What Is Dirty About Louie Louie?
The sixties were a great time to be a kid. As long as you were too young for a Vietnam Vacation, there were kicks to be had.
One of the more enduring legends was the dirty lyrics to “Louie Louie”. Recorded by an obscure band called the Kingsmen, the song was a massive hit in 1963 (It never was Number One). When WQXI put out lists of the greatest songs of all time, “Louie Louie” was at the top of the list. This is despite, or because of, the raucous sound. The song was recorded in one take, when the band thought they were playing a rehearsal. The vocals are difficult to make sense of, and rumored to be obscene. No one was ever quite sure why. With the garbled sound on the record, the listener could hear almost anything they wanted to.
The Governor of Indiana, Matthew Welsh, banned radio stations from playing the song in that state. On February 7, 1964, Attorney General Robert Kennedy got a letter from an outraged parent about the lyrics to “Louie Louie”. An F.B.I. investigation followed. After thirty months of investigation, the Bureau concluded that they could not make sense of the lyrics.
PG had a neighbor named Carol. A tomboy who could whip most of the boys, she had a pet skunk named Napoleon. Carol claimed to have heard a band at Lenox Square play “Louie Louie”. “He said the words real slow so you could understand them. I can’t repeat what he said, but it was dirty”.
Louie, Louie Oh no, me gotta go.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, said, ah
Louie, Louie Oh, baby, me gotta go
A fine little girl she waits for me Me
catch a ship for cross the sea.
Me sail that ship all alone Me never think how I make it home.
Ah, Louie, Louie No, no, no, no, me gotta go.
Oh, no. Said, Louie, Louie Oh, baby, said we gotta go.
Three nights and days I sail the sea Think of girl, oh, constantly.
Ah, on that ship I dream she there
I smell the rose, ah, in her hair.
Ah, Louie, Louie Oh, no, sayin’ we gotta go.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
but, ah, Louie, Louie Oh, baby, said, we gotta go.
[Yelled] Okay, let’s give it to ‘em right now! [instrumental]
Me see Jamaica, ah, moon above.
It won’t be long, me see me love.
Take her in my arms again, I got her; I’ll never leave again.
Ah, Louie, Louie Oh, no, sayin’ me gotta go.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
But, ah, Louie, Louie Oh, baby, said, ah, we gotta go.
I said we gotta go now, Let’s get on outta here.
[Yelled] Let’s go.
Transcribed by David Spector Sept. 2000 Public Domain. If anyone reading this can explain what was so dirty about this song, please leave a comment. Thank you Wikipedia for your help in assembling this. This is a repost. Pictures by The Library of Congress
Rejecting Rejection Therapy
Invisibilia is a new podcast from NPR. The first episode deals with fear. The first half is about a scientific explanation about snake slithering. The second half is a sales promotion for a company called Rejection Therapy. Does NPR stand for Novice Public Relations?
Jason Comely was an IT guy, living with four cats in Ontario. He had lost a girlfriend, and was not doing too well. He decided that he was afraid of rejection.
The way to overcome this fear was to make a game of it. Every day, he would try to get rejected. Mr. Comely was asking people for strange things, in hope of being rejected. Somehow, this was supposed to build up his mojo, and make him more confident.
Soon, there was a little cottage industry. There was a website, and a twitter account. Rejection cards are available for purchase. “Rejection Therapy comes in three flavours: Classic (physical card deck is available at The Game Crafter), Entrepreneur and Blue Pill Edition. These cards are not essential to the game but handy for motivation and direction.”
PG heard this, and started to get angry. The word selfish comes to mind. Rejection therapy is all about building the confidence of the game player. Did someone say game player?
Many people do not like to say no. It is a source of stress. Many people are, with justification, afraid of what will happen when they “reject” this request. Most people have had bad experiences with saying no to people. When you hear this request, you don’t know that it is a game, designed to build the confidence of the game player. You might be dealing with a crazy person, angry that they are not getting their way. Don’t worry about it, you don’t matter.
Jason Comely “Don’t even bother trying to be cool. Just get out there and get rejected. And sometimes it’s going to get dirty, but that’s OK because you’re going to feel great after. You’re going to feel like, wow, I disobeyed my fear. You know, I disobeyed fear.”
What about the other person? This person is going to get dirty also. But, it’s all OK because you are going to feel great because you disobeyed your fear. It is all about you. The person who is dealing with your meant-to-be-rejected request is just a pawn in your game.
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.
Conversations I Am Tired Of Having
There was a post a while back, 10 Conversations On Racism I’m Sick Of Having With White People. The original started at The Chronicle, but LiveJournal is kind of weird, so a mirror image will have to do. There are comments, at the sourced post, that illustrate some of the points covered today.
I got to thinking about “10 Conversations”, and a reply began to take shape. I started a list of conversations the I am tired of having, and before you could say affirmative action, there were a dozen items. Many of these incidents have involved people of color, or POC. Many others have not. Often, the ethnicity of the other person has little importance to the discussion. Therefore, the title of this feature will not be racially specific. This monolog will probably not go viral, or even bacterial. Washing your hands might be a good idea when you are finished reading.
Meetings where one person does all the talking The word conversation implies that more than one person says something. Often, this does not happen. One person will talk for a while. Before person two finishes a sentence, person one will interrupt them.
This does not work. When the other person is talking, shut up and listen. Don’t be thinking of your clever comeback, but pay attention to what the other person is saying. What the other person says is just as important as what you say.
Listening is not valued in our culture. It is seen as a loss of control, a sign of weakness. It is really a sign of strength. If you are weak, you don’t want to allow the other person to say anything. Have you ever heard anyone boast about the clever things that they say to someone? Of course you have, just like you never hear anyone talk highly about himself because he is a good listener.
My question is not an excuse to make a speech. Some people have an agenda. Whatever you say is an obstacle to the message they want to broadcast. When you ask a question, some people think you are handing them the talking stick, to do whatever they want. When your eyes glaze over, they plow on, in total disregard to your discomfort, and lack of comprehension. It is almost as if they are talking to hear the sound of their own voice.
I’m not talking to you. If you are screaming something, anyone with earshot can hear you. Do not get offended if there is a reaction to your words, especially if it is subtly directed at the person you are not talking to. This applies to the internet as well, where all of humanity is *privy* to your innermost thoughts. Keep the farmyard meaning of *privy* in mind when sharing your innermost product.
Conversations should be with people. If you are a business, and you want to tell me something, send me a written message. Please refrain from using robocall machines. I feel very foolish talking to a machine, especially one that doesn’t understand southern english.
You don’t have to shout. The amount of truth in a statement is not increased by the volume of expression. If you are standing next to me, the odds are I can hear you in a normal tone of voice. If you are across the room, come stand next to me, rather than shout across the room. If your normal tone of voice is shouting, then you have a problem.
The same principal goes to controlling your temper. When you choose not to control your temper, you show disprespect to yourself, and the person you are talking to. There is no situation that cannot be made worse by angry speech.
Privilege Racial polemic is getting more subtle these days. We are not quite post racial, although there are rumors of a PostRacial apartment complex in Dickhater. The phrase that pays these days is Privilege. This is always something owned by the group you do not belong to. Last summer, I heard this quote in a discussion, and nearly fell out of my chair.
From the N word to POC. Labels for groups of people can cause problems. I have expressed myself on the N word before, and don’t have much to add. As for POC, that is even sillier. Colored people is an insult, but people of color is preferred. I am sure some of you have a terrific speech to ‘splain this, but I am not interested. My neck may be red, but that is a color. PWOC is an insult to my humanity, whether you are talking to me or not.
This is getting longer than the attention span of many readers. It might be continued at a later date. This is a repost. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
January 19
January 19 is the third monday in January this year, and is the time for MLK day. The nineteenth day of the new year has a lively history. In 1861, Georgia seceded from the Union. In 1977, on his last day in office, President Gerald Ford pardoned Iva Toguri D’Aquino (a.k.a. “Tokyo Rose”). Nature celebrated by having snow fall in Miami.
PG’s mother was a talk radio fan. Her station was WRNG, long since defunct. A psychic was on the air one day, and said that when Jimmy Carter became President, it would snow in Miami.
Where January 19 shines is celebrity birthdays.
1807 – Robert E. Lee, American general (d. 1870)
1809 – Edgar Allan Poe, American author and poet (d. 1849)
1839 – Paul Cézanne, French painter (d. 1906)
1923 – Jean Stapleton, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
1939 – Phil Everly, (The Everly Brothers) (d. 2014)
1943 – Janis Joplin, American singer-songwriter (d. 1970)
1946 – Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter and actress
1947 – Paula Deen, American chef and author
1953 – Desi Arnaz, Jr., American actor
1958 – Thomas Kinkade, American painter (d. 2012)
Deaths
1983 – Ham the Chimp, Cameroonian-American chimpanzee (b. 1956)
1990 – Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian mystic and guru (b. 1931)
1997 – James Dickey, American poet and author (b. 1923)
2000 – Hedy Lamarr, Austrian-American actress and mathematician (b. 1913)
2006 – Wilson Pickett, American singer-songwriter (The Falcons) (b. 1941)
2007 – Bam Bam Bigelow, American wrestler (b. 1961)
2007 – Hrant Dink, Turkish-Armenian journalist (b. 1954)
2008 – Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (b. 1937)
Information by Wikipedia. Pictures by The Library of Congress.
Happy Healthy People Who Don’t Give
“1. Do whatever the fuck you want.” This is habit number one of Twelve Habits of Happy, Healthy People Who Don’t Give a Shit About Your Inner Peace. On this bright sunny sunday, PG wants to write snarky commentary on motivational nonsense. The pictures are from The Library of Congress.
“Whatever the fuck” is similar to give a fuck. Neither phrase makes much sense. WTF is probably derived from “what the hell,” with a stronger profanity.
“The earliest use in print recorded by editors of the Oxford English Dictionary comes from the 1920s. From a story handed down in my family (U.S.), I know the phrase was used in the late 19th century, if not earlier. It might have come from “what IN hell…,” similar to “what on earth….” That’s speculation, though. “What the hell?” has the same meaning as “What?” but adds anger and emphasis.” In other words, it is just something people like to say. It was conceived in religion, then given greater “anger and emphasis” with the word for intercourse. The english language is a strange business.
DWTFYW is number one on the list, as well as number two, four, ten, and twelve. In number twelve, useless periods are added. All six words are capitalized. The catchphrase becomes “12. Do. Whatever. The Fuck. You Want.” The bloggette wants you to know that she really, really means this.
The post makes fun of motivational posts. The first example is 25 Habits Of People Who Are Happy, Healthy & Successful. The photo shows a beautiful women, on top of a glorious mountain, with the sun setting next to her butt. Making fun of this type of “matter” does not take much imagination.
“3. Seriously, do you want that burger? Then just fucking eat a burger. …” caught PG’s eye. If gaining weight was the only problem here, then you should finish fucking, then eat the burger. If you are likely to get gout, then you may want to pass on the burger. Red meat is what makes your foot swell up so that every step hurts. If what you want is to walk without pain, then eat something else.
What list does not looking for contradictions belong on? Or giggling at the inconsistencies in these lists. MindBodyGreen (Our mission is to revitalize the way people eat, move, and live!) says “20. They don’t complain.” A few pixels east is a link to another post. Drinking Too Much? It Might Be Your Job’s Fault. This page is sponsored by AstrologyAnswers. “WARNING: You’ve NEVER Had An Astrology Reading Like This Before! “
Rumi Said What?
The other day, PG was fumbling through facebook, and there was a lovely quote. “I am not this hair, I am not this skin, I am The Soul that lives within. Rumi.” The poem seemed like good words to paste in front of pictures. PG is squeamish about copyrights, and decided to see if the translation belonged to anyone. Veteran readers should know where this is going.
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, has become popular with the meme crowd. Mr. Google says: Born: September 30, 1207, Vakhsh, Tajikistan Died: December 17, 1273, Konya, Turkey. With his name abbreviated to four easy to pronounce letters, translations of his poems are popular. Often, the words are pasted on beautiful pictures.
Some killjoys say that this is wrong. “Yet this popularization has had a price, and the price is a frequent distortion of Rumi’s words and teachings … The English “creative versions” rarely sound like Rumi to someone who can read the poems in the original Persian, and they are often shockingly altered– but few know this, and the vast majority of readers cannot but believe that such versions are faithful renderings into English of Rumi’s thoughts and teachings when they are not.”
Lets look at the quote that started this story. It has such a perfect rhythm, and such a catchy rhyme. What relation to the original does this have? Does anyone know the name of the original poem?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could tell you a few things about the difficulty of translating Farsi into English. This is even more true when the translator has an agenda. On Fox News, some are trying to lead to war. Those translating a thirteenth century poet are trying to create peace. While the meme motives may be more noble, their integrity in using languages is equally suspect.
The killjoy article has some examples of Rumi poem “versions,” with footnotes. One is “Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu, Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion or cultural system.” The comment: ” …is especially absurd. There is no evidence Rumi knew much more about Judaism or Christianity than what is said in the Qur’an– not to speak of other religions.” (The source article goes into more detail about this quote, and about the specific so called translators.)
Pictures for this repost are from The Library of Congress. Spell check suggestion for Rumi: Rum.
Growing Up With Joni Mitchell
A facebook friend went on a Joni Mitchell kick. First it was a link to an interview. Then it was a quote from The Last Time I Saw Richard. A lady said Blue was her favorite album all all time, and a man enthusiastically agreed.
Given the apples and oranges quality of her catalog, it would be tough to pick one album as a favorite. PG then realized that fbf was going to be thirty soon. PG is sixty. These are two different perspectives on the craft of Joni Mitchell. One has driven through the storm, not knowing what was next. The other is presented with an almost complete body of work.
PG has known about Joni since high school, and been a devoted fan since 1976. Joni’s most popular album, Court And Spark, came out in 1974, eleven years before fbf was born. Who would be the equivalent female musical force from 1943, when PG was minus eleven? The answer is nobody. (Coincidentally Roberta Joan Anderson was born on November 7, 1943.)
After the comment about Blue, PG listened to For The Roses. Joni’s craft is like a cluster bomb… there are lines that you never fully felt, bomblets waiting to explode in your gut. Let The Wind Carry Me has one of those hidden threats. Mama thinks she spoilt me, Papa knows somehow he set me free, Mama thinks she spoilt me rotten, She blames herself, But papa he blesses me.
The first thing PG heard by Joni was Big Yellow Taxi. It was on The Big Ball, a 1970 mail order sampler from Warner Brothers. This was when Joni shacked up with Graham Nash. The next year saw Blue, followed by For The Roses, and Court And Spark. PG always thought Joni was someone he should like, but somehow didn’t. It wasn’t until 1976 that PG broke through the barrier, and became a Joni Mitchell fan. Seeing her in concert did not hurt.
On February 3, 1976, PG took a study break. (He scored 100 on the test the next day) Joni Mitchell was playing at the UGA coliseum a few blocks away, and the door was not watched after the show started. PG found a place to stand, on the first level of the stands. The LA express was her band that night, and created a tight, jazzy sound, even in the UGA coliseum. Tom Scott pointed at Joni, said she was crazy, and drew circles around his left ear. The one line PG remembers is “chicken scratching my way to immortality” from Hejira.
The Hissing of Summer Lawns might not be her best album, but it is certainly her bravest. Court And Spark was a commercial success. Instead of producing a bestselling followup, Joni took a ninety degree turn. Summer Lawns, for all its eccentric sparkle, confused the record buying public. The gravy train took off in another direction.
In those days, 96rock played a new album at midnight, which people were known to tape. On the night of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, the album was Hejira. This was followed by Mingus, another curve ball. Finally, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter appeared, and did not make a good impression.
The eighties, nineties, and aughts appeared. PG, and Joni, lived their lives. 1996 saw a frightening interview in Details magazine. It was startling to see that for all her granola glory, Joni Mitchell might not be a very nice person. In a pot and kettle moment, David Crosby said “Joni’s about as humble as Mussolini.” Music is a tough way to make easy money.
More recently, there was a long interview on Canadian television. She is not mellowing with age. The cigarettes have not killed her, even if her voice is not what it once was. The recent albums that PG heard are strong. There seem to be more on the way. Maybe the facebook friend will have have the “what is she going to do next” experience after all. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
One recent story is the termination of Atlanta Fire Chief Kevin J. Cochran. He self published a book, Who Told You That You Were Naked? The book was about Jesus worship religion, and said rude things about people who do not agree with this religion. The Fire Chief allegedly gave copies to his subordinates. This is said to create a hostile work environment, and create ill will for Jesus.
The title of the book is in the Bible. It is found at Genesis 3:11. This is where the Adam and Eve story is told. Maybe, if it had been Adam and Steve, things would have turned out different.
Mr. Cochran’s book is published by 3G Publishing, “3G Publishing Inc. is a faith-based company that has created a unique niche in the publishing world.” Another book from this press is Inside Oedipus Closet. ““What happens in this house, stays in this house … Walk into their lives as they find that no matter how hard they try, skeletons never stay inside the closet.”
The dispute over whether Mr. Cochran is being fired for his faith, or for being a jerk, will go on for a while. Lawyers, with dollar signs flashing in their eyes, will lead the charge. Meanwhile, to quote 3G publishers, “Though He reconciled Adam’s condition by clothing him in coats of lambs’ skin, Adam never got over what he had done.”
PG once worked in a place where excessive Jesus worship created a hostile environment. His co-worker placed a radio next to the bathroom door, where you were forced to listen to it. When PG objected, the co-worker declared holy war.
This co-worker was not a supervisor. He was a black man, working in a company dealing with a discrimination lawsuit. The co-worker was untouchable. This man utilized all the leverage this lawsuit gave him, preaching a crude brand of Christianity. The preacher had total contempt for the comfort, and the soul, of his neighbor. “I don’t care what man thinks, I care what G-d thinks.” Some call this selfish behavior “faith.” This does not speak well for Jesus.
Common Sense I am buying this wonderful book simply for all the one star comments, and to support a great and Godly man. :)
Joshua A real man writing the Truth is exactly the kind of thing we need … in the black community.
Fiction Addiction I’m so glad that this blithering fool Kelvin J. Cochran has been thrown out of his job once and for all. Just imagine how this Christian fundie would squawk his head off if he had been forced to work for some Muslim, let’s say, who created a hostile work environment by telling him to read a book in which Christians were described as Satanic or filthy or doomed to eternal Hellfire.
Travis Mac A gay friend of mine tried to read it but it burned his fingers and gave him some nasty paper cuts. The Atlanta FD was of little help in putting out the fire.
a.ryan one of the most bigoted books I’ve had the misfortune of tripping over. Seriously offensive, not only to gay people, but to women, jews, and anyone who isn’t Christian. Way to prove to the world what a joke “Christians” are.
Atlanta30312 Obviously written by a closeted, self hating homosexual. Can’t believe a book can be published in 2013 filled with such HATE, under the guise of “Christianity”. This book describes Homosexuality this way: “Uncleanness — whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, all other forms of sexual perversion.” … Authors such as this that continue to speed such hate are the reason gay teens commit suicide.
Dianne This is a disgusting work of lies, perpetuating myth about human sexuality. You should not be selling this on Amazon. Pull it.
Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
Mensa Invitational
This is a repost. The text is borrowed from this blog. Pictures are from The Library of Congress. They were taken at Arlington Farms, “a temporary housing complex for female civil servants and service members during World War II.”
Washington Post’s “Mensa Invitational” which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus: A person who is both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with. The money was loaned to the government without interest.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7.Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
8.Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon: It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed after you’ve walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.
Bill Cosby Rape Joke
@chescaleigh Cosby’s jokes is rape culture in action. victims & rape are seen as JOKES. this is why victims don’t come forward. it’s not funny.
@AnUglyN**** @chescaleigh so by making light of a situation its advocating rape?
@chescaleigh if you were wrongfully accused of raping 20 women, you think making jokes about it would be a good idea? seems innocent? @AnUglyN****
@AnUglyN**** @chescaleigh So idk why u put my @ at the end of your tweet tryna attract your pro black panther feminist friends. cause I asked a question
@chescaleigh putting your name at the end of a tweet is not telling anyone to attack. welcome to the internet where this convo is public @AnUglyN****
Before we get to the meat of this discussion, lets discuss @AnUglyN, and the four stars. This twitter address is connected to a user, I AM A GOD. This person violates the first and third commandments, and then further degrades himself with the n-word. It is tough to insult someone who has thoroughly humbled himself. A racist can ignore the spectacle. @AnUglyN**** is doing the dirty work.
So, Bill Cosby is making a comeback. Apparently, there was a show in London, ON. The venue was Budweiser Gardens. A comment about current affairs was made.
“The strangest moment of the night came midway through, when a woman in the front row rose and started walking out. Mr. Cosby asked her something. She appeared to reply that she was getting a drink and asked Mr. Cosby if he wanted one. He declined and then said with a smile “you have to be careful about drinking around me.” The audience expelled a collective “ooooo” at the joke then laughed and cheered and the show went on.”
Is that a “rape joke”? It depends on how you define a joke. Is it funny? Appropriate? In good taste? Remember, this is an entertainer. Is an internet hissy fit going to make rape victims feel better? Will Mr. Cosby get more publicity? What would Fat Albert do?
Sometimes, the best commentary can be found in an unlikely place. Today, it is the comments at Perez Hilton. This should not be confused with the droppings of Mario Laundromat. “Bill decided to embrace his public image and made a full on date rape joke during his set.”
Dunya Bill Cosby is the new Michael Jackson. No matter what happens from here out he will always be judged by public opinion which will go on well after his death.
bnietzsche id be pissed if he didnt make a joke about it in someway.. that’s what comedians do.. its like not addressing the elephant in the room. as a comedian, you need to get that outta the way before goin thru the rest of ur set without all that tension
Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
David Bowie
David Bowie is 68 today. Elvis is ageless, and Sarah Palin is obsolete. This Bowie tribute is a repost. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
A webpage called CaptainsDead had a download of a David Bowie concert, that can only be called a Christmas present. Most Bowie live recordings are pretty dull. While the Thin White Duke is renowned for his concerts, they tend to be live events, that depend on staging and costumes as much as music. This show, from 1974, is different. Focusing on material from “Diamond Dogs”, the sound he produces comes close to matching the studio sound, and in a few cases surpasses it.
The next move for Bowie in 1974 was the “white soul” sound of “Young Americans”. He is moving in that direction in this show, even while he lingers in the glitter apocalypse. This tour included a stop at the Fox Theater, the first Atlanta show for Mr.Bowie. On the way to Florida for the next show, the truck with the sets and costumes crashed into a swamp full of rattlesnakes. The show in Tampa was performed in street clothes.
Maybe it is time for a Chamblee54 tribute to David Bowie. It is six am, and PG has stumbled into a job. The time and energy required to write new material is not always available.
The first album by David Bowie that PG heard about was “Hunky Dory”. At the time, Mr. Bowie had generated some buzz by admitting that he fancies blokes, or some uber british expression for being queer. In time, this would be seen as more publicity stunt than brave confession. The RCA debut got some good reviews, but not much else.
The next year produced “Ziggy Stardust”, a concept album. At about this time he did a tour of the United States, with costumes and onstage antics that generated even more publicity. More and more people started listening, some in spite of his outrageous image, and quite a few more because of it. He broke up his band, the spiders from mars, and announced his retirement. The band learned about this while standing on stage behind him. Mr. Bowie, for all his genius, is not always a nice man.
In 1974 there was an album, “Diamond Dogs”, about the decadent urban life in the scifi future. A stage show based on this album…the source of the download mentioned above…marked a return to the concert stage. The next year gave us “Young Americans”, and the year after that “Station to Station”. Every year was a different sound and vision.
Meanwhile, the artist was not doing so good as a human being. According to all reports, he was doing mountains of cocaine. (There is a story of going to meet the parents of Ava Cherry, one of his girlfriends. He shows up at 3am, and does coke on the dining room table.) There was an interview in Playboy (or maybe it was Rolling Stone ) where the first thing he says is, don’t believe anything I say. He went on to say that he admired Adolf Hitler. Have we mentioned the physical appearance of David Bowie in 1975? He looked like he was dead, and nobody bothered to tell him. (By contrast, in recent photo collections of rock stars, Mr. Bowie looks pretty good for a man who is 68 yo.)
This was the era of Rocky Horror show. At one point, Riff Raff sings (Tim O’Brien wrote the show, and gave himself some darn good lines) Frank n furter, it’s all over, your mission is a failure, your lifestyle’s too extreme.I’m your new commander you now are my prisoner we return to transylvania prepare the transit beam While this may not have been directed at David Bowie, he took the hint.
We interrupt this David Bowie tribute with an emergency announcement. A person, reputed to be an entertainer, was seen using the n word on facebook. The screen shots have disappeared, and all we have is the word of the accuser. More details will be available as soon as anyone is interested.
David Bowie saw himself at a dead end, and possibly a dead life. He moved into a little apartment in West Berlin, on top of a garage. Brian Eno offered his assistance, and a series of electronic albums was the result. The next few years saw rock and roll, dance music, and finally, crap. PG bought a Bowie album in 1984, the first time he saw it on sale, and was immensely disappointed. The last David Bowie album that PG got was a free cd that was given to people buying a magazine.
Around 1981, MTV was born, and radio was suddenly obsolete. A visual artiste like David Bowie was a natural for video. Unfortunately, many of these videos are not available for embedding in blogs. Ashes to Ashes was a staple of early MTV. Boys Keep Swinging , off the “Lodger” album, is a return to the gender bender Bowie of younger days.
David Bowie continued to do tours, and PG got to see two of the shows. In 1987, something called the “Glass Spider Tour” came to the Omni. (In a later interview, it turns out Mr. Bowie was extremely unhappy during this tour, and close to suicide at some points.) The Glass Spider was this mass of lighting effects that hovered over the stage, and was used to best advantage during “Scary Monsters”. The show featured Peter Frampton on guitar, and had a pack of dancers. (One apparent female took her drag off during the finale.) A good time was had by all.
In 1990, another retirement tour came to the Omni. This one had movies projected on a screen behind the stage, and featured guitar hero Adrian Bellew. The night had the feel of a contractual obligation. David Bowie is too professional to give a bad show, but this one did not have the fire of “Glass Spider”. PG had a new set of contact lenses, and his eyes were painfully dry most of the night.
Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Tag some others who might enjoy this. You can’t use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It’s a lot harder than you think! Re-post as “my life according to (band name)”Pick your Artist: David Bowie
Are you a male or female: The Bewley Brothers
Describe yourself: Quicksand
How do you feel:Always crashing in the same car
Describe where you currently live: Life on Mars
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Width of a circle
Your favorite form of transportation: Queen Bitch
Your best friend is: Young Americans
You and your best friends are: Kooks
What’s the weather like: Changes
Favorite time of day: Eight Line Poem
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Scary Monsters
What is life to you: Panic in Detroit
Your relationship: Fame
Your fear: Sound and Vision
What is the best advice you have to give:Somebody up there likes me
Thought for the Day: Hang onto yourself
How I would like to die: Ashes to Ashes
My soul’s present condition: Moonage Daydream
My motto: Andy Warhol
Matthew Is Too Republican
The following story is a repost. Pictures are from The Library of Congress. Today is the first sunday of the new year. Yesterday saw the sacrilege of NFL playoffs on pay tv. Today, the wild card game is on the idiot box where it belongs. The Falcons had a losing season, and are not in the post season. The story was borrowed from a blog that is no longer published.
PG found a story about the Christmas season at another blog a few minutes ago. It is a feel good tale, even if you don’t completely agree with it. The story is about the “true meaning” of Christmas. Large Tony says that Christmas is about being good. Is good something you believe, or something that you do? Maybe living in a good world means to believe, and to practice.
Some atheists put up a sign, encouraging people to “be good for goodness sake”. While this is a *good idea*, it is also a line from a Christmas carol. It rhymes with “he knows when you’re awake”. Maybe we should just leave it as a silly rhyme in a song, and not make a rule for living out of it.
As we said, PG does not totally agree with this story. Or maybe he wants to argue about the words, but agrees with the spirit behind the words. Sometime the spirit is what is important.
PG is a practice kind of guy. Belief is all well and good, but what is do is what is important. A gram of practice is worth a pound of belief. Part of practice is to shut up, and let someone else tell his story.
I just said goodnight to Granny and turned off the lights in her room. After getting her settled in, I sat next to her on top of the covers. We propped ourselves against the headboard and watched TV.
She got tired but wanted to hear the story of the nativity before she fell asleep. As you all know, I’m not the most religious person in the world, but I’d have to be a downright heathen to refuse to do that. So, I grabbed Granny’s Bible off the night table and read from the second chapter of the Luke. No room at the inn. Shepherds and their flocks and all. But no Wise Men. No kings.
At first I thought maybe I was reading from one of those contemporary editions. But when I looked at spine, it said “King James.” I asked Granny,and she told me, “That’s Matthew.”
Then she told me she prefers Luke, which is why I guess that’s what she asked me to read. I asked her why she preferred Luke since it was essentially the same story. “Luke is more for regular folk. Matthew is too…too…” She searched for the right word, then finally finished her thought with, “too Republican.” We both chuckled about that and I made a mental note to tell the Attorney, who has been known to have Republican tendencies.
Apparently there are differences in the facts of the Christmas story, depending on who told it. Luke talks about the manger and shepherds. Matthew talks about the kings. The shepherds heard from an angel. The Wise Men followed a star. Isn’t it ironic that the Gospels are not necessarily the gospel?
So, I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that even now, 2000 or so years later, that Christmas is a different thing to different people. But whether your Christmas includes shepherds…or not. Kings…or not…Jesus, Santa, Angels, Rudolph, presents, trees, or stars…or not, we’re all celebrating the same thing. The easy answer is “the birth of Christ.” But the bigger answer is “goodness.”
You may not believe a baby was born in a manger to a virgin. Or, if you do, you may not believe that babe is the Messiah. But, if you celebrate Christmas at all, surely you can believe in the goodness that the story represents. And, if you don’t celebrate, surely you can believe in goodness nonetheless.
It’s all mankind truly has to give. Happy Holidays, dear friends and readers.
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