A nightly pause from the news to give the reader/viewer a bit of classic entertainment.
An evening pause: In honor of Rand Paul’s filibuster today, let’s watch Jimmy Stewart perform a movie filibuster from the (1939) movie, Mr. Smith goes to Washington.
As Mr. Smith says, “Somebody will listen to me.”
An evening pause: Man, can these people play and sing. Vocals: Michelle Wright, Iris DeMent, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh. Fiddles: Jay Ungar, Aly Bain. Mandolin: Russ Barenberg. Bouzouki: Donal Lunny. Accordion: Phil Cunningham. Guitar: Molly Mason.
An evening pause: Though I posted this as an evening pause back in September 2011, when I heard it again on the radio last week I thought, man, that song is good. Absolutely worthwhile seeing it again, performed live.
An evening pause: Considering the house of cards we presently live in, how about a profile on the creator of the world’s largest house of cards.
An evening pause: As I have been out today doing survey work for a cave project of which I am the cartographer, I thought this video of Hang Son Doong (Mountain River Cave) would be appropriate.
Note that this cave is definitely not the largest in the world, as is often claimed. It appears to have the largest single room of any known cave, but the cave itself is relatively small at about four miles, compared for example to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, which is the world’s longest cave at 400 miles.
An evening pause: “It doesn’t make a difference how beautiful your guess is, it doesn’t make a difference how smart you are, who made the guess, or what his name is. If it disagrees with experiment, it’s wrong.”
An evening pause: In honor of George Washington’s birthday, here is his farewell speech, in which he outlined his advice for the citizens of this country to sustain a free America into a long and prosperous future.
The wisdom of these words is astonishing. More so is their predictive quality. Washington knew, possibly better than anyone, the greatest risks that threatened liberty. Woe to us all if we choose to ignore his warnings.
An evening pause: This interview has about as much truth to it as almost every single interview included in almost every “Making of…” documentary made about movies.
An evening pause: Liz Callaway performs the public debut of a magnificent song from her album “Passage of Time.” If you want to hear how it sounds on the album, go here.
An evening pause: The guy who posted this live performance by Bonnie Raitt of “Love has no pride” liked it so much he included it twice, back-to-back.
An evening pause: I posted this clip from the 1972 film, Man of La Mancha back in 2010, where Peter O’Toole, as Cervantes, explains why he does not like to look at life, “as it is.”
It is worth revisiting ever so often, as it invokes hope and the possibility that even in the worst times, all things are possible, if we demand it.
An evening pause: It’s a long flight.
The song, based on a theme from the second movement of Dvorak’s 9th symphony, is performed here by Mary Duff.
An evening pause: On the way home.
Cause I’m not ready to let this end
We can say all the sorries in the world
And still be friends
There’s nothing I want more
Than flying home
Just to meet you
An evening pause: The words are still worth living by.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
