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Good afternoon everyone.

The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer
Johnny Cash Lyrics

Johnny Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight
He said "Before the sheriff comes I wanna tell you," Said "Listen boy
Learn to hoist a jack and learn to lay a track learn to pick and shovel too
And take that hammer, It'll do anything you tell it to."

John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies
John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen times
The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money
He said, "I'll pay you a quarter at a time startin' tomorrow
that's the pay for a steel driver on this line."

Then the section foreman said, "Hey! Hammer-swinger!
I see you your own hammer boy but, what all can them muscles do?" and he said,
"I can turn a jack I can lay a track I can pick and shovel too."
"Can you swing a hammer, boy?" "Yes sir, I'll do anything you hire me to."

Spoken:
"Now ain't you somethin'! So high and mighty with all that muscle! Just go
ahead, boy. Pick up that hammer, pick up the hammer!"

He said to get a rusted spike and swing it down three times
I'll pay you a nickel a day for every inch you sink it to
Go on and do what you say you can do

With a steel-nosed hammer on a four foot switch handle
John Henry raised it back til' it touched his heels then
The spike went through the cross-tie and split it half in two
Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel
"Sweat! Sweat, boy! Sweat! Only two more swings!"
"I was born drivin' steel"

Well John Henry hammered in the mountain
He'd give a grunt he give a groan every swing
The women-folks from miles around heard him and come down
To watch make the coal-steel ring "Lord! What a swinger!
Watch him make the coal-steel ring"

But the bad boys came up laughin' at John Henry
They said," Your full of vinegar now but you bout' through!
We gonna get a steamdrill to do your share of drivin'
Then what's all them muscles gonna do? Huh? John Henry?
Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you."

John Henry said,"I feed for little brothers
and baby sisters' walkin' on her knees
Now did the Lord say that machines ought to take place of livin'?
And what's a substitute for bread and beans? I ain't seen it!
Do engines get rewarded for their steam?

John Henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner nap
Had thirty minutes to rest before the bell
The mine boys hollered," Get up whoever you are and get a pickax
Mine me enough to start another hell and keep it burnin'
Mine me enough to start another hell.

John Henry said to his captain said "A man ain't nothin' but a man
but if you'll bring that steamdrill 'round I'll beat it fair and honest.
I'll die with that hammer in my hand but, I'll be laughin',
cause you can't replace a steel-drivin' man.

There was a big crowd of people at the mountain.
John Henry said to the steam-drill "How is you?
(spoken) Pardon me, Mister Steamdrill I suppose you didn't hear me. Huh?
Well, can you turn a jack? Can you lay a track? Can you pick and shovel too?
Listen, this hammer-swinger's talkin' to you.

(Faster...........)
Two-thousand people hollered, "Go John Henry!!!!!"
Then somebody hollered," The mountain's cavin' in!!!!!!"
John Henry told the captin,"Tell the kind-folks not to worry
It ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind, it keeps me breathin'
This steel-driver's muscle it ain't thin.

"Captain tell the people to move back farther
I'm at the finish line and there ain't no drill
It's so far behind that it don't got the brains to quit it
When she blows up she'll scatter cross the hills Lord, Lord
When she blows up she'll scatter cross the hills"

(Slower...........)
(Spoken)
Well, John Henry had a little woman
I believe the lady's name was Paulie Ann yeah that was his good woman
John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home
He laid down to rest his weary back and early next mornin' he said,
"Come here Paulie Ann, come here sugar.
You know I believe this is the first time there ever was the sun come
and I couldn't come up. Take my hammer, Paulie Ann and go to that railroad
Swing that hammer like you seen me do it
They'll all know your John Henry's woman but tell em' that ain't all you can
do
Tell em'.........

I can hoist a jack and I can lay a track I can pick and shovel too.
Ain't no machine can that's been proved to you!

There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house
The section hands laid him in the sand
Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid.
They slow down and take off the hats, the men do
when they come to the place where he's laying' retsina' his back.
They say,"Mornin' Steel-driver, you sure was a hammer-swinger."
Then they go on by pickin' up a little bit of speed.
Clickity clack clickity clack clickity clack clickity clack

(Fade............)
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man lord lord
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man lord lord
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man lord lord
Yonder lies a steel-drivin' man

Welcome back, Try. We missed you, buddy.

I love the ballads of John Henry, and the lyrics vary from each one, each time.

I don't know where this memory came from, folks, but it must have been one of those oral traditions that surfaces in my mind from time to time:

Oh, the nine pound hammer,
It's a little too heavy,
Oh, the nine pound hammer,
It's a little too heavy,
Oh, the nine pound hammer,
It's a little too heavy,Lord,
It killed John Henry
(It killed John Henry)
But it won't kill me.

Oh, I'm sowing on the mountain,
And I'm reaping in the valley,
Oh, Im sowing on the mountain,
And I'm reaping in the valley,
Oh, I'm sowing on the valley,
And I'm reaping in the valley, Lord.

You're gonna reap
(You're gonna reap)
Just what you sow.

Shall we discuss judicial review?

The world is lyrical
Because a miracle
Has brought my lover to me
Though she's some other place, her face I see

At night I creep in bed
And never sleep in bed
But look above in the air
And to my greatest joy, my love is there

She dances overhead
On the ceiling near my bed
In my sight
All through the night

I try to hide in vain
Underneath my counterpane
But there's my love
up there above

I whisper, "Go away, my lover
It's not fair"
But I'm so grateful to discover
That she's still there

I love my ceiling more
Since it is a dancing floor
Just for my love

Johnny Mathis

the politics thread is jumpin' lately

everybody agreeing to disagree about where they stand

mr. cash had something to say about that

The One On The Right Is On The Left
Johnny Cash

There once was a musical troupe
A pickin' singin' folk group
They sang the mountain ballads
And the folk songs of our land

They were long on musical ability
Folks thought they would go far
But political incompatibility led to their downfall

Well, the one on the right was on the left
And the one in the middle was on the right
And the one on the left was in the middle
And the guy in the rear was a Methodist

This musical aggregation toured the entire nation
Singing the traditional ballads
And the folk songs of our land
They performed with great virtuosity
And soon they were the rage
But political animosity prevailed upon the stage

Well, the one on the right was on the left
And the one in the middle was on the right
And the one on the left was in the middle
And the guy in the rear burned his driver's license

Well the curtain had ascended
A hush fell on the crowd
As thousands there were gathered to hear The folk songs of our land
But they took their politics seriously
And that night at the concert hall
As the audience watched hilariously
They had a free-for-all

Well, the one on the right was on the bottom
And the one in the middle was on the top
And the one on the left got a broken arm
And the guy on his rear said "Oh dear"

Now this should be a lesson if you plan to start a folk group
Don't go mixin' politics with the folk songs of our land
Just work on harmony and diction
Play your banjo well
And if you have political convictions keep 'em to yourself

Now, the one on the left works in a bank
And the one in the middle drives a truck
The one on the right's an all night DJ
And the guy in the rear got drafted

Ballad in Plain D

I once loved a girl, her skin it was bronze.
With the innocence of a lamb, she was gentle like a fawn.
I courted her proudly but now she is gone,
Gone as the season she's taken.

Through young summer's breeze, I stole her away
From her mother and sister, though close did they stay.
Each one of them suffering from the failures of their day,
With strings of guilt they tried hard to guide us.

Of the two sisters, I loved the young.
With sensitive instincts, she was the creative one.
The constant scapegoat, she was easily undone
By the jealousy of others around her.

For her parasite sister, I had no respect,
Bound by her boredom, her pride to protect.
Countless visions of the other she'd reflect
As a crutch for her scenes and her society.

Myself, for what I did, I cannot be excused,
The changes I was going through can't even be used,
For the lies that I told her in hopes not to lose
The could-be dream-lover of my lifetime.

With unknown consciousness, I possessed in my grip
A magnificent mantelpiece, though its heart being chipped,
Noticing not that I'd already slipped
To a sin of love's false security.

From silhouetted anger to manufactured peace,
Answers of emptiness, voice vacancies,
Till the tombstones of damage read me no questions but, "Please,
What's wrong and what's exactly the matter?"

And so it did happen like it could have been foreseen,
The timeless explosion of fantasy's dream.
At the peak of the night, the king and the queen
Tumbled all down into pieces.

"The tragic figure!" her sister did shout,
"Leave her alone, God damn you, get out!"
And I in my armor, turning about
And nailing her to the ruins of her pettiness.

Beneath a bare light bulb the plaster did pound
Her sister and I in a screaming battleground.
And she in between, the victim of sound,
Soon shattered as a child 'neath her shadows.

All is gone, all is gone, admit it, take flight.
I gagged twice, doubled, tears blinding my sight.
My mind it was mangled, I ran into the night
Leaving all of love's ashes behind me.

The wind knocks my window, the room it is wet.
The words to say I'm sorry, I haven't found yet.
I think of her often and hope whoever she's met
Will be fully aware of how precious she is.

Ah, my friends from the prison, they ask unto me,
"How good, how good does it feel to be free?"
And I answer them most mysteriously,
"Are birds free from the chains of the skyway?"


B Dylan

Well, edgar. I certainly did not know that Johnny did that one, Texas. I love it. (my mom used to call that coverlet "counterpin" <smile>)

Hey, Canada. We missed you as well. Yes, dj. another Johnny who knew the sum and substance of politics. Great song. I love it.(left, left, left ,right, left)

Thinking of Noddy's exploration of the winter solstice, this evening, I remember my Irish friend, Al, who declared that the real Indian summer came in December.

From Francis Albert:

Summer, you old Indian Summer
You're the tear that comes after June-time's laughter
You see so many dreams that don't come true
Dreams we fashioned when Summertime was new

You are here to watch over
Some heart that is broken by a word that somebody left unspoken
You're the ghost of a romance in June going astray
Fading too soon, that's why I say
"Farewell to you, Indian Summer"


<extended>

You are here to watch over
A heart that is broken by a word that somebody left unspoken
You're the ghost of a romance in June going astray
Fading too soon, that's why I say
"Farewell to you, Indian Summer"

You old Indian Summer

Missed your Dylan song, edgar. That's a new one to me. Rather reminded me of Letty. <smile>

I know that Bob Dylan claims that he did not get his moniker from Dylan Thomas, but I do love this poem:


A process in the weather of the heart
by: Dylan Thomas

A process in the weather of the heart
Turns damp to dry; the golden shot
Storms in the freezing tomb.
A weather in the quarter of the veins
Turns night to day; blood in their suns
Lights up the living worm.

A process in the eye forwarns
the bones of blindness; and the womb
Drives in a death as life leaks out.

A darkness in the weather of the eye
Is half its light; the fathomed sea
Breaks on unangled land.
The seed that makes a forest of the loin
Forks half its fruit; and half drops down,
Slow in a sleeping wind.

A weather in the flesh and bone
Is damp and dry; the quick and dead
Move like two ghosts before the eye.

A process in the weather of the world
Turns ghost to ghost; each mothered child
Sits in their douible shade.
A process blows the moon into the sun,
Pulls down the shabby curtains of the skin;
And the heart gives up its dead.

Not to insert politics into our little cyber radio station, but I do believe that Jimmy Carter attempted to get Dylan's body moved to Westminster Abbey.

Good morning, WA2K listeners and contributors.

Today is history day on WA2K. I was a bit surprised when I read this bit of news:

Christmas trees at Seattle airport removed after rabbi complaints
(12/11/06) - There is a damper on Christmas cheer at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: A rabbi's complaint led to the removal this weekend of synthetic Christmas trees that have decorated the entrances every holiday season for the last 25 years.


The man behind their disappearance, Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, told a Seattle newspaper he's "appalled" that the airport officials removed the trees. His goal was not to clear out Christmas, but rather to add a celebration of Hanukah. He asked the port of Seattle, which runs the airport, to build an eight-foot menorah and hold a lighting ceremony.

I had always thought that Martin Luther initiated the first Christmas tree, but I was mistaken. The first documented use of an evergreen tree was in Riga, Latvia circa 1505. WOW!

Here's the tradational German carol:

Oh Tannenbaum

Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum
Wie treu sind Deine Blätter
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit
Nein auch im Winter wenn es schneit
Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum
Wie treu sind Deine Blätter

[Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
Gibt Trost und Kraft zu aller Zeit
Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren]

((Ich kenne ein Bäumchen...))

Ich kenne ein Bäumchen
Gar fein und zart
Das trägt euch Früchte seltener Art
Es funkelt und leuchtet in hellem Schein
Weit in des Winters Nacht hinein

Van Heflin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Birth name Emmett Evan Heflin Jr.
Born December 13, 1910
Walters, Oklahoma, USA
Died July 23, 1971
Hollywood, California, USA

Van Heflin, (December 13, 1910 - July 23, 1971), born Emmett Evan Heflin Jr., was an Academy Award winning American film and theater actor.

Born in Walters, Oklahoma of French and Irish descent. Heflin attended the University of Oklahoma, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He began his acting career on Broadway in the early 1930's before being signed to a contract by RKO Studios. His first film A Woman Rebels (1936) featured him opposite Katharine Hepburn, and although he received good reviews, RKO did not try to build his potential. Signed by MGM Studios in he was initially cast in supporting roles in films such as Santa Fe Trail (1940), and Johnny Eager (1942), winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the latter performance.

MGM began to groom him as a leading man in "B Movies", and provided him with strong supporting roles in more prestigious productions. Among his more notable film credits are Presenting Lily Mars (1943), The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), Possessed (1947), The Prowler (1951), Shane (1953) and the lead in the classic 1948 film noir Act of Violence.

He also returned to perform on stage throughout his acting career. His stage credits include The Philadelphia Story on Broadway opposite Katharine Hepburn and Joseph Cotten.

His last major role was in the film Airport (1970). He played "D. O. Guerrero", a failure who hopes to "redeem" himself by blowing himself up on an airliner so his wife (played by Maureen Stapleton) can collect on a life insurance policy.

On July 6, 1971, he was stricken with a heart attack while in a swimming pool. He managed to get to the pool's ladder, where he held on until found later in the day. He lay unconscious for days, apparently never regaining consciousness. Van Heflin died at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital on July 23, 1971. He was 60 years old.

He had left instructions forbidding a public funeral. Instead, his cremated remains were scattered on the ocean. Heflin was a sailor before becoming an actor.

Van Heflin has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures at 6309 Hollywood Boulevard, and for television at 6125 Hollywood Boulevard.

He was the brother of Daytime Emmy nominated actress Frances Heflin, who died of lung cancer at the age of 70 in 1994

Curd Jürgens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Curd Jürgens (December 13, 1915 - June 18, 1982) was an Austrian stage and motion-picture actor of German-French parentage. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens. In 1945 Jürgens took Austrian citizenship.

He was born in Solln, Bavaria, Germany. He began his working career as a journalist before becoming an actor at the urging of his actress wife, Louise Basler. He spent much of his early acting career on the stage in Vienna.

Critical of the Nazis in his native Germany, in 1944 he was shipped to a concentration camp for "political unreliables." Jürgens survived and after the war became an Austrian citizen. However, like many multilingual German-speaking actors, he went on to play soldiers in innumerable war movies. Notable performances in this vein include a medative officer in the epic The Longest Day. His breakthrough screen role came in Des Teufels General (1955, The Devil's General) and he came to Hollywood following his appearance in the sensational 1956 Roger Vadim directed French film Et Dieu... créa la femme (And God Created Woman) starring Brigitte Bardot. In 1957, Jürgens made his first Hollywood film, The Enemy Below. Jürgens became an international film star. He eventually gained the role of the villain in Roger Moore's favourite James Bond film in The Spy Who Loved Me as Karl Stromberg, the sociopathic industrialist seeking to transform the world into an ocean paradise.

Although he appeared in over 100 films, Jürgens considered himself primarily a stage actor. He directed a few films with limited success, and also wrote screenplays. Curd Jürgens was married five times; one of his wives was actress Eva Bartok.

Showing his sense of humor, he titled his 1975 autobiography Sixty and Not Yet Wise.

Jürgens maintained a home in France but frequently returned to Vienna to perform on stage and that was where he died of a heart attack in 1982. He was interred in the city's Zentralfriedhof. Jürgens had suffered another heart attack several years before. During this he had a terrifying experience where he claimed he died and went to hell.

Dick Van Dyke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Born December 13, 1925
West Plains, MO, USA



Biography

Early life

Van Dyke was born in West Plains, Missouri and grew up in Danville, Illinois, as the son of Loren Wayne "Cookie" Van Dyke, a traveling salesman for the Sunshine Biscuit Company with a talent for comedy, and Hazel Vorice McCord. He attended elementary school in Danville, starting in 1931. In 1938 the family moved to Crawfordsville, Ind. for two years, and returned to Danville in 1940 to attend high school there. As a child, he was inspired to go into show business by watching Laurel & Hardy films at the movie theater. After appearing in many high school plays and community theatre productions, Van Dyke enlisted in the Air Force during World War II. There he participated in stage shows and worked as a radio DJ.


Television career

After hosting local comedy television shows in Atlanta and New Orleans, Van Dyke signed a contract with CBS in 1956. His first network series was as the host the first network prime-time cartoon show, The CBS Cartoon Theater, which aired for 13 episodes during the summer of 1956. He appeared on numerous CBS game shows and talk shows, either as host or guest. He made his acting debut in an episode of The Phil Silvers Show.


Van Dyke with his co-star on The Dick Van Dyke Show Mary Tyler MooreVan Dyke then left CBS for the Broadway stage. In 1960, he starred in the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie opposite Chita Rivera. The show was a box-office success and he won a Tony Award. Carl Reiner saw Van Dyke in Bye Bye Birdie and cast him in the role of Rob Petrie in the highly-rated and critically acclaimed CBS sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke Show. The show was about a staff of writers for The Alan Brady Show, a fictional TV variety show conceptually based on the 1950s hit, Your Show of Shows. The show divided its time between the office and home, making a star of a young Mary Tyler Moore as his wife, Laura. Reiner originally planned to star as Rob Petrie but after filming a pilot he realized he was wrong for the role. Reiner instead opted to play Alan Brady, the role loosely based on Sid Caesar. For the role of Rob Petrie, Van Dyke won three Emmy Awards. The Dick Van Dyke Show ran for five seasons.

Film career

Van Dyke began his film career by reprising his stage role in the film version of Bye Bye Birdie in 1963. Although Van Dyke was unhappy with the adaptation because the focus was shifted to Ann-Margret's character, the film was a major success. He followed that up with Walt Disney's Mary Poppins in 1964, in which he played Bert, a Cockney chimney sweep, and also, in heavy disguise, the elderly owner of the bank. His attempt at a Cockney accent (and his tendency to lapse in and out of it) was widely ridiculed (especially in the UK). But the film was very popular and innovative and also showed his versatility as a singer and dancer. One of his showcase songs, "Chim Chim Cheree", won the Oscar for the Sherman Brothers, the film's songwriting team.

Van Dyke made several more comedy movies throughout the 1960s including What a Way to Go!, Lt. Robin Crusoe, USN, Fitzwilly, The Art of Love, Never a Dull Moment, and Divorce American Style. Although most of his movies from this era were relatively unsuccessful, the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was a worldwide success and is still fondly remembered today. In later years, Van Dyke would complain that he had "never made a good movie".


Dramatic roles and career comeback

In 1969, Van Dyke appeared in his first semi-dramatic role in the comedy-drama The Comic which was written and directed by Carl Reiner. Van Dyke plays a silent-film era comedian who struggles with alcoholism and depression. Reiner wrote the film especially for Van Dyke who would often talk of his admiration for silent film era comedians such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Ben Turpin and his hero, Stan Laurel. He also began starring in a series of commercials as a spokesperson for Kodak.

In 1971, Van Dyke starred with Hope Lange in another sitcom called The New Dick Van Dyke Show. In it, he played Dick Preston, a local talk show host in Phoenix, Arizona. Van Dyke was living in Arizona at the time and the show was filmed there. Despite airing for three seasons, the show was not as popular as his previous series had been.

In 1973, Van Dyke voiced his animated likeness for the October 27, 1973 installment of Hanna-Barbera's The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "Scooby-Doo Meets Dick Van Dyke" (aka "The Haunted Carnival"), the series' final first run episode.

In 1974, Van Dyke received wide acclaim and an Emmy nomination for his role as an alcoholic businessman in the television movie The Morning After. Regarded by many as the most realistic television film ever made dealing with alcoholism, it is sometimes shown at treatment centers. The final scene in particular is regarded by many as chilling and unforgettable. It was at this time that Van Dyke admitted he had recently overcome a real-life drinking problem.

In 1975, he played another atypical role as murdering photographer in an episode of the popular series Columbo. Also at about this time, he did public service announcements for National Fire Protection Agency, and would do so until about 1984. Van Dyke returned to comedy in 1976 with the sketch comedy show Van Dyke and Company which also starred Andy Kaufman and Super Dave Osborne. Despite being cancelled after only three months, the show won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy-Variety Series, beating Saturday Night Live. In 1977, Van Dyke then joined the cast of The Carol Burnett Show after Harvey Korman left the show. Unfortunately, he was not able to generate the same chemistry with Burnett as Korman had and he left the show after three months. For the next decade, he appeared mainly in low-rated TV movies, the exception was another atypical role as a murdering judge on the first episode of the TV series Matlock in 1986 starring Andy Griffith. In 1988, Van Dyke returned with another sitcom called The Van Dyke Show which co-starred his son, Barry. The show was cancelled after just five episodes.


Van Dyke in his role as Dr. Mark Sloan on Diagnosis: MurderHis career seemed essentially over by 1989 when Dick Van Dyke started a career comeback. First, he took a guest starring role on NBC's hit TV series The Golden Girls playing Bea Arthur's character Dorothy's beau, who decides to give up being a lawyer to become a circus clown. The role that earned him his first Emmy nomination since 1977. The next year in 1990, Van Dyke, whose usual role had been the amiable hero, took a small, but villainous turn as the crooked D.A Fletcher in Warren Beatty's movie Dick Tracy. Though his role in the movie was very small, he received positive reviews. The reviews he received for Tracy led him to star in a series of TV movies on CBS that became the foundation for his popular television drama, Diagnosis: Murder, which ran from 1993 to 2001. (He first played the character, Dr. Mark Sloane, in an episode of Jake and the Fatman.)

In 2003, Dick Van Dyke reunited with Mary Tyler Moore in a dramatically and critically successful performance of The Gin Game, produced for television.

In 2004, Van Dyke would make a return to the hospital in Scrubs, where he played a doctor who could not keep up with the changing ways of medical care. In early 2006, Dick Van Dyke starred as Dr. Jonathan Maxwell in a made-for-TV movie, Murder 101. His son Barry also starred in the movie. In 2006, the film Curious George was released with Van Dyke as Mr. Bloomsburry.

Van Dyke is due to appear in the new Ben Stiller film Night at the Museum set for release at the end of 2006.


Other work

Van Dyke was a great admirer of Stan Laurel and even gave the eulogy at his funeral. He also produced a TV special soon afterward, A Salute to Stan Laurel. He once met Laurel and told him he had copied a great deal from him. He said Laurel only laughed and said, "I've noticed that". Van Dyke received a Grammy Award for his performance on the soundtrack to Mary Poppins.


Personal life

Van Dyke is the older brother of actor Jerry Van Dyke, who is best known for his role on the TV series Coach. Dick's son Barry Van Dyke and grandson Carry Van Dyke are also actors: Barry, Carry and other Van Dyke relations and grandchildren acted with Dick on various episodes of the long-running Diagnosis: Murder series.

He was married to Margie Willett from 1948 to 1984 (though they were separated several years before). She's the mother of his four children: Christian, Barry, Carrie Beth and Stacy, all of them married. They have given him seven grandchildren. He is currently living with Michelle Triola.

During The Dick Van Dyke Show, he also was fighting alcoholism, which he successfully conquered. He has also served as an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

In 1970, he published Faith, Hope and Hilarity: a Child's Eye View of Religion, a book of humorous anecdotes based largely on his experiences as a Sunday School teacher.

Van Dyke is a computer animation enthusiast and has displayed some of his CGI work at trade shows. This interest is referred to in the 2004 TV movie The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited, which shows that Rob Petrie has also become a CGI hobbyist.


Trivia

In the Family Guy episode PTV, the FCC censored his name because it was seen as offensive.
Dick Van Dyke is left-handed
Dick Van Dyke has enjoyed a recent increase in popularity, primarily amongst young people thanks to the success of the humorous creation Dick van damme, which consists of Dick Van Dyke's head on Jean Claude Van Damme's body. Many variations on this idea have been created, and it's popularity is mainly down to the character's increasing fame on myspace.com

THIS IS KIND OF AMUSING!

The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in a casual manner, think about whether you want the "politicians" spending your tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

a. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

b. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

c A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

d. A billion days ago no one walked on the earth on two feet.

e. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans . It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division . ..

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number, what does it mean?

a. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.

b. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

c. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D.C .. HELLO!!! ... Are all your calculators broken??



This is too true to be very funny

Tax his land, Tax his wage,

Tax his bed in which he lays.

Tax his tractor, Tax his mule,

Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow, Tax his goat,

Tax his pants, Tax his coat.

Tax his ties, Tax his shirts,

Tax his work, Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink,

Tax him if he tries to think.

Tax his booze, Tax his beers,

If he cries, Tax his tears.

Tax his bills, Tax his gas,

Tax his notes, Tax his cash.

Tax him good and let him know

That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers, Tax him more,

Tax him until he's good and sore.

Tax his coffin, Tax his grave,

Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,

"Taxes drove me to my doom!"

And when he's gone, We won't relax,

We'll still be after the inheritance TAX!!



Accounts Receivable Tax

Building Permit Tax

CDL License Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Dog License Tax

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Fuel Permit Tax

Gasoline Tax

Hunting License Tax

Inheritance Tax

Inventory Tax

IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),

IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax),

Liquor Tax,

Luxury Tax,

Marriage License Tax,

Medicare Tax,

Property Tax,

Real Estate Tax,

Service charge taxes,

Social Security Tax,

Road Usage Tax (Truckers),

Sales Taxes,

Recreational Vehicle Tax,

School Tax,

State Income Tax,

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),

Telephone Federal Excise Tax,

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,

Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax,

Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax,

Telephone State and Local Tax,

Telephone Usage Charge Tax,

Utility Tax,

Vehicle License Registration Tax,

Vehicle Sales Tax,

Watercraft Registration Tax,

Well Permit Tax,

Workers Compensation Tax.

COMMENTS:

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and there was prosperity, absolutely no national debt, the largest middle class in the world and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What has happened?????

Well, there's our hawkman, folks, with great bio's. Hope Raggedy can make it today. We, once again, are inspired when she puts photo to info.

What happened, Bob? Who knows. It all started with taxation without representation. That may well be the case again.

Nothing scot free any longer.

Here's a Tax song by Tax Man Max:



Welcome to the new variety, sit and relax.
I'm that song and dance phenomenon, Max
Let me sing for you, do my thing for you,
'Till they give me the axe.
Here's the song I'm doing, gonna fill in you all about tax.
Tax is that familiar melody, sinful and true.
Hum it if you've earned a dollar or two.
Bucks in billions for the government for whatever they do.
Anyone who earns a living gives more than a few.
So schools can be their best, so our roads will have no cracks;
Someone fix those train tracks!
I'm even callin' you Uncle and I'm payin' my tax.

Oh, these are my girls. Hello girls.
Hello max. Nice outfit.
There are many different ways we pay what we owe.
Lady's if you'll follow the lovely tableau.
Income, property, sales, utility. Candy bars in my show.
Licenses for dogs and cats, and that's not all you know.
Out of every dollar a person can make,
City, State and Federal governments take...
Take what?
What they think is fair you givin' your share;
Now and then there's a break.

Max is talking taxes,
Hey, I kept you awake! For the things your town may need,
For the things a country lacks,
All good things take green backs.
We hear you callin' Uncle and we're paying our tax.
People do complain,
Say their taxes are high;
What am I to get in return?

Look around you friend,Max is showin' you why,
With your taxes you support
How we live and how we learn
Now here's the good news,
Many things are tax deductible.

Which means their cost can be subtracted from the amount of income you'll be taxed on. Things like medicine, doctor bills, and supplies for your work.

So keep those receipts.
Be kind to your parents at tax time.
And remember April 15th. April 15th.

What a showman you are Max.
Entertaining us with tax,
In those snazzy plaid slacks.
These slacks are for my business.
I tell you how to fit them.
I hear you callin' Uncle, and I'm paying my tax.
His tax are max.

And I'm deducting my sax.

Quote for the day: "There are going to be taxes, and you're going to have to pay them. Harry Truman

Good afternoon.

I took some pictures to get my mind off of Bob's tax info. UGH!

There's our Raggedy with pictures that are really diversions. Wow! I don't EVEN want to think of the IRS at this time of year.

All men today, I see. Like 'em, PA.

Van and Curt and Dick and Chris. Neat quartet, gal.

Jerry Van Dyke is still going strong on TV. He's a funny man as well.

Since one of Dick's most popular movies was about a car, let's hear one, folks:

Artist: Lyrics
Song: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Finale)

Oh you pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
We love you,
And our
Pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang loves us too
High low anywhere we go
On Chitty Chitty we depend
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend
It's uncategorical
A fuel burning oracle
A fantasmagorical machine
It's more than spectacular
To use the vernacular
It's wizard
It's smashing
It's keen
Oh Chitty
You Chitty
Pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
We love you
And Chitty, in Chitty
Pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang what we'll do
Near Chitty, far Chitty
In our motor car oh what a happy time we'll spend
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend.....(hold)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Fine four fendered Chitty Chitty friend

Hi letty hi everybody. I love this, I actually somehow see myself in this lyric,

Within Temptation



In this world you tried

Not leaving me alone behind

There's no other way

I'll pray to the gods let him stay

The memories ease the pain inside,

Now I know why


All of my memories keep you near.

In silent moments,

Imagine you'd be here.

All of my memories keep you near,

Your silent whispers, silent tears


Made me promise I'd try

To find my way back in this life.

I hope there is a way

To give me a sign you're okay.

Reminds me again it's worth it all

So I can go home.


All of my memories keep you near.

In silent moments,

Imagine you'd be here.

All of my memories keep you near,

Your silent whispers, silent tears.


Together in all these memories

I see your smile.

All the memories I hold dear.

Darling, you know I'll love you

till the end of time.


All of my memories keep you near.

In silent moments,

Imagine you'd be here.

All of my memories keep you near,

Your silent whispers, silent tears.


All of my memories

navigator, Welcome back, honey. That is a lovely song, and so true. Thank you, dear.

Love the line, "silent whispers; silent tears." Here's a companion to yours:

Lyric Title: Memories of You
Sung By: Frank Sinatra

Waking skies at sunrise, every sunset, too,
Seems to be bringing me memories of you.
Here and there, everywhere - scenes that we once knew,
And they all just recall memories of you.

How I wish I could forget those happy yesteryears
That have left a rosary of tears.

Your face beams in my dreams, 'spite of all I do.
Everything seems to bring memories of you.
How I wish I could forget those, those happy yesteryears
That have left a rosary of tears.
Your face beams in my dreams, 'spite of all I do, and
Everything seems to bring memories of you

Hi letty, thanks. That was lovely

Don't be away from us so long, navigator. I hope all is well with you and your family.

For you and yours, an Arabian star flower: