Tag: Secret Service

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Fun Stuff News of the Weird

News of the Weird: Week of 05/25/23

News That Sounds Like a Joke

Northern Railway in England has made a specific appeal to its riders: Please stop watching porn on the train. The Mirror reported that Northern provides “Friendly Wi-fi,” which meets (apparently the bare) minimum filtering standards. Tricia Williams, chief operating officer, said people should remember that “some content is not suitable for everyone to see or hear — particularly children.” While the company understands that the ride may be “the first opportunity to view content,” commuters should “wait until you get home.” [Mirror, 4/14/2023]

Precocious

Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, told CNN on April 18 that a toddler was able to breach the fence around the White House, setting off security alarms. The “curious young visitor” crawled through the fence posts on the north side and was quickly apprehended by Secret Service police officers, who reunited him with his parents. Perhaps he’s considering a bid for 2052. [CNN, 4/18/2023]

Illustration: Jeanne Seagle

Update

News of the Weird recently reported that former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had taken street maintenance matters into his own hands and filled a pothole in his neighborhood. His good deed turned out to be an “oops” moment, though, according to the Associated Press. The “pothole” was actually a utility trench that had been temporarily filled by Southern California Gas Co. and was set to be fixed permanently later. SoCal Gas said rain had delayed the permanent paving. The Terminator tweeted, “Teamwork. Happy to help speed this up.” [Associated Press, 4/14/2023]

Questionable Judgment

Parents of students at Desert Hills Middle School in Kennewick, Washington, are questioning the thinking behind a school assembly activity that took place before spring break, YakTriNews reported. The game involved a large piece of clear plexiglass with stripes of whipped cream sprayed on both sides; teams of students and staff competed to see who could lick the cream off both sides at the same time, making it appear as if the two people were kissing. District Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce sent a letter to parents on April 12, which assured them that “The content of a video being shared on social media is highly concerning” and the activity “does not reflect the high standards we hold for our staff members.” An investigation is underway. [YakTriNews, 4/12/2023]

Nyet

Olga Slegina, 70, was hit with a fine of about $500 on April 18 in Moscow for a remark she made in December about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Daily Mail reported. While speaking with another woman at a care home in Nalchik, Slegina called Zelenskyy, 45, a “handsome young man” with a “good sense of humor.” That’s a no-no in Russia; the Code of Administrative Offenses, introduced in March 2022, characterized her comment as “discrediting” the Russian military. Slegina was told that three people reported her over the discussion, and she was taken to a police station and told she had “praised Zelenskyy.” She was unable to attend the trial due to health reasons and intends to file an appeal. [Daily Mail, 4/19/2023]

Awesome!

A batch of ale originally brewed to celebrate King Edward VIII’s coronation in 1937 will hit the auction block, Sky News reported. Edward abdicated the throne before his coronation in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. The Coronation Ale went into storage until it was uncovered in 2011; several crates of the 86-year-old beer will be auctioned off in advance of King Charles III’s coronation in May. The brewer, Greene King, says the beer is no longer drinkable and the bottles will just be collectors’ items. (Keep an eye on News of the Weird for the unlucky collector who can’t resist a sip.) [Sky News, 4/18/2023]

Overreaction

A Monopoly game in Belgium on April 2 took a sinister turn, Sky News reported. Four people were playing the game outside their home when a neighboring man and his son, apparently annoyed by the players, came outside with a stick and a Japanese samurai sword in a sheath. A scuffle ensued, and the sword came out of its sheath; police said two men — one of the players and the son — were injured by the weapon. The Monopoly player was later discharged from the hospital, but the son was reported to be in critical condition. Both men had been arrested. Large patches of blood and scattered Monopoly cards marked the spot of the dispute. [Sky News, 4/5/2023]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.

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Letter From The Editor Opinion

A Case of Mistaken Identity

Camera Obscura (Photo: Wikimedia | Creative Commons)

A little more than a week ago, I was at a small gathering. I would call it a Halloween party, but “party” seems to imply a raucousness that was definitely lacking. At some point, I ended up standing in the kitchen talking with singer/guitarist Justice Naczycz, a former member of the great Memphis band the Secret Service and a nice guy to talk to at parties.

We chatted about songwriting, guitar, the Flyer, and other things, and it took me a little while to realize that I had seen his band perform a half-dozen or so times. (Look, it’s been a while since the Service disbanded.) When, at last, I did make the connection, I told him I had been a fan, that the band’s live show had been one of my favorites back in the day. Then, I confessed I had seen a different group at the old Hi Tone on Poplar (now Growlers) by mistake, and I thanked Naczycz for inadvertently introducing me to a different group.

A friend was visiting, so my friend Michael and I thought we would take him to see a real Memphis rock-and-roll show. The Secret Service, with their rockin’ riffage, seemed like just the ticket. And, those being the days of $5 covers, for local acts anyway, it wouldn’t break the bank either.

So we went to the Hi Tone, stood in line (longer than I expected — maybe the Service were breaking big?), and paid our $7 admission. Wait — $7? Yes, the Service must be hitting the big times. Oh well, it will be worth it.

Milling around before the show, we noticed a well-stocked merch table and thought we might as well go talk to the person working it. An increased ticket price, merchandise, and someone who’s not a band member to tend the merch table — it looked like one of my favorite Memphis bands was making moves. Well good for them.

So we told the sandy-haired young man behind the folding table that we were excited for the show, that our friend from the middle-of-nowhere was in for a treat, and we asked how fortune was favoring the band. When he opened his mouth to reply, we were met with a melodious Scottish lilt.

“We’re just so excited to be here. I mean, Memphis, right?” he said, or something along those lines. “To be here? Aren’t you from here?” I remember thinking. “Didn’t I see these guys at the New Daisy about a month ago? Where else would they be?”

Then I did a little mental math. A little sleuthing. (Okay, I admit it should have been obvious, but I was under the influence of no little bit of alcohol — and the powerful urge to look like I had some idea of what was going on.) The increased cover charge, the Scottish accent, the multiple items of merchandise (much like what a band might bring on, say, an international tour) — it all began to add up. These folks weren’t from around here.

Reader, we were not at a Secret Service show, but rather, had misjudged the date. We were something like 24 hours early to see the Secret Service, but right on time to see Scotland’s indie-pop darlings, Camera Obscura.

Though I was prepared to have my face musically melted by Naczycz, Steve Selvidge, Mark Edgar Stuart, and John Argroves, I loved the dreamy, jangly pop of Camera Obscura. It should come as no surprise that a band named after an art history term and who draws comparisons to Belle and Sebastian was not in the business of melting faces, but they were wonderful. I will never forget the first time I heard “Country Mile,” accidentally on a Memphis night.

All this is to say that, in Memphis, it’s easy to be spoiled. There’s a good chance you might bump into a musician you like at a party, art walk, or the grocery store. I could list every local legend I’ve met at a concert or interviewed for work or bought candles from or sold a movie ticket to, back in my college days, but why bother? I’m sure you have your own list. And that’s just in the music world. We have a vibrant arts community that would be the envy of any peer city. But we shouldn’t let that fact desensitize us to the unexpected.

Magic can come along and surprise us, and for that I’m thankful.

Categories
Music Music Blog

The Secret Service rides again

Roughly a decade ago, the Secret Service – a hard-rocking pop quartet featuring singer/guitarist Justice Naczycz, guitarist Steve Selvidge, bassist Mark Edgar Stuart, and drummer John Argroves – were one of the biggest and busiest bands in Memphis. But after riding high on the success of 2006’s The Service Is Spectacular, the group inexplicably broke up in 2009, leaving behind a well of unfinished material, much of which has been lost to history.

“We did a reunion at Neil’s in 2011, and could only remember two of the new songs – ‘Teenage Mustache’ and ‘Outsiders,’” says Naczycz. “We tried to record them a couple of times, but it never worked out.”

When the Secret Service re-united last year to open for the Subteens at the Levitt Shell, the band played those two songs again. This time, they caught the ear of Misspent Records co-founder John Miller, who proposed recording a new single with the band on the spot.

“(The show) reminded me how much fun the Secret Service had been live. They always went full-tilt,” says Miller. “After talking with Justice and Steve and realizing there were a couple of live staples that had never been released, it all came together pretty easily. Chaney (Nichols, Misspent co-founder) and I are excited to get another shot of Memphis rock and roll out there.”

This Friday, the Secret Service will unveil the long-awaited new single (available on 7” vinyl and in digital formats) for “Teenage Mustache” b/w “Outsiders” at a release party at Minglewood Hall’s 1884 Lounge. But from there, the future of the band remains to be seen.

“Things are up in the air, we haven’t really talked about it,” says Naczycz. “If the band is excited, I’d love for us to play more. I’d hoped to. But we haven’t really discussed it except for jokes.”

The Secret Service 7” release party
w/ James and the Ultrasounds
Friday, August 21, 10 p.m. All-ages
$7 advanced/$10 day of show/$15 for ticket & vinyl

Categories
Music Music Blog

Rocket Science Variety Show #29

It could be argued that the Memphis underground music scene has never enjoyed as consistent and long-running a booster as the Rocket Science Audio Variety Show. Thursday night will mark the 29th time Robin Pack has assembled his long-running and resilient labor of love (for local music) in the form of a multi-format showcase and free online “webisode”. Any local entity that creates 29 of ANYTHING for the benefit of artistic/creative posterity should be applauded. The variety show has survived early-2016 rumors of a possible hiatus (or end to the production altogether) and has diligently powered through the scaling-down to an episode every 2 – 3 months, as opposed to what must have been a stressful and challenging monthly schedule that defined much of the show’s history up to #24/#25 late last year. Thursday night’s extravaganza will feature Secret Service, Chickasaw Mound, comedian Hunter Sandlin, puppets, magic with Mitchell, and Pickle TV.

Justice Naczycz’s Secret Service was formed during the early part of the last decade when he was concurrently occupying the guitarist slot in Jay Reatard’s best known and busiest “side project” – the onstage catastrophe known as the Final Solutions. The Secret Service’s economic arena-garage-butt-rock was omnipresent on local bills for much of the 00s before going quiet in recent years, but the reemergence of Naczycz’s power-trio should be cause for celebration and there should be plenty of onstage energy at hand.

Profiled via a Flyer feature just a couple of months ago in May, Jesse Davis’ (son of local rock stalwart, Jimmie Davis) Chickasaw Mound is a shambling, sugary, reverb-loving and sometimes melancholy DIY pop-rock package that brings to mind the more classically melody-oriented corner of the contemporary garage-pop/punk underground. Featuring a sort of local super-group-as-backing band in drummer Ben Bauermeister (Magic Kids/A55 Conductor/Toxie), Keith Cooper (The Sheiks), Coletrane Duckworth (Aquarian Blood and son of Memphis legend, Jim Duckworth) and a focus on Davis’ soulful (“Soul-Rock” is an oft bandied-about term) pipes, the band has an undeniable Memphis feel to it. But to hint at a distinctly non-Memphis influence, look no further than the name of track three on the Chickasaw Mound’s Bandcamp-only album, Magic Sounds of Our Sanctuary: “I Wish My Girlfriend Was Belinda Butcher” (look her up in lieu of further exposition). Points for that one on title alone. This release was made available almost a year and a half ago, but Chickasaw Mound should now have a self-released 7” in the works to serve as a proper debut.
   
Local funny man Hunter Sandlin’s variety of inspired, over-the-top self-deprecating sad sack stand-up will be a fine addition to the evening, as should RSVS staples “Magic with Mitchell”, the show’s resident puppets and their problems, plus of course, Pickle TV’s mindf*** montage intermissions of heavily-altered (obscure to household name) TV commercials, programs and stock footage. Episode 27’s segment that begins with “Offensive Cat Commercial” (posted below and about as workplace appropriate as blasting the dialogue from Scarface) and morphs into a period-confused country club advertisement is highly recommended to anyone with a soul, as this near-perfect below-the-belt marriage of stupid and brilliant recently had this writer laughing obnoxiously at the computer screen and rewinding incessantly.

RSVS has always operated as a free event and has boasted a level of production quality (especially regarding the live music performances….which makes sense considering who’s behind the show) that beats the hell out of most if not all of what one might come across on cable-access. To assist with making each hour-plus package happen, the proverbial hat was passed to give the bands and comedians a little something to take home, but Thursday’s event will have a $5 cover charge; a more-than-fair asking price for what you get and insurance towards a future of further episodes.

$5 cover, arrive at Rocket Science Audio studio no later than 8:50. Broadcast begins at 9:00 pm prompt. Free on the internet here.

Rocket Science Variety Show #29

Rocket Science Variety Show #29 (2)

Rocket Science Variety Show #29 (3)

Categories
Opinion The BruceV Blog

About Those Colombian Hookers …

Much has been written and reported about the incident in Cartagena concerning U.S. Secret Service agents hiring hookers during President Obama’s visit to South America. But there’s one aspect of the incident that I haven’t read much about — the impact of the fact that prostitution is legal in Colombia.

Here’s why it made all the difference: The incident came to light because there was a dispute over the amount to paid be to one hooker. The hooker believed the Secret Service agent, er, stiffed her on the price that she thought they’d agreed upon. After an argument, in which harsh words were exchanged, the agent finally just paid the hooker what he felt like paying her and sent her away — mad. The agent was probably thinking, “Big deal. What’s she going to do — go to the police?”

Actually, yes. That’s exactly what she did. Since prostitution is legal in Colombia, the hooker went to the local police and reported that she’d been ripped off by an American who’d used her services in a nearby hotel. The cops did their duty and investigated. Then, well, kaboom! Scandal time. It all came out — lots of Secret Service agents had hired hookers in Cartagena. Lots of people are going to lose their jobs.

Here’s what I wonder: Was this incident in Colombia an isolated one? Or was this hooker-party thing a long-standing routine practiced by agents on assignment in other countries — other countries where prostitution is perhaps illegal and easier to cover up?

We may find out soon. But at this point, one lesson is clear: If you’re going to hire a hooker in Colombia, you better treat her right, Gringo.

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