Some consider the Nation’s Capital as “Fantasyland on the Potomac”. Other outsiders are “Fed Up” with the Federal City. It's better to consider D.C. as “the District of Calamity” (sic).
Showing posts with label Obit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obit. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Paying Tribute to Quality-- RIP Robert M. Pirsig
Author Robert M. Pirsig died at the age of 88 in South Berwick, Maine after a period of failing health. Pirsig was renowned for writing Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-- An Inquiry Into Values (1974), a loosely autobiographical travelogue of a 17 day cross country road trip in 1968 with his 11 year old son and two friends during which he pondered weighty philosophical problems to discern the metaphysics of quality,
Pirsig had served in the Army in the Far East before the Korean War. During a trip on leave to Japan, Pirsig became fascinated by Zen Buddhism. After his military service, Pirsig received graduate degrees in Philosophy from the University of Chicago and Banaras Hindu University.
Like the unnamed protagonist in the novel, who sometimes referred to himself as Phaedrus (a name inspired by Plato's Dialogues), Pirsig was a brilliant thinker with a high IQ who eventually suffered a mental breakdown which was treated by electro-shock therapy that altered his personality. By delving deeply into undercurrents of thought, the novel can be seen as a detective story of a man in search of himself.
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| Robert M. Pirsig, 1975 |
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It’s not very factual on motorcycles either.”
But the book contemplated how man relates to machines, the roots of our culture and what inspires madness.  |
| Plato & Aristotle "The School of Athens" Raphael (1510) |
What man really ought to strive for is quality. As Pirsig contemplated:
"Quality . . . you know what it is, yet you don't know what it is. But that's self-contradictory. But some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality. But when you try to say what the quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! There's nothing to talk about. But if you can't say what Quality is, how do you know what it is, or how do you know that it even exists? If no one knows what it is, then for all practical purposes it doesn't exist at all. But for all practical purposes it really does exist."
The book became a phenomenon which the author later described as a “kulturbarer" (Swedish for culture bearer), which developed a near cult popularity amongst hippies. Pirsig mused: “I expressed what I thought were my prime thoughts and they turned out to be the prime thoughts of everybody else." Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance truly appealed to Baby Boomers. When the novel was first published, New York Times reviewer Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote:
"[H]owever impressive are the seductive powers with which Mr. Pirsig engages us in his motorcycle trip, they are nothing compared to the skill with which he interests us in his philosophic trip... when [Pirsig] comes to grips with the hard philosophical conundrums raised by the 1960's, he can be electrifying."When reflecting on the impact of ZAMM, Todd Gitlin, a counter cultural sociologist speculated that by blending the deep thoughts with the drudgery of daily life, such as motorcycle maintenance: "Pirsig provided a kind of soft landing from the euphoric stratosphere of the late ’60s into the real world of adult life.”
The counter cultural novel sold over one million books in the first year of its publication and sold several million more since then. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance became the biggest selling philosophy book of all times and remained on the best sellers list for over a decade. This is remarkable for a manuscript which was rejected by 121 different publishers before William Morrow signed hi for a small $3,000 advance.
After the unexpected success of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig won a Guggenheim fellowship, some fortune and unwanted fame. Pirsig got so freaked out by what his neighbors called "Pirsig Pilgrims" to his Minneapolis home that he eventually packed his bags and would live in a camper or a sailboat for months. Pirsig spent the last 30 years of his life in a small town in Southern Maine
Pirsig wrote one other book, Lila- An Inquiry into Morals (1991), which achieved neither the same success nor cultural impact. But sometimes one oeuvre is enough to make one's mark on the world.
Personally, I found Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to be a highly influential book. Believe it or not, it served as a textbook for an Advanced Placement American History course in high school. Despite the unorthodox textbook, I achieved highest marks on the exam as it honed in me an incredible analytical inclination which remains with me to this day (sometimes to the consternation of those close to me).
While I may not be an adherent to Zen Buddhism, nor will anyone catch me fixing motor scooters or the ilk, I am graced by the idea that there is a nexus between the simply joys and drudgery of daily life and the transcendent. More than a quarter century later, I am still inspired by a quest for quality. To be so deeply impacted by a book demonstrates its importance.
H/T: New York Times
NPR
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Toss the Tam to Honor the Life of Mary Tyler Moore
Actress Mary Tyler Moore died at the age of 80 in Greenwich, Connecticut from complications stemming from pneumonia. Moore had battled adult onset diabetes for decades and in 2011 she had undergone elective brain surgery to remove a benign meningioma.
While Moore had several notable silver screen roles, including an Academy Award nominated performance in the drama Ordinary People (1981), she is best remembered as an actor for starring in two extremely successful television situation comedies, The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966) and the eponymous Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977).
Moore and her husband Grant Tinker ran a production company which spawned many successful television series, such as the Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin offs Rhoda, Lou Grant, Phyllis along with The Bob Newhart Show and WKRP in Cincinnati. The Mary Tyler Moore show depicted a thirty something news writer working in a television newsroom in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, it was daring to feature a career woman trying to make it on her own. The opening credits famously finished with an exhuberant Moore tossing her tam in the air in a crosswalk, as a valedictory gesture that "you're going to make it after all".
The iconic sequence was immortalized in bronze by TV Land in 2002 as street art near a shopping center. The statute is currently on location at a Visitors Center in Minneapolis while the sidewalks are being repaired.
In honor of Ms. Moore's passing, it is right to figuratively toss our tams and fondly remember one who turned the world on with her smile and know that she made it after all.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
R.I.P. Jim Traficant--Beam Me Up?
Former Representative Jim Traficant (D-OH 17th) was critically injured in a tractor mishap on his daughter's farm in northeastern Ohio. The 73 year old Traficant was believe to be pulling a vintage tractor which tipped over him inside the barn and trapped Traficant underneath the machinery. Paramedics found Traficant unconscious and eventually medivaced him to a hospital in Youngstown, Ohio where he was kept in a medically induced coma to try to stabilize him before he expired.
In a case of sad irony, the accident occurred on the farm which became the focal point of the two month trial in which Traficant represented himself and was convicted on ten counts which included bribery, racketeering, and tax evasion. Thus, the House of Representatives expelled the eight term Congressman on a vote of 420-1 in 2002.
Traficant served seven years in federal prison before being paroled in 2009. While in prison, Traficant turned to art as therapy, which he would sell online to pay for more art supplies. But being in "Club Fed" did not deter Traficant from running for office. In fact, Traficant ran for his old Congressional seat while behind bars and won 15% of the vote vying against his former aide Rep. Jim Ryan (D OH-17th now 13th)
Traficant was a flamboyant figure on Capitol Hill. Traficant insisted on styling a pompadour which Traficant himself called "the weed whacker" but a hairdo which others likened to muskrats mating. In prison, it was became evident that Traficant just sported a bad toupe. Traficant also insisted on wearing out of style clothing in the well of the House, like denim suits and wide lapel sports jackets. What drew great notoriety for Cong. Traficant was his eccentric, amusing and "earthy" One Minute Speeches.
Traficant would often punctuate his political rant by saying "Beam me up!", thereby repopularizing the Star Trek catch phrase. Assuredly, Traficant's quip of "Beam me up" sounds much better than supporters trying to sing it in a polka honoring the paroled Congressman.
These attention grabbing speeches would generate publicity as light hearted news for the low information voter, but these epic rants reflected the blue collar, common sense sentiments of his Mahoning Valley constituents. Traficant had a 97% anti-abortion voting record, which is certainly an anomaly among Democrats today.
In some ways, Traficant was a precursor of the Tea Party. Traficant loudly spoke out against illegal immigration and advocated immigration reduction. Traficant opposed Ukrainian Nazi John Demjanjuk's deportation, insisting that there already had been a fair trial. Railing against wasteful government spending, opposing open immigration, insisting on the rule of law and defying the Cocktail Party in the District of Calamity (sic) sound much like a proto-Tea Party type.
Generally, Traficant spoke his mind, tried to represent his constituents political sentiments rather than reflect the will of party leaders. That conviction (sic) cost him. Traficant was voting mostly along GOP party lines (but voted against President Clinton's impeachment). So much, Traficant crossed party lines and voted for Denny Hastert (R-IL 14th) for Speaker. Democrats punished Traficant by stripping him of his seniority and committee appointments. Republicans did not reward him with anything for his on-the-limb leadership vote. Thus Traficant found himself without a committee assignment for his last term in Congress, which had not happened in 100 years.
One might conclude that Traficant's comedic Congressional One Minute speeches, his out of fashion styling, crossing over party lines for Speaker and deciding to represent himself in court and Congress indicates that he was not so smart. Well, Mr. Traficant earned two Masters degrees. Moreover, Traficant defended himself in 1983 and beat a RICO charge, being one of the few to ever do so.
James Traficant was a flawed but faithful fellow. May the heavens beam him up and he yields back whatever is left.
h/t: WFJM
Thursday, September 4, 2014
R.I.P. Joan Rivers
Monday, June 3, 2013
Some Lamenting of Sen. Lautenberg's Later Legacy
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| Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) in US Capitol complex |
Fox News Channel political contributor Julie Roginsky offered laurels to Lautenberg, to whom she was a senior political strategist, for the man who saved thousand of lives from drunk drivers and secondhand smoke as well as banning those convicted of domestic violence from exercising their Second Amendment rights. Prior to the Soviet Union's collapse, right center radio commentator Hugh Hewitt pointed out that Senator Lautenberg was instrumental at helping Soviet Jewry escape the Iron Curtain. Indubitably, Lautenberg was a quintessential modern liberal who approved of abortion and gun grabbing.
While I appreciate Julie Roginsky’s adoration for her old political boss, it seemed that almost all of his accomplishments and effective political presence occurred before he retired in 2000. Aside from acting as a leading voice against the George W. Bush Administration’s practice of engaging columnists like Armstrong Williams to publicize policies like “No Child Left Behind”, to this engaged political observer, Lautenberg’s legacy was being a reliable progressive vote. Senator Lautenberg 2.0's biggest accomplishment seemed to have been a “Campus Fire Safety Act” prompted by a fire at Seaton Hall fire, that was then attached to a Higher Education Reauthorization Act in 2008.
To me, Lautenberg’s legacy is a reminder of how Democrats have consistently tried to manipulate election law when it suits their purpose and insure election. Under New Jersey law, Democrats missed the deadline for replacing a candidate, saying a candidate who wants to get off the ballot must do so at least 51 days before the election, and a replacement must be selected at least 48 days before the vote. Toricelli dropped out 36 days before voters went to the polls and the then 78 year old Lautenberg was switched in 35 days before the election. No matter to the Democrat dominated New Jersey Supreme Court, which rationalized the substitution by invoking “the general intent” of election law, acting “for the public interest” to preserve a vigorous “two party system.” The problem is that none of that lexicon existed in the public statute.
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So despite all of the good works that Lautenberg lovers may lionize during his first stint in the Senate, this political animal laments that Lautenberg’s legacy is being remembered as a political hack who was used to eviscerate election law. After being ushered into office again, the best that can be said about the later Lautenberg is that he was a reliable liberal vote. At worst, the electoral corruption stinks of the worst of New Jersey and is a reminder of how broken the American electoral process seems to be.
SEE MORE at DCBarroco.com
Friday, April 26, 2013
Remembering George Jones (1931-2013)-- Off to Honky Tonk Heaven
As news of the death of longtime country star George Jones began to circulate, the aforementioned witticism was shared on social media. During his 69 year career in country music, Jones was renowned for his distinctive honky tonk phrasing and his hard-living lifestyle reputation. Jones was married twice before the age of 24 and had four marriages during his lifetime.
Jones' addition to alcohol was so intense that Jones' second wife Shirley Ann Corley hid the keys to their cars before leaving, knowing that her soused spouse would not walk eight miles to Beaumont to get more hooch. But Jones bragged in his autobiography "I Lived to Tell It All" (1997) that she failed to hide all the keys as she left the lawnmower key.
There, gleaming in the glow, was that ten-horsepower rotary engine under a seat. A key glistening in the ignition. I imagine the top speed for that old mower was five miles per hour. It might have taken an hour and a half or more for me to get to the liquor store, but get there I did.
Sadly, this was not a one off experience. Jones' third wife, country star Tammy Wynette recalled in her autobiography "Stand By Your Man" (1979)that she noticed that her husband was gone at 1 am. So she drove 10 miles to the nearest bar, only to find that Jones had driven his riding mower on the highway to get there. When Wynette arrived, Jones looked up and said: "Well, fellas, here she is now. My little wife, I told you she'd come after me."
In 1996, George Jones made a video of the Honky Tonk Song which parodied these instances of "John Deere" infamy.
Jones perpetuated this hard living mythos with his hit "If Drinking Doesn't Kill Me." Jones did not make light of his addition to cocaine.
Now that his inner demons have been quelled by shedding his mortal coil, may George Jones rest in peace.
Friday, April 12, 2013
R.I.P Jonathan Winters (1925-2013)
Johnathan Winters, an improv comedian who's career spanned over seven decades, died at age 87.
Jonathan Winters' stand-up comedy was full of non-sequiturs and surreal jokes, influenced generations of comedians, notably including George Carlin, Robin Williams and Jim Carrey.
Winters was the first comic to recognize the video stunt, which utilized videotape to allow one comic to play two characters bantering about apparently on the same set. In fact, Albert Brooks tweeted "Beyond funny, he invented a new category of comedic genius." In 1999, Winters was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
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| Jonathan Winters accepting Mark Twain Award in Washington, Oct. 1999 |
While Winters may be remembered for his slew of comedy albums, movie appearances and as Mork and Mindy's Orkan son, Winters' ought to also be remembered for a couple of heroic virtues in this day and age.
Jonathan Winters was a Hollywood entertainer who was married to his wife for sixty (60) years, including 20 years when his wife was battling with breast cancer.
Early in his career in the spotlight, Winters suffered two nervous breakdowns. In 1958, he was institutionalized for eight months and also again in 1961 for what was later deemed manic depression. Winters did not let these mental health setbacks keep him down, nor did he play the victim for sympathy. Winters referenced not wanting to go back to "the zoo" on his album "The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters" (1960). A couple of years ago, Winters participated in a small comedy film "Certifiably Jonathan" (2007) which plays off his depression as well as his painting, which had been deemed the missing link between Joan Miro and Salvador Dali.
Perhaps the best way for a humorous surreal zymurgist to honor Jonathan Winters passing his mortal coil is to share an "out of this world" 1962 Utica Club Beer video, one of the hundred of talking beer stein ads where Winters voiced Schultz and Dooley.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Saying Goodbye to America's Sweetheart--R.I.P. Annette Funicello
While the day's news was dominated by the death of former British Prime Minister (Lady) Margaret Thatcher, there was another significant loss in Annette Funicello who died at age 70 after a 21 year battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Funicello gained popularity as a child star on the original Mickey Mouse Club with Disney. Afterwards, Funicello became a teen idol by starring in a series of Beach movies with Frankie Avalon and singing pre-British Invasion popular music.
Current Disney Chairman Bob Igor released a statement eulogizing Funicello:
Annette was and always will be a cherished member of the Disney family, synonymous with the word Mouseketeer, and a true Disney Legend. She will forever hold a place in our hearts as one of Walt Disney's brightest stars, delighting an entire generation of baby boomers with her jubilant personality and endless talent. Annette was well known for being as beautiful inside as she was on the outside, and she faced her physical challenges with dignity, bravery and grace. All of us at Disney join with family, friends, and fans around the world in celebrating her extraordinary life.The Disney corporate homage touches upon what truly made Annette Funicello special. While one can sentimentally remember a childhood television show or clean cut teen targeted celluloid which served as a backdrop make out movie for a generation of Baby Boomers, it was not just the roles that Funicello played, but her beautiful persona that shined through.
Annette's inner beauty shining through was best displayed as she dealt with her multiple sclerosis. Funicello went public with her debilitating disease which she had kept secret until 1992 to stifle rumors that her difficulty walking was due to alcoholism. Eventually, her MS deprived her of mobility and in 2009 the ability to speak.
Funicello gave an honest interview with Entertainment Tonight which recognized the challenges yet still saw positivity to her plight. When her autobiography was produced as a made for tv movie, the final scene had the actress playing Funicello turn around in her wheelchair and the real Annette gave a message to children.
Yet one of the messages which Annette Funicello drew from her experience with Multiple Sclerosis was life affirming.
So as she ascends the Stairway to Heaven, may Annette Funicello's spirits be lifted with the dulcet determination she sang of in Oh Dio Mio:
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
R.I.P. Zig Ziglar (1926-2012)
Zig Ziglar, known as the Master Motivator, died of pneumonia in a hospital in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex at the age of 86. Ziglar was born in Alabama in 1926 but spent much of his youth in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
After serving in the Navy during World War II, Ziglar briefly studied at the University of South Carolina. But Ziglar chose a career in sales rather than studying and started out selling pots and pans. He went on to successfully sell for various companies. But as Ziglar improved his pitch and sales increased, he developed a basic philosophy which impacted his personal and professional career for more than half a century.
The Ziglar Way considers action, common sense, fairness, commitment and integrity to be the basis of living well. Ziglar believed that if you lived by this powers of positive thinking philosophy, you would live a balanced life while achieving significance at work and home.
In the early 1970s, Ziglar began his career as a motivational speaker and corporate trainer. Along with being a headliner on the speaking circuit, Ziglar authored 29 books, including 10 best sellers on topics like sales, leadership, personal growth and faith. His "One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar" is an inspiring daily devotional. His self help classic “See You At The Top” (originally titled "Biscuits, Fleas and Pump Handles") still generates strong sales thirty years after originally being published.Though he was known as the World’s Greatest Salesman and a Master Motivator, Ziglar was not all business. The Ziglar Way reflected his fervent evangelical Christian beliefs and much of Ziglar’s work had subtle evangelization without sounding too preachy.
Ziglar continued to be a feature on the speaker circuit through 2010, despite a tumble down the stairs in 2007 which impacted his short term memory. When Ziglar appearing in Washington, DC in October 2010, he was joined by his daughter who guided him through his presentation. Ziglar persiverated on “winning the home court” and did not realize that he had thoroughly covered that point a couple of times before. Still, the then 84 year old speaker was inspiring and offered earnest down home advice.
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| Zig Ziglar, Verizon Center Washington, DC October 2010 (photo: Gail Broeckel) |
Ziglar’s Facebook page proclaims:
Though his time on earth has ended, he is speaking with Jesus now in his heavenly home... The angels in heaven are rejoicing and his family is celebrating a life well lived.
A fitting tribute for an American Icon. But as Zig Ziglar would put it:
"This is not the end of your story...Turn the page and start a new chapter."
Saturday, August 25, 2012
R.I.P. Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)--Man Who Ushered In the Giant Leap for Mankind
Neil Armstrong, the first human who walked on the Moon, died at the age of 82. Armstrong had recently undergone surgery to relieve blocked coronary arteries.
READ MORE at the DCBarroco website
Friday, August 24, 2012
R.I.P. Sesame Street's Jerry Nelson--Count Your Blessings
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| Sesame Street's Count Von Count & Puppeteer Jerry Nelson |
Jerry Nelson, the voice of many Muppets for 40 years including Count Von Count, died at the age of 78. Nelson also voiced characters like Herry the Monster, Mr. Snuffeulupagus, and Sherlock Holmes. Nelson retired from physical puppeteering in 2004, but continued to voice character like the Count up until his death.
Nelson was one of Jim Henson's early muppeteers, joining the troupe in 1965. Nelson started on Sesame Street during the long running childrens' educational show in its second season. On "The Muppet Show", Nelson played Sgt. Floyd Pepper, the bassist for the house band "Electric Mayhem" and Lew Zealand, the boomerang fish thrower.
To give a better picture of the man behind the characters, here is a video of Nelson in 2002 making a cameo appearance as an ice cream vendor on Sesame Street.
But we must count our blessings of experiencing the magical Muppeteering of Jerry Nelson in our lives, despite feeling sad, by reprising his role Count Von Count.
Monday, August 20, 2012
In Memory of Phyllis Diller ( 1917-2012)
"The reason women don't play football is because 11 of them would never wear the same outfit in public."
~Phyllis Diller
To remain laughing through our tears, witness Diller's faux audition for the Spice Girls
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
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