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COFFEE COUNTER
for week of
July 25th
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Today In History
On this day in 1965, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan rocks the world of folk music when he abandons his acoustic guitar in favour of an electric one at the Newport Folk Festival. By going electric, Dylan eventually moved rock and folk music closer together. He also infused rock and roll, known then for its mostly lightweight lyrics, with a more intellectual, poetic sensibility.
Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on 24 May 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota. Growing up, Dylan, who taught himself to play guitar, formed his own bands and was influenced by such musicians as Elvis Presley and Little Richard. As a student at the University of Minnesota, he performed folk and country music at cafes and began calling himself Bob Dylan after the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953). In 1960, Dylan dropped out of school and moved to New York City, where he met his idol, folk musician Woody Guthrie (1912-1967), and became involved in the Greenwich Village coffeehouse folk scene and its social protest music.
His self-titled first album, featuring his distinct, gravelly-voiced vocals, was released in 1962. Dylan's next album, the following year, included “Blowin' in the Wind” (which became a major hit for the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary) and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," two of the best-known folk songs of the era. With his third album, in 1964, ‘The Times They Are A-Changin',’ Dylan established himself as the pre-eminent folk singer-songwriter of his generation.
In 1965, Dylan released ‘Bringing It All Back Home’, a half-acoustic, half-electric recording in which he was backed by a nine-piece band, a departure from his previous pared-down performances. That summer, he made his historic live performance with an electric guitar at the folk festival in Newport, where he played such songs as "Maggie's Farm" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." Some fans reportedly booed Dylan at the time, although it's long been a topic of debate as to whether the crowd was unhappy with Dylan or the poor sound system. Regardless, after Newport, Dylan's popularity continued to soar as his musical style continued to evolve and he became known for his innovative, poetic and sometimes cryptic lyrics.
Dylan, who has a reputation for being reclusive and mysterious, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Today, he is a music icon whose successful career has endured for over 40 years.
more~Quote Of The Day
"I find the great thing in this world is not so much
where we stand as in what direction we are moving."
Oliver Wendall Holmes
Today's Trivia
Which Planet Turns Most Slowly?Venus is the planet that turns most slowly on its axis. It spins once every 243 Earth days. Since Venus takes 224 Earth days to complete one orbit of the Sun, its days are longer than its years.
1968 Birth controlPope Paul VI issues an encyclical banning all forms of artificial contraception. It stated that the "direct interruption of the generative process already begun" is unlawful and that abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, is absolutely forbidden, as is sterilization.
THE FORUM INFORMATION IS ON HOLIDAY.
Today's Chuckles
Wake Up CallAn elderly gentleman checked into a New York hotel. The clerk mentioned the phone service the establishment made available for calling guests who wished to rise at an early hour.
"No need for that, young man," snapped the old timer. "I always wake up at five A.M. sharp - without an alarm clock."
"Very good, sir," the clerk replied, then asked, "Would you mind calling me at six?"
Golf ChallengeKevin, a young man who was also an avid golfer, found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in 9 holes before he had to head home. Just as he was about to tee off, his uncle Al, an older gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany his nephew as he too was golfing alone. Not being able to say no, he allowed his uncle Al to join him.
To his surprise, Al played fairly quickly. He didn't hit the ball far, but plodded along consistently and didn't waste much time.
Finally, they reached the 9th fairway and Kevin found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball and directly between his ball and the green.
After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot, the Al finally said, "You know, when I was your age, I'd hit the ball right over that tree."
With that challenge placed before him, Kevin swung hard, hit the ball up, right smack into the top of the tree trunk and it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally lay.
Al offered one more comment, "Of course, when I was your age, that pine tree was only 3 feet tall."
Quick Quotes
"Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness. "
~Bryant H. McGill
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"Being true to yourself really means being true to all the complexities of the human spirit. "
~Rita Dove
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"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. "
~Emma Lazarus
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More Chuckles
Post-Interview ExcerptsThe following are "actual" post-interview excerpts collected from middle managers who, needless to say, probably did not hire any of the people mentioned here:
"Applicant stretched out on the floor to fill out the job application."
"She wore a Walkman and said she could listen to me and the music at the same time."
"Applicant asked to see interviewer's resume to see if the personnel executive was qualified to judge the candidate."
"Applicant announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interviewer's office - wiping the ketchup on her sleeve."
"Stated that, if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm."
"When I asked him about his hobbies, he stood up and started tap dancing around my office."
"At the end of the interview, while I stood there dumbstruck, he went through my purse, took out a brush, brushed his hair, and left."
"Applicant pulled out a Polaroid camera and snapped a flash picture of me. Said he collected photos of everyone who interviewed him."
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