Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 14, 2010

RICH Johnson

7

What’s In A (Rock) Name? 

Food & Drink

 As a few of you know I am 
a musician of sorts. The “of 
sorts” is used to denote faux 
humbleness. I’m actually 
a decent guitarist (having 
played for 45 years) and 
I am working on a better 
voice (with voice lessons by 
Kristen of Neighborhood 
Music in Arcadia.) So if 
you live near me (you can 
tell if you live too close if you can hear yours truly 
singing “me-me, maw-maw, mow-mow, moo-
moo” in several different keys) I apologize.

 Anyway, my music was birthed in the 60’s 
which also saw the birth of weird, often designer 
drug-induced, names for rock bands. I thought I 
might do a little research and try to understand 
the origins of some of these groups. 

 ABBA - is a palindromic acronym from the 
initials of the first names of the band members: 
Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid. (What did 
I just say?) 

 Backstreet Boys was named after a flea market 
in Orlando, Florida.

 Beatles – were originally “The Beetles” a play 
on Buddy Holly’s “Crickets.” John changed it later 
to reflect the popular beat poetry and beat music.

 Bee Gees - surprisingly was not a contraction 
of “Brothers Gibb”, but the initials of two men who 
helped the group early on: Bill Goode and Bill 
Gates (No, not that Bill Gates.)

 Buffalo Springfield – Took their name from a 
brand of heavy asphalt roller they saw parked on 
a street.

 Creedence Clearwater Revival - was originally 
called “The Golliwogs.”

 Duran Duran - played at the Barberella 
Nightclub in Birmingham, England. Dr. Durand-
Durand was the villain in the film Barbarella.

 Green Day - is a slang term for spending a day 
smoking marijuana. It replaced their earlier name 
“Sweet Children.”

 Jethro Tull - got their name from a history 
enthusiast booking agent. The original Mr. Tull 
was an 18th-century agriculturist. The name stuck 
because it was the first time a club manager invited 
the group back a second time.

 Lynyrd Skynyrd - was named after Leonard 
Skinner, a local gym teacher who enjoyed 
enforcing his school’s policy against boys having 
long hair.

 Pink Floyd - originally known as “The Tea 
Set” combined the names of two blues players, 
Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. They called 
themselves “The Pink Floyd Sound.” They dropped 
the “Sound” but until the mid-eighties were known 
as “The Pink Floyd.”

 Ramones - took a variation of an alias Paul 
McCartney used in hotel rooms calling himself 
Paul Ramon.

 U2 – Bono said that the name came from its 
interactivity with the audience…as in “you too.”

 The Who – were originally called “The Detours.” 
Then they used “The Who” until a manager 
renamed them “The High Numbers.” Realizing 
the error of their name change they re-became 
“The Who.” Pete Townsend said his grandmother 
always said, “The Who?” due to hard of hearing.

 Speaking of music, Jane Fuller will be performing 
great songs across the genres, including her own, 
at a dinner show at Corfu in Sierra Madre on 
Saturday, August 21st from 6:30 to 8:00. Come 
enjoy great Mediterranean cuisine and a gifted 
singer. Also, she will be performing August 27th at 
the Friday Night Live series of concerts in Kersting 
Court, Sierra Madre. 6:30 to 9:00. 

 Finally, I need to give credit where credit is due. 
The descriptive name “Sir Barks-a-Lot”, bestowed 
on My Maltese friend Sparky, was given to him by 
Ron Cooper. Ron guards the city and holds court 
most every evening from his seat right outside the 
Sierra Juice Company in Kersting Court.

 And thanks to friend, Cindy, for this brilliant 
column idea.

 
Mountain Views News Saturday, August 14, 2010

TABLE FOR TWO 

By Peter Dills

How Can They Do That?

Ever wonder how they can sell a six pack of Coca cola for $1.29? A buck 
twenty-nine, they couldn’t be making any money on that, could they? 
These are called “loss leaders,” supermarkets are the best at this. Their goal 
is to get you in the door to buy other items. My friend Jim calls Costco the 
$500 store, because he never spends less when he goes!! A hotel that offers 
a room for $99 is doing the same thing, they get us on the $25 overnight parking, the $7 beers from 
the honor bar, bed fees, and room service, all quickly lead to a $200 check out. Recently, I went to a 
Tapas restaurant and the prices were as small as the portions, so I kept ordering, and when the bill 
came, $100! I seem to find these crazy traps like a mouse finds cheese. Just last week on my way to 
Santa Barbara I saw these cleverly painted signs, Avocados - 10 for a $1, I couldn’t resist that deal, 
come on. I ended up buying the dollar each avocado because the other ones were as small as a ping-
pong ball. It seems I can’t learn a lesson, if it’s too good to be true it probably is. Buyer beware is 
what I say. Amazingly, I did come across a pretty good deal just last Monday evening, The Acapulco 
restaurant on Colorado in East Pasadena, offers $2.50 house margaritas, and .25 cents more if you 
want it fruit. With chips and salsa that is a great deal. The catch is minimal, all day Mondays, plus 
••• price appetizers in the bar Monday through Fridays from 4 PM to 7 PM. 

 

Join me on September 11th for the first, of what I hope will become 
an annual event – Taste of Sierra Madre -Saturday, Sep 11, 9:00a to 
4:30p. The inaugural event will be held on Kersting Court in Sierra 
Madre. Enjoy food samples from 12 restaurants and the farmers' 
marketplace. Sample the Sierra Madre Police and Fire department 
cook off at noon and witness live music on the hour starting at 1 pm 
with special guests, and patriotic songs to close the event at 4:30 pm 
(300 Limited tickets for VIP Coolest Kitchen tours 9:30 - 1:30 pm visit 
Savor the Flavor, Best Buy Drugs., $20 General Admission Phone: 
(626) 355-3471

Listen in or lose out, this Sunday at 5 PM my radio show on 790 Talk 
Radio KABC

E mail me at thechefknows@yahoo.com


Ask jai……

Ask jai is a weekly column that will strive to honestly answer your job search 
questions relating to job searching techniques, networking skills, resume 
writing and interviewing. The employment situation is getting better, however, 
it is still a challenge finding were the jobs are located and how to get pass the 
“gate-keepers”. As an Executive Recruiter I was privy to working directly 
with Corporate Recruiters and understanding their process in selecting which 
candidates to interview and hire. I will candidly answer your questions, 
possibly bluntly answering you questions, but I will be totally honest. My 
objective is to help you achieve your employment goal. 

 Q: Is it really important to include a cover letter with my resume when applying for positions? I’ve 
been told that no one really reads them. Rosalind

Dear Rosalind:

 It is important! Employers do read cover letters submitted with resumes and applications. The 
cover letter completes the application process and demonstrates your professionalism. The letter 
should be no longer than one page and include no more than 4 short paragraphs. The first paragraph 
should state the reason why you are submitting your resume, what position you are interest in and how 
you found out about the opening. Discuss what you know about the company and why you would like 
to join their team. Include in the second paragraph your accomplishments or skills that you feel would 
add value to their company success. In the next paragraph explain why you are currently seeking a 
position, any gaps in your resume, relocation issues, if you are transitioning industries or professions. 
In the final paragraph include a request for an interview and state that you will follow-up with them 
within the week. Be sure to include all your contact information in the cover letter.

 Q: I am signed up with several staffing agencies to help me get an administrative assistant position. 
It has been more than 2 months and I have not heard from any of them. I send them an e-mail once 
a month and they do not respond. I am getting desperate for job. I don’t want to make a nuisance of 
myself with them. What should I do? Barbara

Dear Barbara

 I would suggest that you call them at least once a week. Find out the name of the recruiter who will 
be working with you and develop an on-going relationship with the agency. This will keep you on their 
active “radar” list of candidates seeking positions. Let them know that you need a job immediately, 
what type of position you are willing to accept, salary requirements, and if you are open to temporary, 
part-time or full-time positions. Staffing agencies receive thousands of applicants a month and you 
can get lost in the “human” process. Staffing agencies are financially compensated by employers and 
therefore are actually working to help employers find employees. Not necessarily job seekers to find 
jobs. So, sign up with more than 10 agencies to get the results you are seeking. 

 
A recent government proposal to 
give the President broad powers 
to shut down the Internet in case 
of a declared cyber-emergency is 
currently being debated. While 
the need for the government to 
be able to take swift and decisive 
action in the face of serious cyber-
threats that threaten our national 
infrastructure is becoming more 
of a necessity these days, would-
be opponents of such sweeping 
powers worry about the potential 
for misuse. During the recent unrest in Iran, the Iranian government tried its level-best to shut down 
Internet access in order to keep unfavorable reports about its activities from reaching the outside 
world. The government didn’t fail in its efforts to staunch the flow of information for lack of effort, but 
they failed for the lack of a concerted, pre-planned effort. 

 Would-be opponents of the proposed law also worry about the potential temptation, for whichever 
administration happened to be in power at the time, to crack down on their opponents through use of 
the new legislation. Whether these fears are unfounded or not, the fact remains that this new proposal 
would give wide-ranging powers to the government to do things that would’ve been very difficult to 
achieve previously. 

 The actual legislation titled “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act” (or PCNAA) would require 
private companies such as ISP’s, software companies, search engines and hardware manufacturers to 
immediately comply with any emergency measure or action put into place by the Department of 
Homeland Security or face serious fines and penalties. As ominous as this simple directive sounds on 
its face, the practical implications of such a plan could run far deeper than they appear at first glance. 

 The surface justification for this proposed legislation is the perceived need to counter the very real 
threat of a cyber-attack on our national infrastructure. Other governments with the same concerns 
have similar legislation granting similar powers to their respective governments already in place, but 
at this point we may want to step back and ask ourselves if we really want to emulate their leads on this 
issue. The Chinese government currently has the ability to shut down parts of their Internet for reasons 
of National Security, but that might not go over so well with the freedom-loving American public for 
various reasons. 

 As more and more of our collective lives and business are centered on cyberspace activities, the need 
to protect our digital infrastructure becomes more pressing as time goes on. Failure in this endeavor is 
simply not an option, but success cannot come at the expense of our liberty and our privacy. Since this 
protective mission is mandatory, the challenge our government now faces is how to accomplish these 
ends without sacrificing who we are.


Protecting Cyberspace As A 
National Asset


SIERRA MADRE’S FARMERS MARKET

Wednesdays - 3-7pm

 Fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits from California family farms. 

Specialty foods, vegetarian and vegan dishes, ethnic foods and hot food - Everything you’ll find at the farmers market has been 
made or picked fresh, is pesticide-free and preservative-free. Free public parking on Mariposa.