I’m not an expert at art (or anything else), but I enjoy viewing the works that are on display at the Batavia Public Library. I particularly enjoy the collection of watercolor paintings featuring some of Batavia’s unique structures, including Bellevue Place (see above). My favorite is the painting of Stone Manor as it looked prior to construction of the housing complex that neighbors the manor. I reside in one of the units at that complex, and I can see Stone Manor from my kitchen window. The library’s website includes images of the watercolors and other items available for viewing.
Michigan State’s shame
Last week’s national news included coverage of a Michigan court’s sentencing of Larry Nassar following his conviction on sexual assault charges. The Lansing State Journal offered this summary of the past week at Michigan State University. The process included victim statements that were nothing less than horrifying to most people, myself included. Another disturbing aspect of the Nassar case is the breakdown of performance and accountability within the administrative operations at MSU. Michigan’s Attorney General is conducting an investigation of MSU’s policies and its handling of the Nassar case, as is the NCAA (for what that’s worth). We’re likely to learn in detail what went wrong, and might learn how it was allowed to go so wrong for so long. It’s also likely the investigation will confirm what we already know — university officials failed to protect students, not only from Nassar, but also from student-athletes, according to early reports. And that's an obvious shame.
From the Nearly Forgotten Hits file
Jan. 29, 1982: The Jam releases “Town Called Malice”. The song became an international hit and is included in the soundtracks for several films.
Thanks for the good thoughts
I was knocked off my feet for a few days last week due to illness, but I am on the good road to recovery now and feeling better with each day. I just wanted to express my thanks to all who sent an email or called to offer their best wishes. I do appreciate your good thoughts and prayers.
– Thank you for reading. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Send email to kbottswrites@gmail.com. May good health and peace be with you today.
Ag Web provides a report and video explaining why so many country roads include short jogs to the right and left, often near T-intersections. The reasoning behind those jumps might surprise you, and the short video is worth your time.
Focus on the fundamentals
This item from Justin Bariso at Inc.com provides a good reminder about the value of focusing on the fundamentals. Individuals and organizations frequently struggle to connect with clients and customers, even though they hold detailed information about both. While they can tell you all about their customers, often times they are challenged to tell you about themselves and their priorities. And there, more often than not, is the solution.
From Mr. B’s Vault of Nearly Forgotten Music
Jan. 24, 1986: John Mellencamp releases the single “Rumbleseat”. The song was the fifth single to be released from the 1985 album “Scarecrow”. “Rumbleseat” peaked at No. 28 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Sit back and let Johnny “blow you a kiss” from the rumbleseat.– Thank you for reading. Comments are always welcome. Post them here or send an email to kbottswrites@gmail.com.
The cover story of the January edition of Cigar Aficionado magazine pays tribute to “Animal House” on the 40th anniversary of the film's release. You don’t have to be a fan of the movie to appreciate Marshall Fine’s lengthy report about how it was produced and its impact on Hollywood.
Fine’s report is a bit early. “Animal House” was released July 28, 1978, but I don't object to starting the celebration now. I first saw the movie during its first weekend of nationwide release and have watched it several times over the years. I agree with those who contend the tale of the boys from Delta Tau Chi is a timeless joyride.
Fine does a good job of explaining how the film’s popularity and financial success made careers both in front of the cameras and behind them and had a significant impact. While John Belushi and two other prominent members of the film’s cast are no longer with us, many others remain active in entertainment and Fine provides a summary of their whereabouts. The film’s soundtrack contains both classic hits and original music and contributes to the film’s popularity.
If you can get a copy of the article, I think its worth the time and effort. I need to thank Mark, a longtime friend, for sharing a copy of the article with me.
From Mr. B’s Vault of Music
January 23, 1973: Roberta Flack releases “Killing Me Softly”. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for five weeks. Take a few minutes to enjoy this nearly forgotten hit and savor one of the finest voices in recording history.
– Thank you for reading. Comments are always and can be emailed to kbottswrites@gmail.com. May God's peace be with you today.
I don’t spend much time writing about politics or politicians. I did a lot of both during my many years as a reporter and know there are other things I'd rather write about.
For the record, I don’t consider myself a Republican or a Democrat. If anything, I’d call myself a friend of the Libertarians, a group I first started following way back in 1979. I don’t care for partisan politics for the simple reason it makes intelligent people blind to common sense and obvious truths.
I encountered two items in recent days that sparked some thought in my head and wanted to share them here.
• Kay Shipman at FarmWeekNow.com, an affiliate of the Illinois Farm Bureau, offered an interesting report about the 2020 national census and its potential impact on how Illinois will draw new legislative districts in 2021. All of that might seem like a long way off from 2018, until you remember the outcome of the 2018 elections in Illinois will influence who has a hand in drawing those maps. I admit it sounds dry on the surface, but it is worth understanding the process, and Shipman does a fine job of capturing the essentials, I think.
• The second item concerns the upcoming vote for the Republican nomination for the 49th District State Representative seat. I reside in the district and frequently receive campaign mailings from the two Republican candidates, Tonia Khouri and Nic Zito. I do not have a horse in this race, which culminates with the March 20 primary election. To the best of my knowledge, I have never met or talked to either of the candidates and do not favor either one at this time. However, there is a possibility I signed a candidate’s petition for Khouri in 2017.
The most recent mailings from the Khouri and Zito promise they are “fighting” for my interests, or will “fight” for my interests if elected. It’s a familiar promise candidates make during campaigns. I imagine my current representative made a similar promise during his campaigns and meant it, right up to the point he voted to increase my taxes and then subsequently announced he would not seek reelection. My point is with all of these elected officials “fighting” on my behalf, why am I always on the losing side of things? And why do candidates think anyone would believe such a tired and empty sales pitch? I certainly don’t.
That’s all the politics I want to write about today, but I’m likely to offer more before the election, particularly in regards to the race in the 49th District.
More gems from the Music Vault:
January 20 is another one of those big dates in Rock and Roll history. Over the years, one album and two songs were released on Jan. 20 that went on to be major hits for the artists involved.
• 1958: Little Anthony and the Imperials release “Tears on My Pillow” on the End Records label. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
• 1978: Gerry Rafferty releases the album “City to City”. The album included “Baker Street” and “Right Down the Line”. The album reached No. 1 in the U.S., and was heard on radio stations well into 1979. Rafferty's success in the late 1970s and early '80s is mostly forgotten today, and I think that's unfortunate. He was an accomplished musician and songwriter, and I think his music continues to be entertaining and engaging. Rafferty died Jan. 4, 2011.
• 1983: The Fixx releases the single “Red Skies” in the U.S. The song peaked at No. 13 and remains one of my favorites, primarily for its dark and moody tones.
– Thanks for reading. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Email me at kbottswrites@gmail.com. May God's peace be with you today.
Ellen Huxtable at Advantage Business Concepts offers some valuable career advice in this item. Ellen, a longtime friend, is active in the business community and coordinates the small business networking group that meets regularly at the Congregational Church of Batavia. She frequently writes about business matters and her most recent column offers suggestions (reminders) for enhancing your job performance. Number 4 is my favorite, and I think No. 6 is an absolute essential.
Gems from the Music Vault
January 18 is another big day in music history, in my opinion. Here are two noteworthy gems from my Music Vault:
• Jan. 18, 1978: Warren Zevon releases the “Excitable Boy” album. The collection remains one of my favorites and includes “Lawyers, Guns and Money”. A good friend in high school introduced me to this album shortly after it was released. It's curious how artistic works - songs, movies, photos - can establish immediate and lasting memories for us. I can't explain how it all works, but I am grateful that it does. Hope you enjoy this little ditty as much as I do.
• Jan. 18, 1983: Canadian rocker Bryan Adams releases the album “Cuts Like a Knife”. The album contained three songs that would later appear on the Hot 100 chart, including “Straight From the Heart,” and “Cuts Like a Knife”. The album is widely considered to be one of the best of the 1980s. I agree with the assertion. It was released during my junior year at college, which turned out to be the wildest three years of my life (so far). I have many fine memories associated with the music Adams produced early in his career, and "Cuts Life a Knife" helped create many of those memories.
– Thanks for reading. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Send email to kbottswrites@gmail.com. May God's peace be with you today.
Today, January 16, was a big day for rock music in the early 1980s, with the release of four songs that each became hits in 1981 and 1982. They are among my favorites and remind of good friends during my days at Northern Illinois University.
• Jan. 16, 1981: The Clash releases “Hitsville U.K". The song was the second single released from the “Sandinista” album and peaked at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
• Jan. 16, 1982: Scandal releases “Goodbye to You” on the Columbia Records label. The song peaked at No. 65 on the U.S. pop charts.
• 1982: The Go-Go’s release the single “We Got the Beat”. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Some considered it the band’s signature song, but I can think of another song that deserves that title.
• 1982: Soft Cell releases “Tainted Love” in the U.S. The song spent 43 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at No. 8.
– Thanks for reading. Your comments and feedback are always welcome. I can be reached at kbottswrites@gmail.com. May God's peace be with you today.
Here's a few items that are on my mind this morning:
• From my weekend reading: The Dallas Morning News offered this report about the the results of a survey conducted by Texas home builders. The information regarding the positive view consumers have for driverless cars and what that might mean for future residential subdivisions is interesting and good food for thought.
• I'm reading Max Hastings' "Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War" (2013) and recommend it for those interested in learning more about the start of World War 1. At 565 pages, not including notes and index, it's a long and heavy read, but well worth the effort. I decided to make the period 1914 to 1980 an area of study for myself in 2018 and thought I'd start with Hastings' book, mostly because it has been sitting on a shelf here for a couple of years. I enjoy the book and will keep you posted on my progress with my reading list for this year.
• Here are a couple of items from The Rock 'n Roll History file:
Jan. 15, 1972: Don McLean reaches No. 1 with ‘American Pie’. The song remained at No. 1 for four weeks. I was in middle school at the time and the song seemed to be on play list of every radio in the area. I still enjoy today, but at a play length of more than six minutes, it's hard to imagine the song it would get much air time if it were released to today.
And on Jan. 15, 2008: Bruce Springsteen released “Girls in Their Summer Clothes”. It's hard to believe the song is 10 years old already, but so goes the march of time. The song is one of my favorites and most welcome on a snowy January morning. Give it a tumble.
– Thanks for reading. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Send emails to kbottswrites@gmail.com. May God's peace be with you today.
