Tuba Skinny - OH RED

This is an interesting street concert to watch.   The people in the background making faces and Shaye Cohn getting up twice to deal with the CD merchandise.

Ed Hunter the Policeman

Ed worked for Glover Machinery in Marietta.  He also was a Weekend Warrior; a National Guardsman.  In the National Guard he got to know Marietta Police Chief Blackwell.   In the 1930s Chief Blackwell hired Ed as a patrolman.  In the middle 1940s Mayor Sam Welch appointed Ed Chief.

In the early 1950s Cobb County Commissioner Rholie Ward appointed Ed as Chief of the Cobb County Police.

In the late 1950s Herbert McCollum became the Commissioner and replaced Ed with Cecil Holt and Amos Bates.

He was a Deputy Sheriff under Kermit Sanders until Ed and Buna Walker ran against him; Buna as sheriff and Ed as his chief Deputy.

He became a Kenneaw Patrolman.

Someplace in his career time line he was a Lockheed Guard.

He retired as a Wells Fargo Armor truck driver/guard.

Ed holding Eddie and Frances in front, Clay Homes

Brother Stanley Hunter and Ed.  Stanley was the first plainclothesman on the Marietta Police Force.

Jesse Cooper and Ed

Ed being sworn in as Chief of Cobb County Police

two above:  Ed as Chief of the Cobb County Police

As far as I know Ed only faced danger twice as a policeman.  One time he chased a suspect into a dead end alley in downtown Marietta.  The suspect, cornered, pulled out a gun and aimed at Ed and pulled the trigger.  It only clicked.  Then Daddy arrested him.   Another time while putting an arrestee behind bars the man slammed the cell metal door onto his hand, breaking it.

He was a very easy going gentle man.  He loved small children.  Before Christmas he called his small nieces and nephews as Santa Clause to go over their lists with them and check to see how good they have been and bellow out plenty of hearty ho-ho-hos.

He also loved to get his young nieces and nephews in his lap and tell them high adventurous stories that he made up as he went.... which he fitted the protagonists to be just like them.   The kids would become entranced in the high adventure.  I remember one little nephew got so upset he hit daddy in the face.

Country Bumpkins looking out Window looking at Atlanta Tall Buildings

Peeking through the windows of what used to be Crawford Long Hospital and is now Emory Hospital at the hustle and bustle of Atlanta.

Civic Center above

above middle left, white and red vertical: Imperial Hotel with Dominoes and Dale's  Cellar

About 1964, Left to Right:  Me and Navy buddy Dick Day in New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in front of an antique store trying to pull the mystic spirits out of a pot.  Maybe we were the original GHOSTBUSTERS.   

Just One More Hour

True:

I remember once not long after we were married we were returning from a trip.   We were 75 miles from home and we were going 75 mph.  I said if we kept that rate up we would be home in an hour.

A little closer, when 60 miles south of home we were going slower because of the heavier traffic we were going 60MPH, still one hour from home.

Then 20 miles from home we the traffic was going very slow and we were still one hour from home because we were going 20 mph.

Then, believe or not because of a wreck and gawkers we were 5 miles from home, going 5 mph, meaning we were still one hour from home.

I seriously wondered if we were in some kind of time warp, that we would spend eternity being  always one hour from home.

Then I shook my head, not possible.

Then, we slowed down to 4 mph.  

Checking Out Woody Allen's MAGIC MOONLIGHT movie

Movie:  MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT written and directed by Woody Allen.

The two main stars in this movie are British actor Colin Firth and American actress Emma Stone.  The plot is in Europe in 1928 hopping between Germany, maybe Spain and Italy.  Colin Firth's character is an illusionist who openly admits all his magic tricks are just tricks and he vows to expose phony clairvoyants and mystics.

Emma Stone is the  phony clairvoyant and mystic and Colin Firth is the illusionist and spirit buster.  Emma  is  down to earth and  unpretentious.  Colin is a sophisticated snob.  Do you know what that is?  A Hollywood formula for the leading man and leading woman to fall in love.  Guaranteed!

The character Colin portrays get in several debates with Emma's characters, and other characters about what is real and solid and what is not.  He was debating against magic but the debate could easily be against religion with almost the same words.

Woody Allen has not made movies in the United States for several years now.  It is too costly.  It is cheaper in other parts of the world.    They ride all over Europe in a little sports car visiting the upper crust of society with the Mediterranean as the backdrop - pretty cheaply too!

I have always thought Woody Allen movies were great.    They get complex.  The self-worthiness of things are always  on the chopping block.  This movie, I'm not so sure.

Ed Hunter's Family and Birthplace

This is the house my father was born in.  It was on Waterman Street at Waddell Street.    I took this picture of it before it was bulldozed a couple years ago to make way for progress....(?)

the next picture is the Hunters out front of the house on Waterman Street.

Left to right:  1st Row, Ed  (Daddy) and W.C. Hunter.

2nd Row:  Bus, Bee, Herbert, and  their father Frank Paris Hunter

Back:  Minnie Victoria Tyson Hunter.

Notice the way Minnie is looking at Frank:  it looks to me like pure admiration.

Ed was born in 1911.  He looks about 2 years old.  The pictures was probably  taken made about 1913

Today is NATIONAL PANIC DAY

click on images to see them better

Today is NATIONAL PANIC DAY, whatever that is.

I am not sure they had PANIC comicbook of the 1950s in mind when they named this day.   But if they did here is a contribution to the spirit of the day:  covers of PANIC.

PANIC comcbook was a sister comicbook of MAD comicbook, in fact the same EC artists illustrated them both.

The first one above is the cover of the first issue of PANIC, illustrated by Al Feldstein.   The second cover is illustrated by Georgia corn-fed, Jack Davis.

Emi Sunshine plucks away

Emi Sunshine apparently at home playing her ukulele singing
  "Little Blackbird"

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! MAD's THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Are you old enough to remember Ralph Edward's THIS IS YOUR LIFE.  (not only do have to be old enough, but you still have to have your memory intact.  The text is by editor Harvey Kurtzman and the art is by  Will Elder.  Elder was an expert of drawing tiny little details that sometimes had their own secondary story rolling.

Also, click on each image to read whats going on and see those details  I was talking about.

Be Careful Where You Aim Squirt Bottles

We went to a Super Discount Warehouse type of store today.  Of course we checked out some of the free samples.   At one free sample kiosk little pancake samples were being handed out.  The pancakes were slightly bigger than a silver dollar.  I think they were pushing a pancake mix.  A dignified elderly lady in an electric wheelchair was having a hard time handling the pancake and the syrup squeezer both and keep up dignity at the same time.   A man, also elderly, who  appeared to be clumsy - he acted like Rodney Dangerfield , trying to do the gentlemanly thing said , "Here, Ma'm let me help you with this."  He gently reached down and picked up the syrup squirt container, that looked like an ordinary catsup squinter container, aimed it down towards the little pancake and squeezed.

The syrup squirted in her eyes and hair.

He immediately started apologizing saying he didn't know that it would do that.  He also suggested she go to the restroom and get a wet paper towel and wipe her face .

Then he took his shopping cart and hurried away.

A floater free sample relief clerk covered a big smirk on her face and walked away coughing.

Spring Forward Tonight

Remember!   Before you go to bed tonight SPRING FORWARD  one hour!

or, if you want to be a perfectionist, set your alarm for 2am, and when it wakes you up, spring forward one hour, and go back to bed.

Goldstein's Men Clothing Store

Yesterday I saw Herbert Goldstein in the doctor's office.   Like us all, age is taking a toll. 

It brought back memories of he and his men's clothing store on the Square.   I have two stories.

One story is my sister gave me a raincoat for Christmas.  It did not fit.   My sister gave me the sales slip, from where she bought it, Goldstein's.   I carried it back to the store and told Herbert Goldstein the coat did not fit.  I tried it on to show him and he agreed.  He was very courteous.

He went right to work focused on finding clothing merchandise that would equal out the amount paid for the rain coat.  He found maybe a pair of pants, shirts, and socks that as he asked me did I like what he just picked out, some I did and some I didn't.  If I said I did, he added  it to his running total on the adding machine.  He had to add and take back stuff until he got the running total just 25₵ short.

He opened his cash register drawer and started moving things around and found what he was looking for: a coupon for either McDonald's or Wendy's for 25 cents.  He put that in the pile.

Even Steven!

Once an observant co-worker asked me have I ever noticed that there are no prices on merchandise at Goldstein's .  He looks at you and not the product when he tells you the price of it.  I suppose he judges just how much you can afford or willing to pay for the item.

After I heard and forgot that we went to Chattanooga  one day to the Train Museum.   At the museum gift shop we bought our boys railroad engineer's caps.  They are light gray with dark blue stripes, the kind I saw Donald Duck wearing once.

A few days later I wanted one just like theirs.  I called Goldstein's and asked a lady did they have the railroad engineers caps and described it.  She said they did.  I asked t her how much and she said $3.95.

The next day or so I went to  Goldstein's to buy that engineers hat or cap.  I went into the store, found the hats, found my size and carried it to the cash register, planning on spending $3.95 plus tax.

Mrs. Goldstein was at the cash register.   The railroad hat or cap did not have a price.  She held it up and asked  Mr. Goldstein, who was at a table  about 20 feet over straightening out the merchandise 

"How much are these hats?"

Then I remember what I was told.

He looked up and looked at me, not what she was holding, and said, "$2.95".

I wasn't sure if should be complemented or insulted.    

Harry is a Good Listener

Above is a picture of David Cain telling Harry Hansen something.  Harry is patiently waiting for the punch line or the moment of truth.  It occurred to me that Harry is a good listener.  I have some other pictures at various get-togethers of Harry  politely giving people his full attention, Look:

Harry & Homer Muse

Harry & Marvin Young

Harry and Horace Armfield and Jerry McBee

Harry & Joel Jackson

Harry and Monty Calhoun & Marvin Young

Harry & Neal Lawrence

Harry & Beth Sorrells

(a good listener deserves a pat on the cheek)

Birds Traveling North

On our walk yesterday morning at daybreak it was foggy.  I heard  from above the squawking and honking of migrating fowl, probably Canadian Geese.  Because of the fog I could not see what direction they were aimed at.  If I was a betting person I would bet their aim is north.

It is still very bad snow weather in Boston and that general area.  I thought I hope they are not disappointed when they arrive at their destination.

I think they know the weather  conditions  and what it will be by the time they arrive much more than we humans do.

Toilet Seat Up

I went to a women's club luncheon today.   The reason I went was to hear a husband wife team talk about their  genealogy research.  

The husband and I were the only men present.    After we ate, I went to restroom after the husband had went and returned.   He left the  toilet seat up.  It has to be him.   At a women's club meeting I don't think  any male there should leave the toilet seat  up.  It is just plain courtesy. 

On the Band Wagon

Because of the movie, SELMA is being talked a lot about these days and the bravery of those who marched over the bridge.  Keeping a segment of the population from voting or depriving them of any other guaranteed right is just plain UnAmerican.  It  is now and it was then.  Only then, to hear the people who were keeping people from voting,they were doing the patriotic thing.

Now,  it is time for me to get on the bandwagon.

When I turned 18 I registered to vote.  I went to the  Cobb County Courthouse and went to the appropriate office and showed the man my proof and credentials I was age 18, and a citizen.

I filled out the application or whatever I need to fill out.  

The man said according to Georgia State Law I had to qualify.   I had to pass a reading test he said.  He handed me a  sheet of paper of some printed words on it.

He said, "Read that aloud."

It was part of the Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln.

I started reading aloud:  "Four Scores and Seve...."

He interrupted me.  "That's good.  You passed, congratulations".

I said, "But I did not read much."

The clerk said, " You read enough.  You pronounced the word "four" correctly".  If you had pronounced it "foe" I would have failed you on the literacy."

I looked at him suspiciously.  He went on to say:  If we allowed all those people who say "foe" instead of "four" there is no telling what they would elect.  We are doing this to keep the U.S.A. a democracy."

Alone the same note, a few years after that, a friend went to Canton, Georgia, to get his drivers license renewed.  He heard the lines wasn't so bad at the State Patrol Office in Canton.  In line was a black man. 

A state patrolman looked up from his desk and saw the man and walked up to him and rudely told him to go to the back of the line, didn't he have the sense to turn and see all the white folks in line behind him.

By theory, he could be the first one in line but have to wait until the end of the day to get service.

click on image to read balloons.

The above  by  cartoonist Bud Grace, from his comic strip PIRANHA CLUB reminds us in the late 1950s.  We were not above piling into someone's car trunk and letting one or two people drive into a drive-in movie.  I remember once at the Smyrna Drive In theater we took Larry Southern's 1957 Ford, it had a big trunk.

I was elected to drive in the theater, which I did.  I drove around to the back row and got out of the car and was about to open the trunk when a man with a flashlight  walked up out of the dark and told me I had to move, the area I parked was for "colored people". 

I went back to get into the car and the man added, "Before you go you need to get those boys out of the trunk before the smother."

Cade's Cove's Church

These are pictures of an old country church that I took at Cade's Cove, Tennessee, several years ago.   They are no longer used as worshiping places but as museum relics to show us how people lived over a 100 years ago. 

You can see double entrance doors.  Churches back then  had two front doors, one for the women folk and one for the men folk.  They sat separately too.  If this church was still operational for what it was built for, if they kept their same format but  tried to keep up with today's trends, would they need four additional doors, two for the out of the closet gays and transsexuals.

Tuba Skinny: RUNNING DOWN YOUR MAN

At the beginning why did a guitar player get up and leave?   Maybe he is the man to be ran down... hmmm.

Today Newpaper Comic Strips 120 Years Old

Today's Mother Goose Comic strip by Mike Peters. The Yellow Kid was the first comic strip. In fact, his yellowness gave the name of "Yellow Journalism". The strip took place in a urban alley with clothes lines, people hanging out of windows talking to their neighbors and crowded condtions like a big city dwellers have to put up with. The strip focused on the little bald headed kid called the Yellow Kid. It was a feature in the Hearst Newspapers, thus when Hearst pulled something tricky to create the news or made things up, it was called "Yellow Journalism".

The bottom line, is today is the 120th anniversary of comic strip in newspapers, which the Yellow Kid was the first.