Up the Road a Ways

Hmmmm...

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

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

and this...

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

...they felt the choice was clear:

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

Things That Make Me Happy: Top Dog Edition

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

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

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

"Quiero ganar un anillo!"

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

"BOOM!"

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

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

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

Feast Day

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

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

Housekeeping

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

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

Until Next Time...

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

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