For whatever reason...

...getting older makes me think about my dad, and thinking about my dad makes me think about jazz.  For that reason, a dip into the jazz directory for this week's random ten...

Thelonious Monk - Off Minor
Jack Constanzo - Sax Con Ritmo
Stephane Grapelli - S-H-I-N-E
Sarah Vaughn - Body And Soul
Slim Gaillard - How High The Moon
Red Saunders & His Orchestra - Riverboat
Blossom Dearie - Manhattan
Erroll Garner - I've Got To Be A Rug Cutter
Dinah Washington - After You've Gone
Wes Montgomery - Bumpin'

Red Saunders' Chicago outfit employed the services of a young arranger named Sonny Blount who later revealed himself to Earthlings as Sun Ra.  For those who mainly know Sun Ra for makeshift space suits and mystic chants, hearing his straight ahead arrangements is something of a revelation, and can change the way you hear his later work.

From the "Since you asked..." file.

Dr. DeLong inquires...

It's hard for any veteran of the Clinton Administration to reach any conclusion other than that fixing America's long-run fiscal dilemmas requires first the complete destruction of today's Republican Party, and those of us who care about America's fiscal future need to turn all of our energies to that end. Can you give me reasons not to believe that?

Since you asked, sorry, Doc, I got nothin'.

One more candle and a trip around the Sun.

Happy birthday to Warren Beatty, Eric Clapton, Robbie Coltrane, Norah Jones and me.

365 days 'til Social Security. Yay!

Does this browser make my blog look shiny?

OK, Chrome is up and running, so I can see the what the new Blogger editor is actually supposed to look like. I'm not particularly pleased or impressed with the presumed improvements in either case, but I'm a grumpy old guy who's resistant to change. It'll probably get better as I get comfortable with it.

Off in search of the news.  Sounds masochistic, I know, but it goes with the gig...

Free is still a very good price...

...but the new Blogger interface doesn't support my current browser, though it's marginally servicable (I think - we'll see when I hit publsh). Way past time for an upgrade, I suppose, but still a nuisance. Anyway, Chrome is downloading now - an arduous undertaking on the dial-up connection here at Upper Left World Headquarters. I'll keep y'all, ahem, posted...

From the "Me too" file.

Nick Beaudrot...

Let's just say there are days I've felt better about the world.

Me too.

Signs of the times.

Via Laura Clawson...



Kids and daddies, too.

From the "Me too" file.

Jolly Roger...

There are days I wish I just didn’t have access to the news.

Me too.

Still random after all these years...

Kate Wolfe - Bird On A Wire
Ry Cooder - 634-5789
Blood, Sweat & Tears - I Can't Quit Her
The Mothers - Help, I'm A Rock
Dick Dale & The Del-Tones - Miserlou
The V-Roys - Cold Beer Hello
Marty Stuart - I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome
Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
Jimmy Buffett - Son Of A Son Of A Sailor
Cher - Walking In Memphis

Yep, pretty random, alright...

Confidential...

...to the reader who found this place searching for "cathy mcmorris rodgers idiot." I hope you found what you were looking for. If you need more, look here.

Yeah, he went there.

Romney Communications Director, Eric Fehrnstrom...

...I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all of over again.

...and the fun's already started...

What Rick Santorum doesn't care about...

Unemployment.

Delegates.

You.

And, no, the Illinois outcome won't hurt his chances for the nomination. He has no chance for the nomination.

Shut up and eat your Romney (™ driftglass).

From the "Me too" file.

Florida attorney Ben Crump...

“Everybody in America is asking, ‘When are they going to arrest Zimmerman for killing this kid in cold blood?’”

I know that if "everybody in America" is asking (and I hope they are) it's redundant, but me too.

Heh™.

Tip of the Susan B. bonnet to John Cole.

Neither rain...

...nor Blogger-fu nor an extended work schedule can keep me from posting a St. Paddy's Day random ten...

Christy Moore - Ballydine
The Waterboys - The Raggle Taggle Gypsy
John Spillane - A Song For Rory Gallagher
The Dubliners - A Pub With No Beer
Jesse Ferguson - The Rocky Road To Dublin
John McCormack - The Star Of The County Down
Mary Black - My Youngest Son Came Home Today
The Divine Comedy - London Irish
Da Vinci's Notebook - Another Irish Drinking Song
Danny Ellis - Tommy Bonner

Good idea.

President Hamid Karzai demanded Thursday that the United States pull back from combat outposts and confine its troops to military bases in Afghanistan, an apparent response to Sunday's shooting rampage by a U.S. staff sergeant.

An even better idea would be to move our troops to military bases outside Afghanistan.

Hat tip to Steve Benen.

Heh™.

Which, in this case, means what drifty said...

Shut Up and Eat Your Romney

Me, I hope they choke on it.

A head full of ideas that are driving me insane...

H/T GraphJam.

Mittmentum!

Anne Laurie measures the progress…

He’s gone from three-quarters of the GOP wanting anyone but Mitt, to only two-thirds of the GOP feeling that way.

Um, wow.

From the "There oughta be a law..." file.

DougJarvus Green-Ellis postulates...

If Andrew Sullivan and David Gergen say you’re being uncivil, you’re winning.

Chart of the day.

Goldy's got it...



We've got the most regressive tax structure in the country, it doesn't work and it's getting worse. Maybe it's time to start tapping our billionaires...

Hat tip to Howie.

Me too...

...if he means him too. Frothy...

"I'd like everybody to get out."

Bet there are a few down-ticket Rs that would be happy to skip a Presidential cycle and avoid the up-ticket drag that the entire Republican field represents.

Sure wouldn't break my heart.

From the "Me too" file.

John Cole...

Palin elicits feelings in me I am not proud of having...

Me too.

I forgive myself, though.

Actually...

...I've been listening to a radio play of Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, but I loaded some tunes for this and these popped up...

Donovan - Josie
Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
Stephen Stills - Johnny's Garden
Paul Anka - Diana
Cheap Trick - Surrender
Junior Walker & The All Stars - These Eyes
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen - Honky Tonk Song
Billy Joe Shaver - Georgia On A Fast Train
The Shangri-Las - Give Him A Great Big Kiss
Guy Clark - To Live Is To Fly

Quote of the day,

Mitt Romney confesses...

"Strange things are happening to me."

Makes me feel like we're on the threshold of too much information.

From the "Cunning plan" file.

Carl has one for the budgeteers in Oly...

So here’s my suggestion: the House Democrats pass their ideal budget fix and then say take it or leave it. If the Senate leaves it, have Gregoire call a special session a month from now to see if they’re in a better mood to pass it. If not, we can keep waiting. She can do the same thing until the Senate agrees.

The people of Washington elected a Democratic House, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic Governor. It's about time we get a Democratic government, and this would be a good step in that direction.

It's not everything....

...but it's something. You could even call it change. President Obama...

“The one thing we have not done is we have not launched a war.”

Thanks for that, Mr. President.

So it goes.

Sweet jeebus. PPP via John Aravosis...

-In Tennessee only 33% of GOP primary voters think Barack Obama was born in the United States, while 45% do not.
-In Georgia 40% of Republican primary voters think Obama was born in the United States, while 38% do not.
-In Ohio 42% of Republican primary voters think Obama was born in the United States, while 37% do not.

Tough times for a blogger - they've moved beyond ridicule.

Not that I'll stop trying...

Hah!™

Anne Laurie, this time...

Heh™.

H/T Ron Chusid...

Tapping the company broadband...

...to bring you this week's random ten. Pulled this one from my mp3 player instead of the hard drive, meaning these are songs that are in my setlists or will be when I polish 'em up a bit...

The Byrds - You Ain't Going Nowhere
The Proclaimers - 500 Miles
Merle Haggard - Right Or Wrong
Bottom Up Blues Gang - Ain't Nobody's Business
Mojo Nixon & Jello Biafra - Are You Drinking With Me Jesus
Alabama 3 - Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
Marty Stuart - Me And Billy The Kid
Leyla Fences - Getting Over Him
LeAnn Rimes & Eddy Arnold - Cattle Call
Jack Guthrie - Oklahoma Hills

It's not sloth, this time.

Irregular blogging will continue until the temporary interuption of telephone service at Upper Left Headquarters ends at a time yet undetermined.

Have I mentioned lately that Upper Left has a PayPal account?