Howard Hesseman Played DJ Dr. Johnny Fever

 While the Cincinatti Bengals are off to the Super Bowl, there a sad story, involving a fictional TV Show set in the Ohio town. Sorry, it just isn't often that Cincinatti would come up in two posts in a row.

Howard Hesseman, who garnered fans playing the road weary, morning DJ, Dr Johnny Fever in the hit TV show, WKRP in Cincinatti, has died.  He was 81. 

Hesseman's character, unique to TV at the time, played an often fired, self-effacing, morning drive radio personality, who in the series, had to look at his coffee cup to remember what stage name he was using.  

As a radio fanatic myself, I felt like I could really identify with his character.

Super Bowl LVI

 Who would have picked this matchup and who knows what those Roman Numerals stand for, I sure don't 

The Super Bowl this year will feature the Los Angeles Rams from the NFC, playing the Cincinatti Bengals from the AFC.  The game will be played, by coincidence, in the Rams home field Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles on February 13th.  

No doubt, most of America will root for Cincinatti, who for years, was the league's doormat team.  

Globetrotter Hot Shot

The Globetrotters are all about inclusion. Hot Shot, at 4'5, may be the shortest Globetrotter of all time.  

Basketball may be a big man's game, but don't tell him.  He definitely holds his own and has earned his place on the team  For more on Hot Shot, click here.

Best Crossover! Harlem Globetrotter TNT with the Ankle Breaker

The Globetrotters TNT, the team his talented players including this woman. 

Harlem Globetrotters Bring Act To Kent

 Deb and I watched the crazy antics of the Harlem Globetrotters last night at the Showare Center in Kent. 

We were able to attend a meet and greet before the game (above) where players nicknamed Airport and Wham posed with us.  The second picture shows Wham, sitting on the basket.  

Outstanding basketball moves and comedy of the team and its foil team, the Washington Generals, have entertained fans for generations. 

The team now features a woman, a little person, and a Caucasian, all nimble and amazingly athletic. 

The team was founded in 1927 in Chicago by Abe Saperstein. 

Reuven Carlyle Won't Run For Another State Senate Term

Reuven Carlyle, a commonsense Democrat from Seattle's 36th Legislative District, has announced that he will not run for a second term in the State Senate.  He began his legislative career in the House in 2008, moving to the Senate in 2015.

He has sponsored technology and environmental legislation and has been a supporter of repealing Washington's death penalty. He is credited with being able to work across party lines and with businesses.

Carlyle is credited with founding the State Legislature's Jewish Caucus .  In 2010, I attended a party for Jewish Democrats at Carlyle's home on Queen Anne Hill. 

 

The Milkman Delivers

Someone on Facebook asked if there was still "milk delivery".  Well, this truck was doing just that in our cul-de-sac.  

When we were growing up, I remember having a milkbox by our door and we would get a delivery from either Mayflower or Darigold.

Seeing this stokes memories from childhood.

Meeting Cousin Steve

This picture, taken at Mercer Island Starbucks last Friday, got an amazing amount of attention on Facebook.

Steve Barer, who came up from the Bay Area to watch his beloved Sharks play the Kraken, had a great grandfather who was a brother to my great grandfather, B Barer.  He also, by coincidence, shares a name with my youngest brother.

Steve is a native of New Jersey.

Panthers @ Kraken 1/23/22 | NHL Highlights

Some highlights from last night's game.

Kraken Win!

The Kraken beat the Florida Panthers 5-3. Not a bad way to spend the first NHL game I ever attended.

Go Kraken!

At my very first NHL game.  This picture was taken during the warmups which also like everything was sponsored.  The Florida Panters were at or near, the top of the league, while the Kraken in it's first season had been struggling.  Still, the Kraken looked like it was in control during the game. 

Live Music In Bellevue

We had a great time last night with dinner at the 13 Coins in Bellevue where live music was featured.  

Nikki Schilling and The Night Owls played smooth jazz and adult contemporary, much to the delight of this dancer in the foreground.

Insight to Israel - The Druze

I remember visiting the Druze village on our trip to Israel.  

He Started It!

The old joke that "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out" holds true as this fracas takes place late in the second period as the Seattle Kraken faced the San Jose Sharks at Climate Pledge. 

This was off the TV, but we will attend our first Kraken game this Sunday.

Meat Loaf Dead At 74

 Pop culture figure Meat Loaf, whose real name was Marvin Aday, has died. He was reported to have had health problems in recent years. Some reports have said that he had been suffering COVID, although, that has not been confirmed by official sources. 

Meat Loaf famously appeared in the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show" as well as pop culture favorites "Wayne's World" and "Fight Club".  His most famous album was probably "Bat Out Of Hell" from 1977.

Jackie Blogs Reality Shows

 Right now, it's The Amazing Race, but it's one of a number of reality shows blogged by Jackie at The (TV) Show Must Go On..., Jackie live blogs (typing highlights and reactions to a show while it is taking place), conducts pools (only for fun), and gives analysis on shows like The Race, Big Brother, and Survivor.  Readers are invited to comment on their opinions and incite.

Blogs are really a disappearing commodity and this one is really worth a read if you watch or even compete on these shows.  You can find it by clicking here.

Barers Of Maple Valley Set Post Record

 Going on 17 years, this blog had 416 posts in 2021, shattering the previous record of 391 in the previous year.  

2021 certainly had its fun moments and its sad ones, too.

Seahawks Reported To Be Parting Ways With Norton

 Reports say that the Seattle Seahawks will fire defensive coordinator Ken Norton.    Seahawks fans have been anxious for the team to make a change after some very frustrating performances this season and last, both years, the squad seemed to improve toward the end of the season. 

Norton had finished his 4th season running the Seahawk defense. 

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr

 

A Message from Mayor Ralph and Chief Padilla

With the incident in Colleysville this weekend, although it's unrelated, illustrates that antisemitism is active in our communities.  This is why I think this why this incident of the assistant police chief of Kent using Nazi symbolism.  

I go back in forth in my mind of whether these two (the mayor and police chief) are doing the best they can to fix this issue. 

Puget Sound Media Reports MTV Icon Martha Quinn Coming To KJR-FM

 The Puget Sound Media blog reports that Martha Quinn, one of the original MTV VJs (video jockeys) will have her syndicated radio show broadcasted locally on 95.7 KJR FM.  

Quinn was one of the more polarizing figures on the video music channel, with many viewers not really taking to her style.  I think as time went on, viewers began to love her. 

Unlike KZOK's Danny Bonaduce, Quinn will probably not be moving to Seattle, as her show will be syndicated to other stations. 

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬 - 𝐁𝐞 𝐌𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 - 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 [𝐇𝐐]

In memory of Ronnie Spector. 

Ronnie Spector Dies At 78

 Ronnie Spector, perhaps best known to my generation for performing the song "Take Me Home Tonight" with Eddie Money has died.  She was 78. 

Spector was a member of the Ronettes, whose hits included "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You".

She had been married at one time to legendary music producer Phil Spector, later writing about his abusiveness toward her.  

Veronica Bennett was raised in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan.  She formed the Ronettes with her sister, Estelle Bennett and her cousin, Nedra Talley.

Golden Globes Not On TV In 2022--Podcast Tells Why

 I may not have even noticed if this podcast didn't catch my eye.  The Golden Globe Awards, traditionally the kickoff to what is billed as awards season was not on TV this year. 

The New York Times Daily podcast  from Monday, January 10th, outlines The Rise And Fall Of The Golden Globes.  To listen, click here

Sunny Skies Over The Weeknd

There is still plenty of Winter left, but sunny skies and relatively warm temperatures made me think of Spring.

Dwayne Hickman--TV's Dobie Gillis

 Dwayne Hickman, another black and white TV icon from the early 60s playing the title character on The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis, has died.   Complications of Parkinson's Disease was reported as the cause.

Thought many years older than the character he played, Hickman was very relatable playing the angst ridden teen, Gillis (left in picture) along with Bob Denver's hilarious portrayal of beatnik (right in picture) Maynard G. Krebs. 

1983 KHQ-TV Q-6 Nightly News Open with ID

If you lived in Eastern Washington in the early 80s and you turned on the evening news, chances are, you would see this crew.

Watch President Biden’s Full Jan. 6 Anniversary Speech

This has been called President Biden's best speech.  Biden commemorates January 6th, 2021.

Snow Slowly Melting In Maple Valley

The Belmont Woods stormwater fills as rising temperatures and rain is melting the snow that has had a stranglehold on the Puget Sound area since the day after Christmas.

High Ranking Kent Police Official Asked By Mayor To Resign Over Nazi Symbol

Dana Ralph, the mayor of Kent, a nearby Seattle suburb, has announced that she has asked for the resignation of assistant chief of police Derek Kammerzell after he posted what is reported to be a Nazi Symbol over his name on his office door (pictured above).  At the time it happened, police chief Rafael Padilla suspended Kammerzell for two weeks without pay.  In addition, it was reported that Kammerzell had made jokes about the Holocaust, was reported to even grow a Hitler mustache.  

The fact that someone with those beliefs would be allowed to serve on a police force let alone, be an assistant chief has rightfully angered many advocacy groups as well as most of the community. 

Last year, it was discovered that a Walla Walla policeman had a tattoo that resembled an SS symbol. In that incident, the officer said it was the insignia of a sniper squad that he had been a part of in the service and the tattoo was to honor a fallen colleague.

At a time when we depend so much on our police force for our safety and there have been so many infractions that have come to light, we better accountability from men in blue.  

Hazardous Driving Conditions

Roads were deceptively slick last night as this vehicle landed on its top, westbound on Northeast 8th Street in the Crossroads area of Bellevue, a couple blocks from our store. Luckily, the fire station was nearby.  

Winter driving conditions remain in the area.

Stan Barer Recognized By The Times

At the end of every year, The Seattle Times does a review of deaths of celebrities, local leaders, and other newsmakers during that year. 

I was pleasantly surprised and honored to see that my cousin Stan Barer made the list.

Stan is noted for his contributions in writing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when he worked on the staff of Senator Warren Magnuson and also for his contributions to helping reopen trade between the US and China.

Stan passed away on December 13th after a long battle with cancer.

Remembering Betty White - Dead at 99, Rest in Peace

You Tube TV Historian Dave Sundstrom gives his feelings on the passing of Betty White.

Happy New Year!!

Have a wonderful New Year!