Category Archives: HOAG Site

Leonard Cohen Information, Photos Updated, Expanded, Enhanced, Fixed, …

Posted on March 27, 2011 by DrHGuy | 2 Comments

Perpetually Working For Your Smile

While some operational changes at Heck Of A Guy are featured in posts (e.g., Heck Of A Guy & DrHGuy Search Engine Updated), the site’s day to day maintenance, correcting typos, fixing broken links, replacing images when better versions become available, etc., usually proceeds unannounced. Occasionally, however, the cumulative impact of various fixes and enhancements are sufficiently significant to warrant a blog entry to alert readers.

This is such an occasion.

View All Of The 1998 Billboard Tribute To Leonard Cohen

All 14 pages of Billboard’s 30th Anniversary Tribute To Leonard Cohen (November 28, 1998) featured at Revisiting A 1998 Tribute To Leonard Cohen are available in scanned format, a version that lacks the clarity and resolution of the images at Revisiting A 1998 Tribute To Leonard Cohen but includes the complete articles as well as the graphics, at the ineffable Speaking Cohen site: Billboard Tribute – November 28, 1998.

Improved Version Of Jacque Brel’s Grand Jacques Video

A video of Jacque Brel’s Grand Jacques that was embedded in Lorca Cohen Posts “Meeting, Life, And Death II” Video 3 Weeks After Birth Of Daughter primarily for its English subtitles proved unexpectedly popular among viewers. Consequently, it seems worthwhile to alert folks that VNRose3, who uploaded the video, wrote to inform Heck Of A Guy,

I have reposted Grand Jacques, English subtitles, with improved audio, digital stereo, where before I had only one channel mono analogue.

The embedded player at Heck Of Guy post Lorca Cohen Posts “Meeting, Life, And Death II” Video 3 Weeks After Birth Of Daughter has been duly reconfigured to play the improved version of the song.

April 2011 Leonard Cohen Calendar Revision – I’m Your Man Release Date

I fortuitously became aware that the release date of Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man album is given on a number of sites as 19 April 1988 and on other sites as February 1988. A review shows that the majority of the more reliable sources designate February 1988 as the release date. Consequently, the 19 April 1988 commemoration, originally listed on the April 2011 Leonard Cohen Calendar, was removed on March 23, 2011. The corrected version of that calendar can be found at Apr 2011.

DrHGuy Has An Image

DrHGuy features shorter posts than its sibling site, Heck Of A Guy, usually consisting of images with minimal annotation, quotes, and the occasional video. Lately, certain photos have been especially – and often inexplicably – popular, prompting their display here as well.

Leonard Cohen And Marianne Strike A Pose (1966)

This – well, let’s call it “unique” – photo of Leonard Cohen and Marianne was taken by John Max and published in the Oct 1, 1966 issue of Maclean’s. The article associated with this photo, Is the World (or Anybody) Ready for Leonard Cohen? by Jon Ruddy, can be viewed at the irreplaceable Speaking Cohen site.

Leonard Cohen’s Outlook – 2006

Leonard Cohen World Tour Muse

The origin of the figures displayed in the (left to right) Leonard Cohen World Tour poster, Leonard Cohen concert stage backdrop, Leonard Cohen April 11, 2009 Oakland concert poster in the top row of the graphic (as well as other Leonard Cohen World Tour material) can be discerned in the figure at the bottom: Hesiod painter:”Muse tuning two lyres”.Tondo from a white-ground Attic cup, 470-460BC, from Eretria.

Contributed by Sophia Koutselini.

Another Barefoot Leonard Cohen Photo

I suppose I should explain why I’m posting an otherwise unremarkable photo of Leonard Cohen displaying a shoeless, sockless left foot.

In producing the Heck Of A Guy video, The Ladies’ Man Keeps His Hat On, images were collected to fit the second line of the first verse of Mr. Newman’s estimable ecdysial anthem, “You Can Leave Your Hat On:”

Baby take off your coat…(real slow)
Baby take off your shoes…(here I’ll take your shoes)
Baby take off your dress
Yes yes yes
You can leave your hat on
You can leave your hat on
You can leave your hat on

While the video was well received in general, the scenes in which Mr Cohen’s feet (or one of Mr Cohen’s feet) were exhibited au natural proved especially popular.

Consequently, ten of those photos featuring Leonard Cohen’s bare feet were posted at Leonard Cohen Bares All – Well, All His Feet.

Another example is posted at Leonard Cohen Naked Foot Fetish Fix Photo.

See, there was a simple explanation.

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Posted in HOAG Site, Leonard Cohen

Heck Of A Guy & DrHGuy Search Engine Updated

Posted on March 24, 2011 by DrHGuy | Comments Off

Search Of 1HeckOfAGuy.com And DrHGuy Sites Simplified

Given the extensive, eclectic, and, on occasion, eccentric content collected at Heck Of A Guy and DrHGuy, it is not surprising to find that the Google-powered Where The Heck Search function for these sites is heavily used. This process has now been updated to make searches easier, faster, and more thorough.

Clicking on the Where The Heck Search tab (circled in red in the top graphic – click on image to enlarge) still takes the browser to a specialized search page but one that offers only the heading, “Where The Heck Search,” the explanation, “Combined Search of 1HeckOfAGuy.com and DrHGuy Sites,” and the search box itself.

The search box in the right sidebar (see image on right) functions identically to the Where The Heck Search and produces results that are identical in content

The sidebar search box results listing is, however, aesthetically flawed. A fix for this cosmetic glitch is being sought.

Entering search terms in either search box and clicking on “Search” brings up results from both 1HeckOfAGuy.com and DrHGuy sites. The results are now displayed on the same page as the search box instead of a second page. To run a second search, one can clear the box of search terms by deleting the previous terms or simply click the small “x” to the right of the “Search” button.

Implications Of Google-powered Search Engines

Because this search engine is Google-dependent, the results also display context-related ads placed by Google in exchange for use of the Google search technology. Other than the use of the search process, Heck Of A Guy and DrHGuy receive no compensation from the ads.

Because this search engine is Google-dependent, only those portions of the Heck Of A Guy and DrHGuy sites that are indexed by Google show up in the search results. In practical terms, Google indexes almost every aspect of these sites. Heck Of A Guy posts are typically indexed almost immediately after publication. DrHGuy posts are typically indexed within a few hours of publication.

Because this search engine is Google-dependent, search terms and operators function exactly as they do in any Google search engine. For information on entering search queries, using operators, and other Google tricks, Heck Of A Guy recommends the Google Guide.

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Posted in HOAG Site

Tagged Heck Of A Guy Blog

Heck Of A Guy Marks Fifth Anniversary

Posted on March 3, 2011 by DrHGuy | 7 Comments

Five years ago, on March 3, 2006, Heck Of A Guy went online, publishing its Opening Statement, which was precisely as provocative and stimulating a read as one would anticipate from the title.

Like its author, Heck Of A Guy in its younger days was slimmer in appearance (the original format is shown below, courtesy of the Wayback Machine – click on image for best viewing) and less proper in tone; note the original subtitle scrawled across the top of the page in the illustration below:

If this has made just 1 person spew Pinot Noir through his or her nose, then it’s all been worth it.

And the content was different as well. For example, A Heck Of A [Warm-Up] Guy and Protection From (My) Marriage For A Small Fee, the first two posts following the Opening Statement, focus on the peculiarities of the romantic aspects of DrHGuy’s life.

For those keeping score, the first mention of Leonard Cohen at the 1HeckOfAGuy URL was the July 6, 2006 entry, “Do I Have To Dance All Night” – The Best Leonard Cohen Song You’ve (Probably) Never Heard, and posts about him, Anjani, Lorca, Adam, and the rest of the gang were for some time only occasional occurrences.

Today’s effort is the 2,126th Heck Of A Guy post¹

On considering this record, DrHGuy is spending the rest of the day trying to recall what the heck he was thinking five years ago.

_____________________

There are, in addition, 80 Heck Of A Guy pages, such as Leonard Cohen Nicknames and The Leonard Cohen Calendar Project. In this context, the difference between posts and pages is insignificant. [↩]

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Posted in HOAG Site

Tagged Heck Of A Guy Blog

Post-Valentine’s Day Post

Posted on February 15, 2011 by DrHGuy | 1 Comment

DrHGuy is recovering from the reveries and rigors of Valentine’s Day. Heck Of A Guy will return to what passes for normal tomorrow.

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Posted in HOAG Site

DrHGuy – Bootleg Album Artist

Posted on February 5, 2011 by DrHGuy | 2 Comments

Addition To Gallery Of Heck Of A Guy Bootleg Album Art

DrHGuy is happy to report that he has been able to supplement his non-compensated blogging with steady employment in the field of non-compensated artwork for bootleg albums.

The back cover of the bootleg album, Leonard Cohen – Palais Des Beaux Arts Brussels 4/3/1985, displayed atop this post.

The background image featuring the faces of Anjani and Leonard Cohen is actually a Photoshop creation DrHGuy put together for the May 18, 2009 Heck Of A Guy post, Leonard Cohen and Anjani – If It Be Your Will by combining and altering screen captures from a video of a 1985 Warsaw concert. That original composite is shown below.

This is, however, only the latest appropriation of DrHGuy’s work to appear on bootlets.

DrHGuy Unknowingly Gives Christmas Gift

Note the cover art of a featured bootleg, BigO: Bruce Springsteen – Merry Christmas From Asbury Park (click on images for best viewing):

Compare that to DrHGuy’s homemade image atop the Dec 24, 2008 Heck Of A Guy post, Nobody Rocks Christmas Like Bruce Springsteen:

Well, it was only a cut and paste project using a Springsteen publicity photo and a guitar-playing Santa extracted from another shot I found in a collage composed of many unattributed images so there is little about which I can legitimately complain. Still, one always appreciates acknowledgment for whatever glimmers of talent one manages to throw off.

The Photo Of The Nonexistent “Leonard Cohen & DrHGuy” Beacon Theatre Marquee

The bootleg site is again BigO; this time, the bootleg is Leonard Cohen – New York 2009, which turns out to be the Leonard Cohen February 19, 2009 Beacon Theatre Concert. Below are screenshots of the pertinent portions of the BigO website:

And this is the bootleg’s back cover art at full size:

Immediately below is a screenshot that first appeared on the morning of the concert at the top of the Heck Of A Guy post, New York Tonight – Leonard Cohen & DrHGuy Appearing Together For The First Time:

Yep, the cover art of this bootleg of the very real Leonard Cohen Beacon Theatre Concert features a fake marquee identifying not only Leonard Cohen but also your humble Heck Of A Guy host, DrHGuy.

I am less miffed about not receiving credit for my Photoshop exercise¹ than I am curious about who those bootleg downloaders think “DrHGuy” might be: Leonard Cohen’s sidekick? The opening act? The band leader? The ostensibly funny blogger?

_____________________

The art is credited solely to one herzog777, which is not one of my blogonyms [↩]

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Posted in HOAG Site

BYOB – Be Your Own Blogger

Posted on February 1, 2011 by DrHGuy | 1 Comment

Do It Yourself Post Day

Note: This post first appeared at Heck Of A Guy on April 5, 2006.
The circumstances that precipitated that original publication
have recurred, and so the advice to viewers is once again appropriate.

A vortex of hassles and obligations has sucked away both the time and cognition-empowering neurons required for me to complete a coherent note. But fear not; I am consequently (& conveniently) proclaiming today Do It Yourself Post Day at the Heck Of A Guy Blog.

I have adapted the outline I had planned to use today to allow you to share in the intellectual and spiritual ecstasy of creating a uniquely personalized version of a Heck Of A Guy Posting, all rights to which, of course, revert exclusively to said Heck Of A Guy (AKA DrHGuy, AKA Me). And, today only, I am waiving any and all fees for this momentous experience.

Just follow the instructions, insert the indicated content, and enjoy.

Roll Your Own Heck Of A Guy Post Technique

Infrastructure:

First, construct a framework comprising approximately equal proportions of tragic and comic elements. While the scope should be epic, eschew grandiosity, abstruseness, and obscurity. Weave into this matrix self-referential parodies of at least one but no more than three conventional literary genres.

Alternately, the entire posting could be structured as a contemporary, email version of any of the epistolary novels of Samuel Richardson, Tobias Smollett, Rousseau, or Goethe.

Themes:

Focusing overall on the crystallization of a paradigm-shifting, cohesive set of insights into the human condition, carefully integrate these topics:

A brief sociohistorical explication of Kohutian self-psychology
Two potential solutions to the classic theoretical physics problems most commonly known as the Mott Metal-insulator Transition
A psycholinguistic analysis last week’s episode of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange Country
A pithy consideration of geopolitically sensitive price fluctuations within the market for salvaged parts for the 1997 Chrysler LeBaron vis-à-vis the current economic environment with a special focus on the front bumper molding and the tail light cover for the Sebring model.

Tone:

Let’s go for an overall tone of beloved and respectful mutuality between author and reader, delivered in a self-effacing voice that nonetheless bespeaks the author’s quiet, solid confidence in his or her own identify. Cast the entire piece in clever, witty, and sardonic phrases (taking care not to overshoot into anything that could be mistaken for mean-spirited), studded with unobtrusive but easily decoded sexually provocative connotations and mythological allusions.

Add just a dollop of non-aggressive, outrageously manic humor leavened by a pervasive Spinozian-tinged subtext of affirmation, itself only modestly and begrudgingly attenuated by a mature recognition of reality,

Extra Credit:

Finally, it would be nice albeit not essential to put together a closing that offers a polished fragment of universal wisdom proffered without a trace of pomposity and motivated solely by a compassion for humanity itself

Check Your Work

To assure quality control, review the completed post, asking yourself if you experience the following:

Intense swells of admiration and astonishment
A unprecedented clarity of thinking
An yearning to become a Heck Of A Guy disciple

If these reactions are absent or transient, the piece needs more work. Get to it.

On the other hand, if these criteria are met, congratulate yourself for a ghostwriting job well done, sign my name to the byline, enjoy a post-coital smoke, and say a little prayer for me.

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Posted in Fascinations, HOAG Site