It happens to all chazanim at some point or another

As Shabbat starts late and the NF has 4 little NFs, the NF has been attending KY/S&M on Friday afternoons as it is the only shul in the area with an early Shabbat minyan. Let's just say that one does not come out of that shul very inspired....in fact this past friday night, with Kabbalat Shabbat being led by an older gentleman whose death-warmed-over singing style made me think that we needed to call the chevra kadisha in for a little tahara action, was the least inspiring Friday night davening I had attended since the previous week at KY/S&M.

Observation #1: When a little kid gets up to lead yigdal at the end of davening and he's wearing shorts and then wraps a long talit around himself so that only a bit of calf is showing, it really looks like a flasher in a trench coat.

Observation #2: For those living in Israel or for those who have visited Israel over the last few years, you will know that the OU Israel Center publishes a weekly rag known as TorahTidbits (or in the NF's circles as TorahNitWits). This publication is everything that is wrong with American Orthodoxy, contains idiotic articles, ads for superficial sounding shiurim (in English of course), little mazal tov and condolonce announcements and ads which are completly inapproriate for shul. This week's edition did not dissapoint. As found on page 28:

Yes, as Death Warmed Over warbled through Lecha Dodi, I got to think about the 50+ year old members of the anglo community here in Israel taking a natural, herbal supplement for their ED.  Gross. And remember folks, it's powerful!!!!

So Shabbat day passed uneverntfully until I got to arvit. YS comes over to me and tells me that "J" was the chazzan for mincha at the neighborhood 1:30 mincha minyan and had a bit of an dysfunctional episode. You see, he started chazarat Hashat"z in the weekday melody (correct nusach --see Cantor Sherwood Goffin's notes on Mincha nusach here) but at yimloch, he failed to switch over and repeated all of mincha in the shalosh regalim melody. "J" is usually a top notch baal tefilla that doesn't get gonged but these things happen to all chazanim at some point or another. Maybe it's stress from work, a need to exercise more or poor diet that is causing the problems. Of course, J did just celebrate a significant birthday. J - For older men solutions are available: They are natural, herbal and powerful!!!!