If you can cast your mind way, way back in time, to about a month ago, you may remember Jeffrey Goldberg writing an article in the Atlantic—“Point of No Return”—in which he declared that, relying on absolutely unimpeachable sources, it was clear that the leaders of Israel were absolutely fed up with this nuclear stuff…
Short, narrow-shouldered, shy semi-douche bag seeks companionship
New York magazine does admirable work here in deconstructing the New Yorker’s merciless take-down of nerdy billionaire loser Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, and impending victim of Andrew Sorkin’s presumably eviscerating film The Social Network. Being booted around the New Yorker for seven pages for being, among other things, a short, socially challenged, back-stabbing little…
Soupy Sales presents Clifford Brown
Yes, it’s Detroit’s zaniest, showing admirable support for America’s only original art form by giving Clifford Brown the opportunity to show off his chops with “Lady Be Good,” and “Memories of You.” Thanx to David Hadju at The New Republic for alerting me to this one.
Hello Kitty, Hello Thelonious—The Big Friendly Jazz Orchestra handles “I Mean You”
Joe Lovano Nonet featuring Dennis Irwin, Bass
Totally not-disingenuous advice to the conservative movement from Ramesh Ponnuru
What he said: President Obama’s interventions in this debate have been gifts to the Republican party–but it may be that what Republicans should do now is take the gift to the bank. In other words, make your point and move back to talking about the economy, the health-care law, and the size of government. A…
Mulgrew Miller—“Woody n’ You” aka “Algo Bueno”
Mulgrew Miller on piano, Richie Goods on bass, and Rodney Green on drums, at Ken Beilman’s 1999 Jazz Festival. Dizzy Gillespie wrote the tune in the early forties, dedicating it to Woody Herman, who purchased arrangements from Gillespie while Dizzy was struggling to become a leader in his own right. It was first recorded in…
Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Posner admits error! Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
Yes, it’s true. The Honorable Richard A. Posner, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, has admitted that, in the past, he made some mistakes, to wit: “I have succumbed to this second Nirvana fallacy myself in some of my work in economic analysis of law.” The “second Nirvana fallacy,” for those…
Bob does Bette
Bob Dylan is shown here doing his famous Bette Davis impression, to the obvious delight of Allen Ginsberg and obvious despair of aging boytoy Peter Orlovsky. The photo illustrates an extract in the New Yorker from Chapter 2 of Sean Wilentz’s upcoming doorstop/blockbuster Bob Dylan in America. I was never a Dylan guy at all,…
Why it pays to read the obits
Way, way back in the day, in 1967, in fact, I heard Pauline Kael speak at Oberlin College. Discoursing on pop culture versus “high” culture, she opined that pop culture offered delights unavailable on Mt. Helicon. Dating herself just a bit, she gave as an example Frank Sinatra singing “Bim Bam Baby.” Flash forward 43…