Whoa, Black Betty

What is it with these 'black-something' bands? I just realized how many I listen to. It's like a trend or something. 

The Black Angels

The Black Crowes

Black Flag

The Black Keys

Black Moth Super Rainbow

Black Mountain

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 

Black Sabbath

Blackfoot

And my friend Matt just turned me on to a really awesome Canadian outfit called Black Pistol Fire (which is what got me thinking about this in the first place).

Meanwhile, for the opposite side, I can only think of The White Stripes and Whitesnake offhand. 

And Then Along Came Jones

Saw this juxtaposition on my phone while browsing YouTube the other day. 

Hell of a coincidence...

Into The Navajo Amplifier, For Us To Hear And See

This is an awesome photograph and I can't put my finger on exactly why.

That said, for the actual history of this picture go here to the Smithsonian Institution Archives blog. 

Local Observer, With Binoculars (Peculiar)

What. 

I mean, that's actually cool in a very cheesy sort of way, but... what kind of nut would actually create this? 

(I probably would if I were that talented.)

Oh No, William & Mary Won't Do

As seen on the Penn State campus earlier this year - on the day of the Nittany Lions' first home game, as a matter of fact. 

Wait... as in NCIS Donald Bellisario? 

Apparently, yes. He was a 1961 journalism grad from PSU; and in 2017 he bestowed a $30 million endowment on the university, which prompted them to rename the College of Communications after him, all according to Wikipedia. 

I did always think it clever that his TV production company was named 'Belisarius Prductions' - his last name in Latin transliteration - also the name of a highly successful Eastern Roman general of the 6th century. Bellisario was (something else I didn't know) an enlistee to the Marine Corps in the late 50's. This seems to have influenced his character creation process as a lot of his main characters are Navy and Marine vets.

I also didn't know that he was from Cokeburg, PA, a tiny town in Washington County southwest of Pittsburgh. Cokeburg's Wikipedia page explains that the town was used to film the series finale of another Bellisario creation - Quantum Leap. 

Now I actually want to see that last episode. 

Platform Ticket, Restless Diesels, Goodbye Windows

I received something in my Christmas stocking this past holiday that threw me for a bit of a loop. It's this train pull-back toy.

The reason I did a double-take when I saw it was its uncanny - and as we will see, surprisingly accurate - resemblance to an EMD SDP35. For a cheap kids' toy, it's a most irregular choice of subject. I say this chiefly because the SDP35 was not widely produced; intended to replace older passenger locomotives and still run as a freight unit if necessary, it only sold 35 units during 1964 and '65. Meanwhile, the standard SD35 sold 360 units in a similar timeframe. (The successive SDP40 and SDP45 models only sold 20 and 18 each, respectively; the 34 'SDP45s' sold to Erie Lackawanna were without steam generators, in order to equip a larger fuel tank than the standard SD45.) Union Pacific ordered ten; finding them inadequate for passenger train service, they used them for freight until their retirement and kept their fleet of EMD E8 passenger locomotives in use until all passenger services were assumed by Amtrak in 1971.

George Elwood

I mention UP's locomotives because this toy is painted reminiscent of UP's color scheme. While logos, lettering and numbering are all a work of fiction, the gray top portion and yellow body are correct, even to the red stripe that separates them (it should, however, be a single stripe, not the paired one on the toy). And 'Power Pacific'? They got it three-quarters right, actually! I count 'Power' for partial credit since Union Pacific was once the buyer of many imposingly massive and powerful locomotives, both steam and diesel.

But better yet is how closely this toy actually matches the real SDP35. Starting with the wheels, it has the early Flexicoil 'C' trucks, and heavy braking option (with one cylinder for each axle on each side - correct for the UP units); while the nose and cab aren't perfect, they are identifiably EMD designs; the traction motor blower duct and hood bulge, as well as the bulge in the steam generator compartment at rear are all present on the fireman's side; and the air intakes, dynamic brake blister at the top center of the hood, radiator shutters and vents for the steam generator at the top rear are all correct as well. The only real glaring error I can see is the radiator fans. The prototype had two larger fans with one smaller fan between them; this has three large fans like the SD40 was built with. The two dynamic brake fans are correct.

Of course, only a complete nerd like me would even notice, but I do find it very interesting that such an obscure prototype was picked for such a relatively unimportant-seeming kid's toy. I know I've seen more than a few based on EMD's much more widely produced F-unit locomotives, which makes more sense - with over 7000 of all F-unit models built, they were a much more common sight on the American railroad scene well into the 1980's. The SDP35 is all but extinct by comparison.

My City Had Been Pulled Down, Reduced To Parking Spaces

So you all know about the story behind the cover of Crosby, Stills & Nash's self-titled debut, right?

Oh.

Well, then I guess I'll tell you!

So, when it came time to pick the cover art for the group's self-titled debut, they hadn't yet finalized the name of the band. So they decided to get a jump on the art, and found a vacant house in West Hollywood outside of which a sofa had been left behind. So they plopped down for a seat to get the photo - Nash, Stills, and Crosby, from left to right.

As the album neared its release date, the group settled on 'Crosby, Stills & Nash' as the band's moniker; but realized that they were lined up backwards in the photo as a result! So they went back to retake the photograph, but when they arrived at the address, only a pile of lumber remained.

Also, I didn't know that Dallas Taylor, CS&N's drummer, wasn't there for the photograph, but was pasted in the back door window afterwards. Found that out at the CS&N (maybe Y, maybe not) website. I've always found the story an amusing piece of rock trivia.

But it's funny how history can repeat itself.

In 2004, The Black Keys used a vacant tire plant in their hometown of Akron as a studio to record their third album, Rubber Factory. The disc was enough of a success to break on to the Billboard album charts after release and increased their fanbase by an order of magnitude.

Seven years later, Pat and Dan were celebrating ten years of rocking together after some tough times; the smash-rock album El Camino debuted as a result in 2011, with the art reflecting their hometown and beginnings as a band. Thus the album itself featured the Chrysler and Ford vans they toured in very early on; and the singles had scenes from around Akron. The most curious of these was the single for 'Lonely Boy', which featured a bulldozer on a vacant lot, with rubble piled in the background.

Turns out that the band wanted a photo of the factory where Rubber Factory had been recorded, but it had been torn down not long before they arrived! Dan quipped in an interview in 2011 that "We keep stumbling into these profound artistic expressions. That's how we roll, though." Also, I was under the impression that the factory had appeared on the Rubber Factory sleeve, but I'm not sure what building it is, mainly because none appear to be suitable candidates. If someone could clear that little mystery up for me, I'd be grateful.

You'll Shoot'em Down Because You're Waiting For Someone Good To Come On

So... the hosts of The Tonight Show have been, in order: 

Jack Paar

Johnny Carson

Jay Leno

and Jimmy Fallon.

Notice anything about that lineup?

All their first names begin with J!

Coincidence? I think not.

EDIT: I was informed that the first Tonight Show host was actually early TV comedian Steve Allen, and I had forgotten about Conan O'Brien's nine-month stint as host after Leno's first 'retirement'. So the theory may be Jossed. Let's wait twenty years and see who succeeds Fallon. 

Farmer Wins A Trophy And Hands It To You

I think this might be the start of a series. The subject being weird pictures of musicians.

Mcgwireonfire, via Wikimedia

The hell happened here? This is a picture of the avant-noise band Deerhoof. I think they're still alive. I mean, I know their music is weird (one of the few bands whose output borders on non-music that I like), but this is just strange. Then again, I've never seen them live, despite them coming to the Warhol museum twice that I can think of. I wonder if this is just something they do...

I should point out that lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki joined the band a week after arriving in San Francisco from Japan, and went on the band's first tour the following week. With NO previous musical experience. (That should explain... something.) But the most inexplicable part of this is that I got th photo from their Wikipedia page. Like with Robert Pollard linked above, whose idea was this?

Narrow Streets Of Cobblestone

I've noticed that there are some really weirdly-named roads in my area.

Along Route 366 there exist Lincoln Beach and Kiebler Beach. No clue about the source of the names, although they do cross Pucketa Creek.

Out on Route 8 you will find Elfinwild Road. Obviously named before J. R. R. Tolkien became notable, or it would have been spelled Elvenwild, which I just think sounds better.

Found this one just outside New Kensington. Isn't this one refreshingly straightforward? If you look closely at the actual sign, the street's old name of McKean can be seen.

Better yet, Hampton Township is home to Lah Road. Yeah, that's it. Just 'Lah'. According to a reader, it's a common family name in the area, so that at least is a reasonable explanation. Even so, what kind of last name is 'Lah'?

Also in Hampton Township is Talley Cavey Road. According to Wikipedia, it's the original name of the nearby borough of Allison Park. The name originated with a location on the Ards Peninsula on the east coast of Ireland.

A third Hampton location poses a bit more of a mystery. Rihn Strasse, translated from German, just means 'Rhine Street'.

Meanwhile, out around Washington Township, there's Zubal Road. Again, it's probably just a family name, but I have to say it's just fun to say. Say it out loud Zubal. Zuuubaaalll. See, wasn't that fun?

Out around Johnstown on US-22 is Dishong Mountain Road. Another family name, if my research is correct. The name sounds kind of like the last refuge of Chinese steam locomotives - the Jitong Railway, home of the Qiangjing 2-10-2-types.

Also on US-22 is Harry Boring Road. Inclusion on this list makes it interesting. A longtime reader says it's also a family name, as there's a business in downtown Johnstown called Blaine Boring Chocolates. I'm not kidding.

Got a weird or inexplicably named road in your area? Let me know about it.

I Hear You Knockin', But You Can't Come In

It says 'Welcome' on the exit. Why does it say 'Welcome' on the exit?

There's Not A Hell Of A Lot You Can Do, It's Lights Out For You

Just before I started my week-long break from work, I dreamt of a power outage there. The worst part is that it was as complete darkness as could be without being completely unrecognizable. As though I could see five feet in front of me in black-and-dark-gray, and the rest was a vast bubble of nothingness. No emergency lights, no natural light from the skylights, no smartphone screens used as flashlights. Just oppressive, inky blackness and a mind-numbing panic.

Am I being sent a message?

When I Look In My Window, So Many Different People To Be

Yes, the lettering on the building reads 'Serious Windows'. This is no joke. As it were. 

I've been driving through Parks Township for years and never knew this company was there. And I thought my employer was joyless and stern!

This Bulkhead's Made Of Fallen Brethren's Bones

Something that always confounded me - when you look at the word 'predecessor', you realize that it seems to mean 'the one who died before'. That's weird right there.

Does that mean I get to live forever?

But what really baffles me is that we use this word in everyday conversation to MEAN 'the one who came before'. As in, 'Oh, yeah, he's the guy who worked here before you and then DIED, and also I'm saying this as casually as can be.' Seriously, how awkward is that? It's not like everyone who's ever had to be replaced died first.

Snapshot Image Froze Without A Sound

As an aside, I should explain something about my photography approach in case I end up posting photos focused on people.

I'm used to photographing trains.

There's no way to pose a moving freight train exactly where you want it; it's more of a challenge of geography and timing and initiative. It's what I call the 'shoot what's really there' approach, with the resulting documentary atmosphere. No preparation, no touch-up, not even clearing the weeds, Lance. As soon as an interesting subject is found, I shoot as I find and move on. I also have a preoccupation with taking a good image, regardless of subject.

As a result, I suck at photographing people. I find myself trying to take the same approach as I do in railfan photography, and I top out at the level of candid photographs. I end up freezing their image as they are, rather than when they're ready to present themselves. There's not much preparation that twenty thousand tons of steel and cargo moving at fifty miles per hour can do to 'smile for the camera', in comparison. Taking photos in this manner could be off-putting for some people, I've since realized. It might be that my method presumes a familiarity with the people in the viewfinder that I may not really have, catching them in such casual (perhaps intimate?) moments.

It reminds one of the stories of African tribespeople who thought that a photo taken of them would steal part of their soul. Maybe there's something to that.

Don't You Know About The Bird?

Surely everyone must be familiar, by now, with the legendary, if ridiculous, surf-rock anthem 'Surfin' Bird', by the Trashmen. Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, the band created one of the most notorious (read: annoying) singles of all time, apparently borrowing or mashing up two singles by an R&B combo called the Rivingtons.

However, there's another song by the same group that's vastly different, and very beautiful in my opinion. Written by Ernesto Lecuona for his Suite Andalucia, 'Malagueña' has been recorded in a number of pop styles, including the following surf-style cut by the Trashmen:

It amazes me to think that the same rock group could come up with so something as goofy as 'Surfin' Bird' and still have the chops and the taste to record so wonderful a version of 'Malagueña'. That's unique. 

Is She Promised To The Night, And Her Head Has No Room?

I just realized something. We're using a word in two surprisingly opposed senses, given that both senses involve gender. We're talking about racks, people.

We refer to these as such:

Sama-style

It's the antlers that we're concerned with. Antlers, or horns in sheep and cattle, are a giveaway that the animal is a mature male. Meanwhile, we also refer to this with the same term:

Thanks, Wikipedia...

Yes, we're talking about boobs. Again, they're a sure biological sign that we're looking at (and quite distractedly, I must add) a mature woman. So somehow, we took the term the term for the second most distinctive male physical characteristic in the animal kingdom and used it as a slang term for the second most distinctive indication of human femininity. 

Is this a current thing? Is the meaning of rack as slang-for-breasts a recent development, or does it have more of a history than I would guess? The internet doesn't have a clear answer so for the time being I'm at a loss. 

This confuses me, if I think too much:

Uh... nice rack(s)?

I Will Choose Freewill

Forever 21 Is Now Selling a Shirt With an Ayn Rand Quote On It Ok, as much as the libertarian in me is totes stoked about this, why did Time run the article with a title that sounds like it was written by a scandalized fifth-grader? Better yet, why does the tag line read 'But do the chain's customers even know what objectivism means?'

Amazon: The Pop-Up Book Of Phobias Not to mention The Pop-Up Book Of Nightmares, and The Pop-Up Book Of Sex. I'll stick with the Rev. Awdry for now, thanks.

The Hipsterfication Of America Any true hipster would implode after reading this. Since I'm still here, I must not be one. Hooray, maybe? Also, shouldn't that be hipsterification?

You Thought We Wouldn't Notice...  but somebody did. Documenting artistic and graphical ripoffs of the most thoughtless kind.

Planet Earth Is Blue, And There's Nothing I Can Do

I stumbled across this amazingly poignant video of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield; who, after handing over command of the International Space Station, recorded a slightly modified version of David Bowie's classic 'Space Oddity'. Watch below.

Here's the full story. Bowie’s “Space Oddity” Taken to New Heights by Space Station Astronaut

Upstarts Are On Their Way

Just when you thought Japan couldn't get any crazier, the hairdressers get in on the act! You'll Never Forget Japan's Tomato Hairdo

WHERE IS MY SNOW SHOVEL LEGO Spill Shuts Down Highway Lane In West Virginia

These reviews are insane. Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer

More video strangeness: