I think there's something on TV tonight

Some of you may actually be watching the Super Bowl later today. According to the Hass Avocado Board, more than 61 million pounds of avocados were shipped into the U.S. last week. Out of this amount of avocados, 93 percent were sourced from Mexico, 3.6 percent originated from California, 2.7 percent came from the Dominican Republic while Chile supplied 0.7 percent. Approximately 26 million individual avocados – are sold in preparation just for the game. To shovel that guac into gaping maws, approximately 15,000 tons of chips are used to scoop it up.



This year, the National Chicken Council predicts that folks will wolf down more than 1.42 billion wings during this year's Super Bowl, which is up 2%, or 20 million wings, from last year. To put that in visual terms — 1.4 billion wings laid end to end would stretch 19 times from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO, to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL.



Americans will be washing down those snacks by spending $1.2 billion dollars on beer.



Super Bowl LIV played on February 2, 2019 and broadcast by CBS in the U.S., was watched by more than 99.9 million viewers in the United States, slightly up from Super Bowl LIII numbers (Nielson rating were up even more even during the halftime show with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.) Approximately 17.5 million people called in 'sick' to work the day after the Super Bowl, (could this have been an early indicator of the oncoming Corona virus?).



This year, since most of you are already working from home, you won't be able to call in sick.

Enjoy the game


February 7, 1914 -
Charlie Chaplin first appeared as The Tramp, in his first film Kid Auto Races at Venice which was released by Keystone Studios, on this date. The Tramp, as portrayed by Chaplin, was a bumbling but usually good-hearted character who was most famously presented as a vagrant who endeavors to behave with the manners and dignity of a gentleman despite his actual social status.



With only a small number of exceptions, Chaplin would play only The Tramp (or slight variations on the character) on film until The Great Dictator.


February 7, 1940 -
Walt Disney's second feature-length movie, Pinocchio, premiered at the Center Theatre in Manhattan on this date.



Figaro was Walt Disney's favorite character. Disney pushed for the kitten to appear in the film as much as possible. After the film, Disney swapped Minnie Mouse's little cocker spaniel with Figaro.


February 7, 1974 -
The Love Unlimited Orchestra's Love's Theme and their album Under the Influence of Love Unlimited were certified gold, on this date.



This is one of the few instrumentals and purely orchestral tracks to reach #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was one of the most played instrumentals of the 1970s. The track earned Barry White, writer of the track and producer, a BMI award for selling over three million copies.


February 7, 1974 -
Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles opened on this date. Fart jokes gain a certain cache afterwards.



After seeing the film, chairman of Warner Bros. Ted Ashley did not know Brooks had final cut of the film, so he gave him various notes. Ashley wanted all instances of the N-word removed, he wanted to lose the farting scene as well as Mongo (Alex Karras) punching out the horse, and he wanted the scene of Lili Von Shtupp in the dark with Bart taken out. Brooks obediently took notes on a sheet of paper, but as soon as Ashley walked away, Brooks crumpled it up and threw it away. They ended up cutting nothing and releasing the film as it was.


February 7, 1999 -
Blondie went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Maria, giving the group their sixth UK No.1 single, 20 years after their first No.1, Heart of Glass.



This was Blondie's comeback song - at the age of 54, lead singer Debbie Harry became the oldest female to make No.1 in the UK.


An important educational read.


Today in History:
February 7, 1812 -
Charles Dickens, English novelist, was born in Portsmouth, England on this date.



He was the quintessential Victorian author.


February 7, 1845 -
An 'intemperate' vandal, William Lloyd, entered the British Museum and smashed the irreplaceable Portland Vase into over 200 pieces on this date. The elaborate glass amphora was created when Augustus was Caesar and was about ten inches high (the vase, not the emperor.)



It took a lot of glue and months to repair.


On February 7, 1898, the trial of Emile Zola began in Paris. He lost, but then eventually he won. He accused someone of something. Somehow, the actor Paul Muni was involved. Or vice-versa. Long story.



It all began in the backwoods of Illinois... no, that was Lincoln. Never mind


February 7, 1908 -
Buster Crabbe, Olympic athlete, actor and swimming pool sales man, was born on this date.








Crabbe is the only actor who played Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers - the top three comic strip heroes of the 1930s.


February 7, 1962 -
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard, stand-up comedian, dramatic actor and executive transvestite, was born on this date.





Long time readers of this silliness may have realized that I am very partial to Mr Izzard, Executive Transvestite.


February 7, 1964 -
It was 57 years ago today, The Beatles arrived at JFK International Airport to begin their first tour of the United States. They helped bring about a social revolution whose effects can be felt to this day. They had nothing to declare but their genius.

The Beatles came from Britain, sometimes known as England, a little island in the North Atlantic from which many people have come to the United States over the years, some of them without guitars.



The British (or English), like so many other Europeans, have a long and storied history. Although it took the French to perfect the guillotine, the English (or British) made up for in zeal what they lacked in technological savvy, and next week is the anniversary of three British (or English) queens having their heads hewn from their shoulders.



On February 8, 1587, after nineteen years in prison, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded.



On February 12, 1554, Lady Jane Grey, Queen for nine days in 1553, was beheaded.

On February 13, 1542, Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's Vth wife, was beheaded.

If you can get to an English (or British) pub next week, order a beer with extra head and see if they get the joke. (Be prudent, however, as people will sometimes react in unexpected ways when asked for any kind of head at all.)


February 7, 1965 -
... I don't believe I can offend you in a comedy club. I don't believe I can offend you in a concert. A comedy club is a place where you work out material; you're trying material ...





Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III, comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer, director and not an executive transvestite was born on this date.


February 7, 1968 -
It became necessary to destroy the town to save it. -

This was a quote attributed by Peter Arnett (written on this date.) to an anonymous American major speaking about the town of Ben Tre, the main town in Ben Tre province, Vietnam, after the Americans had heavily bombarded it.


February 7, 1990 -
The Soviet Union's Communist Party agreed to let opposition political parties compete for control of the country, thereby giving up its monopoly on power.

They were forced to sell of most of their properties on Baltic Avenue to the Russian mob.



And so it goes