Archive for August 10, 2021

A proud slice of Americana

Posted: August 10, 2021 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

Vietnam veteran Bill Poulton stood on the bandstand erected on his farm in Muncy, Pennsylvania, and asked the several hundred spectators to stand.  

With almost military precision, the assembled crowd rose, placed their hands over their hearts, looked upward to the American flag nearby, and said the pledge of allegiance. 

I hadn’t seen such a display of unity and patriotism in many years. It was a striking reminder that my wife and I had chosen well when we decided to leave the woke environment of Philadelphia and move to Muncy, a town of 2,500 people in central Pennsylvania. 

After the pledge, the crowd settled back into their lawn chairs to listen to The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra perform a collection of old American tunes from around the turn of the 20th century.  

Nearby, Boy Scouts sold hot dogs to raise money for their troop, and the Muncy High School band and choir offered burgers at another stand. The Muncy Historical Society provided free popcorn. 

“It was a slice of Americana,” one of the organizers told us. Norman Rockwell couldn’t have put it any better, and the scene just a few blocks away from our home was reminiscent of a Rockwell drawing.  

Rick Benjamin, the orchestra leader, provided background about each of the songs, including tunes from Scott Joplin, John Philip Sousa, and some lesser-known composers. Our neighbor, talented soprano Bernadette Boerckel, sang some of the selections, such as “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” by Gus Edwards. She led the crowd in a rendition of The Pan Alley Song Medley, which included “The Sidewalks of New York,” “Sweet Rosie O’Grady,” “A Bicycle Built for Two,” and “The Band Played On.” Muncy Ragtime Band 

As twilight merged into nighttime, the orchestra erupted into an encore by John Philip Sousa, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”  

On a cloudy, summer evening, this verse seemed particularly appropriate: 

“Let eagle shriek from lofty peak 
The never-ending watchword of our land; 
Let summer breeze waft through the trees 
The echo of the chorus grand. 
Sing out for liberty and light, 
Sing out for freedom and the right. 
Sing out for Union and its might, 
O patriotic sons.” 

And I didn’t see anyone wearing a bleeping mask! 

MLB Plays Pass the Pitchforks in Colorado Race Hoax

Posted: August 10, 2021 by datechguy in baseball, Sports

I’m entering my 2nd year of not watching MLB or going to MLB games as they’ve become woke and this week has been an excellent example of why that decision isn’t going to change anytime soon.

First in Colorado we had the spectacle of the Colorado Rockies and the MLPA rushing to condemn a fan who was shouting for a mascot named “Dinger” (baseball slang for Home Run appropriate for a park like Colorado where many are hit) so he could get a picture with his children and grandchildren hounded and condemned because someone thought he had said “nigger” instead when an opposing player was at bat.

Now the player didn’t hear him say this and the film showed the fan was not playing attention to the player but did the Rockies or MLB take the time to check this out? NO they rushed out a statement to make sure that that they were properly woke and properly anti racist and thus this grandfather got a lot of unwelcome attention that he didn’t deserve.

The key line from a tweet from a reporter covering the story:

All kinds of sports media picked up on this. It even got international coverage but when it was shown to be false the Rockies follow up statement didn’t even include an apology and some media even defended their rush to judgement.

Since right and wrong apparently aren’t in play here in a post Christian society let me frame this is a practical ends and means way that MLB will understand?

How anxious do you think he will be to return to the park, how anxious will his children be to return to the park and how anxious do you think his grandchildren will be to go to the park after the team and the players association along with the twitter mob piled on?

And as a fan aren’t you just delighted with the notion that if someone mishears something I’ve said MLB & their players association and the journalists that cover them will be delighted to sic the mob upon you?

If I was MLB I’d think long and hard about the incentive system I am creating.