That’s McIntosh Labs in Binghamton New York, not Apple’s line of Macintosh computers. McIntosh dates back to 1950s-era hi-fi tube amps, and this is big audio news that’s coming from out of nowhere.
I frequently drive past the Bose headquarters, and the chairman of the Bose board lives near here. As a privately held company, he must have approved, if not initiated, this very surprising move to acquire McIntosh.
If I were to lose all sense of financial perspective and buy a McIntosh product that I don’t need, it would be the integrated amp in the picture. As it is, I own only one Bose product, the now-discontinued Wave Music System I bought in 2008, that I continue to use every day.
I was about to leave to visit a Stop & Shop, in search of a particular item that I can’t find at my usual supermarket. Then I saw this TV report.
It’s very unlikely the non-food item I’m looking for will be out of stock, assuming it’s something that’s normally carried at the store. If all else fails, there’s Amazon, of course. I might explain later what it is, and why I’m searching for it, depending on how the story turns out.
Denro’s minivan, damaged when a rambunctious deer ran into it, has been declared a total loss by the insurance company. Will it have a second life in Ghana?
Among the records I was obsessed with in high school was Randy Newman’s Sail Away.
I was especially taken with his song “Political Science.”
The song influenced me to such an extent, I even quoted it for my high school yearbook picture, not caring what anybody would think of it, or of me.
I was thrilled when hearing the announcement on WBCN that Randy Newman would be appearing at Boston’s Symphony Hall. Immediately, I mailed in my order for two tickets.
One ticket for myself, and one for my girlfriend, a truly amazing person named Gael, whose confidence in me and my potential transformed my life. This picture of us was taken by my sister Jean on prom night, a month after the concert.
We took the commuter rail to North Station in Boston, then the subway to Symphony Hall for my first visit to the venerable venue. I knew of Sandy Denny from her time with Fairport Convention, and she got the evening off to a nicely subdued start.
Gonzo comedic performance artist Martin Mull provided quite a contrast. I remember laughing so hard at his “Ukulele Blues” that my sides hurt.
The main event, Randy Newman at the piano, didn’t disappoint. I was enraptured as he played most of Sail Away, while offering a very funny running commentary between the songs.
Why am I rhapsodizing about these memories from more than fifty years ago? I’m getting there!
Randy Newman appeared in the finale of The Colbert Report in 2014, playing piano for a singalong of “We’ll Meet Again” with a large number of friends and past guests.
Newman’s Facebook page had a picture of him with Stephen Colbert after the finale. I commented, “I saw Randy at Boston Symphony Hall in April, 1973, before Colbert’s eighth birthday.”
Here’s what triggered me. Yesterday, a notification popped up on Facebook that someone on Randy Newman’s private chat had “loved” that comment I made ten years ago. You’ll have to expand this image to see what I’m talking about.
Was it actually Randy Newman who liked my comment while searching through old posts on his Facebook page? I doubt it, but it’s nice to be noticed.
I have one more Randy Newman memory to offer here. While taking Econ 101 in college, the professor played a song as an example of political economy. The faces of the other kids in class were blank, so I spoke up and offered, “That’s ‘Political Science’ by Randy Newman.”
Grinning with a sort of “we’ve got a live one here” expression, Dr. Darrow was obviously pleased that I knew the song. He invited me to attend an upcoming lecture he had arranged with John Kenneth Galbraith, and Economics became my major.
Satirical publication The Onion said it has bought Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction for an undisclosed price, with the backing of the Connecticut families of eight victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and one first responder.
Republicans are so worried about the books that kids might read, but where’s the concern they could be shot to death in class? I won’t live long enough to see Gen Z reach middle age. How many from the generation of school shooting kids will fight to restrict access to guns? How many will follow the example of Trump, who has made it okay to bully and lie your way through life?
