The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Archives - Page 12 of 57

Lafayette’s Tour: It Was Twenty Decades Ago…

By Chris Carosa on January 2, 2024

Two hundred years ago, in January 1824, a struggling Congress asked President James Monroe to dispatch an invitation across the ocean to the only surviving general of the American Revolutionary War. The fifth President of the United States and the last Founding Father to fill that role, Monroe wanted to send a message—on both sides of the Pond.

It was a time of transition. It was a time of hope. It was a time to remember.

Domestically, America had just won its second war of independence from Great Britain. This one-time adversary had now fast become a firm ally. Concurrently, the old monarchies of Europe reappeared, threatening to undo the republican movement in the western hemisphere.

On the verge of his sixty-seventh birthday, Monroe accomplished much by the end of his second term despite a series of controversies and setbacks that marred his first four years as President. Initially elected to the nation’s highest office in 1816, Monroe set his focus on Continue Reading “Lafayette’s Tour: It Was Twenty Decades Ago…”

50 Years Ago—A Reflection On Star Trek: The Animated Series

By Chris Carosa on December 12, 2023

What were you doing in September 1973? Were you listening to Art Garfunkel’s first solo album? Watching Billie Jean King beat loud-mouth Bobby Riggs in straight sets? Or how about cheering as the Oakland Raiders’ Ken Stabler threw the winning touchdown pass to give the hated Miami Dolphins their first loss in 18 games?

Well, if you were me, you excitedly anticipated the realization of what you spent years waiting for: the first airing of a new Star Trek episode.

Of course, this would be an animated episode, but at least it would feature the voices of the original crew (except for Chekhov, that is).

Diligently watching the series also presented one of my first moral dilemmas. There was only one thing I liked better than Star Trek (and astronomy and the space program). It was Continue Reading “50 Years Ago—A Reflection On Star Trek: The Animated Series”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, Movie Reviews, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Art Garfunkel, Beyond the Farthest Star, Bill Breon, Billie Jean King, Billy Breon, Bobby Riggs, Chekhov, Chili Lions, Gene Roddenberry, Ken Stabler, Kenny, Livonia Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Robert April, Rochester Mustangs, Samuel A. Peeples, Sarah April, Saturday Night Massacre, Spiro Agnew, Star Trek, Star Trek Lower Decks, The Animated Series, The Counter-Clock Incident, The Original Series, Trekker, trekkie, Watergate, Where No Man Has Gone Before

The Role Of The Historian

By Chris Carosa on December 5, 2023

It’s early Saturday morning and I’m driving through history on my way to history. Like the hills I’m traveling through, the rain ebbs and flows in calm undulating waves.

“Calm” and “undulating” might not go together at first glance but think of sinusoidal waves. They move up and down with precise regularity. That regularity equates to calmness. The “up and down” represents “undulation” defined.

Such is the role of the historian, who commands the log of the human ship through waves of foible fads, ever trying to keep it calm and undamaged, despite its erratic and often misguided crew.

“Memory, thy name be frailty.” The metaphor of this butchered Shakespearian quote suggests the theme of this essay. It also represents the burden of the historian.Continue Reading “The Role Of The Historian”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Cicero, Delaware River, Dragnet, Gaius Julius Caesar, George Washington, Greco-Persian Wars, Herodotus, History, Jack Webb, New York State Public Historian Law, Peloponniesian War, Rubicon, Scientific History, Thucydides

How Much Are You Willing to Pay to Have Free Speech?

By Chris Carosa on November 28, 2023

James McHenry was born in Ireland in 1753. His Scots-Irish family send him to America in 1771 after he became sick from studying too hard. He may also have been sent to check out the colonies in anticipation of the entire family’s eventual immigration. In fact, a year later, the McHenry clan settled in what were then (for only a few years more) the British Colonies.

McHenry finished his studies in Philadelphia before serving as an apprentice under Benjamin Rush. You may remember Rush as the doctor/patriot who signed the Declaration of Independence, the founder of Dickinson College and the mentor/teacher of both Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark fame) and future president William Henry Harrison.

Perhaps influenced by Rush, or maybe the whole Philadelphia experience, McHenry joined the cause of the patriots. After the British captured and then released him, McHenry served on the staffs of both George Washington and General Lafayette.

Two things about McHenry stand out in his long and illustrious career as a Founding Father. It’s likely you don’t know his connection to either.Continue Reading “How Much Are You Willing to Pay to Have Free Speech?”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Alien and Sedition Acts, American Revolution, balancing test, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, Bill of Rights, Brandenburg v Ohio, Catherine O'Donnell, Charles Schenck, clear and present danger, Declaration of Independence, Dickinson College, Donald Trump, Elizabeth Willing Powel, First Amendment, Fort McHenry, Fred M. Vinson, George Washinton, hate speech, Hugo Black, James McHenry, John Marshall Harlan II, Kathy Hochul, Lafayette, Lewis & Clark, Meriwether Lewis, Nikki Haley, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Richard Amesbury, Robert H. Jackson, Ron DeSantis, Star Spangled Banner, Supreme Court, U.S. Constitution, Vietnam War, William Henry Harrison, William O. Douglas

Growing Old With The Sandman

By Chris Carosa on November 13, 2023

I’ve been to Bills games. I’ve been in Bills games’ traffic jams. I know how to navigate those slowdowns. I don’t have the patience to wait. I see the shortcuts like I see the back of my hand on the steering wheel. Most get overcome with frustration at the sight of these roadway snarls. I buckle down with calm confidence. I know the way out. And I’m not afraid to take it.

The Adam Sandler “I Missed You Tour” wasn’t supposed to be a Bills’ game. Even a sold-out Blue Cross Arena would require only a fraction of the people.

And yet, there we were. Stuck in traffic on 490 West.

It seems like everyone made the same decision. Park at the Civic Center Garage and stay out of the rain. Or sleet. Or snow. Or whatever decides to precipitate from the skies above.

I wanted to make it a relaxing evening. A casual drift down memory lane. A respite from Continue Reading “Growing Old With The Sandman”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Betsy, Blue Cross Arena, Buffalo Bills, Chris Farley, Civic Center Garage, Jonathan Loghran, Kevin James, Kevin Nealon, Luis Guzman, Nick Swardson, Norm McDonald, Rob Schneider, Rochester, South Avenue Garage

How Will You Repay Your Debt To Humanity?

By Chris Carosa on November 7, 2023

What legacy will you leave to mankind? Your answer may very well depend on how one asks the question. Be warned. The particular framing of the query I just posed can lead you mistakenly astray.

What’s the difference between the lead question and the question in the title?

Take a look at them both. How do the specific words used make you feel when you read them? What does “leaving a legacy” conjure up in your mind versus “repaying a debt”? And how does your picture of “mankind” contrast to what your mind sees when reading the term “humanity?”

It’s all about connotation, not denotation. Denotation means the raw dispassionate facts. Connotation favors the emotion. And, being a human, emotion rules. (Sorry to all you Continue Reading “How Will You Repay Your Debt To Humanity?”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Aristotle, debt, humanity, Legacy, mankind, Neil Armstrong, Normandy, Sir Edmund Hillary, Spock, The Nicomachean Ethics

Blasdell, The Beatles, And Brotherhood

By Chris Carosa on October 31, 2023

There was always The Beatles. Or at least it seemed that way.

I was too young to remember a time before The Beatles.

Strike that.

I certainly do remember the years before The Beatles (or, more appropriately, their music) landed on American shores. I can recall several memorable scenes from the time I was one or two years old.

I remember watching Mercury launches on the black-and-white TV in the living room of our apartment. I remember waiting for my mother to return home (from either work or school—that part I can’t remember) in that same living room on 83 Victory Avenue. I remember taking walks on that same street.

I remember staying at my grandparents on Ingham Avenue while my parents went out. I slept in the crib in the back room. Rather, I was supposed to be sleeping in the crib in the back room. What I really did was Continue Reading “Blasdell, The Beatles, And Brotherhood”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged 1960s, Abbott Parkway, Blasdell, Cub Scouts, Grow Old With Me, Hard Days' Night, Help!, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Ingham Avenue, John Lennon, Kenny, Klaatu, Lackawanna, Lehigh Valley, Life Magazine, Now and Then, Paul McCartney, Pipes of Peace, She Loves You, South Buffalo Railway, South Park Avenue, The Beatles, The Monkees, The Twist, Tony Sheridan and The Beatles, Victory Avenue, WGR, WKBW

What A Whirlwind Week It Was

By Chris Carosa on October 24, 2023

Adrenaline does amazing things. It can give you a sense of superhuman strength. It can push you to accomplish things you can only dream of. It can keep you awake and alert until the job is done.

How long can an adrenaline rush last?

That’s a tricky question. The length depends on what triggers the initial rush. It might be 10-15 minutes. It might be an hour or two. It might be a day.

And what happens when you experience a series of adrenaline rushes?

OK, I’m going to stop right there. I’m not a doctor and an “Adrenaline Rush” clearly has Continue Reading “What A Whirlwind Week It Was”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged adrenaline rush, Buffalo Bills, Fanatics, Greg Koch Marshall Trio, HF-L, Hilary Stott, Jeremy Tuke, Karen Mireau, New York Giants, Otto Vondrak, Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, The Cottage, Tim & Deb Smith, Tom Midney, TWID

Life (With Strings Attached)

By Chris Carosa on October 17, 2023

Sitting in the balcony at the First Presbyterian Church on North Main Street in Honeoye Falls, I couldn’t help but wonder. It was Ray Milne’s funeral service. He was an amazing man. Long ago, during my term of public service, he offered sound and wise advice. He was a man many could look to as a community role model. I only wish I could accomplish half of what he did.

But that’s not what I was wondering about. The setting itself took me back. When I first moved back to Mendon in the late 1980s, I joined many civic groups, hoping to discover what I could offer my adopted hometown. Several of those groups convened in the meeting rooms of the church.

That was a time long ago. I started thinking about all the people I knew back then. Some of them were in that church celebrating Ray’s life. Most of them were celebrating with Ray.

The solemn but sweet music coming from the organ helped place me in the mood to Continue Reading “Life (With Strings Attached)”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged A Tune A Day, Beatles, Beatles Medley, Beethoven, Breeze-Easy Method for Strings, Carnival of Venice, Curley, eleveth grade, First Presbyterian Church, Gates Chili, Herman Dilmore, Honeoye Falls, Larry, Miss Avalon, orchestra, Pop Goes the Weasel, Ray Milne, Red River Valley, Santa Lucia, Song of the Volga Boatmen, Suzuki, third grade, Three Stooges, violin, Volga Boat Song, Woodlawn

The Eclipse That Changed History

By Chris Carosa on October 10, 2023

As you read this, assuming the post office delivers the paper on time, a partial eclipse of the sun looms. This isn’t the big one. That’s coming on Monday, April 8, 2024. It’s a total eclipse of the sun that begins roughly at 3:18 PM and lasts for almost 4 minutes. The center line of that eclipse goes through Batavia, so that’s about as close as you can get.

Assuming it’s not cloudy.

The eclipse I’m talking about now is a partial eclipse of the sun. This is an annular eclipse. That’s the one where the moon doesn’t quite cover the entire sun. It leaves a bright ring. Pretty impressive looking. Pretty scary looking. It’s scheduled to happen on Saturday, October 14 right around 1:13 PM as a partial eclipse.