Les Jones

Book party

Saturday, September 26th, 2009 | Home Life | Permalink | No Comments |

Natalie is three. She can’t read yet, but she likes playing book party.

This morning when I woke up she pulled two books off the shelf for her. “Daddy, this is my book. It’s called, uh, Letters. And this book is mine. It’s called, uh, Cousin Bunnies.”

She gave me my novel off of the nightstand and told me I could read it. It was called Ghost Brigades, but I decided I needed to make up a name for it, so I said “My book is called, uh, Bob Dylan … Flies to the Moon … to Fight Ninjas.”

Tags: bob dylan

Dylan sings Christmas

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 | Holidays | Permalink | No Comments |

His Christmas album could be under your tree this year.

One of my guilty pleasures is Christmas albums by pop stars - Aaron Neville, The Beach Boys, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Liberace, Elvis, Frank Sinatra…

Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album is extremely well done and not at all campy. So is Aaron Neville’s. Those guys can sing, with Sinatra more formal and Neville more soulful. I like both as low-key background music on Christmas Eve.

Elvis has a few camp moments, but the guy really could sing and he has great production. He’s also the only performer here with original Christmas songs that became standards.

Liberace defines camp, but after buying his Christmas album in the bargain bin I’m amazed at how much I like his piano and string arrangements.

Tags: bob dylan

Bob Dylan, meet Barack Obama

Thursday, June 18th, 2009 | A&E | Permalink | 1 Comment |

PETA wishes Obama hadn’t swatted that fly:

During an interview for CNBC at the White House on Tuesday, a fly intruded on Obama’s conversation with correspondent John Harwood.

“Get out of here,” the president told the pesky insect. When it didn’t, he waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked it dead.

“Now, where were we?” Obama asked Harwood. Then he added: “That was pretty impressive, wasn’t it? I got the sucker.”

Bob Dylan’s “Tombstone Blues”‘:

Well, John the Baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, “Tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in?”

The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly
Saying, “Death to all those who would whimper and cry”
And dropping a bar bell he points to the sky
Saying, “The sun’s not yellow it’s chicken”

Tags: bob dylan