Manhattan. . .

. . . Transfer. . .

First line-up
The first manifestation of the group was established in 1969 in New York City by Tim Hauser, Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson, and Pat Rosalia. Gene Pistilli, a good friend, soon became an integral component and composed for, and recorded with, the group. They contracted with Capitol Records, recorded several tracks, and issued their first album, Jukin' (1971).The album listed the original group in the order of billing determined by sequence to this first group's formation as was customary to the industry. Accordingly, Erin Dickins, Pat Rosalia, Tim Hauser, and Marty Nelson were listed out of alphabetical order. The album was later reissued in the UK by EMI's Music for Pleasure under the title The Manhattan Transfer and Gene Pistilli. Pistilli had been best known for his performing and songwriting collaborations with Terry Cashman and Tommy West. This team endured until 1973. According to Hauser, "Gene and I were in two different places. He was more into R&B, and the Memphis sound, and by then I'd become more interested in jazz and swing..."

Second line-up
Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, and Laurel Massé. After performances at Max's Kansas City, the group developed a cult fan base. Ahmet Ertegün, founder and chairman of Atlantic Records, saw them at Reno Sweeney and offered a recording contract. The group's first album for Atlantic was The Manhattan Transfer (1975), which included their first successful single, the gospel music tune "Operator". During the summer of 1975, the group was showcased in their own hour-long television variety series on CBS.

They also gained a following in Europe, where their next two albums, Coming Out and Pastiche, brought a string of hits. One was a revival of Wayne Shanklin's "Chanson D'Amour", which became a number one hit in the UK and Australia in 1977, though it failed to chart in the U.S. These were followed by a live album, The Manhattan Transfer Live, which was recorded in the UK and reached the UK Top 5.

Third line-up and journey into jazz
In 1978, soon after that album was recorded, Laurel Massé was badly injured in a car accident and was replaced by Cheryl Bentyne. The line-up has remained the same since. Their next album, Extensions (1979), earned the group their second U.S. popular music success—the disco hit "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone", written by Alan Paul and Jay Graydon as a tribute to the 1960s CBS television series created by Rod Serling. The track also reached the Top 30 in the UK, where the group continued to make several appearances on popular television shows such as The Two Ronnies.
(from wikipedia.com)

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Nine lives? . . . .

. . . plus one for good measure. . .

With yesterday's anniversary of the "killing" of Osama Bin Laden,  I was reminded of what I learned, or at least what I read, not long after that occasion.  Turns out there has been a lot written about it. 

When Barack Obama declared the terrorist mastermind dead on TV in May 2011, he was actually the ninth high-profile person to make the same announcement.

December 26, 2001, Fox News reported on a Pakistan Observer story that the Afghan Taliban had officially pronounced Osama Bin Laden dead earlier that month. According to the report, he was buried less than 24 hours later in an unmarked grave in accordance with Wahabbist Sunni practices. Living in caves without benefit of dialysis equipment had taken its toll.

January 18, 2002, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced quite bluntly in reference to Bin Laden: “I think now, frankly, he is dead.”

July 17, 2002, the then-head of counterterrorism at the FBI, Dale Watson, told a conference of law enforcement officials, "I personally think he [Bin Laden] is probably not with us anymore,” but “I have no evidence to support that.”

October 2002, Afghan President Hamid Karzai told CNN that “I would come to believe that [Bin Laden] probably is dead.”

November 2005, Senator Harry Reid revealed that he was told Osama may have died in the Pakistani earthquake of October that year.

September 2006, French intelligence leaked a report suggesting Osama had died in Pakistan.

November 2, 2007, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto told Al-Jazeera’s David Frost that Omar Sheikh had killed Osama Bin Laden.

March 2009, former US foreign intelligence officer and professor of international relations at Boston University Angelo Codevilla stated: “All the evidence suggests Elvis Presley is more alive today than Osama Bin Laden.”

May 2009, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari confirmed that his “counterparts in the American intelligence agencies” hadn’t heard anything from Bin Laden in seven years and confirmed “I don’t think he’s alive.”

May 2011, President Obama has added himself to the list. Osama’s body was buried at sea less than 12 hours after his death with no opportunity for any independent corroboration of his identity, the same question of credibility can be leveled at ALL of the above.


But given that an informed consensus has formed around the opinion that Bin Laden died long ago due to kidney failure, will the people of America hold their President to the highest standard in presenting evidence that the person killed was actually Osama Bin Laden, and that he actually died in the way described, or will this pronouncement go unquestioned like so many other deaths in the never ending war of terror?
(Source:  James Corbett, The Corbett Report, 2 May, 2011)

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Well. . .

. . . at the dedication of the Bush (league?) Library last week, the honoree's father, George H.W., along with Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, dutifully latched on to the positive about the junior Bush's eight years in the Oval Office, eliminating the negative and, "as in Johnny Mercer's old song, didn't mess with Mr. In Between."

Nothing about the futile war in Iraq, the economic meltdown, the suspicious circumstances of 911, the blatant robbery of the civil rights of Americans the honoree left behind. The former presidents essentially praised W not as a great national leader but a well-meaning guy whose heart was in the right place in spite of all the obstacles he faced. Obama praised his predecessor for his "incredible strength and resolve" regarding 911 and actually called W  "a good man" who was "comfortable in his own skin."

The entire affair was an exercise in the suspension of disbelief over major decisions in foreign policy,  treatment of war detainees, and dealing with a domestic economy in trouble as he departed office.  Nevertheless, W  maintained the same composure he has shown since leaving office (and during his tenure, come to think of it)-silent and immune to public criticism. His major contribution to his party has been in keeping a low public profile, steering clear of becoming defensive and of criticizing the Obama administration. 

How will history will appraise George W. Bush? The most recent Washington Post/ABC News poll indicates that his approval rating has climbed from 30 percent in 2008 to 47 percent now, and his disapproval has dropped from 68 percent then to 50 percent. But he still he has a way to go to rival another once-dismissed president, Harry Truman. From a low of 22 percent approval, Truman rose steadily and is now among the 10 most highly regarded presidents.

Insurmountable for Bush?  I certainly hope so.

[Source: The Bush library and the willing suspension of disbelief
The former presidents gathered in Dallas glossed over the unpleasantness of 43's administration, but history will not be so kind
April 29, 2013|By Jules Witcover Jules Witcover is a syndicated columnist and former long-time writer for The Baltimore Sun. His latest book is "Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption" (William Morrow). His email is juleswitcover@comcast.net.]

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Thank. . .

. . . goodness

. . . or at least the president. . .

President Barack Obama says the international community must first agree that chemical weapons were used by the Syrian regime. The U.S. will NOT act unilaterally and Obama says there must be an international consensus on whether President Bashar al-Assad's regime used chemical weapons. In other words, the chance of U.S. military involvement is now more remote. We may, however, be providing the formerly refused arms to rebels in the near future.

There exists very little interest among NATO members for military intervention in Syria. The president said, ". . . I've got to make sure I've got the facts."

Problem is that many of the rebels battling Damascus are allied with Islamic extremists. And Obama wants to avoid one more conflict after winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The public doesn't appear to want that either according to some recent news organization polls.

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Ah, wine. . .

and. . .RAY JOZWIAK (Gonzo Piano)
at Elk Run Vinyards this Friday
                                                                                                                             

"Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know."
-John Keats

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."
-Benjamin Franklin

"The wine-cup is the little silver well, Where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell."
-William Shakespeare

"I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food."
-W. C. Fields


Friday, May 3, 2013 @ 6:00PM
Elk Run Vinyards
15113 Liberty Road  Mt. Airy, MD 21771 
Phone: 410-775-2513 • Fax: 410-875-2009 •
TOLL FREE: 800-414-2513
elk_run@msn.com

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Two Gems. . .

#1

"Republican comes in the dictionary just after reptile and just above repugnant."
-Julia Roberts

#2

"Being Liberal Means Being A Hypocrite"
-https://www.facebook.com/pages/Being-Liberal-means-Being-a-Hypocrite/183504651660453

While both statements are hilariously funny, particularly to those leaning opposite the position of which the fun is being made, both statements have much in common, one of which is being an over-simplified, inaccurate generalization of a very large, diverse group.

But the most glaring and relevant quality these statements share is:

 BOTH ARE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE!!

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Beer? . . .

Adolphus Busch IV, heir to the Busch family brewing fortune, resigned his lifetime membership in the National Rifle Association recently, writing in a letter to NRA President David Keene, "I fail to see how the NRA can disregard the overwhelming will of its members who see background checks as reasonable."

The resignation came a day after the Senate rejected a series of amendments to a gun control bill, including a bipartisan deal to expand background checks for gun sales. The NRA had vigorously opposed all those measures.

"The NRA I see today has undermined the values upon which it was established," wrote Busch. "Your current strategic focus clearly places priority on the needs of gun and ammunition manufacturers while disregarding the opinions of your 4 million individual members."

Busch joined the NRA in 1975 and has spoken before of his love of hunting. But the NRA has moved in a direction that Busch would not follow. "One only has to look at the makeup of the 75-member board of directors, dominated by manufacturing interests, to confirm my point. The NRA appears to have evolved into the lobby for gun and ammunition manufacturers rather than gun owners," he wrote.

Busch told Keene, "It disturbs me greatly to see this rigid new direction of the NRA." He singled out the gun lobby's reversal of its 1999 position in favor of universal background checks, as well as its opposition to an assault weapons ban and a ban on high-capacity magazines. "I am simply unable to comprehend how assault weapons and large capacity magazines have a role in your vision," he wrote.

"Was it not the NRA position to support background checks when Mr. LaPierre himself stated in 1999 that NRA saw checks as 'reasonable'?" Busch wrote, referring to NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre's testimony at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.

At that time, LaPierre said the NRA believed that universal background checks were a "reasonable" choice. The group even took out ads in major newspapers that read, "We believe it's reasonable to provide for instant background checks at gun shows, just like gun stores and pawn shops."

One week after that hearing, LaPierre rolled out the same argument that he would use 14 years later to attack President Barack Obama's gun safety proposals -- namely, that until the government prosecutes more background check violations, there is no point in expanding them.

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