Thanks For Being A Friend, Bea Arthur

Legendary actress Bea Arthur died yesterday, but has left behind a legacy of her work that will live on forever. A stage performer for many years before being "discovered" after appearing on "All In The Family" as a cousin to the Archie Bunker family, Bea Arthur went on to star in her own series "Maude" and of course, later the incredible TV series "The Golden Girls".
Here are a few clips of her, displaying her comedic talents, and a brief interview segment.
The program "Maude" was very controversial for its time, touching on topics not previously talked about on television, such as this clip, in which Maude is considering whether to get an abortion.

Here the ladies from the Golden Girls are trying to make a discreet purchase at a drug store.

The following is a segment of a longer 2-hour interview, conducted by Karen Herman on March 15, 2001. On December 9, 2008, Beatrice Arthur was inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame.

Vintage Cigarette TV Ads

Before they were banned, there were lots of cigarette ads on television. I remember seeing many of them when I was a kid, but now they just seem comical. The ads tried to make you believe you'd be healthier, sexier and more popular by smoking a certain brand of cigarettes. Despite viewing all those ads, I never once smoked a cigarette. Hmmm....maybe that explains why I'm not sexy or popular!


I particularly like the line in this ad which says:
"Pall Mall is longer,yes, but greater length is only half the story"
And the look on the woman's face as she puffs on the cigarette is priceless!
One thing I never understood is that the name of this cigarette is spelled "PALL MALL" (with an 'a'), but pronounced "PELL MELL".


Well, if doctors smoke Camels, they must be good for you! My Mother always smoked Camels (unfiltered, of course), although I don't know if her doctor recommended that brand. She preferred the unfiltered cigarettes as she said you didn't get enough smoke through the newer, filtered cigarettes.


I most definitely remember this ad, and probably even went around the house singing "the taste of Kent" as a kid. It was a catchy little tune, after all! But my Mother wouldn't have liked this brand--those stupid filters blocked too much of the smoke!

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And Now, A Brief Musical Interlude....

If you are not impressed by someone doing 32 songs in 8 minutes, watch this video anyway, because the guy is really cute.

Here's the link to his YouTube page.

Bartender, One For The Road !

This is not an April Fool's Day joke, despite the date on this post. Just a funny news story I ran across earlier this evening in my web wanderings. You have to give this guy credit for cleverness--he can ride his barstool right to his favorite watering-hole, and always be sure he'll get a seat once there. I'd love to hear the 911 call he made after crashing his "vehicle".

Ohio man arrested for drunk driving on a homemade vehicle

MARCH 31--In a law enforcement first, Ohio cops this month arrested a man for drunk driving on a motorized bar stool. That's right, a motorized bar stool, which can be seen below in a police evidence photo. According to cops, Kile Wygle, 28, crashed his bar stool near his Newark home earlier this month and called 911 due to his injuries. When an officer arrived and asked Wygle what happened, he answered, "I wrecked my bar stool." According to a Newark Police Division report, a copy of which you'll find here, Wygle's homemade ride is powered by a Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine. Wygle noted that the bar stool could hit nearly 40 miles per hour, but that he was only going 20 when he wiped out late in the afternoon on March 4 (a witness told police that he spotted someone driving a "strange motorized machine" before the crash). A plastered Wygle, who failed a series of field sobriety tests, was charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license, both misdemeanors. His bar stool was not impounded.