"Do you know Fess Parker?" That's what legendary Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker asked a 5 year old kid on a July 2, 2012 game during the 1st inning. The kid's name escapes me at this time and I can't find this information anywhere on the internet, but the kid's last name was Parker, which lead Uecker to ask him if he knew the deceased actor. Fess Parker, who died in 2010 at the age of 85, is best known for playing Davy Crockett in Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color hour long episodes from 1954-1957 and Daniel Boone in the TV show of the same name for 165 episodes from 1964-1970. Fess Parker also played the dad in the movie Old Yeller. I had no idea who Fess Parker was and I consider myself a knowledgeable fan of TV and Movies. There was no way this kid would know who Fess Parker was, which made it all that much more hilarious. But sadly, this kid was suffering from some kind of disease like cancer and was in town to get treatment at Children's Hospital. For some reason he was on the air with Uecker and it turned out to be easily the most entertaining half inning of Brewers baseball I have ever listened to. Why? Bob Uecker.
With the kid being 5 years old he wasn't really talkative nor could he answer Uecker's questions properly to inform the audience. This led Uecker to fill in the blanks and make the conversation lively, something that he is very good at doing. At one point Uecker asked him a question and the kid struggled to come up with a response which led Uecker to say, "You know, the questions get harder as we go along". There was one other line Uecker had that I can't exactly remember but it went something like this: Uecker was announcing that 3rd baseman Aramis Ramirez was stepping to the plate. The kid Parker was like "Who's that?" and Uecker was like, "That's our 3rd Baseman." Then he announced Corey Hart coming to the plate and once again Parker asked, "Who's that?" and Uecker said, "That's our 1st Baseman." When Parker asked the same question when Rickie Weeks was announced Uecker kind of heckled the kid with an abbreviated version of Abbot & Costello's Who's on 1st? then told the kid that he didn't have the time to fill him in on the roster. I'm not doing it justice but it's kind of impossible without the audio. I just remember laughing so hard laying out on the grass on Milwaukee's Lakefront (this was the night before the July 3rd Fireworks) listening to the radio. Not too many people can get away with heckling a 5-year-old kid (especially one with a serious illness) but Bob Uecker did it in a way that is both entertaining and non offensive. I hope that little Parker kid is doing well today and that he remembers his time spent with one of the greats in entertainment and broadcasting.
So now do you know Fess Parker? Like the little kid Parker you probably won't alive when Fess was in his prime. You read what I said here or did a quick Google search to know more. But here is another question - do you know Scott Reck? How about Pookon? The Iceman? I hate to compare it to the Holy Trinity but I'm going to do it anyway - like God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost, I am 3 people in one. Scott Reck is the one who exists for real life scenarios, legal and professional purposes. Pookon is my online persona that creates this blog, the website and encompasses other personalities such as Sir Robert Tway, the Drunken Squirrel or anyone else I pretend to be when I am tired of being myself. The Iceman is the me I always want to be - social, outgoing, fun loving, full of life, everyone's friend, a spectacle and whatever else you would use to describe that side of me. But if you ever wanted to know about me you simply need to read this blog. This blog is probably the best representation of who I am. All 3 sides of me. If you are curious here are the articles you may have missed this week. Click on the links to the side of the page in The Archives for the rest of the articles I have done during the Write Month.
Tuesday June 18: A Mild Addiction - I was thinking about some of the addictions that plague me and they are no different than the ones that most people go through - eats, gambling and the sauce. But I consider these for me to be mild addictions because I don't let them control my life. My Mother or God might say otherwise but in this article I attempt to convince them or anyone else reading that I am right in my assessment of my life and the things that I do with my free time to add a little spice to life.
Wednesday June 19: To The Moon and Back - As I left work one evening I could see a clear image of the moon in the sky even though it was 6pm. I then thought to myself that there have only been a select few people (12 to be exact) who have been able to look at the Earth from the surface of the Moon. 4 of them have died and the rest are in their late 70's or early 80's. Within a few years there will be no living person who has walked on the moon. Those men are incredibly unique. I wish that I was. But maybe I am. And I might not have to go to the Moon and back to stand out.
Thursday June 20: Inaction Figure - Everyone is familiar with Action Figures. Whether you played with G.I. JOES, Star Wars or any other brand turned toy you know that these figures can be positioned to fight or shoot guns or ride in cars or whatever. They can and do various things when controlled by the user but I see myself as being almost opposite of that. They are Action Figures whereas I call myself an Inaction Figure. It's exactly like it sounds. Definition of Inaction (noun): absence of action; idleness. But does this word really define me?
Friday June 21: Get the Fork Outta Here! - I don't like forks. Plain and Simple. If I had it my way I would never use a fork again. I just prefer spoons. I expect you to understand this weird quirk that I have, but by now don't you expect me to be a little bit odd?
Saturday June 22: It Just Hits You, Like a Bolt of Lightning - For the most part I don't plan out these daily articles. I just live my life like usual and let the ideas hit me. And sometimes they just strike, like a bolt of lightning. They are seemingly random and never hit in the same place twice. This article is about that concept but also about my love for storms, thunder and lightning (and baby says...) and laying awake at night listening to the rain.
Sunday June 23: The Drunken Squirrel - This is a glimpse inside of my mind when I am drunk. It's pretty damn random. I call my Ghostwriter The Drunken Squirrel because he comes out when I've had a few and scurries around creating havoc in his wake. In this article I used the speech-to-text function on my phone and just talked for a while about whatever creeps up in there. Up until now Just Call Me Random was my favorite thing that I have written this month. You probably won't fully understand this unless you're incredibly into movies like I am. Or if you are a complete weirdo like I am.
We've got less than a week here on Pookon's Ill Blog in the Write Month and even though I love everything I have written here, I'm kind of ready to take a break. It's hard writing every day for me because I don't like being brief. For some reason I can't just throw down 2 paragraphs and leave it at that. Maybe it's just because I have so much to say and I feel like my days are limited. Maybe it's because I don't think anyone is reading so I might as well just do what makes me happy. And this makes me happy. I hope that in some way or form I was able to brighten your day a little bit. I am a spectacle. I do it because it feels right but I also hope to entertain others. The world is fun. I just hope that I'm one of the people who make it that way.
- pookon -
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