a fool and his money

I am wondering how some ideas work and some don't. In today's economic uncertainty there are more and more entrepreneurs who are looking for ways to make a dollar.

The Mattel toy folks that gave us Chatty Cathy dolls, Barbie, Ken, Skipper and all their friends now have struck another vein of gold. The American Girl series of dolls are now the must have item for little girls. There is now even a movie that every little girl wants to see. Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin is this month's Hannah Montana with the movie "Kit Kittredge An American Girl". The movie ticket in Alpharetta on July 1st was twenty bucks. Twenty dollars to see a movie? Remember when we could see a movie at the Grand Theater on Head Avenue for a quarter? American Girl not only is a doll that has a zillion must have clothes but you can have the doll's hair styled. The doll's hair is more costly to keep up than a trip to the beauty shop for a real live human being.

At North Point Mall they even have an "American Girl Bistro". Moms and Dads you can get a hamburger and fries for $13.95. The menu boasts a banana split for $20.00. You must make a reservation to get in this little girl's paradise. I am saving up for my next trip there. If the "American Girl Bistro" can charge $13.95 for a hamburger, I think the Burger Chick should charge $50.00 for a sandwich.

I had the opportunity of being a part of the recent 2008 Dukesfest and Hazzard County Fair at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. I spent three glorious days with the cast of one of television's most beloved shows. "The Dukes of Hazzard" was must see Friday night fare for millions of households. I got to serve as an on-camera host for a production of a DVD to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the beloved show.

I interviewed the cast and fellows let me tell you that Catherine Bach who played Daisy Duke still can make a rabbit break a log chain. James Best worked with Jimmy Stewart, Gene Autrey and Jerry Lewis among other legends of film. He played guitar playing Jim Lindsey in the third episode of the Andy Griffith Show in 1960. He worked with Burt Reynolds in the 70's in "Gator". He was in the movie "Ode To Billy Joe" and hundreds of other acting roles. He will never be forgotten as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane in "The Dukes of Hazzard" and at 82 years young he still has a deep affection for his fellow cast members and the fans of show that ceased production in the mid '80's.

Ben Jones parlayed his role of the county's mechanic Cooter to the halls of congress and served two terms representing Georgia's fourth congressional district and was defeated by a former professor from West Georgia College, Newt Gingrich. Sonny Schroyer who carried the torch for Daisy Duke as the lovesick Deputy Enos during his run with the show still acts from time to time and resides in Valdosta. He still has the Colgate smile and is a super nice fellow. I met scores of people from all across the United States as well as folks who traveled from the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan just to be a part of the celebration. The show's Bo Duke played by John Schneider had an autograph line that stretched hundreds and hundreds of fans long. I first met John back in '81 when he released his first recording "It's Now Or Never" which was a huge hit by Elvis twenty one years earlier. His remake of the song brought him to Montgomery and we did the interview with tons of screaming girls waiting in the parking lot of the radio station. John went on to have four songs that hit the number one spot on the Country music charts during the last couple of years of the show's production. John also has graced the stage on Broadway and has had a great run on television's "Smallville".

Dukesfest also brought in Lee Meriweather who played "Catwoman" and was Buddy Ebsen's aide on A B C Television's "Barnaby Jones". She was Miss America 1955 and still acts from time to time. A highlight in Dukesfest for me was getting to spend a bit of time with the only true Batman to my generation. With due respect to George Clooney, Michael Keaton and the other great actors who played the caped crusader over the years, Adam West is the true hero of Gotham City. He looks two decades younger than he actually is. "Batman" was a huge hit for A B C in the 60's and Adam West continues to work today on the Fox Network's "Family Guy" voicing the part of Mayor Adam West to a whole new generation of fans. Mr. West resides in Idaho on a ranch and enjoys skiing. Adam West drove the Batmobile and the car was at Dukesfest. The automotive star of the weekend had to be the General Lee, 1969 Dodge Challenger that always seemed to getaway from Boss Hogg and his puppet Roscoe P. Coltrane.

Dukesfest had cast look alike contests, General Lee rides, music, fireworks, a kids petting zoo, demolition derbys, food, and fans got to meet and touch the people who made Hazzard County be a place you'd like to visit every Friday night on C B S.

The D V D for the 30th anniversary celebration of "The Dukes of Hazzard" is available by visiting www.mixintimedia.com. Order it, you'll see a member of the Tallapoosa High School class of 1969 having the time of his life.

Rhubarb Jones is a Tallapoosa native and a member of the faculty of Kennesaw State University. Comments are welcome at P. O. Box 1001, Tallapoosa, Ga. 30176 or via email at rhubarbjones@aol.com