Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 170

Eric and George (No Patti)

It's 12th anniversary of passing George Harrison so here's a little treat--isolated Eric Clapton guitar on George's greatest tune, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

#WalMartFights

Earlier:  The hot hashtag of the day.  Includes links to vids or vines such as this one, and below--hey, don't leave venerable KMart out!   One wag predicts Red Cross will soon be making call for blood donations for victims of Black Friday!  And photo and caption here captures it well.

Black Friday Out of Their Minds

Tens of millions of wacky Americans this week again had Friday on their minds since Monday.  "I'll spend my bread / I'll lose my head."

Rooting for Failure

New Tim Egan column at NYT chronicles how well ACA sign-ups are doing in several states that are cooperating with the program, far from the saboteurs and Kochs.   Then he hits those who are actively happy about or even rooting for or causing failure. Yet he concludes:

Republicans have a decent chance, in next year’s elections, of killing the dream of progressive presidents going back to Teddy Roosevelt. But they shouldn’t count on it. What’s going against them, or any party invested in failure, is that Americans are inherently optimistic. That alone may be enough to save Obamacare.

 And Krugman today on the ACA's "secret success."

Black Friday

Steely Dan live.  And more than ever: "When Black Friday falls you know it's got to be/
Don't let it fall on me."

Centuries Before the First Thanksgiving

The oldest settlement in America, Taos Pueblo, N.M.   My photo:

Native Truths at Thanksgiving

From Bruce Cockburn, "The Indian Wars."

It's not breech-loading rifles and wholesale slaughter
It's kickbacks and thugs and diverted water
Treaties get signed and the papers change hands
But they might as well draft these agreements in sand
Noble Savage on the cinema screen
An Indian's good when he cannot be seen
And the so-called white so-called race
Digs for itself a pit of disgrace
You thought it was over but it's just like before
Will there never be an end to the Indian wars?

Cat Meets Lurking Turkey

Our kitty Zoe looking out front window at wild turkey.  Below that the "before" shot as she nearly sleeps through the the close encounter of a bird kind.

'Glad Tidings' from Van Morrison

Last night at the Beacon in NYC, introduced by saying it was featured on "one episode of The Sopranos."

Note to Media: Americans Back Iran Deal

You'd never know it from media, which have highlighted opposition to the Teheran nuclear deal, but polls have shown Americans solidly behind it.  Latest from Reuters-Ipsos shows not only they back it by 2-1 but also are wary of taking military action even if it falls through.

The survey's results suggest that a U.S. public weary of war could help bolster Obama's push to keep Congress from approving new sanctions that would complicate the next round of negotiations for a final agreement with Iran.

"This absolutely speaks to war fatigue, where the American appetite for intervention - anywhere - is extremely low," Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said. "It could provide some support with Congress for the arguments being made by the administration."