Stop Gap YouTube Post
I need to get something up on the front page here. YouTube to the rescue!
This is Nina Simone, singing Rogers and Hart. It took a long time for Nina to get ready to sing, as you will see. But she was quite a performer. Enjoy.
1
Jeez, I was sure that you were straight.
Nina Simone? Indeed. LF must be ecstatic.
Posted by: shelly at December 19, 2006 05:23 PM (SLFj+)
2
Shelly, BEHAVE! LF is not queer. She's just... unattractive in a nerdy sort of way.
As for wailing blind darkies, I went to see the Blind Boys of Alabama last night at the Bellyup. It was a damned good show. They're on Leno tonight.
Posted by: Casca at December 20, 2006 08:19 AM (Y7t14)
3
"Darkies?" Geez Louise, Casca, that's pretty fucking tasteless, even for you.
Man, I hope I'm not the only one who feels that way.
Posted by: Victor at December 21, 2006 07:23 AM (WHtgF)
1
Good stuff as usual Annika. These cats really enjoyed entertaining people and they were great doing it.
Posted by: Mike C. at December 13, 2006 04:31 AM (0Co69)
2
"They specialize in pussy that won't smile."
Funny. Sounds like a marriage counselor.
Posted by: DBrooks at December 13, 2006 07:22 AM (sF8bT)
3
Love the Tony Rome series, but I celebrated with Pal Joey & Come Blow Your Horn. Jill St John is hawt, but Kim Novak is STEAMIN'!
Posted by: Casca at December 13, 2006 07:28 AM (xGZ+b)
4
I could appreciate his music, his acting which was pretty good, and the fact that he was the first American pop superstar.
But having said that, I have to say he was a bit overrated. Dean Martin had a smoother voice, Tony Bennett had a better voice. And Eddie Fischer could move you to tears.
His blustering tough guy persona was a bit overdone also. Although I am sure he got a lot of goombahs stuck on meathooks in his day.
Oh well, I did love Von Ryan's Express.
Posted by: kyle8 at December 13, 2006 05:28 PM (is6l9)
Posted by: Casca at December 14, 2006 10:28 AM (Y7t14)
6
exactly. Kyle obviously needs to listen more closely.
Posted by: annika at December 14, 2006 11:37 AM (3VCWB)
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I been listening pretty regularly to the old crooners on XM radio, maybe you guys ought to listen again to some high quality recordings of Dean, Tony, and Eddie. I stand by my statements.
Posted by: kyle8 at December 15, 2006 05:10 AM (uzoFh)
8
Annika,
I agree with Kyle to the extent that I too think Frank's singing is overated. And he was willing to sing any piece of shit that came along. Rubber trees, for christ sake! His politics, on the otherhand started out fine and like his career degenerated into bullshit. Tony Bennett, for whom I have built some cabinetry, is not a favorite of mine either. Dean Martin is a second string if not triple A. I think Mel Torme can put a song over, and when he wasn't over produced, Nat Cole was sublime.
It is far simpler on the ladies side: there is Ella, and then everybody else in decending order.
Posted by: Strawman at December 15, 2006 07:24 AM (9ySL4)
9
Oh, and let's not forget that Frank was a wife beater. That may endear him to Casca, but I think to the rest of us it casts a dark shadow on his life.
Posted by: Strawman at December 15, 2006 07:26 AM (9ySL4)
The End Of The CD Era
My parents grew up listening to the 33 rpm vinyl album. Their parents bought music in little boxes of 45 rpm records. I grew up in the CD age, which died last month on October 7th.
Tower Records, the music industry's most famous retail brand, will be liquidated beginning tomorrow (Oct. 7).
After a 30-hour auction, the process was won by the lead-bidder, Great American, who put together a consortium of other suitors who were bidding on different components of the retailer. The winning bid was $134.3 million.
“It's a sad day for the music business and I feel badly for all Tower employees," says Jim Urie, president of Universal Music Group Distribution. "Tower was probably the greatest brand that will ever exist in music retail.”
The original Tower Records was (and still is, for a few more days) located south of Downtown Sacramento, next to the Tower Theater that gave the store its name. Here's a panoramic view of the famous corner, Broadway and Land Park Drive, where the world's greatest music store was born.
When I lived in San Francisco, I used to love walking to the Tower on Columbus and Bay, where the neighborhoods of Russian Hill, Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach all intersect, and where half my music collection was purchased. I can still remember the first time I saw Pulse's blinking red diode, it was in that store.
I was a senior in high school when I stood in the Coumbus and Bay store watching the overhead tv with REM's Monster in my hand, as Joe Montana (then a KC Chief) executed his most famous two-minute drill against John Elway.
The most famous Tower Records outlet is of course, the Tower on Sunset. My parents have a cartoony lithograph in their den, all in primary colors, of the Sunset Strip at night with Tower Records in the center under an Angelyne billboard. Tower Sunset was a music industry legend.
Bruce Willis spent $15,000 in one glorious shopping spree.
Elton John was practically a regular. Mick Jagger, Ella Fitzgerald and Jack Nicholson were known to drop by.
ThereÂ’s never been anything quite like the Tower Records on LAÂ’s Sunset Boulevard. ItÂ’s been an elemental part of the cityÂ’s music scene, a place where rock stars and record company executives came to shop, mingle and check how their records are selling.
This is where Tower became a global icon.
“Probably the most famous of all the record stores,” said music executive Miles Copeland, who has overseen the careers of such bands as R.E.M. and the Police.
I've been in that store once. I didn't see any celebrities, but I was probably there on an off night. Tower Sunset was a celebrity hangout, it seems.
In-store promotions at Tower Sunset – autograph sessions and short concerts by artists such as Lou Reed and Prince – became part of the Strip’s landscape. An appearance by rock singer David Lee Roth in the late ’80s clogged the street with thousands of fans.
Titans of Music shopped there
But employees say their favorite memories are of the celebrities who dropped by to shop: Bobby Darin, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and many others. Stan Goman said Brian Wilson, known for his battles with emotional demons, came in a bathrobe. Actor George Hamilton once wrote a personal check to pay for his purchase and was a bit miffed when the clerk made him produce a photo ID, Goman said.
A disheveled-looking Waylon Jennings showed up early one morning, hours before the store opened. “He was still recovering from his night’s activities,” said former manager Charlie Shaw.
When another former manager, Bob Feterl, transferred to Sunset from suburban West Covina in 1989, he got a hint of the store’s significance in his first week. “I see Ella Fitzgerald walking straight toward me, and I was totally blown away,” Feterl said.
Another time, he said, a stubble-faced Bruce Willis spent hours in the store, crawling on the floor to pore over the CDs that wouldnÂ’t fit into the main stacks. By the time he was done, heÂ’d spent $15,000.
Elton John probably was Tower SunsetÂ’s most loyal fan. The store would open an hour early so he could shop in peace, often accompanied by a chauffeur or assistant.
“Elton would come in and he had an account,” said Howard Krumholtz, who recently was laid off after 34 years at Tower Sunset. “He would charge $5,000 worth of stuff. He had three houses, so he’d buy three of everything.”
In recent years celebrity sightings have become less frequent. But the stars haven’t forsaken Tower Sunset. On the outside of the building is a white billboard that says, “Shop the legend.” In the past few weeks, fans and industry types have been scribbling farewell messages on the board.
“37 years of music,” reads one of them. “This is so sad! Elton John.” Though the math was off – the store opened 36 years ago – store employees said the message is what counts.
What killed Tower Records is what killed the CD; I blame Steve Jobs. The personal computer, and now the iPod have made music store shopping irrelevant. Despite the crackdown on illegal downloading, is there anyone who can't spare .99¢ for iTunes when there's a song that you just gotta have? Adn why fight traffic and parking when you can hit Overstock.com and get what you want at a huge discount, delivered to your door? I've been doing that for years. Of course now I feel guilty; I always thought Tower would be there.
Tower Records always had the best selection and prices of all the chain stores, and when I did go out to buy music, I never shopped anywhere else. It was the only place to buy classical and jazz CDs, because that's the type of music where computer browsing just doesn't cut it. For classical especially, I really need to hold the jewel box in my hand so I can compare the different versions of the same works. And in the jazz section, I'd always check the endcaps first. Invariably, there'd be a previously unknown gem for me to discover, on sale. Try that at Borders, or Barnes and Noble. Their jazz section has what, 20 artists?
Now that Tower is gone, I think it's the symbolic end of the CD. The most annoying thing about CDs was having to buy a bunch of shitty songs along with the one or two good ones that you heard on the radio. (Vitalogy, anyone?)
But now, with iTunes, I'm afraid the pendulum will swing too far in the opposite direction. Who is going to download individual songs you've never heard of, based on the few seconds of preview that iTunes gives you? And how can you really appreciate that odd song within the artistic context of an album for which it was intended — imagine if Dark Side of the Moon were to come out today! No one would buy the instrumentals, even though they are essential to the whole album.
Well, it's a new era, and the music industry will have to figure something out. They've not been terribly good at understanding the market. But what really worries me is the fate of independent music, jazz and classical. Tower Records was their biggest ally, and I hope the music doesn't disappear from the face of the earth along with that great store.
1
We love the familiar, because we fear the unknown. Don't be a Ludite. Never fear economic dislocation. You're making the argument against the horseless carriage, and for the buggywhip manufacturers.
The artists have always made their money from live performance, not record sales. Information technology has done for music what it has done in every other part of society... devolved information/power to the individual. The end product will mean more choices of different better kinds.
Posted by: Casca at November 26, 2006 12:59 PM (2gORp)
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One of first things I did when moving to a new city was find where the Tower Records was located. When that was done I could breathe easy and focus on other less important things.
I was always looking for old blues.
(By the way, Casca 'Luddite' is spelled with two d's)
Posted by: Brad at November 26, 2006 02:44 PM (9ADYb)
3
ITunes contributed to the end of Tower Records, but what really killed Tower was Amazon.
Posted by: Jake at November 26, 2006 03:47 PM (V6rxT)
Posted by: The Buggles at November 27, 2006 10:32 AM (J7BEJ)
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Itunes signals the death of the album, not just the CD. While some records might have only a good song or two, I have tried to buy full records because there are many gems that the pigs in the exec offices don't think are good that are great. With the advancement of Itunes and individual songs shopping, people are just buying what record execs get played on radio and not exploring the breath of music out there. This is the most disconcerning thing to me.
Posted by: Talmadge East at November 27, 2006 11:38 AM (yeLux)
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While I agree it is sad that Tower Records, a physcial location where you actually met people, and could flip through bins of vinyl...and perhaps, as in the case of the L.A. location, see a celeb, I am not as profoundly sad about it. You see, the Interent has opened so many new avenues for vinyl record collectors that were not available, say 10-12 years ago. There is a whole new world to explore, and for me it is quite exciting. iTunes? Never downloaded a song in my life....never will. And, yes I show my age here a bit, but I'll be darned if I have to hear my music through a bunch a bits and bytes, I'll play my vinyl and use my turntable until the day I die. And you know what? I am still playing records that were recorded in the 1930's. Now, I want you to try and play a CD in the year 2050 that you purchased in 1990! If you are looking for vinyl resources and places to explore, visit my site www.collectingvinylrecords.com.
thanks for listening
Robert
Posted by: Robert Benson at November 27, 2006 01:48 PM (KCL6+)
7
It's so ironic that you are promoting the old technology of vinyl records with the new technology of e-books and websites!
Posted by: annika at November 27, 2006 04:52 PM (zAOEU)
8
I'm horribly nostalgic about this kind of thing too, and with both siblings in the business of distributing recorded music we talk alot on this subject. (Sis used to drive the incomperable Miss Spears to Mall and radio gigs when she still worked at Jive)
I'm proud that my Brother works for EMI and Blue Note which is great for the old and new jazz players. The industry has definately taken a hit in the last several years but he says it's suprising how much sales can come from the old standards- and the Beatles ofcourse.
Casca's really right though, the labels haven't gotten with the new technology until they were forced to. Don't worry about jazz dissapearing Annika- wouldn't be prudent.
Posted by: Mike C. at November 27, 2006 07:31 PM (YadGF)
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Don't worry about the new jazz and classical and all of that. Another bit of technology comes to the rescue. I have XM radio, I love Reggae, so I listen for the hours when they have the new artists on and I jot down the ones I like, I can either download the music, or if they have enough good songs, I will order the cd.
Also, don't be surprised if music stores make a comeback in a different way. I can see a real need for a place to meet with other people and talk about music and then make purchases. I would not be surprised if it happened in a sort of coffeshop atmosphere with live bands and such, and people meeting, then either buying or downloading songs.
Posted by: kyle8 at November 27, 2006 08:16 PM (LcDAy)
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I think the first corner Tower Records turned was in the early Eighties when the Campbell, CA store closed the posters and paraphenelia (read: head shop) side and started renting videos.
You could still be mistreated by angry goth-kids but it became much harder.
Great memories...
I built my record collection with their $4.44 sales. The albums like Who's Next had been out for a few years but they were brand new to this 16 year old.
BTW, that is one of my favorite trivia questions. Where was the first Tower Records. London, New York and L.A. are the most common responses.
Posted by: Gordon at November 28, 2006 11:57 AM (qI9T8)
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This blog post has been nominated for inclusion in The Blog Watch article published Sundays in The Sacramento Bee's Forum section. As part of a demonstration program, readers are invited to help rate the candidate blog posts. The highest-rated posts will get top consideration for the limited space available Sunday. To participate, visit ipsosacto.com/bw Voting ends Thursday afternoon.
Posted by: John Hughes at November 29, 2006 04:37 PM (NK3HI)
Posted by: annika at November 29, 2006 08:04 PM (oantJ)
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The closing of Tower is frequently credited to the growth of downloading and/or online stores, most notably Amazon. Often unmentioned is the issue of pricing. I don't so much download for convenience as I do for cost effectiveness. If I can download an entire album for $9.99, I'm not going to purchase it for $18.99. (Unless it's some really knockout packaging.) And Tower's pricing seemed to me to get way out of control by the mid to late 90s, several years before downloading became prevelant beyond kids on the cutting edge of technology. Much as I once loved Tower, I began looking for alternatives, whether in the big box store or an indie outlet that sold new CDs at more reasonable prices. When Tower's DISCOUNTS started to be priced at $15 or $16, I knew they were in trouble.
Posted by: Jim Chadwick at November 30, 2006 11:18 PM (aWqMi)
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By the way, in response to Casca's lofty lecture, I want to add that it is possible to have a certain sadness for the passing of the old without being a technology fearing Luddite. Something valuable is always lost, even if the next thing brings certain advantages. You have to be a heartless, soulless robot to simply accept every new development as more wonderful than the last. There are certainly things I like about the new way of aquiring music much better than how I used to do it. But I miss the surprise discovery and the social interaction with fellow music geeks that comes from shopping at brick and mortar locations. And I don't always know if the giving all power of choice to the individual consumer is always a good thing. We are talking about art to a certain extent, not sausages. The visionary artist might be ahead of the consumer who just wants the hits. With a musician I respect, I prefer the idea of he or she taking me on a journey through their latest musical landscape. If I just go for the songs that make the best first impressions, then I risk missing the tune that may prove to be my ultimate favorite several years down the line.
Posted by: Jim Chadwick at November 30, 2006 11:28 PM (aWqMi)
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Jim, you need to read more carefully. The new paradigm in the music biz creates MORE opportunity for art and artists, than the old corporate driven hype/hit machine. Think of all the music, that you've listened to on MP3, that you'd have never carried home from the record shop.
Posted by: Casca at December 01, 2006 01:51 PM (Y7t14)
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Casca, as usual, you've got it backwards.
The recording aritsts make the tours to sell records; seldom do touring artists even break even.
Stick to killing bad guys; you are good at that. Leave show biz to them what knows what itz all about.
I've got a son-in-law who is about to be CEO of Justin Timberlake's new label. He's been explaining the tour biz and the sale of discs to me for years.
Check it out.
Posted by: shelly at December 01, 2006 06:16 PM (YadGF)
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So much to say.
First, I tried to vote but the voting website wouldn't load.
Second, my first experience with Tower Records was in Portland, Oregon. In addition to music, I'd buy my Zippy comic books there. Ah, a simpler time.
I've been to the Tower Records in Brea a few times over the last few years, but there is no Tower Records that I know of in the Inland Empire, so I'd end up at the Virgin Megastore at Ontario Mills more often than not.
Perhaps it's because of my age, but I would still prefer to buy a CD rather than download a song. The only song that I've purchased myself is Donna Summer's "I Feel Love." My daughter, however, has the opposite view.
Posted by: Ontario Emperor at December 01, 2006 11:55 PM (/TGZb)
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Shelly, I love you man, and I don't doubt that Justin makes more from the label than touring. I wouldn't go to see him for free. However, in the old paradigm, most artists got pennies in their recording deals. The lawyers always seem to make a buck though, not that there's anything wrong with that.
Posted by: Casca at December 03, 2006 12:39 PM (2gORp)
19I
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20
Its great stuff. We love the familiar, because we fear the unknown. Don't be a Ludite.I would like to say friendship day is coming and if you want to say something to your friends or lover so then find best friend quotes , famous poems , short poems and enjoy this day...
Posted by: petter at July 15, 2010 06:36 AM (6FsKz)
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Now that Tower is gone, I think it's the symbolic end of the CD. The
most annoying thing about CDs was having to buy a bunch of shitty songs
along with the one or two good ones that you heard on the radio. cheap wicked tickets jersey boys tickets
Posted by: thelasttickets at August 18, 2010 07:19 AM (O0LKH)
Posted by: Green at October 14, 2010 04:24 PM (rFS6L)
23
Now that Tower is gone, I anticipate it's the allegorical end of the CD. The a lot of annoying affair about CDs was accepting to buy a agglomeration of shitty songs forth with the one or two acceptable ones that you heard on the radio
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Here's a great idea for Thanksgiving desert.
1 cup half and half
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1/3 can of canned pumpkin, (about 5 ounces)
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
a pinch of ground cloves
a pinch of ground ginger
Mix everything together in a bowl with a whisk, or I use an electric thing that Emeril calls the "boat motor." Chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning churn it in the ice cream maker of your choice. When that's done let it freeze for the rest of the day.
It's very pumpkiny. I'm still not satisfied with the texture of this ice cream, though. I've been experimenting with different proportions of heavy cream to milk, and this time I tried the heavy cream/half and half mixture. I think I may go back to the milk next time.
1
You'll do anything to keep from talking about football, won't you.
Scof still owes me money, and Kyle is still from the land of steers and queers.
Posted by: Casca at November 20, 2006 12:44 AM (2gORp)
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Go ahead Casca, crow all you want to, This is your year! Next year, when all those guys graduate or turn pro it will be another story. Have fun now, while it lasts. I don't really mind because I always kinda liked Ohio State.
The Longhorns blew one they should have had, and that does upset me. Our cute little boy Quarterback got knocked out. But, we will still get a good bowl game, we just have to trounce the Aggies first.
Posted by: kyle8 at November 20, 2006 03:47 AM (Q+SJk)
3
What, exactly, is wrong with the texture? Most problems with ice cream are due to not having a good salt/ice ration in the mixer, followed by freezing it at the wrong time, and, finally, mixing the un-frozen ingredients incorrectly.
Posted by: Victor at November 20, 2006 09:15 AM (WHtgF)
4
LOL, bad news Kyle. Last year was the big graduation year. This is the rebuilding year. I don't know if you noticed, but six different Buckeyes scored touchdowns on Saturday. None are seniors. Smith is a senior. Most of the rest of the team is underclassmen. There are rumors of Gonzolaz & Ginn going to the pros, but we'll see. B2B National Championships could be nice.
Heh don't fret. Mac Brown and LLLLLoyd Carr are both good coaches, just not great coaches.
Posted by: Casca at November 20, 2006 09:17 AM (Y7t14)
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Jim Tressel is a pedophile...email your paypal info annika's bitch
Posted by: Scof at November 20, 2006 11:28 AM (a3fqn)
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LMAO, don't worry, your rectal bleeding should stop in a week or so. LLLLLoyd's will take much longer. I see you're from the hater Hart's school of graceful losing.
Posted by: Casca at November 20, 2006 03:51 PM (2gORp)
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Try about two pinches of kosher salt in the mixture itself. It tends to help break the milk/cream down. I like using eggs to give the confection a more custard-like texture. G'Luck.
Posted by: Uncle Pinky at November 20, 2006 04:05 PM (nlU4c)
8
Hey I was returning the "bitch" you threw at me in the glendale post, plus you always refer to yourself as annika's bitch! Anyhow, I'm confident after going into Eugene and winning that my Wildcats could give 'dem buckeyes a run for their money! Too bad can't bet on that hah!
Posted by: Scof at November 20, 2006 06:13 PM (LvTNO)
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Yes, and you're still on crack. Feel free to seek sporting action from me whenever the spirit strikes you. I'm always looking for profit streams.
Posted by: Casca at November 20, 2006 07:00 PM (2gORp)
Posted by: Radical Redneck at November 21, 2006 08:47 AM (r7Pgb)
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Looks like it would go great with my recipe for pumpkin cheesecake. Must experiment. Be back after the coronary.
Posted by: physics geek at November 21, 2006 10:17 AM (KqeHJ)
12
How about substituting sweetened condensed milk for the cream? There's this fabulous thing called Dulce La Leche, you can find it in your ethnic food aisle. I'm making a pumpkin panna cotta this year, and I'm using half sweet condensed milk and half dulce la leche. It gives a great, full bodied caramelly undertone to the pumpkin.
Good luck!
Posted by: NuggetMaven at November 22, 2006 08:13 AM (DP5IG)
Petula Clark Fest: The Pop Culture References
I want to draw your attention now to three pop culture references to Petula Clark's 1964 monster hit, "Downtown."
The first is found in one of the best Seinfeld episodes ever, "The Bottle Deposit." That's the one where Kramer and Newman concoct a scheme to redeem bottle deposits in Michigan for a profit, by using Newman's postal truck. This episode also involves a set of JFK's golf clubs and Brad Garrett as the crazy Saab mechanic.
The George subplot in that episode has George trying to figure out cryptic instructions from his boss at the Yankees. George, for some reason, doesn't want Mr. Wilhelm to know that he has no idea what this project is that he is supposed to be working on. We pick up the action here:
(George has his head down on his desk. Wilhelm walks jauntily along the corridor and enters the office.)
WILHELM: So...
(George snaps awake.)
WILHELM: ...did you go down to payroll?
GEORGE: (standing) Yes, payroll. Yes I did. Very productive. Payroll... paid off.
WILHELM: (pleased) Well then, I guess you'll be heading downtown then, huh?
GEORGE: Oh, yeah. Downtown. Definitely.
WILHELM: Well, I'm very interested to see how this thing turns out.
GEORGE: (to himself) Yeah, you said it. (to Wilhelm) Uh, excuse me, Mr. Wilhelm. Uh, do you really think... Well, is this downtown trip really necessary, you know, for the project?
WILHELM: Oh no, you've got to go downtown, George. It's all downtown. Just like the song says.
GEORGE: The song?
WILHELM: There's your answer. Downtown.
(Wilhelm leaves.)
GEORGE: (thoughtful) Downtown.
Now we move to Monk's Diner, as Jerry and George try to decipher what Mr. Wilhelm meant.
JERRY: The song Downtown? You mean the Petula Clark song?
GEORGE: Yeah.
JERRY: You sure he didn't just mention it because you happened to be going downtown?
GEORGE: I think he was trying to tell me something, like it had some sort of a meaning.
JERRY: Okay, so how does it go?
GEORGE: 'When you're alone, and life is making you lonely, you can always go...'
JERRY: '... downtown.'
GEORGE: 'Maybe you know some little places to go, where they never close...'
JERRY: '...downtown.'
GEORGE: Wait a second. 'Little places to go, where they never close.' What's a little place that never closes?
JERRY: Seven-eleven?
GEORGE: 'Just listen to the music of the traffic, in the city. Linger on the sidewalk, where the neon lights are pretty.' Where the neon lights are pretty. The Broadway area?
JERRY: No, that's midtown.
GEORGE: 'The lights are much brighter there. You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares, just go...'
JERRY: '...down town.'
GEORGE: 'Things'll be great, when you're...'
JERRY: '...downtown.'
GEORGE: I got nothing, Jerry. Nothing.
JERRY: Well, 'don't hang around and let your troubles surround you. There are movie shows...'
GEORGE: You think I should come clean? What d'you think, you think I should confess?
JERRY: How can you lose?
I love that scene.
The next pop culture reference is from just a few weeks ago. The opening scene of this season's Lost. It's interesting watching it again, because you can see subtle clues that Juliet is really the disgruntled employee in the whole "Other" hierarchy. I have no idea why they picked that particular song for the opening. Apparently their original choice was a Talking Heads song, but they couldn't get permission to use it, so they went with "Downtown" instead.
The third pop culture reference is the most obscure. It's from the 1993 art film Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, about the eccentric Canadian classical pianist. According to Wiki, Gould apparently thought that Petula Clark was "the best female vocalist of his generation" and he "published several essays praising her talent and achievements."
I've never seen 32 Films, have you? I went through my art film phase years ago, I don't know if I could sit through it anymore.
1
Annie:
Have you noticed? No one gives a rat's ass about Petula Clark.
Posted by: shelly at November 17, 2006 05:36 AM (YadGF)
2
heh now, some of us like the old gal. Check this out, I was watching The Quiller Memorandum last night on TCM, and Downtown was playing in the background in the bowling alley scene. Very Kewl.
Posted by: Casca at November 18, 2006 06:42 PM (2gORp)
Petula Clark Fest, The Beatles?
I really can't stand The Beatles. So this next video was already at a disadvantage from my point of view. It's from the October 17, 1967, episode of The Hollywood Palace (see below for a description of that show).
In this number, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band consists of Petula Clark on triangle, Lynn Redgrave on cymbals, and Noel Harrison on bass drum.
Noel Harrison is the son of legendary stage actor Rex Harrison. You probably know his father as professor Henry Higgins from the film My Fair Lady. Anyway, Noel Harrison did a lot of tv work, but he also sang "The Windmills of Your Mind" in one of my favorite Steve McQueen movies ever, The Thomas Crown Affair.
I found all this out, by the way, through skilled cross-referencing of IMDb and Wikipedia.
Anyways, the following video is most notable for the way they butcher Sgt. Pepper, which is a song that under the best of circumstances will cause me to change the radio station whenever it comes on. But do watch the intro, because I have more trivia to tell you about that.
Did you recognize the guy at the beginning? Yes, that was the one and only George Sanders. I will always remember him best for his portrayal of Addison DeWitt, the duplicitious Broadway gossip columnist in All About Eve. But he also stood out in Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent and Rebecca, and as Lord Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray. George Sanders epitomized the sarcastically droll over-educated Englishman.
You might also know that George Sanders married two of the Gabor sisters. He famously commited suicide in 1972 near Barcelona, because he was simply bored. I don't doubt it, if he was taking jobs like the one in that video above.
Posted by: Scof at November 16, 2006 12:31 AM (LvTNO)
5
You people do know that beetles are cockroaches right? Eh, they had a few nice songs, but most of beetlemania was fueled by female hysteria, just like our common culture. Sgt Peppers = root canal.
Posted by: Casca at November 16, 2006 08:17 AM (Y7t14)
Posted by: Matt at November 16, 2006 08:18 AM (10G2T)
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What's up with all you knuckle-draggers that don't like the greatest band of all-time? I have Revolver playing in my car CD right now - easily one of the greatest albums ever made. McCartney's arrangement of "Elenor Rigby" alone makes the album a classic. No other band has had a bigger impact on popular music. That's just a fact.
Posted by: blu at November 16, 2006 11:40 AM (w2RJn)
Posted by: annika at November 16, 2006 01:37 PM (wOZ8M)
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I do love the Ramones. Public Enemy not so much. (Will anybody be listening to Public Enemy in 30 years?) And the Sex Pistols flat-out sucked. Not even very good musicians. But all very important I'll grant you. I still think critical opinion is overwhelmingly on my side especially from the perspective of musical arrangement and impact on bands that followed. Look at chord progressions and musical arrangements prior to and after The Beatles.
I'll just have to chalk up your errors to youth and inexperience ;-)
Posted by: blu at November 16, 2006 01:58 PM (w2RJn)
Posted by: annika at November 16, 2006 03:18 PM (zAOEU)
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I think I see the problem here. Blu thinks pop music is actual, you know, music. Prolly digs Michael Jackson, too.
The Beatles made great elevator music. 'Nuff said.
Posted by: Happy to be a knuckle-dragger at November 16, 2006 03:52 PM (10G2T)
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This is so awesome...I thought I was the only person who doesn't like the Beatles!
Posted by: Sarah at November 20, 2006 05:59 AM (7Wklx)
Petula Clark Fest, The Homestretch
It's now the evening of Petula Clark Fest day! Did you know that there are seven pages of YouTube videos that have been tagged "Petula?" Because I'm so awesome, I have sifted through many of them so that I can bring you only the best.
Just in case you haven't gone crazy today with the song "Downtown" running through your head like some inexorable virus, here's another pretty good video. It's most notable for the perfectly bored young ladies with their perfectly bouffanted hairdos, circa 1964. I swear one of them looks exactly like Barbra.
Or, skip over that one and check out Petula's medley with Dean on The Dean Martin Show. Petula was Dean's guest five times and she even helped him to roast the great William Conrad once.
Petula Clark appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show twelve times. Here she is singing "My Love." This video is quite possibly her first appearance on the Sullivan show, March 14, 1965, since "My Love" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 a month earlier.
It's a catchy tune, though not my favorite. I wonder if perhaps Petula was annoyed at having to stand in one spot the entire time.
If you watched the interaction between Dean and Petula in the video above, you might have asked yourself, as I did: I wonder if he's bangin' her? Well, I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know that they did end up in bed together. See below.
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Well, that was just frickin' adorable. I always loved Petula Clark when I was a boy--that video made me jealous. They are both so comfortable in their abilities, just an ease of talent.
Posted by: DBrooks at November 15, 2006 09:25 PM (PlDdK)
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BTW, did you notice she is wearing the same dress above with Dean that she wore in the video of Downtown from Top of the Pops? That would never happen today.
Posted by: DBrooks at November 15, 2006 09:33 PM (PlDdK)
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Yes, DBrooks, I did notice that. Who could've anticipated YouTube back in the 60's?
Posted by: annika at November 15, 2006 09:38 PM (qQD4Q)
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Annika - it so seems like Dean and Petula must have been banging it up. How affectionate and flirty and close they seemed - especially in that first clip. He keeps looking her up and down - she keeps looking him up and down.
I love that guy. DAMMIT. I don't care who knows.
Posted by: red at November 16, 2006 07:11 PM (vHp9U)
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Also - it';s damn hard to sing when you're LYING DOWN.
Posted by: red at November 16, 2006 07:14 PM (vHp9U)
Here's a lovely production of the bilingual tune "This Is My Song." The clip is from the late 60's variety show The Hollywood Palace, of which Wiki says:
The Hollywood Palace was an hour-long television variety show produced by Nick Vanoff. It was broadcast weekly (generally on Saturday night) on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970. It began as a mid-season replacement for the short-lived Jerry Lewis Show, another variety show which had lasted only 3 months. It was staged at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles, which was renamed The Hollywood Palace during the show's duration.
Unlike similar programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show, guest hosts were used instead of a permanent one. Among the performers and hosts on the show were Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr., Sid Caesar, The Rolling Stones, Groucho Marx, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, Jimmy Durante, The Supremes, Ginger Rogers, The Temptations, Phyllis Diller, and many other famous faces. The off-screen announcer for each program was Dick Tufeld.
A number of popular music performers got their start on the show. For example, The Rolling Stones made their first US television appearance June 13 1964, and The Jackson 5 made their first national television appearance on the October 14, 1969 episode of the show.
In a famous June 1964 telecast, controversy ensued when The Rolling Stones, upset with guest host Dean Martin's sarcastic comments directed at them throughout the program, refused to perform a second scheduled musical number. [links omitted]
Sounds like that was appointment tv, Sixties style.
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Petula Clark Fest: Sign Of The Times
Fans of British roadsters, goofy choreography, 60's mod fashion, and lip-synching will love this one.
The dancing is like a characature of an Austin Powers number. But I have an even more outlandishly choreographed YouTube clip in the queue, stay tuned.
I love 60's fashion. It reminds me of that movie Blow Up. Did you ever see it? I saw it a few months ago on TCM. It's a wild movie about a British fashion photographer in the 60's. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to be young and hip in the early 60's. There was this veneer of innocence and exhuberance, yet under the surface was all this shit that exploded later on in the decade. Sign of the times.
Posted by: Victor at November 15, 2006 11:12 AM (WHtgF)
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The 60's mod clothes I'm iffy about, but I think it is their mutation in the 70's that is responsible for the ugliness of that decade. There is not an uglier decade than the 70's. Everything is brown and yellow and green with wide ties with wider stripes and stupid ass turtlenecks and nylon pants and big ass collars and shit, only thing good about the decade was the Streets of San Francisco...
Posted by: Scof at November 15, 2006 11:45 AM (a3fqn)
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And Joe Don Baker movies! Scof, how can you forget JOE DON BAKER MOVIES!?!?!?
Posted by: Victor at November 15, 2006 12:32 PM (WHtgF)
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Check out the guy under the car! His choreography is cracking me up - you can't even see his head.
Posted by: red at November 15, 2006 01:20 PM (opupt)
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Annika,
Did you notice the photographer was a young David Hemmings who went on to really big things as Robert Vaughn's partner on the "The Man From Uncle"? Vaughn is currently in a very enjoyable series on BBC America called "Hustle".
Posted by: Strawman at November 15, 2006 02:42 PM (9ySL4)
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I didn't realize that. Although I've never seen the Man from UNCLE. Blow Up is one of those movies that when it's over you think "what just happened?" and then you're forced to re-think what it was all about. Because it's not about a murder, which is what you think its about while youre watching. It's actually a really sophisticated commentary on that particular society. Plus Vanessa Redgrave is fantastic in it.
Posted by: annika at November 15, 2006 03:23 PM (zAOEU)
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I forgot about ol' Joe Don! its probably because I'm still bitter over not winning the haiku contest, mine was the best. damn't.
Posted by: Scof at November 15, 2006 03:34 PM (a3fqn)
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Robert Vaughn's partner on "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." was David McCallum, not David Hemmings.
BTW, "Blow-Up" was remade as "Blow Out" in 1981, starring John Travolta as a sound engineer who stumbles upon a murder.
Posted by: Your Protagonist at November 17, 2006 10:54 AM (gpGTB)
Petula Clark Fest!
Not only is today Poetry Wednesday, but it's Petula Clark's birthday! She turns 74 today, and she's still performing and just released a Christmas album.
Petula Clark . . . is an English singer, actress and composer, best known for her upbeat popular international hits of the 1960s. With nearly 70 million recordings sold worldwide, she is the most successful British female solo recording artist to date. She also holds the distinction of having the longest span on the international pop charts of any artist—51 years—from 1954, when "The Little Shoemaker" made the UK Top Twenty, through 2005, when her CD "L'essentiel - 20 Succès Inoubliables" charted in Belgium. [links omitted]
So today is Petula Clark Fest day at Annika's Journal. In lieu of balloons, cotton candy and rides for the kiddies, I will just post some YouTube videos. Plus, today's poem is the one and only poem written by Petula Clark, and I have a very special guest blogger to introduce it!
So lets start the festivities with Downtown, from the British variety show Top of the Pops:
Two things impress me about that clip. One, no lip-synching and the band rocks! And two, the male dancers are frikkin' hilarious! They're like George Michael meets James Bond. (Actually if you think those dancers were funny, wait til you see what I got for you later today.)
Just because I haven't posted about Dancing With The Stars this season doesn't mean that I haven't been as obsessed as ever with the show.
I have a question about last night's competition. Did you see it? During Emmitt and Cheryl's rumba, didn't Cheryl's hand land squarely on Emmitt's little umpire at one point? And didn't Cheryl suddenly realize where it was and then move it quickly to the side? And wasn't Emmitt's little umpire signaling touchdown at that very moment?
I think so.
I also think Mrs. Smith is probably not going to let Emmitt and Cheryl spend another 13 days together "rehearsing."
Okay I'm off to watch the rest of the results show.
Update: When they announced that Il Divo would be performing tonight, I honestly expected them to sing "Whip It."
Update 2: I'm sorry to see Monique and Louie go. Monique really was fun to watch and the judges weren't always fair to her. Next week's elimination will be impossible, because the final three teams are all so good.
Update 3: YouTube just posted the Rumba, check it out for yourself.
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Pretty hard to physically be that close to a gorgeous woman, and not have all the blood rush to the little head. Thus, brainlock. More divorces happen that way. Wives tend to be narrow minded.
Posted by: Casca at November 02, 2006 08:01 AM (Y7t14)
Posted by: Casca at November 03, 2006 08:54 AM (2gORp)
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I'm a little late to the party here. Sorry I missed the crotch-grab. I'm usually a dedicated viewer, but sick kids screw up the whole program.
If that's Emmitt's little umpire, rather than some kind of shadow or fold in his pants, all I can say is, well, this.
Cheryl definitely has a thing goin', but Edyta's the one who really does it for me. Fortunately I have a defense mechanism against nubile young temptresses: I'm poor, out of shape, mediocre-looking, married, a father, and an unknown. While none of these alone is absolute protection, together they convey near-total immunity. So there's one reason to be glad I'm not Emmitt.
Posted by: Matt at November 03, 2006 09:13 AM (10G2T)
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Oh, yeah! I forgot "rapidly approaching middle age."
Posted by: Matt at November 03, 2006 09:14 AM (10G2T)
Freddy Fender, RIP
I had no idea who Freddy Fender was, but thanks to the magic of YouTube, nobody has to remain ignorant. Ain't YouTube great?
Freddy Fender was a Tex Mex pioneer and a former marine. From Yahoo's obituary, here's some other biographical facts I found interesting:
Freddy Fender, the "Bebop Kid" of the Texas-Mexico border who later turned his twangy tenor into the smash country ballad "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," died Saturday. He was 69.
Over the years, he grappled with drug and alcohol abuse, was treated for diabetes and underwent a kidney transplant.
"Whenever I run into prejudice," he told The Washington Post in 1977, "I smile and feel sorry for them, and I say to myself, `There's one more argument for birth control.'"
In February 1999, Fender was awarded a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame after then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush wrote to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce endorsing him.
He signed with Imperial Records in 1959, renaming himself "Fender" after the brand of his electric guitar, "Freddy" because it sounded good with Fender.
Fender initially recorded "Wasted Days" in 1960. But his career was put on hold shortly after that when he and his bass player ended up spending almost three years in prison in Angola, La., for marijuana possession.
After prison came a few years in New Orleans and a then an everyday life taking college classes, working as a mechanic and playing an occasional local gig.
But his second break came when he was persuaded to record "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" on an independent label in 1974 and it was picked up by a major label. With its success, he won the Academy of Country Music's best new artist award in 1975. He re-released "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" and it climbed to the top of the charts as well.
Fender's later years were marred by health problems resulting in a kidney transplant from his daughter, Marla Huerta Garcia, in January 2002 and a liver transplant in 2004. Fender was to have lung surgery in early 2006 until surgeons found tumors.
"I feel very comfortable in my life," Fender told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times in August. "I'm one year away from 70 and I've had a good run. I really believe I'm OK. In my mind and in my heart, I feel OK. I cannot complain that I haven't lived long enough, but I'd like to live longer."
Sounds like he was a good guy. Rest in peace, amigo.
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Freddy was the rare celebrity I actually met. He was friends with the mother of one of my roommates. Sorry to see that he died. He was a real nice guy.
He had a great voice and I saw him perform several times in some of his old haunts in Lake Charles, La.
Houston and Galveston. I especially liked his covers of older country hits. He would either give them a little rock injection or a little Tejano twist.
Posted by: kyle8 at October 15, 2006 07:31 AM (9ZCmp)
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My grandparents loved Freddy. I concur with Kyle: Great voice.
Posted by: blu at October 15, 2006 06:44 PM (42Ozp)
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In his mid-70s run, Fender also had hits with "Secret Love" and "You'll Lose a Good Thing."
Posted by: Ontario Emperor at October 16, 2006 03:47 PM (OeJic)
Fantasy Musical Team-Ups That'll Never Happen
Picture this: Barbra Streisand reprising her most famous role as Dolly Levi, and introducing George W. Bush as Horace Vandergelder! That's brilliant casting, and it would be box office gold. Gold I tell ya!
Alas, I'm afraid it would never happen. I don't think the president could handle the vocal parts.
1
Annie, I've read the "Army at Dawn" and its wonderful. In my Walter Mitty life I'd be a WWII historian, basically a younger (and live) version of Stephen Ambrose. I love the modern version of WWII histories. So much of the current crop of history of that conflict shows the downside of how unprepared the US military was, even though by the time we got troops engaged we had been at it for at least 9 months. The cost was borne by those soldiers in North Africa who would spend the next 3+ years as prisoners. The only beef I have is that its only available in audio as an abridged version. Also that there should be a Volume II which I've never seen published.
Posted by: Drake Steel at September 29, 2006 04:09 PM (RbnOT)
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Fine, don't tag me. I'm not hurt. Not at all, really.
Posted by: Hugo at September 29, 2006 06:42 PM (Yu24L)
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Few people know that there were Marines who landed on Guadalcanal, who had never had any boot camp training. They learned to fire their weapons on the decks of transports. There were plenty of stories of NCO's being ordered to bootcamp at the end of the war to complete their basic training. In the hour of need, they had passed the ultimate test. They were willing.
Posted by: Casca at September 29, 2006 09:13 PM (2gORp)
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Sorry Hugo, Of course I meant to tag you, but just as I was typing your name a crazed animal ran into the house and knocked over a thing in the kitchen starting a huge fire and then we lost all our electricity and so I wasn't able to until now.
Posted by: annika at September 30, 2006 07:42 AM (qQD4Q)
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Mrs. O'Leary's cow?
I'll consider myself tagged, and will recover from my miffedness, which is a word where I come from.
Posted by: Hugo at September 30, 2006 09:23 AM (Yu24L)
Posted by: Scof at September 30, 2006 03:10 PM (deQ2d)
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I have read many books unfortunantly my life prior to four years ago is a blur because of drug dependency. Nevertheless, some books I really liked and seemed to stick with me were All the Alexander Dumas books. He was funny and witty and his heroes were larger than life, but had a distinct morality.
I also liked Barbara Tuchman's histories. "A Distant Mirror", and "The Proud Tower". Another book which had a profound effect on me was "Free to Choose", by Milton and Rose Freidman.
I also read a lot of Tom Wolfe.
Posted by: kyle8 at September 30, 2006 03:10 PM (Ci7Ue)
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"7. One book you wish had never been written?
Any Chomsky book."
Amen! ** Enthusiastic applause to Annika. **
Posted by: Mark at October 06, 2006 08:18 AM (krump)
Dean Martin Appreciation Day
I had no idea it was DMAD. In fact, I'd never heard of DMAD until today. It's not his birthday (that's June 7). Anyways, I'm up for it. Go and celebrate at Sheila's. Nobody blogs classic Hollywood better than Sheila. There are some great pictures too. Dean cooking with the Duke. Dean, Mia and Sharon Tate. Dean and the boss, naturally. Dean stepping onstage with Judy (I think it's Judy). And of course, Dean and Jerry.
Update: Youtube is amazing. Look what I found.
That scene of Dean the father kissing Dean Paul is sad, isn't it? Captain Dean Paul Martin died in 1987 when his Air National Guard F-4 Phantom crashed into Mount San Gorgonio.
Dean Paul "Dino" Martin, 35, son of entertainer Dean Martin was killed when the Phantom jet he was piloting crashed into the San Gabriel Mountains. Permission was given by March Air Force Base ATC to perform a "maximum climb" takeoff. The aircraft was seen disappearing into a scattered cloud ceiling at 4,700 feet. Radar contact was lost 9 minutes into the flight. The crash site was found on the 3rd day of searching in the San Gabriel Mountains. An investigation revealed the aircraft flew, inverted, into a solid wall of granite between two mountain peaks at an estimated speed of 560 mph. The aircraft was literally pulverized into the granite. The "maximum climb" takeoff, g forces assoctiated with this type of flight and the dense cloud cover negatively affected the pilots ability to know his position and aircraft attitude.
The death hit Dean very hard, and he apparently was never the same afterwards.
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Thanks for the link!!
I'm kinda having a manic episode (ha!) - but I loves me some Dino!
Posted by: red at September 14, 2006 10:02 AM (rNgdr)
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Oh - and I totally made up DMAD. In order to justify how obsessed I am with Dino right now.
Posted by: red at September 14, 2006 10:32 AM (rNgdr)
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Well, it's very nice Sheila. Although someone should gag Jerry.
Posted by: Casca at September 14, 2006 11:53 AM (Z2ndo)
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"I had the most amazing dream. I was riding on an ice cream donkey with none other than Mr. Dean Martin, and even though the donkey melted just outside of Walnut City, Dean didn't care, because that's just the kind of man he was."
"Aye, he was the Dean of Martins."
"Amen."
Posted by: The Law Fairy at September 14, 2006 12:06 PM (XUsiG)
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Oh, and yes, Annika, you are correct - that is Judy, welcoming Dean to the stage for a duet at the Coconut Grove. Uhm - what I would give for a time machine!!!
Posted by: red at September 14, 2006 03:58 PM (hJ+VA)
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Guess I'll have a scotch to celebrate. I always liked his old variety show.
BTW, I am writing this only four hours after Lasik eye surgery. Its great not to need glasses anymore.
Posted by: kyle8 at September 14, 2006 04:41 PM (PBHAA)
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Here's a classic Dino story:
In "The Sons of Katie Elder", they wanted Duke and Dino to escape from jail and Duke was supposed to hide a knife and hold it to the neck of the jailor and threaten him to let them out. Duke said the didn't use knives and would never do it.
The director turned toward Dino and before he could speak a word, Dino said "So, where do I hide the knife?".
By the way, Dino would not appreciate any Jerry Lewis shit. He hated his ass for breaking up the partnership and striking out on his own.
In the end, it was Jerry who rued the day he did so, but Dean had no use for him at all.
I think I'll have a Scotch myself, although I'm pretty sure Dino drank Gentleman Jack on the rocks, or, whatever someone handed him from the audience.
Posted by: shelly at September 14, 2006 06:00 PM (ZGpMS)
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Well, since we're going to reminisce. Deano was from the heart of union thug country, Mingo Junction, OH. Oh yeah, everything says Steubenville, but the locals always know the fine points.
I love that he was such a true friend. He helped his buddy Frank during JFK's election, because he was supporting Frank. JFK's team pressured Frank and the Ratpackers not to attend Sammy's mixed race wedding to that Swedish beauty, and Deano didn't think twice about not attending. That was the end of it between Dean and the Kennedy Clan. I'm not sure if Frank attended or not.
Posted by: Casca at September 14, 2006 07:46 PM (2gORp)
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BTW Kyle, given your extra-curricular activities. You'll need glasses again in no time. Just make sure you stop before you go blind.
Posted by: Casca at September 14, 2006 07:48 PM (2gORp)
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Now, that is funny.
But, Kyle is an easy target, he is such a weenie.
Posted by: shelly at September 15, 2006 02:59 AM (ZGpMS)
Happy 40th Star Trek!
[Just havin' a little fun at Shatner's expense. He knows I love him.]
Today is the 40th anniversary of Star Trek's first broadcast. From the official website:
On the evening of the 8th of September, following Daniel Boone, this new NBC show premiered with an episode called "The Man Trap." The angle of the story was different, to say the least: It was a love story with a sci-fi twist, borne of a relationship from the doctor's past, featuring a monster that, in the end, just wanted to live. It was moving, tragic and anything but cheesy. The viewers — at least the ones who were paying attention — were hooked.
This show proved it had something different. It had a unique life that would go on to exist beyond expectation. It stood outside of time, as it tapped into universal themes and epic struggles, and put the cosmos on notice. Things have changed! Primetime on NBC eventually proved that this was no place for something so big, so broad in scope. This three-season show, after all, would go on to spawn four live-action spin-offs, an animated series, ten movies and counting, plus a licensing empire that, to this day, embraces books, videos, exhibits and assorted merchandise.
Like other cultural, artistic or philosophical phemonena (think Mozart, Van Gogh or Jesus) this new show was largely unappreciated in its own time and only later would be seen as what it is today, a world-wide, cultural juggernaut. Thanks to a form of TV recycling called syndication, the show became a hit to generations of young, impressionable kids, including many future scientists, astronauts and actors. What's ironic is that by today's ratings standards, it would have been a hit in its original run. But back then, with only three major networks, it didn't quite pull its weight. It was only with the need to syndicate TV programs, to get more than one bite out of the entertainment cherry, did this show become what it was all along. It just needed a form of resurrection; the people who had heard of it from their parents, teachers, friends or older siblings tuned in after school, prior to the dinner hour. It turned out to be the perfect time to hit this new, fresh audience and the show became lodged in the collective minds of a nation.
Indeed it has.
Happy birthday Star Trek. And thanks Gene, wherever you are.
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William Shatner on space travel:
The Star Trek legend was offered a ticket by Richard Branson onboard Virgin Galactic's first passenger flight in 2008. But Shatner, fearing he would be ill in space or the starship would crash, ironically revealed he's terrified of space travel.The 75-year-old actor said: "I'm interested in man's march into the unknown but to vomit in space is not my idea of a good time. Neither is a fiery crash with the vomit hovering over me."
Classic.
Kevin
Posted by: Kevin Kim at September 08, 2006 04:52 AM (TDwc6)
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I would be honored if you joined your Star Trek 40th Anniversary post to my Star Trek blog carnival at http://mamarant.blogs.com/a_mamas_rant/2006/09/to_boldly_go_wh.html.
If you wish to add a submission, just click "submit post" on the blog carnival badge.
Thanks.
Posted by: Anne-Marie at September 08, 2006 10:30 AM (GHtN0)
Posted by: annika at September 08, 2006 10:36 AM (zAOEU)
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I can't lie: I've loved Star Trek since I can remember watching TV. If that establishes me firmly in the nerd camp, then so be it.
Live long and prosper!
Posted by: Blu at September 08, 2006 11:22 AM (TVuWZ)
The Path To 9/11The Path To 9/11 starts Sunday Night. I plan to watch it not only because it has been pissing off all the right people, but also because I want to see how Sherry Palmer fits into the conspiracy.
Posted by: Scof at September 07, 2006 05:57 AM (a3fqn)
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Serious people understand that nearly all blame for 9/11 falls on Clinton and his merry band of light weights. (Every time, I see Albright I am reminded that Bill Clinton was responsible handing responsibility of the State Dept to an unqualified and amazingly stupid person.)
Until now, Clinton has successfully used his cronies in the media and government to hide his responsibility. (I doesn't help that Republicans led by Bush are unwilling to play hardball and place blame where it ought.) I'm glad these idiots are getting what the deserve for their inept foreign policy. Next, I'd like to see a mini-series on his admins responsibility for a nuclear N. Korea; or perhaps his fake economic expansion.
Posted by: Blu at September 07, 2006 09:17 AM (j8oa6)
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Scof, time for your medication. Your second of multiple personalities is coming out again.
Posted by: elmondohummus at September 07, 2006 09:18 AM (xHyDY)
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"Until now, Clinton has successfully used his cronies in the media and government to hide his responsibility."
They are still hidden in Sandy Berger's undies.
Posted by: reagan80 at September 07, 2006 10:29 AM (dFOlH)
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It's odd that primarily rightwing commentators/bloggers were the ones who got preview privileges. Does that mean Oliver Stone also accurately portrays world events?
Posted by: will at September 07, 2006 07:28 PM (h7Ciu)
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Forget Sherry Palmer.
What we REALLY need to worry about is how we're gonna catch Michael Scofield, T-Bag, and the rest of the Fox River 8.
Lastly: Much as I didn't like President Clinton, 9/11 wasn't his FAULT. It was the fault of Mohammed Atta and the rest of the hijackers.
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Will,
Please provide your proof that mostly conservatives were given preview privledges. It's not true. Both liberals and conservatives viewed the film. The liberals are the only ones upset because somebody finally told the truth about the Clinton administration. Clinton is consumed with his legacy - or what legacy he actually has besides banging interns. You are just hearing the squeaky wheels. The film also takes shot at the Bush admin. But the 9/11 was the result of the 90's and a disinterested President Clinton - not a few months of Bush.
The difference between the Right and the Left is that the Right is willing to admit that Bush wasn't perfect and clearly reacted to 9/11. The Left acts as if The Pervert was on top of things from Day 1 which is quite obviously BS.
Posted by: Blu at September 08, 2006 12:52 AM (TVuWZ)
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The difference between right and left is that when the left feels slighted by a movie the studios fall all over themselves to keep them happy.
When the right feels slighted, it's up to blogs and talk radio to set the record straight. They get no help from hollywood (that RR movie being the one exception that proves the rule).
Posted by: annika at September 08, 2006 01:35 AM (qQD4Q)
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Oh, and when the Dems feel slighted by a movie, they call out the big guns and threaten to pull ABC's license. How's that for free speech fuckazzz!!!
Posted by: annika at September 08, 2006 01:43 AM (qQD4Q)
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This shouldn't surprise anybody. This is typical of the Stalinist Left. Hmmm, it's also very similar to the control of information in Nazi Germany. This is an example of "fear" - this is the buzz word of the week for Dems - being used in modern America that actually deserves to be compared to Nazi-like tactics.
Good points above Annika. Remember that travesty of a film about the Reagans? I don't recall any Rep Senator sending letters with implicit threats to yank broadcast licenses. This shit is truly Orwellian.
What are the odds of anybody on the Left standing up and calling a spade a spade? Don't hold your breath.
Posted by: Blu at September 08, 2006 01:34 PM (TVuWZ)
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If people are too out of touch to read the 9/11 Commission report and instead believe what they see in a mini-series, they will probably still vote the way they had before. ABC states, "The Path to 9/11 is a dramatization, not a documentary", so I'll just put this in the Oliver Stone category until I see it for myself and compare it to the 9/11 Commission report.
The writer of the movie is an unabashed conservative named Cyrus Nowrasteh. Last year, Nowrasteh spoke on a panel titled, “Rebels With a Cause: How Conservatives Can Lead Hollywood’s Next Paradigm Shift.” He has described Michael Moore as “an out of control socialist weasel,” and conducted interviews with right-wing websites like FrontPageMag.
The problem isn’t that Nowrasteh is conservative. The problem is that Nowrasteh and ABC are representing “The Path to 9/11" as an unbiased historical drama. Promos for the movie say it is “based on the 9/11 Commission Report.” Nowrasteh claims he “wanted to match the just-the-facts tone of the report,” and describes the project as “an objective telling of the events of 9/11.”
From Sourcewatch:
'Nowrasteh said that he "was provided an incredible amount of research materials and high-level advisors from the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, Diplomatic Security, etc." '
How did he get such access? I wonder how many tax dollars were spent giving him pro-Administration spin. Perhaps because he is a right-wing film producer and the administration knew that they would spin things to attempt to take the heat off GWB.
The movie's account directly contradicts the 9/11 commission report (http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/index.htm), however, which states that it was CIA Director George Tenet that called off the operation, which itself never got off the ground:
"Tenet told us that given the recommendation of his chief operations officers, he alone had decided to 'turn off' the operation. He had simply informed Berger, who had not pushed back. BergerÂ’s recollection was similar. He said the plan was never presented to the White House for a decision.
"The CIAÂ’s senior management clearly did not think the plan would work. TenetÂ’s deputy director of operations wrote to Berger a few weeks later that the CIA assessed the tribalsÂ’ ability to capture Bin Ladin and deliver him to U.S. officials as low." [11]
Posted by: will at September 08, 2006 02:46 PM (h7Ciu)
13
"...until I see it for myself and compare it to the 9/11 Commission report."
Good for you, Will. At least, you are willing to see it before passing judgement - unlike most of the Left who hasn't seen it and it passing around misinformation.
Posted by: Blu at September 08, 2006 05:33 PM (TVuWZ)
My Not So Subtle Attempt To Influence The Sidebar Poll
Just my opinion, but I think the answer to "Who's the World's Greatest Australian?" goes without saying.
Posted by: Kevin Kim at September 07, 2006 09:16 AM (1PcL3)
2
Fuck yeah! Rock on, Annie!
I've got big balls
I've got big balls
They're such big balls
And they're dirty big balls
And he's got big balls
And she's got big balls
But we've got the biggest balls of them all
Posted by: Matt at September 07, 2006 09:50 AM (10G2T)
1
FAN FREAKIN TASTIC. World war one aces has always been one of my favorite things to study in history.
Any of the good movies done about it were so long ago the special effects were crap.
Posted by: kyle8 at August 17, 2006 04:15 PM (mLCGt)
Slate Pans WTC
Although I saw United 93 the day it came out, I haven't made up my mind whether to see World Trade Center by Oliver Stone. Slate's review, which points out some glaring inaccuracies (what a surprise in an Oliver Stone film) makes me lean towards waiting for the DVD.
Since the filmmakers have repeatedly stated their desire to "chronicle what happened as truthfully as we could," World Trade Center will likely go down in the minds of many as a historical and factual account. But Sereika recently told me that he felt the entire rescue, as portrayed in the film, is "fiction"—the facts are so distorted that he didn't recognize what he was seeing as what he lived through.
. . .
This is a case where Hollywood can't be accused of hyping reality—the real rescue was much more amazing and harrowing, especially when you hear the men tell it themselves.
Part of me wants to go, just so I can yell "too soon.. too soon" during the credits. Why is it nobody is pushing the "too soon" meme when a famous nutcase liberal is the director? Oh, I just answered my own question.
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07:34 PM
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