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Bye Bye, Doll

This may sound morbid, but I really don’t mean it that way…

We are on this earth for a short time, and as Warren Zevon once said, you have to enjoy every sandwich.

Zevon is among a very select group of artists who left us with great death albums. His disc, The Wind, was released in 2003, while he was dying of lung cancer. A year earlier, George Harrison’s Brainwashed had appeared. A full decade later, David Bowie gave us Blackstar.

Into this, I’d like to recommend the last thing done by David Johanson. It’s not an album. Not really. It’s the final episode of his Sirius show, Mansion of Fun. The show, which ran for more than a decade, was always eclectic. But this episode, completed on his death bed, is heart-wrenchingly self-aware. He’s curated the ultimate song list about death and dying, all while knowing it would be his final, ebullient testament.

David Jo had a fair amount of time to think about his death. A decade ago, he was diagnosed with stage four cancer, which led to a brain tumor. Last Thanksgiving, he fell down stairs and broke his back in two places, leaving him bedridden and literally begging for money.

So, I’m a little stunned that Sirius hasn’t done more with this show. I can’t find the playlist anywhere. But that’s in keeping with how it’s treated The Loft since it booted its visionary founder, Mike Marrone (now at www.mikemarrone.com), in favor of a taped (read: cheaper) format.

The next time you can hear the final Mansion is Monday (*3/24*) at 9 pm. David says he’ll see you next week. And “if I don’t come back, you can find me on the Ouigi board.”

I’ll be listening one more time. You should, too. With a sandwich. And enjoy the hell out of it!

Wilt/Nixon

I’m thrilled to make a return to Politico Magazine with this look back at the 1968 GOP Convention, and how Richard Nixon recruited an unlikely celebrity to woo Black voters.

Wilt Chamberlain was pilloried for his embrace of Nixon. But more than fifty years later, voters may be on the cusp of vindicating him.

Also, check out the never-before-seen ad I managed to dig up from the 1968 campaign about Black Capitalism. The parallels to today are eerie…

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/07/17/richard-nixon-wilt-chamberlain-gop-black-voters-00161291

Dept. of (my) History: The Last Lecture

I don’t usually write in memoir, but my dad’s retirement, at the age of 88, made me think about how the generations look differently at the concept, and whether it’s okay to retire 30 years before your father. Here, then, is a conversation full of questions and received wisdom, with thanks to Sari Bottom of Oldster Magazine for the venue…

The Fast-Talking Billionaire

It’s not surprising that Greg Lindberg has his eyes on longevity. Accused of pilfering $2 billion from his insurance companies and attempting to bribe North Carolina’s top regulator, the billionaire faces the prospect of being in jail until he’s 90. But neither that nor getting swept up in an FBI sting operation that already landed him behind bars once is dimming his enthusiasm for his latest venture: Selling himself as an anti-aging guru.

I’ve spent decades writing about anti-aging. But I’ve never met anyone like this fast-talking billionaire who believes he’s found the secret to immortality. This profile was written for The Assembly NC.

Coronation Day: Macy’s Meets Oasis

LONDON, May 6 – It’s a rainy spring morning. And around the cobbled streets of Marylebone, I haven’t found a single person who seems invested, much less excited, about the UK’s first coronation in seventy years. The stores catering to the mega-rich seem to be conspicuously ignoring it, as if afraid of cheapening their allure. Pub crawlers and cab drivers want to talk about The Donald more than The King.

In many ways, it’s a consequence of the monarchy’s decision to scale back the event in light of the economic malaise everyone feels. Inflation is rampant — food prices up 33%; heating bills through the roof — and you see an alarming number of stores with bullet holes in their front windows, not top mention shattered glass.

Patrician culture is still alive and well in the UK. But its stewards are feeling the pinch. The website for tickets to Kensington Palace asks if you want to add a ten percent donation to your $25 admission. At the restored home of a revered Victorian-era painter, you’re asked to contribute to a fund to purchase one of his works from Christie’s.

The BBC is doing its best to gin up enthusiasm. Experts with “sources in the palace” keep popping up on The Beeb to parrot the Royal Talking Points: Camilla’s newfound favorability and how relaxed Charles’ seems to be. But it all seems a bit strained, especially when the occasional dissenting voice creeps in to talk about patrician billionaires siphoning public dollars for their own narcissistic spectacle.

Watching the coronation is a little like watching the Macy’s Day Parade, if it was hosted by the Church of England. No one is lip syncing Frozen. But still feels over the top in a geriatric, cruise ship kind of way. Just 31% of those younger than 35 say they intend to watch the event, as an increasing number of young Britons express their indifference to or dislike for an institution they say has no relevance in their lives.

Fortunately, the feud between Harry and William is providing a little edge. William has been out there, steady and stoic in public, pouring pints in a pub and working the rope lines. But Harry upended his family, again, by talking a commercial flight from L.A. to London. They’re the Liam and Noel Galligher of Buckingham Palace — with William playing Noel’s solo part at MTV Unplugged.

There are big screens broadcasting the event all over town. But we’re going small, watching on TV before we go to Madam Tussaud’s to see more waxy royals. It’s an event being here. But one best enjoyed in private, so one one sees you actually enjoying yourself.

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Featured image: Katie ChanCC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Botanist Is A Plant Podcast

Looking for a good 18th Century spy story? The wonderful folks at BYU’s Constant Wonder podcast (@cw_byu) gave me a half-hour to weave together the story of the legendary French naturalist Andre Michaux, who would have beaten Lewis & Clark to the Pacific if not for some amazing political intrigue involving Thomas Jefferson and a who’s who of quarrelsome Founding Fathers.

The podcast is adapted from my story in the new issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

Listen to “The botanist is a plant” here.

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