Fear not...

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Corporal Isaac Gause (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 13, 1864, near Berryville, Virginia. His citation reads:

Capture of the colors of the 8th South Carolina Infantry while engaged in a reconnaissance along the Berryville and Winchester Pike.

Private Thomas H. Gay (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions from August to October 1868, in Arizona. His citation reads:

Bravery in scouts and actions against Indians.

Sergeant Levi B. Gaylord (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on March 25, 1865, at Fort Stedman, Virginia. His citation reads:

Voluntarily assisted in working an abandoned gun, while exposed to heavy fire, until the enemy's advancing line was routed by a charge on its left flank.


Fear not, I’m still here. Our A/C went out last night and I’ve been busy dealing with that. But all is now well… not only did the guy come and fix the A/C, but he also took a good chunk of money that had been burning a hole in my pocket off of my hands. So it was a win-win (not really, but I’m trying to be positive).


The I’m just sayin… Kid Show of the Week>

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is the first (and flagship) incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon series, Scooby-Doo. It premiered on September 13, 1969 at 10:30 am and ran for three seasons on CBS as a half-hour long show (41- episodes were produced). Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was the result of CBS and Hanna-Barbera's plans to create a non-violent Saturday morning program which would appease the parent watch groups that had protested the superhero-based programs of the mid-1960s. Originally titled Mysteries Five, and later Who's S-S-Scared?, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! underwent a number of changes from script to screen (the most notable of which was the downplaying of the musical group angle borrowed from The Archie Show). However, the basic concept—four teenagers (Freddie, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy) and a cowardly, clumsy Great Dane dog (Scooby-Doo) solving supernatural-related mysteries—was always in place.

Scooby-Doo creators Joe Ruby and Ken Spears served as the story supervisors on the series. Ruby, Spears, and Bill Lutz wrote all of the scripts for the seventeen first-season Scooby episodes, while Ruby, Spears, Lutz, Larz Bourne, and Tom Dagenais wrote the eight second season episodes. The plot varied little from episode to episode. The main concept was as follows:

1. The Mystery, Inc. gang turn up in the Mystery Machine, en route to or returning from a regular teenage function, when their van develops engine trouble or breaks down for any of a variety of reasons (overheating, flat tire, out of gas, etc.), in the immediate vicinity of a large, mostly vacated property (ski lodge, hotel, factory, mansion, etc.).

2. Their (unintended) destination turns out to be suffering from a monster problem (ghosts, Frankenstein, Yeti, etc.). The kids volunteer to investigate the case.

3. The gang splits up to cover more ground, with Fred and Velma finding clues, Daphne finding danger, and Shaggy and Scooby finding food, fun, and the ghost/monster, who gives chase. Scooby and Shaggy in particular love to eat, including dog treats called Scooby Snacks which are a favorite of both the dog and the teenage boy.

4. Eventually, enough clues are found to convince the gang that the ghost/monster is a fake, and a trap is set to capture it. Or they will occasionally just call the local sheriff and get stopped by the villain half-way.

5. The trap may or may not work (more often than not, Scooby-Doo and/or Shaggy falls into the trap and they accidentally catch the monster another way, usually if the plan is explained in detail before attempted execution fails). Invariably, the ghost/monster is apprehended and unmasked. The person in the ghost or monster suit turns out to be an apparently blameless authority figure or otherwise innocuous local who is using the disguise to cover up something such as a crime or a scam.

6. After giving the parting shot of "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids" (sometimes adding "...and your stupid dog!"), the offender is then taken away to jail, and the gang is allowed to continue on their way to their destination

Scooby-Doo features an emphasis placed on verbal rather than visual storytelling, and the work of the voice artists was particularly important. Don Messick, the voice of Astro the dog, Dr. Benton Quest, and Boo-Boo Bear—among others—provided the raspy, mumbling voice of Scooby-Doo using a similar (but slightly lower) voice he provided for Astro, the pet dog on The Jetsons. Radio DJ Casey Kasem voiced Shaggy, young actor Frank Welker voiced Fred (which began Welker's long career in voice work), and actress Nicole Jaffe voiced Velma (Frank Welker and Nicole Jaffe also appeared together in the 1969 Elvis Presley film The Trouble with Girls.) Stefanianna Christopherson voiced Daphne during the first season, but moved to New York City to marry and start a family before production began on the second season. As a result, Nicole Jaffe's roommate, Heather North, took over the role of Daphne.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is a GREAT show to watch with kids.