Cursing a death, celebrating a life

When news of a celebrity’s passing hits the news, there are different reactions. Hearing about Philip Seymour's instantaneous death, aged 46, on Super Bowl Sunday was certainly a shocker. And, given what we have found out about his demons, and probable cause of death, one can't help but think, what a waste of wonderful talent.

And that is not even taking into consideration three kids now have no father. This is bad enough, but they will go the rest of their lives knowing their dad died alone, in a bathroom, with a needle sticking in his arm.

I have no idea what can cause such anguish in anyone's life, especially one with as much success as Hoffman. I can't think of anyone else versatile and talented enough to have portrayed Oakland Athletic manager Art Howe (in “Moneyball”), Willy Loman (in a recent Broadway revival of “Death of a Salesman”) and Truman Capote. He deservedly won an Oscar for that latter role.

Yet, even with all that, the need for heroin was so strong, it apparently took over. He's not alone, of course. Smack has made a most unwelcome re-occurrence as the drug of choice for many over the past few years. Plus there appears to be a lethal batch making the rounds lately, some of which seems to have found its way to Hoffman's Greenwich Village apartment.

And, it's because of this all anyone seems to be focusing on how he died, instead of the successes of his career. Coverage has centered on his addiction, his rehab stint and his funeral. Whereas if he had died a natural death, at more advanced age, we would have instead been treated to tributes to a great acting career.

Yet, still, I'll say it again: what a waste.

Then came news a few days later of Ralph Kiner's death at age 91. And, what a wonderful 91 years it was. He was much more than a man who had a celebrated hall of fame baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates (and actually played a year with the Albany Senators, too, prior to going into the service.)

He is still the only player ever to lead his league in homers for seven consecutive years. Sixty years after playing his last game in Pittsburgh, Ralph continued to be an amazingly popular figure in the Steel City. As a lifelong Pirate fan, I this week treasured my 1953 Topps Kiner baseball card even more so than usual.

And, while he may not have actually ever said, “Home run hitters drive Cadillacs, singles hitters drive Fords,” it was always attributed to him. And, in his case, he got even more than luxury cars, as he dated several of Hollywood's finest, including Janet Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor.

Chicks dig the long ball, eh?

For most, this would have been a full life. Yet it was after all of this, when he perhaps became best known, because of his 50 years as a New York Mets broadcaster. In his early years, he was a solid play-by-play man, and also host of the popular “Kiner's Korner” post game show. In later years, even last summer, he told wonderful baseball tales from the booth.

And, as a result, almost every story which came out in the aftermath of his passing made one smile, if not laugh. A celebration of life, not a cursing over cause of death.

There were his malapropisms of course; what else would you expect from someone who worked with Casey Stengel?

He once, on Father's Day, wished all the dads in Shea Stadium a very “Happy Birthday.” Mets catcher Gary Carter became Gary Cooper, despite the fact the former had never appeared in “High Noon” nor played Lou Gehrig on film. Broadcast partner Tim McCarver became Tim MacArthur. Tim, to his credit, didn't miss a beat saying, “MacArthur once said, 'I shall return, and so will we, after this commercial.'”

There were the memorable quotes, such as “All of his saves have come in relief appearances,” “If Casey Stengel were alive today, he'd be spinning in his grave,” and “Solo homers usually come with no one on base.”

Who can argue with that?

My favorite, though occurred in a spring training game in 1993 between the Mets and Yankees. If you've ever been to one of those pre-season games, you know there are several substitutions made, and quite often the player coming in is some scrub who will never make it the big leagues. As such, keeping track of it in your scorecard can be almost impossible.

Sure enough, in this case, Ralph had no idea who the Yanks' new center fielder was. He looked at the scoreboard, and he was in luck though. It said, “John Fogerty, Center Field”

Ralph dutifully reported the change, blissfully unaware that the scoreboard announcement was merely noting which song had won the fan voting contest as to what music would be played the next inning, not who was in the 8 spot for the Yanks.

Wonder what he would have said if “Proud Mary” had been selected?

Rest easy, Ralph, or as you might have said, Happy Birthday.

Here comes Saratoga's casino

When the New York State casino gambling amendment passed last November, the next natural question was where would the casinos be located. Perhaps an even more natural question was will Saratoga Springs be home to one of those four upstate casinos?

This was on the heels of Saratoga Race Course celebrating its 150th anniversary last year. Is there enough gambling money to support both the track and a casino?

There is, of course, casino history in Saratoga as well. About the same time the Race Course was being built, one of its founders, John Morrisey also built the Saratoga Clubhouse in Congress Park. “Clubhouse” was Saratogian for “Casino.” A few years later Richard Canfield bought the place. The joint survived, successfully, as a gambling house into the early years of the 20^th Century, until the anti-gambling establishment forced the closing of several casinos, and, clubhouses too.

Sad, because Canfield Casino is a beautiful building. However these days it's used for events. The only gamble I ever had there was actually going to my high school prom when it was held there, but that's a story for another day.

One of the many reasons the anti-gambling folks came about in the first place is the seediness which came about as a result. Casino gambling is often not looked at as “acceptable” as its horse racing counterpart. The latter is the sport of kings. Casinos have a reputation for attracting people less likely to be in the Social Register.

Perhaps this is a bit unfair. There are very few places left where people flock to see the thoroughbreds as they do at the Spa. The New York Racing Association (when they are not raising all race track prices so they can give themselves hefty raises) I am sure would love to add even more days in Saratoga, at the expense of the tracks at Belmont and Aqueduct.

Businesses in Saratoga and beyond would not mind this a bit. They have long reaped the benefits of the successes of the Track. It's no secret prices skyrocket in late July and into August, especially in local hotels. Which is fine; this is how capitalism works.

Yet many of these same business owners are petrified at the thought of casinos coming in.

A group, Saratogians Against Vegas-style Expansion (SAVE), has been formed. They have signs are all over the city. Their website gives many compelling reasons to keep a casino out of Saratoga.

They are not alone in their feelings. Last fall almost 60% of voters in the town said no to the statewide casino amendment. And, let's not kid ourselves: while Governor Cuomo says right-wingers “have no place in the state of New York”, he feels casinos are more than welcome. And, now there are rumblings he might do his best to force them upon communities, even those who don't want them.

The state touts that the tax benefits will (allegedly) help lessen our school and property tax burden.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway would of course be the place which makes the most sense. It has already been expanded once, and, to these eyes, anyways, successfully. Prior to the racino makeover, what was once Saratoga Harness had fallen almost off the map. People rarely went there anymore, and about the only time it was in the news was when there were allegations of race fixing.

The only big crowds they drew were for outdoor concerts. I remember attending the Lollapalooza concert (Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Breeders and L7) there in 1994. I doubt many of the huge crowd there ever once watched the trotters and pacers race there, or anywhere else for that matter.

Ironically enough, when huge shows such as Lollapalooza or SPAC concerts hit town, the local businesses thrive. However these same business owners are concerned the casinos will create an unfair playing field.

As anyone who has visited Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe or Atlantic City can attest, there are several side benefits, especially to the gambling addict. These include comped rooms at hotels and free drinks to those playing the tables or sitting at the machines. These are amenities private businesses can't offer.

The folks at SAVE are also concerned for the local business owners, and for the character of the city.

Would a casino change the flavor of downtown Saratoga? Of course it would. But, many argue, such a change is already underway. Over the past ten years national chains such as the GAP and Eddie Bauer have crept into the Broadway landscape. Even more recently, condo upon condo has been built downtown.

But, when all is said and done, I don't think anyone would argue a casino would do well in Saratoga. And, given the governor's history, if he wants it here, it will happen. Doesn't mean we will all benefit if it does, though.

Don't be surprised at all if Saratoga's welcome signs are amended soon to read "Health, History, Horses & High rollers." Whether we want it or not.

"Til next time, keep on smiling.

A tale of two theaters

Our story centers around two movie houses. Both have seen their ups and downs. One is back up, and the other, alas, may be down for good.

First up, is Albany's Madison Theatre, which opened in 1929. At that time, and well into the 1980's it had one massive screen. During the six years I lived in Albany, it was my favorite spot to see a picture, because of its size. I have never been a fan of the multiplexes, and during that era (late '80's) the mall theaters were at their worst. Small screens, poor customer service and uncomfortable seats. The Madison was easily the better choice, plus you could buy candy at the nearby CVS and sneak it in.

Movies are meant to be seen as large as possible. I have fond memories of seeing bigger than life flicks such as “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” at the Madison. I own both on DVD, but every time I pop them in, even with a 42 inch screen, all I can think of is what they looked like at the Madison. Characters like Jessica Rabbit deserve to be seen to their, uhm, fullest.

Then, due to economics, the theater slowly had to make changes, none of which really made things better. The biggest change was dividing the place to make more screens. Several smaller screens may bring in more money, but it doesn't make the viewing experience better. But, if that's what it takes to keep a neighborhood movie house open, I am all for it.

Yet, despite all of that, the Madison was closed for some time. Until last Friday, that is, when it reopened to great fanfare.

It will not be what it once was, though. They will not show first-run movies. Or even second run. Actually, it's even better. Classic films will be shown on the big screen. Paul Newman flicks will highlight the first week, including “The Sting”, which is the #2 Best Movie Of All Time (well, according to me, anyways. “The Godfather” is #1, natch.)

Nice, eh? I can't wait to head over there, and pay my $5(!) to see some of these. I miss going there. I haven't seen “The Sting” on a big screen since it was released in 1973.

Now, on to movie house #2, Ballston Spa's Capitol Theatre.

I did not move to New York until 1975, so I missed out on ever experiencing what the Capitol had to offer, as it closed in 1970 (it opened in 1922.)

As many know, it was located above what is now O'Brien's Pharmacy on Front Street. The theater doors remain, and have been guarded by a locked chain forever.

Since I wasn't there, for more historical perspective on The Capitol, I turned to one of my favorites, former longtime Ballston Journal publisher CH Grose, (who, BTW, is long-since retired, and living in Iowa.)

Here's CH's narrative on The Capitol:

The theater closed, like many others, because people started staying home to watch television. They had a fixed format. Sunday and Monday showed the best movie of the week. Tuesday and Wednesday there was often a double feature showing "B" movies.

Thursday and Friday they showed the second best picture of the week. Saturdays had a double feature, one of which was a western. In between the two films was a serial movie which went on for several weeks, often a western also. As you can imagine the Saturday matinee crowd was most often made up of young men.

Just inside the doors on the right was the ticket booth, then you had a long climb up the steps to the viewing area. During the depression years they had all kinds of promotions like free dishes. It wasn't air conditioned. On hot days they opened a door that opened to a fire escape to let in some cooler air.

Oh, and one final note from CH: “The theater was certainly not handicapped accessible.”

And, this probably is one of the biggest obstacle to the Capitol being re-opened for the foreseeable future. It is not equipped to meet modern standards for such venues.

A year or so ago, an ambitious group of locals started a group called the Capitol Theatre Project. They are a non-profit, “created with the intent to renovate and reopen” the theater.

Project President & CEO Charon Hogan told me this week her group has seen what's inside. “Structurally, it's sound, and the seats are there,” she said. “However, the screen is gone.”

So, perhaps, is their dream.

Last week on their Facebook page, they posted the sad news that their goal of reestablishing the Capitol in its original location is probably not going to be achieved. The owner of the building does want it to happen, and so it won't. Not there anyways.

This is not to say people won't go to downtowns to see a movie. Much to my surprise, Schenectady's Bow Tie Movieland has proven to be a success over the past few years. And Bow Tie just recently opened up a similar shop in Saratoga Springs.

Yeah, I know, these are cities. But, village one-screen theaters can still work, too, even in this area. The venerable Scotia Cinema has been around forever, showing second run films. If you can wait a few weeks after a movie's premier, this is the place for you (with a balcony!) Think it doesn't work? Just try getting close to the place on a weekend night.

So, would a re-opened Capitol Theatre be a hit in Ballston Spa? The Capitol Theatre Project folks are not giving up. Hogan told me this week they are looking elsewhere in the village.

“I hope we can at least get it going in another nearby location,” she said. “It would be such a great thing for the community.”

'Til next time, keep on smiling.

Community mourns as Burnt Hills Lanes burns

When I moved to the 518 area in the middle of 7^th grade, my very first class as a student at the Burnt Hills Junior High was at Burnt Hills Lanes. I'm thinking, this is cool. A new school and we study at a bowling alley. A few years later when I was in the high school, we even got to walk over there during the school program. Can't imagine the school district would still allow students to walk across that busy street these days.

At any rate, it was those memories of school days gone by which immediately came to mind when I heard this morning Burnt Hills Lanes had caught fire. The fire started a little after midnight, and, according to witnesses, within about 30 minutes was a total loss, having burned to the ground.

There is a Facebook page devoted to Burnt Hills memories, and several commented on the exact same memory of heading over there during phys ed class.

And, as was the case for every successful bowling alley, there were leagues; similarly, those formerly involved in league play there also chimed on those fond memories.

The place was established in 1959 and renovated recently, making it even more a community gathering spot, more of a recreation center for all ages.

I probably shouldn't say this, but one other memory I have of the place was of me and a few high school buddies (who shall remain nameless) sneaking some beers in there. 

Now, this wonderful place is gone. (Thanks to Ken Rohling for the gigapan photo link.)

In a school district such as Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake there are not many places in which a community can come together. This is partially due to the set up of the district, which is made up of four municipalities, Charlton, East Glenville, and of course the eponymous villages of Burnt Hills and Ballston Lake.

And, even within those four places, there isn't a classic downtown in the bunch. Route 50 dominates the district, from Ballston Spa in the north, and Scotia at the southern most tip. And it is a road best traveled by motor vehicle, not afoot. As such, it is the lucky few spots which become popular gathering spots. Burnt Hills Lanes more than qualified as such a spot.

As someone growing up in the district during the late 1970's, there were but a few hangouts. And, while nothing lasts forever of course, it seems more and more of these places are gone. This starts right at the heart of the business district, at Lakehill Road and Route 50, where the much missed Olde Homestead (nee Country Kitchen) used to set up shop. It was one of those places, as Yogi Berra used to say, “Nobody goes there because it's always so crowded.”

Yet, despite the always packed house, it was mismanaged, closed, and then incredibly reduced to rubble. The vacant lot stands out like a sore thumb as thousands drive past it daily.

Another favorite was Poor John's. For years the landmark at Route 50 and Hetcheltown Road became a favorite gathering spot for everything from watching the NFL on Sunday, to slow dancing on weekend nights. Now it sadly sits vacant.

In reality, about the only continuous spot where this wonderful community can still regularly congregate is at sporting events at the nearby high school. 

Which brings us back to Burnt Hills Lanes. As I write this, there still is literally smoke coming from the ashes. So, obviously it is way too soon to know what will become of the place. My guess (and hope) is out of these ashes, the bowling alley will be rebuilt, better than it was before. This is what happened just a couple of miles west of there a few years ago when the Charlton Tavern suffered a similarly tragic fire. Now the place, all new, but retaining the spirit and colonial decor of its past, is there once again for the community to gather around.

I truly hope I can write those exact same words in the near future about Burnt Hills Lanes.

Christmas Music

Many, myself included, gripe about the way too early start to the Christmas holiday shopping season. It seems as though the moment Linus wakes up in pumpkin patch on November 1^st (with the Great Pumpkin once again stiffing him) the holiday advertisements begin.

What also starts just as early now-a-days is the 24 hour non-stop holiday music on some radio stations. For whatever reason, as much as I hate the November start to the shopping season, I enjoy the music aspect. Others must as well, because the stations wouldn't be playing it this soon unless their research showed dopes like me are listening to it.

Time was there was one radio station here in the 518 switching to the all holiday format, then another followed. I would program both of them into the car radio dial. And, thanks to the wonders of XM radio, I have even more choices.

XM has seven, count 'em seven, different stations in the all-holiday format, ranging from pops, holiday traditions, current pop, soul, Latin and Hanukkah. As for this blogger, I have the two local stations programmed, along with XM's traditions and pop. I could do more, but as it is now, going back an forth between the four may cause a traffic accident.

As for the non driving periods, I have 26 Christmas CD's, and another holiday 325 songs on my iPod. Some are as old as Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby, and some as recent as this week's iTunes purchase of Kelly Clarkson's new release.

With this background, I though it would be a good time to take a look at the list of Top Ten best holiday songs ever, which I first put together in my newspaper column last year. There have been some revisions, corrections, etc.

Let me start off by saying there will be no barking dogs, braying Italian donkeys or annoying singing chipmunks here. Nor any lisping kids with missing choppers.

Ditto for “White Christmas” (although we will see Bing later on) and “The Christmas Song” (chestnuts roasting on an open fire). To me, they are the holiday equivalent of “Free Bird” and “Stairway to Heaven”, that is to say, they have been way too overplayed.

With that bit of blasphemy out of the way, let's get to the list.

I will start with an honorable mention. Anything Brian Setzer has done on his many Christmas CD's is worthy of this or any other list. Two of the best are his versions of "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "O Holy Night." Both have been recorded scores of times of course, but these stand out. In "Baby," Ann-Margaret duets with him, and sounds just bad-girlish enough for the song. As for "O Holy Night", well, for a man known for his guitar playing, just listen to this vocal. 

Now, on to the Top 10:

10) “The Hanukkah Song”, Adam Sandler. Any song which can include The Fonz, The Three Stooges, and Mr. Spock, while taking a shot at O.J. Simpson has to be included. Plus, Sandler plays a nifty guitar while managing to come up with an amazing number of words to rhyme with “Hanukkah.”

9) “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, Bruce Springsteen. The Boss' live take on this classic borrows from the Phil Spector/Crystal's arrangement, but gets the nod here because of the blistering Clarence Clemons saxophone solo. And, like the Hanukkah Song, it is a live recording.

8) “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, Judy Garland. Garland introduced this sad Christmas tune in 1944's MGM flick Meet Me In St. Louis. Her expressive voice is perfect for the song's melancholy subject matter. The song has been recorded countless times (I have ten versions on my iPod), and had some lyric changes (Frank Sinatra found the “until then we'll have to muddle through somehow” line depressing, and asked lyricist Hugh Martin to change it, hence the “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.”) Plus, it was played in The Godfather, which is reason enough to include it here.

7) “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”, Darlene Love. Love quite simply lays down one of the most powerful vocals ever recorded here, backed with Spector's Wall Of Sound arrangement. First released in 1963, Love still performs the song on David Letterman's show every year, and has lost nothing off her fastball.

6) “Santa Baby”, Eartha Kitt. This ode to selfish Christmas materiality is given a wonderfully naughty take by Kitt. I always imagined her in her Catwoman costume waiting for the big guy in red come down the chimney. This version blows away the dopey Madonna cover which was needlessly recorded years later.

5) “Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy”, Bing Crosby & David Bowie. Told you I'd get Der Bingle on the list. I have always loved this medley, which makes the seemingly mismatched pairing of two icons from completely different eras work. I remember watching when they performed this on Bing's 1977 TV special, which was aired a few weeks after his death.

4) “Little Saint Nick”, Beach Boys. Released during the height of the 'Boys' 1964 popularity, this is really nothing but one of their car songs given a holiday slant with sleigh bells. Which means a tasty Brian Wilson arrangement, nasally Mike Love vocal, and flawless harmonies. Why should Santa settle for a sleigh, when he can get the job done much faster with a little bobsled we call the ol' Saint Nick?

3) “Santa Claus Is Back In Town”, Elvis Presley. When the King released his first Christmas LP in 1957, all the controversy centered on his version of “White Christmas.” Which makes it quite ironic no one seemed to have issue with this song with a winking obvious double meaning about what looks to quite a special visit between Santa and his hostess.

2) “Christmas Time Is Here”, Schroeder. OK, not actually Schroeder, but his stand in, Vince Guaraldi. No list of holiday classics is complete without something from the A Charlie Brown Christmas. Guaraldi's sparse jazz arrangements perfectly fit the mood of the anti-commercial holiday spin Good Ol' Chuck displays during the show. If you think I should have included “Linus and Lucy”, “Christmas Time Is Here” or “What Child Is This” from the same album instead, well, I have no argument.

1) “Sleigh Ride”. Leroy Anderson's composition about a snowy trip is the greatest holiday song ever written. Only problem is figuring whose version is best. The original recording from the Boston Pops is classic, as is the composer's own version, but are they better than Johnny Mathis' jazzy reading? Or the Ronette's ring-a-ling-a-ling ding-dong-ding take? And was Ella Fitzgerald's vocal better than Karen Carpenter's? Plus, especially in the wake of his recent death, how can we forget Andy Williams? Actually, when it comes to this great tune, there are no losers. It'll nearly be like a picture print by Currier & Ives.

Drue gets sentenced, NYRA gets richer, Underwood gets panned

Item: Dennis Drue Sentenced

23 year old Dennis Drue was sentenced last week, and will spend his next 5 to 15 years in prison for his role in the horrific accident which killed Shenendehowa High School students Chris Stewart and Deanna Rivers last year.

Drue, had previously admitted his guilt to all 58 counts with which he was charged, which I found surprising considering he had uber-lawyer Steve Coffey as his attorney. Then I started to read about some of the evidence Saratoga County DA Jim Murphy had ready to use had it gone to trial. Such as a blood alcohol level in excess of .08, along with with witnesses ready to testify they saw Drue getting hammered that night, prior to getting into the car. Plus his speed of 81 mph at impact. Plus evidence of Drue being allegedly stoned that night. Plus evidence of text messages from Drue while he was driving, which would indicate he was on his way to score some more pot when he took the lives of these two teens.

All this from a man who had manged to have 22 (22!) prior traffic offenses, and have his driver's license suspended 5 (5!) previous times. So, considering Drue is 23 years of age, it means he has done all this in about seven years. Why the hell was he even allowed to drive before the tragedy last December? Why?

The victims' survivors, along with Murphy appear to be quite pissed at the term of Drue's sentence, feeling it should be greater. I can't pretend to know how the survivors feel; hopefully this gives them a bit of closure since at least the man is now in jail. I will say the fact Drue will not be behind the wheel for awhile makes me feel safer.

Item: Furor Over Sound of Music

One never knows what will cause twitter to explode. Not sure what it says about our current culture, but this week the inspiration of such an explosion came courtesy of NBC's live broadcast of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Sound of Music.

Actually the backlash started long before the broadcast itself. Several, including descendants of the Von Trapp family expressed outrage over the casting of Carrie Underwood as Maria. With that bit of advanced panning, there is no way Underwood would come out ahead.

Why for so many was it just short of blasphemy to have anyone else but Julie Andrews as Maria? True, Andrews' performance in the 1965 film version is one of the all-time greats, but she didn't even originate the role. That distinction goes to Mary Martin, who was in the original cast when the stage version premiered in 1959.

Which leads to another thing people were bitching about during Thursday night's airing, namely how it did not synchronize exactly with the movie. Memo to you turked-off tweeters, who want to know the reason why "My Favorite Things" was sung in the abbey, and not in the Von Trapp house during the storm. It's because that's how it is in the stage version, that's why. And, this was a stage show.

Final thoughts. Was Underwood's performance the best Maria ever? No; Julie Andrews does not have to worry about her place in history. But I don't think Mary Martin rolled over in her grave, either. This young lady can sing, and has the guts to give it a go live. Which compared to what happened in another live NBC event a few years ago, namely Ashlee Simpson's pathetic lip synching to the wrong damn song on Saturday Night Live (and even more pathetic excuse for it at the end of the show), well...

Item: Race Track Fees To Rise

The New York Racing Association continues to make news, and alas, once again they don't look very good in the process. Firstly, they decided to raise the prices of everything at the Saratoga Race Course, such as grandstand admission, clubhouse admission, box seats,and parking. They will probably charge me a fee to rent the air into which I blow my cigar smoke in the picnic area, too.

Now, NYRA told us the reason for the fee hike, is to make them more financially sound. Sounds good on the surface, I guess. But, what they didn't tell us is they are also giving some pretty hefty salary hikes to its top executives as well. Oops, that was the part they left out of the press release.

NYRA has been an embarrassment for some time now, what with mishandled finances, etc. But, more locally, they continue to have no idea as to how to run their best asset, namely the 150 year old track at the Spa. There has been an ever so gradual decline there over the past few years, and this is without the threat of casino gambling providing competition in the near future. No matter, because right now, NYRA is providing plenty of competition all by their lonesome.

'Til next time, keep smiling.

Giving Thanks?

Thanksgiving Day means many things to many people. My first memories are of sitting in the back seat of my parents' station wagon (in the very, very back, in those funky pop up seats, well out of reach from my parents) and driving across Ohio on our way to my grandparents' house in Detroit. Not exactly over the river and through the woods, although given the condition of the Ohio Turnpike back then, it was probably preferable.

Detroit has a couple of neat traditions of which I remember fondly. One is the Hudson's Department Store Parade. It has actually been around for as long as the Macy's Parade (1924) in New York. And, in those days, the networks televised a bunch of parades on television, including Hudson's and those in Philadelphia and Hawaii.

Then, of course there is the matter of the Detroit Lions hosting an NFL game on Thanksgiving, something it first started doing in 1934. Other teams, most notably Dallas, have done so, but when you think of football on Turkey Day, you think of the Lions.

It's because of fond memories such as these, Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. It has that Norman Rockwell feel to it, doesn't it?

And, like most holidays, its origins are not set in concrete. While that certain Puritan/Pilgrim harvest fest held in Plymouth, Massachusetts does seem to have occurred, there are many who don't think it is a simple as that. Even the date is a bit murky; some say 1621, others a few years later, and there is even a school of thought it was 10 years later in Boston. Hell, some even place the holiday's origins back to England. Considering that's where the Pilgrims were running from to begin with, well, there is a bit of irony there now isn't there?

There is likewise some debate over which American president to give credit for the traditional Thursday observance. In 1789 George Washington issued a proclamation for a day of public Thanksgiving. A proclamation, by the way which is top heavy with religious references.

Then, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln, opined it should be the final Thursday of November. Quite a while later, in 1941, Franklin Roosevelt, always looking for a way to make a name for himself, changed it to the fourth Thursday, and there we are.

My ample research on this topic showed no one was willing to take credit for being the first business to think being open on Thanksgiving Day would be a good idea. However those clever folks at the first turkey dinner in Massachusetts must have known something; the Bay State has Blue Laws which prohibit many stores from being open on legal holidays. Found within the papers of the pilgrims was a statement from 1621 saying, "There is no way in Hell any of us would be caught dead in Walmart on Thanksgiving Day; or any other day for that matter." Well put, eh?

Although many people agree with me about Thanksgiving being their favorite holiday, it, alas does not get the same respect in popular culture as Christmas, or even Halloween for that matter.

I mentioned above the ol' “Over the River” song. And, well, that's about it, except for Adam Sandler, bless his heart, with his “Thanksgiving Song.” This, though is compared to about 100,000 Christmas songs, which now start to receive airplay right after Halloween, totally bypassing Thanksgiving. Not fair.

About the only other tune associated with my favorite holiday is "Alice's Restaurant," and that is really a protest song against Viet Nam and some inept Berkshire County cops and judges. Again, unfair.

Further, there are countless Christmas television specials each year; not so much for Thanksgiving. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a modern classic, but does anyone really talk about “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”? Not only is it behind “It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, but I would argue even “It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” is more popular.

Shows such as “Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer” and “Frosty The Snowman” are rerun each year, as is “The Grinch.” Can you think of any such Thanksgiving special? I seem to remember in the 1970's one from “The Walton's” ran for a few years, but even in that the most memorable scene was John-Boy getting beaned by a plank flying off his father's table saw. What's so Thanksgiving about that?!

But, from a television standpoint, what Thanksgiving does have is quite possibly the funniest half hour ever broadcast. In 1978, “WKRP In Cincinnati” aired its “Turkey's Away” episode, in which radio station owner Mr. Carlson decided to do a turkey giveaway. From a helicopter hovering above the Queen City. When I watched it upon its initial broadcast, I doubled over in laughter at its brilliance, as the fowls were hitting the pavement, with stellar play-by-play from Les Nessman. Whenever I have viewed it since then, I have laughed more.

So, there. We Thanksgiving lovers at least have that. Because, to quote Mr. Carlson, “as God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

'Til next time, keep on smiling.