Joust The Facts

Apropos of Nothing ...

Just because I thought you needed a break from the endless stream of ads screeching about how Mitt Romney is going to steal your life savings and give it to Donald Trump and Bill Gates, or rip out your uterus and let his Supreme Court nominees play volleyball with it.

You're welcome.

Missing Dan Fogelberg

When I got an iPod, I wanted to be sure to put on some of my favorite music.  After all, it travels with me to the OR, giving me my favorite background music as I work - and no commercials. I like a little bit of many different types, including jazz, blues, rock, oldies, classical, crooners, broadway.  You name it.  I do like acoustic guitar music paired with a well told story, and as a result I had more than a few Dan Fogelberg tunes that simply had to be added to the playlist.  Plus the entire Twin Sons of Different Mothers album, cut with jazz flautist Tim Weisberg.  (There is a bit of a resemblance.)

Today Dan Fogelberg passed away at 56, a victim of prostate cancer.  Blender Magazine had him at  #5 on the list of the 40 Worst Lyricists, based as near as I can tell on one bad song about the Kentucky Derby.   But they had Fogelberg worse than both Kevin Federline at #30 and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit at #24.  Give me a break.

The instrumental Guitar Etude No. 3 is outstanding, as is Intimidation, which showcases Weisberg.  Tell Me To My Face tells the story of a breakup.

    And now I know my love is lost on you
    And nothing you can say or do
    Will turn my head around the other way
    I'd have thought you'd have the decency to come and tell the truth to me
    Instead of telling lies your eyes betray

"I'd have thought you'd have the decency to come and tell the truth to me / Instead of telling lies your eyes betray."  Hmm. There are a few politicians to whom that readily applies.

So, Dan, thanks for the music. Your friends and family will miss you, but next time I'm in the operating room I'll have another listen, and enjoy.

I Don't Get Out Much Anymore

Who the heck is Amy Winehouse?

2 Concerts, 2 Nights

After work last evening Gwendolyn and I headed up to Manchester to hear this guy perform.  Okay, the voice is truly impressive.  I was most impressed with his work on the piano, and in the third encore he played a drum solo that sounded as if that was his first love.  All in all a very entertaining evening.

Tonight we'll be heading to Fenway Park, not to see the home town team Sox, as they are currently battling the Devil Rays in Tampa, but to catch the reunion tour of these guys.  The Fenway summer concerts continue, with previous episodes including Bruce, Jimmy Buffett and the Rolling Stones among others.

As a result, I'm a little distracted this weekend.  I'd like to thank Jay Tea at Wizbang! for linking me twice this week, though I resent him calling me "revolting."  Bigtime traffic bump.  The comments at his post linking to my "Is There A Doctor In The House?" are outstanding.  You think we'll be getting a call from Deval Patrick's office begging us to stay in Massachusetts?  Me neither.

There are a lot of things going on right now that I wish I had the time to properly consider and write about, but time has been short, and I hope to catch up on current affairs shortly.  One of the reasons for the time crunch, aside from, oh, the job, the family, summer activites etc., is that for my group's move to NH I am the coordinator in chief, working with the architects, marketers, sign guys, ancillary service providers and lawyers to get it all right.  It's an additional half-job on top of the regular one.  I may have to take a break from blogging as the crunch comes, but if I do I'll let you know.

By the way, if you want to brush up on the socialized medicine threat, you could do a lot worse than reading Dr. Kevin Fleming's assessment at the Heritage Foundation website.  Don't believe him?  Have a look at this article found by Kim Priestap, wherein a Canadian physician deconstructs their version of nationalized healthcare.

Late '70's Deja Vu

Bob Geldof, leader of the Boomtown Rats, with 1979's British Pop and Rock 'Song of the Year".

The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload.
And nobody's gonna go to school today,
She's going to make them stay at home.
And daddy doesn't understand it,
He always said she was good as gold.
And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.

From "The History of the Boomtown Rats:"

While in Atlanta during the tour, one radio station's wire service ticked out the story of Brenda Spencer, the troubled schoolgirl whose wild shooting spree in San Diego made front-page news. She explained herself simply: "I don't like Mondays” Geldof composed the song on the spot, originally as a reggae. Back in Los Angeles after the tour, a studio demo was recorded with grand piano and vocals.

The silicon chip inside Cho Seung Hui's head had been on overload for awhile if his work as a playwright is any indication.  And now we hear that a couple of years ago he was a stalker.

My Funny Valentines

One version with some serious music.

One version, not so serious.

Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day to all my funny Valentines at home on this snowy day.

Journey And Def Leppard Rockin' Manchester

Last evening, continuing the very busy Saturday, six of us headed for the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester NH for the Journey/Def Leppard tour stop there.  Here's Journey's site, and here's Def Leppard's.  The bands rocked, and crowd was into it.  It's been a slow year for concerts, but this one was a tenth anniversary gift from my brother- and sister-in-law for Gwendolyn and me.  She really dug Def Leppard; who knew Gwendolyn was such a headbanger.

On somewhat more than a side note, Journey lead singer Steve Augeri and Journey gave support for the family of Michael Briggs, a Manchester policeman killed by a multiple offender from Massachusetts.  They were raffling a donated guitar to raise money; I bought a number of tickets.  If you'd like to donate, you can find the address to send your donation here.

Phantom Of The Opera's Long Run

Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera' will set a record tomorrow as the longest running Broadway musical in history.  The previous record holder, 'Cats', was also a Webber creation.  'Phantom' started its run in January, 1988, two years after opening in London, where it is also still playing.

The Broadway production, which won seven 1988 Tony Awards including best musical, has been seen by almost 11 million people and grossed nearly $600 million, another record on the Great White Way.

The musical, which opened in London in 1986 and is still playing there, has been an international phenomenon. It has been seen by more than 80 million people worldwide and generated mind-boggling gross receipts in excess of $3.2 billion, according to the show's publicists.

"It shows no signs of weakening. It's cropping up in all sorts of places," Webber said. "It's most extraordinary."

There are currently seven productions around the world -- in London; New York; Budapest, Hungary; Tokyo; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Essen, Germany; and the U.S. national tour.

A new production is scheduled for Taipei, Taiwan, this month, and plans are in place to launch an open-ended "Phantom" run in Las Vegas.

I've seen 'Phantom' several times, and it is indeed, in my opinion, a great show.  Actually, "seen" isn't quite the right word - I should say "experienced."  It is a very entertaining show.  My family has always enjoyed live stage performances; my brother was a musical theater performer, and that draw to the stage extends to even the much less talented members, such as me.

I'm reminded, however, of Joe Queenan's panning of 'Cats' in chapter 1 of his book Red Lobster, White Trash and The Blue Lagoon.

Cats was very, very, very bad.  Cats was a lot worse than I'd expected.  I'd seen Phantom years ago, and knew all I needed to know about Starlight Express and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, so I was not a complete stranger to the fiendishly vapid world of Andrew Lloyd Webber.  But nothing I'd ever read or heard about the show could have prepared me for the epic suckiness of Cats.  Put it this way: Phantom sucked.  But Cats really sucked.

[...]

Sure, Cats is allegedly based upon the works of T. S. Eliot, but from what I could tell, the show had about as much to do with the author of "The Waste Land" as those old Steve Reeves movies had to do with Euripides.  Cats is what Grease would look like if all the cast members dressed up like KISS.  To give you an idea of how bad Cats is, think of a musical where you're actually glad to hear "Memory" reprised a third time because all the other songs are so awful.

Well, to each his own.  There are, clearly, worse things than a shattered chandelier.

Linked to Wizbang's COTT XLV.

Not Since 1979

I've had a big concert year this year.  First it was this guy.

Then these guys came to Boston and rocked the place just before Memorial Day.

This summer while at the Cape on vacation this long-running show made an appearance at an intimate theater in the round, and we were there.

Fenway Park has been hosting a concert near the end of each summer for the last three years.  This year was this band's turn to rock, and Gwendolyn and I were there.

And finally, last night I got to see a band I've seen on three or four previous occasions, but not since 1979 or so.  They've been rockin' the house for a long time, and did again last night.

Another awesome concert.  You'll forgive me if I'm a little slow this morning.  I should be Back in the Saddle again soon.

The NFL Is Cringing, I'll Bet

The NFL Opening Kickoff 2005 musicfest is scheduled for 8 PM Thursday night, just prior to the World Champion Patriots and Raiders meeting at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.  Looking at the lineup they're probably a little chagrined at their selections.

• The Rolling Stones
• Green Day
• Santana
• Kanye West
• Maroon 5
• Good Charlotte
• Rihanna

Kanye West has been much in the news recently, casting racial aspersions on those assisting hurricane victims and the media, and unfairly attacking President Bush.

Comedian Mike Myers was paired with West for a 90-second segment that began with Myers speaking of Katrina's devastation. Then, to Myers' evident surprise, West began a rant by saying, "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food."

While allowing that "the Red Cross is doing everything they can," West — who delivered an emotional outburst at the American Music Awards after he was snubbed for an award — declared that government authorities are intentionally dragging their feet on aid to the Gulf Coast. Without getting specific, he added, "They've given them permission to go down and shoot us."

After he stated, "George Bush doesn't care about black people," the camera cut away to comedian Chris Tucker.

That, and West had to talk to his "business manager" to find out how much to give.

Meanwhile, Green Day's album "American Idiot" is a direct attack on Bush.  They say they're not anti-American, they're anti-war, but the fans know:

[It's] [American Idiot] an anti-American song, yes. But so what? To any and all republicans that must have argued about this song in the previous 34 pages; Screw you.

Finally, the generally apolitical Stones came up with Sweet Neo-con, which they declined, wisely I think, to play in Boston.

Of those listed I think you can count on Rihanna getting the biggest applause - for obvious reasons.

The Stones In Fenway - Updated

Originally posted 8/22/05 1030.  Bumped to top for news addendum.

They may be Sixty-Something Stones, but I'm looking forward to Tuesday night.  You never know when someone will fall and break a hip, and an orthopaedic surgeon could come in handy.

10/23/05 1130: It looks like an orthopedic surgeon would have come in handy Sunday night.  I hadn't read this story, as busy as I was over the weekend, but apparently a 20 year old girl managed to climb the rafters under the roof at Fenway to watch the concert from an "elevated" position.  This didn't work out so well for her.  The police took interest, she moved away, then eventually lost her balance and fell 35 feet breaking both legs and her wrist.

Police said they are considering disorderly conduct charges. Members of O'Leary's family could not be reached yesterday.

Boston police and city officials acknowledged that they had not anticipated the possibility that a Rolling Stones fan might climb into the rafters above the stands at Fenway Park.

People do a lot of things that the law enforcement and medical communities don't anticipate.  I tell people I break orthopaedic injuries down into three categories.

• Those that occur to the unlucky
• Those that occur to the careless
• Those that occur to the stupid

Which category do you think would be most appropriate in this situation?

There's a scene early on in the original version of The Longest Yard after Paul Crew (Burt Reynolds) has been incarcerated.  The inmates are taken to the swamp and the boss tells them it's 'make work' day.  Crew asks what that means and Caretaker (or was it Granville?) tells him "That means in the morning we shovel it out, in the afternoon we shovel it back in."  This was "make work" day for the doctors at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center.

I Can't Get No ... Satisfaction

I've got my tickets for the Stones at Fenway on August 23rd.  Don't ask, just lucked into them, really.  And I was getting more than a little excited to go see them.

I'd actually seen them one other time, in Wembley Stadium.  Well, I wasn't actually in Wembley, but that's where they were.  And it wasn't actually live, as the show had taken place some time before.  Okay, it was actually a film of a Stones concert, but in full-screen IMAX with an awesome sound system it was actually just like being there.  Almost.  I'll bet the air actually smelled the same.

But I digress.  Today I heard that they were becoming more ... political is the word, I guess.  And I was frankly a little disappointed.  You know the old saying - If you're not liberal when you're young you don't have a heart, and if you're not conservative when you're old you don't have a brain.  Well, these guys are old.  But then I thought about the drugs, so if it's an explanation you seek ...

In any event, John at Wuzzadem does one of his priceless photo-and-caption deals - definitely check it out.  (Hat tip: Insty)

First Skunk, Then Squiggy

First we learned, via a Yochi Dreazen story in the Wall Street Journal (reprinted here in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, an outstanding guitarist with Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers (two of Giacomo's all time favorite bands), is now a highly-regarded national security consultant with a expertise in counter-terrorism.  The story of the transition is remarkable, and well worth the read.

Mr. Baxter, who joined his first band when he was 11, began studying journalism at Boston University, but dropped out after a year in 1969 to begin working with Ultimate Spinach, a short-lived Boston psychedelic rock band. He moved to California a short time later and became one of the six original members of the avant-garde rock group Steely Dan. He quit the band in 1974 and joined the Doobie Brothers, helping to remake its sound into a commercially appealing mix of funk and jazzy pop. Mr. Baxter left the group in 1979 after a long tour in support of its most popular album, "Minute by Minute."

His defense work began in the 1980s, when it occurred to him that much of the hardware and software being developed for military use, like data-compression algorithms and large-capacity storage devices, could also be used for recording music. Mr. Baxter's next-door neighbor, a retired engineer who worked on the Pentagon's Sidewinder missile program, bought him a subscription to an aviation magazine, and he was soon reading a range of military-related publications.

Mr. Baxter began wondering whether existing military systems could be adapted to meet future threats they weren't designed to address, a heretical concept for most defense thinkers. In his spare time, he wrote a five-page paper on a primitive Tandy computer that proposed converting the military's Aegis program, a ship-based antiplane system, into a rudimentary missile-defense system.

On a whim, he gave the paper to a friend from California, Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. To Mr. Baxter's surprise, the congressman took it seriously, and the idea proved to be prescient: Aegis missile-defense systems have done well in tests, and the Navy says it will equip at least one ship with the antimissile system by the end of the year.

"Skunk really blew my mind with that report," Mr. Rohrabacher says. "He was talking over my head half the time, and the fact that he was a rock star who had basically learned it all on his own was mind-boggling."

Then last night I was surprised to see, interviewed in one of the boxes at Fenway Park, David Lander, aka "Squiggy" of Laverne and Shirley.  (I can't say that L&S was a favorite, alas.)  He is a baseball fanatic and has been scouting for the Anaheim Los Angeles Angels and now for the Seattle Mariners.  His story is told in an ESPN.com Page 2 article by Jim Caple.

And now the man who will forever be known as Squiggy is a Mariners scout. There's no punchline, no rimshot. It's not like he's the scouting director -- he's just doing what he's done all his life, the same as the rest of us who were never in an old sitcom. He's watching baseball and loving it.

"I didn't hear it, but I'm told Jim Rome went ballistic about it,'' Lander says with a laugh. " 'Squiggy? You can't hire Squiggy to be a scout! If the Mariners can hire Squiggy, why doesn't Steinbrenner get Fonzie?'

"You're always afraid of being typecast as an actor, but being typecast in real life -- that's something else.''

Which reminds me. Jason Alexander just applied to be Seattle's assistant traveling secretary.

Costanza!!! It doesn't surprise me that Jim Rome went ballistic.  There's a guy who really knows very little about which he speaks.  Almost every time I see his show - which admittedly is not very often - I end up changing the channel in disgust.

Mr. Lander is battling Multiple Sclerosis as well, a progressively disabling degenerative neurologic disorder, and speaks regularly to groups about it.

Here are two stories of very talented people in their principal professions who managed to find a niche, transitioning to work that they also happen to enjoy.  That's the best kind of work, doing something that makes you happy.

UPDATE: Submitted to Wizbang's COTT XIV.

In A Blue Funk Today

Until I found ToonTracker.com.  My kids were wondering about the old "Underdog" cartoon, with Wally Cox as the voice of Shoeshine Boy/Underdog.  He's humble and lovable.  So after a brief Google search I came upon the Toon Tracker site, and the best feature by far was the ability to listen to the theme music for each of the cartoons of my youth.

The cartoons of the 60's and early 70's was the time, and there were some great cartoons then.  On the early 60's page there's the original theme to the Bugs Bunny Show, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, The Jetsons, Wally Gator, Astroboy, Tennessee Tuxedo, Commander McBragg, Underdog, and Magilla Gorilla.

The late 60's included such cartoons as Space Ghost, The Road Runner Show, Captain America, Speed Racer, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, Super Chicken, Spider Man, Go-Go Gophers, Dudley Do-Right, and The Pink Panther, with that great Henry Mancini theme.

The 70's were a heinous decade in so many ways, but some classic cartoons appeared, including the Scooby Doo movie cartoons, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (Hey, Hey, Hey), and The Ant and the Aardvark.  Unfortunately it was also a time when real celebrities and television programs showed up in cartoons, like The Partridge Family, The Osmonds, The Jackson Five, The Addams Family, and The Harlem Globetrotters.  The 70's also saw some cartoons "jump the shark": Josie (and the Pussycats) in Outer Space and The Super Globetrotters, for instance.  Then there were the re-treads, like The New Mighty Mouse Adventures and The New Heckle and Jeckle.

The Jay Ward stuff was the best.  These included the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, Super Chicken, Dudley Do-Right.  Rocky and Bullwinkle could definitely be viewed on two levels - the blissfully unaware child looking to be entertained, and the worldly adult to whom all the puns and historical references were not so obscure.  Thus a red jewel-encrusted sculpture of a boat was known as ... wait for it ... the Ruby Yacht of Omar Kayam.

Some other great lines in the show:

Bullwinkle: "Don't worry Rocky, I'll think of something."
Rocky: "I don't think I can wait that long."

Bullwinkle:  "I'm going to Hollllllywood.
Rocky: "You're going to Hollywood?"
Bullwinkle:  "No, Hollllywood, you know, with 3 or 4 L's."

Narrator: "There were two ways of dying in Jaipur. One was just living there."

Grand Vizier: "Take him [Bullwinkle] away and cut off his... no, that won't hurt him."

Yeah, sure, I've never been there, but I just love Frostbite Falls, Minnesota.

So, Why The Light Blogging? U2, Man

Last night I took the biggest U2 fan I know, Gwendolyn, to the U2 Vertigo 2005 show at the soon-to-be-renamed Fleet Center in Boston.  A great show, and darn well worth the time and effort getting it set up.  We had great seats (not that we needed seats), with a view just about like the one you see in the first picture below.  (pictures borrowed not for commercial benefit from the U2.com gallery for the Vertigo tour.)

The music was powerful as always, with a throbbing pulsating rhythm that forces the crowd to respond.  Of course with 20,000 U2 devotees that was not much of a challenge.  The biggest responses came with Vertigo and Beautiful Day, both of which were early in the set, and for Pride and Where The Streeets Have No Name, which had the throng singing along loudly.

Of course The Edge was worth the price of admission all by himself.  Great driving guitar rhythms and virtuoso solos.  That man is talented.

We started the evening at The Times bar, which was hosting a pre-show party and featured a U2 cover band, which not only did the songs justice but looked the part to a tee.

Bono has a serious one-world let's-get-all-the-rich-countries-to-help-the-poor mindset, but to his credit the show was spiced with praise for the efforts and leadership of America on the world stage, including a salute and song dedication to the "great American military men and women."   And that's a direct quote.  His newest effort is One, an effort to end poverty in the world.  Gwendolyn observed that he seems to be smart enough to know that the Taliban, Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein are not likely, left alone, to produce the end of poverty and oppression he desires.

Gwendolyn's only disappointment was the lack of Bad in the playlist.  I'm not sure I have any disappointments.  Okay, I'd have liked to hear With Or Without You, but that's it.

The next step is to fill this up for her.

The NormBlog Poll Results

Norm Geras has posted the results of his informal online poll of the best ten rock & roll songs of all time.  I originally referenced this poll when I sent in my list of ten.  There's a reasonable degree of agreement between my extended list and the contents of the poll.  I never was, nor will be, a Dylan fan, but the others artists are represented fairly well.

It's Still Rock & Roll To Me

Norman Geras, of Normblog, is polling to pick the top songs of rock & roll.  I submitted my list, and today he lists his top 50, before paring the list to 10.  If you're interested, visit the link and consider your list, then email him with your 10.  Note: don't email me, email him.  But if you want to list your 10 in my comment section, I'd love to see them.

For the sake of argument, here was my list.  My criterion was "songs that make me crank up the volume and sing along, despite the wishes of my riding companions."  Unfortunately for my riding companions this list is really a lot longer than 10.

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds

Buddy Holly - It Doesn't Matter Anymore

The Doobie Brothers - Listen To The Music

Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road

Don Henley - Boys of Summer

The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations

Diana Ross and The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love

The Eagles - Hotel California

Just missing the top 10:

Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode

U2 - With Or Without You

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

The Rolling Stones - Beast Of Burden, Sympathy For The Devil

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again

The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

The Beatles - Penny Lane, She Loves You

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run

and several others.

Obviously when you're talking about the universe of songs and you have to select 10 there are bound to be disagreements - entries due, I believe, by this Sunday to Mr. Geras.

Musical Rediscovery

I recently rediscovered the fabulous Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio by French artists Claude Bolling and Jean-Pierre Rampal, from 1973.  In college in the late '70's I had the good fortune to have a group of friends whose musical tastes were not limited to Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin (though we could appreciate them also).  As a result I was exposed to this splendid piece of work, a fusion of classical and jazz that's highly entertaining, as well as artists such as Chuck Mangione, George Benson and Oscar Peterson.

In any event, check it out.  You can read a review here, but listening is where it's at.  Being French is at times acceptable.