To function properly in Washington, everyone needs a bogyman. One of the first things a newcomer learns in the nation’s capital is that the Chinese ideogram for “danger” also means “opportunity.” Whether this ubiquitous device exists anywhere outside the text for Motivational Speaking 101 is a moot point. What is not a moot point—what is…
The Mighty Whippoorwills: Bright Mississippi
A funk version of “Bright Mississippi”/”Sweet Georgia Brown,” inspired by the Allen Toussaint version. Featuring Michael Gomez, guitar and vocals; Rich Huntley, drums; Debbie Kennedy, acoustic bass; Randy Weinstein,- chomatic, diatonic harmonica and vocals; recorded by Alex Goren. Posted by Randy Weinstein.
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here. “Of course you don’t get it. If you got it, this wouldn’t be happening.” “There’s only room for one bespectacled, pin-striped tight-ass in this office, and you’re looking at him.” “Welcome to the NRA, homeboy.” “Paybacks are hell, babycakes.” “Just think of it as your personal version of the Anderson account.” “Yes…
They’d none of them be missed
A week or so I tried to dismiss two former SecDefs (Gates and Panetta), who should be both gone and forgotten, using the headline “They’ll none of them be missed,” which led me to go on YouTube and look up performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan tune “I’ve Got a Little List” (aka “As Some…
Judith Shulevitz, so not a scientist
Judith Shulevitz, crackerjack gal o’ many opinions at the New Republic, has a piece in the print version of the Oct. 21issue (which I’ll link to as soon as it’s online) deploring the failure of the recent “36-page summary of a report about to come out from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” to…
Smashing Time
Dave Weigel has a nice piece over at Slate explaining why the Tea Party Republicans in the House won’t negotiate with Obama. Because they think he’s lying, about everything. Everything that anyone in the Executive Branch says about the government shutdown and the debt ceiling is a lie. In fact, any statement, by any expert,…
The Bossa Boys: “Bright Mississippi”
Definitely amateur video still brings us jazz on a summer’s day as the Bossa Boys have a good time with Thelonious Monk’s reworking of “Sweet George Brown.” Posted by burkowitz
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here. “Nuh-uh, girl friend. Daddy does the smiting around here.” “Hey, big shot! Only once a month, and only at trees!” “Stop aiming them at your ex-wives!” “Looks like someone’s going to be repeating ‘What Would Jesus Do 101’ real soon!” “Trust me, lightning bolts aren’t going to stop the Street from shorting…
New York Times: We’re the good newspaper!
“Qaeda Plot Leak Has Undermined U.S. Intelligence”: that’s the ominous headline attached to a report in the Sept. 29 issue of the New York Times by Eric Schmitt and Michael S. Schmidt. The article penned by Schmitt/Schmidt contains a lot of huffing and puffing from nameless, faceless talking heads in the U.S. intelligence community—in other…
Gianluca Figliola and Flavio Boltro: “We See”
Gianluca Figliola on “chitarra,” with Fabrizio Cassarà, sax, Raphael Heudron, piano, Paolo Scozzi, bass, and Paolo Mignosi manning “la batteria.” Flavio Boltro sitting in on trumpet. Sept 5, 2012, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Roma. Posted by SAINTLOUISMOV