ephemera

Climate Problem Solved By Dead Battery

Quick! We need to bring back the Willard Weathermaster. It was the only battery in the world with climate control! Since today is Climate Control Blogger Action Day, I've search high and low for a solution to this monumental problem. It was right under our nose all the time--and all we had to do was turn a simple key--but Big Battery, like the Everyready Company and Die Hard squashed the Willard Weathermaster—driving it off the market before we knew how much we needed it. Of course, back in the 1950s, you could toss your Tarrytown butts on the street and spill gasoline down storm drains and generally muck up the planet without any guilt.

Forsooth! The Willard Weathermaster was ahead of its time. Today, all we have to remind us of this breakthrough technology is this really cool vintage ad being offered on eBay.

As I recall, a lot of technologies have been lost to us over the span of mankind's existence. Didn't the Romans (or was it the Greeks) have a whole bunch of nifty technologies that we can't remember? If only the Romans and Greeks ran print ads in newspapers and magazines, things might have been different.

Perhaps, in some decrepit old garage, on some lonely stretch of blue highway, there's a Willard Weathermaster still on the shelf in a dusty old box. If so, we need to find it. And fast. The future of the planet and mankind hang in the balance.

Seriously, climate change is no laughing matter. According to Daniel Scocco's post on climate change, agencies of the European Union estimate that if things don't change the average temperature around the world might increase as much as 6°C by the end of this century. And folks, that's bad.

Chubby's Hearth & a Golden Retreiver's Solid Gold Heart

I had to chuckle when I saw the opening bid price for a match cover from Chubby's Hearth on eBay. That fact aside, I'm featuring the item because Chubby was the name of my beloved Golden Retriever, who I lost to cancer more than five years ago. I have mentioned ol' Chubby a few times before, in previous posts, but this vintage piece of ephemera gave me a good excuse to mention her again.

When I feature such pieces, I normally include an image of it in the post, but I thought I'd show off my precious girl instead. If you're curious, click on over to eBay and check out the cover--it's pretty cool, too. For those interested, the match cover comes from a joint that was established in 1933. Chubby, the dog, was established in 1994. 

The amazing thing about Chubby was she had a cadre of friends, fans, and well-wishers. The house cleaning lady loved her, as did the guy who painted our house, for instance. Frankly, she was the most popular person in our household and for good reason: she was absolutely pure gold.

Amazing Dave Dube Envelope Art

I want to share this amazing envelope. The artist Dave Dube, a loyal reader of this blog, designed the envelope and sent it to me along with a nice note.

Thanks, Dave!

My Apology to Eugene Levy (or My Drink with John Candy)

In the early 80s, I attended a performance of the Second City in Chicago with a group of close friends. We were seated next to two gentlemen that we recognized immediately as John Candy and Eugene Levy.

It was around the time of the release of the The Blues Brothers and John Candy had a supporting role in the film. Eugene Levy hadn't hit it big by the time we sat down to watch that evening's performance on Wells. Nonetheless, he was known to us through his work on the brilliant TV show SCTV, but, it was Candy, the rising star, who took our breath away.

The question at our table was how to get John Candy's attention. I came up with a plan. I told everyone at the table to sign a napkin with some schmaltzy autograph-type line like "All the Best" and "To A Great Friend" and so forth. I gathered up all the napkins and toss them on Candy's table. Candy thought the idea was hilarious; Levy not so much.

John Candy waived me over. A moment later I stood in front of the two comic geniuses. Candy was smiling and Levy wasn't. I shook Candy's hand and sheepishly told the star how much I admired his work. I knew Eugene Levy and was a fan of his also, but, for some reason, all of the energy and attention was coming from Candy.

John asked if I'd like a drink as the waitress came over to the table. Facing Candy, I asked, "Orange Whip?" He nodded in recognition of his great line from The Blues Brothers. "Three Orange Whips!" I said to the waitress. Without missing a beat, she snapped, "There's no such thing as an Orange Whip." Candy laughed. He told the waitress to bring beers instead. Candy, pointing to the pile of signed napkins, asked if he could return the favor and present me with an autograph. Shook up by the waitress and overwhelmed by the actor's kindness, I was having trouble forming complete sentences. I just nodded and said something like, "...thank you, yes, thanks." He presented me with the autograph featured in the post. On the napkin, he wrote, "Where's the money you owe me?" and signed it.

I glanced at Eugene Levy. He had an odd look on his face: a mixture of hurt and insult. I'd failed to even acknowledged him in those brief moments. I'd been absorbed by John Candy and his warmth, humor, and charm. Levy looked disappointed and angry, and I felt I'd intruded enough, so I thanked Candy again for the autograph and excused myself without waiting for the beer to arrive.

I'm sorry Mr. Levy for that slight. My nerves, the excitement, and the thrill of that moment got the best of me. I wished I'd asked you for your autograph. To this day, I cherish the Candy autograph--it's one of the great pieces of ephemera from my life.

The Ephemera Show – Streaming Audio Interview

I'm pleased to be the first guest on Frank DeFreitas' The Ephemera Show, which premiered on July 17, 2009.

The 20-minute interview, conducted by Frank, covers a lot of interesting ground—from trends in ephemera to the use of ephemera in the pop culture. Frank does a masterful job of guiding the interview and asking excellent questions. During the taping, he was kind enough to refer to this blog as "The Eighth Wonder of the Internet World." I'm not sure it merits that level of praise, but I'm grateful for Frank's generous description. And he added the following, which I'm humbled by:

"During the development phase, one of the biggest questions was who to have as the first guest. Every answer led to Marty Weil. Anything that anyone is going to do with ephemera online is going to build on the foundation that Marty laid before them. Different content. Different delivery. Different style. But after all is said and done, we're all just following in his footsteps, really. So that is why he is on the first show. Because he deserved to be. I am sure that the listening audience will agree with that choice."

The Ephemera Show features audio profiles of ephemera enthusiasts of all backgrounds and collecting interests. Frank DeFreitas is your affable and expert host. Frank plans to provide the ephemera community with two outstanding shows per month. To give the show an authentic "retro radio" feel, the program is recorded live using a vintage, vacuum-tube studio equipment. If you listen carefully to the interview I did with Frank, you can hear the old Ampex 456 reel-to-reel equipment "humming" about half way through the program.

I know everyone in this audience will appreciate the work Frank is doing on The Ephemera Show and will support his efforts by tuning in.

I want to thank Frank for having me as the first guest on his wonderful and innovative program.

Francisco "Pancho" Villa Found in Ancient Woodshop

While chatting with my 78-year-old neighbor in his father's woodshop, I noticed a strip of old newspaper on a shelf with other scraps of wood. My neighbor, a  retired veterinarian, said his father, who died last year at the age of 97, found the newspaper while refinishing an old piece of furniture. The strip had sat on the worn, old shelf for decades, untouched, until I pulled it down.

A close read of the scrap made it clear this was printed during the Great War--with a present-tense reference to President Wilson, among other clues.

Here's a taste of some of the copy:

"Four German officers are known to be with Francisco Villa at the present time, according to confidential information received here. The whereabouts of Villa himself remain a mystery, although the main body of his troops was reported to have been in the vicinity of Rosario, Durango, Monday."

It makes me wonder what other brilliant ephemera lurks in the antique drawers and on the dusty shelves in that wonderfully, ancient woodshop.

The Superior Scribbler Award

The ephemera blog has received the coveted Superior Scribbler Award!

I received this prestigious award from my blogging pal, Gina, who l recently interviewed. Thank you, Gina.

For details of this award and its beginnings, visit The Scholastic Scribe.

As with many of the Blog-type Awards, there are rules that go with the award:

• Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to five most deserving blog friends.
• Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
• Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog and link to the original post at The Scholastic Scribe which explains The Award.
• Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit the original post at The Scholastic Scribe and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who wins This Prestigious Honor.
• Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules to his/her blog.

And with that said, here are the blogs that I have selected for this fine award:

Buzz, Balls, & Hype

Cabbages and Kings

Craphound

Dispatches from Tanganyika

Patti O'Shea

 

Beer League Softball Retirement Announcement

I officially retired from playing beer-league softball in 2002. I wrote the following tongue-in-cheek press release to announce my retirement from the game I loved. If I had a blog in 2002, I'd have posted this letter then, but, since this blog started in 2004, and, since I just came across the release again as I was culling through some old files, I'm posting it now for your amusement.

Fighting back tears as he reflected on a softball career that included virtually no notable personal accomplishments, Marty Weil announced his retirement from beer league softball.

"It was a long, painstaking decision for Marty Weil," said the retiring outfielder. "I couldn't find anyone—past players, present players, family members, or close friends—who cared to see me play. Maybe my decision would have been different if there had been someone I could have turned to."

"It wasn't an easy decision because an athlete can always look in the mirror and say, 'OK, I can still play,'" Weil said during a sparsely attended news conference at his home. "Deep down inside, probably I thought I still could. But why not go out while I'm still mediocre. I remember the words of a former teammate who said, 'You're not seriously considering playing Marty in the outfield during the playoffs.' It is memories like these that I'll look back on and remember most fondly."

Weil said the beer league will do fine without him. "I think the game itself is a lot bigger than Marty Weil."

He referred to himself in the third person at least a dozen times, always when discussing his lackluster softball ability and his total anonymity. He said he wanted to watch his kids (he has none) play basketball, and he wanted to take them to school in the morning. He hadn't had a chance to do enough normal things like that because his Wednesday nights during the summer were so busy, he said sobbing.

"Thanks to my teammates and my coaches, and the support of many other people, my softball dreams have come true."

50 Years Behind The Shears

Donna Weil, my mom, celebrates her 50th year as a professional hair stylist this year. So, I thought I'd write an off-topic post about it.

Indulge me a moment.

Mom has been cutting hair professionally since 1959. That year she graduated from the American School of Beauty Culture and worked and trained with Kurt Achstatter in the Maller's Building in Chicago. When I was five or six, my mom took me to meet Mr. Kurt. I remember being introduced to him and shaking hands. My mom was very excited about the whole thing—and that's why I recall it so vividly.

For many years, while raising her family, she cut and styled hair in our home in Niles, Illinois, where she developed a dedicated clientele among Chicago's North Shore residents. The family room, where I watched TV as a boy, doubled as the waiting room. The parade of blue-haired old ladies would start around 9am on Saturday morning and continue through the late afternoon.

She is currently a stylist at Vintage Salon & Spa Salon in Sarasota, Florida, where she lives with my dad, a retired businessman.

 

Artifacts Collectors Interviews Ephemera

A blogger on the Artifacts Collectors' Web site posted an interview with me. Of the several interviews I've done online, this is one of the most in-depth and well conceived.

I'd like to thank Linda at Artifacts Collectors for her interest.