Andy Kaufman- Women's Wrestling Champion of The World

Whereas Andy Kaufman (1949 – 1984) was one of the funniest entertainers you will ever see, he did not consider himself a comedian. He grew up admiring the razzmatazz of wrestling, and in 1979, as the self-proclaimed "Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World", he offered a $1,000 prize to any woman who could pin him.
A challenge from wrestling superstar Jerry "The King" Lawler set in motion an extraordinary chain of events(Kaufman getting hammered in the ring by Lawler; an injured Kaufman goading Lawler live on TV and getting smacked again, despite his neck-brace) which transpired to be an elaborate hoax in which the two had colluded.

Evening in Kartoshka Towers...18:00 hrs

Brazil Classics Volume 2.

Hello again! Well, in the time I have been away картошка167 has passed its first anniversary! Thank you all for your support.



Here is O Samba, volume two of the Brazil Classics series, compiled by David Byrne of Talking Heads fame...
1. A Deusa dos Orixas - Clara Nunes
2. Ijexa (Filhos de Grandhy) - Clara Nunes
3. S. P. C. - Zeca Pagodinho
4. Sufoco - Alcione
5. Formosa - Ciro Monteiro
6. Olere Camara - Alcione
7. O Encanto Do Gantois - Beth Carvalho
8. Aldeia de Okarimbe - Negunino Da Beija Flor
9. E Preciso Muito Amor - Chico Da Silva
10 Caxambu - Almir Guineto
11. Quem Me Guia - Almir Guineto
12. Ela Nao Gosta de Mim - Agepe
13. Claustrofobia - Martinho Da Vila
14. Batuca No Chao - Martinho Da Vila

15. Sarou Para Ramades - Paulinho DaViola

Link:http://rapidshare.com/files/407420774/OSAMBA.rar

Mrs Kartoshka is coming!

... so I'm going to take a break for a few days...

Jackie Lee- The Town I Live In

Maracanaço

16.07.1950

Everywhere has its irremediable national catastrophe, something like a Hiroshima. Our catastrophe, our Hiroshima, was the defeat by Uruguay in 1950. - Nelson Rodrigues

The 'Open' Championship...

In 1976 Maurice Flitcroft entered the qualifying tournament for the British Open Golf Championship.
Mr. Flitcroft, a 46 year old crane driver from Barrow, had only ever played golf on his local playing fields. He bought his clubs from a mail order company. His imposture was soon recognized as he carded the worst score ever in the tournament, 121 (49 over par).

Cinzano?

Who could say no to M. Jean Marais?

B.B

Brigitte Bardot LP from 1964...

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/405912468/BB.rar.html

Beach Volleyball...

Do you like volleyball? Look at the folks in this Bacardi advert- from 1979. They've given up on the volleyball and are about to succumb to alcoholism. If you've ever spent an hour in 40 degree heat trying to batter an old football over a saggy net, spending most of the time falling on your ass blinded by sweat and chewing sand you'll understand the temptation to reach for the bottle.
When in 1895 William G. Morgan of Holyoke (Mas.) YMCA devised Mintonette as an indoor game to rival basketball, it was rather devoid of glamour. Beach volleyball evolved in the 1920's amongst the surfers of Hawaii, soon spreading to California. (For more on the history of beach volleyball...)

This picture shows an early beach volleyball gathering in Hawaii:

Here we see actress and model Greta Thyssen with Gene Selznick and Bernie Holtzman, winners of the 1957 state beach open, Santa Monica, California.

Impromptu games resembling volleyball were a feature of Kartoshka family vacations back in the day.

In the above pic are a very young Pa Kartoshka, Maria - Bethania, one of Uncle Carlos' innumerable 'step children', and the man himself- Carlos Alberto Dos Santos, aka Uncle Carlos.
These days of course, the beach volleyball is notable for the way in which male fans turn out in large numbers purely to show their appreciation for the athletic prowess of the female competitors:

João Gilberto- Chega De Saudade (1959)

I've been listening to this LP a lot recently and I've come to the conclusion that if you only ever listen to one Bossa Nova record then this should be the one.
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/405345323/Joao_Gilberto_-1959_-_Chega_de_saudade.rar

Brazilian Jazz Quartet

Ok, Jazz Month seems to have been quite a success, plenty of visits (our best month) plenty of downloads, hardly any feedback or acknowledgement, but such is life in the ether.Here's one for the road:

Jose Ferreira Godinho Filho aka Casé- saxophone
Moacyr Peixoto- piano
Rubinho -drums
Luiz Chaves -bass

There's a Portuguese article on Casé (The Pelé of his Instrument) here:http://www.clubedejazz.com.br/noticias/noticia.php?noticia_id=484

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/404254566/Brazilian_Jazz_Quartet_-_Coffee_and_Jazz.rar.html

Toe de France

July brings us to possibly the greatest event in the sporting calender.
So they take drugs?
Surely, they would be mad not to.
In it's 107 year history the Tour de France has given us a great many stories of endeavour and fortitude; romantic triumphs and tragic failures litter its history like discarded water bottles. Something that the uninitiated often overlook is that cycling is a team sport. Whereas to win the Yellow Jersey appears to be a supreme individual achievement, the great riders also rely on hard work and sacrifice from their companions, most of whom will never become household names. Let's look at two stories concerning the French rider, Rene Vietto (1914-1988).

In the 1934 Tour Vietto was doing very well in the mountain stages, and went on to win that years King of the Mountains. However, on stage 16 , his team captain, Antonin Magne (1904- 1983) damaged a wheel and , alerted by a motorcycle marshal, Vietto rode back to give Magne his cycle, effectively sacrificing his opportunity to take the Yellow Jersey.

Vietto following his act of sacrifice...

When racing resumed after the war, Vietto had graduated to a position of greater seniority. His relationship with his juniors, however, was strange to say the least. During the 1947 Tour Vietto suffered from a septic toe. His only hope of continuing the race was to have the afflicted digit amputated on a rest day. Vietto insisted that his teammate Apo Lazarides (1925-1998) underwent the same procedure. Lazarides, who had aided the French Resistance movement during the Nazi Occupation, was so much under Vietto's spell that he went along with this.*
Later on in the race Vietto narrowly avoided a bizarre accident when an aeroplane crashed on the course, and was also said to have performed badly in the time trial because he had drunk a bottle of cider during the stage.

Vietto passes the recently crashed plane...

Vietto (who holds the record for having won most Yellow Jerseys without having been the overall winner of the Tour) finished 5th, Lazarides 10th, both limping slightly. Vietto's toe is said to be preserved in a jar of formaldehyde in a bar in Marseilles. The whereabouts of Lazarides toe is unknown.

Apo Lazarides, dedication...

*I'm tempted to call this a footnote:
Checking the details of the 1947 Tour, it appears that Vietto and Lazarides were not team mates, but it's a great story ...