I didn't want to make the announcement too early. I didn't want everyone at DAG, and across the Universe to start celebrating to long before the weekend. But it is Thursday, so here I am, spilling the news.

When I first moved up here to Pelham, NY I discovered a radio station called “CD 101.9”. Their moniker was “Smooth Jazz”. They played some really great modern jazz songs, a lot of it instrumental, some of it mellow, some of it funky. I played it in the car all the time because it just seems that jazz is really good for driving.

I think I first saw George Carlin when I was about 10 on the Ed Sullivan show.  It was before he grew the long hair and showed the audience who he was and what he believed in.  I can't think of many people in our celebrity culture who had the staying power he had.  Nor can I think of many who had such a loyal and grateful following. 

In my last career I was fortunate to be able to get to know Barry Ritholtz.  I reviewed his excellent "Bailout Nation" back in 2009 and did a nice Q&A with him soon after.  But enough about me and Barry.  I really want you all to read what he has to say here:

                      THE NEW WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION

I am having trouble concentrating today because my attention has been redrawn to the first year of the previous Presidential Administration.

I watched Stephen Colbert's opening statement today on Capitol Hill and it was, as usual, very funny.  In my opinion the man is a genius at satire.  He skewered all the hypocrites in both parties and in the media without fear or favor (as usual) while standing beside and standing up for the lowly migrant farmworkers.  Farmworkers are people who are nearly powerless in our country because they have no legal rights.  They and those who came before them have been exploited mercilessly, brutally treated, grossly underpaid and ultimately physically broken by the extreme working conditions that a

In this week's "New Yorker" former Vice President Walter Mondale, who has a book out, draws comparisons between Obama and Carter (ultimately concluding that Obama has many political strengths Carter lacked) and says something interesting (paraphrase): "When people lose their jobs or can't keep their house they become irrational.  They lash out. They expect the president to do something." The whole, short article is here.