This is to share and make a smallish comment about a jaw-droppingly powerful image that I have just seen, disseminated to my newsfeed today by Nation magazine. I’m not sure if I should directly feature the work of the Australian painter, lushsux, licensable by Getty images— but, after all, lushsux hopes go viral as a … Continue reading Dog! How F*cked Up Is You?
Month: January 2021
P.S: Another Note to My Senators
Reading my news feeds today, two things struck me as noteworthy and somewhat related to this and this recent posts. First, amid the current stress on "When will Trump loyalists acknowledge that he lost?" -- and that refusing to acknowledge it means at minimum flirting with complicity in, if not actively fomenting, a literal fascist … Continue reading P.S: Another Note to My Senators
Attempting to Talk to My Republican Senator
Counting my home in East Tennessee and a small summer cabin in Wisconsin in an old pasture where my Mom grew up, I have four Senators and two Congressional Representatives. By extension I have skin in the game in one swing state (where I wish I could vote) and another state that one day might … Continue reading Attempting to Talk to My Republican Senator
Another Day in America
"Ah, America. We saw it. We tipped it over, and then we sold it." One of many unforgettable lines burned into my soul by this Laurie Anderson song from Homeland. Here's another: "And you, who can be silent in four languages; your silence will be considered your consent." That one tells the actual story of today's … Continue reading Another Day in America
12 (plus 1) Songs for Christmas: “When You Go Down” and “Starting Over”
"When you go down, all the children will sing. When you go down, the bells of freedom will ring. One two three four five six seven. John Lewis is gonna shout from heaven....When you go down." I've featured this before, but this is definitely the song we need for today. Thanks, grassroots Georgia organizers! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCKoNBDpPRk … Continue reading 12 (plus 1) Songs for Christmas: “When You Go Down” and “Starting Over”
12 Songs for Christmas: I Got So High That I Saw Jesus
Little by little, I have come to a realization that (as a commentator on a youtube thread articulated it) “Holy shit, I think I’m a Miley Cyrus fan.” It’s been a long time coming, and by no means implies interest in everything she’s ever done. If you think this sounds absurd, click on this link, … Continue reading 12 Songs for Christmas: I Got So High That I Saw Jesus
12 Songs for Christmas: Dejlig Er Jorden (Beautiful is the Earth)
I created not just one new song, as we've already discussed, but two new lyrics inspired by a Christmas concert by Harald Haugaard and Helene Blum. Both are rough translations—or loose paraphrases—that allow us to sing great Danish music in English. The second one is on deck today. It extends my recent train of thought … Continue reading 12 Songs for Christmas: Dejlig Er Jorden (Beautiful is the Earth)
12 Songs for Christmas: “River” with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter
Possibly my favorite Christmas song ever, which of course was written by Joni Mitchell. Performed here with worthy vocals but the real point is the song and the exceedingly fine jazz arrangement. Mike drop! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1dsuUzJOBs Believe it or not, some of the other songs on this album are even better. This record is a must-listen … Continue reading 12 Songs for Christmas: “River” with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter
12 Songs for Christmas: Heavy Balloon
I said that my “12 Songs for Christmas” would be unranked. But that is with an asterisk because there is zero doubt in my mind about the album of the year—and with clear separation from everything else I've heard. For a change this is by consensus—pretty much all the critics agree. I was getting … Continue reading 12 Songs for Christmas: Heavy Balloon
12 Songs for Christmas: Christmas in Washington
“It’s Christmas time in Washington, and the Democrats rehearse. Getting into gear for [an upcoming] year of things not getting worse. Republicans drink whiskey neat and thank their lucky stars. [Thanks to Senate minority rule, with Wyoming voters weighing 68 times more than Californians] There’ll be no more FDRs.” So said Steve Earle, more or less, … Continue reading 12 Songs for Christmas: Christmas in Washington
MBE: Mark's blogging experiment 