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THIS AND THAT: AUGUST MUSINGS

By on August 30, 2010 in Criminal Justice, General, Music, Politics & Government, Radical Islam

Thoughts that come to mind reflecting over the past month.   

1) JetBlue Flight Attendant, Steven Slater, is a jerk. (my opinion) What may seemed like an enviable act of courage, it was, in fact, an act of stupidity for which he should not serve as an example to others. Rude customers comes with the territory in service jobs, especially those dealing with a high volume of the public. That’s life.

2) Polls show that 20 percent of Americans now think that Obama is a Muslim, up from 11 percent. Count me among them. To me, it’s obvious. America was duped in 2008. A recent CNN poll also reveals that 60 percent of Americans doubt his birth records. Count me in as well.

3) Boo to the PGA. Golfer Dustin Johnson got the royal screw when officials docked him two strokes for grounding his club in a patch of dirt they called a sand trap. Otherwise, he was certain to be in the three-way playoff for the PGA Championship, with a possible prize of $1.3 million.

4) The due sensitivity of Americans and families of three thousand 9/11 victims should take precedence over the sensitivities of Muslims who want to …

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MICHAEL JACKSON GREATEST ALL TIME ENTERTAINER?

By on July 20, 2009 in General, Music

 

As the media frenzy wanes following his untimely demise, pundits continue to exalt Michael Jackson, ad nauseam, as “the greatest entertainer” of all time. In fact, Jackson may have been the most popular entertainer of all time, but to call him the “greatest” is a stretch.

Jackson was a mesmerizing song and dance act, who relied on back-up dancers and singers to enhance his performance, not to mention sound equipment that wasn’t yet invented in days of yore. Beyond that, Jackson did little else. He was one-dimensional. He didn’t act, he didn’t impersonate, he didn’t have a wide vocal range, nor could he classically dance beyond his own unique style. Had an unknown Michael Jackson auditioned as a bare solo in the initial phase for today’s American Idol show — minus instruments, dancers, chorus or sound machines — I doubt he would have made it to the next round.

Young folks unfamiliar with the entertainment industry beyond the years of Madonna should be forgiven, for they simply don’t have a frame of reference for “all-time.” Show business has been around for eons during which we have seen many who could be tagged “the greatest” in terms of raw talent …

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HOOKED ON AMERICAN IDOL

By on May 22, 2008 in Music

Only in America.

It was bigger than any convention for either party. It was bigger than a Super Bowl. It reached out to more television sets than any program in history. In the end, a scruffy, 25 year-old bartender with facial stubble and messy hair stood weeping in mid-stage as American Idol, 2008, amid screams, confetti, cheers and record contracts falling at his feet. David Cook’s rise to stardom, fete accompli.

Over 95 million viewers participated in the voting process. That doesn’t say much for the poor turnouts we see for political elections.

I’m not a big fan of today’s pop music culture, but I have to give credit where credit is due.

This show does it well.

It all begins with three judges — Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson — scouring the nation for signs of talent, selecting a very few from thousands of auditions from amateur singers who — if they get the thumb’s up — move on to the next phases. Contestants must be between ages 16 and 29. Once the final dozen is assembled, the voting is all left to the fans. Judges critique each performance, but have no more weight in the scoring process.…

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MY DATE AT CARNEGIE HALL

By on May 3, 2008 in Music

There’s nothing that can be better for a kid, than to have great parents, good health, born talent and ambition. This is a story to warm one’s heart.

Though my Mom had spent many years and dollars hoping her son would one day play violin in Carnegie Hall, alas, she would never see the day. Raging hormones, testosterone, friends and sports would put a major dent in those ambitions as I reached my teens. So, I became a cop.

But all is not lost.

Fast forward some fifty-five years, to the fall of 2006. Knowing I had an interest with violin, good friends asked if I would be interested in meeting a 13 year-old girl and to listen to her play. “Oh… no,” I thought. “Not another rendition of Twinkle Twinkle.” But, I capitulated and agreed to a brief visit at our home.

Remember the name: Esther Muradov.

Weighing around 70 pounds, the diminutive child looked less than her years. She came with her mother, Pervin, a piano teacher and Russian immigrant who arrived in America with her husband in 1990. After polite introductions, our friends, my wife (Suzanne) and I settled in to listen. Pervin sat at the …

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