Saturday, December 05, 2020

Famous People Born on My Birthday v. 6

What is different today from 2018, the last year I asked that rhetorical question? last year? Other than the Chinese COVID virus, riots, shut-downs, controversial elections? Well, my health is hanging in there. Facebook and I don't get along very well anymore. 

And I'm preparing to publish a collection of short horror stories due out December 26 in ebook form on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo and more. I've got a dandy cover and just need an editorial review to ignite the soft cover publication. (Click here to leave your email and I'll let you know the when's and where's.)

These people were also born on December 5th. Mostly giddy-looking young people , how many have you heard of? Here's a more mature list. A fine weekend to all!





Thank you very much to all who have, so far, wished me Happy Birthday. In thinking of this day, I am reminded of several famous Americans who share my date of birth. I will list three and examine their accomplishments as compared to mine.

1. Martin Van Buren - b. Dec. 5, 1782

2. George Armstrong Custer - b. Dec. 5, 1839

3. Walt Disney - b. Dec. 5, 1901

4. John P. McCann - b. Dec. 5, 1952

1. Martin Van Buren succeeded greatly in becoming the 8th President of the United States but was hardly remembered even in his own day. He had a large bull frog stuffed and used as an ink well in the White House. However President Taft later sat on it by accident and they had to throw the thing out. That's about it.

2. George Armstrong Custer succeeded greatly as a soldier in the Civil War but had a mixed record fighting Indians. (1-1-2, I think.) He is best remembered for his  spectacular fail at the Battle of the  Little Big Horn. At first, everything was going well; then it all fell apart under an Indian tsunami. In later years, Custer had a park named after him as well as a monument and a movie where his part was played by Errol Flynn. That's a whole lot more than Van Buren ever got.

3. Walt Disney succeeded greatly in animation, a pioneer in the field, creator of iconic characters—but not the word 'iconic' which has been seized upon by junior execs.—established Disney studios and Disneyland and is fondly remembered to this day. Nonetheless his body is frozen in a vault beneath Disney's Burbank lot and should Walt be reanimated and start making decisions again it could effect his legacy.

4. John P. McCann was greatly successful as a Hollywood atmosphere player. McCann was the ship-board stand-in for a Canadian actor portraying Errol Flynn in My Wicked, Wicked Ways. In addition, he is visible catching Dennis Quaid's jacket at around 1:19 in a clip from  Great Balls of Fire.
More successful in animation, McCann created the non-iconic character of The Huntsman. For the next fifteen years, he piggy-backed onto as many successful shows as his friends would allow. While the record is still being written, outsiders agree that McCann will be remembered by Bank of America and several other creditors who might reasonably feel aggrieved should he pass from the scene within the next several months.

Images: whitehouse.gov, Parcbench, fold3

5 comments:

Authors 4 Characters said...

First off HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! ��You share your day with some BIG names. Help me out with Martin VanBuren . Former president? The name sounds familiar but I totally can't place the history.

Glad to hear you're doing well. Same. All the same, though, I think everyone wants this year OVER in the biggest way! I went to the mall today to get what I could (minus non-essentials) and it was utterly DEPRESSING!!!! No Christmas stuff whatsoever! The food court had NO tables and while people were allowed to buy take-out, no one was there.

Please GOD, let the vaccine make the founds by early in January, if not sooner! Have you heard anything on your end? I don't care if I'm the tenth, or the 122,000th. Just so long as it's out. We NEED to get NORMAL again! Cafes, food courts, ball games. All MASK-FREE. People need to be back to work! I'm thankful to be working but people in the restaurant game are HURTING, I'm sure!

These days, I just want snow and and old fashioned Christmas, minus the fuss over what to buy for whom. 2020 may be the year to harken back to ye old days before shopping replaced playing in the snow. Hockey , ice skating, and sledding.

JP Mac said...

Appreciate the b-day greetings.

Tragic to see all the shuttered small businesses in my area.

I always recall my Greek mythology. The last thing left in the bottom of Pandora's Box was
a broach marked "hope."

Authors 4 Characters said...

Funny you should mention "HOPE" . There is a smallish building across where I catch my bus. I can see the roof. And in a little enclave, you might call it, there is, in red lights, the word HOPE.

I know. I feel for the business owners. Especially restaurant owners. Cafe's and such. Well, there is light at the end of this tunnel. Talk of vaccines delivered to hospitals within DAYS. I'm happy enough about that. I'll wait my turn. Just so long as there is light at the end of this mess!

I mentioned, on the page you can't seem to access, if you're in the least bit anxious about taking the vaccine, talk to your doctor and ask him/ her. If you have been seeing your doctor for years, he or she will have a good idea of your health history and what you can or can't tolerate, health wise. I'll talk to my doctor, just to be sure, but he never gave me any indication that I shouldn't.

Merry Christmas and a VERY HEALTHY 2021

JP Mac said...

And a Merry Christmas to yourself.

All things will pass.

At least that's what it says on my container of prunes.

Authors 4 Characters said...

Oh, prunes/ prune juice. Had to drink that for a bit. Problem was, I developed a liking for the juice because of it's black Licorice taste. I hear ya. Much passing.

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