What's In a Name?

Did you know that Michael was the number one most common boys' name in 1970... and 1971... and in 1972? In fact, Michael the most popular boys' name all the way through 1999 when Jacob bumped Michael from the top spot.

Let's take a quick peek at 1970... there have been a lot of changes:

President: Richard Nixon
Cost of a 1 lb hamburger: 70 cents
Cost of a loaf of bread: 30 cents
Gallon of gas: 37 cents
New house: >$23,400
Average income: $9,350
A NEW CAR: $3,900
Car 8 Track Stereo Tape Player:$38.99
CB Radio:$147

Also in 1970:

• January 5 – The first episode of All My Children broadcast on the ABC television network.
• January 22 – The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service.
• March 21 – The first Earth Day proclamation is issued.
• April 1 – President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law, banning cigarette television advertisements in the United States
• April 22 – The first Earth Day is celebrated in the U.S.
• April 24 – China's first satellite (Dong Fang Hong 1) is launched into orbit using a Long March-1 Rocket (CZ-1).
• May 4 – Kent State shootings
• May 8 – The Beatles release their 12th and final album, Let It Be.
• May 31 – The 1970 FIFA World Cup is inaugurated in Mexico.
• June 10 – U.S. President Richard Nixon signs a measure lowering the voting age to 18. (sadly, the DRINKING AGE was raised some years later)
  
• July 16 – Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh opens.
• September 9 – Elvis Presley begins his first concert tour since 1958 in Phoenix, Arizona at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
• September 11 – The Ford Pinto is introduced.
• October 15 – The Baltimore Orioles defeat the Cincinnati Reds in Game 5 of the World Series, 9–3, to win the series 4 games to 1 for their 2nd World Championship.
• October 26 – Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury debuts in approximately two dozen newspapers in the United States.
• December 2 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
• December 31 – Paul McCartney sues in Great Britain to dissolve the Beatles' legal partnership.

Also born in 1970:

• Gabrielle Reece
• Minnie Driver
• Mariah Carey
• Vince Vaughn
• Queen Latifah
• Andre Agassi
• Uma Thurman
• Tina Fey
• River Phoenix
• Debbie Gibson
• Kelly Ripa
• Annika Sorenstam
• Tonya Harding

Quite a year!

Bars we've been in with Michael

Let's start a list, shall we? Where have you had a beer or vodka or wine or other cocktail with the birthday boy? Don't be shy, we know you've been out there drinking.

At what point did Michael start to enjoy cruises?

Some of you out there will remember this. Thirty four years ago, aboard the Rotterdam, Holland America cruise to Bermuda/Bahamas... Michael, age 6, actually, it was the week of his 6th birthday. Is this when Michael started to enjoy cruises? Maybe. It appears in this photo that he certainly was enjoying the lounge chairs (they don't look too comfortable though) and the sun and hanging with me (nice geometric bathing suit). But, as I recall, he wasn't so happy on Easter night. Out at sea. A little choppy water. Little brother felt a bit ill and couldn't go to dinner. Our parents, being very concerned about us, left us in the state room and went out partying. We were allowed to order room service. Woo hoo. Sandwiches - peanut butter and jelly; ham and cheese. I remember this becuase room service actually consisted of triangular pieces of bread, a few with ham and butter (yeah, butter), a few triangles with cheese and butter (yeah, more butter), a few with jelly, and a few others with peanut butter. The concept of putting the bread together to make a SANDWICH didn't occur to this kitchen staff in 1976. Still, it appears Michael has fond memories (he must have forgotten the sick tummy), because he's been cruising ever since.

And a brief note to Holland America Cruise Line - you should hire Michael to re-do your website. His site rocks, yours, does not.

How to Handle Sibling Rivalry

THE CORLEONE FAMILY

*(Insert Christine and/or Kelly for Michael Corleone and Michael Trum for Fredo)*

Michael Corleone: "I've always taken care of you, Fredo."

Fredo Corleone: "Taken care of me! …Send Fredo off to do this! Send Fredo off to do that! Let Fredo take care of some Mickey Mouse nightclub somewhere! Send Fredo to pick somebody up at the airport! … I was stepped over."

Michael Corleone: "That's the way Pop wanted it."

Fredo Corleone: "It ain't the way I wanted it! I can handle things. I'm smart, not like everybody says. Not dumb. I'm smart, and I want respect!"

Michael Corleone: "Fredo, you're my ...brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever."

Michael Corleone: “Fredo, you're nothing to me now. You're not a brother, you're not a friend. I don't want to know you or what you do. I don't want to see you at the hotels, I don't want you near my house. When you see our mother, I want to know a day in advance, so I won't be there. You understand?”

~ Adapted from The Godfather II, by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo

THE TRUM FAMILY

*(Insert Christine, Kelly and Michael for the "siblings")*

Laurie Kramer, a professsor of family studies at Illinois University, who wrote a report for the journal New Directions For Child And Adolescent Development, says “We know that having a positive relationship with siblings is related to a whole host of better outcomes for teenagers and adults.”

Kramer, said: “Siblings are better role models of the more informal behaviours that constitute the bulk of a child's everyday experiences,” Kramer said.

Professor Kramer said other research had shown that if children start off their relationship with a sibling on a positive note, 'it's more likely to continue positively over time'.

She said it did not matter if the siblings were of a similar age or spaced years apart, or of different sex. What was important was that parents encouraged siblings to 'develop a relationship where there is mutual respect, co-operation and the ability to manage problems'.

**Michael, don't get all warm and fuzzy on me. Fredo now sleeps with the fishes. I'd set the alarm at night. - JMS**

Match Game

Hello there.

Rumor has it that prior to rising to prominence at Wally World, Michael tried his hand at another job. As this was prior to my initiation into the world of all things Trum/Lupi/Blystone, I am not sure of the details. However, I have heard it had something to do with dolls.

Keep in mind that my knowledge of dolls is limited. I consider my Star Wars collection (the original trilogy) as action figures. They are completely different.

However, knowing the ins and outs of the doll world would make Michael perfectly suited to match the following dolls and/or action figures with his family members that I happen to know. Specifically: Marie, Kip, Christine, Kelly, Rich, Brad, Allen, Josh, Taylor, Nicole, Parker.

I encourage each of you to let your imaginations run wild and match them up accordingly. Caution: There may be a few extras that could easily be applied to more than 1 family member.

Before you ask, my answers are under lock and key. I will tell you this, out of respect for the big 40, I did not include Michael. However, I could have had a field day.








































Any similarities to persons; real or imagined, is purely coincidental.

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Happy musings!

My Brother Michael

I have a little brother. His name is Michael. He is going to turn 40 very soon. Which makes me...well a little older.

I met a woman the other day who had just met Michael and she said she loved him. Everyone who meets Michael just LOVES him. Why is that? His quick wit? No. His mad dancing skills. Not likely. His unexplained, deep and passionate love for ketchup? I don't think that's it either.

I have a theory. But you probably all have theories too. I thought that in honor of this upcoming momentous occassion, we might explore that as people these days explore topics of interest - publicly and on the internet.

Don't get me wrong....I don't expect this to be a love fest for goodness sakes! I'm sure that most of our musings will start off with some nice sentimental thought but will quickly transform into a memory along these lines - Michael lying on the floor fast asleep after eating a holiday meal while his sisters gently place as many napkin rings as possible (in the shapes of animals) all over his body.

I have a theory. What's yours?