Alby's Latest Posts
Song of the Day 3/5: Warren Zevon, “Run Straight Down”
As America self-destructs, let’s hear from one of the most self-destructive artists of the rock era, Warren Zevon. He wrote this one for “Transverse City,” a 1989 concept album about the destruction of the environment and the tendency of Americans to retreat into suckling on the boob tube – hence the recitation of various chemicals […]
Song of the Day 3/4: Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, “Carnival Time/Mardi Gras Strut”
Hey, gang, it’s Mardi Gras! Yeah, I don’t feel much like celebrating either, but the celebration will still go on in New Orleans today, though the weather forced Krewes to move their parades to earlier in the day. Partiers are advised collect all the Mardi Gras throws they can before Trump’s tariffs take effect – […]
Song of the Day 3/3: Tears for Fears, “Shout”
This seems to be a preferred response to the Trusk administration. Though Tears for Fears took its name from Arthur Janov’s writings about his primal scream therapy, Roland Orzabal said it’s a general protest song. That could be because after Orzabal and bandmate Curt Smith met Janov they decided he was a self-promoting asshole. The […]
Song of the Day 3/2: Rhiannon Giddens and the Resistance Revival Chorus, “All You Fascists Bound to Lose”
Rhiannon Giddens was scheduled to play the Kennedy Center in May, but instead she’s become the latest performer to tell the Trump-controlled venue to shove it up their ass. Not in those words, of course – she was a lot classier about it than I would be. I kept quiet until now because I wanted […]
DL Open Thread Saturday, March 1, 2024
Elect a professional-wrestling president, you get professional-wrestling kayfabe. Everyone knew the moment Trump was elected that the U.S. would abandon Ukraine. Everything else is Trump’s reality show. Historian Timothy Snyder’s take. The U.S., Russia and Israel are the new Axis of Evil. Discuss. The floor’s yours.
DL Open Thread Friday, Feb. 28, 2024
In case you hadn’t heard, you’re supposed to refrain from buying anything today, which supposedly will teach Corporate America a lesson. It’s a nice thought, but I don’t think a single-day action will make much difference – people will just buy what they need tomorrow instead. As a retired person, I buy something maybe two […]
Song of the Day 2/27: Neil Diamond, “America”
I wanted to get this one on the record before the Trusk Administration fuckwads ban it. Don’t laugh – Clear Channel, now iHeart Radio, banned its stations from playing it after the 9/11 attacks, so it’s already on notice. That might not be necessary anymore. The song was released as a single from the soundtrack […]
DL Open Thread Thursday, Feb. 27, 2024
Progressive politicians’ Sisyphean struggle to increase Delaware’s tax rate on high earners has resumed. Spotlight Delaware runs down the proposal in Sean Lynn’s bill: Income above $250,000 would be taxed at 6.95%. Income between $125,000 and $250,000 would be taxed at 6.75%. Income between $60,000 and $125,000 would remain taxed at 6.6%. Income between $20,000 […]
Oscar the Obscure
Guest post by Gary Mullinax Which of these movies have you seen? “Anora,” “I’m Still Here,” “Emilia Perez,” “Conclave,” “Nickel Boys,” “The Substance.” None, I’m guessing. But they’re all nominated for a best-picture Oscar, which will handed out Sunday night with all the rest of them. Of the other four, only two have wide appeal. […]
Song of the Day 2/26: Father John Misty, “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All”
Ever since it was released last summer, I’ve heard this song a lot on WXPN, a radio station Father John Misty has an interesting history with. Misty, whose real name is Josh Tillman, played in 2016 at WXPN’s annual summer XPoNential music festival, and it happened to be the day after Donald Trump accepted the […]
DL Open Thread Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2024
Every member of the House GOP folded and voted for Trump’s More Money for Billionaires budget. Every one of them should be forced to answer the question, “Why do billionaires need more money?” As bad as things are, they’d be a lot worse but for Musk and Co. personifying the Dunning-Kruger effect. For example, they […]
Song of the Day 2/25: Roberta Flack, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”
The popular memory of Roberta Flack, who died yesterday at 88, boils down to two songs, this one and “Killing Me Softly,” and no wonder – they won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1972 and 1973, making Flack the first to win the award in consecutive years (U2 and Billie Eilish have […]
DL Open Thread Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2024
I realize it’s not popular, because everyone who’s not a MAGAt seems to think the proper response to this American idiocy is to declare that we’re doomed, but there are signs that the Trump/Musk/Project 2025 destruction of the federal government isn’t going as smoothly as the mainstream media would have you believe. The media reports […]
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