Sanity Sunday - Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas with Max Abrams

by Nomad

Nashville-based saxophonist Max Abrams may not be a recoginizable name but he has worked with a variety of major label artists. His goal, at least according to a press release is "to restore the saxophone to its pre-Hendrix, post-smooth jazz position in the forefront of American musical consciousness."
Not sure if I'm qualified to explain what that really means. But I do know what I like.

In honor of the holidays, Abrams puts a jazz spin on familiar Christmas songs.So, without further ado, here are three Christmas albums to jazz up your holidays.

The Winter of our Discontent: A Holiday Message to Nomadic Politics Readers

by Nomad

Nomad's Good News Round-Up for December 2017

by Nomad

We have literally been bombarded by bad news for the past year. Well, not literally but it seems like it sometimes.
Sometimes it feels like things are just out of control and headed for some dark and vaguely-terrifying place. It's too easy to retreat and say "To hell with it."
Speaking from experience, I know there are moments when throwing yourself on the bed and cowering under the blanket seems like the only solution left. Surrender is, however, not an option for people who actually care about the future.
So I keep hoping.

Anyway, that's why I devote every month to boosting the morale of the community. Here's this month's installment.

Sanity Sunday- The Enchanting Music of Anna Tivel

by Nomad

Anna Tivel is an American singer-songwriter based in Portland, Oregon. She creates lyric-driven folk/Americana songs. Her albums are entitled Heroes Waking Up, Before Machines, Brimstone Lullaby, Small Believer.
Let's start off with my personal favorite. I will leave the interpretation of the evocative video in your hands.

What Happens When the Wisdom of the Crowd Becomes the Frenzy of a Mob

by Nomad

There was a plot twist when TV show's premise recently played out in real-time. It opened up the question: what are the actual effects when the wisdom of the people is put to the test? 

Wisdom of the Crowd

One of CBS' new TV shows for the fall season was called "Wisdom of the Crowd." Despite its high-tech twist, this crime-fighting drama is pretty standard fare. See if you agree. Here's the sales pitch:

Driven by a need to find his daughter's killer, Silicon Valley tech innovator Jeffrey Tanner takes crowdsourcing to a new level, creating a digital platform for people around the world to publicly share and evaluate evidence for criminal investigations. 

Thanks to smartphones and other connected gadgets, anybody can become a crime-fighting hero, a private detective on a stake-out or an amateur Sherlock Holmes or Jessica Fletcher. Criminals are stopped dead in their tracks, courtesy of millions of watchful eyes and pecking fingers.