Can Music Be Perfect? Vol. 22

Court and Spark still sounds like nothing else made before or since... and yes, perfect...

Your Willow quote of the day

"Chemistry's easy. It's a lot like witchcraft, only less newt."
If you have no idea where this could come from... I'm sorry for you...

George McGovern, RIP

“I always thought of myself as a good old South Dakota boy who grew up here on the prairie. My dad was a Methodist minister. I went off to war. I have been married to the same woman forever. I’m what a normal, healthy, ideal American should be like."

“But we probably didn’t work enough on cultivating that image,” he added, referring to his presidential campaign organization. “We were more interested in ending the war in Vietnam and getting people out of poverty and being fair to women and minorities and saving the environment."

“It was an issue-oriented campaign, and we should have paid more attention to image.” 

Tricky Dick beat him 520-17 in the Electoral College. More attention to image probably wouldn't have been enough. At the time I was 14 and helped my parents get out the vote for the local Republican Party. Back in '72 there were still liberal Republicans, and even Nixon himself turned out to be left of Clinton or Obama on policy in some respects. Of course he was also an evil bastard. McGovern may have been inept at politics and out of step with the mainstream, but an evil bastard he surely wasn't.

Arcade Fire

As do many other people, Mr. Krugman seems to like them. What are the good things about the band? Well, there are quite a lot of them(!), and they seem able to play together with impressive enthusiasm. Then again, staying together is probably easier when all your songs sound the same. They do provide a comfortable way for people in a certain age demographic (mea culpa!) to feel like they are keeping up with the latest sounds, which is also a good thing. Speaking of musical good things for old guys, here's a better one...

Baseball is a snooze...

... but Barry Zito does have a beautiful motion. Sometimes it even works.

Your FSA/OWI photo of the day

Cleaning up before dinner during wheat harvest, central Ohio. Ben Shahn, 1938.

Your FSA/OWI photo of the day

Girl worker at lunch also absorbing California sunshine, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. Alfred T. Palmer, 1942.

Your FSA/OWI photo of the day

Shaking hands with members of the congregation after services at an Episcopal Church, South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Russell Lee, 1941.