Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

Creating good popular comedy is much more difficult than heavy drama.

Reminds me of a Chesterton quote.
"It is much easier to write a good Times leading article than a good joke in Punch. For solemnity flows out of men naturally; but laughter is a leap. It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light."

Glad to have you join, jwf. It's been a while since I've popped in here too, somewhat similarly.

The way that they edited Bing's face into the picture is a little strange, but other than that, I approve of the release.  Just makes me sad I can't tune into NBC radio to listen to a Bing program, or anything else like that for that matter, anymore like it used to be.

Random question, if anyone would know.  Did they ever play reruns of shows like they do for television?  Of course we can listen to the taped shows again and again now with the material we have, but would the stations rebroadcast them after the initial airdate?

Ian Kerstein wrote:

Of course you may ask, Michael - and hello by the way. Sorry it's been so long, again. 
It's actually because my late wife had placed on our laptop's taskbar an alternative search engine, just in case we had problems with Google. For about a year on there, Google has now been so slow in its searches (I'm sure it will have something to do with my own PC, I am barely computer literate, she was), that I've since switched to this far faster alternative which has coincidentally and delightfully turned out to be "Bing".

I wonder if Nancy Reagan, who survived and remained sharply alert well into the internet age, made use of digital technology? I've heard from Nancy Sinatra Jr that her father lamented towards the end of his life that home computers had come along too late for him.

Obviously, the internet wasn't anywhere near around when Bing left us but I have no idea what his general, everyday, domestic views were towards advancing technologies. I highlight the above word, knowing us Crosbyphiles are all more than aware of Der Bingle's forward thinking when it came to the professional founding and use of audio-visual technology. 

Isn't it wonderful though that these days, within just a digital click, courtesy of Dieter's comment and help, I could then instantly see for myslef, proof of a (previously unaware) public Republican activity of Mr Cros? 

What a wondeful coincidence!  In terms of technology, I do wonder how that would play out.  I once heard someone guess that Bing might've had a great podcast, what with his voice, as a more online form of a radio show if he had lived to today.  I do wonder if there would come a breaking point, though.  Up to a point technology is good, but we don't want Skynet to try and replace us all.  There has to be a line somewhere, and we'll never know where Bing might've drawn it.

I'd also like to throw in, for everyone, on the mentioning of Swift getting booed at the fo

Ian Kerstein wrote:

That's really interesting to know, Dieter. Thank you very much indeed. I'd known about Bing's privately Republican sympathies but up until now, I was always of the certain belief that he kept his party political activities well away from the public spotlight. I've just "Bing" searched (honest - I'm using that named search engine) images of Mr Cros and Mrs Temple-Black - and here they both instantly are, now  popping up at a Republican fund raising rally for the latter during the late 1960s. Wonders never cease!

How about if those two had teamed to make a film together at the height of their respective Hollywood careers? 

If I may ask, do you only use that search engine because of the obvious puns?

Very interesting!  Thanks, Pantelis!  My admiration for the Reagans has only grown from this.  Are they much remembered in Greece?

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope we all have much reason to give thanks to God today; God bless you all.

If you haven't yet, I did see that the estate announced there'll be released a remix of White Christmas with some singer, a duet version between Bing and her.

https://bingcrosby.com/bts-v-and-bing-crosby-to-release-new-holiday-duet-white-christmas-with-v-of-bts-on-december-6/

Thoughts, anyone?

Nice to meet you Graham!  I don't get to meet many people from Australia.  On the bit about Chicago, there are a great many things the city can be commended on, sure.  Nothing like a Midwest winter, is there?  I was just trying to make a crack about the (sometimes-not-so) friendly antagonism between Chicago and the rest of the state (I being from the 'rest of the state').

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

Do we know if a third Giddins book would cover all the remaining years till 1977? Or it would be just about a specific period in Bing's life?

I recall Giddins saying somewhere that it would be all the way until 1977.  That would have been a few years ago when the second book came out.  Of course, that could be all up in the air now, so we'll have to wait and see if there's even a third.

Glad to know that I'm not being a nuisance!

Dennis Day has a nice version of McNamara's as well.  Even goes for a bit of a Jack Kennedy impression in there:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2D3zE9e__jQ
How is Kennedy, I'm curious, viewed over in Britain, if at all?  I know British politicians, other than perhaps Churchill, tend not to remain much in memory here in the American public.

The "repeat treatment" has recently been applied to, as a whole, the Bing & Satchmo album.  I first came across it a few years ago, but for some reason nothing but "The Preacher" seemed to stick.  After coming back to it here, the whole album has been thoroughly enjoyed, repeatedly, as it should be.

I do play piano as a music student (private lessons; not through school or anything else).  I started a couple years after my older brother did after seeing him play.  I largely cover more classical stuff, though I have done a couple from the American Songbook, as well as Rhapsody In Blue.  And to be specific, when I say "classical" I'm using that as most use it, meaning that I play Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc.

Hopefully Beethoven's quote, "To play a wrong note is insignificant.  To play without passion is inexcusable" applied well in your case on piano!   Happy you ended up on an instrument that suited you.  I don't think I can say I've ever forced any teachers from the area.  Look at it as an accomplishment!  That's two more than I imagine most people have.