Blogular Updates

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK of my cool new blog banner? Fabulous Robert of BLUE HERON BLAST did this for me, and I have sent copious cyberkisses and hugs his way. IT'S JUST BEE-YOO-TI-FULL! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I did my last banner over 5 years ago, and couldn't even locate the website where I made it. Without the banner-making-for-dummies software, I had no clue how to proceed in conjuring up an updated banner. The few free banner-maker-sites I managed to find, did not have the crucial KASHMIR font, which I just HAD TO HAVE. (Led Zeppelin fans will undoubtedly recognize the lovely Kashmir font, named for the band who first used it on their album covers.) Also, I wanted outer space, utterly suitably for a flakey hippie like your humble narrator... the two together were nearly impossible for me to combine on the cheesy banner-maker websites. ((sobs)) I sulked for six whole months before wonderful Robert rescued me.

BLUE HERON RULES! Thank you so much, my friend.

Go visit Blue Heron Blast--which always has cool banners, and he changes them all the time, too... not once every five years, like some of us.

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We did the promo for the radio show, today on Another Voice with Jason and Eric... they were kind enough to let us crazy lefties in to promote our new broadcast endeavor. Old-school Gentlemen! Very polite fellas who are all about free speech and everything... obviously, an endangered species in these parts.

Occupy the Microphone will formally debut on WOLT-FM, January 1st (and a happy New Year to you, too!)... WOLT-FM is a pretty snazzy-looking radio station, headquartered in the old McAlister Square mall, which I have written about here before.

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At left: Daisy meets Country Earl, back on the auspicious date of 11-11-11.


WOLT-FM also once regularly featured local legend Country Earl's radio show. I was lucky enough to meet him last year, which was a real thrill for me. It therefore saddens me to announce that Country Earl passed away about a week ago, to the sorrow of upstate South Carolina:

A longtime Upstate radio personality also known for his Simpsonville restaurant has passed away.

“Country Earl” Baughman, 79, died Monday at Greenville Memorial Hospital.

Baughman was a local radio personality/disc jockey for many years, with numerous upstate radio stations including WESC, WCKI, WFIS, WBBR, WAGI and WOLT where he hosted his “Country Earl’s Country Classics Radio Show.” He started his career in the 1950s and continued until 2000s.

He was also known for his restaurant, Country Earl’s Stompin’ and Chompin’. In recent years, the restaurant became less of a restaurant and more of a performance or event venue, becoming known as “Country Earl’s Celebration Place.”

Baughman was native of Greenville County. According to his obituary, he was the son of the late Herbie Theodore and Susie Mae Lackey Baughman.

He was a member of Brookwood Community Church and was an accomplished musician and songwriter and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame.

A “Celebration of Life Service” will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 at Brookwood Community Church.

Forest Hills Funeral Home website says visitation will be held at the church following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Earl’s memory to The Muscular Dystrophy Association, 25 Woods Lake Rd., Suite 412, Greenville, SC 29607.

Another real gentleman of the old school, who will be sorely missed. :(

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For those who asked (I am SO flattered yall care about me!)--my lifelong, growing, ugly brown skin-blotch was technically diagnosed as a dermatofibroma.

Nobody knows what causes them, but one theory is that they are caused by infected insect bites. Oh, GROSS!

You see??? I just knew all those horrific flea bites I endured would somehow have some negative repercussions; it just stands to reason.

I am TOTALLY blaming them.

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We talked about the recent school-shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on our last podcast, if you'd like to give us a listen. I don't have much to add to what we said, except the song I played here on Saturday.

There is one quite fascinating link currently making the rounds--Mormon Church 'owns unregulated gun sale website':

One of the most active and unregulated gun sale websites in America is owned by the Mormon Church, an investigation by New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg has revealed.

You just have to wonder... who else is making a killing, if you will pardon the expression.

My apologies for once again boring my dear readers with Tales of The Call Center, but the fact is, I learned a great deal whilst being cussed out every day, and I was toughened up for the long haul besides (which made me well-prepared for the rigors of talk radio)... My call center took calls for a world-wide shipping conglomerate, whose name (and big brown trucks) you would instantly recognize.

At one point on my call center job, I took calls ONLY from South Carolina for about 6-7 months. I became alarmed when I realized how many involved shipping huge amounts of firearms to other parts of the country, where I knew they were illegal. Most involved gun shows (and similar exhibitions), but some had other creative, shifty ways to get around the local laws. And I don't mind telling you, some of the guys on the phone sounded like they were straight out of Lizard Lick Towing. They initially didn't seem too bright, but honey, you shoulda heard them spout those LAWS--they knew them inside and out, backwards and forwards, state by state and county by county. When packages got held up and/or inspected, which happened fairly often, they would cuss a proverbial blue streak. And I used to get seriously creeped out when packages got LOST (and yes, they did), which made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I still remember one guy chuckling at the news that his enormous shipment of guns (to New York City) had apparently disappeared into the ether, and he would have to file a claim. "Bummer," he announced, "Hope whoever found it enjoys alla that fine weaponry," he chortled, "--and I hope nobody pisses him off tonight!"

I remember hoping nobody pissed him off too, whoever he was.

Imagine, a cache of weapons and ammo simply evaporating off of a loading dock? I hate to tell you, but it happens all the time.

Tunes for 11-11-11

At left, Daisy meets local legend Country Earl! I was thrilled beyond measure. I was introduced to him when I visited the Mauldin Open Air Market last week, to buy Joel Ann's legendary cashew brittle, as well as oodles of fabulous local produce.




I hope you are all having a good 11-11-11, which is a suitably cosmic thang.

I tried to remember to make a wish at 11:11am, and forgot. Yall don't forget at 11:11pm!

Below, some earworms and other delights.

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I thought this was called "Rock and Roll Star" but it's just "Star." It's been ages since I looked at the album cover.

Its a pop/rock gem from that amazing work of art titled The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

I also love it, since he explains exactly what he is going to do, and then he went out and did it. (And how often does that happen?) For emphasis, at the end he adds, "just watch me."

I could do with the money
I'm so wiped out with things as they are
I'd send my photograph to my honey
And I'd come on like a regular superstar


Star - David Bowie



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Okay, trigger warnings and all that stuff. You know what comes from poppies, and you know what happens when people get too fond of it. (Lyrics here)

My tarot reading for 11-11-11 started with the Temperance card, which made me think of this song. It always does.

Baby want more.

Poppies - Patti Smith Group



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My favorite song by the late Jim Croce, which it seems few people have heard.

Hey Tomorrow - Jim Croce



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And finally, this is for Veterans Day.

How many of you were aware that Jim Morrison's father was a Rear Admiral in the Navy? It really does explain a lot.

In concert, Morrison would hit the ground at the sound of the gunshot, like, splat. No slow toppling-over, but bang, flat on the ground. I think you probably have to be really high to do that. Nonetheless, it was damned impressive.

Note the cheering-crowd noise spliced with funeral-church bells at the end. Perfect.

The Unknown Soldier - The Doors



Happy Veterans Day. Bring Them Home Now.

Music Monday: It's rockabilly time!

YES!--I said it's ROCKABILLY TIME, yall!

From the now-forgotten movie HOT ROD GANG (1958), this is the amazing Gene Vincent, who was simply too fabulous for mere words.

Apparently, "Baby Blue" was co-written by local legend Country Earl, and I never knew until last night! (He still makes a few hundred dollars a year from it, he said.) Country Earl's local restaurant in Simpsonville is colloquially known as Country Earl's Chompin and Stompin (rules: no drinking, no smoking and no cussing).

And if you are lucky enough to listen to Country Earl's classic-country radio show on WOLT-FM every Sunday night, then you already KNOW you are one of the luckiest souls on planet Earth.

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Baby Blue - Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps (1958)



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Race with the Devil - Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps (1956)



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Be-Bop-A-Lula - Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps (1958)