Cartoons-Voices-Winnie the Pooh & Tigger Too!

Friday’s “Simon in the Morning” show featured an interview with Jim Cummings.  Mr. Cummings is the voice of both Winnie the Pooh and Tigger in the new movie, “Winnie the Pooh”. 

 When the interview was over, Scott, Jolynn and Jake were talking about cartoon voices they could do.  They also had listeners call in and do their best cartoon voices. 

At some point, one of the morning team mentioned something about the Muppets, and it gave me an idea.  I had this vision in my head of the “Simon in the Morning” team as cartoon characters; kind of like the Muppets. The idea stuck with me until I finally tried to create the characters. 

 While I was making each character, I was thinking what kind of background they had.  I decided the “Simon in the Morning” team do radio by morning and fight for justice at night.  I never fleshed out any real story line, just bits and pieces about the characters.  Somewhere along the line I added chipmunks also.  It’s because I thought of how Scott likes corn nuts, and how there are these chipmunks at Starvation Creek rest area in the gorge, (going east), that also love corn nuts. Following is what came to mind.

 Scott is the leader of the group; the one to hunt down trouble.  His only weakness is chipmunks.  The furry little creatures have an affinity for corn nuts, and we all know Scott does too.  When chipmunks see Scott, they come running, knowing they’ll find corn nuts.  This makes Scott laugh and laugh, rendering him weak and unable to work sometimes.  At the least, all the laughing makes his tummy hurt.

 Much like her day job, Jolynn covers all the details of any case the team is on.  She makes sure to get all the facts, and get them right, so inquiring listeners will have the full scoop of what’s going on in their fair city.  The only thing Jolynn doesn’t cover when on a case is the times chipmunks show up.  It was cute the first five or ten times; now it’s just routine.

 That leaves Earthquake Jake, a true defender of rules.  While Scott looks for trouble, Jake makes sure everything turns out the way it should at the end of the day, (or night as the case may be).  The only drawback to Jake’s job is when he has to bust his own team members.  A true stickler for rules, Jake has been known to call foul on anyone walking on a “don’t walk” light, even at 4 am, when there’s no one else around. The only thing Jake hasn’t been able to do is stop chipmunks from going after Scott.  He did try at first, with no luck; so he gave up.  Besides, the chipmunks are just so darned cute!

While I never got farther than brief little synopsis’ of the morning team, I did manage to create a cartoon character of each.  If only I could figure out how to animate them!  That’ll have to wait for another time though; too technical for me!

Paul Revere & the Raiders

As a little girl, the music I remember hearing the most at my house was country; Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, and many others.  My parents did listen to other types as well however.

The first music I remember asking to have was Paul Revere & the Raiders.  It was the summer of 1968, and a friend and I happened to see this show on TV one afternoon called “It’s Happening”.  The Raiders were the stars of the show and had different guests daily.  I loved the show, loved the music, and was instantly hooked, and have been ever since.

I never saw the Raiders when Mark Lindsay was the lead singer, though I’ve seen both Mark and the Raiders separately, several times.

It was Raider member, Freddy Weller, who kept my interest in country music, as he had a solo career in country, aside from being with the band.

When my friend and fellow Raider fan, Denise, her sister, Shauri, and I heard the Raiders were playing at Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, Oregon we HAD to go; especially since the band had recently gotten a new lead singer.

The 3+ hour trip was well worth it.  Not only did the Raiders do their hits, they did cover songs of other artists as well.  Of course, the show was filled with Paul’s comedy also, which is always fun.  You’d never know he turned 73 years old this past January.

Bass player, Ron Foos, guitar player, Doug Heath, and keyboardist, Danny Krause have all been a part of the Raiders for 30+ years.  All three are as great now, as they were all those years ago.

Drummer, Tommy Scheckel was with the Buckinghams for 27 years before joining the Raiders. To say the guy can play drums is an understatement; Tommy really gets into what he’s doing onstage.

Then there’s the newest member of the current Raiders, lead singer, Darren Dowler.  Darren is an entertainment renaissance man for sure.  He’s sung with the Lettermen, the Righteous Brothers, and the Fifth Dimension, to name a few acts. He was also the original guitar player for the Backstreet Boys.  Musically, Darren also does impressions of other artists, like Sammy Davis Jr. 

Besides his extensive musical background, Darren has appeared on Broadway, in television and movies, and has written two novels.

Though the Raiders have had several good lead singers since Mark Lindsay’s departure in 1975, I have to say, Darren is definitely one of the best from the last 36 years.

Even with the 40 to 50+ changes in band members over the years, (Paul is the only original member of the band left),  the sold out concert in Canyonville is proof Paul Revere & the Raiders are still definitely a fun band to see and hear. 

Declan Turns 1 Year Old!

It's been said, the older you get, the faster time goes by.  It's true, it doesn't seem like it's been a year since Jake and Shannon had their baby, Declan.

I remember when Jake first let KUPL's listening audience know he and Shannon were having a baby; he was so excited.  That excitement never died either.  Like any expectant parent, Jake couldn't wait for his baby boy to make his appearance. 

Then little Declan decided it was time to enter into the world.  Jake called in to "Simon in the Morning"  to let everyone know he and Shannon were waiting to have the baby any time; and abruptly had to hang up when Declan was ready to be born.

Because of Declan's birth, Jake was unable to go up against champion eater, Joey Chestnut that day on "Studio 6".  Given the circumstances, I'm sure he was okay with that. 

After a few days off, Jake returned to "Simon in the Morning", and told listeners about Declan being born; about missing the challenge with Joey Chestnut; and about how when he brought Shannon and Declan home that Saturday, he got them in the house and literally turned around and headed out the door to the coast to compete in a rib eating contest.  Yes, Shannon was okay with it.

One of the pictures Jake posted on his KUPL blog when he returned to work was of Declan and himself, when he was a baby.  You can definitely tell Declan is his daddy's little boy!  (Declan's on the left.)

The past year, listeners have been able to hear how Declan's grown, the milestones of crawling, walking, everything. In addition, those reading Jake's blog, (on KUPL's website), have been able to watch Declan grow, through pictures and videos Jake's posted. Every time Jake talks about his little boy, you can hear the pride in his voice.

Declan at six months old.

One of my favorite pictures Jake posted of Declan is this one...He's such a cute little boy!!

Listeners have also been included in helping Jake with questions he has about parenting.  Today for example, the show took calls, and Facebook posts giving Jake advice on what mistakes not to make with raising Declan.    

It's been fun listening about and watching Declan grow through Jake's eyes. Again, it's hard to believe it's already been a year; it really does seem like it was just yesterday.  It's funny the things one remembers when it comes to certain events.  This blog is what I remember of the time leading up to Declan's birth and the year since then. 

So, happy 1st birthday Declan!  Keep up the great job of giving your daddy something to share with KUPL listeners!



ANYONE LOOKING FOR A CUTE, CUDDLY KITTEN TO ADOPT?

A week or so ago, Jolynn told listeners of “Simon in the Morning”, that her 8 year-old cat, Killian, had disappeared.  She’s fairly sure Killian won’t be back, despite Psychic Alice telling her he will be.  Jolynn thinks a coyote got her cat.

Because of this, Jolynn went looking for a new kitten, and found a Manx one in Colton, Oregon.

Since then, she’s been trying to figure out a name for the kitten.  The subject was even a part of this morning’s “Simon in the Morning” show.

One name Jolynn thought of was “Colton”, for where the kitten came from.  Listeners called in with other possible names, Like “Roadrunner”, (in reference to the coyotes around Jolynn’s place). 

In the end, Jolynn has five names she’s leaning towards:  Colton, Bob Jr., Stubby, Rumpy Stillskin, and Coal.  No word yet on what the final name will be.

In the meantime, the person Jolynn got the kitten from, Terra, still has six other kittens that are looking for homes.  Only Jolynn's is a Manx cat; the rest all have tails.

Anyone wanting a kitten will have to travel to Colton, (near Molalla), to pick it up.  The cost is $10 per kitten, with the money going towards getting Terra’s mama cat spayed.

If you’re interested, contact Jolynn at jolynn@kupl.com, and she'll help you.

For Caylee

Normally I try to stay on lighter subjects in this blog; fun, interesting things I think others may enjoy also.  However, for this blog, I'm making an exception.

I'm not a dumb person by any means.  I just don't have a clue though how anyone could find Casey Anthony not guilty in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

What was it the jury heard, that the rest of us didn't?  Or was it something they didn't hear, that the rest of the world did?  I have no idea; all I know is, I think the jury was wrong.  From everything I've been seeing on Facebook, Twitter, and other places, I know I'm not the only person who feels this way.  In fact, I'm beginning to think the only people who *don't* see Casey Anthony as guilty is the jury who acquitted her, her attorneys and herself.  Heck, even her parents thought she was guilty!

As I said, we probably will never know the whole story of what happened to Caylee.  Truthfully, my feelings are based on being a mom.  To me, any real mom would be worried sick if their child went missing.  Casey Anthony didn't even report Caylee missing for a month.  I'd be on the phone to the police as soon as I even suspected my child was missing! 

Then there are all the lies Casey told about Caylee's whereabouts.  What mom is not going call the police when their child is missing, and on top if it lie about where the child is?  Why did Casey Anthony have to lie at all?  I know she said it had to do with being abused and whatnot, but how can anyone believe that?  I mean, if the woman is going to lie about where her child is, and not seem concerned the child is missing, how can anyone believe her excuses for what she did?  I for one am skeptical, to say the least.

I could rant, rave and theorize this thing forever, and still not find an answer to what I feel is an injustice to the memory of an innocent child.  I won't though, because it won't change anything.  I did feel the need to express my sadness over the verdict though, so I have.

What you've read is the tip of the iceberg of how disappointed and angry I am about how this trial ended.  It's a blog that I've written from the heart and from the top of my head, unedited, except for spelling.  It was something I had to do, because I feel helpless for this poor little girl who never got the chance to live a full life, because someone decided to be selfish and rob little Caylee of that chance to grow up.

I'll end this blog now, before I start rambling again.  I'll try to limit my "downer" posts from now on.  Thank you to anyone reading this, for allowing me to express my feelings about this case.

THE GREAT 4TH OF JULY FOOD FIGHT

Everyone knows that America celebrates its independence on July 4^th.  We celebrate all the freedoms we have; all the choices we can make in this great nation. 

  Freedom of choice was the main topic of this morning’s “Simon in the Morning” show.  It started over a debate whether burgers or hot dogs were the “official” food for Independence Day.  Jolynn said they needed to add chicken to the vote, since that’s what she prefers.  Jake insisted that the 4^th of July means burgers, rather than hot dogs.  He really didn’t want to add chicken into it, but grudgingly did. 

 Listeners had to choose from one of those three choices.  Even then, people were calling in with other options, besides the original three.  Someone pointed out that brats are different than hot dogs; so which was it that the morning team meant?  Someone else said they have pulled pork sandwiches at their 4^th of July celebration.

 It was pretty funny to listen to, especially when anyone voted for chicken.  By the time the show was almost done, Jake said it really didn’t matter which food won the fight, as long as it wasn’t chicken.  At that point that was his goal, for chicken to lose.  Of course, it was all in fun.

 I really liked Scott’s solution best; make all three.  Why not?  Isn’t that what freedom is all about?  Why limit it to just burgers, hot dogs and chicken?  What about steak, or fish and seafood?  Heck, anymore, you can make an entire meal on a grill, the main dish, side dishes and dessert. 

 So, my thought is, on this day of celebrating freedom, why put limits on what kind of food to serve?  Enjoy the day and the freedom to eat anything you want

MARY POPPINS

I remember seeing the Disney movie, “Mary Poppins”, as a little girl, and loving it.  Everything about it, Julie Andrews as Mary; Dick Van Dyke as Bert; all the songs, dancing, everything.  It truly seemed like magic to me back then.  And of course as a child, just trying to say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was fun. 

When the Broadway touring production of “Mary Poppins” came to Portland, I was excited.  A friend of mine, (who’s a big Disney fan), and I decided we had to see the musical on stage.  We got tickets for the second night of the run, and waited for the magic to begin.

And was there magic?  All I can say is, WOW!!!  The story grabs your attention from the start, and things just take off from there.  Not only were the actors excellent, all the props, music and special effects were fantastic as well.  You really felt like you’d been transported to England, and were right there with Mary and the Banks family; going through everything they were going through.

Usually I’m pretty up on where things originate from.  For instance, I knew the play had been adapted from the movie, “Mary Poppins”.  For some reason though, I never realized that there are books where the movie actually came from.  I found this out when reading the booklet for the play.  It’s adapted from the movie, and the first three “Mary Poppins” books.  In some ways I wish I’d known that before seeing the play.  On the other hand, not knowing made the experience new for me, all over again.

As a rule, movies and plays of things, like “Grease”, “The Lion King”, “Mary Poppins”, etc., usually differ in a lot of ways.  Scenes are rearranged, songs added or deleted, any number of things are changed.  A lot of times this has to do with what can and can’t be done on a stage, as opposed to a movie set.  Other times, it has to do with what’s portrayed in the movie, to give that movie a certain appeal, or whatever. 

“Mary Poppins” is like that.  As I said, I remember it as a little girl, all magic and fun.  The play, having been adapted from the movie and the books, took on a bit of a darker tone.  A perfect example of this is the character, “Miss Andrew”, who was George Banks’ nanny when he was a child.  The other name Miss Andrew was known by was, “The Holy Terror”, because of how strict and cruel she could be.

There was a scene when Mary explains to the children, Jane and Michael, why they should take better care of their toys. The toys come to life, full grown, and taunt Jane and Michael.  As my friend said, it was kind of creepy to watch.  I remember thinking at the time, if I was a little kid, I’d be afraid to go home to my toys.  

The scene that features the song, “A Spoonful of Sugar”, is also different from the movie.  I don’t know if it’s because I’m an adult now, or what, but I found myself watching the play, hearing the song, and watching Mary give the children and Mrs. Banks medicine, and I suddenly had the thought, “that’s Mary’s secret, she just drugs the family!”

The scene featuring the song "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" made me feel like I was watching a 1900’s version of “YMCA”, crossed with the Macarena; at least that’s what *I* was seeing.  It made me giggle. I couldn't find a clip of the cast with the current "Mary Poppins", Steffanie Leigh, so I've put a clip from the Broadway production here.

On a side note, Steffanie Leigh is a native Oregonian, having grown up in Talent, in the southern part of the state. Steffanie joined the touring cast earlier this year, and makes a "practically perfect”, Mary Poppins.  (I say that, because in the play Mary is “practically perfect” in every way.)  

Over all, despite the darker tones of the play, it was well worth seeing.  It made me want to read the books to see what was left out of the play. 

If you’re interested in seeing the show during its Portland run, it’s playing at the Keller Auditorium through July 10, 2011.