Entering its sophomore season, EXCUSED is the half-hour syndicated dating reality show from the same producers of the long running hit syndicated series, “Blind Date.” Hosted by comedian Iliza Shlesinger, who won the sixth season of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” EXCUSED offers a fresh take on the dating scene, mining the comedy that traditionally comes with relationships. Since its debut last Fall, the show revitalized the 30-minute syndicated dating show format, ushering in a wave of new comedy-based dating series. With all the options out there these days, finding love can be difficult. The perfect princess can quickly turn into a drama queen….while Mr. Right turns into Mr. Please Stop Texting Me. EXCUSED is here to help. Set in a Hollywood home, each episode follows a group of men competing for the affections of two women (or vice versa). Based on first impressions, personality profiles and intimate dates, the pair of women systematically eliminates the group of men down to one. The final man standing will have the opportunity to select the woman he wants to date and ultimately, one final couple has the chance for love.Dandy Don – Dandy Dons Ice Cream
Don Whittemore is a funny man with a huge personality who loves to make people happy. Good thing he makes ice cream, huh? Once Upon A Time (circa 1962 – 67), Don was a stand-up comedian. He worked under the name Don Harris in Atlanta, Miami Beach & Newport, KY. (Check out his snazzy tux in this ancient head shot.) If you have some free time one day, ask him to tell you some jokes. The next part of this biography starts just after that but still long long ago, in the Time Before CDs. Don was in the record business. He convinced DJs to play records by Frank Sinatra, Elvis, The Beatles, David Bowie, and Cat Stevens (to name a few). Some of those records went gold. Here’s a photo of him with New York disc jockeys Wolfman Jack (on the left) and Murray The K (center). In the late ’70s, Don decided to leave the record business for good. Too much temptation for a family man, he thought. And too few creative DJs. In 1981 Don and his lovely wife Linda (pregnant with their second child) bought an ice cream shop in Tarzana, California called The Creamery. They thought it would be a gold mine. They were wrong. So they worked their keesters off, got into the wholesale business, and began a catering division. These are photos of Don (photo on the left, 3rd from the left) and Linda (photo on the right) at one of their first hot fudge sundae bar catering gigs at the Directors’ Guild of America. This is how the catering division of their company—now with over 1,000 customers—got its start. They no longer have The Creamery, or any retail shop. But they have begun putting their homemade ice cream into pints, so once again regular folks can buy their product retail. Funny how things come full circle, even if they do take 20+ years. Don’s favorite part of doing business is dealing with people. He loves talking to his clients, making ice cream with them, and helping them promote their businesses. He loves selling his ice cream to new clients, finding out what they want, tempting them with great service. He just loves people. And he loves making people happy. Good thing he makes great ice cream.Kareem Abdul Jabbar - CML Awareness Day
To gain attention for those impacted by CML, September 22ndhas been designatedCML Awareness Day in the United States. On this day, Americans are encouraged to help raise awareness of CML, to recognize the advancements made in the treatment and to honor those affected by the disease. CML isa disease in which the body produces cancerous white blood cells and is responsible for 10 to 15 percent of all adult cases of leukemia.Over the last decade, significant advances in the understanding of this disease have led to improved patient outcomes. As a result, CML is now a disease that may be managed in many patients for a long time by working with a doctor to develop the best possible treatment plan. In 2011 alone, there were about 5,150 newly diagnosed cases of this disease in the US. In honor of CML Awareness Dayand this upcoming event, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, CML Patient Advocate,is available to discuss living with CML, including the active role patients can take in managing their disease and the importance of connecting with others.