You Better Believe It's On My Christmas List

All of us Bruce Springsteen fans are just giddy about the newly packaged Born To Run CD. The accompanying DVD is the selling point. The reviews point to the great in studio footage of Bruce and company laboring over what might be their last chance with Colombia Records.

Here's a link to a wonderfully candid interview Bruce did with Terry Gross a couple of weeks ago.

The Perfect Christmas CD

Remember everyone, now that Thanksgiving is past and we all look forward to all things Christmas, here is the CD we must all be listening to as we put up and decorate our trees.

Vince Guaraldi Trio A Charlie Brown Christmas

You're welcome.

Skyline Chili Comes To Murfreesboro

On November 26, 2005, I brought a little bit of Cincinnati cuisine to Chéz Béz South. Surprisingly, it resembled the Cincy restaurant taste closer than I had anticipated. It lacked certain spices and I found my cupboard bare of the ever important Oyster crackers, but all in all, it got the seal of approval from my Georgia-Florida raised bride. As evidenced by the attached pictures, I was quite happy with it as well.

Now I have this urge to walk around the Clifton-Ludlow area of Cincinnati. How 'bout them Bengals?

(click the pics to enlarge)

Fairfield Four, Now There Are Only Four

The sad news waiting for me this morning is that Wilson 'Lit' Waters Jr. of the Fairfield Four has died of cancer. I had the pleasure of hearing the Fairfield Four open for Lyle Lovett at TPAC some several years ago. I remember them getting a kick out of introducing themselves as the Fairfield Four, pausing a second, and then assuring the crowd that there were indeed five of them on stage. "Nothing's wrong with your eyes", one would say. "There are five of us."

Go here to read their very interesting biography, and here to read the news of the passing of Wilson 'Lit' Waters Jr.

Delbert McClinton, Bringing His Great Music To 3rd

Just a quick heads up.

12/11/05

Nashville Sunday Night
Delbert McClinton (special holiday show)
8:00PM @ 3rd & Lindsley

Go to the show or at least listen to it on WRLT.com

Chris Whitley 1960-2005

Words from his daughter and his brother:

Trixie Whitley:
My father took his last breath last nightthe 20th of November. I would like to make it clearthat the people he needed and loved the most were with him while and when he left in peace. Those were Dan, Susanne, me and Chorinne. I would also like to ask you guys to understand there is a very fine line between Chris Whitley the legendary musician and Chris Whitley the Father, Brother, and Lover.

This was my Dad's favorite line from the first song I ever wrote,this is for you Daddy: "Like the feather we blow away, in the thoughtlessness of words others say."

All faith and peace,
Trixie Whitley

Dan Whitley:
I just wanted to add Chris passed over surrounded by lots of love. The time we spent with Chris in these last days were something I'll never forget and these woman whom I shared Chris's last moments with were just amazing. Susann Buerger who was by his side nonstop (Chris planned to marry Susanne) held him in his arms the moment he passed in absolute and total peace, the reason I mentioned this is I always felt being held by someone you love while you passed over was a truly special thing. Trixie my niece is one of the strongest young woman I have ever met and Chris was always so proud of her whenever we spoke, Im also incredibly proud to be her uncle and love her beyond words. Chorinne gave her home to Chris and the rest of us in this time of need and didnt stop taking care of things that needed to be taken care of the entire time, she gave us all a sanctuary to take care of Chris in and went way out of her way to help from the beginning and is still helping. Me, I pretty much just cried my ass off when I wasn't helping Susanne with Chris....still crying.I hope you all will morn my brothers death but more important celebrate his life as Chris was all about life and living... I started the celebration by crankingup Dirt floor in his honor...crying still.

Chris Whitley's Legacy will no doubt transcend all time.

Love and Light,
Daniel

Chris Whitley, Dying Of Lung Cancer

Back on April 11, 1992, my dad, my friend Boxset, and I drove up to Cincinnati. Boxset and I attended a show while we were there. At the legendary Bogart's on Vine Street, blues phenom Chris Whitley played a show with Toad The Wet Sprocket opening for him. Working at Turtle's Records at the time, I was very familiar with Chris Whitley. I had listened to his debut album, Living With The Law, over and over, loving the sound of that National Steel guitar coupled with that voice that resonated with all parts pain, desperation, and hope.

With that love for the music he created, Boxset and I were giddy to catch the show. It was our first and only time to catch a show at Bogart's, but I still feel that I was at a very important club in the history of music. The floor filled up quickly and so we went to the upstairs balcony where there were tables set up overlooking the stage. Each table was covered by glass and between the glass and the wood were ticket stubs from so many of the bands and artists who had played there over the years. The one that I remember was not a ticket but a reference to the rehearsal show that Prince had performed before going out on his Purple Rain tour. Boxset and I sat through the Toad show, and watched as hundreds of Toad fans below bounced up and down with a youthful exuberance that made us laugh.

After Toad finished their opening set though, we were dismayed at what we saw. Those hundreds of music lovers filed out of the venue. They were happy and they were sated. But they had no idea what they were about to miss. Boxset and I watched what was a soldout hall become a sparse crowd at best waiting to hear Chris Whitley play his music for us. And sure enough, here came Chris onstage, playing and singing and emoting with a feral ferocity only found in the rarest of earthly moments.

Boxset and I looked at each other and one of us exclaimed that the poor bastards who had left had done themselves a serious disservice. After all, they could have been within five feet of this masterful musician. And then the other one of us decided that the foolish ones were we, sitting far away and high in this balcony, when we now had the opportunity to be within five feet of this creator of sonic and aural knockout punches.

And with that, we were soon down in front, looking up at that National Steel guitar, reflecting stage lights and blinding us temporarily of sight and context. We were owned by the music.

A decade or so passed and I saw Chris Whitley again at 3rd & Lindsley on April 28, 2002, in my hometown of Nashville. This time he was without a band. It was just he and that famous guitar and some kind of kick drum pedal thing at his feet. And, as before, he was phenomenal. I remember thinking how lucky the world was to have an artist like this to listen to. We had already lost two other brilliant guitarists and tortured souls in recent years, Danny Gatton and John Campbell. But here was Chris Whitley before my eyes and for my ears, the last man standing if you will.

Tonight, I read this:

Chris Whitley dying of lung cancer

NEW YORK, Nov. 21 (UPI) --
Singer/songwriter Chris Whitley is reportedly dying of lung cancer.

On Whitley's official message board, his brother Dan said the recording artist is
receiving home hospice care in New York as he lives out his final days, Billboard.com reported Monday.

"As I type this Chris is resting peacefully and is in little physical pain," Dan Whitley posted. "At one point today he grabbed my hand firmly as I spoke to him, looked at me and smiled his usual knowing smile but that is all and that was quite enough."

Whitley canceled his fall tour dates in October citing illness, but did not give any
further details. His latest album "Reiter In," is due in mid-December on
vinyl and will appear on CD sometime next year.

Billboard said Whitley was a heavy smoker.

I Don't Wanna Work...

...I just wanna bang on my blog all day.

That said, I must go to work. Carry luggage, shuttle people around, smile for ten hours, that kind of stuff.

My friend at Phonoluxe is holding two Tom Waits CDs for me. I'll pick them up tomorrow and I'll be buying shoes, too. So, tomorrow is a day of aural and ambulatory improvements. My ears and feet will be happy.

How you doin'?

Papa's Got A Brand New Bag

My pop starts a new gig tomorrow. A teacher since July 15, 1971, he starts a new chapter, this time in the world of business.

And to this bold new direction, I offer him these words of wisdom (taken from Steve Martin's The Jerk).

• Lord loves a workin' man.
• Don't trust whitey.
• See a doctor and get rid of it.

Now go make some money!

Beziats In The News

Discovery Cove's first baby sloth, born Sept. 4, 2005, drinks from a bottle administered by trainer Marette Beziat, on Monday, Oct. 17, 2005, in Orlando, Fla. The female sloth, named "Ellie," was born to Mom Star and Father Lucky, both 6 years old and residents of Discovery Cove at SeaWorld.
AP Photo/SeaWorld/Discovery Cove, Richmond Gibbs

New Monk And Coltrane, Unearthed

Here's the NPR review.

On The New Nina Simone Anthology

Click here for a review by David Was.

Encore

My pop, writing about memorable Nashville concerts from the '60s and '70s.

Click here for the Nashville Scene article from 2004.

HNT - Poor Man's Palm Pilot

As a hotel bellman, I go to many rooms over the course of a day and I must document each room I go to. It seems though that I often lose paper. And thus, I write on my hand to transcribe the info to paper at the end of my shift.

Happy HNT to all.

John Cusack, Talking Politics

Thanks to Mel's Diner for showing me the link. John Cusack, one of the good guys, writes his views on the Dems and why they need to make some noise. And he did so at Huffington Post, a daily stop for me.

A friend from work recently shared with me the buzz about how Bush might actually be facing impeachment. Whether I be a cynic or a realist, I wasn't excited about that possibility at all. All that meant to me was that a puppet would be removed from office and Cheney and his boys would be even more at the helm than ever before.

I'd love to see a centrist with a good heart get the votes next time around. I wish C-SPAN was more popular. Imagine a country of individuals with real knowledge of all goings on in the Senate and Congress, not waiting to hear the spin from their favorite partisan radio talk show host. I love football and life's other entertaining distractions, but I'd rather imagine the same passion going into understanding the motivations for our elected leaders' choices while in office.

Instead, we keep on rooting for the home team to score big while the politicians and their friends score bigger with our tax dollars. I'm just as guilty as most. I share my opinions, but I usually just preach to the choir. I have often been taught that silence is golden, but more and more I learn that silence is consent. A lot of wrong is done very often with too much consent.

Bruce Springsteen Interview On Fresh Air Today

Listen and be moved. Tonight at 6:30 on 90.3 WPLN or archived online after 3:00 today at Fresh Air.

Rock 'n roll is a "good place for misfits."

Georgia, Our Bulldog (The Early Years)

She's almost three years old now, but these pics are of her when she was just a puppy. She shares the same bloodline as the famous UGA mascots for the University of Georgia, where my wife attended. And, of course, she is the greatest dog ever. (You can click the pics to enlarge them.)

He Invented The Album Cover

Make 'em sing

Vandy Fans Flagged For Excessive Optimism

The '05 Vandy football season has been both atypical and it has been typical. Their 4-0 start was something so amazing and wild that the New York Times and a lot of other national media were driven to write stories and request interviews with Vandy players and coaches. But that was followed by a five game slide, losing both when expected and when not expected. Ole Miss and Arkansas fell to our 'Dores, but then teams like MTSU and South Carolina came out victors to our Black and Gold.

Even so, at 4-5, with a heartbreaker of a 2 OT Florida loss behind us, we had reason to believe that with upcoming games against a terrible Kentucky team and a beatable UT team, that a bowl game could still be in sight. I met a lot of loyal Kentucky fans who came down to Nashville for the game. I enjoyed making small talk with them and shared my thoughts about the upcoming game with them. I thought that Vandy fans had been taught humility over the years, but these UK fans were the real deal. They would have none of my encouragement. They made the trip down to their lower bunk bed of a state with absolutely no aspirations of seeing a winning effort from their football playing Blue Man Group.

Me: It should be a good game tomorrow.

Them: We don't know about that. You guys should win pretty easily.

Me: Well typically, our games are pretty close, and you know how Vandy is.

Them: Yeah, but your 'Dores are pretty good this year. Heck, you almost beat Florida last week.

Me: Yes, but that's my point. We play up to the big games and down to the small games.

Them: Well, you're still going to beat us pretty easily.

And yet these people made the trip down, got hotel rooms, ate in our restaurants, and were ready to emotionally and financially support this team who had "no chance of winning." But, as my dad says, for UK fans there is basketball season and there is pre-basketball season. They simply enjoy watching their Wildcats play.

Saturday afternoon arrived to reward these loyal, humble travelers. I sat with my dad and my son at this game and watched myself be proven right, and painfully so. Just like that, seemingly mere minutes after kickoff, I watched my Commodores stumble out of the gate to a score of 34-3. How does this happen? We know how it happens. We are Vandy fans. Florida players might be watching this later and they might be asking if this is the same team that took them to 2 overtimes a week earlier. Older, wiser Florida fans won't be surprised though. This is typical Vandy.

Finally, with minutes to go in the 1st half, Vanderbilt came alive and started scoring points. With UK playing a bit softer on defense, we managed to make a game of it. We closed the game with 25 unanswered points and came within 5 points and a failed onside kick of a win. I'll admit that while I resisted to get optimistic about the comeback chances, our team finally got me believing again in the closing minutes of the game. They opened up my heart again, only to whisper into my ear and say, "Hey, at least our academics are exceptional." We lost 48-43.

The win loss record now stands at 4-6, and we are going to UT next week with nothing really on the line. You know what that means. We'll probably handle them soundly. And to the humble UK fans, I say congratulations. You came to support your hapless Wildcats and you got to watch a great win for your efforts. You watched 91 points scored in the thrilla in Nashvilla (that might be a stretch). You watched a game that truly did come down to the wire. Your team won and you were still humble. And because I am a Vandy fan, I understand your humility.

With that humility firmly in place, I say to Jay Cutler, Bobby Johnson, and to the rest of the '05 Commodores, thanks for the 4-0 start, thanks for the close losses, and thanks for the season of fun and excitement. The bowl bid didn't happen, but thanks for letting us believe in the chances so late in the season. There's an accomplishment right there.

And just for fun? Let's beat UT next week.

John Waite Is Playing Where?

John Waite is playing at the Exit/In? Are you kidding me? Isn't this the venue where rock lives? Doesn't John Waite not rock very much at all?

Nothing against him I guess, but "Missing You" is pretty unforgiveable. Oh well, people got to play their music somewhere.

For those who care, the show date is Nov 21.

Me? I'll be home listening to some Fishbone. Enjoy.

Very Interesting Article On The Complete New Yorker

From the Wall Street Journal, thanks to Jilly at Poetry Hut Blog.

TennCare Activists Disrupt Governor's Speech

Read about it at the Tennessee IMC.

On Nashville Public Radio This Weekend

It's all good, always. Here are some highlights from this weekend's schedule. Listen live at WPLN.

Veterans Day
On Nov. 11, 1918, World War I ended. It was the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month. The observance came to be known as Armistice Day. In 1954 President Dwight Eisenhower created the first Veterans Day to honor the men and women who have served the United States in uniform. NPR has gathered a collection of stories reflecting the diversity of those who have served in uniform.


Gershwin Classic Performed Live
Seventy years after its New York City premiere, Gershwin's Great American Opera, Porgy and Bess, comes to us live from the nation's capital. The Washington National Opera brings us all the hits, from "Summertime" straight through to "I'm On My Way," live from the stage of the Kennedy Center Opera House, on the banks of the Potomac in Washington, D.C. NPR's World of Opera host Lisa Simeone and singer Michael Feinstein will co-anchor the program which will include commentary and features that explore the landmark musical's history, the personalities behind it and its social context over the past 70 years.

Tune in Saturday, November 12 at 12:30pm on 90.3 WPLN-FM for the broadcast.
Visit NPR's web site for much more on Porgy and Bess.



Whistle Stop Warren
Every November for the past 18 years, Warren Hannis has donned his conductor's attire for the annual model train exhibit at the Nashville Adventure Science Center. Hannis uses his life-long love of trains to teach the next generation about the locomotive age. Listen and view photos from the report by WPLN's Blake Farmer.



This Week on Nashville Public RadioNovember 11 - 17, 2005 The Fine Print - Sat, noon & Sun, 9am (90.3 WPLN-FM) The Blood of Angels by Reed Arvin
Reed Arvin is used to rave reviews, whether it's for his talents as a musician or his expertise in producing records. But now the hooplah is over his ability to write fiction. His third book, The Blood of Angels, has gotten excellent reviews, and has a special appeal for Nashvillians, since it's set in Music City. In fact, the Downtown Presbyterian Church plays an important role in the legal thriller, and Nashville's ethnically diverse population is key to the plot, also. Reed's protagonist, Thomas Dennehy, is a senior prosecutor for Davidson County who learns he may have sent an innocent man to the death chamber - and it's possible he's prosecuting someone else who is innocent, as well.

Live in Studio C - Tue, 11:06am & again at 8:06pm (90.3 WPLN-FM)Guests to be announced.

Bluegrass Breakdown - Sat, 8pm (90.3 WPLN-FM) "New Old Timers: Reeltime Travelers Live." We'll be spotlighting an infectious blend of the old and the new, bluegrass and old-time fiery brand of music sometimes known as "new old-time" as heard in the music of such groups as the Foghorn String Band, Corn Family, Rockinghams, Crooked Jades, Freight Hoppers and the Reeltime Travelers.


A Prairie Home Companion - Sat, 5pm and Sun, 1pm (90.3 WPLN-FM)
This week a re-broadcast of a great show from the Mississippi Delta city, featuring the 'Soul Queen of New Orleans' Irma Thomas and her band, Jazz heavyweights Butch Thompson, Duke Heitger, Vince Giordano, and Andy Stein sitting in with the Guy's All Star Shoe Band. Also featuring additional performances by Geoff Muldaur and Topsy Chapman.

American Routes - Sat, 9pm (90.3 WPLN-FM) "Club Hopping in New Orleans" Tour local watering holes like the Saturn Bar, Snug Harbor and Donna's Bar and Grill. And talk with singer, pianist and songwriter Mose Allison and rock-n-roller Link Wray.

Marketplace Money - Sat, 8am (1430 WPLN-AM) & 4pm (90.3 WPLN-FM)
Whether you're a seasoned investor or just beginning to plan your financial future, Marketplace Money is the financial advice you can trust.

Speaking of Faith - Sun, 11am (1430 WPLN-AM) "Religious Passion, Pluralism, and the Young" Al-Qaeda appeals powerfully, if destructively, to the need of young people to be important and make a difference in the world, says our guest Eboo Patel; it is the most effective "youth program" in the world today. Eboo Patel is a 30-year-old American Muslim, a former Rhodes Scholar, who is out to change that.

The Splendid Table - Sun, noon (1430 WPLN-AM)& 3pm (90.3 WPLN-FM) This week we look at the art of Chinese cooking reinterpreted for American kitchens with chef Susanna Foo, author of Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration. Jane and Michael Stern are at the White River Fish Market in Tulsa, OK, and wine wit Joshua Wesson deciphers biodynamic wines.

Studio 360 - Sun, 10am (90.3 WPLN-FM)Host Kurt Andersen talks with writer Simon Winchester about how cities recover from disaster. They'll discuss the earthquake and fire that devastated San Francisco in 1906, and how the city rebuilt. And a look at the cultural life of Sarajevo, ten years after the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian War. Also, hear about New Orleans musicians leaving the city -- today, and one hundred years ago, when a race riot changed American music forever.

SymphonyCast - Sun, 8pm (90.3 WPLN-FM)
The venerable conductor and long a Boston favorite, Bernard Haitink, leads an unusual Franco-German program at Symphony Hall, capped by a performance of Franck's Symphonic Variations by pianist Emanuel Ax.

This American Life - Sat, 1pm (1430 WPLN-AM) & Sun, 6pm (90.3 WPLN-FM)
"Settling the Score" The daughter of a Holocaust survivor travels to Poland to meet the family that saved her mother's life. They were still in the building they'd lived in during the war. She expected the kind of warm, nostalgic reunion they make PBS documentaries out of, and feel-good specials on A&E. What she got was very different. The family asked her to make good on a 60-year-old promise.

To the Best of Our Knowledge - Sun, 3pm (1430 WPLN-AM)
"What makes a classic?" Well, for one thing, it's got to have some staying power. The Bob Dylan song, "Like A Rolling Stone," certainly fits the bill. It was recorded forty years ago but it's still considered by many to be the greatest pop single ever made. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, Greil Marcus tells us what makes "Like A Rolling Stone" a classic. Also..."Lolita," "Leaves of Grass" and "Psycho."
"The Inner Voice" The most mysterious musical instrument in the world lives inside your body. Your voice. You can't see it, can't touch, and yet – it expresses all of who you are. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, explore the mysteries of the voice. Hear from soprano Renee Fleming, the Canadian Folk-Rock Trio The Wailin' Jennies, and one of the country's best-known sound therapists.

Whad'Ya Know? - Sat, 10am (90.3 WPLN-FM) & Sun, 6pm (1430 WPLN-AM) A live broadcast from Viterbo University Fine Arts Center in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Guests for the live Whad’Ya Know? broadcast include filmmaker Reuben Steindorf, Houston County Chronicle correspondent and writer Aggie Tippery, author Kenney Salwey, and musical guest Joe Price.

Hey Corey!

That's four posts in one day. (Five now.)

Thanks for reminding me that two days went by with no posts.

No one likes an absentee blogger, that's for sure.

Rock on!

Out Of The "Lost" Loop

I've ignored it enough. I can't avoid it anymore. Absolutely everywhere I go online, people are talking about Lost. I always imagined that it was pretty good, but being a busy guy who works nights I thought I'd just let it run its course and do my own thing. I think that when it first came out, I thought it was a reality show anyway. I've got no love for those. Unless it's The Real World for some unknown reason. I could watch The Real World all day long.

But now political bloggers are writing about having to skip a protest so that they can watch Lost. Sports bloggers are missing big sporting events so that they can watch Lost. Religion bloggers are...OK, I don't read any religion blogs. But don't these people have TiVo? What about VCRs? No one wants to miss a minute of this show, and no one wants to watch it 3 minutes after anyone else.

Maybe this is just season finale stuff going on. But the buzz is deafening. It's even got me writing about it. So my question is, assuming it's too late for me to just start watching it now, after so much has happened, should I be renting DVDs of it? Should I know what this is all about? Or is this just a little pop culture guilty pleasure that folks are escaping to? Sound and fury, signifying nothing?

Let me know. I've got to go.

Born To Run Turns 30

Ice Magazine tells you all about the new reissue.

New Kate Bush? My Day Is Made

It's been twelve years since Kate Bush has released new music. The last CD was The Red Shoes, self produced and a sonic delight. I assumed that she was just done after that. And this morning, I learn that she has a brand new CD. It's called Aerial and I am in love with her all over again.

Give me a few weeks of blissful immersion into this work and I'll be sure to write more about it. So far, I am only two songs into this 2 disc set and I feel that gravity has lessened ever so much. All things are lighter for hearing her. Just hearing her count on "Pi" brings to me images of peace and contentment.

Have a nice day all. This is aural ecstasy for me.

Crouching Tiger, Kneeling Bus

Yep, that would hurt alright.

Hemingway Might've Punched Him

I have lately been reading and loving Ernest Hemingway, Selected Letters. This book has gone everywhere I have gone; I read it with every free minute that I find. In it one will find a scathing letter to Sen. Joe McCarthy, a letter about the day that old Hem checked out F. Scott's manhood for him and gave him a nice critique, and a letter where the writer complains that he wishes he had gone to college because he is unhappy in his current career, something I am known to do.

Last night, I had it with me while I made some shuttle runs from the airport. A well meaning guest saw the book and remarked positively to his friends and to I that I was quite possibly the only shuttle driver in the world who reads Hemingway. He really did mean well and was very kind and very bright (a pharmaceutical scientist). But that really rubbed me wrong. While this is a job which does not require much in the way of formal education, I am sure that there are very many people who work jobs like mine who are avid readers and deep thinkers. Hell, Hem himself was not highly schooled and he did more than just read Hemingway.

So, while I felt that internal twinge at his remark, silently defending those of a different socioeconomic class, a part of me knows that I am lacking important ambition in life to be able to even hear that statement. It's often that guests have asked what my real job was, likely assuming that this was only a part time job for me. Assuming that there is something "better" that I give my time to. Nope, this is it. I read, I write, and I punch a clock. And people who don't even know me are disappointed in my lot in life.

I really need to get my resumé worked up and get busy living. But for tonight, I will really give them something to talk about. Now where's my copy of Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche?

Sony-BMG Wants To Spy On You

A fellow blogger writes about Sony-BMG and how they are using copyright protection software (not a bad thing) that also will spy on your every internet move. They are using something called rootkit; once downloaded, trying to uninstall it will crash your system.

They need not receive any monetary support while practicing this wiretap procedure. Certainly, other companies will follow suit if nobody bothers to complain.

Here's the link to the post.

Quick! What Song Am I Referencing?

Southwest Airlines, Doing The Right Thing

I enjoyed another little detail that I learned while watching the service for Rosa Parks last night. It was noted that Southwest Airlines carried, at no charge, 100 members of the Rosa Parks delegation from Montgomery, Alabama to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Sunday.

What was not publicized but was mentioned at the service was this. The flight was piloted by Lou Freeman, Southwest Airlines' Chicago Chief Pilot, and the first African American Chief Pilot of any domestic airline carrier. How's that for a black man no longer sitting in the back of a bus, thanks to Rosa? Mr. Freeman, you are free to tear up now.

I hope someone interviews him. I'd love to hear his thoughts on that experience.