Jerry Seinfeld is stuck in time. His brilliant, long-running TV show was so universally appreciated that it has left the language replete with Seinfeldisms:

Elaine: I don't see how you guys walk around with those things'

George: I think it moved... I was in the water – there was shrinkage – If ou believe it, it IS the truth

Jerry: You said, "Cigars;" they're real Cubans!

Kramer: I ran out of butter, so I used yours; any other questions, Mr. Nosey?

Jerry has announced that he will no longer perform on college campuses, that the college crowd is too P.C. for his taste. He says they take offense at the slightest mention of ethnicity, sexuality, etc. What Jerry probably is not taking into account is that the bulk of his campus audience probably was born during the original run of Seinfeld. The re-runs are still coming, and it is a good bet that they are being re-seen by the now doddering, original televiewers. The human sensitivity of the millennial has shot ahead light-years from that of Seinfeld fans in the confines of a comedy club. Even kind, sensitive Jerry Seinfeld can be considered a crude old dude in this 1.5th decade of the new millennium.

Al Jolson was still alive when Larry Parks portrayed him on screen, in blackface. Even Jolson, who filmed the first talking musical around the time this writer was born, was aware that he could no longer do blackface in public.

(BTW: Larry Parks lip- synced to Jolson's recordings – did you hear that, Queen Latifa?! You ain't no Bessie Smith.)

Al Jolson based his blackface performance on the old, White, minstrel bands, who did cakewalks to purloined African American music. Here is great irony: In the 20s, African American Bert Williams was a star on Broadway. He was accepted only because he appeared in blackface! Doubling the irony: Ben Vereen, the star of Roots and Pippen, did a blackface version of Bert Williams on TV. He was ostracized, lost his career, went into drugdegration and suffered a crippling accident. He seems to be mending spiritjually and physically.

Although it was well known the radio actors were Jewish, Amos and Andy was a big hit among African Americans in the 30s and 40s. African Americans took over those roles on TV, sans blackface. In the early days of the movies, African Americans could get on the screen only by portraying demeaning roles. Steppin Fetchit, slow-moving, wide-eyed: Yassuh, boss, I'sa comin' – feets, don't fail me now! Even more wide-eyed was Mantan Moreland, equally as terrified as Mr. Fetchit by the slightest ghostly suggestion. Mae West also contributed to black employment: Beulah, peel me a grape! Even when the striking Lena Horne was allowed to appear in White musicals, she had to perform by herself, in scenes that easily could be excised when the films were edited for southern audiences. Even on the set, Lena was subjected to snubbing by makeup artists. On one occasion, one of the Westmores took over when a racially recalcitrant regular refused to attend to Miss Horne. Additionally, Lena Horne was required to eat by herself in the commissary.

The vacation resorts in New York's Catskill Mountains were a training ground for many Jewish comedians who gained fame on radio and TV. Translating the Eastern European humor into English, they could get away with castigating Jews as much as they wished. On radio and TV, they had to tone it down a bit, but it was still there. Everyone knew what they were doing.

So, there you are, Jerry. Just make Jews the butt of all of your jokes. That's the way it's done these days. Black comedians can say anything they want about Blacks; Latinos, the same. Asians, Arabs and Eurotrash, women, LGBT – today, anybody can be the butt of a joke, as long as it's kept in the family – by one of the family. 

***** ***** *****

There was an old geezer named Jerry.

His trips to the campus were hairy.

One day, he said, "Gay",

And, there, right away,

The kids said, "You can't say that, Mary!"

Following are the cover notes for, “Songs – Dodson – Long,” a CD album of original songs by Tommy Dodson and Curtis W. Long, under the rubric of Musical SoCal.com.

This album consists of a portion of the collection of musical works by Tommy Dodson and Curtis W. Long which were compiled over a period of 20 years. Tommy not only is the vocalist heard throughout these selections; he also composed most of the music, did all of the arrangements and provided the instrumentation. Curtis wrote all of the lyrics, and just a couple of the melodies. None of these recordings would have been possible without the dedication of talented sound engineer and video technician Richard Taylor.

Tommy and Curtis began to blend their mutual desires to write musical comedy in San Diego, California, a few years prior to Y2K. Their first project was an ambitious musical—Playing the Game—consisting of a considerable cast of characters. Having learned their lesson, they followed up with a one-man musical, Blues, Booze and Attitude, which sensibly required only Tommy Dodson to be onstage. Their third musical, a three-character Biblical abstract entitled David and Jonathan, as of December 2015 was in the process of being recorded and presented in a stage reading. Tommy and Curtis worked on a part of Playing the Game when Curtis joined him on one leg of Tommy’s four-year round-the-world stint as featured artist on Crystal Cruises.

Over the years, when this duo was not engaged in the creation of musicals, they matched their words and music to the tune of a host of single ballads and specialty numbers. Of these latter, some were dedicated to the benefit of the community and in an effort to address matters important to the whole of the national populace.

Tommy Dodson and Curtis W. Long now combine their efforts under the rubric of Musical SoCal. Their musicals have been staged in Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego. Their plans are to extend these performances over a much wider geographical area. Although David and Jonathan is the musical receiving the attention as of December 2015, the others remain ready to be put into play whenever the situation so warrants.

You are invited to visit MusicalSocal.com in order to make inquiries or share your impressions with regard to the music of this album.

This album is available at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tommydodson1

My Musical SoCal colleague Tommy Dodson and I are delighted to pass on the merry wishes of our melodious muses, as represented in the below lyrics, and as sung by Tommy Dodson.

HUSH, IT'S CHRISTMAS

Music and Lyrics by Curtis W. Long

Hush, it's Christmas.

When the world is still,

That certain time of year;

When we feel a chill;

And brighten with good cheer;

When things seemed so dire,

A blink in time ago;

When cares seem to tire

And nestle in the snow;

Hush, it's Christmas.

Feliz Navidad, you'll hear

From some voices calling,

Punctuated by good cheer,

Soft as snowflakes falling.

Elsewhere, Merry Christmas floats

Through the maze of pine-scent.

Each and every kidlet knows

This is magic-time-sent.

Hush, it's Christmas.

Stop, relax and breathe;

Exhale the stifling past.

Let all doubt take leave;

Make new, and then hold fast.

Ancient Christmas comes

To tone down all the din,

So that mankind hums

lightens up within.

Hush, it's Christmas.

My favorite time of day. Just before it's too dark to get a photo of anything but maybe a full moon.

 Barn at twilight.

The last drop of light caught this scene. 

Sumac sunset.

Birch.

The sky was all Maxfield Parrish!

Angel of darkness.