Say ahhhh! (Photo by Betsy Fletcher) Who knew that awareness of everyone's favorite dental procedure, the root canal, was on the decline? Certainly not us, which is why we were surprised to learn that this week is Root Canal Awareness Week. Surely in these high fructose, sugar-coated times, the root canal is in no imminent danger of being forgotten, but that is apparently not the case, says the American Association of Endodontists. According to that toothy group, attention must be paid, not only to the root canal, but to the wide range of services provided by your friendly neighborhood endodontist to help people preserve their natural teeth. This year's second annual campaign is aiming its high-powered dental lamps in the mouths of youngsters, especially those engaged in team sports. The "Watch Your Mouth" initiative includes events, open houses, and other dental festivities for school and community groups and youth athletic leagues. The A.A.E. is urging kids to wear mouth guards while competing in any sport -- not just those traditionally viewed as dental dangers, like football and hockey -- as a way to protect their natural smiles. Wise advice, we think. Let's face it: a toothless grin starts to lose its endearing charm after the age of 14. Suggested Sites... RootCanalSpecialists.org - find an endodontist in your area. ADA: Mouth Guards - FAQ concerning mouth guard use from the American Dental Association. Dr. Bukk - purveyor of novelty fake teeth. Look bad, feel good! Off the Chart! - archive of dental cartoons, also known as visual nitrous-oxide. Dental Fear Central - online resource addressing dental phobia, dental fear, and dental anxiety.

Directory categories: Dentistry, Endodontics Organizations, Root Canal Procedures, Dentist Directory and Referrals, Dentist Resources

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Barnum & Bailey poster, 1899 "Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Children of all ages! Step up, step up! Come one, come all, to 'The Greatest Show on Earth!'" Originally that slogan heralded the arrival of P.T. Barnum's circus, but the famously spectacular claim was adopted by The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus after the two circus behemoths merged and made their three-ring debut at New York's Madison Square Garden on March 29, 1919. Since then, the circus has done its darnedest to live up to that boastful hyperbole by delighting audiences with incredible feats, dangerous entertainments, and unexpected sights. Unfortunately, along with these marvels has come tragedy and controversy. Though the modern circus no longer employs the use of human "oddities" in sideshows, its treatment of animals remains a source of contention. While many may delight in the tricks the animals perform, others protest them as cruelty. Stories of abuse in the past and present abound, though The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus insists that it maintains a high level of care for all its animals, and has also established a center for elephant conservation. While not all agree about the current attractions The Greatest Show on Earth offers, its popularity continues. Circus lore inspires popular fiction and hundreds still turn out at 1 a.m. to watch the annual elephant parade down 34th street in New York City. After three-quarters of a century, there are still some wonders that only the circus can provide. Suggested Sites... Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey - official site of The Greatest Show on Earth. Circuses.com - PETA site dedicated to stopping animal abuse in the entertainment industry. Wisconsin Historical Images: Let's Go to the Circus! - historic photos from circuses of years past. Historic Circus Posters - browse The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art's collection of over 2,000 historic circus posters.

Directory categories: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Circuses, Circus Animal Rights, Clowning, Sideshows

Archived under: Animal Rights, Animals, Circus Arts, Elephants, Entertainment, Performing Arts

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(Photo by Bea) You've seen it in dozens of movies (assuming you stay for the credits): "'Happy Birthday To You,' written by Patty Hill and Mildred Hill." But who the heck are they, and how is a song that we've all sung since childhood protected by copyright law? Does it mean that you have to pay to sing it at a friend's birthday bash? No, but royalties are definitely due when it's performed for a large public audience -- which might explain why we're forced to endure those horrible "alternate" birthday ditties at TGI Fridays. What are the origins of the most popular song in history? The melody was originally written in 1893 by the schoolteacher Hill siblings as a kindergarten greeting titled "Good Morning to All":    Good morning to you,    Good morning to you,    Good morning, dear children,    Good morning to all. Today's "Happy Birthday" lyrics made their first public appearance in a 1924 songbook by Robert Coleman. Advances in radio and movies meant that the song spread quickly through popular entertainment -- but without credit to the Hill sisters. In 1934, a third sister, Jessica Hill, finally won a case to secure the copyright for the family. Currently, Warner Chappell Music owns the copyright, which brings in a cool $2 million in royalties every year, and holds the Guinness world record as the most popular English-language song ever. If only the ladies were alive today to enjoy their success, we could sing their song right back to them. Of course, they'd be over 140, but it's the thought that counts. Suggested Sites... Snopes.com: Happy Birthday, We'll Sue - more details about the history of the song and its copyright. YouTube: Happy Birthday Mr. President - Marilyn Monroe's famous performance of the song to JFK. YouTube: Happy Birthday by The Beatles - even The Beatles sang "Happy Birthday" (before their more popular original version). Unhappy Birthday - report those criminals who ignore copyright laws and are singing the "Happy Birthday" song in public!

Directory categories: Music Copyrights, Birthdays, Birthday eCards

Archived under: Birthdays, Entertainment, Legal Cases, Marilyn Monroe, Music, Music History, Songs, The Beatles

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Singin' in the Rain poster Writer Ray Bradbury once described "Singin' in the Rain" as a science-fiction movie, because it tells the story of people trying to deal with a new technology -- movies with sound. While that's an interesting interpretation, we're pretty sure that all writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green had in mind was using the song catalog of Arthur Freed (who produced the movie) and Nacio Herb Brown to poke fun at Hollywood conventions and the panic that Tinseltown found itself in in 1927, when it realized that actors suddenly had to talk. While "Singin' in the Rain" is considered by many to be the greatest musical ever made (though we prefer "The Band Wagon" and the Warner Bros. and Astaire-Rogers pictures of the '30s), it can't be denied that it's the funniest -- and most fun -- of the major studio musicals of the Golden Age. There's not much better than seeing Debbie Reynolds make her fresh-faced debut, hearing Jean Hagen's screeching at voice teacher Kathleen Freeman, or watching Donald O'Connor run up a wall (in a number that owes more than a little to Cole Porter). Best of all is Gene Kelly in that indelible moment on the lamppost (despite the fact that he was ill with a 103-degree temperature and the flu). Watching that scene would make anyone want to find the nearest rainstorm and jump through puddles. Suggested Sites... AFI's List of the Greatest Musicals Ever Made - "The King and I" ahead of "42nd Street"? We don't think so! Roger Ebert.com: Singin' in the Rain - the dean of American movie critics gives a thumbs-up. Filmsite: Musical/Dance Films - good historical overview from before "The Jazz Singer" to the present. Speaking vs. Dancing in the Rain - explains why the movie's climactic ballet doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. IMDb: Singin' in the Rain - facts and figures about one of the most beloved films ever made.

Directory categories: Singin' in the Rain, Gene Kelly, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Stanley Donen, Silent Movies

Archived under: Actors, Entertainment, Gene Kelly, Hollywood, Movies, Musicals, Science Fiction, Technology

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Inside the Tokyo Dome (Photo by machu) Konichiwa, baseball fans! Welcome to Major League Baseball's Opening Day 2008, live from sunny... Tokyo! Today's season opener marks the third time that the MLB season has started in Japan. The Oakland Athletics "host" the Boston Red Sox in a rodo gemu (road game) 5,200 miles from home -- and the crowd may cheer more for Sox superstar toshu (pitcher) Daisuke Matsuzaka and nakatsugi toshu (reliever) Hideki Okajima than for the "home" team. Whatever the outcome, enthusiastic Japanese puro yakyu (professional baseball) fans will pack the mammoth Tokyo Dome, while their American counterparts watch the action in the pre-dawn hours. The Tokyo Dome, the imposing kyujo (ballpark) that will host the series, is an impressive 55,000-seat stadium at the center of Tokyo Dome City. (The complex boasts an amusement park, historic gardens, hotels, arcades, bowling alleys, offtrack betting, a judo institute, and a hot springs spa.) The air-supported dome -- the first of its kind in Japan -- is the current home field for the Yomiuri Giants, previous home to the Nippon Ham Fighters (who may have the best name in baseball), and stands on the site of the historic Korakuen Stadium (which witnessed such feats as Michio Nishizawa's 28-inning, 311-pitch complete game -- ending in a 4-4 tie! -- in 1942). It also houses the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, honoring Japanese greats like Sadaharu Oh, with 868 lifetime homers (Barry who?). Baseball has provided an important cultural exchange between Japan and the United States over the years, with American All-Star teams helping to spark Japanese pro ball in the 1930s, and Japanese imports blazing through the Majors in recent years. We hope the recent Opening Day tradition will inspire new western interest in the Japanese game. Play yakyu! Suggested Sites... MLB: Opening Series Japan 2008 - complete coverage of the Red Sox-A's series in Tokyo. Japanese Baseball Primer - an introduction for new American fans. Japanese Baseball Daily - includes a yakyu dictionary, so you can learn terms from sanshin to honruida to tokutenken daritsu. Japanese Baseball - a brief history and some common baseball terms.

Directory categories: Major League Baseball, MLB Players, Baseball in Japan, Ballparks

Archived under: Ballparks, Baseball, Japan, MLB, Regional, Sports, Stadiums

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