A friend sent me this: The Worst Cars Ever. I see the Yugo is on the list, as it should be. Can't forget the Pinto. But the Chevette didn't make it on the list - a notable oversight. They were probably wary of having too many Chevrolets on the list...The next generation Beetle. I don't like it.
Last week, in conjunction with my posting of Burbank's Pumpkin Inn, I mentioned that Southern California seemed to have more than its share of whimsical buildings (ice cream stores in the shape of ice cream cones, hot dog eateries shaped like hot dogs, etc.). I have learned that these are called "programmatic buildings," or "vernacular architecture" from a book I checked out of the library: "California Crazy & Beyond - Roadside Vernacular Architecture" by Jim Heimann.
Thumbing through the pages I was delighted to find an old photo of "Barkies," a doggie-faced place I recall seeing when I was a little boy. The address puts it right near the Silver Lake district we lived in. I always wanted to go in there, but my parents would never take me; I'm guessing that it was no longer an eatery by the early Sixties. But I certainly do recall that doggie face!
I also found some additional text for Burbank's Pumpkin Inn - as well as photos of another odd-looking Burbank eatery from the late 1920's, the Mushrooms. I suppose... the hamburgers served there... were offered with mushrooms? I have no clue.
Also shown is the Tam O'Shanter, where I took my wife for dinner on our first date (after a day at Disneyland) in 1979 - it's still there. I recall seeing Curries ice cream, but never ate there. I did, however, eat in the Dog House with my Mom once, when I was about seven.
My wife and I watched "Goodfellas" (1990) last night for the first time. (I do watch recent films worth watching - it just takes me a while sometimes. The older and more obscure stuff takes precedence.) As everyone says, it is an excellent film. It is somewhat insidious in that it portrays being a mobster like any other career choice. Is it really like that? Do Mafia guys think, "I could have been a school teacher or a wiseguy. I chose this. I hope I can retire." And I was a bit surprised at how much comedy is in it. However, I couldn't watch this film without thinking about the Goodfeathers on the old Animaniacs show. Remember them? The pigeons who would argue amongst themselves and roost atop the statue of Martin Scorsese?
Goodfellas was the second in my Goombah Theater movies. ("A Bronx Tale" was the first.) I'm not sure what the third will be. "Mean Streets" (1973), maybe? I haven't seen that...
I have a doctor's appointment this morning... I negotiate with him about my blood pressure medication. He has me on Diovan HCT, which works great. But it's $23 a month. The other stuff I was on that I thought gave me coughing fits but really didn't (I think it was construction dust from putting in the hardwood floor), lisinopril, is only $1.50 a month. I want to go back on it. It works fine, too.
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