I thought maybe it was the wine “But you only drank an ice water”; It seemed like an afternoon. “But you only visited for an hour” she said. Whatever.

  Mainline Florida: Link to Mainline Florida. 

I am making more use of links, music and visual. Click on them and then you might have a second link to search. Some locations, such as YouTube generate revenue for your "free" viewing by running ads, so be patient. On occasion there is a "skip ad" button. Sometimes it will load and start when you go there, sometimes you need to click on the white arrow in the red box.

I hope you enjoy the updates to my art and life as presented in this blog. IF you don't like the political stuff and don't want to receive future blogs just say so, no hard feelings. So far, only five have taken me up on the offer. With that in mind, remember: BELOW THE FOLD is where (most) of the controversial stuff is placed. Sometimes stuff is a hybrid, say humor and political. Nevertheless, I do this blog for me, it clears my mind and then I do it to share stuff I think is interesting, fun, needed to be considered, etc. I like, also, the feedback I receive, either on a specific article or the concept in general. Right now there are about 70 of you who receive this directly. Claude

Before I get into my current art, I need to make clear to you that:

During my visit to Saint Louis there were two conversations that distressed me and mis-categorized my view of life and the people in it…

I have never said anything negative about Blacks, I have criticized individual behavior by persons who happen to be straight, homosexuals, Spanish heritage, Asian, Afro-American, Afro-French, Afro-Brit - well I could go on there, men, women, etc. NEVER. I have been discriminated against because I am Catholic. I know what it feels like. I worked for three months in north Saint Louis on playgrounds during college years where I was truly the only white face for blocks and blocks. I was called “whitey” names (that’s one of the milder terms back then, but the intent was just as intense as today). My supervisor was a Black woman, whose supervisor was a Black man - Sam Westbrook who was the STL boxing guru - think the Spinks brothers - who asked if I wanted to be moved to a White playground; of course I said “No, I’m alright here”. I walked into and out of the neighborhood and rode the Kingshighway bus to and from home. (I get it, every night and after three months I could return to my lower-middle class neighborhood.). The only time I ever had a problem was not racial, it was unemployed teens who had a pistol, put it to the head of a dog in front of about 15 children. I never prayed so hard, and it seemed to work “Let’s get out of here” is what the gun holder said as they turned and drove away. I don’t user the word nigger like some of my liberal friends, relatives and contacts still do. Biden used it often. LBJ, and Donna Brazile disappointed me when she called him the greatest US president because of the ‘65 Civil Rights Act, used it all the time including the sentence that said if they passed that Act, THEY (editorial substitution) would vote Democratic for ever. I don’t tell racial jokes. So lets be clear, I Do Not have a negative view of other races or religions. 

 Example #1. Cori Bush from Saint Louis (You voted for this train wreck).

Example #2. The exploitation of men and women who are confused about their sexuality, why God made them, what they are on earth to accomplish or be, not helping children who are being sexually mutilated because of their confusion. There are individuals who need help and instead we cheer them on. I use an example: If your daughter came to you and said I am now a doggie - I want to crawl on all fours, drink and eat out of bowls on the floor, get shots that dogs get, sleep on a pillow on the floor, only communicate by barking, pooping in the yard, etc…wouldn’t you say Jenny, or Keke, “we need to get you some help”? You are not a dog, you are better than that, that is not why God put you on this earth, we are not going to your parade during a newly created DOGGIE MONTH. 

And legal immigrants: I love them, some of my favorite bank-clients are immigrants who came here with nothing, worked hard, saved, created, kept families together, kept their faith, are proud to be US citizens, left family to be here. I can not say enough how much I admire them, in part because I am not sure I could ever do what they have done, do that to my family, turn on my country of birth. 

What I do have a problem with is our elected “leaders” and officials who are putting you and me at risk by not monitoring our borders, letting thousands of people stream across our borders, politically rejecting others, putting foreign workers ahead of US workers, letting our supply chain and education sources being co-opted by countries like China so professors, teachers, business owners can get some money in their pocket.

Example 3. I have criticized organizations who exist to harm the US, you, me, and others in this world; and media who help this happen. One simple example is the individuals and corporations, churches who got on the Black Lives Matter bandwagon; from everything I have seen is that this is clearly a communist organization that is intent to sow divisiveness in this country, taking advantage of individual acts that may or may not have been wrong in their context and using it to frame our society, or other groups. Their icon is the communist fist. Their leaders are siphoning donations for their benefit, their economic gain, etc. It has nothing to do with a harmed Black woman or man. Companies have funded this just to buy freedom from unjust/incorrect criticism. That last US leader who stood up to this mess did not get re-elected…so again I ask you who voted for Biden “What were you thinking, how did you think this was going to turn out?”

Finally, on the contrary, in this very blog I have mentioned/celebrated minorities who have achieved, and often it is enormous wealth or prestige because they figured it our, tried this and that until it worked, worked many ours and days, asked mentors for help, maybe failed but got up and tried it again until they achieved what they wanted. And, by the way, this is probably the only country where it could happen. I go back to a teenager in Chicago K West, what he has done he could never have done in, lets say, Peru or Indonesia or Tibet or…you get the idea.

I just want to be clear. Now I’ll move on…

ART:

SAINT LOUIS SCENES:

We flew to STL for our daughter-in-law’s baby shower(s). L made a remarkable three-tiered cake, one lemon with raspberry, one vanilla with almond crunch and a chocolate. Decorated it, iced it, hired a chocolatier to make some of the animals/the toy chest, wrote a multi-page narrative about the land of Brentwood, etc. Here are some of the pics. 

 These are hand-“drawn” lace flowers…

 The story revolved about, or used Stich as the character to get from here to there.

 I enjoyed the fountain outside the Ritz Carlton waiting to pick up after shower #2. 

In my friends Jim and Anne’s garden.

L’s gift which she constructed and assembled…

 The propellers are infant enamel spoons, the wheels are diapers.

Made by Linda, the plane is Dom’s Cessna 172, it has his call numbers on the tale. The monkey was crocheted by my grandmother for Dom. 

 Great meal at Yellowstone, I almost always order the walleye. Never disappoints. Another night it was IMO’s square beyond compare. One night at Pasta House. One evening at Smoke + Salt in St Charles. St Louis Bread Company (Panera to the rest of you) for a breakfast conversation. 

Made it to MIZZOU one day to see a good friend

 On the way to and back visited grade school and high school classmates. 

BACK TO FLORIDA: Some you received a special edition after my last blog. These scenes are from one evening walk, unedited, after a mist which left some grey clouds that made the blue sky just pop, and you will see a little red and orange thrown in for effect:

Well, Florida could be in this one but you will never find it.  From the repaired Hubble telescope, just part of the universe.  Those dots are probably other galaxies, not other suns or stars. THE UNIVERSE. How can people see this and deny God’s creation????? Look in just the upper right quadrant. 

HUMOR:

Where is the humor in all of this? Maybe by the next blog I’ll find something funny for you😬

I FOUND THIS TO BE INTERESTING:

There is one in there that really bugs me, his first.

 Art in Webster, wish I could join them…

GREAT heading to Gungor’s idiocy

 Or Biden, or…there is whole list of phonies.

I have touched on this before, if you don’t live in a large city…

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IF they are going to not use credit standards, there will be a great employment future in mortgage liquidations…

 I did not know this…

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So, Elon is not the only one…

 This is something I have mentioned for the last 30 years…one of the messages at Medjugorje from Mary was “you will wish you had more children.” I wasn’t sure to whom it was directed or in what context, I thought maybe the disparity between Muslim and Christian birth rates, maybe it is a combination of things of which Covid is a part, nevertheless…

BELOW THE FOLD: WARNING:

 Nothing for me to add, the obvious smacks you in the face.

 This, that, mandate, guidance, Fauci, CDC, local governments, county leaders, mask, vaccinations, 6 feet-3 feet, This Guy has NO plan, is grabbagging, gonna harm us and the economy, dividing us, WHO VOTED FOR THIS MESS?

 I like their (Babylon Bee) follow up finding an INDIAN mascot from India, well, from The Simpsons 😅

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Back to our LEADER…He kills the XL Pipeline which put thousands out of work, offended Canadians, resulted in immediate gasoline price increases, lets Russia and OPEC move back in front of us eliminating our energy independence which will not improve the so called climate crises (see Merkel’s comments below), Who voted for this guy???

Then we can go back to the phonies aka liberals, progressives and their mouthpiece…

Under the heading NOT ALL CHANGE IS GOOD…

 In my opinion, this is nuts and your children and grandchildren will have to pay for it…All those who celebrate Bruce Jenner wearing a bra and long hair, but still has HIS plumbing rom what I read…again, it is the behavior not the person.

UNDER SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

So, you could have read something like this 15 - 20 years ago.

“We HAVE to love our way out of this” - a line from the illumination of the St. John’s Bible

  Mainline Florida: Link to Mainline Florida. Clapton’s version.

I am making more use of links, music and visual. Click on them and then you might have a second link to search. Some locations, such as YouTube generate revenue for your "free" viewing by running ads, so be patient. On occasion there is a "skip ad" button. Sometimes it will load and start when you go there, sometimes you need to click on the white arrow in the red box.

I hope you enjoy the updates to my art and life as presented in this blog. IF you don't like the political stuff and don't want to receive future blogs just say so, no hard feelings. So far, only five have taken me up on the offer. With that in mind, remember: BELOW THE FOLD is where (most) of the controversial stuff is placed. Sometimes stuff is a hybrid, say humor and political. Nevertheless, I do this blog for me, it clears my mind and then I do it to share stuff I think is interesting, fun, needed to be considered, etc. I like, also, the feedback I receive, either on a specific article or the concept in general. Right now there are about 70 of you who receive this directly. Claude

ART:

Unexpected: I was invited by a brilliant, obviously talented, experienced curator to hang six pieces in a show in the lobby of the Missouri Athletic Club in Saint Louis where I was a member when living there. A true honor. I chose these six. Hurry to purchase before they are sold out!!!

All oil, three larger pieces are 16 x 20”, all from my photos.

Jemez Pueblo, NM

 

Near 4 corners NM

Bandolier National Monument, NM

Taos Pueblo, NM

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO

Remember that cold day above the Rio Grands? Bernalillo, NM

LISTENING:

Another version of a song I like: Gimmie Shelter by the Stones. In this link, U2 is playing their version with their unique sound, Fergie replaces (quite well) Mary Clayton, and out walks Mick to join them on stage. 

Link to the presentation here

In my last blog I posted an article from the WSJ of an interview with Jackson Browne (horrible politics, really good songs, danger to women from what I read) how Dr, My Eyes came about. I meant to include a link to either a studio version or a live cut. A neighbor, John, sent me this clip which parallels what I was going to add but didn’t. What began is a line when JB was having an eye infection. That morphed into symbolism, however, as in many songs, the lyrics lead to totally unrelated talk that makes the song work, matching lyrics with melody. And, when the recording, then engineering takes place, more happenstance occurs as so-and-so shows up in the studio to add background vocals, maybe a guitar lick, or “hey, lets try bongos”, etc. So this is an interview with the base player in the recording, and finishing with him playing the base lines along with the recording.

Link to Leo Sklar interview

Dennis, this one is just for you.

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HUMOR:

 Masks on dashboards, to the tune of girls on film…

Refreshing!

 And don’t forget to raise the pitch in your voice on the words: Gonna, Career, and Communications. Just to REALLY irritate me.

I FOUND THIS STUFF TO BE INTERESTING:

Bishop Barron points out that there is a line from the illuminator of the St. John’s Bible that states: “We have to love our way out of this.” There is nothing wimpy or namby-pamby or blind about this conviction. When we love extravagantly, we are not purposely blinding ourselves to moral realities—just the contrary. Love is not a sentiment, but “a harsh and dreadful thing,” as Dostoevsky said. 

This is just what Jesus shows on his terrible cross. And this is just what we, his followers, must imitate. Taking up the cross means not just being willing to suffer, but being willing to suffer as he did, absorbing violence and hatred through our forgiveness and nonviolence.

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Guys at SI: I don’t think this is the way to increase subscriptions…Leyna, I think your jock strap is showing😳

 Well, we’re still here…and doing just fine, thank you.

From family photos:

 This is a drawing a fellow-soldier made of my father in his bunk writing home.

 

My father was part of the occupation force in Japan, 1946, for him, right out of high school. He spent most of his duty pitching on a traveling select team that played baseball against the various military camps around the country. Travelled in their own private rail cars. 

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Pope Francis…better be real careful; friends in Germany = 😬

I don’t think parish workers are allowed to preach (in church, during Mass), maybe on a street corner. Is ANYBODY in charge?

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And now to the video…Some runners still have not learned to not run on Yadi, or stray too far off the bag after a pitch. After Rick left pitching, he re-trained himself to become a center fielder, rather than just give up. 

LINK to Rick Ankiel showing off his arm

Frank Taveras was the fastest guy in MLB at the time. Glaus played a perfect decoy on his tag. Two of these great plays were in the same game vs the Rockies. You will see one guy who got it. I don’t think he was going to try to score even if the ball left the ballpark.

Which reminds me. Back in the day, Phil Bradley was the Mizzou QB, and he was drafted by and played OF for the Orioles. I drove over to Lawrence KS (godawful place, by the way, ugly, smelly, they call them girls, etc) to watch the Tigers beat the Jayhawks in a baseball game. KU had a pretty good hitter. One smack went over the outfielders and rolled to the wall. Phil ran and picked up the ball at the base of the center field wall, turned, and threw a strike to the second base bag where the tag was put on a stunned hitter trying for a double. It was the proverbial laser. Almost like a Gary Player tee shot. A thrown missile.

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More baseball

Florida Southwestern is the former Edison community college here, name change is a long, weird, legal story. Nevertheless, they have put together some really, really good sports teams. It is three miles from our house. The baseball team plays in the former Red Sox spring training and minor league stadium. 

From the News-Journal, a local paper wrecked by the wacko, liberal USA Today takeover…

Continued interview with coach Bizier…

After all, it was a special season for the Bucs as the team finished with 46 wins and just 16 losses. 

“I’m pretty positive we would beat a majority of Division I teams with the team we had this year,” said pitcher Antonio Knowles. 

As the draft came and went this week, Bizier started to see more and more of his players come off the board as his estimate of three players taken was crushed. 

First, pitcher Carlos Rodriguez was taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 6th round of the draft to become the highest draft pick in FSW history. 

Rodriguez was followed by pitchers Alex Ayala (Rays) in the ninth round, Marc Davis (Nationals) in the 11th round, Mitch Myers (A’s) in the 12th round, and Knowles (Dodgers) in the 13th round.

“For a junior college to get that many draft picks in one year is big and I bet there’s more to come,” said Rodriguez. 

Meanwhile after the draft, outfielder Abi Ortiz signed a free agent contract with the Texas Rangers to bring FSW’s total to six players sent to the pros.

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Morgan Freeman on racism and opportunity - the myth

Link to MF

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Our Lady Goes to War


Taynia-Renee Laframboise: Fatima underscores for us that sin has not only permanent consequences in eternity but real ramifications in this life as well.

Some people “read” themselves into the Catholic Church, having been convinced by Patristic writings or by dogmatic and doctrinal arguments. Others, looking about at the chaos within their own denominations, cross the Tiber due to the issue of authority. There are even stories of souls converting because of sacred architecture or liturgy, not to mention matrimony.

          But then there are ones “born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:8), who have rejected Christianity altogether and undergo, like Saul, a Road to Damascus moment. Why this should occur to those at war with Christ and not others is a mystery. While I never discuss my own conversion (and won’t do so here) it falls in the latter camp. I owe my faith (and subsequent education) entirely to Our Lady of Fatima.

          My family is blessed to currently have the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima staying in our home during this special anniversary of my conversion. And all this has provided me some time to reflect on the events at Fatima, especially the much needed catechesis given by Our Lady.

          For She comes to the world at Fatima terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata (“fearsome as an army drawn up for battle”) and fires the opening salvo in a war against Marxism and Modernism, a war of which the faithful were largely unaware they were in danger.

          In 1907, on the Nativity of the Blessed Mother, Pope Pius X publishes his condemnation of Modernism and closes by wanting some oversight to root out the heresy’s presence among the laity, clergy and seminaries. He worries that it may prove futile if his remedies are “not dutifully and firmly carried out.”

          Who among the faithful, though, ever hear their own shepherds sound this warning? Instead, a decade later, the shepherd children in Portugal receive a visit from the Queen of Heaven among their sheep. She has come to warn and defend her Son’s Church. It is not merely messages and secrets She conveys. She upholds, by the events themselves, the very doctrines that are the remedy.

Click here to read the rest of Miss Laframoise’s column . . . 

Image: Madonna del Soccorso by Francesco Melanzio 1504 [Pinacoteca Comunale, Città di Castello, Italy]

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Finishing up with a little soccer trivia…Why is the Italian soccer team called Azzurri?

Words fail us. When it comes to love or grief, they can never fully articulate how we feel inside. How can the word ‘love’ really convey what we mean when we say it? How does ‘I am sorry for your loss’ really show how much you care about the trauma an individual goes through. Words are our key means of communication yet at times they seem just not enough.

Yet, in other times, words are more powerful than we can imagine. They can bring governments to their knees and start wars in an instant. And words can tell you all you need to know in a moment.

In the world of calcio, one word that stokes the flames of passion in the hearts of those who hear it, and brings glorious images of the past to mind is ‘Azzurri.’

It is a word that can strike fear into those versed in the weight of history behind it. It can bring pride and shame to a nation, and make its people laugh and cry in equal measure. And it is a word that is destined to continuing thrilling and infuriating for many a year to come.

Azzurri is of course the nickname for the Italian national team. And simply translated means ‘The Blues’ – not the most intimidating of names but one that has stood the test of time. But why are Italy known as the Azzurri? And why do they wear this colour when they take to the field?

When thinking of any national team and the jerseys they wear, it is natural to expect the colours of the national flag to be featured. This is true of France, Spain, England, Brazil, Argentina and many others. But when it comes to Italy, it is not the case.

The Italian national flag consists of the green, white and red. The romantic notion of the provenance behind these selections suggests that green represents the hills of the country; white, the mountains; and red, the blood of those who fought wars for Italian independence. The reality is much more mundane and relates to the amalgamation of regional flags – but don’t let that get in the way of a good story. However, the colour blue is absent from the flag. So where did it come from?

The Italy of today is very different from the one of the early 20th century. Italy is now categorised as a Republic, with the power held by the people, and the men and women they elected to represent them. However, in the early 20th century, Italy was still a monarchy ruled over by a King or Queen. This royal family was known as the ‘House of Savoy’ or ‘Casa Savoia.’

This royal house ruled Italy (with some interruptions) from 1861 to 1946. Significantly, the official colour of the House of Savoia was blue, so when the Italy national football team played their first ever match back in 1910, they adopted the colours of their royal family rather than those of the national flag.

Following Mussolini’s downfall at the end of WWII, a referendum was held to determine the future governance of the nation. The question was whether Italy should continue under a monarchy or become a Republic. King Victor Emmanuel III, who was tainted by his earlier support for Mussolini, abdicated in favour of his son, Umberto II. On June 2, 1946, Italy went to the polls to determine the future of the country. Nearly 13 million voted and 54.3% opted for a Republic.

However, a graph of the results showed a much divided nation with the majority in the north voting in favour of the Republic, and the south voting heavily in favour of retaining the monarchy. While the country itself was divided, one thing remained a constant throughout, the Italian national team continued to take to the field in blue. The colour of a royal family which no longer was at the head of the state.

More than 70 years after the referendum, Italy has added two more World Cups and a European Championship to its haul of silverware – all achieved wearing the iconic Azzurri shirt.

Italy are the Azzurri. But the word born in a bygone era has since taken on a new significance, one that is a far removed from its origins in the realm of Kings and Queens. Today, it represents national sporting pride, it has the power to fill stadiums, and to bring families and friends together – to cry in defeat and to cheer in glory.

Words by Kevin Nolan: @KevinNolan11

Kevin is an Irishman who loves to watch calcio no matter how lowly the level, Parma being his team of choice. Besides the @GentlemanUltra, he also writes for @ItalianFD.

BELOW THE FOLD: WARNING: