Today, February 5th
SEND A 104-YEAR-OLD VET A VALENTINE. Forgive me for going into feel-good, Facebook territory, but CNN’s story of a WWII veteran who is asking for Valentine's Day cards touched me in such a way that I had to share.
Maj. Bill White was wounded at the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. The bloody confrontation killed nearly 7,000 US Marines—and ended White’s 30 years of active duty. Today, the California native stays busy dining with friends and scrapbooking—which allows him to keep track of his life's special events. And he’s asking the public to help add to his book of memories by sending him a card this Valentine's Day. "I'll save every one of them… and they'll be a personal part of my history,” White says.
Sending a few hearts to this recipient of the Purple Heart is the least we can do. Click to hear Maj. White’s story.
Cards can be addressed to:
Operation Valentine
ATTN: Hold for Maj Bill White, USMC (Ret)
The Oaks at Inglewood
6725 Inglewood Ave.
Stockton, CA 95207
IT'S TIME RED BUTTONS "GOT A DINNER"! Beloved for his appearances on “The Dean Martin Roasts,” the actor/comedian (who died in 2006) was born 101 years ago today. Compared to Comedy Central’s, Martin’s roasts of the Sixties & Seventies have all the sting of a spelling bee. Even then, the jokes seemed like quant relics of another era—not surprising, considering frequent roasters Buttons, George Burns, and Milton Berle were all vaudeville veterans. But Buttons (who famously argued for all the celebrated figures who “never got a dinner”) was a family favorite. Not so much for his jokes (“Sidney Poitier—who said to Paul Newman, “Let’s do one called ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sunburn Kid,’—never got a dinner!”) but for the hilarious and brilliantly varied way he would deliver that last line. So much so, that it gave the Oscar-winner (Best Supporting Actor for 1957’s “Sayonara”) a whole new career. And there’s not one McKee family member who can’t perfectly deliver that same line reading today.
TEST YOUR “OFFICE” TRIVIA (& WIN A DUNDIE!) When someone notes on IMDb that it’s California’s Labor Code (Sec. 6404.5) that appears on The Office’s no-smoking sign—even though the series takes place in Scranton, PA!—you know this mockumentary’s got some serious fans. If you’re one of them, head over to this glass-walled cocktail lounge overlooking Bryant Park and compete for prizes in 4-6 teams for 5 rounds. 1-drink minimum. The Office Trivia Night, Wednesday, February 5th, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM. Bryant Park Lounge, 1033 6th Avenue #3rd floor. For more info, call or text 347-592-0300.
Can’t Wait? Take Buzzfeed’s quiz here—and see if you know what Jan named the baby she has via a sperm donor.
A) Arabella
B) Astrid
C) Astoria