This was my favorite TV show as a kid. I also loved The Liberace Show.
There were lots of shows on where you'd get to watch people dancing. The music was great too. Late at night, there was only a test pattern on.
These were my heroes as a pre-teen. I kept scrapbooks of clippings about them. I met Alan Shepard as an adult (during his book tour) and he signed my old LIFE magazine with him on the cover.
I witnessed these events on live TV. What an emotional roller-coaster!
This guy on the right held me in his arms onstage. Toddlers are hard to resist. About 12 years later we met him again, and when my mother asked if he remembered it, he nicely lied and said that he did. I got to see the guy below, on the left, when he looked like the picture on the right.
My first concert that was unaccompanied by parents was this one. I went with my older girl cousin. I don't think she was into the British Invasion, she preferred Elvis and Frankie Avalon.
I got to see these rock icons in concert. I most regret not seeing Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, or The Beatles.
The 17-yr-old version of me had this closeup view of Plant. More about that here.
I lived in a whole bunch of places, some of them twice. Trying to settle down a bit more these days.
Yes, it's another birthday. Nothing planned except maybe a day off work. I will most likely be well-behaved and probably go to bed early.
Here is Liberace playing "Bumble Boogie" on his TV show.
Happy birthday to Patton Oswalt, one of my favorite comedians.
Haven't seen his latest movie, Young Adult, but will definitely see it on video. I prefer certain movies on video because of the extra features, deleted scenes, bloopers, and so forth.
It's my birthday today, so "Pffthh pffthh pffthh pfffthh to me!!"
I don't share a birthday with very many 'famous' people that I am familiar with, except for the delightfulStephen Fry, actors Rupert Grint (yes, he WAS a perfect Ron Weasley, but wonder what he'll be up to in 10 years time), and Kenny Baker, the man inside R2D2.
A number of important and earth-shattering events happened on August 24. Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79, Windows95 was released (duh! 1995), Pluto was downgraded from full-fledged 'planet' (2006), Thomas Edison patented the movie camera (1891), Mark David Chapman was sentenced to prison (1981), Charles Darwin was asked to travel on the HMS Beagle (1831).
August 24th is also International Day Against Intolerance, Discrimination and Violence Based on Musical Preferences, Lifestyle and Dress Code, a cause I can definitely get behind. The date was picked because it was the day in 2007 that Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend were attacked in the UK, and she was killed, all because they were dressed in Goth fashion. The Romanian Humanist Association took up the cause and created the Black Cat Campaign, and it is observed on August 24 since 2009.
As for local events, today marks the breaking of the record (standing since 1925) for most days in a year (in Central Austin) when the temperature is 100°F (37.7°C) or more - with 70 days -- but the record will continue to be broken every day for possibly the next month. July just broke the record for the hottest month... ever... and August is topping it.
Tomorrow I am celebrating by taking the day off work (sleeping well past 4:30AM -- Yaaay) and going in the afternoon to Waterloo Records to see one of my current favorite bands, Dawes. That's about it. Oh yeah, and staying in the A/C as much as possible (hope they don't form a waiting line outside in the heat of the day when it's 105°).
Gah! No end in sight. Looks like a cloudy day coming up next week, but I'll believe it when I see it. via weather.com
Today is the birthday of Butch Hancock, a treasure of a songwriter with soulful vocals and harmonica, plus a story! This is a song heard more often from his sometimes-bandmate Joe Ely (who, along with Jimmie Dale Gilmore comprise The Flatlanders).
Retired Air Force officer Stanley A. Fulham predicts in his book that today, Oct 13 2010, there will be a large-scale visit of Earth by extra-terrestrials. [news article] [Fulham website]
It's actually an excellent choice for an alien invasion. Today is also the birthday of "X-Files" creator Chris Carter, and he deserves a toast for creating one of my favorites TV shows ever (even though it suffered painfully through its last season or two). It is also the birthday of the show's Fox Mulder. Carter called his company "Ten Thirteen Productions" (and included the show "Millennium") and the number 1013 crops up frequently in the X-Files.
I find this to be a good excuse to post this pic of Duchovny, Anderson and Carter as they appeared inside the Rolling Stone X-Files issue.
So, happy birthday to Carter and my favorite fictional FBI agent, Mulder. Keep watching the skies, and all hail our alien overlords.
I will see any movie with Johnny Depp, because even if it reeks here and there, he's always a redeeming little part of it. My favorite character of his is not The Hatter (pictured), I think I would pick Agent Sands from Once Upon a Time in Mexico. What's your favorite Depp character? Photo by Leah Gallo, scanned from a magazine. Gorgeous photo.
Dan Quayle's birthday is today. Dumber than a bag of hammers, but a whole hell of a lot funnier. I pulled this list of quotes straight from here.
"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child."
"What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."
"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared.'"
"Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts."
"Mars is essentially in the same orbit . . . Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe."
"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."
"I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy -- but that could change."
"I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future."
"The future will be better tomorrow."
"We're going to have the best-educated American people in the world."
"People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history."
"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe."
"I am not part of the problem. I am a Republican."
"I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix."
"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."
"When I have been asked during these last weeks who caused the riots and the killing in L.A., my answer has been direct and simple: Who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame."
"Illegitimacy is something we should talk about in terms of not having it."
"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
"For NASA, space is still a high priority."
"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children."
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
"[It's] time for the human race to enter the solar system."
"Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things."
"I stand by all the misstatements that I've made."
Today is the birthday of Ray Thomas, founding member of the Moody Blues and retired from that band just a few years ago. Not many bands stay around long enough for band members to be able to retire from them. Ray is best known for his baritone singing voice and his flute-playing. Here's a sixties video of the song he's best known for, "Legend of a Mind," which you might think of as "Timothy Leary's Dead".
A friend of mine (someone I have traveled and shared rooms with while going to the Moodies' shows) got married to Ray during the past year, and I am tickled pink for the both of them. (Should that be "tickled blue"?)
Ray shares a birthday with sixties rock icon, Marianne Faithfull. I read her autobiography, and enjoyed what seemed to be a great level of honesty and frankness in it. I rate it above some other rocker memoirs that I've read. Here is a fairly recent interview with her:
And this is part 1 of a BBC documentary about Marianne Faithfull. Fascinating stuff if you are interested in 60s pop culture.
August 23rd was the birthday of the great drummer, Keith Moon. Today is my birthday, and I have to say that I'm feeling more than a little whiny. We had the hottest July on record, and are right on target to have the hottest August. Today's heat could easily break the record for the day.
Between these 2 cats we can't get more than about 4 hours of sleep a night (and not necessarily all in a row) so I have been running ragged from that. Can't get any rest. Can't get any down time. I get vacation days on my day job but MrB can't really take any. Some jobs just don't mix with that whole "time off" thing (plus it's a new job for him, only a couple of months - too soon for time off).
The last time I took a vacation and went somewhere for a few days was back in April of 2001. I went to Vegas for a long weekend to see the Moody Blues and roomed with a few other Moody-crazy friends. It was fun, and not that much of a strain because I was between jobs, had a little extra cash, and MrB stayed at the homestead and did the cat duties.
Now, even if we were able to take a few days off, there's no money for hotels, and these cats would not just need a sitter - Henry, in particular, would require a nurse. $$$$$. He needs a bunch of meds daily and is really fairly high maintenance right now. A lot of people would just put him down, but I refuse to do that simply because he's inconvenient and expensive. My conscience would never allow that, so we will keep him going until he is ready to go... and that's my final word.
I am really happy for all the folks who had summer off or had a great vacation or something of the kind (like my good friend who is a teacher, always spends the summer traveling: last summer Italy and Egypt, this summer Ireland, stays for 6 weeks). I'm glad to hear all about it and happy for her, but frankly it just cultivates the depression. I mean, I am OK, I'm alive and well enough (minor health probs, nothing serious that I know of), it's looking forward to things that is becoming difficult. It's amazing just how much needing a break and needing some rest can affect your whole outlook. Not sure if I need a wake-up call or just a good night's sleep. I believe I really DO have the moody blues complicated by the summertime blues. Ain't no cure... more Lolcats and funny pictures
It's the birth anniversary of President John F. Kennedy (May 29, 1917), and here (audio only) is a very interesting speech on the topics of secrecy and the press. Also, it's nice to listen to some different audio snippets from JFK, he's got some classic hits, but they do get a lot of airplay.
May 15, another trip around the sun for MrB. He's got his bird and bug support going in a big way (possibly to the distress of the next door neighbors who are trying to sell their house - but the prospective buyers may as well know who they are moving in next to. He's potentially a hero this week, because he found a little hatchling birdie on the ground and put it back in a nest. (Hopefully it was the right nest, but we can't be 100% sure of that, and he was trying to help the poor little naked cutester helpless on the ground with its beak open wide waiting for food).
That flower in the picture is my favorite right now. It's the tallest sunflower so far, must be a good 7 feet tall, maybe more, with an absolutely straight stalk and one little perfect flower right at the top.
Prickly pear cactus is blooming right now too (just as the red poppies have gone seedy and crispy, and the thick white jasmine has peaked and will soon be less fragrant), so we have a lot of yellow.
You don't want to sniff these blooms though, there's at least one bug per blossom.
To celebrate his birthday we are planning on going out to the Nutty Brown Cafe to see Del Castillo - postpone the employment worries until Monday...
He's our own living legend, loved around the world, turning 76 today, and still hard at it... touring, making records. One of the coolest people on the planet.
If you had your bets on Keith Richards not reaching another birthday, you just lost. Keef turns 65 today.
1988 - "What's the most important thing in your life?"
Ronnie Wood said in his book that Keith just made up that stuff about having his blood replaced just to shock the press. I'll bet the story about snorting his father is the same deal. Craig Ferguson has a pretty funny take on it.
Many, many years ago, the Beatles changed my life. I was about 10 when they first hit the States. They seemed like the embodiment of wholesome delight, so funny, so cute, they were ideal pop stars. Music, clothing, social trends... these things seemed to bend to the will and power of The Beatles.
As the years went past, they were found to have all the same types of frailties and shortcomings that all humans have. Well, of course they did. They were, and had been, humans all along. Just regular humans with marital problems, screwed-up personal lives and other issues, who just happened to be worshipped like gods and still are. I spent plenty of time in that denomination myself. I idolized The Beatles for many years, and have found that reading various bios, journals, and other kiss-and-tells more recently has turned them back into humans for me. They really were just a rock and roll band -- a brilliant and inspired bunch of people who turned out masterpieces of modern music.
My own journey through religion and embracing of humanism is similar in some ways. There was an awakening at some point, and I found I could think more clearly. Waking life may be harsher, but I still prefer having endless questions over false answers. I prefer the red pill. John Lennon was an inspired genius with a gift for expression, especially in matters such as these, he was not afraid to speak the unspeakable and clear the air. It was liberating for him, and for us too.
John Lennon was born Oct. 9, 1940.
Sharing a birthday: Sean Ono Lennon, born Oct. 9, 1975. Website (plays music), or Wiki.
Here's your soundtrack for this post, from 1953 - Frank Sinatra.
For my birthday (on the 24th) I put together a small collection of scans from that place and time, Phoenix Arizona in the early 1950s. We lived there until 1955, when we went to Hawaii for a short time. Click any pics to enlarge. I was born on Luke AFB, which has an awful lot to do with my life in general. People ask where I'm from... I say "the Air Force." Here's a picture of the doctor who delivered me. It's from a hardback book that is exactly like a high school yearbook (published a year after I was born). We lived in a little red trailer off-base somewhere, then later moved to a duplex.
Here are my folks with their new little bundle of joy.
I suppose I needed a bath. My mother seems to have dressed up for the occasion. I did the opposite.
Here's my mother getting a similar kind of bath. Not really. It's one of those fairground photo booths, fun for the whole family. (I more than half expect photobucket to yank this one, along with another one of these I have posted there.)
A bunch of little cowpokes from the neighborhood.
Here's a bunch of other kids playing grownup. Those cigarettes are a nice touch, aren't they? Candy cigs, I'm sure. Well, maybe not so sure.
A hilarious picture of my mother Lola, a sausage, and a couple of my dad's sisters Ethel and Ruth. The "in-law" relations were always pretty bad, despite the smiles for the picture, but then they were smiling for their little brother.
For recreation, we would drive out into the desert somewhere and have a picnic. There's our car in the background by the saguaro. My folks drank coffee practically by the bucket, and what sounds better when you're out in the middle of the Arizona desert than a steaming hot cup of coffee? That's right. Nothing. My parents loved their coffee so much that once when on a camping trip, they boiled some hot dogs, then realized there wasn't enough water left for coffee, so they made it out of the weenie water.
For a side job to being in the Air Force, my dad was part of the pit crew at Manzanita Speedway for Tucson race car driver Bill Cheesbourg. He racked up some fairly impressive stats in his life. I don't think this is his car. The two sports I my parents liked were car racing and wrestling.
Another fun family event, visiting the carnival and watching the freaks sideshow.
Jesus, please don't leave me and let me go to Hell.
I don't remember this place, but everywhere we lived I got to spend a lot of time in the various dives, honkytonks, taverns, etc. On the back of this was handwritten to my dad, "To Bill, Just to remind you alway about the 3 Sister, July Betty & Jessie" (sic)
Your soundtrack is above. It's Wynton Marsalis doing a really nice improvisation on the birthday song. There's some talking at the beginning and a little in the middle, not too much. I picked it because it was recorded on August 4, 2007. Barack Obama is my "friend" on MySpace, and when they notified me that one of my friends was having a birthday, and it was him, I stopped by and left a Happy Birthday comment (something I would do for darned near anybody). So then I see the above in my Inbox. It's a donation promotion asking for $47 contributions. Click the graphic on the right to go there. I was thinking how much more it would cost supporters of McCain to do that on his birthday.
Does Obama really represent HOPE? He may not be the candidate who represents my views exactly. He is, and always was, more centrist than I am. That candidate was Kucinich, a man who never had a chance of being the nominee from Day One -- he's too liberal to get broad support. But Barack Obama is going to be the Democratic nominee, and considering the other option, he not only represents hope, he's our ONLY hope. He's a fragile thread of a lifeline and the only chance we have to bring change to the Executive Branch of these United States... even if it fails to happen.
Happy birthday today to blues legend Pinetop Perkins, who turns 95 today! The video is about a compilation they put together in honor of this birthday, it's got B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and a real long list of people playing on it.
Photo is of one of the roadside plaques dedicated to him in Mississippi. Pinetop was with Muddy Waters for a long time, so I must have seen him back in 1970 with Muddy. He moved to Austin back around 2004, something like that, so we've seen him a few times since that. He was pretty tight with Clifford Antone. The only time I ever kind of met him was at Clifford's visitation. The place was a who's who of music, local and otherwise, and Pinetop was right there with the casket most of the time we were there. I hate those things where they have an open casket. My friend knew Clifford fairly well, but she'd had some kind of falling out during that last year or so. She explained it to me, but it sounded like there had to be more to it, and I'm not nosy enough to to probe further... anyway it was a little odd going to Antone's sometimes knowing they were on the outs, so I never said a lot to him when we were both there, not much more than a hello and a nod. Who knows what the hell was up? In any case, it's too late to fix it. No going back.
At the funeral home, I really felt sad for Pinetop. It's hard to lose friends, and when you are in your 90s you've lost so many. Clifford was only 56... so much younger. Muddy's gone too, 20+ years now. But Pinetop is still with us, so congratulations on a long full life, having good stories, and being well-loved and honored.
