Mount Virtus

On Facebook for the past several days, I’ve been counting down my 50 favorite Christmas songs. Coming up with the top 50 songs wasn’t terribly difficult. I’ve identified roughly 375 different contenders, though I’m only familiar with a little more than 200 of them. A good number of the Christmas songs I know were easily disqualified because of the unpleasant visceral reaction they cause.

Ranking the top 50 on the other hand — beyond a few that consistently rise to the top — was a difficult task. Still, there’s a kind of double-edged fun to assembling a list like this one: 1) Comparing and debating the rankings with friends; and 2) The fluid nature of the list, in part because of new songs discovered that upset the balance. If I do this again, the 2013 edition might look somewhat different.

Some of the songs you see below contain video links, either because the song may be less familiar or because it’s a rendition I particularly like. So without further ado, here in descending order is the current list of my 50 favorite Christmas songs: (more…)

(H/T Schroeder) Yesterday was the 240th anniversary of the birth of the great and revolutionary musical genius Ludwig von Beethoven. Because it fits my mood for today, here’s the triumphant finale to the legendary Fifth Symphony:

For past reflections on Beethoven, visit last year’s post.

After seeing deeply flawed and failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes “get biblical” on Facebook (H/T Complete Colorado), I had a late-night moment of “inspired” political satire that ended up as this. Please enjoy: (more…)

As Election Day draws very close, and the campaign intensity reaches a fever pitch, it can be easy to lose track of the truly important things in life. In that light, I received this morning the following press release from Colorado Springs Republican state senate candidate Owen Hill:

Owen Hill, Republican candidate for Senate District 11, and his wife Emily are delighted to announce the arrival of their fourth child. Elinor Jane arrived early Friday morning weighing in at 6lb. 14oz. “Needless to say, that in the final hours of a political campaign, Elinor’s arrival is a great reminder that the reason I am running for this office is to make our community a better place to live in”, said Owen Hill. The Hill family is hopeful that Elinor will be able to attend the El Paso County Republican election night party at Copperhead Road.

Though I’m not into numerology, I will note that Elinor is the Hills’ fourth child born four days before the election, and that the term of office for state senate is four years. Coincidence? Likely.

Maybe it’s just that as the father of two girls I have a soft spot for this sort of thing. But an election night victory over Democratic state senate leader John Morse — which quite possibly could make Hill the youngest member of the Colorado State Senate (and you have to be young to have the needed energy to face the stressful intersection of an election season campaign and a new child at the same time) — would just be icing on the cake after news like this.

Congratulations to Owen Hill and his family.

In this weird political season, the Los Angeles Times political blog compiles the Top 10 weirdest moments of the 2010 political campaign. Coming in at number 10, from my own backyard:

Only two of the top 10 moments came from U.S. House races, and my own Colorado 7th CD made the list. I’m not sure whether to be astounded or proud or embarrassed… or maybe just amused. I’ll save the satisfaction until Election Night.

Of course, it was the prolific National Review Colorado blogger Michael Sandoval who first brought attention to Ed Perlmutter’s slaphappy moment that well may go down as part of the closing chapter of the liberal Democrat’s Congressional career. Can you see the political wave a-comin’?

Update / Clarification: Michael Sandoval wasn’t the first to mention the slapping incident online. Lynn Bartels mentioned it at the end of her Denver Post story on the debate, but Sandoval was the first to post the video and feature the incident as a headline story. (Adam Schrager of 9News probably wrote about it, too, in the hours after the debate, but I can’t find a link.)

Complete Colorado’s Real Gubernatorial Genius is back with the third and final edition in the series, highlighting Republican candidate Dan Maes — Mr. I’m-Gonna-Be-Somebody-Someday. In my opinion, it will give you the purest laugh-out-loud experience of the trio:

In case you missed them, watch the earlier lampoons of Tom Tancredo and John Hickenlooper. Put together, the three minute-long Real Gubernatorial Genius clips will provide some needed Friday election season humorous relief.

First it was Tom Tancredo. Today, Complete Colorado releases the second in its creative Real Gubernatorial Genius series, featuring John Hickenlooper — “Mr. Avoid All Controversy Until the Election’s Over.” Another minute well spent that is sure to crack a smile:

The third and final edition featuring Dan Maes is due out on Friday.

Yesterday it was the 30-second Amendment 63 animation of Obamacare-inspired jailhouse fear. Today, one of my Independence Institute colleagues did it again. Compliments of Mothers Against Debt, sit back and enjoy two minutes worth of educational programming you won’t see on PBS:

Not on PBS, but it does have a little bit of that Schoolhouse Rock flavor — minus the funky 70s music. Regardless, the important message is one we all need to latch onto.

Three weeks before Election Day. I can’t think of a better time to lighten the mood. It almost goes without saying that it’s healthy not to take political candidates (even those we may support) too seriously. In that spirit, the creative minds and voices at Complete Colorado present the first edition of “Real Gubernatorial Genius”:

Complete Colorado believes in equal opportunity satire (and if you’re not visiting the site regularly to stay updated on all the in-state news you need to know, now is the time to change that unfortunate oversight). Having heard this edition is just the first in the series, I look forward to the sequels featuring other candidates for governor.

It’s not often I post up clips from The Daily Show, but this mock-up of a Nevada UFCW local’s anti-Wal Mart protest had me in stitches. If you have five minutes for the laugh, take it:

This incident isn’t an isolated one. In fact, it reminds me of a couple labor-as-management stories I highlighted a few weeks ago.

WHEREAS, on June 2, 2010, at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga masterfully pitched a game against the Cleveland Indians in which he indisputably retired each of the first 26 batters he faced in succession with exactly 80 pitches thrown (62 strikes, 18 balls); and

WHEREAS, Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson made a tremendous, over-the-shoulder running catch off Indians second baseman Mark Grudzielanek for the first out of the ninth inning; and

WHEREAS, with two outs in the top of the 9th inning, the 27th batter, Cleveland Indians shortstop Jason Donald, grounded the ball to Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who in turn flipped the ball to Galarraga, who clearly touched the bag with his foot before Donald did; and

WHEREAS, veteran first base umpire Jim Joyce incorrectly ruled the runner safe at first; and

WHEREAS, thousands of the paying customers at Comerica Park could see immediately that the umpire blew the call at first; and (more…)

That’s got to be how the Democratic trio of Governor Bill Ritter, Speaker Terrance Carroll, and House Finance Committee Chairman Joel Judd have to be feeling after knowing they accidentally turned one of their tax hike bills into a tax cut and therefore had to kill it. The majority party under the Golden Dome couldn’t let a pesky problem like that make it into the light of day.

You can’t make this stuff up, folks. Yet somehow it escaped even the watchful eye of the Denver Post‘s “The Spot” blog. Oh, well….

I hope you enjoy one or more of the following:

• David Freddoso at the Washington Examiner points out that Senate Democrats very quickly have killed President Obama’s very modest “spending freeze” proposal before it barely had a chance to get going.
• Speaking of Obama, my PPC friends are licking their chops at the prospect of The One coming to Denver to stump for our appointed junior U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.
• Speaking of arrogance, guest writer Don Rodgers at Reclaim the Blue calls out Democrats in our state legislature for their hubris, after shoving through four of the Dirty Dozen tax bills on Wednesday (and are scheduled to hear the rest starting this morning) as a prelude to their dying political majority.
• Speaking of death, the New Ledger‘s Benjamin Kerstein gives Howard Zinn, the very recently deceased Marxist historian of A People’s History infamy, a harsh critique more grounded in reality than the one Zinn gave to the United States to manufacture his own career.
• Speaking of harshness — yes, as Lynn Bartels blogs for the Denver Post‘s The Spot, the Independence Institute is having its own “Biggest Loser” weight-loss competition — no, I’m participating in the “Biggest Gainer” competition instead.

Have a great Friday!

Update, 9:00 PM: They fixed it. That’s responsive, same-day government service for you!

First of all, I have to commend to you the Secretary of State’s work in creating the new TRACER campaign finance website, which is a more user-friendly, valuable tool than its predecessor. On the lighter side, while it’s imperative for candidates and committees filling out important disclosures to cross their t’s and dot their i’s, someone should have checked on TRACER’s main page to ensure the same level of accuracy: (more…)

The 2010 survey of Colorado’s political temperature is in the books. A formal rollout of the top-line results is coming on Monday. But you can get a first glance throughout the evening as El Presidente highlights the raw results on People’s Press Collective.

Thanks to everyone who participated. With 714 participants, this is the most popular edition yet. Come back and make your voice heard again in February … Onward and upward for 2010!