HELP! HELP! HELP! I need help from my pals!

Amsterdam, NL-KLM Airlines is running a contest for videos where people like me have to pronounce the Dutch translation of Royal Dutch Airlines.  I know that there is nearly always humor in watching people struggle through pronouncing words and phrases. It’s a cute marketing idea.  I have entered the contest and I MUST win!

More importantly the Netherlands is a terrific summer destination that offers terrific art, culture, flowers and food.  There are historical places everywhere and the World Court is at the Haag.  The Dutch worked very hard to protect victims of Nazi tyranny during the war and nothing demonstrates that better than the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

Please watch my video below so that it gets lots of hits.   I’d love doing some video blog stories from there.  I will also try and get a video interview of my favorite actress Carice van Houten too while I’m there.

Okay Please  watch and share my video below so often I can win my trip.

Having Fun In Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA—The best part of our lives is spent with friends we make along the way. While working on a friend’s film I ran in to an elementary teacher who is also a talented performer. Jack Fry and his pal, Hollywood, were in the film.

I have some dear friends in Berlin and one of them is coming to L.A. next week and I thought that I’d create a buzz with a video staring Jack Fry and Hollywood.

Some background on these ladies shown above: Andrea Fleckenstein is affectionately called “Strudel” by me. Christine Fleckenstein, her daughter is likewise been named, “Baby Strudel”. Both of these ladies are incredibly fun, elegant and gorgeous. Baby Strudel is not just pretty, but also a well-regarded dentist in Berlin.

After Jack and Hollywood appeared in the film they were gracious enough to tell me what they thought of my lady friends and the specter of an impending visit.

Jack has a website and tours the nation with his show. With any luck you may be able to coordinate a time and place to catch his act at www.theycallmemisterfry.com sometime soon.

On a side note I can’t imagine how lucky Jack’s students are to have a real showman that can captivate their attention. What American teachers seen to always lack is excitement and showmanship. Droning on like Ben Stein’s character in Ferris Buhler’s Day off as he calls out, “Buhler? Buhler?” is what kids expect these days.

Here is that welcome video Jack and Hollywood made for Strudel and Baby Strudel.

Having a fun day with Celebrity Firearms

Los Angeles, CA—They make a lot of films here and when that happens they need props. Guns are in most every film and they have to keep a massive supply on hand.

Whether they’re making a Cowboy shoot’em up or a war film they need enough guns for the armies of actors and extras.

I spent the day with my beautiful friend, Andrea at a prop house and played with so many really nice firearms.

From top to bottom:
1. The M-! Garand rifle used by Clint Eastwood in his film Gran Torino
2. Lots of H&K products. You can never have too many MP5 sub-machine guns!
3. 3This Gattlin gun has been in many films including 3:10 to Yuma.
4. A blunderbuss from Pirates of the Caribbean
5. A “Chicago Typewriter” used in Public Enemies.

I'd like to thank ISS Props for the sneak peek at their wares: http://issprops.com/

Chicago’s Salatino’s is a Fun Place for a Tasty Italian Dinner

Chicago, IL—Having a time consuming assignment in this fine old neighborhood is not bad considering many great restaurants in the area. Taylor Street was the location of one of my all time favorites, Genero’s but that great place closed down. I became addicted to Genero’s when I was assigned to the Monroe Street District in my youth

Not to be dismayed I set out in search of some older looking; in the know neighborhood types and found a small group that might give us a recommendation. They told us to go to Salatino’s nearby at 626 S. Racine.

Getting a parking spot was not too difficult and we were seated quickly considering it was a Friday night.

We were greeted by General Manager Jimmy Psyhogios who was a friendly take charge type guy intent on making sure we had an enjoyable experience.

When I think of Italian dining there is an image of red-checkered table clothes and a candle stuck in an empty basket-bottle of Dago Red. Of course there should be the Mario Lanzi, Eddie Fisher and Al Martino music from the 1950’s and a waiter who sounds like he’s not long off the boat.

Those basket bottles have all but disappeared from the planet. The waiters have ben replaced by younger kids who have never even seen Italy except on television. As for the music, I heard none, or if there was any it was drowned out by the chatter of happy diners. But the proof was in the meal.

The decor inside this place included many large black & white period photos (1950’s) of Italian celebrities.

They brought us some of the best hot bread I’ve ever had. That was followed by some wonderful food. The portions were such that everyone gets a second meal at home later.

This night they had an unfortunate glitch with their computer system that confused our order and sent the staff into a minor panic. That did not put a damper on our enjoyment.

Salatino’s opened in December of 2010 by Jimmy Bannos and Scott Harris who also operate a Cajun joint at 111 S. Wabash called, Heaven on Seven. I think these boys got it right.

I highly recommend this place that makes my old hometown proud.

Having too much fun with video tonight!

Okay, a close pal gave me a video green screen for a present. He knows I’m always looking for things to juice up my blog. I broke the thing out tonight and gave it a little spin. Within a couple of Moments I was in both the Borgata of Scottsdale, AZ and outside a movie theater in Westwood Village of L.A. There is magic in television indeed!

Munich is the place to be right now for Octoberfest

Munich, Germany—The prettiest girls and the best beer found anywhere in the world are in this great city during Octoberfest. Sadly it’s rapidly coming to a close as the official dates are from Sept 18 until October 4th.

This is also the 200 year celebration for Octoberfest. I think that makes the beer and girls taste even better. Next year I hope to post some great video with a report for my visitors.

A Monday evening in Santa Monica

Santa Monica, CA--Last night (Monday), I was attending a one woman play put up by acting coach and consummate actor, Graham Beckel for one of his many talented students. You will remember Beckel playing Sgt. Dick Stensland in LA Confidential or perhaps in nearly 100 other movies and TV shows.

I had parked my car and had about eight minutes to kill so I hit the street with my little Flip video camera. There are all kinds of people doing this on the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade. This was only a little of the talent that can be seen here performing for their supper.

Update: My pal Pablo Lewin is and actor, director, film maker and airline pilot is also a good investigator. He tracked down the amazing blond singer's website. Her song was, Aint Got Nothing On You and her name is Sammie Jay. Her website is here.

Come Visit The L.A. Times Festival of Books

Los Angeles, CA—The sprawling UCLA campus is hosting the annual L.A. Times Festival of Books April 24-25. It’s a great social even that allows the public to meet some 400 authors.

You can sign up to hear your favorite author speak and there are endless opportunities for getting those wonderful books signed.

This is the place to bring your camera for non-stop photo opportunities. There are food and water concessions everywhere and many booths are set up by businesses related to publishing and helping would be authors get published.

There is an entire area set up for children and there’s no shortage of entertainment for all.

Here are just a few of the 400 celebrity authors expected to attend the Book Fest”

Buzz Aldrin
Carol Burnett
Stephen J. Cannell
John W. Dean
Louis Gossett Jr.
Tom Hayden
Carl Reiner
Sarah Silverman
Elizabeth Taylor
Joseph Wambaugh
Henry Winkler
Tricia Yearwood

Best of all, admission is free!

Here are all the details and list of attending authors!

Talent Can Be Ageless And This Is Cute!

I was poking around YouTube videos and found this by accident.

I’m a fan of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Play Evita and love the scene where Juan Perone’s little mistress gets evicted from the palace by his new and opportunistic squeeze.

The song, Another Suitcase In Another Hall is sung by the sad former and now jilted lover. I never thought of that song being sung by a man but apparently that can work.

Through the magic of home video production, a little work and talent a simple song can become a creative and clever diversion.

By splitting a screen, one actor can play two parts and do a little magic with the audio. Watch the fun result below.

Yippies Vs. Chicago Cops, A 1968 Democratic Convention Rematch Is Brewing

Chicago, IL—There is a planned reunion of Chicago cops at the FOP Hall this Friday. They are celebrating the 1968 Democratic National Convention. With a mandatory retirement age of 63 and a minimum age for appointment as police officers, any currently employed cops attending would have to be at least 61 years old.The majority by now are well into their 70's.

There are plenty of retired guys equipped with canes, walkers, diapers and oxygen bottles proudly wearing their “Medic Alert” bracelets that will show up.

I love the smell of tear gas on a balmy Chicago night!

1968 was a banner year for a country divided between traditional Americans and young Bolsheviks engaged in a failed Communist revolution. The hippie, Yippies and all of Chicago’s unwashed took on the cops and National Guard. It was no match since the cops beat back the freaks. Reporters, Mike Wallace and Dan Rather never looked better than they did with their skulls cracked by police batons!

The political fallout and litigation went on for years. For a lot of cops this was no party but a fight for survival. Many cops were hurt but the media ignored their injuries instead broadcasting images of Yippies with creatively enhanced with fake bandages and catsup. Sure there were plenty of well deserved hippies whose front teeth left deep impressions in those wooden police batons.

Now with the planned reunion the losers of this historical event want a rematch. There are plans by a bunch of old freeks to disrupt the reunion. I hope to see canes, crutches and other elder equipment breaking heads on Washington Blvd. The old coppers will win this one too!

Here is the real scoop from the real police!

License Plate Bait For Conservative Cops

Illinois—As Illinois bureaucrats gush and swoon over their new Messiah they took the unprecedented action making a special license plate for those willing to pay an extra fee.

When cops make traffic stops they must decide whether give warnings or write citations. I think seeing this plate will help the good officers make the correct choice.

As for those Conservative cops out there, I’d tell them, happy hunting! Illinois coffers needs all the fines they can collect from people with all that extra cash to pay the higher fee for silliness like an Obama plate.

Update: Someone suggested these plates will be targeted for racial profiling purposes by police. You must be kidding! Black folks are smarter than to waste money on those plates! The Obama plates will only show up on the cars that belong to rich White Liberals!