Happy Independence Day!!!

Barbie as the Statue of Liberty (FAO Schwarz, 1995)

Enjoy!!!

Turkey Time

Turkey with candy tail feathers. Yum!!!


It always annoys me how the seasonal decorations jump straight from Halloween to Christmas, skipping Thanksgiving in the mad rush to fuel consumer enthusiasm. After all, you don't generally sell costumes or gifts for Turkey Day. And, therefore, we go from pumpkins to snowmen overnight.

Well, in defiance of this trend, here's a photo that I took in late November. ;-)

Anyways, we can give thanks for our happy situations regardless of the date. And it's always a good time to have a fine meal.

And music.

Memorial Day

Old Glory blowing in the wind on Memorial Day

I'm not one for ostentatious display of patriotic sentiments, but the beauty of the Stars & Stripes billowing on a bright May day touches even my curmudgeon heart.

Best wishes to you all on this Memorial Day.

For Emily

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830.


Exultation is the going (75)
(By Emily Dickinson)

Exultation is the going
Of an inland soul to sea,
Past the houses - past the headlands -
Into deep Eternity

Bred as we, among the mountains,
Can the sailor understand
The divine intoxication
Of the first league out from land?


Did you really think that I wasn't going to celebrate Emily Dickinson's birth date?

I could write a daily blog, all about my adoration for Emily. I could make podcasts, reciting and reflecting upon her verse. I could drift into insanity, obsessing over every word and phrase. So, instead, I dole out her words, as an occasional treat.

But on special days, it is permissible, even admirable, to engage in poetic gluttony. ;-)

My Conscience Got to Stirring Me Up

"Thinking" (1884) by E. W. Kemble, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Sometimes people ask me about my favorite novel. I can never give an honest or consistent answer to them; there are so many considerations that qualify my selection. However, I'm certain that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is in my top five.

I'm not a big fan of the overall plot structure, especially not the last third, but I always enjoy Huck's character, his interior conversations, his childish innocence and his commonsense morality. Most of all, I adore Huck's authenticity. He is as "real" to me as many people who I have "really" met. ;-)

I have a thing against rereading books. Because there are so many great books that I have yet to read, it seems foolish to read a novel a second time. For me, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn always justify an extra read.

"On the Raft" (1884) by E. W. Kemble, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Published on this date in 1884, let's celebrate Mark Twain's enduring creation.

Silver

Sasha Cohen performing her short program at the 2006 Olympics in Torino (Photo: Wally Skalij)


With unrivalled elegance and amazing flexibility, Sasha Cohen should have been a multi-year US national champion and Olympic Gold medallist, but freakishly bad luck haunted her competitive career.

First, her era was dominated by other great skaters, Michelle Kwan, Irina Slutskaya, and Shizuka Arakawa, against whom Sasha would constantly find herself coming in second. It was almost farcical how these ladies would tag team on denying Sasha the gold medal. If Slutskaya would have a bad skate, then Arakawa would deliver an all-time classic program. If Kwan was out with an injury, then Slutskaya would would recover from an illness, better than ever!!!

And then there was her performance jinx. Time and time again, Sasha would offer awesome programs, perfect in every way but for a single fall. The contrast was harsh, like a beautiful model on the cover of a fashion magazine with a pimple on her nose, like a pristine and lacy white wedding dress with a smear of ketchup over the heart, distracting the viewer from the overall beauty and grace. Watching Sasha skate was a stressful experience, waiting for the inevitable fall, anticipating the slip that would topple her from the top of the podium.

Sasha Cohen was born on October 26, 1984.

Some say that second place is just the first loser. I can understand that point of view, but, when I look at her accomplishments, Sasha will always be a winner.

Fashionable Frost

Nancy Kerrigan won the 1992 US Silver Medal in a Vera Wang outfit. (Photo: Mike Powell)


Much has been written about Nancy Kerrigan.

The history of figure skating provides high drama and extreme personalities in every generation. Arrogance, anger, despair, and kindness, the Passions rule the Ice. And the skater's blade has no sharpness when compared to their competitive spirits. Don't let the fancy outfits fool you.

But Nancy Kerrigan and her tumultuous times took it to the limit. In 1991, if a writer were to plot out the events that were to occur in the figure skating world over the next three years, their story would have been rejected as an absurd parody. The outrageous characters, the overblown antagonism, the breathless sensationalism, these would have been considered pure hack work of a puerile imagination.

Truth is stranger than fiction.

Kerrigan won the '94 Olympic Silver in another Vera Wang outfit (Photo: Clive Brunskill)

So let's celebrate Nancy's birthday today and remember those days of drama. ;-)

Dispel All Your Sorrows

Detail of Winter Sunday in Norway, Maine (c.1860) by artist unknown


William Billings is another composer that languishes in obscurity. Given his creative vision and early presence in the American timeline of the arts, you would think he'd be given a special place of prominence within musical history classes, at least in the States. I didn't learn about him until well after I had become familiar with the standard classical repertoire.

Now, it's true that I didn't sing in a church choir, which is where most of his works are currently performed as part of the Sacred Harp tradition. However, a student of classical music gets exposed to numerous choral works from European sources fairly early on in the course of their education. Why does Billings get overlooked in favor for yet another German baroque cantata?

I'm not saying that Billings should bump Handel off the syllabus. But I do think that there is a prejudice at work here that marginalizes "colonial" expressions. This is also true for composers from the Spanish colonies, such as Juan Garcia de Zespedes or Juan Gutierrez de Padilla. So, my position is that maybe a day can be set aside to focus on the works coming out of the European colonies in the New World.

Hieroglyphic of a Christian (1850-75) by artist unknown

Well, I'll get off of my soapbox and let Billings' music defend itself. ;-)

Cool Kid

Kimmie Meissner was the 2006 World Champion (Photo by Lloyd Fox, June 5, 2009)


I always root for Team USA in international athletic competitions, but American athletes usually aren't my favorites. But I am a fan of Kimmie Meissner, 2006 World Champion and 2007 US National Champion. I remember seeing her for the first time at the 2005 Nationals when she pulled off the triple axel, becoming only the second US woman to execute the notoriously difficult jump. It was totally awesome.

But what I especially liked about Kimmie wasn't her accomplishments on ice, but her spunky personality. Sure, there are plenty of likable figure skaters, but Kimmie wasn't just nice. She was shy, awkward, ironic, playful, and intense, all in a mercurial flash of emotions. Likewise, in spite of her focused concentration during performance, her emotions were clear upon her facial expressions. This openness was absolutely charming.

Kimmie Meissner was born on October 4, 1989 (Photo by Kathy F. Atkiinson)

The last few years have been tough for Kimmie fans, given her injuries and performance difficulties. There hasn't been an official retirement notice, but that seems to be the way things are going. Regardless, I'll always appreciate her exhilarating presence on the ice. And today we can wish her a Happy Birthday!!!

Fat Americans

Taste the Patriotism!!!

Alright. This is going to be another rant post. Be warned. . .

In my youth, I was an avid reader of superhero comic books. Captain America wasn't my favorite character, but I had a fondness for his style and personality. He was totally square, but honest, hardworking, and responsible. He was a paragon of good ol' American virtue, with very little of the jingoism or provincialism that one might expect in an overt nationalist icon.

Since the days of WWII, the USA has experienced amazing prosperity. This material abundance has led to Americans becoming both figuratively and literally fat. The US is the most obese nation in the history of the world!!! Therefore, I find the Dunkin' Donut ad campaign totally annoying! Our national superhero is shilling the lowest of junk food. Even a McDonald's or Wendy's hamburger has a better nutritional value. Seriously!!!!!



Fat Captain America (2010) by eimrehs


Given our obesity epidemic, I can't see that it would be in character for Captain America to do a promo for Dunkin' Donuts. Yeah, I know he's not a real person, just a fictional figure from the comic books. However, this character embodies certain principles of national virtue. Those of us who care about the integrity of character have a right to complain.

He Who Knows Best

Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743. In my assessment, Jefferson was the most important of the Founding Fathers. His egalitarian vision of democracy has gifted the American Experience with ever expanding social progressivism. If not for Jefferson's great influence, I believe US History would read like a neo-Roman oligarchy. That oligarchic state was the Hamiltonian vision, a pernicious economic elitism that still troubles the nation. The incredible liberties that the average American takes for granted may not have come into being, if not for Jefferson's influence.

That's not to say that he was without flaws. Even when enthusiasts white-wash his biography, there's plenty of deplorable behavior and attitudes. Just to hit the easy targets, his acceptance of slavery and his aggression against the Native Americans put him solidly on the wrong side of history.

Nevertheless, despite these failings, I still am grateful for his legacy. I celebrate Jefferson's Birthday because I celebrate Liberty.

Here's a link to his Wikipedia page.

And here is a quick vid on his presidency:

Enjoy!!!