Ed Sullivan Show; Jim Morrison & The Doors- Light My Fire (1967)

Source:Ed Sullivan Show- Jim Morrison & The Doors, on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1967.

Source:The New Democrat  

"On this day in 1967, The Doors were banned from The Ed Sullivan Show for breaking an agreement with the show’s producers...

From The Mad Music Asylum

"The Doors Light My Fire Ed Sullivan 1967. I do not own this video." 

From Kill Matic 

The Lizard King (or The Leather King) Jim Morrison and The Doors, on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. This performance is memorable for a couple of reasons: Jim Morrison standing up for the First Amendment and refusing to be censored and leaving in the lyric higher. But also because he really put out there, stuck it out there really, with the big boner sticking out of his skin-tight leather jeans. I guess he was just too excited to be on Ed Sullivan. There was a rumor that the producers stuck the camera on Morrison so people could see his erection, just to embarrass him. I can believe that.

Source:Ed Sullivan- The Lizard King Jim Morrison and The Doors, on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1967.

"In July 1967, The Doors scored their first No. 1 on the US singles chart with an edited version of Light My Fire, which spent three weeks in the top spot. The country loved the song so much that even the full six-minute and fifty-second album cut eventually made its way to the radio airwaves. 

As a testament to their success, a few months later the psychedelic rockers were invited to perform the single live on The Ed Sullivan Show – a right of passage for any up-and-coming artist of the era. It would be a legendary appearance, and their only appearance when it ended with the Doors’ infamous banning from The Ed Sullivan. 

The incident was ignited by Jim Morrison’s refusal to change the lyric “Girl we couldn't get much higher” despite producers’ requests due to the word “higher” being deemed inappropriate for a family show. Forever the rebel poet, Morrison defied the advice, concluding, “we’re not changing a word.” 

Just 22 seconds into the performance, Morrison delivered the offending lyric without hesitation, eliciting a telling smirk from guitarist Robby Krieger. But Sullivan wasn’t smiling. The show’s stoic host was equally unwavering in his post, with a producer delivering the news directly after the band’s performance that “Mr Sullivan wanted you for six more shows, but you’ll never work The Ed Sullivan Show again.” To which Morrison famously replied, “Hey, man. We just did the Sullivan show.” 

Source:Ed Sullivan Show- Jim Morrison and The Doors, on Ed Sullivan in 1967 

From I Likey Our Old Stuff

"Up Close and Personal With The Lizard King Jim Morrison, on Ed Sullivan in 1967", is what the title of these photos should be. I guess The Leather King was simply too excited before he went out on stage that night and The Ed Sullivan Show made sure the world got to see that up close on national TV.

Before I make Jim Morrison look real bad here I'll say that this was one of The Doors best performances ever even as short as it was. The Lizard King (and I say that for a reason) was at the top of his game with the vocals and everyone played very well.

But if you watch the video (and you are not blind) you see something real obvious and may get to thinking: "What the hell" (Or something stronger than that) Because you see Morrison in his classic black leather suit. Nothing strange there from him, but with a big fact erection sticking out of his leather jeans.

I don't know how you go out on stage with that sticking out and that is assuming you are sober. And perhaps The Lizard King wasn't and this was one of the reasons why he was The Lizard King because he was so out there and not just wore the black leather jeans at most of his performances, but his leathers were so skin-tight and revealing that anything that got him excited sexually was going to be seen by a lot of people and this case being on Sullivan by millions of people.

And this  happened to The Lizard King in one of the most public places possible on Ed Sullivan on national TV on Sunday night in 1967.

Kanaal Van Datruiktumeneer: The Doors at The Roadhouse (1968)

Source: Karen McGibbon- The Lizard King Jim Morrison.

Source: The New Democrat 

At least the early part of this concert sounds like the Oliver Stone version of The Doors from 1991 with Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison. With The Lizard King drunk and wasted and barely being able to stand up and move around without losing his balance. And giving an awful performance in Miami, Florida and finally getting frustrated and starts cursing at the audience. Which is a true story and one of the few things that the Oliver Stone movie portrayed accurately. The New Haven concert would be another one. The actual Live in London concert was very good and you get to Jim Morrison and The Doors (as I call them) at their best. With The Lizard King at his best in his classic rock and roll uniform the black leather suit, concho belt and cowboy boots that he put on the rock and roll map himself. Which is about an hour long that I have on DVD. They play everything and Morrison is brilliant on the vocals and very entertaining as well.

Source:Kanaal Van Datruiktumeneer

Phillip Lowe: Kevin Pollack as Captain Kirk

Source:Phillip Lowe- Kevin Pollack as Captain James T. Kirk. 

Source:Phillip Love

Star Trek is clearly not the best show of all time (also this just in the world of the obvious if you take a shower you're likely to get wet) but Star Trek was definitely a very entertaining show. I would describe it as a sci-fi/comedy where you had basically a comedian for the captain in Bill Shatner. With a great cast to go around, including a first officer played by Len Nimoy who knew everything about everything except for what it was like to be a human. He seemed to lack certain feelings and emotions that the rest of us had making him somewhat distant (even for space Travel). Which is saying something since this show took place on a spaceship.

Well most likely the USS Enterprise was not a real spaceship up in space. No not a spaceship underwater in case you were wondering that. (Good guess Captain) You had the chief engineer played by a drunk Scotsman. (is there any other type of Scotsman) Who never met a problem he couldn't freak out about. With Scottie gee thats a surprise a Scotsman named Scottie, I wonder if there are any italians named Angelo or Spaniards named Jose. Maybe I'll google that and Captain Kirk telling Chief Scottie, dammit Scottie (or something to that effect) you must calm down man and handle the situation! Which was like Chief Scottie's magic potion or whatever. Because they of course operated in a perfect world up in space where the good guys and girls always won.

You had the chief medical officer called Bones played by Jimmy Carter, I mean Deforest Kelly (who reminds me of President Jimmy Carter) who was basically in charge, well the health care on the ship naturally. But in his spare time to make sure there was someone always there to freak out (when Scottie wasn't available) with his famous line, "dammit Jim I'm a doctor not God!" Star Trek was again a very entertaining show because again you had basically a comedian as the captain in Bill Shatner. Who I'm sure did a lot if improvising and improv on that show, hell I know I would've done the same thing.

Because the show wasn't built around great writing, of course you know its a spaceship where people can live on it year round so none of the plots were believable. (Unless you've been drinking and been high for two weeks straight and started seeing things like Klingons or Jerry Fallwell in a hip hop video as the performer. Or Pat Robertson coming out for same-sex-marriage or whatever the fantasy may be) But is was a show with an excellent cast that took place in of course in a galaxy unknown.

This was Star Trek, they had to make to funny because it wasn't believable. They would go to other planets millions of miles from Earth where the people looked human and of course spoke perfect English. )They could teach some of our immigrants how to speak English as well) This is how realistic this show was. And they did a great job with what they had and comedian Kevin Pollack does as good of a Captain Kirk as Bill Shatner one comedian making fun of another.

Real Time With Bill Maher: New Rules Dead Man's Party

Source:The New Democrat

The Republican Party learned a long time ago, lets say back in 1993-94 when they were planning a   takeover of Congress, that they represent a lot of ignorant Americans whom they need to keep them in power.  These people collect the public assistance, that the party likes to bash, to support themselves because they are too dumb to finish high school and get the skills that they need to be successful in life.

I mention this because the GOP, led by political wordsmith Frank Luntz, are the masters of the word game in politics, something that Democrats have only caught on to since 2005-06, when they saw their opportunity to finally win back Congress.

So, as Bill Maher said, the estate tax is the death tax.

To quote Representative Michelle Bachmann, same-sex-marriage and pornography are threats to national security, not just immoral.

Gun regulation is complete state-control of firearms in America.

Health insurance expansion and a Patients Bill of Rights are a government takeover of health care.

To the rest of the country, which finished high school and gets its news from some place other than the Washington Times or FOX News, these charges are garbage.  But to uneducated Americans, who don't know any better, it looks completely reasonable to vote Republican in election after election to keep those immoral Democrats from taking over.

The Young Turks: Kissing Representative Vance McAllister Caught on Camera

Source:The New Democrat

Perhaps the new way to describe the Christian Right in America is to call them the "Do What I Say Not What I do Right."  Perhaps the so-called the "Family Values Coalition" (which has as much meaning as "jumbo shrimp") should be called the "Moral in Public Coalition" or the "What We Do in Private is our Business and what other Americans do in Private is our Business Too Coalition."  Because of our morality and honesty we know best how each and every American should live their own lives.  How about "The Give Me a Break Coalition?"

There's a powerful religious/political block in the United States called the Christian Right or Religious Right. A lot of these people, despite their bigoted views, are otherwise good people.  They are loyal to their spouses, loyal to their kids, volunteer for their communities, help the less-fortunate and a lot of other things that make people good. This voting block, at least in the South and rural America, is usually big enough to decide whether Republicans are politically successful or not.

But here's a perfect example of why religion shouldn't be mixed with politics.  I'm not saying that religious people shouldn't be active in politics but that when religion gets mixed into your political philosophy, or becomes your political philosophy as with the Christian Right, it becomes a big problem. Then your politics tend to oppose the constitutional rights of other Americans.  They have constitutional rights to live their own lives as they choose, because of the rights of privacy, free speech, and freedom of religion, even if their choices go against your religious beliefs.  Attempting to encode your religious beliefs in law, as in "Right to Life," infringes the constitutional rights of citizens who do not agree with you.

But I can't end this post without addressing the hypocrisy of politicians who claim to live by moral or family values.  What does that mean?  That's like hearing Republicans say that they believe in individual freedom and responsibility.  Individual freedom and responsibility for whom to do what? They tend to leave out the answers to these questions when speaking in public.  In private, they do what makes them happy and try not to get caught.

Maybe the so-called Moral or Family Values Coalition should say we believe this is how other Americans should live their lives.  If you don't live your life as we tell you to do, we are going to label you as immoral or Un-American, even if we do the same things you're doing.

The Republican Party needs this religious fringe because they can't be politically successful without it.  They have to pretend to care about their issues or they'll not win elections.

Real Time With Bill Maher: New Rules: 'Religion Collection '

Source:Real Time With Bill Maher- The best of religious collection.

Source:The New Democrat

"Bill Maher New Rules | Best of Religion Collection."

From Ultimate Documentary

Atheism is a belief, or even a faith, that there is no God, there is no religious higher power at all. George Carlin didn't call himself and atheist because atheism is a belief or a faith that God doesn't exist. Technically, that would qualify George as an agnostic which is my religious affiliation.  I know so little about religion that my knowledge wouldn't fill a shot glass. But I do know that agnostics don't know if there's a God or not.  That is different from believing one way or the other.

I don't give a damn about people's religion, including Atheists. (Sorry Bill Maher.)  Just keep your religion out of my face, especially, if you believe your religion tells you to make the lives of other people miserable if they commit certain acts of which your fundamentalist tight ass doesn't approve.
As for you fundamentalist Atheists,  people who are not only not religious but put down people for being religious even if they are good decent people, learn something about the First Amendment.

People have the right to be religious or not and to say whatever the hell they want to about it.  Live and let live and your life will be hell of a lot better even if you're going to hell for not believing in God.  If you believe you should get on fundamentalist Christians because you don't like their politics,  keep in mind that fundamentalists Muslims are just as far to the Right on cultural issues.  Maybe you should spread your hate to them as well.

Alfred Hitchcock: Rear Window (1954) Starring Jimmy Stewart

Source:Turner Classic Movies- Jimmy Stewart as Jeff.

Source:The New Democrat  

"A photographer with a broken leg uncovers a murder while spying on the neighbors in a nearby apartment building." 

From Turner Classic Movies

"A wheelchair bound photographer (James Stewart) spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder." 

Source:Movie Clips- Actor Jimmy Stewart.

From Movie Clips

Rear Window might be the best not so believable movie I've ever seen. . It's about Jeff (Jimmy Stewart), a photographer  in a wheelchair with a broken leg solving a murder, practically. on his own.  He gets some help from his girlfriend (Amazing Grace Kelly) and his nurse (Thelma Ritter).  It's not, you know,  the most believable plot ever written.

Jeff has a friend (Wendell Corey) who's a lieutenant in the NYPD.  The lieutenant is the only person in the movie who has any real life, detective or police experience.  Jeff has a theory about how a supposed murder goes down in the apartment across the courtyard from his.  The lieutenant doesn't believe Jeff's theory.

The movie takes place in Greenwich Village in the middle of one of those famous humid heat waves  they get every summer.  Jeff has nothing to do all day but to look out the window, talk to his nurse (Thelma Ritter) when she comes by to check on him, and, of course, hangout with his hot sexy baby-faced girlfriend (Grace Kelly) when she comes by at night.

From his window, Jeff notices some strange things going on in the apartment across the courtyard.  A woman who's sick and confined to her bed is suddenly missing.  Her husband (Raymond Burr) does strange things at night.  He goes out with a suitcase when it's raining and comes back shortly thereafter.  Jeff thinks there's something suspicious in the suitcase, like the body parts of the missing wife. He wants his detective friend to look into it.

All the while, Jeff thinks his girlfriend is too perfect for him, his job being very stable.  He's always traveling.  He thinks that they would both be better off keeping things as they are.  She wants to marry him and that is not a commitment that Jeff wants to make.  He just wants to recover from the broken leg and go back to work and have his girlfriend available.

This movie stretches credibility but it is very well written and has a great cast, Jimmy Stewart, Wendell Corey, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr and others.  It has a lot of great humor, especially between the lieutenant and Jeff.  The cop sees his friend as an amateur sleuth, at best, and makes fun of him.   He's doing his best to show that Jeff only has a theory and a weak circumstantial case.  It becomes a great murder mystery.