Columnist Puts His Health In Lucy's Hands

Syndicated columnist, Leonard Pitts Jr., declared in his most recent column that if he is ever diagnosed with cancer that he will laugh himself to death. Pitts writes:

I will ensconce myself in front of the big screen with a stack of DVDs — the "Vitameatavegamin" episode of "I Love Lucy" will be at the top, but Pryor, Cosby and Newhart will also be in there, along with "Frasier," Albert Brooks, "Borat," "The Daily Show" ... anything that has ever made me giggle will be pressed into service.

You see, 20 years ago, I read a fascinating book called "Love, Medicine and Miracles" by Dr. Bernie Siegel. It argued the restorative powers of laughter, faith, love and will in fighting even the most fearsome illnesses. I decided then that if I ever found myself on the receiving end of some grim diagnosis, Dr. Lucille Ball and the rest would be integral members of my medical team.

Pitts won the won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2004 and is the author of Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood.

Neighbors Discover Lucy Connection

Tom Palliser and his neighbors in Rincon Heights, Arizona unearthed a forgotten piece of history when they discovered that actress Lucille Ball once lived in their neighborhood. The Arizona Daily Star reports:

While Palliser and his neighbors were researching the history of the neighborhood, they found out Lucille Ball and John Denver were involved with the neighborhood. Ball lived in the 300 block of North Park Avenue, though Palliser did not (know) when she lived in the neighborhood.

Rincon Heights, a municipality of Tucson, contains about 650 homes and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tucson.

Lucie Loves Hawaii, Lucy Loves Ellen?

Lucie Arnaz shared her thoughts about Hawaii with The Star Bulletin:

"First of all, I love Hawaii more than anything in my life," said Arnaz from her snow-covered home in upstate New York. "I've been there many, many, many, many, many times -- our honeymoon, our anniversaries, brought our kids there many times, my parents brought me there when I was little -- Hawaii is my own special oasis on this planet."

Since Arnaz's parents were Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, the trips were a way of escaping the Hollywood pressure cooker.

"We had some of the happiest times of my life in Hawaii," she recalled, her voice going quiet. "It was before my parents were divorced and the time when they were at their happiest. No arguing, no work to take them away, and they just loved being there and with each other. My best memory of pure joy.

"As I got older, and my mom was married to somebody else and my dad was married to somebody else, still, if anyone said they were going to Hawaii, I would get tears in my eyes. The plane would land in Honolulu, and I would start to weep. ... You'd step off the plane and smell the flowers -- your scent memory is so strong -- every pore in my body remembers it."

Arnaz will be performing "The Most Romantic Songs Ever Written" with Nick and Nina Clooney and Brian Stokes Mitchell on Thursday, March 8 at Hawaii Theatre. For tickets call 591-2211.

Related Links:
Lucie Performing At Romance Festival

In bizarre news, Starpulse News Blog reported last week that Lucille Ball approved of Ellen Degeneres hosting the Oscars.

In a seance staged by psychic to the stars Kenny Kingston after the Oscars on Sunday night, a number of dead stars reached out to their late pal - and many had nothing but high praise for the way DeGeneres hosted the Academy Awards.

Kingston says, "Lucille Ball was particularly complimentary about Ellen and told me she thought Ellen should be the permanent host of the Oscars."

But it was the bombshell that was to follow that floored Kingston, who was once hired to guide Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe spiritually.

He adds, "I wasn't expecting it, but Lucille Ball revealed that Ellen was her own mother's mother two lifetimes ago. It seems the roles were reversed in a past life. That might explain why Ellen and her mother, Betty, who often appears on her TV show, are so close."

It's nice to know you get TV in Heaven. Do you get commercials? Hmmm....

Is The Lucille Ball Little Theatre Haunted?

An employee of the Lucille Ball Theatre believes spirits linger there. Jamestown's Post-Journal states:

Helen Merill of the Lucille Ball Little Theatre believes a handful of such spirits abide in the theater building on East Second Street, once the run-down remnants of Allen’s Opera House from Jamestown’s earlier days.

‘‘I myself have been working in the library when I’d hear my name called in the lobby, and there was nobody in the building at that time except me,’’ Mrs. Merill said. ‘‘And I have had many times while directing when I can feel a hand on my shoulder, but I turn around and no one’s there.’’

Misplaced objects, sudden chills and — most commonly — white spots appearing in photographs of certain productions are all reported manifestations of the spirits who haunt the Lucille Ball Little Theater.

Lucille Ball's Dried Up Lemons Sell For $152 on eBay

From Daily Southtown.com:

They were just some dried up lemons once owned by Lucille Ball, but Sean Lindsay was able to sell them on eBay for $152.

In Tinley Park on Thursday, the Monee resident was trying to persuade visitors to the Chicago Southland Chamber's Expo & Conference he could turn their lemons into lemonade.

An exhibitor at the 21st annual business-to-business event, Lindsay touted his home-based business, iSellYourItems, as the Southland's "first mobile eBay consignment business."

Rather than taking items to an eBay drop shop, Lindsay drives to customer's homes to pick up goods and then sells them, for a fee, on the popular online auction site. It's been his full-time job since April.

The customer with Lucy's lemons had picked them up at an estate sale. Lindsay started the bidding on eBay at 99 cents.

"They were just four little dried up lemons," he said. They sold for $152.50.

Lucy mentioned on Beloit College Mindset List

"Billy Carter, Billy Martin and Lucille Ball all died before the incoming freshmen were born, according to the study's authors. But Julie Heney said she remembers the classic comedienne from imitating her in skits.

How did Heney, 18, learn about Ball?

"I googled her," said the Montpelier, Vt. native, confirming No. 19 on the Mindset list: "'Google' has always been a verb" for this generation."

This is an excerpt. Read the full article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060823/ap_on_fe_st/mindset_list_4