Saturday, November 24, 2012

A piece of music history for sale: Rejected Silver Beatles audition tape to go up for auction

    Good Day World!

Have you ever made a colossal error in your life? Did something that later turned out to be so dumb you vowed never to share it with anyone? Not even for a price?

Don’t feel too bad my friend, because I doubt you could have topped Dick Rowe’s bad move. 

The Beatles audition tape rejected by a record label executive in arguably the biggest blunder in pop history has resurfaced and will go on sale at a London auction next week.

Ted Owen of The Fame Bureau, an auction house specializing in pop memorabilia, said the 10-song tape was recorded on New Year's Day, 1962, at label Decca's studios in north London.

Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best - who would later be replaced on drums by Ringo Starr - performed up to 15 songs at the session, 10 of which appear on the tape to be sold on Nov. 27.

The band members had been driven from Liverpool to London the night before, and, despite getting lost on the way managed to get to the studios in time for the infamous session paid for by their manager Brian Epstein.

Decca's senior A&R (artists and repertoire) representative Dick Rowe, who later became known as "the man who turned down the Beatles," decided against signing them in favor of Brian Poole & The Tremeloes who also auditioned that day.

"Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr. Epstein," he is widely quoted as saying.

Rowe did, however, sign the Rolling Stones, who went on to become one of the biggest acts in British rock, and experts dispute whether it was him or a more junior colleague who passed the Beatles over.

There are bootleg versions of the session in existence, but the "safety master," or back-up tape, on offer at auction is unique, Owen said.

"The most important thing about this is the quality," he told Reuters. "There are bootlegs out there, horrible bootlegs -- some are at the wrong speed, others are crackily and taken from a cassette off an acetate (disc).

"This quality we have never heard." Despite its rarity, the tape has been estimated to fetch $29,000 to $32,000, which Owen said had been set by the owner and was a "sensible" starting point.

He added that only a handful of collectors were likely to bid for the piece of pop history, and, given that the Beatles own the copyright through their company, a commercial record release based on the tape was extremely unlikely.

Marked as the "Silver Beatles," which the "Fab Four" were briefly called, the tape comes with a hand-written track list and black-and-white photograph of the musicians posing in leather jackets that would be been used for the record sleeve. (source)

Time for me to walk on down the road….

Friday, November 23, 2012

Who would have guessed? Drinking Soda Can Damage Your Knees

     Good Day World!

One of life’s little challenges for me is dealing with osteoarthritis in my knees. I do whatever I can to take care of my fossilizing knees and was surprised to read about some research that said soda was bad for them…men’s knees that is; not women’s!

If you have bad knees you might want to lay off the soda. New research has found that men with osteoarthritis of the knee who drink sugary soft drinks fare worse than those who avoid the sweet stuff.

The study, presented at meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Washington, found the more soda men drink, the greater the risk their arthritis will progress and cause more pain.

And here’s the kicker: It’s not because soda drinkers pack on more pounds, causing greater wear and tear on their knees. The researchers were surprised to discover the link between arthritis and soft drinks could not solely be explained by excess weight from drinking too many sodas, said Bing Lu, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and biostatistician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Lu, who led the study, said he and his colleagues don’t know why high-calorie soft drinks worsen osteoarthritis in men — but not women. But the researchers speculate that several ingredients in sugary drinks damage bone health. Caffeine, for instance, can promote osteoporosis, phosphoric acid may interfere with calcium absorption, and high fructose corn syrup — a common sweetener in carbonated beverages — can also negatively affect bone. Dr. Lu added that sex hormones may also explain the gender differences.

The American Beverage Association criticized the study and noted the researchers could not say for sure whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between soda and the progression of osteoarthritis.

Researchers examined 2,149 osteoarthritis patients — 3,066 knees — and surveyed them about the frequency of their non-diet soft drink consumption. They tracked the progression of the participants’ arthritis over a four-year period.

After taking into account excess weight and other risk factors for knee osteoarthritis, the researchers found men who drank five or more soft drinks a week had a greater progression of their disease — by twice as much, based on standard measures of osteoarthritis — compared with men who did not drink sugary soda.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, Pfizer Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Merck Research Laboratories, and GlaxoSmithKline — the makers of anti-arthritis drugs.

An estimated 1 in 100 people have knee osteoarthritis — a condition in which the cartilage in the joint wears away, reducing its ability to reduce friction and act as a biological shock absorber, causing pain and other symptoms. Known risk factors for the disease include obesity, age, prior injury to the knee, and extreme stress to the joints — as occurs with some athletes and people who engage in physically demanding jobs or other activities.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common reasons for knee joint replacement surgery. (Source)

Time for me to walk on down the road…slowly!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Annual Turkey Pardon Event is a weird American tradition

  Good Day World!

  Don’t tell me Americans don’t have weird holiday traditions. We’re not satisfied just having a day for thanks and family gatherings, we have to to symbolically pardon the main course of the Holiday feast – the turkey. 

The leader of the free world meets once a year with a handpicked enormous turkey for a photo op, as other politicians look on smiling. If that’s not weird then I don’t know what is. 

American presidents have not been pardoning turkeys as long as you might think. It appears that Abraham Lincoln, in a way, was the first to spare a turkey. But it wasn't a Thanksgiving turkey. It was a Christmas turkey his son had taken for a pet.

So which president was the first to actually pardon a Thanksgiving turkey?

It was John F. Kennedy in 1963. An NBC News archive search found a Los Angeles Times article dated Nov. 20, 1963 with the headline, "Turkey gets presidential pardon."

And that turkey was a monster. The paper described it as a "55-pound broad white tom." Despite a sign hanging around the bird's neck that read, "Good eating, Mr. President," Kennedy took a look down at the "frightened, panting bird" and said, "We'll just let this one grow."

Turkey’s still gobble happily whenever they hear Kennedy’s name during turkey games. The rest is history.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A bit soon to be collecting Twinkies: They’re going to survive one way or the other

         Good Day World!

Twinkie the Kid’s ride into the sunset hit a hurdle Monday when Hostess Brands, unions and lenders agreed to mediation to try to save the company, and its spongy, yellow cake, from liquidation. If all goes well, the iconic junk food will survive and addicts can stop worry about it’s demise.

I’ve been amused by the public outcry over the possible loss of the lowly Twinkie. I don’t thing it was ever in danger of total extinction. as a matter of fact if Hostess Brands does go bankrupt that doesn’t spell the end of America’s favorite bad food to snack on.

If it comes down to bankruptcy and selling off their assets, a Mexican company may be ready to resurrect the golden Twinkies very quickly According to the Christian Science Monitor, while food producers ConAgra and Flowers Food, the American company behind Nature Valley granola, have expressed interest along with Little Debbie baker McKee Foods, Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo may hold the inside track to saving Twinkies from extinction.

However, it may not come to that. If the union and Hostess Brands do find a way to work together, then it’s business as usual and all the stores will once again be flooded with them. I’ve heard some rumors that people are selling Twinkies for crazy prices on the internet. The video above talks about how Twinkies became an instant collector item.

Mashable notes, there's also an individual Twinkie that is up for sale for $5,000.

"This is your opportunity to own a piece of history, a delicious piece at that," wrote the seller, who apparently lives in Raleigh, N.C., in the auction description.

The eBay user added that the Twinkie will be "protectively packaged and shipped to the winning bidder." Elsewhere on eBay, three boxes of Hostess Chocodiles are on sale for a more reasonable price of $89.95 and a box of Ding Dongs is being offered for $19.95.

But before you whip out your checkbook, remember that Twinkies and other Hostess treats may still have a chance at survival.

Some people claim that Twinkies can last forever. That may be true, but I don’t see myself sampling a ten-year-old Twinkie anytime soon. It just goes to show you people will collect anything! 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Monday, November 19, 2012

As It Stands wishes you a Happy Launch Day!

          By Dave Stancliff
  Growing up and going to school in the fifties meant Thanksgiving was all about pilgrims and Indians getting along swell and eating a big feast that featured Turkeys and yams. The religious undertone to the holiday seeped into my history lessons unchallenged by any group or individual.
  Frankly, it was a boring holiday back then. Today Thanksgiving has changed so much I think we need to re-name the holiday. Just look around you and see how things have changed. For example, a common alternative to saying “Thanksgiving” is now “Turkey Day.”
  The lowly gobbler has reached such a pinnacle in public popularity that every president of the United States pardons one during the holiday. The lucky bird becomes exempt from ever being a main dish and gets to lead a natural life cooped up somewhere.
  Family’s still get together to celebrate and have a big meal.  Some have tofu turkey instead of the real bird. No one talks about how the pilgrims and Indians were buddies much anymore. Most Native Americans ignore the holiday for good reason; those pilgrims heralded the end of their great civilization. Nearly every treaty ever made with Native Americans was broken by their conquerors.

  So how do we pull together today as one nation to celebrate Thanksgiving? Well, lets see: we need something that’s not historically controversial. We need a common theme for all Americans to rally around that day while they’re feeding their faces from coast-to- coast. I don’t know about you, but I think Turkey Day sounds undignified.
  I’ve got it! We could call it “Launch Day” and make it the first official day for Christmas shopping! Oh, wait a moment. What’s that? I just heard a news alert on the radio:

  “In what is often seen as a bellwether for holiday sales pricing, Walmart has released its Black Friday ad, and TVs once again feature prominently. This year, Walmart will open its doors for Black Friday shopping at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving - 2 hours earlier than last year - and it will roll out sales serially, with toys and video-game bargains kicking off, then TV and other electronics going on sale at 10 p.m.”

How about that? Some clever marketeers beat me to the punch on my Launch Day idea! It looks like Wal Mart won’t be the only mega store in the nation to use Thanksgiving as a Launch Day for Christmas Shopping. Ads popping up for other stores that plan on doing the same thing are now flooding the internet and airwaves as I speak. Presses are working overtime to print millions of Black Friday Thanksgiving sales.
Can’t you just feel the excitement?
  As It Stands, Why not? It was a boring holiday before. Now people can get in huge lines and wait to burst into a store and risk being trampled to death while they’re digesting their turkey!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

As It Stands: Some Reflections on collections

                                    
  By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Collecting things can be a long and winding road that never ends. The list of things deemed collectible is as colorful as a rainbow, and can stretch the limits of our imaginations. 
How many stories have you heard about people who used their baseball cards as noise-makers for their bikes while growing up? You might even have done that. I didn’t, but I cringe when I hear people tell me how they used Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Duke Snider, and Sandy Koufax cards so rudely. Those same people groan with regret when they learn how much those cards are worth these days. 
  There are always a few, like my high school buddy Larry, who saved everything he ever ran across. He started ridiculously young and actually saved his baseball cards neatly sorted in shoe boxes. He also amassed a collection of baseball hall of fame memorabilia second only to Cooperstown since then! 
  Visiting with Larry and his beautiful wife Nanci is like entering a baseball shrine. You get the urge to cry out, “Play ball!” He’s a Dodger fan and the majority of his collection reflects that. Someday, someone in the Dodger organization will find out about Larry and induct him into their fans hall of fame. If they don’t already have one, he can be the first entry.
  I, and my buddy Tom (now my brother-in-law and still buddy) collected comic books for a brief time in high school. We were fans of Marvel Comics in particular. We read a lot of the D.C. titles like “Superman” and “Batman,” but it was Marvel characters like the “Fantastic Four” and the “Amazing Hulk” that got our greatest admiration.
Our favorite Marvel character was Spider Man. We snapped up each new issue and eagerly read it while relaxing in a park near the liquor store where we purchased our comics. From 1964 to 1966, we saved enough money each month to buy all the Marvel comics available that month (and a few selected DC titles) on the rack.  We’d take our stack of comics, a bottle of Coca Cola , a candy bar or two, and settle on the park benches for an afternoon read-a-thon. Those were heady times.  Our conversations revolved around Peter Parker, aka Spider Man, and if he should reveal his identity to Mary Jane or his Aunt May.
  World events seemed far away back then, and comic books were our escape from such horrible things as the drudgery of school, not being old enough to get a driver’s license, and having to walk everywhere we went.
  You might wonder what happened to that collection of comics from the so-called Silver Age? Did Tom and I save them and divide them up when our paths diverged? The answer, sadly enough, is no. Neither of us has even one issue from those halcyon days.
The boxes containing the comics were stored in my parent’s garage while I was in the Army. When they moved from that house they didn’t have a lot of room in their trailer so they got rid of a lot of stuff. I was stationed at Ft. MacArthur in San Pedro, and didn’t have any extra storage room in my barracks.
  At the time, I have to admit, I really didn’t care much about them. My friend Tom was also in the Army and stationed in Germany. A school teacher moved into my parent’s house and I gave her the comics.

  Which brings us back to collectibles, people who save things, and those who don’t. I recently read that a copy of Spider Man’s first appearance in comics sold for a $1.1 million dollars! Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug 62) was sold in a private sale brokered by ComicConnect.com.
  Our comics, if you recall, were from 1964-66. I bought a copy of Comic Buyer’s Guide (to torture myself) and looked up Marvel and DC Comics from that time. One example: we paid 12 cents for Daredevil #7 (Apr 65) and now it’s selling for $650! After nearly suffering a seizure, I collected myself and realized my memories are worth more than those comics are now.
  I started collecting Los Angeles Laker memorabilia as a hobby back in the early 90s, and have put together a nice collection with the help of my friends and family. I’ve been a fan since they moved to LA. No one has to ask what to get me for Christmas, Father’s Day, or my birthday. I hope my grandchildren enjoy it someday when I’m gone and it helps them remember their “Pa Pa.”
  As It Stands, the best part of collecting is the memories that come with it.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Welcome to ‘The Green Rush’ - or How to Invest in Legalized Marijuana

         Good Day World!

Mark Twain is said to have remarked that a gold rush is a good time to be in the pick and shovel business. Investors may be able to apply that same bit of wisdom to the growing number of U.S. states that have legalized pot.

Although federal law prohibits the sale or possession of marijuana, Massachusetts last week joined the ranks of states -- 18 plus Washington, D.C. -- that allow its use for people suffering from chronic illnesses like cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. In Washington and Colorado, meanwhile, voters passed an initiative to allow pot for recreational use. Those changes have kickstarted a small but fast-growing medical-marijuana industry, estimated to be worth about $1.7 billion as of 2011, according to See Change Strategy, an independent financial-analysis firm that specializes in new markets. In Colorado alone, sales topped $181 million in 2010, and the business employed 4,200 state-licensed workers, says Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association , a nonprofit trade group that campaigns for marijuana's federal legalization.

In addition to profiting itself from growing and selling marijuana, the industry benefits a slew of other businesses, such as insurers, lawyers and agricultural-equipment firms, experts say. "Call it the 'green rush,'" says Derek Peterson, CEO of GrowOp Technology, an online retailer of hydroponics -- products used in the cultivation of indoor plants -- and a subsidiary of OTC stock Terra Tech (TRTC:0.42, 0.01, 2.44%) . "The industry is expanding, and there are all kinds ofinvestment opportunities."

For regular investors looking to get in on the action -- and without having to actually grow or sell drugs -- there are several small-cap stocks that stand to gain from marijuana's growing acceptance. Medbox (MDBX: 20.00, -185.00, -90.24%), an OTC stock with a $45 million market cap, for example, sells its patented dispensing machines to licensed medical-marijuana dispensaries. The machines, which dispense set doses of the drug, after verifying patients' identities via fingerprint, could potentially be used in ordinary drugstores too, says Medbox founder Vincent Mehdizadeh. Based in Hollywood, Calif., the company already has 130 machines in the field, and it expects to install an additional 40 in the next quarter. "The smart money is trying to help with compliance and transparency," Mehdizadeh says.

Of course, investing in drugs the federal government still outlaws poses enormous risks to investors, says Sam Kamin, a law professor and the director of the Constitutional Rights & Remedies Program at the University of Denver. In fact, nearly 500 of the estimated 3,000 dispensaries nationwide have either been closed by the federal government or shut down in the past year, says a spokesman for StickyGuide.com , an online directory and review site for medical marijuana dispensaries -- and yet another ancillary business that's currently seeking investors.

That said, there are many companies that appear to be betting on a change in federal law. Steep Hill is a quality-control laboratory that tests medical marijuana to see if there's any contamination from mold, bacteria or harmful pesticides. The company, based in Oakland, Calif., is also actively seeking funding of up to $3 million. David Lampach, co-founder and president of Steep Hill, expects a federal law legalizing medical marijuana within the next decade. Cannabis Science(CBIS: 0.09, 0.00, 0.00%) in Colorado Springs, Colo., an OTC stock with a market cap of $41 million, is developing marijuana-based medicines to help cancer and HIV/AIDS patients. "We're at the beginning of the revolution in medicine," says CEO Robert Melamede.

Other companies are creating a range of quirky products that allow people to use marijuana without smoking it. Medical Marijuana MJNA -7.98% , an OTC stock with a $69 million market cap, based in San Diego, Calif., offers more than 50 ways to ingest marijuana , from Dixie Elixir soda to Dixie Chill ice-cream and a range of Dixie Edibles, like chocolate truffles and crispy rice treats.

While experts say competition in the medical-marijuana business is growing fast, they add that there are also still plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs. For example, Troy Dayton, president and CEO of ArcView Group , an angel investor network for the industry, says demand has been growing for handheld tobacco vaporizers like those made by Ploom (which charges $250 for its "premium loose-leaf vaporizer"). "There's a rush now to make the ideal vaporizer," Dayton says. "There's still room for a kingmaker in this space."

In the meantime, at least one drug company is directly selling medical marijuana to patients around the world. GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPRF: 1.06, 0.00, 0.00%),based in London, markets Sativex, billed as the world's first marijuana-based medicine. With a market cap of around $137 million, it's listed on the Alternative Investment Market, a submarket of the London Stock Exchange. Sativex is currently sold as a mouth spray to help alleviate symptoms of multiple sclerosis in several countries, including the U.K., New Zealand, Germany, Spain, Denmark and Canada, a spokesman says, and it is currently seeking FDA approval in the U.S. for use as a pain reliever in late-stage cancer patients. (source – Smart Money)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Friday, November 16, 2012

Christie smells setup, won't answer Twinkie query

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he wasn't about to take the bait: a question dealing with that quintessential junk food, Twinkies.

So when asked Friday at a news conference about Twinkies-maker Hostess shutting down, the target of many a fat joke begged off.

The governor quipped: "I know it! You people are the worst! This is a setup! I am not answering questions on Twinkies, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's bad that I even said the word 'Twinkie' from behind this microphone."

Christie has tried for years to lose weight and often jokes about his caloric struggles. He once likened his weight loss efforts to "throwing a couple deck chairs off of the Titanic."

But Friday he said he wouldn't provide more fodder to comedians. "You know," he said, "I'm on 'Saturday Night Live' enough." (source)

Wal-Mart takes legal action in labor battle

It's a battle of a big-box retailer and big labor. And as - the busiest shopping day of the year - nears, it's starting to get nasty.

Wal-Mart is taking its first legal step to stop months of protests and rallies outside its stores, targeting the union that it says is behind such actions.

Wal-Mart late on Thursday filed an unfair labor practice charge against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, or UFCW, asking the National Labor Relations Board to halt what the retailer says are unlawful attempts to disrupt its business.

The move comes just a week before what is expected to be the largest organized action against the world's largest retailer, as a small group of Wal-Mart workers prepare to strike on Black Friday.

"We are taking this action now because we cannot allow the UFCW to to intentionally seek to create an environment that could directly and adversely impact our customers and associates," said Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar. "If they do, they will be held accountable." 

NBC Latino: Wal-Mart workers plan large protest on Black Friday

The union is undeterred. "Wal-Mart is grasping at straws," said UFCW Communications Director Jill Cashen. "There's nothing in the law that gives an employer the right to silence workers and citizens."

Protests and rallies outside Wal-Mart stores around the country and other actions such as flash mobs have been orchestrated by groups including OUR , a coalition of thousands of Wal-Mart workers which wants to collectively push for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

OUR Walmart and another group, Making Change at Walmart, are affiliated with the UFCW. The union represents more than 1 million workers, including many at retailers that compete with Wal-Mart. According to a filing with the Labor Department, OUR Walmart was a subsidiary of the UFCW as of 2011. It is unclear whether it remains a subsidiary or has legally separated from the union.

Numerous activities over the past year or longer "have caused disruptions to Wal-Mart's business, resulted in misinformation being shared publicly about our company, and created an uncomfortable environment and undue stress on Wal-Mart's customers, including families with children," Wal-Mart outside counsel Steven Wheeless said in a letter sent on Friday to Deborah Gaydos, assistant general counsel of the UFCW.

The National Labor Relations Act prohibits such picketing for more than 30 days without the filing of a representation petition. The NLRA also requires the NLRB to seek a federal court injunction against such activity, the letter states.

he OUR Walmart group of current and former Wal-Mart employees is organizing its most public displays yet against the Wal-Mart chain, with 1,000 protests such as strikes and what it calls "online actions" that began this week and will culminate on Black Friday.

Strikes and protests have been planned across the country. For example, workers walked off the job in Seattle on Thursday and in Dallas on Friday as part of this effort, OUR Walmart said.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart said that anyone who is not an employee is prohibited from coming onto its owned or controlled parking lots or other facilities to solicit, hand out literature or otherwise engage in any demonstration.

Wal-Mart said that it intends for the UFCW to be held accountable for any injury or property damage that may occur as a result of the actions led by the UFCW, OUR Walmart or any of its other affiliates.

"We are prepared to and will take all appropriate legal actions to enforce our property rights, protect our business, and ensure the safety of our customers and associates, on Black Friday and in the future," the letter states.

OUR Walmart has said that it has thousands of members across most U.S. states, but has not given an exact number of members. Wal-Mart store workers pay $5 monthly dues to join OUR Walmart.

Wal-Mart has 1.4 million U.S. workers.

Wal-Mart filed its charge against the UFCW late on Thursday with the NLRB regional office in Little Rock, Arkansas. The case number is 26-CB-093342.

Reuters contributed to this story.

Blog Break Until Presidential Election is Over

I finally hit the wall today. I can't think of what to say about all of the madness going on in this country right now. I'm a writer...