tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148570922024-03-24T16:31:51.839-07:00Vagabond ScholarOccasional blogging, mostly of the long-form variety.Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.comBlogger1486125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-8068845019995062212024-03-17T21:01:00.000-07:002024-03-17T21:02:43.556-07:00St. Patrick's Day 2024
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I've featured "The Parting Glass" before. It's a Scottish song, but is popular in Ireland and as a closing number for Irish traditional music groups. It's also used for the ending of the 1998 Irish film Waking Ned (or Waking Ned Devine in North America), which I watched this weekend and is a funny, charming movie.
I probably first heard the Clancy Brothers' version. Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-34531437415779318142023-12-26T08:29:00.000-08:002023-12-26T08:29:33.295-08:00Jon Swift Roundup 2023(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves)
( A Jon Swift picture, which always seems timely during Republican presidential primary season.)
Welcome to the 2023 edition! It's been an interesting year.
This tradition was started by the late Jon Swift/Al Weisel, who left behind some excellent satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs.
The late Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-79596814049980637062023-11-11T11:11:00.001-08:002023-11-11T11:11:00.138-08:00Armistice Day 11/11/23(Click on the comic strip for a larger view.)
In 1959, Pogo creator Walt Kelly wrote:
The eleventh day of the eleventh month has always seemed to me to be special. Even if the reason for it fell apart as the years went on, it was a symbol of something close to the high part of the heart. Perhaps a life that stretches through two or three wars takes its first war rather seriously, but I still Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-60828803452234169002023-11-11T03:25:00.001-08:002023-11-27T18:51:16.898-08:00The Iraq War in 2023The 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War was earlier this year in March, so the war seems like a fitting subject for this Armistice Day or Remembrance Day or Veterans Day. My 10th anniversary Iraq War post, "The Dogs of War," was pretty comprehensive and there's not much I'd add to it, especially if we include my other posts on Iraq, the war series and torture. It's worth looking at Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-37121628430878376862023-10-05T23:00:00.001-07:002023-10-06T04:44:06.575-07:00Banned Books Week 2023
It's Banned Books Week, which celebrates banned and challenged books. My archive in this category is here. Last year, we looked at how LGBTQ issues have been targeted, especially in Florida. Unfortunately, the situation has gotten worse: Recently, "librarians in public schools in Charlotte County, Florida, were instructed by the school district superintendent to remove all books with LGBTQ Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-73048119165033766522023-09-30T23:00:00.004-07:002023-10-02T14:32:37.812-07:00The Tyranny of the Minority and The Extremism of the Republican PartyPart One: The Tyranny of the Minority
Two government professors at Harvard have a new book out called The Tyranny of the Minority, which accurately warns that the Republican Party has been increasingly anti-democratic and right-wing, despite or because of losing the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections. The book, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, is a follow-up toBatocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-61812105698851024262023-05-29T23:11:00.010-07:002023-06-04T11:05:53.102-07:00All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
The 2022 version of All Quiet on the Western Front is a decent war film. I just wish it wasn't called All Quiet on the Western Front, because it keeps only the basic framework of the novel and makes significant changes that weaken the core story. That's a shame, because this is the first German film version of the justly famous German war novel by Erich Maria Remarque, and I was intrigued to Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-35510252409663078152023-04-28T23:00:00.002-07:002023-04-29T00:13:33.501-07:00National Poetry Month 2023April is National Poetry Month, and before it's over, I wanted to feature a poem. As usual, I'll link the wonderful Favorite Poem Project. I'll also link the Academy of American Poets website, one of the better poetry sites available. The organization posts poems on Facebook occasionally, but from time to time donors get a poem in the mail as well. I received the one below and quite liked it. AdaBatocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-66762461429238089242023-03-18T23:00:00.001-07:002023-05-09T23:38:22.894-07:00The Oscars for the Films of 2022
The pandemic has certainly changed movie-going, at least for me. I used to see 20 to 30 films a year in the theater (more in earlier decades), but in 2022, didn't see any. I did catch several Oscar nominees via streaming services or on disc.
This year's Oscar recipients included at least two comeback winners and another two long-time stalwarts finally getting recognized, making for a pleasant Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-5068452937883931282023-02-28T23:00:00.010-08:002023-03-01T00:59:44.847-08:00Conservatives Are Still Awful (Feb. 2023 Edition)The state of the union and its responses earlier this month were revealing for both rhetoric and policy. President Joe Biden started his state of the union speech on a collegial tone, saying nice things to the conservative Republicans in Congress. He did draw distinctions between their policies, and Republicans booed and yelled at him at times, but that said more about them than Biden. He Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-45112279813330161992022-12-26T13:34:00.002-08:002022-12-26T13:36:02.689-08:00Jon Swift Roundup 2022(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves)
( A Jon Swift picture.)
Welcome to the 2022 edition! It's been an interesting year for elections and investigations, among other things.
This tradition was started by the late Jon Swift/Al Weisel, who left behind some excellent satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs.
The late Lance Mannion Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-63330104135897408272022-12-20T19:13:00.006-08:002023-01-15T23:30:33.667-08:00The Worse Demons of Our NatureIn calling for passage of the Voting Rights Act, LBJ was summoning what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. He was asking – no, he was demanding – that we transcend bigotry and make good at last upon the promises we made to each other in declaring our nationhood and professing our love of liberty. The political process responded, as it should when big ideas come along, to ride the Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-89286496777006260902022-12-20T17:05:00.000-08:002022-12-20T17:05:50.239-08:00Last Call for the Jon Swift Roundup (2022 Edition)It's time once again to continue a tradition started by Jon Swift/Al Weisel, the "Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves." Jon/Al was a fine writer, but also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs. He was known for his satirical pieces, and his annual roundups primarily consisted of political (mostly left-leaning), cultural or personal blogs. (Thoughtful, insightful Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-48351495900418281312022-11-11T11:11:00.001-08:002022-11-11T11:11:00.192-08:00Armistice Day 11/11/22(Click on the comic strip for a larger view.)
In 1959, Pogo creator Walt Kelly wrote:
The eleventh day of the eleventh month has always seemed to me to be special. Even if the reason for it fell apart as the years went on, it was a symbol of something close to the high part of the heart. Perhaps a life that stretches through two or three wars takes its first war rather seriously, but I still Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-29009299824368598182022-09-24T23:00:00.005-07:002022-09-25T02:03:24.585-07:00Banned Book Week 2022
We're at the tail end of Banned Books Week, which celebrates banned and challenged books. My archive in this category is here. This year witnesses some familiar trends and some troubling new escalations. The familiar are bans and challenges to books that deal with sexuality or race. What's newer is a more coordinated effort to ban books from conservative groups and politicians, and the level ofBatocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-46408885292253789622022-06-05T12:32:00.003-07:002022-06-05T12:36:44.197-07:00L.A. Primary Elections 2022The California primary elections are rapidly coming up on Tuesday, 6/7. Many Angelenos might have voted already by mail or in person, but the following resources may prove useful for the general election in November as well, even if they're more useful for the primary.
First up, one of Los Angeles' local NPR stations, KCRW, teamed up with the Los Angeles Times to a debate on homelessness/Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-24266895069958715792022-04-30T22:36:00.000-07:002022-04-30T22:36:37.419-07:00National Poetry Month 2022National Poetry Month is almost over, but as usual, I wanted to link the Favorite Poem Project and feature a poem. I was looking for good choices and came upon this one, a lovely piece I hadn't read in a long while:
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
by e. e. cummings
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frailBatocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-28658051827242155292022-04-02T20:00:00.010-07:002022-08-07T00:00:54.723-07:002021 Film Roundup: The Oscars and the Year in Review
I was able to see a handful of the nominees this year, but still not that many. Going to the movies is safer than it was before a COVID-19 vaccine was available, but it's still a bit daunting. Many of the nominees are not on disc yet and some of them are only available on a single streaming service. I did see Dune on the big screen, and it definitely benefits from it. I also managed to see Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-39179837890704947032022-01-27T23:46:00.001-08:002022-01-27T23:46:07.749-08:00Maus Banned
Just in time for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a Tennessee school district has banned Maus, an amazing, Pulitzer-winning graphic novel by Art Spiegelman about his family but especially his father, Vladek, who survived the Holocaust. The Associated Press reports that the ban was...
...due to "inappropriate language" and an illustration of a nude woman, according to minutes from a Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-16631265206752122562021-12-26T16:14:00.000-08:002021-12-26T16:14:13.286-08:00Jon Swift Roundup 2021(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves)
( An appropriate Jon Swift picture for the year.)
Welcome to the 2021 edition! This year was a little saner than 2020, at least.
This tradition was started by the late Jon Swift/Al Weisel, who left behind some excellent satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs.
Lance Mannion, who sadly passed away Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-24436471811106542882021-11-11T11:11:00.001-08:002021-11-11T11:11:00.185-08:00Armstice Day 11/11/21(Click on the comic strip for a larger view.)
In 1959, Pogo creator Walt Kelly wrote:
The eleventh day of the eleventh month has always seemed to me to be special. Even if the reason for it fell apart as the years went on, it was a symbol of something close to the high part of the heart. Perhaps a life that stretches through two or three wars takes its first war rather seriously, but I still Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-81745125675852157562021-11-11T02:36:00.005-08:002021-11-30T23:14:58.947-08:00The Graveyard of Democracy Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick schoolBatocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-9743912576846777332021-09-30T21:25:00.001-07:002021-10-01T01:17:22.574-07:00Banned Books Week 2021
Happy Banned Books Week, celebrating banned and challenged books! Here's the category in my archives, with posts covering issues of censorship but also specific books. The site linked above tends not to keep old content, so I prefer to link the American Library Association's main site instead for specific lists. On the frequently challenged books page, the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020 Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-80975933944616865762021-09-01T23:11:00.015-07:002021-09-02T00:45:19.607-07:00RIP Mike Finnigan
I was very sad to hear about the death of my friend and blogging colleague, Mike Finnigan, due to kidney cancer at the age of 76. Mike was a superb musician and a fantastic, generous guy. Celebrity Access has a brief obituary that lists some of his impressive musical credits. He was sought after for his notable chops as a keyboardist (especially on the Hammond B-3 organ) and as a singer. John Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-27796184263568800022021-07-04T13:00:00.000-07:002021-07-05T23:49:23.165-07:00Independence Day 2021Happy Independence Day! (This post is mostly reruns of good stuff.)
First up, here's NPR's annual reading of the Declaration of Independence:
Next up, in 2020, NPR asked descendants of Frederick Douglass to deliver excerpts from his speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
You can read the full speech here. The descendants' names and ages are listed on the YouTube page here. Batocchiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.com0