Saturday, July 9, 2022

 

For an AM radio station in the late 70’s, WKRP in Cincinnati had a pretty good playlist:

 


They Called It Rock - Nick Lowe

 

Good Squad - Elvis Costello

 

Lies, Shattered, Beast of Burden, Tumblin’ Dice, I’m Moving On – The Rolling Stones

 

Shakedown Street – The Dead (produced by Lowell George)

 

Suction Prints – Capt. Beefheart

 

Born Under A Bad Sign – Albert King

 

Into The Mystic, Caravan – Van Morrison

 

Rock n’ Roll Fantasy – The Kinks

 

Heartbreak Hotel – Les Nesman

 

Lively Up Yourself – Bob Marley

 

Heart of Glass – Blonde

 

Last Dance – Chuck Mangione

 

Alabama Song – The Doors

 

Just What I Needed – The Cars

 

I’m Down – The Beatles

 

I think WRKO in Boston was playing Raydio, McFadden and Whitehead and Kenny Rogers at the time…

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

 Just Like Sonny, Clint and Arnold Before Him...

Warren ‘Potsie’ Weber from Happy Days, now 72 years old, is running for Mayor of Ojia, California. Anson Williams, cousin of Dr. Henry Heimlich of the Heimlich Maneuver fame, announced his candidacy last month but can’t file the official papers until July 18th. William is an expert at filing papers, he’s filed for divorce from his wife Jackie Gerkin twice. Williams claims that Ojia is his hometown, although I could have sworn I’ve been to his place in Malibu. Maybe she got the beach house in one of their divorces…

Ojia, a small town of about 8,000 is an hour and half northwest of LA in Ventura County. Williams became a prolific TV director in his post-Happy Days days, working on shows like Xena: Warrior Princess, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. In 1987 he opened a chain of Big Al’s diners in the Midwest with former castmate Al Molinaro, but that went tits up

Of course, Anson Williams is no stranger to politics. He played Councilman McKenna on two episodes of Baywatch.


Saturday, July 2, 2022

 

Fantasy Football for the 1%


 

Of course, in this case 1% represents not only personal wealth, but how much of their soul is left inside their rotting husks. Charter members of the Lucky Sperm Club like Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch and their COO John Nallen, Sony’s Ken Yoshida and Playstation’s Jim Ryan. Casey Wasserman, Mike Fries, Rupert Murdoch, Bob Chapek and the Mt. Rushmore of Cock Knobbery Musk, Cook, Zuckerberg and Jassy, to name a few.

As the rest of America celebrates our independence from the Velvet Covered Iron Fisting of English Royalty this Fourth of July Weekend, these over-stuffed cream skimmers gather in Sun Valley to wistfully reminisce about the days when you could cut a servant’s tongue out to keep them quiet.

Yes kids, it is time once again for Allen & Co’s Uber Secret Sun Valley Conference, and the company’s third generation CEO, the publicity shy Herby Allen III, has threatened to chop off the hands of anyone dumb enough to write about it. That would be me.

Other deep pockets expected to show up are Idaho’s Governor Brad Little, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, NFL stooge Roger Goodell, United Arab Emirates Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, Drug Dealer Albert ‘Pfizer’ Bourla, and my dusty old friend John Henry.

And what orgy of the rich and shameless would be complete with the media in attendance? Tom Brokaw is expected. NY Times ink-stained wretch Thomas Friedman, Washing Post’s David Ignatius, CNBC’s Becky Quick, Diane Sawyer, Andrew Ross Sorkin are all on the guest list too.

CNN is also well represented with Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper and Van Jones all expected to show up to kiss the cock ring of corporate America. And incase you were wondering why a van load of underaged Asian sex workers was just spotted tooling down Rt. 75 south of Ketchum, Bob Kraft is also expected to attend and he’s ready to rumble.

Of course, these are just the people that have been invited, those in actual attendance is a closely guarded secret. Were terrorist to set off a bomb in Idaho this weekend the damage would be… well, sad for their families, but there is an endless production line of shitheels that would gladly step up and take their places.

And why should we care if these dilatants gather not five minutes from where Ernest Hemmingway swallowed his shotgun? Because this is the weekend where the deals get made. Fantasy Football for the 1%. A figurative and literal cock measuring contest. Big fish gobble up little fish, Snow Falcons swooping in to scoop unexpecting fat, full big fish out of the water, Ted Sarandos gobbling up anything that floats to bottom, as Bob Kraft hands out red Trump 2024 Caps and envelops stuffed with Yuan and Bon Jovi tickets.

No need to get into the Who Struck Johnny here, suffice it to say, if a major media deal does not get announced after this weekend, like maybe a Fire Sale where someone picks up Netflix for pennies on the dollar and tried to right the ship, that means even The Lucky Sperm Club are skittish about the future of the economy and we are all fucked, not just that van load of guest workers…

Friday, July 1, 2022

 

America has spoken, and they wanted to know my Top Ten Albums that shaped my teen years, so sure, I’ll play along:

 


10) London Calling – The Clash: Unemployment, racial conflict, social displacement, drug use. Did any band tackle it all with snappy tunes like the Clash? Kids today will need their own Clash in Trumpmerica, that’s for sure. The addition of Topper Headon on drums really brought the band together, briefly.




 

9) Romantic Warrior – Return To Forever: Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Chick Corea? Nothing more needs to be said.





 8) Matching Tie and Handkerchief – Monty Python: Classic bits (Bruces, The Cheese Shop, Oscar Wilde and Friends) and Side B was double grooved, so you never knew if you were going to get the side with The Fight of The Century or the side with Taking In The Terrier.




 7) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John: I’ll tell you how strong that album was, Harmony wasn’t even released as a single because there was no room after Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Candle in The Wind (or The Dead Blond Song) and Bennie and the Jets.




 

6) Cosmo’s Factory – Creedence: After all the questions about who actually played on Willy and The Poor Boys. The band got together for the last really great album. I had this on 8-Track in my little Peugeot 307 constantly.





 

5) The Fine Art of Surfacing – The Boomtown Rats: This was before Geldof became a saint. Someone’s Looking At You stands as one of the best songs Mutt Lange has ever been standing around next to…





 4) Joe’s Garage Acts 1,2 & 3 – Frank Zappa: Commercial pop, jazz noodling and naughty lyrics all in one package. What more could a teen want?



 

3) Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder: It was either this or Innervisions. Sir Duke sealed the deal for me.






 2) I’m Everyone I’ve Ever Loved – Martin Mull: A comedy album featuring Chuck Rainey, Frank Foster, Ron Carter among several others. Who does that? Martin Mull, that’s who.





 1) My Aim Is True – Elvis Costello: Contains the greatest line in Rock History, “I said I’m so happy, I could die. She said Drop dead, the left with another guy”. Pretty much sums up my teens.






And yours?