So if it is all the same to you, Holy Father,
I would rather not spend any time trying to figure out what you see as the "contributions" Fidel Castro has made to "world peace."
I would prefer to spend my day thinking about St. Thomas of Villanova, whose Feast Day we celebrate today. St. Thomas was famous for his generosity to the poor, and so far as I know he never gave audiences to the rich and powerful. Just sayin'...
Another One Bites the Dust
Scott Walker
Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination yesterday, joining former Texas governor Rick Perry on the sidelines.
It does not speak well for Republican voters that accomplished conservatives like Walker and Perry can't find any traction. It is a familiar pattern: GOP grassroots-types complain endlessly about how there are no "true" conservatives in the race, ensuring that the very kind of candidates they ought to embrace are forced out for the likes of Mike Huckabee and Rand Paul.
I'm a conservative by temperament, a Republican strictly for convenience. If the GOP continues to make it all but impossible for conservative candidates to be nominated, it has no future.
From the wry 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...
On September 22, 1969 I happened to stop by my favorite record shop after school. Tiger's Records was owned by Kansas City organized crime figure Anthony Cardarella, but all kids like me cared about was that they had the best selection and lowest prices in the city. We didn't care about the how or why. The familiar brick building is still there on Independence Avenue, but it is a clothing store now.
They didn't have the album I was looking for that day (I don't even recall what it was, now), but I happened to come across a record in the "Released Today" bin that was almost ostentatiously plain, if that makes any sense. The album cover looked like this:
What made it especially odd was that it was the group's second album. People already knew who they were, sort of. They had had a minor hit (peaked at No. 63) with "The Weight" from their debut album, Music From Big Pink, and everyone knew they used to be Bob Dylan's "house" band for a few years. They had performed at Woodstock.
Intrigued, I took a flyer and bought the album so I wouldn't go home empty-handed that day. One listen to the record that came to be called "The Brown Album" and I was hooked. A few more listens and I became a staunch fan, which I remain to this day. Their music is difficult to characterize, but it is engaging, and their musicianship is stellar. Uniqueness is a key attribute of musical greatness, and The Band had it in spades.
Today's send-off is "Rag Mama Rag," a rollicking bit of nonsense in which the guys show off their prowess on a variety of instruments, including mandolin and tuba. Enjoy...
On Wednesday Pope Francis will be visiting Washington, D.C. as part of a nearly week-long visit to the United States that will also include stops in New York and Philadelphia.
As it happens, even though Francis seems to be a natural ally of President Obama on many issues, there's just something in Obama's character that couldn't resist an opportunity...
He cannot be civil and respectful, searching for common ground. No,
he must include on the official guest list of those greeting the Pope
at the White House a transgender activist, an openly gay Episcopal
bishop, and a nun who supported Obamacare despite its funding of
abortion and contraception.
If you find yourself wondering why the President would do something so completely unnecessary and so obviously intended to embarrass the Pontiff, all you really need to do is apply Ockham's Razor.
He's doing it because he thinks it's hilarious.
Can't wait for January 2017, when we will finally be rid of this smug, arrogant jackhole...
Things That Make Me Happy: Homeward Bound Edition
As I have noted in this space before, September 2015 has not been a good month for my beloved Kansas City Royals, and the reasons for their struggles do not bode well for an extended run in the playoffs. It will be nice to win a division title for the first time in 30 year, but it will be bittersweet.
The Royals wrapped up a 4-6 road trip yesterday with a 10-3 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, salvaging the final game of that three-game series. Kris Medlen was touched for five hits and three runs in his five innings of work, but all of the runs were unearned, and Kris advanced his record to 5-1, 3.51 ERA. Danny Duffy's first appearance out of the bullpen after losing his spot in the starting rotation was quite encouraging:
4 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts, 1 save.
Meanwhile, the offense had fun, led by DH Kendrys Morales's awe-inspiring day, which included three home runs...
"Boom! Boom!! BOOM!!!"
Kendrys also had a triple in the game, and his 15 total bases are a Royals franchise single-game record.
The Royals have a much-needed day off today before beginning their final regular-season homestand tomorrow night at Kauffman Stadium against the Mariners. Jeremy Guthrie (8-7, 5.55 ERA) returns to the starting rotation (taking Danny's spot) to face the Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma (8-4, 3.90), who is 3-0 lifetime against the Royals.
Justice
"You want some respect? Go out and get it for yourself."
At the 67th Prime-Time Emmy Awards last night, Jon Hamm won Outstanding Lead Actor
in a Drama Series for his iconic portrayal of ad executive Don Draper on Mad Men. It was his last year of eligibility (the series ended its run back in May), so it was deeply gratifying to see him finally win.
An argument can be made for AMC's Mad Men as the greatest television drama ever, and Hamm's portrayal of Don Draper was the soul of the show, so a single Emmy for seven seasons of unforgettable acting doesn't seem unreasonable.
Dear Philadelphia Eagles...
Barely better than me as a running back.
You are paying DeMarco Murray millions of dollars,
but after two games he has 11 yards rushing. Total. That is only 11 more
yards than I have, and I don't play in the NFL.
If that sort of historic ineptitude is acceptable to you, I would certainly be happy to provide it for far less money than you're paying Mr. Murray, and as an added bonus I would not be a public douchebag, whining about not getting more carries.
I could use the money, and I would enjoy moving to the Philadelphia area as well. Think about it...
Until Next Time...
In 1853 the French composer Charles-François Gounod wrote a melody which he superimposed over J.S. Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846, and paired the result with the words from the "Ave Maria," the Latin version of the "Hail Mary" prayer.
To say that the result of his inspiration became popular would be a preposterous understatement. It is among the most beloved and most-performed works in the classical repertoire.
In particular, it is quite common to hear the piece played at funerals, which is why it is on my mind today. Yesterday morning, I read of the tragic death of Jake Brewer in a cycling accident. Jake was the husband of conservative writer Mary Katharine Ham, whose book End of Discussion was the Weekly Book Recommendation here the week
of June 15. I am not an acquaintance of either of them, but they were acquaintances
of many people whom I read and admire, and so their pain as it was being expressed
on social media throughout the day yesterday became my pain, to some extent. When
I read Mary Katharine's own tribute to the husband she had just lost, I was especially touched. Like her, I had lost a spouse at a young age (24, in my case) after only a few years of marriage (less than 3, in my case). I could totally relate to her hope that she wouldn't let herself feel cheated out of all those years with Jake she would never have. That sort of feeling is always present when we lose someone we love, but especially so when they die young. I shall pray that she can resist that thought, as I know from experience it only leads to lasting unhappiness.
Looking for a version of the piece to use as today's send-off is actually what led to this week's Music Recommendation, a new release from cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott. It is a wonderful album, and their performance of the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria is achingly beautiful. Enjoy...and after you have done so, find someone who matters in your life and tell them you love them. It is the nature of life that each of us will eventually wish we could have just one more opportunity to do that, but there will always come a day when we cannot. Don't let it be today...
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."
Killer Cupcakes
In the language of college football, an opponent whom your team is expected to defeat easily is called a "cupcake." Every team schedules them, as a way of building up a favorable win/loss record. Even teams that play the "cupcake" role themselves in some of their games schedule games against "cupcakes" of their own to compensate. As you would expect, there is a cluster of teams at the bottom of that food chain who almost never win a game...
Due to the nature of college football scheduling, in which game contracts are signed years in advance, sometimes the "cupcake" you have scheduled turns out to be better than expected by the time the game actually gets played. This always produces some of the most entertaining games of any given college football season.
Just yesterday, for instance, No. 1 Ohio State struggled to beat Northern Illinois 21-14, Minnesota barely beat Kent State 10-7, and Indiana edged Western Kentucky by the same margin, 38-35. And that's just in the Big Ten.
My beloved Missouri Tigers struggled to beat their cupcake yesterday, too, prevailing 9-6 over Connecticut (which only won two games last year) at Faurot Field in Columbia. They were extremely fortunate to win that game, and will need to play much better if they're going to successfully defend their SEC East championship.
Every so often, of course, the "cupcake" turns killer. Just ask Penn State. Ask Arkansas. And that's just in the first two weeks of this season...
Things That Make Me Sad: Left Behind Edition
For a pro football fan, nothing is sadder than a Sunday on which every team but yours is in action. Because they were featured on this week's Thursday Night Football game (the less said about which, the better), my beloved Kansas City Chiefs won't be playing today. They actually won't be playing next Sunday, either, since their next scheduled game is on the road against the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.
Say "hello" to a 1-2 start, Chiefs fans...
Chemistry Humor
[Note: If you don't get this joke, you're not spending enough time on social media...]
Until Next Time...
Although it is ubiquitous nowadays, there was a time when Johann Pachelbel's famous Canon in D was virtually unknown among classical music fans. A very popular 1968 recording of the work by the Jean-François Paillard Chamber Orchestra caused an explosion of interest in it when American classical music stations began playing it in 1970. By the time I began my teaching career in September 1977, it had become one of the most commonly-played classical pieces at weddings and other ceremonies. It is among the handful of works that even non-fans of classical music recognize and embrace.
Today's send-off is a soothing performance of the work by classical guitarist Per-Olov Hindgren. Enjoy...
"New Hampshire. I spent a year there one weekend."
One of the joys of my Saturday mornings is the Law and Order marathons they run on the TNT Network.
This is one of those shows that bear repeated watchings because of the quality of the writing and acting, not because of the "suspense" factor.
My favorite character on the series, by a mile, is wise-cracking detective Lennie Briscoe, memorably portrayed by the late Jerry Orbach.
Of course I know that his dialogue was scripted, but it was his delivery of those sardonic one-liners that qualifies him for a spot in my Smart-Aleck Hall of Fame.
Things That Make Me Happy: Home Game Edition
My beloved Missouri Tigers are currently taking on the Connecticut Huskies at Faurot Field in Columbia. It is perfect late-September weather, sunny and not too warm. There really isn't much that can compare to a college campus on Game Day. Mizzou-RAH!
Faurot Field a few hours before kick-off.
Politically Incorrect
Until Next Time...
One of the less pleasant aspects of my growing up was discovering that the seemingly idyllic world of performing artists isn't really much different from the mundane lives most of us lead. Throughout my high school years, I watched as group after group of my musical favorites bickered, disbanded, or collapsed due to substance abuse. It was a fact of musical life, but some of these break-ups hit me harder than others.
When Simon & Garfunkel's album Bridge Over Troubled Water was released in January of 1970, mid-way through my junior year in high school, it was an immediate success, and eventually spent 10 consecutive weeks at the top to the Billboard album charts. For quite awhile it held the record for best-selling album of all time. But it was bittersweet for me since the group, one of my favorites, was known to have broken up during the recording sessions for the album. Knowing it would be their final album took a lot of the pleasure out of listening to it for me.
On September 19, 1981, the estranged musical partners re-united for the first time in more than a decade, and performed before approximately 500,000 people in New York's Central Park. The event was a benefit designed to raise funds for much-needed improvements to the iconic park, but almost no one who attended (or watched the special broadcast on HBO) cared much about that. What mattered was that one of the most popular acts of the '60s was performing again. They certainly recreated the magic that had made them famous.
Today's send-off is their performance that night of the traditional English ballad "Scarborough Fair," and even after nearly half a century since I first heard them, the sound of those two voices singing together gives me chills. Enjoy...
"Resistance is futile! Those baby back ribswill be assimilated!"
What "Lying" Actually Looks Like
Carly Fiorina
So, the top "story" in the mainstream media in the wake of the Wednesday debate among the GOP presidential hopefuls is that Carly Fiorina "lied" about Planned Parenthood. Not that she was "mistaken," mind you. She "lied," pure and simple. She just made stuff up out of thin air.
You're never going to see a more glaring example of the herd mentality among "mainstream" journalists than this. They even quote each other as sources when pushing the Narrative Du Jour. ABC's George Stephanopolous, for instance, offers the debunked story by Sarah Kliff as if it were fact when intereviewing Fiorina. Amazing. Heaven forbid he would watch the videos himself...
In modern political discourse, "lying" means "pointing out facts that are inconvenient to the Narrative I'm selling." Keep that in mind in the weeks and months ahead.
A variation of an old joke:
Q: How can you tell when The Washington Post is lying?
A: Its presses are running.
Things That Make Me Happy: Personal Best Edition
My beloved Kansas City Royals have been stumbling through the month of September, and it seems clear that we just aren't going to get the starting pitching squared away in time to be a factor in the playoffs. Danny Duffy's performance Wednesday night got him sent down to the bullpen; Jeremy Guthrie will take Danny's spot in the rotation. The four starting pitchers we appear poised to use in the playoffs have ERAs this month of 4.40 (Yordano Ventura), 9.39 (Johnny Cueto), 7.20 (Edinson Volquez), and 4.50 (Kris Medlen). It will be nice to win a Division title for the first time in 30 years, but with the starting pitching in free fall, the Royals seem destined for a quick exit in the ALDS.
In the finale of their four-game series with the Indians at Progressive Field last night, the Royals salvaged a 2-2 split with an 8-4 victory. 2B Omar Infante, playing for the first time in over a week, set a career-best with 7 RBI, 3 of them coming on a home run in the 2nd inning...
"Boom!"
It was Omar's second home run of the season, both of them coming at Progressive Field. He added a two-run double in the 5th, and a two-run single in the seventh.
The Royals move on to Detroit to begin a three-game series at Comerica Park tonight. Johnny Cueto (9-12, 3.47 ERA) will make his fourth start against Detroit since joining the Royals at the end of July. The Royals are 1-2 in his previous outings against the Tigers. Detroit will send long-time Royals nemesis Justin Verlander (3-8, 3.58) to the mound.
This Again???
The view from my patio at 10:20 AM this morning...
Things That Make Me Barf: Uniform Edition
Much as I love my Kansas City Chiefs, I absolutely HATE their monochromatic uniform:
Dress like amateurs, play like them? Four turnovers between these two last night.
To be fair, several NFL teams now feature such uniforms, and I don't like ANY of them. To me, they smack of college football, or even Pop Warner football...
"Has anyone ever told you you're a crabby old guy?"
So, what happened during the game? Oh, nothing much. Just another example of the futility of the "prevent" defense, followed by an inexplicable call on offense in the closing seconds that led to a fumble and the decisive (losing) touchdown. Chiefs lose to the Broncos. Again.
One upside: Being down two games in the standings this early in the season will take the pressure to win the AFC West off of their shoulders, and free them to start checking for hotel accommodations in cities they might have to travel to for the Wild Card game...
From the delightful comic strip Dilbert, by Scott Adams, which you should read every day, as I do.
Until Next Time...
On September 18, 1970 my senior year of high school was barely started when guitar icon Jimi Hendrix died in London at just 27 years of age. Even now, 45 years later, it is difficult to express just what an emotional blow this was for anyone remotely interested in guitar. There simply wasn't anyone else around who sounded anything like Jimi, nor has there been anyone since his death who has inspired such adulation among guitarists. His death was one of the darkest moments of my adolescence, not least because of the vultures who exploited his death to release album after album of subpar material that Jimi would never have approved. His original, official recordings are deservedly revered, though.
Today's send-off is a rare video of Jimi playing with Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, the original Jimi Hendrix Experience lineup. They're performing "Hey Joe," a song of uncertain provenance that was covered by lots of artists in the mid- to late-60s, and which still pops up from time to time even today. This will always be my favorite version, though. Requiescat in pace Jimi (and Noel, and Mitch)...
As I have said on many occasions over the years, both to my students and to others, these televised joint press conferences we subject our presidential candidates to are not really "debates." We call them that for reasons which are not entirely clear to me.
I suppose for some people it is a "debate" any time you have two or more people disagreeing with each other face to face, with someone controlling how much time anyone gets to speak.
The problem is that we are entirely at the mercy of the "moderators" when it comes to the content of the discussions, and the moderators are clearly more interested in creating "good television" than they are in stepping aside and letting the candidates actually, you know, tell us what they think about the issues.
That said, the main question to be answered this early in the process is pretty straightforward: Did you see a President up on that stage? After two debates, two clearly "presidential" contenders have distinguished themselves:
Poised, knowledgeable, and energetic in her answers, Fiorina would make a fine standard-bearer. She is conservative in all the right places, and would be able to tap in to voters disaffected with the GOP's recent weak-kneed performance on many key issues.
Marco Rubio was also poised, exuding the natural confidence that genuine leaders possess. His answers were sharp and specific, and displayed an impressive grasp of underlying issues. I think the GOP needs a candidate who can successfully bypass the mainstream media spinners and speak directly to the public. There is no one in this field better equipped to do that than Rubio.
Frankly, the folks who don't think Rubio is conservative enough need to have their heads examined. There is no more natural heir to Ronald Reagan's brand of conservatism (the debate was held at the Reagan Presidential Library) than Marco Rubio. I ought to know, as I was backing Reagan way back in '68. The party chose Nixon. If only they had listened to me...
Most of the rest of the candidates did reasonably well. I would prefer to see Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal replace someone for the next debate (Huckabee or Kasich, neither of whom registered much last night). I'm okay with Christie and Walker sticking around for awhile, to see if they can hit their strides. Ben Carson is a good man and an engaging personality, but I'm not getting the sense that he really wants to be president. Ted Cruz appears content to lay low, and hope for a Trump implosion. Donald Trump was, if possible, even worse in this debate than in the first one. He said nothing of real substance, and seemed bewildered whenever the topic turned to actual policy issues. Jeb Bush didn't help himself either, and I expect his support to continue to dwindle as voters realize there are other, better conservative options available. Rand Paul is certainly knowledgeable, but he's just wrong on key issues. The party is still a conservative party, and is unlikely to nominate an isolationist libertarian.
Media Bias Much?
Whenever a conservative politician opens her/his mouth in public these days, liberals/progressives in the mainstream media (but I repeat myself) rush to "fact check" everything they said. This is how such outlets pretend to "do" journalism nowadays.
Problem is, their "fact checking" is just tendentious political spin, and not even well-disguised spin at that. Typical examples include articles like this one and this one (Vox is known to be a hacktastic progressive website, but still) in which the authors pretend that their disagreements with the speaker on policy are actually factual errors by the speaker.
"Who would be dumb enough to fall for such obvious chicanery?"
Other than idiotic liberals/progressives, you mean?
Can't Catch a Break
So I was just walking through my local Hy-Vee, minding my own business, not bothering anyone, when BAM!
Halloween Carrot Cake! I gained two pounds just looking at this cover (and yes, I did buy the magazine). Thanks a lot, Food Network Magazine. Burn in hell...
Actually, Peyton is a fine player, and seems like a genuinely good guy. I'm just hoping the Chiefs prevail on Thursday Night Football this evening.
Until Next Time...
On this date 92 years ago, a man named Hiram King Williams was born in Mount Olive, Alabama. He struggled with alcoholism and addiction to pain medications his entire adult life, and died on New Year's Day in 1953, the year I was born, at just 29 years of age.
His life may have been tragically short, but Hank Williams certainly left his mark on American popular music. Today's send-off is a rare video from 1952 of Hank and his band performing "Cold, Cold Heart," one of his 11 No. 1 singles. Enjoy...
...for the people who run our nation's K-12 public schools to beclown themselves while flexing their authority. Now that school has begun all over the country, expect a tsunami of stories like this one, in which a 14-year-old is cuffed, interrogated, and suspended from his high school...for building a clock.
In a letter to parents, the principal even admitted that the young man's clock "did not pose a threat" to anyone. So why, precisely, was he handcuffed and treated like a felon? Why is he suspended from school, exactly?
No adult in Irving, Texas has ever been to a Radio Shack, apparently.
This sort of thing will be a regular feature of this blog because, frankly, far too many
of the people in charge of educating your children (including the nitwit English teacher whose lack of common sense led to all of this) are idiots. It really is that simple.
Things That Make Me Happy: True Grit Edition
September 2015 has not been kind to my beloved Kansas City Royals to this point. After spending almost the entire season with the best record in the American League, the Royals have faltered and allowed the Toronto Blue Jays to close that gap to just 3 games. They are only 5-9 so far this month after going 19-9 in August, and they still have five games left on the current road trip.
The starting pitching has been dreadful during this stretch, the bullpen has faltered, and the offense has shown an alarming tendency to disappear for days at a time. For Royals fans used to a quarter century of mediocrity and lost seasons, it has looked all too familiar.
The Royals mustered only four hits off of Indians starter Josh Tomlin, who was tagged with the loss despite pitching a complete game. Two of those hits were a double by All-Star 3B Mike Moustakas and an RBI single by All-Star catcher Sal Perez in the 2nd inning. RF Alex Rios added a solo home run in the 5th inning...
"Boom!"
Game 3 of the four-game series is tonight. The Royals will send Danny Duffy (7-7, 4.14 ERA) to the mound, while the Indians will rely on Danny Salazar (12-8, 3.57).
A Trump Supporter Gets a Reading
From Wiley Miller's comic strip Non Sequitur, which you should read every day, as I do (even though Wiley is a squishy liberal).
Until Next Time...
I almost never listen to music on the radio anymore, mostly because it is difficult to find stations that play music I enjoy, and partly because commercials make my head explode. It isn't like the good old days, when I could count on radio to introduce me to new music.
That role has largely been taken over by television, of all things. I have lost count of the number of songs and artists I have discovered when they've made an appearance in an episode of a TV show I watch regularly. Several of my favorite shows, including Justified, The Walking Dead, Bones, House, M.D., and Criminal Minds, each has an iTunes playlist consisting of nothing but songs used on that show.
Today's send-off is a good example. Yesterday I was watching a rerun of the Criminal Minds episode "Revelations." The first time I saw that episode was also my introduction to "The Funeral," by Band of Horses. I offer the usual disclaimers about music videos. Enjoy...
One of the most rewarding things I've done in my professional life is directing high school plays. And, as anyone who works in live theatre will tell you, the ubiquity of modern gadgets like cellphones and tablets is a bane for both audiences and performers alike. It was bad enough in the early days when all we had to worry about was phones ringing during the show, but now the problem is the obliviots who can't tear themselves away from their bright, glowing screens at all.
So you'll forgive me if I devote a bit of space today to excoriating the clueless nitwits at AT&T's advertising agency, and their equally clueless clients at AT&T itself, for approving the following ad for their new All in One Plan, sent out yesterday on social media platforms...
That's correct, ladies and gentlemen: this ad campaign is actually encouraging people to watch football on their smarphone while at a live theater performance. Not that doing so would be at all disruptive for other audience members, or disrespectful of the performers, of course.
After a firestorm of criticism, AT&T pulled the ad, and sent out a lame message that it "wasn't meant to be taken literally." Apparently, we're supposed to believe that watching your fucking football game at a play (the wording of the ad wasn't accidental, was it?) is just a metaphor for watching it in other places. Right. Hard to believe everyone who saw the ad missed that nuance, isn't it?
Of course, what actually happened is that the lamebrains who came up with the concept and the lamebrains who approved it believe their target audience won't give a damn about disrupting the audience's enjoyment of a mere theatrical performance. It is difficult to say they're mistaken, but at least in this instance they were publicly shamed for being so obvious in their support for boorishness.
Makes me proud to say that for the last 12 years I've been a customer of...
It did, actually...
A Little Bit of Heaven
I'm into my third week as the proud owner of a Mr. Coffee Café Barista espresso machine. It makes my mornings much more bearable... At the moment I am using Starbucks Italian Roast coffee (ground at a Starbucks store specifically for an espresso machine), and of course Starbucks' own Vanilla Syrup.
All I need to do now is find somewhere that will sell me a pump like the one shown on this bottle. If you know where I can find one, leave me a message in the Comments. Thanks!
Making Allowances
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I read Wiley Miller's wonderful comic strip Non Sequitur every day, and recommend that you do the same, even though Wiley's politics are pretty much the polar opposite of my own. That means making allowances for not-so-funny strips like this one every so often...
Until Next Time...
Yesterday's AT&T kerfuffle got me thinking about live theatre, and how much I enjoyed directing plays. As I reminisced about specific shows and the students who performed in them, I decided to listen to an iTunes playlist I have consisting of music I have used in those shows over the years. It was a nice trip down memory lane, especially since it had been years since I had heard some of that music.
I'll be the first to admit that I have no clear sense yet of how the
race for the Republican Party's presidential nomination is going to
shake out. My party's track record has certainly not been exemplary the past couple of cycles, but at this point I am still hopeful that a genuine conservative standard-bearer will emerge from the pack of candidates. It will certainly be an interesting debate on Wednesday.
"I think you underestimate the intelligence of the voters, Mr. Trump."
In the meantime,
I have found much to admire in Carly Fiorina's reaction to asshat Donald Trump's ugly misogyny in a recent Rolling Stone interview.
This is the way you punch back in politics, Mr. Trump:
You can watch her entire speech here. Hard to believe anyone could listen to a speech of comparable length by Trump and prefer him over her...
Things That Make Me Happy: Kickoff Edition
We're back to actual NFL football games that count, now. My beloved Kansas City Chiefs drew a tough assignment this year, opening on the road against the Houston Texans and their All-World defensive lineman J.J. Watt. The Chiefs were in charge from the opening kickoff, though, leading 27-9 at halftime. The final score of 27-20 makes the game appear closer than it really was. The Texans actually pulled their starting QB midway through the second half.
Chiefs QB Alex Smith threw for 243 yards and 3 touchdown passes, no interceptions.
The Chiefs will only have three days to prepare for their next game, as the Denver Broncos will be visiting Arrowhead Stadium for Thursday Night Football this week.
"Maybe this will take your mind off of the Royals tanking."
You know me better than that, old friend...
When Opportunity Knocks
"It's HOT, man. You do what you gotta do, you know?"
Until Next Time...
In September of 1955, Richard Penniman was having a difficult morning at a New Orleans recording studio. His unusual and energetic approach to music was not translating well to recorded performances that day, so during a lunch break he took out his frustrations on a piano, banging out a ribald song that had been a part of his live act for some time. The recording session's producer, Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, knew a hit song when he heard one, and sixty years ago today he managed to finally capture in a studio recording the essence of Little Richard's genius.
The result of this little bit of serendipity was "Tutti Frutti," one of the handful of recordings that can truly be said to have changed the course of rock and roll.
Today's send-off is a performance of the legendary hit from the 1956 film Don't Knock the Rock. Even this sanitized version of Little Richard is a true pleasure. Enjoy...
[Note: Despite my best efforts, Blogger won't let me start the clip at the correct spot, so you won't see "Tutti Frutti" until after he has performed "Long Tall Sally." That's a good song, too, so I don't feel bad about asking you to watch them both.]
