Sunday Potpourri No. 22

Idiocy Sweepstakes

To the complete surprise of absolutely no one, the online world went bonkers after Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris. And, to the complete surprise of no one with a functioning brain, a disturbing percentage of messages posted were just downright idiotic. Everyone will have their own favorites, but for me this post by one Dan Kimmel is tough to beat...

Mr. Kimmel had been running for a seat in the Minnesota state legislature prior to this brain-fart, but he has now withdrawn his candidacy. Like most people who say idiotic things in public, he blames the rest of us for his troubles, saying that his original message was "badly misinterpreted." Right.

Do I even need to mention that the guy is a Democrat?

Of course, it isn't really too surprising, considering that one of the party's candidates for president blames climate change for the terror attacks in Paris...

"He's not kidding. I really did say that."

"Why do you bipeds keep voting for such stupid people?"

A lot of voters are just as stupid, is why. At least we can be grateful that the nitwits make themselves easy to spot...

Pigskin Saturday

As I mentioned yesterday, I became a fan of the Army Black Knights when they ran onto their field on Saturday bearing a remarkable display of solidarity with our nation's oldest ally...
  

Army defensive back Caleb McNeill carried the French flag as the team took the field.

The Black Knights fought hard, and tied the game with less than two minutes to play, but lost to Tulane 34-31 on a field goal as time expired. No shame in that, though, and I was happy to root for them.

The rest of the day wasn't much better for me. Notre Dame won, but Iowa State lost a heart-breaker in Ames, falling 35-31 to undefeated Oklahoma State. Nebraska and Iowa both won, meaning another week of trying to ignore their insufferable fans. And although winless Kansas lost yet again, it was a close game on the road against a ranked opponent, when what I really needed was a satisfying blowout of the hated Jayhawks.

A Common Interest

Without a trace of irony, our president has announced his support for campus activists in their recent efforts to suppress speech on campuses across the country. He pays lip service to free speech, of course, but since the whole point of these campus uprisings is suppressing "politically incorrect" speech, it is difficult to credit the president's disavowal of such suppression.

These half-witted protesters do have one thing in common ideologically with terrorists, though...

From the pen of the excellent editorial cartoonist Mike Ramirez, whom you should read often, as I do.

Until Next Time...

Whenever my heart is heavy, music is a source of comfort and a welcome reminder that there is beauty in this world despite its troubles.

Today's send-off is from the best-known full-length work of celebrated French composer and teacher Gabriel Fauré, his Requiem in D minor, Op. 48. Unusually for a requiem the final movement, "In Paradisum," is not based on the liturgy of the funeral mass itself but from the subsequent burial service. I hope you find it as beautiful as I do...