So my mom grew up next door to Billy Barr.. [View all]

[sir pball]

My grandfather was a professor at Columbia; my mom (since passed) grew up in the faculty housing at 445 Riverside Drive. I got this email today from her best friend, relating their childhood:

The Barr family lived on the 10th floor, on the same side of the building as the Waites. They had four boys. Billy played the bagpipes. Even with the amazing solid brick walls, which cut a lot of sound, the entire building was very aware of Billy's musical development. Kippy Barr (real name Christopher, the oldest) was almost the exact same age as Maria. Billy was a bit older than Annie. The other two were Stevie and I-can't-remember. The Barrs, together with Larry and Donny O'Neill from the 9th floor, had a regular baseball game every afternoon for years, in the park right across the street from 445. In grade school Maria had several memorable fights with Kippy Barr and one of the O'Neills -- perhaps Larry. Even at the end of high school, when it snowed we had memorable snowball skirmishes with the O'Neills and the Barrs.

That doesn't give you a lot of helpful information about Billy. Sorry. From the photos now he looks exactly like his father. I imagine he is very smart and capable. And I presume he is completely honest -- his whole family were ramrod straight.

Trump nomination aside, if my source says he and his whole family are "ramrod straight" I'll believe it. I mean, there's a lot worse he could have nominated...