John Belushi – Why he died

John Belushi – Why he died

John Belushi - Why he died

Who is right about John Belushi?

Bob Woodward has written a book named Wired that portrays Belushi as a man out of control, whose life came to be ruled by cocaine and other drugs.

Judy Belushi, his widow, has attacked Woodward’s book for a number of reasons, of which the most heartfelt is: That’s not John in the book. Woodward’s portrait doesn’t show the life, the humor, the courage, the energy. He wasn’t just a junkie.

Yet the cops who removed his body from a bungalow at the Chateau Marmont on March 5, 1982, were brutally frank. He looked, to them, like just another dead junkie.

Judy Belushi remembers the good times. She argues that “drugs can be fun,” and that she and John had a lot of ups along with the downs. The difference was that John never knew when to stop. Woodward portrays a man who, at the time of his death, was throwing away a career and alienating key people in the movie industry by a pattern of uncontrolled drug abuse. Judy Belushi speaks of the pressures of show business, of John’s need to find energy and inspiration in drugs so that he could deliver what was expected of him.

In all the important ways, Woodward’s book is apparently reliable. Judy Belushi quarrels with some dates and interpretations, but basically the facts are there, and documented. Their real difference is over the interpretation of the facts. Beginning with the same man and the same life, Judy Belushi sees a lifestyle, and Bob Woodward sees the progression of a disease.

Was John Belushi an addict? Friends shy away from the word, and yet on the evidence in Woodward’s book he was a classic addict, a textbook case of drug and alcohol abuse. You don’t get much worse and live, as indeed he proved.

The protests over Woodward’s unflinching portrait of Belushi’s last days reminds me (not with a smile) of an old Irish joke. The mourners are gathered around the dead man’s coffin.

“What did he die of?” one asks the widow.

“He died of the drink,” she says.

“Did he go to AA?”

“He wasn’t that bad.”

John Belushi did try to stop, many times. It is just that he never tried to stop in a way that would have worked. He tried resolutions and willpower. Every addict knows that willpower hardly ever works in the long run, since when the will turns, the game is over. He tried changing his environment, with retreats to Martha’s Vineyard. Recovering addicts talk cynically of “geographical cures,” as if a habit you carry within yourself can be left behind. He tried placing himself under the discipline of others, and even submitted to “trainers” who were to guard him twenty-four hours a day. That made his drugs their problem, not his. He tried switching from one drug to another, or to “only beer” or “only pot.” All mood-altering substances are interchangeable to the abuser, and the drug of substitute leads inevitably back to the drug of choice. He tried health kicks, with Judy mixing her husband “health shakes” in the mornings, all filled with yogurt and bananas and wheat germ. An abusers body is incapable of efficiently absorbing nutrition. He talked to doctors who issued their dire warnings while writing him prescriptions for tranquilizers. He talked to psychiatrists who wanted to get to the root of his problem, as if today’s drug abuse can be treated by understanding the traumas of childhood.

All of these attempts were valiant. When Judy Belushi speaks of them, she speaks from the bottom of her heart. But they were all doomed. All but the very luckiest of drug abusers and alcoholics have tried and failed at most of those strategies. Those who have been successful at stopping are almost unanimous in describing what finally worked:

1. Complete abstinence from all mood-altering substances.

2. Admission of defeat, and willingness to accept help.

3. Use of a support group, such as AA.

The odds against successfully stopping by going cold turkey and using willpower are so high, according to the Harvard Medical School study “The Natural History of Alcoholism,” that it’s hardly worth trying — except as a prelude to an admission of defeat.

From the evidence in Wired, John Belushi was rarely away from one drug or another for more than a few days. Using Valium or Quaaludes as a “substitute” was just his way of putting his drug of choice on hold. When he did occasionally get clean, it was almost always in response to a specific challenge (doing a movie, meeting a deadline), and it often involved some kind of external control, like a bodyguard who would act as a substitute for Belushi’s own will. When he went back to drug use, it was also often in response to a challenge like a movie or a deadline; whether he was using or abstaining, he connected drugs with his ability to work.

I remember a day here at the Sun-Times building when Belushi was shooting scenes for Continental Divide. I had known him for years on a casual basis; our paths crossed occasionally, from early days of Old Town bars and Second City parties to later interviews and show-biz occasions. I had rarely seen him looking better than he looked that day. He told me he was in great shape. He was off the booze and the drugs. He was exercising.

A man was standing next to him, and he introduced him as “my trainer.” Well, what was he going to call him? “My drug guard?” Alcoholism and drug abuse are characterized by denial and an addict will substitute almost any conceivable illness or weakness for the one he must deny; John seemed to place the entire situation in the category of “losing weight” and “getting in shape.” An alcoholic who has temporarily stopped drinking but does not yet admit his problem will frequently do what John did, which is to describe abstinence as a training program or a diet.

His career was coming apart. Continental Divide did not do well at the box office. There were arguments and major problems during the shooting of Neighbors. Work was at a standstill on the screenplay for Belushi’s next project, titled “Noble Rot.” All the career setbacks are described by Woodward. They were accompanied by episodes of drug and alcohol abuse that grew increasingly alarming to his friends and family.

Judy Belushi, in describing those episodes, often links them with their “causes.” For example, she differs with Woodward on his interpretation of Belushi’s drug use during the filming of “Goin’ South,” one of his early films, which starred Jack Nicholson. In the Woodward version, Belushi’s drug use created problems with the shooting schedule. In Judy Belushi’s version, John had flown to New York for a heavy “Saturday Night Live” taping schedule, had exhausted himself, was diagnosed as having “walking pneumonia,” should have been hospitalized, was nevertheless advised by his lawyer to fly back to the movie location in Mexico — and only then, after being kept on hold for several days in Mexico, began to use drugs. Well, she seems to be asking, can you blame him?

The disagreement over the facts of this episode are unimportant, now that Belushi is in his grave. Judy’s interpretation is revealing. Her rationale, if I follow it, is that John used drugs in response to an intolerable situation, and that drugs were his means of coping with it. He was not just irresponsibly going on a blast.

That is true, but it is half of the truth.

It is true, that for someone with a dependency on drugs or alcohol, there will be situations that literally cannot be gotten through without drugs or alcohol. But the other half of the truth is: The situations that cannot be gotten through without drugs or alcohol are invariably situations caused by drugs or alcohol. Booze fixes a hangover. Then booze causes a hangover. If a non-drinker woke up with a normal hangover, he would go to an emergency room. A surprising number of drug and alcohol abusers walk around every day for years with symptoms that a healthy person would equate with “walking pneumonia,” or worse.

Some reviews of Wired say it describes John as a tragic figure. But disease is not tragic, it is just very sad. And what is sad in John’s case is that he was not lucky enough to find, or be able to accept, help. In the book, Dan Aykroyd cries out that John must be hospitalized, that he needs professional help. John Landis says, “We’ve got to get him formally committed if necessary.” Judy was in agreement, but wondered how they’d ever get John to go along with it. They were right. At the time of John’s death, his friends were apparently mobilizing to “enforce” such help — to intervene.

They were on the right track, but too late. John Belushi himself, on some pages of this book, pounds his fists, cries out against his demons and vows to straighten himself out forever. If he had gone the route of detox, drug counseling, therapy and AA, there is a possibility that he could have stayed drug-free long enough to come down to normal speed, to look soberly at his life, and to accept help. But in the years covered by this book, Belushi was never clean long enough to see very clearly.

To me, the tragic figure in the book is Judy Belushi. Tragedy is when you know not only what was, but what could have been. No matter what she thinks of the Woodward book, for me she comes across in it as a courageous, loving, generous and incredibly patient woman who stood by John as well as she could, who put up with a lot of hell, who did what seemed to be right, and who is not content to have his epitaph read “junkie.”

Yet her behavior toward her husband, as described here, is often an example of “enabling.” Almost all active alcoholics and addicts have “enablers” in their lives — people who make excuses, hold things together, assume the roles of bodyguard, parent, nurse, accountant and alibier. Enabling is obviously done out of love — usually out of a deep and stubborn love that refuses to admit defeat. But groups such as Al-Anon, the organization for friends and associates of alcoholics, argue that the best thing an enabler can do is stop enabling.

Judy tried that on occasion, threatening John with divorce as a last resort. Unfortunately, her battle was not only against her own enabling, but also against the army of enablers that flocked around Belushi in the years of his fame. This was possibly the most enabled man of his generation. The angriest pages in Woodward’s generally dispassionate book are devoted to the friends, fans, agents, producers, employers, groupies and general scum who competed with each other to supply Belushi with drugs.

I remember John from the early 1970s, in Old Town, where, to put it cruelly, you’d put drinks into him like quarters into a jukebox, and he’d entertain everyone in the room. He was eventually “eighty-sixed” (barred) from most of those bars, though, and at the end was frequenting his own private saloons in New York and Chicago.

In Chicago during those early days, we were buying him drinks, In Los Angeles and New York in the later days, Woodward reports, money for cocaine was built into some of his business deals, and his associates were giving him hundreds of dollars in cash, on demand, day or night, to buy drugs. For that matter, what difference would it have made if they hadn’t? Friends and sycophants were sneaking him drugs because it boosted their own images: There are long, painful passages in the book in which Judy is asking people not to give John drugs “because I know you don’t want to hurt him.” The same people are hiding drugs for him in stovepipes, toilet bowls and his pockets.

John Belushi was an actor and a comedian, but the book could have been written about a pilot, a plumber, a taxi driver or a journalist — if their diseases commanded $600,000 advances from Simon and Schuster. Judy Belushi is wrong, I believe, in confusing the progression of John’s disease with the “demands” and “pressures” of show business.

Life involves a lot of pressure. It is easier to handle without the incalculable pressure of drug abuse. The comedian who cannot be funny, the pilot who cannot fly, the journalist who cannot meet a deadline, the mother who cannot be patient with her child, feels demands and pressures that are exactly the equal of Belushi’s — since there is no measuring the intensity of the intolerable. Wired is essentially not a show-business biography, but just the sad natural history of a disease.

Story and picture source…..rogerebert.com

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Cooking For Enjoyment Form Of Expression And Stress Release

Cooking For Enjoyment Form Of Expression And Stress Release

Leeks are mainly used in soups and broths, but, can also be used in various other meals recipes. cooking leeks in soup enhances the taste of the soup. You can steam, boil, stir fry, bake or roast leeks, as for each need. Young leek leaves can be chopped into extremely small slices and can be utilized in salads. In contrast to green onions, leeks have to be cooked carefully, to steer clear of below cooking, which makes it inedible, overcooking, which tends to make it slimy and mushy and browning, which makes the vegetable tough. As leeks are much more strong and crunchy, when compared to green onions, cooking is carried out to make it softer and milder (in flavor).

It is not safe to can mashed pumpkin as the center of the pumpkin in the jar is as well dense to allow proper heating to stop bacterial development. Depart the mashing to when you open up the can to use it. It will be gentle and simple to mash. Also include spices just before utilizing the pumpkin for very best taste.

There are (omit) numerous ways to cook dinner meat. Pork ought to not be overcooked. Your Metabolic Cooking review method decides how lengthy the pork should be cooked. Broiling pork ribs in the broiler requires about 35 minutes for them to get done. Turn ribs frequently while broiling. Boneless middle cut pork chops should be broiled for 5 or 6 minutes on every aspect. Thin cuts only require to be broiled for 2 minutes on every aspect. Pork chops can also be pan broiled over medium to high heat. Brush the bottom of the pan with some olive oil before broiling boneless center cuts for three minutes on each aspect. Middle reduce chops with the bone will need a slightly longer cooking time.

As I’ve talked about, at an equal excess weight, the body fat-free excess weight will determine metabolic rate. Exercise is one of the few issues that we can actually do to turn the equation in our personal benefit. Any type of physical exercise will assist. Cardio workouts will not develop muscle tissues to the extent that excess weight training will, but even that will over time improve muscle mass. Don’t blindly focus on the calories burned throughout exercise; the real benefit arrives from the energy that are burned the relaxation of the working day. Cardio exercise is not a bad place to start. It will burn up much more calories than weight coaching and will direct to much more muscle mass.

Location the grill and little pen broiler inside prior to metabolic cooking placing the turkey in it. Lifting fifteen pounds turkey is not simple when it is believed. Try to pick it up when it’s hot and you have fifteen hungry individuals looking at you.

Please keep in mind that grownup meals can damage the child’s well being. Making meals for children is very easy job if you adhere to the right path. Its all depends on our available recipe checklist. If you know the great kids recipes then you are totally free from tension otherwise no require to be be concerned. Just verify out some child’s unique recipes web sites and print one the simplest recipe. One you would have the recipe then wholesome food is not very much.

The peanut paste scare drove house what a great deal of us have known for a lengthy time, you can’t control what goes into everything your family members eats, particularly if you are serving shop cooking-bought foods. Choose up a few specialty appliances to make homemade meals that your family members loves, some choices are a peanut butter maker, a yogurt maker or a food dehydration to make your personal fruit leather, yogurt and peanut butter.

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Rudimental – Waiting All Night ft Ella Eyre

Rudimental – Waiting All Night ft Ella Eyre

Rudimental - Waiting All Night feat. Ella Eyre

For some it was a fat mayor on a zipwire or that triple-golden Saturday night in the Olympic stadium. But for others, East London’s incredible summer of 2012 began one month earlier when Hackney Weekend was struck by a storm whipped up onstage by four local boys and their band of friends.

Rudimental’s ‘Feel The Love’, had just topped the singles chart, arms were raised, bodies bounced, neck hairs sprang to attention and throats went a little lumpy as thousands of voices sang along on a grey London day on the Marshes.

Not only was this the undisputed feel-good hit of the summer, it was stamped Made In Hackney, home to three-quarters ofRudimental and still their number-one hangout and recording base. The fourth and final part, Amir Amor, came from nearby Somers Town.

Piers learnt about music playing piano in his dad’s blues and ‘60s covers band, and also as “a white kid called Darker making grime,” he laughs. Amir was making garage beats in a Camden community studio and collaborating with Plan B (as Analog Kid), but also playing bass in “post-hardcore” rock bands as a side line. Kesi got the bug after picking up guitar aged six and was making hip hop beats in his teens, while Leon was spending his pocket money on grime 12-inches, dj’ing with Piers on pirate stations and scratching up his mum’s Anita Baker albums.

He, Kesi and Piers have been together as Rudimental since late 2007, making music reflective of London’s eye-wateringly diverse street scene. But it was 2011’s low-slung, ‘Deep In The Valley’, that was, in Piers’ words, “the first time Rudimental started to sound like Rudimental”. With the arrival of Amir, everything suddenly gelled.

“When we first came together it was like it was meant to be,” he says. “It was like he’d been there all our lives,” concurs Piers.

Rudimental’s work is all hand-crafted, singer and producers in the studio together working on the song, whether it’s emerging talents, such as MNEK, who appears on the incredible ‘Spoons’, or 2012’s superstar Emeli Sandé, co-writer and singer on ‘Yeah’ and ‘Free’.

“Emeli lives in Hackney and she came to our gig when we supported Maverick Sabre. She came down to the studio a few days later and we had a lovely idea on Free. When she came in and worked on it we were so excited,” says Piers. “It was such a simple kick drum and guitar and me going ‘oh oh oh’,” adds Amir. “She heard it and started making up words, singing, putting it together.”

“The beauty of it is that we’re still in the same studio using the same crappy equipment,” says Amir. “The process hasn’t really changed. All the artists on this record are people we’ve worked with before in some capacity. We met John Newman in a pub and ‘Feel The Love’ just fit nicely with his voice so we put him on there.”

Like Soul II Soul, Massive Attack or Basement Jaxx before them, Rudimental are a front person less dance act with a strong supporting nucleus. “Not to say we have a circle we’ve created and no one can access it,” says Leon. “What we’re creating on this album is a family vibe. People like Mark Crown, who follows us everywhere, Sinead, Syron [who also sings on Spoons and the beautiful title track], MNEK are all family we can just call on.”

Family, community and indeed home are themes that are stamped on Rudimental as surely as rollicking rave tunes and a sense of adventure. They’ve all benefited from community music studios, learning their trade on cheap equipment and picking up pro tips, while Leon and Kesi have both had mentoring roles in schools. And this sense of music as a healthy distraction from the inner city’s less productive pastimes informs everything they do. Think of the award-winning ‘Feel The Love’ video, which is shot in Philadelphia’s Fletcher Street project that gives disadvantaged kids the opportunity to ride and take care of horses against the bleak backdrop of North Philadelphia. Or for ‘Not Giving In’, which uses the tale of a Filipino break dancer to illustrate art’s power to transform lives.

Amir says, “The sad thing is the focus is always on the negative side of youth. In our videos we show the positive side.” Leon adds, “Where we came from there was negative things all the time – drugs, violence. Music was a means of escape. Fortunately I had a parent who funded and supported that. A lot of the people didn’t have that. We consider ourselves real people, we’ve been around real things.”

And it was music (alongside football – Leon played semi-pro until Rudimental took off) and the wider sense of musicality that proved their outlet. “There was definitely a moment when I was all about riding Dizzee Rascal for about two years,” says Piers. “But at the same time I’d go and do a pirate set with loads of really aggressive MCs, get really into it, testosterone all over the place, then I’d go home and sit down with my dad and play blues. At school I used to hide my iPod ‘cos it was full of blues and jazz.”

“We’ve all gone through so many phases,” adds Kesi. “The unifying thing is raving and soul music. Blues and jazz and guitar music and house and hip hop all come together. We really love soulful vocals and sing-a-long parties.”

That sense of playfulness, of variety, of ‘what are they gonna do next?’ is what makes Home such a stunningly rich, constantly surprising album. It’s something reflected in their live shows, where they play as a 12-piece band (Piers admits he’d like to go even bigger), including Piers on organ and synths, Amir on bass, keys and guitar, Kesi on keys and percussion and Leon on “MPCs, shouting and getting my top off”.

‘Feel The Love’, of course, wasn’t just a one-week wonder in Hackney. After hitting the top spot, it spent months in the UK top 10, then toured the charts of Europe and went triple platinum in Australia. It also took four mid-20s lads from Hackney and Camden and gave them a new lease of life. Says Leon, “We always go on about Hackney Weekender, but it’s given us the licence to show we’re not just a drum ‘n’ bass track, we can do a soul tune or an Angel Haze track at 119 bpm.”

Dropping ahead of the album, the new Ella Eyre vocalled single ‘Waiting All Night’ went straight in at no.1 in the UK singles chart, selling more in its first week than any other track this year so far.

The summer was packed full of festival appearances including Glastonbury, T In The Park, Global Gathering, Bestival and more. The band have also just completed their sold-out autumn headline tour, and will return for another tour in Feb /Mar 2014, including 3 sold-out dates at London’s Brixton Academy.

As you’ll discover on their debut album – HOME, there’s not much they can’t do.

Bio source…..www.black-butter.co.uk

Picture source…..lovethatmag.com

The Kurt Yaeger Story

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You sexy thing – Hot Chocolate

You sexy thing – Hot Chocolate

You sexy thing - Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate formed in Brixton, London, England in 1968. Members of the group included Errol Brown, Tony Connor, Larry Ferguson, Harvey Hinsley, Patrick Olive and Tony Wilson.
In 1969 the band started working on a reggae version of the John Lennon song “Give Peace A Chance”. Errol Brown had changed the lyrics for their version but was informed that he could not do this without John Lennon’s permission, so a copy of the demo was sent to the Beatles Apple record label to see what they thought of it. Fortunately, John loved the version and it was released on the Apple label.
The group was given the named ‘The Hot Chocolate Band’ by a secretary at the company, Mavis Smith, the band later changed it to just ‘Hot Chocolate’.
Towards the end of 1969 Mickie Most signed Errol and the cofounder of the group Tony Wilson as writers and recorded their songs with Mary Hopkins, Julie Felix and Herman’s Hermits before encouraging them to come up with a song for themselves. In 1970 Hot Chocolate, with Errol Brown as lead singer, released their first record entitled “Love Is Life” which reached number 6 in the charts. This was the start of a fifteen year career for the group who amassed a total of over 30 hits and also became the only group in the UK to have a hit for fifteen consecutive years.
In 1981 Hot Chocolate had the honour of being invited by Prince Charles and Lady Diana at their pre-wedding reception at Buckingham Palace which was attended by heads of Government and many members of European Royalty.
In 1986 Errol left the band and took time out to spend more time with his wife and then young children. The rest of the members of Hot Chocolate also took some time off to consider their future and in 1992 Patrick Olive, Harvey Hinsley and Tony Connor joined up with agent Richard Martin and decided to start touring again.
The band found a new singer Greg Bannis and keyboard players Andy Smith & Steve Ansell. Since 1992, the band has enjoyed years of continued success touring all around the world performing to many thousands of fans who love the music of Hot Chocolate. In 1997 the classic single “You Sexy Thing” reached number one in the charts after it was featured in the movie ‘The Full Monty’ and a new Hot Chocolate ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation released in October 1997 reached number 10 in the album charts.
In 2010 singer Kennie Simon replaced Greg Bannis on vocals creating what many are saying is the best sound ever.

Bio source…..www.hot-chocolate.co.uk

Picture source…..i.ytimg.com

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Extraterrestrials – NASA rover shows Mars rodent

Extraterrestrials – NASA rover shows Mars rodent

Extraterrestrials - NASA rover shows Mars rodent

A report posted on UFO Sightings Daily claims that life has been discovered on Mars. The report talks about finding a rat like Creature in one of the photos posted in official NASA website. The photo was sent by the Mars Rover. The website, UFO Sightings Daily, is coordinated by Scott C. Waring. He had been affiliated with the United States Air Force at SAC base (USAF flight line).

He currently owns an ESL School in Taiwan. In this report, Scott has published images of the creature, taken from official NASA website, along with a video of the creature posted on YouTube.

Mr. Waring tells us how the creature was discovered. He also tells us that it is not the first creature discovered on Mars.

“This odd creature was discovered on Mars by a person in Japan in March. This animal was not the first to be discovered in NASA photos but is in a long line of strange creatures.”

He describes the last reported creature and talks about what this particular creature resembles.

“Remember the last one we reported that was very similar to a squirrel (left had column of our site)? Well this one also seems to resemble a rodent but also may be a lizard.”

He explains why it is possible to find such creatures on Mars.

“With water existing on Mars in small amounts, it’s possible to find such desert animals wandering around…although very rare mind you.”

He also suggests that the creatures might have been placed by NASA for experimentation.

“Then again, is NASA placing animals from tiny cyogenic chambers inside the rover onto the surface of Mars to conduct tests?”

Finally, he asks the readers to provide their opinion about the images.

“Check out the NASA photo for yourself and tell us what you think about it in the comments please.”

Info and picture source…..examiner.com

Read more in the UFO and Exopolitics section of The Canadian.

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Sing Sing Sing by Royal Crown Revue

Sing Sing Sing by  Royal Crown Revue

Hey Pachuko - Royal Crown Revue

An engrossing amalgamation of such disparate musical styles as swing, jive, blues and hip-hop, Royal Crown Revue were one of the original instigators of the new swing revival of the mid-90s. Royal Crown Revue had come to prominence at ‘swing-dancing’ engagements in their native Los Angeles, California, USA, including a two-year weekly run at The Derby club, centre point of the whole scene. Their popularity eventually caught the attention of industry executives, with Warner Brothers Records winning the race to sign them.

Royal Crown Revue was formed in 1989 by Eddie Nichols (vocals), Mando Dorame (tenor saxophone), James Achor (guitar), Veikko Lepisto (bass), Daniel Glass (drums), Bill Ungerman (baritone saxophone) and Scott Steen (trumpet). They debuted in 1991 with Kings Of Gangster Bop, which sold strongly on the strength of their passionate, swinging and sharp-suited live performances. Their residency at The Derby, which began in 1993, attracted one particularly important admirer. The director Chuck Russell asked the band to recreate their stage show for his 1994 hit movie The Mask. Their performance of ‘Hey Pachuco!’ endeared them to a whole new audience, and the song was also reprised in front of millions of Americans when figure skater Kurt Browning used it as the musical accompaniment to his programme in 1996. Royal Crown Revue’s performance also served as an inspiration for the movie Swingers, helping popularise the new swing revival.

Their major label debut Mugzy’s Move, a Ted Templeman production, showcased the band’s intricate musicianship and seemingly limitless depth of energy. The set included revisions of Bobby Darin’s ‘Beyond The Sea’ and Willie Dixon’s ‘Honey Child’. Further evidence of the band’s potential for crossover appeal came later that year with the announcement of support dates for bills headed by Jerry Lee Lewis and Porno For Pyros. A compelling independent live recording preceded their second major label release, The Contender, considered by many critics to be the apogee of the new swing movement. Following the album’s release Royal Crown Revue left Warners to sign a new recording contract with punk imprint Side One Dummy. They debuted for the label with 1999’s Walk On Fire. Bio source…..www.oldies.com

Picture source…..imagehost.vendio.com

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Black widows on grapes

Black widows on grapes

Beware of lethal black widow on red, green, black grapes

Black widows on grapes

Black widows on grapes bought in supermarkets might not appear at first like a black widow, the most venomous spider in North America, but as merely some irregularity or red spot on the grapes — until it starts moving. Earlier this month, one shopper in Michigan bought some grapes but after she had taken them home and was getting them ready to be eaten, she noticed something staring at her, reported Fox News on Nov. 22, 2013.

“I looked in the grapes and there was a black widow staring right at me,” said Callum Merry who had the unexpected encounter with a black widow on her grapes.

And Callum Merry from Michigan is not the only shopper who recently discovered a black widow hiding among her grapes.

At the beginning of November, Yvonee Duckhorn was shopping with her four-year-old daughter at an Aldi in Wisconsin when she picked up a clear container of red grapes that was on sale. When she flipped the container with the grapes over to check for mold or any soft grapes, she noticed something was moving inside.

“I saw the legs moving frantically,” Yvonee Duckhorn said. “I’ve seen bugs on fruit before, and I thought, ‘That is a very big spider.’ Nothing I’d ever seen before.”

Yvonee Duckhorn realized that she was actually looking at a black widow on her grapes when she noticed the red marking on the black spider. Following the incident, Aldi Supermarkets pulled all red, green and black grapes from Milwaukee-area stores and promised to beef up inspections, reported the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.

Black widows can be easily recognized by their distinctive red hour-glass-shaped marking on the body. However, how many people think about checking for a black widow when buying grapes?

No matter whether a black widow is found on grapes in a supermarket or just as you walk out the door (as it happens often in Southern California), black widows are to be respected. They are the most venomous spiders in North America and their venom can cause some major reaction, especially in children, adults, or people with allergies.The bite of a black widow can be lethal.

Black widows, especially the female black widow, have very potent venom. The bite feels like a pinprick. At first you may notice slight swelling and faint red marks. Within a few hours, though, intense pain and stiffness begin. While the much larger body mass of a person can usually fight off the small amount of potent venom, other symptoms can develop including chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. While a severe or even lethal reaction to a black widow spider bite is rare, any of the above symptoms might warrant a visit to the doctor to receive an antivenom.

According to Aquatic Community, “in the United States, compiled black widow spider bite facts show us that between the year 1950 and 1989 there were only 63 reported instances of lethal black widow spider bites. The risk of dying from a black widow spider bite will increase if you do not seek medical attention, and if you have underlying health problems, such as a heart condition. Before the antivenom was invented, up to 5 percent of reported bites were lethal.”

Black widows on grapes or other fruits are becoming more common as food growers are cutting back on insecticides. The black widows’ dark color, even their red marking, make them hard to spot among dark red grapes and thus can easily evade food inspectors.

Besides Michigan and Wisconsin, reports of black widow spiders on grapes have popped up in the past few months in Missouri and Minnesota.

A black widow spider was found in grapes from a Kroger store in Detroit and in early October, two consumers in the St. Louis area reported finding black widow spiders in grapes purchased from different Aldi stores. In September, a black widow was found in a shipment of grapes in the lunchroom of a Twin Cities school.

Info and picture source…..examiner.com

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Weird Al Yankovic – Gump

Weird Al Yankovic – Gump

Weird Al Yankovic - Gump

A musical parodist in the broad, juvenile yet clever tradition of Mad magazine, “Weird Al” Yankovic is known for adding his own gently satirical lyrics to current hit songs. His shaggy, hangdog appearance, affection for slapstick, and amiable willingness to do seemingly anything for a laugh made him a natural for videos. His burlesques of the form and its artistes — especially of Michael Jackson in “Eat It” (from “Beat It”) (#12, 1983) and “Fat” (from “Bad”) (#99, 1988) — became MTV staples. His medleys of rock tunes given the polka treatment inspired rumors —untrue — that Yankovic was a member of the singing Yankovic family, who made polka and Western swing records in the 1940s. Regardless of his heritage, Yankovic is undoubtedly the most successful comedy recording artist, with more than 11 million albums sold.

Yankovic, a high school valedictorian and architecture student, got his start I 1979, when he sent his “My Bologna” — a parody of the Knack’s “My Sharona” — to Dr. Demento, a syndicated radio host specializing in novelty songs and curiosities. Recorded in a bathroom across the hall from his college radio station with only his accordion and vocal, the song was popular enough with Demento’s audience for Capitol (the Knack’s label) to release it as a single. His next parody, “Another One Rides the Bus” (based on Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”), became the most requested song in the first decade of the Dr. Demento show.

Yankovic signed with Rock ‘n’ Roll Records (a CBS subsidiary), which not only gave him access to better recording facilities and the production expertise of Rick Derringer but the financial backing for the video of “Ricky” (#63, 1983). A combination parody of Toni Basil’s hit single and video “Mickey” and homage to TV’s I Love Lucy, “Ricky” was the first of a string of videos that skewered the music, its creators, and its audience, not to mention pop culture in general. While often hilariously hamfisted, Yankovic’s takeoffs — such as “I Lost on Jeopardy” (#81, 1984) from “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D (#81, 1984), which rewrote Greg Kihn’s “Jeopardy”; “Like a Surgeon” (#47, 1985), which tackled Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” from Dare to Be Stupid (#50, 1985) — made their creator and star as much a rock celebrity as his targets. In fact, the longevity of Yankovic’s career has surpassed several of the artists’ whose songs he has parodied. Nearly half the songs on any of his albums were comedic originals, although only his biggest fans seemed to be aware of “Weird Al” the songwriter. But his lyric rewriting earned him eight Grammy nominations, including two wins.

In 1985 Yankovic released a video collection of his parodies, The Compleat Al. That same year MTV produced an occasional series starring Yankovic as the host of Al TV, wherein he spoofed current videos. In 1989 he wrote and starred in the movie UHF; costarring a pre-Seinfeld Michael Richards, UHF did poorly in the theater but later found new life as a cultish video hit.

Polka Party! (#177, 1986), which relied more on music than on videos, stiffed. Even Worse (#27, 1988) marked Al’s return to rock video, and Michael Jackson. For “Fat,” a grossly, literally overinflated Yankovic donned a leather outfit that copied Jackson’s on the cover and video of Bad down to the last buckle. Jackson not only gave his approval for Yankovic’s versions, he lent the subway set used in “Bad” for the “Fat” video.

In 1988 Yankovic collaborated with avant-garde synthesizer artist Wendy Carlos on recorded versions of the classical pieces Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals Part II. In 1992 Yankovic turned his eye to another musical trend, grunge, specifically Nirvana. “Smells Like Nirvana” (#35, 1992) took on the Seattle band’s image and garbled lyrics, with the accompanying video again using the original set, this time adding cows and Dick Van Patten, wile the cover of Off the Deep End (#17, 1992) had Yankovic replacing the swimming baby picture on Nevermind, his gaze focused not on a dollar bill but a donut. He also mocked the traveling summer tour Lollapalooza with his 1993 album, Alapalooza (#46), which featured “Bedrock Anthem,” a combination takeoff of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” and “Give it Away” as well as the classical cartoon series The Flintstones. In 1996 he wrote the theme song for the movie satire Spy Hard, as well as designed the opening credits and appeared as himself in the film.

The same year, Yankovic released Bad Hair Day, which rose to #14 thanks to the success of its first single and video, “Amish Paradise,” a takeoff on rapper Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise” (itself a rewrite of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise”). The album cover even mimicked the rapper’s hairstyle. While Yankovic always prided himself on getting permission to parody, this time there was a miscommunication between the artists’ record companies’ Yankovic was told Coolio was fine with the idea, but when the album was released, Coolio claimed he never consented. Yankovic sent a letter of apology and vowed not to accept agreement from anyone but the artists themselves.

After being the subject of the Disney Channel mockumentary special “Weird Al” Yankovic: There’s No Going Home in 1996, the entertainer hosted the Pee-wee’s Playhouse-esque Weird Al Show on CBS’ Saturday-morning lineup in 1997 and 1998. He was frustrated by the network’s lack of support for his tongue-in-cheek humor, and the show was canceled after one season. Yankovic seemingly disappeared for a time in 1998; when he re-emerged without his trademark mustache and glasses — besides shaving, he’d gotten laser eye surgery — he was unrecognizable. His 1999 release, Running with Scissors, peaked at #16, due to the well-timed single “The Saga Begins,” a rundown of the current Star Wars movie The Phantom Menace sung to the tune of Don McLean’s “American Pie.” Even the official Star Wars Web site plugged Yankovic’s album, whose release was also timed to the premiere of his Behind the Music episode on VH1. In 2000 Yankovic contributed the original “Polkamon” to the soundtrack of the kids’ flick Pokémon 2000: The Movie.

While Yankovic and his band (bassist Steve Jay, drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, guitarist Jim West, and keyboardist Ruben Valtierra) are often not taken seriously, they are able to play the original songs they parody note-for-note, both in the studio and on tour, making them a great cover band, Yankovic has also tried his hand at directing music videos, both his own and for other artists, including country comedian Jeff Foxworthy, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Hanson, and the Black Crowes.

Bio source…..www.rollingstone.com

Picture source…..mikesbloggityblog.com

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Dead baby wakes up crying at funeral home

Dead baby wakes up crying at funeral home

Dead baby wakes up crying at funeral home

dead baby wakes up and cries at the funeral home where he was to be cremated leaving funeral workers startled and shocked. The dead baby woke up two days after he was officially pronounced dead at the Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital. “The hospital had issued a death certificate for the baby, who was meant to be cremated under standard procedures, according to the Hefei Municipal Funeral Parlor,” reported Shangaiist on Nov. 22, 2013.

The dead baby who woke up and cried before being cremated was discovered to be alive on Wednesday morning by funeral workers in Anhui in eastern China. The funeral workers sent the baby boy who is less than one month old immediately back to the hospital where he had been declared dead.

According to the health department in the Anhui province, the baby boy who unexpectedly woke up two days after he had been pronounced dead suffered from a congenital respiratory system malformation.

After being born, the parents had agreed to stop medical treatment for their baby boy on Nov. 12. However, since the baby boy “still had life signs, we continued to give him transfusions to maintain his life for humanitarian reasons,” said one of the staff members of the Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital.

On Monday, Nov. 18, however, the baby boy’s health declined, a death certificate was issued, and the baby boy was sent to the funeral home to be cremated. An investigation into the precise circumstances of the incident is ongoing.

However, had the “dead” baby boy not woken up and cried on Wednesday, he would have been cremated alive.

While the baby boy who prevented his cremation by waking up and crying is being treated, the doctor responsible for declaring him dead has been ruled negligent and his license has been revoked.

Info and picture source…..examiner.com

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UB40 – Rat in my Kitchen

UB40 – Rat in my Kitchen

UB40 - Rat in my Kitchen

UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. The band has been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times, and in 1984, they were nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Group. One of the world’s best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records. Their hit singles include their debut “Food for Thought” and two U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number ones with “Red Red Wine” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Both of these also topped the UK Singles Chart, as did the band’s version of “I Got You Babe”.

The story of UB40, and how this group of young friends from Birmingham transcended their working-class origins to become the world’s most successful reggae band is not the stuff of fairytales as might be imagined. The group’s led a charmed life in many respects it’s true, but it’s been a long haul since the days they’d meet up in the bars and clubs around Moseley, and some of them had to scrape by on less than £8 a week unemployment benefit. The choice was simple if you’d left school early. You could either work in one of the local factories, like Robin Campbell did, or scuffle along aimlessly whilst waiting for something else to happen.

By the summer of 1978, something else did happen, and the nucleus of UB40 began rehearsing in a local basement. Robin’s younger brother Ali, Earl Falconer, Brian Travers and James Brown all knew each other from Moseley School of Art, whilst Norman Hassan had been a friend of Ali’s since school. Initially, they thought of themselves as a “jazz-dub-reggae” band, but by the time Robin was persuaded to join and they’d recruited Michael Virtue and Astro – who’d learnt his craft with Birmingham sound-system Duke Alloy – the group had already aligned themselves to left-wing political ideals and forged their own identity, separate from the many punk and Two Tone outfits around at that time. The group had nailed their colours to the mast by naming themselves after an unemployment benefit form. Their political convictions hadn’t been gleaned secondhand either, but cemented in place whilst attending marches protesting against the National Front, or rallies organised by Rock Against Racism.

Read More…..www.ub40.co.uk

Picture Source…..samcoley.com

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