JULY 26, 2012

On this date, ten years ago, I began "Notablog" as a mere listing that featured links to my articles and to conversations I was having on the web. At the time, I participated in Lord-knows-how-many discussion lists and forums, writing articles for journals, magazines, and encyclopedias, editing The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies and other publications, and even teaching the occasional "Dialectics and Liberty" cyberseminar.

Notablog opened on 26 July 2002, with a link to an article that had been published that day in my hometown paper, The New York Daily News. The piece was entitled "Howard Roark," and it was a contribution to the paper's series, "Big Town Classic Characters: New Yorkers of the American Imagination." It is currently featured on the site of The Atlas Society (at this link).

So much has changed in this world since 2002. This blog itself has gone through quite a few changes, as I began to post original articles, reviews and vigorous dialogue in the comments section (which, in later years, was plagued by so many spam postings that I had to pull the plug).

Today, I post mainly announcements and "Song of the Day" entries, but there are articles and other developments in the works. So stay tuned!

I'd like to thank New York University and its web team for giving me the opportunity to maintain my site and Notablog on its servers. Here's to many more years to come!

JULY 10, 2012

Song of the Day: McHale's Navy ("Main Theme"), composed by Axel Stordhal, is featured in the opening credits to the popular television series that ran from 1962 through 1966. The series was actually a spin-off from a one-hour episode of "ALCOA Premiere," entitled "Seven Against the Sea." I watched the hilarious series regularly in my youth. It served as my first exposure to Ernest Borgnine, who passed away at the age of 95 on 8 July 2012, a few days after the passing of another TV icon, Andy Griffith. Borgnine was one of the greatest character actors of his generation, an Oscar-winner for his role in "Marty, and a recognizable presence in such films as "From Here to Eternity," "Demetrius and the Gladiators," "Willard," "The Poseidon Adventure," and 11'09"1 September 11. Check out the opening credits to the series and tip your hat to one of the greats.

JULY 04, 2012

Song of the Day: The Andy Griffith Show ("The Fishin' Hole") features the music of Earle Hagen (who whistled the theme in the opening credits) and Herbert W. Spencer and the lyrics of Everett Sloane. Just as "The Andy Griffith Show" was a spin-off of an episode of "The Danny Thomas Show," so too did it give birth to spin-offs, including "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," "Mayberry, R.F.D.," and the TV-reunion movie, "Return to Mayberry." Andy Griffith exuded an effortless warmth in his TV performances, from his self-titled show to "Matlock." And he had terrific acting chops (check out his remarkably jarring performance in "A Face in the Crowd"). He passed away yesterday at the age of 86. This theme and the famous TV show for which it was written have become part of Americana, something all the more noteworthy on this Day of Independence. Check out the main theme on YouTube and Andy himself singing it.