Minor Wisdom

Bohemian Rhapsody, bluegrass style

My on-line pal Roy Jacobsen tweeted this bluegrass version of Bohemian Rhapsody. And since bluegrass is my second-favorite musical genre (after blues), well, ...

“And/or” — just plain dumb?

Over at Writing Matters, Leslie O’Flahavan cites five on-line style guides to support the proposition that “using ‘and/or’ in a sentence is just plain dumb.”

p.s. Oops. I meant to post this on my other blog.

Ain’t nobody’s fault but mine.

Here’s a bit of gospel-blues crossover, courtesy of Roebuck “Pops” Staples.

Ee-gor? I thought it was pronounced Eye-gor.

New Orleans is in the midst of an election season. Around here, we elect just about every public servant above the rank of dog catcher. Among the contests (I just learned today) is that for coroner. The incumbent is Dr. Frank Minyard; the challenger is Dr. Dwight McKenna.

Now, the timing of this particular election makes it tough on candidates challenging incumbents. They’re competing with both Carnival and a Super Bowl featuring the Saints. So Dr. McKenna has to figure out how to grab the voters’ attention. I believe he has got this problem solved. (Hat tip to Library Chronicles.)

Thank you, Garrett Hartley

Thanks to winning a race many years ago, I’m the proud owner of this vintage Saints jersey—not a fan replica, but the real deal from the Saints locker room. Whenever I’ve worn it, though, I’ve been asked, “Why number 5?” The answer has always been a long story. No more. As of last night, I became the proud owner of a Garrett Hartley jersey, perhaps the only one in the world in vintage, Dome-Patrol Era style.

Kermit Ruffins visits St. James Infirmary; Theresa Andersson flies.

Kermit Ruffins is Louis Armstrong’s spiritual and musical successor. Here he performs St. James Infirmary live at Tipitina’s.

While searching for the Kermit video, I came across this music video of Theresa Andersson performing Birds Fly Away. A little over a year ago, I posted another performance of this song, recorded live in Theresa’s kitchen. This version is lip-synched rather than live, but we get to see more of Ms. Andersson’s lovely countenance.

“It is not reasonable that those who gamble with men’s lives should not stake their own.”

“A time will come when a politician who has willfully made war and promoted international dissension will be as sure of the dock and much surer of the noose than a private homicide. It is not reasonable that those who gamble with men’s lives should not stake their own.” —H.G. Wells.

In New Orleans, we sing the national anthem

Here’s a video of Kermit Ruffins and Jeremy Davenport playing the national anthem before last Saturday’s playoff game between the Saints and the Cardinals. Notice that Kermit and Jeremy were just providing the accompaniment: the crowd provided the vocals. (Hat tip to Al Robert’s Twitter feed.)

The Telegraph catches Saints fever

The U.K.’s Telegraph has caught Saints fever. Or at least its chief sports writer, Kevin Garside, has.

Leadbelly

I don’t have a blues video lined up for today. But not to worry, Letters in Bottles picks up the slack with nine and a half minutes of Leadbelly.