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

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.

NOBODY ASKED ME BUT..

1) You will not want to miss the August 7 TRADITIONS program on WFDU when my guest is the most amazing talent and conversationalist you will find in many a moon. Her name---well, listen to the show.

2) How many of us of a certain age recall places like Lafayette Electronics where you could purchase replacement parts for items? Even the late lamented Circuit City sold open box items to be used as replacement parts. No way today---Target had all kinds of broken floor samples and would not part with one---that is the policy---sure---buy a new unit when they will be throwing out their junk anyway.

3) On the lighter side one has to wonder why a store like Best Buy (and is it really) has a whole section devoted to a particular item for demonstration and each and every one has a dead battery so you cannot demo it. Sounds like a great PR plan to me. Hope for the best.

4) Is it possible that all religions are peopled buy folks that can interpret the will of whatever deity they believe in--- Jews interpret laws to satisfy their benefits, Catholics as well---and, I suppose, they all do that. So, if there really is this omnipresent divinity who or which is all knowing---how does a mere mortal decide what that entity is deciding. Does not seem Kosher---or Halal—or whatever .

5) There seem to be some sort of inverse ratio to the amount of TV channels that are available and the dearth of any decent content. When there were just about 7 or so channels you really had quality---you recall the stone age of TV.

6) California was thinking of banning circumcision and if the law were to pass violating it would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine if $1,000. Wow---that is one expensive cut of meat---the courts threw out the ballot proposition.

7) If I raise my own debt ceiling it seems like a good idea to also lower the payment floor.

8) If one pays in to Social Security and Medicare and then collects on it when the time comes I do believe that is not a “governmental handout”. It is a social contract bought and paid for. The tax loopholes for the wealthy, the corporations, the medical insurance and non-contributory pensions (and all the paid vacation time and junket time) for the allegedly hard working politicos is a governmental handout. Time to get the facts straight.


                                                         

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

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.


NOBODY ASKED ME BUT..
1) Before there was Medicare and before there was big Pharma pharmacists mixed their Rxs and MD talked with you. Now, medicine is supplied by the large Corps. –better, surely, but overpriced---as well. MDs, who are caring and good still speak to and diagnose their patients---but given the pressures on them from the bureaucracy one is lucky to find such caring MDs. Happily I have. Not to generalize but most are Not In Rockland County.

2) Here is a wee lesson I learned in High School---a broadsheet ( NY Times is all that is left in this area) covers full stories and the lead is in the 1st paragraph (and a synop. In the headline). The Tabloids make sure everything is on one page. The broadsheets (in general) give an objective overview and the Tabloids---well, you have seen the headlines---they tell you what you should think in the most bizarre terms.

3) Does anyone remember when the Daily News was a rag and the NY Post was an intelligent paper? Bless Rupert Murdoch to bringing everything down to the lowest possible common denominator and enriching himself and, in NY, making the Daily News seem almost intellectual.

4) Wait for the dive into the sewer of the Wall St. Journal. Midas touched things and they turned to gold---Murdoch touches things and he turns his acquisitions into----how does one cleanly say fecal matter?

5) Lighter note time brings us to some great new material that has been sent to me from some wonderful and creative artists---I do hope you will be tuned in to TRADITIONS on 7/24 to meet them (via their recordings). You will meet some of them live on air over the next few weeks after that.

6) Someone has informed me that there are still some summer camps that hew to the ideal of rusticity and social involvement rather than being posh sports academies hoping for future reservations like posh hotels. Thank heavens! Read the NYT Business of 7/10 to see what I mean. They only speak of the “posh” business models---look around you will find alternatives.

7) In thinking of life’s journey one realizes there are landmark moments that change a life and open a door to another road. I suspect many of you have had that insight.

8) While I am a true aficionado of Phil Ochs Song Nights intellectually (so wonderfully put together by Sonny Ochs and a bevy of brilliant people) I am attracted, viscerally, to the music of Harry Chapin and bless those who keep that in the fore to this day.

9) But think of this---Citizen Rupert Murdoch=Citizen Kane. May they both end the same way.

10) In Tel Aviv there are now tent cities protesting the disparity of wealth between the citizenry of Israel. Gee, how come NYC never seems to have that problem---probably because everything is so reasonable and accessible in the Big Apple. Folks pay over $1200 for a 400 sq.ft. studio (walk-up) and consider it a bargain. See what hype, image, and the Style Section of the NY Times can do for you---beats reality.

                                                         

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

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.

Either a day early or a week late----whatever:


NOBODY ASKED ME BUT..
1) Before there was “texting” there was “conversation” and it seemed a lot more civilized than being with someone who is also staring at a screen and thumbing.

2) There was a time when we had “friends’ and we had “acquaintances”. Now with Facebook and other sites you have “friends” that are not even “acquaintances”. Do not ask them for a loan! You may get a virtual one.


3) I suppose I should not even think of who I want to win a tournament (Wimbledon) I could well be the kiss of death. Check the results and you will see what I mean.


4) How many remember when wars were fought on battlefields and not in civilian terror attacks?


5) The question has to be asked---a conscript army or a paid volunteer army? Sounds like the difference between “patriotism” (of the founding fathers time and all wars up to Viet Nam) and “the business of war”. Good read on that is Si Kahn’s book about privatization and all the implications.


6) Some great new recordings by some greatly talented people have flown in over the always open transom at WFDU---here are a few: Brother Sun, Hungrytown, Caroline Solabello, and some wonderful stories in song from Claudia Nygaard.


Join me this Sunday at 3 PM at www.wfdu.fm and hear all of them along with a tribute to Dave Van Ronk (who would have been 75 around this time) and Harry Chapin in anticipation of the annual event at Eisenhower Park (Nassau County NY) on July 18 and on July 16 a Chapin Family Concert in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the loss of Harry Chapin. That will be at Hecksher Park in Suffolk County, NY






7) All that criticism of Cy Vance (NY DA) is over the top. He did the right thing---as did the NYPD. They stopped someone in a rush to leave and then honestly started to investigate the case. The tabloid—note—“tabloid”—media were the ones that rushed to judgment. Could that also be the case in Florida---I don’t know. I was not on the jury.


8) A DVR can be a great time machine to travel to a time when TV had quality programming unlike most of purely prurient pastiche posing as meaningful material.

                                                        

THURSDAY--Another Edition of--

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon :


 

 NOBODY ASKED ME BUT..

1)   In thinking of the horrible (where did horrific come from anyway?) news of the tragedy in Long Island at that pharmacy one has to wonder why we have to constantly cater to obviously guilty parties and protect their dignity and rights.  Did they ever think of that for the victims?   The rule of law is of great importance and it has evolved well---but there are exceptional circumstances.   This miscreant is one and is truly of a “rush to judgement” and incarcaration---or worse.

2)                  Sorry that I never met the late Huguette Clark.  I might have charmed her whilst she was living at Beth Israel Medical Center in good health and shared some of the bounty of her large estate.  The people who guide one at Newport, Rhode Island talk of the creators of fortunes and the inheritors---she was that perfect definition---and lived to 104. 

3)                  Wimbledon is on and the volume is ever so loud.  Why oh why do female players have to shriek at every shot they make?  Forget the inane excuse by one of the participants that it is her form of breath control.   Trying to upset her opponent and annoy the public sounds a lot more logical.

4)                  There are so many choices for diversion. Broadway musicals (unlike the “classic era” of them) costing in the range of over 150.00,  Movies over 10.00 and then there is radio (the theater of the mind) that has programs like “Moth Radio Hour”, “Prairie Home Companion”, and always think of the left side of the dial and WFDU.  The cost---nothing except a voluntary donation annually.

5)                  Given today’s comments I would have to add a line that I wish I could attribute to John McCain but cannot----“...get off my lawn..”.   We codgers like that even though, admittedly, some younger folks have more interest in lawns than I.

                                     

THURSDAY--Another Edition of--

A flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon.



NOBODY ASKED ME BUT..



1) I sure have to wonder when Broadway Musicals became Disneyland East devoid of good music and drama but filled with special effects and obscene prices. Spiderman is only that latest incarnation of a show that wants to be a mediocre film.


2) Given the prices on Broadway would it not be less expensive to see a film and stick to some quality that Broadway, rarely now, can offer? Usually drama.


3) Larry Kramer (The Normal Heart) hit it on the head---even though he sounded petulant in an interview---to paraphrase—“....the best material is Off Bway and the Tonys are just an exercise in promoting Bway shows to make money touring big venues—forget content and quality...”


4) Have you noticed the new punctuations are --- and not ,,,? I guess Walter Winchell was ahead of his time but a true pain in the ass in his own time.


5) What do you think old Bill Shakespeare would have made of this: U r a pitha and I lol at u. Gee---so close to “...to be or not to be....”.


6) Where have all the flowers gone? In my house---died. They never complained as a dog or cat might have. Just as well---less to do and I gave them a good send off. I think. Earth to Earth and plants appreciate water---so a toilet flush should suffice for farewell prayers and offerings.


7) So hard to resign from an office, embarass yourself, and still collect your pension in the 7 figures. One has to sympathize---and look at how many weiners a Weiner can buy with that number.


8) One would think that a man with such a name would think twice before becoming a punch line----he could really cash in by riding along on The Wiener Mobile---there is such a thing.


9) There was once a judge by the name of Putz===happily, he avoided becoming a punch line.

                                                   

A BIt of Nostalgia

We shall for, for the moment, forget the Thursday column, the radio program updates and spend a few seconds with 2 folks that brought meaning into a fairly meaningless life---No captions needed.

That pretty much says it all.