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

The weekly flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.

NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

1) The more I think about it the more I realize that radio is what it is supposed to be on WFDU---eclectic, multi-genre, hosts present what they feel appropriate, and, of course, the fact that a real on air person picks up a phone---it really is “The Right Place On The Left Side of The Dial”. The rest is left to your thoughts. Oh---only one fund raiser a year which garners over 90% fulfillment –a record (Simcha had 100%---such a Kvell).


2) The ASPCA should really try to get Brian (of Family Guy) to be their spokesperson. It could be the next evolutionary step for the canine world against the human world.


3) The judge hearing the case for banning drilling in the Gulf rejected the argument because the government did not prove it unsafe. He is now an oil drilling expert I suppose and, as I recall, BP’s work there was also fairly safe---according to them and the government.


4) I bet you cannot guess what company is having a windfall from the publicity regarding how its product helps clean up those poor critters that are oil soaked. Of course they are not going to mention that it, as much else in our lives, is petroleum based.


5) The World Cup is entrancing the world and, while I do believe it more interesting than U S Football, I have to wonder why that is given the lack of scoring and the unending clock. Tennis, to me, is still more fascinating even though I heard that Federer was behind at Wimbledon (and then won) but during a break was concerned about the World Cup scores---eclectic fellow.


6) Tennis, at least, does not puncture anyone’s ear drums with the sounds found in World Cup (horns), Baseball (bugle calls), and oh so many more invasions of those poor overworked aural canals.


7) I know that times and issues are different but one really has to call the Gen. McChrystal business Pres. Obama’s “Harry Truman Moment”—even Lincoln hesitated regarding Gen. McClellan.


8) In the continuing quest for the answers to Bob Dylan’s ever so deep questions ( some covered in the last few weeks) the question now is ---why won’t he work on Maggie’s Farm anymore? Seemed like it worked out, metaphorically, quite well for him during the heyday of the folk protest movement that he seemed to want to rise above.


9) That was a great documentary about Bill Kunstler on POV this past week. What a wonderful project his daughters created---warts and all. That is real honesty. Just like the daughter of Ramblin’ Jack Elliot a few years back.


10) I liked what the lady who handles jury selection said when she got to the question about waiving your Jury fee---“..never saw anyone say yes to that and if they did I would have to wonder about their competence to serve”. Great sense of humor from truly not over-worked civil servant.

11)  You have to hand it to the Brits and Wimbledon---no tie breakers for them.  Now we have the longest game ever played---time now to sing "Tradition"

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

The weekly flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon .

NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......




1) It always surprises me when you see some educated people you expect to know certain things---and don’t and then find people less educated—and they do. One of the true cliches in this world has to do with books and their covers. It also works for books.


2) However the NY archaic divorce law debate ends it just proves Robert Klein’s brilliant song last week (HBO) correct with regard to gay marriage---they should be allowed to be as unhappy as anyone else.


3) It’s getting to look a lot like recent old times with this administration. Charismatic leadership and dynamism ended with Harry Truman (which was begat by FDR) and briefly resurrected by Ronald Reagan (in the passing of time which is now history).


4) Yesterday was Bloomsday---obscure but commemorated over the world. I wish I had known James Joyce since an aunt and uncle did and he was, besides, a great writer a humanitarian who effected the saving of many—well, some—Jews from that nasty Adolf.


5) Oh glory the Shinecock Indians are now recognized as a tribe and they can now fulfill their dreams by going back to their traditional way of life---Casinos. Oh glory to the great spirit.


6) Don’t “Day Traders” have something in common with “Day Gamblers” in Vegas and AC? Don’t call them investors unless you want to call the Vegas crowd “wheel” or “card” investors.


7) Do new ideas for TV programs really run out? Given this period it seems so---and you do not have to look even past 10-15 years.


8) PBS is to be congratulated for having no commercials---merely fund-raisers every other week recycling past programs and appearance by guys in bad hairpieces. I always look for the copyright date on their credits---if it is within the past 2 years it is truly an arousing moment. Yep---you got it right!


9) Alex Trebeck has no great talent and that is his great talent which has kept this program (Jeopardy) on since the first contestant---not sure if it was before his time---I believe it was Abraham who talked a bit about Sarah and the desert in his brief interview. A very “shtubbable” lady who blessed him with many children---and they all got into the college of their choice—only one available at the time—as he stated. CDU---Canaan Desert University. They had a major in sand. They also had a nice radio station==WCDU---followed thousands of years later by one with very close call letters and located next to many “Lantsmen”.


10) More questions about some Dylan lyrics—it was already asked about How Many Roads Must a Man Travel until he gets a GPS, The Answer is Blowing in the Wind---but, what is the question—and now one has to wonder about that Blue Eyed Son---everything that happens to him causes a Hard Rain to Fall. Would that he had an umbrella---or a helmet since this could be a hailstorm. So many questions and so few answers for such a deep thinker.

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

The weekly flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.

NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......

1) It is strange that Helen Thomas said what she did since she should have a better grasp of historical fact since she looks like she has been around since the beginning of recorded history.

2) You have to wonder why someone with a somewhat sterling career insists on clouding it just as that sun is setting and she is going the way of print media---sad about print media, not sad about such a person.


3) Pixies, Gorillaz, Klaxons (OK you probably never heard of them---neither did I) have cancelled their Israeli tour along with Elvis Costello (OK you heard of him) because of the Flotilla incident; so, I wonder what made some mindless music makers mavens of monumental moments in diplomacy.


4) If Hamas had its way the groups that would have toured would have had no place to tour.


5) How sad it is that all those suicide bombers and terrorists got to the Pearly Gates (or wherever they were supposed to go) and discovered that it was not Virgins but Virginians ---and they beat the hell out of them. They really should have had a spell check on their marching orders. As to Virgins---don’t these folks ever want anyone with experience?


6) It always surprises me when I think something or somebody is universally known and it turns out people never heard of it or that person. I guess that brings us back to the old Odd Couple expression from Felix (Tony Randall) –“Never assume—it makes and ass out of u and me”


7) A program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Newark) has a program for dying patients that you should read about in the NY Times (6/8/10). It will bring, not only a tear or two, but might make you wonder how you can get involved in something like this.


8) It is great to see the positive theater review in the NY Times that starts with “.... a new hero has come to town and his name is Hershelle. Hershelle Ostropolier.”. Either they agreed with me---or more likely me with them---though check below and see it here first.


9) How many people recall this holiday---Juneteenth Day? We’ll address that this Sunday on Traditions.


10) If the answer is blowing in the wind then where did the question come from---and what was it?

REVIEW---THE ADVENTURES OF HERSHELLE OSTROPOLYER

A bit of a tongue twister to the uninitiated to be sure. A simpler and briefer start to this is to tell you that it is now playing at the National Yiddish Theater (Folksbiene) in the Baruch Center for The Arts  in NYC (25th St. /Lexington Ave.).  The brief run ends on June 27.2010.

This is a musical play based on a real, supposedly, folk hero of a play written by Moishe Gershenson.  The cast includes--and not in order of appearance---Mike Burstyn (Hershelle), I W Firestone (Reb Kalmen) Dani Marcus (Tsipke), Daniella Rabbani (Dvoshe) and a bevy of other talented artists.

If the children of Tevya were orphans and one of them wanted to marry this might well have been her story.  A comedic tale in the tradition of Fiddler, Gilbert and Sullivan, and totally Yiddish in concept with music to add to that concept. And also totally equal to the power and story line of Fiddler on the Roof thanks to this brilliant cast and the interpretation of the director.

An opening number featuring the entire cast singing the number in Yiddish and each chorus of that in English is musically brilliant and then shifts to the entrance of the two lovers singing entirely in Yiddish (fear not---supertitles in English and Russian (?) for that and the rest of the show.  Enter, then, our hero---Hershelle (Mike Burstyn) in a number that will floor anyone who sees it. 

The two lovers have, of course, a problem and the only thing standing in their way is Reb Kalmen---the Pawnbroker who holds the ring of the girl's grandmother that is needed for the wedding and can only be returned to her. She, however, is dead.    

What transpires to bring off a wonderful wedding thanks to Hershelle and to the many characters he creates to fool, not only, Reb Kalman, the pawnbroker and miser (I W Firestone), Genendl (Lori Wilner), Zaydl (Steve Sterner) and the redemption of Kalman in the likes of Scrooge is a wonderful tale filled with some joyous music that will have everyone's feet tapping.

While Mike Burstyn will totally grab you with his solo numbers---and even his Michael Jackson "moonwalk"--there are numbers that have the power to move you in so many ways---Meshuge, Koynim (where are the Customers) , and so many more.  

Eleanor Reissa directed and choreographed this production and Zalmen  Mlotek (with thanks to his mother for initially starting the project---years ago) is the musical director for the Folksbiene.

The credits could go on for a long time since the lighting, stage setting, and all the other accoutrement need for for such a production are endless but, suffice it to say, here are some credits"

Lighting:   Kirk Brookman
Costumes   Gail Cooper Hecht
Scenic Designer: Roger Hanna


This production runs through June 27 and tickets can be purchased by calling 646 312-5073 or go to www.folksbiene.org

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

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.


NOBODY ASKED ME BUT......




1) The NY Times critic hit it on the head when commenting on the cancellation of “Law and Order”---An operetta compared to the Grand Opera of “Homicide---Life on The Streets” (I paraphrased and it was more detailed).

2) Richard Clarke’s latest book---“Cyber Wars” is a must read if you want to know the newest battlefield---and, strangely, being non-wired might make a nation less subject to successful attack and being totally wired (power grid, communications, etc;) more vulnerable.

3) Since less technology might be better---as in less is more---moving into a cave might not be so bad and I doubt that Bin Laden would be my neighbor since I suspect he is living high off the hog (well, not “kosher”—or whatever expression a Muslim would use) in a posh pad somewhere.

4) Why do nations play into the hands of provocateurs when it comes to PR? Israel did not do wrong---they just handled it wrongly and gave the publicity hounds exactly what they wanted.

5) You have to wonder why an Arabic Knesset member was aboard the ship and then spouted off to the news media. That says more to Israel’s openness to people than to Hamas’ flouting of rules of civility.

6) Memorial Day has come and gone and TCM played some grand old films---but the only one two I watched were real classics---From Here To Eternity and Mr. Roberts. Hard to believe that those films are around 60 years old---way past draft age.

7) Seems that acting had gotten a lot better around the time those films came out and I still think Frank Sinatra was a better actor than a crooner.

8) I am always delighted to find that the writers of “Family Guy” have the same sense of humor that I do and I always wish that it were possible to let youngsters watch---but not a good idea.

9) Having lost track of how many channels are now offered on Cable, Satellite, and whatever else there is out there I am still trying to count the programs that might be of interest (and new) and have to use two hands with, thankfully, ten fingers. So far---one hand does it. One finger does it for some of them---the middle one.

10) Having seen a Podiatrist today I am happy to find that he found nothing wrong in the area where my brains are stored.

MEMORIAL DAY

A brief prelude to our TRADITIONS program for May 30 to let you know that here we will commemorate Memorial Day as, one hopes, it should be commemorated. Song and Story and not bargain sales and other such moments of total missing of points.

As you know Si Kahn will be joining us for a period that will prove to be memorable in commemorating the day and also so shall the music for most of the program. I do promise we will end with a family reunion and barbecue---that is what our heroes fought for---though, one has to admit it has been a long time since we defended anything---that's for a later commentary.

Now let me give away the ending of the program right here---we will forego the theme and just play TAPS---but here is the entire history from this brilliant fellow and is also the person who performs it for us in the most moving way----