“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” – Bruce Lee
Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us. Thomas Paine
When I said ‘death’ before ‘dishonor’, I meant alphabetically. Unknown
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”
- Oprah Winfrey
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We have a lovely day on the Costa Blanca and everything was wonderful until I started doing the news review with Cathy Humphreys and then my podcast with Leapy Lee. News was breaking about another horrible event in the US at a showing of the new Batman movie in Colarado. I really find it so difficult to understand these terrible events and I can only put a lot of this down to the TV and Video games people are playing. Here’s my chat with Cathy and here’s my chat with Leapy.
I still can’t get my head to accept the inane questions posed on TV shows. I know it’s about getting people tp phone in and spend their money but are people really so stupid. A question on one of the TV shows asked what is burnt at both ends by people staying up too late and getting up early. Was it a firework, a match or a candle. I nearly blew a fuse when I heard the question. Are enough people so desperate to win the jackpot that they phone in every day? Sadly, the answer is probably yes. This is a really sad world that we are living in right now. There seems to be far too many people prepared to sell their soul to the devil and do anything to make a bit of extra money. The TV is full of adverts pushing people into borrowing money they cannot afford. Those that have tried to save are being plundered by the bankers and the money people. The people who should be making sure this is not happening are the MPs but what are they doing? At least half of the MPs are still not caring for their constituents. They are far too busy lining their own pockets in their part-time jobs whilst happily pocketing their 65 thousand pounds plus expenses job. Where on earth do we go next? The Barclays mafia has been ex`posed and now we hear the HSBC mandarins are in with the Mexican drug cartels. I don’t know about you I am dying for the day to arrive when the money markets settle down and we can all get on with our lives……..
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1801 – A 1,235 pound cheese ball was pressed at the farm of Elisha Brown, Jr. The ball of cheese was later loaded on a horse-driven wagon and presented to U.S. President Thomas Jefferson at the White House. I bet he didn’t eat it all himself
1810 – Colombia declared independence from Spain. Spain has lost quite a few good countries over the years
1868 – Legislation that ordered U.S. tax stamps to be placed on all cigarette packs was passed. Was that including a Health Warning?
1871 – British Columbia joined Confederation as a Canadian province. OK
1881 – Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull, a fugitive since the Battle of the Little Big Horn, surrendered to federal troops. He is still a legend
1908 – In the United States, the Sullivan Ordinance bars women from smoking in public facilities. They were doing the ladies a favour without realising it
1944 – An attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler failed. The bomb exploded at Hitler’s Rastenburg headquarters. Hitler was only wounded. Pity it failed
1944 – U.S. President Roosevelt was nominated for an unprecedented fourth term of office at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Well liked?
1951 – Jordan’s King Abdullah Ibn Hussein was assassinated in Jerusalem. Who’d be a leader?
1969 – Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. became the first men to walk on the moon. If it was really this day I can remember exactly where I was and who I was with….
1974 – Turkish forces invaded Cyprus. I remember this…
1976 – America’s Viking I robot spacecraft made a successful landing on Mars. Popped into a bar?
1977 – A flash flood hit Johnstown, PA, killing 80 people and causing $350 million worth of damage. These tragic things are always happening
1985 – Treasure hunters began raising $400 million in coins and silver from the Spanish galleon “Nuestra Senora de Atocha.” The ship sank in 1622 40 miles of the coast of Key West, FL. Who ended up with the swag?
1992 – Vaclav Havel, the playwright who led the Velvet Revolution against communism, stepped down as president of Czechoslovakia. Brave man
1997 – Seven people were arrested after New York City police found scores of deaf Mexicans kept in slave-like conditions and forced to peddle trinkets for the smugglers who had brought them to the U.S. Aren’t we humans a brilliant lot?
1998 – Russia won a $11.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to help avert the devaluation of its currency. Now we need a bit of their help
2003 – In India, elephants used for commercial work began wearing reflectors to avoid being hit by cars during night work. I should think so too
The Day’s Music Events 20th July
1940, Billboard’s first comprehensive record chart was published. The magazine had previously published best-seller lists submitted by the individual record companies, but the new chart combined the top sellers from all major labels. Their first number one song was ‘I’ll Never Smile Again’ by Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.Some might be tempted to say this was real music!
1954, The Blue Moon Boys made their live debut appearing on the back of a flatbed truck outside a new drug store for its grand opening in Memphis. The band line up was Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black. The name was taken from a song they had recorded just two weeks previously, ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky.’ I particularly like the music of the Bill Black Combo
1963, Jan and Dean started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Surf City’, written by Beach Boy Brian Wilson, with the Beach Boys on backing vocals. The single peaked at No.26 in the UK. Not one of my favourites but good for the surfers
1963, During a UK tour The Beatles played the second night at The Ritz Ballroom in Rhyl, North Wales. The Rolling Stones played at The Corn Exchange in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Making their way in the world
1968, Cream started a four-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Wheels On Fire’.They still have quite a following even today
1968, Hugh Masekela started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Grazing In The Grass.’ I prefer the Friends of Distinction version
1968, Jane Asher announced on the national British TV show, Dee Time, that her engagement to Paul McCartney was off. Paul reportedly was watching at a friend’s home and was surprised by the news. She was said to have inspired many of McCartney’s songs, such as ‘All My Loving’, ‘And I Love Her’, and ‘We Can Work It Out’. Jane went on to have a career in films and television as well as becoming a successful author and business woman.Paul has picked some really nice ladies and Jane Asher’s career was quite like Linda’s
1969, American singer Roy Hamilton died of a stroke aged 40. Had the 1955 US No.6 single ‘Unchained Melody.’ Appeared in the 1956 movie Let’s Rock.I didn’t know this name
1971, The Carpenters show ‘Make Your Own Kind Of Music’, started a six week run on NBC-TV.They were brilliant
1973, TV talent show Opportunity Knocks winners Peters And Lee were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their first single and only chart topper ‘Welcome Home.’ A one hit wonder but a nice tune…
1974, Tim Buckley, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Van Morrison, The Doobie Brothers and The Allman Brothers all appeared at Knebworth Park, England. A bit hippy….
1976, Buzzcocks made their live debut supporting The Sex Pistols and Slaughter & The Dogs at The Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester. In the audience was, Morrissey, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook (soon to form Joy Division) and Mark E Smith, (The Fall) and Mick Hucknall. Tickets £1. This would not have been my idea of a good night out!
1977, Gary Kellgren studio engineer at the Los Angeles Record Plant studio drowned in a Hollywood Swimming pool. Worked with Lennon, Harrison, Hendrix, Barbara Streisand and Rod Stewart.I didn’t know his name but he worked with big names…..
1986, The film based on the life of Sex Pistol Sid Vicious, ‘Sid And Nancy’ premiered in London, England. I think the film might have been interesting as to why someone would want to be so unpleasant
1986, Carlos Santana celebrated his 39th birthday, and 20th anniversary in the music business, with a concert in San Francisco. Previous group members were assembled for the event, as 17 of them performed together on stage.Great musician
1990, Madonna played the first of three sold out nights at Wembley Stadium, London, England, on her 57-date Blond Ambition World Tour.In the money
1991, EMF went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Unbelievable’ it spent 14 weeks on the chart before reaching the top.I like this single
1996, Gary Barlow scored his first UK No.1 single with ‘Forever Love’ taken from his debut album Open Road. Barlow became the first member of Take That to top the charts with a solo record. Now this guy is a really talented songwriter. I didn’t remember this song and for me it’s not one of his best.-….
1999, Church group’s in middle America claimed that pictures of Britney Spears printed in Rolling Stone magazine encouraged child pornography. The shots showed Britney with not many clothes on in her bedroom. A bit boring-but I think they were right and the recent furore in the UK over the sexualisation of children seems to agree with me…
1999, The Rolling Stones reported a gross income of $337 million, (£168m), from almost two years of touring from their Bridges to Babylon and No Security tours. The Stones had played to over 5.6 million people, selling out all but 20 shows. This is massive business
1999, Paul McCartney had an upcoming single bootlegged when ‘I Got Stung’ was taken from a BBC broadcast and distributed over the Internet. The track was from his forthcoming release ‘Run Devil Run’ album.’He certainly did get stung
2000, The Evergreen Ballroom in Lacey, Washington was destroyed by a fire. During the ballroom’s heyday in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, many of music’s greats played there: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Duke Ellington, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turner and Fats Domino. Glen Campbell had lived in the kitchen at the venue for a while before he became famous.Nice story and I liked the music of Glen Campbell. He seemed to have a struggle at the tail end of his life
2003, A tooth said to have been pulled out of Elvis’s mouth after an injury failed to sell on the auction site eBay. The tooth had been put on a 10-day sale with a reserve price of $100,000 (£64,100). Bids had pushed the price up to $2m (1.28m) but they were later found out to be fraudulent. This was a good story to get your teeth into.
Born on this day
1933, Buddy Knox, singer, songwriter, (1957 US No.1 & UK No.29 single ‘Party Doll’). He was the first person in the rock’n’roll era to write and record a number one hit. Very few 1950s singers wrote their own songs.
1945, John Lodge, bass, vocals, The Moody Blues, (1965 UK No.1 & US No.10 single ‘Go Now’ and 1968 UK No.19 & 1972 US No.2 single ‘Nights In White Satin’).
1945, Kim Carnes, US female singer, (1981 US No.1 & UK No.10 single ‘Betty Davis Eyes’).
1946, Wendy Richard, actress, (1962 UK No.1 single with Mike Sarne, ‘Come Outside’, cast member of UK TV soap ‘Eastenders’). 1
1947, Carlos Santana, guitar, Santana, (1977 UK No.11 single ‘She’s Not There’, 1999 US No.1 single ‘Smooth’ eleven weeks at No.1, Also No.1 in the UK). Won eight Grammy’s for his Supernatural album at the 2000 awards.
1947, Tony Thorpe, The Rubettes, (1974 UK No.1 single ‘Sugar Baby Love’).
1955, Jem Finer, banjo, The Pogues, (1987 UK No.8 single ‘The Irish Rover’, 1987 UK No.2 single with Kirsty MaCcoll, ‘Fairytale Of New York’).
1958, Michael McNeil, keyboards, Simple Minds, (1985 US No.1 single ‘Don’t You, Forget About Me’, 1989 UK No.1 single ‘Belfast Child’, plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles).
