Who Said It and When?

For the answer go to the comment section for this post.

Warning of Iraq Quagmire

A video has surfaced regarding a warning of the consequences of a U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Transcript:

Q: Do you think the U.S., or U.N. forces, should have moved into Baghdad?

A: No.

Q: Why not?

A: Because if we'd gone to Baghdad we would have been all alone. There wouldn't have been anybody else with us. There would have been a U.S. occupation of Iraq. None of the Arab forces that were willing to fight with us in Kuwait were willing to invade Iraq.

Once you got to Iraq and took it over, took down Saddam Hussein's government, then what are you going to put in its place? That's a very volatile part of the world, and if you take down the central government of Iraq, you could very easily end up seeing pieces of Iraq fly off: part of it, the Syrians would like to have to the west, part of it -- eastern Iraq -- the Iranians would like to claim, they fought over it for eight years. In the north you've got the Kurds, and if the Kurds spin loose and join with the Kurds in Turkey, then you threaten the territorial integrity of Turkey.

It's a quagmire if you go that far and try to take over Iraq.

The other thing was casualties. Everyone was impressed with the fact we were able to do our job with as few casualties as we had. But for the 146 Americans killed in action, and for their families -- it wasn't a cheap war. And the question for the president, in terms of whether or not we went on to Baghdad, took additional casualties in an effort to get Saddam Hussein, was how many additional dead Americans is Saddam worth?

Was he correct in his judgment at that time?

My Favorite Songs

This list of 300 songs covering many decades was compiled by several distinguished music critics and scholars. See if you can reduce the number to 30 of your favorite songs. I ended up with 51 favorite songs from the list and had to struggle to eliminate 21 songs. The best way to work with this list is to copy the list of 300 songs and paste it into your word processor and then cut the songs you wish to eliminate.

Here are my favorite 30 songs from the list:

4. "Ain't That a Shame" Fats Domino (1955)
27. "Blowin' In The Wind" Bob Dylan (1962)
29. "Blue Suede Shoes" Carl Perkins (1956)
44. "The Christmas Song" Robert Wells, Mel Torme, as performed by The Nat King Cole Trio (1946)
51. "Crazy" Willie Nelson, as performed by Patsy Cline (1961)

70. "Fever" John Davenport/Eddie Cooley (1956), as performed Peggy Lee (1958)
71. Fiddler On The Roof (Musical) Sheldon Harnick/Jerry Bock (1964)
76. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" Earl Scruggs, as performed by Earle Flatt, Lester Scruggs And The Foggy Mountain Boys (1949)
88. "Good Vibrations" The Beach Boys (1966)
91. "Great Balls Of Fire" Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)

92. "The Great Pretender" The Platters (1955)
103. "Hey Good Lookin'" Hank Williams (1951)
107. "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel" Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller; Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley, as performed by Elvis Presley (1956)
115. "I Walk The Line" Johnny Cash (1956)
130. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" By J.D. Miller, as performed by Kitty Wells (1952)

148. "Light My Fire" The Doors (1967)
149. "Like A Rolling Stone" Bob Dylan (1965)
156. "Love Potion No. 9" Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller, as performed by The Clovers (1959)
159. "Mack The Knife" Marc Blitzstein, Kurt Weill, as performed by Ella Fitzgerald (1960)
160. "Makin' Whoopee" Gus Kahn/Walter Donaldson (1928)

170. "Midnight Special" Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly)
176. My Fair Lady (Musical) Lerner & Lowe (1956)
193. "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" James Brown (1965)
204. "Pretty Woman" Roy Orbison & Bill Dees (1964)
243. "Stand By Your Man" Tammy Wynnette & Billy Sherrill (1968

265. "Take Five" Paul Desmond & Dave Brubeck (1960)
270. "Tenderly" Jack Lawrence & Walter Gross, as performed by Sarah Vaughan
273. "This Land Is Your Land" Woody Guthrie (1956)
276. "Tom Dooley" Dave Guard, as performed by The Kingston Trio (1958)
287. "We Shall Overcome" Zilphia Horton, Frank Hamilton, Guy Carawan, Pete Seeger (1960)

What does my list of 30 favorite songs reveal about me? I haven’t decided yet.



List of 300 Top Songs From Past Decades


1. "Adagio for Strings" Samuel Barber (prem. 1938)
2. Afro-American Symphony William Grant Still (1930)
3. "After Hours" Avery Parrish (1940)
4. "Ain't That a Shame" Fats Domino (1955)
5. "Airmail Special" Jimmy Mundy/Goodman/Charlie Christian (1941)
6. "Alexander's Ragtime Band" Irving Berlin (1911)
7. "All or Nothing at All" Jack Lawrence/Arthur Altman (1940)
8. "All the Things You Are" Oscar Hammerstein/Jerome Kern (1939)
9. "Always Late (With Your Kisses)" Lefty Frizzell/Blackie Crawford (1950)
10. "Always on My Mind" Johnny Christopher/Mark James/Wayne Thompson (1982)
11. Amahl and the Night Visitors Gian Carlo Menotti (1951)
12. "Angel from Montgomery" John Prine, as performed by Bonnie Raitt (1971)
13. "Appalchian Spring" Aaron Copland (1944)
14. "April in Paris" Vernon Duke (1932), as performed by Count Basie (1955)
15. "As Time Goes By" Herman Hupfeld (1931)
16. Ashokan Farewell (soundtrack to PBS series "The Civil War") Jay Ungar (1990)
17. "Ay-te Te Fee" Clifton Chenier (1955)
18. "Back in the Saddle Again" Ray Whitley/Gene Autry (1939)
19. Ballet Mecanique George Antheil (prem. 1926)
20. "Be My Baby" Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich/Phil Spector (1963), as performed by The Ronettes
21. The Big Country (Film score) Jerome Moross (1958)
22. Big Pink (Album) The Band (1968)
23. "Big Train" Wynton Marsalis (1999)
24. "Big Yellow Taxi" Joni Mitchell (1970)
25. "Billy Jean" Michael Jackson (1982)
26. "Black Angels" George Crumb (1970)
27. "Blowin' In The Wind" Bob Dylan (1962)
28. "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" Bill Monroe (1947)
29. "Blue Suede Shoes" Carl Perkins (1956)
30. "Blues In The Night" Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen (1941)
31. "Body & Soul" instrumental version by Coleman Hawkins (1939)
32. "Boogie Chillun" John Lee Hooker (1949)
33. "Born On The Bayou" Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
34. Born To Run (Album) Bruce Springsteen (1975)
35. "Bouquet Of Roses" Steve Nelson/Bob Hilliard, as performed by Eddy Arnold (1947)
36. The Bridge (Album) Sonny Rollins (1962)
37. "Brilliant Corners" Thelonius Monk (1956)
38. "Cabaret" Fred Ebb/John Kander (1966)
39. "Caldonia (What Makes Your Big Head So Hard?)" Fleecie Moore, as performed by Louis Jordan (1945)
40. "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday's Just As Bad)" T-Bone Walker (1947)
41. "Candy Man" Mississippi John Hurt
42. "Change Is Gonna Come" Sam Cooke (1965)
43. A Chorus Line (Musical) Marvin Hamlisch & Edward Kleban (1975)
44. "The Christmas Song" Robert Wells, Mel Torme, as performed by The Nat King Cole Trio (1946)
45. "Coal Creek March" Pete Steele
46. "Coal Miner's Daughter" Loretta Lynn (1971)
47. "Coat Of Many Colors" Dolly Parton (1971)
48. "Come Out" Steve Reich (1966)
49. "Come Sunday" Duke Ellington (1943)
50. "Coo Coo Bird" Traditional, as performed by Clarence "Tom" Ashley (1929)
51. "Crazy" Willie Nelson, as performed by Patsy Cline (1961)
52. "Crazy Arms" Chuck Seals/Ralph Mooney, as performed by Ray Price (1956)
53. "Crazy Blues" Perry Bradford, as performed by Mamie Smith (1920)
54. "Crescent" John Coltrane (1964)
55. "Dark As A Dungeon" Merle Travis (1947)
56. "Dark Star" Grateful Dead (1969)
57. "Dawgology" David Grisman/Richard Greene (1974)
58. "Deep River Blues" arrangement Doc Watson (1964)
59. "Der Fuehrer's Face" Oliver Wallace (1942)
60. "Django" John Lewis, as performed by Modern Jazz Quartet (1955)
61. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" Lauryn Hill
62. "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" Gus Kahn/Wilber Schwandt/Fabian Andre performed by Kate Smith (1931); revived by Mama Cass Elliot (1963)
63. Drumming, Steve Reich (1971)
64. "Ebony Concerto" Igor Stravinsky (1945)
65. Einstein On The Beach Philip Glass (coll. w/Robert Wilson) (1976)
66. "El Watusi" Ray Barretto (1962)
67. Endtroducing (Album) DJ Shadow (1996)
68. "Everyday People" Sly And The Family Stone (1968)
69. "Fanfare For The Common Man" Aaron Copland (prem. 1943)
70. "Fever" John Davenport/Eddie Cooley (1956), as performed Peggy Lee (1958)
71. Fiddler On The Roof (Musical) Sheldon Harnick/Jerry Bock (1964)
72. "Fine & Mellow" Billie Holiday (1940)
73. "Fire And Rain" James Taylor (1970)
74. "Flash Light" Parliament (1978)
75. "Flying Home" Lionel Hampton (1942)
76. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" Earl Scruggs, as performed by Earle Flatt, Lester Scruggs And The Foggy Mountain Boys (1949)
77. "Four Saints In Three Acts" Virgil Thomson (1934)
78. "42nd Street" Al Dubin/Harry Warren (1933)
79. "4:33" John Cage (1952)
80. Freak Out! (Album), Frank Zappa (1966)
81. "Freight Train" Elizabeth Cotton (1905)
82. "F*** Tha Police" N.W.A. (1989)
83. "Give My Regards To Broadway" George M. Cohan (1904)
84. "God Bless America" Irving Berlin (1939)
85. "Gone With The Wind" Max Steiner (1939)
86. "(Good Old) Mountain Dew" Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1920)
87. "Good Times" Chic (1979)
88. "Good Vibrations" The Beach Boys (1966)
89. "Goodbye Old Paint" Jess Morris
90. Graceland (Album) Paul Simon (1986)
91. "Great Balls Of Fire" Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)
92. "The Great Pretender" The Platters (1955)
93. "Grand Canyon Suite" Ferde Grofe (1931)
94. Guys & Dolls (Musical) Frank Loesser (prem. 1950)
95. Gypsy (Musical) Stephen Sondheim/Jule Styne (1959)
96. "Handful Of Keys" Fats Waller (1933)
97. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" Bobby Braddock/Curly Putman, as performed by George Jones (1960s)
98. Head Hunters (Album) Herbie Hancock (1973)
99. "Hellhound On My Trail" Robert Johnson (1937)
100. "Hello Dolly" Jerry Herman, as performed by Louis Armstrong (1964)
101. "Help Me" Sonny Boy Williamson II (1963)
102. "Here You Come Again" by Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, as performed by Dolly Parton (1977)
103. "Hey Good Lookin'" Hank Williams (1951)
104. "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" C.D. Martin/C.H. Gabriel, as performed by Mahalia Jackson (1958)
105. "Hoochie Coochie Man" Willie Dixon, as performed by Muddy Waters (1954)
106. Horses (Album) Patti Smith (1975)
107. "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel" Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller; Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley, as performed by Elvis Presley (1956)
108. "Honeysuckle Rose" Andy Razaf/Fats Waller (1929)
109. Hoo Doo Man Blues (Album) Junior Wells (1965)
110. Hymn And Fuguing Tunes Series Henry Cowell (1944-1964)
111. "I Can't Get Started" Ira Gershwin, Vernon Duke (1935), as performed by Bunny Berrigan & His Orchestra
112. "I Got Rhythm" George & Ira Gershwin (1930)
113. "I Know You're Married (But I Love You Still)" Don Reno & Red Smiley
114. "I Pity The Fool" Deadric Malone (1960); as performed by Bobby "Blue" Bland (1961)
115. "I Walk The Line" Johnny Cash (1956)
116. "I Wanna Be Sedated" The Ramones (1977)
117. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" The Stooges (1972)
118. "I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart" Patsy Montana (1936)
119. "I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again" Maddox Brothers & Rose(1946-1951)
120. "I'm A Man/Mannish Boy" McKinley Morganfield (aka Muddy Waters), as performed by Bo Diddley (1955)
121. "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" Ned Washington, George Bassman (1932)
122. "I'm Movin' On" Hank Snow (1950)
123. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" Hank Williams (1949)
124. "In A Mist" Bix Beiderbecke (1927)
125. "In C" Terry Riley (1964)
126. "In The Mood" Andy Razaf, Joe Garland (1939), as performed by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (1940)
127. "The Incredible Flutist" Walter Piston (1938)
128. "(Goodnight) Irene" Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly) and John Lomax; The Weavers(1950),
129. "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" Public Enemy (1988)
130. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" By J.D. Miller, as performed by Kitty Wells (1952)
131. "It's Too Soon To Know" Deborah Chessler (1948);
132. "Jamaica Farewell" Lord Burgess; as performed by Harry Belafonte (1956)
133. Jazz Samba (Album) Stan Getz W/Charlie Byrd (1963)
134. "Jeremy" Pearl Jam (1991)
135. "Joe Hill" Alfred Hayes, Earl Robinson (1938)
136. "Jolie Blonde" Leo Soileau (approx. 1928)
137. "Joy Spring" Clifford Brown (1956)
138. "Juke" Little Walter Jacobs (1952)
139. Kind Of Blue (Album) Miles Davis (1959)
140. "King Porter Stomp" Jelly Roll Morton (1924)
141. "Kiss Me, Kate" Cole Porter (1948)
142. Knoxville: Summer Of 1915 Samuel Barber (prem. 1948)
143. "Ko Ko" Charlie Parker (1945)
144. "La Bamba" William Clauson, as performed by Ritchie Valens (1958)
145. "Lester Leaps In" Lester Young (1939)
146. "Let's Stay Together" Al Green (1971)
147. "Lift Every Voice And Sing" James Weldon Johnson, as performed by the Southern Sons
148. "Light My Fire" The Doors (1967)
149. "Like A Rolling Stone" Bob Dylan (1965)
150. "Like A Virgin" Madonna (1985)
151. "Little Maggie" Ralph Stanley (1947/48)
152. "Little Old Log Cabin" Fiddlin' John Carson (approx. 1923)
153. "Lonesome River" Stanley Brothers (1950)
154. "Loser" Beck (1994)
155. "Louie Louie" Richard Berry, as performed by The Kingsmen (1963)
156. "Love Potion No. 9" Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller, as performed by The Clovers (1959)
157. A Love Supreme (Album), John Coltrane (1964)
158. "Lush Life" Billy Strayhorn (1938)
159. "Mack The Knife" Marc Blitzstein, Kurt Weill, as performed by Ella Fitzgerald (1960)
160. "Makin' Whoopee" Gus Kahn/Walter Donaldson (1928)
161. "Mal Hombre" Lydia Mendoza
162. "Mama Tried" Merle Haggard (1968)
163. "Manteca" Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo (1947)
164. "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" Professor Longhair (1949)
165. "Maybellene" Chuck Berry (1955)
166. "Memories Of You" Andy Razaf/Eubie Blake (1930)
167. "The Message" Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel (1982)
168. Pat Metheny Group (Album) Pat Metheny Group (1978)
169. "Midnight On The Water" Benny Thomassen
170. "Midnight Special" Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly)
171. "Mr. Tambourine Man" Bob Dylan, as performed by The Byrds (1965)
172. "Moby Dick" Peter Mennin (1952)
173. "Mood Indigo" Duke Ellington (1931)
174. "More Than A Paycheck" Ysaye Barnwell, as performed by Sweet Honey In The Rock (1982)
175. "Move On Up A Little Higher" Robert Anderson, as performed by Mahalia Jackson (1947)
176. My Fair Lady (Musical) Lerner & Lowe (1956)
177. "My Funny Valentine" Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart (1937)
178. "My Girl" William Robinson, Ronald White, as performed by The Temptations (1965)
179. "My Mammy" Sam Lewis, Joe Young, Walter Donaldson, as performed by Al Jolson (1918)
180. "Mystery Train" Junior Parker/Sam Phillips, as performed by Junior Parker (1953)
181. Nefertiti The Beautiful One Has Come (Album) Cecil Taylor (live recording from 1962/released 1997)
182. "Night & Day" Cole Porter (1932)
183. "A Night In Tunisia" Dizzy Gillespie (1946)
184. "Nixon In China" John Adams (1987)
185. "Oh, Lady Be Good!" George & Ira Gershwin, as performed by Ella Fitzgerald (1924);
186. Oklahoma! (Musical) Rodgers & Hammerstein (1943)
187. "Old Home Place" Dean Webb/Mitch Jayne, as performed by J.D. Crowe And The New South (1975)
188. "On Broadway" Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil/Leiber & Stoller (1962)
189. "Once In A Lifetime" The Talking Heads (1983)
190. "One O'clock Jump" Count Basie (1938)
191. "Oye Como Va" Tito Puente (1963), as performed by by Santana (1971)
192. "Pal Joey" Rodgers & Hart (1940)
193. "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" James Brown (1965)
194. "Peggy Sue" Jerry Allison/Buddy Holly/Norman Petty, as performed by Buddy Holly (1957)
195. "People Get Ready" Curtis Mayfield, as performed by The Impressions (1965)
196. "Phone Booth" Dennis Walker/Robert Cray/Richard Cousins/Mike Vannice, as performed by The Robert Cray Band (1983)
197. Piano Sonata No. 2 "Concord Sonata" Charles Ives (1909-1915)
198. "Piece Of My Heart" Bert Berns/Jerry Ragovoy, as performed by Janis Joplin & Big Brother And The Holding Company (1971)
199. "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" Clarence "Pine Top" Smith (1929)
200. "Pithecanthropus Erectus" Charles Mingus (1956)
201. Play (Album), Moby (1999)
202. "Pony Blues" Charley Patton (approx. 1910)
203. Porgy And Bess (Opera) George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin/Dubose Heyward (1935)
204. "Pretty Woman" Roy Orbison & Bill Dees (1964)
205. "Purple Haze" Jimi Hendrix (1967)
206. Psycho (Film score) Bernard Herrmann (1960)
207. "Quiet Village" Les Baxter (1951
208. "Radio Free Europe" R.E.M. (1983)
209. "Rapper's Delight" Sugarhill Gang (1979)
210. "Respect" Otis Redding, as performed by Aretha Franklin (1967)
211. "Rhapsody In Blue" George Gershwin (1924)
212. "Rock Around The Clock" Max Freedman and Jimmy De Knight (1953)
213. "Rocket 88" Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats (1951)
214. "Roll 'Em Pete" Joe Turner/Pete Johnson (1941)
215. "Rosetta" Earl Hines/Henri Woode (1928)
216. "'Round Midnight" Thelonius Monk (1946)
217. "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" Bob Troup (1946); as performed by Nat King Cole
218. "Sail Away" Randy Newman (1972)
219. "Sail Away Ladies" Uncle Dave Macon
220. "St. Louis Blues" W.C. Handy (1914)
221. "Sally Anne" Tommy Jarrell
222. "Sally Gooden" Eck Robertson (1922)
223. "San Antonio Rose" Bob Wills And The Texas Playboys (1938)
224. "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" Blind Lemon Jefferson (1928)
225. "See See Rider" Ma Rainey (1925)
226. "Shady Grove" Doc Watson
227. "Theme from Shaft" Isaac Hayes (1971)
228. The Shape Of Jazz To Come (Album) Ornette Coleman (1959)
229. "She Thinks I Still Care" Dickey Lee Lipscomb/Steve Duffy, as performed by George Jones (1962)
230. Showboat (Musical) Hammerstein/Kern (1927)
231. "Sin City" Flying Burrito Brothers (1969)
232. "Sing, Sing, Sing" Louis Prima (1936),
233. "Singin' In The Rain" Arthur Freed/Nacio Herb Brown (1952)
234. "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay" Otis Redding & Steve Cropper (1968)
235. Six Characters In Search Of An Author Hugo Weisgall (1959)
236. "The Sky Is Crying" Bobby Robinson/Elmore James as performed by Elmore James (1959)
237. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana (1991)
238. "Soldier's Joy" Gid Tanner And The Skillet Lickers (1929)
239. "Some Enchanted Evening" Rodgers & Hammerstein (1949)
240. "Sometime Ago" Chick Corea (1973)
241. "Spartacus" Alex North (1960)
242. "Spoonful" Willie Dixon, as performed by Howlin' Wolf (1960)
243. "Stand By Your Man" Tammy Wynnette & Billy Sherrill (1968)
244. "Stardust" Mitchell Parish & Hoagy Carmichael (1929)
245. "Star Wars" John Williams (1977)
246. "Steel Guitar Rag" Merle Travis/Cliffie Stone, & Leon Mcauliffe (1941; lyrics added 1946)
247. "String Quartet No. 3" Elliot Carter (1973)
248. "Strings Of Life" Derrick May (1987)
249. Studies For Piano Player Conlon Nancarrow (1950-1968)
250. "Surely God Is Able" Rev. W. Herbert Brewster; Marion Williams
251. "Susannah" Carlisle Floyd (1955)
252. Sweeney Todd (Musical) Stephen Sondheim (1979)
253. "(I've Got A) Sweet Little Angel" B.B. King (1964)
254. "Swee-Pea" Wayne Shorter (1969)
255. "Swinging Doors" Merle Haggard (1966)
256. "Symphony No. 1" Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (1983)
257. Symphony No. 2 "Romantic" Howard Hanson (1930)
258. Symphony No. 3 Roy Harris (1937)
259. Symphony No. 3 Wallingford Riegger (prem. 1948)
260. Symphony No. 3 William Schuman (prem. 1941)
261. "Symphony Of Psalms" Igor Stravinsky (1948)
262. "Symphony Of Rage And Remembrance" John Corigliano (1989)
263. "'T' For Texas (Blue Yodel)" Jimmie Rodgers (1928)
264. "'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" Porter Grainger/Graham Prince/Clarence Williams, as performed by Bessie Smith (1922),
265. "Take Five" Paul Desmond & Dave Brubeck (1960)
266. "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" Thomas A. Dorsey (1932)
267. "Take The 'A' Train" Billy Strayhorn, as performed by Duke Ellington Orchestra (1941)
268. Talking Book (Album) Stevie Wonder (1972)
269. Tapestry (Album) Carole King (1971)
270. "Tenderly" Jack Lawrence & Walter Gross, as performed by Sarah Vaughan
271. "There Stands The Glass" Mary Jean Shurtz/Russ Hull/Audrey Grisham, as performed by Webb Pierce (1953)
272. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" George & Ira Gershwin (1937)
273. "This Land Is Your Land" Woody Guthrie (1956)
274. "This Train" Sister Rosetta Tharpe
275. "Tiger Rag/Aunt Hagar's Blues/Willow Weep For Me" Art Tatum (1933)
276. "Tom Dooley" Dave Guard, as performed by The Kingston Trio (1958)
277. "Trouble In Mind" Richard M. Jones, as performed by Bertha "Chippie" Hill (1926)
278. Trout Mask Replica (Album) Captain Beefheart (1969)
279. "Un Poco Loco" Bud Powell (1951)
280. The Velvet Underground & Nico (Album) The Velvet Underground (1967)
281. "Walk Don't Run" Ventures (1960)
282. "Walk This Way" Joe Perry & Steve Tyler, as performed by Run D.M.C. & Aerosmith (1986)
283. "Walking The Floor Over You" Ernest Tubb (1941)
284. "Waltz For Debby" Bill Evans (1956)
285. Warner Bros. Cartoons, Carl Stallings (1940s & 1950s)
286. "Watermelon Man" Mongo Santamaria (1963)
287. "We Shall Overcome" Zilphia Horton, Frank Hamilton, Guy Carawan, Pete Seeger (1960)
288. "West End Blues" Clarence Williams & Joe Oliver, as performed by Louis Armstrong And His Hot Five (1928)
289. West Side Story (Musical) Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (1957)
290. "What'd I Say" Ray Charles (1959)
291. "What's Going On" Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, & Renauldo Benson, as performed by Marvin Gaye (1970)
292. "When Doves Cry" Prince (1984)
293. "When The Saints Go Marching In" The Golden Gate Quartet
294. "Where Did Our Love Go" Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland,
as performed by The Supremes (1964)
295. "White Christmas" Irving Berlin; Bing Crosby (1942)
296. "Wildwood Flower" Carter Family (1927)
297. Wizard Of Oz (Film score) E.Y. Harburg & Harold Arlen (1939)
298. "Wreck Of The Old 97" Henry C. Work; Vernon Dalhart (1924)
299. "The Yankee Doodle Boy" George M. Cohan (1904)
300. Zen Arcade (Album) Husker Du (1984)

As Corny As Kansas in August

We are now right in the middle of summer, and that All-American food of corn on the cob is sure to be on the menu. Those butter-dripping ears of sweet corn can be found at picnics, barbecues, and dinners throughout the summer season.

When Columbus landed in the New World, he wrote in his journal, “There was a great deal of tilled land sowed with a sort of beans and sort of grain they called 'Mahiz' ( maize) which was well tasted, baked or dried or made into flour." The early settlers would have starved without corn because the grains they brought with them failed to grow in a hostile climate. It got its name, corn, from the Europeans, who called any grain corn.

Eating corn is an American passion. The Europeans at first fed corn to their pigs and to this day many of them will not eat it, considering it animal fodder. But most Americans consider corn on the cob to be a special summer treat. The best corn our family ever had was from a Japanese farmer who farmed nearby and picked the corn just hours before it was on our table. It was sweet and tender, without any of the starchiness of store-bought corn. The sooner eaten after picking, the sweeter corn is because corn sugars change to starch quickly. According to folk wisdom, the only way to eat sweet corn is to boil a large pot of water on the stove, go out in the field and pick what you need. Then run back to your house as fast as you can and if you stumble, discard what you picked and go back to the field for fresher ones.

Some farmers claim that on hot nights corn grows so fast that one can actually hear it crackle. There has been a lot of crackling on those hot nights in Kansas this year. The Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reported this past Monday that there is a good corn crop this year, with the corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 48 percent good and 13 percent excellent. The musical “South Pacific” premiered on Broadway in 1949 with one of its songs titled “A Wonderful Guy.” One of the lines in the song says, “I’m as corny as Kansas in August.” Apparently, Kansas is quite corny this year.

As to the eating of corn on the cob, have you ever noticed that not everyone eats it the same way? Some people eat it like it is on an old typewriter paper carriage. They start eating it at the left-hand margin and eat across to the right-hand margin; and then they hit the carriage return lever and skip five spaces to begin all over again until they finish the ear. Others choose to eat the corn as though it were arranged in columns, dividing the ear into three or more columns and eating one column all the way around before they shift to the next column, and so on. Still other eaters like to eat around the edges of the ear first so as to get a natural hand hold to eat the rest. And let’s not forget the random eaters - those who nibble here and there at random on the ear until they finish it.

But any way you choose to eat corn on the cob, it is a delicious summer treat.

How do you eat your corn on the cob?

Poetry for a Mid-Summer's Day

It is time to celebrate the summer in verse. First, I have searched the web for some of the better summer poetry. Next, I have submitted two of my own poems about summer. Finally, I ask you to submit either one or more of your own poems about what summer means to you, or one of your favorite poems about summer.

The first poems I found on the web were written by individuals who identified themselves only by their first names.

With great respect to the summer sun
Summer will be gone and autumn will arise.
The trees will cry and their leaves will fall
As if to signal a warning call
Cool breezes pass through as they whisper to you
Think of all the memories you made
As the summer begins to fade. . .Lisa

Although the changing garments of the trees
Announce that harvesting time is near
Allow some thought for the blue sky
Answer the yearly song birds on their first flight
Awake the cold as the sun sets sooner each day. . . Kate

In the summertime
When all the trees and leaves are green.
I love the summertime,
It makes my heart feel oh, so free. . .Cheryl

Summer brings loving moods slowly flowing
Embers waiting to fill horizons still glowing,
Suspended between sunrises still to come,
And sunsets that never rose,
And a purpling night yet to close. . . Herbert

August drones on, slower and hotter.
No dew, no rain, no water
Dogs and teens spread-eagle on porches.
Tempers flare as the sun scorches . . . Joanne

Followed by an excerpt from a Shakespearean Sonnet (#18)

Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day?

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometimes declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade...

And then this little gem:

Mid -Summer's Day Dream
--- by MVJ Simon

Streams of sweat
Bringing sweet relief

Sizzling city streets
Scorching hurried feet

Temperatures rising
Flaring tempers

Scowling sullen faces
Drowsy with sleeplessness

Bare upper bodies
Shimmering in the sun

The days go on
Nights are long

The rich escape
Hills and misty air

It's the poor
who bear the brunt

Summer's here
every year

Will it rain?
If ever, when?

And another summer jewel:

Sundown Memories

The languid, lazy summer sun
Brings a reverie of relaxation.
The beach days of yellow glint and ocean spray,
Tickling our toes and our imaginations.

I think of small daughters and days gone by:
Ice cream cones and wet bathing suits,
Blazing campfires and golden marshmallows,
Squirt gun laughter and library lounging.

I remember sharing daylight and fun
With two small giggling girls.
They are much older now,
But my sundown memories keep them forever tiny.

--- Judith A. Lindberg

And finally, here is my contribution of two poems to celebrate the summer:

A Little Boy at the Seashore (by Whit)

The first day of summer and
The seashore and the sand
The sun and the surf
All bringing forth mirth
The surge of sensation
And the energy of elation
And just knowing the simple joy
Of being a little boy.

The Sultry Song of Summer (by Whit)

The sultry song of summer
Is heard throughout the land
As the torrid breath of the solar king
Toasts the summer sand

While sun-baked bathers from the sea
Seek the sheltering shade
With ice cold coolers in their hands
Waiting for the light to fade

Would you like to submit your own poem? You don’t have to be Shakespeare to express your feelings in verse about a summer experience you have had.

Or if you don’t wish to submit your own poem, please post in the comment section one of your favorite poems about summer.

Is God an American?

An emerging group of Conservative Christians and military veterans are setting up websites to solicit donations. They want to hire civilian lawyers for members of our armed forces charged with violent crimes for actions taken in combat or counterinsurgency operations. And there is nothing wrong with that action. Our troops, when charged with war crimes, are deserving of the best defense they can get.

In reading about this effort, however, I was disappointed to learn that religious conviction plays a heavy role in much of the giving. Some of the donors said in the letters that accompanied their donations that they believe the military’s work is God’s work. While we should support our troops who are performing the duty they are expected to perform, as ordered by their commander-in-chief, to say that they are engaged in God’s work is not likely and, in addition, is dangerous.

I think there is a danger in thinking that God favors any one nation in warfare. We see so many bumper stickers that ask God to bless America. I saw a bumper sticker last week that said, “God Bless the World” and then in smaller letters it stipulated, “No Exceptions.” One meaning of “bless” is to confer prosperity or happiness on. Then, if we believe in God and his goodness, why wouldn’t we ask his blessings on the whole world and not just America?

In our Pledge of Allegiance we say that the United States is one nation under God. But aren’t all nations also under God, whether they are aware of it or not? In the song “America”, we say that God has shed his grace on us. Is that to the exclusion of other nations? On our currency, we say that we trust in God. But there are hundreds of millions of people in other nations on earth who trust in God.

There is a danger in thinking that God favors any one nation. "Allahu akbar," or "God is great," a common Muslim expression, were the last words shouted by a September 11 hijacker before the plane he piloted plunged into a Pennsylvania field and have been the last words of many suicide bombers in Israel. Those followers had been taught that Allah (God) favored their mission. If we start thinking that God is an American or favors America to the exclusion of other nations, then we, too, can be led down dangerous paths.