Baron Dave Romm
A Step Back
By Baron Dave Romm
Watch short and idiosyncratic videos on Baron Dave's You Tube Channel
A Step Back
My first column for Bartcop Entertainment was Dave Romm's Recommended Children's Music, Part I published on Saturday, February 16, 2002CE. Dave van Ronk, 1936-2002 came three days later. Dave Romm's Recommended Children's Music, Part II two days after that. This torrid pace quickly settled down into a weekly column, published on the Monday BCE page.
After nearly nine years, I think it's time to step back. I will continue to contribute to this fine web site, but not on a weekly basis.
The political season is over... for now. The Demented Music scene will gear up again around Marscon in a few months. Netroots Nation will take place here in Minneapolis in June and I'm within walking distance.
So in the semi-immortal words of a soon-to-be former governor: I'll be back.
Baron
Dave Writing His Last Regular Bartcop-E Column
Reflecting many moods, 1/2/11
In the meantime, I'm going to get some sleep on Sunday mornings...
Thanks to everyone who sent me music to play on the air or be reviewed, and thanks to Bartcop-E readers for loyalty and/or tolerance in listening to my rants.
And thanks to Marty for the safe haven.
Not dead yet
A few parting links.
The busted myths of 2010. Washington Post 12/23/10:
Every big news story spawns misinformation, allegations and misperceptions -- and every week, Outlook takes them on in our 5 Myths feature. Here's a look back at some of the hot-button issues that dominated public debate in the past year.
The New Voodoo. Paul Krugman in the NYTimes 12/30/10:
Hypocrisy never goes out of style, but, even so, 2010 was something special. For it was the year of budget doubletalk 'Äî the year of arsonists posing as firemen, of people railing against deficits while doing everything they could to make those deficits bigger.And I don't just mean politicians. Did you notice the U-turn many political commentators and other Serious People made when the Obama-McConnell tax-cut deal was announced? One day deficits were the great evil and we needed fiscal austerity now now now, never mind the state of the economy. The next day $800 billion in debt-financed tax cuts, with the prospect of more to come, was the greatest thing since sliced bread, a triumph of bipartisanship.>
Still, it was the politicians -- and, yes, that mainly meant Republicans -- who took the lead on the hypocrisy front.
In the first half of 2010, impassioned speeches denouncing federal red ink were the G.O.P. norm. And concerns about the deficit were the stated reason for Republican opposition to extension of unemployment benefits, or for that matter any proposal to help Americans cope with economic hardship.
But the tone changed during the summer, as B-day -- the day when the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy were scheduled to expire -- began to approach. My nomination for headline of the year comes from the newspaper Roll Call, on July 18: "McConnell Blasts Deficit Spending, Urges Extension of Tax Cuts."
The Bible on the Poor or, Why God is a liberal Zompist.com:
The Bible contains more than 300 verses on the poor, social justice, and God's deep concern for both. This page contains a wide sample of them, and some reflections. It's aimed at anyone who takes the Bible seriously.
Is This The Most Underrated Story Of 2010? Liberaland 1/2/11:
You know that if a Muslm drove a plane into a building it would be a huge story and we'd be implementing all kinds of new security measures. But after Joe Stack crashed his plane into an IRS building in Austin, TX, it was soon forgotten. Isn't purposely driving a plane into a building an act of terrorism?
Vikings 2010 Season: Oh well
It was fun while it lasted. Of course, the hopes of the Vikings didn't last long. By losing to the lowly Lions 20-13, the Vikes wind up in last place in the division.
The only upside: Better draft position in what will be a rebuilding year. Cold comfort for a team that doesn't even have a viable stadium.
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog maintains a Facebook Page, plays with a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater. Permanent archive. A nascent collection of videos are on Baron Dave's YouTube channel. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.
Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Poor Elijah (Peter Berger): The 17th Annual Emperor's Awards (irascibleprofessor.com)
As the new school term approaches, it's helpful to reflect on last year's landmark education moments. The Emperor Awards annually commemorate the monarch of underwear fame and his devoted admirers in the hope that we might profit from their example.
Ted Rall: "Next: Digital Totalitarianism"
What the anti-cash movement really wants is digital totalitarianism: a dystopian nightmare in which the entire human race is enslaved by international corporations and their pet governments. An anti-establishment gadfly like WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could be instantly deprived of money--and thus freedom of movement--with a couple of keystrokes.
Susan Estrich: The Death Penalty Debacle (Creators Syndicate)
California has more prisoners on death row than any other state. Last year, according to the Los Angeles Times, it added 28 more, for a total of 717, contrary to trends elsewhere.
Clarence Page: Good Teen Pals = Good Politics
Of all the scientific studies that came out this past year, the most intriguing to me confirms an old theory: Adult politics are really an extension of which clique you joined in high school.
Terry Savage: Tax Cuts Let You Boost Retirement Savings (Creators Syndicate)
So instead of spending that 2 percent windfall - redirect it into your 401(k) or 403(b) plan at work - or into an Individual Retirement Account. Let's see what that could turn into over the next 30 years of your work life.
Marilynn Preston: "Your 2011 Resolutions: How to Succeed Without Really Crying" (Creators Syndicate)
2011! New Year's resolutions just now coming! Don't you love 'em? I actually do. That's because I'm a big believer in fresh starts, new beginnings and seasonal reincarnations. If you're not, you might as well quit reading now. Run around the block. Check the batteries in your smoke detector. Do something useful. If you see yourself as basically unchangeable, nothing I can say will sway you.
Paul Contant: Bore Me, Michael Cera (The Stranger)
I Regret That PR Departments Murdered the Interview as an Art Form.
Roger Ebert: Gulliver's Travels (3 stars)
I want to tread carefully here, and not because I might step on a Lilliputian and squish him. I want to explain who "Gulliver's Travels" is for, and who it might not be for.
Jim Fusilli: Quincy Jones Still Hears the Big Band (Wall Street Journal)
Had Quincy Jones never met Michael Jackson, he'd still be one of the biggest names in American pop-music history. The legendary musician talks about producing for the greats, and of the next frontier in music.
WILL FRIEDWALD: Billy Taylor, the First Jazz Spokesman (Wall Street Journal)
Over the course of a 70-year career, Billy Taylor helped the world learn to take jazz seriously.
Jody Rosen: Lady Antebellum (Slate)
Why is the world's dullest band also one of its most popular?
George Varga: Music Never Stops for Jason Robinson (Creators Syndicate)
Jason Robinson readily admits he is a workaholic, asking with a wry chuckle: "Is there anything other than work?"
David Bruce has 39 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $39 you can buy 9,750 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," and "Maximum Cool."
The Weekly Poll
New Question
The '2010 Good, Bad, and Butt-Ugly' Edition...
Well, then, Poll-Fans... Let's do our own '2010 Year in Review' thing, eh?
Be-damn'd to all those other corporate media lists, I'm sayin'... I'm thinkin' we can do it better, Dagnabbit! (Or, at least have us some more fun at it and all...)
Everything and everybody is fair game... People, events, TV shows, Movies, Books, Music, Weather, inanimate objects... you get the idea, right?
Have at it, then, would ya now?...
A.) The 'Good'...
B.) The 'Bad'...
C.) And the downright dad-blamed 'Butt-Ugly'...
Send your response to
wrote:
took the day off.
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Cold and rainy.
Government Steps In To Save Home
Ringo
The British government has stepped in to stop Beatles legend Ringo Starr's birthplace from being bulldozed.
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has written to Liverpool City Council urging a temporary reprieve for 9 Madryn Street, in the Dingle district, which is scheduled for demolition.
The childhood homes of bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney are popular tourist attractions in the northwest English city, run by the National Trust, which looks after many of Britain's most treasured buildings and beauty spots.
Liverpool City Council says 445 pre-1919 terraced houses in Dingle are "beyond economic repair" and has decided to tear them down.
Ringo
Wedding News
Bertinelli - Vitale
Actress Valerie Bertinelli has tied the knot in Malibu.
Publicist Heidi Schaeffer told The Associated Press that the 50-year-old "Hot in Cleveland" star married financial planner Tom Vitale Saturday.
The ceremony took place in front of about 100 people at her home, according to People.
Guests included Bertinelli's ex-husband - rocker Eddie Van Halen - and their son Wolfgang. Bertinelli and Van Halen split in 2000 and were officially divorced in 2007.
Bertinelli - Vitale
More Wedding News
Twain - Thiebaud
Country singer Shania Twain and businessman Frederic Thiebaud tied the knot Saturday in a New Year's Day wedding in Puerto Rico.
A message on Twain's website says the couple were wed in Rincon with 40 close family and friends in attendance.
Twain first confirmed in August 2009 that she was dating Thiebaud after her divorce from Robert "Mutt" Lange - who allegedly had an affair with Twain's best friend and Thiebaud's wife, Marie-Anne Thiebaud.
Twain - Thiebaud
Exhaustion
Chuck Berry
An agent for Chuck Berry says exhaustion was the reason the rock-and-roll legend felt ill before a Chicago show and had to have medics check him out.
Agent Dick Alen said Sunday via e-mail that the 84-year-old Berry was on a plane going home to the St. Louis-area. He says he didn't know if Berry was seeking additional medical treatment.
Fire Department spokesman Joe Roccasalva says Berry felt better and signed a release after being checked out before Saturday's show. Concertgoer Steve Handwerker says Berry gave an erratic, out-of-tune performance and had to be helped offstage.
Handwerker says Berry thanked the crowd before leaving the stage.
Chuck Berry
Unemployed
Arnie
Arnold $chwarzenegger steps down as California "Governator" Monday, defending his record to the last -- and keeping fans and others guessing about his next move.
After seven years at the helm of the Golden State, the former champion body builder turned "Terminator" movie megastar and businessman is leaving his adopted home mired in huge financial woes.
But in a newspaper interview to mark his handover of power to Democrat Jerry Brown -- two months after November 2 polls -- Arnie stood by all his decisions.
"The important thing with my job that I've had for the last seven years is, you have to have passion... You can't be afraid," he told the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
Arnie
Dead Birds Fall From Sky
Beebe, Ark.
Wildlife officials are trying to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky over an Arkansas town.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said Saturday that it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30 p.m. the previous night. The birds fell over a 1-mile area of Beebe, and an aerial survey indicated that no other dead birds were found outside of that area.
Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that "the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail."
Robby King, a wildlife officer for the agency, collected about 65 dead birds, which will be sent for testing to the state Livestock and Poultry Commission lab and the National Wildlife Health Center lab in Madison, Wis.
Beebe, Ark.
Rehab Release
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is scheduled to be released from a rehab center Monday into another year of uncertainty.
For months, the actress has been haunted by her inability, or unwillingness, to shake a 3 1/2 year old drunken driving case that resulted in two rehab stints and two trips to jail in 2010 alone.
A self-acknowledged addict, Lohan remains under investigation for an alleged attack on a rehab worker at the Betty Ford Center and she could land back in jail for six months if charged with misdemeanor battery or another probation violation.
If Lohan remains out of trouble, a judge could relax the terms of her sentence in late February, ending a cycle of court hearings and jail threats that have loomed consistently since May.
Lindsay Lohan
Population Shrinks
Japan
Japan's population fell by a record amount last year as the number of deaths climbed to an all-time high in the quickly aging country, the government said Saturday.
Japan faces a looming demographic squeeze. Baby boomers are moving toward retirement, with fewer workers and taxpayers to replace them. The Japanese boast among the highest life expectancies in the world but have extremely low birth rates.
Japan logged 1.19 million deaths in 2010 - the biggest number since 1947 when the health ministry's annual records began. The number of births was nearly flat at 1.07 million.
As a result, Japan contracted by 123,000 people, which was the most ever and represents the fourth consecutive year of population decline. The top causes of death were cancer, heart disease and stroke, the ministry said.
Japan
Declared Legal Profession In Romania
Witchcraft
Romania has changed its labor laws to officially recognize witchcraft as a profession, prompting one self-described witch to threaten retaliation.
The move, which went into effect Saturday, is part of the government's drive to crack down on widespread tax evasion in a country that is in recession.
In addition to witches, astrologists, embalmers, valets and driving instructors are now considered by labor law to be working real jobs, making it harder for them to avoid income tax.
On Saturday, a witch called Bratara told Realitate.net, the website of a top TV station, that she plans to cast a spell using black pepper and yeast to create discord in the government.
Witchcraft
Adopts The Euro
Estonia
The Baltic state of Estonia early Saturday became the 17th European Union member to adopt the joint European currency, the euro.
The small nation's decision to change from the Estonian kroon to the euro was the final step in a two decade-long effort to integrate its economy with Europe after it achieved independence in 1991. It is the first former Soviet republic to join the single currency club.
Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip was the first person in the country of 1.3 million to withdraw euro notes from a cash machine specially installed for the midnight changeover at the opera house in central Tallinn.
Ansip's example was followed by EU transportation commissioner Siim Kallas, Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius and Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis.
Estonia
Weekend Box Office
"Little Fockers"
Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller's "Little Fockers" remained the top draw at the weekend box office with $26.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
It was closely followed by Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon's Western "True Grit," which was No. 2 for the second-straight weekend with $24.5 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Little Fockers," $26.3 million.
2. "True Grit," $24.5 million.
3. "Tron: Legacy," $18.3 million.
4. "Yogi Bear," $13 million.
5. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," $10.5 million.
6. "Tangled," $10.01 million.
7. "The Fighter," $10 million.
8. "Gulliver's Travels," $9.1 million.
9. "Black Swan," $8.5 million.
10. "The King's Speech," $7.6 million.
"Little Fockers"
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