The Terrible Catsafterme

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After returning from the 1986 Valley Forge Sons of the Desert convention, I was highly motivated to get started on my own tent newsletter. Rick Greene had delivered a great seminar at the convention, showcasing how to go about creating fun and entertaining newsletters – bringing along examples of his own work. At the time he was the editor of the Intra-Tent Journal, and never after him did it achieve the level of greatness that he attained. My Dad was right there by my side to assist in the creation of our premiere issue. Carl Ahlm was the Grand Sheik of our Towed in a Hole Tent in Springfield, and he was delighted to have someone pitch in and take the newsletter off of his shoulders. Read the rest of this entry »

As a true Seinfeld buff, I relish the opportunity to meet anyone who has ever been associated with the show, no matter how small their roles may have been. The two guys here both had memorable roles of playing bosses to two of the major characters. Richard Herd (seen at right with Jason Alexander) played George’s immediate supervisor when he worked for the New York Yankees in 11 episodes of the show, including the finale. His roles go well beyond his stint on Seinfeld though, as he appeared on many TV shows such as M*A*S*H, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a major recurring role on T.J. Hooker. Film credits include All the Presidents Men, Private Benjamin, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Read the rest of this entry »

This was the third year in a row, following the great Christmas Day departure of 2008, that the Murphy Christmas gathering did not take place on the holiday itself. Whether I like it or not, this seems to be the wave of the future. So far the gathering has been pushed forward only a maximum of two days after the holiday, but I shudder to think what will happen when Christmas comes on an early weekday. But despite the non-holiday status of the gathering, these parties seem to be just as fun as they always have. This year my Mom hosted again (the first Christmas gathering she’s had since 2007) to a packed capacity house. This one came a little bit earlier than normal also. It began at 1pm, so folks who were going to work the next day would have time for the Sunday-evening-wind-down. Read the rest of this entry »

One of my favorite episodes of the classic sitcom Family Ties was the one when Alex’s friend Skippy comes to the realization that he was adopted. In an act of defiance, he inisists that everyone begin calling him by his birth name Baby Boy Doe. The actor who made numerous appearances as Skippy was Marc Price – and in essence, he stole almost every scene he was in. He didn’t do a whole lot on screen outside his role on Family Ties, but he did have the lead in the heavy metal thriller Trick or Treat starring Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne. Read the rest of this entry »