6 August 2022
Welcome
to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9
questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other
times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random
questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and
leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate
rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!
August will be devoted to story songs. Here's the
first:
Big, Bad John (1961)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it
here.
1) This song tells the story of a stern, enigmatic miner. None of the other
miners knew much about him. When people first meet you, do you think they see
you more as mysterious or straightforward?
I can't imagine anybody finding me in any way mysterious.
2) During a serious accident, many of the miners panicked. But not John.
Think of your family, friends and acquaintances. Who would be the most
dependable in a crisis?
Ned. Hands down. He is very straight forward, has lots of skills,
and is very good at organizing things and getting things done.
3) His heroism allowed 20 miners to escape, but cost John his life. According
to the lyrics, there's a marble slab on site of the mine that honors him. Is
there a memorial to a local hero in your town?
We have lots of memorials to people in this town, including benches in the park
and other places (one is for an Irish woman who comes to visit every year).
My favorites, though are the markers on two trees outside the local
theater...one in memory of David and one in memory of Paul. There is also
memorial to David on the local Art Center.
4) This song was written and performed by Jimmy Dean. He began composing it
on a flight from New York to Nashville. How do you amuse yourself while
traveling?
If there is no good movie to watch, I read.
5) Jimmy Dean hosted a long-running variety show on CBS, which is
best-remembered today for introducing Jim Henson's puppets -- especially Rowlf,
a dog who sang and told jokes. While Rowlf didn't make it to Sesame Street, he
was a recurring character on the Muppet Show. Are you a Muppet fan?
We are all huge Muppet fans. I have a Kermit who has had a black arm band
on his arm since Jim Henson died. Walt was a Muppet fan when Jim Henson
first started in the DC area and I don't think they were actually called
"muppets" then. Ned has an "Animal" tattoo, since he is a drummer.
6) Jimmy found success in business with The Jimmy Dean Sausage Company. He
sold the company to Sara Lee in 1984 for $80 million. Today Jimmy Dean breakfast
products are still popular in grocery stores all over the country. What's your
favorite breakfast?
I have to laugh at the Jimmy Dean products advertised on TV because it always
includes a message, supposedly from Jimmy himself, though he died in 2010 and
would be almost 100 if he were still alive! As for my favorite breakfast,
it depends. I love eggs Benedict (especially crab eggs Benedict), pancakes
or waffles, and eggs with sausage and hash browns. What I usually have
for breakfast is some fruit and an English muffin.
7) In 1961, when this song was popular, Vogue asked if fashion sense is
inborn or if could a woman could learn to be chic. What do you think? Do you
think style is either something you have, or you don't?
Well, I don't really know. All I know is that I definitely don't have it.
8) Also in 1961, Ernest Hemingway took his own life. Did you read Hemingway
in English class? Can you recall any other novels you read for school?
I don't remember reading a Hemingway. I can't really remember a lot of
what we read other than Les Miserables, in French. I checked out a list of
things that high school students read and I've read just about all of them, but
other than Macbeth, I don't remember reading them for class.
9) Random question: Think about the last "white lie" you told. Was it to make
your own day easier or spare someone's feelings?
Oh definitely to make my day easier. (And no, I won't say what it was or
when it was!)
