St. Patrick's Day Trivia, Enhanced with Pieces from Department 56 Christmas in the City and Snow Village

Dept. 56., Christmas in the City,
"Miss Shannon's School of Dance," #59251

"Erin go Braugh!"  It's March, so naturally our thoughts turn Irish.  To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, we may tip a green beer, or wear green shamrocks on our lapels, and or pull out the corned beef and cabbage recipe for its yearly appearance on the menu.  But what do we really know about Irish culture?  I thought it would be fun to explore some trivia, and enhance it with Department 56 pieces from Christmas in the City, and even one from Snow Village.  Here goes....

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Erin Go Bragh," #59446

1.  First, do you know what "Erin Go Bragh!" means?  Well, I didn't, and if my Irish grandfather had known that, he would probably have rolled over in his grave.  The phrase means "Ireland forever," or some derivation like that. The phrase was used not only to signify allegiance to Ireland, but to claim an Irish identity, to cheer for "football" teams like the Hibernian, or to be used as the name of a ship that made the longest voyage of its time, to Australia in 1862.

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Kelly's Irish Crafts," #59216

2. If we wrote down the names of all of the Irish and partly-Irish who influenced American culture, we could cause a spike in paper product stocks. What famous Americans would we include?

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"The Ed Sullivan Theater," #59233

On the list we would find John and Robert Kennedy, Ed Sullivan, Bing Crosby, Walt Disney, Judy Garland, Grace Kelly, Eugene O'Neil, Georgia O'Keeffe, William F. Buckley, Ronald Reagan, Billy the Kid, Typhoid Mary, Walter O'Malley,  and, hold on to your Leprechaun hat, Barack Obama!

Dept. 56, The American Price Collection,
"The White House," #57701

3. How many  politicians who can claim Irish ancestry have become American Presidents?

Dept. 56, American Pride Collection,
"Ellis Island," #57713

In fact, there are 22 American presidents who claim at least some Irish ancestry, including the following:  Jackson, Polk, Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Grant, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Truman, Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, both George H. W. and George W. Bush, Clinton, and Obama.

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Precinct 25 Police Station," #58941

4.  Poor Irish emigrating to the United States often landed in large eastern seaboard ports like Boston and New York, and ultimately many of them became employed as policemen and firemen. Everyone knows that.  But....what percent of policemen were Irish in New York City?    

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"To Protect and To Serve,'" #58902

In 1855 the New York Police Commission said that almost 17% of the city's police officers were Irish-born;  28.2% of the city as a whole was Irish.  By the 1860's, more than half of those arrested in New York City were Irish, and nearly half of the city's law enforcement officers were also Irish.  By the turn of the 20th century, 5 out of every 6 NYPD were Irish, and as late as the 1960's, 42% were of Irish descent.

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Molly O'Brien's Irish Pub," #57713

5. Now, the final Irish Trivia question in this blog:  How much Guinness will be consumed on St. Patrick's Day?

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Serving Irish Ale," #58988

Well, in 2010, it was estimated that 13 million pints of Guinness were consumed on St. Patricks Day worldwide. That is double the daily average!  But that's just Guinness...

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Katie McCabe's Restaurant and Books," #59208

So, next question:  How much beer, of all types, is consumed on St. Patricks day?

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"McGuire's Irish Pub," #55066

Well, St. Patrick's Day beer consumption constitutes about 1% of the total annual beer consumption.  Annual global beer consumption will top 52.8 BILLION gallons by 2013.  One percent of that, the amount consumed on St. Patrick's Day,  is about 528 million gallons, or 4.2 billion pints.

Erin Go Braugh to you all!

Kim Krum's 2012 Animated North Pole Village: Music in the Air

Kim Krum's Christmas village delighted my blog readers last year.  And this year Kim has done it again.  She has picked and plucked penguins and bears, Barbies and soldiers, Mickey and Goofy, and fashioned them into a moving, clicking, flowing, shining North Pole Village.

And what are the people and creatures of the North Pole doing?  They are making music...

Oh how they pound,
raising the sound,
o'er hill and dale,
telling their tale.

Gaily they ring
while people sing
songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here.

From Barbie's elegant ball to a teddy bear jam, Christmas music is in the air. 

Bear jammin'.  Note the Dept. 56, North Pole Village, "Naughty or Nice Detective Agency," to the left;
"North Pole Porcelain Building Works" is back right, while the "Teddy Bear Training Center"
is back middle, and in the foreground is the "Nettie's Mistletoe Manor."

As usual, Kim audaciously pairs Department 56 scale buildings with toys twice the size, then she adds globes, and ice cubes, and tiny carousels, and a juke box.  And then she plops in the the dollop of creative magic that makes it all work!

Reigning over the Kim's North Pole Village are Barbie and Ken, who make a glamorous entrance through the snow in their oversized horse and sleigh.  They arrive in time to join in the outdoor ballroom dancing in front of her own Barbie Boutique.  It is so appropriate that the Twinkle Toes Ballet Academy is nearby, so all the little ballerinas can witness Christmas dancing magic.  Those who want a breather can take a spin on the carousel!

Nearby are the pulsating rhythms of the penguins a-playing.  Surrounded by ice cubes, these little guys are dashing in their black and white tuxedoes garnished with red hats, and red and green scarves.  Bet the music of these little hipsters makes you want to shake, rattle, and roll.

Bear Boy Band, with Dept. 56, North Pole Village,
"The Christmas Candy Mill," "LEGO Building
Creation Station" behind the band, and
"Countdown to Christmas," at front and left. 

The little Bear Boy Band at the xylaphone conjures up some Christmas Souza.  Dressed in marching band attire, these bears tower over the "Christmas Candy Mill" and the "Acme Creation Station," and it looks perfectly normal.  Creating candy and cubes is so much easier with the steady beat of bear music.

Dept 56, North Pole Village, with
"Acme Toy Factory," "Poinsettia Palace," "Cocoa Chocolate
Works," and "Santa's Tailor Shop."

Mickey on the tuba and Donald on the sax join Goofy on the horn, and we've got jazz with the Christmas pudding.  They jam in a forest of Christmas trees, all different.  One tall tree has a snowman head base and polka dot Christmas balls. Other trees are short and dappled with frost, some have layers of snow pasted on, and one evergreen in the background has tiny village pieces nestled in its branches.

Toy Soldier Band

No Christmas is complete without toy soldiers, but in Kim's village, their occupation has been mellowed by their music.  The five wooden soldiers are tight in their rhythm, following the lead of the lead xylophonist, standing out in the center with his feathered red hat.  I hear the "Little Drummer Boy," as clearly as the Christmas Even night.  Behind the tin soldiers are "The Peanut Brittle Factory and "North Pole Express Depot," while the "Rubbery Duck Factory" is front right.

No town, North Pole or West Village, would be complete without a jukebox jivin' club, and Kim has included this as well.  On the play list I see Louis Armstrong's "Winter Wonderland," Brenda Lee's "This Time of the Year," and the Andrews Sisters' "Jingle Bells."  But to me, it plays, "Jingle Bell Rock."

Thanks, Kim Krum, for another note of holiday cheer!

Dog (Not) Gone!-10 Best Things to Do with Your Dog in a Christmas Village

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Best Friends," #55176

Dogs have been man’s friends since…..well, I guess no one really knows when. I was just reading Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, who mentioned that the Pilgrims brought to Plymouth a "small spaniel and a huge mastiff bitch."  He never said that Pilgrims played fetch with the dogs, or let them sleep at the foot of their beds, or dressed them up in hats with buckles.  Pilgrims have never struck me as warm and fuzzy kinds of people.  Still, deep in the recesses of their judgmental little hearts, they must have loved their dogs.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Village Vet and Pet Shop," #54275

Normal people still use dogs for all kinds of important and therapeutic stuff.  I don’t have a dog now.  I have Hemmingway, a rescue cat, meaning it rescued me from my wanton and undisciplined existence.  I say I can't have a dog because we are gone too much, but really, I can't have a dog, because I would miss them too much when we are gone. I desperately miss my cat also, but somehow I know Hemmingway will enjoy hunting and patrolling and prowling, even if I am not there to encourage him.  And he will roll over and bare his chest so our cat-sitter will know to pet him. Our cat-sitter, to whom we hand over a large percent of our children's inheritance every time he stays with our cat, is intelligent enough to have been trained by Hemmingway.  Our sitter deserves any amount he asks.

But I diverge.  This is a blog about dogs, and less about my inabilities and trainabilities.  So I have come up with a list of 10 best things to do with your dog, at least in a miniature Christmas village.  Here goes:

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Village Pets-Sales and Service," #55365

#1:  I feel compelled to start my list of things TO DO with one thing NOT TO DO.  Despite the fact that this Department 56 building is entitled "Village Pets-Sales and Service,"  you should NOT take your dog in for service.  Dog’s should not be oiled and they do not usually need a tune-up if they are fed the appropriate and good-quality dog food.  You must admit, when you consider it, this is a seriously odd addition to a Christmas village.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Doghouse/Cat in Garbage Can," #51314

#2:  Dogs do need a place to live, like in the Department 56 doghouse shown right.  Therefore, as an activity, your dog may let you build a nice dog house, and he will help supervise the task.  Do not be confused, however.  Once the doghouse is built, and you both need to rest, your dog will need to come into YOUR house to snooze, and especially spend the night.  The dog house exists really to prove to your neighbors that you are a good carpenter, and that you take good care of your dog.  Dogs know, and you should know, that dog houses are for appearances only.

Dept. 56, Snow Vilage,
"Here We Come A Caroling," #51616

#3:  Dogs, particularly in Department 56 villages, love to go Christmas caroling.  If the caroling group sounds particularly bad, your dog will join in to try to get you on key.  Have you seen the PBS version of Pride and Prejudice, when Mary Bennett is singing at an assembly?  She is so remarkably bad that the dogs outside the window join in the melody.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Early Morning Delivery," #54313

#4:  Dogs are the only members of the family who loved you enough, when you were a kid, to get up and join you on your early morning paper route.  Everyone knew you were safe when your dog was with you.  I bet you didn’t even notice that your dog got fed late, did you?  This proves dogs are well-read, and afterwards, well-fed.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Mush!" #54747

#5:  In old-fashioned greeting cards and nostalgic Rockwell prints, you frequently find dogs pulling cute sleds or little carts or wagons.  This does not happen in real life.  I have had many dogs in my life, and not one would ever stoop so low as to pull something, especially something with someone in it.  None of my friends have ever had a dog do this, either.  Not going to happen. Ever.  Oh, yes, someone out there will say, “My dog did that.”  I don’t believe it.  Unless they are trained for the Iditorad, dogs don’t deign to pull.  Makes a cute decorative village piece, very nostalgic, very old world.  That’s all.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Pets on Parade," #54720

#6:  Dogs are very willing, happy, and able to take you to pet parades with them.

Photo taken by myself; Honolulu,
During Spam-o-Jam Festival.

Dogs are quite amenable to you looking silly because you make them to wear funny little Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses.  Despite your idiosyncrasies, dogs are loyal enough, and secure enough, to withstand the embarrassment to be seen with you.  It is one of the most endearing things about them.  In this regard, they are kinder than children.

Depat. 56, Snow Village,
"Family Canoe Trip," #55116

#7.  A dog is one of the few in a family that will actually enjoy camping, so if you are going, you should take the dog.  The other family members will camp because there is this ubiquitous American notion that camping is fun.  Sleeping on the ground 50 yards from a bathroom is not fun.  Only dogs don’t care, because they are used to sleeping on the ground, and they are never 50 yards from a bathroom.  

Dept. 56, Sow Village,
"Who's Walking Who?" #55260

#8.  Dogs are good for taking you on walks, so you can get some exercise.  They have prowled the yard all day, and don’t need the walk.  But you know, and they know, that YOU need the walk, and they know you need an excuse for the walk, so the excuse is to walk the dog.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Christmas Lake Chalet," with
"The Final Touch Accessory," #55061

#9.  It is good to play with dogs, with the toys THEY like.  Dogs don't need fancy toys.  They need a greasy bone, sticks without too many sharp edges, old socks, and an occasional new shoe.  People need ipods, iphone apps, electronic games, designer purses, and expensive cars.  People get used to spending a lot of money on toys, and assume that they should also spend a lot of money on their pets' toys.  But pets do not share that assumption.  They do not think it is as interesting to carry around an ipod as a good stick.  

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Rest Stop," #55142

#10.  It is good to walk the dog until he doesn't need to be walked any more.  Dogs remind us that we are humans living in moderately culturally civilized times.  While we are comfortably ensconced in our warm and cozy bathroom, Fido has to use outdoor facilities in all stages of hot and cold, wind, rain and snow.  If you are not a woman who has endured backpacking, you may not understand the importance of this.  But any woman who was talked into spending days and nights, above timber line, cold, even if it is in the middle of summer, knows that a dog’s life sometimes isn’t a dog’s life.







Written in memory of our beautiful rescue cat, Coco Chanel, who died Feb. 13.  Her three years with us was too short, but she brought us such joy. 

Movie Trivia, from Thomas Edison on--with Images from Department 56

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Cinema 56," # 54978

On Feb.1, 1893 construction was completed on the first motion picture studio in the world.  We've come a long way, baby....  If I wanted, I could write a 13 volume treatise on the history of the film industry, and license it to Johnson and Johnson for a sedative.  Instead, I have prepared a list of 10 trivia questions to twittle your imagination.  Here goes!  Of course, I will illustrate all of my points using Department 56 Village buildings and accessories!  For example, the Snow Village Cinema 56 to the right was probably the locale of multiple premiere performances in your local village.

Dept. 56, North Pole Village,
"Polar Palace Theater," #56741

QUESTION #1:  Who built the first motion picture studio, and where was it located?
(Note, the answer is not the Polar Palace Theater, which is delightful, and probably ran the premiere in the North Pole.)



Answer:  Thomas Edison completed construction of the first motion picture studio, on the grounds of his laboratories at West Orange, New Jersey in 1893.  The studio was called the Black Maria, and it's main purpose was to make film for the Kinetoscope, a device which could be used by one person to view a film strip.  The new film production studio's roof could be opened, and the building was mounted on a revolving pivot so it could be constantly repositioned to receive light based on the sun's alignment!



The cost for the Black Maria?  $637.67

"Black Maria" Studio,
West Orange, New Jersey
Thanks to Wikipedia for image.

By the way, the studio was called the Black Maria because employees said the dark, stuffy studio reminded them of "paddywagons," or police vans, which were called Black Marias.

Kinetoscope, original design by Edison Studios.
Thanks to Wikipedia for image.

QUESTION #2:  What was the first movie made?

Answer:  The first film ever made showed three people pretending to be blacksmiths. (If you think this blog is a yawn, imagine watching a movie of 3 men pretending to be blacksmiths.)  This first movie was created for an exhibit of the Kinetoscope, an audio/visual device patented by Edison's studio to do "for the Eye what the phonograph does for the Ear."  In deference to your patience, I shall not provide a YouTube link for this movie.

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Brooklyn Bridge," #59247.

This first movie exhibit was held in May, 1893 at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, which may or may not have been near the Brooklyn Bridge, pictured to the right.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"2001 Space Oddity," #55118

In Jan., 1894, a follow-up blockbuster was released,  "The Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze," also called "Fred Ott's Sneeze," a gripping account of Edison's assistant, Fred Ott, "sneezing comically." This was first of a series of short films made to publicize the Kinetoscope and the studio, and was the earliest motion picture to be copyrighted.  It is reputed to have heavily influenced the movie "2001 Space Odyssey," which heavily influenced the Dept. 56 accessory at left.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison's_Black_Maria)

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Stardust Drive-In,"  #55064

QUESTION #3:  When, where and by whom was the first public cinema presentation?  In other words, when was the first movie shown in a theater to the public?

Answer:  On Dec. 28, 1895 the brothers  Auguste and Louis Lumiere had a showing of a series of short films, including the Arrival of a Train (L'Arrivee d'un Train,) at the Salon Indien du Grand Cafe in Paris.  The 10 short films were hand cracked through a projector and each ran approximately 50 seconds.  (Source:  http://mubi.com/films/arrival-of-a-train)

The two brothers had invented the Cinematograph, a machine which made and projected moving images. Within a few years, they had catalogued over a thousand films, all under a minute in length, frequently filmed in exotic locations.  Most were documentaries, though there were a few fictional scenes.

Auguste and Louis Lumiere,
making the decisions that
there was no money in movies.

Possessing no Steve Jobs-like vision, the Lumiere brothers decided there was little future in Cinematography and left the business in 1901.  (Source:  http://mubi.com/films/arrival-of-a-train)

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Rockability Records," #54880.
Carried the first film soundtrack.

QUESTION #4:  For what movie was the first soundtrack album released?

Answer:  The first commercially issued film soundtrack was for the 1937 Disney film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."  Issued in Jan., 1937, the album was given the memorable label, "Songs from Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (with the Same Characters and Sound Effects in the Film of That Title.)"

What I think is the original poster for
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

If you are still reading this, you must, must, MUST, click on the following link to YouTube for a 1937 newsreel report on the premiere of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937.  You'll see Marlena Dietrich, "Doug" Fairbanks, Shirley Temple with the Seven Dwarfs, and a very young Walt Disney.  Moreover, you will see how different Minnie and Mickey Mouse looked in 1937!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILBw0sz0Ahc

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Looney Toons Film Festival," #54983

QUESTION #5: What were some of the first types of movie memorabilia collected?

Answer:  The public started collecting movie memorabilia almost as soon as movies started: scrap-books, autographs, photographs, and industry magazines.  Nowadays there are complex licensing agreements to make and sell movie paraphenalia like stuffed animals, action toys, watches, key chains, and much more.

"The Wizard of Oz," poster, 1939.

Maybe the one item that most captures collectors'  imaginations, though, is the movie poster.  Originally, movie posters were distributed and delivered for the exclusive use of the theaters showing a film.  The posters were to be returned to the distributor after the film stopped playing.  The National Screen Service was the business which printed and distributed these posters between 1940 and 1984.  Posters were frequently in circulation for years, and were supposed to be returned for storage.  Of course, many ended up in collections.  The first film poster may have been 1895's "L'Arroseur Arrose," which you can see under Question #3 above.  (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_and_Louis_Lumière)

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"A Night on the Town," #59452

QUESTONS #6:   When and where was the first Hollywood premiere, as we know it.

Answer:  Presented by master showman Sid Grauman, the first gala premiere took place in 1922 at Grauman's Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.  The premiere was to celebrate the opening of "Robin Hood," the silent screen version with Douglas Fairbanks.  This very first premiere featured the bright lights and hoppla which have characterized the events ever since. (http://www.seeing-stars.com/meet/moviepremieres.shtml)

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"The Grand Movie Theater," #58870

QUESTION #7:  Which was the most glamorous of movie premiers?

Well, it's in the eyes of the eyes of the beholder, but the most glamorous movie premiere may have been for "The Wizard of Oz" at Grauman's Chinese Theater in 1939.  Reputedly 10,000 people showed up for the event. The movie was MGM's most expensive production to date, and received two Academy Awards and a nomination for Best Picture of the Year.   The publicity splash did not help the show become a financial success, however.  It's initial release did not recoup the studios's investment, though subsequent releases did cover the costs.  By the way, the movie did receive the Academy Award for Best Original Song, "Over the Rainbow."  If you would like to see a YouTube clip of the film, with Judy Garland singing "Over the Rainbow," click here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es3vpC8gXKI  (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_%281939_film%29)

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"It's a Wrap," #807256

QUESTION #8:  What is the top-grossing film of all time?

Answer:  Calculating the measuring system for "top grossing' would require a Nobel Prize in Mathematics.  Suffice it to say that Wikipedia lists the following 5 top-grossing movies of all time:  1.  Avatar; 2.  Titanic; 3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2; 4.  Transformers:  Dark of the Moon; 5. The Lord of the Rings:  The Return of the King.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,

"Paramount Theater," #51420

QUESTION #9:  Who are the top-grossing movie actor and actress?

Answer:  For actor, did you guess Tom Cruise?  Tom Hanks?  Paul Newman?  WRONG!  Entertainment Weekly, the 300 pound gorilla in Entertainment News, just behind the National Enquirer, claims it is Samuel L. Jackson...? Not always top bill, Jackson has nonetheless been around in blockbuster films and just bust films for 2 decades, and it has all added up.  http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/10/27/samuel-l-jackson-highest-grossing-actor/  As a note to  stir the muddy waters, Comcast lists Tom Hanks as the top grossing actor....

Dept. 56, North Pole Village,
"Two for the Show," #56814

Now, for top actress: Not Julia Roberts, or Sandra Bullock or Jennifer Aniston.....the top grossing actress, according to Comcast, is Cameron Diaz!

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Dr. Seuss' how the Grinch Stole Christmas!", #55103
Maybe not the highest grossing animated film, but
a Christmas favorite, nonetheless!

QUESTION #10:  What is the top-grossing animated film of all time?

Answer: Drumroll, please.  With a worldwide gross of $1,063,171,911, Toy Story 3 is the highest-grossing animated film.  Auguste and Louis Lumiere, eat your heart out!