Whoa!
The road sign for my hometown said Pop. 469. For a few months in the 70's we had two extra residents who rented a house two blocks from me. By "coincidence" the family across the street had a shady past. The story at the time was he would sell things that "fell" off the back of a truck.
Concurrently the FBI was involved in solving the kidnapping of Virginia Piper. From Wikipedia:
"Virginia Piper, the wife of Harry "Bobby" Piper, the chairman and CEO of the Minneapolis, Minnesota investment firm Piper, Jaffray and Hopwood, Inc., was kidnapped on July 27, 1972, while gardening outside her home in Orono, Minnesota. She was held chained to a tree for two nights in Jay Cooke State Park near Duluth.After receiving a ransom payment of $1 million (equivalent to $6.19 million in 2020) from her husband, the kidnappers called an unconnected person and told them her location.[1] Shortly afterward, Piper was found and released by the FBI.
The kidnapping received national attention because of the prominence of the victim and her husband, the time (broad daylight) and location (a large and opulent estate) of her kidnapping, the time of the arrest of the two men eventually charged with the kidnapping (just days before the five-year statute of limitations expired in 1977), their acquittal on appeal in 1979, and the fact that only $4,000 of the ransom the kidnappers received was ever recovered."
Our small town hoodlum was never arrested or implicated in the kidnapping, but everyone in town was convinced he was part of the kidnapping. I have had it confirmed from a friend/sheriff deputy that the temporary citizens were FBI agents.
My hometown... this is my hometown...
1. I Just Wanna Be is the “Winner” in a dire field.
2. End of the Road because I’ve never sold socks to John Mellencamp
3. Whoa- oh you got the Best of My Love.
4. He’ll Have to Go if only for the dirty lyrics version of it.
5. Where or When? On any street corner.
6. Rump Shaker
7. Because I’m easy like a Wednesday morning vacation day.
8, I’m on the TLC tip.
9. Erotica, the appropriate place to read the dirty lyric version of He’ll Have to Go
10. In a sea of blandness you saved the best for last. Three way tie because Don’t You Want Me to Jump Around in El Paso is at least 30/30
The End of the Road.
Since I talked about work, this is an appropriate time to reveal what the numbers mean. By the time the numbers reach #1 I will be officially (semi) retired. I know myself enough to realize I will need to get out of the house a few days a week, but this is a perfect time to move on. If I was totally honest, the start of the pandemic would have been the perfect time, especially after dealing with the mask-holes who have become emboldened to make retail worker’s life a living hell.
When I first mentioned retirement, a friend suggested I break it down into how many Mondays I had left. Since then, I have adopted other ways to count it down.
91 workdays or so (vacations are upcoming)
18 Weeks
9 tanks of gas.
1 work password reset
127 days
22.75 four packs of muffins.
I haven’t been as present on here as I used to be. The mobile site crashes for me frequently at work, and it makes contributing difficult. I’m not saying I will be on here 24/7 after retirement, but it will be easier. Except for a short period after I moved from Bixmarck to be with GBear, I have been working since “Maggie May” was Number One. I can honestly say I deserve the time off.
End of the Road
The further adventures of Bix in the limelight
AKA
This story socks.
I went down an internet rabbit (rabbit) hole last night, and for a second there I was convinced I saw Boyz II Men in concert twice, but then I put the puzzle pieces together and realized I was wrong. The timeline is convoluted, but so is my brain, so bear with me.
In 1992 as part of the 2 Legit 2 Quit, MC Hammer scheduled a tour stop in Bismarck ND with Boyz II Men and TLC as opening acts. My friends and I were 2 Legit excited about TLC, then Boyz, then MC Hammer, but that isn’t how it went. Early on, TLC was pulled from the line-up. “I Ain’t too Proud” to say it was a huge disappointment. Then Boyz II Men’s manager was murdered in Chicago, forcing them to miss the show. MC Hammer was alright, I guess. It had a certain feeling that you were seeing someone that was rocketing down the charts, just as fast as he had rocketed up them.
A few years later in 1995 Boyz II Men made up for missing that concert by scheduling a headlining show in Bixmarck (I might as well give in by calling it BIxmarck. My fingers go there by default.) I’m not sure what I wore, probably something in linen since it seemed to be the fabric of the moment, but I do remember one sartorial detail that Boyz II Men wore, their socks.
GBear was visiting me, we had good seats with the store manager and her husband, about 5 rows back. Earlier in the day I was working in the Men’s department of the local Dayton’s and a stylish young man was looking at socks. I offered help and he mentioned that he was the stylist for Boyz II Men, and he needed colorful socks for their show that night. I pointed to socks we had in various bright colors, and he bought 4 different color socks. I told my store manager and she laughed and then said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if they wear them tonight?”
Nathan, Wanya, Michael and Shawn entered the stage, their linen suits billowing from the wind machine. Their loose linen slacks were pegged at the ankle, and even from 5 rows away, you couldn’t miss the red, orange, purple and blue Gold Toes they were wearing. My store manager and I looked at each other and laughed. It was our private joke, one that GBear and the manager’s husband didn’t get.
Now I need to go down another internet rabbit hole and figure out when I sold Olympic Gold Medalist Oxiana Baiul a pair of Levi’s and helped Brian Boitano.
55
Fun fact: Gbear is a Yankees fan and had Twins season tickets just to attend all the Yankees games. He also would stay at the same hotel as the Yankees and developed a friendship with Phil Rizzuto. On late games they would go to movie matinees downtown before heading to the game.
Phil got him into the locker room a few times and we have a Mickey Mantle signed baseball as proof. Gbear had a connection with a pair of scandalous Yankees, though not at the same time.
I'm not dismissive, and rather enjoy the nostalgia. I saw the movie in the theater with my mom and sister, so I understand what you are saying about your daughters. Many of the characters remind me of the strong female role models in my family.
Enjoy your weekend, I'll be doing my best to enjoy mine, while I work.
I think Tom was right when he said:
“Maybe that scarcity helped sell a few “This Used To Be My Playground” singles, and maybe those sales helped the song reach #1. In any case, it’s really not one of Madonna’s immortal hits”
I know I bought the“Playground” CD single as a Madonna fan and I’m sure others did the same Though I won’t grade it, I found it recently and it is still in its shrink wrap prison. That may give you a clue.
P.S. on the numbers, today’s hint. I know of people who count sleeps until a vacation for example, I’m counting Number Ones. But for what goal? Maybe the next Number One will give you a clue.
The other numbers are another way to countdown to the same goal.
I saw “A League of Our Own” recently and I got nostalgic about nostalgia. The topic of baseball is always a cue to think about my dad. If you’ve seen “Field of Dreams” and remember the part where Kevin is going to the Iron Range of Minnesota to talk to a local historian, that’s a favorite scene. On his drive, he picks up a young baseball playing hitchhiker who talks about the local small town baseball scene. Seeing it in the theater, it reminded me of stories my dad told us about local small towns who would pay well for good baseball players. It was a gut punch. The young hitchhiker reminded me of my father who was a pro baseball prospect, but due to his Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, he was then slowly wasting away.
Then “A League of Our Own” arrived the summer after my dad died much too young at 69 from PSP. I saw the movie in the theater with my mom and older sister. Afterwards my mom retold the story of she and dad visiting and aunt and uncle in Rockford IL and had attending a Women’s baseball game shortly before the league disbanded. Nostalgia about nostalgia, remembering a moment that happened before my time, was powerful to me because it connected me to mom, dad, and a favorite aunt and uncle. The connection was still strong when I saw it recently.
“This Used to Be My Playground” continues to conjure nostalgia about nostalgia. We lived in a small town and our house was the only house on the lot which was basically a quarter of a city block in size. The backyard was large enough for a dedicated Wiffle Ball lot. Think Field of Dreams, plastic ball style. In a “build it they will come” manner, our yard was a gathering spot for boys and girls from the town. If you hit it over the street, into the Catholic Church yard, it was a homerun, something I never did.
As we grew up and moved out, the Wiffle Ball field became a large garden. The symbolism was lost on me until I was in Psych 101 at the UofM and learned about Empty Nest Syndrome. Damn, dad’s garden could be in the textbook. Our playground was now his. Somehow, he was always weeding or watering it when church was in session. Where once he celebrated the athleticism and camaraderie of his kids, he was now awarded with kudos for his abundant garden.
I left that home in 1975, and only went back for short visits. Though it hasn’t been owned by the family since the early 80s, it periodically appears in my dreams and my dad, alive and healthy is there. The backyard has become my “Field of Dreams,” though it “Used to Be My Playground.” Nostalgia about nostalgia renders these movies and this song hard to rank, but any song or movie that reminds me of my dad gets extra points.
56 (or so)
98 - 94 - 93 or so
1918 - 18
9 - 9
1 - 1
137 - 132
133- 130
23.5 – 23.25
The Numbers
Last Friday – Wednesday (Tom skipping Monday has shaken this up a bit)
59 – 57 (We know that this is a countdown of what has become the next 57 songs, but why?)
98 - 94 or so
19 - 18
9 - 9
1 - 1
137 - 132
24.25 – 23.50
Today’s Clue, the fifth number, 1 will be the first to reach zero, sometime in March. All others will reach zero around the same time as each other, but much later than the first one.
I tried to post something earlier, thought it posted, but it seems to be gone. I will tryi it again without the link Apologries in advance if it ever shows up.
As inspired by numerous posts on Twitter.
If Sir Mix A Lot instead of Billy Preston collaborated with the Beatles, what would they have called the song?
Baby Get Back
Got Back
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As inspired by numerous posts on Twitter.
If Sir Mix A Lot instead of Billy Preston collaborated with the Beatles, what would they have called the song?
Baby Get Back
Got Back
Butt wait, there’s more. Fill out my Sir Mix-A-Lot questionnaire at:
https://forms.gle/yy8JyRfgzE9LSJ676
58
On Wednesday I joked that I should have done a Jump BixMix. Well, I did.
https://www.mixcloud.com/BixMeister/when-i-say-jump/
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51819144981_68e145904e_z.jpg
When I Say Jump
Kriss Kross – Jump – 0:00
House of Pain – Jump Around – 04:50
M – Pop Muzik (Paralyzer Remix) BixJump edit – 07:33
Dhar Braxton – Jump Back (Set Me Free) – 12:13
Madonna – Jump – 18:18
Stacy Lattislaw – Jump to the Beat – 21:46
Aretha Franklin – Jump to It – 26:30
VH Vs The Supremes – Jump! In the Name of Love - DJ Schmolli mashup – 32:36
Musique – Keep on Jumpin’ – 35:57
The Pointer Sisters – Jump (For My Love) – 42:20
The Movement – Jump! (Holographic Mix) – 48:25
The Rolling Stones – Jumpin’ Jack Flash – 53:01
Harry Nilsson – Jump Into the Fire – 56:17
The Cure – Jumping Someone Else’s Train – 59:40
Thanks to those who have already heard this mix, and apologies to DJ Schmolli who made the Van Halen Vs. The Supremes mashup “Jump! In the Name of Love” since I didn’t find his name to acknowledge him on the MixCloud upload. I’ve since updated my upload to reflect that important bit of information.
The Numbers, and what we know so far. 59, the first number is a countdown of the Number Ones, that was correctly guessed by Link.
Wed - Fri
60 - 59
99 - 98 or so
20 - 19
10 - 9
1 - 1
139 - 137
24.75 - 24. 25
Today’s clue: All numbers will eventually hit zero, but they won’t at the same time.
They are multiple numbers that lead to the same conclusion.
The answer is in your username.
This is your first clue.
There will be one per day until someone gets the answer.
There will be a prize.
“And everything is to the back with a little slack
'Cause inside out, it's wiggida wiggida wiggida wack”
There were so many fashion fads of the early 90s that were tied to pop music and videos. In our Junior and Young Men’s department we had to keep abreast of the fads and dress our mannequins to reflect them. Our store had an industrial girder system throughout both departments and the mannequins were suspended above the customer’s head.
The industrial trappings worked to our favor when the Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation look was the trend. We didn’t sell MC Hammer pants, but Z-Cavarricci pants were a voluminous alternative that worked well with video ready neon colors that were everywhere. If you didn’t like neon, or wanted to take color to the next level, Genera’s color changing Hypercolor was everywhere. Like the retail dictum, all we had to do was “Pile it high and watch it fly.”
At the other end of the mall was a dance club which had a DJ that did his best to keep up with the musical trends and fashion trends. He’d come down and buy tons of Hypercolor to wear with his Z-Cavaricci’s and we’d see the results on the weekend at the club. When Kriss Kross was popular you best believe we did the front to the back thing on the mannequins, using the slack, but not wack, Girbaud jeans. Soon, we’d spot our mall DJ wearing his pants, front to the back.
It became a game to see what video look he’d be wearing. One time he went full MC Hammer while DJing and it would have been the talk of our group if it weren’t for the woman on the dance floor. The dance floor was ringed with bar tops and stools, so you could watch the dancers, while having a South Dakota Martini*. One dancer, wearing a shortish skirt, white top and pantyhose caught everyone’s attention. She danced with her legs set wide and gyrate her hips from side to side. With each shake, her skirt would shift up her legs, and her pantyhose would shift down. By the end of the song, the crotch of her pantyhose was a good inch below the hem of her skirt.
Our intrepid mall DJ went above and beyond to get MC Hammer pants, and he was upstaged by a woman in a too-tight skirt who was putting on a show unknowingly for North Dakotan’s ginned up on South Dakota Martinis.
*Tap beer and three green olives
“Jump,” “Jump (For My Love),” “Jump to the Beat,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Jump to It,” “Keep on Jumpin’,” “Jump Around,” and “Jump.” What is it about the word Jump that it has inspired so many great rhythmic songs? I’m sure our intrepid TNOCS crew can add to the list. It’s too late to do it, but I am sure I could make a jumping BixMix. Maybe I should Jump to It.
By the way, “Jump Around” and “Pop Muzik” mix great with each other.
60
99 or so
20
10, 9 after tonight
1
139
24.75
Miss America ain’t what it used to be and the world is better for it. It was once must watch TV and had a cultural impact good or bad.
When my dad was stationed in New Jersey after the war he had a blind date planned for him. My dad was 40s movie star handsome and he was assured his date was a knockout. Then on the day of the date, his unit was confined to the base and his blind date had to be canceled. We’ll never know if my dad and the then Miss America Bess Meyerson would have hit it off, but we do know that she was the first and only Jewish Miss America. Like Vanessa Williams, Bess was subjected to hate, this time it was Antisemitism.
Goodbye Miss America.
61
101 or so
21
10
1
141
27.75
ursaminorjim is a genius.
On a related point I usually do the "your festival age" calculation where you start at 100 and remove a year for each act you know. The three potential headliners bring me down to 97, but I'm afraid that when the next festival occurs, I will be 100, in real and festival age.
Oh yes, especially since we lived 4 blocks from the town beach and I spent the summer in the water.
MT, our family didn't have a camera, much less a movie camera. And it would take too much Tito's to get me to turn on the Disco ball and record it. Plus my cameraman's Parkinson's isn't conducive to steady video.
Everyone loves campfires. Everyone loves campfire songs. It’s a clear summer night. Your tent is pitched in a clearing near a small spring-fed lake in northern Minnesota. There are no clouds or city haze to obscure the stars. Sparks from your campfire rise and join the stars.
You notice the first flickers of purple and green in the northern sky and silence overcomes the group as you watch Aurora Borealis come to life. Then a friend breaks the silence by starting the Mr. Big song.
They have a lot of time to contemplate their decision while hitchhiking home.
62
111 or so
21
10
2
144
27.75
At the time I felt that “I’m Too Sexy” was the 90s equivalent of “YMCA” a semi-novelty song that got people dancing. The difference I see now is the Village People were in on the joke, and Right Said Fred weren’t.
63
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