Mollie’s Rant
This content was published September 2, 2012. … There is an amazing rant about abortion on Bloggingheads.tv. The ranter is Mollie Ziegler Hemingway. Making exasperated faces is the host, Sarah Posner. The episode appeared August 28, 2012.
The rant that inspired this feature is thirty three minutes into the discussion. Out of a masochistic sense of fairness, I decided to listen to the entire discussion, before writing this post. I got two minutes and thirteen seconds in before stopping to cop a quote. MZH said that a good way to help connect with someone, is if you see that they care about something very deeply. I have had the opposite experience. When I am the target of an emotional volcano, it tends to inspire fear and loathing. It is not what you say, it is the way you say it.
This is a common feeling among believers. The idea is that the more you show how much you believe something, the more persuasive you are at converting people to that belief. It has been my experience that these evangelizing believers will say things that they agree with, while not addressing the concerns of the listener. The person who is being preached to is often bewildered by the display of rhetoric, and becomes more convinced of previously held opinions.
I am a bloggingheads.tv fan, and occasional commenter. I even got an email asking me not to post “artistic” screen shots in the comments. (Here are some of the pictures: one, two, three.) The normal procedure is to listen to the talkers while working on other projects. The problem is that someone will make a noteworthy comment, and I feel the need to make a link to it. Multi tasking has it’s limits, and productivity suffers. One such moment was when MZH said it doesn’t matter whether YOU think that’s an abortion drug what matters it’s whether WE think that’s an abortion drug. Apparently, MZH thinks this helps her connect with SP.
Twenty six minutes in, the ladies begin to discuss the idiotic comment by Todd Akin. This is a prelude to the rant to follow. MZH makes a comment that includes the phrase “consistent pro lifers.”
Lets take a minute to consider the phrase “consistent pro lifers.” In the military, a lifer is someone who makes his career in the service. It is not always a compliment. The job of the military is to fight wars, which means they kill people. Is this “pro-life”?
This is an inconsistency for “consistent pro lifers.” Very few people are consistently pro life. The four main life issues are war, abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia. Many of the Christian anti abortion people are enthusiastic supporters of killing Muslim women and children. We are killing them over there, so they won’t come over here and kill us.
The SP-MZH chat was recorded August 28. The night before, the Republican Convention was entertained by a bit of Methodist methhead method acting by Clint Eastwood. The crowd cheered lustily. No one seemed concerned about Mr. Eastwood’s performance as the fetus father in multiple abortions. Is “consistent pro lifer” an oxymoron?
The fun really starts at the thirty three minute mark. MZH has been talking about how being mean to Todd Akin is good for the pro choice cause. She then shifts gears, and starts to talk about BHO. It seems like BHO opposed an anti abortion bill when he was an Illinois state senator. To MZH, this makes BHO a radical baby killer. To MZH, this, position taken as a state senator years ago, makes BHO just as radical as a man who says that rape affects conception.
MZH goes on to whine about the media. This is a sure sign that she cannot make a logical case for her beliefs. When your message fails, you bash the other messenger. All the time, MZH gets more and more worked up. SP shakes her head so much you worry about her earpiece falling out.
At the thirty five thirty five mark, MZH lets out the rhetoric rascal that lurks in her consistently pro life soul. When SP tried to calm down MZH, and inject a note of reason into the debate, MZH started to scream about gay marriage. This is how things work. Gay marriage is a great distraction. When reason fails, you start to toss red herrings onto the trail.
After a while, I began to think that I have had enough fun. It is time to wrap up, and get a life. At this point, MZH has another jaw dropper. Arguing from the extremes is not a really helpful thing.
The ladies did have a moment of agreement to end the discussion. MZH said women are more than their vaginas, and SP said good night Chet. It is tough to hold hands and sing Kum Bah Yah on skype.
On Apr 27, 2022, Bob Wright announced that “Bloggingheads the name is being pretty much retired” … Todd Akin died October 3, 2021. Here is the story of his fifteen minutes: “Akin, running against incumbent Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill, was asked in an interview … if he would support abortions for women who have been raped. “It seems to me first of all from what I understand from doctors that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken September 28, 1961. Davison’s Department Store, Ellis and Peachtree Streets. ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Famous Last Words
This content was published August 16, 2024. … The elephant in the room is a popular internet cliche. In this picture, the elephant looks like the ghastly wallpaper, both of which are best ignored. I wanted to make a comment. The only appropriate thing to do, in a situation involving wallpaper and an elephant, is to quote Oscar Wilde, on his deathbed. “This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do.”
When discussing Oscar Wilde, elephants, and wallpaper, it is important to get the correct quote. Mr. Google has a great deal to say, on the subject of last words. Peggy Lee sang about it. Unfortunately, the chanteuse was in very bad health at the end of her life. Peggy Lee probably did not say “Is that all there is?” on her deathbed.
On October 14, 1977, Bing Crosby “… finished 18 holes of golf carding an 85 … After his final putt Bing … remarked “It was a great game.” As he was walking to the clubhouse … he collapsed from a massive heart attack. … “We thought he had just slipped,” said one of his golfing companions.”
Adelaide Eugenia Bankhead “… first child, daughter Ada Eugenia, was born on January 24, 1901. The following year, Tallulah was born on their anniversary. Ada died tragically of blood poisoning just three weeks following Tallulah’s birth. On her deathbed, she told her sister-in-law to “take care of Eugenia, Tallulah will always be able to take care of herself”. This, like many other legendary last words, may too good to be true.
The Atlantic had a tasteful feature, “What Are the Best Last Words Ever?” Here are a few.
John Adams July 4, 1826 “Thomas Jefferson survives.”
Unbeknownst to Mr. Adams, Mr. Jefferson had died about five hours earlier.
Richard Feynman “I’d hate to die twice—it’s so boring”
O. Henry appeared to have stopped breathing, but was he really dead? Touch his feet, suggested one of the mourners clustered around his bed: Nobody ever died with warm feet. Whereupon, the short-story writer raised his head from the pillow, mumbled “Joan of Arc did,” and fell back dead.
Dylan Thomas “I’ve had 18 straight whiskeys. I think that’s the record.”
Union Major General John Sedgwick “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” Said while reprimanding his men for ducking for cover, just before he was killed at the Battle of Spotsylvania.
Ludwig Von Beethoven “I shall hear in heaven.”
An unverified tumblr contributes a few more zingers.
Edgar Allan Poe “Lord help my poor soul.”
Thomas Hobbes “I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap into the dark.”
Alfred Jarry “I am dying…please, bring me a toothpick.”
Washington Irving “I have to set my pillows one more night, when will this end already?”
Leo Tolstoy “But the peasants…how do the peasants die?”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “More light.”
Karl Marx “Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough!”
Voltaire “Now, now, my good man, this is no time for making enemies.”
François-Marie Arouet was asked by a priest to renounce Satan.
James Joyce “Does nobody understand?”
A certain popup crazy website has a few more last words. Some of these were really said.
James Dean “That guy’s gotta stop… He’ll see us.”
Henry James “So here it is at last, the expected thing.”
Marie Antoinette “Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose.”
George Appel “Well, gentlemen, you are about to see a baked Appel.” Mr. Appel was executed by electric chair in 1928; these were his last words. Here’s two more: “Gents, this is an educational project. You are about to witness the damaging effect electricity has on Wood.” Said by Fredrick Charles Wood before he was electrocuted in 1951. “Hey, fellas! How about this for a headline for tomorrow’s paper? ‘French Fries!’” James French, 1966.
The pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken December 5, 1949. Highland Avenue; #1033 Moe’s & Joe’s restaurant and bar; Siegel’s Kosher Delicatessen; Virginia – Highland Pharmacy; Reynolds Plumbing and Heating Company ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
The Funeral Of Elvis
This content was published August 1, 2024. The text was originally published September 2, 2011. … There is a saying, “if a story seems too bad to be true, it probably isn’t”. I tried to google that phrase, and got confused. Then I seemed to remember reading it in a column by Mary Tyler “Molly” Ivins. Another google adventure, and this video turned up.
Miss Ivins, who met her maker January 31, 2007, was promoting a book. On April 26, 1998, she sat down with Brian Lamb, on CSPAN’s Booknotes. I could only listen to 24:30 of this video before being seized with the urge to write a story. There is a transcript, which makes “borrowing” so much easier. This film has 34 minutes to go, which just might yield another story.
Molly Ivins was a Texas woman. These days there is a lot of talk about Texas, with Governor Big Hair aiming to be the next POTUS under indictment. Mr. Perry claims that his record as Texas Governor qualifies him to have his finger on the nuclear trigger. Miss Ivins repeats something that I had heard before… “in our state we have the weak governor system, so that really not a great deal is required of the governor, not necessarily to know much or do much. And we’ve had a lot of governors who did neither. “ It makes you wonder how much of that “economic miracle” is because of hair spray.
Texas politics makes about as much sense as Georgia politics. For a lady, with a way with words, it is a gold mine. “the need you have for descriptive terms for stupid when you write about Texas politics is practically infinite. Now I’m not claiming that our state Legislature is dumber than the average state Legislature, but it tends to be dumb in such an outstanding way. It’s, again, that Texas quality of exaggeration and being slightly larger than life. And there are a fair number of people in the Texas Legislature of whom it could fairly be said, `If dumb was dirt, they would cover about an acre.’ And I’m not necessarily opposed to that. I’m–agree with an old state senator who always said that, `If you took all the fools out of the Legislature, it would not be a representative body anymore.’”
We could go through this conversation for a long time, but you probably want to skip ahead and look at pictures. There is one story in this transcript that is too good not to borrow. For some reason, Molly Ivins went to work for The New York Times, aka the gray lady. In August of 1977, she was in the right place at the right time.
LAMB: And how long did you spend with The New York Times as a reporter? IVINS: Six years with The New York Times. Some of it in New York as a political reporter at City Hall in Albany and then later as bureau chief out in the Rocky Mountains. LAMB: Would you take a little time and tell us about reporting on the funeral of Elvis Presley? IVINS: Oh, now there is something that when I’ve been standing in the checkout line at the grocery store and if I really need to impress people, I just let fall that I covered Elvis’ funeral. And, boy, people just practically draw back with awe. It may yet turn out to be my greatest claim to fame. …
… I was sitting in The New York City Times one day when I noticed a whole knot of editors up around the desk having a–a great scrum of concern, you could tell. It looked sort of like an anthill that had just been stepped on. And it turns out–The New York Times has a large obituary desk, and they prepare obituaries for anybody of prominence who might croak. But it turns out–you may recall that Elvis Presley died untimely and they were completely unprepared. …
… Now this is an enormous news organization. They have rock music critics and classical music critics and opera critics, but they didn’t have anybody who knew about Elvis Presley’s kind of music. So they’re lookin’ across a whole acre of reporters, and you could see them decide, `Ah-ha, Ivins. She talks funny. She’ll know about Mr. Presley.’ … So I wound up writing Elvis’ obituary for The New York Times. I had to refer to him throughout as Mr. Presley. It was agonizing. That’s the style at The New York Times–Mr. Presley. Give me a break. …
… And the next day they sold more newspapers than they did after John Kennedy was assassinated, so that even the editors of The New York Times, who had not quite, you know, been culturally aton–tuned to Elvis, decided that we should send someone to report on the funeral. And I drew that assignment. What a scene it was. LAMB: You–you say in the book that you got in the cab and you said, `Take me to Graceland.’ The cabbie peels out of the airport doing 80 and then turns full around to the backseat and drawls, `Ain’t it a shame Elvis had to die while the Shriners are in town?’ …
… That’s your Shriners in convention, always something very edifying and enjoyable to watch. But they–every–every hotel room in Memphis was occupied with celebrating Shriners, and then Elvis dies and all these tens of thousands of grieving, hysterical Elvis Presley fans descend on the town. So you got a whole bunch of sobbing, hysterical Elvis fans, you got a whole bunch of cavorting Shriners. And on top of that they were holding a cheerleading camp. And the cheerleading camp–I don’t know if your memory–with the ethos of the cheerleading camp, but the deal is that every school sends its team–team of cheerleaders to cheerleading camp. …
… And your effort there at the camp is to win the spirit stick, which looks, to the uninitiated eye, a whole lot like a broom handle painted red, white and blue. But it is the spirit stick. And should your team win it for three days running, you get to keep it. But that has never happened. And the way you earn the spirit stick is you show most spirit. You cheer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You cheer when the pizza man brings the pizza. …
… I tell you, those young people will throw–show an amount of spirit that would just astonish you in an effort to win that stick. … So here I was for an entire week, dealing with these three groups of people: the young cheerleaders trying to win the spirit stick, the cavorting Shriners and the grieving, hysterical Elvis fans. And I want to assure you that The New York Times is not the kind of newspaper that will let you write about that kind of rich human comedy. LAMB: Why? IVINS: Because The New York Times, at least in my day, was a very stuffy, pompous newspaper. …
… LAMB: What about today? IVINS: A little bit better, little bit better than it was. … Has–has–it has a tendency, recidivist tendencies, though. You–you will notice if you read The Times, it–it collapses into pomposity and stuffiness with some regularity. LAMB: Why did you leave it? IVINS: Well, I–I actually got into trouble at The New York City Times for describing a community chu–chicken killing out West as a gang pluck. Abe Rosenthal was then the editor of the Times and he was not amused. LAMB: Did–but did they let it go? Did they let it …
… IVINS: Oh, no. It never made it in the paper. Good heavens, no. Such a thing would never get in The Times in my day. … POSTSCRIPT I found some pictures, marked up the text, and was ready to post the story. I decided to listen to a bit more of the discussion between Molly Ivins and the bald headed man. When I got to this point, it became apparent that I could listen to Molly Ivins talk, or I could post the story, but I could not do both at the same time. …
… IVINS: Oh, well, of course, I’m gonna make fun of it. I mean, Berkeley, California, if you are from Texas, is just hilarious. LAMB: Why? IVINS: Well, of course, it is just the absolute center of liberalism and political correctness. And it is a veritable hotbed of people, of–bless their hearts, who all think alike, in a liberal way. And, of course, I’m sometimes called a liberal myself, and you would think I would have felt right at home there. But I just am so used to–I’m so used to Texas that I found the culture at Berkeley hysterical. … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken April 10, 1963, at the “Krystal restaurant“, 428 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE.
Living With The Dead
This content was published August 12, 2009. … I am reading “Living With The Dead” about a band formerly known as The Warlocks. The *ghost writer* is a man named David Dalton, who channels the lysergic nuttiness. … The man behind the curtain might tell you that the GD name was about the death of the ego. Once the band became popular, the skeletons came out of the closet, and suddenly every day was the day of the dead. Jerry never cared for the skull paraphernalia, but got over it. …
… The person the ghost writer channeled was Rock Sculley. He was doing something in San Francisco in 1965, when Owsley Stanley invited him to the Trips Festival. Soon, the walls of the auditorium were breathing, and the band was playing. This was their first gig as the Grateful Dead, and Bill Graham was horrified by the new name. The posters had the phrase “formerly known as the Warlocks”. … The next night, Mr. Scully went to an acid test in Palo Alto, where Neal Cassidy was juggling hammers and talking endless amphetimated nonsense. If Neal had just stayed off those railroads tracks he could have been the first white rapper. …
… Owsley thought Rock Scully would be a good manager for the band. Maybe because his name sounded like skull. And so it goes. … Did Kurt Vonnegut ever see the Dead? They would have been a good match, especially with all the cigarettes mr v smoked. He could have been dosed, and time tripped back into that meat locker in Dresden. … Did you know there is a Dresden Drive that connects Brookhaven to Doraville? Dresden Drive is a popular road for police cars, and I learned a long time ago to watch the rearview carefully there. In the early seventies, Dekalb County drove gold Plymouth Satellites. I drove a gold Plymouth Satellite in the eighties, after the girl in Planet Claire made everyone forget the Dekalb gestapo. …
… Back to the book. The ghost writer and Kurt Vonnegut have a similar effect … when you read a book by mr v, you starts to think like the book reads. LWTD is having the same impact, which can be intimidating to the readers of this blog who dare to go this far. … The sixties were like that in California, or so I heard … in 1967, I was in the eighth grade, and a long way away from California dreamin’. Neal Cassidy said he got more out of breakfast than he got out of the eighth grade. …
… LWTD is chock full of trivia. Did you know that St. Stephen was written about Stephen Gaskin? Or that Grace Slick would never sunbathe nude on David Crosby’s boat, because David’s girlfriends were all so pretty. Grace just couldn’t compete. Oops, that last bit was from David Crosby’s book, which was another perversion excursion. Does anyone else find the concept of Mr. Walrus being the turkey baster daddy for Julie Cypher … just a touch bizarre? … I am on page 213 of LWTD at this point. This is a mathematical wonder, using all prime numbers and a superstition into a sum of six. The story of the dead is at a turning point, but then almost any inning of this ballgame was a turning point. It is early 1972. Pigpen has been replaced, but doesn’t know it yet. …
… The dead just played the Armistice day show at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium, which is fondly remembered by many who were not there. In a bit of irony, this is one of the last shows with the old sound system. There is a quote from a someone who saw them in NY a few weeks later, and said it was the worst he had heard the band sound. … This is also turning point in america, with the rise of george mcgovern leading to a landslide for tricky dick. The sixties were slowing coming to a multi colored end. They were too painful to live and too profitable to die. …
… The band rode the wave for the next thirty seven years, even after uberdeadhead Jerry became the real thing on Hiroshima day in 1995. The book has about 144 pages to go (a gross), but I suspect that it won’t be as much fun as the first 213. … The pictures for this post are from a farm in Tennessee. As I edit the pics, I listens to a tape of the auditorium show, and the band plays “Tennessee Jed”. Once, I was playing a tape of “Tennessee Jed”, and a neighbor asked me “Do you like that?” “Yes” “then you are a hick”. … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken January 17, 1947. “McDonough Boulevard”
#NationalTellAJokeDay Part Two
Did you hear about the hungry clock? It went back four seconds.
Did you hear about the zoo where the only exhibit was a dog? It was a shih tzu
Did you hear about the shampoo shortage in Jamaica … it was dreadful
How can a woman terrify her gynecologist? By becoming a ventriloquists.
How do you circumcise a whale? A: Send down 4 skin divers.
How do you keep an idiot in suspense?……………………………………………..
How do you make holy water? You boil the hell out of it.
I entered 10 puns into a contest. I hoped one would win. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.
I had to make these bad chemistry jokes because all the good ones Argon
I hate going to abortion clinics cause there’s never anything to hang your coat
I suffer from kleptomania, but when it gets really bad, I take something for it.
Randy once told a joke to the ruler of China. They didn’t get it because it wasn’t metric
Standing in the park, I was wondering why a Frisbee gets larger the closer it gets. Then it hit me.
The guy who invented a place to put symbols on a map, what a legend!
This guy walked into a bar one day. He should have looked in front of him
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One cannibal said to the other, “Does this taste funny to you?”
Two peanuts were walking down the street. One was a salted.
What concert cost 45 cents? 50 cents featuring Nickelback.
What did number 0 say to number 8? ….nice belt!
What did the policeman say to his stomach ….. you’re under a vest
What did the taxi driver say to the wolf? Where Wolf?
What do doctors give sick birds…. Tweetment
What do you call a bee born in May? A Maybe!
What do you call a guy with a spade in his head? Dug
What do you call a man with a tiny penis? Justin
What do you call it when a prisoner takes his own mug shot? A cellfie. Happy #nationaljokeday
What do you call nasal sex? Fuck nose….
what’s the difference between a pregnant women and a lightbulb…. You can unscrew a lightbulb
Where do the Polish keep their armies ? in their sleevies
Where’s the best place to hide a dead body? Page 2 of Google search results.
Why are there gates around graveyards? Because people are just dying to get in.
Why did the can crusher quit his job? Because it was soda pressing.
Why did the chicken commit suicide? To get to the other side.
Why did the dog cross the road? To get to the barking lot!
Why did the duck cross the road …. to prove he wasn’t a chicken
Why did the duck get arrested?? Because he was selling quack
Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was out standing in his field.
Why did Van Gogh become a painter? Because he didn’t have an ear for music. ;)
Why do many bars not allow neutrons to enter? Cause they always refuse to be charged..
Why shouldn’t you write with a broken pencil? Because it’s pointless!
Why was 6 scared of 7? Because 7 ate 9.
Why was the cat sitting on the computer? To keep an eye on the mouse!
Why was the mermaid wearing seashells? Because she outgrew her B shells
Why was there guitar teacher arrested….. For fingering a minor
This is a repost. The pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken in 1927. “J. Saul and Company Wholesale Clothing Dry Goods sign painted on wall in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.” This item is part of a collection of images of downtown Atlanta streets that were taken before the viaduct construction of 1927 – 1929. Later, some of the covered streets became part of Underground Atlanta.
Powered By Yahoo
August 30, 2014. … As facebook memes remind us, Jon Stewart recently delivered a speech about racism. The closing line is “And that shit happens all the time. All the time. Race is there, and it is a constant. You’re tired of hearing about it? Imagine how fucking exhausting it is living it.” The crowd went into hysterics. … Our media culture is strange. On the “conservative” side, buffoons like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly present news as entertainment. On the “liberal” side, comedians like Jon Stewart and Bill Maher present comedy routines as political commentary. On the other side of the screen, America becomes more cynical every day. …
… In another video, the former Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz says something critical about Israel. He is gleefully shouted down. Eventually, he gives up. This video could have been made about race relations. If a white person says anything except the party line, he can expect to be called racist, and shouted down. Two wrongs become one right. So the choice becomes not wanting to be yelled at, or not wanting to live a black life. You can yell at white people as long as you like about racism. This yelling will accomplish little, except giving the dubious feeling of moral superiority.
August 25, 2009. … The news came out that the coroner ruled Michael Jackson’s death to be a homicide. The name of his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was mentioned. In these race obsessed times, the first question many ask is about skin color. In the case of The Entertainer, it changed over time. I found pictures from two times for Dr. Murray, and he looked the same. The older image was a booking photograph from 1994. Dr. Murray was in trouble after a domestic violence incident with his girlfriend. The Doctor was acquitted of the charges. …
… There was more trouble for Dr. Murray in the years to come. (The search warrant for his office is here). At the time of his Jackson employment, Dr. Murray was in deep financial trouble. “In the last three years, Murray has faced lawsuits for unpaid business bills totaling over $700,000, including rent on his medical offices. He also owes more than $13,000 in child support, $70,000 to a business partner with whom he launched an energy drink called Pitbull, and he failed to pay more than $71,000 worth of student loans from medical school.” …
… Ten days before Michael Jackson got high for the last time, Dr. Murray sent a letter out. “Because of a once in a lifetime opportunity, I had to make a most difficult decision to cease practice of medicine indefinitely”. He reportedly was paid $150k a month to serve as a private physician to Micheal Jackson. … Dr. Murray was not the only Doctor to work with Michael. “Best-selling author Deepak Chopra, a licensed medical doctor, said he first became concerned about the pop star’s prescription drug use in 2005, when Jackson visited him shortly after his trial on sex abuse allegations. …
… Chopra said Jackson asked him to prescribe painkillers and already had a bottle of OxyContin. “I was kind of a bit alarmed. I said, ‘Why are you taking that. You don’t need that,‘ and then I started to probe a little further, and after I grilled him a little bit, he admitted he was getting them from a bunch of doctors,” … On June 25, things went too far. Dr. Conrad Murray told cops he had been treating Jackson for 6 weeks for insomnia — giving him 50 milligrams of Propofol every night through an IV. Murray told cops he feared Jackson was getting addicted so he reduced the dosage to 25 mg. …
… The morning Jackson died, Dr. Murray gave Jackson valium at 1:30 AM. Murray said the valium didn’t work so he gave the singer an IV injection of lorazepam — an anti-anxiety drug. Murray told cops Jackson was still awake, so he then gave him midazolam — a sedative. Murray gave Jackson more drugs. He says at 10:40 AM, he administered 25 mg of Propofol. Dr. Murray told cops Jackson repeatedly demanded the drug. As we first reported, cops found 8 bottles of Propofol in Jackson’s house after he died, but they do not know where it was purchased. …
… Cops also found Valium, Tamsulosin, Lorazepam, Temazepam, Clonazepam, Trazodone and Tizanidine, along with the Propofol. The various drugs were prescribed by Dr. Murray, Dr. Arnold Klein and Dr. Allan Metzger. … Dr. Murray reportedly told cops 10 minutes after administering Propofol … he “left Jackson’s side to go to the restroom and relieve himself. Murray stated he was out of the room for about 2 minutes maximum. Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing.” Dr. Murray says he began CPR and at some point ran downstairs and asked the chef to send up Prince Jackson, the eldest son, then Murray continued performing CPR. …
… Dr. Murray says he noticed that Jackson wasn’t breathing at around 11 AM. He was then on the cell phone for 47 minutes with 3 separate calls, from 11:18 to 12:05. The 911 call came in at 12:21 PM …. a much longer delay than originally reported… Interestingly, according to the warrant, Dr. Murray refused to sign the death certificate at the UCLA Medical Center. … Dr. Murray was released from prison October 28, 2013. In 2023, Dr. Murray opened a medical institute in El Socorro, San Juan.
August 25, 2009. … I have had internet service with BellSouth since I bought a computer. They add the charge to my phone bill. It worked very well. At some point, AT&T bought BellSouth. At some point after that, AT&T made a deal with Yahoo to “Power” AT&T. I got emails warning about the change. These messages did not mean much to me. I would take what action needed to be taken, at the proper time. This afternoon, I got to a stopping point on a picture project, and tried to check email. The outlook express did not work. It was the start of a nightmare. …
… I am over call centers. The other night, I called Tracfone, and talked to a young man over a horrible connection. The man did not understand english very well. This is how companies save money, and increase unemployment in the United States. I was still connected to the internet, and went to the site where I check email away from home. I was directed to a new “powered by yahoo” site. I was required to register for a new system, amidst popup screens asking me to take a tour of the new AT&T. …
… Finally, I got through to my email, and found a one word comment to a blog post. Somebody thought the BHO health care plan was cool. Meanwhile, the yahoo site…which I use to check my yahoo account …was now logged in under a new account. Instead of logging in and out all the time, I decide to use one browser for yahoo and one browser for AT&T. It has been a while since I used the secondary browser. The AT&T page has a place where you can troubleshoot your email. I go there. …
… It tells you to go to an options tab on outlook, and enter a lot of numbers and settings. It did not make the outlook express work. There is a phone number for AT&T. I have spent quality time on this, talking to people in India, The Philippines, and Dothan, Alabama. I never thought I would be happy to get Alabama, but I was. To be fair, the people in these call centers are polite and hard working. They just have big problems to deal with, especially with this AT&T “powered by Yahoo” fiasco. …
… The number is busy, busy, busy. On the one time in twenty that I get through, I get chased off due to heavy call volume. I tried yet another time, and got through to an agent, with a good sounding connection. I am going to try to reconfigure the connection to outlook express. The last try did work. It took over an hour, and the old accounts had to be destroyed and new accounts set up. By the time it was over, I was ready to start as a tech rep and talk someone else through the process. I might even move to Alabama. … The pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken November 9, 1949. “Ford Motor Company display of 1950 models, Atlanta City Auditorium” · selah ©Luther Mckinnon 2025
Ted Kennedy
This content was published September 29, 2023. … One thing that I like to do is investigate “things I have always heard”. With google, you can often find the source, and a few things more. This is a repost. … The myth I was chasing was the notion that government officials said our army “will be greeted as liberators” in Iraq. On March 16, 2003, Vice President Dick Cheney was on Meet the Press. MR. RUSSERT: If your analysis is not correct, and we’re not treated as liberators, but as conquerors, and the Iraqis begin to resist, particularly in Baghdad, do you think the American people are prepared for a long, costly, and bloody battle with significant American casualties? …
… VICE PRES. CHENEY: Well, I don’t think it’s likely to unfold that way, Tim, because I really do believe that we will be greeted as liberators. I’ve talked with a lot of Iraqis in the last several months myself, had them to the White House. The president and I have met with them, various groups and individuals, people who have devoted their lives from the outside to trying to change things inside Iraq. And like Kanan Makiya who’s a professor at Brandeis, but an Iraqi, he’s written great books about the subject, knows the country intimately. The read we get on the people of Iraq is there is no question but what they want to the get rid of Saddam Hussein and they will welcome as liberators the United States when we come to do that.” …
… There are a few things to say 22 years later. Why did the Vice President have this much power? The VP is supposed to dedicate buildings and go to funerals. Dick Cheney was clearly a very powerful man, and he was not elected to that job. … Mr. Russert, rest his soul, seems to have gotten one detail wrong. The conquest of Baghdad went smoothly, with relatively few American casualties. It was the occupation that would be “long, costly, and bloody… with significant American casualties.” There probably were many Iraqis who welcomed the change, Clearly, Mr. Hussein had some enemies, and there were some who saw the invasion as liberation. There were others who did not. Players in other countries saw an opportunity to come to Iraq and make trouble. The regime that was changed had many employees, who were bumped out of jobs. “The people of Iraq” were no more a monolithic force, all acting the same way, as the people of America would be if they were invaded. …
… Even if the Americans were “greeted as liberators”, there would be many challenges. The country had no experience in dealing with democracy. The different ethnic groups did not like each other. Sunnis were seen as having been privileged, and many were looking to settle the score. It seems obvious that these problems were not anticipated. There is a debate in The United States about the use of torture. It seems apparent that “enhanced interrogation” was used extensively in Iraq and elsewhere. The use of torture would seem to be an admission that we were not greeted as liberators.
This content was published August 26, 2009. Ted Kennedy died August 25, 2009. … I was not going to talk about Ted Kennedy. The man served for many years in the Senate. There were some unfortunate incidents in his personal life. I am not a moral statistician, and shudder at the thought of judging someone with that many positives and negatives. Ted Kennedy has been in the public eye as long as I have been old enough to pay attention. For years, he was the boogey man of the right wing. If a strawman was ever needed, Ted Kennedy was trotted out. …
… I suspect that many people who were offended by John and Robert Kennedy (especially regarding their support of civil rights for African Americans) took out their anger on Ted Kennedy. The shortcomings in his personal life did not help. Peach Pundit was respectful today. There was a story about an act of kindness by Senator Kennedy to a young law student. The comments had the predictable nasty players, but most showed respect. In an interesting move, rude comments were hidden behind a link. This allows the reader to see what followup comments are talking about. …
… Another blog, JoemyGod, was admiring Senator Kennedy. In the comments, there was the anonymous “Guest” who felt the need to talk about Chappaquiddick. Numerous people took “Guest” to task for this. There were some who felt that negative comments should be deleted. I do not like having comments deleted. Of course, this is the right of a blog owner. Some have an itchy trigger finger, and will delete most of what they don’t like. When you do this, you take away the diversity needed for a lively discussion. The following is a dialog between chamblee54 and “Guest”. Thank you JoemyGod for hosting this discussion. …
… chamblee54- Joe, thank you for allowing the troll comments to remain up. You have the right to delete comments. However, your readers are capable of putting the trolls in their place. Deleting comments is like war and abortion. We should keep the option open, but only use it when absolutely necessary. As for Senator Kennedy, he has been raked over the coals for Chappaquiddick. The right wing has used that incident to great advantage. At the time of the Senators passing, we should speak well of the man.Today, 12:03:55 PM …
… “Guest”- can you speak well of someone like OJ Simpson? Right wing – left wing doesn’t matter. Ted Kennedy killed a young lady with the rest of her life a head of her so he didn’t have to take responsility for his actions. Drinking and Driving is a crime, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime, killing someone while behind the wheel of a vehicle is a crime. How much time did Ted Kennedy spend in jail for his crimes? How much time would a regular American spend in prison for these crimes? Today, 12:31:40 PM …
… chamblee54- If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. This is especially true when a person dies, and his fingernails are still growing. When OJ goes to the Hertz office in the sky, I will have nothing to say. · Today, 12:51:43 PM “Guest”- chamblee54 kennedy has been rightfully raked of the coals for his actions at chapppaquidick, it has nothing to do with right wing or your socialist attitude it has to do with what he did, how he let her die and who was bribed. We should never speak well of any of the kennedy family; bootlegger and other RICO enterprises that allowed the money to flow. Today, 12:56:21 PM … The pictures today are from Georgia State University Library. The social media picture: “Paramount Pictures War Bond Appeal” · selah ©Luther Mckinnon 2025
Religion And Perfume
Religion and perfume have several things in common. They are both fun to smell, but dangerous to swallow. A tasteful drop behind the ear is pleasant. Too much, and you will run from the room gasping for breath. Both are cheap products, sold in a fancy bottle, at a steep markup.
Before easy access to water, people did not bathe every day. To cover up the aroma of human existence, many used fragrances. This too is similar to the function of religion.
Perfume has been considered a feminine product. In a clever marketing move, a masculine scent was called cologne, and sold to men. Religion is gross to many people, so it is sold as faith.
Smell is a driving force in animal behavior. Ants use smell to communicate. They perform feats in numbers, which would be impossible as individuals. Smells go directly to the brain, without filtering and processing like sounds, sights, and tastes. Religion is the emotional equivalent of odors. This is a repost. Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken March 19, 1966. “APT Academe School of Fashion runway show”
One History Of Religion
This content was published August 25, 2023. … I was a southern baptist all my life. Arguably, I became a baptist when my mother converted in 1938, but really didn’t get with the program until I was born in 1954. The story is that Daddy called the choir director at six in the morning to sign me up. … First Baptist in Atlanta was a big church on Peachtree street, about a mile north of downtown. (FBC sold the land to a developer, and moved to Dunwoody. I was working a block away, when they tore down the building. I got some chips of brick as a souvenir.) …
… I sang in the “cherub” choir. This was quite an experience when we performed in front of a full house. I have good memories of Sunday school, vacation bible school, and the choir program. … One thing I did not like, even at that young age, was the preacher. He was a greasy haired man who shouted a lot. Years later, I heard persistent rumors that he was gay. One Sunday, we were watching him preach, and he shouted, “this is the word of God”. He then waved a Bible in the air, and slammed it into the pulpit. I thought, if that is the word of God, maybe he shouldn’t slam it down like that. …
… In 1962, mom and dad decided to move to a church closer to home. I liked Briarcliff Baptist. About this time, I first heard about being “saved from sin”, and thought it was a pretty cool idea. I was also in the cub scouts. Their meetings were the same day as choir practice, so I quit the choir. I attended church regularly the next few years, but never did join the church, and get baptized. The custom of pressuring children to make a “commitment of faith” reflects poorly on Jesus.
This content was published August 28, 2009. … There is a email going around, that you are supposed to send to your friends. The email is a personality test. Allegedly it is endorsed by the Dalai Lama. I think Tenzin Gyato has more sense than that, and has looked for an endorsement. In fact, a google search for “personality test” at DalaiLama dotcom yields no answer. … Official or not, the test is harmless enough. There are four questions. Make a wish before you start, which will be known only to you. Write down your answers on paper, and then look at the results. If you want a fancier version of the test, you can go here, there, or wait until you get the email. …
… 1- Put the following 5 animals in the order of your preference: Cow, Tiger, Sheep, Horse, Pig · 2- Write one word that describes each one of the following: Dog, Cat, Rat, Coffee, Sea · 3- Think of someone, who also knows you and is important to you, which you can relate them to the following colors. Do not repeat your answer twice. Name just one person for each color: Yellow, Orange, Red, White, Green · 4- Finally, write down your favorite number, and your favorite day of the week. · Ok, are you through with your answers? Remember, no looking ahead! …
… 1-This will define your priorities in your life. Cow Signifies CAREER, Tiger Signifies PRIDE, Sheep Signifies LOVE, Horse Signifies FAMILY, Pig Signifies MONEY · 2-Your description of dog implies your own personality. Your description of cat implies the personality of your partner. Your description of rat implies the personality of your enemies. Your description of coffee is how you interpret sex. Your description of the sea implies your own life. · 3-Yellow: Someone you will never forget– · Orange: Someone you consider your true friend · Red: Someone that you really love · White: Your twin soul · Green: Someone that you will remember for the rest of your life · 4-You have to send this message to as many persons as your favorite number and your wish will come true on the day that you recorded. … Photographs today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library and Digital Library of Georgia. The social media picture was taken between 1910 and 1929. “African American woman is baptized“. ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Rules Of Life
This content was originally published August 7, 2008. … I was coming down Peachtree Dunwoody, when the voice on the radio began describing the storm damage. It seems as though “The Perfect Church” had taken a lightning hit on its steeple, setting off a spectacular fire. The concept of something called “The Perfect Church” being hit by lightning was just too amazing. I needed a bit more information. The news websites were no help. It was as if no one wanted to say the obvious…that a place boastful enough to call itself “The Perfect Church” had been hit by lightning. …
The closest I saw was a reference at venerable WSB that “the Atlanta Fire Department is battling a steeple fire on a church believed caused by lightning at McDaniel St. and Ralph David Abernathy.” Then, an unlikely source came to my aid. WGST is the home of Rush Limbaugh, and known for its far right agenda. It has a google powered search option. The google search did provide a link to “The Perfect Church” at 670 McDaniel Street. A visit to their site shows the words “Christians are Perfect!”. Maybe that lightning strike was intentional.
This content was originally published August 8, 2o12. … This time in 2008, The Perfect Church was hit by lightning. I thought it would be fun to see how they were doing four years later. … The Perfect Church still has a website. The history of the church does not mention the lightning strike. Some feel that it is not appropriate for a church of people to call themselves perfect. There are numerous Bible verses to support this, as well as common sense observations. No less an authority than Dear Abby says “A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
A visit to the clinic of Dr. Google has a few observations. A young man took a group from his church to paint a lady’s house. On the way to the site, they passed The Perfect Church. “I saw this as a teaching moment and told my young adults that the label was only true on a day like that day…when the parking lot was empty!” One quote in the lesson that follows is quotable: “WHAT IF instead of exhausting our finances on church ski trips we wore holes in our pants on church knee trips?” … There is no source available for this comment.
In Avondale Estates, you will find A Perfect Wedding Chapel. The site says “A wedding ceremony only requires two people.” The gender of the participants was not specified. Ed Stetzer has a picture of Perfect Alternative Baptist Church. Here is his commentary: “It you are tired of your stale and carnal church, it appears there is a perfect alternative– though if it were really perfect, why did they use commas on the date? It appears they are such a personal alternative that they need a chain link fence to keep the people out. If that is not enough for you, it turns out that there is actually a Perfect Church — and it’s in Atlanta, of course.”
This content was originally published August 15, 2018.
1. Law of Mechanical Repair – After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you’ll have to pee.
2. Law of Gravity – Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
3. Law of Probability – Probability of being watched is proportional to stupidity of your act.
4. Law of Random Numbers – If you dial a wrong number, someone always answers.
5. Law of the Alibi – If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.
6. Variation Law – If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (also works at bank and grocery every time).
7. Law of the Bath – When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
8. Law of Close Encounters -The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don’t want to be seen with.
9. Law of the Result – When you try to prove to someone that a machine won’t work, it will.
10. Law of Biomechanics – The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
11. Law of the Theater – At any event, people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.
12. The Starbucks Law – As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
13. Murphy’s Law of Lockers – If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers. In most instances, it will be people who don’t like each other.
14. Law of Physical Surfaces – The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.
15. Law of Logical Argument – Anything is possible if you don’t know what you are talking about. Also known as Classing’s Imperative.
16. Brown’s Law of Physical Appearance – If the clothes fit off the rack, they’re probably ugly.
17. Oliver’s Law of Public Speaking – A closed mouth gathers no feet.
18. Wilson’s Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy – As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
19. Doctors’ Law – If you don’t feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you’ll feel better. Don’t make an appointment and you’ll stay sick.
20. Law of Threes – When dividing items into groups of three, you will have to make up something politically incorrect, so it will come out evenly.
21. Lazy Blogger’s Law – This is a repost. Somebody else wrote the text. Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken in 1940. “Labor Day Parade“. ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Mark Twain And Profanity
This content was originally published July 9, 2010. … There is a proposal in San Francisco to ban the sale of pets. The proposal has little chance of passing. There is even less chance of this measure being enacted in Georgia. But maybe it should. According to a California source “The real problem, staff said, is hamsters. People buy the high-strung, nocturnal rodents because they’re under the temporary impression that hamsters are cute and cuddly. But the new owners quickly learn that hamsters are, in fact, prone to biting, and gnawing through expensive wiring. …
… So the animals end up at the shelter. Just about every species has its own rescue group in San Francisco, but no one seems to want hamsters. Hamsters are the No. 1 animal euthanized at the city’s shelter, said San Francisco Animal Care and Control director Rebecca Katz.”(Katz?) Here is an animal euthanasia provider who supports the ban. “”the concept is something I think positively of. A lot of these animals, I get the feeling people buy them on impulse and they’re sold as somewhat disposable”. … People get pets as an impulse, or as gifts. When they get tired of them, the pet is often murdered. There is also the issue to the excess reproductive capacity of many animals. …
… When I took speech and drama in high school, one of the cheerleaders started a speech by saying “you are going to think I am a monster”. Her proposal was to outlaw pets. The amount of food used to feed companion animals could be used to feed humans. Ditto the medical resources used to treat sick animals. People sometimes are so in love with their pets, that they do not see the harm they do to others. A dog that will not stop barking is an infringement on the rights of others. A pit bull that gets loose can ruin the life of someone who gets in the way. …
… I lived for 23 years in a duplex, and had a wide variety of neighbors. I was fussed at for closing the gate to the back yard by one household. Another neighbor threatened a lawsuit for leaving the gate open.A Florida import dumped his catbox eighteen inches from where I opened my car door. There was the little black dog that I became friends with, only to be poisoned by enemies of the owner. … It is well known that the pampered pets of the wealthy live much better than many human children. Maybe this money needs to be spent on people.
This content was originally published July 17, 2010. … The WordPress homepage linked to a post on the benefits of “swearing“. Since Chamblee54 had a post about *donkeys* the other day, maybe this is a good subject to continue on. As before, this is a profanity light blog, and this discussion on cussing will not have any examples. If you do not know any of the words, then you need to get out more. …
… It seems like a grant monger at a university did a study. The subjects were asked to hold their hands in freezing water. Half of the subjects were allowed to say a swearword of their choice, the other half said a non expletive control word. The cussers felt less pain. I don’t know how this was measured, or whether I believe this. … Mark Twain had a similar thought. “Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” …
… The reference to prayer is another twist in this tale. Much of the objection to profanity is from Christians. These are people who consider the Bible to be “the word of God”. And yet, if you go to the Greek and Hebrew original texts, you will find every body part and reproductive act mentioned. The ban on cussing is more of a social issue than a moral one. … Christians have the same anger management issues as non believers. Some have a lot more. Often Xtians will use words like Jesus and God as a device for expressing displeasure. …
… This does not speak well for either Jesus or God, and violates the Third Commandment. Perhaps these believers would be better off to use words for body parts as insults, instead of a reference to God. … The subject of profanity is fertile ground for bloggers, and I will return to it before long. Before we go today, there are a few more comments from the post that started this, in addition to some zingers from the Mark Twain quotes page about profanity. That archive supplies a source, unlike many facebook quotemongers. …
… “The idea that no gentleman ever swears is all wrong. He can swear and still be a gentleman if he does it in a nice and benevolent and affectionate way.” Mark Twain – Private and Public Morals speech, 1906. · “There ought to be a room in every house to swear in. It’s dangerous to have to repress an emotion like that.” Mark Twain – Mark Twain A Biography · “When angry count four; when very angry, swear.” Mark Twain – Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar · “swearing is like perfume. used intelligently in small doses – it can enhance the meaning of a phrase. if it’s cheap and overwhelmingly applied – it can make you leave the room! Kaiamaeve …
… I must confess, I quite like swearing. But, like everything, try to do it in moderation. A good oath blurted out at the right time can really emphasize a message. I don’t think I know any adults who never swear, but I know many who rarely let out a good curse-word and, when they do, you know they really mean it. They make it count. Andrew Berthoff · I had my days at military school where I cussed like, well, a soldier, and I’ve also had my church-going days where I promised myself that I didn’t swear at all. Those days are both behind me now, and I really try to not swear very much because I think it makes me sound like an moron. Nathan …
… There is a Mark Twain quote used today. The source is Mark Twain A Biography, not his writing. If you look in MTAB, this is what you see: “Steve was a merciless joker, and never as long as they were together could he “resist the temptation of making Sam swear,” claiming that his profanity was grander than any music.” … Mark Twain’s profanity. For it was rarely misplaced; hence it did not often offend. It seemed, in fact, the safety-valve of his high-pressure intellectual engine. When he had blown off he was always calm, gentle; forgiving, and even tender. Once following an outburst he said, placidly: “In certain trying circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity furnishes a relief denied even to prayer.” …
… There is another Twain quote attributed to MTAB: “He usually had a number of clippings or slips among the many books on the bed beside him from which he proposed to dictate each day, but he seldom could find the one most needed. Once, after a feverishly impatient search for a few moments, he invited Miss Hobby to leave the room temporarily, so, as he said, that he might swear. He got up and we began to explore the bed, his profanity increasing amazingly with each moment. It was an enormously large bed, and he began to disparage the size of it. “One could lose a dog in this bed,” he declared. Finally I suggested that he turn over the clipping which he had in his hand. He did so, and it proved to be the one he wanted. Its discovery was followed by a period of explosions, only half suppressed as to volume. Then he said: “There ought to be a room in this house to swear in. It’s dangerous to have to repress an emotion like that.” … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken October 31, 1956. “Wrecked police automobile” · ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
Gaza In 2010
This content was originally published July 28, 2010. … British prime minister David Cameron is on a visit to Turkey. He made a few comments about Gaza. “Let me also be clear that the situation in Gaza has to change. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.” Israel’s ambassador to Great Britain, Ron Prosor, replied “The people of Gaza are the prisoners of the terrorist organization Hamas. The situation in Gaza is the direct result of Hamas’ rule and priorities.” … Hamas was founded in 1987. This was just after the Iran contra affair, when Israel was helping Iran buy weapons. …
… 1987 is 39 years after the creation of the state of Israel. Many Arabs living in what became Israel left in 1948, and many settled in the Gaza Strip. The creation of Hamas was 20 years after the six day war, when Israel took control of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli soldiers were not greeted as liberators. What followed was an Israeli occupation of the territory. It was by, most accounts, a brutal affair, with Gazan resistance (“terrorism”) met by Israeli force. During this occupation, the prime “terrorist organization” was the P.L.O. They were the object of attacks by Israel, both propaganda and military. They were connected to the party Fatah, which became the primary agent of governance in Palestine. There was an election, and Hamas won. …
… There are reports that Hamas was secretly founded by Israel , to fight Fatah/PLO. Whether or not this is true, the fact is that Israel maintained a brutal occupation of Gaza. It should be no surprise that a “terrorist organization” would be popular, and win an election over yesterday’s boogieman. Both sides in this conflict have good talking points, and have suffered losses. The commentary above is oversimplified. However, to say the suffering of the Gazans “is the direct result of Hamas” constitutes an obscene piece of propaganda. HT to Juan Cole, an excellent source for news on the middle east.
This content was originally published July 29, 2010. … The fourth diva on the cd is Janis Joplin. Unlike the first three, she used her birth name as a stage name. Janis Lyn Joplin was born January 19, 1943, in Port Arthur, Texas. Janis was a legend. As the singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company, she became an overnight superstar in 1967. She soon left Big Brother, and had ups and downs as a solo performer. As most of you know, she was fond of Southern Comfort and heroin. Janis passed away October 4, 1970. Janis appeared on the Dick Cavett Show on June 25, 1967. …
… Marianne Faithfull (Marian Evelyn Faithfull) was born 29 December 1946, in London. Unlike the first four divas in this series, she is still alive, and doing rather well. This is not for lack of trying, as she has had her adventures with hard drugs. She also dated Mick Jagger. There were many wild and crazy times, including being busted while wearing only a fur rug. Eventually, Ms. Faithfull went into a decline. She made a comeback in 1979 with “Broken English”. She continues to perform. … Marianne Faithfull passed away January 30, 2025. …
Dorothy Ashby is the third performer we will discuss today. She is not as well known as the first five, and is not known for her singing. She played harp. Dorothy Jeanne Thompson was born August 6, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan. She married John Ashby, who played drums in her band. She died April 13, 1986. Youtube does not seem to have any videos of Mrs. Ashby performing. We will have to use an still picture video to include her. On the cd, she performs “Theme from Valley of the Dolls”. … Pictures today are from Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library. The social media picture was taken September 23, 1952. ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah
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