142 minutes with Van Morrison in all his confounding glory

In December 1998, Van Morrison gave a concert in Germany that was broadcast in it's entirety on live television. It featured, in this long time Van man's view, his greatest band and is a great concert That's all.

Leaves and Be Gone

The earth spins 365 times and nothing changes. Every year I have 2,786, 242 leaves on my lawn and my neighbor has eleven. I have a leaf blower and he’s not home. It seems only fair to share mine with him. If I spend a few more eons outside the gates of heaven in exchange for an hour more of playtime today... well, I call that rough justice. Hand me my leaf blower and my dancing shoes – I’m blowin’ and I’m gone!

King Pleasure

King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks 1922-1982) emerged in the early 1950's as one of the very few early practitioners of vocalese, a singing style in which lyrics were written and sung note for note to famous jazz instrumentals. During his brief career, which ended in 1960, he helped launch the careers of Jon Hendricks,  (later the avatar of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross), Blossom Dearie and the great Betty Carter, who made her recording debut on Pleasure's Red Top. King Pleasure never recorded after 1960 and disappeared into obscurity; the rest of his life a mystery. 

Martha Reeves was one of the finest Detroit vehicles ever manufactured and it wasn't enough.

Martha Reeves was one of the finest vocal vehicles Detroit ever manufactured. - and it wasn't enough. 

I know that Diana Ross was a bigger star than Martha Reeves. I believe that I know why. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

Nowhere to Run

Dancing in the Street

Heatwave

Everybody was always talkin' at Fred Neil

Everybody was always talkin' at Fred Neil. He preferred searching for dolphins in the sea.

Bobby Darin and the Supremes salute Rogers and Hart

Bobby Darin and the Supremes join forces in a tribute to Rogers and Hart

Sunday morning jazz with The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra

One of the great jazz show bands of the 1930's, The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra are featured in this wonderful 1935 film short along with The Three Brown Jacks dance team and singer/dancer Myra Johnson.

Inspirational Verse: "Rhythm is out business, rhythm is what we sell. Rhythm is our business, business sure is swell.

Dudley Do-Right; A Beacon of Good-it-tude

As our nation again turns its' lonely eyes to our Northern borders in search of a true hero, there stands Dudley Do-Right, a true beacon of good-it-tude. In this graphic and shocking episode, the ever stout, brave and true Dudley rescues Nell from the evil clutches of Snidely Whiplash just before she is divided in two. Spoiler alert: in a stunning reversal of form, Nell finally expresses her appreciation in a show of affection for Dudley instead of his horse.  11.10.12

What are we really voting for?

UPDATE: The Republican party convention that nominated "I, Trump, to the Presidency of US passed without a a single mention of the stalled nomination by President Obama of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. We are now more than halfway through the Democratic convention of Hillary Clinton and still no acknowledgement of that forsaken nominee.

The Republican's stunning display of hubris and abdication of their responsibility to even hold hearings on the nomination forced The Supreme Court to  limp through its' session with 8 justices.

Garland's fate is now sealed.  Despite being a highly respected jurist and a centrist, Garland will be consigned to being a footnote in history.

If the Trumped Up Republicans win this election and retain control of the Senate, they will attempt to impose on us someone aligned with their core belief in their absolute right to maintain private arsenals, interfere with women's most intimate private decisions and everything else that conforms to their corrupt ideology.

This is an insult to democratic principles. It is time to consign these profiteers in human misery to the trash can of history themselves - each and every last one of them. July 28, 2016
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UPDATE: On the morning following the election, politicians did what they always do. The victors reached for the sweet fruit of victory only to find it spoiled by the poisoned venom of the losers intent on avenging their repudiation. November 10, 2012

It's Time to Face the Music, Man

No sooner are we finished with one election, chock filled with dire warnings of doom and gloom, when here comes another shameless huckster trying to convince us that only he can save us from lots and lots of trouble.

Ya Got Trouble

76 Trombones

A song of childhood

Song of Childhood

Words By Peter Handke

Music by Van Morrison

The Sweet Taste of Victory and precious few bitter herbs

The evening afterglow brings the sweet taste of victory to be savored and precious few bitter herbs:

Singin' and laughin' in the rain

"I'm laughing at clouds so high up above ..."

"

Dwight Eisenhower warns against the military-industrial complex

I have no doubt that those who will take time to read the text of Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address warning of the dangers of the military-industrial complex, will applaud the sentiments of this now iconic statesman. My hope that anything will come of the acknowledgement that we, as a nation and member of the civilized world, are the leading global purveyors of this insidious evil is nil.

Vote for me and I'll set you free!

I wrote this in November, 2012. I did not update it in November 2016 for the following reasons: 

Charles Pierce talks me off the last left limb

Earlier today, in a blooming burst of whimsy, I flirted with the notion of voting for Green party candidate, Jill Stein for President. Oh, I might not have actually pulled her lever, but when a simplistic on line survey compared my positions with that of the candidates and concluded that Ms. Stein was my one true champion, how could a simple fellow such as I resist?