Eclipsed

Target-Rich Environment

This blog exists in part as a vehicle for my thoughts on political/social issues, so it is always nice to wake up on a Monday and find such a treasure trove of juicy targets.

"Catholics are compassionate...LOL, j/k, they're monsters."

In the wake of Pope Francis's visit to the United States, The New York Times published a mind-bogglingly stupid "analysis" of Pope Francis which suggested that 2,000 years of Catholic doctrine were simply mistaken, and that Catholics need to wake the fuck up and embrace the progressive social agenda.

"Elect me and I'll make those Obama policies work!"

Meanwhile, on 60 Minutes last night, asshat Donald Trump embraced so many Obama policy ideas as his own that progressives were even talking about it publicly.

No doubt his knuckle-dragging nitwit fans will insist that he's still the only "real" conservative in the race. Yeah, right...

"These are not the emails you are looking for."

And then there is Hillary Clinton. We now seem to have reached Phase Two of the current Clinton Scandal^®, which traditionally involves moving from "I didn't do anything illegal" to "I have already answered these questions" and,
of course, "This is all 'old news.'"


Decisions, decisions...

Things That Make Me Happy: True Grit Edition

In their final regular-season game of 2015 at Kauffman Stadium yesterday, my beloved Kansas City Royals salvaged the final game of a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians, winning 3-0. The victory was the team's 90th of the season, and kept them in a tie with Toronto for the league's best record (and home field advantage throughout the playoffs).

In his first start in two months, Chris Young pitched five no-hit innings (the third time this season he has gone at least five innings into a start without permitting a hit), and got credit for the win. Chris improved his record to 11-6, 3.15 ERA, but I'm sure none of that matters to him right now. Chris's father had passed away on Saturday, and Chris dedicated the game to his dad. He left the stadium before the game had even ended, but left a statement which the Royals released following the game.

"I love you, dad."

Knock that off! If you start, then...well...*sniff*...damn it...

Alternate History

My beloved Kansas City Chiefs play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Monday Night Football tonight. Chiefs fans can't help but remember the last time the two teams played each other...

On December 18, 2011 the Packers, defending Super Bowl Champions, rolled into Arrowhead Stadium 13-0 and the consensus favorite to successfully defend their title. Counting the previous season and playoff run, the Packers had won 19 straight games. The Chiefs were 5-8, and had just fired head coach Todd Haley despite his having led the team to the playoffs the previous season. No one in their right mind thought the Chiefs could win the game.

The Chiefs did win, though, 19-14. They did it behind quarterback Kyle Orton, whom they had claimed off of waivers a couple of weeks before from the Denver Broncos, and a stout defense led by Pro Bowlers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson.

"We still suck, Chiefs fans. We were just fuckin' with y'all."

It was the only regular-season loss for the Packers, but they also lost their first playoff game a few weeks later, falling at home to the New York Giants. Some speculated that the loss to the Chiefs destroyed the Packers' aura of inevitability.

Largely due to this stunning upset, the Chiefs front office decided to give interim coach Romeo Crennel the head coaching job for 2012. That decision led to a 2-14 debacle (after which Crennel and GM Scott Pioli deservedly got fired, QB Matt Cassel was released, and Orton left in free agency), followed by perhaps the worst No. 1 overall draft choice in NFL history (offensive tackle Eric Fisher, who is basically a bust).

In retrospect, it might have been better for the long-term health of the franchise if we had lost that game with the Packers. That idea certainly makes for an interesting alternate history story...

Meanwhile, they say that Green Bay's Hall of Fame-bound QB Aaron Rodgers enjoys beating the teams who passed on him in the 2005 draft. The Chiefs are one of those teams, and it just so happens that their starting QB is the man who went No. 1 overall in that same draft, Alex Smith.

My prediction for tonight? Packers 31-13...

So, This Happened

At my age, when people tell me that something that's about to happen won't happen again for another 15-20 years, as with last night's 'supermoon' total lunar eclipse, that gets my attention. The odds seem unlikely that I'll be around in 2033, the next time this phenomenon will occur.

It was a clear night here in Council Bluffs, and I did get to see both the eclipse and the 'blood moon' that followed it. If I had a Bucket List I doubt seeing that would have made my Top 50, but I did see it.

Predictably, the internet this morning is chock full of photos of the event. My favorite is the one at right, in which the "supermoon" can be seen with two of the Bartle Hall Pylons on top of the Kansas City Convention Center in the foreground.

Housekeeping

A quick reminder that clicking on the images which accompany the Weekly Recommendations will take you to places where you can check out (and purchase) those items, if they are of interest to you.

Also, comments are always welcome here. Agree or disagree, I'd love to hear from you!

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Yes, yes...you should also check out my wingman and me on Twitter: @LuckyEatAnter

Until Next Time...

Just a little over 60 years ago (September 19, 1955 to be exact), jazz pianist Erroll Garner and his combo played a concert in a school's assembly hall in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Garner's record label hadn't bothered to record the concert, but an engineer for the Armed Forces Radio Network taped the performance. Once they heard the tapes, executives at Columbia Records decided to release it as Concert By the Sea. It quickly became a jazz classic, one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. The "simulated stereo" version of this recording was issued in 1969, and was my first exposure to the legendary Garner's unique style. I've been a fan ever since.

On September 18, 2015 a special three-disc, remastered version was released, including the entire concert (the original album left many songs off for length considerations). It is this week's Music Recommendation.

Today's send-off is the trio's performance of "Lullaby of Birdland," the often-recorded jazz standard written in 1952 by George Shearing and George David Weiss. Enjoy...