Fifty-three years, 100-plus concerts a year, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley are still going strong as the group, America. I saw them pre-pandemic at the same venue where I just attended their concert. America, yacht rock. The tendency is to dismiss these guys as just a soft-rock legacy act. America is best-known for their 1970s … More America (2023, concert review)
America was great until the damn liberals, poor people, those of color or different ideas and unwashed, longhaired communists started to make trouble. Life was good in Christian, Wonder Bread America before the criticism and protests. It was those commie longhairs that tried to destroy what’s good about this country. If they don’t like it, … More Blame it on the Hippies for Wanting a Better America
Johnny Cougar. What a stupid name. John Cougar Mellencamp. Still a stupid name. Finally, Mellencamp had enough clout to insist on dropping “Cougar” from any version of his name. Mellencamp’s music was always difficult to categorize. The record company wanted another Bruce Springsteen-type pop-rocker. Instead of The Boss, you had Cougar. Just kidding. But not … More John Mellencamp’s Scarecrow: Rural Electrification (a look back)
Reconciliation is a zero-sum game Karma delivers the mail All prayers are filtered by God While you create the wind in the sail — Trading tomorrow for more todays Devalues the person you could become Always take the long way home Peace and love from your green thumb — Dreams strewn along lonely streets Waiting … More Dollars and Incense
The anxiously awaited book by Pulitzer Prize winning, White House correspondent Maggie Haberman, who covered the subject of this book for years writing for various New York publications. She interviewed more than 200 sources, and the subject himself several times. He called her his psychiatrist; later, he referred to her as a third-rate journalist. If … More Confidence Man (2022), by Maggie Haberman (book review)
The U.S. and the Holocaust is a three-part, six-hour series focused on the Holocaust from the American involvement leading up to, during, and immediately following World War II. This Ken Burns series stirred a lot of discussion, certainly on the Holocaust, but more importantly, on the United States’ failures in responding to the Final Solution. … More The Holocaust: Ken Burns and Assorted Thoughts
I never had the opportunity to eat at an automat, but they were a fascinating part of our American urban culture. The closest I ever got was the cafeteria, which is a rarity in America now. After the pandemic, try to even find a buffet. Lisa Hurwitz is the originator and director of The Automat … More The Automat (film review)
Is the assault on books, censorship or simply a warning to those who might be harmed or offended? Is it to keep one vulnerable person safe or to limit a subject or author? America is both a tolerant and intolerant country. There are tolerant and intolerant people. I am reminded of the Ray Bradbury book, … More The Trouble With Books (and knowledge in general)
Brave, pushing the courage out Surrounded in a hostile crowd Alone, no one feels any clout Silently screaming out loud — Awaken from hibernation A towering giant thumb Pushing us toward salvation Brother, I am not dumb — Don’t look at me My years left are few I still believe in destiny But woke up … More Tearing the Inside Out
Mark T. Esper was the Defense Secretary under the Trump. His memoirs are quite interesting for several reasons. Esper, a former Army officer, served as Secretary of the Army and held other jobs in and outside of the Pentagon. While Secretary of the Army, Esper writes that he began a series of actions to streamline … More A Sacred Oath, Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times (Review)
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