We don't watch a lot of "live" TV at the launchpad. There really aren't any shows worth watching anymore. I do watch "Madam Secretary," "Homeland," "Timeless," and "The Americans" but that's the extent of what's on my DVR.
Here are two lists I've had for some time and haven't posted. It is likely to engender some serious discussion. The first list is from the Hollywood Reporter and the second is from Rolling Stone.
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100. Desperate Housewives 2004-2012) ABC - didn't watch
99. Fawlty Towers 1975-1979) BBC, PBS - didn't watch
98. Family Ties (1982-1989) NBC - I would put this a little higher, but Alex P. Keaton's republicanism knocks him down a few pegs.
97. Ally McBeal 1997-2002) Fox - watched and enjoyed, though Calista Flockhart was borderline annoying.
96. Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005) CBS - not a fan but Mrs. BA likes it in syndication.
95. Battlestar Galactica(2004-2009) Syfy - I prefer the original, Lorne Green, Martin Landau, Barbara Bain version.
94. Parenthood (2010-2015) NBC - watched a few episodes but it never caught on with me.
93. The Brady Bunch (1969-1974) ABC - this was a staple most afternoons when coming home from school.
92. The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978) CBS - Bob Newhart is an unsung comedic genius.
91. The Americans (2013-Present) FX - see above, one of the few shows I watch.
90. Arrow (2012-Present) The CW - don't watch
89. The Rockford Files (1974-1980) NBC - Along with "Barnaby Jones," "Starsky and Hutch,"and "CHiPS" every afternoon at 4:00pm.
88. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-Present) FX, FXX - don't watch
87. Scrubs (2001-2010) NBC, ABC - didn't watch
86. True Blood (2008-2014) HBO - didn't watch
85. Law & Order 1990-2010) NBC - though it was hard to avoid, I don't think I ever saw a full episode. And I really like Sam Waterston and Jerry Orbach.
84. Alias (2001-2006) ABC - didn't watch
83. Get Smart (1965-1970) NBC, CBS - sorry about that Chief.
82. Gilligan’s Island (1964-1967) CBS - "those poor people."
81. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-Present) NBC - see #85
80. The Flintstones (1960-1966) ABC - not in its original time slot, but in syndication, it was a don't miss.
79. Sesame Street (1969-Present) PBS - I would be Un-American if I hadn't watched this.
78. Married… With Children (1987-1997) Fox - didn't watch
77. Scandal (2012-Present) ABC - didn't watch
76. Full House (1987-1995) ABC - didn't watch though LBA and SoBA like it (along with the reboot)
75. Doctor Who (1963-1989) BBC, PBS - don't hate me, but didn't watch
74. 24 (2001-2010) Fox - came to it late, but have seen all of them.
73. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962) CBS, NBC - didn't watch, but with good reason.
72. Mork & Mindy (1978-1982) ABC - Thursday nights.
71. Saved by the Bell (1989-1993) NBC - didn't watch
70. I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970) NBC - only in syndication
69. Entourage (2004-2011) HBO - didn't watch
68. Firefly (2002-2003) Fox - didn't watch
67. Moonlighting (1985-1989) ABC - loved this show, but they never should have slept together.
66. Taxi (1978-1983) ABC, NBC - an outstanding piece of television, this would certainly be higher on my list.
65. Family Guy (1999-Present) Fox - didn't watch
64. House (2004-2012) Fox - Mrs. BA has issues with TV that deal with the human condition, but Hugh Laurie's crankiness made this show great.
63. Hill Street Blues (1981-1987) NBC - the recent passing of Steven Bochco, moves this show up on my list.
62. Bewitched (1964-1972) ABC - not a huge fan, but have seen several episodes.
61. Roseanne (1988-1997) ABC - wasn't a fan the first time, not a fan this time.
60. Murphy Brown (1988-1998) CBS - didn't watch
59. Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974) - didn't watch
58. How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014) CBS - the only ones I have seen is because Mrs. BA watched it.
57. The Good Wife (2009-Present) CBS - didn't watch
56. The Wonder Years (1988-1993) ABC - didn't watch
55. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) Syndicated - didn't watch
54. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996) NBC - didn't watch
53. Curb Your Enthusiasm (1999-2011) HBO - didn't watch
52. True Detective (2014-Present) HBO - didn't watch
51. Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) WB - didn't watch
50. Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) NBC - ashamed but didn't watch. At this time I don't think I realized it was my classmate's (Judd Apatow) version on my high school.
49. Orphan Black (2013-Present) BBC - didn't watch
48. The Golden Girls (1985-1992) NBC - didn't watch
47. The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966) CBS - in syndication, yes.
46. Veep(2012-Present) HBO - have seen one season but no more than that.
45. Homeland (2011-Present) Showtime - see above, although this current season is hard to watch.
44. Downton Abbey (2010-Present) ITV, PBS - didn't watch
43. The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978) CBS - not in its original timeslot, but in syndication, all the time. It was always fun to see them lose it.
42. Castle (2009-Present) ABC - didn't watch
41. Happy Days (1974-1984) ABC - Tuesday Night, 8:00, followed by Laverne & Shirley.
40. Frasier (1993-2004) NBC - LBA has become a fan of Frasier.
39. All in the Family (1971-1979) CBS - a great show.
38. Friday Night Lights (2006-2011) NBC - didn't watch
37. Dexter (2006-2013) Showtime - didn't watch
36. The Muppet Show (1976-1981) Syndicated - up there with Sesame Street.
35. Star Trek (1966-1969) NBC - in later syndication, a little.
34. South Park (1997-Present) Comedy Central - didn't watch
33. Sherlock (U.K.) (2010-Present) BBC, PBS - didn't watch
32. Parks and Recreation (2009-2015) NBC - both LBA and Mrs. BA have binge watched all of these.
31. The Office (U.S.)(2005-2013) NBC - didn't watch
30. The Wire (2002-2008) HBO - didn't watch
29. Six Feet Under (2001-2005) HBO - "I hate the living." - Nate Fisher
28. ER (1994-2009) NBC - I want to say this show went on a few seasons too many.
27. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) WB, UPN - this may get me in trouble, but didn't watch.
26. Orange Is the New Black (2013-Present) Netflix - didn't watch
25. The Big Bang Theory (2007-Present) CBS - one of Mrs. BA's favorites.
24. The Walking Dead (2012-Present) AMC - I wanted to watch this show, lover of the disaster genre as I am, but couldn't do it.
23. Cheers (1982-1993) NBC - the show was never the same after the death of Coach and Diane's departure.
22. Will & Grace (1998-2006) NBC - watched but it wasn't a must see.
21. House of Cards (2013-Present) Netflix - I watched for a while, but the news about Kevin Spacey makes it hard to come back to this.
20. Twin Peaks (1990-1991) ABC - that's some good pie.
19. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977) CBS - "I hate spunk."
18. 30 Rock (2006-2013) NBC - didn't watch
17. The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) CBS - see #73
16. Arrested Development (2003-Present) Fox, Netflix - didn't watch
15. Lost (2004-2010) ABC - Wednesday nights.
14. Modern Family (2009-Present) ABC - didn't watch
13. M*A*S*H (1972-1983) CBS - this is in my Top 10, if not Top 5
12. Sex and the City (1998-2004) HBO - didn't watch
11. The West Wing (1999-2006) NBC - likely my No. 1
10. The Simpsons (1989-Present) Fox - didn't watch
9. Mad Men (2007-2015) AMC - In my Top 5
8. I Love Lucy (1951-1957) CBS - not originally, but in reruns, yes.
7. Saturday Night Live (1975-Present) NBC - I'm not usually up that late anymore.
6. The Sopranos (1999-2007) HBO - not in its original run, but I have binged watched.
5. Seinfeld (1989-1998) NBC - not that there's anything wrong with that.
4. Game of Thrones (2011-Present) HBO - didn't watch
3. The X-Files (1993-2002) Fox - didn't watch
2. Breaking Bad (2008-2013) AMC - Like the Walking Dead, I wanted to like this, but it never grabbed me.
1. Friends (1994-2004) NBC - I have soured on this show because it is on. all. the. time.
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100. 'Eastbound and Down' 2009-13 - didn't watch
99. 'Oz' 1997-2003 - didn't watch
98. 'The Golden Girls' 1985-92
97. 'Portlandia' 2011-Present - didn't watch
96. 'Gunsmoke' 1955-75 - I was more of a Bonanza fan.
95. 'Key & Peele' 2012-15 - didn't watch
94. 'Jeopardy' 1964-1975, 1984-Present - while I watched Jeopardy, for game shows, I was more of a fan of The Price is Right and Match Game.
93. 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' 1988-99 - didn't watch
92. 'American Idol' 2001-16 - didn't watch
91. 'Broad City' 2014-Present - didn't watch
90. 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' 1961-66 - "OH, ROB!"
89. 'Homeland' 2011-Present
87. 'Doctor Who' 1963-Present
86. 'Good Times' 1974-79 - I would put this show higher.
85. 'The Real World' 1992-Present - didn't watch
84. 'Real Time With Bill Maher' 2003-Present - didn't watch
83. 'House of Cards' 2013-Present
82. 'The Jeffersons' 1975-85 - I would also put this ground breaking show higher.
81. 'Dallas' 1978-91 - And yes, I was one of the millions who watched the "Who Shot J.R. episode.
80. 'The Fugitive' 1963-67 - didn't watch but am a big fan of the movie.
79. 'In Living Color' 1990-94 - didn't watch
78. 'Thirtysomething' 1987-91 - sorry, but the title of the show was "thirtysomething."
77. 'The Walking Dead' 2010-Present
76. 'Late Night With Conan O’Brien' 1993-2009 - didn't watch
75. 'American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson' 2016 - didn't watch
74. 'The Ren & Stimpy Show' 1991-95 - didn't watch
73. 'Transparent' 2014-Present - didn't watch
72. 'Girls' 2012-Present - didn't watch
71. 'Mr. Show' 1995-98 - didn't watch
70. 'Roseanne' 1988-97
69. 'The Ed Sullivan Show' 1948-71 - didn't watch, but then again I wasn't born for most of it.
68. 'The State' 1993-95 - didn't watch
67. 'The Odd Couple' - 1970-75 - this show deserves to be higher.
66. 'Downton Abbey' 2011-16
65. 'Happy Days' 1974-84
64. 'Chappelle’s Show' 2003-06 - didn't watch
63. 'The Wonder Years' 1988-93
62. 'Sex and the City'
61. 'Your Show of Shows' 1950-57 - didn't watch
60. 'Beavis and Butt-Head' 1993-97, 2011 - didn't watch
59. 'Hill Street Blues' 1981-87
58. 'Roots' 1977 - I was also one of the millions of Americans who watched this for the entirety of when it was on.
57. 'Fawlty Towers' 1975-79
56. '24' 2001-10
55. 'Six Feet Under' 2001-05
54. 'The Muppet Show' 1976-81
53. 'The Bob Newhart Show' 1972-78
52. 'The Colbert Report' 2005-14 - didn't watch
51. 'Fargo' 2014-Present - didn't watch
50. 'ER' 1994-2009
49. 'Taxi' 1978-83
48. 'The Office (U.S.)' 2005-13
47. 'The Rockford Files' 1974-80
46. 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' 1970-77
45. 'Battlestar Galactica' 2003-09
44. 'Columbo' - 1971-78 - didn't watch
43. 'The Americans' 2013-Present
42. 'NYPD Blue' 1993-2005 - was not a big fan.
41. 'The Honeymooners' 1955-56 - in reruns, sure
40. 'The Shield' 2002-08- didn't watch
39. 'Lost' 2004-10
38. 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' 1997-2003
37. 'Orange Is the New Black' 2013-Present
36. 'Law & Order' 1990-2010
35. 'My So-Called Life' - didn't watch
34. '30 Rock' 2006-13
33. 'South Park' 1997-Present
32. 'I Love Lucy' 1951-57
31. 'Sesame Street' 1969-Present
30. 'The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson' 1962-92 - if I watched late night talk show, I always went to the Master. Then to Letterman
29. 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' 1969-74
28. 'The X-Files' 1993-2002, 2016
27. 'Arrested Development' 2003-06, 2013
26. 'Friends' 1994-2004
25. 'Veep' 2012-Present
24. 'Friday Night Lights' 2006-11
23. 'Deadwood' 2004-06 - this was a great show.
22. 'Louie' 2010-Present - didn't watch
21. 'The Office (U.K.)' 2001-03 - didn't watch
20. 'Cheers' 1982-93
19. 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' 2000-Present
18. 'Star Trek' 1966-69
17. 'Twin Peaks' 1990-91
16. 'M*A*S*H' 1972-83
15. 'The West Wing' 1999-2006
14. 'The Larry Sanders Show' 1992-98 - didn't watch
13. 'Late Night With David Letterman' 1982-2015 - see #30
12. 'Game of Thrones' 2011-Present
11. 'Freaks and Geeks' 1999-2000
10. 'The Daily Show' 1996-Present
9. 'All in the Family' 1971-79
8. 'Saturday Night Live' 1975-Present
7. 'The Twilight Zone' 1959-64
6. 'The Simpsons' 1989-Present
5. 'Seinfeld' 1989-98
4. 'Mad Men' 2007-15
3. 'Breaking Bad' 2008-13
2. 'The Wire' 2002-08
1. 'The Sopranos' 1999-2007
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Thursday, January 11, 2018
2018 New Year's Resolutions
It's been a while since I've made resolutions, possibly because I'm bad at keeping them. But you, dear reader, can hold me to these. I'm resolved to do these things this year.
- I resolve to play golf at least once a month, when conditions allow. (To that end, Mrs. BA did give me a gift certificate to play at least one round, once the ground is no longer frozen solid.)
- I resolve to go to the movies at least once a month. We do go to the movies as a family fairly often, but I would like to go to the movies (and maybe dinner) with Mrs. BA a little more regularly. LBA has reached an age where he can be trusted to watch over SoBA and they can be left for a period of time, provided we are not all that far away. I also gave Mrs. BA a movie gift card so that we can get started on this right away. We have already seen "The Last Jedi" in January, but that is not to say that we couldn't go see something else (or even see "Last Jedi" a third time).
- I resolve to not run around like a crazy person every morning as we try to get ourselves out of the house to school and work. Part of that is getting out of bed before 7:00am, part of it is going to bed at a reasonable hour (which I have been doing of late), and maybe some of it is one of these wonder products that I need to help me.
- I would like to lose some weight this year. Yes, yes, I know we all say that, but I really should do it. I'm 50 now, with a variety of ailments and aches that would be alleviated by dropping some pounds. I bought a bicycle last year that has not seen a great deal of action and it should. My FitBit tells me that I get between 6,000 and 7,000 steps a day - but I would like that number to be the 10,000 daily goal that is recommended. My goal is 20 pounds.
- I would like to be a better father to LBA and SoBA. I don't think that I'm doing an awful job - but having lost my father last year, I am reminded that it would be nice if my boys have more good memories than bad ones of me. I need to be more patient (especially with SoBA, who seems to know exactly where my buttons are that cause me to lose my mind), yell less, and be more aware of what's going on with their lives (LBA is officially a teenager now and that brings a whole host of other issues with it).
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
The Brave Astronaut Turns 50!
Today marks the day that I mark my fiftieth spin around the sun.
Here's a list, numbered one to fifty with some facts about the Brave Astronaut.
Here's a list, numbered one to fifty with some facts about the Brave Astronaut.
- Time difference (1 hour) between home and Bermuda, where the Brave Astronaut and his siblings traveled earlier this year to scatter our parents ashes, in accordance with their final wishes.
- Number of Brave Astronaut children - LBA (who turns 13 on Christmas Day) and SoBA (who turns 10! on the 30th).
- How many siblings I have - I'm the youngest.
- Number of book ideas I have in my head: one novel, one historical fiction, and two non-fiction books - I have about 200 pages of the novel written and outlines for the other three.
- The number of permanent members on the United Nations Security Council that hold veto power (the US, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom). In high school, I was a member of the Model UN Club and attended several mock UN meetings.
- The number of years between me and my next sibling.
- My house number of my home growing up.
- The number of places I have lived: Syosset, NY, Albany, NY for school (2 different dorms at the University at Albany, Poughkeepsie, NY (first an apartment, then a house), and three places in Maryland (Bethesda, Rockville, and our current home in Cheverly).
- The number of cars I have owned (I think that's right): a 1982 Mercury Zephyr, a Nissan Sentra, a Mazda 323, a Mazda 626 hatchback, a Mazda Protege, my mother's old Ford Taurus, a Volvo sedan (bought on the Internet - don't do that), a Mazda 5, and the current Brave Astronaut Clan Car - a Kia Sorento
- The number of US Presidents under which I have lived - and I hope to make it to number 11 sooner rather than later.
- The number that remains when you subtract my mother's age when she passed (76) and my father's age (87) on his death earlier this year.
- Number of emails currently in my work email box
- Number of cards in a suit of playing cards (ace-king). I enjoy playing cards, specifically a family game known as Liverpool, a contract rummy game.
- The number of years between me and my oldest sibling.
- The number of rooms, including the side porch, foyer, and attic at the Launchpad.
- In 2018, the number of years that I will have been married to Mrs. BA
- The atomic number of chlorine, which is used to keep the Cheverly Pool clean. This year, I was elected as President of the Board of the pool.
- The number of years that I have been organizing baseball outings to my national professional organization (the Society of American Archivists) - Since 1999, I have brought about 1500 archivists to 20 baseball games over the past 16 years (for three conferences there was no baseball to be had and for 4 of the meetings, we went to more than one game). In 2018, JAL Tours will be putting together the 17th Annual / 22nd Game SAA Baseball event here in Washington DC.
- The number of national professional Annual Meetings (Society of American Archivists) I have attended since becoming a professional archivist.
- The number of either elected or appointed positions that I have held or currently hold - I have been active in my profession an well as in my community.
- The number of years I have been an archivist (the Rockefeller Archive Center for 6 years, the International Monetary Fund Archives for 4 years and my current position at the National Archives for the past 11)
- Approximate number of people in the United States that share my last name - and they are all related to me.
- How many years I have been playing golf.
- The number of people in my extended family (one mother-in-law, 8 related to Mrs. BA, 7 on my side, and 4 in the Brave Astronaut Clan).
- The estimated number of primary characters in The West Wing, one of my favorite television shows of all time. Jed Bartlet is my President!
- The number of people who have not yet replied to the invitation of the Brave Astronaut Clan to our New Year's Day Open House - if you're in the neighborhood, you should come by!
- The number of states in the United States that I have visited (from west to east: CA, AZ, CO, NM, TX, LA, WI, IL, OH, AL, ME, NH, VT, MA, NY, RI, CT, NJ, PA, DE, MD, WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL)
- The age at which Billy Joel released The Stranger. Billy Joel is my favorite artist - I have seen him in concert many times.
- The track from which the Chattanooga Choo Choo departs in the song by Glenn Miller. Songs of the big band era were standard fare for me growing up at home.
- The minimum age requirement for US Senators. I considered politics as a profession.
- The number of flavors sold by Baskin-Robbins. I am a big fan of ice cream.
- How many years have passed since I graduated high school - 1985 - Go Braves!
- The number of reference requests that I have already responded to in this fiscal year, which began in October), it is my primary work responsibility.
- How old I was when I got married to Mrs. BA
- How old Mrs. BA was when she married me (until yesterday we were in that point in time when I was two years younger than Mrs. BA - her birthday is in August and we were married in May)
- The number of strikes one would have to bowl to achieve three perfect games (300-300-300). When I bowled regularly, my average was about 145.
- The approximate number of different golf courses I have played on since I began playing golf.
- The number of slots in a standard roulette wheel. I am serving again as the co-chair for my son's school's Casino Night fundraising night, in February. You should come!
- Number of active members in our local church's men's club, for which I currently serve as President.
- The number of hours in a standard work week - I work full time.
- The title of a song by Dave Matthews, one of Mrs. BA's most favorite bands. When we were first dating, I helped get her really good seats to a Dave Matthews concert at the Meadowlands
- Number of MARAC Meetings that I have attended since becoming a professional archivist
- My lowest golf score for nine holes. Now that I'm 50, I think I should play more golf. I had long ago set a goal of playing consistently in the 90s for 18 holes by the time I was 50.
- The number of characters in the novel that I have been working on, on and off, for the past 10 years or so.
- Number of emails currently in my personal email box
- The number for the next President. And that individual cannot get here soon enough.
- The P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II fighter plane. My father was constantly building models of planes, ships, figures - although he was fond of tanks, primarily.
- The number of seats available in the chapel where Mrs. BA and I got married. Naturally we invited about 85 people. Seventy showed up.
- The uniform number of Ron Guidry, longtime New York Yankees pitcher. I have loved baseball for years, played a little, watched a lot, and coached both LBA and SoBA's teams.
- Slang for the police - something I think I can say I've never run afoul of, except for speeding tickets and the occasional camera tickets.
Thursday, August 10, 2017
I'm Bored! Let's Do Something!
Welcome to the August doldrums. There's no more camp for LBA and SoBA (that will come as good news to SoBA, who did not have the greatest summer camp experience this year - not sure about LBA though). Mrs. BA and I are working on various plans to keep LBA and SoBA occupied until school starts later this month.
Here's a list from DCist of "14 Places to Go With Kids In and Around DC."
NATIONAL CAPITAL TROLLEY MUSEUM: This could be fun.
ANACOSTIA SKATING RINK: We tend toward indoor skating at the SkateZone, but this would be a different perspective.
THE FREER AND SACKLER GALLERIES: Museums are usually a good way to go when it's either too hot or raining, something it does a lot in August.
KENILWORTH PARK AND AQUATIC GARDENS: This is a popular destination from our little corner of the world. I should really go there.
NEWSEUM: Been there before and would go back - but it's always hard to reconcile paying for a museum in a town where all the museums are free.
ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL: Definitely in my top 5 of the many memorials around the city.
2 AMYS: Although I might opt for the new Pizza Paradiso that just opened closed to home.
NATIONALS PARK: We've only been to a few games so far this season - but SoBA and LBA are going to a clinic there on Saturday morning and then we are all going to the game on Saturday night.
EAST POTOMAC GOLF COURSE: I would play more golf.
BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING: This was one of my favorite stops on my 6th grade trip to DC.
DUMBARTON OAKS: A nice place to take the air, which in August can be questionable.
GRAVELLY POINT: The Clan has done this. If it's a nice day and the wind is in the right direction, you can see lots of planes and have a nice picnic by the river.
MARIAN KOSHLAND SCIENCE MUSEUM: This might be too much like school for LBA and SoBA - but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it.
Here's a list from DCist of "14 Places to Go With Kids In and Around DC."
NATIONAL CAPITAL TROLLEY MUSEUM: This could be fun.
ANACOSTIA SKATING RINK: We tend toward indoor skating at the SkateZone, but this would be a different perspective.
THE FREER AND SACKLER GALLERIES: Museums are usually a good way to go when it's either too hot or raining, something it does a lot in August.
KENILWORTH PARK AND AQUATIC GARDENS: This is a popular destination from our little corner of the world. I should really go there.
NEWSEUM: Been there before and would go back - but it's always hard to reconcile paying for a museum in a town where all the museums are free.
ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL: Definitely in my top 5 of the many memorials around the city.
2 AMYS: Although I might opt for the new Pizza Paradiso that just opened closed to home.
NATIONALS PARK: We've only been to a few games so far this season - but SoBA and LBA are going to a clinic there on Saturday morning and then we are all going to the game on Saturday night.
EAST POTOMAC GOLF COURSE: I would play more golf.
BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING: This was one of my favorite stops on my 6th grade trip to DC.
DUMBARTON OAKS: A nice place to take the air, which in August can be questionable.
GRAVELLY POINT: The Clan has done this. If it's a nice day and the wind is in the right direction, you can see lots of planes and have a nice picnic by the river.
MARIAN KOSHLAND SCIENCE MUSEUM: This might be too much like school for LBA and SoBA - but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Topping the Charts in 1985
Around this time of the month, thirty-two years ago, in 1985, the Brave Astronaut was preparing to graduate from high school (two years ago, you may recall I organized my 30th high school reunion). A week or so ago, Entertainment Weekly, put out the list of the Hot 100 Top Ten songs from June 1985.
- Bryan Adams - Heaven - I may have had a Bryan Adams thing, but I preferred the snappier stuff
- Phil Collins - Sussudio - when I arrived at the University at Albany two years later, there was a running gag that he was actually saying, "Su - su - SUNY Albany."
- Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World - the 1985 Braves were prepared to do just that.
- Prince and the Revolution - Raspberry Beret - As I noted last year, the loss of Prince was significant to me and my generation. I went to a "Purple Rain" prom in 1985 and our high school football team fight song was "Let's Go Crazy."
- Duran Duran - A View to a Kill - with the loss of Roger Moore earlier this year, another link to our high school days is lost.
- Madonna - Angel - I take every opportunity to tell LBA and SoBA that Madonna was the original Lady Gaga.
- Mary Jane Girls - In My House - I admit that when pulling this list together, I had no recollection of this song.
- Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better - perhaps an anthem for today, too?
- Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine - this was definitely one of my happy place songs. These days, it's this one.
- Survivor - The Search is Over - and so is this list.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Come on Down! You're the Next Contestant on the Price is Right!
LBA and SoBA are off from school tomorrow. It's a professional day for the faculty at the school. I am taking the day off - maybe we'll do something fun - outside. Or maybe we'll just sit around and watch TV - including the "most fabulous hour on television - the PRICE IS RIGHT!"
List from BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed comments in regular type, my comments in italics.
The Definitive Ranking Of “Price Is Right” Pricing Games
75. Double Prices: By far the worst game on The Price Is Right (henceforth referred to as TPIR). There are literally two prices given for a prize and the contestant just has to choose the correct one. There’s no cool props, generally no big prize on offer, and no need for the contestant to do much of anything besides stand and smile dumbly as they take their 50/50 shot at some mediocre winnings. NEVER AGAIN, TPIR. NEVER AGAIN. The Brave Astronaut agrees, though I haven't seen this game - but it sounds boring
74. Switch?: What a fun little question mark on the end of this one’s name. I like to imagine it being pronounced by a middle-aged gentleman who is utterly taken aback by the possibility of the two prices being incorrect. “Swiiiitch???” The game itself sucks, though. Sorry, generic middle-aged man who only exists in my head. Also not a lot to this game
73. One Right Price: Another game that basically boils down to, “Hey, there’s two prices, so…choose the right one.” That’s what the game is even called. One Right Price. Step up the creativity, guys.
72. One Wrong Price: The inverse of One Right Price, except now there are three prizes to choose from instead of two. The extra prize makes this game just slightly less blah. It’s still really damn blah, but…not quite as much.
71. Pick a Number: Literally what it says. The price is missing a number. You pick that number.
70. Most Expensive: There are three prizes. Shockingly, one costs more than the other two. Can you deduce which one it is?
69. Flip Flop: Flip Flop? More like THIS GAME IS A FLOP. Although I will say I've seen this game before and it least has some tension.
68. Side by Side: Very similar to Flip Flop, but it’s a little more fun to watch because the way the numbers move is kind of cool. But still, boring
67. Coming or Going: Another game from the “just give us these two sets of numbers in the correct fashion” playbook. It’s the best of the bunch because it’s actually really fun watching as the numbers cascade from side to side while the contestant is trying to make up his or her mind.
66. Squeeze Play: Similar-ish to Pick a Number, except now you need to pick a number to get rid of. Still boring and ridiculously simple to play, but the sound effects as the remaining numbers squeeze into place are kind of ~cool~. I would agree with this - this game was and is one of my favorites
65. Bargain Game (formerly Barker’s Bargain Bar): The game itself probably deserves to be a tad bit lower on this list — it’s just a matter of choosing which given price is more below the actual retail price. But because this game originated as Barker’s Bargain Bar, the aura of Bob Barker has lifted it up a few spots higher in the rankings. Any game that originates with Grandpa Bob deserves better.
64. Do the Math: Math? LOL NO THANKS! The interactive chalkboard-y thing is real cool, though, so…props for that prop. Math is Hard.
63. Freeze Frame: The design of the game’s name makes you think it’s going to be 10 times more interesting than it really is. Look at it — kind of reminds you of something out of a comic book. Like, “Freeze Frame, a battle between good and evil, as the villainous Dr. Ice attempts to freeze out the world. Only you can bring the heat back and save the universe!” And then you realize that no, you’re actually just choosing two sets of numbers that make up the price of the prize. Dr. Ice wins again.
62. Double Cross: Like Do the Math, this is another game made MUCH more interesting by the electronic screen on which it’s played. Look at those bright colors and the cool X shape and all that good stuff. That’s some good electronic screen action. This is a newish game, which I have never seen.
61. Balance Game: It’s like the scales of justice, except instead of human rights and freedom and all that, it’s about lackluster vacations to overpriced resort towns.
60. Hi Lo: Is this a good game? No. But at least the contestant has to try to figure out multiple prices rather than just choose between two options like some other games. I think this is one of the original games - it deserves a better ranking.
59. Push Over: Push Over: a game on TPIR. Also, a person who gets this game and pretends to enjoy it so as not to anger Drew Carey.
58. Swap Meet: Swap Meet conjures up images of PTA parents getting together to trade in their old silverware in exchange for a cozy sweater or some shit like that. This Swap Meet is not that. It’s just attempting to swap one item out for another of the same price. Really the only reason it’s ranked this highly is because of the ~FuNkY~ color of the set.
57. Shopping Spree: Seems like a game that would be tons of fun, right? A shopping spree! Who doesn’t love those? Well, when the spree is limited to four so-so items, it’s not quite as exciting. The best part of this game is when the contestant somehow thinks that a couple of handbags is for sure more expensive than a gigantic plasma television and then gets SHUT DOWN by Drew.
56. Step Up: Would be better with a companion game called 2 Tha Streets but you work with what you’ve got.
55. Lucky Seven: Real talk: Lucky Seven is the worst game that offers up a car as the prize. Why? Because it’s fucking hard. These people are basically just guessing prices blind without any of the fun hints or mini prize opportunities that so many other games come with. There isn’t even a cool set to help spice things up — it’s just a big board that reveals numbers one by one. The only reason Lucky Seven is even ranked this high is that the excitement factor of having a car as the grand prize helps keep the tension high. I've always enjoyed this game - especially when Barker used to tell the winners if they had money left over, they could buy gas for their new car. Back then, they could actually get somewhere with a couple of bucks.
54. Danger Price: This game would be SO much better if the contestant was forced to traverse a set of laser wires in pursuit of their goal, but I guess that’s not the kind of “danger” being referred to here. Still, for such a simple game, it’s weirdly addicting watching the pieces on the board rotate to reveal their prices.
53. Take Two: This game should be way more boring than it is. The contestant literally just has to choose two items, out of four, that add up to a given dollar amount. It’s wicked simple. But for some reason, those fun ’70s-style asterisks are enough to bring this game up a bit in the rankings.
52. Grand Game: As a kid, I always thought this game was way more exciting than I now do. $10,000 seemed like such a huge sum of money, and it was always portrayed as one of the higher-stakes games because of that. But then you realize that half the games out there are giving away cash and cars worth way more than $10,000, and Grand Game loses most of its luster. The residual nostalgia is what brings this game to number 52 on the list.
51. 2 For the Price of 1: Yet another relatively boring game saved by a set piece that is way more fun than it has any right to be.
50. Bonus Game: More asterisks = another solid game option. It’s not too complex, to be certain, but the addition of a bit of luck into this one ratchets up the excitement. Also, I think one of the older games and I like the suspense
49. Five Price Tags: Because this game is played for a car, it gets an automatic bump in the rankings. The game itself is pretty dull, though. Any game that mostly just involves choosing the correct price among many given options is never all that intriguing, no matter how many price tags they add to the equation.
48. Gas Money: There’s some interesting Americana at play here, with a set and name that does just enough to evoke the aura of Route 66 and the colorful Southwestern sky. But, when it comes down to it, this is just another “choose the price from among a group of prices” game. Sure, there’s a chance to win some cash thrown in, but…
47. Bullseye: A game that seems way more complicated than it actually is, and offers quite a few chances to win the grand prize. You don’t have to hit the bullseye to win, just get on the board and then hope that the grocery item that got you there offers up the victory. Sometimes these “multiple chances” games are great. But this one is almost like two games in one, except the second game is 100% luck. I have always been a fan of the grocery games
46. 1/2 Off: It’s just fun to watch a whole pile of money come cascading out of a small box, honestly.
45. Easy as 1 2 3: The game is very similar to a bunch that have been listed above, but this one comes with numbered blocks as props. And everyone knows that regressing back to childhood via the use of oversized blocks is SO in this season.
44. Line ‘Em Up: Another one of those “why do I enjoy this stupid game so much” kind of games. There’s literally no reason it should be as entertaining as it is. No reason. But here we are.
43. Magic Number: It’s all about dat sound effect.
42. Check Out: A solid game brought down by the fact that it reminds you of how you need to go shopping for dinner later even though you’ve only got $17 in your bank account right now.
41. More or Less: What a ~unique~ ’60s-inspired font!
40. Safe Crackers: Safe Crackers is one of those games that looks INFINITY TIMES better than it actually is. You except some kind of super-sleuthing, James Bond-style intrigue. Instead, you’ve just got people putting a couple numbers in order and then trying to open a comically oversize door. Why, Safe Crackers, must you make promises you can’t keep? This game would probably be in my Top 10 or 20
39. Pick a Pair: A strikingly simple game — choose two items that cost the same as each other! — paired with the fact that the contestant is given multiple choices to win makes this a game that is easy to watch, even if it never completely stirs the imagination.
38. Pay the Rent: A relatively new game, and one that offers one of the larger (if not largest) cash prizes among any of the TPIR games. The major con here is that the name of the game just reminds you how much damn money you throw away each month on rent.
37. Shell Game: A variation on one of the most classic games of chance of all time, TPIR’s version of this gambler’s temptation throws a couple pricing questions into the mix but otherwise remains pretty similar. When you stack it up against some of the other pricing games on the show, though, you realize that even the classics aren’t necessarily infallible. And Barker did it better
36. Triple Play: Lots of cars on offer, which is an automatic bonus. Otherwise, not all that great.
35. Bonkers: Because it’s always fun watching people run around, frantically mashing large tokens against a board.
34. Card Game: This game has a bit of everything — there’s a car to be won, a bit of strategy at play, and oversize props. But too often this game ends with the contestant getting the card that allows them to just name their final price right then and there, which negates everything else about the game. I always liked this game, too. But if that "new" card is now part of the game, I agree, it takes the fun out of it.
33. Check Game: OVERSIZE NOVELTY CHECKS FTW. again, when Barker would give out the check and tall them they could only cash it backstage, classic.
32. It’s in the Bag: One of those games that really isn’t that great, but feels more enjoyable than it is because of its ubiquity. You become so used to watching as those faux-crinkled-bags descend to reveal the item within that the process becomes almost soothing.
31. Make Your Move: Whenever this game is played, I like to think about how much oil is used in between appearances to ensure that the track upon which the multicolored signs slide remains as slick as ever. Then I imagine just taking the signs and pushing them around wildly for no reason at all other than to experience the soothing glide of a well-oiled track.
30. Grocery Game: This game requires a surprising amount of skill — five grocery items are put in front of you, and you just have to come up with whatever combination of the five you think will put you within the (relatively small) price range required to win. The intrigue comes from the fact that there are so many different ways this game can be played; the contestant is give numerous paths to follow, and it’s always intriguing to see which one he or she follows. But then some idiot chooses like, 12 boxes of cookies and goes WAY overboard and you realize just how frustrating all that freedom can be. Again, the grocery games are definitely my favorites.
29. Temptation: There really isn’t much temptation here, despite the name. It’s not like the contestant is given a new offer to walk away each time, increasing as they get closer and closer to winning the car. Either way, it’s strangely enthralling watching Drew Carey hit the little buttons that reveal the actual numbers in the price of the car.
28. Golden Road: I used to think this game was THE BEST. I mean, there’s gold, and a road, which makes it seem like the game will be a long journey through a land of riches and mystery. But then the reality of the game appeared to me as I grew older. The golden road itself is all flash, no substance. The real game is just choosing one of the given numbers to complete the price of the prize at hand — not anything really different from many lesser pricing games. Still, the nostalgia I feel for the Golden Road keeps it ranked in the top 30.
27. Clock Game: Race-against-the-clock games are always enjoyable because they expose the true strength (or weakness) of the human spirit under pressure. This is a clock game distilled to its very essence — I mean, it’s literally called the Clock Game. And so while the contestant might simply be standing still the entire game, there’s a certain energy and pace to this one that infuses it will just enough je ne sais quoi. The quiet tones of Barker calling higher and lower were always soothing.
26. Cover Up: The real fun here comes from the fact that the contestant is given multiple chances to win the prize. Get just one number right, and you can continue. And since there are so many opportunities possible here, it’s one of the best games for playing along at home.
25. Money Game: Am I completely and utterly taken in by the little drawing of the car that the contestants must try to uncover? Yes. Why do I find it so great? Unclear. Just let it happen. And I remember watching when there wasn't a space in the middle, yep, I'm old.
24. Pass the Buck: The setup for the main part of the game is fine — choosing which of two items is priced a dollar too low. But once the contestant reaches the main board and must face the possibility of hitting a “lose everything,” the tension reaches a new level. This is a game with multiple ways to win, and even if the contestant doesn’t get the car, there is still just about as much money on offer as a “consolation prize” as there is total for some other pricing games.
23. Now…or Then: A history lesson and a pricing game all wrapped into one. What a fun look back into the past, when times were simpler and we weren’t paying absurd amounts of money for basic products.
22. Stack the Deck: Perhaps seems better than it actually is because it looks like one big card game. And unlike the Card Game, this one doesn’t have any crazy circumstances in which the point of the game is basically rendered null in one fell swoop.
21. Time Is Money: This one’s got a countdown clock, but instead of counting down time, it counts down money. And as each dollar ticks away, the excitement level starts ticking upward.
20. Any Number: When a game offers such a HUGE distance between its top prize and lowest prize, it feels like so much more is at stake. And perhaps no game represents this better than Any Number. You can either walk away with a car, or with barely enough to cover the cost of a cheap meal at the deli down the street. And with such a simple structure to follow, this game makes for incredibly good viewing. I always used to root for the piggy bank.
19. Pocket Change: I really like the games where they have to pick envelopes off a board at random
18. Race Game: A race against the clock, plus a person sprinting around and looking goofy, plus four different prizes up for grabs, makes for a successful game. One of my Top 10 - it goes up a notch when the contestant wipes out.
17. That’s Too Much: If only because it’s fun to watch as the host forces contestants to scream, “That’s too much!” with way more fervor than any person has the right to say those words.
16. Range Game: Who knows if the Range Game machine really takes as long to reset as they keep claiming. But there’s something about that fact — the idea that this is a special moment that comes around rarely, so it should be cherished — that is utterly endearing. I, too, love the explanation about they can't restart the game
15. Dice Game: As Beyoncé says, “Man it feel like rollin’ dice, man this feel like rollin’ dice.” I always wanted them to give the dice to hang from the mirror of the new car.
14. One Away: In times past, Bob Barker requested that contestants kindly ask the “ladies” if they have at least X amount of numbers right. Now, with Drew Carey, it’s just “sound effects lady” who is in charge. Where have the other ladies gone? Do they no longer have the ability to crosscheck the price of the car against the contestant’s given price?
13. Let ‘em Roll: As with the Dice Game, watching people roll dice is strangely enthralling. And the model-cum-croupier watching with her oversize stick at the ready makes this feel like a true ~Vegas~ game.
12. Secret “X”: SECRETS AND HIDDEN THINGS AND TIC TAC TOE YES PLEASE.
11. Switcheroo: If only because saying “Switcheroo” is hilariously enjoyable.
10. Pathfinder: You know in the first Harry Potter when Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to play as pieces on a life-size chess board, and you’re like, “Wait, being a human game piece actually looks kind of cool,” until you realize they are going to be violently attacked by the non-human pieces and it all starts to seem way too dangerous for kids to be participating in? This is kind of like that, but safer and with a car at the end. This game is in the right slot.
9. Punch a Bunch: The vicarious power you feel as a contestant slams their first through those small money holes is INCREDIBLE. "And be sure not to pull the paper out that is inside."
8. Rat Race: No, not the seminal (read: not seminal) 2001 film, but a game played with actual (robotic) rats. And while the outcome is clearly predetermined by producers, it’s still fun to watch and pretend that the little rats are actually real and fiercely competing for glory.
7. Spelling Bee: Again, my predilection for games involving pulling random slips off of a large board helps raise this game in the rankings. Plus, spelling bees are fun.
6. Ten Chances: Alternately one of the most exhilarating and most frustrating games on offer, there’s just something special about Ten Chances. And it combines watching the host hit small buttons with the fun of sliding little signs along a well-oiled track, so obviously I can’t resist. And the game requires relatively good penmanship, which is a lost art.
5. Three Strikes: Is this game actually anything like baseball? No. But does it do its darndest to make the most out of the comparison with fun props and the like? Hell yeah.
4. Hole in One: An all-time classic. Combines the fun of a regular pricing game with the tension of watching a golf tournament. OK, maybe more like watching your relatives play mini-golf, but still. The combination of shopping savvy and golfing skills needed to succeed at this game means that it is never dull, and even a contestant who has studied all of the prices of items usually on offer by TPIR obsessively won’t be guaranteed a win. That kind of uncertainty adds just the right amount of tension. when Barker would always make that first putt (and make the contestant hold his mike - perfect
3. Master Key: What is it about watching people turning fake keys in comically large fake locks that makes for good television?
2. Cliff Hangers: Ugh, SO MANY TIMES have I wanted to be able to reach into the TV screen and just grab a hold of the little yodeling climber and shake him and say, “DO YOU NOT SEE YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO CERTAIN DEATH? TURN AROUND, ALL YE WHO CLIMB HERE.” And yet, watching that poor guy plummet over the edge is one of the most iconic moments you can have on TPIR. A simply glorious game. The yodeling song would push this down a few notches for me.
1. Plinko: Is there any universe in which Plinko would not be the number one game on TPIR? Plinko is THE ultimate symbol of TPIR, and even though the top prize isn’t as high as some of the other pricing games, Plinko remains the one game that EVERYBODY wants to play. I mean, they even did an entire Plinko-only episode, for crying out loud. Congratulations, Plinko, on your literal perfection. We are not worthy.
List from BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed comments in regular type, my comments in italics.
The Definitive Ranking Of “Price Is Right” Pricing Games
75. Double Prices: By far the worst game on The Price Is Right (henceforth referred to as TPIR). There are literally two prices given for a prize and the contestant just has to choose the correct one. There’s no cool props, generally no big prize on offer, and no need for the contestant to do much of anything besides stand and smile dumbly as they take their 50/50 shot at some mediocre winnings. NEVER AGAIN, TPIR. NEVER AGAIN. The Brave Astronaut agrees, though I haven't seen this game - but it sounds boring
74. Switch?: What a fun little question mark on the end of this one’s name. I like to imagine it being pronounced by a middle-aged gentleman who is utterly taken aback by the possibility of the two prices being incorrect. “Swiiiitch???” The game itself sucks, though. Sorry, generic middle-aged man who only exists in my head. Also not a lot to this game
73. One Right Price: Another game that basically boils down to, “Hey, there’s two prices, so…choose the right one.” That’s what the game is even called. One Right Price. Step up the creativity, guys.
72. One Wrong Price: The inverse of One Right Price, except now there are three prizes to choose from instead of two. The extra prize makes this game just slightly less blah. It’s still really damn blah, but…not quite as much.
71. Pick a Number: Literally what it says. The price is missing a number. You pick that number.
70. Most Expensive: There are three prizes. Shockingly, one costs more than the other two. Can you deduce which one it is?
69. Flip Flop: Flip Flop? More like THIS GAME IS A FLOP. Although I will say I've seen this game before and it least has some tension.
68. Side by Side: Very similar to Flip Flop, but it’s a little more fun to watch because the way the numbers move is kind of cool. But still, boring
67. Coming or Going: Another game from the “just give us these two sets of numbers in the correct fashion” playbook. It’s the best of the bunch because it’s actually really fun watching as the numbers cascade from side to side while the contestant is trying to make up his or her mind.
66. Squeeze Play: Similar-ish to Pick a Number, except now you need to pick a number to get rid of. Still boring and ridiculously simple to play, but the sound effects as the remaining numbers squeeze into place are kind of ~cool~. I would agree with this - this game was and is one of my favorites
65. Bargain Game (formerly Barker’s Bargain Bar): The game itself probably deserves to be a tad bit lower on this list — it’s just a matter of choosing which given price is more below the actual retail price. But because this game originated as Barker’s Bargain Bar, the aura of Bob Barker has lifted it up a few spots higher in the rankings. Any game that originates with Grandpa Bob deserves better.
64. Do the Math: Math? LOL NO THANKS! The interactive chalkboard-y thing is real cool, though, so…props for that prop. Math is Hard.
63. Freeze Frame: The design of the game’s name makes you think it’s going to be 10 times more interesting than it really is. Look at it — kind of reminds you of something out of a comic book. Like, “Freeze Frame, a battle between good and evil, as the villainous Dr. Ice attempts to freeze out the world. Only you can bring the heat back and save the universe!” And then you realize that no, you’re actually just choosing two sets of numbers that make up the price of the prize. Dr. Ice wins again.
62. Double Cross: Like Do the Math, this is another game made MUCH more interesting by the electronic screen on which it’s played. Look at those bright colors and the cool X shape and all that good stuff. That’s some good electronic screen action. This is a newish game, which I have never seen.
61. Balance Game: It’s like the scales of justice, except instead of human rights and freedom and all that, it’s about lackluster vacations to overpriced resort towns.
60. Hi Lo: Is this a good game? No. But at least the contestant has to try to figure out multiple prices rather than just choose between two options like some other games. I think this is one of the original games - it deserves a better ranking.
59. Push Over: Push Over: a game on TPIR. Also, a person who gets this game and pretends to enjoy it so as not to anger Drew Carey.
58. Swap Meet: Swap Meet conjures up images of PTA parents getting together to trade in their old silverware in exchange for a cozy sweater or some shit like that. This Swap Meet is not that. It’s just attempting to swap one item out for another of the same price. Really the only reason it’s ranked this highly is because of the ~FuNkY~ color of the set.
57. Shopping Spree: Seems like a game that would be tons of fun, right? A shopping spree! Who doesn’t love those? Well, when the spree is limited to four so-so items, it’s not quite as exciting. The best part of this game is when the contestant somehow thinks that a couple of handbags is for sure more expensive than a gigantic plasma television and then gets SHUT DOWN by Drew.
56. Step Up: Would be better with a companion game called 2 Tha Streets but you work with what you’ve got.
55. Lucky Seven: Real talk: Lucky Seven is the worst game that offers up a car as the prize. Why? Because it’s fucking hard. These people are basically just guessing prices blind without any of the fun hints or mini prize opportunities that so many other games come with. There isn’t even a cool set to help spice things up — it’s just a big board that reveals numbers one by one. The only reason Lucky Seven is even ranked this high is that the excitement factor of having a car as the grand prize helps keep the tension high. I've always enjoyed this game - especially when Barker used to tell the winners if they had money left over, they could buy gas for their new car. Back then, they could actually get somewhere with a couple of bucks.
54. Danger Price: This game would be SO much better if the contestant was forced to traverse a set of laser wires in pursuit of their goal, but I guess that’s not the kind of “danger” being referred to here. Still, for such a simple game, it’s weirdly addicting watching the pieces on the board rotate to reveal their prices.
53. Take Two: This game should be way more boring than it is. The contestant literally just has to choose two items, out of four, that add up to a given dollar amount. It’s wicked simple. But for some reason, those fun ’70s-style asterisks are enough to bring this game up a bit in the rankings.
52. Grand Game: As a kid, I always thought this game was way more exciting than I now do. $10,000 seemed like such a huge sum of money, and it was always portrayed as one of the higher-stakes games because of that. But then you realize that half the games out there are giving away cash and cars worth way more than $10,000, and Grand Game loses most of its luster. The residual nostalgia is what brings this game to number 52 on the list.
51. 2 For the Price of 1: Yet another relatively boring game saved by a set piece that is way more fun than it has any right to be.
50. Bonus Game: More asterisks = another solid game option. It’s not too complex, to be certain, but the addition of a bit of luck into this one ratchets up the excitement. Also, I think one of the older games and I like the suspense
49. Five Price Tags: Because this game is played for a car, it gets an automatic bump in the rankings. The game itself is pretty dull, though. Any game that mostly just involves choosing the correct price among many given options is never all that intriguing, no matter how many price tags they add to the equation.
48. Gas Money: There’s some interesting Americana at play here, with a set and name that does just enough to evoke the aura of Route 66 and the colorful Southwestern sky. But, when it comes down to it, this is just another “choose the price from among a group of prices” game. Sure, there’s a chance to win some cash thrown in, but…
47. Bullseye: A game that seems way more complicated than it actually is, and offers quite a few chances to win the grand prize. You don’t have to hit the bullseye to win, just get on the board and then hope that the grocery item that got you there offers up the victory. Sometimes these “multiple chances” games are great. But this one is almost like two games in one, except the second game is 100% luck. I have always been a fan of the grocery games
46. 1/2 Off: It’s just fun to watch a whole pile of money come cascading out of a small box, honestly.
45. Easy as 1 2 3: The game is very similar to a bunch that have been listed above, but this one comes with numbered blocks as props. And everyone knows that regressing back to childhood via the use of oversized blocks is SO in this season.
44. Line ‘Em Up: Another one of those “why do I enjoy this stupid game so much” kind of games. There’s literally no reason it should be as entertaining as it is. No reason. But here we are.
43. Magic Number: It’s all about dat sound effect.
42. Check Out: A solid game brought down by the fact that it reminds you of how you need to go shopping for dinner later even though you’ve only got $17 in your bank account right now.
41. More or Less: What a ~unique~ ’60s-inspired font!
40. Safe Crackers: Safe Crackers is one of those games that looks INFINITY TIMES better than it actually is. You except some kind of super-sleuthing, James Bond-style intrigue. Instead, you’ve just got people putting a couple numbers in order and then trying to open a comically oversize door. Why, Safe Crackers, must you make promises you can’t keep? This game would probably be in my Top 10 or 20
39. Pick a Pair: A strikingly simple game — choose two items that cost the same as each other! — paired with the fact that the contestant is given multiple choices to win makes this a game that is easy to watch, even if it never completely stirs the imagination.
38. Pay the Rent: A relatively new game, and one that offers one of the larger (if not largest) cash prizes among any of the TPIR games. The major con here is that the name of the game just reminds you how much damn money you throw away each month on rent.
37. Shell Game: A variation on one of the most classic games of chance of all time, TPIR’s version of this gambler’s temptation throws a couple pricing questions into the mix but otherwise remains pretty similar. When you stack it up against some of the other pricing games on the show, though, you realize that even the classics aren’t necessarily infallible. And Barker did it better
36. Triple Play: Lots of cars on offer, which is an automatic bonus. Otherwise, not all that great.
35. Bonkers: Because it’s always fun watching people run around, frantically mashing large tokens against a board.
34. Card Game: This game has a bit of everything — there’s a car to be won, a bit of strategy at play, and oversize props. But too often this game ends with the contestant getting the card that allows them to just name their final price right then and there, which negates everything else about the game. I always liked this game, too. But if that "new" card is now part of the game, I agree, it takes the fun out of it.
33. Check Game: OVERSIZE NOVELTY CHECKS FTW. again, when Barker would give out the check and tall them they could only cash it backstage, classic.
32. It’s in the Bag: One of those games that really isn’t that great, but feels more enjoyable than it is because of its ubiquity. You become so used to watching as those faux-crinkled-bags descend to reveal the item within that the process becomes almost soothing.
31. Make Your Move: Whenever this game is played, I like to think about how much oil is used in between appearances to ensure that the track upon which the multicolored signs slide remains as slick as ever. Then I imagine just taking the signs and pushing them around wildly for no reason at all other than to experience the soothing glide of a well-oiled track.
30. Grocery Game: This game requires a surprising amount of skill — five grocery items are put in front of you, and you just have to come up with whatever combination of the five you think will put you within the (relatively small) price range required to win. The intrigue comes from the fact that there are so many different ways this game can be played; the contestant is give numerous paths to follow, and it’s always intriguing to see which one he or she follows. But then some idiot chooses like, 12 boxes of cookies and goes WAY overboard and you realize just how frustrating all that freedom can be. Again, the grocery games are definitely my favorites.
29. Temptation: There really isn’t much temptation here, despite the name. It’s not like the contestant is given a new offer to walk away each time, increasing as they get closer and closer to winning the car. Either way, it’s strangely enthralling watching Drew Carey hit the little buttons that reveal the actual numbers in the price of the car.
28. Golden Road: I used to think this game was THE BEST. I mean, there’s gold, and a road, which makes it seem like the game will be a long journey through a land of riches and mystery. But then the reality of the game appeared to me as I grew older. The golden road itself is all flash, no substance. The real game is just choosing one of the given numbers to complete the price of the prize at hand — not anything really different from many lesser pricing games. Still, the nostalgia I feel for the Golden Road keeps it ranked in the top 30.
27. Clock Game: Race-against-the-clock games are always enjoyable because they expose the true strength (or weakness) of the human spirit under pressure. This is a clock game distilled to its very essence — I mean, it’s literally called the Clock Game. And so while the contestant might simply be standing still the entire game, there’s a certain energy and pace to this one that infuses it will just enough je ne sais quoi. The quiet tones of Barker calling higher and lower were always soothing.
26. Cover Up: The real fun here comes from the fact that the contestant is given multiple chances to win the prize. Get just one number right, and you can continue. And since there are so many opportunities possible here, it’s one of the best games for playing along at home.
25. Money Game: Am I completely and utterly taken in by the little drawing of the car that the contestants must try to uncover? Yes. Why do I find it so great? Unclear. Just let it happen. And I remember watching when there wasn't a space in the middle, yep, I'm old.
24. Pass the Buck: The setup for the main part of the game is fine — choosing which of two items is priced a dollar too low. But once the contestant reaches the main board and must face the possibility of hitting a “lose everything,” the tension reaches a new level. This is a game with multiple ways to win, and even if the contestant doesn’t get the car, there is still just about as much money on offer as a “consolation prize” as there is total for some other pricing games.
23. Now…or Then: A history lesson and a pricing game all wrapped into one. What a fun look back into the past, when times were simpler and we weren’t paying absurd amounts of money for basic products.
22. Stack the Deck: Perhaps seems better than it actually is because it looks like one big card game. And unlike the Card Game, this one doesn’t have any crazy circumstances in which the point of the game is basically rendered null in one fell swoop.
21. Time Is Money: This one’s got a countdown clock, but instead of counting down time, it counts down money. And as each dollar ticks away, the excitement level starts ticking upward.
20. Any Number: When a game offers such a HUGE distance between its top prize and lowest prize, it feels like so much more is at stake. And perhaps no game represents this better than Any Number. You can either walk away with a car, or with barely enough to cover the cost of a cheap meal at the deli down the street. And with such a simple structure to follow, this game makes for incredibly good viewing. I always used to root for the piggy bank.
19. Pocket Change: I really like the games where they have to pick envelopes off a board at random
18. Race Game: A race against the clock, plus a person sprinting around and looking goofy, plus four different prizes up for grabs, makes for a successful game. One of my Top 10 - it goes up a notch when the contestant wipes out.
17. That’s Too Much: If only because it’s fun to watch as the host forces contestants to scream, “That’s too much!” with way more fervor than any person has the right to say those words.
16. Range Game: Who knows if the Range Game machine really takes as long to reset as they keep claiming. But there’s something about that fact — the idea that this is a special moment that comes around rarely, so it should be cherished — that is utterly endearing. I, too, love the explanation about they can't restart the game
15. Dice Game: As Beyoncé says, “Man it feel like rollin’ dice, man this feel like rollin’ dice.” I always wanted them to give the dice to hang from the mirror of the new car.
14. One Away: In times past, Bob Barker requested that contestants kindly ask the “ladies” if they have at least X amount of numbers right. Now, with Drew Carey, it’s just “sound effects lady” who is in charge. Where have the other ladies gone? Do they no longer have the ability to crosscheck the price of the car against the contestant’s given price?
13. Let ‘em Roll: As with the Dice Game, watching people roll dice is strangely enthralling. And the model-cum-croupier watching with her oversize stick at the ready makes this feel like a true ~Vegas~ game.
12. Secret “X”: SECRETS AND HIDDEN THINGS AND TIC TAC TOE YES PLEASE.
11. Switcheroo: If only because saying “Switcheroo” is hilariously enjoyable.
10. Pathfinder: You know in the first Harry Potter when Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to play as pieces on a life-size chess board, and you’re like, “Wait, being a human game piece actually looks kind of cool,” until you realize they are going to be violently attacked by the non-human pieces and it all starts to seem way too dangerous for kids to be participating in? This is kind of like that, but safer and with a car at the end. This game is in the right slot.
9. Punch a Bunch: The vicarious power you feel as a contestant slams their first through those small money holes is INCREDIBLE. "And be sure not to pull the paper out that is inside."
8. Rat Race: No, not the seminal (read: not seminal) 2001 film, but a game played with actual (robotic) rats. And while the outcome is clearly predetermined by producers, it’s still fun to watch and pretend that the little rats are actually real and fiercely competing for glory.
7. Spelling Bee: Again, my predilection for games involving pulling random slips off of a large board helps raise this game in the rankings. Plus, spelling bees are fun.
6. Ten Chances: Alternately one of the most exhilarating and most frustrating games on offer, there’s just something special about Ten Chances. And it combines watching the host hit small buttons with the fun of sliding little signs along a well-oiled track, so obviously I can’t resist. And the game requires relatively good penmanship, which is a lost art.
5. Three Strikes: Is this game actually anything like baseball? No. But does it do its darndest to make the most out of the comparison with fun props and the like? Hell yeah.
4. Hole in One: An all-time classic. Combines the fun of a regular pricing game with the tension of watching a golf tournament. OK, maybe more like watching your relatives play mini-golf, but still. The combination of shopping savvy and golfing skills needed to succeed at this game means that it is never dull, and even a contestant who has studied all of the prices of items usually on offer by TPIR obsessively won’t be guaranteed a win. That kind of uncertainty adds just the right amount of tension. when Barker would always make that first putt (and make the contestant hold his mike - perfect
3. Master Key: What is it about watching people turning fake keys in comically large fake locks that makes for good television?
2. Cliff Hangers: Ugh, SO MANY TIMES have I wanted to be able to reach into the TV screen and just grab a hold of the little yodeling climber and shake him and say, “DO YOU NOT SEE YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO CERTAIN DEATH? TURN AROUND, ALL YE WHO CLIMB HERE.” And yet, watching that poor guy plummet over the edge is one of the most iconic moments you can have on TPIR. A simply glorious game. The yodeling song would push this down a few notches for me.
1. Plinko: Is there any universe in which Plinko would not be the number one game on TPIR? Plinko is THE ultimate symbol of TPIR, and even though the top prize isn’t as high as some of the other pricing games, Plinko remains the one game that EVERYBODY wants to play. I mean, they even did an entire Plinko-only episode, for crying out loud. Congratulations, Plinko, on your literal perfection. We are not worthy.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Lighthouses
The Brave Astronaut has a thing for lighthouses. In fact on our recent trip to Legoland, I may have bought this. As we all seek shelter in a port away from the storm - here are some lighthouse photos to soothe you.
Or maybe you're looking to get away from it all - and you want to go and live in a lighthouse? It may not be the life you think it is. Read more here.
If you live here in the DMV, maybe you'd like to visit some of the local lights. Here's a list.
- Turkey Point Lighthouse - Elk Neck State Park 4395 Turkey Point Rd., North East, MD 21901: The 35-foot-tall tower was built in 1833 to direct ships along the Elk River toward the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Perched atop a 100-foot cliff, the lighthouse remains the highest beacon on the bay. Its light can be seen for 13 miles. Another thing that sets Turkey Point apart is that four of the keepers were women, which was remarkable for an era when the physical labor and extreme isolation were seen as conditions only tolerable for a man. The last keeper, Fannie Mae Salter, was appointed after the death of her husband in 1925. In her early 40s, she initially was told she was too old for the job. It wasn't until President Calvin Coolidge stepped in that Salter was allowed to stay. She went on to serve until her retirement in the late 1940s - a feat that earned her the title of last civilian female keeper in the country. The light was automated in 1948 and now runs completely on solar energy. In the spring of 2007 the stairs were rebuilt in the same way they were in 1833, and visitors can climb to the top for a spectacular view. Interesting fact: The cliffs around the lighthouse appeared in Clint Eastwood's 1997 film "Absolute Power."
- Concord Point Lighthouse 100 Lafayette St., Havre de Grace, MD 21078: This 36-foot-tall tower of granite, with three-foot-thick walls at its base to the 27 steps in the spiral staircase, is not the quaint striped beacon many think of when they romantically picture a lighthouse. But it's absolutely worth a visit. The tower was built by John Donahoo, a legend among Chesapeake Bay lighthouse lovers: He is responsible for building 12 lighthouses on the bay, including Concord Point in his home town of Havre de Grace in 1827. His lighthouse was built to mark the entrance to the Susquehanna River. Despite Donahoo's request to be keeper, the honor went to War of 1812 hero John O'Neill. The responsibility was kept within the family with O'Neill's son, daughter-in-law, grandson and great-grandson each tending the light. The keepers' residence, 200 feet from the tower, went through several reincarnations during its history, including stints as a bar and restaurant. It went through a renovation in 1990 to restore it to its 1884 glory and now serves as a museum and gift shop. Interesting fact: The current light comes from a 100-watt bulb.
- Seven Foot Lighthouse S. President Street and Eastern Avenue, Pier 5, Baltimore, MD 21202: Seven Foot Knoll is a screw-pile lighthouse, meaning it was suspended above water on long cast-iron pilings screwed into the sea floor. It was built from 1855 to 1856 at the mouth of the Patapsco River and named for the shoal that it marked. Approachable only by boat, it also served as a home for the keeper and two assistants. So how did the bright red, 220-ton circular goliath end up on a pier in Baltimore? After the light was automated in the late 1940s, the structure succumbed to the elements and was retired. The Coast Guard donated the structure to the city, and in 1988, over the course of two days, Seven Foot Knoll was moved to its present location. Original features have been preserved, while interpretive exhibits have been added. Visitors can climb to the watch room (ladder access to the beacon is restricted) and take in a view that includes Federal Hill, the Domino Sugar factory and boats docked in the harbor.
- Lightship 116 Chesapeake E. Pratt Street and S. Gay Street, Pier 3, Baltimore, MD 21202: The Lightship Chesapeake is docked at pier 3, near the Seven-Foot Knoll lighthouse. First used in 1930, the ship was a movable aide used to direct maritime traffic everywhere from Fenwick Island Shoal in Delaware to the waters off Cape Henry. During World War II it aided in the war effort off the Cape Cod Canal. It was decommissioned and since 1971 has served as a floating museum. Interesting fact: The lightship has a gallery of photographs of dogs that served as mascots on Navy and Coast Guard ships from the 1880s through the 1950s.
- Fort Washington Park 13551 Fort Washington Rd., Fort Washington, MD 20744: It is easy to overlook the squat, 32-foot-tall wooden tower on the Maryland shore of the Potomac River. One's eye naturally goes toward the mammoth fort atop the hill looming behind it. History views the structure in a similar light. George Washington picked the location as a prime spot for a fort to protect the fledgling nation's capital. Subsequent forts were built around the same spot to reflect military advancements and to protect the city. But as maritime traffic along the Potomac River increased and the size of ships grew during the 1800s, a light was needed to direct ships away from shallow water near the shore. Before a beacon was installed, the military was calling the shots. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis approved the light so long as it was "not within any of the fortifications; and the light keeper shall be subordinate to the military command." Two other beacons preceded the one that visitors see today. Interesting fact: The first beacon was an 18-1/2-foot-tall post with a light on it, installed in 1857.
- Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum 213 N. Talbot Street, St. Michaels, MD 21663: Hooper Strait lighthouse, now at home on the grounds of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, once guided ships through dangerous waters between Tangier Sound and the Chesapeake Bay, 40 miles to the south. The screw-pile cottage was actually the third light used at that location. Beginning in 1827, lightships were used to direct the boats, and in 1867 the first screw-pile lighthouse was built. That lasted only a decade before icy floes carried it away in January 1877. The keepers nearly went down with the house, evacuating at the last minute on a small boat. The latest lighthouse, built in 1879, almost met a similar fate. After being automated in 1954, the lighthouse began deteriorating. It was set to be demolished, but the museum rescued it and moved it to the museum in 1966. Visitors can walk through the six-room house and explore what life was like for a keeper. Children are encouraged to explore and find tidbits of information hidden in everything from empty paint cans to desk drawers to a goose wing. Interesting fact: Youth groups can spend a night in the lighthouse select Fridays and Saturdays in the spring and fall.
- Cove Point 3500 Lighthouse Blvd., Lusby, MD 20657: Cove Point is another lighthouse on the bay built by John Donahoo, and, like his structures at Concord Point and Turkey Point, it is a basic white tower with black lantern room. Built in 1828 to mark the entrance of the Patuxent River, the Cove Point lighthouse has been witness to two interesting pieces of history: the very early introduction of a telephone in 1899 and World War II practice landings and invasions. The keepers even once rescued a drunk man who, after losing the oars to his boat, tried to swim ashore. From World War II until its automation in 1986, there was enough room for three keepers and their families to live around the lighthouse. Interesting fact: The light is the oldest continuously operated light in the state of Maryland.
- Drum Point Light Calvert Marine Museum 14200 Solomons Island Rd., Solomons, MD 20688: At one point in time, you would have no trouble finding a screw-pile lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay - 45 dotted the waterway. Now if you want to see one up close you need to visit Drum Point at the Calvert Marine Museum. Like its screw-pile brother, Seven Foot Knoll in Baltimore, Drum Point fell into disrepair after it was decommissioned but was later rescued and relocated. In Drum Point's case, the 1883 lighthouse was originally at the entrance to the Patuxent River and was moved to the grounds of the Calvert Marine Museum in 1975, 13 years after it was decommissioned. Based on lighthouse logs from 1883 to 1943 kept at the National Archives, the museum was able to lovingly restore the building to its early 20th-century grandeur, and visitors can walk through it. Interesting fact: What passed for bathrooms on lighthouses like Drum Point were outhouse-like structures that opened up over the water.
- Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Historic Park 44720 Lighthouse Rd., Piney Point, MD 20674: When most people think of lighthouses, they think of lonely towers isolated by water and rocks. Not so with Piney Point, on the Potomac River. It was once a popular resort area for wealthy Washingtonians, including President Theodore Roosevelt, who would ride down on his yacht to go fishing. With amazing views of the water and sandy beaches, it remains a popular spot for vacationers. The lighthouse was in use from 1836 until 1964, and in 2002 it opened to the public as part of the museum. The museum's historic park interprets the history of St. Mary's County with exhibits about Dory boats, World War II torpedoes and a separate building dedicated to a Potomac River Maritime exhibit. Interesting fact: There is a sunken U-1105 offshore, marked by a buoy. One of the rooms in the museum is dedicated to the German submarine, which the United States claimed after World War II.
- Point Lookout State Park 11175 Point Lookout Rd., Scotland, MD 20687: While the Civil War played an important part in the history of many lighthouses along the Chesapeake Bay, perhaps none was more greatly affected by the conflict than Point Lookout. The lighthouse was built in 1830, and during the Civil War, the Union used the land around it as a Confederate prison. It is estimated that 52,000 prisoners were kept there and more than 3,300 died. The lighthouse keeper during the war had Southern leanings, and it is noted in logs that she was reprimanded at least once for aiding the South. It isn't clear what she did, but she was allowed to remain in her position. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1966, and for a while the duplex was rented as a home. After the last resident moved out in 1981, the lighthouse suffered from vandalism and neglect. In 2006, preservation efforts began with the hopes of restoring the lighthouse to its last renovation in 1927. Visitors can take a self-guided tour during open houses, explore the unfurnished rooms and read interpretive posters. One of the former keeper's daughters, who grew up in the house, often visits during open houses to share her experiences during the '40s and '50s. Interesting fact: Point Lookout is believed to be haunted. Former residents and visitors have reported hearing footsteps, smelling a strange odor in one room and hearing disembodied voices saying "abandon" and "get out."
- Assateague Island and Chincoteague Beaches 8231 Beach Rd., Chincoteague, VA 23336: Assateague Island is perhaps best known for its annual wild pony swim and as the setting of Marguerite Henry's novel "Misty of Chincoteague." But a close second might be its iconic red-and-white striped lighthouse. The 142-foot-tall tower was built in 1867 to warn ships away from the dangerous shore between the Chesapeake and Delaware bays. About seven years ago it opened to the public for climbing, and when the weather is especially nice a line forms out the door. Visitors are advised to come early and wear tennis shoes. The parking lot is a short, shady walk from the lighthouse, and then the climb is 175 steps. There is a landing with a window every 25 steps just in case you need a break. Also be sure to visit the oil shed next door to the house, where artists take residence and display their work. The band Three Sheets occasionally performs sea shanties. Interesting fact: During the Civil War, the island sided with the north in order to continue selling seafood to Union states. The soldiers protected the light.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
2016 - You Suck
On so many levels, this was not a good year. I know that I don't have to tell you all that. But with the announcement of the death of Princess Leia, Carrie Fisher, today, December 27, this was a year that sucked, truly. Let's hope that they didn't know something we didn't about 2017.
Here's a list of deaths that significantly impacted me over the past year. Unfortunately, this list is by no means comprehensive.
Literature:
Here's a list of deaths that significantly impacted me over the past year. Unfortunately, this list is by no means comprehensive.
Literature:
- Harper Lee, 89 (February)
- Edward Albee, 88 (September)
- W. P. Kinsella, 81 (September) - author of the story that became Field of Dreams
- Beth Howland, 74 (December 2015) - Vera from Alice
- Wayne Rogers, 82 (December 2015) - Trapper John McIntyre from MASH
- Pat Harrington, 86 (January) - Schneider from One Day at a Time
- Dan Haggerty, 74 (January) - Grizzly Adams
- Abe Vigoda, 94 (January) - Detective Fish from Barney Miller
- Larry Drake, 66 (March) - Benny from LA Law
- James Noble, 94 (March) - the Governor from Benson, but for me he's the Rev. John Witherspoon from 1776
- Patty Duke, 69 (March)
- Garry Shandling, 66 (March)
- Doris Roberts, 90 (April) - the matriarch from Everybody Loves Raymond
- Morley Safer, 84 (May) - 60 Minutes legend
- Garry Marshall, 81 (July)
- Florence Henderson, 82 (November) - Mrs. Brady helped raise me.
- Ron Glass, 71 (November) - from Barney Miller
- Grant Tinker, 90 (November) - Mr. Mary Tyler Moore
- Alan Thicke, 69 (December)
- Alan Rickman, 69 (January) - for me, he's always Hans
- David Margulies, 78 (January) - the Mayor in Ghostbusters
- George Kennedy, 88 (February)
- Anton Yelchin, 27 (June) - the new Chekov from the Star Trek reboot
- Gene Wilder, 83 (August) - the one and only Willy Wonka
- Zsa Zsa Gabor, 99 (December)
- Robert Vaughn, 83 (November) - I've listed him under movies for his role in The Towering Inferno (he dies in that one, too)
- Bernard Fox, 89 (December) - you know him from a lot of TV and movies. I just saw him the other night on Big Jake, one of my favorite John Wayne films
- Carrie Fisher, 60 (December)
- Natalie Cole, 65 (December 2015)
- David Bowie, 69 (January)
- Glenn Frey, 67 (January)
- Frank Sinatra, Jr., 72 (March)
- Merle Haggard, 79 (April)
- Prince, 57 (April)
- Kay Starr, 94 (November) - legendary jazz singer
- Leonard Cohen, 82 (November)
- George Michael, 53 (December)
- Meadowlark Lemon, 83 (December 2015) - star of the Harlem Globetrotters
- Andy Bathgate, 83 (February) - legendary New York Ranger
- Muhammad Ali, 74 (June)
- Joe Garagiola, 74 (March)
- Gordie Howe, 88 (June) - Mr. Hockey
- Pat Summitt, 64 (June)
- Arnold Palmer, 87 (September) - Mr. Golf
- Ralph Branca, 90 (November) - Brooklyn Dodgers player
- Craig Sager, 65 (December) - sports announcer
- Boutros-Boutros-Ghali, 81 (February) - former United Nations Secretary General
- Nancy Reagan, 94 (March)
- Elie Wiesel, 87 (July)
- John McLaughlin, 89 (August) - founder of the McLaughlin Group
- Phyllis Schlafly, 92 (September)
- Shimon Peres, 93 (September)
- Tom Hayden, 76 (October) - among other things, he was married to Jane Fonda
- Janet Reno, 78 (November)
- Gwen Ifill, 61 (November)
- Fidel Castro, 90 (November) - finally
- John Glenn, 95 (December)
- American Democracy, 226 (November)
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Road Trip
The Brave Astronaut Clan is heading out for some much needed vacation time. No, not to Vacationland again this year - we're staying a little closer to home, but still beach bound.
I have always wanted to drive cross country and hit all the sites along the way. Some day, I will do this. I have wanted to do this for years. And hey, you can't tell me that science is wrong.
According To Science, This Is The Perfect And Best Road Trip You Can Possibly Take
(via shareably)
Be honest with yourself: at some point you’ve probably thought about going on a cross-country road trip. Whether it be driving across Canada, United Kingdom, United States, or wherever you’re from, it’s probably crossed your mind at some point.
Luckily, for those in the United States, the “perfect road trip” has finally been planned.
According to the algorithm - it hits all the biggies. Those that I would be able to take off this list (as I've already been there) - are in bold.
I have always wanted to drive cross country and hit all the sites along the way. Some day, I will do this. I have wanted to do this for years. And hey, you can't tell me that science is wrong.
According To Science, This Is The Perfect And Best Road Trip You Can Possibly Take
(via shareably)
Be honest with yourself: at some point you’ve probably thought about going on a cross-country road trip. Whether it be driving across Canada, United Kingdom, United States, or wherever you’re from, it’s probably crossed your mind at some point.
Luckily, for those in the United States, the “perfect road trip” has finally been planned.
According to the algorithm - it hits all the biggies. Those that I would be able to take off this list (as I've already been there) - are in bold.
- Grand Canyon, AZ
- Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
- Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID
- Yellowstone National Park, WY
- Pikes Peak, CO
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
- The Alamo, TX (can you see the basement there?)
- The Platt Historic District, OK
- Toltec Mounds, AR
- Elvis Presley’s Graceland, TN
- Vicksburg National Military Park, MS
- French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
- USS Alabama, AL
- Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL
- Okefenokee Swamp Park, GA
- Fort Sumter National Monument, SC
- Lost World Caverns, WV
- Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center, NC
- Mount Vernon, VA
- White House, Washington, DC
- Colonial Annapolis Historic District, MD
- New Castle Historic District, Delaware
- Cape May Historic District, NJ
- Liberty Bell, PA
- Statue of Liberty, NY
- The Mark Twain House & Museum, CT
- The Breakers, RI
- USS Constitution, MA
- Acadia National Park, ME
- Mount Washington Hotel, NH
- Shelburne Farms, VT
- Fox Theater, Detroit, MI
- Spring Grove Cemetery, OH
- Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
- West Baden Springs Hotel, IN
- Abraham Lincoln’s Home, IL
- Gateway Arch, MO
- C. W. Parker Carousel Museum, KS
- Terrace Hill Governor’s Mansion, IA
- Taliesin, WI
- Fort Snelling, MN
- Ashfall Fossil Bed, NE
- Mount Rushmore, SD
- Fort Union Trading Post, ND
- Glacier National Park, MT
- Hanford Site, WA
- Columbia River Highway, OR
- San Francisco Cable Cars, CA
- San Andreas Fault, CA
- Hoover Dam, NV
Thursday, July 28, 2016
The 50 Best Animated Films (so far)
With LBA and SoBA in the house, I've seen my fair share of animated films. So when this list came out, I knew I needed to comment. There's a lot on Japanese anime on this list, which I haven't seen many of. What say you? My comments in italic. From The Playlist via kottke.
50. "Brave" - I haven't seen this movie. When Mrs. BA took the boys to see this, I went to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
49. “The Pirates! Band Of Misfits” (2012) - haven't seen it
48. “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs” (2009) - a cute film.
47. “Tokyo Godfathers” (2003) - haven't seen it
46. “Frankenweenie” (2012) - I think LBA and SoBA have seen pieces of this
45. “Zootopia” (2016) - "What. Do. You. Call. A. Three. Humped. Camel? Pregnant."
44. “Kung Fu Panda” (2008) - Jack Black is pretty good.
43. “Shaun The Sheep Movie” (2015) - haven't seen it
42. “Paprika” (2006) - haven't seen it
41. “Song Of the Sea” (2014) - haven't seen it
40. “Sita Sings The Blues” (2008) - haven't seen it
39. “Boy & The World” (2013) - haven't seen it
38. “April And The Extraordinary World” (2015) - haven't seen it
37. “The Adventures of Tintin” (2011) - I grew up reading these books and I enjoyed this movie.
36. “Ponyo” (2008) - haven't seen it
35. “The Illusionist” (2010) - haven't seen it
34. “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” (2006) - haven't seen it
33. “Ernest & Celestine” (2012) - haven't seen it
32. “Wolf Children” (2012) - haven't seen it
31. “The Secret Of Kells” (2009) - haven't seen it
30. “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000) - Disney, and based on its ranking not one of the better ones, but not bad.
29. “Mary And Max” (2009) - haven't seen it
28. “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit” (2005) - a bit creepy, but amusing.
27. “Lilo & Stitch” (2002) - more Disney, and a cute film.
26. "Winnie The Pooh” (2011) - the books are better.
25. “Rango” (2011) - For some reason SoBA and LBA have a thing for this one.
24. “A Town Called Panic” (2009) - haven't seen it
23. “Millennium Actress” (2001) - haven't seen it
22. “Monster House” (2006) - haven't seen it
21. “How To Train Your Dragon” (2010) - SoBA and LBA also tend toward sequels, and this one is actually not as good as the second one.
20. “Finding Nemo” (2003) - into the Pixar movies we go - Mrs. BA and the boys went to see the sequel a week or so ago - I have yet to see it. This one would be higher on my list.
19. “Monsters, Inc.” (2001) - MIKE WAZOWSKI! KITTY! One of my favorites.
18. “Toy Story 3” (2010) - appropriate that this is here, the others are better, but I still can't watch the end of this one without crying.
17. “Anomalisa” (2015) - haven't seen it
16. “Coraline” (2009) - haven't seen it
15. “The Lego Movie” (2014) - well it is AWESOME.
14. “Ratatouille” (2007) - Mrs. BA doesn't like this one, because she doesn't do rats.
13. “Chicken Run” (2000) - I've seen pieces of it, but it's not one of my favorites.
12. “Persepolis” (2007) - haven't seen it
11. “Wall-E” (2008) - doesn't do it for me.
10. “The Wind Rises” (2013) - haven't seen it
9. “Waltz With Bashir” (2008) - haven't seen it
8. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009) - not a bad movie, but I wouldn't call it "animated"
7. “The Tale Of Princess Kaguya” (2013) - haven't seen it
6. “Inside Out” (2015) - I haven't seen this yet, but the boys have.
5. “The Triplets of Belleville” (2003) - haven't seen it
4. “It’s Such A Beautiful Day” (2012) - haven't seen it
3. “Up” (2009) - I don't know if this one should be this high?
2. “The Incredibles” (2004) - another good one but #2?
1. “Spirited Away” (2001) - haven't seen it
I'm wishing there were more Disney movies on this list. 101 Dalmatians? Any of the Shrek movies?
50. "Brave" - I haven't seen this movie. When Mrs. BA took the boys to see this, I went to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
49. “The Pirates! Band Of Misfits” (2012) - haven't seen it
48. “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs” (2009) - a cute film.
47. “Tokyo Godfathers” (2003) - haven't seen it
46. “Frankenweenie” (2012) - I think LBA and SoBA have seen pieces of this
45. “Zootopia” (2016) - "What. Do. You. Call. A. Three. Humped. Camel? Pregnant."
44. “Kung Fu Panda” (2008) - Jack Black is pretty good.
43. “Shaun The Sheep Movie” (2015) - haven't seen it
42. “Paprika” (2006) - haven't seen it
41. “Song Of the Sea” (2014) - haven't seen it
40. “Sita Sings The Blues” (2008) - haven't seen it
39. “Boy & The World” (2013) - haven't seen it
38. “April And The Extraordinary World” (2015) - haven't seen it
37. “The Adventures of Tintin” (2011) - I grew up reading these books and I enjoyed this movie.
36. “Ponyo” (2008) - haven't seen it
35. “The Illusionist” (2010) - haven't seen it
34. “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” (2006) - haven't seen it
33. “Ernest & Celestine” (2012) - haven't seen it
32. “Wolf Children” (2012) - haven't seen it
31. “The Secret Of Kells” (2009) - haven't seen it
30. “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000) - Disney, and based on its ranking not one of the better ones, but not bad.
29. “Mary And Max” (2009) - haven't seen it
28. “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit” (2005) - a bit creepy, but amusing.
27. “Lilo & Stitch” (2002) - more Disney, and a cute film.
26. "Winnie The Pooh” (2011) - the books are better.
25. “Rango” (2011) - For some reason SoBA and LBA have a thing for this one.
24. “A Town Called Panic” (2009) - haven't seen it
23. “Millennium Actress” (2001) - haven't seen it
22. “Monster House” (2006) - haven't seen it
21. “How To Train Your Dragon” (2010) - SoBA and LBA also tend toward sequels, and this one is actually not as good as the second one.
20. “Finding Nemo” (2003) - into the Pixar movies we go - Mrs. BA and the boys went to see the sequel a week or so ago - I have yet to see it. This one would be higher on my list.
19. “Monsters, Inc.” (2001) - MIKE WAZOWSKI! KITTY! One of my favorites.
18. “Toy Story 3” (2010) - appropriate that this is here, the others are better, but I still can't watch the end of this one without crying.
17. “Anomalisa” (2015) - haven't seen it
16. “Coraline” (2009) - haven't seen it
15. “The Lego Movie” (2014) - well it is AWESOME.
14. “Ratatouille” (2007) - Mrs. BA doesn't like this one, because she doesn't do rats.
13. “Chicken Run” (2000) - I've seen pieces of it, but it's not one of my favorites.
12. “Persepolis” (2007) - haven't seen it
11. “Wall-E” (2008) - doesn't do it for me.
10. “The Wind Rises” (2013) - haven't seen it
9. “Waltz With Bashir” (2008) - haven't seen it
8. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009) - not a bad movie, but I wouldn't call it "animated"
7. “The Tale Of Princess Kaguya” (2013) - haven't seen it
6. “Inside Out” (2015) - I haven't seen this yet, but the boys have.
5. “The Triplets of Belleville” (2003) - haven't seen it
4. “It’s Such A Beautiful Day” (2012) - haven't seen it
3. “Up” (2009) - I don't know if this one should be this high?
2. “The Incredibles” (2004) - another good one but #2?
1. “Spirited Away” (2001) - haven't seen it
I'm wishing there were more Disney movies on this list. 101 Dalmatians? Any of the Shrek movies?
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Space: The Final Frontier
Today is the anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing, July 20, 1969. As of today (and for the foreseeable future, it would seem), there have only been 12 men who have walked on the moon. They are part of a group of individuals who have been in space. Anyone want to hazard a guess as to how many people that is?
So on this anniversary, here is a list of those "Brave Astronauts" who journeyed to the moon. Of that number, only seven are still alive. (originally from kottke)
536
(as of November 2013, from Wikipedia)
So on this anniversary, here is a list of those "Brave Astronauts" who journeyed to the moon. Of that number, only seven are still alive. (originally from kottke)
- Neil Armstrong, 1930-2012
- Buzz Aldrin, b. 1930
- Pete Conrad, 1930-1999
- Alan Bean, b. 1932
- Alan Shepard, 1923-1998
- Edgar Mitchell, 1930-2016
- David Scott, b. 1932
- James Irwin, 1930-1991
- John W. Young, b. 1930
- Charles Duke, b. 1935
- Eugene Cernan, b. 1934
- Harrison Schmitt, b. 1935
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wait, How Old Were They?
We have arrived at the final post for the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Next week we will celebrate the independence of our nation - and of course, there will be the traditional viewing of 1776, but please take a moment to peruse the list below - noting the ages of the "Founding Fathers" and other prominent personalities of the age on July 4, 1776 [from the Journal of the American Revolution, via kottke].
^ Signers of the Declaration of Independence (average signer age was 44)
- Andrew Jackson, 9
- (Major) Thomas Young, 12
- Deborah Sampson, 15
- James Armistead, 15
- Sybil Ludington, 15
- Joseph Plumb Martin, 15
- Peter Salem, 16*
- Peggy Shippen, 16
- Marquis de Lafayette, 18
- James Monroe, 18
- Charles Pinckney, 18
- Henry Lee III, 20
- Gilbert Stuart, 20
- John Trumbull, 20
- Aaron Burr, 20
- John Marshall, 20
- Nathan Hale, 21
- Banastre Tarleton, 21
- Alexander Hamilton, 21*
- John Laurens, 21
- Benjamin Tallmadge, 22
- Robert Townsend, 22
- George Rodgers Clark, 23
- David Humphreys, 23
- Gouveneur Morris, 24
- Betsy Ross, 24
- William Washington, 24
- James Madison, 25
- Henry Knox, 25
- John Andre, 26
- Thomas Lynch, Jr., 26^
- Edward Rutledge, 26^
- Abraham Woodhull, 26
- Isaiah Thomas, 27
- George Walton, 27*^
- John Paul Jones, 28
- Bernardo de Galvez, 29
- Thomas Heyward, Jr., 29^
- Robert R. Livingston, 29
- John Jay, 30
- Tadeusz Kosciuszko, 30
- Benjamin Rush, 30^
- Abigail Adams, 31
- John Barry, 31
- Elbridge Gerry, 31^
- Casimir Pulaski, 31
- Anthony Wayne, 31
- Joseph Brant, 33
- Nathanael Greene, 33
- Thomas Jefferson, 33^
- Thomas Stone, 33*^
- William Hooper, 34^
- Arthur Middleton, 34^
- James Wilson, 34*^
- Benedict Arnold, 35
- Samuel Chase, 35^
- Thomas Knowlton, 35
- William Paca, 35^
- John Penn, 35^
- Hercules Mulligan, 36
- Andrew Pickens, 36
- Haym Solomon, 36
- John Sullivan, 36
- George Clymer, 37^
- Charles Cornwallis, 37
- Thomas Nelson, Jr., 37^
- Ethan Allen, 38
- Charles Carroll, 38^
- King George III, 38
- Francis Hopkinson, 38^
- Carter Braxton, 39^
- George Clinton, 39
- John Hancock, 39^
- Daniel Morgan, 39
- Thomas Paine, 39
- Patrick Henry, 40
- Enoch Poor, 40
- John Adams, 40^
- Daniel Boone, 41
- William Floyd, 41^
- Button Gwinnett, 41*^
- John Lamb, 41*
- Francis Lightfoot Lee, 41^
- Paul Revere, 41
- Thomas Sumter, 41
- Robert Morris, 42^
- Thomas McKean, 42^
- George Read, 42^
- John Dickinson, 43
- John Glover, 43
- Benjamin Edes, 43
- Samuel Huntington, 44^
- Richard Henry Lee, 44^
- Charles Lee, 44
- Francis Marion, 44
- Lord North, 44
- George Washington, 44
- Joseph Galloway, 45
- Robert Treat Paine, 45^
- Friedrich von Steuben, 45
- Richard Stockton, 45^
- Martha Washington, 45
- William Williams, 45^
- (Dr.) Thomas Young, 45*
- Josiah Bartlett, 46^
- Henry Clinton, 46
- Joseph Hewes, 46^
- William Howe, 46
- George Ross, 46^
- William Whipple, 46^
- Caesar Rodney, 47^
- John Stark, 47
- Mercy Otis Warren, 47
- William Ellery, 48^
- Horatio Gates, 48
- Artemas Ward, 48
- Oliver Wolcott, 49^
- Abraham Clark, 50^
- Benjamin Harrison, 50^
- George Mason, 50
- Lewis Morris, 50^
- Lord Stirling, 50
- George Wythe, 50*^
- Guy Carleton, 51
- John Morton, 51*^
- Comte de Rochambeau, 51
- Lyman Hall, 52^
- James Rivington, 52*
- Samuel Adams, 53^
- Comte de Grasse, 53
- John Witherspoon, 53^
- John Burgoyne, 54
- Johann de Kalb, 55
- Roger Sherman, 55^
- Thomas Gage, 56
- James Smith, 56^
- Israel Putnam, 58
- Comte de Vergennes, 58
- Lewis Nicola, 59*
- George Germain, 60
- Philip Livingston, 60^
- George Taylor, 60*^
- Matthew Thornton, 62^
- Francis Lewis, 63^
- John Hart, 65*^
- Stephen Hopkins, 69^
- Benjamin Franklin, 70^
- Samuel Whittemore, 81
^ Signers of the Declaration of Independence (average signer age was 44)
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Snowzilla 2016 by the numbers
The DMV was slammed with a major snowstorm this weekend. We got two seasons worth of snow in two days.
100 - the amount of dollars it cost me to get the driveway shoveled. The best money I ever spent.
41 - the number of Twitter / FB posts during the storm duration. 3 were not storm-related.
36 - number of hours that it snowed, at least. From 1;15pm until 1:15am Sunday.
23 - the number of inches recorded on the table on the deck - recorded at 11:00pm on Saturday night.
17 - the number of inches recorded at National Airport, the official recording station for the DMV - the number is under scrutiny as they feel they may have not measured correctly.
8 - the number of hours I teleworked on Friday - when the government opened and then closed at noon.
8 - the number of storm-related photos that I posted, 5 from the apocalypse-emptied Shoppers on Thursday night, 1 of knee-high snow, 1 measurement, and 1 of the new deep fat fryer that was purchased to ride out the storm.
5 - the number of times LBA and SoBA went out to play in the snow.
4 - the number of shovels used in clearing the Launchpad. 2 were my own, 2 were brought by the nice folks who came to shovel me out.
4 - the number of onions used to make onion straws on Friday night in the aforementioned new deep fat fryer.
3 - and counting, the number of snow days for LBA and SoBA. They were off on Thursday after the mini-storm on Wednesday night, then Friday, and school has been canceled for tomorrow.
0 - the number of hours we lost power at the Launchpad, Thanks be to God.
100 - the amount of dollars it cost me to get the driveway shoveled. The best money I ever spent.
41 - the number of Twitter / FB posts during the storm duration. 3 were not storm-related.
36 - number of hours that it snowed, at least. From 1;15pm until 1:15am Sunday.
23 - the number of inches recorded on the table on the deck - recorded at 11:00pm on Saturday night.
17 - the number of inches recorded at National Airport, the official recording station for the DMV - the number is under scrutiny as they feel they may have not measured correctly.
8 - the number of hours I teleworked on Friday - when the government opened and then closed at noon.
8 - the number of storm-related photos that I posted, 5 from the apocalypse-emptied Shoppers on Thursday night, 1 of knee-high snow, 1 measurement, and 1 of the new deep fat fryer that was purchased to ride out the storm.
5 - the number of times LBA and SoBA went out to play in the snow.
4 - the number of shovels used in clearing the Launchpad. 2 were my own, 2 were brought by the nice folks who came to shovel me out.
4 - the number of onions used to make onion straws on Friday night in the aforementioned new deep fat fryer.
3 - and counting, the number of snow days for LBA and SoBA. They were off on Thursday after the mini-storm on Wednesday night, then Friday, and school has been canceled for tomorrow.
0 - the number of hours we lost power at the Launchpad, Thanks be to God.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
On the Importance of Diners
What defines a Diner? Growing up in New York, specifically on Long Island - diners were everywhere and everyone had their favorite. More often than not, a Friday night at the movies led to me and my friends at the Syosset House Diner for a late night snack. I even wrote a story about it - but I can't seem to find it. We had our favorite waitress and the owner always greeted us warmly and most of the time by name.
Heading to a diner after church was a big treat, too - but that didn't happen all that often. It was nice to be able to get breakfast at any time at the day. There are no good diners near the launchpad and the few that are around are not good "New York Diners."
What constitutes a diner? Ed Levine from Serious Eats offers a list (via kottke).
Heading to a diner after church was a big treat, too - but that didn't happen all that often. It was nice to be able to get breakfast at any time at the day. There are no good diners near the launchpad and the few that are around are not good "New York Diners."
What constitutes a diner? Ed Levine from Serious Eats offers a list (via kottke).
- Operating hours - if it ain't open 24 hours, it ain't a diner.
- A common menu - and it better go on for about 50 pages
- A democratic reception - see my note above, a warm "Hiya Fellas" is essential
- Quick service - too often, the diners around here have lines, why?
- Low price point - again, non-NY diners didn't get this memo
- Seating - I'm a booth kinda guy, especially if they have one of those jukeboxes
- Familiarity - again see my note about having a favorite waitress and them knowing what you want before you order it
- All-occasion places - anytime you go there, you don't have to be there for a reason, you're there for good food
- Parking - have some
- Culinary anonymity - you don't need to know the name of the guy making your eggs, in fact you may want to just take it on faith that he knows what he's doing
Thursday, December 31, 2015
The 2015 Twelve Posts of Christmas #11
Remember those days when you would turn on the old transistor radio (or maybe that Panasonic clock radio, with the numbers that flipped) to listen to the top songs of the year played all day on New Year's Eve? Yep, me neither :)
Here's an a capella version of the top songs of 2015. It's pretty catchy. These kids might have something here (via BuzzFeed). Enjoy - don't overdo it tonight!
Of course, if music isn't your thing, the year end lists are everywhere. Here's one of the top 2015 movies (via kottke).
Here's an a capella version of the top songs of 2015. It's pretty catchy. These kids might have something here (via BuzzFeed). Enjoy - don't overdo it tonight!
Of course, if music isn't your thing, the year end lists are everywhere. Here's one of the top 2015 movies (via kottke).
Thursday, December 17, 2015
The 2015 Twelve Posts of Christmas #6
Someone on Facebook asked the very important question the other day - what's your favorite Christmas movie? My immediate response is that's like choosing you favorite child. I mean there are 12 Days of Christmas, can't I have 12 movies?
1. It's a Wonderful Life - always number 1.
2. Collectively, the Rankin-Bass specials
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
5. Scrooged
6. Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) - and the first shall be best (Alistair Sim)
7. Elf - we just watched this the other night!
8. White Christmas
9. and to a certain extent, though Fred Astaire's firecracker routine is what makes the movie, Holiday Inn
10. Love, Actually
11. Miracle on 34th Street - the original, always, and un-colorized
12. Die Hard - sure, sure, I know, but it takes place on Christmas Eve!
1. It's a Wonderful Life - always number 1.
2. Collectively, the Rankin-Bass specials
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Fred Astaire!
- The Year Without a Santa Claus - Mickey Rooney!
- Frosty the Snowman - Jimmy Durante!
- there are others, but those are all you need
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
5. Scrooged
6. Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) - and the first shall be best (Alistair Sim)
7. Elf - we just watched this the other night!
8. White Christmas
9. and to a certain extent, though Fred Astaire's firecracker routine is what makes the movie, Holiday Inn
10. Love, Actually
11. Miracle on 34th Street - the original, always, and un-colorized
12. Die Hard - sure, sure, I know, but it takes place on Christmas Eve!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
The 2015 Twelve Posts of Christmas #3
Any 12 posts of Christmas would be incomplete without letting all of you know how much it would cost you to buy all the items from the 12 Days of Christmas. Herewith is the breakdown of the 2015 gifts. The total cost this year rose .06% for a total of $34,130.99. It is noteworthy (to a history geek like me) that this tradition started 32 years ago when an economist at PNC decided to figure out how much all the gifts would cost - and PNC has kept the index every year since. For comparison, in 1984 when the index was first published, the gifts would have cost you a mere $18,845.97.
Most of the prices stayed level this year and no costs went down this year. The largest jumps came in the avian category, with two turtle doves rising 11.5% and the cost of one little partridge went up 3.5%. All of the other birds, french female chickens, birds on phones, and geese and swans all held the line. Rising salaries for ten Lords A Leaping also saw that cost increase 3%, although all of the other individuals (milkmaids, dancers, drummers, and pipers) stayed the same.
Remember that the costs above are for single gifts - if you want to buy all of the repeated items in the song, amounting to 364 gifts, it will set you back $155,407.18. But remember, that can get you in trouble.
Now to find a tree, well several trees for the launchpad (one for the living room, one for our bedroom, and one for the boy's room).
Most of the prices stayed level this year and no costs went down this year. The largest jumps came in the avian category, with two turtle doves rising 11.5% and the cost of one little partridge went up 3.5%. All of the other birds, french female chickens, birds on phones, and geese and swans all held the line. Rising salaries for ten Lords A Leaping also saw that cost increase 3%, although all of the other individuals (milkmaids, dancers, drummers, and pipers) stayed the same.
Remember that the costs above are for single gifts - if you want to buy all of the repeated items in the song, amounting to 364 gifts, it will set you back $155,407.18. But remember, that can get you in trouble.
Now to find a tree, well several trees for the launchpad (one for the living room, one for our bedroom, and one for the boy's room).
(you gotta love both the mullet and the femullet in this)
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Happy Birthday to Stephen King!
Tomorrow is Stephen King's birthday. When the Brave Astronaut clan visited Maine in August, I kept saying we should go and visit his home in Bangor - but we didn't get there. Ah well, maybe next time.
On a family trip when I was much younger, I read my first Stephen King book, Salem's Lot on my way Down East. Needless to say I didn't sleep well that week - listening for the tap, tap, tap, of vampires on my window. But that didn't stop me from going to a bookstore (you remember bookstores, right?) and buying a copy of Christine to read as a follow-up. I have read almost everything that King has written (I never got into the Dark Tower books) - I prefer King's horror and macabre works over his foray into sci-fi. That includes his non-fiction work, On Writing, in which he suggests first nearly 100 books and then in an updated edition, another 80, that everyone should read (not including his own works). I'm a bit ashamed to note that I haven't read a lot of these. List/Quiz on BuzzFeed. How'd you do?
On a family trip when I was much younger, I read my first Stephen King book, Salem's Lot on my way Down East. Needless to say I didn't sleep well that week - listening for the tap, tap, tap, of vampires on my window. But that didn't stop me from going to a bookstore (you remember bookstores, right?) and buying a copy of Christine to read as a follow-up. I have read almost everything that King has written (I never got into the Dark Tower books) - I prefer King's horror and macabre works over his foray into sci-fi. That includes his non-fiction work, On Writing, in which he suggests first nearly 100 books and then in an updated edition, another 80, that everyone should read (not including his own works). I'm a bit ashamed to note that I haven't read a lot of these. List/Quiz on BuzzFeed. How'd you do?
- A PERFECT CRIME by Peter Abrahams
- LIGHTS OUT by Peter Abrahams
- PRESSURE DROP by Peter Abrahams
- REVOLUTION #9 by Peter Abrahams
- A DEATH IN THE FAMILY by James Agee
- LIVES OF THE MONSTER DOGS by Kirsten Bakis
- REGENERATION by Pat Barker
- THE EYE IN THE DOOR by Pat Barker
- THE GHOST ROAD by Pat Barker
- IN THE NIGHT SEASON by Richard Bausch
- THE INTRUDER by Peter Blauner
- THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles
- THE TORTILLA CURTAIN by T. Coraghessan Boyle
- A WALK IN THE WOODS by Bill Bryson
- THANK YOU FOR SMOKING by Christopher Buckley
- WHERE I’M CALLING FROM by Raymond Carver
- WEREWOLVES IN THEIR YOUTH by Michael Chabon
- LATITUDE ZERO by Windsor Chorlton
- THE POET by Michael Connelly
- HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad
- FAMILY VALUES by K.C. Constantine
- UNDERWORLD by Don Delillo
- CATHEDRAL by Nelson DeMille
- THE GOLD COAST by Nelson DeMille
- OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens
- COMMON CARNAGE by Stephen Dobyns
- THE CHURCH OF DEAD GIRLS by Stephen Dobyns
- THE WOMAN WHO WALKED INTO DOORS by Roddy Doyle
- THE DICK GIBSON SHOW by Stanley Elkin
- AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner
- THE BEACH by Alex Garland
- DECEPTION ON HIS MIND by Elizabeth George
- GRAVITY by Tess Gerritsen
- LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding
- FURNACE by Muriel Gray
- A GUN FOR SALE by Graham Greene
- OUR MAN IN HAVANA by Graham Greene
- THE FIFTIES by David Halberstam
- WHY SINATRA MATTERS by Pete Hamill
- HANNIBAL by Thomas Harris
- PLAINSONG by Kent Haruf
- SMILA’S SENSE OF SNOW by Peter Hoeg
- DIRTY WHITE BOYS by Stephen Hunter
- A FIRING OFFENSE by David Ignatius
- A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR by John Irving
- THE TOOTH FAIRY by Graham Joyce
- THE DEVIL’S OWN WORK by Alan Judd
- GOOD ENOUGH TO DREAM by Roger Kahn
- THE LIAR’S CLUB by Mary Karr
- RIGHT TO LIFE by Jack Ketchum
- SURVIVOR by Tabitha King
- SKY IN THE WATER by Tabitha King
- THE POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver
- INTO THIN AIR by Jon Krakauer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
- OUR GUYS by Bernard Lefkowitz
- THE IGNORED by Bentley Little
- A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT by Norman Maclean
- THE MOON AND SIXPENCE by W. Somerset Maugham
- CITIES OF THE PLAIN by Cormac McCarthy
- THE CROSSING by Cormac McCarthy
- ANGELA’S ASHES by Frank McCourt
- CHARMING BILLY by Alice McDermott
- ANCIENT SHORES by Jack McDevitt
- ENDURING LOVE by Ian McEwan
- THE CEMENT GARDEN by Ian McEwan
- DEAD MAN’S WALK by Larry McMurty
- ZEKE AND NED by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana
- A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
- ZOMBIE by Joyce Carol Oates
- IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS by Tim O’Brien
- THE SPEED QUEEN by Stewart O’Nan
- THE ENGLISH PATIENT by Michael Ondaatje
- NO SAFE PLACE by Richard North Patterson
- FREEDOMLAND by Richard Price
- CLOSE RANGE by Annie Proulx
- THE SHIPPING NEWS by Annie Proulx
- ONE TRUE THING by Anna Quindlen
- A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES by Ruth Rendell
- WAITING by Frank M. Robinson
- HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS by J.K. Rowling
- HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN by J.K. Rowling
- HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE by J.K. Rowling
- MOHAWK by Richard Russo
- RESERVATION ROAD by John Burnham Schwartz
- A SUITABLE BOY by Vikram Seth
- THE YOUNG LIONS by Irwin Shaw
- THE CRATER by Richard Slotkin
- THE ILLUSIONIST by Dinitia Smith
- MEN IN BLACK by Scott Spencer
- JOE HILL by Wallace Stegner
- THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt
- A PATCHWORK PLANET by Anne Tyler
- HOCUS POCUS by Kurt Vonnegut
- BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by Evelyn Waugh
- THE AX by Donald E. Westlake
- END OF STORY by Peter Abrahams
- THE TUTOR by Peter Abrahams
- THE WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga
- ONE GOOD TURN by Kate Atkinson
- ORYX AND CRAKE by Margaret Atwood
- FIELDWORK by Mischa Berlinkski
- CHRISTINE FALLS by Benjamin Black
- THE LAST GOOD DAY by Peter Blauner
- 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
- THE NIGHT OF THE GUN by David Carr
- SPARTINA by John Casey
- THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION by Michael Chabon
- JACK REACHER Series by Lee Child
- THE NARROWS by Michael Connelly
- THE HOURS by Michael Cunningham
- HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark Z. Danielewski
- THE BRIEF AND WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO by Junot Diaz
- WHITE MAN’S GRAVE by Richard Dooling
- ZOO STATION by David Downing
- THE GARDEN OF LAST DAYS by Andre Dubus
- PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Leif Enger
- A FAN’S NOTES by Frederick Exley
- THEN WE CAME TO THE END by Joshua Ferris
- STRONG MOTION by Jonathan Franzen
- THE CORRECTIONS by Jonathan Franzen
- AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman
- CROSSCUT by Meg Gardiner
- THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB by Meg Gardiner
- THE LONG HOME by William Gay
- PAINTING THE DARKNESS by Robert Goddard
- WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
- THE RAW SHARK TEXTS by Steven Hall
- A SOLDIER OF THE GREAT WAR by Mark Helprin
- THE HANK THOMPSON TRILOGY by Charlie Huston
- TREE OF SMOKE by Denis Johnson
- GOOD POEMS Edited by Garrison Keillor
- THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kid
- FARGO ROCK CITY by Chuck Klosterman
- THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson
- ABSOLUTE FRIENDS by John le Carré
- THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane
- UP IN HONEY’S ROOM by Elmore Leonard
- THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE by Jonathan Lethem
- WHAT THE DEAD KNOW by Laura Lippman
- DISPATCH by Bentley Little
- NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Cormac McCarthy
- ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan
- THE PEOPLE’S ACT OF LOVE by James Meek
- HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY by Audrey Niffenegger
- THE AUBREY/MATURIN NOVELS by Patrick O’Brian
- THE GOOD WIFE by Stewart O’Nan
- WE WERE THE MULVANEYS by Joyce Carol Oates
- HARD REVOLUTION by George Pelecanos
- THE TURNAROUND by George Pelecanos
- THE ABSTINENCE TEACHER by Tom Perrotta
- NINETEEN MINUTES by Jodi Picoult
- VERNON GOD LITTLE by DBC Pierre
- FINE JUST THE WAY IT IS by Annie Proulx
- SHATTER by Michael Robotham
- AMERICAN PASTORAL by Philip Roth
- THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA by Philip Roth
- MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN by Salman Rushdie
- BRIDGE OF SIGHS by Richard Russo
- EMPIRE FALLS by Richard Russo
- DROOD by Dan Simmons
- TERROR by Dan Simmons
- AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld
- CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith
- VOODOO HEART by Scott Snyder
- QUICKSILVER by Neil Stephenson
- THE LITTLE FRIEND by Donna Tartt
- WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy
- HOLLYWOOD STATION by Joseph Wambaugh
- ALL THE KING’S MEN by Robert Penn Warren
- THE LITTLE STRANGER by Sarah Waters
- CROOKED RIVER BURNING by Mark Winegardner
- THE GODFATHER RETURNS by Mark Winegardner
- THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski
- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD by Richard Yates
- BIG IF by Mark Costello
- LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel
- THE FIXER by Bernard Malamud
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