Remember the...buhh...whatchamacallit...

[wayang]

Get ready to file this in your WTF?! folder:

"SAN ANTONIO - Singer Phil Collins says his new "main thing" is the Alamo.

Collins, who said he has "hundreds" of cannonballs, documents and other artifacts from the Alamo, is in San Antonio this week in conjunction with the anniversary of the March 1836 battle of the Alamo. The collector and history buff's most prized item is a receipt signed by Alamo commander William Barret Travis for 32 head of cattle used to feed the Alamo defenders.

"Basically, now I've stopped being Phil Collins the singer. This has become what I do," he said in an online story Tuesday for the San Antonio Express-News. His interest began in his youth when he saw actor Fess Parker portray Davy Crockett.

The 58-year-old singer, whose hits include "In the Air Tonight" and "One More Night," said he has passed on his appreciation for the Alamo lore to his five children, especially his youngest sons, ages 4 and 7.

"My youngest two, they can identify Travis, Crockett and Santa Anna when they see their pictures," he said.

Collins narrated the introduction of a 13-minute "Alamo diorama light and sound show" at the History Shop by the Alamo. He is scheduled to speak to the Alamo Defenders Descendants Association on Saturday."

I must say, the "I've stopped being Phil Collins the singer" part is welcome news...whatever will prevent another "Easy Lover", I guess...but what ever became of "Phil Collins the drummer"? At least Bruford retired with his respectability intact.

Maybe someone can intervene and channel this latest weirdness into "Phil Collins the Civil War re-enacter/drummer boy"...if nothing else, it would produce the snappiest 'ratamacues' and 'flamadiddles' anyone's ever heard on a fake battlefield...

Otherwise, if this nonsense continues, the next thing we'll see will be the Alamo History Shop selling "David Bowie Knives"...

[paologregorio]

"David Bowie Knives"

Maybe he just wants one of those coonskin caps or something...to cover his head.

If he's living here, then it's probably a good thing that he's taken an interest in U.S. History, but still, yeah, you're right, definitely one for the "WTF" folder.

Caveat; I'm sure you know this Dane, but the historically challenged might infer that the Alamo was part of the Civil War; the battle at the Alamo occurred during the Texan Revolution/War of Independence of 1835-36, which predated the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-8, after the U.S. had annexed Texas in 1845, as well as predating the American Civil War/War Between the States of 1861-65. Damn, I hope Collins doesn't participate in Civil War reenactments.

Witty post, as always Dane. How did you come across that oddball newsflash?!

[wayang]

Don't ask me, Paolo...I just kind of gravitate toward oddball news, and I guess the reverse is true as well. I hate to contribute to the dreaded thread drift, but here's another one (just for fun, then it's right back to psychoanalyzing Phil, I promise):

Neb. man says he put cat in bong 3 times
By ERIC OLSON (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
March 03, 2009 9:28 PM EST

"OMAHA, Neb. - A man who stuffed his girlfriend's cat into a makeshift bong and smoked marijuana through it said Tuesday that he had done it on other occasions and that it calmed the cat down.

Acea Schomaker of Lincoln said he never intended to hurt the 6-month-old cat, Shadow. Lancaster County sheriff's deputies responding to a domestic disturbance at the residence ticketed the 20-year-old Schomaker on suspicion of misdemeanor animal cruelty Sunday after catching him smoking marijuana from a boxlike contraption that had the cat stuffed inside its 12-inch by 6-inch base. Schomaker's girlfriend, Marissa Vieux, also was ticketed for animal cruelty because she didn't try to stop Schomaker, Sgt. Andy Stebbing said. Vieux, 22, said she took in the cat about two months ago from friends who abused it.

Schomaker said the cat would bite and scratch them but he didn't want to discipline it by swatting or squirting water at it. He said they didn't bring it to an animal shelter because they feared it would be put down. So Schomaker said he decided to use the makeshift bong because he had heard about people calming their pets by blowing marijuana smoke in their faces.

"I know for sure this isn't the first time someone has done this," he said. "I'm just the first one to get caught."

He said he put the cat in the bong a total of three times and it seemed to calm the cat. "Every time we took her out she would pretty much just lay down and proceed to clean herself and act like a stoned person," Schomaker said. The bong had a foot-long piece of garden hose coming out of a Plexiglas box, with the top secured with duct tape. Schomaker said the bong was constructed in such a way that the cat did not get immersed in smoke to the extent some might believe. Schomaker said law enforcement and animal specialists lectured him about why what he did was cruel, and that he learned from his mistake."

Man, I'd love to hear what that lecture consisted of. These folks rescue a cat from abusive people, then 'hit' upon a novel way of helping little 'Shadow' cope with her PTSD. (For one thing, anyone who's ever had a 6-month-old cat knows they routinely enjoy stuffing themselves into 6x12 inch spaces...my cat Spider, who's going on 3, loves to mash herself into her favorite 'fresh butternut squash' cardboard box). Their 'method' is not something I would do, but all I can say is those Omaha police must be in a hurry to order those new ticket books, so they're rushing to use up the old ones. What I'd like to know is: what was the 'domestic disturbance' call about in the first place? A loud argument over who's turn it was to change the bong water?

"Honey, this new bag I bought tastes like Tender Vittles..."

[melibreits]

The Phil Collins story is kind of cool!

My family was just in Texas a couple of weeks ago, and San Antonio was definitely my favorite city to visit. We toured the Alamo, and I think my whole family was moved by the history and patriotism of that site. My younger son is supposed to do a presentation in school on a famous person in a couple of weeks, and he decided he wants to do his on Davey Crockett.

The cat story is too funny....

[paologregorio]

Dane, I think the cat bong post has to edge out Phil for the winner in the WTF folder!! And yeah, my cats are 7 years old and they still like to stuff themselves into small spaces. Not sure how they'd do with the smoke though. They follow me around if I go outside for the occasional cigar, but I've never blown it into their faces, much less into a small box they've stuffed themselves into for a snooze.

I haven't seen the Alamo. I'd definitley like to visit it, as well as the rest of San Antonio though.

[collin]

wow, who'd have thunk it? I sure didn't know Phil Collins was a history buff, very cool.

I guess if I was an aging rock star with way too much money, I'd collect some crazy eccentric stuff too, very cool.

[wayang]

Yeah, the Alamo is a wild slice of history, alright...of course, the Mexicans were just being patriotic, too, but "let's not go there"...

I just think if a Brit can come over here and take an announcing gig away from an American, I'm going over there to 'narrate the introduction of a 13-minute "Stonehenge diorama light and sound show"...'

"The Druids...no one knows who they were, or what they were doing..."

Cue the dry ice machine...

[iamthebassman]

I thought I felt a disturbance in the Texas Force...who let Phil Collins into the state?!?!?!?

[brammy]

Speaking of cats....

http://wbztv.com/watercooler/pets/ugly. ... 49524.html

uglycat3.jpg (9.36 KiB) Viewed 883 times

[Scastles]

I haven't seen the Alamo. I'd definitley like to visit it, as well as the rest of San Antonio though.

If you get the chance to visit our fair state, be sure to stay or visit the Menger Hotel across the street from the Alamo. It was built in 1859 and has a unique history of its own, including Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, and a number of other notables and a few ghosts. The bar alone is historic.
I've stayed there a few times.

[winston]

Ah! Phil has a place in Vancouver B.C. I think he has spent far too much time on the left or is that wet coast. Ronn and Stan he is all yours.

[wayang]

Wow, no wonder the bong wouldn't 'draw' right...little 'Pipecleaner' was stuck in there again!

I thought I felt a disturbance in the Texas Force...who let Phil Collins into the state?!?!?!?

See, thass whut ahm a'talkin' 'bout...you shoulda got that gig, Ronn! Ahm a'guessin' you got th' historically correct ack-sayunt!

What's Phil doing looking for gigs in Texas, anyway? Has he finally been deemed too tall to play 'The Artful Dodger' on the London Stage?

[paologregorio]

I just think if a Brit can come over here and take an announcing gig away from an American, I'm going over there to 'narrate the introduction of a 13-minute "Stonehenge diorama light and sound show"...'

"The Druids...no one knows who they were, or what they were doing..."

Cue the dry ice machine...

Oh man, I almost fell out of my chair laughing at that!

I thought I felt a disturbance in the Texas Force...who let Phil Collins into the state?!?!?!?

And this!

That pic is of a cat?! It looks like the Cowardly Lion after it lost a fight with some electric shears.

[kiramdear]

Speaking of rock stars switching careers, here's one that tickled my sense of whimsy. You all know about Bill Wyman's other job?

http://www.billwymandetector.com/

[winston]

Speaking of rock stars switching careers, here's one that tickled my sense of whimsy. You all know about Bill Wyman's other job?

http://www.billwymandetector.com/

What's next a Davey Jones BS detector?