People from around the world will tell you the English language is the hardest to learn and for a number of reasons, words spelled the same but pronounced different with different meanings for one or with things like we present here. Here are just a few things to ponder and wonder why?

If the #2 pencil is so popular why is it still #2?

Why do they put a round pizza in n a square box?

At a movie theater, which arm rest is yours?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

Why do people say “heads up” when you should duck?

Why are there no “B” batteries?

Why are you “in” a movie, but “on” TV?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Why do they call it a “yard sale”? Have you ever seen anyone buy the yard?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why do we park in driveways, but drive on parkways?

Why do you recite at a play but you play at a recital?

Why do slim chance and fat chance mean the same thing?

How do the “Do Not Walk on the Grass’ signs get there?

If there is a funeral at night do they drive with their lights off?

When it rains why don’t sheep shrink?

If they arrest a mime do they still have to tell him he has the right to remain silent?

 Does that screwdriver really belong to Phillip?

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

Do people in Australia call the rest of the world “up over”?

If blind people wear sunglasses, why don’t deaf people wear earmuffs?

Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Are right handed people allowed to live in Left Hand, West Virginia?

If a word in the dictionary was misspelled, how would we know?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Hope you had a good time and a few chuckles with these things to ponder. We’ll have more at another time. In the meantime, have a wonderful day folks!

This was from a Parade magazine list and has been updated through 2022. Of all the various lists, this was the closest to being the best. One important note.  The reason the #1 show has the least Emmy wins and noms is because the Emmys began as a local award in 1949. As TV grew, in 1951 it became a national award with only eight categories. From the late 50’s to today they have continued to add more and more categories. With the advent of cable, streaming, etc. it has also allowed for even more categories and productions to be included in the Emmy voting. As of 2022 these are the shows and numbers of noms and wins.

1.  I Love Lucy (1951-1957) 20 nominations; 4 wins

2. The Carol Burnett Show (1967–78) 70 nominations; 25 wins

3. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–77) 67 nominations; 29 wins

4. All in the Family (1971–79) 55 nominations; 22 wins

5. M*A*S*H (1972–83) 109 nominations; 14 wins

6. Saturday Night Live (1975– ) 306 nominations; 78 wins

7. Taxi (1978–83) 34 nominations; 18 wins

8. Hill Street Blues (1981–87)  98 nominations; 26 wins

9. Cheers (1982–1993) 117 nominations; 28 wins

10. The Simpsons (1989– ) 97 nominations; 35 wins

11. NYPD Blue (1993–2005) 84 nominations; 20 wins

12. Friends (1994–2004) 62 nominations; 6 wins

13. ER (1994–2009) 124 nominations; 23 wins

14. The West Wing (1999–2006) 95 nominations; 26 wins

15. The Sopranos (1999–2007) 112 nominations; 21 wins

16. 30 Rock (2006–13) 103 nominations; 16 wins

17. Mad Men (2007–15) 116 nominations; 16 wins

18. Modern Family (2009– ) 82 nominations; 22 wins

19. Game of Thrones (2011–2019) 161 nominations; 47 wins

20. Veep (2012–19) 68 nominations; 17 wins

Here is the link: https://parade.com/924232/maramovies/best-tv-shows-of-all-time/ This will give you a lot more information on each of the shows. I am sure we all have our own ideas but this list is pretty close to what our preferences would have been. We hope you enjoyed this, have a great week everyone.

From A to Z here are some interesting trivia facts about Hollywood, the movies, the actors, actresses, TV shows and more.

A – All in the Family – When the show was first put together Carroll O’Connor was not even thought of for the role of Archie Bunker, because he played tough guys in the movies. The original choice was Mickey Rooney, but he turned it down not wanting to portray a bigot and O’Connor wound up getting the role. Richard Dreyfuss had been considered for the role of “Meathead” before Rob Reiner..

B – Lucille Ball – First, that was her real birth name. She was a brunette but when technicolor came in she dyed her hair red so it would look better. She starred in the hit radio show “My Favorite Husband” for CBS in 1948. She moved the show to television with the title “I Love Lucy” and became the first female to head a TV studio when she and husband Desi Arnaz formed Desilu Productions.

C – Casablanca – Thanks to Hollywood magic of various camera angles, chairs of different sizes and boxes out of camera range to stand on, the height difference between Bogart and Bergmann was well hidden. Bogart was only 5’ 9 while Bergmann was almost 6 foot tall.

D – Walt Disney – When Disney was an aspiring artist and cartoonist he was trying to come up with a fun character. From the time he was a child he had a fear of mice. Disney thought if he did one as a cartoon he would get over his fear. It was all because of that the iconic Mickey Mouse was born.

E –  Buddy Ebsen – He was originally going to be the Tin Man in  the “Wizard of Oz”. The aluminum dust used in the makeup caused a severe allergic reaction. Ebsen was hospitalized and Jack Haley took the part. Ebsen would recover and years later starred in the “Beverly Hillbillies” TV show.

F – Forrest Gump –  Before Tom Hanks took the role of Forrest Gump it was offered to John Travolta who turned it down. The role of Jenny, Forrest’s girlfriend was offered to, and turned down by, Jodie Foster, Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman before Robin Wright got the part.

G – Godfather, The – When Francis Ford Coppola was casting the film he wanted Marlon Brando for the Don Corleone role, but Paramount wanted Ernest Borgnine. Paramount also had Danny Thomas in line for the role. Coppola insisted on Brando and the studio agreed only if he would work for less money and sign a bond in case of any troubles because Brando was known to be difficult. Danny Thomas?!?!

H – Rita Hayworth – One of Hollywood’s most glamorous actresses, she was the #2 pinup of soldiers in WW II behind Betty Grable. She was also the first actress, not Grace Kelly, to become a Princess when she married Prince Aly Khan in 1949. She was also the first celebrity to champion the cause for Alzheimer’s disease from which she died in 1987.

I – Irene Ryan – Everyone associates Ms. Ryan with her iconic role as Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies. However, not only was she a very good actress, but she was also a gifted singer and performer on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award in 1973 for her starring role in the musical “Pippin”.

J – Jaws – There were three mechanical sharks used in the film and all of them malfunctioned many times causing big delays in filming. There was one for shots on the left, one for camera shots on the right and one for full length shots. The cost to create and build all three was $225,000, which is about $1.2 million today.

K – Nicole Kidman – The tall (5’ 11”) Australian actress was born in Hawaii but raised in Sydney. She made her acting debut at 16 in Australia. Her American debut was in 1990 with future husband Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder. Since then she has done every type film drama, comedy, musical and is the first Australian actress to win an Oscar.

L – Love Story – This film has become one of the most revered in Hollywood history. There is a scene in the beginning of the film where Oliver’s roommates razz him about his new girlfriend. One of these poker playing loudmouths in this scene was played by an unknown young actor who would go on to become an Oscar winning star. His name is Tommy Lee Jones.

 M – Steve McQueen – Most everyone knows that McQueen did his own driving stunts in his movies, but he was also the inventor of the bucket seat. The seats in the cars he drove in movie scenes were very uncomfortable, so he designed and invented the bucket seat and the rest, as they say, is history.

N –NYPD Blue – One of the most popular TV shows of the 1990’s. The exterior of the fictional 15th Precinct station on NYPD Blue is the same building that was used as the station house on Kojak. In reality, it was the NYPD’s 9th Precinct, on E 5th St. Also many of the street sets used in the show and shot on the 20^th Century back lot were built for the 1960s Barbra Streisand musical Hello, Dolly.

O – Ryan O’ Neal – The actor is the father of actress Tatum O’Neal. Before acting he was a Golden Gloves boxer for a couple of years and wound up with an 18-4 record. He worked as a stuntman on the TV show “Tales of the Vikings” but his breakout came in the TV soap opera Peyton Place. His film debut was in 1970 playing Oliver in “Love Story.

P – Psycho – This movie is one of the classic Alfred Hitchcock films of all time With the film shot entirely in black and white the special effects people had to come up with some clever ideas to replace color. After trying a few things they came up with the idea of using chocolate syrup for the blood in the famous shower scene with Janet Leigh.

Q – Quincy M.E. – He was played by Jack Klugman, later “The Odd Couple” and during the entire run of the show Quincy’s first name is never mentioned. Even in the final season when he gets married there is still no mention of a first name. All the viewers heard was the minister saying, “Do you, Quincy, take this woman . . .”

R – Jane Russell – The busty, statuesque brunette became a star with the controversial Howard Hughes movie “The Outlaw” and then later “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” with Marilyn Monroe and other hit films. Prior to becoming an actress Ms. Russell was a singer with the big band of Kay Kyser. Future TV host Mike Douglas also sang with the Kyser band

S – Star Trek – In the original TV pilot Majel Barrett, who would later marry creator Gene Roddenberry, was Kirk’s First Officer, but a woman in the role did not play well. Once the series was a regular on the network and cast changes were made, Barrett appeared in many episodes as nurse Christine Chapel who had a romantic interest in Mr. Spock.

T – Three Stooges – One of the greatest comic trios of all time, Moe. Larry and Curly began in different paths. Moe was an accomplished Shakespearean actor, Larry was a trained classical violinist and pianist and Curly was an accomplished dancer before they all joined together to form the Stooges and make millions for Columbia Pictures, of which they saw very little in return..

U – Untouchables, The – Director Brian de Palma talked to actor Bob Hoskins to play Al Capone in the film because Robert De Niro wasn’t sure he wanted to do it. Hoskins said yes, but when De Niro finally said yes, the studio paid Hoskins $15,000 for his time. The critics, especially Roger Ebert, were not kind to De Niro in their reviews of his Capone portrayal in the movie.

V – Dick Van Dyke – He and his first wife, Margie Willett, married on-air courtesy of the radio show Bride and Groom, which paid for the rings, honeymoon and household appliances. While he starred on Broadway in “Bye Bye Birdie” the producers of a new TV show had narrowed the choice down to Van Dyke and Johnny Carson, Van Dyke won and the “Dick Van Dyke Show” sitcom was born.

W – Wizard of Oz – The film came out in 1939 and was actually a flop at the box office. 35 years later, in 1974 Judy Garland’s daughter Liza Minelli married Jack Haley Jr., the son of of Jack Haley who played the Tin Man opposite Judy in the “Wizard of Oz”. The couple divorced in 1979.

X – X- Files – When the show first aired it was predicted to last less than six episodes. Of course it went on to becoming a sci-fi hit. Gillian Anderson as Scully, did a lot of scenes standing on a box because she was so much shorter (by7 inches that Mulder. Before David Duchovny got the Mulder role both Dean Cain and Lou Diamond Phillips were considered for the role.

Y – Young Frankenstein – One of the great Mel Brooks films of all time. Brooks located the original laboratory and electrical effects from the original Frankenstein and used them in his film. Marty Feldman, who played Igor, made the line “walk this way” so hilarious that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith wrote the song “Walk This Way” which became a rock classic.

Z – Zeppo Marx – He was one of the famous Marx brothers appearing in their stage, movie and vaudeville acts for many years. What is little known is Zeppo was also an inventor. Among his inventions that he obtained several patents for, was a wristwatch that monitored the pulse rate of cardiac patients and gave off an alarm if the heartbeat became irregular.

And there you have “Hollywood A – Z”.

Television has been around a lot longer than many people think, but it wasn’t until the mid/late 1940’s that it began to become part of the American household. From those early days of black and white 10” and 12” screens to the gigantic screens and TVs of today, the medium has had it share of firsts. So here are just some of those ‘firsts” in the world of television.

1930: First television drama – It was used in 1930 by the British Broadcasting Corporation for an experiment. Using only three characters and with a short length of half an hour, the experiment was considered a success, paving the way for future scripted television.

1936: First live sports broadcast – The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin was not only the first Olympic Games to be broadcast on television, but the first live televised sporting event in the world. More than 70 hours of coverage were broadcasted to special rooms throughout Berlin.

1941: First televised commercial – The Bulova Watch Company is responsible for the first television commercial, advertising their watches on July 1, 1941, the first day on which commercial advertising was allowed on television. The commercial cost between what was then $4 and $9 and touted the phrase “Bulova.”

1947: First televised children’s show – Not too many television shows can claim to be the first created for children, but some early innovators include puppet shows “Kukla, Fran and Ollie,” “Howdy Doody,” and “Captain Kangaroo.” These shows would feature friendly hosts, casts of colorful characters and props, making way for future shows such as “Sesame Street” and others.

1947: First evening news show – Airing on the DuMont Television Network, “The Walter Compton News” was thought to be the first evening news show broadcasted on television. The 15-minute newscast aired with minimal production from Washington DC.

1950: First cartoon on TV – While animated feature films were not unusual by the late 1930s and 1940s, it would take several years for a fully-fledged animated TV show to make it on air. “Crusader Rabbit” was the first of its kind, featuring an adventurous rabbit in several stories that satirized movie serials. One of the show’s producers, Jay Ward, would go on to create “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.”

1951: First talk show – Radio broadcaster Joe Franklin became the host of the first televised talk show, simply named “The Joe Franklin Show.” Lasting until 1993, the show is one of the longest uninterrupted runs, starting as a daytime talk show and moving to late-night.

1951: First show filmed for a live studio audience – “I Love Lucy” brought a number of famous TV firsts, among them the distinction of being the first show to be filmed in 35mm in front of a live studio audience. What made this show’s approach groundbreaking was the use of a multi-camera format, which became common use in the decades to follow.

1952: First early morning network news show – One of the longest-running television programs in history, now in its 68^th year, also serves as the first early morning network news show. “The Today Show,” began with host Dave Garroway, and today just known as “Today,” is still ongoing and remains one of the most-watched morning news shows.

1953: First pregnancy and birth storyline – When “I Love Lucy” star Lucille Ball became pregnant in real life, the trailblazing show that she headlined wrote it into the show’s storyline. Almost 72% of homes with television sets tuned in to watch the debut of baby “Little Ricky,” creating a major rating bonanza. With the word “pregnancy” still taboo on television, Lucy was referred to as “expecting.”

1956: First reality TV show – The public fascination with reality television and big prizes can likely be traced back to “Queen for a Day.” Originating as a radio program, “Queen for a Day” had the host, Jack Bailey, ask individual women about their financial hardships and struggles, gaining sympathy with the audience. The winner, based on applause, would be seated on a throne and awarded gifts.

1960: First televised presidential debate – Televised presidential debates are the norm  today, but it wasn’t standard until the 1960 election between Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. Television audiences who watched the Kennedy/Nixon debate recalled the confident and attractive Kennedy on the television screen while Nixon came across as nervous and sweaty. Conversely, listeners on the radio believed that Nixon won the debate

1960: First animated show for prime time – Televised animation was considered to be a kids only genre, but “The Flintstones” challenged preconceptions when it became the first animated show to hold a prime time slot. Produced by Hanna-Barbera, the show had a standard sitcom structure, while featuring the high-concept juxtaposition of modern everyday problems with a Stone Age setting.

This week’s “Shit We Should Know” is all about songs with a transportation theme. Unlike today with some of the crazy titles of songs, back in the day a lot of different themes were used, colors, flowers, numbers and more. One of them was modes of transportation that offered up a lot of classic tunes. Here are just twenty five of them you may remember and enjoyed.

Last Train to Clarksville – The Monkees

Magic Bus – The Who

Don’t Sleep in the Subway – Petula Clark

Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe – Johnny Mercer

Ferry Across the Mersey – Gerry and the Pacemakers

Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell

On the Good Ship Lollipop – Shirley Temple

Pink Cadillac – Bruce Springsteen

Sloop John B – The Beach Boys

Yellow Submarine – The Beatles

Leaving on a Jet Plane – Peter, Paul and Mary

Tijuana Taxi – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight and the Pips

Chattanooga Choo Choo – Glenn Miller Orchestra

Ship of Fools – The Doors

Bus Stop – The Hollies

Harleys in Hawaii – Katy Perry

Drive My Car – The Beatles

Take the “A” Train – Duke Ellington Orchestra

Marrakesh Express – Crosby, Stills & Nash

Black Limousine – Rolling Stones

Jet Airliner – Steve Miller Band

Magic Carpet Ride – Steppenwolf

Mystery Train – Elvis Presley

And of course we had to include this one………………

Bus Ride to Tampa Bay – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

These are just a few of the many transportation themed songs that are out there. Hope you enjoyed this and that some of these songs brought back some enjoyable memories.

This week’s “Shit We Should Know” is strictly for some laughs, giggles and chuckles. But it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if some guys or gals have actually said things like this. Here are just 20  of them  to be amused by. At a time when laughs and smiles are needed, we hope this helps. Please feel free to share this.

Will this take long? My favorite TV show comes on at 10.

Don’t be afraid my Doberman is really friendly.

Wow, and to think I was trying to pick up your girlfriend.

Don’t worry,  just think of it as swallowing soup.

Sorry about the name tag, but I’m terrible with names.

So how long before  ”I’m almost there” is there?

Did I tell you my Aunt Martha died in this bed last month?

Is that a Medic Alert pendant you’re wearing?

It’s nice to be in bed with a woman I don’t have to inflate.

Damn, you could do this for a living!

Don’t mess my hair, I just spent $100 getting it done today.

If I sprinkle it with water will it grow?

Uh, doing it doggy style doesn’t mean to bark like one.

I don’t care if it is good for my complexion, the answer is no!

On second thought, let’s turn off the lights.

But I thought you had the keys to the handcuffs?

No really…..I can do this part better by myself.

That leak better be from the waterbed!

Did you know the ceiling needs painting?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!

Have a wonderful, exciting and great day everyone.

With summer in full swing that means vacations to various places, the beach, the lake and food, food, food! It also means plenty of barbecues, grilling and outdoor eating in the summer warmth. So that begs the question what states eat the most hamburgers and hot dogs? You might be very surprised at the answers.

We came across this very interesting and informative article from 24/7Tempo.com and were quite surprised with what we found out about people’s love for these two staples of summertime eating. So check it out and see just who are the champions of these two truly all American feasts of deliciousness.

So which states eat the most of each?

It’s no secret that we love hot dogs and hamburgers in America. We eat an estimated billion dogs and 50 billion burgers annually. They’re enjoyed all year long, of course, but summer seems to be prime time for these all-American specialties.

On the Fourth of July alone, according to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, 150 million wieners get consumed — enough to stretch between L.A. and Washington D.C. more than five times. Nobody seems to track hamburger numbers for the holiday, but if we eat two-and-a-half times as many burgers as dogs overall, that could put the burger tally around 375 million on the Fourth.

It turns out, though, that not every part of the country enjoys hot dogs and hamburgers equally. That’s what 24/7 Tempo found out when we recently compiled data for U.S. hot dog and hamburger consumption by state.

When it comes to hot dogs, West Virginia out-eats the rest of the country by a wide margin, consuming 481 per capita every year. Having lived and worked there for several years I can believe that.

Second-place Illinois — home of Chicago, the city sometimes described as the hot dog capital of America — manages a mere 317.

Folks apparently just don’t care all that much for franks in Wyoming, however. They account for an annual average of only 149 each, putting them in last place on the dog-eating list.

Two states vie for first-place hamburger consumption — Oklahoma and Nevada, each managing 267 burgers per capita each year. Strangely enough, West Virginia, which eats the most dogs, also eats the fewest burgers, just 171.

Similar anomalies show up for other states. Pennsylvania, for instance, ranks third for hot dogs but seventh from the bottom for burgers. Delaware is 12th highest in dog-eating but fourth lowest for burgers. On the other hand, California, which ties with Texas for third most burgers consumed is 21st lowest on the hot dog chart. As for Florida, they are somewhere in the middle of the pack with both hot dogs and hamburgers.

As far as the favorite toppings for both hot dogs and hamburgers that deserves a whole feature by itself. The extras that people put on both are a far reaching assortment of many kinds of condiments and ideas, some of which make no sense, but hey, it’s their stomach! The one thing I will agree on 100% is…………ketchup belongs on a burger not a hot dog and mustard belongs on a hot dog not a burger. For me personally, on a burger I use ranch dressing rather than ketchup and on a hot dog, yep, always got to be French’s or Gulden’s mustard.

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On a closing note, as for #1 West Virginia if you travel through the state a MUST STOP is in Lesage, W, Va., a few miles outside Huntington, at Hillbilly Hot Dogs. They are without question the best anywhere on the planet. The place is a fun, eye opening collection of quirky “kitsch” down home charm that takes you back into another time and it even has a “Weddin’ Chapel”.  It has been featured in the past on the Food Network on several shows. We might do a story on this place in the future. It is truly an institution in hot dog land!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/tipsandtricks/these-states-eat-the-most-hot-dogs-and-hamburgers-in-america/ar-AADdUm6?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U506DHP for even more info.