Unfortunately, it’s not Beiber, Gaga, Kanye, or even Jane Fonda…. just read that Oklahoman and screen great James Garner passed away Saturday at 86, of natural causes.

I liked reruns of Maverick and The Great Escape. I liked watching him in the Rockford Files, though I never understood why Rockford bothered to try, or how often he even got paid. I enjoyed him in Tank as a kid (cheesy movie, in retrospect), and was glad to see him continue working in good movies like My Fellow Americans (he always had a charisma that would be as slick as any real president) and Space Cowboys, even though most actors his age had long-since retired. Thanks for the memories sir, a decent obit can be found here: http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=878361

*ring, ring* “This is Jim Rockford, at the tone leave your name and message…. I won’t get back to you….” *beep*

Not being a smart ass – but, I was just informed that Johnny Winter just passed away…..  I know no other details, and have to make an appointment that I can’t get out of……  If any of the Community knows anything else to add – DO IT!…..  THE BLUES JUST RAINED LIKE HAIL! (MR)……

OK, some people can’t let go of pets. I get that. Some people go a little crazy over their pets. I get that. This one, I’m not sure of…. is it sad that I kinda like it?

Dutch Artist Bart Jansen had a cat named Orville, which ran across a street once too often and met an automotive end. So, what to do? Burial? Nah, no good spot. Cremation? Nope, don’t want to have a mishap and need the Dustbuster. Hmmm….. what can we do with taxidermy? Taxidermy….. Orville…. oh! It’s so obvious!

Birds, I believe you have met your match…..

Sorry for the deluge of links, but I found this on my web wanderings and thought it was just amazing.

What if Nikola Tesla formed a rock band, you ask? Well, a lot of geeks have been fiddling around to give us the answer. Tesla coils usually function above the audible range, but someone discovered if you modulate them you can reduce them to frequencies the human ear can detect. From there is was a quick jump to using a keyboard or an electric guitar to an input device. So how’d ya like your guitar amp to spit lightning all over the studio? =)

Guitar w/ Tesla coil amp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boC9e2FLqtI

Sweet Home Alabama on 2 coils: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbLshnfu0wY

House of the Rising Sun on 2 coils: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgll-XTqcS4

Green Onions on 2 coils and 16-pc robot drums: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a7Hi2_97Ak&list=PLyjyGxvwTsmpXFRI-RZ-jGfwP_GsjIvXP (Apparently this pissed off neighbors, another posted vid has cops interrupting the display.)

Video on the technical aspects, bass guitar demo at 9:30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOkTrqTd0hw

Tesla coils have been used to augment some stage acts in recent years, but it’s cool to see them used as an integral part of music generation!

…..  to amaze me!…….  Officially Postmarked on 13MAR14, Jimi joined a number of talented, original artists that have no equals……  If this screwed-up World of ours would pay just a small, slight minute passing attention to the words of our musicians instead of our crooked, coneivening, stealing, bs’ing, lying, corrupt worthless Politicians, we might just have an slim – really slim – outside fast ball chance at survival……  The odds are further than “Way Out There”!, believe me!…..  At least, My old Employer – The USPS – recognizes some of these superbly, decent  Humans and pays tribute to them……  I now use only Hendrix stamps on ALL my letters and correspondence….. – AS YOU SHOULD – “THINK ABOUT IT – I DON’T BELIEVE THERE IS A LAW AGAINST THINKING ABOUT IT” – “YET, ANYWAY (Ha!)”

Jimi ” The Man” Hendrix

Cult [kuhlt] noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
Socialism [soh-shuh-liz-uhm] noun
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.

________________________________________________________________
Those That Do Not Remember The Past Are Condemned To Repeat It
I have provided those definitions to help the reader try to make sense of the story that the author has written.
As many of you know one of my favorite reads are ” I was there” books/ Biographies. Because As we all know The truth is stranger than any fiction that has been written, And in recent history some Fiction has become fact in certain ways. (Just read Tom Clancy).
That Being said. Of all the important dates in Our history, Nov 22 1963, April 19 1995, Sept. 11 2001 Who remembers where they were on Nov 18 1978?
What is Significant about that date you ask? Well while watching the NBC Nightly News that evening we learned that The only U.S. Congressman that has ever been Assassinated while in office Leo J. Ryan Jr.(D) CA. NBC Reporter Bob Brown and 2 others had been killed by Followers of The Reverend Jim Jones leader of the Peoples Temple Religious movement on a Air strip in the Guyanese jungle.
The next Monday we learned the whole awful story that 909 of of the members of the Peoples Temple had Drank Cyanide Laced Flavor-Ade, Until 9/11 the largest loss of life of American citizens in one event.

[in a degree of separation I have a small link to this tragedy, The Air Force transported the Victims back to Dover AFB in Delaware. After Identification and preparation they were transported back to their home towns Mainly in CA. and Indianapolis, IN. In Specially outfitted Moving Vans with Refrigeration units. My Brother and his Truck Driving Partner were one of the teams that did this.]

This Book is written by Deborah Layton Blakey who was a member of Jones’ “Inner Circle” and the woman who after escaping the group earlier in 1978 gave sworn testimony before congress that all was not as it was reported to be and that the “Church” was in fact a Cult in which people had been tortured and blackmailed to stay inside and prompted Congressman Ryan to begin a investigation on behalf of his constituents from California and go to Jonestown that fateful day.
From the text we learn that the group was not in fact a Church but a Socialist Movement Using religion to mask the real purpose of Jones motives, To create a Socialistic State where he wielded absolute power and amassed great wealth and political power while his followers lived in abject poverty giving all their possessions and monies to him.

There were bank accounts in several countries containing Millions while Jones told his followers in Jonestown that there was not enough money to afford the basics of life.
I had always wondered why most of his trusted inner circle were women. In this book I learned that he was having sexual relations with most of those women many of whom were at least 20 years younger than him and his wife.
We learn that this was just another case of someone Bastardizing Religion and scripture for their own selfish means.
So to sum up, I urge anyone who wants to know the real story of what happened to what was touted as a utopian paradise where all persons were to be treated as equals regardless of race or standing to pick this one up. I pray that something like this will never happen again (I said the same thing on April 19 1993 in Waco, TX.) But as long as there are those who pray on the spiritual needs of those who feel disenfranchised it can happen again because the populous sadly does not remember the past, and when one asks the average person today “What Was Jonestown?” Most reply “That’s where those religious kooks drank poison”
That’s only the tragic aftermath of the Story.
Also here is the most informative website on the whole tragedy.
http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/

It’s crazy how much survives from ’60s sci-fi. Found a reference the other day to an auction from a couple years ago. Details are sketchy, but I think this went for about $28,000. Looking a bit worse for wear, Balok is still around….

Reminds me of the discovery and restoration of the prop from the 1960 movie The Time Machine with Rod Taylor. This was brought to prominence a few years ago by its appearance on The Big Bang Theory (as Penny stated, unimpressed, “It looks like something Elton John would drive through the Everglades…”)

A history of the prop can be found here: http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/props/timemachine.html

As someone who hates to throw old things away, I always like to hear about something iconic from a previous decade being found in an attic or warehouse and preserved. Stories like the Lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me being found and restored are so much better than stories like one of the DB5’s from Goldfinger/Thunderball being stolen and still missing.

Just heard it on the news!……  Dave’s wife made the announcement – The name will be “The Endless River”……  Supposedly, based on some Rick Wright stuff recorded way back in 1994……  Pretty cool that we’re now hearing musical news about my generations musical Icons on TV…..  Who would have thought?……  Also, Mr. Paulie (as in McCartney) is back on tour……  As one of my many favorite groups (The Who) would say, “Long LIve Rock!”  Keep on Rockin” – IT KEEP YOU YOUNG FOREVER!!!!…..

Sorry ’bout the lack of enthusiasm, but it seems it was just the 4th a few days ago – Time is passing w-a-y too fast!……  Also, My 240SX, which I have never had a speck of trouble out of, decided that it just doesn’t want to start any more!…..  No previous indications/warnings of any problems…..  All the pre-ignition lights come on, no indication of a dead battery – Nothing…  Turn the Key and I get a slight click and then Na-Da……  Ar-r-gh!…..  I thinking it’s the starter, but, not sure, as all these newer cars have BILLIONS of sensors and whatever…..  So-o-o-o-o, I’ll be spending the 4th trying to figure out what the Hell’s going on with my car…..  I can’t live without transportation and I really don’t want to fork over bucks to have it towed to the dealership, which is where I was going to take it next week for an oil change and general maintenance, but, as usual, with my luck, it decides to blow up yesterday……

Oh, Yeah, thsi Post was about the 4th of July, right?……  Don’t go blowing off any of your fingers (or someone else’s) unless it’s absolutely  necessary….. eh?…..  HAPPY 4th OF JULY – BE SAFE………

Doing a two-fer of the weirder side of music fandom this time. One is a favorite cult film of mine, the other is more of an indie  “What the hell did I just watch?”

1. Bubba Ho-Tep

Finally, the true story of Elvis’ last days comes out! This movie not only has Bruce Campbell, but a very imaginative premise (it begins a little vulgar, but it works if you’re willing to just go with it).

Ya see, being the king of rock ‘n roll is more stressful than you’d think. So, Elvis swaps places with the leading Elvis impersonator to regain his freedom (keeping a copy of the contract that will let him swap back if he chooses, plus some cash to tide him over if times get tough). Unfortunately they do, as his copy is lost in a tragic barbecue accident. So, he makes a new life for himself doing what he does best: impersonate himself. He tours around as Sebastian Haff, “Tribute to the King”. There’s demand for it, as the real Sebastian had a bad ticker, and liked drugs even more than Elvis did. Then one day, while takin’ care of bidness, E’s hip goes out (it had been giving him trouble), he falls off stage, and winds up in a coma for a time.

Cut to the present, the Shady Rest Convalescent Home  in Mud Creek, Texas. He’s given up pretending, now that he’s using a walker and dealing with the deteriorations of age (and a strange growth on his pecker that the doctor’s won’t discuss), but the staff just thinks he’s loopy. Life has Elvis about as low as a man can get, but one person believes his story, a fellow resident played by Ossie Davis. Slight problem: Ossie’s character claims he’s actually JFK. “But Jack, president Kennedy was a white man.” “That’s how clever they are! The CIA dyed me this color! All over! Can you think of a better way to hide the truth than that?” Ah….. well played, Mr. President!

All is not well at Shady Rest, as some years back, a cursed mummy was stolen from a Texas museum, and the bus carrying it was washed off a bridge into the nearby river. Free of its bonds, the mummy begins to stalk residents of the nursing home, eating their souls and periodically using the visitor’s toilet. Easy prey, a nice flush, and no one suspects anything’s unusual about the frequent pick-ups the funeral home hearse is making. But Elvis begins to share JFK’s suspicions, and the duo find a purpose in life again…. reinvigorated, they join forces to fight an ancient evil and prevent their friends from becoming flushed down the visitor’s toilet. TCB, baby!

This is one of those B movies with tons of heart. The set-up of Elvis’ back story is so well defined, you can just fall into it and have fun. JFK’s story isn’t solidified as well, but you can see it through Elvis’ initial misgivings and give Jack the benefit of the doubt. There’s great one-liners sprinkled throughout, and a real look at how marginalized the elderly can feel about the undignified ravages of time. Bruce Campbell’s performance is fantastic, and Elvis’ inner monologues of reflection are able to sound genuine. Can’t recommend this one enough, it’s worth it!

2. Six-String Samurai

In 1957, World War 3 happened, and the russians invaded the United States. Largely reduced to a Mad Max wasteland, people took solace in the town of Lost Vegas, where Elvis ruled as the king of rock ‘n roll for 40 years. Now, the king has died and our hero Buddy has a gig to become the new king, if he can just get there. On his way he saves an 8 year old boy who tags along despite protests, but Death (who looks suspiciously like Slash) wants the throne himself, and is tracking down all the rock ‘n rollers heading for Vegas and claiming their picks and souls as trophies. Buddy has other worries, and must work his way past several gangs: the Bowling Team, the Cleavers ( a weird family of cannibals), a group in space suits, underground mutants, and finally the Red Army itself. With samurai sword in hand and a 1957 Gibson hollow body on his back, Buddy encounters (characters somewhat implied) Clint Eastwood, Jerry Lee Lewis, Richie Valens, and gets updates from the local DJ Wolfman Jack. Who will win in this struggle for what’s left of the soul of rock ‘n roll?

OK, this film is just weird. It has its moments as a satire of pop culture, spaghetti westerns, samurai flicks, and kung fu movies, all of which I like. The film is visually good, the premise is original, but something’s just missing. Made in 1998, it was supposed to be the first of a trilogy that didn’t pan out. It’s worth seeing once on Netflix if you’ve got an evening to kill, but I only recommend it as something different than mainstream, and hope that someone more musically inclined than myself may get more out of it.

Well this is enough to make one drool….. Dodge just announced the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat. The numbers look more impressive than the new Corvettes: 6.2L supercharged Hemi with 707hp, 650 ft/lbs of torque, hooked to an 8-speed Torqueflite or a modified Viper 6-speed manual. Styling goodies include a ’71-inspired interior and rear lights, T/A rear spoiler, and ram air intakes in the inner headlights. I’ll never get close to one, and idiots with more income than me will be wrapping them around trees left and right, but it’s still nice to dream! (Only problem is, they’ll be 1/2 a mile down the road before they realize the little greasy spot on the road used to be me…)

http://www.autonews.com/article/20140701/OEM04/140709977/supercharged-hellcat-challenger-srt-rated-at-707-hp

(Whoever selected the baby-poop mustard interior should be shot. Jeez, why were cars of the ’80s such CRAP?!?!)

Yesterday, June 27, Bobby Womack died at the age of 70…..  I know a lot of you probably don’t know who he was, but, if you know anything at all about R & B and R & R, you should……  With his wife Shirley (at the time), he wrote one of my all-time favorite Stone’s cover songs – “It’s All Over Now” – and, unfortunately,  for Bobby Womack – It Is.…..  Sorry if that sounds cold, but, we’ve been losing great musicians and artists from the greatest period of original music ever produced – ’50’s thru ’70’s – at such a startling rate that you just start accepting it and “Keep on Truckin’ “ ’cause if you think of it too much, you’ll crash and burn…..  Yeah, there’s still good music being made these days, but, NOT in the quantity and quality of that golden period…..  And, yeah, I’m prejudiced, of course, because I grew up right in the middle of all this and I still enjoy playing and recording…..

What’s the most recognized motorcycle in the World? – By design and sound – Harley Davidson, correct?…..  The famous Harley sound and design has been copied by all the top motorcycle manufacturers…..  Well, H-D’s going in a new direction – ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES – Yep, the only thing you hear is the slight whine of the transmission…..  Well, maybe the burning of rubber from the rear tire as, not only is the new Harley Electric Cycle  electric – It’s a Rocket too!…..  0 to 60 in 4 seconds!…..  Right now it’s a prototype and in the testing phase, but, if it proves out, it may soon be at your local Harley dealer…..  Maybe they’ll offer a digital sound system with lots of bottom to replicate the rumbling sound of the gas “Hogs”.…..  Who knows – The World’s a ‘changin’……

Was gonna surprise MR with one of these for a birthday or something, but other musically-inclined folks might find these kinda nifty.

(Warning: This site has some great little geeky items, usually a bit useless or overpriced.)

Item 1: the Do-It-Yourself Guitar Pick Maker for $24.99.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e91b/?srp=1

Item 2: Recycled Vinyl Record Guitar Picks currently on sale, $2.99/6.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ed65/?srp=2

Pretty clever!

(Actually, considering most musicians I’ve met, punching their VISA card into picks is probably doing them a big favor… and I can’t think of a better end for a Yoko Ono album.)

A bit less utilitarian is a functional electronic guitar shirt, but the wearable mini-amp goes to 11!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/c498/?srp=4

Got bored, so dug through my stash and reacquainted myself with a fascinating documentary about a man that fought the Cold War single-handedly in a world of black and white:

This 2011 HBO documentary is very well done, and covers everything from his early childhood to the aftermath of his death. Bobby Fischer was an obsessive genius at chess, National Champion just before turning 15, and at 29 winning the 1972 World Championship virtually alone against the USSR’s proud chess-culture tradition. Shortly thereafter, he disappeared from the public, forfeiting his title in 1975 by refusing to play (but claiming he was unbeaten, so still the title-holder). Nearly 20 years later, he came back out of the blue, announcing a World Championship rematch against his 1972 opponent Boris Spassky to be held in Yugoslavia. When threatened by the Dept of the US Treasury that such an event would defy UN sanctions and an executive order from George H.W. Bush, he publicly spat on the order in front of the media. Now a fugitive (for playing chess!) he floated around Budapest, Hungary and kept a low profile for most of the ’90s, moved to the Philippines in 2000, and Japan around 2003. Arrested on order of the US (for traveling on a revoked passport) by Japanese immigration authorities when trying to return to the Philippines, he was granted asylum and citizenship by Iceland, where he had played the championship in 1972. He lived there until his death from kidney failure (he had refused treatment) in 2008, leaving behind a financial mess with 4 claimants on his $2 million estate (His apparent Japanese wife, his alleged Philippino daughter and her mother, 2 american nephews, and the US government).

The film starts with early appearances of Fischer, showing him on  an episode of “I’ve Got A Secret” as well as playing 20 games simultaneously in an exhibition. It then moves for the bulk of the running time to the preparation for the 1972 match, interviewing the olympic trainer he hired to get him physically fit, and an analysis of the 21-game match itself.  (It’s bizarre to see someone train in racquetball, swimming, weightlifting, and even a grip builder and underwater breath training for a chess match, but things were taken this seriously. He even received a call from Kissinger urging him to see things through, and a current Kissinger interview appears in the film.) Recollections and opinions of contemporary and current chess masters are scattered throughout the film, even Boris Spassky himself. We then go to Fischer’s near disappearance, and start to mention his strange rants, conspiracy theories, and emerging anti-semitism, which seem to become more paranoid over time. The last segments cover the lackluster 1992 rematch and fallout chasing him until his death, as well as his now-bizarre behavior and rhetoric. (After seeing the long memory of the US gov’t in “The US vs. John Lennon”, I can only wonder if Fischer was not entirely baseless in some of his paranoia.)

All in all, it is a gripping narrative on one of the strangest and most reclusive personalities of the 20th century, someone who arguably peaked at 30 and started a US chess boom in the 1970’s, revolutionizing the game along the way. (I’m glad I learned to play chess in school in 1977 at age 6, and do not think that would have happened without Bobby Fischer.) Interviews and archive footage are very well-chosen in this film, I was delighted to find a clip from the Dick Cavett Show which included Tony Randall poignantly asking Fischer “You’ve hit the pinnacle so early, what do you do now?”.  Chess legends Boris Spassky and Gary Kasparov gave current interviews, while Anatoli Karpov and Mikhail Tal appear in archive footage. Fischer is covered from many angles, as a child genius, a sheltered outcast, a jerk, a paranoid-schizophrenic, an innovator….. but it never quite pins him down. Sadly, it does leave the impression that events worked against flaws in his mind and left him eight kinds of crazy by the end. Definitely a good watch, even if you don’t know much about chess.