Hitler's 119th Birthday and Vampire Weekend

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Vampire Weekend and Hitler’s 119th Birthday Current mood: adventurous Category: Life Today is Hitler's 119th Birthday. I'm one of the few people who believes Hitler is dead. I mean, he just couldn't be alive. The guy had serious health problems, particularly toward the end of the war. He had a quack of a doctor, Theodor Morell, who prescribed all kinds of exotic, weird stuff – everything from Romanian gypsy sperm to lamb feces to some awesome amphetamines. I'd have liked Morrell, as he was apparently (as we say in the business) a "pill doctor." He was also (as we say in the business), a nut. Hitler's inner circle despised him. No mystery as to why Hitler kept Dr. Morell on the payroll. Hitler was upset about some things, had issues, didn't act right, and he made a mess. Yet the History Channel, History International, the Military Channel, et al, have turned the guy into a black & white icon for people who oughta step out into the sunshine once in awhile. I only knew it was Adolf's birthday because the New York Times reminded me. What kind of a nut remembers Hitler's birthday anyway? Or Stalin's (December 18, 1878), or Mao's (December 26, 1893), or George W. Bush's, (July 6, 1946)? "Vampire Weekend" was the musical guest on SNL last night. I'm one who is generally at least five years behind the times. "Vampire Weekend" was already popular with indie people years ago, so I'll be laughed at yet again for being lame. I liked both songs they performed, "A-Punk," and "M79." Carrying this new obsession to its end, I've downloaded a bunch of their music from Napster®, conned them into adding me to the "Vampire Weekend" MySpace page, and memorized the lyrics to all of their songs. I should expect another one of those pesky restraining orders if I start bugging them. Find "Vampire Weekend" some place and listen to the two tunes I mentioned. For the lyrics alone, "Vampire Weekend" is worth a listen. The lead singer is Ezra Koenig, who looks like a Jewish Holden Caulfield might look, and he has a great voice. Somebody writes good lyrics – not sure if it is Koenig (but the obsession continues, so I will find out). Here is a stanza from "M79:" "No excuse to be so callous Dress yourself in bleeding madras Charm your way across the Khyber Pass." So forget Gavin Rossdale. I'm heading for the Khyber Pass. But first I'm going to North Dakota to make some money. More on this later. RPH, Esq., N.V. ©Randall P. Hodge, Esquire