Chuck Berry Dead At 90

Black History in America

Rock and roll legend and electric guitar pioneer Chuck Berry has died at age 90.

Charles Edward Anderson Berry Sr. — known to the world as Chuck Berry — was pronounced deceased at 1:26 p.m., said a statement from the St. Charles County Police Department.

Literallly sad, 'though this reporter will sign up for 90 right now, even w/o the musical impact & Mann Act violations. 90 is well above average for a rock-&-roller, making Mr. Berry literally the last of the O.G.s of rock-&-roll, unless I'm missing someone.

Remember the first time you heard Chuck (presented as an "oldie" on top-40 radio) & realized there were even better versions of those Beatles & Stones numbers you didn't even know were covers? ('Cause you didn't know what covers were.) Or not, if you aren't old enough.

Best Songs Of Chuck Berry - Những ca khúc hay nhất của Chuck BerryObligatory "Brushes w/ Greatness": Double bill w/ Little Richard at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House (Do not remember who opened for whom.) in the winter of 1970-71, & at The Roxy sometime in the mid-to-late '70s.

Chuck Berry Morbidity Watch

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago fire official says 84-year-old rock-and-roll legend Chuck Berry felt ill and was checked out by ambulance medics before a show Saturday night. An audience member at the show, however, said Berry slumped over during the show and was offstage for at least 20 minutes.

Fire Department spokesman Joe Roccasalva said Berry felt better and signed a release. Roccasalva said the confusion arose because emergency personnel later responded to a patron at the show who was unwell.

Concertgoer Steve Handwerker said Berry fell face-first over the keyboard and was helped offstage, though he later returned.

Berry is known for his classic songs, including “Maybelline” and “Johnny B. Goode.”

His agent Dick Alen said he had no information on the matter.

Poor bastard still rocking (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) at 84. Glad we caught his act several decades ago.

Societal Breakdown Continues

No, you aren't "safe" at Knott's Berry Farm.

Multiple fights broke out Saturday night at Knott’s Berry Farm, forcing the park to close several hours early.

Buena Park Police said numerous calls to 911 reported possible gunfire but officers at the scene determined no shots were fired.

Police asked people to avoid the area as they investigated the incident.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Knott’s Berry Farm is now closed,” the park wrote on its Twitter account Saturday night.

Rumor of a shooting sent scared patrons hiding, according to social media posts.

“There was a fight while everyone was crowded to get out,” wrote one parkgoer on Facebook. “Suddenly everyone was screaming and then running. We were let out through the staff-only area.”

Another sign of decline: 21st century reporting is little more than scrolling through Facebook & Twitter.

A Decade Of Nothing

On January 23rd, 1958, Brunswick Records released "Maybe Baby" backed with "Tell Me How" by The Crickets.
[Are you going to tell us that not one thing of interest happened on 23 January from 1959 until 1970? — Ed.]
In 1970, singer Judy Collins was denied permission to sing her testimony at the Chicago Seven trial.
In 1976, "Donny and Marie" premiered on ABC. It was the first variety show hosted by a brother and sister team, Donny and Marie Osmond.
In 1977, the TV mini-series "Roots," based on the Alex Haley novel, began on ABC.
In 1978, Terry Kath, a vocalist and guitarist with the band Chicago, accidentally shot himself to death. He was 32.
In 1982, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley recorded their first demos as Wham! at Ridgeley's parents' house. They used a portable studio that cost them $32.
In 1986, the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were honored. They included Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis Presley.
Also in 1989, James Brown was sentenced in Georgia to another six years in jail in connection with a police chase through two states. At the time, Brown was serving a sentence in South Carolina.
In 1990, former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins died in Florida of complications from pneumonia. He was 37.
In 1996, the city council in Johnson City, Tennessee, withdrew permission for White Zombie to hold a show there. Several town residents had complained that the band advocated Satan worship.
In 1997, "Louie, Louie" composer Richard Berry died in his sleep at his home in South Central Los Angeles.
In 2002, Virgin Records and Mariah Carey terminated their record deal after barely nine months. Virgin paid Carey $28 million to break the contract, on top of the $21 million Carey got for signing with Virgin. [Probably their best contract move ever. We know we'd pay a lot to get rid of her. — Ed.]
In 2005, Johnny Carson died from complications of emphysema in Los Angeles. He was 79.
Associated Press

Thanks, Mr. Berry!

Allegedly 1958. Railroad Jack, flickr.

As a result of Gawd-Among-Men Chuck Berry's death yesterday, we heard more good music on the radio today than we'd ordinarily hear in the proverbial month o' Sundays.

For sing-a-long purposes, at least, I seem to have the lyrics of many of the classics in memory. But could I put the lyrics to paper w/o the musical/vocal cues?

"Too Much Monkey Business" has been a perpetually relevant & stirringly contemptous condemnation of this modern world of shit & pain FOR 60 GODDAMN YRS.+ OF SUFFERING NOW; despite outward changes (& inflation) the 'phone co., the military, the opposite sex, consumer culture, the fossil fuel industry, the educational & judicial systems, wage-slavery yada fucking yada, world w/o end have always been monkeying w/ us.Speaking of monkey biz, compare & contrast the electronicized stereo on this'n.

Bringing The War Back Home

The latest & apparently last victim of the O.C. serial killer was, just like the alleged killer, a military veteran,

John Berry, 64, is warned on Jan. 5 by Anaheim Police Sgt. Mike Lynch about the serial killer preying on homeless men in Orange County. On Friday, Berry himself was killed. (Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times/January 6, 2012)

although the victim of one of America's earlier wars of aggression.

ANAHEIM - A tribute made up of candles, ballooons, coffee cups, cookies, cigarettes and a gray-white stuffed elephant lies next to the trash enclosure where a serial killer's fourth victim was stabbed and killed.

Locals in the area who say they knew him, calling him John, came out early Saturday to pay respects and remember the friendly, God-fearing, Santa Claus-like looking man.

Marilyn Holland and Linda Maher shared stories about the mild-mannered Vietnam vet who was known to never ask for money but always got it anyhow.

As Maher drive up in her pickup truck, she called over to Holland, "Was it John?" she asked. "This makes me so mad. I'm so sick about John. He never asked for money. When people gave him money, he always said, 'God bless you.'"

Holland said she had warned John about the serial killer and had wanted to buy him a cell phone.

"He always liked to sit and drink coffee at Carl's Jr., read his bible and do crossword puzzles out of the paper. It such a tragedy, he looked just like Santa Claus," she said. "He was friends with everyone. Even the coyotes in the riverbed, he gave them all names."

Have we mentioned how much we hate this fucking country, & the people in it that make it such a shit-hole? You might have missed it.

Take Two

We were reading a thing about re-recordings of "the classics" & were reminded of a prime example of the phenomenon, an example we once owned. Sadly, the guy typing the item remembered as well & typed it up,

When Sinatra left Capitol Records in 1960 to found his own label, Reprise Records—with the explicit goal of giving artists more control over their recordings—he made a series of albums that included re-recorded versions of his Capitol hits. The financial incentive was huge: Sinatra was still riding high, and since he owned Reprise he stood to make far more money from sales of the re-recorded records than the originals. (Even so, he had to sell the company to Warner Bros. a few years later.) [Ha ha! — Editor Bouffant] Similarly, Ponak pointed out, when Chuck Berry left Chess Records for Mercury, the first thing he did was record a greatest-hits collection, presumably at a much more favorable royalty rate, without making it clear that the hits had been re-recorded.

so we've no particular reason to quote or link to it. It's not as if any human activity's been authentic for some time anyway.

Should probably be clear it was the Chuck Berry Mercury diskL.P. we once had, not Sinatra remakes.

31 May: Big Day in S. African History; No Clear Victor Off Jutland

By The Associated Press 14 mins ago Today is Sunday, May 31, the 151st day of 2009. There are 214 days left in the year. Other stuff from the AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On May 31, 1889, more than 2,000 people perished when a dam break sent water rushing through Johnstown, Pa.On this date: In 1790, U.S. President George Washington signed into law the first U.S. copyright law. Two hundred years ago, in 1809, composer Franz Joseph Haydn died in Vienna at age 77. In 1819, poet Walt Whitman was born in West Hills, N.Y.In 1902, Britain and South Africa signed a peace treaty ending the Boer War. In 1910, the Union of South Africa was founded. In 1916, during World War I, British and German fleets fought the naval Battle of Jutland off Denmark; there was no clear-cut victor, although the British suffered heavier losses. Sixty years ago, in 1949, former State Department official Alger Hiss went on trial in New York, charged with perjury. (The jury ended up deadlocked, but Hiss was convicted in a second trial.) In 1961, South Africa became an independent republic. In 1962, Gestapo official Adolf Eichmann was hanged in Israel for his role in the Holocaust.

In 1970, tens of thousands of people died in an earthquake in Peru. In 1977, the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, three years in the making, was completed. Twenty years ago, in 1989, House Speaker Jim Wright, dogged by questions about his ethics, announced he would resign. (Tom Foley later succeeded him.) Fifteen years ago, in 1994, the United States announced it was no longer aiming long-range nuclear missiles at targets in the former Soviet Union. Ten years ago: During a Memorial Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery, President Bill Clinton asked Americans to reconsider their ambivalence about Kosovo, calling it "a very small province in a small country. But it is a big test of what we believe in." In Turkey, the treason trial of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan opened. (Ocalan was later convicted and sentenced to death, but the death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 2002.) In 2003, bombing suspect Eric Rudolph was arrested outside a grocery store in Murphy, N.C. (He later pleaded guilty to four bombings - including those at a Birmingham. Ala., abortion clinic and at the Atlanta Olympics - and was sentenced to four life terms.) Five years ago: In Memorial Day tributes, President George W. Bush declared that "America is safer" because of its fighting forces while Sen. John Kerry visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. A bomb ripped through a Shiite Muslim mosque in Karachi, Pakistan, during evening prayers, killing at least 19 people. Alberta Martin, one of the last widows of a Confederate veteran of the Civil War, died in Enterprise, Ala., at age 97. In 2005, former FBI official W. Mark Felt stepped forward as "Deep Throat," the secret Washington Post source that helped bring down President Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate scandal. One year ago: Space shuttle Discovery and a crew of seven blasted into orbit, carrying a giant Japanese lab addition to the international space station. Month-End Bonus: Currently Dead White Males Born on This Date-- Surgeon William Mayo, founder of the Mayo Clinic, in 1819 (same year as Wally Whitman); radio humorist Fred Allen in 1894;clergyman-author Norman Vincent Peale in 1898; actor Don Ameche in 1908; U.S. Sen. Henry Jackson, D-Wash., in 1912; Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1923; & country singer Johnny Paycheck in 1938.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Elaine Stewart is 80. Actor-director Clint Eastwood is 79. Singer Peter Yarrow is 71. Former Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite is 70. Singer-musician Augie Meyers is 69. Actress Sharon Gless is 66. Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath is 66. Actor Tom Berenger is 59. Actor Gregory Harrison is 59. Actress Roma Maffia is 51. Comedian Chris Elliott is 49. Actor Kyle Secor is 49. Actress Lea Thompson is 48. Singer Corey Hart is 47. Actor Hugh Dillon is 46. Rapper DMC is 45. Actress Brooke Shields is 44.  Today in Entertainment History -- On May 31, 1958, Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater" hit the top of the pop charts and stayed there for six weeks.[All the staff here found "Purple People Eater" quite amusing when it first came out, 51 loooong years ago. — Ed.] In 1961, Chuck Berry opened Berry Park, an outdoor amusement park in Wentzville, Mo. In 1976, The Who got into the Guinness Book of World Records as the loudest rock band ever, when their concert in England measured 120 decibels. That record has since been broken. In 1977, Emerson, Lake and Palmer began a tour of the U.S. accompanied by a 70-piece orchestra. In 1978, The Trammps' "Disco Inferno" album went gold. Twenty years ago, in 1989, the first International Rock Awards Ceremony was held in New York City. The Traveling Wilburys' "Volume One" was named album of the year, Guns N' Roses won artist of the year, and newcomer of the year went to Living Colour. [Has it ever been held again? Never heard of it, not that we're exactly up on awards ceremonies. — Ed.] In 1990, "Seinfeld" made its debut as "The Seinfeld Chronicles" on NBC. In 1995, Ted Nugent placed his handprint and signature in cement in the Hollywood Rock Walk. In 1996, singer Elsbeary Hobbs, who sang bass with The Drifters, died of throat and lung cancer in New York. He was 59. In 1998, singer Geri Halliwell, better known as Ginger Spice, quit the Spice Girls. In 2000, singer Johnnie Taylor died of an apparent heart attack at a hospital in Dallas. He was 62. He's probably best known for songs like "Who's Making Love" and "Disco Lady." That same day, Latin bandleader Tito Puente died in New York from complications from open heart surgery. He was 77. In 2006, Katie Couric appeared for the last time on NBC's "Today" show after 15 years on the program. She left to anchor the CBS Evening News."

Thought for Today: "One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it unless it has all been suffering, nothing but suffering." — Jane Austen, British novelist (1775-1817). [Well then, imagine how the editor here feels about your benighted shithole of a planet & the time lost thereon. — Ed.]

Beethoven, Whitman Die; Robert Frost Born

By The Associated Press 1 hr 57 mins ago Today is Thursday, March 26, the 85th day of 2009. There are 280 days left in the year. The AP has two faces. And A/V. UPI has an almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On March 26, 1979, a peace treaty was signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and witnessed by President Jimmy Carter at the White House. On this date: In 1804, the Louisiana Purchase was divided into the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana. In 1827, composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna. One Hundred years ago, in 1859, English poet A.E. Housman was born in Worcestershire. In 1892, poet Walt Whitman died in Camden, N.J. In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans became the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Montreal Canadiens. [Go Mets!! — Ed.] In 1958, the U.S. Army launched America's third successful satellite, Explorer 3. Fifty years ago, in 1959, American author Raymond Chandler died in La Jolla, Calif., at age 70. In 1971, East Pakistan proclaimed its independence, taking the name Bangladesh. In 1982, groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Washington for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In 1997, the bodies of 39 members of the Heaven's Gate techno-religious cult who'd committed suicide were found inside a rented mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Ten years ago: American-led NATO forces launched a third night of airstrikes against Yugoslavia. Dr. Jack Kevorkian was convicted in Pontiac, Mich., of second-degree murder for giving a lethal injection to a patient with Lou Gehrig's disease, an action videotaped and broadcast on CBS' "60 Minutes." (Kevorkian served eight years in prison.) A cunning computer virus named "Melissa" began infecting computers across the country. Five years ago: Phoenix Bishop Thomas O'Brien was sentenced to four years' probation and 1,000 hours of community service for a hit-and-run accident that killed pedestrian Jim Reed. Actress Jan Sterling died in Woodland Hills, Calif., at age 82. Jan Berry, half of the surf music duo Jan and Dean, died at age 62. One year ago: Behind the Pentagon's closed doors, U.S. military leaders told President George W. Bush they were worried about the Iraq war's mounting strain on troops and their families, but indicated they'd go along with a brief halt in pulling out troops during summer 2008. The space shuttle Endeavour landed at Cape Canaveral, Fla., ending a 16-day mission. Today's Birthdays: Jazz musician James Moody is 84. Conductor-composer Pierre Boulez is 84. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is 79. Actor-director Leonard Nimoy is 78. Actor Alan Arkin is 75. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 69. Actor James Caan is 69. Author Erica Jong is 67.Journalist Bob Woodward is 66. Singer Diana Ross is 65. Actor Johnny Crawford is 63. Rock singer Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) is 61. Singer and TV personality Vicki Lawrence is 60. Actor Ernest Thomas is 60. Singer Teddy Pendergrass is 59. Comedian Martin Short is 59. Country singer Ronnie McDowell is 59. Movie composer Alan Silvestri is 59. Rock musician Monte Yoho is 57. Country singer Dean Dillon is 54. Country singer Charly McClain is 53. TV personality Leeza Gibbons is 52. Actress Jennifer Grey is 49. Retired Utah Jazz great John Stockton is 47. Actor Michael Imperioli is 43. Rock musician James Iha is 41. Country singer Kenny Chesney is 41. Actor T.R. Knight is 36. Rapper Juvenile is 34. Actress Amy Smart is 33. Actress Bianca Kajlich is 32. On March 26th, 1957, Ricky Nelson recorded his first songs. In 1961, Elvis Presley set a British chart first with three consecutive number-one releases: "It's Now or Never," "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Wooden Heart." In 1965, guitarist Jeff Beck was announced as Eric Clapton's replacement in The Yardbirds. In 1970, Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary pleaded guilty to "taking immoral liberties" with a 14-year-old girl in Washington. He had just recently won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children with the album "Peter Paul and Mommy." In 1972, Mott the Hoople decided to disband after four albums, until David Bowie presented them a song called "All the Young Dudes." Mott the Hoople recorded it, while Bowie produced it, and the song hit the Top 40. In 1974, David Essex's single "Rock On" turned gold. Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells," which was used in the movie "The Exorcist," also turned gold. In 1977, Stiff Records released "Less Than Zero" backed with "Radio Sweetheart," the first single by Elvis Costello. In 1980, drummer Jon-Jon Poulos of The Buckinghams died of a drug overdose. He was 32. Pink Floyd's "The Wall" broke the record for the longest-charting pop album, previously held by Carole King's "Tapestry." [Double suck. — Ed.] In 1986, Guns N' Roses was signed to Geffen Records. [Suck trifecta! — Ed.] In 1995, rapper Eazy-E died of AIDS in Los Angeles at age 31. In 1998, actor Leonardo DiCaprio filed a lawsuit against "Playgirl" magazine to prevent it from publishing nude pictures of him. The suit was later settled and the pictures ran in the magazine's October issue. In 2004, singer Jan Berry of Jan and Dean died after having a seizure in Los Angeles. He was 62. Thought for Today: "Life is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpiece." — Nadia Boulanger, French music teacher (1887-1979). Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reversed.

23 January: Great Purge; 24th Amendment Ratified; Pueblo Seized; Sal Dali, Richard Berry, Cap't. Kangaroo, Johnny Carson Die; Alexander Woollcott Goes 'Em One Better, Dies On Live Radio

Today is Saturday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2010. There are 342 days left in the year. The UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Jan. 23, 1960, the Swiss-Italian-made bathyscaphe (BATH'-ih-skahf) Trieste, owned and operated by the U.S. Navy, carried two men to the deepest known point in the Pacific Ocean, reaching a depth of more than 35,000 feet inside the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.
On this date:
In 1542, King Henry VIII took the title of King of Ireland.
In 1579, The Union of Utrecht is signed by the provinces of the Netherlands committed to carrying on resistance to Spain. It becomes in fact the foundation of the state of the Netherlands.
In 1789, Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.
In 1799, French troops capture Italian city of Naples.
In 1845, Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
In 1849, English-born Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in America to receive a Doctor of Medicine degree, from the Medical Institution of Geneva, N.Y. Prussia suggested a German union without Austria.
In 1918, the Soviet government officially severed relations with the church.
In 1920, Holland refused to surrender Germany's former Kaiser Wilhelm II to Allies for punishment as a World War I criminal.
In 1922, at Toronto General Hospital, 14-year-old Canadian Leonard Thompson became the first person to receive an insulin injection as treatment for diabetes.
In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In 1937, seventeen people went on trial in Moscow during Soviet leader Josef Stalin's Great Purge.
In 1948, U.S. Army Gen. Dwight Eisenhower said he couldn't accept a presidential nomination from either party. Four years later, he ran as a Republican and was elected 34th president of the United States.
In 1950, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
In 1964, the 24th amendment to the Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified.
In 1968, North Korea seized the Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo, charging its crew with being on a spying mission. (The crew was released 11 months later.)
In 1971, the temperature at Prospect Creek, Alaska, dropped to 80 degrees below zero, the lowest temperature recorded in the United States.
In 1973, President Richard M. Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War.Nixon: "peace with honor"
In 1980, U.S. President Jimmy Carter reinstated the Selective Service System.
In 1985, debate in Britain's House of Lords was carried live on TV for the first time.
In 1988, Sandinista missiles downed a cargo plane that was dropping U.S.-financed supplies to Contra rebels in southeastern Nicaragua. Four crewmen were killed.
In 1989, surrealist painter Salvador Dali died in his native Spain at age 84.
AP sez: In 1991, allied forces in the Persian Gulf War announced that they had achieved air superiority after some 12,000 sorties.
UPI sez: In 1991, U.S. Army Gen. Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said heavy bombing had destroyed Iraq's two operating nuclear reactors and damaged chemical facilities. The Angolan government accepted a peace plan that ended a 15-year-old civil war with UNITA rebels. Also in 1991, U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady asked Congress for another $80 billion toward the bailout of the nation's savings and loan industry.
In 1992, the Salvadoran legislature issued an amnesty for guerrilla fighters of a 12-year civil war, allowing them to return to society.
In 1996, Yigal Amir confessed in court to killing Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
In 1997, a judge in Fairfax, Va., sentenced a Pakistani man to death for an assault rifle attack outside CIA headquarters in 1993 that killed two people and wounded three. France's highest court rejected a final appeal and ordered Maurice Papon, a former Vichy official, to stand trial for deporting Jews to death camps during World War II.
In 1999, a federal judge ordered Monica Lewinsky to submit to an interview sought by House prosecutors in President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. During his visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II urged his flock in the Americas to make the region a "continent of life."
In 2000, the Tennessee Titans advanced to the Super Bowl by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-14 in the AFC Championship game. The St. Louis Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-6 to win the NFC Championship. NFL star Derrick Thomas was injured when the sport utility vehicle he was driving overturned on an icy road in Missouri; Thomas died more than two weeks later. (The crash also claimed the life of Thomas' friend, Michael Tellis.) Over a million people marched through downtown Madrid to call for peace after a car-bomb attack was seen as a resurgence of Basque separatists' 32-year-old campaign of violence which had killed nearly 800 people.
In 2001, a new administration in the Philippines moves to freeze the bank accounts of ousted President Joseph Estrada and begins a criminal investigation against him.
In 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted in Karachi, Pakistan, by a group demanding the return of prisoners from the Afghan campaign; he was later slain.
In 2004, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld former Gov. George Ryan's powers to commute sentences, keeping 32 spared inmates off death row.
In 2005, Viktor Yushchenko was sworn in as president of Ukraine. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Atlanta Falcons 27-10 to win the NFC championship game; the New England Patriots won the AFC championship by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 41-27.
In 2006, Ford Motor Co., reflecting the downsizing of the U.S. auto industry, said it would close 14 factories and eliminate 30,000 jobs over six years. Also in 2006, Canadian voters chose Stephen Harper's Conservation Party over outgoing Prime Minister Paul Martin's Labor Party in a close parliamentary election. Ugandan rebels ambush UN peacekeepers in Congo, killing eight of them in a gunbattle that also leaves 15 attackers dead near the Sudanese border.
In 2007, more than 100,000 mourners choke the streets of Istanbul for the funeral of Hrant Dink, the Armenian journalist who was gunned down in broad daylight on January 19 because of public statements made about the mass killings of Armenians by Turks in the early 20th century.
In 2008, tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into Egypt from Gaza after Palestinian militants used land mines to breach a barrier dividing the border town of Rafah. Also in 2008, Thailand returned to civilian rule after a military council that had ruled the country for 16 months disbanded. French Open winner Michael Chang was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and IMG creator Mark McCormack and Tennis Week magazine founder Eugene Scott were selected posthumously.
In 2009, President Barack Obama quietly ended the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. New York Gov. David Paterson chose Democratic Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (KEHR'-sten JIL'-uh-brand) to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Today's Birthdays: Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) is 86. Actress Jeanne Moreau is 82. Actress Chita Rivera is 77. Actor-director Lou Antonio is 76. Actor Gil Gerard is 67. Actor Rutger Hauer is 66. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jerry Lawson (The Persuasions) is 66. Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) is 63. Singer Anita Pointer is 62. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 60. Rock musician Bill Cunningham is 60. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 57. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (vee-yah-ry-GOH'-sah) is 57. Princess Caroline of Monaco is 53. Singer Anita Baker is 52. Reggae musician Earl Falconer (UB40) is 51. Actress Gail O'Grady is 47. Actress Mariska Hargitay is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Nelson is 39. Actress Tiffani Thiessen is 36. Rock musician Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie) is 35.
Those Born On This Date But Now Dead Include: American patriot John Hancock (1737); French author Stendhal, a pseudonym for Marie-Henri Beyle (1783-1842); French Impressionist painter Edouard Manet (1832-1883); Russian film director Sergei Eisenstein (1898); actors Randolph Scott (1898) & Dan Duryea (1907) & comedian Ernie Kovacs (1919).
This Date In Entertainment History
In 1943, critic Alexander Woollcott suffered a fatal heart attack during a live broadcast of the CBS radio program "People's Platform."
In 1958, Brunswick Records released "Maybe Baby" backed with "Tell Me How" by The Crickets.
In 1970, singer Judy Collins was denied permission to sing her testimony at the Chicago Seven trial.
In 1976, "Donny and Marie" premiered on ABC. It was the first variety show hosted by a brother and sister team, Donny and Marie Osmond.
In 1977, the TV mini-series "Roots," based on the Alex Haley novel, began on ABC.
In 1978, Terry Kath, a vocalist and guitarist with the band Chicago, accidentally shot himself to death. He was 32.
In 1982, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley recorded their first demos as Wham! in Ridgeley's parents' house. They used a portable studio that cost them $32.
In 1986, the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were honored. They included Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis Presley.
In 1989, James Brown was sentenced in Georgia to another six years in jail in connection with a police chase through two states. At the time, Brown was serving a sentence in South Carolina.
In 1990, former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins died in Florida of complications from pneumonia. He was 37.
In 1996, the city council in Johnson City, Tenn., withdrew permission for White Zombie to hold a show there. Several town residents had complained that the band advocated devil worship.
In 1997, "Louie, Louie" composer Richard Berry died in his sleep at his home in South Central Los Angeles.
In 2000, the dark satire "American Beauty" won the Golden Globe for best film drama, while "The Sopranos" won best television drama.
In 2002, Virgin Records and Mariah Carey terminated their record deal after barely nine months. Virgin paid Carey $28 million to break the contract, on top of the $21 million Carey got for signing with Virgin.
In 2004, the enduring situation comedy "Friends" filmed its final episode in front of an invitation-only audience. Bob Keeshan, TV's "Captain Kangaroo," died in Windsor, Vt., at age 76.
In 2005, former "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson died from complications from emphysema in Malibu, Calif. at age 79.
Thought for Today: "Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined." — Johnny Carson, American talk show host (1925-2005).

7 June: I'm Like A One-Eyed Cat, Peepin' In A Sea-Food Store

The Associated Press 2 hrs 36 mins ago Today is Sunday, June 7, the 158th day of 2009. There are 207 days left in the year. AP otherwhen. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlights in History: On June 7, 1864, Abraham Lincoln was nominated for a second term as president at the Republican Party convention in Baltimore. On this date: In 1654, Louis XIV was crowned king of France in Rheims. In 1753, Britain's King George II gave his assent to an Act of Parliament establishing the British Museum. In 1769, frontiersman Daniel Boone first began to explore present-day Kentucky. In 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for American independence from Britain. In 1848, Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin was born in Paris. In 1892, Homer Plessy was arrested when he refused to move from a seat reserved for whites on a train in New Orleans. The case led to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark "separate but equal" decision in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. In 1929, the sovereign state of Vatican City came into existence as copies of the Lateran Treaty were exchanged in Rome. In 1939, King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, arrived at Niagara Falls, N.Y., from Canada on the first visit to the United States by a reigning British monarch. In 1948, the Communists completed their takeover of Czechoslovakia with the resignation of President Edvard Benes. In 1967, the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic opened in San Francisco, & author-critic Dorothy Parker died at age 73. In 1981, Israeli military planes destroyed a nuclear power plant in Iraq, a facility the Israelis charged could have been used to make nuclear weapons. In 1998, in a crime that shocked the nation, James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old black man, was chained to a pickup truck and dragged to his death in Jasper, Texas. (Two white men were later sentenced to death for the crime; a third received life.) Ten years ago: The FBI put alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and anti-abortion activist and accused doctor killer James Charles Kopp on the bureau's list of the Ten Most Wanted fugitives. (Kopp was arrested in 2001 and later convicted of killing Dr. Barnett Slepian.) Gunmen killed popular Mexican television host Francisco "Paco" Stanley. In 2000, a federal judge ordered the breakup of Microsoft Corp. [We're still waiting. — Ed.] Five years ago: A steady, near-silent stream of people circled through the rotunda of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., where the body of the nation's 40th president lay in repose before traveling to Washington for a state funeral. The Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Calgary Flames 2-1 in Game 7 to win their first Stanley Cup. One year ago: Hillary Rodham Clinton suspended her pioneering campaign for the presidency and endorsed fellow Democrat Barack Obama. Longshot Da' Tara spoiled Big Brown's bid for a Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes. Ana Ivanovic won her first Grand Slam tennis title by beating Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3 in the French Open. Veteran sportscaster Jim McKay died in Monkton, Md., at age 86. Former Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil died in Cairo at age 88. Today's Birthdays: Movie director James Ivory is 81. Actress Virginia McKenna is 78. Singer Tom Jones is 69. Poet Nikki Giovanni is 66. Actor Ken Osmond ("Leave It to Beaver") is 66. Former talk show host Jenny Jones is 63. Actress Anne Twomey is 58. Actor Liam Neeson is 57. Actress Colleen Camp is 56. Singer-songwriter Johnny Clegg is 56. Author Louise Erdrich is 55. Actor William Forsythe is 54. Record producer L.A. Reid is 53. Latin pop singer Juan Luis Guerra is 52. Singer-songwriter Prince is 51. Rock singer-musician Gordon Gano (The Violent Femmes) is 46. Rapper Ecstasy (Whodini) is 45. Rock musician Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots) is 43. Rock musician Dave Navarro is 42. Actress Helen Baxendale is 39. Actor Karl Urban is 37. Rock musician Eric Johnson (The Shins) is 33. Actor-comedian Bill Hader is 31. Actress Anna Torv ("Fringe") is 30. Actress Larisa Oleynik is 28. Tennis player Anna Kournikova is 28. Today In Entertainment History -- One hundred years ago, in 1909, "The Violin Maker of Cremona," a short film directed by D.W. Griffith and featuring Mary Pickford in her first notable screen role, was released. In London, actress Jessica Tandy was born. In 1937, actress Jean Harlow died in Los Angeles at age 26. In 1954, Bill Haley and his Comets recorded "Shake, Rattle and Roll." Big Joe Turner's version was just about to hit number one on the R&B chart.In 1963, the Rolling Stones debuted on UK TV on the show "Thank Your Lucky Stars." They also released their first single, "Come On." In 1966, Roy Orbison's first wife, Claudette, was killed in a motorcycle accident that Orbison witnessed. In 1969, the two-record rock opera "Tommy" hit the US album chart. It would become the first Who album to make it into the US top ten. Also in 1969, the band Blind Faith made its debut at a free concert in London's Hyde Park. In 1972, the musical "Grease" opened on Broadway. It had played at a small New York theater for four months. In 1979, Chuck Berry was charged with three counts of income tax evasion. In 1993, a New York judge handed down a ruling in the Woody Allen-Mia Farrow custody case. Farrow won custody of a biological son, Satchel, and two adopted children, Dylan and Moses. Also in 1993, ground was broken for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, seven years after the city won the right to build it. Pete Townshend and Chuck Berry were among those on hand for the ceremony. And, Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol. In 1996, Wal-Mart discontinued sales of the Goo Goo Dolls album "A Boy Named Goo" because of complaints that the little boy on the cover appeared to be abused. The band said what appeared to be blood on the boy's face was really blackberry juice. Thought for Today: "The slight that can be conveyed in a glance, in a gracious smile, in a wave of the hand, is often the ne plus ultra of art. What insult is so keen or so keenly felt, as the polite insult which it is impossible to resent?" — Julia Kavanagh, Irish novelist (1824-1877).

29 October: 'Black Tuesday' on Wall St. as the Great Depression begins; Osama bin Laden admits ordering the Sept. 11th attacks; Suez crisis heats up Mideast; McKinley assassin executed; John Glenn returns to space.

Today is Thursday, Oct. 29, the 302nd day of 2009. There are 63 days left in the year. The UPI Almanac.Today's Highlight in History:
On Oct. 29, 1929 — known as "Black Tuesday" — Wall Street crashed, heralding the beginning of the Great Depression.
On this date:
In 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh, the English courtier, military adventurer and poet, was executed in London.
In 1682, the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, landed at what is now Chester, Pa.
In 1901, President William McKinley's assassin, Leon Czolgosz, was electrocuted.
In 1911, American newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer died at age 64.
In 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed.
In 1940, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson drew the first number — 158 — in the lottery for America's first peacetime military draft.

In 1947, Frances Cleveland Preston, the widow of President Grover Cleveland, died at age 83.
In 1956, during the Suez Canal crisis, Israel invaded Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
In 1964, thieves made off with the Star of India and other gems from the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In 1966, the National Organization for Women was formally organized during a conference in Washington, D.C.
In 1967, Expo 67 in Montreal closed after six months.
AP Highlight in [Alternate] History:
Forty years ago, in 1969, the Internet had its beginnings when the first host-to-host connection was made on the Arpanet - an experimental military computer network - between UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, Calif.
Thirty years ago, in 1979, on the 50th anniversary of the great stock market crash, anti-nuclear protesters tried but failed to shut down the New York Stock Exchange.
In 1992, Alger Hiss said Russia had cleared him of the charge of being a Communist spy that sent him to prison for four years and helped propel Richard Nixon's political career.
In 1994, gunman Francisco Martin Duran fired more than two dozen shots from a semiautomatic rifle at the White House. (Duran was later convicted of trying to assassinate President Bill Clinton and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.)
In 1998, Sen. John Glenn, at age 77, roared back into space aboard the shuttle Discovery, retracing the trail he'd blazed for America's astronauts 36 years earlier. Alternate version:

[He was not the first Yank to orbit the moon, AP! — Ed.]
In 1999, a panel of European Union scientists ruled that British beef was safe for export, rejecting French scientific arguments to continue a ban because of fears of mad cow disease. Some 3,000 people attended a memorial service in Orlando, Fla., for golfer Payne Stewart, who was killed along with five other people in the crash of their Learjet.
In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush, elected in a chaotic tableau of ballot mishaps and court challenges, signed legislation said to help reduce ballot-counting errors and ensure greater citizen participation in the election process.
In 2003, digging through more than 164 feet of rock, rescuers liberated 11 of 13 Russian miners trapped underground for six days after a methane gas explosion. The third-largest recorded solar blast slammed into the Earth causing a severe but short-lived geomagnetic storm.
In 2004, Osama bin Laden, in a videotaped statement, directly admitted for the first time that he'd ordered the Sept. 11th attacks and told America "the best way to avoid another Manhattan" was to stop threatening Muslims' security. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was flown to Paris for medical treatment. European Union leaders signed the EU's first constitution. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist was sent home after a week in the hospital for treatment of thyroid cancer.
In 2006, Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, won re-election in a landslide.
In 2008, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in southwestern Pakistan killed at least 215 people. Nearly 50 hours after Game 5 started but was stopped by rain, the Philadelphia Phillies finished off the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in a three-inning sprint to win the World Series for the first time since 1980.
Today's Birthdays: Bluegrass singer-musician Sonny Osborne (The Osborne Brothers) is 72. Country singer Lee Clayton is 67. Rock musician Denny Laine is 65. Singer Melba Moore is 64. Musician Peter Green is 63. Actor Richard Dreyfuss is 62. Actress Kate Jackson is 61. The president of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, is 59. Actor Dan Castellaneta ("The Simpsons") is 52. Country musician Steve Kellough (Wild Horses) is 52. Comic strip artist Tom Wilson ("Ziggy") is 52. Actress Finola Hughes is 50. Singer Randy Jackson is 48. Rock musician Peter Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 44. Actress Joely Fisher is 42. Rapper Paris is 42. Actor Rufus Sewell is 42. Rock singer SA Martinez (311) is 40. Musician Toby Smith is 39. Actress Winona Ryder is 38. Actress Tracee Ellis Ross is 37. Actor Trevor Lissauer is 36. Actress Gabrielle Union is 36. Olympic gold medal bobsledder Vonetta Flowers is 36. Actress Milena Govich is 33. Actor Jon Abrahams is 32. Actor Brendan Fehr is 32.
Today In Entertainment History October 29
In 1891, Broadway star Fanny Brice was born Fanny Borach in Newark, N.J.

In 1923, the musical "Runnin' Wild," which introduced the Charleston, opened on Broadway.
In 1936, singer Hank Snow made his first recordings, "Lonesome Blue Yodel" and "Prisoned Cowboy."
In 1956, "The Huntley-Brinkley Report" premiered as NBC's nightly television newscast, replacing "The Camel News Caravan."
In 1964, the "T.A.M.I. Show" was filmed in Santa Monica, Calif. It featured performances by the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Lesley Gore, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Rolling Stones and The Supremes. [See it if you can. — Ed.]
In 1967, the musical "Hair" opened off-Broadway.
In 1970, Neil Diamond received a gold record for "Cracklin' Rosie."
In 1971, Allman Brothers guitarist Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle crash in Macon, Ga. A similar accident took the life of the band's bassist, Berry Oakley, the next year.
In 1981, the TV comedy "Gimme A Break," starring Nell Carter, made its debut on NBC.
In 1983, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" became the longest-running album on the "Billboard" music charts, with a total of 491 weeks. That record has since been broken. [Probably by something even suckier. — Ed.]
In 1987, jazz great Woody Herman died at age 74.
In 1996, the Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans became parents to a son, Christopher Wallace.
In 2004, Comedian Vaughn Meader, who'd gained fame satirizing President John F. Kennedy, died in Auburn, Maine, at age 68.
Thought for Today: "It may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good." — Margaret Mead, American anthropologist (1901-1978).
Dead guy born today who gets a quote from the Rev. Moon: Scottish biographer James Boswell (b. 1740.) wrote, "I think no innocent species of wit or pleasantry should be suppressed and that a good pun may be admitted among the smaller excellencies of lively conversation."

{Finished around 1500 PDT. — Ed.]

11 November: Nat Turner Executed: Let's Remember Slavery, Not Vets; Mayflower Imperialists Begin American Politics; VU Makes Debut; Berry Oakley Follows Duane Allman To Motorcycle Heaven; Mose Allison Hits 82; Kurt Vonnegut Born

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 11, the 315th day of 2009. There are 50 days left in the year.The UPI Almanac.

This is Veterans Day in the U.S., Remembrance Day in Canada. [Sorry, no graphic available for any of the other nations that may celebrate the end of "The War To End All Wars." — Ed.]Today's Highlight in History:On Nov. 11, 1918, fighting in World War I came to an end with the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany.
On this date:
In 1620, 41 Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, anchored off Massachusetts, signed a compact calling for a "body politick."
In 1831, former slave Nat Turner, who'd led a violent insurrection, was executed in Jerusalem, Va.
In 1889, Washington became the 42nd state.
One hundred years ago, in 1909, President William Howard Taft accepted the recommendation of a joint Army-Navy board that Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands be made the principal U.S. naval station in the Pacific.
In 1921, the remains of an unidentified American service member were interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony presided over by President Warren G. Harding.
Eighty years ago, in 1929, the Ambassador Bridge spanning the Detroit River between Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, was dedicated.
In 1966, Gemini 12 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, Fla., with astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. aboard.
In 1968, the Republic of Maldives was declared.
In 1982, the space shuttle Columbia blasted off on the first commercial space mission.
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan became the first U.S. chief executive to address the Diet, Japan's national legislature.
In 1984, Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. — father of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. — died in Atlanta at age 84.
In 1987, U. S. President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Anthony Kennedy to the U.S. Supreme Court after Judge Douglas Ginsburg withdrew his nomination and Judge Robert Bork was rejected by the Senate.
In 1989, an estimated 1 million East Germans poured into reopened West Germany for a day of celebration, visiting and shopping. Most returned home. [Shopping wasn't that good. — Ed.]
In 1992, the Church of England broke the tradition of a male-only clergy when it voted to allow the ordination of women as priests.
In 1999, a car bomb ripped through a Bogota, Colombia, commercial district, killing eight people, but President Andres Pastrana defiantly signed extradition orders for three suspected drug traffickers. Sixty-seven people were killed when an apartment building collapsed in Foggia, Italy; an investigation blamed the collapse on cheap materials and slipshod construction. Argentine journalist Jacobo Timerman died in Buenos Aires at age 76.
In 2001, two months after the terrorist attacks, U.S. President George Bush and leaders from around the world stood in the shadow of the World Trade Center ruins and, in a colorful and solemn ceremony, honored the dead from more than 80 nations.
In 2004, Palestinians at home and abroad wept, waved flags and burned tires in an eruption of grief at news of the death of Yasser Arafat in Paris at age 75. President George W. Bush expressed hope that Arafat's passing would clear the way for successful Mideast peace negotiations with new Palestinian leaders.
In 2005, Harvard-educated Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, dubbed the "Iron Lady," claimed victory as the first woman president of Liberia.
In 2006, reports say medical care shortages may have led to the deaths of thousands of Iraqis despite the infusion of nearly $500,000. Sectarian violence, theft, corruption and mismanagement -- and the reported killings of hundreds of doctors -- were blamed. Also in 2006, the United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that condemned Israel's recent attacks in Gaza. And, an anonymous tip led investigators to a mass grave in Bosnia containing more than 100 victims of the infamous Srebrenica massacre.
In 2008, President George W. Bush marked his last Veterans Day as president at a New York pier, speaking to a crowd of thousands gathered for the rededication of the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Mohamed Nasheed was sworn in as the Maldives' first democratically elected president. Dignitaries from France and Britain laid wreaths at Verdun, France, to note the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I. The ceremony, one of many held across the globe, was at the site of one of the war's bloodiest battles. San Francisco's Tim Lincecum won the National League Cy Young Award. [And just last wk. (or late last month, wouldn't want to be inaccurate) Mr. Lincecum was popped for possessing the reefer. — Ed.]
Today's Birthdays: Dancer-choreographer Nicholas Royce is 84. Comedian Jonathan Winters is 84. Jazz singer-musician Mose Allison is 82. Author Carlos Fuentes is 81. Actress Bibi Andersson is 74. Country singer Narvel Felts is 71. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is 69. Rock singer-musician Vince Martell (Vanilla Fudge) is 64. The president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, is 64. Golfer Fuzzy Zoeller is 58. Pop singer-musician Paul Cowsill (The Cowsills) is 57. Rock singer-musician Andy Partridge (XTC) is 56. Singer Marshall Crenshaw is 56. Rock singer Dave Alvin is 54. Rock musician Ian Craig Marsh (Human League; Heaven 17) is 53. Actor Stanley Tucci is 49. Actress Demi Moore is 47. Actress Calista Flockhart is 45. Actor Philip McKeon is 45. Rock musician Scott Mercado is 45. Actor Frank John Hughes is 42. TV personality Carson Kressley is 40. Actor David DeLuise is 38. Actor Adam Beach is 37. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is 35. Rock musician Jonathan Pretus (Cowboy Mouth) is 28.
Today In Entertainment History November 11
In 1939, Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on network radio.
In 1945, composer Jerome Kern, who wrote such memorable tunes as "Ol' Man River," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "The Last Time I Saw Paris," died at the age of 60.
In 1958, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters recorded the original version of "The Twist." It became a number-one hit in 1960 after Chubby Checker recorded it.
In 1965, The Velvet Underground made their concert debut at a high school dance in Summit, New Jersey.
Forty years ago, in 1969, Doors lead singer Jim Morrison was arrested for public drunkenness and for interfering with the flight of an aircraft. Morrison allegedly had annoyed a flight attendant on a trip from Los Angeles to Phoenix. The charges eventually were dropped.
In 1970, Bob Dylan's book "Tarantula," a collection of narratives and poems, was published.
In 1972, bassist Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers Band was killed in a motorcycle crash in Macon, Georgia. The accident occurred three blocks from the site of a crash that took the life of Duane Allman a year earlier.
In 1997, Metallica played a free concert in the parking lot of the CoreStates complex in Philadelphia. The band had gone to court and won the right to do so after CoreStates officials bowed to pressure from city council members and neighbors who opposed the show.
Show Biz Quote of The Day: Following the formation of United Artists film corporation, Richard Rowland said, "The lunatics have taken charge of the asylum." (UA was founded by Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith.)
Thought for Today: "Life happens too fast for you ever to think about it. If you could just persuade people of this, but they insist on amassing information." — Kurt Vonnegut, American author (born this date in 1922, died 2007).

28 November: Magellan Reaches Pacific; Washington Irving Dead; Rachmaninoff Rocks Apple; Opry's Radio Debut; Almost 500 Die In Cocoanut Grove Fire; Brit P. M. Thatcher Resigns; Serial Killer Dahmer Beaten To Death; Panda Murder; Plaxico Plugs Self; Berry Gordy, Jr. Is 80 (!); AIrcraft Death Toll: 419

Today is Saturday, Nov. 28, the 332nd day of 2009. There are 33 days left in the year. UPI-manac.Today's Highlight in History:
One hundred years ago, on Nov. 28, 1909, Sergei Rachmaninoff's notoriously difficult Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 had its world premiere in New York, with Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Symphony and Rachmaninoff himself at the piano.
On this date:
In 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name.
One hundred and fifty years ago, in 1859, American author Washington Irving died in present-day Tarrytown, N.Y., at age 76.
In 1895, the first automobile race took place, between Chicago and Waukegan, Ill.
Ninety years ago, in 1919, American-born Lady Astor was elected the first female member of the British Parliament.
Seventy years ago, in 1939, James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, died at age 78.
In 1942, nearly 500 people died in a fire that destroyed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston.
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began conferring in Tehran.

In 1958, Chad, Gabon and Middle Congo became autonomous republics within the French community. The United States fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at full range for the first time.
In 1963, Cape Canaveral, the space center in Florida, was renamed Cape Kennedy to honor the assassinated president. Area residents later voted to revert to the original name.
In 1964, the United States launched the space probe Mariner 4 on a course to Mars.
In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford nominated federal Judge John Paul Stevens to the U.S. Supreme Court seat vacated by William O. Douglas.
Thirty years ago, in 1979, an Air New Zealand DC-10 en route to the South Pole crashed into a mountain in Antarctica, killing all 257 people aboard.
In 1987, a South African Airways Boeing 747 crashed into the Indian Ocean with the loss of all 159 people aboard.
In 1989, Czechoslovakian Premier Ladislav Adamec agreed to a coalition government. The next day, the Czech Parliament revoked the Communist Party's monopoly.
In 1994, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was murdered in a Wisconsin prison by a fellow inmate.
In 1995, President Bill Clinton signed a bill that ended the federal 55 mph speed limit.
In 1999, Hsing-Hsing, the popular giant panda that arrived in America in 1972 as a symbol of U.S.-China detente, was euthanized at Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo at age 28 because of his deteriorating health.
In 2000, George W. Bush's lawyers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to bring "legal finality" to the presidential election by ending any further ballot recounts; Al Gore's team countered that the nation's highest court should not interfere in Florida's recount dispute.
In 2001, Enron Corp. collapsed after would-be rescuer Dynegy Inc. backed out of an $8.4 billion deal to take it over.

In 2004, NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol was injured, his 14-year-old son Teddy among three people killed, in a charter plane crash outside Montrose, Colo. Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility for slaughtering members of the Iraqi security forces in Mosul, where dozens of bodies had been found. A gas explosion in a central Chinese coal mine killed 166 people.
In 2005, U.S. Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., pleaded guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy charges involving bribes from military contractors.
In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI flew to Ankara, Turkey, amid heavy security measures to mend religious fences and establish a dialogue with Muslims. Some 250,000 Muslims demonstrated against the papal visit over remarks Benedict made in September perceived as offensive to Islam.
Also in 2006, leftist candidate Rafael Correa was officially declared winner of the Ecuadorian presidential election.
In 2007, a U.S. airstrike in eastern Afghanistan killed 22 Afghan civilian road construction workers. The men, working on a U.S. military contract, died as they slept in two large tents in a remote mountainous area. Also in 2007, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf relinquished his role as head of his country's military forces, one day before he was sworn in for a third term as president. O.J. Simpson pleaded not guilty in Las Vegas to charges of kidnapping and armed robbery stemming from a confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers. (Simpson was later convicted and sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison.)
In 2008, Indian forces fired grenades at the landmark Taj Mahal hotel, the last stand of suspected Muslim militants, just hours after elite commandos stormed a Jewish outreach center and found six hostages dead. (The 60-hour rampage in Mumbai ended the following day.) At least 400 people were reported killed and hundreds more wounded in violent clashes in Nigeria between Muslims and Christians over local elections. Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants accidentally shot himself in the right thigh with a gun tucked into his waistband at a New York City nightclub. (Burress was later sentenced to two years in prison for a weapons conviction.)
Today's Birthdays: Recording executive Berry Gordy Jr. is 80. Former Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo., is 73. Singer-songwriter Bruce Channel is 69. Singer Randy Newman is 66. CBS News correspondent Susan Spencer is 63. Movie director Joe Dante is 62. "Late Show" orchestra leader Paul Shaffer is 60. Actor Ed Harris is 59. Former NASA teacher in space Barbara Morgan is 58. Actress S. Epatha Merkerson is 57. Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is 56. Country singer Kristine Arnold (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 53. Actor Judd Nelson is 50. Movie director Alfonso Cuaron is 48. Rock musician Matt Cameron is 47. Actress Jane Sibbett is 47. Comedian/talk show host Jon Stewart is 47. Actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon is 43. R&B singer Dawn Robinson is 41. Hip-hop musician apl.de.ap (Black Eyed Peas) is 35. Actress Aimee Garcia is 31. Rapper Chamillionaire is 30. Actor Daniel Henney is 30. Rock musician Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend) is 26. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead is 25. Actress Scarlett Pomers ("Reba") is 21.
Today In Entertainment History November 28
In 1925, the Grand Ole Opry made its radio debut on station WSM.
In 1964, Willie Nelson made his Grand Ole Opry debut. Also in 1964, "Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-Las hit number one on the Billboard pop chart.
Thirty-five years ago, in 1974, John Lennon performed in concert for the first time in several years. He sang three songs with Elton John at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was payback for a bet in which John had made Lennon promise they'd perform together if "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" hit number one.
In 1976, actress Rosalind Russell died. She was 68.
In 1989, IRS agents raided the Las Vegas home of actor Redd Foxx, who owed an estimated $755,000 in taxes.
In 1990, officials in Los Angeles decided there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute singer Axl Rose for assault in connection with a dispute with his neighbor. The neighbor claimed Rose hit her over the head with an empty wine bottle.
In 1997, Chumbawamba singer Danbert Nobacon was arrested in Florence, Italy, for wearing a skirt. He was released when a police officer recognized the name "Chumbawamba." Also in 1997, the last episode of "Beavis and Butt-head" aired on MTV.
Thought for Today: "Great minds have purposes; others have wishes." — Washington Irving, American author (1783-1859). [We wish he'd just shut up. — Ed.]

But Never Better Late: This Date In Pointless Amusement

Here's the entertainment poop for this date in history, which the assholes at the tee vee station for crackers website where we steal this couldn't be bothered to post it until 1700 Cracker Time today.On Feb. 22, 1934, the comedy "It Happened One Night," starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, opened in New York. In 1964, The Beatles arrived in London following their first visit to the US. In 1976, original Supremes member Florence Ballard died in Detroit of coronary thrombosis at age 32. Ballard and her children were living on welfare at the time of her death. [That Berry Gordy's a real fucking champion of compassion, isn't he? — Ed.] In 1978, The Police starred in a TV commercial for Wrigley's chewing gum. The ad was made a few months before the band's single "Roxanne" was released in the UK. [We are all prostitutes, but some of you are a lot more so than others. — Ed.] In 1989, the first heavy metal Grammy was given out. Jethro Tull won. In 1990, a jury in Los Angeles rejected a claim that Stevie Wonder's hit "I Just Called To Say I Love You" was stolen from another songwriter. In 1993, CBS announced that the network had purchased the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York for David Letterman's new TV show. At that point, Letterman was rumored to be moving his program to Los Angeles. In 1997, Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal announced they were ending their 15-year relationship. In 2001, Steely Dan won their first Grammys ever, including album of the year for "Two Against Nature." They beat out Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP," which had generated controversy over its lyrics. In 2004, Puddle of Mudd singer Wes Scantlin was arrested in Toledo, Ohio, for allegedly throwing a bottle into an audience and spitting on them while publicly drunk. In 2005, Blink-182 announced they were going on hiatus. It turned out to be their breakup. They have since reunited. In 2007, Britney Spears checked into rehab for the third time in a week. 

Insurrection Begins

The first version, w/ Richard "Louie Louie" Berry talking.Now those imprisoned in assisted care facilities should rise up, if they have the strength.

SHUT YOUR FESTERING GOBS & DIE, ALREADY!!!

Oh, fucking vomit. The last damn thing we or anyone need is to hear Donald Trump talking about Michael Jackson, & how he really knew him well, & blah blah blah. Yet we just heard it. Fuck you six ways to Sunday, Trump, you colossal asshole!

This is, essentially, the first sudden, unexpected, under odd circumstances, at a (relatively) young age death of an admittedly International Pop Superstar in the current non-stop media environment. The deaths of Elvis & Lennon, far in the misty past, were nothing like this; Squirt Cobain was not the world-wide weenie Jackson was. We've seen the future, & that glimpse makes us glad that we won't be on this planet of putrid idiocy for more than forty yrs. (At the very upper maximum.)

Note to telebision news people: The story is over. The sick fuck is dead, he will not be returning. All else is foam & idiocy. Shut up & go away. The next talking bobble-head that re-spouts any of the cliched crap filling our living rooms should have his or her lips permanently zipped. And the next head that babbles "Ha ha, we bet South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is happy about this," should have his or her tongue removed, permanently & painfully.

Was the sad little clown a massive talent, or sadly fucked-up, easily manipulable puppet of actual talents Berry Gordy & Quincy Jones? Think about it, if your mental processes haven't been permanently damaged by this orgy of inane celecrity idolization crapola.

Also. Chopped liver:

Annals of Attorneying

Sweet Sarah cops out again. Her Imperial Majesty will not be attending the Reagan Lie-berry event scheduled for next month. Politico apparently has the stomach to monitor her Facebook page, which makes them stronger than we, at least in the stomach area.

As repeatedly stated to several in the media over the last week, former Governor Sarah Palin is not committed to attend the Simi Valley Republican Women’s event at the Reagan Library and in fact is not attending the event. Neither the Governor’s state staff nor SarahPAC has ever committed to attending this event or speaking at this event, and even requested that the Governor's name be removed from the invitation several weeks ago. The Governor has other work and commitments to take care of at that time. She looks forward to visiting her friends in California soon.

The WTF? moment:

All event requests must be confirmed with Meghan Stapleton of SarahPAC. Additionally, all invitations bearing the Governor’s name must be approved by her attorney before proceeding. Thank you. Meghan Stapleton

Just where are the invitations going to "proceed" once the legal staff approves? When the masses rise to say "Poopy-Doody" to us elitists by electing Moose-ilini, will we then have gov't. by attorney? "Look, Putin's head! Call the Dep't of Law!!" Who's the "Governor" to whom Stapleton refers? Is Meghan one of Sarah's high school buddies? (That being the only reasonable explanation for the continued incompetence & illiteracy.)

Saturday Sage Burning

Guess I never perused all the song-writing credits on the disc; the Sonics borrowed this'n from Richard Berry too.Who stole "Louie Louie" from René Touzet.

Multiple Faces Have They

Perhaps the lack of demands that Sen. John ("Bomb-bomb") McCain denounce & repudiate various statements by one of his "spiritual guides," Rod Parsley, & the other mega-church pastor whose endorsement he actively sought, John Hagee, as opposed to the hysteria concerning the sermons of the retiring pastor (Baaa! Baaa!) of Sen. Obama's church has something to do w/ Jeremiah Wright's comments (Except that the gov't. developed HIV to kill black people; why would it even bother, black people die younger already?) all being true, whereas the "end times" crap spouted by Hagee & Parsley is obviously the ranting of the delusional mentally ill (You too can play "Spot The Symptoms." Just get out your DSM-IVTR & start flipping through it.) & needn't be taken seriously by serious white people, while Wright is speaking the truth & the slapping of the juiciest parts all over the media is embarrassing to those who say that the only racism in This Great Nation of Ours™ is when black people mention that they might have gotten a raw deal at the hands of Euro-Americans. (And are still getting a raw deal.) Let's take a closer look at ol' Rod's "prosperity gospel," through the lens of an actual (Gasp!) Xtian who takes issue w/ the prayer hankies, etc. Even his own people see right through his scamming. From the spiritual to the profane, we go to David Corn, formerly of The Nation, who's taken his keyboard to Mother Jones, & dug into some of Pastor Parsley's plans for the physical, political world.

Parsley claims that Islam is an "anti-Christ religion" predicated on "deception." The Muslim prophet Muhammad, he writes, "received revelations from demons and not from the true God." And he emphasizes this point: "Allah was a demon spirit."

Just Another Blog™ does support the eradication of Islam, & all other religions. One of the first steps would be to recognize that "Allah" was not "a demon spirit," but the hallucinatory delusion of a mentally troubled merchant from Medina. Again, check the DSM-IVTR. (Sadly, no longer available on the innertubes. Try any chain bookstore or the lie-berry.) Rod's take on This Great Nation of Ours™ vis-a-vis Islam:

I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed [.]

He traces this back to Christopher Columbus. Seriously. And is, of course, a dominionist. Well, fair enough, "Bomb-bomb" thinks this is an "Xtian" country, & you might remember he was a little nervous at the prospect of a Moooslim pres. a few months back, 'til he made a U-turn w/the "Straight Talk Express." Flip. Flop. Flip. Flop. P. S.: This just in, as we type:

McCain: Sunni? Shia? What? Where did all that vaunted national security experience go? WaPo: Sen. John McCain, traveling in the Middle East to promote his foreign policy expertise, misidentified in remarks Tuesday which broad category of Iraqi extremists are allegedly receiving support from Iran. He said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda. In fact, officials have said they believe Iran is helping Shiite extremists in Iraq. Speaking to reporters in Amman, the Jordanian capital, McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back." Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

Emphasis theirs. Either MoJo's or WaPo's. Being a prisoner of war does not foreign policy experience make.