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.

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.