Monday, April 14, 2014

SAD BADFINGER

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Please note that ellipsis are three spaced periods.

Recently, I finished watching all the episodes of Breaking Bad. I watched it again because of my love for it, and because I wanted to introduce Willy Dunne Wooters to it. He'd never seen it. Quite shocking, I know.

When Baby Blue by Badfinger played at the end of the final episode, WDW said, Oh, that's the perfect song. I felt the same way both times I watched the finale.



Watching the show together led us to research Badfinger. We were shocked at the tragic tale of this talented group. Their two main songwriters committed suicide (not at the same time). An unscrupulous manager cheated them out of most of the money they earned. The majority of the group died believing they were failures.

If you want more sad Badfinger, you can read about them HERE or HERE.

Now, I must ask you to think about something, and I don't care if you are in the middle of the A - Z Challenge. Do you remember the series I did on love and intimacy? Quite a few people wrote very interesting guest posts that presented their thoughts and feelings on a topic I don't understand.

You don't remember? It doesn't matter. I'm always starting over on something new and different because I write the story of my life.

Now, I want to do a series about bullying. It will start around the middle of May. I'll write the first post, and the series will conclude with an expert on the subject giving us tips on how to deal with bullies. In between, I need you.

I need you to tell your stories of being bullied, how your children have been bullied, how you dealt with bullies, how you bullied someone. Whatever you want to share.

You might as well volunteer to write guest posts because if you don't, then I'll knock on your door and you know it's difficult to turn me down. I want guest posts to start arriving by May 12th.

Here's another Badfinger song. Willy Dunne Wooters says that Day After Day has always been one of his favorites.




One more piece of Badfinger trivia: they wrote Without You. It wasn't a hit for Badfinger, but it made Harry Nilsson huge, and I read that Mariah Carey did well with it recently.

I can't download the video because of copyright issues, but once upon a teenagerhood, I loved Harry Nilsson's dramatic rendering of the song. Click on the link to hear it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bQGRRolrg0

By the way, Harry Nilsson did not use backup singers. He would lay down a track and then harmonize with himself to lay down another track. Harry died relatively young, too, after a rather wild and difficult life. He spent too much time with John Lennon during John's timeout from Yoko Ono.

Yes, Yoko made John sit in a corner. He wasn't allowed to watch TV, nor could he play with his toys or smoke pot.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

74 comments:

  1. Hi, Janie! Badfinger made significant contributions to the soundtrack of my youth and until now I wasn't aware of all the tragedy surrounding the band.

    I have two bullying stories that I will write and send to you if you'd like to use them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to have a guest post (or two) from you, Sir Shady.

      Delete
  2. Hello. I like the first Badfinger song the best.

    I saw Aaron Paul on Top Gear. It's a British show about cars. The guests race around in a car, and A.P. posted the fastest time. I'm not sure if he is still number one or not. He was very entertaining.

    I was never bullied because I was a bad ass little girl. I didn't consider myself a bully though.

    Good night.

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    Replies
    1. I have difficulty picturing you as a bad ass little girl. Aaron Paul seems to be a nice guy. I know he's done some charity work.

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  3. I had never heard of the show either!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Breaking Bad is pretty violent and has a lot of profanity, Beth. I don't know how you'd feel about it, but if you're interested, you can watch on DVD or Netflix Streaming. It's very well made.

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  4. Mrs. C. and i finished Breaking Bad a few weeks ago and we're still talking about it. Now we're halfway through The Walking Dead---gory as all heck but very interesting.

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    Replies
    1. Willy Dunne Wooters felt as if he'd lost a friend after he watched the last episode of BB. We're watching Arrested Development now. He wanted something more lighthearted.

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  5. I have yet to watch this series. Right now it is all about Game of Thrones for me. I will of course do a guest post for you just let me know when.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. I'd like to have guest posts on or about May 12th.

      Delete
  6. I have nothing real to add here but wanted to say hello. "Hello!" Nice to see you back from your blogcation. I did like Badfinger and had no idea of the history of the band members.

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    Replies
    1. I'm not back. I needed to announce the bullying series. Forget you ever saw me.

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    2. *closing eyes and running away*

      Never mind!

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  7. I did all that "three spaced periods" bit when writing English papers, getting my BA in English, BA in Social and Behavioral Science and the MA. I am tired of spacing and don't care on my blog! Nope! Don't Care! But, I can go back to the proper form when it suits me.

    Those who don't know really do need to know. Yep, I am a bad example!

    Bullying? By ex husband? Does that count? I am going to start a new blog on that relationship.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Janie! I've got a great bullying story that I've shared before in snippets, but I'd be honored to send it your way for the series. Do you have my email? I'll need a reminder after my brain is done frying from the A to Z Challenge.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have your email, and I'd love to have a guest post from you.

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    2. Oh good! I'll plan on it then.

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    3. Well, you're easy, and I don't mean that in a sleazy way.

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    4. I'll take that in the best way possible. =)

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    5. I never intend anything but the best for you.

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    6. Even if I do exclude your wonderful "X" entry? *sigh*

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  9. I was very much intrigued with Breaking Bad. Unfortunately the wife character drove my husband nuts, and he refused to watch any more past the first season.

    Are you going to come knocking down my door for a guest post? I guess I'd better start thinking!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Willy Dunne Wooters thinks Anna Gunn is hot. I'd love to have a guest post from you.

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    2. Thank you ever so much, darling.

      Delete
  10. I cannot remember the group, but there are some blank places upstairs. I may send along a story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to have a guest post from you. I have holes in my attic, too.

      Delete
  11. I did a post on bullying a couple of years ago. It's typically long-winded, but could be trimmed a bit. If you want to check it out, here's the link: http://silverfoxlair.blogspot.com/2011/11/well-bully-for-you-theme-thursday.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember this post. It's excellent. Is the Great and Powerful Silver Fox offering to let me use a somewhat condensed version of this post on my blog?

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    2. Sure! -- Silver Fox (on my cell phone)

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    3. Do you want to trim it, or shall I?

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    4. I'd love to see how you would edit it. Feel free.

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    5. Tee-hee. I'm going to add the most annoying grammatical errors in the world!

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    6. I suppose the best answer to that would be "I could care less!" Ha.

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  12. Replies
    1. Thank you. Better than JANE'S ADDICTION? (the title of a poem I wrote about someone's love of prescription medication)

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  13. I don't get it... Why would you commit suicide because someone stole your money? I'd kick his ass, is what I would do. Or hire you to do it for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess Badfinger didn't know that I'm The Nasty Bitch for Hire (cheap, because I enjoy smacking people around).

      Delete
  14. Gosh, hadn't thought about Badfinger since the time I had that septic splinter.

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  15. I LOVE "Without You." And Baby Blue was the perfect ending to the most perfect TV show ever made.

    -andi

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  16. Baby Blue worked, didn't it? I wish the writers had been around to see it. Willy Dunne Wooters continues to suffer from Breaking Bad withdrawal.

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  17. I had no clue what the name of the band was but I definitely remember those songs! Sad to hear what happened to them. Makes you wonder what has happened to so very many of the musicians and actors from the past that we never heard from again.

    Bullying? Hummm....I'm thinking. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bet you can handle bullying. Or just tell the story of the guy with the hat that had the light in it. I know it's not exactly bullying, but it's hilarious. Worthless! Absolutely worthless!

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  18. I watched the first few episodes of Breaking Bad and have to make time to watch the whole series. Hubby and I are very interested in it! I'll have to "clicky" to read more about Badfinger since I'm not familiar with the group. It's sad to know they died believing they were failures :(

    I think its amazing you will be doing a series on bullying. I (luckily) haven't experienced being bullied or bullying someone, but I will be glued to this series. It's such an important topic and far too many suffer because of it. Count me in!

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad to know you'll be reading. Your children might need protection from a bully someday.

      Delete
  19. Oh crud, I think Google ate my comment. Let's see...oh yeah, I didn't know that Without You was written by Badfinger. But then, there are a LOT of things I don't know.

    I do know, however, your persistence, so I shall get noodling on a bullying post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Your noodling is a favorite of mine. Do you think maybe you can add a little sexiness a la Divine Temptation? Inappropriate for bullying, I guess.

      Delete
  20. I didn't realize they had such a tragic end either.

    Bullying hmm? I'll have to give it some thought.

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    Replies
    1. I'd love to have you participate in the series.

      Delete
  21. 1) I've never seen any episodes of Breaking Bad (shocking, I know).
    2) I was often bullied at school for being studious and fat. In fact, in my fifth grade yearbook, one classmate of mine made it a point to sign his name while immortalizing that wonderful nickname that my classmates had christened me: Fat Cow.

    My solution to bullying? Shake a stuffed cat in their bully faces while screaming at them.

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  22. Hi!! Here I am, your long lost friend. I am trying to check in with all my favorites tonight. Glad to see you are doing well. I confess, I am a weird like WDW and have never seen Breaking Bad, either. It's not for lack of interest...I just don't have cable. My friend has the first season on dvd, I just need to remember to ask her to lend it to me. You've inspired me to actually make an effort :)

    I didn't know about the spaces in ellipses. Good to know, although, sadly, it will likely go in one eye and out the other with me. But I'll try really hard to remember!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'VE MISSED YOU, Janie Junebug screamed while squealing with delight. Do you have Netflix? BB is on Netflix Streaming. It's not very expensive, and it has tons of stuff I like watching.

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  23. Ok so I'm finally back on here. (New computer yay) I laughed through your edit hottie post. (who wouldn't) and I love the video's you posted today! HOpe all is well. :) Love ya

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  24. I think I did one for you, no? Honestly, I'm not sure what I can say on bullying... I was bullied, I know the kids have been picked on, and I've seen bullying, but nothing really stands out for me.

    Hmmmm... something to think about...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't remember if you did one (I think you did) on love & intimacy, and I'm much too lazy to go through all of them to see if you're there (but I think you are).

      Delete
  25. Dear Janie, I was never bullied at school and I don't have any younger relatives who have talked about being bullied. As an adult I've met a couple people who have tried to bully me in the sense of wanting me to do things their way and insisting that their ways were "right." I had to learn to establish my boundaries in order to deal with adult bullying. I wish you much success with your bullying series. Peace.

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  26. I can't make that threaded reply button to work for me. So you were saying.... Badfinger didn't know that you were The Nasty Bitch for Hire (cheap, because you enjoy smacking people around)... Shocking how misinformed some people are!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Infinities of love! Ah it's working again. This must be the magic words. Now excuse me while I go and continue my beauty sleep.

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    2. Filled with existential angst.

      Delete
  27. Not sure whether I have actually heard of their songs.
    www.thoughtsofpaps.com

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  28. Hey Janie, I'll write a guest post on bullying if you'll send me a note to remind me when you start. I have a story that I think will fit nicely.
    We had Badfinger on vinyl and wore the album out. I clicked the Apple store after I watched the first video here and bought the Badfinger Straight UP which is a compiliation. Dang, you send me down memory lane. I hope you're satisfied missy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm rarely satisfied. Never satisfied, according to my children. Funny, that's the same thing I said about my mom.

      Delete
  29. Have all Badfinger on vinyl, not to mention Harry Nilsson! I remember when his "Jump in the Fire" came out and how much I loved it...

    Greetings from Minneapolis!

    Pearl

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  30. O dear, I have never heard of Badfinger and have never watched Breaking Bad.
    Beyond the pale, not in his world, that’s me.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I haven't thought about Badfinger in... well.. years. Oh, the memories you just brought back! My husband also spent many hours watching Breaking Bad. He loved it. Me? Meh... I much more sappy. I love completely predictable Hallmark movies. I love Parenthood. And the new one I think I'm going to love : Black Box. (I don't think that's a sappy one, but it's about mental illness, which L and I have a personal interest in with one of our sons.) Is love the right word? Maybe not, but it looks very interesting.

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  32. Badfinger...I've heard of them but I'm not sure what they sang. I tried to watch Breaking Bad but the violence got to me and I never made it past the first episodes of season 2. I can't remember what it was...I do know if I'm watching a show and they show someone being tortured, I'm out.

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  33. CRAP! That threaded reply button thingie n' stuff doesn't work. You were saying... existential angst. Join my club.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Okay. Does your club have a name? Are you the president?

      Delete

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