The Fifth Monkee, Neil Diamond

Cracklin’ Rose get on board 

We were a multi-generational Neil Diamond family. My parents played Neil's albums constantly back in the 70s, and his movie The Jazz Singer was a must-see event, on repeat in those early days when HBO was Home Box Office and would only show one movie a day. 

Neil, in his blue sequinned glory, was the first show to open the Van Andel Arena and I was there having won free tickets from a print vendor. And yes, there were elderly women throwing panties in the late 90s. 

He was kind of a dish, even in his later years. 

He was among the many talented scribes who wrote hit singles for The Monkees such as I'm a Believer, A Little Bit Me a Little Bit You, and Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow. I'm a Believer is an iconic pop single, a hit not only for the Monkees but also for Anne Murray in the 70s and Smashmouth in the early 2000s, appearing on the soundtrack to the movie Shrek. That's three generations!

Neil had a long string of hits starting with Solitary Man in the '60s. His contributions to pop culture as a singer/songwriter can be heard daily at baseball parks across the country, Sweet Caroline serving as a "feel-so-good so good! so good!" singalong during the 7th inning stretch. 

Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn who learned to write poetry because he was too shy to talk to girls. 

Dick Button, USA's figure skating GOAT

Legendary figure skater Dick Button died on January 30, 2025, at the age of 95. He would have said he looked "spiffy" in this photo from the 40s, but I'm here to say he's kind of a babe. 

He was a two-time Olympic champion, five-time World champion, seven-time National champion, and the only non-European man to win the European title. 

I got a hug as well as a lively lecture, details back in 2014. 

He introduced "North American style" athleticism to figure skating, bringing the sport forward after World War II. He was the first skater to do a double axel in competition, the first triple - a loop - in competition, and created what was known then as the Button Camel, nowadays it's the flying camel. 

After a stint touring in ice shows and graduating from Harvard Law School, he became a broadcaster for ABC, debuting with the premiere of Wide World of Sports at the 1960 Olympic Games. He was the voice of figure skating in the United States until 2010 - that's 50 years! While some found his commentary abrasive, he educated many in the terminology and nuances of the sport, finding great delight in the unusual, the unique, and, in his words, the superb. 

In addition, he was a television producer and entrepreneur, creating many television specials and skating production companies. 

There is no shortage of mourners this morning; others may offer better stories and a more complete CV of what he brought to skating. Obituaries say he is survived by his two children and his partner, Dennis Grimaldi. 

It's been a tough couple of days for the US Figure Skating community. 

5342

A new year, a new loss. 

Last week on social media, while watching the Novice level competitions during the 834 hours of figure skating coverage of the US Figure Skating National Championships, I commented that I had skating dresses older than some of those young athletes. 

A total of 28* skaters, coaches, and parents perished yesterday in the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342. They were headed home after Development Camp, a special training space for those who have been earmarked as the future of our sport. It's a devastating loss of life for those so young, who were only looking to their future. 

There will be a shadow over the 2025 Worlds and the 2030 Olympics for talent not realized. 

I recognized some of the names listed on social media. Maybe I judged one of them during an intermediate skate. Or perhaps I watched them on Peacock during my lunch break last week. I know I saw several of the boys post tiktok videos after having landed triple axels for the first time while at the camp.

I used the above meme because I wasn't sure what to type; I'm still unsure I have it right, even now. Here's my not-so-super-secret to being an official: I love all the skaters on the ice, whether you are bringing me your Disney princesses, your interpretation of Squid Games, or making me see Firebird in a different light. It's why I do this in my free time, I like having the best seat in the house to witness you doing what you love.

Oh, you will be missed. 

*Initial reports stated 14 were lost, but once families were notified and the missing confirmed, the number climbed; 28 of the 67 who died in the crash were associated with US Figure Skating. Memorials are slated the week of 2/4/25 at rinks across the country for those who were lost. 

Project 3867: The Morning Edition

There's been some activity lately as if someone is cleaning it up.

There is a vacant storefront property in Comstock Park, what used to be Mill Creek Motors. When in operation, it was a used car lot/auto repair shop. I don't want to say they are out of business, perhaps relocated, but there hasn't been any activity there for some time. Right now, it's most useful purpose has been as an overflow lot for Vitale's, the pizza restaurant across the street. 

As a property, it has ample parking, a building with two automotive bays, space behind the building, a marquee, a billboard, no greenery whatsoever, and chain link fencing that has seen better days. 

So that got me to thinking - what could go there? 

It's got... potential. 

If there's one thing lacking in CP it's a breakfast place. Dokl's butcher shop offers breakfast and lunch, but it's not in the heart of downtown CP and is closed on Sundays, which is prime breakfast day. Other than that, there's McDonald's and Wendy's drive-thru. 

Back in the early days of our marriage, Dave and I mused over what mom-and-pop we would open, and we settled on a breakfast place, called The Morning Edition. 

It would have a newspaper theme, and we'd have all the best morning editions of the newspaper available to patrons to read while having their meal. 

Specialties would include corned beef hash, the Garland pancake breakfast (pancakes, fried eggs, peanut butter, and bacon), breakfast casseroles, and easy to grab-and-go sandwich + drink combos. All are served on blue plates. 

Edited to add: Mill Creek Tavern, also across the street, saw the gap and started serving breakfast. They are now open at 7am with a short menu to start. Very expensive. It will be a litmus test to see if CP can support a breakfast joint.

The Cereal Project: Audience

Could we LOVE cereal any more?

Let's start off the cereal project by deciding who our audience is. These days it seems cereal is either for the very young or the old. But who's in the middle? 

GenX.

We are a generation that grew up with colorful boxes, addictive sugar content, and catchy theme songs. We spent Saturday mornings consuming large bowls while watching cartoons, along with cereal commercials and unforgettable slogans: 

He likes it, hey Mikey!

Trix are for kids!

Honeycomb is sweet, yeah yeah yeah!

They're grrrrrrreat!

Koo koo for Coco Puffs! 

So audience will be people like me - GenXers who are nostalgic for the cereals and prizes of our youth, but frankly can't do the sugar content. 

Next month: the product. 

Lipstick on the Mic: Fanny

Are you cool or are you Fanny cool?

We are now basic cable-free, the only thing we are paying for is Amazon Prime. I started watching free PlutoTV, which has all the VEVO channels, which was a dream come true for this girl who was raised on MTV and Solid Gold. This got me watching video clips from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s.

Why is this awesome? While watching the 70s rock block, I came upon a band I had never heard of, Fanny.

Fanny is one of the first all-female rock groups to achieve critical and commercial success. The group was founded by sisters June and Jean Millington in the mid-60s as the Svelts, then Wild Honey. They signed a contract to record an album after a gig at the famed Troubadour in 1969 and became Fanny. 

They paid their industry dues, singing backup for Joe Cocker, working as session musicians for Barbra Streisand, touring as the opening act for Slade, Jethro Tull, and Humble Pie, and appearing on classic music programs American Bandstand, The Sonny and Cher Show, and Old Grey Whistle Test. 

The band released five albums, which included songs such as Ain’t That Peculiar, Special Care, and their version of The Beatles Hey Bulldog. The members were pressured by execs to dress more provocatively to appeal to hard rock audiences, something they did not want to do, wanting instead to focus on the music. 

Their most famous fan? David Bowie. 

The members went their separate ways in the mid-70s while staying active in the industry as performers and producers. They reformed as a Fanny Walked the Earth in 2018.

There’s a documentary, Fanny: The Right to Rock released in 2021; bands who cite Fanny as inspiration include the Go Gos, the Bangles, and the Runaways. 

The Fifth Monkee, Monte Landis

Don't sign, Pete! 

I have gone on for YEARS about The Beatles. One of the things fans debate among themselves is who is considered the fifth Beatle. For the record, I think it is not just any one person, but rather give credit in ascending order to Astrid Kircherr, Klaus Voorman, Stu Sutcliffe, Pete Best, Billy Preston, Brian Epstein, and George Martin. 

Part of Beatlemania was what came after, namely those inspired by the Fabs. One of those acts was The Monkees, an American sitcom about a struggling rock band trying to hit the big time. While the band's struggles were the storyline of the show, as a musical act, they became a smash in real life. What I have found entertaining while watching reruns is wondering who is the fifth Monkee. 

I have been freezing the credits and looking up actors/guest stars on IMDb to learn about people who have gone on to greater things... or if a spot as one of Davy's many girlfriends on the show was the lone claim to fame. The glory of The Monkees is they were both a band and a television series, so you can pull from both influences. 

The first of the Fifth Monkees is Monte Landis. He is a Scottish-American actor who, according to IMDb, started his career back in 1955 in the series Sherlock Holmes. His last acting credit was the television show High Society in 1996 before retiring. 

As a guest star in the show, Landis appeared in seven episodes as the devil, a Middle Eastern king, a scheming health nut, an art thief, an adventurer, a magician, and a politician. His turn as Mr. Zero in the episode The Devil and Peter Tork, is considered a highlight, the episode was nominated for an Emmy for Best Series, Comedy.