Spitball Army

Card is titled: “View from the Incline, Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee. 125. 81613.”

Printed on back of postcard:

From the Windows of the Incline Car as it ascends Lookout Mountain a magnificent view of the Tennessee River, the city of Chattanooga and surrounding historical country is obtained.

Publishing information:  “Published only by W.M. Cline Co., Chattanooga, Tenn.”

I know you think he screeches at times. I know you think he can’t zero in on a musical note, or has poor pitch. I know you – yes, you – think that these days he looks like an unshaven troll in a pork pie hat.

None of those things ever occurred to me until you mentioned them, or shouted them over your shoulder as you ran screaming from the room when I cued This Year’s Model up one more time.

You know I couldn’t disagree with you more.

Below are twenty of the many reasons why I think Elvis Costello is fanfreakingtastic.

Approximate playing time: 74 minutes.

1. “The Other End of the Telescope”  (1996)
2. “Shabby Doll”  (1982)
3. “From a Whisper to a Scream”  (1981)
4. “Egypt”  (2001)
5. “I’ll Weat It Proudly”  (1986)
6. “5ive Gears in Reverse”  (1980)
7. “Busy Bodies”  (1978)
8. “You Belong to Me”  (1978)
9. “Tear Off Your Own Head (It’s a Doll Revolution)”  (2002)
10. “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror”  (1989)
11. “The Element Within Her”  (1983)
12. “No Dancing”  (1977)
13. “Inch by Inch”  (1984)
14. “So Young”  (1980)
15. “Sad About Girls”  (1981)
16. “God Give Me Strength”  (1998)
17. “Lovers’ Walk”  (1981)
18. “The People’s Limousine”  (1986)
19. “Brilliant Mistake”  (1986)
20. “Shipbuilding”  (1983)

Myfriend Jane recently Facebook-posted a list of the top ten dead bodies in literature, a list that includes Rev. Ames from Gilead and the dead woman discovered by the fishermen in Raymond Carver’s “So Much Water So Close to Home.”  She mentioned that Rebecca from Daphne du Maurier’s novel of the same name was a worthy candidate for that list, and I agreed. This flipped a switch in my head that there have also been many memorable dead bodies, or dead characters, in the movies. Here is the beginning of my listing of some. Please comment below with your suggestions, and I will add them to the list.

• The aforementioned Rebecca in Rebecca
• Joe Gillis (William Holden) in Sunset Boulevard
• Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) in American Beauty
• Mrs. Anna Thorwald (Irene Winston) in Rear Window
• Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) in The Sixth Sense
• Harry in The Trouble with Harry
• Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) in Laura
• Mrs. Norma Bates in Psycho

Thirty-three personal stories rise with a Phoenix, emerge from the metal cocoon, and are embraced by members of the global colony.

That squirrel’s messed up, staggering in the street, dodging cars. The cowards watch, waiting for the ant poison to finish him.

The train rolls through at midnight, its horn blasting, “Don’t even dream of getting in my way!” I can’t dream if I can’t sleep.

Card is titled: “River Front Steps and Park, Harrisburg, PA.”

Postmark on the back of the card is Aug 4 1924, 7:30 PM, marked in Harrisburg, PA.

Publishing information:  A-67259.

Text of written message on back of card:

We were married at 8:45 Sat P.M.

See you some night next week.

Violet & Dewey

Addressed to:  Mr. & Mrs. J.C. Ward, 214 Chamber St., Phillipsburg, N.J.

Several years ago, I challenged (or rose to a challenge by) one of my employees to make dueling CD compilations focusing on British pop music. You do this sort of thing all of the time when you work at a record store. Those stereotypes exist for a reason.

The resulting pair of mixes couldn’t have been more different. While he focused on Britpop (bands from the late 1980s on into the ’90s such as Suede, Oasis and The Smiths), I zeroed in on the British pop of my youth, the British Invasion bands that swirled around the Beatles. I honestly had no idea that there was a recycled term such as “Britpop” in circulation. This is how you learn.

Here’s my mix from that exchange, defiantly and stubbornly titled “This Is Brit Pop.”

Approximate playing time: 68 minutes.

1. The Searchers  “Needles and Pins”  (1964)
2. Status Quo  “Pictures of Matchstick Men”  (1968)
3. The Kinks  “Tired of Waiting for You”  (1965)
4. The Small Faces  “All or Nothing”  (1966)
5. Bee Gees  “Please Read Me”  (1967)
6. The Sorrows  “Take a Heart”  (1965)
7. Herman’s Hermits  “No Milk Today”  (1966)
8. The Seekers  “Georgy Girl”  (1966)
9. The Zombies  “Whenever You’re Ready”  (1965)
10. The Marmalade  “I See the Rain”  (1967)
11. Freddie & the Dreamers  “I’m Telling You Now”  (1963)
12. Gerry & the Pacemakers  “I Like It”  (1964)
13. Petula Clark  “Downtown”  (1964)
14. The Who  “Pictures of Lily”  (1967)
15. The Hollies  “Carrie-Anne”  (1967)
16. Donovan  “Atlantis”  (1969)
17. The Walker Brothers  “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)”  (1966)
18. Tomorrow  “My White Bicycle”  (1967)
19. The Hollies  “Bus Stop”  (1966)
20. The Yardbirds  “For Your Love”  (1965)
21. The Creation  “Making Time”  (1966)
22. Peter & Gordon  “A World Without Love”  (1964)
23. The Zombies  “I Love You”  (1965)