Italian Movies Series: Post #1

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Self Basting in Tennessee

Whenever The IP travels through small-town America, he likes to pick up a copy of the local newspaper and take a break from big-city issues and worries.  Such “local” news can also provide some needed humor.  Yet even The IP was not prepared for this particular story:
 
 

Special thanks to the Citizen Tribune for providing The IP and his Black Friday companions with such a good story.

Veggies Are Pissed!

If anything, at least Herman Cain provides fodder for Stephen Colbert and John Stewart. His latest juvenile and paranoid comments involve the relative masculinity of veggie vs. meat pizza. The IP ain’t no sweat-lodging, New Aging vegematerian, but to diss veggie pizzas as being “sissy” pretty much sums up the level of political rhetoric we have come to associate with Cain. That he has any traction at all begs incredulity.*

“A manly man don’t want it piled high with vegetables! He would call that a sissy pizza.”

*Actually, if you read the GQ interview, you get a feel for why people like him.  He’s the anti-politician, the man’s man.   And he CAN be funny, when he is not bigoted and homophobic and hyper-heterosexualist.   For better and for worse, he uses a more honest language than the other candidates…that’s why people like him (or don’t; or both).

 

Delta State’s Fighting Okra are fighting mad at Cain!

 

It is reported that the grain community is considering joining the veggies.

 

Anywaze, here is a 60s chestnut that puts things in perspective.   Blog at ya later.

Creeping Capitalism (not that that is a bad thing)

Whatever happened to the idea of “public?” The IP has been frustrated of late as he sees the effects of Creeping Capitalism upon the once-public realms of our society. It’s not that he “hates” capitalism, it’s just that having a vibrant public sector that is not beholden to corporations has always been seen by him as one of America’s virtues. That idea seems rather quaint these days, especially now that corporations are considered “people“ thanks to The Supreme Court. Private as the new Public. Sponsored by Publix.

Here in metro Atlanta, two blatant examples of Creeping Capitalism syndrome are found in the area’s “public” schools. Case # 1 involves using school signs (now called “marquees” by the consultants) as nothing less than advertising space (now known as “sponsorship”):

That marquee is so classy. The doric columns exude refinement and taste, as well as associations with tire stores and landscraping services.  The latter are the beginings of a new, particularly American House of Medici (with worse taste). 

The other example is the use of public schools for the location of cellphone towers.  The IP heard that some people were upset about this, and he was pleased that they cared; but then he read the following:

“Critics argue the towers are ugly, lower property values and have not been conclusively proved to be safe from health risks.”

Jeez. They don’t even care about the principle of having truly public institutions remain so; they are more concerned about aesthetics, property values, and what they call “health.” WTF?  Where is the PUBLIC anymore?  The IP actually likes the look of radio towers, he just wishes that they would be for highschool radio stations rather than Sprint cellphone relays.

The IP knows he is tilting at windmills here, but he likes the idea of public schools rather than Publix schools.

Peach Out!

I Don’t Necessarily Want My MTV Again, But a Revisit Wouldn’t Be So Bad

The IP was kickin’ it old skool on The MARTHA on the way home tonight, actually reading an actual old skool newspaper made from paper instead of one of those Kindle de-vices dat be all the mad rage of the lately.

Seriously, on each of his commutes, it seems that two-thirds of all the folks riding the train are glued to their “device;” But that’s OK, because reading is fundamental. More important, those de-vices have the option of a big font, and that could REALLY help The IP…but he digresses.

The IP read a review in said newspaper of a new book on the early history of MTV. He’s not going to buy the book, but it was fun to read about those early, often awful (but addictive) MTV videos. But what really got The IP thinking was when the reviewer noted a video that people in the business said was “the worst MTV video ever.” Usually, superlatives like that simply make a person come up with examples that could equal or surpass the claim, but, after watching it, The IP has to agree it’s at least in the top ten of worst MTV videos, and that’s good enough for him.

And the kicker is that the artist in the video went to the same high school as did The IP, and a close relative of The IP actually went to school with him! She told The IP OTHER THINGS about the guy (Class of ‘68), but he’ll let her explain that part in the comments if she wants.

So. Who is this dude responsible for performing in one of  “the worst MTV videos ever?” It’s none other than William Haislip Squier! You remember; BILLY SQUIER !!

It seems that Mr. Squier was in the right place at the wrong time when he started patronizing the Psychedelic Supermarket in Kenmore Square, meaning that he got to see and be inspired by Eric Clapton and Crème.

The above is an actual picture of the concert at The Psychedelic Supermarket that evidently inspired William Haislip Squier to strike (stroke?) out with his own band, The Pipers, and eventually solo in the 1980s.  The Pipers were said to be pretty cool.

Alas, what was to become Billy Squier was on the cusp of the 1980s, and that weird, big-hair culture seemed to sweep up all (including Billy) in its wake, hence his strange “dancing” on one of “the worst MTV videos ever!”

OK. It might be a bad video, but The IP is not gonna diss The Wellesley Squier. There’s something in his sound that evokes his Psychedelic Supermarket roots (maybe).

Rock On!

Pete Rugolo RIP

Pete Rugolo died this week. He was one of The IP’s favorite TV theme composers. Here are a few tubes of some of his TV work:

1979 Atlanta TV News Gallery

The IP’s been watching vintage Atlanta newscasts lately.  Below is an impromptu gallery of screen captures, all from various 1979 Atlanta broadcast TV stations.  The John Portman cityscapes at the last part of the gallery are amazing. 

Enjoy! 

 

 

WRECK

 

WHAT’S GOING ON?

 

TISSUE BOX POLITICS

 

EARLE HAYER OF ROME

 

SHOOTING

 

GUY SAYS…

 

POLARIS

 

MINI ME

 

PORTMAN PERSPECTIVE (CITY OF THE CENTURY)

 

Watch the strange TV Station promo pictured above HERE.

Blog at ya later.

 

Mike Brady’s Second Car

Mike Brady’s second car was another behemoth, a 1970 Plymouth Fury III convertible:

The above screen captures not only show the car (ragtop up), but the infamous Brady house as well

Exhibiting Chrysler’s new “fuselage” styling, Mr. Brady’s Fury III really filled the driveway at 4222 Clinton Way.

So, just what is “fuselage” styling?  Let’s let Chrysler explain:

Click on the image to enlarge…

Of course, a convertible with its top down kinda defeats the concept of fuselage,” but in sunny California, who can blame Mr. Brady for preferring a big open boat like a ragtop Fury III?  Especially when he can get his kids to wash it for him:

MORE FUSELAGE HERE

Polara

OK pithecanthropes, The IP knows it’s been a long time since he blogged at ya, but all he can say is WTF!

The IP will begin this new cycle of posts with a continuation of a previous series; that is, the cars of Classic TV.

First up is the Brady’s first car, a kickin’ 1968 slab Dodge Polara (at that time the only full-sized Dodge available in the U.S. as a convertible), as depicted in the pilot episode:

Something about the above screen-capture image is absolutely magical. It comes across as a curious painting, or a hazy mental memory of 1968 Anglo-American suburbia (or merely a screen capture from the pilot episode of the Brady Bunch).

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