I am one of the least known, yet most vociferous members of the Anti-Ryan Club, which is led, more or less, by Paul Krugman and Jonathan Chait. As both Paul and Jon will tell you, Paul Ryan will say and do just about anything, as long as it allows him to maneuver himself into the…
Author: Alan Vanneman
Bill Evans—“Round Midnight”
Live in Sweden, 1970, with Eddie Gomez, bass, and Marty Morrell, drums. Posted by Levent Parman
Paul Ryan, The Policy Wonk That Wasn’t
Unless you’ve been living under a blanket, or have a life, you’re well aware that House Speaker Paul Ryan just had a meeting with Republican presidential nominee to be Donald Trump. Virtually everything about the Republican Party is a joke these days—most of them, of course, very unfunny. The biggest, and least funny is the…
Thank you, Mark Perry!
A month ago, Politico ran an exceptionally stupid article by Bryan Bender that probably should have been entitled “The Russians Are Coming! And They’re Ten Fucking Feet Tall!” although (obviously) it wasn’t. I launched a brief riposte “We Suck, says U.S. Army”, saying, basically, that I didn’t believe a word Bryan said. Today, Mark Perry,…
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here. “I know you’d kill on the stand. That’s what I’m afraid of.” “Yeah, but I don’t think they’d want to know your ‘real name’.” “Now, remember: The jury wants to like you. You just have to let that happen.” “One more thing: Ixnay on the ghoulish laughter. A quiet…
Ben Sasse, Wall Street Tool
Nebraska Junior Senator Ben Sasse recently posted “AN OPEN LETTER TO MAJORITY AMERICA”, bemoaning the fact that neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump offers what the American people—the real American people, the folks down at the WalMart—really want. When ole Ben finally gets tired of patting himself on the back for being the fine, down…
Played Twice—“Blue Bolivar Blues”
Dan Wood on piano, Nick Malcolm on trumpet, George Crowley on tenor sax, Olie Brice on bass and Simon Roth on drums. Performing at Servant Jazz Quarters, London, UK. Posted by Dan Wood
What Hath Trump Wrought?
Which is more decadent, Donald Trump or the Annual Gala of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York? Okay, trick question, because there is no wrong answer. But putting the Donald in perspective does take some work. Yet the sources of the Donald aren’t hard to find: the stumblings and…
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here. “My horoscope says watch out for falling cinderblocks. Why?” “Siri says ‘Cloudy today with chance of falling cinderblocks.’ That’s cute.” “We just have to show the building trades who’s boss in this town, that’s all. I mean, De Blasio ain’t LaGuardia, you know what I’m saying?” “The unions just…
Oscar Peterson Ray Brown Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen
At the Montrose Jazz Festival, 1977. Posted by emanuele dimundo