Classic Video

by Dick Mac

In 1961, as he was leaving the White House, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a general and conservative Republican, spoke candidly about the danger of a military-industrial complex taking control of the United States government.

He was ignored, of course, as is anyone who speaks ill of the purchase and sale of the federal government by businessmen. Hawks who use the fear of invasion and the promotion of xenophobia to scare Americans into voting against their own best interests.

Otherwise intelligent people think it's a good idea to continue this course of America's development. They will argue that they are opposed to the federal government collecting too many taxes and creating too many regulations, but they then vote for candidates who have every intention of increasing taxes to give to industry (especially the armamnets industry), and have every intention of restricting personal freedom by creating laws designed to regulate social behavior while they eliminate laws that regulate industrial behavior.

These otherwise intelligent people generally register to vote as Republicans, call themselves "conservatives" or "fiscal conservatives," are very angry at President Obama, support political candidates who are some of the worst actors in the history of electoral politics promoting platforms that are an embarrassment to humanity, and join tea parties because they are taxed enough already.

If these people could look back a little further than Saint Ronald Reagan, they would see that real conservatives warn of exactly the type of govenrment promoted by today's so-called conservatives and their little tea parties.

Listen to President Eisenhower's speech, and he will illuminate for you the degree to which today's tea partiers and "conservatives" are off-track.

Chicago - That Wonderful Windy Town

For over a week I have had the song "Chicago" trapped in my head. No matter how many Gang Of Four, David Bowie, James Brown, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lady Gaga, or Rolling Stones songs I listen to, "Chicago" keeps coming back to the top of my mental play list.

So, I had to get it out of my system:

This clip looks like it was made for television, but the sound is rather high-quality for television. It doesn't have the dramatic flourishes that Judy used in the Carnegie Hall version (which I can not find on video), but it is an amazing performance.



One of Judy's most well-known performances is her gig at the London Palladium, in 1960. Famous because it was filmed, not because her performance was necessarily any better than previous performances. She had been diagnosed with acute hepatitis and was told that if she kept-up at the pace she was going she would be dead or invalid in five years.

The Palladium show featured duets with her daughter, Liza Minelli, where the two of them showed that they are some of the best hoofers and singers of their respective generations.

In this version of Chicago, Judy takes the lead vocal for a verse while Liza dances a Broadway-style number, showing of her amazing skills. I wonder nothing about the performance, only if it is Peter Allen on the piano behind her. Allen being the gay man that Liza would marry at Judy's urging.




This show at the Palladium preceded one of Judy's most remarkable performances, her show at Carnegie Hall on April 23, 1961.

Considered a highlight of her career and by one reviewer the greatest night in show biz history, the show was recorded and released as the "Judy at Carnegie Hall" album. The record spent almost two years in the Billboard charts, was certified gold, and won four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal of the Year.

Remarkably the album has never been out-of-print. My mother had a copy of it. Did yours?

I can find no video recording of this performance, but this video slide show includes what I consider the greatest version of this great song:



A few years later, the Judy Garland Show began a run on CBS. Archival footage of shows from this era share one characteristics: terrible audio quality. In this video, Judy sings "Chicago" on her show.



All videos and recordings used without permission.

Military Industrial Complexities

by Al Falafel

Hard to believe but there actually was a time when the National Republican Party had not completely sold its soul to the extreme Right Wing Repugnicans who own it lock, stock & barrel today. Ah... those were the days! For a little perspective on what we are dealing with today, let's go back now to those heady days of 1961, shall we?

There was this guy named Eisenhower...