What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. – Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900
Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance. – Oprah Winfrey, 1954-present
As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death. – Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519
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Today’s Podcast is already posted and is a memory from my Music Club on Cool FM. The featured podcast today is my chat with Gary US Bonds.
Born in Jacksonville, Bonds was living in Norfolk, Virginia, in the 1950s when he began singing publicly in church, and with a group called The Turks. He joined record producer Frank Guida‘s small Legrand Records label, and Guida changed Anderson’s name to U.S. Bonds in hope that it would be confused with a Public Service Announcement advertising the sale of government bonds and thus get more radio airplay. His first three singles and first album Dance ‘Til Quarter To Three were released under the “U.S. Bonds” name, but people mistook it for the name of a group, so to avoid the confusion subsequent releases, including his second album Twist Up Calypso, were released under the name Gary (U.S.) Bonds; the parentheses were discarded in the 1980s. Source
Spain has done it yet again. Spain are the 2011 European under 21s soccer champions after beating the then undefeated Switzerland in a thrilling final by 2-0. Both goals were breathtaking yet very difficult. The British public cannot be blamed for not knowing of this victory for Spain. It wasn’t mentioned on the BBC Sports bulletins. England were knocked out earlier…….
The team spirit was a joy to behold and the work ethic was tremendous. In the technical area of expertise the Spanish have conquered the art of taking the ball from the opponents by not having to make thunderous challenges that are not always in the spirit of the game. It reminds me of when I was playing with the kids. They used to crowd me out and eventually get the ball away by giving me no room for manouevre. They are so skilful and are great entertainment.
Not quite the same can be said of the England cricket heroes. New England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad admitted he is hugely disappointed by their crushing nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in his first game in charge.However, England ladies sealed their place in the final of the women’s quadrangular Twenty20 series with a 22-run over Australia at Bristol.
We have the temperatures rising around Spain with 38 recorded in Madrid yesterday. Being near the coast we are a bit cooler around 32. It will certainly be hotter in the cockpits of the Formula 1 cars as they race around Valencia today. Here’s our forecast for the Alicante province…
29 °C
21 °C 29 °C 31 | 23° C 30 | 21° C 28 | 21° C
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The number of adults with diabetes in the world has more than doubled since 1980 with serious consequences for health budgets, researchers say.
The study, carried out in conjunction with the World Health Organization, found that the diabetes rate had either risen or stayed the same in virtually every country.
Spending on diabetes medicines – already worth £22bn annually – could hit £30bn by 2015, according to drug research firm IMS Health. Source
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The Spanish government have decided to restore the speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways to 120kpm from July 1st, following a heated debate in parliament.
Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba said that the temporary reduction had saved 450 million euro, but that there is a cost of 230,000 euro to replace the speed limit signs on the roads, which still results in a huge saving for the entire country.
Now, as the price of oil is falling, it seems appropriate to increase the sped limit back to 120kph, increasing by the 10kph that was introduced in March.
The move to return the speed limit has been met with some opposition, as the move not only saved money for every driver in the country, but there were a huge decrease in the number of speeding penalties issued and a considerable saving on carbon emissions which benefitted the environment, as well as a significant reduction in road traffic incident, injuries and deaths.
PECANS IN THE CEMETERY
On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just
inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts
and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts.
‘One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me’ said one boy. Several
dropped and rolled down toward the fence.
Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he
thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to
investigate. Sure enough, he heard, ‘One for you, one for me. One for you,
one for me. .’
He just knew what it was.. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just
around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along.
‘Come here quick,’ said the Boy, ‘you won’t believe what I heard! Satan and
the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls.’
The man said, ‘Beat it kid, can’t you see it’s hard for me to walk.’ When
the boy insisted though, the man hobbled slowly to the cemetery.
Standing by the fence they heard , ‘One for you, one for me. One for you,
one for me. . .’
The old man whispered, ‘Boy, you’ve been telling’ me the truth. Let’s see if
we can see the Lord..’
Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to
see anything.. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the
fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord.
At last they heard, ‘One for you, one for me.. That’s all…. Now let’s go
get those nuts by the fence and we’ll be done..’
They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes ahead of the kid
on the bike.
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Born Salesman
I learned a lesson in marketing from a man who bought an old
boat, a trailer, and a motor from me. “Thanks,” he said as
he loaded them up. “I’m planning to resell them.”
Good luck, I thought. I had been trying to get rid of them
for months. But when I ran into him a few weeks later, he’d
sold everything.
“How did you manage that?” I marvelled.
“I took out an ad: ‘Heavy-duty boat trailer with free boat.’
When the buyer came to get it, I asked if he had a motor. He
said no. I told him I happened to have one in my garage.
Bought that, too.”
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Events
1096 – Peter the Hermit’s crusaders forced their way across Sava, Hungary. What about Herman?
1483 – Richard III usurped himself to the English throne. Painful?
1541 – Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish Conqueror of Peru, was murdered by his former followers. Nice friends
1819 – The bicycle was patented by W.K. Clarkson, Jr. Good idea
1870 – The first section of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ, was opened to the public. Getting fuller by the minute
1900 – The United States announced that it would send troops to fight against the Boxer rebellion in China. The gloves were coming off
1900 – A commission that included Dr. Walter Reed began the fight against the deadly disease yellow fever. Good
1907 – Russia’s nobility demanded drastic measures to be taken against revolutionaries.Too late, Ethel
1908 – Shah Muhammad Ali’s forces squelched the reform elements of Parliament in Persia. Your time will come
1948 – The Berlin Airlift began as the U.S., Britain and France started ferrying supplies to the isolated western sector of Berlin. Heavy operation
1951 – The Soviet Union proposed a cease-fire in the Korean War. Good
1961 – A Kuwaiti vote opposed Iraq’s annexation plans. They’ll be back
1963 – U.S. President John Kennedy announced “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner) at the Berlin Wall. Das is gut
1979 – Muhammad Ali, at 37 years old, announced that he was retiring as world heavyweight boxing champion. I loved his arrogance
1981 – In Mountain Home, Idaho, Virginia Campbell took her coupons and rebates and bought $26,460 worth of groceries. She only paid 67 cents after all the discounts.
1997 – The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Communications Decency Act of 1996 that made it illegal to distribute indecent material on the Internet. Good
1997 – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld state laws that allow for a ban on doctor-assisted suicides. This is a difficult issue for many
1998 – The U.S. and Peru open school to train commandos to patrol Peru’s rivers for drug traffickers. Good
1998 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that employers are always potentially liable for supervisor’s sexual misconduct toward an employee. Good
2000 – The Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics Corp. jointly announced that they had created a working draft of the human genome. I don’t totally understand this
2000 – Indonesia’s President Abdurrahman Wahid declared a state of emergency in the Moluccas due to the escalation of fighting between Christians and Muslims. It’s everywhere!
2002 – David Hasseloff checked into The Betty Ford Center for treatment of alcoholism. Comes across on TV as a nice person….
This my friend Angel’s place near the rotunda 5 by the Plaza del Sol in La Nucia. Pop in for high-class takeaway meals. He speaks English and the choice is really good.
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1955, Elvis Presley (Scotty Moore and Bill Black) played the first of three nights at the Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. The local paper ran a preview which read; “A good looking youngster who has become a juke-box favorite with his That’s Alright, Mama, and Blue Moon of Kentucky. Presley is expected to repeat some of his hit tunes at the Airmen’s Club show in addition to mixing up a few country tunes with some “bop” and novelty numbers.” These are not easy gigs to play at although well marshalled!
1961, Gary U.S. Bonds started a two-week run at No.1 on the US charts with ‘Quarter To Three’, a No.7 hit in the UK. He was a guest on my show and we have a podcast at www.vincetracy.com/bonds.html
1964, During a world tour, The Beatles played two shows at Town Hall, Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand. The flight from Auckland to Dunedin was tense due the receipt of an anonymous threat that a “germ bomb” had been placed on board the aircraft.Horrible experience for anyone
1965, The Byrds went to No.1 on the US singles chart with their version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Mr Tambourine Man’. Only Roger McGuinn from the band played on the song, the drummer Hal Blaine played on the track also played on ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. I had been trying to get Roger McGuinn for a podcast but it became virtually impossible
1966, During a North American tour, The Rolling Stones played two shows, a matinee show at The Coliseum in Washington DC and an evening show at The Baltimore Civic Centre in Maryland. The McCoys and The Standells were the support acts.Good show
1969, Joni Mitchell appeared on the ABC TV Mama Cass Television Program from Los Angeles, California. She arrived in a big yellow taxi
1973, Rolling Stone Keith Richards and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg were arrested at their home in Chelsea, London on drugs and gun charges. Bad gear
1974, Cher divorced Sonny Bono after 10 years of marriage. Four days later, Cher married guitarist Gregg Allman, the couple split 10 days after that, got back together and split again. They did stay married for three years, producing Elijah Blue Allman. I stood next to Sonny Bon0s’s statue in Palm Springs
1975, Paul McCartney’s version of the theme to ITV’s UK weekday soap ‘Crossroads’, was aired for the first time. I don’t think I heard it…
1976, TV talent show winners from Liverpool The Real Thing were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘You To Me Are Everything’, the group’s only No.1 hit. It was the first single by a Black British band to top the UK charts. They were extremely popular in Liverpool and their music lives on….
1977, Elvis Presley made his last ever live stage appearance when he appeared at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. Presley would die less than two months later. The last two songs he performed were ‘Hurt’ and ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water.’ Before the show Elvis was presented with a plaque commemorating the 2 billionth record to come out of RCA’s pressing plant. Another sad memory near the passing of a legend
1982, American singer and One hit wonder Charlene was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I’ve Never Been To Me’. The song was recorded in 1976 and was reissued by Motown records in 1982 by which time Charlene had moved to England and was working in a sweet shop in Ilford, east London. Not an easy face to remember for me
1988, Bros were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I Owe You Nothing’. It was the only No.1 for the Boy band comprising of twins Luke & Matt Goss and Craig Logan. They owe us nothing
1993, Gabrielle started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Dreams’. Jamiroquai started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Emergency On Planet Earth’.Quality acts
1999, Elton John was reported to be in talks with a City finance house to secure a £25 million ($42.5 million) loan, using his back catalogue of hits as security. It had been reported that Elton had been spending £250,000 ($425,000) a week on credit cards. Will you please confirm that figure…
2000, Britney Spears hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana announced that a new museum, due to open early next year, would include a section including fan mail, platinum records and genuine items of the singers clothing. She should have been chuffed
2001, The Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey caused uproar among theologians after rejecting an application from a rock star for a degree course on religious grounds. Former Cockney Rebel member Andrew Brown who was now a minister of the Unitarian church wanted to complete a MA in theology but Carey had rejected his application because Brown did not belong to a mainstream church. Sorry, your Eminence, but you are out of line on this one. Surely, this should have been a moment to embrace other’s beliefs
2003, The Sun newspaper reported that Gareth Gates’s mum had moved into his flat to curb the Pop Idol star’s wild behaviour. Wendy Gates was said to be furious after her son had been spotted out on a string of benders. Well done mum…
2005, Tickets for a forthcoming Rolling Stones gig at the Hollywood Bowl were set to become the most expensive in rock ‘n’ roll history. Fans would have to pay up to £249 for a seat – £2 per minute to watch the Stones. I love the Stones but this was ridiculous
2008, Total Guitar magazine voted Celine Dion’s rendition of the AC/DC track ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ as the world’s worst cover version ever, the magazines editor Stephen Lawson said Dion’s cover was “sacrilege”. In the best cover versions list, Jimi Hendrix was voted into first place with his version of the Bob Dylan song ‘All Along the Watchtower,’ The Beatles’ rendition of ‘Twist and Shout’, (first recorded by the Top Notes), was in second place, followed by the Guns N’ Roses version of the Wings song ‘Live and Let Die’.Cover versions are always interesting. Initially, the instigators wanted to pay tribute to the song they are about to cover
Born on this day
1910, Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager. Before working in the music business Parker ran a troupe of dancing chickens. He died on January 21st 1997.
1942, Larry Taylor, bass, Canned Heat, (1970 UK No.2 & US No. 26 single ‘Let’s Work Together’).
1950, Junior Daye, Sweet Sensation, (1974 UK No.1 single with ‘Sad Sweet Dreamer’) 1955, Mick Jones, guitar, vocals, The Clash, (1979 UK No. 11 single ‘London Calling’, 1982 US No. 8 single ‘Rock The Casbah, 1991 UK No.1 single ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’, first released 1982, plus 15 other UK Top 40 singles), Big Audio Dynamite, (1986 UK No.11 single ‘e=mc2′).
1956, Chris Isaak, US singer songwriter, actor, (1990 UK No.10 & 1991 US No.6 single ‘Wicked Game’).
1972, Jussi Sydänmaa, guitarist, Lordi. Became Finland’s first ever Eurovision Song Contest winners after their song ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ won the contest held in Athens in 2006.
1973, US country singer, Gretchen Wilson, (2004 US country No.1 album ‘Here For The Party’, 2005 US No.1 album ‘All Jacked Up’).————————————
Ping list
