More than Mad, completely Cracked and definitely Sick: it's Naturally Zapped, Mister!

The literature depicted below may have broken certain societal taboos (pot is good, sex is fun, authority is a real drag, man), or it may have been utterly without socially redeeming value but, for a certain portion of the young and (I'm guessing), mostly male population, this was the first comical view into the truly illicit goings on of the hippie culture and oh, man, was it ever groovy. Keep on Truckin' indeed; just don't admit it to your children!

A dash of Voltaire

"A feast not only of wit and eloquence but of warm friendship, humane feeling, and incisive thought." - Will and Ariel Durant on Voltaire's Letters

The Charge of the Light Brigade Ignites the Romance of War

The Charge of the Light Brigade took place on October 25, 1854 at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) was the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom when he wrote this poem.

The Jefferson - Adams Correspondence

"You and I ought to not die, before we have explained ourselves to each other." - John Adams to Thomas Jefferson

Sister Rosetta Tharpe rocked the Gospel Truth

Rhythm and Blues, Rock and  Roll and Soul music have many fathers but relatively few mothers. One of the greatest "mothers" of them all, and "The Original Soul Sister" was Sister Rosetta Tharpe.  

Oscar Wilde; King of the Epigram

Oscar Wilde; King of the Epigram

Several weeks ago, I set out to read, collect, collate, and share a few of my favorite epigrams by Oscar Wilde. Those several weeks later, I am left with dozens and dozens of indispensable pithy observations that I am thoroughly unable to parse or whittle down any farther. Many are sobering, some silly, most witty and all revealing of the artist's true vision. Thus, I present these and crown the author with the sobriquet, King of the Epigram.

Oscar Through the Years Part One 1934 - 1973

I rarely watch the Academy Awards anymore but I'm glad they exist so that I know who's who, who's in and out, whose star is shining and whose has dimmed.  And which artists are compiling enduring bodies of work worthy of public notice. 

 

For every Hollywood motion picture actor who boards the bus bound for stardom, another must get off. That explains the dimming stars of Macauley Caulkin, Ali McGraw, Linda Blair, Mira Sorvino, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Yasmin Bleeth, Rocky Stallone and so many other former luminaries whose lights inexplicably faded despite their overarching talent. 

Then there are the performers in the clips below who took the front row seats and through one performance after another, announced to the world, "I'm the brightest star in the firmament and I'm not going anywhere." 

TO BE CONTINUED ...

Spy vs. Spy

How would we have ever won the Cold War without the contributions of our television and film spies to rally us around the flag?

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

"GOOD EVENING".

Each week from 1955 through 1962, famed film director, Alfred Hitchcock, stepped into his familiar silhouette and intoned his seemingly innocuous greeting, "Good Evening", before ushering us into his eponymous weekly TV production, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents".  An anthology of tales filled with mystery, suspense, intrigue, imagination and, of course, macabre, the series delivered consistently high quality scripts and was an early proving ground for many young writers, directors and actors. 

A song for a winter's day

Remember Tommy Roe? Sure you do.
"Sweet little Sheila, my little Sheila, blue eyes and a pony tail."
"Oh, Sweet Pea, won't you dance with me? Won't ya, won't ya dance with me?"
"Hooray for Hazel, she put me down." etc, etc.

Well, it seems that when he took the bubble gum out of his mouth, ol' Tom was capable of digging just a little bit deeper. This is a lovely and needlessly obscure song of his called, "It's Now Winter's Day".  Let's give it a spin.