My Favorite Hoax

My Favorite Hoax played on the media goes back to 1976-77. Some of you might consider it more of idiotic behavior than a hoax, but it certainly fooled the #1 KABC Eyewitness News station.

At one minute to 4 or 5, I forget which, Jerry Dunphy announced with great enthusiasm, "The Beatles Are Getting Back Together!" the station went to a commercial and thousands of people were yelling with excitement as they waited for the news to start.

"The Beatles are Getting Back Together" said the smiling Dunphy as he told of how a promoter has gotten the legendary band back together for a concert tour and all the details would be available shortly as a press conference was about to begin. But KABC's Eyewitness News decided to get the story headline out before its competitors--the owned and operated CBS and NBC stations. Maybe they should have waited.

During the press conference, which was now filled with every TV, radio, newspaper and wire service in Los Angeles and foreign press, the promoter eagerly began the conference by stating that The Beatles were reforming for a worldwide concert tour.

The problem was that The Beatles were the only ones who didn't know anything about it.

The promoter continued. He announced that he had sent a telegram to each member of The Beatles. The wire that they each received told them that they would be reforming for a worldwide concert tour--and if he, the promoter, did not hear back from them immediately, he would assume that they automatically agree to participate.

When the press heard this foolishness, there was a big groan, cameras were turned off and the press started walking away.

By the 11'o clock KABC News, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr had totally ignored the absurdity of the situation. But it was George Harrison who really got mad about this. Through his lawyer, George issued a statement to the promoter that basically said he declined the invitation and had never agreed to any such arrangement.

KABC, now looking very foolish, announced that The Beatles were not getting back together as they reported earlier and the terms the promoter laid out at the press conference. They even played a tape of them getting into the promoter's face, telling him, "do you realize how many people you have disappointed with this?"

I have always wondered if this nut really thought he was going to be taken seriously.

He's probably a Congressman now.

Fox News - Miami - October 15, 2009

RUSH LIMBAUGH's ego became so inflated during today's radio show that he suddenly transformed into a giant hot air-blimp. As he told a conflicted America about how wonderful he was, the unexplainable phenomenon found him suddenly soaring above the Miami skyline. He quickly turned himself towards the West saying, "Maybe if I fly over that decadent Los Angeles, I can get them to think clearly from all that smog and other forms of smoke."

How Do You Libel Stalin?

Being of Russian and Hungary/Czech ancestry, I found today's big story from Moscow to be quite deranged.

The grandson of Josef Stalin sued a Russian newspaper that he claims "libeled" his grandfather.

The range of how many people Stalin murdered stretches from 20-50 million.

The court threw out the case.

How do you begin to libel Josef "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic" Stalin?

I had a real breath of fresh air tonight.

I had a real breath of fresh air tonight.

I attended a 2-hour speech by Bill Clinton in Pasadena.

To hear the former President speak about things that matter:

The charitable work his NGO is doing worldwide to get clean water, medicine, food and other basic needs to millions of desperate people worldwide...

instead of being saturated with 24-hour coverage of David Letterman's love life...

really put things in perspective.

Mr. Clinton did comment on the fact that the news media now creates the news instead of covering it.

More on this later.