Monday, May 31st, 1976

Got up early to watch mark Wilson on ABC.

STAR TREK has been taken off the air starting today. No more reruns until Omnicon I guess.

We decided not to go to King's Island because of threatening rains which materialized early this evening.

I prepared my studies for my last real class of the 11th grade this afternoon and then watched Max Fleischer's 1939 GULLIVER film. Later I watched Groucho on with Merv and worked up my disguise again.

I just bathed and shaved and found a book to take to read after the exam tomorrow. Off to bed now.

NOTES: I used to love Cincinnati's Coney Island as a child but as I came to realize how bad my motion sickness was, I quit riding rides. By the time its replacement, King's Island, opened in the early seventies, I just wasn't that impressed. It was pretty--VERY pretty...but I couldn't ride anything stronger than the Hanna-Barbera kiddie ride. It was also a loooong bus-ride away (keeping in mind that my dad just hated to drive long distances for some reason. It's actually only about 25-35 minutes by car even now!). By this point in mid-decade, there were actually times when my sixty-something parents would go without me.

Mark Wilson was a marvelous magician who starred in one of my favorite TV shows when I was a toddler--THE MAGIC LAND OF ALAKAZAM! Although he was still working regularly, he hadn't done much TV in years so when he did, I always tried to catch him. He was the "technical expert" on Bill Bixby's series, THE MAGICIAN in the 1973-74 season.

One of the first books I bought for what would become Booksteve's Library was THE MARX BROTHERS SCRAPBOOK. The Marx Brothers--especially Groucho--became pop culture gods to me. It was sad to see Groucho in later years but at the same time cool that he was still hanging in there!

Sunday, May 30th, 1976

Memorial Day. We all got up early today and went out to the cemetery as usual. I took along some stuff to read but I couldn't concentrate on it.

This afternoon Mom and Dad went to a doubleheader Reds baseball game where they ended up staying until way late. Meanwhile, Terry and I were driven by his mom to Showcase. We ended up walking all the way back down the hill and up to the highway to take the bus back. While we were there, though we saw a ...pretty good I guess...flick. Bill Cosby was his usual great self at least. And Raquel Welch, so... Also saw previews for a new movie called THE OMEN and one called EMBRYO that both looked pretty good. In the lobby they had a poster for LOGAN'S RUN. That's one I can't wait to see!

On TV tonight there was an episode of Good' Ol Six Million written by D.C. Fontana.

NOTES: Dorothy "D.C." Fontana was an author and scriptwriter generally associated even today with STAR TREK, having written episodes of the original series, the early seventies cartoon and other Gene Roddenberry projects. I was apparently surprised to see that she could actually write anything ELSE! ;)

Even when I liked baseball--that brief period in the early seventies--I hated doubleheaders! Do they still have those? With two games for the price of one, you got your money's worth but...I went to one where the first game was fine--about two and a half hours for nine innings. Then they cleared the field and gave everyone a long "break" between games, Then the second game started. By the end of the ninth inning, the score was tied. The game went into extra innings. Tenth, eleventh, twelfth...tie score! Ultimately, 14 innings if I recall correctly! Was after midnight time we got home after about 23 total innings and around 7 hours of baseball! Yikes! Needless to say, I begged off on this date.

Growing up, we always would go to the cemetery early to put wreaths on my dad's parents' graves but also avoid the holiday parade traffic. The cemetery was gorgeous, on a rolling hill with ornate headstones going back to the late 1700's. Last year, I took my muse, model Brittany Rose, out there for a photo-shoot. Other than adding additional space from what was once farmland, the place looks just the same.

Other than that visit, I hadn't been in a decade or so. We don't go to the other cemetery where my own parents are now buried either. My father hated that cemetery where no headstones are allowed, just little inlaid plaques. I look at it as just a ceremonial excuse to remember my parents...and I remember them every day anyway. I don't need the reminder that their remains were left in a place he didn't like because a door-to-door salesman talked them into buying plots long before the place even opened.

Don't even get me started on MOTHER, JUGS AND SPEED. In spite of my obvious attempts to find something good about it above, I found parts of it reprehensible even then. An attempt at giving it another chance on cable a few years back didn't change my opinion. Cosby come off best, Raquel is just exploited (even in the title) and it was the first and worst thing I've ever seen Keitel in!

Saturday, May 29th, 1976

Forgot to mention before but in Thursday, we got both confirmations from Louisville and then today, I got the one from Seattle on Brunner.

Lots of new stuff out today but nothing terrific. Ran into Terry. I picked up one movie mag, one monster newspaper, one Marvel mag, lots of comics, two McCartney article mags, one paper and RED ROSE SPEEDWAY! Not to mention Wendy's.

Skipped Erlanger. Spent most of the day lying around listening to Wings and reading comics.

IT and it was quite a relief! Now I know what Burt Lancaster meant.

NOTES: The confirmations were from OMNICON, the next big thing on my list that summer...well...after the upcoming end of the school year.

Somewhere I had seen a quote said to be from actor Burt Lancaster (supposedly from or from around the time of THE SWIMMER) extolling the virtues of masturbation for stress relief. Having never perceived a positive rationale for it myself, I was quick to take this quote to heart and for once I did NOT feel guilty about it!

Friday, May 28th, 1976

The day after. Ears are still ringing. Nothing in this morning's paper but the POST tonight had a glowing review. Had Wings music playing in my head all day long. Almost went and bought RED ROSE SPEEDWAY after school.

Both papers panned "JUGS," though.

Finished my history exam in about 1/4 time. Hope it's good. Algebra took much longer and I don't expect it to be as good. Louise got me to sign her Annual.

Notes: Louise was just a girl in my class. I remember being surprised she asked me, though.

I should have listened to the papers as far as MOTHER, JUGS AND SPEDD. But, no...Had to find out for myself a few days later.

As much as I loved Wings, albums could be expensive. Sometimes three dollars and up! Thus I still hadn't purchased some of the group's earlier albums including 1973's RED ROSE SPEEDWAY, a not bad record in which the fledgling group wasn't quite yet up to par. I didn't end up getting it that day but I soon would.

Thursday, May 27th, 1976

The whole day kind of slid by without incident. At least not that I can remember now for I have seen...a superstar! Things will never be the same.

Spectacular is the only applicable word. I saw the gigantic crowd on TV at 6 on the news so I left soon afterwards. I got lost in that crowd for about a half an hour after I got there before they opened up the doors. It was a mad dash to get in since there were no specific assigned seats. They didn't even bother to take the tickets! Based on the fact that all the seats looked full and yet there were people standing in all the aisles, I'm betting there were about a thousand or more gate-crashers!

The place was full of dope smoke and fights and I heard someone say there had been one death outside! People were pushing and shoving and I got knocked down right at the door. I crawled to the first seat I could get to which turned out to be pretty much on the exact opposite end of the Coliseum from McCartney but I could see him and hear him. So loud! And the whole place was just littered with trash!

There were bubbles and smoke during VENUS AND MARS, a Marvel poster during MAGNETO & TITANIUM MAN and, my favorite, lasers and real onstage explosions during LIVE & LET DIE! Plus there was a tricky film shown during BAND ON THE RUN with Christopher lee and James Coburn.

No matter how rowdy, the crowd was quite worshipful of the ex-Beatle. Wings was marvelous! Stupendous! As I left the arena at about 10:30, Paul was still getting a standing ovation about ten minutes after the group left the stage! Wow.

Outside, my ears were literally sore and just kept ringing as I trudged through the trash that was just everywhere on my way back to the bus terminal.

The program book is full of amazing photos and another Marvel Comics tribute. All in all, tonight is certain to rank as one of the high points of my entire life! I saw coverage on all three TV news shows when I got home. Something tells me I'm going to have trouble sleeping tonight. Just...marvelous!

NOTES: This was it. The big day. Anything else whatsoever that happened that day in my life has been lost to history. Having seen Tony Orlando and Dawn in concert weeks earlier, this wasn't my first concert. It was definitely, however, my first ROCK concert. You'll note that, as such, I had no earthly idea of the traditions of the encore. The last number ended, the audience rose to their feet and, for some reason, started waving lighter and matches around. I stood and applauded for a few...then left. Only a handful of others left with me and I couldn't figure out why. It wouldn't be until I ordered a bootleg of the concert a few months later that I came to realize the band returned to the stage and did two more numbers!

I also didn't think too much about it at the time but the Festival Seating conditions here were the same type of thing that would lead to the deaths of eleven people at a Who concert at the exact same location in 1979, just three years later. As I wrote, we had heard there was a death that night even. Since I never heard about it again, I'm going to presume not. Not for a second did I realize that when I got knocked down I could conceivably been a victim myself!

The seat I got was horrid but as I say, it was quite loud. For years, I thought a slight hearing loss I had was due to rock concerts I attended starting with this one but my doctor assured me it was, instead, a minor form of Meniere's Disease that causes me to hear high tones at the expense of low tones.

Ultimately I would see Sir Paul two more times in concert before they became outpriced extravaganzas. You'll note that this one cost me a total of only eight dollars and fifty cents in 1976.

I think I probably actually ended up sleeping well that night as, unbeknownst to me at the time, I was having my very first contact high.

Wednesday, May 26th, 1976

Strange day. Really, really bothered by those freaks in Algebra! I actually resorted to foul language and almost lost my temper!

Dumb ol' Mr. (illegible) gave us a test half-based on chapters we'd skipped!

Got the Annual and as usual got no one to sign it. At first I didn't think anyone was even going to ask me to sign theirs but by the end of the day I'd signed four. One of the freaks actually asked me to sign his but I refused.

Physics was okay for a change. Brought my Physics book home for good.

I jokingly said something to Kenny after school about a ride home and got one down as far as Fifth and Greenup with him and Janet! Seemed weird riding with someone my own age. He had a van parked in back of the school. I'd never been in back of the school before! First time I've ever ridden in a van, too.

I feel like I'm in a period where my brain is just so overworked I can't concentrate on anything. I'll get some time off in just 3 or 4 days and I really need it. I feel like I'm starting to grow up.

Oh, terry called late tonight, too. He will be able to make "JUGS" on Sunday after all.

NOTES: I apologize to whichever teacher I called "dumb" but I legitimately couldn't make out the name in the journal.

Kenny was someone I was very close with in seventh grade but we had grown apart quickly. Four years earlier, he was a geek like me. By this point, he was driving and had a girlfriend. I may have written here that I felt like I was growing up but I remember being jealous of him that day. You'll note that I was particularly impressed with my first visit to the back of the school. This was essentially just the parking lot. Since I didn't drive, I had never had any reason to be back there. Oddly enough, I've been back there a number of times now as I park there to attend my son's various school functions.

I never had anyone sign my Yearbook. I'm not sure if I was just being contrary and in my own small way rebellious or if my oft-stated belief that writing in it marred a perfectly good book was what I really felt.

"JUGS" was MOTHER, JUGS AND SPEED, a new movie opening that week with Raquel Welch, Bill Cosby and some new guy named Harvey Kietel!

Tuesday, May 25th, 1976

Two of my things are in HORIZONS! I got the second sold copy. My Linda Blair tribute poem caused quite a stir in Algebra today. I'm glad I only have to put up with that crew three (four?) more times.

Got another A+ on my school journal at least and Mr. S wants me to recopy the poem I wrote about Constance for next year's HORIZONS.

Didn't finish another Spanish test...and it was open book, yet! Boy! I hope my grades don't fall off this time. that was the last test this grade period, too.

Two silly fools made fun of the way I walk today! I gave 'em the old duck squeal! And they laughed at me! Stupid bitches!

Closer and closer to Wings. Two days off and I'm not half as nervous as I was two week ago.

Terry called and backed out of our Sunday plans for an excursion to the Showcase Cinemas.

Saw coverage of the premiere of WON TON TON, THE DOG WHO SAVED HOLLYWOOD on Merv tonight. Looks good. Can't wait to see it.

NOTES: Whoa! Pardon my language. If you've noticed, I didn't curse much, even here in the privacy of my own journal. The odd "damn" and "hell" for effect and that was it. Thus, seeing "bitches" here surprised me! Shocked me, even!

The controversy over my poem about Linda Blair was that some joker started the rumor that it was, instead, a tribute to porn star Linda Lovelace.

WON TON TON was one of those films that was expected to be big and instead became something less than even a trivia question. It starred a dog, Art Carney, Bruce Dern and Madeline Kahn along with a cast of scores of old-time stars in tiny, pointless cameos. A supposed comedy, it was directed by the man who had previously directed the ultra-violent Charles Bronson picture, DEATH WISH.

****EXTRA****My 1976 Children's Book--HARLEN AND MURD

Okay, so I needed a little work with names. HARLEN AND MURD was the result of our assignment to write a children's book in Creative Writing in 1976. The illustrations were rather obviously comic book-inspired and looking at them now makes me wish I had tried just a little harder. I see talent but I never really did anything with it. As for the writing, my Junior English teacher, Mr. Spurlock, wrote, "Very imaginative and it teaches a good lesson, too. I like your illustrations."

Monday, May 24th, 1976

Another false alarm at school.

Dumb old baseball cuts off the comic strip TV special tomorrow. Yuck!

Finished HARLAN AND MURD. Not good. Not really.

HORIZONS still hasn't come out yet!

Finished my exam and was virtually ignored by Kenny and Louise in Physics...or should I say what used to be Physics?

I sat behind Constance on the bus home and even allowed her to get on ahead of me. We spoke a few words at that point. I don't think I can say more than that to her...and I only have aweek to get up my confidence. I don't see it happening.

Two more exams Friday and then one next week.

Saw JOHN DAVIDSON with George Burns and a rather disgusting Charo on TV.

NOTES: I was really into baseball just a few years earlier with the Big Red Machine. Went to the games, collected and traded baseball cards...the whole bit. By this point, though, I had grown almost completely away from any interest in the game. A year or so earlier, I had met Pete Rose. I was walking into one of the stores in downtown Cincinnati where I bought comics. Pete was walking out. He opened the door quickly and knocked me down. He looked at me and said, "Watch it, kid." I looked up at him and said, "You...YOU'RE PETE ROSE!" Pete can do no wrong in Cincinnati.

I saw HARLAN AND MURD, my children's book project, around here recently. If I can find it, I'll scan and post it. It isn't as bad as I thought at the time.

Singer John Davidson,a favorite of mine since his sixties Disney films such as THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE, had a daytime talk/variety series around this time. Almost exactly a year later, he would be the headliner at the Beverly Hills Supper Club when it burned to the ground. Amongst those killed were the parents of a girl in my graduating class. Years later, I learned that my future mother-in-law had been there and left earlier that evening.

Sunday, May 23rd, 1976

Worked most of the day on a children's book for my third term project. I don't think it's very good but turning it in will get me some extra points.

I have no intention of staying home tomorrow. I can look forward to dreading my entire Senior Year starting with my senior pictures.I certainly have no intention of being there on "Kiddie Day" next year. I really hope the next seven days just slide by easily. Just seven more schooldays and a three day weekend.

Meanwhile, less than four days until Wings Over America.

I've been thinking a lot lately about reality. About Constance. If only I knew what she was like. She seems quiet and smart. Clinging to those she knows, out of place in a crowd. Lonely? Is she as much like me as she seems? I saw a girl on KOJAK tonight who looked a little like her.

I also saw a fair but not good Bogie film and re-read Steve Gerber's "The Kid's Night Out." Then I started in on my Duck collection.

NOTES: Do other schools do this? "Kiddie Day" was another tradition in which Seniors came to school in diapers, short pants, with pacifiers, on tricycles, with lollipops, etc. All silliness I wanted nothing to do with in any way.

Seriously, I remember this crush on Constance but I recall it being pretty fleeting. Seems to me now like it probably lasted a full year beyond this.

"The Kid's Night Out" was a more-angsty-than-normal Steve Gerber story in the unfortunately titled GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING comic book. It was about an obese high school kid who gets bullied and dies, leaving behind his diary. Then the title character gets revenge for his death. I was NOT obese at this point except in my head. I had been a tad overweight in fifth grade and was ridiculed all year as the fat kid. Ever after, throughout school, I saw myself as the fat kid. Looking back now, even by sixth grade (above right), I was back to normal. By this point, having grown in height, I was almost skinny! But to my mind....I was still the class fat kid. That was why I didn't even try in Sports or with girls. Sigh...

Saturday, May 22nd, 1976

Over the river this morning all I got was breakfast--Wendy's--and lottery tickets for Dad.

This afternoon I went to see Segal and Hawn at Newport. When I got back, I helped out with yard work a bit.

I ordered the signed Frank Brunner book and finally the tickets and reservations for Omnicon!

The Beatles were on a very special MIDNIGHT SPECIAL tonight but it was disappointing.

NOTES: I don't recall ever having a signed Frank Brunner book. Perhaps it was sold out and I never received it. We'll see.

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL was a great music show hosted at various times by Wolfman Jack and Helen Reddy. Oddly, it wasn't on at midnight at all but at 1 AM.

Back in April I noted that Goldie Hawn and George Segal were opening that week at Newport in THE DUCHESS AND THE DIRTWATER FOX. The film wasn't a big hit (although I quite like the poster as seen here) so it seems unlikely it would still be playing there at this late point. Its opening may have been delayed.

Friday, May 21st, 1976

Doc was out today so I didn't even get a chance to finish the exam. I'm praying I don't fail!

I sat all alone in Spanish while everyone else played cards.

I blew a perfectly good chance to actually talk with Constance today. She really does seem to be my type. The knowledge seems to be slipping away and the year-end exams are still to come!

IT. Reminds me, I saw Larry Flynt on TV. He seemed to make sense. I think I'll keep the mags I have now even if I don't get any more.

I seem to be staring to feel more grown-up lately but I can't really seem to describe how.

They distributed the Senior paper today. Missed signing Mary's Annual. We get ours on Wednesday. One year from today and I'm out!

The Beatles have a new single out! It's an old song but had never been released on 45.

NOTES: The Senior Paper was an odd tradition--do they still do this?--where everyone in the graduating class "wills" stuff to the incoming Seniors. I thought it was stupid then and my thinking hasn't changed. I don't recall anyone even asking me to be involved with mine the following year but even if they did, I would have done whatever I could to stay out of it.

By "Annual" I seem to have meant "Yearbook." Not sure why I referred to it thusly. Also not sure why some would have gotten theirs that day and "we" were expecting ours the following week. Not sure who "Mary" was either nor why my NOT signing hers was important enough to note here.

Throughout the seventies (and since), the Beatles would have their catalog exploited endlessly and relentlessly. I believe the single in question here was BACK IN THE USSR from the early compilation album seen here but I cant say for sure.