White Ford Bronco

“White Ford Bronco,” written by Dennis Amero, Joe Bryant, Brad Cash, Terry Gangstad, Spike O’Neill, Rob Oxford, Michael Picozzi, and Bob Rivers, recorded by Bob Rivers and Twisted Radio, 1994. A stirring ode to the infamous O.J. Simpson Low-Speed Chase of June 17, 1994. Based on the 1950s song “Hot Rod Lincoln.”

The white Ford Bronco in question was owned by another ex-NFL player; the identical one owned by Mr. Simpson had been impounded by police due to traces of blood found during the double murder investigation.

Fun fact: a Wikipedia search for “white Fold Bronco” links directly to the entry for O.J. Simpson.

More:

“OJ Simpson’s Bronco chase riveted America. The memory is haunting, even after his death” Marco della Cava, USA Today

“Infamous White Bronco … Where Is It Now??!” TMZ

OJ Simpson Bronco, Alcatraz East Museum 

“For Ford’s Bronco, O.J. Simpson chase may have helped sales,” Lori Grisham, USA Today

Related:

“The Product Tie-Ins From Hell,” Robin Pogrebin, New York Times

“New Gloves Fit Simpson ‘Quite Well,'” Nell Henderson, Washington Post

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Christmas At Ground Zero

“Christmas At Ground Zero,” written and recorded by “Weird Al” Yankovic, 1986. Enjoy the warm glow of a Yuletide nuclear holocaust, in a wall-of-sound production by Rick Derringer. There’s a jaw-dropping music video on Weird Al’s website.

“It’s Christmas at Ground Zero
The button has been pressed
The radio just let us know
That this is not a test”

Weird Al website

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Green Christmas

“Green Chri$tma$,” a 1958 send-up of holiday commercialism by humorist Stan Freberg, who was also an award-winning advertising executive. Music Director Billy May led the Columbia Records house orchestra and Jud Colon Chorale. At first the record was denounced as sacrilegious and many radio stations refused to play it, but the reality of this satire’s target became all too evident.

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Memorial Day 2023

Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a holiday once known as Decoration Day, the time to remember those who fell in defense of our country.  Memorial Day is now officially observed on a Monday to form a three-day holiday weekend, and the original significance has been distilled down to a 60-second Moment of Remembrance.

But there are 259,199 more minutes to a three-day weekend, and human nature abhors a semantic vacuum, so the holiday has acquired meanings in other realms:

Ceremony: Solemn ritual processions.

Ritual garb: White footwear.

Nutrition: Ceremonial meals.

Transportation: The Brickyard.

Economics:  Door-Busters.

Calendar: Memorial Day is the official Unofficial Start of Summer.

The National Moment of Remembrance is at 3:00 PM to 3:01 PM (local time in each time zone) on Monday, May 30, 2022. U.S. Code, Title 36,114, Stat. 3078, Sec.(2)(7): “… reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble event that that day is intended to be.”

For more about the origins of Memorial Day, see Burying the Dead but Not the Past by Dr. Caroline Janney.

Related:

“The forgotten history of Memorial Day,” Richard Gardiner, Quartz

“Why Memorial Day is often confused with Veterans Day (but shouldn’t be),” Valerie Strauss, Washington Post

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

 

Christmas At Ground Zero

“Christmas At Ground Zero,” written and recorded by “Weird Al” Yankovic, 1986. Enjoy the warm glow of a Yuletide nuclear holocaust, in a wall-of-sound production by Rick Derringer. There’s a jaw-dropping music video on Weird Al’s website.

“It’s Christmas at Ground Zero
The button has been pressed
The radio just let us know
That this is not a test”

Weird Al website

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Life Is Precious . . . Unless It’s Not

Mrs. Betty Bowers, America’s Best Christian, explains why life is precious . . . unless it’s not.

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Bye Bye Boris

UK commentator Jonathan Pie gives a proper “Ta ta!” to Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Jonathan Pie website

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Memorial Day 2022

Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a holiday once known as Decoration Day, the time to remember those who fell in defense of our country.  Memorial Day is now officially observed on a Monday to form a three-day holiday weekend, and the original significance has been distilled down to a 60-second Moment of Remembrance.

But there are 259,199 more minutes to a three-day weekend, and human nature abhors a semantic vacuum, so the holiday has acquired meanings in other realms:

Ceremony: Solemn ritual processions.

Ritual garb: White footwear.

Nutrition: Ceremonial meals.

Transportation: The Brickyard.

Economics:  Door-Busters.

Calendar: Memorial Day is the official Unofficial Start of Summer.

The National Moment of Remembrance is at 3:00 PM to 3:01 PM (local time in each time zone) on Monday, May 30, 2022. U.S. Code, Title 36,114, Stat. 3078, Sec.(2)(7): “… reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble event that that day is intended to be.”

For more about the origins of Memorial Day, see Burying the Dead but Not the Past by Dr. Caroline Janney.

Related:

“The forgotten history of Memorial Day,” Richard Gardiner, Quartz

“Why Memorial Day is often confused with Veterans Day (but shouldn’t be),” Valerie Strauss, Washington Post

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Shortlink: https://wp.me/p6sb6-z3q

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

 

New! A Hotline for Racists

New! A Hotline for Racists, invented by Niecy Nash. A New York Times opinion piece.

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Pharmaceutical Money

Pharmaceutical Money, a video from John Oliver. Ask your doctor!

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