Radio spots like this used to fill the AM Radio Dial back in the late 60's/early 70's. A particular radio station, in a town I lived in back then, comes to mind. If you "know" me, you know about the radio station. If not, you probably don't care anyway. I "don't care" anymore either.
I didn't listen to AM Radio back in those days. If I did hear it, it was on somebody else's car radio, which made me want to tell the driver that I needed to take a pee and never return to the car. AM Radio had, roughly estimating here, about three times the commercials as FM Radio and the announcers were either "really high on coffee, cocaine or both. The commercials didn't "talk", they "YELLED!" Buy THIS CRAP! EAT HERE! SHOP AT JEANS WEST! (Where nothing fits) You get the idea.
All the Disc Jockey's had the same hair, according to which hair style was en vogue that week. The "Shag Cut" was very popular, in my region of the country. Karen Carpenter had a "Shag Haircut." Then she died of Bulimia. You've been warned. I cut my own hair back then. It was very long. I got it wet, combed it all forward and whacked it off with a sharp pair of my Mom's Dress Making Shears, about 6" in front of my forehead. It was a kind of Modified Shag Cut. It was also free and didn't lead to an eating disorder.
Over on FM Radio, it sounded like all the Disc Jockey's were either getting allot better weed than you were. Or, were hooked up with some G.I./Sailor/Marine, etc., that was getting some of that Thai Stick Shit being brought back in coffins. I lived in San Diego at the time. There was allot of that Thai Stick stuff. There was allot of Opiated Lady Finger/Temple Ball Hash around. Mexico was a stoner's throw away and if you "knew somebody" you could actually get some pretty decent Mexican Weed. Not that $10 per lid, pissed-on, smells like Diesel crap. Of course, all of that it passe' now, with 20% THC shit laying in the streets to be picked up like candy wrappers after a Block Party. I remember picking up weed laying on the floors of concert halls after shows, just to see what was "out there." Sometimes there was money laying under a seat or the odd nice camera that Joe/Josephine Stoner had spaced out as they left. Mostly, it was black Ju-Ju-Bee's, just like at the movie theaters. I did find about a quarter ounce of some pretty good Cocaine backstage at a concert once, because I was already backstage. Some rich fucker had spaced out his/her stash and pop! Right into my pocket. "Coke? What coke? I didn't see any..."
Those days are long gone, just in case I'm being "monitored" here. I find most dope lore boring and have already satisfied any weird curiosities I might have had about: "I wonder what this shit does?" about dope, long ago. I don't even smoke weed anymore. I used to wake up and go to sleep with it. Besides, Prescription Medication is much better, from all angles. At the very least, you know what you're getting. I just take the stuff that allows me to function at a median level of proficiency and then go to sleep for eight hours. Blood pressure med's have crept into that mix, as have Ibuprofen and the occasional Valium. All "nice,prescribed" as Warren Zevon might say. He didn't die from Bulimia. He may have had a Shag Haircut or two though.
Mostly, it was all the ritualized behaviors and "Phony Indian Lore" stuff that drove me away from dope. I just got tired with listening to people talk about "which was better, which was best" about various substances and wandered off, scratching my head in disgust, probably looking for girls to chase or wondering what would be at the Midnight Movies that weekend. Not allot to do after working a show at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night. The main decision was: "IHOP or Denny's?" Go home or sleep on a Road Case with a U-Haul Blanket for 4 hours and then go home?
Dude, have you smoked any of the Meshmican (a bastardization of "Oaxacan") Weed that Little Johnny has? It's Totally Rad/Mind-Blowing/Trippy/Floral/Citrus-y/Gooey/Allot Like Turtle Cum...
I never gave a shit about what somebody "called " it, just whether or not it "worked." People still do that "branding thing" with their Dope Lore. It's incredibly boring. Somewhat like talking about a favorite Jerry Garcia Guitar Solo or the like. I once heard someone say that: "Deadheads are the most Homogeneous Sub-Species of Hippies." I knew what they meant immediately. There is NOTHING more boring than listening to some Furry Forest Dweller rave on about how Jerry's Solo at Winterland, Second Set, Dew/GDTRFB 10-31-1973 was so much trippier/gooey/turtle cum-like than the Boston Gardens Solo, First Set, Scarlet/Fire from 04.20-1983. I literally wanted to punch half the people I went to GD Shows with, or just throw them out of the van at 60 mph while driving home, after about 1972. It depended allot on how stoned/tired I was and whether or not I was driving. Usually, feigning a need for a piss stop and squealing out of the gas station in a haze of rear tire smoke, leaving Little Johnny Boring behind, worked just fine. Actually, I usually had my own car and didn't go with a bunch of other people. Me, the Girlfriend and Dog, making sure to have a gallon of wine and some Top Ramen/Peanut Butter & Bread/cheese/mustard/eggs to enjoy in the tent, if driving wasn't such a good idea. Usually, after a Grateful Dead Show, NOTHING was a good idea.
I was going to post a Grateful Dead YouTube thing here but, I've already heard too much of those guys. Kingfish? A close second for "Heard Too Many Times." I worked a couple of Kingfish Shows in the 70's.
-Doc
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