Simply Having a Jazzy Christmastime

What if the Vince Guaraldi Trio recorded Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” for “A Charlie Brown Christmas”? That’s what this delightful little cover of Macca’s Christmas favorite by the Jason Frederick Cinematic Trio imagines. “Favorite”? Well, “money pump.” It’s a money pump. Last I saw, McCartney earned something like one million dollars a year in performanceContinue reading “Simply Having a Jazzy Christmastime”

Christmas Tales from Gilded Age New York

“New York is a place long shaped by the forces of unbridled capital, where form follows finance and landowners get to build “as of right”, citizens be damned.” — Oliver Wainwright Recently I read John Kendrick Bangs‘ 1912 short story collection, A Little Book of Christmas. Bangs was a short story writer and magazine editorContinue reading “Christmas Tales from Gilded Age New York”

Thoughts on a Grim December Morn

No, they don’t have Christmas in Kentucky There’s no holly on a West Virginia door For the trees don’t twinkle when you’re hungry And the jingle bells don’t jingle when you’re poor — Phil Ochs, “Christmas in Kentucky” The weather forecast for today was all over the map. Something wintry, that was definite. Accumulation? Snow?Continue reading “Thoughts on a Grim December Morn”

Captain’s Log, Stardate 6 BCE

“Dammit, Jim! I’m a doctor, not a shepherd keeping watch over flocks by night!” “Eminently logical, doctor.” “Why, Spock, are you agreeing with me?” “I am merely noting that your statement is correct.” The image comes from Facebook, but the dialogue is all mine. 😆