www.eliotstein.com What ELIOT STEIN is Thinking Today: 02

FROM 1959--IT'S THE RICKY NELSON CUT-OUT PAPER DOLL BOOK!

FROM 1959--IT'S THE RICKY NELSON CUT-OUT PAPER DOLL BOOK!
PICTURE #1--THE COVER OF THE BOOK. RICKY HAS IMITATED BUDDY HOLLY BY PUTTING A LEATHER WRAP AROUND HIS GUITAR WITH HIS NAME ON IT. BUDDY ACTUALLY MADE HIS OWN. IN THIS CASE, MOM HARRIET MADE IT FOR HIM.
PICTURE #2--THESE ARE THE TWO RICKY DOLLS TO DRESS UP. RICKY MUST HAVE BEEN A VERY POPULAR YOUNG FELLOW AROUND HOLLYWOOD.
PICTURE #3--THESE ARE SOME CHOICES OF RICKY'S CLOTHING. THE JESTER--WHEN RICKY FORGOT HIS LINES OR MISSED HIS MARK, DAD OZZIE WOULD HAVE HIM PUT THIS ON AS PUNISHMENT.
PICTURE #4--RICKY GETS DRESSED UP FOR THE PROM WITH MARY LOU--OR WAS IT BETTY LOU--OR WAS IT CINDY LOU?

THE EARTH'S BIGGEST GROUP OF NARCISSISTS ARE UPSET

THE EARTH'S BIGGEST GROUP OF NARCISSISTS ARE UPSET THAT THE ONE DAY A YEAR THEY PRETEND IN FRONT OF THE WORLD TO BE DIGNIFIED CARING CITIZENS WAS RUINED--BEFORE THEY RETURN TO THEIR LIVES OF DEBAUCHERY, DRUGS, SEXUAL PERVERSIONS, FAMILY ABUSE, ALCOHOL, MENTAL ILLNESS, DEPRAVITY, IMMORALITY, DECADENCE, PROMISCUITY AND UNLAWFULNESS.

THIS WAS MY FAVORITE YEAR OF TOPPS BASEBALL CARDS--1962. SOMETHING ABOUT THE WOOD GRAIN BORDER REALLY MADE PLAYERS LOOK DISTINGUISHED.

STRANGE THINGS #4

STRANGE THINGS #4
I will be presenting a series of some odd, weird, bizarre, strange things that have happened in my life.
The summer after I had turned 13, I attended a 3-week camp in Wisconsin Dells. The majority of campers came from Chicago. But there was a whole group of girls--from Wilmette suburb, who had known each other since grade school. I got to know this group after a few days, and about a week later, it was lunch time. I headed towards the mess hall and saw this group together talking outside. Except for one very noticeable thing. One of their clique was about 6 feet away on the ground, crying her eyes out--and they didn't even notice or care. I walked over to the girls and quietly said--"What...uh... is going on over there?" The reply came from one of the girls. "Naomi has had dreams all of her life that always come true. Last night she dreamed that her dog died." And the girls went back to chatting as if nothing was unusual. I was standing there feeling totally creeped out. The statement was made in such a nonchalant way as if it was just an average event. Camp in 1966 was very different than now. There was no phone communications allowed between parents and campers. Campers were in the wilderness and the only thing allowed was letters from family and friends. Two days later Naomi received a letter from her parents that her dog had died.

FOR SOME REASON, I CAN IMAGINE JOHNNY CARSON DOING TRUMP SKETCHES

STRANGE THINGS #3

STRANGE THINGS #3
I will be presenting a series of some odd, weird, bizarre, strange things that have happened in my life.
In the mid-1980's, my company was dominating and was the sole supplier of showbiz content to all of the major online services. I was contacted by a company that wanted to take all of our information and turn it into audio features for a new nationwide phone service. They asked that I come down and meet with their exec and main technical person. After meeting with the exec, I spent 30 minutes with a very nice fellow who discussed all the technical ends with me for supplying them with audio features. He was about 5 years older than me and we got along very well. I can still picture him. It was a Friday late afternoon. We agreed to finish the discussion via phone on Monday--but he told me that he didn't know when he would be in. He was a scuba diving enthusiast and was right now running to the airport for a weekend scuba expedition in Florida but would be back sometimes on Monday. When we finished talking I said goodbye and then he said goodbye--but at that moment--a strong, disturbing feel of dread enveloped me physically--to the point that I had stopped smiling--and he noticed my sudden strange look and fear. I exited quickly because I had no explanation. On late Monday morning I called his office asking for him and was connected to an exec. "Eliot, I have some sad news." The man I had only known for 30 minutes had died in a scuba accident in Florida over the weekend.

DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!

STRANGE THINGS #2

STRANGE THINGS #2
I will be presenting a series of some odd, weird, bizarre, strange things that have happened in my life.
About 10 years ago, I found a VHS tape that had some cartoons called "Clutch Cargo." This was a very weird series that was shown on WGN in Chicago when I was a boy. The thing that made it so odd, was that although a cartoon, they had filmed actual human mouths moving and synchronized that into the frame. It looked really weird and awkward and we all used to make fun of it. After seeing it as a boy, I never saw or heard of Clutch again until I found this tape. This series never made it to TV again. A few days after finding the tape, I watched it one night and again enjoyed its strangeness. The very next evening, I went to hear a man speak who had worked in many presidential administrations and was now a writer and speaker. He was very interesting to listen to. My mind drifted for a second and I thought, "It sure was funny seeing Clutch Cargo after all this time,"...when THAT INSTANT...the man who was speaking said "There was a unique cartoon TV series back in the 60's called Clutch Cargo..." At that moment, I totally FREAKED. I could only think "What's going on here? Is this a dream?" and I had corresponding physical reactions to what just happened. The man went on to use the human mouths in the cartoon characters as a metaphor...but I was still shaken by the timing and coincidence of the situation.

STRANGE THINGS #1

STRANGE THINGS #1
I will be presenting a series of some odd, weird, bizarre, strange things that have happened in my life.
Sometimes in the 1990's, we got this exciting new TV package with zillions of stations. One night I went scrolling through them all for a few seconds each. I never watch football. No interest, ever. I came across some game that had not yet started. The announcers were talking and the camera was panning from one side of the field to the other. As it scrolled from right to left, I noticed the huge bank of lights and how bright they were. "I wonder what would happen if they suddenly blew out?" I asked myself. That second, there were sparks in the intense bank of lights and the entire grid went dark. I was stunned. The announcer reacted and said the game was going to be delayed now until they fix that--and I could not believe what just happened!