There is a bonus episode of the Pluribus podcast featuring Rhea Seehorn and Carol Burnett. It has absolutely nothing to do with the show; it’s simply those two fine women exchanging embarrassing and hilarious anecdotes. Give it a listen: “Carol” and Carol: A Conversation I’ve heard Carol Burnett tell the story about her performance in The … Continue reading More Short Takes
Podcasts
How Do You Get To Silent Night?
Of all the pointless wars ever fought The Great War, or World War I as it eventually became known, was one of the most pointless. On the first Christmas Eve, 1914, during a lull in the fighting, with German troops on one side of the trench and French and British troops on the other, the … Continue reading How Do You Get To Silent Night?
The Subway Vigilante
When I was going to New York City fairly frequently during the 1970s and into the early 1980s to see Broadway shows, concerts, and operas, the city was going through one of its worst eras. Street crime was rampant and the murder rate was climbing practically every year. Two of the worst areas for crime … Continue reading The Subway Vigilante
August 6, 1930
Joe was born on January 5, 1889, in Easton, Pennsylvania, the eldest of four children of Irish immigrants. Educated at Lafayette College and Columbia University, Joe met Stella, who was married, but they fell in love and with his legal education, he helped her get a divorce, after which they wed. Joe began his legal … Continue reading August 6, 1930
Wanging On with Graham and Maria
In addition to his television chat show, Graham Norton used to have a radio program; he’d interview guests, and he and his friend Maria McErlane would dish and answer listeners’ questions about nearly anything under the sun, even though they admitted they were not qualified to do so. Highlights from those shows were repackaged as … Continue reading Wanging On with Graham and Maria
Catching Up
Quote of the day: The short memories of the American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.—Will Rogers I was tentatively planning to write a post about the first three of these, but I have so many irons in the fire, so many posts in the queue, that I decided to throw these all … Continue reading Catching Up
“Life is a loveless tale”
Quote of the day: A rich man is one who isn't afraid to ask the salesperson to show him something cheaper.—Jack Benny It was 1942 and Richard Rodgers wanted get to work on Green Grow the Lilacs, a play that had failed on Broadway a decade earlier but in which he saw possibilities for a … Continue reading “Life is a loveless tale”
Moderation Is No Virtue
Quote of the day: Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).—Mark Twain I consider myself pretty far left politically. In fact I sometimes jokingly tell folks that I’m somewhat to the left of Noam Chomsky. And yet when I take one of those … Continue reading Moderation Is No Virtue
The Lees of Old Virginia
Quote of the day: I learned ... that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back—that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a one way street, isn't it?—Agatha Christie I’ve been saving this one up, but the forthcoming documentary by Ken Burns on The American … Continue reading The Lees of Old Virginia
People Don’t Click on Links
Quote of the day: There's an old saying, “Life begins at forty.” That's silly. Life begins every morning you wake up.—George Burns I learned a long time ago that people generally don’t click on links. Years ago I was trying to promote one of my videos, so I asked someone who had tens of thousands … Continue reading People Don’t Click on Links