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Song of the Day 1/1: Ferko String Band, “Alabama Jubilee”
You probably don’t know the name of this tune, but if you’ve ever seen a commercial for Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade you’ve heard it. Ferko String Band sold 1 million copies when they released it as a single in 1955. It was an oldie even then. “Alabama Jubilee” was published in 1915, toward the end of […]
DL Open Thread: Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Day 1 of our Dry January. Which will mostly be spent working off the effects of the three glasses of champagne we had last night. Wonder if my prose will become more lucid. I mean, it almost has to, doesn’t it? N’Awlins Mass Murder: At least 10 people have been killed and 30 injured after […]
Song of the Day 12/31: André Rieu, “Auld Lang Syne”
There is something about the tune we use for Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne” that urges people to start singing. Listen to the start of this video of Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu striking up the tune at a concert in Maastricht, the Netherlands. He doesn’t get to the end of the first line […]
DL Open Thread: Tuesday, December 31, 2024
While there are still great reporters plying their craft at legacy media outlets like the NYTimes and Washington Post, I find that the consistently-best outlets for the stories I like to cover and that our readers like to read are coming from non-corporate media. If you value their work as much as I do, you […]
2024: The Good. The Bad. The Ridiculous.
The Good: January 30: Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick Voids Elon Musk’s Tesla Compensation Package, Calls It ‘Unfathomable’. Feb. 13: Conviction Of Former State Auditor Kathy McGuiness Upheld. Mar. 12: Both bills protecting retired state workers from Carney’s attempts to dump them onto a Medicare Advantage plan pass the House unanimously. Apr. 25: Hospital Care Cost Review […]
Song of the Day 12/30: Lou Reed, “Dirty Blvd.”
Bleak times call for bleak songs. Lou Reed made this the centerpiece of his critically acclaimed 1989 LP “New York,” and it topped Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart for four weeks. The blunt, caustic album clicked because it accurately reflected the mood of the country after nearly a decade of Republican rule. The song became […]
DL Open Thread: Monday, December 30, 2024
Why Jimmy Carter Lost In 1980: For Jimmy Carter, the 12 months that culminated in the 1980 general election were marked by economic turmoil, international humiliation and a political challenge from the most recognizable family name in the Democratic Party. Together, they would drive Carter from office, leaving a punctuation mark on his one-term presidency […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2024: The Top Ten!!
But first, let’s take a trip in the Not-So-Wayback Machine to revisit Tunes 50 through 11: ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2024: #’s 50-41 ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes: #’s 40-31 ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2024: #’s 30-21 ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2024: #’s 20-11 And now, the Top 10! More chalk than usual. Don’t know if I’ve […]
Jimmy Carter Has Died
The Greatest Ex-President ever. His selflessness and compassion were inspirations to so many people: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/12/29/jimmy-carter-president-dead/
Song of the Day 12/29: Counting Crows, “A Long December”
It has been a long December, but I don’t think anybody believes this coming year will be better than the last. Adam Duritz doesn’t sound like he believes it when he sings it, either, but he wrote the song for a friend who was recuperating after getting hit by a car – hence the smell […]
DL Open Thread: Sunday, December 29, 2024
Matt Meyer Gives His Developer Friends This Lovely Parting Gift. Kevin Caneco’s take is right on: My statement on outgoing CE Matt Meyer veto of ORD 24-008 (Impact fees)You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch…Last night I learned outgoing CE Matt Meyer vetoed Substitute No. 1 to ORD 24-008 which adjusted and raised impact fees on […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2024: #’s 20-11
Here’s where it gets tough. Can definitely make an argument that all these songs belong in the Top 10. Too bad there are twenty of ’em: 20: 19: 18: Sheer artistry. Adds lyrics to a typically-complex Charles Mingus tune. An incomparable voice. Exercise patience, you’ll be rewarded: Yeah, I know this performance is from 2023. […]
Song of the Day 12/28: Van Halen, “Panama”
Sclerotic bully Donald Trump has been talking tough about Panama, which like, sure, Grandpa. I’m not the only one whose mind went to this 1984 Van Halen classic, which has nothing to do with the country. When a reporter accused frontman David Lee Roth of only writing lyrics about sex, drugs and fast cars, Roth […]
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