Quizzical Sojourns 2

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Proud American

TRUTH !!! 🇺🇲👍 MAGA !!!

August 9, 2025, at home

I am (still) in the preliminary stages of compiling a book of 75 of the more than 300 self-penned poems that I have written since 1986 for self-publication as a soft-cover book. (Many of my poems have already been published in national anthologies.)

Also, I am in the process of writing an autobiographical novel loosely based on my four years (1992 to 1996) as a reporter, writer, editor, and researcher for an international weekly magazine on the financial and technical aspects of the chemical industry based in the Financial District of New York City (Manhattan). I am including and elaborating on, and partially exaggerating, various aspects of my entire life so far that did NOT happen during those years. I hope to have it self-published. I was a journalist from September 1982 to April 2017.

August 9, 2025, at home

I love rice pudding (and tapioca pudding) with chocolate syrup, specifically Bosco.

August 9, 2025, at home

Friday, August 8, 2025

Abbey Road Photo

On this date (August 8) in 1969, photographer Iain MacMillan took six photos of The Beatles on a zebra crossing outside EMI Studios. The photo shoot took 10 to 20 minutes.

This photo (below) was picked for the cover of their 11th studio album "Abbey Road." The Beatles 12th (last) studio/live album, "Let It Be," was released after "Abbey Road," but it was recorded before it.

It has been theorized that the "Abbey Road" cover represents a funeral procession for the "death" of The Beatles, which would break up the following year: (from left) George Harrison (the gravedigger); Paul McCartney (the deceased); Ringo Starr (the funeral director); and John Lennon (the priest or an angel).

Also, this album cover is filled with clues regarding the "Paul is dead" conspiracy. The theory is that McCartney was killed in a car accident on November 9, 1966, and was replaced by a look-alike/sound-alike named William Campbell. The rumor began circulating in 1966 and gaining broad popularity in September 1969 due to a radio DJ in the United States. It caused many fans to search for "death clues" on album covers and in The Beatles song lyrics.

During the 1979-1980 school year (age 18/19) at prep school, I created a 30-minute-long cassette tape with all of the lyrics that I could find within Beatles songs to prove Paul is "dead." I played it for several of my dormitory mates. They freaked out.

Here is the link to a story from 2017 that outlines some of the many clues that point to the "death" of Paul McCartney.

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/i-buried-paul-your-guide-to-the-convoluted-conspiracy-that-paul-mccartney-died-in-1966

August 8, 2025, at home

R.I.P. Jim Lovell

https://news.sky.com/story/apollo-13-astronaut-jim-lovell-dies-13408665

August 8, 2025, at home

Today Is ...

I prefer basic chocolate frozen custard (soft-serve, specifically Carvel) with chocolate jimmies in a cup, never in a cone.

August 8, 2025, at home

I like zucchini bread, but I really dislike boiled zucchini. My wonderful wife makes delicious zucchini bread, but I like her mango bread better.

August 8, 2025, at home

I don't particularly like mochi, mainly because of the texture.

August 8, 2025, at home

I would like to try a CBD gummy.

August 8, 2025, at home

The word "lunatic" originally meant "someone who sleeps under the moon."

August 8, 2025, at home

Thursday, August 7, 2025

ICE !!!

August 7, 2025, at home

PC = Fascism

August 7, 2025, at home

Today Is ...

I do like the occasional IPA.

August 7, 2025, at home

I like raspberries, but I really do NOT like whipped cream.

August 7, 2025, at home

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Today Is ...

I do not like root beer floats (vanilla ice cream in root beer soda). My preference is chocolate ice cream in orange soda.

August 6, 2025, at home

Personal Trivia: I am unable to wiggle the middle toe of my left foot because several years ago, I had surgery to remove the joint. (I have had three other surgeries on my left foot to remove decayed bone fragments and scar tissue.)

August 6, 2025, at home

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

"Speedway Slammer"

GOOD NEWS !!! We need many more facilities across the United like "Alligator Alcatraz" and now "Speedway Slammer." 👍🇺🇲

'Speedway Slammer' is red state's answer to 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/speedway-slammer-red-states-answer-alligator-alcatraz-detention-facility

August 5, 2025, at home

Revolver Released in 1966

On August 5, 1966, my favorite Beatles album was released: "Revolver." The British version contains 14 songs. The United States version contains 11 songs.

Many years ago at an annual Beatles convention called Beatlefest, I met artist Klaus Voormann, the man who drew/created this album cover. You can see his name and a small photo of himself in the far-right center of the cover. He also created the covers for the three Beatles Anthology CD sets released in 1995 (Volume 1) and 1996 (Volumes 2 & 3).

Voormann was a good friend of the four Beatles. He played the bass guitar on George Harrison's first solo release (after leaving The Beatles) "All Things Must Pass" (1970) and on John Lennon’s early solo albums.

I was fortunate to have asked him a question during a question-and-answer session at the convention. I asked him if he played bass guitar on any Beatles songs. He said no. When I was a teenager in the 1970s, I would attend all three days of each Beatlefest in New York City every year, staying in the hotel where the convention was being held. I was living on nearby Long Island, New York, at that time.

Soon, the convention moved to a hotel in nearby New Jersey, but I still continued to go. As I got older, I went a few more times. I then moved to northern New Jersey, so the convention location in the early 1990s was always fairly close. (I was working in New York City at that time.)

Oh. Do you know the sound of the rumbling bass guitar at the beginning of Carly Simon's 1972 song "You're So Vain"? That's Voormann. Also, see if you can find the five members of The Rolling Stones band in the Revolver album cover. Hint: Voormann drew them. By the way, Mick Jagger, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones, is a background singer on Simon's song "You're So Vain."

Below is the "Revolver" album cover, plus photos of a younger and older Voormann.

Note: I read a theory long ago about this album cover. The interpretation is that it represents the start of a rift or at least a changing attitude between Paul McCartney (upper left) and John Lennon (upper right). It shows McCartney turning his back on Lennon, and Lennon thinking about doing mischievous things behind McCartney's back or possibly Lennon's paranoia. I guess that it's possible, but I'm not exactly sure if I actually believe that. I think that Voormann was trying to capture the personalities of each Beatle.

August 5, 2025, at home

Today Is ...

While I do NOT like raw oysters, I do like oyster stew, even though I have only eaten it once. That was in the early 1980s, when I was living in the spare bedroom of an older British couple's house while studying at Villanova University near Philadelphia. They invited me to dinner one night. We enjoyed her homemade oyster stew. It was quite good.

August 5, 2025, at home

While I have mildly experimented, I always return to tighty-whities (briefs).

August 5, 2025, at home

I have always worked hard, but I never found the holy grail.

August 5, 2025, at home

Monday, August 4, 2025

Names Of Chemicals

It really bothers me when someone says to look at the ingredients in makeup or in food and then says that you can't even pronounce the ingredients. They say, I won't eat anything with ingredients that I can't pronounce. Uh, it's not that difficult. True, from 1992 to 1996, I was a reporter, writer, editor, and researcher for an international weekly magazine on the financial and technical aspects of the chemical industry based in New York City (Manhattan), but, seriously, the chemical names are not that difficult to pronounce.

August 4, 2025, at home