ericturnbow.com

Moore’s Movie “Sicko” Spotlights Olympia Man (Eric Turnbow)
By Breanne Coates (Originaly Published June 28, 2007)

OLYMPIA — When Eric “E.T.” Turnbow of Olympia videotaped himself doing a handstand on London’s Abbey Road in 1997, it had two unintended consequences: a fall that landed him in the hospital, and a role in director Michael Moore’s new movie, “Sicko.”

Turnbow, now 46, dislocated his shoulder and thought the resulting medical costs would ruin his vacation. He was surprised that during his hospital stay, which lasted several hours, he had to pay only for his medication. The cost was 5 pounds, the equivalent of less than $10 at the time.

“Sicko” will be in theaters Friday, including the Regal Martin Village 16 in Lacey. The film, Moore’s first since “Fahrenheit 9/11″ in 2004, is a documentary aimed at highlighting the faults of the U.S. health care system.

Turnbow said his London experience is used as a bridge for Moore to go from North America to Europe in the film. He said Moore goes to England to see if health care there is really that inexpensive.

Turnbow never talked directly to Moore during filming but said that at a premiere of “Sicko” June 14 in Seattle, Moore recognized him immediately and mouthed “thank you.”

“(Moore’s) sister (Anne Moore) made the comment, ‘You are the one that provided some comic relief in the middle of our little picture,’ ” Turnbow said about the premiere.

Turnbow, a guitarist, singer and karaoke disc jockey, said he has been entertaining people since grade school. The passionate Beatles fan — his house is adorned with artifacts featuring the band — was in London to visit the place where The Beatles recorded. He was filming himself on the stretch of road immortalized on the cover of the Beatles album “Abbey Road” when he fell.

He said about Moore, “I believe what he stands for. He’s kind of a rebel, and I’m kind of a rebel as well.”

He agrees with Moore’s stance about socialized medicine.

“What they need to do is take the profit factor out of medicine,” Turnbow said.

Turnbow works nights as a DJ at the Viking Lounge in Lacey and owns E.T.’s Cosmic Karaoke. He said he surfs the Web as a hobby and subscribes to Moore’s e-mail list.

Picked from 25,000

Moore had sent a message to his e-mail group asking for medical-treatment stories. Turnbow said Moore picked his response from about 25,000.

In his message to Moore, Turnbow mentioned his short experience with England’s socialized health care.

“(Moore) just thought the thing on Abbey Road was funny,” Turnbow said. “I don’t mind a good laugh at my expense. I was honored to be a part of it.”

After dozens of phone calls with Moore’s assistants and turning over evidence to show his story was true, Turnbow received notification about a month ago that his story made it into the movie.

Moore’s assistants sifted through four hours of Turnbow’s vacation footage and compiled a piece about two minutes long. Turnbow said it includes his arrival in London, singing an original song with a friend, the soon-to-be-famous fall and him on medication.

Turnbow took his sister, Katherine Peil, to the premiere. Other family members plan to see his big-screen debut Friday.

“It’s fun,” said his mother, Jean. “Not everyone walks on their hands on Abbey Road.”

Besides VIP passes to the Seattle premiere, Turnbow did not receive compensation.

“I didn’t ask for any money because I’m in it for the cause and to be immortalized,” he said.

Breanne Coats is a news intern at The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-704-6871 or bcoats@theolympian.com.

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____________________________________________________________________________________________________
E.T. in Michael Moore’s film SiCKO Karaoke Magazine Article

WILLILAM SHERNOFF, ESQ.
BARBARA SIMPSON
JOHNATHAN SINCLAIR
PAUL SMITH
JIM STALSBERG
MARK & SYNNOVE STELLA
JOSH STEELE
SHEA SUNDSTOEL
KEN SUNSHINE
ESTELLE SUTTON
JAN SVENNEVIG, M.D.
FRANKA TRANZA
TERRI TRECE
GORDON TURNER
ERIC TURNBOW
EDDIE VEDDER
MICHAEL VINER
THE WALLIN FAMILY
LAURIE WHITE
MODI WICZYK
GABRIELLA MILAN YOUNG
HANS ZIMMER
_________________________________________________________________

Articles Of Interest In The Aberdeen Paper Pertaining To “Sicko”…..

RE Ken Aronson article about “Sicko”…. My responce!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 3:43 PM

This is a LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Sunday, July 22, 2007 4:33 PM
From:
“Eric Turnbow (E.T.)”
To:
“Aberdeen news”

RE: Harbor man appears in Sicko…..

My name is Eric Turnbow, and I am responding to the
article you published about my involvement in the
Micheal Moore feature “Sicko”. Feel free tp print any
of this in your paper as a letter to the editor!

First of all, I would like to be known straight up
that there was no royalty or money payed out to me for
the use of any info that was included in the film
“Sicko”. I signed a waiver allowing the film makers to use any
material they needed for the movie.

I am miffed by the fact that Ken said he wanted
“Control” over the use of the song “Oh England”, that
we co-wrote together in the spirit of a
Lennon/McCartney collaboration. In fact, I came up
more than half the lyrics, and ALL the music to the
song. Therefore it is “OUR” song. A joint venture. Let
me point out that they never really used the song in
the film. There is only a 4 second clip of both of us
singing a couple bars of it “Oh England Oh, oh, Oh
England Here we go” while we were at the hotel room in
London. That is it. The actual track is about 3
minutes and 54 seconds in length! I had given Micheal
Moore a copy of my original cd “I’m Alive” and
released all rights to him should he be able to use
any of it in the film, and he chose not to use the
tracks.

I would also point out that I, Eric Turnbow own 100%
of the copy write to this album. I wrote 14 and a half
of the tracks and sing all of them. I have registered
all the songs with the U.S. Copy write Office. Ken
chose not to pay for his half of the one song he
contributed to, and thus waived any rights he ever may
have had for the use of this song! Instead we made a
deal to cover his trouble where I sold him up to 100
copies of the cd at about HALF of my cost. He then
re-sold them at a profit. I financed 100 percent of
all studio time on this project and did not receive
one single penny from Mr. Aronson. I also bought the
rights from him to all the movie footage we shot of
our London and Amsterdam vacation for $40 so I own the
rights to those as well. Here isthe actual copyrite to
the “I’m Alive” cd of Eric Turnow that I am
in sole possession of! I rest my case on this issue!

From: ILS System
> Subject: Copyright catalog Builder Search for EricnbspTurnbownbspinnbspKeywordnbspAnywherenbsp
> To: etcosmic2000@yahoo.com
> Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 3:39 AM
> Type of Work: Sound Recording and Music

> Registration Number / Date:
SRu000402834 / 1999-03-03

> Title: I’m alive.

> Description: Compact disc.

> Notes: Collection.

> Copyright Claimant:
© · on words, music & sound
> recording; Eric Turnbow, 1961-
(E.T. Turnbow)

Date of Creation: 1998

Copyright Note: C.O. correspondence.

Names: Turnbow, Eric, 1961-
Turnbow, E.T.

> The Library of Congress
> United States Copyright Office
> 101 Independence Ave., S.E.
> Washington, D.C. 20559-6000
> 202-707-3000

Mr. Aronson does not even know who Micheal Moore is!
He knew ahead of time about this project and had
absolutely ZERO interest in it. He does not even know
how to turn on a computer, let alone surf the net, so
therefore he never could have contacted the film maker
if he even wanted to. My email was chosen from 25,000
stories, and it is a miracle it made it into the film.
Mr. Moore had a 500 hour film that he had to trim to a
mere 2 hours, yet my Abbey Road incident made the cut!
Now that is some odds. Fantastic!

I think that Mr. Aronson is being an opportunistic cry
baby about this whole incident. My screen time is 90
seconds, and his is, well about 4 seconds! Rather than
complain about not being recognized, he should be
thanking Micheal Moore, as well as Me, for including
him in this project at all. Let’s not lose sight of
the real issue here! Let’s take the focus off of any
“Credit due” and think about getting National Health
care for every American! That is what this is all
about! That is what is important. Our system sucks,
and needs an overhaul. Let’s not drop the ball and
make a big deal out of nothing at all. Ken waived his
rights to any compensation and credit. Now He may
regret the fact that he sold off any rights he never
had in the first place, So give me a break! This is
just silly!

While you are at it go and see “Sicko”. The movie
rocks and I am very proud to be a part of it! My blogs
and web pages, newspaper interviews, and KOMO radio
appearances are all over the internet and translated
into different languages and everything. It has been
awesome to be a small part of such a noble cause. It
has been great recognition for my business as well,
and you can catch my Karaoke and DJ show 7 days a week
at the Viking Lounge (6318 Martin Way…. in Lacey
Washington).

As for Ken….. well, good luck to him. He likes to
make mountains out of mole hills. His info is
incorrect and certainly inaccurate. He needs to move
on and get a life I suppose. this disgruntled attitude
will not get him very far. In the meantime, I will see
you in the movie aisles!

I would be happy to discuss with you further. I am
passionate about this subject.

Thank You

Mr. Eric Turnbow
email: etcosmic2000@yahoo.com
website: http://cosmickaraoke.com
phone: 943-7039

So….
Reluctantly I must publish the original story about this lame
idiot Ken who cried his way to the papers about his lack of
interest in that great movie “Sicko”…. Get a life dude. Stop
loving yourself so damn much. Get behind the cause and try
to be humble. Than maybe good fortune will come your way!

Harbor man appears in Michael Moore’s ‘SiCKO’
By Callie White - Daily World Writer
Thursday, July 12, 2007 10:54 AM PDT

Aberdeen native Ken Aronson has a passion for music
and entertainment. So it should be a dream come true
to him that he and a song he wrote are very briefly
featured in Michael Moore’s new movie “SiCKO,” a
documentary about the American healthcare system. But
the part-time karaoke jockey said he doesn’t feel he
has received his due for the part he played in the
movie.

Aronson’s story, the one told in “SiCKO,” starts
with his love of the Beatles. He and his fellow
Beatle-loving friend Eric Turnbow went together to
England in April of 1997, they did the obligatory
pilgrimage to Abbey Road, home to the studio that
recorded the seminal “Abbey Road” album. Aronson
videotaped the entire trip, starting with boarding the
plane to get there.

So, of course, Aronson caught Turnbow doing the kind
of stunt that tourists, intoxicated by being in an
unfamiliar place, sometimes attempt. He started
walking across Abbey Road on his hands.

Paul McCartney’s bare feet may have been a
“clue” to teenage conspiracy theorists back in the
day that he was dead; Turnbow, crossing the street on
his bare hands, may have thought he was about to die
when he came down, hard, putting his shoulder out of
joint.

“We knew we had to take him to a hospital,”
Aronson said. When they got there, Turnbow handed a
credit card to the staff on duty, telling them they
could charge him for healthcare.

Socialized medicine

But, Aronson said, that didn’t happen. Instead,
Turnbow got some odd looks. Because of England’s
socialized medical system, it cost Turnbow almost
nothing. In the movie, Moore contrasts that with the
American medical system.

“In the U.S., he’d have been out $2,000 at
least,” Aronson said. In Britain, Turnbow had his
arm reset for free; he was charged “three or four
pounds” for painkillers, about $6 at the time.

Aronson said the two were concerned they’d miss a
tribute concert to Buddy Holly that was only a few
hours from the time they got to the hospital.

“We were out of there fast,” Aronson said. They
didn’t miss a moment of the show, which Aronson said
was “great.”

Aronson contrasted his friend’s experience in
Britain with his here; not only has Aronson spent time
in hospital waiting rooms, he is only now going in for
surgery on his jaw and teeth, which were badly damaged
when he was hit by a vehicle while working on the side
of his house.

Song in the movie

“Before we left (for England), I came up with a
song, ‘Oh England,’ ” Aronson said. He taped the
two of them doing an acapella version, which was used
in the movie.

Aronso n is miffed that he did not control Moore’s
access to the video and song he claims are his work.

Would he feel better if his name was in the credits?

“I think so,” Aronson said. He added that he would
not mind a share of the royalties for the use of his
song.

One response to your article…..

1. Work at homes moms Says:
August 25th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

Sandra Kellog wrote about it lately but i think what you wrote is much better.
_____________________________________________________________________________
So….. (12/30/08)

Here is a cool article about “Sicko” and Michael Moore that is in spanish! It mentions Eric Turnbow in the first paragraph. See Senior! ET

News et opinions : Actualité

(P)Sicko aux Etats-Unis : le système de santé qui tue

Article de Michael Balavoine

Michael Moore est de retour. Humour décapant, finesse d’éléphant et raccourcis éhontés : la méthode a fait ses preuves et cette fois-ci, c’est le système de santé américain qui trinque. Aimé ou haï peu importe : avec Sicko, le réalisateur a le mérite de susciter un débat qui, chez nous, est trop souvent relégué aux sous-sols poussiéreux du Conseil fédéral.
Eric Turnbow dit «E.T.» est américain and had a dream – si on ose dire : traverser Abbey Road à Londres comme l’ont fait les Beatles sur la pochette de leur dernier album il y a presque 40 ans. Seulement voilà : pour marquer l’événement d’une pierre blanche, «E.T.» décide de franchir le fameux passage piétons sur les mains. Et c’est le drame : il chute et se déboîte l’épaule. Il pensait que cet accident allait lui coûter ses économies. Mais heureuse surprise : il doit seulement payer les médicaments.
Normal, explique de façon faussement candide Michael Moore dans Sicko. On est en Grande-Bretagne. Et là, comme dans les «paradis» français, canadien et même cubain, l’accès aux soins est gratuit. Comme partout. Sauf aux Etats-Unis.
Car là-bas, c’est la jungle libérale, tempête Moore. Et pas seulement pour les 50 millions d’Américains qui ne sont pas couverts, mais bien pour les 250 millions d’autres qui bataillent ferme avec leurs assureurs maladie pour faire valoir leurs droits. Au-delà de chiffres déjà ahurissants, l’humour laisse place au tragique. Michael Moore met, avec ses 1001 anecdotes récoltées via le net à travers tout le pays, des visages sur une terrifiante réalité. Familles ruinées par une opération, conjoints décédés, héros du 11 septembre laissés à l’abandon et forcés de gagner Cuba sur une embarcation de fortune pour se faire soigner. Et puis il y a Mychelle. C’est une petite fille de 18 mois. Un soir, sa mère la découvre malade et l’amène à l’hôpital. Le médecin reconnaît l’urgence. Appelle l’assureur. Son insistance n’y fera rien : elle doit être transférée dans un autre hôpital, celui-ci n’étant pas couvert. Elle y arrive trois heures plus tard. 15 minutes après son entrée, Mychelle décède.
Comment et pourquoi un pays si riche laisse-t-il toute une frange de sa population à l’abandon ? La réponse de Michael Moore est cinglante. Le gouvernement américain a confié le remboursement des dépenses de santé à des firmes privées qui prospèrent sur le dos des malades en concentrant l’essentiel de leur temps et de leurs moyens à tenter de rembourser le moins possible. Experts médicaux payés au prorata des malades refusés et détectives privés fouillant dans le passé des plus démunis : le profit est à ce prix et les heureux perdants sont toujours les assurés.
On peut tout reprocher à Michael Moore. Son parti pris qui ignore les accusés. Ses raccourcis au service de sa propagande. Mais, dans Sicko, il faut lui laisser en tout cas une chose : il a reconnu que le problème de la couverture des dépenses de santé relève d’une décision politique. Et il date précisément le début de la misère américaine. C’était le 17 février 1971, le jour où Richard Nixon a conçu le système de santé US comme un libre marché en déclarant : «Je n’aime pas trop ces fichues assurances maladie ; moins on soignera, plus on fera de bénéfices.»
Reste que la solution Moore est, à l’image du film, simpliste. Il la résume en trois points sur son site Internet. Chaque résident américain a droit à une assurance gratuite et universelle pour toute la durée de sa vie. Il faut abolir toutes les compagnies d’assurances privées et enfin réguler les firmes pharmaceutiques comme des entreprises d’utilité publique.
Le projet est évidemment irréaliste même si Michael Moore feint de le retrouver sur le vieux continent dans un «paradis» français largement idéalisé. Il ne parle pas du «trou de la Sécu» mais du fabuleux service «SOS médecin» qui vient vous soigner en moins de trente minutes gratuitement pour n’importe quel petit bobo. Il n’est pas crédible et il a tort : le système de santé en Europe n’est pas parfait. Et pourtant. Quand on écoute ces expatriés américains vivant à Paris, on devient attentif. En Suisse aussi, les menaces planent. La tendance est à la baisse. Avec des cartes électroniques, les assureurs auront de plus en plus de contrôle sur leurs «clients». La chasse aux bons risques a déjà commencé. Mais, malgré tout, les Américains sont émerveillés et, dans un certain sens, ils ont raison. En Suisse, comme en France, le système de santé est bon en comparaison de celui des Américains. Pour les pathologies graves, l’accès aux soins reste plus ou moins équivalent selon le revenu des patients et chacun jouit d’une protection de qualité pour des maladies graves. La question devient alors : jusqu’à quand tiendra-t-on ? Car, comme l’a dit récemment Jacques Attali, la santé sera un des grands marchés du XXIe siècle. Les appétits des assureurs vont s’aiguiser. Pour assumer les frais de santé et lutter contre l’emprise toujours plus grande de firmes gigantesques, il faudra que l’ensemble de la société se montre solidaire. Moore a eu le mérite, reconnaissons le, de susciter un débat. Il a peut-être gagné une bataille en forçant les prétendants à la succession de Georges Bush d’empoigner le sujet. Mais tout le problème est là : ce n’est qu’une bataille alors que la guerre qui s’annonce pour préserver un système de santé à visage humain vient tout juste de commencer.

Michael Moore : filmographie express
• 1989 : Roger and Me sur le licenciement de 30 000 personnes par General Motors à Flint, Michigan.
• 2002 : Bowling for Columbine inspiré du massacre de treize personnes par deux adolescents au Lycée de Columbine, Moore s’interroge sur la meurtrière industrie de l’armement. Primé à Cannes.
• 2004 : Fahrenheit 9/11 attaque ouvertement Georges Bush et sa gestion du 11 septembre 2001.
• 2007 : Sicko s’attaque au système de santé américain en pleine campagne présidentielle.

Want to know what they said? Here it is in English! You need to find the original article
at Google. (Just type in Eric Turnbow/Sicko/Moore), and it comes up on page 2). Then you hit the translate key! Very easy. Unfortunatly I was unable to reproduce it without a transcripton!
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Here is an interesting article about my involvement in the movie “Sicko”. I like it, even if Mr. Bonk does call a “jackass”! All I can say is… well…. Touche’! I can handle it! (E.T.)

September 10, 2009
So What If It Does?
Filed under: Sicko — Brady Bonk

One of my favorite stories in Michael Moore’s Sicko is of Eric “E.T.” Turnbow, who visited London with friends with the express jackassed purpose of crossing Abbey Road on his hands. He fell, of course, and dislocated his shoulder. At the end of the day, his total medical costs came to $10 for his drugs.

A story like that makes me have to say, so what if national health care would cover non-citizens?

Objection to this notion is partially racist and partially just not getting the point.

You think Congressman Joe Wilson was all bent out of shape imagining all the Canadians sneaking across the border to take advantage of our awesome universal health care? Of course not. It’s those who live across from the other border that they’re worried about. You know. All those brown people.

Besides, this objection entirely misses the point entirely. Many of us want universal health care not just because we think it’s economically viable or because we’re rabid socialists. Many of us want universal health care because that’s the kind of god damned country we want to live in, a country where, even if you’re a jackass from a foreign land with a dislocated shoulder, the first thing you think when you get hurt or sick doesn’t have to be, “sweet Jesus, how am I going to pay?” Where care isn’t so much a commodity as it is a fundamental human right and in fact a vital link in the chain mail of our national security. When the black plague hits our shores, who do you want running the clinics? Competing, proprietary businesses? Or people you voted for?

So what if my tax dollars help somebody out who doesn’t have all his papers together? My insurance dollars accomplish that task already as things are, with ER visits ramping up costs. The point is that this debate, at least for some of us, isn’t just about money and power and politics. For some of us, it’s about what the hell kind of country we live in. I think decency dictates that you take care of folks without clicking your heels and demanding “zer papers.”

But that’s just me.

Postscript: Why Richard Simmons? I have no idea. My original intent was to put a Hitlerstache and Ronald McDonald hair on Wilson and to write “I am a penis” on him and to put a big green booger on his finger and to have him declaring that he had just farted. You know. To treat him with the same respect he’d offered the President of the United States. Then, I thought, hey. How about instead we have Richard Simmons—one of the greatest Howard Stern guests of all time—in there?

Post-Postscript: Might this be the start of a new Internet meme? “Congressman Joe Wilson and Richard Simmons?” Hmmmm…

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Eric’s Resume:
OBJECTIVE

* To work in a professional environment. I am anxious to
show great costumer service, perform tasks to the best of my
ability, and be a total asset to the perspective employer.

SKILLS

* Communicator
* Master Of Ceremony
* Entertainer
* Musician (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals)
* Mobile Digital D.J. plus Karaoke Host
* Small Business Owner
* Investor
* Computer skills
* Journalism
* Collating, bulk mailings
* Delivery
* Sales
* Telemarketing
* Mentor
* Manager
* Writer
* State of Washington Employee for twelve Years

EXPERIENCE
E.T.’s Cosmic Karaoke and Digital D.J.
1713 NE Tullis Olympia WA. 98506
Owner and Manager, March 1993 to Present

* Manage Sub Contracting Workers
* Contract D.J. Events
* Set Up Digital D.J. Systems and host the
show
* Purchase and maintain high tech music gear
* Organize digital Files
* Perform at: Weddings, Dances, Private
parties, Corporate events.
* Expert at Sound Mixing
* Keep expence record book and write off business
expences. Pay Business and occupation taxes annually.
Calculate 1099 wage reports

Viking Lounge, 6318 Martin Way Lacey, WA 98516
360-456-1555
Digital D.J. & Karaoke Host, May 2006 to May 2009

* Sub-contractor for The Viking Lounge. I was
the Host and M.C. and ran fair Karaoke Rotations. Maintained
the equipment; managed; subcontracted employees for the
service. Provided Costumer service; purchased advertising;
built business sales by bringing in customers. This was a 7
day a week job for my company.

State of WA. Department of Printing, 7580 New Market Street
SW, Tumwater, WA 98501 (360) 570-5555
Book Binder Three, January 1980 to November 1992

* Bindery work
* Drilling
* Stitcher Trimmer (Assembly Line)
* Perfect Binder (Assembly Line)
* Assistant on Three Knife
* Padding Machine * Fork Lift/Pallet Jack Operator
* Box Merchandise off the cutters
* Shrink wrap
* Recycling
* Shipping and Receiving
* Stocking
* Collating
* Special Mailings
* Warehousing

C.A. Communications, Box 115, Olympia, WA 98507
Office Worker, January 1975 to January 1980
360-352-5410

* Collating
* Delivery
* Warehousing
* Shipping and Receiving
* Bulk Mailings
* Custodial Engineer
* Landscaping

Miscellaneous Work

* Supermarket Shelf Stocking
* Telemarketing Ticket Sales
* Restaurant Work (Bussing, Dishes, Prep cook work)
* Delivering Telephone Books (Contractor)

EDUCATION
Capital High School
2707 Conger Ave NW Olympia, WA 98502
360-596-8000
High school Diploma, June 1979

HOBBIES

* Internet Surfing (Myspace and Facebook)
* Music
* Motorcycle Riding
* Concerts
* Guitar Playing
* Songwriting
* Karate
* Photography

RECOGNITION

* I appeared in Michael Moore’s 2007 Academy
Award Nominated Documentary called “Sicko”. I had 90 seconds
of screen time and this movie went on to be the second
highest grossing National documentary film of all time. I
attended the Seattle film premier and met the producers of
the film including the director Michael Moore. This project
created a lot of internet buzz, and I was featured in many
articles and videos, and radio spots all around the world.
This greatly raised my profile. It can be researched at
http://www.ericturnbow.com

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

* Feature Editor for High School Newspaper
“The Capital Outlook”. I was involved in the writing,
editing, layout, and printing. I got straight A’s in the
subject of Journalism.

* I was on the Newspaper staff at all three
of my schools: Boston Harbor Elementary, Reeves Junior High,
and Capital High School.

websites:
* http://www.cosmickaraoke.com
* http://www.ericturnbow.com
* http://www.myspace.com/ericturnbow
* http://www.myspace.com/cosmickaraok
* http://www.myspace.com/galacticnebula
* FaceBook (Search Eric Turnbow)