Sunday’s Quote: Regrettably unsung

c/o Chin Musik

Earlier today, all Major League baseball players wore #42 in commemoration of Jackie Robinson “breaking the color barrier.” Yet each piece I came across failed to mention Branch Rickey — the man who made Robinson’s barrier-shattering event possible.

A rather insignificant ball player who lasted 10 seasons with the St. Louis Browns (now Baltimore Orioles) and the New York Highlanders (now Yankees) despite a flimsy .239 career batting average, Wesley Branch Rickey made his name as an executive. Though best known for signing Robinson through no coercion but his own conscience, Rickey is also responsible for drafting the first Hispanic player (Roberto Clemente) and standardizing the minor league farm system which, for decades, was notoriously unfavorable to its players.

The majority of fans today may not know about Branch Rickey. Judging from the way his memory has been handled, others might say that his contributions to the game are mere footnotes. Jackie Robinson himself would have disagreed.

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“I realized how much our relationship had deepened after I left baseball. It was that later relationship that made me feel almost as if I had lost my own father. Branch Rickey, especially after I was no longer in the sports spotlight, treated me like a son.”
~ from I Never Had it Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson by Jackie Robinson and Alfred Duckett

Sunday’s Quote: Country and the Soul brother



c/o Lionel Richie

R&B crooner Lionel Richie has sold somewhere north of 35 million units, both as a solo artist and as a member of The Commodores. Last month he released Tuskegee. Named as homage to his Alabama hometown, the album features remakes of his past hits in tandem with some of the biggest names in Country music. He recently explained why.

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“I don’t write records for [Los Angeles] and New York. I write for between them. That’s where it is. Especially when you listen to those country songs. All of a sudden the guy on the radio says, ‘The number-one record this week is I Love My Truck.’ I’m sitting there telling myself, I’m thinking too deep. ‘Me and my red pickup…’ God, man. Just want to drink some beer. I love it. That’s real.”

~ Lionel Richie, from Esquire’s April 2012 edition, p. 115

Just Thinking Out Loud: A once-viable medium

© Ajani Charles

A few exceptions notwithstanding, I just don’t respect the Rap genre’ as I once did.

Picked from the ‘net: Not so controversial

This blog was never intended to become so picture oriented. And while I haven’t done much writing lately, a permanent transition from the written word to Web-based memes remains unlikely. Yet having seen the benefit of expanding the parameters of my little corner of the internet-connected world, a new feature called Picked from the ‘net appears necessary.

The original source of all pics (including their veracity) are unknown unless otherwise stated.

Iconic Shot: A “Dynamite” cast

© Gage Skidmore

I didn’t like Napoleon Dynamite when it debuted on the big screen in 2004. I thought it was just another indie waste that benefitted from MTV-generated hype. But after watching the flick another six or seven times, I am now compelled to drop whatever I’m doing the moment I see it on television.

Taken at Comic Con in San Diego last July, the pic above is a nice candid shot of Deb, Grandma, Napoleon, Kip, Pedro, Uncle Rico and Rex. An outstanding ensemble if ever there was one.

Some pics that caught my eye

Original source unknown

Original source unknown

Original source unknown

Regarding Andrew Breitbart’s untimely death earlier today, Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi wrote “Good! Fuck him. I couldn’t be happier that he’s dead.” So someone vandalized (so to speak) his Wikipedia page, replacing his profile shot with a picture of excrement — to which I say. . . good. F--k him.

c/o The Jane Dough

Just Thinking Out Loud: A certain repeat of ‘04

From season 8, episode 8 of South Park

The ingenious, if not disturbed, minds of “South Park” compared the 2004 presidential election to deciding between a giant douche (John Kerry) and a turd sandwich (George W. Bush). This year, and no matter who gets the nod for the GOP, the American electorate will face the same options. The only difference now is that the giant douche will be a Republican and the turd sandwich will undoubtedly be the Democrat.

Original source unknown

Editorial Sketch(es) of the Week: Self-explanatory

I couldn’t pick just one. They stand on their own merit. . .

© Dick Locher, Chicago Tribune



© Michael Ramirez, Investors’ Business Daily

© Olle Johansson

© Rick McKee, The Augusta (GA) Chronicle

© Walt Handelsman, Newsday

“Fat Tuesday” (a day late)

And to think Mardi Gras was once a relatively laid back Christian celebration prior to Lent. . .

c/o Philip DeFranco

He was Elvis to a lot of people

Kurt Cobain would’ve turned 45-years-old today.


c/o World Falls Down

“He had the desperation, not the courage, to be himself. Once you do that you can’t go wrong, because you can’t make any mistakes when people love you for being yourself. But for Kurt, it didn’t matter that other people loved him; he simply didn’t love himself enough.”
~ Dave Reed, one-time foster father

A couple of random internet pics that caught my eye

Take from them whatever you like. . .

Rest in peace, Whitney

One of the greatest singers of all-time passed away on Saturday. Being that February is Black. . . excuse me, African-American History Month, I believe a tribute by Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate would be in order.

These pics say a lot

A couple of random and entirely verifiable facts. . .

Original source(s) unknown

Did You Know (or Care): Inspired by a Colt, not a pistol

Contrary to popular belief, Colt 45 malt liquor wasn’t named after the famous handgun.

Peter J. Marcher Jr., master brewer for the National Brewing Company (in Baltimore, MD) and developer of the Colt 45 formula, named his beverage after a running back named Jerry Hill. Selected by Baltimore in the third round of the 1961 NFL draft, Hill (pictured) played for the Colts from 1961-1970 and was a member of their Super Bowl V-winning team.

And just to confirm the obvious, Hill wore the #45 jersey during his playing days.

Source: The Baltimore Sun

List Fest: Comparing the last 10 Super Bowl halftime shows

© Charlie Riedel, Associated Press

Halftime festivities for “The Big Game” didn’t become a headline-making spectacle until 1993 when Michael Jackson catapulted onto the stage and, prior to performing, stood frozen for what seemed like an hour. Since then, news about the midgame entertainment has come to garner nearly as much attention as the final showdown between the NFL’s two conference champions itself.

Since the general public seems less than thrilled about Madonna giggling and gyrating her old bones for the sake of our viewing pleasure, if not morbid curiosity, I thought a quick review of the last 10 Super Bowl halftime shows would be in order:

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Super Bowl XLV {Packers vs. Steelers} – The Black Eyed Peas w/ Usher and Slash: So insipid, I forgot they even played last year.

Super Bowl XLIV {Saints vs. Colts} – The Who: Not great, but better than the acts between whom they are sandwiched.

Super Bowl XLIII {Steelers vs. Cardinals} – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Sort of a jumbled effort. It seems Bruce in particular was trying too hard.

Super Bowl XLII {Giants vs. Patriots} – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Played above expectations; the last gratifying performance thus far.

Super Bowl XLI {Colts vs. Bears} – Prince: Impressive; perhaps the most outstanding routine of them all.

Super Bowl XL {Steelers vs. Seahawks} – The Rolling Stones: The boys from London really looked their age. Mick only wishes he could jump around the stage like the exuberant Angus Young.

Super Bowl XXXIX {Patriots vs. Eagles} – Paul McCartney: He was fine. Rather lackluster, but there have been plenty worse.

Super Bowl XXXVIII {Patriots vs. Panthers} – Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson, et al.: Only MTV, which produced the event, could ever think that flashing one of Janet Jackson’s breasts to nearly a billion people globally would be a good idea.

Super Bowl XXXVII {Buccaneers vs. Raiders} – Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting: I have no recollection of them whatsoever, which is saying a lot considering how much I love Shania.

Super Bowl XXXVI {Patriots vs. Rams} – U2: Bono and company’s 9/11 tribute struck a proper nerve. They did well.

The difference

Our nation is divided among ideological lines like never before. Here is, in my humble opinion, the best way to view the opposing sides:

Original source unknown

Just Thinking Out Loud: The hot chick paradox

c/o The Daily Caller

I suppose being married to the lovely Ms. Kardashian isn’t the worst way to spend 72 days. Yet her every move, at least publically, corroborates an old adage for which there is almost no exception – the most visually appealing will also be among the most ceaselessly challenging. Enter her arena at your own risk.

Just sayin'

Original source unknown

Sunday’s Quote: O’ the value of obscure sources

Note: Don’t bother reading if you’re of any Left-leaning orientation, as the following will almost certainly result in a convulsion.

I recently stumbled across a treasure trove of books I didn’t know were in my possession. By chance I turned to the epilogue of the first one I picked up, saw a 60-year-old picture of Ronald Reagan, and read a tribute that reflects the central thesis of what made our country special while validating how far the entertainment industry has fallen from the beaten path.

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“The American image is still one that celebrates freedom, space, and opportunity. It turns sour, as it has in contemporary films, when those virtues are denied or perverted. Today’s Hollywood is quick to exploit the sourness, the disillusion, and the cynicism, but for all that Americans still like to think of themselves in terms of John Wayne. Wayne took a rapping from youngsters in the seventies, but as those youngsters have grown older they tend to share the regret that the Duke is gone. The mood of America as it entered the eighties was markedly conservative.

“The election of Ronald Reagan to the highest office in the land is an affirmation of the American return to conservatism. Reagan himself was of the generation of the Hollywood macho giants. He came from that age of American innocence in which a man could make it on his way – without government help or hindrance, by God! Reagan was well in line with the good old American image. He came from a working family, worked his way through college, excelled at football, got a job as a sports announcer in small-time radio, and worked his way up.  . . .

“What could be more American? The story of Ronald Reagan is itself like a Hollywood movie of the Golden Age. The fact that the American public elected him is strong evidence of an almost desperate yearning for the images of the American past. The fact that such a yearning exists gives hope that all is not lost. The Spirit of ’76 may be battered, but it is not moribund.”
– from Hollywood and the American Image [1981] by Tony Thomas

Editorial Sketch of the Week: They deserve no better

A couple of weeks ago, students at the University of California, Davis (15 miles west of Sacramento) participated in the Occupy madness in a way that eventually forced the local authorities to throttle the demonstrators with a generous helping of pepper spray. Soon after, the officer who led the charge – perhaps the result of his nonchalant assertiveness – became an unwitting caricature for an array of pop culture references. Here’s one of the most appropriate examples.

© Drew Sheneman, The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ)