Quick Note: As you may know, my latest film, “The Atomic Bowl” has been airing over PBS stations this past month and streaming via PBS (key links and more here). A companion e-book has been available but today it is also published as a paperback, and you can read more or order here. Thank you.
John Oliver was off last night on HBO but helpfully posted a 12-minute online bonus bit that takes off on the subject of…Mike Lindell and Mystore? Yes indeed:
Just the latest today in (now) long history of this, from Abby Sewell, news director for Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Turkey at the Associated Press:
Four journalists were killed by an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital today, including Mariam Dagga, a freelancer with the AP. She has a 12-year-old son, who was evacuated from Gaza earlier in the war. She was a true hero, like all of our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza.
Nick Kristof of NYT tweeted in response this morning: “Why does the U.S. continue to provide weapons to Israel to kill journalists, nearly 200 so far in Gaza? Why should U.S. taxpayers fund double-tap bombings that kill rescue workers and journalists?”
From Ron Filipkowski, editor at MeidasTouch and former Republican:
This is what autocrats say and do. Some threats he intends to carry out, others are just meant to intimidate to produce a change in behavior caused by fear. Every day we move closer to autocracy. Who will be fearless & fight, who will ignore it and hide, & who will bend the knee?
And from Heather Cox Richardson this morning:
In another post, Trump suggested that Wes Moore [governor of Maryland] who served in Afghanistan and received a Bronze Star, awarded for acts of valor in combat, had lied about getting a Bronze Star.
Moore responded: “President Bone Spurs will do anything to get out of walking—even if that means spouting off more lies about the progress we’re making on public safety in Maryland. Hey Donald, we can get you a golf cart if that makes things easier. Just let my team know.” He added: “Did Donald Trump, the President of the United States, lie about an injury to dodge the Vietnam draft?”
The AI feature of X, called “Grok,” helpfully added: “Trump received four student deferments during the Vietnam era, followed by a 1968 medical deferment for bone spurs in his heels, per official records. The diagnosing doctor's daughters later claimed it was a favor to Trump's father, with no actual spurs. [Trump fixer] Michael Cohen testified Trump admitted faking it. Trump denies this, saying it was legitimate but temporary. No medical records confirm or refute.”
Song pick of the day, new cover of the venerable “Happy Together” by Susanna Hoffs and Rufus Wainwright.
Some say that rock ‘n roll peaked back in my high school days of1965 (shall we just mention “Satisfaction” and “Like a Rolling Stone”?) and you can judge here, with snippets of some 65 songs in 7 minutes….
From Tunes to Toons
Quick Note: As you may know, my latest film, “The Atomic Bowl,” has been airing over PBS stations this past month and streaming via PBS (key links and more here). A companion e-book has been available but today it is also published as a paperback, and you can read more or order here. Thank you.
Lovely… Got me starting to listen to some Loudon Wainwright iii. Nice memories of 1965. And the Turtles happy together remake was fun.
The 65 tunes of 1965 sure brought back some memories! Oh, my, how young everyone was in 1965, and how sad that we have lost some of the best performers from then! It was one of the very best years in music, IMHO.