Did You Know…The Mixed Bag Edition

In France, graffiti artists of the Keith Haring school of defacing public property, are called taggers, quite a cool name for criminals, don’t you think?

  Speaking of Keith, dying in 1990 of AIDS at 31, began his career sullying New York subway stations launching him as the quintessential pop artist of the 1980s.

Who said crime doesn’t pay?

  William Howard Taft, the 27th and fattest U.S. President tipping the scales at 340 pounds, out of necessity after getting stuck in the one his predecessor, Teddy Roosevelt used, had a special bathtub made that could seat 4 men coined, ‘The Taft Tub.’

 It was such a success, a portable one was added for Taft to travel with.

 Explain that to Customs. 

 He’s also the only President besides John F. Kennedy to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. 

 Denmark was the first country to legalize pornography.

 Matinee idol, Rudolf Valentino, was once a taxi driver.

 A g-string in French is called a le minimum.

 John Quincy Adams, 6th U.S. President was the very first to wear pants. No, Johnny wasn’t a nudist, but like his 5 predecessors including his father, always wore breeches that stopped right below the knee.

  He was also the first Leader of the Free World to be photographed, and the only one to go back into the House of Representatives to serve for 17 years. 

  The writer Pete Hamill’s description of the Brooklyn Bridge in his 2011 novel, Tabloid City…

he looks up to the Brooklyn Bridge, the cables like part of an immense harp. 

  Frank Sinatra almost became Frankie Satin when an agent, early in his career, wanted him to change his name, but Frank refused.

Beavers, otters, wolves and bald eagles, unlike Frankie Satin who had 4 wives, all mate for life.

9,388 American soldiers are buried in France at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, the graves meticulously maintained by the French, so the next time you want to smack your French waiter, bear this is mind.

  Actor Kevin Costner before dancing with wolves, made a soft porn flick in 1986 called Sizzle Beach.

 A guy had to pay his rent after all. 

While performing in London in June, 1969, singer Judy Garland died at 47 of an accidental barbiturate overdose.

  20,000 mourners filed by her casket with the glass covering so one could see and not touch, making it the biggest funeral New York’s Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home ever had, forever after calling the room where she was laid out, The Judy Garland Memorial Chapel.

Tacky?

Yeah, just a bit!

  On a classier note, the eminent actor, James Mason, Judy’s co-star in her film A Star is Born, gave the eulogy.

  Comedian and Late Show host, Stephen Colbert, donates all the money he makes from sales of his Ben & Jerry’s flavor American Dream to The Stephen Colbert American Dream Fund using its funds for food and medical assistance for needy children, veterans and their families, and environmental causes. 

  You gotta love a guy who shares his ice-cream.

  SB