Think there are some bad reality TV shows on the air now?

Back in the summer of 1950, Toni Home Permanents (remember those?) actually sponsored a 15-minute prime-time show that featured twins with the audience having to guess which one had had her hair styled professionally and which had used Toni’s home hair care products. In other words.

The only reason anyone should remember this show is its host – a young guy named Jack Lemmon!

More than anything, the Who craved success in America. Despite overwhelming success in their native England, the band had trouble selling records in the States. They had reached the American Top 10 with their singles “I Can See for Miles” and “Magic Bus,” but their album sales were abysmal with many of their early releases languishing in the cutout bins for a buck or two.

Concept albums had been all the rage since the release of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper LP. Yet the Who’s own concept album The Who Sell Out could get no higher than #48 on the Billboard LP chart. Clearly, the Who needed something more.

Then Pete Townsend had the brilliant idea to write a “rock opera.”

Yet even that needed a helping hand from fate. Townsend decided to play some of the early tracks for influential rock critic Nick Cohen. Nick was decidedly underwhelmed, telling Townsend that all that spiritual stuff was dull.

Now Townsend knew Cohen was an avid pinball player. So he asked Nick, “What if Tommy was a pinball champion?” Well, that was a different story. Cohen loved the idea. So Townsend set about writing a pinball song.

We all know the rest of the story.

“Pinball Wizard” was released in March of 1968. It was an immediate hit. When the full Tommy double album hit the stores two months, copies virtually flew off the shelves.

The success of the album drove kids to see the Who in concert. Their live shows had always been their strong point. By the time the Who released Live at Leeds a year later, their position in the upper level of rock royalty had been secured.

Ah, how soon we forget!

Gambit was an A-list caper film that starred Michael Caine as the thief and Shirley MacLaine as his initially unwitting accomplice.

Caine is out to steal a priceless statue from the world’s richest man (Herbet Lom). MacLaine bears an uncanny resemblance to Lom’s dead wife, whom he adored. (Hey, if she looked like Shirley Maclaine, what’s not to adore?)

The film’s main gimmick is that we first see the caper play out flawlessly. In the film’s first of several twists, we then find out what we’ve been seeing is merely the way Caine has described his plan to his partner, an art forger (John Abbott).

From there, we see how the caper really plays out, which of course is nothing like the way Caine thought it would go. The chief reason for this is that MacLaine is far more eccentric and resistant to his plans than Caine imagined.

The movie keeps throwing plot twists at you right through to the final shot.

While not as purely entertaining as Charade, another film in a similar vein, it is still great fun.

Gambit was nominated for 3 Academy Awards and was remade in 2012 (far less successfully) with Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz as the stars.

The original Gambit is available on home video. Give it a watch, then tell your friends about the ending, but don’t dare reveal the film’s beginning!

With all the emphasis on identity theft, the theft that’s 3 times more common is the theft of a wallet or purse. Here are 2 tips that can help minimize the damage should yours fall victim to a thief:

Remove the riskiest items – These are things that shouldn’t be in your wallet or purse to begin with including your Social Security Card, copies of your online passwords or your bank PIN number.

Make photocopies – Scan or photocopy the important things that remain in your wallet or purse. That includes your driver’s license, bank and credit cards, insurance cards, and even your library card. Make sure you copy both the front and back!

Here's some good news at last!

A recent Harvard study indicates that drinking two cups of cocoa a day may help your brain stay healthy and improve critical thinking.

Where did we put the marshmallows?

• What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye (1971)

The late 60’s and early 70’s were not good times for Marvin Gaye: tax trouble with the IRS, a failing marriage to the “boss’ daughter” (Anna Gordy), a growing dependency on cocaine, and finally, the untimely death of his performing partner Tammi Terrell, who had collapsed on stage while performing with Gaye. That last event so shook Marvin that he stopped touring or recording for 8 months.

Out of his pain, confusion, and isolation came one of the greatest albums of all time, What’s Going On, recorded from June of 1970 through May 1971.

A true concept album, most of the songs on What’s Going On flow effortlessly, one into another, all of them pulsating with an almost trancelike rhythm. None of the songs deal with romance. Instead, the album’s concerns are spiritual ranging from concerns about the environment to songs about Gaye’s deeply felt Christian faith.

The album begins with happy party chatter. The first words we can make out are “Hey, what’s happening, brother?” Then the music starts and Gaye’s lyrics immediately undercut the party atmosphere (“Mother, mother, there’s too many of you crying”). That sets the tone for the songs to follow. Gaye leads us through nine deeply personal songs only to close the album back where he started with a brief reprise of “What’s Going On.”

The album was the first to credit the legendary Motown studio band, the Funk Brothers. It was also the first time Gaye was credited as the album’s producer.

The album yielded three huge hits on the singles charts: the title track, “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Hollar)” – all of which landed in the top 10.

The multi-tracked lead vocals used throughout the album came about by accident. Gaye had cut two versions of the lead vocal for “What’s Going On.” He couldn’t decide which to use. Session engineers Steve Smith and Kenneth Sands were instructed to provide mixdowns so Gaye could choose. They misunderstood and mixed both vocals into one track. Gaye loved the result and used double-tracking on his lead vocals for much of the rest of the album.

Motown head (and Gaye’s father-in-law), Barry Gordy hated the title track, calling it “the worst thing I ever heard in my life.” The Motown sales staff, however, believed in Gaye’s new direction and released it without Gordy’s knowledge. It became Motown’s fastest-selling single to that date, racing up both the soul and pop charts. The album quickly joined the title track in the top 10.

The years have only increased What’s Going On’s luster. The album placed #6 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s “500 Greatest Albums of All-Time” and has made virtually every music critic’s “Best Albums” list through the years.

May all your Christmas wishes come true with just a nod of your head!

1. It’s Okay to Say “No”

We all tend to get overbooked during the holidays. Remember, you don’t have to accept every invitation you receive.

2. Take Some “Me” Time

Yes, the holidays are time for family and friends. But it doesn’t have to be 24/7! This tip goes with the first one. Make sure you reserve some alone time to decompress.

3. Watch the Holiday Treats

Most of what we eat over the holidays is carbohydrates (candy, cookies, etc.). Protein not only helps with weight maintenance, but it takes longer to digest, meaning it takes a longer time to get hungry again

4. Keep Exercising

Don’t wait for New Year’s to resolve to stay fit. Make sure you’re getting plenty of exercise before that ball drops on Dec. 31!

5. Do for Others

Not only is that the real meaning Christmas, but helping others also makes us happy!