JSIS: iPhones-- College Trips-- Where's the Beef?

JSIS-- Just Some Interesting Stuff


1. iPHONES-- Evolution of Apple's iPhone. Yesterday I posted about the various iPhones, but later saw that I had the names wrong. According to the Chicago Tribune, it was: Original iPhone (2007) iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G (@008), iPhone 3GS (2009), iPhone4 (2010) and now the iPhone 5.

Do we really need to upgrade every year like that?


2. COLLEGE TRIPS-- Oct. 5th Chicago Tribune article on freshmen at Addison Trail High School outside Chicago taking a field trip to the University of Wisconsin in Madison to get them interested in college. Great idea, but I suggest the field trips be to Northern Illinois University in closer-by Dekalb.

This could get the students more fired up about their grades after seeing the payoff.

Parents should also take their high school children on visits to colleges.


3. WHERE'S THE BEEF?-- is back. Oct. 5th Chicago Tribune. The new commercial of the kid walking around with the vintage "Where's the Beef" tee shirt and looking amazed when every older folk calls it back to him is a fun trip back down memory lane for me.It was 27 years ago when Chicagoan Clara Peller made the famous quote pitching for Wendy's. She died a few years later in 1987.

Liz says a friend of hers worked on the set and had to hide behind the counter because Clara could not remember when to say her line. When it was time, he'd tug on her dress to cue her. That is why she always looked a bit shocked when she said it.

Now, companies seem to have learned that a little bit of humor, right Aflac duck and Mayhem, goes a long way. These are commercials I stop what I'm doing to watch.

That Was One Funny Commercial. --RoadDog

This Card's for You!!

Sunday's Chicago Tribune has a Flashback page at the end of the magazine. It always features an old picture and interesting facts.

This one was a photo from 1931 of a bunch of girls from Bowen High School practicing for a Tribune-sponsored Bridge Tournament.

It goes on to say that today, when people hear the term bridge game, it conjures up genteel old ladies playing the game, but back in the 1920s and 30s, it was the HOT game.

Bridge can lead to arguments and even loss of friends on occasion. But here's a good story. In 1929, Myrtle and John Bennett of Kansas City, Mo., were partners in a game with another couple. His play in a key hand led her to call him a "bum bridge player." He hit her and she went into the other room, returned with a gun and shot him dead. And, she was ACQUITTED!!!! I'd sure like to know how she got out of that one. What a bum's rush. The Tribune wonders how many bridge players were on the jury.

Then, some interesting facts:

Number of bridge books on the NY Times Best-Seller List in 1938: 3

Billionaire bridge players pushing the game: Warren Buffett and Bill Gates

Number of weeks the Tribune discontinued its bridge column back in 2005 before reader protest brough it back: 1.

Liz says her mom Frances was always trying to get her to play, but that never happened. Frances and her friends Vivian and Kay were major bridge players.

My mom plays bridge about once a week as did my grandmother. My cousin Joe is a big-time player in the Virginia/NC circuit.

I do not think I've ever played.

HEARTS, SPADES, and a Little PINOCHLE

However, in college I used to play Hearts and Spades a lot. I had never played them before I got there. This caused me to miss a lot of classes. I signed up for early morning classes as a freshman. I didn't know any better. How was I to know that the Hearts games at Northern lasted until 3 or 4 in the morning. That made it VERY difficult to get up a few hours later for that 8 AM class.

Hearts were popular at NIU. The year I went to Georgia, the game was Spades.

Remember Who You Don't Want to Get in Hearts Unless You're Running? --RoadDog

That Dear Old Fraternity of Mine--Delta Sigs at NIU

That "Green River" song Bob Stroud played almost a month ago on his River of Rock Salute, got me to thinking about my old frat rat days. I was a member of Delta Sigma Phi, or $1.65 as we (and others) were sometimes called. We were a colony at the time, and unfortunately never became an active chapter. We had originally been Psi Delta Phi local fraternity at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Like I mentioned, whenever we had a party, which was QUITE often, especially over at Czych's (pronounced Chike) apartment or at the house. I, in retrospect, have to feel sorry for his neighbors. These weren't quiet wine and cheese party. Czych was the prototype of Animal House's Blutarski, or Bluto. I mean, every thing about Bluto was our very own Czych, real last name Czychowski. Like, Bluto, Czych had been at NIU for four years and still was just a freshman. He had a very high draft lottery number.

We ONLY played four albums. We'd stack them, play 'em, flip them over, and repeat as often as needed, usually into the wee hours. This from a guy who doesn't usually ever stay up past 11 PM anymore, but that was then. Whenever I hear any of these songs today, I'm back at one of those parties.

One of the albums was Creedence Clearwater Revivals "Green River." The other three were all Motown and soul: Four Tops Greatest Hits, Temptations Greatest Hits, and Sly & the Family Stone's Greatest Hits. That was some really GREAT music.

You Want a Great Party, Play CCR's "Green River, Four Tops GH, Temptations GH, and Sly & the Family Stone's GH. --RoadDog