Ashley Olsen to be the next Kojak

American actor Ashley Olsen is being considered for the role of Detective Kojak in the remake of the television series Kojak.

Get Kojak Season One 1973 on DVD

Friday is Buy Nothing Day

The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday in retail circles. It's the day that retailers offer deep discounts that attract large numbers of shoppers. The same day is also known as Buy Nothing Day, a reaction to mass consumerism in America.

from wikipedia:

Buy Nothing Day is an informal day of protest against consumerism observed by social activists. Typically celebrated the Friday after American Thanksgiving in North America and the following day internationally, in 2008 the dates will be November 28 and 29 respectively.^[1] It was founded by Vancouver artist Ted Dave and subsequently promoted by the Canadian Adbusters magazine.

The first Buy Nothing Day was organized in Vancouver in September of 1992 "as a day for society to examine the issue of over-consumption."^[2] In 1997, it was moved to the Friday after American Thanksgiving, which is one of the top 10 busiest shopping days in the United States. Outside of North America, Buy Nothing Day is celebrated on the following Saturday. Despite controversies, Adbusters managed to advertise Buy Nothing Day on CNN, but many other major television networks declined to air their ads.^[3] Soon, campaigns started appearing in United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway. Participation now includes more than 65 nations.^[2]

While critics of the day charge that Buy Nothing Day simply causes participants to buy the next day,^[4] Adbusters states that it "isn't just about changing your habits for one day" but "about starting a lasting lifestyle commitment to consuming less and producing less waste."^[2]

Happy Birthday Harpo Marx

On this day in 1888, Adolph Marx was born. Later, he was known as Arthur Marx, and he was popularly known as Harpo Marx.

Harpo was one of the Marx Brothers, a group of Vaudeville and Broadway theatre entertainers who later achieved fame as comedians in the Motion Picture industry. He was well known by his trademarks: he played the harp; he never talked during performances, although he often blew a horn or whistled to communicate with people; and he frequently used props - one of his most commonly used props in films was a walking stick with a built-in bulb horn. source: wikipedia

Why didn't Harpo speak?
According to HarpoMarx.net :

During the Marx Brothers' early days in vaudeville, their Uncle Al Shean (of Gallagher and Shean fame) wrote some new material for the brothers, the show "Home Again". Harpo was rather upset that Uncle Al neglected to write any speaking parts for him. When Harpo questioned his uncle, he told Harpo that he thought it would add wonderful contrast to the act if he played it in pantomime. Harpo hated the idea and told him that he was going to ad lib all the parts he wanted to, and Uncle Al said "Ok, ok, go right ahead."

But then when they played in Champaign, Illinois, Harpo received some unfavorable reviews about his speaking parts, but very favorable reviews about his pantomime.

Here is what the review said:

"The Marx Brother who plays 'Patsy Brannigan' is made up and costumed to a fare-thee-well and he takes off on an Irish immigrant most amusingly in pantomime. Unfortunately the effect is spoiled when he speaks."

So from that point on, Harpo never uttered another word, onstage or in front of a camera.

Marx Brothers Collection - 7 Classic Marx Brothers movies.

LIFE Photo Archive now available on Google Image Search

Official Google Blog: LIFE Photo Archive available on Google Image Search

Only a very small percentage of these images have ever been published. The rest have been sitting in dusty archives in the form of negatives, slides, glass plates, etchings, and prints. We're digitizing them so that everyone can easily experience these fascinating moments in time. Today about 20 percent of the collection is online; during the next few months, we will be adding the entire LIFE archive — about 10 million photos.

Why Wait to Take a Laxative?

Why Wait To Take A Laxative?

Pluto will make you feel worlds better in one hour!

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Thousands of busy people everywhere depend on Pluto - the laxative you can time! A Pluto highball thoroughly cleanses the intestinal tract *usually within one hour and no unpleasant after effects! Get Pluto at any drug store. Three sizes: 10c, 25c, 50c or Pluto highball 10c at fountains and bars.

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Man's 174-mph sneeze blows wife's hair off!

MIAMI - Reginald Kaulman has the world's most powerful sneeze - a gale-force 174-mph scorcher so intense it literally blew half his wife's hair right off her head!

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Happy Birthday Jonathan Winters

Jonathan Winters as moving van driver, Lennie Pike in a scene from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, 1963

On this day in 1925, Jonathan Harshman Winters, III was born in Bellbrook, Ohio. At age 17 Winters enlisted in the Marines, serving in the South Pacific during World War II. After his discharge, he studied cartooning at Dayton Art Institute, where he met Eileen Schauder, whom he married in 1948.

He started doing comedy routines while in college, and became a radio personality under the name Johnny Winters. His big break occurred (with the revised name of Jonathan) when he worked for Alistair Cooke on the CBS Sunday morning show Omnibus.

As a stand-up comic with a madcap wildness, Winters recorded many classic comedy albums for the Verve Records label, starting in 1960. Probably the best-known of his characters from this period is Maude Frickert, the seemingly sweet old lady with the barbed tongue.

Winters has appeared in nearly 50 movies and several television shows, including particularly notable roles in the film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and in the dual roles of Henry Glenworthy and his dark, scheming brother, the Rev. Wilbur Glenworthy, in the film adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One.

In Iran, it's normal for wedding guests to bring their guns

In this video we see that in Iran, even toddlers pack heat at family gatherings.