Don't Spill the Beans (Into Old People's Mouths)

Beans, Beans They're Good for the Heart!!!

Except if they happen to be wax beans.

Moral of the story: Make sure to be super duper famous (i.e. DP 2009 eligible) when you get admitted to a nursing home so they don't screw up what you're supposed to eat.

Friday was somebody's Birthday! Whose Birthday? Former Ziegfeld Girl Doris Eaton Travis' Birthday. How Old Is She? 1,2,3,4... 104! And Never been Kissed By... Death

Doris Eaton Travis' name appears on "Live Like You Were Dying's" and "Oldies But Goodies'" rosters

• In January 2008, Travis served as the Grand Marshal of the opening parade for the Art Deco Weekend festival in Miami Beach.

Good to see that even at 103 she's doing what most 70 year olds are doing.

Friday was somebody else's Birthday! Whose Birthday? Former Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz's Birthday. How Old Is He? 1,2,3,4... 96! And Never been Kissed By... Death

W. Willard Wirtz's name appears on "Grateful(ly) Dead's" roster

• Since the 2008 death of Earl Butz, Wirtz has been the oldest living former cabinet member.

A real case of DP 2008 worlds colliding!

Friday was somebody else's else's Birthday! Whose Birthday? Head Coach of the N.C. State Women's Basketball Team Kay Yow's Birthday. How Old Is She? 1,2,3,4... 66! And Never been Kissed By... Death

Kay Yow's name appears on "Dead Place's" roster

• Yow currently ranks as the fifth winningest active NCAA Division I women's basketball coach.

But she ranks 1st in active Division I women's basketball coaches selected for DP 2008.

... And Many More!

Hopefully, This Version of "Showgirls" Is Not Rated NC-17

How is 103-year old Doris Eaton Travis, the last surviving Ziegfeld girl, doing these days? Glad you asked...

Three times a week, she dances the fox trot, rumba and swing and is always ready to entertain, which is exactly what she did Friday night as grand marshal of a parade that kicks off the annual Art Deco Weekend in South Beach.

"It's a great honor. It makes me feel that there was some quality in my life," she said of her role in the parade down the famed Ocean Drive.

Travis made her name as a dancer in the chorus line of Florenz Ziegfeld's annual Follies stage show. Which begs the question: what exactly were the Ziegfeld Follies?

Ziegfeld Follies was part Broadway show, part Vaudeville, featuring top entertainers such as W.C. Fields, Eddie Cantor, Fanny Brice and Will Rogers. Beautiful female dancers performed elaborate chorus numbers composed by Irving Berlin and wore costumes by Art Deco designer and illustrator Erte.

Ah, yes. Basically the same way beautiful female dancers make money these days.

[Miami Herald]