NOBODY ASKED ME BUT.......
1) Phil Ochs (Love Me I’m A Liberal) lives in the actions of George Lucas. Marin County residents are fighting his proposal for a secluded studio in their area so he gave it up and is selling the land to developer for “low income” housing. Liberal Marin county, as Ochs wrote, “...but don’t ask me to come along—love me I’m A Liberal..”
2) Nice to have the wherewithal ($$$) to disagree with the establishment.
3) I have to admire Alex Trebeck for his talent in being boring and current. Hard to do. A show is taped months prior to air and he does make it sound fresh and also comment on the time between shows (which were already recorded) how excited he was with those other shows he did. So many variations of talents that people have.
4) The latest work by Robert Caro about LBJ is truly a great piece of work. History made readable and exciting in detail just like his book on Robert Moses (The Power Broker). The last one that I read by him---I have trod the desert of literature lo these, almost, 40 years of wandering.
5) Glad to see that letters to the ed. and other op-ed pieces (NYTimes) were posted agreeing with Brantley about the meaningless of Standing Ovations today. One letter hit the nail on the head. This writer likes Australia (where he speaks sometimes) because if one stands there you know it is a magnificent presentation. Here, now, as Brantley says, it is mandatory to make the audience believe the high price of the ticket was worthwhile.
6) A last thought about the SO (standing ovation). There are moments when you really just want to jump up and say BRAVO. One thing of fairly recent memory come to mind---Lawrence Fishburne (Thurgood), and I am sure there are a few others. Mary Poppins, Lion King, and the like are not among them. By the way, has anyone noticed that no one truly knows who plays in these “monumental musicals”. They are meant to be tourist destinations and nothing more. My Fair Lady, South Pacific, New Girl In Town, and such they are not.
7) Memorial Day is almost upon us and I do hope that many will be remembering and thinking of those who have sacrificed much for our society. Tune in to TRADITIONS this weekend (3 PM ET or on the web at www.wfdu.fm and we shall recall the day with its proper meaning. We also have a very interesting and talented guest a bit later in the program.
8) Since the “Open Admissions” policy at NYC colleges stopped the academic quality and the diversity has risen. No surprise there. Oh, that they would go back to the days of NO tuition and only academic excellence that made those colleges (universities) be termed the Harvard on The Hill (well, CCNY anyway---but the others are right up there)
9) How many of us can be, or will be, as spry as Betty White (who as the jokester said---started out as Betty Black but faded to White) at the ripe old 90 some odd age? Well, Pete Seeger. They honored her with a Friars Roast---the real ones—the other day and most jokes cannot be repeated. Suffice it to say they were, as they always are, unprintable but truly funny.
a. Years back there was a tribute of which I have a bootleg copy and I loved one joke---“..so there is Lauren Bacall running down the hall yelling “Humphrey” (her husband) and everyone opening their doors asking ---where and when..?” I believe the roast was for Lou Holtz---there is your blast from the past.
