Ready On the Right! Ready On the Left! All Ready On the Firing Line!

(Note: This is a sticky post and will remain on top until the Valour-IT fundraiser is complete; there will also be periodic Valour-IT status updates at the end of this post, clearly marked as such.  Scroll down for the normal daily blather, if it pleases you.  If it doesn't please you, read this post again!  And, please... hit that "Donate" widget to your right.)


That's the traditional way the Range Safety Officer clears the range for a course of fire just before he gives the "Commence Firing!" command… and anyone who's ever served remembers those words well. And those words ain't limited to just the Ground Pounders or Jarheads. Nope… everyone in Uncle Sam's armed forces qualifies with a weapon, even Squids and Zoomies, believe it or don’t. So… those words seemed an appropriate way to announce the kick-off this year's Valour-IT fundraiser. We ARE ready on the firing line!  

Those of you who've been coming around these parts for the past three years or so know all about Valour-IT. But if you don't know… here's what we're on about:

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries.  Technology supplied includes:

·         Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

·         Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).

·         Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

The experience of Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops and other technologies can be to a wounded service member's recovery.

Providing all of the above technologies requires money… and that's what the two-week fundraiser is all about: raising money to provide the technology to help our warriors during their recovery from wounds suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fundraiser runs from now until Veterans Day… November 11. And just to make things interesting Soldiers' Angels runs this fundraiser in the form of a competition between the military branches… Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the Coast Guard (who don't have a stand-alone team this year; they're part of the Navy team). It should come as no surprise that EIP signs on to Team Zoomie every year.

That said, it may come as something of a surprise that the Air Force traditionally fights a rear-guard action in the Valour-IT fundraiser, meaning we always come in close to the bottom of the pack, managing to beat only the Coasties in previous years. We sure do want to change that this year and we will… with your help, Gentle Reader! You can get things started by clicking on the Valour-IT widget at the top of my sidebar, which takes you directly to the Team Zoomie donation site. You can donate to Valour-IT using your credit card, PayPal, or by electronic check. You can also mail a donation to Soldiers' Angels if you choose not to donate on-line by sending a check to this address:

Soldiers Angels
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91104

Be sure to indicate your donation is for Valour-IT, on behalf of Team Air Force!

Soldiers' Angels has also done something new this year… they've developed a set of "Frequently Asked Questions" for those who need a little more info on Valour-IT. Here are a few selected questions from the FAQ:

Is my donation fully tax deductable?

Soldiers' Angels has been designated a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity by the IRS. Donations are tax-deductible and may be eligible for matching funds from donors' employers (ask your employer). Be sure to consult your tax advisor for further information.

For info on how to verify the 501(c)(3) status of Soldiers' Angels, click here.

How much of my donation goes directly to this cause?

100% of your donation will go directly to Project Valour-IT, which has no overhead ("overhead" costs are covered by Soldiers' Angels general funds).

What will my Valour-IT donation be used for? 

Your donation to Project Valour-IT will be used to purchase laptops and other technology that will support recovery and provide independence and freedom to severely-wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

In just over four years of existence, Valour-IT has provided over 4100 laptops to individual veterans, over 30 Wii game systems to VA facilities for physical therapy sessions, and over 100 handheld GPS systems to aid veterans with head injuries (TBI).

More information about Project Valour-IT and the powerful impact it has on the wounded warriors it supports can be found here.

Why is there a competition? Why is it divided among service branches?

The Valour-IT Veterans Day Fundraising "Competition" was a developed as a fun way to raise money for a very serious project.  Teams are purely for the sake of friendly competition, building on the natural inter-service rivalries of the U.S. Military.  Competition winners get "bragging rights," but the true winners are the wounded warriors who benefit from the results of the friendly competition.
 

Just like the service members themselves who tease each other with great enthusiasm but stand shoulder-to-shoulder in wartime, we're all part of the same family even when we're being competitive.  All funds raised go into the same Valour-IT account and are used to assist any wounded service member in need of Valour-IT's support, regardless of his or her service branch.

Is this competition supported by the military or the Department of Defense (DoD)?

The U.S. Military and Department of Defense are not affiliated with this competition.  Government employees or members of the military who participate in this fundraiser are acting as private citizens.
 

Soldiers' Angels (which runs Project Valour-IT), is a private, civilian 501(c)(3) nonprofit led and governed by patriotic civilians who want to ensure individual service members know that they are remembered and supported.

If you have more questions you can read the complete FAQ here.

Now… please, please help us support this cause. I left out the usual "worthy" adjective in front of "cause" because that is simply self-evident. I know times are hard, but these times are harder still for wounded warriors… and your contribution to Valour-IT will make life easier for those who have sacrificed so much. Thanks in advance.

Update, 10/27/2009 1400 hrs   We had a fantastic first day, what with well over $13K raised.  But... true to form, Team Zoomie ain't doin' so well... and we're in last place as of this writing.  See for yourself:



Aiiieee.  I'm thinkin' this has a lot to do with Ol' Joe Stalin's famous quote about "quantity has a quality all its own," which is to say those guys who like to play in the mud have twice the folks on their teams.  I know... this sounds like I'm whining, but I'm just not USED to bringing up the rear.  And don't tell me about last year's fundraiser, either.  (insert Big-Ass grin here)


Linkage:  If you haven't read Blog-Bud Jim's Valour-IT post, please go over there now.  Jim's new to Team Zoomie this year and is one HELLUVA writer (as most of you already know).  


Update, 11/01/2009:  Lotsa cool stuff available at the Valour-IT auction on eBay... including military themed books and prints, an original graphic from Day-By-Day artist Chris Muir (autographed by Chris), autographed Nolan Ryan baseball memorabilia... and more!   All proceeds go to Valour-IT... check it out!

Twenty Years Ago...

On the night of November 9, 1989 confused East German border guards opened several checkpoints in East Berlin and allowed citizens of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) free passage into West Berlin for the first time since 1961.  The East Germans were ecstatic; world-wide response was both joyful and incredulous.  And on the following day... November 10th... the wall began coming down in earnest and the partying lasted for days.  Some background:



To say the fall of the Berlin Wall was a momentous occasion is massive understatement.  I watched my teevee in a combination of amazement and wonder, thinking to myself that I never thought I would see the day... yet there it was, big as life and twice as natural.  

I like to think this event... which happened about two years earlier in the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate... had something to do with the wall coming down:

Opinions vary on this subject, but I believe President Reagan was a catalyst in bringing the wall down.  President Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher... along with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev... were the primary actors responsible for the demise of the Soviet Union, as well... an event that occurred a little over two years after the Berlin Wall came down.

It all began 20 years ago tonight... and this date marks an anniversary that should be celebrated by free peoples everywhere.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Part and parcel of...

Ah.  Beautiful weather, a couple o' few decent beers, a good cigar, and fine tunes... life is good.  Or as good as it gets these days.  It's ALL relative, yanno?

Update, later that same day, from the self-same soundtrack:





Which calls to mind one late late night in 1977 in Westby, Montana where... at approximately three or four o'clock in the morning... we did a drunken duet of this very same song with an artist who was performing in one of the two bars in Westby.  And we were GOOD, Gentle Reader.  But that's not the salient or even the most prominent memory of that evening...  No, it was the fact that I prevented a great good friend of mine from driving the ten miles back to her dorm in the wee small hours of that morning.  Like me, she was incredibly and wonderfully "happy," way too happy to drive. So... we convinced her to drive the half mile to my Little Home On The Prairie instead.  We got home and almost literally fell into bed.  The last thing I remember about that night:

She:  I don't wanna do anything...

Me:  Me neither.  I'm too damned drunk anyway...

And so we went to sleep, cradled in each others arms.  A fine ending to a fine night, regardless of what you might think.  Ain't it amazing what music will conjure up at any given point in time?

Bad News, Good News

First the bad news... which you already know unless you're currently under your favorite big-ass rock or in a coma:

WASHINGTON – In a tight vote, the House passed its sweeping health bill late Saturday, marking the biggest victory yet for Democrats in their drive to create near-universal health insurance.

[...]

Its passage moves Congress closer to the biggest expansion of the social safety net since the Medicare insurance program for the elderly was created in 1965. The measure spends $1.01 trillion over a decade to provide health insurance to an additional 36 million Americans and creates a new public insurance plan to compete with private insurers by 2013. It requires most Americans to carry insurance, creates a new exchange where they can shop for it and gives the lowest earners tax credits to help them pay for it.

A little over one trillion dollars, depending on who you believe*!  The prudent among us have to ask:  where the HELL is that money coming from?  I suppose "prudent" would disqualify all but 39 Democrats in the House, the remainder of which evidently don't understand what a massive increase in gub'mint debt means for the future of the nation and every single individual living in these United States or they don't care.  The situation is appalling, in either case. 

The astute may wonder why my rant focuses on "debt."  What else could it possibly BE... considering we have about $107 trillion in unfunded Social Security and Medicare liabilities?  But, Hell... I suppose another two or three trillion dollars ain't much to add... (/sarcasm)


So... the good news.  I don't have a link for you, but I just now watched Senator Joe Lieberman on Fox News Sunday and he said... unequivocally... that he cannot and will not support the House bill as long as it contains a "public option" for the exact reason mentioned above: an unconscionable increase in the public debt.  I might be wrong here, but I'm quite sure he said he would not allow a bill with a public option to come to a vote on the Senate floor.  And that is good news, indeed.  Let us pray.


* The Heritage Foundation thinks Pelosi's monstrosity will cost 2.6 trillion dollars. 


Update, 1710 hrs:  I heard Senator Lieberman correctly:



Good on ya, Joe.

This Is Just Pretty Cool

Well... kinda cold, actually.  Via Kukla's Korner... a look back at the 2009 NHL Winter Classic, played at Chicago's Wrigley Field.  Which might be of interest to besbol fans who don't know hockey from hookey... coz there are a lot of comparisons made between the two games, especially when it comes to the Cubbies and Chicago fans in general:



For the record: Detroit 6, Chicago 4.  It was a GREAT game!

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Forgive me, Gentle Reader, coz we seem to be stuck in that "Sensitive 70s  Kinda Guy" groove.  That said... one of the better things about Jackson Browne's music was his chocie of exemplary sidemen.  I'm speaking of the inimitable David Lindley, of course, and his violin accompaniment in this tune is as wistful and heartbreaking as it gets... a perfect complement to the song's lyrics.  And while we're on about that... here are the lyrics to "Something Fine:"

The papers lie there helplessly
In a pile outside the door
I've tried and tried, but I just can't remember what they're for
The world outside is tugging like a beggar at my sleeve
Oh, that's much too old a story to believe

And you know that it's taken its share of me
Even though you take such good care of me
Now you say "Morocco" and that makes me smile
I haven't seen Morocco in a long, long while
The dreams are rolling down across the places in my mind
And I've just had a taste of something fine

The future hides and the past just slides
England lies between
Floating in a silver mist so cold and so clean
California's shaking like an angry child will
Who has asked for love and is unanswered still

And you know that I'm looking back carefully
Cause I know that there's still something there for me
But you said "Morocco" and you made me smile
And it hasn't been that easy for a long, long while
And looking back into your eyes I saw them really shine
Giving me a taste of something fine
Something fine

Now if you see Morocco I know you'll go in style
I may not see Morocco for a little while
But while you're there I was hoping you might keep it in your mind
To save me just a taste of something fine

And now about Lindley: One of the finest album purchases I ever made in my short sweet life was Lindley's solo album... and his rendition of "Mercury Blues" is a stand-out in my musical pantheon.  But we digress.   Hell.... as long as we're digressing:




Is that fuckin' awesome, or what?

And the Winnah Is...

All the returns are in... except perhaps for an absentee ballot or two... and it's Happy Hour by unanimous vote (2 - 0; we have a very small precinct)!  The polls are now officially closed.


I mean... how could I not?  It's beautiful outside and we might even be able to remain outdoors after sunset.  Wow.  This is good!

Sad and Incomprehensible

My heart goes out to the families of yesterday's murder victims at Fort Hood and for the injured as well.  I hope we get some answers from that deranged major who caused all this carnage.  I also hope he gets the death penalty.  Too bad we can't kill him twice.  Or 13 times.

―:☺:― 

So... I have a decision to make within the hour: finish the morning coffee or get Happy Hour under way?  I've just now poured my second cup; I set a new personal worst today by not rolling out of the rack until 1320 hrs.  And today's sunrise wasn't anything to write home about, either.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

I didn't include Paul Simon in the post below (my variation on the theme of "15 Favorites") but I probably should have done so.  Simon is one of my very favorites... a guy I return to time and time again.  This particular cut is from "Graceland," but the cut I was really looking for... "Peace Like a River," from the first Simon solo album... doesn't exist on YouTube.  And that first solo album is what we're really listening to on this warm, sunny Fall afternoon.  No matter.  "Crazy Love, Part II" works almost as well.  Sorta.  But... like most things in life: ya hadda be there.  So, herewith the lyrics of the tune just now played:

Ah, peace like a river ran through the city
Long past the midnight curfew
We sat starry-eyed
Ooh, oh,we were satisfied
O-o-oh, And I remember
Misinformation followed us like a plague
Nobody knew from time to time
If the plans were changed
Oh, oh, oh, if the plans were changed.

You can beat us with wires
You can beat us with chains
You can run out your rules
But you know you can't outrun the history train
I seen a glorious day, aiee------


Ah, four in the morning
I woke up from out of my dreams
Nowhere to go but back to sleep
But I'm reconciled
Oh, oh, oh, I'm going to be up for a while
Oh, oh, oh, I'm going to be up for a while

Oh, oh, oh, I'm going to be up for a while

Yup.  Ya hadda be there.  I was "up for a while" in the way-back... the story of my life, and all that.  And now... back outside.  Beer remains to be drunk, a second cigar has been lit.  Life is good.

What Time Is It? It's Meme Time!

Yeah… we haven't done the meme thing in quite a while, but a meme about music kinda hits me where I live. About which, this:

Now these albums are emphatically not the 15 greatest albums of all time. While that's also an interesting question, that's not what I had in mind. These are more like the 15 albums I'd have to take to a desert island with me... the ones I don't think I could go without. Maybe, my 15 favorites of all my favorites.

That would be Blog-Bud Jim's swell pal Donatello speaking… and this post kicked off the madness.  And that's the meme: list your 15 all-time favorite albums.  Pretty simple, eh?  Jim is supposed to post his own "15 favorites" sometime today, but we're just slightly ahead of our time here… given as how this post will go up sometime around midnite. I'll update with an appropriate link later.

I had to go back and re-read the post in question before I embarked on my own. I was seriously mistaken, seeing as how I thought this was all about "15 albums that changed my world." It ain't… at least in its original incarnation. Still and even… "music that changed my world" seems like an appropriate variation on a theme, and that's the way I'm gonna go. Let's get started.

 

The year: 1957. The place: Ankara, Turkey. The Ol' Man was stationed in Ankara at the time and to say the USAF BX/PX distribution network ain't what it is today is a MASSIVE understatement. Elvis' debut album came out in 1956, I got it placed in my hot lil grubby hands for Christmas in 1957… as part of a gift package from my grandmother, God bless and rest her soul. How in the HELL she figured out a 12 year old kid would like… no, LOVE… something as radical as Elvis' first album is so far beyond me as to be almost alien. But she did, and as I said: God bless her for that. Keep in mind: popular music in 1957 was pretty much all Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney and the like. Elvis wailing "Hound Dog" was as different from that mainstream as hip-hop is to "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik."

Honorable mentions go to the Fats Domino and Chuck Berry singles that were also in that Christmas box… they were all part of a package that seriously changed my musical tastes. But it was Elvis who rocked my world.  And changed it forever.
 

Fast forward to 1960. I was now 15 and living in Washington, D.C. I'll choose the James Brown single on the left as an example of the revelation that came upon me beginning sometime around 1959 and culminated in 1960. That revelation was Black Radio and the R&B music featured there… which was unlike anything I had ever heard before (sorta: see Fats Domino, above). I'd go into my room at night and listen to my crackly, staticky AM radio, marveling at the music I heard… music that was Unobtanium in my white-bread, lily-white suburban world. Once again, consider the times… you simply did NOT find James Brown, Lloyd Price, or Ray Charles in the "hits" bin at Woolworths back in the day… that day being 1958 - 1960… at least not in suburbia. I would have had to journey into Southeast Washington to get that music in my hands back then and since I was only 15 and without a driver's license, that was out of the question. My parents simply wouldn't go there… literally… but the music was on the radio, the radio was in my room, and it was ON every single night. It was an education like no other.

1964. Biloxi, Mississippi (Keesler AFB). Three viewings of "A Hard Day's Night"… the movie… followed up by the IMMEDIATE purchase of the album and every single Beatles album released ever after. Beatlemania struck us HARD and opened us up to The British Invasion. Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Hollies, the Kinks, and The Rolling Stones weren't far behind. But the Beach Boys and early '60s American pop were left behind… FAR behind. My world changed… again.

1967. Lompoc, California (Vandenberg AFB). I was stationed at Lompoc Air Force Station and did shift work for about three years straight. One night in 1967 I came home from a swing shift sometime around 0030 hours and didn't want to go to bed immediately. So I got myself a beer, parked my tired young ass in the living room, switched on the FM radio, and began surfing up and down the dial… when I came across this… playing on KCSB… the college radio station out of UCSB in Isla Vista:

Yowzers! Moby Grape!  My eyes opened wide… my ears perked up and I was frickin' mesmerized. About 10 seconds into the cut I turned it up… WAY up… prompting an irritated visit from The First Mrs. Pennington, who had long been asleep. I apologized and went to headphones. And stayed up all night… listening to bands like It's a Beautiful Day, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and so on. I went on break a couple of days later, whereupon I drove down to Isla Vista and dropped an obscene amount of money (for a young three-striper) in a local indie record store. A (plastic) hippie was born…

So. We remained deeply immersed in "alternative rock" for the next ten years or so. We went from Moby Grape to Buffalo Springfield (and its individual members, like Stephen Stills and Neil Young), Santana, The Byrds, and so on and so forth. We bought the Woodstock album. We were seriously into Dylan and Joan Baez. The whole nine yards… the music led us to the counterculture, such as it was, and thus was a serious life altering event. And we stayed there for quite a while. Until 1978 or so… but before we go there… there's this:

1975. Tokyo, Japan… Yokota Air Base, actually. Neil Young's "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." I've told this story before, so there's no real need to repeat myself. EKTIN changed my life for-frickin'-EVER and was the soundtrack for the best years of my life. I just can NOT leave this album out. No way. No how. It was definitely THAT big to me.

1978 - 1980. North Bend, Oregon. College radio, yet again… and this time it was a break from what had become "classic rock," in the form of Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, and Nick Lowe… just to name three. You could also toss in the first Dire Straits album, coz it was released during that time, as well. Our musical tastes were evolving, ever so subtly. And then in what might be the most amazing case of serendipity I've ever experienced… I received orders in 1980 assigning me to RAF Uxbridge in London. The Second Mrs. Pennington and I were set down in what was arguably the very heart of the alternative music scene at the time. And we took advantage… going out to pubs, clubs, concerts and the like every damned weekend. It was… ahem… Nirvana.

So. Just one more and then we'll go. The year is 1988. Dee-troit. My Good Buddy Greg dropped by late one evening, as was his habit, and left Lyle Lovett's "Pontiac" with TSMP and I. This is the last "life changing" album I can think of and it was life changing in the sense it opened my eyes to "New Country." I've been a life-long fan of Lyle's… and country music in the larger sense… ever since.

This is only half of the meme's requisite "15 albums," and Lord knows I could add more… many more. A couple more Beatles albums. At least one John Hiatt album. Motown. The Who. Pink Floyd. Leo Kottke. Soul Asylum.  Six Dylan albums, and at least that many from the Stones. More than a few from Joni Mitchell. Etta James.  And we haven't even scratched the classical music genre, there being more than a few Mozart and Vivaldi albums I couldn't live without. The Blues, too. Da Blooze would merit a post all its own, when you come right down to it. But this is the state of my musical memories at the moment… so it's gonna have to do.

Update:  Jim's 15.  That ol' cliché about looking up "eclectic" and finding Jim's picture as the only entry in the dictionary applies.  Hoo-Boy, does it EVAH!

Reading Test

SN1 sends the following along... asking if we notice the typo:

In response to why America trusts the military…

Ed O'Malley

A former state legislator and gubernatorial aide, Ed O’Malley is President and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center, a first-of-its-kind training center charged with fostering large-scale civic leadership for healthier communities. He tweets at eomalley.

The leader next door

Confidence in the military comes easily because our soldiers care about something larger than themselves. Their work is not about profit, but duty and freedom; not about popularity (as is the case with media ratings, consumer rankings and political polls), but about the honor and security of America.

Cynicism about those in government, business and the media runs rampant, while Americans continue to hear heroic stories about military men and women, doing the work few in government, business and the media have done or likely would do.

In addition, perhaps we trust the military more because it delivers on its broad promise to the American people. We ask the military to keep us safe, and they deliver. We ask government to solve tough issues like lax regulation of Wall Street and government dithers. We ask media to shoot straight and then media bias, on all sides, is so evident. We ask big business to steward the economic promise of America and then find ourselves bailing out billionaires.

We trust military leadership because we know the military. My dad was a Marine, and my granddaddy was in the Air Force. My colleague's daughter serves on the USS Truman. Our recent widow-repair man served in Iraq. A friend flew refueling tankers over Afghanistan. I don't know any Wall Street billionaires, and that is fine with me. I'll take the leadership lessons from a soldier, sailor, air man or Marine any day.

***

As I told SN1... well, there could be such a thing (but I sincerely doubt it).  This just serves to illustrate the perils of spell-check... sometimes that squiggly red underline goes missing, eh?  Still and even, Mr. O'Malley's point has the ring of truth and is VERY well taken.

―:☺:― 

So.  We're just now finishing our second cup after answering the overnight mail and such. We've yet to turn on our teevee, make the Daily Blog-Rounds, or even steal a look at memeorandum.  Part of the reason I was up all night was the news coverage of the elections... and it appears to have been a great night for Republicans.  I'm not all that adept at reading political tea leaves, but my initial reaction is "no big deal."  The GOP, of course, is saying they're resurgent and the elections represent a referendum on The One and his policies.  I don't quite see how state governors and such have anything to do with Mr. Obama and his policies, especially in New Jersey where God hissownself would have been defeated had he run as a Democrat.  Too much party corruption there, for way too long.  Still and even, I hope the GOP pols are correct and the public rejected Democratic candidates simply because they were Democrats.  But I kinda doubt it.

We'll see.

Broadening Our Horizons VIII

That would be a Shiner Smokehaus. OK, purists... I freely admit the very ideer of mesquite flavored beer IS off-putting. But I just couldn't help myself... I'll let ya know if it's as bad as it sounds.  Or as good.  Whatevah.


That's an Acid Opulence 3 in the ashtray.  We have some experience with this cigar... and it's very, very good.  And now... outside! 


Update, later that same day:  Unaccustomed as I am to the language of connisseurs... here's a review from Beer Advocate (which gave Smokehaus an overall rating of B-, based on 79 reviews):

Pours golden yellow with a thick soapy head.

Aroma is surprisingly sour charred grassyness. Grainy, with just a hint of mesquite smokiness.

Taste is very smokey. Mesquite along with a touch of cooked meat dominates. Underlying hint of dark fruit. Finish is crisp, grassy, with a touch of adjunct sweetness.

Mouthfeel is light and smooth.

Overall a smokey lager with a nice crisp finish.

I diverge from the review only slightly.  First of all... the pour was a hearty golden orange and quite pleasing albeit with little to no head, as can be seen in the pic I posted.  Second... the beer's taste is more than a lil bit sour.  That's not a bad thing, in and of itself... more of a matter of taste.  Some folks like "sour" in a beer, some don't.   I didn't "get" the smoky taste; it wasn't all that discernible to my palate.  Don't get me wrong... the smoky taste and aroma was there... it just wasn't prominent.


Still and even: worthy.  Which is not to say Smokehaus will be a regular here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington.... more like we're not sad we bought it.  I'll finish the sixer but I won't be buying more anytime soon.

Heh

Lotsa bloggers are having fun with this lil blurb from the Beeb:

A bear killed two militants after discovering them in its den in Indian-administered Kashmir, police say.

Two other militants escaped, one of them badly wounded, after the attack in Kulgam district, south of Srinagar.

The militants had assault rifles but were taken by surprise - police found the remains of pudding they had made to eat when the bear attacked.

It is thought to be the first such incident since Muslim separatists took up arms against Indian rule in 1989.

Bodies found

The militants had made their hideout in a cave which was actually the bear's den, said police officer Farooq Ahmed.

The dead have been identified as Mohammad Amin alias Qaiser, and Bashir Ahmed alias Saifullah.

News of the attack emerged when their injured comrade went to a nearby village for treatment.

Heh. "Islamophobe Bear."  "GWOT Bear."  And the hits just keep on comin'!

Snippets From the AOR, Part V

About which: a couple o' pics I received this morning.

SN1 posted the back-story about the door pic on his blog...  And then there's this:

This is the sign that graces the front of the UK Military PAX terminal at Kandahar.  I'm thinking the original Heathrow just might be a lil more hospitable.  Ya think?

Idiots

I really shouldn't do shit like this. But I did. I saw a banner ad on WeatherUnderground and clicked through, just to see what the Hell "Hopenhagen" is... and it ain't the latest flavor from Ben & Jerry's. Nope, it's this (click to embiggen):

Now ain't that cute?

345,530 idiot reasons.

But THIS freaks me out!

I sent a note off to James Taranto at the WSJ asking if it was really true... is the Journal REALLY a "Friend of Hopenhagen?" Really? I'll let ya know if they answer me...

Full disclosure:  I did NOT sign the petition.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

"Yellow." Mellow. That would be us during today's Happy Hour, which… given the time change… we kicked off much earlier than usual.  Sitting outside with our feet up, cigar in hand and drinking in early afternoon will reinforce, no doubt, our neighbors' perception of us as an irreconcilable reprobate. I flatter myself by thinking the neighbors actually think of us at all, which I'm quite sure they don't. Still and even, drinking in mid-afternoon on a Sunday isn't quite in keeping with the gestalt of the High Plains of New Mexico, given our frickin' Blue Laws and such. It's illegal to buy alcohol on Sunday in these parts, and that includes a simple glass of wine with dinner, should one choose to dine out on a Sunday. I frickin' HATE that!

All that said… both yesterday and today were brilliant Fall days, which is to say warm, clear and beautiful. We saddled up Miss Zukiko and went for a ride around the countryside late this morning before coming back and indulging in Happy Hour. There aren't many of such days left this year, I'm afraid. So: we're taking advantage of them as best we can.

―:☺:―

Miscellaneous bitches, moans, and complaints department: Have all y'all seen that obnoxious AARP ad? The one that features the "with-it" 60-something dude who begins the ad by saying "the sixties were a time of freedom… and so are MY 60s" and then proceeds to flog Medicare Advantage insurance from AARP...complete with flashbacks of his sixties-era girlfriend with the long, ironed blonde hair, presumably now his pixie-coiffed wife? And shots of him and said girlfriend in front of their VW van (quick cut to today's minivan... OMG), and him on his motorcycle… ultimately cutting to politically-correct pics of him and the family in the present… on frickin' bicycles? God forbid we should still ride mo'sickles in our 60s, right? And then there are the oh-so-cute grandchildren. Kee-RIST. Spare me. Please. I can't find the mute button fast enough…

I spent quite a while over my morning coffee searching all the video sites for that commercial, but: no joy. Which is probably a Good Thing… coz if you've seen the ad you know exactly what I'm on about. And if you haven't seen it… well, your day has been spared a serious downer. I'm thinking the world will be a MUCH better place when all the Boomers are dead. Things are only gonna get worse in the ad-space and other cultural forums as time goes on, however. Aiiieee.

Full disclosure: I am NOT a Boomer, given as how I was born in 1945. So: I'm entitled to bitch about 'em. And Boy-Howdy… I most certainly do and will continue to do so.  Self-obsessed wankers.

―:☺:―

One more from this afternoon's soundtrack:

I loves me some Norah.  Yeah... I'd go away with her at the drop of a frickin' hat.  Sooner, even.

Coast To Coast In A Lil Over a Minute

The Promised Land from Dan Meth on Vimeo.

With Chuck Berry!

A View From India

An editorial in The Times of India contemplates the disintegration of Pakistan; here's a brief excerpt:

Which brings up a third scenario: A year down the road, US president Barack Obama capitulates to mounting domestic pressure, much of it from his own party, and decides to wind down the American presence in Afghanistan. The ISI tells the Taliban to wait quietly till the infidels have gone. And then move in. Bingo! We can all move back to September 10, 2001. The Taliban, with guidance from the Pakistani forces who are perpetually seeking strategic depth against India, gains effective control over Afghanistan. The Lashkar-e-whatevers and the al-Qaeda are delighted. The Pakistani army is happy that the security of the western flank is outsourced once again to proxies while it resumes directing its low-intensity conflict against India.

Unlikely? Perhaps. Improbable? No. Many Americans
are busy comparing their involvement in Afghanistan to Vietnam and asking whether it is worth any more time and effort. There are, however, others who are calling such comparisons nonsensical, since the two situations are entirely different, and are insisting that the stability of both Afghanistan and Pakistan is vital for the world to gain a respite from terrorism. New Delhi can only hope that the latter group wins the argument.

The other two scenarios in this editorial are just as chilling, if not more so. And note the final sentence in the quote above.  The Indians aren't alone... significant numbers of Americans feel the same way.  Let's hope the folks who think Pakistan and Afghanistan must be saved have The One's ear.  And that he listens.

RTWT, as we bloggers say.

Bachelor Cooking...

... or: when in doubt... fix breakfast. Ya can never go wrong with a Big-Ass cheese omelet slathered with El Pinto, bacon, and toast. Never.

Right Now...

Well... a few minutes ago, anyhoo.  Something we rarely do: Indoor Happy Hour.

 

Note that we've got a start on the Annual Winter Facial Hair, too.  Just sumthin' we do... every year.

This Is a Good Thing

Even though this photo is more symbolism than substance... a Good Thing, nonetheless. Symbolism IS important in these matters.

That said... I'm of the same mind as Lex, when he says:

Showing respect for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in this country’s defense is a right and proper thing to do. But, personally, I’d prefer a little less symbolism and a little more substance.

After all, the loony left have fallen strangely silent. And unlike his predecessor, this president’s political opponents stand more ready to endorse a surge of forces than try to make political hay out of it. The military are lined up behind him.

It’s time to do some broken field running.

Yup.  And The One could begin by answering the phone:

 

Dontcha think?

Update, 1430 hrs 10/30/2009:  Lotsa discussion in comments about whether The One's Dover visit was a cynical manipulative photo-op... or not.  I was giving the man the benefit of the doubt, but no more.  Mudville Gazette has a fascinating roundup of events surrounding the reporting of this photo op and one simply has to believe Obama wasn't just rendering honors to the fallen.  My feelings towards The One  are REALLY starting to verge from medium dislike and disagreement to outright loathing.

Bitch, Moan, and Complain

I'm not handling the change of season well this year. Four out of the last five days have been miserable, weather wise... unseasonably cold in three instances and the wind makes things chilly today.  We've only had one Happy Hour during this period as a result and we won't be doing one today as it simply is NOT nice outside. It's gonna be a long damned winter unless I get my mind right... and quick.

Conservatives, Liberals, and Libertarians... Oh My!

This lil blurb by David Boaz, writing at Cato@Liberty (Gallup’s Conservatives and Libertarians), caught my eye:

The word “libertarian” isn’t well known, so pollsters don’t find many people claiming to be libertarian. And usually they don’t ask. But a large portion of Americans hold generally libertarian views — views that might be described as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, or as Gov. William Weld told the 1992 Republican National Convention, “I want the government out of your pocketbook and out of your bedroom.” They don’t fit the red-blue paradigm, and they have their doubts about both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. They’re potentially a swing vote in elections. Background on the libertarian vote here.

And note here: If you tell people that “libertarian” means “fiscally conservative and socially liberal,” 44 percent will accept the label.

From my Blogger profile, first published in 2005:

Politically moderate, I'm conservative on foreign policy and national defense issues (surprise!) and liberal on social issues. I've voted Republican since 1980 but if the Libertarian party were viable I'd support them.

It looks like I'm more mainstream than I thought… but not in the Republican Party. And nothing brings this more to the fore in my feeble lil mind than the current brouhaha concerning the self-destructing GOP that is unfolding in Upstate New York… I'm speaking specifically of the special election in NY-23 for the US House.  That election is garnering a LOT of attention among those who follow politics closely. Let's quote The Other McCain, writing in The American Spectator:

In the past six days, Hoffman has been endorsed by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Sen. Jim DeMint, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, former National Republican Congressional Campaign chairmen John Linder and Tom Cole…

The complete list of Hoffman endorsers is a long one, and seems to include nearly every Republican except Newt Gingrich and Dede Scozzafava, the later (sic) of whom is Hoffman's opponent, and the former her only prominent supporter. According to the two most recent polls, the liberal Republican Scozzafava is now in third place, while Hoffman has pulled ahead of Democrat Bill Owens.

It's fairly unusual for an off-cycle special election to attract this much attention, let alone candidate endorsements from Party luminaries like Palin, Pawlenty, and Gingrich, et al. But if you (a) haven't been paying attention to this issue and (b) followed the link to The Fix above (which is highly recommended), you'll note the NY-23 election amounts to a serious litmus test of conservative bona fides. It's also quite troubling. Here's an excerpt from Ben Smith's blog at The Politico, where he quotes Gingrich (appearing on Fox News):

GINGRICH: Well, I just find it fascinating that my many friends who claim to be against Washington having too much power, they claim to be in favor of the 10th Amendment giving states back their rights, they claim to favor local control and local authority, now they suddenly get local control and local authority in upstate New York, they don't like the outcome.

There were four Republican meetings. In all four meetings, State Representative Dede Scozzafava came in first. In all four meetings, Mr. Hoffman, the independent, came in either last or certainly not in the top three. He doesn't live in the district. Dede Scozzafava...

VAN SUSTEREN: He doesn't live in the district?

GINGRICH: No, he lives outside of the district. Dede Scozzafava is endorsed by the National Rifle Association for her 2nd Amendment position, has signed the no tax increase pledge, voted against the Democratic governor's big-spending budget, is against the cap-and-trade tax increase on energy, is against the Obama health plan, and will vote for John Boehner, rather than Nancy Pelosi, to be Speaker.

Now, that's adequately conservative in an upstate New York district. And on other issues, she's about where the former Republican, McHugh, was. So I say to my many conservative friends who suddenly decided that whether they're from Minnesota or Alaska or Texas, they know more than the upstate New York Republicans? I don't think so. And I don't think it's a good precedent. And I think if this third party candidate takes away just enough votes to elect the Democrat, then we will have strengthened Nancy Pelosi by the divisiveness. We will not have strengthened the conservative movement.

VAN SUSTEREN: What is it that they have identified as why they think the independent candidate...

GINGRICH: Well, there's no question, on social policy, she's a liberal Republican.

VAN SUSTEREN: On such as abortion?

GINGRICH: On such as abortion, gay marriage, which means that she's about where Rudy Giuliani was when he became mayor. And yet Rudy Giuliani was a great mayor. And so this idea that we're suddenly going to establish litmus tests, and all across the country, we're going to purge the party of anybody who doesn't agree with us 100 percent -- that guarantees Obama's reelection. That guarantees Pelosi is Speaker for life. I mean, I think that is a very destructive model for the Republican Party.

(Bold emphasis by Smith) I chose Smith's blog for the quote above because the comments thread is VERY interesting for us political junkies. And I happen to agree with Gingrich… what's happening in NY-23 sets a dangerous precedent… which is to say an opening for knee-jerk Third Party candidacies whenever and wherever a significant minority of conservatives disagrees with the mainstream GOP. As Newt says: this sort of fragmentation almost guarantees The One's reelection. Newt and I also seem to be in the minority on this issue, as well. I'm not that much of a political junkie to claim I know what's going on in NY-23 but I know enough to see things don't look good for us Libertarian-type conservatives… and the GOP, as a whole. Shorter: What are we doing in this handbasket? And where are we going, anyway?
 

(Just as an aside: if you read blog-bud Morgan regularly you know that he and I have been sparring on this exact issue since last year's Republican primaries and well before. It all began when he backed Fred Thompson and I supported Giuliani; the discussion has continued full-tilt boogie since he's become a serious Palinista. Which I'm not.  See "libertarian," above.)

Heh

My Buddy Ed in Florida sends this along...

Heh. I'm afraid I'm just not that quick... but I sure as Hell wish I were.

Just... ummm... Checkin' the Box...

... when it comes to Sunday posting. Check out the lower right hand corner of this Google image search:

Yup. "Famous Photographer" R Us!  This, of course, is me following up a Site Meter hit.  The things people click through on never cease to amaze me.

OK, So I Lied

I said blogging would be light but I can't resist posting this, coz it's just too cool for school:



The h/t goes to Blog-Sis Alison... who falsely claimed in EIP's comments a day or so ago that her blogging mojo had disappeared.  NOT.

Snippets From the AOR IV

It's Saturday... it's football... it's posting-light. But, that said... this pic graced my in-box this morning:

That would be (left to right) SN1, CMSgt Roznovsky, and CMSgt Lowe... all three of whom are maintainers. The occasion was the Official Opening of a CARE package sent by DIL1. Our troops DO love their boxes from home!

Snippets From the AOR III

Excerpted from a recent e-mail from SN1, and posted with permission (the CH-47 photo was obtained from the web):

So there I was: Afghanistan, climbing into the back of a British Chinook...my first helo ride ever! We all had our "battle-rattle" on and our 3 day bags packed. We were traveling down to check on our Rescue maintainers and the British are SO much more  practical about travel. Our own beloved USAF makes us show 3 hours prior to take-off, everywhere in the world, while the British will process you up until about 15 minutes prior to take-off. They recommend an hour prior, but talk about a huge difference! SO...we're on the helo and we taxi less than a hundred yards and lift...a short ride to the other side of the airfield to the FARP (Forward Area Refueling Point) and off the helo for the refuel op. A couple of pics while we're waiting and back onto the helo...alright! Now we're headed out...or maybe not? We fly back across the airfield and taxi back to the same spot. While the MX officer part of my brain tries to ascertain all the possible flight malfunctions that would cause us to return...via a short hop, but airborne none-the-less(?)...it becomes apparent the other helo won't make this trip and they start cross
loading the packages of mail and parts for our FOB. Ok...cool. 5 minutes later we're airborne again, this time for real.

So we're skimming along, not too high above ground and I'm trying to see out the bubble windows...15 minutes into the flight and a WTF? moment! We popped off a couple of flares...naturally one might get a bit excited there...so we go into a hover...felt like forever, but can't tell you how long, and next thing I know we're dropping into the FOB. Never did find out why the flares went..

The FOB is a bit more "challenging" than Kandahar. Dust is everywhere...in mass quantities. We toured both the British controlled camp and took a trip over to Leatherneck, the Marine FOB. Big differences. The British side was the Force-protection guys dream...the Marines take a different approach. I think it's almost a challenge: Yeah, we're here...bring it!

As for our operations down there, the facilities we have aren't quite as nice, but the guys/girls are taking care of them. The distance between where they stage and where the helos are is significant. The Alert mission is alive and well...and in demand. They scrambled MANY times while we were there. Brings the war front and center yet again when you know we don't launch unless someone is really hurt and needs to be taken to the hospital...NOW. Lots of activity, many moving parts, and lots of "work-arounds" in place, but the morale is high because the sense of mission is higher than anywhere I've ever been.

Towards the end of the day we sat around and made the "grocery list" of things we'll shop for here to get to our maintainers down there...the crazy little things that annoy the hell out of you in austere locations:
Trash bags, light bulbs, a decent printer, more comm equipment, etc. That accomplished we began the process of getting home. We confirmed a couple of our party on a British helo back, but not our entire group. We then went to the USAF terminal and got the obligatory "space a" sign-up and report NLT 3 hours prior!! Annoying! We planned all along to try as a group to get on board the British helo...and we got lucky. Last minute we ended up boarding the two helos headed back. I was the last guy on one of them. I sat next to the open door for take-off and watched as the gunner scanned his AOR, sitting on an ice chest...low-tech, practical solutions to problems! Thankfully uneventful ride back in the dark...

Good trip!

And so it goes...

Me Too

Once again, Pat Condell is making the rounds of the right-o-sphere and I'll post his latest, as well:



There are just SO many bon mots herein I simply don't know where to begin.  But a good place to start is where Mr. Condell avers that the United States' constitution is the bedrock... an anchor, as he puts it... for western civilization.  Watch the whole thing... and if you don't nod your head north-south while viewing this then there's something seriously wrong with you.  I really mean that.

h/t: memeorandum 

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

I remember the good old days,
Stayed up all night gettin' crazed.
Then the money was not so good,
But we still did the best we could.

Ooh baby, that's hard to change
I can't tell them how to feel.
Some get stoned, some get strange,
But sooner or later it all gets real.

Oh, yes... "sooner or later it all gets real."  Truer words, and all that.  "Walk On" is from "On the Beach," one of Neil's more obscure and least successful albums (in sales terms), yet that album is one of my favorites and one I sorely miss... seeing as how I've never bought the CD to replace the vinyl copy that's in SN2's custody. And then there's this, from the same album (a live version):





The music in "For the Turnstiles"... and I'm speaking of the guitar riffs... is some of the best stuff Neil ever did, IMHO. YMMV as ever, Gentle Reader.  And now it's back outside to soak up what remains of this Fall afternoon's fading sunshine.

Rock Star

Well, not yet. Technically. But the term is true in other usages. That would be Grandson Sean above, noodling on his new Telecaster. We never did get to those Beatles tunes yesterday; it was more fun for me to listen to Sean pick out a lil bit of 12-bar blues and other such things, and he was quite alright with that. Sean also spent a bit of time picking my brain about rock 'n' roll and r'n'r guitarists... what did I listen to most, who's my favorite, what did I think of this guy and that guy, and so on and so forth.

It occurred to me... and we discussed this at some length... just how lucky kids are today. Sean has access to a WORLD of music on YouTube. Name a guitarist, any guitarist, and one can find clips of that guy's work... and lots of 'em, too... just sitting there waiting for you to come by and take 'em. It wasn't so when Townshend, Clapton, Santana, and SRV first picked up their guitars, now... was it? We DO live in such wonderful times...

Inconvenienced

Yesterday was a weird sorta day. We began our day by vanquishing our insomnia demon and rolled out of bed at 0900 hrs, assisted in no small part by an insistent cell phone which does double-duty as the only alarm clock I'll ever own from now until the Dirt Nap. We ran through our morning rituals and got ourselves all psyched up for what we thought was gonna be the Final Chapter in our Adventures In Modern Dentistry… the installation of our implants… which was scheduled to go down at noon. Most of the psyching up consisted of visions of a huge slab of rare, bleeding beef … either prime rib or perhaps a big-ass Noo Yawk steak… my self-promised reward once the light at the end of our dentistry tunnel appeared. We have waited over a year and a half for this, oh yes we has!

And we will wait a lil bit longer, too, coz I was confused. I thought I was getting my new teeth yesterday, but I didn't. Instead... I got what are called "healing caps" installed, which seems to be some sort of euphemism for more slicing and dicing of my gums and the installation of yet MORE hardware in my head. And sutures... lotsa sutures. So: No rare bleeding beef. No Happy Hour or cigars either, for that matter. It was lotsa Aleve and an extended nap… or more like a bunch of serial naps, interspersed with a lil light reading.

So... three more appointments and then we're done: suture removal in two weeks, "impressions" for the prosthetic implants in five weeks, and final installation on 12/17/2009. (sigh) It's always sumthin'.

―:☺:―

 Ummm... Yeah, I have done that... why do you ask?

Blogging will be light today, as I'm going to spend the entire day over at Daughter-In-Law Number One's house doing laundry. I'm free at last, free at last, Thank God Almighty! I'm free at LAST! … from the frickin' Laundromat, anyway, if only for a few months. (With apologies to both Buck and Erma for making light of the current situation.)

And Boy Howdy do we ever have laundry to do… I've exceeded even my normal slothfulness, procrastination, and inertia where this odious chore is concerned, what with exhausting ALL my tee shirts (including the vintage tee shirt supply), ALL my sweatshirts and polo shirts, and actually dipped into the sole remaining shirt supply in my wardrobe: those with actual buttons and collars. And my laundry bag is literally overflowing; I'll need to find something to stuff the overflow into. I'd take a picture but that's erring on the TMI side of things. There are some things you simply don't need (or want) to know, Gentle Reader.

So. Today is laundry, Beatles tunes with Sean, and mayhap even a beer or two if we feel up to it. I think we might.

Linkage

There are war stories and there are sea stories... and then there's this. Do your fine self a favor and go... and then grin. A LOT.

Impulse Buy

So... we were in Wally-World yesterday, doing a mini-resupply run (beer and such) when this caught our eye:

We DO like Dan Brown and $17.50 seemed like a small price to pay for several hours of page-turning entertainment. I picked up "The Da Vinci Code" a couple o' years back when the ex-girlfriend and I were off on a long weekend in Dallas and was enthralled. That book made it through me, the ex-GF, her family, and mine before I lost track of it. And everyone said the same thing, to wit: "Wow! What a page-turner THAT was!" Yup. And we can only hope there's more of the same lurking within the pages of his latest...

All that said, I should note I read Mr. Brown because of the way he writes... and NOT out of any belief there's hidden truth or any such other "deeper meaning" in his plot lines, which is to say I ain't buying into the various alternate Gospel theories and such.  He just tells a damned good story.  Period.  End of report.

Cheesy Videos XV... Or: I Need a Video Capture Card

What we're watching this evening:



That would be a lil over two minutes of the 2009 Isle of Man TT, and more specifically the Super Sport race. The video is just TOO damned cool in high-def... it's almost like being there, and I kid thee not.  There are on-board cameras giving you the racer's eye view, aerial shots from helicopters, and roadside views... and it's ALL amazing stuff, this!

So... what we're watching: The IoM TT lasts a whole week in June of each and every year and there is racing on alternate days during TT week. I went for the entire week in 1982 and that was my PEAK motorcycling experience... something I doubt I'll ever be able to match, let alone exceed. If you chased the link above you'll note the reference to "Mad Sunday:"

The future of the TT is always in doubt with regards to the safety, especially "Mad Sunday" when any member of the public can ride the mountain section of the course which is open one way from Ramsey to Douglas.

What The Wiki fails to mention is there are no speed limits on Mad Sunday.  Which means I rode across the top of Mt. Snaefell well in excess of 100 mph... two up... and laughing all the way.  I also rode every inch of the rest of the course while (mostly) observing the posted speed limits, and more than once at that.  And knocked back more than a few pints of Okells while watching the racers speed by, mere feet from where I was enjoying my pint.

Ah, memories.

Heh

A friend sends along a link to this...



...and the tone... NOT the content... sounds strangely familiar.

Well, Now! How About THIS?

We were sorta perplexed when The Brown Truck O' Happiness pulled up in front of El Casa Móvil De Pennington this afternoon, as we were most certain we hadn't ordered anything of late... or at least nothing that would be delivered by one of Our Favorite Ladies In All the World.  Said Lady inquired as to what sort of goodies she was bringing me today as she put the package in my hot lil hands.  I shrugged my shoulders and said "I dunno!"  "Well, it's from Albuquerque," said she.  And so it is... and it is this:

Six jars of the best salsa in the Free World... El Pinto...  specifically two jars each in three different flavors, including a special Balloon Fiesta Commemorative variety, which I've never seen before.  And all of it courtesy of long-time reader Bob Reese.  

Wow... Thanks, Bob!  There WILL be Mexican food for dinner tonight, you can count on that.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

We're actually doing all of "Blood On the Tracks" today... doing a semi-deep dive into our musical archives, as it were... and this track above is about the best rendition of the song as I can find on YouTube. The fact that the lyrics in the vid are somewhat modified can be overlooked as we have the real deal here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington.  And said Real Deal is good, indeed.  For your edification:  

T'was in another lifetime, one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue and the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

And if I pass this way again, you can rest assured
I'll always do my best for her, on that I give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved.
Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail,
Poisoned in the bushes an blown out on the trail,
Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

Suddenly I turned around and she was standin' there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair.
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

Now there's a wall between us, somethin there's been lost
I took too much for granted, got my signals crossed.
Just to think that it all began on a long-forgotten morn.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

Well, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much, it's doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

I've heard newborn babies wailin like a mournin dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love.
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn?
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation and they gave me a lethal dose.
I offered up my innocence and got repaid with scorn.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

Well, I'm livin in a foreign country but I'm bound to cross the line
Beauty walks a razors edge, someday I'll make it mine.
If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born.
Come in, she said,
I'll give you shelter from the storm.

Yup.  And shelter is what we got... for a time.

Weekend Update?

Well. A slow sort of weekend, this. Yesterday was consumed with the usual, customary, and reasonable college football orgy, with some grins (we're talking about the outcome of the game, not the significant injury therein) and one groan... although I have to admit the groan was highly entertaining and not the blow-out that some of the pundits predicted. ND was all set to tie on the final play of the game, but alas... it was not to be. We ended the evening by watching Game Two of the ALCS and went to bed somewhat satisfied with the outcome of the day's sporting events. I'm not a big besbol fan but I do enjoy the playoffs... even if I don't have a dog in any of these fights. The spectacle is entertaining as all get out.

One other sporting note and then we'll move on to other things: the Beloved Wings lost to Colorado last evening in a shoot-out. The Wings are off to a miserable start this year, quite unlike the Avs. The Avs didn't make the playoffs last season and finished dead last in the Western Conference. But this year? They're on TOP of the West... Numero Uno... leading the conference in these early days. Who'd a thunk it?

―:☺:―

So... we were making our blog-rounds earlier today and we came across a post by blog-goddess Daphne wherein she makes the offhand comment that she finds the quality of her writing  depressing compared to that of some folks she reads.  I suspect know Daph ain't alone in this regard; Hell, even Lileks questions his ability at one time or the other... we ALL do.  Well, those of us with a normal amount of humility, anyhoo.  There are exceptions.  

Which brings to mind this lil screed I put up on the subject of writing last year, which I'll repost below.  But first:  The fundamental purpose of writing is to communicate; style, grammar, and basic spelling... while important... ain't the be-all, end-all of writing.  I can cut some people a lot of slack in this space if they have good ideas or good stories to tell.  You might get the opposite impression from what follows (insert a "heh" here), but that ain't my intent... not at ALL.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Lessons in Writing Humility

(OK… I was saving this post for tomorrow. But My Bud Dan’s comment to the post immediately below cut me to the quick. He’s right. I’ve been phoning it in of late. So here’s something that contains a lil bit more “substance.” Not a lot, mind you…just some.)

Apropos of not much…but, by way of introduction, this: I’m often struck by the quality of writing I encounter in my wanderings around these here inter-tubes. Or, more better, the absolute dismal state of most of the writing I encounter. Present company excepted, of course. All y’all write well, for the most part. There are exceptions…and all I can offer is: “if the shoe fits…” But in most cases it won’t fit. Mainly coz I have little or no tolerance for poor writing, there being some exceptions. I’ll leave it at that… criticizing others is not what we’re on about in this post.

The Second Mrs. Pennington and I, the both of us being professional writers (of a sort) and more to the point… she being an English teacher (of a sort)… used to have this on-going argument discussion as to whether good writing can be taught, or not. My position has changed back and forth over the years and still isn’t firmed up to this very day. On the one hand, the mechanics of writing most certainly can be taught… which is to say grammar, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and the like. Anyone with half a brain can go out and buy a copy of Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style,” study it intently, absorb all the lessons therein, and call himself a writer. And a lot of people do just that. On the Other Hand… good grammar and punctuation doesn’t begin to make what we know as “good” writing. It’s a start, but only a start.

Once upon a time I considered myself a “good” writer. I’d taken several undergrad courses in English and composition, I had a fairly extensive writing background acquired as an additional-duty Public Affairs Officer (NCO, actually, but the title was “PAO”), and was recognized by various and sundry Air Force supervisors and such as a “go-to” guy when it came to putting words on paper. So, it came to pass (in my post-USAF career) I was assigned to a proposal writing team sometime in 1986 or thereabouts. And here for your illumination, Gentle Reader, is my very first effort in this space, as returned “for corrections” by my proposal editor:

(click for larger, if you have the inclination)

Bloody. Literally dripping with blood, in the form of the dread red editor’s pen, and this is but four of 14 pages, all similarly deeply scarred and dripping red. Including all 14 pages in this post would be overkill, not to mention boring beyond belief. My draft was returned with a post-it attached that said “Good Work!” (the post-it has gone missing after all these years). I scanned my draft, bloody as it was, and immediately went to my proposal manager/editor and said words to the effect of “You think this is Good?”… to which she replied “Yeah. I didn’t tell you to re-write it, did I?” Well, OK, then.

So... I returned to my desk, made the corrections and re-submitted my draft, which was accepted without further edits. Things got progressively better for me (and my editor) as time went on. At the end of the six-month pursuit cycle I came out a much better writer than when I went in. My first proposal was a learning experience of the first order.

I became very, very close to my editor… a woman by the name of Mary who later went on to become an EDS corporate VP, and I had the delightful opportunity to work with her on a couple of other proposals while she was still doing that particular gig. I learned nearly everything I know about writing today from that woman… lessons that are much too detailed to repeat here but had a lot… nay, everything… to do with word-choice, economy of language, what to leave in your writing, and… much more importantly… what to take out. Another thing Mary emphasized is one needs to recognize good writing before one can even begin to emulate it. In other words: good writers are voracious readers. Mary was also of the opinion that the best writers read a wide variety of “stuff…” fiction, non-fiction, op-eds, soup cans, cereal boxes, and (she emphasized) poetry. Mary maintained poets are all about economy of language, which, to her way of thinking, is the very essence of communication.

Mary was a wise woman indeed. My only regret is I failed to keep in touch with her. So... take what you will from this, and leave the rest. Such as it is.

Committed to The Inter-tubes by Buck on 4/25/2008 07:19:00 PM 17 Astute Observations

So... one point I didn't make in the post above is any tendency towards flowery, "poetic" language I may have had in the past was bred out of me during my short career as a technical writer.  We're mostly about "short and to the point" these days, and that serves me well.  And you, Gentle Reader?  Mebbe not so much.

Stuck

Sometime right around or just before my 50th birthday I made a vow to myself, on the order of "I'll never get stuck in the past… at least where music is concerned." This "getting stuck" phenomenon is something I had noticed quite a long time ago, beginning in my mid-30s or so. My peers and contemporaries seemed to be stuck in the '50s or '60s and most had a tendency to listen to those damned Oldies stations that played lotsa doo-wop, Motown, and Elvis songs at the time… not that there's anything inherently wrong with that music — I love it to death and have a LOT of it — but as a steady diet?  No. Not us.  Not ever. We wanted to keep up, keep current, and keep discovering new stuff.   And for the most part we managed to do just that.

It was sorta easy to keep up when I was that young, given I was living in London during my mid-30s (which had the BEST frickin' music scene in the early '80s, bar none), and continued to live in major metropolitan areas when I returned to the US of A. Even Oklahoma City… where I first landed after living in London… had a great college radio station out of Norman and at least one or two "progressive rock" stations. Moving right along… I was in Dee-troit as I approached my 50th birthday and while you may not think of Detroit as a musical hot bed it did have its share of progressive radio stations and a decent club scene. It was pretty easy to keep current and the music was also pretty danged good at the time… think REM, Soul Asylum, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Cranberries, yadda, yadda… and hip-hop wasn't dominant quite yet, either. Ascendant, yes, but not dominant. We probably added four or five CDs to our music collection each month and went to many more than a few concerts, as well.

So… we remained "unstuck" through the mid-'90s and a lil bit beyond. I remember quite well when my musical life took a turn for the worse: it was in 1999 and the aftermath of  The Great Divorce Crisis. I went off pop music entirely at that time and moved to jazz, country, and classical. I simply couldn't stand to listen to pop (be it current or from the near-past) and nearly all of my music collection: too damned many memories, too much pain. We diversified our tastes and managed to remain "unstuck" as it were, given there was all this great music I was discovering (or rediscovering) for the first time. That went on for about five or six years… or so. And then we slowly but surely began to return to our pop music collection and what was once familiar and comforting.


And here we are today, and the strangest thing has happened: I'm stuck. I noticed I'm mostly listening to Pandora these days, and the stations I've defined are all from my past: Van Morrison. Joni Mitchell. Neil Young. Rolling Stones. Santana. J.J. Cale. Roxy Music. James Brown. Warren Zevon. Dylan. (There are more, but they're all in the same vein.) And most recently: The Beatles, driven by my acquisition of the first two re-mastered albums. I racked my brain and tried to come up with new artists I've bought over the last two years and can only think of a few: Jet, Norah Jones, and Diana Krall (who isn't really new… just new to me). We are well and truly stuck.

So… perhaps getting stuck in the past was inevitable but I had always hoped it wouldn't be so. Dang. I hate it when this happens.

Today's "Happy" Hour Soundtrack

It's a fallen situation
When all eyes are turned in
And a love isn't flowing
The way it could have been.

You brought it all on
Oh, but it feels so wrong
You brought it all on
No, no, no, I don't believe this song
You brought it all on.

It's a sad communication
With little reason to believe
When one isn't giving
And one pretends to receive.

You brought it all on
Oh, but it feels so wrong
You brought it all on
No, no, no, I don't believe this song
You brought it all on.

Pardon my heart
If I showed that I cared
But I love you more than moments
We have or have not shared.

You brought it all on
Oh, and it feels so good
You brought it all on
When love flows the way that it should
You brought it all on.

It feels so good
It feels so good
You feel good.

And there might be more to this... but later.  I've gotta think on it.  In the meantime: "it feels so good." Sorta.  And there's your cryptic comment for the day...

Incompetence

Yesterday I hinted at some sort of story behind the addition of HD teevee to my entertainment portfolio. Well, there is a story (albeit not much of one) and said story involves my extreme Luddite tendencies. Which is another way of saying I'm remarkably inept for a former techie; "would-be techie" being perhaps the better term, now that I think on it. Anyhoo, it came to my attention a couple of months ago that HD teevee finally arrived in our dusty backwater burg. And since hockey season just kicked off, and since Versus gives us hockey in HD, well… it just seemed like the thing to do. I went down to Comcast day before yesterday and signed up… even after discovering that Versus HD isn't available in these parts, which was a disappointment but no BIG surprise. There are 20 channels in the local HD line-up, including History, Discovery, PBS, NatGeo, and A&E, all of which I watch with great regularity, and the prospect of seeing the "National Parks" re-runs in HD was just too tempting… so I put my money down. 

So… the kind Comcast lady asks if I'd like an installation appointment, or would I rather hook up the required digital cable box myself, which she can hand over to me right this minute? "Hmmm," thinks I… "I can handle this." So she gives me the box and a few cables, I sign the paperwork, and we're off on the return trip to El Casa Móvil De Pennington. Fast-forward an hour: it was more than I could handle, and it had everything to do with getting the complete package… DVD/VHS player, teevee, and cable box… integrated into a functioning whole. I gave up and called Comcast, who scheduled an appointment for me on the morrow (which was yesterday). After a couple o' phone calls to resolve scheduling misunderstandings the techie arrives and spends all of about 20 minutes successfully hooking everything up. And we now have HD teevee, which is a wonderful thing.

It hurts to admit it publically, but I'm technically incompetent. In my defense… our technical friend told me the component video outputs from my DVD player can't be hooked up along with the cable box… it being one or the other but not both… and that was what defeated me in the first place. But it makes no nevermind anyhoo, since my DVD player isn't high-def to begin with. So, I'm semi-incompetent. Still: embarrassing.

The great good thing about springing for HD is I get the "enhanced" digital service, which means I get a whole helluva lot of channels I didn't used to get. Which also means I get to watch the Isle of Man TT races this coming Monday evening. In high-def. Ooooh! And Ahhhh!

―:☺:―

Today's political content:

Well, the Good Senator from Maine had a classic comment on her defection, dint she?  But I especially like Ramirez today. I'd check that frickin' box in a heartbeat.

Credit:  The usual source.  

Another Milestone...

We'll lead off with a re-run, given as how today is the Green Hornet's ninth birthday. Without ado...

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Then and Now

Digital cameras are wonderful things… and one of the major reasons is the metadata included with each and every photo you shoot. What this really means is you know the exact date and time you took a particular shot (among a lot of other techie-type info), so there’s no wondering “where/when was THIS taken?” as you browse through your archives. Which is quite unlike going through an old shoebox full of photos, believe me.

So… the foregoing is an intro to a minor celebration of sorts: The Green Hornet is eight years old today. I’ve owned one other car longer than the Green Hornet and that was my Baby Beemer…which I kept for ten years. I obviously liked that Beemer and I really like the Miata, too. Both cars have served me well, both cars were/are great good fun, and I see no reason why the Green Hornet won’t tie my personal record for auto longevity and maybe even break it. So… in celebration, here are a few “then and now” pics… both of the Green Hornet and her driver.

Top to bottom: (1) GH on the day I bought her, in the Oakland Hills above... you guessed it... Oakland, CA. (2) GH a couple of months ago after a wash and wax. (3) YrHmblScrb in his place of business at 44 Montgomery Street, SFO (October 12, 2000). (4) YrHmblScrb with Blog-Buddy Lou and husband Toby, taken last month (the latest pic I have).

I think the car has held up better than its owner over the past eight years, nu? 

 ―:☺:―

 And we'll be back a lil later... probably with tales about the wonderfulness of HD teevee.  There's a bit of a story there, but let's not try and tell it before we're fully caffeinated.  And I have to straighten up  this pig-pen before the Comcast guy gets here.  Not Larry, I hope...

Happy Birthday Navy!

234 years old today!

And... the above (click for larger) via a Tweet from Lex... "If Naval heroes had Tweeted..."

WTF?!!?

So... I tune into the Flames - Blackhawks game late, with a little over 4:00 left in the first period and the score is 5-0 Calgary! Dang. The last time these two teams met was in round one of last year's playoffs, when Chicago eliminated Calgary in Game Six, 4-1. Wow... revenge? I'm thinking maybe!  But Dang! ... 5-0 in the first? Wowzers.

Update:   The second period is ALL Blackhawks... they score with about three minutes left in the first and then score three more unanswered goals in the second.  It's 5-4 Calgary, with a lil over five minutes left in the second.  What a strange game!

Update 2:  Chicago ties it in the third and wins it 26 seconds into the OT... the best comeback in Hawks history.  Sux to be a Flames fan, methinks.  But: what a great game!

Yet Another Case of Petty Thievery

We get this from Lex, where certain members of his commentariat... both male and female... find Ms. Vieira's behavior "creepy." YrHmblScrb finds Meredith's behavior refreshing... and a good solid poke in the Ol' PC eye. Still and even, certain members of the commentariat raise a valid question: would we laugh and nod approvingly if this had been Regis Philbin making similar comments about a female lieutenant? Obviously not. But then again, we men have always been a lil bit more... ah... subtle when we comment on a woman's charms. Because we have to be.

Happy Birthday Sean!

Three generations of Pennington Men... Our Birthday Boy on the left.

Today is Grandson Sean's 13^th birthday. And to the young man's everlasting credit, what he really wanted for his birthday was a Beatles CD. Isn't that amazing, Gentle Reader? It all goes to prove we shouldn't give up hope for the younger generation — some of which DO have taste in spite of massive, ear-splitting boom-chicka-boom evidence to the contrary emanating out of every damned lowered Civic on 22s in these United States. 

So.  We gifted this fine young man with three of our favorite Beatles albums from the way-back:  Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper, and the White Album.  I'm told I can borrow them any time I like… but I have a better ideer.  I also bought two Beatles CDs of my own yesterday.  Prepare for massive digression…

About which: we spent the entire frickin' afternoon and well into the evening listening to only those two CDs… Help and Revolver. These two were our initial purchases of what will eventually amount to a reacquisition of nearly the entire Beatles catalog. You may recall, Gentle Reader, that we recently posted about the re-mastering of the Beatles' catalog and we indicated we would probably buy a couple of these CDs. Well, we've changed our mind. We'll probably buy most of the albums. Why? Let me quote The Wiki:

On 9 September 2009, The Beatles' entire back catalogue was reissued following an extensive digital remastering process that lasted four years.^[233]  Stereo editions of all twelve original UK studio albums, along with Magical Mystery Tour and a combined two-CD set of Past Masters, were released on compact disc both individually and as a box set. A second collection included all mono tracks.^[234] In Mojo magazine's review, Danny Eccleston writes, "Ever since The Beatles first emerged on CD in 1987, there have been complaints about the sound", saying that the original vinyl has had significant advantages over the CDs in clarity and dynamism. "Compare Paperback Writer/Rain on crackly 45, with its weedy Past Masters CD version, and the case is closed." Prior to the release of the 2009 remasters, Abbey Road Studios had invited Mojo reviewers to hear a sample of the four-year work's achievement, telling the magazine, "You're in for a shock." In his release-day review of the full product, Eccleston reported that "brilliantly, that's still how it feels a month later."^[235]

Yeah… what they said.  I'm amazed at the quality of the re-masters… they're that good.  Do you remember when you bought your first really good stereo?  Or mebbe your first CD player?  And either playing your old records (I know: we date ourselves.  Severely.) on that spiffy new rig and/or a CD of an album you already owned and marveling about stuff you never heard before?  And the clarity?  Yeah… like that.  The music is the same… still great, still timeless… but the clarity!  Tambourines ching with authority, the bass lines aren't muddied at all, and to quote Mark Knopfler… "… the horns are blowin' that sound!"  And the vocals?  Let me quote the Mojo review:

While there are hundreds of mini-revelations in store for the Beatle-head - the clattering bell that drives The Beatles' Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey is made somehow even more exciting - the best thing about the new stereo versions is the singing. A certain amount of limiting on the original CD versions made them sound vaguely constrained. But the remastered vocals are purer, more natural-sounding and give the illusion of sitting slightly higher in the mix (technically, they don't - there's been no remixing, à la 1999's Yellow Submarine Songtrack or '06's Love, at all). My notes allude to the extra "presence" of the Lennon vocal on Magical Mystery Tour's I Am The Walrus, Paul's performance on Help!'s Yesterday is more perfectly limpid than ever, while the vocal harmonies sound astonishing throughout.

Once again:  what they said.  Or, in my words: money well-spent.  I'm lovin' this.  And from what Sean told me last night I know he is, too.  Happy Birthday, Grandson O' Mine.  And thanks for the present!

Well, Hell. Just ONE More and Then I'll Quit...

... really. Seriously. I mean it.

David Burge:

Membership Has Its Privileges

[ed. note: republished and amended from a 2007 post]
Dear   BARACK OBAMA  :
Congratulations! On behalf of the selection committee, I am pleased to announce that you have been named a 2009 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of your tireless efforts to   STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY AND COOPERATION    .
I am also pleased to tell you that as a winner, you have been pre-approved for membership in the Nobel Peace Player's Club, offering exclusive money-saving benefits available only to laureates like you. Please take a few minutes to look over the enclosed enrollment materials. At only $299.95 per year, I'm sure you'll agree that membership is a bargain at twice the price! Here are just some of the benefits you'll receive:

• A handsome 14-karat gold membership crest badge to display proudly on the grille of your limousine or official state aircraft
• A framed, hand-calligraphed certificate (add $19.95 for gold leaf)
• Special discount shopping bargains for for you and your family
• Great travel packages to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
• Listing in "Who's Who of Global Salvation" ($49.95 per copy)
• Great coupons for Olive Garden, P.F. Chang's, Six Flags Theme Parks, and more!

Plus, you'll receive the exclusive Nobel Peace Player's Club GoldCard entitling you to discount air travel and 5-star hotel accommodations from Kyoto to Darfur. But don't take our word for it! Listen to these testimonials from some of our current members:

Chase the title link. The testimonials are just TOO funny... with further links!

And the Hits Just Keep On Comin'!!

OK... I think I'm done now. Or at least until Leno weighs in. And maybe the Onion. Dang, this is a veritable gold mine, innit?

Snippets From the AOR II

From a conversation with SN1 this morning:

I attended my first Ramp Ceremony. Sobering.

A young USMC Staff Sergeant was sent home today in the back of a C-17, honored by hundreds of US and Coalition troops in a short, but significant display. He was 27 years old. Sure makes you realize what you're doing over here and brings it front and center in your mind.

The ceremony is pretty standard from what I was told...but it was poignant none-the-less.

Standing there at attention, listening to the Marine Corps Hymn being played on the bagpipes, I couldn't help but think about his parents who were mentioned as his only relatives. Another young man gave his all...

So that's what's been on my mind for a lot of the day...

God bless and keep that young Marine and his parents.  As I told SN1:  we who "sit and wait" have no idea what it's like to attend a Ramp Ceremony.  I can only imagine...    

Posted Without Comment

Credit: The usual source.

On Today's Big Story

From an e-mail I sent to a friend this morning:

Sorry for the delayed response. We did Happy Hour, then dinner, then too much teevee, followed by a tossy-turny night of sleeplessness. And what's the FIRST thing I see this morning? The One is now a Nobel Laureate. If ever there was even a scintilla of doubt in one's mind that this "prize" is worthless... beyond the money and the melt-down value of the medal itself... there shouldn't be now. Kee-rist.

I've spent the time it's taken to consume my first two cups of coffee reading links from memeorandum on this non-event. Of all the things I've read so far, Jules Crittenden and the WSJ come closest to what I feel.  They must have world-class drugs in Oslo.  And lotsa Kool-Aid.