May 4 1970 – Remember Kent State

It all started when anti-war protesters from off-campus showed up by Friday, 1 May 1970 to host a May Day protest rally. That night, a handful of idiots decided that it was a good idea to get drunk and start trashing Water Street. The police quelled the violence within an hour.

The Police Department contacted the Mayor who contacted the Governor of Ohio who contacted the National Guard.

The next day, the National Guard was on campus. That Saturday night another handful of idiots decided to set fire to the ROTC building, and sabotaged Fire Department’s efforts to stop the blaze by slashing the hoses.

The National Guard was made up of young men the same age as the students. Not much happened on Sunday, 3 May.

On Monday, 4 May, the agitators cranked it up a notch, and someone in the National Guard gave the order to shoot across the Prentiss Hall parking lot from the front of Taylor Hall, the School of Architecture Building. Four students were killed, nine wounded.

There was a lot of overreaction on 4 May 1970, but who lit the fuse? The handful of vandals that started throwing rocks and bottles on Water Street, or the handful of idiots who burned the ROTC building on campus? What about the rally organizers who were neither students nor residents of Kent, Ohio, and arrived by the busload? Unless I’m mistaken, none of them were ever brought to trial. It was entirely the National Guard’s fault. Right.

Note that the sub-genius that produced this video and posted it on the Utoobage got the date wrong (a lot of the “documentaries” have blatant factual errors), and the original version had the requisite soundtrack: “Ohio” by CSN&Y.

[There’s a pretty good 2nd hand factual account of the KSU tragedy here. Wikipedia also has an entry. Previously posted here.]

The Creature Unmasked

Check this out.

Now look at this:

Proof. The Creature From The Black Lagoon was Mickey Dolenz.

[Images found here and here.]

Leaning Tchotchke of Pisa

[Found here.]

And on this day, Awesome happened.

Shortly after recording what was arguably their best album at Abbey Road Studios, the Fab Four crossed that now famous intersection and posed for this publicity shot. (L to R: Paul, George, John and Ringo.)

Some say the Beatles were too popular, but you’ve got to admit that without “the British Invasion” of the 1960s there’d likely be no Tacky Raccoons.

[Image found here, crossposted here.]

____________________________________________

Update: This is disturbing.

Saturday Matinee – The Beatnix, Zappa, Carl Douglas, The Black Keys & the Streamline Rockers

One of my favorites of The PreFab Four (posted previously).

What the heck. Here’s Zappa’s version.

Here’s to the Royal Disco Wedding for our friends across the pond: “There was funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown.”  Great lyrics from Carl Douglas.  Reminds me of National Lampoon’s classic “Have a Kung-Fu Christmas.”

Heh. The Black Keys are my current favorites in the land of  retrorock, and they fit right in with the Soul Train motif. [Tip o’ the tarboosh to Bunkessa]

And as long as we’re going retro, here’s some rockabilly from the UK: The Streamline Rockers.

That makes five for this episode of the  Saturday Matinee, and with that I’m out. Have a great weekend folks, and see you back here tomorrow for more fun.

The .Gif Friday Post No.173 – SnowCat, JuJitsu Rabbit, 1968 Rubberkids

[Found here, here and here.]

Snail Parkour

[Found here.]

Watercolors

Somebody finally invented a way to make drinking beer more fun than it already is. Unfortunately, the inventor didn’t think it through.

I can only imagine the disgusting mayhem that would ensue in the men’s room of Rosie’s Roadside Tavern around 11pm on a Saturday night. Forget writing your name in the snow in the parking lot. Every guy in the place would quickly discover his inner artistic talent, and then there would be a competition.

As for the women’s room artistry, I suppose we’re getting into the realm of “Jackson Pollock,” and we’ll leave it at that.

[Image found here.]

Copycat

Okay, before you think you’re clever and rename it as a you-know-what, there’s more to this picture than you think. We’re talking Zen convergence.

The modern copy machine owes it’s existence to cat fur and Chester Carlson. Never heard of him? I’ll make it easy for you.  Click here.

[Image found here.]

25 April – ANZAC DAY


Here’s to all the diggers.

Using letters, diaries and photographs, The Sunday Age recounts events through the eyes of the diggers who battled on amid despair and death. Jonathan King reports.

APRIL – THE LANDING

The great challenge for the Anzacs on April 25 was to land at Anzac Cove against formidable opposition from the Turks and then dig in. We are now within a mile of the shore and the din has increased… the whole side of the mountains seems to be sending forth tongues of flame and the bullets fairly rain upon us… the water is churned up from rifle fire, machine-guns, Maxims, shrapnel and common shells… seven of the boys in our boat are killed and God knows how many in the others.

Continue reading “25 April – ANZAC DAY”