Let's take a look at the Rolling Stones’ 7^th or 9^th studio album (depending on whether you live in the UK or US). While it seems to have performed like most of their previous albums – all of which charted in the top 5 on either country’s album charts - when you drill down into the actual musical content of those records, it becomes clear that “Beggar’s Banquet” was a turning point in the Stones’ career.

The band’s previous two LPs (“Between the Buttons” and “Their Satanic Majesties Request”) had seen the band attempt to follow the Beatles’ forays in psychedelia with decidedly uneven results, with both of those albums hitting the budget bins before the decade was over.

“Beggar’s Banquet” saw the Stones return to their raw, basic, R&B-flavored roots while simultaneously demonstrating they could infuse their music with new influences to produce an album that worked as an organic whole.

Tellingly, there were no hit singles from the album, but “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Street Fighting Man” quickly became heavily played favorites on the emerging FM rock stations around the US.

This was also the final full album that founding member Brian Jones contributed to. Yet, because of his increasing drug usage and decreasing mental stability, his contributions were slight. Instead, Keith Richards stepped up, providing virtually all of the guitar parts – rhythm and lead – for the album.

With Jones leaving the picture (most forget he was actually fired by the band shortly before his untimely death), Mick Jagger and Richards completed their takeover of the band’s creative process. This would begin a string of 4 albums that all stand as some of the greatest rock albums ever released: “Beggar’s Banquet,” “Let It Bleed,” “Sticky Fingers,” and “Exile on Main Street.”

As the Stones went on their creative hot streak, the Beatles were dissolving, leaving no one to challenge the Stones for rock supremacy.

But that rise to the top of the rockpile really began with the release of “Beggar’s Banquet.”

With all the concern about human virus infection, don’t forget about your computer. If you’ve been spending more time on the Internet and that means more time your computer could be exposed to malware!

1.) Make sure you use only legitimate software: If that bundle of software looks ridiculously cheap, it may be bootleg software that will leave you open to attack. That’s because legitimate software companies routinely update their software to guard against rapidly evolving viruses and malware. If you remember to update your software regularly (better still, if you set your software to update automatically), you’ll be better protected.

2.) Don’t click on links sent through social media or in email from people you don’t know: Facebook is particularly prone to having private accounts hacked. Even if you think you know the person who sent you that “video” or link in a Personal Message (PM), don’t click it!

3.) When your browser is redirected to another website, get the heck out of there: When a new website pops up and you didn’t do anything to get there, that’s a bad sign. Close your browser immediately and then reopen. Also, don’t click on anything while you’re on that strange website.

4.) Use anti-virus/anti-malware software and keep it updated: As with your other software, most of the major anti-virus software gives you the option to get updates installed automatically. We recommend taking that option.

5.) Back-up your important files on a regular basis: Speaking from first-hand experience, any files you can’t afford to lose should be duplicated on at least one other hard drive. Sometimes those drives simply fail because of age, so this is a habit you need to develop immediately!

The popular 1960s cartoon The Flintstones became a hit around the world but was not well received by one of television’s most iconic actors of all time, Jackie Gleason. According to Alan Reed Jr. (son of Alan Reed, who voiced Fred Flintstone), The Flintstones was inspired by The Honeymooners, Fred taking on the short-tempered and overbearing characteristics of Gleason’s vociferous Ralph Kramden while Barney’s rather goofy nature was modeled on Art Carney’s Ed Norton.

Gleason was none too pleased that the modern stone-age family was patterned after his beloved show and contemplated suing the creators of the cartoon. Although Gleason’s lawyers informed the actor that he could have The Flintstones canceled, they cautioned him that he would be known as “the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone off the air.” Understanding that many children and parents would be saddened, Gleason ultimately decided to let bygones be bygones.

Heard any good music lately?

As we move through our 50s and 60s, many of us are informed by our doctors tht we are prediabetic – meaning we run the risk of developing diabetes in the near future.

is there anything we can do to prevent that?

Actually, there is. Medical experts stress two things:

1.) Lose weight – If you’re overweight, bringing your weight back within normal guidelines reduces the chances of you becoming diabetic.

2.) Exercise – This really helps reduce your risk.

So don’t take that diagnosis lying down. Get active and get healthy!

A good many people just assume that one of the Beatles’ best-known songs from the Sgt. Pepper era, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is about drugs. I mean, the initials spell out L-S-D, amirite?

Not so fast. John Lennon has always claimed the inspiration for the song’s title came from a picture his young son, Julian, drew. Julian said the picture was of his young schoolmate, Lucy O'Donnell, and that he did, in fact, tell his dad that it was a picture of Lucy in the sky with diamonds.

That the song contained such trippy lyrics should surprise no one. Lots of pop songs of the period also contained such lyrics; and Lennon always said his inspiration for the song’s imagery came from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, a favorite of flower children everywhere.

Julian Lennon’s drawing still exists. It now belongs to Pink Floyd member, David Gilmour. Alas, there was no happy ending for Lucy. She married and became Lucy Vodden, but passed away from complications arising out of lupus at the very young age of 46 in 2009.

A wild sitcom that lasted only a single season, but should have lasted longer, I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster had a talented cast. John Astin was Harry Dickens, while Marty Ingels played Arch Fenster, two borderline incompetent carpenters. Emmaline Henry appeared as Dickens’ wife, Kate.

Other series regulars were the construction crew that joined the title character on jobs:  Frank DeVol as Myron Bannister, David Ketchum as Mel Warshaw, Henry Beckman as Bob Mulligan, and Noam Pitlik as Bentley. Notable guest stars who appeared during the show’s brief run included Harvey Korman, Ellen Burstyn, Lee Meriwether, and Yvonne Craig.

The show debuted in September of 1962 on ABC in what should have been a very cushy spot between The Flintstones and 77 Sunset Strip. The show was also filmed before a live audience, which was unusual at that time for a show that didn’t feature a well-known star (like Lucille Ball). Alas, the show ran opposite Sing Along with Mitch on NBC and Route 66 on CBS and never attracted enough of an audience for the network to greenlight a second season.

All the principals went on to greater glory. Astin, of course, became famous as Gomez Addams, Ingels had a lucrative career doing voices for Saturday morning cartoon series (and marrying Shirley Jones), and Emmaline Henry was regularly seen on I Dream of Jeannie as the wife of Dr. Bellows. She was also slated to become a regular on Three’s Company when she passed away at the young age of 50.

Despite it lasting only one season, a DVD set of 16 of the show’s 32 episodes is available.