It's Fizzie Time!

I bet you remember Fizzies! Dropping a tablet into water and watching it fizz was so cool. Better yet, I bet you put them on your tongue and let them fizz away. Your mouth got all foamy and your mother freaked out and told you your stomach would explode. Am I wrong?
The Emerson Drug Company who made Bromo-Seltzer, wanted to create a tablet that when added to water, would create a soda pop drink. The chemist, Lem Billings invented the idea in 1950 and name it Fizzies. At first though, they were only
marketed locally.
In 1962, the Emerson Drug Comapny was bought by Warner Lambert and they took Fizzies national. In 1968, the sales volume of Fizzies more than doubled that of Kool-Aid.
I bet you had a favorite flavor. There was strawberry, root beer, grape, orange, lemon lime, cherry, and sometimes cola.
The formula for these little drink tablets changed because the artificial sweetner being used was banned by the FDA. Go figure. Cyclamates were linked to cancer. The last pack rolled off the line in 1969.
In the mid 1990's, Fizzies made a short comeback and was marketed as an "Instant Sparkling Drink."
Nutra Sweet was used and the tablets only had 10 calories, vitamin C enriched, and great in milk.
I don't think so.
Fizzies are being made today, once again. Sucralose, a natural derivative of sugar is being used as the
sweetner. By the way, the Jones Soda Company has come out with their version of a Fizzie called Jones Soda Candy.
I say, by a box of fizzies and put a tablet or two on your tongue, and let your kids or grandkids know what being a baby boomer is all about!

The Toast Of The Town

I bet you remember the Ed Sullivan Show. It ran from 1948-1971. Every Sunday night,
it was a ritual. Who would be on next? The whole world was in your living room. There
were opera singers, ballet dancers, circus acts, popular artists, comedians, and much much more.
Other than the guests, there was that little Italian mouse, Topo Gigio. How can anyone forget him? The Ed Sullivan Show was the first exposure for foreign performers to the American public.
What a ritual that show was for American families gathered around he television screen.
We had loads of snacks and just waited for the show to air.
I remember watching Elvis for the first time. I sat there with a mouth full of unchewed and unswallowed popcorn fixated to the TV screen. I don't think I even said one word. I was either in shock or in love.
At first, Ed Sullivan vowed never to have Elvis on his show. He didn't want to have him in front of a family audience. He changed his mind, though, realizing his ratings would go down. But even then, he only wanted Elvis to be shown from the waist up. That didn't happen, as his gyrating body was shown as big as life. I couldn't speak.
In 1964, I got to see the Beatles for the first time. The audience were hysterical screaming teenagers. That show was thought to have 73 million viewers.
Ed really had it together. There were very few opportunities for African-American performers on national television at that time. He was the champion of black talent and launched many careers by presenting them to national TV. There was no bigotry on that show and we got to see great singers. Some of them were the Supremes, Pearl Baily, Harry Belafonte, James Brown and a whole lot more.
There isn't any show today that compares. Thank you  Ed! And now, right here on our stage, it's a really big shoe!

Peter Cottontail

 I bet you remember this one! Your mother probably sang it to you. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!
If you don't celebrate Easter, then have a beautiful spring day! And my words of wisdom for today are: Don't put all of your eggs in one basket.