’s a total package. He was named People magazine’s “Hottest Bachelor” last year. Finally I agree with them. So is there a lucky gal in Mario’s life now? Mario was briefly married, but it didn’t last. Can’t say it is at all fair that only one gal should get this man!

Rest assured if Saved By The Bell were to come back as a show again… I would definitely watch it this time around.Wink wink!

If your planning a trip to the Big Apple, perhaps you might fancy a celebrity to show you around town? Who wouldn’t like that? Well, it’s completley possible now. Huh? Yep! I kid you not. A company called The Big Apple Greeters has been hooking up celebs with tourists to really give them a big welcome to New York City. One couple who participated in a tour, even had lunch with their celeb!
Now before you start thinking that this little outing would only be  a pipe dream because it would be way out of your price range, think again… IT’S ABSOLUTELY FREE!
What’s the catch? NONE! Well, of course they are not going to pay for your hotel or how you get there. DUH. But the tour is FREE!

The Big Apple Greeters have been around since 1992, and have volunteers showing out of towners their neighborhoods, and other places of interest. But now the greeters include volunteer celebrities. Tiki Barber and Sopranos star Dominic Chianese were on hand at City Hall recently to advertise that they are more than willing to hang out with people for the day. How cool is that?
I am sure NY would be a lot more fun if Dominic aka Corrado Jr. Soprano who was born and raised in the Bronx showed you around the Bronx and then shared a plate of ronies and some Chianti after. Salute!

The Associated Press reported:

NYC group offers literal way to follow the stars.
Tourists like to spot celebrities in New York City. Now they can hang out with them.
A volunteer tour organization called Big Apple Greeters is offering free personalized tours led by celebrities. Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber and “Sopranos” star Dominic Chianese were at City Hall on Wednesday to advertise their services.

Barber says he recently showed a Colorado couple around town and had lunch with them at one of his favorite spots.

Chianese says he loves New York and wants to show visitors a good time.

Organizers say celebrity hosts can’t be requested and will be randomly assigned. The tours are free.

Really, how can you beat this offer? Someone can show you NY who really knows and loves the area, you get to meet a celebrity and hang out, take some pics to show off your friends and family and again, it is FREE!
Sounds like it’s too good to be true!
But don’t take my word for it, you can visit their website and see for yourself.

Some snippets from the Big Apple Greeters website:

Founded in 1992 with a mission to enhance New York City’s worldwide image and enrich the New York experience by connecting visitors with knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers. Big Apple Greeter’s core program is its free-of-charge Greeter program which connects visitors with New Yorkers of all ages, conversant in over 20 languages. Greeters, who are all volunteers, accompany visitors on 2-4 hour informal visits to New York City’s neighborhoods in all five boroughs.

Big Apple Greeter is a non-profit organization that matches visitors with friendly and enthusiastic New Yorkers who are happy to share the city they love. A wonderful experience for families, friends and individuals traveling solo, Greeters help travelers feel welcome and get more from their stay in the Big Apple.

The New Yorkers who serve as Greeters are all volunteers, come from varied backgrounds and can welcome visitors in 22 languages. The office staff, also mostly volunteers, matches Greeters to visitors according to language, neighborhoods requested, and interests, when possible.

Who knows, maybe you will get the chance to be rub elbows with Donald Trump over some caviar in the city that never sleeps! Well I wouldn’t consider that much of a treat, and I highly doubt The Donald (eeew) would volunteer his precious time, of course unless it involved making him money in some way. For me? I would rather hang with Dominic Chianese any day.
I think this is a GREAT program and I totally approve! And the FREE part aint’ so bad either!

The Big Apple Awaits You!

Sing it Sister Sledge!  “We are family…I got all my sisters with me“, and cousins 9 times removed! Now I never understood all the seven cousins once and twice removed business in geneology….
But, below are some really unique (to say the least) celebrity and political family ties from Ancestry.com. Enjoy!

George Bush and Dick Cheney

They’re ninthcousins, one time removed. Common ancestors are William and Lydia Fletcher, both born around 1622.(figures! evil breeds evil.)

George Bush and Hugh Hefner

They’re 11th cousins, twice removed. Bush’s 10th great-grandfather and Hefner’s eighth great-grandfather was Thomas Richards, who died around 1650. (Once a playboy, always a playboy, although Hef is WAY cooler than Bush could ever hope to be)

Britney Spears and John Edwards

Seventh cousins three times removed. Their common ancestor was John Stovall, born in Virginia around 1705. (Why can I believe this one?)

Barack Obama and Brad Pitt

Ninth cousins. They share the same ancestor, Edwin Hickman, who was born in 1690. Edwin’s son Edwin Jr. is Brad Pitt’s seventh great-grandfather (that’s great great great great great great great grandfather.) Edwin’s other son, James, is Obama’s seventh great-grandfather, on his mother’s side. (Oh won’t Angelina and Brad being tickled about this one! puke!)

Princess Diana and Sarah Palin
Both share the same ninth great grandfather John Strong, who was born in England 1605. (yikes, she will never hold a candle to Princess Di)

Princess Di and Andrew Firestone

10th cousin to Andrew Firestone, (from reality show The Bachelor, who cares).

Tom Hanks and Abraham Lincoln

They are related some way, but they didn’t list exactly how, either way, totally believable — they’re both awesome fellows!

But wait, there’s more…