Thursday, October 13, 2016

POTD: The Old North Church

From 2016 09 02 Boston

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a window in the Old North Church in Boston, famous for its role in the American Revolution. The church's story is told in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride." Can you still recite the opening lines?

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

My Beautiful Broken Brain (2014)

IMDB
My Beautiful Broken Brain (2014): Young woman's recovery from brain damage. She knows the things she lost. Her spirit isn't one of them. C+












Tuesday, October 11, 2016

POTD: Apples, 9 For $2.00

From 2016 09 02 Boston

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Boston Public Market in late summer, when apples are on sale, 9 for $2.00; organic blueberries, $1.00 a pint; and strawberries, 3 pints for $2.00.

Monday, October 10, 2016

The Danish Girl (2015)

IMDB
The Danish Girl (2015): Transgender artist in 1920s. Movie made 30 years too late. What should be shocking is now routine. Slow moving. B-











Friday, October 7, 2016

Thursday, October 6, 2016

OTBR: London's Langthorne Park

Latitude: N 51° 33.318
Longitude: E 000° 00.198

A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Who Won the Vice Presidential Debate?

Who won the Vice Presidential debate between Mike Pence and Tim Kaine? It depends on which scorecard you are using.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Repeat Tweets: Drats. I wasn't ready.

Repeat tweets from September, 2016:

  • Sep 1 2016: Drats. I wasn't ready. MT @MarkSolomonsr: "September is National Preparedness Month. Don't Wait. Make your emergency plan today."
  • Sep 1 2016: Department of Defense Budget: $585,000,000,000. Terrorism funding: $0. Lying Ted's disinformation: Priceless. Twitter.com
  • Sep 1 2016: RT @DonHuffines: "Dove season is a great time for Texans to get outdoors & enjoy the vast, unrivaled beauty of our great state!" And kill something.
  • Sep 1 2016: RT @GregAbbott_TX: "Texas will ban sanctuary cities & keep our communities safe." You can't have both. Sanctuary cities help keep our cities safe.

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Monday, October 3, 2016

The Trump Coalition

In a column in the New York Times, conservative columnist Ross Douthat gives the best, most concise explanation for how voters can support Donald Trump despite his "low character, his penchant for inflaming racial tensions, his personal corruptions," his "zest for self-sabotage, his wild swings, his inability to delegate or take advice," his seeming to be "gross and seedy and bigoted," even his "wretchedly stupid conduct since the first debate."

The key to Douthat's explanation is that there are different reasons for different factions supporting Trump. It's this coalition that gives Trump his shot at winning the White House.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Homecoming: Berkner 35, WT White 10


The Berkner Rams defeated the WT White Longhorns 35-10 Friday night in Berkner's Homecoming Game. It's a great time to be a Ram!

Attend a game yourself to see all the action, including the game, cheerleaders, drill team, colorguard, marching band and all the rest that make high school football the best value in sports entertainment. Remember, without the band, it's just a game.

Bonus photos after the jump.