"Turkey good! Football good! Lip-synching in Macy's Parade bad!" There's lots to say about arts and entertainment over the next few days. Let's start at the top, with Boris Karloff, born November 23, 1887 . The erstwhile William Henry Pratt labored as a truck driver, farmhand, and occasional character actor until 1931, when he landed the role of the monster in "Frankenstein." Even though he went unbilled in the original release of the movie, he became an instant star whose name was linked with horror until his death in 1969. In a nice coincidence, Forrest J. Ackerman, the man who became one of Karloff's best friends and biggest boosters was born a day later (albeit in 1916). Ackerman was the longtime editor of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine, and cultivated a love for monsters and psychological horror in a million youngsters in the 1950s and '60s. But we've only scratched the surface when it comes to entertainment. For example, in 1889, the first jukebox went into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco. (We'll add that "juke" was slang for ... well, a "house of ill repute," and leave it at that.) This distant ancestor to the iPod contained a tinfoil phonograph with four listening tubes and a coin slot for each tube. So popular was it that it took in $1,000 in the first six months - a nickel at a time. Musical entertainment has evolved significantly in the century since. On Wednesday, we'll note the 142nd birthday of composer Scott Joplin. Joplin didn't invent ragtime music, but was one of its foremost composers, his "Maple Leaf Rag" virtually defined the era. Joplin isn't the only great artist who's an exemplar of his chosen genre. On Wednesday evening, PBS will broadcast an all-star concert celebrating the 80th birthday of Stephen Sondheim, composer and lyricist for some of the best - and most important - musicals in theatre history. And on November 25, 1949, Robert May and Johnny Marks'  "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" made its debut/ Gene Autry's recording of the tune eventually sold more than 25 million records. If those are the heights musical genres can reach, we note what some might consider the nadir, represented by tonight's episodes of "Glee" (featuring Carol Burnett) and the (tainted?) finale of "Dancing with the Stars." (And we mention the 1871 founding of the National Rifle Association purely in passing here - in case someone wants to emulate Steven Cowan.) Music can have an effect even in the world of science. Wednesday is the 36th anniversary of Donald Johanson and Tom Gray's discovery of the Australopithecus afarensis skeleton that they named "Lucy," after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." The fine arts are also represented this week. Tuesday is the 118th birthday of Romain de Tirtoff, who, under the name Erté (taken from the French pronunciation of his initials) virtually defined the Art Deco style of the early 20th century, and Wednesday is the 146th birthday of French illustrator Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Toulouse-Lautrec captured the lives of the Parisian demimonde of the late 19th century. And while it's not exactly "art," the first issue of "Life" magazine was published in 1936. Over the next 36 years, the photojournalism magazine featured some of the finest photography in the world - though none of its photographers could have used a zoom lens until it was invented this week in 1948. In performing arts, Agatha Christie's murder-mystery play "The Mousetrap" opened in London's West End in 1952, and has been running ever since, making it the longest continuously-running play in history. (There was even a recent controversy over whether the surprise ending should be revealed on Wikipedia. It was, so if you go over there, consider yourself warned.). Pity movie producer John Woolf, who bought the movie rights to the play, on the condition that he not film it until it closed. Woolf died in 1999, but the play runs on. It sounds like a disaster almost profound enough to be filmed by producer Irwin Allen, king of such disaster movies as "The Poseidon Adventure" and "The Towering Inferno," and whose 94th birthday would have been Wednesday. It could be a disaster, but not a cosmic mystery suitable for solving by Doctor Who, the venerable BBC television series that began broadcasting this week in 1963. Crime and criminals also figure into this week (like every week, probably). On November 24, 1971, D.B. Cooper skyjacked a Boeing 727, collected $200,000 in ransom, and parachuted out over southern Washington state, never to be seen again. We mention an odd birthday coincidence in passing. Wednesday is the 122nd birthday of motivational author Dale Carnegie, and Thursday is the 175th birthday of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Dale (whose last name was originally spelled "Carnagey") wrote the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (which is still a best-seller on the self-help charts, nearly 75 years after it was published). Andrew made his fortune in the steel business and ended up giving most of it away, endowing libraries, schools, universities, along with numerous charities and foundations. By 1919, he had given away over $350 million (about $4.3 billion in 2010 dollars), with the remaining $30 million distributed after his death that year. In animal events, President Obama is scheduled to give an executive pardon to a turkey on Wednesday, and Thursday (in addition to everything else) is the National Dog Show in Philadelphia. Lastly, we mention what is, for many, the most notable event of the week: Thanksgiving, with its attendant gorging, football. T-Day also brings us the Macy's Parade, which gives television viewers across the country the chance to watch b-list actors and singers lip synch to lousy music, and this year will feature such traditional holiday entertainers as Jessica Simpson, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, and Kanye West. Truly a Thanksgiving smorgasbord! Suggested Sites... Karloff.com - the Master of Horror -- and the nicest guy in Hollywood, by all accounts. Biography of Scott Joplin - the King of Sedalia, Missouri. The Discovery of Lucy - and we don't mean Mrs. Ricardo. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - the complete works. Top 10 Disaster Movies - the more stuff blows up, the more we love 'em!

Directory categories: Movie Genres, Ragtime Musicians, TV Series, Paleontology, Thanksgiving Recipes

Archived under: 1910s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, 19th Century, Actors, Africa, Agatha Christie, American History, Ancient History, Animals, Anniversaries, Archaeology, Artists, Arts, Authors, Balloons, Barack Obama, Biographies, Birds, Birthdays, Black History, Books, Boris Karloff, Broadway, Celebrities, Christmas, Coincidence, Composers, Concerts, Crime, Criminals, D.B. Cooper, Dancing With the Stars, Disappearances, Doctor Who, Dogs, Eating, Entertainment, Events, Food and Drink, Football, Guns, History, Holidays, Horror, Horror Films, Jazz, Journalism, Journalists, London, Magazines, Men, Millionaires, Monsters and Creatures, Movie History, Movies, Music, Music History, Musicals, Musicians, Mysteries, NFL, New York, News, Parades, Performing Arts, Pets, Philanthropy, Photography, Rap and Hip-Hop, San Francisco, Science, Scientists, Songs, Sports, Stephen Sondheim, TV, Talk Show Hosts, Thanksgiving, The Beatles, Turkey, Wikipedia, Writers

Post a comment (1) | Email this posting

Phoebe Ann Mosey, aka Annie Oakley She could split a playing card through the side with a single shot, advocated for women to defend themselves with firearms, and was adopted by the Sioux holy man, Sitting Bull, who called her "Watanya Cicilla," or "Little Sure Shot." She was Annie Oakley, and she  was born this week nearly a century and a half ago. She become known worldwide for her sharpshooting skills and inspired numerous stage productions, films, and even a TV show. Perhaps the most well known of these was "Annie Get Your Gun," the musical written by Irving Berlin, Herbert Fields, and his sister Dorothy Fields. Unfortunately, that musical (which was also turned into an Academy Award-winning film) turned Annie from an independent young woman who dug her family out of poverty and shared in an equal partnership with her husband Frank Butler, into a lovesick hillbilly who threw a match just to snag her jealous and overly sensitive rival. Actually, it was Butler who was the love-struck one; he married Oakley inside of a year, and eventually gave up his own performing career to manage Oakley's as she toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Oakley's road to stardom wasn't exactly smooth, however. At 26, she was challenged by a 15 year-old rival named Lillian Smith, who clashed with Oakley in everything from dress to choice of firearm. Smith eventually left the show, unable to command the same crowds, and Oakley returned. Later, Oakley was slandered by one of William Randolph Hearst's newspapers, with a false story that she had been arrested for stealing (to support a cocaine habit). She spent the next six years suing several newspapers for libel, winning 54 of 55 of her cases. In 1922, she was in a severe car accident with Butler, forcing her to wear a steel brace on her leg. In spite of that, she continued to set records following the accident, although eventually died of pernicious anemia in 1926. Since Annie Oakley, there have been other women known for their skill with weapons, including numerous fictional ones: Lara Croft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Xena. But the real-life Annie Oakley was a pioneer and truly in a league of her own. Suggested Sites... Annie Oakley at PBS's American Experience - features biographies, pictures, and more. Annie Oakley at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center - information about Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, and the show's other performers. Biography of Annie Oakley - from the Dorchester County Public Library. Women's History Month at the Smithsonian - exhibits, history, pictures, and more about women who made a difference. Biography of Calamity Jane - the frontier woman who gained notoriety for fighting Native Americans.

Directory categories: Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Get Your Gun, Women's History, The American West

Archived under: 1920s, 19th Century, American History, Biographies, Birthdays, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Celebrities, Cowboys and Cowgirls, Entertainment, Guns, History, Musicals, Old West, The West, Women

Post a comment (0) | Email this posting

(Photo by Bryce Mullet) Looking for an off-site team-building activity to rough up the sluggish sales team or enliven the executives? We suggest a nice game of paintball. Really, who doesn't get pumped up over the idea of nailing a co-worker with a paint-splatter head shot, or peppering that sassy young upstart with a barrage of blind fire? In fact, we got so amped up at the thought of ambushing our editor that we ended up digging into some paintball history. It turns out that today is the anniversary of the first ever paintball game. Ever since this day in 1981, when a couple of aggro dudes donned goggles and camo, millions of other aggro dudes (and a fair number of aggro ladies) have been running around forests and fields, trying to capture the thrill of the hunt. Whether it's woodsball strategy, speedball, or scenario paintball, revved up shooters have been making paintball one of the fastest growing sports in America. So the next time you feel like blowing off a little steam, grab your marker and keep your head low -- it looks like it hurts to get smacked by a paintball. Suggested Sites... WARPIG - that's the World and Regional Paintball Information Guide to you newbies. PBVids.com - uniting paintballers around the world. Paintball.com - paintball gear, safety information, and a field locator. Special Ops Paintball - a piantball podcast. Arm Chair Commandos - well, of course there's a reality series about paintball.

Directory categories: Paintball, Paintball Gear, Paintball Magazines, Clubs and Teams,

Archived under: Games, Guns, Outdoors, Paintball, Recreation and Travel, Sports

Post a comment (2) | Email this posting

(SF Chronicle photo/Darryl Bush) Nothing rivals the mixture of adrenaline, cold sweat, and anticipation that accompanies an attempted hit. Not truly contract killers, there's a new gang of assassins on the loose, participants in a game where each player assumes the role of a hit man. Why do people play games that flirt with death scenarios? Perhaps it's morbid curiosity, or maybe the thrill comes from tracking marks, studying their routines, and implementing a plan to catch them off guard. Either way, the rush of a well-executed kill is undeniable by victim and assassin alike, as people around the world participate in games everyday. Live action role playing gamers adhere to strict rules and weapons guidelines for the sanctity of the game and the safety of all involved. Assassins remains a game of "kill or be killed," so before jumping into a game of live-action killing, make sure you can balance either a student workload or the demands of a career while dodging attempts on your life. Let the games begin. Suggested Sites... StreetWars - hosting a three week long, 24/7, watergun assassination tournament in New York City, Vancouver, Vienna, and San Francisco. Nerf HQ - community dedicated to Nerf weaponry, ammunition, and modifications. KAOS - Killing As Organized Sport is a live action RPG resource run out of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Directory categories: Assassins, Death Pools, Live Action Role Playing Games

Archived under: Assassination, Assassins, Death, Games, Guns, Hobbies, Role-Playing Games

Post a comment (0) | Email this posting