tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63751425271587642272012-02-16T20:11:01.748-06:00Looking back a short distance from now.David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.comBlogger5131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-22801826394561267642012-02-11T11:42:00.001-06:002012-02-11T11:53:41.997-06:00

I woke up early and spent the morning in the den with my girls and watched a Warner Brothers DVD collection Loony Tunes.  I was taken back to my youth when all my siblings huddled together on a blanket on our living room floor on Scenic Hwy.  Hanna Barbera had yet to churn out a slew of cheaper Saturday morning animated features.  The Bugs Bunny Show ruled Saturday mornings.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-87041489096431700502012-01-30T23:36:00.002-06:002012-01-30T23:41:04.755-06:00

Television Westerns were waning by the late 60's.  I guess everyone was getting tired of the genre.  Cowboys had dominated the little screen from the beginning.  It got to where cowboys were becoming passé and spies were all the rage.  Thanks to a character named Bond - James Bond who changed the landscape of television. So it was inevitable that someone in TV land did their best to resell the

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-61134897248822551102011-12-11T15:57:00.001-06:002011-12-11T15:58:45.294-06:00

Boris Karloff and Christmas?  Theodor Seuss Geisel (alias: Dr. Seuss) was deeply concerned that Karloff's voice might be a bit too scary to use as the voice of the Grinch.  Too scary for us?  Dr. Seuss must not have understood that even at our young age, we baby-boomers loved Karloff as much as we loved green eggs and ham.  Karloff after all played our most favorite and most famous monster of

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-13177103375656971802011-11-19T17:25:00.000-06:002011-11-19T17:25:50.916-06:00

Last night I was rummaging through old color slides that I inherited from my Uncle Pat.   I ran across this great shot of Brooky back in July of 1970 - his Senior year at Gadsden High.  I've always have loved VW's since I was a kid.  This was the bug that won me over.  These days I tool around in a '73 Superbeetle.  As much as I love my car, I wish I had an older model like the one pictured here.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-88539271723364036482011-11-15T16:04:00.004-06:002012-02-11T18:50:46.970-06:00

Norman Lear introduced a show back in the early seventies called 'All In The Family'.  The show centered around a fictitious middle aged blue color bigot named Archie Bunker.   Archie was a character who didn't have a college education.  He had to quit high school so he could  help his family make it financially through the Great Depression. Archie was a veteran of WWII.  After the war, he was

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-57331670411055274002011-11-14T14:30:00.001-06:002011-11-14T14:34:08.682-06:00

Andy Williams was one of the crooners who was around when we were kids. That's when FM meant Fine Music.  He's still around today.  My generation discovered our own brand of music, but we were still under the old school influence of the talent that entertained our parents.  These old school guys had to give up the center of the stage when the British Invasion came along.  Music changed, but

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-59447499501409253362011-11-09T15:55:00.001-06:002011-11-09T16:00:28.788-06:00

While the old television show Star Trek boldly explored the final frontier, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea boldly explored the second to last frontier.  Both shows experienced all kinds of unexpected adventures, life forms, and dangers. There was one really cool thing that Admiral Nelson had that Captain Kirk didn't have - THE STINGRAY!  It was also known as the FLYING SUB / FS-1.  What kid

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-37192083106052610492011-11-04T14:36:00.000-05:002011-11-04T14:36:02.721-05:00

My first experience with Peter Sellers was in Dr. Strangelove.  It was an apocalyptic dark comedy in which Sellers played many different rolls.  It was clear that he was a comic genius.  My generation went to the theaters in droves to see Peter play the French Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau.  You couldn't go to a Panther movie without experiencing tears of laughter.  We all did our best to

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-60839699195762801642011-10-30T17:20:00.001-05:002011-10-30T17:23:17.247-05:00

My kids have never really experienced the kind of Halloween nights that I did as a kid.  I remember the Halloween Carnivals at R.A. Mitchell Elementary back in the sixties.  They call them Fall Festivals these days.  Mitchell actually owned a real coffin for their annual Halloween Carnival that was held behind the stage.  I also remember bobbing for apples.  People don't do that anymore,

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-32333302155440889442011-10-23T20:25:00.000-05:002011-10-23T20:25:50.141-05:00

Phil Hartman was a real funny guy.  I like real funny guys. Phil had started out as a graphic designer, and had designed album covers for bands Poco and America.  My favorite  cover of his is the horse design of Poco's Legend album.  It is a simply beautiful piece of work. Like Belushi, I am sorry about his tragic death.  I wish he'd been around longer.   I enjoyed his on appearances on

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-54449382814785286702011-10-22T10:54:00.003-05:002011-10-22T10:57:00.138-05:00

A lot of the old stars were still shinning bright in our youth. We were entertained by the best.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-82454127434542786002011-09-22T10:48:00.005-05:002011-09-22T11:29:13.322-05:00

R.E.M posted on their website yesterday that they were calling it quits.  R.E.M is one of the primary indie band that introduced the world to the new alternative sound.  The band formed in 1980 - born from the renown Athen's music scene, also known as the Liverpool of the South.  R.E.M.'s music is still fresh and potent even after three decades. “To call R.E.M. one of the greatest bands in

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-18409954951209237242011-09-21T13:00:00.002-05:002011-09-21T13:13:28.303-05:00

"I'm a nut, but not just any nut." It's Bill Murray's 61st birthday today.  Here's an enigmatic funnyman for you, introduced to the world via Second City & Saturday Night Live.  We thought he couldn't have gotten any quirkier or funnier than the lounge singer act on SNL.  But we were wrong.  Bill climbed from of the small screen onto the big screen with great success.  He's made some real

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-63209968771339545022011-09-18T12:10:00.001-05:002011-09-18T19:00:49.587-05:00

John stormed into the seventies a killer bee and a samurai.  We never knew what to expect from this guy.  He was a funny man who had a hard time remembering his lines.  No one ever noticed because he carried himself with so much confidence and spunk.  We all loved him.  Belushi was an original. I still miss John.  I really admired his talent.   I felt he robbed us with his death, with a mixture

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-4505523347112067632011-09-16T13:59:00.003-05:002011-12-25T17:33:56.774-06:00

Youthful idiots from the Summer of Love embraced and flaunted 'free love'.  It was a term we heard a lot back in the day.  By the time the eighties got here, the HIV virus put nails into the coffin of that sexual liberating concept.  There suddenly became a fright filled silence as free loving boomers realized that they might have already had intercourse with death.  The disease could remain

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-75209670281694473062011-09-02T18:59:00.000-05:002011-09-02T18:59:57.547-05:00

Orange Push-Ups taste like Summer.  It's a simple pleasure that's still around and that has never changed.  I'm glad there's still some things of yesterday around today.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-13609702073205136682011-08-29T12:02:00.002-05:002011-08-29T12:46:46.153-05:00

I first became with Gene Wilder's unusual acting presence as Willy Wonka, but Wilder had more to offer.  In the seventies Gene hooked up with the great Mel Brooks.  We American movie goers had lots of comedies to watch throughout the seventies and eighties.  Amid all the laughter, Gene and Mel were giving us some real classics.  At the top of my list is Young Frankenstein...or is that 

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-15903471622721153692011-08-28T17:04:00.001-05:002011-08-28T17:05:29.626-05:00

The recent remake Charlie & The Chocolate Factory is an enjoyable movie.  I don't think any remake can recreate the Wonka world that starred Gene Wilder playing Willy.   Tim Burton cast Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, and did a quirky-great job with the 2005 version - it just wasn't scrumdiddlyumptious. When Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) was released, I had no idea what it was about.  I

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-16109889365750430202011-08-26T09:50:00.001-05:002011-08-26T09:51:23.615-05:00

The following is lifted from my old tripod blog posted Friday, February 9, 2007.  I made a few edits and update.  This post definitely belongs here at Boomerville, USA.  This is downtown Gadsden, AL the way I saw it as a kid.  I hadn't seen one of those old green city buses in ages.  This picture really takes me back. I remember a particular trip downtown.  There was a new John Wayne movie

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-83788270384612736942011-08-23T09:25:00.000-05:002011-08-23T09:25:27.352-05:00

This was originally posted at my Long Journey Home blog March 19, 2007 prior to my launching Boomerville, USA.  This really belongs here because it's very a boomer post.  So here it is again, with a few corrections. I've had this picture for quite some time now. I ran across it when dad asked me to get rid of a ton of old records from his office. I found some cool stuff that he let me keep. This

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-33391464271501188672011-08-22T13:55:00.000-05:002011-08-22T13:55:51.243-05:00

Mission Impossible (1966-1973) was a pretty impressive television series for it's day.  It had a great cast and great writing.  The show had lots of special effects, but didn't try to rely on the gimmicks and gadgets to fill time.  Everyone from my generation remembers the intro of the show - the match being lit and that awesome score that always pulled us into the story.  I never got tired of

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-18773377310273867342011-08-15T15:40:00.000-05:002011-08-15T15:40:29.968-05:00

What red blooded American kid didn't dream of being Superman as a kid?  Did we not all? Did we not all somewhere in our childhood run around the house with a towel clipped to our shirt - pretending to be the Man of Steel? He's an humble guy that just has a heart to serve his fellow man. Superman always tries to do the right thing.  He's the most powerful superhero ever drawn, and all he ever

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-22301731135971169462011-08-13T00:03:00.000-05:002011-08-13T00:03:13.538-05:00

Most of the stores on Broad Street are participating in the Downtown Gadsden Sidewalk Sale today and tomorrow.  Stores were open after 5 which meant I could actually poke around town while the stores were open after I closed up my store.  I rarely buy comic books.  It's kind of strange that I don't because I've always enjoy drawing cartoons. It was after all Marvel artists who were influential in

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-1200761985276040222011-08-03T17:13:00.001-05:002011-08-03T17:15:32.048-05:00

Being a child of a father who had been paralyzed by polo, it was a very big day for the Finlayson family.  I remember being packed into the car and driven to my elementary school, R.A. Mitchell.  Dad had had polio since he was a young boy.  He came from a time when many children were afflicted by the disease.  I have often wondered what was running through his head when he was watching his

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-47414389943959857372011-07-29T09:43:00.002-05:002011-07-29T09:52:20.030-05:00

This is a February 9, 2007 post I pulled from my old Yadda-Yadda-Yadda blog. I made a few updates and corrections to the post in order to not confuse the reader. Some of the comments on the Welcome to Gadsden facebook group brought this past post to mind. I ran across this old postcard today.  This is of downtown Gadsden, AL in the early to mid sixties.  I hadn't seen one of those old green

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-30808233498062214892011-07-27T14:16:00.001-05:002011-07-27T14:16:58.344-05:00

I seem to remember more lightning bugs being around as a kid.  Then again, I'm not outside in the evenings as much as I was as a kid.  We had a great yard growing up.  We had a grassy hilly yard that was fun for bikes, sleds, and cardboard - depending on the season.  Our yard was also great for chasing lightning bugs.  If a kid was chasing a lightning bug on the level ground and the bug decided

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-86091692680668283672011-07-22T09:46:00.000-05:002011-07-22T09:46:38.997-05:00

Growing up on Noccalula Mountain as a kid, I remember there being HUGE black grasshoppers (also known as Romalea Microptera). Cliff Road was a dirt road that ran behind our house on Scenic Highway.  That's where they most of them seemed to congregate in our neighborhood.  The embankment and ditch of Cliff Road used to be infested with thousands of these black (red and yellow trimmed) creatures.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-63090351299710482432011-07-19T09:45:00.000-05:002011-07-19T09:45:16.736-05:00

 I ran across a memory at a yard sale a few weeks ago.  I found a box of old jelly jar drinking glasses.  I remember our family had a cabinet full of them when I was growing up.  Years ago, before jelly and jams were sold in plastic containers, they were sold in glass jars.  The smart capitalists at the jelly factories came up with a great idea.  They started making their jelly jars attractive

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-49045219567645986872011-07-13T11:23:00.000-05:002011-07-13T11:23:49.999-05:00

Andrew Gold: 8/ 2/1951 – 06/3/2011 Years ago Brook and I took a trip down to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to see a Linda Ronstadt concert.  The trip itself ended up being a venture because Brooks bug broke a belt on I-59 before we even got to Steele, AL.  I wasn't sure we were going to make it, but after hitching a ride, finding a belt, and an old high school friend - we got there in time I had been to

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-60878649888289998472011-07-07T10:36:00.001-05:002011-07-07T10:42:50.548-05:00

People are in a hurry even on vacations.  There's a lot to see in so little time, so we better get there soon.  I remember life before freeways.  Part of the vacation was experiencing the road side sights and small towns along the way.  The old scenic highways have become forgotten byways. The blockbuster hit movie Cars (2006) reminded us of this. I remember trips where dad would pull the

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-74910271700198180332011-06-22T12:16:00.005-05:002011-06-22T17:37:03.225-05:00

In 1970 an unusual Western was released starring Richard Harris.  In 'A Man Called Horse' an English aristocrat, played by Richard Harris, is captured by Indians while bathing naked in a river. As the white man lives (and treated like an animal) with the tribe, he began to understand and accept their culture. After he is hung by his nipples, he is eventually accepted as part of the tribal family

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-16451369757341663512011-06-11T16:04:00.002-05:002011-06-14T09:29:31.463-05:00

When I think of Vietnam, I think of all the young men that America betrayed.  America will forever have to live with the shame of sending their sons into harms way without a commitment to do what it takes to win. The war was fought from Washington.  Politicians tied the hands of those soldiers, and limited their ability to fight to win. Their story continues to be miss-told. Those boys deserved

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-65843029501130184132011-06-03T15:41:00.001-05:002011-06-03T15:58:13.175-05:00

May 26, 1923 -  June 3, 2011 Some of our heroes on television were also heroes in real life.  This is James Arness, a guy we usually picture sporting a cowboy hat, badge and gun.  Gunsmoke was one of the longest running westerns on television, running from 1955 to 1975.  I loved all the regular characters on the show.  I liked what Marshal Matt Dillon stood for.  He was one of the good guys I

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-51874475099859223792011-05-25T16:38:00.006-05:002011-05-26T07:34:29.001-05:00

Most of you who know me know that I didn't have a pleasant public school experience.  Let me just say that my favorite days of school were always the last days of school.  For the most part, classwork, studying and testing had come to a halt.  We were now all over the hump, just biding our time. Through out the year, I would glance outside the large steel framed windows every chance I got. 

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-61800118577458203222011-05-23T14:06:00.004-05:002011-05-23T14:28:56.207-05:00

Jack Webb Apr. 2, 1920 – Dec. 23, 1982 My dad liked this guy.  The older I get, the more I like him too.  Jack Webb played a straight-laced straight talking gum shoe police Sergeant Joe Friday on the television series Dragnet.  Jack wasn't a 'hip' guy, and that didn't seem to bother him one iota.  Joe was a real good guy.  He and his partner always caught the bad guy, and Friday always had

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-49269978717787966312011-05-18T17:55:00.001-05:002011-05-18T17:56:24.899-05:00

Ours was the first generation to have television.  Here in Gadsden, AL we got our pick of thirteen channels.  The vast wasteland wasn't as vast back in our youth.  There wasn't near as much programing that we have now. There were no made for television movies, so the old movies that had long since been pulled from the silver screen were broadcast onto our little screen.  We were introduced to

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-24478558391573255942011-05-14T15:30:00.002-05:002011-11-17T15:24:49.781-06:00

This looks nothing like the one I just went to.  It's just a cool photo. "Well, where do we eat?"  My sisters Irene and Cindy were with me returning from Birmingham early this afternoon.  Cindy said she wanted to cover our lunch because we were doing her a favor by driving down to the big city to look at a VW bug that's for sell down there. We decided that Trussville was the best place to stop

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-10007774724905060442011-05-13T13:28:00.000-05:002011-05-13T13:28:15.242-05:00

Boys' Life was my first magazine subscription ever.  It was chock full of cool stuff from cover to cover.  My favorite section in the magazine was always the adventure story.  Reading Boys' Life made me feel more like a Boy Scout as a kid.  That magazine made me proud to be a scout.  I was excited every time I got my issue in the mail. I wonder if picking up an current issue would still stir

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-5533920336598634612011-05-06T12:04:00.005-05:002011-05-16T09:48:34.245-05:00

John Wayne was the last real movie good guy.  I remember watching my old hero slowly ride into the celluloid sunset, as a young gun-Clint Eastwood, rode into scene from the Italian West.  No more white hats.  After Eastwood there were no more real good guys.  Westerns were changing, and so was our culture.   The movie audience started paying money to watch anti-heroes rather than heroes.  Now

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-41021495297582931242011-05-05T09:23:00.003-05:002011-05-05T09:25:51.383-05:00

Bob Hope: May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003 Indeed, Bob Hope was more than a star.  He served his country with hope and laughter.   As a kid, I loved watching Bob & Bing's road pictures.  I enjoyed all his movies.  I also remember his televised Christmas specials.  It was always great seeing him play-through with a guest appearance on the popular television shows of our day.  He was a funny and

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-78480226471411955132011-05-02T12:05:00.001-05:002011-05-02T12:06:02.094-05:00

Back in the sixties, my dad had a gas yard light installed next to our house on 2624 Scenic Hwy.  I remember it burning, but remember it not burning most of the time we lived there.  I remember Dad having it fixed, and then it it was broken again.  Maybe it was just to much hassle to keep one burning.  My mother in-law, Mrs. Betty Hale, still has her gas yard lamp post.  I never saw it working. 

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-92186515553343660352011-04-29T11:14:00.000-05:002011-04-29T11:14:19.851-05:00

  Both actors Leonard Nimory (Spock) and William Shatner ( Captain Kirk) of Star Trek fame turned recently turned 80.  Their birthday's are only four days apart.  Both of these guys careers are still going strong.  Boomers like these guys.  Some fans like them a little too much.   I am not a Treky, but I do enjoy the show.  I don't remember StarTrek during it's original run.  I do remember coming

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-74637343745870491052011-04-28T11:17:00.008-05:002011-12-23T07:53:14.685-06:00

I know there was a lot of rebellion going on in the 60's.  I remember the clarion of my generation, "Never trust anyone over 30".  Who ever said it was an idiot.  The old men that I knew in my life were good men.  They were the men who towered over me smiling down at church.  It was the old man over 30, my Scout Master Milton Smitherman and the rest of the men volunteers who accompanied our

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-21173158360131368912011-04-26T13:07:00.000-05:002011-04-26T13:07:08.078-05:00

Linda Ronstadt was a voice frequently heard throughout the seventies. In the above Youtube clip, Linda sings a J.D. Souther song, Faithless Love.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-78752262111806500372011-04-25T14:08:00.001-05:002011-04-25T14:08:48.611-05:00

July 24 1894 -September 21, 1974 Every kid in my generation knew this man's name and love him.  He was Bogie's rummy sidekick, and even rode alongside the likes of Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda and The Duke himself.   He was one of the best character actors on both silver screen and television - a three time Oscar Winner.  If you ever saw him, you'd know that he was The Real McCoy!

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-70764070704516555542011-02-25T16:13:00.000-06:002011-02-25T16:13:55.635-06:00

The Uniroyal Tire Commercial above is one of the most memorable commercial from my youth.  Each Uniroyal Tiger commercial pulled the viewer into first person action like the old Six Flags Chevy Show.  The animation made me feel those curves as the tiger paws grabbed and held the road.  The commercial is still a strong piece of advertising. There was another tiger roaming around back at that time

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-60794840149041120582011-02-24T17:12:00.000-06:002011-02-24T17:12:52.226-06:00

We used to have to watch these old automobile safety films in Driver's Ed class back when I was in high school.   I know I'm an old fart now, but all of these films were just as vintage to me then as they are now.  The teacher would roll out the 16mm projector and we'd have to make room for it in the center of room.  The guy sitting closest to the light switch in the back of the room would get

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-72163283659640668882011-01-28T15:52:00.000-06:002011-01-28T15:52:28.740-06:00

1966 Mustang Convertible It's a beautiful thing.  The Ford Mustang caught everyone's eye back when it first rolled off the showroom floor in 1965 - MAN ALIVE!  The classic lines of this car has never lost it's appeal to me.  It's one of the most iconic cars the automotive industry has ever produced   It's beauty, power, and cool all rolled into one.  There's been a lot of variations since the

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-35733796825370653232011-01-19T09:00:00.001-06:002011-01-19T09:06:58.181-06:00

Back when I was in grammar school, we'd line up and head to the library.  The library was about the only place at R.A. Mitchell that I liked.  There were some times of exceptions.  Anytime we had to be inoculated/vaccinated for something, the library was used as needle central.  Frankly, I don't think that was a good idea.  A kid just didn't know if he was going to  get to peruse or get bruised.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-12373221814030057952010-12-04T17:30:00.000-06:002010-12-04T17:30:57.479-06:00

300?  No.  This is the mighty Hercules! If you're a baby-boomer and remember Hercules...you'll know that Steve Reeves was Hercules.  Though Steve made lots of gladiator 'Sword & Sandal' movies, he only played the character of Hercules twice.  HERCULES (1957) and HERCULES UNCHAINED (1960 U.S. release)  He was 'the man' back in those days. In 1954 he had a small role in his first major motion

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-36724025387487856882010-11-29T13:32:00.000-06:002010-11-29T13:32:19.165-06:00

 Leslie Nielsen died yesterday, November 28th.  His was a familiar face through out our life.  He played mostly dramatic /leading figure roles on television and on the big screen throughout the first part of his career which spanned 60 years. The second half of his career changed drastically when he starred in the movie AIRPLANE!.  It was here Nielson played a comedic role straight.  AIRPLANE!

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-60792189681575554292010-11-28T00:15:00.001-06:002010-11-28T00:15:48.176-06:00

One of my earliest posts here at Boomerville, USA was about boys and  B B Guns.  I won't go into it again, but did enjoy running across this old advertisement.  This is the kind of ad that a kid in my day could study over for hours on end.  Of course my parents didn't say "You'll shoot your eye out."  Heck, bad things happen in life...damn the eyes.  The boys in my family got their Christmas wish!

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-28802426844242627542010-11-05T13:45:00.001-05:002010-11-05T16:52:39.812-05:00

Yes.  The Who lived behind our living room couch.  We had a nice looking living room.  Mother kept a clean house considering she had six kids running amok.  The foyer, dinging room and living room were always clean and ready for company.  Just don't look behind the couch. It was there where the guitars were kept, turn table, rigged speakers, cords and a pile of records.  It was never neat

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-32226492477496151402010-10-26T12:47:00.000-05:002010-10-26T12:47:00.443-05:00

 Alex Anderson died today.  Alex is the creator of Rocky & Bullwinkle, one of my old Saturday morning cartoon favorites.  Note that he also created Crusader Rabbit (1948), which was the first made for television animation.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-12914125711629809122010-10-19T15:29:00.001-05:002010-10-19T15:46:32.526-05:00

Barbara Billingsley died last weekend, October 16th.  She was 94 years old.  For baby boomer's she'll always be our T.V. mom, June Cleaver.  She was the perfect 'ideal' mom because her character was seen through the eyes of a her youngest son, Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver.  Barbara Billingsley was a class act. This is how most of us saw our mothers growing up.  It's how I saw mine.  I guess a lot of

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-18494477936780816782010-10-17T20:26:00.001-05:002010-10-17T20:27:03.333-05:00

I don't watch Saturday Night Live anymore.  I watched it back when it first aired and through much of the eighties.  I'll catch it every now and then, but it's not what it used to be.  I'm really not the SNL fan that I used to be, yet still fondly remember some great cast members, and great sketches.   In this sketch is John Belushi and Buck Henry in Samurai Delicatessen.  I'm glad to see Hulu

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-13062478716859293162010-10-15T12:44:00.001-05:002010-10-15T12:45:14.726-05:00

 The classic HEE HAW aired between 1969 and1971.  The concept of the show was inspired by the hipper "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.  HEE HAW, like Laugh-In was a comedy variety show.  HEE HAW replaced the Smother's Brother's Comedy Hour on CBS. It was actually a better show than Laugh-In and lived longer than Laugh-In in syndication.  HEE HAW ran 20 years in syndication.  Kind of funny that CBS

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-67585448678696008752010-10-04T14:16:00.003-05:002011-06-18T00:02:35.913-05:00

When I was a kid, men wore hats.  Actually, women wore hats too.  My dad had lots of hats in his closet.  I like hats.  I have lots of hats too. Before the mid-1960s almost no man would venture out in public without wearing a hat.  I once was told that it was John F. Kennedy that put an unwitting stop to it.  I heard that Kennedy didn't like to wear hats and so men started leaving their houses

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-21859179587205604682010-10-01T08:28:00.000-05:002010-10-01T08:28:01.341-05:00

I've written about old radio here at Boomerville before.  Back in the 60's, we weren't just listening to The Beatles.  We were on the receiving end of all kinds of music.  The song that came to mind this morning was a a song from the movie Hatari (1961).   The Baby Elephant Walk was scored by non other than Henry Mancini.  It's a quirky number, but quite popular when it came out. Hatari is a

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-6965194722448259402010-09-28T16:52:00.001-05:002010-09-28T16:53:29.218-05:00

We watched the strangest images on television.  We saw footage of rockets taking off, orbiting and voices crackling from outer-space.  Nations raced to the moon and we found ourselves in a new age - a space age.  I was in elementary school.  I kept up with the Apollo project's progress, set-backs, and triumph in my Weekly Reader.  I kept those little school newspapers for years, until the great

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-90854193418594304412010-09-15T03:57:00.002-05:002010-09-15T04:17:04.795-05:00

As a kid, I just didn't get the Elvis thing.  I knew he was on the radio a lot.  I knew he was on television a lot.  Elvis seemed to be everywhere, and quite frankly, I didn't understand it.  I thought he was a teen idol.  I guess that was because my older sisters liked him, and anytime a movie came on, they would claim the Zenith.  I didn't like his movies.  Turns out, Elvis didn't either. 

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-40312421911676124462010-09-09T08:03:00.002-05:002010-09-09T08:09:13.095-05:00

'Two Little Boys' is a song written by American composer Theodore Morse and lyricist Edward Madden. It was written in 1902 and became a popular music hall song of the time, made popular by Harry Lauder. It describes the story of two boys who grow up to fight in the American Civil War. In 1969 it became a surprise No. 1 top selling single for entertainer Rolf Harris in the United Kingdom." -

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-88718375725997620072010-09-02T11:42:00.001-05:002010-09-03T13:44:00.552-05:00

My sister Jennie used to sing this song decades ago. I think she actually did a better job than Melanie. Last night I was bathing my youngest daughter and sang the almost forgotten tune. Melanie Safka had other folk hits during the late '60's - early 70's. 'Brand New Key', 'Beautiful People' and 'What Have They Done To My Song Ma'. Never heard of her? Melanie was the ninth act to perform at

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-59001412432059934212010-08-30T11:38:00.000-05:002010-08-30T11:38:37.534-05:00

a Googled image that isn't my kitchen I'm in the process of renovating our kitchen - on a shoe string budge.  Our house was built in the early to mid 1970's.  The kitchen is the only room left that screams out 1970's.  Yesterday my pal Jose' came over and helped me rip out the chipping the harvest gold tile and the failed particle board subfloor. We have plans to repaint, re-tile, and re-counter

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-43609568889415986182010-08-25T10:37:00.000-05:002010-08-25T10:37:38.227-05:00

One of my favorite signs, I can't explain why, is the old Pure Oil sign.  My favorite is the Pure sign with the red arrow behind it (as shown above).  The most common version is the Pure sign sans arrow. Years ago, when Jim Thompson and I were working on the Christian Brothers 'Skylight' stage, I had my eye out for a Pure sign.  It was a small wood planked stage that Jim and I were trying to

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-72116917747118509502010-08-22T15:50:00.002-05:002010-08-23T11:14:51.207-05:00

I have three vintage oscillating fans.  I have a beautiful black GE fan in my basement.  I use it all the time in the Summer.  I have a small one in the garage, mostly for looks because it doesn't put out that much.  Yesterday while working in the garage, Gina pulled out my huge Westinghouse fan from the corner.  It hadn't worked since I got it three or four years ago.  She plugged it in, but it

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-73623721967782013602010-08-20T09:15:00.000-05:002010-08-20T09:15:49.311-05:00

I used to have a pair of these bad boys.  The ones I had looked worn out like these because I lived in a hand-me-down household.  I don't really have any stories to tell about rollerskating.  They just came to mind.  Do they still make them - the kind with the key?  They were fun, but I don't recommend you clamping them onto your sandals.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-56868943338615473542010-08-19T16:16:00.001-05:002010-08-19T16:20:22.916-05:00

My mind has been going back this week to a particular birthday when I was a kid.  August 19th, school had already started.  Dad let me go in late that day so he could take me to Toddle House that was on Forrest Avenue (next door to Laverty Music Company).  I remember that morning clearly.  Dad had to park the car in the back of the building and walk around to the front.  The back lot was gravel,

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-26999909908216208452010-08-12T15:18:00.000-05:002010-08-12T15:18:29.537-05:00

Nobody made a devil's food snack cake like Merita Bakery's Mickey Cake.  The Mickey Cake was round, about the diameter of a Chattanooga Moon Pie and about 1.75" high.  Merita now carries the Hostess brand - but last time I had their Hostess brand devils food - it did not compare to the original Mickey Cake.  The Hostess brand was dry.  The Mickey Cake devils food cake was heavenly in texture and

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-48556187325821659472010-07-28T15:12:00.002-05:002010-08-10T14:24:04.776-05:00

It's almost hard to believe that I've been using a computer for half of my life.  My first computer was the second generation of user friendly Apples - the Macintosh 512K Personal Computer.  Brook had been telling me about this little computer and I saved up for it.  My little Mac had only a few applications, MacWrite and McPaint. I remember the evening that I brought it home.  I removed it from

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-24587384602982021872010-07-26T18:15:00.000-05:002010-07-26T18:15:13.036-05:00

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-13152105165450156532010-07-23T10:00:00.000-05:002010-07-23T10:00:37.178-05:00

How many people out there still use rotary phone?  There must be some folks out there still using them.  After two decades we still get the message when dialing into the corporate world - "If you are using a rotary phone, please hold on for an operator." Back in the mid-eighties, I bought a cherry red rotary phone from my sister in-law Jennifer when she worked for TelNet.  You could buy rotary

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-76349852710205210822010-07-21T12:32:00.001-05:002010-07-21T12:33:22.378-05:00

http://arnoldzwicky.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/give-your-baby-soda-pop/ "How soon is too soon?  Not soon enough.  Laboratory tests over the last few years have proven hat babies who start drinking soda during their early formative period have a much higher chance of of gaining acceptance and 'fitting in' during those awkward preteen and teen years.  So, do yourself a favor.  Do your child a

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-2504843170970028992010-07-11T19:12:00.002-05:002010-07-11T19:12:25.246-05:00

This is something Danny Daniels posted on his facebook profile today.  It's well worth the read.By James Webb The rapidly disappearing cohort of Americans that endured the Great Depression and then fought World War II is receiving quite a send-off from the leading lights of the so-called 60s generation. Tom Brokaw has published two oral histories of "The Greatest Generation" that feature

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-38025550666787121322010-07-07T11:04:00.001-05:002010-07-07T11:08:20.487-05:00

There was always something about Oates that reminded me of Bogart.  But Warren Oates was his own actor with his own rugged style.   Not long ago I watched him co-star along side Vic Morrow in an old Combat episode.  It was just good seeing him again.  He's been in countless old Western television shows.  Though he got his start on television, his talent was always bigger than the small screen.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-31729608607327664032010-07-06T10:45:00.000-05:002010-07-06T10:45:49.948-05:00

We got some good music from the era, and that's about it.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-15292312802721005832010-06-26T21:34:00.004-05:002010-06-26T21:38:52.025-05:00

Remember all those fascinating illustrations we used to see in books as kids?  I don't mean just the ones we saw in comic books, but in other legitimate grown up magazines of our youthful days.  I even remember these kind of  cool futuristic illustrations gracing some of our Science text books.  I kid you not. We remember the space race and seeing the first man on the moon.  As a kid, we were

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-59566421385202926012010-06-22T11:14:00.001-05:002010-06-22T11:16:39.536-05:00

I ran across this awhile back and meant to share it earlier.  I didn't write it.  The text (also available in audio) was from one of Wayne's last public appearances before he died of cancer.  He gave this speech while attending a dinner benefiting a land purchase for a Boy Scout Reservation called John Wayne Outpost Camp. At this dinner, Wayne recited the Scout Law. Then he did something

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-41785016777737524732010-06-21T10:11:00.000-05:002010-06-21T10:11:07.170-05:00

Remember roll cap guns?  I used to own a bunch of authentic looking roll cap guns.  When I was growing up the toy companies had already started making guns from plastic rather than metal.  I remember going on neighborhood recon patrol with a plastic Thompson.  I also carried one or two aluminum 45 caliber rollcap guns.  I used to have an arsenal of rollcap guns.  I never knew when I was going to

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-85652359831332247982010-06-16T17:08:00.001-05:002010-06-16T17:09:08.592-05:00

 The following text is pulled from Wikipedia.  Martha Raye was a real trooper. -df In October 1966, she (actress Martha Raye) went to Soc Trang, Vietnam, to entertain the troops at the base which was the home base of the 121st Aviation company, the Soc Trang Tigers, the gunship platoon, The Vikings and the 336th Aviation company. Shortly after her arrival, both units were called out on a

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-16586883704926510822010-06-16T10:11:00.000-05:002010-06-16T10:11:39.203-05:00

Part One

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-88498815243461137842010-06-14T15:14:00.000-05:002010-06-14T15:14:31.554-05:00

I remember this club being available, but never signed up for it. I wasn't big into super heroes back in the day. My favorite Marvel comic book was Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-39047209342664194392010-06-08T18:18:00.000-05:002010-06-08T18:18:20.449-05:00

The comedy shorts made back in the 1930's & 40's were given a new audience when television started airing them.  In January 1958, Columbia's television subsidiary Screen Gems, offered a package consisting of 78 Stooge shorts (mainly from the Curly era), which were well received. Almost immediately, an additional 40 shorts hit the market, and by 1959, all 190 Stooge shorts were airing regularly

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-66972760833988758302010-06-07T10:24:00.004-05:002011-05-31T08:26:01.015-05:00

Back in the early seventies, Emory Boggs was passing around a copy of Truth (or The Truth) that was an underground Jesus paper published in Spokane Washington.  Truth, I believe, preceded a like publication Cornerstone published by Jesus People USA (JPUSA).  Cornerstone was a nicer publication, but it was Truth that I read first.  Both were newspapers for Jesus Freaks.  There were other like

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-23831442531899960202010-05-30T13:18:00.002-05:002010-05-30T13:26:01.244-05:00

When I was a little fella, Art Linkletter was a household word. At one time he had a different show airing on all three networks. He's the guy that brought the Hula-Hoop to the world's attention as well as Milton Bradley's 'Game of LIFE'. Art had one of the longest marriages of any celebrity in America. He married Lois Foerster on November 25, 1935. They had five children together, and

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-22032404836792176252010-05-29T16:09:00.000-05:002010-05-29T16:09:58.233-05:00

Dennis Hopper died today. Dennis Hopper died of cancer today at the age of 74.   Hopper had a wild ride of a life on and off the screen.  I remember his early rolls in several James Dean films and John Wayne films.  I remember his later rolls in movies like Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet, and Hoosiers.  There will not be another talent like Hopper.  On screen his incomparable characters always

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-55688439566592758342010-05-28T09:21:00.000-05:002010-05-28T09:21:25.482-05:00

School's Out I didn't care for Alice Cooper, but his 1972 'School's Out' captured the souring feeling I had when Summer rolled around.  I loved getting away from school. The YouTube clip above is from the 1993 movie 'Dazed & Confused', which was supposed to take place in 1976. I graduated from Emma Sansom High School (Gadsden, AL) back in 1977.  This is a great song.  "Inspired by the

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-71139234808215114922010-05-27T07:09:00.001-05:002010-05-27T07:12:00.619-05:00

WTCG, Channel 17, Atlanta, Bill Tush. Those were the days We here in the south enjoyed getting our news from Bill Tush.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-81735973659630534332010-05-26T11:48:00.000-05:002010-05-26T11:48:51.039-05:00

When I was growing up, this time of year, the song Cap & Gown by Marty Robbins was played on all the local AM stations.  Back in the seventies around graduation time, I used to sing it for the audience of the old Christian Brother's Coffeehouse.  Anytime anyone graduates, I'll sing it to them whether they want to hear it or not. A few weeks ago I sang this song to my niece, Sara Noojin.  She had

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-28630640199560185522010-05-24T16:23:00.001-05:002010-05-24T18:42:54.526-05:00

Do you remember when tans were not only cool, but good for you?  To be a young woman in our day, you probably wanted to look like this.  In this advertisement, Coppertone promised a "Beautiful Tan Today.  Young looking skin tomorrow".  Is there something wrong with this picture? I wonder where this woman is today.  Is she still living?  If she survived the malignant melanoma, what does she look

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-11241384071427131482010-05-23T14:03:00.000-05:002010-05-23T14:03:59.054-05:00

Years ago my sister Cindy asked if I would write something to accompany Christmas gifts that were being given to our nieces and nephews.  She gave to each one a decorative boxes filled with various types of candy's that the baby-boomer Finlaysons had sought after when we were kids growing up in the sixties.  I thought it was an excellent idea.  Cindy searched high and low for the kind of old

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-5280458389970956582010-05-23T11:35:00.000-05:002010-05-23T11:35:00.863-05:00

Our parents didn't get Tiny Tim...then again...neither did my generation.  Tiny Tim was a curiosity though.  Though he'd already obtained a cult following, it was Rowan & Martin's Laugh In that made Tiny Tim a household name. Many are familiar with his version of Tip-Toe Through The Tulips.  I posted another performance (above) of his as well. He had a comprehensive knowledge of popular

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-87044633066950627892010-05-22T13:23:00.000-05:002010-05-22T13:23:14.467-05:00

You can still find a Wooly Willy at your friendly neighborhood Cracker Barrel Restaurant.  Here's the nifty capitalist story behind this classic American toy.  Enjoy!   http://www.americanprofile.com/article/35775.html

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-52060513183170557582010-05-21T10:04:00.000-05:002010-05-21T10:04:45.391-05:00

This is an interesting old Jackson Browne find on YouTube.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-79013319495529490302010-05-17T13:17:00.000-05:002010-05-17T13:17:37.821-05:00

I remember Clackers.  Back in the seventies, this is the fad toy that kids sought.  Believe it or not, for a short time, we were actually allowed to take them to school with us.  This photo doesn't represent the actual size of the toy.  The Clackers that I had, each ball was about 2" in diameter.  Mine were pale blue with a brass ring.  Clackers made such a loud clatter that it wasn't long before

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-39789869243439252042010-05-10T19:27:00.000-05:002010-05-10T19:27:09.659-05:00

Here's an SNL spoof of the old Lawrence Welk Show featuring Betty White.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-31451841257113371622010-05-09T03:23:00.002-05:002010-05-09T03:23:23.767-05:00

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-31875160835765599412010-05-05T13:46:00.000-05:002010-05-05T13:46:31.417-05:00

Bobby Sherman was a big pop star back in the late sixties and early seventies.  I remember one of my older sister's Irene being a fan of Bobby's during that time.  Bobby learned out to play thirteen instruments through out his teens.  In 1964 He sang at a local Hollywood party and was picked up by an agent that got him a part on the show 'Shindig' (1964-1966).  Bobby then got opportunities to be

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-40400403495539089102010-05-03T00:04:00.000-05:002010-05-03T00:04:40.956-05:00

This time lapse gem came out in the late sixties. It probably inspired every kid that had access to a movie camera to mimic this spot. I remember Brook and Jamey Moore doing their own spin of the commercial. Billy Daugette and I later did a version of it as well. Even though the print of this commercial doesn't hold up, the actual commercial is first rate.

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375142527158764227.post-42180460564255680572010-04-30T12:31:00.000-05:002010-04-30T12:31:48.266-05:00

I only had a few of these guys. Marx made a durable toy, but it wasn't as flexible as a G.I. Joe. Like I said, I didn't play cowboy much. These guys would get dressed in Joe's clothes and forced to fight Nazis. I had the General Custard figure. For some reason he always seemed lost and out of place. Marx did make Army action figure, Stony Smith. I did like that guy, his molded plastic

David B. Finlaysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777087169060713857noreply@blogger.com2