Remember When?

Short Memories

Birds of a feather...

One of the great glories of the Information Age is that it is now easier than it has ever been to publicly expose political hypocrisy, which is always a useful thing.




Democrats have already begun their huffing and puffing about how the Republican-controlled Senate should simply acquiesce and consent to whomever President Obama nominates to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday.

Of course, they were all singing quite a different tune in 2006, when President George W. Bush sought to fill the vacancy created by Sandra Day O'Connor's resignation. Then-senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton joined the attempt to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito, as did Harry Reid, current Secretary of State John Kerry, and current Vice-President Joe Biden. That's worth keeping in mind when you hear all the arm-waving about "Republican obstruction" from Democrats regarding the current vacancy.

You might also want to ask Robert Bork about how cooperative Democrat-controlled Senates have been in approving Republican-nominated justices. I guess it only counts as "obstruction" when Republicans want to block a nomination.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer (who also joined the Alito filibuster attempt) even went so far as to say in 2007 that President Bush, having appointed Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts, should not be allowed to appoint additional justices to the Supreme Court in the event of any vacancies. He vigorously objects to people bringing that speech up nowadays, of course.

"Well, the news media will certainly highlight such obvious hypocrisy, right?"

Never in a million years...

Beginning of the End

Always a welcome sight

On February 16, 2011 Borders Group, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and announced it would close more than 200 of its bookstores in the United States.




Those of us who loved Borders (I still have a Borders Rewards membership tab on my key ring) knew this was the death knell for the company, which had been very badly managed for many years (it last turned a profit in 2006).

Eventually, the Chapter 11 filing was converted to a Chapter 7, and the company was liquidated. Even though as a conservative I believe in the necessity of what Joseph Schumpeter called "creative destruction," it was a painful loss for me, as I whiled away many a pleasant hour in Borders stores all over the country.

"They served good coffee, too, didn't they?"

Yes, they did...

Speaking of Bankruptcies...

Hard to believe Kanye's clothing line didn't take off

The Grammy Awards were their customary over-produced and erratic snooze-fest last night, but it was wildly entertaining to observe Kanye West's Twitter meltdown over his financial woes.





What kind of a society have we become when a talentless, self-aggrandizing hack can't find anyone to rescue him from his calamitous debt and business hubris?

Called Home

From the pen of Lisa Benson, whose editorial cartoons you should read often, as I do.

Until Next Time...

Not everyone with a passion for music winds up as a performing artist, of course. There are many ways of channeling one's musical inclinations, and one of the great glories of the free market is that it allows people to form commercial enterprises that take full advantage of those pathways.

One of the more interesting companies to come along is Brand X Music, which specializes in creating music for use in motion picture trailers, television advertising, and video game trailers.

The company is the work of composers John Sponsler and Tom Gire, and its claim to fame is its library of compositions which can be seamlessly plugged into a variety of promotional materials.



Sponsler and Gire have chosen to release some of their work to the public at large. This week's Music Recommendation is their latest album, Chronos. You can watch a short video of the composers talking about how that project came about here.

Today's send-off is the official music video for "Unveiled," one of my favorite tracks from the new album. Enjoy...

Presidents' Day 2016

The Mask Comes Off

"Yeah, I'm a YUUUUUUUUUGE progressive Democrat. So?"

At the Republican presidential debate in South Carolina on Saturday, asshat Donald Trump had an epic meltdown in response to sustained attacks from Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz.




Before it was over, Trump had embraced the craziest of 9/11 Truther conspiracy nonsense, lauded Planned Parenthood, and reiterated his support for a government-run health care system that "covers everyone" (also known as "single-payer"). And those were just the highlights. Many of his answers bordered on outright incoherence.

Having known from the outset that this man is a lifelong progressive Democrat, and having criticized the GOP for allowing him to pretend otherwise for some obscure reason, I can now only hope that the voters in upcoming GOP primaries do the right thing and send this charlatan packing. GOP primary voters do not have an illustrious history in this regard.

South Carolina, unfortunately, is an open primary, and since the race on the Democratic side isn't close, lots of Democrats will cross over to vote on the Republican side, just to skew the results. Open primaries are the work of the Devil (in cahoots with the geniuses running the Republican National Committee).

"Are you still scouting locations in Canada?"

I'd be a fool not to...

Wild Kingdom Bed & Breakfast Update

"Nice little joint you got here."

It had been awhile since I've seen any new species visiting the B&B, but yesterday morning when I peeked out I saw a single mourning dove. He didn't appear to be eating anything, just sort of resting, but Audubon's field guide says this type of bird typically fills his crop with seed, then digests while resting. He sat quietly for awhile before noticing me peeking at him through the curtain, at which point he flew away.

According to Audubon, adult mourning doves don't necessarily migrate during the winter months if they can locate a reliable food source. Since they are seed-eaters that might make the B&B an attractive place, so I'm hopeful of seeing him again one of these days.

All are welcome at the B&B, of course...

One of These Things Is Not Like the Others

From the insightful pen of Michael Ramirez, whose editorial cartoons you should read often, as I do.

Until Next Time...

One of the more frustrating aspects of the music business for artists is the risk that their early efforts will be pigeon-holed into a particular category, making it less likely that anyone who doesn't pay attention to that category will ever hear their music. Artists who develop what is called "cross-over appeal" are rare.

Linda Ronstadt managed to accomplish the feat, but it wasn't easy. She began her career as a folkie, then began recording rock-inflected country songs. She enjoyed some success in this vein, including country No. 1 hits and Grammy nominations, but Ronstadt kept on experimenting with her style. She didn't want to be known simply as a country artist.

Working with producer Peter Asher and musician/arranger Andrew Gold, Ronstadt finally found the formula for appealing to a wider audience with a recording released in late 1974.

Original 1974 album cover

On February 15, 1975 Linda's Heart Like a Wheel album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, the same day the album's first single, "You're No Good," reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart (her only single to accomplish that particular feat).

The album spent 51 weeks on the charts, received two platinum certifications, and earned Ronstadt the first of her record 11 Grammy Awards.



The album was eventually selected for the National Recording Registry curated by the Library of Congress, and cemented Ronstadt's appeal as the most popular female singer of her generation. She went on to sell over 100 million records worldwide.

Linda was a favorite of mine starting with Heart Like a Wheel, and continuing through the end of her singing and recording career in 2011 (due to Parkinson's Disease). She was also one of my late first wife's favorites.

Today's send-off is the song that was her lone No. 1 Billboard Single. Enjoy...

Valentine's Day 2016

Feast Day

Statue of St. Valentine, Whitefriar Street Church, Dublin

Relative to other saints, we really don't know all that much about Saint Valentine, whose feast day we celebrate today.

Opinions also vary with regard to how Valentine's feast day came to be associated with romantic love, but the best evidence is that the practice began in the 14th century in England, chiefly due to Geoffrey Chaucer's poem "Parlement of Foules."

Of course millions of people celebrate Valentine's Day every year with no regard whatsoever for the saint for whom the day
is named.


Regardless of all that, Valentine remains the patron saint of courtly love and romantic devotion. Someone living the sort of life I am now living can still have a sentimental affection for the holiday, even if as a practical matter it no longer has the significance
it once did.

"Would some nice chocolate-covered ants cheer you up?"

I'm fine, thanks...

Requiescat in Pace

March 11, 1936 - February 13, 2016

What was already a pretty miserable day yesterday was made immeasurably worse with the news that Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia had died in his sleep while on a hunting trip in Texas. He was 79 years old.

Losing the court's intellectual anchor and most steadfast conservative voice is calamitous at
a time when essential liberties are under assault on a daily basis.

Justice Scalia on a visit to Texas

Of course progressives were quick
to share their disgusting glee at his passing, and were equally quick to begin their campaign to undermine the legitimacy of the Senate's constitutional role in approving nominees to the court. They have suggested that any attempt to block President Obama from filling the vacancy would be unprecedented and shameful.




That point of view ignores the history of SCOTUS nominations in general (in which the Democrats have often blocked Republican nominations), and in particular the situation we have now, where the vacancy occurs during a presidential election year with a lame-duck president in the White House, but given the progressive leanings of the mainstream media only one side of that history will be included in the news coverage to come.

At a time when people are faced with a surfeit of ugly political rhetoric, the sort of partisan rancor Scalia's death has triggered is especially dispiriting.

Sometimes, Less is More

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

Until Next Time...

Ever since I was a teenager I have had a fondness for what are known as "live" albums, recordings of an artist or group in concert before a live audience. Some of my all-time favorite albums are of this type, and the best of them capture the performer's essence as well as the audience's enjoyment of the moment.

On February 14, 1970 my favorite band, The Who, recorded a concert in the University Refectory at the University of Leeds which would become one of the highlights of the band's career, and one of the landmark live recordings in all of rock music history. Although many notable performers have appeared at this venue over the years, only one has a special plaque there commemorating the event.

Original 1970 album cover

Live at Leeds was recorded just
a few months after the band's legendary performance at the Woodstock Festival, and it was released just as my junior year of high school was drawing to a close in May 1970. I had tickets to see the band live in Kansas City that July, so I was particularly interested in hearing how they sounded in concert.





Even though the album was only excerpts from a much longer show, and had almost
as many cover songs on it as performances of the band's own original material, I was enthralled.

The album was a major hit for the band, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, and the subsequent remastered and expanded releases including the entire show have proven popular as well. Live at Leeds will always be a part of the soundtrack of my coming of age.

One of my favorite tracks on the album was the band's performance of Eddie Cochran's classic "Summertime Blues," which was part of the band's live set list for more than a decade. The Live at Leeds version was released as a single, and reached No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.

Today's send-off is the band's performance of the song from the 1995 remaster of the original tapes. Enjoy...

C'mon, Man!

Seriously, Guys?

"I forgot Valentine's Day! I'm DOOMED!"

One of the standard plot devices in TV shows (and sometimes movies also) is the guy who "forgets" Valentine's Day and has to frantically scramble to get something for his paramour. In some cases, he fails to do this in a timely manner, and has to cope with the fallout from his forgetfulness.

I have problems with this particular trope.

The ONLY way a sentient human being could "forget" Valentine's Day is if that person never left his house, never read a newspaper, never went online, never watched television, didn't own a smartphone, and never talked to another living soul.


In the run-up to Valentine's Day, we are neck-deep in reminders. When I went to
my local Hy-Vee yesterday evening, for instance, the whole place was crammed with Valentine's Day displays, special merchandise, discounts, etc. That's the case with most grocery stores, drug stores, even convenience stores.

It is the same with media. Newspapers are chock full of Valentine's Day ads, and TV is saturated with them on almost every channel. If you use email, or visit any websites, the targeted ads will also be heavily skewed toward Valentine's Day. Same thing with social media like Twitter and Facebook.

If, in spite of all this, you STILL manage to forget the one day of the year when romance is celebrated, you deserve your fate...

Crunch Time

It was just a couple of weeks ago that the Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team blew out No. 4 Kansas at Hilton Coliseum. That was the team's fourth straight win, a streak that also included a win against the then-No. 1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

When the No. 14 Cyclones welcome No. 24 Texas to Hilton tonight, though, the situation is considerably different. The team has lost three of its last four games, with the only win being a five-point triumph over a bad Oklahoma State team.

They have slipped to just 6-5 in Big XII play, good for 6th place. With three road games remaining against ranked opponents, the Cyclones need to take care of business at home tonight.

"How are the UC Irvine Anteaters doing?"

Still alone in second place in their conference, just one game back of Hawaii, but they've lost two of their last three. They're playing at home tonight against a bad Cal State Northridge team, and could really use a victory...

It Pays to Have a Large Vocabulary, Kid

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

Until Next Time...

No matter how successful they might eventually become, almost all bands begin their careers the same way. That was certainly the case with the British rock band Dire Straits, formed in 1977 by guitarist Mark Knopfler and his brother David, along with John Illsley and Pick Withers. The band played small gigs, made demo tapes to shop around to record companies, and honed their sound. Eventually they were signed to a recording deal with Phonogram Records.

On February 13, 1978 the band entered Basing Street Studios in the Notting Hill section of London and began recording their eponymous debut album.

Original 1978 album cover

Fueled by the popularity of the single "Sultans of Swing" (which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart), Dire Straits peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, and eventually earned two RIAA platinum certifications.

Unlike many bands, Dire Straits was able to build on this initial success. The have received four Grammy Awards and numerous other awards and nominations. Their 1985 album Brothers in Arms became the first recording to sell more than a million copies in CD format, and it has sold more than 30 million copies.

Overall the band has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and I am confident they will eventually be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are one of only a handful of bands from that era whose music I still enjoy nowadays.

Today's send-off is the original 1978 studio recording of "Sultans of Swing" that launched the band's career. Even after nearly four decades I think it holds up quite well, and it is always a treat to listen to for me. Enjoy...

Fry Day

Thank Ishtar It's Friday!

"It's Presidents' Day Weekend, mortals! Time to get frisky!"

Charades

So, there was another "debate" last night between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

To say that it was tedious and boring would be to damn it with faint praise.


Broadcasting the debate on PBS, and holding it in Milwaukee when every political reporter in the country is in South Carolina, seemed like a pretty good way to make sure hardly anyone saw the clash.

Based on the accounts I have read so far, most news organizations are writing their stories based on campaign press releases issued afterward. It isn't clear to me that any of the reporters writing about the debate actually watched it. But then, why should they have to when the rest of us don't?

In most respects, it was a typical Democratic debate. There were no questions about abortion, no questions about evolution, no questions about religious faith, nor any of the other urgent topics "moderators" typically ask about when there are Republicans standing in front of them.

Instead, it was softball after softball on the usual Democrat themes: "systemic racism," "the one percent," "war on women," etc. Most of the action centered around the two candidates scrapping over who was a more ardent supporter of Barack Obama and which of them would be likelier to continue his policies.

"You didn't really expect the moderators to ask hard questions, did you?"

Of course not. Why would they start doing so at this late date in the campaign?

Lenten Tradition

For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite happenings during Lent has been the Friday fish fry.

At this time of year most parishes, and lots of restaurants, have such a feast every Friday until Easter. The best ones are all-you-can-eat, which is a big deal since Catholics are obliged to fast on Fridays during Lent, eating only a single full meal.

Village Inn's fish fry menu

A fish fry sponsored by a parish is likely to be a simple affair, while ones offered at restaurants will typically have lots of options.

I consider myself a fish fry traditionalist, and so I prefer to stick to the Holy Trinity: Deep-fried fish, french fries, and cole slaw.

"Man, the stuff you bipeds put into your bodies..."

Don't knock it unless you've tried it...

Just How Foolish Are Democrats, Anyway?

From the pen of Lisa Benson, whose editorial cartoons you should read often, as I do.

Until Next Time...

In November 1923, the popular bandleader Paul Whiteman, often called "The King of Jazz" at that time, commissioned composer George Gershwin to write a piece combining elements of classical music with jazz idioms. Whiteman referred to what he had in mind as a "jazz concerto." Genius that he was, Gershwin came up with one of the most celebrated works of his career, Rhapsody in Blue.

Original 1924 sheet music cover

On February 12, 1924 Gershwin himself debuted his composition, playing piano along with Whiteman's orchestra at the Aeolian Hall in New York City.

In 1925, Gershwin recorded a Duo-Art piano roll of an orchestral arrangement of the piece. In an astounding bit of technological legerdemain, that piano roll was used in 1976 as the basis for a recording of Rhapsody by Michael Tilson Thomas and the Columbia Jazz Band.

By playing the roll through a reproducing piano, Thomas and his band were basically able to play along with Gershwin, even though the composer had died nearly 40 years before the recording was made.

Today's send-off is that remarkable recording, easily my favorite version of the landmark composition. Enjoy...

 

Visions

The Future of Conservatism

Yesterday afternoon Carly Fiorina,
to whose campaign I had contributed
a few times and for whom I caucused on February 1, ended her campaign for the Republican Party's nomination for President. She chose to withdraw after a disappointing seventh-place finish in the New Hampshire primary.

She joins other conservatives like Scott Walker, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, and Rand Paul on the sidelines, while asshat Donald Trump and hapless "moderates" John Kasich (endorsed by the New York Times!) and Jeb Bush are still in the race.


This is a particularly discouraging turn of events, as it is by no means clear that either Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio, the true conservatives in the race, will be able to overcome the populist/nationalist idiocy that seems to be animating Republican voters these days.

I have always said that I am not a Republican, but rather a conservative who tends to vote Republican because that party more often than not is relatively closely aligned with my principles. If Republican primary voters nominate the lifelong progressive Democrat Trump, the party will no longer deserve my support.

One of the most frustrating aspects of this election season is that a rabble of ill-informed nativists, aided and abetted by a progressive liberal media who wants to see Hillary Clinton elected, has chosen to abandon principle and support a pompous blowhard who hasn't got a clue about the issues, and lacks any guiding principles other than promoting his own brand.

I'm just a couple of more primary disappointments away from completely repudiating the Republican Party. That is something I never saw coming.

"Well, you have to vote for somebody come November."

I really don't. If the choice is between Frick and Frack, why bother?

Visitation

On February 11, 1858 a 14-year old miller's daughter named Marie-Bernarde Soubirous (called "Bernadette" by family and friends) saw a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary while gathering firewood near a cave at Massabielle, roughly a mile from her hometown of Lourdes.

Statue at the grotto in Massabielle

Although met with skepticism at first, the Catholic Church eventually validated Bernadette's visitation, and the grotto at Massabielle became a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes.

Bernadette herself was canonized by Pope Piux XI on December 8, 1933.
To this day, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the most frequently-visited religious shrines in the world.

Although Lourdes Water from the grotto is believed by many to have healing properties, St. Bernadette herself said that any healing associated with visits to the grotto were the result of faith and prayer.

Bernadette's story was the subject of Franz Werfel's 1941 novel The Song of Bernadette, which spent more than a year on the New York Times Bestseller list, including 13 weeks at No. 1.

Original 1943 "one sheet" poster

In 1943, Werfel's novel was adapted for the screen and won four Academy Awards, including a Best Actress Oscar for Jennifer Jones in the title role.

The film received eight other Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture.

At the inaugural Golden Globe Awards ceremony in 1944, The Song of Bernadette received the Best Motion Picture-Drama award, and Jones received the Best Motion Picture Actress award.




In 1946, author and drama critic Walter Kerr and his wife Jean adapted Werfel's novel for the stage. I directed a production of the play at Bishop LeBlond Memorial High School in the fall of 1999, one of my most memorable directing experiences.

I'm Sure the Democrats Know What They're Doing

From the pen of Chip Bok, whose editorial cartoons you should read often, as I do.

Housekeeping

Yesterday's entry got a nice comment about the wonderful Benedictines of Mary, 
Queen of Apostles (whose singing was featured in the "Until Next Time..." segment). That reminded me that it has been awhile since I mentioned that comments are always welcome. Agree or disagree, I'd love to hear from you!

And while I'm at it, I should also mention that when you see live web links like this one in the text, you should consider clicking on them now and then. They are intended to enhance your enjoyment of the site.

"People enjoy the site? Are you sure?"

It isn't why I'm doing this, but yes, I do believe people enjoy it...

Until Next Time...

In 1986, singer-songwriter Jennifer Warnes recorded an album dedicated to the songs of the legendary Leonard Cohen, for whom she had served for a time as a back-up singer. Famous Blue Raincoat was released in January 1987 and broke onto the Billboard 200 Albums chart not quite 29 years ago today (February 14, 1987). It would eventually peak on that chart at No. 72.

The album featured many guest stars, including guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Lindley, and Robben Ford.

All of the songs on the album were Cohen originals except one. "Song of Bernadette" was a collaboration between Warnes and Cohen (plus
Bill Elliott).

Warnes was inspired to begin writing the song while touring with Cohen in the south of France in 1979. (If you click on the link in the previous paragraph you can read her moving reflections on the song's origins.)




Today's send-off is Jennifer's soulful rendition of the song from the remastered 2007 20th Anniversary Edition reissue of the album. Enjoy...

Ash Wednesday 2016

Lent

Purple is the liturgical color for Lent

Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Season of Lent, a time of fasting, prayer, and repentance for the faithful.

Lent begins 47 days before Easter Sunday, which will be on March 27. It is usually 46 days prior, but this is a Leap Year, so February has 29 days instead of 28.

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return..."

During the course of my life, I have only rarely received ashes that actually looked like a cross, as they are theoretically supposed to. This year was not one of those years, as you can see.

The important part of this sacramental, of course,
is the outward sign of faith and penitence which we display to the world today.

"I like the color."

Funny...

Hey, New Hampshire!

So, the good citizens of New Hampshire went to the polls has night, and it would be fair to say that they did NOT cover themselves with glory.

On the Democratic side, they gave an overwhelming victory to avowed socialist Bernie Sanders, even though party rules ensured that he'd be cheated out of delegates.

 
And on the Republican side, they gave a substantial victory to lifelong progressive Democrat Donald Trump, and gave second place to Ohio governor John Kasich, who is only polling at around 4 percent nationally among GOP voters.

There is one, and only one, proper response to give the good citizens of New Hampshire for this fine effort:

I will not. If New Hampshire caught fire I wouldn't pee on it to put it out...

The Creature I Wish Was Extinct

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

Until Next Time...

Even though the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles did not move to Gower, Missouri until 2006, a couple of years after I moved from St. Joseph, Missouri to Atlantic, Iowa I always felt a connection with the order, in part because Bishop LeBlond Memorial High School, where I taught in St. Joseph, is just 20 miles from Gower, and in part because LeBlond is actually owned by another Benedictine order.

The order's 2014 recording Lent at Ephesus is actually the first recording of theirs I came across. I was doing an Amazon search on Ash Wednesday last year (which fell on my birthday, February 18), looking for some new music for the Lenten season. A quick listen to the excerpts was all it took to sell me.

Since then, I have acquired all the order's recordings, which can be ordered directly here.



Today's send-off is "Jesu Salvator Mundi," from Lent at Ephesus. The popular choral work was written by the noted 18th century religious composer Bartolomeo Cordans. The singing, as it always is with the Benedictines of Mary, is gorgeous. Enjoy...

Shrove Tuesday 2016

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras parade at Universal Studios - Orlando in 2015

When most people hear the phrase Mardi Gras, they tend to conjure up images of colorful parades, parties, and celebrations, especially the ones which take place each year in New Orleans.





Most of those people are unaware that such celebrations are the conclusion of Carnival, a Christian season that begins on the Feast of the Epiphany and ends on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

The day before Ash Wednesday is often referred to as Fat Tuesday, (the English translation of "Mardi Gras"), a day for enjoying all sorts of foods which are often foregone during Lent. Although I do plan on indulging in some pre-Lent treats today
(40 days is a long time), I prefer the term "Shrove Tuesday," a reference to the penitential aspects of the Lenten season which begins the next day.

"And goodness knows you have done a lot for which you need forgiveness."

I have that in common with every other human person, yes...

Voting, Again

Today is the New Hampshire Primary, and so we'll be subjected all day to the usual breathless "analysis" of events that haven't even happened yet. It will be an actual relief when real results take the place of the poll data, which we've been buried under ever since the Iowa Caucuses concluded last week.



I don't know if the polls will turn out to be as mistaken today as they were when Iowans actually voted, but I certainly hope they are. If the predicted victory by asshat Donald Trump in the Republican half of the primary comes to pass, I'm not sure New Hampshire voters will ever be able to live down the shame of making such an idiotic choice.

"It's still a free country, right?"

Yes, which means the people of New Hampshire can express their preferences at the ballot box just like the rest of us...I'm just saying that if they fuck up and pick Trump, they'll deserve all the opprobrium which will come their way...

Bummer

From the pen of Henry Payne, whose editorial cartoons you should read often, as I do.

Until Next Time...

I don't really enjoy going to movies by myself, so it was a rare treat when my best friend Skip and I took in a matinee on Saturday during his visit this past weekend. We took in The Finest Hours, an old-fashioned "popcorn" movie which I highly recommend.

At a particularly tense juncture in the film, one of the Coast Guard rescuers begins to sing "Haul Away Joe," a traditional sea shanty. He is soon joined by the other three men on the rescue boat, and the effect of the scene is to help you understand the bond that seamen share with one another. It is one of the most moving moments in the film.

I was not familiar with the Irish rock band Kodaline, which is featured on the film's soundtrack album (last week's Music Recommendation). They've only been around for a few years, and have had only modest chart success to this point. I enjoyed their contribution to the film's score, and hope it brings their music to a wider audience. They deserve the attention.

The band's latest album, Coming Up for Air, was released one year ago today (February 9, 2015), and peaked at No. 113 on the Billboard 200.

Today's send-off is Kodaline's rendition of "Haul Away Joe," which plays over the movie's end credits. Enjoy...