Mardi Gras In My Mind (Revisited)
Sean MurphyMardi gras makes me think of New Orleans and all the good things I associate with The Crescent City. Among many other things, New Orleans makes me think of snapping…
Semi-Autobiographical, Inspired By a Best Friend (Revisited)*
I am not alone. I have a best friend, who happens to be a dog. He is really good for me, reminding me to eat, sleep, go to the bathroom…
Solitude*
Anyone who has lost a parent (or worse, a child) can understand that when this happens it becomes an indelible line of demarcation: your life before and your life after.…
Tim Wakefield: Happy Trails to the Ultimate Class Act
We are in an extended post-millennial moment, as so many memorable figures from the 20th Century get older and start to pass away, where it's both fitting and inevitable to…
Written and Unread*
A vision: I am reading words written by a dead person. Nothing unusual about this; it’s practically the story of my life. In this case, however, the person who was…
Whitney Houston and the Wages of Fame
Sadly, only the most optimistic or naive observers did not see this coming. Indeed, it is fair, if harsh, to wonder how it took so long. I make it a…
The Ugly and Unlistenable Death Spiral of Eddie Van Halen (Cont’d?)
They're...back? You tell me, because I have not listened to it yet and am not in any special hurry to do so. Does the new Van Halen redeem them and…
Reagan & Dickens or, The Money Dread (Redux)
Did you know Reagan and Dickens almost share the same birthday? I didn't. One day apart: Dickens --and his readers-- celebrate his 200th birthday this week. Reagan --and his disciples--…
Nello Ferrara, R.I.P.
Nello Ferrara invented the Atomic Fireball, the Lemonhead, the Boston Baked Bean and the Black Forest Gummi Bear. What, exactly, have you done with your life? Check out this obituary,…
Ben Gazzara, R.I.P.
Still reeling from the sad news about Don Cornelius, it's painful to acknowledge the loss of another irreplaceable master, Ben Gazarra. Some good tributes out there. (Here's one.) What can…