LouieB

I meet folks like that all the time. In fact teachers (and others) should be retiring and let others take their jobs (despite the issues you include in your post) because there are entirely too many younger workers who aren't working at all. All this stuff about who deserves or doesn't deserve tenure is just one more smokescreen (as is complaining about paying in when you won't get anything or not driving on roads you haven't paid for etc.) for people's refusal to deal with the need for everyone to kick into the general welfare. Those who are now at the beginning of their work life are g

There are so many wonderful clean reissues of material from the 78 era that converting 78s to digital seems like a waste of time (although a great trip down memory lane for gogo's dad.) We are way off topic now, but listening to old 78s can be a very frustrating experience because folks rarely took very good care of them. In those days folks had far less money and far fewer records and they played them over and over and over and left them in stacks and stuff. But damn if those old things aren't cool as shit. Just having an appropriate turntable that can be dedicated to 78s would be fun. Lik

It wasn't so long ago that there was going to be a teacher shortage. Of course we also heard that there were going to be shortages in all sorts of professions and trades. The day will come when there will be shortages again, but I have not heard anyone make any prediction on that. LouieB

That would be groovy!!! LouieB

Yea, it looks like Audio Technica has some 78 cred. A quick search - it seems like Crosley is trying to corner the market on this. 45 is still pretty fast. Changing needles for 78s is a pretty good idea. I have wrecked needles on beat up LPs, not to mention 78s. LouieB

I am not an expert on new turntables (or really old ones for that matter), but high end new ones may have 78 speeds, but I would think that most do not. Playing old 78s (and really except for Elvis Costello and the Beach Boys who has made new ones lately) on any turntable with a hifi needle on it, is a risky proposition. Old 78s have wide grooves and often lots of scratches and dings on them and really they should be played on turntables that are made for that type of record only. Having said that I have played them on the turntable I do have that has 78 on it and I constantly worry I am goin

78 RPM single? Really? Most turntables don't have 78 anymoe and haven't for about 40 years. Record day is fun enough. Plenty of merch is available after the fact. We all know now that plenty of Kicking Televisions are STILL available for this record store day. I have also seen the Neko Case clear LP as well. I think this is fun. Bloodshot has an record coming out of the 15th Anniversary show material. LouieB

That would be groovy!! Lou

Thanks for the link on this!! I heard him on Democracy Now yesterday. He has done some interesting reporting from what I heard yesterday. " Some will rob you with a six gun, some with a fountain pen." LouieB

Go Rahm!!! Thank goodness we don't have to watch all those stupid campaign ads anymore. LouieB

Congrats to Rahm!!! I hope he does a good job. I am perfectly happy with him becoming Mayor despite voting for someone else. I would assume Wilco is going to play the Inauguration. Wilco is now the offically Chicago's top rock group (even more so..!!) LouieB

Okay so you don't need unions to be protected, yet before there were strong unions people worked longer than 40 hours a week, children worked dangerous jobs, people were discrimiated against for trying to make things better (and for no reason other than their race, gender, or other factors). Those who think unions are a thing of the past and that they should be sent to the dustbin of history need to read some history. The rest of the folks here, well I guess you can go ahead and work until you die, without any pension, workers comp, government agencies that try and protect workers health and

I have always liked the debut and some of their subsequent albums. The Terre and Maggie album from before Suzzy joined them is excellent if you can find an old vinyl copy (not sure if it was reissued or not.) They are an interesting group, maybe somewhat of an aquired taste, much in the mold of the McGarrigles. It is not hard to find their old LPs in used record stores. There is even a Christmas album as I recall. I don't know anything about this album at all. They don't put out bad albums in my opinion, but their debut is a classic. LouieB

This is very sad. Scott Walker is at least being up front about his desire to bust the union. That is refreshing, in a very sick way. What is sad is that as soon as te public unions are busted, the right wing is going to go after what is left of the trade and industrial unions. At this point the public employee unions are the largest part of those currently in unions so busting the rest is going to be easy. After nearly 40 years of concerted effort to gut US workers of their rights, the powers that be are on the verge of actually accomplishing this. So long middle class. LouieB

Hound Dog Taylor. LouieB

They are closing 15 Chicago stores which is just about everyone (maybe everyone) except for the one at Michigan and Randolph. More jobs out the window, which is sad. I think they slightly oversaturated the market in Chicago. There were four on the northside alone. I think it was more than the market could bear. Meanwhile people didn't need that much coffee either. LouieB

This is also going on in Ohio and Indiana and perhaps several other places that have not yet gotten the publicity that Wisconsin has. When you consider that the concessions have already been agreed to, then all that is left is busting the unions for good. LouieB

Instead of trying to destroy the collective bargaining rights of workers, go back to the bargaining table and make the case that pensions and benefits need to be restructured. That's what is SUPPOSED to happen. LouieB

Yea, the unions are not that happy with Obama at all. Generally speaking union issues ARE a federal issue, that is why we have the NLRB and the mediation service, both of which are federal and include libraries of federal labor law. Public employees are subject to state regulation. But philosophy over a group of workers right to organize and collectively bargain ultimately does come under the federal juristiction. (Oh yea..slaverly...that was all about states rights too...I guess some states would want that back also if they could.) LouieB

Just a bit touchy...I was making a general comment about the situation, not talking specifically about you at all. LouieB

Seems like a no brainer doesn't it? But then again most folks here would rather sit around their computers and smart phones and bitch about stuff, left and right. One thing the Egyptians have on us is they actually understand the power of actually showing up. Most Americans can't even be bothered to show up and vote. Edit - Thanks Sparky..bjorn.whomever you all are. I guess one thing some pundits are right about; the younger generation is certainly going to be the first generation ever to have a lower standard of living than their parents. If you don't want pensions or good jobs wh

Pensions are outdated? Wow, okay..I guess I had better retire and collect the one I have been paying into for the past 20 years before it goes belly up. What are all you youngsters going to live on when you retire? Considering there probably won't be any Social Security either, I guess some of you are going to working until you die; just like they did a hundred years ago. That's progress. And one more time, just for the record. I was laid off from a Union job back in my youth. This was a local I worked for. Also I was RIFed under my current union job and because of my seniority (a unio

Sadly unions are an easy target because everyone interfaces with govenment employees on a daily basis, whether it is at schools, the DMV, the courts, the library or some other government agency. Meanwhile, as you point out, the corporations, who are faceless and sometimes nameless, can get away with paying less than their fair share and really no one cares, because isn't that what capitalism is about. But regular old workers? Nah, we have to shoulder the burden for all of government's problems. LouieB

Ah, I get to work at home today..yeah!! LouieB

I also saw her open for JTE in Chicago. As described she is very pleasant and sounds remarkably like Neko Case, but performs without her clever between song banter. I have nothing bad to say about her, but I also found her remarkably neutral in most ways. She is good in the same way many other female vocalists are good, singing mid tempo songs about relationships and such. Her band was good, but also not that exciting. I have not heard her records. I doubt I will either. I thought the Chicago audience was somewhat rude to her, but then I think lots and lots of loud talking during openi