When I was a kid, we had very few hardfast rules in my house. One of them was no TV during dinner. That rule was obliterated when the syndicated evening version of Wheel of Fortuneentered our kitchen on a nightly basis in the eighties. In the early days, contestants would use their puzzle winnings to buy prizes that were featured on the stage. Eventually, that aside was dropped so the show could squeeze in more of what viewers really wanted: the hangman-like puzzles. My main memory from my early Wheel years was my dad getting irritated by contestants who would say, "I'd like to buy a vowel," when they already knew the solution to the puzze. Looking back, I learned everything I know about business from these nightly commentaries about unnecessary vowel purchases. The vowels were at least inflation-proof. They cost $250 then and they cost $250 now. About six years ago, Pat Sajak, the longtime host of Wheel, passed Bob Barker of The Price is Right as the longest running host of any gameshow. I watched Sajak host the show with my parents when I was in high school and I could still watch him hosting episodes when my own kids were in high school. The wheel in the sky keeps on turning and Vanna keeps on turning letters (at least until 1997 when she started just touching them instead). And Pat Sajak has hosted for 41 seasons, 8,010 episodes, and about 50,000 puzzles. That's a lot of blanking puzzles. Today, that run comes to an end. Sajak will step down and Ryan Seacrest will take over. Sajak was originally selected as host by the show's creator, Merv Griffin (who also created Jeopardy). In addition to hosting Wheel, Sajak had a brief stint as a late night talkshow host and now that he's retired, I have a feeling we'll be hearing more of his political views which many of us won't like much. But that's not a puzzle I care to solve today. Pat Sajak let me watch TV during dinner and, for that alone, I salute him. Here are few articles to fill in the blanks on a long career. NYT (Gift Article): En_ of an E_a: As Pat Sajak Signs Off, a Look Back at Wheel of Fortune. 2A One Source Town"It’s like talking to that wall right there. I’ve given them every fact and document known to mankind, and none of it matters. They’re too busy chanting their mantras to stop and listen." The always-excellent Eli Saslow in the NYT (Gift Article) with a look at how the relentless self-serving lies from the top can infest rural corners of America, including towns so small they don't have a high school or a stoplight. A Republican Election Clerk vs. Trump Die-Hards in a World of Lies. "Trump won the county with 82 percent of the vote despite losing Nevada. In the days after the election, some residents began to suspect that he should have won by even more, and they parroted Trump’s talking points and brought their complaints to the county’s monthly commissioner meetings." And then it got worse. 3Sooner Said Then Done"I think about them more than I ever have because I know that this is the end ... It is the end of one of the most elite classes that has ever -- and may ever -- play softball." Oklahoma just won its unprecedented fourth consecutive Women's College World Series championship. Those lifting the trophy included the "Core Five" - a group a seniors who completed an absolutely remarkable run of success. The incredible ride of Oklahoma's core seniors and their four titles. 4Weekend WhatsWhat to Watch: Albert Brooks is one of America's great comedic talents. In this HBO doc, he looks back on his career from being a standup prodigy to some very memorable movies. The core of the documentary is a conversation between Brooks and Rob Reiner, who has been his best friend since high school. Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. 5Extra, ExtraA Job to Do: "They're not asking us to do their job. They're asking us to do our job. Protect freedom in our time, defend democracy, stand up to aggression abroad and at home, be part of something bigger than ourselves." Biden offers forceful defense of democracy in Normandy speech aimed at American audience. (If the greatest generation can storm the beaches of Normandy to save democracy, our generation can certainly storm the ballot box to do the same.) 6Feel Good Friday"After decades in development, cancer vaccines now show signs of efficacy and potential to help patients fend off the disease for good. The world’s first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma halves the risk of patients dying or the disease returning, according to trial results doctors described as 'extremely impressive.'" Melanoma jab trial results excite doctors.
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