Books – Keith Robertson

Week in Review – March 30th, 2025

“Back to California”

I caught a last minute flight to California on Tuesday to help Diana with her Mom’s hospice care. I had a couple of hours to shower, pack, make a trip to the bank safety deposit box, and gather up all the clothes, shoes etc that Diana wanted me to bring to her.

The flight was somewhat annoying – we had to wait on the plane for an hour for a thunderstorm to pass through the Dallas airport. I hate changing through Dallas but that was the only flight available with the notice that I had. And the gentleman (maybe I use that term too loosely) in the middle seat next to me continually jabbed his elbow into my ribs as he was working on his phone and laptop. Four hours of that and I was ready to be off the plane. Diana was proud of me for just grinning and bearing it rather than creating a scene.

Adamo was kind enough to pick me up at the airport, and then some general chaos ensued at Clorinda’s house – Leonard and Victor arrived in the late evening, and so we had a house full.

We had a constant stream of visitors each day, which was nice but exhausting for Diana on top of taking care of her Mom.

I missed the annual Tulane book festival on Thursday. This has really grown into a notable event. Things kicked of on Thursday evening with a panel from the Atlantic magazine and a talk from Bryan Stevenson, author of “Just Mercy.”

The Atlantic panel had been booked for months but took on a whole different tone with the recent article from the editor about the text leaks. Here’s what the newspaper had to say about it:

“Tulane University grabbed a small spot in the national conversation over the Trump administration’s Signal chat leak on Thursday as journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, discussed his blockbuster article and its implications for U.S. security at the New Orleans Book Festival.

Goldberg, who on Monday published his account of how he was inadvertently added to a group chat that top U.S. officials were using to discuss military strikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, said the administration’s reaction to his article led him to release nearly the full transcript two days later.

“This was a serious breach of national security,” Goldberg said. “They had an opportunity to accept that they made a mistake, tell us how they’re going to fix the mistake and move on. Instead, they attacked the messenger, which is part of the playbook.”

Goldberg said if Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and others hadn’t reacted the way they did, he wouldn’t have published the rest of the material, “but I’m not going to be called a liar, and I’m not going to have my magazine called a liar,” he said.

“They essentially goaded us into publishing the whole transcript, so we did. We didn’t have a choice.”

Interviewed by Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum, Goldberg made his remarks to a capacity crowd of about 1,800 people inside Tulane’s McAlister Auditorium. Hundreds of people lined up along Freret Street to get through security screenings to attend the talk.”

Here’s some more about Bryan Stevenson. I loved his book and highly recommend it:

“Bryan Stevenson is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Under his leadership, EJI has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent death row prisoners, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults.

Mr. Stevenson has argued and won multiple cases at the United States Supreme Court, including a 2019 ruling protecting condemned prisoners who suffer from dementia and a landmark 2012 ruling that banned mandatory life-imprisonment-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger. Mr. Stevenson and his staff have won reversals, relief, or release from prison for over 140 wrongly condemned prisoners on death row and won relief for hundreds of others wrongly convicted or unfairly sentenced.

Mr. Stevenson has initiated major new anti-poverty and anti-discrimination efforts that challenge inequality in America. He led the creation of EJI’s highly acclaimed Legacy Sites, including the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. These new national landmark institutions chronicle the legacy of slavery, lynching, and racial segregation, and the connection to mass incarceration and contemporary issues of racial bias.”

Amy made this mandala for Clorinda on Saturday. If you’re not familiar with the mandala, here’s a brief description:

Universal Representation:

Mandalas are geometric configurations of symbols, often circular, and represent the universe, the cosmos, or the interconnectedness of all things.

Meditation and Focus:

They are used in various spiritual practices, including meditation, to help practitioners focus their attention and achieve a deeper understanding of themselves and the universe.

Spiritual Guidance:

Mandalas can act as a map or guide for spiritual growth and transformation, leading individuals towards enlightenment or a state of inner peace.

Sacred Space:

They can also be used to establish a sacred space or create a sense of order and harmony.

Diana had some excellent helpers as she prepared to make banana bread on Saturday. We were all a bit scared when Francesca was given the mallet to crush up the walnuts.

Diana and I briefly escaped to Nick’s at Rockaway beach on Saturday afternoon. It’s located right on the beach and is famous for their crab sandwich. The waves and surfers provided a pleasant distraction.

Chef Diana was at it again on Sunday. This time the product was a Goudarooni. Most of you probably aren’t familiar with this Italian treat, so I’ll share the recipe:

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Goudarooni/

This is essentially a very large calzone with ground beef, potato, and mozzarella, with a tangy tomato sauce. I thought it was adventurous of Diana to take on making the dough from scratch – had to break out Alicia’s Kitchenaid mixer.

A lesson learned here – food this yummy doesn’t sit around very long – you need to get some right away.

I chuckled when I read the Times Picayune newspaper this week – only in New Orleans would the closing of a “beloved dive bar” be the headline on the front page. We were sad to read the news – this is close to the house and a great location for Jeopardy on weekday evenings.

I was reading about the upcoming release of a new book by Kevin Wilson, and decided to see if he had other books that I hadn’t read. I loved “The Family Fang” and “Nothing to See Here.” I started “This is Not the Time to Panic” – about 30 pages in I realized that it was very familiar and that I had read it before. On to “Perfect Little World”, a very enjoyable and thought provoking read:

“When Isabelle Poole meets Dr. Preston Grind, she’s just about out of options. She recently graduated from high school and is pregnant with her art teacher’s baby. Her mother is dead, and her father is a drunk. The art teacher is too much of a head case to help raise the child. Izzy knows she can be a good mother, but without any money or prospects she’s left searching.

So when Dr. Grind offers her a space in The Infinite Family Project, she accepts. Housed in a spacious compound in Tennessee, she joins nine other couples, all with children the same age as her newborn son, to raise their children as one extended family. Grind’s theory is that the more parental love children receive, the better off they are.

This attempt at a utopian ideal – funded by an eccentric billionaire – starts off promising: Izzy enjoys the kids, reading to them, and teaching them to cook. She even forms a bond with her son more meaningful than she ever expected. But soon, the gentle equilibrium among the families is upset, and it all starts to disintegrate: Unspoken resentments between the couples begin to fester; the project’s funding becomes tenuous; and Izzy’s feelings for Dr. Grind, who is looking to expunge his own painful childhood, make her question her participation in this strange experiment in the first place.

Written with the same compassionate voice, disarming sense of humor, and quirky charm that made The Family Fang such a success, Perfect Little World is a poignant look at how the best families are the ones we make for ourselves.”

I’m looking forward to Wilson’s new book!

Here’s something from the new My Morning Jacket album – a solid album throughout:

I continue to enjoy learning about Afrobeat music – here’s the legendary Tony Allen of Fela Kuti’s band:

And finally, I stumbled upon this symphonic, keyboard driven album from Jon Lord of Deep Purple:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

Week in Review – March 23rd, 2025

“Fete Francaise”

I helped Greg load Buttercup (our Mardi Gras float) from under Hugh’s house onto his truck. Just a little bit too long, but made it home safely.

The Tuesday highlight was another Bayou Boys win at Dat Dog trivia. Denny wasn’t able to make it – hmmm. The equally good news – kevbot (our nemesis team) wasn’t in the top three.

I watched a movie later that evening, “Becoming Katherine Graham”:

Graham was the editor of the Washington Post during the controversial period of the Watergate investigations and the ultimate ousting of Nixon. She stood up to Nixon and others who bullied her very effectively.

Movie matinee was my activity on Wednesday. I visited the downtown Canal Plaza Prytania theaters for the first time to see “Becoming Led Zeppelin.” Parking and getting to the theaters was much easier than anticipated. There were a lot of very fancy shops around the theaters – I was not aware they even existed.

This was about the early days of the band and the studio work that brought Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones together. I chuckled at a story about them playing on Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger.” Dad was a big Shirley Bassey fan. Highly recommended for fans of the band.

After the movie, I met Anne for lunch at the Columns – always a treat on a nice, sunny day. Denny had made a mistake with his flight and wasn’t coming home until later in the day.

Sitting on the porch in the afternoon, Britney asked “Want to feel old, Keith?” Then she showed me Augie’s “Class of 2039” banner. We’ll be 75 when he graduates from high school. Yes, Britney, you did make me feel old. Here’s Augie in the shirt we brought him from Scotland:

Such a poseur.

Kenny and I attended Danny Barker fest at the Jazz Museum on Thursday. This was a very pleasant festival – outside in the courtyard and not too busy. Would you like to know about Danny Barker? Okay – here’s an overview:

Danny Barker was born to a family of musicians in New Orleans in 1909, the grandson of bandleader Isidore Barbarin and nephew of drummers Paul Barbarin and Louis Barbarin. He took up clarinet and drums before switching to a ukulele that his aunt got him, and then a banjo from his uncle or a trumpeter named Lee Collins.

From 1939 to 1946, he frequently recorded with Cab Calloway, and started his own group featuring his wife Blue Lu Barker after leaving Calloway. On September 4, 1945, he recorded with Ohio‘s native jazz pianist, Sir Charles Thompson, and saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Charlie Parker.^[1] In 1947, he was performing again with Lucky Millinder, and also with Bunk Johnson. He returned to working with Albert Nicholas in 1948 and in 1949 rejoined efforts with his wife in a group.

In 1965, Barker returned to New Orleans and took up a position as assistant to the curator of the New Orleans Jazz Museum. In 1970, he founded and led a church-sponsored brass band for young people—the Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band. Reverend Andrew Darby, Jr., the Pastor of Fairview Baptist Church commissioned ‘Brother’ Barker to form a Christian band, and Barker went throughout the neighborhood of the church enlisting young musicians. The Fairview band launched the careers of musicians who performed in brass band and mainstream jazz contexts, including Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Leroy Jones, Kirk Joseph, Nicholas Payton, Shannon Powell, Lucien Barbarin, and Dr. Michael White, among others. As Joe Torregano—another Fairview band alumnus—described it, “That group saved jazz for a generation in New Orleans.

Here’s a couple of videos of Greg Stafford performing in the afternoon:

Kermit was up after Stafford. I love this picture of Kermit and Danny Barker together years ago at French Quarter Fest:

Fete Francaise was on Saturday. I always enjoy this small festival put on by the French bilingual school on Magazine Street. They have food tents from local French restaurants and always very good music. Anne suggested lunch at La Petite Grocery (right next to the festival location) as the tents often run out of the most desired food and drinks. Lunch was great – I enjoyed the fusilli pasta with short rib and mushrooms. The portion was just right for lunch on a hot day.

The theme for this year was “From the heart of Paris to the soul of New Orleans.” I like it.

The Preservation Hall band provided the majority of the entertainment. Ben Jaffe, leader of the band and tuba player, has a daughter at the school.

Here are a couple of videos:

The older gentleman on the saxophone in the second video is Charlie Gabriel – still going strong at 92!

There was an unadvertised band after the Preservation Brass – describing themselves as “French cosmonauts” and quite entertaining:

I really appreciated this story on 60 minutes on Sunday night. What a great job by Scott Pelley and the team:

Here’s an article claiming New Orleans as the best food city in the world:

https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/eat-drink/new-orleans-best-food-city/article_f8cec324-ff82-11ef-963f-33baf8e7f63d.html

I think that’s quite a stretch – Paris, New York, Barcelona?

Spring is in bloom by the front porch:

I take these pictures so that Diana can enjoy the blossoms that she’s missing.

I read “The Futures” by Anna Pitoniak this week. This was a fast and easy read, not living up to the excellent reviews from several well respected sources. It seemed a bit light and fluffy as it covered the 2008 crash. Here’s the online review:

“In this dazzling debut novel about love and betrayal, a young couple moves to New York City in search of success-only to learn that the lives they dream of may come with dangerous strings attached.

Julia and Evan fall in love as undergraduates at Yale. For Evan, a scholarship student from a rural Canadian town, Yale is a whole new world, and Julia — blond, beautiful, and rich — fits perfectly into the future he’s envisioned for himself. After graduation, and on the eve of the great financial meltdown of 2008, they move together to New York City, where Evan lands a job at a hedge fund. But Julia, whose privileged upbringing grants her an easy but wholly unsatisfying job with a nonprofit, feels increasingly shut out of Evan’s secretive world.

With the market crashing and banks failing, Evan becomes involved in a high-stakes deal at work — a deal that, despite the assurances of his Machiavellian boss, begins to seem more than slightly suspicious. Meanwhile, Julia reconnects with someone from her past who offers a glimpse of a different kind of live. As the economy craters, and as Evan and Julia spin into their separate orbits, they each find that they are capable of much more — good and bad — than they’d ever imagined.”

I learned of a New Orleans based band, J & the Causeways, that I really enjoy:

Branford Marsalis has a new album out – a cover of Keith Jarrett’s original suite:

And David Lowery of Cracker also has a new album:

Coexist peacefully, with patience and kindness for all!

Week in Review – March 16, 2025

“The Calm after the Storm”

I made my way downtown to meet with Carole on Monday. She’s helping us convert our estate planning documents (trust, will etc) to comply with Napoleonic law – Louisiana being the only state that follows it. I think we made good progress and should easily finish things up when Diana is back.

There was a free concert at the Jazz Museum at 3pm on Wednesday. This was to celebrate the reopening of their performance space. I’m always amazed at the volume of folks that come out of the woodwork for any free show in New Orleans, and was glad that I got there ahead of time. There were a lot of folks standing at the back.

The music was from Detroit Brooks and the Jazz Museum Allstars – some really talented musicians. Detroit has a very good voice:

The trumpet and clarinet players meshed very well:

And finally the trumpet player has a sweet voice as well:

I’m glad I made the effort to make it down to the museum – parking was remarkably easy at that time of day.

Most of you will have heard about the destructive weather on Saturday. We had very strong winds but not as much rain as expected. Many others didn’t fare as well. I’ve got a few small repairs ahead as a result of the wind.

The St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday was canceled/postponed due to the weather forecast- a shame as we usually have a decent crowd at the house. Nothing has been announced about a new date, so I assume it’s just canceled – that was the consensus when I was at Aidan Gill’s for a haircut on Thursday morning.

Thanks to the Kirschs for having me over for a delicious dinner on Saturday night. I enjoyed the company.

I enjoyed this article about Klipsch speakers in the paper today:

https://app.nola.com/article/visit-birthplace-of-famous-klipsch-speakers-3/content.html

Klipsch are sometimes referred to as the best audiophile speakers – there’s a lot of very expensive competition for that title. I had no idea the company was started in a shed in Hope, Arkansas (birthplace of Bill Clinton.)

I didn’t read much this week, but did start a collection of short stories by Eudora Welty – I’m only a couple in.

These stories are originally from the last 1940s and 1950s. Here’s what the New Yorker had to say:

“Welty is on home ground in the state of Mississippi in this collection of seven stories. She portrays the MacLains, the Starks, the Moodys, and other families of the fictitious town of Morgana. “I doubt that a better book about ‘the South’-one that more completely gets the feel of the particular texture of Southern life and its special tone and pattern-has ever been written” (New Yorker). “

Great sound and production on this song from Bahamas’ Afie Jurvanen:

A deep cut from Genesis, showcasing the excellent keyboard work of Tony Banks:

And finally, a great sound from Charles Lloyd, who just keeps on going and going:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

Week in Review – March 2nd, 2025

“Mardi Gras Part 2”

Finn and Holly drove down from McKinney on Wednesday, arriving in time to get inside the box caused by all the street closures for parades. We live inside the box, which can make driving a challenge during Mardi Gras season. They got settled into their room and then I took them out to their first parade:

This was an unusually quiet evening and a great way to introduce them to Mardi Gras.

Diana arrived back from San Francisco around midnight and got ready to participate in Mardi Gras.

We enjoyed lunch at Commander’s Palace on Thursday. Finn walked in, looked around, and said “Wow, Dad!” He was equally taken with the fancy surroundings and the costumes and parties underway. It was Muses Thursday – Muses being one of the biggest and most popular of all the parades. Diana had alerted the restaurant that we were having a late celebration for Fin and Holly’s engagement.

The food and atmosphere were excellent.

Here is a group of Muses riders celebrating before the parade behind Diana:

We exited through the kitchen so that I could show Finn the organized chaos that goes into serving all those meals with such precision. The garden patio was beautiful on such a perfect day:

Thanks to Mum for the gift certificate that we used for this lovely celebration.

The parades that night were very busy and maybe a bit overwhelming for newcomers:

Sometimes you just need to take some time out on the porch:

I dropped the kids at the zoo on Friday morning and Diana and I had a walk around the park. Then it was time to get back inside the box for the Friday parades.

Our house was Mardi Gras central for the extended krewe on Tucks Saturday. Our neighbours, Roeland and Jules, ride in that parade. Walking by their house a day or two before, Jules asked me to wait as he had something for me. A custom throw that he knew he wouldn’t be able to get to me in the parade madness – plunger penguin:

Everyone brought delicious food over to help feed the multitude of folks at our house. Busy inside:

Outside:

And on the porch:

Jack thought he could use all the confusion to execute a penguin “ransom situation”:

Oliver was enjoying his second Mardi Gras season at 18 months. Greg tried to copy his hair:

The core group remaining in the evening were kind to humour my request for a sit down dinner at the dining table. I enjoyed it. Phew – busy day at 1520 Washington.

We ventured outside the box early on Thoth Sunday to park at Denny and Anne’s and watch the parade on Magazine Street. Denny and Diana had matching pants:

Anne opted for a more understated outfit:

It was less crowded on Magazine Street than by our house on St Charles – a pleasant change:

We watched a little of the Oscars on Webster Street and then headed home as the box opened in time for the last two or three awards – no big movies that I really cared for this year.

I finished the wonderful “James” by Percival Everett this week. I highly recommend this unique and creative read. You’ll remember it’s a reimagining of Huck Finn, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.

I started another book, read two chapters and gave up. Not even worth mentioning the title – it was that bad. Where do some of these reviewers that recommended it get the gall to waste my time like that?

I heard this song on Diana’s country music channel in the car – I liked the song and looked down and was surprised it was on that channel – a great voice and overall sound:

See – I can keep an open mind about that bro-country station:)

I can’t remember where I heard this, but it brings to mind early 1960s Kinks:

Finally, a wonderful cover of one of my all time favourites:

Coexist peacefully, with patience and kindness for all!

Week in Review – February 23rd, 2025

“Movie Week”

Kenny and Denny joined me at the Prytania theater on Monday afternoon to watch the Oscar nominated live action shorts. These were five short films with quite varied subject matter and styles.

I did get in trouble for talking during one of the films. We had dinner at La Cocinita to share our thoughts. No clear agreement. I thought “I am not a robot” from the Netherlands was the most entertaining. I think Denny and Kenny preferred “The Last Ranger” about rhino horn poaching in South Africa, but maybe Kenny liked “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” from Croatia – that’s the one the critics think will win and was my least favourite.

We did not do well at trivia on Tuesday night. I believe we were between eighth and tenth. Things started to go badly when Denny insisted on answering “Is chemical energy an example of potential or kinetic energy?” with kinetic, even after I gave the example of a battery which is stored up or potential energy. And they got worse from there. A bad night for the Bayou Boyz.

I talked Kenny into attending the Wednesday morning movie matinee with me at the Prytania. The offering this week was “The Conversation”, starring Gene Hackman and directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1974.

We agreed that this film was pretty slow, with a confusing and convoluted plot line. Coppola apparently was very committed to writing and directing this movie and only agreed to direct “The Godfather II” after the studio agreed to “The Conversation.”

Kara joined us for lunch at Martin after the movie.

It was a cold and early start for me on Thursday morning – 30 degrees when I left home at 6:30am for my flight to San Francisco. Diana picked me up at the airport and we resumed the routine of helping Clorinda.

Today was a busy day – visits from cousin Joelle and Jerry, Adam, and Victor and Jennifer – all three at slightly different times. We made a new recipe – orzo Mediterranean salad – and thankfully had enough for everyone. This was a good recipe from the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper.

Diana has fallen way down the rabbit hole of bracelet fabrication. Look at this whole enterprise and the tools involved:

This all started with a desire to make a “few” Mardi Gras bracelets.

Andy and Jude came down on Friday night. They are always such great company. Andy had to make a quick trip home when his new replica of Prince’s Telecaster was delivered.

Jeff and Merry Lee sent some pictures of penguins that they took in Antarctica:

I finished up “Rabbit is Rich” – an enjoyable read but not really my thing, and started “James” by Percival Everret. This is described as:

“#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER• NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.”

I’m not far into the book but am enjoying it a lot already.

Here’s an old classic that I heard on the local radio station, WWOZ:

And a couple from a band that’s been around for a long time that I just heard this week:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

Week in Review – February 16th, 2025

“Mardi Gras – part 1”

I dropped Diana off at the airport early on Wednesday. Rush hour traffic back from the airport was heavy and I looked around for somewhere to have breakfast and let it die down. Cafetomas in Kenner was a great underground find – very good coffee and Colombian food. My huevos rancheros were excellent.

Kara and Kenny very kindly invited me to dinner before the Uncle Lucius show at Tipitinas that evening. Kara enjoyed the “Garden district” scented candle that I took from the Petit Bleu store.

Kenny and Denny joined me and both seemed to enjoy the show and the opening act, while Diana was sad to miss it:

“Fess” was sporting his seasonal Mardi Gras crown:

The first Mardi Gras parade of our season, Krewe de Vieux (incorrectly pronounced “Voo” by New Orleanians), rolled on Saturday. We watched from the starting point in the Marigny – having time to visit with Greg and the Buttercup krewe and Chris Peet (with his Love flag) before they started moving.

This sign made me think of Giancarlo, our family poet:

Little Freddie King, a local blues musician was the head of the parade.

King is 84 years old and has performed at the last 42 Jazzfests. He is always very snazzily dressed. More here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Freddie_King

Our neighbors, Tony and Britney, walked in the parade and Tony reported that we picked the best place to watch. He said the French Quarter was pretty crazy and the CBD was mostly college kids.

It was pretty warm and I’m sure Greg was hot in his foghorn leghorn suit:

I watched the Saturday Night Live (SNL) 50th anniversary show on Sunday night. I’ve read some articles recently that said SNL is really a music show. That’s not true – there are typically two musical numbers in a 90 minute show, but there have been some amazing ones over the years.

The anniversary show started with Paul Simon performing “Homeword Bound” and ended with an outstanding medley by Sir Paul McCartney, performing with the same band that I saw in Oakland over 20 years ago.

I enjoyed this article about the pop-up shows that McCartney did at the Bowery Ballroom around the SNL show:

https://view.nl.npr.org/?qs=3128089fd697f367e547f248fe0766de68203ad1b222cb5535ebd62ccc5a10d6e97e071010382d6fba00106f74cea421b810dabb902cb6aa3f38ceb1f030e5bb401bdd50c605bd01bf8aacac449653882a35415a48375013

I started “Rabbit is Rich” by John Updike this week. This won the Pullitzer in 1982. Here’s an online summary:

“The hero of John Updike’s Rabbit, Run, ten years after the hectic events described in Rabbit Redux, has come to enjoy considerable prosperity as Chief Sales Representative of Springer Motors, a Toyota agency in Brewer, Pennsylvania. The time is 1979: Skylab is falling, gas lines are lengthening, the President collapses while running in a marathon, and double-digit inflation coincides with a deflation of national confidence. Nevertheless, Harry Angstrom feels in good shape, ready to enjoy life at last—until his son, Nelson, returns from the West, and the image of an old love pays a visit to his lot. New characters and old populate these scenes from Rabbit’s middle age, as he continues to pursue, in his erratic fashion, the rainbow of happiness.”

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

Week in Review – February 9th, 2025

“Super Bowl LIX”

It’s been all Super Bowl news all week! Such a big deal for the city, and the eleventh time New Orleans has hosted – tied for the record.

We met Jeff and Merry Lee to watch the light show on the St. Louis cathedral on Thursday night. So impressive!

Here are some pictures that I took of the stills in between the light show:

We had a drink at Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 afterwards. Great drinks and food (although not available on this visit.)

The boys made a trip down to the Quarter on Friday afternoon. We started on the riverfront by the massive yacht that the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars docked.

The Hot 8 Brass Band were playing.

They transitioned into “Ain’t No Sunshine”, their good cover of Bill Withers:

We rambled around the Quarter from there, with a fun stop at the “Will and the Way” for drinks and food on the patio.

Merry Lee and Jeff scored tickets to the game and all the pre actitivies:

The Crescent City Connection bridge has been upgraded with LED lights at huge cost and driving disruption. It does look good:

The game was very one sided but the pre-game songs were excellent. Trombone Shorty on “America the Beautiful”:

Jon Batiste did an amazing job on the national anthem:

Those were the highlights for me – local musicians on the big stage. The game was disappointingly one sided.

I finished “Surrender” by Bono of U2 this week. Really enjoyed the read.

Lots of history of the forming of the band in High School in Dublin, a lot about Bono’s relationship with this father, a lot about his work to combat hunger and AIDS, and the most poignant passage in the book, for me, is this:

“An hour later in our dressing room Luciano Pavarotti brought the Princess of Wales to say hello, and the first person she met on entering our trailer was Bob Hewson (Bono’s dad). Approaching six feet in her heels and wearing the most beautiful coral-white dress, Diana was something else. The da melted. The shock of a close encounter with the British royal family quickly became a teenage crush.

“How do you do?” she inquired.

“Lovely to meet you,” he said quivering. “I’m very well, thank you for asking.” Eight hundred years of oppression disappearing in eight seconds.

If you’ve ever wondered about the usefulness of royals, I would always point to this incident. Eight hundred years in eight seconds.”

An absolute classic from Ray Charles:

And another classic from Jackie Wilson:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

Week in Review – February 2nd, 2025

“More of the same”

This week was quite similar to last week – helping to make Clorinda as comfortable as possible as she regains her strength. The good news is she has a very good appetite and is always so alert and responsiveness when her grandchildren show up:

We did manage to escape for lunch at Puerto 27, a very good local Peruvian restaurant, while Clorinda was at dialysis. Diana went for comfort food and was very happy with her burger, while I chose an avocado and crab sandwich.

I passed some of the time with the new documentary series about Saturday Night Live on Peacock. The episode on “More Cowbell” was hilarious and well researched, the episode on the musical guests, a pleasant walk down memory lane.

We flew home to New Orleans on Saturday and were surprised to see the airport so quiet on our arrival before 8pm. TSA closed, all stores and restaurants closed, so clearly no departing flights. Seemed unusual. It will not be like that next week when the Super Bowl comes to town.

We were getting parade updates for Chewbacchus, a walking parade that we’ve enjoyed in previous years. It has a science fiction geeky theme, and certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously. We were much too tired to venture into the fray and so missed Kara and Debra in their Wonder Women krewe. I think McD should join them next year – what are your thoughts? She just needs a little encouragement and some help with her outfit.

It’s always hard to wind down after a day of travel. We watched a very good movie, “The Peanut Butter Falcon”, to try and relax and it did the trick. Great acting and a nicely understated and calm storyline.

The weather today was the best of the year so far – 70 degrees, blue skies, and, most importantly, no humidity. We celebrated with a couple of laps around Audubon park – always a treat.

I started “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story” by Bono this week. I’m about half way through just now, and am really enjoying the read. The writing is honest and lacks any of the bombast that you might expect, given his public persona. I’ll share some of my favourite passages next week. Here’s some of the online chatter:

“NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • Bono—artist, activist, and the lead singer of Irish rock band U2—has written a memoir: honest and irreverent, intimate and profound, Surrender is the story of the remarkable life he’s lived, the challenges he’s faced, and the friends and family who have shaped and sustained him. • A VOGUE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

“A brilliant, very funny, very revealing autobiography-through-music. Maybe the best book ever written about being a rockstar.” —Caitlin Moran, award-winning journalist

“When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I’d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life. Surrender is a word freighted with meaning for me. Growing up in Ireland in the seventies with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept. A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender is the story of one pilgrim’s lack of progress … With a fair amount of fun along the way.” —Bono

As one of the music world’s most iconic artists and the cofounder of the organizations ONE and (RED), Bono’s career has been written about extensively. But in Surrender, it’s Bono who picks up the pen, writing for the first time about his remarkable life and those he has shared it with. In his unique voice, Bono takes us from his early days growing up in Dublin, including the sudden loss of his mother when he was fourteen, to U2’s unlikely journey to become one of the world’s most influential rock bands, to his more than twenty years of activism dedicated to the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. Writing with candor, self-reflection, and humor, Bono opens the aperture on his life—and the family, friends, and faith that have sustained, challenged, and shaped him.

Surrender’s subtitle, 40 Songs, One Story, is a nod to the book’s forty chapters, which are each named after a U2 song. Bono has also created forty original drawings for Surrender, which appear throughout the book.”

I didn’t save off any new songs this week – that’s a first. Not sure why. Here’s a classic that was in the soundtrack to a movie I was watching, can’t remember which one:

The wonderful guitarist, Julian Lage, has a new album out with a lot of very varied content:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

Week in Review – January 26, 2025

“So Much Snow!”

New Orleans experienced the most snow since 1895, with almost ten inches falling on Tuesday into Wednesday. We spent the week in Pacifica and missed all the fun. Our friends and neighbors kept us updated with photos of the house, front steps and car.

Our neighbour, Auggie, had a great time in the snow:

He was kind enough to shovel our steps, so that “his friends won’t fall.”

Here are a couple of landmarks that haven’t seen snow in a while:

Auggie made a snowman with the snow that was left in our yard on Thursday morning:

This is all that was left of it this morning when Anne went by to empty our fridge:

It is amazing how much the city completely shuts down with snow and ice. They really don’t have any equipment at all to deal with it. I10, the main East/West Interstate that runs through New Orleans, was closed until Friday.

From Your Orthodontist

Greetings One and All!

Although most of you know that I consider Gottsegen Orthodontics to be the Waffle House of tooth shoppes, whereupon conditions must be essentially catastrophic for us to close down on a normal business day, we are forced to do so from time to time. Major hurricane? Check. Global pandemic? Sure. Unexplained, random, never-apologized-for Entergy outage? You betcha. But a blizzard? That actually might stick for a few days?? In New Orleans??? Come on, Man.

However bizarre these circumstances might be, the talking heads have assured us that, yes, this is going to happen, and it looks like mid-day Tuesday is showtime. What they can’t tell us with accuracy yet is how much snow to expect on the Southshore, when its actually going to start, and how long it’s going to be a problem for.

Here’s my current thought process: Tomorrow, Monday, will be business as usual. Cold but dry. So if you have an appointment with us in Metairie, please come as scheduled – we’ll be there from 1-5.

Tuesday will be closed. I’d love to be open in the morning, but there’s too much uncertainty around the timing of things and I don’t want to leave any of you nor our staff having to drive in precarious conditions. That said, I live near the Uptown office and will be available to handle any issues or emergencies any of you might be experiencing if you can get to me – I can walk there if needed. And my staff will start calling all of you with Tuesday appointments tomorrow to reschedule you. Please understand that our schedule is tight as usual and we’ll get you in as soon as we can but it’s going to require some flexibility on all of our parts – we’ll likely work through lunch some days to catch up but it might be a couple of weeks before we can fit you in somewhere convenient to you. Please be kind to our scheduling team – none of this is their fault.

The rest of the week is still up in the air. Depending on temperatures and how much snowfall we actually see, we’ll determine Wednesday morning about how we handle Wednesday afternoon – and I’ll email you all with updates as we get them, so please check your Inbox periodically. I’m operating on the assumption that Thursday will be fine and running at full steam but again, the situation is fluid.

If any of you need to speak to me directly or have a clinical issue that requires immediate attention, please send a text to either 504-895-4841 or 504-454-6272 – it’ll come right to my cellphone and I’ll respond to you as quickly as possible. This does not include questions about rescheduling – my front office staff will be handling all of that tomorrow and whenever we’re able to get back to the office, so please don’t ask me when we can move you to because I honestly don’t iknow!

So wrap dem pipes, bundle yourselves up, put sweaters on your dogs and let’s all make the most of what will certainly be a couple of rare, beautiful days in the Deep South! Thanks for understanding – I hate having to do this as much as you do!

Yours truly,

Brad Gottsegen

A big thanks to Kenny and Kara for making sure our house was prepped for the storm. Water shut off, pipes drained, and food delivery stowed in the freezer – thanks guys!

Clorinda came home from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon, after a two week stay. She is very happy to be home to her normal surroundings and pretty views. A lot of work for Diana, with me providing “hoisting services” every few hours.

I snuck out for a while on Thursday and met Will and Ollie for lunch in Redwood City. Will chose Mazra, a Mediterranean and tapas restaurant. We started with yummy cauliflower:

And then Will ordered what Marco described as “dinner for four.” We had plenty of leftovers.

The rest of the week has been a consistent routine of making Clorinda as comfortable as possible. She always brightens up when the grandkids visit. Francesca thought it was fun to steal my phone and make a video that I didn’t see until the next morning. Always up to something.

With a bit of extra time on my hands, and no buddies to hang out with, I was able to watch a few movies that I really enjoyed.

“A Real Pain” was a very good story about two buddies (Jessie Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) on a guided tour of Poland. I was trying to figure out who the lady on the tour was – looked very familiar. Had to look it up to find it was Jennifer Gray of “Dirty Dancing” fame.

“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” was the next movie I enjoyed. It’s a quiet movie about a bookseller on a remote North Eastern island. Recommended.

The last movie that I’ll share was “The Fundamentals of Caring.” Paul Rudd is a caregiver for a disabled child. Highly recommended.

I finished “Martyr” by Kaveh Akbar this week. All these great reviews had me excited for the read:

“NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW’S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • ATIME MUST-READ BOOK OF THE YEAR • A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. Electrifying, funny, and wholly original, Martyr! heralds the arrival of an essential new voice in contemporary fiction.

“Kaveh Akbar is one of my favorite writers. Ever.” —Tommy Orange, Pulitzer Prize–nominated author of There There.”

I found the first 280 pages to be a real slog for me. The last 50 or so pages brought a lot of things together and made for an enjoyable conclusion. I would recommend skipping this one.

I came across these speakers this week and thought the design was very cool. Further research showed they cost $250K – what?

We’re always excited when the Jazzfest schedule is published.

Nobody earth shattering but several good options – particularly further down in the lineup.

King Crimson released a bunch of live shows this week. The setup with the three drummers up front is very enjoyable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGJStoFB6qU

Garth Hudson of The Band died this week. He was the last living member, and the genius musician behind a lot of the arrangements. Robbie Robertson used to take music lessons from him when the band was first forming.

Here’s one of their songs that features his organ and keyboard skills:

Something from New Orleans pianist, Kyle Roussel:

Coexist peacefully, with patience and kindness for all!

Week in Review – January 19th, 2025

“Back to Pacifica, CA”

On Monday, we walked to Walgreens to drop off a Kate Spade FedEX return. I bought Diana an iPhone bracelet for Christmas and it’s the wrong size. I got quite confused and called Kendra Scott to ask about it, prior to realizing that the bracelet was actually from Kate Spade. I even tried to visit the Kendra Scott store for help, before realizing I had made the same mistake twice.

After the walk, we drove over to Frenchy’s gallery on Oak Street to look at a painting that he did of Jon Batiste at Jazzfest last year. We had a very nice visit with Frenchy, just back from the Big Easy music cruise. He told us stories and showed the paintings he made on the cruise. I liked the Marcia Ball one, and he also had a great one of Keb Mo.

We liked the Jon Batiste painting very much – it captures the show that we saw at Jazzfest very well. It is now hanging on the wall behind my piano.

Frenchy said he snuck Tab Benoit in as the middle marching Jazzfest guy.

Here’s some biographical information on Frenchy:

“Born to a boxer and a saint on August 16th, 1970, in Lowell, MA, Randy Leo Frechette – a.k.a Frenchy – has been drawing since he could grip a pencil.

In grade school he impressed friends with caricatures, but he realized his true calling when The Boston Horns persuaded him to paint their Orlando performance LIVE. Since that day, Frenchy’s presence has filled venues around the globe with an explosion of creative spirit.

New Orleans has been his home, and his muse, since 1997, where the eclectic street and music scene continuously inspire his creative expression. Immersed into the sights and sounds of New Orleans, he could be found in music clubs such as the Maple Leaf Bar almost any night, mastering his “acousti-optics” with musical legends such as the Grammy Award-winning ReBirth Brass Band and more.”

I really enjoy seeing the painting each time I come in the front door.

We dropped “Table for Two” by Amor Towles off to Kenny after Frenchy. After that I tried Mint for a Vietnamese lunch – closed on Monday. Val’s Oaxacan Mexican was our backup. Delicious – mushroom queso fundido and an empanada for me, very unique and creative nachos for Diana.

Julia dropped off these pretty tulips as a get well from back surgery gift:

Clorinda was admitted to the hospital again, and so we flew to San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon. We spent the majority of the rest of the week shuttling back and forward to Mills Peninsula hospital to spend time with her. The NFL playoffs provided a little bit of distraction:

Alicia shared the annual report from her work with us. She had a big part to play in the content and layout, with particular attention on the Director’s message. Communivercity seems like a wonderful organization that brings together Community, University (San Jose State), and City in partnership to solve problems and encourage our youth.

It’s nice to see Alicia so happy and rewarded by such a worthwhile job.

My sister Elspeth’s birthday was on Sunday. I enjoyed telling her that it was also:

My first book this week was “Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and 500 Miles across Spain,” by Andrew McCarthy:

“Andrew Thomas McCarthy is an American actor, travel writer, and television director. He is most known as a member of the Brat Pack, with roles in 1980s films such as St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Mannequin, and Weekend at Bernie’s. He is ranked No. 40 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Teen Stars of all-time list.”

The book had me remembering a wonderful movie, “The Way”, where Martin Sheen walks the Camino de Santiago with his son filming and directing. A great movie, and this is a pretty good book. A quick and enjoyable read.

McCarthy’s son takes a while to settle in to the routine of the walk and to feel comfortable opening up to his dad:

“Then—I’m not sure exactly how—the topic turns to school. “School lowered what I perceived I’m capable of,” Sam says. “It did me more harm than good.” There is suddenly real emotion in his voice, real hurt. This is not fresh hurt, like the hurt he has been working through regarding The Ex, but a more saturated hurt. A hurt he has carried for years, for most of his life. It is the hurt born of lazy definition and judgment thrown heavily upon him like a wet overcoat. A hurt that blindsided him, then threatened to define him. His is the hurt of someone who was misunderstood and dismissed out of hand, before he had a chance to define his own experience. It is a hurt that, for a time, came closer to swallowing my son than I knew. It is a hurt with calcified edges.”

A fellow walker comments on the father-son relationship of the McCarthys:

“James nods. We sit. “I want to thank you,” he says softly. “For what?” “For showing me what a father-son relationship can be.” I wave the remark away. “You don’t see us when I’m trying to get him out of bed, or when I’m tired, or when he’s hungry, or, or, or…” “Just accept the love.” James smiles, throwing my words back at me. “I’ve wanted to walk this with my son… so thank you.” I sit with his remark. “You two talk about a lot, don’t you?” he begins again.”

McCarthy really opens up to his son:

“I went to my dad while he was dying, after years of estrangement. His eyes betrayed him, his terror. I took his cool, now lizard-like, hand in mine. I wanted to let go but didn’t. I sat with him. I apologized for not being the son he had wanted. I loved him. When we were beyond words, we released our past—let it fall to rot on the ground where it belonged. More than a vestige of love remained. I had gone to my father selfishly—and it must be said, at my wife’s urging. I did so that I might be a better father to my own children. The gifts children bear us are complex. Sam hurries to catch up. “Wow, Dad.” “I’m sorry, Sam. I shouldn’t have spoken like that.” I shake my head. “I’ve learned nothing.” “No, you were right.” “That doesn’t matter.” We walk. “Dad?” “Yeah?” “Your Spanish has gotten really good.””

As the duo approaches the end of the 500 mile trek, they are joined by many more walkers who are just doing the final section and haven’t endured the full experience:

“Older couples march with determination. Teens whoop and holler. Long-haul pilgrims stride with confidence. Gone is any resentment over newbies or interlopers to the trail. “All these people,” Sam says, “this is so cool.” He begins to sing Bruce Springsteen’s “The Promised Land,” loudly. Mister I ain’t a boy, no I’m a man And I believe in a promised land.”

On completion of the 500 miles:

“We order Coke and coffee. I go into the bathroom and, as the door locks behind me, I’m surprised by a burst of sobs. Relief, sadness, joy, somehow disappointment, confusion, exhaustion, exhilaration, comingle—the awful truth of the sweetness of life throbs in an unguarded mix of emotions.”

I’m about halfway through my second book, “Martyr” by Kaveh Akbar.

Here are some online reviews:

“Kaveh Akbar is one of my favorite writers. Ever.” —Tommy Orange, Pulitzer Prize–nominated author of There There

“The best novel you’ll ever read about the joy of language, addiction, displacement, martyrdom, belonging, homesickness.” —Lauren Groff, best-selling author of Matrix and Fates and Furies

Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.”

I have mixed feelings about the book so far – hasn’t really sucked me in too well. Hoping for a pick up in the second half.

The New Orleans Jazzfest 2025 lineup was announced this week, and it includes the jamband Goose. I heard a great set from them on my friend Matt’s Houston radio show a few weeks ago. I’ve been doing some listening, and am not sure I love them – a bit too much sameness to the guitar noodling. What do you think?

And yes, I’m having trouble embedding Spotify links over the last two weeks – always upgrading and breaking things. After an hour or so of putzing around, I think it’s fixed:

Open in Spotify

I do like this Goose song quite a bit:

Open in Spotify

And finally, something from the latest Chuck Prophet album. We were supposed to go and see him at Chickie Wah Wah on Thursday night, but will have to wait on the next tour now:

Open in Spotify

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!