What On Earth?-Column #42, November 2005

The holidays have arrived, but we must begin with a little bad news. I know, you don't expect me to do that, especially with the holidays around the corner. Let's do it. You'll be thankful you have me to give you a heads-up on current events and anniversaries of events.

But on the light note, I'll start off with the history of Thanksgiving, and you'll be THANKING me later. When the Pilgrims came to America in 1620, they had nowhere to live or even to buy food. So, with the help of our friends, the Indians, they were taught to plant potatoes and corn, harvest squash and pumpkins, and catch fish, and hunt down Turkeys, the popular food of Thanksgiving. One year later, they'd be feasting on those foods. The turkey, corn, squash, potatoes, pumpkins, and cranberries, etc., all those foods would be the centerpieces of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. But we'd add in new favorites like Pecan Pie and Green Bean Casserole, with the latter made with Cream of Mushroom Soup and French Fried Onions. Mmm, Mmm, Mmm. We do have a lot to be thankful for, especially with all the delicious feast on the table.

Now to the news. First category on the list is Politics. One year ago, as Democrats were hoping to recapture every branch of the US Government, those hopes were shattered when John Kerry and John Edwards (his running mate) conceded defeat on the day after Election Day 2004. And while George W. Bush and Dick Cheney celebrated winning a second term, they celebrated even more when both Congress chambers increased their Republican (aka NOT the GOP) majorities, all thanks to Tom DeLay's TX redistricting effort, which knocked some senior TX Democrats like Martin Frost out of office. And with the Bush administration's 2nd term approval ratings falling like a rock, and the Iraqi war going out of control, expect me and my fellow Democrats to work hard for next year's mid-term elections. And, as you may expect, BOTH Republicans and Democrats have been going at each others throats about the Iraqi war. We already have seen Cindy Sheehan in action, from the President's Crawford ranch in TX to the White House in DC. But still, Bush will NOT bring the troops home, and as you may have seen in the news, the death toll among US casualties has surpassed 2,000. And next month marks a 2-year anniversary of the first turning point in the war. You'll find out about it later.

Next category is Finance. Remember that holiday shopping was down after 9-11, 4 years ago? Well, just like the past 3 years, expect holiday shopping to be a hectic one this year, and expect the cash registers to be ringing, especially if the big sales come from those ever popular and convenient Gift Cards. Home decor also is a big money maker at this time of the year, with holiday decorations topping the list. And candy is also popular at this time of the year, from chocolates to candy canes, expect people's sweet tooths to be tingling as much as their wallets! And for the kiddies, well, toys, video games, CDs, and DVD's will do just fine. And the best time to shop is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. While the stores and malls may be crowded, it's shopping time! And yes, while we're shopping, we may NOT know that thieves are making money and anything that's valuable or shiny (like big packages or gold and jewelry) as their target. Remember, carry one or two credit cards, limit the amount of cash you put in your wallet, and after shopping at a few stores, hurry and put the packages in your car, and lock it up, and always have your keys in hand, and make sure everything is unseen by sinister eyes. And ladies, have your purses on your shoulders at all times. As I said, anything that's got value and thieves will be more than happy to snatch your wallet. And ID Theft is a big crime in America, too. If you're shopping online, always be careful on what you click (like my family). DON'T give out any personal info you don't want to give (and always look for symbols that require that info. For example, the Democratic sites I visit everyday, when I sign petitions, they require me to give my name, home address, AND E-mail address so thay can confirm it's me that's signing). That personal info even includes your credit card number (and I don't have a credit card, so I'm lucky now).

Also, traveling is a big part of the holiday season. 4 years ago, many people decided to stay home after 9-11. 3 years after THAT, the traveling slowly rebounded. As you may expect, with the gas prices FINALLY going down, some people are taking the advantage to fly, drive, or whatever floats their BOAT (heck, even going on a Cruise is part of the fun). Ticket prices are lower, but it all depends on how you do the haggling. Every person haggles for the lowest price on their trips, hoping they can save a little money for food and shopping. And if you are flying, be happy. Some of the "banned" items are now re-legalized, like lighters and cigarettes. But that's good. We don't want to be "too strict" on what can and can't be on an airplane with the passenger.

What else is popular at this time of the year? Well, mailing those cards and packages, of course. Next year, however, the cost of mailing a card will go up to 39 cents (but it's 37 cents right now). But you have plenty of time to mail them. It's hectic, but we can do that. Gift wrapping is also a big thing at this time. I've wrapped a few gifts, but I find it pretty difficult. But I'll get used to it. And speaking of gift wrap, there's lots of different kinds to pick from.

Speaking of gifts, my next category is Game Shows. And one of the best and biggest gifts, whether or not you're a game show fanatic like myself, is Jeopardy!'s first ever DVD. It includes 5 shows (Premiere from September 10, 1984; Ken Jennings' 75th show where he loses, and the 3-game final of Jeopardy!'s Ultimate Tournament Of Champions); not to mention commentary from host Alex Trebek, announcer Johnny Gilbert, and executive producer Harry Friedman. And as the theme may suggest, there's also a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the Emmy-award winning game show, which, as some might not know, actually began back in 1964 with Art Fleming as host (he passed away 10 years ago in April at age 70 of pancreatic cancer) and Don Pardo as announcer (we know him as the announcer of NBC's Saturday Night Live). Also included are interviews with some of the memorable contestants including Ken Jennings, Frank Spangenberg ($102,597 winner of 5 days in '90), and Eddie Timanus (the legally blind 5-time champion from '99, who, at the top of every program he appeared in, got a card with the categories in Braille. However, he had to rely on his memory to remember which clues were played. The electronic stylus and pen used for Final Jeopardy was replaced by an electronic typing machine, so that he could type in his response). And speaking of Timanus, one year ago, he appeared on Millionaire, and took home $50,000.

And speaking of which, it was ONE YEAR AGO THIS MONTH (actually the end of the month), that Ken Jennings' run as Jeopardy champ finally came to an end, when he was defeated by realtor Nancy Zerg of Ventura, CA. Jennings had just bumped his total to $2,520,700 at the end of the previous show (His 74th). At the end of Double Jeopardy on this, his 75th show; Jennings led $14,400 to Nancy's $10K. David Hankins, a Minneapolis college student, ended at $-2800; and thus was eliminated from Final Jeopardy. And speaking of Final Jeopardy, the category was BUSINESS & INDUSTRY. The clue: "Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only 4 months a year." The correct question was: "What is H&R Block?" Nancy was right, and wagered $4401 to end up with $14,401; a one dollar lead over Jennings. Jennings himself, however, answered incorrectly with "What is FedEx?"; and that sent shockwaves and gasps through the entire studio (not to mention those who were watching at home). He wagered $5601 to end at second place with $8799 and that led Alex to dub Nancy a "Giant-Killer." She finally did something that no other player could've done on 73 or 74 other shows: BEAT KEN JENNINGS. When you add the $2K second place consolation prize to his total, you will see that his run ends with him winning $2,522,700; a record that would stand until this year's Jeopardy Ultimate Tournament Of Champions. Alex put it best when he said when he told Ken, "Ken, take a look at the audience. The audience is paying tribute to not only Nancy, but to you as well. All good things have to come to an end, don't they? Well, too bad for Ken. But he's going home with a lot of money, $2.5 million. Congratulations, young man." Well, Alex, good things do have to come to an end, and we're all proud of Ken's achievements as much as you are. We wish Ken the best of luck in any future endeavors. So, now that he's broken the record for regular winnings on the show, the question remains: WHO'S NEXT?

But of course, those who didn't hear about those "rumors" that had been circulating around the Internet, well, those rumors came true that day. And speaking of H&R Block, they gave Jennings him free financial and tax advice FOR LIFE, all because of that question. He may have lost on his 75th day, but he's always a winner with H&R Block. Later, we'd find him in pop culture for Allstate, Cingular Wireless, and his plugging of a new board game, Can You Beat Ken? Unfortunately for Nancy, her run didn't last as long, as she lost in her second game.

The September 10, 1984 premiere of the version we've all known to come and love (even during the pre-Ken Jennings era) began with these words from announcer Johnny Gilbert: "This is JEOPARDY!" (Jeopardy! globe zooms up, then breaks) "Now entering the studio are today's contestants: "An advertising copywriter originally from Miami, Florida; Frank Selevan. A freelance copywriter originally from Plainview, New York; Lois Feinstein. And an energy demonstrator from Waverly, Ohio; Greg Hopkins." "And now, here is the host of Jeopardy!, ALEX TREBEK!" And the rest, as they say, is history.

On its sister show, "Wheel Of Fortune", it's been a changing of the guard with the Bonus Rounds. When the show first began in 1975 (yes, with Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford), we had no bonus round. In 1981, there were 5 prizes to pick from, one of which was $25,000 in cash. That prize was the most chosen prize of the lot, and the most 6 letters (5 consonants and 1 vowel) were the ever popular "R, S, T, L, N, and E." So, they made those as givens, and the winner had to pick 3 more consonants and one more vowel of their own choosing. Of course, during the Shopping era, you could pick any starred prize and play for it in the bonus round. The one I just described was the ALL-CASH era, which also had "Wipeout Week," where once a bonus prize was won, it was out of the running for the rest of the week. That week lent the format to the ever-popular "Blind Draw", which lasted from 1989-2001. 5 envelopes each represented one of the prizes, by a letter in the word "WHEEL". In 1998, they amended the rules, where the $25,000 could be won more than once. In 2000, there were two $25,000 envelopes, and 3 cars. In November 2001 (that's right, 4 years ago THIS month), the show debuted a new mini-wheel bonus round. The champ spins a 24-section wheel and takes the appropriate envelope. Out of the 24 envelopes, 11 have $25,000; 12 have 3 different cars (4 for each car), and one has the jackpot of $100,000. One month later, we'd see the first winner. You'll hear about him in the next column. Then in 2002, the cash prizes ranged from $25,000 to $50,000 in $5,000 steps (12 of the $25K, 1 each of the $30K-$50K), and 3 each of 2 cars, and the $100,000 jackpot.

In November 1999, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" on ABC, hosted by Regis Philbin; crowned its first big winner in John Carpenter, an IRS agent from Hamden, CT. He'd made Millionaire history to be the first player to nail the first 14 questions without touching his lifelines. Reege asked that "You Didn't need those stinkin' lifelines, did you?" No, he didn't, Reege. But that was only the icing on the cake. The frosting came with this Million Dollar Question (Question #15): "Which of these U.S. Presidents appeared on the television series 'Laugh-In'? A. Lyndon Johnson-B. Richard Nixon-C. Jimmy Carter-D. Gerald Ford. John did something that would make everyone gasp with shock. He used the Phone-A-Friend lifeline, to call his dad. And he told him that "I really don't need your help, I was just calling to let you know I'm gonna win the million dollars." And that was just half of the frosting. The second half comes when we hear "Because the president that appeared on Laugh-In is Richard Nixon, that's my final answer." Then Reege climaxes it all by saying "Well, my gosh, what can I say except, Debbie, you're going to Paris, and this is the final answer heard all around the world -- he's won a million dollars!" Yep. John would later return on the Tournament Of Champions edition in May 2000, and win $250,000 to split with his charity, the SARA Foundation.

But before we could celebrate his win, we focused on one of the Millionaire copycats of "Greed", hosted by Chuck Woolery. Unlike Millionaire, players competed in teams of 5 players each, and with each of the 8 questions they were asked, the teams risked each of their winnings. The captain always decided if the team should keep the cash or risk it all. By the time the jackpot reached $2.2 million, the team of Melissa Skirboll, Curtis Warren, and Daniel Avila (captain) had won One Million Dollars (Question 7). They'd answered the last question about Dead Celebrities correctly, and not even a Jaguar XK8 2000 Convertible with $25K in cash in the trunk ($100,000 bailout) didn't convince them to throw in the towel on that question. Question 8, worth $2.2 million, was about Odors. And at this point, unlike the first 7 questions, it was now an individual decision. Melissa and Curtis each won $410,000, and they took that home with them; while Dan had $200,000, and he risked it all on the final question of the Tower of Greed, worth $2.2 million. When they came back from break, after Curtis and Melissa left, Chuck said that he felt like he was in a "surrealistic dream." But this was anything but surrealistic. It was reality, and there was no turning back. The BIG question: "According to a Yale University study of the most recognizable smells, which 4 of the following 9 topped the list?" The choices: Baby Powder, Peanut Butter, Moth Balls, Tuna, Coffee, Dry Cat Food, Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Vicks Vaporub. Avila let out a small chuckle as Chuck said, "You feel confident? It's a tough question." Avila reiterated that, as Chuck warned him, "Well, it's worth a lot of money." And Avila replied with, "I know, I know, but we're gonna make it easy," and Chuck said Nope. Daniel had 30 seconds to decide his answers, and he went with Tuna and Peanut Butter with his gut, and then thought about the last two, and went with Coffee and Vicks Vaporub. At that point, Chuck confirmed his choices, and then asked the off-screen producers, "Does he get a chance to change anything?" After getting a disapproval from the producers, Chuck said, "OK, you don't have a chance. You don't. You're captain, but all those things are gone now." So, with that, the answers were locked in; and the viewers watched, as one by one, we saw that Peanut Butter, Coffee, and Vicks Vaporub were all correct. At this point, everyone was on the edge of their seats (not to mention their feet), hoping Greed would produce its first $2 million(+) winner. At the point that Vicks Vaporub lit up in green (for correct), Chuck went "Yes! You may get this! You may get this, Daniel! You may get this!" Avila's heart was beating, as was everyone else's. Avila, excited as ever said "I hope so!" Chuck then went on, "I this is a good answer, I think this is a GREAT answer. I hope it's right." Avila said, "I hope so, too. I don't know." Chuck replied, "I don't know either, but I hope that that's it." He then asked "FOR 2.2 MILLION DOLLARS, IS IT TUNA?" Everyone watched, with excitement in their eyes and smiles on their faces. That excitement turned to horror and their smiles changed to gasps, as Tuna turned RED (for incorrect). Chuck then said, "I never would've guessed it. I never would've guessed it, but it's CHOCOLATE, because it's not a pungent smell!", to which Daniel replies, "Exactly." Chuck went: "Oh, Daniel. Well, my friend, you showed an enormous amount of courage. You were great to have on the show, and I'm so sorry you're leaving with nothing. Thank you, Daniel, you're a name in our lives. Thank you, Daniel. Thank you." He then addresses us (the studio and home audiences) with, "Oh, what a shame. Tried to give away $2.2 million, and he lost after giving up the car and all that money. Was he great or what?" He WAS great, Chuck. He was the reason that made Greed one of the successful copycats to Millionaire. He may have left the show empty-handed, but he gave it his all, even if it didn't pay off like he planned. However, he appeared on the syndicated Millionaire last season and won $100,000 from Meredith Vieira. So, he recouped half his losses, which is better than nothing. As for Greed, you can learn about the rules, read a related article, and view a related video clip, by clicking HERE. I know I haven't updated that page in quite sometime, but I'll get to it. Sometime.

Next category is Sports. There will be plenty this month, as Thanksgiving Day rolls around. And it's not just about the Macy's parade (more later), it's also about football. No Turkey Day will ever be complete without football. And each year, the Dallas Cowboys take the stage every Turkey Day, and so does the Salvation Army, which sponsors the halftime show. But they won't be the only football team playing! The Detroit Lions have also played a game every Thanksgiving. The day after, it's all about UT and Texas A&M. So pile on those nachos and bake up some pizza and fry up some chicken wings, and serve up some soda pop, water, etc.! And, as always, remember to hand over the keys if you've been partying a little too hard. And while we're on the subject of sports, one year ago this month, at a Pacers-Pistons game, a brawl ensued after Pistons forward/center Ben Wallace was about to make a basket with 45.9 seconds remaining. At that point, Pacers forward Ron Artest fouled him. But that was only the beginning. A fan threw a cup at Artest, and Artest charged the fan (assisted by Pacer Stephen Jackson), and all hell breaks loose from there. Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal then began another melee after he punched another fan, and that's where the rough REALLY gets going! 5 players are suspended after the incident, including Wallace (who got suspended for 6 games), Jackson (30), and O'Neal (25, later reduced to 15 on a successful appeal); but Artest received the longest suspension: THE REST OF THE SEASON (including this past season's playoffs, where their quest for a 2nd straight NBA championship failed). That fan, a season ticket holder, was banned from the remaining season's games, and is currently awaiting trial. If you want to see the video for yourself, click HERE. However, I MUST warn you, the video is very graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. Back to the game itself, the Pacers won, 97-82. But the Motown Melee (another "brawl" nickname) didn't end there. Fans threw more chairs, soda, popcorn, ice, etc. at the Pacers as they were escorted from the court. As you may have thought, no one wanted to speak to the media about what went on at the game. But it was the talk of fans, and is still the talk today about security at sports events.

Next category on the list is Entertainment. And what would the holiday season be without the ever popular Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from NY? It's a hit each year, as are those Radio City Rockettes. You can also view the Rockettes at their annual Christmas show, which like THe Nutcracker, is done all across the country. So, just like you don't need to go to Russia to see The Nutcracker, you don't need to go to NY to see the Rockettes. There are other Thanksgiving Day Parades, like the Washington Mutual one in Houston, and the All-American Parade in Detroit (home of the Lions). But when Turkey Day is over, it's time to light the Christmas trees! Two of the most popular tree lightings are from DC on the White House Lawn, and at Rockefeller Center in New York!

And speaking of entertainment, holiday specials are great this time of the year. In my first Turkey Day Column, I talked about such movies as A Christmas Story from 1983 (about a boy named Ralph, who wants a BB Gun) and It's A Wonderful Life from 1946 with the late Jimmy Stewart (who plays a suicidal man, who with the help of an angel is getting into the holiday spirit), and the ever popular Miracle On 34th Street (about a girl who believes in Santa Claus, and it shows in the '47 original as well as the '73 and '94 remakes). Then, of course, there's the Toy Story (1 and 2) movies, and the 1st movie celebrates its 10th anniversary this year (came out in '95, sequel came out in '99), and Home Alone (1 and 2, my favorites) starring Macaulay Culkin, who stars as Kevin McAllister, who's accidentally left behind by his family each time they go out of town for the holidays. In both movies, he bumps into thieves Marv and Harry (played by Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci) and uses clever tactics to finally land those guys in jail. Other notable movies include Jingle All the Way in 1996 (starring Ahhnold, and focusing on the 1983 craze of Cabbage Patch Kids), although the son of the film wants a new TurboMan Doll (and appropriately, this film was released due to the 1996 Tickle-Me-Elmo craze). Then, there's Elf (starring Will Ferrell) and Bad Santa (starring Billy Bob Thornton) in 2003, and the Polar Express in 2004 (which I'll describe later). Now, to focus on the TV specials. In 2004, we saw the animated Rankin-Bass special "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" celebrate its 40th anniversary (originally aired on December 6, 1964). You'll hear more about it in the next column. And to that end, CBS did a holiday promo using CBS stars in Rankin-Bass's animation. This special is seen on CBS annually. The other CBS special, which I'll describe here, is the ever popular Frosty The Snowman, first broadcast in 1969. Based on the song and comedian Jackie Vernon voicing the title character, the story starts out with a young girl named Karen building a snowman. Professor Hinkle, who was doing a magic trick, loses his magic hat, and that hat flies onto Frosty's head, bringing him to life. The fight ensues throughout the show, especially after Karen and her friends can't afford a ticket to the North Pole (which costs $300). So, since they don't have any money, the angry ticket clerk turns them away, shouting "No Money, NO TICKET!" So, they hop a train car to the North Pole and find a green house, and against Karen's words of Frosty's melting being a possibility, they go for broke. Hinkle they finds the pair and locks them in, thus melting Frosty. Santa finds the heart-broken Karen and cheers her up by magically bringing Frosty back to life, then telling Hinkle that if he doesn't change his ways, he'll be on Santa's bad list for a long time. Hinkle agrees, and a happy ending it is indeed. That special spawned a sequel in Frosty Returns. In this 1992 based special with Jonathan Winters voicing the narrator and John Goodman as the title character, Frosty arrives in the town of Beansboro, and meets a new girl named Holly DeCardo. Mr. Twitchell, a new villain for this special, invents "Summer Wheeze," which is an aerosol spray that instantly melts snow when the button is pushed. The town goes bozo about it, until they hear about its effects. Holly gets Frosty to appear at the annual Beansboro Winter Carnival to get people to understand the spray's effects. The people finally listen to his words after his multiple attempts to not use the spray. The special ends the same way as it began: SNOWY.

That's all for now. You'll hear about more holiday specials in the next column. And while we were celebrating John Carpenter's Million Dollar win, people all around the world were celebrating TVB's 32nd Anniversary (as the network debuted on November 19, 1967). 6 years later, TVB is going strong at 38, and you can learn more by visiting TVB.COM.

Final category is Music. While I've mostly focused on The Nutcracker Ballet and the Story, I've not left Christmas music out. Other than the traditional Christmas carols of such like Silent Night and Deck The Halls, there are other contemporary favorites in Who Would Imagine A King by Whitney Houston, My Only Wish This Year by Britney Spears, and Thank God For Kids by The Oak Ridge Boys. I'll have more music in the next column.

Well, that's it for now. This is John Lee wishing you a VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Don't eat too much over the holidays! Now, "Go HOME!"