Keeper of the Clown Bell

This month I was asked to officiate a wedding and while doing so I took it upon myself to write down some observations on this ancient institution as a codification of natural impulses and a binding of mystical forces that can produce both gold and nitroglycerine (and everything in between) depending on the measure and mixture involved. This great honor was bestowed upon me by my step-daughter so I applied myself and crammed a lifetime worth of contemplation on this subject into a few short paragraphs which, as it turns out, was a wise approach because I had to preform this wedding under the clock of an approaching thunderstorm. As I spoke these words the barometric pressure noticeably dropped and the first heavy drops of rain began to fall as a prelude to the April showers just over my shoulder. Friedrich Nietzsche made the pithy observation that “A married philosopher belongs to comedy” because, in his opinion, no thinking person would willingly shackle themselves ...

The critical battlefield was outlined by POTUS 44 with the mid-December release of  his annual list of favorites  from the closing year (2025) which includes the top movies he has watched in the hours that remain after reading many books and listening to a lot of music. Because he's a capitol (D) donkey I figure Barack gets to watch all of these pictures for free plus hear the industry chit-chat about what celebritards are paid to promote. As longtime KOTCB readers know, I do NOT usually watch the films critiqued here because, for the most part, I don't need to but unlike Barry I do give commentary regarding the themes in these flicks to explain WHY they make anyones list. The Enigma just lobs his picks skyward like he's shooting hoops with LeBron and hopes the rock falls into the hole.* For me it's one battle after another in the cinephile war and in the spirit of years past I humbly submit my reviews. Through a series of odd circumstances, I have actually watched a mo...

  First Kiss Standing outside an Episcopal church in Middletown, RI this October I was approached by a TDS addled Senator (D-RI) who said, "I didn't expect to see you here." It's probably true, I don't live in Rhode Island and I haven't summered there for well over a decade but I did make the 8 hour drive up I-95 to attend a memorial service for our old friend who had passed away in the summer after a long illness. She died in Scotland, which is a place she loved, and was buried there but her American friends insisted on gathering to celebrate her life and spirt on Yankee soil. I responded to the Senator, "I wouldn't miss this, she was a very important person in my life" which was the truth and he grunted an affirmation then pressed on to glad-hand his constituents. The recently deceased was best friend to his wife so maybe he had heard second hand stories or idle gossip about my past associations and intertwining history with the lady being eulo...

  It’s been a few years since I did my last Oscars review because I don’t watch these movies anymore and ever since the “Moonlight” win I’ve lost interest in the spectacle but this year… this year I’m back. Still haven’t watched any of the movies (except Oppenheimer) but I did see a film that should have won but didn’t. Read all about it. BEST PICTURE NOMINEES AMERICAN FICTION -  Black Lives Matter. West World season 1 on HBO was okay, and Jeffery Wright’s awakening to the fact that he wasn’t what he thought himself to be was moving and sad. We’ve all been there - realizing a truth that everyone else already knew but were too embarrassed to mention. I wish these guys would make a movie about Kanye. ANATOMY OF A FALL -  Guerre tout le temps. I just don’t care. Die. Go to jail. Or be free. Whatever you need to do but don’t drag me into your horrible dramatic life with massive disfunction and French ennui.  BARBIE -  White Loves You. Great memes. I mean, honestly,...

 Hey, Democracy ain’t perfect and you don’t get what you want most of the time but I’ve still got this blog and that’s something most Chinamen and Russians can’t say, right? I know that voting doesn’t matter because the winners are pre-selected by the IC but vote anyway.

A few weeks ago Duke lost Coach K’s last game at Camron Indoor Stadium to the schools hated rival, North Carolina University, in an epic grudge match. It was an “ unacceptable ” finale for the maniacal ferret-faced competitor who created the 40 year dynastic Duke hoops program with 1,000+ wins and fists full of ACC and NCAA championships but for Tar Heels everywhere it was a day of retribution. Michael  William Krzyzewski, is a red-blooded All-American college basketball coach of Polish and Ukrainian descent who grew up in Chicago’s famous Ukrainian Village which is (or at least was) culturally very reminiscent of the Rus borderlands. That is to say that young S h-shef-ski   grew up as  far away (psychology) from Dixie as is possible while still living within the borders of the USA. That makes him the perfect choice to represent Duke University and the Yankee overachievers who emigrate to Durham for 4 years of education and networking before moving back to...