J.K. Rowling

Welcome to the 679th consecuvtive day of the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1965, Joanne Rowling, better known the world over as J.K. Rowling, the author and creator of the celebrated Harry Potter book series, is born near Bristol, England. (I have yet to read one Harry Potter book or see one Harry Potter movie. But I have seen all of the Saw movies.)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “I am not overweight … I am a nutritional overachiever.”

OVERRATED: ESPN News.

UNDERRATED: ESPN-U.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: This has become the unofficial Harry Potter edition of the High 5 …

– Singer Lobo is 68. (Me and you, and a dog named Boo.)
– Singer Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis and the Playboys is 66. (A horrible, horrible singer.)
– “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling is 46.(Wonder what she will give us next?)
– Actor Wesley Snipes is 49. (Despite his problems with the law, Snipes remains one cool dude.)

My first-ever girlfriend, a fellow seventh grader-to-be named Debbie, said the Troggs’ classic was “our song” in the summer of 1966. At age 12, I had no idea the significance of that. To this day, every time I hear that song I think of that blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl named Debbie … and smile. On that note, welcome to the High 5:

TODAY: “Wild Thing,” the three-chord masterpiece became a No. 1 hit for The Troggs on this day in 1966 and instantly took its rightful place in rock-and-roll history. There were other hits for The Troggs, including “With A Girl Like You” (1966) and “Love Is All Around” (1967) —but nothing to match “Wild Thing” in terms of success or influence.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “My action figure would come with action sold separately.”

OVERRATED: Diet Coke.

UNDERRATED: Caffeine free diet Mountain Dew.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Considering what has happened in Arnold’s personal life in recent months, I wouldn’t hold your breath about that action film comeback anytime soon.

– Actor Laurence Fishburne is 50.(I just haven’t been able to warm up to him as William Petersen’s replacement on CSI.)
– Actress Lisa Kudrow is 48. (The most underrated member of the old Friends lineup.)
– Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is 64. (Whose life unraveled quicker, Arnold’s or Tiger Woods’?)
– Jazz saxophonist David Sanborn is 66. (The best.)

Favorite Doors song? “Love Her Madly.” And with that, welcome to the latest edition of the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1967, the Doors scored their first No. 1 hit with “Light My Fire.” It was a short, but memorable run for one of rock’s most iconic groups.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “(I) felt all warm and fuzzy when Steve Eighinger said that my Oatmeal Scotchies are the best he’s ever had. That’s a high honor from Quincy’s resident foodie.” (This was written by one smart cookie.)

OVERRATED: The price of lemon shake-ups at the county fair. (I paid $5 for a glass of sugar water.)

UNDERRATED: County fair beauty pageants.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: If you have never heard Patti Scialfa, go to YouTube right now.

– Keyboardist Neal Doughty of REO Speedwagon is 65. (The whole world is getting old. Geesh.)
– Singer-bassist Geddy Lee of Rush is 58.(One of the great names in rock history.)
– Documentary maker Ken Burns is 58. (Anyone calling himself a baseball fan must watch Burns’ tribute to the national pastime or forever be banished from the club.)
– Singer Patti Scialfa with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is 58. (Mrs. Boss is quite the singer, too.)

John Belushi in the famous cafeteria scene in "Animal House."

The most incredible number in today’s first item is $3 million. Welcome to the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1978, National Lampoon’s Animal House, a movie spoof about 1960s college fraternities starring John Belushi, opens in U.S. theaters. Produced with an estimated budget of $3 million, Animal House became a huge, multi-million-dollar box-office hit, spawned a slew of cinematic imitations and became part of pop-culture history with such memorable lines as “Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “I’m giving up on the silent treatment … Going to start talking to myself again.”

OVERRATED: Colby Rasmus.

UNDERRATED: Colby cheese.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Frankie Yankovic was the Rod Stewart of polka music …

– In memoriam: America’s Polka King Frankie Yankovic would have been 96 today. (He passed away in 1998.)
– Actress Sally Struthers is 63. (She’ll forever be Archie Bunker’s “little girl.”)
– Actress Elizabeth Berkeley is 39. (Remember her in Saved by the Bell? How about … ummm, Showgirls?)
– Actress Lori Loughlin is 46. (She played John Stamos’ wife in some idiotic sitcom that I can’t remember the name of.)

Welcome to the 675th consecutive day of the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommends that America’s 37th president, Richard M. Nixon, be impeached and removed from office. (The impeachment proceedings resulted from a series of political scandals involving the Nixon administration that came to be collectively known as … Watergate.)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Ooooo cat fight!!!”

OVERRATED: Prince. (As in “Little Red Corvette” and “Raspberry Beret.”)

UNDERRATED: Prince Fielder. (As in the player who will sign a bigger free-agent contract than Albert Pujols this winter.)

BIRTHDAY BANTER: How could we have ever survived without Archie Bunker?

–  TV producer Norman Lear is 89. (He gave us All in the Family.)
– Actor Jerry Van Dyke is 80. (One of the great character actors of our time. I think his best work came on Coach.)
– Actor John Pleshette is 69. (Another alumni of Knots Landing.)
– Singer Bobbie Gentry is 67. (She gave us “Ode to Billie Joe” in 1967. Her real name is Roberta Lee Streeter.)

Mick Jagger, circa early 1960s.

Welcome to the 674th consecutive day of the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1775, the U.S. Postal system was established. I think a more important date might be when the U.S. E-mail system was established. I’m still looking for that date.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Some guy waved to me and then walked up and said, ‘Sorry, I thought you were someone else.’ I said, ‘I am.’” (Sounds like another blonde moment.)

OVERRATED: Jason Bourne.

UNDERRATED: Jason Kipnis.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite Rolling Stones song? “She’s A Rainbow.”

– Contemporary Christian singer Rebecca St. James is 34. (I have met this wonderful girl on two occasions. She is genuinely one of the nicest people I have met in my life.)
– Actress Sandra Bullock is 47. (Another classy lady.)
– Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger is 68. ( … and still going strong. I remember watching Mick and the Stones on the old Ed Sullivan Show when I was in third or fourth grade. It’s simply unbelievable the Stones are bigger now than they were then, and they were huge then.)
– Actress Kate Beckinsale is 38. (She’s made a career out of starring in those werewolf/vampire flicks.)

This coming week will likely be brutal because it won’t take long to realize how much I enjoyed being on vacation last week. On that note, please enjoy the latest edition of the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1990, Comedian Roseanne Barr grabs her crotch and spits on the ground when performing the national anthem at a San Diego Padres game. She always did exude class.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Who wouldn’t want to marry a sexy clown?”

OVERRATED: The chances of former Cubs player Sammy Sosa ever entering the Baseball Hall of Fame. Steroid Sammy — and most of the “sluggers” from that era — will never enter Cooperstown. Never.

UNDERRATED: The career of MLB Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven, whose induction into Cooperstown was long, long overdue.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Maybe I should have named by son Biff instead of Geoff …

– In memoriam: Former NFL running back Walter Payton would have been 57. (Always a classy guy, this tribute to “Sweetness” is in honor of Eric Ervin.)
– Actor Matt LeBlanc is 44. (He was the one on Friends who was not Ross or Chandler.)
– Former MLB catcher Biff Pocoroba is 58. (His real first name is actually Biff.)
– Former Olympic bobsledder Bogdan Musiol is 54. (I just liked his name.)

I may have to turn on the heater Sunday … the temperature is supposed to (momentarily) dip below 90 … welcome to the latest edition of the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1998, the director Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic, Saving Private Ryan, is released in U.S. theaters. The film, which starred Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, was praised for its authentic portrayal of war and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. (One of the greatest movies ever made, in so many ways. I can still envision the opening re-enactment of American troops landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day.)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Since you see my husband more than I do these days, will you please tell him I love him, the dog smells, the grass needs mowed, and we are having spaghetti for dinner?? Thanks!!!”

OVERRATED: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter.

UNDERRATED: Daniel Craig as James Bond.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Pam Tillis is the daughter of M-M-M-M-Mel Tillis …

– Actor Michael Richards is 62.(You probably know him best as “Kramer” from Seinfeld.)
– Actress Lynda Carter is 60. (We always talk about her Wonder Woman television show from the 1970s, but did you ever watch that program? It was awful. Sorry, Lynda.)
– Director Gus Van Sant is 59. (He gave us Drugstore Cowboy in 1989.)
– Country singer Pam Tillis is 54. (Favorite Pam Tillis song? “Maybe it Was Memphis.”)

Woody Harrelson, during the "Cheers" years.

It’s the weekend! Welcome to the latest edition of the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1984, 21-year-old Vanessa Williams gave up her Miss America title, the first resignation in the pageant’s history, after Penthouse magazine announces plans to publish nude photos of the beauty queen in its September issue. Williams originally made history on Sept. 17, 1983, when she became the first black woman to win the Miss America crown. (Do you think she … umm, kind of forgot to mention that little photo shoot to pageant officials?)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Time out Laura, you have goats?”

OVERRATED: Heat waves.

UNDERRATED: Katrina and the Waves.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Woody Harrelson might be the most successful of the Cheers alumni. I guess it depends on how you define Ted Danson’s “success.”

– Actor Woody Harrelson is 50. (As much as he tries to escape the stereotype, he’ll always be “Woody” on Cheers.)
– Actor Daniel Radcliffe is 22. (You know him as Harry Potter.)
– Guitarist Slash of Velvet Revolver is 46. (You probably know him better as Axl Rose’s sidekick with Guns ‘N Roses.)
– Radio personality Don Imus is 71. (He was Howard Stern before Howard Stern.)

Happy 68th, Bobby Sherman.

Welcome to the 670th consecutive day of the High 5:

TODAY: “On this day in 1963, the Beatles’ first U.S. album, “Introducing The Beatles,” was released. The rest, as they, is history.”

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “I now have an Angel card from Victoria’s Secret….Hellooooooo credit card debt!”

OVERRATED: All the legalese involved in the NFL lockout case.

UNDERRATED: College football, where there are no strikes — only scandals.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Seriously, name a better game show than Jeopardy!

– Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek is 74. (Still the best game show on television.)
– Singer-actor Bobby Sherman is 68. (He was the teen idol 45 years ago.)
– Comedian David Spade is 47. (We all remember him as Joe Dirt.)
– Actor Willem Dafoe is 56. (I love it when he plays a bad guy.)