Garrison Keillor's Christmas letter

Garrison Keillor's Christmas letter, Salon.com, December 13.

"Dear friends. We are getting older but are in fairly good shape and moving forward insofar as we can tell. We still drink strong coffee and read the paper and drive the same old cars. We plan to go to Norway next summer. We think that this war is an unmitigated disaster that will wind up costing a trillion dollars and we worry for our country. Our child enjoys her new school and is making friends. She was a horsie in the church Christmas pageant and hunkered down beside the manger and seemed to be singing when she was supposed to. We go on working and hope to be adequate to the challenges of the coming year but are by no means confident. It's winter. God is around here somewhere but does not appear to be guiding our government at the moment. Nonetheless we persist. We see kindness all around us and bravery and we are cheered by the good humor of young people. The crabapple tree over the driveway is bare, but we have a memory of pink blossoms and expect them to return. God bless you all."

Movie Romance with new song subtitles

I re-worked the subtitles for A Love That Will Never Grow Old, sung by Emmy Lou Harris in this short piece. Here it is--the new, improved version.

Greta Garbo and John Barrymore

The best way to destroy an enemy...

The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.-- Abraham Lincoln

"Shut up about Ann Coulter, already!"

I know. You're right. I should move on and forget about Ann Coulter. I know that you takes pleasure in getting folks riled up. My wife said I'd make a good fish. I can't resist this one though. And it was a long time ago. And does it really matter? Of course not. Just a interesting glimpse into the character of Ms. Coulter.

Ms. Coulter was being interviewed in Canada, by Bob McKeown on the CBC's, "Sticks and Stones". . She had what I suppose would be called the audacity to argue with Mr. McKeown about whether or not Canada sent troops to Viet Nam or not. She asserted they did, and this ignorant Canadian journalist disagreed. He allowed as how Canada sent troops to WWII and Korea though.



Ms. Coulter, on C-Span re the CBC interview:

AC: Yes, 10,000 Canadian troops, at least, there is a War Memorial to them¦at least for most of that. The Canadian Government didn't send troops at the beginning, didn't send troops at the end, but most of that was not under the Canadian flag, they came and fought with the Americans. So I was wrong. It turns out there were 10,000 Americans who happened to be born in Canada.

Two more from the shoe box.

Limbaugh's cigar looks like Delay's---cigar.

If I could only find a photo of Ann Coulter smoking a cigar.





America's Anchorman, yesterday:

If Harry Reid has to keep Tim Johnson on a respirator for two years to maintain control of the Senate, that's what will happen, folks.

Back in June he really did say this about Ann Coulter. No kidding. Maybe he meant she does lie and that she does make it up and take it out of context. You know--the way Rush does.

Rush Limbaugh Show, June 8, 2006

Well, you can say whatever you want about Ann Coulter, but she doesn't lie about what liberals say. She doesn't make it up, and she doesn't take it out of context. It is between-your-eyes truth, just as all of us on the right are between-the-eyes truth when we talk about and identify the left. They can't handle it.

Ann Coulter is...Ann Coulter!

I Just bumped into this by accident. Ann Coulter said it today, on her website.

If absolutely nothing changed in Iraq over the next few years — if it didn't continue to get better and if the savages never lost heart (I'm assuming they subscribe to "TimesSelect") — by 2010, 6,000 brave American troops will have died to prevent another 9/11 terrorist attack on American soil for a decade. If that's a war Americans think we're "losing," Osama bin Laden was right: We are a paper tiger. "

Al Jazeera: Saudis sent back from Guantanamo

Al Jazeera link.

However,

"More than 400 prisoners captured in the US-led war in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States are being detained without charge at Guantanamo."

People Have Got to Understand

"I am the decider. I decide what is best." -- George W. Bush



"But one thing people have got to understand is that we will be headed toward achieving our objectives." President George W. Bush

When? How?

Chris Matthews Hardball has a lot of bite

Chris Matthews (MSNBC, Hardball, 5:00 & 7 p.m. Eastern time) had Senator John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth as his guests last night. At one point, Mrs. Edwards made a comment about her husband not being good at telling jokes. A couple of sentences later Matthews said,
"Does she always bite your balls like that?"











The Edwards's were momentarily stunned by the remark. Somehow "bite" has more bite than "bust" which, I'm guessing Matthews meant to say, although I don't think asking John Edwards if his wife "busts" or "bites" his testicles was an appropriate question for him to pose.

I expected to see a comment or two about this somewhere today. I was only able to find one reference to it on a blog called the Kentucky Democrat. This was it:

Bonus Quote of the Day
"Does she always bite your
balls like that?"Chris Matthews, Hardball with Chris Matthews,
December 12, 2006

I read the transcript on the Hardball website, and they changed "bite" to "bust". Why? Come on. Let's play hardball!

E. EDWARDS: There are not that many politicians who are actually very
good
at jokes. John spoke one time and I said I wouldn‘t even go because
it
was—he was supposed to be funny and I didn‘t think he could carry it
off.

CROWD: (LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: I love it. You‘re great. Behind
every great man, there‘s a woman trying to kill him.

CROWD:
(LAUGHTER)

E. EDWARDS: He has great characteristics.

MATTHEWS:
What is it? Does she do this? Does she bust
your balls like this when you come home? When you get (INAUDIBLE), does she do that?

CROWD:
(APPLAUSE)

E. EDWARDS: My children are watching this.

CROWD:
(LAUGHTER)

Chocolate Chip cookie Craze

The chocolate chip cookie craze is upon me. I've baked cookies every day this week. I know that chocolate chip cookies are not the best thing for a person who had heart surgery slightly more than a year ago, but it's so much fun. To be perfectly honest, I'm not eating all that many. They're mostly consumed by the boys, my wife and the dog. She (the dog) has been known to eat an entire cookie sheet of hot, just out of the oven cookies--in the blink of an eye. Never turn your back on cooling cookies if she's within striking distance. I was on a chocolate muffin binge for awhile and she went nuts for my muffins.

The cookies of the day were different. Flatter and crispier, but they taste fine, and I've heard no complaints. I was just reading in the King Arthur cook book about the effects of humidity and barometric pressure on baking. The humidity is high and the barometer low today. I'm sure that accounts for the difference.

King Arthur suggests adding a teaspoon or two of espresso to the dough to perk up the cookies. I tried it and it works. The cookies were much perkier.

It's about time for me to start baking bread again. We used to bake bread every other day--before we got lazy. But with the price of 4 dollars for a decent loaf of whole wheat bread, I don't think I have a choice. Bake I must. It's the yeast I can do.

Tyger, Tyger...

Tyger, Tyger

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?


In what distant deeps or skies,
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?


And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?


What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?


When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?


Tyger Tyger burning bright
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?


What's on at the Commons?

While on the subject of English poets, would you care to learn a bit about the difference between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. I thought so. Knowing you would say yes, I give you a link to this video starring Danny Wallace. I found it fascinating. I'll have to watch it again though, to make sure I understand completely the differences between the two houses of Parliament.


I knew it! The fellow has a website. This Internet thing is fascinating.

Thomas W. Nason

Thomas Willoughby Nason
Gambrel-Roofed Barn, 1947, wood engraving

The Best, Worst and Weirdest...

Christmas and Hanukkah songs you're not likely to hear on your radio are featured on this morning's The Best, Worst and Weirdest in Holiday CDs by by Stephen Thompson over at National Public Radio.

Did you know that Santa Claus has a secret agent working for him? I kid you not. What's more, he's a penguin. That clever and funny guy Brad Paisley has written a song about him. Penguin, James Penguin tells the story in black and white.

The Klezmatics sing Hanuka Gelt from their album of songs by Woody Guthrie.

The Klezmatics


There's one by the Chipmunks,

and a very nice instrumental, Christmas Time is Here, by jazz musician Vince Guaraldi . It's from the 1965 television special a Charlie Brown Christmas.

Tom Delay, the Hammer, discovers the blogosphere.

The blog Wonkette -- also known as Ana Marie Cox -- has something to say about former House Majority leader Tom Delay and his new blog Tom Delay.com . Here's a comment by one of the blog's visitors,

Everyone already assumes bloggers are unemployed losers... thanks for reinforcing that stereotype...

December 10, 2006 Unregistered Commenter Marc

Delay was on MSNBC's Hardball earlier tonight (snake oil anyone?),

discussing with Mike Barnicle, his wish to spread the good word of the conservative movement via the blogosphere.

What's an Iraq study group?

Patrick Corrigan, The Toronto Post

According to a Newsweek poll, 26% of those queried were not aware that there was such a thing as the Iraq Study Group!

The Los Angeles Times has a link to the ISG Report.

Franz Schubert was bored?

Regarding Franz Schubert's Unfinished Symphony (#8 in B minor), my son noted that

"Schubert must not have been interested in it if he didn't finish it."

Who knows. Schubert lived for six years after writing the first two movements. So why didn't he finish it?

In a discussion at Music-Web, several interesting theories as to why it wasn't completed are put forth.

If you'd like to listen to the symphony, here's a recording by the Columbia University Orchestra.



Engineering students in the Columbia University Orchestra. Shown are: top left, Alice Yuo'06, top right, Deum Jik Park '06; front left, Erica Yen '05, and front right, Ji Won Kim '05.

Review of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

A managed care company president was given a ticket for a performance of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. Since she was unable to go, she gave the ticket to one of her managed care reviewers. The next morning she asked him how he had enjoyed it. Instead of a few observations about the symphony in general, she was handed a formal memorandum which read as follows:
1. For a considerable period, the oboe players had nothing to do. Their number should be reduced, and their work spread over the whole orchestra, avoiding peaks of inactivity.

2. All 12 violins were playing identical notes. This seems an unneeded duplication, and the staff of this section should be cut. If a volume of sound is really required, this could be accomplished with the use of an amplifier.

3. Much effort was involved in playing the 16th notes. This appears to be an excessive refinement, and it is recommended that all notes be rounded up to the nearest 8th note. If this were done it would be possible to use para-professionals instead of experienced musicians.

4. No useful purpose is served by repeating with horns the passage that has already been handled by the strings. If all such redundant passages were eliminated then the concert could be reduced from two hours to twenty minutes.

5. The symphony had two movements. If Mr. Schubert didn't achieve his musical goals by the end of the first movement,then he should have stopped there. The second movement is unnecessary and should be cut.

In light of the above, one can only conclude that had Mr. Schubert given attention to these matters, he probably would have had time to finish the symphony.

Pinetop Perkins & Michael Parrish

For some excellent boogie woogie to put some hustle in your step and lift your spirit, ease on over to the Old Blue Bus and listen to Pinetop's Boogie Woogie.

Barney's Holiday Extravaganza (the 1st dog)

Straight from the White House home page.





Mrs. Laura Bush poses with Barney, Miss Beazley and the family cat Willie, nicknamed “Kitty,” Friday, Dec. 1, 2006, next to the White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room.

A 9 minute video starring President Bush, Mrs. Bush, Barney, Miss Beazley, Kitty, Karl Rove, Dolly Parton and the United States Marine Corps Band.

But it's really Barney's show.And some very nice Christmas music!

Christmas Song by Mel Torme & Robert Wells. Nat King Cole sings.

If Irving Berlin's White Christmas is the most recorded Christmas song ever written, then The Christmas Song with words and music by Mel Torme & Robert Wells has to be a very close second. And to hear Torme sing it! Nat Cole does a superb job and I love listening to his version as well, but I don't know; there's just something about the Torme. I have to admit, my preference changes according to the mood of the moment. I keep both at the ready at all times.

In Torme's book, It Wasn't All Velvet (New York: Viking, 1988), pp 83-84, he describes how the song came to be written on a scorching July afternoon in California.




One excessively hot afternoon, I drove out to Bob's house [Robert Wells] in Toluca Lake for a work session. The San Fernando Valley, always at least ten degrees warmer than the rest of the town, blistered in the July sun.... I opened the front door and walked in.... I called for Bob. No answer. I walked over to the piano. A writing pad rested on the music board. Written in pencil on the open page were four lines of verse:

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sun by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

When Bob finally appeared, I asked him about the little poem. He was dressed sensibly in tennis shorts and a white T-shirt, but he still looked uncomfortably warm.

"It was so damn hot today," he said, "I thought I'd write something to cool myself off. All I could think of was Christmas and cold weather."

I took another look at his handiwork. "You know," I said, "this just might make a song."

We sat down together at the piano, and, improbable though it may sound, "The Christmas Song" was completed about forty-five minutes later. Excitedly, we called Carlos Gastel, sped into Hollywood, played it for him, then for Johnny Burke, and then for Nat Cole, who fell in love with the tune. It took a full year for Nat to get into a studio to record it, but his record finally came out in the last fall of 1946; and the rest could be called our financial pleasure.

Headlines That Caught My Eye

George Best's ghost comes back to haunt his lovers! Daily India.com

The English forward's widow Alex, his mistress Gina Devivo and his last lover Ros Hollidge have all reported haunting experiences, and if that was not
enough, last night the ace's agent and best friend Phil Hughes claimed that
an unseen hand mysteriously moved his drinks cabinet.

Fiji military seizes power in bloodless coup Guardian Unlimited


Fiji military commander Frank Bainimarama



Mom has kid arrested over Christmas toy Detroit Free Press


COLUMBIA, S.C. - A fed-up mother had her 12-year-old son arrested for allegedly rummaging through his great-grandmother's things and playing with his Christmas present early.






Are you crazy down there? Letter to the editor, Herald Online, Rock Hill, S. C.

This is the most tragically funny story I heard in decades. What's next,
the death penalty for sticking your finger into the icing on a cake? Joel Schulz, Alberta Canada