burn in hell in white flame, motherf@cker

"BITCH"

"GO PLAY WITH YOUR BITCHES"

"WE KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU NOW DONT [sic] WE? ITS [sic] NOT ALL ABOUT YOU YOU KNOW"

"carry on with your threats to anyone/everyone. we all know who you are"

"ib are you really LOST? cause i thought you werent LOST. you mustnt [sic] put yourself down. get this into the real world - we're getting there."

Yes, folks. Just a few of the engaging witticisms directed my way these past couple of days. Jesus. You really couldn't make this kind of crap up.

And this strikingly perceptive summation:

"...i like that wood cut btw but yyyou [?] are a very angry person"

Anonymous, I'd like to say it's been swell knowing you. But. I'd be lying through my fuckin' teeth. Truly, I would.

If you really feel you must write again, be sure to do it in crayon.

You will find some pretty colours in the packet provided. The one with the farting Buddha all done up in pink.

Or Jay Cee on the lamb turned out like Charlton Heston. 

We're all getting there, baby doll. It's just it takes some longer than others.

Recorded November 21st, 1961, Hollywood. Arranged by Don Costa.

Written by Erroll Garner and Johnny Burke.

photograph by richard kern.

▼ FRANK SINATRA: MISTY from "Sinatra & Strings" LP (Reprise) 1962 (US)

block up your chimneys ?

creepy #68: warren publishing, 1975.

bronner's christmas wonderland.
"world's largest christmas store, frankenmuth, michigan U.S.A."

"Frankenmuth, Michigan, is the home of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland. Bronner's, a fascinating year-round attraction for all ages, was founded in 1945 by Wally Bronner. It has grown to be the world's largest Christmas store and welcomes more than 2 million visitors annually from throughout the United States, Canada, and the world. Bronner's impressive Alpine-design building, which is the size of 5.5 football fields, is nestled on 27 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds featuring delightful Christmas displays. The amazing shopping wonderland inside the building is the size of 1.7 football fields. Bronner's believes every day of the year should be a celebration of Christ's birthday; therefore Bronner's motto is "Enjoy CHRISTmas, It's HIS Birthday; Enjoy Life, It's HIS Way." "

Jesus H. Christ!

And if that is not enough to chill your blood:

"...Year-round Christmas trims adorn lampposts and grounds along Bronner's 1/2-mile Christmas Lane where every evening visitors may enjoy a spectacular exhibit of outdoor Christmas lights. A majestic, life-size Nativity near each entrance focuses attention on the Christ child's birth.

Inside is a world of singing carolers, dancing Santas, and over 700 whimsical animated figures. "Welcome" signs greet visitors in more than 60 languages. The international theme continues throughout Bronner's where ornaments from dozens of countries around the world decorate a multitude of trees. Ornaments are also available in more than 70 languages with a "Merry Christmas" greeting."

The following cautionary festive ditty I originally stubbed my toe upon over on the fabulous Probe Is Turning On The People! a couple of Christmases ago. Curiosity mildly aroused, these few telling facts were all I was able to subsequently uncover:

Paddy Roberts was born and trained as a legal eagle in South Africa, but following a stint in the RAF during WWII relocated to London and forged a career as a pilot for BOAC. A popular entertainer on the side, he apparently "held offices in the Performing Rights Society and the Song Writers Guild". He died in the UK in the autumn of 1975.

Recorded at the height of the cold war, in the wake of the Bay of Pigs, I think it safe to assume Paddy may have been an active member of the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament.

Mere curmudgeon or idealist ? You decide.

▼ PADDY ROBERTS: MERRY X-MAS YOU SUCKERS* from "Merry X-Mas You Suckers b/w Got n' Idea" 45 (Decca) 1962 (UK)

* Released in the US on London Records, under the title "And A Happy New Year".
OUT OF PRINT

tony bennett

anthony dominick benedetto and the golden gate bridge.
Another Grammy Award winner ; this time for Tony Bennett in 1963, who picked up a double for "Record of the Year" and "Best Solo Male Vocal Performance" with this composition by George Cory and Douglas Cross. Arranged by Ralph Sharon and produced by Ernest Altschuler.

After a decade or two of seeing his career hit the skids - beginning in 1965 when he parted from Sharon and his wife, Patricia - Bennett came good again in the 1980s, a period which began darkly enough for him with the Internal Revenue Service attempting to seize his LA home, and a near fatal cocaine overdose. You might recall the cinematic tilting of a hat or two in 1984's "The Pope Of Greenwich Village", a timely plug which clearly helped cement his credibility with a younger audience.

Vegas and Hollywood never seemed so inviting.

▼ TONY BENNETT: I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO from "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" LP (Columbia) 1962 (US)

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