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A cheerful yellow smiley face keychain figure, wearing a red shirt with "Smile" written on it, sits prominently in the foreground. It is surrounded by many flat, round yellow smiley face discs, with a large, glowing red neon smiley face sign providing a warm backdrop.

The Secret Origin of the Smiley Face

Harvey Ball created the iconic smiley face in 10 minutes for $45. Here is how a simple insurance-company design became a global symbol and an Acid House icon.

Food & Life

Missing my innocence

Why Did We Put Missing Kids on Milk Cartons?

Why did missing children’s faces appear on milk cartons? We look at the strange history behind the campaign, the kids who recognized themselves, Milk Carton 2.0 and Canada’s famous milk bags.

Exploring Calvin and Hobbes

Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes was always about the art. Now, original artwork from the beloved comic strip is going on tour, giving fans a rare look behind the panels.

The Odd & Curious

jimi hendrix purple haze makeup

Purple Haze:  Jimi Hendrix Beauty Collection

Talk about cashing in. Collaboration between Authentic Hendrix, LLC; Sony Music’s merchandise wing, The Thread Shop; and retail platform Rock And Roll Beauty want you to be a Foxy Lady. The range includes the Voodoo Child Artistry Palette (which comes in a guitar-shaped compact), the Purple Haze candle, Foxy Lady matte lip duo (of lipstick and liner) and (seemingly, not quite done with the song name) the Purple Haze brush set.

walker

The Criterion Collection: Walker on Blu-ray

Out this week is The Criterion Collection: Walker on Blu-ray. This movie not only has Joe Strummer as an actor but Strummer also composed the whole soundtrack. Inspired by the music of the area where the movie was shot, this is a fine film to add to your collection. It takes liberties as a timepiece movie to play with accuracy. An unconventional retelling of the life of William Walker, a 19th-century American mercenary leader who became the president of Nicaragua. All can be forgiven for a great little film.

alicia malone girls on film

Girls on Film: Witty Life Lessons from Alicia Malone

I got TCM as my go-to station. My PVR is working overtime recording each week movies that matter. I value all the host’s information about the movies that are about to show. Alicia Malone is a welcome addition to the station. Her keen movie sense brings a unique spin each week to movies we cherish. I am very excited to know she just released, Girls on Film: Witty Life Lessons from Alicia Malone from Mango Publishing. I am a fan of the hosts on TCM, nice to see Alicia share a bit more about herself through the movies she watches. Life imitates art some will say, Alicia, is just as glamourous as the film’s actresses that she showcases each week. She is a jewel in the TCM family. This is one book you will not want to miss.

Its The Small Things Charlie Brown Photo 0108.jpg.photo modal show home large

It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown

It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown is the Peanuts Earth Day TV special which will be streaming on Apple TV+. It will be released on April 15, 2022. The special will also feature an original song by American singer-songwriter Ben Folds.

sex pistols the original recordings

The Sex Pistols: The Original Recordings

For the first time in over 20 years, 20 of the Sex Pistol’s recordings from 1976 to 1978 are collected together to tell the story of one of the world’s most influential and extraordinary bands.

Vinyl Nation A Documentary About the Return of Records scaled

Vinyl Nation – A Documentary About the Return of Records

Vinyl Nation digs into the crates of the record resurgence in search of truths set in deep wax: Has the return of vinyl made music fandom more inclusive or divided? What does vinyl say about our past here in the present? How has the second life of vinyl changed how we hear music and how we listen to each other? The documentary features Judy Mills, Ashley C. Ford, Kelly Stacy, John Vanderslice, Kutmasta Kurt, Alyson Baker, Kelley Stoltz, Ben Blackwell, Billy Fields, Roz Lee, and Ashleyanne Krigbaum.

wonderful world of brothers grimm blu ray

The Wonderful World of Brothers Grimm Deluxe Edition

I recently heard an old podcast Stuff You Should Know titled How Grimm’s Fairy Tales Work. I was treated to the origins of the Brothers Grimm’s true stories. The Brothers Grimm stories have been around for such a long time that they have embedded themselves in Hollywood and pop culture more than ever since it was first published. Walt Disney sanitized most of the stories to stockpile their fortunes. The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm is a 1962 fantasy film directed by Henry Levin and George Pal. The film was one of the highest-grossing films of 1962. It won one Oscar and was nominated for three additional Academy Awards. Several prominent actors—including Laurence Harvey, Karlheinz Böhm, Jim Backus, Barbara Eden, and Buddy Hackett—are in the film.

The More Things Change Film TV Studio Work 1968 1973

The More Things Change – Film, TV & Studio Work 1968-1973

John Barry is a man of mystery to most people outside England. Barry scored perhaps the top movies and TV shows ever known to the human ear in the 60s and 70s. You knew there was magic when the theme song for Beat Girl screamed from the screen in 1960. There was more magic to follow. Ace Records collects some of his best works from 1968-to 1973 with a new offering called The More Things Change – Film, TV & Studio Work 1968-1973. Nobody was doing it better than him at the time. You might also want to buy, Music By John Barry”, a 500-page book covering his greatest scores by Redcliffe Press.

the torment

What I am watching this weekend: The Torment (L’enfer) by Claude Chabrol on Kanopy

There is more to a library card nowadays. You can download books, audiobooks, music, stream, and graphic novels without setting foot in a library. My favorite freebie from my local library is Kanopy. The avantgarde streaming service is a welcome addition for unusual classic movies that you will not find with other streaming services. You stream thousands of films for free, thanks to the generous support of your public library or university. I am allocated 5 movies a month. This weekend I am watching The Torment by director Claude Chabrol from 1996. The French title is L’enfer. I do not know why they do not translate it as Hell. The movie stars Emmanuelle Béart, François Cluzet, and Nathalie Cardone.

The Hollies A Biography

The Hollies: A Biography by Malcolm C. Searles

The history of the Hollies is enigmatic at best. Their squeaky clean images kept them out of the spotlight. The Beatles hogged the British scene in the 60s, while The Rolling Stones thrived on their enfant terrible image. This might be the reason why not much is written on The Hollies. The Hollies: Riding The Carousel by Malcolm C. Searles promises to shed light on perhaps of the greatest 60s band.

To Everything

To Everything That Might Have Been: The Lost Universe Of Space: 1999

The cult classic science fiction series Space: 1999 has legions of fans around the world and has been researched and documented in comprehensive books and documentaries, so fans can be forgiven for thinking there’s nothing new … This book takes you back to the beginning, to the genesis of the series, and to early themes, characters, and story outlines.