"Sesame Street" is old and so are you, deal with it

"Sesame Street" turned 40 this month, an anniversary that made me think, “Really, 40 years??”

I still distinctly remember the first episode. I really do. There were cows in it and funny little characters and I was hooked from day one.

I learned all kinds of things from that show, like everyone can be friends no matter if they are tall or in a garbage can or red or blue or yellow. I learned letters and shapes and how to count to 10 in Spanish. I sometimes wish I had learned more of another language as a yongerser, I think it would have stuck with me a lot longer.

"Sesame Street" was my gateway show to all other television programming, since it is the first show I can remember watching.

Some other favorite kid shows were "Mr Dressup" with Casey and Finnegan on the CBC out of Winsor. Mr Dressup was a mellow "Mr. Rogers", if there could be anyone more soft spoken the the Rog. I loved "Mr. Rogers" too, I even had his complete albumn collection, a fact I finaly don’t care about mentioning anymore.

"Mr Dressup" intro

It's from Mr. Rogers that I learned how how to spell friend. The song "You are Special" spelled it out, and my constant singing of the song helped me sort out the “i before e” issue in spelling tests. I’d conjure up the phrase “F-R-I-E-N-D, special you are my friend, you’re special to me” and get it right every time. I wish more spelling had been set to music.

Of course there was Captain Kangaroo, and the clowns-"Bozo", who was the nation's clown,( insert your own "nation's clown" joke here) and "Oopsy" who was a Detroiter. And the zany shows like "The Electric Company" from the '70's (which is being revived) and "Zoom" we really had alot goin'on back in the day.

I look at some of the shows kids have now and I feel bad for them, ha ha.

Some great old school Detroit sites:

Detroit Memories

Detroit Kid's Shows

I love USA!

The network... Well and the country, of course.

I came to this fascinating and startling conclusion the other night while watching the season 2 premiere of “In Plain Sight”-a show about a pair of U.S Marshalls in New Mexico and the madcap mayhem that happens on the job. The male Marshall is named “Marshall” which my “punny” humor just loves. The female lead is played by Mary McCormack, formally a “West Wing” cast member, (In fact USA seems to employ a lot of former “West Winger’s” which I find incredibly amusing as well) **

At any rate, while watching, a promo comes on for a new USA show starting in June called “Royal Pains” starring Mark Feurstein, he of “In Her Shoes” (a once top-secret favorite Recovering DJ movie, now obviously that’s out)

“Royal Pains” also co-stars Campbell Scott, a fave of mine in the David Mamet classic “The Spanish Prisoner” and of course the Seattle singles scene in “Singles”. Add in the fact that the story sounds fun and I am hooked.

Another promo comes on later for “Burn Notice” featuring the hottest spy in the world played by Jeffrey Donovan and this is when I exclaim to my husband, startling him away from his Kindle, “ I love this network!”

He nods knowingly, his wife is a TV junky and her new fix is now within easy reach on one channel.

I got hooked on USA last year when I started watching “Monk” every day to catch up on the show. The network does such a good job of promoting all their shows that I began to watch more and more. It doesn’t hurt that I am a marketer’s dream, pretty much swayed by slick production and quirky characters.

Yes, I watch too much TV.
I guess admitting it is one step towards recovering though, right?

**What makes USA the “West Wing” Network? (File under things only I care about.)

• Mary McCormack on “In Plain Site” played Kate Harper, deputy national security advisor

• Dule Hill on USA's “Pysch” played Charlie, the President’s assistant.

• Bradley Whitford-Josh on WW guest stars on “Monk”

• Richard Schiff who played Toby on WW had a two episode story on “Burn Notice” when I checked him out on IMDB it states he also guest stars on “Monk” and “In Plain Site” crazy!

Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

Starting again, once again, in a matter of speaking

Hello dear readers-all two of you.

I really loathe pushing the "fourth wall",that invisible divider that separates the character from the audience. Ironic, since I spent a long time talking directly to an audience. Well actually, just an audience member, one person....that's the key to great radio...one on one communication, talk directly to one individual.

But I digress...

I know I've been remiss on posting as frequently as I should. You know how it is, once you get off that bicycle...you head to a bar and then you can't remember where the heck the bike is, or something like that.

I know, I know the saying is really: "it's like riding a bike"...the all purpose catch phrase for something not forgotten... but doesn't seem to apply to me... I don't even know if I could ride a bike anymore quite frankly. I'd like to, but with the hills around here...who knows.

The bike I was on, metaphorically speaking, was the East Coast. I was distracted all week from writing even the simplest of posts to keep the blog momentum going. I couldn't get a New York minute in at all. It's crazy I know, and it’s something I really need to work on. And that's important, keep working on, not giving up.

Cuz sometimes it's so much easier to give up.

It’s always a process really, being a human being, trying to keep going. It’s easy to get caught up in the smallest minutia of life and forget the big picture.

So, once again, as always, I'll pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.

The adventure continues my friends, the adventure continues.

But I'm suppose to be Susan!

Song of the day: "My Name is Not Susan" Whitney Houston

A long forgotten dance gem in my opinion.

I loved "talking out" of this song on the radio, because simple humor amuses me most.

" 10:52, Whitney Houston there, who's not Susan, but I am!"

I used to think that was sooo funny. But it probably wasn't to most people. Which can explain alot.

Yes, my name is Susan. And I'm here to claim it.

What got me on this protective Susan rant is something I just read about- a new "mockumentary" that will be appearing on the web. And it stars Sarah Silverman. Who I don't particularly care for. I don't know why. Some would say it's jealousy. But whatever, the point is...her characters name is SUSAN! grrrrr.

But of course I've just given the show a plug, so there you go. Any P.R is better than no P.R I always say. Look at Britney if you don't belive me for heavens sakes!

But I digress...

Sarah Silverman playing a Susan is not as bad as the mother of all eyebrows lady who I really really don't care for, Brooke Shields who did a show called "Suddenly Susan" for what seemed like forever. I could NOT believe Susan was her characters name. I took it as a personal assault. Back then I was on the air and I would rail about it constantly. The universe had plotted against me. That too would probably explain alot.

Cute Susan side note, while Googling for "Suddenly Susan" I came across a interesting little blog by that name.

See, my "Susan bashing" is random. For example, I didn't mind Madonna's character being called Susan in "Desperately Seeking Susan".

Although I always wonder-Why does the flower's name have to be Black Eyed Susan??

Why are trays that rotate around called a Lazy SUSAN???

Yes, my name is Susan and I'm a bit of a a nut job.

It's been about six months since I started this blog, and I wasn't quite sure where I was going with it. I just knew it was something I really wanted to do. And felt I should do. People have been asking me, what is your blog about? And I usually say "pop culture", which is partially true. But really it's about me I guess, and my little observations on the world. And it's a release for rants that would normally be reserved for the radio.

We are all "me centric". We all think the universe revolves around us, and can't understand why people would not agree with us, hence the reason there is so much bickering going on in the world.

I used to say, "I'm the sun, and you are all planets circling me"
And someone said to me, "Well in that case, I want to be Pluto, as far away from the sun as possible"

That brings you down a peg.

Because in the end, it's the over sized ego that gets you, no matter what your name is.

Recovering DJ's Holiday mix tape-part 1

As I've previously mentioned,I’m a Christmas music lover. Toss together some Pop with a little bit of Rock and Jazz and you've mixed a mélange of melodic goodness. It’s a sickness, but isn’t admitting that the first step towards Recovering? ☺

With so many holiday themed events comin’ down the chimney lo’ these next few weeks I bet you’re seekin’ ideas to keep the sassy Santa spirit a flowin'. Here’s a good start, in order of how many times they've played according to my iTunes: an 0bjective way put together a countdown.

Top 15
By order of iTunes play count

1-"Last Christmas" -Wham!
So so 80’s I know, it just makes me ache with nostalgia. And FYI, I’m not the only one who loves it… so **mleh** (I believe that's the sound of sticking out your tongue?) Say it aloud and see.

**Just discovered this has been covered by someone named Taylor Swift *Gasp**

2-"White Christmas"-Otis Redding
This version is from the “Love Actually” soundtrack- a new classic holiday movie in our household. It’s a little sad and soulful, but the warmth of Otis’s voice wraps around you like a musical muffler.


3-"A Charlie Brown Christmas"- Vince Guaraldi Trio
I couldn’t decide between, “O Tannenbaum”, “Christmas Time Is Here”, “Skating “ or “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” so I just threw in the whole thing.

An interesting story about the "Charlie Brown Special", tee hee.

4-"All I Want For Christmas Is You"-Olivia Olson
From "Love Actually" as well, you could use the Maria Carey version in a pinch though.


5-"Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Live)"-Bruce Springsteen
" He’s flyin’ over Michigan…down the Jersey Turnpike.." Whoop Whoop!


6-"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"-Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
Two of my faves rockin’ the Xmas tree Canadian style


7-"The Little Drummer Boy"-Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
From a Very Special Christmas, a great series of contemporary Christmas music. Not really my fave song in the world, but have to add Rockin’ Robert when you can.


8-"The Christmas Song"-Luther Vandross
I like other versions of this song, but love the late GREAT Luther!


9-"Wonderful Christmastime"-Paul McCartney
Happy Paul, before Linda died and that other psycho wife came a’ callin'.


10-"Same Old Lang Syne"-Dan Fogelberg
“We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to now”...that "Rob Lowe on Saxophone" sound from “St. Elmo’s Fire"…C’mon this is quintessential 80’s people. I immediately bought this last year when he died. Along with that, and the older I get, “Same Old Lang Syne" gets a little more bittersweet with each passing year.


11-"Bells Will be Ringing" - The Eagles
Really, just keeping the 80's alive...


12-"Winter Wonderland"- Harry Connick, Jr.
From the “When Harry Met Sally Soundtrack” which is another one of those "Christmissy" movies that isn’t really billed as such.


13-"Happy Christmas (War is Over)"-John Lennon
Oh John…What if…!!??


14-"Run Rudolph Run"- Keith Richards
A new fave from last year, the Bryan Adams version was previously on the Recovering DJ Holiday Mix. Brits usually trump Canadians. Plus, if you buy on iTunes, it comes with a bonus rocker “Pressure Drop”


15-"Father Christmas"- The Kinks
This is upbeat and "it's easy to dance to Dick, I'll give it a 95" This always reminds me how much I forget I love Ray Davies.


Glancing over this list, I see I’ll have to add some more subjective favorites soon.