Happy Birthday, Paul and Ringo!

I feel obliged to my readers (I'm including those who may read this a hundred, perhaps even a thousand years from now, so we're talking about trillions of people, right?) to provide a relatively immediate response to the recent Paul McCartney news story regarding his upcoming ballet. And not because anyone would ever include me among the world's ballet lovers.

A Feb. 23rd New York Times article states the premise of Paul McCartney's upcoming ballet as:

"involving two worlds — the ocean kingdom.... and the earth kingdom"

In my blog's "Statement of Purpose" (at the top of each blog page) I refer to my story "Endless Voyage" (written when I was 10, in 1965) as having been..... well.... "source material" of sorts for a number of Beatles works. You laugh. I understand.

In the second blog article I ever wrote, "A Few Words About My Statement of Blog Purpose" (August 10, 2008, which is additionally published at Archive.Org as part of Volume One of my collected blog articles), I was specific about the premise of "Endless Voyage":

"And so, dispassionately, the human race would be divided in half, and the question of what to do with all the people resolved, by sending half to live beneath the sea, to become a group of strangers to the other half of the human race."

This is not to say any of this is new. There's the ancient story of the ancient undersea world of Atlantis, which McCartney friend and "Yellow Submarine" song contributor Donovan sang about; there's Jimi Hendrix, for whom McCartney was a benefactor at a certain point to a degree, who sang at that same time about people being able to breathe underwater. I conjecture that both Hendrix and Donovan doing so could have been in alignment with the same thing, through McCartney. Far more importantly (should one be inclined to compare the importance of such things), I believe McCartney's alignment with my "Endless Voyage" story (which I didn't regard as a Beatles starting point until certain occurrences in my life, work, and in the life and work of the members of the Beatles, which I believe continue to occur to this day, to this blog article, in fact!) warrants at least a degree of consideration. Certainly I must point it out.

I plan to give more time to this (in spite of it regarding ballet), however, just now I am preoccupied with remembering today as George Harrison's birthday. Happy to remember the Beatle who in some ways is best remembered as not being John, Ringo or Paul. And is also remembered as being George.

Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Hallucinated

Yeah, Well I'm The One Who Oughta Be Quarantining You
Some of us look at other people, figure a few things out, and then divide them up into three categories: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. It's a weakness, of course, in that we all belong in one group, we're all the same, we all know the same things, have the same background information, the same inclination, willingness and perspective in putting facts together, etc. It's silly that I scored 97 percentile on my college tests and that this can ever make me feel that I'm among stupider people. I get so silly sometimes, it's enough to drive me up the wall.

Don't Put This Section Together With Anything
A while ago someone I know gave me a box of Q-tips. She didn't really give them to me. My group in my company had a Christmas Party and I was the lucky one who received her gag gift. She's an old friend of President Obama, lived a few doors down during the Chicago days. Even before I knew of that relationship, even before Obama was the president, I laughed about the Q-tips.

Isolate This Section As Well
The Iranian President said something not too long ago regarding the American President. Because I'm secretly super-important in relation to Steven Spielberg, the most prominent Jewish man, and also because I'm secretly super-important in relation to Paul McCartney and Saturday Night Live and Ridley Scott and Tim Burton and James Cameron and Sting and Madonna and The Rolling Stones and countless other institutions that wield unimaginable influence over the hearts and minds of Americans and the rest of the world, the Iranian President joins in. Like so many others, he said something in a lexicon that is unknown to almost everyone, a lexicon of which certain individuals have been continually making use. But we're all the same, really, no Beginners, Intermediates or Advanced, and if one of us doesn't get something none of us do.

All Of Five Minutes
In some of my other blog articles I've commented on my influence on Jason Lee's TV show, "Memphis Beat", an influence I've characterized as having grown out of my influence earlier in Jason Lee's career. Such as my originating what became "My Name Is Earl", by sending my Earl-like idea to the producer of the 1995 movie, "Mallrats", Lee's first starring role, a movie which had been named for my video, "Mall Man".

Last night's "Memphis Beat" once again included a few things that, if put together with a few other things, spelled something to those I consider Intermediates and Advanced. As if there actually is such a thing as Intermediates and Advanced, that is, which there aren't, it's just me being some sort of silly, crazy con artist or something. But let's just pretend I'm right, okay, and then I can finish the train of thought and move on to the next subject and finish that and then we can get out early and catch a smoke before our next class.

In my 1993 video, "Mall Man" (do a search at Archive.Org), we have a big shopping mall mogul. In last night's Jason Lee episode we did as well. In "Mall Man" we have someone seeming to be a homeless person who really isn't. Likewise on last night's show. In "Mall Man" we have the idea of a woman getting a special gift for a fiance, but it just isn't for him. On last night's show, likewise. Any of these connections in of themselves, nothing. All of these things on last night's show taken together with "Mall Man", perhaps again, nothing. All of these things put together with what I've been saying in other blog articles regarding Jason Lee and "Mall Man", that is something. Not to the Beginners, but to the Intermediates and the Advanced. And there are those who will hand over the microphone to the Beginners and boost the speaker to full volume for precisely that reason.

A Day In The, Okay, Not A Day Hanging In The Balance
At work, Obama's old friend from the Chicago days was supposed to give me a piece of paper showing she had permission to take a day off, signed by her supervisor. WEEKS ago. Her supervisor already knows she took the day off, the timekeeping system already recorded that she used up her time off. But I still need that piece of paper, it's part of my job, so that I can put it in a drawer and then a box for five years or so until the obligatory period of a potential audit has passed (like that's gonna happen). She laughs when I remind her. That's what happens when you laugh when someone gives you Q-tips. I'm this close to giving up on this and moving on. I'm really divided on this.

You Did Not Just Say That
Two days ago or so Bolton that Bush Administration right-wing/white mustache guy said the Israelis have an eight-day window to attack Iran's nuclear sites, after that, it would release dangerous radiation if they did. I'm left-wing, he's right-wing. He has a white mustache, mine is brown (okay, I'm willing to admit there's a little gray there). We're apples and oranges, therefore, I don't have to think about this.

It's A Small World (And That's Even Without Circumstances Having Yet Reduced It To A Speck Of Dust)
A recent Facebook development in my life has put a certain red wire very close to a certain blue wire. I sure am glad someone else is in the middle of that one. Though it actually has a whole lot to do with me. And yet it doesn't. It touches on a big part of this lexicon business I've been referring to, the part which stretches in the direction of what the Iranian President has been secretly connecting with in some of his headline-grabbing remarks over the past several years. I sure am glad there are enough Beginners in my life to scream in my ear that I'm just being silly about this.

Down The Hatches
Making good progress on my latest video, "Down The Hatch," which is currently in danger of being renamed, "Down The Hatches," and then good luck doing a search for it after you've read it in sketch idea form at Archive.Org, or vice-versa.

Oh Yeah
It took me 45 or so years, but I finally figured out something from John Lennon. I count about 14 major Beatle songs that I was a significant influence on (something to which I've occasionally made reference), and this one belongs in that column. The thing I figured out is, in the Beatle song, "Rain," it's like, emotionally a rainy day versus a sunny day. A year or so later, in the Beatle song, "Penny Lane," Lennon's emotional harmonizing on the word "Blue" in "Blue suburban skies" is like, advocating that the skies are blue. Meanwhile back, "the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain". So, therefore, it's like, a rainy day versus a sunny day.

I bet if I had really worked at it I could have gotten this in only 22.5 or so years. Then again, I hope I never stop being a Beginner, finding things that were always there but are only now exploding off the page in front of me.

Let's Pretend I Think We're Both On The Same Page

Only 3 things going on:

1. I will be starting "production" on one of my little videos, entitled, "Down The Hatch", which comes from my comedy idea of the same name, written and posted on my website in May 2006, and recently posted at Archive.Org. As with many of these comedy ideas of mine, upon creation I sent it to my SNL "contacts", and as has generally been traditional for years and years, that very week they worked some fragment (or more) of it into the show (I initially saw Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the starring role). This will be an attempt at a genuine realization of it.

2. Once again, Jason Lee's show, "Memphis Beat" has thrown in things I interpret as being intended as inside-references for my benefit. No one in their right mind would agree, if they didn't do the homework regarding the cumulative basis upon which my conclusion is based, including the fact that Lee's "My Name Is Earl" began with me, as did the title of the movie that featured his first starring role. So scant were this week's inside-references, I will only make general reference to them here. They were in relation to my video, "Steinhoff's Dostoyevsky's 'Uncle's Dream'". There was the couple that only stayed married for appearances in both; there was the character sitting on a couch looking over his shoulder in both; there was the panning shot of objects on a coffee table in both; there was the special significance given to a hand placed on someone's shoulder in both (never worth making note of if you don't know how the shorthand in connection with me has so often come to intertwine this one); there was the word "uncle" having more than your average specialness in both; there was the being knocked out in a big way by the beauty of music/singing in both. Possibly other things I missed.

3. I recently came up with something new about the time I gave John Lennon (through his intermediary) the opening of the "Double Fantasy" album. You may first want to do a search through my collected posted blogs at Archive.Org for the words "precious" and "Cinderella" for part of the backstory, then hurry back here before midnight strikes.

Done? Okay, well, I've recently been re-listening to something I once recorded off of the "Lost Lennon Tapes", where the song "Starting Over" is a work-in-progress. And at one point it was all about, "Why don't they leave us alone," you know, the whole thing about why should a person such as he continue as a special person in your lives. So it suddenly hit me, that when his intermediary provoked me to say the things that ultimately led to the whole opening of "Starting Over", I was responding to her exasperated-sounding statement about, "Hasn't he done enough for everybody already? He shouldn't have to do more." I described this part in an earlier blog, as you would know if you did that search I mentioned. And as I also described in that earlier blog, I knew at the time that Lennon was calling upon me.

Real Action, Jerry Rubin-Style

After giving this a tremendous amount of thought, I have finally come to the conclusion that it falls to me to wish Jerry Rubin a happy birthday today, though he is dead.

The year was 1974, and I was working for Howard Smith, the one-time close Lennon friend (and Village Voice Columnist) who had first introduced Lennon to New York City's radical scene, Jerry Rubin included. That led to the line from the the title song of Lennon's "Sometime In New York City" album, "Standing on the corner, just me and Yoko Ono, we was waiting for Jerry to land." Ever since Howard did that, or rather Lennon did that, or rather, Lennon recorded that and I heard that, from the recording, I too have been waiting for Jerry to land. Shouldn't we all be waiting for Jerry to land? Or, shouldn't we at least wish him a happy birthday? (Though I suppose this means I'll have to wish Abbie Hoffman a happy birthday when the time comes as well.)

Worship Not False Central Point Of Focus Entities (or Idols, Whatever)

I have never actually watched the TV show, "American Idol", however: I'm sure you will be permit me to say, there's something clearly wrong about it, they should use the set for a great big burger restaurant, that's the true purpose for that space, you have to believe me, I can see into the souls of people and spaces, and know the full scope of their potential. Well, let me at least say, the show isn't suited to my taste.

Sometimes I go even deeper: It's the wrong spirit/attitude to raise/nurture when rallying the world to engage in a massive search for an entity upon whose shoulders the weight of the world might in some way, shape, manner or form rest. That's the bottom line when you're talking about the space/role to which would-be superstars aspire. I hope I will someday be forgiven for violating the populist taboo against permitting true weight-of-the-world gravitas to intrude upon the concept of music - in - relation - to - soul / oneness -with - humanity - incorporating - focus / crystallizing - on - one - single - entity.

That being said (or was it? not unless each and every one of you understood it!).....

If you are among the enormous number of people who have always hoped to have the chance to properly imagine that show's host, Simon Cowell, standing in a TV control room, yet were denied this image, it appears you have me to thank for your deliverance. Those who saw Sunday night's coming attractions for the May 23rd season finale of "The Simpsons" (to air this coming Sunday) were permitted such a glimpse - but where did this image originate is the real question for everyone to weigh in on.

First, a still image of Simon Cowell from my "Frozen" video, posted at archive.org in March 2007 (the only work of mine ever to include an image/reference to Mr. Cowell, one of the true icons representing what the world has come to):




And second, a still image, indicated as being Simon Cowell, taken from the May 16, 2010 coming attractions for the May 23rd season finale of "The Simpsons":

Should a side-by-side comparison of these images affect those who are skeptical of occasional references in my previous blogs to there being inside-references to my material showing up on "The Simpsons" - including something that regularly occurs in the current opening sequence used at the beginning of every episode? Might such skeptics, or those who profess skepticism, feel compelled to retract this disposition? Countless presentations of evidence of the veracity of my oft-repeated statement that I am secretly super-important haven't affected them yet, so surely I must always put their vote first and continue my quest for their approval. Anything less would deserve to be interpreted as my thumbing my nose at the masses. I know someday, yes someday, I will hear them shout, "D'oh!", which for me would be a dream come true, for what greater vindication is there.

In a few days, how the just-released movie, "Robin Hood," can clearly be seen to "bring me in" at a key moment (I don't mean literally, I hope you don't expect anyone to ever literally bring me in).

So that will be all for the moment. Let's not give you too strong a dose all at once.

I Protest

After reading an article that the Rock and Roll Emporium in Huntington Beach would be featuring never-before-seen photos of a Beatles press conference regarding the release of "Revolver", I felt a sense of obligation. A story I wrote in 1965, "Endless Voyage", was responsible for "Yellow Submarine", "Eleanor Rigby", and other Beatles songs, and "Eleanor Rigby" and its concern for how to handle the world's lonely people led to "Sgt. Peppers", "Let It Be", and who knows what else. "Revolver" was and perhaps is the home of "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby". I couldn't be there at the moment depicted in the photos, but I could touch that moment just the same.

Based on previous experiences of this kind, I anticipated that Paul McCartney might somehow - or- another make his presence felt by me, that he and I are on the same page enough for us both to realize my doing this meant.... something - or - another.

The instant I walked into the Rock and Roll Emporium, I experienced what I expect anyone who goes there experiences. I was descended upon by someone who worked there, who was anxious to accommodate me by trying to ascertain my interests. However, the particular salesman I encountered went even further than this. He engaged me in a detailed discussion of The Beatles, asserting that these photos clearly showed great animosity between Lennon and McCartney, they had only one more live concert after the photos were taken and after that The Beatles essentially disbanded by limiting themselves to things like making "Sgt. Peppers" and only creating music in recording studios. I basically disagreed on every point. However, it all reminded me a little bit of something.

It reminded me of the time someone played the devil's advocate with me by demanding to know why John Lennon should make another album, hadn't he already done enough. A transparent effort to provoke my response. On that occasion, I was conscious that my words would likely be taken directly back to John Lennon, that this possibility was scarcely a secret. And so I put something into it, and came up with what would become the opening of the song, "Starting Over". Minus Lennon's insertion on that song/album opening of a subtly cynical twist, buried close to the surface of his intonation, on the question of whether our life together really is so special, together, is it really so precious. There may also perhaps have been a grain of this same cynicism in the answer I initially gave, but if there was, it was only my way of expressing that I possessed the ability to support, if necessary, the position, "hadn't he done enough already (is more really necessary)?"

So when I responded to the Rock and Roll Emporium salesman, while at the same time looking at the photos of The Beatles facing the world for the first time on the subject of "Revolver", I again sensed that here I might not be speaking directly with the person who in actuality was at the other end of the real conversation.

The salesman made it very difficult for me to sound nice about Paul McCartney. He mentioned how McCartney presumably made George Harrison storm out of the studio at some point, perhaps while recording The White Album, due to wanting to play Harrison's guitar part. A similar problem between McCartney and Starr. "Oh well, he just likes to provoke a certain kind of reaction, he enjoys getting in people's face," I said in McCartney's defense. It was not unlike the symbolic inference I intended when I said to a (different) Lennon intermediary that Lennon must feel he has to shout about something. Lennon found a place for that one on his "Double Fantasy" song, "Losing You".

While speaking to the Huntington Beach salesman, who represented that period in Beatles history as a battle between Lennon and McCartney, I found it important to state my view that Lennon was the genius of the group, that he had the cosmic oneness, but needed help bringing that into the world. It stands to reason that it would have been too much of a coincidence for there to have been more than one genius in The Beatles, so if you have to pick one, I say Lennon. I believe the depth of Lennon's part in "Double Fantasy" establishes once and for all that, though his genius took form in what in many ways is a simplistic medium, Rock and Roll, he was able to be more artistically profound than anyone since.... perhaps Dostoyevsky. Perhaps that is an apples and oranges comparison. Which isn't to say McCartney isn't great as well.

Afterwards I was concerned that I may have said things that, on some level, might strike McCartney as deliberately hurtful. This was not my intent, and my concern on this partly influenced me to title the blog I wrote yesterday in relation to a McCartney song I was a major influence on. I am not one who wishes to generate animosity. Though I don't mind offending Republicans.

Today it was announced that Paul McCartney, in an upcoming Q Magazine interview, confesses he was a failure at writing protest songs. To hear him say this must surely bring to mind how he measures up, in this regard, against John Lennon. John Lennon, who gave us "Give Peace A Chance", clearly beats McCartney in the protest song game. Okay, in the peace song game, same thing. Doesn't this subject instantly provoke a Lennon vs. McCartney comparison, Lennon emerging the victor?

At one point, as a major influence on John Lennon, it occurred to me that it might serve if I were to make a deliberate, conscious effort to wear Lennon's shoes in the area of peace / protest songs. Lennon was gone, perhaps something fell to me, even if none but a few might consider this the situation. And so I set to work on the only song I've ever done that was inspired by the possibility of an obligation to destiny.

In so doing, I believe I came to one of the same places Lennon must surely have come to in creating "Starting Over". The problem: generating an innocent feeling that could be shared by the masses, a common push, yet a feeling that does not devolve into the kind of false start that makes it ever-impossible for the masses to try again someday. The powerful, inner resource of humanity to come together and do something could transform into stale chewing gum from an overly insistent leader trying to force the matter. So dangerous a possibility that the leader shouldn't even try, but instead just turn around and walk away, let's keep the good memories intact? "Starting Over" has Lennon in the persona of an older-ish man trying to resurrect a '50s-ish sound to give rebirth to a dying relationship. A man for whom the '50s still sort of live, so why can't he simply summon this and make it all happen again as it did before. My song, "(Build It All Up Into A) Brand New River of Love" (copyright January 1999) was turned by Sting into "(Building Up A) Brand New Day". The spirit of the new millenium on New Year's Eve, 1999, midnight, NBC; the spirit of the Obama Inauguration Party, at the climax of the night, performed for the new president, accompanied by Stevie Wonder, whose harmonica began as my saxophone, if the truth be told. But who am I, just someone who can't even afford a photograph of the Beatles press conference on the subject of "Revolver".

Nicely Aged Artifacts

While it is not yet time for my blog about things that have put me in relation to "Avatar" and its creator, James Cameron (described as upcoming in my previous, February 15th blog), it is time for Yoko Ono's birthday celebration!

This year, I am celebrating Yoko Ono's birthday by putting two related Internet links side-by-side, links containing a relevance to Yoko that is, in my opinion, fairly easy to discern. I already know you would have to agree.

Please click on each link in rapid succession:

WINNER STUB

Still Time To Buy Popcorn

Yours Truly Firmly Planted In Someone's Fantasy
Knowing how secretly super-important I am (yes, I'm in on that secret), and knowing how James Cameron has made inside-references to me/my material in the past in a big way, I figured that, when I did get around to seeing the biggest movie in the history of cinema, "Avatar", I would very likely see something myself-related. So on Sunday I broke the suspense and went to see "Avatar".

I was not prepared.

Word on the street was that the manufacturers of Coca-Cola would love for me to make some kind of mention of their product during the course of the blog I write on how "Avatar" relates to "me" (me/my material). Which this blog isn't - that will be another blog. I am not yet ready for that moment in the history of mankind, which is to say, I appreciate the significance my reaction might ultimately have attached to it, and I am only too aware of my obligattion to try to do justice to that kind of attention. So stay tuned, between my day job as a secretary and the countless, unending assaults on my attention that descend upon me when I'm not at work, I should nevertheless be able to summon the strength and inspiration needed to be equal to this task.

Where was I? Oh yes, and then word on the street was that the manufacturers of Pepsi would really love for that blog to include some mention of their product. Or short of that, if I at least could refrain from mentioning Coca-Cola. Or communism, right, I think it was the Pepsi people who wanted communism kept out of it, for some reason. No communism and no Coca-Cola, that was the word on the street. And then all of these other soft drink manufacturers starting putting word out on the street about what they wanted to see in this upcoming blog of mine. Dr. Pepper apparently hates existential tangents. And if I told you which soft drink manufacturer is campaigning against nihilism you wouldn't believe me - that was something I didn't expect this experience to teach me! Well, forget it, boys. Tapwater, your day is at hand, you have a very powerful ally in me (okay, tapwater only after its passed through a Brita filter, but if you say I said that I'll deny it).

And then, suddenly, from amidst all of the unceasing, constant chatter from the beverage world, a rumble from the good people who make a very popular snack food began to emerge. Followed by anxious whispers from their competitors. This snack food talk, it was like some new, non-soft drink-esque mood had descended upon word on the street. It reminded me of the effort to raise money for Haiti, if that doesn't sound too cynical.

Don't they all want a piece of that upcoming blog of mine. Ah yes, to control the mind of the secretly super-important Jonathan David Steinhoff. Yet it should all be something I'm used to. You know, "Jurassic Park" was once the most successful movie in the history of cinema, and I was secretly responsible for Spielberg making that one. And then there was "Titanic", another James Cameron movie that also was once the most successful in the history of cinema - I was a big influence on an important part of that one as well. Would it be tangental at this point to bring up my influence on The Beatles, The Stones, Saturday Night Live, Madonna, Sting, etc., etc. (my deepest apologies to the multitude of greats omitted here).

Hopefully this will someday be regarded as my strange way of trying to touch on the idea that there really is reason to consider that there really has been a real degree of real effort to influence my real brainwaves. And yes, I mean by subterfuge - oops, I just lost half the people who want to take me seriously, they see I'm off the deep end. Besides, who ever used sophisticated means to control a powerful person? Only in dimestore novels! Ignore those sub-rhythms you hear coming through the sounds in my car and air-conditioning and computer and so on and so forth, no amount of money could make that happen! But please, may I at least turn up the TV to better ignore them, or the radio, something I strangely imagine I even need to do in the "dead of night"?


Something To Do With 24
I think I may have seen Kiefer Sutherland again, this time within fifteen minutes of my leaving the "Avatar" movie theater. If so, it could relate to what I wrote about him two blogs ago (February 4th). If not, it could have been.... someone who resembles Kiefer Sutherland? Paid by someone to drive by me? Or.... it might not have been him at all in any way, shape or form, pure and simple? Yes, of course. In any event, I must believe that it could never serve the "common good" for me to attempt any serious effort to find out one way or the other who it was. What kind of person would that make me?


At The End Of The Day
Strangely, this seems to lead my thoughts to the fact that Doug Fieger of The Knack/"My Sharona" fame just died the other day. Is there any point in my mentioning that I once had a half-hour conversation with Doug Fieger? It happens that he was once a bandmate of someone who worked where I worked (I was living in Denver at the time), someone who started working at the company after I had been there half-a-year or so. Someone who also lived in the same apartment building as me, with the help of a recommendation from me. This was around the time when "Double Fantasy" was relatively soon to be released, down the road a little ways. That individual, who Fieger acknowledged as once having been his bandmate, had once been on an album produced by Jack Douglas, a producer on the verge of producing Lennon and Ono's "Double Fantasy", another work I was an influence on. At the same time there was a girl at our company whose fiance was good friends with the saxophonist on Ono's "Season of Glass", though a few things happened before that album came into being. When I changed jobs to another part of town she wound up in that building as well. I have serious reason to believe that this individual, the Fieger bandmate that is, was an intermediary between Lennon and myself, though there appear to have been a few others as well between Lennon and myself at that time (and other times as well, since I was nine or ten). Fieger and this co-worker of mine had once been in a group called "Rats" (not "Boomtown Rats"), and it was this co-worker who told me how I could get the new "Double Fantasy" at a Denver mall called Cinderella City several days after they failed to release it on its announced release date. Did I mention "Double Fantasy" includes a song containing the line, "No rats aboard the magic ship" and "we believe in pumpkins that turn into princess"?


Pick 24 Random Hours
However, I seem to be rambling, especially if you fail to see any thread between the things I describe (always a reason for seeing someone as rambling!). I must make more of an effort to confine myself to that which even the lowest common denominator amongst us would perceive as relevant, so as to ensure against the possible appearance of rambling.

Especially when I get around to addressing the fact that the most successful movie in the history of cinema inside-references me most very significantly. I do not want to lose not one person when that time comes (perhaps my next blog). Or instead I should just count numbers sequentially, no one would be able to accuse me of a non sequitur at such a moment as that. Unless it should be that particular kind of thinking that we will all need me to distance myself from when I do write that blog....

By the way, "The Wolfman" will once again (see my previous blog of February 12th) come into the picture on that occasion as well.

I'll Buy That

Is there any better a time than now to tell the story of "Two Hours In The Life of George Washington"?

TWO HOURS IN THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
Back in 1979-1981, when I was living in Denver, a few years before I bought the book about George Washington at the used book/map store in NYC near to where I worked (see my October 31st blog), and about 15 years before the President Clinton/Monica Lewinsky sex scandal (a tale perhaps forever silenced from David Letterman's lips in light of his own "sex scandal"), I tried to make a strange little movie called, "Two Hours In The Life of George Washington".

The idea was, it would be a 45-minute, real-time movie, except for a missing hour and 15 minutes left to the imagination when George Washington goes to the barn for a secret sex rendezvous with a woman who wasn't Martha. The rest of the movie, George and Martha would be sitting next to each other on a cheap, ripped upholstery couch, Martha knitting in a manner that occasionally caused George to quickly duck his head away. One sensed unexpressed tension. Perhaps Martha was even angry about something. And so 45 minutes would pass. I was perhaps influenced in part by my knowledge of a Warhol film where one watches someone sleeping for hours in real-time.

I called up Carl Zucker, who once sat in a two-person office area with me, back when we worked for Lennon's friend and NYC tour guide, Howard Smith. Carl had been Woody Allen's locations manager on "Interiors". Carl said he liked my idea, and thought that a place he knew in Tennessee might be appropriate. A little bit later Woody Allen made "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy," and based on the substantial degree to which I have been an influence on Woody Allen, I have to think his movie started with my movie. Or the movie I wanted to make, that is.

Digression
For a very long time Woody Allen's girlfriend was Mia Farrow, who lived in The Dakota in NYC, where John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived, a fact almost certainly of no relevance here. On the same day that Allen's public problems with Farrow first broke in the papers, I was sitting in my co-op living room talking with Allen's then-locations manager, Drew Dillard, who was considering it for Allen's next movie. Outside the window about a block away you could see a little restaurant called El Faro, and also the restaurant sign. You might want to zoom in. Or not. I mean, it was a reasonably nice restaurant sign. Dillard told me to expect to see Diane Keaton replacing Farrow. According to what I later read, even Keaton hadn't been told of this at that point in time. However, I digress. Let me travel back in time and label this paragraph accordingly.

Back To Our Story
For the George Washington part I called up Ken Hanson (Hansen?), with whom I also used to sit in a two-person office area, back when I worked for a company that distributed on the college circuit "Magical Mystery Tour," "The Beatles At Shea Stadium," and other movies. Ken's brother had been a good friend of Yoko Ono's before she met John Lennon, and according to Ken, John and Yoko once gave his brother a tape recorder and a camera. Ken had been the right hand of Peter Max, until someone spiked his drink with LSD and he didn't want to be around anymore, and so said goodbye to Peter Max. Ken went on to run a seven-story art gallery in the Wall Street area, where he displayed the original artwork that was used to advertise Ridley Scott's "Alien," as well as the original artwork that was used for the album covers of a group called, "Slave". Ken agreed to play George Washington.

I now needed to raise about $25,000. This was the part that had doomed the project from the start. I really didn't expect to get an actual backer. And I was right. Nevertheless, I called up Harley Lewin (see my blog of October 11, 2009), a big rock lawyer I had worked for. He sounded interested (not interested enough). However, he did stay in for five phone calls or so. I think he must have thought I might eventually get other backers involved as well. I called up Harley a few years ago and mentioned "Two Hours In The Life Of George Washington". I wasn't still trying to raise money, I was calling for some other reason. He still sounded interested in that movie.

And that was as far as it went.

Perhaps some day the world will truly be ready for a president with a sex scandal and Lewin and Hanson and Zucker and me and so on. Or maybe not. I was perhaps more happy than anyone when the day did finally come where you didn't need a lot to put together a movie.

Excavating The Truth In Seven Words Or

Before I let you see this videoclip, I feel I should first make a certain point that I've made from time to time regarding some of the videoclips I've posted on this site: nothing is proven by it, unless you read my July 30th blog when it was published and not two days later. Because this here blog site may indicate a publication date, yet one finds that it can misrepresent the actual date of publication, whether one wishes to have this site serve as a reliable record of the date of publication or not. For this reason, I did not create this videoclip to prove something, I made it to pass something along to those who already believe in my veracity, and to those who may someday believe in my veracity (as opposed to those who presume me a liar, an idiot, or delusional).

For that matter, those things I've copyrighted with the Library of Congress are scarcely proven to one and all as having been created when the copyright states they were, in the sense that those who cannot access these works through the Library of Congress wouldn't get their proof of the exact work's date of publication until such is demonstrated in a court of law. And as for common-law copyright, even if a hundred people saw a 1993 video of mine in 1993, you don't get to see those hundred people bearing witness to the fact that it was indeed created no later than 1993, and you wouldn't have to believe them if they did bear witness. Then there's the stuff of mine posted on sites where the date of publication presented is to be relied upon and cannot be tampered with. Yet who knows, perhaps someday those sites will be gone, or my works banished from them. Because in order for me to show that I'm the major influence I claim to be, I don't just post my own original videos - I also post videoclips like the one you'll see in this blog, videoclips that contain things copied off the TV (a no-no that leaves me vulnerable). I post such videoclips in order to be able to make a clear point, by way of inter-editing my works with the works they've influenced, showing the cause and the effect side-by-side. Because, fancy that, I'd like people to see what I mean about my being a major influence.

One thing I might be saying here is, despite my considerable and extensive influence on innumerable works by others, from The Beatles to Starting Up A Brand New Day to the Rolling Stones to Spielberg to you-name-it, I'm still left at square one, no doubt because it serves the interests of the powers that be - which might be more tolerable if not for the fact that I am so major an influence. Is it possible that this ultimately taints the works of all who found their rationale for leaving something essentially of a historical nature in such a convoluted state? God knows. It is unfortunate that I am not made out of rubber, able to exhibit flexibility in all matters of consequence. And so I still look for something to happen regarding this situation.

How McCartney Can Solve The Whole iTunes Puzzle

We all know the story of King Solomon and how two women each claimed a baby to be theirs. How King Solomon, to determine the identity of the true mother, said he would therefore cut the baby in two and give each woman half. How this was intended to provoke the true mother to change her story and deny that the baby was hers. How this would reveal the true mother, who would be willing to give her baby to the other woman, if this was the only way to keep her baby from being cut in half.

This does not perfectly correlate to my solution to a problem currently faced by Paul McCartney regarding Beatles songs and iTunes, nevertheless, follow me, or Paul McCartney, follow me.

If Beatles songs become available on iTunes in the normal manner, what will happen to the artistic wholeness of Beatles albums? The songs on Beatle albums are not just packaged together as so much Beatles product; and Beatles albums are not merely artifacts of ways in which the songs were once packaged. They are artistic creations.

To strengthen the glue that holds these songs together as parts of specific Beatles albums, after the songs have been released into an iTunes song - at - a - time world, it may require more than a money incentive approach, a cheaper - by - the - dozen/ cheaper - if - you - get- all - of - the - songs - on - a - particular - Beatles - album approach.

I have an unusual plan for eliciting appropriate respect among the masses for the artistic wholeness that the Beatles albums possess. I do not know if Paul McCartney or iTunes are ready for my idea - in fact, I'm sure there are those for whom even the King Solomon story is considered profane (try pitching a movie where a major moment involves the idea of sawing a baby in half).

Sell Beatle songs on iTunes by the half-song. Each half-song would cost half as much as the whole song. From this there would emerge an ethic, a mentality of "You only bought half of that Beatles song???!!! What a ___ you are!" Song samples are one thing, where you know you aren't legitimately experiencing the entire work, but the idea of Beatles half-songs will touch so deep a nerve, provoke so extreme a reaction from those who respect the artistic wholeness of the entire Beatles song, that this disposition would emerge as a basic ethic. People would inwardly rejoice when they learn that, despite the option of purchasing half-songs, invariably the same number of both halves (i.e., whole songs) would be purchased (this is my prediction, as is the idea that this statistic would receive much attention).

I believe this new, basic ethic would have a ripple effect, reinforcing the glue holding together the sense that these songs are parts of whole Beatles albums. It could even become the foundation of a more widespread respect for artistic autonomy.

Paul McCartney and Denny Laine: Give Barrack Obama Your Vote

Let’s suppose that those who have been keeping an intelligent, careful eye on American politics would not be completely convinced by the current polls, which at present indicate that the election is Barrack Obama’s. Things continue to change at the drop of a hat, in spite of each new configuration of the way America “feels” being initially perceived as written in stone. And so, let us suppose that, just as a McCain presidency would place Palin dangerously close to the highest office in the land, perhaps the world, so McCain is dangerously close to winning the presidency. To sit back with the sense that nothing need be done about this, were one in a position to do something, might therefore be the highest form of irresponsibility.

In 1975-76, Paul McCartney and Denny Laine did a song called, “Must Do Something About It,” which was based on a communication I had sent to Paul McCartney at a time when, like now, I was of significance to Paul McCartney. My communication immediately followed a McCartney radio interview, in which he said that on his upcoming concert tour he was likely to do his songs note perfect to the version heard on the recordings, as that’s what the people wanted. My communication stated that it (the communication) should be regarded as my vote, that it would be more real if he felt at liberty to change the notes, and that if he should ever wish to visit my school, CalArts, I would be delighted to show him around (i.e., “hold your coat”).

When one considers that Denny Laine became Paul McCartney’s main musical collaborator following John Lennon, it seems something of a contrast to, in any manner, juxtapose that song’s “must do something about it…. or not” persona within proximity of Lennon’s “I sure as hell will do something about stuff” outward persona.

And that brings us to the stage that has now been set. Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel (who sat next to me on an airplane Easter Sunday 1978, the year the Pope would have wanted to be sitting next Billy Joel, owing to his recent hit about a Catholic girl hiding behind a stained glass curtain counting on her rosary; Easter Sunday 1978, three weeks before I received a letter from Paul McCartney regarding my upcoming graduation from film school; Easter Sunday 1978, six weeks before Rolling Stone Magazine’s June Random Notes piece about Lennon considering a part in a movie called “Street Messiah”, which I followed up on, and might have succeeded in working on had it ever been made) will be performing for Obama on October 16th, with surprise guests.

There is a great, wise expression: “It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.” I would not want McCartney publicly supporting Obama if it were to be done clumsily, in a run of the mill fashion, as a typical celebrity endorsement, or tainted by seeming like an upstaging, or as something pointedly alienating to anyone not of like mind. But what I would love to see would be if McCartney could find a good way to fuse a Beatle-like feeling (from when they suggested the group persona of a social movement) together with the kind of support for Obama that is like being part of the rising spirit of a new social movement.

The suggestion I would like to make, as simple as it may sound, would accomplish a lot, in addition to meeting the only real criteria – it feels “right”: I would like to suggest a reunion of Paul McCartney and Denny Laine as part of the Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen Obama event. It would provide the perfect proximity to present times for the “ghost” of John Lennon’s activist spirit; it would contain the promise of musical chemistry yet unexplored; it is the right time, as Denny Laine’s new book about Paul McCartney could be seen as implying that their famous relationship could now finally be in the right place for such a musical reunion.

Obviously, I am far outside of the real inner issues McCartney and Laine would have to address in making such a decision. So: let this opinion of mine just be seen as.... one vote.