Baker's Dozen - Fourth Batch
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Boston
Globe Headline: Macca
Blows the Lid off the Fleet Center Fire
officials and structural engineers are scratching their heads over the cause
of an explosion at Boston’s Fleet Center.
The blast literally ripped the roof off the indoor arena during Sir
Paul McCartney’s sold out performance. Witnesses
outside the Fleet Center say that the domed roof shot off the building in a
single piece and climbed straight up into the heavens. An
anonymous source had this to say:
“I was standing, like, right here (points to oil slick on ground),
and I heard this, like, (expletive deleted), like, explosion.
Next thing I know, whoa dude, I’m hearing, like, Paul McCartney
singing “Live and, like, Let Die.”
What a cool guy, giving everybody a free, like, concert!
Whoo, like, hoo, like, Paul’s the man!” Paul
may indeed be the man, but the Fleet Center rooftop overshadowed him as it
hurled towards panicked shoppers at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
While the crowd scattered, the rooftop suddenly caught an updraft and
made its way across the Financial District. “I
didn’t know what that thing was,” said Maybel Gizzard of Kansas City,
Kansas. “I
turned to my husband and I said, ‘Honey, what is that thing?’“ “This
is my last trip to Boston for sure,” said Phil Lander of Orlando, Florida.
“I just don’t feel safe in a city that throws its buildings
around at unsuspecting tourists.” As
police, ambulance, and firefighters gave chase, the roof lost momentum over
the Custom House Tower and began to wobble as it headed out over the Boston
Harbor. Authorities
were hopeful that the rooftop would land in open waters, but that was not to
be. During
its final descent, the Fleet Center crashed atop the genuine replica of the
genuine Boston Tea Party Ship. In
addition to sinking one of Boston’s most beloved and visited tourist
sites, the rooftop also sent waves crashing across several nearby piers. On
a happier note, Boston Tea Party Ship officials report that the Boston Tea
Party Gift Shop will reopen for business tomorrow.
But there will be one change in service. “We
heard that this British guy caused the problem,” an anonymous Tea Party
spokesperson said.
“So the British are going to have to make this up to us.
From now on, British customers will have to pay an additional tax on
all the purchases they make at the Boston Tea Party Gift Shop.” At
the time that this publication went to press, neither Sir Paul McCartney nor
his press agent, Geoff Baker, were available for comment.
Sir Paul McCartney, it was believed, was in the middle of his
twenty-seventh chorus of “Hey Jude.”
Geoff Baker was seen disappearing into a limousine, along with what
was believed to be a stuffed bear. However,
this reporter did talk to two new members of the McCartney entourage.
A woman, identified only as “Dianne,” said, “Sir McCartney
feels very bad about this mishap and he hopes that no one got hurt by this
incident. He
sends his sincerest apologizes to the people of Boston, and to the fans of
the genuine replica of the genuine Tea Party Ship.” Dianne’s
associate, identified only as “Jodi,” had this to say.
“Paul’s gonna make it up to all of you by giving a free concert
on the Common tomorrow night.
And we’ll be accepting donations to a new fund, which Paul has
started, called ‘Raise the Genuine Replica of the Genuine Tea Party Ship
Fund.’” For
reasons unknown to this reporter, “Dianne” then slapped her hand over
“Jodi’s” mouth and hauled her away before “Jodi” could elaborate
on the details of Sir Paul’s free concert. Announcement
of a free concert by a former Beatle has sent shock waves across the globe.
Logan
Airport reported that all flights from anywhere across the United States
into Boston were completely sold out within fifteen minutes.
International flights are expected to sell out within the hour.
Amtrak reported that they will add extra trains to their Northeast
Corridor line.
Boston’s Public Transit system has agreed for the first time in its
history to keep subways running all night long.
And Boston area parking lots announced that parking rates will
quintuple over the next twenty-four hours. Mayor
Menino is thrilled to have a free McCartney concert on his home territory.
“It’s what Boston is all about,” the Mayor said. Mrs.
Henrietta Brainhead isn’t so sure.
Mrs. Brainhead lives in an exclusive building that overlooks the
Common. Concerned
about the problems of noise and traffic congestion, Mrs. Brainhead has hired
Harvard professor and renowned attorney, Alan Dershowitz, to have the
concert shut down by 8 pm. Attorney
Dershowitz had these harsh words for McCartney:
“I’ll fight this concert down to Mrs. Brainhead’s very last
dollar!”
No
one from Sir Paul’s entourage was on hand to respond to Attorney
Dershowitz’s assertion.
Witnesses say that McCartney was busy teaching the audience a new
version of “Let it Be,” which included a refrain called “Through the
Roof.” Geoff
Baker was reported to be sharing a seat with a teddy bear in Dooley’s
Tavern. As
for “Dianne” and “Jodi,” their whereabouts, and their true
identities, are currently unknown.
ADayintheLife.Com
- Your Daily Online Source for Beatle News: Oh
Yes! Yoko Ono to Sue Macca Yet
Again! Yoko
Ono raised a clenched fist, and, with a clever twist of words, quoted a line
from one of John’s final releases, Nobody
Told Me (There’d be Days Like These): There’s
UFOs over Boston, and I ain’t
too surprised,” the petite widow shrieked.
Lowering her fist, Ono sadly shook her head.
“Jealousy will drive a man to do strange things.
John’s been dead nearly twenty three years, and Paul is still
trying to upstage him.” Yoko
is, of course, referring to McCartney’s latest stunt at Boston’s Fleet
Center. For
those of you who are completely out of touch with reality, let us briefly
explain that during McCartney’s recent Boston appearance, the knight
literally blew the roof off Boston’s indoor concert arena.
Just exactly how he managed this unprecedented feat is still unclear,
however, we do know that it happened during “Live and Let Die,” and that
the rooftop actually crash-landed atop the genuine replica of the genuine
Boston Tea Party Ship.
No injuries were reported, and McCartney, after pausing briefly to
inspect his handiwork, immediately launched into “Maybe I’m Amazed.” Says
an indignant Yoko, “It’s not enough that he wants to switch the order of
song credits to McCartney-Lennon, now he wants to steal John’s lyrics
about UFOs and literally mold them into his own image.
What’s next?
Is he going to force Sean and me to legally change our names to
McCartney-Lennon?
Where does it end?” Joining
Yoko in her suit against Sir Paul is Apple Records, the Beatles former
record label.
According to an anonymous source, “Paul’s rooftop escapade in
Boston may be infringing on the copyright of the Let it Be rooftop
performance.” Former
Beatle Ringo Starr said that he hopes Yoko follows her husband’s advice to
“Give Peace a Chance.” Harrison’s
estate issued a brief statement in which they lent their support and well
wishes to the people of Boston. In
other news, a source close to Paul McCartney, who goes by the name
“Jodi” reported that Sir Paul will be giving a free outdoor concert in
Boston tomorrow evening.
Another source, known as “Dianne”, whisked “Jodi” away before
concert details were revealed. Joe
Average, a concert-goer and a long-time McCartney fan, claimed to hear
“Dianne” say that the Fleet Center rooftop was meant to land on “Jodi.”
However, Mr. Average’s credibility was brought into question when
he also swore that, earlier in the day, he had seen the same two women
carrying a concert grand piano on a Boston subway car. Boston
Herald Sports Page: Fleet
Center Fans Keep a Stiff Upper Lip Bud
Rose has attended every Celtics game since 1952, but he’s never seen
anything like this. Says
the diehard basketball fan, “Even a legend like Larry Bird couldn’t
bring down the roof.
Not literally.
I guess it takes a knight to do something this big.” Rose
is referring, of course, to the incident that occurred during Sir Paul
McCartney’s concert at the Fleet Center.
As of this writing, authorities have few clues as to how the former
Beatle managed to blow the lid off Boston’s beloved indoor arena. But
the good news is, no injuries were reported, and other than the obvious, no
structural damage occurred.
Building inspectors have given their okay to continue with the
Fleet’s regularly scheduled events. “I’ll
just bring a sweater,” Rose nodded, “and some hot chocolate.” Rose
might want to bring along a flashlight, too.
Fleet Center officials report that they’re still not sure how
they’re going to light up the arena, now that the ceiling fixtures have
disappeared. “We
may just reschedule the events so they take place during the daytime,” one
official confided. Area51.com: Your
Online Source for Extraterrestrial Activity Don’t
you believe for one minute that the object flying over Boston was the Fleet
Center rooftop.
That’s what THEY (your government) want you to believe. Think
about it. How
could such a heavy structure simply lift off and fly across an entire city,
and then land directly atop one of our country’s most cherished national
monuments? THIS
WAS NO ACCIDENT.
THIS WAS A DEFINITE ON-PURPOSE. Laugh
if you want to, but we’ve been telling you this for years, and now you can
see it for yourself:
Paul McCartney is not of this Earth. That’s
right. You
heard us correctly.
This is the ultimate “We told you so.” Remember
all that hoopla back in the sixties about Paul McCartney dying and a fellow
named “Billy Shears” replacing him? We
told you then, and we’ll tell you now, Billy Shears DID REPLACE PAUL
MCCARTNEY. Billy
Shears is an alien life form.
The person we think of as “Paul McCartney” is, in fact, a Pod
Person. John
Lennon and George Harrison were kidnapped, too.
Why do you think that no one knows where they’re buried?
They’re not buried.
They’re somewhere out there. The
press is lying to you. Your
government is lying to you. The
Beatles did NOT lie to you. Lennon
described his alien abductor, “There’s UFOs over New York!”
he exclaimed, [Nobody Told Me (There’d Be Days Like These)], but nobody listened. Ringo
had a UFO encounter in the 1970s, but he managed to evade capture and defeat
his would-be abductors.
You think we at Area51.com are joking?
We have proof!
Where do you think George Lucas got the idea to call a movie “Starr
Wars?” From
the real event, of course.
Check out the cover of Goodnight Vienna.
Ringo’s space suit and the flying saucer WERE NOT PROPS!!!!
They are REAL. Then
there’s Harrison.
We at Area51.com suspect that Harrison never was of this Earth to
begin with. We
have also learned that the McCartney/Shears Pod Person had planned to
announce McCartney’s UFO encounter and subsequent abduction, but Beatles
manager, Brian Epstein quickly squashed the idea.
In his secret diaries, Epstein wrote, “I feared that an association
between the Beatles and Unidentified Flying Objects might adversely affect
record sales.
Fortunately, the Paul Pod agreed.” The
Fleet Center rooftop was NO ROOFTOP.
Rooftops do not launch themselves off buildings.
Unidentified Flying Objects launch themselves off buildings. If
you’ve got any sense at all, you will write to your leaders and DEMAND THE
TRUTH! In
the meantime, Ringo Starr, if you’re reading this, PLEASE hide yourself
away in one mother of a bomb shelter.
We hear that two alien life forms, who go under the aliases of
“Jodi” and “Dianne” are looking for you.
CNN
Television: CNN’s
Aaron Brown Tonight:
Live Interview with Susan Ryan Brown:
For those of you just tuning in, shock waves are resounding across
the country after the sinking of one of America’s most historic and
beloved landmarks:
The genuine replica of the genuine Boston Tea Party Ship.
What you’re looking at now (footage of dark, swirling waters) is a
live view of the spot where the genuine replica of the genuine Boston Tea
Party Ship used to be.
The ship sank when, believe it or not, the rooftop from Boston’s
Fleet Center tore away from the rest of the building and hurled itself
across the city.
The event occurred in the middle of a performance by Sir Paul
McCartney.
Here to speak to us about this evening’s unprecedented incident is
Susan Ryan.
Ms. Ryan is a Beatle fan and the editor of the Internet’s premier
fan fiction site, Rooftop Sessions.
Good evening, Susan. Ryan:
Good evening, Aaron.
Brown:
Why don’t you explain to our listeners what a fan fiction site is. Ryan:
Sure.
A fan fiction site allows Beatle fans to write fictional stories with
the Beatles as main characters.
We have different categories of stories, such as love stories,
alternate history stories, humor stories, and even science fiction stories. Brown:
Is there an audience for this type of thing, or is it authors just
reading stories by other authors? Ryan:
We have a broad base of both readers and writers.
Brown:
Now you’re here today, to respond to some comments made about the
Fleet Center incident.
As I understand it, you stand accused of helping to blow the roof off
the Fleet Center.
How did you get involved in all this? Ryan:
(Throws her hands up in the air and shakes her head.)
I honestly don’t know who started this crazy accusation, but it’s
spreading like wildfire across all the Beatle chat rooms.
Basically, people seem to think that I helped blow up the Fleet
Center rooftop as a publicity stunt for my own website, Rooftop Sessions.
I guess the similarity in names got everybody excited.
But I’m not even from Boston.
Brown:
To underscore what you’re saying, today’s CNN viewer poll asks
the following question:
Was Susan Ryan, via Rooftop Sessions, involved in the Boston rooftop
incident?
Sixteen percent of our viewers say “no.”
As always, we remind our viewers that our poll is unscientific and
reflects only those opinions of CNN viewers, and not necessarily those of
this station.
Susan, how do you respond to our CNN poll? Ryan:
(Throws her hands up and shakes her head.)
What can I say?
People are going to think whatever they want.
I can only say that I had nothing to do with this incident, this is
not a publicity stunt for Rooftop Sessions or for myself.
Believe me, I have enough issues to deal with in my own life.
I have a
little boy at home! I
don’t need to deal with something on this scale. Brown:
Two names have come up frequently in connection with this incident:
Jodi and Dianne.
What is your connection, if any, to Jodi and Dianne? Ryan:
(Folds hands
in front of her and smiles tightly.)
Aaron, I have no comment about that. Brown:
Do you know the real identities of Jodi and Dianne, or their
relationship to Sir Paul McCartney? Ryan:
(Clears
throat.) No
comment. Brown:
Ms. Ryan, what are you hiding, and who is that man shaking his head
out in our studio audience? Ryan:
(Looks out in
audience.)
That man would be my husband.
As to who or what I may or may not be hiding, I have no comment about
that either. Brown:
CNN has learned that the Fleet Center is considering suing you over
this incident.
What do you have to say about that? Ryan:
I say lotsa luck to the Fleet Center.
You think I can afford to buy them a new roof?
Brown:
Any last words for our viewers? Ryan:
I am absolutely, positively, one-hundred-percently NOT involved in
the Fleet Center incident.
The flying rooftop is not a publicity stunt for Rooftop Sessions.
Fan fiction is a legitimate form of expression, and it is popular
enough in its own right.
I do not need to promote my fan fiction site by destroying buildings
or national monuments. Brown:
Thank you, Susan.
Good luck to you. Ryan:
Thank you, Aaron.
London
Times: Queen
Calls Emergency Session Details
are still coming in about today’s emergency meeting in Parliament.
The Queen called together both Houses in response to a crisis in
America involving Sir Paul McCartney.
As
we reported earlier, Sir Paul is believed to be at least partially
responsible for the destruction of both an American concert hall and a
national landmark. Weighing
most heavily on everyone’s mind is the American threat to impose an
additional “tax” on all British visitors to the gift shop of the genuine
replica of the genuine Boston Tea Party Ship. Should
our former colony carry out this new tax, Great Britain would respond in a
like manner.
Under discussion are an additional tax to all items sold at the
following establishments:
London’s Tate Museum gift shop, Westcliff-on-Sea’s Tall Shop for
Men, and Liverpool’s Museum of Large Objects gift shop.
Parliament
is also drafting an apology to the American people, which, among other
things, confirms the following: ·
Parliament had no
prior knowledge that such an incident would take place ·
Sir Paul McCartney is not
a Pod Person named Billy Shears, and ·
Parliament is not
connected to “Jodi,” “Dianne,” or Susan Ryan.
Parliament’s
declaration further declares that this incident, in no way, shape, or form,
reflects our grudge against America for conducting a Tea Party in the first
place. CNN’s
Larry King Live: Late
Night Interview Show King:
Before we close our program tonight, I want to extend an invitation
to “Jodi” and “Dianne,” whoever and wherever they may be, to appear
on my television show.
CNN believes that only these two can explain the cause of the
explosion at the Fleet Center, the reason behind the sinking of a national
monument, and their own connection to Paul McCartney and Susan Ryan.
We leave you tonight, with live photos of the roofless Fleet Center.
Goodnight. Backintheusa.com: Hello
from Paul McCartney Sir
Paul:
Hello from my official tour web site.
We had a rocking good time in Boston.
Brought the house down and everything.
Lennon would have loved it.
Here’s a photo of me looking up through the new opening in
Boston’s Fleet Center.
You’ll be happy to know that I’ve already written two new songs
about the incident, and I plan on writing plenty more.
Might even come up with enough to start on a Fleet Tour.
In other news, I seem to have hired two new staff members.
Which is a good thing because Geoff Baker has gone missing at the
moment. I
guess he’s really enjoying himself in Boston.
Must be the tea.
Ta for now.
I’ll be writing soon from our next tour location.
Which is....?
Oh dear.
Can’t remember at the moment, and Geoff seems to have absconded
with my itinerary.
I hope Jodi and Dianne can straighten things out for me.
Love and kisses, Paulie. Area
B: Police
Report At
2:03 this morning, officers were called to remove one rowdy Englishman and
his stuffed bear from Dooley’s Tavern in Boston’s Financial District.
The Englishman was fined for threatening officers with bodily harm.
Specifically, he told the arresting officer, “I’ll sic Paul
McCartney on you.”
He also made several rude references to a “Jodi” and a
“Dianne.”
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Lisha Goldberg is a freelance writer and editor. She also writes a newsletter for a Boston piano studio. Lisha has won several prizes for her writing, including the Boston Herald Star Trek Competition (write a eulogy for Captain Kirk!), CompuServe's Beatle Essay Contest, and Writers Digest Magazine Award for best Inspirational Short Story. Cheryl Mortensen has been a Beatle fanatic since the 1960s, but somehow went on to other things in the late 1960s, only rediscovering her passion for "all things Beatle" in the late 1990s (and on into the new century). She is a computer programmer and an avid photographer. (Concert photos of bands and performers is her favorite area -- ask her about her Ringo pictures!!) Cheryl lives with her husband of many years (Mike), her German Shepherd (Sorsha), and a bunch of fish in the tank and the pond that they've never bothered to name. Tell Lisha Goldberg and Cheryl Mortensen what you thought of their story! |
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