Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

It looks like winning debates is a black job!

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Please don’t feed the bears.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Consistently wrong since 2002

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

We’re not going back!

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

You are here: Home / Absent Friends / An Independence Day Related Fuck Em In Memory of efgoldman

An Independence Day Related Fuck Em In Memory of efgoldman

by | 80 Comments

This post is in: , ,

Commenter Bella Q emailed earlier and asked if I’d put this up:

Since a local firework company has supplied matériel (intended) for the Boston Pops seasonal shindig in other years, and the current conductor is an old pal of mine, I got to thinking about efgoldman.  I’ve made a memorial donation to Lonely Instruments for Needy Kids, because that’s a cause I think he’d support.   It’s a program, managed by our little local music school, that provides instruments for kids who couldn’t otherwise afford them. Most all the local players I know have donated older instruments to it, and some of the upper level players have bought instruments to donate. And obviously many people donate cash.

A Juicer asked if I’d posted a link for others who might want to do so. Today seemed like a good day to mention it, given the connection to Peter Ross that today’s concert provides. I’m sure it would get a lot more attention if you posted it. If you’re interested:

https://ccm.uc.edu/support/ccmpower/links_program.html

https://ccm.weshareonline.org/LINKS

Bella Q also says this is obligatory, so…

This is just fun to watch:

Fuck em!

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

80Comments

  2. 2.

    Gin & Tonic

    As the last years of efgoldman’s life were in Rhode Island, I’d also like to make a shout-out to the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s Music School. We have a decent semi-pro local orchestra that does a lot of community outreach and music education for kids. I made a donation to them in his name, and can suggest that as another avenue for jackals to pay their respects if they so choose.

  7. 7.

    jl

    Thanks. Dang, I’m old enough to remember in grade school they had free instruments to loan us for first year when you got started. Then you had to buy or rent, but it was subsidized By HS, they were phasing that out and we had to rent, but it wasn’t much.

    I’ll contribute.

  12. 12.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Mike in NC: Birth place of me!

    And I couldn’t wait to leave and can’t figure out why I keep getting dragged back to Florida once I’ve made my escape.

  13. 13.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl: Apparently. I have no idea what the issue was today, but two years ago that part of Florida was in semi-drought conditions and no one should’ve been shooting off fireworks. Not that that ever stops anyone in Florida. So it isn’t surprising that they started a fire.

  15. 15.

    Mary G

    My cats are sitting in the window watching the fireworks. The doorbell terrifies them but big booms are no big deal.

  18. 18.

    Adam L Silverman

    @NotMax: Unless I’m one of the 18 righteous necessary for the continued existence of the world, I don’t have any past lives. Only those 18 get reincarnated. For the rest of us it’s one and out.

  19. 19.

    jl

    Either inspired or having my judgment impaired by listening to a clip of Trump’s speech on a previous thread, I listened to whole dang thing.

    OMG. I don’t mean to appear stupid, or rude, but I didn’t quite understand it. Whose idea was it to militarize the meaning of July 4. I can’t imagine Trump wrote it. But that means someone with somewhat more sense did. And militarize it by implicitly elevating the 1776 New York front? Implying that Washington’s troops did use the bullets forged from King George’s statue to ‘conquer or die’? More like ‘tactical retreats, mostly mixed and indecisive results in battle, with one not very significant successful surprise attack, more retreat, leading to near disaster at Valley Forge.’ Pity the poor fools signing that paper while the real glory was with the army to the north.

    Then I don’t remember the Continental Army taking airports. What is with Fort McHenry in the Revolutionary War, where no US army conquered its ramparts even in the War of 1812. It wasn’t built yet, maybe Trump meant some troops happened to march over where it would be built after the Revolutionary War was over? The cannons of Fort McHenry fended off the British Navy in the War of 1812. No army stuff.

    Then….a US flag on the moon and mars! And not an Admiralty Flag, a real Constitutional US flag, raised by the TrumpStar Troopers I presume.

  20. 20.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl: I taught Theory of War and Strategy and National Security Strategy and Policy at USAWC for four years, as well as contributed to the regional studies courses and my own electives. Not once did we ever cover the historic actions the US Army took in the 18th and 19th centuries in securing airports. Or in invading Ft. McHenry during the War of 1812, while they were also defending it. I’m sure the British never anticipated that strategy!

  21. 21.

    jl

    @Adam L Silverman: Well, the Trumpsters see deeply, and see what we mere mortals cannot see.
    Anyway, look for new historical facts to circulate among the Trumpsters. Losers like you and I cannot summon new historical facts from the vasty deep.

  26. 26.

    jl

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:
    “it should arrive in about 4 billion years.”
    You’re far more spry than I am, I guess. I’d be a bit worried if I were out there facing it head on.

  28. 28.

    Mnemosyne

    @Mary G:

    Unlike the doorbell, big booms aren’t (usually) followed by strange hoomans walking through the door.

  29. 29.

    lgerard

    Did Jared and Ivanka make themselves scarce today as they usually do when there is a clusterf*ck about to occur?

  30. 30.

    Miss Bianca

    @Amir Khalid: fuck proofreading, what about copy editing? “Sir, I hate to have to tell you this, but there’s no basement in the Alamo, and there were no airports during the Revolutionary War.”

  32. 32.

    FlyingToaster

    @Amir Khalid: Trump has problems reading the teleprompter, and he can’t memorize for shit. So he ad libs based on what little he does comprehend from the teleprompter.

    I left Missouri at 18 because I was tired of being bossed around by stupids. 41 years later and even in the far remove of Boston, here I am again. Fuck.

  33. 33.

    jl

    @Amir Khalid: @Amir Khalid: Setting aside the daffy alternative history. militarizing July 4 is vile and insulting. And also hilarious and disgusting.

    I guess Trump sees the military role in the French Bastille Day celebrations, and has no clue about the different nature of the revolutions and the very different roles the military played in each. And even in France there are periodic debates about problematic aspects of the French Revolution and how to commemorate it. But all that is beyond Trump’s imagination.

    Trump sees guns and troops on parade and ‘blow it all up’ stuff in France, possibly in Russia and NK too but doesn’t want to mention it, and thinks we ought to have it here for our independence day. Just a horrible embarrassing, and dangerous display of daft malicious ignorance and arrogance.

    Edit: and we have several separate holidays solely devoted to commemorating and honoring military troops, living, dead and killed in battle. Militarizing everything about this country and its history is absolutely against what the Founders stood for, and is just horrendous insult to the people and the troops past and present.

  34. 34.

    hotshoe

    Paul Thorn is an amazing song writer, and that song rings true.
    Not exactly true around here, mind you: we have “Safe and Sane” firework stands but only for the two weeks before the Fourth, and with revoltingly capitalist motivations.
    But seems likely to be true in some parts of the great American countryside I’ve passed through …

    Be safe out there, folks!

  35. 35.

    hotshoe

    @Amir Khalid
    Saw someone thread below suggesting you could consider getting a Dobro for your next guitar.
    Timely suggestion, since I’m listening right now to the world’s best Dobro player: Jerry Douglas.
    On youtube (from about thirty years ago) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtiOirt_HUQ&quot;
    As the youtube comments said,
    “It’s like someone took country music and sifted out everything I don’t like about it”

    Hope y’all enjoy it even half as much as I do!

  39. 39.

    AThornton

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Not once did we ever cover the historic actions the US Army took in the 18th and 19th centuries in securing airports.

    Lacunae in your education, no doubt.

  40. 40.

    Suzanne

    Have the Trumps ever looked as bad as they did tonight? Look at the third picture…..they’re both soaking wet and Melania’s nipples are clearly visible through that white dress she is inexplicably wearing IN THE RAIN. WTF. Wear a raincoat!

  42. 42.

    frosty

    @Adam L Silverman:

    And I couldn’t wait to leave and can’t figure out why I keep getting dragged back to Florida once I’ve made my escape.

    I have the same issue with South PA. I went to the left coast, moved back to Maryland, headed north, and here I am again. I still feel like a Baltimorean, dammit!

  43. 43.

    Jay

    @hotshoe:

    Back in the ‘90’s, wound up in Point Roberts for the 4th.

    Went down to the cobble beach to enjoy the fireworks. We built a windbreak out of driftwood to watch in comfort.

    5 minutes in we had turned it into a bunker, because they were shelling the beach.

    Turned out the Fireworks Commitee was 4 guys with a herring skiff, who had scrounged up a couple thou of consumer fireworks from local businesses.

    By dark, they were well into their cups, sombody had kicked out a drain plug, and the skiff had started sinking to port. As they were on a fuze chain, before long people had fled the beach and were sheltering behind the dike.

  45. 45.

    Martin

    John may have something to say about this tomorrow.

    Chris Cline, the billionaire mining entrepreneur and coal tycoon and benefactor to southern West Virginia, and a reported six others died in a helicopter crash early Thursday in the waters off the coast of the Bahamas, friends of Cline reported to The Register-Herald on Thursday afternoon.

  46. 46.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Martin: Thanks, I’ll admit while Joshua Tree has great foregrounds, it’s got some problems for astrophotography(light domes to the south, north and west; and it’s on the flight path between the east and LA). I’m not sure I’ll shoot there much more(I’ve got a couple of foregrounds that might be interesting. I was in Zyzzx the night before and the skies were much darker.

  47. 47.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Suzanne: In fairness, with the heat index at 99, I wouldn’t be wearing a raincoat either.

    However, I also wouldn’t be going braless/nipple coverless in a white dress in a wholly expected downpour.

  48. 48.

    frosty

    @hotshoe @Amir Khalid:

    Saw someone thread below suggesting you could consider getting a Dobro for your next guitar.

    I picked up a Republic Highway 61 that sounds damn near as good as my National Style O-14, for a third (or less) of the price. It uses a Continental cone, one of the best out there, maybe second to Nationals.

    Give it a try! I got hooked the first time I heard Bonnie Raitt and never looked back.

  49. 49.

    trollhattan

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:
    Is that four $cientology contracts?

    We had a nice dinner with friends and bicycled around the neighborhood watching fireworks. Hot today but perfect July night.

    Fuckem.

  52. 52.

    Amir Khalid

    @hotshoe:
    Dobro is a Gibson brand. Have you heard about Gibson? They shit the PR bed bigly a fortnight ago, when they put out a video in which Director of Brand Experience Mark Agnesi threatened to sue all the other guitar makers for trademark and copyright infringement. (For a parallel absurdity, imagine a Mickey D’s video where Ronald McDonald was threatening to sue all the other burger joints.) It didn’t help that Agnesi was affecting the attire, grooming, and demeanour of a street thug. All the guitar YouTubers are deeply offended, and apparently so is much of Gibson’s customer base. Now is probably not a good time to be seen buying a Gibson product.

    I looked: no music retailer in Malaysia carries resonator guitars, apparently not even the online guys. And shipping one from abroad would be crazy expensive, guitars being bulky and fragile. But for some reason, resonator cones are easily found..

  53. 53.

    Ruckus

    @jl:
    No one working for him has any better sense than he does. They may not be as sick or have the level of power he does, but better sense? No Fucking Way. The three people that did have long gone, he can’t stand anyone who is actually a better human than he is. Which is pretty much everyone else. Other than the dictators he’s taking lessons from. Which fortunately he will fail at. Like everything else.

  54. 54.

    Cookie Monster

    @Jay: Those monsters…. where will it all end? Before you know it, they’ll be demanding we use dijon mustard!

  55. 55.

    Martin

    @Jay: Happened to us with our neighborhood show about 15 years ago. Our neighborhood has a pretty decent show, set off from the retention basis for the lake (basically, a large dry reservoir that the lake can be partially drained into during heavy rains). Normally we use it as a community garden, but it’s a great place to launch the fireworks from because there’s no line of sight from the bottom to any homes. Anyway, we’re at a block party right next to the retention basin, meaning the fireworks are normally directly over our heads. It’s fantastic, btw, and loud as shit.Because all of the 4th activities in my neighborhood from the morning parade to the evening fireworks are all in a 1 mile area, we can walk everywhere, which means the adults can day drink all fucking day. So we’re there on our blankets, with the kids, enjoying the last 12 hours of drinking, the barbecue, and all that, fireworks overhead, and I hear yelling. This guy in a yellow suit is running straight at me from the retention basin yelling ‘don’t look up, cover your heads’. And when I say running, I mean, ‘there are lions chasing me’ quality running. He’s hauling ass. And then we realize why – turns out one of the racks fell over and was pointed right at us and the first mortar just exploded around the height of the top of the tree next to us. We throw the kids under the blankets, I lay on top with my hands over the back of my head. The mortars are cardboard and burn up before they can hit the ground, unless they’re exploding spitting distance away, in which case they land on you while burning. So a few of us between mortars are grabbing the burning stuff off of the blankets.

    It was exciting. Nobody was hurt – a few very minor burns. A few cars got pretty badly damaged. The entire neighborhood was coated in black powder, foil, and hunks of cardboard. We made t-shirts.

  56. 56.

    hotshoe

    @frosty:
    Earlier today was listening to Bonnie Raitt with my mom; Mom had never heard of her, but I was pleased by how much Mom enjoyed her tunes.

  59. 59.

    Mnemosyne

    @Suzanne:

    It was apparently 90+ degrees even with the rain. She probably thought it was too hot for a raincoat. ?

  60. 60.

    hotshoe

    @Amir Khalid:
    Ugh, no, I hadn’t heard (and now I’m sorry I have).
    Still, I’m sorry you can’t acquire something of a resonator guitar if you’ve gotten curious to try one now that everyone is suggesting it. I would help if I could! Like you say, shipping is prohibitive …

  62. 62.

    Steeplejack

    @Suzanne, @Sister Golden Bear:

    Melania looked humidity-frazzled, but I didn’t see “drenched.” Here’s the full C-SPAN video on this page.

    Melania appears at about 52:00 after the speech. Relative close-up at 56:00 (and after).

    Also, wide crowd shots at 54:00.

    There was water on the plexiglass in front of Trump from rain as late as half an hour before the speech, but I did not see any rain falling during his speech.

  64. 64.

    frosty

    @Amir Khalid:

    And shipping one from abroad would be crazy expensive, guitars being bulky and fragile. But for some reason, resonator cones are easily found..

    Metal guitars are a lot less fragile, so that’s good. I’ve never had a problem with any of the ones I bought on eBay. Shipping costs, though … no way around that I’m afraid.

    Republics are made in China, tweaked (or scrapped) and set up in Texas. Seems like there ought to be a way to get a good one from there.

  65. 65.

    Suzanne

    @Steeplejack: I was assuming that she got rained on pretty badly because of her hair and the clinginess of her clothes. I could be wrong. But she looked terrible.

  67. 67.

    Ruckus

    @Suzanne:
    He probably told her he hadn’t ordered rain so it wouldn’t rain and that he wanted to see her dressed a certain way.
    And that’s as nice as I can say that.

  68. 68.

    Chetan Murthy

    @rikyrah:

    I was assuming that she got rained on pretty badly

    Whereas Shitler’s hair looked like it always does. Which tells you everything you need to know about his priorities: my wife can get wet, but my hair’s gotta stay dry.

  70. 70.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Jay:

    As someone else suggested, it appears to have been mostly cribbed from Wikipedia at 4 am last night by an upaid intern

    Jay, what kind of garbage history were you taught that you don’t remember the airports from 100+ years before the first airplane?

  71. 71.

    frosty

    Donation made. Thanks for the link, I’m happy to help some kids learn how to play. All the better maybe one of them will be talented, which has not been something I’ve had to deal with. :-)

  72. 72.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @Chetan Murthy:

    Golly, now that you mention it, why doesn’t Trump’s hair look “drenched”? After all, he spoke for 50 minutes bare-headed in the rain, right?

    Bah. Don’t let the crazy situation drive you crazy.

  74. 74.

    Jay

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Western Civilization, British Empire History, Canadian History, American History, Indigenous History,

    Never not learned ‘Merkin history*, so the South won, right?

    *

    mer·kin
    /ˈmərkən/
    noun
    an artificial covering of hair for the pubic area.

  75. 75.

    hervevillechaizelounge

    I’m about six hours late with this but someone on an earlier thread asked about the Disney film Ben and Me and I managed to find a free link.

    https://archive.org/details/BenMe_201802

    I’m going to watch it after Johnny Tremain—it’s independence night at chez Hervé!

  77. 77.

    Mel

    @Adam L Silverman: @jl: Of course the Continental Army had to take the airports, because how else would Paul Revere have been able to fly his trusty biplane, the “Covfefe”, out of Boston, trailing the now famous “The British are coming, but at least it’s not the Mexicans and the Uppity Wimmen” banner to warn the masses?

    If I remember correctly from 5th grade history, they took the Concord McDonalds and all the East Coast Burger King locations immediately after the airports, because obviously the troops deserved only the finest of gourmet rations.

  80. 80.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @frosty: Like Kafka & his hometown (“Prague never lets you go. This dear little mother has sharp claws”), you & I will always be Baltimorons no matter how fast & furious ;) we run – & “Ballmer Merlin, Hon” will always be the largest small town in the multiverse, where everyone knows everyone else, no matter how far away you are.

    Accept your fate – it could be worse.** As John Waters put it:

    I would never want to live anywhere but Baltimore. You can look far and wide, but you’ll never discover a stranger city with such extreme style. It’s as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay.

    ** You could have grown up in Cleveland, which looks at last to have assembled a respectable NFL team only 20 years after they got their franchise, name, colors & history handed back to them. Had my eventual-uncle not escaped from the Mistake By The Lake to the shores of the Chesapeake, it coulda happened to me. Long story…

Comments are closed.