Friday, July 19, 2019

Saturday 9


Secret Agent Man (1966)

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

1) This is the theme of a TV show that ran on CBS from 1964-1967. The series was produced, and originally aired, in England. The BBC has shared many shows with American audiences over the years. Can you name another? Downton Abbey! I cannot wait for the movie to come out.


 

2) The show is about John Drake, a special agent dedicated to exposing plots that threaten world peace. A quick check of Netflix and Goodreads reveals that spy stories are just as popular today. Is espionage a genre you enjoy? Do you read books, or watch shows and movies, about spies?
Not really.

3) The lyrics tell us Drake travels from the Riviera to Bombay. Where were you when you last spent the night away from home? Why were you there (vacation, business, international intrigue)? Hollywood. I was there for the TCM Classic Film Festival.

4) The refrain states, "They've given you a number and taken away your name." In today's digital world, that could now be said of all of us. Are you good at remembering your computer passwords? This is a constant vexation for me. I just have too many passwords to keep straight. Last week I got an alert that said my email account information had been found on the dark web and I should change my password. Instead of being grateful that I found out about it before I hacked, my first response was, "Oh, God! Now I have to come up with yet another 'memorable' password!"

5) Patrick McGoohan, who played Agent Drake, went from being a good guy to appearing as a murderer on Columbo four times. Were you a fan of Columbo? Not when it first aired, but I discovered it on MeTV and was hooked. I don't watch ones I've already seen, though. Once I know whodunnit, I'm done.

6) Born John Ramistella, this week's featured artist, Johnny Rivers, grew up in Louisiana. He took "Rivers" as his stage name because he grew up along the Mighty Mississippi. If you were to change your last name based on the geography of the area where you grew up, how would you be known? I'd be Lily Flatlands.

 
7) In 1966, when this song was popular, Jacqueline Kennedy was the woman most Americans admired. What famous woman do you admire most? (She doesn't have to be American.) Ruth Bader Ginsburg

 
8) 1966 also found another Jacqueline was in the news. Jacqueline Susann's first novel, Valley of the Dolls, was atop the best seller lists, even though it was savaged by the critics. What's your guilty pleasure? What book, movie, TV show, or song do you enjoy, even though you know it has little artistic merit? VOTD is a good choice. I love every wretched, overacted, over-costumed moment.

 


BTW, last week someone got upset by the question about wigs. She should avoid Valley of the Dolls. Every woman wears glorious wigs and extensions by the pound.

9) Random question: Imagine you've been stranded alone in the woods for 10 days. No companionship, no internet or phone or TV. You have been sleeping in the dirt, living on berries and river water. Your rescuers drive you to a hotel. Upon check-in, what's the first thing you do? I'd be drinking the Coke I grabbed from the mini-bar while on my way to the tub for a nice, cleansing bath.

9 comments:

  1. Rats. I should have mentioned RBG. Good choice!

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  2. I must be one of the only people on earth who didn't/doesn't watch Downton Abbey (and I also thought until just now it was Downtown Abbey).

    I'm amending my answer to #9. I want my shower, but I'm sure I'd also grab a Diet Coke on my way past the vending machine.

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  3. I think Mercury was going retrograde last week when all these people went freaky over the questions. Sheesh. RBG is a great choice. I don't know why I seldom think of her as someone I admire because I do.

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  4. Ruth Bader Ginsburg... Good pick!

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  5. Somehow I think I thought you were looking for an old show in that first question. BBC has produced so many good shows - I LOVED Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife, Foyle's War, Cranford, Lark Rise to Candleford, too many to list. They are terrific! And I was embarrassed to admit that Valley of the Dolls was a movie I watched more than once and read the book!! ;-)
    Do you have a special invitation to the TCM movie fest?

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  6. Not upset at the question. I have to wear them and didn't know how to answer the question. That's all. I don't like sharing it and just should have made up an answer.Not ashamed of it, just think it's private. I have shared it with those who have to wear them too and do so readily, but for the general public.. Nope. So just so you know I was not upset, just didn't know what to say.
    As for wigs in movies.. I can pick them out like a pro!! LOL having worn them now for years and years.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the explanation. It wasn't my goal to embarrass anyone or make them uncomfortable. I just always relate wigs to dress up. I should be more sensitive, and I will be from now on.

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  7. Josh enjoyed VOTD too. I have never seen it. He is reading it right now. I am not nearly as glamorous as all of that. I do like all of that pretty hair though, wig or not. Loved your answers. Have a nice weekend.

    https://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/

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  8. Get a password manager--a tiny pain to set up, but absolutely worth its weight in gold from then on. I've tried a few, and find Dashlane the easiest to use. Pay 40 bucks a year and get the premium version--it will sync your passwords across all your devices. No, lol, I don't work for them, but using their product has given me HUGE peace-of-mind.

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