An update of some stories recounted in this space, after-the-jump ……………….
But first: Top Comments appears nightly, as a round-up of the best comments on Daily Kos. Surely ... you come across comments daily that are perceptive, apropos and .. well, perhaps even humorous. But they are more meaningful if they're well-known ... which is where you come in (especially in diaries/stories receiving little attention).
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Just recently, I profiled three media figures that I once had enormous respect for: one an experienced foreign correspondent, the other two advocacy journalists. Sad to say, they all have veered off — to a greater-or-lesser degree — towards either winger attitudes (or at least, being anti-anti-Trump). You can read my original essay at this link.
Now …... an update.
My esteemed T/C colleague Tara the Antisocial Social Worker (on my weekly “Who Lost the Week ?!?!?” poll this past Sunday) made a write-in nomination of Aaron Coleman — the recent Democratic primary winner for a Kansas state house seat, defeating a seven-term incumbent by fourteen votes. As she noted at the time (and referencing one of the subjects of my previous essay, Glenn Greenwald):
(An) admitted revenge-porn perp at 14 turned Kansas state house candidate at age 19. After victims came forward, Coleman dropped out, whining that it’s an unreasonable standard of perfection to expect candidates not to be recent sexual predators.
Dishonorable mention to Glenn Greenwald and Ryan Grim (a colleague) for their bizarre excuse-making for him. Greenwald complained that critics were “destroying his life,” as if being handed elected office was some sort of entitlement.
Glenn was always a sort of libertine — I noted his rage at any disagreement about his defense of former NY governor Eliot “Client 9” Spitzer — and this is merely the latest. He did so in this case because the incumbent Coleman defeated was (in the eyes of Greenwald) too conservative on abortion rights/corporate policy …. and Glenn felt that Coleman merely had a ….. “past, youthful indiscretion”.
Yesterday, young Mr. Coleman signalled that he was going to withdraw his nomination …. then changed his mind. Just now: he has been accused of slapping and choking his now-former girlfriend in the past year. He also reportedly told her to kill herself by texting her, “Air out the clip into your head.” To be continued?
Aaron Coleman of Kansas
Last month, I had an essay on a favorite subject of mine, Lost Albums — released after years in the vaults — and one of them was a secret live recording of a famous pianist, having a July 31st release date (with Epistrophy, one of the tracks, posted in advance on YouTube). You can read my original essay at this link.
Now …... an update.
Alas, the July 31st date went-and-gone — as did the YouTube video of Epistrophy — as explained by Danny Scher, the 1968 student (who arranged the Palo Alto High school concert appearance by Thelonious Monk):
But the fairytale ending has been suspended — for now, at least.
"I received word that there was a dispute between the estate and Monk's previous label," Scher said during a phone conversation on Monday, July 27. So the release has been taken off of the schedule indefinitely "due to circumstances beyond the label's control," according to a statement by Impulse! Records. Co-producer Feldman was unable to provide any further information at this time.
"They're not saying it's delayed. They're saying we'll let you know if it's being released, not when," Scher said.
For music fans (in general) & jazz fans (in particular) .. this calls for an intervention.
Hoping this will somehow be resolved
Finally, more than two years ago I noted the mystery surrounding a disgraced police detective in London, England — who made it his life’s mission in the late 60’s to bust as many rock stars as possible (such as Donovan, members of the Beatles and Rolling Stones, plus the eminent jazz musician Edward “Tubby” Hayes). All the while, Norman Pilcher used questionable methods in his drug busts and tipped-off the tabloid press in advance, so they could photograph it. He was immortalized in John Lennon’s I Am the Walrus as …. Semolina Pilchard.
Fittingly, he was later charged with perjury (and became a fugitive-from-justice in the process) before being sentenced to four years. Yet I could not find out whether he was still among the living: he was as mysterious later in life as during his time in the limelight. Please read the original comprehensive story at this link.
Now …... an update.
In late September, this is set to be published (“Bent copper” in UK = crooked cop).
He’d now be (circa) age eighty-five
And here is the blurb on all of the online bookseller websites. My goodness, I thought the title indicated some contrition ……. maybe, not so much?
I guess we’ll just have to wait a month … to find out
Let’s close with a blues classic, Help Me — by the harmonica/vocalist Rice Miller, who went by the stage name Sonny Boy Williamson (usually referred to by historians as Sonny Boy II, to distinguish him from the performer he emulated).
Now, on to Top Comments:
Highlighted by MCUBernieFan:
In the front-page story about NBA players going on strike following the shooting of Jacob Blake — this comment made by Neon Mama.
Highlighted by peregrine kate :
In this morning’s Thursday Pundit Round-Up by my colleague Chitown Kev — which cites the Citadel Museum in the Berlin suburb of Spandau — I agree with this comment made by Barbara J ... we cannot afford to allow people easy access to the excuse of ignorance.
From justaHippie:
In the diary by Aldous J Pennyfarthing about the Kenosha vigilante shooter, tlosterday gets to the heart of the matter in this comment.
And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the diary by EphemeralNotion about the White House demanding that WaPo reporter David Farenthold stop writing investigative stories about the White House-Trump Organization axis — sweetthesound has an apt description of the threatening employee.
TOP PHOTOS
August 26th, 2020
Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo.
(NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) it was an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.)
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And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
