Ralph Frattura's blog

 Speedy Alka-Seltzer says, "Hi, kids!  Of course you remember me!"

Have you ever been surprised by the things you've got rattling around in your head ... things that serve no good purpose, you haven't thought about in years, but -- whoa! -- they suddenly appear?

For example, if you are more than 45 years old, I'll bet you a coffee at MarShaTes that if I were to say, "Winston tastes good," you would answer back instantly "...like a cigarette should."  Read more »

I have a TV that's 25-plus years old. It was a floor model at Weinstock's in the early '80s, marked down once and -- this makes it even sweeter -- I asked for a further discount to close the deal.  When Weinstock's said yes to my offer, I brought home a TV that is now in its third house, where it continues to work flawlessly for many hours a week.

You've probably got a story like that too, an appliance or gizmo that has outlived your expectations by miles. But let's all stand in silent respect for this:

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Everyone knows television, and we've all consumed enough of it to feel comfortable acting as critics.  So when AOL produces a list of the top 50 TV comedies, well, pardon us if we feel entitled to disagree.

Here are the teasing questions posed here yesterday about AOL's list.

Which of these shows was chosen No. 1?  Read more »

AOL has chosen the 50 best TV comedies of all time, which is certainly a good unisex party conversation starter if you're ever in the market for that.

For readers clicking over from the forum post on this topic, the answer to the question posed there is that among "The Bob Newhart Show," "The Honeymooners" and "Frasier," none of them made the top 10. They were all close, but no cigar.

Given that, let's see what we think of AOL's choice for the all-time best comedy. It's among the shows on this list, all of which are arguable candidates for the honor:  Read more »

Maybe you've heard about the New York office employee who got stuck in an elevator for 41 hours. The New Yorker did a story and its web site offered a time-lapse video, "Trapped in an Elevator," from the elevator's security camera. We watch the whole thing as the poor guy, in herky-jerk motion, paces, rants, sleeps and tries to pry the doors open. As the 41 hours race by on video, a solemn piano piece plays in the background.  Read more »

It costs $482.79 to get a decent pizza in San Francisco — $17 for the pie, $85 for cab fare, and $378.80 for the flight to New York. Throw in $1.99 for tinfoil.  Read more »