Sunday Potpourri No. 2

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

Things That Make Me Happy: Morning Coffee Edition

I have a thing about coffee mugs. I collect them, and can almost never bring myself to part with any. I even sometimes hang on to broken coffee mugs, and use them for pen holders and whatnot. The main reason for this is that I tend to associate a particular coffee mug with some person who mattered in my life, or some peak experience that coincided with the mug's acquisition. When I moved to Council Bluffs in the summer of 2014,  my Starbucks mugs alone required two large plastic tubs to transport. Here are some of my favorites from that collection:

Issued in 2007, this so-called "Abbey" mug turned out to be quite popular, in no small part because of its somewhat larger capacity (16 oz.). I'm fond of mine (I have two) because red is my favorite color, and more capacity means fewer trips to the coffee maker for refills...

I own quite a few argyle sweaters, and several pairs of argyle socks as well, so when Starbucks issued this mug in 2006 it was an easy sale. I bought a pair of them while visiting my late best friend Matt in Lawrence, Kansas that summer. I left one with him when I returned home, and kept one for myself. I rarely drink from it these days, but I do have fond memories of that visit every time I glimpse this mug in the cupboard...

Over Memorial Day weekend in 2011, I had the pleasure of taking a group of students to Washington, D.C. for a national speech competition. It was truly one of my peak life experiences, so of course I commemorated it with a Starbucks mug!

When Someone Plays the "Studies Show" Card On You...

"Studies show that ants are delicious."

Right. Like you needed any convincing...

 Things That Make Me Sad: Weather Edition

Yesterday's scheduled game between my beloved Kansas City Royals and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field got rained out. That put a damper on my evening (pun intended, always), as I had planned to watch the game. Now they'll have to play the game on the last Monday of the regular season, September 28. It's not quite as bad as it sounds, as the team has to travel to Chicago anyway for a three-game series with the White Sox that begins on September 29, but they lose what was scheduled to be a day off. You worry about fatigue that late in the season, and losing days off is definitely sub-optimal.

The Royals will still start Yordano Ventura (yesterday's scheduled starter) in this afternoon's game. Here's hoping the young Royals hurler brings his "A" game...

"No me gustan los pequeños osos."

Speaking of Chicago...

The Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League won the Western Conference Championship last night, defeating the Anaheim Mighty Ducks 5-3 in Anaheim. They'll now face the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals. I'll be the first to admit I am not an avid hockey fan, but I do enjoy seeing the Blackhawks do well, because they were my favorite team when I was a boy just becoming interested in the sports page of the newspaper (back when there were only the Original Six teams). Because of a story I read about him in Sports Illustrated, my favorite player was eventual Hall of Famer Stan Mikita...

"You pretended you were me when you played that table-top game, eh?"

Yes, sir, I absolutely did!

Say "Hello" To Paula

Merry Christmas to ME!

When I took up guitar playing as a hobby again in 2010, I began to read the popular guitar-focused magazines (Guitar Player, Premier Guitar, Guitar World, etc.) for the first time in decades. As I did, I noticed one name kept popping up in one way or another in almost every issue of every magazine I was reading: Joe Bonamassa. For whatever reason, though, I never got around to listening to his music until early December. One Saturday evening, I got home very late from a speech competition with my students, and needed to unwind a bit before bed. I began channel-surfing, and as luck would have it I happened to tune in just as Iowa Public Television was getting ready to show Joe's Royal Albert Hall concert film. I was completely blown away by his performance, and have been a devoted fan since that night...

No, I certainly am not. Anyway, just a couple of days later I discovered that Epiphone had come out with a version of Joe's signature Gibson Les Paul goldtop, at a price point I could actually afford. I ordered one immediately, and on the day after Christmas "Paula" became the second member of my guitar "harem." (joining "Karla," whom I wrote about here).

I haven't gotten around to taking newer pictures with these installed, but when I got a chance to meet Joe before his show in Des Moines in April 2014, I got him to sign the pickguards for both girls...

Until Next Time...

Today's fine arts send-off ties in with the section just above. It is a clip from Joe's Royal Albert Hall concert video, featuring his version of Sam Brown's terrific song "Stop!" He is playing his signature Gibson goldtop, the prototype for "Paula." Enjoy...

Simple Pleasures

As you can probably tell from today's title, there isn't going to be any political/social commentary today (no need to applaud, thanks). Weekends are for other things, and today I feel like sharing a little bit about what I consider the things that help make life worth living...

Yes, old friend, that includes "sleeping in" once in awhile...

There's a Word for This...

In classical Greek philosophy, the concept of eudaimonia is a common topic. This is hardly surprising. Thanks to modern research into biology and cognition, I am convinced that the human desire for happiness is innate, rather than learned. As Steven Pinker noted in his excellent book How the Mind Works:

We are happier when we are healthy, well-fed, comfortable, safe, prosperous, knowledgeable, respected, non-celibate, and loved. Compared to their opposites, these objects of striving are conducive to reproduction. The function of happiness would be to mobilize the mind to seek the keys to Darwinian fitness. When we are unhappy, we work for the things that make us happy; when we are happy, we keep the status quo.

The trick, as Pinker notes, is figuring out how much of this "happiness" we should strive for, and how to determine which of these "objects of striving" are worthy of our efforts. How, in other words, should we live our lives in the pursuit of happiness?

In Nicomachean Ethics, my hero Aristotle does a splendid job of explaining that true happiness requires not only the pursuit of intellectual excellence through the exercise of our capacity to reason, but also putting the products of our reasoning into action...

"You are very kind, sir. You are also a most perceptive pupil."

I try, Ari, I really do try...

A Library I Can Carry Wherever I Go

I love to read. Have always loved to read (when I was in kindergarten, I used my free time to read Classics Illustrated comic books, but when class resumed it was back to coloring apples and bananas with large crayons...we were graded in part on how well we could stay inside the lines of the drawing). One of the technology treasures in my life is my third-generation Amazon Kindle (I got the top-of-the-line version with both WiFi and 3G)...

Among its other virtues, my Kindle helps me keep my reading list organized, which is most useful considering how many different books I might be reading at any given time...

With the snazzy leather cover closed.

There are some things in life that provide joy far in excess of what they cost. This is one of them. I honestly don't know what I'd do without it...

Things That Make Me Happy: Baseball Edition

My beloved Kansas City Royals broke their losing streak at Wrigley Field yesterday, beating the Cubs 8-4. The hitting star was Lorenzo Cain, who broke a 4-4 tie with the game-winning hit (an RBI double) in the 8th inning. It has been a joy to watch Lorenzo blossom into a star since we got him from Milwaukee via trade, and if there is any justice he will play in this year's All-Star Game and win a Gold Glove for his outstanding defense in center field...

"They hit 'em, I catch 'em. Any questions?"

The two teams are back in action tonight at 6:15 PM CST. The Royals will send Yordano Ventura to the hill. The young Royals "ace" started the season looking like a Cy Young Award candidate, but after those first couple of starts he's only had a couple of other good outings. That has Royals fans everywhere keeping a close eye on him, and hoping he gets back in the groove soon...

My Blog, My Rules

I know I said I was going to avoid any mention of political or social issues today, but during my morning reading I learned that a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York has proposed a remarkably stupid piece of legislation (not surprising, considering that she's a Democrat), and has made an even MORE remarkably stupid case for passing it. Rather than comment myself, though, I'll simply recommend that you read this splendid takedown by Charles C.W. Cooke, one of the most entertaining political essayists on the scene right now. It's short, and certainly worth your time and attention...

Things That Make Me Happy: The Birds

No, not the chilling short story by Daphne du Maurier, nor the memorable film version from Alfred Hitchcock. I'm talking about the songbirds that have been hanging around on my patio of late. Based on some glimpses I caught of them flying around, I originally assumed they were house finches, but now I'm pretty sure they're not. I'll be trying to take some close-up photos of them to post here, in the hope that some bird-watcher can help me identify them. In the meantime, their singing is truly one of life's simple pleasures, and a reminder that the best things in life are...well, I'll let the late Bertram Cooper explain:

And no, I still haven't reconciled myself to the fact that Mad Men has ended its remarkable run...

"I'm going out to do that whole 'Circle of Life' thing with some ants..."

Enjoy yourself, old friend. I'll be here when you get back...

Until Next Time...

One of the simple pleasures of Saturday mornings is the fact that the TNT network does a Law and Order marathon that starts around 5:00 AM CST and runs until noon. I became a fan of many of the characters (and actors) who appeared on the show in its 20-year run, but my favorite was always the sardonic Lenny Briscoe, played with brio by the unforgettable Jerry Orbach. I used to enjoy sharing with my drama students the fact that Orbach had a long and distinguished career on the Broadway stage long before he ever donned Detective Briscoe's trenchcoat. Among other notable roles, he was the first El Gallo in the original Off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks. Here he is on the 1982 Tony Awards telecast, using his memorable singing voice on that show's most famous number. Enjoy...

Excuse Me, While I Kiss the Sky...

Thank Vaal* It's Friday!

"Don't mention it...Seriously, don't fucking speak to me!"

*Click here, if you dare!

...and the Horse You Rode In On

The title of today's post is part of the lyric from the Jimi Hendrix song "Purple Haze." I just happened to hear the song again this morning for the first time in quite awhile, and its tale of someone who can't tell up from down, can't tell whether he's happy or miserable, isn't sure whether he's coming or going, happened to resonate with me. There is just a whole lot of really topsy-turvy thinking in the modern world, and I struggle to make sense of it pretty much every day. It staggers me, for instance, that we even need to have conversations about whether free speech is a good thing, but we do...

As a professional educator, and as an author, the anti-intellectualism running rampant on modern college campuses these days is one of those topsy-turvy situations as well. Honestly, it is enough to make me despair for the future of education.

The most recent instance that has come to my attention is an editorial written by some delicate flowers who belong to something with the pompous title Multicultural Affairs Advisory Board at Columbia University. Published in the campus newspaper, it argued that

Students need to feel safe in the classroom, and that requires a learning environment that recognizes the multiplicity of their identities. The MAAB has been meeting with administration and faculty in the Center for the Core Curriculum to determine how to create such a space. The Board has recommended three measures: First, we proposed that the center issue a letter to faculty about potential trigger warnings and suggestions for how to support triggered students. Next, we noted that there should be a mechanism for students to communicate their concerns to professors anonymously, as well as a mediation mechanism for students who have identity-based disagreements with professors. Finally, the center should create a training program for all professors, including faculty and graduate instructors, which will enable them to constructively facilitate conversations that embrace all identities, share best practices, and think critically about how the Core Curriculum is framed for their students.

In other words, a student's desire to "feel safe" (meaning to have her/his "identity" as a rape survivor, person of color, etc., validated at every turn) trumps the inclusion in course content of material that might cause these delicate flowers some discomfort. Honestly, this is quite an ingenious racket. A bright student ought to be able to come up with excuses not to read any of the required material in their courses...

Once upon a time, the purpose of higher education was, you know, getting an education. These days, it is all about getting the credential, and not much more. Life-long learning? What's the point of that?

In his excellent book What Does It Mean To Be Well-Educated?, my hero Alfie Kohn observed that

[A]ny set of intellectual objectives, any description of what it means to think deeply and critically, should be accompanied by a reference to one’s interest or intrinsic motivation to do such thinking. Dewey reminded us that the goal of education is more education. To be well-educated, then, is to have the desire as well as the means to make sure that learning never ends.

Or, to put it another way, if you're in college and can't stand reading or hearing things that "trigger" you, or "oppress" you in some vague, unspecified way, you should drop out. You're just wasting your time anyway...

Things That Make Me Happy: History Edition

Today my beloved Kansas City Royals are in Chicago to begin a three-game series with the Cubs. That means I get to savor watching my favorite players running around here:

101-year-old Wrigley Field is a baseball marvel.

I'm hoping those ivy-covered walls inspire the team to snap its four-game losing streak...

The Harsh Reality Behind The Aphorism

Things That Make Me Happy: Dead Cow Edition

While composing yesterday's post, it completely slipped my mind that May 28th is National Hamburger Day. I'm sure those of you who care about such things celebrated in the appropriate manner. This is what I had for dinner last night:

Double Cheddar Burger Basket

I had this deliciousness at a nearby Culver's, which is one of my favorite burger joints ever. In (belated) honor of NHD, here are some other members of my Dead Cow Sandwich Hall of Fame (alphabetical order):

Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Believe the hype, folks. Not to be missed. Might be the best French fries I have ever tasted...





 






Hardee's offers a Mushroom & Swiss Thickburger with Curly Fries combo that is tough to beat. I drive out of my way sometimes just to have this ...

Back in 1977 when I had a job where I didn't get off work sometimes until the wee hours of the morning, I was VERY fond of a Jack in the Box near me that had all-night drive-through service. I had a serious Jumbo Jack fetish in those days, and I loved their fries...

Steak 'n Shake has terrific burgers, but it's a good thing they have great onion rings, too, because their fries are quite ordinary...

Winstead's has without a doubt the best combination of burgers, fries, AND onion rings of anyone, anywhere. I have been enjoying their splendid fare for more than 40 years...



All of these places not only have awesome food, but are in one way or another associated with people who have mattered in my life, and peak experiences I was lucky enough to share with them...

"Hmmmm...do any of those places have ants?"

Not on purpose, no...

A Commencement Speech Worth Your Time

Because I'm a speech communication guy, I tend to listen to speeches when I don't have to. Weird, I know, but there you go. A friend drew my attention to this particular commencement address the other day, and I enjoyed it enough I wanted to share. It's about half an hour long, and since it is a commencement address it might not interest many people outside of the Hillsdale College graduating class, but it really is an excellent speech, and will repay your close attention. If you don't like it, feel free to ask for your money back. Oh, wait...

Irony Files: Clueless Magazine Edition

Thanks to Joe Colangelo for this one...

Until Next Time...

One of the glories of the internet is that one can stumble across the most amazing things while looking for something entirely different. Today's fine arts sign-off is a case in point. It would take too long to explain how I happened to stumble across this, but I'm glad I did. A fellow named Seth Whiting shot this video, and paired it with A.A. Bondy's wonderful "A Slow Parade" because that song just happened to be coming over his headphones at the time. That's what I call serendipity. I am especially fond of this song because I used it in a production of the play Flowers for Algernon that I directed in 2010. Have I mentioned that I'm a really sentimental guy?

"That's putting it mildly..."

Oh, hush...anyway, another of the glories of the internet is that you don't get to see me weep as I watch and listen. Enjoy...

It Is NEVER “Just Semantics”

A Tiresome Rhetorical Tactic

As I have mentioned on occasion, the main purpose for this blog is to speak out on some subjects I think deserve the attention while I still have a pulse, and to help folks get a better handle on who I was after I'm no longer around. Well, one of the things I am, primarily, is a rhetorical warrior. What that means is that I really enjoy a lively debate on almost any subject. Some of the topics I am most interested in will turn up in the blog, of course (you may have noticed, for instance, that I have a bee in my bonnet about free speech lately), but I also enjoy talking about the meta aspects of argumentation, the nuts-and-bolts of how arguments are constructed and put forth...

Of late I have noticed a fair number of people willing to engage in one of my least-favorite rhetorical tactics: Claiming that their opponent's argument is "just semantics." This sort of thing usually pops up after the advocate has said something spectacularly silly or mistaken, and has gotten called out on it. The advocate will typically thrash about for awhile trying to defend the original statement, but when it becomes apparent to them that that is a hopeless cause, they will attempt to close off further debate by saying that they're not interested in "debating the meanings of words." Needless to say, I find this defense completely unpersuasive.

In his novel The Ball and The Cross, G.K. Chesterton put it succinctly:

Why shouldn't we quarrel about a word? What is the good of words if they aren't important enough to quarrel over? Why do we choose one word more than another if there isn't any difference between them?

Well said. Frankly, when someone uses the "just semantics" dodge, I take it as a sign that they have no substantive rejoinder to my position. It is waving a rhetorical white flag...

Things That Make Me Sad: Royals Edition

Well, at least my beloved Kansas City Royals can't lose today...because they're not playing. After getting swept in a 3-game series at Yankee Stadium, the Royals are nursing a 4-game losing streak (they lost the final game of their home series with the Cardinals) as they head to the Windy City for three games at historic Wrigley Field.

Although the team has only scored five runs in the four-game losing streak, of far more concern to me is the state of the starting pitching:

• Yordano Ventura - 3-4, 4.64
• Danny Duffy - 2-3, 5.87 (now on the Disabled List)
• Edison Volquez - 4-3, 2.77
• Jason Vargas - 3-2, 5.16 (just back from the DL)
• Jeremy Guthrie- 4-3, 6.70

That level of mediocrity can't continue if the team is going to do well. Certainly someone is going to have to be removed from the rotation to make room for Chris Young (4-1, 1.55). Personally, I'd send Duffy to Omaha for awhile. Better to let him work out his problems starting for the Storm Chasers than languish in the Royals bullpen. Unfortunately, Young is only one plug, and the rotation currently has four leaks in it.

One possible bit of good news is that Alex Rios might be ready to return to the team as early as tomorrow...

"All this talk about baseball makes me sleepy...zzzzzzzz."

Go right ahead. Heaven knows you could use some "beauty sleep"...

My Number One...

One of the things I am grateful for is that playing guitar badly is not a crime (yet...if Hillary becomes President, who knows?). It would probably be more accurate to say that I play AT guitar, especially on days when arthritis flares up in my hands. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy myself with my various "ladies," each of whom will appear in this blog from time to time.

Most guitarists who own more than one guitar will say that they have a "Number One," an instrument that for whatever reason they prefer to play most of the time. Although it is a stretch to call ME a "guitarist," I do have a Number One:

"Karla," my 2009 Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster.

In the early spring of 2010, I decided to take up guitar-playing again, strictly as a hobby. At that time, it had been a quarter of a century since I had picked up an instrument, but I knew what I wanted: a genuine Fender Telecaster. After doing some research, I settled on the particular model pictured above. I loved the butterscotch blonde finish, and the Fender Custom Shop pickups (Twisted Tele at the neck position, Broadcaster at the bridge position, if you care), but what really sold me was the relatively thick neck (what some guitarists call the "baseball bat" profile). Fender calls it a "soft V," but whatever it's called, I fell in love as soon as I held it.

That actually took a little time, as I couldn't find a guitar store that had one for some time after I started shopping (I don't like buying a guitar without laying hands on it first). Eventually, I walked into a place in Omaha...

...there she was, just hanging on the wall waiting for me. Sadly, Russo's is no longer in business. I really miss that place...

Things That Make Me Happy: Wild Kingdom Edition

A pair of House Finches has built a nest on the underside of the deck above my patio. I enjoy their singing, and they appear to be enjoying my patio...

"We do. Fucking with your cats is just a bonus..."

It's a bonus for me, too. If you didn't know, cats will often make this weird sort of chirping noise when they see a bird, apparently in the (vain) hope that they can trick the bird into coming close enough for them to pounce on it. Hilarious...

I'm now in the market for a bird feeder and seed. Any recommendations would be most welcome. Please leave a comment (see the next section) if you have some ideas to share.

"Sure, you'll put food out for some stupid birds. What about me?"

Don't be a crybaby. Foraging for your own ants helps keep you from getting fat...

Housekeeping

I'm still fiddling with some of the blog's settings, but little by little it is starting to look the way I want it to look. I should also point out that if you'd like to leave a comment, all you have to do is click on the link right next to the time stamp at the bottom of each post (it typically says "No comments," but that only means no one has posted a comment yet, not that comments are not allowed). I'd love to hear from you...

Until Next Time...

In the fall of 1995, I returned to classroom teaching for the first time in five years. The band Live released their wildly popular Throwing Copper album in the spring of the previous year, but I wasn't paying attention at the time. I didn't start following popular music again until I knew I was going to be neck-deep in teenagers every day (being passingly familiar with their music is essential to doing my job reasonably well). It wasn't long after that that I saw a rerun of a Saturday Night Live episode where the band appeared as the musical guest. As with most music videos, the clip below is a little silly (although I love the color of that Stratocaster!), but this song led me to Throwing Copper, and after that I was a fan. Enjoy...

Have Words, Will Travel...

The Humpty Dumpty Rule

Fans of Lewis Carroll's classic tale Through the Looking Glass will remember Alice's encounter with Humpty Dumpty, which includes this famous passage:

'I don't know what you mean by "glory",' Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't — till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'
'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected.
'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'
'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master — that's all.'

When I engage people in conversations about political, social, economic, or artistic issues, I always assume that they are people of good will who mean well, and I am rarely disappointed in this (of course, I tend to pick my rhetorical opponents rather carefully). The surest test of someone's good will in such matters is whether they can accept that words have specific meanings, at least in the context of whatever topic is being discussed. As soon as my opponent starts to sound like Humpty Dumpty ("X means whatever I say it means") I know that I am dealing with an intellectual child, and do my best to extricate myself from the conversation.

It's a pretty good Life Pro Tip, my friends: If the person you're engaging rhetorically reserves for themselves the right to arbitrarily redefine words to make their argument stronger, bail. At that point, you might as well be trying to have a debate with a three-year-old...

Very funny. It's a sunny day outside, shouldn't you be eat-murdering some ant colonies or something?

Anyway, I consider myself as, among other things, a paladin of both the art of rhetoric and the proper use of the English language, and I try to conduct myself as such online, and everywhere else. It ain't easy...

"Trust me, it will help if you have a really cool outfit..."

Workin' on it...

The Hero We Need (Today)

"We" meaning Royals fans, of course. My beloved Kansas City Royals have now lost three straight games for the first time this season, and will try to avoid being swept in Yankee stadium this afternoon. We send this man to the mound today as our champion:

Chris Young   4-0, 0.78 ERA

Things That Make Me Happy: Railroad Edition 

The other day I posted an image of the newest addition to my HO scale locomotive collection, an Athearn Genesis DDA40X "Centennial." I also posted a picture of myself posing next to the real-life "Big Jack" on display at Kenefick Park in Omaha. Well, while I was browsing one of my favorite websites (RailPictures.net) this morning, I came across this marvelous photo, taken just a few days ago (May 22nd):

This freshly-painted DDA40X is sitting outside the Norfolk Southern's Juniata Shop in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It has undergone a complete cosmetic restoration (love that Armour Yellow!) and is bound for the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri. That's close enough to where I live that I hope to see her in person some day...

Take it easy, buddy. We won't be going anywhere for awhile...

Until Next Time...

Today's fine arts bit is a belated "Happy Birthday" tribute to another one of my musical heroes, trumpeter and band leader Maynard Ferguson (1928-2006), whose birthday (May 4) came a couple of weeks before I launched the blog. I had the pleasure of seeing Maynard and his big bands in person three times. I even had a front row center seat for one of those shows, and got a little of Maynard's trumpet spit on me! One of my peak life experiences, for sure. This clip is a performance of Joe Zawinul's "Birdland" on the Mike Douglas Show back in the late '70s.  Enjoy...

“He Said WHAT???”

A Truly Pernicious Idea

As I have mentioned in here a few times already, one of the reasons I embarked upon this blogging journey was to take a few last swipes at some really idiotic notions before it is time for me to shuffle off this mortal coil. By a stroke of good fortune, I was reminded of one such bit of pernicious nonsense as I got caught up on my reading while enjoying my morning coffee...

In an article posted this morning on The Daily Beast about attorney John Morgan, the blunt-spoken lawyer takes a potshot at Wisconsin governor Scott Walker: "Walker would be the first president with a GED. We just cannot have a dumb shit as president. Total dumb shit."

Completely aside from the absurd hyperbole about the GED (Walker was an honors student in high school, and attended Marquette University for three years), what bugs me about Morgan's remark is the assumption that anyone without a college degree simply must be "a total dumb shit." Has credentialism really advanced to the point where we're comfortable saying anyone without that particular piece of paper isn't just uncredentialed, but incapable of intelligent thought? Sadly, I know many degree-holding individuals who believe wholeheartedly in this fallacy of composition error, but hardly anyone among the nearly 70 percent of Americans without a college degree who does. Ironic, no?

"Is it possible to be both rich AND asinine? Absolutely."

Elsewhere in the article, Morgan brags that he "beats bullies up for a living."

I, on the other hand, mock arrogant lawyers purely for the sport of it...

Things That Make Me Happy: Nostalgia Edition

One of the greatest things about the internet is the ease with which one can now locate and purchase collectibles. Hobbies that used to require significant investments of time and energy are now far less daunting, for which I am exceedingly grateful. Among the things I collect, via eBay auctions mostly, are these:

Rosewood with gold trim.

In the late 1970s, Hallmark produced and sold pens and mechanical pencils made of various woods, individually and in pen/pencil sets. Some of these items came with chrome metal parts, while others had their metal trim gold-plated. I still own one such pen that my late first wife gave me as a birthday gift just months before she died. It is red oak, with gold trim. To make a long story short...

Shut it, quadruped. Anyway, long story short, when I first discovered eBay, the very first search I did was for these Hallmark writing instruments, and to my surprise and delight I found dozens of such listings. I have amassed a nearly complete collection, and I occasionally give them as gifts to significant people in my life. That means I still keep an eye out, as my collection needs to be replenished periodically. The only long-standing "hole" in the collection is for this set:

The Holy Grail.

This set, made of briar wood with gold trim, was a very limited special edition, just 250 sets produced. Once or twice a year I get a crack at one of these sets on eBay, but I have yet to win one of those auctions. Someday...

The Stupid, It Burns...

As someone who taught logic and reasoning skills his entire career, I can't avoid applying those things to the writings and utterances of people in the public eye. Politicians, in particular, are often guilty of the most egregious sins against reason, and I take great pleasure in mocking them for this at every opportunity. Sometimes, though, one them says something so profoundly irrational (even by the standards we must apply to politicians) that I almost feel guilty drawing attention to it. Take it away, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders:

"I'm running for President...stop laughing, damn it, I'm serious!"

“You don’t necessarily need a choice of 23 underarm spray deodorants when children are hungry in this country.”
            --Bernie Sanders
               May 25, 2015





I'm not sure which interpretation of this remarkable non sequitur is more damaging. If Senator Sanders actually believes that consumers having choices in the marketplace is responsible for hungry children in America, he's obviously too stupid to be a senator (a low bar, admittedly), much less President. If he doesn't believe it, but merely thinks that voters will be impressed that he said it, his contempt for us couldn't be clearer...

Once or twice, yeah...but there are times for "subtle," and times for...you know...not...

Housekeeping

One of the curious aspects of Blogger is that, while posts like this one are archived for posterity, the specific contents of those sidebar sections like Thought for the Day and the weekly recommendations are not. Each time I change them, whatever came before disappears. A reader suggested that I consider making a separate archive page for such things, and apparently this IS possible in Blogger. I'm looking into it. Anyone who uses Blogger is welcome to contact me with tips and/or advice...

Until Next Time...

Today's fine arts coda is from the wonderful DVD Perfect Square, which captures one of my favorite bands, R.E.M., in the middle of their 2003 world tour. The concert was recorded in Wiesbaden, Germany on July 19, 2003. One of the reasons I'm so fond of this video is that the only time I ever got to see the band perform live was just a few months later, at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City on September 17, 2003. They were using the same set design as in the video, and virtually the same set list (this was the tour where the band took requests via the internet at each venue). My (late) best friend Matt went with me, even though he wasn't a big fan of the band, and when he helped me move to Iowa in 2004 he gave me the concert DVD as a housewarming gift. Both the concert (one of my peak life experiences, to be sure) and his gift were much on my mind yesterday, Memorial Day. Miss you, Matt...

Memorial Day 2015

Lest We Forget

Officially, Memorial Day is for commemorating the men and women who died while serving in the country's armed forces. We must always remember the brave souls of every generation who gave what Abraham Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion." Requiescat in pace...

Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

Unofficially, people also use Memorial Day as an opportunity to decorate the graves of family members and other loved ones, regardless of whether they served. Some day, people might wish to do as much for me. For those so inclined, I'll be in White Chapel Cemetery in Kansas City, North, alongside my late first wife, whom I lost in 1977...

We'll be together again soon, my beloved...

Speaking of Cemeteries...

When I was growing up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, my friends and I would sometimes go play in Fairview Cemetery, which was close to my neighborhood. We found that it was easy to have fun there without a lot of adults telling us to quiet down! Yes, I was a strange child in many ways...

I was always impressed by the "Black Angel" statue, formally known as The Ruth Ann Dodge Memorial. At that age, 
I was dimly aware of what cemeteries were, but not so aware of the impropriety of playing in them. I didn't know who Ruth Ann Dodge was, but I remember thinking it would be cool if someone built a monument like this for me when the time came. I guess I should give up on that idea...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patriotic Music

There are lots of patriotic songs that get played on Memorial Day, of course, and all of them are moving, for me. I'm the sort of guy who gets a lump in his throat every time I hear the National Anthem. This is probably my favorite version, by the wonderful Jacqueline Schwab:

And I absolutely cannot listen to Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful" without weeping. I love the way he flips the order of the verses. God bless you, Brother Ray...

The Big Blue Bus Visits the Bronx

My Kansas City Royals are taking on the Yankees today in the first of a three-game series. Jeremy Guthrie will take the hill for the team with the best record in baseball at the moment...

I intend to enjoy a Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat Ale during the game...maybe two...and if the game goes extra innings, well...

Things That Make Me Happy: Grilling Edition

Burgers, steaks, ribs, chicken, pork chops...all delicious hot off the grill. But to me, the quintessential grilled meat is the hot dog. I suppose that is a reflection of my own preferences when I was growing up. In any event, here are a couple of my favorites. Give 'em a try the next time you fire up the grill...

Incredibly tasty...and, in a pinch, you can even prepare them in a microwave!

One of my pet peeves with packaged dogs is that they often come six to a package, while buns typically come eight to a package. These are quite delicious, but you'll never convince me that Ball Park isn't fucking with us all by putting seven of them in a package...

King's Hawaiian Original Sweet Hot Dog Buns.

Enough said...

I'm a simple man, so for me it's just the bun with a bit of butter or margarine, the dog, and some mustard. I was never one of those folks who wanted to eat something that looked like this...

There is a tasty hot dog somewhere under all of that. Allegedly.

It would take too long to list all of the side dishes I like when grilling. A lot depends on how many people I'm feeding, and what sorts of meats are being prepared. But I am a big fan of...

All of Bush's Grillin' Beans are worth trying, but these are my current favorite...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until Next Time...

Some things don't need any embellishing. I hope these United State Army Band buglers at Arlington National Cemetery, in summer and in winter, move you the way they move me...