This Day in History February 25, 1913

The actor who portrayed Thurston Howell, III, and voiced Mr. Magoo was born on this date in 1913--James Gilmore "Jim" Backus.  He had a good career in Hollywood that spanned five decades.

Here is what I watched as I was growing up!

Gilligan's Island Opening Theme in Color. Watch more top selected videos about: Gilligan's Island

He will forever be this role for me.

For more info:
http://www.biography.com/people/jim-backus-273645
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000822/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Backus
http://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/jim-backus.html

Stands and Mounts For Every Device Imaginable

It seems that most families have some kind of audio visual device centrally located in their family or living room.  One of the great challenges is trying to find a good way to display that television or entertainment system.  Sometimes you will want some kind of fancy stand, but there are other times when mounting the system on the wall will be more beneficial.  In addition to televisions, most of us have some kind of audio equipment (whether in our bedroom, workroom, or elsewhere) that need some kind of stand or mount.  I live in a mobile home with three other people, and space is at a premium in our house!

It's nice to know that there is a wide variety of premier mounts at standsandmounts from which you can choose.  Mount your speakers, televisions, projectors, and more with their selection of mounts and all the hardware you need to complete the project.  Or maybe you just need a stand to get your television off the ground and at eye level for the best viewing.  You can find every kind of stand conceivable. and there is certain to be something that will fit you lifestyle and home decor.

This Day in History December 18, 1946

I would venture to say that Steven Spielberg is one of the most iconic film directors in history.

And on this date in 1946, he was born.  I did not realize that he was born Jewish, but I can certainly see it now.  I just never thought about it.  He began as an unpaid intern at Universal Studios in the 1960's.  Television was his first vehicle in 1969 with Night Gallery, and he even landed work on the first series of Columbo.  

His first film vehicle was Sugarland Express in 1974, but it did not fare well at the box office.  It was Jaws in 1975, that made him an international star.  And the rest is history.  You can see the tribute to him from 2009, and this does not even take into account Lincoln (that I have not seen but plan to).  I have not seen every film featured in the tribute, but I am familiar with most.  It is hard to say what my favorite is, but maybe I'll say Amistad for now.  This was a movie that is rated "R," and I was a little concerned about seeing it.  I checked it out of the library, and I was amazed.  There was honestly nothing "R-rated" about it.  I would put it at a PG-13 rating due to violence.  I spent a a lot of time crying during the film, and it was very hard to watch.  Of course, I loved E.T., The Color Purple, Back to the Future, War Horse, and many more.  I am not a fan of Jaws (I was horrified after watching this and hope to never see it again) War of the Worlds (I would have loved if they followed the book), nor Indiana Jones (too violent for me).  I kind of liked the idea behind Jurassic Park, but again, it was a little over the top for me.  There are many more I could list, and I would love to hear your thoughts!

For more information:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/bio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg_filmography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/steven-spielberg.html

LG 42" Smart TV Giveaway (Ends 11/26) U.S.

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Think of watching football games and Christmas specials with this fantastic TV!  I know I would love it, and it is the ideal gift for you or for someone you really love!  (Maybe your favorite blogger!  Honestly, I'm kidding.  I hope one of my followers win!)

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I realze that my blog readers may get tired of reading these, but I do it for several reasons.  First of all, I want to offer the giveaway to my wonderful readers.  It used to be so hard to find blogger opportunities.  Secondly, this is a requirement to participate.  And finally, I want my fellow bloggers to know about this.  Do you know how many times I miss these postings?  Many times.  So please, bloggers, sign up.  And readers, please come back to enter when the giveaway is live.  There is nothing that would make me happier than for you--yes you-- to be the one who wins one of these fantastic giveaway prizes!  And I mean it!  Alternatively, I could just keep quiet and enter the giveaway myself, but I care about you guys enough, that I would honestly never do this!!

A First Look at "The American Bible Challenge" Review

GSN presents a first look at THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE, an original one-hour game show hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, premiering on Thursday, August 23 at 8 pm ET/PT.

Comedian and author Jeff Foxworthy hosts this studio-based game, in which contestants compete based on their knowledge of the Bible.  Utilizing current as well as historical references, questions will be drawn from the rich, dense narrative found in the world's best-selling book.  The contestants will share their compelling backstories, and each team will be playing for a charitable organization.

THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE is produced by RelativityREAL for GSN, with RelativityREAL’s Tom Forman (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) and Embassy Row’s Michael Davies ("The Newlywed Game," "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire") serving as Executive Producers on the project.  Nick Stuart and Maura Dunbar of Odyssey Networks are Consulting Producers.

My daughter and I had an opportunity to preview this show, and we absolutely loved it!  I was pleased with Jeff Foxworthy from the beginning.  We both love him from "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"  And I was impressed with his Bible knowledge.  My daughter and I both loved the show and watched it in its entirety.  I do pride myself on being somewhat of a Bible scholar, but even I didn't know everything!  I got some of the questions wrong.

I love the fact that the teams all play for charities.  And even the losing teams get some money for the charities.  I also love the fact that there is a gospel choir that provides fantastic music!  The hour went by so quickly as we previewed this show, and it never lagged for us once.

This show will be premiering on Thursday (see above for details), and I am going to get my DVR set up.  My mom has not seen this show, and I told her that she would love it.  Our favorite section?  "Faithbook!"  (No spoilers!  Be sure to watch it, and you will know why!)

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GSN sent me a free preview of this show in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

This Day in History September 24, 1936

What feelings does this image evoke?  Hopefully nice ones.  It sure does me.  I grew up on the Muppets, and later on Sesame Street.  (I said I was weird! I didn't start watching Sesame Street until I was in third grade!)
My mom never could stand them, but it didn't keep my from watching them.  And my daughter loves them, too.  I think it is easy to say that the Muppets are timeless.

His full name was James Maury Henson, and he was born on this date in 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi.  Henson remembered having a happy childhood in which he explored his artistic interests and explored the countryside.  His childhood friend, Kermit, was the inspiration behind his most famous puppet.

When he was in fifth grade, the family moved to Maryland which paved the way for his earliest TV appearances in Washington D.C.  In high school, he appeared with puppets on a Saturday morning kids show.  He turned professional while in college when he was hired to do a 5-minute late night show called "Sam and Friends."  He was partnered with Jane Nebel, and it must have been a good partnership for they later married.

Henson coined the term "muppets," a combination of the words puppet  and marionette.  Since wood was not expressive, he chose to use flexible, foam-covered rubber to fashion his muppets. He got much exposure through commercials and various variety shows.  He founded Muppets Inc. in 1961.

In 1963, the Muppets moved to New York.  They continued to make appearances on various TV shows and even some short films.  It was the launch of Sesame Street in 1969 that made the Muppets a household name.  Success continued with the launch of his Muppet Show on TV in 1976, and it was still highly popular when he stopped production in 1981.  1979 saw the first full-length film The Muppet Movie, and many more followed (and still continue today).

I still remember the day that I found out that Jim Henson died.  May 16, 1990, he died of pneumonia, and almost immediately, the muppets released a tribute show on TV.  The hardest thing to get used to was the voice of Kermit.  Jim Henson had always been his voice, and it took me a while to get used to not hearing the familiar voice.  I don't notice it so much now--I guess enough years have passed.

So hard to pick a video to post here.  There are so many!!





If you would like more information, check out these sites:
http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/henson_jim/index.html
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=2210