Children’s Shows – A Part of My Childhood

If I remember correctly, we got our first television in 1956; I say this because the first thing I can remember watching were stories about the Republican and Democratic conventions which nominated Eisenhower and Stevenson that year. Joe 1955

Children’s Shows

The second thing I remember watching was Skipper Frank (Frank Herman) in the afternoon. He showed cartoons; I loved cartoons (and still do). Mom “hated” him and his “that there” expression. I remember Tom Hatten and Popeye, Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) and Mr. Green Jeans (Hugh Brannum), Bozo the Clown, Chucko the Birthday Clown (Charles Runyon), and Engineer Bill – Red Light, Green Light – (William Stulla). And, of course, “Sherriff” John Rovick.

My favorite cartoons, however, were from the Crusader Rabbit series. As I look back on them now, they seem rather simplistic in the light of today’s computer animation. But in the 1950s they were a blast. I would often ride my bike to a friend’s house several blocks away to play, read comic books, dig in his backyard and watch Crusader Rabbit and his companion Ragland T. (The) Tiger do battle with Dudley Nightshade. Oh, what fun.

Joe_@_Holy_AngelsI am reminded of this because the L.A. Times this morning ran an obituary article on Lucille Bliss. I’d never seen her name before but she was the voice of Crusader Rabbit in his first series. (I can still recall the Rajah of Rinsewater; what a hoot.) Another part of my childhood gone.

John Rovick died last month and Bill Stulla and Charles Runyon back in 2008. They are gone but not forgotten; I and, hopefully, many others still remember them with fondness. Some ancient Greeks subscribed to the notion that the only immortality for humanity was in the living memory of those who came after them. In my mind’s eye Engineer Bill is running his trains, Sheriff John is putting another candle on my birthday cake and Crusader and Rags are off on another adventure.

11.16.2012

Ties – Affectation to Set an Example

Grinch, Santa, Halloween, Penguin tiesDuring my last decade or so of classroom teaching, I wore a long-sleeved shirt and tie almost every day. Much of that time I was the only male teacher on campus to do so. I taught History and Computer classes, not wood- and metalshop as I had earlier in my career, and did not worry about getting dirty or getting caught up in machinery.

Ties

My dad wore a tie, most of my male teachers in high school and college wore ties, so I wore one too. If you expect to be paid and treated like a professional, you should dress like one.

Simpson, Presidents, Candy & Crayola tiesBut ties don’t have to be the boring, formal ties you see on politicians and lawyers. There is a lot of room for imagination and tweaking your nose at the system. A lot of “character” ties exist and now you can design your own and have them economically produced online and by mail order.

When I retired I had a collection of several dozen such ties; enough of them that using only those ties one of my students in a year long class would only see it three times and a student in a trimester class would only see it once.

It was fun. Wear a Homer Simpson tie on test correction day. SpongeBob when you have an important and/or distinguished visitor on campus. And, at Christmas, to stay in character – Mr. Grinch.

Chili, SpongeBob SquareTie & Dodo Bird TiesI saw, and still see, too many men who look uncomfortable in ties. Their shirts are too small or, at least their collar size is too small. Always buy shirts with a collar size one-half inch too large. If you have a sixteen inch neck, buy a shirt with a sixteen and one-half inch neck. You’ll always be comfortable wearing a tie, and, if you gain a little weight, it’ll still fit.

Wear interesting ties, have fun and, if your boss suffers from the Alicia Silverstone disease (You did see the movie Clueless, didn’t you?), enjoy his, or her, handicap.

11.14.2012