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The Ledes

Sunday, May 5, 2024

New York Times: “Frank Stella, whose laconic pinstripe 'black paintings' of the late 1950s closed the door on Abstract Expressionism and pointed the way to an era of cool minimalism, died on Saturday at his home in the West Village of Manhattan. He was 87.” MB: It wasn't only Stella's paintings that were laconic; he was a man of few words, so when I ran into him at events, I enjoyed “bringing him out.” How? I never once tried to discuss art with him. 

The Wires
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Public Service Announcement

The Washington Post offers tips on how to keep your EV battery running in frigid temperatures. The link at the end of this graf is supposed to be a "gift link" (from me, Marie Burns, the giftor!), meaning that non-subscribers can read the article. Hope it works: https://wapo.st/3u8Z705

Marie: BTW, if you think our government sucks, I invite you to watch the PBS special "The Real story of Mr Bates vs the Post Office," about how the British post office falsely accused hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of subpostmasters of theft and fraud, succeeded in obtaining convictions and jail time, and essentially stole tens of thousands of pounds from some of them. Oh, and lied about it all. A dramatization of the story appeared as a four-part "Masterpiece Theater," which you still may be able to pick it up on your local PBS station. Otherwise, you can catch it here (for now). Just hope this does give our own Postmaster General Extraordinaire Louis DeJoy any ideas.

The Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron. Washington Post: A “group of amateur archaeologists sift[ing] through ... an ancient Roman pit in eastern England [found] ... a Roman dodecahedron, likely to have been placed there 1,700 years earlier.... Each of its pentagon-shaped faces is punctuated by a hole, varying in size, and each of its 20 corners is accented by a semi-spherical knob.” Archaeologists don't know what the Romans used these small dodecahedrons for but the best guess is that they have some religious significance.

"Countless studies have shown that people who spend less time in nature die younger and suffer higher rates of mental and physical ailments." So this Washington Post page allows you to check your own area to see how good your access to nature is.

Marie: If you don't like birthing stories, don't watch this video. But I thought it was pretty sweet -- and funny:

If you like Larry David, you may find this interview enjoyable:


Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Allison Hope comments in a CNN opinion piece:

~~~ Here's Chapman singing "Fast Car" at the Oakland Coliseum in December 1988. ~~~

~~~ Here's the full 2024 Grammy winner's list, via CBS.

He Shot the Messenger. Washington Post: “The Messenger is shutting down immediately, the news site’s founder told employees in an email Wednesday, marking the abrupt demise of one of the stranger and more expensive recent experiments in digital media. In his email, Jimmy Finkelstein said he was 'personally devastated' to announce that he had failed in a last-ditch effort to raise more money for the site, saying that he had been fundraising as recently as the night before. Finkelstein said the site, which launched last year with outsize ambitions and a mammoth $50 million budget, would close 'effective immediately.' The New York Times first reported the site’s closure late Wednesday afternoon, appearing to catch many staffers off-guard, including editor in chief Dan Wakeford. As employees read the news story, the internal work chat service Slack erupted in what one employee called 'pandemonium.'... Minutes later, as staffers read Finkelstein’s email, its message was underscored as they were forcibly logged out of their Slack accounts. Former Messenger reporter Jim LaPorta posted on social media that employees would not receive health care or severance.”

Contact Marie

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Page Links
Tuesday
Dec242019

Christmas Day 2019

King's College, Cambridge, Boys' Choir sings "Once in Royal David's City":

U.S. Navy Band: Senior Chief Petty Officer Keith Arneson, banjo; Petty Officer 1st Class Joe Friedman, guitar. Dueling "Jingle Bells.":

Rufus Wainwright & 1,500 Canadian sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at the Hearn Generating Station in Toronto:

When we lived in Florence, Italy, we bought a small black-and-white TV for our apartment on the Via de' Cerretani, a couple of blocks from the Duomo. It was on that cheap little box with its tinny audio that I watched in awe the opening ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Olympics. As someone we deplore might say, "There's never been anything like it." In this case, for me, that was true. A complication: Click to play the video; then click to play on YouTube:

My candidate for the Worst Christmas Song Ever is Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Well, it can be worse!

In a nod to climate change, let's not forget Leon Redbone & Dr. John's "Frosty the Snowman":

It wouldn't be Christmas without the Drifters:

Comments Off

Reader Comments (6)

Decision:

Should I pretend I was taking a day off from RC to celebrate Christmas undistracted by the Pretender's latest Festivus tweet, and by doing so leave myself open to accusations of surly disregard of my esteemed cyber-friends, or...

....how about just a couple of quick peeks, one morning, one tonight, and the expressed wish that you all have a very pleasant day with friends, family or in your own fine company.

Merry Christmas.

December 25, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Love all those videos––such a treat this morning. I'll add another old poem of mine–holding our breath before the war in Iraq that we knew was coming.


CHRISTMAS MORNING: 2002

In Trieste: Old men with sad stories gather every afternoon
In the seaside coffee shops

And here in Hamden, a Connecticut town
Covered this Christmas morning by a cold
Blanket of newly fallen snow,

Its people sleep late, so exhausted after weeks
Of frantic preparation;
Its children scramble down under
A tree’s bounty wrapped up with ribbons and bows.

One can see far across the field now
To the old barn whose roof glistens white against an ashen sky,
Its beams and timbers from an 18th century Vermont structure,
Standing barren and empty for decades
Like some glorious ancient memorial.

Oh, and look! Here comes the dog that belongs to the
Old man down the road who lost his wife to cancer
Not too long ago––see how his paws leave their signature
But not for long–––

And somewhere someone is singing carols while someone
Else is stuffing a bird while others are saying their prayers;
Someone has just died.

Outside it is so still it’s as though
All of us are holding our breath waiting for
The New Year to envelop us with a blanket
Of warmth, of safety, of hope.

And in Trieste old men with sad stories gather every
Afternoon in the seaside coffee shops.

December 25, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

For most Americans today is Christmas, but for one newly declared "Florida Man" it is and will always be Festivus. The airing of the grievances has begun and will continue.

It adds a new dimension to the unending "A Florida man..." crazy news stories.

December 25, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterBobby Lee

Always look forward to viewing the "White Christmas" 'toon/tune? Wouldn't be Christmas without those reindeer and Santa. (Also the Gnus! at any time!).

Wonderful holiday wishes to Bea McCrab and the RC gang!

December 25, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterMAG

Is it sacrilegious of me to be working in the yard today, getting rid of
grass and moving the borders? It's so warm (50 degrees) just can't
help it.
A Merry Christmas to one and all here on RC. Or as they say at
trump properties, fleas navidad. Or was that lice, can't remember.

December 25, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterForrest Morris

@Forrest: I think it was bedbugs, but fleas is close enough. My Michigan family is also nonplussed by the weather.

Happy Christmas to all. My son’s first present to me was to sing the 9am service, I having sung the “midnight” service and gotten to bed around 2. First Christmas morning in a long time that I have woken up human.

December 25, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterNiskyGuy
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