Thursday Random 9*: Pax Absentia bonus edition

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Perry Ellis

As the Paxman and the splendiferous and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Mrs. Pax are across the pond, sampling the varied pleasures of the Continent (weird animal parts cooked in their own fat and liter-sized steins of unfiltered beer), we present this week’s super-double-bonus edition of the Random 10.**

This installment is dedicated to the good people of Cincinnati, Ohio, and their crazy-ass taste in mayors.

Until 1998, The Queen of the West (note: this is not Dan Savage) chose as its leader one of its nine city councilors. After that what’s sometimes called the first truly American city (for its refreshing lack of European influence – hear that, Beacon Hill?) started electing mayors through a popular vote.

The old system, un-democratic though it may seem to our more modern sensibilities, yielded such cheif executive luminaries as Murray Seasongood (1926-1930) (Hobby: “Good government”) and hateful hypocrite and walking conflict of interest Ken Blackwell (1979-1980) (Motto: “I never met a gay Democrat I couldn’t disenfranchise.”)

But Cincinnati’s most famous native son (actually, he’s not – he’s a British-born emigre of German stock) is one Jerry Springer (1977-1978).

Long before he became synonymous with the public antics of very stupid people (but not long after a prostitution arrest stemming from paying a hooker with a check – true story! What a country!), Springer sprang from his council seat to the corner office.

            “Will you take a check?”

We’d have to flip a coin to decide who wins for most unlikely political resurrection, Springer or Boston’s John Michael Curley, who won re-election to his alderman’s seat in 1904 from a jail cell and later seved four tems as mayor of the Hub of the Solar System.

But we’re sure that, given the chance, Cincinnatians would have voted for Curley, too.

   …and a prison record!

Now, on to the Top 10:

Evelyn Is Not Real – My Morning Jacket
Driver 8 – R.E.M.
Pena de Amor – Son de Azucar
Versace – Bettie Serveert
Reasons to Lie – Whiskeytown
Blues at Midnight – Sun Ra
Lover I Don’t Have to Love – Bettie Serveert
Human Thing – The Be Good Tanyas
Stand Together – The Beastie Boys

Bonus Video:

Berlin (live) – Lou Reed & John Cale

* The Rules: The Thursday Random 9 is exactly like the Friday Random 10, except for the one song. The Friday Random 10 is exactly that — random. We open up our iTunes, set the thing on shuffle, and listen to 10 songs. We are not permitted to skip any out of embarrassment or fear of redundancy. Commenters are encouraged to post their own.

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Tags: And Berlin, Good luck keeping that suit pressed, music, So that's what confit means, Thursday Random 9, We'll always have Paris