I do not find this a source of comedy. Yet, I can understand and even sympathize with those who take great and loud joys.
No former president has ever before faced official criminal charges. This sets a new precedent. And it might not even be it. In fact, now that this has happened, I suspect that Trump will find himself indicted on other charges, in places outside of New York, as well.
King Con Don thinks everyone is stupid. He plays everybody for fools. Of course, tens of millions of people number among his most loyal supporters, thus both enabling and encouraging him to keep on doing exactly what he is doing.
However, there should always be ramifications for doing wrong, and breaking the law. Trump paid off a porn star, even though he still cannot bring himself to admit it. From the very beginning, King Con Don has been like a clown, and has made the American political landscape resemble a circus.
But if it was ever funny - and frankly, many of us never found Trump or his shenanigans remotely funny - then the joke stopped being funny long ago. As Glenn Kirschner suggested in the video (link in prior post), we really started to resemble a banana republic. At the very least, it seemed like we were on the way towards abandoning our democracy and converting into a banana republic.
So on that score, I can certainly understand people taking this news with great joy.
In any case, here is one video providing a comedic, late night talk show reaction to the news:
Trump has been indicted...finally. He has now become the first person ever to hold the Office of the President of the United States to be indicted on criminal charges.
Once again, he makes history. The wrong kind of history. But when it comes to King Con Don, what else can you expect?
Now, he will appear before the judge on the arraignment.
Glenn Kirschner released this video yesterday about it, and provided the viewer with the facts, and what to expect next.
No, Trump is not likely to spend time behind bars before all of this goes to trial.
Yes, Kirschner is certainly aware that Trump seems intent on setting as much as he can on fire, and will likely try and urge his supporters to come to New York and "take back the country." He already attempted it, as we all know, and the events of January 6th followed. There really is no logical reason to think that Trump won't at least attempt something similar once again.
There is another major point which I agree with Kirschner on, and that is that this should not be a moment of glee and joy. Trump broke the law. In fact, he did this many, many, many times over the years and even decades, even predating his White House years. If there is reason to be pleased about this, it is that finally, there really is some evidence that this man will finally see the inside of a court room, and will have to defend himself against allegations of breaking the law. In other words, for the first time really, Trump will have to answer for his crimes.
If there is a positive message, it is that finally, there seems to be some kind of proof that nobody is above the law. Because up until very, very recently, it sure seemed that Trump was above the law. He would break the law - repeatedly - and then flaunt it. Brag about it, and strut about, trying to show off his immunity. It angered me to see this, and so I can understand the joy that so many people are taking in seeing this man finally being forced to recognize, even on some small level at this point, that no, he is not above the law. Once again, I agree with Kirschner and his assessment that this reverses the trend that we seemed to be getting closer to resembling a banana republic.
Frankly, I hope that he sees more indictments. Yet, I take no real joy in it, although I am pleased that, indeed, it does seem to restore some of the integrity of a justice system that looked, until now, like it was completely failing us with the seeming immunity of some elites, particularly Donald Trump.
Of course, Trump and his defenders will warn that there will be hell to pay. That this might incite a violent response, that it will destabilize the nation.
Here's the thing: we are a nation of laws. To me, the obvious political nature of Trump and his legal issues was the immunity that he used and abused because of his high office. Even before he took office, he seemed to get away with many crimes. But it was really starting to get ridiculous when he and his team seemed to make a point of pushing the envelope as much as possible and then, again, flaunting it.
If I can take pleasure in anything, then yes, it is that this pathetic man may finally be forced to learn some measure of humility. e might be knocked down a peg. I am certain that this trial does indeed have some political motivations, as Trump and his team have charged. Again, though, Trump did not so much use his political immunity from legal responsibilities as he abused them. At some point in time, he needs to be answerable for those crimes, from lying incessantly to abusing his executive power to try and dig up dirt on political foes to that "perfect" phone conversation with another head of state with a foreign nation to lying about the election and applying pressure on state officials to "find" thousands of votes to declare Trump the winner, and then of course, to inciting a violent coup attempt. Yes, at some point, Trump needs to be held accountable.
Either we have a system where people who break laws are held accountable, or we don't. If we don't ever begin to hold Trump accountable for breaking the law, then our evolution from a democratic republic governed by laws to a de facto banana republic will indeed be complete. Trump has broken many laws. Let him now answer for them.
Eli Manning did some really impressive things on the football field. Not least of all, of course, was leading the New York Football Giants to two Super Bowl championships, winning game MVP awards both times, to boot.
Obviously, his brother Peyton had some mighty impressive accomplishments on the NFL playing field as well.
Yet the two of them have come to be known almost as much for their off the field antics since, with both men displaying a pretty impressive sense of humor.
Here, Eli Manning of the Giants displayed his increasingly famous sense of humor at the expense of the man who replaced him at the helm of Big Blue: Daniel Jones.
This was a funny article. Enjoy!
Football and one-liners: Giants’ Daniel Jones and Eli Manning show up together at Jersey Shore By Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Mar. 25, 2023:
Now technically, this happened late last month, although I only found out about it maybe a week or so ago. Admittedly, I never did quite get around to posting this particular blog entry until today, for some reason.
However, this was worth posting about. The last American survivor of the Pearl Harbor attacks has died. His name was Jack Holder, and according to a recent article by the Associated Press (see link below), Holder "went on become a decorated World War II flyer who flew over 100 missions in the Pacific and European theaters, has died in Arizona. He was 101."
Additionally, according to the same article which was published on Tuesday, February 28th of this year:
Darlene Tryon, a close friend and the executor of Holder’s estate, said he died at Friday at a hospital in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial also announced the death. Born to a farming family in Gunter, Texas, Holder joined the Navy in 1940 when he was 18.
RIP, Jack Holder, the last survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese.
Pearl Harbor survivor Jack Holder dies in Arizona at age 101 By The Associated Press Tuesday, Feb 28
Jon Stewart, the well-known political comedian and former anchor of The Daily Show, makes some very valid points about Trump, and how he rose to prominence in American politics in the first place.
There was another mass school shooting a couple of days ago. This time, it happened in Nashville, Tennessee. Some disgruntled former student went into an elementary school and just went on a murderous rampage. Six people were killed as a result.
In the aftermath, there has once again been the familiar mixture of shock and heartbreak and outrage and calls for something to be done. And rather typically, there are those politicians who basically try and push off taking any action until the news cycle inevitably seems to shift from the mass shooting to other news stories. It is a tragic cycle, but it seems to have become the cycle that far too many Americans have grown used to.
Unfortunately, that not only includes politicians, it benefits many of them. Perhaps particularly those who proudly proclaim their love of guns and, in many cases, are in the pay of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
One such politician is a member of the House of Representatives from Tennessee, the state where this mass shooting just took place. His name is Tim Burchett, and he raised some eyebrows with his frankness in the wake of this latest tragedy.
Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican, acknowledged that the school shooting was "a horrible, horrible situation." However, he does not feel that any real action to address these kinds of tragedies is required of Congress.
"We're not gonna fix it," he told reporters Tuesday. "Criminals are gonna be criminals."
Burchett expanded on this a bit:
"I don't think you're gonna stop the gun violence," Burchett said. "I think you gotta change people's hearts." When someone is determined to kill, there's not much that can stop them, he said.
Burchett recalled something that his father, a veteran of World War II, once told him. Burchett's father said that "if somebody wants to take you out and doesn't mind losing their life, there's not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it."
Indeed, that sounds like a good piece of advice when it comes to World War II, or war in general. But right now, the United States is supposed to be a peacetime country. Yet this kind of violence keeps popping up fairly regularly. The dates, the places, and the names change. But the story remains the same.
I wonder if Burchett's seeming indifference here would remain if his own kids were among the victims. Or perhaps, if it had been his wife, or his siblings or parents. Or perhaps, if it had been him, and he survived, but perhaps was injured in some very serious, life-altering way. No, I am not wishing for this. Frankly, however, I am tired of hearing these kinds of politicians expressing sentiments that reflect how far removed they clearly feel from these problems that the rest of us have to deal with.
The story will remain the same, so long as selfish and arrogant politicians like Burchett continue to be allowed to dictate our national response to such tragedies. Until Americans demand better - and the rest of the world is watching and wondering when, or if, this will actually happen - then indeed, these kinds of senseless mass shootings will indeed come to be regarded as the new normal.
Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett responds to school shooting: 'We're not gonna fix it' Candy Woodall USA TODAY, March 28, 2023:
Yes, l'Équipe de France de Football is really playing impressively at the moment.
Yesterday, they defeated Ireland, 1-0, in Euro qualifiers.
The only goal of the game came in the 50th and, surprisingly, was scored by right-back Benjamin Pavard, who does not often score goals.
However, that proved to be a huge goal, lifting Les Bleus over Ireland, and bringing France one step closer to qualifying for next year's Euro tournament.
Somebody posted this on Facebook today. And as I have mentioned before, I love science and try and read some scientific articles on a fairly regular basis, and expose myself to the unfamiliar. However, my capacity to know and understand science is, frankly, limited. So when I saw this rather sensationalist styled article, my first thought went to that movie, "The Knowing," when severe to the point of being deadly solar flares effectively end life on Earth.
That is not what this is. Or rather, was. Because when I saw this article earlier today, and saw that we would hit the effects by the end of the week, I briefly wondered if we were going to see the end of days. of course, this possibility was there and gone just as quickly, because how many end of the world scenarios do we hear about, which wind up being just overhyped stories?
Still, this was pretty fascinating. And while outdated, it seemed worth sharing here nevertheless. It's on my mind, and it does not hurt to understand these kinds of things better.
A 'hole' 30 times Earth's size has spread across the sun, blasting solar winds that'll hit our planet by end of this week Rebecca Cohen, Jessica Orwig, and Morgan McFall-Johnsen Mar 21, 2023:
On this day in 1994, Pink Floyd released "The Division Bell."
Unbeknownst to many - certainly myself included - this would wind up being the last album proper that this legendary band would release. Ironically, this was also the first (and obviously last) real new official release from the legendary Floyd that I would really get into. In fact, my father and brother and I went to see them at Yankee Stadium later that summer, a show that still ranks as one of my favorite concerts of all time. The laser lights, the clarity of the music, and the overall atmosphere (as well as the day that we enjoyed just prior as a family) all added to special memories.
In any case, it just seemed like a good idea to acknowledge this date. It was 29 years ago, on this day, that we finally got to experience "The Division Bell," which I feel is an underrated album. It really got my imagination going. "High Hopes" is my very favorite song from that album, and in fact, it seems like I hear and feel different things whenever I listen to it. What I heard back then as a 19-year-old kid, when the album was first released, was very different. Somehow, I hear and feel very different things now that I am older and, as Pink Floyd themselves have pointed out, "closer to death."
In any case, it seemed appropriate to share this particular song for the occasion of marking the release of this album, which I still enjoy, and which still ranks high in my heart among Floyd's releases, even though most fans tend to overlook it.
Right now, March Madness has been dominating sports headlines here in the United States. And man, it has been a hell of a tournament. The Final Four is set, and it is not at all what anyone expected. Usually, you expect a Duke or North Carolina or Michigan or Kentucky or Kansas, or even Gonzaga or Villanova.
Not this year. No, this year was a memorable one in the tournament, which really lived up to the billing of "March Madness." Three of the teams are making it to the Final Four for the first time ever. Number 5 seed San Diego State, Number 5 Miami, and No. 9 Florida Atlantic, all are making their first ever appearance in the Final Four. The only fairly familiar team is UConn, and they have not made it this far in nearly a decade. They are the only team left that has also won the Men's National Championship, which they have managed to do four times overall.
Should be interesting. I was more riveted by this year's tournament than I have been in the past, particularly with the surprising success of two New Jersey schools: Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) and Princeton. But I will likely be following what happens next weekend.
So I figured that this particular blog entry, which is obviously related to NCAA Men's college basketball and the whole "March Madness" thing, would be fitting.
It is meant in good humor, and just to be taken as a bit of fun.
Enjoy!
Retired Coach K Spends Afternoon Screaming At Ducks To Get Back On Defense Published March 16, 2023:
For years, I would regularly drive right by this old Nabisco plant, almost on a daily basis (at least on most weekdays). This was particularly true of the nineties. And I remember sometimes being able to enjoy the scent of baked goods wafting through the area. Pleasant memories for sure!
Well, the plant is now history, already. The plant closed operations a while ago, and the building has already at least partially been taken apart.
Now, however, there is a definitive date set for the implosion, which will take place next month, in April. Not sure if I will try and go or not. It depends on my schedule, as well as my energy.
In any case, it feels like more and more of these places with personal memories attached are going by the wayside. A couple of years ago, it was the Fireplace restaurant in Paramus, which was one of my favorite restaurants. My son and I went on the final day and, in fact, we had two of the last four burgers that the restaurant would ever serve to anyone.
And now, the Nabisco building is about to be a memory. It closed down a while ago. There is now a definitive day set for the building itself to be imploded.
I am looking into arranging for my son and I to possibly go, never having seen an implosion before. My guess is that it would be an interesting experience. Given the complexities of my schedule, and am not entirely sure if I can make it happen, but I will at least try.
Date Set for Nabisco Cookie Plant Implosion in NJ The massive site on Route 208 has been a part of the landscape for as long as some folks can remember Published March 12, 2023 • Updated on March 13, 2023:
This was one of the Onion headlines which really made me laugh harder than even most other Onion headlines do. Just the thought of this....
There was a novel by Bryce Courtney, I believe, which pointed out this same paradox. A man had basically been a sinner - or the Onion might have simply called him an asshole - throughout his life. But in his final, dying moments, he finally repented his sinful ways and was able tor each Heaven as a result. And the narrating voice thought that was actually a rather sweet deal.
It was funny, as well as thought-provoking. But this headline by the Onion is obviously less serious, and just makes me laugh.
Enjoy!
Report: 50% Of Heaven’s Population Just Assholes Who Begged For Forgiveness At Last Second Published October 3, 2016:
Right now, it is hard to imagine another active quarterback outside of Patrick Mahomes who has had quite the immediate impact on a team like Joe Burrow has had in Cincinnati. Seriously, it feels like he and the Bengals have been among the most competitive and elite teams now for some time. Yet, it has not even been three years since he was drafted in 2020. The Bengals were the worst team in the league at that point, coming off a miserable 2-14 season. Burrow sustained injuries during a rough rookie season, and the Bengals went 4-11-1.
Since then, however, Cincy has won two straight division titles, reached the AFC title game both of the seasons since, and almost won the Super Bowl. It is hard to imagine Burrow not reaching the Super Bowl again, because he almost reached it again this past season. He's been an NFL quarterback for three seasons only, and already, he has been instrumental in turning the Bengals from a perennial doormat to what sure seems like a perennial Super Bowl contender. Already, they have made some offseason moves that some people feel should allow them to remain among the elite teams in the NFL. They could quite possibly get back to the Super Bowl and, perhaps this time, they just might win, for what would be the first time in franchise history.
It is difficult not to think of that one phenomenal year that he had while at LSU, when he suddenly emerged to become the dominant force in college football, and think that he just might be in the process of doing that for the NFL level, as well. Perhaps he will earn himself an NFL MVP award? A Super Bowl ring, or two, or possibly more?
You never know. I don't mean to get ahead of myself, but he sure appeared to be something special. The sky sure seems to be the limit here with him.
Recently, Burrow has gotten to meet and work with the legendary Joe Montana ("Joe Cool") for charity events. He has enjoyed getting to meet the legendary quarterback, who some still feel ranks as the best ever, and who certainly is, undeniably, one of the greatest quarterbacks, and even NFL players, of all time. Anyone who was around and watching the NFL back in the eighties will remember. I watched some of the most memorable moments in Montana's career, and was stunned with some of what he accomplished. Beating the Cowboys with "The Catch" and leading the 49ers to their first ever Super Bowl, which they won. Leading the 40ers to a then unprecedented 15-1 record, and winning a second Super Bowl. Throwing a long bomb against the Giants - my favorite team - in the final seconds of a game that the Giants seemed to have themselves come from behind in the last minute to win, only to have Montana hook up with Rice and break many hearts in New York in 1988. Later that same season, leading the 49ers to that winning touchdown drive that gave the 49ers their third Super Bowl title, and remaining calm enough during that drive to point out comedian John Candy when he should have been feeling extreme pressure. Looking like the best quarterback ever following a dominant 14-2 season in 1989, then throwing 11 touchdowns and no interceptions and simply plowing through all of their opponents en route to winning their second straight Super Bowl, and fourth overall, as the crowning achievement for the "Team of the Decade" in the eighties. And then, even enjoying another memorable playoff comeback in the 1993-94 season, coming back against Buddy Ryan and the Houston Oilers, and leading the Chiefs to their first AFC title game in about a quarter of a century.
Those are some pretty damn big shoes to fill. But Burrow has a better show - a much better shot - than most NFL quarterbacks have at possibly doing some things to match that.
Here are some of Burrow's thoughts on the matter, and on his apparently growing friendship with Montana:
“It’s exciting for me because I know he's had all the success in the world that I plan on and want to have in my profession and then he's a great person to hang out with, helps in the community, has a lot of same values that I have,” Burrow said. “And so it's been a fun couple of days to get to know him.”
Joe Burrow on Joe Montana: ‘Plan on’ Having All The Same Success Burrow has been close to Super Bowl glory already in his career. RUSS HELTMAN, MAR 17, 2023:
L'Équipe de France scored a very impressive, very convincing win over a traditional European powerhouse yesterday.
France defeated Netherlands, 4-0. It is not so much surprising that France won, as much as how they won. They dominated the game almost from the beginning.
Indeed, French star Antoine Griezmann opened up the scoring in just the second minute, giving France a very early lead.
Then, Dayot Upamecano followed that up with a goal in the 8th minute. Just like that, France had a decisive lead not even ten minutes into the game.
Of course, French Captain and megastar Kylian Mbappé got into the act. He scored a goal in the 21st minute, giving France a commanding 3-0 lead that they would hold onto into halftime.
Mbappé added yet another goal in the 88th minute, providing the final 4-0 margin of victory for Les Bleus.
Statistically, Netherlands was not badly outplayed. They held a significant advantage in time of possession, and were almost on equal footing with France in terms of shots on goal and passing accuracy. However, they simply were unable to convert their scoring opportunities, while France clearly enjoyed considerably more success.
An impressive win for Les Bleus in this UEFA Euro Qualifying match.
Recently, Patti Smith apparently did an amazing cover of ‘She’s Leaving Home’ by the Beatles.
Now, I admittedly did not get to see this myself yet. Couldn't find it on Youtube, and evidently, I am out of free articles with Rolling Stone.
However, if you have access, you might be able to view it yourself.
Good luck and enjoy!
Watch Patti Smith’s Stunning Rendition of ‘She’s Leaving Home’ at Paul McCartney Tribute Concert She was a surprise guest at a show that also included Graham Nash, Denny Laine, Nancy Wilson, Bettye LaVette, Lyle Lovett, and many others BY ANDY GREENE MARCH 16, 2023:
History is something that changes all of the time, even if may seem otherwise. It is a bit like the dunes of the desert. The basic outline might not seem to change. Yet, the winds of time alter those grains of sand tremendously, given enough time to do so.
And so it is that we are learning more about yet another unsavory aspect of the Reagan administration. Years ago, we learned that he and President Richard Nixon had a private telephone conversation where they exchanged pretty blatantly racist jokes, particularly about how African leaders were still just learning how to put on their shoes.
Well now, we are learning something that sheds light on how Reagan came into power to begin with. It involves Iran, and the Reagan team's apparent willingness to work with them. Of course, this is something that we knew already, given the Iran-Contra scandal, or Iran-Contragate. That, of course, was when the Reagan administration (illegally) sold weapons via Israel to an enemy, rogue nation (Iran) in order to (illegally) fund a war in Central America. Even Reagan begrudgingly admitted that this was true. So Reagan and his administration already have a definitive point where they were willing to work with Iran (again, illegally).
Recently, however, there are new revelations that the Reagan team may have been working some deals with Iran a lot sooner than that. New evidence is revealing that, in fact, the Reagan team might have gotten into power in the first place by working with the Iranians on a key issue that likely not only hurt Carter's chances to win reelection, but quite possibly crippled those chances.
There is now evidence that a prominent member of the Reagan campaign went to Spain and met with Iranian officials, then hammered out a deal to prevent Iran from releasing American hostages until Reagan won the election. It is suspected that they promised Iran would get much more favorable arrangements to work with under a President Reagan than a President Carter. You heard that right. In a sense, Reagan's team was using the hostages - making sure that they would stay hostages - by Iran until after Reagan won the election.
Specifically, it was William Casey, among other lesser officials in the Reagan campaign, who arranged to meet with the Iranians in Spain. Evidently, Spanish officials expressed surprise at the presence of Casey in their country, and were not certain what he was doing there. The evidence suggests that he was ironing out the details of the deal with Iran.
Still think of Reagan as a true patriot and hero, and an ideal leader?
Now to be sure, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that Reagan himself knew of the deal, let alone the specifics. However, since Reagan and most self0identified conservatives would suggest that the leader is responsible for all that happens in his administration - an argument that I believe Trump has since expressed - then Reagan is also not divorced from responsibility here.
I suspect that many of us - if not most of us - suspected that there was something very strange and, frankly, extremely unethical with much of what Reagan officials did. And this dates back to possibly putting Reagan and his administration in power to begin with. Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter have long had their suspicions that this was indeed the case. Now, it seems that there is proof to substantiate their long held suspicions.
Below is a video with a Jimmy Carter biographer, who has some personal experience with dealing with these papers that sure seem to prove that Reagan's team worked with Iran, evidently now on more than one occasion. In fact, even though there is no way to know for sure that Carter might otherwise have won, it nevertheless casts some doubt about the possible legitimacy of Reagan's winning power in the first place.
This post comes a couple of weeks late, as the anniversary of the album's release was on the 10th of March, 1973. Still, this month marks the fiftieth anniversary. Half a century since one of the greatest and most iconic albums in history, particularly rock history.
Still, it seems like something that deserves to be honored, and I am about to commit a post in order to explain why.
I don't remember exactly how I heard about this, or when or where (or even which band member of Pink Floyd), but one member said that after hearing the album, his wife burst into tears. When asked why, she said that it was "perfect", that every note on it was just right.
Now, I cannot confirm if this is the full story or not, but I did find this quote about it by Roger Waters:
When the record was finished I took a reel-to-reel copy home with me and I remember playing it for my wife then, and I remember her bursting into tears when it was finished. And I thought, "This has obviously struck a chord somewhere", and I was kinda pleased by that. You know when you've done something, certainly if you create a piece of music, you then hear it with fresh ears when you play it for somebody else. And at that point I thought to myself, "Wow, this is a pretty complete piece of work", and I had every confidence that people would respond to it.
So, the album certainly resonated for many people, even though neither Gilmour nor Waters consider it their best album.
Indeed, Pink Floyd really hit it on the nose with this album, which has the distinction of being the longest lasting album in history to remain on the charts. It was the band's eight album.
Pink Floyd were experimenting with different sounds that they had tried out while on tour, as well as the different sounds that they were trying for, to make the space theme for the album.
It even has one of the most iconic images as the album cover. Interestingly, the band members spent all of three minutes deciding on that now legendary album cover. One of the alternative covers (obviously ultimately rejected) featured Marvel comics superhero the Silver Surfer!
The album almost was titled "Eclipse (A Piece for Assorted Lunatics"). The reason for this was that another band, Medicine Hat, had used the title "Dark Side of the Moon".
Also, legend has persisted that the album runs in sync with the classic 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz". I actually saw a screening of the film with the music of "The Dark Side of the Moon", although I hardly remember it anymore, admittedly. None of the band members ever thought to listen to the album while watching the movie.
- It remained on the charts for what is easily a record of 741 weeks, from 1973 until 1988. It sold over fifty million albums, and was the greatest commercial success the band ever had. And Pink Floyd had some significant successes outside of that album, so that is really saying something!
So, how successful was it? It appears on numerous significant lists for "greatest albums" of all time. Here are some of the distinctions it has received:
- It posted 35th on a list of the "Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years" in 1987 in Rolling Stone magazine
- It posted 43rd on a list of the "Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003 in Rolling Stone magazine
- It posted 43rd on a list of the "Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2012 in Rolling Stone magazine
- It was voted "My Favourite Album" by listeners responding to a poll on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2006
- It was voted eighth in a "Best Album of All Time" poll by NME in 2006
- It was voted number one in a "greatest album of all time" poll by Planet Rock in 2009
- It is ranks second on the "Definitive 200" albums listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers
- It was ranked 29th in a list of "The 50 Albums that Changed Music" list by The Observer in 2006
- It was ranked 37th in a list of "100 Best Albums Ever" list by The Guardian in 1997, voted by a panel of artists and music critics
- VH1 proclaimed the album's cover the fourth greatest in history
- Listeners of Planet Rock considered it the greatest cover of all time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon)
I got much of the information used for this log from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon Much of the other information used in this blog came from the following article, "Pink Floyd's "Dark Side": 40 Years Later, 40-Mind Blowing Facts About the Mad Classic" by Chris Willman of Stop the Presses! This was a very entertaining (and highly revealing and informative!) article that I would recommend to anyone interested in this album. There are things in here that I never before even heard about, such as that there is a small bit of Muzak version of a Beatles song in the album, or that Waters felt pressured to let David Gilmour do most or all of the singing on the album. I'll bet that even if you love this album and think you know everything about it, there are things here that you did not know before, either. Check it out! http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/pink-floyd-dark-side-40-years-later-40-205227757.html
My son changed his hairstyle once again. Not a haircut this time, since he just got one a few days ago.
However, I was still shocked this morning after first glimpsing him, and seeing a very different look than the one he had just gotten at the barber shop. On that first day (Monday of this week), they slicked his hair back, so that he almost looked (to me) like he belonged on Wall Street or something.
Early yesterday, he already had changed his look again, bringing his hair down, pushing it forward instead of slicked back. Honestly, I liked this look even better. He looks like what he is: a teenager. And personally, I think he looks great like this.
Take a look below at the before and after pictures:
How he looks now, after pushing his hair down, forward, the way I saw him today:
Sad news in the sports world. NBA legend Willis Reed has died.
Reed became a legend of the game when he played Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals on a broken leg. Not only did he play well, he helped the New York Knickerbockers (Knicks) win their first NBA Championship, earning the NBA Finals MVP along the way. That particular game remains one of the most legendary feats of any athlete in relatively recent memory, taking on the status of myth and adding to his legend in the decades since.
With Reed as their leader, the Knicks would qualify for the NBA Finals three times during a span of four seasons. They would fin their second NBA title in 1973, with Reed again winning the NBA Finals MVP award.
After his playing career, Reed joined the Nets, first as coach, and then general manager and vice-president of operations. He was able to acquire significant talent, and make the Nets a playoff contender after many years of struggle. The Nets made it to two consecutive NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.
We all knew that 16th seeded FDU's stunning win over the 1st seeds, Purdue, had to rank as one of the most memorable upsets in college basketball history. After all, it was only the second time in history that a 16th seed knocked off the number one seed, so it just had to rank high historically.
However, I was not personally aware that this now ranks as the single greatest upset in college basketball, and specifically, in the history of "March Madness." Again, given the name of the tournament, that is saying something!
So although FDU lost and are no longer in the tournament, it seemed fitting to take one more moment to remember just how momentous their huge win really was! This was history, and solid history to be proud of for a New Jersey school.
Congrats!
FDU’s win over Purdue is the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history | Politi Updated: Mar. 18, 2023:
My son's hair recently had grown very long. He had enjoyed that "man bun" look for something like over a year. Admittedly, it was not my favorite look of his, but I knew that it was his choice. But it seemed like even he was growing tired of it.
Well, he finally got a haircut (and a shave) earlier this week.
And here is the result:
Perhaps not the clearest picture, but this shows just how long his hair was growing not long ago. This picture was taken when we got together on Super Bowl Sunday to watch the big game, as well as to play a few matches of chess. You can see the "man bun" and just how long his hair was getting. Yet, his face looks freshly shaven in this particular picture, although I assure you that it was not. He had that young unruly teenage beard look. He looks much sharper now, I think.
Jerry Samuels, the Philadelphia artist behind the rather unusual 1966‘They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!,’ is dead. He was 84 years old.
Samuels performed the song under his stage name of Napoleon XIV. It is unusual and very unconventional in many respects, from the lyrics to the music. Yet, it became quite the hit, reaching number on the Billboards.
RIP, Jerry Samuels.
Jerry Samuels, the Northeast Philly artist behind the 1966 hit novelty song ‘They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!,’ has died at 84 by Nate File Published Mar 11, 2023:
He performed the unusual song under the stage name Napoleon XIV. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100
I picked up this book, "Little Fires Everywhere," initially at a library which I visited while up north. It was one of those books which they were selling, and it looked intriguing enough to pay the 50 cents that they were asking for the book. It was on my list of books to begin reading soon.
Then I happened on it in my library, in audiobook form. So I decided to go ahead and take it out. Lately, in the past couple of years or so, I have begun listening to audiobooks a whole lot more than ever before. And so, I began to read this one, without admittedly knowing much about either the story or the author.
And you know what? It was really, really good! It actually reminded me in some ways of another book, one which my mom really loves, and first introduced me to. That would be "Have You Ever Had a Family?" by Bill Clegg. To be sure, they are very different books, with very different characters, and an overall very different feel. Yet, there are certain similarities, including this one: they are definitely both worth reading!
This one takes place in sometime in the nineties in a somewhat posh suburb outside of Cleveland. It shows a bit of both the best and the worst that such a suburb offers, from being a seemingly peaceful place and ideal place to raise a family, to the pettiness and narrow-mindedness of many of it's residents, including the petty gossip of the unknown, of assuming that the court of public gossip is indeed enough to pass judgement on that which we not actually fully understand.
Without going into too much details, we get to know two families, who's own lives have intersected intimately. One is a large, seemingly ideal modern American family. A true success story, with two successful parents and four kids, two boys and two girls. These kids are typical teens themselves, caught p in all of the drama of modern teens. The other family is small: just an enigmatic mother and her daughter, both living largely quiet, mysterious lives.
The story is not told chronologically. Indeed, this book begins at the end, after a major fire had destroyed the home of one of the main families involved. The blame for the fire is being debated, and everything appears mysterious. We then learn that this house is located in a town called Shaker Heights, and we get an overview of exactly what kind of typical American suburb these people live in. Then, we begin to meet the main characters.
In the process of telling this story, Celeste Ng juggles many smaller themes that play an important role within the story, albeit often as background. Many of the very same major issues that polarize the United States today are addressed. This includes racism, classism, economic inequality, urban violence, immigration, teen sex, abortions, and others. Indeed, this feels like she is fulfilling the title of the book quite capably, showing the tensions that erupt into small fires, and at least figuratively contribute to the much bigger fire that ultimately consumes everything at the end of this story.
Without getting into any spoilers, I just wanted to give a brief description of what made me get into this book. Again, it was on sale for 50 cents at a local library (not in my hometown of Hillsborough), and since it had been on the New York Times Bestseller list, I figured that there was a good chance that it was good. Once I began to read it, there were certain things in the way that the author capably described the town of Shaker Heights, specifically, that figuratively made my ears perk up, made me pay attention. And from that point onward, I was hooked, engaged in the story, and interested in what as happening with each character and in the chemistry between the characters. It was definitely a good read, and you will likely find yourself both entertained and emotionally engaged. A very good book. Good enough that I will personally be on the lookout for more books from this author in the future. To me, that's saying something.
Well, this particular NCAA Men's Basketball tournament has been living up to it's billing as "March Madness," has it not? For only the second time in tournament history, a 16th seed knocked off a number one seed. And that 16th seed, Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), is a New Jersey school.
A day earlier, another low seeded school from New Jersey, 15th seeded Princeton University, stunned Number 2 Arizona. That, too, was a shock to many.
And so that win entitled the Princeton Tigers to the next round, the round of 32, where they joined the other Jersey school, FDU.
Unfortunately, FDU's run ended there, as they lost. But it was a different story for Princeton. Once again, they were underdogs, understandably. Yet, they took it to the 7th seeded Missouri Tigers, dominating the game en route to a convincing 78 - 63 win over the favorites. Both teams are called the Tigers, but it was the orange and black of Princeton who were the only ones roaring at the end of this one. Now with this latest stunning win, Princeton has earned the right to play in the Sweet 16, for the first time in 56 years.
What a win for the Princeton Tigers!
Let's go!
15th-seeded Princeton beats Missouri 78-63 to reach Sweet 16 By: Associated Press, March 18, 2023:
The old button from the Environmental Club days which I just happened to find on Earth Day! It is a little beat up (particularly the ends of the ribbon), but no worse for the wear, I think. And it is one of the few items that I have left from those days, so it carries a lot of great memories for me! Nothing Changes Until You Do!
Here is a picture of a very similar logo, with the same message, that was on the t-shirt that I purchased from the BCC Environmental Club and, if memory serves me correctly, may even have helped to make. There were a few projects like that which club members, myself included, were regularly involved with. It has been so long, however, that I no longer recall specifically if I actually helped to make these or not, although I do believe so, since I remember seeing the process of the t-shirts being dyed. In any case, I loved this t-shirt, and have kept it ever since, even if I do not regularly wear it. Since it was part of my experience with the BCC Environmental Club days, as well as more generally having an environmental theme, it seemed appropriate to share it here.
"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed."
~Mahatma Gandhi
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
~John F. Kennedy
Later today will be the spring equinox, specifically at 17:24 EST (5:24 PM)..So that means that winter has finally yielded to the more moderate winds of the spring season.
Spring is, of course, the season of new life. Soon, the grass and leaves on the trees will be bright green, and vegetation will bloom. Duck and geese will have marching little chicks behind them, and new life will be in evidence everywhere.
This was a bizarre winter that we had once again. It was incredibly mild for most of the winter, then got a little bad right towards the end, as February gave way to March. Most likely, this will rank as one of the mildest winters that we have seen here in the greater New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.
Many winters in the past were far more punishing. It appears that this trend is changing due to climate change. Still, winter is a time of shorter daylight and cold weather. Many people feel it drags on, and most of us are more than ready once spring finally rolls around.
Indeed, winter can produce a great degree of stress and annoyances, which is why the spring equinox in particular always feels especially welcome. The rigors and annoyances of the winter at least can make you appreciate the mildness of the warmer spring season, when the arrival of the next winter season is still as far away as one can get.
And so, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge this wonderful, natural event. It is perhaps not a holiday, although we will have Earth Day soon. But right now, we should feel good about the arrival of the season of life.
One last video to share regarding this 20th anniversary of the Iraq war.
Given how short our collective memories are in the United States these days, it really does deserve to get as much attention as possible, lest we fall for the same nonsense again sometime in the future. You never know when the next time will be, or if we will have learned any lessons from the past that will help guide us, and hopefully allow us to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.
Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq invasion, when the United States launched missile attacks on Iraq.
The next day, the ground war began. So that means that this still marks the 20th anniversary of that war. Hard to believe that it has really been that long.
One of the most prominent dissenting voices on the left during that time was Dennis Kucinich, the former Mayor of Cleveland, and also a former member of the House of Representatives. He was one of the most honest and vocal prominent voices opposed to the war, which turned out to be a disaster in the end.
Many people - particularly those "super patriot" types - tried to intimidate those who stood opposed to the Iraq war. Given how disastrously that war ended up going, perhaps we would be well served to remember that the best time to actually debate the merits of such a drastic action as plunging into a war to begin with is before we commit to fighting one.
Below is a link to an article by Kucinich written for this 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, which should stand as one of the greatest foreign policy debacles in modern American history.
Dennis Kucinich: Iraq Plus 20 – Lies as Weapons of Mass Destruction Part One: by Dennis Kucinich / Substack, March 15, 2023:
