52 Years On

Where I Was

I was in 5th Grade, attending St. Mary Parish Catholic School in Derby, Kansas. The teachers and principals were almost all nuns in those days, probably belonging to the Religious Sisters of Mercy, although I was too young in those days to know that there was more than one kind of nun.

May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963

It was Friday afternoon, not long after lunch when Sr. Kathleen, our principal, interrupted classes with an announcement that the president had been shot. Of course the class I was in joined in a prayer immediately. I don't really recall whether we were able to get back to our schoolwork.

Approximately an hour later, she came on the intercom again, her voice choked with emotion, to let us know that the president had died.





My only other strong recollection is of the TV being on constantly at my house, up to and including Kennedy's funeral. There was an air of unreality about it all, for someone my age. I didn't really understand how something like this could happen in our supposedly "modern" times.

In the fullness of time, of course, I came to know that Kennedy was a deeply flawed man, and in most important respects an ineffective president. The event that dominated my adolescence (Vietnam) began largely due to his fecklessness.

All of that aside, though, I still mourn the untimely death of the only Catholic president in our nation's history.

Speaking of Politics...

"We don't need no steenkin' Republicans!"

I try to stay away from overtly political stuff on the weekends, but every once in awhile there is a provocation so egregious that I can't just let it go.

I have often said that if you scratch
a progressive you will find a rigid totalitarian underneath, but they're usually savvy enough to at least give lip service to the notion that there might be two sides to some issues.





Speaking in North Charleston, South Carolina yesterday, Hillary Clinton let the mask drop for just a moment. She made it plain that the people she recently described as the enemies she is proudest to have made actually have no place in our politics. She told her audience that there were all sorts of wonderful things Democrats would do for them if "Republicans would just get out of the way."

To which the only possible civilized response is: Fuck you, you black-eyed skank!

"You are incorrigible."

I never saw any upside to being corrigible...

I Can't Even

All things considered, yesterday wasn't a great day of college football outcomes for me. For starters, Notre Dame beat Boston College in Boston (at Fenway Park, no less), although that is somewhat bittersweet for me since BC is also a Catholic institution.

Are you shitting me, Notre Dame?

I thought the uniforms the Irish wore for the game were hideous, though. The helmet was okay, I suppose, though the tradition of there being no logo on the Notre Dame helmet should be respected.



The monochrome green uniforms were ghastly. Supposedly, the color was "inspired" by the Green Monster at Fenway. If that is so, perhaps someone can explain to me why you'd want to use something on the opposition's field as the basis for your look. Makes no sense. Especially since the green on the uniforms doesn't match the green on the wall. Ten Our Fathers and ten Hail Marys, Notre Dame. And a promise not to do it again.

Iowa won again to clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game, which will make Hawkeye fans insufferable for another week at least. Nebraska didn't play, but they'll face Iowa in Lincoln next Friday. No matter who wins that one, I'll have at least one obnoxious fan base to avoid.

Iowa State blew a 21-point halftime lead and lost to Kansas State 38-35 on a last-second field goal. It wasn't the first time such a fate befell the Cyclones this season. They fired the coach after the game. Not a classy move, ISU.

My newly-adopted Black Knights from Army lost to Rutgers, but at least the despicable Kansas Jayhawks lost in satisfying fashion. They still haven't won a game this season...

Compare and Contrast

From the incisive pen of Mike Ramirez, whose editorial cartoons you should read regularly, as I do.

Until Next Time...

Over the course of my life, I have learned to take most biographical information about public figures with a lick of salt. That has been especially true with JFK, who for many years after his death was still the subject of mostly worshipful press coverage.

That said, I'm reasonably confident that I can trust the multiple sources who wrote that Kennedy's favorite song was the 16th century English folk ballad "Greensleeves."

Today's send-off is a marvelous a capella performance of the song by The King's Singers. It was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 13, 2008. Enjoy...

Snow-ish

Take the Train

The Hawkeye Express is wearing Rock Island colors this season.

My part of the state dodged the predicted snowfall yesterday, but other parts of the state were not so fortunate.

When the Iowa Hawkeyes play host to Purdue at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City today, I hope many fans take the safe option and ride the Hawkeye Express to the game.

There are some hazardous conditions in the eastern part of the state especially. Stay safe, everyone...

Things That Make Me Happy: Plaudits Edition

The post-season honors continue to roll in for my beloved Kansas City Royals, as tends to happen to teams which win the World Series.

The most prestigious accolade came
on Thursday, when All-Star CF Lorenzo Cain finished third in the American League Most Valuable Player voting, the highest finish by a Royals player since George Brett in finished second in 1985.

It was announced yesterday that 1B Eric Hosmer received the Esurance "Best Moment" Award for 2015 for his daring baserunning in Game 5 of the World Series.

Eric scored the tying run from 3rd on an infield ground-out in the 9th inning.


The Royals went on to win the game (and the Series) in 12 innings.

All-Star reliever Wade Davis won the Esurance "Best Major Leaguer, Postseason" Award for 2015 for going 1-0 with four saves and a 0.00 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work.

"Hard to believe LoCain wasn't a finalist for the Gold Glove, too."

Tell me about it...

Tech Nostalgia

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

Until Next Time...

On November 21, 1934, the original Broadway production of the classic musical Anything Goes opened at what was then called the Alvin Theatre (it is known as the
Neil Simon Theater nowadays). I was dimly aware that there was such a musical because I knew the great Cole Porter songs "Anything Goes" and "I Get a Kick Out of You," but I never saw a full production of the show until the school where I began my teaching career put one on in the spring of 1978, near the end of my first year of teaching.

There have been periodic Broadway revivals of the show ever since the original closed, and there are amateur productions going on pretty much all the time somewhere in the country. The most recent Broadway revival was in 2011. That production starred Sutton Foster, who won the Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Reno Sweeney.

Today's send-off is the 2011 cast, led by Foster, performing "Anything Goes" on that year's Tony Awards broadcast. Enjoy...

Trumped Out

Thank Kanaloa It's Friday!

"Yes, my balls are blue. Why do you ask?"

How Politics Works, At the Moment

Alleged "conservative Republican" and certifiable asshat Donald Trump says something completely outrageous, like this...

...after which event, those of us with a functioning intellect and an understanding of what "conservative" means are all like...

...but the semi-literate half-wits backing Trump be all like...






Leading inexorably to...

Your next President, ladies and gentlemen.

Which, of course, was Trump's plan from the outset...

Any questions?

Technical Problems

Today's post is both late and short due to some issues I'm having with the Blogger software. Among other issues, it is refusing to allow me to insert photographs or other graphics as I usually do, resulting in some time-consuming work-arounds. It also decided to delete the text I had prepared for the opening section without being told to do so, and without conducting a save first. I lost probably 1,500 words and a couple of hours' work. I elected not to try to reconstruct.

Sorry that today's post isn't up to snuff, but to a large extent we are all at the mercy of technologies we only dimly understand and can only incompletely manipulate...

"Plus, you're old and not very bright."

There is that, yes...

A Fair Point

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

Until Next Time...

During the course of nearly 30 years teaching high school, I saw many a pop singer come and go in the collective enthusiasm of my students. No matter what style of music happened to be popular at any given time, there was always one vocalist who towered above all others in the eyes of the adolescents who populated my classrooms.

The most recent iteration of this phenomenon is British singer-songwriter Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, who performs professionally simply as Adele. Her 2008 debut 19 (2x Platinum in the U.S.) and its 2011 follow-up 21 (11x Platinum in the U.S.) were both cultural landmarks. If you were around teenagers all day, as I was, you needed to know who Adele was. You just did.

Her third studio album, 25, was released today, and I have no doubt that it will be a tremendous success as well. The album's first single, "Hello," was released on October 23 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. It also became the first song to record more than one million digital sales/downloads in its first week of release. I think that means the kids still dig her stuff.

Today's send-off is the official music video of "Hello." The usual music video disclaimers apply, of course. Enjoy...

Peerless

Happy 60th!

Sixty years ago today, William F. Buckley, Jr. and a small group of co-conspirators launched National Review, a journal designed to give voice to distinctly conservative political and social points of view.

At its founding, there really was nothing quite like it. Sixty years later,
it remains sui generis. Its influence on American politics and culture cannot be overestimated.

I have read and enjoyed NR for nearly 50 of its 60 years, and look forward to many, many more.

It would be an egregious understatement to say that Bill and his magazine had an enormous influence on my life.

Bill was a my role model as a writer and lover of the English language, as a debater, as a political conservative, and as a Catholic. Since those things are the real essence of me, it shouldn't be surprising that I hold him in such esteem. No one has had a more singular or lasting influence on my life than WFB.


Of course, National Review has always been much more than just Bill. It was in those pages that I first encountered John Dos Passos and Clare Boothe Luce, Richard Brookhiser and George Will, Jeane Kirkpatrick and Thomas Sowell, Mortimer J. Adler and Roger Scruton, John Simon and Terry Teachout, Florence King and P.J. O'Rourke, Jonah Goldberg and Andrew C. McCarthy.

And that's just for openers. The list of great thinkers and writers I have been introduced to through NR is, almost literally, endless.

Thank you.

Cravings

One of life's more amusing annoyances is the cravings we get for certain foods and beverages from time to time. Of course, there's nothing to do once you're in the grip of such a craving but give in to it...

Patty melt and onion rings from Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

"Say, isn't that their 'Massive Coronary Basket'?"

I don't need food advice from someone who eats ants and termites, thanks...

Simmer Down, Science Fans

From the indispensable webcomic xkcd, by Randall Munroe, which you should read every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, as I do.

Until Next Time...

Among other things, Bill Buckley led me to an appreciation of Johann Sebastian Bach. While Bach has never managed to supplant Beethoven at the top of my pantheon of classical music heroes, he's a most respectable second place. His works generously repay repeated listens, and I can't recall listening to a Bach piece without noticing something
I had previously missed. Sheer genius. And I might never have taken the time to explore Bach's music had it not been for Bill's constant championing of it in National Review.

In particular, I am quite fond of The Brandenburg Concertos, and own several recordings of them, with both modern and period instruments and arrangements. Bill used the 3rd Movement of Concerto No. 2 for the theme music on his Emmy-winning PBS discussion/debate series Firing Line, and whenever I hear it I am reminded of the many Sunday hours I spent watching Bill and his guests engage in truly intellectual conversation.

Today's send-off is a splendid performance of the 3rd Movement by trumpet virtuoso Wynton Marsalis, from his marvelous 1998 album Classic Wynton. Enjoy...

Miscellany

Role Reversal

"Anyone criticizing my dithering failures is un-American."

Sometimes it is comical to watch the way smug progressives twist themselves into pretzel knots justifying whatever it is they are doing or saying at any given moment.




I think it is because their entire worldview is grounded in the desire to control the lives 
of others. When that is your overarching purpose in life, mere principles or any vestige of intellectual consistency are just impediments to the ultimate goal.

Remember when "dissent is the highest form of patriotism" was the preferred progressive rationale for criticizing President Bush's conduct of what has come to be called the Global War On Terrorism? (The quote is misattributed, by the way; Jefferson never said any such thing. Jefferson had better sense than to believe such nonsense.) Back in the day, the easiest way to give a progressive a conniption was to suggest to them that their strident, public criticism was actually giving aid and comfort to our enemies.

Now that a card-carrying progressive (to say the least) is in the White House, though, criticism of his policies cannot be tolerated. It doesn't help that President Obama criticizes Republicans exclusively for opposing him even when a lot of the criticism is coming from his own side. He has even gone so far as to suggest Republican criticism helps ISIS recruit new members.

Hilarious.

And Then There Were...Still Too Many

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal ended his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination yesterday.

Governor Jindal is a good man, with a lot of strong, conservative ideas. It does not speak well of supposedly conservative GOP voters that he could never gain any traction.

Folks, if there is no room for Jindal, Scott Walker, or Rick Perry in this race, there is absolutely no room for Graham, Huckabee, Kasich, Paul, Pataki, or Santorum. All of those guys need to drop the fuck out, right now...

Bad Staff Work

Senator "Clueless Claire" McCaskill, D(umbass) - Missouri

If you're working for a politician, and you tell them you think it's a good idea for them to participate in a half-witted Hillary Clinton stunt, then it probably isn't going to end well for you.

Of course, all of the women who took part in this stunt are going to get a lesson in what can be done with image-editing software these days. Serves 'em right...

Cool New Stuff

I've needed a new shaving kit for awhile (my old one finally disintegrated after years of faithful service), but until recently I couldn't find anything like my old one.




It was the "Goldilocks Problem": too big, too small, too cheap, too expensive, etc. Leave it to the folks at Harry's to come to my rescue with the snazzy item pictured.

"Why do you need a 'travel kit' when you never go anywhere anymore?"

It's the principle of the thing...

Old School

From the droll 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...

Some days, I'm just in the mood for Beethoven, it's as simple as that.

Today's send-off is a recording of the 1st movement of his Piano Sonata No. 21 (popularly referred to as the Waldstein) by Sir András Schiff. Enjoy...

Tough Call

For the Record

As a human being, never mind as a Christian, my heart goes out to all who find it necessary to flee for their lives from the only home they have ever known. They are in my thoughts and prayers daily. That said...

• I reject out of hand the scurrilous argument that turning these particular refugees away is in some way hypocritical or anti-Christian. It is not for our government to force Christian charity upon its citizens against their will. 
• It is also worth noting that the same people making these appeals to Christian morality now are curiously resistant to the idea that Christian morality ought to influence our nation's abortion policy.
• Even granting that there is a humanitarian case to be made for admitting them, that is not the only issue we must consider.
• There are legitimate concerns about safety that cannot be waved away or dismissed.
• We are the greatest nation in the history of humankind, and it is certainly in our power to help these people. Settling them in the United States is not the only option to consider, nor even perhaps the best option available. Our actions ought to blend our nation's compassion with its prudence.

"That said, your instinct is to take them all, isn't it?"

Considering what they are fleeing from, yes...

Spirit of the Season

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, the beloved/dreaded "Holiday Season" will be fully upon on us. (And, for the record,
I think it is asinine to eschew saying "Christmas" this time of year, as if not saying the word takes away the Christian roots of all the celebrations.)

I haven't been overwhelmed with this year's collection of holiday mugs from Starbucks, but I am hopeful there will be a few more releases before Christmas.

In the meantime, I did find something appealing on my most recent visit:
Christmas Blend Espresso Roast, which is a unique spin on their usual Espresso Roast. I'm looking forward to finding out how this tastes coming out of my Mr. Coffee Café Barista.

All Politics is Local, You Say?

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

Until Next Time...

Not everyone who achieves success pursuing a passion for music winds up playing in front of crowds of cheering fans. Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix turned their passion for music into a company called audiomachine, one of the most successful companies of its kind working in Hollywood today. They have produced electronic scores for all sorts of projects, but they specialize in music for motion pictures, and in particular for trailers.

Even a partial list of the film trailers these guys have done the music for is quite impressive, as it includes blockbusters like Avatar, The Dark Knight, American Sniper, Star Trek, all the good Marvel Comics movies, most of the Harry Potter films, Peter Jackson's Hobbit films, and many more. They've also provided music for the Call of Duty video game series, arguably the most popular franchise in gaming.

The duo's most recent commercial release is this week's music recommendation. Today's send-off is the first track from the album, "The Lion's Heart." Enjoy...

What Winning Looks Like

"For They Have Sown the Wind...

Terror victims at Bataclan, Paris 11/13/15

...and They Shall Reap the Whirlwind."

Spontaneous demonstration in the streets of Paris shortly after the terror attacks ended.

French Air Force Dassault Rafale jets now conducting bombing sorties on ISIS positions in Syria.

I wouldn't expect many of the ISIS murderers currently being bombed back to the 7th century to be familiar with Hosea 8:7, but that doesn't make France's response to last Friday's terror attacks any less inspiring for the rest of us.

As for our own "leader," he said at a press conference this morning that...

"I'm too busy to debate the people popping off about my failed policy."

What are we supposed to do when the Leader of the Free World doesn't want to lead?

Things That Make Me Happy: Off the Schneid Edition

Heading into yesterday's game with the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, my beloved Kansas City Chiefs were 0-7 against Peyton Manning in a Broncos uniform. Included in that string of defeats was the gut-wrenching, last-minute 31-24 loss at Arrowhead Stadium in this season's second game.

That streak is now over, as the Chiefs crushed the Broncos 29-13 yesterday afternoon in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated (the Chiefs led 29-0 midway through the 4th quarter). The Chiefs defense harassed Manning into a horrible game (5/20 for 35 yards and four interceptions)...

This Jaye Howard sack forced a fumble, but the Broncos recovered.

...and eventually he was benched for backup Brock Osweiler. Meanwhile, Chiefs QB Alex Smith threw for 200 yards and a touchdown, and RB Charcandrick West rushed for one touchdown and scored another on an 80-yard pass play...

"You can't catch me!"

The Chiefs are still an extreme long-shot to make the NFL playoffs. You don't generally see teams recover from five-game losing streaks in this league. Even though only one of their remaining seven games is against a team that currently has a winning record (Buffalo Bills, at Arrowhead), they have no margin for error. I just don't see them going 7-0 or 6-1 over that stretch of games, and anything less would leave them on the outside looking in come playoff time.

But at least we finally beat Manning, and in front of a packed house in Denver, too. Pretty sweet...

"Maybe the Chiefs learned something from what the Royals did in their championship run."

We can only hope that they did...

Wild Kingdom Bed & Breakfast Update

There has been a notable drop-off in the number of avian customers visiting the B&B. Most of the finches have stopped coming around, possibly due to migration. As the leaves have fallen from the nearby trees, a lot of the birds may simply have moved across the street where there is still some foliage.

I'm currently researching some ways to help the non-migratory birds get by during the winter months.

Meanwhile, as the cold weather approaches, the B&B attracted a couple of new customers this morning (of course, they've probably been around before without my spotting them)...

"What's up?"

"These shelled peanuts are excellent!"

I'm not sure these little guys found much, but they're welcome to whatever they like.
All are welcome at the B&B.

Solving the Puzzle

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

Until Next Time...

On November 16, 1964 Diana Jean Krall was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Although neither of her parents were professional musicians, they both pursued musical hobbies, and Diana followed in their footsteps, taking up the piano at age four.

She attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston before pursuing career opportunities in California. She released her first album in 1993, and has since had half a dozen albums reach the Top 10 on the  Billboard 200 album charts. She has won five Grammy Awards as well.

Today's send-off is Diana and her combo performing the Tom Waits song "Temptation" at the French Jazz a Vienne festival in 2010. Enjoy...

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...