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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 4, 2014
April 4, 2014
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Grace notes:
This week in 1964, THE BEATLES did something no other artist had ever done before or has done since. 50 years ago, the Fab Four had every slot in the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. That's right, every song in the Top 5 was a Beatles record:
5. "Please Please Me"
4. "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
3. "She Loves You"
2. "Twist & Shout"
1. "Can't Buy Me Love"
How was this possible? Since Capitol Records turned down the first four Beatles singles released in the UK, their manager, BRIAN EPSTEIN, was able to make deals with smaller U.S. record labels like VJ, Tollie and Swan. Only "I Want To Hold Your Hand," the first Capitol single, and "Can't Buy Me Love" were on Capitol. Remember, there was a time when there were literally hundreds of record labels. Today, there are only three major labels: Sony, Universal and Warner Music. (Marino)Sheer stupidity:
Japan's biggest organized crime gang is going mainstream with a recruitment website.
Membership is down in the Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate. So, to boost its numbers, they've launched an online site complete with music videos and an anti-drug message. The website --called Banish Drugs and Purify the Nation League-- also features a poetry page and fishing diaries. But, if you're thinking about joining, you should be aware the group allegedly severs the fingers of members who break the rules in any way. The gang is also infamous for protection rackets, gambling, drugs, and prostitution. (Still)Good fences make good neighbors:
In Berlin, a fed up landlord confronted his deadbeat tenants by using a chainsaw to collect the back rent.
The tenants called police to the scene who had to pull guns to get the landlord to drop the chainsaw.
He was charged with threatening bodily harm. He was apparently trying to collect 13,000 euros in back rent on the apartment. That's $17,900.
No word on whether the tenants were still in the flat, let alone paying the rent.
Editor's note: Charging an arm and a leg for that apartment, I see.
--Now that is how you serve an eviction notice!
--Oh sure, it's an unusual approach. But in the rent collection community, I hear it generated a lot of buzz. (Maiman)Fast Food:
PAULA DEEN's original Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House has apparently been closed down for good. TMZ.com reports that the company did not tell employees ahead of time. Instead, workers showed up for work yesterday morning to find the sign taken down appliances being removed from the restaurant. The only explanation was posted on the restaurant's Facebook page this morning-- "Thank you for 10 great years. Uncle Bubba's is now closed."
You may recall that the general manager of Bubba's is the one who sued Paula, leading to that deposition where Paula admitted using the "N" word, eventually leading to her downfall. (Bartha)All Blimpie stores will be selling their regular-sized "Blimpie Best" submarine sandwiches for just 50 cents today to the first 200 customers at each location. The price is a reference to the fact that today is the 50th birthday of the sandwich chain, which was opened by three high school friends in lovely Hoboken, NJ in 1964. There are approximately 600 franchised restaurants across the U-S and abroad.
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