Mollie Sugden, who played Mrs. Slocombe on the famous UK comedy series, Are You Being Served?, passed away yesterday at the age of 86.
This comes just a little over four months after her co-star, Wendy Richards (Miss Brahms), died of cancer.

Frank Thornton, who played Captain Peacock in the comedy, told the BBC: ‘Mollie, of course, was an excellent comedian.
If you can play comedy, you can play anything - you can play tragedy as well. And if you can only play tragedy, you can’t play comedy. She was a jolly good actress.’

Mrs. Sugden had been ill for some time, and, to some, she lost a lot of her will to recover when her husband, William Moore, died in 2000.

In honor of and tribute to this wonderful lady with such a tremendous sense of humor, here’s Part I of The Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe:

Part II comes up tomorrow … ’til then …
see ya on the flip side!

Yep!  It’s actor/writer/guitarist/singer Kevin Bacon (uh-huh … he of famed loose feet in Footloose) and his harmonic brother, Michael. 

They’re a great folk-rock act (accompanied by Paul Guzzone, Charlie Giordano, Frank Vilardi and Ira Siegel in their backing band) that’s definitely catching on — not necessarily because Kevin’s a “star”, but because their act (a mix of humor and some of the best harmonies this side of Simon and Garfunkel) is that good!!

And, on Saturday, they
joined about 100 other people in hiking to the top of Colorado’s Pikes Peak to raise money for the Love Hope Strength Foundation cancer charity.

After paying a fifty-buck entrance fee, eacn one raised $1,000 or more in donations so they could take part in the climb. When they reached the top, they were treated to a special concert by Kevin and Michael.

Foundation Director Shannon Foley said, “This is not a race, this is to enjoy. (It’s) for all people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Take it slow. Enjoy the hike.”

Now, the Brothers had to get a puff of oxygen before beginning their set at the top of the 14,110-foot peak, but, at that height, it’s expected.

“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done physically,” said Kevin remarked. “The hike is inspirational, a combination of playing music and altitude.”

True … but there’s one thing that Kevin left out that both brothers exhibit … it helped them in the climb but is a definite in their shows: ATTITUDE! No matter how ya feel when you take in their shows, you always leave feelin’ great! It’s because their attitude’s contagious!

Listen … until their site’s revamped and ready-to-ride, how about checkin’ out the guys at their http://www.musicbender.com/?p=742 If there’s any video that Michael Jackson left us that we actually NEED to watch, I believe it’s to his Earth Song (from his HISTORY CD).
Man, see if this doesn’t hit ya right in the heart:

He and rapper Lupe Fiasco – were asked by Ethiopian-born pop star Kenna to help out with the mission, which is aiming to raise awareness of the world water crisis.

Now, the climb has been done before by other rockers,(and, again, for charity) like Take That’s Gary Barlow and Boyzone’s Ronan Keating. Their climb last year raised over £3,326,142 for Comic Relief.

There’s a special significance to this climb for Kenna, whose hits include Out Of Control.

“My dad almost died as a child from waterborne diseases in Ethiopia, and he had talked to me about digging a well there, and I thought, ‘I have too many friends who would be concerned with the subject of clean water,” he said. “‘Maybe I can help out.’”

It’s actually something that Fiasco’s looking forward to.
“I’m an adventure junkie. Part of the motivation is beating Kenna to the top. Sabotaging his tent, taking the lining out of his coat, lacing it with ants or something like that. (The water crisis in Africa) is a universal problem; it’s all mounting to the point where eventually there’s no clean water left. If I did a song, it would be jam-packed with so much information, it would almost be like we fit the substance of an entire interview in three and a half minutes.”

All three are expected to take the climb later this year. My only suggestion? For the rapper Lupe Fiasco to leave his last name at home for this one (you … do know what the word “fiasco” means, right?).

Hope they make it, though … and that it’ll awaken a lot of people to the burgeoning water problem, whether throughout Africa or elsewhere.

Written by the UK’s Classic Rock Magazine’s Joel McIver with help from the band’s Kirk Hammett, the book not only takes you through Cliff’s life and terribly tragic death, but will evoke all kinds of emotions in ya!
Simply put, these collaborators put together one helluva read!
“I’m deeply honored that Kirk spoke to me for the Cliff Burton biography,” McIver said. “We talked about the rollercoaster ride of Metallica’s early career which he and Cliff experienced, from the time that both men joined the band in early 1983 until Cliff’s death three and a half years later. The impact that Burton had on the rest of Metallica, both musically and as an example of how to stick to your principles in the music industry, was profound — and Kirk provided a perspective on that impact which couldn’t have come from anywhere else.”

The book is also available now in good book stores! My suggestion? GET IT!! It’s worth the (not-bad) price … and more …

SONISPHERE OLD SCHOOL

Speaking of Metallica: They’re goin’ “old-school” in their upcoming Sonisphere gig — meaning, you’ll hear the revitalized band tear through their material (including yer favorites) with the same raw, reckless and kick-ass abandon they became famous for!

I mean, check out their set-list for the August 1/2 show in Knebworth (Hertfordshire, England):

Blackened
Creeping Death
Holier Than Thou
Harvester Of Sorrow
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
The Judas Kiss
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Dyers Eve
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
(TBD)
Stone Cold Crazy
Phantom Lord
Seek and Destroy

Listen … since James, Lars, Kirk and Robert have their chops back, take a definite shot at gettin’ to one of their concerts! You’re in for one helluva serious night of rock!

92-year-old screen legend Kirk Douglas has been behind a long-running campaign for Congress to apologize to African-Americans for our history of slavery.
Earlier, he wrote on his MySpace® page (yes, he does have one of those!): “As I told you quite some time ago, in my last book Let’s Face It, I wrote about the importance of our country showing the world that we are capable of humility by making an apology for our behavior towards African-Americans before and after the Civil War. I think this action is more important right now.”

Well, it finally happened! The apology received from the Senate reads that it: “acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws,” and “apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws. [The US] expresses its recommitment to the principle that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and calls on all people of the United States to work toward eliminating racial prejudices, injustices, and discrimination from our society.”

Now, brothers and sisters, that, by itself, makes a helluva post, don’tcha think?? But wait … here’s another item:

JOEY’S BIRTHDAY PRESENT

Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer (who turned 59 on Sunday), hosted a different kind of birthday party – he invited 20 wounded warriors to be his personal guests at the band’s show that night at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, VA, near Washington, DC.

“I can’t think of a better gift to receive on my birthday than to have the privilege of sharing a night of our music with these brave and heroic warriors who have been wounded in the service of our country,” he said.

The Marines and sailors attended the show – which also featured ZZ Top – all served in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and are patients at the National Naval Medical Center. Some are single leg amputees; others have suffered blast injuries, burns, and traumatic brain injuries.

Kramer has also just written a book about his experiences with the band and his struggle with depression. Hit Hard – due in stores on June 30 – is “the story of an average kid from an average American suburb who went through physical and emotional trauma. It’s about years of depression and the nervous breakdown at the height of the band’s comeback success. Ultimately, Hit Hard is about how Joey recognized his confusion between love and abuse, awakening to the kind of self-acceptance and compassion that makes relationships possible in the real world.”

To find out more about the book, visit his official website.

And today, they’re showing their support (you’ll see it’s a double-entendre in a moment) for a major charity event this weekend by appearing on … a bra (seee?).

The duo of Chris and Charlie Reid have had their caricatures drawn onto both cups of the bra, thanks to cartoonist Malky McCormick. It’ll then be auctioned at the Edinburgh Moonwalk tonight.

For those who don’t know, the Edinburgh Moonwalk is part of a series of walks being held around Britain to raise money for breast cancer research. It’s organized by a charity called Walk The Walk and features women and men walking while wearing bras! So far, it’s raised over £48 million for vital breast cancer causes.
Since its beginning thirteen years ago — and with a patron in the form of Prince Charles — the charity has donated its proceeds to Breakthrough Breast Cancer and other organizations.

“We could never say no to helping a charity like this,” said Chris. “Every family has been touched by cancer, so we were only happy to do something. Even though Malky has drawn us as caricatures we are flattered by out portrayal – we have seen the drawings he has done of other people!”

Tonight’s Edinburgh Moonwalk will see 10,000 people pound the streets of the Scottish capital in their decorated bras to raise money for the cause.

“It’s a shame we can’t do the walk,” said Charlie Reid. “I am very interested in doing it in the future – possibly next year.”

With breast-cancer awareness being one of the hottest (and most important) topics on both sides of the Atlantic, the fundraiser should be very successful. Thanks to organizations like this — and with the help of musical celebs like The Proclaimers, it’s possible that, sometime in the near future, we might find a cure for this disease.

To find out more about the Moonwalks, visit the official Walk The Walk website.

COINING AN INVESTMENT

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The best way to provide that security is to invest in rare coins. You see, these only increase in value as time progresses — so, by investing in them, you’re bound to see a great return on them over time!
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That’s where Monaco Rare Coin comes in. They’re not only the leader in rare coin investments, but they help you in every step of the investment procedure. Their courteous, trained staff will also help you find the top value of your rare coins!
So, whether you want to invest in or collect rare coins, it makes sense to go to the pros who’ve had nearly 40 years’ successful investing and trading in precious metals and rare coins!
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Though it was established only seven years ago, Macbeth shoes contain no animal products. In 2007, Macbeth won “Best Vegan Skate Shoe” from Peta2, and is quickly becoming the rage among those who decry the mistreatment of animals in any form (this writer included).

Now, Dirnt’s new shoe has a canvas and synthetic-patent upper with a rubber sole. As you might expect, the shoe is classic-punk black, sort of like what you’d expect to see The Clash wearing. The price starts at around seventy bucks US and there are different styles to choose from.

To view the 45 RPM Schubert, visit the Macbeth website.

Natch, there are other stars who’ve put out their own brand of shoes (especially tennis shoes) — but the one I was most impressed with were the special footwear designed by Jerry Garcia (the famed late front man of The Grateful Dead) and distributed by his wife and Trust.

The shoes, themselves, were limited-edition, very hippie-style colorful — and the sales proceeds went to help underprivileged kids in and around the San Francisco area.
Now, whether they’re offered to the public again or not is a matter of conjecture — but it was a great move by a man who, along with his band, was known for their selfless and compassionate charity work (as well as some seriously dynamite jams)!

The band will kick off the shows, complete with a full symphony orchestra, 13 September at the Las Vegas Hilton. It’ll run for nine nights and will feature “special musical guests to be announced later,” according to promoters.

“We are going to make rock ‘n’ roll history by incorporating this legendary American rock group with the music of The Beatles,” said Bill Edwards, the show’s producer, in a press statement. “This is a groundbreaking performance that everyone said couldn’t be done live, but Cheap Trick has perfected it.”

The shows (with seats starting at only $65 apiece) will take place at the Hilton Theater, where Elvis Presley held an 837-night engagement in the early ’70s, according to a press release.

Audio production of the show will be overseen by Geoff Emerick, who was the original audio engineer on “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” working alongside producer George Martin. The production’s stage will be constructed by veteran set designer Rene Lagler.

Cheap Trick’s latest album, appropriately titled “The Latest,” is due in stores June 23.

The set, produced by Julian Raymond, follows 2006’s “Rockford,”  the group’s first set since 2003’s “Special One,” which was hailed by fans and critics alike as a return to form for the veteran rockers.
Before hitting Vegas, the band will head out on the road for a lengthy tour this summer with Def Leppard and Poison. The 40-city trek kicks off June 23 in Camden, NJ.