Although I can't stand Misery, it doesn't seem to generate as much distaste in others.

There are 2 others that should definitely go. One was inexplicably a #1 hit.

But for this round, my pick is CHAINS.

I've had cats over the years prefer to put their paws into the food bowl, take out some and put on the floor, then eat it. Have always thought that this was just quirkiness on their part.
Now, I've just found out something. Mr Fuzzy doesn't do that to be funny, cute, etc. He does it - due to Whisker Stress!
Poor baby. The bowls are not quite wide enough for his face, and when his whiskers touch the bowl it's very uncomfortable for him.
No wonder he always seems to prefer if the food is put on a flat plate.
Learn something new every day.

RR, hope you won't hate me! 

It's just been so crazy in this country lately, I'm resorting to silly stories to maintain some semblance of sanity.

Tomorrow I'll be going out of town for a couple of days and will be driving a lot. Have my Beach Boys, Rick Nelson, Beatles, Elvis, Blackwood Brothers CDs to play.
At the hotel I'll read some books
Then I'll go see Brian and Co.

Would like to add that this thread is bringing back some amusing memories.
Being in the US, Capitol in its wisdom(?) put out different Beatles albums than in the UK. As a almost 7 year old (March 1964 birthday) remember my sister bringing home the Meet the Beatles lp. I absolutely loved the cover and spent who knows how long looking it over as the album played on the hi fi.

A little while later my sister got another album, Introducing the Beatles, put out by VeeJay. The first reaction to seeing that album cover was - Ycch! The picture of it online doesn't do justice to the ugliness of it. The poor guys looked positively sickly. Anyway, that album had songs that were on the UKs Please Please Me album. Perhaps it's because I heard these songs after Meet the Beatles, most of them are underwhelming in comparison.

As one of the other songs on this album says, "I can't conceive of any more...misery"

Misery is my pick.

In the late 70s when I really got into rockabilly, remember getting at a used record store the 45 of Carl Perkins' Blue Suede Shoes bw Honey Don't. Also got 45 with Matchbox. Incredible stuff.

Wish I knew for sure, as I have tickets for Tunica and Bossier City and it will be difficult getting to both. I haven't gotten word when sound check is on Saturday - for an 8 pm show would it be around 3 or 3:30?
If Al was going to be there on Saturday I would try to give up my Tunica ticket, a really good seat close to the stage at a pretty good price, and instead drive to Bossier City on Friday, spend the night, relax and be refreshed for the concert on Saturday.

(It would probably take up to 8 hours to get to Tunica, then over 7 hours to Bossier City. Guess I'm a crazy fan for even considering doing this!)

No, the ones in our soup were more, er, flesh colored.

John K you do not post too much!   

As for escargots, that's a fancy name so people will try the food out without knowing what it is.

There was a restaurant down here 40 years or so ago that specialized in exotic foods, such as tigers, hippos, etc.
Read that one of their specialties was Rocky Mountain oysters, also known as prairie oysters (another name is Montana tendergroins LOL). Well, ahem, they are not oysters, but rather what is removed from young male calves to make them better for beef production.
Yummy.

Reminds me of eating lunch in a Russian restaurant with my performing group back in 1991. The soup had these round balls in them. I tasted one, nothing to write home about but not bad. But one of the women members remarked about how they looked like well, you know. Is that what they were?

Very punny! 

Growing up in the sixties I and my friends made fun of Elvis.
Then in the late 70s, in college, I heard Heartbreak Hotel for the first time. Thought "what the --!"
Decided to explore his music and have been a fan ever since.

Couldn't make out most pre-show songs played. But in the last two shows attended I heard "Guess I'm Dumb".
Awesome! 

Been a bummer of a day so far.

Woke up to the update on the Nice tragedy.
Then had to deal with a very ticklish, uncomfortable family situation which won't end well.
Then had a scare when I found out that friends of mine, in the performing group I used to be in, were still in Turkey and were having difficulty getting out. Finally got word that after 5 hours they did get out and are now in Bulgaria.
Watching TV right now, people getting shot with the coup.

Could use a joke right now - wouldn't even mind if it was a bit off-color.

Will have to turn TV off to preserve my sanity. What's that saying - Keep Calm and Listen to Pet Sounds. Will do that tonight.
Also got the Uncut guide to Beach Boys in the post today. Will lose myself in that tonight.

Love and Mercy! 

Re Jul23: That's why I got a ticket for the night before, in Tunica, so that I could see the whole band.

Trying to be optimistic re July 23, for which I have. Sound check ticket. Who will sing the parts Al would have sung? Might there be a song or two that they'll do just for that show? Will Help Me Rhonda be sung?

If nothing else, it should be interesting

RR, these pictures are absolutely precious. They are day brighteners that calm this soul who's been so stressed out over what has been happening in my country this past year.

Ate haggis once, in Scotland. Wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it to be.

Still trying to find the dandelion and burdock cola. Did buy some "Curiosity Cola" from Fentiman's. The taste was - interesting. Definitely different from the colas made in the US.

Trying to deal with the heat. I know, it's SUPPOSED to be hot down here in July, but it has been a bit out of hand these past few days.
My Mom wanted more color around her house, which is surrounded by large rose bushes that bloom in spring and fall. So I planted lots of heat loving plants including coneflowers, Texas sage, Pentas, cleomes, and purslane (portolaca). Wax begonias in shady spots. Also tulsi (Holy Basil), sweet banana peppers, Malabar spinach and native milkweed to attract Monarch butterflies. Will sow some zinnia seeds, and moonflowers.
The "heat index" hit dangerous levels the last couple of days, reaching over 45 degrees Celsius (114F). And the big weather news is that the low temperatures are incredibly high (record levels), so there's no opportunity to cool off at all at night. Our "low" temperatures have been over 28 degrees Celsius (83F). Add high humidity to the mix and its positively oppressive.
We get rain all around us, with the thunder and impressive light shows, but the rain always seems to miss us. So I have no choice but to water our plants with the chemical laden city water. Our drinking water comes from the Mississippi. Someone flushes a toilet in Pittsburgh, St Louis, Memphis and we get to drink it.  

Would like to add that, along with seeing the pretty flowers, other relaxing things took place. Spent a good deal of time reading Guralnick's Volume One of Elvis' biography (Last Train to Memphis). Listened to some of his Sun recordings. Then got into the mood for Gospel quartets, Blackwood Brothers and the Statesmen.
Finally listening to classic soul/r&b from our iconic Soul Queen, Irma Thomas.
Needed to listen to good music after all the controversy about a shooting that took place in Baton Rouge and has made national headlines.

Will be seeing the group July 22&23. Assume that Darian would be back by then but would also like to see Billy H as I hadn't seen him in concert with BW or the BBs before.
Had a mini crush on him back in the 60s, and just recently found in our storage room a full page signed picture of Dino Desi and Billy, torn out from a 16 Magazine way back in the day.

Having gone to the local Farmer's Market, I decided to make a popular local dish using the ingredients purchased. The dish is called maque choux. This is a dish made with sweet corn (maize) plus other vegetables. Sometimes seafood such as crawfish is added, or perhaps sausage (which is how my sister makes it). However, it does not contain beans, as that would make it another popular American dish, succotash.

This was just for my Mom and myself.  Adjust amounts and ingredients at will!

Shuck 2 ears of corn. Using knife, cut off kernels. With other side of knife press hard while moving down each ear to get out any "milk" in the corn. If corn is old or you are using frozen corn, some broth or cream can be added.
Peel and dice a tomato.
Dice a pepper (I used a sweet banana pepper)
Add chopped onions; I used a heaping handful.
Add some garlic
A bit of black pepper
Teaspoon of sugar
(I didn't add these since my Mom is on a special diet, but can add some salt to taste. Also, a bit of hot sauce is also traditionally used.)

Put a bit of oil in a pan. When heated put in ingredients and stir so that the mixture has coating of oil. Cover and cook on medium to medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Might have to add a bit of liquid.
Mom loved it, so it was a success.

After this, after reading about succotash, looked at the video for Deee-Lites "Groove is in the Heart" which I haven't seen in over 20 years. Watched it because the word "succotash" is in the lyrics

Those not in the US might not be familiar with the words maque choux or succotash. Do you use sweet corn in this way?

PS: Will be giving a Dandelion and Burdock a try, as it looks to be available here. Must expand my horizons ! 

This would really help me in conjunction with Murphy's book. I use Big Beat 1963 as a guide to reading about the later recordings referenced in that book.

When I Grow Up To Be A Man

Won't last forever...
It's kinda sad...

I've always loved that. Mike & Brian really nailed that part. It's my favorite part of the song.

Plus the low voice singing "Oh no" as Its Kinda sad is sung. Love listening to this acapella!

LOL. Thanks for the day brighteners!   

Please Please Me: I Saw Her Standing There

With the Beatles: Not a Second Time

A Hard Day's Night: Things We Said Today

Beatles For Sale: Eight Days a Week

Help!: Help!

Rubber Soul: Think for Yourself

Revolver: I'm Only Sleeping

Sgt. Pepper: A Day in the Life

Magical Mystery Tour: Strawberry Fields

The Beatles: Revolution 1

Yellow Submarine: All You Need is Love

Abbey Road: Something

Let It Be: For You Blue


Plus Rain and Yes It Is.

Run for Your Life "wins" hands down. What a cringeworthy song.
There are other Beatles songs that I don't care for but this sticks out like a sore thumb, being on the Rubber Soul album.
That song is why that album doesn't make my top 5 Beatles albums list.

Turned on the telly just long enough to see ad for  Stephen Colbert show tomorrow night on CBS.
Kevin Love is scheduled to be one of the guests.