Saturday Night Classics: “Red Hot” by Billy Lee Riley and the Little Green Men

 

From Sam Phillips and the Wizards at Memphis’ Sun Studios in January of 1957, Billy Lee and his Little Green Men make you wish you had what he has, ‘cause his dame has gams up to here, lips like cherry wine and all dat. A real looker. A little dangerous. And while you think your purty gal is somethin’. Billy Lee scoffs and guffaws.

Nah, he won and you lost. Enjoy your little date at the malt shop. Billy Lee and his girl are gonna paint the town red. And some of that red just might be blood. Envy much?

In defence of Sir Winston Churchill

 

I am a citizen of Great Britain.

I listened to a podcast in which Darryl Cooper Esq. made several claims. The primary Cooper Esq. thesis is Sir Winston Churchill is not a saint (true) but the person who turned WW2 into something else. In essence, Mr. Cooper Esq. states Sir Winston Churchill drove the war into a longer and even more painful event.

Reagan

 

We have just seen the movie Reagan and I hope to set down a few brief thoughts about this powerful experience. For that is what it was, and a wonderful opportunity to remember the life and painful end of one of my small handful of life icons. First and foremost, I simply cannot urge too strongly that everyone who can get to this movie. Please do so as soon as possible. This message is especially aimed at those of us who are reaching up into the stratospheric levels of the aging process.

Jon Voigt should get the Best Supporting Actor award for his portrayal of a close advisor to several party secretaries of the USSR, ending with his time in the service of Mikhail Gorbachev. His role served as a narration vehicle for many of the critical moments that Reagan played such a prominent role in, especially the meeting in Reykavik in which Gorbachev demanded that Reagan abandon the “Star Wars” Defense System and Reagan’s response was a simple “Nyet!”

The entire production was la superbly produced return in time, showing some of the background leading up to events and moments many of us in the aforesaid age category have both read about and lived through. Although it should be no surprise to anyone, the moment in the Berlin Wall speech—surely one of the great speeches in the entire history of oratory—in which the president called on Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” may have been the crowning highlight of the movie.

Quote of the Day: The Soul that Celebrates, Sings

 

In Judaism joy is the supreme religious emotion. Here we are, in a world filled with beauty. Every breath we breathe is the spirit of G-d within us. Around us is the love that moves the sun and all the stars. We are here because someone wanted us to be. The soul that celebrates, sings.  ––Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

At a time when we’ve seen the corruption of the word “joy” by the Democrat candidate for President, Judaism always invites its members to fully experience its qualities. It can’t be manufactured, or contrived; it doesn’t have to dominate one’s reality or everyday life.

Should I Go?

 

There is an event planned for Washington, DC on September 29, 2024. It is a rally to Rescue the Republic. I listened to Bret Weinstein on Joe Rogan’s podcast make a pitch for the rally. I agree with his point: It is critical that the powers that be see the strength of their opposition to the direction of the country; that it will likely take several hundred thousands showing up to do that. The “silent majority” rhetoric will not cut it. There are already plans in place to diminish the size of any organic expression in the polling booth. Only a visible act of strength will do two things: (1) give a tangible voice for a new direction, and (2) make a “steal” in November more evident were it to occur — and thus rob of powers that be of even marginally credible claims of popular support.

As listed on its website, Rescue the Republic has an 8-point message that I believe is broadly supported in the country and, if not, we are no longer the country we thought we lived in:

Hold this episode up to your face. Now point at it and smile. You, too, can be a pitchman.

What Does Tree Worship Have to Do with Injustice?

 

… you shall appoint judges and officials throughout your tribes to administer true justice for the people. You must not distort justice: you shall not show partiality; you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes even of the wise and twists the words even of the just. Justice, justice alone shall you pursue … You shall not plant an asherah or any kind of tree next to the altar of the LORD, your God, which you will build.

An obvious question, of course, is about the proximity of these verses: what does the tree have to do with perverted justice? Why is a tree antithetical to justice and impartiality?

Air Force Flight Attendant

 

I was surfing YouTube, and I ran across an Air Force Senior Airman (E-4) who relates his journey in changing careers in the Air Force from an office job, to getting a flying job.  There were two choices available to him at the time, loadmaster and flight attendant.  Flight attendant came up first.  When he made this career change, he already had six years in the Air Force, and he wanted to stay in.  He hated his job, so he changed specialties.

If you search in YouTube or Google, you’ll find his vlog easily enough.  There aren’t a lot of videos on that subject.

H.R. McMaster on Why the Trump Administration Was “At War with Ourselves”

 

General (ret.) H.R. McMaster, the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, returns to Uncommon Knowledge to discuss his latest book, At War with Ourselves, in which he candidly recounts his experiences as former national security advisor to President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2018. In this wide-ranging interview, McMaster delves into the complexities and challenges he faced while serving in the administration and describes his role in providing the president with multiple options and safeguarding his independence of judgment, partially by drawing on the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus to “play well the role assigned to you.” He reflects on the internal tensions and conflicts within the White House, often exacerbated by differing agendas among staff and cabinet members. McMaster also discusses the difficulties in maintaining a productive relationship with President Trump, especially when offering candid advice that sometimes led to alienation. The conversation is a revealing look into McMaster’s often tumultuous experiences in the Trump White House but also emphasizes the importance of a well-structured decision-making process in the realm of national security. Recorded on July 10, 2024.

They say Labor Day marks the ordinary American’s starting point for following a particular election cycle, setting off a scramble for undecides by campaigners and a busy couple of months for pollsters. Henry Olsen returns to discuss where things stand in the presidential race as we head toward the first debate; he offers some potential outcomes that will determine the extent of the Republican majority in the Senate; and he expands on his piece about the populist parties’ successes in eastern Germany, explaining “Ostalgie,” and detailing the adjustments mainstream parties will have to make if they want to maintain stability in the West.

Plus, James and Charlie are emphatically pro-Churchill.

Censorship from the Democrats tells you all you need to know.

 

Just a quick thought – inspired by a comment from @WBob on another thread (Bob, if I misrepresent your comment, please correct me – I can’t find it right now…).  In a recent post, I commented on Facebook censoring the adjacent picture, labeling it as “Violent and graphic.”  Bob commented on another thread of the tendency of Democrats to censor alternative viewpoints, rather than debating them.  

But that made me wonder, how would Democrats debate a patriotic image?

They can’t.  And they know it.  Which is just another example of one of my long-held opinions:  Censorship is for those who KNOW they’re wrong.  If you suspect that you might be wrong, you argue and debate.  But if you KNOW you’re wrong, you censor.  You know that your views are wrong, or evil, or destructive, or whatever.  They’re indefensible.  So you don’t defend them.  At that point, all you can do is prevent any alternative viewpoints from being expressed.  And accuse those who don’t go along as being racist, or being climate deniers, or whatever.  If you know you’re wrong, there’s nothing else you can do.

Ambivalence About Governance

 

Does the Torah really want us to have a monarchy? After all, the text is ambivalent:

If, after you have entered the land that the LORD your God has assigned to you, and taken possession of it and settled in it, you decide, “I will set a king over me, as do all the nations about me,” you shall be free to set a king over yourself.

The biggest story this week are “The Big Lies” the media are telling in order to protect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz against their absolute weakest issue: the immigration crisis that was specifically engineered by the Biden-Harris Administration.

Also this week:

In the debut episode of Homeschooling Journeys, we meet Alicia Garcia, the founder of Project Flourish Community. Alicia offers an innovative Home Ec experience where students participate in hands-on learning, from picking ingredients in her backyard to cooking healthy meals. As both a provider and user of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), Alicia shares her unique perspective on homeschooling. Curious Mike and Alicia delve into the challenges of setting up ESA payments and the benefits of specialized learning. Alicia also touches on a heartwarming story of how she used ESA funds to help her introverted son join a local stage musical. We hope you enjoy!

On “The Well-Tempered Clavier” on a Well-Tempered Clavier

 

Recently WGUC in Cincinnati played a recording of a piece from The Well-Tempered Clavier played on a well-tempered clavier. Or a well-tempered something that sounded like a clavier, whatever a clavier sounds like, which I wouldn’t know from a harpsichord. Know from the sound of a harpsichord, I mean. (I’m confessing here about my ignorance of classical music, not bragging about that ignorance, which ardly hever appens.)

According to the DJ, the lady who made the recording had enthused over the glorious, rich experience of hearing The Well-Tempered Clavier played on a well-tempered clavier for the first time in her life, and was eager to share the excitement with the world, which is why she made the recording. She pointed out that she was finally hearing the music the way Bach intended for it to sound when he wrote it.

How Many Illegal Aliens Are Likely Voters? Just the Right Amount?

 

Surely Democrat-controlled states are doing everything they can to ensure that non-citizens who have crossed into America illegally will not vote, yes? How will they do that? By asking voters for their driver’s licenses? How many illegal migrants of voting age have a driver’s license? How many have counterfeit Social Security cards? Will their addresses be checked to see if they reside in a real location, and not a business address or P.O. Box, or perhaps for the election in Colorado, a recently vacated apartment in Aurora?

The AP and other news sources are saying that the Republican Party, its operatives and attorneys are just making a big to-do about nothing. Are left-leaning news outlets being honest about GOP concerns? Would you be surprised that these concerns are being deliberately marginalized?

The Immortal Election: Steelmanning the Never-Trump Position

 

At the first International Chess Tournament, in London in 1851, during a pause between official tournament matches, renowned Prussian chess player Adolf Anderssen sat down to play a friendly game with Lionel Kieseritzky, a Baltic German (today he would be Estonian or Latvian) chess master.

After a brief exchange of pawns and two dozen moves of what can only be described as perplexing play, Anderssen had managed to lose two of his pawns, a bishop, both rooks, and his queen — while capturing only three of his opponent’s pawns in exchange.

Is Getting the Deal More Important Than the End Results?

 

The following is somewhat related to the post “You Can’t Negotiate with Barbarians” by @susanquinn,  except with focus here on what the push for a “deal” between Hamas and Israel says about United States politicians.

In her interview with Dana Bash, Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized multiple times that her top priority in the war between Israel and. Hamas is to get a “ceasefire deal.” Vice President Harris and President Biden have both, on many occasions, pushed the importance of a “ceasefire deal.” I heard they were pushing the idea again even after Hamas had killed several hostages a few days ago.

Free speech is under attack around the globe and not just with the usual suspects. It’s our allies. It’s our friends. It’s us.

Speaking of freedom, financial adviser Natalie Pace returns to the show to talk about helping your children achieve financial freedom.

Upon gaining the Democratic Party’s nomination, Kamala Harris’s favorability rating surged from below her boss’s historic low to nearly 50 percent today. But did the swell come too soon? Fox News Radio analyst and Editor-in-Chief of Jewish Insider Josh Kraushaar joins to discuss the post-convention slump, along with a review of how the lingering war in Gaza and unsettling chatter from extreme partisans might affect the Jewish vote in November.

Plus, Henry gives special attention to a recent piece by Patrick Rufini about overestimated margins in past elections that could help us spot potential polling errors. And he takes a look at a couple of ads out of Michigan 8: Kristen McDonald Rivet’s quirky tax-cutter introduction ad and challenger Paul Junge’s spot to define her on radical social positions.

Ban the Feds from Social Media?

 

The world is changing constantly, and what is true one minute may not be true the next minute. People also have different levels of information about the world around them, and may believe something is true when it is not.

* * *

Alexa: I Am Arresting You For Election Interference! You Have the Right to Remain Silent…..

 

Right on top of having Facebook ban a post of mine—criticizing it for censoring a message with a patriotic image as being “violent”—we now learn that Amazon’s Alexa is, in effect, campaigning for Kah-Mah-La, weighing in with all the reasons why one should not vote for President Trump.

This is all over the internet right now and it seems there are several different versions of it, but there is no doubt it did happen, as Amazon has put out a statement that it was an “error” which has since been fixed. Are we seeing the prelude to the inevitable October surprise(s)? Kamala was never border czar, she was never against fracking and this is not, repeat not, election interference! Repeat after me, Winston Smith, 2 + 2= 5. Or else. This is bone-chillingly frightening.

Release the Hound

 

Oh, make it so. There may not be enough popcorn in America to pop, then sit back and enjoy watching the whittling away of government regulations and the dismantling and death of whole federal agencies. Finally, a Republican presidential candidate determined to cut down the size of the federal government – something that Reagan failed to do, something that the Bushes had no desire to do. This would be considered absolute heresy and would never even be whispered by a Democrat as something to even consider since Democrats continue to get elected by promising more spending and free stuff for citizens and non-citizens alike.

Perhaps Trump has been watching President Milei dismantling the wasteful bureaucracy in Argentina. Perhaps he feels that the entrenched bureaucrats who had it out for him during his presidency need to learn a lesson.

The genius stroke, of course, is placing successful entrepreneurs like Musk as the ones to spearhead the effort — not career bureaucrats or politicians. Elon appears to be chomping at the bit. Let him loose.

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick interview fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the British Academy, Prof. Richard Holmes. Prof. Holmes delves into the life and literary legacy of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the most significant poets of the Romantic era. Holmes offers a comprehensive overview of Coleridge’s early education, highlighting how classical learning deeply influenced his worldview and writings. He also touches on Coleridge’s passionate anti-slavery views within the turbulent political landscape of late 18th-century Britain, providing context for his masterpiece, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Holmes further explores Coleridge’s use of symbolism, particularly the iconic albatross and the haunting ghost ship, illustrating how these elements convey the poet’s themes of guilt, nature, and human destructiveness. Prof. Holmes additionally covers Coleridge’s struggles with opium addiction, reflecting on how it shaped his life and creative output. Holmes also underscores Coleridge’s enduring influence on British Romantic poetry and its profound impact on the American Renaissance, encouraging educators and students to continue cherishing his timeless works. In closing, Prof. Holmes reads a passage from his two-volume biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

One hour with the Mysterious Bookshop owner and publisher on what makes a really good read (or watch.) From Dashiell Hammett to Andrew Klavan, Ann and Otto in a conversation worthy of a first edition buy.

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