Category Archives: arts

‘There ain’t no Sanity Clause!’

Posted on December 26, 2011 by oddmanout215

Chico tells Groucho he won’t be fooled in A Night at the Opera:

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Happy Third Day After the Solstice

Posted on December 25, 2011 by oddmanout215

Bernini’s St. Theresa in Ecstasy is in the Cornaro Chapel (Santa Maria Vittoria). Which means nothing to me, but the act of writing down the address for future reference seems constructive, especially with all the thinking I’m doing about Rome, … Continue reading →

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‘Blue Christmas’

Posted on December 24, 2011 by oddmanout215

Elvis Presley had been knocked sideways by the British Invasion, by new styles in America, and by a long series of crappy music and movie-starring choices, but his 1968 Comeback Special silenced critics and breathed new life into his career. … Continue reading →

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‘Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto’

Posted on December 22, 2011 by oddmanout215

If anyone wanna know, Tell him James Brown sent you. You know I know what you will see Because that was once… me. Hit it! Hit it!

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‘Holiday Affair’

Posted on December 22, 2011 by oddmanout215

A low-key romantic comedy set at Christmastime and starring Robert Mitchum in a more-or-less wholesome role, wooing the very young Janet Leigh. The role seemed a good career move at the time (1949), as Mitchum was trying to recover from … Continue reading →

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Shine On Brightly

Posted on December 16, 2011 by oddmanout215

The chandelier in sinful swing as gifts for me the three kings bring of myrrh and frankincense, I’m told, and fat old Buddhas carved in gold Google the lyrics of the title song of Procol Harum’s second album, Shine On … Continue reading →

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Onion exclusive: Tom Joad goes to Mars

Posted on December 14, 2011 by oddmanout215

I sometimes kid the Onion for taking a lame approach to political satire — for shooting at battleships with a BB gun. However, its social satire is often right on the money: RUMSON, NJ—After more than a year of writing … Continue reading →

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‘The Piano Has Been Drinking,’ not me

Posted on December 12, 2011 by oddmanout215

Tom Waits performs, then jokes with Martin Mull and Fred Willard on Fernwood Tonight. The mock-talk show ran for a few months in 1977, and was re-formatted and telecast as America 2-Night for a few months in 1978. I had … Continue reading →

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Happy Xmas — or is it Groundhog Day?

Posted on December 11, 2011 by oddmanout215

I run past Dan’s store on Passyunk Avenue, I see his Christmas trees for sale at curbside, breathe the scent of pine and hear “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” skipping from the speakers above his storefront. Each time … Continue reading →

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‘I Wanted To Tell You’

Posted on December 7, 2011 by oddmanout215

From Matthew Sweet’s third and best album, Girlfriend, which appeared 20 years ago this Fall and proved that the age of hard-driving, well-crafted pop songs wasn’t quite over. It’s a catchy batch of rockers and ballads about crazy love and … Continue reading →

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