Month: February 2022

Lewis Black (190225)
In spite of our constantly irritating him, Lewis Niles Black continues to tour. Railing against a universe riddled with absurdity, stupidity, and venality, he punctuates his volcanic ire and his diarrheic rants with the psychotic gesticulations of a man on the verge of emotional collapse. In 1981, as dramaturge in residence at an artsy little theatre in New! York! City! Black first stepped into stand-up by way of introducing his and his collaborators’ compositions, and/or stalling for time.

Karen Blanche Ziegler Black
1939-2013

She went Black in 1960 when she adopted her husband’s name, and never went back, despite subsequent marriages, because the Screen Actors Guild is strict. In 1975 she terrified this teen-aged cinephile with the magnificent Trilogy of Terror, a rare televised presentation of a trio of horror-fantasies by Richard Matheson. Her screen credits are in the hundreds, most notably Nashville, Burnt Offerings, Five Easy Pieces, and Day of the Locust. (190221)

Jack Black(190217)
He eschews both “Thomas” and “Jacob” and answers to “Jack”. From the “Soup-Nazi-of-Record-Store-Clerks” in High Fidelity, to the befuddled music instructor in School of Rock (a Dead Poets Society for head bangers?) this one time “challenged” student has carved out a niche for himself in comic and musical film. Though not quite the Pick of Destiny, his financial security seems assured. With steady work in feature flics, television, you-tube, animation and video-games, the acclaim of his peers and his commitment to Tenacious D et al, Jack’s artistic and professional orbits rival those of his satellite engineer parents’ other high-flying issue.

Hugo Lafayette Black
1886-1971
Democrat®, Klansman, segregationist, imperialist aggressor, he served as a Captain in The Great War, and as Senator from Alabama from 1927 to 1937. He led the filibuster that ultimately exhausted and defeated an intended “anti-lynching” measure in 1935. His vigorous defense of FDR’s “New Deal” to overturn the Constitution’s contract protections (among other crimes), his support for the “court packing” bill designed as a democratic end run around judicial review, and his criticism of the “judicial excess[es]” of an antagonistic court all led to his appointment to the Supremes in 1937 after Justice Devanter‘s departure.

Eric Black, Jr. (190209)
While reportedly “only” the wheelman in the drive-by murder of Jazmine Barnes, Mr Black nevertheless had a profound impact not only on Miss Barnes’ immediate family, but also on Houston’s community overall. As happenstance put a “skinny white man in a red pick-up” near the scene, this also fueled an unfortunate and unnecessary narrative of alleged racist hate crime. For a week this phantom suspect was sought and discussed, to no purpose other than fanning the flames of discord and distrust.
Our hearts break for Miss Barnes and her family,
as our contempt for her killers knows no bounds.

update 220209: Still awaiting trial for felony murder, Eric Black was released on bond on 24 June 2019. Jazmine Barnes remains dead.

Clint Patrick Black (190205)
Though he affects the same demeanor as another “Singin’ Cowboy” and his resume does include the citation “actor” he has nowhere near the screen time as King Roy Himself nor likely even any individual “Trigger.” None of which means of course that one is or is not the Better Man. Nevertheless, with a string of contemporary country hits through the Nineties and the Noughties, and still churning them out, albeit at a more relaxed pace, Clint has not been Killin’ Time. Eschewing schooling in favor of education, he dropped out of Senior Juniorhigh in the early Eighties to pursue his musical career, once again demonstrating the superiority of higher education over government indoctrination.

Baxter Black (190201)
Navy brat ‘n’ Brooklyn native, this cowboy poet was schooled in vet’rinary medicine at the New Mexico and Colorado State Universities. Before quittin’ medicine fer poetry ‘n’ shootin’ the breeze fer a livin‘, he specialized in typical cowboy critters — hosses ’n’ heffers ’n’ such like. Abidin’ in Arizona these days with his Cindy Lou, he still gets published reg’lar and speaks his mind now and then on the public radio. Doin’ without cell phone, TV, or fax, Bax says, “Ya either are [a cowboy] or ya aren’t.”

As of 220201 (today) he resides in Benson, Arizona, where he owns the “Coyote Cowboy Company,” a publishing company specializing in his own works.