Happy Days!

As a huge fan of the movie “American Graffiti”, I was skeptical about a TV series based on the flick’s premise and main characters.

I was right----and wrong---all at the same time.

“Happy Days” could never approximate the powerful script and acting that made “American Graffiti” a classic. A young George Lucas cast then unknown actors like Richard Dreyfus and Harrison Ford into roles alongside Ron Howard, Cindy Williams and Suzanne Somers—to create what to some is a “cult classic”, but a movie that I believe is a mainstream appeal look at the coming of age of several California teenagers at the crossroads of high school and college.

“Happy Days” –once past the comparisons made to the movie—took on a life and identity of its own, becoming a HUGELY popular TV series. The first episode was aired on this date in 1974. Those who remember the old TV show “Love American Style” may be surprised to know that the “original” “Happy Days” episode was actually a segment on this show, which, on a weekly basis, created the TV version of several “short stories”. Here is the opening of that first episode, known as "Love and Happy Days"—with characters who would soon stand on their own in a TV program that was all theirs :



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNHuI0Pw0m8

Interestingly, even though the “Happy Days” TV show came AFTER the release of the movie “American Graffiti”, the pilot of the TV show was produced first—and George Lucas used it as the basis of his decision to cast Ron Howard in the lead role of his movie!

“Happy Days” left a bigger footprint on American pop culture, lasting for ten years on television. A minor character, The “Fonz” (played by Henry Winkler) soon became the star of the show. This was, in part, due to the audience reaction that occurred the minute that the show’s producers decided to film the show in front of a studio audience. Here is a clip of the ending of that FIRST show performed in front of a live audience:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYovsz_Y9y4

If spinoffs are an indication of a TV series’ success, then “Happy Days” ranks near the top. “Laverne & Shirley”, “Mork & Mindy” and “Joannie Loves Chachi” were all spawned from “Happy Days”.

It was pure escapism, pure frivolity—and many laughs. Although no one will mention “Happy Days” in the same breath as other landmark television shows, it deserves a measure of respect for the genre it existed in---and the sheer entertainment it provided millions of Americans for a decade.

The Tim Moore blog is carefully crafted (and sometimes hastily slapped together) every weekday—if you’d like to receive it via e-mail ($0 U.S. Dollars), let me know! Tim.moore@citcomm.com

Today Show Is Born

After the dust settles, I’m sure I’ll have a blog about the current Tonight Show controversy—the Leno-Conan battle that has drawn the attention of Letterman and Kimmel as well.

What a mess!

With acknowledgement to “The Tonight Show”’s illustrious history, we should remember that the “Today” show predates its late night counterpart by two years.

It was on this date in 1952 that NBC introduced viewers to a morning show that combined news and features. The first host, Dave Garroway---was a laid back star, perfect for the time of day.

Here’s an early clip of the Today Show with Garroway at the helm:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFRrKJHZG8o

“Today” was the first of it’s genre—and dominated the ratings until ABC launched “Good Morning America”, which overtook the NBC pioneer in the late 80’s. The fight was on, but “Today” retook the Nielson Ratings lead in December of 1995---and has won every week since!

Hosts over the years have included John Chancellor, Hugh Downs, Barbara Walters, Tom Brokaw, Bryant Gumbell, Jane Pauley, Katie Couric—and even Florence Henderson! Current lead hosts are Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera. In 1953, the show even featured a chimp named J. Fred Muggs!

Nearly 5 million daily viewers can’t be wrong—Today—whomever the hosts—remains #1!

If you’d like my blog in your box weekdays, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Delayed Buckeye Euphoria

Warning!

If you couldn’t care less about college football or the Ohio State Buckeyes, this blog is not for you.

As a Buckeye alum, however, I hope that those of you still left here reading this will indulge me this little victory dance following the OSU win in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Why now?

Why over a dozen days from the event? Simply said, the video below evidently took some time to compile and circulate over YouTube. Thanks to friend and fellow OSU grad Geoff Hornbeck for sending me the link. It is the COMPRESSED edit of the 2010 Rose Bowl victory over Oregon, complete with the pre-game pundits complete dismissal of Ohio State and their chances of pulling one out.

In one sense, you can’t blame the TV talking heads.

After three straight bowl losses, two of them in National Championship games (in embarrassing fashion), Buckeye stock (and that of the Big Ten) has taken a beating, with blanket statements made re: the inability of OSU or any other Big Ten team to keep up with the speed of the SEC or a Pac 10 team like Oregon. Now, Buckeye Nation can at least enjoy the long off-season without the gnashing of teeth that has been our lot recently.

Enjoy: (I did)




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uua_XarY428


In the interest of full disclosure, I myself have been scathingly critical of the Ohio State coach Jim Tressel over the last several years. His conservative style of play translates to “predictable” in the big games.

In short, he has been completely out-coached in the marquee games of the BCS Bowl Series in the last three years.

Most obvious was the Florida Gators complete dismantling of a superior Buckeye team in the 2007 Championship Game. Florida coach Urban Meyer decided to combine a stiff defense with an offense that simply took what the Buckeyes gave them. Problem is that the Ohio State defenders, playing 5 yards off the receivers, essentially gave up at least 5 yards per play—as swing passes from an average QB (Tim Tebow was a freshman and played little) kept the Buckeye defenders off balance. The incredulous aspect of this effective strategy is that “Sweater Vest Tressel” made ZERO adjustments to this attack at halftime. Urban Meyer must have been as surprised as everyone else—when the second half began to resemble the first. The result was a blowout---shooting fish in a barrel.

Somehow, Tressel got the Bucks to a second straight BCS Championship the following year. Without a doubt, this was a lofty accomplishment. Unfortunately, the LSU team we faced was better, faster and LSU coach Les Miles never broke a sweat as the Buckeyes fell again—embarassingly.

Another Bowl loss the following year to Texas-after Ohio State seemingly had the game locked up—and the label of “Can’t Win The Big One” started to be bandied about.

Perhaps Tressel got the message this year.

In the aftermath and pleasant glow of the Rose Bowl win, one thing is certain. Ohio State won because Tressel decided to NOT be conservative. OSU’s last five consecutive wins after the loss to Purdue were decidedly due to a strong running game. Allowing Terrell Pryor to turn it loose had mixed results during the season (mostly bad) Handing it off and crunching out the yards made the Bucks successful—and set the stage for a Rose Bowl that would pit the speed of Oregon versus the “three yards and a cloud of dust” offense expected from Ohio State.

Surprise!

Jim Tressel threw out the Woody Hayes playbook and decided to utilize his most dangerous offensive weapon—Sophomore quarterback Terrell Pryor.

The most sought after high school player in the nation two years earlier had largely disappointed the Buckeyes faithful. But, a controlled gameplan that took advantage of Oregon’s anticipated emphasis on stopping the run turned into a NIGHTMARE for the Ducks. Pryor was magnificent-and deserved the MVP honors bestowed upon him after the game.

The vaulted Ohio State defense did its job—confusing the Oregon quarterback and generally never letting the Ducks get airborne (so to speak). On offense, a varied passing attack that featured a mobile QB was too much for the Pac 10 Champion to handle.

Imagine that! Jim Tressel actually out-coached the guy across the field. The last time that happened in a big game was the National Championship Game in 2002, when the heavily favored Miami Hurricanes were shocked into defeat.

So, expectations in Columbus and beyond are high-as usual—for the 2010 season. Nothing short of an undefeated season and a National Championship will be considered a success.

As for me, I’ll be happy with another Big 10 Championship, another win over Michigan and another BCS Bowl win-whether it’s the Big One or not.

Is that expecting too much?

If you’d like my blog in your box, let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

A Quiet House

The holidays are over—and the most noticeable artifact of this reality is that our two oldest kids are back at college.

I can hear a pin drop.

OK, the youngest—our terrific Kevin—at nine years old—is still here (for which Mom and I are eternally grateful), so perhaps “quiet” is not a good adjective. Let’s just say that his constant “boy-noise” is music to our ears, but still well below the decibel level that the full trio of kids (and their friends) bring to the house.

Wise old hands at this empty nest stuff say the following about the arrival of the college kids for the holidays: “You’re gonna love it when they arrive—and you’re gonna REALLY love it when they leave!”

For the Moore family, this is only a half truth, for we hate it when they leave—even though we know they are adults with lives and friends and a multitude of plans. Intellectually, we are delighted at their independence, their confidence and their fast-paced lives without Mom & Dad in the way.

Of course, we say that while looking at pictures of them as toddlers on the beach, posing with Scooby Doo at a theme park or various other growing up moments. Emotionally, we are a blob of goo.

Kleenex, anyone?

The holidays at the Moore house were a constant stream of 18-20-somethings in our home. Watching movies, playing games, baking cookies and generally having a blast. Of course, even in this scenario, Mom and I are merely at the margins of this activity—and yet it still energizes us and makes us feel like they are still in high school. The controlled chaos was exhililarating!

Here’s a quick video of Moms discussing true “empty nest syndrome”. Touching—and at times amusing:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwutkZTcZX0


We cannot lay claim to TRUE “empty nest” feelings—as our dear Kevin has spared us the drastic change. We are weaning ourselves away from being parents in the sense of making sure that the kids CONSTANTLY have ol’ Mom & Dad forcefully inserted into every waking moment of their lives.
Poor Kevin has the burden of being the closest thing to an “only child” once the dust clears. Although I’m certain that he misses his brother and sister, I think he is doing a much better job of coping!

Someday, it will be HIS turn to venture out there—and I hope that Mom and I get better about dealing with it when that time comes.

I genuinely feel sorry for those parents who gleefully send their kids packing. Was it really THAT BAD?

Peggy and I are fortunate beyond belief to have three incredible kids, two of whom are starting their conquest of the world—and the third, who is keeping Mom and Dad from dissolving into an emotional trainwreck!

By the way, when is Spring Break?

To get this blog in your inbox weekdays, just send me a note that you want IN: tim.moore@citcomm.com

The Grand Canyon's #1 View

If you have a fear of heights, watching the video below may not be advisable.

The Grand Canyon was declared a National Monument on this date in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Since that day, millions of tourists have descended upon---and into the depths of the Grand Canyon. First seen by Europeans in 1540, the canyon went centuries before being explored—except, of course, by the Native Americans who lived near it for generations.

It’s only been a couple of years since the Grand Canyon skywalk opened—despite the objections of environmentalists who consider it a blight on the landscape.

Nevertheless, the U-shaped walkway extending out over the edge—complete with glass (or, I assume plexiglass) floor—allows visitors to feel like they are either walking on air, stepping over the precipice—or throwing up, the last of which may actually happen.

As scared as I am of certain height situations, I think I could make the trip out the walkway MUCH easier than I could stand at the EDGE of the real canyon! Watch the Native American at the end of the video.

I could not do that (without a gun pointed at my head)

Check out the aerial footage of this amazing feat of engineering:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvzlZuWrJNw


Someday I hope to make the trip out west and witness firsthand the grandeur that is The Grand Canyon. It’s on my “bucket list”—along with flying to the moon. I’m thinking that Arizona is a tad more doable.

Blog fans! Let me know if you have a) been to the Canyon and b) if you have taken the skywalk trip! I’d love to know how YOU felt standing at the EDGE!!!!

Sign up for the daily blog (free!) at tim.moore@citcomm.com

Shindig!

With virtually all of our media now “on demand”, it’s sometimes hard to imagine the “event” status of TV shows from days gone by.

I’ve blogged before about the loss of what I call “common media experience”—the days when HUGE segments of the U.S. population would tune into a particular television show. We were all engaged with the same media experience—at the exact same time—and the uniqueness of these time-bound episodes were defining moments for millions.
A bond of shared experience was created—and subsequently related in the coming day(s) between young and old.

The Beatles appearing on “The Ed Sullivan Show” is perhaps one of the most prevalent, but there were many others, including the ABC-TV show “Shindig!” which aired it’s very last episode on this date in 1966 after 2 years on the air.

Hosted by L.A. Disc Jockey Jimmy O’Neill, those two years were PACKED with a virtual “Who’s Who” of rock’n roll. Everyone who was anyone made getting on “Shindig!” a priority.

Even though I think the name was a little lame, the show itself chronicled the rise of a new generation’s music. With time-shifting, DVR’s, YouTube and such, there is ZERO sense of urgency to “tune in” to any show at the time it is broadcast--with the possible exception of “American Idol” or “Dancing With The Stars” Even these shows will be “available” the very next day—or maybe sooner!

Not so with “Shindig!” If you wanted to catch your musical heroes, you had to block out the time, warm up the TV and set those damn rabbit-ears just right. And, since there was only ONE television in the house, you often had to bargain with other family members who had no interest in watching Sam Cooke, Del Shannon, The Dixie Cups or Chad & Jeremy. If you won the argument, those same family members were still there—in the room, reluctantly viewing YOUR show and no doubt providing a biting commentary to go along with it. Such was the family dynamic in the early days of both rock and TV.

Here are a couple of great videos from Shindig! A couple of young upstart bands who appeared…The Beatles and The Rolling Stones:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u0NP_n9AwU



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsjW-Ivs-dY


In addition to the acts, there were the dancers-called the “Shin-Diggers”, one of whom was Terri Garr, who would later become a famous actress.

The success of “Shindig!” prompted NBC to compete with their own show called “Hullaballoo” (another horrible name). Originally a half hour, then expanded to an hour, then split into two half hour programs on different nights, the ratings for "Shindig!" began to slip in October of 1965.

The writing was on the wall—and “Shindig!” was replaced in its Thursday time slot by “Batman”. Despite the short run, however, “Shindig!” has cemented its place in both pop culture and rock & roll history.

If you’d like my blog in your weekday box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Harlem Globetrotters Start Dribbling

It was a different world in 1927—when, on this date, The Harlem Globetrotters basketball team traveled 48 miles from Chicago to play their first game in Hinckley, Illinois.

OK, so maybe that’s not exactly “trotting the globe”, but since that day—and hundreds of players later, the Globetrotters have lived up to their name many times over.

The creation of Abe Saperstein, the Harlem Globetrotters have become an American institution—and much more than just entertainment.

At a time when only whites were allowed to play on professional basketball teams, the Harlem Globetrotters became goodwill ambassadors of racial harmony—perhaps not their initial mission---but nonetheless, these crazy black guys were nothing short of amazing as they dribbled, passed and shot their way into America’s hearts.

Starting as a “real” team, they won 101 out of 117 games in that first season—and they introduced many Midwestern audiences to a game they had never seen played before.
By 1936, the Globetrotters had played over 1,000 games in mostly rural areas. In fact, they didn’t actually play a game in Harlem until the 1960’s!

1939 was the year that the Globetrotters began to add the silly antics that have become their trademark. Saperstein loved the clowning around—as did the crowd, but the boss told his players that the stunts were only to start after the team had built a big lead over their opponent.

In 1948, the Globetrotters earned a level of respect previously unseen as they defeated the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers. By 1950, the NBA lifted its ban on black players—and now Saberstein had to compete for talent. By this time, the Harlem Globetrotters were playing all over the world-even performing for the Pope in Rome! NBA great Wilt Chamberlain started as a Globetrotter, as did many other NBA players.

Here’s a video compilation of the Best of The Harlem Globetrotters:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyyZaJag2Fc

After Abe Saberstein died in 1966, the team was sold to a group of Chicago businessmen for $3.7 million dollars—they later sold it to Metro Media for $11 million. Reaching the peak of their fame in the 1970’s, with even a Saturday morning cartoon series, the Globetrotters began to lose fans in the next decade after the departure of longtime stars like Meadowlark Lemmon. In 1985, Olympic Gold Medalist Lynette Woodward became the first female Globetrotter.

Over the years, the Harlem Globetrotters have played in over 115 countries in front of 120 MILLION fans! Earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, they were also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002!

If you'd like my blog daily, subscribe with an e-mail to: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Porky Pig---An American Icon

Porky Pig burst onto the scene on this date in 1936-in a Warner Brother cartoon called “Gold Diggers of ‘49”. (Wikipedia disputes this, stating that the Porkster made his debut a year earlier…..whatever)

Never was a speech impediment so damn hilari-uh, hilari-uh, hilari-uh,….uh….funny.

The sad truth is that Porky would never leave the drawing board nowadays—as political correctness would insure that Porky’s signature stutter be left out. He’d be a guest star on “Family Guy”, where his insensitivity would be dwarfed by the rest of the script.

The first Porky did not feature the voice of Mel Blanc—who wouldn’t arrive at Warner until the following year. After that, Mel catapulted characters like Porky, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Sylvester into the cartoon stratosphere.

Created by Fritz Freleng and designed by animator Bob Clampett, the “Looney Tunes” star was an instant hit-but Clampett would eventually morph the Porky the Pig of those earlier episodes into the hog that most of us are more familiar with.

Warner created a funny Porky “blooper” for the 50th Anniversary TV Show-here it is:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4otTziYjk

And here’s a more traditional episode-Porky the Pig at his best:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8KYEhws_QQ

In a too-serious world, it’s sometimes a good idea to switch attention to those who make us laugh.

Porky the Pig has entertained millions for generations—stutter or no stutter. And as Porky himself would say:

“Tha-Tha-Tha-That’s all, folks!”

If you’d like my blog in your weekday inbox, just drop me a line: tim.moore@citcomm.com

The Golden Gate Bridge

One of the highlights of our family’s trip to California almost a dozen years ago was the thrill of driving over The Golden Gate Bridge! After seeing it in countless movies, TV shows and news programs, to actually EXPERIENCE the sensation of looking out over San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz is something I’ll always cherish.

The bridge began its construction on this date-January 5—in 1933, right at the start of the Great Depression.

How anyone could look at the span to cross, the strong currents, the depth of the water, not to mention the winds and the inclination of the earth to quake in that part of the world and then conclude, “Hey, let’s build a BRIDGE here!”---is beyond my comprehension.

The idea of a bridge at this location dates from 1869—and the aftermath of the California Gold Rush, where land north of San Francisco Bay was expected to increase greatly in value. The hardships of construction and the estimated cost of $100 million dollars kept plans on hold until 1916. City engineer Michael O’Shaughnessy (who is credited with coming up with the name of the bridge) began asking bridge engineers if a structure could be built for less.

Enter Joseph Strauss—a 5 foot tall engineer and poet from Chicago, who said he could build the bridge for $25-30 million—with a main span of 4,000 feet!

Even that reduced cost was an issue during the Depression, but the jobs it would create essentially sealed the deal. A bond issue was floated to pay for construction (A bond that wouldn’t be paid off until 1971)

Here are a couple of videos with rare footage of the construction of what has been called the “World’s Most Beautiful Bridge”—and certainly the most photographed:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLRCZAXfEa4



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfFOm2Af1s


At the time of its opening in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest span in the world. The official opening was on May 27, 1937 as cars made the crossing. However, over 200,000 people crossed on foot the day before.

A marvel to see—and the symbol of the great city of San Francisco, the distinctive red/orange paint job is constantly being touched up to ward off rust.

If ever you get the chance to make the trip, don’t miss the exhilarating trip across the Golden Gate Bridge!

If you’d like my blog in your weekday inbox, just drop me a line: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Try Something New in 2010

Look up any aggregate list of New Year’s Resolutions and you will see the same stuff show up year after new year. With some jockeying in position, the top resolutions are:

1) Lose weight
2) Start exercising/get in shape
3) Quit smoking/drinking/taking drugs
4) Spend more time with family (versus work life)
5) Invest money better/save more money

The lines at health clubs will never be longer than they are this week—and then it will be back to normal.

We tend to last a week, maybe two—and then we revert to old habits, old routines and ingrained programming that sends us back to behaviors that are self destructive.

So, how do we break the pattern?

The experts (and by “experts” I mean behavioral psychologists) say that our issues are three-fold:

A) We make too many resolutions
B) We don’t break these resolutions down to their component parts—or achievable goals.
C) We don't reinforce good behaviors by rewarding ourselwes along the way

So, the key perhaps is to focus on ONE thing and then dedicate our full attention to the achievement of that ONE goal. After all, at the end of 2010, would you rather have made 10 resolutions and broken ALL of them—or just ONE—and accomplished that singular goal?

The answer is easy, but that still leaves us with the nuts and bolts of how-to. The avoidance of feelings of failure is part of the goal. Notice that I didn’t say “failure”—I said FEELINGS of failure. Failure is part of the process.

Time to insert a quick motivational video on failure—watch this!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tjYoKCBYag

So, it is not failure that is the problem—it is QUITTING. Giving up. Throwing in the towel.

And maybe that tired old resolution needs to be re-crafted into something that is definitive and fresh.

For instance, suppose your resolution for 2010 is to: “Lose Weight”
This is unachievable because it is so non-specific. If you lose ONE OUNCE from 1/1/10 to 12/31/10, you have technically achieved your goal.

Instead, make the resolution SPECIFIC, ACTION-ORIENTED and TIME BOUND.

So, “lose weight” could be re-crafted to be:

“I RESOLVE TO LOSE 15 POUNDS IN 2010 AND TO KEEP IT OFF. I WILL ACHIEVE THIS RESULT AS FOLLOWS:

1) I will lose 3 pounds a month from January-May—with a buffer month, so that by June 1st I will have reached my goal of 15 pounds.
2) I will achieve this goal—and will maintain it from July-December by doing the following 3 things:
A) I will give up desserts
B) I will workout w/ cardio 3X per week
C) If I achieve both A & B in any given week, I will reward myself with ONE dessert at the end of the month.


Obviously, the parameters and rewards are up to you, but we all need mini-goals—and we need to reward ourselves for achievement along the way.

We’ve all heard that one definition of insanity is repeating the same behaviors and expecting a different result.

2010 is a time to switch it up! Try something new—and good luck to you!

If you’d like my blog in your weekday e-mail inbox, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com