What On Earth?-Column #14, July 2003

Well, here we are in July, and even though this is Independence Day month, I'm sure we're all realizing what has happened in the entertainment world, up to now, so I'll start there, with 5 deaths, and these are in no particular order, so here we go.

I'll start with Strom Thurmond, who died at 100 due to cancer. He's the South Carolina GOP Senator, who was famous for civil rights, and made sure everyone got the civil liberties and rights they deserved. He was the target of crude comments made by former GOP Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, who resigned because of those comments. I'm not surprised. Had he stayed Democrat, which he was for 10 years before turning Republican, he would STILL be concerned for civil rights and liberties. May he rest in peace.

Next on the list is Katherine Hepburn, who died at 96, but the cause of her death is STILL unknown. This movie star has been famous as her husband, Spencer Tracy, who died before she did. The movies she was most famous for include On Golden Pond, The African Queen, and the movie which starred her and Tracy, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?. After that movie was done, Tracy died. May the two rest in peace.

Next on the list is David Brinkley, who died at 82 from complications after a fall at his home in Houston. While many of us know him as host of the ABC News magazine "This Week With David Brinkley," he began his career with Chet Huntley at NBC. The two became famous for their closing phrase of "Good night, David. Good night, Chet." He left ABC in 1996, and decided to move on. Well, he's moving on to a BETTER PLACE. May he rest in peace.

Number 4 on this list is Gregory Peck, who died at 87 in his sleep, although the cause MAY be old age. This man, who was #1 on the list of AFI's 100 Heroes, was most popular in his role as Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird." This was his most popular role, I repeat. After acting, he chaired the American Cancer Society. May he rest in peace.

Last, but not least, Buddy Hackett, who died at 78, but the cause of his deah is unknown, although his son said Hackett had diabetes. This comedian was most famous for his role in "It's A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD," one of many movies he produced. He also appeared on many game shows, such as Hollywood Squares. May he rest in peace.

Now, since we've gotten through those, let's start with some JULY 4TH STUFF! As you know, July 4th is Independence Day, when we won our independence from Britain in 1776, which is the date inscribed on the Statue of Liberty's tablet she's got in her left arm. From parades to barbecues, flags to streamers, everybody's got the perfect way to say THREE CHEERS FOR THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE! And believe it or not, this is one of many busy holiday weekends where the airports are crammed with passengers, and heavy security is in place. However, since travel fears have slowly dwindled since 9-11, don't expect it to be WAY, WAY HEAVY. Now, for something that shows that we ARE A FREE COUNTRY AFTER ALL:

The Supreme Court confirms that Affirmative Action is okay, as long as the University of Michigan is not using racial bias to let students in. In the same case, they're allowing it. It's a good thing, because everyone should be allowed to go to college regardless of race. As a matter of fact, I'm learning about the different cultures in the college world.

Next stop, SPORTS! The NBA Champs this year, are the San Antonio Spurs. They beat the New Jersey Nets in GAME 6, 80-78. This game also marks the Navy Admiral David Robinson's last game as a player. So, what's next for him, COACHING?

The NHL's Stanley Cup champs are the New Jersey Devils. This is the same team that beat Dallas in 2000, ending their chances at a 2nd straight Stanley Cup. Some of the former Stars playing for them include Jamie Langenbrunner. So, what's next for that?

This month, is also Wimbledon month. This is one of 4 tournaments that make up the US tour, if you're a tennis fan. I'm a semi-tennis fan. I don't really keep up with it that much, but I like it. Whether you're into the women like Venus and Serena Williams, or the men like John MacEnroe and Andre Agassi, this is going to be a great tournament.

Now for the game show world. One year ago THIS MONTH, the PRIMETIME version of Weakest Link closed up shop due to the on-going CELEB shows. This YEAR, the DAYTIME version of Weakest Link is expected to close up shop, due to horrible time spots. Some of these time spots include 2 am and 4 am. I'm ASLEEP at that time! Why put it at that time, when I could be getting some sleep?

Meanwhile, the daytime version of Millionaire is going for a second season. That version is much better than the primetime version, because there are NO celeb shows, and I'm happy about that, as much as you are. Also, no more Fastest Finger. EASIER. MUCH EASIER.

Now, earlier this month, we got to see CHRISTMAS IN JULY. Yep, that would be the 1984 Christmas shows of Press Your Luck. This is where the board has MERRY read up and down, and XMAS read across. Featured throughout the show are Whammy carolers. If that should make ANYBODY celebrate Christmas early, well, there you have it. AN EARLY CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU!

Speaking of Christmas in July, well, I did just that last year. I started my Christmas shopping EARLY. I brought some signs to put out on my front porch, and I did just that. And I'm hoping to do it again THIS YEAR. It's not as easy as you think it is, but it's worth the extra time. Everything's cheap as of right now, so why not head out there! As a matter of fact, I saw some 3-camera holiday packs at Albertson's. They sell for around $4. Pretty cheap, huh? Well, not as cheap as THIS:

Realizing everything gets expensive at the start of the holiday season, which, IMO, doesn't start until November 1. However, the REAL start is the day after Thanksgiving, BLACK FRIDAY. This is where all the stores are hoping to end the season in the BLACK. So, this is where everything starts out expensive, and gets cheaper by the time the holiday season ends. Then it gets even cheaper, when the post-Christmas sales begin, and usually, at this time, the stores who didn't perform well during the holidays, make up for it. It's not my favorite time of the year, but hey, it's better than spending a lot of money on pre-Christmas holiday sales. Wow. What a way to take your holiday spending AND shopping to the next level.

Now, speaking of Press Your Luck, we got MORE shows. And by MORE shows, I mean, we got the 1985 shows at last. All the shows we've been seeing were from 1984, the Larsen era. Now, we're in the POST-Larsen era, where NO ONE, not even me, will be able to figure out where the light's gonna go next. Hmmph. I don't care where it goes, just as long as the contestant is able to stop it at the time when it switches from a whammy to something good. That's it for game show news. I'll now head into...

SPORTS with John Lee. In the BASEBALL world, the All-Star Game results in the AL beating the NL, 7-6. This means, for the first time, the AL gets home advantage in the World Series. And I hope, if it's not the Rangers, let it be the YANKEES. I want to see them play the Mets. I love the Subway Series, which is what the name means: Yankees vs. Mets.

Now, for FOOTBALL. It's that time of year again. IT'S TRAINING CAMP TIME! It's the time when all the teams head on out into the heat and just practice, practice, practice. And for the Cowboys, it means doing that with new head coach, the BIG TUNA, BILL PARCELLS. And, since he's an NFL known name, he JUST MIGHT get America's Team back to the Super Bowl. And, if they get back, they'll have to do it without Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time rushing leader. The team's star running back, and one of the Triplets (Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman were the other 2), who broke Walter Payton's rushing record, was released on the last day of February.

Speaking of the Cowboys, they lost one of their own. Tex Schramm, the former president and GM of the Cowboys, died this month of natural causes, at 83. Earlier this year, he was elected into the Ring of Honor, the Texas Staduim shrine he created. He also coined the term "America's Team" for the Cowboys. And that same name STILL holds up today, even if America's Team is in a SLUMP. He was also famous for creating one of the most famous things that made this team famous, too: THE DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS! This famous squad is famous for its dance moves, and calendar shoots. They travel the world, too. So, he wanted to say good-bye to the RAH-RAHS, and hello to the HIGH KICKS! Just as good as I think, don't you think?

Now, for the BASKETBALL world. Kobe Bryant, star guard of the LA Lakers, was arrested earlier this year, and charged with raping a 19-year old in a hotel in Salt Lake City. He says he's innocent. But who knows?

Well, here we are at the end. This is John Lee saying, "Thanks for PRESSING YOUR LUCK! BYE-BYE! Go HOME!"