Fri, 04 Jun 1999

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A local TV station is celebrating their 50'th anniversary.  Among
the former TV personalities putting in an appearance at the media
event/celebration is one fella who traumatized me when I was a very
young child... but he didn't do it directly or intentionally.  I
understand he's a nice guy; so please, if you know him, break the
news to him gently.

During the 1950s and 1960's, John Gallos did a number of children's
programs on WCCO-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  Starting around 1956,
one of these was a cartoon show that came on _really_ early in the
morning.  The show had Gallos holding a voice-over conversation with
a "little green man" who rode around space in a flying saucer.

The little green man was "played" by about twenty white-on-black
line drawings which occasionally changed as if by magic (it was a
two camera/two easel show).  The alien's "voice" was done (I now
suspect) by connecting a telegrapher's key to a speaker... kinda
like a black and white 1950's version of R2-D2.

So, the whole show consisted of a repeating series of drawings being
flashed-up on the screen, while Gallos would hold a conversation
with the dit-dot-ditting alien.  Gallos would say something; the
space-man would beep his reply.  "Yes, that's right", Gallos would
say... and then go on with his monologue.  After about 2 minutes of
this, they'd break to run either a cartoon or a commercial.

If you are at least 45 years-old, grew up in the area, and watched
early morning TV as a kid, you probably remember the name of this
WCCO cartoon show: "Siegfried the Flying Sorcerer".

So, why was I traumatized by such a mundane kiddie show?

Well, the 1950's version of little three year-old Stevie Siegfried
was petrified at the thought that a little green man with antennae
growing out of his head just _might_ be a relative.

I got over it.

Apparently some other folks didn't.  When introduced, a few local
baby-boomers still occasionally ask where I park my space-ship.

When asked, I always say, "In the garage, right next to my black
helicopter."



On that alien note, here's Ziggy's Joke o' the day, courtesy of one
of my regular sources, Wilma:

	Scientists have shown that the moon is moving away at a
	tiny, although measurable distance from the earth every
	year.

	If you do the math, you can calculate that 85 million years
	ago the moon was orbiting the earth at a distance of about
	35 feet from the earth's surface.

	This would explain the death of the dinosaurs.  Well, the
	tallest ones, anyway.



Staying vaguely on theme, here's Ziggy's Tip o' the day:

	In cyberspace, no one can hear you type.