Goodbye, Mr. Buckley

William F. Buckley, the “scourge of liberalism, as dubbed by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., passed away yesterday at his home in Connecticut. He was 82.  Buckley, born in Manhattan in 1925 and a Yale graduate, founded the magazine The National Review in 1955 and ultimately, made it “cool” to be a conservative at a time when all the rage was about liberalism.

He also hosted the much-watched television program “Firing Line” from 1966-1999, authored more than fifty books and more than 5,600 newspaper and magazine articles.

Buckley was indeed a renaissance man for he was an avid lover of sailing, good food, music and the arts and even ran for mayor of New York City in 1965, ultimately losing to winner John Lindsay.  He was a regular confident to Ronald Reagan during his presidency.

What truly made William F. Buckley unique, however, was his way with words.  He was not only extremely intelligent and well-spoken, but he was able to intermingle wit and humor into his lofty approach to language.  For instance, when asked what he would do if won the 1965 mayoral election, he replied, “I’d demand a recount.”

Another wonderful example of William Buckley is his hosting of the Granada Television-produced version of Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited” and shown in the United States on PBS in the 1980’s where he introduced each of the fourteen episodes and then moderated a round table discussion following each episode’s airing.

Buckley enjoyed having dinner with the liberals whom he would skewer on a regular basis, believing that one could learn so much from those who have opposite viewpoints.

The man could speak, the man could write and the man could ask questions, all the while acknowledging his own understanding that it was not his job to be a politician or to make policy, but rather to think about and react to politics and issues so that a voice may be heard- to say “‘Stop’, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who urge it.”

I fear this country shall not see the likes of William F. Buckley again.

Michelle Obama

I’ve been gnashing my teeth all week about her ill-advised comment about her being proud to be an American for the first time in her life.I would like to sound intelligent about this, but let’s be honest…I can’t.

I have one thing to say regarding Michelle Obama. What a fucking stupid thing to say for such a bright woman.Do you mean to tell me, Mrs. Obama, that you were not proud the day you received your ACCEPTANCE letter from Princeton University? You were not proud the day you GRADUATED from same? You were not proud the day you received your ACCEPTANCE letter from Harvard University Law School, the most prestigious LAW SCHOOL in the world? You were not proud the day you received your DIPLOMA from this institution? And finally, even though it wasn’t about you, were you not proud the day your husband was ELECTED to the State of Illinois Senate? Do you honestly expect me to believe that you were not proud on ANY of these momentous occasions? Or were you truly not proud because you are of the opinion that you are entitled to these accomplishments because of who you are?

Now, for the first time, she is finally proud of her country. Yes, now that she and her husband are in the spotlight. It’s not about “change,” for the Obamas will bring absolutely nothing new to the White House. They will be the same as their predecessors, if not worse, due to a complete lack of experience. The reason she is proud is because now, she is on TV and in the newspapers and proud that she and her obsession with her own ego can be displayed for all the world.

Let me tell you something, Mrs. Obama, these things are possible because you live in a country that makes it possible for people of all races, genders and religion to participate in education, the government or whatever endeavour they choose. It is a country that is built upon the concept of freedom and equality and although not perfect, it is definitely the best place to live in the world. In some countries, Mrs. Obama, you would have been bombed for making such a statement.

The sad thing is, I’m sure Obama’s electorate, especially the current under-thirty generation share her lack of pride in this country. There is no excuse for this. Fortunately, it is not Mrs. Obama that is in the presidential race and her ridiculous comments should not bear upon the worth of her husband. Yet, her comments are absolutely impossible to ignore and if this really is her disposition, then she does not deserve to be First Lady of the United States of America.

Far From Finished

I didn’t know what to write about this morning, but I happened upon the new video from Far From Finished, entitled “Roses and Razorblades.” Far From Finished is a great band from Boston, but more importantly, the members of the band are a bunch of great guys and it’s nice to see them enjoying success.