I’m no longer what most people would call a “young” man (I’m 42), but I can remember discovering the back catalogue of Bob Dylan in 1984, during my first year at Berkeley (in high school, I’d only known the Like A Rolling Stone-stuff; i.e: hits which got played on the radio).

Anyway, among those songs, I can so clearly remember Masters of War and The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll as standouts, among others. I guess I just never looked any further into the story behind the latter tale, because it stood so well on its own as a morality fable. I assumed, like Masters of War, that although Lonesome Death was probably inspired by something, it was likely a fictional tale, or a metaphor for a type of person. I mean, who would expect such a proper, near-Dickensian villian to be actually real (although, now that I think about it, Dick Cheney fits Masters of War pretty well…go figure, LOL)?

Color me surprised. I had no idea, until this very moment, that the story behind the song was actually a murder ballad about real events. Thank you so much for broadening my horizons on a story I thought I already knew well. And for the link to the original story and especially the Dylan clip on Steve Allen.

Joe Biden wants to look forward and not back.

Me too I want to look forward to prosecutions.
243 hrs & 53 min

C-Span’s Q&A session on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET will feature Larry Kissell, new rep from eastern NC (and, to be fair and balanced, a new thug). Larry is a teacher (former now) who almost made it last year and *did* make it this year. Totally blew my mind by sending a personally written thank-you note for campaign donation.