Chamblee54

There is a tumblr site, Hot and Busted . It is mug shots of young, white males, that appeal to the blog owner. They are gathered from the various places that post mug shots. Many of these gentlemen are in Florida, Texas and Alabama. As the blog owner (BO) says, “I generally find them on mugshot aggregate and sheriff’s department websites. While the process can be tedious at times, I certainly enjoy it.”
The names of juveniles have always been left out of crime stories. Evidently, the rules for mug shot websites are different. Many of these people are clearly minors.
The BO has a few words about the concept of his tumblrama. “Regarding my inspiration for the blog, getting arrested introduced me to the booking process and the entire experience of incarceration. I realized that mugshots weren’t just photographs — rather, they served as the quintessential visual symbol of one’s whole arrest and time behind bars. Furthermore, the mugshot provides an incredibly vivid portrait of one’s face and shoulders at their most vulnerable moment. The beauty of the human face and the cruelty of the criminal justice system collide in these curious images. Not to mention, of course, that “bad boys” possess a certain allure, and mugshots capture these alleged criminals at their most sinister.”
The images here are “head shots” i.e. pictures taken above the neck. As a practical matter, this is how mug shots are done. This comment dialog goes into this. Anonymous asked: It makes me sad that “headshots” are taken literally. For some of these hot guys being arrested while shirtless, they should really be photographed from the waist up. BO Hahaha, although I understand your sentiment, there would be no practical purpose for photographing the entire upper body of an arrestee, unless they were covered with tattoos or other identifying marks. I would love to see that, though. Maybe nudes as well? 124-456 said: They really should take full body photos. We need to see all possible identifying marks or the absence thereof. For instance, exactly how much body hair, where, and what texture/color? Cut or uncut? Also, any info about body odor?
Most people who visit HAB notice quickly the skin color of the models. They are all white, and appear to speak english as their primary tongue. To the BO, it is a statement about white privilege. “I have answered this question before, but I suppose I should clarify once more. Hot and Busted only profiles white men because I choose not to advance the pernicious stereotype of nonwhite criminality, specifically when it comes to African Americans. As a white person, I recognize that some whites tend to envision their “race” as superior to others; this seems most apparent when considering the fact of white privilege. To wit, white people are never asked to defend or “speak for” their race, whereas this notion of a “racial representative” frequently arises among African Americans or Latinos. By posting only mugshots of white men, I hope to dispel the myth that only racial and ethnic minorities get arrested. Of course, blacks and Latinos hold higher rates of incarceration per capita, and racial profiling by police certainly occurs. Nonetheless, it is critical to understand the enormous problems that beleaguer our justice system from the macro level first — i.e., recidivism, unjust drug laws, etc. — before addressing the disparate treatment of racial and ethnic minorities. On the whole, I wish white people would view themselves through the eyes of other historically stigmatized races and realize the perquisites of whiteness. “
This comment dialog goes a bit further. Anonymous asked: oh please, dont tell me your tumblr is some kind of social tool that’s goal is to change white minds. the fact is you are only attracted to white guys. plain and simple. young ones at that. if your pseudo retarded social justice thesis were the case, itd be called ‘white and busted’. be real kid. be real, and people will respect it more. what you are doing is more detrimental to whatever lame ideas you have because its once again only showcasing whiteness, and attractive whites at that. be real. BO I appreciate your incoherent response, but the fact remains that you cannot know my personal tastes. Of course I am attracted to men of all phenotypes, but I don’t feel the need to prove that to a derelict like yourself. In no way do I force you to accept my “social justice thesis.” Nonetheless, the sole reason I do not post the mugshots of nonwhites on this blog is because I cannot stand the kinds of racial assumptions that would arise from it. Even within the white normative LGBT community, for instance, we see whites gravitating to African American and Latino men because they satisfy some “thuggish” impulse. I will not stand for this arcane and atavistic behavior. Furthermore, I will not stand for your deplorable syntax and poorly formulated ideas. In summation, go fuck yourself and then read a book.”
Many of the comments are supportive. They are not as much fun as these exchanges. Anonymous asked: making young girls glorify criminals because they’re “hot”? this is just fucking fantastic… BO Are you a socially conservative Republican? Are you excited that Rick Santorum might emerge victorious in the Iowa Caucus? internetcoffeephone said: Girls? You must be new here. … Anonymous asked: the way you present yourself and word things doesn’t make you seem smarter, it makes you seem like a pretentious asshole. just saying. BO Maybe I am a pretentious asshole? Either way, go fuck yourself.
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. These are Union soldiers from the War Between the States. It is unlikely that any of them were in trouble for possesion of controlled substances, or driving under the influence. While their crimes may have been minor, their punishment was much worse than anything the Hot and Busted bois will face.

Back to empathy for a minute. The word always takes PG back to an auditorium in Clarkston GA in 1971. PG was in his first quarter at Dekalb College. Today,the institution is known as Georgia Perimeter College. One of the selling points of college has always been the outside speakers that were brought to campus. This day, the subject was abortion.
A note on set and setting is appropriate. In 1971, New York state had legalized the abortion procedure. Roe vs. Wade was in the pipeline that would lead to the Supreme Court. That ruling would not be issued for another fifteen months. In the meantime, abortion was illegal in 49 states, including Georgia. The debate about abortions was not as politicized as today. The nomenclature of pro-choice, and pro-life, had not entered the vocabulary.
The Vietnam war was still being fought, although with fewer Americans in combat. The withdrawal of US forces took most of the steam out of the anti war movement. The modern spectacle of a person supporting a war, while claiming to be pro life, did not happen.
PG walked into the auditorium and found a seat. The lady began her presentation. After a few minutes of talk, she said something about a woman who was artificially inseminated, with masturbated semen. The house lights were dimmed. A black and white film of an abortion was shown. It was noted when the fetus went into the vacuum cleaner attachment. The house lights were brought back up. They should have remained dim, as the woman was not kind on the eyes.
The closing part of her presentation was a song she wrote. She sang acapella. The song was written out of empathy with the not to be born baby. The song was titled “My mother My grave”.
PG left the auditorium, and went to world history class.

It started when PG found a picture of Toco Hill shopping center in 1961. He sent a copy to a friend who lives near there, and she replied “Amazing photo. North Druid Hills Rd. looks like the outer reaches of suburbia. Times sure have changed.”
PG (who has too much free time) re-replied “Toco Hills was suburbia, though maybe not the outer reaches. Mom and Dad got married in 1951. They got an apartment on Skyland Drive, near Buford hiway and Clairmont road. At the time, Buford hiway was a two lane road. (The widening took place in the early seventies, after I got my license and got to suffer.) Mom had choir practice at her church on Peachtree and Fourth. (The phrase Midtown was not heard until the eighties.) Dad would go get her, and bring her home. Their was a farmer who would go to the restaurants, and pick up leftovers to feed to his pigs. Dad’s car was usually stuck behind him. In the summer this was not pleasant.”
This got PG to wondering about Toco Hills, specifically, why do they call that area “Toco Hills”. (The shopping center uses the singular.)A visit to Google City showed something called Toco Hills NORC . It says, regarding the area, “Toco Hills is what we call a NORC, an acronym for Naturally Occurring Retirement Community. Toco Hills is a community where the majority of older adults have decided to remain in their homes as long as possible”.
PG then found a neighborhood organization called the Toco Hills Alliance , located in a church. He made a phone call, and talked to a lady working there. She did not know the origin of the name Toco Hills. She did know that her children had gone to elementary school across the street from shopping center. The neighbors had fought the plans to build a shopping center across the street from a school.
The lady at the THA recommended a construction company, and PG gave them a call. It turns out an old timer at the company knew the story. It seems like a man was in Brazil, doing construction projects during World War Two. He had a housekeeper, who was a Brazilian Indian. Whenever he would put in a bid on a job, the housekeeper would say “toco”. It seems that toco is a Brazilian Indian word for “more luck than you can imagine.”
This is a repost
Pictures are from ” The Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library”.

The crew at DangerousMinds had a festive feature, Think you need an exorcism? Take the Demon Test®! It was the handiwork of a professional exorcist named Bob Larson . (If you are late with payment, you might get re possessed.) DM refused to link to his site.
The Demon Test® is not free. Paying for anything like this is against PG’s core beliefs. A decision was made to  look at the other google results.
OK Cupid has “The Angel or Demon Test”. It is a series of multiple choice questions. PG usually has to choose the least bad answer to these. Number twenty is typical. Sucking… A cute baby breastfeeding. Awww… – Being a total jerk. – Yummy… sex… – A night creature drinking human blood. You have to sign up for a dating service to get the results.
Selectsmart chimes in with How DEMONIC are you? . This is another multiple choice, with questions like 8. Which name comes to mind quickest? Hittler Jason (Friday 13th) An evil demon named Billy-Bob Bo-Jangles George W. Bush Undecided. The undecided option is nice, as is the chance to rate how important this question is. The results: (100%) Evil Goth (85%) Demonic Bloodbath Killer (71%) Neutral (62%) Bloody-Gothic-Vampire (28%) Angelic (26%) Heavenly Jesus Freak.
HellOQuizzy (who might be Irish) has another version of “The Demon Test”. The Answer is Phenex, Visionary Muse. A site called Nerdtests required proof of age, and set off a virus alert. This was followed by a tasteful notice that a bug had been spotted in the works. At this point, curiosity about demons is no longer a priority.

Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life. – Brooke Shields
If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure. – Dan Quayle
So, where’s the Cannes Film Festival being held this year? — Christina Aguilera
Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything. – Ivana Trump
I’m convinced the Beatles are partly responsible for the fall of Communism. – Milos Forman .
When I’m a blonde, I can say the world is purple, and they’ll believe me because they weren’t listening to me. – Kylie Bax, Model/Actress.
The internet is a great way to get on the net. – Bob Dole
You guys, line up alphabetically by height. – Bill Peterson, football coach
I get to go to lots of overseas places, like Canada. – Britney Spears
I think war is a dangerous place. – George W. Bush
I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father. – Greg Norman, Golfer
It’s nice, it gives you a feeling of security so that if something breaks we know we can always call a guy over and he’ll bring a drill or something. – Brooke Shields
Rotarians, be patriotic! Learn to shoot yourself. – Gyrator, Chicago Rotary Club journal
These people haven’t seen the last of my face. If I go down, I’m going down standing up.
Chuck Person, NBA Basketball player
I’m so smart now. Everyone’s always like ‘take your top off’. Sorry, NO! They always want to get that money shot. I’m not stupid. – Paris Hilton
I think gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can’t help but cry. I mean I’d love to be skinny like that but not with all those flies and death and stuff. – Mariah Carey,
Predictions are difficult. Especially about the future. – Yogi Berra
My sister’s expecting a baby, and I don’t know if I’m going to be an uncle or an aunt.
Chuck Nevitt, basketball player
The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation’s history. I mean in this century’s history. But we all lived in this century. I didn’t live in this century. – Dan Quayle
And now the sequence of events in no particular order. – Dan Rather
Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods. – George W Bush
The doctors X-rayed my head and found nothing. – Dizzy Dean
I was in a no-win situation, so I’m glad that I won rather than lost. – Frank Bruno, Boxer
I have opinions of my own –strong opinions– but I don’t always agree with them. – George Bush
I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first. –
George Rogers, NFL RB
I do not like this word “bomb.” It is not a bomb. It is a device that is exploding.
Jacques le Blanc, French ambassador
The word ‘genius’ isn’t applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein. – Joe Theisman
Half this game is ninety percent mental. – Danny Ozark, Philadelphia Phillies manager
Be sure and put some of those neutrons on it.
Mike Smith, Baseball pitcher, ordering a salad at a restaurant.
If I sold all my liabilities, I wouldn’t own anything. My wife’s a liability, my kids are liabilities, and I haven’t sold them. – Ted Turner
They misunderestimated me. – George W Bush
I don’t diet. I just don’t eat as much as I’d like to. – Linda Evangelista, Supermodel
Facts are stupid things. – Ronald Reagan
What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.
Dan Quayle
That’s just the tip of the ice cube. – Neil Hamilton, BBC2
A bachelor’s life is no life for a single man. – Samuel Goldwyn
I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid. – Terry Bradshaw, Former football player/announcer
It isn’t pollution that is hurting the environment, it’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it. – Dan Quayle
I’ve never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body. –
Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.
The only happy artist is a dead artist, because only then you can’t change. After I die, I’ll probably come back as a paintbrush. – Sylvestor Stallone
Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC
We are not ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur. – Dan Quayle
Will the highways on the internet become more few? – George W Bush
Traditionally, most of Australia’s imports come from overseas.
Keppel Enderbery, Former Australian cabinet minister
There is certainly more in the future now than back in 1964. – Roger Daltrey
We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees. – Jason Kidd
I’ve never really wanted to go to Japan. Simply because I don’t like eating fish. And I know that’s very popular out there in Africa. — Britney Spears
Pitching is 80% of the game. The other half is hitting and fielding. – Mickey Rivers, baseball player
I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix. – Dan Quayle
Put the ‘off’ button on. – George W. Bush
So Carol, you’re a housewife and mother. And have you got any children? -Michael Barrymore
Food is an important part of a balanced diet. – Fran Lebowitz, US writer
We’ve got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need? – Lee Iacocca
For NASA, space is still a high priority. – Dan Quayle
He’s a guy who gets up at six o’clock in the morning regardless of what time it is.
Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer
If it weren’t for electricity we’d all be watching television by candlelight. – George Gobel
If only faces could talk… – Pat Summerall
Every minute was more exciting than the next. – Linda Evans, actress
I’m not anorexic. I’m from Texas. Are there people from Texas that are anorexic? I’ve never heard of one. And that includes me. — Jessica Simpson
This collection of quotes was originally published by 2Spare , a digital facility that advertises “Endless entertainment to spare”. PG does not know where 2Spare got this content. The accuracy, and context, of these entertaining quotes is not known. Even though most of the quotes originated in English, the possibility of translation errors exists. The original title was “60 Dumbest Celebrity Quotes”. The use of the superlative is questionable, as is the celebrity status of Dan Quayle. Pictures for this waste of bandwidth are from The Library of Congress .

This is not going to end well. There is a facebook app, “who is just like me?”. PG does not do fb apps. When he went to see Mr.Google about an alternative, there was a Charles Addams drawing of the Addams Family in place of the G word. Does Mr. Google think that Morticia Addams is just like PG?
The top result is a video by Jamie Foxx, seen 11,571,569 times. PG does not like it.
The next non Foxx result is a study, Just Like Me: Online Training Helpers More Effective When They Resemble Students. “It is important that the people who design online training programs understand that one size does not fit all,” says Dr. Lori Foster Thompson, an associate professor of psychology at NC State and co-author of the study.” The reader goes on to learn that the animated paper clip from MS word is named “clippy”. Woe unto anyone who is just like clippy.
There is a book, Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children Around the World. . Different Just Like Me was “as seen on Oprah”. PG was about to give up on this feature, but went to page two, and hit the jackpot.
Just Like Me® is the lubricant that feels just like your natural moisture! Perfectly imitate lubricant with this pH balanced, water based lubricant. The consistency is smooth and easy to control, with its mild and gentle formula. Just Like Me® adds a sensual atmosphere to any activity. 4 fl. oz. / 120 ml. To use Just Like Me®, simply pump a dime-sized amount of the product onto the fingers and apply either to the vagina, onto the toy, or onto a partner’s penis prior to sexual activity (more lubricant can be added as needed).
At the bottom of the ad, there is a link, Attention Spans Have Dropped from 12 Minutes to 5 Minutes — How Social Media is Ruining Our Minds . Pictures are from The Library of Congress.

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

One day in the eighth grade, PG had a sore spot in his eye. They called it a stye. One afternoon, he got out of school, walked to Lenox Square, saw a doctor, and got some drops to put in his eye.
When he left the doctor’s office, there was a man, standing in front of Rich’s on the sidewalk, selling a newspaper. He had dirty blond hair down past his shoulders. PG asked what the newspaper was. Mostly politics, the man said. PG gave him fifteen cents, and had a copy of “The Great Speckled Bird”.
The Bird was an underground newspaper. It was so bad, it needed to be buried. If you are under fifty, you have probably never seen one. These papers flourished for a while. The Bird was published from 1968 to 1976. The April 26, 1968 edition was volume one, number four. This was what PG bought that day.
The Georgia State University Library has a digital collection. Included in it are copies of The Great Speckled Bird. Included in this collection is edition Number Four .
PG went looking for that first copy. He needed to be patient, for the GSU server took it’s time. Finally, the copy he asked for came up.
When he saw page four, he knew it was the edition he had bought forty four years ago. “Sergeant Pepper’s Vietnam Report” was the story of a young man sent to Nam. It had a paragraph that impressed young PG, and is reproduced here. The rest of the article is not that great, which is typical of most underground newspaper writing.
A couple of years later, PG spent the summer working at the Lenox Square Theater. The number two screen was a long skinny room. If you stood in the right place, you could hear the electric door openers of the Colonial Grocery store upstairs. The Bird salesmen were a feature at the mall that summer, which not everyone appreciated. This was the year of the second, and last, Atlanta Pop Festival. PG was not quite hip enough to make it. He was back in the city, taking tickets for “Fellini Satyricon”. The Bird was printing 26 pages an issue, with lots of ads, pictures, and the distinctive graphics of the era.
Stories about hippies, and the Bird, can be found at The Strip Project.
Pictures are from ” The Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library” .

Many of us spend a lot of time driving. Here are a few thoughts.
1- Find another way to show how bad you are. This is mostly a masculinity thing, but it just might apply to a few ladies. Driving hard and fast is the easy way to prove your toughness. All you do is push the gas pedal. You don’t have to go to the gym, have lots of sex, or go into battle. Just drive fast, and with no concern for your neighbor.
2- Slow down. There is no need to go so fast. When you go somewhere, allow yourself enough time to get there. The faster you drive, the less reaction time you have in an emergency.
3- Stay far enough behind the car ahead of you to stop in an emergency. This will be less stressful for the person in front of you.
4- Pay attention to the road. This is where the cell phones become a problem. You should be focused on the road ahead of you, and not what your phone mate is telling you. Your minutes will be just as good when you get to your destination.
5- The three rules of the workplace apply here…. show up, stay awake, and don’t kill anyone.
6- Keep your car in good condition. The tires and brakes are key items, but also keep the engine running smoothly.
7- Keep your temper. Driving while angry is a cause of many accidents, especially when combined with alcohol.
8- At the risk of saying the unthinkable, some think a bit of alcohol is not that terrible. Of course, when you drink your judgment of how high you are is distorted, so it is tough to tell when too much is consumed. The law takes a much, much sterner view of this.
9- Use your turn signals.
10- Show concern for the well being of your neighbor. Use common sense.
This is a repost .
Pictures are from ” The Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library”.

PG was minding his own business, reading Milliard Fillmore’s Bathtub, when he came across a discussion about the 49 star flag. It happened 53 years ago, according to the New York Times. It was mentioned that it had been 47 years since the previous admission of a state. PG wondered if our current stability streak is the longest in the history of the republic.
The admission of states to the union was consistent between December 7, 1787 (Delaware) and February 14, 1912 (Arizona). At first, it was a matter of the colonies approving the US Constitution. Georgia was admitted January 2, 1788, the fourth state to join, and the first of eight for 1788. The first gap in admitting states was 15 years between Missouri (August 10, 1821) and Arkansas (June 15, 1836). Before 1912, this was the longest period without admitting a new state. (In the early 1800s, there was an effort made to keep a balance between the “slave states” and the “free states”. It was sometimes a contentious issue.)
The next spell of not admitting states was 13 years, starting with the admission of Colorado (August 1, 1876). Congress went on a binge in November of 1889, admitting North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington. Finally, forty eight states became the fashion with the admission of Arizona in 1912. For 47 years, the flag had 48 stars. This changed on January 3, 1959, with the admission of Alaska. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii made it 50. It has not changed for 52 years.
There is not much talk about a 51st state. From time to time, Puerto Rico is mentioned, as is the District of Columbia, and Israel. The flag is likely to have 50 stars for a while.
When researching this piece, PG went to Mr. Google. When he typed in “when were”, the auto generated answers were condoms invented, the twin towers built, cars invented, cell phones invented. Wikipedia was given a day off, and wise geek used for the information. Pictures today are from ” The Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library”

This post went up for the first time on May 28, 2008. The meme of looking up the number one hit on your date of birth is making the rounds again. This time, there are videos of the chart toppers for myself, and my brother. The grafitti in these pictures has been covered in gray paint. The Waffle House has not closed it’s doors in the last four years.
There is a man known as XWinger. He sells Celtic music, promotes DimSum groups, and has a blog.
Once at his place I saw a link to a site that tells you what the Number One song was on that day. The arbiter of number oneness is Billboard Magazine.
The List goes back to 1892. On January 1, 1892, the #1 hit was “Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill” by George J. Gaskin. I imagine that before a certain date this would refer to sheet music, or maybe player piano thingies. Other big hits from the Gay Nineties include “The Fatal Wedding” (1894, George J. Gaskin), “Little Alabama Coon” (1895. Len Spencer) and ” A Hot Time in the Old Town”(1897, Dan Quinn).
When my daddy was born in 1916, the top hit was “M-O-T-H-E-R ( A Word that Means So Much to Me) by Henry Burr. When my mother was born in 1922, the top of the billboard charts was “Stumbling” by Paul Whiteman.
In October 1929, the stock market crashed to “Am I Blue” by Ethel Waters. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the big song was “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller. Mr. Miller joined the Army after the start of the War, and toured with a band to entertain troops. On December 15, 1944, his plane disappeared in France. The number one hit that day was “I’m Making Believe” by the Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald. The Ink Spots played at the Domino Lounge downtown when I was a kid.  I heard people say, “the Ink Spots have been around for a while”.
In 1954, this reporter was born. The number one hit that day was “Wanted” by Perry Como. Two years later, my brother was born to the sounds of “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley.
One way to track the hits through the years is to pick a date and follow it. It should be noted that Billboard is the essence of “commercial”. On my tenth birthday, the big sound was “Hello Dolly” by Louis Armstrong. On the verge of the summer of Love, the big hit was “Something Stupid” by Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra. At no time did the Beatles have a number one hit on my birthday. This attitude improved in 1969 with “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by the Fifth Dimension.
The seventies continued the commercial tradition with “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. This was in 1971, the year they played a big show at Atlanta Stadium. The disco monster raised its glittering hand with “Night Fever”, by the Bee Gees in 1978.
As the eighties rolled in, I got a job and apartment, and music became less familiar. The first big May hit of the eighties was “Call Me” by Blondie. It was from a movie starring Richard Gere. The movie did not feature gerbils. The decade was not a total loss, as 1983 featured “Beat It” by Michael Jackson.
Moving into the nineties and oughts, my old fogey decrepitude is near total. Or is that the wasteland of pop music? By this time top 40 is all but extinct, am radio given over to all talk stations, and fm music so spread out that no one style of music is dominant. The number one hit on my birthday this year is “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis.
Of course, the leaders of our country don’t always listen. On May 28, 1915, the biggest song was “I Didn’t Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier” by the Peerless Quartet. And, on May 28, 1964, the number one hit was “Love Me Do” by the Beatles.

These visits to alternative reality are from a variety of sources. Included are Facebook (fb), twitter (tw), Futility Closet (fucl) , All Aphorisms, All The Time (Aph) , Texts From Last Night (tln) , and Overheard in New York (ony) . Attempts to maintain a no profanity blog will be suspended for this post. // “The winds of grace blow all the time. All we need to do is set our sails.” – Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Gospel of Ramakrishn (fb) // How many innocent black man are in prison? How racist is the justice system? I’m supposed to care about a kid who leaked docs? Uh, no (tw) // An admirer once asked Winston Churchill, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech the hall is packed to overflowing?” Churchill replied, “It is quite flattering, but whenever I feel this way I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.” (fucl) // I’m glad they extended train service last night. People crying, screaming, throwing up, fighting and peeing themselves on a train made me feel like I’ve got my shit together. (tln) // Dude, this is like the 4th time today I’ve had to use cruise control for a 25mph zone. This hangover is never fucking gonna end. (tln) // We drove around last night shotting fireworks out the window while they had sex in the back of his car (tln) // How did you even find out? Because you came up to me and said “I just fucked in the bathroom.” Oh. (tln) // You were carrying around a milk crate, randomly putting it down calling out ‘praise be to the milk gods’ and making people pray to it. (tln) // You should’ve come to the party. It was like an identity parade of everyone you screwed last year. (tln) // @billmaher you’re a sick and vile person. I sincerely hope that God in his infinite mercy will heal you. #MerryChristmas @TimTebow (tw) // Dear Off Neighbor, I appreciate that you think your dog, tear assing through the neighborhood, won’t bite me. Understand I might believe you if he actually came when you called him. It looks like he does whatever the phuck he wants and if he wants to snack on a black chick he might. Your announcement that you have to go get your husband to get your dog made my uterus clinch a little…. Your dog has more balls than you do. If he tries me, I will try to knock his head off. No hard feelings. Tell your husband what I said. (fb) // One night, after a couple had retired for the night, the woman became aware that her husband was touching her in a most unusual manner. He started by running his hand across her shoulders and the small of her back. He ran his hand over her breasts, touching them very lightly. Then, he proceeded to run his hand gently down her side, sliding his hand over her stomach, and then down the other side to a point below her waist. He continued on, gently feeling her hips, first one side and then the other. His hand ran further down the outside of her thighs. His gentle probing then started up the inside of her left thigh, stopped and the returned to do the same to her right thigh. By this time the woman was becoming aroused and she squirmed a little to better position herself. The man stopped abruptly and rolled over to his side of the bed. “Why are you stopping darling?” she whispered. He whispered back, “I found the remote!” (fb) // In 1944 a children’s book club sent a volume about penguins to a 10-year-old girl, enclosing a card seeking her opinion. She wrote, “This book gives me more information about penguins than I care to have.” American diplomat Hugh Gibson called it the finest piece of literary criticism he had ever read. (fucl) // There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” -Isaac Asimov (fb) // If we really love ourselves, everything in our life works…..Louise Hay (fb) // Looking sharply into this day. Focus on the pathway that brings about the best feelings and skip along towards the dream. ~Gigi Galluzzo (fb) // “Love is the answer, but while you are waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions.” (fb) // What a woman says: “This place is a mess! C’mon, you and I need to clean up, Your stuff is lying on the floor and you’ll have no clothes to wear, if we don’t do laundry right now!?” What a man hears: blah, blah, blah, blah, C’MON blah, blah, YOU AND I blah, blah, ON THE FLOOR blah, blah, NO CLOTHES blah, blah, RIGHT NOW (fb) // What’s the difference between miracle and shit? Well, shit happens and miracles don’t! (fb) // Some people think having large breasts makes a woman stupid. Actually, it’s the opposite:- a woman having large breasts makes men stupid! (fb) // In this sentence, the word and occurs twice, the word eight occurs twice, the word four occurs twice, the word fourteen occurs four times, the word in occurs twice, the word occurs occurs fourteen times, the word sentence occurs twice, the word seven occurs twice, the word the occurs fourteen times, the word this occurs twice, the word times occurs seven times, the word twice occurs eight times, and the word word occurs fourteen times. (fucl) // Alexander Woollcott asked that his ashes be scattered at his alma mater, Hamilton College in Utica, N.Y. Somehow they were misdirected to Colgate University, and they arrived at Hamilton with 67 cents postage due. He once wrote, “Many of us spend half of our time wishing for things we could have if we didn’t spend half our time wishing.” (fucl) // Interviewing Gertrude Stein on his radio program, Bennett Cerf said, “I’m very proud to be your publisher, Miss Stein, but as I’ve always told you, I don’t understand very much of what you’re saying.” She said, “Well, I’ve always told you, Bennett, you’re a very nice boy, but you’re rather stupid.” (fucl) // Two guys are at a bar. One of them looks to the other and says, “I had the best time last night. I had sex with twins!” The other asks, “How could you tell them apart?” “Well, Jessica had long, beautiful, blonde hair, and Alex had a goatee (fb) // the lightskin vs darkskin is the dumbest battle ever, do u cc white ppl saying rednecks vs white asses? (fb) // BRITISH: “ello beautiful, how are you love?” AUSTRALIAN: “g’day mate!” CANADIAN: “eh?” AMERICAN: “aye shawty, whaddup? (fb) // “I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.” G.K. Chesterton (fucl) // Still it takes a certain skill to witter indignantly about television shows she clearly hasn’t seen. (tw) // Do what good you can for those who need it, have tons of fun, enjoy great coffee, appreciate every sunset, ask every question you can, answer to no one but your own conscience. You are the master of your destiny through your words and actions. Repeatedly drop kick anyone who says otherwise. Give not a single fuck. (fb) // This is from when I worked at the help desk at Barnes & Noble: Hi, I’m looking for a book *long pause, blank look* (fb) // Appalled at Twinings’ new “improved” flavour Earl Grey tea. A branding disaster up there with Choco Krispies and the jazzy EastEnders theme. (tw) // I’d like to say that I think great thoughts on my train journeys home. Instead I’m pondering ways to cut out some particularly frizzy hair. (tw) // Reading Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo diaries. Favourite bit so far: “At night the rivers have a fever. Yet onions are lying on the table.” (tw) // Anyone who doesn’t oppose the government in exactly the same way as I do is apolitical, apathetic, and equal to Hitler (tw) // I wore water proof eyeliner just incase the first picture of me of 2012 is a mugshot (tln) // You’re in a tuxedo, you can pee wherever you want. (tln) // Also txt me when you take your first dump of the year… I’d like to synchronize if that’s at all possible. (tln) // My living room is scattered with glow sticks wrappers, sparklers, face paint & beer cans? It’s not as cool looking when the drugs wear off, is it? (tln) // I hope we all get so wasted that we ride the cows again (tln) // I’m eating the rest of the Xmas shrooms and welcoming 2012 by communing with the pine cone. (tln) // Well last time he got out of rehab he lasted 6 hours. So 3 days this time is quite an accomplishment. (tln) // “this time has finished me. it’s a long road back and back to where?” ~ Charles Bukowski (tw) // Life is not about what you look like; life is about revealing the Divine in you. The Quakers call it “That of God.” Christians might say the “Holy Spirit” or “Christ Consciousness.” Perhaps you prefer the term “Buddha Nature” or simply “Light.” Whatever you call this Divine spark, it is in you, and in every other person you encounter – or even think of – in your daily life. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, straight, pro-equality, anti-justice, Republican, Democrat, black, white, asian, skinny, fit or fat – “That of God” is in them, and you. (fb) //POST SCRIPT: I don’t know if your keeping up with current events, but Buk is dead. So you missed your opportunity to run him down. Guess you’ll have to stick to old ladies. And while I’m wasting my time let me point out that BUK has NEVER made anybody do anything. Blaming him for “encouraging people to be alcoholics” is absurd, and shows your general lack of intelligence. It’s called CHOICES, dude. People should take responsibility for their actions instead of blaming BUK. HELLO! // “Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink.” ~ Charles Bukowski (tw) // Her brother is definitely not gay. I hooked up with him when she was sleeping. (tln) // I am making a budget for 2012. Should condoms be in the insurance or entertainment category? (tln) // Sometimes you hit a point where you either change or you begin to self destruct…. (fb) // Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real. (fb) // “Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear.” (fb) // Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire, If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don’t know something For it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. Be thankful for your limitation Because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge Because it will build your strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes They will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you’re tired and weary Because it means you’ve made a difference. It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings. (fb) // I work in a spa and I have to wax 8-10 vaginas a day, but it’s okay, cause I make a lot of tips. (ony) // I’m sorry, blue mascara? Are you a harlot or are you just incurably low class? (ony) // Oh my god, whoever invented pizza I want to touch intimately! (ony) // You’re not telling the truth! It says “made from the best stuff on earth” but the best stuff on earth is pizza! And pudding. And ice cream. All desserts and then pizza. And sushi. And mint tea… (ony) // You girls into hip-hop? (tourist girls look indifferent, he turns to pregnant girl) I know she is… She’s six months pregnant! (ony) // So yeah, every time I drive past this cemetery, the call quality on my cell phone drops. (ony) //selah

PG has finished reading The Whisper of the River. It is the second volume of the Sambo Trilogy, written by Ferrol Sams. Dr. Sams is a physician, who decided when he was sixty years old to write novels. The Sambo Trilogy is the tale of Porter Osborne, Jr., inspired by the life of Ferrol Sams, Jr.
A few days after PG finished Run With The Horsemen, the first Sambo (spell check suggestion:Mambo, Rambo, Samba) book, he went walking to the neighborhood yard sales. There was a sale at this house at the top of the big hill on Skyland Drive. There was a treadmill, which might be fun if PG had a much larger house. There were also copies of the second and third books of the Sambo trilogy. PG usually tries to negotiate at yard sales, but handed the man a dollar, without a seconds hesitation, for the two books.
The Whisper of the River is the story of Sambo at Mercer University. When he left the farm, he was a “raised right” boy, determined to make all As, and not spend any more money than necessary. He met an assortment of characters, had some experiences, and was a different person when the story ended. The book ends December 7, 1941.
The story is tons of fun to read, but sometimes you wonder just how accurate this is. Sambo develops as a man, and the reader suspects a bit of enthusiastic memory. An Amazon reviewer, Mike in the Middle (Midwest), says “While I love this book, I don’t think it is perfect. It could have used a bit more editing; I think it would have worked better with at least 50 fewer pages. Also, Porter is sometimes a tad too sweet. I am not sure I could have stood to be around him in real life. One interesting side note is the portrayal of John Birch, the inspiration for the nutty John Birch Society. He attended Mercer at the same time as Mr. Sams and clearly left a strongly negative impression on him. “
When Sambo gets a yankee jock for a roommate, there is a problem . Sambo asks that he not use the name of the Lord in vain. What the jock said was “goodgodamighty”. Years later, PG had a hellish working relationship with a professional Jesus worshiper. One of the PJW’s favorite expressions was “goodgodamighty”. The third commandment is a flexible instrument. PG had the sense that “goodgodamighty” wasn’t really a good use of a sacred name. He was amused to see where a semi fictional character agreed.(The spell check suggestion for “goodgodamighty” is goodnight.)
Mercer University in the late thirties had several visits from the larger world. A young man named John Birch led a rebellion against some divinity professors who didn’t interpret the Bible strictly enough. Clarence Foster had a series of speeches, raising money for Koinonia Farm. (Sambo wrote a check for twenty dollars, and told his daddy it was for books.) A man named Boston Harbor Jones worked in the kitchen, became friends with Sambo, and joined the Navy. In the last part of the book, Mr. Jones sent Sambo a letter. He was stationed in Hawaii, aboard the USS Arizona.
PG is not a literary critic. He is a slack blogger that likes to read, and is happy with a good story. The Whisper of the River is a good story. Pictures today are from the Australian War Memorial .