Russell's iconic sign-off can be found by clicking here.
Included in the article was the picture above of Danny Murphy. Murphy was from a Walla Walla family, almost all were involved with radio, TV, and theatre. Danny would go on to KXLY TV in Spokane.
Danny was the host of the Wallaby show, a children''s program that had a kangaroo in a cage, something you would not see today, but I digress. We could watch the show, which featured children eating ice cream and such on cable in Walla Walla. We could also get the other two Spokane stations, KREM, and KHQ (Q-6).
My parents took my sister and I to Spokane one time, where I told them that I wanted to be on the show. My dad called up the station and was told it was too short of notice. Apparently, Danny Murphy, whom my parents knew from his Walla Walla days, overheard the receptionist saying "sorry, Mr Barer" or something along those lines. He was able to pull some strings to get my sister and I on the show.
For as long as my parents lived, they would never forget Danny Murphy's favor.
Sadly, Danny Murphy would die a few years later. He was just 42 at the time.
In a Seattle Times article, by Scott Hanson, Zhang has won so many tournaments, that she has lost count.
Zhang was interviewed by Seattle area podcaster Mitch Levy on the most recent Mitch Unfiltered, where she demonstrated an amazing amount of poise not typical of a teenager.
You can hear the interview with Angela by clicking here, then advancing to one hour and 10 minutes.
Malibu U was a summer replacement show the played in 1967. It was a crazy rock show, blending current bands with corny 1960s humor. It was hosted by TV icon Rick Nelson, at the time, a teen heartthrob and accomplished recording artist. In a nutshell, it was American Bandstand on the beach.
The show was set up in the most corny way as a college with acts billed as "visiting professors", commercials as "donors". Nelson was the "dean". As silly as the humor was, it was significant. My observation of the 60s, especially the mid 60s was that Rock And Roll and comedy went hand in hand with bands like the Beatles, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and the Turtles. As the 70s, approached, that aspect tended to disappear. Bands began to take themselves very seriously and in fact, with the Viet Nam war raging, started to project anger.
The show took place at Malibu, at the time, perhaps the country's most famous beach, located on the Los Angeles coastline. Many of the bands featured where from the Los Angeles area. In this clip, the Doors perform. While San Francisco, up north, was experiencing "The Summer Of Love", Malibu U, avoided politics, featuring bikinied beauties (probably today, grandmothers and great grandmothers) and surfers. At the time, I was turning 10 and was anxious to dial in to the teen culture.
Sponsors of the show were youth-oriented products like Clearasil. Clairol, and Pepsi. It was on Friday nights on ABC, the network that seemed the most dialed into the youth culture at the time. The network, after all, had American Bandstand, Gidget, That Girl, and the Mod Squad, today all legends.
To watch episodes, which may disappear eventually if copywrite infringement is found, can be watched by clicking here.
The Kraken lost 2-1 in the rubber game of this series. The Stars were definitely the favorites, so there was no shame in losing, just disappointment.
The Kraken, in only the second year of existence, not only made new fans here in the area, probably, around the country and beyond.
We will celebrate 28 years of marriage this summer.
The Issaquah Democrat has voiced some frustation with the direction that the state has taken. I've gotten to know Mullet during my days of being active with the 5th District Democrats.
Franz is expected to be joined in the race by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who has announced that he is forming an exploratory committee, which seems like a way of saying that an announcement of candidacy is forth coming. Franz will have the challenge of finding a way of stepping out of the shadow of the much higher profiled AG.
It had been announced that Blue passed away this past weekend (Saturday, May 6th,2023). Blue was on a team that won three world championships in a row, an amazing accomplishment for a relatively small market team that shared area with the San Francisco Giants, and was in a league with powerhouses New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles.
Blue would later pitch for the neighbor Giants and in the A's former home, Kansas City (by then, home of the Royals).
Blue was a 6 time all star, a Cy Young Award winner and an American League MVP. This article by Candace Buckner of the Washington Post, tells of how Blue was born too soon to cash in on his stardom, please click here
Jaynie recently sent this picture of Tory, working for KUJ, during a remote broadcast somewhere in Walla Walla. The period was probably the early to mid 1960s.
The only governor be elected three times previous to Inslee was Republican Dan Evans, who was first elected in 1964. Evans served until 1977. At that time, Washington was more of a swing state.
I talked to Inslee at Cousin Stan's celebration of life. I told him how I supported his measures to fight COVID, which began its outbreak here in the area. I said I knew that brought him a lot of criticism. He shrugged his critics off saying it "comes with the territory".
Previous to Inslee's election as governor, he served in the US House Of Representatives. For a more focused look at Inslee's political career, click here.
