I enjoyed 1982 at the movies

Before closing the book for 2022, I need to fulfill a commitment made earlier in the year, and compile a list of my favorite movies from 1982, 40 years ago. 

A reader asked me to compile the list a few months ago, but schedule commitments kept me from completing the task. So here's a look at my top 10 films from 1982, Ronald Reagan's second year as president, and a pretty good year for movies. I also added a few titles on a short list of honorable mentions. (All are presented in no particular order.)

My Top 10:

1. Blade Runner - Director Ridley Scott's dark but fascinating look at Los Angeles in the future (2019), where special police units known as blade runners hunt and "retire" human replicants. It remains one of the best sci-fi movies of the last 50 years, in my opinion. Harrison Ford stars and the cast includes Rutger Hauer, William Sanderson, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, M. Emmet Walsh, Edward James Olmos, James Hong and Joanna Cassidy. 

2. Diner - Director Barry Levinson's first installment of his trilogy of films set in Baltimore. Mickey Rourke, Steve Guttenberg, and Kevin Bacon lead an ensemble cast as a group of young men preparing for a friend's wedding. It's a wonderful movie that sadly is mostly unknown to younger audiences. 

3. The Year of Living Dangerously - Dark, moody, and moving. Mel Gibson plays an obnoxious young reporter covering political turmoil in Indonesia. He's in over his head, but is helped by Sigourney Weaver, who plays an assistant in the British embassy. Linda Hunt won an Oscar for her work as an assistant to Gibson's character. 

4. An Officer and a Gentleman - Richard Gere portrays an officer candidate at the Navy's challenging aviation training center. Debra Winger plays a new-found girlfriend, and Louis Gossett Jr. won an Oscar for his performance as the drill sergeant. It's an entertaining movie that stands the test of time.

5. Tootsie - Dustin Hoffman stars as a man dressed as a woman in order to land an acting job on a day-time soap opera. The supporting cast includes Jessica Lange, Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, and Bill Murray. Lange won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Director Sydney Pollack delivers a comedy for the ages with this work.

6. The Verdict - Paul Newman is a lawyer on the back end of a once-promising career who takes a case to trial when everyone around tells him to settle out of court. The supporting cast includes Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, and the great James Mason.

7. 48 Hours - Nick Nolte plays a cop who teams with temporarily paroled convict Eddie Murphy to hunt a cop killer and his partner. Director Walter Hill delivers with the best action film of the year and one of the best entries in the "cop-buddy" genre of the 1980s. The supporting cast includes Frank McRae, Annette O'Toole, and James Remar as Albert Ganz, a criminal audiences loved to hate. 

8. The Thing - Director John Carpenter gives audiences the best version of the sci-fi classic. Kurt Russell leads a solid cast that includes Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Dysart and David Clennon. A team in Antarctica confronts an alien creature that is killing them one at a time.

9. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Arguably the best of the Star Trek movies. The special effects have lost some of their impact over the years, but the movie still delivers, thanks to the cast and an engaging story about revenge and friendship. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and others from the cast of the original TV series appear and are joined by Ricardo Montalban and a young Kirstie Alley.

10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - This movie led the field in the genre of 80s teen movies, and there were many good ones in that category. Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judd Reinhold, and Phoebe Cates. The movie remains a classic for its characters, their lines and for a few key scenes.

Honorable Mentions:

My Favorite Year 

Cannery Row: 

First Blood 

Missing 

-- Thanks for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment or submit a question. I can be reached by email at kbotterman@gmail.com.

Some Macro Views and Few Micro ones, too

 

The macro view:

Will the 2022 midterm elections ever end? 

It's a fair question, I think, even if it is a rhetorical one.

I write on Nov. 18, a full week and three days after the Nov. 8 balloting, and several races remain either undecided or not finalized. A school-related referendum in my town remains an open question, with a final determination set for Nov. 22.

News reports are full of possible reasons for the counting delays - some reasonable, some outlandish - but many reports cite mail-in ballots as a common reason for the long delays. If that is true, I hope voters will demand changes to the mail-in option. 

No Beer For You

Qatar officials announced Budweiser beer is prohibited at World Cup stadiums, reversing an earlier decision to allow beer sales during the games. Considering it's Budweiser, a watery, near tasteless version of beer, the decision should be applauded, in my opinion. Enjoying a soft drink is a better option than choking down a Bud. 

Happy for those Vikings

As a life-long (so far) Chicago Bears fan, it pains me a bit to note the Minnesota Vikings are enjoying a great season. The Vikings are 8-1 and lead the NFC North Division, where the Bears are 3-7, last place in the division. 

I don't follow the NFL as much as I once did, but I've always enjoyed the NFC divisional rivalries. As a young lad, I enjoyed watching Bart Starr QB the Green Bay Packers and liked Joe Kapp when he was QB for the Vikings. In the early '70s, I was a fan of Fran Tarkenton, and I respected the Vikings defensive units of the 1980s. 

And I am a big fan of Bud Grant, the team's coach from 1967 until 1983, with a subsequent tour of service in the 1985 season. So while I remain a Bears fan, I am happy for the Vikings and their fans for the season they are enjoying.

The Micro View:

The area where I reside (the Fox Valley in Northern Illinois) received the first snow of the season Nov. 15. We received a little more than a dusting and most of it melted by evening. We received a little more this morning (Nov. 18). Not much, but enough to contribute to some car accidents on area roads and interstate highways. We're expecting temperatures only in the mid-20s for the next two days (unusual for us in late November), but temperatures are expected to return to seasonal averages (low 40s) before the Thanksgiving Day holiday. I enjoy seeing some snow during the holidays, but I don't like driving in it. I can cope with the cold temperatures, but prefer to avoid icy roads. 

As one season ends, another begins

College football is my favorite sport to follow. I've enjoyed much of the 2022 season and will take a closer look at the details in a subsequent post. As the regular football season nears an end (it seemed to go by so quickly this year), I am enjoying the early days of the college basketball season and I'm excited for the start of conference play.

I developed at a young age the habit of marking the passing of a year with the start of seasonal sports. It's something I picked up from my father and older siblings. College and high school basketball always helped me pass the months of January and February, and I remain a loyal fan of the NCAA tournament in March. 

A Happy Thanksgiving

Most of my family will be traveling for the Thanksgiving Holiday, so my wife and I have plans to visit a favorite restaurant for our holiday dinner, which we'll enjoy in the early afternoon. Lori and I have said we might order from the menu, rather than partake in the traditional holiday offering. I'm likely to go with the Turkey dinner. I'll also purchase a pumpkin pie from a local bakery, because dessert is my favorite part of the holiday meal. I might even offer a special treat to Otto, our dog. 

I pray you and the ones you love most will enjoy a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day celebration. Remember the reason for the day and offer thanks for the many blessings you enjoy. I know I will.

-- Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a comment. 

Your friendly neighbor on the Internet.

Autumn's sights and sounds

 

Autumn is my favorite time of year, and the period between mid-September and Thanksgiving in Northern Illinois presents days of breathtaking beauty and temperatures we wait all year to enjoy. 

For those who endured winter's bitter cold and summer's unrelenting heat and humidity, early October's daytime highs of 70 degrees and low humidity are akin to a refreshing cup of water after a long period of physical work. 

From September 20 to Oct. 12 the region experienced a pleasant stretch of moderate temperatures and low humidity during the day and cool nights when the low reached the upper 40s where I live. Air conditioners that had operated nearly non-stop since June were finally shut-off and heating furnaces were idle. We opened windows and left them mostly open for days on end. It was a welcome relief and many enjoyed it all to the fullest.

My wife and I enjoyed walks in parks, forest preserves, and just about any location where more than few trees could be found. And nature did not disappoint, fall colors were abundant and leaves were only beginning to fall. 

Pumpkin-spiced items from beer and coffee to cookies and even Twinkies are everywhere. As one who enjoys pumpkin spice, apple cider doughnuts, and sweatshirts, I couldn't be happier than I was during these past few weeks. Heck, I was even wearing a pair of shorts on October 12. 

We're now beyond October's halfway date and temperatures are steadily declining. The next few days are expected to see high temperatures only in the low 40s and overnight lows will reach 32-degrees. Snow showers are predicted for late this evening.

Autumn is settling in and November quickly approaches. The combination of the honking geese and the sound of their flapping wings is a personal favorite. It is to me the sound of autumn in the Midwest. 

Autumn sights in film

I'm frequently asked about my favorite autumn films, and I'm happy to offer a few titles, films I return to again and again to celebrate the season or when I need a fix of cool temps. What makes a film set during autumn truly enjoyable for me is the atmosphere the director captures through images, sound, lighting, and special effects (generally called cinematography).

I distinguish films set in autumn from horror films, although I can name several horror films that successfully capture the spirit and familiar images of autumn. Those images include shadows, brilliant sunsets, falling leaves blown along lanes, skies that are either cloudless azure or overcast and windy. 

Here are a few films I think capture autumn's images and sounds, if even for only a few moments.

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Directed by Frank Capra

The Trouble With Harry (1955) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Ghostbusters (1984) - Directed by Ivan Reitman

Dead Poets Society (1989) - Directed by Peter Weir

October Sky (1999) - Directed by Joe Johnston

Far from Heaven (2002) - Directed by Todd Haynes

Knives Out (2019) Directed by Rian Johnson

Did I miss one of your favorites? Let me know in the comments or send an email

Thank you for reading. I can be reached at kbotterman@gmail.com.

It's hot and humid, but it's time for college football

 

It's time to welcome the 2022 college football season, even though it's 84-degrees and humid outdoors. While many programs are playing tune-up, non-conference games this weekend, there are several interesting games on the slate. 

Here are a few of the games we follow at my house: 

NC State at E. Carolina - NC State

Rutgers at BC - I'm a BC fan from way back.

Oregon at Georgia - Georgia all the way

Cinn at Arkansas - Arkansas at home

BYU at S. Florida - I'm down with BYU

Utah at Florida - Utah is on the road, but I'm taking 'em.

Notre Dame at Ohio State - Let's go Buckeyes

Florida State at LSU - I'll go with LSU

Clemson at Georgia Tech - My brain says Clemson, but I'm a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech. 

Enjoy the games, and thank you for reading.

A hot dog by another name is a Frankfurter

 

A reader responded to a recent social media post I offered about hot dogs, asking if I knew anyone who refers to hot dogs as Frankfurters, as they were once commonly called.

She insisted no one calls hot dogs Frankfurters anymore. Everyone, she insisted, calls them either hot dogs or simply "dogs". 

She has a point. Everyone I know calls them hot dogs. I call them hot dogs. It's what we call them in the Midwest and in most other parts of our homogenized culture. 

But it wasn't always that way, at least not in my childhood home. Dad was a German Lutheran and was raised by German Lutherans, on a farm near present day Schaumburg, which today is one of the most homogenized communities in the country. 

Dad called hot dogs Frankfurters (sometimes Franks), and so did many of the other old Germans and Dutch guys who resided in my neighborhood, back when I was a sprout. Most of them purchased their Frankfurters at Bob's Meat Market, a popular full-service butcher shop that closed it's doors when Bob retired.

Dad purchased a variety of items there, including deli meats, which he called cold cuts, another name we don't hear much anymore.

Dad's selection of cold cuts included hard salami, roast beef, summer sausage, pastrami, head cheese, and liverwurst. Those last two items were popular only with the older folks back in the day. Some might enjoy them today, but I don't know those individuals. I haven't seen head cheese available in a deli counter in decades, and can't recall the last time I saw liverwurst. Dad loved both and enjoyed them mustard and a thick slice of white onion.

Dad enjoyed a number of items that I still enjoy today. Sauerbraten, sauerkraut, beef rouladen, sardines and most types of sausage are some of the items dad introduced me to that can still be found on my dinner table. 

I'm not planning on buying any head cheese or liverwurst soon, but I'll try to reintroduce Frankfurter and cold cuts to our culinary vocabulary - out of respect for my dad and just to see how readers react. 

Thank you for reading. Questions and comments are always welcome. 

Impressions of History: The Dates We Don't Remember

 

I'm writing this on June 7, the day after some observed the 78th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy in 1944, and two days after some observed the 54th anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968. 

I paused to observe both and noted how little mention both anniversaries received in national and local media. I was disappointed with President Biden for failing to acknowledge either date, making him the first American president in the last 78 years to make no mention of the D-Day invasion on the important date. 

I was in elementary school when Bobby was killed, but I can recall the television coverage of the incident and the following newspaper headlines. D-Day observations were a part of life for decades, marked not only remember those who participated in the invasion, but also celebrated for marking the start of the ground offensive that would liberate Nazi-occupied Western Europe. 

June 5 and June 6 are landmark dates, worthy of observation and reflection. 

At least they were. It seems today both dates have lost their significance to many Americans, including the president. A few commentators have suggested reasons for this. Some offered good points, others were a bit wild in their reasoning.

I won't go on at length about it or attempt a deep analysis of it all. I'm simply disappointed that so many either do not understand the historical significance of both dates, or just don't care. 

A nation and a culture loses much when it fails to acknowledge or care about its history.

-- Thank you for reading. Comments are always welcome. Leave one here or email me at kbottterman@gmail.com.

Age takes a toll and time runs short

 

I spent Saturday at a memorial service for Mike, a friend from college, who died suddenly. It was a good service, lots of memories were shared, and I was grateful to have been there.

Mike wasn't the first of my friends from high school or college to pass. Three others preceded him, but each died years ago, when we were all in our mid-20s, and the rest of us could expect to live long, active lives. Two of those early deaths involved rare diseases and the third involved a freak workplace accident. The unusual circumstances involved provided some solace for the rest of us. 

And that's what makes Mike's death difficult for so many who shared the pleasure of knowing him. Mike was our age. He was the first in our group to die when older individuals are supposed to pass from natural causes. His death is a stark reminder that we have more days behind us than ahead of us. 

One could see it and feel it at Mike's memorial service. Gregarious men, ones who typically crack wise and share loud laughs, sat in silence, mumbling only a few words and offering feeble handshakes. A few sat silently, locked in a hundred-yard stare. I recognized the stare. I've worn it several times since learning of Mike's death. 

For those of us who shared our college years at Northern Illinois University with Mike, his death hit hard. It wasn't just the shock of the news or the realization we'll never again share a conversation with him. 

His death forced us to look again at the health issues many of us developed in recent years, the growing list of medications we take to manage conditions common among those advanced in their years, and the inventory of new pains we have in various parts. It's in the odd noises we make when doing once-simple tasks, like pushing ourselves up from a chair, lifting a fork, or taking a pee. 

It's there in those vacant, hundred-yard stares we present. It's as though we can hear the Grim Reaper passing near us and whispering, "Age takes a toll, and time runs short."

I met Mike at the student newspaper at NIU. Mike worked in the sports department, and I worked in the newsroom. We became friends and shared the experiences of college life in the early 1980s. I was 20 when I met Mike.

I'm in my sixth decade now, so are my friends from high school and college. Some are retired, many more are planning for the day they will leave the workforce. Most are parents, and many are grandparents. And all of that came sooner than expected.

We ponder Mike's death and wonder how we reached this point in time so quickly. More than 40 years rolled by, one after another. The young man I attended parties with and stood next to at football games, grew old and his body grew weak, until it gave out one night while he slept. 

I look at my reflection in the mirror and wonder when my body will give up. And will I be blessed to pass as I sleep in my bed?

Age takes a toll and time runs short.

-- Thank you for reading. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Post a thought here or send a note to kbotterman@gmail.com.

The many types of 'two kinds of people'

 

There are two kinds of people in this world, and I've learned about many of them from one friend or another. It turns out there are actually many types of those two kinds of people. And it won't surprise you that belong to several types of those two kinds of people. 

Here are few of the types I've heard about:

Those who put ketchup on a hot dog and those who do not.

Those who like dogs and those who like cats.

Those who shut-off the lights when leaving a room and those who do not.

Those who use a car's turn indicator before executing a turn and those who do not.

Those who like the Beatles and those who don't

Those who close their mouths when chewing food and those who do not.

Those who sit quietly when watching a movie and those who ask questions from the opening scene to the closing credits.

Those who drink coffee and those who do not.

Those who are Cubs fans and those who support that other Chicago MLB team.

Those who golf and those who are happy.

Those who will hold a door for those and those who will not.

Those who make "to do" lists and those who do not.

Those who appreciate sarcasm and those who do not.

Those who use napkins and those who use the back of a hand or a shirt sleeve. 

Those who tie their shoes and those who do not.

Those who fish and those who do not.

Those who like Western movies and those who don't. 

Those that push a chair in when they leave a table and those who do not. 

Those who remain young at heart and those who do not. 

Those who write about other people and those who do not. 

I am confident there are many other "kinds" out there. Your contributions are welcome.

-- Thanks for reading. Questions and comments are always welcome. Leave one here or email kbotterman@gmail.com.

Bogdanovich and contemporary audiences

 

Film director and movie historian Peter Bogdanovich died in early January, and his passing sparked an ongoing discussion that I'm still sharing (and enjoying) with several friends who, like me, are movie fans.

Our dispute involves the timelessness of Bogdanovich's films, particularly his early works. My friends insist that a classic is classic. Film classice are classics today and will be considered classics years from now, they say. I think that general statement applies to some films, but not necessarily to the ones Bogdanovich directed. 

For those not familiar with Bogdanovich's career, he was considered a film genius in the 1970s. He was 31 when he directed 1971's "The Last Picture Show," a movie that earned eight Oscar nominations, winning two. It was his second movie as director. Critics called it a masterpiece and compared Bogdanovich to Orson Welles and his film "Citizen Kane."

During the next two years, Bogdanovich directed the popular comedy "What's Up Doc?" and "Paper Moon," a hugely popular hit that was set during the Great Depression. The movie earned four Oscar nominations, and a win for Best Supporting Actress. 

But that was the high point of his film-making career. From the mid-'70s onward, Bogdanovich struggled professionally and personally. He directed movies that were slammed by critics and unpopular with audiences, although there were notable exceptions along the way, "Saint Jack" (1979) and "Mask" (1985). 

He twice filed for bankruptcy and had a string of failed relationships, including two marriages that ended in divorce.

Bogdanovich continued working throughout his personal challenges, and had a recurring role in HBO's "The Sopranos." 

He was a gifted writer and film historian. I've read a couple of his books and recommend his written work to those with an interest in American film history. Bogdanovich will always be linked to his early film success, but I think he'll be remembered most for his work as a writer. 

Many serious movie fans (including my friends) insist "The Last Picture Show" is a timeless classic, one that audiences today appreciate as much as the audiences of the early 1970s. I agree the film is a classic piece of art, but I don't think it is accessible to contemporary audiences. 

"The Last Picture Show" is set in a small Texas town that is barely hanging on in the late 1940s. The film is shot in black and white and features a cast that was largely unknown at the time it was released. Critics and audiences alike embraced the movie's stark black and white images. It was an effective device for telling this particular story. 

Bogdanovich used black and white film again in 1973 to tell "Paper Moon," the Depression-era story of a con man and his child partner. Audiences loved the film, as did Hollywood. However, it's difficult to say how much of its success was due to the use of black and white film.  It featured an interesting story and starred a charming Tatum O'Neal, then age 10, as a young hustler, playing opposite her real-life father, Ryan O'Neal. 

Bogdanovich's decision to shoot in black and white paid off in the early '70s, when audiences still included many who lived through the time periods in which "The Last Picture Show" and "Paper Moon" were set. Many had memories of the Great Depression, the post-World War II years, and they grew up when watching movies and television in black and white was the only option. Color film wasn't widely used until the 1960s, so watching a black and white movie was a familiar experience for them.

None of that can be said for much of today's audiences. Nearly all of those alive during the Depression and World War II are no longer with us, and the last American TV shows shot entirely in black and white were made in the late 1960s.  

Contemporary audiences want to view films featuring vibrant colors and do not relate well to black and white film, probably the primary reason Hollywood rarely produces a black and white today.  

That is one reason why I think Bogdanovich's biggest films have limited appeal today.

The second reason concerns the stories Bogdanovich told through film. He made character-driven movies, a quality common to the movies Hollywood produced 50 years ago. Today's scripts are action driven. They emphasize computer-generated special effects, explosions, and are set at a pace that rarely allows for character development. Hollywood also loves franchise films, productions that allow for one installment after another. 

The content of Hollywood productions moved in a significantly different direction during the past 35 years, and the type of movies made in the late 1960s and 1970s simply are not made today. Many factors contributed to that shift, and I think changes in the reading habits of American audiences is a key reason, though it receives little notice.

The simple fact is that Americans read fewer books today than they did half a century ago. Yes, many Americans read a good deal today, mostly in the form of texts, emails, or other electronic data. But the Pew Research Center and others who study the topic consistently note that a growing number of American adults say they didn't read a single book in the last year. 

The Center maintains records about American reading habits dating to the early 1970s. In 1976, just a few years after Bogdanovich made "Paper Moon," about six percent of those surveyed told Pew they had not read a single book during the past year. The number increased to nearly 24 percent in 2015 and stands at 27 percent today. 

American film audiences, particularly younger segments, have shorter attention spans and have less interest in character-driven stories than audiences found in movie houses a generation ago. And much of that is attributable to their aversion to books.

My friends acknowledge my arguments but insist they apply only to the general category of film audiences, not to fans with a sincere appreciation for good movies. With those viewers, "The Last Picture Show" and "Paper Moon" are accessible and will always be viewed as timeless classics, my friends insist. 

They might be right. But Bogdanovich found huge success making movies that were popular with general audiences, and the habits of those audiences are not practiced by today's movie audiences.  

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

The irony (and fun) of Rodgers winning the MVP award

 

I enjoyed a good laugh when I read the other morning Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year.

I have nothing against Rodgers, and considering he posted 37 touchdowns against only one interception last season, he seems to be as worthy of the award as anyone else. In fact, Rodgers received 39 votes for MVP while Tampa Bay's Tom Brady earned 10 votes, according to an ESPN report.

Clearly those who vote on the award believed Rodgers earned it. And the irony of Rodgers winning the award, after all the intense criticism he received in 2021, made me laugh.

Information (I can't call it news) flows so rapidly these days that we hardly have time to fully process yesterday's controversy before the headlines serve up something new to make us fighting mad.

Why, only a few months ago sports writers and commentators were telling us Rodgers was a rotten egg because he ducked the Packers organization during much of the previous off-season. And they told us he was a lying scoundrel that ought to be driven from the league for violating the NFL's Covid-19 guidelines.

More than a few reporters were nearly rabid in their words about Rodgers. One writer suggested his actions put every NFL player at risk of death by C-19.

I don't follow the NFL closely so the intense views puzzled me, and seemed over the top. Rodgers certainly had some reporters, commentators and fans worked up, but most people seemed unmoved, willing to judge him based on his on-field performance rather than what he did off the field.

I think that's how it should be with professional sports, minus some obvious exceptions.

And it appears many others agree. All the fuss about Rodgers that aired in recent months seemed in the end to be more smoke than fire. And that's often how it goes these days.

-- Thanks for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Post them here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.

Wading through the headlines

 

An interesting announcement

Jesse Sullivan, a Republican running for governor in Illinois, recently announced Kathleen Murphy, a Republican strategist, would be his running mate.

Sullivan, a venture capitalist from Petersburg Illinois, promotes himself as an outsider and a down-stater. He says his campaign is about fighting high taxes, crime, and corrupt politicians. He has not previously held elected office.

Neither has Murphy, a mom and political operative from DuPage County. I don't know either one of them. I have never met or spoken with either Sullivan or Murphy. They seem like nice people, from the little I know of them, and they might do well in Springfield, if elected.

The pair are in a crowded field. There's something like five or six other candidates seeking the Republican nomination and the chance to face Governor JB Pritzker in the general election. The biggest challenge I see for the Sullivan-Murphy team at present is name recognition among Illinois voters. Perhaps they can overcome that challenge. The Illinois 2022 primary election is in June.

Speaking of politics

If you want to see something strange, check out Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's video announcing her campaign for reelection. Her friends and supporters might like it, but I found it creepy and unsettling. Let's just say sincerity is not Pelosi's strongest characteristic

Pelosi to U.S. Olympians: Be cool

I thought it odd when Pelosi warned American Olympic athletes last week not to anger the Chinese government with comments about things like China's forced labor camps, political prisoners and human rights violations. The instructions seemed bizarre to me. I don't understand why she didn't simply wish them well, tell them to do their best and offer prayers for a safe journey. Career politicians do weird things. 

Stirring the pot

I came across this nasty report from Catherine Herridge at CBS. Herridge tells us that some of President Trump's advisers talked about seizing voting machines in the days after the 2020 election. It's only deeper in the report that those involved in the "discussion" dropped the idea when they learned they lacked legal authority to do that sort of thing. 

In fact, it appears those involved were brainstorming ideas, came up with a weird one, but did nothing with it, because someone said they couldn't do it. Of course, that isn't much of a story, is it? 

Better to make it sound like Trump's top men plotted to seize voting machines with the possible intent of either destroying them or at least significantly tampering with them.  Still, that's not the way it was. 

I found it all disappointing, particularly coming from Herridge, who once did some highly competent reporting while covering the Pentagon.

It flows across the Southern border

A recent news report told about two Connecticut high school students who overdosed on weed laced with fentanyl. They were among thousands of Americans who overdose on the drug every month, according to authorities. These are the same authorities who tell us fentanyl flows across the Southern border, which exists in name only since President Biden took office.

I found it interesting that on the same day the two high school overdoses were reported CBS News told us the demonstrations by Canadian truckers threaten U.S. trade with that country. It seems our priorities are a bit mixed up, but that's just one guy's opinion.

Lori Lighfoot plays the blame game - again

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot routinely plays the blame game, pointing the finger of responsibility for everything wrong with Chicago at nearly anything but herself and her policies. This week she blamed the city's ongoing surge in carjackings on the remote-learning efforts the Chicago Public Schools employed during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Previously she attributed Chicago's street violence to Indiana, Trump, the court, and Cook County's State's Attorney. Lightfoot frequently cites guns as the reason for the bodies that pile up in the city's streets, even though Chicago has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. 

I'm one of those who believes Chicago's crime epidemic runs much deeper than any one weakness, but I also believe much of what Chicago experiences today is directly linked to Lightfoot's accommodation of crime and lawlessness during the summer of 2020. She doesn't even think that far back. It's much easier, you see, to blame teachers, the federal government and a long list of others.

 

Suddenly Illinois Democrats are concerned about crime

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, two Democrats, made headlines this week talking about new efforts to fight crime in Chicago and other parts of the state. Both accommodated the lawlessness seen across the state during the summer of 2020, but now strike a 'get-tough" stance. Could it be both have finally seen the light, so to speak, or is there an election approaching? 

Tired old Hollywood

I had a good chuckle while reading a report about Hollywood's plan to remake 1990's "Presumed Innocent," a mediocre film adaptation of Scott Turow's bestselling novel of the same name. Hollywood is looking to produce an eight-part TV series. The original film starred Harrison Ford, and I remember it as slow and disappointing.

Maybe the new series will strike a chord with audiences, but I think the effort is further evidence that today's Hollywood is incapable of making original and outstanding movies that engage audiences and ultimately are timeless in their appeal. Prove me wrong.

  

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

A couple of thoughts on a winter day

 

I made a good batch of chili the other day, just in time for an early February snowstorm in my area. 

I'm one of those people who believe there's no such thing as a bad bowl of chili. I say the same thing about pizza. Friends tell me they only enjoy chili at certain times of year - early autumn and during the winter months.

I enjoy chili year round. During warmer months I might make a batch featuring chicken or ground turkey. I've made batches that included ground sirloin and ground pork. I've made batches without beans (the way my relatives in Texas tell me chili must be made), and I've made a batch or two that includes two or three different types of beans (the way my Italian friends tell me chili must be made). 

I'm partial to a recipe that calls for ground beef, chili beans, onions, and red and green peppers. It's a recipe I grew up and still enjoy, even when my Texas relatives call it a chili of "Northern aggression." 

Confirming what we suspected:

Researchers at John Hopkins University released a study that concluded the lock-downs ordered during the first wave of Covid-19 in 2020 had little impact in the fight against the virus, a matter many already believed to be true. 

Like most I complied with the orders because I had little choice the matter, and I put faith in the medical and science experts who were leading the fight against a virus we knew little about. And I think that was the right thing to do at the time. 

However, if additional research supports the findings of the John Hopkins' study, I hope that truth is widely shared and recognized. 

Interesting but not exactly meaningful

USA Today offered a report that named some of the "winners and losers" of this year's national signing day for college football. The report had a few good observations, I thought, but missed the mark on others. 

I'm not sure signing day remains as important as it once was, particularly when we factor in the college football transfer portal, which allows the big stars of last year's signing day to transfer to another school this year.

I enjoy reading these reports and even the early power rankings, but I keep in mind that it's all speculation. It's good material for the sports writers and bloggers, and it's interesting to college football fans like myself. As my Uncle Ernie was always fond of saying about such things, "Nothing really matters until the whistle blows at the start of the first real game of the season." 

-- Thank you for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Leave a message here or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.

And that wraps up our Christmas celebration

We took down our Christmas decorations today - the tree, the ornaments, the manger set - and put them in storage, where they'll stay until November 25, the day after Thanksgiving Day, when we typically decorate our home for the season. 

When I was child, everyone in my large family enjoyed participating in putting up the Christmas, but few were on hand to help take everything down and pack the boxes away in the attic. 

What a difference in moods. It's difficult to imagine a more striking contrast or one so stark. Holiday music played in the background as we decorated the house in December. Rarely was there a note of music played as we packed boxes in January. 

One month was filled with joy and speculation fueled by thoughts of what Santa Claus might bring. The next month was shrouded in dread, both for the dreary task of packing away the holidays and for the Midwest's bitter January weather. 

Consequently, the process of striking the holidays in my house back then was disorganized and hastily executed. Strings of lights were balled and shoved into bags. Ornaments, candlesticks, and assorted related items were snatched up and crammed into boxes with little regard for their safekeeping until next autumn. 

The long-dead tree dropped needles everywhere as it was dragged from the front room and dropped at the curb, where it sat until a disposal crew collected it later in the week.

It was not our finest work. Every November, as we unpacked the boxed decorations and untangled the strands of lights, we promised we'd do a better, more organized job of putting in away in January. 

We never reached that goal during my years in my parents' house, but my wife and I did a good job of it today.

We divided the tasks and carefully tucked away ornaments. I disassembled the artificial tree and secured it nicely in the storage room. The project took a few hours to complete, but the decorations are neatly packed and stacked.

It's taken us about 60 years to get it right, and hopefully I'll have another 50 years to perfect the process.

-- Thank you for reading. Comments are always welcome. You may post them here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com. 

The value of Twelfth Night and the Epiphany

 So I'm sitting here on my sofa, contemplating the mighty wind that's blowing outside, (The local weather guy tells me the gusts are reaching 40 mph.) and preparing for our observation of the Twelfth Night and the Epiphany. 

The Twelfth Night is the twelfth night of Christmas, and the Epiphany (I capitalize the word, although many do not.) celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men to the stable in Bethlehem. My Dad always referred to it as the day "those three wise guys came to town."

Our observations of both are modest, out of financial necessity and tradition, but we find joy and comfort in taking at least a few minutes to mark the end of another Christmas season.

Many do not share our tradition. Several friends (don't worry, no names) look at the calendar and are quick to yell, "that's a wrap" and then strike the holiday set. Some do it December 27 others wait until January 2. But all are a little too quick to pull down the decorations - the lights, the tree - wreaths - and plunge ahead into the new year, I think.

Their reasons are many (and most are reasonable). "Oh, the season starts earlier and earlier each year, and I'm just ready for it to be done. Two months is long enough," one said.

"I'm busy, and need to do this while I have some time off from work," another told me.

"These things aren't going to put themselves away, you know. Besides, I hate a long goodbye," remains a favorite that was shared by a relative.

Others think waiting for the Epiphany only avoids the inevitable. It is to them akin to procrastination or laziness.

I understand their points, but I do not share their views. I thank my parents for that. Mom and Dad were serious Catholics. Mom thought we should adhere to the Church's calendar for such things. I always respected that perspective.

Dad was a bit more practical. He cherished Advent and the Christmas season, holding it as a special time of year. "Let's not rush to close the door on such beautiful days." 

I learned from Dad to value the traditions (universal and personal) of the season. Like him, I hold dear the warm and generous spirit of the season. It's difficult to feel it at other times of the year, and I have trouble finding it at all during the hot and humid days of August. 

And "Uncle" Ernie (not a relative, just a friend who wanted everyone to call him uncle, so we did) frequently said life would be so much better for most of us if we learned to enjoy things as they were happening and make those moments last for as long as possible. I agree.

So I appreciate the classic Christmas movies and the holy music. I watch the Hollywood classics and listen to music right through the Epiphany. The practice sustains me in my efforts to hold tight to the spirit of season. It warms my soul and lightens my heart.

That's why I still observe the Twelfth Night and the Epiphany. Besides, I'm in no hurry to pack up all the decorations and carry them to the downstairs closet. I'm kind of lazy that way. 

-- Thank you for reading. Comments are always welcome. You may leave one here or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com. May the peace of the Christmas season be with you throughout the new year.