Everyone has their own taste when it comes to music.

What may be considered music to one’s ears, may be considered simply torturous to others. Just because I feel that Michael Bolton sounds like a cat getting skinned alive, and that his music is some sort of cruel joke to all of mankind, doesn’t mean that some other tone deaf person has to agree with me.

One thing is for certain, whether it is the sweet voice of Bonnie Raitt or the overrated raspy voice of Bruce who stepped in it Springsteen… if it is played at decibels to make you feel that your ears are going to bleed and it is played over and over… it can be quite torturous no matter who it is.

Everyone is aware that the prisoners at Gitmo (Guantánamo Bay) were needlessly tortured by water boarding along with other degrading and unspeakable acts. 

One of the methods used was music played repeatedly and at ear piercing levels. The songs used and some of the artists who made that music are not too happy to say the least. How would you feel if one of your songs was used to torture someone? I am sure you would be horrified.

Well, Michael Stipe of REM, along with twenty or so other artists have aired their disgust, and have banned together and formed Close Gitmo Now.   

A little info on Gitmo first, before we get into which performers are saying Gitmo has to go.

Gitmo has held nearly 800 detainees in it’s history. An alarming majority of those detainees were never charged, nor went to trial. Only THREE of those detainees have ever been convicted of a crime.To keep Gitmo open is costing tax payers MILLIONS.

So what did the spokesman for the CIA say when it came to using music as torture?
He said nuh-uh.

George Little, a CIA spokesman said:

“music was used only for security, rather than “punitive purposes”

And in a 2005 CIA document, it stated,

“loud music or white noise was needed “to mask sound and prevent communication among detainees”

So what tunes and artists made it to the Gitmo “top 20″?

According to the National Security Archive, they used anything from the Meow Mix jingle, to the Barney theme song. They used such artists as Marylin Manson to Britney Spears. Although the Meow Mix jingle and the Barney theme song both make me cringe and is enough to drive anyone buggy, at ANY volume… I wonder if the Meow Mix or the Barney people have a problem with the fact their music was used at Gitmo? I haven’t heard anything from either of them and I have to say, if they don’t have a problem with it, then I have a problem with them.

Why would they use the Meow Mix jingle and the Barney theme if it was just “to mask sound and prevent communication among detainees”?
And why were detainees subjected to “variable light patterns” while this music was played? Is the CIA going to say they wanted to have a disco effect for the detainees? Although it really wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

If the CIA claims are true, then why didn’t they just use classical music at non dangerous levels without light patterns? The term liar liar pants on fire comes to mind.

Another little pesky factor besides the CIA not having the permission of the artists to use their music, is the fact that the artist’s music was used as an interrogation tool.

So which artists are pissed and saying close Gitmo now ?
Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Brown, REM, Pearl Jam, Roseanne Cash just to name a few.

Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Brown

Roseanne Cash recently appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart to tell everyone about the petition they have created which people can sign at www.closegitmonow.org

The BBC recently reported:

REM call for Guantanamo closure

Rock bands including Pearl Jam and REM have joined a coalition of musicians to support the US president’s efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay prison.

The National Campaign to Close Guantanamo, which also includes former military officers, launched on Tuesday.

Many of the artists who have signed up are angry that their music was used as an interrogation tool in the jail.

But CIA spokesman George Little said music was used only for security, rather than “punitive purposes”.

In a statement, REM said: “We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice. To now learn that some of our friends’ music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge, is horrific. It’s anti-American, period.”

Other artists to sign up to the coalition include Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, Roseanne Cash, Billy Bragg, Bonnie Raitt and Rage Against The Machine.

On behalf of the campaign, the National Security Archive in Washington is filing a Freedom of Information Act request seeking classified records that detail the use of loud music as an interrogation device.

‘Terrify and punish’

A report published in November 2008 by the Senate Armed Services Committee report, has already made several references to the technique.

In one case interrogators played records to “stress” a prisoner, Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who believed music was forbidden.

In 2003, he was questioned while being “exposed to variable lighting patterns” and repeated plays of a song called Let the Bodies Hit the Floor by the band Drowning Pool.

Jayne Huckerby, from New York University’s Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, said loud music was also played at clandestine prisons run by the CIA.

Following an early information request, Ms Huckerby received a CIA document dated December 2005 in which the agency explained that the use of loud music or white noise was needed “to mask sound and prevent communication among detainees”.

She argued that such sounds were not a “benign security tool,” but a way “to humiliate, terrify, punish, disorient and deprive detainees of sleep, in violation of international law”.

According to the National Security Archive, tracks by AC/DC, Britney Spears, the Bee Gees and Marilyn Manson were used at Guantanamo.

The Meow mix cat food jingle, the Barney theme song and an assortment of Sesame Street tunes also were played into detainees’ cells.

But the CIA insisted any music was played “at levels far below a live rock band”.

And Major Diana Haynie, a spokeswoman for Joint Task Force Guantanamo, said loud music has not been used with detainees since the fall of 2003.

Barack Obama pledged to close the Guantanamo detention camp by January, but Republican opposition in Congress has made fulfilling that promise look less likely.

 

So one of the reasons that Gitmo remains open is due to Republican opposition?
Although I am certianly not surprised by this…. WHY ARE THEY OPPOSED?
What reasons could the Republicans have to want to keep Gitmo going?

The NY Times stated that the estimated annual cost to operate Guantánamo Bay is anywhere from $90 million to $118 million. There are 226 detainees left at Gitmo. That is a cost of $400.000 to $520.000 per detainee. To incarcerate a prisoner in a supermax prison would be $75,000 in the US. Is anyone paying attention to this simple math? Get the facts

At a time when the US is in such an economic mess due to the carnage that was left behind by the lovely Bush administration, perhaps the millions of dollars spent on keeping Gitmo open can be used elsewhere? Ya think?

Now before our comment section turns into a shouting match between Republicans and Democrats…..
and people telling me to get my facts straight, (I only report what is out there) remember that this article is about how horrible it was to use an artist’s music to torture people AND the fact that their music was used without their consent. Not to mention what it costs to keep Gitmo going.

So if you have a comment about Close Gitmo Now or the musicians who started the petition, then that is fine. But if you want to argue about what Obama has done or not done to clean up Bush’s mess that he left behind, or the BS spin and scare tactics that the Republicans are using when it comes to the health care plan, (you know who you are, you silly teabaggers) OR if you are a Michael Bolton fan, then please go argue elsewhere. *SNICKER*

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

The St. Petersburg Times continues to be a huge thorn in Scientology’s side. Their Sunday edition reported horrific stories told by former Scientology members who have left the cult. Or should I say when they TRIED to leave the cult. It is part one of another three part series that they are continuing to run in addition to their Truth Rundown Series that they ran back in June.

Once again these former members were in Scientology for years and years and held very prominent positions.

The ex members talk about the two ways that a member can leave the cult. Which are called “routing out” or “blowing”.

If members have doubts and have decided they want to leave, Scientology has a procedure called routing out. To route out of  the cult is of course Scientology’s preferred method. Reason being…. there is a good chance that you will end up staying in the cult because of Scientology’s continued manipulation, brain washing, emotional distress and they also tell members that they are giving up their chance at eternity. It also gives the cult the chance to have a leaving member sign a “pumped up” affidavit. (which Scientology will embellish) This affidavit along with confidential and personal information that is in a member’s file, while  in turn will be used against them if they choose to speak out. 

Scientology member’s personal and intimate information is acquired through auditing sessions and “sec checks” and kept in a member’s ”PC file” which is held by the cult. Actor Jason Beghe who left the cult has asked for his files back, and as far as I know, has not received them back as of yet. Correct me if I am wrong.

Scientology has continued to prove that they do in fact use this tactic every time they respond to any ex member’s story that has gone public. Former member’s confidential information was not only printed in Scientology’s edition of their Freedom Magazine for all other members to read, but this time around member’s information along with out right lies and were used by Tommy Davis in his response to the SP Times latest stories. Former member, Oscar winner and actor Paul Haggis who has just recently left the cult, said this was one of the many reasons why he decided to leave. It was mentioned in a letter that her personally wrote to to Tommy Davis. So to any members still in… your information in your PC file is not safe!

Many members also tell of being chased and harassed by the cult for years. Not to mention the heart break of the family disconnection they have endured which continues today.

Basically, the more you know about the cult’s inner secrets and the higher position you hold, the more you will be sought after to come back. The cult is in fear that you will spill the beans on the cult’s activities. Well like it or not Scientology, there has been an awful lot of bean spilling lately.

When an ex member “blows”, it means to just leave and not follow proper cult protocol. It’s not that members are actually able to just walk out Scientology’s door, it means that many had to actually ESCAPE in secrecy to leave.

If a member routes out, it is a VERY long process. It involves “sec checking“. Which are hours and hours of being auditing on Scientology’s e-meter, which is short for Electropsychometer. This same exact unit is used on the general public at their Stress Test Tables, which you may see at a fair, flea market or city sidewalk.

Scientology not only considers the e-meter a religious artifact, they claim that this unit can help find a member’s area of distress and it can help address it and also cure it, as well as other ailments. Even claims of curing homosexuality.

According to Scientology, e-meters are also used in finding member’s past lives during auditing. Many members have claimed that some of their past lives were that of very well known pillars in history, such as Julias Caesar, or Ben Franklin, and so on. 

One former member, Steven Fishman, was convinced by auditors that he was the biological father of Jesus Christ and  to quote: “it was his responsibility to de-Christianize the planet by exposing the lie and the myth of the immaculate conception, and thereafter bring all of Christianity into Scientology as the largest FSM (Field Staff member) or conversion movement of planet earth.” 

His story is a must read if you haven’t read it. He sued the cult back in 1993. There also is a series of interview videos of Fishman, which I have watched more than once. I was in total amazement as to how far this cult can really brainwash someone. Most people think he is a total “moonbat”, but when I watched these videos, all I felt was sincere pity for the man. Thankfully Steven is deprogrammed (which was not an easy task) and out of Scientology for good.

So back to the e-meter….
In actuality, the e-meter is nothing more than a simple lie detector. The same unit which reveals that you were Elvis in a previous life, can also be used to tell if Scientology members have any “overts” or “withholds”, which in Scientology lingo is basically sins or crimes, and bad thoughts that a member has not told anyone. Which of course proves further that it is merely a lie detector. FYI…  it was also rated one of the top “most stupid inventions” by Life magazine.

Scientology lingo can be very confusing, and in the latest article of the SP Times (nicknamed by Scientology itself, as the SP stands for Suppressive Person), they included a small glossary of Scientology acronyms and lingo. Scientology lingo is not only VAST, but it is also plays a huge part in the cult’s secrecy. If someone was to read an entire paragraph of scieno speak, it would leave them scratching their head.

So back to routing out. It can be a very horrific experience for ex members, and some of these members were interviewed by the SP Times. They were asked to sign affidavits before leaving Scientology, and were subjected to horrendous treatment, and it took years for them to finally leave for good.

Here is a short summary on Part One from the SP Times:

But wait, there’s more…

Every once in a while you read something that just makes you cringe and say, Oh come on!
This is one of those stories.

Apparently, Simon Cowell has written a letter, excuse me… a VERY LONNNNNNG letter to his younger self and it was published in the Daily Mail. I didn’t read all of it, because #1…. I have a life, and #2… it was just making me cringe so much I was getting a crick in my neck. And also one of my pet peeves is someone talking in the third person.

First off, who does this? 
Or if you are so silly to do so, do you have it published so everyone can say EWWWWW and think you are a total douche? Really, can Simon be any more full of himself?

Simon must have started at a very early age. The picture below is probably how Simon started out.

Simon Give Us Kiss Now.. You Handsome Dog!

He wrote this letter to himself because his 50th birthday is right around the corner on Oct 7th. I was speechless as I skimmed over the letter and just couldn’t believe what I was reading. We couldn’t post the whole letter here because it was beyond HUGE.

It’s best to read the entire letter yourself on the Daily Mail website.
The letter was entitled, “SIMON COWELL: A letter to my shallow, reckless, cocky younger self“.
I kid you not. Oh! Be sure to have a bucket handy. Click here and gag.

Eonline reported:

Simon Cowell’s Gone Soft (and Long-Winded) in His Old Age

Someone needs to pull the pen from Simon Cowell’s fingers.
While we love it when the crotchety American Idol judge decides to air his dirty laundry in public (that Susan Boyle botch list was a classic), is an absurdly lengthy diatribe really necessary?

On the cusp of his 50th birthday next week, Cowell wrote a letter to himself published in yesterday’s Daily Mail in the U.K. In it, he looks back on the past few decades, scolding himself for poor decisions he made in the ’80s and ’90s and patting himself on the back for the good ones.

It would be a good, self-deprecating, third-person about-face, but regardless of what he says, nearly 3,500 words makes for nothing but a puff (as in puff, the magic ego) piece.

“You are on a roll and you think the good times will last forever but, oh dear, Simon. You are so, so wrong,” he writes to the 1980s version of himself. “You look like a complete idiot…you are overconfident, far too cocky and dressed from head to toe in expensive designer gear…It hasn’t dawned on you yet, you idiot, that you can’t afford any of this stuff.”

Of course, Mr. Tight T-shirts takes it easy on himself for the final 1,000 words or so.

“I must say, despite everything, I’m quite proud of you, Simon,” he says. “You’re happy, you’re content and just incredibly grateful for where you are.”

Then he goes on to list what’s changed for him over the years—really important things like what he drinks and snacks on and how he doesn’t like to bum $5 from anyone. He pats himself on the back for never marrying because he’s such a workaholic, and for staying friends with his exes.

“Your job, Simon, was to make celebrities, not to become one yourself, dear boy,” he says. “Underneath it all, Simon, you are a realist. You don’t believe the hype about yourself. You can see what you do well and what you do badly. People think you are this Machiavellian character, forever plotting and scheming.”

He ends his diatribe as Hallmark would have intended—”So happy birthday! Love Simon”—although we’d hate to see the card size needed to print this self-loving loathing opus.

“Happy Birthday LOVE Simon“? I think I just threw up a little.

The definition for narcissism is as follows:

1. Excessive love or admiration of oneself.
2. Psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem.
3. Erotic pleasure derived from contemplation or admiration of one’s own body or self, especially as a fixation on or a regression to an infantile stage of development.
4. The attribute of the human psyche characterized by admiration of oneself but within normal limits

Well I am not sure if #3 applies to Simon, but it would not surprise me one iota!

His letter did remind me of a little poem from my grammar school days when people used to sign your autograph book when you graduated. The all so familiar ”roses are red” rhymes and those little clever ditties like “2 great, 2B, 4 gotten”.

No it wasn’t the “roses are red, violets are black, go sit on a tack“ rhyme that came to mind. (although it certainly would apply)

It was the following little poem, which I would like to dedicate to Simon on his upcoming 50th birthday….

You love yourself you think your grand..
You go to the movies and hold your hand.
You slip your arm around your waist…
And when you get fresh.. you slap your face!

With new reports of Cowell doing American Idol for another two years and also producing “The X Factor” in the US, he will be making over 100 million by this time next year. *shakes head*

It is quite obvious that he can care less that this letter to himself makes him look like a total conceited, pompous ass. Or maybe that is exactly what he wanted. His popularity seems to stay afloat by people loving to hate him.

Oh crap, I think I just contributed to that!
Touche’ Cowell!

Will Ferrell, Thomas Lennon (Lt. Jim Dangle on Reno 911), and Don Faison (Kirk from Scrubs) and a host of other celebs got together to convey their message against the super rich health care executives by starring in this Public Service Announcement (spoof video) which was listed on Funny Or Die. 

It was sponsored by MoveOn.Org which started out in 1988 as an email group and blossomed, well, more like exploded. As of 2009, MoveOn has a membership of 5.2 million, with 20 full-time and 20 part-time staffers. Not too shabby!
Wikipedia says MoveOn.Org is:

An American non-profit progressive, liberal public policy advocacy group and political action committee which has raised millions of dollars for candidates of the Democratic Party in the United States. Formed in response to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton,it has been cited in some accounts as a factor which helped propel the Democratic Party to power in the 2006 midterm elections.

This video received two million views in two days! It’s funny stuff!

Examiner.com wrote:

Celebrity PSA video about Obama’s health insurance plan gets 2 million views in 2 days.
With celebrities like Will Ferrell, John Hamm and Donald Faison opening the video with a “Something terrible is happening” chant.

“Health insurance executives are getting a bad rap,” Will Ferrell explains, dead pan.

“We need to remember who the real victims are,” Donald Faison, best known for his role in Clueless, says.

John Hamm fades into the viral video in black and white and explains: “Health insurance executives.”

A variety of stars then go on to explain in fits of sarcasm that if their little boy falls off his bike, he should pay for it himself and stop whining.

The US is in a complete tug of war over the skyrocketing health care costs and Obama’s plans to fix it. This video is a refreshing and funny look at just how wrong it is to keep padding the pockets of these health insurance companies.

I wish there were more PSA announcements that would show just how ridiculous it is to not support a total change in the health care system. 

Obama may not have all the answers right now. Hell, he has been in office for less than a year, and I am not saying everything he does will go right, but people are expecting miracles right off the bat in a very short time. They seem to have a very short memory of the mess that was left behind. The US citizens’ impatience totally boggles my mind. 

My wish is for Democrats and Republicans to ban together and fix what has been so wrong for so long.
Oh to dream…

Seth Green, 35, has starred in many movies over the years, including heavy hitters like Austin Powers, Rat Race and the Italian Job. He has lent his voice to Chris and Dylan’s son on the Family Guy. He is also well known for palying Oz, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Seth also co-writes Robot Chicken, and Adult Swim where he performs anywhere from 35-60 voices a week and recently finished a movie called Old Dogs with Robin Williams and John Travolta. (no comment)

This is barely scraping the surface of what this young man has accomplished. He has worked non stop since about the age of seven. You can visit his website, and read his bio, it’s pretty darn amazing.
And Seth’s life just got a little sweeter. Literally.

It was just announced that Seth will be the new mouthpiece for Butterfinger TV ads and their new video contest, where Butterfinger wants to know, “How far would you go to protect your Butterfinger bar?”
(Hmmmm… Sounds very close to ”what would you do for a Klondike Bar” to me)

Contestants will send in their videos, and the winner with the highest number of votes will win $25,000! *sweet* And they may also have the chance to have their video aired in a 15 second spot on TV.
 
Looks like the voice of Bart Simpson which hasn’t been used for the past decade (done by Nancy Cartwright who gave the cult of Scientology 5 MILLION DOLLARS last year)  will not be used for this new ad campaign. Smart Move Butterfinger!
After all… we wouldn’t want to start seeing “Way To Happiness“ PR inside the candy wrappers! *snicker*

TRH.com writes:

Green is laying a finger on Bart Simpson’s Butterfinger. The writer, actor, director and producer can now add Butterfinger spokesperson to his resume. Green has been tapped as the official “Butterfinger mouthpiece” for a new national TV ad campaign and video contest.
 
The creator of the Cartoon Network’s Emmy award winning “Robot Chicken” will be the first celebrity to represent the Butterfinger brand since Bart Simpson’s memorable run ended nearly a decade ago. But while the spokesperson is new, the “Nobody’s gonna lay a finger on my Butterfinger” tagline will again be used in the company’s national TV spots, developed by ad agency Dailey & Associates.
 
To accompany the familiar tagline, the brand is also running a user-generated video contest in which entrants create one-minute videos answering the question of “How far would you go to protect your Butterfinger bar?” Contestants can visit ProtectYourButterfingerBar.com to enter their videos. Visitors will vote on them. The biggest vote getter wins $25,000 and may have their video aired as a national 15-second spot for the candy bar.
 
Butterfinger, which spent only $125,000 on adverting last year, has beefed up its ad spend considerably in 2009. It already investing $1.6 million in advertising for the first six months of this year, per the Nielsen Company.

The selection of Green, who also voices the character of Chris Griffith on Fox’s “Family Guy,” is an appropriate successor to the last cheeky spokescartoon, said Tricia Bowles of Nestle Confections & Snacks, in a statement. “[He] made perfect sense for a brand that honors humor and praises the punch line,. Butterfinger has been a fan and supporter of comedic talent, such as Seth Green for years–as evidenced by our promotions highlighting clever, irreverent humor.”
 
Green agreed. “I’ve been eating all kinds of Butterfinger candy all my life, so this union seems not only natural, but predestined.”

It looks like just about everything Seth touches turns to gold, and at the ripe old age of only 35, he has just begun. He has also managed to stay squeaky clean as far as his reputation goes, and has stayed out of the whole Hollywood party drug scene.

Added to the fact that this young  man must be worth a pretty big chunk of change by now and it will only continue to grow.

And although I was never partial to redheads, *snicker* I bet he is way up there on the desirable bachelor list due to his vast fortune. He has has many love interests over the years, but he’s not married yet!

And what does Seth have to say about this success?

Wallet Pop had some Seth quotes about his success:

Growing up as a child actor, Green’s parents taught him from an early age how to pay his bills and live within his means.

Green may not be Dr. Evil, but he’s coy on this one. “You do your best,” he says. “Everybody does.”

“I don’t spend a ton of money,” he says. “I work very very hard. I save very well. I have assets in specific things, in property, and I live a very simple life. I’m happy with that.”
Green’s advice for success is equally simple: “Work hard, acquire many skills, and don’t take anything personally.”

Nobody really gives you anything,” he says. “It’s really up to the individual to propel themselves forward with drive and commitment to a singular purpose.”

“Anytime you’re taking a risk for pleasing someone else, you’re doomed for failure,” he says. “The best risks I’ve taken were the ones I wholeheartedly believed in. I rather risk and fail than never jump.”

“Every company that has had dramatic success has stepped on someone to do it,” says Green. “The very fact that they have risen to a dominant position is that they are able to play harder than other people, breaking rules when it’s appropriate. Whatever philanthropic things they do is just to sleep better at night.” Does the same apply to business leaders? Or to himself?

Wise words from a wise young man.
I wish Seth continued success and happiness.

Rumors have been circulating lately about the gender or shall I say the genders of Lady GaGa. Many people thought that The Princess of Pop (yeessh) is a hermaphrodite. For those of you who do not know what a hermaphrodite is, it is a person born with both male and female genitalia.

The picture that had everyone a-buzz, is the one below. It clearly shows a “bulge” of some sort in the crotch region.

People were wondering, if this was carefully placed “package” for shock value for her career? Or a photo-shopped picture? Or is Lady (I use the term lightly) more than just a lady?

Well Lady finally came forward and put an end to the rumors and said that “she was not offended, but her beautiful vagina was very offended”.  Thank God that is cleared up, I will no longer have sleepless nights. *snicker*

Wait….what did she say? Her beautiful vagina? Who the hell talks publicly (or at all for that matter) about having a beautiful vagina? (with the exception of the Vagina Monologues)
Wow!  Talk about being totally full of themselves.

The Examiner.com reported:

Since the hermaphrodite rumors started circling around Lady Gaga back in August, the singer has kept quiet about whether or not she has both parts.

Lady Gaga reportedly told an Australian radio station, “My beautiful vagina is very offended. I’m not offended; my vagina is offended. I’m not embarrassed. I sold four million records in six months; I’m not embarrassed about anything. I think this is society’s reaction to a strong woman.”

“The idea that we equate strength with men and a penis is a symbol of male strength, you know, it is what it is. But like I said,” the dance-pop diva reiterated, “I am not offended at all, but my vagina might be a little bit upset,” she added.

The singer has been flaunting her naked body in various magazines since the rumors began, hoping to disprove that she may have both man and lady parts, but we all know what a little Photoshop can do.

What do you think? Is Lady Gaga telling the truth or just deny, deny, denying?

My reply? Who gives a damn? Sorry, I could care less what she’s packing, and besides, what’s the difference? Are people saying if GaGa was a hermaphrodite that they wouldn’t be fans any more? Why, can’t a hermaphrodite be a diva too?

This story oddly peaked my interest and I decided to look more into GaGa’s music, since I wasn’t too familiar with it, and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. What I discovered wasn’t much. I found an ok looking gal who loves to dress in kooky outfits and writes some really lousy songs.

GaGa is going the ol’ shock diva route because she basically needs those costumes and stage performances to hide her lack of talent. Her audience needs a lot of distractions. And now that she has a following, he crappy songs wont’ matter as much.
 
Her voice and song style comes pretty close to Madonnas, although Madonna’s songs were better written. Now I am not a fan of Madonna’s either, but nobody can deny that when Madonna blew up big in the 80’s that she was at least original and her songs were much better than GaGa’s. 

I have to say, that some of GaGa’s outfits are very cool, I will at least give her that. I love the way she sometimes meshes a vintage look with wackiness and forms some pretty outrageous get-ups. BUT…is that it? Yes, that’s it.

Let’s not forget this has been done a hundred times over in the music biz, and way before she strapped on that bubble suit for the cover of Rolling Stone.

Performers have been making names for themselves via shock for years. Way back when, Liberace was one of the first shockers and was the king of outlandish outfits. He was one of the first pioneers of  “putting on the dog“.

Although Liberace’s voice was far from good, he did play a mean piano. And look at Elton John, who started out as sort of a meek country bumpkin and ended up going all Liberace on everyone, once fame came knocking on his door.

Elton was not only an elaborate dresser, but he had quite the collection of outrageous glasses, which became a signature for him. So was Elton copying Liberace? It really didn’t matter, because he can sing and play piano to boot.

There was David Bowie who dressed up as Zigggy Stardust, and Cyndi Lauper who started an entire fashion craze with her gobs of costume jewelry, and her poofy crinoline slips.

But again like Elton, this girl can sing.

Take the band Kiss for instance, who was popular in the 1970’s. They rose up in the ranks due to their alter ego wild costumes, pyrotechnics on stage and Gene Simmons spewing blood and wiggling that long snake of a tongue. It was freaky to see a band dressed like that with full face paint back  in the 1970’s, and it was very innovative. (I was never a Kiss fan though, I think their movie ruined it for me *snicker*) But they did have some talent to back up their look.

Alice Copper, another unusual performer, used to hang himself on stage complete with an entire gallows set up on stage. He also would whip bloody plastic baby dolls on stage during his Dead Babies song… but again…Cooper had the talent to rock the house.

Let’s not forget Dee Snyder in Twisted Sister, ok… never mind, we can forget that one.

(Just have to mention, and way off topic, but I think Christina Aguilera definitely stole Dee’s look when she did the video for Moulin Rouge).

And what about Boy George? He started out rather tame with Culture Club (well sort of) and then showed up in an airport one day dressed like a Geisha girl, and got more outrageous from there. But nobody can deny that the man possessed decent set of pipes on him. We won’t get into where he is today.

Back to Madonna…
But wait, there’s more…

Trivia Question:
Which president was responsible for making Labor Day a holiday and why?
A little history snippet on Labor Day from Wiki …

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.  All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

 

So while you’re firing up the grill or heading off to the stores for that half off sale…. pause and think of the people who perished during the Pullman Strike and raise a toast or a hot dog  to Grover Cleveland.

So for everyone who is fortunate to have the day off today… relax and enjoy!

Yes the news is out. Dawn turns the big 4-0 tomorrow. Many great things have happened on August 15th. It was the first day of Woodstock, and back in the 60’s the Beatles played Shea Stadium, just to name a few.

Many talented people were born on the 15th, including Julia Child, jazz great, Oscar Peterson, Sir Walter Scott, and oh yeah…. Dawn of Glosslip.

Dawn’s Birthday also happens to fall on the same day as Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. I know how tickled she  is about that. *snicker* 
I would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to a very special lady.
Queen also wishes Dawn good health, wealth and romance. That should about cover it.

Happy Birthday Dawn!

Early Photo OF Les Paul Back In The Day

The legendary Les Paul has died at age 94. A truly great man whose expertise and talent will live on in the hearts and minds of many. His legacy will continue to inspire musicians for all eternity.

Rolling Stone wrote:

Les Paul, one of the most revered guitarists in history and the father of the electric guitar, passed away last night, August 12th at the age of 94. Paul’s manager confirmed to Rolling Stone that cause of death was respiratory failure, and a statement from Gibson indicates Paul was suffering from severe pneumonia and died at a hospital in White Plains, New York.

Look back at Paul’s life in photos: Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen and more stars with the father of the electric guitar.

An inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Hall of Fame, Paul is credited as the inventor of the electric body guitar and the pioneer of recording techniques like electronic echo and multi-tracking. Paul also had a celebrated career as both a solo artist and with singer Mary Ford, his wife until 1964. In 2003, Rolling Stone named Les Paul to our list of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time, and his influence on guitar greats who followed him is undeniable. “He was one of the most stellar human beings I’ve ever known,” Slash posted on his Twitter today, referring to Paul as his “friend and mentor.” Chickenfoot guitarist Joe Satriani released a statement that reads, “Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar hero, and the kindest of souls.”

Slash, Tom Morello and more guitarists remember Les Paul.

In the early ’50s, Paul and Ford had a string of hits including Mockin’ Bird Hill,” “How High the Moon,” “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise” and “Vaya Con Dios.” Paul also began experimenting with the electric guitar, building the Les Paul Recording Guitar, an instrument that allowed for “hot” pickups and “fatter” tone than the Fender on the market. Paul linked up with Gibson Guitars and his six-string became one of the guitar maker’s signatures.

Around this time, Paul also made the first-ever eight-track recording, as well as the dual-pickup guitar, the 14-fret guitar, and various types of electronic transducers used both in guitars and recording studios. For his achievements as a technician, Paul was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005, joining Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.

Read Gibson’s CEO’s memories of Paul’s impact here.

Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1915, a fact noted in the name of the 1980 Les Paul documentary The Wizard of Waukesha. Last November, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honored Paul with its annual American Music Masters Concert, where Slash, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Richie Sambora and the Patti Smith Group’s Lenny Kaye paid tribute to Paul (watch footage from the event, below). Kaye told the audience, “Before Les, guitars were only amplified. Les made them truly electric.” During his acceptance speech, Paul joked, “Everybody thought I was a guitar until I played here tonight.” One thing is for certain: Les Paul is responsible for changing the way rock & roll sounds and he will be greatly missed.

Our many thanks and gratitude to a great man who blessed us with his ingenuity, his talent, his music and of course his guitars.
Sincere condolences to family and friends.

I have a serious case of the sads (hattip MK at Dlisted) today upon learning the man who defined my youth on film has gone to the great big movie screen in the sky.

John Hughes, responsible for some of the greatest movies ever made in the 80’s, died of a heart attack yesterday at the age of 59. Oddly, we’ve recently embarked on a journey of his films, including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Weird Science, Breakfast Club, National Lampoon’s Vacation (the whole series), and Home Alone (1 and 2). This list is merely touching the surface of the films Hughes was responsible for either writing, directing or producing.

John Hughes single-handedly made Molly Ringwald a household name, and quite honestly, no other filmmaker has come close to capturing the teen-angst of Generation X better than he did.

John began his career writing for the parody magazine National Lampoon (responsible for the great Animal House — another one of my favorite movies – though Hughes was not involved in that film.) Specifically, I am most fond of Pretty In Pink, which pretty much summed up my one and only major heartbreak in high school (except mine didn’t end happily ever after) and for that, I will forever be in debt to Mr. Hughes.

Here’s more on the legend from the LATimes:

Filmmaker John Hughes burned brightest in the ’80s, when he defined teen angst in terms of the caste system of the suburban high school experience, a thread that others would pick up again and again.

His films were talky, in a good way. Like the kids whose stories he was telling, he let them ramble. Teen self-absorption was treated with reverence, not ridicule. The world might make fun of them, their classmates, their brothers and sisters too, but never John Hughes.

And a generation of kids and future filmmakers like Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow embraced it.

Hughes, who died Thursday at age 59, was fascinated with the human as outsider. Outsiders like “Pretty in Pink’s” Molly Ringwald who just wanted to fit in. And outsiders who couldn’t care less: Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller on his legendary day off, Judd Nelson’s not quite broken Bender in “The Breakfast Club,” Anthony Michael Hall’s martini-mixing geek in “Sixteen Candles,” all members of the players club before they were 17.

But Hughes’ outsiders lived in a different part of town than, say, Francis Ford Coppola’s gritty, wrong side of the tracks “The Outsiders.” Hughes outsiders were white, comfortably middle-class and probably from one of Chicago’s affluent suburbs, where he grew up and returned in the ’90s when he’d had his fill of Hollywood. Things were only slightly sad or bad in his films, there were no serious train wrecks — only feelings got hurt, and the endings were usually happy ones.

He reflected a very specific slice of Americana that like many, I understood. A pop culture filmmaker adored in the heartland, he knew how to hit all the light notes – an easy sentimentality, a measured angst, an outrageous sense of fun. His was a spoon-full-of-sugar kind of filmmaking that was often exactly what I wanted, if not what I needed.

The slights that life hands us was one of his favorite playgrounds. Forgotten birthdays, forgotten kids, forgotten families — “Sixteen Candles,” “Home Alone,” “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” — someone was forever being overlooked.

When you’re Ringwald, and a soft, pouty, still awkward 16, it hurts; when you’re an 8-year-old screaming terror embodied by Macaulay Culkin, it’s the best Christmas gift ever; and when you’re John Candy’s middle-aged lonely traveling salesman in a life where nothing, including the suit, fits, it’s tragic.

For a period of time, Hughes was so dominant — certainly in the U.S. where he always played best — that it’s hard to believe that he only directed eight films. He wrote 30 others — the “Home Alones,” most notably — that were produced, 16 of them in the ’80s, 13 in the ’90s, and contributed characters or ideas to a handful of others.

Of all of his films, there are two that will forever be quintessentially Hughes for me: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” absolutely swimming in attitude, which captured brilliantly and irritatingly the kind of cockiness that you envy as a teen, hate as an adult, recognize no matter what age you are, and “The Breakfast Club,” life deconstructed in high school detention, the archetypes and the anxiety playing out in real time.

By “Curly Sue” in 1991, Hughes had apparently tired of fighting battles with studio executives who second-guessed him.

He left Hollywood behind and headed back to the Chicago area, where he would still dabble in the business from a distance.

But really, Hughes was a creature of the ’80s, and if he hadn’t left Hollywood, it was on its way to leaving him.

Comedy took on more of an edge, went raunchier, darker, meaner than Hughes ever could.

In the end, like so many of the characters he created, Hughes had become a cinematic memory stream of another time when things didn’t seem so bad.

I will light 16 candles and remember.

As will I. Honestly, I don’t think any person before or after, captured a cultural phenomenon like that of the 80’s as well as Hughes did, therein lies his genius. And quite frankly, the movie industry has yet to replace Hughes’ unique insight into the teen psyche, and for that, we are a little less rich as a society.

R.I.P John Hughes, thanks for smoothing the edges of my teen years and making them seem almost normal.