Famille Du Pentium

Joe Barbera, co-creator of some of the longest lasting cartoon series ever, died Monday in California.  His longtime business partner, Bill Hanna died in 2001. 

Co-Creator of such classics as Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, Tom and Jerry, and The Jetsons, Joe Barbera started out as a banker.  However his on-the-job doodling led to a stint first as a magazine writer and later as an animator. 

 
Except for the Flintstones, a cartoon that ran prime-time in the ’60’s, Hanna-Barbera didn’t enjoy a great deal of success within the American network television hierarchy.  But as The Jetsons took off in syndication, Joe Barbera quickly learned that syndication was the way to go.  Scooby-doo continued in Syndication and on Cartoon Network, which purchased Hanna-Barbera through Turner Broadcasting.

Joe Barbera was the jokester of the Hanna-Barbera duo, and his slapstick comedy, simply for the sake of comedy, will be sorely missed today.  

Good bye, Joe Barbera. 

I intended to write about this some time ago, when we heard that Milton Friedman died. I’m belated because I found myself actually sad that Milton Friedman is dead, which would be odd on the surface, because his area of education and teaching wasn’t exactly "every man" land.  I studied Milton Friedman as a fresh, gullible Economics student in college, and he had quite an impact on my then as now.  He was an economist, a very good one.  I needed to figure out how to put my impressions of this man into blog form.  After my remarks here, below you can follow a link to information about Dr. Friedman.

I guess what makes Milton Friedman special, as economists go, is his work in "laissez-faire capitalism."  This theory of economics insisted on limited government intervention in free markets, and proposed that all bad things would be made good again by shear market force.  Essentially, in a pure market-driven capitalist economy, everyone will – over time – do as well in the economy as they can possibly do.  We’re not talking about unavoidable destiny here, we’re talking about toughing it out, being the best you can be, and the market (employer, business, whatever) will treat you the best it can in return.  In an odd way, it’s fairness taken to a higher level.

In a sense, I guess that’s the "every man" angle I was looking for, and a theory that has driven my personal ambitions throughout my life.  I came from a somewhat humble economic environment in my childhood, and I have always worked hard to make things better for myself and my kids.  In the Milton Friedman world, by being smart and working hard, my lot in life over time was destined to improve.  And it did. 

The lesson we learned from Milton Friedman is, things will always balance out to the best possible condition that they can be.  Dr. Friedman was mostly concerned with economics, but we can apply this to almost anything, can’t we?  We don’t need someone else to have to make things better for us.  In fact, if we control our destiny, things will probably get better despite external interference, it just might take a little longer.

Here’s more information about Milton Friedman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_friedman

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found? The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

— Wish You Were Here, 1975 

Vince Welnick, the last of four keyboard players for the Grateful Dead, died Friday.  I had the opportunity to see Welnick at the Dead show in Chicago in the early 90’s, prior to Jerry’s death.  I also saw a Dead show in Irvine, California (my first show) with his predecessor, Brent Mydland, who died in 1990.   Vince was 51 years old. 

The Dead released a statement:

"Our Grateful Dead prayer for the repose of his spirit: May the four winds blow him safely home."

 Rest In Peace, Vince.

Bob Dylan turns 65 on Wenesday. 

 "How does it feel… to look like an aging hee-haw regular?"

Lets see how many of my siblings remember this

Sadly I just this week learned of the passing of Buck Owens.  I was raised on Buck Owens, by virtue of his long-running show Hee-Haw.  Hee-Haw, it is little known, was the longest running show ever – 24 years, from 1968 to 1992.   It ran in syndication all but the first 3 or 4 years, often against powerhouse shows like Lawrence Welk.   One of my earliest childhood memories was asking my mom if, after we made a planned move from suburban Chicago, IL to San Antonio, TX, we would still be able to receive the Hee-Haw show.  That’s right, I was worried about not being able to watch Hee-Haw IN TEXAS.  Hey, I was six.

In honor of Buck Owens, I must post the following song, written by Buck, in his memory.  It definately brings back memories for me.   Where, oh where are you, Buck? 

 

Down here on the farm the weather gets messy

Laying around with nothin' to do

When you went away, you took my cow Bessie

I miss her darling, more than I miss you

You took off your leg, your wig and your eye glass

And you should've seen the look on my face

I wanted to kiss, I wanted to hug you

But you were scattered all over the place

Chorus:Where, where, are you tonight?

Why did you leave me here all alone?

I searched the world over,And thought I found true love.

You met another andPhht! you were gone.

I know that you loved me, here's my way of knowing

The proofs hanging out right there on the line

When I see the snow and feel the wind blowing

Your nighties hugging them long johns of mine

The noises you made at our supper table

Your habits, my dear, were surely absurd

But how many times do I have to tell you

Soup is a dish to be seen and not heard

Chorus:Where, oh where, are you tonight?

Why did you leave me here all alone?

I searched the world over,And thought I found true love.

You met another andPhht! you were gone.

Remember you phoned me a-sobbin' and cryin'

The dog bit your maw, and drug her around

You said she looked pale and thought she was dying

I said "Don't worry, I'll buy a new hound."

I had six kids and you had eleven

And we had a boy, and they grew like flowers

I wish you'd come back, without you ain't heaven

'Cause your kids and my kids are beatin' up ours

Chorus:Where, oh where, are you tonight?

Why did you leave me here all alone?

I searched the world over,And thought I found true love.

You met another andPhht! you were gone

I searched the world over,And thought I found true love.

You met another andPhht! you were gone...