Comment that matters! Jackie and Dunlap on John McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential nominee...
Yep. I don't care what Bullwinkle sez!
(h/t: Chap, via Barry's comments)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Gray, Cool, and Blustery (The Weather... NOT Me)
I feel rather small complaining about our weather, what with Gustav bearing down on the long-suffering Gulf Coast 8/31/2008 ). But… I will. Our weather on this last long weekend of summer has been something of a bust for P-Ville’s working folks. It doesn’t affect me all that much, coz one day’s pretty much the same as the next. I can take a blustery, gray, occasionally rainy, and relatively cool weekend in stride and defer any outdoor activities until the next sunny day… be it Tuesday, Thursday, or whenever. Not so for the average family. I remember all too well how disappointed we were when our parade got rained on… both literally and metaphorically. Rain, and its accompanying disappointment tends to be tempered by gratitude in these parts, however. Coz we just don’t get that much… so what we DO get is always greeted with Hosannas.
―:☺:―
I was amazed at the torrent of MSM articles and blog posts on Sarah Palin… and the fact that fully half the space on memeorandum’s page was all about Sarah yesterday. And it hasn’t let up all that much today. One of the better things I’ve read this weekend on the subject of Sarah came from Newt Gingrich, by way of Bill Kristol writing in the Weekly Standard’s blog (“Kristol: Gingrich on the Power of Authenticity”). Here’s an excerpt:
In one sudden moment Friday, John McCain fundamentally changed American politics in a manner that transcends issues and details.
The great threat to the Obama-Biden ticket can be captured in one word: authenticity.
There is something unaffected and "unsophisticated" (in the
She has 13 years in elected office
By any practical standard she has done far more in the real world with much more spontaneity and practicality than Barack Obama. And there is something deeply real and courageous about John McCain ignoring most of his advisers and all of the "insider wisdom" to reach out to a younger woman whose greatest characteristic is undaunted courage and a willingness to clean out the corruption in her own party.
This is a moment of stunning authenticity versus a sad collapse on the part of the Obama campaign from " change you can count on" to politics as usual, as marked by Obama's choice of a senator first elected when Palin was 9 years old.
Jennifer Rubin noted that Gingrich’s e-mails are better than most books. And she’s right. Go read Kristol/Gingrich… if you haven’t already.
It’s amazing… no, not really… how the Left is tying itself in knots trying to discredit Palin while mocking McCain’s choice as the act of a desperate pol whose campaign is going down the tubes. They can only wish. Well, Hell. Let’s review, shall we? It’s admittedly biased, but Redstate has a good post (“Tale of the Tape: Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama”) comparing Palin to The One. Wanna guess who wins and who loses?
―:☺:―
In other news… football season has begun! Yays! And there go my Saturdays from now until the end of November. It was just SO good to lay back yesterday and watch football ALL day. Even the weather cooperated, seeing as how it was better indoors than out. Which helps to mitigate the guilt, ya know. As if there were any…
About yesterday’s games: pretty predictable, except for Big Blue (and ‘Bama, too). As for the Maize and Blue… I’m thinking they should skip the first game of the season and just go directly to the second game on the schedule. Last year it was Appalachian State, this year it was Utah. Not a good beginning for new head coach Rich Rodriguez. But Hey! Everything will be cool if he beats
As for me… I’m waiting for next week to see how the The Domers fare on their first outing. This year doesn’t look to be as intense as it usually is… what with only two pre-season Top 25 teams on the schedule. But they should do better than last year. (He said, whistling and looking skyward…)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
A Brief Introduction...
... to David Burge's latest masterpiece:
The Idiossey
The Not-Really-That-Epic Poem of Obamacles
(with Apologies to Homer)
Book the First: A question for the Muse
Speak to me, O Muse, of this resourceful man
who strides so boldly upon the golden shrine at Invescos,
Between Ionic plywood columns, to the kleig light altar.
Fair Obamacles, favored of the gods, ascends to Olympus
Amidst lusty tributes and the strumming lyres of Media;
Their mounted skyboxes echo with the singing of his name
While Olbermos and Mattheus in their greasy togas wrassle
For first honor of basking in their hero's reflected glory.
Who is this man, so bronzed in countenance,
So skilled of TelePropter, clean and articulate
whose ears like a stately urn's protrude?
So now, daughter of Zeus, tell us his story.
And just the Cliff Notes if you don't mind,
We don't have all day.Said the Muse:
I will tell the story of Obamacles through my scribe Iowahawk.
But this shit is copyrighted, so reproduce at your peril.
Fair Use, David... Fair Use.
Mike Huckabee on Sarah Palin...
About which: This is the best comment I've seen or heard on this subject (the Palin pick) today. This comment from Mark Steyn comes in second:
First, Governor Palin is not merely, as Jay describes her, "all-American", but hyper-American. What other country in the developed world produces beauty queens who hunt caribou and serve up a terrific moose stew? As an immigrant, I'm not saying I came to the United States purely to meet chicks like that, but it was certainly high on my list of priorities. And for the gun-totin' Miss Wasilla then to go on to become Governor while having five kids makes it an even more uniquely American story. Next to her resume, a guy who's done nothing but serve in the phony-baloney job of "community organizer" and write multiple autobiographies looks like just another creepily self-absorbed lifelong member of the full-time political class that infests every advanced democracy.But I digress. Back to the video: I especially like the way Guv'nor Huckabee beats Alan Colmes with a stick (metaphorically speaking) on MORE than one occasion. Dang. The Other Man From Hope sure has a way with words...
(h/t: Flopping Aces)
Friday, August 29, 2008
Small Stuff Again... Literally, In One Case
Class… and that’s all that need be said about this:
Don’t expect anything similar from the Obama camp, however. You’ll be disappointed.
―:☺:―
I filed a trouble ticket with Site Meter last evening… because of this:
And to say SM’s response was quick is an understatement. Observe this auto-generated response to my trouble ticket, which appeared in my in-box mere seconds after I submitted the trouble ticket:
from 
Technical Issue smsupport@sitemeter.com
reply-to smsupport@sitemeter.com
to buckpennington01@gmail.com
date Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 12:31 AM
subject [#ILW-766843]: s17pennington
Norman Pennington,
Your request has been received and a member of our support staff will review it and reply as soon as possible. Listed below are details of this request. Please make sure the Ticket ID remains in the subject at all times.
Ticket ID: ILW-766843
Codename: s17pennington
Category: Technical Issue
Priority:
Status: Open
Please let us know if we can assist you any further,
Site Meter Support
Followed, in short order, by this:
From smsupport smsupport@sitemeter.com
reply-to smsupport@sitemeter.com
to buckpennington01@gmail.com
date Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 12:37 AM
subject [#ILW-766843]: s17pennington
Hello
Thank you for writing. We’re currently experiencing technical difficulty at this time and aware of the problem. We are working diligently to get this issue resolved as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can view your statistics by going to wwwdev.sitemeter.com. We anticipate a fix within several hours. Please know that none of your statistics have been lost. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have any other questions, please let us know.
Thanks,
Andy
SiteMeter Support
Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: ILW-766843
Category: Technical Issue
Priority:
Status: Closed
Now this, Gentle Reader, is customer service. Elapsed time? Six minutes. And the response? Excellent, complete with an explanation, accompanied by a work-around. I really like these guys.
―:☺:―
Peter Parks, Sea water with mixed zooplankton and needle eye (20X) Fifth Place, 2007
About the image you see directly above… I was perusing the archives for a bit last evening and came across a post I put up last July that directed you to the “Nikon International Small World Competition,” which is an annual micro-photography contest sponsored (strangely enough) by Nikon. And I got to wondering if they’d updated their site this year. The answer is “yes.” And, as usual, there are some amazing images on display in the galleries, which go all the way back to 1977. This site could be a serious time waster if you’re into photography, only your time wouldn’t really be wasted at all. You could consider the time spent here as inspiration. Or education. Or simply an excuse to revel in the beauty of a world most of us never see. Good stuff, this.
And… just for grins ‘n’ giggles, below is a screen-shot of the 1977 winners. That’s over 30 years ago, and the state of the art is pretty danged impressive… in my eyes, at least. I’m thinking you’ll agree.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Weirdness and a Milestone
I got a hit just after
Search Words: cumulative hearing and woman buttered syndrome provocation
OK, this may not be the strangest hit I’ve ever gotten but it’s damned close. This query beats all of the other strangeness that causes people to show up here, based on the sheer cryptic nature of the search words, alone. Therefore, it’s entirely natural and appropriate to wonder “What was this guy thinking?” and really mean it! Throw in this person’s rather exotic location and you get profound weirdness, from my point of view. Notice there’s no quotes, so one could come calling based upon a hit on one or more of the search words, in any combination. This is what the guy clicked through on… ten pages into his search:
· Exile in Portales: June 2007
Just to be visible in the back seat of a car with a woman offers provocation enough in many neighborhoods--Karima made the throat-cutting gesture as ...
exileinportales.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html - 343k –(सँग्रहित प्रतिलिपिहरू - यस्तै पृष्ठहरु
Thank God it wasn’t anything about buttered women. (Click the screen shot for larger, if you wish.)
―:☺:―
Milestone: 45 years ago today I reported in at the Los Angeles induction center (there’s an official term for the place, like “Military Recruit Processing Center” or some such, but I can’t remember what it is) at the ungodly hour of 0530 for about five hours of poking, prodding, probing, and blood-letting… followed by the filling out of many forms, punctuated with long periods of inactivity (and thus: boredom), culminating in mid-afternoon when me and about 150 other guys were sworn in to the armed forces of these United States. Following the swearing-in ceremony the Army, Navy, and Marine recruits were immediately loaded on to buses and set off for their basic training bases, all in
My parents met me at the airport and we said our good-byes. Mom was pretty composed but she did shed a few tears. My father, ever the cynic, pulled me aside shortly before I boarded the plane and said, in all seriousness…
“I only have one piece of advice for you: Stay away from airplanes.”
Don’t forget, Gentle Reader, my father was a retired USAF Lt. Col, with more than a few missions over Deutschland during The Unpleasantness of 1939 - 1945. And, not to go on in any great detail, this bon mot was probably one of the best pieces of advice he ever gave me. In a nut shell: there’s no such thing as a comfortable or hospitable flight line. Every single one of them is either too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, or otherwise inhospitable to human life, in general. Let alone someone whose primary job is to crawl in, on, or around very large, bright shiny aluminum tubes, aka aircraft. Or stand around guarding them. Or arming and fueling them. But, Hey! Some people like that sort of thing. I don’t think I would have. As luck would have it I never did go near airplanes, professionally speaking, during my entire career. I digress.
Anyhoo. We arrived in
Wow. Welcome to Lackland!
We (about 100 of us, by this point) spent the next two hours in-processing. We were then assigned to Basic Military Training (BMT) flights, handed over to our TIs, and marched (such as we could) off to our barracks, where we bedded down just before 0300. I had been up for nearly 24 hours and was beginning to question the wisdom of joining the Air Force.
I really questioned my decision when we were gently awakened two and a half hours later at 0530 by loudspeakers right outside our windows blaring Reveille and our TIs (two of ‘em) stomping down the middle of the open bay barracks, shouting - no, screaming... and that was ALL they did, seemingly - obscenities at anyone and everyone, for no good or apparent reason, other than to make noise. We were rousted, showered, shaved, dressed, formed into yet another ragged formation (all in about ten to 15 minutes... the pace was “dead run") and marched off to the mess hall, about four blocks away. And so began my first full day in the US Air Force. Breakfast was the best part of that day... let me tell ya.
And so began my career, too, 22 years of it. But Hey! It was fun. Really. All's well that ends well.
―:☺:―
Today’s Pic: An appropriate re-run. Me, following basic training… from a hometown news release Mom saved. 1963.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Memories, Fondly...
... but NOT without a couple o' few painful synapses being fired off. Via Blog-Bud Mike... something that may or may not ring a few bells with you:
It sure did for me. Ah, Youth! Where DID ya go, and why did ya leave SO soon?
PS: It's only a 1:41 vid, so it's watchable for nearly everyone... no matter at what speed you access the 'net.
It sure did for me. Ah, Youth! Where DID ya go, and why did ya leave SO soon?
PS: It's only a 1:41 vid, so it's watchable for nearly everyone... no matter at what speed you access the 'net.
Thievery
I don't do this often... as a s'matter of fact, I DO believe this is a first here at EIP. But here's a complete post, in its entirety, that Lex put up yesterday:
Update... later that same day (as it's said), from Lex's comments:
Well... there ya have it. Miss Birdlegs gets the credit for concept; Lex gets multiples for director, producer, and star. And Capt. Lex is being most kind with his phrasing, ain't he?
No link, no cite... just what you see. Dunno if it's real or if it's Lex's own brand of Memorex, but it sure as Hell is FUNNY! Unless you happen to be from somewhere down there in 'Bama, at which point you might take offense. In which case: Suck it up.MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley urged his citizens to remain calm on Tuesday, one day after Wal-Mart stores across the state reported a run on ammunition stocks. Pistol and rifle cartridges were out of stock in stores everywhere, although birdshot could still be had in Auburn, Birmingham and here in the capital.
Interviewed in the street, one grim faced citizen told this reporter that while the Russians may have steamrollered through Georgia, “They sure as hell ain’t doing it to Alabama.”
Roll Tide.
Update... later that same day (as it's said), from Lex's comments:
-
What? No link? Or didja just fabricate this yourownself, Lex? I SO wanna steal this…
-
24
lex // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:13 pm I was inspired by Miss Birdlegs, from Alabama. Who I know wouldn’t mind if you borrowed this.
Well... there ya have it. Miss Birdlegs gets the credit for concept; Lex gets multiples for director, producer, and star. And Capt. Lex is being most kind with his phrasing, ain't he?
More Random Notes
It goes without saying that any visit, however brief, from one’s offspring is a good visit… and so it was. I had a few errands to run yesterday, and Buck kept me company while I did what had to be done. And then we drank beer. I passed on the ceegars, as it was just too danged hot to sit outside. But we got caught up, talked shop (USAF) for more than a few, computers for a bit (and discovering that Mac vid I posted yesterday), hockey, family, women, etc., etc.. Typical Guy-Stuff, in other words. And then he went off to fulfill other family obligations and I took a nap. Because I can.
―:☺:―
I’m still fuming over the formatting change on the blog. As I’ve noted before, I write about 95% of my posts in MS-Word and then cut and paste the results into Blogger’s compose window. When I first began blogging I noticed that Blogger didn’t handle formatting applied in Word all that well… inserting what looks to be about five or six point spaces in between each paragraph. So, I adjusted my style template to accommodate that idiosyncrasy… which is to say there are NO spaces in between paragraphs when I use Word’s “normal” style. And now Blogger has suddenly applied the style to the blog exactly as it was written, to my great dismay. The bottom line is that all the paragraphs in ALL my posts seem to run together now, and that makes readability a problem. But… do I really want to go back and fix nearly 1,700 posts? Individually, one at a time? At about five minutes for each danged post, at the very least? NO frickin’ way.
I remain extremely pissed, and that’s putting it oh-so-mildly. I tend to be a stickler for look and feel on the printed (or pixilated) page, which is a hold over from my technical writing days. I’m one of the most anal-retentive SOBs on the face of the planet in this space, too. Which is why I’m pissed and not likely to get over it very soon, if at all. TMI, perhaps, but it is what it is, Gentle Reader.
―:☺:―
I was supposed to go in and visit with Dr. Thompson this morning, the objective being to add more artificial bone on the right side of my jaw, as I noted previously. Well, that’s all by the boards. I came up with another “infection,” an event that seems to pop up every couple of months or so, and this one is worse than most. These events, characterized by painful eruptions at random spots on my gums (never in the same place twice), usually heal themselves in about 48 hours or so. But as I noted, this one is worse than most. So… I decided to go see the Good Doctor yesterday and let him make the call as to whether or not we should proceed today, as planned. And: no go. Cancel, reschedule. I’ve been at a loss to explain why this sort of thing happens, but now I know. It seems I’m prone to getting candida… a minor fungal disease/infection which I’ve encountered before, but only in another context, and only in members of the opposite sex. Surprise! There’s an oral variant, too.
SN1 was quite amused when I explained to him what it was that’s afflicting me. I’ll not share the resulting banter, Gentle Reader. Like I said in my opening paragraph: Guy Talk.
―:☺:―
I’m pretty pleased with Firefox 3.0 so far, if only for ONE reason: that annoying failure to play videos has been fixed. I’d recommend upgrading to the latest version for that reason alone. FF 3.0 has a slightly different look and feel to it, but it’s nothing major. And the browser does seem faster, as the Mozilla Guys claim it to be. Doubtless I’ll discover other improvements and/or features as time moves on. Hopefully v 3.0 won’t be as big a memory hog when you have umpteen tabs open, as I always seem to do.
―:☺:―
Today’s Pics: Another couple of re-runs, albeit different from the ones I posted back in March of last year. I can be such a nerd at times, and part of the proof is the fact I took 17 different shots of a generic faucet drip. Well, maybe it’s not a generic drip… one could make a case for it being more of a special drip. Coz we most definitely are Special here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington, ya know.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Aiiieee!
I upgraded Firefox to v 3.0 today and now all my fonts, spacing, and such appear to be totally hosed in the blog. This is NOT good, to state the obvious. Then again, I opened the blog in IE and things are still f*cked up. Which means Blogger changed something. And I'll be damned if I'll go back and sanitize 1,694 posts just to make the fonts, paragraphs, and spacing line up like they used to.
Arghhh!
Arghhh!
Later Than Usual, But Here Nonetheless
Sad… In yesterday’s The Times (
Lady Thatcher, 82, was advised to stop public speaking on health grounds shortly before her husband’s death. Although it is known widely that she has suffered a number of strokes, her dementia has been far less publicised. The first signs were apparent when she was 75, according to her daughter, who tells of her becoming confused about the Bosnian and
Nowhere is the word “Alzheimer’s” mentioned, but there’s precious little difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia. And, for those of us “of a certain age,” it may be the biggest fear we have about growing old. One can compensate for physical infirmity, but there’s nothing one can do when the mind begins to go. While it’s particularly sad when a high-visibility and much admired person such as Dame Thatcher is afflicted, there are literally thousands upon thousands… if not millions… of everyday folks who are similarly suffering. These people may be living, but they have no lives.
Scary.
―:☺:―
I find this rather interesting, given as how I receive a monthly love-letter (complete with a pittance of a remittance) from those wonderful folks at Ed’s Famous Data Company:
Hewlett-Packard said Tuesday that it has completed its US$13.9 billion purchase of massive systems integrator Electronic Data Systems, and it also revealed that EDS' top-level management structure would remain largely unchanged.
HP had already made it clear that EDS president and CEO Ron Rittenmeyer, would continue in a leadership role. On Tuesday, it confirmed that Rittenmeyer's direct reports would include key executives from EDS continuing in their roles as vice presidents overseeing various regions of the world as well as functions such as global sales, transformation, outsourcing and marketing.
I completely missed the fact that HP was acquiring EDS… the announcement was made this past May and I only found out about it last month. EDS is a great company and I truly enjoyed the 16 years I spent working for them. It makes me a little sad to see they’re no longer independent, but then again, General Motors acquired EDS shortly after I joined the company and held it for a number of years before spinning it off and allowing the company to be independent, yet again.
My bottom line: I really don’t care who owns the company… just keep those checks coming in, please.
―:☺:―
Here’s a great idea, at a great price… from the NYT, “Your Photos, Off the Shelf at Last.”
So if you, like millions before you, have a collection of prints somewhere, it’s probably crossed your mind that they really ought to be scanned — converted into digital files, both for protection and for ease of displaying. In that case, you, like millions before you, have probably even decided when you’ll do all that scanning: someday.
Because let’s face it: scanning hundreds or thousands of photos yourself, one at a time, on a home scanner, is a time drain the size of the
You could send them away to a company that does the scanning, but that’s incredibly expensive; most charge 50 cents or even $1 a photo.
You’d be forgiven, then, for raising an eyebrow at the offer made by a
So what’s the catch?
Actually, no catch, but lots of fine print.
Lots of detail, including the reporter’s experience with the service (he was pleased), at the link. I think I’ll stick to the do-it-yourself scanning. Once I get around to it, of course. Mr. Pogue’s point about the level of effort required to scan photos is very well-taken. And I’m lazy.
―:☺:―
So… SN1 and I were discussing ‘puters today, and we both agreed that a Mac just might be in our future(s). There are more than a few reasons to switch from a PC to a Mac, not the least of which is the Mac’s relative invulnerability to viruses (virii?), ease of operation, yadda, yadda, yadda. After a bit of discussion, we decided to google the downside of Macs... coz there’s got to be something wrong with ‘em, right? And in so doing… we found this:
Well, OK, then. I might just stick with the PC. I mean, Hell… I do have 20+ years of experience with the Wintel conspiracy and no one has ever questioned my sexual preferences based on the computer I use… (Tongue planted firmly in cheek, as I type.)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Kinda Blah
Weekend Update… Well, the weekend was kinda-sorta a bust. Not that anything unusual or untoward happened, it was just…blah. The news seemed to be “All Biden – All the Frickin’ Time,” and that was much more than enough to put me off. And there were the usual hordes of Talking Heads swarming all over my teevee, telling me what to expect and what not to expect out of this week’s Dimwit Gathering in Denver
The one bright spot in life, as I see it right now… the Olympics… are over. And what a bright spot it was! So many new world records; so many astounding feats of athleticism, beauty, and raw courage; so many individual moments of glory and crushing disappointments; such drama! And what a show it was, too, in both the technical and aesthetic senses. The Chinese definitely put their best foot forward and showed the world they are indeed a world-class player on the international stage… provided you don’t look behind the curtain, that is.
I watched last night’s Closing Ceremony twice… once during the prime-time tape-delayed broadcast, and then again when they re-ran the tape-delay during the overnight/late night broadcast. While the Closing Ceremony didn’t have the impact of the Opening Ceremony… I mean: how could it possibly?… it was certainly “good enough.” One got the inevitable “been there, done that” sort of feeling while watching the production, which is kinda an indicator of how rapidly we can become jaded these days. Or perhaps it’s an indicator of how rapidly I become jaded… I dunno. But here’s my take-away from last evening’s ceremony: brilliant. That, and Jimmy Page is old. Heh.
―:☺:―
Digital photography is easy, right? Think again! It’s a lot harder than it looks… especially if you happen to be a photographer for National Geographic Magazine, on assignment to photograph
Here is the final formula for the cover shot: Hasselblad Flexbody with 15mm of drop dialed in to a Phase One P45 back, ISO was set at 100, the lens was a Hasselblad Distagon 40mm set at f11, there were 12 SureFire lights aimed at the stones which were on for about 12 seconds during the 15 minute total exposure. Dressed in black, I then walked through the scene painting additional light on the stones to create some of edge highlights.
The whole story… including a couple of false starts, lots of technical detail, and more great photos… is related in the story “Shooting Stonehenge,” on NGM photographer Ken Geiger’s digital photography blog. It’s fascinating stuff.
―:☺:―
Today’s Pic: Dipping into the archives for a picture of SN3 on an uncharacteristically gray and chilly day in
Speaking of parties...
The locals loved the Mason, too. Or the money. One or the other... (insert Smiley-Face thingie here.)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Happy Birthday, Buck!
Anyone and everyone who is familiar with the works of Douglas Adams knows the significance of the number 42. But today the number means something just a little different to me (and more than a few others). Because it was 42 years ago today YrHmblScrb was pacing the floor of the day room at the 669th Radar Squadron on Vandenberg AFB, California… waiting, in the time honored fashion of countless fathers before him, for the phone call that would come from the VAFB hospital, telling me “Congratulations, Airman Pennington…you’re a father!” I didn’t get to pace all that much, though, because I had hardly arrived in the day room when the phone rang and I received the anticipated message. The First Mrs. Pennington was in labor for all of about 30 minutes before Ivan Anthony Pennington arrived in this world… which is pretty danged good for one’s first-born. And... just in case you're wondering why I was in the day room and not the delivery room, Buck was born back in the day when fathers were barred from the
A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since August of 1966. I’ll repeat what I said last year on this occasion: “As the citations accompanying military awards and decorations always say: ‘By his significant accomplishments and superior performance, Captain Pennington has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.’ His wife, children, and parents, too.”
Happy Birthday, Buck!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Timely
Via Chap, something I missed in the WaPo last week: “A Son Goes Off To War.” Excerpt: 
Today's Pic: Predictable, this. I have a LOT of pics of Buck...but I really like this one. Not so much for who's in the photo with Buck, it's ALL about the occasion and circumstance. The Dining-Out (and Dining-In) is a fine military tradition... and this pic just seems appropriate. YMMV, especially if your name is Erma. In which case, there's this pic:
Buck and Erm... at Buck's AMMOS graduation. This year, at Nellis AFB, NV.
For generations, my family has sent sons off to war. The first, Jacob Zumwalt, lies in
Growing up, my brother and I were never told that we had an obligation to serve. It was by osmosis, through witnessing our father's sense of duty to country, that we felt compelled to do so.
Similarly, I never told my son, James, that he bore such an obligation. But I felt great pride when he, too, chose to serve.
Military service must be in our DNA. Even so, it is very difficult for a father to watch a son go off to war.
The first few paragraphs… especially those I’ve quoted above… resonate with me, a LOT. And why would that be? Well… SN1 and his unit are deploying to The Sandbox on September 2nd. It’s not like this is his first time, or anything, and the situation in-country is a whole helluva lot better than it’s ever been. Still and even: I’m a father, and Buck is my son. Worry is part of the territory. I've known about this upcoming deployment for some time now, but what I didn't know... and neither did Buck, until yesterday... was the exact date the unit was gonna saddle up and head out. We know now... and now is when the worry begins.
But, that said, Lt. Col. Zumwalt’s closing paragraph says it all, and says it well:
I shared one other thought with James. Having lost a grandfather, father and brother, I had come to believe all my heroes were gone. But I was wrong about this, too. In bidding my son farewell as he goes off to war, I realized I have been blessed with yet another hero.
What he said.
Today's Pic: Predictable, this. I have a LOT of pics of Buck...but I really like this one. Not so much for who's in the photo with Buck, it's ALL about the occasion and circumstance. The Dining-Out (and Dining-In) is a fine military tradition... and this pic just seems appropriate. YMMV, especially if your name is Erma. In which case, there's this pic:
Buck and Erm... at Buck's AMMOS graduation. This year, at Nellis AFB, NV.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Sex in the City Village
Via Lex… something that will interest most everyone, unless I miss my guess. Excerpt:
I am often asked if the Olympic village - the vast restaurant and housing conglomeration that hosts the world's top athletes for the duration of the Games - is the sex-fest it is cracked up to be. My answer is always the same: too right it is. I played my first Games in
[…]
Ah yes, the swimmers. For some reason the International Olympic Committee insists on bunching the swimming events towards the beginning of the Games with the inevitable consequence that the aquatics folk get going earlier - sexually I mean - than everyone else. So much so that, at the outset of the Sydney Olympics, Jonathan Edwards, a Christian and triple jumper extraordinaire, caused a ripple by telling them publicly to keep a lid on it. Edwards was simply concerned about getting woken up by creaking floorboards, but given his biblical credentials, it became a story about morality. Not that his intervention made a blind bit of difference.
So… does Michael Phelps’ mom know about this? Where is she staying? But leave us not digress. You’re just waiting for the link, ain’t ya? In The Times (
Investigations, Private and Otherwise
Let's begin with 5:34 of guitar goodness from Mark Knopfler:
And now you know the inspiration for today's post title. This isn't one of Knopfler's better-known pieces, but I love the moodiness and semi-flamenco qualities of the guitar work (in places). Knopfler is simply one of the best...
And now you know the inspiration for today's post title. This isn't one of Knopfler's better-known pieces, but I love the moodiness and semi-flamenco qualities of the guitar work (in places). Knopfler is simply one of the best...
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I think a copy change just might be in order… due to recent events in Beijing
Winner of four World Beer Cup medals and eight medals at the Great American Beer Fest, Abbey Belgian Ale is the Mark Spitz of New Belgium’s lineup - but it didn’t start out that way. When Jeff and Kim first sampled the beer at the Lyons Folks Fest, reviews were mixed at best. One of founder Jeff’s first two Belgian style homebrews (along with Fat Tire), Abbey is a Belgian dubbel (or double) brewed with six different malts and an authentic Belgian yeast strain. Abbey is bottle-conditioned, weighs in at 7.0% alcohol by volume, and pairs well with chocolate (or boldly served by itself) for dessert.
Don’t you?
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I owe you an opinion about yesterday evening’s Happy Hour smoke, Gentle Reader. So: here it is.
What he said. The only significant difference in the review at the link and my experience being I had no problems whatsoever with the wrapper on my Titan. Nice photos in the review, too. The consensus opinion seems to be “great smoke, at a not-so-great price.” I’ll buy that…but not at $22.00 per.
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Further to yesterday’s Happy Hour… I mentioned in yesterday’s post that Trippel is now The Beer of Choice here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington. There’s just one small problema. Given Trippel’s 7.8% alcohol by volume (ABV) content, and my current lighter-than-usual body state (“emaciated” might be the word I’m looking for), two of ‘em will put me dangerously close to Stage Five. I felt the warning signs after finishing off my first Trippel yesterday but had The Answer at hand, said answer being one single, solitary bottle of Mothership Wit lurking on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Mothership, with its 4.8% ABV, was much more fitting for the occasion and my diminished weight. And thus dinner was saved.
So… I take it back. Mothership Wit will be in regular rotation.
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BEIJING (AP) — The International Olympic Committee said Friday it had asked gymnastics officials to investigate whether the Chinese women's gymnastics team that won the gold medal had underage athletes, saying "more information has come to light."
"We've asked the gymnastics federation to look into it further," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. "If there is a question mark and we have a concern, which we do, we ask the governing body of any sport to look into it."
The IOC, which also asked the Chinese gymnastics federation to investigate, would not give details on what new information prompted it to act now, three days after the gymnastics competition ended.
[…]
Chinese coach Lu Shanzhen told The Associated Press they gave the FIG new documents on Thursday to try to remove the doubts about He Kexin's age, including an old passport, a residency card and her current ID card.
He said all these documents were issued by various departments of the Chinese government and that he felt there was nothing more that they could do to put peoples' minds at ease.
The FIG has said repeatedly that a passport is the "accepted proof of a gymnast's eligibility," and that
[…]
Earlier this month, the AP found registration lists previously posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Sport of China that showed both He and Yang were too young to compete. He was born
If the FIG would find evidence supporting the questions that the gymnasts are underage, it could affect four of
As for the IOC and the FIG finding evidence of the gymnasts in question being under-age and actually doing something? I’m not holding my breath. What we have here are two sanctioning bodies, one of which (the FIG) is already on the record as verifying He’s age, going up against a big-ass state bureaucracy, perhaps THE biggest bureaucracy in the world. And the IOC has characterized the inquiry thusly:
International Olympic Committee spokeswoman Giselle Davies said today that while she wouldn't characterise it as a formal investigation, the IOC had gone back to the gymnastics federation and asked for further clarification on whether He Kexin was eligible to compete at the Beijing Olympics.
But it looks like the accusations are pretty well-founded, judging from the registration lists uncovered by the AP. If the IOC finds the Chinese gymnasts are underage (and thereby disqualified), then the US women’s team would be elevated to gold medal status, and Nastia Liukin would move up to gold from silver on the uneven bars. There would be additional medal status changes, as well… given that Yang won two bronze medals.
And who broke this story and put it “in the news?” A blogger by the name of Mike Walker. Good On Ya, Mike. You deserve your 15 minutes.
(photo: FanIQ)
(No, I'm not up early [or late, even, as in "all-niter"]. This is a scheduled post, thanks to Blogger's oh-so-groovy scheduling feature. I love it.)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
(Minor) Bitches, Moans, and Complaints...
So… after four or five days of wonderfully balmy weather… for these parts, and I’m talking mid-70s to low-80s, in August (!)… it’s “back on your heads, coffee break’s over.” It’s supposed to be 92 today, and I believe we’re quite close to that as I peck out the oh-so-late Thursday post (we’re at 89, I just looked). Which means Happy Hour will be just a lil bit delayed, at least until the sun sinks low enough to be obscured by the trees. I’m looking forward to Happy Hour more than usual today, as the Brown Truck of Happiness stopped by early this afternoon and dropped off my latest shipment of cigars. It should be interesting, as I’m gonna fire up one of those pricey Gurkha Titans and see if the reality of the smoke matches its rather princely sum… which is about three times what I consider usual, customary, and reasonable. I’ll report back, either tomorrow or later today. Tomorrow is much more likely.
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I posted a minor bitch last month about the Cannon AFB Class VI store, mostly about their piss-poor beer inventory and stocking practices. I had a follow-on conversation with the manager of the Class VI on the next beer run following my bitch-moan-complain post, and was told that Trippel (which they’d been out of for a month or so) was a “seasonal” beer and was routinely replaced by New Belgium’s Mothership Wit during the summer. (Minor digression: I bought a sixer of Mothership… and while it’s about as close to “light” beer as I get these days, it won’t become a regular occupant in my fridge, as it’s just too light for my tastes.)
So… imagine my surprise this past week when I see LOTS of Trippel on their shelves! Not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I quietly picked up two sixers of Trippel and just thanked my lucky stars, while simultaneously cursing the manager (under my breath, of course) for lying to me… apparently. Summer ain’t over, AFAIK, and all indications would seem to verify that fact, including New Belgium their-own-selves and my calendar. So why did that woman lie to me?
And, apropos of nothing, it’s Official: Trippel is now the Beer of Choice here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington. Fat Tire has been displaced. The King is dead. Long Live the King!
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Here’s another brief “customer service” tale o’ woe…
Earlier this week I stopped into Subway and bought a sandwich. The clerk, a young 20-something woman... or possibly in her late teens... prepared my order and rang up my purchase. So far, so good.
My bill came to seven Yankee Dollars and 48 cents. I handed the clerk a
Do I fear for the next generation and the nation, as a whole? Yes. Yes, I DO.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Today's Weirdness
Here’s a one-minute video I’ve watched six times (so far) and don’t quite get…
A comment on our consumer society? An over-simplification of what makes us happy? No point at all? Like a lot of folks, I have a tendency to read things into things… ascribe meaning to the meaningless, if you will…when there may not be a point to be made, at all.
Still and even, this is a strange yet oddly compelling video. But maybe it’s just me. I AM easily amused, ya know. And Thank The Deity At Hand for that.
Nurse!
Here’s yet another quickie from My Buddy Ed In Florida
THE NURSE!
A very tired nurse walks into a bank, totally exhausted after an 18-hour shift. Preparing to write a check, she pulls a rectal thermometer out of her purse and tries to write with it.
When she realizes her mistake, she looks at the flabbergasted teller and without missing a beat, she says:
“Well, that's great… just great… Some asshole's got my pen!”
Badda-da-BOOMP!
(Image from The Coloring Spot)
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
THE Most Important Issue in Election 2008 is...
...bullshit. Seriously.
Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters
Well, OK. Not seriously. Unless you're thinking of Hillary, which they were. Point taken.
(h/t: Lex)
Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters
Well, OK. Not seriously. Unless you're thinking of Hillary, which they were. Point taken.
(h/t: Lex)
Starters
Forgive me a moment of grandfatherly pride if you will, Gentle Reader. I got a nice e-mail from granddaughter Amanda last evening that included some new pics of the grand-girls on the SN2 side of the house, including a couple of great-grandbaby Taurean. And I thought I’d share.
The first pic includes all four grand-girls… Amanda on the left and Anastasia on the right; the “little” girls are Ava (left) and Angelina (right). The second pic is Mom Amanda and Baby T at
Cute, eh?
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A couple of items from new-to-me but oh-so-cool FailBlog… First: a nation of idiots?
Second (and especially for ASW)… yep…spell and grammar check IS the problem:
Some pretty funny stuff be there. (h/t: TechCrunch)
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This is NOT good (WaPo: “Will Pandora Play ‘The End’ Soon? Royalty Rate Hikes Could Be Its Demise”):
Some potentially sad news today for music fans who like their music free, but don't want to risk the recording industry's wrath. In a candid interview with the Washington Post, Pandora founder Tim Westergren said the company is "approaching a pull-the-plug kind of decision," a potential "last stand for webcasting" as royalty fee increases begin to take hold. Perhaps it's a well-honed ruse to drum up support from the company's million-plus users who listen to Pandora daily, but there are some dire economics standing in the way of web radio. Last year, the Copyright Royalty Board ordered per-song performance royalties to be more than doubled for use online. Rates will increase from 8/100 of a cent per song per listener to 19/100 of a cent per song per listener by 2010. Pandora's royalty fees this year are projected to hit $17 million, about 70 percent of its projected revenue for the year. The fee increases don't effect traditional or satellite radio, but SoundExchange, an organization that represents artists and record companies, is trying to up those rates as well. (Emphasis in original)
Dang… first Radio Paradise (which is still alive and well, no thanks to the Copyright Royalty Board), now Pandora. I’m really beginning to dislike the idjits at the RIAA and the Copyright Royalty Board. You’d think those short-sighted SOBs people would understand that exposure creates the market for new (and old) music. Every single music purchase I’ve made this year came as a direct result of hearing a new artist I liked on either Pandora or RP (and that includes adding missing albums to my collection from favorite artists, too).
There’s nothing quite like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Monday, August 18, 2008
I Got Nuthin’…
… mainly because I’ve only been up for about an hour. I went to bed shortly before 0500 this morning after yet another all-nighter, which consisted of doing nothing of any import, other than watching the Olympics on my teevee. But Hey! I do it because I can, ya know. Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine, V
So… here’s yet another re-run that will keep ya occupied while I have my coffee and try to get in touch with my Muse; it’s a war story I posted two and a half years ago. The difference between this and most other war stories you’ll hear GIs tell at the bar and other such places? All of this…in its entirety… is true. I’ve added an image of Ramasun Station to the original narrative and changed the name of the town the installation was located near, as noted. That circular structure at the top of the image is the FLR-9 antenna. Big sucker, ain’t it? (Image credit: the person or persons who run this site.)
Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine, V
Ko Ban Nong Soong (ed: corrected on the authority of a Gentle Reader who was there. Memory ain’t what it used to be),
Runnin' scared
Runnin' blue
Goin' so fast
What'll I do
When the tasking came down the job seemed simple enough: take a team of four guys and minimal equipment, load up on a C-141, head out to an Army Security Agency monitoring site in northern Thailand via Clark AB in the Philippines, de-install an MSC-46 satellite uplink, pack it up, load it on a C-5, and ship it back to Japan. Nothing complex, just a lot of disassembly work, inventory all the components, pack, load, and get out of Dodge. No systems installation, alignments, testing, or certifications; just a lot of grunt work. A short-duration job and then back home—just the type of job we all liked.
I was the Team Chief. I had three other guys on the team, plus we were assured there would be Army augmentees from the MSC-46 maintenance organization to assist us with the de-installation. We had two weeks to complete the job. Piece of cake, really. The team consisted of my buddies Barry and Bill, plus a new guy to the shop, a young buck sergeant named James Johnson, who, of course, went by the name of JJ.
The load out at Yokota went according to plan. We flew into
Ramasun Station, near the town of
I reported in to the Army captain in charge of satellite operations, was introduced to the maintenance superintendent, an Army Master Sergeant, got the team billeted, and we set to work. The major part of the job was disassembling the antenna, which was in a fixed configuration on a large concrete pad about 30 feet in diameter. The remainder of the system was in air-transportable vans, so the main effort there was securing all the equipment racks, performing an inventory, and affixing customs seals on the vans once they were ready for shipment. Taking down that antenna was a pure bitch, however.
The ambient temperature during the day was in the high 90s, as was the humidity. We were working on a blazingly hot white concrete pad, which acted as a hellish solar reflector, intensifying the heat and making working conditions all but unbearable. You literally couldn’t touch the metal pieces of that antenna without wearing gloves, it was that hot. We worked 20 minutes outside, then ten minutes inside the air conditioned shelter, then 20 minutes back outside again, eight hours a day. It took us an entire week to disassemble that damned antenna and pack it up. I must have sweated off ten pounds, and for a light-@$$ed guy like me, that’s a lot.
Our nights, though, were quite different. While it was hotter than blazes during the day, the nights were warm and balmy. The restaurants were quite good in the local area, and there were plenty of bar girls left in town who hadn’t flown the coop when the major part of the base’s population left, about two months prior to our arrival. The team and I partied-hardy, as the saying goes, spending our evenings in casual conversation with the ladies and each other in open-air watering holes. Quite pleasant, it was. Well, almost all of the team. All except for JJ, who had brought his girlfriend up to
So, the work proceeded according to schedule and we got the job done. We had received a couple of messages while at Ramasun about a follow-on assignment requiring two radar guys in the
I felt bad the morning we left
We arrived in
It wasn’t a good evening. I didn’t have much of an appetite and picked at my dinner. I took more drugs and decided to ride the ferry across the harbor to
The following morning JJ and I met up in the hotel restaurant, had breakfast and headed out to the airport. JJ looked bad, really bad. I felt as bad as he looked. And I don’t remember much about the flight. I do remember landing at Haneda. The Second Mrs. Pennington (who was my intended, not my wife, at that point in time) met me at the airport.
When we got back to our place I told TSMP I felt really bad and just wanted to take more drugs and get into bed, alone. That got her attention, because we’d been separated for nearly three weeks and all I wanted to do was sleep. She insisted on taking my temperature and it was high, probably 101 or so. I took more drugs and went to bed. It was a bad night; I was up and down all night, violently ill, with a severe headache, and chills.
TSMP took my temperature again in the morning and it was 103. She got me dressed, went out to the phone box down the street, called a cab, put me in the back seat, and we were off to the base hospital at Yokota. I waited for about a half-hour to see a doctor, who examined me and told me he was going to admit me for “observation.” By that time I didn’t care, I just wanted someone or something to take away the chills and headache. I filled out the admissions paperwork, was put in a wheelchair and taken up to the ward and put in a private room, which was highly unusual. The doctor sent TSMP home, telling her he would “be in touch.”
About an hour later the door to my room opened and in walked a gaggle of medical personnel…the doctor who initially checked me out, another full-colonel doctor, still another doctor, and a couple of nurses. They all looked very grim. The colonel introduced himself as the flight surgeon and began asking me questions. After he determined I had been in Thailand, had returned the previous evening via Hong Kong, hadn’t taken any illegal drugs, and other assorted medical and non-medical questions, he asked “Do you know a Sergeant James Johnson?” “Uh, Yes, Sir.” I replied. “Why do you ask?” “We admitted Sergeant Johnson last night, he died early this morning, we don’t know what killed him, and we suspect you have what he had.”
Oh, Shit.
I don’t remember much about the next 48 hours. I was in and out of consciousness, had an IV in each arm, and was poked, prodded, injected, and generally harassed every hour, on the hour. I do remember hearing TSMP screaming down the hall at the ward nurse, demanding to be let in to see me or she was going to call her congressman, and right now. I don’t think it worked; I didn’t see her again, or don’t remember seeing her again, until two days later when I was out of the woods. The military is pretty inflexible when it comes to rules, especially when one is sick with an unknown disease and is in isolation.
Eventually we convinced the flight surgeon, who was handling my case personally by now, that it was OK for TSMP to be allowed to visit me. She came every day, without fail, bringing me magazines and books, and smuggling in food fit for human consumption.
I think it happened on the fifth day I was in the hospital. TSMP was lying next to me on the bed, I was under the sheets, and I was definitely feeling better. And she could tell, too. She whispered something to the effect of “let’s get comfortable,” (but a helluva lot bawdier, and I loved her for that) but I stopped her, pointing toward the door. The door, while it was shut, had a rather large window with a full view of the room. This would never do. But…
I pushed her off the bed, hopped off the bed myself, grabbed my IV pole in one hand and her hand in the other, and led her to the attached private bathroom. The bathroom had a door, and once closed, no one could see in, period. She grinned.
It was good. Even while standing up, attached to an IV pole.
And that’s when I knew I was going to live, even though I spent a few more days in the hospital, just so the medical staff could “make sure.” That little experience also qualifies as the strangest place I ever “did it.”
And what did I have? The AF says it was extreme viral pneumonia. I think it was Legionnaire’s Disease, but I can’t prove it. But I’m alive to tell the tale, which is better than the alternative. I still feel bad for JJ, to this day, even though I didn’t know him that well. And I feel worse for his girlfriend; I have no idea if she was ever told of his death. How do you contact someone in
I might be back later.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
It's All About Water... From the Skies and In the Pool
Happy Hour came early yesterday afternoon, due to our rather unusual (for this time of year) weather. Whereas I normally wait until early evening to go sit outside and enjoy a cigar and a brew… or two, or three (brews)… it was cool enough in mid-afternoon yesterday to hit it early. And so I did. Actually, I misstate the case by saying “cool enough,” as the weather was just dang near perfect. To wit:
And today is the same, temperature-wise:
But temperature isn’t everything. The skies have been threatening rain all day, and we’re supposed to get more thunderstorms… and more rain… again today. Which is a great good thing in the general scheme of things, but not all that great for us lazy-assed retirees who view weather through a rather different sort of prism than other people. But I’m loving the weather we’ve had the last few days.
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“There have been so many greats who have come before me, and what Mark did is still amazing,” he said. “It's a very hard thing to accomplish. I think it shows whatever you put your mind to, you really can accomplish.” Photo: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
So… How about that Michael Phelps! The toast of the sports world pulled off a nearly impossible feat by taking his eight gold medals, and the magnitude of his accomplishment is nearly indescribable…although lotsa people will try. The NYT had a pretty good article on Phelps yesterday, and I liked these bits the best:
Spitz’s record lasted 36 years, and it figures to be even longer before the world sees Phelps’s successor. In 1972, Spitz swam two strokes, the freestyle and the butterfly, and none of his swims covered more than 200 meters. Phelps swam all four strokes, at distances ranging from 100 to 400 meters, and faced three rounds in each of his five individual events, one more round than Spitz had.
“I think it’s probably one of the greatest things sport in general has ever seen,” said Brendan Hansen, who swam the breaststroke leg in the winning relay Sunday. “The shame of it is other athletes aren’t going to realize how hard it is. The world is fast in swimming right now. The world was not fast when Mark Spitz did his seven.”
How fabulous was Phelps’s feat? At Sunday’s start, the Person’s
[…]
Swimmers who, by any yardstick other than Phelps, were wildly successful here, were among the awed. The individual medley specialist Stephanie Rice, who became the fifth Australian to win three gold medals in a single Olympics, said, “I don’t even know how he does it.” Rice, who, like Phelps, competed in the 200 and 400 individual medleys and the 4x200 freestyle relay, became worn down from the stress and got sick. “I just don’t even know how he holds himself together,” she said.
When Phelps’ peers…swimmers who also took gold medals… look upon him with awe you know you’ve seen something special, and something that’s unlikely to be repeated in our lifetimes. It was certainly a joy to witness Phelps’ stunning accomplishment, even if it was only on teevee.
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Today’s Pic: A break in the storm clouds as they blew over Beautiful La Hacienda Trailer Park, a week ago today. The sky looks much the same as I type… but there’s no rain.
Yet.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Nostalgia
Today is the Woodward Dream Cruise… and Boy! am I ever nostalgic about this event. The Second Mrs. Pennington, my buddy Greg, and I participated in the first-ever Dream Cruise back in 1995… in this car:
And dang but we had us some fun! And one not-so-fun moment, too, when the car inexplicably died… just quit running… and wouldn’t re-start. Greg, TSMP and I pushed that two-ton monster about six blocks to Greg’s house where he diagnosed the problem, fixed it, and we jumped back into the fray. It’s GOOD to have a GM power train engineer as a friend, and even better to have him hanging around in the back seat when your vintage auto-machine decides to go belly up on ya. But I digress.
I can think of a lot of places in the world I’d like to be at any given point in time. But today? There’s NOwhere I’d rather be than on Woodward… laughing, joking, having a beer or two, and ogling all the fantastic cars that turn out for Da Cruise. There are a lot of good links, with lotsa pics of stunning machinery, and here are but a few you might wanna look at… assuming you’re a gear-head.
Jalopnik
FERNDALE: Woodward Dream Cruise coverage -- 8/16/08
VIDEO: Morning at the Dream Cruise -- 8/16/08
Big Boy dishes out old-fashioned favorites -- 8/16/08
All you need to know to navigate the Cruise -- 8/16/08
MARK PHELAN: Classic cars delight fans -- 8/16/08
Photo gallery: GM Parade of Cars in Ferndale -- 8/16/08
Photo gallery: Dream Cruise 2008 - Pontiac -- 8/16/08
GM parade celebrates a 100-year history -- 8/16/08
PONTIAC: Woodward Dream Cruise coverage -- 8/16/08
Other cruise happenings -- 8/16/08
That ought to hold ya for a while.
(Photo: My old Cadillac, in my old driveway, in old Ferndale, Michigan. The photo says 1992, but I think it was more like 1995...as we did The Cruise shortly after I acquired the Caddy.)
Update: I just had to add this lil blurb from the Mark Phelan column, linked above (coz not everyone chases every link, ya know):
'Run what you brung” is the street-racer’s motto, but run what you love will be the rule as Woodward Avenue turns into the world’s largest car show today.
The Woodward Dream Cruise may also be the world’s most egalitarian, democratic event, uniting car lovers of all ages, incomes and races in a parade of more than 30,000 vehicles.
From teenager with their first cars to retirees driving the cars they longed for when they were young, the Woodward Dream Cruise has become a spectacle that unites people from throughout metro Detroit and draws visitors from across the country and around the world to see the Motor City at its best.
[...]
There's no telling what you may see, though, from Ford engineers taking the new 2010 Mustang out for a spin to the 1932 Buick sedan that 67-year-old Ken Materia of Flint souped up with a high-output Chevrolet small block V8.
Dang. I SO wanna be there...
Saturday's Song
… Warren Zevon singing “Accidentally Like a Martyr.”
One of his best, this, from what I think is his very best album. Read Rolling Stone’s review here. And it goes without saying, yet I’ll say it anyway (I always do, ya know)… YMMV.
Not Bad...
...for an Ol' Girl who will be eight years You probably remember that ad if you're of a certain age. If you don't remember it, or never saw it to begin with, you can see it here. It's at the 1:22 point of a 1:33 clip, and requires RealPlayer. Bonus: Joe Namath in panty hose, and other memorable moments in advertising from the '50s, '60s, and '70s.
Friday, August 15, 2008
They're Not Underage...
...we're just counting wrong. Doubtless you’ve heard there’s a lil bit of controversy surrounding the ages of the Chinese women gymnasts… Well, Scott Ott found the answer:
China: Gymnasts Ages Based on Chinese Calendar
by Scott Ott
(2008-08-15) — Authorities in Beijing today put to rest U.S. claims that girls on the Chinese gymnastics squad were not yet 16 years-old, the minimum age for Olympic competition, by noting that this is the year 4705 in China, not 2008.
“Our girls are actually older than their
That’s just a taste, Gentle Reader. You know there’s more. And you should go read it. If ya need a laugh, or even if ya don't.
Dazzling
I’m doing something completely out of character this morning… watching the “Today” show on NBC and actually enjoying it… even considering the numerous moments that made me wince, most of which involved the obnoxious throngs of “Hi Mom!” idiots hanging around behind the anchor people. It makes one wonder why NBC perpetuates this sort of madness, as it’s highly distracting. But, Hey! I suppose I should put that phenomenon in the “Ain’t that America
Silver medalist Shawn Johnson of the United States, gold medalist Nastia Lukin of the United States and bronze medalist Yang Yilin of China pose together after the women's individual all-around artistic gymnastics final. Photo: Getty Images
So… I fell asleep last night watching the “overnight” coverage of the Olympics on my teevee and awoke to “Today.” The best bits on the show this morning have all revolved around
American Nastia Liukin has broken
The 18-year-old put in a dazzling display on all four apparatus to win the title with a score of 63.325 and emulate the feat of fellow Americans Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson.
Liukin edged out compatriot and world champion Shawn Johnson by 0.6 of a point.
“Dazzling display” is understatement of the highest order. The entire performance… by all the competitors… was full of beauty, elegance, and amazing athleticism, not to mention the incredible suspense and tension surrounding the performances by each of the eventual medalists… on each and every apparatus. The LA Times has a more extensive article about Liukin and Johnson… it’s a good read.
And then there was Michael Phelps, who continues to dominate the swimming events and the entire Olympiad. Six gold medals, six world records. And the man isn’t finished. About which I can only say: Wow. Just… Wow! Like everyone else on the planet.
―:☺:―
Hey, Jenny! You can thank me for all that rain we got yesterday afternoon and last evening. I had an appointment to get The Green Hornet detailed yesterday afternoon… and that storm blew in just as the guys finished washing the car and before they waxed it. Actually, they didn’t wax it; I have to take it back in today to get the job finished. The interior is done, as is the engine compartment…which had accumulated an un-bee-leeb-able amount of dust and grime over the past five and a half years of P-Ville living. It’s all clean and shiny now, though… as the exterior will be by the end of the day. But, it's true... want it to rain? Wash the car.
―:☺:―
Today's Pics: Speaking of yesterday’s storm… here are a few pics I took last evening after the worst of it had passed, and before we went into round two.
You can see just the slightest hint of a rainbow here… looking NNE.
Note the dust clouds in this pic, even after some significant rain!
I love the light in this pic… the vibrant green against the nearly black storm skies. Looking ENE.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Smokin'!
Everyone who smokes cigars has either (a) a favorite tobacconist or (b) a favorite internet smoke-shop. I’ve been buying my cigars for years from cigar.com… although one gets the feeling that one internet vendor is the same as the next. That said, I prefer to deal with cigar.com coz they run weekly specials, besides stocking my preferred brand. I glance at the weekly special every Thursday and usually pass it by, especially when the deal involves “no-name” cigars. But I popped for this week’s special, seeing as how the offer is for premium cigars. To wit:
This week we teamed up 12 super premium smokes with our Cigar.com 2 Finger Ashtray. If you have not seen this ashtray yet, let me tell you, this thing is a stunner with an arch design and all black veneer. What about the cigars, you ask? When we say super premium, we mean it. Included are Gurkha, CAO, Rocky Patel and Don Pepin Garcia. For One Day Only, take advantage of this special package for 66% off the regular MSRP!
Sampler Includes 12 Super Premium Cigars + Ashtray
3 x Gurkha Titan Toro (6.2 x 56)
3 x Don Pepin Garcia Vegas Cubanas Generosos (6 x 50)
3 x Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Robusto (5.5 x 50)
3 x CAO Black
1 x Cigar.com Two Finger Ashtray
So… this week’s special will be in the mail on the Brown Truck of Happiness tomorrow and in my grubby lil hands early next week. With a new ashtray!
―:☺:―
I was just out and about running errands in P-Ville and on my way back from Wally-World I saw something that tugged at my heart strings… my old Vette. Well, it probably wasn’t mine but it was identical in year and color and being driven in much the same manner as I drove mine, which is to say jes a lil bit fast. But only a lil bit, ya know.
Which brings us to Today’s Pic…
That would be YrHmblScrb leaning on his late (if one considers nine years gone “late”) and oh-SO-lamented Vette. Taken in
(Yeah... it's a re-run. And it's first-gen digital, so the quality...umm... sucks. But you can click for larger, if you wish.)
Targets
Via memeorandum (No Quarter)… THE best Obama satirical site yet: “Best Obama Facts.” And Hoo-Boy, is it ever filled with chunky goodness! A sampling:
Best Heroic Truths About Obama
1. Every now and then, Obama opens his eyes and the world springs into existence.
2. When a tree falls in the forest, Obama hears it.
3. Obama can clap with one hand.
[…]
8. "Obama" is the very first word in the English language to be a verb, adjective, noun, pronoun, adverb, interjection, superlative and pronad. (Pronad is a new category made specifically for the word "Obama" so its power can be fully realized).
[…]
18. Obama always overpays his taxes because he believes that the government will find a better use for his money than he ever could.
19. When Obama rids the world of nuclear weapons, the red button in his office will control the thermostats in American homes.
[…]
44. Obama smokes so you don't have to.
45. Obama's cigarettes have been registered at the EPA as a renewable power source contributing 5,000 Megawatts of electricity to the national power grid every time he takes a draw.
Obama and the Downtrodden
[…]
2. Obama owns an expensive Sleep Number Bed but sleeps on an off-brand mattress in the corner in order to be down with the masses.
[…]
7. Obama once had a chance to save 10% on car insurance by switching to Geico but he said "no" because that would mean a sellout to corporate interests.
And you know there’s more… including some fine Photoshop work!
―:☺:―
Now this is way-cool: “Laser Gunship Fires; 'Deniable' Strikes Ahead?” Excerpt:
Boeing announced today the first ever test firing of a real-life ray gun that could become US special forces' way to carry out covert strikes with "plausible deniability."
In tests earlier this month at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, Boeing's Advanced Tactical Laser -- a modified C-130H aircraft -- "fired its high-energy chemical laser through its beam control system. The beam control system acquired a ground target and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL's battle management system."
[…]
The Advanced Tactical Laser, weighing twelve thousand pounds and mounted in a Hercules transport plane, is intended to give Special Forces Command "ultra-precision strike capability" against a wide range of ground targets. Its power is somewhere in the hundred-kilowatt range.
According to the developers, the accuracy of this weapon is little short of supernatural. They claim that the pinpoint precision can make it lethal or non-lethal at will. For example, they say it can either destroy a vehicle completely, or just damage the tires to immobilize it.
Much more at the link… including Boeing’s claim that the new laser would allow Special Operators to conduct strikes with “plausible deniability.” About which, the author of the linked article seems to think is a bad thing. Not me… I love plausible deniability, coz it has definite advantages. I can see Dana Perino (or her replacement, sometime next year) at the podium saying “It wasn’t US, ya know. It musta been someone else. We weren’t anywhere NEAR the place where that limousine carrying Putin blew up. Next question?”
―:☺:―
That article on the advanced tactical laser brings to mind an old joke…
Q: What’s the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?
A: Mechanical engineers build weapons; civil engineers build targets.
Badda-da-boomp!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Apropos of Nothing, Again
I'm almost finished making the blog-rounds... and I'm listening to Pandora's Aretha Franklin station as I do so. And Pandora prompted another "Apropos of Nothing" post, yet again.
One of the more interesting things (to me) about music is its ability to transport you to a place and time that's not necessarily of your choosing. This song, which was originally released in 1977 (!), might could take me to ANY number of places... given as how (a) it's a fave and (b) I've heard it thousands of times, literally. So where did I go when I heard the first few bars of "Easy" today?
Moscow. The image was clear as day: Mid-morning. Four of us in a van, on our way to the airport, and our way back home after two trying (yet oh-so-memorable) weeks in Russia's capital. Traffic. Diesel smells. Billboards I couldn't read. And the radio blaring "Easy," coupled with the thought I'd be home soon. Of all the memories I could have associated with this song... and there are MANY... my mind flashed back to Moscow.
Funny how the brain works, eh?
Here and There
Kathleen Parker’s column at TownHall.com is VERY good today… and VERY funny. Titled “Vlad, You’ve got mail,” the column consists solely of three letters (e-mails?) to Putin from Dubya, The Obamanon, and John McCain. Ms. Parker has adopted the stylistic phrasing and mannerisms of the respective men, and herewith a couple of excerpts: 
I’ve often said I have an immediate grasp of the obvious… and that’s not a bad quality to have. So, it’s in that spirit that I’m offering the observation that Michael Phelps is THE story of the 2008 Olympiad, so far. The man has just been freakin’ awesome, in the fullest sense of the word. Or, as Joe Posnanski of The Kansas City Star puts it… “Phelps making the perfect look routine”:
From President George W. Bush:
Dear Vlad:
Hey, which reminds me. What's up with
[…]
From Sen. Barack Obama:
Dear (Former) President Putin:
I'm sorry to be writing this e-mail instead of meeting you in person, preferably in the Oval Office, where I belong. Soon, soon.
Nevertheless, and notwithstanding the foregoing, I felt it imperative that I express my deep concern about
[…]
Please picture me looking very serious when I say that I respectfully request you to calm down. Life is but a flicker in time and we're but actors strutting and fretting. That is to say, we're all on this planetary journey together and our karma is interrelated and interdependent. Thus, it would seem that our differences are best resolved through words, not bombs.
It is said that war is a failure of diplomacy. I would submit that it is also counterintuitive. If my Kenyan father and my Kansan mother and my multinational upbringing taught me anything, it is that we are all One. That said, I am The One the world has been waiting for -- and you are, quite frankly, blocking my chi.
I won’t give away the whole point of the column by posting McCain’s letter… which consists of only nine words… so there’s simply NO way to excerpt it and preserve the point. You just gotta go read it!
―:☺:―
I had a follow-up with Dr. Thompson (my dentist) yesterday and I’m going to have some additional artificial bone material added to my collection at the end of this month. There’s nothing abnormal or wrong in play here, just a bit of augmentation to the work previously done. This next procedure won’t be quite the production the last event was… just an incision in my gums that will be closed with a couple of sutures after the additional bone is added. And this impending procedure only requires a local anesthetic… no World Class Drugs this time, although that is an option. I declined when offered, but this morning I’m thinking “Wow. Those were some GREAT drugs. Maybe I shouldn’t have turned ‘em down!” (Jes kiddin’, Gentle Reader, jes kiddin’!) (Sorta)
―:☺:―
Michael Phelps celebrates his victory with a world record time of 1:54.80 in the men's 200-meter individual medley final at the US Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb., Friday, July 4, 2008. (AP Photo)
I’ve often said I have an immediate grasp of the obvious… and that’s not a bad quality to have. So, it’s in that spirit that I’m offering the observation that Michael Phelps is THE story of the 2008 Olympiad, so far. The man has just been freakin’ awesome, in the fullest sense of the word. Or, as Joe Posnanski of The Kansas City Star puts it… “Phelps making the perfect look routine”:
The English language is running out of words to describe just how good Michael Phelps is at this swimming thing. Today (Tuesday night in Kansas City), he swam the 200 butterfly in 1 minute, 52.03 seconds, a world record, his fourth gold medal of this Games, the record-setting 10th gold medal of his Olympic career. Four others had won nine golds: Americans Mark Spitz (swimming) and Carl Lewis (track and field),
Then there was the relay. Almost precisely one hour later, Phelps led off the remarkable
So, if you’re counting, Phelps has now won five gold medals at these Games (all in world-record time). He has now won 11 gold medals in his career. That’s two more gold medals, incidentally, than the entire nation of
Un-bee-leeb-able. And such a joy to watch!
The American women gymnasts, on the other hand, provided the counterpoint to Phelps’ success last night with heart-breaking errors that cost them the team gold medal.
BEIJING — It came down to the last event, the last tumbling pass, the last landing, the last tilt of the head, the last smile.
For the
The
[…]
It wasn't close.
Four years of training came down to the floor exercise, an event which the
A silver medal ain’t nothing to sneeze at… but it’s a heartbreaker when you’re expecting gold. These Olympic Games have been supremely entertaining, and I’ve simply been mesmerized… all throughout the night and into the wee smalls, as it were.
(photo credit: Gymnasts – The Seattle Times)
Update: I'll quote an e-mail I received a few minutes ago from Deborah Hendrick: "Buck, the hand can be quicker than the eye. I think you put up a photo of Australian swimmer Eamon Sullivan, instead of Michael Phelps." And she was right... the photo of Sullivan I originally posted has been replaced with one of Phelps. Thanks, Deborah.
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Abbreviated Monday Post
For hockey fans only… video of Henrik Zetterberg’s day with The Cup, in
Too bad, that. But you should go visit KK if you’re a hockey fan, and you MUST go visit if you’re a Red Wings fan. Ditto my last if you appreciate beautiful women.
Peeved
In the "Just Sayin’ Department"… One of my pet peeves is people who ignore lane markings in large parking lots... like at a mall or, in the case of P-Ville’s largest parking lot, Wally-World. Big corporations go to considerable expense to paint traffic lanes on/in their parking lots, put helpful LARGE YELLOW ARROWS on the asphalt to indicate the fact some lanes are ONE-WAY (surprise!), install stop-signs at parking lot intersections, yadda, yadda, yadda. Yet I continue to see idiots of all ages and both genders completely disregard said lines and traffic rules, in general, whenever they are in a parking lot. These people must have failed kindergarten, coz they simply can’t or won’t stay within the lines when they're coloring driving in a parking lot.
I don’t understand this phenomenon at all. Do people think they’re saving time by driving the
And what prompted this rant? Nothing special, as in a close-call or something similar. I just don't like idiocy.
(Image credits: Escalade Kiddy-Car, Worlds of Wonder; Stocks, Dan in Mr. Leahy’s Class in Beaverton, OR)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Stormy Skies ...or... Today's Pics
The current weather, according to the WX Channel: 89 degrees and thunderstorms. Shades of Mississippi
Here are three views of our current sky-scape I took about seven minutes ago.
Looking NNW
Looking NNE
Looking WNW... the direction the storm is coming from
The VERY Abbreviated Sunday Post
It's good to be the King President! If you don't believe me, go check out this post from Cdr. Salamander.
You GO, Dubya!
You GO, Dubya!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
More Small Stuff
I stopped by the bank Friday on my way to do laundry and picked up a roll of quarters… coz those machines ain’t free. Far from it, as a s’matter of fact. The big industrial-strength washing machines…which I prefer… now cost $4.50 per load. And putting two loads in those machines nearly wipes out that roll of quarters…right from the git-go. This, of course, is the requisite digression to most any post here at EIP, and far be it from me to change anything in this space. But…back to the subject at hand… I was mildly surprised… and pleased… to find I’d picked up a roll consisting of nothing but New Mexico state quarters, all shiny and new as only fresh-from-the-mint coins can be. Here’s what they look like, just in case you haven’t seen one yet:
The second commemorative quarter-dollar coin released in 2008 honors
[…]
The New Mexico Coin Commission, appointed by Governor Bill Richardson, solicited and reviewed approximately 1,000 concept submissions from state citizens. The Commission then constructed four narrative concepts that represented the most popular elements submitted by the public and forwarded them to the United States Mint for consideration. The final artistic renderings developed by United States Mint Sculptor-Engravers and artists participating in the United States Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program were then proposed to New Mexico for a final selection process. On
Pretty cool, eh? I’m not collecting the entire set of state quarters, like some people. But I AM saving quarters from every state I’ve lived in; the
―:☺:―
One of the bennies of being in the “A” rank of professional athletes… you get the BEST girls. Two cases in point, from the Red Wings… the first being Henrik Zetterberg’s girlfriend (the beautiful and [I suspect] highly talented Emma Andersson, a Swedish TV celebrity):
Teammate Jiri Hudler ain’t one to be outdone, either (Simona Krainova, a Czech supermodel):
It’s not even debatable…it’s obvious: Hockey players have better taste in women than some NFL stars.
(h/t: Kukla's Korner)
Superlative
We tend to overuse superlatives in this day and age… and that’s not a good thing. It seems like everything “good” becomes “great” or even “spectacular.” The upshot of this overuse of superlatives is that we are left without adequate adjectives to describe something that is truly great, spectacular, or “off the charts.” That was the feeling I got last evening while watching the 2008 Olympiad’s Opening Ceremonies. The Chinese presented a show that was SO well done, so superbly orchestrated, so flawlessly executed, and so visually stunning that I was left breathless in anticipation of the next act as the one I was watching ended… as in “how are they gonna top this?” But top it they did. One marvel led to yet another amazement… for the entire 45 minute production. I’d never seen anything like last night’s show in my entire life, and I’m thinking I never will again.
It looks like the International Olympic Committee, NBC, and/or whomever have clamped down on video of last night’s show… there simply isn’t any this morning. Two videos on YouTube were posted but taken down due to “copyright violations.” And that’s too bad. You’d think the Chinese themselves would want videos of their tour de force disseminated all over the world, but apparently that’s not the case. But… I did find a five-minute slideshow:
And now for some comment… From the
-- The ceremony, in full-on HD and hi-fi sound, was a visual triumph on television. Having seen a lot of these, I can say that nothing has equalled it in presence, precision, and sheer force of humanity. Friends on the scene in the Bird's Nest -- after rehydrating from the sweat bath that was the stadium -- agree with that assessment. It was stunning.
"When it comes to opening ceremonies," Bob Costas said, "retire the trophy." And he's right. It wasn't the most heartfelt, or the most original. But technically and artistically? Off the charts. Plus, the Chinese get it about the flame in the cauldron: Make it big, baby.
-- NBC's coverage, with some obvious caveats (two words: Matt Lauer) was effective. Not in the constant blather and faux emotion of Costas and Lauer, but in its production values and in the interpretation of the historical and cultural elements of the show by NBC China analyst Josh Cooper Ramo -- a former Seattle Times intern! (We taught him everything he knows.)
From Xinhua… “Beijing Olympics Opening ceremony director praises team performance:”
After planning and carrying out a spectacular event that reflected the ancient and modern images of
"For example, there are performers who were injured. I blame myself for that. It might well have been avoided if I had given more detailed instructions," he said.
"We had many difficulties. I do not like complaining, but sometimes there are obstacles you can not overcome, that you and your team have to face," he said. "What everyone cares about is the final result. We all know this, so we don't explain."
Contrary to the harsh criticism he reserved for himself, the acclaimed film director gave unreserved acclaim to the team as a whole. "I would give our whole team a '100' in the performance of the opening ceremony," Zhang said.
A multimedia, three-dimensional display on such a large scale is very complicated and demands the utmost of each member of the team, he said.
About 22,000 people took part in the gala, in which 15,000 costumes were used and 43,000 fireworks lit.
With all the technical complexities involved, the opening ceremony was 100 times more difficult than making a movie, he said, adding that such a performance was unprecedented in the world.
Mr. Zhang is modest to a fault. My eye didn’t catch one single miscue throughout the whole performance, but then again… the teevee cameras couldn’t have been everywhere, and it’s impossible that such a huge production could have been completely error-free. But it certainly appeared to be…at least through my eyes. And Mr. Zhang is correct when he says the performance was “unprecedented in the world.” That’s a fact, Jack. The Telegraph (
And finally… from the WaPo (“From China, a Spectacle Worthy of a Gold Medal”):
But never mind the technical details, nor the various statistics parceled out by the commentators (91,000 in the stands, 11,000 athletes participating, 15,000 performers in the show); the cumulative effect of watching the spectacle keep topping itself was to be utterly and gratifyingly wowed.
"I don't see how anyone could dispute the quality of this opening ceremony," Costas said.
I don't either.
I hope you watched the show last night. You missed something truly spectacular, in every sense of the word, if you didn’t.
Update: There's a 52-minute video of the Opening Ceremony at nbcolympics.com... look for "Opening Ceremony Sights and Sounds. " In HD, no less.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Sheesh
It appears a full-tilt-boogie shooting war has broken out between
Columns of Russian tanks plunged the two neighbours into war as they filed into
Russian tanks rolled towards the capital of
[…]
The fighting broke out as much of the world's attention was focused on the start of the Olympic Games. Many leaders, including
Mr Putin declared: "War has started." Victor Dolidze,
Mr Dolidze told the OSCE's permanent council in
Vladimir Voronkov,
And what’s the lead story on all the cable news outlets right this very moment? The shocking news that Silky Pony is a liar. (/sarcasm)
Go figure.
The Olympics!
The Olympic rings are silhouetted during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium in Beijing on Aug. 8. (Kyodo via AP Images)The Opening Ceremonies are under way as I type… and although the ceremonies aren’t on teevee, live, there’s a live blogging effort underway at NBC’s web site (doubtless there are other “live blogging” places, too… I just stumbled upon NBC’s blog). Here are a few excerpts from their blog, in reverse chronological order:
Five orchestras from five continents play welcome music as, first in, per tradition, the Greeks.
The Greeks -- men and women -- are wearing white suits, looking very natty.
The parade Friday night will go according to the Mandarin calligraphy. Countries have been organized by the number of strokes in the first character of a nation's name.
Second in:
Third:
Fourth:
Fifth:
The Americans are due to go 139th.
[…]
The delegation from Chinese Taipei enters to loud cheers.
The Taiwanese, as usual, come in behind a special flag used for such moments of Olympic protocol, the Olympic rings encircled by red and blue ribbons.
The delegation from
[…]
Team
On the field, some of the athletes are waving American flags, too. Some are just waving fans. It's hot and humid -- the thermometer reading 87 degrees at
In full, the
The
Only a handful of Americans are using videocameras. None appears to be on a cellular phone.
There's Tyson Gay, the sprinter, his white driving cap cocked to the side, smiling a big smile.
The Americans look snappy in their Ralph Lauren uniforms -- blue jackets and white pants (women in pants, too), white shirt, white shoes, white driving cap, red- and blue-striped tie or scarf.
They look like they're en route to a luncheon party at a yacht club. Or a Southern picnic where croquet might follow a mint julep.
Wow! How exciting! “Let the Games Begin!”
As for me? I’m off to do laundry... what with the fact I’m into the Vintage Tee-Shirts… and have been so, for a couple of days now.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Stimulating...Kinda Sorta
One of the better things I’ve read today…written by Martin Feldstein in yesterday’s WSJ: “The Tax Rebate Was a Flop. Obama's Stimulus Plan Won't Work Either.” A few excerpts:
Congress enacted the tax rebate program earlier this year because it perceived a growing risk of recession. In addition, it feared monetary policy alone would not be effective because of the dysfunctional credit markets. As American taxpayers know, most of the rebate checks have now been mailed and cashed.
Those of us who supported this fiscal package reasoned that the program would boost consumer confidence as well as available cash. We hoped the combination would cause households to spend a substantial fraction of the rebate dollars, leading to more production and employment. An optimistic and influential study by economists at the Brookings Institution projected that each dollar of revenue loss would increase real GDP by more than a dollar if households spent at least 50 cents of every rebate dollar.
The evidence is now in and that optimism was unwarranted. Recent government statistics show that only between 10% and 20% of the rebate dollars were spent. The rebates added nearly $80 billion to the permanent national debt but less than $20 billion to consumer spending. This experience confirms earlier studies showing that one-time tax rebates are not a cost-effective way to increase economic activity.
These conclusions are significant for evaluating the likely impact of Barack Obama's recent proposal to distribute $1,000 rebate checks to low- and middle-income workers at an estimated cost of approximately $65 billion. His plan, to finance those rebates with an extra tax on oil companies, would reduce investment in refining and exploration, keeping oil prices higher than they would otherwise be.
[…]
The distinction between one-time tax rebates and permanent changes in net income is also important for the debate about Mr. Obama's proposal to raise income and payroll taxes. Because those tax increases would be permanent, they would cause a substantial reduction in consumer spending and aggregate demand. Moreover, as taxpayers begin to focus on the possibility of such a future tax hike, they will reduce spending without waiting for such legislation to be enacted. If Mr. Obama is looking for a way to stimulate the economy, he could begin by discarding his proposal to increase future taxes.
The recent trend of our congresscritters dispensing “free money” to us plebes really worries me. First of all: the money ain’t “free,” no way, no how. It’s our tax money, which should be spent buying boxes of 7.62 mm ammunition, F-22s, and repairing the nation’s infrastructure… which sorely needs it… much more so than you or I need an extra $600.00 ~ $1,200.00 (recently) or $1,000.00 (as The Obamanon has proposed). The recent “stimulus,” which I was never fond of, also smacks of “bread and circuses.” And “smacks” is far too kind, coz freebies are freebies, and they’re highly addictive… to a certain class of people. OK, so I didn’t send MY stimulus check back, and I could have… as the
I’m amazed and saddened that The Obamanon’s supporters seem to like his $1,000.00 “rebate” proposal. But I suppose I shouldn’t be. We’re looking more and more like ancient
Interesting times. Still.
―:☺:―
Via Blog-Bud Barry… here’s an interesting lil diversion, or, “Using your browser URL history to estimate gender.” Here are my results:
Likelihood of you being FEMALE is 24%
Likelihood of you being MALE is 76%
Site Male-Female Ratio
youtube.com 1
washingtonpost.com 1.15
pbs.org 0.9
timesonline.co.uk 1.56
lavasoft.com 1.25
realclearpolitics.com 1.82
eons.com 0.85
That raised my eyebrows a bit. Specifically the results for PBS’ site (slightly more women than men visiting) and the eons site, which is one of those oh-so-lame Boomer sites that seem to be popping up like weeds of late. I subscribed to eons last year and then forgot about it… only to return earlier this week because the site notified me that I had a “new message,” which turned out to be spam. So. I get the feeling Mike’s algorithm isn’t comprehensive… coz I’ve been to WAY more sites (today, even) than the results would indicate. As for the gender probability itself? That makes me wonder, too, as Barry’s results were 98% male. I’m thinking I need to pay more attention to my macho-quotient… or something.
But Mike’s toy is fun! Go have a look.
―:☺:―
Today’s Pic: Is yet another re-run. This time it’s one of my favorite shots from my “on the road” days… taken just outside the lil burg of Point Blank, Tejas… which is near
Somewhere north of Houston... November, 1999.
Dang. I Missed It.
I had this nagging feeling yesterday that I couldn't quite figure out... like I was forgetting something and I couldn't, for the very life of me, put my finger on it. Then... this morning: POW! It hit me. So, better late than never... here's a re-run from last year.
So... back to the present. One of the downsides of not working is the fact you lose track of time, in the calendar sense. I need to work on that.
Hiroshima Day
62 63 (ed: updated for 2008) years ago today. Click for larger to see the August 7th front page of the NYT. And now…a non-politically-correct war story, of sorts. (Full disclosure: originally left as a comment at SJS’ Place.)
As most of you frequent readers know, the last company I worked for was a small IT start-up in SFO, staffed primarily by stereotypical flaming, politically-correct SFO liberals, and I do NOT jest. By my count there were three conservatives in the whole company, which, at its high-water mark, had a total of 300+ folks.
So... back to the present. One of the downsides of not working is the fact you lose track of time, in the calendar sense. I need to work on that.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Esoterica
A public service, of sorts, from Cigar.com's monthly newsletter: "How to Smoke a Cigar." Since this missive is from a newsletter, I can't give ya a URL, Gentle Reader. Just the article, in its entirety.
How do you smoke a cigar? This may seem like a silly question, but you might be surprised to know that the majority of cigar enthusiasts are not smoking their cigars in a fashion that maximizes their flavor and full potential. For an aficionado, tasting a cigar is equally as intricate as a sommelier tasting a wine. Since we have covered the methods of properly lighting a cigar several times in our previous newsletters, lets pick up where we left off and now discuss the proper methods of smoking a cigar. The key component to tasting all of the elements a fine hand-made cigar has to offer is the draw. There must be enough smoke pulled into the palate to detect all of its nuances. To draw a cigar properly, although most aficionados have their own system, the most common practice used is referred to as the “
The second phase is to use your mouth for the preliminary classification of flavors. In your mouth, the smoke does not have a discernable flavor, but rather stimulates specific areas of the palate to distinguish between the major areas of the tongue. These areas of the tongue pick up bitter (the center rear), acidic (rear sides), salty (front sides) or sweet (tip) flavors. A well-balanced cigar will stimulate each of these regions evenly. To help your palate with this process, puff out your cheeks and allow the smoke to swirl around in your mouth.
Now for the tricky step, utilizing your nose. This step is most often missed by cigar enthusiasts and is crucial to the smoking and tasting experience. While the mouth is important in identifying balance, the nose is where an aficionado will detect specific aromas like wood, leather, peat, spice, etc. After the smoke has swirled in your mouth, draw it to the rear of your throat (sometimes a swallowing action is required) and gently exhale part of the smoke through your nose. This is a very difficult talent to master and takes a lot practice. The key, as you get started, is to only blow 10% of the smoke through your nose and the rest out of your mouth. As you become more comfortable, you can increase this amount until you are ideally utilizing both your mouth and nose equally (50/50) when releasing the smoke. Exhaling through the nose is important because the nose is home to the majority of the flavor and odor receptors in the body. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of a cigar’s taste is actually detected by the nose.
So what now? You may have just read this and realized you have been doing it all wrong. I too had this realization several years ago after meeting Hendrik Kelner of Davidoff, who taught me many things about tasting and balance. After I transitioned to using my nose when enjoying a cigar, everything I tried tasted differently. Some of my favorites were suddenly not as enjoyable as I previously thought, and some other cigars I had some distaste for became my everyday smokes. Practicing proper technique is not something to be afraid of. Whether you are just starting out now or simply transitioning after many years of experience, utilizing some of these proper techniques will only heighten your enjoyment and appreciation for fine cigars.
I present this lil piece strictly for discriminating adults, of course. And Happy Hour is nearly upon us, at which time I’ll go put this ritual into practice. FWIW... I’ve been doing it correctly all along, as it turns out. Not that I give a dang about technique. Wait, check that. I most certainly DO care about technique… it’s what separates the amateurs from the pros, ain’t it?
Maybe next time we’ll talk about suitable beverages to accompany your cigar. Tip: I’ll be enjoying the drink pictured in a very short while…
"What the Hell is Going On?"
I first noticed this "rainbow effect" many, many years ago. But I also knew exactly what caused it. The rainbow effect generally followed a day spent mushroom hunting in the Oregon forests... but we won't go there, Gentle Reader. Dang... Cat. Bag. And so forth. In the "Department of General Disclaimers:" That was then, this is now.
H/t: Blog-Bud Mike.
McCain at Sturgis, Revisited
So… about McCain going to Sturgis and telling the assembled multitudes that he suggested Cindy (his wife…see yesterday’s post, just below) should enter the “Miss Buffalo Chip” contest… to the roaring (heh) approval of all those Harley Dudes. Bad move, John. In so doing you’ve lost the rabid feminist vote, as if (a) you ever had it, to begin with and (b) you even give a shit. As for me, I rarely frequent the “feminist” blogs; I get enough male-bashing watching Lowe’s ads and such. (I have one particular commercial in mind: the one where the Doofus Dad sez…after getting a new roof and fence at his Dear Wife’s urging… “Well, now the house is done!” At which point All-Knowing Mom and Insufferable Little Eight-Year-Old Daughter both cross their arms over their respective chests and give Ol’ Doofus The Look, and Dad sez “Except for the back-yard!” whereupon we cut to a thousand-dollar-plus playset being installed by the Friendly Lowe’s Installers. That ad. Now ask me if I’ll EVER set foot in a Lowe’s. Go on… ask. I dare ya.) (Digression!…a la Tevye.) But… back to the “we don’t need no steenkin’ penis” crowd… Here’s Megan Carpentier at Jezebel, for starters:
He didn't do it just because she's pretty or has an enviable body for a 54-year-old woman or because he's proud of his wife's brand of socialite beauty. He did it to pander to the crowd's idea of appropriate masculinity, and that apparently includes over-sexualizing your wife and the mother of your children for the amusement of a few people in a crowd. McCain offered up the thought of his wife objectifying herself for the sexual gratification of others (at his suggestion) in order to get a couple of chuckles, inspire some male fantasy and make a few "friends." Fun!
Oooh. Ignominy! “Take my wife… for your sexual gratification!” Yeahrightsure. That was exactly what was on McCain’s mind, I’m sure. And then there’s this:
All I’m saying is that if Barack Obama had gone to an event with 20,000 people wasting gas to talk about energy and said that his wife should have simulated sucking a banana dick between another woman’s legs, this race would be fucking over.
I cannot imagine BHO at Sturgis or anyplace like it, ever. I mean, Hell, the man can hardly bowl, let alone ride. But…Yep. We’ll outlaw “wasting gas” for recreational purposes and ALL related activities (including Fake Orgasm contests) once BHO is crowned. Just you wait. Finally:
That John McCain really is a “man of the people,” which is why he went out to the Sturgis biker rally in
There’s a “beauty contest” of sorts held each summer at the Sturgis rally. And it’s just the kind of honor you’d want to see your wife achieve, if you’re the kind of repulsive old misogynist who calls your wife “trollop” and “c**t.”
Ah, I get it now. It’s bikers that are the problem, what with our child-like delight in destroying everyone else’s peace and quiet while sucking up vast quantities of fossil fuels (at 50 mpg and over). When we’re not banging each other’s Ol’ Ladies, of course.
Oh, well. This lil tempest in a teapot is done now. Can we move on to the next outrage, please?
(Image credit: Black Hills Travel Blog)
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
More of the Same
David Brooks has an interesting theory about why Obama isn’t kicking McCain’s ass from here until next Sunday in the polls.
When we’re judging candidates (or friends), we don’t just judge the individuals but the milieus that produced them. We judge them by the connections that exist beyond choice and the ground where they will go home to be laid to rest. Andrew Jackson was a backwoodsman. John Kennedy had his clan. Ronald Reagan was forever associated with the small-town virtues of
It is hard to plant Obama. Both he and his opponent have written coming-of-age tales about their fathers, but they are different in important ways. McCain’s “Faith of My Fathers” is a story of a prodigal son. It is about an immature boy who suffers and discovers his place in the long line of warriors that produced him. Obama’s “Dreams From My Father” is a journey forward, about a man who took the disparate parts of his past and constructed an identity of his own.
While it may be “hard to plant” Obama, it ain’t hard to look at his colleagues, his campaign advisors, his past associations/influences, and draw suitable conclusions about who the man is and how he’d govern, if elected. Ah, but there’s the rub… most people, if one believes our illustrious media… simply don’t do their homework. Mention Alinsky and/or Ayers to your “average” Obama supporter (which eliminates the
What Brooks fails to understand in his oversimplified Freudian assessment of Obama's psyche is something truly monumental, heretofore not seen in American politics: the very likelihood that Sen. Barack Obama will make history as the first black president of The United States of America. Given that black men were still being lynched and beaten just 45 or so years ago simply for being black, this accomplishment not only is historic and electric, but it carries with it an unfathomable amount of pressure and stress. Yes, Barack Obama is an agent of change. He is a light, a force, a movement.
Yep. Screw credentials, never mind the thin resume, and let’s just not talk about silly, wrong-headed re-distributive economic policies. What we really need is an agent of change, a light, a force…a movement. Haven’t we heard this sort of krep before? Why, yes… yes, I believe we have. And it was just as dumb and ignorant-sounding then as it is now.
Interesting times.
―:☺:―
And then there’s yet another reason I’ll vote for McCain:
“As you may know,” he told the tens of thousands gathered at the 68th annual Sturgis Rally at Buffalo Chip campground, “not long ago, a couple of hundred thousand Berliners made a lot of noise for my opponent. I’ll take the roar of fifty thousand Harleys any day.”
Bikers in the crowd, who had arrived from around the country to partake in the massive outdoor party, revved their engines numerous times in support of the presumptive GOP nominee. McCain said it was music to his ears.
“This is my first time here,” he said, “but I recognize that sound. It’s the sound of freedom.”
[…]
If there were any Obama supporters to be found in the vast Buffalo Chip campground, they kept quiet.
Indeed, McCain felt so comfortable at the event that he even volunteered his wife for the rally’s traditional beauty pageant, an infamously debauched event that’s been known to feature topless women.
“I encouraged Cindy to compete,” McCain said to cheers. “I told her with a little luck she could be the only woman ever to serve as first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip.”
John McCain: The Biker’s Candidate! I can be just as superficial… or more so… as the next guy, ya know.
(Photo credit: Peter Hamby/CNN)
―:☺:―
Today’s Pics: When times are slow (read as: no new photos at hand) I always resort to baby pictures… which are just as good as cat or puppy pics. Better, even. Here are three such (they're not re-runs, either), and doubtless you have several shots exactly like these… assuming you’re a parent. And if you’re not a parent? Well, suck it up. I’ll have more scenery, sunsets, mo-sickle pics, and/or what-not as soon as it cools down a bit and my motivation returns.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Spycam
My new neighbor (or neighbors). I'm pretty sure someone lives in this thing as the water, sewer, and power connections are all there. “Small” would be the operative word.
Thin
I want some of this:
Scientists have discovered what could be the ultimate workout for couch potatoes: exercise in a pill.
In experiments on mice that did no exercise, the chemical compound, known as AICAR, allowed them to run 44% farther on a treadmill than those that did not receive the drug.
The drug appeared to change the physical composition of muscle, essentially transforming the tissue from sugar-burning fast-twitch fibers to fat-burning slow-twitch ones, the same change that occurs in distance runners and cyclists through training, according to research released Thursday.
"You're getting the benefits of exercise without having to do any work," said David Mangelsdorf, a pharmacologist at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in
On second thought… maybe not:
With more research, scientists said, the drug's fat-burning properties could also help reduce weight, ward off diabetes, prevent heart disease and restore the fitness of bedridden patients.
The last thing I need to do is lose weight… the very last thing. That one lil drawback aside, the development does look remarkable. I saw an interview with the lead scientist on this project on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer this past Friday evening and was impressed (I also looked for a transcript to quote, but there isn’t one). There were a couple of items in the News Hour interview that didn’t make the LA Times article, most specifically the scientist’s opinion the drug should be made available to lazy people. The man’s rationale is that “exercise in a pill” would be good preventive medicine, even for lazy folks. Or…words to the effect of “anything that can reduce the nation’s general health crisis (ed: think obesity)” shouldn’t be ignored or withheld from anyone…couch potatoes included.
I’m down with that.
―:☺:―
Speaking of obesity, exercise, being skinny, and such… I guess I’ll put any political aspirations I may have had on ice:
"Listen, I'm skinny but I'm tough," Sen. Obama said.
But in a nation in which 66% of the voting-age population is overweight and 32% is obese, could Sen. Obama's skinniness be a liability? Despite his visits to waffle houses, ice-cream parlors and greasy-spoon diners around the country, his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them.
[…]
"He's too new ... and he needs to put some meat on his bones," says Diana Koenig, 42, a housewife in
"I won't vote for any beanpole guy," another
The last overweight president to be elected was 335-pound William Howard Taft in 1908. As for tall and lanky presidents, "you might have to go back to Abraham Lincoln" in 1860, says presidential historian Stephen Hess. "Most presidents were sort of in the middle."
Well, OK. It looks like fat people won’t vote for skinny guys, so there goes my dream of being P-Ville’s Animal Control Czar. But… but… that’s discrimination! We can’t have that! I’m a victim! I PROTEST! I’m gonna start a MOVEMENT! “Thin is IN!” “Don’t Be A Ninny! C’mon…Get SKINNY!”
Or maybe I’ll just keep trying to gain weight. There are too many skeletons (heh) in my closet to run for anything, anyway.
―:☺:―
Today’s Pic: Speaking of couch potatoes… Here’s SN3 and I on the couch.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
YouTube
Herewith: “An anthropological introduction to YouTube”…
The video is long: 55:33, and that would be 55 minutes and 33 seconds. I don’t expect anyone to sit here and watch this video in its entirety, right this minute (that's why I furnished the link to the video). But… that said… all my time is my own and I set my priorities as I see fit. I saw fit to watch the entire video in a single sitting, only pausing it a couple of times (nature breaks, refills, etc.) before returning to it. And it’s simply fascinating. So… what’s it all about, Alfie?
The video is by Michael Wesch, an assistant professor of cultural anthropology at
This video was shot in June of this year at the Library of Congress. In it Professor Wesch discusses the history of YouTube, how it came to be, its place in the general scheme of things, and the impact YouTube has had…and more importantly, continues to have today. And in so doing he provides tons of examples, including everyone's fave: the Numa Numa Guy. (“Everyone's fave” ain't hyperbole, unless you consider 17,481,163 views small beer. I don't.) (Also: there's a minute-by-minute video agenda at the link. Just click “more info.”)
“Fascination,” much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. You probably don’t give YouTube a whole helluva lot of thought if you’re under the age of 25 (or so). Like most technology, YouTube is simply there for you… it’s something to be used, something to enjoy, and a tool you’ll use without giving it a second thought. But, it’s quite a different story if you’re older and didn’t grow up with this sort of thing at hand. At which point the older person begins to marvel a bit at the implications herein, and even at the fact that YouTube exists at all. By that I mean: think back ten short years ago. Did you, in your wildest dreams, ever think we’d have all this user-created content at our fingertips? And that we…each of us… could participate if we so desired? That “user-created content” could drive a presidential candidates’ debate, almost in its entirety? I know I sure didn’t, and thus: I marvel.
Anyhoo. Watch the first three or four minutes. I’m betting you’ll bookmark this for later, when you can watch the whole thing. Unless, of course, you don’t.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Three Dollah
Earlier this week Blog-Bud Kris posted on the remarks The Obamanon made about him “not looking like the other presidents on the dollar bills.” And I left this comment on her post:
of course we'd have to create a whole new denomination for him, wouldn't we.
Yep. He'd be just perfect on a three-dollar bill. If he's crowned.
Well, now… imagine my surprise when I saw this today:
OK… I’m certainly not the only guy who had the "three dollah" thought… it’s hardly original. But it’s kinda good to know Michael Ramirez and I are on the same page/track. I really like Ramirez… his political cartooning work is about the best there is these days.
Farmall Promenade...
… is the name of a tractor square dancing team from
Pretty cool, eh?
Friday, August 01, 2008
Heh
A 9:31 (min/sec) point-by-point refutation of The Obamanon (and liberalism), in a supremely entertaining, martial arts fashion:
And as The Man sez: "Don't be laughin' at my ears. NO ONE laughs at my ears!" Heh. Yet again.
The hat-tip goes to Morgan.
And as The Man sez: "Don't be laughin' at my ears. NO ONE laughs at my ears!" Heh. Yet again.
The hat-tip goes to Morgan.
Random Thoughts for a Friday
First… Jenn over at “I Hate Whine!” bestowed the Arte y Pico award on YrHmblScrb, and said award was unknown to me until today. But that’s true of a lot (perhaps most) of the “awards” circulating throughout the ‘sphere. Here’s what the award (icon?) looks like:
And here’s what it means, according to its creator:
What is the meaning of the expression: And basically, ironically, it translates into a wonderful phrase in
The recipient of the award is supposed to grant it to five other worthy bloggers… and herein lay my “issues.” While I most certainly appreciate kind words about EIP, a link to us in your sidebar or a compliment dropped in comments is entirely sufficient. I’ll make exceptions if you happen to be from the Pulitzer Board, or a member of the Swedish Academy, or even if you're associated with the Weblog Awards. At which point we most definitely should talk…after you pick me up off the floor and revive me. Other than that? Thanks, but no thanks. Individually created “awards” may be fun but they’re meaningless… like those last-place trophies kids get these days for doing anything…anything at all.
Oh. As for “passing it on”… if you’re in my sidebar, consider yourself Arte y Pico’ed.
―:☺:―
While we’re on about blogs… I read more than a few blogs that might be considered “Mommy Blogs.” I dunno if Mil-spouse blogs fall into that category, but I suspect they do…and a few of those are in my sidebar, as well. I’ve noticed I’m the ONLY male reading a lot of these blogs, or at the very least I’m the only male who leaves comments. And that makes me feel a bit strange at times, like I’m someplace where I shouldn’t really BE, ya know? It’s sorta like walking into the women’s bathroom by mistake or being the only guy at a baby shower… it’s just not done. Which says nothing…nothing at ALL… about the hospitality of the proprietresses of said blogs, as they ALL respond to my comments (well, most do, anyway) and they all drop by EIP to read and comment, too.
So, why am I even mentioning this? No reason, except for the fact I noticed I’m the only guy at the party and it makes me feel weird. And that’s the sole reason… I said these are Random Thoughts, ya know.
―:☺:―
And even more about blogs and blogging… Do you go back and read your own stuff, from time to time, Gentle Reader? Assuming, of course, (a) you keep a blog and (b) you’ve been at it long enough to have archives. I’ve been doing that of late and have come to the conclusion that I was MUCH better at this during my first year of blogging. Or maybe even the first year and a half. I’m not sure exactly why I feel this way, but my old writing seems crisper, the opinions firmer, and the subject matter much broader than it is today. Maybe I’m in the depths of the Summer Doldrums. Maybe my Muse is goofing off and not giving me her best. Or maybe I just need to get out more… like take a road trip.
As for the last, that ain’t gonna happen this year. I’ve declared this summer…this entire year, actually… to be The Summer of Living Frugally… as I’m trying to put enough “resources” back to pay for the second installment of my Adventures In Modern Dentistry without tapping my 401(k) again. My one indulgence this year was buying that new dSLR… and that may be the key to Better Blogging.
We’ll see.
―:☺:―
Today’s Pics: A couple of way-old shots from the archives, at least one of which (Blue Eyes) is a re-run. Pictured is SN3 playing around in the car, which he dearly loved to do when he was around 16 months old (or so). That boy could literally spend hours climbing around inside the car, pushing every button he could find and giggling like a madman. But then again, I suspect ALL kids are like that. He sure as Hell made ME laugh while he was at it.
At the Ol’ Homestead in
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