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Ask Mr. Know-It-All By Gary Lee Clothier
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: I like Kevin O'Connor as host of the TV series "This Old House," but I also liked former host Steve Thomas. What happened to Steve? Why did he leave the show? -- B.T.M., Stuart, Fla.
A: In 1989, Steve Thomas replaced the original host of "This Old House," Bob Vila, who had hosted since 1979. The show's producers credit Steve with the successful launch of a new series, "Ask This Old House." After 14 years, Steve decided it was time to move in a different career direction.
In late 2002, Kevin O'Connor was a vice president at a Boston bank. He and his wife appeared on an episode of "Ask This Old House," seeking help in removing paint-encrusted wallpaper from their 1894 Queen Anne Victorian home in north Boston. He was later asked if he wanted to "help out." He, of course, thought he was wanted for his financial expertise. Instead, the show's execs asked him to do a screen test. He took over for Steve Thomas in 2003.
Steve has since made many appearances on TV talk shows, hosted "Renovation Nation" and is currently involved in Habitat for Humanity.
DID YOU KNOW? The medical term for snow blindness is chionablepsia.
Q: When did Wild West shows come to an end? When did they begin? -- V.J., Parsons, Kan.
A: The first and most famous Wild West shows were staged by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody beginning in 1883. The shows featured rope tricks, melodramas and sharpshooters performing for crowds around the world. Wild West shows enjoyed tremendous popularity for several years, but with the "taming" of the Western frontier in the early 1900s, the popularity of the shows dwindled.
After World War I, several attempts were made to revive the shows, but they all failed. Historians generally agree that "Colonel Tim McCoy's Real Wild West and Rough Riders of the World," which ran for only one month in 1938, was the last of the great traditional shows.
Before entering the world of entertainment, Tim McCoy (1891-1978) was decorated in World War I. During World War II he rose to the rank of colonel. Some might remember him as an on-screen cowboy in TV and movies. McCoy was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and appeared on the box of Wheaties cereal.
DID YOU KNOW? Although James Cagney is best remembered for his gangster roles, his first job as an entertainer was as a female dancer in a chorus line.
Q: During a coffee break, someone wondered how many people in the United States were drinking coffee at the same time we were. Is there such a stat? -- T.M.U., San Francisco
A: I found your answer in the November 2011 issue of Specialty Coffee Retailer magazine. In Jack Groot's column, "Jack's Blend," he says: "Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day, making the United States the leading coffee consumer in the world. Break that down, and we drink 16.7 million cups per hour, 300,000 cups per minute or 5,000 cups every second."
Jack Groot owns JP's Coffee in Holland, Mich.
DID YOU KNOW? The first guest on the Oct. 1, 1962, premiere of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" was Groucho Marx, who introduced the host.
Q: From the days of my youth I recall the advertising slogan "Buy'em by the sack." I don't remember the product being promoted. Do you know? -- C.J.L., Gallatin, Tenn.
A: You are recalling the ad slogan for White Castle hamburgers. There is a good book available, "Selling 'em by the Sack: White Castle and the Creation of American Food" by David G. Hogan about the restaurant.
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© 2011, Gary Clothier DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL UCLICK
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Arnold Ahlert | ||||||||||||
