Gunsmoke - Grass

Season 4 Episode 129  

CBS TV

aired 11/29/1959

originally aired 

CBS Radio 

Season 1 episode 62  

07/11/1953

Top of the Pops (Glen Campbell Edition)

With the sad announcement today that Glen Campbell is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, today's Top of the Pops contains his 4 biggest singles on the US Billboard Hot 100.

4 - Wichita Lineman (1969)


3 - Galveston (1969)


2 - Rhinestone Cowboy (1975)


1 - Southern Nights (1977)

New York Times Bestseller List 06/19/2011

This week we have new #1 books atop both the fiction and non fiction list of the New York Times Bestseller List.

Here is the Top 5 bestsellers in Non Fiction for the week ending June 19th 2011

1 - The Greater Journey - David McCullough (2 weeks on list)
The historian explores the intellectual legacy that France settled on its 19th-century visitors.


2 - In the Garden of the Beasts - Erik Larson (4 weeks)
This portrait of Berlin during the rise of the Nazi Party concentrates on William E. Dodd, who became the U.S. ambassador to Germany in 1933, and his daughter, Martha.


3 - Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand (29 weeks)
An Olympic runner's story of survival as a prisoner of the Japanese in World War II.

4 - Bossypants - Tina Fey (9 weeks)

5 - Those Guys Have All the Fun - James A Miller and Tom Shales (2 weeks)
An oral history of the sports network ESPN.


Here is the Top 5 bestsellers in Fiction for the week ending June 19th 2011

1 - Dreams of Joy - Lisa See (Debut)
 A young woman angry at her mother and aunt over family secrets runs away to Shanghai in search of her birth father.


2 - Dead Reckoning - Charlaine Harris (5 weeks)
 The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse seeks the culprit in a firebombing.


3 - 10th Anniversary - James Patterson (5 weeks)
Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club race to find a missing baby.


4 - Buried Prey - John Sanford (4 weeks)
 The Minneapolis detective Lucas Davenport investigates the murders of two girls who were kidnapped in 1985.


5 - The Jefferson Key - Steve Berry (3 weeks)
 The former government operative Cotton Malone foils an assassination attempt on the president and finds himself at dangerous odds with a secret society.

Horse Racing Update

Lets get caught up on the latest horse racing.

We had the 2011 Belmont Stakes from New York this last Saturday and it was upset city as Ruler on Ice shocked the crowd and took home the 3rd leg of the Triple Crown.   Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom had a near mishap as he almost fell coming out of the starting gate and used up all his energy just getting back to the pack as they entered the turn for home but did manage a 4th place finish.   The 2011 Preakness winner Shackleford held the lead for most of the race but completely gave up about 100 yards from the wire and Ruler on Ice shot past him like he was standing still.



2 weeks ago was the 2nd leg of the British Triple crown and the biggest race in the UK, The Epsom Derby. The winner of the first leg of the British Triple Crown, Frankel, opted out of the Derby this year leaving it wide open.
This was a close finish as Pour Moi, the french entry snuck it at the wire.

WATCH THE RACE HERE.

Sanford and Son

Tonight just for a change of pace here is an episode from one of my favorite Sitcoms of all time, Sanford and Son.
This is called "My Fair Esther" from Season 5, aired November 14th 1975

Gunsmoke - The Cook

I have been in a Gunsmoke mood lately, especially with the passing of James Arness.   Here is an episode from the TV series

 "The Cook"  Season 6 Episode 209 Aired: 12/17/1960

Gunsmoke Radio - Doc's Visitor

Here from June 11 1961 the penultimate episode in the Gunsmoke radio show.  This episode is  "Doc's Visitor" written by Marion Clark.


Starring William Conrad as US Marshall Matt Dillon, Parley Baer as Chester Proudfoot, Howard McNear as Charles "Doc" Adams and Georgia Ellis as Miss Kitty.

New York Times Bestseller List 06/11/2011

Here are the Top 5 on the Fiction and Non Fiction Bestseller list from the New York Times Book Review

The Top 5 in Fiction

1 - Dead Reckoning - Charlaine Harris (4 weeks at #1)
The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse seeks the culprit in a firebombing.


2 - 10th Anniversary - James Patterson (4 weeks on list)
Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club race to find a missing baby.

3 - Conviction (A Star Wars Novel) - Aaron Allston (Debut)
The Jedi Order has taken control of the Galactic Alliance. Meanwhile, Luke and Ben Skywalker are pursuing the evil entity Abeloth; a "Star Wars" novel.


4 - Buried Prey - John Sanford (3 weeks on list)
 The Minneapolis detective Lucas Davenport investigates the murders of two girls who were kidnapped in 1985 and whose bodies have just been found


5 - The Jefferson Key - Steve Berry (2 weeks on list)
The former government operative Cotton Malone foils an assassination attempt on the president and finds himself at dangerous odds with a secret society.


The Top 5 in Non Fiction


1 - Those Guys Have All the Fun - James Miller and Tom Shales (Debut)
An oral history of the sports network ESPN.


2 - In The Garden of the Beasts - Erik Larson (3 weeks on list)
This portrait of Berlin during the rise of the Nazi Party concentrates on William E. Dodd, who became the U.S. ambassador to Germany in 1933, and his daughter, Martha.  Click to Read a review 


3 - The Greater Journey - David McCullough (Debut)
The historian explores the intellectual legacy that France settled on its 19th-century visitors


4 - Bossypants - Tina Fey (8 weeks on list)


5 - Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me - Chelsea Handler (3 weeks on list)

New Arrival to My Library

Considering how hot it has been all over the midwest and east this week, this may not be the best book to sit down for a relaxing read.   Just arrived to my little library is a book "Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt".  

I just found this article which has a link to a story about the great heat wave of 1896 and the misery and death that it brought to New York City.  Read more Here

Gunsmoke - Home Surgery

"Home Surgery"

CBS TV

Season 1, episode 4  

October 8th 1955  

aired on CBS radio 

September 13th 1952  

Season 1, episode 21

Top of the Pops

This week on Top of the Pops we go across the pond to the UK Top 5 for the week ending June 7th 1969

5 - My Way - Frank Sinatra


4 - The Ballad of John and Yoko - The Beatles


3 - Man of the World - Fleetwood Mac


2 - Get Back - The Beatles with Billy Preston


1 - Dizzy - Tommy Roe

NYTimes Non Fiction Bestseller List

A new #1 to top the New York Times Non Fiction bestseller list for the week ending June 5th 2011.

1 - In the Garden of the Beasts - Erik Larson (2nd week on list)
This portrait of Berlin during the rise of the Nazi Party concentrates on William E. Dodd, who became the U.S. ambassador to Germany in 1933, and his daughter, Martha.

2 - Does the Noise in My Head Bother You - Steven Tyler (3rd week)
The singer and showman recounts the rise, fall and rise of Aerosmith.

3 - Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me- Chelsea Handler (2nd week)
Handler’s friends, family members and colleagues write about being victims of her practical jokes.

4 - Seal Team Six - Howard Wasdin
An expert sniper and former member of the Navy Seals recounts his  military training and missions, including the battle of Mogadishu in 1993.

5 - Bossypants - Tina Fey (7 weeks)

James Arness R.I.P.

Today we lost a real giant and legend in television, James Arness, who will forever be know as Marshall Matt Dillon.   He passed away today at the age of 88 and just a little over a year after the death of his brother Peter Graves.    The LA Times obituary 

  Here is CNN's Brook Anderson with a brief look back at the life and career of James Arness.

Even though the role of US Marshall Matt Dillon was originated on radio in 1952 by William Conrad, and for some is still the quintessential version, James Arness was picked to bring the character to the little screen in 1955.   He played that role until the end of the show in 1975 (at the time the longest running prime time show in tv history) and made a few "Gunsmoke" tv movies in the 80s where again he saddled up at the US Marshall.  He was even prouder of his time spent in the US military during WWII where he was wounded in Anzio.

On a personal note, Gunsmoke, was my dad's favorite western and when I was very young I remember being quite aggravated that every monday night we had to watch Gunsmoke.   Now I look back with fondness of that time with my dad and hope that kids will look back and remember something like that when they are grown.


Here is the episode of Gunsmoke,  Hinka Do,  which aired in Season 5, episode 21, January 30th 1960.   Originally aired on radio in season 1 episode 24 October 10th 1952.