Pop Culture News

Marvel Character Timeline

Joe Hummel III — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 20:29:19 +0000

Marvel Comics has been around for many years, an impressive 80 to be exact. They first got their start in 1939 under the name Timely Publications, and it wasn’t until 1961 that they were officially known as Marvel Comics.

Their first publication, Marvel Comics #1, saw fantastic success with its two thrilling characters, the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner. The first issue sold a whopping 900,000 copies and took off from there. Since the first publication we have been introduced to a multitude of amazing and heroic characters across the Marvel universe.

Some other famous characters we met early on include Captain America who first appeared in 1941 and was considered a patriotic super soldier who would fight the Axis powers of WWII. The Fantastic Four showed us the power of teamwork in 1961, while Spiderman first soared into our hearts in 1962 followed by his nemesis the Green Goblin in 1964.

The Guardians of the Galaxy began in 1960 with the creation of Groot and was complete in 1976 with the additions of Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon. Deadpool, the character who was guaranteed to make you laugh while saving your life, was added to the Marvel line-up in 1991.

AAAStateofPlay.com created this timeline of 101 Marvel character comic book debuts, celebrating some of the most popular characters to ever be featured in an issue of their comic books. With 80 years of impressive character designs under their belt, we can’t wait to see who Marvel Comics comes up with next!

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Who Were The Biggest Fashion Winners During The 91st Oscars?

Kristyn Clarke — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 07:43:04 +0000

Photo credits: Kyusung Gong / ©A.M.P.A.S. Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S. (PCM) The red carpet for the 91st Oscar Awards almost reminded us of a baby shower theme, as it was a sea of pink and blue hues that most celebrities donned for their red carpet look. The men were all looking quite dapper in their custom suits (and suit dresses) and we also saw a ton of leading ladies choosing more comfortable looks this year which included sophisticated pantsuits and flowy bohemian style dresses. According to CNN.com, “Lady Gaga evoked the spirit of vintage Hollywood in a stunning black Alexander McQueen dress. She completed the look with elegant evening gloves and a diamond Tiffany’s necklace once worn by Audrey Hepburn. Fellow nominee Melissa McCarthy was among a number of actresses seen sporting powerful pantsuits, wowing onlookers in a black and white ensemble by Brandon Maxwell. “The Wife” star Glenn Close, meanwhile, wore a gold Carolina Herrera dress (in a shade not dissimilar from the statue she hoped to take home) created from an astonishing 4 million beads. The supporting actress nominees arguably eclipsed their lead actress counterparts, however, with Regina King and Amy Adams both opting for sophistication over spectacle. Emma Stone proved more divisive: Her elaborately sequined floor-length gown sparked widespread debate on social media, where it drew gastronomical comparisons from waffles and honeycomb to burned fish skin. By and large, the men played it safe, with muted tones and sharp tailoring reigning large. Rami Malek and Bradley Cooper were among the male nominees demonstrating how to make a classic black tux look effortless. ” See the full gallery of red carpet image from the 91st Oscars below:

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Some Valentine’s Day Facts That You May Not Know!

Kristyn Clarke — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 05:53:42 +0000

(PCM) Every year couples around the globe celebrate their love and affections on February 14th, also known as Valentine’s Day. Over the last few decades, Valentine’s Day has certainly become what could be called as “Hallmark Holiday”, as retail stores are filled to the brim with cutesy romantic trinkets, heart-shaped candy boxed and cards galore. Many feel that couples love for one another should be celebrated each and every day and not only on one specific day of the year, but that is another article entirely. Either way, Valentine’s Day is here to stay and how you choose to celebrate is entirely up to you! We have done some searching around and discovered a few facts about Valentine’s Day that you may not know!

In Japan Valentine’s Day is celebrated by women crafting chocolates to present to the people they love the most. The culture looks at a gift of chocolate from a woman to a man to be an indication that he is their chosen one. The country also celebrates White Day on March 14th, where men present their beloved with presents that are supposed to cost roughly three times more than the present they themselves received.
Sadly, in Saudi Arabia, the Valentine’s Day holiday is completely banned as the Islamic religion views Valentine’s Day as a pagan holiday. The ban chocolate, flowers and even the color red, really anything that is even closely associated with celebrating the holiday.
The origin of Valentine’s Day actually began during a war. It stems from Emperor Claudius II, who didn’t want men to marry during wartime. However, Bishop Valentine went against the Emperor’s orders and performed secret weddings for couples in love. As a result, the bishop was sent to prison and consequently executed. During his time in jail, he wrote an affectionate note to the jailor’s daughter and famously signed it “from your Valentine”.
Did you know that it was once considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card with your own name? During the Victorian era, Valentine’s Day cards were simply signed ‘From Your Valentine’.
Everyone has seen the “X’s and “O’s” adorning Valentine’s Day cards and merchandise translating to our way of saying “hugs and kisses”. The X is synonymous with a kiss due to medieval times, as people who could not write their names would sign in front of a witness with an X, they would then kiss the X to show their sincerity.
The very first box of chocolates made specifically for Valentine’s Day was created by Richard Cadbury in the late 1800s. The box of chocolates has since become a Valentine’s Day staple ever since.
Roses are another Valentine’s Day staple as they were said to be a favorite flower of Venus, the goddess of love. The color represents a feeling of strong love and passion.
Valentine’s Day happens to be the seconding biggest card giving day of the year, coming up only slightly behind Christmas.
Hallmark was the very first company to mass-produce Valentine’s Day cards with the first one being printed back in 1913.
A 2017 study by diamond retailer James Allen found that 43% of millennials chose Valentine’s Day as their top choice of day to propose or be proposed to. Guess that is why it leads us right into wedding season!

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Review of 2018, in Numbers

Joe Hummel III — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:24:36 +0000

Across the Board, there are a lot of Big Numbers to talk about from from 2018

NETFLIX announced that 45 Million People have watched there own Horror/ Psychological Film called Bird Box, and that was just in the first week. They DID say it was the best first week for any NETFLIX Film, which stars Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson and John Malkovich. 45 Million People, for perspective, is (approximately) how many people saw a Harry Potter Movie in THEATERS…

Movies Had A Big Year

Not Just Movies, Superhero Movies, especially Spinoffs and Sequels. In the US, We had Marvel’s Black Panther, Infinity War and Incredibles 2 were the TOP 3. #4 was Jurassic World 2, and The second Deadpool was number 5. World wide, Infinity War was # 1, Back Panther was #2, Jurassic World 2 & The Incredibles 2 hit the next few spots and Venom, which is an unofficial Spider-Man Spin-Off, cracked the Top 5. We’re talking Six Billion Dollars world wide. Hollywood earned nearly 12 Billion dollars world-wide.

Video Games had one of the best years ever

You had top sellers of 2018 like Call of DUTY: Black Ops 4, Red Dead Redemption 2 and NBA2K19, all game sequels. Fortnight came out in 2017, has earned over a Billion Dollars. Pokemon Go is in the 2 Billion Dollar Club – I have grownup friends who still play. Minecraft is about 7 years old, and is the second biggest game of all time. (Tetris from 1984 is #1) Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds is another BILLION DOLLAR franchise. Concerts Made Some Noise

Ed Sgheeran’s Tour grossed $432 million. Taylor Swift’s Reputation tour earned$345.1 million and Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s On the Run II tour earned $254.1 million. The rest of the Top Ten 2018 Tours were Pink ($169.2 Million), Bruno Mars ($167.6 Million), The Eagles ($166 Million), Justin Timberlake ($151 Million), Roger Waters ($131.3 Million), U2 ($126.2 Million, continuing their 2017 tour) and The Rolling Stones ($116.6 Million).

Numbers From Outer Space

NASA Horizons spacecraft passed a small planet called ULTIMA Thule, which is the furthest thing we’ve been able to get close to, about a billion miles past PLUTO. HORIZONS was about 2,200 miles away from the Planet, which is almost 4 BILLION Miles Away. It’s the furthest verified distance that any man-made thing has ever traveled…

Back to Earth, Robocalls…

26 Billion Robocalls happened in 2018. There were only about 18 Billion in 2017. 8 Billion in just the last four months of last year, so it’s gonna be 30/40 Billion robocalls I think in 2019. The Robots are winning. There are lots of great apps for your phone to avoid them. Check Google Play or The Apple Store. #fight the technology

Why bring up the big numbers…?

The word BILLION has been around since the 1600s, but it was almost never used. The first Billionaire was John Rockefeller, and that was just over a hundred years ago. Earth had a Billion Humans for the first time just over 200 years ago, but nobody knew it at the time. A Few decades ago, regular people never encountered anything in the billions… a few million of anything was unheard of AND a lot. The day-to-day use of the word BILLION was something that never came up with our parents or grandparents, and now we see it every day. The next generation will be talking about TRILLIONS, like its nothing.

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Surrealist Salvador Dali Once Collaborated With Walt Disney

Kristyn Clarke — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 15:34:55 +0000

In 1944, surrealist artist Salvador Dali and Disney studio artist John Hench of Walt Disney came together to collaborate on an animated short film titled “Destino”. The film was only seven minutes in length and was not officially completed and released until 2003.

It took nearly 60 years for “Destino” to make it’s debut and it is about a young woman and Janus, the God of Time trying to love each other. You can watch the full version of the animated short below:

“Destino” features music written by Mexican songwriter Armando Domínguez and performed by Mexican singer Dora Luz. The film itself has no dialog and the story is told through the music and imagery.

The 17-second original footage that is included in the finished product is the segment with the two tortoises, however the rest of the film was created by Baker Bloodworth and directed by French animator Dominique Monféry in his first directorial role. A team of approximately 25 animators deciphered Dalí and Hench’s cryptic storyboards (with a little help from the journals of Dalí’s wife Gala Dalí and guidance from Hench himself), and finished Destino’s production. The end result is mostly traditional animation, including Hench’s original footage, but it also contains some computer animation.

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More Than 50 Christmas Jokes, Facts and Trivia And… Who Is Santa Claus?

Joe Hummel III — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 11:00:46 +0000

More Than 50 Christmas Jokes, Facts and Trivia And… Who Is Santa Claus?Who Is Santa Claus? (PCM) Greek native, Nicholas, born a few hundred years after Jesus Christ, had prior to that led a very righteous life, helping many people, particularly by providing children with gold coins. Raised as a devout Christian, Nicholas took all of his wealth and, following the words of God, gave it to the poor and needy. It is known that he had a special love for helping the needy, children, and sailors. Nicholas was sent to prison in the 4th century by the Roman Emperor Diocletian who persecuted the Christians while in reign. Nicholas was tortured in prison, but then released when Constantine became the new emperor. After moving to the Netherlands, he adopted the native language and was renamed Sinterklauss (Saint Nickolaas). He continued helping children and was revered by many faiths including Catholics, Lutherans, Orthodox Christians and Anglicans, but some in the Protestant faith did not like the whole celebratory aspect regarding saints and outward celebrations like Christmas. Through this time, Nicholas apparently worked out of the mainstream until he later moved to the North Pole. Author Washington Irving gave the first detailed information about St. Nick in 1809. Then, in 1823, Saint Nick was fully Americanized in the poem by Clement Clarke Moore, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” now known as “The Night Before Christmas”. The first image of our modern Santa Claus was illustrated by Thomas Nast who drew full-bellied Santa for Christmas issues of Harper’s magazine in the late 1800’s. Santa Claus, as we know him today, came from Clement C. Moore’s 1822 poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas”). He was featured in many stories as short (like an elf), thin, spindly and tall enough to reach the top of Christmas Trees, and usually fat, and a smoker. Since there have been so few eyewitness accounts, noone was really sure what he looked like. Although Santa actually quit smoking in the 1930s, contractual obligations kept him in cigarette ads until the early 1950s.In 1930, Fred Mizen painted a department-store Santa in a crowd, drinking a bottle of Coke, in the department store Famous Barr Co. in St. Louis, Missouri, and that rendition is the vision we best know Santa as today. Santa Claus, according to historians, has been living in the North Pole since at least the 1820s. More Than 50 Christmas Jokes, Quotes, Facts and Trivia What do penguins ride? . . . Ice-Cycles! According to legend, “Good King Wenceslas” sleeps underneath a mountain in the Czech Republic with an army of knights and will return someday to save the realm from its “ultimate danger.” Shopping malls all over the world are playing “All I want for Christmas is you” to encourage shoppers to buy stuff. What do the reindeer sing to Santa on his birthday? . . . Freeze a jolly good fellow! Nobody cares that receiving money for Christmas is essentially a regift. Send a fruitcake though and everyone loses their mind. The 12 days of Christmas refers to the 12 days after Christmas, not the 12 days before Christmas. What do you call a gigantic polar bear? . . . Nothing, you just run away! In 1914 during WW1 a Christmas Truce was called between Allied and German forces. They emerged from their trenches and shook hands, exchanged gifts, and even sang carols together before returning to battle against each other the following day. What do you call a penguin in the Sahara desert? . . . Lost! Bob Hope spent 48 Christmases between 1941 and 1991 overseas entertaining American armed service personnel. The famous dance troupe the Rockettes began in Missouri as the Rockets, before moving to NY’s Roxy Theatre and becoming the Roxyettes before finally moving to Radio City and becoming the Rockettes. What do you call a snowman on roller blades? . . . Snow mobile! Santa Claus, in the Marvel Comics Universe, is the most powerful mutant ever detected by Cerebro. Prosthetic legs make perfect stocking stuffers. What do you call the bells on Santa’s sleigh? . . . Kringle bells! Giving someone a wrapped gift is really saying that you trust them enough to hand over your fingerprints on the tape. What do you do if Santa gets stuck in your chimney? . . . Pour Santa flush on him! What do you get if you deep fry Santa Claus? . . . Crisp Kringle! Mariah Carey says she doesn’t want a lot for Christmas and then immediately follows up with wanting a human being. What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? . . . Frostbite! The plot for “Home Alone” is about a guy that gets left alone around Christmas time, and takes it upon himself to stop thieves from stealing stuff. This is the same plot for “Die Hard”. What do you get when you cross an archer with a gift-wrapper? . . . Ribbon hood! They should sell roof gutters with LEDs built in so you don’t have to put up Christmas lights. What do you get if you cross Santa with a detective? . . . Santa Clues! Elf on a Shelf is doing a lot to fix the bad reputation of haunted dolls. What do you have in December that you don’t have in any other month? . . . The letter “D”! Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is just a story some guy made up to explain the blinking lights on airplanes. #myconspiracytheory What goes Ho-Thud, Ho-Thud, Ho-Thud? . . . Santa Claus jumping rope! When you see a couple kissing at the end of a Christmas movie, they are being covered in potato flakes (fake snow). What happens when you drop a snowball into a glass of water? . . . It gets wet! The traditional holiday plant highly regarded as extremely poisonous – Poinsettia – is not actually poisonous enough to kill a human or animal. What is a skunk’s favorite holiday song? . . . Jingle Smells! Regular trees are probably jealous of Christmas tree decorations. The moral of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation is that no matter how bad things get in life money will always solve your problems. What is black and white and found in the Sahara Desert? . . . A VERY lost penguin! Christmas music is pretty much the same 10 songs sung differently by thousands of other people I’d love to see Santa’s face checking his list when he reaches me. What is black and white and green and black and white? . . . Two penguins fighting over a pickle! New month resolutions would probably be better than New Year’s resolutions. #30daycommitment You know what I can never recall? The other 8 reindeer. What is claustrophobia? . . . Fear of Santa! If you replace toys with dance, Footloose plagiarized the plot to Santa Claus is Coming to Town. It should be told that Santa runs from house to house instead of flying to explain his uncanny ability to eat cookies. What did Santa say when his toys misbehaved? . . . Toys will be toys! “Yes! Yes I do! I like Christmas! I love Christmas!” – Ebenezer Scrooge The first Christmas card sent was in 1843. In England, Henry Cole hired an artist to draw a picture of a family sitting around a dinner table. On the card, he wrote, “A merry Christmas and a happy New Year.” One Christmas, Joe and Peter built a skating rink in the middle of a field. A shepherd leading his flock decided to take a shortcut across the rink. The sheep, however, were afraid of the ice and wouldn’t cross it. Desperate, the shepherd began tugging them to the other side. ‘Look at that, ‘remarked Peter to Joe, ‘That guy is trying to pull the wool over our ice!’ “I don’t know. Not for sure. But I believe he is. You see, before he came down here, it never snowed. And afterwards, it did. If he weren’t up there now, I don’t think it would be snowing. Sometimes… you can still catch me dancing in it.” – Kim Boggs #moviequotes “Are you afraid of staircases? If you are, then you have climacaphobia. Maybe you have thalassophobia. This is fear of the ocean, or gephyrobia, which is the fear of crossing bridges. Or maybe you have pantophobia. Do you think you have pantophobia?” – Lucy Van Pelt My daughter-in-law asked my grandson if he had seen Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Little Jimmy said, “No, but I heard what he said when he stubbed his toe on the sofa.” “It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve and Scrooge was conscious of a thousand odors, each one connected with a thousand thoughts and hopes and joys and cares long, long forgotten.” – Gonzo #moviequotes Santa Claus Names From Around The World: Père Noël in France St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) in Holland Jultomten – Sweden Father Christmas in England Christkind in Germany Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) – Russia Santa Kurohsu – Japan Joulupukki (Old Man Christmas) – Finland Sion Corn – Wales Papai Noel Peru, Brazil Gwiazdor (Star man) – Poland

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The Christmas Classic ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ Almost Didn’t Happen!

Kristyn Clarke — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:40:21 +0000

(PCM) Back in 1943, author Philip Van Doren Stern was unable to find a publisher for his short story “The Greatest Gift” and was about to give up hope of ever getting his work out to readers. In a last ditch effort he ended up printing 200 copies of the story and gave them out as Christmas presents to his family, friends and colleagues. As luck would have it, Van Doren Stern’s short story would end up in the hands of a movie producer and he immediately purchased the film rights. The story came to the attention of RKO producer David Hempstead, who showed it to Cary Grant’s Hollywood agent, and in April 1944, RKO Pictures bought the rights to the story for $10,000, hoping to turn the story into a starring role for Grant. RKO created three unsatisfactory scripts before shelving the planned movie, and Grant went on to make another Christmas movie staple, “The Bishop’s Wife”. At the suggestion of RKO studio chief Charles Koerner, Frank Capra read “The Greatest Gift” and immediately saw its potential. RKO, anxious to unload the project, in 1945 sold the rights to Capra’s production company, Liberty Films, which had a nine-film distribution agreement with RKO, for $10,000. The story was eventually adapted to the film “It’s A Wonderful Life” which eventually became a traditional holiday classic, however when it was first released back in 1946 it did not perform all that well at the box office. It is now considered one of the most loved films in American cinema. Though it didn’t make much of a dent at the box office, “It’s a Wonderful Life” found a whole new life on television—particularly when its copyright lapsed in 1974, making it available royalty-free to anyone who wanted to show it for the next 20 years. (Which would explain why it was on television all the time during the holiday season.) The free-for-all ended in 1994. The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams in order to help others, and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and how different life in his community of Bedford Falls would be if he had never been born. Seneca Falls, New York claims that when Frank Capra visited their town in 1945, he was inspired to model Bedford Falls after it. The town has an annual “It’s a Wonderful Life festival”in December. In mid-2009, The Hotel Clarence opened in Seneca Falls, named for George Bailey’s guardian angel. On December 10, 2010, the “It’s a Wonderful Life” Museum opened in Seneca Falls, with Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu in the movie, cutting the ribbon. Philip Van Doren Stern said in a 1946 interview, “Incidentally, the movie takes place in Westchester County. Actually, the town I had in mind was Califon, N.J. ” The historic iron bridge in Califon is similar to the bridge that George Bailey considered jumping from in the movie.” “It’s a Wonderful Life” is considered one of the most critically acclaimed films ever made. It was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture and has been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made.

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What Was Wrong With Rudolph’s Dolly For Sue?

Joe Hummel III — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 13:00:29 +0000

What Was Wrong With Rudolph’s Dolly For Sue? (PCM) The original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story was written as a giveaway for the Montgomery Ward department stores by Robert L. May in 1939. In 1949, May’s story was made into a song by Johnny Marks, who also wrote ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ and ‘Holly Jolly Christmas.’ Johnny also wrote Chuck Berry’s sequel hit ‘Run Rudolph Run.’ 1964’s Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is the longest-running holiday special in the world (How the Grinch Stole Christmas came out in 1966, and the Peanuts Special for ran on Thanksgiving night, 1965). There have been several changes to the broadcast version over the year. Did Yukon Cornelious really fire off his guns in that Christmas special? Did he ever find that Peppermint mine? The answer is yes, depending on which edited version you’ve seen. She started out as a “Dolly for Sue,” and ended up as one of the great mysteries of Christmas in the late 20th century. Her first appearance in 1964’s ‘Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer’ lasted only a few seconds as a tertiary character on the Island of Misfit Toys, ruled by good King Moonracer, a flying lion. Some of the misfit characters included a polka-dotted elephant, a Charlie-in-a-box, a cowboy who rides an ostrich, a grape-jelly gun, a plane that doesn’t fly… you get the point. ‘Useless toys’ in the traditional sense, but definitely fitting the ‘misfit’ label. In the 1965 (and all future airings), the Misfit Toys had a bigger role; in the original airing, the Island of Misfit Toys were simply forgotten. The network got questions, even complaints, as children wondered what happened to these poor, unwanted toys. With the additional time to complete their part of the story, the toys were given more “on-air” time. That air-time was added by having Santa save some time himself by delivering gifts by parachute instead of sneaking into people’s homes. That extra attention has made many people ask what made that little doll such a misfit. I am reasonably confident that I have finally found the answer. The original Misfit Toys were all for boys (this was 1964!). With the fleeting scene during the first airing, my theory is that they needed a ‘girl toy,’ so the “Doll for Sue” was created. In 2007, on NPR’s “Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” Rudolph producer Arthur Rankin Jr., said that Dolly’s problem was psychological, and was caused from being abandoned by her mistress (Sue?) and suffering depression from feeling unloved. Backing that up, when sold at CVS in 1998, her tag said ”I’m a little rag doll who just wants a friend. I think that will help my broken heart mend.” Many people accepted that answer, but putting 21st century psycho-babble into a stop-motion animatron created for a few seconds of air-time on a children’s television special from nearly fifty years ago just doesn’t make sense. The reality: She was a last-minute add-on misfit toy so the young girls watching had a toy they could relate to. What made her a misfit toy? It’s as plain as the nose on your face. More precisely, it’s the nose missing from her face. Mystery solved. People often ask, why is Hermie often referred to as ‘Herbie’ in the film, and why does Santa take off at the end with 7 reindeer, counting Rudolph, instead of the full nine mentioned in the song? I think these people have too much time on their hands. Just enjoy the special!

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The Origins Of The Christmas Ornament

Kristyn Clarke — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 21:09:47 +0000

(PCM) It is the time of year where we are ready to deck the halls and begin trimming our Christmas trees. For many families this is time for togetherness and one of the most enjoyable aspects of the impending holiday season. The tradition of the Christmas tree as we know it today began here in America in the early 1700’s, however the Christmas tree itself dates back to 15th and 16th century Germany. Evergreens were used first in church plays at Christmas and were hung with apples to symbolize a Paradise tree. Paradise trees later found their way into homes, where they were adorned with small white wafers, and later, small pastries cut into stars, angels, hearts and flowers. The custom of the Christmas tree began to spread from Germany throughout the rest of Europe and eventually fully decorated trees were brought to America by German mercenaries who were battling in the Revolutionary War. Due to Puritan influence, Christmas was not fully celebrated in America until later in the 1800’s . Decorated trees did not become widely popular until people saw the ornaments brought to America by families emigrating from Germany and England in the 1840s. Ornaments were not something that was widely available in America and most were shipped over from Germany. They were incredibly elaborate and often times made out of hand-blown glass, lead, with silk and wool threads. Early Christmas trees were also lit with tiny candles in small brass holders rather than the modern electric lights that we find on trees today. One can only imagine the danger of using actual lit candles on a dry wooden tree. Looks like we can thank dear Thomas Edison once again! The early 1800s also saw real fruit used to decorate the Christmas tree as it symbolized items that would grow on trees and also symbolized the regeneration of life looking forward towards the spring season. Each year that passed more and more traditions were added to decorating the Christmas tree. In America they began stringing popcorn and dried cranberries to use as garland around the tree. Small gifts were other items that began to be hung on the trees, sometimes contained in small hand-crafted baskets, in fact these small trinkets became such a popular way to decorate the tree that often times Christmas trees were filled with so many of them you almost could not see the actual tree underneath … sound familiar! Folklore and legends also play an important role in the the Christmas tree ornaments extensive. The popular German pickle ornament carries with it a wonderful tale. Pickle ornaments are glass ornaments formed in the shape of a pickle. The German parents used it to judge the most intelligent child in the family. The first one to trace the pickle got an additional gift from St. Nicholas. Other popular ornament designs include stars which represent the Star of Bethlehem which guided the three wise men to Christ, bell which are said to bring back lost sheep to their flock, bows which represent everlasting goodwill and of course wreath’s which represent God’s eternal love. F.W. Woolworth, an early American mass merchandiser, began importing German glass ornaments into the country in the 1880s. By 1890, he was reportedly selling $25 million worth of them. According to Wikipedia, the first American-made glass ornaments were created by William DeMuth in New York in 1870 in conjunction with the Corning company most well-known for their collection of glass bake ware. Although glass ornaments are still produced, as expensive good quality ornaments often found at markets, ornaments are now frequently made from plastic and available worldwide in a huge variety of shapes, colors and designs. In 1973 the American Hallmark Company first launched the Keepsake Christmas ornaments that revolutionized the ornament industry as we know it today. Once a collection of decorated glass balls and yarn figures, keepsake ornaments are now found in a wide variety of wood, acrylic, bone china, porcelain and other hand-made materials.

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The Story Behind The Iconic Cartoon Character Bugs Bunny!

Kristyn Clarke — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 00:46:15 +0000

(PCM) The Merrie Melodies/Looney Tunes cartoon character is one of the most widely recognizable throughout popular culture and around the globe. Bugs Bunny has been in more films than any other cartoon character and has also earned the rank of being the ninth most portrayed film character in history. Bugs Bunny has appeared in numerous television shows, as well, and even managed to nab his very own star on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame. Not too shabby, eh, Doc? Bugs Bunny appeared in public for the first time on July 27, 1940 in a Tex Avery directed cartoon called “A Wild Hare”. Bugs was an animated character created by Leon Schlesinger Productions with a voice-over by Mel Blanc who was known as the man of a thousand voices. The production was a great success, and created an immediate demand for further Bugs Bunny appearances. Bugs Bunny’s iconic name, catchphrase, and mannerisms are based on scenes in a 1934 movie called “It Happened One Night”. In it, Clark Gable smacks on a carrot while talking with his mouth full, makes up a person named “Bugs Dooley”, and is offhandedly called “Doc.”, it should also be noted that in addition for being the influence for the iconic Bugs Bunny character, the film “It Happened One Night” was also the first film to feature a shirt-less male lead on-screen. It would not be for another two years that men were allowed to go topless on the beach! Now, back to Bugs Bunny! Much of the characters appeal had to do with the fact that he could speak to both children and adults equally, as his antics delighted everyone and closed a generation gap. He became the main character in Merrie Melodies and the Looney Tunes series producing rising national and international fame and operating under the Warner Brothers Cartoons banner. More Bugs Bunny films followed right through the 1940’s, particularly during Word War Two, when he became a favorite figure in the United States Military Forces. He was a mascot for several Air Force groups and was also made an honorary Master Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. The popularity of Bugs Bunny continues to this day! The character has starred in over 175 films and as been nominated for two Academy Awards. Bugs Bunny will always continue to be one of the world’s most beloved cartoon characters!

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The Legend Of Count Dracula And The Character We Know Today!

Kristyn Clarke — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 23:04:37 +0000

(PCM) Many believe that the origin of Count Dracula can be linked to an area of Romania known as Transylvania, which is believed to sit upon some of Earth’s strongest magnetic fields and some feel that it gives individuals who reside in the area various types of extra-sensory perceptions. The area gave birth to famous author Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, as Dracula is literally translated in Gaelic as Drac Ullah meaning bad blood. It is easy to get lost in the lore when traveling through the area, as it is filled with dense forests and long winding roads. Stoker’s “Dracula’ was published back in 1897 and still continues to sell till this very day. To research his immortal tale, Stoker immersed himself in the history, lore and legends of Transylvania, which he called a “whirlpool for the imagination.” Count Dracula, a fictional character in the Dracula novel, was inspired by one of the best-known figures of Romanian history, Vlad Dracula, nicknamed Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), who was the ruler of Walachia at various times from 1456-1462. It was not until 1924 when Count Dracula was first depicted as wearing a Bela Lugosi-style cape/tuxedo combo when the book was adapted for London stage. It was the best way to make it obvious that the Count was charming and sophisticated from a distance. The look for Count Dracula was a hit and has become a incredibly recognizable character throughout the history of popular culture. There have been various takes on the vampire aesthetic over the years and of course in Hollywood. Dracula is one of the most famous characters in popular culture. He has been portrayed by more actors in more visual media adaptations of the novel than any other horror character. Actors who have played him include Max Schreck, Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr., Christopher Lee, Francis Lederer, Denholm Elliott, Jack Palance, Louis Jourdan, Frank Langella, Klaus Kinski, Gary Oldman, Leslie Nielsen, George Hamilton, David Niven, Charles Macaulay, Keith-Lee Castle, Gerard Butler, Duncan Regehr, Richard Roxburgh, Marc Warren, Rutger Hauer, Stephen Billington, Thomas Kretschmann, Dominic Purcell and Luke Evans. In 2003, Count Dracula, as portrayed by Lugosi in the 1931 film, was named as the 33rd greatest movie villain by the AFI. The original 1924 caped/tuxedo clad Count Dracula will always be a number one choice when it comes to a look for the character and will always be one of the most popular costumes come the Halloween season.

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What Is The Human Genome Project?

Kristyn Clarke — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 18:37:31 +0000

(PCM) The Human Genome Project was completed on April 14th of 2003 and it was a breakthrough for scientific researchers across the globe, however many of you may be wondering what exactly The Human Genome Project is and just why it is so important. First let’s look at the definition of a genome. A genome is an organism’s complete set of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), a chemical compound that contains the genetic instructions needed to develop and direct the activities of every organism. DNA molecules are made of two twisting, paired strands. Each strand is made of four chemical units, called nucleotide bases. The bases are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). Bases on opposite strands pair specifically; an A always pairs with a T, and a C always with a G. The human genome contains approximately 3 billion of these base pairs, which reside in the 23 pairs of chromosomes within the nucleus of all our cells. Each chromosome contains hundreds to thousands of genes, which carry the instructions for making proteins. Each of the estimated 30,000 genes in the human genome makes an average of three proteins. The main goal of The Human Genome Project was to find a way to sequence these strands of DNA material to create a completed version of the human genetic code. It is not known exactly whose DNA was used to sequence the work of The Human Genome project, as the volunteers were kept anonymous for their protection. It is noted however the researchers used the DNA of multiple volunteers to complete their overall DNA sequencing to create a used map of human genetic code. Candidates were recruited from a diverse population. The volunteers provided blood samples after being extensively counseled and then giving their informed consent. About 5 to 10 times as many volunteers donated blood as were eventually used, so that not even the volunteers would know whether their sample was used. All labels were removed before the actual samples were chosen. It was revealed in 2003 that after much research that took place throughout the 1990’s was sequenced as well, the researchers felt that they had a completed and high quality version of the human sequence. Research was also done on both mice and rats to complete their genomes as well. Many may wonder if given further advances in technology since 2003 if The Human Genome Project is actually indeed complete and researchers say, yes, it is, at least as much as it can be! Small gaps that are unrecoverable in any current sequencing method remain, amounting for about 1 percent of the gene-containing portion of the genome. New technologies will have to be invented to obtain the sequence of these regions. However, the gene-containing portion of the genome is complete in nearly every functional way for the purposes of scientific research and is freely and publicly available. Even though the Human Genome Project is now completed, scientists will continue to develop and apply new technologies to the few remaining refractory problems. Researchers to this day continue to search for additional ways to read the tiny pieces of DNA sequence, however they feel The Human Genome Project is as complete as it can be and can be used a wonderful took for improving human health and well-being, now and into the future. Genome researcher still continues as a way to look at previously undiagnosed diseases, precision medication options and more! The Human Genome Project was one of the great feats of exploration in history – an inward voyage of discovery rather than an outward exploration of the planet or the cosmos; an international research effort to sequence and map all of the genes – together known as the genome – of members of our species, Homo sapiens. It is a first-hand look at natures complete genetic blue-print of a human being!

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A Look At Pop Culture’s Most Famous Pirates

Kristyn Clarke — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 04:05:06 +0000

(PCM) Every September 19th it is time to celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day. In honor of this parody holiday, we wanted to take a moment to honor some of pop culture’s most famous pirates and “Arrrrr..matey…perhaps you will get a bit of the ol’ inspiration! 1. Captain Hook

Captain Hook was the villain character created by author J.M. Barrie’s book “Peter Pan” in 1904. He was the captain of the Jolly Roger brig and lord of the pirate village in Neverland. He is rumored to be feared by all and is the main nemesis for Peter Pan. He was said to be the only man that Long John Silver ever feared, however he had two very odd personal fears which were the sight of his own blood and one very special crocodile. 2. Long John Silver

Another famous fictional pirate is Long John Silver. He was the main antagonist in the Robert Lewis Stevenson book “Treasure Island” released in 1883 and his name is still widely recognized today. The seafood fast-food restaurant “Long John Silvers” still uses his name to sell their delicious seafood treats. 3. One-Eyed Willy

Who doesn’t love the eighties cult film “The Goonies”. If you are a fan of the film that you will surely understand why it was necessary to include One-Eyed Willy on our list! He is the number one driving force behind Mikey and the gang’s hunt to find the treasure and escape the evil Fratelli’s. 4. Jean LaFoote

Paying homage to real life pirate Jean LaFitte, LaFoote is the barefoot pirate that is constantly on the quest to steal cereal from our beloved Cap’n Horatio Magellan Crunch a.k.a Cap’n Crunch. 5. Blackbeard

Anytime someone mentions pirate lore the name Blackbeard is sure to come to mind almost immediately. Blackbeard’s real name was Edward Teach and he lived and pillaged as a pirate in the 18th century. There have been countless references to Blackbeard made throughout history and he has also definitely left his stamp on the world of pop culture throughout the years. 6. Dead Pirate Roberts

Fans of the classic 1987 film “The Princess Bride” will be thrilled that Dead Pirate Roberts was an easy choice for our list. For those of you that have never seen the film, we hate to give it away, but Dead Pirate Roberts was actually the nom de guerre of Princess Buttercup’s true love, Westley. 7. Captain Jack Sparrow

Pirate Captain of the Black Pearl in the infamous Disney “Pirates Of The Caribbean” films, Captain Jack Sparrow is an off-beat and unorthodox pirate character, but he is just so darn likable. 8. Captain Morgan

Long before the image that we know of Captain Morgan on rum bottles around the world Sir Henry Morgan was a legendary Welsh privateer and a Pirate Lord of the Brethren Court. During the late 1680s, through unknown circumstances, he retreated to a secret hideout where he began to study alchemy, eventually discovering the secret of immortality and becoming known as the Shadow Lord. 9. Black Bart

Bartholomew Roberts, better known as Black Bart, was forced into piracy, having once been an officer on board a ship that was captured by the pirate Howell Davis. After taking over, his navigational skills, charisma, and bravado painted him golden the eyes of his men. He plundered over 400 ships, a grandiose record to be sure, and captained well-armored ships in every endeavor. 10. Anne Bonny

We couldn’t complete this list without including at least one female pirate! This story of Anne Bonny is quite an interesting tale. She fell in love and married a poor sailor by the name of John Bonny. However, not long after she became disappointed with her husbands lack of valor and began to prefer the company of many other men around Nassau. Among these men, was “Calico Jack” Rackham, captain of a pirate ship. She joined his crew while acting and dressing like a man (including drinking and fighting profusely), she then fought under his command, and along with fellow female pirate Mary Read, she coaxed the crew onto even greater bloodshed and violence and became a formidable pirate herself.

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The Lost Episodes Of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood And Why They Vanished!

Kristyn Clarke — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:15:09 +0000

(PCM) Most of us reminisce about “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” with memories of star Fred Rogers and his colorful cast of puppets teaching us about creativity, empathy, learning and more. We most recall this show with happy childhood memories, however did you know there were a few times where the show actually took quite a dark turn. Back in November of 1983, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” aired a five episode arc about nuclear war which was titled “Conflict” and after their initial airing, the episodes vanished and were never played again, not even in reruns. However, thanks to the power of the internet, the lost episodes of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” mysteriously resurfaced in 2017 when they were uploaded to a YouTube channel. Known as the “conflict series”, the episodes were filmed during the height of the Cold War tensions and set about to teach children about the dangers of stockpiling weapons and more. Until they were anonymously uploaded, the only evidence of these episodes were a few production stills and a very grainy five minute clip, however none of the full episodes was ever revealed. Longtime Mister Rogers fans knew about the lost episodes for years, but modern fans have probably never heard of them, let alone seen them. The lost episodes were mysteriously uploaded to YouTube during a time when tensions were high between the United States and North Korea with the threat of nuclear war. Some say the episodes were uploaded as a message to President Trump, however they have no vanished once again, as quickly as they appeared. According to the DailyBeast:

YouTube user named TROG SLEEP NOW uploaded relatively pristine copies of two of the five episodes in Mister Rogers Talks About Conflict in full. The user hasn’t posted anything else. No other videos, no comments, and not even a profile picture. The episodes revolve around the Neighborhood of Make-Believe’s King Friday and his lingering worries that the neighboring town might be building a bomb, after he saw a strange package shipped to a local factory owner named Corny. Over time, without any evidence, King Friday becomes increasingly convinced Corny is gearing up for war, and directs all of the residents of the Neighborhood of Make Believe to start creating bomb parts. He wants 1 million bomb parts, and he also encourages his own residents to arm themselves. Children were forced to put on gas masks and participate in air raid drills. Yes, in an episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”!

At the end of the episode it turned out that Corny was only ordering parts to help with building a bridge, not a bomb, but it showed just how easily these types of situations can be misconstrued. The two episodes have since been removed once again from YouTube, however superfans and conspiracy theorists are hoping that one day all five lost episodes will once again resurface. They have been meticulously transcribed by fans, however another clear visual copy remains to be posted. At the very end of the last episode of Mister Rogers’ conflict series, King Friday takes all of the bomb parts and turn them into a record player for the school. The episode then ends with a title card that shows a Bible verse. “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning forks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.” Definitely deep and definitely a bit unnerving for young children, but we have to admit the curiosity to see the episodes in full outweighs the cons!

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A Look Back At The Very First Cell Phone Call

Kristyn Clarke — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 23:53:27 +0000

Photo by blackplastic

(PCM) Over the last decade cell phones have become a huge part of our everyday lives, in fact, many of us feel completely naked if we happen to forget our phones at home or in the car and in turn freak out about what we may be missing all day long! (Trust us, it’s really not that important! Facebook can wait!) Even so, they have become a part of our daily lives and most of us have a hard time recalling the days before their existence was brought into popular culture and we found ourselves glued to our electronic hand-cuffs each and every day. Back in the day there was huge research rivalry between the Motorola company and the Bell company over creating the first successful cell phone. Motorola ended up winning out over Bell and just to add insult to injury, the very first cell phone call made in the 1973 was from Martin Cooper of the Motorola company to his biggest and most direct research rival Joel Engel of Bell Labs. Something tells us he probably hung up on him, as we are sure he didn’t want to listen to the gloating! The prototype handheld phone used by Dr. Cooper weighed 1.1 kilograms (2.4 lb) and measured 23 by 13 by 4.5 centimetres (9.1 by 5.1 by 1.8 in). The prototype offered a talk time of just 30 minutes and took 10 hours to re-charge. Mobile telephones for automobiles became available from some telephone companies in the 1940s. Early devices were bulky, consumed high power, and the network supported only a few simultaneous conversations. Engineers from Bell Labs began work on a system to allow mobile users to place and receive telephone calls from automobiles, leading to the inauguration of mobile service on 17 June 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri. Shortly after, AT&T offered Mobile Telephone Service. A wide range of mostly incompatible mobile telephone services offered limited coverage area and only a few available channels in urban areas. The introduction of cellular technology, which allowed re-use of frequencies many times in small adjacent areas covered by relatively low powered transmitters, made widespread adoption of mobile telephones economically feasible. While Bell Labs led the initial research it still ended up that Motorola perfected the technology to allow the first call using cellular technology to be completed and also created the first handheld mobile phone. This sparked the birth of the modern smart phones that we use today!

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The Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin, Dead At Age 76

Kristyn Clarke — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 18:02:27 +0000

(PCM) We are deeply saddened with the news that R&B/Soul legend Aretha Franklin has passed away at the age of 76. Nicknamed the “Queen of Soul” for her amazing vocal ability and strong roots tied to both gospel and the blues, Aretha Franklin was a true force to be reckoned with in the music industry and she will be remembered for her extensive catalog of work. Franklin passed away around 9:50 am surrounded by her family and friends in her home in Detroit, Michigan. Her official cause of death is listed as advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by Franklin’s oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. Once the news broke about Franklin’s passing immediately many were left with profound grief and tributes began pouring in from all over the world. Former President Barack Obama tweeted “Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace.” Fans also began leaving flowers and trinkets around Franklin’s star of the famous Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Franklin’s longtime friend and fellow musician Sam Moore also shared his sentiments in regards to Franklin’s passing saying, “I adored her and I know the feelings were mutual. While I’m heartbroken that she’s gone I know she’s in the Lord’s arms and she’s not in pain or suffering anymore from the damn cancer that took her away from us. I’m going to hope, pray and count on the fact that I will see her again sometime. Rest in the Lord’s arms in love, Re.” Franklin’s death comes just three days after it was confirmed that the singer had entered hospice care. In their statement her family went on to say, “In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds. We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.” Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in the coming days, but for now we mourn the “Queen Of Soul” and pay her, her due R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Our sincere condolences go out to Franklin’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

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Frank Sinatra’s Obsession With Dimes

Kristyn Clarke — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 17:02:51 +0000

Photo by classic film scans

(PCM) Many may not know this, but Frank Sinatra, otherwise known as Ol’ Blue Eyes, had an obsession with dimes. However, he was not always a collector! His obsession with the ten cent coins began for much more sinister reasons. Sinatra’s son, Frankie Sinatra, Jr was kidnapped on December 8, 1963 and the performer ended up paying out $240,000 dollars in ransom money to the kidnappers before his son was returned to him unharmed. While the kidnappers were eventually apprehended and most of Sinatra’s ransom payout was returned, he was certainly scarred for life over the ordeal. During the time that his son was being held hostage, Sinatra was forced to communicate with the kidnappers via various payphones throughout the city. He always needed to have dimes on hand in order to make the calls, if not he feared he would never see his son again. Even after his son was returned, Sinatra was so traumatized that he always made sure to carry at least ten dimes in his pocket at all times, as he never wanted to run out of change. It was later revealed that upon his death Sinatra was even buried with ten dimes in his pocket. His daughter Tina revealed that her father was buried with all of his favorite things which included not only the dimes, but a bottle of Jack, a Zippo lighter and a pack of Camel cigarettes. His children placed the dimes in his pocket to carry him on his final journey and ease his fears of not having enough change for the payphone calls. There you have it! Definitely an odd obsession, but one that certainly makes a ton of sense given the circumstances.

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Celebrating The Pop Culture Phenomena Of Playboy!

Kristyn Clarke — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 16:05:57 +0000

Photo by Maulleigh

(PCM) The iconic Playboy bunny symbol is without a doubt one of the most recognized brand logos throughout the history of pop culture. The magazine was started by Hugh Hefner back in December of 1953 and the very first issue is actually undated because they were not sure if there would even be another copy printed at the time. The first issue of Playboy Magazine ended up being fairly successful and ended up selling over 50,000 copies when it went to print with the price being only 50 cents. The first issue featured a fully nude spread of actress/model Marilyn Monroe that was snagged from her 1949 calendar shoot. It also featured a Sherlock Holmes story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first issue of Playboy only contained 44 pages and Playboy was actually not the original name for the publication. Hefner originally called the magazine Stag Party, and instead of a bunny the logo was actually a buck. Hefner changed the name to Playboy at a friend’s suggestion after the name Stag Party was challenged in a trademark infringe. That was probably the best thing that could have happened for the magazine! The infamous Playboy rabbit logo that everyone recognizes has appeared on every cover since the second edition which was published in January 1954. The very first Playboy centerfold did not make an appearance until the March 1956 issue when Marian Stafford posed for the photo shoot. Actress Pamela Anderson has been featured on Playboy’s cover more than any other model, appearing 10 times between October 1989 and July 2001. While it has been mostly women featured on the cover of Playboy, several men have appeared on the cover over the years including Peter Sellers in April 1964, Burt Reynolds in October 1979, Steve Martin in January 1980, Donald Trump in March 1990, Dan Aykroyd in August 1993, Jerry Seinfeld in October 1993, Leslie Nielsen in February 1996, Gene Simmons in March of 1999, Seth Rogen in April of 2009 and Bruno Mars in March of 2012. Playboy even managed to make James Bond famous! Spy author Ian Fleming’s Bond character was introduced in a short story he wrote for Playboy’s March 1960 issue. Playboy also featured the first cartoon character on their magazine cover with Marge Simpson in November of 2009. Hefner also made a guest appearance on “The Simpsons” back in 1993 when he guest-voiced himself on the episode titled “Krusty Gets Kancelled”. He also guest starred as himself in a 2006 episode of Seth Green’s “Robot Chicken” which aired on the mature cartoon network Adult Swim. Playboy launched into the merchandising business in 1956, when it began selling cufflinks shaped like a rabbit’s head which first appeared on a magazine cover. Playboy opened the first of its famed Playboy Clubs – staffed by bunny-costumed hostesses – in Chicago in 1960 and closed the last ones amid a severe economic downturn in 1986, when Hefner called the bunnies “a thing of the past.” As of the December 2003 issue, 602 the women have been called “Playmates” rather than “Bunnies”. Hefner was known to have many girlfriends, many of whom resided at the luxurious Playboy Mansion located in Beverly Hills, California. The girls who resided in the mansion were expected to follow certain rules which included absolutely no drug use and a curfew of being home by 9pm unless they were out with Hefner himself of course. The mansion was actually put up on the real estate market back in 2016 for the price of $200 million, but the buyer had to follow the condition that Hefner would still be allowed to reside and work there. For some fun trivia, it is rumored that Hefner owned over 100 pairs of his signature silk pajamas and drank up to 36 bottles of Pepsi per day and musician John Lennon was almost banned from the mansion after he drunkenly stamped out a cigarette on a Matisse painting. In 1982, Hefner’s daughter Christie took over as president of Playboy Enterprises Incorporated, although she has since stepped down from the position. There are 18 international editions of Playboy around the world, with the magazines printed in Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain and Taiwan. In 1992, Hugh Hefner purchased the plot next to Marilyn Monroe’s grave in Westwood Village Memorial Park cemetery for the amount of $75,000. The Playboy brand continues to thrive to this very day despite the death of the creator Hugh Hefner who sadly passed away due to natural causes at the age of 91 on September 27, 2017 and was buried in the purchased plot right next to his beloved Marilyn Monroe.

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Why An Anonymous Letter Left Frank Sinatra On The FBI Watch List

Kristyn Clarke — Fri, 25 May 2018 05:13:06 +0000

Photo by Hoshi_sae

(PCM) Any follower of pop culture history will know that Frank Sinatra, our loving Ol’ Blue Eyes, definitely had his fare share of run-ins with the law. Sinatra was a true icon in the music industry and beloved by his millions of fans, however he was most certainly involved in some illicit activities with some rather shady individuals. The FBI has an entire file dedicated to Frank Sinatra which the majority of its’ contents were finally made public back in 1998. The agency did black out certain passages in the released material and 25 pages were withheld, as the FBI cited privacy protection of other third parties mentions in the documents. It is said that a letter was sent to J. Edgar Hoover on August 13, 1943 that alleged the popularity of Frank Sinatra was being used to prepare the masses to accept a new “Hitler”. This letter would end up inciting an FBI surveillance operation on Sinatra for the next 40 years. The author of the letter, which can be read below, remains a government secret, but we do know it was sent from San Jose, California.

“Dear Sir: “The other day I turned on a Frank Sinatra program and I noted the shrill whistling sound, created supposedly by a bunch of girls cheering. Last night as I heard Lucky Strike produce more of this same hysteria I thought: how easy it would be for certain-minded manufacturers to create another Hitler here in America through the influence of mass-hysteria! I believe that those who are using this shrill whistling sound are aware that it is similar to that which produced Hitler. That they intend to get a Hitler in by first planting in the minds of the people that men like Frank Sinatra are O.K. therefore this future Hitler will be O.K.”

By today’s standards that letter may sound a bit far-fetched, however it was definitely taken seriously at the time. On September 2, the author of the letter received the following reply,

“I have carefully noted the content of your letter and wish to thank you for volunteering your comments and observations in this regard.” Sincerely yours, John Edgar Hoover, Director.”

Hoover and the bureau used the letter about a bunch of girls cheering to open file #62-83219 “for the purpose of filing miscellaneous information” on a subject the bureau would refer to over the next 40 years as “Francis Albert Sinatra, a k a Frank Sinatra.” Frank Sinatra’s FBI file ended up becoming nearly six inches thick and contained 1,275 pages. Spanning five decades, the documents detail the curious and complex relationship between the nation’s greatest entertainer at the time and its most powerful law enforcement agency. The documents in Sinatra’s FBI file look into his alleged mafia ties, his various claims of extortion and corruption, his excuse to avoid fighting in World War II and so much more! The files dig deep into Sinatra’s arrest records for charges of seduction and adultery and how he once offered his services as a FBI informer. Many believed the Sinatra bribed a doctor in New Jersey to excuse him from active military duty, however it was discovered in the FBI files that Sinatra was actually properly rejected due to perforated eardrum and an unstable mental condition. That seemingly put the rumors to rest, however others don’t buy the mental condition diagnosis and Sinatra claimed he could not be around crowd, yet he was a performer who would put on shows for hundreds of people on stage each and every night. We are guessing that one will forever remain a mystery. When looking at Sinatra’s ties to the mafia, the FBI were never able to come up with anything concrete. Sinatra always denied any involvement despite being chummy with known mobsters such as Jilly Rizzo, Joe Gallo and Carlo Gambino to name a few. Sinatra was never formally charged in any case. Sinatra would become, in journalist Pete Hamill’s words, “the most investigated American performer since John Wilkes Booth.” at the time, however by the early 1950’s most of the FBI’s obsession with Sinatra would come to an end. As, the FBI could never prove anything criminal against Sinatra, however the rumors and accusations would forever haunt him for the rest of his days.

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The True Birth Of Superman

Kristyn Clarke — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:59:05 +0000

(PCM) It was back in 1933 when two kids from Cleveland, Ohio named Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster developed a very small self-published fanzine title “Science Fiction”.

In issue #3 of their fanzine, they created a story about a super-powered telepath who was going to attempt to take over the world. At first the Superman was portrayed as a villainous character, however when their initial fanzine failed to produce sales, Siegel and Shuster shifted gears and began making comic strips in a book they called “Popular Comics.”

Fast forward another few years to 1938 when Siegel and Shuster evolved the first incantation of the Superman idea and decided it would be more marketable to shape him into a heroic character. They then shopped the character and idea to National Allied Publications and Detective Comics, which would later become DC Comics as we know it today!

Eventually the character of Superman would go on to become the most popular fictional character of all time.

Here are some Superman fun facts to further explain his characters history:

Superman debuted in Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, newspaper strips, television programs, films, and video games.

The character is also referred to by other nicknames such as the Big Blue Boy Scout, the Man of Steel, the Man of Tomorrow, and the Last Son of Krypton.

Superman’s original name on the planet Krypton was Kal-El. His middle name on planet Earth is Joseph.

Superman resides and operates in the fictional American city of Metropolis. As Clark Kent, he is a journalist for the Daily Planet, a Metropolis newspaper. Superman’s love interest is Lois Lane, and his archenemy is the supervillain Lex Luthor.

A close ally of Batman and Wonder Woman, he is typically depicted as a member of the Justice League.

In March 1938, Siegel and Shuster sold all rights to the character to Detective Comics, Inc. for $130, the equivalent of $2,300 when adjusted for inflation. By this time, Siegel and Shuster had resigned themselves that Superman would never be a success, and with this deal they would at least see their character finally published.

The character’s ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of rights.

Several actors have played Superman in motion pictures and TV series including Bud Collyer, Kirk Alyn, George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Dean Cain, Tim Daly, Tom Welling, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, and Tyler Hoechlin.

In 1975, Siegel and a number of other comic book writers and artists launched a public campaign for better compensation and treatment of comic creators. Warner Brothers agreed to give Siegel and Shuster a yearly stipend, full medical benefits, and credit their names in all future Superman productions in exchange for never contesting ownership of Superman.

Shuster died in 1992. DC Comics offered Shuster’s heirs a stipend in exchange for never challenging ownership of Superman, which they accepted for some years.

Siegel died in 1996. His heirs attempted to take the rights to Superman using the termination provision of the Copyright Act of 1976. DC Comics negotiated an agreement wherein it would pay the Siegel heirs several million dollars and a yearly stipend of $500,000 in exchange for permanently granting DC the rights to Superman.

Copyright lawyer and movie producer Marc Toberoff then struck a deal with the heirs of both Siegel and Shuster to help them get the rights to Superman in exchange for signing the rights over to his production company, Pacific Pictures. Both groups accepted.

In 2008, the judge ruled in favor of the Siegels. DC Comics appealed the decision, and the appeals court ruled in favored of DC, arguing that the October 2001 letter was binding. In 2003, the Shuster heirs served a termination notice for Shuster’s grant of his half of the copyright to Superman. DC Comics sued the Shuster heirs in 2010, and the court ruled in DC’s favor on the grounds that the 1992 agreement with the Shuster heirs barred them from terminating the grant.

Superman is due to enter the public domain in 2033. However, this would only apply to the character as he is depicted in Action Comics #1 (1938).

Over the years Superman has had numerous enemies including the Puzzler, Neutron, his cousin Kru-El, Effron the Sorcerer, and the Galactic Golem.

The Superman symbol and name has become a part of American culture and can be seen throughout our culture including in songs, as nicknames, to describe people, common sayings, and more.

Superman’s powers include incredible strength, the ability to fly. X-ray vision, super speed, invulnerability to most attacks, super hearing, and super breath. He is nearly unstoppable. However, Superman does have one weakness, Kryptonite. When exposed to this radioactive element from his home planet, he becomes weak and helpless.

Superman was actually killed by the villain Doomsday in a 1993 comic. He was later brought back to life. This story was told in the more recent film “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice”.

These are just a few fun facts and trivia tidbits surrounding Superman, as character that has truly secured his place as a pop culture icon and a character who will still continue to mesmerize fans for years to come!

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