…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 42)

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Just as predicted, Jane Jetson has joined her husband George for a visit to Sun City Peachtree.  Although I didn’t see it in the vicinity, I’m sure they arrived by aerocar, as that is the standard transportation utilized by all humans in the next century.  Chances are that George was behind the wheel, because Jane is a horrible driver.

In addition to being the matriarch of The Jetsons and George’s dutiful wife, Jane heads up Skypad Apartments’ recycling company.  When she is not working, the ultimate space age housewife loves shopping for the latest and greatest high-tech household gadgets.  One of her favorites is the Food-a-Rac-a-Cycle she uses to make meatloaf, her specialty.

Jane is also a fashionista, and she loves shopping at Mooning Dales, her favorite store for the latest fashions.  That is probably where she bought her favorite purple dress with the white collar and light purple leggings that she always wears—an outfit that compliments her flaming-red hair quite nicely.

When she is not shopping for household gadgets or fashions, Jane can be found at the Galaxy Women Historical Society.  Once at home, though, Jane gives her full love, support, and attention to George and her two children, Judy and Elroy.

Just don’t make Jane angry, though.  George’s boss, Mr. Spacely, has gotten the wrath of Jane due to his mistreatment of George and the family.  On another occasion, her son Elroy didn’t win any smiles and hugs from Jane when he broke one of her favorite vases.  This was the dialog between Jane and George when he congratulated her for not getting mad immediately:

George: “And because you kept cool, you warmed his heart.”

Jane: “I’d prefer to warm his bottom.”

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 41)

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We’re going back to the future this holiday weekend with The Jetsons, an animated sitcom that’s as old as I am.  It was created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera of Hanna-Barbera Productions, and it ran for three seasons.  I remember my brother watching the repeats that appeared later on in the 1960’s, though.

The Jetsons were the opposite end of the timeline from The Flinstones, taking place one century into the future, whereas The Flinstones were from the Stone Age. 

Robots, aliens, holograms, and whimsical inventions were what The Jetson’s world was all about.  They even had a robot as a member of the family!  Her name was Rosie, and she assisted George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, and my favorite, Astro the dog. 

The family resided in Orbit City where all homes and businesses are raised high above the ground on adjustable columns.  They lived in the Skypad Apartments and got around town in an aerocar with a transparent bubble top.  The vehicle and their home were outfitted with all sorts of labor-saving devices, which occasionally broke down with humorous results.

Life was easy for George and his family.  He only worked for an hour a day, two days a week at Spacely Space Sprockets and was in charge of turning the Referential Universal Digital Indexer (R.U.D.I.) on and off.  Besides his dog, Astro, R.U.D.I. was George’s best friend.  Although it was a computer, it had a human personality and was a member of the Society for Preventing Cruelty to Humans.

Other than his bombastic boss, Cosmo Spacely, George didn’t have much to stress about at work, except for the company’s rival, Cogswell Cogs, which was run by Mr. Cogswell.

George Jetson, 40, was a loving family man and was married to Jane.  They had two children, Judy and Elroy.  (We’ll have to see if they make an appearance on the Sun City Peachtree bench.)

The interesting thing about The Jetsons was just how accurately it predicted the future.  Much of the technology in the 1960’s show is commonplace today.  People now communicate via video chat on flat screens; robots have taken over many jobs; push-button food provides fast and high-quality products such as Keurig coffee and upscale vending machine meals; and various high-tech devices are used for leisure (Apple Watch, Fitbit, cell phones, etc.)  Will aerocars be next in the real world?  We already have self-driving cars, an invention I hope never gets off the ground…

Stay tuned for the next painted rock adventure, and have a happy July 4th!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 40)

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Daffy Duck is back, and he brought along his rival and best pal Buggs Bunny this time!  The duck last visited our Sun City Peachtree bench on May 30th,

Now that you know quite a bit about Daffy, here’s the 4-1-1 on Buggs:

The carrot-chomping, white glove-wearing, gray and white rabbit is best known for his starring roles in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated short films, produced by Warner Bros.  His debut dates back to 1940 in director Tex Avery’s Oscar-nominated film A Wild Hare.  Mel Blanc was the rabbit’s voice until 1989.

The buck-toothed trickster has quite the flippant personality, and he really doesn’t much care about anything or anybody.  Buggs is best known for his catch phrase, “Eh…What’s up, doc?”  It is, of course, asked in his typically aloof manner. 

Buggs is the master of disguise and can wear any get-up to confuse his enemies.  He fooled Taz, Elmer Fudd, and Yosemite Sam with his sexy female bunny disguise; however, Daffy wasn’t fooled at all by his pal.

Once in a while Buggs will upstage Porky Pig who typically brings Warner Bros. cartoons to a close by bursting through a drum and stuttering, “Th-Th-Th-That’s all, folks!”  Buggs, instead, will burst through the drum, munch on his carrot, and say in his Bronx-Brooklyn accent, “And dat’s de end!”

Buggs Bunny has become so popular that he has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character.  He even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!  In addition, the flippant rabbit has appeared in comics, video games, award shows, amusement park rides, and commercials.  Warner Bros. made the bunny their mascot as a result of all that fame.

This is one of my favorite Buggs Bunny quotes: “Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive!”

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 39)

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It’s Maggie, sucking on her red pacifier and crawling her way across the grass to the Sun City Peachtree bench!  The Simpson family is now complete.

The one-year-old baby of the family can walk (sort of), but she keeps tripping over her onesie and falling on her face.

Maggie hasn’t yet learned to talk in complete sentences just yet, because she is, after all, only one year old.   She is known, however, for the sucking noise she makes with her pacifier (which are actually made by the show’s creator, Matt Groening!).

Although Maggie was more of a momma’s girl at the beginning of The Simpsons long-running series, she eventually became fiercely independent.  One time, she planned a Great Escape-style breakout from a daycare center to get all the babies’ pacifiers back, which were being held under lock and key.  (You go, girl!)

One time, when Homer tried to bond with Maggie, she tried to run away.  She loves her dad, though, because she once dragged Homer back to the shore when he got caught in a riptide.  SUPER-BABY! 

Another time, baby Maggie wasn’t as super to Homer.  When he was immobilized as a result of wearing a body cast, she spun him around like a bottle and took great joy in the endeavor!  On another occasion, she hit Homer on the head with a mallet.  Then, there was the time she shot a suction dart at his picture. There are plenty more examples of Maggie’s mean streak; so, it’s a good thing she has never grown up past a one-year-old, because she may end up in prison!

Maggie does have some positive traits, though.  Like her older sister Lisa, she is brilliant and plays saxophone—amazing for a one-year-old!  She is also quite mentally and physically agile for her age.  One time, Maggie crawled over town looking for her mom.  She also knows how to read and has tried communicating to Homer using her baby blocks.  (Unfortunately, the tot’s attempt failed, because Homer doesn’t know how to read.)

Albert Einstein would have been proud of the precocious baby, because she once spelled out E=MC2 (squared) with her blocks.

Maggie can also change her own diapers, drive her dad’s car, and use a fire extinguisher, which was once needed to extinguish burning curtains.  The toddler is a heck of an athlete, too!  She can skateboard and once bowled a perfect game!  That’s a lot of talent for a toddler!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 38)

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As soon as I heard that baritone saxophone, I knew it had to be Lisa Simpson joining Bart, Marge, and Homer over at the neighborhood bench.  Lisa may only be eight years old, but she can play a mean sax!  She is also good on electric bass and piano.  In addition, she has played some trumpet, accordion, violin, tuba, french horn, and has a powerful singing voice. 

It’s Lisa’s love of jazz that makes her my favorite of the Simpsons, because it’s a passion we share; however, we have some values in common as well.  We definitely lean the same way politically (liberal), and she is a big believer in science.  Although I am not a vegetarian like Lisa (I love seafood), her ethical beliefs are quite admirable—especially for a second-grader!  Lisa is a member of PETA and is also big on women’s rights.  She is also concerned with world affairs; and, in the 1990’s, she had an “End Apartheid” poster in her bedroom.  Good on her!

Lisa is a lot more intelligent and innovative than I ever was in the second grade (or ever), though.  As matter of fact, she has a genius IQ and is a member of Mensa in her town of Springfield.  (Thankfully, she got her smarts from her grandmother rather than Homer!)  Between her intelligence and musical talent, she is quite the child prodigy!  After all, how many infants do you know that can change their own diapers and solve mathematical equations as an infant?

Another thing Lisa is really good at (and I am not) is foreign language.  That girl can speak Italian fluently, and she also knows a bit of French, German, and Spanish.

When it comes to her home life, Lisa has a difficult relationship with her dad and brother—something I could relate to when looking back on my childhood!  She fights with her older brother just like I did when I was her age.  Lisa and Bart really go at it!  Still, though, her very first word was, “Bart!”  (Interestingly, the third thing she ever said was, “David Hasselhoff.”)

Lisa is fashionable, usually wearing her a short, strapless red dress with a zigzag hem, matching red Mary-Jane shoes, and a white pearl necklace that was given to her by her mom, Marge.  (When I was in the second grade, I HATED wearing dresses, and was known to pair a checkered shirt with striped pants, when I dressed myself.)

These are a few of my favorite quotes by Lisa Simpson:

“Dad!  The Second Amendment is just a remnant from the Revolutionary day.  It has no meaning today.”  (Amen to that.)

“Don’t you think we ought to attack the roots of our social problems instead of jamming people into overcrowded prisons?”

“I just think it’s a fantasy.  If you believe in angels, why not sea monsters, unicorns, or leprechauns?”

This nearly completes The Simpsons family.  Will Bart and Lisa’s baby sister be next?  Stay tuned to see if Maggie crawls her way to the bench!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 37)

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Bart Simpson cruised over on his skateboard, this morning, to join his parents on the Sun City Peachtree bench.  “Ay, Caramba!” he exclaimed, when he saw Marge and Homer kissing and holding hands.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Bart is Marge and Homer’s mischevious and rebellious son and older brother to Lisa and Maggie.  He is best known for constantly getting into trouble.  The Simpsons creator, Matt Groenig, must have been a trouble-maker himself, because Bart’s character is loosely based on him and his brother, Mark.

Before he even entered the world, Bart was making trouble.  When Marge was pregnant with Bart and had a sonogram, the not-yet-born baby mooned Dr. Hibbert!

Two years later, when Lisa was born, Bart got jealous of all the attention Lisa was getting, so he tried to draw attention to himself.  Bart couldn’t take it anymore, so he told Lisa he was going to run away.  Then, Lisa said her first word, “Bart!”  Bart heard Lisa and realized how much she loved him, so he decided he had to stay. 

Bart has ADHD and can be a terror at school.  His school grades fluctuate between a “D” and an “F”, because he does’t pay attention.  Bart is actually quite good at science, though, and he has street smarts.  When it comes to anything NOT school-related, he can be quite ingengious and a quick learner.

Unfortunately, though, Bart has a criminal record including indecent exposure, arson, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, underage drinking, vandalism, grand theft auto, and much more.  The list is long, much to Homer’s chagrin.

You can imagine what Homer thinks of all that trouble Bart gets into. Those two really go at it!  Marge is much more caring, understanding, and nurturing, even though she calls Bart “a handful” and is often embarrased by his antics.

When Bart’s not getting into mischevious, he is actually quite accomplished.  Not only does he perform as a drummer in a successful band and speak several languages, but he also won an award for his Angry Dad web series.  He even discovered a new comet that was named after him!  Bart is also quite the athlete, artist, and chef.

Although Bart gets into a lot of (serious!) trouble and can be shallow and selfish, he also exhibits many qualities of high integrity.  On a few occasions, Bart helped the love life of his school principal and his teacher, despite the fact he often terrorizes them.  He also befriends lesser known kids like Millhouse at the cost of peer popularity with the bullies.  The kid would also do anything for his favorite Krusty the Clown.  In one Season 4 episode, he exclaimed, “That’s not fair!  I’m ten times the Krusty fan you are.  I even have the Krusty Home Pregnancy test!”

Bart is an animal lover and becomes extremely attached to animals that fall under his care.  His dog, named Santa’s Little Helper is his best friend.

The girls seem to like Bart, too, as he has had 16 girlfriends throughout the 32 seasons of The Simpsons, even though he believes that girls have “cooties.”

When it comes to Bart’s gift of gab, not only can he attract the girls, but he also has a keen ability to manipulate and extort. 

On a lighter note, here are some of his his quotes:

“I’m Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?”

“Don’t have a cow, Man!”

“Eat my shorts!”

“I can’t promise I’ll try, but I’ll try to try.”

“But who’d want to hurt me?  I’m this century’s Dennis the Menace!”

To his little sister, Lisa:  “You got the brains and talent to go as far as you want, and when you do, I’ll be right there to borrow money.”

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 36)

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“D’oh!” exclaimed Homer Simpson, as he tripped over Marge to rest on the Sun City Peachtree bench.  In her squeaky voice, Marge cried out, “Homer?!”

Ahhh, yes, The Simpsons.  Just looking at them (the blue hair!) just makes you laugh!  Homer, Marge, and the rest of the Simpson characters have made television audiences laugh for the past 32 years on their own animated show on FOX—the longest-running prime-time sitcom in the US.  That’s following the cartoons debut as 60-second animated bumpers for The Tracey Ullman Show.  After two years, the shorts were expanded into a full-length 30-minute television spin-off by 20th Century Fox.

The irony of it is that The Simpsons has lasted this long on FOX, considering how conservative and right-wing the network’s owners and news programs have been over the years.  Watch one episode, and you’ll see what I mean.  The Simpsons isn’t just a kids’ cartoon.  This show has wickedly funny adult humor that is often political and blatantly knocks its own network.  Good on Matt Groenig, the creator of the series, and all of the writers over the years who haven’t held back from speaking truth.  One of those writers was Conan O’Brien, the comedian who just retired as talk show host of his late-night TV talk show.

The script writing of The Simpsons is the lure that hooks the most famous of celebrities to put voice to their animated selves or another character as guests on the show.  Several even wrote their own parts or an entire episode.  Ricky Gervais wrote the episode “Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife,” for example.  Actor Dustin Hoffman was credited as “Sam Etic” for the episode “Lisa’s Substitute.”

Other guest stars include Marcia Wallace (176 times!), Kirk Douglas, Michael Jackson, Kelsey Grammer, Phil Hartman (52 episodes), James Earl Jones, Glen Close, Donald Sutherland, Anne Hathaway, Peton Manning, Eli Manning, Danika Patrick, and many, many more.  As a matter of fact, the show was awarded the Guinness World Book of Records for “Most Guest Stars Featured in a TV Series.”  That was back in 2010, but as of May 23, 2020, there have been 905 guest stars on the show.

For those of you who have never watched The Simpsons, here’s the scoop:  The show is a satire of a dysfunctional but loving working-class family who live in the fictional town of Springfield.  Homer and Marge have three children:  Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.  The series lampoons many aspects of American culture, society, politics, and history. 

To put it bluntly, Homer is a buffoon.  He works as a safety director at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, except he is anything but safe!  Careless would describe him more accurately.  His wife, Marge, is a stereotypical American housewife.  Bart is a ten-year-old troublemaker, Lisa is precocious eight-year-old activist who plays a mean saxophone, and Maggie is a pacifier-sucking baby.

Although the series has been running for 32 years with 32 Christmas and other holiday celebrations, the characters are frozen in time, staying at the same ages they were in the first episode.

The best part about the show is the always-changing opening sequence, which has been a running joke of the series.  Prior to the shows transition to HD format, the three changing elements are a chalkboard gag, Lisa’s (awesome!) saxophone solo, and a couch gag.  The first one features Bart writing a different sentence repeatedly on a chalkboard at Springfield Elementary, and it ends with the family sitting on the living room couch accompanied by a visual joke.  In one episode the couch turned into a giant octopus and ate the entire family!  The HD format episodes also include many recurring characters and a billboard gag, which changes each episode.

Just to give you an idea of Homer’s character, the following are some of his quotes:

“To alcohol!  The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”

“Facts are meaningless.  You could use facts to prove anything that’s even remotely true.”  (Fox News and Tucker Carlson have taken that to heart…)

“Bart, with $10,000, we’d be millionaires!  We could buy all kinds of useful things like… love!”

“If something’s hard to do, then it’s not worth doing.”

“Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably.  The lesson is, never try.”

“All my life I’ve had one dream, to achieve my many goals.”

You gotta love that one!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 35)

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In search of her boyfriend Donald, Daisy Duck visited the Sun City Peachtree bench today!  She missed him by a couple of days, but they’ll catch up with each other soon, I’m sure.  After all, Donald is probably hanging out with the other four “Sensational Six” members:  Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto; and, she would want to miss out on all the action.  She loves being the center of attention, after all, and she gets plenty while starring in animations, merchandising, and theme parks.

Daisy is an interesting duck!  Although she often scolds Donald about his anger issues and hot temper, she has a bad temper as well.  Projecting??? 

Love is always in Daisy’s heart, though.  She loves and cares for Donald as his loyal girlfriend, and she just wants him to be the best duck he can be.  Even with all of his flaws, she has faith in Donald.

When it comes to herself, Daisy is a fashionista and loves to shop.  She’s quite the diva when she shows off her latest outfits (complete with sunglasses).  A typical fashion-forward outfit consists of a pink or purple blouse with puffed short sleeves and a V-neckine, in addition to a matching bow, heeled shoes, and a single bangle on her left wrist.  Daisy doesn’t typically wear pants; however, she can sometimes be seen wearing a skirt or longer dress to cover her tail feathers. 

The television series Quack Pack gave Daisy a more mature wardrobe and hairstyle, because she was cast as a television reporter.  In House of Mouse, she was issued a blue and purple employee uniform, with a blue bow and a long ponytail. 

Daisy’s uniform got tossed when she joined Mickey Mouse in his self-titled animated TV series.  She is back to wearing her trademark pink blouse with a matching bow.  White boots with pink daisy designs were added to complete the ensemble.

When it comes to her personality, Daisy can be a bit eccentric and overbearing to her friends.  She tends to get overly excited and talkative, so Minnie and the others tend to feel suffocated by her presence.

If the attention isn’t focused on her, Daisy gets envious of whoever is in the spotlight.  That happened when Minnie was the star in an ice-skating show.  Daisy just couldn’t keep her envy in check, and she sabotaged Minnie’s show!  Poor mouse; she thought Daisy was her best friend.  With friends like that, who needs enemies?

Daisy finally came to her senses, though, and realized their friendship was more important than being under the spotlight.  She apologized to Minnie for being so selfish, and admitted her shortcomings. 

Good on ya, Daisy Duck, for realizing that it’s not all about you!

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Yesterday’s rock didn’t inspire me to research and write a story; however, Pinocchio deserves to be shared as a random act if kindness:

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 34)

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It’s The Duck, Donald Duck!  Just looking at him makes me smile!  He looks so darn cute in his sailor outfit and bow tie!  (Have you noticed he wears a hat but NO PANTS???)  Love those tail feathers!

What I really love about Donald Fauntleroy Duck’s appearance is his big smile and even bigger yellow feet.  He is just so adorable!

About that personality, though.  He could reign in his hot temper a bit, don’t you think?  He is also quite the bully and humiliates others with his pranks.  Walt Disney said this about Donald: “One of the greatest satisfactions in our work here at the studio is the warm relationship that exists within our cartoon family.  Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, and the whole gang have always been a lot of fun to work with.  But like many large families, we have a problem child.  You’re right, it’s Donald Duck.”

Yeah, Donald isn’t perfect, that’s for sure.  He’s a bit mischievous and ends up making his own “bad luck.”  I guess that’s why we all could relate to him; we all see ourselves at one time or another in Donald Duck!

Donald may have a lot of negative traits, but at his core, Donald is a warm, lovable, friendly, and jovial character.  He is very loving to his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie; and, he treats them like his own children. 

The Duck isn’t as loving to Mickey Mouse, though.  He’s a bit jealous of the mouse’s popularity and leadership skills.  Their relationship is a complicated one, because of it.  Although they are rivals, they are generally good friends.

All that is Donald Duck—the good, the bad, and the ugly—is what made him famous enough to star in over 190 films, more than any other Disney character.  Some of his cartoons were even honored by the Academy Awards!  The Duck also earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, got his footprints cemented at the Chinese Theatre, and is the mascot for the University of Oregon’s sports teams, The Ducks. 

Actually, the list of his fame goes on and on.  There is Donald Duck Orange Juice, other Donald Duck products, and all sorts of commercials starring Donald Duck.  He even has his own hot air balloon.  These are some shots I took of it at the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, in the late 1980’s:

Did you know that Donald Duck recently celebrated his 87th birthday?  Yep!  His officially recognized birthday is June 9, 1934, the day his debut film, The Wise Little Hen, was released.

Donald may be getting up in years, but he’ll always be a youthful and lovable duck to me!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 33)

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By the time I returned from the pool, yesterday, the painted rock on our Sun City Peachtree bench had been snagged.  I’m guessing a grandmother (or grandfather) snatched it up for their grand kid.  Curious to know what I missed, I contacted the artist and learned it was Tinker Bell.  Thanks to the artist for e-mailing this photo:

Yay for Disney characters!  Growing up in Long Beach, California, Disneyland was a short distance away.  I have fond memories visiting there with my family, ride ticket books in hand.  My brother and I loved those “E” tickets, so we could bobsled our way around the Matterhorn and scream our lungs out.  Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, however, is one my best friend Laura and I laughed our way through the most.

Back to Tinker Bell, she became famous in the 1953 Disney film, Peter Pan, as Peter’s sidekick on his adventures.  She may appear as a delicate and sweet fairy, but this girl is a badass with some sass!  See, she wants Peter Pan all to herself, so when any other girl poses a threat (especially Wendy Darling), the claws come out, and her temper flares.  Her jealousy and spite get the best of her, I’m afraid.  (I remember girls just like her back in high school!)

Miss Bell is quite the narcissist, too, because she just LOVES admiring herself in the mirror!  She doesn’t like seeing her wide hips, though. 

“Tink” (or, “Miss Bell”), has some special powers.  She is equipped with Pixie Dust, which grants herself and others the ability to fly, so long as they think “wonderful thoughts.” 

Since Miss Bell can fly, she can visit (and admire) her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame any time she likes!  Perhaps she can bring her twin sister Periwinkle with her to admire it, too.

The flying fairy doesn’t talk—at least in a way us humans can understand.  Instead, she speaks in an unintelligible fairy language, and her vocalizations sound like a jingling bell to us.

Tinker Bell brings in the bucks for Disney as one of its most popular characters.  Realizing the gold mine they had with the pretty fairy, they gave her the ability to talk, so she could become a spokesperson for Walt Disney Company.  She eventually got her own franchise, Disney Fairies, which spun off a series of full-length feature films beginning with Tinker Bell, which made a mint in 2008.

For that matter, Tinker Bell is a cash cow (Sorry for the “cow” reference, Tink!) for Disney—just one of many characters that have made Walt Disney Company very profitable since the 1950’s!