I’ve seen and recommend that you watch the hour-long film Three Chaplains. “Muslim chaplains aim to make change in one of America’s most powerful institutions—the military.
“For them, the fight for equality and religious freedom begins on the inside.” Broadcasting on PBS, Independent Lens, November 6, 2023, and available elsewhere after that date. Here’s a review.
“The Lie Detector Was Never Very Good at Telling the Truth”
Per Giffords.org, there have been at least 565 mass shootings in the United States this year. Five hundred sixty-five mass shootings in the first 299 days.
Legal Eagle: When Police Raid A Newspaper for No Reason
There Is No Such Thing as Cancer (Hank) and A Tale of Two Cancers (John)
The Census Bureau has posted a new Federal Register Notice inviting public comments on proposed changes to the 2025 American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) questionnaires. Comments are due on or before December 19, 2023, and, once submitted, are part of the public record.
NYS geographic primer
Food Safety and Prison Health Care and McKinsey consultants and chocolate: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The GOP bets on extremist Mike Johnson (LA) as Speaker, risking 2024 prospects; also, his positions on health issues, his impossible agenda, and his belief that separation of church and state Is only a ‘shield for people of faith.’ A blistering rebuke from his hometown newspaper’s op ed. He is worse than you think.
Using Learning Styles to Your Advantage: the Complete Guide.
Early History of Bedloe’s Island, now known as Liberty Island.
When Hybrid Works … But Doesn’t
Culcha
An early name for Albany and how it’s pronounced
How Lena Horne Won Over MGM — and Became a “Test Case” for Hollywood
Hasan Minhaj Offers Detailed Response to New Yorker Story: “It Was So Needlessly Misleading”
Oscar Winner Buffy Sainte-Marie Responds to Questions About Her Native Heritage: “I Know Who I Am”
The 100 Greatest Film Books of All Time. The only two I’ve read were the annual Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide (#17) – I’ve had at least a half dozen iterations over the years, and Life Itself by Roger Ebert (#45)
Interview with a SamuraiFrog by Splotchy
Opening titles for 18 situation comedies of the seventies. I watched two of them, both on CBS, on Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m.
“The kick is up … and it’s … CLANG…”
Now I Know: The Halloween Costume You Can’t Buy and When Science Gets Unexpectedly Expensive and An Awkward Phone Call from Mom and The Giant Pink Bunny in the Middle of Nowhere and Everybody Was Kung Fu Panda Fighting and Paved With Good Intentions and Why Dorothy Couldn’t Surrender
Obits
Charles Feeney, Who Made a Fortune and Then Gave It Away, Dies at 92. “After piling up billions in business, he pledged to donate almost all of his money to causes before he died. He succeeded and then lived a more modest life.”
Kevin Phillips, who died at 82, published his first book at 29, a landmark work, The Emerging Republican Majority, which “presciently predicted a rightward realignment in national politics driven by ethnic and racial divisions and white discontent.”
Richard Roundtree, Suave Star of ‘Shaft,’ Dies at 81. I never saw Shaft, but I did watch him as “the disgraced doctor Daniel Reubens on the NBC daytime soap opera Generations,” c. 1990.
Matthew Perry, Chandler on ‘Friends,’ Dies at 54. He “Masterfully Walked the Line Between Mirth and Melancholy.” All spiders are named Phil.
Burt Young, Oscar-Nominated ‘Rocky’ Actor, Dies at 83. I saw the initial four Rocky pics, the first one with my mother
Richard Moll, Bull the Bailiff on ‘Night Court,’ Dies at 80
MUSIC
Ghost Story soundtrack album
Celtic Rock – Donovan
Bless The Child OST suite
Songs from the Woods – Jethro Tull
The Great Pumpkin Waltz – Vince Guaraldi
Theme From Shaft – Isaac Hayes. My sister got this double album, but it contained two copies of the same record (Sides 1 and 4, I believe), and we had to get it replaced.
Somebody Like You – Giant Rooks
Coverville 1461: Cover Stories for Ultravox and Thomas Dolby and 1462: The Natalie Merchant & 10,000 Maniacs Cover Story
Closer To Fine – Indigo Girls
Honky Tonk Heroes – Waylon Jennings
Greg’s Drinking Song from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The Beatles’ ‘Last Song,’ ‘Now and Then,’ Is Set for Release (Nov 2), Along With Expanded, Remix-Filled ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ Hits Collections (Nov 9)