Saturday 9

Sure, I need another meme.  Stumbled onto this one while SWS-surfing, and it intrigued me - for this week anyway.


1. What celebrity would you just want to shake some sense into?
None.  I don't care about celebrities.  If forced to participate, I would shake Glenn Beck until his head fell off.  Shouldn't take long - it isn't very firmly attached. 

2. What do you think comes after death?

Well, it's sort of like Phillip Jose Farmer's novel, RIVERWORLD, but dryer and less mountainous.

3. What is the first book that you can remember reading by yourself as a child?

Knight's Castle, by Edward Eager.  And thereby hangs a tale, which I might someday tell.

4. What was the first rock concert that you attended?

Eric Clapton, live at Pine Knob.  I was about 40.  As my son described it, he did a great job with the new, mediocre songs, and a mediocre job with the great old songs.

5. If you were to suddenly become famous, would you choose a stage name? If yes, what would it be?

Yes.  Jazzbumpa

6. What is the one thing that you wish the media would stop talking about?

Philandering Celebrities.  Sure, I'm a vicarious vampiric voyeur, just like everyone else, but I just don't care.

7. If you could be part of any band, which one would it be and who would you be and why?

Hmmmm.  Tough call.  My vision of heaven (#2 notwithstanding) is to play with Count Basie on Tuesdays, and Stan Kenton on Thursdays.  I would be me, 'cause I would love rubbing trombone elbows with those cats.

8. Do you live close to your immediate family members? If not, how far away are they?

Close to most.  An hour drive from a some.  A two day drive from a few.

9. Last seasonal question (promise): What did you do on New Year's Eve?

Stayed home, drank a bottle of Asti with my lovely wife, and posted a "Happy New Year" message on Facebook at midnight.

Who Needs Robot Overlords?

We have Corporations.

“Between 1950 and 1971 the 200 leading U.S. corporations increased their control of all U.S. manufacturing assets from 46 to 87 percent. By 1971 the assets of the top 100 equaled those of the other 194,000 corporations."*

 
That was almost 40 years ago folks.  Imagine what it is like now.  Small business is the growth engine for the American economy, but its presence is insignificant.

Context and elaboration here.  Read it and weep.

UPDATE:  More somewhat related context from:

John Quiggin

Paul Krugman

UPDATE 2: and WaPo**, too.
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* This is a 2nd or 3rd generation quote, original quote from: American Global Enterprise and Asia Journal article by Mark Selden; Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars, Vol. 7, 1975
** OK.  Neil Irwin, but that messes up the rhyme scheme, and what else do we have?

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Six Word Saturday 1-02

Big Rose Bowl Win for Buckeyes!

(For more SWS, click the badge.)

Update: For those not in the know, the Bucks played the (Oregon) Ducks.

Ducks are now (rim shot) down in the mouth.
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What the Hell? Friday

Hello 2010

Happy   New   Year!

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Is it 2010 Yet?

I'll let Krugman handle the variation on the

Happy New Year

theme.

Or maybe not.

Cheers!  Better days are coming.

We just don't know when.
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Sky Shot Thursday - End of the Year

Taken from the street in front of my house on Nov 8.

Note the odd formation to the top right.  Two more views follow.

 

R.I.P. Dan Naddor

Dan Naddor, one of the finest crossword puzzle constructors in America, passed away yesterday at the age of 52. His puzzles appeared exclusively in the L.A.Times, about once a week lately, and I have been struggling with them since April - most recently, just today.

Dan loved language and a playful twist of words.  His puzzle themes were always creative and  often brilliant, his clues were clever, his answers full of puns, some wonderful, some awful - just the sort of thing that would appeal to me.

I was pretty critical of some of his puzzle making on the L.A. Times Cross Word Corner blog, because - let's be real - neither of us is perfect.  He would often visit the blog on days when his puzzles ran, and became part of the Corner family.  I came to respect and admire him for his wit, his strength of character, and his great courage through a long and brutal final illness.  He was a friend to all of us at the Corner.

RIP Dan. You will be sorely missed.

Update: This testimonial by Rich Norris, crossword editor of the L.A. Times was posted at Cruciverb.com.

I'm sorry to report that one of the LA Times's most prolific constructors, Dan Naddor, passed away Tuesday night as the result of an extended illness. Dan was one of my favorites, a fun and imaginative guy to work with. I will miss him. His unique style, creativity, energy and willingness to learn were assets that catapulted him to the top echelon of puzzle constructors since his October 2006 debut. In the three-plus years that followed, the LA Times published more than 100 of his puzzles. His legacy will live on through much of 2010: there are quite a few more of his puzzles to be edited and published over the coming months. 

Dan's wife Tracie writes: "I can honestly say that this beloved pastime prolonged his life and gave him something to strive for, enjoy, frustrate over, became a "blogger" and somewhat of a celebrity. He loved constructing these puzzles and reading how you all enjoyed them. 

"We have started a face book page under Dan Naddor and "the Crossword People" (which is how I fondly refer to your community) are welcome to visit & post. He passed away from complications of the cancer treatment (radiation to head & neck), but was considered "cancer-free". Cancer Donation information and services will be provided on his facebook site." 

Sincerely,
Rich Norris

Wednesday Poetry Blogging

WRITING LIFE

Truth lies at the heart of words you write.

Fragments of your life reborn as fiction --

Memories recast in a new light.

The boy who everybody said was bright

But prone to argument and contradiction --

Truth lies at the heart of words you write.

Cruel names called out in a school yard fight

The loneliness of classmates' interdiction --

Memories recast in a new light.

The lure of love, its power to excite,

First taste becoming your life-long addiction --

Truth lies at the heart of words you write.

Harsh voices on a never-gentle night

Delivered with such careful, studied diction --

Memories recast in a new light.

Love that lingers, dread and loss and fright,

The force of life with grinding heat and friction --

Truth lies at the heart of words you write.

Memories recast in a new light.

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Red Pandas

Two red pandas rest,

Hard to find amidst green leaves

On a stout tree branch

Taken at the Virginia Zoological Park, Nov. 16, 2009
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Mellow Yellow Monday - 12/28

This is the King 2B Silversonic my father bought for me in 1963.  The bell section is Sterling Silver, with a 24 karat gold wash inside - the mellow yellow, both for the horn and these pictures.

I posted a couple pictures a few days ago, but they were on the dark side.  These were taken on a day when sunlight was streaming through my living room windows.

For more mellow yellowness, click the badge below.

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Sunday Music Blogging - Post-Christmas Edition

Despite the relentless positivism and terminal perkiness, I rather like this song.  And with Brenda Lee it's actually perfect.  If you don't believe me, go to YouTube and catch Dean Martin singing it.

And for the jazz lovers among you, a great Thad Jones tune:


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