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

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon :

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

1)            You have to hand it to the Orthodox Jewish newspaper from Bklyn.  for narrow mindedness,  and making lying not a sin when they altered the iconic photo of the tension of awaiting the Seals capturing Osama Bin Laden. 

2)               Here is the ethical thing---don’t publish the shot.  In altering it you have shown disdain for women, a penchant for lying, and, perhaps worst, opened yourself for legal problems since the photo came with specific instructions it not be altered.

3)               Best that the publishers of Die Tzeitung (that is the paper) go to Pitkin Avenue and look for Joe & Paul---they know from altering---from coats to suits to gabardines----OY can they a bargain bring.

4)               How many recall when Adlai Stevenson had a problem in running because of his divorce?   Now we have Presidents who have affairs and now a contender who has his 3d wife (who he dated while married) to be his testimonial to his “family values”.  Say another hello to Newt Gingrich.

5)               With all the hype about Broadway musicals and Spiderman in particular has anyone noticed that the only “Broadway” shows of significance are dramas (that do not run for long) and 1 or 2 musicals?   All the rest is now Disneyland East---spectacles with no serious or comedic content (save 1 or 2)   Most good things are now Off Bway or regional.   Think of this---South Pacific---Lincoln Ctr. / War Horse—Lincoln Ctr. / West Side Story—Bellport NY.  Now if you want Juke Box Musicals and tourist attractions Bway is THE place---The Million Dollar Quartet, Jersey Boys, Abba, Lion King—and so on and on and on.

6)               Does anyone really care that Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife separated?  If so—well, let me look into Bartlett’s Book of Quotations---here it is---“get a life”

7)               Andrew Calhoun is one hell of an honest songwriter---stick around for the day I have him on TRADITIONS---probably on 5/29.   You do not want to miss it and all the other material that day.

8)               I have to repeat a great joke which was told by the grand-daughter of Sholom Aleichem.  She is now 100 years of age and teaching a course in Jewish Humor.  Married to a man who is 94 she makes the point that he likes older women---OK—the joke:

        “The Frenchman says: ‘I’m tired and thirsty. I must have wine.’ The German says: ‘I’m tired and thirsty. I must have beer.’ The Jew says: ‘I’m tired and thirsty. I must have diabetes.’ ”.

       Bel Kaufman is the author of the best-seller Up The Down Staircase.

9)              I don’t have a “smart” phone since it would make me feel truly stupid---a phone smarter than myself.  Horrors.

10)       Stu Marcus, the force behind the annual Harry Chapin concert on Long Island attracts some terrific talent for this Free event (you do have to bring food for the local pantries) and wondered how he might get Billy Joel to appear.  He has all the creds for this---Long Island,  stated many times his music is mistaken for Harry Chapin, and, while it is always a “sold out” event---this could really make it even more-so---and put a great feather in the cap of Stu Marcus, who desperately needs another feather in his cap.

11)       I wonder why John Prine never got around to writing a song about Steve Goodman---who, besides being a great friend, pushed him to the fore at the beginning.   He states, in Clay Eals’ book that he still has not had the inspiration.   Strange.  Think Harry Chapin/Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin/Pete Seeger, Eric Bogle/Kate Wolf.  Inspiration!

12)       Make sure you do not miss the segment about songwriters and singers on Traditions this Sunday----it may well explain the above---Andrew Calhoun will be my guest 2 weeks from then.

                                  

Some Thoughts and Some Suggestions Required

On TRADITIONS, as you are aware, I always start the program with some, what I consider, wonderful new music that was sent over the proverbial transom.   That will not change.  But I could use some suggestions about a thought I had for the program.  You, hopefully, are listeners and appreciate the program and all the wonderful guests that join us (that will not change).

In thinking of it I am so delighted that there are many "elders", so to speak, that are still with us---Pete Seeger being the lead off hitter in that category.  Yet,  we have lost so many before their time.   It is, sadly, a long list.  Yet, their music should always be recalled.    I speak here of people like Steve Goodman, Kate Wolf, Harry Chapin, Phil Ochs---oh---many more.   SO--the question.  Would you want about 20 or so minutes devoted to these people on a bi-weekly basis (one at a time)---you requests would be honored.?

Your input on this would be greatly appreciated.   I know how I feel about it but I always want to keep the program to be something you--the listener--wants to hear.

No picture and no influence today.  Just an honest question.

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

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

1)   This is an off week and the posting will resume next week.  Some planning for Sunday Simcha interviews and Traditions programming took precedence.

THURSDAY--Another edition of..........

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

1)            This Sunday is Yom Hashoah---Holocaust Remembrance Day.   A brief moment at the start of Traditions will commemorate the event with the voice of Paul Robeson.   Sunday Simcha will have ended with a Priestly Blessing.  More thoughts on Yom Hashoah and events of similar horror is discussed in a previous blog ---scroll down.

2)            Now that Pres. Obama has put his birth certificate on the internet it only seems appropriate that people look at my original passport---it is on Facebook.  One has to keep up with the celebs and power brokers.

3)            Watching the 15 year old re-runs of Homicide—Life on the Street always delivers something new---a great comment (I never saw before) by Det. Munch (Richard Belzer)---“..the only thing more boring than a baseball game is a Ken Burns documentary about Baseball”.   It had to be said.

4)            I am delighted that so many people have liked (and requested) more material by Dennis Wolfberg on Sunday Simcha.  Sadly, due to his early demise, it is limited but the requests will be obliged as best as possible.

5)            “Get Low” is another brilliant Robert Duvall film and I wonder how many people see, as I do, the analogy in the plot with the Jewish trek through the desert for 40 years.

6)            So many meaningful places that instilled wonderful values are gone now and not truly replaced by any equivalent. I am thinking of Ethical Culture School Camp (ECSC) after just receiving an e mail from someone who’s parents were cook and handyman at the place those many years back. He, as I, felt it was the most influential place in our future lives.  Check out the website of the person who organizes re-unions to find out more--- www.ecsccampinfo.com

7)            But a great bit of training it was to learn touch typing and now all you need to use are your thumbs.  Whatever happened to writing full sentences?   What happened to a regular keyboard (or typewriter) as opposed to the annoying lap-top flat keyboards for which you need at least 12 thumbs and no fingers.

People are always texting---picture 2 people in a restaurant for an intimate dinner.  They do not speak,  They text each other about what they should order.   After they text the order to the waiter and eat they go home and text each other while having sex to ask ---“...how are you doing?’—the reply  “...LOL”---OMG

                         

SOME PROGRAMMING UPDATES & SOME COMMENTS

SUNDAY SIMCHA----On May 1 we will be spending some time with a few versions of Rumania Rumania because you will be listening to an unbelievable version as you have never heard it before.  Believe me!!  This all has to do with some mention of a show you do not want to miss---The Adventures of Hershele Ostrapolyer ---put on by the Folbsbiene at the Baruch Center for Performing Arts.  It starts on May 15 for a limited engagement through part of June.   Starring Mike Burstyn and directed by Eleanor Reissa (also on the 5/1 program) with musical magic by Zalmen Mlotek---all guests on this program at some point.

                      May 1 will also be the commemoration of Yom Hashoah and since much of the program is devoted to the above we will close with a beautiful piece by Susan Colin---=Benediction. 

                       In the near future I am hoping to have, as a guest, on the program Leila Levinson, the author of Gated Grief.   She will be speaking at Beth El Synagogue in New Rochelle NY on May 1---Yom Hashoah.  Her book is wonderful piece which explains, among other things, the deep feelings and issues that were felt by the soldiers who liberated the concentration camps.  The scars of this horror runs even past the actual victims. 
                        You will be kept posted as to when Ms Levinson will be joining me---and if you have questions you would like me to ask her please let me know.

TRADITIONS :  Since we did not spend much time on Yom Hashoah in Simcha I will surely be doing a brief segment on this program on May 1 since, as you know, this program is all about topical material that derive or involve "folk" music---and, hey, as Woody Guthrie once said---"...you are the folk".  Well, if he didn't he should have.  As to Yom Hashoah--the short explanation is the Day of Remembrance for the Jews who perished in the Holocaust---a few more thoughts are below.

                            Since it is also birthday time for yours truly I suppose some material on aging would be appropriate---how about Forever Young---though I find that a tough one to play, since as Eric Bogle famously said,---"/...I don't play any Dylan".

                           Of course there will be some wonderful new material---and, as always, a few surprises along with the features which, somehow, will and should include Hazel Dickens.


----------------                                         ---------------------                                ------------------

SOME COMMENTS  --That is what the title said and that is what has now to follow:

                  Yom Hashoah , as mentioned above, is a very somber and serious commemoration--remembrance, if you will.   On both programs I have always made a point of including it but what I have never included are some of these comments---

                    We rightfully recall and remember these tragic events and horrors of  humankind.  What we do not do, however, is realize that there were--and still are---tragedies of this magnitude going on around us.  Think of killings in various African nations, the mayhem in the Middle East, and, looking further back.  Was not Slavery and the kidnapping of African people to our shores in that same vein?    In truth a Yom Hashoah commemoration should be commemorated for ever so many peoples in the hope that humankind will finally appreciate life and dignity---and, unlike the animals of the wild who kill for food--abide together in a peaceful and productive way.

                     In the full realization that WFDU and its program will not be receiving any Peabody Awards, Emmy Awards, etc; and that we have no permanent--or even temporary--drama/ film critic let me just give you a few reviews---

                         The Adventures of Hershele Ostrapolyer---You have seen it mentioned above,.  As the NY Times pointed out---Brilliant---a cross of Til Eulenspiegel, The Court Jester, and Robinhood and not to be
 missed.
                            The Kings Speech --  Out now on DVD and I just viewed it.  How does one describe trying to stifle many yawns.   Let me be brief---boring, trite with good acting, and horrible presentations of famous figures---Churchill, Chamberlain, etc;   Glad I never went to the movie palace (palace?) for the very nominal admission charge today for this piece of---nuff said.
                              Homicide---Life on The Streets--Having discovered this series on re-runs on Centric (Cable TV) it has to be said that it is still the best series of its kind ever made---great cast, dramatic character studies that are more than the crimes (think Law/Order and the rest of that franchise).  It is from the 1990s and, to  me, has not been surpassed.  The Golden Age of Television should have to include this as part of the treasure trove---and the creator did go on to receive a MacArthur Genius grant (award).  He also does (or did) The Wire.

                   More on Thursday when I flip the fedora for Jimmy Cannon

                 

                    
                 
                                

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

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

   

1)           I could have waited but wanted to alert all that on the May 1 program of Sunday Simcha you will hear “Rumania,Rumania” as you have never heard it before---tune in to find out who this great artist is who supplied me with a recording that he did live in a tribute to his father and is not recorded anywhere.

2)           Maureen Dowd really hits things on the head---first (well, not first since she has been doing this a long time) Dylan and now in the past few days the nonsense about the searches at Airports---always a day late and a dollar short.  For some reasons the Israelis have gotten it right for over 50 years.

3)           Judges should be elected---period.   Leave an elected official to appoint a judge and I do hope you don’t have a relative the politico does not like and you have a case before his honor of little honor.

4)           Does anyone recall the time when you opened a business, say, restaurant, and the city (of NY) and the unions were not part of making the whole thing into political fracas?  

5)           Why do people who work a long day doing whatever they do want to come home and watch “reality TV” when they spent their day in reality and might want some “escape” entertainment with some cultural significance.  Admittedly, you won’t find much of that on TV---years ago you did and the re-runs might well be worth the view.

6)           Why oh why does anyone give a damn about the “royal wedding”?  I, many times, try to avoid invitations to people I know---I don’t know these people and don’t care to know them.   A book—many years back—talking of radio and hype talked of the public as “The Great Unwashed”.  They await this event with baited breath (since they never bother with a breath freshener or a good diet)---heard a woman in a MD’s waiting room expounding (not a word she knows) on how “...great this will be---cannot miss it.”  Wish I had asked her to show me her invitation.

7)           The article in the NY Times about Kiryas Joel (in Orange County  NY) and its alleged “poverty” might well have been headlined “Truly poor or very rich in schemes”?.  Religious groups of all denominations have some truly creative ways of avoiding taxes and still hold local political influence.

8)           When they lowered the deceased into the ground with his cell phone in hand as was requested he really did not respond to the calls of “can you hear me now” that he thought might resurrect him.

9)           It brings us to the question---why Good Friday?---seems it was not all that good. Next would come “not such a bad Saturday”-- one supposes.

  10)     Equal time for deep religious is only proper so        since it is the Passover season best to quote Lewis Black (you do need the angry voice)—“....kind and loving God—right---“He Abe bring the kid over I have a few requests---and Moses---guess what---you ain’t getting in after all”.   And as to the Seder Service---for years I have poured a cup of wine for Elijah---now, it seems, he has a female companion –Miriam—and she too has some wine waiting.  No one has entered yet but burglers and they did not drink the wine---something about being diabetic and Manischewitz would not be a    wise choice for one in that condition.