TBinSTL chose the latest category: Anal Bum Covers. Here's how it works, I'll describe the album cover, you name the artist.

Since TBinSTL didn't indicate what dollar amount he chose, I'll make it $100. Please don't forget to name your dollar amount when you have control of the board.

Here's the clue:

Posted by: annika at 12:14 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of the bikini.

No, not this bikini.

I'm talking about this kind!

So scandalous was the first modern-day bikini that the only female free-spirited enough to pose in one was a stripper. Parisian engineer-turned-designer Louis Reard released the suit at a fashion shoot on July 5, 1946. It was cut high on the hip, but the really stunning feature was that it bared the navel, a part of the body that in modern history had been off-limits for public display.

The tiny two-piece shocker signaled the coming transformation of attitudes toward the body. Still, it would take more than a decade for most American women to get comfortable with wearing the skimpy suit.

The baring of the belly button was the big hurdle.

"I can't think of any situation in the thousand years before the '60s when it was acceptable to show the navel, '' said Kevin Jones, a curator and fashion historian at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Here's a scene from the famous Roman "bikini girls" mosaic at the Villa Romana del Casale in Italy, which dates to the early 4th Century A.D.

(The chick on the left demonstrates something the Romans liked to call "nipplae slipae.")

Over the course of this blog, I've done a couple of bikini related posts. Let's take a look back, shall we?

Two years ago, I linked to a swimwear poll, which revealed that 7 out of 10 women own a bikini, and California girls prefer low-rise bottoms, while East coast girls like a mid-rise.

Last winter, I went all out and did a bikini fashion preview. In that post I predicted that polka dots would be "in," and I was right. I saw polka dots all over the place. Speaking of nipus slipus, that was the post where I coined the term ""dunstation."

I'll probably toast the bikini's 60th birthday with a fruity drink and a swim after work. That sounds like a plan. How will you celebrate?

Posted by: annika at 06:58 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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1 I shall celebrate by asking my lovely wife for a beach date ASAP.

Posted by: Hugo at July 06, 2006 09:20 AM (yLeev)

2 I'm gonna hang out at my local mosque with the lastest SI Swimsuit Edition and a Pacifico.

Posted by: blu at July 06, 2006 11:42 AM (j8pkL)

3 We were hoping you would model one...

Posted by: BobG at July 06, 2006 04:02 PM (+zarT)

4 You simply can't find this wonderful diversity of topics anywhere else in cyberland. Drew Carey said it best: Annika Rocks!

Posted by: Mike C. at July 06, 2006 06:30 PM (wZLWV)

5 A blog on bikinis and you dont have the guts to get in one and show a pic? There goes your credibility. You would have fit in well pre1946.

Posted by: Jeff at July 06, 2006 07:09 PM (mQhCk)

6 are you a premium subscriber Jeff? huh? well then, you can't complain if you're not. Premium subscribers to annika's journal get the following: 1. access to all of annika's journal photo archives 2. new photo shoots every day in a different costume 3. naked video chatting all for only $1999.95 per month!

Posted by: annika at July 06, 2006 07:18 PM (fxTDF)

7 I thought that would hit you where you lived. Im loving it!

Posted by: Jeff at July 06, 2006 07:40 PM (mQhCk)

8 Move that decimal point two spots to the left an' we'll think about it BTW, that 2nd link had an awful lot of Jessica Alba in it. Not that that's a bad thing. In fact, it's a good thing. Think I'm gonna bookmark it...

Posted by: ElMondoHummus at July 06, 2006 07:55 PM (nAE4x)

9 Annika, I still do my bikini shopping here www.wickedweasel.com These are some serious threads and down under women have some serious body issues!

Posted by: strawman at July 07, 2006 05:02 PM (G2Zzw)

10 just window shopping i hope, strawman. anyways those things are way too small for normal people to wear.

Posted by: annika at July 07, 2006 05:38 PM (fxTDF)

11 aNNIKA, ahh, that's why we have pretenatural.

Posted by: Strawman at July 08, 2006 07:43 AM (G2Zzw)

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The category, chosen by Matt of Overtaken By Events, is "Canadians You've Never Heard Of," for $100.

Posted by: annika at 10:16 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Here's an example of not thinking a project through before starting.

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On this day after Independence Day - I hope you had a good one! - here is a snapshot of America in 1860, by her greatest poet, Walt Whitman: more...

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The category is "American Skankwomen."

Posted by: annika at 06:40 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 BUZZ! Who is Jude Law?

Posted by: Matt at July 05, 2006 07:18 AM (YHNR5)

2 *ding!* What is "A guy?"

Posted by: Kevin at July 05, 2006 08:04 AM (++0ve)

3 Bzzzaaaap! (OOOOOWWWW!!!!!) Who was Jude "Looks Like A Lady" Law? Who rewired my *$^&#@ button? Cas!!! You sonovanannika'sbitch! Was that you??!!

Posted by: ElMondoHummus at July 05, 2006 08:46 AM (xHyDY)

4 Matt of Overtaken By Events is correct. You have control. Name a new category or stick with American Skankwomen...

Posted by: annika at July 05, 2006 11:36 AM (zAOEU)

5 New Category: Canadians You've Never Heard Of I'm off to spend my newfound wealth.

Posted by: Matt at July 05, 2006 12:53 PM (YHNR5)

6 You didn't indicate the dollar amount, so I'm making it $100, just to keep things moving.

Posted by: annika at July 05, 2006 10:08 PM (fxTDF)

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It's July, and that means it's time for the second annual annika's journal version of the popular game show, Jeopardy!

I'll be your host. As last year, I pick the answers, you guess the questions, and you must remember to use the signalling device and phrase your response in the form of a question.

I'll start it off with the first category: "American Skankwomen." Like last year, the first couple of correct responders will get to name the rest of the categories, until all the category boxes are filled. (Of course, I'll reserve the right to veto any categories i think are lame.)

So here's the first question:

Good luck!

Update: Controversy on the first question already! Drake Steel's response, which was accepted by the judges, was 54 hours. According to Wikipedia, Brittany's marriage to Jason Alexander lasted 55 hours. Just to be absolutely certain, I looked up the annulment certificate, which bears a time stamp of 12:24 p.m. on January 5, 2004. I then determined the difference between the reported time of marriage, 5:30 a.m. and the time of annulment. The result is exactly 54 hours and 54 minutes. So, therefore I would have accepted either 54 or 55 hours as a correct response. So big congratulations to Drake, who participated last year but never got on the board!

Posted by: annika at 11:45 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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Have you heard about the Star Trek fans' internet dating site, Trek Passions?

It was after a wildly unsuccessful run with Esquire.com Personals, a paid service affiliated with the men's magazine, that "S" (he asked that his name not be used) sought out Trek Passions. The final straw came when he was rejected by a woman with whom he had nothing in common. "She was the complete and total opposite of me in every way," he confesses. When the self-proclaimed "Spock-like personality" turned out not to be "fashionably ironic," she was disappointed. (He doesn't think his day job as a janitor helped his cause any.)

"S" says that he's been told: "Weird people should date other weird people - the normals don't quite understand."

Your basic Spock-like personality here, seeking a woman with a personality somewhere in the Deanna Troi to Subcommander T'Pol range. will consider B'Elana Torres to Kira Nerys types depending on extenuating circumstances. No tribbles, please.

I've been in way too many relationships where the girl I'm with thinks "He's great, except for that Sci-Fi fascination" . . . I'm so done with that, and just looking for someone who can enjoy an hour of Trek with me instead of in the other room.

This one's short and to the point:

Take me to your bedroom, earthling. I live ST:OS, ST:TNG, BSG and BDSM.

Now, I know some of my readers have probably already opened up another window and are feverishly typing their intros as we speak. On the other hand, some of you geeks might be skeptical, like Conan O'Brien was:

Trek Passions received a boost back in March, when, on his late-night talk show, Conan O'Brien quipped: "The fans say the dating website is going great and any month now they hope a girl will join."

My pictureÂ’s a stretched horizontally; IÂ’m not nearly that wide in real life, jeez. Just bought STNG 1 and 3 collectorÂ’s on DVD. . . . I like characters and episodes more than series, although STNG and Voyager have the best decorating, I mean, where would you rather be quartered; on PicardÂ’s Enterprise or KirkÂ’s? . . . To sum up my personality lets just say that if there were Hobbits in the Trek series I would identify strongly and have the same values. I also probably look and act like one, except IÂ’m bigger.

Well, stop wondering. Even if I didn't have a boyfriend already, you wouldn't catch me posting my Janeway inspired picture on the internet, trolling for über-nerds in some cyberspace version of the Mos Eisley Cantina.

I would simply wait until the next Creation convention, hang out by the comic tables, and bat my eyelashes like one of Mudd's Women.

Posted by: annika at 10:56 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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1 Interestingly, theres as actual online Mos Eisley Cantina. This is actually kind of cool. I bet they have a lot of those Klingon weddings, like on the Simpsons!

Posted by: E.M. at July 02, 2006 01:13 PM (qx/RL)

2 Try as I might, can't find any scantily clad pics of Uhura.

Posted by: Scof at July 02, 2006 04:13 PM (COaYC)

3 I think it is a great idea - If I was more star trek inspired and I was single, I'd consider looking there. As it is, I met my spouse on-line on one of the very old Prodigy bb's - rush limbaugh's, actually.

Posted by: Beth Donovan at July 02, 2006 05:08 PM (9FPYz)

4 Gimme a fuckin break, like they didn't invent 25th century pocket pussys and sex androids that are better than the real thing! Why would these guys NEED women?

Posted by: Casca at July 02, 2006 07:20 PM (2gORp)

5 Speaking of Hollywood, check out this socialist, anti-American loooove! Being so uber-evolved must be quite the aphrodisiac.

Posted by: Radical Redneck at July 02, 2006 09:10 PM (8qdYC)

6 MY EYES, MY EYES!!

Posted by: Casca at July 02, 2006 10:07 PM (2gORp)

7 My wife and I went to a Sci-Fi convention recently and the big costume contest is always a hoot. This one featured three Princess Leah's in the dancing girl costume and they ranged from about 180-240 lbs. They should have had a special category for "most likely to be mistaken for a dirigible."

Posted by: kyle8 at July 03, 2006 03:28 AM (1jWFc)

8 Kyle8, I know!! Jesus H, man! Everytime I see one of those, I wanna yell out "Hey! It wasn't Jabba wearin' the suit, ya freak!"

Posted by: ElMondoHummus at July 03, 2006 08:10 AM (xHyDY)

9 It's the very same reason that I avoid Whalemart like the plague. C'mon people, do you really need a fucking McDonald's in there? Hell even if they got rid of the morbidly obese, I'd still be off put by the hordes chattering like monkeys in their savage tongues. Durkha, Durkha, Mohammad, Allah.

Posted by: Casca at July 03, 2006 11:40 AM (rEC2k)

10 Man, I've said it dozens of times: Wal-Mart's like a cross between Dawn of the Dead and a cattle drive: Super-sized humans in a zombie-like trance. Totally... that's why I avoid Wal-Mart. Cas: The Wal-Marts around me have Subways installed. I wonder if they're not subliminally saying "Our customers need to make like Jerrod". Back on topic: I'm pretty geek, man, but even I recoil at the thought of trolling for dates through a Star Trek-centric service. Although catch me on certain days, and my resistence might be lower... And what's with that line outta the CSMonitor story?: "Weird people should date other weird people - the normals don't quite understand." Ok. Once, and one time only for those supposed anti-stereotyping stereotypers in the MSM: Science Fiction fans Are. Not. Abnormal.. We fans Are. Not. Weird (well, maybe the ones who dress up are, but man, those guys are really out there...). We have our own obsessions, true, but how's a guy who's memorized lines out of ST:TOS any different from a guy who can recite box scores for any given World Series from memory? No, I can't do either... but lines from X-Files, I might have a shot Another rant at the story: Who the HELL writes "May the Force Be With Them" in a story about Star Trek??!! Hel-lo!!

Posted by: ElMondoHummus at July 03, 2006 01:38 PM (xHyDY)

11 Casca you sound like John Rocker...

Posted by: Scof at July 03, 2006 06:00 PM (COaYC)

12 "it`s not exactly "scifi". It`s simply on the SciFi channel." hmmm, there's a new rubric i've seen occasionally: "speculative fiction."

Posted by: annika at July 03, 2006 06:38 PM (fxTDF)

13 BTW, can't wait till the new Battlestar Galactica's return. Even if that show were not SCI_FI it is absolutely the most kick ass writing on TV since perhaps the old Playhouse 90 in the early 1960's.

Posted by: kyle8 at July 04, 2006 07:03 AM (SLmNP)

14 This still says it all.

Posted by: Dave J at July 04, 2006 07:07 AM (S6J6x)

15 "Casca you sound like John Rocker..." Why, because I often feel like a stranger in my native land? Because I swim in a sea of the culturally ignorant?

Posted by: Casca at July 04, 2006 09:17 AM (2gORp)

16 Beth: Ok. You got me there. Anni: I've seen that term tossed about too. Don't see any advantage to sticking a new moniker across several well-established and accepted categories, but then again, the language isn't alive unless it morphs and evolves, right? Dave J: Best Triumph skit ever! Best Star Wars skit too!

Posted by: ElMondoHummus at July 04, 2006 12:45 PM (xHyDY)

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Check it out at Darleen's Place.

Posted by: annika at 09:48 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I think we all understand that the mainstream media cannot be trusted to analyze Supreme Court decisions within even a basic level of competence.

Accordingly, I've printed out all 101 pages of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, and now that I am home from work, I will attempt to read through it. I may not finish, but even if I only get the highlights, I am confident that I will understand it more thoroughly than the smartest person on staff at USA Today or the L.A. Times could ever hope to.

But for now, I have some Gitmo related questions.

I hear that the ruling does not mean that the U.S. must release the Guantanamo Bay prisoners. (Democrats and foreign types who want us to close the prison are probably disappointed about that.) So, if that means that holding these whatever you want to call them people at Gitmo is okay, then is it only that trying them by military tribunal is not okay?

If so, is the only reason we're insisting on trying them in the first place because that's the only way we can kill them? Otherwise we'd just hold onto them until the end of the war, like we've always done with people we capture on a battlefield.

And if just holding onto them until the end of the war is something that every country has always done in every war, why do some people want us to close down Gitmo? Are people like Carter and Koffi Anon arguing that we don't have the right to hold people we capture on a battlefield?

What do the Gitmo critics want us to do with these prisoners, release them like they were illegal aliens? If so, won't they end up back here again, just like illegal aliens?

Now, if the only reason we are trying these detainees is so we can get the death penalty on them, then we shouldn't be risking the chance that they might be acquitted. I'd rather they just languish in jail until the war is over. And I'm not talking about the Iraq war. As we all know, the "War On Terror" will be going on for a long long time.

If these guys are now "prisoners of war," so be it. I haven't heard of any requirement in international law that a country must unilaterally release prisoners of war before a war is finished. Effectively, these guys probably already have a life sentence. So why bother with a military tribunal at all?

Update: Okay, page three of the decision says, "Hamdan apparently is not subject to the death penalty (at least as matters now stand) and may receive a prison sentence shorter than 10 years . . ."

So again, why do we even need to put him on trial? Can't we just hold onto him indefinitely?

Update 2: This opinion is kicking my ass. I'm at page 27. Someone put some coffee on.

Update 3: Fuck if I'm going to sit here reading this crap on my vacation when I'm a) not getting paid for it, and b) not getting graded for it.

The pool is calling. I'm out.

Oh, here's the USA Today article I cracked on earlier. Not so cocky now, I guess.

Update 4: Check this out:

Hamdan my walkinÂ’ cane
Hamdan my walkinÂ’ cane
Hamdan my walkinÂ’ cane
IÂ’m a gonna catch that midnight train
All my sins they've taken away, taken away

If I die in Gitmo jail
If I die in Gitmo jail
If I die in Gitmo jail
Send my body back C.O.D.
All my sins they've taken away, taken away

Hamdan my book of Koran
Hamdan my book of Koran
Hamdan my book of Koran
IÂ’m gonna get drunk sure as youÂ’re born
All my sins they've taken away, taken away

That's why I'm the cool connector... makin' connections between things that maybe... don't need connectin'.

Posted by: annika at 06:06 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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Dr. Rusty has returned, MacArthur-like, from across the waves of Islamist DDOS attacks. Go welcome him back

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Come celebrate Ian Paice's birthday with me over at Six Meat Buffet!

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You know when I post a poem at night, it means I've either been really busy, the blog's been acting up, or I just couldn't find any inspired choices. Today was a perfect storm of all three reasons.

Since the most important news item of the day was the Star Jones bullshit - more important than Korean missiles or Iranian bombs or terrorist sleeper cells or treasonous papers and politicians or Iraqi amnesty or Israel kicking ass.

Star Jones, Star Jones, Star Jones!

Star Jones, Star Jones, that's what's important. But how does one best glean clues about Star Jones's mysterious exit friom the View? One need look no further than the newest Viewchik. And how better to stay informed about Star Jones lore than by reading some more bad Vogon poetry from the poet laureate of the Vogons herself, Rosie O'Donnell.

Star View

there is drama at the view
regis went on yesterday
and said
hey there is an elephant in the living room

no one likes to pretend
as if it were real

there comes a point
where u become complicit

star jones had weight loss surgery
she had part of her stomach bypassed
that is how she lost 1/2 herself

she refuses to say this
which is her right
but we do not have to pretend
we do not know

any fatty will tell u
it is nearly impossible to go
from where she was
to where she is
without medical intervention

dats da fact jack
and it is ok
talk to ur doctor
decide for yourself
if this is the option for u
by all means do it

it is hard to be fat
u get tired
ur knees hurt
people stare at u
think u less then
u feel less then

when i see one of r own
fly away from planet plus
i wave with misty eyes
proud astonished worried

we have a high recidivism rate
we us r tribe
sis and bros

so star shrinks b4 our eyes
we know the truth
but nod as she talks about
pilates and will power

i am sure star jones
beneathe the beyonce bravado
is a scared lil girl
who grew her body big
strong and safe

there is no delete button
in real life

george bush
talking about the success
in iraq
with star like showmanship
he thinking we still believe
what we know is not true

we dont buy it

peace to star jones
every wave hits the shore

Posted by: annika at 09:44 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 I can't wait until she chokes on a ham sandwich. Like her superego is going to fit with that grotesque manage of bitchy twats.

Posted by: Casca at June 29, 2006 06:14 AM (rEC2k)

2 I think my brain tried to crawl out of my ear halfway through the poem.

Posted by: Jess at June 29, 2006 07:57 AM (m4pDe)

3 Holy crap. I really had to CONCENTRATE to get through that.

Posted by: red at June 29, 2006 09:35 AM (rNgdr)

4 I'm beginning to wonder if I made a mistake by directing you to that site.

Posted by: Victor at June 29, 2006 10:55 AM (L3qPK)

5 Annika: You're wrong, I CAN live without Rosie wisdom.

Posted by: JJJET at June 29, 2006 03:42 PM (LNyv5)

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This game is awesome. You play a bouncer, and your job is to pummel Kevin Federline into a bloody stump. Not surprisingly, it is a lot of fun. Don't forget to mix in a lot of body shots too.

h/t to Jim via Beth.

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For those who are interested, here are the results of last week's blog customer satisfaction survey.

Anyone who knows anything about statistics, feel free to provide your analysis. more...

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My culinary skills produce more misses than hits, but occasionally I make something that is worth passing on. Please do not ask me about the sole meunière of a few weeks back. $35 dollars worth of fish and half of it wasted. But cooking fish requires delicacy, and I don't do anything delicately. (Well, not unless you ask nicely.)

Rather, I prefer to cook dishes that can be mixed up with a sauce, and served with a big spoon. Like the following one, which is based on a recipe from Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook: Home Collection.

-¼ cup olive oil
-one 12 oz. package of bowtie pasta (aka farfalle)
-one large yellow onion, sliced or chopped, whichever you prefer
-about two thirds of a package of regular mushrooms, pre-sliced (what is that, two cups?)
-half a cup or more of julienned sun-dried tomatoes
-two cloves of garlic, minced
-4 oz. of prosciutto slices
-1¼ cup of Silk or some other plain soy milk
-one cup grated parmesan, or as I like to call it "Farmer John" cheese
-one to two teaspoons of capers

While the pasta water is heating, prepare the sauce. In a large pan, heat the olive oil until a tiny chunk of onion fries immediately when you throw it in. Turn down to medium heat. Then throw the sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and the sliced or chopped onion in there. I like chopped onion because sliced onions remind me too much of earthworms after they're cooked.

Fry that stuff until the onions get browned. Be careful with the sun-dried tomatoes, which burn easily. Adjust the heat accordingly. This should take about 2 minutes. Then add the soy milk and the capers. Bring the sauce to a simmer, about another two or three minutes. Then fold in the parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat and cover the pan while you finish with the pasta.

When the pasta is ready, drain it. Then chop the prosciutto slices roughly crosswise into one inch wide pieces. Throw them in the sauce, then pour the sauce immediately over the pasta. Mix the whole thing and transfer to a serving bowl.

There you have it. Simple and fast. The prosciutto goes in last so it will retain some of its color, but eventually the red cooks away. Especially after microwaving the next day, but it still tastes good. Soy milk is a pretty good substitute for the heavy cream called for in the original recipe. I suggest a fresh sourdough baguette and a glass of merlot to go with this meal.

Posted by: annika at 01:51 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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The Kung Fu Fuck You technique. I've been practicing that one for years, but I'm not as good as those guys.

Honorable mention: check out this utility for sick Foley artists. I totally lost it on "Bowels of the Titanic."

Both via Harvey!

Posted by: annika at 08:05 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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What's that you say? She's now resorted to link-whoring 88Slide?

Oh the humanity!

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I don't know why, but this story makes me laugh. Some choice excerpts:

"I had a shotgun or AK (semi-automatic weapon) pointed at my chest. (The officers) kept saying, 'We're going to shoot your (expletive) dog.' They made this woman cry - she was shaking," said Lobo, a Rainbow Family member.

"They tried to trample us with their horses, and all we did was have our arms up in peace," he said. "I even pulled my pants down - which was probably indecent exposure - to show them I didn't have anything on me."

"I've been here since Saturday, and I've already received three (citations). Look, I'm sick of being harassed. Just because I'm in the middle of the woods with a group of people doesn't mean I don't have a job, that I don't have a family and that I don't contribute to society,"

"All they had to do was get a bullhorn and say 'We've got guns.' They shouldn't have pulled out their guns, that's not kosher, man,"

h/t DPGI v.2

Posted by: annika at 12:28 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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This man was a huge part of my formative years. Aaron Spelling, the man who taught everyone the zip code for Beverly Hills has passed away.

Spelling, a onetime movie bit player who created a massive number of hit series, from the vintage "Charlie's Angels" and "Dynasty" to "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place," died Friday, his publicist said. He was 83.

Spelling died at his home in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke on June 18, according to publicist Kevin Sasaki.

Spelling's other hit series included "Love Boat," "Fantasy Island," "Burke's Law," "The Mod Squad," "Starsky and Hutch," "T.J. Hooker," "Matt Houston," "Hart to Hart" and "Hotel." He kept his hand in 21st-century TV with series including "7th Heaven" and "Summerland."

. . .

During the 1970s and 1980s, Spelling provided series and movies exclusively for ABC and is credited for the network's rise to major status. Jokesters referred to it as "The Aaron Broadcasting Company."

Success was not without its thorns. TV critics denounced Spelling for fostering fluff and nighttime soap operas. He called his shows "mind candy"; critics referred to them as "mindless candy."

"The knocks by the critics bother you," he admitted in a 1986 interview with The Associated Press.

"But you have a choice of proving yourself to 300 critics or 30 million fans. You have to make a choice. I think you're also categorized by the critics. If you do something good they almost don't want to like it."

. . .

Spelling had arrived in Hollywood virtually penniless in the early 1950s. By the 1980s, Forbes magazine estimated his wealth at $300 million. He enjoyed his status, working in a Hollywood office larger than those of golden-era moguls ("I'm slightly claustrophpobic," he explained.) He gifted his second wife, Candy, with a 40-carat diamond ring.

. . .

Spelling grew up in a small frame house on Browder Street in Dallas "on the wrong side of the tracks," he wrote in his 1996 autobiography. He was the fourth son of immigrant Jews, his father from Poland, mother from Russia. The father's name, Spurling, was simplified to Spelling by an Ellis Island official.

Spelling enlisted in the Army Air Corps after graduating from high school in 1942.

"I grew up thinking 'Jew boy' was one word," the producer wrote in his memoir, "Aaron Spelling: A Prime-Time Life." He was considered strange by his Dallas schoolmates because his parents spoke Yiddish. He was subjected to anti-Semitic taunts and beatings on his way home from school.

At 8, the boy suffered what he termed a nervous breakdown, and he spent a year in bed. He later considered that period the birth of his creative urge. He fell in love with great storytellers, especially O. Henry. Of his early TV series he said, "They are all O. Henry short stories."

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