MLB-the next round

I said the Yankeees would lose to the Angels.
I said the Padres didn’t have a prayer.

That’s the good news.

To my credit, I DID say Houston-Atlanta would be the trickiest of the four.
Boston’s loss didn’t surprise me, but the sweep did. I think I gave the BoSox extra credit as defending champs, instead of chumps.

I guess I’ll stick with the Angels, although their travel from NYC to LA to CHI worries me greatly.
St. Louis was always my #2 seed, so I see them overcoming Houston in a tough series.

Regardless, the winner of the World Series will come out of the National League.

I realize that that unless the Cardinals take it, the World Series will be won by either a team that has NEVER been in the Fall Classic or by a team that hasn’t been in since the other two teams were created. The Red Sox broke their “curse” last year, so statistically speaking, we have a 75% chance of SOMEBODY breaking their streak of futility.

Rock Meme-Jackson Browne

This guy’s birthday was yesterday:

Artist/Band: Jackson Browne
Are you male or female: I Thought I was a Child
Describe yourself: I am a Patriot
How do some people feel about you: The Pretender
How do you feel about yourself: Running on Empty
Describe what you want to be: Somebody’s Baby; Soldier of Plenty
Describe how you live: Take It Easy
Describe how you love: Tender is the Night; In the Shape of a Heart
Share a few words of wisdom: Anything Can Happen; Call It a Loan

Walk Under Ladders

(Reference to my Joan Armatrading song, the function title song of which is I’m Lucky.

Sunday at about 3 a.m., a drunk driver roared down my residential street, smashed into one car and did considerable damage, hit an SUV and totalled it, then spun around and ended up about six inches behind our car.

I left for church but just missed the bus. There’s not nother one on a Sunday for a half hour. Fortunately, a choir member was also running late and gave me a ride.

A couple from my church rang the doorbell early in the afternoon,. They had discovered my Discover card lying on the ground in front of the church, and they were delivering it to me.

“I don’t need a bracelet
No salt
For my shoulder
I don’t own a rabbit
No clover
No heather
No wonder
I’m lucky”
***
And spealing of “functional title song”, can you help me with a list I used to own, but lost? A “functional title song” has the title of the album in the song. Examples:
Shawn Colvin’s “A Few Small Repairs” has that line appear in “Sunny Came Home”.
Paul Simon’s “Negotiations and Love Songs” greatest hits collection has that line appear in “Train in the Distance”.
Nivana’s “Nevermind” has that word appear in “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.
I KNOW there are a lot more. Thanks.

Rock Meme-JL

Today being JL’s birthday, it was obvious who I’d pick for this game I picked up from Mr. Lefty.

Here’s how you play: Pick a musical artist or band. Now fill out this questionnaire using only song titles. (I limited this to songs performed by John as opposed to the Beatles. You’ll note that I couldn’t stop with one choice.)

Artist/Band: John Lennon
Are you male or female: Jealous Guy; Beautiful Boy
Describe yourself: Working Class Hero; We’re All Water
How do some people feel about you: Crippled Inside; God
How do you feel about yourself: Just Like Starting Over; Hard Times Are Over
Describe what you want to be: I Don’t Want to Be a Soldier; Sweet Little Sixteen
Describe how you live: Watching the Wheels; Slippin’ and Slidin’
Describe how you love: Oh Yoko; Dear Yoko; Two Virgins
Share a few words of wisdom: Power to the People; Give Peace a Chance

I’d love especially for you non-bloggers (MR with the Beatles, MAK with whomever, this means YOU) to take a shot and post in my response area for other artists. (Or MAK, you could actually START that blog…)

And I liked this exercise so much I may do it again. Be forewarned.

Oprah got it wrong

Recent JEOPARDY! clue, paraphrased because I failed to write it down: “Photographer of a naked John Lennon and a fully-clothed Yoko Ono.”
***

I was John.

My sister Leslie was Paul. Paul is left-handed. And he was CUTE. (Say that last word with four syllables.)

Our neighbor Mary Jane was Ringo because he LOVED Ringo (three sylables on LOVED.)

Baby sister Marcia was George, because, frankly we needed someone to be George. Leslie and I pretty much told her she would be George. She wasn’t happy because George didn’t have many lead vocals.

And I was John, because he was the leader, the smart one, the clever one.

Now that I think of it, our relationship with Marcia in this context was not unlike John and Paul’s with George. And MJ was like Ringo in that she was the final piece, and she pretty much stayed out of the squabbling.

We got our broomsticks and MJ got a Quaker oatmeal box. We charged the neighbor kids two or five cents each to watch us lip-synch to Beatles VI, the playlist of which is here. You’ll see that George got only one lead vocal, thus the source of Marcia’s contentiousness. Being lead guitarist didn’t seem quite as impressive to her.

We did this gig two or three times, at least.

So when Paul McCartney was on Oprah’s show promoting “Flaming Pie” back in 1997, and Oprah proclaimed that she was the Beatles’ biggest black fan when she was a child, she did not have any idea what she was talking about.

Did Oprah perform Beatles’ songs in public? Did Ms. Harpo commit to memory the songwriter credits for all of the Beatles’ albums and singles? Did she know the catalog numbers of the albums?

I think NOT.

So, move over, lady, ’cause I’m claiming the throne.

Of course, I’m doing all of this Beatle musing because it’s Sean Ono Lennon’s 30th birthday today. Does THAT make me feel old! I remember when he was born.

And, yes, it would have been John Lennon’s 65th birthday today as well.

I have pictures of my family on my desk, but the only photo on the wall of my office is of John Lennon, circa 1972. It was given to me some years ago by my old FantaCo compatriot, Beatleologist and FOH (Friend of Hembeck), Rocco Nigro. Still one of my favorite presents, ever.

IMAGINE if we really did GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.
***
The answer: Who was Annie Leibovitz? BTW, I’ve seen people get that answer wrong by saying LEE-BO-WITZ, rather than LEE-BO-VITZ. The photo in question is here.
***
Finally, my heart reaches out to those affected by disasters: a 7.6 earthquake in South Asia, and Hurricane Stan, which is pelting Central America.

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