Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: First hail up. Yao wa guan, Jamaica. Welcome to the vault of Silliness's list of countries tuning in for some fun. Some inside information here. I have lots of episodes from 1996. Some nights were recorded from start to finish. For this month, we'll get three shows from that year, beginning with a dumb birthday game from March 4 that I have titled the humor is dry and so is the homintagin. The players Karen regal in traffic, Mike Epstein producing and playing in studio, Irene from Brookline, Kevin in Maine, Marge from Avon and Chris in Worcester. Birthdays Paul Apprentice, chastity Bono, Miriam McCabe, Mary Wilson and Barbara McNair. We also get two events. What year was president Calvin Coolidge's inauguration broadcast live coast to coast across 21 radio stations? And Ron and Nancy Reagan were married. In what year? There are entertaining commercials for the TV Guide, baby boombox and Candela skincare centers. We also learn about some famous people that started out doing overnight traffic for WBZ. I'm not going to tell you. You're just going to have to listen for those heady stuff, people. Heady stuff. Episode 178, the humor is dry, and so is the homintasin. Crumbles its way to your ears now.
[00:01:29] Speaker B: I guess I've never met. We have not met, have we, Karen?
[00:01:32] Speaker C: I don't believe so, Norm. Not yet.
[00:01:34] Speaker B: So we're kind of meeting in a casual kind of different way without actually being face to face at the moment. But I'm glad that you're able to play the dumb birthday game with us.
[00:01:45] Speaker C: It's a lifelong dream of mine, Norm.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Don't suck up to me that badly. All right?
[00:01:52] Speaker C: I'm sorry.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: Just back off. Anyway, Karen is on duty now for the WBZ 24 hours traffic network, and it's a position that I hope you're very proud of because a lot of people started out doing the overnight traffic stuff, and they've risen to incredible heights. And I can name just a few people for you.
[00:02:14] Speaker D: Please.
[00:02:15] Speaker E: Do you want me to name them?
[00:02:17] Speaker B: Do you? Oh, please. The secretary of the treasury, who started out as a traffic reporter. Here, I forgot her name now.
I think it was Myra Boskowitz. Something maybe I may have missed a little bit with that.
Many performers have started out this way.
Tom Hanks. Did you know that Tom Hanks started out as a WBZ traffic reporter?
[00:02:42] Speaker C: Really?
[00:02:43] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:44] Speaker C: I believe you.
[00:02:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
There's no point in my lying. What can I gain by that? There's also a guy who sells fresh fruits in the north end. He started out here, too. He's not one of our big success stories, but we do like to mention him. He's probably making more selling fresh fruits than he did as a traffic reporter.
[00:03:05] Speaker C: Probably.
[00:03:06] Speaker B: Yeah. Now, you're probably two or three rungs ahead of me as a weekend all night announcer person. That's about the lowest you can get in broadcasting. But anyway, it's kind of fun. You know how the game is played, and we tell you in many cases, the names of the people who are born on the state. We guess the ages. And when I run out of names that anybody knows, we do events that happen on the state, and you tell me the year it happened. But in all, in all, it's kind of fun. I can hear your two way radio explaining some difficulties. Something about the sumner tunnel just sank into the Atlantic.
[00:03:44] Speaker C: I'll make a note of that. We'll try to get it on the air for you.
[00:03:47] Speaker B: Well, don't even bother with it. The dumb birthday game is much more important than any of that kind of.
[00:03:52] Speaker C: All right.
[00:03:52] Speaker B: The other day we lost the entire upper deck of the Tobin bridge, but we carried on with the dumb birthday game because we know our priorities are what's best. Thank you. Thank you very much. There's a 73 car pile up on the mass. Turnpike near exit 17, but we don't pay any ten. Somebody's going to believe me. I shouldn't talk that way. I made that up. Okay. Anyway, and Mike Epstein is here. You can hear him making funny comments.
[00:04:25] Speaker E: Well, maybe allegedly funny is more like it, but what am I hearing?
[00:04:31] Speaker B: That sounds kind of serious. Is it, Karen?
[00:04:34] Speaker C: No, it's not. Not at all.
[00:04:36] Speaker B: Okay, well, that's good. Thank goodness. How long have you been reporting traffic, by the way? Karen, Mike wanted me to ask you that.
[00:04:43] Speaker C: Oh, I haven't been. Only a couple of months. I haven't been here too long.
[00:04:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
Did you report traffic anyplace else or this kind of a whole new experience for.
[00:04:51] Speaker F: Is it?
[00:04:52] Speaker C: Is. It's interesting.
[00:04:53] Speaker B: Hey, one day when you and I are old people, we can sit around and talk about these wonderful days. You'll be able to say, remember back then?
[00:05:01] Speaker C: And then I was staying up all night drinking pots of coffee.
[00:05:04] Speaker B: Yeah, bringing pots and reporting on traffic and being involved with that silly Lon Mason or Ron Macon, I can't remember his name now. One of those guys, they all got to look alike after a while, you know? They are. Anyway, you will be playing, and Mike, as we mentioned, our producer will be here.
[00:05:22] Speaker E: Yes, wonderful.
[00:05:23] Speaker B: Excellent. And now let me introduce you some other members of the panel. We have Irene, who is in Brookline. Hello, Irene.
[00:05:29] Speaker F: Hi, Norm.
[00:05:30] Speaker B: You excited, too? Is you excited as Karen and Mike are? About excited?
[00:05:35] Speaker F: Because I want to tell you that the man that called up about those bakeries on Beacon street, they've been gone about ten years.
[00:05:43] Speaker B: I tell you, you take a different route to work one day and everything is gone by the time you go back.
As you get older, it's kind of funny. Things do go and you don't even notice them. The truth. And they're gone for years.
[00:05:57] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:05:58] Speaker B: Anyway, have you played the dumb birthday game with us before?
[00:06:00] Speaker F: About four years ago.
[00:06:02] Speaker B: Oh, you're due again. Did you win that time?
[00:06:05] Speaker F: I did.
[00:06:06] Speaker B: Oh, did you?
[00:06:07] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:06:07] Speaker B: Okay, maybe you'll win again this time.
[00:06:09] Speaker F: Still got the present.
[00:06:11] Speaker B: Oh, you never. Probably even bothered to unwrap it. I don't blame you. Okay, let's go to Kevin. I don't dare ask her whether she liked it or not. I just kind of went quickly to another person.
[00:06:24] Speaker E: Very smooth.
[00:06:25] Speaker B: Oh, smooth. I'm Mr. Smooth. I'm Mr. Smoothie.
This is Kevin in Maine. Hi, Kevin.
[00:06:31] Speaker D: Hi, Norm.
[00:06:33] Speaker B: Hi. Is this the first crack it. No, this is not. You played the game, I think.
[00:06:36] Speaker D: Oh, yes, I have.
[00:06:37] Speaker B: Yes, I know. I can do.
[00:06:38] Speaker D: I won once.
[00:06:39] Speaker B: You won one also, and I'm not even going to ask.
[00:06:42] Speaker D: Out of a hundred.
[00:06:44] Speaker B: Out of a hundred times, yeah. Wow. Okay. Wow.
[00:06:47] Speaker D: No, I'm kidding. Once out of.
[00:06:49] Speaker B: Well, that's pretty good.
[00:06:51] Speaker D: It took me three years, but you'd.
[00:06:54] Speaker B: See now it shows you persistence pays off, and. That's nice.
[00:06:57] Speaker D: Well, you sent me some nice stuff. I read it all up, and I donated it to the library down here in Kettery.
[00:07:04] Speaker B: Oh, well, that's nice of you to do that. You know something? You're okay, Kevin.
[00:07:08] Speaker D: Thank you very much, Norm.
[00:07:09] Speaker B: You are, too okay. Marge is down in the town of Avon. Hello, Marge.
[00:07:15] Speaker F: Hi. How are you?
[00:07:16] Speaker B: I'm just fine, thank you.
[00:07:18] Speaker F: You sound great.
[00:07:19] Speaker B: You sound pretty good yourself.
[00:07:21] Speaker F: Thank you.
[00:07:22] Speaker B: In fact, we both sound so great, we ought to join forces, perhaps, and do a morning show together.
[00:07:26] Speaker F: I think we should, too.
[00:07:28] Speaker B: You want to go over to one of those morning talk shows?
[00:07:31] Speaker F: Yeah, that'd be fine.
[00:07:32] Speaker B: Okay. Because I think they got a man and a woman doing some sort of a show like that someplace. But I always forget their names.
[00:07:39] Speaker F: Really?
[00:07:39] Speaker E: Never heard of them?
[00:07:40] Speaker B: No, I never heard of them. I. Probably not. They're probably not on. It's probably in my imagination.
What kind of work do you do, Marge?
[00:07:48] Speaker F: I'm retired.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: You have such a young voice.
[00:07:52] Speaker F: No, I was going to say I'm.
[00:07:55] Speaker B: Old like you, but that doesn't sound right.
That's too bad. You've already lost the game, fellas.
No. Are you. Are you up around 70 or so?
You're in bad shape. Are you? Is that the way you get when you're old? You begin coughing and having a terrible time of it? Was that you coughing?
[00:08:16] Speaker F: No, it was me. I was eating. A home intention.
[00:08:23] Speaker B: This is such an epic program, isn't it?
[00:08:26] Speaker F: And I don't like moon, you know I like prunes.
[00:08:29] Speaker B: I don't believe anybody asked you, but thank you very much, Irene. Anyway, Marge, you're up. Anyway, you don't have to tell me your age. That's not important.
Well, I'm glad you're playing the game. It's not important.
It's not important, you hear me?
[00:08:45] Speaker F: Yeah. I'm a good loser.
[00:08:47] Speaker B: Okay, let's go to Chris, who's in Worcester. Hi, Chris.
[00:08:51] Speaker F: Good evening, Norm.
[00:08:53] Speaker B: We have a lot of women on the panel today. That's really nice. The three on the panel, plus Karen and just two guys.
Yeah, that's a nice balance. Excellent balance.
Is that you, Kevin, making funny stomach noises?
[00:09:15] Speaker D: Would I do that?
[00:09:17] Speaker B: Who's making those noises?
[00:09:18] Speaker F: Maybe it was Mike.
[00:09:20] Speaker B: No, it's not Mike. Mike is sitting right across from me. I can see my hands are above.
[00:09:24] Speaker E: The table and everything. I'm not playing any instruments.
[00:09:27] Speaker B: Isn't that weird?
[00:09:29] Speaker E: Somebody's playing a synthesized organ of some here's.
[00:09:35] Speaker B: Anyway, today is the birthday of Paul apprentice. She's married to Richard Benjamin. They've been married for a number of years. He's an actor and director and all of that. And he's been in a number of good movies. I can't remember the movies that she's been in. Let me see if I have that information here. Let me see. Today, of course, it's March 4, and Paul apprentice was in he and she man's favorite sport, the Woody Allen movie. What's new, pussycat? Born in San Antonio, Texas, on this very day, March 4. Of course, her real name, or her name at birth anyway, was Paula Ragusa.
Maybe when you translate that from Italian to English, ragusa means apprentice.
Then maybe again, it doesn't. I don't know. Anyway, Irene, how old do you think Paul apprentice is?
[00:10:35] Speaker F: Oh, I would say she's about 52.
[00:10:38] Speaker B: 52. What do you think, Kevin?
[00:10:43] Speaker D: I'll go 55.
[00:10:45] Speaker B: And what do you think, Marge?
[00:10:47] Speaker F: I think I'll go with 50.
[00:10:49] Speaker B: Okay. Chris?
[00:10:52] Speaker F: 57.
[00:10:54] Speaker B: 57, okay.
She asked and put that in the form of a question. Which is what they like on jeopardy. But we don't have those kind of rules here, so it doesn't really matter.
And I'll buy a vowel. The next thing you're going to say is that, aren't you, Mike, what do you think?
[00:11:14] Speaker E: I'm going to go with my first instinct on this. 159 59.
[00:11:19] Speaker B: 1St instincts certainly is the way to go in a legitimate way. So don't you feel badly.
[00:11:25] Speaker E: Thank you very much, father.
[00:11:26] Speaker B: Okay, Karen. This is a momentous moment. It's Karen's first guest.
[00:11:32] Speaker C: Oh, I'm all excited.
[00:11:33] Speaker B: Yeah, boy, take your time, Karen.
[00:11:35] Speaker C: You probably lose, though.
[00:11:36] Speaker E: Come on now, we're pulling for you.
[00:11:39] Speaker B: You understand that if any member of the staff, and that includes you and Mike wins, you don't really get anything because it's on page 743 of the dumb birthday games rulebook.
[00:11:52] Speaker C: Oh, I haven't seen that yet.
[00:11:53] Speaker B: Yeah, members of the.
[00:11:54] Speaker C: Are there any papers I should have signed?
[00:11:56] Speaker B: You didn't sign.
[00:11:57] Speaker D: You didn't sign anything yet?
[00:11:59] Speaker B: Sign the papers yet?
[00:12:00] Speaker C: No.
[00:12:01] Speaker B: Oh, jeez.
[00:12:02] Speaker C: Can I guess anyway?
[00:12:04] Speaker B: No, go ahead.
[00:12:06] Speaker C: 51.
[00:12:07] Speaker B: 51. Okay. Today, Paul apprentice is 57.
And Chris said that. She said exactly 57. You were all very close.
All very close. I'm just so proud of my class. You obviously have paid attention through the years. You know what? Richard Benjamin, her husband, was up here one night. He was being interviewed by David Brudnoy. And I remembered an incident with Richard Benjamin, and I thought I was imagining it. He was in town with a play once, and we walked around Boston about 02:00 in the morning, he and I and one other actor from the play, maybe somebody else from that radio station. I don't remember where I was working and maybe WhDH, I suppose. And I thought, that can't be. What would I be doing walking around at 02:00 in the morning with Richard Benjamin? I must have dreamed that. But anyway, I bumped into him. I was coming in, and he was just finishing the interview, and he was here at a play at that very moment. Isn't that a boring story? Why did I tell that story? I have no idea why I told that story.
[00:13:22] Speaker E: It sounded like you were describing some kind of a surreal dream or something. I was wondering where it was going.
[00:13:27] Speaker B: I thought it was a know.
Now I brag about. I hung around with Richard Benjamin. We hung around. It was about two in the morning. We're going around the city of Boston. I don't have any idea where we.
[00:13:40] Speaker D: Were going or anything.
[00:13:43] Speaker B: He was married to Paul apprentice at that time. See, that's the tie in.
[00:13:47] Speaker F: Is he still married?
[00:13:49] Speaker B: Yes, he is. He's still married to Paul apprentice. They've been married for a whole lot of years. Yeah. Isn't that terrific? Yeah, it's a beautiful story.
[00:14:00] Speaker E: It's a beautiful thing.
[00:14:02] Speaker B: Kind of fills your stomach with just joy and gas.
Here's another person. Let's see whose age group. Guest chastity Bono. Never thought she'd be sitting around 22, 23 minutes after three in the morning guessing the age of chastity Bono. Did you? Sometimes life takes strange turns.
Chastity Bono, of course, the daughter of Sunny and Cher.
She was born in Los Angeles, which doesn't help you identify the age, but you remember when she was born and how long ago was that? That's how you can sort of narrow it down. We'll start with you, Karen, what do you think? Oh, you're going to start with you. Don't start with me. Don't start with me.
[00:14:51] Speaker C: No, I can't take any hints from somebody else.
[00:14:54] Speaker B: I know.
Everybody's in the same boat. Next time we'll start with somebody, a third person.
[00:15:00] Speaker C: Okay, that's fair. That's fair. All right. 30.
[00:15:04] Speaker B: 30. Okay. What do you think, Mike?
[00:15:08] Speaker E: Were Sonny and cheers still doing their show on. I think it was CBS or something when they had that child? Or was she already here by then? Do you happen to remember?
[00:15:19] Speaker B: That's a good question. Thank you. I'm just doing some fast figuring here and I'll come up with an answer.
Hold on one moment, please. The trouble is in your sec, and I have a brother in law, Bernie, who can repair it for you.
I don't know who's the answer. I mean, I can tell you the year we're talking about, but I don't know whether they had the show at that point. I think they probably did, but I don't know.
[00:15:48] Speaker F: Yes, they did. And she used to come on every.
[00:15:51] Speaker B: So often chastity came on the show.
[00:15:55] Speaker E: Oh, well, all right then.
[00:15:56] Speaker B: Okay. As a little baby or was she already like 41 years old?
She was walking, barely walking. All right, barely walking is like two years old, if she been walking or even younger than that.
[00:16:12] Speaker F: See how nice I am to you, Mike?
[00:16:14] Speaker E: You are so good to me. God, I don't deserve it.
Before we go much further with this line of questioning, I'm going to say 29. 29, thank you very much.
[00:16:26] Speaker B: Okay.
What would you say, Chris?
[00:16:29] Speaker F: I'm going to try 28.
[00:16:32] Speaker B: You're going to try 28. Okay. And what about you, Marge?
[00:16:37] Speaker F: Well, I might as well go 27.
[00:16:41] Speaker B: All right.
Okay.
She's going to be back to about a year and a half older. Where we're going downhill on this thing. Kevin, what do you say?
[00:16:51] Speaker D: I'm going to say 28.
[00:16:52] Speaker B: Also 28. Okay. And Irene?
[00:16:55] Speaker F: 25.
[00:16:57] Speaker B: Okay. The answer is 27.
She's 27 years old. You were all remarkably close, Marge, though. Hit it right on the button.
[00:17:06] Speaker F: Boy, that was luck.
[00:17:11] Speaker B: The good Lord is sitting on your left shoulder. Smiling down. And sticking his tongue right in your ear so you can't miss.
I'll hear about that one, too.
Anyway, you know Mary McKeeba, the south african vocalist? Not at all. Folk singer. Mary McKeeba. Excellent. She hasn't been in the news lately. Which makes me think maybe she's not even living.
But she was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. One of the very best folk singers. And she used to sing. There was a song called a click song. She sang in which she used to make noises or sounds. I shouldn't call them noises, but sounds from inside her throat that sounded like clicking. Really weird, weird sounds.
It sounded a little like my native language. Chagra.
[00:18:08] Speaker E: Yes.
[00:18:10] Speaker B: Are you familiar. Any of you familiar with the Chagra language?
No. Sagra language. Chagra has no vowels and only three consonants. So it's kind of hard to express yourself. In any really emotional kind of way. But it sounds a lot like that Mary McKeever click song. Let me give you an example. I'll say Mary McKeever's name in chagra. Very good. Okay. In fact, I'd say she sings great folk songs. Mary McKeever sings great folk songs. This is the way it is in chagra.
I think I've got a hernia.
[00:18:53] Speaker D: I think you need the Heimlich.
[00:18:57] Speaker B: I think I need a psychiatrist, is what I need.
Anyway. Miriam McKeeba. We'll start with.
Let me just. You want to hear me say. We'll start with you, Chris. And rock. No, it hurts too much.
How old do you think Mary McKeeb.
[00:19:16] Speaker F: Is, if she's still around?
Because I'd never heard of her, apparently.
[00:19:24] Speaker B: Yeah, she was very big a few years back. And I have not heard much of her lately. That's quite true.
[00:19:30] Speaker F: Well, let's give her 58.
[00:19:33] Speaker B: Let's give her 58. Okay. Chris says 58. What do you say, Kevin?
[00:19:39] Speaker D: 59.
[00:19:42] Speaker B: 59, okay, good guess.
I don't know. I can't tell you that until the very end of this round. Because otherwise it'll tip off Mike Epstein. And he's going to guess next.
[00:19:56] Speaker E: If I'm not mistaken, she's revered as, like, the Barbara Streisand of South Africa.
[00:20:01] Speaker B: Is that right?
Well, she would have that kind of.
[00:20:05] Speaker E: Status, yes, but certainly not like the Madonna of South Africa. Nothing that bad.
[00:20:11] Speaker B: No. I mean, she doesn't sound like she sings folk songs, so she doesn't sound like either Barbara Streisand or Madonna.
[00:20:19] Speaker E: Has she ever recorded anything that's won a Grammy of any kind or any kind of musical award that we might know of?
[00:20:26] Speaker B: She may have.
[00:20:27] Speaker E: Has she been in any films recently?
[00:20:30] Speaker B: No, I don't know that she's ever been in any films that I'm aware of. I know this is not helping a great deal, but she was around during the folk music stage when Joan Baez and. Joan Collins. Not Joan Collins, but he's going to ask Judy Collins. What's that?
[00:20:50] Speaker F: I said, he's going to ask you for her birthday.
[00:20:53] Speaker B: Well, he's not going to catch me on that because I'm sly. I'm a.
[00:20:56] Speaker E: Thanks a lot. All right.
I'm going to say that she's 57.
[00:21:09] Speaker B: 57, yeah. Okay. What do you think, Karen?
[00:21:13] Speaker C: I have never heard of this woman.
[00:21:14] Speaker E: Me neither.
[00:21:15] Speaker B: Now, nobody has. Nobody seems to have heard of her.
[00:21:19] Speaker C: 64.
[00:21:21] Speaker B: 64, wow. Okay. And Irene? 60.
And what do you think, Marge?
[00:21:29] Speaker F: 56.
[00:21:30] Speaker B: 56. Have any of you heard of her?
[00:21:32] Speaker F: Never.
[00:21:33] Speaker B: None of you have, Miriam?
Well, I'm guessing that she is. I don't know for sure. The book I have is about a year and a half, printed about a year and a half ago.
[00:21:46] Speaker F: I wish I could buy that book that you've got.
[00:21:48] Speaker E: You can.
[00:21:49] Speaker B: You can. Actually, we don't even have the 1996 version of it yet. This is nowhere to lie.
[00:21:57] Speaker E: I saw one of those books in the bookstore the other, the other day.
[00:22:00] Speaker B: Oh, yeah? No, they're available. What's the name? It's called Chase's calendar of events.
And it's kind of expensive. Only big time radio stations can afford them. And small time weekend guys like we steal them.
That's how I've got it. I took it out of the newsroom. You see where it says here, radio news, do not remove. It says, do not remove. I feel so naughty and everything. When I remove stuff that you're not supposed to, I feel great. Yeah. I love to go into doors that say no admittance.
[00:22:37] Speaker F: That's right.
[00:22:38] Speaker B: All that kind of stuff. Okay. The answer is Miriam Akiba is exactly what Karen said. 64. Wow.
[00:22:46] Speaker C: Oh, I'm so excited.
[00:22:50] Speaker B: All right.
[00:22:51] Speaker C: It's a big moment for me.
[00:22:52] Speaker B: All right.
[00:22:53] Speaker F: You do have a second prize, don't you?
[00:22:56] Speaker B: No. Actually, if somebody ties with somebody who's here, on the staff.
Somebody who is here on the staff does not get a prize, but the person they tie with does.
[00:23:08] Speaker C: Well, you see, now I can impress all my friends and tell them I actually answered a question right away.
[00:23:13] Speaker B: One out of three. I think you're doing great so far. Nobody's got more than you. Chris and Marge both have just won a piece. And we'll go to Mary Wilson. You know Mary Wilson, an original member of the Supremes with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. And of course, I was going to say something silly, but I'm not even going to finish that sentence. She's from Detroit. Of course. They were part of the Motown sound, the Supremes.
Mary Wilson. Wasn't there another one with another interesting name who's a member of that group?
Like Birdsong or Nightingale?
[00:23:57] Speaker E: I don't think so.
[00:23:58] Speaker B: No. Okay, well, we'll just guess Mary Wilson's age, then. What the heck? I don't care.
Let's see, we'll start with.
Did we start with you the first time? Last time, Mars? I don't think we did. Why don't we start with you, then? How old do you think Mary Wilson is?
[00:24:17] Speaker F: Let's see.
She's got to be younger than I am, because everybody else is.
[00:24:25] Speaker B: I bet I'm not.
So they're too nany.
[00:24:31] Speaker F: I think I'm going to say 54.
[00:24:33] Speaker B: You think so?
[00:24:34] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:24:35] Speaker B: When can we be sure? Okay, March is 54. Okay. And what do you say, Irene? 50 50.
[00:24:46] Speaker F: I've been doing rotten tonight.
[00:24:49] Speaker B: No, you've been very close on almost every one of them.
[00:24:52] Speaker F: Yeah, close, but that doesn't count.
[00:24:55] Speaker B: I think it does.
[00:24:56] Speaker F: That's because I'm eating the humintus and here. And.
[00:25:00] Speaker B: Oh, you're the one who's coughing. Yes, coughing on the humintus. What do you do? Do you light it first before you?
[00:25:08] Speaker F: I love them.
[00:25:09] Speaker B: I love them, too.
Kevin, what do you think?
[00:25:14] Speaker D: Not knowing and all.
Let's go with 51.
[00:25:19] Speaker B: Okay, we'll go with 51. Because you're the captain of this ship.
You have your hand on the tiller and you're guiding us safely through the troubled waters that lie ahead.
[00:25:30] Speaker E: That's our rallying crowd. We'll go with 51 or busts.
[00:25:35] Speaker B: That's right.
Thanks, Karen, what do you think?
[00:25:39] Speaker C: 52.
[00:25:41] Speaker B: Karen said 52.
[00:25:42] Speaker C: I'm getting confident now.
[00:25:44] Speaker E: She's not part of that.
[00:25:44] Speaker C: I've got one.
[00:25:45] Speaker B: Right. Yeah. That was great confidence. That was kind of scary there.
Even if she's not that I want to say she is, because I wouldn't argue with this kind of confidence.
Chris, what do you say, 56? 56. And, Mike?
[00:26:05] Speaker E: Well, I think I can be supremely confident in this answer.
[00:26:11] Speaker B: I get it.
Supremely.
[00:26:16] Speaker E: I'm going to have to go with 57 again.
[00:26:19] Speaker B: 57 again.
[00:26:20] Speaker E: It's got to be right one of these times.
[00:26:21] Speaker B: Yes. However, not this time.
But it was right from Karen again. 52 is exactly the right age.
[00:26:32] Speaker C: Oh, I'm stunned.
[00:26:33] Speaker B: You are something.
[00:26:37] Speaker D: And she wants the book.
[00:26:38] Speaker B: No. The only other traffic reporter who fared so well on his initial broadcast of the dumb birthday game was Engelbert Humperdink.
[00:26:49] Speaker C: Really? He was a traffic reporter.
[00:26:51] Speaker B: Yeah, he was a traffic reporter here on weekends mostly.
[00:26:54] Speaker C: Really?
[00:26:54] Speaker B: He really was. We had to dump him because he didn't know any of the streets.
[00:26:58] Speaker C: I imagine he was outside working on.
[00:26:59] Speaker D: His tan Tom Jones wannabe, wasn't he?
[00:27:02] Speaker B: Yeah. We said just report on the major highways, like around the south station tunnel at that area down there, route 3128. He didn't know any of the roads.
[00:27:14] Speaker C: Really?
[00:27:15] Speaker B: No. Pitiful.
[00:27:16] Speaker C: We got to know where to fake it.
[00:27:17] Speaker B: Yeah. No, he knew a street in Weymouth, but I think he had a girlfriend there. That was about all he knew.
If you're going to be a traffic for it, you can't just give traffic on one street.
[00:27:31] Speaker C: That's true.
[00:27:31] Speaker B: And he said, why not? So he was out of here.
Okay, we got a couple other names. Well, one, I suspect, if you don't know Mary McKee, but you would not probably know Barbara McNair or would you? Beautiful woman who's been singing for a number of years. Who sings well. Do you know Barbara McNair?
[00:27:53] Speaker F: I do, too.
[00:27:54] Speaker B: Okay, well, why don't we do Barbara McNair? See what else I can tell you about her that might give you a clue.
Barbara McNair.
Let's see, when I was doing a jazz show, I used to play her and I did the jazz show. This will give you a clue. Also between the years 57 and 68.
And she was singing then, although she was, I was going to say she's younger than she is now, which is really stupid.
I don't mean what I said was stupid. I mean, it was stupid for her to be younger.
Anyway, she was on a tv show at one point called the Barbara McNair show. That doesn't help you at all. She also an actress. She's been in movies, I think, with.
No, I can't think of what the movies would be. But she sings well, is quite attractive, and is sung with some jazz groups, although I don't think she's known primarily as a jazz singer. Barbara McNair.
[00:28:53] Speaker E: Is she still working? Is she still singing?
[00:28:55] Speaker B: I don't know.
I have not heard about her recently. I have not heard. I must call. Please do see that she's okay. Thank you. She's probably thinking, he doesn't care about. He hasn't even called. He used to come around with a basket of fruit once in a while. Maybe a flower or two. He doesn't even call.
I feel awful. Just simply awful.
[00:29:21] Speaker E: You heartbreaker.
[00:29:23] Speaker B: Isn't this more fun than most other programs you're on, Karen.
[00:29:28] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:29:30] Speaker B: I don't like the way she said that. It was.
[00:29:32] Speaker F: She's right. I love your program.
[00:29:34] Speaker C: I meant it. Okay, I did.
I'm just concentrating on trying to get another one right.
[00:29:41] Speaker B: Okay, we'll start with Irene. That'll give you a little chance to work on.
[00:29:45] Speaker F: Sure.
[00:29:46] Speaker B: Oh, don't be a sore head. Irene, why don't you peel apart the homin touch, and probably inside will be the answer.
[00:29:54] Speaker F: I'm all through with it. I'm dying to run in and get a glass of water.
[00:29:58] Speaker B: Okay. No, but see, sometimes when you peel apart a homintash, is humintosh singular and homeintoshan plural?
[00:30:06] Speaker F: No, it's a.
Oh, humintoshan is singular.
[00:30:10] Speaker B: That's right. Okay. Sometimes if you pull them apart, it's like a chinese fortune cookie. There's sometimes a little strip of paper in there that tells you how old Barbara McNair is.
[00:30:19] Speaker C: Why?
[00:30:20] Speaker F: Where do you buy yours? I've never seen that.
[00:30:22] Speaker B: I buy them at a chinese restaurant.
[00:30:25] Speaker F: Yeah, sure. In the chat. Norman, I'm going to say that she's got to be at least 66. 67.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: Okay. Which one would you pick?
[00:30:36] Speaker F: Oh, 66.
[00:30:37] Speaker B: 66, okay.
She called me Norman. Did you notice that? My form. I sure did. That's so nice.
[00:30:46] Speaker E: Did you like that?
[00:30:47] Speaker B: I kind of like that. Yeah. Norman. Normie. Anything but Norm.
No, Norma's okay, Kevin. What do you think, Norm?
[00:31:00] Speaker D: I don't know.
[00:31:02] Speaker B: Fair enough. You're an honest man. You win.
Thank you.
[00:31:06] Speaker D: Okay, next question. I'll go 65.
[00:31:09] Speaker B: 65, okay. Marge, how old do you think Barbara McNair is?
[00:31:15] Speaker F: Boy, I remember her, but way back.
[00:31:21] Speaker B: Yeah. No, I mentioned that I was playing her in the think. She maybe had been around before then, too. Although not much before. She was quite young then. I don't want to deceive you. She wasn't.
[00:31:35] Speaker F: I'm going to say 62.
[00:31:37] Speaker B: 62, okay, Chris, for the third time.
[00:31:41] Speaker F: I'm going to try 57.
[00:31:45] Speaker B: Actually, this is only the second time.
See, I keep close score on this because I have to keep a neat score thing because it goes through the WBZ hall of Fame and Records archive. It's important. And it ends up on the 35th floor. If you're ever visiting WBZ broadcast City, some people stay here. We have, as you know, our penthouse hotel on the 73rd floor. And you'd be surprised who's rented it for the weekend.
It's rumored that the entire presidential party is up there, separated only by the entire republican presidential candidates are up there, too. They get the whole suite.
They make this their base of operations.
[00:32:34] Speaker E: Is that where they're all operating from this weekend?
[00:32:36] Speaker B: Yeah, because we're in Soldiersfield Road and it's handy to downtown Brighton, so a lot of people like to come here.
[00:32:45] Speaker F: Why? What's in Brighton?
[00:32:47] Speaker E: Exactly?
[00:32:49] Speaker B: Everything is in Brighton. Have you never been to Brighton?
[00:32:51] Speaker F: Of course I've been to Brighton, but what's so exciting about different?
[00:32:58] Speaker B: No. The shopping, the shopping of the antique shops.
Shops from all over the world are here. Some of the finest restaurants representing every single ethnic group you can think of.
[00:33:15] Speaker F: That's good.
[00:33:16] Speaker B: They have a whole street just with thai restaurants.
[00:33:20] Speaker F: That's right. There's more thai restaurants on Commonwealth Avenue, Brighton than any place else.
[00:33:28] Speaker B: Are you making fun of me, Irene?
[00:33:29] Speaker F: Oh, never, doll, never.
[00:33:33] Speaker B: Sheesh.
[00:33:34] Speaker D: I just like coming down and looking at the big towers.
[00:33:37] Speaker B: Okay, listen, let me.
Looking at our big towers. Mike. Yes. How old is Barbara McDare? I know we've kind of lost track of what we're talking about out in.
[00:33:50] Speaker E: Left field for a second there. By the way, I was driving through a snowstorm this afternoon. Just a squall came upon me all of a sudden.
[00:33:57] Speaker B: Let me just say this while you say that. Irene wants to get some water. Go get it now.
Go get it.
[00:34:05] Speaker F: Okay, okay.
[00:34:06] Speaker E: And I'm thinking to myself, here we are, it's the middle of winter, and I turn on the radio, skinning the dial.
[00:34:12] Speaker B: What do I hear?
[00:34:13] Speaker E: The Red Sox.
[00:34:15] Speaker B: Oh, it's the Red Sox game.
[00:34:17] Speaker E: There was a game, an exhibition game on today. It made me smile and made me think, summer cannot be too far away.
[00:34:23] Speaker B: I know it.
[00:34:24] Speaker D: They were playing the twins, right? Yeah, they're going to play them, what, like eleven times or something?
[00:34:31] Speaker B: Well, they're located in Fort Myers also, I believe. Are they or very close by?
[00:34:35] Speaker E: I don't know.
[00:34:35] Speaker D: They play the twins a lot.
[00:34:37] Speaker B: Yeah. No, because I think because they're located in the same general area.
[00:34:41] Speaker D: Well, that makes a good game up at. Well, I went to fenway a couple of years ago and saw them play the twins. They did a double header that was pretty neat. They're always a good competition.
[00:34:52] Speaker B: Yeah. But I think the proximity of their training camp to the Red Sox at Fort Myers, I think makes it easy for them to play lots of games. I think that's probably the reason.
Incidentally, if you're planning a vacation in the next week or so, that whole Fort Myers area is kind of fascinating. In the city of Palms park, where the Red Sox train. I was there a couple of years ago.
[00:35:15] Speaker E: Weren't you there last year?
[00:35:18] Speaker B: The year before you? Yeah. Might have been the year before last, I'm not really sure. But it's not only the ballpark there, but it's the Gulf side of Florida, and there are a lot of other interesting things. There's the Henry Ford and the Thomas Edison museums are there. They had their winter homes. They were both friends, Edison and Ford, and they had their homes there. And there's a lot of interesting things that artifacts they have, plus some exotic islands. And it's an interesting area.
Not Manny what's his name, the center fielder? Greenfield? Greenwell.
[00:35:58] Speaker E: Greenwell.
[00:35:58] Speaker B: Mike Greenwell. Mike Greenwell. Yeah, I know. If I throw out enough sounds, I eventually get to it. He has a place nearby.
[00:36:07] Speaker D: Also, most of Edison's shops were moved over to the Ford plant, though, over in Detroit.
Over there?
[00:36:15] Speaker B: Yeah. I'm not suggesting. Yeah. Well, this was about a year and a half ago. I'm not suggesting that this is a complete Ford memorabilia, but I mean, it's its home there and a few things. I think there's more stuff at the Edison museum, although maybe other Edison museums are there. Yes. He's from New Jersey originally.
[00:36:34] Speaker D: Over behind the Ford test plant. Over behind their test track. They have a whole village. And Henry Ford, back during the depression, bought a lot of memorabilia, or whatever you call it, from all over the world. And he's got most of Edison's factories and other things right over there.
[00:36:56] Speaker B: Really?
[00:36:57] Speaker D: Yes. And they're at Greenwich Village or Greenwich Village. I've forgotten what it was called. I went there when I was probably about twelve years old.
And it's a bunch of stuff is over there. Even Webster's house is over there.
[00:37:14] Speaker B: And what town is this in?
[00:37:16] Speaker D: It's a whole village that's made up.
[00:37:18] Speaker B: Now where is it, though?
[00:37:19] Speaker D: It's right behind the Ford test plant.
[00:37:23] Speaker B: Test track near Detroit? Yeah. Okay, so forget what I said about Fort Myers. Let's go there.
[00:37:30] Speaker E: Okay.
[00:37:32] Speaker B: Maybe we get the Red Sox and the Minnesota twins. Maybe they'll go there, too.
[00:37:37] Speaker F: Absolutely. Towards the west coast. Port Myers.
Pardon me, is that the wet going out towards the west coast?
[00:37:44] Speaker B: No, it is on the west coast. It's on the Gulf, not. Yes, it's above Naples. Naples is just south of there. I say the west coast.
That would be the west coast. Of course. Yes.
[00:38:00] Speaker E: I couldn't tell you.
[00:38:01] Speaker B: Yeah. No, it is the west coast.
[00:38:02] Speaker F: The opposite side through Naples, out to Longboat Key.
[00:38:08] Speaker B: What are the two islands?
[00:38:10] Speaker D: What happened to Winter Haven?
[00:38:12] Speaker B: They haven't been in Winter Haven since that jewish bakery left Brooklyn.
No, there are two islands. What are they called?
[00:38:23] Speaker F: Oh, God, if you hadn't asked.
[00:38:25] Speaker B: No, because I can never remember and I've been there and they're beautiful. Beautiful island.
[00:38:29] Speaker F: Magnificent around there.
[00:38:31] Speaker B: Anyway, Mike? Yes. Barbara McNair, how old is she?
[00:38:35] Speaker E: Oh, yes. I'm going to say the Barbara is 68 years old.
[00:38:39] Speaker B: 68. And what do you think, Karen?
[00:38:41] Speaker C: I'm going to go with 73. I'm going to go out in a limb.
[00:38:44] Speaker E: And you're going to get her right, too.
[00:38:45] Speaker B: No, actually, the person who got it right is Marge, who said 62. All right, so that's correct. Now, Marge has got two correct answers and Karen has also. So we have a tie. Boy, this is starting to build up into something really exciting, isn't it?
[00:39:00] Speaker E: Hey, before we resolve our attention, can we take a quick break?
[00:39:04] Speaker B: Okay, we're going to take a quick break because I know how you love our commercials.
[00:39:08] Speaker E: Oh, God, I love them.
[00:39:10] Speaker B: Here's one of my favorites.
[00:39:11] Speaker E: Which one?
[00:39:12] Speaker B: And this one here. This one's a great one. And you'll all be tapping your feet and singing the same song for days after this.
[00:39:21] Speaker G: Here is an exclusive offer from TV Guide. Introducing the all new AM FM baby boombox. Use it in the kitchen or use it in the office, indoors or out. It's lightweight and weighs less than a pound. And best of all, TV Guide's baby Boombox is free with your paid subscription to TV Guide. Every week, TV Guide brings you exciting interviews, in depth previews and special features. It tells you what's in, what's out, what's good, what's bad, what's hot and what's not. Call this number now and get 52 issues of TV Guide for only four low payments of just 1199 each, plus your tv guide baby boombox. The number is 1805 920770. That's 1805 920770. This quality AM FM radio isn't available in stores, but it's yours free with TV Guide, so order today. To order, call 1805 920770. Have your credit card ready, and get your free baby boombox with your paid subscription to TV Guide. That's 1805 920770.
[00:40:22] Speaker B: Call now.
[00:40:22] Speaker G: Operators are standing by.
[00:40:24] Speaker C: WBZ and the Candela Skincare center of Framingham present a day of beauty, day of rest. Sunday, march. Crown Plaza Hotel native. Learn about laser skincare treatments from Candela, the world leader and innovator. Be pampered by some of the best spas and salons, all for only $25, including brunch. Take time out for you and be treated to a massage, facial, aromatherapy, makeovers and more.
[00:40:48] Speaker B: To register, call 1803. Three six. Skin.
[00:40:52] Speaker C: Reservations are limited from the Candela Skincare center and WBZ News Radio 1030.
[00:40:58] Speaker B: Okay. Hey. Son of a gun. If we're not back again with the final few moments, the exciting finale.
Really exciting.
[00:41:09] Speaker F: I didn't get one tonight.
[00:41:10] Speaker D: I thought you were going to play the one with sticks and dirt, too.
[00:41:15] Speaker B: The one with sticks and dirt. Now.
[00:41:17] Speaker C: Sticks and dirt.
[00:41:18] Speaker B: I don't know.
[00:41:19] Speaker D: Museum of Science commercial.
[00:41:22] Speaker B: Oh, I see.
[00:41:23] Speaker D: You didn't want to go because they got plenty of sticks around, and the little girl says, endure it, too.
[00:41:28] Speaker B: Son of a guy. You really listen to these commercials, don't you?
[00:41:31] Speaker D: I listen to you guys all day.
[00:41:32] Speaker B: Aren't you a silly poop?
[00:41:35] Speaker D: I guess so.
[00:41:36] Speaker B: Okay. What we're going to do now, let's see. What did I do with that? What we're going to do now is guess the dates, the years of some couple of historical events. If I can find out what I was looking for here. Hold on just one moment, please. The trouble appears to be in your set.
I'm totally out of it. What the heck did you do with that?
I don't have that many piece of paper here. Hold on a minute while I. A lot of people. I don't know whether you know this, Karen, but a lot of women especially.
I've got it right here. But they like when I rattle paper in their ear.
[00:42:15] Speaker C: Really?
[00:42:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
Here you go, ladies. Hold on to something.
[00:42:19] Speaker C: I'm digging it.
[00:42:21] Speaker D: My parents coming around.
[00:42:23] Speaker F: You heard that paper?
[00:42:23] Speaker B: Yeah. You wouldn't believe the excitement until you just heard it yourself, Karen.
[00:42:28] Speaker C: Oh, it's thrilling.
[00:42:32] Speaker B: Driving your car.
[00:42:32] Speaker C: I knew this would be a good night.
[00:42:35] Speaker B: Okay, here are a couple of news events. I'll tell you the event. And they all happened on this very date of March 4. And tell me what year this is. Let's see. Oh. President Calvin Coolidge.
[00:42:59] Speaker C: Dear God.
[00:43:03] Speaker B: Oh, be quiet.
[00:43:04] Speaker F: I'm sorry.
[00:43:05] Speaker B: President de Calvin Coolidge's inauguration was broadcast live on 21 radio stations coast to coast. One of them must have been KDK in Pittsburgh, of course, which is a Westinghouse station.
And at the beginning of the. As I recall of their washer dryer empire, might have started right there, too. Maybe the announcer had some free time in between station breaks and built a washing machine. And George Westinghouse said, hey, I think that's even going to be more lucrative than this radio station. That's how it all began anyway.
It was obviously the first inauguration. It was broadcast live, although KDK before that had broadcast results of the Warren Harding election. And Harding was president just before Calvin Coolidge. In fact, he died in office, and Calvin Coolidge was his vice president. Anyway, what year was that? The president Coolidge inauguration, broadcast live on 21 stations coast to coast. What an event that must have been.
Let's start with you, Mike. What do you think?
[00:44:25] Speaker E: Gee, thanks.
[00:44:26] Speaker B: Okay.
And, of course, the question is, what year would that have been?
See, this is where we get a little bit of education. We feel people are up this time of the morning. They ought to learn something, even if it's not important.
[00:44:42] Speaker E: And I'm embarrassed to say I don't remember quite when Coolidge was hanging out in the White House.
[00:44:48] Speaker F: Don't be embarrassed.
[00:44:49] Speaker B: I don't remember, either.
[00:44:52] Speaker E: All right. I'm going to say 19.
1933.
[00:45:05] Speaker B: Okay. Which is kind of interesting. We would have had to push Franklin Roosevelt out of the way then.
[00:45:10] Speaker E: Fine. I'll change my answer for crying.
[00:45:12] Speaker B: He said, you probably just think, well, he's in a wheelchair anyway, it'll be easy to get rid of this guy.
Okay, Karen, what do you think?
[00:45:22] Speaker C: I know it was in the think.
Maybe. I don't know.
[00:45:27] Speaker B: Your confidence seems to be leaving you. You were so strong just a little while ago.
[00:45:31] Speaker C: Well, we've gone from birthdays to events. This is a whole new thing.
[00:45:34] Speaker B: Yeah. This has been an added feature for not too terribly long, but I find it's fruitful. And we're getting some great play in the press, particularly around Rockford, Illinois.
[00:45:49] Speaker C: I'm going to go with 1920 819.
[00:45:51] Speaker B: 28.
Okay, Marge, what do you say?
[00:45:57] Speaker F: Oh, gosh. And I'm old enough, I should remember.
[00:46:01] Speaker B: Well, it's not a question of being old enough. I mean, if I said Abraham Lincoln, would you then say, I never heard of him because it was before my time? I mean, this is just american history stuff.
George. Who? No. Washington. No, that was before my time.
I mean, Calvin Coolidge, we all know he was president. We just have to figure out when.
[00:46:25] Speaker F: I think I'm going to say 1920.
[00:46:27] Speaker B: 119. 21.
[00:46:30] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:46:31] Speaker B: Okay. Irene, what do you think?
[00:46:34] Speaker F: 1924.
[00:46:35] Speaker B: Did you get water?
[00:46:37] Speaker F: Yes, I did.
[00:46:38] Speaker B: Good.
[00:46:39] Speaker F: Thank you.
[00:46:42] Speaker B: It was your own water you were getting. Don't thank me. Chris, what do you think?
1920.
[00:46:50] Speaker F: 519.
[00:46:52] Speaker B: 25. And Kevin.
[00:46:56] Speaker D: Go with.
Yeah, right. I'll go with 24, too.
[00:47:04] Speaker B: Okay, you're all close except for Mike.
No, 1925 is correct.
And that's Chris. So we now have a three way tie. So we're not resolving anything at all. Okay, we'll go with one. We got to really close with this one. This is the last one.
[00:47:25] Speaker F: One away all the time.
[00:47:27] Speaker B: Okay.
As we used to say, in case of a tie, duplicate prizes will be awarded. Yeah. Remember they used to say that when you were a kid and you never understood what it was they meant? It was like, we will judge you on neatness and aptness of thought. And we say, what is aptness of thought? What does that mean?
Anyway, police, take notice. No trespassing.
So we want the police not to trespass. Thank you. Anyway, this was on March 4. Also, it's the wedding anniversary of the Reagans. Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married on March 4 in the San Fernando Valley, California. What was the year? Do you know the year that they were both married?
Both married? Obviously, they both had to be married since they're married to each other. But what year was that? Chris, what do you.
[00:48:30] Speaker F: Reagan. He had a couple wives before.
[00:48:34] Speaker B: Well, not a couple. He had one. Jane Wyman was his first wife.
He'd been divorced from Jane Wyman and then married. Nancy Davis was an actress also. Well, obviously that makes sense, since he was an actor, sort of.
[00:48:50] Speaker F: He was only married once before.
[00:48:52] Speaker B: Just once that I'm aware of. Yes, he's married much before that. He held it back for me.
That's his current wife, as you know, Nancy. She's better known now as Nancy Reagan. We better get going because we're running toward the end of this. So if you could just give me.
[00:49:14] Speaker F: Some kind of a guess, Chris, I'd say 1948.
[00:49:20] Speaker B: Okay, 1948. And, Marge, what do you say?
[00:49:25] Speaker A: Wait, what? Who won? We may never know. But what I do know is the answer to that last question. Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in 1952. Now you can all sleep well knowing that. Thank you to our new subscribers. Glad to have you here for the silly. And if you're so generously inclined, you may support this show by becoming a patron on Patreon. The link is where it always is, in the description box. Closing the vault and leaving this world a little sillier than we found it for Myra Boskowitz, Lon Mason, Ron Macon late lamented Beacon street bakeries, generously donating dumb birthday game prizes once you're through with them. Morning talk with Norman, Marge, old like you coughing ethnic programming prunes, hamantaging dramatic organ sounds from beyond. Paula Ragusa, the extensive Tome known as the dumb birthday game rulebook walking around the streets of Boston at 02:00 a.m. With Richard Benjamin filling your stomach full of joy and gas. The clicking song chagra folk music, Chase's calendar of events, the Motown sound, the Supremes downtown Brighton, the towering WBZ broadcast city where the WBZ hall of Fame and Record archive are on the 34th floor and the penthouse suite is on the 73rd floor. The TV Guide Baby Boombox Candela Skincare center ratling papers in your ears. Westinghouse washers and dryers, absence of thought. Ed Donahue, Karen Regal, Mike Epstein and that heartbreaker Norm, Mr. Smoothie Nathan. I'm Tony Nesbitt.
