HBO nails the Arctic bimbo in all her illiterate, self-absorbed glory.

Sam and I have enjoyed a nice, quiet, rainy day here at Howdygram headquarters. After a number of luxurious naps and excellent entertainment — The Three Stooges Meet Hercules, Meet Boston Blackie and Family Affair (the first Andy Hardy movie) — we carried out dinner from Dickey’s and watched Game Change on HBO. I’m pleased to report that the latter accurately depicted Arctic bimbo Sarah Palin in all her illiterate, self-absorbed glory.

And now I’ve got so many additional topics lined up that I almost don’t know where to start, such as tidbits of breaking news and items of urgent interest. Well, to me, anyway. So let’s get started!

From our Holy Crap, It’s About Time department, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich will finally report to Federal prison this week to begin serving a 14-year sentence for conspiracy, racketeering and fraud. Apparently he’s promising a “farewell address” before he gets the hell out of Dodge, which the citizens of Illinois hope will include a much-deserved apology. There’s not much chance of this, however, since his loudmouth wife, Mrs. Sourpuss Blago, is still insisting he’s INNOCENT, so we’re expecting Blagojevich to continue the defiant recitations of Rudyard Kipling poetry that began before his first trial and his ongoing rant about “the law went after me only because I was fighting the crooks in a crooked system.” Plus a reminder that he gave free bus rides to seniors.

Blagojevich is a greedy, disgraced laughingstock who served himself instead of the people of Illinois, tried to sell Barack Obama’s senate seat to the highest bidder and attempted to trade personal and legislative favors for mountains of cash and campaign contributions. I, for one, look forward to seeing this jerk model Esquire’s chic new “penitentiary” look, which is pictured below.

Here’s a Howdygram public service announcement for your possible interest. An ABC News investigation has uncovered that BLBT — better-known as “boneless lean beef trimmings” or “pink slime” — is NOT mixed into ground beef sold at the following supermarket chains: HEB (Central Market), Whole Foods, Costco and Kroger. Safeway’s stores use it —locally, that would be Tom Thumb — and Wal-Mart hasn’t responded, which probably means they do, too.

In case you haven’t been following this story, pink slime looks like frozen little strings of Play-Doh and doesn’t resemble real meat in any way whatsoever. Before Beef Products, Inc. found a way to disinfect low-grade, mostly inedible beef trimmings with ammonia it was sold only to dog food or cooking oil suppliers. The USDA says it’s safe for humans but there’s no way I will EVER buy meat at any market that sneaks this repulsive crap into its ground beef. The Great Marcy has spoken!

Robert Temple Ayres, artist and creator of the original Ponderosa map from the “Bonanza” TV series, died yesterday at age 89. I seriously don’t understand why anybody was actually keeping track of this dude or the map he painted back in 1959, but “Bonanza” was intensely popular … even after Pernell Roberts walked out in 1965. Pictured below is the aforementioned Ponderosa map plus a photo of the Cartwrights. From left to right, they are Adam (Pernell Roberts), Little Joe (Michael Landon), Pa (Lorne Greene), Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Wavin’ Sam, the friendly cowhand.

Other series regulars included Sheriff Roy Coffee and houseboy Hop Sing.

In other mid-century television news, you may be interested to know that comedian Larry Storch is still alive and well at 89 years of age.

Storch is probably best known for his role as Corporal Agarn in the 1960s comedy “F Troop,” which was always one of my personal favorites at that time along with “The Monkees,” “Batman” and “The Andy Griffith Show.” “F Troop” also starred Forrest Tucker as Sergeant O’Rourke, Ken Berry as Captain Parmenter and assorted Jewish comics from the Catskills as the Hekawi Indians. (I’m serious.) A video clip of the opening theme from “F Troop” appears below.



And now, at last, it’s time for a late snack and another movie! Thanks for stopping by and please don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed. Adios, shalom and I’ll see y’all tomorrow.