Seasonal Music: St Patrick’s Day

You can’t get much more Irish than the Clancy Brothers (even without Tommy Makem). This song was written to stir souls against England.  It recounts the sacrifice made by a young patriot, Roddy McCorley.  Most Irish ballads are about death or drinking.  Some are about both, such as Finnegan’s Wake. Perhaps one day someone will write a song that [...]

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The Season of the Irish

You can’t walk by a watering hole these days without seeing signs promoting Saint Patrick’s Day. But what do we really know about the Patron Saint of Ireland? Father Guido Sarducci explains.

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Box Office Quiz

It is Oscar weekend, so let’s have a movie quiz. Those who know me are aware of my fondness for James Bond movies, especially the early ones with Sean Connery. Which 007 adventure has the highest box office – that is, in inflation adjusted value. The answer can be found by going to this link, [...]

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Christmas in Old Towne Alexandria, VA

While celebrating my daughter’s birthday with her in Old Towne Alexandria on Sunday, we came across this choral group in front of city hall. This number represents a Caribbean spin on the season. Their music put us in the mood for the play we were about to see at the nearby Metro Stage – A Broadway Christmas Carol. The play tells [...]

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Holiday Greetings

I always like to post Holiday music about this time of year. This year’s selection is by the Seekers, an Australian folk group from the late sixties, best known for the hit single Georgy Girl, but they also produced several other top ten hits. The group’s lead singer was Judith Durham, a versatile singer who started off [...]

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Spielberg’s Lincoln biopic on my doorstep

California has been following me since I started my project in Virginia. First there was the August 23rd earthquake in Mineral, Virginia, about 10 miles west of my work location and 35 miles from Richmond. Now, Steven Spielberg comes on my heels for his biopic about Abraham Lincoln.  It is my understanding the film will focus on [...]

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Sound in theory; a possible nightmare in practice

In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold’s boss Frank Shirley, when confronted over his decision to cut employee bonuses says, “”Look, uh, sometimes things look good on paper, but lose their luster when you see how it affects real folks. I guess a healthy bottom line doesn’t mean much, if to get it you have to [...]

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Summer really is here

It was fitting that on the first day of summer the temperature soared to 90. This classic piece should cool you down.

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Mad Libs creator passes away

Leonard Stern, the creator of Mad Libs and several classic TV sitcoms passed away. I thought I would honor him with this tribute: LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Leonard B. Stern, the (insert adjective) writer and (noun) whose credits included (insert titles) and the word game “Mad Libs,” died Tuesday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. [...]

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James Arness: A durable career

I think it is safe to say no one will exceed the late James Arness’ continuity as an actor in the same show, playing the same character. Certainly Lucille Ball’s TV career was longer, but there were breaks. Kelsey Grammer matched Arness in playing the same character for twenty years, but his portrayal of Doctor Frasier Crane was split [...]

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