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Obedience is Never the Right Response in America
I am seeing one comment after another from right wing men who say that Renee Good and Alex Pretti would be alive if they only “obeyed.” This is not only the wrong response it is an un-American response. In America, we don’t and shouldn’t blindly obey. We vindicate our rights only by exercising them, which means: We speak out, we ask questions, we reject orders from people with no authority to issue them and especially when those orders are contrary and confused. And even when we are wrong, government has to respect our rights and humanity by only acting with violence when absolutely necessary to protect someones life. And that was not the case when Good and Pretti were killed. And, in contemporary America, women don’t and shouldn’t blindly obey men. Women can only vindicate their equality by rejecting the demand to obey. And decent men respect women who do… Continue reading
Is Albert King The Source of Clapton’s Crossroads Riff?
Who knows Albert King’s music really well and can help me answer this question? Cream’s 1968 version of Crossroads uses the identical riff that Albert King uses in the tune For The Love of a Woman (except for the last bars) which he first recored in 1971 for the album Lovejoy. I can’t find an earlier version of that tune. But considering how often Clapton borrowed riffs and solos from King I would be surprised if King took a riff from Clapton rather the other way around. It’s not unusual for bluesmen to reuse a riff in different tunes. So does anyone know an earlier Albert King recording that uses this riff. (There is just a hint of the riff in both of Johnson’s recording of Crossroads. But his accompaniment is far more complicated, varied and subtle than the King / Riff. ) Continue reading
RIP Steve Cropper
RIP Steve Cropper. He made more beautiful music with fewer notes than any guitarist I ever heard. The the first Booker T and the MGs tune I ever heard was Groovin’. IIRC their cover came out not that long after the Rascals original in 67. But I liked it better. Cropper overdubbed the piano. I didn’t hear Green Onions until later. (I was 7 when it was first released.) Continue reading
A Jewish Holiday Question
I’ve always wondered how Muamar Gadahfi / Qaddafi / Kaddafi / Gaddafi signed his Chanuka / Chanukah / Chanukkah / Channukah / Hanukah / Hannukah / Hanukkah/ Hanuka / Hanukka / Hanaka cards. Continue reading
Tom Stoppard’s memory will be a blessing.
I did not recall or remember or know that Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay for Brazil with Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown. That wonderful movie was sadly prescient about where are and where we are going. I’m making a list of things I plan to do once I leave my position in, it appears now, early January. Slowly getting deep into Stoppard’s work is high on that list. Another idea I had yesterday is to do a photo essay on the stone and rock walls that keep Manyunk from tumbling into the Schuylkill. I take a different route home from PT each week to see more of them. And learning how to spell Schuylkill confidently, that is, without checking to make sure I’m right. Not to mention writing a few books. Continue reading
By Trump’s logic
After the shooting of the two national guardsmen, Trump has called for a review of every immigrant who received a green card. By Trump’s logic, every single right-wing American should be investigated to determine if their citizenship should be revoked. They are, after all, the sources of far more violent crime than any other group. Continue reading
This was not my first reaction to a trumpet!
Trumpet player tend to believe that the horn is wonderful torture. This was posted by Peter Bond is a wonderful trumpeter who was in the Metropolitan Orchestra for many years. His videos and book have really improved my playing. I was a drummer and one day I cam for my lesson and some other kids had returned the rented trumpets and cornets at the end of 5th grade.I was curious about it and the music instructor asked me if I wanted to take it home. I did. I enjoyed it. And then took lessons over the summer and was hooked. Continue reading
Charoses for Thanksgiving
Everyone at our dinner agrees. Turkey with charoses is much better than turkey with cranberry sauce. Continue reading
It’s not Thanksgiving without this.
Eagles having a perfect season for Philly fans
Great that the Eagles are having another good / bad season. Mostly winning but not playing so well that we don’t have something to complain about. Continue reading