"'John Cracks Up, Just Goes Mad' Beatles Talking About Shea Stadium Concert"

This will come as a big suprise, but I am one of the ultimate Beatles fans. I admit it. Even tho' I've been in denial about it.

This is some classic footage. The first really big open air stadium gig. 55,000. 60,000. As George put it: "told me it was 70,000 people."

One concert and what a metaphor. The denizens of the U.S. going crazy over 4 lads from Liverpool. Was the assasination of JFK a factor, as Camelot had come crashing down to Earth a few months prior? I think so!

The video is about the lads singing "I'm Down." As a laughing George can barely play his guitar because of the antics of John. As Ringo put it: "John cracked up, just goes mad...."

This was their appeal. And the music. And the 4 frontmen even tho' at the time George, especially, and Ringo took a back seat.

Yes, I admit to being the number one Beatles fan. Even tho' it was a long time ago, the music stands up today.

We're all alone and there's nobody else; you still moan-keep your hands to yourself, v.c.

"In A New York Minute"

I've been listening to the Eagles lately. I have always loved their music. But here lately I have found some of their songs that I never quite appreciated. Tales they weave have some heavy-duty lyrics; and the melodies make them even better. Fuck!

Harry got up
Dressed all in black
Went down to the station
And he never came back
They found his clothing
Scattered somewhere down the track
And he won't be down on Wall Street
in the morning

He had a home
The love of a girl
But men get lost sometimes
As years unfurl
One day he crossed some line
And he was too much in this world
But I guess it doesn't matter anymore

In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute
Things can get pretty strange
In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute

Lying here in the darkness
I hear the sirens wail
Somebody going to emergency
Somebody's going to jail
If you find somebody to love in this world
You better hand on tooth and nail
The wolf is always at the door

In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute
Things can get a little strange
In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute

And in these days
When darkness falls early
And people rush home
To the ones they love
You better take a fool's advice
And take care of your own
One day they're here;
Next day they're gone

I pulled my coat around my shoulders
And took a walk down through the park
The leaves were falling around me
The groaning city in the gathering dark
On some solitary rock
A desperate lover left his mark,
"Baby, I've changed. Please come back."

What the head makes cloudy
The heart makes very clear
The days were so much brighter
In the time when she was here
But I know there's somebody somewhere
Make these dark clouds disappear
Until that day, I have to believe
I believe, I believe

In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute
You can get out of the rain
In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute

"You Know Yer Getting Old When...."

I was at work today and a Billy Joel tune was playing on the muzac. I asked one of the young girls who works with me if she knew the song?


I said, "That's a Billy Joel tune."

She said, "I don't know who that is."

Another sign that I am getting old; and that my music from yesteryear is slowly fadin' away.

And at one time B.J. was one of the hottest acts in show biz.

What a drag it iz getting old, v.c.

"Golden Slumbers"

Another brilliant adaptation from Paul McCartney. I will say no more.

"Why Dont We Do It In The Road"

A bizarre tune from the Fab 4. Courtesy of the "White Album." When the l.p. came out I was like a kid in a candy shop. It was a double album and was a cornucopia of sounds. Divergent ones at that. Tunes from the usual suspects and George had more than his fair share. Probably my most favorite Fab 4 production.

The question begs, however: "Do what in the road?"



Speaking of George's contribution. Here's 1 from him which was misinterpreted by Charles Manson allah "Helter Skelter." i was likea kid in the candy shop. Just damn!

 

"I Just Busted a Button on me Trousers-Hope They Don't Fall Down"

The above photo is from "Sticky Fingers." Designed by tomato can guru, Andy Warhol. The zipper, which is located directly next to the large zucchinni, was fully functional. Not sure about the squash but Y knot? Batteries not included and don't try this at home, et al.

Some really good tunes from this one.

We never said trousers-we said pants. Must be a cultural thing, and why we dug the acts from across the sea.

I know I dug what was popularly called the "British Invasion." Most have fallen by the wayside, but the Stones remain. Longevity, eh? Just like the zucchinni.

What a drag it is getting old, v.c.

P.S. From "Mothers Little Helper" courtesy of u no hoo.

P.S.S. The following is my favorite Stones song. When I was pecking the keys on the Yahoo message boards, the tune gave me, er, inspiration.

"Without Love-Where Would U B Now?"

This is a great song from-where else-yesteryear. It's 'bout a bunch of railway trains-go figga. But it's got a catchy melody to say the least and the sax man can really blow.

From my favorite channel- U Tube!

W/o love where would u b now, v.c.

"Shoo Bee Doo Wop"

I'm on my Fabulous 4 kick again. This song is forkin' awesome, and it is done live with overdubs , of course, but it's one of the heaviest songs ever.

Written by John Lennon, who wanted to clarify the group's position on the changing world. Circa the "Flower Power Era." When bombs and napalm and civil unrest were exploding all over da world.

I could be wrong-won't be the first time and certainly not the last-but methinks the video debuted on the old "Smothas ( Smothers ) Brothas Show."

It's one of me favorite songs from the Fab 4. If you've never seen it, here it is for your viewing pleasure. Unfortunately, the person who posted it has "embedding disabled by request" so....

We'd all love to see the plan, v.c.

P.S. The Stone Temple Pilots covered it back in '01 for a John Lennon tribute. Included here as well.

"Just Discovered This on Utube!"

Ain't utube grand? To coin a phrase, eh? This is some classic shit from yesteryear. Pardon my french, s'il vous plait.

"Live in Toronto" 1970. Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman, and John and Yoko.

I had this l.p. but don't think u can even buy it anymore.

"My Generation"

It's 4:12 in the morning and I ain't sleepy. I just worked an arduous 10 hour shift in the food biz, so I should be exhausted and ready for beddy-bye. For some unknown reason, I am writing this tale whilst munching on fresh cherries from the Piggly Wiggly.

I am also perusing videos via utube. Whoever invented this phenomena should be rewarded handsomely cos it's the coolest thing since VHS and cd's. And bvd's, er,-that,too-dvd's. Here's one from "bitd" that's an excellent one.



It reminds me of Kent State-4 dead in Ohio-; Vietnam-the Tet Offensive; and my arrival into adulthood from teenagerdumb, er, teenagerdom.

I was getting a haircut the other day and had on my Paul Mac t shirt. The barber, a young lad in his 20's, told me how he dug Paul Mac and away we went.

I told him I had seen Sir Paul and had the honor and privilege of being on row 6 right in front of the stage. Circa 1991. How I had seen the Fab 4 in '65.

I told him-when he mentioned Steppenwolf-that I had seen them a couple of times. I didn't mention seeing an old friend-Randy Foster-who was in attendance at one of the shows and who was high on animal tranquilizer. Was our generation that forked up that we resorted to insane shit like that?

I told my barber that the "heavy metal" genre came from the song, er, "Born to be Wild."

I like smoking lightning;
Heavy metal thunder.

( For the uninformed )

He was impressed when I told him I had seen Rod Stewart and Faces in concert. But not the Vanilla Fudge, who he had no inkling as to who or what this was.

ZZ Top; Marshall Tucker Band-the loudest concert I have ever been to. I like loud music, but my gawd. The decibles these dudes generated was akin to a nuclear bomb exploding. Can't you see-yes, but now I can't hear-what that woman's been doing to me.

I told him I had seen George Harrison, but can't remember telling him I was so stoned and drunk that I, yes, yours truly, passed out and missed the end of the concert.

As he snipped and clipped, I regaled in stories of yesteryear. My exploits, if you will. I did forget to tell him that v.c. had seen Neil Young a few times. But it can wait till my next date with him-only your hairdresser knows for sure, eh?

Pecking away I am beginning to get sleepy. The ten hour shifts-which ravage my body-are finally kicking in.

See me, feel me, hear me, v.c.

P.S. Went to the Piggle Wiggly later, and the two checkout girls went ga ga over the shirt.

"My favorite Fab 4 album is 'The White Album,'" she said.

"Mine, too," I said.

"My favorite song is Julia. And that's my name."

"I'm v.c. and do you ( know you're talking to Mr. Trivia )? Do you know who 'Julia" was?"

"No."

"John Lennon's mother. And 'ocean child calls me' was Yoko Ono."

"I love your t shirt."

"Yeah, thanks."

And like this foray: bye bye.

standard 12 bar blues but FUC*** AMAZING solo @ 2:48!!!

One of my fav tunes from Chicago when they were Chicago Transit Authority. From utube of course.

P.S. The title of 2 nite's foray into the infantile is a direct comment off utube. Go figga, mon trigga.

"Take Care, George"

 

"George Carlin-Dead at 71"

George Carlin died-I guess a few minutes ago-today. He was 71.

I didn't like him in the 70's but grew to love him afterwards. Comedians have a natural way of picking up on human foibles ( how 'bout that for the word of the day ).

Part of his charm was contorting his face. The last show I saw of him was not too long ago on HBO. He was 70 or 71 and had gone the way of an old fart. He just didn't have the pizazz or energy anymore, but he was still good for a septegenarian or whatever they call a person in his/her seventies.

I'll miss the forker. And watch some of his old shows. The older one gets the more the stars and celebrities of yesteryear get hooked by the Grim Reaper. Inevitable, eh?

So I salute you, George. And hope you're in a better place. Hopefully Heaven. Take it ez, you once old fart of 71, v.c.

"Another 'Who'd a Thunk It?'"

A Virginia man lost 80 lbs. eating at Mickey D's.

Another in a long series of "Who'd a Thunk It?"

Oxymoron, eh? v.c.

P.S. To regale the moment, here is one of Kitty's fav songs from back in the day.

P.S.S. The song reminds me of playing Pac Man ( my fav ); Donkey Kong; Space Invaders; and the like. Woca woca.

 

"Bogie and Ilsa"

They don't make 'em like this anymore. The movies today-for the most part-suck. Talking about the last few years. Not anything around that gets me excited. The Hulk? Naw. I've seen the previews. Too much computer generated b.s. Indiana Jones?-well maybe.

Speaking of old skool. Here's a tune from yesteryear. And one of my favorites from "The Eagles." It is not "Hotel California," not "Dem, er, Dos Shoes," nor is it "Victim of Luv," nor "Take it Ez."

What is it then? The answer lies below.

Selah, v.c.

Thursday, July 27, 2006- 10,000 and Counting

My blog was heading towards 10,000 hits on July 27, 06. I forget what happened, but I soon lost my counter. And kept writing without one. But G.P. did make the 10,000 mark at some point-a paltry sum when compared to the hootster. So my new counter-stage left-is inaccurate. Just for the record....eh?

Thursday, July 27, 2006
"Man of A [Ten]Thousand Faces"or "When Will v.c. [ yours truly ] Hit The Magic Number? Query Submitted by the Lone Stranger [ Pictruandtru ]


Apologies to Lon "Werewolf" Chaney!

It has been well-chronicled throughout the ages how yours truly has no earthly idea who in the H.ell [ W.hole ] is pictruandtru. He and I or me and him go way back, yet he remains an enigma.

My other friend, who goes by the unlikely name of hootsbuddy, is known to me, and he is the scoundrel who turned me on to blogorama.

"Cat, [ yours truly ] this blogging business is liberating. You can write about anything and everything; there are no restrictions to content," he wrote and /or told me one fateful day circa 2004.

And the rest is history. Thanks to the hootster [ affectionate nickname coined by....yers truly ] Golden Pond became my embryonic initiation into blogdom. And so far the results have been less than overwhelming. My poor l'il blog is on target to reach a meager 10,000 hits in the next few weeks, while the hootster is about to hit 40,000. ( editor's note: Perhaps he already has. As of this writing, who the fork knows? )

So in reply to me buddy's query,[ ergo, pictruandtru ] G.P. has 9800 and change hits. But if you want to make me feel better about all this, start hitting away. Let's get v.c.'s G.P., his labour of love, up to 10,000. Soon! Or with a quickness as we used to lament at Rowdy High, circa back in the day.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, v.c.

P.S. I recently received this nice comment from one of my readers via e mail. It read:

You are CLASSIC, v.c. . . .what a mind. . .I hope someone "discovers" you . . .as you're the most original person I've ever read . . .WOW! signed Shirley. Location: Beautiful Hawaii!

P.S.S. Yes, it is well-chronicled how I am a legend in my own mind. Alas, to be or not to be-that is the question! Apologies to the Bard!

December 26, 2004

Sunday, December 26, 2004

Acid Reflux Rears Its Ugly Head
Acid reflux is the scourge of the new millineum. Maybe it's the jalapenos, the pizzas, the spicy cajun dishes, the enchiladas, the refried beans that we, as Americans, tend to overindulge in. Everyone I know has the dreaded disease. And it doesn't matter if you're a member of a red state, blue state, zombie state, or state your name, either someone in your family now has acid reflux or will one day be afflicted.

Even celebrities are not immune to acid reflux. Their millions- Shirley, in Swiss bank accounts- will only help to make them comfortable when the dreaded A.R. knocks on their door.

Take Ashlee Simpson, for example, newcomer to the music scene, who fled Saturday Night Live's stage Oct. 24 after a prerecorded vocal track began playing while she wasn't holding up a microphone. Simpson blamed the incident on a bout with acid reflux: "It was something I had never done and I didn't want to do," she told PEOPLE of lip-synching. "(But) my voice wasn't strong enough."

And even Paris Hilton, sexy starlet, has known the wrath of A.R. Her X-rated sex tape "One Night in Paris" hit video stores earlier this year. To promote her new project, Paris was recently photographed lacking certain undergarments. Another victim of A.R.

Brittney Spears marriage to hometown pal, Jason Alexander, lasted 55 hours. Yes, one of the parties had A.R., causing a hasty annulment to wedded bliss.

What was Anna Nicole Smith's excuse for slurring her words, stumbling offstage and generally being loopy at the Nov. 14 American Music Awards? If you guessed A.R., you are one who catches on quickly. Intelligence is your forte, and you may want to consider joining the elite organization known as Mensa. A rep for Ms. Smith, 37, who was boasting a newly svelte figure, denied rumors that drugs or alcohol were to blame. Not wanting to cite the true reason.

And moving forward, two months after she was released from prison, Mary Kay Letourneau was planning a walk down the aisle – with the former student she was convicted of raping more than seven years ago. Letourneau, who's 42, announced her engagement to Vili Fualaau on Larry King Live on Oct. 11. The ex-schoolteacher, who first had sex with Fualaau eight years ago when he was 13 and has two children by him, said she's been "blessed" and shares "a deep spiritual oneness" with him. During her prison stay, Ms. Letourneau contracted A.R. It is not known at this time if Vili has been affected or even knows of his wife's malady.

And pop stars: Elton John unleashed his inner diva in September, calling the Taiwanese media "rude, vile pigs" after photographers greeted him at the Taipei airport with a wall of flashbulbs. The following month, John directed his ire at Madonna. At London's Q Awards, the singer accused Madge of lip-synching on her Re-Invention tour. "Anyone who lip-synchs in public onstage when you pay 75 pounds ($134) to see them should be shot," he said. Madonna's spokeswoman denied the allegation saying "I heard Elton has A.R. I hope he seeks treatment."

And in sports: The sports world took a beating in November when it was revealed that the New York Yankees' $120 million-earning first baseman Jason Giambi (right) had admitted to using antacids for at least three seasons. The revelation came out of a federal investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), and included doping accusations against San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds (who says his drug use was unwitting) and five-time Olympic track medalist Marion Jones (who denied using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
Maalox and Pepto-Abysmal are reportedly seeking legal action against the three.

Yes, acid reflux knows no boundaries. Rock stars, sports heroes, cause celebre's, and even movie stars have fallen victim. Even ordinary citizens like you and me. It has reached epidemic proportions. A.R., the scourge of the new millineum.

Farewell and adieu, v.c.

P.S. Hopefully, you, the readers will never know the heartbreak of psoriasis, er, acid reflux.



Posted by vietnamcatfish at 11:14 PM 2 comments Links to this post

"Acid Reflux Rears Its Ugly Head"
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Anonymous said...
Yukity, yuk, yuk, yuk, Acid Reflux. Good journalism there CatMan. I see your counter tipped 1000. Congratulations!

You know your a fisherman when;
You call your boat Bonnie and you call your wife Skeeter.

6:17 PM


Hoots said...
Ditto, here.
Ready for this? Our new grandchild, born in October, was out of sorts and wouldn't eat. His mom took him to the doc. The nurse practicioner diagnosed the problem: reflux!
He had a bunch of regularly scheduled immunizations and is all better now. Go figure.

5:04 AM

P.S.

"More From the Exciting World of Foodbizdom And The World In Which We, Er, Live"

INQUIRE AT RESTAURANTS

Ketchup and cooked sauces are not affected by the outbreak. And several restaurants are not serving tomatoes — on Monday, McDonald's said it had stopped serving sliced tomatoes in its U.S. restaurants.

As most of you know:

A salmonella outbreak linked to raw tomatoes serves as a reminder to take extra care with summer fruits and vegetables.

My favorite line from the article:

Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly before handling food, says Blakeslee. Wash your hands if you come in contact with pet feces, use the bathroom or change a baby's diaper.

I would never have thought to wash my hands after changing a baby's diaper, so yours truly is passing it on in hopes of saving you and your loved ones from a heartbreak of foodborne illness or the like.

You say tomato and I say tomahto, v.c.