Today is November 25th and that means we start the 30 day slide into Christmas. I love Christmas time. It’s a great time full of music and great viewing opportunities. I know I could go over the top listing everything but I’m going to try and stay on point and keep to the topic of this blahg. I’m going to share with you what is on my Christmas Wish List for 2012.
Yesterday, my daughter Abbie and I put up our Christmas lights. It was bitter cold and we had to stop a few times and come in and get warm. Isn’t it amazing that every year you can’t remember the arrangement you had the previous year? We had a few lights blown out but nothing major and a quick trip to town secured the replacement bulbs. I’ve taken a few pictures of the light display. There’s a right view and left view. Pick the appropriate view whether you are right brained or left. And just to be confusing, I’ve added a shot of the front of our house with the lit bushes on either side of the door and the shooting star up above. Click on any of the pictures to view a larger version. So much for my Christmas lights. They look better at night and maybe I’ll update those pictures with night pictures but with the light dusting of snow that we received over night, I thought these pictures would set the mood for this blahg. (Writing this later this evening, I’ve added the night pictures below. Click any of them to see a larger version)
What is on my Christmas Wish List? Top of the list: WORLD PEACE. There used to be this little joke/tradition in my house when it came to Christmas or Birthdays. I would ask my children what they wanted for Christmas or their Birthday. If their first answer was not World Peace then I would mockingly scold them and tell them that maybe they were only going to get one thing and they blew it by not asking for World Peace as their first choice. It’s the perfect gift and there’s no batteries required. I completely forgot about that tradition and a few years ago, I asked Abbie, whose Birthday is December 16th, what she wanted for her Birthday. She answered right away: World Peace. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I had forgotten and Abbie had not. There’s hope for this new generation yet! Seriously, Middle East, what is your problem? If a child here in Canada can embrace the concept then what’s stopping you? Add to my wish list that the current Ceasefire will work its way into a lasting Peace and spread across the globe.
I don’t have a very long wish list for Christmas and after WORLD PEACE everything else pales in comparison. Maybe it’s safer to ask for other things because that top item on my list is hard to acquire and not likely to fit in my stocking. If I can’t have WORLD PEACE then maybe I’ll be a little selfish and ask for Jean Arthur. I know she’s dead, and thanks for pointing that out, but I simply think she was one of the greatest actresses ever. I recently purchased the Jean Arthur Drama Collection that was released in May of this year. This is a follow-up to the Jean Arthur Comedy Collection that TCM (Turner Classic Movies) released last year. It’s a great set and fills in the gap of her film output on DVD with some early 30s dramas. I guess my wish list then, to be more specific, would be to have a couple of her very popular films finally released on DVD. Specifically, “History Is Made At Night” (1937) & “The Devil And Miss Jones” (1941). With the recent release of “Directed by Billy Wilder – TCM Vault Collection”, we have been treated to a DVD release of “A Foreign Affair” (1948). That last TCM release also included Wilder’s “Five Graves To Cairo” which is a great previously unreleased film; even if it doesn’t star Jean Arthur.
So why ask for Jean Arthur? Well, I can’t have WORLD PEACE so why not ask for something just as impossible? I’ve been on this Jean Arthur kick this past year with these DVD releases. I have all of the other DVD releases of Jean Arthur films so these new acquisitions have been welcome additions to my collection. There are no other Jean Arthur releases on the horizon so for my Christmas list I’ve asked for a book about Jean Arthur. There are a couple books out there about Jean Arthur and this year saw the release of the second one: “Jean Arthur: A Biofilmography”. I know, that’s a new word to me too. I wasn’t even aware that this book had been released. It certainly wasn’t on my radar but when I went to show my wife the book about Jean Arthur that I wanted, this one popped up. It wasn’t the one I knew about and it’s not currently on my wish list. I had previously read about “Jean Arthur: The Actress Nobody Knew”. The title sounds interesting and if I do get it for Christmas (Hint Hint) then I’ll read it and maybe post a review here.
Another great actress that I really enjoy is Judy Holliday. Holliday is not necessarily on my Holiday wish list. I just really like her work and she only really had eight starring features from 1949 to 1960. She was a great comedienne and could sing to boot. She died too young at the age of 43 in 1965 of Cancer. Her volume of work has been highly represented on DVD with the exception of 1956’s “Full of Life”. That will all change next month when Sony will release the DVD on December 4th. I’m not necessarily asking for this release because it is a Sony Manufacture on Demand DVD and I can’t get it in Canada unless I find an online source that will ship to Canada. Perhaps TCM, but their shipping to Canada is outrageous. Hey TCM, why is your shipping costs to Canada so outrageous? Oh yeah, I asked them that and they sent some generic response that didn’t really answer my question.
Moving on. The Weepies. The Weepies? Yes, The Weepies. In a previous blahg, “Advice For The Next 50: Think For Yourself”, I mentioned a great singer by the name of Deb Talan that I’ve been enjoying. Deb Talan, along with her husband Steve Tannen, are members of the band The Weepies. There may be others in the band but Steve and Deb are the front of the band. In 2011 they released a new CD called “Be My Thrill”, which is what I’m adding to my wish list. It’s an amazing CD and the title track is one of my favorites. Give it a listen:
This is a very upbeat tune but there’s a few Youtube videos of The Weepies performing this more as a ballad. Here’s one of them performed at the Oregon Zoo in 2011:
If that’s not enough, there’s a great acoustic version of this done by a couple of Youtube amateurs who I happen to think do a super job themselves:
Moving even more on but still on a musical note, I want to add another DVD to the list of things I’d like to own. Back in 1988, Peter, Paul and Mary gave a holiday concert in New York and it was aired later as a PBS special. I managed to tape it from PBS years ago and I’ll tell you that I practically wore out the tape watching it every year; fast-forwarding through the PBS pledge breaks. Last year, Shout Factory did the world a favor and released the concert on DVD. They perform some great songs during this concert and at points there isn’t a dry eye in the house. A great group from the 1960s who came at a time when the world was looking for peace. How strange it is that we’re still looking for that peace today; or wishing for it. I’ll keep wishing for it as my first wish and maybe I’ll be surprised with getting it one day…hopefully sooner than later.
I’ll close with that wish for peace and a video from that Peter, Paul, and Mary Concert that sums it all up: “Light One Candle”.
Wow, has it really been the extant of the whole summer since my last blahg? Time flies when you’re having fun. I don’t know how much fun I’ve had but I’ve been really busy and it looks like the fall is shaping up to be the same way. At least, my wife and children will not be at home in the fall to distract me from writing here. So this blahg is going to be a little different.
In my last blahg, I mentioned that our eldest daughter, Emily, since the beginning of May, has been serving as an Intern with the Digital Advocacy Research Group at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. At the end of June, we decided to drive down to Washington over Canada Day Weekend to see her. Canada Day was July 1st and it fell on a Sunday. We decided to leave Friday, June 30th and I want to tell you the whole trip was one experience after another.
We did not get away until after 4pm on Friday afternoon after my wife got home from School. We were delayed two hours in Ganonoque, Ontario as our GPS attempted to get us past a huge accident on the major highway. That’s as much time as I ever want to spend in Ganonoque again. It’s probably a nice town but creeping at a snail’s pace through the downtown core is not what tourism is all about. We didn’t get to Binghamton, New York and our hotel until 10:30 after our detour, border crossing, and stopping for dinner. It was a nice hotel but nothing to write home nor here about.
Saturday, we stopped in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to do some shopping and someplace else I do not recall to have lunch. We didn’t get down to Washington until after 3pm. It was obvious that there were some problems in the area because many of the traffic lights were out and many tree limbs were down. We later learned that a major storm blew through the night before. In Canada, when you come across an intersection where the lights are out, we treat it as a four way stop. Apparently in Washington, you treat that scenario as an excuse to speed through the intersection and not give the cars from the other direction a chance to cross through. Our GPS only failed us once when we got to the street where our daughter lived and found it was closed off because power lines were down on the lower half of her street. We just took a side street and came it from a different direction. Luckily, the upper half of the street, where our daughter’s townhouse was situated, was not without power. That was a blessing because it was 101 degrees and she had air-conditioning. Luckier still, the air-conditioning in our van worked well the whole trip.
A few quick hugs later with our daughter and the use of her washroom and we were on our way to our hotel a few blocks from her home. When we got there, we noticed a makeshift sign that said that there was no power in the hotel. When I checked with the front desk, the manager explained that I could not stay there because of the power outage. It was a tricky communication thing between he and I because initially he told me I would not be charged for my stay there. I thought I was going to get to stay free but he was just trying to say I couldn’t stay there and my credit card used to book the room would not be billed. Using the GPS, we tried three other local hotels and found there was no room at the Inn.
We didn’t panic. We went to a mall and did some shopping and then went to an Ihop Restaurant for dinner and the use of their free WI-FI so we could find another hotel. We located one about 30 minutes outside of Washington and quickly booked it. With that resolved, we decided to go visit the Lincoln Memorial. When we finally got to the Lincoln Memorial it was dusk and the Lincoln Memorial was actually the Jefferson Memorial. It was still 100+ degrees and we were sweating but we enjoyed the Jefferson Memorial. We then drove around in circles for 30 minutes before finding the real Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial was well worth the wait, the heat, and 30 minutes of circling and arguing trying to find a parking space.
After both Memorials we decided to drive to our hotel. Emily decided to stay with us and she had packed an overnight bag. By the time we stopped for gas and two other stops to try and find a public bathroom (which are scarce) we finally got to the hotel about 11:30. It was pitch black. Everything else around it was lit up but the hotel was dark. An inquiry at the front desk gave us the explanation that they had no power (why didn’t the online booking tell us that) and didn’t expect to have power until the next day. We were welcome to stay at the hotel but we’d have to use the stairs because there was no power for the elevator. We were so tired, we agreed and the night manager found us a room on the third floor so we wouldn’t have to walk up too many stairs. There were two queen sized beds in the room but that was the extant of the luxury. No power meant no air conditioning and the windows didn’t open. We were all exhausted from the walking around the memorials that we fell asleep despite it being 90+ degrees in the room. The next morning I had a quick shower because there was enough water in the lines for that. My son managed to get one in too although it was cold. My wife and daughters just wanted to go back to Emily’s place and shower there. I never did get a discount from that hotel and when I complained to their day manager, I was told they agreed to provide us with a room and did not guarantee power. Act of God or something. I didn’t catch his act but who would you get to open for him?
We managed to get back to Emily’s and while the girls took turns with the shower, Noah and I went off to a local McDonald’s to get breakfast for everyone. Most of us had some variation of Egg McMuffin but Abbie just wanted a Chocolate Chip Muffin. When I tried to order this through the McDonald’s drive-thru I encountered another language communication issue. The tinny voice at the other end of the receiver didn’t understand my request for the muffin and kept asking if I meant a McMuffin. She even said, I obviously wanted a Chocolate Chip Frappe. I don’t know who you get Frappe from Muffin but because it had Chocolate chips she assumed I didn’t know what I really wanted. I guess they don’t have have Chocolate Chip Muffins in Washington. When I tried to describe this type of pastry, they informed they had never heard of such a thing. Emily made Abbie a bagel back her place. Muffin people! Muffin! Have you never seen Seinfeld? Mufffin!
The remainder of that Sunday was spent walking around the Smithsonian and the outside front and back of the White House. It was now 104 degrees. We had lunch at a restaurant called Potbelly’s and then we took Emily home and started the drive back north to Canada. I was glad to be out of Washington. We stopped at a hotel in Wilkes-Barre that night and the air conditioning worked. The next day we drove home and were ecstatic to be back in our own Country. It’s true: Nice Place To Visit But I Wouldn’t Want To Live There. Emily flew home about two weeks ago after finishing her internship. She too, was tired of Washington.
I know this narrative has been rather short and bleak but I did take some nice video while in Washington. I want to end this part about Washington by posting those videos here. The quality is a little grainy because the conversion to Youtube type videos was to a lesser quality. Believe me, the originals look better.
Night time at the Jefferson Memorial (which I thought was the Lincoln Memorial) :
Night time at the real Lincoln Memorial:
Walking near the Washington Monument:
Part one of our trip inside The Smithsonian:
Part two of our trip inside The Smithsonian:
A nice man at the Smithsonian tells us about Lincoln’s Hat and other things that went on the night of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln:
Front and back views of The White House:
Driving near the Capitol Dome and The Canadian Embassy in Washington:
I will close on a more upbeat but disturbing note; to me anyway. The other night, I made a comment about our cat Frank lying about and living the life of riley. My children looked at me as if I was crazy and asked what I meant by the phrase: “The Life of Riley”. I couldn’t believe it. What have they learned in school all these years? Why didn’t they know the meaning of that phrase? It means to live the good life or an easy and pleasant life without much effort. My children explained that nobody uses that phrase and doubted it was still in common use. Again, I was flabbergasted. Besides being a popular radio show and later television show, the phrase has always been in common use by me. I was sure I was often heard to comment on someone living the life of Riley or the fact that I wasn’t living it. I know I wasn’t living it when we went to Washington.
What’s the world coming to? Are phrases dropping out of speech because we older people, and I don’t consider myself that old, have forgotten to pass them on? It worries me. In fifty years, will this phrase be all but gone? What about “Bob’s Your Uncle” or “So’s Your Old Man”? Is it to be goodbye to “You and the horse you rode in on”? Can I no longer get away with “Another one bites the dust”? Sure, expletives continue and many use them far too much. But if I drop an occasional “take the bull by the horns” will people look at me like I just spoke an offensive string of four letter words. Well, I say “What’s Up With That?” and “More Power To You” if you can get away with these colloquialisms. “My Hat’s Off To You” who keep these phrases alive and “Lead Me Up The Garden Path” to a better time when eyes weren’t cocked (there’s another) when I described something in a unique way. “Live and Let Live”, I say and “Live Long and Prosper!” Okay, I don’t think that last one will die out anytime soon. You tell ’em Spock!
Let me start off this blahg by saying something positive. I own an Epson Stylus NX515 wireless printer. It hasn’t given me a lick of problems. I owned a previous Epson printer before this and I liked that printer too. The only reason I upgraded to the NX515 was for the convenience of wireless printing and the fact that this printer was on sale for half the retail price. I am giving these accolades to this printer because I’m impressed with the quality of Epson products thus far. I haven’t had cause to call their technical support and having been a troubleshooter of Hewlett Packard printers, I can tell you that if a model is good then there won’t be many support calls. There’s the positive for today. Pleasantries are now set aside.
For those of you who read my blahg from two weeks ago “SHAME ON YOU TOSHIBA, EXCEPT AL…MAYBE” then you are aware that I was left hanging by Toshiba in regards to my Blu-Ray Player BDX2155KC. The last conversation I detailed in that blahg was with a Case Manager named “Al” who promised to send me an upgrade of a BDX2300 and that I am to return the defective BDX2155KC in the BDX2300 box with an affixed return label that he would email to me. That conversation was on April 27th.
Jump ahead to May 8th. At around 6pm Al from Toshiba calls me. He’s inquiring about the return label that was to be sent me by email and whether I had received it. I had not. It’s been a week and a half since our last conversation and there had been no follow-up calls or emails. He does not mention anything about the replacement BDX2300. I ask him if he received my fax of the receipt showing that my BDX2155KC was purchased on December 26th, 2011 and should still be in warranty. Al is not sure if he has received that fax. He will check his documents and will call me back. NOTE: THIS IS THE LAST TIME I HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH AL…MORE TO FOLLOW.
On May 15th, I received an automated email from Toshiba directing me to a website to print off my return label. The return label will only be available to me for 30 days. I check out the link and it is a printable return label for UPS. Clearly, I’m to print this off and attach it to a box and call UPS for pick up. Again, it is an automated email and there is no mention of the BDX2300. The original instructions from Al were that I was to attach the return label to the box of the BDX2300 and return it with the BDX2155KC inside. I have a return label and no box and no BDX2300.
The following is a timeline of what has happened since receiving the return label by email on May 15th:
May 16th, 6:15pm: I speak to Victor, a front line agent and provide my case number. I recognize the voice. This is the same Victor who was rude to me before when we spoke on April 27th and told me that he only troubleshoots issues for customers from the United States. He does not say that this time. He was either lying last time or he’s been transferred. I don’t get into that with him. I explain that my last conversation with Case Manager Al on April 27th leaves me waiting for the BDX2300. When I receive the BDX2300 I will remove it and place the BDX2155KC in the box, attach the return label, and will ship it back to Toshiba. I also explain I have the return label now but I’m still waiting on the BDX2300. Victor tells me that Toshiba’s policy is that I must return the BDX2155KC first before they can ship me the replacement BDX2300. I tell Victor that I was told by Al that the BDX2300 was to come first and then I would ship back the BDX2155KC. I am placed on hold at 6:21.
6:24pm: Victor is back. He tells me there is no record in Al’s notes or my file that I was told the replacement BDX2300 would be sent to me first. I tell him that I made notes and that’s what I was told by Al. Back on hold at 6:27 while he consults someone.
6:36pm: Back with Victor again. Explains that the policy has recently changed and they want the defective unit back first. I am adamant that I will not return the BDX2155KC first. That will leave me without a Blu-Ray player and at the mercy of Toshiba trying to get anything from them. Given their track record of not returning phone calls would I honestly trust that they would return me a Blu-Ray player? Victor is insistent on the new policy. I am insistent as well. I demand to speak to a Supervisor. Victor doesn’t want to get me a Supervisor and says I will be told the same thing by the Supervisor. I demand to be transferred to a Case Manager. Victor tells me that because it’s already 6:40pm, he cannot transfer me to the Case Manager department because everyone in that department has left for the day. Their hours are only 8 to 5. Funny, the last time I talked to Al, on May 8th, it was near 6pm. I accept my fate and agree to call back the next day during the appropriate hours.
New day. It’s now May 17th. Here’s what transpired:
9:15am: I speak with a pleasant female named Bless (I asked for the spelling). I explained what Al told me about receiving the BDX2300 and then returning the BDX2155KC. I also tell her what Victor told me about returning the BDX2155KC first before I can receive the BDX2300. She is very sympathetic and says it was obvious that I was told something different by Case Manager Al. She places me on hold to see if she can reach Al. I’m on hold at 9:22.
9:25am: Back with Bless. Al is on the telephone with another customer and he will call me back within the day. I provide my cell phone number in case they cannot reach me on my house phone. I do have a life and have to go out of the house sometimes. Bless assures me that Al will call me back “within the day” (her words). I’m off the call at 9:27. Al does not call me back within the day. No one from Toshiba calls me back. Surprise!
Day 3 this week. It’s now May 18th. Still no call from Al. Here we go again:
11:20am: New agent, Chris. I explain to him that I’ve been calling for two days for Al. I want to speak to Al. I’m placed on hold at 11:22.
11:26am: Chris comes back and cites the recently changed policy. He insists that I have to return the BDX2155KC first. I insist on speaking to Al. I don’t want to go through this again with another front line agent. Placed on hold at 11:28.
11:30am: I get Karl. I’ve spoken to this person before but this time he says he’s a Supervisor. Last time he was a front line agent. They get promoted or transferred a lot at Toshiba. Karl is not clear what “Mr. Al Cameron” told me as it is not in the notes. This is the first time that I’m given Al’s last name. Karl says the policy has changed but because I tell him something different was told to me by Al then I will have to clarify this with Al. That’s what I’ve been trying to do! I am placed on hold at 11:36 while Karl tries to transfer me to Al.
11:40am: Karl comes back and says Al is currently not available as he’s dealing with some other issues. He promises me that Al will call me back. I don’t press it but I’m not hopeful for the callback. O Al, Where Art Thou?
11:58am: Someone named Mike from Toshiba calls me back. He says he is a Case Manager and he’s going to handle my case because Al is on holidays. I tell him that he needs to get his story straight because I’ve now been told by three different people, three different stories about the whereabouts of Al. It’s the Friday of a long weekend and maybe Al has left early. I don’t ask this but I’m suspicious. Mike takes the hardline and spouts policy and says I have to return the BDX2155KC first. He also says there are no notes from Al saying he will send the BDX2300 to me first and then the BDX2155KC will be returned. I am defiant. I make it clear that Toshiba has terrible customer service and that it has now been six weeks since I started calling and this issue is unresolved. I tell him that I don’t trust that I will get the BDX2300 because Toshiba has lied to me about callbacks and the whereabouts of Al so I’m not budging. I also told him I’ve been told more than once the BDX2155KC was out of warranty when it clearly is not and that at one point, I was told they had already replaced the unit when they have not. Mike says there is a record of the replacement but that it was sent to another customer. Some cases got mixed up and that’s why I was told the BDX2155KC was already replaced. I am livid. It is clear that nothing good will come of this. I offer up a concession. I promise to return the BDX2155KC first but I want Toshiba to send me an empty box first with a tracking number for the empty box. When I receive the empty box then I’ll attach the return label and send back the BDX2155KC. I will expect a callback when they have received the BDX2155KC with a tracking number for the replacement BDX2300. Mike agrees. He also offers to provide a full one year warranty on the replacement rather than transferring the remaining balance of the warranty over from the BDX2155KC. He also provides me with this direct phone number and extension. I’m off the call at 12:06.
6:45pm: Mike calls me back. I thought Case Manager’s only worked until 5? Hmmm!? Anyway, Mike tells me the empty box has been shipped and provides me with a tracking number for the box. He explains that there will be a return label inside and that I’m to box up the BDX2155KC with the manual and remote and return it to Toshiba.
On Tuesday, May 22nd, UPS delivers me an empty box. Monday was a holiday so it came on Tuesday. I package up the BDX2155KC for return and slap on the return label that was included. I take it to the UPS store on Wednesday May 23rd to have it shipped out. It’s a good thing Toshiba is paying the shipping costs on this or I’d have forgotten the whole thing and just kept the defective BDX2155KC. The man at the UPS store is pleasant and I joke with him. I tell him I have special instructions for the delivery. “Find the President of Toshiba and ram it down his throat.” The UPS store man doesn’t know whether to laugh but he does. That’s the last I see of the BDX2155KC.
I was going to end this blahg with the line “this story yet to be concluded” but something happened yesterday that I think is worth mentioning. I’ve been going on and on about this poor experience with Toshiba and their terrible Customer Service. I want to now relate to you how Customer Service should work.
Yesterday, in my many errands, I went to the local Walmart to purchase some liquid chlorine to shock my above ground pool for the season. I picked up two jugs and because I hadn’t grabbed a cart, I was leaning the jugs against my shirt front. I was wearing a plain navy blue t-shirt and I noticed that there was now a pink ring along the front of the shirt. One of the bottles of liquid chlorine had leaked and discolored my shirt. I put back the leaky bottle and grabbed another one. I wanted to report this but couldn’t find a Walmart representative. I grabbed a cart and placed the two jugs inside while I went to the men’s department to buy a new shirt. I found another plain navy blue shirt for $7 and headed off to the cashier. I mentioned to the cashier about the leaky bottle and that someone should check on that. I showed her the discolored ring on my shirt. She told me I should report this to Customer Service because they would probably reimburse me for the shirt I just bought.
I went to the Walmart Customer Service and explained the situation and the Cashier had suggested I should receive a refund for my new shirt. The lady at Customer Service said she’d have to check it with the Day Manager. She paged the Day Manager and a couple minutes later a nice gentleman came over and heard my story. He said he would authorize the reimbursement and furthermore they would give me a $20 gift card for my troubles. I said this wasn’t necessary but he put his arm around me and said it was necessary because he wanted me to be a happy customer. Boy was I surprised! People can say many disparaging things about Walmart but their Customer Service is a model of how to take care of the customer. Toshiba take note!
Oh, by the way, I changed into the new shirt and it fit perfectly. Unfortunately I wore it when I emptied the contents of the bottles of liquid chlorine into my pool. Some of the chlorine splashed onto my new shirt and I now have serveral pink dots on my new navy blue shirt. Oh well, it was free and I have a gift card and can by a two or three more. Lesson learned.
I wanted to call this blahg “Toshiba Sucks” or “Toshiba–To Hell In A Handbasket”. It wasn’t that I thought my readers (do I have readers?) would not get the play on words on that last one but rather that I want to give Toshiba some more time to resolve this issue or more rope with which to hang themselves. After all, it’s not my reputation on line here, it’s the good name of Toshiba that’s at stake.
Before I get too far ahead with this blahg, let me clarify that I’m not a pessimist. The glass is neither half full or half empty with me; it’s a glass and that means it can be broken and someone can be injured. I know that in previous blahgs that I’ve been quick to point blame or fault where it is due. In the past I’ve blamed David Letterman for breaking my cookie and cell phone users for ruining my movie going experience. To my own defense, I have also given praise where it is due. I’ve given accolades to Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, and Margaret Ann & The Ja-Da Quartet. I’ve also praised Whirpool for my new washing machine. If you are scratching your head at this point then it’s because you haven’t read my previous blahgs. Do yourself a favor and look back through my archives. There’s some fun reading there. All that aside, I can compliment just as easily as condemn. I wanted to make sure that was straight before I began my latest tirade.
Back in December, on Boxing Day to be precise, I bought a new Blu-Ray Player. I’m not an overly big fan of Blu-Ray and there’s been a great deal of material released on Blu-Ray that is sub-standard. The only reason I made the investment was there are some new materials being released with bonus material or special features that I cannot access on a regular DVD. This purchase is actually the second Blu-Ray player that has come into our home. The first was an inexpensive Seiki player BD660 that I purchased from Walmart. My son had been bugging me about getting one and when this one came on sale at Walmart for about $50, I made the purchase and made him happy. He quickly claimed it for his room and occasionally it was allowed to make an appearance in the living-room when he wanted to watch something on the big screen. It really didn’t matter because I hadn’t begun to purchase that many Blu-Ray discs and if I had something, then Noah was gracious enough to lend me back the Seiki that I had paid for.
The Seiki served its purpose until I began to acquire more Blu-Ray discs and the player begand to spend more time downstairs and Noah began to spend more time complaining about the situation. So, to get back to the story, I purchased a new Blu-Ray player for our main room. The source, which used to be Radio Shack, had a sale on the Toshiba Blu-Ray Player BDX2155KC. It looked liked a decent player and it certainly was a decent price. I enjoyed the player right away because it had a feature that I really wanted in a player. If you take a close look at the back of this Toshiba Player then you will see that there is a USB port where you can connect a USB Flash Drive. This is very important because it allows me to play content that I have downloaded from the Internet.
I don’t want to get into the legality or illegality of downloaded content. I have discussed this all before in my blahg, “The Death of A Big One”. I detailed how I have had to download current TV shows because I live in the country and get 4 channels.Not all current shows air on any of those channels. One of my new favorites,”Smash”, about the struggle to put on a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe, has started airing on CTV2 after first airing on CTV. CTV is one of the 4 channels I do get and when they switched “Smash” to CTV2 then I had to start downloading the new episodes. Shame on you CTV and CTV2 and your parent companies…but that’s another story. I download some new shows like “Smash” & “Psych” and some older classic movies that have never been released on DVD.
The important thing to understand about downloading video content from the Internet is that the content can come in different formats. There is the standard AVI or DivX format that most regular DVD Players can play and then there are the MP4, MKV, WMA, MPEG formats that regular DVD players cannot display. If you don’t understand these formats then research them because I don’t have the time nor inclination to do that in this blahg. My new Toshiba Player has the ability to play all of these formats. All I need to do is put the downloaded content on my USB Flash Drive, plug the Drive into the back of the Toshiba and then we’re away to the races…or the movies in this case.
That’s how it’s supposed to work. I have a normal DVD Player with a USB Port in the front and if just want to watch a TV show or movie in AVI format then I can just use the USB Thumb Drive in this player and watch the content. When it’s any of the other formats, mentioned above, then I have to use my Toshiba. Let me be clear that the Toshiba has no problems playing any of the content in those formats. The problem is that if the show or movie is longer than 30 minutes then the Toshiba shuts down. It powers off right at the 30 minute mark. That’s a pain. Imagine trying to watch an hour or longer show or a movie and, just when things get interesting, the Toshiba turns itself off. Here’s my description of that feeling/experience: arrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhh! Do I make myself clear?
I knew that this wasn’t normal. I can play a DVD or Blu-Ray disc in the Toshiba without a problem. The movie or show on the disc will play from beginning to end without interruption. Use the USB and the Toshiba shuts down after 30 minutes. I checked through the manual and the only thing that I could find that applied to this problem was a note in the section about Screen Saver Duration: “The unit shuts down automatically in about thirty minutes if it remains idle and no activities are made.” I checked the on screen menu settings and the maximum time at which you can set the screen saver is 30 minutes. There is also the option to disable the screen saver. This does nothing. With the screen saver disabled, the Toshiba still shuts down after 30 minutes when playing content from a USB Drive. The only way that I discovered to avoid the shutdown is to pause the show or movie before 30 minutes and then resume play. If the show is one hour then I only have to pause it once but if it’s a two hour movie then I have to pause the Toshiba three or more times. Again, certainly not a normal procedure for a Blu-Ray player.
I struggled with this problem for a few months. I tried searching the Internet for a solution but to no avail. I was resolved that the Toshiba was not functioning properly. Finally, when I had some time, on April 4th, I telephoned Toshiba support for the first time. I wish I had had the foresight to record all of these conversations or to document the names of all of the people I spoke to at Toshiba. The first time I called, I spoke to someone who didn’t really understand what I was trying to tell him. I’m sure it was a language issue because Toshiba has clearly outsourced their technical support as everyone I spoke to subsequently, with the exception of Al (who will come up again later), had a foreign accent. I’m not knocking that. I worked for Hewelett Packard for a while troubleshooting their printers and some of their technical support was outsourced to India and The Philippines. There were many great technicians in those countries handling complex issues. The problem lies with Toshiba, in this case, in making sure their agents are qualified or well-trained in technical troubleshooting and appropriate customer service.
The first agent, as I said, had a hard time grasping the technical problem I was having with his company’s product. He put me on hold three or four times to check with his supports and each time he came back he would reiterate my problem but he would keep saying that my problem was that the Blu-Ray player would shut down after 30 minutes whether I played Blu-Ray discs or USB content. I kept having to clarify that the problem was only with the USB content. After the last time he had put me on hold, he came back and told me that they had determined that this Toshiba Player was malfunctioning and that they would need to replace it. They had all of my contact information and the serial number of the Player and there was no conversation about the Warranty. I never questioned the Warranty anyway because the manual clearly stated there was a full one year Warranty on the unit. The agent explained that I would receive an email detailing how they would be replacing the BDX2155KC. That was the end of the conversation I had with that agent other than that he provided me with a reference number.
More than a week passed and I received no emails from Toshiba. On April 13th, I phoned Toshiba once more and had to explain everything all over again to a new agent. When you first speak to these agents, they want the serial number of the Player to determine if the product is still in Warranty. This was the same procedure we used at Hewlett Packard. I learned early on however to just quote my reference number so they could quickly pull up my file. With this second agent, I did have to explain the problem again and to explain that a previous agent had told me the unit would be replaced but I had not received an email communicating any of the necessary details. It was clear that the first agent had not put any of this in his notes because the second agent could find no reference to a replacement. He put me on hold to speak to his Supervisor and then came back and told me they couldn’t help me because my Player was out of Warranty. I explained that I had only purchased it at the end of December and with a full one year warranty, the unit could not be out of Warranty. I had even gone online and registered the Blu-Ray player shortly after purchasing it. Why didn’t they have a record of this? Surely, they could look up the manual themselves and see what I could see about the Warranty:
There was not question in my mind about the Warranty.
The agent had to put me on hold a few times as he tried to update the Warranty. I offered to fax or email a copy of the receipt from The Source but he told me it was not necessary. Finally, after numerous times of putting me on hold, he told me he was escalating my case to a Supervisor and that I would receive a callback to resolve this issue. I should have started balking at this point but I didn’t have any reason to suspect I would not receive a return call from someone higher up at Toshiba.
Jump ahead a week. It’s now April 20th and no one has called me back and still no emails and still the Player is shutting down after thirty minutes when playing content from the USB Drive. Again, I get a new agent and have to provide the case number and I have to detail the problem again and the previous conversations with previous agents. This new agent does not question the Warranty so I assume the Warranty issue has been resolved. This time I’m only on hold once before he comes back and says he will be escalating me to a Supervisor and that I’m to hold the line for the Supervisor. While transferring me to the Supervisor, the call disconnects. I wait an hour and no one calls me back. I call again and get yet another agent and provide my reference number and a back story detailing my issues with the Blu-Ray Player and my issues with all of the previous agents. I am immediately connected to a Supervisor and the call does not disconnect. I have to provide all details and history again to this Supervisor. I am told by this Supervisor that his records indicate that they have already replaced this unit. What!? Previous agents couldn’t find anything in the notes about a promise to replace the Player yet this Supervisor tells me they have a record that they have already replaced the BDX2155KC. I am very insistent that the unit has not been replaced and that I’m very disappointed with the customer service that I have received to this point. The Supervisor apologizes, like every agent before him has apologized, and promises that he will get this resolved by escalating my case to Customer Service. Again I’m assured a callback. Again, the callback never comes.
April 27th, a week later, three weeks since I started calling Toshiba, I place a call to Toshiba and get yet another Agent who is unfamiliar with my case. This time, I begin recording times, names, and what I’m being told. Here’s the timeline from April 27th:
1:15pm: I speak to Phil and provide my case number, explain the problem with Player, detail my frustration with Toshiba and the lack of support I have received to date. I ask for a Supervisor. Phil says it will be a ten minute wait on hold for a Supervisor. I am placed on hold at 1:30pm.
1:55pm: Someone named Victor comes on the line. I ask if he is a Supervisor. He explains that he is not a Supervisor and it becomes apparent that after 25 minutes on hold I was routed back to another front line technical support agent. I provide the case number and case history so he doesn’t have to read through all of the notes. Victor explains that he only troubleshoots issues and customers from the United States and that because I am in Canada, he cannot help me. I request a Supervisor. Victor becomes belligerent and says I cannot speak to a Supervisor because he does not provide support to Canadian customers. I become belligerent and complain about the poor support and service I have received from Toshiba. Victor does not apologize but maintains he cannot help me because I am Canadian. I demand his employee #. He tells me his ID # is 1326932. I have requested this number because I want to report this agent and make sure he is properly trained in Customer Service etiquette. I then demand to be transferred to someone who can help me.
2:06pm: I am transferred yet again to a front line agent but this time to someone who services Canadians. His name is Karl. Again I offer up the reference number and case history and overall dissatisfaction with Toshiba. I also explain the inappropriateness of Victor, the US only support agent and that I would be happy to provide his ID #. Apparently this is not necessary. I don’t push the Victor issue. I ask for a Supervisor. Karl tries to be helpful and wants to troubleshoot the original issue about the unit shutting down after 30 minutes. I thought this might be useful because no one else had tried to do that since the first agent back on April 4th. Karl does not place me on hold but his answers are not helpful and are not correct. He explains that the BDX2155KC does not support playback of any video file formats other than MPEG files. I read to him from the manual:
Again, I fail to understand why Toshiba agents do not have access to the same information as I. It’s in the manual. Nowhere in the manual does it say that MPEG files are the only supported USB content for video files. I thank Karl for trying and request a Supervisor. I am placed on hold again.
2:23pm: I have been on the phone for more than an hour and have spoken to three different people and been transferred three times. A female voice comes on the line this time. Her name is Karen. I explain all problems and frustrations. Again, I receive apologies. She explains she is escalating my case to a Case Manager. I know about Case Managers. We had them with Hewlett Packard. When a Supervisor cannot resolve a case then it is escalated to a Case Manager. I am asked to hold the line. Here we go again.
2:37pm: It’s the old waiting game. New voice. Another man. This person identifies himself as Al and that he is a Case Manager. This is the first time I’ve spoken to someone without an accent. Again, not an issue. I detail everything to Al. I don’t press the Victor issue. Again, I receive an apology. I’m a little snippy with Al and tell him that apologies don’t mean anything if the same things keep happening again. I ask him if this is how customer service is supposed to be. He says “no”. I tell him that’s the correct answer. Al asks if he can call me back in ten minutes because he has to review the manual and find out why the unit is shutting down after thirty minutes. I refuse the callback. I explain that Toshiba’s track record with callbacks is very poor and I’m not going through that again. Al says he has to have time to review the manual. I ask him what does he need to know because I have the manual in front of me. I cite passages about the screen saver and the shutdown feature. I explain about supported content and tell him where he can find it in the manual. He still presses for the callback because he needs to investigate this himself. I concede. He promises me it will only be ten minutes. I’m off the phone with Al at 2:47pm.
3:12pm: Al calls me back. It’s been 25 minutes. Another promise not kept. Al explains that he can find no reason to explain why the unit is shutting down during USB content playback. He says that Toshiba will replace my BDX2155KC with a newer BDX2300. Again, a promise of replacement. Al says that he doesn’t currently have any of the BDX2300s at his location in Toronto and would I wait for them to be shipped to Toronto from Vancouver. This is the first time I realize I’m speaking to another Canadian. I tell him that I can wait. I’ve waited this long. I’m off the phone with Al by 3:17. I think that I’ve finally reached a resolution.
3:25pm: Al calls me back. Will wonders never cease? Two callbacks from this guy and only one was expected. Bad news. Al says that they cannot send me a replacement because my BDX2155KC is out of warranty. I wanted to blast Al about this but he’s been nice up to this point. I explain to Al that I had already gone through all of this before and my receipt shows I purchased it on December 26th, 2011 and the manual says I have a full one year warranty. He asks if anyone had asked me to fax a copy of the receipt. I tell him no, but that I offered and was told that it wasn’t necessary. Cut to the chase. Al asks me to fax a copy of my receipt to him and he will update the Warranty. He also promises to send the BDX2300 directly to me from Vancouver by UPS rather than having to wait for it to arrive in Toronto and then relayed on to me. I get off the phone, fax the receipt to Al, and that’s the last I hear from anyone with Toshiba.
It hasn’t been a week yet but I’ve heard nothing from Al or Toshiba. I’m assuming everything is fine and the Warranty has been updated and I will soon receive the BDX2300. Stay tuned.
I am a huge Jerry Lewis fan. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. With a nod to Charles Dickens, from whom I stole that line, I will relate to you something wonderful that happened to me a week ago.
First, let me back up 30 years. I graduated from Quinte Secondary School in Belleville, Ontario, Canada in June of 1982. Nothing about that is really significant but in my High-school yearbook, next to my photo, was printed the caption “most likely to shine Bob Hope’s shoes”. It was published at the suggestion of my friend Bryan who wanted to see something unique listed next to my mug shot. I guess, ‘most likely to succeed’ or ‘most likely to sire 100 children’ was already taken.
Let me tell you that a legacy to shine a celebrity’s shoes are tough shoes to fill. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. After all, Quinte Secondary School and I were about as far removed from Bob Hope as you can get. The truth is, I never got within 100 feet, kilometers, or miles of Bob Hope within his lifetime and mine. Bob Hope’s lifetime spanned 100 years and he passed away in 2003. The closest I ever got to him was seeing Dave Thomas, of SCTV & Bob & Doug McKenzie fame, at a fan convention in Toronto three years ago. Dave Thomas does the world’s greatest Bob Hope imitation. I actually saw a video interview with Bob Hope and Dave Thomas several years ago where Bob Hope stated that Dave Thomas was the only one who could do a proper imitation of Hope. A further accolade to Thomas is that he was chosen to do a Bob Hope voice over for the Academy Awards a couple years ago when they did a tribute to Bob Hope. When I met Thomas at the convention, he was signing autographs but not interacting with fans. My son and I stood in line for his autograph and when we got to his table, I told my son, loudly enough for Thomas to hear, that this man was the greatest Bob Hope imitator. Thomas looked up a little surprised then said in his best Bob Hope voice “that’s what the man said.” You can see Noah and I in the photo to the left with Dave Thomas at the very moment I pointed my finger and gave Thomas credit for his Hope imitation. My son and I were very pleased. No one else had received any reaction from Thomas.
I never shined Bob Hope’s shoes. I don’t know why Bryan set me up like that. I was, after all, a bigger Jerry Lewis fan although I have several DVDs of Bob Hope movies and several books by or about Bob Hope. My dedication to Jerry Lewis is probably a little deeper. After Hope passed away, I remember telling Bryan that I would probably have to set my sights on Jerry’s shoes. My fascination with Jerry Lewis has been constant for many years. There are many people who don’t get his type of comedy and don’t see the appeal. They often point to one thing or another about his personal life that they insist should tarnish the image of the man. I don’t really care about all of that. Jerry Lewis, for me, is that image in his films or television appearances.
I’ve read three books about Jerry. The first was by Richard Gehman, entitled “That Kid: The Story of Jerry Lewis”. It’s an interesting read but only significant up to its publication date of 1964. It focuses greatly on some touring he did to promote the release of “The Nutty Professor” and more so on preparation for his ill-fated 1960s talk/variety show.
The second book, “King of Comedy, The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis”, by Shawn Levy in 1997 was a great read. Here was a well researched book that even included excerpts from interviews with Jerry. It’s not meant to be a hatchet job or a fawning opus. There’s dirt and there’s flowers throughout the book and it really delves into who Jerry Lewis is and how he developed into the person he has become. I highly recommend it.
Jerry’s own book “Dean & Me (A Love Story)” is exactly what the title says it is: it’s a love story about the relationship between Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Maybe it’s a little one sided because Dean Martin died in 1995; more than ten years before the publication of this book in 2006. Somehow, though, Jerry doesn’t meander on or give us treacle. The book is heartfelt and it’s an insight into a great relationship from the viewpoint of one of the partners. Maybe it’s colored or jaded or whatever but Jerry does a great job and, if nothing else, it lets us in on the secrets and the success and the problems with Martin & Lewis.
So, I approach Jerry Lewis with bias. I have read two great books and one good one. I’ve also seen almost all of his films. As a DVD collector, 2012 has been a great year so far with the release of several great Jerry Lewis films. The first three months alone, saw the release of “Rock-a-Bye Baby”, “The Geisha Boy”, “Boeing Boeing”, “It’s Only Money” and “Who’s Minding The Story”. More significantly there was a DVD release of “The Jazz Singer” which was a 1959 television drama that has never been seen since its original airing. It’s the classic story, done brilliantly before by Al Jolson, Danny Thomas, and even Neil Diamond, of a performer who shuns the interest of his Cantor father to continue in the family tradition at the local synagogue. I came across an audio clip from Jerry explaining why he feels that this type of production isn’t made anymore:
I could probably go on and on about the great and not so great Jerry Lewis material out there but then this blahg wouldn’t get finished. I am just hoping that the release of material continues and Jerry gets his due on store shelves. One more thing on the release of “The Jazz Singer”, which will bring this blahg back to where it should be going, Jerry Lewis did some promotion for this DVD release and was signing copies of the DVD in Los Angeles. Up to that point, I had not heard that Jerry was actually making public appearances anymore. The closest he ever got to me was about ten years or so ago when he had a one man show “An Evening With Jerry Lewis” that played in Toronto. I’m two and a half hours away from Toronto and I couldn’t swing it at that time.
Jump ahead to 2012. Thirty years had passed since my high-school graduation and that Bob Hope’s shoes remark had been attributed to my picture in the yearbook. I’m driving in the car and listening to the top ten at ten on AM 740. I’ve mentioned this radio station before, out of Toronto, and you can listen to it live at: http://zoomerradio.ca. The top ten on that day was dedicated to 1965 and the announcer, before going to a commercial break, gave a hint regarding the number one song. His clue was that the song was by the son of a famous comedian and that the father would be appearing at Casino Rama in Orillia, just north of Toronto, in April. I quickly struggled to guess the song and the singer before the program resumed. The only name I could think of from the 1960s who had a father that was a famous comedian was Gary Lewis and the song would be “This Diamond Ring.” As I began to think of the possibility, I excitedly wondered if this meant that Gary Lewis’ father Jerry Lewis would be coming back to Canada. After the commercial, my suspicions were confirmed. The top song was that one by Gary Lewis and this meant that I had the possibility of getting to see Jerry Lewis!
When I finally got home and could check Casino Rama’s website, it was confirmed for me. Jerry Lewis was playing Casino Rama on April 13th. I was, to say the least, extremely excited. I called my friend Bryan and mentioned that Jerry Lewis was coming and that he and I had to go and see him. Of course Bryan shared my enthusiasm. The excitement, however, became tainted when I mentioned to my wife about going to see Jerry with Bryan. I was immediately informed that if I was going to go away overnight to see Jerry that I was going to take her. We’re celebrating our 25th anniversary this year so the request was clearly not a request. Bryan understood but I’m still sure that his disappointment hasn’t waned. He has since said he is not really a big Jerry Lewis fan but I think that’s a lie and he’s just trying to make me feel better about choosing my wife over him. If you think I’m going to rethink my decision….YOU’RE WRONG! (my wife might be reading this).
When tickets went on sale, I was quickly online at the Casino Rama website because I wanted decent seats. I wanted to be able to see Jerry and get as close to him as I could. All sorts of things were going through my mind. Could I get close enough to the stage for him to see me? Would he be signing autographs? What if I could meet him? I’ll be honest, the thought of shining his shoes never crossed my mind. I don’t know what the happier moment was for me: when the tickets arrived by mail and they were in my hand or the moment when I heard Jerry Lewis was coming. I knew that seeing him live or alive would top both of these experiences.
Let me say that attending the event was a joy! We drove three and a half hours and when Jerry stepped out on that stage, I was like a school kid. I remember elbowing my wife and squealing “there he is” with great delight. Jerry’s 86 years old and that did not stop him from putting on a fantastic show. He told some great jokes and sang a few great songs. One of the musical highlights was his version of “Old Black Magic” that he originally performed in “The Nutty Professor”. The crowd went wild. Fortunately, someone captured that moment and it’s available on Youtube.
I didn’t bring a camera myself because I thought they would be banned and I didn’t want to be ejected from the event. Jeanette and I had great seats and we could see Jerry very well and there were two large screens next to the stage that allowed even better views. These were used for close-ups of the performance and to show clips from Jerry’s movies. For some reason, Jerry made reference to Henny Youngman, the king of one-liners, being from a Canada and showed a clip of Jerry, Alan King, and another comic in a salute to Youngman. It was hilarious and I wish I could find that clip online but I haven’t had any success. I’ll keep looking. By the way, Henny Youngman was born in the United Kingdom. Well, Canada is part of the Commonwealth so I guess I can forgive Jerry that inaccuracy.
I mentioned earlier about the release of “Who’s Minding The Store” on DVD. In that film, Jerry did a great gag of typing on an imaginary typewriter while keeping in time with the music and sound effects. It’s a very funny gag and one that Jerry performed at Casino Rama last week. He never missed a beat while performing it last week and the audience at it up. I don’t have video of that performance but here’s a video of the original gag from the movie. The man is a genius!
Jerry Lewis had people in stitches the whole evening. Some of the jokes I heard him do before. There is a great VHS of “An Evening With Sammy Davis & Jerry Lewis” from 1988. Jerry repeated some of the jokes from that appearance. In the video, Jerry and Sammy are a delight. Sammy sings and dances and Jerry does his schtick. They have individual sets but when they get together or Jerry interrupts Sammy, the show is the thing. If you can track down a copy of the video, sorry no DVD release yet, then you’re in for a treat. This pairing, like Dean and Jerry, will never happen again.
All of the jokes, gags, and songs Jerry performed at Casino Rama were very memorable but Jerry Lewis did something I have never seen another performer do before or since (although that was last week and I haven’t seen any other concerts in that time). Half way during the show, Jerry sat down in a director’s chair and took questions from the audience! I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t sure I would have the opportunity to get close to Jerry but here was my chance. I wasn’t the first one out of my seat because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to ask Jerry. I got in line because I knew that something would come to me and I certainly wasn’t going to miss this chance of a lifetime.
Many of the questions asked by others that night are a bit of a blur. I do recall that most of them appeared to be fawning idiots who just wanted to thank Jerry for everything he had done. Others asked for autographs and were referred to see Security after the show. None of us knew if these requests would be honored. I had been toying with asking Jerry if there would be any new DVD releases in the near future because I really was interested in knowing the answer.
At some point, while waiting my turn in the long line, the shining of the shoes came back to haunt me. Was this appropriate to ask? What would be his reaction? When it came my turn I stepped up to the microphone and said “Hello Jerry, my name is Scott, and when I was in High School they printed next to my picture in the yearbook that I was voted most likely to shine Bob Hope’s shoes. That bastard up and died on me so I’m wondering if I could shine your shoe?” That’s right, I said ‘shoe’, singular. I was so excited by what I was saying and that I was actually saying it to Jerry Lewis that my mouth went dry towards the end and I could only utter shoe when I came to the end of my speech. Jerry’s reaction was priceless. He had just taken a drink of water and out it came in a spray when he heard my request. He sputtered and said “I had to ask.” I had cracked up Jerry Lewis and the audience. I was laughing too. I never did get a direct answer from Jerry but the interchange between us was palpable.
I thought that was it. I had made my appearance and others came up to the microphone and asked their questions. I don’t think anyone topped my request. But the question still remained: How was I going to get to shine Jerry’s shoe? After the performance, and what a performance, many audience members worked their way to the right of the stage where members of Security stood. Many had brought books or DVDs or records for Jerry to sign. They all were jostling with Security hoping to get backstage to have their items signed. Someone took some of the items backstage and said they would see what they could do to get the items autographed. I just stood among them. I had nothing to sign. I just wanted to shine Jerry’s shoe. After 30 minutes, they began to take a few VIP ticket holders backstage and they eventually came out with small autographed photos. Others who had sent items with Security were allowed backstage to retrieve their items. About 20 of us without items stood in line hoping to get to see Jerry and have our tickets signed at least.
As I mentioned, there was a great deal of jostling from the 50 or so people hoping to be lucky enough to see Jerry and maybe get his autograph. Some Security members doubted that Jerry would sign for long as he was old and tired. I could only hope. Eventually some people got tired of waiting and left. After another twenty minutes, the remainder of us were allowed backstage. We were told at this point that Jerry was very tired and that he would not be autographing tickets nor were photos allowed. What about shoe shining, I wondered.
Jeanette joined me in line and we eventually were led to a room where Jerry sat in his director’s chair. Most walked up and shook his hand. Then it was my turn. I shook his hand and reminded him that I was the one who wanted to shine his shoe. He smiled and gestured to his shoe. I got down on one knee and with my coat sleeve, I began to gently shine his left shoe. I only shined the one shoe because I had only said ‘shoe’ and I didn’t want to press my luck and go for both. I stood up, and without blinking an eye, I extended my palm and said “that will be a dollar.” Jerry laughed and said “get out of here.” It was a moment I won’t ever forget. I had cracked up Jerry Lewis…twice.
Jeanette was behind me in line. Neither of us had brought anything for Jerry Lewis to sign and we knew better than to ask him to sign our tickets after we were warned against it. Jeanette, however, had a small notebook in her purse and quickly offered a blank page to Jerry. No fuss no muss. Jerry signed it! What class! What style! What an end to an extraordinary evening!
I may have never had the chance to sign Bob Hope’s shoes but I think this makes up for it. I signed Jerry Lewis’ shoe. It was only the left shoe but that leaves me with a goal for the right foot. I’ll see him again, don’t you worry. Long live Jerry Lewis!
I have some time today so I’m going to trying and knock out this blahg.It has been ten days since April Fool’s Day and I haven’t written a blahg since March 22nd. That is no April Fool’s joke! I meant to write a blahg earlier and even thought about having it come out on April 1st but I just couldn’t find the time. Besides, if it came out on the first of April, you probably wouldn’t have believed it.
My friend Glenda, or I should say our friend Glenda because she was my wife’s friend first, has the dubious distinction of being born on April 1st. She also has the dubious distinction of having Henderson sideburns but if you look at my picture, you’ll see I haven’t kept my sideburns; I’ve barely kept my hair. For those keeping track, I am not losing my hair, it is just becoming more and more transparent. I digress. Glenda was born on April Fool’s Day and she has Henderson sideburns despite being anything but a Henderson.
Glenda always had to be vigilant on her Birthday because many people tried to pull some type of joke on her to help her celebrate her natal day. She was very vigilant indeed because when I met her in University, she maintained that no one had been able to slip anything past her on that day. She also had certain restrictions that she believed applied about April Fool’s Day and that mainly all pranks had to be played before noon if they were to count. I’m not sure if she made this up or if it’s the rule. But then, who’s ever heard of April Fool’s Morning? I’m digressing again.
This part of the narrative is not all that interesting and I’ll jump right to the point. I managed to play a successful prank on Glenda on April 1st. It wasn’t even all that great of a joke. Over breakfast at the Dining Hall, I told her she had a spider crawling up her sweater. I didn’t know she was severely afraid of spiders at the time or I wouldn’t have chosen that joke to play on her. To say the least, she freaked. She was also very angry with me. It wasn’t just about the spider gag but that I had successfully ruined her track record of avoiding all shenanigans on her Birthday. I will tell you that I didn’t push my luck and try again in the ensuing years. My record with Glenda stands at one. I told you that this part wasn’t all that interesting.
As you might have gleaned, I am a bit of a joker or jokester or whatever the correct terminology may be. I am quick with my wits and if there’s a great opportunity for a gag or great retort, then I’m all over the situation. I don’t remember all of the April Fool’s jokes that I’ve played or attempted to pull over the years but I’ll recite a couple. Once, before our youngest was born in 1998, I told some co-workers that Jeanette was pregnant again and that I wasn’t too happy about it. In fact, my wife Jeanette was pregnant at the time and Abbie arrived in December that year. We just didn’t know Jeanette was pregnant that April. The joke wasn’t all that funny in retrospect. We had tried for a while to have a third child and it just wasn’t happening and I was getting very disappointed. For me to use this as the focal point of a hoax made it even more compelling and the people at work soon bought into it. It was pretty mild really. I didn’t let it run the course of the day and when people discovered the truth they were disappointed because they knew how much I had hoped for a third child. As I said, the joke was on me, Abbie was already on her way. If Jeanette knew she was pregnant then she pulled the greatest April Fool’s joke by not telling me.
Another joke from that reoccurring April day, that I recall, also was delivered at work. I was working for the Community Development Council of Quinte and we were working on a report about poverty in our region. We came across the name of a small town in the outlying regions with which we were not familiar. I began to do further research on the community only to find there was nothing really significant about the area. I did not immediately share this information. Instead, I drafted a phony letter from a government official in response to a request for information that I hadn’t really made. The letter detailed how the community in question was a penal colony for persons who were caught cheating on their welfare applications. Welfare is a form of government assistance offered to individuals and families who have no other source of income. Our government, at that time, was overly concerned that these most marginalized of persons were cheating the system and acquiring funds to which they weren’t entitled. The government’s over-zealousness on this issue later lead to their loss in the next election.
The fraudulent letter that I drafted was never meant to be taken seriously and I even included fake names in the document such as Dewey Chetham (Do We Cheat ‘Em) & Anne Howe (And How). The insignia graphic I used on the letterhead even included naval objects such an anchor and life-preserver even though the community in question was land locked and the Government Ministry who drafted the letter was not genuine. The contact phone number also spelled out April Fools if you checked the corresponding letter on a number key-pad. My co-workers, however, bought it hook, line, and sinker. They missed all the clues that suggested the letter was not genuine. I had to let the cat out of the bag when they started protesting vehemently and were on the verge of phoning the number contained in the letter. There was no disappointment in that joke. Everyone thought it had been well played.
So you can see that I take April Fool’s Day seriously. I sometimes take weeks to concoct the perfect prank. One year, however, I didn’t play an April Fool’s joke and that backfired on me. I don’t know why I hadn’t taken advantage of the day to pull one over on my co-workers. I know that they had expected something but it never came. The following day was quite different and didn’t work in my favor. That April 2nd was a normal work day and according to my morning ritual, I dropped off our two oldest children at the home of some friends down the road.
I had to be at work early and these friends had two daughters who went to the same school. They agreed to put my children on the bus with theirs so that I could be at work on time. On the way to Bruce and Jane’s (the names of our friends in case you were interested), I encountered a strange situation. Their house was ten minutes down the road and there were only a handful of houses and a campground between our two homes. Passing the campground, I spied an ostrich walking on the road in the direction that I was driving. Yes, I said an ostrich. This part is all true. My children were reading books and when I cried out that there was an ostrich on the road, they didn’t even look up. They both believed this was my missed April Fool’s Day joke. Only when I slowed the van, did they look up from their books to find that I had been telling the truth.
The ostrich kept his pace trotting in my front of my vehicle for about half a kilometer and then he ran off down a side road just past the campground. We all were stunned and didn’t know what to think of it all. I continued on down our road and after a bend in the road, I encountered an older man and a young girl wrestling with another ostrich. I rolled down the window and informed the gentleman that there was another ostrich down the road. He yelled at me that he knew that and would I please just go. I guess when you’re wrestling an ostrich you don’t have much patience and manners are the first thing to go. By then, I had guessed that there must be an ostrich farm somewhere nearby. I took the fellow’s advice and continued on to Bruce and Jane’s and dropped off my children. I left it to my children to tell our friends about our strange encounter.
At work, I recounted my morning experience only to have no one believe a word. Frankly, I wouldn’t have believed it if it didn’t happen to me. I tried all day to convince my co-workers of the ordeal with the ostriches to no avail. They, like my children, were certain that this was the prank that should have been played the day before but I had waited to make it more convincing. My wife call at lunch time, as she always did, to see if there were any issues with the children because she was the one who always picked them up from Bruce and Jane’s on her way home. She also did not believe my ostrich tale. I urged her to check with the children and ask them what happened on the way to school that morning. I was sure that when she did that, the children would lend credence to my story.
When I arrived home that evening, my wife informed me that the children had not told her anything about ostrich’s when questioned about their ride to school. I was flabbergasted. Here was a great experience that no one believed had happened. I wasn’t sure why my children didn’t back up my claims. I called them into my wife and I and asked them what happened on the way to school. They replied that nothing had happened and it was a normal journey as usual. Again I was flabbergasted. I mentioned the ostriches and asked why they didn’t recall them from this morning. Their answers were simplicity. The experience with the ostriches did not happen on the way to school. The ostrich encounter had happened on the way to Bruce and Jane’s. So when questioned about their ride to school they thought they were being asked about the bus ride which had been uneventful. It’s all about the questions you ask.
Eventually I was vindicated with my wife. It took longer with my co-workers. I had to eventually bring one of the children to work to corroborate my story. I could have said they were elephants instead of ostriches for all they believed me. I am glad, however, that they weren’t elephants. I never did find out where the ostrich farm was but for a few days after this event, a ball of feathers lay dead on the ice near the campground. Obviously one of the ostriches had made it that far and had died there. I had noticed it but didn’t know where I could report it. If it had been an elephant, it would have gone through the ice and the no one would have been any the wiser. At least I was…wiser that is. I’ve since curbed my April Fool’s Day jokes. How can you even top the joke that you never played?
Where has the time gone? More than a month and no new blahg? Awwwk! I know, that’s a strange noise to make, and I’m sure I didn’t spell it correctly, but that’s the best I can do at this point. I have been so busy this past month that I haven’t had time to write a blahg and if I had the time, I was probably too tired. I won’t make any more excuses and I won’t make any more strange noises except caw caw. That’s even stranger but last week when we were in Toronto, I amused my thirteen year old daughter by randomly making that bird like noise in public to see if anyone would notice. No one did. Now on to the blahg.
This blahg is going to be an update to two previous blahgs and a little something extra thrown in. Right about now you’re probably wondering what I mean by “a little crazy in the head.” If you’ll stay with me, I’ll get there. First, let’s jump back to last September and the first blahg that I posted. You may recall that the title of that first blahg was “THE BLAHG AND THE MOST HAPPY SOUND”. If you can’t remember back that far, and believe me that I have those days, then you can just jump back and check out that blahg here: http://falseducks.com/theblahg/?p=5. The ‘Most Happy Sound’ of that blahg referred to the title album by Margaret Ann & The Ja-Da Quartet. I reviewed that album and offered a couple of tracks for your listening pleasure. I also noted two single 45 rpm releases by the same group but that I did not have a copy of one of these which included ‘Secret’ backed with ‘Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home’. I know this is a bit of a cheat because I have actually gone ahead and updated that blahg but if you’re only reading my new blahgs, and boy did you have to wait a while for a new one, then you probably didn’t know that first blahg has been updated.
I won’t dwell too much on this part of the update but I had previously reviewed “Secret” and commented that it sounded like a late 50s/early 60s vocal group. The flip side is completely different. “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home” harkens back to the LP ‘The Most Happy Sound’. Here we have that roaring 20s jazz and swing coming through. Give it a listen:
Now on to the second update. I’m happy to say that Frank Sinatra is in the house! I guess I should clarify that in case a few of you believe I am a little crazy in the head and believe Sinatra is haunting me or at the very least that I’m hallucinating. This reference goes back to another blahg that I wrote back in January of this year. The title of that blahg was “THIS SPOT RESERVED FOR THE 2011 CARLTON CARDS SINATRA ORNAMENT.” Again, if you haven’t read that blahg, then you can check it out here http://falseducks.com/theblahg/?p=14. In that blahg, I detailed my frustration in finding the 2011 Carlton Cards Sinatra ornament to complete my collection that I started with the first release in 1999. I also exhibited a picture of my incomplete collection. That picture was in error because it only displayed 10 of the 11 releases (not including the missing 2011 ornament) and also did not include the Hallmark release in 2009 when there was no Carlton Cards Sinatra ornament. The picture at left now shows all of the ornaments; including the 2011 ornament.
The point of my original blahg was to draw attention to the missing ornament in my collection. Since that blahg I have now acquired the 2011 ornament and I want to comment a little on it. As I have mentioned (come on, read that blahg already so I don’t have to keep repeating everything), the 2011 ornament was withdrawn shortly after its initial release. The two answers I received from American Greetings, the parent company of Carlton Cards, basically pointed to a production error. If you look at the picture of my 2011 Carlton Cards Sinatra Ornament at left, you will notice that the skin coloring used for Sinatra seems to be quite dark. Maybe this was the production error or maybe Sinatra had a really good tan that year. Well, at least my collection is complete.
Now what about being crazy in the head? I knew you’d get around to asking that again. Well, the fact is it’s not really about being a little crazy in the head, although I will openly admit to that, but rather about ‘poco loco in the coco’ which translates that bit about being crazy in the head. Let me explain a little more. A couple weeks ago I was listening to my favorite AM Radio Station AM 740 out of Toronto. In fact, it’s the only AM station that I do listen to. Every morning from 10am to 11am they run the top ten at ten. This particular week they were running down the top ten hits from that week in 1950. Here’s how the list broke down:
10. / Enjoy Yourself / Guy Lombardo
9. / The Third Man Theme / Anton Karas
8. / Cry of the Wild Goose / Frankie Laine
7. / Rag Mopp / Ames Brothers
6. / I Said My Pajamas (and put on my prayers) / Tony Martin & Fran Warren
5. / It Isn’t Fair / Don Cornell
4. / There’s No Tomorrow / Tony Martin
3. / If I Knew You Were Comin’ (I’d’ve baked a cake) / Eileen Barton
2. / Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy / Red Foley
1. / Music Music Music / Teresa Brewer
You will notice that in the 3rd position was “If I Knew You Were Comin’ (I’d’ve Baked A Cake) by Eileen Barton. I’m familiar with this tune and have heard various artists sing it. It wasn’t extraordinary to me that the song was recorded by Ms. Barton but rather the flip side of that single caught my attention. When the radio personalities of AM 740 began to make fun of the title of the opposite side track, I was a little startled. The title of the flip side was “Poco Loco In The Coco.” I knew this song! I had only recently heard it for the first time a couple weeks before hearing this top ten list…and I have Frank Sinatra to thank for this.
In the mid-1950s, Sinatra had a fifteen minute radio show rightly entitled “To Be Perfectly Frank”. On this show, he sang a song or two with a small combo and played platters by other artists. At the beginning of this year, 2012, I decided to start listening again to material associated with Sinatra for every day of the year. I have so many recordings, radio shows, and concerts that I have enough material to listen to something different for all 366 days (don’t forget the added bonus of February 29th this year). For January 29th of this year, my selection was the To Be Perfectly Frank episode from January 29th, 1954. Besides crooning his own versions of “On The Sunny Side of The Street” & “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry”, Sinatra spun the wax version of Eileen Barton’s version of “Poco Loco In The Coco.” If you ask me, this should have been the hit because it’s a fun little number that jumps. Here it is:
Well that’s it for me. I know that this is a little bit of an abrupt ending to this blahg but given the month I’ve had, I think I’m going to make “Poco Loco In The Coco” my theme song for the next little while.
I love Christmas time. It’s a great time full of music and great viewing opportunities. I know I could go over the top listing everything but I’m going to try and stay on point and keep to the topic of this blahg. I’m going to share with you what is on my Christmas Wish List for 2012. 
It was bitter cold and we had to stop a few times and come in and get warm. Isn’t it amazing that every year you can’t remember the arrangement you had the previous year? 
We had a few lights blown out but nothing major and a quick trip to town secured the replacement bulbs. I’ve taken a few pictures of the light display. 
There’s a right view and left view. Pick the appropriate view whether you are right brained or left. And just to be confusing, I’ve added a shot of the front of our house with the lit bushes on either side of the door and the shooting star up above. Click on any of the pictures to view a larger version. So much for my Christmas lights. They look better at night and maybe I’ll update those pictures with night pictures but with the light dusting of snow that we received over night, I thought these pictures would set the mood for this blahg. (Writing this later this evening, I’ve added the night pictures below. Click any of them to see a larger version)
If their first answer was not World Peace then I would mockingly scold them and tell them that maybe they were only going to get one thing and they blew it by not asking for World Peace as their first choice. It’s the perfect gift and there’s no batteries required. I completely forgot about that tradition and a few years ago, I asked Abbie, whose Birthday is December 16th, what she wanted for her Birthday. She answered right away: World Peace. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I had forgotten and Abbie had not. There’s hope for this new generation yet! Seriously, Middle East, what is your problem? If a child here in Canada can embrace the concept then what’s stopping you? Add to my wish list that the current Ceasefire will work its way into a lasting Peace and spread across the globe. 
I know she’s dead, and thanks for pointing that out, but I simply think she was one of the greatest actresses ever. I recently purchased the Jean Arthur Drama Collection that was released in May of this year. This is a follow-up to the Jean Arthur Comedy Collection that TCM (Turner Classic Movies) released last year. It’s a great set and fills in the gap of her film output on DVD with some early 30s dramas. I guess my wish list then, to be more specific, would be to have a couple of her very popular films finally released on DVD. Specifically, “History Is Made At Night” (1937) & “The Devil And Miss Jones” (1941). 
With the recent release of “Directed by Billy Wilder – TCM Vault Collection”, we have been treated to a DVD release of “A Foreign Affair” (1948). That last TCM release also included Wilder’s “Five Graves To Cairo” which is a great previously unreleased film; even if it doesn’t star Jean Arthur. 
There are no other Jean Arthur releases on the horizon so for my Christmas list I’ve asked for a book about Jean Arthur. There are a couple books out there about Jean Arthur and this year saw the release of the second one: “Jean Arthur: A Biofilmography”. I know, that’s a new word to me too. I wasn’t even aware that this book had been released. 
It certainly wasn’t on my radar but when I went to show my wife the book about Jean Arthur that I wanted, this one popped up. It wasn’t the one I knew about and it’s not currently on my wish list. I had previously read about “Jean Arthur: The Actress Nobody Knew”. The title sounds interesting and if I do get it for Christmas (Hint Hint) then I’ll read it and maybe post a review here. 
She was a great comedienne and could sing to boot. She died too young at the age of 43 in 1965 of Cancer. Her volume of work has been highly represented on DVD with the exception of 1956’s “Full of Life”. That will all change next month when Sony will release the DVD on December 4th. I’m not necessarily asking for this release because it is a Sony Manufacture on Demand DVD and I can’t get it in Canada unless I find an online source that will ship to Canada. Perhaps TCM, but their shipping to Canada is outrageous. Hey TCM, why is your shipping costs to Canada so outrageous? Oh yeah, I asked them that and they sent some generic response that didn’t really answer my question. 
Deb Talan, along with her husband Steve Tannen, are members of the band The Weepies. There may be others in the band but Steve and Deb are the front of the band. In 2011 they released a new CD called “Be My Thrill”, which is what I’m adding to my wish list. It’s an amazing CD and the title track is one of my favorites. Give it a listen: 
Back in 1988, Peter, Paul and Mary gave a holiday concert in New York and it was aired later as a PBS special. I managed to tape it from PBS years ago and I’ll tell you that I practically wore out the tape watching it every year; fast-forwarding through the PBS pledge breaks. Last year, Shout Factory did the world a favor and released the concert on DVD. They perform some great songs during this concert and at points there isn’t a dry eye in the house. A great group from the 1960s who came at a time when the world was looking for peace. How strange it is that we’re still looking for that peace today; or wishing for it. I’ll keep wishing for it as my first wish and maybe I’ll be surprised with getting it one day…hopefully sooner than later. 
