David Bowie will be 65 on January 8, 2012.

Rock stars and Johnny Depp appear ageless, so what’s in a number really?

http://www.davidbowie.com

http://www.facebook.com/davidbowie

If you grew up in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s then you know Gumby. A little green slab of clay that turned into a pretty cool dude, he could jump into books, shape shift and do a lot of fun things. He also had a good heart and kind nature. It’s no wonder why I loved tuning in to see what he and his friends were up to.

There’s a lot of fun trivia to be found about Gumby via cyberspace. Did you know they tested audition reaction by showing Gumby for the first time on the Howdy Doody Show? Did you know that Art Clokey created Gumby just after finishing film school? I bet you knew that Art Clokey also created another one of my favorite TV shows, Davey & Goliath.

Click here to watch Art Clokey’s first stop motion clay animation, Gumbasia.

In honor of what would have been Art Clokey’s 90th birthday, Oct. 12, 2011, Google created a Google Doodle in the style of his Claymation characters.

Visit the official Gumby World site for all things Gumby & friends. http://www.gumbyworld.com

Are you a Gumby fan?

My two favorite rides at Disneyland have always been Pirates of the Caribbean & the Haunted Mansion. When I was just a little kiddo I was afraid of those grim, grinning ghosts but once I realized they came out to socialize I felt much better. Have you been on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland?

Let’s watch Walt Disney and his Imagineering Department tell us about it.

Thanks to doombuggies.com I found out Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride celebrated their birthday on August 9th. I was born in 1970 and the Haunted Mansion ride opened in 1969.

Let’s  honor the hauntingly happy ride with some Haunted Mansion music.

If you’re a foolish mortal like me then you need to visit doombuggies.com for all things Haunted Mansion.

Don’t we all love Lucy?

Lucille Ball (August 6, 1911-April 26, 1989)

Visit the Lucy Desi Center site for all things Lucy! http://www.lucy-desi.com/

In honor of Johnny Depp’s birthday today I tried to narrow down my five favorite Depp films. It was tough folks.

Here we go…

Edward Scissorhands

Johnny Depp becomes a lovable man-creature in Tim Burton’s modern day fairy tale Edward Scissorhands. I think this is the role where Depp stood out from most actors of the time, securing his place as the best character actor in Hollywood. Did you know Tom Cruise could have been Edward Scissorhands? Rumor has it Cruise turned it down. Thank goodness Burton met Depp.

Let’s watch as Arsenio Hall asks them a few questions about the movie.

Cry Baby

Oh that single salty tear! Cry Baby cry!

I grew up listening to Elvis Presley & Ricky Nelson so when I saw Depp as a swooning bad boy heartthrob I was in love. Johnny lip synched in this movie, James Intveld supplied his sexy singing voice. Johnny Depp did dance though and that’s good enough for me.

Pirates of the Caribbean

I remember the day I stepped out of a movie into the foyer and noticed a movie poster of Captain Jack’s face under the title Pirates of the Caribbean. Imagining my favorite actor meshed with my favorite Disneyland ride was too much for my Pop Culture Syndrome mind to handle.

I’m not the only one, look at this fan video of Johnny as Captain Jack saying hi to some eager fans. Can you imagine this happening to you every time you went to work?

Oh no only two more left. Like I said, tough folks. Depp is getting closer to 50, and so is the amount of films he’s made. I don’t like every movie he’s been involved in. Let’s take Private Resort for instance. Let’s not. Instead we’ll move on to number 4 on my list.

Sweeney Todd

Unlike the movie Cry Baby, Depp does sing in this one and he isn’t half bad. I love the soundtrack too.

Like most Burton/Depp creations this movie has enough humor to balance out the film. Some people don’t think they can handle Sweeney Todd because of all the blood and gore. I say give it a try because it really is a bloody good time.

Whenever I need a laugh, I watch this interview.

Trying to pick one last film is nearly impossible because I like so many. I went back and forth many times, but because I said Five Fave, I’m sticking to the plan.

Benny & Joon

You can tell Depp is a young actor in this film but you can also see how much he is getting into his role without being serious about it. Some say his interest in silent movies and use of his “acting eyes” came from preparing for this role.

Johnny Depp had to watch a lot of Charlie Chaplin to get this one right.

Remember this is just 5 of my favorite Depp films. My list could go on and on. Can you narrow down five favorites?

Clint Eastwood celebrates his 81st birthday. He is one bad#$% dude isn’t he?

I could go on and on about his long film career, his accomplishments etc… instead I’ll keep it short and simple.

Learn more about the actor, director, producer, composer and politician, click the link http://www.clinteastwood.org

“If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.”—Clint Eastwood

I don’t keep up with every celebrity birthday but I noticed Sarah Jessica Parker is 46. This got me thinking about the TV show Square Pegs that is now a distant far off memory.

Before she was a teen on a totally tubular series about teens, she was a child actress on Broadway playing Annie. Remember how every girl age 6-14 tried singing their best rendition of “I Don’t Need Anything But You”?

Her ballet training at a young age helped with her role as Janey Glenn in the 1985 movie, Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

These days we usually see Sarah Jessica Parker talking about her Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw.

Happy 46th birthday to Sarah Jessica Parker!

Take 5 minutes and watch a minisode of Square Pegs via the Minisode Network, click here.

The Hotel Del Coronado will be 123 years old tomorrow. That got me thinking about one of my favorite jobs, working at the Hotel Del Coronado. This beachfront luxury hotel opened in 1888.

Photo by William Henry Jackson, 1900

Local residents of the beautiful peninsula known as Coronado Island call the resort The Del. Like I said it opened in 1888 so it’s loaded with historical, vintage wonder. I took more than a few breaks each day just so I could sneak away and wander The Del grounds. I’d go up and down the old bird cage elevator and take a stroll through the workers areas hidden behind, under and around the resort. On my way back to work I’d take the outdoor route and watch the sunset over the ocean while listening to the Mariachi band. Of course I always made a stop to say hello to my favorite bartender and get a fountain Coke or a virgin Pina Colada.

Most of my time at The Del, I worked in the Crown Room restaurant as a hostess. The best thing about this job was “a hostess” was part of management and management could order their “lunch” off the menu. Another perk was the hand dipped chocolate strawberries. One of my duties was getting the silver platter full of these decadent treats from the hotel candy shop downstairs. You know I had to be sure they tasted alright.

Besides taste testing sweets and eating Shrimp Scampi on my lunch break I had the splendor of the historic Crown Room to behold all night long. I could feel the history coming out of the walls in that room. Standing and walking for 8 hours wasn’t always a piece of the Hotel Del’s bakery cake but the beauty of the dining room made each night a thrill.

I could go on and on with Hotel Del stories but I’ll save those for a future post. I would like to say I met more than a few celebrities while working at The Del. Some I was introduced to and others I met by chance. There was also a few I just looked at in passing. Dustin Hoffman spent days playing tennis, Luke Perry was surrounded by 90210 fans, and Jim Carrey came in looking for a window table. Loni Anderson liked frequenting The Del in style. I would never have recognized a dressed down Richard Gere if it wasn’t for a waitress almost passing out at the sight of him. Bowzer from Sha Na Na gave me a 5 dollar tip after giving his family a window seat and I felt bad telling the star of Doogie Howzer there was an hour wait. It seemed like every day there was another story or celeb encounter.

Not only do celebs frequent the Hotel Del Coronado but it’s also quite famous for being a film location. The Flying Fleet was filmed at The Del in 1927 & according to Wikipedia at least 12 more films have been shot there.

Remember the movie Some Like it Hot? It was filmed at the Hotel Del Coronado. Check out the trailer with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis & one of my favorites, Jack Lemmon.

Have you been to The Del? Any fun stories to tell?

Like The Del? Then “Like” their official Facebook page by clicking here.

What is it with male Gemini’s and guyliner? I don’t follow horoscopes too much but I do see a pattern. June 7th was Dave Navarro & Prince’s birthday. June 9th is Johnny Depp’s birthday. All three look fabulous wearing eyeliner. Does it have something to do with the two sides of a Gemini?

Have you seen how good looking Johnny is dressed in drag? Click here.

Guyliner aside, Johnny Depp is 46 today. Don’t you think he looks great for his age? This doesn’t mean he hasn’t aged at all. If you look back at old photos, say from his 21 Jump Street days, you can see how much he has changed over the years. Like a fine wine Johnny gets better every year.

Many of you know that I suffer with JDOCD, Johnny Depp Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. My site has helped a lot with diminishing my symptoms but just like Rosie O’Donnell had her Tom Cruise, Housewife in Hollywood has her Johnny Depp.

Like most JD enthusiasts I’m looking forward to his latest film Public Enemies coming out July 1st. The hype for this movie started before filming was underway. Fan sites, movie buffs, and local Midwest merchants generated excitement about Michael Mann’s film telling the story of notorious bank robber, John Dillinger. Sites were popping up everywhere about Johnny Depp’s location, current filming status with frontline reports from fans. Videos were all over YouTube showing Depp autographing, shaking hands and giving out hugs.

In honor of JD’s birthday I’ll choose one movie from my Depp collection. Maybe Cry Baby. I can never pick just one Johnny Depp movie, can you?

Today’s The 5 on Friday is all about the year 1970 because my birthday is tomorrow May 16th. I was born in 1970. Yes that means I’m in the last year of my thirties. Do you remember the show Thirty Something?

I’m almost out of my thirty somethings so I’m celebrating this 5 on Friday with 5 Cool Happenings in 1970.

1. Isle of Wight Festival 1970

This musical event in 1970 was the largest of early music festivals. At the time, it was said to be one of the largest human gatherings in the world, surpassing the attendance at Woodstock. With a list of over 50 performers including The Doors, The Moody Blues, The Who, Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix.

Leonard Cohen performed his song “Suzanne”, how convenient was that?

For information about this year’s Isle of Wight Festival click here.

2. M*A*S*H

The movie MASH premiered in 1970. My father was in Vietnam just a few years before. For reasons he’s never fully explained, he didn’t like the movie or the television show. I’ve always been intrigued by the movie because it seemed a bit taboo at our house. Are you a MASH fan?

3. The First Earth Day

“. . . on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most
remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. . . ” -American Heritage Magazine, October 1993

Visit earthday.wilderness.org for more info about Earth Day

4. PBS Begins Broadcasting

I’ve been happily watching PBS since I was a kiddo. With unique programming made possible by viewers like me, such as Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Cyberchase, Arthur, Masterpiece Theater, Nature, Independent Lens, and Tavis Smiley.

In my opinion Tavis Smiley has one of the best interview shows on TV.

5. Big Bird on Time

Speaking of Sesame Street, one of my favorite characters, Big Bird, was on the cover of Time Magazine in October of 1970. Here’s a bit about Big Bird from the man who knows him best Caroll Spinney.