THE STORY OF MY LIFE IN MUSIC

From Worldometer:

           DAY USA   WORLD   Brazil      India   South Africa

June      9    1093    4732        1185       246          82

July     19      412    4606          715       675          85

           22     1205    7128       1293     1120        572

Aug      1    1462     6429       1191       765        193

          10       534     4813         593     1013        198
          12     1504     6556       1242       835        130

          30       369     4182         398       960          47
Sept     3     1094     5886          830    1083        174
            6       432     4129          456    1008        110
            9     1208     6222        1136    1168          82
           13      392     3905          389    1140          20
           14      480     4374          454    1054          52
           15    1197     6001        1090    1283        142

           16    1012     6085          967    1139          64

           17      879     5568          857    1174          67

           18      958     5464          826    1221          85

           19      657     5141          708    1149          83

Summary:  Weekend reporting is usually low.

Sunday is usually devoted to something more pious, but I was solemn yesterday, and tomorrow is when I start counting down my 100 best songs, so today I thought I would provide some background on the methodology behind the selections.  

1. Started with the 4000 or songs in my computer library.
2. Whittled it down to 250 or so.
3. But had difficulty cutting it any further.
4. So I decided to have a top ten, but break #s 11-100 into a series of genres somewhat determined by chronology and emotion.

Genres:

• #11 - #18:  early ages:  memorable tunes I can't forget
• #19 - #26:  Hawaiian
• #28 - #40:  Classical (#27 could be this or Hawaiian)
• #41 - #45:  International
• #46 - #67:  American history to older Broadway
• #67 - #82:  Growing up
• #83 - #90:  Stanford years
• #91 - #94:  Sugar plantation days
• #94 - #96:  Folk era
• #97:           Karaoke
• #98:           Disco
• #99:           More recent songs
• #100:         Novelty songs

Yesterday I mentioned that I would be having an enhanced pork tonkatsu, for 15 Craigside came in last when I reviewed this dish early this year.  A key factor is to make the crust crispier.  I started with some foie gras, and carefully fried the mixture.  

I included some ahi (yellow-fin tuna) sashimi, salad, rakkyo, hot sake and cold beer:

Not the best, but much better.  Next time, truffles.  The white truffles season just started, and black truffles go into February.  Amazon sells fresh truffles.  15 Craigside will deliver pork tonkatsu in exactly five weeks.

Note that I am enjoying this meal while watching The Greatest Story Ever Told...no, make that The Greatest Game Ever Played. (this is the entire 2 hr 30 min film, but of poor quality for free).   This 2005 film only earned a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 63 from reviewers, but audiences gave it 82%.  I would score it higher. 

Anyway, today, to the exact day 107 years ago, is when 20-year old amateur Francis Ouimet of the USA beat two British pros, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at The Country Club in the 1913 U.S. Open, which interestingly enough--the 2020 U.S. Open--is being contested on TV while I'm punching out this post.  Back then, golf was only for the very rich, and Teddy came from a working class immigrant family whose father vehemently opposed his son's attempts.  They conveniently lived across the street from The Country Club, so he took up caddying, and mostly honed his game at home in his bedroom.  However, he was good enough to win the state schoolboy championship.

You can watch the movie for the details (or read the 2002 book of that name by Mark Frost), but through tribulations, he somehow finds himself ready to tee off for the 1913 Open, when his caddy schoolmate friend does not show up.  Instead, here waddles in the 5th grade brother who tells Ouimet that he skipped school to tell him that his brother was arrested for truancy, and that he, this 10-year old, would carry the bag.  Eddie (right) turns out to be, with Harry Vardon, the two most sensible and likable characters in the film.  I'm having some garlic soy beans with Kavalan (won Best Whiskey of the Year in 2015 AND 2016--and comes from Taiwan).

To summarize Ted Ouimet beats Vardon and Ray in a playoff...by five strokes.  Vardon was already a past Open champion five times, and Ray won in 1912.  Ouimet?  He never turned pro, but is referred to as the father of amateur golf in the U.S.  He became the first non-Briton to be elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Club of St. Andrews.  In 1988 his portrait was used on a 25-cent stamp.

Eddie Lowery?  He later moved to San Francisco, became an auto-dealer and multi-millionaire.  He golfed with Bob Hope and was a pall bearer when Ouimet passed away in 1967.

Also interesting as to how the game of golf has changed.  A century ago you did not mark your ball, so on one shot on the green Quimet chipped his ball over Vardon's.  Ruined the surface.  Also, played through rain even when there were puddles on the green.

About golf, watch then 3-year old Tommy Morrisey.  He plays with one arm.  Five years later he hit a Little League home-run.  There is a lot to drive and heart and dedication that can overcome almost anything.

-