Midtown
The neighborhood along Peachtree Road has always been a great place to be a freak. For a long time it didn’t have a name. It is north of downtown, between Piedmont Park and Georgia Tech. Sometime in the early eighties, people started to call it Midtown, and the name stuck.
In the time after the War Between the States, this area was a shantytown called “Tight Squeeze”. It evolved into a pleasant middle class area. In the sixties, hippies took over. The area was known as the strip, or tight squeeze. Many stories could be told.
After the flower children moved on, the area went into decline. Gays started to move in, with the battle cry “Give us our rights or we will remodel your house.” Developers, worshiping the triune G-d of location, location, location, began to smell money. The neighborhood became trendy, then expensive, then more expensive. The freaks with money remain. This is a repost. Pictures are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
There is a nifty webcam up now. It shows the progress of a high rise going up now at 12th and Peachtree in midtown. The location of the camera itself is not certain, with the speculation centering on 999 Peachtree, two blocks south on Tenth Street.
A glance at the image reveals a curve in the road, between the two glass boxes under construction. Atlanta does not have wide, straight boulevards extending to the horizon. It is said that Atlanta did not build roads, but paved the cow paths.
People of a certain age will remember this area as the strip. The tenth street district was a neighborhood shopping area, up until the mid sixties. At some point, the old businesses started to move out and the hippies moved in. For a while, it was a festive party. Soon enough reality returned, and the area went into a crime filled decline.
The 999 complex is the neighborhood story in a nutshell. Before 1985, it was a block of small businesses. There was a hardware store, with the peace symbol set in tiles in the sidewalk. On Juniper Street stood the Langdon Court Apartments. They were named for PG’s great uncle Langdon Quin. Ru Paul used to stay there. He would sit out on a balcony, and wave to the traffic going by.
Across the street was a chinese restaurant, the House of Eng. A staircase on the side led to the Suzy Wong Lounge. Behind the building was an apartment building. It was one of the residences of Margaret Mitchell, while she wrote “Gone With The Wind”. She called it “the dump”, which was fairly accurate. The museum on that site would have amazed her.
PG went to the House of Eng for lunch one day in 1985. He noticed that he was the only customer in the house, at 12:30 pm on a weekday. After finishing his lunch, PG knew why.
At some point, it was decided to build a high rise there. Heery was one of the equity partners, along with a law firm and an ad agency. The building was designed by Heery (duh).The ad agency folded before the building opened, followed within a couple of years by the law firm. Heery was sold to a British company. PG does not know who owns 999 Peachtree now.
This is a repost, with pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. The building, at 12th and Peachtree, is finished.
Happy Birthday Mr. Ginsberg
This feature was originally intended to honor the arrival of a certain poet in 1926. June 3 is also the birthay of Jefferson Davis (1808), Josephine Baker (1906), Paulette Goddard (1910), Tony Curtis (1925), Allen Ginsberg (1926). People who met their maker on June 3 include Ozzie Nelson (1975), Billy Joe McAllister (1967), Ruhollah Khomeini (1989), Rue McClanahan (2010), Jack Kevorkian (2011), Muhammad Ali (2016). There is a synchronicity to the demise of Dr. Kervorkian.
Allen Ginsberg would be 92 today, if nature had not made other plans in 1997. The son of Louis and Naomi Ginsberg arrived, in Newark NJ, June 3,1926.
Allen Ginsberg had a part in many new age dramas, with a few musicals and comedies thrown in for good measure. Hippie, beatnik, gay, artist, peace promoter, Buddhist convert…these are a few of the labels. He became famous for being famous, well known to people who never read a word of his poems. Two of the more famous were howl and kaddish.
Howl became scandalous in 1956 when it was busted for obscenity. It is mild by today’s standards, but almost landed Mr. Ginsberg in prison. PG heard about howl in the early nineties, and looked high and low for a copy. He could not find one. Today on the internet, not only is the text widely available, there are recordings of Mr. Ginsberg reading his work. (Here is an updated version: howl 2011)
The original plan was to listen to Mr. Ginsberg read while editing photos. PG was going to listen to the words, and think of something to say while listening to the bard. About the seventeenth time Mr. Ginsberg shouted “Moloch”, the plan began to fall apart.
The next poem was Kaddish. This is about Naomi Ginsberg, the mother of the poet, who evidently had some issues. This was tough for PG to listen to. The other night, PG had a disturbing dream about his own late mother. In this dream, a fearsome shouter came in wearing a black suit, which meant that he intended to do some scary shouting. PG went into another room, where his recently deceased mother was laying on a table.
1956 was the year of the obscenity trial for howl. This took place on the other side of america, from the Brookhaven where PG was two years old. This was the year when his brother was born, the year when the Georgia legislature voted in a new flag, for whatever reason. In 1955, President Eisenhower had a heart attack. Many wondered if it was a good idea to have Richard Nixon as the vice president.
Finally, PG could stand no more of that voice. The player was turned off, the files stored on an external hard drive, never to be heard again. PG just is not a poetry person. This is a repost, with pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Bob Dylan’s Birthday
This is a repost. Pictures are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. Today is Bob Dylan’s seventy seventh birthday. This chamblee 54 birthday tribute is composed primarily of three previously published pieces of work.
This compendium was assembled in 2016. On David Bowie’s in 2016, PG created a computer playlist, and assembled a few blog posts into a birthday celebration. Three days later, David Bowie was dead. PG decided to do the same thing to Bob Dylan on his birthday. Instead of dying, Bob Dylan won the Nobel prize. A similar effort on RuPaul’s birthday had no effect on the performer.
It was a late may morning in Atlanta GA, and a slack blogger was searching his archives. Yes, Issac Asinov never got writers block, and when he wasn’t going to the bathroom he was typing, but that is a lifestyle choice. Easy writing makes tough reading. So, anyway, in the may archive for 2011 there was a post about Bob Dylan’s seventieth birthday. People were taking bets on whether he would make it to thirty, and here he is at seventy seven.
Hibbing MN is a cold place. At least it can claim to be the birthplace of Robert Allen Zimmerman. That’s Allen ,with an e, and double L, just like hell. The original initials were RAZ, which might be a good trivia question, or, with a silent W in front, radio station call letters. The problem is, he legally changed his name to Bob Dylan, with no known middle name. Those initial are BD.
On May 24, 1941, the curly haired wonder boi arrived. The world was a different place. Europe was in flames, and eyeing the young men of America as fresh cannon fodder. This was twelve years, eleven months, and eighteen days before PG graced the planet. A twelve year old in Hibbing MN would have no reason to think of a newborn baby in Atlanta GA.
These days, not everyone knows who Bob Dylan is. Auto tuned automated canned music is the next big thing. If auto tune had been around in 1963, we would never had known how badly Mr. Dylan sings. In an age where rappers pay ghost writers to compose their tweets, being able to write songs is not valued. There is just no telling. And so it goes.
A.J. Weberman has made a life out of going through Bob Dylan’s garbage. He wrote a book, “The Devil and Bob Dylan”. “THIS BOOK CHALLENGES ALL PREVIOUS CONVENTIONAL THINKING ABOUT BOB DYLAN. DYLAN IS JUST THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE HIM TO BE. BUT WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE EXPOSING HIM AS A RACIST, HIV POSITIVE EX-JUNKIE AND HOLOCAUST DENIER? NONE EXCEPT THAT OF TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE. $17 INCLUDING POSTAGE! THE BOOK IS 500 PAGES AND FULLY ILLUSTRATED.
There was a comment on the Bob Dylan webpage… Everybody knows by now that there’s a gazillion books on me either out or coming out in the near future. So I’m encouraging anybody who’s ever met me, heard me or even seen me, to get in on the action and scribble their own book. You never know, somebody might have a great book in them. PG doesn’t write books. He did grow up in America, and has a few opinions about Bob Dylan. It ought to be good for a few hundred words here. (HT to dangerous minds ) (Chamblee54 has posted about Mr. Dylan before.)
The first time PG heard of Bob Dylan was probably at the record rack of Zippy’s dime store in Cherokee Plaza. There was an album of his greatest hits, and it came with a poster. The poster had a drawing of the man, with psychedelic waves of hair cascading in multi colored glory to the edges. PG never did buy the LP.
The former Mr. Zimmerman was never big on top 40 am radio. Somebody somewhere was getting a headache over those lyrics, but Atlanta GA was not somewhere in those days. By this time, Mr. Dylan had crashed his motorcycle, and gone into hiding. As the counter culture exploded (if only someone had disinfected that counter) the curly haired poet was in hiding, the subject of much speculation. At one point, people were stealing his garbage, and claiming to find evidence of investment in munitions firms. The neoscience of Dylanology continues to this day.
As PG got older and stupider, he heard more and more Bob Dylan music. In the summer of 1972, there was a performance at the Concert for Bangladesh. A couple of albums released during this era sucked, and some people stopped caring about Bob Dylan.
At the start of 1974, a tour was announced. The Band was to be the backing group. The circus came to the Omni, and PG got some of the mail order tickets. He couldn’t find anyone to use the second ticket, and sold it to a stranger outside the arena.
The show was nothing special. Bob Dylan excels at writing, is ok in the studio, and blah on stage. Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter was at the show, and was said to look bored. Mr. Dylan was invited to the Governor’s mansion after the show, and talked to the Governor. A lot of people in Georgia were surprised that Jimmy would want to run for President.
As the Seventies went me me meing into sex and drugs oblivion, Bob Dylan regained both his writing touch, and love of the spotlight. The Rolling Thunder tour happened, he got back together with Joan Baez, divorced his wife, became born again, became more Jewish, counted money, and generally lived the life. PG did his own version of all that, without Joan Baez or being circumcised again.
In the winter of 1991, America was consumed by war fever. Saddam Hussein had been elevated to next Hitler status, and had to be taught a lesson. One night, Bob Dylan played on a music awards show, and performed “Masters of War”. He played a discordant version of that ditty, with the result that few understood what he had said. By this time, Mr. Dylan had assembled a band, and gone out on the “Never Ending Tour”. A Bob Dylan concert had gone from being a special event, to being another name on the festival roster. Overexposure will do that.
On the last night of the Olympics in 1996, Bob Dylan played the House of Blues downtown. PG won a pair of the $80 tickets in a radio station contest. It was his only trip downtown during the games, and had to wait in a security line to get into Centennial Olympic Park.
The only celebrity, other than Mr. Dylan, seen at the House of Blues that night was Bill Walton. The band was competent…they impressed PG as being like a bar band that did a lot of Dylan songs, with a strangely authentic lead vocalist. The sound in the room was not good, at least in the spot where PG stood. The only song he recognized was “All along the Watchtower”, the Jimi Hendrix classic. Mr. Dylan got a cheer when he put his harmonica appliance on.
The aptly named dangerousminds has a link to a story about the recording of Blonde on Blonde, by Bob Dylan. It only happened once.
Bob Dylan was 24 years old, newly married, and had “sold out” i.e. started to play electric guitar. A bunch of Canadians known as The Hawks (later The Band) was touring with him. Barely a month after the release of “Highway 61 Revisited”, sessions started at a New York studio.
The New York sessions did not work, so a decision was made to go to Nashville. Al Kooper played organ, and served as a music director. A crew of Nashville players was recruited. A bass player named Joseph Souter, Jr. would become famous a few years later using the name Joe South. Kris Kristofferson was the janitor at the studio.
Most studios have bafflers, or sound proof room dividers, splitting the studio into cubicles. For these sessions, the bafflers were taken down, and the band played together as a unit.
The second session in Nashville started at 6pm and lasted until 530 the next morning. Mr. Dylan was working on the lyrics to “Sad eyed lady of the lowlands”, and the recording could not start until he was ready. The musicians played ping pong and waited. At 4am, the song was ready, and the record was finished in two takes.
PG had marginal encounters with two of the players on this album. He met a lady once, who worked in an insurance office. One of the customers was Joe South. His driving record file was an inch thick.
Al Kooper had a prosperous career after his association with Bob Dylan. The former Alan Peter Kuperschmidt produced the first three Lynyrd Skynyrd albums, sold that contract for a nice piece of change, and lived happily ever after.
One night, Mr. Kooper was playing a show at the Great Southeast Music Hall, and PG sat in front of the stage. During a break between songs, PG asked his friend “what time is it?”. Mr. Kooper heard him on stage, and said it was 11:30.
If it ever quits raining, PG is going to walk to the Chamblee library and return a book, and a cd. The cd is by Bob Dylan, and is a work of genius. The book is about the former Mr. Zimmerman, and is a piece of garbage. (BTW, Dylan is not the only Zimmerman to hit the big time. Ethel Merman was born Ethel Agnes Zimmerman.The Zimmerman telegram got us into World War I. The less said about George Zimmerman, the better)
When returning cd’s to a library, you need to get a check in receipt. Once, PG returned a stack of cd’s to the Brookhaven library. When checking them in, one was missed by the scanner. A few days later, there was a note in the mail about an overdue cd.
The good news was, the cd was on the shelf when PG went back to investigate, and the matter was quickly settled. It did not help that the cd was a collection of disco music called “Shake your booty”.
“The freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” was released in the early sixties, when the man was barely old enough to buy a drink. There is not a bad song on it, and several are classic rock staples. At a time when mindless pop dominated pop music, here were thoughtful, moving lyrics.
In 1991, with America in a war frenzy, Mr. Dylan appeared on a music awards show. He performed “Masters of War”, at a time when the majority would be appalled if they could understand what he was singing. Mr. Dylan has been reinvented many times, and often the lyrics get gargled.
Five years later, PG won tickets to a Bob Dylan concert. It was the last night of the Olympics, and the man was appearing at the House of Blues. (Tickets were $80, so the radio contest is the only reason PG went). It was like hearing a good bar band, that did nothing but Dylan songs, with the man as the vocalist. Due to the mix of the sound, PG could not recognize many of the songs.
The book is Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet by Seth Rogovoy. It tells the Dylan tale as a story of Jewish prophecy. PG got to page 16, where the author claims that “Like a Rolling Stone” “almost single handedly revolutionized rock’n roll music”. Huh?
PG was eating dinner, and did not have anything else to read. He got to page 38. Nothing in the next 22 pages changed his mind away from ditching the book. How does nonsense like this get published?
The Great Southeast Music Hall
The Great Southeast Music Hall was an important part of life in Atlanta during the seventies. It was located in the elbow of a shopping center, Broadview Plaza. A bowling alley was downstairs, a two level K mart next door, and Atlanta’s first hispanic neighborhood across the street. Like almost everything else here, Broadview Plaza was torn down, and replaced by a more uppity set of stores.
When you went into the lobby of the Music Hall, you noticed the walls. Performers were given a magic marker, and encouraged to leave a message. John Mayall found the ladies room, and said he likes to be near the ladies. The late Phil Ochs said “Impeach Nixon and Agnew”. What happened to those boards is a good question.
The auditorium held about 500 people. The stage was only three feet or so above the floor. There was an empty space in front of the stage, and a few rows of bench backs behind that. When the place opened, there were lots of pillows on this floor, with the Music Hall logo. The carpet in this front area was fresh when the place opened, and got progressively grosser as the years went by. Beer was served in aluminum buckets, and inevitably some wound up on the carpet.
The show the Music Hall is most famous for is the US debut of the Sex Pistols. PG didn’t make it that night, but has heard from a few who did. The performance was said to be horrible. There are stories of Sid Vicious wandering through the apartments around Broadview trying to find heroin. Years later, PG was reading about that night in Please Kill Me, when the train he was riding pulled into the Lindberg Marta station. This is across the street from the Broadview Plaza, still standing at the time.
These days, the intersection of Lindbergh Drive and Piedmont Road (about a mile north of the park) is next to Hiway 400. When the Music Hall was in it’s prime, the land for the Highway was owned by the State of Georgia, which was fighting legal battles over the highway. The land had a network of dirt roads, one of which connected Buford Hiway to Lindbergh Drive. When you went from Chamblee to the Music Hall, the most direct route was over this dirt road. This dirt road is where Sidney Marcus Boulevard is today. Broadview Plaza was torn down, and replaced by a Home Depot.
Eventually, the business model for the Music Hall did not work, and the facility moved to Cherokee Plaza. This Music Hall was in a movie theater. The Cherokee Plaza Theater was the scene for the world premiere of Son of Dracula . This move did not work, for a number of reasons. The parking lot was too small, and people who wanted a loaf of bread from the A&P were blocked out during shows. Cherokee Plaza is just outside the city limits, on Peachtree Road. In the late seventies, DeKalb county was aggressively fighting drunk driving, and had roadblocks. Many of these roadblocks were outside the Music Hall, which kept many people from attending. Before long, this Music Hall closed.
Many years later, PG bought a second hand typewriter, and needed a ribbon. (Younger readers should ask an older person about this.) He went into an office supply store in Broadview Plaza, and soon realized that he was standing on the site of the Music Hall. He asked the clerk if he could have a bucket of beer, and got a very strange look in return.
One industrious afternoon during this era, PG made a list of shows he saw at the Music Hall. The memory cells are already protesting, but we are going to try and remember as much as possible about these shows. A big thank you to Wikipedia for help with spelling and names.
New York Rock Ensemble – PG walked into the auditorium during the last part of the first show, as the band played “A whiter shade of pale”. The bass player wore lace up boots, with the pants legs tucked into them. Before long, the second show came on stage. Keyboard player Michael Kamen was the central focus, acting out the lyrics to “Anaconda”.
Silverman Deborah McColl fronted this drummerless band
Al Kooper PG has written about an unfortunate incident involving Al Kooper during this show. This would have never happened in “The Catcher in the Rye”…the kids always knew what time it was in that story. Mr. Kooper did a solo show, including “Sam Stone” by John Prine.
Ellen McIlwaine/ James Cotton Blues Band Ms. McIlwaine was pregnant, and played slide guitar. Mr. Cotton played harmonica. One of his players started to fan him with a towel, because he was hot.
Breakfast Special/ Doc and Merle Watson Breakfast Special was a local bluegrass crew, who did “The coming down song”. The Watsons did ” Deep River Blues” and “Thats All”, among other things. PG had a copy of their latest LP, and asked Merle to autograph it. He wrote his name on one side, turned it over, and signed Doc’s name on the other side.
Mason/Atlanta Rythym Section This show was the night Led Zeppelin played Atlanta Stadium.
New Riders of the Purple Sage When the Music Hall opened, a performer would typically play from Tuesday to Sunday. NRPS was a one night show. They worked well in the packed hall, and shined on “Glenville Train”. The next year, they did a tour with Commander Cody and The Lost Planet Airmen. Commander Cody opened, and raised hell. NRPS followed with a mellow rock show, and before long people were getting bored and leaving.
David Buskin / Loudon Wainwright III Chamblee 54 has written about this show before. Mr. Buskin talked about doing a show at Max’s Kansas City, the person sitting next to PG said “Gross”.
Steve Martin / Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Chamblee54 has written about the show by Mr. Martin . This was his last tour as an opening act. Nitty Gritty was a sight to behold. John McEuen played fiddle, and recited a poem about life.
Martin Mull / Melissa Manchester PG went to see Mr. Mull, who opened the show with a three piece band. (After the show, Mr. Mull said the name of the band was the (your name) (draws a blank with his fingers) orchestra.) The headliner was Ms. Manchester, little known at the time. She was a knockout. While standup comedy has it’s place, for emotional impact there is nothing like a singer.
Texas Gary Bennett / Weather Report Mr. Bennett played acoustic guitar, and sang, as an opener for a packed house of jazz rockers. It did not go well. At one point, trying to get some rapport with the crowd, he said ” has anyone here been busted at the Omni?” (The authorities had begun arresting people for smoking pot at the major concerts.)
Weather Report was amazing. Josef Zawinul had the loud keyboard sound, Wayne Shorter played his leads on soprano sax, and there was a drummer and percussion player. There was tons of rythym, to go with the electronic jazz sounds. When it was over, PG went up to Mr. Zawinul, shook his hand and, and said thank you. He was pouring a glass of beer from a pitcher, and looked a bit startled.
David Pomerance / Rahsaan Roland Kirk Chamblee54 has written about this show before. Mr. Kirk was a force of nature, the modern miracle of the tenor saxophone. He did not suffer from false modesty. This was the night Richard Nixon resigned, which pleased Mr. Kirk no end. The blind Rahsaan said that he did not want to see his audience, because we were too ugly. At one point, his band had been jamming for about ten minutes, when PG realized that Mr. Kirk had been holding a single note the entire time. The three saxophones at one time thing was a visual shocker, but he got sounds that way that you cannot get from a single instrument. At one point, Mr. Kirk pulled his sunglasses off, and made a face at the crowd. It was an amazing evening.
Chic Corea / Return to Forever This was a disappointment. Tickets were $4.50, which may be the most PG ever paid at the Music Hall. The band only played about an hour. It was all electric, ignoring the acoustic instruments set up on stage. RTF was a four piece, all star band. They had Chic Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, Al Demeola on guitar, and Lenny White on drums. That sounds like a great show, but it turned out to be four solo artists jamming. There was no cohesion, and the overall sound was less than the sum of the individual parts. Corea leaned over his keyboard, twisted knobs, and made faces, as if to say “look at how intense this is”. It wasn’t.
Mccoy Tyner The former Coltrane sideman played a very nice show. He had a percussion man, with several tables covered in exotic instruments. PG took a break after to first show to hang out at a neighborhood disco. When he got back, there was no doorman checking tickets, and anyone could walk in for free. PG took advantage of this discovery many times over the next few years.
Bill Crystal / Jean Luc Ponty Former Frank Zappa player Jean Luc Ponty played at the Music Hall, with a bass player who was a fellow Zappa alumni. The surprise of the evening was then-unknown Bill Crystal. A few weeks after this show, “Soap” would premiere, and make him a star. Mr. Crystal did a killer impersonation of a gila monster.
Between shows, Mr. Crystal had been entertained by a local musician. During the second show, he held his finger to his nose, made a snorting sound, and said thank you. PG heard this, and yelled “Locker Room”, the name of a “deooderizer” that some liked to get a buzz sniffing. Mr. Crystal said “Locker room. Jeez, I need to get the hecklers rosetta stone to know what he means”. Good times.
Keith Jarrett This is another show that might have been better than PG’s enjoyment. At one point early in the show, PG moved over to the front of the stage, to look at Mr. Jarrett’s hands. After the show, people told PG that the player had been giving him dirty looks when he did that. PG asked Mr. Jarrett about it, and he said that PG had interfered with his concentration.
This show featured a quartet, instead of a solo piano. The bass player was Charley Haden, who seemed a bit puffy faced. PG later learned that he had been addicted to heroin at the time.
Melissa Manchester Ms. Manchester came back for another week at the Music Hall, about a year after her first appearance. At one point, she asked the band if they were ready to do a new song, and then performed “I got eyes” for the first time in public. This was later the b side to “Midnight Blue”. One of the players in her band was a man named James Newton Howard. Part of the deal for touring with her was that he could play a solo number on piano, called “Newton’s Ego”. He later played with Elton John, and became wealthy writing film scores.
Flora Purim /Airto Moreira On PG’s 23rd birthday, Flora Purim played at the Music Hall. At the time, PG had a profound appreciation of her albums. The band had a nice sound, and was the equal of her records. The Chic Corea tune “Light as a Feather” was a standout. Her husband, Airto Moreira (eye, ear, toe) fronted the band on some of the numbers, and had some funny routines. Ms. Purim held two microphones throughout the show, with one connected to some audio filters. PG found holding two microphones to be visually distracting. PG had known of the Jewish ancestry of Ms. Purim, but had not thought much about it. Then he saw her live, and realized that she does, indeed, look Jewish. A Piedmont Park show in 1987 was rained out.
Hot Tuna Hot Tuna is a dependable, though not spectacular, band. On a previous show in Atlanta, they went on stage at 10:55, and played without a break until 2:50. This night, a fried of a friend was working at the Music Hall, and PG got in before the crowds, to get a prime spot, in the first row of benchbacks. At one point, PG was rocking back and forth against the benchback, and a neighbor asked him to quit. Those buckets of beer were influential.
Shakti This was an acoustic, Hindu oriented band fronted by guitar superman John McLaughlin. The numbers seemed to go on forever.
David Manion / Mark Almond This was a long awaited Atlanta performance by Mark Almond. (This is a jazz/blues band, totally different from the Soft Cell vocalist with a similar name.) They played two sets, which were only an hour or so long. This was disappointing to the people who could not wait for the second show. In the second show, they “took the shackles off” saxophone player Johnny Almond, and he played a wild solo during “The city”.
The incident we are about to describe may or may not have involved David Manion. What happened was, a small portable radio was playing on the edge of the stage. The spotlight was on the radio, which sounded like gibberish to most of the audience. Gradually, the chattering audience got quiet, and tried to listen to the radio. After a few minutes, a man came out, and stood in darkness behind the radio. The PA speaker announced “The new force of rock in Atlanta”. The man then dropped a large piece of granite on the radio, smashing it into bits.
Laurie Chapman / Stomu Yamashta Laurie Chapman was a singer/piano player, with some good stories. She told of a trucker, driving beside her and talking to her on a cb radio. ” You better get that drink out from between your legs before it gets too hot to handle”.
Stomu Yamashta is somewhat of a star in Japan. The show here was filmed for showing on TV there. His band, Go, was an all star collection, including Ava Cherry. She was a backup vocalist, and girlfriend, with David Bowie. After the show, PG was introduced to Spencer Davis in the lobby.
The next few shows were at Cherokee Plaza.
Martin Mull Mr. Mull was a solo star this time. He did a song about doing nothing, adding that dead people can do it too. The parking lot was packed, which was a major problem at the new location.
The week before the Super Bowl in 1994, Mr. Mull filmed a Comedy Central show in Woodruff Park. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders were kicking field goals. After the filming PG stood a few feet away from Mr. Mull, but could not think of anything to say.
Sun Ra PG went to a wedding, and a bunch of people from there went to see Sun Ra. This was an entertaining spectacle, with a big band and dancers. After the show, PG asked Sun Ra how he could afford to take a band like that on the road. He said he was doing it for beauty.
David Bromberg This was another big band production. PG showed within a few minutes of the gateman leaving his post, and saw about 45 minutes without buying a ticket.
Lester Flatt/John Hartford One boring Saturday night, PG walked up to the Music Hall, and saw the two fiddle players jamming. A few weeks later, Lester Flatt passed away. This is a repost. Pictures today are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. As a bonus to the reader(s) here, we are reposting Great Southeast Music Hall Stories. It is a collection of comments from an earlier posting of this feature.
Chamblee54 posted a tribute to The Great Southeast Music Hall a few years ago. This was a concert venue, with no hard liquor and a 500 person capacity, next door to a bowling alley on Piedmont Road. It was about a mile north of Piedmont Park, and in front of the dirt road that became Sidney Marcus Boulevard. GSEMH hosted some great shows. This was when record companies would invest in new bands by putting them on promotional tours, and Atlanta was a popular stop.
The chamblee54 post attracted 85 comments. This is a slow day for Matt Walsh, but is a record for chamblee54. Most of the comments were boring … great place to play, I saw Steve Martin there and drank too many buckets of beer. A few of these comments tell stories. This post puts the best of the GSEMH comments in one place. Pictures are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. See if you can guess which one was taken at GSEMH.
Neal B. – Som Records June 10, 2012 at 5:18 pm Great reading! Brought back some memories. I saw three shows at the Music Hall – The Dixie Dregs, Elvin Bishop and David Allan Coe. I saw Coe the night before my SATs in 1978 or ’79 and it was (and still is) the most bikers I’ve ever seen in once place. Elvin Bishop just tore it up, really good.
jake lamb May 17, 2011 at 11:34 am Great stories of our past. I can’t remember the shows I went to, but after reading your post it certainly helps clear the fog. As I went thru the list I noted, “Yep I was with CG at that show, that one too, oh yeah, I remember Al saying to you what time it was but didn’t you delete the expletives? Odetta blasting the audience for not showing her the proper respect…what a crybaby! The autographed Marc Almond Album, meeting them backstage to learn how the finger was ripped from Jon’s hand after a tree limb caught on his ring finger when he jumped out of a tree during a photo shoot, resulting in having to learn how to play the saxaphone with one less digit ala Jerry Garcia, and the Hot Tuna Show with Papa John Screech. Flora and Eye Ear Toes logo on his equipment. Was it there that we went on Halloween, me dressed as a bagman for Nixon (A paper sack over my head) and you going as a Bee-keeper (a vegetable strainer over your head)? God we were hilarious! It’s all beginning to come back, but what never went away was remembering the great friend I went with.
Eugene Gray June 24, 2012 at 11:30 am I grew up in Atlanta so thanks for the memories about the shows at The Great Southeast Music Hall. I attended numerous shows between the years 1974 and 1977. From what I can remember (I do have “70s Memory” after all), here’s some highlights: Kinky Friedman — Smoked a huge cigar throughout the show and tipped his ashes in an ash tray attached to his microphone stand. Brought the house down with ‘Sold American.’ David Allan Coe — Played the first half of the show in his “Country Crooner” persona wearing a white suit and white cowboy hat; then played the second half as The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy complete with rhinestone jacket and black mask. Played a hard-rockin’ version of ‘Bossier City’ to close out the show. Best memory: New Riders of the Purple Sage Show opened late with only John Dawson (acoustic guitar) and Buddy Cage (pedal steel) taking the stage. Seems their limo made the right exit off of 285 but the other limo kept going. After Dawson telling us that, he said, “Well, you might not have all of us but you do have two.” He and Cage then played a short set together including a beautiful version of ‘Gypsy Cowboy.’ The other members trickled in and started playing, all having a good time with the audience about their site-seeing tour of Atlanta via 285. Fantastic show and my best memory of The Hall. Weirdest experience: For lack of something to do, went to see the New Zealand group Split Enz. A fun but bizarre show with a group outside my typical taste. Sort of a cross between Devo and Bowie and the Bay City Rollers. Truly a strange show. Worst experience: Pure Prairie League — I was always, always let in and served beer before I turned 18 in ’76. Except for one time. Missed Pure Prairie League because we were all carded; the only time I was ever asked for my ID here. Always regretted missing them since the original band broke up right after this tour. Damn. Thanks again for a spot to remember one of the best concert venues (ever) in Atlanta.
Anonymous July 11, 2012 at 3:03 pm Saw many great shows at the Music Hall; Leon Redbone, Don McLean, Bruce Cogburn, but the funniest thing was at Darryl Rhoads show. My girlfriend (now wife of 30 years) went missing when she left to go make the parent check-in phone call. I found her coming around the corner in the hallway, mad at some guy who wouldn’t get off the phone in the lobby. The “guy” was Darryl and he made a few comments to her from the stage during the show just to keep her pissed. It’s funny now, but I could have died then…
Pharmacist Jim April 28, 2013 at 12:01 pm How about when Jimmy Buffett opened for Billy Joel there in 1974. I was a Pharmacist at Eckerd Drugs in the plaza at the time when Jimmy called me and asked me to call his physician in Key West for a prescription–a musician who wanted to get a legitimate prescription, unheard of!!! I was already a Buffett fan, but this just made me respect him that much more and I’ve been a “Parrot Head” since, now so more than ever since I live in Florida.
Anonymous October 23, 2013 at 8:29 am My best friend and I moved to Atlanta (on purpose) for just the summer of ’73 and attended MANY MANY great shows at the Music Hall. It was SO awesome. Saw Billy Joel right around the Captain Jack release time and he asked me out after the show. Of course, I answered with a resounding “NO! Thank You!!” (you see, I was ABSOLUTELY too cute for him…hehe — not to mention, I thought his nose was entirely too big.) Also, saw Jimmy Buffett who talked to us from the stage because we were from Hattiesburg, MS and he had gone to school there at the University of Southern Mississippi. SOOO COOL!!!
Rod Pearman May 28, 2015 at 10:00 am Couldn’t help but have a smile on my face as I read all these comments. THE Great Southeast Music Hall and Emporium………man, the memories. Sometimes I think I could write a book. My roommate and I lived at Bordeaux Apts. on Buford Hwy, which was just a hop skip and jump over to The Hall via the dirt road which is now Sidney Marcus……..we lived there from 1972 to early 1980, which might be a record for two dudes that were party animals to have survived that long in one apartment complex. Anyhow, we frequented GSEMH about once a month when an act we wanted to see was to play there. A couple of my fondest memories now that I’m in my mid 60’s is, it had to be sometime in ’75. We went to see The Dirt Band (one my favorites of all time) The opening act was this guy named Steve Martin, who at that time, no one on the planet had ever heard of him. Well he comes out, and within 30 seconds he has us so cracked up we’re shooting beer out our noses from his comedy. Really funny stuff, and had no idea it was coming. Well, he does his gig, then the Dirt Band comes out. They play a great set, take a little break, and when they came back out on stage, here comes Steve Martin with a banjo over his shoulder. So we’re all thinking this will be something funny, this guy with a banjo. This guy took off on his “ban-jer” and everybody’s jaw hit the floor. He really tore it up. Then the Dirt Band joined in and he played a few tunes with the band. The guy was incredible on the banjo. Then a few months later, Saturday Night Live did their first show, and there’s Steve Martin on TV. I look over at my roommate as he’s looking at me, and we’re both saying in unison, hey, that’s the guy from The Great Southeast Music Hall. Pretty neat that we got to see him when nobody had a clue of his talent. … I got home later that night, and my roommate (yeah, the same guy I mentioned in earlier chapters of this book….) said he saw something on TV that I wouldn’t believe. Turns out, one of the local TV stations (2, 5, or 11) had sent a reporter over to cover the final show of The Great Southeast Music Hall, and while reporting out front of the establishment, there were about a dozen folks standing there sorta behind the reporter. Well, this one fair lady decided to nonchalantly pull a boob out of her tank top and display it for all the world to see, right there on live TV. My roommate said it was something he’d never forget, and we tell the story often. (I wonder who that young lady was sometimes……) but I digress……..
alun v September 23, 2014 at 11:54 am As the Audio Engineer and last guy to walk out the door @ the Lindbergh (and Cherokee Plaza) locations, the walls, painted and autographed by many of the acts, were destroyed; (legal issues I guess). I still have the door to the tech room, signed by Cowboy, a personal favorite. BTW, I saw the concrete sidewalk @ Peaches, with hand / foot prints and signatures, also destroyed and hauled off………lawyers.
julia guthrie November 26, 2015 at 10:38 pm I just caught the 50th anniversary! of Alice’s restaurant masacree on pbs. Brought back the memory of seeing Arlo at the Great Southeast Music Hall. I was drunk(and maybe other) and it was my birthday, so my bf said I should try to talk to Arlo because my name is Guthrie! I was just drunk and young enough to do just that. I finagled my way to the tourbus door(was pretty good at talking my way into things back then), announced that I was a cousin, and ended up sitting at the little bus table, smoking and talking with Arlo and fam. Pretty sure all I added to the conversation was a shit-eating grin, but it was one of the highlights of my youthful escapades. Loved going to the Music Hall! Ah…youth and happy times. I also lived at Bordeaux apts for a while! Peace:)
Rod November 27, 2015 at 11:06 am You can’t beat Alice’s Restaurant on Thanksgiving Day. I used to have an annual tradition of listening to that song on my Technic’s turntable for probably 30+ years, but somehow that tradition faded out a few years ago. (Maybe because my turntable is sitting on a shelf in my closet Definitely great memories at the Hall. Hard to believe it’s been 40 years ago, give or take. I lived at Bordeaux for 7 years through the ’70’s, which might be a record. We were in G building, and had some of the best parties in NE Atlanta. It was standing room only, kegs on the deck, music crankin’ just below distortion level. Those were the days!
BRIAN HOLCOMB June 19, 2015 at 6:00 pm I was a freshman student a GSU in 74 After one of the shows (can’t remember who) I was standing outside in the corridor waiting on some friends. When out the door came my General Chemistry Professor Dr Sears arm in arm with the best looking girl in my class. They turned beet red turned and got away from me as quick as they could. I often wonder if I could have went and bribed an A out of him. LOL
SideShow Bennie December 1, 2015 at 5:24 pm I just stumbled across this article when I Googled GSMH. I lived in Atlanta in 1972-73 and attended a lot of shows at the Broadview Plaza location. I was at one of the Howdy Doody Revival shows that is on the poster pictured in the article. I remember Bob Smith hitting a bad note on the piano, reaching inside and pulling out a pack of ZigZag rolling papers saying, “Clarabelle leaves these things everywhere.” Other shows I remember seeing were Johnny Nash with Sons of The Jungle (The first actual Jamacian Reggae band I ever saw) John Hartford, The Earl Scruggs Revue, Joe Walsh with Barnstorm, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, Doc Watson, The Hahavishnu Orchestra, Martin Mull, Doug Kershaw. I am pretty sure I was at the Ellen McIllwain and the Breakfast Special shows you mentioned but there were show where a lot of beer buckets were emptied so a lot of those shows are a little hazy. I still have a bucket or two around the house here somewhere. Thanks for the memories!!
chamblee54 May 20, 2018 at 12:31 pm There was a facebook meme. The idea was to say 10 things about yourself, 9 of which were true. Facebook nation was supposed to guess which one was false. PG posted a GSEMH version. He listed 10 acts, 9 of which he saw at the Music Hall. (PG never said Great Southeast, just *the music hall*). The 10 acts listed: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steve Martin, Martin Mull, Weather Report, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Sex Pistols, Melissa Manchester, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Doc and Merle Watson, Atlanta Rythym Section. You will have to read the post to see what act is the lie, and the 9 acts that PG did see.
David Manion May 20, 2018 at 12:54pm Yes I smashed a transistor radio just before my opening set for Marc almond.
Doug DeLoach May 23 2018 at 4:20 pm “The performance [by the Sex Pistols] was said to be horrible.” You must have exclusively heard either from people who weren’t there or scene trolls who hated punk rock in the first place. The show was about as awesomely punk as punk can get.
Killing Contest Score
This year has been deadlier for American students than American military members The headline at the New York Daily News is all over facebook. So far in 2018, “… 31 people … have been killed at schools since Jan. 1, according to data compiled by the Washington Post. Twenty-nine U.S. service members have been killed in the same timeframe, including both combat and noncombat deaths, according to the Pentagon.” There was no link given to the Pentagon source.
There was another incident last week that produced a lot of dead people. People gathered at the Gaza border, and were killed by the I.D.F. PG was curious how many people were killed, and how this compares to American students. He googled how many Palestinians killed by israel in 2018. The best answer, at least for last Monday, is 62, or twice the number of American students.
There were two headlines listed as “top stories.” Hamas official: 50 of the 62 Gazans killed in border violence were our members ~ Top IDF spokesperson tells U.S. Jews: Israel failed to minimize Gaza casualties, Hamas won PR war by knockout Israel is very good at media.
The Times of Israel article was based on reporting by The Middle East Media Research Institute. “Hamas Political Bureau Member Salah Al-Bardawil said that of the 62 people killed in clashes along the Gaza border on May 14, 50 were from Hamas. Al-Bardawil, speaking on May 16 on Baladna TV, which broadcasts from Gaza, stressed that this was the official figure. Interviewer: “Many people are saying that the children… I’m telling you what people are saying. It’s not that I believe this. People are saying that children are dying and that Hamas is reaping the fruits.” Salah Al-Bardawil: “In the last round, there were 62 martyrs.” Interviewer: “Right.” Salah Al-Bardawil: “50 of the martyrs were from Hamas, and the other 12 were regular people. So how can anyone claim that Hamas is reaping the fruits, when it paid such a steep price? What did Hamas gain? 50 martyrs…”
It is not known what language this interview took place. When you translate Mid-Eastern languages into English, you can put words in someone’s mouth with impunity. Even if the people killed were Hamas members, does that justify Israel killing them? Is anyone naive enough to think that Human Lives Matter? The paywall protected Haaretz says that Hamas won PR war by knockout. The Times of Israel counters with Confident Hamas planned victory rallies for its leaders inside Israel
The bottom line: twice as many people were killed at the Gaza border in one day, than in American schools all year. Good luck getting the NYDN to print that headline. Pictures today are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Changing The Flag
This is a repost, with pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. It was written in first person. The issue discussed has mostly faded away, except for a few hardcore cranks. Politicians have found new issues to distract voters when they want to make crooked deals. These things too shall pass away.
In 1994 I was working in downtown Atlanta. I represented my company in a customer’s office, and there was often time with nothing to do. At the very least, there was no time clock. Lunch could slip into overtime with few consequences.
There was an issue in the news in 1994, along with some claims that I did not believe. This issue was whether, or not, to change the state flag. One day, I went to the library, and sat down with the microfilms of the Atlanta Constitution (Covers Dixie Like the Dew) for the Winter of 1956.
One of the fun things about doing research is the things you were not looking for. Elvis Presley made a personal appearance at the Fox Theater. Atlanta Blue opened a facility on West Peachtree Street. There was speculation about whether Dwight Eisenhower would have a different Vice President in the next election. Mr. President had a heart attack in 1955. Many did not want Richard Nixon to be Vice President. 1994 was 20 years after Mr. Nixon resigned the Presidency in disgrace. You wonder how things might have been different if Mr. Eisenhower found a new Vice President.
1956 was two years after Brown vs. The Board of Education, and many were concerned about school desegregation. A bill was proposed in the legislature to make it a felony to advocate integration.
The Governor at the time was Marvin Griffin. Georgia Tech played Pittsburgh in the Sugar Bowl that year, in spite of the fact that Pittsburgh had a black player. The Governor strongly objected, but was overruled. The game was played without incident.
The State of Georgia changed the state flag that year. The new flag had the state seal on a blue stripe next to the St. Andrews Cross, the battle flag of the Confederate States of America.
In 1994 many wanted to change that flag. Some said that it was a symbol of slavery and oppression; others said it was a reminder of battlefield valor. A native southerner, I could appreciate both points of view. I was neutral regarding a change of the flag.
One thing that I did not understand was an argument made for changing the flag. The line in those days…first expressed by Governor Zell Miller and endlessly repeated by the local fishwrapper media … was that the flag had been changed as a protest against desegregation.
I did not believe that for a minute. The legislature in 1956 was not that smart. They were a bunch of white males who were, with a few exceptions, racist, alcoholic crooks. If someone had suggested a flag change as a stand of defiance against desegregation, they might have thought it a good idea, but I somehow doubt that anyone thought like that. This was 1956. The sixties, where protest became the new national pastime, were a few years away.
After a few minutes of searching through the department store ads and sports pages, I found what I was looking for…. the article announcing the flag change. There was no mention of a protest against desegregation. They announced it as a way of honoring the Confederacy. This is in keeping with the times. Georgia in 1956 was still recovering from the War, and the Cult of Honoring the Confederacy was strong. Fergit Hell!
The flag was eventually changed during the administration of Governor Roy Barnes. The new flag was even uglier than the old one, which I did not think was possible. Sonny Perdue defeated Mr. Barnes in his bid for reelection, in no small part because he proposed a referendum on the flag. He forgot this promise as soon as he got into office, but the flag was changed once again.
There Is No I In Denial
There’s no I in denial. ~ What does a house wear? A dress.
What did the buffalo say to his son as he left for college? Bison
I asked a Frenchman if he played video games. He said “wii”.
I ate a clock yesterday, it was so time consuming.
Why was Santa’s little helper feeling depressed? Because he has low Elf esteem
How many optometrists does it take to change a light bulb?… 1 or 2? 1… or 2?
Just read a few facts about frogs. They were ribbiting.
Want to hear a word I just made up? Plagiarism.
What did the hungry clock do? Went back four seconds!
Becoming a vegetarian is a huge missed steak.
Have you seen that new movie about trees in love? …Yeah, it’s pretty sappy…
I don’t like atoms, they’re liars. They make up everything.
I was thinking about moving to Moscow but there is no point Russian into things.
First rule of Thesaurus Club: You don’t talk, converse, discuss, speak, chat,
deliberate, confer, gab, gossip or natter about Thesaurus Club
There is a new disease found in margarine… Apparently it spreading very easily.
People are making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow.
Need an ark to save two of every animal? I Noah guy.
What’s the advantage of living in Switzerland? Well, the flag is a big plus.
“I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together. Riveting!”
It’s so hard to think of another chemistry joke… All the good ones Argon.
Breaking news! Energizer Bunny arrested – charged with battery.
I’m off to Nairobi in the Summer. Kenya believe it?
A baker was caught bonking his bread loaves. They say he was inbread.
I enjoy using the comedy technique of self-deprecation – but I’m not very good at it.
Pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Your Silly Ideas About Jesus
the display of a link on this does not indicate approval of content ~ art ~ Jake ~ Kemp’s Commercial is Criminal ~ Man admits he had sexual contact with a horse ~ From The JFK Assassination Files: Was Lyndon Johnson A Klansman? ~ Stack Overflow Isn’t Very Welcoming. It’s Time for That to Change. ~ Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams Approved GOP’s Gerrymandering Effort, Lawmakers Claim in Court ~ The Georgia Primary Offers A Preview Of Democrats’ 2020 Fault Lines ~ roy cohn ~ The Right Way to Remove a Tick off a dog ~ blackout poetry ~ The Wolf at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner ~ judgemental maps ~ photo viewer ~ stay of execution ~ Controversial tweet shows how ugly race for Governor of Georgia is getting ~ Stacey vs Stacey ~ “The emotional well being of a dying child is more important than any religious or philosophical argument you could make.” The same goes for adults. When it is my time, keep your silly ideas about Jesus to yourself ~ @CIAGoFundMe If she prefers slash-and-burn farming to crop rotation, she a hoe ~ Oklahoma Pastor Busted Running White Supremacist Prostitution Ring The evidence of one lady being a “white supremacist” is weak. This is a slander piece. Just saying that the super preacher was running a prostie business should be enough gossip. They don’t need to bring the other stuff up. ~ bsa bs ~ don lemon said so ~ Every Alfred Hitchcock Cameo ~ Edward Ruggiero ~ ruggiero ~ vegan beer ~ homelessness ~ Maybe the translators and scribes got it wrong. Maybe Jesus did not say to love your enemy. Maybe what Jesus said was to show kindness to everyone. This is a practice thing, rather than a belief thing. ~ I thought the first few minutes of the performance were funny, but it got old fast. The WHCD audience was not laughing, which should have told her something. Miss Wolf could have used a lighter touch. After a while, the meanness was tiresome. I find the reaction … two wrongs make a right, why is this offensive but not this, etc… this reaction was about as funny as her walkoff comment about the water in Flint MI. At least she didn’t dress like a sheep. ~ Stacey Abrams has a lot of problems. Her supporters shouted down her opponent, Stacey Evans, at the Netroots Conference last year. Ms. Abrams supports this. If we are a civilized people, then we do not shout down people when they are trying to speak. ~ I will vote a secret ballot. I usually vote in the Republican primary, because it has more action. However, this time, all the Republicans are turkeys, so I may choose between the two Staceys. Here is a bit more about these two ladies, and about the sad state of radical politics performance art. ~ pretty much every stereotypical _____ criticism of _____ is projection. ~ If nothing else, this type of reasoning might make some people shut up and think. A good example is telling a homophobe that he is secretly gay, and just covering up for it. If you really want to start something, tell an sjw that they are secretly racist, and overcompensating. ~ #NationalDayofPrayer “how we laugh up here in heaven at the prayers you offer me” Randy Newman ~ ” Acting exactly like the arrogant, snobbish, condescending liberal elite that they accuse us of being simply fosters a deeper divide in our nation and drives these people further into the arms of a demagogue like Trump.” Don’t you really mean racism? ~ @Tyler_InTheKnow “I never seen a ceiling in my whole life.” -Blue Ivy Tweets are MINE. #AKA #TeamAbrams This account’s Tweets are protected. Only confirmed followers have access to @Tyler_InTheKnow’s Tweets and complete profile. Click the “Follow” button to send a follow request. ~ an opinion is like an asshole it should only be shared with someone who enjoys it ~ Is the 9th most dangerous neighborhood now Xanadu ~ preservation anagrams as perversion at ~ @therealroseanne she’s known for anal porn scenes. @StormyDaniels I don’t even do anal movies, you ignorant twat. That’s like saying you are known for your beautiful rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. ~ @Styx666Official There once was a left wing candidate gal, But in the primaries went nuts and she failed, “By an old hag” they said, “Should the nation be led”, Then they blamed Russian nazis to no avail ~ there was a young lady named gail, in the primary voting she failed, she lost to an old hag, when she had it in the bag, blaming russian bots to no avail ~ an ornery jew named sanders, was quick with the witty slanders, his campaign washed ashore, got shot down by a whore, when black lives matter took a gander ~ pictures today are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. ~ Here is the poem from last night at java monkey:
caucasian opinion is like an butt hole ~ it should be kept clean quiet out of sight
unlike a preacher who covets your soul ~ and motivates you to go out and fight
put labels on jars not on my brother ~ conservative racist or liberal
or terrorist who’s always the other ~ words that eat us up like a cannibal
is it a lie or can it be true ~ if the lips are moving that is a clue
don’t stick around for the demagogue shout ~ the devil knows the bible in and out
toxic manipulation for the win ~ never forget we are all god’s children ~ selah
May 6
May 6is a day in spring, with 35% of the year gone by. It has it’s fair share of history, some of which did not turn out well. In 1861, the Confederate Congress declared war on the United States. In 1937, a German zeppelin named “Hindenburg” exploded while trying to land in New Jersey. In 1940, Bob Hope did his first show for the USO, somewhere in California.
Roger Bannister ran the first sub four minute mile, on May 6,1954. The current record is 3:43.13 by Hicham El Guerrouj on July 7, 1999, with a party with Prince to celebrate. Since most track meets now use 1500 meters, the mile record is more or less obsolete.
On this day, Georgia executed two notable prisoners. In 2003, Carl Isaacs was put to death. Mr. Isaacs was the ringleader in the 1973 Alday family killing, in Donalsonville GA. Five years later, in 2008, William Earl Lynd was poisoned by the state. This was the first condemned man to die after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that execution by poisoning was constitutional.
Taurus is the sign for those whose blood starts to pump May 6. Included are:
Maximilien Robespierre (1758) Sigmund Freud (1856) Rudolph Valentino (1895)
Orson Welles (1915) Willie Mays (1931) Rubin Carter (1937)
Bob Seger (1945) Tony Blair (1953) PG (1954) George Clooney(1961)
To make room for these folks, someone has to die. For May 6 this would mean:
Henry David Thoreau (1862) L. Frank Baum (1919) Marlene Dietrich (1992)
This repost, written like H.P. Lovecraft, has pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Lewis Grizzard
In the time between 1980 and 1994, if you lived in Atlanta you heard about Lewis Grizzard. Some people loved him. Some did not. He told good old boy stories about growing up in rural Georgia. Many of them were enjoyable. He also made social and political commentaries, which upset a few people. This is a fishwrapper friday repost, with historic pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. Wired for Books is no longer available online.
PG had mixed feelings about Lewis. The stories about Kathy Sue Loudermilk and Catfish were funny. His opinions about gays, feminists, and anything non redneck could get on your nerves. His column for the fishwrapper upset PG at least twice a week.
In 1982, Lewis (he reached the level of celebrity where he was known by his first name only) wrote a column about John Lennon. Lewis did not understand why Mr. Ono was such a big deal. PG cut the column out of the fishwrapper, and put it in a box. Every few years, PG would be looking for something, find that column, and get mad all over again.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia has a page about Lewis, which expresses some of these contradictions. If Grizzard’s humor revealed the ambivalence amid affluence of the Sunbelt South, it reflected its conservative and increasingly angry politics as well. He was fond of reminding fault-finding Yankee immigrants that “Delta is ready when you are,” and, tired of assaults on the Confederate flag, he suggested sarcastically that white southerners should destroy every relic and reminder of the Civil War (1861-65), swear off molasses and grits, drop all references to the South, and begin instead to refer to their region as the “Lower East.” Grizzard also wore his homophobia and hatred for feminists on his sleeve, and one of the last of his books summed up his reaction to contemporary trends in its title, Haven’t Understood Anything since 1962 and Other Nekkid Truths (1992).
In the end, which came in 1994, when he was only forty-seven, the lonely, insecure, oft-divorced, hard-drinking Grizzard proved to be the archetypal comic who could make everyone laugh but himself. He chronicled this decline and his various heart surgeries in I Took a Lickin’ and Kept on Tickin’, and Now I Believe in Miracles (1993), published just before his final, fatal heart failure.
As you may have discerned, Lewis McDonald Grizzard Jr. met his maker on March 20, 1994. He was 47. There was a valve in his heart that wasn’t right. The good news is that he stayed out of the army. At the time, Vietnam was the destination for most enlistees. The bad news is that his heart problems got worse and worse, until it finally killed him.
Sixteen years later, PG found a website, Wired for Books. It is a collection of author interviews by Don Swaim, who ran many of them on a CBS radio show called Book Beat. There are two interviews with Lewis Grizzard. The first one was done to promote My Daddy Was a Pistol and I’m a Son of A Gun. This was the story of Lewis Grizzard Senior, who was another mixed bag.
PG found himself listening to this chat, and wondered what he had been missing all those years. The stories and one liners came flowing out, like the Chattahoochee going under the perimeter highway. Daddy Grizzard was a soldier, who went to war in Europe and Korea. The second one did something to his mind, and he took to drinking. He was never quite right the rest of his life. His son adored him anyway. When you put yourself in those loafers for a while, you began to taste the ingredients, in that stew we called Lewis Grizzard.
PG still remembers the anger that those columns caused … PG has his own story, and knows when his toes are stepped on. The thing is, after listening to this show, PG has an idea of why Lewis Grizzard wrote the things that he did. Maybe PG and Lewis aren’t all that different after all.
Killed By Police April 15
29 people were Killed By Police in the United States last week. Here are the links: 347 348 Juan Markee Jones 349 Elijah James Smith 350 Russell Bowman 351 Robert George Issa 352 Zachary Glen Hoven 353 Daniel Carver 354 Shawn Michael Hubbard 355 Mark Powell 356 Grechario Mack 357 Antonino Thomas Gordon 358 Kenneth Ross Jr. 359 Betty Lemoine 360 Dominick Alexander Hernandez 361 Grizelda Hernandez 362 Keith A. Kent 363 Rumondale Jones 364 Benjamin W. Evans 365 Dashaun Shepard 366 Steven Brooks 367 368 369 Kenneth Warren Resendez 370 Bruce Arnold Allee 371 Angel Lopez 372 373 374 375 Jessie Thedford
11 of the victims were white. (350, 351, 352, 353, 354, 357, 359, 364, 369, 370, 375) 7 of the victims were black. (348, 349, 356, 358, 363, 365, 366) 3 of the victims were latino. (360, 361, 371) The race of 8 of the victims is unknown. (347, 355, 362, 367, 368, 372, 373, 374) 2 of the victims were female (359, 361)
3 of the victims fired at an officer. (359, 365, 373) 15 of the victims displayed a weapon. (347, 350, 351, 352, 354, 355, 356, 362, 363, 364, 366, 367, 369, 370, 372) 2 of the victims were suicidal. (354, 364) 4 of the victims were in a car chase. (353, 366, 372, 374) A taser was used on 4 victims. (348, 351, 352, 368) 2 of the victims died without a shot being fired. (368, 371) 5 of the victims were in a domestic dispute. (347, 348, 351, 354, 363)
The killing of Dominick Alexander Hernandez and Grizelda Hernandez is the case of the week. “A U.S. Border Patrol agent has been arrested after the bodies of a woman and a 1-year-old child were found near a rural park in South Texas. The bodies of 27-year-old Grizelda Hernandez and her son Dominick Alexander Hernandez were discovered about 15 feet apart near the banks of the Rio Grande on Monday. Ronald Anthony Burgos-Aviles, 28 — the Border Patrol agent who reported finding the bodies — was arrested on two counts of capital murder, Laredo police announced Tuesday afternoon. Burgos-Aviles and Hernandez had been in a romantic relationship, police said at a news conference.”
“A supervisor for the U.S. Border Patrol killed a woman with whom he was romantically involved and her 1-year-old child before calling 911 claiming to have discovered the bodies near a park along the border with Mexico … Ronald Anthony Burgos Aviles, 28, was being held without bond in the Webb County jail on two counts of capital murder. Joe Baeza, police spokesman in the border city of Laredo, said Burgos Aviles was identified as a person of interest within an hour of the 911 call Monday, but Baeza declined to elaborate. He said Grizelda Hernandez, 27, and her son, Dominick Alexander Hernandez, likely were killed Monday near the park, which is adjacent to the Rio Grande and just south of the World Trade Bridge that carries traffic between the U.S. and Mexico. Burgos Aviles and the woman were in a romantic relationship, Baeza said. The investigation will determine if Dominick was Burgos Aviles’ child.” (360,361)
Phoenix AZ had two incidents on April 14. “Sgt. Mark Tovar, a Phoenix police spokesman, said officers responded to two separate reports of shots fired near 28th Avenue and Bethany Home Road at approximately 2 a.m. They determined the man was driving a dark-colored car. Officers located the car at about 3 a.m., and the driver refused to stop for police before he continued into Ahwatukee and then the Scottsdale area, Tovar said. Officers were unable to stop the car with spikes. The man attempted to steal a car near an off-ramp near the Loops 101 and 202 in Tempe, but the female driver refused to give up her car, Tovar said. “The suspect also pointed a weapon at a DPS officer at that location,” Tovar said. At some point, the man switched from the dark-colored car to a white minivan. Tovar said he did not know how the man got the minivan, but police do not believe it was a carjacking. The man then fled the scene, but two of his tires were damaged, Tovar said. He continued west driving on rims before the car came to a stop near 13th Avenue and Thomas Road at approximately 5 a.m. “He engaged officers,” Tovar said. “He did have a weapon. He pointed a weapon at officers.” Officers fired at the man, striking him at least once. Tovar said the man, whose identity was withheld, died at the scene.” (372)
“Sgt. Mark Tovar, a Phoenix police spokesman, said officers were called to the area on a report of a car that had crashed into a fence at approximately 2 p.m. Police found the vehicle and the driver in a field just north of Third Street and St. Charles Avenue. Tovar said the man pulled out a gun while sitting in the car after an initial conversation with police. He then exited the vehicle and shot “in the direction” of police, according to Tovar. Officers returned fire, Tovar said, and took cover when the man shot back. The man “was stopped” after he was struck at least once in a second exchange of gunfire with police, Tovar said.” (373)
Billings MT saw two officer involved shootings April 10. “The two deaths mark the latest in a string of suspects killed by law enforcement in recent months as Billings struggles to contain a surge in violence and property crimes. Authorities say the lawbreaking is largely driven by illegal drugs coming into the city of 110,000 people.” “Zachary Glen Hoven, 29, was shot and killed Monday morning by a Billings police officer at a downtown apartment. Officials said Hoven was waving a knife, threw knives at officers and was advancing on them when he was shot repeatedly. An earlier attempt to subdue him with a stun gun failed.” (352)
“Officers initially responded at 12:45 a.m. to a report of a man with a gun involved in a domestic disturbance at a home several blocks away on Yellowstone Avenue, (Billings Police Chief Rich) St. John said. By the time officers arrived, the man (Shawn Michael Hubbard ) had left. His ex-wife told police he had yelled something about going to rob a casino, St. John said. Police later saw the man in the casino parking lot. An officer ordered him to stop, but the man entered the casino. Officers were delayed getting “buzzed in” through the front entrance, St. John said, likely because staff’s attention was directed toward the suspect. They had to break through a window pane in the front door and crawl through it, he said. By the time officers got inside, the man was at the far end of the casino, waving what appeared to be a handgun, pointing it at patrons and apparently threatening to take hostages, St. John said. There were around a half-dozen customers inside the casino, he said. “Once inside, the officers saw the suspect waving a gun and threatening people,” St. John told reporters. “Patrons inside were yelling, screaming, ducking for cover or looking to escape.” After the man ignored “clear instructions” to drop the weapon, Becker fired his AR-15 patrol rifle several times, striking the man in the torso, St. John said. The chief said he believed the man was hit by multiple rounds. He dropped the gun, fell down and then appeared to be reaching for something on the floor, St. John said. Becker then fired and hit him again, St. John said. The man was transported to St. Vincent Healthcare, where he was pronounced dead.” “A police officer shot and killed a man authorities said was waving a black pellet gun and threatening patrons inside a casino early Tuesday — the second fatal shooting by officers in Montana’s largest city in less than 24 hours. … It was unknown whether the man fired the pellet gun, which Becker had believed to be a firearm, St John said. The gun “looked exactly like a black, semi-automatic handgun, very realistic,” said Billings Police Capt. Kevin Iffland.” (354)
“Cathedral City Police said officers responded to a domestic violence call just before 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning on the 33000 block of Wishing Well Trail. According to police, the caller said her boyfriend had assaulted her and had a handgun. Once officers arrived, they found the woman had escaped the home. … “In the process of doing the investigation, the suspect came out of the house and pointed the firearm at officers and the female. Officers engaged the suspect and asked him to drop the gun several times. He refused and continued to point the gun,” Commander Julio Luna told reporter Katie Widner at the scene. “An officer-involved shooting occurred. The subject was injured and was transported to Desert (Regional) Hospital shortly after by paramedics and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.” Luna said the suspect did not fire any shots. According to police, officers discovered the handgun displayed by the suspect was a replica firearm. The replica had all safety markings indicating it was replica removed and appeared to have been purposely altered to look as a functional firearm. The suspect’s girlfriend was also taken to the hospital for her injuries. The nature of them and how she received them were unknown, as was an update on her condition. Neighbors told our crew at the scene that they heard gunshots this morning and that there was a group of individuals drinking and partying from 5 p.m. last night to 6 a.m. this morning. Neighbors said they were surprised to hear the news.” (347)
“The series of events began when officers were called at about 1 a.m. Sunday to a parking lot in the 2300 block of North Main Street for the report of a domestic assault. While responding, the caller — described by police as a 22-year-old woman — told dispatchers she went back to her home in the 200 block of Sunset Drive “in an attempt to escape her attacker,” a news release stated. The suspect (Juan Markee Jones ) followed her there and tried to force his way into the home, police report. When officers arrived on Sunset Drive they found the woman and suspect outside. “Physical evidence at the scene supported the woman’s allegations of an assault, which gave the officers probable cause to arrest the male,” the release stated. Police reported as the officers approached the man, he began walking away from them and ignored their “repeated commands to stop.” He then got into a vehicle and drove into a wooded area nearby. “He again refused the officers’ commands to, this time, show his hands and to exit his vehicle.” the release stated. “The male suspect finally exited his vehicle but refused to show his hands.” A Taser was used to try to apprehend the suspect. Then, police report, the suspect “suddenly turned on the officers in a threatening manner.” That’s when officers fired their weapons at the man.” (348)
“According to West Valley Police Chief Colleen Jacobs, around 3:15 p.m., West Valley City officers responded to a theft at a cell phone business near 3400 S. Redwood Road, where the suspect had fled. Later, an officer spotted a male matching the suspect description and approached him near 1940 West 3500 South. The suspect (Elijah James Smith ) fled on foot with officers pursuing. Chief Jacobs adds that at some point during the pursuit, the suspect broke into a home. After a confrontation with the owners, the suspect fled the first home. The suspect then broke into a second home with three children inside. Officers went inside the home and at some point, shots were fired. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.” (349)
“A man died Sunday evening in Pleasure Ridge Park after he (Russell Bowman) was shot by Louisville Metro Police officers who were responding to a report of a disorderly person. Police responded around 7:45 p.m. to the 4600 block of Crawford Avenue, off Dixie Highway, where police said a man was acting erratically, according to a news release from LMPD. The officers shot the man after an altercation, police said. The man died at the scene.” video (350)
“At about 10 a.m., the two officers spotted a gold SUV similar to the description of a vehicle reported stolen that morning in a LoJack alert in the area. The officers pursued the man driving the vehicle in a brief chase, until he stopped near the intersection of Corbin Avenue and Victory Boulevard. There, the man got out and fled on foot toward Hamlin Street, with the two officers getting out of their cruiser and giving chase. Minutes later, shots were fired. … By Monday afternoon, the man killed in the shooting hadn’t been identified. Sandoval only described him as a man in his early 20s … LAPD officials didn’t say whether both officers fired their weapons or what prompted either of them to shoot, though police later found a revolver at the site of the shooting. Sandoval also didn’t have details on whether the suspect fired a weapon, or how many shots the officers fired.” (353)
“The incident occurred around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw … where officers were responding to a call about a man with a knife, … When officers arrived inside the mall they found a black man brandishing a long knife in an aggressive manner, LAPD said. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the knife, but he did not. Authorities described the man as “very agitated” and said it seemed he was intoxicated or suffering a mental health crisis. The man was then shot by police as he ran toward mall patrons with the knife still in hand, according to LAPD.” “The family of a man shot and killed by LAPD officers Tuesday after wielding a knife at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall have spoken out Wednesday. Grechario Mack, 30, was shot after he allegedly refused commands to drop the knife. His grieving family remembers him as a loving father who received medication for mental health issues. “He was schizophrenic, he had anxiety attacks,” Catherine Walker, the man’s mother said. “I felt as though they threw my baby aside and said he’s just another John Doe. He’s not a John Doe; he’s my baby!” The man’s step-father, Quintus Moore, and his mother do not believe he deserved to die. “They could have used non-lethal force on my child,” Walker said. “They got to learn to recognize dealing with mental illness.”” (356)
“A driver was fatally shot by police after he fled a traffic stop Tuesday in Royal Oak, authorities said. An officer tried to pull over the motorist around 6:10 p.m. near 13 Mile and Woodward but the man did not stop, investigators said in a statement. The same officer soon spotted him about a block away, at a White Castle drive-through near Coolidge, according to the release. Police did not describe what led the officer to open fire but acknowledged the driver was wounded, fled east from the parking lot and struck a vehicle on 13 Mile near Shenandoah.” (357)
“A man was shot and killed by police in Gardena on Wednesday, April 11, closing Van Ness Avenue in both directions from El Segundo Boulevard to 135th Street for several hours while authorities investigated, officials said. A Sheriff’s Department statement said a male suspect (Kenneth Ross Jr.) was struck by gunfire at 2:24 p.m. and soon after pronounced dead at a local hospital. As Gardena police officers arrived at the 12800 block of Van Ness Avenue following a report of shots fired, they spotted a man running southbound on Van Ness Avenue; multiple witnesses told officers that he was involved in the shooting. The officers chased after the suspect to Rowley Memorial Park, in the 13200 block of Van Ness Avenue, and the officer-involved shooting occurred. Sheriff’s detectives said the suspect was struck at least once in the upper torso and was transported to a local hospital, where he died. How the incident played out was not detailed by authorities. A firearm was found at the scene, authorities said. No civilians or officers were injured during the incident.” (358)
> “a man called 911 about 2 a.m. Thursday and said he heard gunshots in the area of North and Woodlawn avenues in northwest Atlanta. When Atlanta police officers arrived and approached the house, police said the man, later identified as Dashaun Shepard, started shooting at them. No officers were shot, but one suffered a minor head injury when he ducked for cover. Officers called for backup and SWAT was sent to the scene, police said. Shepard refused to speak with negotiators, according to police. As of 7 a.m., police told Washington they had still not been able to make contact with him. Police told Washington just after 8:15 a.m. Shepard was "down" but did not release a condition. They later confirmed he died. At one point during the standoff, Shepard recorded a Facebook Live. “Understand this, this is not a game. Share my message. I aim to fight for my people. I’m not playing. I’m about to shoot it out with these cops to fight for my rights, for my people,” he said in the video. “We’re going to war, cause that’s what I am, a warrior for the people.” (365)
“Around 9 p.m. Thursday night, Trinidad police officers were dispatched to 705 W. Adams on a disturbance call. Upon arrival at the scene, officers noticed a front window had been broken out of the residence. According to officers, after entering the residence they contacted a male individual holding a large piece of broken glass. Officers told the man to drop the glass but he refused. The man then advanced towards the officers and they drew their firearms and shot the man. The Las Animas County Coroner declared the man dead at the scene.” (367)
“One suspect is dead after officers deploy a taser at a residence in Elbert County on Thursday. Deputies arrived at a home after a 911 call. One deputy deployed a taser after it was determined that suspect had a gun. The suspect died. The 18th Judicial District Critical Response Team is investigating and has said that it does not appear that any deputy discharged a firearm. The final cause of death will be determined by the coroner.” (368)
“Police responded to calls from a house in the 3800 block of Speight Avenue shortly after 8:30 a.m., Swanton said, where a man was reportedly hitting and breaking things in the house, and the family members felt threatened. Two officers entered the house, he said, and saw a man armed with a handgun telling the knife-wielding man to calm down and put down the weapon. The officers were also told that a firearm had been discharged before they arrived, Swanton said. He said one of the officers felt threatened by the man with the knife, shot the suspect and began administering medical aid while calling for an ambulance. The suspect died soon after, Swanton said. … Neighbors told the Tribune-Herald the homeowner is a local pastor and his sons were involved in the disturbance prior to the shooting.” “Family members have identified the man killed on Speight Avenue as Kenneth Warren Resendez. . The incident was witnessed by Resendez’s uncle, James Yoder, who says his nephew had no history of drug use and was extremely stressed out about not seeing his kids and being jobless. He says this frustration hit a boiling point on Friday. Yoder confirms the officers account Resendez became so aggressive, and his father fired shots in self-defense. This is when Resendez turned the knife on officers. “That’s when the officer shot him in the chest,” Yoder says. “He stumbled back, and then Kenneth came after them again. That’s when the cop shot him in the head.” According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Resendez has a troubled history. He was sentenced to five years in prison when accused of choking his daughter in July 2016. He was paroled in 2017, until 2020. The family believes a history of seizures could have been a factor in his behavior, but are waiting for the autopsy.” (369)
xxx The incident occurred at about 9 p.m. on Friday around 10800 Killian Parkway. FHP public information officer Lt. Alex Camacho said the bicyclist “traveled into the path of the FHP trooper” who was traveling westbound on Killian Parkway. “The trooper/bicyclist consequently collided causing the bicyclist to sustain fatal injuries,” FHP said. The bicyclist was described as a 17-year-old Hispanic male. He was identified Saturday as Angel Lopez of Miami..” (371)
“The incident began when Winslow Township Police received a 911 call about a man and woman who had been found shot in a home on Woodhaven Way. … After the shooting, police saw the man’s vehicle traveling near the Winslow crime scene and initiated a pursuit. The chase ended in Millville on Holly Berry Lane where the man was shot by police around 9:10 a.m., according to officials.” (374)
“… at approximately 10:21 AM, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding a dispute between Jessie Thedford and his landlord at 217 B Littleriver Road in Carrollton. Upon arrival, a deputy made contact with Thedford who was not cooperative or compliant and was detained. A second deputy arrived on scene and Thedford was searched and a substance suspected to be methamphetamine was discovered on him. Thedford was placed under arrest, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a patrol car. At some point, Thedford moved his hands in front of him, slipped through the partition into the driver’s seat, and proceeded to drive towards deputies and the landlord. Deputies gave verbal commands to stop, but he did not comply. One deputy fired his service weapon into the patrol car, striking Thedford.” (375)
Pictures are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Golf And Shopping
One Sunday afternoon, a man was playing golf. On the third hole, he hit the tee shot, and was walking down the fairway towards the ball. The fairway was next to a road. A funeral procession was driving down the road.
The man stopped his cart, got out, took his hat off and put it over his heart. He stood still, with his head bowed, until the mourners had driven by.
The playing partner of the man was astonished. “Don, why are you making such a big deal over that funeral procession”
“It was my wife”.
There was a small town once, with a Catholic Church, a Baptist Church, and a Jewish Synagogue.
One day the Catholics decided to give their priest a new car. They got an Audi, sprinkled a few drops of holy water on the hood, and gave it to the priest.
The Baptists thought this was a really good idea, and they decided to give their pastor a new vehicle. They got a Ford pickup truck, took it to a boat ramp, hooked a winch up to the front, and lowered the truck into the lake until it was completely covered in water.
Not to be outdone, the Jewish congregation decided their rabbi needed a new ride. They bought a Lexus, and cut half an inch off the tail pipe.
A woman was in town on a shopping trip. She began her day finding the most perfect shoes in the first shop and a beautiful dress on sale in the second. In the third, everything had just been reduced by 50 percent, when her mobile phone rang.
It was a doctor notifying her that her husband had just been in a terrible car accident and was in critical condition and in the ICU.
The woman told the doctor to inform her husband where she was and that she’d be there as soon as possible. As she hung up she realized she was leaving what was shaping up to be her best day ever in the boutiques. She decided to get in a couple of more shops before heading to the hospital.
She ended up shopping the rest of the morning, finishing her trip with a cup of coffee and a beautiful chocolate cake slice, compliments of the last shop. Then she remembered her husband.
Feeling guilty, she dashed to the hospital. She saw the doctor in the corridor and asked about her husband’s condition. The lady doctor glared at her and shouted, “You went ahead and finished your shopping trip didn’t you! I hope you’re proud of yourself! While you were out for the past four hours enjoying yourself in town, your husband has been languishing in the Intensive Care Unit! It’s just as well you went ahead and finished, because it will more than likely be the last shopping trip you ever take! For the rest of his life he will require round-the-clock care. And he will now be your career!”
The woman was feeling so guilty she broke down and sobbed.
The lady doctor then chuckled. “I’m just pulling your leg. He’s dead. Show me what you bought.”
Thank you Gartalker for the last story. This is a repost. Pictures for this affair are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Chamblee54 
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