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And Now at Last

"And now at last, just as the time bell rings . . .”

Many thaks to Michael and all the readers of this blog for letting me chat with you over the past three weeks.  I have learned a lot from all of you in trying to work through ideas that I have not yet formulated to my (or your) full satisfaction.  Your patience and interest have been much appreciated.  Come visit me over at Public Intelligence and I’ll really try your patience by explaining why “Sultans of Swing” is the best rock song ever.

Posted by on 06/12 at 02:40 PM

  1. It’s been nice having you at the helm, John. Just one question: does your last name derive from McGuffin? Mine certainly might.

    Posted by  on  06/12  at  05:25 PM

  2. It was a lot of excellent work and I appreciate it.  Thank you.

    Peace be with you.

    Posted by paradox  on  06/12  at  08:53 PM

  3. Sultans of Swing is a great song but it can’t be the greatest rock song ever because it’s too self-referential and one of the core characteristics of rock is that it’s not ironic. Sinatra was ironic- Elvis, no.  Maybe it’s the greatest meta-rock song ever.

    Posted by  on  06/12  at  08:53 PM

  4. Where does this rule of non-irony come from?  I see no reason to endorse it, and so the only reason my patience would be tried by an account of why “Sultans of Swing” is the best rock song ever is that I’d be bored by the waste of time in proving the obvious.

    Posted by Protagoras  on  06/12  at  08:58 PM

  5. Thank you very much for your time John. (Prof. McGowan? I am horrible with etiquette.)

    It was very nice of you to blog-sit for Michael. (Prof. Bérubé? What evah. I bet his students don’t even call him that.) You kept the plants watered perfectly, let the dogs and cats and platypus out at just the right times. You even threw a gigantic party at the end of it and got all the furniture back from Joe Pantoliano just in time before the Bérubés got back from vacation.

    Which reminds me. I do love trains.

    Hoping for the very very very best for you and the family.

    Love,

    Hanna

    Posted by Hanna  on  06/13  at  12:26 AM

  6. Well blog-sat John and in regards to the notion that Sultans of Swing is the greatest rock song ever, do you mean to tell me there are those who argue that it isn’t? Okay, granted a case could be made for Johnny B. Goode or Satisfaction or even She Loves You, but really, those would be spurious cases at best.

    Posted by rev.paperboy  on  06/13  at  07:03 AM

  7. John,

    Forget about “Sultans of Swing” - how about a 500-word essay on the UNC Men’s basketball team’s 2005 NCAA championship (and be sure to include plenty of slurs against Dook).

    It’s been a pleasure.

    “Al Jackson Jr”
    UNC Class of 1990
    GO TARHEELS!

    Posted by  on  06/13  at  08:34 AM

  8. John, I learned a lot from your guest hosting.  Thanks.

    Posted by Lance Mannion  on  06/13  at  07:07 PM

  9. What everyone else has said. I was a rapt, if silent, audience, John. Your essays offered so much to think about, I didn’t get around to adding any comments.

    I will indeed be following you back to your family blog to read more.

    Thank-you.

    Posted by Leah A  on  06/13  at  07:59 PM

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