where thieves and pimps run free
Its about time that I informed you of my whereabouts. I am in the very bosum of depravity. I speak of course of New Orleans. A city where public intoxications is actually encouraged, along with the exposing of certain body parts and exhibitionist behavior. In short. its a very nice place to be. Though honesty forces me to reveal that I have not seen a single transvestite nor any exposed flesh...a great disappointment to be sure. But I soldier on. Now there are things I could talk about: the food, the music, the incredible woman who has brought me here..yes twas a woman who lured me to this juggernaut of self-indulgence...but no, I will instead bespeak of literature.
See, the missus and I were wandering the aforementioned den of iniquity looking for entertainment. We sat and listened to a decent jazz-blues band whilst a middle aged woman pranced before them 'shakin it' as it were encouraged by her daughter and the lead singer..while we sipped on mint julips. We were in love and it was good music...and we were happy. It was loud. so we mosey'd on. there was noise and people and then we heard the strains of traditional NO jazz..it wasnt Loud it was in a small bar..we walked in. the place was populated by about 10 folks it was mostly dark wood with german paraphinalia on the walls..including a portrait of Rommel. Hmm Interesting. The band was a horn player, a woman at an upright piano, a clarinet player, a guitar player and an upright bass. they were perfectly mixed..meaning that their instruments were in perfect balance volume - wise and because we were only 6 feet from them, we were not overwhelmed by huge monitors blasting away..instead we got nice solid music (often very subtle) and a reasonable volume such that we could actually listed for several hours. We got to visit with a man from phoenix AZ, a bird watcher from Koln Germany, and a local couple who had been coming to the club for 34 years and she was bedecked in a large green hat with the beads...one would have mistaken her for a tourist had one not taken the time to talk to her.
So its a nice place, Great music, Amiable company ...and then there above the piano was this sign.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S Thompson
Candy pointed it out to me and we laughed. We had never seen the quote before despite what i now realize is a now almost ubiquitous presence on the ol internet thingy.
Now I couldnt remember it (or much else) when I got back to the hotel but i was determined to make it a favorite quote. So the literary shock of my life takes place when i scrounge up the quote on the internet thingy, I get this:
The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason.
was originally published as a bylined column in the San Francisco Examiner on November 4, 1985
Someone was messin with my favorite quote....Then I am thinking of another favorite quote by Pete Seeger, to wit: "plagiarism is basic to all culture" .
Now I have subsequently had marvelous conversations regarding music and influence with such notables as John Doheny (a resident of this berg, and along with his lovely wife - a delightful dinner companion and fount of knowledge on all things jazzlike) and have come away reinforced that culture and music oft times improves with a good editor.
so as i sit here wondering which i like better, the edited quote - which is pithy and has that cool punchline..or the more serious and exact quote of the original author, I vote for plagiarisim. After all I havn't had an original thought in oh....50 years. Laizze le bon temps roullez.
See, the missus and I were wandering the aforementioned den of iniquity looking for entertainment. We sat and listened to a decent jazz-blues band whilst a middle aged woman pranced before them 'shakin it' as it were encouraged by her daughter and the lead singer..while we sipped on mint julips. We were in love and it was good music...and we were happy. It was loud. so we mosey'd on. there was noise and people and then we heard the strains of traditional NO jazz..it wasnt Loud it was in a small bar..we walked in. the place was populated by about 10 folks it was mostly dark wood with german paraphinalia on the walls..including a portrait of Rommel. Hmm Interesting. The band was a horn player, a woman at an upright piano, a clarinet player, a guitar player and an upright bass. they were perfectly mixed..meaning that their instruments were in perfect balance volume - wise and because we were only 6 feet from them, we were not overwhelmed by huge monitors blasting away..instead we got nice solid music (often very subtle) and a reasonable volume such that we could actually listed for several hours. We got to visit with a man from phoenix AZ, a bird watcher from Koln Germany, and a local couple who had been coming to the club for 34 years and she was bedecked in a large green hat with the beads...one would have mistaken her for a tourist had one not taken the time to talk to her.
So its a nice place, Great music, Amiable company ...and then there above the piano was this sign.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S Thompson
Candy pointed it out to me and we laughed. We had never seen the quote before despite what i now realize is a now almost ubiquitous presence on the ol internet thingy.
Now I couldnt remember it (or much else) when I got back to the hotel but i was determined to make it a favorite quote. So the literary shock of my life takes place when i scrounge up the quote on the internet thingy, I get this:
The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason.
was originally published as a bylined column in the San Francisco Examiner on November 4, 1985
Someone was messin with my favorite quote....Then I am thinking of another favorite quote by Pete Seeger, to wit: "plagiarism is basic to all culture" .
Now I have subsequently had marvelous conversations regarding music and influence with such notables as John Doheny (a resident of this berg, and along with his lovely wife - a delightful dinner companion and fount of knowledge on all things jazzlike) and have come away reinforced that culture and music oft times improves with a good editor.
so as i sit here wondering which i like better, the edited quote - which is pithy and has that cool punchline..or the more serious and exact quote of the original author, I vote for plagiarisim. After all I havn't had an original thought in oh....50 years. Laizze le bon temps roullez.