I recently remembered a magic spell I once knew.  Here’s how it happened:

A few months ago, I had my metaphorical butt kicked by a twelve-year-old.  Part of my lifelong musical journey is that I have been studying classical guitar for the past five years. My teacher is kind enough to hold “salons” for her students several times per year, at which we can perform solo pieces for each other — mostly adults. Many self-conscious jokes are cracked before performances (mostly by me), many excuses are made from the stage (mostly by me) and many right hands shake nervously over the strings (mine, especially), derailing passages that sounded so great just the day before in everyone’s practice rooms.   [Read more →]

Tags: artistic unknowns by Chris Matarazzo, getting older by Chris Matarazzo
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In a blog post titled The God Instinct. Some notes , Mark Vernon quotes William James: “Scientific theories are organically conditioned just as much as religious emotions are; and if we only knew the facts intimately enough, we should doubtless see ‘the liver’ determining the dicta of the sturdy atheist as decisively as it does those of the Methodist under conviction anxious about his soul.” Vernon then adds a gloss to this: “Only atheists don’t usually consider dismissing their own convictions on evolutionary grounds. Funny that.” [Read more →]

Tags: religion & philosophy, that's what he said, by Frank Wilson by Frank Wilson
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The lame duck Congress took flight last week. Man, it’s going to be hard for the country to soar with the eagles if it has to flutter with this bunch of turkeys. To be fair, some of the big players are promising title fights between now and Christmas. Let’s hold back judgment on this bit of trash talk as we review two important measures they took up since the election. Oh, they were busy, alright. Critical legislation hit the floor to honor Penn State’s Joe Paterno and Yankees announcer Bob Shepperd. Holy Toledo! The government means business! [Read more →]

Tags: money, politics & government by Daniel Putkowski
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From Yahoo News: Inspired by TEA Party success, Latinos float ‘Tequila Party’ grassroots movement.

Latino leaders in Nevada and around the country are floating the idea of breaking traditional ties with the Democratic Party and creating a grass-roots independent movement tentatively called the Tequila Party. According to Delen Goldberg at the Las Vegas Sun, the leaders want to pressure the Democratic Party to deliver on Latinos’ priorities much in the same way the tea party has done with the GOP over the past few years.

I’m at a loss…  Can someone please explain to me how established leaders can spark a grassroots movement?  Or how it can be independent if its goal is to pressure (lobby) only the Democrat Party to deliver on Latino priorities?

Tags: politics & government by Mike McGowan
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I recently moved and one of the things that attracted me to my new address was the church at the end of the street. It’s a white, wooden structure, with a narrow spire: classic Americana, like something out of a movie. Best of all is the message board outside the entrance, which reads:

One out of every one will die.
Life is a terminal illness.
Where are you going?

Now some individuals might object to being confronted daily with this bleak message, but I was delighted. It’s good to be reminded of your mortality, even- or perhaps especially- when you’re running down the store to buy toilet paper. [Read more →]

Tags: travel & foreign lands, trusted media & news by Daniel Kalder
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When I look at my children, I shudder.

They have lived their entire lives in the so-called “age of superheroes.” They are too young to remember a time before the likes of Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman forced us to accept their “protection.” They didn’t ask to live in this world – they had it forced upon them.

The rest of us should have known better. We should have seen this coming. We have given up our sovereignty to people (if in fact they are “people;” many of them are not even of this world) who, by virtue of their enormous physical strength or possession of amazing weapons capable of mass destruction, believe they have the right to decide what is best for the rest of us.

At what point did we, the average and non-superpowered individuals, decide to just let this happen? When did we become sheeple, just placidly accepting the notion that because some people have the ability to destroy things efficiently they can make the rules for all of us?

Earlier this month, Gotham City’s wealthiest and most powerful resident, Bruce Wayne, held a press conference in which he revealed that he has been financing the extra-legal activities of the vigilante known as “Batman.” If there were any sense to our world, Mr. Wayne would have been immediately arrested and brought to trial. Taking the law into our own hands is a crime. [Read more →]

Tags: art & entertainment, politics & government by Ricky Sprague
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No, I am not talking about the heartwarming 1993 movie about the love affair between a young boy and a killer whale. I am talking about the weekend arrest of grizzled country music star Willie Nelson for marijuana possession. It just ain’t right.

[Read more →]

Tags: drugs & alcohol, Marty digs, music by Marty O'Connor
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I don’t know which is more shocking: a professional sports team being found to be cheating, or the fact that the cheating is discovered so rarely. Sports are big money, and jobs hinge on wins and losses. I imagine that there is a whole lot of cheating that occurs that is never revealed. Steve Scarnecchia, the video operations director for the Denver Broncos, seems worse than most at hiding his indiscretions. For the second time in recent years, Scarnecchia has been connected to the illegal videotaping of opponents. [Read more →]

Tags: bad sports, good sports by Alan Spoll
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10. In The Expendables he wore an orthopedic beret

9. He keeps looking for the ‘mute’ button on his machine gun

8. He rides into battle on a Rascal scooter

7. His ‘reinforcements’ are a big bag of prunes

6. That headband in the latest Rambo was to help keep his wig in place

5. His stunt double is Eli Wallach

4. Instead of raw eggs, he’s gulping down Metamucil

3. Now, instead of bounding up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, he uses the wheelchair ramp

2. His latest love interest was played by Betty White

1. To help him lift his gun, he’s been taking Viagra
 

Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.

Tags: art & entertainment, Bob Sullivan's top ten everything, movies by Bob Sullivan
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I feel a little sad that this series is almost over.  But Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is by far the most adult of the Harry Potter films and I found that I relished it in a whole new way. As Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) proclaims, “Well, well, well, look what we have here. It’s Harry Potter. He’s all bright, and shiny, and new again, just in time for the Dark Lord.” Oh, yeah. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie by Gail D. Rosen
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