Good Grief! Charlie Brown Turns 60

On October 2, 1950, cartoonist Charles Schulz introduced a cartoon character that would forever become part of American popular culture. It was on this date that Peanuts,featuring

Charlie Brown,Lucy,Linus,Sally,Peppermint Patty,Schroder,Snoopy,Woodstock,and the rest of the Peanuts gang debuted in newspapers across America.

In 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" debuted as the first animated Peanuts TV special. This was followed by the debut of the Halloween special "It's The Great Pumpkin,Charlie Brown" in 1966 and "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" in 1973. Other holiday specials for Easter,New Year's,and Valentine's Day have followed. The Christmas special remains critically acclaimed and won the prestigious Peabody Award. One of the animated specials won an Emmy Award.

Charlie Brown and his Peanuts pals have always been a big part of my life and millions of lives around the world. Peanuts makes insightful observations about life from a child's point of view. No adults ever appeared in the comic strips. Only one animated special that I know about has adults shown at all. Most of the specials have adult voices muffled.

The success of "Peanuts" has led to full-length animated feature films and a Broadway musical, "You're A Good Man,Charlie Brown". The music from the cartoons, composed by Vince Guaraldi and performed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, is enormously popular, especially from the Christmas special.

Charles Schulz died in 2000 after he specifically requested that "Peanuts" would no longer have first-run strips after his death. Yet, ten years after Mr.Schulz's death, his old Peanuts strips are rerun in newspapers every day and the animated specials are as popular as ever.

Happy 60th Anniversary,Charlie Brown. Thanks for being a part of my life and so many other lives.

Honorary mention goes to another favorite comic strip of mine, "Blondie",which turned 80 this year. Chic Young began drawing and syndicating "Blondie" in 1930. Chic Young died in 1973 and his son Dean took over as cartoonist. "Blondie" is as entertaining and popular as ever. Blondie has made its mark on American popular culture as well, popularizing a sandwich known as "The Dagwood", named after the huge,stacked sandwiches made by Dagwood in the Blondie comic strip. It is so refreshing that in a day and age of raw sex,gruesome violence,and hard profanity in movies,on TV,and elsewhere,that wholesome havens such as "Peanuts","Blondie",and "Snuffy Smith" remain intact.

Blondie was made into live action movies starring Penny Singleton as Blondie and Arthur Lake as Dagwood. It was also a TV sitcom in the 1950s and again in the 1960s,with an animated TV special in 1989,featuring the voice of Loni Anderson as Blondie. In 1991,after 61 years as a housewife, Blondie began her own catering business. Blondie and Dagwood have two children, son Alexander and daughter Cookie. Happy 80th Anniversary, Blondie,Dagwood,and the rest.

Happy 50th Anniversary,My Three Sons

September 29th is the 50th anniversary of the debut of one of the longest running and most beloved situation comedies in television history.

On September 29, 1960, "My Three Sons" debuted on ABC,starring Fred MacMurray as widower Steve Douglas,his three sons, Mike (Tim Considine),Robbie (Don Grady), and Chip (Stanley Livingston). Steve's father-in-law Michael Francis "Bub" O'Casey (played by William Frawley,who played Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy") helped Steve take care of his sons and keep house.

"My Three Sons" was one of the first sitcoms showing a widowed or single parent. The Douglas household could be chaotic at times but Steve and Bub or Uncle Charley managed to keep the family intact, often with heartwarming episodes that attracted millions of TV watchers.

As with any long-running series, "My Three Sons" endured its share of changes through the years. In the fall of 1963, Barry Livingston (Stanley's brother) debuted as Chip's friend and neighbor Ernie Thompson. After Mike married his sweetheart Sally Ann Morrison (Meredith MacRae) and moved away in the fall of 1965 on the first CBS and color episode, Ernie's foster parents were transferred overseas but were not allowed to take Ernie with them,so Steve adopted the orphaned Ernie,keeping the "three sons" intact after Tim Considine left the series.

In 1964, William Frawley left the series because of declining health and Bub's brother Charley O'Casey,or Uncle Charley,played by veteran character actor William Demarest, took over in Bub's role. Uncle Charley was probably best described by Steve Douglas as a "crusty character with a heart of gold". Uncle Charley had a crusty disposition that hid a soft heart.

The Douglas family lived in a medium sized midwestern city during the show's first seven seasons. In the fall of 1967, Steve took a job in Los Angeles and moved his family there. The adjustment to life in California was not easy at first but the family soon took to their new home and the move was ultimately a good thing,with Robbie meeting and eventually marrying Katie Miller (Tina Cole),another student at the college he attended. In the fall of 1968, Katie found out she was pregnant and eventually gave birth to triplets,three sons of course. In the opening episodes of the 1969-70 season, Steve met one of Ernie's substitute teachers,Barbara Harper (Beverly Garland),and their relationship blossomed into marriage. Steve adopted Barbara's daughter,Dodie (Dawn Lyn). In the fall of 1970,Chip eloped with his college girlfriend Polly Williams (Ronne Troup). In the fall of 1971, Fred MacMurray appeared in a dual role,as Steve Douglas of course,and as a cousin and Scottish nobleman,Fergus MacBain Douglas. Fergus found love with waitress Terri Dowling (Anne Francis). The couple married and Fergus returned to Scotland with his bride.

By the final season, Don Grady had left the show on the premise of Robbie having accepted a job assignment in South America. Katie and the triplets moved back in with Steve and the rest of the family. Katie often wrote letters to Robbie detailing the most recent family happenings. In 1972, "My Three Sons" ended its network run but went into syndication,where the reruns became a huge hit. There have been DVD releases of the series but they only cover the first few seasons. We should lobby for the release of all 12 seasons on DVD and Blu-Ray.

The gentleness,warmth,and love of "My Three Sons" is needed now more than ever,with shows that have grown coarse and vulgar. "My Three Sons" reaffirms the spiritual, family,and human values that bring out the good side of humanity. Congratulations,My Three Sons,on your 50th anniversary. Long live this great and wonderful show.

As a post script,I want to wish "The Flintstones" a happy 50th anniversary as well. Fred,Wilma,Barney,Betty,and the rest also made their debut on ABC on September 30, 1960. Happy 50th anniversary to everybody in Bedrock.

NASCAR: Sealing Its Own Demise

The hypocrisy coming from NASCAR is obvious. It showed even more today with the race win at Dover International Speedway in Delaware by four-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. What makes it hypocritical is that the #48 Hendrick Motorsports team has been guilty of cheating to win races for years and has used some of the same practices and procedures for which Clint Bowyer and his #33 Richard Childress Racing team were recently penalized by NASCAR.

The #48 team has been penalized on rare occasions,but NASCAR has used kid gloves on the #48 team,compared with the harsh penalties they administered the #33 team. Many fans suspect that the #48 team still cheats but NASCAR lets them get away with it. Many fans and even some drivers believe that NASCAR throws phantom "debris cautions" for the #48 team's benefit if they have lost the race lead or are about to go or have gone a lap down. Denny Hamlin was penalized by NASCAR for merely speaking his mind about this. If what Hamlin said is false,why would NASCAR be so defensive and issue Hamlin a harsh fine? That makes most NASCAR fans justifiably even more suspicious.

If NASCAR is looking for answers as to why race attendance is down and TV ratings have declined,it should be obvious why. It is because of the blatant cheating by the #48 team,the equally blatant favoritism shown by NASCAR toward that team,along with the obvious hypocrisy of those who run NASCAR. Fans know something is wrong and are expressing their displeasure by cancelling their season tickets and tuning their TVs away from races that are increasingly predictable and boring.

NASCAR pretends to understand and says they are listening, but it is obvious they do not understand,or perhaps choose not to,and they are certainly not listening. NASCAR gives us more of the same boring rubbish every week. Most fans have had enough. Many fans are leaving NASCAR. NASCAR better be paying attention and act quickly to repair its reputation before it is too late. If Jimmie Johnson wins a fifth consecutive championship,there will be even more vacant seats at races,TV ratings will further decline,and NASCAR as we know it will come even closer to ceasing its existence.

Bring back real racing (the 1979 Daytona 500 comes to mind),drivers who can actually race for wins again,instead of playing follow the leader,which is what NASCAR racing has become in recent years,especially since the so-called Car Of Tomorrow (COT) was introduced. Let drivers have it out with bare knuckles and show emotion again instead of being corporate robots and politically correct pretty boys. Somebody wisely stated that NASCAR races are now nothing but corporate board meetings at 200 MPH every Sunday.

The sad part of all this is that NASCAR is so wrapped up in its own greed and political correctness that it will likely never have old school racing again. This is how NASCAR is sealing its own demise.

Rest In Peace,Beau

It is said that dogs are humanity's best friend. This was certainly true about my dog Beau. Beau passed away quietly at home today after having a tumor on his liver. Beau was our 11-year-old Welsh Corgi and Golden Retriever mix. He was the most loyal companion a person could have. He loved us with all his heart and we loved him just as much.

We adopted Beau in 2000 from our local animal shelter. He was lively and energetic and took to us immediately and the feeling was mutual. He was especially attached to my father and clung to him almost constantly. My Dad passed away in July of this year. Perhaps Beau could sense the loss and wanted to be with my Dad again. In late August, our vet diagnosed Beau with a tumor on his liver. Beau lost a great deal of weight and energy. It was heartbreaking watching that happen to him. Beau was a fighter and fought bravely to the end. Even today,he was still trying to muster enough strength to stand up. At least we can take comfort knowing that Beau's suffering is over and that he is reunited with my Dad in a much better place.

Thank you,Beau,for all the joy and companionship you gave us through the years. Enjoy your new Heavenly home. God bless you,my beloved friend.

Never Forget

December 7, 1941

November 22, 1963

September 11, 2001

Anybody old enough to remember those historic and tragic days in American history remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing on those days. My parents lived through the attack on Pearl Harbor,the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,and the terrorist attacks on our nation. I lived through 9/11 like most living Americans.

The significance of those dates are significant in that we learn from the things that caused those tragic events and do everything possible to make sure they never happen again.

Keep the families of those who perished in the horrendous attacks on our nation on September 11, 2001, in your prayers and thoughts. Let us remember that we must not rest until the threat of terrorism has been wiped off the face of the earth.

Let us remember those in uniform who defend our freedom. God bless them. God bless America.

NASCAR- Laying Down The Law Or Censoring Free Speech?

It came out earlier this week that NASCAR had penalized two drivers for allegedly making disparaging remarks about NASCAR. Their names were not known until sources revealed the drivers were Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman.

Hamlin was fined for commenting about a caution during a race. Newman was fined for allegedly making derogatory remarks about NASCAR after the spring Talladega race. I thought we had something called the First Amendment to the Constitution that gives all Americans the right to freedom of speech. NASCAR drivers (and everybody else) should be able to speak their minds without intimidation or fear of reprisals. This is political correctness run amok.

I know there is one school of thought that says NASCAR was just doing what any company would do if their employees openly criticized it. That sounds good on the surface but it should be noted that Hamlin and Newman are not NASCAR employees. Hamlin is employed by Joe Gibbs Racing, Newman by Stewart/Haas Racing. It is true that NASCAR is a sanctioning body and there are some things NASCAR should be allowed to regulate,such as a code of conduct,on-track behavior,etc,but whether or not drivers should be penalized for simply stating opinions is ridiculous. If drivers were employees of NASCAR itself,I would understand,as employee loyalty is important with any company but drivers are team employees,they do not work for NASCAR directly.

Some argue that Major League Baseball,the NBA,and the NFL do the same with their athletes. In the spirit of consistency,it should be said they are just as guilty as NASCAR.

Certainly NASCAR is big enough to take some criticism. It would not hurt NASCAR to listen to the fans and the drivers once in a while. I have no idea how it hurts NASCAR. NASCAR has been suffering from declining race attendance and sagging TV ratings. Those things started happening before the recession. NASCAR is clearly at fault for its own troubles, not fans or drivers. The economy is likely a factor but to a lesser extent because these problems plagued NASCAR before the recession began. The recession has added to NASCAR's difficulties but is not the cause of them.

Earlier this year, NASCAR announced they were going to let drivers police themselves, yet NASCAR wants to regulate what drivers say. NASCAR cannot have it both ways. If drivers are allowed to police themselves on the track, they should be allowed to speak their minds as well. There is such a thing as constructive criticism. NASCAR would do well listening.

NASCAR dishes it out so they should take it as well.

Congratulations,Jamie McMurray

Jamie McMurray is one of my favorite NASCAR drivers. I was so happy for Jamie when he won the Allstate 400 At The Brickyard,one of NASCAR's most prestigious races along with the Daytona 500. McMurray is only the third driver to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard in the same year. Congratulations,Jamie,on a win well-deserved.

Again,congratulations to Jamie on winning the race. Also,congratulations to Jamie and his wife Christy,who are expecting their first child in December. Driver Ryan Newman and his wife Krissie are expecting also,along with Sam Hornish Jr and his wife Crystal. Congratulations to all new and expectant parents.