"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

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"Anyone got the point spread on the Celtics-Heat game?" A new week brings challenges, among them, the temptation to not take a day off and reuse old material here at The Spark. So imagine our chagrin upon seeing that this is America Recycles Day, when we're all supposed to get the most out of what we already have or get rid of what we have in the most earth-friendly way. Of course, seeing as how it's also National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day, the latter may be pretty easy. This onion may be able to walk to the recycling bin on its own. Not satisfied with helping the Earth, the powers that decide on holidays have declared Monday National Philanthropy Day, whereupon we're not only supposed to congratulate those who selflessly help others, but are encouraged to do likewise. Hard to argue with that sentiment, but if anyone could, it’d probably be Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, whose autobiography will be officially published today (even though it's been in the stores for a week or so already), 100 years after his passing. From all accounts, it’s full of interesting stories and observations, with Twain’s trademark cynicism. One thing we're pretty sure Mr. Clemens did not write about was basketball. Even though the game was invented by James Naismith in 1891 (some 19 years before Clemens' death), there are no reports he ever attended a game – and he certainly didn't watch any on television, as you can do tonight, when ESPN kicks off the college basketball season (perhaps "tosses up the tipoff" is more apropos here) with a 24-hour College Hoops Marathon, beginning Monday night/Tuesday morning with Miami at Memphis at midnight, ET. The beginning of the basketball season isn't the only sporting event of the week. Baseball will hand out its most prestigious awards this week and next, starting today with the presentation of the two Rookie of the Year Awards - one for each league. This trophy is named after Brooklyn Dodgers infielder Jackie Robinson, who, in 1947, became the first African-American to crack Major League Baseball's color barrier, winning his own Rookie of the Year award that same year. The awards don't end there, though. On Wednesday, the National League's Cy Young Award winner will be announced tomorrow, with the American League version following on Thursday. This award is named after Denton True "Cy" Young, who over 22 seasons (from 1890-1911) won 511 games – almost 100 ahead of the closest competitor (Walter Johnson, who retired in 1927). The nearest anyone has come to that total in even the last 80 years was Warren Spahn, who chalked up a "mere" 363 wins. Suggested Sites... Top Recycling Tips - step one: don't keep buying things you already own. How to Clean Your Refrigerator - no more science experiments! James Naismith's 13 Original Rules of Basketball - let's see the NBA play one quarter with these. Jackie Robinson: Breaking the Color Barrier - April 15, 1947. The day that changed America. Baseball-Reference: Cy Young - the career of the Pride of Gilmore, Ohio.

Directory categories: Recycling Organizations, Kitchen Appliances, Philanthropy, Basketball, Major League Baseball Players

Archived under: 1940s, 19th Century, American History, Athletes, Authors, Awards, Baseball, Baseball Players, Basketball, Biographies, Books, Celebrations, College Basketball, College Sports, Conservation, Events, Green Living, Green Products, History, Home and Garden, In Character, Issues and Causes, MLB, Mark Twain, Philanthropy, Recycling, TV, Writers, Writing

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The most famous shot in "A Trip to the Moon." Special effects have gotten slightly better in the century since. Welcome once more to The Spark, your weekly digest of events and happenings and information in the Yahoo! Directory to help you appreciate them more. As we begin this last Spark before the Labor Day holiday, we have to ask just where in the heck the summer went. Seems like it was Memorial Day about five minutes ago, and now kids are back in school and Fall is lurking around the corner. Anyway, let's look at the week ahead. Monday: It's a day for monsters and creators. In the former category, we have Benedict Arnold, who on this day in 1780, secretly promised to surrender the Continental Army's fort at West Point, NY, to the British. Arnold was an egomaniac, who was frustrated with the lack of attention he had received, and what better way to get attention than to commit treason? Speaking of outsized egos, we note that today would have been the 127th birthday of Huey Long, the "Kingfish" who ran Louisiana like a private fiefdom until he was gunned down in 1935. Long ruled the state as both governor and senator, and his campaign slogan of "Every Man a King" mixed populism and fascism in equal measure. But let us not mention only those who destroy, let's celebrate those who create. When thinking of monsters, one almost automatically turns to thoughts of Dr. Frankenstein and his creation, for which we owe thanks to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, born in 1793, she wrote her novel, "Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus," at the tender age of 18. And where would kids (and parents) be today without Babar? Laurent de Brunhoff (born in 1925), is son of Jean de Brunhoff, who created the elephant king, and who continued his adventures when his father died. Of course, those kids grow up to be teenagers and young adults, and where would they be without Robert Crumb, who turns 73 today? Crumb was in the vanguard of the underground comix movement of the 1960s, and he’s still active and creative, and his influence on modern pop culture is incalculable. And what would pop culture be without the Beatles? One hesitates to guess, but you can try to get a handle on it this week at the International Beatle Week in Liverpool, England. Of course, the Beatles played in the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York when they made their American debut in 1964, and that theatre is today home to the Late Show with David Letterman, which made its own debut in "the Ed" in 1993. A nice contrast to end the day. Gazillionaire Warren Buffett hits the big 8-0 today, and out in the Nevada desert, Burning Man begins. The best thing we can say about Burning Man is that it gets all those people who want to go to Burning Man in one spot away from the rest of us. Tuesday: More monsters. In 12, Gaius Caligula was born. Though the surviving sources are incomplete, Caligula was one of the most notorious Roman emperors of them all, known for the stories of his cruelty, instability, and sexual perversion. (We won’t deal with them here, but you can find the stories easily enough.) But Caligula isn't the only monster we note. On this date in 1888, Mary Ann Nichols was murdered and became the first of known victim of Jack the Ripper. And, of course, in 1928, Berlin saw the premiere of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s "Die Dreigoschenoper" (known in English as "The Threepenny Opera"), with its main character, the vicious murderer Captain Macheath, better known as "Mack the Knife." In 1959, Bobby Darin had a huge hit with that song (which is really odd, when one considers it's about a mass murderer killing people), and Friday will see the 51st anniversary of that song being banned by WCBS radio in New York City. At the time, there had been a series of teenage stabbings in the city, and the station didn't want to those crazy teens any ideas. And while marijuana possession is small potatoes compared to all of the above, we see that, in 1948, actor Robert Mitchum was arrested in a Hollywood drug bust, and was eventually sentenced to 60 days in prison, a scandal which in those days threatened to kill his career, but nowadays would rate only a passing mention on "Entertainment Tonight." All this talk of criminals and murderers makes us long for a hero, and fortunately, in 1942, "The Adventures of Superman" radio series began airing on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Wednesday: All we have for today is that in 1902, George Melies’s "A Trip to the Moon," was released in France and became the world’s first science fiction film. Thursday: So, in 490 BCE, the Athenian army was at Marathon, battling with Persia. The herald Pheidippides was sent to Sparta for help. He ran the 150 miles in two days, but because of religious laws, the Spartans couldn't send any help, so he ran back. In spite of not having the extra troops, Athens won the battle. And poor Phidippides took off again, this time running the 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens to carry the news of the victory. He gasped out his last words, "We have won," and dropped dead of exhaustion. The lesson: do not underestimate the usefulness of warm-ups and warm-downs. In 1666, the Great Fire of London began in the wooden house of King Charles II's baker. By the time it ended three days later, more than 13,000 houses, including St Paul's Cathedral, had burned to the ground -- but amazingly, only six people had died. If you were living in England in 1752, tomorrow would have been September 14th. While most of the rest of the world had switched from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar in 1582, the stubborn Brits had stuck to their guns. But, after nearly 200 years, there was an eleven-day discrepancy between the two calendars, and the English had no choice but to convert. There were actual riots, as people cried, "Give us back our eleven days!" But it was to no avail. Great Britain and her colonies were dragged kicking and screaming into the 18th century. Speaking of fighting against reality, in 1934, singer Russ Columbo accidentally shot himself to death. Columbo was a wildly popular singer and actor, and when he killed himself (with an antique gun that was supposedly unloaded), his friends thought the news would prove fatal to his mother, so for the last years of her life, those friends created an elaborate ruse, sending postcards and letters from far-off locations, and using his records to simulate a radio show. In 1944, Mrs. Columbo died, never suspected that her son had died a decade before. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Let's talk about pioneers this weekend. First, there's Louis Sullivan, born in 1856. Sullivan is, for all intents and purposes, the man who invented the skyscraper. Since Chicago had had its own giant fire in 1871, Sullivan had the opportunity and the laboratory to erest steel-framed buildings that towered over anything built before. In 1833, 10-year-old Barney Flaherty answered an ad in "The New York Sun" and became the first world's first newsboy, which is why we celebrate Newspaper Carrier Day today -- at least for those relatively few Americans who still have newspapers carried to them. Sunday would have been the 163rd birthday of Jesse James. Jesse was not the first Western outlaw, but he was the first to become world famous while plying his dubious trade. 1885 saw the opening of the Exchange Buffet in New York City. It was the first self-service restaurant (read, "cafeteria") in the United States. We don't know if they served chocolate (we'd guess yes), but whether they did or not, it's World Chocolate Day Friday, so you can serve yourself and indulge. In 1888, George Eastman registered the trademark "Kodak" (for the clicking sound a camera's shutter makes) and received a patent for his camera that used rolled film. Eastman's "Brownie" camera came from the factory loaded with enough film for 100 photos. When the roll was complete, the customer would mail the whole camera back to the factory in Rochester, NY, where the pictures would be developed and sent back along with a new camera. Sunday is the 81st birthday of comedian Bob Newhart. Newhart is a two-time pioneer, having been in the forefront of the stand-up comedy revolution of the 1950s, when he transformed himself from "button-down accountant" to a comedian with the top-selling album in America. Then, in the '70s, his sitcom, "The Bob Newhart Show," set new standards for writing, ensemble acting, and just plain goofiness. The weekend before Labor Day always marks the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. While it's easy to criticize the telethon for its corniness and out-of-date show business aesthetic, it's impossible to deny Lewis's commitment and ability to raise money -- nearly a billion-and-a-half dollars since 1966. Lastly, we'll note the 98th birthday of the late avant-garde composer John Cage with 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence. Suggested Sites... United States Military Academy at West Point - for sale, cheap. Contact Gen. Arnold. Official R. Crumb Site - keep on truckin'. The Beatles - the core of the apple. Dangerous Minds: Early Technicolor - the good folks at Kodak bring you color movies from 1922. Jerry Lewis Telethon - mock him if you will, but he does good work.

Directory categories: Revolutionary War, Children's Literature, Rock and Pop Artists, Musicals, Running

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A few hints for random acts to commit (Photo by David Truss) Random Acts of Kindness Week begins today. The week-long event was designed by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to encourage people to practice more, well, kindness. There are plenty of opportunities for us to be nice to one another in everyday life. Some of us take the initiative to do good deeds, while some follow the footsteps of others. You don't have to wait until a natural disaster like the Haitian earthquake strikes before you step in. Your kind acts can be as basic and small as helping a disabled or elderly person crossing the street, or holding the door or elevator for another person. Or it can be as big as Oprah's or Brangelna's charitable works. As Aesop said, "No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted." In observing this selfless celebration, we have asked some of our kind-hearted fellow Yahoo!s to share their own stories about kindness in all shapes and sizes. We hope these anecdotes -- some of which were part of Yahoo!'s "You in?" campaign -- will inspire you to join others in extending kindness and help make the world a better place. Micaela: When I was in college, I went to Big Mountain, Arizona (also known as Black Mesa) to help the Dineh people while they were dealing with legal matters with the Peabody Coal Company. They were being forced off of their land by the company, which wanted to drain the water supply, a conflict which had been going on for far too long. Since they had to go to Phoenix, their daily work in the community was not getting done. I volunteered to help some of the tribe members in such daily tasks as herding cattle, making flatbread, and working on permaculture projects. It was one of the best and most rewarding experiences I've had in my life. Mike: Several years ago, I was in my car at a stop light behind a long line of cars in 5:00 traffic. The car in the right lane next to me wanted to move ahead and turn right, but the car in front of him wasn't moving, apparently fearing that they didn't have enough room to squeeze between the car to their left and the curb. So the driver who wanted to move forward tried honking his horn, but his horn was broken and so he became even more frustrated. Seeing all this, I honked my own horn, which actually caused the fearful driver to move ahead. The broken-horned driver looked over at me, smiled and gave me a thumbs up and then went on to make his right turn, joyfully. We'll be back tomorrow with more stories of favors -- small and large -- but, in the meantime, you can share some of your own acts in the comments section below. Suggested Sites... The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation - join, share, and get inspired with kindness stories and ideas. World Kindness Movement - a good place to learn about the global network of kindness. Free Hugs Campaign - sometimes even a hug is enough. Staged Kindness - make believe the world is a happier place until it really is. Purple Acts of Kindness - even here at the corporate mothership, we like to do acts of kindness.

Directory categories: Random Acts of Kindness, Philanthropy, Free Donations, Community Service, Haitian Earthquake Relief

Archived under: Charity, Events, Gifts, Holidays, Philanthropy, Society and Culture

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.They say this is a monkey, but it looks like a poodle to us. (Photo by rick) In the days before the Internet, if you wanted to learn how to do something, you had to actually go out and seek the tutelage of an expert. If, for example, you wanted to learn how to make balloon animals, there were two options: trial and error (which would likely leave you with a pile of popped poodles) or expert instruction. Good luck getting a clown to give up his trade secrets, though. But nowadays, thanks to online videos, just about anybody can learn how to sculpt a dog or a flower. If you happen to already be versed in the art of balloon modeling, then today is the day for you to make your annual contribution to society. "Balloons Around the World" is a global event where twisters can volunteer their services, either for free or to raise funds for charity. And the rest of us? We can support our local artists at various events. Balloon artists are certainly not relegated to inflating their creations on demand at schools and parties, however. They've touched the world of fashion and set Guinness records. Above all, twisters provide much-needed smiles and laughs to people of all ages around the world. Suggested Sites... Balloons Around the World - official site, with global events calendar. Balloon HQ - professional resources for twisters, plus balloon facts and fun. Twist & Shout Convention - all the best balloon manipulators, all in one place. Basics of Balloon Animals - instructions from About.com, with various techniques and step-by-step guides to making specific sculptures. The Balloon Animals Blog - videos about making balloon figures, including an Oscar statuette.

Directory categories: Inflatable Sculpture, Balloon Artists, Clowning, Volunteerism, Philanthropy

Archived under: Arts, Balloons, Charity, Children, Circus Arts, Clowns, Crafts, DIY, Entertainment, Hobbies, How-To, Philanthropy, Society and Culture

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