What kind of crazy f*cked up world do we live in where it takes sixtysomething rockers from Ireland to light the way in a somnambulant music landscape?
One in which the Irish rockers were brought up on a divided island where the IRA fought for...
We haven't had that spirit here since 1969.
But it may be brewing today.
What you've got to know is in the sixties, when Laura Nyro wrote "Save the Country," a huge segment of the population thought that the U.S. would win the war in Vietnam in a heartbeat. After all, we were big bad America!
But the truth is a ragtag band of Vietcong defeated us by employing guerilla warfare as opposed to the carpet-bombing techniques evolved from World War II. And we see the same thing today, with drone warfare. That's how battles are fought, along with cyber efforts. But there's a cadre of the public who still believes they can fight the nation via guns. In the sixties, young people fought guns with flowers, and they ended up winning.
It took a while for America to wake up, for the majority to question not only the war in Vietnam, but the government itself. Will this happen again?
Or as U2 says in "The Tears of Things":
"If you put a man in a cage and rattle it enough
A man becomes the kind of rage that cannot be locked up
No, it cannot be locked up"
In the sixties, we had manifestos. And that is what U2 has created with its latest issue of "Propaganda":
https://propaganda.u2.com
There's a lot of information here. It'll take you a while to read and digest it. It's a far cry from the limited print on the back of early Beatle albums. But U2 knows that the cognoscenti talking about a short attention span economy have it all wrong, if you intrigue people, if you have something they want, they will invest untold time in it, ergo streaming series on Netflix, et al.
That's the desire of a fan, to go deeper.
Also, in today's world, you don't depend on external outlets to spread your message, but yourself. If you're relying on others, you've missed the plot. You gain an audience, build momentum and then superserve it.
As far as creating hit records?
Where are those records heard? A hit on terrestrial radio comes after the fact, and reaches only the brain dead out of touch with the real world that happens on the internet. If you think it's about numbers, data, you've missed the point. It's about MINDSHARE! How can you embed yourself into people's brains such that they never forget you and your message?
Now in truth, many wince when U2 continues to push the envelope. They remember the "Rattle and Hum" years when Bono paraded as a deity and then tried to save the world.
But as Larry Mullen, Jr. says:
"Who needs to hear a new record from us?"
https://www.u2.com/news/title/u2--days-of-ash-new-ep-out-now/
He has a sense of humor about himself, there is self-knowledge, something that is lacking from today's hedonistic acts who are all about the sell, all about becoming a brand... Then again, they were brought up in an era of relative prosperity wherein the goal was to be an empty vessel pop star like Mariah Carey, as if vocal ability alone was key.
No, if you want to be a true star, someone people believe in, you must have an identity, you must chart your own course, you must be able to say no. You must exist outside the community, the mainstream, so you can comment on it.
So U2 have dropped an atomic bomb. Bruce Springsteen did so before them, but he was the only one. Because Bruce's roots are in the sixties, whereas today's hitmakers' are not.
And Bruce's "Streets of Minnesota" is in the tradition of Woody Guthrie. Whereas U2's "Ash" EP is definitely of the now. It truly makes one think, it's inspirational.
For some.
As for those on the fence... This is the power of music, it seeps into your subconscious, it changes who you are without you even knowing it.
There's a segment of the population that still believes in an America that no longer exists, one run by white men where minorities are denigrated and shunted aside. They long for a nation that has long since passed. And they hate those who live in the present, because they don't want to contemplate their cheese being moved. They'd rather bury their heads in the sand.
And then there are those who decry technological advancements. For all the b.s. about the harm of social media to youngsters, there has never ever been a study that proves this! But oldsters cannot conceive of the fact that young people can connect and be friends with people they've never met in person. Furthermore, the oldsters who abhor social media are afraid of what's on there, look askance at it, just like parents hated the Beatles. They don't even want to go there. All these naysayers have never ever been on TikTok, for if they had...they'd find it more stimulating than the lives they keep telling youngsters to live off the grid, in a tech free world.
But the world has changed.
Advance hype no longer works. Give it to me right now or I'm not interested, I've got too many options. Give U2 credit for dropping this project with no advance notice, not even on New Music Friday.
We need leaders. And they anoint themselves. One of the problems with millennials is they don't want to stand out, they want to be members of the group first and foremost. But it's those who question authority and stand out who change the world.
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Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Sunday, 15 February 2026
Re-Bud Cort
I first saw Harold and Maude as a college freshman at UCSB, and then two years later as a film student at UCLA. Colin Higgins, the film's writer and a UCLA graduate, spoke after the screening about how the film got made. He said the film would never have worked if Hal Ashby hadn't found Bud Cort, and I think that's right. I can't imagine another actor from that era doing what Bud did. Truly sui generis.
A couple of years later I was at a party and who should I meet, but Bud Cort? We got to talking and I told him I was a filmmaker and he insisted on reading the script I was trying to get made at the time. I ran out to the car and grabbed a copy never thinking anything would come of it. Well, two days later I get a call and it's Bud and he's gushing about the movie and telling me he'll do anything he can to help me get it made. Naturally, he wanted to play the lead, but I didn't see him in that role, so I never followed up with him. But, in the next picture I wrote, I created a part I thought would be perfect for him and, thankfully, he agreed. We spent the next three years trying to get this low budget indie off the ground and in the process became the best of friends. He was wry, mischievous, and fearless -- just like Harold. He also had a deep well of love and was pure in his passion for art. Yes, he could be difficult, but also brilliant. When he was up for the part of Harold, Robert Altman was prepping McCabe and Mrs. Miller and wanted Bud to play a gunslinger in that film. He said Altman warned him if he played Harold he'd always be the guy in the velvet jacket and, though he knew what Bob meant, the part resonated with him so profoundly he passed on McCabe and became Harold Chasen. We're all better off that he did. To him, Harold and Maude was about choosing love wherever you find it. What a beautiful idea. Yes, he had a love/hate relationship with the part, because he did become the boy in the velvet jacket, but I also know he wouldn't have had it any other way.
Thank you for remembering him.
Clif Lord
___________________________________
Bob, so many things about this Bud Cort post resonated with me. I too found out about it well after the fact; there surely wasn't any fanfare and his death got buried under an avalanche of Nancy Guthrie kidnapping and Epstein files follies.
There are many reasons I appreciate growing up when I did, but the most deeply felt were the music and the movies. Both were so readily available and could touch your heart and soul. How lucky we were to live through such a time. It's been years since I last watched "Harold and Maude" and I thank you for reminding me about the Cat Stevens tunes on the sound track. "Mona Bone Jakon " may not have been a platinum album, but I owned it and absolutely loved it. I'm having my morning jet juice listening to it on iTunes, thanks to you.
As Simon and Garfunkel once sang: how terribly strange to be 70. Or 74. Or anything not young, with death's certain presence hovering. Perhaps your post about Bud Cort struck me so because yesterday I found out a former work colleague passed away after surgery and when I called a mutual acquaintance to inform him, turned out that person was admitted to an inpatient hospice unit, dying of cancer. It's the scourge of growing older, losing those who have been a part of your life. So, fly high Bud Cort. You might not have had a huge career, but you absolutely knocked it out of the park in "Harold and Maude".
Nancy Barnum
___________________________________
An actor friend of mine invited Bud Cort to my birthday party he had for me at his house. This was a few years before Covid to put it in a point of time. Bud arrived at the door in a full length mink coat, (it was August 15th in Beverly Hills) a cigarette in his cigarette holder. He said he just had a few minutes but had a story to tell us. It included Groucho, Valium a strainer, a red carpet and a tooth. It was hysterical and we were all doubled over in laughter. With a quick one eighty turn, he was gone.
I would run in to him a few years later and we laughed about the appearance.
He was a hero of mine, and I was really thrilled to meet him. H&M is a movie I get a thrill watching to this day. RIP Bud…..
David Spero
___________________________________
He was awesome in The Life Aquatic as the "Bond Company Stooge". RIP
Justin Bartek
___________________________________
Dead on Bob.
Couple of years behind you, but "Harold and Maude" was a cultural touchstone for us in our late teen/early twenties. It was required viewing to go the Nuart Theatre here in West LA every time it played.
"And if you want to be me, be me And if you want to be you, be you 'Cause there's a million things to do, You know that there are"
Peace
Bill Stolier
___________________________________
I have made no secret of my mixed feelings about our alma mater, but you have reminded me of a terrific night -- probably in '75.
As a product of Meriden's schools, I had never heard of Harold and Maude. But it was being shown in Dana Hall (at least I think I have that name right) and I followed some dorm mates to see it.
It was a revelation. In fact, we knew the folks running the theater and persuaded them instantly to show it again. We spent the rest of the night buzzing about it -- exactly the right kind of college experience.
I'm saddened to learn of Cort's passing. But I am delighted to revel in nostalgia for one winter night way back when.
Best,
John Hyman
___________________________________
Revival Houses
And who can forget Bogey becoming our anti-hero in revival house showings of "Casablanca". That film still chokes me up and I'm now in my eighties!
Willie Perkins
___________________________________
Total agreement!
I've watched Harold and Maude maybe 20 times, or more. It's my favorite of all time.
So I was also somewhat surprised that his passing wasn't mentioned in mainstream anything…
Until it dawned on me that it was the same day that James Van Der Beek died… and then it made sense: TV star trumps cult movie star.
I watched H&M again. (I've never seen Dawson's Creek. lol)
Thom Wise
PS I met Ruth Gordon in NYC many years ago, but that's another story.
___________________________________
I didn't know about this either. Between my divorce and other complicated things as my kids were growing up, I only had a very short window where I was able to watch movies with the both of them before it became too difficult, and this is one of the ones that we watched. Though they mocked it at the time I'm pretty sure it has stayed with them like it did with me. The message in this film is eternal and it's been on my top 10 list since I saw it in college. Thank you for letting me know about this, I just put a tribute on my socials. True love has no boundaries. Gregory Mcloughlin
___________________________________
Great piece on Bud Cort. And, yes, Harold & Maude was the pinnacle of his movie acting. Both him and Ruth Gordon were transcendent.
But I go back to film 1970s Brewster McCloud by director Robert Altman. I saw this at a cinema back in the day, after I saw MASH earlier, possibly around the same time. It was a quirky movie. Cort being excentric who was dedicated to fly and lived in the Houston Astrodome (wow! Does anyone remember that place? The called it a wonder of the world of architecture) But I could not take my eyes off Shelley Duval in that film. With her Alice Cooper-like eyelashes. I thought the movie was unique and I loved it because of its uniqueness. Mosty defines its times of of 1970s underground newspapers and comics (R Crumb, Fritz the Cat, etc)
Its irreverence towards authority figures resonated with greatly me (as did MASH). Sad to see him pass on, but he left his mark with some great film roles.
My Regards; D Bodnar
___________________________________
Bud Cort was terrific as Howard Putzel in "Pollack." It's true that we have no central source of information anymore, but Bob, you are a great source of curation for us. Keep up the good work.
Liz Dean
___________________________________
Our local hippie theatre was where I first saw "Harold & Maude". Imagine a time that when you wanted to see a movie that wasn't a current release. You had to find one of these theaters. Or hope to see it on TV at some point, but some of these were never going to show on TV.
Jim Guerinot
___________________________________
I saw Harold and Maude when I was in university, at a rep theatre. It must have been 1971. My friend and I were so blown away that we found a film distribution company in Toronto and rented the film in 16mm. We invited everyone we knew for a weekend showing, filling my friend's basement with about 50 people we knew. I"ll wager I've seen the film a dozen times, the last time a year or so ago when my wife and I showed it to our then fourteen year old twin sons. They loved it. RIP Bud Cort.
Regards,
Steven Ehrlick
___________________________________
Wow! Six degrees of separation.
I remember Bud Cort very well. Like many other hippies (soon to become yuppies) growing up in Dallas, Texas back in the late 60's we congregated at the local midnight cinema on Maple Avenue for the stoner movies. Fritz the Cat, Harold and Maude, The Groove Tube, Brewster McCloud, Easy Rider, Reefer Maddness among other films were the staple. Lots of smoke filled the air and life was "groovy"…or so we thought.
A couple years later while in college as a mass communications major I got a summer gig on a Disney "True Life Adventure" movie in Oregon. The Director was Larry Landsberg along with his son Brian. Larry was one of Walt Disney's go to film makers for this genre of films. I recall they played on the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday night TV.
Long story short the producer was a guy named Chuck Mulvehill. Oregon was a non union state and I got to work as a gofer/assistant camera man on the set. Over the course of eight weeks Chuck and I became friendly. Chuck has worked on Harold and Maude. I was industrious and worked hard and guess he noticed. He invited me to come back to Los Angeles with the promise he would get me connected and an IATSE union card. I had done some stage tech work as a teen around Dallas so was familiar with grip, electric, carpentry etc..
After the shoot I returned to college for my junior year. I was invited back 6 months later by Chuck to work on another film in Oregon. Chuck told me about working with Bud Cort on Harold and Maude and Brewster McCloud. I guess he did a lot of work with Hal Ashby and Robert Altman. After the second film and another invitation I made a hard choice to finish college and eventually went into live event marketing with Irvin Feld's company. It turned out to be a great career so no regrets.
Every now and then I stumble across some old family photos of me on that film shoot in Oregon holding a camera and wonder "what if"…. Deja Vu
Bill Powell
___________________________________
I can't believe I had to hear this from you. And I can't believe the NY Times didn't think he was worthy of a social media notification. In fact, apparently nobody did. Which I think just shows, as important a movie as it has become, there are still a lot of people who have never seen it and don't know about it.
I saw it when it came out as part of a double bill with Papillon. After Papillion finished, the couple next to me asked if I knew anything about this movie. I told them it was a comedy. During the opening scene, he turned to his companion and said, "A comedy?". They left a minute or two later.
And I will always love the Farrelly Brothers for adding the line: "it's probably the greatest love story of our time" in There's Something About Mary.
Bruce Greenberg
___________________________________
My standard question upon engaging with young people is: Do you watch black and white films? Mostly it engenders baffled looks, but those that embrace the question positively have an energetic and starry look in their eyes.
Fred Ansis
A couple of years later I was at a party and who should I meet, but Bud Cort? We got to talking and I told him I was a filmmaker and he insisted on reading the script I was trying to get made at the time. I ran out to the car and grabbed a copy never thinking anything would come of it. Well, two days later I get a call and it's Bud and he's gushing about the movie and telling me he'll do anything he can to help me get it made. Naturally, he wanted to play the lead, but I didn't see him in that role, so I never followed up with him. But, in the next picture I wrote, I created a part I thought would be perfect for him and, thankfully, he agreed. We spent the next three years trying to get this low budget indie off the ground and in the process became the best of friends. He was wry, mischievous, and fearless -- just like Harold. He also had a deep well of love and was pure in his passion for art. Yes, he could be difficult, but also brilliant. When he was up for the part of Harold, Robert Altman was prepping McCabe and Mrs. Miller and wanted Bud to play a gunslinger in that film. He said Altman warned him if he played Harold he'd always be the guy in the velvet jacket and, though he knew what Bob meant, the part resonated with him so profoundly he passed on McCabe and became Harold Chasen. We're all better off that he did. To him, Harold and Maude was about choosing love wherever you find it. What a beautiful idea. Yes, he had a love/hate relationship with the part, because he did become the boy in the velvet jacket, but I also know he wouldn't have had it any other way.
Thank you for remembering him.
Clif Lord
___________________________________
Bob, so many things about this Bud Cort post resonated with me. I too found out about it well after the fact; there surely wasn't any fanfare and his death got buried under an avalanche of Nancy Guthrie kidnapping and Epstein files follies.
There are many reasons I appreciate growing up when I did, but the most deeply felt were the music and the movies. Both were so readily available and could touch your heart and soul. How lucky we were to live through such a time. It's been years since I last watched "Harold and Maude" and I thank you for reminding me about the Cat Stevens tunes on the sound track. "Mona Bone Jakon " may not have been a platinum album, but I owned it and absolutely loved it. I'm having my morning jet juice listening to it on iTunes, thanks to you.
As Simon and Garfunkel once sang: how terribly strange to be 70. Or 74. Or anything not young, with death's certain presence hovering. Perhaps your post about Bud Cort struck me so because yesterday I found out a former work colleague passed away after surgery and when I called a mutual acquaintance to inform him, turned out that person was admitted to an inpatient hospice unit, dying of cancer. It's the scourge of growing older, losing those who have been a part of your life. So, fly high Bud Cort. You might not have had a huge career, but you absolutely knocked it out of the park in "Harold and Maude".
Nancy Barnum
___________________________________
An actor friend of mine invited Bud Cort to my birthday party he had for me at his house. This was a few years before Covid to put it in a point of time. Bud arrived at the door in a full length mink coat, (it was August 15th in Beverly Hills) a cigarette in his cigarette holder. He said he just had a few minutes but had a story to tell us. It included Groucho, Valium a strainer, a red carpet and a tooth. It was hysterical and we were all doubled over in laughter. With a quick one eighty turn, he was gone.
I would run in to him a few years later and we laughed about the appearance.
He was a hero of mine, and I was really thrilled to meet him. H&M is a movie I get a thrill watching to this day. RIP Bud…..
David Spero
___________________________________
He was awesome in The Life Aquatic as the "Bond Company Stooge". RIP
Justin Bartek
___________________________________
Dead on Bob.
Couple of years behind you, but "Harold and Maude" was a cultural touchstone for us in our late teen/early twenties. It was required viewing to go the Nuart Theatre here in West LA every time it played.
"And if you want to be me, be me And if you want to be you, be you 'Cause there's a million things to do, You know that there are"
Peace
Bill Stolier
___________________________________
I have made no secret of my mixed feelings about our alma mater, but you have reminded me of a terrific night -- probably in '75.
As a product of Meriden's schools, I had never heard of Harold and Maude. But it was being shown in Dana Hall (at least I think I have that name right) and I followed some dorm mates to see it.
It was a revelation. In fact, we knew the folks running the theater and persuaded them instantly to show it again. We spent the rest of the night buzzing about it -- exactly the right kind of college experience.
I'm saddened to learn of Cort's passing. But I am delighted to revel in nostalgia for one winter night way back when.
Best,
John Hyman
___________________________________
Revival Houses
And who can forget Bogey becoming our anti-hero in revival house showings of "Casablanca". That film still chokes me up and I'm now in my eighties!
Willie Perkins
___________________________________
Total agreement!
I've watched Harold and Maude maybe 20 times, or more. It's my favorite of all time.
So I was also somewhat surprised that his passing wasn't mentioned in mainstream anything…
Until it dawned on me that it was the same day that James Van Der Beek died… and then it made sense: TV star trumps cult movie star.
I watched H&M again. (I've never seen Dawson's Creek. lol)
Thom Wise
PS I met Ruth Gordon in NYC many years ago, but that's another story.
___________________________________
I didn't know about this either. Between my divorce and other complicated things as my kids were growing up, I only had a very short window where I was able to watch movies with the both of them before it became too difficult, and this is one of the ones that we watched. Though they mocked it at the time I'm pretty sure it has stayed with them like it did with me. The message in this film is eternal and it's been on my top 10 list since I saw it in college. Thank you for letting me know about this, I just put a tribute on my socials. True love has no boundaries. Gregory Mcloughlin
___________________________________
Great piece on Bud Cort. And, yes, Harold & Maude was the pinnacle of his movie acting. Both him and Ruth Gordon were transcendent.
But I go back to film 1970s Brewster McCloud by director Robert Altman. I saw this at a cinema back in the day, after I saw MASH earlier, possibly around the same time. It was a quirky movie. Cort being excentric who was dedicated to fly and lived in the Houston Astrodome (wow! Does anyone remember that place? The called it a wonder of the world of architecture) But I could not take my eyes off Shelley Duval in that film. With her Alice Cooper-like eyelashes. I thought the movie was unique and I loved it because of its uniqueness. Mosty defines its times of of 1970s underground newspapers and comics (R Crumb, Fritz the Cat, etc)
Its irreverence towards authority figures resonated with greatly me (as did MASH). Sad to see him pass on, but he left his mark with some great film roles.
My Regards; D Bodnar
___________________________________
Bud Cort was terrific as Howard Putzel in "Pollack." It's true that we have no central source of information anymore, but Bob, you are a great source of curation for us. Keep up the good work.
Liz Dean
___________________________________
Our local hippie theatre was where I first saw "Harold & Maude". Imagine a time that when you wanted to see a movie that wasn't a current release. You had to find one of these theaters. Or hope to see it on TV at some point, but some of these were never going to show on TV.
Jim Guerinot
___________________________________
I saw Harold and Maude when I was in university, at a rep theatre. It must have been 1971. My friend and I were so blown away that we found a film distribution company in Toronto and rented the film in 16mm. We invited everyone we knew for a weekend showing, filling my friend's basement with about 50 people we knew. I"ll wager I've seen the film a dozen times, the last time a year or so ago when my wife and I showed it to our then fourteen year old twin sons. They loved it. RIP Bud Cort.
Regards,
Steven Ehrlick
___________________________________
Wow! Six degrees of separation.
I remember Bud Cort very well. Like many other hippies (soon to become yuppies) growing up in Dallas, Texas back in the late 60's we congregated at the local midnight cinema on Maple Avenue for the stoner movies. Fritz the Cat, Harold and Maude, The Groove Tube, Brewster McCloud, Easy Rider, Reefer Maddness among other films were the staple. Lots of smoke filled the air and life was "groovy"…or so we thought.
A couple years later while in college as a mass communications major I got a summer gig on a Disney "True Life Adventure" movie in Oregon. The Director was Larry Landsberg along with his son Brian. Larry was one of Walt Disney's go to film makers for this genre of films. I recall they played on the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday night TV.
Long story short the producer was a guy named Chuck Mulvehill. Oregon was a non union state and I got to work as a gofer/assistant camera man on the set. Over the course of eight weeks Chuck and I became friendly. Chuck has worked on Harold and Maude. I was industrious and worked hard and guess he noticed. He invited me to come back to Los Angeles with the promise he would get me connected and an IATSE union card. I had done some stage tech work as a teen around Dallas so was familiar with grip, electric, carpentry etc..
After the shoot I returned to college for my junior year. I was invited back 6 months later by Chuck to work on another film in Oregon. Chuck told me about working with Bud Cort on Harold and Maude and Brewster McCloud. I guess he did a lot of work with Hal Ashby and Robert Altman. After the second film and another invitation I made a hard choice to finish college and eventually went into live event marketing with Irvin Feld's company. It turned out to be a great career so no regrets.
Every now and then I stumble across some old family photos of me on that film shoot in Oregon holding a camera and wonder "what if"…. Deja Vu
Bill Powell
___________________________________
I can't believe I had to hear this from you. And I can't believe the NY Times didn't think he was worthy of a social media notification. In fact, apparently nobody did. Which I think just shows, as important a movie as it has become, there are still a lot of people who have never seen it and don't know about it.
I saw it when it came out as part of a double bill with Papillon. After Papillion finished, the couple next to me asked if I knew anything about this movie. I told them it was a comedy. During the opening scene, he turned to his companion and said, "A comedy?". They left a minute or two later.
And I will always love the Farrelly Brothers for adding the line: "it's probably the greatest love story of our time" in There's Something About Mary.
Bruce Greenberg
___________________________________
My standard question upon engaging with young people is: Do you watch black and white films? Mostly it engenders baffled looks, but those that embrace the question positively have an energetic and starry look in their eyes.
Fred Ansis
--
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Saturday, 14 February 2026
Latter-Day Kinks Playlist
Spotify (except where noted): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ahRbLIzuwTCogongsaKTs?si=f6123c996dec4f36
"20th Century Man" - "Muswell Hillbillies"
"Celluloid Heroes" - "Everybody's in Showbiz"
"Money Talks" - "Preservation Act 2"
"He's Evil" - "Preservation Act 2"
"Salvation Road" - "Preservation Act 2"
"You Can't Stop the Music" - "Soap Opera"
"I'm in Disgrace" - "Schoolboys in Disgrace"
"Juke Box Music" - "Sleepwalker"
"Life Goes On" - "Sleepwalker"
"A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" - "Misfits"
"Permanent Waves" - "Misfits"
"Live Life" - "Misfits"
"Catch Me Now I'm Falling" - "Low Budget"
"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" - "Low Budget"
"Destroyer" - "Give the People What They Want"
"Come Dancing" - "State of Confusion"
"Living on a Thin Line"- "Word of Mouth"
"The Video Shop" - "Think Visual"
"Scattered" - "Phobia"
"To the Bone" - "To the Bone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ1T0u9WxXk
"I'm Not Like Everybody Else" - "To the Bone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7inGyVKNCNY
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--
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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"20th Century Man" - "Muswell Hillbillies"
"Celluloid Heroes" - "Everybody's in Showbiz"
"Money Talks" - "Preservation Act 2"
"He's Evil" - "Preservation Act 2"
"Salvation Road" - "Preservation Act 2"
"You Can't Stop the Music" - "Soap Opera"
"I'm in Disgrace" - "Schoolboys in Disgrace"
"Juke Box Music" - "Sleepwalker"
"Life Goes On" - "Sleepwalker"
"A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" - "Misfits"
"Permanent Waves" - "Misfits"
"Live Life" - "Misfits"
"Catch Me Now I'm Falling" - "Low Budget"
"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" - "Low Budget"
"Destroyer" - "Give the People What They Want"
"Come Dancing" - "State of Confusion"
"Living on a Thin Line"- "Word of Mouth"
"The Video Shop" - "Think Visual"
"Scattered" - "Phobia"
"To the Bone" - "To the Bone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ1T0u9WxXk
"I'm Not Like Everybody Else" - "To the Bone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7inGyVKNCNY
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Friday, 13 February 2026
Latter-Day Kinks-SiriusXM This Week
Tune in Saturday February 14th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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Bud Cort
I found out he died in the "CT Insider," which Apple News+ suggested to me probably because my sister Wendy sent me so many articles from the publication. And I wondered whether I was getting the full flavor of the Nutmeg State news when I noticed in the upper left-hand corner a button entitled "Sections," which when clicked upon rendered a menu and one of the choices was "Entertainment." Wondering what was going on in the old nabe, I clicked on it. I saw that Matteo Bocelli, the son of Andrea Bocelli, was booked to play in Westport. And there was a podcast about the Martha Moxley murder whose host said Michael Skakel wasn't near the top of his suspects list. And then further down the page, I saw that Bud Cort died. In Norwalk. At an assisted living facility. I think of those places as being for the truly aged, in their late eighties and nineties. But Bud was 77, and recovering from pneumonia, and the grim reaper got him.
We don't have cult movies anymore. Nothing that comes out to little effect but then spreads through the culture and becomes a phenomenon, like "Harold and Maude," which I found out about from my mother, the culture vulture.
Now my mother grew up with the movies, all of our parents did. But when the renaissance happened in '67, with "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Graduate," she became addicted, reading Pauline Kael in "The New Yorker" and going to Judith Crist weekends. It might be hard for younger generations to learn that up until this turning point, films were not seen as art. But then universities started offering film courses and right along with rock and roll, movies drove the culture.
And music was a big part of "Harold and Maude," it was the first major exposure of Cat Stevens. It featured the song "Trouble," from "Mona Bone Jakon," which most people never heard, their fandom beginning with its successor, "Tea for the Tillerman."
Everybody didn't see "Harold and Maude" at the same time. Today there's focus on an event, a meme, something, and everybody checks it out immediately and then it's forgotten. But back then... There were revival houses, playing different flicks every night. You'd get the schedule at the record store, along with the rest of the throwaway press. And you went to the theatre to fill the holes in your viewing history. Stuff from the thirties and forties, but even more foreign flicks, and then those movies that had been overlooked and gained momentum over time, like "Harold and Maude."
Bud Cort is really not famous for much else. He complained that he was typecast, but his obits also said he was difficult to work with. And for a while there he was out of sight, but then I went to some benefit at the Universal Amphitheatre and he came out as an old man, overweight with facial hair, it was cognitive dissonance, it didn't compute, it was like running into an old girlfriend or classmate decades later, their image is frozen in your brain, but the truth is time has gone by, and just like you, they've aged.
I'm not saying Bud wasn't talented, or that I'm unfamiliar with his filmography. I saw "Brewster McCloud," it was a requirement if you were an Altman fan...at a revival house, it played for about a minute in theatres upon release. And yes, he was in "M*A*S*H" and so much more, but his performance in "Harold and Maude" was transcendent, a perfect encapsulation of the early seventies ethos, when the protests against the Vietnam War died down with disillusionment and we were looking inward.
So...
I'm reading the "CT Insider" article and there's a hyperlink to the "Times" obit, from two days ago? How did I miss this?
Yes, I read the obits. My father was a fan. Getting older, I have become one too.
Shouldn't a death of this proportion have risen up, superseded the dross of information they call news which is really anything but? Shouldn't the public at large feel this cultural moment? Shouldn't boomers be e-mailing and texting each other about it?
Well it seems like no. I had to stumble upon Bud Cort's death in a vacuum.
And I knew about the car accident and the facial surgeries, that was the excuse for his absence from the screen... But I did not know that he was from Rye, nor that his parents were in show biz, his father on stage, his mother behind the curtain. Bud was not much older than me, but I didn't grow up with anybody from this background.
Now in a world focused on the young, where oldsters imitate youngsters and lie about their age, consciousness of the march of time, towards the end, is a singular journey. No one wants to talk about it. But there are these markers...when friends become ill, when friends die, and when our heroes pass.
Yes, Bud as Harold was a hero, because he was a nonconformist. You were supposed to let your freak flag fly, question authority, stand up for your truth, being a quiet member of the group to get along was anathema. Those were our values, a lot of boomers jumped the ship in the dash for cash in the Reagan eighties, but underneath the trappings, they still remember bell bottoms and long hair and love each other and individualism...
I've never heard a young person reference "Harold and Maude." Then again, you ask them about their favorite film comedy and they'll say something like "Old School," which was released in 2003. Not a bad picture, but not in the league of the Marx Brothers, who've been completely forgotten, turns out Bud lived in Groucho's house for a while...
If it's old, if it's in black and white...
But that was no hindrance to us. We were filling in the gaps. When video shops came along in the eighties this process was on steroids...you picked up all the films you always wanted to see and then even more which starred certain actors or were done by certain directors and...
I was just really weirded-out when I learned Bud Cort died. Like I said, no one contacted me about it and I found out days later...
But maybe this is how it ends. Alone with your thoughts and experiences. No one else knows, never mind cares. But for my cadre, the boomers, "Harold and Maude" was bedrock, and as good as Ruth Gordon was, and she was phenomenal, it's But Cort's Harold that is the center of the picture, because he was so different. And we understood where he was coming from, and we could relate.
--
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We don't have cult movies anymore. Nothing that comes out to little effect but then spreads through the culture and becomes a phenomenon, like "Harold and Maude," which I found out about from my mother, the culture vulture.
Now my mother grew up with the movies, all of our parents did. But when the renaissance happened in '67, with "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Graduate," she became addicted, reading Pauline Kael in "The New Yorker" and going to Judith Crist weekends. It might be hard for younger generations to learn that up until this turning point, films were not seen as art. But then universities started offering film courses and right along with rock and roll, movies drove the culture.
And music was a big part of "Harold and Maude," it was the first major exposure of Cat Stevens. It featured the song "Trouble," from "Mona Bone Jakon," which most people never heard, their fandom beginning with its successor, "Tea for the Tillerman."
Everybody didn't see "Harold and Maude" at the same time. Today there's focus on an event, a meme, something, and everybody checks it out immediately and then it's forgotten. But back then... There were revival houses, playing different flicks every night. You'd get the schedule at the record store, along with the rest of the throwaway press. And you went to the theatre to fill the holes in your viewing history. Stuff from the thirties and forties, but even more foreign flicks, and then those movies that had been overlooked and gained momentum over time, like "Harold and Maude."
Bud Cort is really not famous for much else. He complained that he was typecast, but his obits also said he was difficult to work with. And for a while there he was out of sight, but then I went to some benefit at the Universal Amphitheatre and he came out as an old man, overweight with facial hair, it was cognitive dissonance, it didn't compute, it was like running into an old girlfriend or classmate decades later, their image is frozen in your brain, but the truth is time has gone by, and just like you, they've aged.
I'm not saying Bud wasn't talented, or that I'm unfamiliar with his filmography. I saw "Brewster McCloud," it was a requirement if you were an Altman fan...at a revival house, it played for about a minute in theatres upon release. And yes, he was in "M*A*S*H" and so much more, but his performance in "Harold and Maude" was transcendent, a perfect encapsulation of the early seventies ethos, when the protests against the Vietnam War died down with disillusionment and we were looking inward.
So...
I'm reading the "CT Insider" article and there's a hyperlink to the "Times" obit, from two days ago? How did I miss this?
Yes, I read the obits. My father was a fan. Getting older, I have become one too.
Shouldn't a death of this proportion have risen up, superseded the dross of information they call news which is really anything but? Shouldn't the public at large feel this cultural moment? Shouldn't boomers be e-mailing and texting each other about it?
Well it seems like no. I had to stumble upon Bud Cort's death in a vacuum.
And I knew about the car accident and the facial surgeries, that was the excuse for his absence from the screen... But I did not know that he was from Rye, nor that his parents were in show biz, his father on stage, his mother behind the curtain. Bud was not much older than me, but I didn't grow up with anybody from this background.
Now in a world focused on the young, where oldsters imitate youngsters and lie about their age, consciousness of the march of time, towards the end, is a singular journey. No one wants to talk about it. But there are these markers...when friends become ill, when friends die, and when our heroes pass.
Yes, Bud as Harold was a hero, because he was a nonconformist. You were supposed to let your freak flag fly, question authority, stand up for your truth, being a quiet member of the group to get along was anathema. Those were our values, a lot of boomers jumped the ship in the dash for cash in the Reagan eighties, but underneath the trappings, they still remember bell bottoms and long hair and love each other and individualism...
I've never heard a young person reference "Harold and Maude." Then again, you ask them about their favorite film comedy and they'll say something like "Old School," which was released in 2003. Not a bad picture, but not in the league of the Marx Brothers, who've been completely forgotten, turns out Bud lived in Groucho's house for a while...
If it's old, if it's in black and white...
But that was no hindrance to us. We were filling in the gaps. When video shops came along in the eighties this process was on steroids...you picked up all the films you always wanted to see and then even more which starred certain actors or were done by certain directors and...
I was just really weirded-out when I learned Bud Cort died. Like I said, no one contacted me about it and I found out days later...
But maybe this is how it ends. Alone with your thoughts and experiences. No one else knows, never mind cares. But for my cadre, the boomers, "Harold and Maude" was bedrock, and as good as Ruth Gordon was, and she was phenomenal, it's But Cort's Harold that is the center of the picture, because he was so different. And we understood where he was coming from, and we could relate.
--
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--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Thursday, 12 February 2026
Kenny Greenberg-This Week's Podcast
Songwriter/producer/player Kenny Greenberg is lead guitarist in Kenny Chesney's band.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kenny-greenberg/id1316200737?i=1000749420394
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7vImGNf3WyI0ycRbNDbU4d?si=kN1yXmZoTd2I-FcFpjH0jg
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/kenny-greenberg-322463791?app=listen
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/7dc13686-cab3-40a5-b8b4-fd65f597a13b/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-kenny-greenberg
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-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kenny-greenberg/id1316200737?i=1000749420394
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7vImGNf3WyI0ycRbNDbU4d?si=kN1yXmZoTd2I-FcFpjH0jg
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/kenny-greenberg-322463791?app=listen
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/7dc13686-cab3-40a5-b8b4-fd65f597a13b/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-kenny-greenberg
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Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Calibration
As you may remember, we purchased an LG OLED TV back in 2020, a 65 incher.
Now I'm not going to get into a technological discussion with you about what is the best TV... When it comes to TVs, many high ticket items, it's like skis. There are many brands, but if you ask someone on the lift how they like their boards they'll always say they love them, BECAUSE THEY PAID FOR THEM! Oftentimes they've never even skied on anything else, but they're convinced their skis are the best.
Now there are two kinds of TV buyers, those who do the research and those who do not. And it's really those who do the research who are the most opinionated. Is OLED still the best format? Is it really only good in the dark? Has it been superseded?
Like I said, I'm not going to get into all this. All I will say is LG OLED TVs are considered the absolute best by many, especially those in Hollywood. And the reason I'm getting so detailed is because the picture is astounding. Revelatory. You can't believe it's that good. Truly. You may think your cheap TV is adequate, and you get more for your buck than ever before, but for a little bit more you can get image quality that truly rivals the movies, which are usually shot digitally today anyway.
So loving the LG so much, we decided to buy another for the condo in Vail. Only in this case there's a defined space and only a 55 incher will fit. And believe me, you can tell the difference, that extra ten inches adds to the viewing experience. (And for the uninitiated, TV size is measured diagonally.)
So I figured the LG was not as good in Vail because it was smaller. But I got home after the holidays and I was blown away by how good the image was on the 65" set. And the set in Vail is four generations newer! It doesn't make any sense that the image would be worse, they're both C models, if you know your LGs.
But reading voraciously I stumbled upon another article about TV calibration. Now the set at home was adjusted by the installer. The one in Vail...we're just using the settings as shipped. Used to be they were set too bright, to impress buyers in stores, but that's not always the case anymore, but...
This article reminded me that we've come to the point where you can calibrate your TV yourself. Because sites have listings for your specific set.
And I'm sitting in L.A when I'm reading about this and I decide I'm going to dive in when I get to Vail.
Now the site the article referred to was from "Consumer Reports," and we're subscribers, to both print and digital.
So, you go to:
https://www.consumerreports.org/mycr/benefits/tv-screen-optimizer/
If you're a digital CR subscriber.
Is there a similar site elsewhere on the web? Probably, I leave it to you to Google.
But with CR, you enter the brand and the model number of your TV set and then you're given a list of settings, what values to make them for your particular TV. If you can follow instructions, and can find where the settings are on your TV, it's a no-brainer, anybody can do it.
Not that I expected that much.
But HOLY SH*T! It was a completely different TV set, I was completely blown away.
Now the set looked just as good if not better than the one at home. Really, with only ten minutes of aligning the numbers on the set with those in "Consumer Reports." It should not be that easy, I shouldn't be able to tweak my TV to perfection all by myself, but I did!
And I've been thinking of writing about this, but I finally am because of the images in "Train Dreams" last night.
Now "Train Dreams" is streamed in 4k, which you have to pay extra to see. I didn't used to think it was worth it, but having done A/B comparisons, I now know it is. Almost everybody has a 4k capable set today, so I recommend you pay Netflix the extra bucks. Try it for a month, you can always cancel.
But watching "Train Dreams" last night on the calibrated LG OLED TV it was clear to me that this image was as good as the one you can get in a theatre, positively jaw-dropping.
Oh, people will argue with me. Sure, the bigger the image the better the experience. But that experience also comes with people talking, texting on their phones, it's anything but a religious experience.
Now some opinionated person will weigh in and try to convince me that the image in a theatre is a bit better. That could be true. But that is missing the point. This is the exact same situation we had in music. Everybody bitched that the MP3 had inferior sound to the CD. But for the average consumer, the MP3 was good enough. And the funny thing is now that multiple outlets stream in hi-def, oftentimes in better than CD quality, almost no one buys the DAC to hear it. And you can hear it if you have the service and equipment, and I'd like to tell you the difference is night and day, but it's not.
So what is the lesson here?
Calibrate your TV. You can do it, it's easy, like taking candy, from a baby! You will see the difference.
Also, you get what you pay for. Sure, you can get a set for under a grand and it's pretty good. But it's kind of like stereo, there's extra to be gotten, and you don't have to pay an exorbitant amount to get it.
If you saw "Train Dreams" on my TV...
I'm not inviting you over. To tell you the truth, I find the fewer people watching, the more I can get engrossed in the picture.
But I'm nudging you...calibrate your set. And if you've got an old crummy one that you think is good enough, I recommend ponying up for a new one, and subscribing to Netflix 4k.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Now I'm not going to get into a technological discussion with you about what is the best TV... When it comes to TVs, many high ticket items, it's like skis. There are many brands, but if you ask someone on the lift how they like their boards they'll always say they love them, BECAUSE THEY PAID FOR THEM! Oftentimes they've never even skied on anything else, but they're convinced their skis are the best.
Now there are two kinds of TV buyers, those who do the research and those who do not. And it's really those who do the research who are the most opinionated. Is OLED still the best format? Is it really only good in the dark? Has it been superseded?
Like I said, I'm not going to get into all this. All I will say is LG OLED TVs are considered the absolute best by many, especially those in Hollywood. And the reason I'm getting so detailed is because the picture is astounding. Revelatory. You can't believe it's that good. Truly. You may think your cheap TV is adequate, and you get more for your buck than ever before, but for a little bit more you can get image quality that truly rivals the movies, which are usually shot digitally today anyway.
So loving the LG so much, we decided to buy another for the condo in Vail. Only in this case there's a defined space and only a 55 incher will fit. And believe me, you can tell the difference, that extra ten inches adds to the viewing experience. (And for the uninitiated, TV size is measured diagonally.)
So I figured the LG was not as good in Vail because it was smaller. But I got home after the holidays and I was blown away by how good the image was on the 65" set. And the set in Vail is four generations newer! It doesn't make any sense that the image would be worse, they're both C models, if you know your LGs.
But reading voraciously I stumbled upon another article about TV calibration. Now the set at home was adjusted by the installer. The one in Vail...we're just using the settings as shipped. Used to be they were set too bright, to impress buyers in stores, but that's not always the case anymore, but...
This article reminded me that we've come to the point where you can calibrate your TV yourself. Because sites have listings for your specific set.
And I'm sitting in L.A when I'm reading about this and I decide I'm going to dive in when I get to Vail.
Now the site the article referred to was from "Consumer Reports," and we're subscribers, to both print and digital.
So, you go to:
https://www.consumerreports.org/mycr/benefits/tv-screen-optimizer/
If you're a digital CR subscriber.
Is there a similar site elsewhere on the web? Probably, I leave it to you to Google.
But with CR, you enter the brand and the model number of your TV set and then you're given a list of settings, what values to make them for your particular TV. If you can follow instructions, and can find where the settings are on your TV, it's a no-brainer, anybody can do it.
Not that I expected that much.
But HOLY SH*T! It was a completely different TV set, I was completely blown away.
Now the set looked just as good if not better than the one at home. Really, with only ten minutes of aligning the numbers on the set with those in "Consumer Reports." It should not be that easy, I shouldn't be able to tweak my TV to perfection all by myself, but I did!
And I've been thinking of writing about this, but I finally am because of the images in "Train Dreams" last night.
Now "Train Dreams" is streamed in 4k, which you have to pay extra to see. I didn't used to think it was worth it, but having done A/B comparisons, I now know it is. Almost everybody has a 4k capable set today, so I recommend you pay Netflix the extra bucks. Try it for a month, you can always cancel.
But watching "Train Dreams" last night on the calibrated LG OLED TV it was clear to me that this image was as good as the one you can get in a theatre, positively jaw-dropping.
Oh, people will argue with me. Sure, the bigger the image the better the experience. But that experience also comes with people talking, texting on their phones, it's anything but a religious experience.
Now some opinionated person will weigh in and try to convince me that the image in a theatre is a bit better. That could be true. But that is missing the point. This is the exact same situation we had in music. Everybody bitched that the MP3 had inferior sound to the CD. But for the average consumer, the MP3 was good enough. And the funny thing is now that multiple outlets stream in hi-def, oftentimes in better than CD quality, almost no one buys the DAC to hear it. And you can hear it if you have the service and equipment, and I'd like to tell you the difference is night and day, but it's not.
So what is the lesson here?
Calibrate your TV. You can do it, it's easy, like taking candy, from a baby! You will see the difference.
Also, you get what you pay for. Sure, you can get a set for under a grand and it's pretty good. But it's kind of like stereo, there's extra to be gotten, and you don't have to pay an exorbitant amount to get it.
If you saw "Train Dreams" on my TV...
I'm not inviting you over. To tell you the truth, I find the fewer people watching, the more I can get engrossed in the picture.
But I'm nudging you...calibrate your set. And if you've got an old crummy one that you think is good enough, I recommend ponying up for a new one, and subscribing to Netflix 4k.
--
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Train Dreams
Netflix trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nk8TrBHOrA
They don't make 'em like this anymore, only in this case they did.
Back when the world was smaller, you could track the purchases at Sundance to the ultimate distribution of the pics, usually close to a year later. But now...
I knew about the bidding for "Train Dreams," I knew Netflix bought it, but I can't hold that much information in my brain, with the tsunami of music, movies, TV and news coming down the pike. Unlike in the old days, something can be great and still not surface, that's how hard it is to spread the word. Whatever buzz there was on "Train Dreams" at Sundance, it dissipated and never reignited, at least in my world.
Turns out "Train Dreams" was put out in theatres, to take care of the Oscar qualification issues, but then it appeared on Netflix, in November of this past year. I was not aware of this, and never would be except for the fact that I'm constantly searching for things to stream, and "Train Dreams" came up on some site I was doing research on and it turned out the RottenTomatoes score was 95/90, which is extraordinary, and it was nominated for Best Picture.
That's right, a film you've probably never heard of and probably won't in the future is one of the ten nominees. As you will remember, they expanded the slate in order to slip in a popcorn movie or two to satiate those who can no longer relate to the Oscars, to rope them in. This didn't work, but they still have ten nominees instead of the old five. And if you do the math...you can win the award without even getting twenty percent of the vote, how is this the best? Ditto on the Grammys.
Anyway, we pulled "Train Dreams" up on Netflix after the Olympics last night and I've got to tell you, for about twenty minutes I was thinking of turning it off, because it was slow and I didn't know where it was going. A lot of vaunted films never pan out in the viewing experience, you're waiting to see what the critics saw...and you never find it, and you've lost another two hours of your life.
But since it was nominated for an Oscar, I let "Train Dreams" play on, and it clicked.
What we've got here is a seventies movie. About people and their hopes, expectations and inner life. The kind the theatres used to be filled with. But the seventies were fifty years ago, and small films, even if profitable, were superseded by blockbusters and now studios swing for the fences with each and every release, and they don't release many. Furthermore, people won't go out to see these "small" films. They're out of the habit of going. You've got to get in your car, find a place to park, maybe even pay for it, lay down twenty or so dollars and endure too many trailers for a film that you ultimately might not like. Meanwhile, for the same amount of money you can get a Netflix subscription with a plethora of content that starts whenever you want it to, which you can stop if you don't like it, all for the same amount of money it costs to go out to see a film in a theatre. Tell me how this paradigm survives?
It doesn't.
So "Train Dreams" is based on a story by Denis Johnson that I have not read, even though I'm aware of him.
And what you've got here is a rich landscape and the story of Robert Grainier, who has no pedigree, no advantages, doesn't even know his own parents or birth date, and he's just trying to survive, day by day. And survival is no different today, even though we're confronted with "winners" living lives of luxury 24/7. But a hundred years ago, when most of "Train Dreams" takes place, the world was not networked to anywhere near the degree it is today. Grainier never ventured far from his home in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and only did so for work.
And Grainier's work is as a sawyer, cutting down the vast forests of the northwest for the war effort, for a burgeoning America. And the work is hard...before machines it took a damn long time to cut down all those trees. And during the season Grainier hooks up with a crew and... There's a bit of camaraderie amongst some of the men, but the truth is you could work with someone for months and then never see them again.
William H. Macy is nearly unrecognizable as old geezer Arn Peeples. Dropping wisdom from his lengthy experience, even though the youngsters laugh at him. That's one thing "Train Dreams" gets right, you're the young buck and you don't think you've changed but then a new generation comes along and has contempt for you.
And how long can you work with your hands anyway?
And another old codger talks a good game, but he's sacrificed his entire life to cutting down trees. Maybe he just never found the right person to love.
Gladys finds Grainier. They have a love affair, they get married, build a house, have a child and...
The thing about "Train Dreams" is the expected never happens.
You expect everything to work out in the end. Because that's how it normally works out in Hollywood. By chance you meet someone who will rescue you, who will fall in love with you, and your life will have meaning. But that's not the way it usually happens.
This film explores loneliness and loss incredibly well. Topics that are rarely explored in today's world where everybody projects togetherness. How do you cope with loss day by day. Do you ever get over it? Do you have these feelings until you die?
And the older you get do you find out life has meaning or none at all?
And you're here today, vibrant, but then you live your life and are forgotten, just another cog in the wheel of civilization. Life is supposed to work out, right?
I'm not so sure about that.
"Train Dreams" rings true in a world where so much entertainment does not, especially movies, where name brand stars supersede the story which is flimsy and predictable.
If you're gonna watch it, commit to the whole thing, that's what you have to do in order to get it. But it's under two hours, it's not a huge commitment.
And that's a flaw in movies, there's much more character development in series, never mind more plot/story, but human emotions are explored and nailed in "Train Dreams" and that's what makes it stick out. I'm not so sure I can recommend it, because so many people are not up for this kind of entertainment. But if you combed the movie listings, went to the theatre multiple times a week, saw the hip foreign flicks back in the day, "Train Dreams" will resonate with you.
--
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They don't make 'em like this anymore, only in this case they did.
Back when the world was smaller, you could track the purchases at Sundance to the ultimate distribution of the pics, usually close to a year later. But now...
I knew about the bidding for "Train Dreams," I knew Netflix bought it, but I can't hold that much information in my brain, with the tsunami of music, movies, TV and news coming down the pike. Unlike in the old days, something can be great and still not surface, that's how hard it is to spread the word. Whatever buzz there was on "Train Dreams" at Sundance, it dissipated and never reignited, at least in my world.
Turns out "Train Dreams" was put out in theatres, to take care of the Oscar qualification issues, but then it appeared on Netflix, in November of this past year. I was not aware of this, and never would be except for the fact that I'm constantly searching for things to stream, and "Train Dreams" came up on some site I was doing research on and it turned out the RottenTomatoes score was 95/90, which is extraordinary, and it was nominated for Best Picture.
That's right, a film you've probably never heard of and probably won't in the future is one of the ten nominees. As you will remember, they expanded the slate in order to slip in a popcorn movie or two to satiate those who can no longer relate to the Oscars, to rope them in. This didn't work, but they still have ten nominees instead of the old five. And if you do the math...you can win the award without even getting twenty percent of the vote, how is this the best? Ditto on the Grammys.
Anyway, we pulled "Train Dreams" up on Netflix after the Olympics last night and I've got to tell you, for about twenty minutes I was thinking of turning it off, because it was slow and I didn't know where it was going. A lot of vaunted films never pan out in the viewing experience, you're waiting to see what the critics saw...and you never find it, and you've lost another two hours of your life.
But since it was nominated for an Oscar, I let "Train Dreams" play on, and it clicked.
What we've got here is a seventies movie. About people and their hopes, expectations and inner life. The kind the theatres used to be filled with. But the seventies were fifty years ago, and small films, even if profitable, were superseded by blockbusters and now studios swing for the fences with each and every release, and they don't release many. Furthermore, people won't go out to see these "small" films. They're out of the habit of going. You've got to get in your car, find a place to park, maybe even pay for it, lay down twenty or so dollars and endure too many trailers for a film that you ultimately might not like. Meanwhile, for the same amount of money you can get a Netflix subscription with a plethora of content that starts whenever you want it to, which you can stop if you don't like it, all for the same amount of money it costs to go out to see a film in a theatre. Tell me how this paradigm survives?
It doesn't.
So "Train Dreams" is based on a story by Denis Johnson that I have not read, even though I'm aware of him.
And what you've got here is a rich landscape and the story of Robert Grainier, who has no pedigree, no advantages, doesn't even know his own parents or birth date, and he's just trying to survive, day by day. And survival is no different today, even though we're confronted with "winners" living lives of luxury 24/7. But a hundred years ago, when most of "Train Dreams" takes place, the world was not networked to anywhere near the degree it is today. Grainier never ventured far from his home in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and only did so for work.
And Grainier's work is as a sawyer, cutting down the vast forests of the northwest for the war effort, for a burgeoning America. And the work is hard...before machines it took a damn long time to cut down all those trees. And during the season Grainier hooks up with a crew and... There's a bit of camaraderie amongst some of the men, but the truth is you could work with someone for months and then never see them again.
William H. Macy is nearly unrecognizable as old geezer Arn Peeples. Dropping wisdom from his lengthy experience, even though the youngsters laugh at him. That's one thing "Train Dreams" gets right, you're the young buck and you don't think you've changed but then a new generation comes along and has contempt for you.
And how long can you work with your hands anyway?
And another old codger talks a good game, but he's sacrificed his entire life to cutting down trees. Maybe he just never found the right person to love.
Gladys finds Grainier. They have a love affair, they get married, build a house, have a child and...
The thing about "Train Dreams" is the expected never happens.
You expect everything to work out in the end. Because that's how it normally works out in Hollywood. By chance you meet someone who will rescue you, who will fall in love with you, and your life will have meaning. But that's not the way it usually happens.
This film explores loneliness and loss incredibly well. Topics that are rarely explored in today's world where everybody projects togetherness. How do you cope with loss day by day. Do you ever get over it? Do you have these feelings until you die?
And the older you get do you find out life has meaning or none at all?
And you're here today, vibrant, but then you live your life and are forgotten, just another cog in the wheel of civilization. Life is supposed to work out, right?
I'm not so sure about that.
"Train Dreams" rings true in a world where so much entertainment does not, especially movies, where name brand stars supersede the story which is flimsy and predictable.
If you're gonna watch it, commit to the whole thing, that's what you have to do in order to get it. But it's under two hours, it's not a huge commitment.
And that's a flaw in movies, there's much more character development in series, never mind more plot/story, but human emotions are explored and nailed in "Train Dreams" and that's what makes it stick out. I'm not so sure I can recommend it, because so many people are not up for this kind of entertainment. But if you combed the movie listings, went to the theatre multiple times a week, saw the hip foreign flicks back in the day, "Train Dreams" will resonate with you.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Re-Resist & Unsubscribe
I love Scott Galloway. He totally gets it. And you are correct, the most effective change agent is financial impact. I don't know if Galloway has a large enough footprint to move the needle, but if enough musicians get on board with the concept, especially if they re-post and drive traffic to Galloway's movement, it could create a viral tipping point. It didn't take that much or too long to reverse Jimmy Kimmel's "suspension" (cancellation in sheep's clothing).
Tom Player
__________________________________
I agree that Galloway himself can't make a broad change, but it helps when someone with your reach shares it. As a Minneapolis resident, I gladly kicked Uber to the curb and will be going with Lyft and DoorDash for the foreseeable future. Amazon's on double secret probation, too.
- Michael McGivern
__________________________________
Love Galloways idea and have unsubscribed from
Apple News
Apple TV
Amazon Prime
David
__________________________________
I've been doing Resist and Unsubscribe using Galloway's suggestions on thehttps://www.resistandunsubscribe.com site. I'm hopeful that it makes a difference. If not, I'll stay with it!
Thanks Bob,
Sarra Gallagher
__________________________________
As a CanadianI have cut both Amazon prime and Netflix.
Robert Gunn
__________________________________
The second I learned of Galloway's movement, I deleted Facebook from my phone and stopped paying for ChatGPT. Every little bit helps.
Joah Spearman
__________________________________
Thanks for the push, Bob, just cancelled my pro subscription, I used it but I don't need it, it makes you lazy.
Laurie Gelfand
__________________________________
Thank you for sharing this. We have unsubscribed from Prime and ChatGPT. While we do not shop at Lowe's or Home Depot, we prefer to support our local hardware store. We also choose not to patronize Chick-fil-A or other chain restaurants that have openly supported the current administration, instead favoring local options whenever possible.
It's encouraging to see others making thoughtful choices about where they spend their money. I appreciate your perspective on this and the conversation it inspires. While services like Xfinity are difficult to avoid due to limited alternatives—there's only AT&T as a competitor in our area—we do our best where possible to support businesses that align with our values.
Although making a substantial impact individually can be challenging, I believe that even small changes can contribute to positive outcomes over time. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and helping foster this important dialogue.
Best regards,
Judi Flournoy
__________________________________
Thanks for the Resist and Unsubscribe link! I'm disappointed that I hadn't heard of it before. I'm sharing it with others.
Cheers,
Bill Lackemacher IV
--
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--
Listen to the podcast:
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--
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--
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Tom Player
__________________________________
I agree that Galloway himself can't make a broad change, but it helps when someone with your reach shares it. As a Minneapolis resident, I gladly kicked Uber to the curb and will be going with Lyft and DoorDash for the foreseeable future. Amazon's on double secret probation, too.
- Michael McGivern
__________________________________
Love Galloways idea and have unsubscribed from
Apple News
Apple TV
Amazon Prime
David
__________________________________
I've been doing Resist and Unsubscribe using Galloway's suggestions on thehttps://www.resistandunsubscribe.com site. I'm hopeful that it makes a difference. If not, I'll stay with it!
Thanks Bob,
Sarra Gallagher
__________________________________
As a CanadianI have cut both Amazon prime and Netflix.
Robert Gunn
__________________________________
The second I learned of Galloway's movement, I deleted Facebook from my phone and stopped paying for ChatGPT. Every little bit helps.
Joah Spearman
__________________________________
Thanks for the push, Bob, just cancelled my pro subscription, I used it but I don't need it, it makes you lazy.
Laurie Gelfand
__________________________________
Thank you for sharing this. We have unsubscribed from Prime and ChatGPT. While we do not shop at Lowe's or Home Depot, we prefer to support our local hardware store. We also choose not to patronize Chick-fil-A or other chain restaurants that have openly supported the current administration, instead favoring local options whenever possible.
It's encouraging to see others making thoughtful choices about where they spend their money. I appreciate your perspective on this and the conversation it inspires. While services like Xfinity are difficult to avoid due to limited alternatives—there's only AT&T as a competitor in our area—we do our best where possible to support businesses that align with our values.
Although making a substantial impact individually can be challenging, I believe that even small changes can contribute to positive outcomes over time. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and helping foster this important dialogue.
Best regards,
Judi Flournoy
__________________________________
Thanks for the Resist and Unsubscribe link! I'm disappointed that I hadn't heard of it before. I'm sharing it with others.
Cheers,
Bill Lackemacher IV
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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Chappell Roan Leaves Wasserman
A change is gonna come.
I'm not going to get into the minutiae of Casey Wasserman's correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell. Whatever did or did not happen, this is the straw that breaks the camel's back after the "Daily Mail" report citing 11 women who declared Wasserman was a "serial cheater" who engaged with subordinates, including assistants and a private jet attendant.
Billie Eilish left the firm after those revelations.
It turns out the Epstein files may not bring down Donald Trump, but their release has led to payback for the rich and famous who believe the rules don't apply to them. The adulation of billionaires was already declining, in an era where the public feels disadvantaged and screwed over, where they're told the economy is good when grocery prices are stratospheric and billionaires don't need to pay any more tax and Elon Musk is responsible for the firing of government employees whilst being on the way to becoming a trillionaire.
So what happens next?
The problem for Casey Wasserman is the Epstein files are the third rail. So now...
But in this case, unlike Brad Karp losing his gig at Paul, Weiss, Wasserman OWNS the firm!
But that does not matter to the talent, and the agency is nothing without its talent.
So what happens now?
Wasserman has got to go. How it goes down is the only thing left to question... Whether the agents buy the firm, leave with their clients or...
Now it is great that women are standing up. But other than Finneas, who left with his sister, no male has reacted, no male has threatened to leave the firm.
Same as it always was.
You see it's a boys club. And the boys in charge... That's what the Epstein files told us, a lot of rich nerds who had no game were finally able to leverage their assets to act like those who bullied them.
Furthermore, if you're a male and you exhibit weakness, you're excoriated in everyday business. You don't have to be famous.
As for acts...the code of the road, you want to stand in solidarity, you don't want to be an outlier, become a pariah.
Now the men will ultimately push for Wasserman's ouster, when the noise gets too loud and...
How come the acts can't use this power in other ways? Like refusing to play gigs? All kinds of boycotts. Not playing with the companies and individuals who can speak truth to power.
We already know that relying on a protest song is a fool's errand.
Somehow Kid Rock can stand up for Trump, yet putting it all on the line against Trump? We can't find anybody who'll do that, other than those saying that ICE sucks.
Look at the numbers. The majority abhors not only ICE, but many of Trump's actions.
Now the truth is as soon as you anything anti-Trump MAGA comes out and works the refs. It's like sweepers in curling. To the point that those who disagree are afraid to say anything.
What is it going to take for a Chappell Roan to say no mas to Trump? To endure heat at first before the entire edifice crumbles?
That's what I want to know.
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I'm not going to get into the minutiae of Casey Wasserman's correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell. Whatever did or did not happen, this is the straw that breaks the camel's back after the "Daily Mail" report citing 11 women who declared Wasserman was a "serial cheater" who engaged with subordinates, including assistants and a private jet attendant.
Billie Eilish left the firm after those revelations.
It turns out the Epstein files may not bring down Donald Trump, but their release has led to payback for the rich and famous who believe the rules don't apply to them. The adulation of billionaires was already declining, in an era where the public feels disadvantaged and screwed over, where they're told the economy is good when grocery prices are stratospheric and billionaires don't need to pay any more tax and Elon Musk is responsible for the firing of government employees whilst being on the way to becoming a trillionaire.
So what happens next?
The problem for Casey Wasserman is the Epstein files are the third rail. So now...
But in this case, unlike Brad Karp losing his gig at Paul, Weiss, Wasserman OWNS the firm!
But that does not matter to the talent, and the agency is nothing without its talent.
So what happens now?
Wasserman has got to go. How it goes down is the only thing left to question... Whether the agents buy the firm, leave with their clients or...
Now it is great that women are standing up. But other than Finneas, who left with his sister, no male has reacted, no male has threatened to leave the firm.
Same as it always was.
You see it's a boys club. And the boys in charge... That's what the Epstein files told us, a lot of rich nerds who had no game were finally able to leverage their assets to act like those who bullied them.
Furthermore, if you're a male and you exhibit weakness, you're excoriated in everyday business. You don't have to be famous.
As for acts...the code of the road, you want to stand in solidarity, you don't want to be an outlier, become a pariah.
Now the men will ultimately push for Wasserman's ouster, when the noise gets too loud and...
How come the acts can't use this power in other ways? Like refusing to play gigs? All kinds of boycotts. Not playing with the companies and individuals who can speak truth to power.
We already know that relying on a protest song is a fool's errand.
Somehow Kid Rock can stand up for Trump, yet putting it all on the line against Trump? We can't find anybody who'll do that, other than those saying that ICE sucks.
Look at the numbers. The majority abhors not only ICE, but many of Trump's actions.
Now the truth is as soon as you anything anti-Trump MAGA comes out and works the refs. It's like sweepers in curling. To the point that those who disagree are afraid to say anything.
What is it going to take for a Chappell Roan to say no mas to Trump? To endure heat at first before the entire edifice crumbles?
That's what I want to know.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Sunday, 8 February 2026
Lindsey Vonn
Marcel Hirscher tried to come back and he tore his ACL in training.
That was last year.
This year he tried again and sustained a calf injury and...
Marcel is 36. He's won the World Cup eight times, more than any other skier.
But Hirscher did not ski downhill.
Mikaela Shiffrin sat out today's downhill, she's not skiing downhill this year after her puncture wound in GS at Killington in 2024. But the amazing thing about Shiffrin is she's won in downhill, which is astounding. She has won in all four events, something that Lindsey Vonn has not achieved, that few others have achieved.
There are four events. Slalom is the most technical, with many gates and short turns. Then comes giant slalom, the gates are set wider apart and the turns are much broader and the speed is much faster than it looks. Super-G is downhill with a shorter, more controlled course, more gates, fewer turns than GS, but more than... Downhill... Is close to just letting it go, it's not completely uncontrolled, it's not quite pointing your skis downhill and letting it go, but it's close. And the speed can reach 90 miles an hour.
In the World Cup downhillers are the big kahunas, they take the most risk. Almost none of them are any good in slalom or GS. Males are macho. Women...
You have to know at this level of sport, these people are jocks. Billy Kidd was a relatively slight guy from Stowe, that type can't win anymore. You've got to spend hours in the gym. And the conversation amongst these athletes is not all lovey-dovey...there are put-downs and psychological warfare and bullying and...
You may play the sport at home, but don't think it's the same environment.
So... For decades the USA was a relative also-ran.
And then came Bode Miller.
And then came Lindsey Vonn. Previously known as Lindsey Kildow, from Vail via Buck Hill in Minnesota.
Prior to this Americans could win, but not on a sustained basis. Miller and Vonn could hold their own with the Europeans, and whatever respect they got in the U.S. was superseded by the adulation on the continent, where they were true stars.
Now the average American did not know who Lindsey Vonn was until the Vancouver Olympics, where she bitched in advance about her shin and using cheese on it...and this is where I turned on her, I was a big fan before. Why the complaints? Everybody hurts. Truly.
She of course went on to win. Congrats.
But Julia Mancuso won the downhill silver in Vancouver, and the combined too...a combination downhill/slalom event which is just about extinct. Mancuso also won the giant slalom at the Turin Olympics in 2006. And she got another bronze in Sochi in 2014.
But the average American has no idea who she is.
Why?
I'd posit Mancuso is not blond, she's not glamorous.
As for Shiffrin, I've never seen such a verbal skier, willing to tell the truth to boot, she's the best of all time, man or woman, she's got a good amount of name recognition in the U.S., but nowhere close to Vonn's.
But Shiffrin is the best of all time. By far. Her total victory count is 108, when Vonn's is 84, close to Ingemar Stenmark's 86, who held the long-standing record recently broken by Shiffrin, who is only 30 and still going.
Now ski racers used to retire early. Especially Americans. But then the Europeans got better in their thirties and many are hanging in there.
Because it's hard when you retire. But at least you can ski, whereas when you retire from so many sports you can no longer participate in them, like football.
So Lindsey Vonn decides to come back. And all her contemporaries, all the retired greats weigh in, negatively.
But she proves them wrong. She wins. Which was truly astounding. Showing skill, technique, knowledge...they can compete with strength and youth. Her success was amazing. Kudos.
Now most of the stars of yore didn't think Lindsey could come back and win, but first and foremost they thought she should not come back because of the odds of injury, which affect old bodies more.
And now Vonn is injured. Truly, it was only a matter of when. Because that's Vonn's style, to hang it all out there, and you've got to hang it all out there to win. Just watch Franjo von Allmen's victory in yesterday's men's downhill. There were men who carved better turns, were technically better, but they didn't win. Von Allmen took the risk and won.
Now in skiing, the Olympics don't get much respect, they're seen as an anomaly, because anybody can win on any given day. It's the season long World Cup that matters.
But the Olympics are when Americans pay attention.
So Vonn tears her ACL and decides to ski in today's race anyway. And falls again, her coach, legendary Norwegian competitor Aksel Lund Svindal, says it's because she favored her right leg, the uninjured one, the one with the artificial knee, that allowed her to make this comeback.
This was foreseeable.
Meanwhile, Breezy Johnson, unknown to most Americans, won the gold medal, which is an unbelievable triumph, to win in downhill not only on a European track, but in the Olympics. Those paying attention knew that Johnson had stepped it up a notch, had been putting down some great results, but her story was eclipsed by that of Vonn. And her victory will be overshadowed by Vonn's attempted comeback and her failure today.
So is Vonn a hero?
She's a great skier. And a legendary gym rat. And I respect that. However, there's more to life than ski racing. At some point you have to pivot into a new lane, which is nearly impossible for most athletes, many do their best to trade on their sports achievements, but...
I guess what I'm saying is Vonn proved us all wrong by coming back and winning, that's amazing. But we knew how this would end, and it has.
But I wonder why she sucks all the air out of the room, why she gets all the attention, when Shiffrin is in another league and up and comers like Johnson are putting down good results.
Vonn is not warm and fuzzy, far from it. She's a fierce competitor.
But she's 5'10" and blond. And in America that seems to count. It's a trump card that...even Trump focuses on looks, oftentimes first.
You get what you're born with, you get no choice.
But I wish Mikaela Shiffrin was even more of a household name. She's Babe Ruth. And her consistency is jaw-dropping. She won seven in a row in the 2016-17 season, and won six in a row from the end of last year to the beginning of this one.
But she's not blond. She's attractive, but she does not have model good looks, never mind the height, not that Mikaela is short, I figure that's got to be the reason.
So Vonn goes into surgery as the most famous American skier of all time. She can trade on that perception for the rest of her life.
But me? I've lost my passion for her. She gets my respect, but...
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That was last year.
This year he tried again and sustained a calf injury and...
Marcel is 36. He's won the World Cup eight times, more than any other skier.
But Hirscher did not ski downhill.
Mikaela Shiffrin sat out today's downhill, she's not skiing downhill this year after her puncture wound in GS at Killington in 2024. But the amazing thing about Shiffrin is she's won in downhill, which is astounding. She has won in all four events, something that Lindsey Vonn has not achieved, that few others have achieved.
There are four events. Slalom is the most technical, with many gates and short turns. Then comes giant slalom, the gates are set wider apart and the turns are much broader and the speed is much faster than it looks. Super-G is downhill with a shorter, more controlled course, more gates, fewer turns than GS, but more than... Downhill... Is close to just letting it go, it's not completely uncontrolled, it's not quite pointing your skis downhill and letting it go, but it's close. And the speed can reach 90 miles an hour.
In the World Cup downhillers are the big kahunas, they take the most risk. Almost none of them are any good in slalom or GS. Males are macho. Women...
You have to know at this level of sport, these people are jocks. Billy Kidd was a relatively slight guy from Stowe, that type can't win anymore. You've got to spend hours in the gym. And the conversation amongst these athletes is not all lovey-dovey...there are put-downs and psychological warfare and bullying and...
You may play the sport at home, but don't think it's the same environment.
So... For decades the USA was a relative also-ran.
And then came Bode Miller.
And then came Lindsey Vonn. Previously known as Lindsey Kildow, from Vail via Buck Hill in Minnesota.
Prior to this Americans could win, but not on a sustained basis. Miller and Vonn could hold their own with the Europeans, and whatever respect they got in the U.S. was superseded by the adulation on the continent, where they were true stars.
Now the average American did not know who Lindsey Vonn was until the Vancouver Olympics, where she bitched in advance about her shin and using cheese on it...and this is where I turned on her, I was a big fan before. Why the complaints? Everybody hurts. Truly.
She of course went on to win. Congrats.
But Julia Mancuso won the downhill silver in Vancouver, and the combined too...a combination downhill/slalom event which is just about extinct. Mancuso also won the giant slalom at the Turin Olympics in 2006. And she got another bronze in Sochi in 2014.
But the average American has no idea who she is.
Why?
I'd posit Mancuso is not blond, she's not glamorous.
As for Shiffrin, I've never seen such a verbal skier, willing to tell the truth to boot, she's the best of all time, man or woman, she's got a good amount of name recognition in the U.S., but nowhere close to Vonn's.
But Shiffrin is the best of all time. By far. Her total victory count is 108, when Vonn's is 84, close to Ingemar Stenmark's 86, who held the long-standing record recently broken by Shiffrin, who is only 30 and still going.
Now ski racers used to retire early. Especially Americans. But then the Europeans got better in their thirties and many are hanging in there.
Because it's hard when you retire. But at least you can ski, whereas when you retire from so many sports you can no longer participate in them, like football.
So Lindsey Vonn decides to come back. And all her contemporaries, all the retired greats weigh in, negatively.
But she proves them wrong. She wins. Which was truly astounding. Showing skill, technique, knowledge...they can compete with strength and youth. Her success was amazing. Kudos.
Now most of the stars of yore didn't think Lindsey could come back and win, but first and foremost they thought she should not come back because of the odds of injury, which affect old bodies more.
And now Vonn is injured. Truly, it was only a matter of when. Because that's Vonn's style, to hang it all out there, and you've got to hang it all out there to win. Just watch Franjo von Allmen's victory in yesterday's men's downhill. There were men who carved better turns, were technically better, but they didn't win. Von Allmen took the risk and won.
Now in skiing, the Olympics don't get much respect, they're seen as an anomaly, because anybody can win on any given day. It's the season long World Cup that matters.
But the Olympics are when Americans pay attention.
So Vonn tears her ACL and decides to ski in today's race anyway. And falls again, her coach, legendary Norwegian competitor Aksel Lund Svindal, says it's because she favored her right leg, the uninjured one, the one with the artificial knee, that allowed her to make this comeback.
This was foreseeable.
Meanwhile, Breezy Johnson, unknown to most Americans, won the gold medal, which is an unbelievable triumph, to win in downhill not only on a European track, but in the Olympics. Those paying attention knew that Johnson had stepped it up a notch, had been putting down some great results, but her story was eclipsed by that of Vonn. And her victory will be overshadowed by Vonn's attempted comeback and her failure today.
So is Vonn a hero?
She's a great skier. And a legendary gym rat. And I respect that. However, there's more to life than ski racing. At some point you have to pivot into a new lane, which is nearly impossible for most athletes, many do their best to trade on their sports achievements, but...
I guess what I'm saying is Vonn proved us all wrong by coming back and winning, that's amazing. But we knew how this would end, and it has.
But I wonder why she sucks all the air out of the room, why she gets all the attention, when Shiffrin is in another league and up and comers like Johnson are putting down good results.
Vonn is not warm and fuzzy, far from it. She's a fierce competitor.
But she's 5'10" and blond. And in America that seems to count. It's a trump card that...even Trump focuses on looks, oftentimes first.
You get what you're born with, you get no choice.
But I wish Mikaela Shiffrin was even more of a household name. She's Babe Ruth. And her consistency is jaw-dropping. She won seven in a row in the 2016-17 season, and won six in a row from the end of last year to the beginning of this one.
But she's not blond. She's attractive, but she does not have model good looks, never mind the height, not that Mikaela is short, I figure that's got to be the reason.
So Vonn goes into surgery as the most famous American skier of all time. She can trade on that perception for the rest of her life.
But me? I've lost my passion for her. She gets my respect, but...
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Friday, 6 February 2026
More Siblings In Bands-SiriusXM This Week
Tune in Saturday February 7th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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Final Run?
I thought the rest of my ski season was in jeopardy.
I have a policy, I never ski a run right after they drop the rope, right after they open it for the first time that season. Because of what's hidden underneath. The untracked snow looks so appealing. But I skied Ben's Face the morning it opened about fifteen years ago, it looked so perfect this early December day. And it was pretty good until... I was at the absolute bottom of the run, where it meets the road, and suddenly my skis stopped instantly, and I was thrust forward in a complete somersault. Thank god the bindings released.
Upon investigation I found it was a water bar. This is a regular feature at ski areas, gullies to drain off the water from the melting snow, so it doesn't take the rest of the slope with it. I never knew there was a water bar there, because I'd never skied Ben's Face with so little snow.
They dropped the rope on the Big Burn at Snowmass and Dread couldn't resist. He hit a submerged rock and...bottom line is he ended up with a concussion, a serious one.
So when Strasburg told me they'd opened Cookshack back in December, I said no, despite him testifying how great it was. First and foremost, I didn't think it was even open, I thought people were poaching runs. This is a no-no in Utah. You can be skiing and on the other side of the rope it is pristine powder. But if you go over there, you're gonna lose your pass, because there's so much avalanche danger. But there's not that much avalanche danger in Vail, and they preach about pulling passes for these violations, but I've never seen them do it. (Meanwhile, it turned out Cookshack was still officially closed.)
Now it's the worst snow year in the history of records, which in Vail only go back to 1987. Right now we're sitting at 48% of average. Now the truth is there was one winter worse, which I remember and seemingly no one else does, the winter of 76-77. I was contemplating dropping out of law school and returning to Snowbird but my friends said not to come, that there was no snow, the ski areas weren't even open, they were departing for their parents' places over the holiday.
But recently, the "Salt Lake Tribune" weighed in, setting the record straight:
"This ski season isn't Utah's worst. Here's what was"
https://apple.news/A-ekRvrYsQJClRVA51yMGeQ
But as bad as it is in Colorado this year, at Vail it's even worse. You see more than a third of the ski area faces south, the "Legendary Back Bowls," and you can't get to the final third, Blue Sky Basin, unless the Bowls are open. Meaning more than two-thirds of Vail has been closed all season. The Back Bowls have never not opened before February.
Until this year.
It's a business. And business is off. The word has gotten out. There's no snow.
Now skiing on Wednesday, at the top of Sourdough, I saw that chairs 21 and 36 in the Back Bowls were running. No one was on them, the slopes were untracked, but this made me wonder, were they going to be opened?
Made no sense, because you can see dirt and bushes everywhere in the Back Bowls. And the ski patrol went on record that they were not going to open them until there was another foot of snow, and we're still 6" shy.
But the following morning, yesterday, on Instagram, there was a post that the Bowls were open!
Let me be clear, very little was open, but the headlines had publicity value. One can argue the Back Bowls are the most legendary skiing in America. Sure, there are difficult couloirs, like Corbet's in Jackson Hole, and KT22 at Squaw Valley has unending pitch, but those are only for experts. Although they rate the Back Bowls almost totally expert, the truth is they're not that steep. Furthermore, south of the border, there are no bowls like this. They've got 'em at Whistler, and in Europe, but in the States? If you want wide open bowl skiing, seven miles in length, Vail is the place.
But they were only opening three runs in the back. The Poppyfields East and West and a bit of Yonder in Sun Up Bowl...
As for Blue Sky... There was one run available from the top, Big Rock Park, and when you skied down that to Pete's Express...the slopes off that lift were open.
Now let me tell you, riding Skyline, the lift up Blue Sky, was jaw-dropping. I've never seen so much growth poking up through the snow, of course it was all closed.
As for Big Rock Park, let's just say the road over there and the slope itself were a giant clusterf*ck. Everybody was back there, amateurs included, just so they could say they'd been.
As for the legendary gully at the bottom of Big Rock Park...essentially unskiable. Rocks and moguls. I had to traverse high up on the wall in order to get through, and I still had to avoid giant rocks.
As for Pete's Express... I'd read the map wrong, I thought the Star was groomed, they alternate between that and Grand Review every day. There were so many people up there, unpredictable newbies...better skiers hew to a rhythm,...that I just blasted ahead and didn't stop, I saw openings amongst the pedestrians, yes, many people were stopped, they find ungroomed slopes a challenge, and made it down to the road to escape.
Actually, that run on the Star was pretty great. But was it worth it?
NO!
Here's where we get to the heart of the matter.
You see the lifts in Blue Sky close early, because it takes so long for people to work their way back from there to the front. The lifts on the front close at 3:30. Skyline closes at 2:30. Pete's closes at 2:15.
Felice had peeled off at the base of Gondola One, at the true bottom of Vail, and I got on the lift and started to calculate, could I make it to Pete's?
It would be close, but I figured I'd get there just under the wire, which I did, at 2:12, as the ski patrol was unfurling the red closed banner, literally.
Which meant I had to book it, bomb...which was no problem, the Poppyfields are not that steep, they're two of only three blue runs in the Back Bowls (blue is intermediate, black is expert, the Back Bowls are almost all black not because every lick of them is that difficult, but if you rate something blue, the amateurs will dive in. As it is, the problem is already significant. People who can barely ski being stuck in the Back Bowls.
Anyway, the Poppyfields West are completely baked out. Slush. Because as I said above, the Bowls face south, which means the sun hits them directly, and the snow melts.
And the Poppyfields start off wide open, then you can ski to the left of trees to avoid the hordes, but then you meet them again just before a slight face and then...there's an endless road to the base of the Orient Express, lift 21.
And when I turn the corner at the end of the road, and cross under the lift, all I can see is an endless scrum of people at the junction, where either you can turn back to Orient or take the road to Blue Sky Basin. Everybody was in this area, because the final face to the lift was closed...like I said, they only opened the Poppyfields so you could get to Blue Sky Basin.
So, there's a big wooden fence. High, the snow never covers it. In front of it is the short path back to the base of the Orient Express. Behind it is the road to Blue Sky Basin.
Now there were no openings at all. The road was completely jammed up with people, nobody moving. But at the corner of the fence, there were a few feet of snow that were unpopulated.
And at this point, I know Vail like the back of my hand. At this specific spot oftentimes there's a giant exposed rock. But if there's enough snow, it is covered. And since it was the first day this slope was opened, I figured there was enough snow, it hadn't been scraped away.
And not only is there this rock to consider, oftentimes there's a huge bare area on the other side of the ridge, where you meet the road. However, if there is a bare spot, the ski patrol puts up red bamboo poles in an X, preventing skiers from going there.
But there were no X'ed poles.
So this would work out just fine. I'd cut the corner, turn sharply, avoid the ski instructor with his two clients, and then continue my run to Blue Sky Basin.
And everything was perfect until...
There was no rock...
But there was a giant bare spot.
And a three foot drop.
And you had to clear another four or five feet of grass until you hit snow.
So suddenly I'm in the air...
If I go straight, I'm going to hit the instructor and his pupils, and that is truly a no-no at Vail, I will lose my pass for sure.
So I pull up my skis so I don't land on the bare spot, which will be an utter disaster, and while I'm up there, I turn my skis sideways, so when I land I will stop immediately, as my skis will be across the slope, and thus I will not hit the instructor and his people.
Now if you watch any ski jumping, you know that every hill has a limit, you don't want to out-jump it.
Or maybe you know more about freestyle skiing, and its jumps. You'll see skiers or snowboarders in the park, with these giant jumps and you'll notice there's a good-sized gap between the lip and the landing area. This is flat. You don't want to land here. Never ever. Because of the COMPRESSION! Talk about being jammed up and jelly tight.
So I come down from the sky, and BAM! The jolt that goes up my spine is like being hit on the head with a sledgehammer. And to avoid the ski instructor and his students I have to stop dead, so I have to plant my ass as part of this process.
And I achieve my goal, I land and stop nearly instantly, I'm not so close that the ski instructor freaks out, but he does stop on a dime and ask me how I am and I sheepishly say I'm fine, BUT AM I??
This is how you create herniated disks. I know, because I've done it. The disks are compressed and the gel inside oozes out and hits the nerve and it's like your body is on fire, FROM THE INSIDE!
You can have surgery, and in some cases wait it out, for it to return to normal, but one thing is for sure, you're going to be laid up for MONTHS!
I get up on my skis and I'm not in excruciating pain. My butt cheek hurts, and my back ain't great, but there's no pain beneath my waist, which is the telling sign of a herniated disk.
So I ski off and...my mind is a million miles away. My life, or at least the next six months, is flashing in my brain. I knew there was still little snow, but I was jonesing sitting on my bottom in L.A., so I'd come back out. I'd broken my policy of skiing slopes the day the rope had dropped, but there'd been so many skiers and the snow was packed and...
After slaloming between the unpredictable amateurs I got on the Skyline Express and contemplated my life. I thought of when I tore up my shoulder, slipping on the ice walking TO GO skiing! My shrink wasn't overly concerned. It was just the nature of life. I'm not the only person who needed rotator cuff surgery, they it did on a regular basis, I'd come out the other side. And that's what I was telling myself as I rode the lift. If this is the end, I'll cope. Or will I?
And then I realize I'm not exactly in shock, but I'm far from normal, and when you're in this headspace, detached, is when you actually get injured skiing. So I had to focus and...
I had no sharp pain.
I mean I wasn't pain-free, but I've been injured, you know it when it happens, you can feel it.
So I skied that run on Pete's and then went back to the Orient Express to ski the Poppyfields East, which you can only reach from the top of that lift, it looked better than the Poppyfields West I'd skied previously.
And the lift is interminable, but the slope was pretty good.
And the two Poppyfields merge into one, and you take that long road back to the lift, to the corner, to the site of my...I don't know what to call it, my accident? And just where I'd skied, where I'd gotten into all that trouble... The slope looked identical, but now there was a big red bamboo pole preventing people from skiing there, warning them off.
P.S. I skied some more to prove that I could, that I was okay. But a lot of times, the pain doesn't manifest itself until you wake up the next day. So I was in a holding pattern. I took an Epsom salts bath, which the guy in the ski shop said might help. You've got to sit there for at least fifteen minutes, next time I'll take reading material.
And my upper spine was not good. But I'd been able to use my poles the rest of the day.
And on either side of the back of my waist...there were aches.
And the lower spine, it was buzzing, not horribly, but it was speaking to me, saying it was jammed, wondering why in the hell I did this to it.
Now in the middle of the night, my lower back was worse.
But I woke up and... I wasn't pain free, I had aches, but nothing was sharp. Movement was not limited. So I won't say I started to smile, but my mood did improve.
And it's like the circus, you have to get right back on the horse, so after reading the paper and eating my coffee yogurt, I suited up, put on my boots, walked out to get my skis, got on the gondola, and from there to Chair 3 and at the very top...I didn't feel that bad.
So we went over to ski Dealer's Choice and at first I felt a little off, just a little stiff, but halfway down I was back in the groove and I realized...
I'd survived.
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I have a policy, I never ski a run right after they drop the rope, right after they open it for the first time that season. Because of what's hidden underneath. The untracked snow looks so appealing. But I skied Ben's Face the morning it opened about fifteen years ago, it looked so perfect this early December day. And it was pretty good until... I was at the absolute bottom of the run, where it meets the road, and suddenly my skis stopped instantly, and I was thrust forward in a complete somersault. Thank god the bindings released.
Upon investigation I found it was a water bar. This is a regular feature at ski areas, gullies to drain off the water from the melting snow, so it doesn't take the rest of the slope with it. I never knew there was a water bar there, because I'd never skied Ben's Face with so little snow.
They dropped the rope on the Big Burn at Snowmass and Dread couldn't resist. He hit a submerged rock and...bottom line is he ended up with a concussion, a serious one.
So when Strasburg told me they'd opened Cookshack back in December, I said no, despite him testifying how great it was. First and foremost, I didn't think it was even open, I thought people were poaching runs. This is a no-no in Utah. You can be skiing and on the other side of the rope it is pristine powder. But if you go over there, you're gonna lose your pass, because there's so much avalanche danger. But there's not that much avalanche danger in Vail, and they preach about pulling passes for these violations, but I've never seen them do it. (Meanwhile, it turned out Cookshack was still officially closed.)
Now it's the worst snow year in the history of records, which in Vail only go back to 1987. Right now we're sitting at 48% of average. Now the truth is there was one winter worse, which I remember and seemingly no one else does, the winter of 76-77. I was contemplating dropping out of law school and returning to Snowbird but my friends said not to come, that there was no snow, the ski areas weren't even open, they were departing for their parents' places over the holiday.
But recently, the "Salt Lake Tribune" weighed in, setting the record straight:
"This ski season isn't Utah's worst. Here's what was"
https://apple.news/A-ekRvrYsQJClRVA51yMGeQ
But as bad as it is in Colorado this year, at Vail it's even worse. You see more than a third of the ski area faces south, the "Legendary Back Bowls," and you can't get to the final third, Blue Sky Basin, unless the Bowls are open. Meaning more than two-thirds of Vail has been closed all season. The Back Bowls have never not opened before February.
Until this year.
It's a business. And business is off. The word has gotten out. There's no snow.
Now skiing on Wednesday, at the top of Sourdough, I saw that chairs 21 and 36 in the Back Bowls were running. No one was on them, the slopes were untracked, but this made me wonder, were they going to be opened?
Made no sense, because you can see dirt and bushes everywhere in the Back Bowls. And the ski patrol went on record that they were not going to open them until there was another foot of snow, and we're still 6" shy.
But the following morning, yesterday, on Instagram, there was a post that the Bowls were open!
Let me be clear, very little was open, but the headlines had publicity value. One can argue the Back Bowls are the most legendary skiing in America. Sure, there are difficult couloirs, like Corbet's in Jackson Hole, and KT22 at Squaw Valley has unending pitch, but those are only for experts. Although they rate the Back Bowls almost totally expert, the truth is they're not that steep. Furthermore, south of the border, there are no bowls like this. They've got 'em at Whistler, and in Europe, but in the States? If you want wide open bowl skiing, seven miles in length, Vail is the place.
But they were only opening three runs in the back. The Poppyfields East and West and a bit of Yonder in Sun Up Bowl...
As for Blue Sky... There was one run available from the top, Big Rock Park, and when you skied down that to Pete's Express...the slopes off that lift were open.
Now let me tell you, riding Skyline, the lift up Blue Sky, was jaw-dropping. I've never seen so much growth poking up through the snow, of course it was all closed.
As for Big Rock Park, let's just say the road over there and the slope itself were a giant clusterf*ck. Everybody was back there, amateurs included, just so they could say they'd been.
As for the legendary gully at the bottom of Big Rock Park...essentially unskiable. Rocks and moguls. I had to traverse high up on the wall in order to get through, and I still had to avoid giant rocks.
As for Pete's Express... I'd read the map wrong, I thought the Star was groomed, they alternate between that and Grand Review every day. There were so many people up there, unpredictable newbies...better skiers hew to a rhythm,...that I just blasted ahead and didn't stop, I saw openings amongst the pedestrians, yes, many people were stopped, they find ungroomed slopes a challenge, and made it down to the road to escape.
Actually, that run on the Star was pretty great. But was it worth it?
NO!
Here's where we get to the heart of the matter.
You see the lifts in Blue Sky close early, because it takes so long for people to work their way back from there to the front. The lifts on the front close at 3:30. Skyline closes at 2:30. Pete's closes at 2:15.
Felice had peeled off at the base of Gondola One, at the true bottom of Vail, and I got on the lift and started to calculate, could I make it to Pete's?
It would be close, but I figured I'd get there just under the wire, which I did, at 2:12, as the ski patrol was unfurling the red closed banner, literally.
Which meant I had to book it, bomb...which was no problem, the Poppyfields are not that steep, they're two of only three blue runs in the Back Bowls (blue is intermediate, black is expert, the Back Bowls are almost all black not because every lick of them is that difficult, but if you rate something blue, the amateurs will dive in. As it is, the problem is already significant. People who can barely ski being stuck in the Back Bowls.
Anyway, the Poppyfields West are completely baked out. Slush. Because as I said above, the Bowls face south, which means the sun hits them directly, and the snow melts.
And the Poppyfields start off wide open, then you can ski to the left of trees to avoid the hordes, but then you meet them again just before a slight face and then...there's an endless road to the base of the Orient Express, lift 21.
And when I turn the corner at the end of the road, and cross under the lift, all I can see is an endless scrum of people at the junction, where either you can turn back to Orient or take the road to Blue Sky Basin. Everybody was in this area, because the final face to the lift was closed...like I said, they only opened the Poppyfields so you could get to Blue Sky Basin.
So, there's a big wooden fence. High, the snow never covers it. In front of it is the short path back to the base of the Orient Express. Behind it is the road to Blue Sky Basin.
Now there were no openings at all. The road was completely jammed up with people, nobody moving. But at the corner of the fence, there were a few feet of snow that were unpopulated.
And at this point, I know Vail like the back of my hand. At this specific spot oftentimes there's a giant exposed rock. But if there's enough snow, it is covered. And since it was the first day this slope was opened, I figured there was enough snow, it hadn't been scraped away.
And not only is there this rock to consider, oftentimes there's a huge bare area on the other side of the ridge, where you meet the road. However, if there is a bare spot, the ski patrol puts up red bamboo poles in an X, preventing skiers from going there.
But there were no X'ed poles.
So this would work out just fine. I'd cut the corner, turn sharply, avoid the ski instructor with his two clients, and then continue my run to Blue Sky Basin.
And everything was perfect until...
There was no rock...
But there was a giant bare spot.
And a three foot drop.
And you had to clear another four or five feet of grass until you hit snow.
So suddenly I'm in the air...
If I go straight, I'm going to hit the instructor and his pupils, and that is truly a no-no at Vail, I will lose my pass for sure.
So I pull up my skis so I don't land on the bare spot, which will be an utter disaster, and while I'm up there, I turn my skis sideways, so when I land I will stop immediately, as my skis will be across the slope, and thus I will not hit the instructor and his people.
Now if you watch any ski jumping, you know that every hill has a limit, you don't want to out-jump it.
Or maybe you know more about freestyle skiing, and its jumps. You'll see skiers or snowboarders in the park, with these giant jumps and you'll notice there's a good-sized gap between the lip and the landing area. This is flat. You don't want to land here. Never ever. Because of the COMPRESSION! Talk about being jammed up and jelly tight.
So I come down from the sky, and BAM! The jolt that goes up my spine is like being hit on the head with a sledgehammer. And to avoid the ski instructor and his students I have to stop dead, so I have to plant my ass as part of this process.
And I achieve my goal, I land and stop nearly instantly, I'm not so close that the ski instructor freaks out, but he does stop on a dime and ask me how I am and I sheepishly say I'm fine, BUT AM I??
This is how you create herniated disks. I know, because I've done it. The disks are compressed and the gel inside oozes out and hits the nerve and it's like your body is on fire, FROM THE INSIDE!
You can have surgery, and in some cases wait it out, for it to return to normal, but one thing is for sure, you're going to be laid up for MONTHS!
I get up on my skis and I'm not in excruciating pain. My butt cheek hurts, and my back ain't great, but there's no pain beneath my waist, which is the telling sign of a herniated disk.
So I ski off and...my mind is a million miles away. My life, or at least the next six months, is flashing in my brain. I knew there was still little snow, but I was jonesing sitting on my bottom in L.A., so I'd come back out. I'd broken my policy of skiing slopes the day the rope had dropped, but there'd been so many skiers and the snow was packed and...
After slaloming between the unpredictable amateurs I got on the Skyline Express and contemplated my life. I thought of when I tore up my shoulder, slipping on the ice walking TO GO skiing! My shrink wasn't overly concerned. It was just the nature of life. I'm not the only person who needed rotator cuff surgery, they it did on a regular basis, I'd come out the other side. And that's what I was telling myself as I rode the lift. If this is the end, I'll cope. Or will I?
And then I realize I'm not exactly in shock, but I'm far from normal, and when you're in this headspace, detached, is when you actually get injured skiing. So I had to focus and...
I had no sharp pain.
I mean I wasn't pain-free, but I've been injured, you know it when it happens, you can feel it.
So I skied that run on Pete's and then went back to the Orient Express to ski the Poppyfields East, which you can only reach from the top of that lift, it looked better than the Poppyfields West I'd skied previously.
And the lift is interminable, but the slope was pretty good.
And the two Poppyfields merge into one, and you take that long road back to the lift, to the corner, to the site of my...I don't know what to call it, my accident? And just where I'd skied, where I'd gotten into all that trouble... The slope looked identical, but now there was a big red bamboo pole preventing people from skiing there, warning them off.
P.S. I skied some more to prove that I could, that I was okay. But a lot of times, the pain doesn't manifest itself until you wake up the next day. So I was in a holding pattern. I took an Epsom salts bath, which the guy in the ski shop said might help. You've got to sit there for at least fifteen minutes, next time I'll take reading material.
And my upper spine was not good. But I'd been able to use my poles the rest of the day.
And on either side of the back of my waist...there were aches.
And the lower spine, it was buzzing, not horribly, but it was speaking to me, saying it was jammed, wondering why in the hell I did this to it.
Now in the middle of the night, my lower back was worse.
But I woke up and... I wasn't pain free, I had aches, but nothing was sharp. Movement was not limited. So I won't say I started to smile, but my mood did improve.
And it's like the circus, you have to get right back on the horse, so after reading the paper and eating my coffee yogurt, I suited up, put on my boots, walked out to get my skis, got on the gondola, and from there to Chair 3 and at the very top...I didn't feel that bad.
So we went over to ski Dealer's Choice and at first I felt a little off, just a little stiff, but halfway down I was back in the groove and I realized...
I'd survived.
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Thursday, 5 February 2026
Mary Chapin Carpenter-This Week's Podcast
Her latest album is entitled "Personal History," which is what you get in this podcast!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mary-chapin-carpenter/id1316200737?i=1000748358676
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7t6tUfUx4xjlQbaQTcYXGi?si=YF6GANJeTsOzzMP3JzOCUA
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/mary-chapin-carpenter-321158954?app=listen
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/4e198b02-022b-4b12-85d2-91a55380dc0a/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-mary-chapin-carpenter
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mary-chapin-carpenter/id1316200737?i=1000748358676
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7t6tUfUx4xjlQbaQTcYXGi?si=YF6GANJeTsOzzMP3JzOCUA
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/mary-chapin-carpenter-321158954?app=listen
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/4e198b02-022b-4b12-85d2-91a55380dc0a/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-mary-chapin-carpenter
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Wednesday, 4 February 2026
The Wings Book
https://tinyurl.com/ad35jed5
I hate oral histories.
But I love "Venus and Mars."
"McCartney" was unduly slagged because it came out nearly simultaneously with "Let It Be." People thought Paul was employing first mover advantage, making a statement, separating himself from the group even though it was John who said he was out of the band first.
Yes, Paul goes on record about that here.
There's more than "Maybe I'm Amazed" on Paul's solo debut. Go back to "Every Night" and "That Would Be Something," there's no one on the planet who can equal the sparse sound and mood of these tracks, and while I'm at it I'll add in "Junk" and "Teddy Boy" too. Even "Kreen-Akrore." If you can slow down enough to listen to "McCartney," hopefully on a system that can render its sonic quality, you will be amazed.
As for "Ram"... I cottoned to it decades later, but it was obvious and in your face in a way that "McCartney" was not. I always liked "Too Many People," but I don't think I ever need to hear "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" ever again, it was played into the ground back in the seventies. Maybe the first twenty five times it was okay, but after that... "Monkberry Moon Delight"? Sounds good, but ultimately too light. However, in this book the derivation of this song is explained. The last song rocks, "The Back Seat of My Car," but overall "Ram" was evidence of the naysayers' take on Paul, that he was too lightweight, there was not soul-searching depth, which John Lennon provided.
As for Wings' debut, "Wild Life," the less said the better. Even though this book says that people have come to it, I don't know anyone who has. This was a dud when it was released back in '71 and it still is. That's a good idea, dash off a record with no hits, no tracks that stick in your brain, it's a failed experiment, done quickly and forgotten just about as fast.
However "Red Rose Speedway"...
You find out why it was called that, even better, you find out the history of "Power Cut." On that pop-up van tour, Wings' first, there were issues with power in the U.K. Miners on strike, Maggie Thatcher sticking it to them... Funnily enough, this period comes up constantly in English TV, but in the pre-internet era, the blackouts just didn't penetrate the U.S.
But "Red Rose Speedway" does include "My Love," an execrable piece of crap. Once was enough on this one, pure schmaltz. But this book goes on ad infinitum lauding it.
However...
"Red Rose Speedway" starts off with "Big Barn Bed," which is the kind of track you hear once and then jones for, turning the dial, hoping some station will play it again. It was never a single, it's not unknown, but not everybody knows it. It's exuberant, it's got McCartney's patented tossed-off vocals and a finish with harmonies... I've never burned out on "Big Barn Bed," it's a stone cold classic in my world.
And then came "Band on the Run."
No one expected it. The last hit was "My Love." And the recent albums were uneven at best. But "Rolling Stone" named it one of the best of the year just after it came out, at the end of the year. "Helen Wheels" had gotten airplay, but nothing else from "Band on the Run" made it to the airwaves for months. So "Band on the Run," the opening track, was a secret. You dropped the needle and reveled. And "Let Me Roll It," at the end of side one, was a perfect companion to "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" at the end of side one of "Abbey Road." Both extended numbers that twist your guts, in a good way, that take you away from everyday life.
But how do you follow up a stone cold smash? An album with no filler, a complete surprise considering what came before...it's nearly impossible to do. But then came "Venus and Mars."
Sure, the single was "Listen to What the Man Said," which was light and not truly representative of the rest of the record. Yes, "Venus and Mars" was a summer album, released at the end of May 1975, it was upbeat more than dark, but... The songs no one ever talks about...god. "You Gave Me the Answer" sounds straight off the White Album. "Magneto and Titanium Man" is a fantasy that only Paul could construct, never mind the way he sings about being involved in a robbery... Jimmy McCulloch tears through "Medicine Jar," we knew him from Thunderclap Newman, we knew he had substance abuse problems, it's not a Paul song, but I love it.
The "Venus and Mars (Reprise)" is better than the version that opens the album. It's ethereal, like it was cut in a cathedral. "Call Me Back Again" features stop/start elements similar to "Let Me Roll It," Paul showing his rock and roll roots, his fifties rock and roll roots.
And I could name a few more songs on the LP, but I'm just going to go on about my absolute favorite, "Letting Go." Man, it'll shake your house if you've got speakers with bottom. They talk about it in the book, McCartney wants to recut it, but drummer Geoff Britton, whose tenure in Wings was brief, says absolutely not. Turns out they were going for an Al Green vibe...something I never realized...and Britton had a roadie retrieve one of Green's albums to play alongside and everybody agreed they'd nailed it. And so do I!
Unfortunately, they don't go through every track of every album, which is disappointing. I did learn this nugget about "Letting Go," and someone referenced the voices at the end of "Big Barn Bed," in the coda, how Linda's vocal enriched the sound, and I agree, however... The nuggets were mainly about the obvious cuts, but they are there.
As for "At the Speed of Sound"... The book goes overboard in trying to defend "Silly Love Songs," but there are no words about Denny Laine's exquisite "Time to Hide" or Paul's dreamy closer, "Warm and Beautiful." I liked "At the Speed of Sound," but it was definitely a comedown from "Band on the Run" and "Venus and Mars." Not quite slight, yet too often light, and no one can rationalize the inclusion of Linda's "Cook of the House," but it's hard to stay at the top.
But then things got worse. The only truly memorable song on "London Town" is the title track, which has just an amazing sound, so rich and moody and... Sure, the album does include "With a Little Luck," which I see as a parallel to "Listen to What the Man Said"...in that they're both catchy pop songs, but they've got the nutritional value of an Oreo. Sure, Paul can throw off hits at will, but we expect the bar to be set higher.
As for "Back to the Egg," the less said the better. And in this case, McCartney tends to agree. But then there's a reappraisal... Yup, everything McCartney does is godhead.
So have I established my bona fides? Proven I'm enough of a McCartney fan?
As for an oral history... It's the lazy way to construct a book. With not only conflicting viewpoints, but timing is not always clear and there's a lot of repetition and I'd much rather read a narrative book about Wings by one person. The story, from soup to nuts. Hopefully, with a bit of criticism involved.
Now Paul starts by saying the book is a companion to a Morgan Neville film, which I'm sure will be better than this book.
And there's some rationalization about starting from the beginning of Paul's solo career, but really it's not Wings on those first two LPs, but I wanted to read the stories anyway.
And I learned a bunch of stuff. More about the retreat to Scotland after the Beatles broke up, and McCartney family life. How "Junior's Farm" was inspired by the owner of a farm they were staying at outside of Nashville...
There are definitely morsels. And for a while there, you're intrigued. You know so much, but you're dying for these little nuggets, to fill out your knowledge of Paul and his efforts.
So I was so into the story that at first I wasn't bugged by the oral history format, but then...
You start to realize that this book is essentially hagiography. We already know Paul is great, as good as they get, a legendary icon. But they keep pouring it on, how creative he is, what a genius he is, how he can write songs on the spot. And Linda is an angel and they're both such good parents and...
By time you finish the book you want to puke. Did anybody think about how the audience would receive these words? I'm not saying I need dirt, but no man is as good as they portray Paul in this book. Ultimately it's a pain to finish.
And there's absolutely no insight if it would reflect negatively on Paul. Band members keep leaving... It's obvious if you know rock and roll... The musicians wanted to WORK! Not only record, but go out on the road and play. But Paul just wants to live the domestic life in Scotland, as they hang out, waiting for something to happen, and it's TORTURE!
But Paul can't see it, because he's so damn perfect, raising his kids, being a sheep farmer, writing all that music... Who could handle all these hiatuses? No wonder all these players quit.
But all Paul can seem to say is they were disloyal. That they let him down. B.S.
If you're a big Wings fan, maybe... If you're not, NO WAY! Do not bother with this book.
They're so proud of collecting all these stories. But few of the speakers are rendered in 3-D. They just weigh in about Paul.
Truly only one story stuck with me, sits in my brain. The band is playing a gig and Jimmy McCulloch won't leave his dressing room for an encore. Paul ultimately hits him to get him to come back on the stage. I wanted more of that story... You hit him? How hard? Where? Was it a fist or a slap? McCartney doesn't tell us, just goes on about how Jimmy didn't get along with his father.
But if you're looking for other faux pas, you won't find them in this book.
Man, I'd like to penetrate Paul, truly find out what it was like being the center of attention, still being the center of attention. How do you cope? Did you get depressed? Who did you talk to about your problems? Very few have experienced this level of success, in the case of the Beatles, absolutely no one. I mean what's it like being Paul McCartney, on the inside? All we get here is kisses on the bottom.
But, at the Capitol Congress a few years back, Paul told a story about taking the jitney in from the Hamptons to the city, and then taking a bus uptown. You won't get anybody on the Grammy show on the jitney, never mind a bus. No, they want to be separate from the people. I'd like to know more about how Paul got over his fear of the public after John was shot, which is referenced here.
Now the book goes on about the creation of album covers and marketing materials and ultimately that is what this book is, part of the endless onslaught of marketing for the movie, just another product, not the deep down truth.
There is some truth in "Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run," but just not enough. It ultimately creates distance between the reader and Paul, it's like they circled the wagons and anybody who weighed in had to pay fealty. I won't say it's a circle jerk, but it is a missed opportunity. It's more than a concert tour program, but it reads like one.
I'm glad I picked up some tidbits, some history, but I wish it hadn't taken 550 pages to get it. Too much surface, not enough depth. I wanted more, and if the people responsible for this book continue to be in control of Paul's legacy, I doubt I'll get it.
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I hate oral histories.
But I love "Venus and Mars."
"McCartney" was unduly slagged because it came out nearly simultaneously with "Let It Be." People thought Paul was employing first mover advantage, making a statement, separating himself from the group even though it was John who said he was out of the band first.
Yes, Paul goes on record about that here.
There's more than "Maybe I'm Amazed" on Paul's solo debut. Go back to "Every Night" and "That Would Be Something," there's no one on the planet who can equal the sparse sound and mood of these tracks, and while I'm at it I'll add in "Junk" and "Teddy Boy" too. Even "Kreen-Akrore." If you can slow down enough to listen to "McCartney," hopefully on a system that can render its sonic quality, you will be amazed.
As for "Ram"... I cottoned to it decades later, but it was obvious and in your face in a way that "McCartney" was not. I always liked "Too Many People," but I don't think I ever need to hear "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" ever again, it was played into the ground back in the seventies. Maybe the first twenty five times it was okay, but after that... "Monkberry Moon Delight"? Sounds good, but ultimately too light. However, in this book the derivation of this song is explained. The last song rocks, "The Back Seat of My Car," but overall "Ram" was evidence of the naysayers' take on Paul, that he was too lightweight, there was not soul-searching depth, which John Lennon provided.
As for Wings' debut, "Wild Life," the less said the better. Even though this book says that people have come to it, I don't know anyone who has. This was a dud when it was released back in '71 and it still is. That's a good idea, dash off a record with no hits, no tracks that stick in your brain, it's a failed experiment, done quickly and forgotten just about as fast.
However "Red Rose Speedway"...
You find out why it was called that, even better, you find out the history of "Power Cut." On that pop-up van tour, Wings' first, there were issues with power in the U.K. Miners on strike, Maggie Thatcher sticking it to them... Funnily enough, this period comes up constantly in English TV, but in the pre-internet era, the blackouts just didn't penetrate the U.S.
But "Red Rose Speedway" does include "My Love," an execrable piece of crap. Once was enough on this one, pure schmaltz. But this book goes on ad infinitum lauding it.
However...
"Red Rose Speedway" starts off with "Big Barn Bed," which is the kind of track you hear once and then jones for, turning the dial, hoping some station will play it again. It was never a single, it's not unknown, but not everybody knows it. It's exuberant, it's got McCartney's patented tossed-off vocals and a finish with harmonies... I've never burned out on "Big Barn Bed," it's a stone cold classic in my world.
And then came "Band on the Run."
No one expected it. The last hit was "My Love." And the recent albums were uneven at best. But "Rolling Stone" named it one of the best of the year just after it came out, at the end of the year. "Helen Wheels" had gotten airplay, but nothing else from "Band on the Run" made it to the airwaves for months. So "Band on the Run," the opening track, was a secret. You dropped the needle and reveled. And "Let Me Roll It," at the end of side one, was a perfect companion to "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" at the end of side one of "Abbey Road." Both extended numbers that twist your guts, in a good way, that take you away from everyday life.
But how do you follow up a stone cold smash? An album with no filler, a complete surprise considering what came before...it's nearly impossible to do. But then came "Venus and Mars."
Sure, the single was "Listen to What the Man Said," which was light and not truly representative of the rest of the record. Yes, "Venus and Mars" was a summer album, released at the end of May 1975, it was upbeat more than dark, but... The songs no one ever talks about...god. "You Gave Me the Answer" sounds straight off the White Album. "Magneto and Titanium Man" is a fantasy that only Paul could construct, never mind the way he sings about being involved in a robbery... Jimmy McCulloch tears through "Medicine Jar," we knew him from Thunderclap Newman, we knew he had substance abuse problems, it's not a Paul song, but I love it.
The "Venus and Mars (Reprise)" is better than the version that opens the album. It's ethereal, like it was cut in a cathedral. "Call Me Back Again" features stop/start elements similar to "Let Me Roll It," Paul showing his rock and roll roots, his fifties rock and roll roots.
And I could name a few more songs on the LP, but I'm just going to go on about my absolute favorite, "Letting Go." Man, it'll shake your house if you've got speakers with bottom. They talk about it in the book, McCartney wants to recut it, but drummer Geoff Britton, whose tenure in Wings was brief, says absolutely not. Turns out they were going for an Al Green vibe...something I never realized...and Britton had a roadie retrieve one of Green's albums to play alongside and everybody agreed they'd nailed it. And so do I!
Unfortunately, they don't go through every track of every album, which is disappointing. I did learn this nugget about "Letting Go," and someone referenced the voices at the end of "Big Barn Bed," in the coda, how Linda's vocal enriched the sound, and I agree, however... The nuggets were mainly about the obvious cuts, but they are there.
As for "At the Speed of Sound"... The book goes overboard in trying to defend "Silly Love Songs," but there are no words about Denny Laine's exquisite "Time to Hide" or Paul's dreamy closer, "Warm and Beautiful." I liked "At the Speed of Sound," but it was definitely a comedown from "Band on the Run" and "Venus and Mars." Not quite slight, yet too often light, and no one can rationalize the inclusion of Linda's "Cook of the House," but it's hard to stay at the top.
But then things got worse. The only truly memorable song on "London Town" is the title track, which has just an amazing sound, so rich and moody and... Sure, the album does include "With a Little Luck," which I see as a parallel to "Listen to What the Man Said"...in that they're both catchy pop songs, but they've got the nutritional value of an Oreo. Sure, Paul can throw off hits at will, but we expect the bar to be set higher.
As for "Back to the Egg," the less said the better. And in this case, McCartney tends to agree. But then there's a reappraisal... Yup, everything McCartney does is godhead.
So have I established my bona fides? Proven I'm enough of a McCartney fan?
As for an oral history... It's the lazy way to construct a book. With not only conflicting viewpoints, but timing is not always clear and there's a lot of repetition and I'd much rather read a narrative book about Wings by one person. The story, from soup to nuts. Hopefully, with a bit of criticism involved.
Now Paul starts by saying the book is a companion to a Morgan Neville film, which I'm sure will be better than this book.
And there's some rationalization about starting from the beginning of Paul's solo career, but really it's not Wings on those first two LPs, but I wanted to read the stories anyway.
And I learned a bunch of stuff. More about the retreat to Scotland after the Beatles broke up, and McCartney family life. How "Junior's Farm" was inspired by the owner of a farm they were staying at outside of Nashville...
There are definitely morsels. And for a while there, you're intrigued. You know so much, but you're dying for these little nuggets, to fill out your knowledge of Paul and his efforts.
So I was so into the story that at first I wasn't bugged by the oral history format, but then...
You start to realize that this book is essentially hagiography. We already know Paul is great, as good as they get, a legendary icon. But they keep pouring it on, how creative he is, what a genius he is, how he can write songs on the spot. And Linda is an angel and they're both such good parents and...
By time you finish the book you want to puke. Did anybody think about how the audience would receive these words? I'm not saying I need dirt, but no man is as good as they portray Paul in this book. Ultimately it's a pain to finish.
And there's absolutely no insight if it would reflect negatively on Paul. Band members keep leaving... It's obvious if you know rock and roll... The musicians wanted to WORK! Not only record, but go out on the road and play. But Paul just wants to live the domestic life in Scotland, as they hang out, waiting for something to happen, and it's TORTURE!
But Paul can't see it, because he's so damn perfect, raising his kids, being a sheep farmer, writing all that music... Who could handle all these hiatuses? No wonder all these players quit.
But all Paul can seem to say is they were disloyal. That they let him down. B.S.
If you're a big Wings fan, maybe... If you're not, NO WAY! Do not bother with this book.
They're so proud of collecting all these stories. But few of the speakers are rendered in 3-D. They just weigh in about Paul.
Truly only one story stuck with me, sits in my brain. The band is playing a gig and Jimmy McCulloch won't leave his dressing room for an encore. Paul ultimately hits him to get him to come back on the stage. I wanted more of that story... You hit him? How hard? Where? Was it a fist or a slap? McCartney doesn't tell us, just goes on about how Jimmy didn't get along with his father.
But if you're looking for other faux pas, you won't find them in this book.
Man, I'd like to penetrate Paul, truly find out what it was like being the center of attention, still being the center of attention. How do you cope? Did you get depressed? Who did you talk to about your problems? Very few have experienced this level of success, in the case of the Beatles, absolutely no one. I mean what's it like being Paul McCartney, on the inside? All we get here is kisses on the bottom.
But, at the Capitol Congress a few years back, Paul told a story about taking the jitney in from the Hamptons to the city, and then taking a bus uptown. You won't get anybody on the Grammy show on the jitney, never mind a bus. No, they want to be separate from the people. I'd like to know more about how Paul got over his fear of the public after John was shot, which is referenced here.
Now the book goes on about the creation of album covers and marketing materials and ultimately that is what this book is, part of the endless onslaught of marketing for the movie, just another product, not the deep down truth.
There is some truth in "Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run," but just not enough. It ultimately creates distance between the reader and Paul, it's like they circled the wagons and anybody who weighed in had to pay fealty. I won't say it's a circle jerk, but it is a missed opportunity. It's more than a concert tour program, but it reads like one.
I'm glad I picked up some tidbits, some history, but I wish it hadn't taken 550 pages to get it. Too much surface, not enough depth. I wanted more, and if the people responsible for this book continue to be in control of Paul's legacy, I doubt I'll get it.
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All-American Halftime Show
https://people.com/what-is-the-turning-point-usa-half-time-show-11898234
Well, we're Americans too. Black, brown, immigrants, foreign-language speaking people...
Sun Tzu says "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
Want to make a statement? Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, they should all petition to be on the Turning Point USA halftime show.
That's right, weren't all of us supposedly unAmericans not properly righteous, not paying fealty to Charlie Kirk? It's time to embrace Turning Point USA, so that it can truly represent all Americans.
WHAT?
All that ICE virtue signaling on the Grammys was worthless. I need you to watch Bill Maher's New Rules on this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7_hwk0cF4E
Isn't the goal of activism to change people's minds?
I don't think anyone did this at the Grammys. It was self-righteous virtual-signaling. Making real change, that requires you to put your reputation on the line, and none of these acts are willing to do this.
And, most of them are empty vessels anyway, they don't radiate any intelligence, so their words have no impact. You're going to take advice from these nitwits?
I don't expect this alternative halftime show to garner many eyeballs, but that's not what it's about. It's a press story. Why can only the right play this game?
Irrelevant of whether any people of color perform at this rinky-dink event, their offer to do so will become big time news. That's how you fight fire...WITH FIRE!
Maybe get all those ICE OUT pin wearing acts at the Grammys to all volunteer to play the show. But certainly we need some names.
The key is to get them on the back foot, responding, why do Democrats always have to play defense?
It's about shame... When acts of color offer to do the show and Turning Point USA turns them down, how are they going to deny that they're racist, with roots in white nationalism? Real Americans my ass.
This event can be neutered, made a laughingstock of, showing how small-minded these people are. And if they decide to accept the challenge, and acts of color are featured, all the better, it shows that progress has been made.
Who are the major acts who are going to pony up, offer to do this Turning Point show?
None of them.
That's right, they're too busy worrying about what to wear than to enter the fray... They don't want to stand out, they want to be protected by the group, they don't want to associate with THOSE people.
A winning strategy for moving the ball?
NO!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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Well, we're Americans too. Black, brown, immigrants, foreign-language speaking people...
Sun Tzu says "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
Want to make a statement? Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, they should all petition to be on the Turning Point USA halftime show.
That's right, weren't all of us supposedly unAmericans not properly righteous, not paying fealty to Charlie Kirk? It's time to embrace Turning Point USA, so that it can truly represent all Americans.
WHAT?
All that ICE virtue signaling on the Grammys was worthless. I need you to watch Bill Maher's New Rules on this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7_hwk0cF4E
Isn't the goal of activism to change people's minds?
I don't think anyone did this at the Grammys. It was self-righteous virtual-signaling. Making real change, that requires you to put your reputation on the line, and none of these acts are willing to do this.
And, most of them are empty vessels anyway, they don't radiate any intelligence, so their words have no impact. You're going to take advice from these nitwits?
I don't expect this alternative halftime show to garner many eyeballs, but that's not what it's about. It's a press story. Why can only the right play this game?
Irrelevant of whether any people of color perform at this rinky-dink event, their offer to do so will become big time news. That's how you fight fire...WITH FIRE!
Maybe get all those ICE OUT pin wearing acts at the Grammys to all volunteer to play the show. But certainly we need some names.
The key is to get them on the back foot, responding, why do Democrats always have to play defense?
It's about shame... When acts of color offer to do the show and Turning Point USA turns them down, how are they going to deny that they're racist, with roots in white nationalism? Real Americans my ass.
This event can be neutered, made a laughingstock of, showing how small-minded these people are. And if they decide to accept the challenge, and acts of color are featured, all the better, it shows that progress has been made.
Who are the major acts who are going to pony up, offer to do this Turning Point show?
None of them.
That's right, they're too busy worrying about what to wear than to enter the fray... They don't want to stand out, they want to be protected by the group, they don't want to associate with THOSE people.
A winning strategy for moving the ball?
NO!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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