z Cottage by the Sea

Sunday, July 26, 2026

80K Meme

    Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

Back in 2007, Sparky Duck at Philly Transplant played the $50,000 Meme. That was nearly 20 years ago. To make it more relevant to our day and age, it's been updated and is now the ...

The $80,000 Meme


Premise: A philanthropist awards you $80,000 with the stipulation that you must spend half on yourself and half for the benefit of others. 

For our overseas players, here's a currency calculator. 

1. Of the $40,000 you must spend on yourself: 

a. First you throw yourself a lavish birthday party. Tell us about it.   I would take friends and family out for dinner and a show.   A

b. Then you take off on a cruise. Where are you headed?  I am headed for the Dramamine and Bonine.  I get seasick.    I might pay for my friends and family to take the cruise around Manhattan (New York City) at night while I go home and watch some television. Better yet a cruise up the Hudson River. 

2. Of the $40,000 you must spend for the benefit of others: 

a. Who would be on your gift list? What would buy them?  I would just give them money to help out with what they needed.  $40,000 doesn't go very far anymore but most friends and family could use some cash for their own special needs .

b. Which charities would you support?  St. Jude's Childrens hospital ,  the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).  and the  Fresh Air Fund  that sends disadvantaged kids to the country and out of the hot city for the summer.  

Now tell me why any child in America should be disadvantaged?   Well, we all know why if we are honest.     

Psalm 82:3

Defend the weak and the fatherless;

uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

Saturday, July 25, 2026

The Jazz Singer

 







Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions!


Saturday 9: This Is A Very Special Day (1953)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Peggy sings that she feels good enough to climb a hill. Will you be doing anything athletic today?    No, nothing athletic at all.

2) However she was also tempted to climb back in bed. Is a nap in your plans for today?  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  Not on Saturday though.

3) She tells us that she looked in the mirror and told herself it was time to "lose the blues." Do you ever speak outloud to yourself?   Yes, I think everyone does.

4) Peggy wrote this song for the 1953 remake of The Jazz Singer. She performs it in the movie, too. In the 1950s, female singer-songwriters were unusual, but not so today. Can you think of another woman who not only sings but writes her own material?   Carol King.

5) Her co-star in the film was Danny Thomas. Today he is best remembered as a philanthropist and founder of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, but he was quite a star in his day. He appeared in nightclubs and movie musicals and, from 1954 to 1963, had his own sitcom. Do you know the show?   Yes , the Danny Thomas show was called Make Room for Daddy.

6) When Peggy Lee was trying to break into show business, she supported herself as a short order cook. She was required to turn orders around quickly. Are you fast and efficient in the kitchen?  Not anymore, no and not certain I ever was.  But I am a decent cook and baker anyway.

7) Just when her career started to take off, Peggy had to take a break when she had her tonsils removed. Do you still have your tonsils?     Yes, my tonsils are alive and well.

8) In 1953, when this record was released, Matchbox Cars were introduced and they remain popular today. Did you ever play with Matchbox Cars?  No, but my son had a big collection of them.

9) Random question: You're walking past a filthy puddle. Floating on top you see a dead bug, a cigarette butt, and a $1 bill. Would you bend over and rescue the dollar?         It would depend on how filthy it was but probably not.  What would I do with a sopping wet dollar?


The original Jazz Singer starred Al Jolson in 1927.. later Neil Diamond did a version.   I always loved Neil Diamond.