THIS WOMAN WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

She is a unprincipled publicity obsessed egomanic and will probably never actually be elected (although you never can totally tell) but you can bet she will get the major media mileage out of the attempt and probably misappropriate a good wedge of cash along the way. Her name is Michele Bachmann.

Click here for The Beatles

THIS MAN WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

He is a unprincipled publicity obsessed egomanic and will probably never actually be elected (although you never can totally tell) but you can bet he will get the major media mileage out of the attempt and probably misappropriate a good wedge of cash along the way. His name is Donald Trump.

Click here for The Beatles

The secret word is Idiocy

Click here for a video.

SO HOW DO YOU THINK ERIC CLAPTON DID IT?

SPACE BUNNY

I DON’T HAVE THE WORDS

These first photos of the men now being called the Fukushima 50, the reactor workers struggling without letup to stop a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, are almost too poignant for the crass media that has been featuring them. Seemingly five of the original group have died but an additional 150 workers have joined them. I can only feel completely humbled by the quiet courage of these people who remain inside the stricken plant despite the strong possibility that radiation is silently and invisibly killing them. So many things seem so very small in comparison.

Meanwhile a grim and angry Yukiko writes from Tokyo…

“While NISA is conducting their usual inarticulate press sessions, we're getting increasingly grim news about detection of nuclear substances in milk, vegetables, and now water which threatens the health of babies. And yesterday, a well-expected accident finally happened at the reactor #3, where three engineers--employees of TEPCO's contract company--who were trying to restore the cooling system were severely exposed to radiation by stepping in the contaminated water, two of whom have been in an extremely serious condition. The dreadful accident was caused by TEPCO's not having informed them sufficiently of the danger of potential radiation leak at the work site--they didn't even have one of their radiation detection personnel accompany these engineers to constantly measure the level of radiation beside them.

“I could have written you about the press conference between the media and two captains and their commander of Tokyo Fire Department who had just been back from the operation to hose a reactor from a suicidal distance. At first they had planned to fulfill the task from within a thick steel fire engine without going out to the contaminated area, but as they arrived at the site, it was found that they must spread the hose manually outside of the fire truck, which they did. I could have told you what I saw from the Q&A, but it was just too emotional and tragic for me to write about it objectively. I have no idea why the Japanese repeat such a Kamikaze operation.

“The earthquake and Tsunami were natural calamities, but what happened and is happening at the Fukushima Daiichi Atomic Plant are NOT. This whole thing taught me that the human being has not evolved enough to control the atomic power -- we're still just too unintelligent to handle the monster.”

The secret word is Distrust

HELLO KITTY! DIE! DIE!

But, back in the USA, we used to joke about a Hello Kitty handgun, but it seems like we joked too soon.

“Manufacturer Taurus has a range of pistols with pink mother of pearl hand grips, while TJ’s Custom Gunworks will embellish weapons with the Hello Kitty logo. Sig Sauer, which supplies the US military, also offers several designs, including the P238 Lady, which boasts scroll engraving, gold flower inlay, and a rosewood grip. Peggy Tarturo, executive editor of Women and Guns magazine, explained why the female-friendly firearms were proving to be such a commercial success. She said: 'You’ll see guns scaled down in terms of grips more attractive for women. 'Average women tend to be smaller, and so especially with a long gun, you’ll notice between a gun that didn’t fit you and a gun that did.' Pink shooting accessories are also becoming increasingly popular with Ontario-based Packing in Pink selling earmuffs, range glasses, apparel and target sheets in the saccharine hue.”

Click here for Gene Vincent

THE FROZDICK FAMILY

Chopper Frozdick’s concept of a motorcycle gang was not only strange but frequently stained pink.

DON'T YOU MISS THE 20TH CENTURY?

(Lifted from Dangerous Minds)

THIS IS REBECCA BLACK. SHE’S 13 AND 42 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE WATCHED HER VIDEO

And most of them claim to hate it. The pop media, however, are fascinated by the viral numbers. Simon Cowell is fascinated by the numbers. I suspect they believe there is some mystic secret in this kind of social network generated mass response that they would love to tap into. Wikipedia have a long analysis. Me? Hell, I’m not fascinated. This is ultra-dumb pop music. There’s always been ultra-dumb pop music, although this may be dumber than most. I also don’t believe there is any secret for Cowell and his ilk to glean from all this. Viral internet responses of this kind are, I figure, the result of some wholly unpredictable Jungian electronic consciousness. Next week it will be a another hamster eating popcorn.

Click here for the video

Click here for Wikipedia

The secret word is Thursday

Pinetop Perkins – RIP

THIS IS STEVEN SEAGAL AND HE’S A HAS-BEEN IDIOT ACTOR

It would seem that asshole Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio is not only a loudmouth fascist blowhard, but also a starfucker who will blithely piss away public money indulging his bullyboy fantasies for the camera.

“Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and visiting lawman Steven Seagal went on a raid to a home in the West Valley area of Phoenix, where a man was suspected of cockfighting. The search warrant was executed as the SWAT team rolled into the neighborhood in armored vehicles led by a tank. They arrested Jesus Llovera during the raid Monday. Llovera was alone in the house at the time of the arrest, and he was unarmed. “I think taxpayers should be shocked,” said Robert Campus, Llovera’s attorney. Campus said he believes the operation costs tens of thousands of dollars. Deputies had no probable cause to believe Llovera was armed or dangerous, according to Campus. Campus said he believes the entire scene was basically a stage, to help actor Steven Seagal’s TV show, “Lawman.” Seagal was riding in the tank. The Sheriff’s Department has entered into a contract with Seagal and part of that contract gives Seagal carte blanche to go along with the sheriff as he arrests people. Thousands of dollars in damages were made to the property and 115 birds were euthanized on the spot. One neighbor was so frightened she called 911 to report the raid.”

THIS IS ANOTHER PICTURE OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR

Click here for Oscar-winning drama

ELIZABETH TAYLOR -- RIP

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

According to this story from io9, we have been Googling Godzilla in record numbers since the threatened Fukushima meltdown. Are we unfeeling bastards or just looking for comfort in pop culture?

“Over the past few weeks, we've sought to understand the science behind the unfolding disaster in Japan. But a fascinating statistic from Wikipedia shows that hits on "Godzilla" jumped tremendously after the disaster too. What does this say about us? As we struggle to assimilate news about the quake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant leaks in Japan, many of us turn to rationality for comfort. We've tried to educate ourselves about how radiation works, and whether earthquakes can be predicted in future. Ultimately what we're trying to find, though, is perspective. It seems like the worst disaster we can imagine, but is it really? Knowing the answer to that question can help us view what's happening without being overwhelmed by fear and sadness. I would argue that people are looking up Godzilla on Wikipedia for the same reason. It's become a kind of pop culture joke that Godzilla is a symbol of atomic disaster in Japan. But there's a serious side to the joke, a poignant side. The big rubbery monster is the antagonist (and later, protagonist) in our best-known modern fable of nuclear destruction. When people search for Godzilla in the wake of atomic destruction in Japan, they are looking for context and meaning - they are following the same impulse that drives other people to learn about millisieverts.”

Click here for original Gojiro trailer

The secret word is Metaphor

THINK ABOUT IT

"Obama has now fired more cruise missiles than all other Nobel Peace prize winners combined." - Unknown

OH PLEASE…

I’m kinda late coming to this because I was somehow hoping this whole royal wedding malarkey (and I use the antique term advisedly) would somehow go away. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be.

“To celebrate the engagement of Prince William of Wales to Ms. Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, Crown Jewels Condoms of Distinction has commissioned a unique heritage edition Royal Wedding Souvenir boîte de capotes. Combining the strength of a Prince with the yielding sensitivity of a Princess-to-be, Crown Jewels condoms promise a royal union of pleasure. Truly a King amongst Condoms. Includes a collectable portrait of the Royal Couple as they might appear on their wedding day – exclusively created for Crown Jewels.” (Click here for more of this nonsense)

Click here for Julie Driscoll

SPACE OPERA

THIS IS SAMMY HAGAR. HE CLAIMS HE WAS ABDUCTED BY ALIENS

I’ve always thought of Sammy Hagar as being somewhere in the margin between idiot and asshole. Now he claims his brain was abducted by it may explain a lot. On the other hand, it would leave a terrible impression of humanity among participating ETs. The following MSNBC story was sent by the wonderful Wendy. (And it also provides an element of silliness in these troubled times.)

“No doubt Sammy Hagar, a former lead singer for Van Halen, has enjoyed a lot of far out experiences in life, but on Monday, the rocker told perhaps his farthest out tale to MTV. He was abducted by aliens. Or, at least, his brain was. In an interview for his new book, "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock" at mtvhive.com, Hagar lets go of what even he admits might make him "sound like a crazy person" to some readers. He and the reporter are talking about dreams he claims to have had about UFOs, and when asked whether he believed he had been abducted, Hagar answers: "I think I have." The reporter seemed surprised. "What? Really? I was kidding. You seriously believe that?" he asks. Hagar laughs and goes on to explain that a passage in the book described as a dream in which he is contacted by aliens from outer space in California was, in fact, reality. The tale describes how the beings tapped into his mind through a wireless connection. "It was real," Hagar told the reporter, according to the story on MTV's Hive website. "They were plugged into me. It was a download situation ... Or, they uploaded something from my brain, like an experiment." Hagar goes on to describe another experience at the age of four where he believes he saw an alien space ship in broad daylight hovering over a country field where his family lived.”

Click here for Sheb Wooley

The secret word is Cortex

WHO KNEW? #1

At the same time as sending us the story about Sammy Hagar, our pal Wendy castigated me for posting yesterday’s Space Cat On Mushrooms that is seemingly a Photoshop mash-up of a set of children’s stories by Ruthven Todd that have a long and noble tradition.

“Ruthven Campbell Todd (Pronounced 'riven') (14 June 1914 – 1978) was a Scottish poet, artist and novelist, best known as an editor of the works of William Blake. He wrote also under the pseudonym R. T. Campbell. He was involved with the surrealists at the time of the 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition. During the 1930s, he friendly with Wyndham Lewis, contributing to the Lewis issue of Julian Symons's Twentieth Century Verse, and recruited him to keep the dozing Ezra Pound, whose portrait Lewis was painting. A character based on Todd was included in Symons' first detective story, The Immaterial Murder Case.) During World War II he was a conscientious objector. He moved to America in 1947, where he held a position at a university in New York, and ran the Weekend Press during the 1950s. He contributed to children's literature, with the fifties Space Cat series.”

WHO KNEW? #2

It the Devil sent Elvis Presley it puts a whole new slant on Satanism.

GRATUITOUS BARDOT

NOW AND AGAIN WE NEED AN UPLIFTING STORY

Here at Doc40, we have long had an odd and wholly mythic relationship with Marilyn Monroe, but, now and again, a pleasant true story hardly goes amiss. Thus, when our pal Munz sent this link, it seemed like a good idea to go with it as a perfect antidote to the unpleasantness coming out of Libya and elsewhere.

“During the 1950s, one of the most popular, trendy nightclubs in Los Angeles was the famed Mocambo. Located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, the Mocambo was the place to “see and be seen”, where glamorous A list movie stars gathered to hear big bands and headlining musical acts. But the Mocambo was also a racist club which refused to book black performers. That is, until the awesomeness that was Marilyn Monroe decided to do something about it, in support of her good friend Ella Fitzgerald. Marilyn was at the pinnacle of her fame in the 50s. And clubs like the Mocambo relied almost exclusively on the attention brought by the presence of movie stars. It meant paparazzi, write ups in gossip columns, and tons of publicity. Marilyn Monroe personally called up the owner of the Mocambo and lobbied hard on Ella’s behalf. Marilyn made a deal with him, that if he booked Ella Fitzgerald for a lengthy stint that she would attend every night, sitting in the front row for every performance. The owner agreed. Ella Fitzgerald was booked at the Mocambo – the first black performer ever at the club – and Marilyn Monroe made good on her word. She was there every night that Ella sang, just like she promised, sitting in the front row.” Click here for more and a video.

Click here for Marilyn’s Coke commercial

The secret word is Courage

MORE FROM TOKYO

Our pal Yukiko writes…

“My thoughts go to the families of the firefighters who are pumping water to one of the plants from a distance of 60 yards when the people in a radius of 20 miles have evacuated, and of the workers of the nuclear plants who have been engaging in the task of repairing the destroyed cooling system which inevitably forces them to get very close to the contaminated buildings. When we send our thoughts over these people, the whole world stops and all things nonsense surround them in silence in the far distance.”

THE FROZDICK FAMILY

Melvin Frozdick’s erotic scenarios were excessively complicated.

HUH?

DOC'S PAPERBACK CLASSIC'S # 89

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

Today, in grand isolation, I write and write and then I write some more, focusing my vision so I don’t think much more about catastrophe in the Rising Sun and a Fifth Horseman called Contamination, or the air war that looms above desert land already fought over by everyone from the Romans to Rommel. But alas I have no Coleridge consolation, no De Quincey refuge, no tinctures of oblivion. Such are but a dream, and, although I will do my best, I probably won’t find myself writing…

“And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed
And drunk the milk of Paradise.”

But, then again, I won’t be interrupted by any Man from Porlock.

Click here for Frankie Machine

The secret word is Sleep

MARILYN SEZ...

“Opiates are always desirable.”

DON'T YOU MISS THE 20TH CENTURY? (Art)

Click here for Madonna at Danceteria in the days of Haring, Basquiat, and Finley when art wanted to be Art.

SPACE OPERA