The American Spectator

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Bits and Pieces

12.16.04 @ 12:01AM

(Page 4 of 6)

But I have come to the conclusion that passing through college is becoming easier. What with PDA's, Laptops, WiFi, IM, it is becoming quite simple to just ask the person making the A's and get the answer. All ethics aside, of course.
-- John McGinnis

IN ALL INNOCENCE'
Re: Paul M. Weyrich's The Ohio Recount Outrage:

"Ohio law requires payment of $10 per precinct for a recount, or $113,600 statewide.

"Badnarik and Cobb said they aren't trying to overturn President Bush's 136,000-vote victory in Ohio, but just want to ensure that all votes were counted properly in the face of concerns about Election Day irregularities.

"'Our bottom line is to stand up for the integrity of the voting process because the voting process is the heart of the democratic process,' said Blair Bobier, spokesman for Cobb."

Source: WCPO

And what is wrong with that? Hardly warrants being called and outrage, unless the writer is outrageous.
-- Robert Meyer

HIPPIE TURNS
Re: William Tucker's Unlike a Rolling Stone:

Rolling Stone magazine names Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" the #1 rock song of all time. It is unfortunate William Tucker undermines his arguments against the selection with errors and tangents in his column.

What Hank Williams Sr. song did Chuck Berry rework to come up with "Maybelline"? I am a fan of both performers and I have never noticed any musical similarity.

Bob Dylan wrote "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"? That must be as big a surprise to Dylan as it is to the writing team of Benjamin-Marcus-Caldwell!

Tucker must really detest "Positively 4th Street" to describe its 3:50 runtime as an "endless rant." He also must have a stunted sense of humor; it's one of Dylan's funniest (and nastiest) songs of his amphetamine days. Perhaps he thinks Dylan wrote the song about him? It was a weird badge of egotism to think so in Greenwich Village back in 1966.

Pete Seeger's understandable horror and defensiveness at Dylan's electric debut at Newport in 1965 is irrelevant -- unless you think an unrepentant Stalinist getting angry when he sees his musical world tumble has anything to do with music criticism. And when did John Updike become the reincarnation of Gilbert Shelton (and why quote him talking about The Bee Gees)? The fact that Updike is an accomplished novelist doesn't mean he knows anything about music.

I was not at Newport that summer, but I did see Dylan at Forest Hills when he opened his national tour. The first set was acoustic. After the intermission Dylan took the stage with The Hawks and the stadium erupted in boos. It continued through the entire set, until Dylan began his last song. With the opening drum hit of the song, the audience cheered and boogied in their seats. And most of the stadium happily sang along with the very lyrics Tucker excoriates: "How does it feeeeeel?..." I was there, William -- it felt GREAT!

I am impressed at Tucker's insight that the folk-rock movement ran its course so quickly. He obviously is correct, but I had never considered it.

Letter to the Editor

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