It's the last day of March, what are you watching?

Historylands: Diefenbunker Nuclear Shelter: Canada's Worst-Kept Secret is on at 7:30 pm on the Knowledge Network. Can't imagine anything called that was particularly bomb proof.

At 8pm, History Television has another in the superb Dogfights series; Dogfights
Kamikaze. This series combines archival footage, CGI and first person interviews for a real seat of your pants experience. Don't miss any of these.

And right after that at 9pm, settle in for another great series; Rome, Kalends of February.

I'm digging up some stuff on train wrecks for the rest of the week. See you tomorrow.

Tom Tiddler.

James Lucas, aka Mad Lucas, aka the Hermit of Hertfordshire was famous during Victorian times as being a pretty good weirdo. Born in 1813, he was generally known as a good natured but unique landlord. His weirdness was turned up a notch after his mother died in 1849.

Right after her death he holed up in the family home and refused visitors. He never allowed the will to be read and absolutely had nothing to do with any relatives. Period. The only room he occupied was the kitchen, trodding about covered in ashes from the stove wrapped only in a sooty blanket. Locals occasionally saw him at the window in this outfit. Must have been a bit unsettling.

To add to his popularity in the neighbourhood he stopped washing and cutting his hair. His diet became more and more basic until it was mainly bread, cheese, salt fish and gin. Eeew. No surprise the house had a rat problem. He also developed a fondness for guns and hired two armed guards.

He talked to visitors through an iron grill but did have visitors every now and again, the most famous being Charles Dickens. He died in 1874. When his body was removed there was a small fortune in cash with him in the middle of the mess.

Friday viewing, or why I don't go out anymore.

Must see TV tonight at 10pm, Neville Shute's On the Beach with Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner. Oh yeah, it's on PBS.

And at midnight, Cities of the Underworld: Dracula's Underworld on History Television. I've seen a few of the other one's in this series, they're not bad. The one on Berlin is worth watching when it's on again.

The History Channel has a few goodies on tonight. At 10pm they have Battle 360: Death of the Iron Bottom. Get a 360 degree look at the USS Enterprise in 1942 during the battle for the Pacific. And at 11pm it's Histories Mysteries: Japan's Mysterious Pyramid's. And somehow we missed this gem at 8pm: Modern Marvels: Cold Cuts. What in Christ is show on cold cuts doing here?

Junie.

Octavia Estelle Butler, 1947-2006, was a rare person indeed. One of only a few African American FEMALE science fiction writers, she was quiet and stayed away from the public. No small potatoes but also a Hugo and Nebula award winner.

Raised by her mother and granny after her father passed away when she was an infant, she was an only child growing up in a strict Baptist home. Once in school she started reading and seemed to naturally gravitate to fantasy and science fiction.

Shy and reserved, she started writing and making up stories by age 10 to stave off boredom and loneliness. After watching Devil Girl from Mars, she, not surprisingly, thought she could do better. Her sci-fi career was launched.

After college and numerous writing courses she bumped into Harlen Ellison (who in turn introduced her to Samuel R. Delaney) she had been writing seriously and trying to get published. Not a bad couple of folks to hang with.

Best known for the novel series: Patternist and Lilith's Brood she wrote over a dozen novels and many short stories. Always a loner and rarely seen outside her home she died in 2006 after a bad fall.

Can't wait.

Continuing on in the fine tradition of bulk history we have 100 Greatest Discoveries
Chemistry on the Knowledge Network at 8pm. Just how do they do that?

Somehow we missed this on at 5pm on TCM, I hope they run it again. It's called The Tunnel, a 1935 science fiction movie about the building of a trans Atlantic tunnel from the US to England. Good lord it sounds kooky.

The French Connection on at 11 on ACM.

I keep thinking about that tunnel movie . . . .

Basher.

Yesterday was Nick Lowes birthday. How did I miss that? Born on March 24, 1949, Lowe began his professional career in a band with Brinsley Schwarz called Kippington Lodge, and later, with the addition of Ian Gomm on guitar, they called themselves Brinsley Schwarz. Makes sense.

In his time with this band, asides from recording 10 or so country rock ish tinged albums, he wrote What's So Funny 'bout Peace Love and Understanding. A minor hit for them but a huge one for Elvis Costello in 1979 and again in 1992 on the soundtrack to the Bodyguard. It only takes one.

Other notables include joining forces with Huey Lewis for The Rose of England in 1985 and later producing for and recording with Johnny Cash.

Go and find a copy of Jesus of Cool and play it real loud.

Save the best for last.

I am beginning to believe we are poorly catered to indeed. History Television has Digging for the Truth King Tut: Secrets Revealed at 8pm. and at 9pm Moby Dick: The True Story. Hmmm, a conspiracy?

The History Channel has the latest in the Universe series: Unexplained Mysteries at 8pm too.

Turner Classic Movies has Arsenic and Old Lace at 12:15 am. Must see movie with Cary Grant, Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre. Worth staying up for.

Smart box.

Decidedly lean pickin's tonight. Tune in to Easy Rider at 12:30am on TCM. Wonder where all the Easter shows are? Guess they're coming.

History Television has History's Secrets- The Hunt for Hitler at midnight.

See ya tomorrow.

Clean behind the ears.

With the new prosperity that the end of WW II brought America sprouted all over the place. All those factories making washing machines and toasters needed workers and worker had families that needed houses so the 'burbs blew like a hurricane across the continent swallowing forests and prairie alike. You can just hear the munching.

But the concept of making a spot for the worker is not a new one. Certainly not one that a simple world war had anything to do with. I give you Port Sunlight. The ultimate burb.

Since we all use soap (I hope) we know where this is going. Named after Sunlight Detergent this delightful little town was built entirely for the employees of Lever Bros Soap by William Hesketh Lever on the Wirral peninsula in Merseyside (yes . . . Gerry and Pacemakers-Ferry Across the Mersey).

In 1887 Lever was looking for a spot to build and expand his soap business and settled on this location because of it's proximity to both sea and rail. From the start Lever was totally involved in the planning; from layout to the designs of the buildings.

Over 15 years he saw to the construction of over 800 houses and public buildings. Now Lever was a hell of a nice guy. On top of using the best construction and architects of the day he built an art gallery, the Lady Lever, and a swimming pool, hospital, schools, concert hall, churches and even social programs to help families through tough times.

The social significance of Port Sunlight can't be understated. Aside from being a model for worker housing it was a successful example in what he termed "profit sharing". Deeply Christian in his beliefs he genuinely felt that by providing for the emotional and spiritual well being of his staff as well as a substantial menu of the basics, he would in turn get higher production and employee retention. Hmmm, wonder if you got free soap?Cadbury Chocolate had a similar town called Bourville.

Idiot box.

In keeping with high value and most for the buck television you can't get any better than the next installment of 100 Greatest Discoveries: Astronomy. Wow. Even better than a hundred toasters. It's on the Knowledge Network at 8pm.

If your quick, (started at 6) TCM has the Caine Mutiny. But stick around because it's mutiny night at TCM with Mutiny on the Bounty at 9pm and Damn the Defiant right after at 10:30. And if your still up and the neighbours have been complaining about all the racket (mutinies are, after all, by their nature, noisy affairs) you can catch the silent classic The Battleship Potemkin. Christ what a night.

Never enough channels.

The History Channel ( as opposed to History Television) has few offerings tonight. All I can see is: Decoding The Past series has Secrets of the Dollar Bill at 11pm. Too bad we missed a show called Modern Marvels-Whiskey. It was on late last night. I'll keep watching out for a repeat.

History Television has Digging for the Truth: Lost Empire of Ghengis Khaan at 8pm and Robin Hood: The First Outlaw Hero at 9pm.

We just missed Harvey, the 1950 Jimmy Stewart classic about the invisible rabbit. Rats.

Did he, or didn't he?

This is from a story I saw on CBC today. Seems Luftwaffe pilot Horst Rippert thinks he shot down the author of The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The famous French author was flying a Lockheed P-38 Lightning on July 31, 1944 when he disappeared. Rippert is quoted, in an exclusive in the French magazine, Le Figaro, as saying he shot him down. It later quotes him as saying he didn't actually see the pilot and would have backed off the fight if he had known who it was.

Antoine Jean-Baptiste Marie Roger de Saint Exupéry, his full name (they don't have book covers wide enough) was a famous aviator and aviation writer before he wrote the The Little Prince while in New York in 1942.

The pictures, they're moving.

This is topical. History Television has Disasters of the Century, Super Outbreak at 7pm. Weird title. It's about a cluster of tornadoes. And at 8pm they have the latest installment in the superb Dogfights series: Battle of the Falklands. Right after that is the continuation of another great series Rome at 9pm. There's gonna be a rut in my chair.

And for those night owls who want to stay up you can catch (I'm not making this up) the 2007 Bozo Cup on TSN at 1:30AM. Sorry it's not history related, but it IS the Bozo Cup.

Thursday, March 13 watchables.

History Televison has Turning Points of History In the Heart of the Lion: The Road to the Boer War on at 10pm and later on Hamburger Hill at 1am.

Sheesh, the pickings are slim. I feel guilty.

Snap. Crackle.

About a month ago I had one of those "found" moments. That is to say, I found something real cool. The apartment I live in has, in its foyer, a bench on which the newspapers get piled up and where tenants leave free stuff. Usually its romance paperbacks, once there was a real weird light up clock. But . . . . . to my delight someone left a Califone 1450K, and an old colour TV.

I already have a colour TV, so I scored the Califone. For the uninitiated, its a super cool portable record player, but built for the schools as language lab devices. Made in Canada, they are tanks. But they made them in awesome colours like teal, white and cream and brown tolex. Mine's the blue one.

So I plugged it and she was dead. So sad. But tonight I popped the hood and had a good look. I'm pretty good with electronics and can read a circuit. So to my delight it was just the on board fuse. It's soldered on to the circuit board but that's an easy fix. I'll let you know how it sounds. Got my Archie's record ready. Hehe.

On the box, Wednesday March 12

Not to miss tonight at 7pm on PBS: American Masters, Pete Seeger: The Power of Song

Feeling science-y? Knowledge Network has100 Greatest Discoveries of Physics on at 8pm. I believe it's hosted by Bill Nye. What value: you get 100 of them in just 1 hour.

Over on OLC they have two back to back Pilot Guides: South Africa and Lesotho at 7:30pm and American Civil War at 8pm. Nice little 30 minute shots.

At 10pm the Knowledge Network has For King and Country Passing the Torch: Canadians Go to War 1939 - 1941

Also at 10 is Turning Points of History Great Atlantic Air Race on History Television.

Doesn't seem to be anything on for the night owls, unless the Osmonds 5oth is for you.

Hello Tostig

Bartholomew of Farne was born in England of Scandinavian parents. He quickly changed his real name, Tostig, to William to keep from being made fun of. As a youth he travelled to Norway to study to become a priest. After 3 years he showed up back in England. He decided the monk life was for him, so sporting a new name, Bartholomew he went off to his studies.

It was during this time he had a vision of Christ with arms outstretched and head facing him. After his profession he got his papers and he decided to move to Inner Farne island. This island had sported another famous recluse, St. Cuthbert, who inspired even another saint, that being St. Godric of Finchale. They kept pretty tight these saints did. I believe somewhere on this blog is a post about him.

Being of the eremitical stripe, he did not need to or feel quite up to spending much time with others. A hermit already living there when he arrived left. Many years later another arrived and he moved away for a short time over a tiff about meals. He later returned and seemed to work out an agreeable schedule.

You can celebrate Saint Bartholomew of Farne day June 24.

Televisual feasts for Tuesday, March 11

If you like historical docs, tune to History Television at 10pm for Turning Points of History-
War in the Woods: Building of the Alaska Highway. Good doc about this amazing project. It will amaze you how little regard there was for any environmental impact or employee safety.

If your up for some classic hay burners AMC has Paul Newman and George Kennedy in Cool Hand Luke on at 9:30pm. If you have the jam stay up for The Grapes of Wrath at 1am.

Check out the wheels on American Hot Rod, Boyd Coddington's Top 10 at 1am. Boyd passed away just last week.

That's all that I can see for tonight.

What's on Monday, March 10, 2008

OK, here's my picks for history-ish viewing tonight:

Hamlet, 1948, Laurence Olivier on TCM, at 7pm, followed by Romeo and Juliet if you've got the jam. This is not the best remake out there. For sheer fun try and find the Leonardo DiCaprio musical version. If you haven't had a seizure yet a Midsummer's Night Dream comes on at 12:30am starring James Cagney, Mickey Rooney and Olivia de Havilland. Oh my.

Bugs Bunny and Tweety Hour on Teletoon at 8pm, nothing but the old ones, devilish.

Also at 8 on History Television, the superb Rome series.

Gotta go, I'm extra tired tonight and I have to plan my next assault on the recluses of the world.

And it's absolutely a shame that Jeff Healy died last week. What a musician. Try and find some video of his jazz band, the music is amazing.

Mayor.

Noah John Rondeau was a hermit living in the Adirondack mountains in upper New York state. He left home in his teens with little education but didn't take up the life of a recluse for a while yet. He travelled around the Adirondacks working fixing things, doing odd jobs, local guide and serving as handyman for more than one hotel. He learned his wood lore from several Canadian Natives of the Abenaki Tribe: Daniel Emmett, Sabael Benedict and Lewis Elijah.

Well versed in hunting and trapping he took to the woods full time around 1946. He chose a favourite spot, Cold River for his hermitage. Although known by the locals as the Cold River Hermit, he did receive visitors and seemed quite to enjoy occasional company.

An avid reader, despite little formal schooling, he had a collection of books. His special subject was astronomy. He played the violin and kept many journals. The vast majority of them were written in code. He developed letter substitution ciphers and constantly revised them. The end result of course is much of his writings were a blank book.

Because of his secrecy it was suspected, wrongfully, that he was a draft dodger. In actual fact he was near 60 when he could have been drafted. I think he just pissed off the local conservation officers with his hunting and trapping.

As self proclaimed mayor of Cold River City he set up a town hall building, (his house), a Hall of Records (where the ciphered journals were kept) and a small "city" of numerous tee pee shaped buildings used for fire wood to burn during the winter months. He cleverly notched the longer pieces so he could simply rap them on the ground and break off a fireplace sized log.

In an irony great enough to rival any, he gained his only fame outside of the Adirondacks by being invited by the Conservation Department to the National Sportsman Show in New York City. They actually flew him there where he was an instant hit.

I'm watching you.

On this day in 1949, the Tucker Corporation went out of business. Preston Thomas Tucker founded the company in 1935 with race car legend Harry Miller, known for his high powered racing engines. As Miller and Tucker they built a pile of Indy race cars using a Ford framework. Miller and Tucker moved to Indianapolis and continued in the race car biz until Miller died in1943.

Tucker moved back to Michigan and began working on military projects but it took until 1948 and the founding of the Tucker Corporation that his true inspiration came out. The result was The 1948 Tucker Sedan, or Tucker Torpedo (I like that name way better).

This amazing vehicle featured among other things: true aerodynamic stying by Duesenburg designer Alex Tremulis. He was given all of 6 days to figure it out. It also featured disc brakes, fuel injection and a rear mounted engine. All of this made the car very nimble, and because of Tuckers practice with high powered engines (he developed an armoured combat vehicle for the US Army that could go 185kmh) the thing could go like snot.

He was also ahead of his time in his attention to safety features such as padded dashes, instruments and knob clustered around the steering column, so you wouldn't crack yourself on the ciggy lighter, and his most famous safety feature of all, the centre mounted headlight attached to the steering that peered around corners.

Tucker was also a marketing innovator, developing and selling a line of Tucker "Accessories" that included men's and ladies suitcases and travel bags.