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Kate Smith sings again
Scott Marks, as a person with such esoteric taste in film that many card-carrying movie lovers can't keep up with your references, I would think you'd appreciate my point of view here. Kate Smith and her songs were a living schlock package -- not even counting her pre-Madmen era politics -- and to have somebody imitating her at an Opera benefit would be funny were it not so Totally San Diego. Generous music reviewer Garrett Harris, it was never Ian Campbell's job to develop an "approach" 'that would "create broad appeal" for "legitimate" opera. That task was the Opera board's and the City/County mothers. They failed. Campbell is an artist who for many years brought a complicated and expensive art form to an apogee of beauty -- story-telling with voices, musicians, dancers, costumes and stage sets. Costs ran the organization into the ground. Campbell deserved every penny. Now he's gone. So RIP "legitimate" opera, which IS obsolete apparently, and hello Kate Smith clones (bad), arts-free public schools (bad), YouTube (a little goes a long way), and reality TV (execrable.) At least somebody ought to sue to salvage San Diego Opera's hollowed-out good name.— December 13, 2014 3:35 p.m.
SeaWorld president out; stock rises
I am reminded by Twister's comment of very long-ago Cambridge, MA, where there was a legendary bar/restaurant named Cronin's that actually had whale on the menu. It wasn't orca, either.— December 13, 2014 2:37 p.m.
Hillary’s burgeoning Bersin bump
Headline Incomprehensible. Story Excellent. DC Harvard Club Invitation Hilarious. Who knew distinguished Crimson alumni were "living in the DMV?" Also, no indication that Little Big Man Democrat Bersin worked as appointed "Secretary of Education of California" for now-disgraced GOP Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger?— December 13, 2014 9:59 a.m.
Lawsuits attack Bridgepoint's automatic dialing pitches
You did mention it, Don, I read it here, looking at past stories about Bridgepoint. Layer upon layers of ownership, complicity in management of questionable enterprises and a smoothly revolving door between government service and private corporations confound the person who seeks to understand the way capitalism works.— December 12, 2014 12:20 a.m.
SeaWorld president out; stock rises
Thank heaven you can say again that SeaWorld "shines and stinks like a mackerel in moonlight" without embarrassment.That's the best analogy I've read in a long time -- and it can be applied to many other fishy local financial enterprises besides. We also appreciate your clever marine headlines on recent SeaWorld stories listed above.— December 12, 2014 12:06 a.m.
Rubber chicken master assumes city hall throne
Sherri Lightner's ordinary-citizen constituents wish she were as responsive to their calls and concerns as she seems to have been to the deep-pockets guys, but these days all Dems seem to bend over for the big boys just the same as the Reps. In this, Dem Lightner merely follows the example of flamboyant aging whippersnapper Dem Todd Gloria.— December 11, 2014 11:43 p.m.
Latino Film Festival finds a new home in Fashion Valley
Like, Scott, does Ultra-Star still show first-run films or just festivals? Moving the LFF should be a blow, no? But it's a good idea to make Latino films accessible in the Fashion Valley Mall where there are lots more of all kinds of people, including Spanish-speakers.— December 11, 2014 11:32 p.m.
Lawsuits attack Bridgepoint's automatic dialing pitches
Better late than never: I just now learned that Tim Geithner, former Secretary of the Treasury during and after the 2007-08 meltdown and Great Recession, heads the private equity firm that is 63% owner of scam "education"provider Bridgepoint. I'm not "Casablanca" shocked, shocked: I truly am stunned and depressed by this year-old news.— December 11, 2014 2:23 p.m.
Everybody wants a seat in La Jolla
AlexClark is a funny guy. Truer words.... HonestGov obviously doesn't read the excellent work of LaJolla Light reporter Pat Sherman who makes the crooked straight and the rough places plain in his coverage of the Jewel's myriad community groups with juice and pompous planning committees and subgroups. And BSP should know that marine mammal colonization of La Jolla's beaches will long precede destruction by rising tides. Mitt Romney's house and garage-elevator are safe for the time being.— December 11, 2014 12:35 p.m.
Kate Smith sings again
You are a sweetheart, Garrett Harris, to take such a benign view of somebody impersonating Kate Smith (!) and singing WW II-era songs that were then billed as "opera." Or maybe it was opera support. Whatever it was, it's exactly why I was sorry that Ian Campbell quit America's Finest City. I dreaded the broad-appeal schlock that would replace him and his handiwork. Or maybe it was masterwork. Sic transit gloria.— December 8, 2014 11:07 p.m.