THURSDAY and Another Edition of...........

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

    

1)        Why is parking available for 3 handicapped spaces and unlimited taxis / buses only at the various monuments in Washington when the signs clearly state “Parking” with an arrow pointing to the area?

2)        It is good to see that, finally, there is film to allow the memory of Phil Ochs to be resurrected and the public will finally find the forerunner to Dylan---and, in my own opinion---just as or more creative in his music.  Had he lived longer he may well have been the Kennedy Center honoree if that means anything at all.

3)        Given all the instant gratification and communication that the internet and computers provide us how much more “instant” moments will the next generation want---or need?  Sometimes slower is better for digesting ideas and thoughts.

4)        My compliments to the Gilbert & Sullivan Players for their annual (36^th) season in NYC at Symphony Space and for keeping this miraculous musical memory alive---in a true interpretation.

5)        Gov.  Cuomo is going to cut spending and lower salaries to help the NYS fiscal problems---so, how much did the venue for his State of The State speech cost.  The Capitol was free and a lot of paid time spent on his Power Point tech cuteness.   Ah vanity!

6)        I am hoping to get the contract for the handkerchief concession at the capitol and will surely find a great customer in the new speaker of the House---oh, those teary eyes.  A bonanza!!

7)        Do you think that they offer Senior Citizen prices on a par with Children’s prices at venues because of 2d Childhood?

8)        Euphemisms are strange.  Senior Citizen is really -- Old Person---let us be honest about it.  Troubled Teen---Juvenile Delinquent fills that bill just as a person fighting cancer is a person that is suffering from cancer (the doctors are doing the fighting).

9)        If there is “honesty in advertising” should not Sloan – Kettering Hospital be prevented from using the term “..best cancer care anywhere” since that is only their opinion and I can mention some as good or better-----and less self serving and arrogant?

10)  Speaking of semantics (which we were with euphemisms) when did blatant advertising morph into Public Service Announcements as seen on PBS and heard on NPR?  

11)  Banks are cutting costs by urging more use of ATMs and not having people deal with people and their advertising uses wonderful euphemisms that translate into “We make money, the government bails us out, and screw you”.  Who recalls Russell Baker of many years back and his witty piece in the NY Times about ATM machines when Citibank (who else) was trying to charge people with a smaller balance than $5,000 from using a human teller?  They stopped that---until this new wave of machinations.

12)  Juan Williams has a strange view of things---NPR (according to him) does not allow for divergent opinions (they fired him---properly, I believe) but his employer (while employed by NPR also) is FOX news---“fair and equal”.  Right!   The pun does not work here—you know about calling a kettle black--- A 3 million dollar contract will soothe Mr. Williams hurt feelings for his own offensive comments---for which he was fired by the network that is fair and equal---NPR.

                                                  

THURSDAY---Another Edition of.............

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon 

 For those who do not know the name---a sportswriter for the NY Post---when it was a newspaper & not the dead fish wrapper that it is today---columnists like him---Max Lerner, Frank Kingdom, James Wechsler, Earl Wilson, Leonard Lyons, etc; were published unlike what the paper has become---NewsCorp is now working on turning the WSJ into the same ---SO---the unfortunate thing in the end is---I suppose---the greed by Dorothy Schiff (NYPost) and the family that owned WSJ for selling to money hungry right wing Cretans.

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

    

1)      Year end surely needs some Best of” or “Most memorable”—so here are some in no particular order:     

a.      Another wonderful year of music and commentary on

TRADITIONS (and sharing this mutual interest w/ Ron Olesko) and SUNDAY SIMCHA.

b.      Meeting and “discovering” people and music that I had never expected to find or meet.

c.       Still appreciating the only station that I know of that allows the freedom of choice and commentary that we all have---WFDU and the 2 folks who create a family like atmosphere. 

d.      My raise this year at WFDU---from $0   to $00---hey---not everyone gets another 0 added.  Do they?

e.      Realizing that I am happy with some older technology that is only a   few years old---stop the world I am getting off.  (OK---I did not invent that)

f.        The loss of some people of talent and substance some young and some fully lived:

                                                              i.      Kate McGarrigle

                                                            ii.      Tuli Kupferberg

                                                          iii.      Irwin Silber

                                                          iv.      Susan Reed

                                                            v.      Richard Holbrooke

                                                          vi.      Jerry Bock

                                                        vii.      Lynn Redgrave

                                                      viii.      Jimmy Dean

                                                          ix.      Ted Sorenson

                                                            x.      Les Paul

                                                          xi.      Fess Parker

                                                        xii.      And, of course, as always,  the famous many others.

2)      The blizzard was a few days ago and the boroughs (outside of Manhattan---I hate calling them Outer Boroughs) can wait until hell freezes over (it did) for snow clearance.  Shades of days of yore---the difference---Mayor Lindsay was highly criticized and the Imperial Highness  Bloomberg fields questions with proper pronouncements of the “situation”---one that had better technology and forecasting than the unfortunate—and much maligned Lindsay.   Yet---Manhattan, as always, was prioritized.   Draw conclusions if you will===they cost nothing.  Living in Manhattan does.

3)      Do you think now---in hindsight---that making NYC a unity of the 5 boroughs was a good idea?   Would Bklyn and Bronx and Staten Island---even Queens--- fared better?   Outer Boroughs---the expression alone tells a story.  Shades of Tom Wolf---Center of the Universe.

4)      May I suggest a subscription and a donation to TDF (theater development fund)---they truly do make tickets to overpriced Broadway (and other) venues affordable and accessible.

5)      A laugh a day will keep you in better stead than an apple a day---the doctor never gave a damn for the apple if you believe that old tale and it did not keep him away since he never made house calls to you---only you.  Marx Bros. films, Family Guy, Married, With Children, and such---can truly do a better job in “keeping the doctor away”.  Feel free to pick others---these work for me.  After that you can make an appointment with the MDs automated voice mail---good luck.  Stick with me on this!

6)      Getting into and out of “The Center of The Universe” becomes more expensive tomorrow—for a change.

7)      In 1960 did anyone contemplate the possibility of a $25,000 house (which was $5,000 20 years earlier) being $500,000 today? My old RE prof. did---probably talked of it while I slept through the course.  He had a great quote---“buy in 1960 dollars and sell in 1999 dollars”—OK—randomly selected years.   I believe he stated that through my nap.

8)      Does anyone wonder how many people line-up to view the apartments that sell for over 5 Million Dollars (advertised each Sunday in the NY Times Magazine)?   Probably people who know the street will be plowed and the limo will get through.  Which brings us to the question of ---3 classes in NYC---Upper, Middle, and Lower---how did we get rid of Middle?   OH---gone to Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and suburbs where their commuting costs can eat up any savings.  An essay on that subject could well be forthcoming by popular demand---by the entire crowd in the phone booth requesting such.  Seriously—one should write a PhD thesis on this subject.

9)      Strange how things work out----Jane Jacobs beat Robert Moses in his attempt to “ruin” Manhattan but the net result was its out-of reach real estate for the average person and not the thing she envisioned.  Perhaps that is why she ended up in Canada.

10)  A New Year is coming and a time to hope for the best and to reminisce about our past year(s)----for me---I would rather look ahead.  The past is history (there is a cliche of the many I can use) and some of it seems from another life. 

                                                          

The Year End of Traditions

The Snow is Falling---the Wind is Howling and if I were Cole Porter I would write a song and make a fortune.  I am not he so I will just add a few thoughts to the wonderful show that my co-host Ron Olesko put together after I called him and told him of my storm dilemma.  I thank him (who lives closer) to trekking in and doing our joint annual program (and ---as on the other posting---no joints were involved===hey---repeat a joke if you think of it--they all do.

Ron has been doing this program for some  30 years now---I would have said 30 odd years but some were not really odd--and for the past 17 years we have always done a year end show together---we missed this one but Ron tried to cover for us both.  My thanks===may I say--Mille Grazie (just love saying that) to him and also to the great 3 hours he created for us all.  I was, like you, and entranced audience member.

The one thing that was not covered and we would have done that was a remembrance of people we lost this year---and may I add at this point we lost Phil Ochs years back but on Dec. 19 would have  been is 70th Birthday---John Lennon was a tragic loss--Kate Wolf was a tragic loss---Harry Chapin was a tragic loss---all at young ages and, surely, we commemorate the past and the present losses.  It is the nature of things---of, perhaps, the cycle of life,  It can sometimes be tragic and sometimes full and fruitful.  It always ends.

So to memorialize--in this new era of electronic possibilities a few videos of  people I would like to remember (Kate McGarrigle can be seen on the Playlist page and in wonderful remembrance in the NY Times Magazine of 12/26/10):








Susan Reed passed away this past year and while this video shows her in a younger day I knew her as a charming person of talent in Nyack, NY who ran a wonderful crafts shop and appeared in local concerts with such luminaries as Pete Seeger. Her history is quite interesting and worthy of investigation

The next piece is about the late Irwin Silber---the founder of Sing Out magazine (publication) and a wonderful piece of documentary and history---he passed on this year and his achievements and history should be remembered---



Let us now go back to the one person that you may all well recall and who is also posted on the Playlist page---Kate McGarrigle---

THURSDAY ---Another Edition of...............

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

    

1)     I was so glad to see so many happy people---young and old—at the Buskin & Batteau (w/ Marshall Rosenberg) concert at Orangeburg a few days ago.  The lads are fairly talented you will all agree---I am sure.

2)     Don’t you just love the fact that you can have the opportunity for a “free dinner” from Chase Bank if you have the lucky number but you cannot get them to modify a loan---or, worse, after they are bailed out they now buy tax liens with that money and dun (and increase the interest and fees) on home owners?   Ebenezer does live and was the most realistic character in Dickens novel.  By the way---Bank of America is the worst offender---and the all use screen names---not the corporate ones for those internet auctions. 

3)     The phone booth for this blog got so crowded (and some of you did not shower) last week we actually moved it into a larger area----a triple Porta Potty

4)     My cholesterol levels must have hit a new high the other day after viewing Breakfast At Tiffanys ---all that “schmaltz” to go along with the blood sugar levels from all the sweetness.  Truly a dated and “nothing special” pic.   That said---S O B is still good and truly funny---Blake Edwards in full stride.

5)     How many people feel that the next generation and those following will not know what a true Bway experience is after seeing and believing that things like Lion King, Spiderman (if it ever sees the light of day—and hopefully the injured will), or Phantom of The Opera?   Seems that a Bway experience should not be an enhanced imitation of a film but, rather, an experience to be had as true “theater” where the actors transport you and not some special effects.   It’s not film.

6)     Traditions on WFDU this Sunday will be a real---how shall I say it---“heimische” afternoon(should have used that for Sunday Simcha).  Ron Olesko and I will be together for a live year end program---no Auld Lang Syne (at least from me) but some 10 recordings of things that we really liked this year---and having to fore-go other good ones they will be posted later.   A remembrance of some of the people that left us this year and a few other items---hope you will be joining us. 

7)     If you were a Barney Miller fan you will mourn the death of Steve Landsberg---Sgt. Dietrich at age 69.

8)     A great definition of theater on NPR earlier today by a drama critic”...if you want to see a circus go to the circus but if you want an experience that will have you thinking and feeling about what you saw afterwards----that is a theater production”.

                                  

THURSDAY--Another Edition of.........

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

    

1)        The Charlie Brown “I want a dog for Christmas” episode was on the other day and it was a delight---and I am glad to see that Snoopy has evolved and matured and developed into Brian (on Family Guy).

2)        The show for Solstice at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is spectacular and I am sorry that we do not have tickets to offer our loyal listeners of Traditions on WFDU this year. 

3)        You have to wonder how this nation got to where it is given all the self interest when you hear the NPR report on the banks (under assumed—screen—names) buy up real estate tax liens with their bail out money and then dun the homeowners while adding fees and interest.   Henry F. Potter would have been proud---you fans of “holiday schmaltz” will know what I mean.

4)        Speaking of NPR, one has to admire Richard Holbrooke’s last words---and then all the spinning by the pundits.  When were words just words with no other meaning than the ones spoken?

5)        New Years celebrations are coming up and I have to wonder why so many people feel they need this forced gayety and artificial moment of memory which, as Shakespeare said on a different topic---signifies nothing.   Sometimes the comfort of a warm home can be enough---and one’s thoughts.

6)        Lots of commemorations for the untimely death of John Lennon recently.  It would have been his 70^th Birthday around this time---well, here is someone we should also recall and remember since he would have been 70 on December 19 and left us way too soon=-=-==PHIL OCHS.

7)        There are always some words that remain in your head like those a prof. at college years ago—“...invest your earnings in real estate in these 1960 dollars because they will be worth a lot more in the 1990s”.   So—how did he know that and I thought that nothing ever changes-----THEN—I see the front page RE ads in the NY Times magazine for condos---1 bedroom starting at 1.5 million.  That is why he was a prof.

8)        Here are some words to live by that appealed to me more---from a long departed aunt who also had some published medical monographs---“...reach outside your own circle to find an answer you are not sure of...”

9)        Have any of you sharing this virtual phone booth not showered today?

10)  I find that most people call the radio program(s) to mention errors---that is good.  Lets me know they are out there and the choir being preached to is alert----great comment from my guest Si Kahn===”.. My father was a Rabbi and he never preached to a Lutheran Choir but he did preach to his choir and if many people do that in an inclusive way we are all home free.”

                                                

THURSDAY and Another Edition of...............

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

    

1)        I was truly saddened by the news of Elizabeth Edwards (nee Anania---probably a better way of recalling her) who survived a long battle with cancer and a marriage with class until the end of both.

2)        It’s just wonderful that there are people who can honestly say when being told of some bad acts by others----“.. it’s over and move on now since they are not going away and neither are we.  Tolerance is a word that comes to mind---with great effort.

3)        I am always delighted, honored---and truly surprised at my good fortune---to have met and engaged in conversation and friendship (with many) with so many people because of TRADITIONS & SUNDAY SIMCHA.

4)        Facebook was a stroke of genius to its creator and a truly misleading thing to those who think they really made “friends”.   “Sounding Boards”, “Customers”, and “Targets for Ads” would be a better term.

5)        Advertising has changed from the days of “Mad Men”---a whole new and abbreviated way of communicating.  Some truly technically and electronically creative and yet not literarily creative.   The  question is would the real BBDOs(Batten Barton Durstine Osborne), Y&Ms(Young & Rubicam), O&M (Ogilvy and Mather), DDB (Doyle Dane Bernbach) haver rolled with it or just their initials since they are long gone and we now live with a world of initials.  As Shakespeare said –“...full of sound and fury signifying---NOTHING”.

6)        If TV is a “ wasteland” as Newton Minnow once, so famously said, it has truly changed----into  a “barren desert”.  That applies to the “networks”—Cable is getting more creative---and, ecologically important given all their re-cycling---of older material that had some merit when the networks were still a “wasteland”.

7)    The seat countdown for the Buskin & Batteau (with Marshall Rosenberg) is shrinking rapidly---only 20 left at this writing---and they are FREE.  Best to call 845 359-2244 so see if you can still find a place to park your fanny for this event.

8)   NYC is really cracking down on unpaid parking tickets so a helpful  hint and I am not Heloise----plead not guilty via mail and you will either be fined 50% less that billed or--if you can back up your story--have it dismissed.