10 THINGS TO KNOW FOR TODAY – FEBRUARY 13

From PEOPLEPC.COM and AP

10 Things to Know for Today Plus a Couple of Others [And my comments]



In this June 14, 2009 photo, Croatian soccer player Mario Cizmek, left, and his club president Zvonko Zubak celebrate victory in the national Cup match in Zagreb, Croatia. Cizmek was sentenced to 10 months in prison for involvement in match fixing scandal. Soccer player Mario Cizmek thought it would just be one match. Ease up and let the other team win, he told himself, then collect the payoff, and start clearing his debts. But the broke and desperate athlete soon learned that it wouldn't be just one match. He would have to throw another game, then another, then another.

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:31:15 -0500


1. FUGITIVE STANDOFF ENDS AT BURNING CALIFORNIA CABIN

The ex-officer suspected of killing four people was believed to have died in the mountain cabin after a shootout with police. [All's well that ends, in this case.]



2. OBAMA TO REPUBLICANS: DO IT MY WAY

The president set up high-stakes clashes over guns, immigrations, taxes and climate change in his State of the Union address. [Yippie ki-yay... you know the rest.]



3. POPE FACES HIS FOLLOWERS

Benedict XVI says he's stepping down for "the good of the church" in his first public appearance since announcing his resignation. [Hopefully he'll be replaced with someone much younger.]



4. WHAT NORTH KOREA GAINS FROM NUKE TESTS

The blasts put young leader Kim Jong Un and his advisers right where they want to be: at the center of the world's attention. [Yippie ki-yay, duck and cover!]



5. COMCAST BUYING UP NBCUNIVERSAL

Completing the deal for the owner of NBC should make Comcast less vulnerable to rising TV programming costs. [At least someone is going to be less vulnerable to rising costs.]



6. CROAT SOCCER STAR REJECTS FIXING MATCHES

Mario Cizmek tells The AP he threw games because he owed money on back taxes near the end of his career. [I wonder if Willie Nelson "threw" any concerts?]



7. LOOKING FOR ALIENS ON EARTH

Scientists are studying rocks billions of years old for information that can be used to guide the search for life on Mars. [Not sure what the title has to do with the subject. I think the uneducated at AP were confused.]



8. SENATOR NEEDS A WATER BREAK

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's grab for a water bottle during the Republican response to the State of the Union lit up social media outlets. [Just shows you how little it takes to light up "social media" these days and that it's always open-season on Republicans for anything. Thank you "main stream" media for establishing that precedent.]



9. CRUISE LINE DEFENDS PASSENGER TREATMENT ABOARD DISABLED SHIP

Carnival President Gerry Cahill says the ship on its way to Alabama has running water and some working bathrooms. [What a relief. I thought things we're about to get desperate. Future cruises will be offering "All you can eliminate" trips.]



10. TOP DOG CROWNED AT WESTMINSTER

The 5-year-old Affenpinscher, "Banana Joe," edged a 20-month-old English sheepdog to win best in show. [And it was the best show of the night in comparison to what transpired in Washington.]



11. PRESIDENT KNOWS HIS CONSTITUENCY

The First Obfuscator knows the 50.6% of the population that elected him as he continues to spout platitudes, pander and contradict himself whenever the moment is right because he knows none of them will 1) care, 2) call him on it or 3) if the other two fail, remember.



12. "STOP BREAKING THE LAW, ASSHOLES!"

...to borrow a phrase from Jim Carrey's film LIAR, LIAR. Since the vast majority of gun violence in this country is minority-on-minority and not law-abiding citizens attacking first graders and theater-goers, I'm wondering why those representing them in the rogue's gallery of invitees last night simply don't go home and tell their neighbors to just stop shooting each other instead of supporting someone trying to take consititutional rights away from others.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY – FEBRUARY 13

HISTORICAL EVENTS

From GoogleImages

1578 – Danish nobleman, Tycho Brahe, first sketches his "Tychonic system" of the solar system which proposed a "geo-heliocentric" system with the Sun and Moon orbiting the Earth and the rest of the planets orbiting the Sun. He also observed the supernova of 1572 (known now as SN 1572) in Cassiopeia from Herrevad Abbey in Sweden.

From GoogleImages

1633 – Italian philosopher, astronomer and mathematician, Galieleo Galilei, arrives in Rome to face the Inquisition.


1689 – Following Britain's Glorious Revolution, William and Mary are proclaimed joint sovereigns of England, with Parliament winning its long struggle against the crown.


1861 – Colonel Bernard J.D. Irwin performs the first Medal of Honor "action" in U.S. history. The medal was established by Congress in 1862 and awarded to Irwin in 1864.



From GoogleImages

1905 – President Theodore Roosevelt, after winning re-election and continuing to use the "bully pulpit", delivered a speech at the New York City Republican Club on America's race problems.


1945 – Dresden, Germany is devastated by a firestorm that last two days, initiated by incendiary bombing by the Allies. Between 35,000 and 135,000 German citizens were killed. American author, Kurt Vonnegut, was a prisoner of war in Dresden and survived the raid. He later wrote the novel Slaughterhouse-Five about the experience.

FAMOUS BIRTHS

From GoogleImages

1887 – Alvin Cullum York (Sergeant York) was born near Pall Mall, TN, the third of eleven children. He went on to be the most decorated American soldier in World War I.



FAMOUS DEATHS

1542 – Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of England's Henry VIII, was beheaded, after conviction of infidelity to the king.


1728 – Cotton Mather, American Puritan minister dies. He was known for his part in the Salem witch trials.

100 DAYS OF THE BEATLES – TOP 100 SONGS – 57

From GoogleImages

NUMBER 57: "I'm Only Sleeping" (Lennon – June 20, 1966) 

Revolver - Side 1, Track 3 (3:02)

YouTube Video

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (sans references)– 

"I'm Only Sleeping" is a song by The Beatles from their 1966 studio album Revolver. It was released two months earlier in the US on the album Yesterday And Today and did not feature on the original US version of Revolver. John Lennon wrote it, but, like all The Beatles' songs written by Lennon or Paul McCartney, it is credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Recording

The recording of the song began in EMI Studios on 27 April 1966 with eleven takes of the rhythm track. Five further takes of the song were recorded but none were used. Take 11 was chosen as the master and two days later Lennon added his lead vocals. On 5 May, George Harrison wrote and recorded the double guitar part. The next day the recording was completed by Lennon, McCartney and Harrison's backing vocals.

The song features the then-unique sound of a reversed guitar duet played by Harrison, conceived after the tape operator accidentally threaded the tape into the machine upside down and performed by Harrison in a five hour late-night recording session with producer George Martin. Harrison perfected the part with the tape running backwards so that, when reversed, it would fit the dreamlike mood. One guitar was recorded with fuzz effects, the other without. The track also uses reverse reverb.

During the break before the second bridge, at about 1:57 into the song, a barely audible voice (probably Lennon's) can be heard saying, "Yawn, Paul", followed by a slightly more audible yawn at 2:00 minutes. The prominent acoustic rhythm guitar track is electronically compressed.

Interpretation

The first draft of Lennon's lyrics for "I'm Only Sleeping", written on the back of a letter from 1966, suggests that he was writing about the joys of staying in bed rather than any drug euphoria sometimes read into the lyrics. While not on tour, due to his lack of routine, Lennon would often spend his time sleeping, reading, writing or watching television, often under the influence of drugs, and would often have to be woken by McCartney for songwriting sessions. In a London Evening Standard article published on 4 March 1966, which contained quotes from an interview in which Lennon made his "more popular than Jesus" remark, Maureen Cleave, a friend of Lennon's, wrote, "He can sleep almost indefinitely, is probably the laziest person in England. 'Physically lazy,' he said. 'I don't mind writing or reading or watching or speaking, but sex is the only physical thing I can be bothered with any more.'"

Release 

The song was first released on 20 June 1966 as track 2 on the U.S. album Yesterday And Today and on 5 August 1966 as track 3 on Revolver, the album for which the song was originally intended. The U.S. version of Revolver did not feature the song as it had already been released: USA Beatles releases frequently differed from the UK versions. 

The mono and stereo versions of "I'm Only Sleeping" differ in the positioning of the backwards guitar:

US mono version: No backwards track during the second verse but a quick fragment is heard on the "time" in "taking my time" and "ceiling" in "lying there and staring at the ceiling". The track is fully intact during the instrumental break and continues into the words "please don't" in "please don't spoil my day". Near the end of the song the backwards track starts four beats after the last word "sleeping".

US rechannelled stereo version: This version was mixed from the US mono version of the song but has far more reverb.

US stereo version: Backwards track on "everywhere at such a speed" and "find there's no need". The track stops at the end of the solo and at the end of the song, starts immediately after the word "sleeping".

UK mono version: Backwards track on "...where at such a speed," "there's no need" and "staring at the ceiling". The track stops at the end of the solo and at the end of the song, starts immediately after the word "sleeping".

UK stereo version: Backwards track on "running everywhere at such a speed" and "till they find there's no need". The track fades in two bars into the solo but continues into the word "please" in "please don't spoil my day". At the end of the song, the track starts immediately after the word "sleeping".

Since the release of The Beatles' music on CDs in 1987, the UK stereo version of the album has become the standard version in the US.

Part of an instrumental rehearsal of the song featuring a vibraphone and the first take of the song from 29 April 1966 were released on the 1996 album Anthology 2. The UK mono version of Revolver was released on CD as part of the 2009 The Beatles in Mono remastered box set.

100 DAYS OF THE BEATLES – TOP 100 SONGS – 58

From YouTube

NUMBER 58: "I've Just See a Face" (McCartney – December 6, 1965)
Help! – Side 2, Track 5 (2:04)

YouTube Video

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (sans footnotes/references) – 

"I've Just Seen a Face" is a song by The Beatles. It appears on their 1965 UK album Help!, although in the United States it and "It's Only Love" first appeared on the Capitol version of the Rubber Soul album.

Composition 

"I've Just Seen a Face" was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and features McCartney on vocals. Before its release, the song was briefly titled "Aunty Gin's Theme" after his father's youngest sister, because it was one of her favourites. It is one of the very few guitar-based Beatles songs that lacks a bass track.

According to music critic Richie Unterberger of Allmusic, "Several songs on 1964's Beatles for Sale, as well as "I'll Cry Instead" from A Hard Day's Night, had leaned in a country and western direction. But 'I've Just Seen a Face' was almost pure country, taken at such a fast tempo that it might have been bluegrass if not for the absence of banjo and fiddle." Music critic Ian MacDonald said the up tempo song "lifted the later stages of the Help! album with its quickfire freshness." Capitol Records chose it as the lead track of the US edition of Rubber Soul, with the intent of giving the album a strong folk sound in step with the then-current Folk Rock movement.

Recording 

The song was recorded on 14 June 1965 at Abbey Road Studios in London in the same session with "Yesterday" and "I'm Down".

Personnel

Paul McCartney – vocal, acoustic guitar
John Lennon – acoustic guitar
George Harrison – acoustic lead guitar
Ringo Starr – brushed snare, maracas

THIS DAY IN HISTORY – FEBRUARY 12

HISTORICAL EVENTS

1624 – The England's parliament comes together

1793 – The United States Congress enacts the Fugitive Slave Act.

From Wikipedia

1912 – The last emperor of China, Puyi of the Manchy Aisin Giroro clan and the 12th and final ruler of the Ming Dyansty, abdicates.

1973 – Release of U.S. POWs from the Vietnam War by North Vietnam begins with 142 men. The first prisoner to step on to the welcoming red carpet was Navy Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton, the ranking office on the first plane of returnees. He had been in captivity for more than 8 years.

From GoogleImages

2002 – Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic goes on trial for genocide and war crimes in Bosnia, Kosovo and Croatia. He ultimately died in his prison cell from a heart attack on March 11, 2006.

FAMOUS BIRTHS

From Wikipedia

1809 – Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United Sates, is born in (then) Hardin Country, KY.

From Wikipedia

1809 – English naturalist, Charles Darwin, developer of the theory of evolution (Origin of the Species), is born.

FAMOUS DEATHS

None.

THIS AND THAT – FEBRUARY 11

Things are happening so fast right now I can hardly keep up with this post. I had to add three new items to it that came to the forefront as I was putting it together. Things are just getting TOTALLY out of hand...

MORE PEOPLE SHOT AGAIN TODAY – KILLER DEAD

OK. Is anyone else becoming suspicious of this? Doesn't it seen just too preposterously coincidental that these things are coming so much more frequently? Is no one else suspicious of this? You'd think with all the media coverage (read, madness) lately people would be so vigilant that no one would even dare attempt it. But no. WATCH THIS CLOSELY as there may be an alternative "truth" here. But dead men tell no tales, ask Timothy McVeigh. Oh, you can't.

GAS PRICES

From TheProgidgalPittburgher

Four years and two days ago, February 9, 2009, less than one month into the presidency of His Dontblamemeforanythingness, gas was $1.27 a gallon here in North Texas. Yes. An it is now $3.44, at this time of the year?!? Where the hell does it go from here? And is ANYONE on the left or in the media asking what exactly the problem is? That the price is almost three times as expensive as when someone not to be named here took office? Anyone? Anyone? No.

PEOLISI DENIES THE U.S. HAS A SPENDING PROBLEM

Of course she was sitting down with Chris Wallace. Try doing it with John Stossel. This woman must live somewhere between Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.

POPE QUITTING

From Wikipedia

For the first time since the year 1415, when Pope Gregory XII resigned amid the Great Western Schism, a Catholic Pope is stepping down. Eight-five year-old Pope Benedict VXI (I had to check the number) indicates he is too infirm(ed) to continue in his position. On February 28th 

AND ANOTHER CABINET MEMBER QUITS...

The president's head of the Small Business Administration, Karen Mills, leaves AND El Presidente did not renew the charter for his "Jobs Council". Can we take anything away from this? (Private sector) jobs and small businesses don't really count, perhaps? Remember, "You didn't build that." What's next, "You didn't deserve that (job)"?

"SUSPICION-LESS" SEIZURE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES ALONG THE MEXICAN BORDER

The DHS has approved this. Also, FINALLY people are getting smart and wondering, "Should I REALLY take a trip to Mexico?"

"STATE OF THE UNION" TOMORROW

Twenty House Democrats are inviting inviting people "who have been affected by gun violence" to attend. This oughtta be a great show, people. Don't miss it, unless you like the Second Amendment and you're already disgusted by the gutless, photo-op, take-advantage-of-anything-for-our-own-purposes-and -screw-America Democrats. Joseph Goebbles would probably really enjoy it.

LEFTIST ATTEMPTS TO START "CIVIL WAR" AND BLAME IT ON THE TEA PARTY

A man was captured in San Jose over the weekend. The plan was to blow up banks. Oops, fingers caught in the cookie jar again (as in Fast and Furious, etc.) but... Haven't heard anything about it. I WONDER WHY NOT?!? Doesn't fit the liberal media's "violence narrative."

TED NUGENT BANNED FROM MILITARY SNIPER CHRIS KYLE'S FUNERAL BY EL PRESIDENTE

From GoogleImages

This is literally unbelievable. THE President of these here United States of America, BHO, reportedly gave ORDERS for Ted Nugent to NOT attend the funeral of Chris Kyle today, even though Kyle specifically asked for Nugent to do so in his will. I would go anyway. What the hell can he do about it? He's going to arrest him? Not even his cajones are that big... yet.

RUSSIA HAS PURCHASED TONS OF GOLD UNDER PUTIN

Russia, already the world's largest oil producer, is also one of its biggest gold buyers. Putin even had his picture taken beside a huge mountain of gold (well, maybe). The U.S.? NO ONE is even allowed to SEE our gold, if it even exists. Increase our own oil production so we don't have to buy so much? Fat chance with Mr. IlldoanythingtoproveImright in the White House.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY – FEBRUARY 11

HISTORICAL EVENTS

660 BC – Traditional date for the founding of Japan.


1937 – Sacagawea gives birth to Pempey (Jean Baptiste Charboneeau) prior to departure on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. William Clark, and his older brother George Rogers Clark (an American Revolutionary War hero in the Northwest Territory), are distant relatives.



From Wikipedia

1858 – The Virgin Mary appears to St. Bernadette (Marie-Bernarde Soubirous) in Lourdes, France.


1937 – GM signs first-ever auto workers contract.


1945 – President Franklin Roosevelt leaves Yalta with daughter Ann. Roosevelt dies three moths later.



FAMOUS BIRTHS


From GoogleImages

1847 – Thomas Alva Edison is born in Milan, OH. Edison would go on to hold 1200 patents. Edison's father was  Canadian who escaped to the U.S. after taking part in the unsuccessful Mackenzie Rebellion on 1837.



FAMOUS DEATHS

55 – Tiberius Cladius Caesar Britannicus (yes him), heir to the Roman Emperorship, dies under mysterious circumstances in Rome, clearing the way for Nero to become Emporer. Nero would be the last emporer in the Julio-Claudian dynasty.



From Wikipedia

1650 – French philosopher, writer and mathematician, René Descartes ("I think, therefore I am") stops thinking.

From Wikipedia

1976 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront, Death of a Salesman) dies in Woodland Hills, CA.



From GoogleImages

2012 – Whitney Elizabeth Houston, American singer and actress dies at 48 in a tragic story. She was a beautiful talented woman ruined by a the wrong man and drugs.

10 THINGS TO KNOW FOR TODAY – FEBRUARY 11

From PEOPLEPC.COM and AP

10 Things to Know for Today [And my comments]

Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful from his studio's window overlooking St.Peter's square during the Angelus noon prayer, at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. [Probably should have provided him with an ICU instead of a studio.]

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:31:07 -0500


1. POPE BENEDICT XVI TO STEP DOWN

The 85-year-old pontiff, the first to resign in nearly 600 years, says his advanced age and diminishing strength have made it too difficult to carry on. [Now if politicians would only do this when they become inept or overreaching. I guess we get a shot at them, it's called an election, but we never do anything about it so, screw it.]

2. SNOWED-IN NORTHEAST TRIES TO GET BACK TO WORK
Public transit returned after more than 3 feet of snow fell in some places and New York reopened a major highway where hundreds of cars were stranded. [Snows like that remind me of my childhood.]

3. MANHUNT FOR EX-LA COP MOVES TO SUBURBS
Police surround the Irvine home of a believed target of Christopher Dorner, and evacuated a San Fernando Valley store after a reported sighting. [With all the damn law enforcement agencies we have in this country it's hard to believe they haven't gotten this guy. Maybe bin Laden should have taken refuge in Michigan.]

4. HORSEMEAT SCANDAL SPREADS THROUGHOUT EUROPE
France says Romanian butchers and Dutch and Cypriot traders were involved in the supply chain that put horsemeat disguised as beef in frozen food. [It's Europe. They're been eating horses for centuries.]

5. GATES BACKS OVERSIGHT OF DRONE PROGRAM
The former defense secretary supports proposals for a special court to review Obama's deadly strikes against Americans linked to al-Qaida. [I guess The Anointed One hasn't been around for this either so we really can't blame him. Actually this whole thing got started as a concern over drones being used against American citizens and now liberals have turned it outward.]

6. TWISTER DAMAGES MISS. CAMPUS
The governor was to tour hard-hit Hattiesburg today where windows were blown out and roofs ripped off at his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi. [Wow, it's a truly slow news day when we bother to talk about anything in Mississippi.]

7. STAMPEDE AT HINDU FESTIVAL KILLS 37
At least 30 others are hurt when thousands celebrating the Kumbh Mela fell into a crush rushing between train platforms. [Tragic but that's what happens when you're got a billion people and two trains.]

8. REAL-LIFE CRASH ON REALITY SHOW
Three people died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles while filming an untitled military-themed show for the Discovery Channel. [Remember Twilight Zone the movie? Helicopters are dangerous, I flew in them for eight years.]

9. GRAMMYS SPREAD THE LOVE WITH SURPRISE BEST ALBUM WINNER
Mumford & Sons' Babel won the top prize, while the Three Keys' Dan Auerbach took home four trophies and Fun. won best new artist. [More love in all the wrong places.]

10. WHY YOU'LL FIND THE YANKEES PRESIDENT AT DOG SHOW
Randy Levine, co-owner of Mitch, a 5-year-old yellow Lab, says: "He's like Derek Jeter. Very calm." [Just stupid.]

MOVIE QUOTE OF THE DAY – FEBRUARY 10

WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005)

From GoogleImages

RAY FERRIER: Robbie, you want to go in that direction? There is nothing *living* in that direction! 

ROBBIE FERRIER: What do you care? You never gave a shit before! You never gave a shit! 

RAY FERRIER: Okay, hard-ass. You're in charge now? So what's your plan? 

ROBBIE FERRIER: We catch up with these soldiers, and we head back there, and we get back at them! We get back at them! 

RAY FERRIER: Okay, now come up with a plan that doesn't involve your 10-year-old sister joining the Army! You got anything like that? 

ROBBIE FERRIER: Why don't you tell the truth? You don't know where to go! You only chose Boston because you hope Mom is there. You hope she is there, and then you can dump us on her! Then you will only have to care about yourself, which is exactly the way you like it!

Tom Cruise as "Ray Ferrier" and Justin Chatwin as "Robbie Ferrier"

THIS DAY IN HISTORY – FEBRUARY 10

HISTORICAL EVENTS

1355 – The St. Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead in two days. The riot started with an altercation at Swindlestock Tavern (where else). Who said education couldn't be dangerous?


1763 – The French and Indian War (a.k.a., the Seven Years' War) ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Starting as a regional conflict in North American is escalated to a world-wide conflict between France and Great Britain in 1756.

1861 – Jefferson Finis Davis learned he was selected President of the Confederate States of America.



From GoogleImages

1962 – Soviets exchange CIA U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for a captured Russian spy (Colonel Vilyam Fisher, a.k.a., Rudolf Abel)) at the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin, Germany. He was on a flight to photograph the area of the Kyshtym disaster when his plane was shot down in 1960.



FAMOUS BIRTHS

From GoogleImages

1890 – Russian novelist and poet, Boris Leonidovich Pasternak, is born in Moscow.

From GoogleImages

1989 – Bertolt Brecht, German playwright, is born.

From GoogleImages

1927 – American lirico spinto ("pushed Lyric") soprano Mary Violet Leontyne Price is born.

FAMOUS DEATHS

From GoogleImages

1992 - American writer Alex Haley (Roots) dies.

From GoogleImages

2005 – Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright Arthur Miller dies.

100 DAYS OF THE BEATLES – TOP 100 SONGS – 59

From GoogleImages

NUMBER 59: "I Want You (She's So Heavy" (Lennon – October 1, 1969) 
Abbey Road – Side 1, Track 6 (7:44) 

YouTube Video

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (sans references) – 


"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a song by The Beatles, from their album Abbey Road. It was written by John Lennon, although credited to Lennon/McCartney.

This song is an unusual Beatles' composition for a variety of reasons, namely its length (nearly eight minutes), few lyrics (only 14 different words are sung), 3-minute descent through repeated guitar chords (a similar arpeggiated figure appears in "Because", as well as McCartney's "Oh! Darling"), and abrupt ending. It is one of the last songs that The Beatles mixed as a group, on 20 August 1969.

The song was rehearsed several times during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions; the basic track and John's guide vocal (which is used in the master) were recorded at Trident Studios on 22 February 1969, shortly after filming ended. John and George overdubbed multi-tracked heavy guitar overdubs on 18 April 1969, and Billy Preston overdubbed keyboards, and conga drums were also added on 20 April 1969. "I Want You" received the "She's So Heavy" vocals on 11 August, and thus the title became "I Want You (She's So Heavy)".

Three takes from 22 February were edited into a master (second generation), which was overdubbed, mixed down on 18 April (third generation), and overdubbed on 18 April, 20 April and 11 August. Different overdubs were made to the second generation tape on 8 August. The mix is the third generation for 4:37 (up to "She's So") and then the second generation tape, which has white noise and additional drums added on 8 August. The overdub session for "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" was the last time all four Beatles worked in the studio together.

The final master lasted 8:04, but John decided on a surprise ending. During the final edit with the guitars, drums, and white noise climaxing to no end, he told Emerick to "cut it right there" at the 7:44 mark, bringing the song (and Side One of the album) to an abrupt end. On Love, the 3-minute stretch of repeated guitar chords that ends the song intercuts with elements of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" and "Helter Skelter", while retaining the abrupt cut to silence at the end.

MOVIE QUOTE OF THE DAY – FEBRUARY 9

WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953)

SHERIFF BOGANY: What is that gizmo? 

FORRESTER: I'd say that gizmo is a machine from another planet.

Walter Sande as "Sheriff Bogany" and Gene Barry as "Dr. Clayton Forrester" 

REAL LIFE QUOTE OF THE DAY – FEBRUARY 9

_______________________________________

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

–– Albert Einstein

_________________________________________________

THIS DAY IN HISTORY – FEBRUARY 9

HISTORICAL EVENTS


1775 – The English Parliament declares that Massachusetts Colony is in rebellion.



From GoogleImages

1825 – The Presidential election of 1824 is decided in the House of Representatives, John Quicy Adams is elected.


1942 – Daylight Savings Time is instituted during World War II.



From GoogleImages

1964 – The Beatles first appear on in the United States on the Ed Sullivan Show.



FAMOUS BIRTHS


From GoogleImages

1773 – William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States is born. He was the oldest president to take office until Ronald Reagan and died after only 32 days in office.



From GoogleImages

1874 – Any Lowell, American poet and critic is born.



From GoogleImages

1944 – Novelist Alice Malsenior Walker is born in Putnam County, GA, the youngest of eight children.



FAMOUS DEATHS


From GoogleImages

1881 – Russian novelist Fyodor Mikailovich Dostoyevsky dies.



From GoogleImages

1981 - American rock and roll musician, Bill Haley, dies.

TBBT QUOTE OF THE DAY – FEBRUARY 9

THE WORK SONG NANOCLUSTER – Season 2, Episode 18 (March 16, 2009)

(Sheldon knocks at Penny’s door)

S: (three knocks) Penny. (three knocks) Penny. (three knocks) Penny.

P: Hey, Sheldon.

S: (he covers his throat) It’s 11 AM.

P: I know. You’re safe.

S: This package came while you were at work.

P: Oh great, my rhinestones, thank you.

S: Excuse me.

P: What.

S: (presenting  a clipboard) You have to sign this.

P: What is it?

S: When I singed for the package I was deputized by the United Parcel Service and entrusted with its final delivery. I now need you to acknowledge receipt of the package so that I am fully indemnified and no longer liable.

P: Sheldon, it’s just a box of rhinestones.

S: Oh, the contents are irrelevant a legal bailment has been created. Does that mean nothing to you?

P: It means nothing to anybody.

100 DAYS OF THE BEATLES – TOP 100 SONGS – 60

From GoogleImages

NUMBER 60: "Sgt. Pepper's..." (McCartney – June 2, 1967)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band  - Side 1, Track 1 (2:02)

YouTube Video

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (sans footnotes/references) –

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is a song written by Paul McCartney(credited to Lennon–McCartney), and first recorded and released in 1967, on thethe Beatles' album of the same name. The song appears twice on the album: as the opening track (segueing into "With a Little Help from My Friends"), and as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", the penultimate track (segueing into "A Day in the Life"). As the title track, the lyrics introduce the fictional band that performs in the album.

Since its original album release, the song has also been released on singles, on compilation albums, and has been performed by several other artists including Jimi Hendrix, U2, and a comic interpretation by Bill Cosby, using the opening to John Phillip Sousa's Washington Post March as the instrumental bridge.

Authorship and recording

In November 1966, on the flight back to England after a holiday, McCartney conceived an idea in which an entire album would be role-played, with each of the Beatles assuming an alter-ego in the "Lonely Hearts Club Band", which would then perform a concert in front of an audience. The inspiration is said to have come when roadie Mal Evans innocently asked McCartney what the letters “S” and “P” stood for on the pots on their in-flight meal trays, and McCartney explained it was for salt and pepper. This then led to the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Bandconcept, as well as the song.

The group's road manager Neil Aspinall suggested the idea of Sgt. Pepper being the compère, as well as the reprise at the end of the album. According to his diaries, Evans may have also contributed to the song. John Lennon attributed the idea for Sgt. Pepper to McCartney, although the song is officially credited toLennon–McCartney. The song was recorded in Abbey Road's number 2 studio, with Martin producing, and Geoff Emerick engineering. Work on the song started on 1 February 1967, and after three further sessions the recording was complete on 6 March 1967.

Song structure

On the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, the song opens to the sound of a chattering audience, and an orchestra tuning up, which was taken from the 10 February orchestra session for "A Day in the Life". The crowd sounds edited into the song were recorded in the early '60s by Martin, during a live recording of the stage show Beyond the Fringe. When the song itself begins, the band introduces its members.

The song's structure is:
Introduction (instrumental)
Verse
Bridge (instrumental)
Refrain
Bridge
Verse
Instrumental bridge and transition into "With a Little Help from My Friends".

The song is in G major, with a 4/4 meter. A horn quartet was used to fill out the instrumental sections.

Reprise

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" is a somewhat modified repea tof the opening song at a faster tempo with heavier instrumentation. The track opens with McCartney's count-in (retained in the manner of "I Saw Her Standing There", the first song on their first album); between 2 and 3, Lennon jokingly interjects "Bye!". Starr starts the song proper by playing the drum part unaccompanied for four bars, at the end of which a brief bass glissando cues the full ensemble of two distorted guitars, bass, drums and overdubbed percussion. While the original track had stayed largely in the key of G major (except for transient modulation to F and perhaps C in the bridges), the reprise starts in F and features a rare example in the Beatles' output of modulation, to G. The mono and stereo mixes of the song differ slightly: the former has a fractionally different transition from the previous song, and includes crowd noise and laughter in the opening bars that are absent from the stereo mix.

The idea for a reprise was Aspinall's, who thought that as there was a "welcome song", there should be a "goodbye song". The song contains broadly the same melody as the opening version, but with different lyrics and omitting the "It's wonderful to be here" section. At 1:18, it is one of the Beatles' shorter songs (the shortest is "Her Majesty" at 0:23). The reprise was recorded on 1 April 1967, two months after the version that opens the album. At the end of the track, Martin's pre-recorded applause sample segues into the final track of the album, "A Day in the Life".

Releases

It was originally released in the UK on 1 June 1967, and in the US on 2 June 1967 on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band LP.

When the Beatles' recording contract with EMI expired in 1976, EMI was free to re-release music from The Beatles' catalogue, and in 1978 – 11 years after the original album release – released "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"/"With a Little Help from My Friends" as the A-side of a single with "A Day in the Life" as the B-side. The single was released on Capitol in the US on 14 August (closely following the US release of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band film), reaching #71 on 30 September 1978 where it stayed for 2 weeks. The single was released on Parlophone in the UK in September.

The original recording of the song is included on the following Beatles compilation albums: 1967-1970 (1973), Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999). A run-through of the reprise is included on the outtakes album Anthology 2 (1996). In 2006, the reprise was re-released on the album Love, which was a theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil. The updated version is a remix featuring samples of other Beatles' songs.

The notebook used by McCartney containing the lyrics for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and other songs was put up for sale in 1998.

Personnel

Full version:
Paul McCartney – lead vocal, bass guitar, lead guitar
John Lennon – backing vocal
George Harrison – backing vocal, rhythm guitar
Ringo Starr – drums
George Martin – organ, producer
Neill Sanders – French horn
James W. Buck – French horn
Tony Randell – French horn
John Burden – French horn

Reprise:

Paul McCartney – lead vocal, bass, Hammond organ

John Lennon – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
George Harrison – lead vocal, lead guitar
Ringo Starr – lead vocal, drums, tambourine, maracas

Live performances

In 1967, Jimi Hendrix played the song live at the Saville Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, which was leased by Brian Epstein, only three days after it had been released on record, with McCartney and George Harrison in the audience. Another live version by Hendrix recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival was included on a posthumous live album, Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight.

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was never performed live by the Beatles. It was performed by three of The Beatles (McCartney, Harrison, and Starr) plus Eric Clapton on 19 May 1979, at Clapton's wedding party. Paul McCartney played it live on the 1989/1990 Paul McCartney World Tour. On subsequent tours he would play the reprise version and use that as a segue into "The End". When the performance is released, it usually is listed as "Sgt. Pepper's/The End," shortening the name of the song. When Paul performs it, he usually adds the count-in after the drum part begins, as opposed to Paul's count-in preceding the drum opening.

McCartney and U2 played the song at the start of the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London on 2 July 2005. The song, starting with "It was twenty years ago" was chosen amongst others to commemorate that Live 8 took place approximately twenty years after Live Aid. The single was released for charity on iTunes, and set a world record for the fastest-selling online song of all time.

In 2007, Bryan Adams and Stereophonics recorded the album's two versions of the song for It Was 40 Years Ago Today, a television film with contemporary acts recording the album's songs using the same studio, technicians and recording techniques as the original.

On 4 April 2009, McCartney performed the song during a benefit concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall and segued it into "With A Little Help From My Friends", sung by Ringo.

In 2009, Cheap Trick released a live album and DVD called Sgt. Pepper Live, which is a live performance of the entire original album, including the title song and reprise.

In 2011, Robbie Williams performed the song on Take That's Progress tour, replacing "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with "Robbie Williams and the Take That Band", and "Mr Martin told the Band to play", a reference to Take That's manager in the 90's Nigel Martin-Smith.