"TSSB": The discussion rages on...

If you're interested -- and I know you are -- in a follow-up to my last post, here's a list of all of the folks who have performed "TSSB" at the Super Bowl. If only the one Charlie's Angel (not an original, mind you, but a long-standing crime-fighting cutie) and the citrus spokeswoman-cum-anti-gay loudmouth had performed together.

Also, it's mildly ironic (or is it coincidence?) to note that the Dixie Chicks sang the national anthem before Super Bowl XXXVII (even though I have a pretty good grasp on Roman numerals, I just wish they'd write "Super Bowl 37"), just 43 days before they incurred the wrath of red-state America (and their all-too-eager [and none-too-charming, IMHO {I usually avoid Internet abbreviations/slang, but for this blog entry and for you, dear readers, I'll make an exception}] champion, Toby Keith).

Am I unpatriotic?

On Frozen Blog addresses one of my pet peeves in attending sporting events in the DC area; in fact, it's my biggest pet peeve after knowing full well that 90 percent of the people around here don't care two whits about any team other than the Redskins. (Hello, people...the team is 4-9 with Joe Gibbs, Gregg Williams, Al Saunders, the ghosts of George Allen père [that's two posts today referencing that family -- hope I don't have some sort of Allen-o-philia] and Vince Lombardi, and Santa Claus on the coaching staff, so they ain't goin' nowhere this year -- or, with any luck and some blessings from the football deities, next season either.)

I'm very open about the fact that I think "The Star-Spangled Banner" (I will abbreviate hereafter as "TSSB") is a terrible national anthem. "Why?" you ask.

1. It's about a flag, not a country.
2. Speaking more to that point, can most Americans honestly say they know how the song/poem came to be? If not, it loses even more meaning.
   
3. Unless you're a fairly competent vocalist, it's hard to sing.
   
4. Given (3), if a large-enough crowd attempts to sing it -- and if you're at a sporting event, a good number of folks have probably been a bit over-served already, so to speak -- it just sounds bad.
5. Of course, if they are over-served, it fits right in, considering that "To Anacreon in Heaven," the tune to which the Key poem was set, was, more or less, a drinking song.
   

As such, I'd be very amenable to changing our national anthem to "America the Beautiful" (this is the U.S. Navy Band [with the Sea Chanters], pre-Randy or Deech) or "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" (the Coast Guard Band here) -- even with their theistic references, which I am leery of using in this nation that purports to celebrate separation of church and state -- because they speak to the history, beauty, and wonder of the United States and not to a bombed-out Free State flag.

All that being said, however, for the time being, show some respect for "TSSB" (gotta love Hendrix, who was, of course, a parachute infantryman with the 101^st Airborne) as well as for the men and women who have fought and died defending the very flag about which we sing (albeit poorly more often than not) and protecting rights like criticizing the validity of our national "song."

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On a related note, does anyone know where one might find audio and/or video clips of James Earl Jones reciting "TTSB" before last night's (12.13.06) Wizards-Nuggets tilt at the Phone Booth? If so, let me know.

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If you're wondering, the flag above is the 32-star model in use from 7.4.1858 to 7.3.1859 -- the 32^nd state being Minnesota, of course. (I apologize for using the Rouser as the clip as it's not the state song, but it's peppier and I actually know the words to it.)

2006 in DC, SD, VA, etc., etc.

The Rothenberg Political Report offers up "[a] [v]ery, [v]ery, [v]ery [w]eird" year in politics. I must say that the biggest surprise of the year -- and as a new Virginian, the most pleasant surprise of the year that is soon not to be anymore -- was Macaca Mouth going down to defeat at the hands of the wacky, wild, and Dubya-dissin' Webb. (I can't believe I linked to the Sacramento Bee; it wasn't even an article about the comparative merits of Mike Bibby and Brad Miller -- the center, not the North Carolina Democrat Congressman [and yes, I had to go to the Kings' website to see who was on the team besides Bibby].)

The closing weeks of 2006 may bring even more aberrations if Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) is unable to continue to serve the Mount Rushmore State following his overnight surgery to stabilize a congenital arteriovenous malformation. The ramifications for control of Congress are immense, to be sure (at least, within the Beltway), but they should -- and must -- take a back seat to concern for the senator and for his family. Democracy in America sums up my feelings pretty well:

May Mr Johnson recover speedily; not only because his incapacitation or death would be tragic, but because Mike Rounds, the governor, will undoubtedly infuriate half the country with whomever he names as a replacement. Name a Republican and Democrats will howl that he has overturned the will of the American people by exploiting a tragedy. Name a Democrat and his party could lynch him. Either way, America's business will be forgotten for weeks if not months of angry finger-pointing between the partisans.

Get well soon, Tim Johnson.

Freddy bids United a fond adieu

Had to do it -- the pun, that is. The first post in a few days is a short one, but as a fan of DC United, I have to say that getting rid of Adu, the unreachable expectations, and his penchant to complain instead of perform is definitely a plus for United. Hopefully, this means more playing time for those who have actually earned their way into the starting XI, like Clyde Simms, etc.

With any luck, more posts to come later in the day...