Rises and Falls

Wake Up, NFL

Last night's NFL game wasn't particularly good, and ended badly as far as I'm concerned (the !@#$% Broncos won), but that has been true of many of this season's prime time games. The trend has certainly not gone unnoticed.

So there has been a lot of ink spilled lately about the significant decline in the league's TV ratings this year. I agree with much of this analysis, and much of this as well, but I think blaming the situation on streaming technologies or on the number of penalties being called is a stretch.

I say Ockham's Razor is applicable in this situation.

Maybe, just maybe people are simply getting sick of being forced to watch this bullshit week after week. That's the big difference between this season and previous seasons, isn't it?

Just a thought, NFL...

"Are you implying that people don't want progressive politics crammed down their throats?"

I'm not "implying" a damned thing, I'm saying it flat-out...

The Fall Classic

While the NFL tries to figure out how to avoid pooping where it eats, major league baseball resumes tonight at Progressive Field in Cleveland with Game 1 of the 2016 World Series.

Games 1 and 2 will be played in Cleveland

Even though my beloved Kansas City Royals aren't involved this year (for the first time since 2013), I'm excited to watch two excellent teams battle it out for the title.




Being an American League guy, I shall of course root for the Indians, but no matter who wins history will be made.

"Just so you know, I'm rooting for my fellow quadrupeds."

You know they just call themselves Cubs, right? They're not actually bears...

Happy Birthday!

Hangs just outside my apartment's "guitar room"

On October 25, 1881 Pablo Ruiz y Picasso was born in Málaga, Spain.
The son of an artistic father who encouraged Pablo's interest in the visual arts, he would become one of the most celebrated and influential artistic figures of the 20th century.

When I began decorating my high school classroom with art prints instead of the usual "inspirational" posters Picasso prints were quite plentiful at AllPosters.com, and so they figured prominently in my collection.
My students were especially fond of  
Petite Fleurs (now hanging in the foyer of my apartment), Violin and Guitar, and Blue Nude (which now hangs in my master bedroom). Their favorite was The Old Guitarist (at right).

"Wow. That's not ironic or anything..."

I don't recall soliciting your opinion...

Cool Trick, TSA!

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...

As I have noted in this this space previously, the mid-1980s was a rather grim period of time for fans of guitar-based rock music. The radio airwaves and MTV were dominated at the time by dance music from the likes of Michael Jackson and his sister Janet, Prince, and Madonna, along with pop singers like Sade, Phil Collins, and Whitney Houston. Guitar-based rock music, especially of the harder-edged variety, had few champions and fewer chart-topping successes.

Just as my fourth year teaching in Casper, Wyoming was about to get under way in 1986, New Jersey-based hard rock band Bon Jovi released their third album. Their first two had been modestly successful, both making the Top 50 on the Billboard 200 and receiving platinum certifications from RIAA. Nobody expected their third effort to be any different, but Slippery When Wet became one of the biggest-selling albums in history, and turned the band into world-wide superstars almost overnight.

On October 25, 1986 when  
Slippery When Wet hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, it was the first time since early spring that a rock band had held the top spot. The album slipped out of that position after a week, but in early 1987 it returned there for a seven- week run. It eventually received
a rare diamond certification from RIAA, and has sold more than 28 million copies worldwide.



The album's sales were boosted by two singles that would both reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer." The band had never had a single in the Top 30 on that list prior to their back-to-back chart-toppers.

Oddly enough, though, the best-selling single from the album didn't make No. 1
(it peaked at No. 7). "Wanted Dead or Alive" received four platinum certifications from RIAA, and became a signature song and concert staple for the rest of the band's live performing career. It also meant that Slippery When Wet became the first hard rock album ever to register three separate Billboard Top 10 singles.

I was and remain a big fan of the song in no small part because lead guitar player
Richie Sambora just kills it on his solo, which I have air-guitared to countless times.
Also, one of my favorite episodes of the TV series Supernatural is the Season 3 finale,
"No Rest for the Wicked," in which the Winchester brothers sing along as the song plays on their car's tape deck.

Today's send-off is the official music video for the song, from the band's VEVO channel. Enjoy...

Scary Good

The Big Reveal

"She's a 'vampire bat,' get it? HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

At the conclusion of Season 6 of the wildly popular AMC zombie series The Walking Dead back in April,
the show's latest Big Bad, Negan, had captured most of the main cast and was menacing them with "Lucille," a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire. The "cliffhanger" season finale ended with him bringing the bat down on someone's head, but the scene was shot in such a way that the identity of his victim was unknown.


To say that this ending upset the show's fan base would be a massive understatement.

I basically agree with this analysis of why the show should have found a different approach (and this one was a close runner-up), but I can't agree with all of the caterwauling about the two deaths in last night's Season 7 premiere.

Both Glenn and Abraham have been major characters on the show, and it will take awhile to adjust to their absence this season, but it isn't as if this show doesn't kill off major characters all the freaking time! Lori, Dale, T-Dog, Andrea, and Shane were all principal cast in Season 1, and all of them were dead before the end of Season 3. Wrenching deaths of popular characters are this show's stock-in-trade, so I am bemused by the near-hysterical reactions I've been seeing this morning.

"You bipeds and your 'zombie apocalypse' fantasies crack me up!"

De gustibus non est disputandum, old friend...

Two Straight

After back-to-back road games in Pittsburgh and Oakland (plus their bye week), my beloved Kansas City Chiefs hadn't played in front of their home fans for nearly a month (not since their September 25 win against the Jets). They remained undefeated at Arrowhead Stadium this season, improving to 3-0 there after a 27-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints yesterday afternoon. It was their ninth straight win at home, and the first time the team has won back-to-back games this season, but Andy Reid's 300th career game as a head coach was not a thing of beauty.

"There are no 'style points' in the NFL."

QB Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense produced 326 yards and two touchdowns, plus a pair of field goals. It was a disappointing showing against one of the league's worst defenses.

The offense avoided any turnovers, though, and that proved to be the key to victory.

"Score!

The defense, which has been inconsistent thus far this season, struggled again, allowing the Saints 463 yards and three Drew Brees TD passes. They did force and recover
a fumble that halted a Saints drive.

The difference in the ballgame
was an interception by S Daniel Sorensen that was returned for
a touchdown near the end of the
1st quarter. That score put the Chiefs ahead to stay at 14-7, and provided the margin of victory.

"What kind of a Sunday did Skip have?"

Mixed...his beloved Steelers (playing without their No. 1 QB) lost at home to the Patriots and fell to 4-3, but the Eagles (who he kind of, sort of roots for) handed the Vikings their first loss of the season and improved to 4-2.

Wordplay

A pun AND a Styx reference. Well-played...

For as long as I can remember I have loved wordplay, puns, and other ways
of having fun with the English language.
Part of how that has manifested in my life is my fondness for products by companies that share my love of such things.

Recently my local Hy-Vee introduced
a new brand of premium ice cream called Til the Cows Come Home. There are lots
of competing products out there, of course, including those from well-established companies like Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's, but this company's offerings caught my eye because of the clever wordplay in their various flavors' names.


How could I be expected to resist something like Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa!
(it helps if you have a good memory for cheesy '80s pop music) or Mind Your Pecan Qs?

"I'm guessing you haven't resisted, am I right?"

It is possible that I may have sampled the company's wares, yes...

No Treats for You, Voters

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

Until Next Time...

One of the things I enjoy the most about The Walking Dead is its music. The show makes effective use of songs by relatively obscure indie bands and singer-songwriters, but the original scoring by composer Bear McCreary is also chillingly effective. The show's opening title music is one of the most recognizable and evocative themes in TV history, and has inspired fans to produce YouTube versions on just about every musical instrument imaginable.

When AMC released The Walking Dead: Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 back in the spring of 2013, many fans of the show (myself included) were disappointed that the album omitted the show's actual opening theme music, substituting instead
a weird electronic version called the "Unkle Remix."

About a year later AMC released
a second volume, but this one was even shorter than the first and still didn't include the show's opening theme. Unlike Volume 1, the second soundtrack album actually included none of McCreary's music at all.

Today's send-off is a fan-created montage of the show's opening credits from each of its first six seasons, showing the subtle changes the main title theme has undergone. (Fans of the show are fond of pointing out that the show's title card at the end of the opening credits looks more eroded with each passing season.) Enjoy...

Sunday Potpourri No. 46

Saturday Scoreboard

"White Out" at Beaver Stadium

It was another rocky Saturday with regard to college football outcomes for my rooting interests.

Army lost at home to North Texas, Air Force lost at home to Hawaii in two overtimes, and Boston College lost at home to Syracuse.

One big bright spot was my best friend Skip's Penn State Nittany Lions upsetting No. 2 Ohio State
in a "White Out" game.

It was the first time an unranked PSU team had beaten a Top 2 opponent since 1964. They're now No. 24 in the Associated Press Top 25, the first time they've been ranked since 2011.

Among my own rooting interests, only Navy was victorious, moving to 5-1 after a win 
at home against Memphis. Iowa State and Notre Dame had the week off.

"So, did Skip's head explode?"

It was a close call, but he survived...although his pessimistic side took a beating...

Drought Relief

The 2016 World Series is now set, and will feature a team which hasn't won a championship since 1948 (Cleveland Indians) facing a team that hasn't won a title since 1908 (Chicago Cubs). One way or another, a long drought will come to an end, and baseball fans everywhere can cheer for that.

In Game 6 of the NLCS we had
a rematch of the pitchers from Game 2 (won by the Dodgers 1-0). This time it was the Cubs' turn to win by shutout, as they scored early and often against Clayton Kershaw while Kyle Hendricks was virtually unhittable.

With their 5-0 win the Cubs took the NLCS four games to two and reached the World Series for the first time since 1948.

Virtually every Cubs fan hung around Wrigley Field for the post-game celebration, of course, and cheered wildly as the team posed for the ultimate selfie...

"And you'll be rooting for...?"

The Indians, of course...American League guy, first and foremost...

Wild Kingdom Bed & Breakfast Update

"Miss me?"

When I got home from Mass this morning, I noticed a visitor to the B&B whom I hadn't seen in a few months.

According to Audubon, the blue jay is not migratory in this part of the country, so I really don't know why I haven't seen one for so long.




All are welcome at the B&B, of course, but the blue jay's return makes me hopeful of seeing my other "baseball bird" (whom I also haven't seen for months) one of these days as well.

Time of the Season

Autumn isn't just pumpkin spice season and Halloween candy season. This time of year there are all sorts of other goodies released as part of the run-up to the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays.

One of my favorite such products is Sprite Cranberry Zero, a tart twist on the refreshing lemon-lime soda.

Trump Self-Destructs

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

Until Next Time...

One of the most familiar sights and sounds in all of baseball is the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Wrigley Field. Is there a baseball fan alive, for instance, who has not seen/heard longtime Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray singing it?

Original 1908 sheet music

In one of those baseball coincidences that I just love, the song was written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer in 1908, the last year in which the Cubs won the World Series.

The other interesting tidbit about the song, which I have mentioned before when featuring it in this space, is that neither Norworth nor Von Tilzer had ever actually been to a baseball game when they wrote the sport's best-loved and most-performed song.




Today's send-off is a live performance of the fan favorite by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Riccardo Muti. It was filmed on October 17 as a way
of showing support for the Cubs as they headed to Los Angeles. Enjoy...

Leaf Me Be

Fall is Falling!

The falling of the leaves from the trees around the apartment complex has accelerated, and while the color changes haven't gotten fully under way that will happen too before long.



As a confirmed believer in the health benefits of going barefoot as much as possible, early autumn is a favorite time for me because I really enjoy the feel of those leaves under my feet. Makes me feel like a kid again...

"Does it make you want to read comic books by flashlight under a blanket, too?"

I can neither confirm nor deny that...

Sports Saturday

It's going to be a pretty full day of sports action for me and my rooting interests today.

College football starts at 11:00 AM CDT with my 4-2 Army Black Knights at home playing North Texas. About half an hour later
3-3 Boston College plays at home against Syracuse, and at 1:00 PM the 4-2 Air Force Falcons are at home to face Hawaii.

At 2:30 PM the 4-1 Navy Midshipmen, whose game last week got postponed due to weather, will play at home against Memphis.

Then I get a bit of a breather until 7:00 PM, when my best friend Skip's 4-2 Penn State Nittany Lions welcome No. 2 Ohio State to Beaver Stadium.

Both Iowa State and Notre Dame have the weekend off, which is just as well since both are having miserable seasons.

At roughly the same time the Penn State-Ohio State game kicks off, Game 6 of the NLCS will begin at Wrigley Field. The Cubs lead the Dodgers three games to two in that series, and tonight's pitching match-up is a rematch from
Game 2, Clayton Kershaw versus Kyle Hendricks. Kershaw won that first meeting 1-0.

"So you'll be cursing a blue streak until bedtime, then?

I don't curse that much, and in any event it will depend on how the games go...

Feast Day

Today we celebrate the feast day
of Pope St. John Paul II, the second-longest serving pontiff in modern history (nearly 27 years).

Karol Cardinal Wojtyła was elected
on October 16, 1978, not long after my second year of teaching had begun.
At the time of his death on April 2, 2005 my first year of teaching in Iowa was concluding.

One of the most consequential figures of the 20th century, he was beatified
by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2014.

He is the co-patron of World Youth Day, a celebration he initiated in 1985.

Coffee Corner Update

The kettle glows blue when it is operating

Every once in awhile I find it necessary to make some basic alterations to my living environment. Yesterday, it was my kitchen's coffee corner that got the makeover.

My old electric kettle had begun performing erratically after many years of faithful service, so I replaced it with
a new model from Farberware. I also took the opportunity to rearrange my collection of Starbucks syrups, and to generally organize the space more efficiently.

For the time being, I have put away my conventional coffeemaker, as I much prefer coffee beverages made with my Mr. Coffee Café Barista.

Season Seven Begins...

Delicious AND Nutritious

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

Until Next Time...

In the fall of 1977 I was just beginning my first year as a high school teacher and speech & debate coach. I had been widowed a few months before, and a big part of how I coped with that was with music. For the first time in my life I had purchased a good quality component stereo system: A Garrard DD75 direct-drive turntable, a Kenwood KR 4070 AM/FM receiver, and a pair of ESS PS5A loudspeakers featuring the Heil Air Motion Transformer.

My record collection at the time wasn't very extensive, so I spent a lot of time listening
to FM radio, especially stations that would play full-length tracks from albums without interruption. It was on one such station that fall that I first heard the Michael Stanley Band, a relatively minor regional act out of Cleveland fronted by singer-songwriter and radio personality Michael Stanley.

On October 22, 1976 the band began a three-night series of shows at Cleveland's historic Agora Ballroom. About a year later the band released Stagepass, a live album recorded at those shows.

For some reason, the FM station
I listened to most often played tracks from the album frequently, and before long I had bought my own copy. To this day, I associate that music with those early days
of my teaching career and the hours I spent enjoying my snazzy new stereo set-up.

Today's send-off is my favorite track from the album, "Let's Get the Show on the Road," from the band's YouTube channel. Enjoy...

Blowouts

Thank Lilith It's Friday!

"Tell me how 'cute' you think I am one more time. I dare you!"

Uncivil War

One of the more benign political events in America is the annual Al Smith Dinner,
a fundraising event for Catholic charities named in honor of the first Catholic to run for president.




By tradition, during presidential election years the dinner is the final joint appearance by the candidates before the election, and the white-tie affair is typically an opportunity for some good-natured humor, a reminder that our political differences, while important, are less so than the things which bring us together.

Predictably, asshat Donald Trump and black-eyed skank Hillary Clinton screwed things up royally. Trump's ego wouldn't permit much joking at his own expense, so instead
he engaged in crude attacks on Clinton that got him booed (and remember the attendees are mostly clergy). Clinton's remarks (no doubt carefully focus-grouped for her in advance of the dinner) showed a similar lack of self-deprecation and graciousness.

What a waste of carbon those two are...

"Good luck with that election thing, bipeds."

Too late...our luck has already run out...

Feast or Famine

In Game 1 of this year's NLCS, the Cubs beat the Dodgers 8-4 with a 5-run 8th inning rally that included back-to-back home runs, one of them a grand slam. In Games 2
and 3 the Cubs didn't score at all, with the Dodgers winning 1-0 and 6-0. The Cubs ran their scoreless-innings streak to 21 on Wednesday night before winning Game 4 10-2. Last night in Game 5 the Cubs' bats were lively again...

Exploding for a five-run 8th inning for the second time in five games, the Cubs beat the Dodgers 8-4 at Dodger Stadium to take a 3-2 lead in the series, which will resume tomorrow at Wrigley Field.

"Do you think the Cubs can beat Kershaw?"

Well, things are more complicated than that, but Maddon has the Cubbies feeling pretty confident right now...should be a fun game to watch...

National Apple Day

I don't eat apples as often as I once did, but I shall do so today to join in the observance of National Apple Day. In the meantime, here are a couple of my favorite works of art...

Still Life With Apples (1895)

by Paul Cézanne

Apples On a Table (1916)

by Henri Matisse

What Did You Expect?

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

Until Next Time...

Even relatively minor musical artists can come up with a signature song, a hit so popular they are obliged to perform it for the rest of their careers on stage. In fact, there is an entire category of musical artists known as "One-Hit Wonders" whose sole claim
to fame is their signature song.

Artists enjoying relatively long and more successful careers make it more difficult to identify their signature song, but there are a handful of artists who have produced enough memorable hits that the task is simply impossible. Elvis Presley certainly falls into that category, having produced 18 No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts alone, as well as another 14 songs that made the Top 5 without reaching the pinnacle.

One could make the argument that a typical Presley concert by the late '60s consisted of nothing but signature songs, and by the time he became a headliner in Las Vegas it was certainly true.

That said, for many of us it will always be the earliest hits that evoke the fondest memories. For my own part, I'm not sure any Presley song will ever top "Jailhouse Rock," the legendary Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller composition written for Elvis's film of the same name in 1957.

Original 1957 45 rpm single

On October 21, 1957 "Jailhouse Rock" hit No. 1 on the Billboard "Best Sellers in Stores" chart
(the precursor of their Hot 100),
a position it would hold for six straight weeks and seven weeks altogether that year.

It also topped the Country & Western and Rhythm & Blues charts, demonstrating Presley's crossover appeal, and received two platinum certifications from RIAA.



"Jailhouse Rock" is included on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, and was selected for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll list (one of seven Presley songs to be so honored).

Today's send-off is the 2002 remastered version of the original single, as it appeared on the Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits compilation. Enjoy...

Pick Your Poison

AYFKM, Primary Voters?

At yesterday evening's final Presidential Debate at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the horns of the dilemma facing the American electorate were fully on display.

"I couldn't do worse than last time? Just watch me!"

Even my minimal expectations of asshat Donald Trump were not met. With one last opportunity to press his case and focus voters' attention on the manifest unfitness of Hillary Clinton, he chose instead to gift her with a news cycle that should easily secure her victory on November 8: He refused to say he'd accept the results of the election.



He actually doubled down on the comment this morning, telling a rally in Ohio that he WOULD accept those results...but only if HE won.

There are no words with which to express my appreciation for the Republican party apparatchiks who crafted the set of rules which enabled this ignorant jackwad to capture the party's presidential nomination with a historically low percentage of primary votes. They don't call it The Stupid Party for nothing.

"Constitution schmonstitution, peasants!"

Meanwhile, black-eyed skank Hillary Clinton was appalling as well, giving a full-throated defense of abortion-on-demand (including the heinous partial-birth procedure), and matching Trump's contempt for our constitutional order by showing utter disdain for the Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller.

Her answer on that question was
so comically false that even liberal media outlets would ordinarily have had no choice but to challenge her on the issue.


Of course, Trump ensured that that wouldn't happen, and Hillary's unconstitutional views will simply be ignored all the way until November 8. Heaven help us all after that.

"Isn't she a lawyer or something?"

Yes, but she's a Democrat lawyer, which means she thinks our laws (including the constitution itself) are only worthy of being upheld if doing so furthers the progressive political agenda...

And Then There Were Three

After Tuesday's miserable results, yesterday was a welcome return to positive outcomes for my baseball rooting interests...

In Game 5 of the ALCS at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, the Cleveland Indians advanced to their first World Series since 1997 by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0, the second time in five games the potent Toronto offense got shut out.

The Indians won the series four games to one.

"BOOM!"

In Game 4 of the NLCS in LA,
the Chicago Cubs ran their scoring drought to 21 consecutive innings before erupting in the 4th inning. Sparked by a leadoff bunt single from LF Ben Zobrist (who played
a key role in my beloved Kansas City Royals winning last year's title) the Cubs rallied for four runs, capped off by a two-run home run from SS Addison Russell.



From there they cruised to a satisfying 10-2 blowout win over the Dodgers, tying the series at two games apiece and ensuring themselves at least one more game at Wrigley Field this series.

"Only one baseball game to curse at today, then?"

I don't curse that much, but yes...there is also Thursday Night Football, too...

Wild Kingdom Bed & Breakfast Update

"I'll be back, trust me."

It had been a few days since I last saw any B&B activity on the seed-cake holder, but yesterday
I finally got a good long look at the little guy that's been feasting there from time to time over the last month or so.

He is a downy woodpecker, which I suppose means he must not be finding as many bugs on the tree trunks this time of year. Before long the daily temperatures will be chilly enough that
I can switch from seed cakes to suet cakes, but in the meantime it was pretty cool watching the little guy (the smallest of the North American woodpeckers) on the feeder. He did some neat aerobatics when he flew off, too.

Happy Birthday!

On October 20, 1935 Jerome Bernard Orbach was born in The Bronx, New York.

Jerry Orbach went on to enjoy a distinguished career in Broadway theatre, where he was the original El Gallo in The Fantasticks, the original Billy Flynn in Chicago, and the original Julian Marsh in 42nd Street (by far my favorite musical).

Orbach also enjoyed a successful career acting in motion pictures and on television, most notably his 12-year stint as homicide detective Lennie Briscoe on Law and Order.

Understandable Reaction

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...

For as far back as I can remember, I have gravitated toward the melancholy, pessimistic end of the emotional spectrum. There are a lot of reasons for that, and I'm too old to reverse a lifetime of such thinking, but at least it has led me to an affinity for blues and blues-rock music!

As a musical genre, the blues is mostly about life's troubles, and how we deal with them. Some of my favorite songs in the genre are about finding ways to escape from those troubles. Optimistic pessimism, if you will.

This morning I heard one of my favorite songs of this type, which was played during the Supernatural episode "The Monster At the End of This Book" I watched on TNT during my morning latte break. 

It was actually TV shows which led me to bluesman Sonny Ellis, whose music has been featured on several programs I like including Modern Family, True Blood, and The Wire as well as Supernatural.

Sonny's 2011 album It's A Struggle features the kind of raw, guitar- based electric blues that has appealed to me for nearly half a century. Of course, that sort of music has never been especially successful commercially, and Sonny isn't nearly so well known as he ought to be.

Today's send-off is my favorite track from the album and the song they used on the Supernatural episode. It is called "Leave All This Behind," which is precisely the reaction I had to yesterday's political developments. Enjoy...