Legendary Guitarist Jesse Ed Davis

When people think of Native American music artists, they are apt to think of Kay Starr, Link Wray, and Redbone. Among the music artists who might come to their mind is Jesse Ed Davis. Jesse Ed Davis was an enrolled member of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma, and also had Comanche, Muskogee, and Seminole blood. In a career that spanned from the Fifties to the Eighties, he played with such artists as Taj Mahal, Gene Clark, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, George Harrison, and yet others. He also released albums as a solo artist.

Jesse Edwin Davis III was born on September 21 1944 in Norman, Oklahoma. His mother, Vivian (Bea) Saunkeah was Kiowa. His father was Jesse Edwin Davis II, was Comanche, with some Seminole and Muscogee ancestry as well. His Comanche name was Asawoya. Jesse Ed Davis came from an impressive family. He was related to the first female chief of the Seminole Nation, Alice Brown Davis, among other notables.

Jesse Ed Davis discovered music while still young, becoming a fan of Elvis Presley and Jimmy Reed, He was in seventh grade when he began learning to play guitar. His style was shaped by such diverse sources as his mother's piano lessons, the horns players of the Count Baisie Orchestra, and the powows he had attended. Ultimately, Mr. Davis developed a unique style that was highly rhythmic and wholly organic. Taj Mahal said of Jesse Ed Davis, "In those days everyone wanted to play the blues, but they’d overplay their licks at high volume, trying to get up into the stratosphere. They didn’t have the natural feeling he did — Jesse legitimately had the blues and played it his own way."

He started his career while still a teenager, playing in local bands in the late Fifties. He was 18 years old when he toured with Conway Twitter, then a rock 'n' roll singer, as part of his backing band. He attended the University of Oklahoma and joined the National Guard. It was in 1966 that he made his way to Los Angeles to pursue his career in music. He did session work before becoming  Taj Mahal's lead guitarist. He played on Taj Mahal's first four albums: Taj Mahal (1968), The Natch'l Blues (1968), Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home (1969), and Happy Just Lie I Am (1971).

It was in 1971 that Jesse Ed Davis's first solo album, ¡Jesse Davis!, was released. He would follow it with only one more solo album, Ululu, released in 1972. In the Seventies Jesse Ed Davis would work with several different music artists. He not played on, but also produced Gene Clark's 1971 solo album White Light. He also played guitar on Jackson Browne's song "Doctor My Eyes" from Jackson Browne's 1972 debut album. He worked with George Harrison, performing at the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden. He would also work with others Beatles. He played guitar John Lennon's albums Walls and Bridges (1974) and Rock 'n' Roll (1975). He also played on Ringo Starr's Goodnight Vienna (1974) and Ringo's Rotogravure (1976). During the Seventies Jesse Ed Davis played with such diverse artists as Charles Lloyd, Leon Russell, John Lee Hooker, B. B. King, Bryan Ferry, The Pointer Sisters, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson, Leonard Cohen, Emmylou Harris, and yet others.

Jesse Ed Davis moved to Hawaii in 1977. He returned to Los Angeles in 1981. Unfortunately, he had developed addictions to both drugs and alcohol, and spent a portion of the Eighties in rehabilitation clinics. He appeared on Guthrie Thomas's album Hobo Eagle Thief in 1983. In 1985 he and fellow Native American performer formed the Graffiti Band. They would release two albums under John Trudell's name: AKA Graffiti Man (1986) and Heart Jump Bouquet  (1987).

Sadly, Jesse Ed Davis's drug addition would eventually catch up with him. It was on June 22 1988 that he collapsed in the laundry room of an apartment building. Police claimed the death appeared to be from a drug overdose, as he had a fresh needle mark on one arm. Making some suspicious of this death was the fact that he also had a head wound and his shoes had been stolen.

Jesse Ed Davis is not as famous as such guitarists as Jimmy Page or Eric Clapton, perhaps because he generally worked as a sideman for other music artists and was never a part of a well-known successful band such as Led Zeppelin or Cream. Regardless, there is every reason he should be. As fans of 1960s 1970s blues and rock music known, Jesse Ed Davis was a gifted guitarist with a rhythmic style all his own, and be could play in a variety of genres, from old time rock 'n' roll to blues to rhythm and blues to even glam rock.

Pushover (1954)

The MPAA Production Code enforced throughout much of the Golden Age of Hollywood included a list of subjects that must be treated with special care, including "...titles or scenes having to do with law enforcement or law enforcing officers." For that reason, corrupt police officers were rarely seen in American movies for much of the era. By the late 1940s, the Production Code had begun to weaken, so crooked cops began to appear much more frequently in movies, especially in film noir. Pushover (1954) was among those movies to feature a corrupt police officer, What is surprising is that the police officer was played by Fred MacMurray, who usually played good guys (Double Indemnity and The Apartment being notable exceptions).

Pushover (1954) begins with a bank robbery in which one of the robbers Harry Wheeler (Paul Richards) not only makes off with $250,000 but kills a bank guard in the process. Among the police officers charged with bringing Wheeler to justice and getting the money back is detective Paul Sheridan (Fred MacMurray). The cops then stake out the apartment of Wheeler's girlfriend, Lorna McLane (Kim Novak), in hopes that she will lead them to Wheeler and the loot. Unfortunately, Paul Sheridan takes a bit too much of an interest in Lorna McLane.

Pushover (1954) began with producer Philip Waxman, who had earlier produced the 1951 film noir The Big Night for United Artists. Mr. Waxman bought the rights to the novel The Night Watch by Thomas Walsh, which had been serialized in The Saturday Evening Post. It was adapted as a screenplay by Orin Jennings and Stanley Ellin. Philip Waxman then sold the screenplay to Columbia Pictures. While Philip Waxman remained an associate producer on the movie, Columbia assigned Pushover (1954) to producer Jules Schermer, who had earlier produced such movies as Framed (1947), Union Station (1950), The Pride of St. Louis (1952), and Pickup on South Street (1953).

It was at Columbia that, Pushover (1954) would take inspiration from another novel besides The Night Watch. The film took the idea of a corrupt cop who wants the money from a bank heist. From the novel Rafferty by William S. Ballinger Pushover (1954) took the idea of a detective becoming obsessed with a woman he was observing during a stakeout. The new screenplay was written by Roy Huggins. Roy Huggins had written the novels The Double Take, Too Late for Tears, and Lovely Lady, Pity Me, as well as the screenplay for 1948's I Love Trouble (based on his novel The Double Take), Too Late for Tears (based on his novel of the same name), The Good Humor Man (1950), and other films. Today he may be best known as the creator of the show Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, The Fugitive, and The Rockford Files.

One change would be made from Roy Huggins's screenplay that he did not particularly care for. Producer Jules Schermer did not particularly like the ending of Mr. Huggins's screenplay, so he took elements from an earlier film he had produced, Framed (1947), starring Glenn Ford. When Roy Huggins saw a rough cut of Pushover (1954), he commented to the producer, "You've ruined my picture. Pushover (1954) would go through the working titles The Killer Wore a Badge (the title under which The Night Watch had been serialized in The Saturday Evening Post), 322 French Street, and The Night Watch.


Pushover (1954) went into limited release on July 14 1954 and then wide release on August 6 1954. The film received generally positive, if not overly enthusiastic reviews. The review from the July 28 1954 issue of Variety read, "Pushover is a cops-n-robbers meller whose suspense holds up despite its mite too long 88 minutes running time." The New York Times review from July 31 1954 was modestly positive, noting the resemblance of Fred MacMurray's role to that in Double Indemnity while at the same time noting, "Viewed strictly on its own, as it should be, this modest Columbia melodrama is a creditable job for about half the time." The critic from The Chicago Tribune wrote, "MacMurray is blunt and believable, and young Phil Carey does very well as his partner. The film has been previously produced, but it's not bad, as crime melodramas go." Audiences liked the movie, as Pushover (1954) did well at the box office.

Of course, Pushover (!954) is notable for giving Kim Novak her first starring role as Lorna McLane. Even at this point in her career, Miss Novak seemed to be every inch a movie star. Fred McMurray, even then known for more wholesome roles, does a good job of playing corrupt cop Paul Sheridan, who is obsessed with Lorna. The rest of the cast is notable as well. Philip Carey does a good job of playing Rick McAllister, the young police officer who realizes that Sheridan is not what he should be. Dorothy Malone gives a good performance as McAllister's love interest, Ann Stewart. E. G. Marshall plays Police Lieutenant Karl Eckstrom.

While Pushover does owe a good deal to other film noirs, Roy Huggins's screenplay is very well done, allowing suspense to build at a moderate pace. Richard Quine also provided the film with appropriately taut direction. Starting an acting career as a child actor in films from Cavalcade (1930) to Little Men (1934), Mr. Quine had taken up directing with the movie Leather Gloves (1948). After Pushover (1954), he would go on to direct such movies as My Sister Eileen (1955), The World of Suzie Wong (1960), The Notorious Landlady (1962), and Sex and the Single Girl (1964).

While Pushover (1954) does not rank among the most famous films noirs, it would be one of the influences on d Jean-Luc Godard's film Breathless, alongside such fellow films noirs as Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) and Gun Crazy (1950).  It is understandable why Mr. Godard would have been impressed with Pushover. While somewhat derivative of other films, it is a tense film noir with several good performances and a plot that will keep viewers hooked for the entirety of its running time.

"Baby Love" by The Supremes

Today is cold and extremely windy and I feel under the weather, so this evening I will leave you with one of my favourite songs. "Baby Love" would be one of the earliest and biggest hits for The Supremes. It was written by the songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, who wrote and produced many of The Supremes' hits, as well as hits for Martha and The Vandellas and The Four Tops.

"Baby Love" hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 31 1964. It was their second number one, after "Where Did Our Love Go?," making them the first Motown group to have more than one number one record. It hit no. 1 on the UK singles chart on November 19 1964, making them the first all-female group to have a number one record on the chart. Across the Pond, it was still at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Hawk: An Obscure Burt Reynolds TV Series

In the Sixties, Burt Reynolds's star was on the rise. Since the late Fifties, he had made several guest appearances on television. Starting in 1962 he played half-Comanche blacksmith Quint Asper on Gunsmoke. In 1966 he starred in the spaghetti Western Navajo Joe. It should have then come as no surprise that Burt Reynolds received his own television series in 1966. Hawk was historic as the first American television show to centre on a Native American in a modern-day setting (it was preceded by Brave Eagle and Broken Arrow, which were both  Westerns).

Hawk starred Burt Reynolds as New York City police lieutenant John Hawk, who was full-blooded Iroquois. Hawk worked as a special investigator for the District Attorney's office. His partner was Dan Carter (Wayne Grice). Bruce Glover played Assistant District Attorney Murray Slaken, while Leon Janney played Assistant District Attorney Ed Gorton.

Hawk was created by Allan Sloane, who had written for such television series as The Big Story, Navy Log, Lamp Unto My Feet, and East Side/West Side. He was among the entertainment professionals who had been listed in the right-wing, anti-Communist pamphlet Red Channels. As a result in November 1952, CBS informed him that it would no longer accept any of his scripts. Fortunately, Mr. Sloane would find his way back to working in the television industry.

Hawk was one of a number of Native American roles Burt Reynolds played in his career, including Quint on Gunsmoke. For much of his career, Burt Reynolds claimed to be Cherokee. In his memoir But Enough About Me, Mr. Reynolds wrote "My dad had Native American blood. By the time it got down to me there wasn't much left, but I was proud of what there was."  Regardless, none of Burt Reynold's ancestry has been verified to have been Native American, despite his claims and the fact that he played many Native Americans throughout his career.

Aside from featuring a lead character who was Native American, Hawk was a bit ahead of its time in other ways. The show was filmed on the streets of New York City. Only a few shows before Hawk, such as Naked City and Route 66 regularly shot on location, with most series during the 1966-1967 season still being shot on studio backlots. Hawk also had a grittier, more realistic feel than many police dramas of its time, and in some ways was closer to such Seventies movies as The French Connection (1971), Serpico (1973), and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).

Hawk debuted on ABC on September 8 1966. For the most part, the series received positive reviews. Harry Harris of The Philadelphia Inquirer described Hawk as "Taut, suspenseful." Jack Gould wrote in The New York Times, "Enough virtues to suggest the series may find a niche for itself." Terence O'Flaherty called Hawk, "One of the best crafted of the new television programs." While Hawk received positive notices, it did not receive good ratings. Hawk aired on Thursday night at 10:00 Eastern/9:00 Central opposite The Dean Martin Show on NBC (which ranked no. 14 for the season) and The CBS Thursday Night Movie (which ranked no. 29 for the season). Against such competition, Hawk did so poorly that it was cancelled on December 29 1966 after only 17 episodes.

NBC aired repeats of Hawk during the spring of 1976 following Burt Reynolds's success in such movies as Deliverance (1972) and The Longest Yard (1974). In the Eighties, Colex Enterprises syndicated Hawk to local stations. More recently, it has aired on GetTV,

By today's standards Hawk is somewhat problematic. If made today, the question of Burt Reynold's Naive American heritage or lack thereof would make the show controversial. In fact, it seems likely that if Hawk had been made today an enrolled member of a Native American tribe would be cast as John Hawk. As it was for much of the 20th Century it was standard procedure for white people or other ethnicities to be cast as American Indians. On the 1950s television show Brave Eagle, the title character was played by Keith Larsen, who was Scottish, Danish, and Spanish in descent. In the Fifties, Middle-Eastern-born Michael Ansara played lead roles as Native Americans no less than twice, playing Cochise in the TV show Broken Arrow and Deputy Marshal Sam Buckhart in Law of the Plainsman.

Another problem with Hawk is that the show is essentially an assimilationist narrative. While we are told John Hawk is Iroquois, the culture and customs of the tribe play no real role on the show. John Hawk has been thoroughly assimilated into white society. This is in sharp contrast to later shows centred on Native American lawmen. While the star of Nakia, Robert Forster, was English and Italian in descent, the show often acknowledged Navajo traditions and customs. The three adaptations of Tony Hillerman's "Leaphorn and Chee" novels that aired on PBS and the current series Dark Winds (also based on Tony Hillerman's) not only feature Native American actors in the lead roles but go even further in the portrayal of Navajo culture.

While Hawk never dealt with the customs and culture of the Iroquois, the show is notable in dealing with the racism and discrimination that John Hawk faced, both on the streets of New York City and in the District Attorney's Office. While several television Westerns had dealt with racism against American Indians over the years, in the Fifties and Sixties it was rare that discrimination against Native Americans was dealt with in a modern setting.

Of course, as noted above Hawk was the first American show to centred on a Native American in a modern setting. Outside of Westerns, Native Americans were nearly invisible on American television. It was rare that Native Americans appeared in a modern setting. The absence of Native Americans from shows set in the present day for much of American television's history could well give the impression that Native Americans are a thing of the past, that they have gone extinct, or that they are no longer relevant.

The past several years have seen representation of Native Americans in films and on television somewhat improve from what it was. Not only have there been shows starring Native Americans, but shows made by Native Americans as well. This has allowed for much more accurate portrayals of Native life. While Hawk had many flaws, in some ways the show did pave the way for Native American characters on television.

The Late Great Shel Talmy

Shel Talmy, who produced legendary songs for The Kinks, The Who, and The Easybeats, died on November 13 2024 at the age of 87. The cause was complications from a stroke.

Shel Talmy was born on August 11 1937 in Chicago. From an early age he had an interest in music and how it was made. He was 13 years old when he appeared on the television version of Quiz Kids. After graduating high school Shel Talmy worked for ABC Television for a brief time. Afterwards he began working at Conway Studios Los Angeles, where he learned to use three-track recording equipment. He produced his first single after only three days at Conway Studios Los Angeles, "Falling Star" by Debbie Sharron. He also worked with the surf band The Marketts, The Castells, and Rene Hall and Bumps Blackwell.

It was in the summer of 1962 that Shel Talmy went to the United Kingdom for what was supposed to be a five-week vacation. He took only a small amount of money with him and he thought he might earn more as an independent music producer while he was on vacation. He signed to Decca Records, where he produced such acts as The Bachelors and Chad & Jeremy.

It was in 1964 that Shel Talmy produced what would be his breakthrough single, "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks. The song went to no. 1 in the United Kingdom and no. 7 in the United States. It also proved to be highly influential. Shel Talmy would produce several more songs for The Kinks, including their hits "All Day and All of the Night," "Tired of Waiting for You," "Till the End of the Day," "Dedicated Follower of Fashion," "Sunny Afternoon," and "Waterloo Sunset."

The Kinks' song "You Really Got Me" so impressed Pete Townshend of a band called The High Numbers that it inspired his song 'I Can't Explain." He played the song for Shel Talmy in hopes that he would produce it. Shel Talmy agreed and it became the first song he produced for The Who, as The High Numbers became known. "I Can't Explain" proved to be The Who's first hit in the United Kingdom, going to no. 8 on the singles chart. He also produced their next hit, "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere," which also hit the top ten of the British singles chart. Shel Talmy went onto produce The Who's singles "My Generation," "A Legal Matter," "The Kids Are Alright," and "La La La Lies." He also produced The Who's debut album, My Generation.

Shel Talmy would also produce the hit singles "Friday on My Mind" by The Easybeats, "Just Like a Woman" by Manfred Mann, "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy,  and "(If Paradise) Is Half as Nice" by Amen Corner. While in Britain he produced songs for such other artists as David Bowie, The Creation, Roy Harper, Pentangle, The Fortunes, and many others. He was also part of the music department of the horror movie Scream and Scream Again (1970).

By the early Seventies Shel Talmy was producing fewer records. During the Seventies he would still do some remarkable work as a music producer, producing records, for Follow the Buffalo,  The Damned, Eddie Phillips, Small Faces, Ralph McTell, and Band of Joy. Shel Talmy returned to the United States in 1979. Although he worked less on producing records, he still served as a producer for such artists as Sorrows, Jon and the Nightriders,and  Fuzztones. He more recently produced records for Hidden Charms and Strangers in a Strange Land.

Shel Talmy was quite simply a music legend. He was a pivotal figure in the British Invasion, producing some of its best known songs, from "You Really Got Me" to "My Generation" to "A Summer Song." He also played an important role in the careers of The Kinks and The Who. Arguably he was essential to the development of the subgenre power pop having produced such songs as "You Really Got Me" and "I Can't Explain." While perhaps best known for the work he did with such rock artists as The Kinks, The Who, and The Creation, he also worked in other genres. He produced songs for the folk group Pentangle and folk rock artist Roy Harper. Shel Talmy had an enormous impact on music that will continue to be felt for years to come.

William Conrad in Film Noir

For many, William Conrad will always be the narrator on Rocky and Bullwinkle or detective Frank Cannon on the TV series Cannon. For others he will always be Marshal Matt Dillon on the radio show Gunsmoke or prosecuting attorney J. L. "Fatman" McCabe on Jake and the Fatman. For film noir fans, he may be best remembered as a heavy in several films noirs.

As an actor in the late Forties and the Fifties, William Conrad found himself in the same situation as another large actor, Raymond Burr. Both often found themselves cast as heavies in films noirs, Westerns, period dramas and even horror movies. In a interview with James Bowden in the September 14 1993 issue of The Toronto Star, Raymond Burr said of his early career, "I was just a fat heavy. I split the heavy parts with Bill Conrad. We were both in our twenties playing much older men."  In various films noirs it not difficult to picture Raymond Burr in a William Conrad part or William Conrad in a Raymond Burr part.

Indeed, William Conrad began playing heavies early in his film career. In fact, his first credited role was the hitman Max in the classic film noir The Killers in 1946. As hitmen Max and his partner Al (Charles McGraw) are deadly serious. Early in the film they calmly and coolly take over a small town diner, making it clear that this is something they regularly do. As Max, William Conrad makes a lasting impression. It is made all the more remarkable by the fact that The Killers was only his second film.

William Conrad's next major heavy in a film noir, Quinn in Body and Soul (1947), is as sleazy as Max in The Killers (1946) is calm, cool, and collected. Quinn is the manager of boxer Charley Davis (John Garfield), and for Quinn making a quick buck is more important than Charley winning matches. Indeed, he is more loyal to making money than any boxer he has ever managed.

In Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) William Conrad plays a rather different sort of heavy. Morano is amiable and even a bit charming, but he has no objections against instructing someone else to commit murder. While Morano is an affable sort, the same cannot be said for Ollie in One Way Street (1950). Part of the crew of a heist of $500,000, Ollie not only has no objections to murder, he has no objections to committing it himself. What is more, he is not particularly friendly either. In contrast to Ollie, Louie Castro in Cry Danger (1951) is a bookie and in some ways not particularly brave.

While William Conrad played criminals in film noirs, he also played police officers. In East Side, West Side (1949), he played homicide detective Lt. Jacobi. In Tension (1950) he played another homicide detective, Lt. Blackie Gonsales, who assists fellow homicide detective Lt. Collier Bonnabel. In the 1951 version of The Racket, William Conrad played Detective Sergeant Turk. In Cry of the Hunted (1953) he played Goodwin, an assistant to lawman Lt. Turner, who is searching for a dangerous fugitive.

In two other film noirs, William Conrad played roles that were far removed from either criminals or cops. In Dial 1119 (1950) he played Chuckles, the ill-fated bartender at the Oasis Bar. In 5 Against the House (1955), he played another unlucky character. He played casino employee Eric Berg, who is threatened with death if he does not assist the crew robbing the casino.

In many ways William Conrad had more luck with roles in radio and on television than he had in movies. Often playing heavies in the movies, in radio and on television he actually played heroes. While he would play many bad guys in television guest appearances, he also played Matt Dillon on the radio show Gunsmoke and Frank Cannon on Cannon. Still, while he might have tired of playing one heavy after another in the movies, there can be no doubt that William Conrad was very good at being a bad guy. Max in The Killers, Quinn in Body and Soul, and Morano in Sorry, Wrong Number, remain memorable for reason.

Some Tips for Using BlueSky

The past week has seen the social media service BlueSky add one million users as people flee Twitter (which its owner insists on calling "X"). I have been on Bluesky for over a year (since October 29 2023) and in the past two days, both my followers and those I follow have doubled. With so many people joining BlueSky, I thought I would offer some tips I have learned over the months I have been using it.

Starter Packs: Everyone who has ever joined a social media service has had difficulty finding people to follow once they have joined a new service. I have to think many people wind up searching for their friends on the new service, something that can take time. Fortunately, this summer BlueSky introduced a solution to this problem. Starter Packs are a feature that allows users to find people and feeds to follow right away. Anyone can create a Starter Pack. All of the Starter Packs I have seen are devoted to a specific subject. I created one I call the Classic Movie & TV Starter Pack, which includes fans of classic movies and TV shows (most of them are from the TCMParty and Svengoolie crowds). I have seen others devoted to Comic Book Journalists, TV and Pop Culture People, the Reuters Newsroom, and so on. Starter Packs are a good way to find people to follow right away. I really wish BlueSky had them when I had joined.

Lists: In addition to Starter Packs, BlueSky also has lists that function pretty much in the same way as Twitter's lists do. Now some of you might be wondering what the differences between lists and Starter Packs are. Well, for one thing, lists only include users, while Starter Packs can include both users and feeds. For another thing, when one follows a Starter Pack, they follow every single person and feed in that Starter Pack. When one follows a list, they are not actually following all of the users on that list, even though they will see their posts in their feed.


Custom Feeds: Custom feeds are one of the things that really separates BlueSky from Twitter and some of the other microbloggers. While BlueSky's default "Following" feed displays posts from everyone and everything a user follows, custom feeds allow the user to create their own algorithm for a feed. For instance, one could create a custom feed where one only sees photos of people's pets. I created one that displays all posts using the hashtag Svengoolie. Custom feeds are good for someone who wants a more curated experience on BlueSky. There are websites that make creating a custom feed easy, including SkyFeed and BlueSky Feed Creator.

Hashtags: Like Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram, BueSky uses hashtags. As might be expected, hashtags are another way one can customize one's experience on BlueSky. If you click on a hashtag on BlueSky, a little box will pop up that reads "See (hashtag); See (hashtag) posts by user; and Mute (hashtag). If one wants to see posts for #TCMParty and one is looking at a post containing the hashtag, all they would have to do is click on #TCMParty and then click "See #TCMParty." Clicking "See #TCMParty by user" would show one all the posts by that user containing the hashtag. If one, God forbid, clicked "Mute #TCMParty," that would make it so that one would never see posts containing the hashtag.

Unfortunately, BlueSky is still a bit wonky when it comes to hashtags. For instance, unlike the primary "Following" feed, hashtag feeds can take quite a while to update on BlueSky. This makes live posting, such as #TCMParty and the live posts to #Svengoolie, somewhat difficult. Fortunately, there is a solution in the form of Deck Blue. Deck Blue is essentially the BlueSky equivalent of TweetDeck. With Deck Blue one can set how often one's feeds refresh. I have my #TCMParty and #Svengoolie feeds set to "15 seconds," which is a whole faster than they refresh on BlueSky itself!

Moderation: There was a time when BlueSky lacked a block button and content moderation was very much a work in progress there. Fortunately, that time was pretty much past by the time I joined in late October of last year. Today BlueSky has some of the best moderation tools of any social media service. Much like Twitter, one can mute words and hashtags. There are also moderation lists, in which one can mute or even block several users at once. As to the blocking function on BlueSky, it is fairly robust. Once a user is blocked, they cannot interact with the individual who blocked them in any way shape, or form.

As if all of this was not enough, one can disable or enable adult content, show or hide non-sexual nudity, and discourage apps from showing one's account to users who aren't logged in. Beyond all of this, there is also the BlueSky Moderation Service, through which one can hide everything from extremist posts to racist posts. This may well be why in the whole year I have been on BlueSky I have not seen much in the way of trolls.

Now one disadvantage to BlueSky that has, unlike many social media services, they do not have  private accounts. That means anyone can see one's posts except for those people they have blocked. This does not bother me, as all of my social media accounts are public except for Facebook, but it might be a deal breaker for some.

A number of alternatives to Twitter have arisen in the past few years, particularly since Twitter changed ownership in April 2022. And now it is fairly clear that Twitter is on its last legs. It would appear that many have decided BlueSky will be its replacement. Having been on BlueSky for over a year, I really cannot argue with that. It is a fine microblogger and feels a lot like Twitter had once been.