Stewart Brodian

Musician, composer, performer, actor, radio + TV host,
artist, celebrity impersonator, film maker + more!

Some people are upset that a captured Russian terrorist was exchanged for a basketball star.

Accordng to the news, negotiations were going on to release both Whelan and Griner in exchange for the Russian Viktor Bout.

The Russians pushed back sayung it was Griner or notheing.

It was onviously a move to embarrass the United States.

December 8th, 1980, at just before 11:00 PM, I had finished watching a rerun of a M*A*S*H episode.

Ususally, Bill Mazer came on with a brief sports report before they went to the eleven o'clock news on channel 5 (I used to live closer to NYC back then).

Bill Mazer came on but, the first thing he said was that they just received a news report that John Lennon had been shot and he was being taken to a hospital in serious condition.

I wanted to stay u that night to hear how things developed but, back then I was a college radio DY and I was the one on the air first thing Tuesday morning to turn on the station.

I went to bed and the next morning, I'm driving to thecampus radio station, there was Beates music all over the radio and finally the news came on: "Former Beatle, John Lennon was shot and killed last night"

For a moment, I coudn't see the road - all I saw was a cascade of images of his face from different portions of his life.

I went to the campus station, turned on the transmitter and then broadcast the sad news.

Back then I was a complete Beatles fanatic.  The whole campus knew me as that and it was ironic the I'd be the one on the air, first thing in the morning after this happened,.
My parents later told me that they were still watching TV when the news came in, interrupting a commercil (they usually don't interrupt commercials).

On my way back home , later that day, I visited a friend at a record store - another Beatles' fanatic.

He said "There is no G*D".

I didn't say anything.

========================

Additionally, this week is a very sorrofull week -

December 6th, 1988

Roy Orbison died - he had a new alum coming out and he had just released an album as part of The Travwlling Wilburys (Roy, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynn and Tom Petty).

Decenber 7th, 1941

The anniversary of the attack of the Japanese military on the US naval base in Pearl Harbor Hawaii

and, December 8th, 1980

John Lennon is murdered outside his home in New York City.

I just finished bingwatching the last few seasons of Lavern & Shirley.

It was a spin off from Happy Days.

It ran on ABC from 1976 - 1983.

I wasn't able to watch the last few seasons of it because, as the series ran, I was in high school and then college and between school work and a part time job, I didn't have time to watch that much TV.

Happy Days and Lavern & Shirley took place in the 1950's.

Themes of these two shows changed in the Fall of 1979.

The both graduated into the 1960's and, as  Iremeber reading in some TV preview back then, the themes became a little more serious.

It's interesting to note that in the last few seasons, the show's seting changed from Milwaukee to Hollywood.

Also, the actors were vgiven more complex roles - two of them, in face, played a dual role in some episodes!

Also, there were some changes in the cast - two nwew charaters were added (one simply disappeared within the first season of the show's location) and Cindy Williams, who played Shirley, left after two episodes of the last season due to a contrt dispute.

Interesting how her omage was still used in the show's opening credits (a dance sequence from a previous season) even though she was no longer starrting/appearing in the show.

What I alsos thought was interesting was how some other main characters disappeared from the show.

"Lenny", Squiggy's room mate, was no longer seen or mentioned in the openeing credits

What I also noticed is that some people whom were either up and coming or fairly well known were seen as guest stars.

Jay Leno, Ted Danson, Jim Belushi were guest stars - even some portraying themselves, such as Joey Heatherton and Hugh Heffner!

The DVD I watched made me wonder if soem of the episodes were placed out of sequence on the DVD.

The biography I read said that the "Carmine" character ended u appearing on Broadway but, he was seen in again in the episode after that.

Also, the Father is seen dating but, in an episode after that, he tells his daughter Lavern that his wife, her stepmother whom he married  a few seasons back, had left him.

The gag reels were cute!

There have been lots oftimes where I'll post on my facebook page aomething interesting, weird or coincidental and then say "I should be writing for television!" and then, as a jake, I'll write, "oh wait,... I already DO write for television!".

Sometimes, more recently, I;ll follow that up by writing ("you know, I really shoud stop saying that").

Wel;, today was no different.

At the end of September, I mailed out someting that I sold on Ebay.

A few weeks ago, the buyer contacted me saying that it never arrived.

I checked the tracking number from the post office and it said it was delivered.  The customer was hoping for a refund.

This moring, Ebay sent me a note that the customer complaint expired due to inactivity.

I then went to the post office and this morning, the package came back to my postbox as return to sender.

I slightly misaddressed the package and that is why the buyer never received it.

I immediately repackaged the item and sent it back out withing the hour.

A I've written on my facebook page: Now you know where us television writers get our ides from!

 The curtain rises.

 There is a lone figure standing near a table.

 The lone figure is then lighted. - it is Thomas Jefferson

TJ: Tyranny!

 I have been brought back to discuss the question of Tyranny?

 (walks towards the table, picks up paper)

 When I composed this declaration, part of it's purpose was to release ourselves from tyranny!

 We were convinced that we could operate independently from our mother nation and we fought hard for years for our independence.

 Now, the thought of a leader of our nation would himself become a tyrant?

 Unimaginable, unfathomable, unthinkable!

 Laws were written into our constitution that would prevent any possibility of such an occurrence!

  This is one of the reasons for our government having three branches in order to assure that one man would not be totally dominant.

 That's one of the concepts on which this country founded to get away from!

 Congress shall confirm the election results and he tried to stop it?!

 Was he not familiar with his obligation to uphold and defend the constitution?

 Where have wee evolved to where the one person whom the majority have voted to be entrusted to lead our nation would seek to destroy the very foundation upon which it stands?

(offstage voice) I suspended habeus corpus

 TJ (looks stage left) Who is this?

AL (approaches stage right) Whereas in the course of human events, as you have written sir.

TJ Who are you?

AL I am Abraham Lincoln. 16th president of the united states.

TJ You are from my future

AL I am and in my day, some accused me of tyranny.

 Some have accused me of an abuse of power.

TJ Who?

The southern most states of this nation.

 So much were they opposed to some of my policies that they seceded and formed their own nation.

TJ A second split from a mother nation!

AL Yes... a split of four years and war that sent tens of thousands of my citizens into their graves.

TJ How did you mend the nation afterwards?

AL I did not have the chance.

 An assassin prevented me from fulfilling my goal.

TJ That must be disappointing.

AL It is and to see our nation on the verge of another crisis has not only concerned me but frightened me!

 TJ How so?

 AL with more efficient means of communication than in your time, I fear more destruction can be created and more fear that would make this nation implode!

(another offstage voice) Perhaps a unifying cause would settle some disputes between the nations' citizens?

 TJ + AL Who's there?

FDR (Enters from right in wheelchair) I am the 32nd president of these United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt

TJ Franklin?

FDR Yes. Franklin!

TJ You have the same name as an esteemed colleague of mine.

FDR Yes. It's now a goal of unification

AL: How do you mean unification?

FDR In my day, we had a similar goal and that was to defeat tyranny!

TJ Tyranny from whom?

FDR: The Germans and the Japanese!

TJ The Hessians?

FDR The Germans were at war with the British and they were trying to take over the whole world.

TJ We were helping the British?

AL We blockaded British ships from assisting our rebellious south!

FDR We joined them in defeating tyranny

TJ Time heals all wounds.

AL Yes, indedd!

FDR The idea of a nation's leader attempting to overthrow his own government infuriates me!

TJ We have seen similar things in France.

AL Yes, but in your time that was used to overthrow an oppressive government.

FDR That government whom was trying to be overthrown was most oppressive - the overthrowers were the oppressed.

TJ Oppressors being the overthrowers

AL Unthinkable

FDR Unfathomable

(another voice) Unpalatable

FDR ho speaks?

Obama I am #44 Barack Obama.

TJ A slave?

AL A freed slave!

FDR A soldier.....

 BO A president.

TJ What might your view be in mind of recent events?

BO Non of my color took part in the insurrection.

AL A revolt of your color occurred in 1831.

TJ (to Lincoln) Had my proposal to free his people been ratified, there may have been no need for a revolt.

BO Had there been a revolt during my tenure, the situation would have been handled differently.

FDR What do you mean?

BO The National Guard or State Militia would have been summoned and massive arrests would have been made.

AL Another Gettysburg?

BO I'm sorry to say, a few more shots would have been fired but, the oppressors would have been greatly outnumbered and fighting would have not been long - presumably, the rioters would have conceded to the situation.

FDR Reminiscent of MacAurthur heading the national guard over the Hooverville.

TJ + AL (looks over)

A bad occurrence in front of the white house which I'll explain to you gentlemen, later.

BO Now, the time has come to judge

FDR We judge a man of poor judgement.

AL We judge a man who created another civil disagreement

 TJ We judge a would be tyrant

Last night, I had a rare privilege.

Many years ago,, a young guitar player heard my music and was inspired by the fact that I wrote my own music..

Since then, this very fine gentleman named Van Wagner has released 32 albums.

Last night he had a CD release party at a nice venue in Jim Thorpe, PA. for his new album, Sing Out.

He invited me and a few others to jam with him after he performed the whole new album live.

For him, he gets to jam with one of his inspirers.

For me, I get to jam with a person whom I've helped inspire the creation of some fine music!

Thank you Van, for allowing me to share the same stage with you.

www.vanwagnermusic.com

Views from people are mixed on this one - and, I'll guess you thought Donald Trump divided the country?

As I posted on my facebok page, not everybody believes life begins at inception.

Different people have different views and the Constitution of The United States guarantees people the right to have different opinions.

The laws of this country should not be dictated by religious doctrine as there is a separation of church and state.

Last week, I went into New York City to see the opening night performance of the Bradway play POTUS.

It's a funny political satire - kind of like Saturday Night Live, backstage at The Whitehouse!

Well, things at my day job have become a little different.  We're understaffed.

It bothers me that the time I put into my job interferes with my creativity.

At least I can find the time to run my rado show, TV show and scribble down my thoughts on blogs.

I need to find time for my piano and guitar composing.

I guess this isn't as bad as when we all had the shutdown.

All I did back then was work and sleep!

After a very long time, the show is in preproduction for a complete series.

New scripts are being written and actors are being auditioned for roles in the upcooming filming.

The original pilot was aired internationally and has won an award.

It focuses on a local actor who also works as a celebrity impersonator.

Where is he in life?

Where is he going?

And, how is he going about it?

More news to follow!