July 26th, 2008 by Robert Rouse

On this date in 1968, Paul McCartney and John Lennon added the final touches to the “Hey Jude” demo, at Paul’s home studio.
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On this date in 1970, while at the Primal Institute in Los Angeles, John Lennon recorded several demos of the song “God“.
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On this date in 1971, George Harrison hosted the first rehearsals for the Concert for Bangla Desh at the Nola Studios in New York City.
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On this date in 1972, a special preview screening of “The Concert For Bangla Desh” was held at the Rialto Cinema in London.
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On this date in 1974, a three-day Beatles convention called “Strawberry Fields Forever” opened in Boston.
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On this date in 1989, this blogger attended a Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band concert at Deer Creek, in Noblesville, Indiana.

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July 26th, 2008 by Robert Rouse

“I like this place, everybody treats me nice, some of them are a little crazy though.“

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Ed Gein (speaking about living in prison)

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On this date in 1984, Gein died of cancer while still in prison. Gein was the notorious Butcher of Plainfield, WI. He would murder his victims, then use their skin to make lampshades, clothing, and masks. Gein would end up being the inspiration for several Hollywood villains, including, Norman Bates (Psycho), Leatherface, (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and Buffalo Bill, (Silence of the Lambs).

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Perspective

July 26th, 2008 by Robert Rouse

Yesterday was the 30th birthday of Louise Brown. For those of you who do not remember Louise, she was the world’s first Test Tube Baby. The first offspring of in vitro Fertilization. What makes this so remarkable, is that I remember the news story of that day in 1978 so vividly. Thirty years ago.

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Now, let me put that in perspective. There are a lot of people out there today who are either too young to remember or too young to have even been born, but for those who do remember 30 years ago so vividly, allow me to take a look at the events that transpired just thirty years before I was born.

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1925

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• Benito Mussolini declared himself dictator of Italy
• Calvin Coolidge has the forst presidential inauguration ever broadcast on the radio
• The Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, TN
• F. Scott Fitzgerald published “The Great Gatsby“
• Adolf Hitler published “Mein Kampf“
• Scotch Tape was invented
• George Bernard Shaw won the Nobel Prize for Literature

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All of these events seem like ancient history, and yet, they all happened just thirty short years before I was born. And yet I recall some events of 1978 like they were yesterday, Hell, I recall my high school years and earlier with a lot of clarity. Yet there are people who were born in 1978 or later, like Louise Brown, who will look at many of the events of that year as ancient history. It really does put a lot of time in perspective. Now, look up the events that happened thirty years before you were born.

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July 27th, 2008 by Robert Rouse

On this date in 1964, Brian Epstein represented pop music on the 1964 list of the 10 best dressed men in Britain. A quote from one of the judges said, “his sartorial taste hits the mark as surely as his eye for talent. He is one of the moderates.”
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On this date in 1968, the Apple Store closed its doors.
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On this date in 1971, George Harrison and Ravi Shankar held a press conference to announce the Concert for Bangla Desh at Madison Square Garden.
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On this date in 1972, the film “The Concert For Bangla Desh” opened to the general public at the Rialto Cinema in London. (Below is an outtake from the film featuring George Harrison and Bob Dylan singing “If Not For You” during a sound check for the show).

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On this date in 1976, John Lennon’s application to remain in the US as a permanent resident was approved at a special hearing. Judge Ira Fieldsteel officially handed John his green card.

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On this date in 1992, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” hit Britain’s Top 10 album chart (at #6) over 25 years after it was first released.

July 27th, 2008 by Robert Rouse

“If the impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States will not reach the offenses charged here, then perhaps that 18th-century Constitution should be abandoned to a 20th-century paper shredder.“

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Barbara Jordan

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On this date in 1974, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted 27 to 11 to recommend the first article of impeachment against President Richard Nixon: obstruction of justice. It’s too bad the 2008 version of the House doesn’t have the balls of the 1974 House.

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July 28th, 2008 by Robert Rouse

On this date in 1964, the Beatles flew to Sweden for a concert at the Ice Hockey Stadium in Stockholm.
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On this date in 1965, BBC-TV broadcast the program “Songwriters“, about John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Also on this date the single “Help!” hit #1 on the UK’s New Musical Express chart.
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On this date in 1968, the Beatles had a marathon of photo shoots around London, resulting in a few great shots, including the one on the right.
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On this date in 1971, the George Harrison single, “Bangla Desh“/”Deep Blue“, was released in the United States.
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On this date in 1993, “MTV News” in Europe reported that Paul McCartney was writing new classical pieces for piano.

LOC’s Quote of the Day

July 28th, 2008 by Robert Rouse

“The insufferable arrogance of human beings to think that Nature was made solely for their benefit, as if it was conceivable that the sun had been set afire merely to ripen men’s apples and head their cabbages.“

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Cyrano de Bergerac

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On this date in 1655, the renowned French poet and owner of a huge proboscis, de Bergerac passed away at the ripe old age of 36.