A few thoughts while reflecting on the year 2021

 

I am sitting on my sofa, a small dog sleeping at my side, following the time-honored tradition of reflecting on the past year and preparing for the year 2022.

I consider 2021 to be a good year, in spite of the challenges and trials that visited the nation and the world. 

Lori and I purchased a new vehicle (used, actually, but new to us), we enjoyed a summer trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, and we celebrated Christmas with a sibling we haven't seen since Covid-19 arrived in the U.S. 

Most importantly, we end the year with all of our family members in good health. A few good friends joined the ranks of the departed, and they are missed. We give thanks for having shared their journey, if even for a brief moment, and pray we will meet with them again.

Lori and I will celebrate tonight with dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants, a tradition we have followed for more than a decade now. A movie at the local theater was included in years past, but the pandemic forced our moviehouse to close its doors for good. I'm OK with that. My celebration is complete with just a quiet meal with my lovely wife.

I enjoy standing outdoors at midnight, listening to neighbors welcome the New Year with firecrackers (and a whole lot more). My days of playing with explosives are done, but I still get a kick from all the noise others produce. It is a challenge lately to stay up until midnight, but I plan to be outside, observing this tradition tonight, as I have for at least 40 years. 

We parted company with the late-night partying years ago, nearly 20 to be exact, and prefer the low-profile approach to the New Year. I enjoyed those gatherings as a younger man, but I don't miss the hangovers. We focus our energies now on celebrating the first full day of the New Year.

We celebrate with a variety of small plate foods. It's a tradition I picked up from a friend's family, after attending a gathering in their home in the early '70s. The party included some wonderful food and fun activities. It occurred to me that so much emphasis is put on the celebrations of the Eve that the day itself is overlooked. So I embraced and adopted a new tradition. 

We revised and changed the New Year's Day menu options over the years. When my daughter was in high school and college, we spent the day watching the college bowl games and enjoyed the Festival of Salty Snacks. It was mostly junk food, but we did include a few healthy options and some actual food, usually chicken wings and pizza. The eating would commence in the morning, while viewing the Tournament of Roses Parade and continue throughout the day.

Time and my doctor recently forced another menu revision. We now offer more healthier options (veggies, sliced fruit), but we still have a few salty items, and the creamed herring, of course.

Garrison Keillor, one of my favorite writers, offered the following this morning. I will end with this, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

    

"Today is New Year's Eve, a day to take stock of the old year and make changes for a new year.

People across the world tonight will be linking arms at the stroke of midnight and singing "we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne," from the Scottish folk song popularized by Robert Burns (books by this author). In Scotland, New Year's Eve marks the first day of Hogmanay, a name derived from an Old French word for a gift given at the New Year. There's a tradition at Hogmanay known as "first-footing": If the first person to cross your threshold after midnight is a dark-haired man, you will have good luck in the coming year. Other customs vary by region within Scotland, but most involve singing and whiskey.

English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (books by this author) wrote: "Ring out the old, ring in the new / Ring, happy bells, across the snow / The year is going, let him go / Ring out the false, ring in the true."

Here in the United States, the custom of raising and dropping a giant ball arose out of the time when signals were given to ships at harbor. Starting in 1859, a large ball was dropped at noon every day so sailors could check their ship chronometers.

The Times Square celebration dates back to 1904, when The New York Times opened its headquarters on Longacre Square. The newspaper convinced the city to rename the area "Times Square," and they hosted a big party, complete with fireworks, on New Year's Eve. Some 200,000 people attended, but the paper's owner, Adolph Ochs, wanted the next celebration to be even splashier. In 1907 the paper's head electrician constructed a giant lighted ball that was lowered from the building's flagpole. The first Times Square Ball was made of wood and iron, weighed 700 pounds, and was lit by a hundred 25-watt bulbs. Now it's made of Waterford crystal, weighs almost six tons, and is lit by more than 32,000 LED lights. The party in Times Square is attended by up to a million people every year.

Other cities have developed their own ball-dropping traditions. Atlanta, Georgia, drops a giant peach. Eastport, Maine, drops a sardine. Ocean City, Maryland, drops a beach ball, and Mobile, Alabama, drops a 600-pound electric Moon Pie. In Tempe, Arizona, a giant tortilla chip descends into a massive bowl of salsa. Brasstown, North Carolina, drops a Plexiglas pyramid containing a live possum; and Key West, Florida, drops an enormous ruby slipper with a drag queen inside it."

-- Thank you for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Feel free to comment here or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com. May you enjoy a blessed and healthy new year.

Another round of quick hits

 

I read a report last night in which some blamed Walmart for the killing of "mom and pop" stores. It's an interesting myth, in my opinion, and one that refuses to die. Walmart, as the story goes, used its huge stores and vast inventory from China to wipe out small, independently owned shops and stores.

It was a storyline developed by unions back in the mid-80s. Organized labor has long hated Walmart, mostly because the company had no unions for decades. The myth had legs, but it wasn't true then and it isn't true now. I won't rehash all the economic data that dispels the myth - there's just too much of it. 

If you're really interested in pointing a finger at who helped Walmart succeed and take out some of its competitors, look around you. The American consumer - your family, friends and neighbors - opted to shop at Walmart. The marketplace worked as intended. It is that simple. And then the Internet came along.

Time with Fezziwig and company:

Fulfilled one of my Christmas traditions last night with my annual viewing of "A Christmas Carol" (1938). It's my favorite version of the classic story. It's just over an hour in length but manages to remain loyal to Charles Dickens' story and entertain audiences. 

I first saw this version in the early 1970s, on Channel 9, WGN, out of Chicago. It was screened annually on "Family Classics," a Sunday afternoon program that featured old classics from the 1930s and '40s. My siblings and I watched this version nearly every year and enjoyed more with each passing year.

One a more serious note:

There's not a lot that frightens me at my age. I understand I have more days behind me than in front of me. I get it. Not looking to end things early, but I know the show will end at some point. The older you get, you find yourself making peace with certain facts. There is one thing lately that I find unsettling as I learn more about it - fentanyl, a deadly form of synthetic heroin. 

It's present and available in my home county. It is cheap and lethal, according to authorities, and it's impact is devastating to individuals and communities alike. I try to read as much about it as possible, and there are many good documentary productions available. I recently watched an expectional one, "Opioid Tragedy: Inside the Fentanyl Crisis." It's not an easy film to watch, but it is interesting and informative. 

-- Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.

A few quick hits to start December

 

I don't know about this:

Brian Kelly accepted a 10-year deal worth $95M to coach the LSU football team, leaving Notre Dame behind. It makes sense Kelly would make the move to the SEC. Although Notre Dame is ranked in the Top 10 at present, it is not a contender for the National Championship and probably will not be a contender next year.  LSU, a top-tier SEC program in years past, is a good shot of at least making the college football playoffs under Kelly. 

The move looks good for both Kelly and the school. But it doesn't seem like a good fit to me. Time will tell. But $95M for Kelly seems absurd to me, and might force me to rethink my interest in college football. 

A bad idea is a bad idea:

Four members of Congress recently introduced a bill that would provide government support to newspapers, mostly by making it easier for their owners to list the publication as a non-profit. The politicians contend that newspapers are vital to public accountability. It's a bad idea, I think. If you want to alter the tax code to assist all businesses, I'm all for that conversation.

Revising the code to assist newspapers is a step in the wrong direction, because it ignores and attempts to override what the marketplace already has accomplished - the natural elimination of unprofitable, unpopular operations. If a newspaper was popular, readers might subscribe to it. I can't see why taxpayers should prop up a business that consumers have rejected. But that's me.

Are they truly offended or just partisan?

During the past few weeks several friends who self-identify as Democrats shared concerns they have about seeing the "F" word in anti-Biden flags and bumper stickers. Many express dismay at the vulgar word, decry the erosion in the quality of public discourse, and label those who use a variety of derogatory names (frequently unaware of the irony).

I question the sincerity of their concerns, because each of them were as silent as rocks when the Left threw nearly every vulgar word in the book at President Trump during his time in office. They didn't seem concerned then about coarse words in public speech, but are worried today. Could it be it's because the harsh language is now directed at a Democrat. Yeah, probably. For the record, I try not to use such language and would not fly a flag that contained a vulgarity. But political speech often is not pretty or polite, and it's not up to me to dictate how others express themselves.

A quiet and pleasant Thanksgiving celebration:

My wife and I celebrated a quiet Thanksgiving Day this year. Our observation involved just the two of us, and Otto, our family dog. It was a calm and pleasant time. I enjoy time spent with our extended family, but this quiet before the hectic days of the Christmas season was much appreciated. We enjoyed a traditional, homemade dinner, and I enjoyed a short nap after dinner. We spent Friday putting up our Christmas tree and other decorations. I can't say I'm ready for the frantic pace of the weeks ahead, but I am rested.

And now for Christmas music:

I am enjoying the 2021 installment (and each of the previous installments) of the London Symphony Orchestra's collection of Christmas music. Some commercial radio stations started playing "seasonal music" in October or early November, but that's far too early for me, and I can't stand what they air.  Now that Thanksgiving 2021 is in the books, I shift my attention and my ears to traditional Christmas music. I hope you enjoy it, too.

-- Thank you for reading. I always appreciate comments and feedback.

Stay up on Ag issues with the Farm Bureau's winter report

The Illinois Farm Bureau's winter edition of its "Partners" magazine recently arrived and it's filled with interesting agriculture related articles. I always enjoy learning about agriculture, and a favorite winter pastime is daydreaming about what next year's garden might look like. 

The publication's winter edition helps me do both. Much of its content is available online, and here are a few of the reports I found particularly engaging:

Celeste Huttes tells us about the Richardson and Helmig farms in her cover story about Illinois Christmas tree farms. The report includes tips on how to care for a fresh tree after its set up in its new home.

Columnist Joanie Stiers details how technology helps farmers collect data involving everything from planting to harvesting. Stiers says many farmers (herself included) spend the winter months analyzing the data to determine how best to use the information next season. 

Farmer Aaron Mitchell explains the steps farmers follow to ensure cows are warm and healthy during harsh midwest winters. Did you know farmers can tailor coats to keep calves warm during winter's coldest weather? 

Insects play an important role in providing protein to animal feed, and soon will also provide jobs for Illinois workers, according to a report from Carisa Ownby. Construction of the world's largest insect protein facility is scheduled to begin soon in Decatur and is expected to create more than 200 jobs. 

Jan Phipps offers advice for selecting and caring for Poinsettias, a favorite plant during the holiday season. 

And winter is a good time to start planning a garden for next spring. Seed catalogs, both print and online versions, are available in January, reports Carisa Ownby, providing veteran gardeners and newbies food for thought on what flowers, fruits and vegetables include in next year's effort. 

If you enjoy learning about agriculture as much as I do, be sure to take a look at the Illinois Farm Bureau's offerings.

--Thanks for reading, and I always welcome your comments and feedback.

Oh, the bounties of November in the upper Midwest

 

Here are my Top 10 reasons why November is my favorite month of the year:

10. If October didn't give us an overnight frost, November will, and that means those of us suffering with seasonal allergies can enjoy breathing again.

9. Geese and other migrating birds take flight. I love the "honking" sound geese make as they fly overhead in November. I live near a river and geese frequently fly so low over my backyard that I hear their wings flapping. It's music to my ears. 

8. Autumn continues its magic. The last of the leaves fall from the trees. Backyard firepits beckon, and daytime temperatures still reach the upper 50s, sometimes the mid '60s.

 

7. Beautiful sunsets. November in the upper Midwest offers azure skies late in the afternoon and startling sunsets. I wait all year for such sights.

6. Illinois High School Association football playoffs continue, culminating in the state championships games Thanksgiving weekend. Great days indeed. My local high school was eliminated during the second round of games, but I'll continue to follow the games right through the championships. 

5. In anticipation of the start of the high school basketball season, I watch "Hoosiers" (1986), my favorite basketball film. My Dad played high school and college basketball, and enjoyed watching "Hoosiers". I enjoy watching basketball, but was never any good at playing it. I enjoyed watching the movie with Dad and made a tradition of kicking off the basketball season with a viewing. The movie always reminds how much I enjoyed attending basketball games during my high school years, and I never tire of the film. Pass the popcorn, please. 

4. IHSA and NCAA basketball begins play, mostly non-conference games and tournaments. I enjoy sitting in a high school gym and taking in the sounds and sights of a game - ball bouncing off the hardwood floor, the horns and buzzers. The crowd in the gym always sound so different from those at football games. I attend few college basketball games these, but I enjoy watching them on TV or listening to one on the radio. I follow Illinois and the Big Ten closely, but enjoy the action in other conferrences. Give me a bowl of fresh popcorn and a cold soft drink, and I'm ready for some roundball action. 

3. College football's regular season winds down and that means the traditional rivalry games that appear last on the schedule. For Big Ten Fans, that means Illinois-Northwestern, Michigan-Ohio State, and Minnesota-Wisconsin. It's a great way to close out the season.

2. Our diet shifts to winter mode - Our meals during the summer months when I was child (and today) were heavy on vegetables, fruit, hot dogs and hamburgers. Good stuff that was easy to prepare and serve. But late autumn and winter were the months we shifted to roasted meats, sausages, soups, fresh bread, and baked goods. It's a dining tradition I follow today. Vegetables and fruit remain a key part of our meals, but we do fewer salads and more roasted squash or roasted brussel sprouts. Chili is a good Sunday dish, and nothing says a hearty fall meal like a roasted pork chop, sauerkraut, red cabbage and potato wedges

1. Thanksgiving Day holiday and the feast - Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. The act of giving thanks for all the blessings I enjoyed during the past year is important to me. I spend as much time as possible during the week leading up to Thanksgiving Day reflecting on all that God has provided me and my loved ones. I think it's important to acknowledge these gifts and offer thanks. And it nice to be able to do all of that and enjoy a traditional holiday meal, too.

-- Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think. Leave a comment here, or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.

Memories of an October day in 1977

The AP Top 25 college football poll includes five Big Ten Conference teams this week and the October 30 slate of games included a match between Michigan and Michigan State, the first time since 1964 between the two when both were rated in the Top 10. (Michigan State won, 37-33.)

All of this reminded me of boyhood Saturdays, when my Dad would corral me and my two younger brothers or some work, followed by college football.

It is frequently said that we don't always recognize memorable moments when they occur, and that's true. I've been blessed with a keen sense of awareness and have long practiced the habit of striving to live in the moment. I still miss a lot of stuff, but I'm as good as most at noticing things and better than others at making mental records of them.

My parents resided in a Chicago suburb for decades and raised their eight children there. TV broadcasts in the 1970s featured local and regional teams and whoever they were playing. 

Consequently, I was raised a fan of the Cubs, the Blackhawks, the Bears, and Big Ten college football. We also had to watch another team, Notre Dame. 

The Big Ten Conference then (and today) was dominated by the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes, with occasional solid seasons from Purdue, Minnesota, and Northwestern (rarely). We often cheered for Northwestern, but we had other favorites, too. Our favorite teams didn't always win, but we did view some good games. 

Dad rose early six days a week, sleeping in only on Sundays, but still getting up early enough to attend 10 a.m. Mass. 

His Saturday morning routine included morning visits to a local bakery and a grocery story. He always purchased a variety of deli meats (called cold cuts back then), cheese, and fresh-baked sandwich rolls. 

He then returned home and put me and brothers, Patrick and Mike, to work, usually doing yard work. 

In addition to our regular indoor chores (running a vacuum cleaner, putting away toys, and helping wash dishes), we had weekly and seasonal tasks to complete outdoors. I was responsible for mowing the lawn, beginning in the 3rd grade and continuing through college. 

All three of us assisted with special tasks, such as painting the garage, trimming trees, raking leaves and shoveling snow. 

Dad always had special projects or maintenance tasks for us. One repair project stands out in memory, because it was part of a near-perfect Saturday in many respects.

Saturday, Oct 22, 1977 was a sunny, dry day, with seasonal temperatures in the upper 40s. Dad determined we would perform some routine but necessary work to the rooftop chimney. 

Under Dad's supervision, we pulled the wood extension ladder from the garage, and the four-man (well, one man and three boys) working party climbed up to the roof, a steeply slanted number with one bedroom dormer located at the rear side.

The project involved cleaning the area around the chimney base, applying some sealant to the chimney stack and the roofing shingles at its base. Dad explained why the work was necessary, told us about the materials we were using, and gave each of us a specific task to complete. 

The work wasn't complicated and was completed in a short time. We sat on the rooftop for a while, just talking, enjoying the view and waving to neighbors as they went about their Saturday projects. 

I remember Dad telling us about a few of the other seasonal tasks we needed to complete in the coming weeks, including replacing the window screens with the heavy storm windows. 

By the time we climbed down from the roof, we were ready for lunch. Dad set out all the fixings and we'd assemble our sandwiches. My favorite was a roast beef with cheddar cheese, topped with a tomato slice, lettuce and mayo - all stacked high on a fresh onion roll. I'd add a side of potato chips and a glass of cold root beer. 

We didn't always have soft drinks in the house, but root beer was Dad's favorite soft drink and he'd enjoy a glass with his Saturday lunch.

We'd gather around the family TV (we had only one in the house for many years) and watch the Big Ten game that was featured for the day.

Northwestern hosted Ohio State that Saturday and lost, 35-15, but we also heard how unranked Minnesota upset No. 1 Michigan 16-0 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. We hated to see Northwestern lose, but I was a Minnesota fan then (and now) and found some comfort in learning of the Gophers' big win.

There are, of course, special occasions that instantly become lifelong memories - a wedding, the birth of a child, a college graduation. But the routine or the ordinary rarely signals it has the potential for lasting significance. Somewhere along the journey it becomes memorable and important.

That rooftop project and that day in October became memorable for me, and it comes back to me in vivid detail whenever I think about the Big Ten football conference. 

Dad passed away after a long illness in 1995, Patrick died suddenly in 2008, and Mike is retired now. But each is young and full of energy,  laughing and enjoying a meal of fresh bread, meats and cold root beer,  whenenever I think back to that brisk autumn day in October 1977.  

-- Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment. Feedback is always welcome. 

  

We need more reporters, fewer journalists

 

"One can be a cat or a dog, but can't be both. Which one are you?"

A longtime business associate of mine is fond of saying that. It's both an accurate statement and a pointed question that forces one to focus attention on the challenges at hand.

I thought about that simple observation the other day, when a young friend asked me if a reporter is the same thing as a journalist, and if so, why don't we call them one or the other and be done with it? 

I said a reporter is different from a journalist these days, but it is understandable how so many view them as the same type of creature. 

I started my work in the news-reporting field 41 years ago, first in radio (for a short time) and then in newspapers, both the weekly and daily type. I am no longer paid to report news, but I still consider myself a reporter and use skills refined over four decades to gather information and share it with readers. 

I told my friend that journalists and reporters shared many of the same qualities when I started in the field, but things changed over the years. Specifically, journalism programs at colleges and universities changed significantly from the 1980s to today. You can check that for yourself, I said.

Once upon a time, a solid J-program taught not only the mechanics of the trade - the who, what, where, when, why and how foundations of news gathering - they also taught ethics. The most important rule taught to me on the subject was to be an objective observer to a story.

A reporter was to be unbiased, an umpire of sorts. "Tell the reader what happened at a meeting or an event and let the reader form an opinion or reach a conclusion," said a favorite professor and mentor.

If the story involved conflict, reporters were trained to craft a balanced presentation of both sides and attribute arguments and assertions to identified sources. Good, reliable reporters still do this today, I think.

Many journalists today, particularly younger ones, self-identify as social justice warriors first, reporters second. 

I read about a reporter last week who was described as a specialist in covering social justice issues. That's a good example of how the news industry has changed. Years ago a reporter might cover the cops, the courts, local schools, the state house, city hall, or any one of several other "beats." 

Some of the best reporters I worked with were "general assignment" reporters, individuals tasked with covering whatever story might break during their work shift. The work required skill, energy, and a lot of brains. 

I preferred working a beat and was productive when assigned to one. "Social justice" was not a beat during my years as a daily reporter, and I worked with several solid editors who would have fought against establishing a "social justice" beat, arguing the name was itself biased and assumed an injustice existed. 

Those editors are no longer producing the news. They've been replaced with workers who aim to correct injustices, real or otherwise, and they do battle with those they believe will commit more injustices if not exposed and stopped. They call themselves journalists, and they mimic reporters in many ways. 

I don't consider them reporters. I make a point of calling them journalists, and reserve the title "reporter" to individuals who practice their trade according to the traditions and guidelines established to provide accountability and safeguard credibility, the most precious element of the news industry.

And that is the true distinction between a reporter and a journalist, in my opinion. A reporter understands credibility and fights to preserve it by adhering to guidelines that protect objectivity. A journalist, as we know them today, surrenders objectivity to advance "social justice" or advocate for the "voiceless." 

One can be a journalist or one can be a reporter, but one can't be both. At least, that's how I see it. 

-- Thank you for reading. Comments are always welcome. 

Growing Old: The cost of staying alive

There's an old saying that notes growing old is not for the weak. That's true. It's also hard on your wallet.

I am in my 6th decade of what a close friend refers to as the journey through life. My wife is not far behind in chronological age, but I will not mention specifics. We are at that point in life where we spend a fair amount of money on prescription medications and other health-related expenses.  

I like to think it wasn't long ago that we spent a good portion of our disposable income on concerts, vacations, trips to the movie theater (no more due to Covid-19), dinners out, and similar expenses. We still do some of those things, but we eye the budget to make certain we have enough on hand to pay for our monthly prescriptions and our medical visits. 

It's more an observation than a complaint. Lori and I are in pretty good health (I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in, my Dad liked to say.). We work full time and have health insurance through our employers. We're better off in that regard than many others. 

I try not to complain about growing old, because so many are denied the opportunity. Two of my siblings passed at young ages, long before the myriad of aches and unexplained pains that come with age set upon them. And I have already said the final goodbye to a few friends from my high school graduation class, individuals I knew when we were young, healthy and carefree.  

Our journey here is strange and mysterious. We experience developments along the way that frequently defy reason and understanding. Body parts that worked well and efficiently one day become dysfunctional the next.

There are medical explanations for it all, of course, but understanding the science behind the decline doesn't always help us make peace with the inevitable. The changes come fast for me these days, and I have made peace with most of them. I think that's important.

It's all part of the process.

--Thank you for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Post them here or email them kbotterman@gmail.com.

  

 

September and the rituals of autumn

I am happy to welcome September, the first of the autumnal "ber" months. 

After two months of temperatures in mid-90s or higher in my areab and uncomfortable levels of humidity, we are enjoying cool days and cooler nights, the type that carry a hint of what is to come as we move through autumn. 

Some already have started their autumn rituals. Local coffeehouses offered pumpkin spice lattes in mid-August and I saw Halloween candy displayed at a nearby grocery store nearly a month ago. Theses are the same shopkeepers who display Christmas decorations on October 1.  

All of that is far too early for me. I'm from a time before algorithms and mass merchandising. Sure, we started thinking about Christmas wishes the day the Sears catalog arrived at the house, but we didn't shift to full holiday mode, until Vern Hagenbring decorated the big display window at the front of his store in downtown Arlington Heights.

And we didn't focus on Halloween until Uncle Ernie selected the pumpkins he planned to carve for Jack-o-lanterns, usually around October 20. Carve a pumpkin earlier than that, he'd say, and you'll have a rotten vegetable on your front porch on Halloween. 

Things are more than a little different today. We still have strict adherents who don't speak of fall until September 22, the offficial start, according to the calendar. There are many others who believe autumn begins September 1, and others who think it starts the day temperatures reach a high in the mid-70s. 

Some commentators say it's officially autumn when soccer moms appear in sweaters, down vests and knee-high boots. While that is a reasonable measurement, it overlooks that many moms dress in that manner way too early for the upper midwest, where temperatures might reach the mid-80s in late October. The sweaters go back in the closet when that happens and out come the summer shorts again. 

I view September as a transition month, a segue from summer to autumn, from long days of heat and humidity to shorter days, longer nights, and steadily cooling temperatures. 

September is for me the opportunity to finally say goodbye to August, a month I never cared for at any time during my years. August was physically uncomfortable for me while growing up. I was raised in a time when many homes did not have central air conditioning. Most families either relied on electric fans to move the air around inside their homes, or simply endured the conditions. 

And August also represented the end of summer. No more weekend visits to friends with summer homes on Wisconsin lakes. No more days spent at the public swimming pool, and no more community festivals. (Remember, this was in a time when fests were held only during summer months, mostly because many fathers worked jobs that required Saturday hours.) 

Public school resumed in September, after Labor Day, in those days. I was not a good student academically, but I always tried to put forth a good effort and always enjoyed reading and learning about history. I approached September with a view of it being a fresh opportunity to be a better student. Unfortunately for me, my enthusiasm typically faded by October and was forgotten by November. It was like a curse.

My family followed rituals that followed the calendar. Many families do, so we weren't unusual in the practice, but adhearance to the rituals took root in me. It might be out of habit, but I still follow many of those rituals and practices, some only at certain times of years. And I'm OK with that. 

So I bid farewell to August 2021 (good riddance, you hot, wet SOB), and say "welcome September." Let's hope the month is full of both promise and promises met. 

-- Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com

A week of shock and frustration

I suppose it is safe to say that not since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 has America experienced a week so full of shock and frustration as the one we that began August 15 and concluded yesterday August 22, 2021. 

The week began with the Taliban seizing control of Kabul, Afghanistan, and Americans watched televised images of military helicopters rescuing Americans from the U.S. embassy, a scene that was reminiscent of U.S. efforts to save Americans and others during the fall of Saigon in 1975. 

I watched the collapse of Saigon as it happened. I was in the 8th grade. We watched special news reports on a TV in my social studies class, and my parents had the news on at home throughout that tragic episode. I thought then, as many Americans did, that I'd never see anything like that again. I was right until Aug. 15. 

We begin a second week of a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as the United States scrambles to rescue as many as 15,000 American citizens trapped in that country and as many as 86,000 Afghan nationals who worked for the U.S. during the last 20 years. An additional 100,000 foreign nationals also are trapped in the country, according to some estimates. 

The focus now is on getting as many people out through Kabul's international airport by Aug. 31, but for the first several days of last week many stunned Americans wondered how the Taliban could achieve so much in such a short time, after all, the U.S. spent nearly 20 years and nearly $100 billion building and training an Afghan army. That army all but disappeared in a matter of days. The Taliban grabbed up a large cache of weapons, helicopters and sophisticated equipment, left behind by the U.S.

Frustration followed shock as Americans watched as the entire U.S. national security establishment appeared confused and disorganized. Finger-pointing began almost immediately. President Joe Biden blamed the Afghan army, the previous administration, and poor intelligence.

The State Deparment looked overwhelmed, and the Pentagon acknowledged it lacked the capabilities to rescue those Americans who could not reach Kabul's airport. 

And throughout the week, the news broadcast heartbreaking images from Afghanistan, where people died as they tried to get out of Kabul, and the Taliban began beating and executing civilians. 

Our allies expressed anger, even contempt for the President. Experts on such things said the episode has seriously damaged U.S. credibility and might lead China to assault Taiwan and Russia to grab Ukraine. It was by many measurements a devasting week. 

Commentators said today it is unlikely President Biden will regain public confidence and approval. The situation also is devastating to Biden's legislative agenda, some say. We'll have to wait and see about that.

I expect anger and impatience will replace last week's shock and frustration, but that's only a guess.

--Thank you for reading. Please comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.

My favorite films from 1981

Hollywood produced a diverse collection of movies in 1981, including one about the Russian Revolution, a comedy about life in the modern Army, ​and a tale of murder that I consider to be the best addition to the film noir genre in a generation.

​The year included blockbuster adventure and comedy films as well as a lesser known body of character-driven stories that Hollywood no longer seems interested in making. ​

​Here are my favorites (followed by some noteworthy contenders):​

"​Reds" - (Directed by Warren Beatty) My favorite film of 1981 and one of my favorites of all time. Beatty directs, writes and stars in a brilliant work that received 12 Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Director and Best Cinematography. The terrific cast includes Maureen Stapleton (Best Supporting Actress winner) Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, and Gene Hackman. At 3 hours and 15 minutes, it's probably one of the longest movies you will ever watch, but I think it is worth every minute. In my opinion, it's Hollywood filmmaking at its best. 

"​​Body Heat" - William Hurt is good and Kathleen Turner is smoking hot in Director (and writer) Lawrence Kasdan's tale of infidelity and murder. ​A great addition to the film noir genre. ​The cast includes Richard Crenna, Mickey Rourke and Ted Danson.

​​"On Golden Pond​" - ​Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn won Oscars for their work in Mark Rydell's (Oscar nominee for Best Director) film about a crusty old man and the strained relationship he has with his daughter (Jane Fonda). The film received 10 Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Writing (Ernest Thompson).

"Absence of Malice" - (Directed by Sydney Pollack) Paul Newman is subtle and intense as a warehouse owner trying to figure out how a newspaper report tied him to the murder of a union boss. Oscar nominations for Newman (Best Actor) and Melinda Dillon (Best Supporting Actress). The cast includes Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Josef Sommer, and Wilford Brimley. 

"​Indiana Jones and the ​Raiders of the Lost Ark"​ - The first (and best installment) of the franchise series. ​Director Steven Spielberg is at the top of his game with this Oscar-winning adventure tale (screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan) that introduced archeologist Indiana Jones and his associates. The cast includes Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott, Paul Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies. 

"​Stripes" - ​Two friends join the Army and an outstanding comedy movie unfolds. ​Bill Murray and Harold Ramis star. The supporting cast includes John Candy, P.J. Soles, Warren Oats, Sean Young, Judge Reinhold, and John Diehl. Ivan Reitman ("Meatballs," "Dave," "Draft Day") directs​​

"Eye of the Needle" - Donald Sutherland stars as a German spy in Great Britain during World War II, He finds himself hunted and stranded on a remote island with an Englishwoman, her disabled husband, and child. The cast includes Kate Nelligan and Stephen MacKenna.

​"True Confessions" - ​An ambitious priest (Robert DeNiro) clashes with his brother (Robert Duvall), a police detective who is investigating a murder that might involve members of the Catholic archdiosese in post-war Los Angeles. The remarkable supporting cast includes Burgess Meredith, Ed Flanders, Charles Durning, and Kenneth McMillan. Joan Didion penned the screenplay. 

​"Ghost Story"​ - ​John Houseman, Fred Astair, Craig Wasson, Alice Krige, and Patricia Neal star in a story about two generations of men haunted by a beautiful ghost. Loosely based on Peter Straub's popular book, the film delivers its share of frights and memorable moments.

​​​"​Thief" - ​(Directed by Michael Mann) ​James Caan stars in this tale of a thief forced to do one more job. The cast includes Robert Prostky, Tuesday Weld and James Belushi.

A few others I found entertaining and noteworthy: 

"Neighbors"​ - (Directed by John Avildsen) ​Starring John Belush, Cathy Moriarty, Dan Aykroyd, and Kathryn Walker.

"An American Werewolf in London" - (Directed by John Landis) Starring David Naughton and Jenny Aguttter.

"The Four Seasons" - (Directed By Alan Alda) Starring Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Bess Armstrong, Sandy Dennis, and Jack Weston.

"Cutter's Way"​ - (Directed by Ivan Passer)​ Starring Jeff Bridges, John Heard and Lisa Eichhorn.

"Four Friends" (Directed by Arthur Penn) ​Starring Ted Wasson, ​Michael Huddleston, Jodi Thelen and Jim Metzler. 

"Raggedy Man"​ - (Directed by Jack Fisk) Starrying Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, William Sanderson, and R.G. Armstrong.

"Taps" (Directed by Harold Becker) Starring George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Ronny Cox, and Tom Cruise

-- Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.

A few observations from my summer road trip

 

My wife and I recently returned from a short but much-appreciated vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. I enjoy traveling by car. I do my share of the driving, but I also enjoy recording notes on the many things I see while riding in the passenger seat. It helps pass the time, and I often learn a good deal along the way.

This trip could be titled the Zombie Operations tour. I came across a few businesses I thought had closed their doors years ago, yet still survive in a few locales. A good friend calls these places and things Zombie Operations, meaning they died long ago, but refuse to fade away. So here are a few things I saw and learned on the road during the summer of 2021:

• Those of a certain age will remember the days when the Ponderosa Steakhouse was a popular chain of buffet/steakhouse restaurants. There was a Ponderosa not far from my parents house in Arlington Heights. That was back in the 1970s. I thought the chain ceased operation years ago, but was pleasantly surprised to learn there is one still serving customers in New Salem, IN, one of two still doing business in the Hoosier state. 

• I also was surprised to learn a Big Boy Restaurant operates in Frankfurt, KY. Big Boy is another once widely popular chain of restaurants (known for its hamburgers) that I thought went defunct years ago. There was once one in Palatine, IL, not far from where I grew up. I last ate there in 1979. I haven't seen an open Big Boy in decades, yet there is one cooking up the Big Boy burger. Amazing.

• And finally on this tour of products considered long dead is Hamm's Beer. I saw a new billboard promoting a Hamm's Beer, a brew widely popular in the Midwest during the late 1960s. Hamm's used a black bear as its advertising mascot and boasted of being born "in the land of sky-blue waters." Its market share and sales declined in the 1970s and continued a long slide. But the beer also is supported by a core group of consumers, and some fans even operate a page on Facebook. I was never a fan of the beer, but I'm always impressed when a product can survive dark days and establish itself with a loyal base.

• Indiana's economy seems active and doing well in certain sectors, based on what I observed. We saw construction of several commercial buildings, mostly warehouses and distribution centers. I hope that continues for the Hoosiers.

• I was impressed with the number of private colleges and public universities we encountered on our journey to the national park. I had heard of most of the schools previously, the University of Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky University, for example. But two were new to me - Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, and Maryville College in Maryville, TN. I was particularly impressed with Maryville College.

• Those who travel by car are familiar with the state-operated "rest areas" along the interstates. Illinois has the worst, in my opinion. They are out of date and poorly maintained. They are not pleasant places to visit. I try to avoid them and stop at one only when no other option is immediately available. Sadly, Indiana's rest areas are little better than what Illinois offers. I was disappointed with Indiana's efforts. For my money, Texas offers the very best public-operated rest areas. And if you're looking for a clean privately owned location for a rest while on the road, try a Love's Travel Stop. We visted a few and each was clean and well maintained.  

 --Thank you for reading. Share a comment here, or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.

Thanks for the memories, Ned

 

I was saddened to learn of Ned Beatty's death at age 83 on June 13. 

I was a fan of Ned's and saw nearly every film in which he performed and many of the TV shows in which he appeared as either a regular or guest star. 

There are thousands of memorable character actors, but probably only a few hundred that are widely known. Ned was one the great character actors and appeared in a variety of productions from the early 1970s through 2013. 

He acted with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, Carol Burnett, Glenn Close, Julia Roberts, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, and Tom Hanks.

Beatty was of a different era, one that featured many talented character actors. They included Murray Hamilton, Jack Weston, R.G. Armstrong, Agnes Moorehead, Elsa Lanchester, Harry Morgan, and Edna May Oliver (two of my favorites). Many of those gifted actors are no longer with us.

Beatty could play a variety of character types, from a priest or the ordinary guy next door to generals, judges, and politicians. Daily Variety, the entertainment publication, once called Beatty the busiest actor in Hollywood. 

"Deliverance" (1972) was Beatty's first big film role and the movie was mentioned in many of the media stories I read about his passing. It's an intense film and worth watching, but it's not among my favorite Beatty performances, either in film or for TV.

Here's my list of favorite Beatty film roles: 

"The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" (1972) Paul Newman stars as the legendary Old West justice and Beatty appears in a supporting role. A bit of trivia for you: Beatty would play Judge Roy Bean much later in his career, in a fine TV adaptation of Larry McMurtry's "Streets of Laredo". 

"Nashville" (1975) Beatty is part of a tremendous cast in director Robert Altman's Oscar-nominated (Best Picture, Best Director) tale about a few days in the country music scene.

"All the President's Men" (1976) Beatty plays a busy assistant state's attorney in the film adaptation of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's book about the Nixon administration and the Watergate scandal.

"Network" (1976) Beatty portrays Arthur Jensen, the corporate boss at the controls of the fictional United Broadcasting System (UBS) television network in director Sidney Lumet's Oscar-winning production that features a wonderful cast (William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall and Peter Finch), and Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant screenplay. Beatty's scene with Finch is priceless.

"Superman"  (1978) Beatty plays "Otis", Gene Hackman's bumbling sidekick, in Richard Donner's Oscar-winning (Best Visual Effects) hit. The film starred Christopher Reeves as the "Man of Steel" and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, but the supporting characters played by Beatty and Valerie Perrine steal the show. 

"Back to School" (1986) Rodney Dangerfield goes to college with his son, and Beatty shows off his comedic skills as the university's Dean Martin. It's all good fun from a time when audiences enjoyed comedy without getting offended. 

"Cookie's Fortune" (1999) Beatty teams with director Robert Altman again and a cast that includes Glenn Close, Lyle Lovett, Julieanne Moore, Liv Tyler, and Donald Moffat. It's a much overlooked piece, but worth a tumble.

"Charlie Wilson's War" (2007) Beatty plays Doc Long, a veteran congressman who proves instrumental in fellow congressman Charlie Wilson's (Tom Hanks) efforts to secure money and weapons for the Afghan resistance to use against Russians in the early 1980s. The cast also includes Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman (Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor), Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Denis O'Hare. Directed by Mike Nichols

Beatty also appeared in a number of TV shows, movies, and mini-series. Here are a few of my favorites: 

"The Marcus-Nelson Murders" (1973) This was the pilot film for the popular "Kojak" series starring Telly Savalas. The movie won two Emmys and was nominated for two more. Beatty plays a police detective. 

"The Execution of Private Slovik" (1974) Beatty plays an Army chaplain in this tale of the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War. Martin Sheen starred. Gary Busey and Charles Haid also appear. The movie received seven Emmy nominations and won two.

"The Streets of Laredo" (1995) Beatty portrays Judge Roy Bean in this  adaptation of Larry McMurtry's book. The cast includes Jamer Garner (doing a turn as Captain Woodrow Call), Sam Sheperd, Sissy Spacek, George Carlin, Sonia Braga, Charles Martin Smith, and James Gammon. The production received two Emmy nominations. 

I was in the fourth grade, watching TV with my Dad, when Jack Elam came on the screen and Dad said he was great character actor (he was right). I asked him what that meant. It was a simple explanation.

Character actors are the men and women playing supporting roles in a movie, and if they're good, they can make a mediocre movie entertaining. If they're really good, they can help make an entertaining movie a great film and an Oscar contender. I've watched character actors closely ever since. 

I think Beatty's body of work proves he was an exceptional character actor who contributed to many memorable award-winning productions.

-- Thanks for reading. Please comment here or send a note to kbotterman@gmail.com.