Truth Can Be Hell

Shopping With The President

I realize that it has taken me awhile to get around to this one, but in fairness this blog wasn't around at the time of the statement, and since the blog started I've been working through a backlog of items I wanted to talk about. Anyway...

"Would I say something that isn't true? Does a chicken have lips?"

At a town hall meeting in Columbia, South Carolina back in March, President Obama actually said that it is easier to buy a gun than it is to buy a book or some fresh vegetables.





Now, in fairness, the President might have meant that you can easily get a gun in neighborhoods where there is no Barnes & Noble or Whole Foods.

That's not how his remark was interpreted, of course. Progressives who will stoop to telling any lie in service of their anti-gun agenda began repeating this canard endlessly, as if it were true in every neighborhood. And now, there are tens of millions of people who appear to sincerely believe that it is easier to get one of these...

Sig Sauer P226 Elite Stainless

...than it is one of these...

David Freddoso's latest book

...or one of these...

A delicious, nutritious vegetable

"Actually, a tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable."

Nobody likes a pedantic quadruped...

Anyway, as I have said countless times, people who say such things are simply not to be taken seriously. Yes, by all means, let's have a reasoned discussion about the subject of guns and gun violence. But can we please stick to facts, and not just-so stories and absurd hyperbole? Please?

If you have some time, you really ought to read this article, which focuses on the biggest, most common lies that dominate the public discussion of the issue in this country. If you have rational responses to any or all of the arguments the author puts forth, I'm happy to discuss them with you. If you prefer to keep telling the Big Lies, as President Obama and virtually all of the progressive left do...

Oh Hell Yes!

Promotional poster for Season 11

Speaking of going to hell, tonight is the Season 11 premiere of one of my favorite TV shows, Supernatural. This is one of those shows I never would have watched in the first place if it hadn't been for my students constantly talking about it. I'm glad they led me to it, as it is a wonderful blend of supernatural drama, humor (especially of the sarcastic variety I so love), and rock and roll.

As is the usual practice for TV dramas these days, Season 10 ended with quite a cliffhanger. Can't wait to see how Sam and Dean decide to deal with what comes next...

Things That Make Me Happy: Old Grudges Edition

So now we know that my beloved Kansas City Royals will be taking on the Houston Astros in the ALDS, which begins Thursday night in Kauffman Stadium.

Needless to say, I am hopeful that the Royals will prevail, but I must say it didn't hurt my feelings to see the Astros beat the Yankees 3-0 in the Wild Card game. The Royals have a bad history with the Yankees in the playoffs, and I really didn't want to listen to the announcers revisiting all of those old, painful memories.

All-Star Game starter Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48 ERA) kept that from happening by completely dominating the Yankees in his six innings of work, on just three days' rest
(3 hits, no runs, 7 strikeouts).

"See you in Houston for ALDS Game 3, Royals."

The Astros, like the Royals, are a team that has known adversity recently, and they richly deserve the success they have enjoyed this year. Only a late-season slump
(11-16 in September, barely better than the Royals' own 10-17 September Slump) and
an incredible push by the Texas Rangers (38-22 after August 1) kept the Astros from winning the American League West.

The Royals will have their hands full in this series, to say the least.

The starting pitcher for Houston in Game 1 will be Collin McHugh (19-7, 3.92 ERA), who made 31 starts this season but none against the Royals. KC will counter with Yordano Ventura (13-8, 4.08). Yordano pitched once against the Astros this season, beating them 5-1 on July 26 at Kauffman Stadium. In that game, Yordano went seven innings and allowed six hits but only a single run; he struck out five and didn't walk a batter.

The Astros won the season series between the two teams 4 games to 2, including a 3-0 sweep in Houston, but of course none of that will matter now. Everyone starts with a clean slate in the playoffs, as the Royals and Giants proved last season.

One thing for sure: It will be nice not to have to visit this house of horrors again until May 9-12, 2016...

"You're really superstitious, did you know that?"

I have no idea what you're talking about...

Duty Calls

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

Until Next Time...

Today's send-off is a music video by one of Dean Winchester's favorite bands, AC/DC, performing their iconic hit "Hell's Bells," released nearly 35 years ago (October 30, 1980). Enjoy...

Bullseye!

Misfire

I almost feel sorry for the soul-less automaton going by the name "Hillary Clinton" these days. Despite repeated efforts by her staff to "humanize" her, make her seem "fun" and "spontaneous," etc., she's the same sour, narcissistic, imperious, self-absorbed patrician she's been her whole adult life.

"What? You were expecting someone else?"

As columnist Jonah Goldberg noted recently, "There is no other Hillary. This is her."

I have no doubt that she considers the whole process of running for president to be beneath her station, and simply can't understand why we don't just give her the job by acclamation. She hates meeting the public (mostly because it exposes her more robotic tendencies), avoids the press like the plague, and only comments on matters of public interest when her staff thinks it is perfectly safe for her to do so. She apparently believes if she keeps a low enough profile between now and November 2016 we will elect her simply because we desperately want a president with a uterus. Or something.

Anyway, I blame her staff of sycophants and handlers for the embarrassingly ill-informed series of proposals she has put up on her campaign website in the wake of the Oregon college campus shooting. (It is ironic beyond mere words that this farrago
of falsehoods is posted in the "fact sheet" section of her website.)

Do I exaggerate? In one section, Clinton talks about "closing" the non-existent "gun show" and "internet" loopholes: "This would ensure that high-volume gun sellers are covered by the same common sense rules that apply to gun stores--including requiring background checks on gun sales."

Sounds reasonable, doesn't it? There's a slight problem, though...

"...because that's already the law, you black-eyed skank!"

You know I love it when you channel Dean Winchester...

This sort of thing happens because Clinton herself has no idea what the gun laws we already have are, and can't be bothered to find out. Her staff believes the dominant narrative of the progressive left (i.e., guns are easier to get than cheeseburgers), because none of them has ever tried to purchase a gun. Therefore, when she tells them "We need to say something to capitalize on that school shooting in Oregon," this is the sort of nonsense that is only to be expected.

And, of course, on those rare occasions when she takes questions from reporters, no one will question her about her factual errors, because the press believes the dominant narrative of the progressive left, too...

Woot!

Joe in Sioux City, Iowa in 2014

The big news for me yesterday was the announcement of my hero Joe Bonamassa's Spring 2016 U.S. Tour dates.

That information usually comes out in September, so to say that some of us were getting a little twitchy in anticipation is an understatement. I vividly recall my abject disappointment when the 2015 dates were announced and there was nothing anywhere close to me.

So, did I find something to celebrate on the Spring 2016 list?





Indeed I did. As Peyton Manning would put it...

"Oma-HAW!"

Specifically, May 4, 2016 in Kiewit Hall at the Omaha Performing Arts Center. The show will start at 8:00 PM sharp (Joe's shows always begin promptly).

On Joe's U.S. spring tour in 2014, I was able to see him perform in Omaha, Sioux City, and Des Moines within the space of a week. If I want to do another trifecta this time around, I'll have to travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota (May 5, three-hour drive from Council Bluffs) and Davenport, Iowa (May 10, five-hour drive from Council Bluffs). Seems unlikely, but spring is a long winter away, and who knows what might develop by then?

By the time the Omaha show rolls around, it will have been two years since the last time I saw him live, so I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Do you think you'll get to meet him again, like last time?"

Maybe. We'll see...

Why I Don't Worry About a Robot Takeover

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

Until Next Time...

This week's Music Recommendation is the latest release from Blue Heron, an amazing choral group dedicated to preserving and authentically performing vocal music from the Renaissance. One of the pieces on this album is a Mass ("Missa" in Latin), "Spes nostra" ("Our hope"). It is one of only three surviving compositions by Robert Jones, a composer and singer who was at court at the outset of the Tudor dynasty. To listen to this music is to be transported to early 16th century England. Blue Heron takes great pains to perform the music just as it would have sounded for Henry VIII, who undoubtedly heard this Mass at least once. It is an amazing effort, and their entire series of recordings is worth your attention if you are at all attracted to choral music.

Today's send-off is the group's performance of Jones's Credo, always the longest piece in a choral mass. Enjoy...

Up the Road a Ways

Hmmmm...

Perhaps voters in Iowa aren't quite so unsophisticated as the mainstream media would have you believe. Given the choice between this...

"My insecure, illegal private server had classified material on it? Who knew?"

and this...

"We need to stop giving control of K-12 education to textbook and testing companies."

...they felt the choice was clear:

All of this polling is a bit premature, of course, since there won't be any actual meaningful voting until next February, but I do find it interesting that the "inevitable" Hillary can't crack 40% against a Republican woman. Something for Iowa GOP Caucus participants to think about over the next few months...

Things That Make Me Happy: Top Dog Edition

Yesterday afternoon my beloved Kansas City Royals closed out the 2015 regular season with a comfortable 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis. The win was the team's fifth straight (4-0 in October so far), clinched home-field advantage for the Royals for every series they play in the playoffs, and marked the team's best regular-season record (95-67) since the World-Series-bound 1980 team finished 97-65.

The Royals will be participating in the playoffs for the second year in a row, something they last accomplished in the 1984/1985 seasons, but having the best regular-season record in the American League means a lot to Royals fans who've suffered through basically three decades of abject futility. Last year's Wild Card berth and thrilling playoff run aside, there is a lot to be said for being Top Dog in your league in the regular season. No matter what happens next, it has been a truly magical season for Royals fans.

Johnny Cueto (11-13, 3.44 ERA) picked up the win with five solid (but not spectacular) innings. The bullpen (including Edinson Volquez, who pitched two innings to reach 200 in a season for the first time in his career) was lights-out.

"Quiero ganar un anillo!"

Offensively, the Royals took an early lead on an RBI double by LF Alex Gordon and
a two-run double by RF Alex Rios in the 2nd inning. The finishing blow was C Salvador Perez's career-best 21st home run, a two-run shot in the 3rd inning that ended any doubt about the game's outcome.

"BOOM!"

The Royals will meet the winner of the Houston Astros - New York Yankees wild card playoff game, which will be played on Tuesday in the Bronx. The Royals' half of the ALDS will begin at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday.

"Are you going to go into a pessimistic funk like you did last year?"

I have no idea what you're talking about...

Feast Day

Today is the Feast Day of St. Boniface, a Benedictine monk who was a martyr for the faith and a key figure in the growth of the church in Europe, especially Germany.

There are numerous churches and parishes named in his honor both in Europe and the United States, of course. In fact, there's one less than two hours east of me, in Waukee, Iowa. Founded by Irish-American railroad workers in 1880, St. Boniface is one of oldest Catholic churches in the state. Their current building is a bit too modern for my taste, but any church that has been a part of its community since the 19th century is okay in my book...

Housekeeping

I fudged a bit this week with the Video and Music recommendations. Although I chose the latest album of liturgical music by the Blue Heron Choir for the Music selection, the DVD of Joe Bonamassa's Radio City Music Hall shows from back in January 2015 is accompanied by a CD of music from those shows as well. For a limited time, people who subscribe to Joe's newsletter can also get a free download of three songs from the Radio City gig which are not on either the CD or the DVD.

Also, just a reminder that comments are always welcome. Agree or disagree, or if you're just feeling chatty, I'd love to hear from you!

Until Next Time...

On October 5, 1992 one of the most distinctive voices in American popular music was silenced when Edward James Kendrick died of lung cancer in Birmingham, Alabama. Just 52 years old, he had found fame under the stage name Eddie Kendricks, primarily due to his career singing with legendary Motown vocal group The Temptations.

Today's send-off is a performance of the group's hit "I Can't Get Next to You," which reached No. 1 on the charts nearly 46 years ago (October 11, 1969). Eddie shared the lead vocals on this one, but his famous falsetto definitely stands out. My favorite Temptations song ever. Requiescat in pace, Eddie...

Sunday Potpourri No. 18

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."

Sunny Saturdays

The college football season is moving past the "cupcake" stage for the most part, and into conference play. This is the time of the season where the games are actually meaningful. If your alma mater beats some directional school by five touchdowns in September, no one gets too excited. That's what is supposed to happen. The only times those games matter are when your alma mater is the victim of a stunning, historic upset. And who needs that in their lives? Most fans just want to get that part of season over with as soon as possible, so that we can move on to games we actually care about.

"When opportunity knocks, open the door!"

The game I truly cared about this weekend, of course, took place at Faurot Field in Columbia. My beloved Missouri Tigers defeated South Carolina 24-10, behind true freshman quarterback Drew Lock.

Lock, playing in place of the suspended Maty Mauk, was 21-of-28 for 136 yards and two touchdowns. More than good enough.



It was the first time since Gary Pinkel (Missouri's all-time winningest coach and currently among the top five winningest active head coaches) took over at Missouri that he has started a true freshman at quarterback, which is a little surprising given his knack for developing players at that position.

It was mostly a satisfying day for me in other games as well. I was sorry to see Notre Dame lose, but Nebraska got beat, so that was nice. Penn State (my best friend's alma mater) beat Army. And in the Daily Double (for me, at least) Iowa State blew out Kansas. All in all, a pretty sunny Saturday for me.

"Nebraska's in a different conference now. Why do you still care how they do?"

 Long memory...

Wild Kingdom Bed & Breakfast Update

I've recently begun adding some food to my feeder blend that is designed to attract larger birds (shelled peanuts, pieces of dried fruit, etc.) just to see what happens. The B&B has already been attracting quite a variety of sparrows and finches, plus the occasional cardinal. Today, however, we had a new visitor...

"I'm not a fucking omen, okay? I was just hungry. Chill out."

He didn't stay long, just snagged a large piece of dried fruit and flew off (some of the smaller birds take their food somewhere else to eat it, too). He'll come around again, I'm sure, and when he does I'll try to think Creighton University and not Toronto...

Things That Make Me Happy: Home Field Edition

Speaking of the Toronto Blue Jays, they lost on the road yesterday to the Tampa Bay Rays, while my beloved Kansas City Royals played the Minnesota Twins, winning 5-1 at Target Field. The Royals win put them a game ahead of the Blue Jays for home field advantage in the ALCS, should both teams get that far (both teams will enjoy home field advantage in their ALDS series). It also eliminated the Twins from the Wild Card race.

Yordano Ventura (13-8, 4.08 ERA) pitched seven innings and only allowed four hits and one run, while striking out 11 (tying his career high). He certainly looked like he's ready to start Game 1 of the ALDS.

"Nice season, Minnesota, but no playoffs for you."

The game was a tense pitcher's duel through six innings, with the Twins' Tommy Milone (9-5, 3.92) matching Ventura pitch for pitch. The Twins went to their bullpen in the top of the 7th, which turned out disastrously, as the Royals pushed across four runs. With one out, SS Alcides Escobar tripled. With two out, CF Lorenzo Cain, who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI on the day, drove home the game-winning run with an infield single. Before the inning ended, the Royals led 5-1 and the game was essentially over.

"When you're fast, sometimes a dribbler is as good as a line drive, you know?"

The regular season comes to a close today with Johnny Cueto (10-13, 3.48 ERA) getting the start, and trying to return to form before the playoffs begin. It isn't clear how many of its regulars Minnesota will play now that they have been eliminated, but they have announced that Ricky Nolasco (5-1, 5.97) will get the start, making just his second appearance since his ankle surgery back in June. If the Royals win, the outcome of the Blue Jays-Rays game won't matter...

Until Next Time...

In the fall of 1966 I had started 8th grade in Council Bluffs, and had taken to listening to my pocket transistor radio at every opportunity. My favorite station was Omaha-based KOIL, which in those days featured a Top 40 music format. One day in early October,
I was walking home from school when a song I hadn't heard before came on. It was ridiculously infectious, and to this day I want to start dancing every time I hear the first few notes.

"Gimme Some Lovin'" was the biggest U.S. chart hit (peaked at No. 7) for The Spencer Davis Group, a short-lived British R&B band. It is one of the most popular hits of the '60s (and features perhaps the most iconic Hammond B3 organ riff of all time). Today's send-off is an early version of the music video, which British groups often used to get seen on American television until they were popular enough to rate an invitation to appear in person on shows like American Bandstand, The Ed Sullivan Show, and Shindig! If you can stay seated while listening to this, check to make sure you still have
a pulse. Enjoy...

Echoes

Silver Anniversary

Divided Germany

It would strike most people under age 50 as odd, but I'm old enough to remember a time when the world believed that the Soviet Union would be around forever, along with a divided Germany and the odious Berlin Wall that split that historic city.

Today we celebrate the 25th anniversary of German reunification. That event was an important nail in the coffin of the Soviet Union, which collapsed just over a year later.

When I watch the sorry spectacle of Barack Obama wagging his finger and abasing himself while Vladimir Putin seeks to restore the old Soviet empire, I think back to Ronald Reagan's famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate.

You see, I'm also old enough to remember what it was like having a president who was not afraid to confront evil, who was not afraid to lead.

Germans are right to celebrate this day, of course, but I am hopeful that they don't forget to celebrate the Irish-American whose courage made it possible...

Ronald Reagan speaking at the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987.

Things That Make Me Happy: Pitcher's Duel Edition

So far, at least, October has been kinder to my beloved Kansas City Royals than September was. Last night they won their third straight game (something they failed to accomplish even once in September), prevailing 3-1 over the Minnesota Twins in a tense game at Target Field dominated by excellent pitching.

Royals starter Chris Young, having just rejoined the team following his father's funeral, followed up his previous no-hit outing with another strong showing. Chris pitched into the bottom of the 7th, giving up just four hits and one run, and striking out five. In one of those unfortunate quirks of baseball, Chris didn't get credit for the win because the Royals didn't take the lead until the top of the 8th. Louis Coleman relieved Young with one out and one on, and threw only four pitches, but the last of those got a double-play. That made him the pitcher of record when the Royals broke the 1-1 tie.

"The team won, which is all I care about."

Former Royal Ervin Santana pitched a fine game also, pitching into the top of the 8th and only allowing two runs on four hits. Ervin was the hard-luck loser, and is now 7-5, 4.00 ERA.

Filling in at DH while Kendry Morales rested a sore leg, Ben Zobrist drove in the winning run with a ringing double in the top of the 8th that scored SS Alcides Escobar all the way from first base. He scored an insurance run on a single by 3B Mike Moustakas.

"Bam!"

This afternoon's game will match the Royals' Yordano Ventura (12-8, 4.20 ERA) against Tommy Milone (9-5, 4.04) for the Twins. Minnesota is still alive (barely) for a Wild Card playoff berth, while the Royals are still competing with Toronto for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Should make for a hard-fought game.

The Red Rocket

One of the by-products of my divorce was having to say goodbye to Kate, the 1989 Ford Taurus I wrote about here. It wasn't until I left St. Joseph, Missouri in 2004 to begin a teaching gig in Atlantic, Iowa that I was able to afford another brand new car, but she was worth the wait.

By that time it was was possible to use the internet to not only research various makes and models but even to search dealer inventories once I knew what I wanted. And I found this Mazda 6i hatchback (in Volcanic Red) at a dealership in west Omaha.

Rhonda the Red Rocket was economical thanks to a strong 4-cylinder engine, and the hatchback was a nice convenience (I'm sorry to say that Mazda has discontinued the hatchback body style). She also had a killer Bose sound system that made driving much more pleasurable, especially on long trips.

One of the dumbest things I ever did in my life was returning this car at the end of its lease. I wanted to get a newer version, but for a variety of reasons that never happened.

Rhonda was by any measure the best car I've ever owned, and I still miss her...

2004 Mazda 6i Hatchback in Volcanic Red

"There's another reason she was your favorite, too."

Yes, there was, but I don't want to talk about that today...

Until Next Time...

As a celebration of German reunification I have turned to arguably that nation's greatest composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. His Brandenburg Concertos are among the most beloved works in the classical realm, and seem to me like a fine way to acknowledge the key role President Reagan's speech (and subsequent leadership) played in Germany's rebirth.

Today's send-off is a performance of Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048 by the Freiburger Barockorchester, recorded at the famous "Spiegelsaal" in Köthen Castle, where Bach originally composed the concertos. Enjoy... 

Another Sad Day

Thank Yog-Sototh It's Friday!

"I specialize in reality warping and time manipulation. I also love tailgating."

Déjà Dumb

There was another horrific school shooting yesterday, this time on a college campus in Oregon. I'm not sure how long the story will remain at the top of the news cycle, as the shooter appeared to be targeting Christians. That sort of thing doesn't fit into the progressive Grand Narrative about mass shootings, so it will be interesting to see if the story disappears quickly.

In the meantime, of course, we are being subjected to the usual deluge of tiresome partisan commentary, with absolutely no one having anything new or interesting to say. That's because there isn't anything new or interesting to be said about such horrors. They have no social significance beyond themselves, and the progressive left really ought to stop pouncing like ghouls in an attempt to advance their political agenda while the bodies are still warm.

President Shameless, of course, wasted no time getting on television to assure us that horrific crimes like this one could be prevented if only we would pass what he called "sufficient common sense gun safety laws."

When it comes to specifics, of course, the President and everyone else making similar noises about Doing Something™ are curiously reluctant to offer any suggestions beyond the laws we already have. Obama's dissembling on the issue is something to behold, really...

"We need more gun laws because...uh...because...uh...wait, was that a squirrel?"

In the category of virtue signaling, there are all the usual suspects arguing that we should get rid of all the guns, "just like Australia did." Of course, Australia did no such thing, but in any event the two countries' legal and social situations are entirely different, and any attempts by the government here to ban and confiscate weapons are doomed from the outset...

Here's a radical suggestion: Maybe we should just...do nothing. Might be worth a try.

Things That Make Me Happy: October Baseball Edition

So my beloved Kansas City Royals are 1-0 in October, which is definitely an improvement over September. They defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-4 last night at U.S. Cellular Field, beating long-time nemesis John Danks in the process. (It was their first-ever victory against Danks in Chicago, and just their third in his 22 career starts against them.)

Reserve outfielder Jonny Gomes contributed three RBIs, and 3B Mike Moustakas continued his recent hot streak with two hits and two RBIs. Starter Kris Medlen rebounded from his last start (a disaster) with a solid six innings of work, giving up just four hits and a single earned run. Kris improved his record to 6-2, 4.01 ERA, and improved his chances of getting some work as a starter in the post-season.

"I just want a chance to contribute in the playoffs."

Having won the series with the White Sox two games to one, the Royals head to Minneapolis to begin a three-game series with the Twins at Target Field to conclude the regular season. Thanks to the Blue Jays losing last night, Toronto and Kansas City are tied for the home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Blue Jays hold the tie-breaker, but the Royals definitely have something to play for these last three games.

Chris Young (11-6, 3.15 ERA), who is back with the team following a trip home after his father's death last Saturday, will start for the Royals tonight. Minnesota will send former Royal Ervin Santana (7-4, 4.10) to the mound. Ervin comes into the game on a hot streak (4-0, 1.75 in September). The Royals will be trying to win three games in a row for the first time since August 27-29.

Seasonal Changeover

One of the rituals of the change of seasons around my place is changing the wallpaper on my Motorola Moto X smartphone and my Google Nexus 7 tablet.

For instance, I switched to this wallpaper just after the first official day of summer. It is what is called a "live" wallpaper, meaning there is movement of some sort. In this case, it's the waves lapping on the sandy beach. Very cool.

Summer doesn't last forever, of course, so...

...I took a bit of time yesterday to install the Autumn screensaver, which features beautiful leaves falling in my choice of settings, like the park bench pictured here...

"Do you think you spend too much time fussing with your gadgets?"

There is some possibility of that being true, yes...

Until Next Time...

Twenty years ago today, the English rock band Oasis released (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, the album that rocketed them to enormous commercial success (among other accomplishments, the record received 14 Platinum certifications). At the time, I was beginning my second month back in the classroom after a hiatus of a few years. Among other things, being around adolescents all day every day for the first time in years meant I had to start paying attention to pop music again. And with this album Oasis suddenly became the biggest thing in pop/rock music for awhile.

As often happens, success like that is hard to duplicate, and Oasis didn't. Oddly enough,
I was never as big a fan during their peak as many people were, but I also continued to enjoy their records after they dropped off the radar commercially. I still have several iTunes playlists with Oasis music in them.

Today's send-off is the official music video (usual music video disclaimers apply) for "Some Might Say," my favorite song from the album. It was the band's first No. 1 hit on the UK charts, but didn't chart in the U.S. (the big U.S. hit from this album was "Wonderwall," which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 here, and spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart). Enjoy...

Permission to Speak Freely...

Final Jeopardy

One of the more amusing aspects of everyday life is the spectacle of people trying to parlay success in one field into a career of pontificating on unrelated subjects they clearly lack the capacity to understand. Who doesn't enjoy listening to movie actors holding forth on terrorism, musicians sharing their thoughts on economics, or novelists explaining their dotty notions about religion. They're so cute when they assume their celebrity makes their opinions more cogent or interesting.

"I'll take 'People Who Don't Understand Freedom' for $500, Alex."

Today's example is former Jeopardy champion Arthur Chu, who has been busy trying to make a career for himself as a pundit and social critic.

Of course, that job is much harder when you're stupid, which Mr. Chu manifestly is. He is living proof that success on a quiz show is not a reliable indicator of intelligence.

Mr. Chu's most recent brainstorm is a suggestion to ruin the internet by making it possible to sue not only folks saying things online that we don't like, but completely innocent third parties as well. I kid you not.

Mr. Chu is hardly alone in his lack of understanding about what the 1st Amendment (or the internet, for that matter) is all about, but his idiotic suggestion certainly qualifies him for the highest honor I can bestow...

"I find that image hurtful and offensive."

Bite me.

Anyway, the point of all this is just to say, yet again, that the protections Americans enjoy under the 1st Amendment are not subject to the whims of delicate flowers like Mr. Chu. As the famous editorial in Jyllands-Posten (the Danish newspaper that published the controversial Mohammed cartoons) put it: “Free speech is free speech is free speech. There is no 'but.'”

"Are you done yet?"

Not by a long shot, but we can call it a day for now...

Things That Make Me Happy: Resilience Edition

My beloved Kansas City Royals closed a mostly dismal September on a positive note last night, beating the Chicago White Sox 5-3 in 10 innings at U.S. Cellular Field. The victory assured them of no worse than the No. 2 seed in the ALDS, meaning they would have home field advantage against whomever they play in that round. They still trail the Toronto Blue Jays by what amounts to two games (because Toronto holds the tie-breaker) for home-field advantage through the ALCS, with four games left to play.

"It is SO weird to hear you talking about Royals and playoffs."

I know, right?

Anyway, it was a pitcher's duel most of the night. White Sox starter Jose Quintana pitched 9 innings and only allowed five hits while striking out eight batters, but two of those hits were home runs by LF Alex Gordon and 3B Mike Moustakas, the latter a two-run shot that broke a 1-1 tie in the 6th inning. Royals starter Edinson Volquez had to wiggle out of several jams, but departed after six innings with the Royals leading 3-1. The bullpen allowed single runs in the 7th and 8th innings to tie the game, and for the second time in three games the Royals were playing extra innings.

The decisive blow was 1B Eric Hosmer's two-run home run in the top of the 10th (his 18th on the season)...

"BOOM!"

All-Star Wade Davis, moved into the full-time closer role now due to Greg Holland's season-ending injury, only needed 11 pitches to record his 15th save of the season, and lowered his ERA to 0.96.

The series with the White Sox concludes tonight with Kris Medlen (5-2, 4.20 ERA) trying to bounce back from a disastrous outing against Cleveland. He'll be facing long-time Royals nemesis John Danks (7-14, 4.53), who already owns three victories over KC this season, the most recent a complete game win at Kauffman Stadium on September 4.

Year Three, Day One

Yesterday I completed my second consecutive calendar year as a non-smoker. As I begin Year Three today, I wanted to offer words of encouragement to anyone wanting to quit (I did it cold turkey, which in my opinion is the best way). I also wanted to thank the company whose product helped me deal with the habituation (which is the real problem anyway; it only took me a little over 48 hours to detox from nicotine itself).

There are lots of similar products
on the market. This is the one I tried, and it is the one that helped me quit successfully. I am deeply grateful for that.

I hope that Blu and other similar companies are able to thrive despite the idiotic opposition to their products.

21st Century Excuse

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

Until Next Time...

When I returned to the classroom 20 years ago after a hiatus of a few years, I decided to have my students keep a daily journal in one of the classes I taught. At the beginning of each class period, they were given a short period of time for free writing. I would typically have a suggested journal topic written on the board (usually tied thematically to whatever piece of literature we were working on that day), but students were always free to write about other things instead, if they chose.

During the free writing period I played instrumental music, usually classical. There is research suggesting that listening to instrumental music can be helpful in getting students to express themselves freely. In order to do that, I found it helpful to build up
a collection of short instrumental pieces, typically between four and seven minutes in length (the amount of time I allowed for free writing varied depending on what schedule we were on on a given day, what else we needed to get done that day, etc.).

For the classical material I gravitated toward the concerto form, mostly because I was already familiar with a lot of piano concertos, but also because individual movements of such pieces usually clocked in at lengths that were useful for my purposes. Over the course of 17 years using journal writing in my classroom, I built up quite a collection.

One of my favorites is Franz Liszt's remarkable Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, 
S. 124, which took him more than a quarter of a century to write.

Today's send-off is a vibrant performance of the concerto's fourth movement by the incomparable Arthur Rubinstein, accompanied by the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alfred Wallenstein. Enjoy...