Kremer’s Stuff

Fibber McGee And Molly - Kremer’s Drugstore

Today we take for granted comedy TV shows like “The Office”, “Two and a Half Men”, “My Name Is Earl” and others. They are “sitcoms” short for situation comedies. What’s the history of the sitcom? How did we get to the comedic form we are all so familiar with. Sure there are roots in theatre from Shakespeare on through Vaudeville, but mass market sitcoms started first on radio twenty years before the first commercial TV comedy.

One of the first, and by far the most sucessful radio comedy shows was “Fibber McGee and Molly”. It ran on NBC from 1935 thru 1959. Twenty four years is a long run for any show, radio or TV. 

Read more »

What happens in Vegas…is a TV commercial

Back in 2004 my family was on vacation in Las Vegas.  We met up with my brother Clark and his family and visited the Sahara Hotel to ride their NASCAR roller coaster.  While in the casino lobby my brother was approached by a TV producer who asked if his family would like to appear in a TV commercial. The producer included our group and we were all off to the Sahara hotel buffet restaurant to sing its praises to the TV camera.  My speaking part was cut, but my brother Clark, niece Elise, wife Nancy, and sons Brad and Dan made the spot.  We were told by friends they saw it on Las Vegas and Los Angeles TV stations.  If you look real close you can see me in the background with my “I’m on vacation” hawaiian shirt.  We didn’t get paid, just got a free dinner and had some fun.  Here’s the video…

Exclusive: New Apple iPatch

We are surrounded with the Apple “i’s”.  There are iPhones, iPods, iMacs, iTunes, iPhoto and more.
We were having a conversation about school at the dinner table the other night when my 14 year old son mentioned that on of his friends has an iPatch. I asked: “So what’s an iPatch?” thinking it was yet another Apple gadget that I would soon feel the need to buy. My son said that his friend had an eye operation and that he had to wear an eye patch for a couple of weeks while his eye healed.  Oh.  Um, too many Apple gadgets on the brain I guess.  

Which Leg In The Relay Race

I was at my 14 year old son’s track meet yesterday afternoon.  It was at the point in the meet where the relay races were starting.  I was standing with a group of other parents when one of the girl relay runners came up to her dad.  Her dad asked “What leg are you running in the relay?”  The girl looked confused.  Her dad asked again “Which leg?”  The girl looked down at her legs and replied “Um, both legs”.  Her exasperated dad looked at her and said “I mean what order are you running, first, last, I know you’re running with both legs!”  True story.

Green Living can be just being cheap

When I was a kid I learned from my parents that when you leave a room, you should turn off the light.  Back then our family was just trying to save money.

Yesterday as my son came home after dark he noticed that our next door neighbor had all their lights on, but our house had very few lights on.  

Right then I was able to have a Politically Correct moment.  I said:  ”Son, we’re just practicing ‘Green Living’ by turning off lights.” But in reality…I’m just being cheap.

How to get FREE Starbucks coffee

I tend to drive  a little like Michael Schumacher.  My little Audi drives like it’s on rails and the 2.0 liter Turbo screams.  I usually have no problem thrashing the car around curves..that is unless I have a hot cup of Starbucks in the cupholder.  Even though it has a lid, my Starbucks “Tall” coffee always slops out the little drinky hole in the top.  My son Dan has the same problem…well..he drives like his Dad.  The solution was to ask the Starbucks Barnisterias (or whatever they’re called) to give you a “Tall” coffee in a “Grande” cup.  That way the coffee has a little more room at the top to slop while I’m doing my Grand Theft Auto imitation on the way to work.

Here’s where the “FREE” part comes in.  I’ve found that 9 times out of 10 when you ask for a “Tall” in a “Grande” cup, they fill the cup up all the way to the “Grande” level anyway.  Even if they mark it “Tall” like this picture of my cup from this morning.  Perhaps they’re too sleepy and on autopilot filling the cup.  I still get the slop problem, but it’s FREE coffee slopping out. Free coffee, almost as good as FREE BEER.  Anyone have any ideas on getting free beer?

UPDATE:  Andy over at IndyScan tells me that Starbucks may thwart my free coffee scheme by offering a new plug for the drinky hole called a Splash Stick. 

Indiana Illinois Earthquake

My whole family was shaken from our beds at 5:37AM local time this morning by a 5.2 earthquake.  Rattled our house pretty good.  No damage, but it was a very interesting experience.  The last earthquake I remember was back in 1987.  It’s ironic that I just spent 12 days in Southern California and had to come back to the midwest to experience an earthquake!  Perhaps I brought the “bad vibes” back with me.  Above is a video from YouTube.com of a TV station that was on-air when the earthquake hit.

Photos and Artwork by Bruce Kremer

Photos and artwork by my brother Bruce Kremer.  Visit his Web site for more.

http://www.bkremer.com/