Change Coming...

Exchange Rate

So the news today includes stories about Bowe Bergdahl being charged with desertion and "misbehavior before the enemy," a rarely-seen charge which at least in theory could result in a death sentence. That seems unlikely, but with any luck Mr. Bergdahl will spend the rest of his life in prison. As well he should.

Bowe Bergdahl in August 2014

The Obama administration released five Taliban fighters in order to obtain Bergdahl's release, and at least some of them are suspected of trying to get back to the job of killing Americans. Who could have possibly seen that coming?

I know the economy has been in the tank for almost all of the Obama presidency, but who knew the exchange rate was that bad? One deserter for five of the enemy?
We got hosed...

Things That Make Me Happy: Quick Start Edition

In the throes of a four-game home losing streak, my beloved Kansas City Royals wasted no time at Kauffman Stadium last night, scoring all the runs they would need off of Twins starter Kyle Gibson before he had recorded a single out. Gibson was very tough thereafter (he pitched a complete game, in fact, allowing only two hits after the 1st inning), but the Royals held on for a 4-2 win that evened the three-game series heading into tonight's finale.

Royals starter Edinson Volquez pitched seven effective innings to improve to 13-7, 3.49 ERA. All-Star Wade Davis pitched a perfect 8th inning, and closer Greg Holland only needed 10 pitches to record his 30th save of the season.

The key hit was Eric Hosmer's bases-loaded double that drove in three runs...

"Bam!"

Kris Medlen (3-1, 4.88 ERA) will start tonight for the Royals, while the Twins will send Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.17) to the mound.

Fall Season

Officially we're still a couple of weeks away from the September Equinox (September 23 this year), which marks the first day of Fall. Nevertheless, some familiar signs of the seasonal change are starting to appear already. When I was out for my morning walk today, for instance, I was serenaded by...

"Woot! Honk if you love migration!"

The sound these birds make as they head for wherever it is they spend their winters makes me look forward to the return of Autumn, my favorite season...

Great Minds Think Alike Department

Speaking of my morning constitutional, not long after I started I noticed someone else who had decided to take advantage of the fresh, crisp morning air...

"Pictures are fine, but I don't give autographs. Sorry."

"You know that stuff about rabbits and sex is just a myth, right?"

What is this "sex" you speak of? Drawing a blank, here...

Cat Logic

From the wacky comic strip Get Fuzzy, by Darby Conley, which you should read every day, as I do.

Until Next Time...

My taste in music is eclectic in no small part because of my parents' wide-ranging music collection when I was growing up, and also because of my own life experiences with singing and playing musical instruments. I struggled to emulate those artists my parents enjoyed, and those struggles increased my admiration for anyone who could do such things well, regardless of genre (with the notable exception of opera, for which I have never developed such an appreciation).

When I was 10 years old, my dad brought home a record album that made quite an impression on me. It was Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. I didn't really understand a lot about jazz music at that age, but I did enjoy the way jazz musicians were able to improvise within the basic structure of a song. To this day I still admire that ability to find unique ways to express oneself musically without completely abandoning the song. Wish I could do that...

It was just a couple of years later that Vince made a bigger splash with his compositions for A Charlie Brown Christmas. I was probably the only 12-year-old in my town who had actually heard of the guy whose music everyone was talking about the day after that show premiered. Vince's music is deeply embedded in American culture now, but I can tell you it created quite a sensation 50 years ago.

Today's send-off is Vince performing his Grammy Award-winning composition "Cast Your Fate to the Wind." Enjoy...

Lyin' Around

Wait, What???

One of the tell-tale signs of a child caught in a lie is when their story begins to incorporate contradictory details (e.g., "I wasn't even in the room when that lamp fell off the table" alongside "I tried to catch it, but I wasn't fast enough").

At the moment, Hillary Clinton is sounding an awful lot like a child making excuses, too. She tells us on the one hand that there is no need for her to apologize for setting up a private, unsecured email server to conduct official State Department business because that sort of thing is "allowed," but tells us on the other hand that she "wasn't thinking very much" when she decided to set up that server.

"I didn't do anything wrong..."

"...but if I did do something wrong I wasn't paying attention when I did it."

And, of course, we're also getting the usual Clintonian hair-splitting. Hillary keeps repeating the mantra that no emails that were MARKED classified were ever sent or received on her system, even though she probably had advisers tasked with removing those markings and a significant number of those messages are presumed classified (or even Top Secret) regardless of whether they had a formal marking as such. Plus, it is rather difficult to verify her claim anyway because she had the server wiped clean before turning it over to the FBI.

Honestly (all puns are intentional on this blog, always), I can't think of a single other person who could get away with refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas AND tampering with the contents of her server BEFORE surrendering it to the FBI.
If you or I tried that strategy, don't you think we'd already be in jail?

As for her presidential candidacy, we've seen something like this before...

"Oh, the humanity!"

I just hope the burning wreckage lands on Sidney Blumenthal...

The Corporate Mindset

Awhile back on Twitter I posted a jocular message about not being able to drink Tropicana's new Trop50 beverages because the advertising for those products contains a grammatical error, i.e., "50 percent less calories," as opposed to the correct "50 percent fewer calories."

It was just a little throwaway joke on Twitter, but someone at Tropicana saw it, because this morning I received this message:

Um...okay, well, the word "more" doesn't appear anywhere in the ad, so I'm not sure how that "contrast" thingy is supposed to work. But in my reply, I mentioned that pretty much every school kid in America is taught about "fewer" being an antonym of "more," so by "intentionally" using the wrong word Tropicana is basically assuming that its audience is...well, uneducated.

Not a good look for you, Tropicana. And besides, everyone knows that whole thing of using "less" instead of "fewer" started with those Miller Lite beer commercials back in the '70s...

Things That Make Me Sad: Losing Streak Edition

You may have noticed that there hasn't been anything about my beloved Kansas City Royals in the blog for a few days. That's because I don't normally write about them on the day after a loss, and last night's dispiriting 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium was their fourth loss in a row, and their fifth in their last seven games.

The team is still having a fine season, of course, and seems a reasonable bet to win the Central Division, but Manager Ned Yost can't be happy with what he's seen lately: The starting pitching has been bad, the bullpen has been shaky (since they've mostly been behind and using weaker pitchers), and the offense has been somnolent. It has been tough for fans to watch...

"This is some fucking bullshit, man..."

It is, indeed.

The Royals will try to get back to winning ways tonight, with Edinson Volquez (12-7, 3.53 ERA) matching up with Twins starter Kyle Gibson (9-9, 3.84).

We're Friendly Here in the Midwest

"You know nobody gets that movie reference, right?"

The cool people will, and that's what matters to me...

Until Next Time...

Some days coming up with a clever send-off idea is difficult. Not today. This one's for you, Hillary...

Labor Day 2015

Why I Love Capitalism: Part 4,186

Capitalists never pass up an opportunity to make a buck (this is actually a good thing, by the way), so if we have to have a holiday celebrating...well, having a job,
I guess...the capitalistic spirit will be there to--you guessed it--capitalize (pun very much intended).

Because, of course, nothing says "Labor Day" like a comfy new mattress...

...or a shiny new kitchen appliance...

...or some new candles (you can never have enough scented candles, really)...

...or...well, I'm sure you get the idea.

"Clear as mud, yessir."

Be quiet, or I'll list you on eBay...with free shipping...

Anyway, as easy as it is to poke fun at ads for Labor Day Sales (and to bash the whole idea of Labor Day), no one actually thinks there is anything "special" about the products on offer today, or the prices for them, either.  If you don't think such prices are likely to go even lower between now and Black Friday, and lower still from there until Christmas, you don't really understand our wacky, wonderful country very well at all.

Thanks to capitalism (and the folks whose hard work makes all of these wonderful products possible), you can get a great deal on a mattress, or a refrigerator, or a blueberry scone candle pretty much whenever you need one.

If Bernie Sanders becomes president, though, we're all fucked...

Now, go barbecue something, and have some fun with those you love!

Have I Mentioned...

That's my Mr. Coffee Café Barista on the right.

...how much I am enjoying my new espresso machine? My coffee nook (pictured) is a little crowded now, but in a good way.

It was a gift from my best friend, and like most really good gifts it was a total surprise, AND it keeps on giving pleasure long after you've received it.

Life is tough sometimes, but a home-made vanilla latte helps me cope. Thanks, Skip...

"You know that thing will make your rear end go from Grande to Venti, right?"

You're going to comment on my rear end? Seriously?

From the Heart

Once upon a time, the late Jeff MacNelly's comic strip Shoe was one of my daily must-reads. MacNelly (a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist) began the strip on September 13, 1977, just a couple of months after my first wife died. At that time
I was grateful for anything that could put a smile on my face, however briefly, and Shoe certainly did that. MacNelly's sense of humor (and politics) nicely coincided with my own, and I was a devoted reader for nearly 23 years. When MacNelly died in 2000 (he was only 52), I felt the subsequent incarnation of Shoe, produced by Chris Cassatt (who died in 2013), Gary Brookins, and Jeff's widow Susie MacNelly, just didn't have the same magic. I still check in on it from time to time, but as with so many enthusiasms in my life, it isn't the same as it once was...

Until Next Time...

Twelve years ago today, singer-songwriter Warren Zevon died from an inoperable abdominal cancer at age 56. Warren had had an odd career, never quite finding the stardom so many predicted for him. Part of it, I think, was that the public's interest in singer-songwriters was waning just around the time Warren was at his creative peak. For whatever reason, "uneven" is the best adjective for both his professional and personal lives. He did write some terrific songs, though.

My late first wife was a big fan of Linda Ronstadt, as I was. Linda's Prisoner in Disguise (1975) and Hasten Down the Wind (1976) albums got a lot of play at our house. And after Terry died in June 1977, those albums were what I listened to most often when I needed to grieve.

Today's send-off is Linda's cover of Warren's beautiful song "Hasten Down the Wind." Enjoy...and then go hug someone you love...

Sunday Potpourri No. 15

Today's post comes with the Standard Sunday Disclaimer: "The post title is using the term 'potpourri' in the second of the two senses listed here. The post may also be rather short, although not necessarily so."

Things That Make Me Happy: Pigskin Edition

My beloved Missouri Tigers kicked off their 2015 season with a comfortable 34-3 victory over the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State University yesterday afternoon at Faurot Field.

QB Maty Mauk finished 12-22 for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

On top of the Tigers' fine showing, Iowa State and Notre Dame both won, while Kansas and Nebraska both lost. For me, that's about as perfect a college football Saturday as they come.

The Tigers now hit the road for a game against the Arkansas State Red Wolves next Saturday evening. Next Saturday also features the now-annual clash between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Kind of a Big Deal in these parts. The game will be played at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames...

Dreams

Sometimes I dream about winning the Powerball drawing, and giving away almost all of the money. Sometimes I dream about dating Angie Harmon, and seeing the two of us become a Hollywood Power Couple. And sometimes, I dream about...

Damn you, Village Inn!

"Do you ever dream about your arteries hardening?"

Buzz off, killjoy...

Battery Life is Key

From the delightfully wry comic strip FoxTrot, by Bill Amend, which you should read every Sunday, as I do.

Until Next Time...

When you get to be a certain age, sentimentality manifests itself more often in remembrance than in any other form. I find that nowadays anniversaries mean a lot more to me than they did when I was young, for instance. And when I am celebrating an important anniversary of some sort, as I am today, it is only natural that sentimental music will appeal to me even more than it usually does.

Country artist Brad Paisley has been on my mind a fair amount since last Thursday, when he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. I wrote about that appearance here. One of my favorite things about Brad is his unabashed sentimentality.

Today's send-off is the video for Brad's 2005 single "When I Get Where I'm Going" (yes, that's Dolly Parton singing along with him), which became his fifth No. 1 hit (it reached the top spot the week of March 4, 2006). I like the song's premise, but it also reminds me that there's no reason not to tell the people we love how much they mean to us while they're still around.

Enjoy...and tell the people who matter in your life how much you love them...don't even think about putting it off until tomorrow...

Kickoffs

Away We Go!

Today is the first Saturday of the 2015 college football season. I like college football, so you can expect to find me writing about it from time to time here.

"You're going to write about stuff you like? Way to think outside the box, Shu."

 Don't be a hater...

Among other games on the schedule, my beloved Missouri Tigers (two-time defending SEC East champions) will be taking on Southeast Missouri State at
Faurot Field. Mizzou-RAH!

Kate

I married for the second time on July 16, 1988, in Casper, Wyoming. The following spring, my wife Karla and I decided to upgrade from the compact Buick Skylark
I was driving when we married (a car I wrote about here). We did some shopping in Casper, but eventually elected to wait until we were in Kansas City for a visit with my parents to buy a new car, because the prices were significantly lower there (thanks to greater competition).

We eventually chose a brand-new 1989 Ford Taurus GL (still a First Generation iteration of Ford's breakthrough design), black with gray trim and interior. It looked just like the picture below except for the hubcaps (and we chose whitewall tires to "dress up" the look a little bit). We purchased her from Bill Woods Ford, not far from where my parents lived at the time. We called her "Kate" based on the first two letters of each of our first names. (What can I say, we were young and in love, which involves a certain amount of romantic sappiness.)

1989 Ford Taurus GL

We were separated in 1995, and divorced in 1996 (not my choice). Divorce is never an easy process for anyone, but one of the sorrows I had to bear was parting with this car...and all the positive memories I associated with it.

Hawkeye Express

When it comes to collegiate sports, my allegiances are to the Missouri Tigers and the Iowa State Cyclones, but I must admit that I really dig something the Iowa Hawkeyes do for their home football games.

Once again this season, fans will be able to ride the Hawkeye Express, a shuttle operated by the Iowa Northern Railway that runs between Coralville (a suburb of Iowa City) and Kinnick Stadium.

On the way from Coralville to Kinnick Stadium

The locomotive, which is wearing a Rock Island "heritage" livery, is an EMD F40PH. The bi-level coaches, painted in the University of Iowa's black-and-gold, are also very cool.

Quite a few Hawkeye fans will be riding the Express today, as Iowa is playing Illinois State University at Kinnick later this morning...

Language Moves On, While Some People...

From the wonderfully droll webcomic xkcd, by Randall Munroe, which you should read every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, as I do.

Until Next Time...

While he was here in Council Bluffs last weekend for a visit, my best friend Skip showed me some pictures he had taken while on a trip to New Zealand earlier this year with his wife Elaine. The pictures were breathtakingly beautiful, as New Zealand is truly one of the most scenic places on Earth. As he typically does when he returns from his travels, he is preparing a multimedia travelogue he'll be sharing with friends back in Pennsylvania, where he and Elaine live.

When I was looking for something to use for today's send-off, I happened across a similar (albeit much shorter) travelogue video featuring scenic photographs of Scotland. I will most likely never get to visit such beautiful locales in person, so I appreciate opportunities to "visit" them via photography. And this particular video did a splendid job of pairing the photographs with a stirring bit of music.

The song is "The Gael," by Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean, which was adapted by film score composer Trevor Jones into the main motif for his score of Michael Mann's 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans (which is one of my all-time favorite movies). It is performed here by the pipes and drums of the  Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Enjoy...

Uncivil Disobedience

Thank Áine It's Friday!

"Summer's almost over, so Sláinte!"

Oh, Good Grief...

One of the most abused and put-upon concepts in our political discourse these days is the notion of "civil disobedience." There seem to be quite a few people who are deeply confused about its meaning, as witness all of the silly commentary about Kim Davis, the clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky who has chosen to go to jail for contempt rather than comply with a court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

"Can't you people at least read what I wrote first?"

In his famous 1849 essay "Resistance to Civil Government," the poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau argued that a person owed a greater allegiance to their own conscience than to any unjust law the State might pass.

The part that everyone always forgets is the "unjust" part. People routinely misuse Thoreau's writings to justify ignoring or actively disobeying any law which they find disagreeable.




That is precisely what is happening in this case. Some otherwise-intelligent people are claiming that Davis is engaged in "civil disobedience," and that she is being jailed simply for having Christian beliefs. This is nonsense on stilts.

It is not "civil disobedience" to riot and loot businesses which are not agents of the state, nor is it "civil disobedience" to obstruct the movements of law-abiding citizens who are not agents of the state. Those acts are simple law-breaking, and should be punished accordingly.

The issue in the Kim Davis case does not involve "civil disobedience," either, as the court order to issue marriage licenses which she is defying is not in itself unjust in any way. Ms. Davis is not in jail because of her religious beliefs, as many have alleged. She is in jail because she wants to hang on to her high-paying job while refusing to carry out its duties under the law. She is refusing to comply with a legally valid judicial order.

The people trying to turn Kim Davis into some sort of folk hero or poster child for religious freedom need to educate themselves. Contra Mark Levin, there is no 1st Amendment right to use your private religious beliefs as an excuse not to do your job, or to thumb your nose at a court order. There is no reasonable basis for Davis's actions, and she got what she deserved. We are, after all, a nation of laws, not a nation of arrogant clerks.

Things That Make Me Happy: Slugfest Edition

The rubber game of the three-game series between the Detroit Tigers and my beloved Kansas City Royals last night at Kauffman Stadium was not a pitcher's duel. The score was 3-2 Tigers after one inning, 12 runs had been scored by the end of the 3rd inning, both starters were gone by the 4th inning, and the bullpens weren't exactly mowing 'em down, either. The Royals eventually blew the game open with a six-run 7th inning and prevailed 15-7. Chris Young picked up the win in relief and is now 10-6 with a 3.13 ERA.

As usual when you score so frequently, there was no shortage of offensive stars of the game. DH Kendrys Morales had the most productive night, going 4-for-5 with a double, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs scored.

Kendrys Morales receiving a celebratory post-game dousing from Sal Perez.

Last night's victory was win No. 82, ensuring the Royals their third straight winning season, something they have not managed in nearly thirty years (1986-89). The Royals are also the only team in major league baseball this season which has not spent even one day under .500, and win No. 82 means they will become the only team in franchise history to complete an entire 162-game season without ever being under .500. It is a great time to be a Royals fan, certainly.

The Chicago White Sox come to town tonight to begin a three-game weekend series. Kris Medlen (3-0, 3.51 ERA) will take the mound for the Royals in Game 1 against long-time Royals nemesis John Danks (6-12, 4.82).

Joe and Brad

So last night two of my guitar heroes, Joe Bonamassa and Brad Paisley, were both on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. I don't generally stay up late enough to watch that show, but last night I made an exception (I also recorded it so that I could watch it a few more times).

Joe (@JBONAMASSA) is one of the folks I follow on Twitter, and here is a picture he posted there of Brad playing one of Joe's famous 1959 Les Paul "bursts" backstage before taping the show: 

Brad plays "Principal Skinner" while Joe watches.

Joe did a splendid job all night working with Jimmy's marvelous house band The Roots, and Brad played "Country Nation," the new single from his chart-topping Moonshine in the Trunk album, which you can watch here. Joe also has a new album due out soon (pre-order here). More on that in due course...

"You writing about a Joe Bonamassa album? Shocker!"

I know, right?

Until Next Time...

This is another one of those "strange connections" entries. Yesterday afternoon I was watching an episode of the TV series Bones (based on mystery novels by Kathy Reichs). The particular episode was called "The Knight On the Grid"...

You're not funny. Go eat-murder some ants, please...

Anyway, there is a montage scene late in this episode that features the song "Low Is a Height," by a band called Great Northern. In the fall of 2012 I was directing the play The Late Great Me, and was looking for a piece of music to use as a curtain-raiser. 

I happened to watch this Bones episode at some point during that search, and the song struck me as a good fit both musically and lyrically, so I used it. And hearing it again yesterday brought back all sorts of wonderful memories of that production, and the students who were a part of it, so...

Today's send-off is the official music video of the song, and comes with all the usual caveats about music videos. Enjoy...

Of Chickens and Roosts

Here We Go...

The school year has just started, and already stories of absurd school-related contretemps are starting to pop up. I'm something of a connoisseur regarding such stories, and they'll be a frequent topic of conversation (and mockery) on this blog throughout the school year. You've been warned.

Hillsboro High School, Missouri

So on Monday, more than 100 students walked out of Hillsboro High School in rural eastern Missouri in protest of a senior student by the name of Lila Perry announcing "her" intention to use restrooms and locker rooms designated for female students.


Why did this announcement spark such a response? Well, Lila is not biologically female. Lila has a penis, in other words. Understandably, female students at the high school did not want to be forced to look at Lila's penis (remember when showing a woman your penis against her will was a crime?). And now, thanks to the ubiquity of communication technology, the whole country is involved in the issue of who does or does not have to look at Lila's penis at school.

Gosh, who could have seen something like this coming?

I think people could have figured that out without your help...

Anyway, for as long as I can remember public schools have been used as test beds for all sorts of trendy progressive theories about education, and about the young people those schools were intended to educate. The focus on "gender identity," a product of the 1960s, is just the latest progressive idea to be shoehorned into the public school system.

In her excellent book Left Back: A Century of Battles Over School Reform, educational historian Diane Ravitch puts it this way:

Every perceived need, interest, concern, problem, or issue found a place in the curriculum or provided a rationale for adding new specialists to the school's staff. Once the hierarchy of educational values was shattered, once schools lost their compass, hawkers of new wares could market their stock to the schools. Every purveyor of social reform could find a willing customer in the schools because all needs were presumed equal in importance, and there was no longer any general consensus on the central purpose of schooling.

Diane's book was published 15 years ago, but anyone associated with the K-12 public education system knows her observation is, if anything, even more true today than it was then. Somehow, I managed to get all the way through my K-12 education without knowing or caring what anyone else's "gender identity" was. These days, however, that sort of un-progressive thinking is what the LGBT movement seeks to overthrow.

That this is mostly an exercise in narcissism is evident from Lila's response to suggested accommodations for her "identity."

I wasn’t hurting anyone. I didn’t want to be in something gender-neutral. I am a girl. I am not going to be pushed away to another bathroom.

In other words: Everyone else must kowtow to my delusion that I am a female, and I'm going to keep stirring up trouble until they do. It is all about what Lila feels, what Lila thinks, what Lila wants. Other female students who would prefer not to see Lila's penis on a daily basis are heartless oppressors, don't you see?

Meanwhile, we're not even entirely sure that catering to this particular delusion is
a good idea to begin with.

One would hope that some sensible adults will deal with the situation sensibly,
at Hillsboro and everywhere else it comes up, but since we're dealing with both progressive ideology and the public school system, I doubt that will be the outcome...

Things That Make Me Happy: Blowout Edition

After Tuesday night's disheartening 6-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium, my beloved Kansas City Royals bounced back in a big way last night, bombing the Tigers 12-1 in front of nearly 27,000 fans.

Young right-hander Yordano Ventura turned in another outstanding start, pitching seven innings while allowing only a single run on just five hits. He tied his career-high (set in his previous outing) with 11 strikeouts, and walked only one batter. His record improved to 10-7, 4.24 ERA. His ERA over his last five starts is just 1.13.

A game like this does not lack for offensive stars, and the Royals had plenty of them, including 2B Ben Zobrist, All-Star CF Lorenzo Cain, and DH Kendrys Morales, all of whom hit home runs. But the Star of Stars was rookie 3B Cheslor Cuthbert, who had a two-run single in the 2nd and a two-run home run (his first in the major leagues) in the 5th.

Rookie 3B Cheslor Cuthbert showing off his home run trot.

Nice game, rook...

Successful People

From the indispensable comic strip Dilbert, by Scott Adams, which you should read every day, as I do.

Until Next Time...

So I was reminiscing a little bit this morning about my very first teaching gig, which led me to remember a particular colleague I enjoyed working with (the drama teacher), which led me to remember a particular show she directed that made a strong impression on me (a production of the one-act play Interview, by Jean-Claude van Itallie), which led me to recalling her clever use of music to enhance the show's theatricality (a technique I put to use myself when I began directing plays 18 years later), which led me to remembering the song she used in that production...

Today's send-off is that song, Elly Stone's performance of "Carousel (La valse à mille temps)," from the 1968 Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording of the revue Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Enjoy...

Shameful Capitulation

With Senators Like These, Who Needs Mullahs?

So when Iran acquires nuclear weapons in a couple of years (which they will do easily thanks to the "deal" with the Iranian mullahs, which cleared its final hurdle in the Senate yesterday), and uses them to carry out its repeated threats to destroy Israel (and, eventually, America), there will be plenty of blame to go around. The lion's share of it will belong to President Obama, of course, since he spearheaded the drive to bring about the cherished progressive goals of ending U.S. "hegemony" in the Middle East and the end of the "apartheid" state of Israel.

But he couldn't have done it without the cooperation of Republicans in the United States Senate. And they were certainly able to sink to the occasion, enabling President Obama's deal to bypass the usual checks and balances provided for in the U.S. Constitution.

"Why yes, I am as dumb as I look. Thanks for asking!"

The genius behind this debacle is Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee. It was his
bill that reversed the usual supermajority requirement for Senate approval of international agreements.

Almost immediately after it passed, it became obvious that Senator Corker and his bill had become irrelevant to the advancement of the deal with Iran. It was barely a speed bump, in fact.




But by signing the bill into law, President Obama got what he wanted: A process which guaranteed that as few as 34 senators could ensure the deal's passage (that's the number needed to sustain an Obama veto of any deal-killing Senate resolutions). Yesterday, Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland (who is, conveniently, retiring and will never again have to face voters) became the 34th vote he needed.

I spent much of my life hearing that the conflict between the United States and the former Soviet Union would continue into perpetuity. It was the conventional wisdom that the Berlin Wall would never come down.

I am grateful that those predictions proved false, of course, but it makes me leery of predictions that Iran will never acquire nuclear weapons, and that even if they did they would never use them against Israel or the United States. The track record of progressive Conventional Wisdom does not inspire confidence.

I just hope that when Iran gets its nukes there is enough time to write the history of Obama's folly before the bombs start to drop...

Things That Make Me Happy: Prodigal's Return Edition

Alex hits a sacrifice fly to right to score the Royals' first run.

All-Star and Gold Glove left fielder Alex Gordon returned to the lineup for my beloved Kansas City Royals last night, his first action in the major leagues since his leg injury on July 8.




Alex was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, but the Royals lost the first game of this nine-game homestand, falling 6-5 to the Detroit Tigers.

"This is going to turn out to be MY fault somehow, isn't it?"

You DID use the "P" word the other day, and they haven't won a game since, so Yes, it's your fault...

Chess Update

Grandmaster Levon Aronian

The Third Annual Sinquefield Cup chess tournament wrapped up yesterday at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Former World No. 2 Grandmaster (GM) Levon Aronian of Armenia, who dropped out of the top 15 in the rankings for awhile after a terrible 2014 season, continued his recent resurgence by winning clear first place with a score of 6/9, a full point clear of the rest of the field. It was a strong performance, and Levon is back up to No. 7 in the world rankings.





World No. 1 and current World Champion GM Magnus Carlsen of Norway finished 5/9 and claimed second place on tie-breaks over U.S. GM Hikaru Nakumura, who also finished at 5/9. GM Nakumura's showing in St. Louis moved him from No. 4 to No. 2 in the world rankings. He is the highest-rated U.S. player ever, and the 7th-highest of all time.

"My future's so bright I gotta wear shades!"

A Key Part of Growing Up

From the marvelous comic strip Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, which you should read every day, as I do.

Until Next Time...

It won't be long before summer is officially over but it is still with us for awhile longer, and these warm days put me in mind of some great music. One such tune is "Summertime," composed by George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward for the opera Porgy and Bess, which had its Broadway debut nearly 80 years ago, on September 30, 1935.

In 1959, jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald released their album Porgy and Bess, a recording of selected songs from Gershwin's opera. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. Today's send-off is their rendition of "Summertime." Enjoy...

Skirmishes

Easy Call

So the County Clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky, a woman named Kim Davis, continues to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges and a district court ruling that she must comply with that decision. She claims "God's authority" is the basis for her refusal. She forbids other clerks in her office from issuing them, either, and in fact her office has stopped issuing licenses to anyone in an attempt to avoid a discrimination charge.

"If you've got a problem with my decision, take it up with God."

Unfortunately, Ms. Davis is not working for God, she is working for the government of Rowan County, Kentucky. If she cannot in good conscience do the job the voters elected her to do, nor allow others in her office to do so, she ought to resign.

Ms. Davis is arguing that she is somehow entitled to keep her position even though she refuses to obey the law and prevents her employees from obeying it because "God's law" trumps man's law. Regardless of what her religious beliefs are, however, she cannot use the instrumentality of the state to enforce them. To attempt to do so is not licit, and is ethically suspect as well.

This woman should be sent packing, at once. And while she's sitting at home looking for another job, perhaps she can re-read Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17, and Luke 20:20-26.

This doesn't really have anything to do with one's views on same-sex marriage (I'm fine with it, but I also think government should get out of the marriage-sanctioning business altogether). The issue here is whether an employee of the state can use religious belief as a pretext for refusing to carry out the duties of their office.

This is an easy call, folks...

Things That Make Me Happy: Home Cooking Edition

Tonight my beloved Kansas City Royals return to Kauffman Stadium to begin a nine-game homestand. They begin September with a record of 80-50, by far the best record in the American League, and lead the Central Division by 13 games with only 32 games left to play.

I make no such concession, and you should shut your pipe before you jinx them...

Rejected Career Option No. 461

From the delightful comic strip Non Sequitur, by Wiley Miller, which you should read every day, as I do (even though he's a squishy liberal).

Until Next Time...

Sometimes in classical music a composition takes on a life of its own after its debut, becoming so popular that the original title is all but forgotten in favor of a simpler title embraced by those who love the piece. This was certainly the case with Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor. If you used this title with most casual classical music listeners they probably wouldn't know which piece you were talking about. If you called it the "Moonlight Sonata," though, there would be smiles and nods of recognition. It is, after all, one of the most beloved works Beethoven ever wrote...

Today's send-off is a performance of the famous sonata by the talented Valentina Lisitsa. Enjoy...