It's only been a few hours since I was last here...so I'm going to give out happy birthdays for the week first since I'll be uberbusy & unable to do much blogging over the next week with work & trips...and a here-here-go...
Sunday, August 19th
William Jefferson Clinton is 61 years young today. As the most charasmatic figurehead of the United States since JFK, he is my favorite President of my lifetime (really there's no competition except for an actor & two Bushes). Who knew that a kid from Hope, Arkansas could really grow up to be President...and have a library named after him. Sure, he may be forever known for his fickle pickle and banging coworkers instead of movie stars (I feel your pain, brother) but that's what happens when you work 24-7 to earn a measley $300,000 a year to run a multi-TRILLION dollar nation. The man could have made millions running Wal-Mart or something back home...so why be President?- Keys to a nice crib & vacation home for four years
- People will DIE to protect you
- You don't have to pay for anything...and even if you did, your picture & job title are on the currency
- Air Force One
- Chicks dig Power
- "But honey...I'm the President"
- Access codes to Nukes
- On Sunday mornings, more people are talking about you on TV than Ladainian Tomlinson and Brett Favre COMBINED
- Travel all over the world for 'peacekeeping meetings' with an open bar and cultural entertainment
Monday, August 20th
Isaac Hayes can officially retire as he turns 65 tomorrow. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 & currently resides in Memphis, so maybe I'll run into him on my trip this next week. That'd be sweet. Though most know him nowadays as the former voice of Chef on "South Park", he is so much more than that. He's a member of the royal family of Ghana in western Afrika, author of two soul food cookbooks, founder of the Isaac Hayes Foundation, winner of Oscars, Grammys, gold & platinum records as a singer & songwriter, and is currently a radio personality on WRBO Soul Classics 103.5 FM in Memphis. He has sung soul classics from the theme of "Shaft" to "If Lovin' You is Wrong (I Don't Wanna Be Right)" to "Joy" to "Chocolate Salty Balls." He has raised millions for underpriviledged children in the States & built schools for his ancestorial land of Ghana. He's also still touring. When I went to Vegas for my birthday shortly before starting this blog, I was interested in getting tickets...but they were $50 and nobody wanted to go with me...so I decided to get a little tipsy & hit a gentlemen's club. Check out his Greatest Hits album just released last year...and you won't be sorry. The man is a living legend...and long live the King...of Ghana.
Tuesday, August 21st
Wilt Chamberlain would be 71 on Tuesday if not for an irregular heartbeat that had plagued him in his latter years and claimed him in 1999. The man changed basketball in more ways than anybody before or after has. Standing 7'3" and having the grace & skills of a ballerina and the brute strength of Conan's companion, he brought about changes like the shape & size of the lane, the three-point line (to give other people a chance), and even in college, they made dunking illegal for over a decade after he was gone...just to save the rims from his constant attacks. They did nothing. Teams double & triple teamed him every day...and he still averaged thirty points a game over his 15-year career...up to 50 points per game as a youngster...before he got bored & decided to play team basketball with the Lakers in order to win a championship or two. Highly regarded as the single most dominating player in basketball and possibly sports history, he left a legacy that has yet to be challenged other than by a select few. His record of 100 points in an NBA game on March 2, 1962 still stands. Though his claim of having sex with over 20,000 women may be a bit fabricated...it's probably more in the range of about 12,000 for the life-long bachelor and father of nine (officially). Anyway, if you're into the reading thing, he has two autobiographies out entitled "View from Above" and "Wilt: Larger Than Life" that are worth a read.
Melvin Van Peebles turns 75 on Tuesday. He was the groundbreaking filmmaker that directed "Sweet Sweetback's Baaaaddaaasssss Song" that started the blaxploitation era of movies. He's also father of actor/director Mario Van Peebles and to keep this brief, you may just wanna check out a movie that his son made about the making of his father's classic entitled "Baaaaddaasssss!!!"
Thursday, August 22nd
Barbara Eden turns 73 on Thursday. Has it really been that long since "I Dream of Jeannie" was on the air? Anyway, it was a great show...and personally, I have my computer set at work to tell me "Master, I have mail for you" when I receive an email. Who doesn't like to be called Master? Seriously. A beautiful woman in a skimpy outfit, calling you Master, granting wishes, and if you're having a little spat then she goes back in the bottle...call me crazy, but I think that a man had a dream about this after watching "Arabian Nights" and just thought it was a great idea. It was...and is. They haven't made a movie remake of this one yet, right? They should. Who can replace Barbara Eden though? I'd say Jessica Simpson...but I'd prefer an actress.
Friday, August 24th
Dave Chappelle turns 34 on Friday. Star of one of the funniest skit shows (though short lived) of all time with "Chappelle's Show" and if you haven't seen "Half Baked" you're missing out. The man is just funny. Still waiting for the Rick James biopic...but that may be on hold for a while. I'm not sure why...because it took them a few months to throw together one for Johnny Cash when he passed away. You don't need Dave Chappelle to play Rick James. Why not have Jamie Foxx? Anyway, Dave please come back to comedy. You could have raised more awareness in Afrika by donating your money and doing a few skits about it than going over there. It's your decision though...and I respect it. It takes a LOT of balls to walk away from that much Comedy Central money. Best of luck to you.
Saturday, August 25th
Sean Connery a.k.a. the James Bond Standard turns lucky 77 next weekend. Though knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (the sequel) in 2000, he has long supported the Scottish National Party for independence in between blockbuster movie roles. I'm not sure what else to say about the man other than he is "Bond....James Bond" and all the rest are merely imitators.
Claudia Schiffer turn 37...and all I have to say is "SCHWIIIING!!!"
McKenna is having her birthday on the same day as Claudia Schiffer & Sean Connery. That's awesome!!! Don't think that I forgot. Sorry that I won't be making it to your party...but I'll be hanging with my mom in Memphis. Try to have fun without me.
Anyway, that's basically it for now. Busy busy busy for the next few days, then vacation, so it may be a while before I can blog about anything interesting (shocker). Keep your head up. I'll be back soon...and with pictures of my adventures into the Midwest. Drive Safely!!!
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