On This Date...

[firehazard]

Andrew Lloyd Weber

I once had dinner with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Well, sort of. A very rich friend had taken me to dinner in a London club. Halfway through the main course, my friend leaned across the table and started whispering urgently: "Don't look... On the next table... that incredibly ugly guy... it's that composer feller, whatsisname..."

[kmurray105]

Today is March 22. On this day in 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt made beer and wine - containing up to 3.2% alcohol - legal again.

The alcohol limit is still an issue in some states. North Carolina had a limit on beer of 6% alcohol until 8/13/2005 after efforts by a grass roots organization to change it. Even then the legislature was reluctant to abolish the limit. They made it 12%, I believe. 12% excludes only a handful of beers in the world so it seemed a reasonable compromise. interestingly there was no limit on other tyupes of alcohol, although there are still several "dry counties" that alcohol of any kind can not be sold.

[O'Blivion]

March 26 -




Today is the birthday of the prophet Zoroaster; poet Robert Frost; thinker Joseph
Campbell; playwright Tennessee Williams; singerRufus("Walking The Dog")
Thomas; poet Gregory Corso; Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy; actor Alan Arkin;
author Erica Jong; journalist Bob Woodward; Supreme Diana Ross; and a whole
bunch of other people, including the next president of the United States, Nancy Pelosi.

Died this day:Walt Whitman, Sarah Bernhardt, Noel Coward, Nikki Sudden.

[Frances]

It's also the 10th anniversary of the mass suicide of Heaven's Gate Away Team...the Heaven's Gate Cult.

Life is strange, my sole connection to the former nearby Rancho Santa Fe residents was my college African American History professor.He was in cahoots with the man who rented his mansion to the cult.They were selling foreign exchange student status to terrorists thru the college.

The professor had been an odd fellow all along.He upgraded me an entire mark when I'd expressed displeasure at my final test results...which still enrages my older sister who was also enrolled in the class.More bizarre was the fact that he placed the scantron machine on his desk during said test...we all listened to the beep, beep, beeping of our classmates failure...knowing our own could be oh so much louder.

He was demoted to counselor during the legal proceedings.Hysterical!I was lucky enough to draw his name one day...attempting to review my transcripts... instead I sat in his office while he took numerous calls from his lawyers, etc.

Nike is cool!
Except for all the sweat shop...kangaroo leather stuff, of course.

[O'Blivion]

March 28 -



On this date in 1979, the Three Mile Island accident occurred - very near where I'm sitting right now.
It happened the day after Elvis Costello played in Harrisburg for the first (first?ONLY) time - a great,
angry young Elvis show at the Forum, where he threw a beer on a guy in the front row who had passed out -
and I've always connected the two events.

My old man was a construction worker, and helped build TMI. So did my brother.

When the news of the impending disaster hit the news, I got VERY worried. Most people in my hometown
didn't, though...heck, Harrisburg is over 50 miles away! We found out later that our area was one of the
places that refugees were supposed to head for. No one told US that, though. It's a good thing they didn't
evacuate the area because it would've been a total disaster. Probably still would be today, too.

No one was killed, miraculously. On the plus side, it got mentioned TWICE on the Clash's greatest album
("meltdown expected", "working hard in Harrisburg").


That same day, Emmett Kelly died.
I'm pretty sure his death was unrelated.

[O'Blivion]

March 29 -



On this date in 1971, Lt. William Calley was convicted of
premeditated murder in the My Lai Massacre and sentenced to
"life imprisonment".

Who shares the guilt? Well, actually, no one did.

The actual massacre took place in March of 1968.
Following orders based on inaccurate intel which
claimed a battalion of "insurgents" was hiding in My
Lai, four platoons of American GIs attacked the
small village and slaughtered hundreds (no one
bothered to get an accurate count - between 350 and
504)of civilians, almost exclusively infants, women
and old men. The ages of the victims ranged from 1 to 82.
Dozens of people were herded into ditches and killed
with automatic weapons. The massacre was stopped
when Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson landed his
helicopter in the village and threatened to start
shooting Americans.

The initial report of the incident claimed that 22
civilians had "inadvertantly" been killed during a
military operation which was otherwise termed an
"American victory". The truth, as is almost always
the case in atrocities like this, came to light
months after the fact when an enlisted man wrote
letters to President Nixon and other members of the
US government. Finally, years after the event,
26 men were court martialed. Almost everyone said
they were "just following orders" ; despite the fact
that this excuse had not been allowed in the case of
Japanese and German atrocities in WW2, everyone
involved in the massacre and the subsequent cover-up
was acquitted - except for Calley, who was sentenced
to life imprisonment. Two days later he was freed
by President Nixon pending an appeal. He served
three and a half years "house arrest" in his
quarters at Ft. Benning, GA, and was then released.

Calley lives in Columbus, GA, where he operates a
jewelry store. He reportedly has trouble sleeping.

Born this day: 1968 anti-war candidate Eugene McCarthy,
singer Pearl Bailey, racehorse Man O' War, Python Eric Idle,
PM John Major, singer Astrud Gilberto.

Died this day: Mantovani, Eugene Ionesco, Big
Joe Williams, Johnny Cochrane.


Today is the Festival of Ishtar. I can't believe the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania doesn't give us the day
off, but whaddaya gonna do?

[O'Blivion]

March 30 -


On this day in 1981, John Hinkley shot Ronald Reagan
in a misguided attempt to impress Jodie Foster.

Today is the birthday of:


Francisco Goya. This is my favorite Goya painting, known as "Saturn
Devouring His Son". Goya painted it on the wall of his dining room.


Paul Verlaine (shown here in an "absinthe stupor")


Vincent Van Gogh


Turhan Bey


Eric Clapton

and

Sean O'Casey. Best known for Juno and the Paycock, he
also wrote Red Roses For Me.

[Frances]

Eric Clapton

Who I wish had never traveled on... The Road to Escondido.Watching a gaggle of grown men endlessly discuss the infinitesimal details of photoshop and where exactly "God" was photographed in town is bloody boring, if not utterly predictable.

[philipchevron]

March 30 -


Francisco Goya. This is my favorite Goya painting, known as "Saturn
Devouring His Son". Goya painted it on the wall of his dining room.

When I first saw Goya's paintings in the flesh at the Prado in Madrid, I was astonished at how Modernist they seemed. Now I am reminded again how much the Irish/Soho artist Francis Bacon owed to Goya. This one could be a Bacon "Pope".

Sean O'Casey. Best known for Juno and the Paycock, he
also wrote Red Roses For Me.

The lady is Ria Mooney, who played the original Rosie Redmond in The Plough And The Stars. A fascinating woman, possibly a paramour of O'Casey's at the time, and worthy of a biopic in her own right.

[Frances]

The Plough And The Stars

I'm halfway through the play.Was reading it on a flight from JFK...laughing out loud.Middle seat, not cool.Quite a few players to keep track of in this one.

The gentleman sitting next to me noticed what I was reading...and we started chatting about his friends son.A drama student at NorthWestern College...who had landed his first gig, in Jersey Boys, and was off to Frankie bootcamp with Mr. Valli himself.Funny.Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You is one of my favorite songs, the dramatic energy level change is irresistible...love it!

[O'Blivion]

When I first saw Goya's paintings in the flesh at the Prado in Madrid, I was astonished at how Modernist they seemed. Now I am reminded again how much the Irish/Soho artist Francis Bacon owed to Goya. This one could be a Bacon "Pope".

I didn't know Bacon was Irish...I don't believe I've ever seen a Goya OR a Bacon in real life. I've always been horrified by this painting of Saturn, striking as it does some really strange primal, genetic fears - it wasn't until today when I read that he painted it on the wall of his DINING ROOM that I saw any humor in it, but right now it's really cracking me up.

And when you said "a Bacon 'Pope'" my first thought was not of his Study After Velazquez' Portrait of Pope Innocent X; the connection I made, perhaps because it was you saying it, was of a cheap copy - i.e. the Popes vs the Pogues. (No insult meant to the Popes, they just ain't the Pogues!)

The lady is Ria Mooney, who played the original Rosie Redmond in The Plough And The Stars. A fascinating woman, possibly a paramour of O'Casey's at the time, and worthy of a biopic in her own right.

Again - I will NEVER get over how friggin' cool this place (and the Internets)is. I was wondering who she was; twice as cool as ANYTHING to have Philip Chevron tell me! Thanks!

[philipchevron]

Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You is one of my favorite songs, the dramatic energy level change is irresistible...love it!

..........and indeed, is a genuinely show-stopping moment in Jersey Boys.

[philipchevron]

And when you said "a Bacon 'Pope'" my first thought was not of his Study After Velazquez' Portrait of Pope Innocent X; the connection I made, perhaps because it was you saying it, was of a cheap copy - i.e. the Popes vs the Pogues. (No insult meant to the Popes, they just ain't the Pogues!)

Bacon did a series of rather dramatically satanic "Popes". As far as I know, Paul MacGuinness is portrayed in none of them.

[kmurray105]

Goya painted it on the wall of his dining room.

My wife would kill me if I tried something like that. Which is probably just as well since I have no talent in that area.

[O'Blivion]

April 3

Death of Jesus 33 AD


Jesus Christ was a man who traveled through the land
Hard working man and brave
He said to the rich, "Give your goods to the poor."
So they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.
Jesus was a man, a carpenter by hand
His followers true and brave
One dirty little coward called Judas Iscariot
Has laid Jesus Christ in his grave
He went to the sick, he went to the poor,
And he went to the hungry and the lame;
Said that the poor would one day win this world,
And so they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.
He went to the preacher, he went to the sheriff,
Told them all the same;
Sell all of your jewelry and give it to the Poor,
But they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.
When Jesus came to town, the working folks around,
Believed what he did say;
The bankers and the preachers they nailed him on a cross,
And they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.
Poor working people, they follered him around,
Sung and shouted gay;
Cops and the soldiers, they nailed him in the air,
And they nailed Jesus Christ in his grave.
Well the people held their breath when they heard about his death,
And everybody wondered why;
It was the landlord and the soldiers that he hired.
That nailed Jesus Christ in the sky.
When the love of the poor shall one day turn to hate.
When the patience of the workers gives away
"Would be better for you rich if you never had been born"
So they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.
This song was written in New York City
Of rich men, preachers and slaves
Yes, if Jesus was to preach like he preached in Galillee,
They would lay Jesus Christ in his grave.

(lyrics by Woody Guthrie)


Death of Jesse James 1882 AD


Jesse James we understand
Has killed many a man
He robbed the union trains
He stole from the rich
And gave to the poor
Hed a hand and a heart
And a brain

Now Jesse had a wife
Lived a lady all her life
And children they were brave
But history does record
That Bob and Charlie Ford
Have laid poor Jesse in his grave

Well it was on Saturday night
The stars were shining bright
They robbed the Glendale train
And the people they did say
For many miles away
It was those outlaws
Frank and Jesse James

Now Jesse had a wife
Lived a lady all her life
And children they were brave
But history does record
That Bob and Charlie Ford
Have laid poor Jesse in his grave

Well it was Bob and Charlie Ford
Those dirty little cowards
I wonder how they feel
For they ate of Jesse's bread
And they slept in Jesse's bed
And they laid poor Jesse in his grave

Now Jesse had a wife
Lived a lady all her life
And children they were brave
But history does record
That Bob and Charlie Ford
Have laid poor Jesse in his grave

Well the people held their breath
When they heard of Jesse's death
They wondered how he came to fall
Well it was Robert Ford in fact
Who shot him in the back
While he hung a picture on the wall

(trad., arr. by the Pogues)

Death of Kurt Weill 1950 AD


You gentlemen who think you have a mission
To purge us of the seven deadly sins
Should first sort out the basic food position
Then start your preaching, that’s where it begins

You lot who preach restraint and watch your waist as well
Should learn, for once, the way the world is run
However much you twist or whatever lies that you tell
Food is the first thing, morals follow on

So first make sure that those who are now starving
Get proper helpings when we all start carving
What keeps mankind alive?

What keeps mankind alive?
The fact that millions are daily tortured
Stifled, punished, silenced and oppressed
Mankind can keep alive thanks to its brilliance
In keeping its humanity repressed
And for once you must try not to shriek the facts
Mankind is kept alive by bestial acts

(Weill/Brecht 1928)



Today is the birthday of Marlon Brando 1924 AD