“Duckman” noticed it and made mention of it on the OC Register’s Ducks blog page during Wednesday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Register columnist Randy Youngman and a few others seated in the high-altitude press box noticed it, too.
When Teemu Selanne sealed his hat trick in Wednesday night’s overtime Ducks victory, the reaction of the 17,174 fans at Honda Center was pathetic.
It took close to 30 seconds before one measly hat went zipping through the air. I didn’t see more than two hats land on the ice.
By night’s end, more octopi had landed on the Honda Center ice than hats. And the Ducks were the winning team!!!
By contrast, it was easy to feel that buzz in the arena that was generated by the Red Wings fans in attendance.
At about 5:45 p.m., more than an hour before the game started, the cluster of Red Wings fans was already growing in section 209, near the tunnel that leads to the Wings’ locker room.
They all wore their Red Wings’ sweaters. They all shared a common bond. It was a bond that was built on their love and dedication to the Red Wings. And their knowledge of hockey.
Yep… that would be “Red Wings Nation,” about which:
“The Red Wings are America’s Team,” said (Jacqui) White, a native of Massachusetts. “I’ve suffered through horrific seasons, devastating losses and have been lucky enough to see four Stanley Cup Championships.” (Ed:Me, too!Me, too!Since 1985…)
[…]
While the city of Detroit is widely known for its burned out buildings and criminal element, the Red Wings Nation West wasn’t created to bash other teams or their fans. This nation isn’t nearly as obnoxious as those who consider themselves residents of Red Sox Nation.
Well, there’s just a lil bit of hyperbole at play in the foregoing.The Wings are hardly “America’s Team”… if only because hockey isn’t near the draw (yet) basketball or baseball is… but they just might be “America’s Hockey Team.”I could buy that.
Question: Isn’t it strange/interesting that the loyalty and dedication of Wings’ fans gets (a) noticed and (b) merits a rather extensive article in one of SoCal’s major newspapers?
Answer:No.Not really.Hockey fans know, beyond a doubt, that the Wings’ fan base is nationwide… even in sunny Southern California.Hockey fans also know that when the Wings are in town…any town… there will be a big contingent of Red Wings fans in the stands.Even casual fans can’t fail to see the distinctive red jerseys sprinkled liberally throughout the enemy arena when the Wings play away games.The only other hockey team with as a loyal a fan base is Les Habitants (arguably… hockey fans are as rabid as they come, no matter where they live)… and those fans generally don’t travel outside of Quebec, unless it’s to Toronto for a game against the Leafs or maybe down to New Yawk or Boston to watch the Habs play the Rangers (Islanders?) or B’s.Montreal is close to those two cities, ya know.So the Wings are fairly unique for a hockey team, in the sense that their fan base, while concentrated in Deetroit, is ultimately nationwide.
…have waaaay too much time on their hands.Case in point (“AC/DC Rock N Roll Train - ASCII music video in Excel”):
About which: pretty danged cool, time-waster or no.Hell... I’m not paying the guy, so he can do this kinda stuff all danged day as far as I’m concerned.But I gotta wonder… an ASCII music vid?Who’d a thunk it?
So I was thinking, maybe it’s time to do what all the other guys are doing. Colin Powell, Ken Adelman, Douglas Kmiec, Christopher Hitchens … OK, he’s just going back where he came from … Charles Fried, Francis Fukuyama, Chuck Hagel, Bruce Bartlett kind of, Bill Weld, Lincoln Chafee, Scott McClellan, Christopher Buckley … damn, there’s a lot of them. Looking at that very long list of august names, considering where we stand at this important portal in history, I think the question anyone at all progressively minded should be asking is … hey Condi, why don’t you grow a set?
You know what Mom always said, if everyone else was jumping off a cliff …. But maybe it is time, right now, in 2008, to do what everyone else is doing. Shrug, say what the heck, get on the Bush-bashing wagon … you have to admit, that does look like fun … and finally acknowledge what the deep booming voice from that opening in the clouds with all the blinding rays of light has been telling us. Obama is the Anointed One.
Heh.OK, Jules ain’t David Burge (aka Iowahawk) but he’s pretty danged good today.You could do a lot worse…
So… the weather was exemplary yesterday, and I managed to get in yet another Happy Hour before winter closes in.And in so doing I cranked up my very expensive radio, aka my computational device, and tuned Pandora to the Rolling Stones station for the Happy Hour soundtrack.And was rewarded by this “blast from the past”… Ten Years After… playin’ and singin’ “I’d Love to Change the World,” circa 1971:
The lyrics got me to thinking (parenthetical aside:How is it that the brain can recall EVERY single word in the lyrics to a song that’s over 35 years old?And one you haven’t heard in at LEAST three years, perhaps more?).Things are kinda bad here in 2008, but things were arguably JUST as bad in 1971, if not worse.For those of you who weren’t around in 1971, here’s some stuff that happened that year:
May 3 - Anti-war militants attempt to disrupt government business in Washington, D.C.; police and military units arrest as many as 12,000, most of whom are later released.
June 27 - Concert promoter Bill Graham closes the legendary Fillmore East, which first opened on 2nd Avenue (between 5th and 6th Streets) in New York City on March 8, 1968.
August 15 - President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will no longer convert dollars to gold at a fixed value, effectively ending the Bretton Woods system. He also imposes a 90-day freeze on wages, prices and rents.
October 29 - Vietnam War: Vietnamization - The total number of American troops still in Vietnam drops to a record low of 196,700 (the lowest since January 1966).
November 3 - The UNIX Programmer's Manual is published.
December 18 - The U.S. dollar is devalued for the second time in history.
Yep… it’s that ol’ “Plus ça change” thingie. But 1971, like this year, wasn’t ALL bad… as you can plainly see. I mean… Hey! Disney World!
Wall Street seemed to find its energy Tuesday afternoon as the major exchanges were all up about 10 percent on the day.
Much of rally, analysts said, came as investors began looking for bargains among beaten down stocks as well as expectations of that the Federal Reserve would cut its key rate after its meeting ends on Wednesday. Investors seemed to set aside a consumer confidence report that showed Americans were more pessimistic about the economy in October than at anytime in 41 years.
At the close, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 889.35 points, or 10.8 percent, to 9,065.12, closing above 9,000 for the first time in a week.
The broader Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was 10.79 percent higher, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq was up 9.53 percent.
Today’s surge doesn’t begin to make up for the losses sustained over the past month and may not even reflect the bottom in our latest bear market, however much we hope.And believe me, Gentle Reader… I’m hoping we’ve seen the bottom as much as anyone.It’s oh-so-painful to look at my 401(k) these days… when I’m brave enough to venture there.Which ain’t often.The last time I looked I was down a lil bit over 20%... which isn’t as bad as it could be, yanno?
The graphics for this post were obtained from the NYT article at the link.
Barney Frank will not soon be named secretary of defense or, insha'Allah, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. So there's really no reason to fear that his recent call to cut defense spending by 25% is a harbinger of what to expect in an Obama administration.
Then again, maybe there is.
When it comes to defense, there are two Barack Obamas in this race. There is the candidate who insists, as he did last year in an article in Foreign Affairs, that "a strong military is, more than anything, necessary to sustain peace"; pledges to increase the size of our ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines while providing them with "first-rate equipment, armor, incentives and training"; and seems to be as gung-ho for a surge in Afghanistan as he was opposed to the one in Iraq.
And then there is the candidate who early this year recorded an ad for Caucus for Priorities, a far-left outfit that wants to cut 15% of the Pentagon's budget in favor of "education, healthcare, job training, alternative energy development, world hunger [and] deficit reduction."
"Thanks so much for the Caucus for Priorities for the great work you've been doing," says Mr. Obama in the ad, before promising to "cut tens of billions of dollars in wasteful spending . . . slow our development of future combat systems . . . not develop new nuclear weapons."
Joe Biden also cut an ad for the group that was even more emphatic: "I'll tell you what we cannot afford . . . a trillion-dollar commitment to 'Star Wars,' new nuclear weapons, a thousand-ship Navy, the F-22 Raptor."
MY emphasis is on Ol’ Joe’s comments in that last paragraph.The National Missile Defense program has made some impressive progress over the course of the last few years, the Airborne Laser is in the flight testing stage of its development as we speak, and the Navy’s AEGIS/Standard Missile system proved it’s worth earlier this year.And that’s just one item on Ol’ Joe’s hit-list.Frequent readers of EIP should know how I feel about the Raptor, given as how the F-22 is something of a recurring theme for bitch-moan-and-complain posts in these parts.
As a military “survivor” of the Carter years I know only too well the negative effects of active cuts in the defense budget.Other, more recent veterans can attest to the impact “benign neglect” can have on national defense, as well… think Clinton, if you will.So… there’s ample reason and precedent for worry should the Democrats win the White House AND working majorities in Congress… not to mention the Democrat candidates’ own words in this space.As I said in the opening paragraph of this post:yet another reason not to vote for The One.
But Hey!What the Hell do I know, anyway?Well… it seems I know a little more than Joe Biden, if nothing else.
―:☺:―
I find I’m a little bit out of it when it comes to politics, of late.A great good deal of my disinterest has to do with the fact the election is over for me.I cast MY ballot last week and I’ve done all I can do… personally… to affect the outcome.So my mindset is “let’s just get this shi’ite OVER with, if you please.”The sooner, the better.Just one more week and then it’ll either be cryin’ time or slack-jaw amazement at one of the greatest comebacks in American political history.I’m still holding out hope for the latter, ya know.
Speaking of politics… Blog-Bud Phlegmmy has come up with her very own and oh-so-unique way of harvesting Presidential Timber from the political forest, and calls it “The Toothpick Test.”Her first installment is here, the second is here.Here’s a sample, just to whet your appetite, Gentle Reader:
Some have expressed surprise at the elevation here of toothpick to political barometer, but it is indeed a very humble and yet marvelous device on closer examination. Let us consider the lowly toothpick which has been with us as long as the domesticated feline. Paleontologists have found scrapings on the teeth of neanderthals, which would seem to indicate that the dilemma of dislodging chunks of meat and veg from the grille predates such modern fancy grooming niceties as Dippity-Do, eyelash curlers and banana clips.
Picture the poor average guy (Joe the Caveman) out dragging his knuckles around just for giggles, hoping one day his descendents will quit inbreeding long enough to vote republican, except that he can't quite concentrate on such abstract concepts because he's got a bit of wolverine rib meat stuck between his molars. Ouch! Perhaps Joe picked the spine from an obliging nettle or succulent, and thus was the first toothpick born.
Phlegmmy’s on-going series is the brightest spot in what has become a dark, dark political scenario… she’s both enlightening and entertaining, to say the VERY least… with Art!
A Rose by Any Other Name… or… SAC IS Back (sorta):
Nuclear Roadmap: Air Force Global Strike Command, a new major command to be led by a three-star general, will be activated by next September, with responsibility for the Air Force's nuclear missiles and nuclear-capable bombers, service leaders formally announced Friday. The move is the centerpiece of the Air Force's response to nuclear weapons-related problems that have surfaced over the last year. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, presenting his service's new nuclear roadmap to reporters at the Pentagon, said the plan is the result of "painful lessons learned" from a series of internal and external reviews. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said the roadmap highlights a "back to basics approach" to tightening up the nuclear enterprise. The new command will comprise the ICBM force of 20th Air Force—now under Air Force Space Command—and the B-52 and B-2 bombers of 8th Air Force—now under Air Combat Command. According to the organizational chart in the roadmap, 8th AF and 20th AF would become AFGSC elements. The conventional-only B-1B bombers of 12th AF will remain under ACC's control. Maj. Gen. Donald Alston, director of Nuclear Plans and Operations, who oversaw development of the roadmap, said a provisional command and commander should be in place "in the next two or three months." Alston, who is the likely officer to head the service's new A10 Air Staff dedicated to nuclear matters, described the September 2009 target for operational status as an "aggressive" timetable. He declined to explain why Global Strike Command will be led by a three- and not a four-star general, except to say that several leadership options were considered.
And…
Sorting out the Nuke vs. Conventional Roles: The new Air Force Global Strike Command (see above) will have charge of nuclear-capable bombers, but will provide the aircraft to any theater commander who requests them for conventional missions, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley said Friday. Gen. Norton Schwartz, USAF Chief of Staff, said that Air Combat Command, at least for the time being, will have responsibility for setting requirements for the new 2018 bomber, although he acknowledged that the new aircraft would have a nuclear role. The commander of the soon-to-be-minted AFGSC will have responsibility for advocating new ICBM and nuclear-capable bombers. Gen. C. Donald Alston, who developed USAF's new nuclear roadmap, said that the new command will provide nuclear-specific requirements to be used in developing the capabilities of the 2018 bomber. Donley also said the Global Strike commander may be involved in meeting any requirements for a conventionally armed ICBM, should the nation pursue one, but that US Strategic Command, which provides deterrence and global strike, would state any such requirements.
No word if any of the SAC accoutrements will return, e.g., the motto “Peace Is Our Profession” and the heraldry seen above.Resurrecting some of SAC’s “stuff” ain’t a bad idea, in my book.Nope.Not at all.But then again, I’m an Ol’ Fart who might be prone to a lil nostalgia in this space… even if I never actually served in SAC.I can claim some association, though, what with having spent a little over three years (1964 – 1967) in a tenant unit on Vandenberg AFB, back in SAC’s heyday.
Also from the Daily Report and unrelated to the above, but of note for Cannon Airplane Patch and its neighbors:
Getting Ready to Move: Air Force Special Operations Command's 16th Special Operations Squadron is celebrating 40 years of operations and working toward moving its whole shebang from Hurlburt Field, Fla., to AFSOC's new western hub at Cannon AFB, N.M., home to the 27th Special Operations Wing. The 16th SOS and its gunships expect to call New Mexico home next year, with all aircraft, equipment, and personnel in place by fall. Lt. Col. Jason Miller, 16th SOS operations officer, said, "We look forward to training on the Melrose Range and to take advantage of the new targets the 27th Special Operations Wing has placed in the Spirit and Jockey impact areas. … We will accomplish this move to Cannon with the same intensity, dedication, and panache our previous Spectres accomplished their every endeavor." (Hurlburt report by TSgt. Sheri Kangas)
So… more on the target move-in date, announced this past May.FWIW… I’ve noticed increased activity on the flight line every so often when making my weekly trips out to the base and am beginning to see C-130s over P-Ville from time to time, as well.Good stuff.
I was gonna complain about the wind... but I won't. Things could be worse, ya know. And it looks like things ARE worse over in the AOR. SN1 sent along the following pics last evening, with little or no explanation. I've asked for clarification, but due to the time difference between us I haven't heard back.
The CSAR pics were forwarded, SN1 took the bottom pic from his vehicle on his way to work this morning. "CSAR" stands for "Combat Search and Rescue" and I assume someone from the CSAR org sent the first two pics to SN1.
Via Blog-Bud Lou… who is an accomplished artist in her own right (and art teacher!), and with whom I share a BIG love for the Impressionists…
Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...
Balanced, Secure, and Realistic.
Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of objects.Impressionist paintings are balanced, use colored shadows, use pure color, broken brushstrokes, thick paint, and scenes from everyday life or nature.
People that like Impressionist paintings may not alway be what is deemed socially acceptable.They tend to move on their own path without always worrying that it may be offensive to others.They value friendships but because they also value honesty tend to have a few really good friends.They do not, however, like people that are rude and do not appreciate the ideas of others. They are secure enough in themselves that they can listen to the ideas of other people without it affecting their own final decisions. The world for them is not black and white but more in shades of grey and muted colors.They like things to be aesthetically pleasing, not stark and sharp.There are many ways to view things, and the impresssionist personality views the world from many different aspects.They enjoy life and try to keep a realistic viewpoint of things, but are not very open to new experiences.If they are content in their live they will be more than likely pleased to keep things just the way they are.
I loved this quiz!And yeah… I’ve been accused more than once of being less than “socially acceptable.” As with all of these quiz thingies, I have minor issues with this one.All too often examples of one school I like (e.g., the Impressionists) were bundled with paintings from another favorite school (e.g., Ukiyo-e) … forcing me to choose among faves.But that’s just a quibble.Overall, the test is a fun thing to do… especially if you’ve spent a great deal of time in museums over the course of your life… which I have.
I’d be MOST interested in your results, Gentle Reader… If’n you wanna take this quiz. One note: free registration is required to play.
Which, of course, is the tag line I add to most of my… ummm…“controversial” posts and/or ideas.I do this out of a sense of politeness, a written recognition that opinions are like noses, everyone has one and no two are exactly alike.(Yeah, I know… the original quote wasn’t about noses at all.But leave us not digress.)So, with the explicit understanding that your mileage may indeed vary, here’s my take on Governor Palin and the media.
I’ve sensed over the last few days that Governor Palin is being cited by a lot of folks as THE reason they won’t vote for a McCain/Palin ticket.As a matter of fact, one of my Blog-Buds is firmly in this particular camp, as demonstrated in his comments here (first comment in the thread).But… here are a couple of items I find noteworthy in this particular space.First, a few excerpts from Brit Hume’s Special Reportpanel discussion… specifically what Charles Krauthammer has to say (highlighted):
KRAUTHAMMER: What's remarkable about the reaction to Palin is not only the unfavorable. It's the loathing, the absolute hatred that you hear, especially from intellectuals, feminists, sort of east coast, west coast, pointy headed. And this is because —
EASTON: But some conservative women, too.
KRAUTHAMMER: But this had a pedigree. It didn't just start.
In the '80's, you had the Margaret Thatcher and Jeane Kirkpatrick who were considered because they were not liberal, they were conservative.
They were actually — it was said of them as has been said of Sarah Palin, they were not women because you couldn't be. If you were a conservative. You were, by definition, a patriarchal thug. And if you happened to be a woman, it was simply in women's threads.
EASTON: That is not true. There is a lot of respect for Jean Kirkpatrick. There was. There was a lot of respect for her.
KRAUTHAMMER:The viciousness with which she was attacked as a contradiction in terms, a conservative woman.
In Palin's case, I think what adds to it is her decision at her age with four other children to have a down syndrome child. This, too, as Joseph Epstein wrote, in feminist circles if abortion is not about this, what's it about?
And they look at her as sort of a back room — a backwater hick, who, for religious reasons, went ahead and had a child that they would never have.
Underneath it, I think, deep underneath it, I think it's a self-loathing on the part of these feminists, knowing that what she did is virtuous and a generous act that they would have never have undertaken. And her having undertaken it is an affront to them, a silent rebuke.
Keep in mind… Krauthammer is a licensed (although non-practicing) psychiatrist, so he should/would know from whence he speaks, particularly in this space.But Mr. Krauthammer only addresses one small slice of the anti-Palin pie, albeit perhaps the most vocal group in opposition to Governor Palin.But the anti-Palin mob is much deeper and wider than pissed off radical feminists.And how could your average American not be disenchanted with Alaska’s Guv’nor, given all the negative press she’s received?(Assuming, of course, one lives somewhere other than Alaska, where her approval ratings are still high, although they’re lower than they used to be.Dubya would probably kill for her current numbers… just sayin’.)
Enter Newt Gingrich.A lot of EIP readers will have already seen this video, since a lot of you watch Faux News, myself included.But Ol’ Newt is on an absolute tear in this video… ranting about the media’s coverage of Governor Palin.This video is just one of two vids… but the meat is in the first installment, which I’ve chosen to publish here.The video is about nine and a half minutes long…
Part Two is here.I’ve said this elsewhere… but when the history of Campaign 2008 is written, the media campaign against Governor Palin will go down as one of the most successful media campaigns… ever.It doesn’t really matter if it’s the truth or not… it’s whether the media’s campaign succeeded or failed.In this case, and at this point in time, when all the sticks seem to be falling in Obama’s favor… one would HAVE to conclude the campaign is successful beyond The Left’s wildest expectations.
Shame.Shame on them.My contempt for today’s media… teevee AND print… knows no bounds.
... in the sense that I don't watch movies and have NO idea who these three directors are (as ID'ed in this 3:18 video)...
Could/would someone please explain what the (I'm assuming) humor is here? Coz I really, rilly, don't get it. Yet this lil vid is Numero Uno on today's "ViralVids" list.
I dunno exactly why that phrase... “The Miserys”... came to mind when I thought about whether I would post today, or not.But that’s the phrase my great-grandmother used when she was under the weather, as in “I’ve got The Miserys.”And I’m that… under the WX… and have been for the past 18 hours or so.As I’m fond of saying when I’m afflicted with this or that… “this, too, shall pass.”And so it will… none too soon, in any event.
The real weather isn’t helping things… at all.It’s chilly and quite windy out, albeit very, very bright (as you can tell from the graphic above).We’re also supposed to get our first freeze tonight, and that’s a great good thing.The flies become quite unbearable in these parts towards the end of the summer and during early Fall… but the first freeze will kill ‘em off in droves… like flies!I’ve often wondered why I’m not knee-deep in fly carcasses after the first freeze… there are THAT many of the damned things. It's the dairies, Gentle Reader.
Via Lex… especially for Blog-Buds Barry and Doc… a letter to the editor, published at American Thinker.Just a couple of excerpts to whet your appetite (I’m sorely tempted to use a Guns ‘n’ Roses pun here, but I’ll resist):
I’m voting Democrat because like most Americans I trust lawyers more than anyone else; I think only lawyers should run the government, and all the Democrat Leaders are lawyers: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, John Edwards, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Leader Harry Reid, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry, to name just a few. (Al Gore dropped out of LawSchool, so I don’t trust him as much, except on Global Warming.)
I’m voting Democrat because the Democrats support the trial lawyers and I think this country needs more lawsuits and less tort reform. And I don’t believe the trial lawyers’ contributions have a thing to do with it.
I’m voting Democrat because Congress has done such a wonderful job under Democrat leadership the last two years, that I want a lot more of the same.
I’m voting Democrat because I want to get my health care from the same competent, efficient, cost-effective, customer-service-focused folks who run the US Post Office, the Pentagon, FEMA and the state Registry of Motor Vehicles.
[…]
I’m voting Democrat because I’m for putting up barriers to free trade, as they did in 1930 with the Smoot-Hawley bill. That made things much better then.
I thought about adding more excerpts… but you get the picture.And you should go read ALL the great reasons for voting for The One… and his partners-in-crime running for House and Senate seats, too.I mean… how could you NOT, based on the way they’ve run things over the past two years?(Which, of course, in no way makes up for the debacle of the previous SIX years of a GOP-controlled Congress… but those retards were voted out in 2006, right?)
(This post is an essay written by SN3 for his sixth grade class.Posted “as received” and with permission of the author.)
My Life
By Robert Pennington
On February 19, 1997, a blue-eyed, 9-pound baby was born squeaking and squealing in Rochester, New York.So began the life of Robert Ellis Brobst Pennington.
The Past
The win without the “n”
I swung for victory, then suddenly a dull but sharp something poked me in the mid-section. I fell on the ground and faked my death. “So close, yet so far,” I muttered, as I heaved myself up off the ground. “Win to Ian,” the ref announced. I groaned because the score was 9 to 13 in Ian’s favor.“m’lord Ian and m’lord Wesley to the field!m’lord Robert and m’lord Brendon, prepare!” the ref announced.I remarked to Brendon that Wesley was going to die. Just then we heard a heavy thump.I yelled and laughed, as I saw Wesley win.By then I was exhausted from my previous battles. Yet, I was called onto the field.I grabbed a sword and shield, and, as I trotted out onto the field, I heard something. It was Wesley.He was yelling “Look out!”I turned just in time to dodge a swing from Brendon.Then I returned the swing, I feinted, and then tapped lightly on Brendon’s chest.He was dead.I gratefully took a drink of water.After two more battles, I tied the score 15 to 15. It was time for the final match between Ian and me.As I slowly promenaded onto the field, doubt crept into my mind, as thoughts went in one ear and out the other ear.Thus, I swung for victory and struck home.
The great feast
I stepped out of the car on the asphalt parking lot. I asked my mom when the feast was, and she replied, for the umpteenth time, five o’clock.She was annoyed. Walking in the door of the church was the strangest way to change from modern to medieval but I was immediately taken back in time, by being enveloped in the enticing, exotic smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, and something like cinnamon that was lighter and sweeter. The smells became more inviting by the minute. Soon, appetizing foods, such as chicken with garlic and salt, which tasted divine, appeared.Then, an exquisite, beef stew appeared, reeked of leeks, but had an excellent salty tang. Thus, time passed, I stepped out the church and into modern time.We got in the car and went home.
The Present – My Hobbies
Drawing is a great hobby because you can take a blank piece of paper and make it into an old lamp, a girl with freckles, or a beautiful moon.If I have a chance to draw and a white piece of paper, I will draw. What I like to draw is fantasy for fun, such as a “zorcling” or a “hydralisk.” The best part of drawing is thinking up the names of the creatures I draw.For example, one name I dreamed up recently was “zyamanor.”
Another hobby that I enjoy is collecting Legos and Bionicles.It is fun because I can mix up the parts to create new and strange creatures, machines, and all kinds of objects.Why I collect Bionicles is because I am working towards my goal of making the ultimate Bionicle.I have been collecting for about 8 years and I have two big bins full of Legos and Bionicles.If I counted all the Bionicle parts I have, I would probably have about two million.
Words provide a unique perspective, especially if you play with them.Thus, messing around with words has become a hobby of mine. One of the funniest words in written English is access because it is something you do and something you have.It is a noun, but over time it was “verbed.”Also, compound words are funny because you take one word, push it up against another, and it means something totally different.For instance, take the word home and the word work.When pushed together, they mean something totally different than what they mean separately.
The Future
In the future, I will be a writer of fiction about the beginning of the world, from a different perspective. I will illustrate in words all the different variables to describe what the world could have become. By the time I am forty, I will be married and will try to have five best-sellers. After I retire at sixty, I will move to Greece with my family to live out my days visiting famous spots in Greece. Then I will die.
Fin.
Today's Pic: SN3 in this year's class picture. The Second Mrs. Pennington doesn't like this shot and I'm not too fond of it, either. But it IS better than a drivers license photo.
(Update: I had to delete the earlier version of this post. Some way, somehow, the native formatting in Bobby's essay thoroughly hosed the blog's formatting, yet again. So... a delete and repost was in order.)
Well, delivered to the Official USPS Big Blue Box that sits here on the grounds of Beautiful La Hacienda Trailer Park, anyway. And soon to arrive in Livingston, one would assume.
More in a bit. I'm off to yet another late start today, but my civic duty has been done.
“And on the seventh day…” a re-run.Occasional Reader Curtis mentioned the B-36 in comments to another post yesterday and that reminded me that I put up a post on that ol’ piston engined bomber back in EIP’s early days.So… since it’s Sunday, and much more to the point… I’m feelin’ pretty lazy today… here’s that old B-36 post.Enjoy.Or not.(Insert smiley-faced thingie here)
R. Lee Ermey (Mail Call) did one of his periodic hour-long shows last evening; the subject of which was the B-52. As usual, Ermey provided quite a bit of background, including an extensive history of the BUFF, Minot AFB, Strategic Air Command, and a good biographical summary of SAC's architect, Curtis LeMay. Part of the historical background included file footage of the B-52's predecessor, the B-36.
That file footage fired off some long-dormant synapses in the ol' brain.
Travis AFB, 1951 - 1952.
My father was stationed at Travis during that time, and my family lived in base housing. The neighborhood boys and I used to ride our bikes all over the base...down to the BX, the theatre for Saturday matinees, over to the flight line, and out to the end of the runway to watch planes take off. The take-offs were the best. Especially B-36 take-offs.
I was always one of a gaggle of small boys, standing beside our Schwinns about 200 yards from the end of the runway. We always stood silent, pie-eyed in wonder and awe at the spectacle before us. We were silent because talk was literally impossible; we could have screamed at each other and we wouldn't have heard a word over the incredible noise made by the combination of six huge Pratt and Whitney piston engines and four GE jet engines winding up in front of us. Each one of those Pratts put out 3,800 hp! The ground literally shook, and when I say "shook," that's exactly what I mean...as in earthquake. The exquisite, Norse-god like sound and feel of large reciprocating mass is simply unbelieveable. Nothing compares, there are no modern analogues.
We'd put our fingers in our ears and wait. After about 30 seconds of engine run-up, the big bomber would begin to move, imperceptably at first, speed increasing to a crawl, then a walk, then a run. Sometimes we'd have to brace ourselves against the prop wash, even at that distance, depending on where we were standing. Most of the time we'd stand off to the side, becaue prop wash isn't pleasant. A minute or two later the bomber would lift off the runway and disappear into the sky, trailing sooty black exhaust from the jets on the ends of the wings. Our ears would ring for five minutes after the plane was gone.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the only remaining large piston-engined bomber still flying. I saw her back in the early '90s when she flew into the Detroit area, along with a B-25, for an airshow. And I told my buddy about standing at the end of the runway at Travis after we watched her leave. "Just imagine," I said, "add two more Pratts and four jets to the sound we just heard..." I wonder if he could. Imagine, that is.
So… like many others around the Right-O-Sphere and elsewhere I’m simply appalled at the way the Left-O-Sphere and the MSM have slimed Joe Wurzelbacher, aka “Joe the Plumber.”Jeez… the sheer temerity of this guy, questioning The One, and worse yet… disagreeing with him.You can’t DO that… this is a Brave NEW America!About which, a short video from Fox News Channel:
Regarding that “elsewhere” link, above.This is an excerpt from that link (Jules Crittenden, writing on his blog):
Now they’re investigating the “I am Joe” crowd. CBS:
The Republican National Committee is sending around this Associated Press photo of overall-clad McCain supporters standing outside an Obama rally, clutching plungers and a sign proclaiming “I Am Joe The Plumber”:
The only problem? At least two of the members aren’t quite as similar to the newly famous Joe Wurzelbacher as they might like you to think. As CBS News’ Maria Gavrilovic, who is traveling with the Obama campaign, reports, the man on the right does say he’s an actual plumber – though he is from Melbourne, Australia, and will thus not be casting a vote this November.
And the man on the left, plunger thrust high in the air, is Charlie Smith – the National Chairman of the College Republicans.
Yeah, well maybe it isn’t that they actually are Joe, but that they’re expressing an affinity with Joeness, you morons. Hard to grasp, I know, after all the energy that’s been put into explaining how sitting on boards with people, kicking off campaigns in their living rooms, sitting in their pews for 20 years, doesn’t make you an America-hating, ex-terrorist-palsing bigot or give you any affinity for them.
There’s much more, and here’s the link again.You should go read, if you haven’t already.
Further:Here’s David Burge (aka Iowahawk) on the subject, deviating from his usual and inimitable satirical take on things political:
First, a pre-emptive apology for the intentional non-humor to follow. I promise that all future non-humor will be strictly unintentional.
We've all witnessed a lot of insanity in American politics over the last few years. Up until the last few days, none of it has seriously bothered me; hey, just more grist for the satire mill. But after witnessing the media's blitzkreig on Joe 'the Plumber' Wurzelbacher, I can only muster anger, and no small amount of fear.
Politicians -- Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, et al. -- obviously have to put up with some rude, nasty shit, but it's right there in the jobs description. Joe the Plumber is different. He was a guy tossing a football with his kid in the front yard of his $125,000 house when a politician picked him out as a prop for a 30 second newsbite for the cable news cameras. Joe simply had the temerity to speak truth (or, if you prefer, an uninformed opinion) to power, for which the politico-media axis apparently determined that he must be humiliated, harassed, smashed, destroyed. The viciousness and glee with which they set about the task ought to concern anyone who still cares about citizen participation, and freedom of speech, and all that old crap they taught in Civics class before politics turned into Narrative Deathrace 3000, and Web 2.0 turned into Berlin 1932.0.
Godwin's Law! you say? if the jackboot fits, wear it.
If it's meta-memes and meta-meta-narratives these media headlice want, so be it. I hope you will join me in expressing a simple bit of solidarity with this guy, Spartacus style. I AM JOE. I am a Wal Mart schlub in flyover country who changes my own oil and unclogs drains without a license. I smoke and drink beer and toss the football in the front yard with my kid, and I figure I can fend my way without handouts from some Magic Messiah's candy bags. Most everyone in my family and most everyone I grew up with is another Joe, and if you screw with them, you screw with me.
Are you a Joe? Say it proud. Leave it on every goddamn newspaper comment section and online forum. Let these pressroom and online thugs know you won't stay silent when they try to destroy the life of a private citizen for speaking his mind -- because for every one of them, there are a million Joe Wurzelbachers. And for that we should all be thankful.
Dang.What he SAID!Mr. Burge also included a link to the graphic displayed at the top of this post… suitable for insertion in your sidebar, if you have a blog.I’m just gonna include it here… coz my sidebar leaves NO doubt as to who I support and what I think of The One… and his policies.With any luck this whole “Joe” flap might be the event that allows Senator McCain to turn the corner.One can always hope…
And now… it’s Saturday, so it’s All Football, All The Time.For the rest of the day and well into the night.
McCain at his VERY best… last night in NYC at the Al Smith Dinner:
This clip isn’t the entire speech, as it’s missing the final three minutes.You can see the entire 13+ minute speech here, if you have a mind to do so.I watched it in its entirety and was most impressed.Not to mention the fact that I laughed my ass off. Yeah... it's that funny!
Some news audiences are more politically savvy than others, according to a new poll, with readers of The New Yorker and similar high-brow magazines being the most knowledgeable.
The survey, conducted between April 30 and June 1 by the PewResearchCenter for the People & the Press, measured the political knowledge of 3,612 U.S. adults. Participants were asked to name the controlling party of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. secretary of state and Great Britain's prime minister.
Overall, just 18 percent of participants answered all three questions correctly.
Think about that last number… 18%.Fewer than one in five could answer three simple civics questions correctly.OK, I’ll give you the Gordon Brown question, as few Americans are politically aware where furriners are concerned.But I’d venture a guess that the results would have been the same had the survey asked respondents to name the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court instead of the UK’s prime minister… possibly lower, even.Lest you think it’s all about ed-u-ma-kay-shun… think again:
However, several news audiences with relatively low proportions of college graduates also scored well on the news quiz. Just 31 percent of regular "Hannity & Colmes" viewers are college graduates. Even still, 42 percent Hannity viewers got perfect scores on the political knowledge quiz, compared with 44 percent of NPR listeners.
Which, of course, substantiates the thought that some sort of intellectual “means testing” should be required of all voters.That’s not elitist sort of thinking… it’s merely prudent.Coz uninformed voters could possibly elect a glib someone with a great smile and not much else.Like this guy…
I never get tired of this image, btw. This is the third time I've posted it.
The man does make sense, doesn’t he?I’m bettin’ The One wishes he’d NEVER had that conversation out on the trail, eh?
While we’re on the subject of last evening… however indirectly it might be… I think Senator McCain scored a thin win last night, on points.But I also believe his (McCain’s) performance was/is too late to change anything, as the “undecideds” are largely a myth at this point in time.In other words… if I were a Lefty I’d be telling anyone/everyone who would listen that I’ll be off to Canada pretty soon (think: Dubya/2004).But I’m NOT a Lefty, and I intend to stay right where I am, thankyouverymuch.The Republic will survive an Obama presidency… maybe even in a form we’ll recognize, four years on.I’m hopeful.
Oh yeah… I should ALSO add I’m not giving up.Stranger things have happened in American politics than a McCain win, ya know.
Thirteen and a half minutes, 22 page views… and not a single comment.Perhaps I’m overly sensitive but this bugs me, Gentle Reader. I dunno exactly WHY this is, but it does have a lil something to do with politesse. As in: a general lack of.
But... as it's said: if this is all I have to worry/bitch about, then life is good. Well, sorta... if you discount the upcoming election.
From the AFA’s Daily Report… “Not Your Father’s Air Force” Department:
A Shower for Every Mobility Airman: Air Mobility Command officials say the construction of new dormitories for single airmen at Dover AFB, Del., MacDill AFB, Fla., and Scott AFB, Ill., is expected to be completed before 2010. These dorms are being built to the new "Dorms-4-Airmen" standard, meaning each airman will have his own bedroom and bathroom in a quad-bedroom set-up that otherwise features a common living room, kitchen, and washer and dryer. "This is a higher standard than previous [dormitory] configurations that didn't provide either a private room or a private bath, or both," said Anthony DeSimone, AMC's chief of integrating planning. The new kitchen set up will make it easier for airmen to prepare their own meals as opposed to having to eat in a dining hall or off base. And the dorm common areas will offer cyber cafes and recreation areas with amenities like pool tables, dartboards, and big-screen TVs. In addition to the new dorms, AMC also plans to renovate existing ones, with improvements including new furnishings, upgraded heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, and new cyber cafes and exercise rooms. (Scott report by Desiree Mahr)
No word if there’ll be maid service… but I wouldn’t bet against that.
Further… There’s SO much to say about this, and SO many approaches one could use to say it.The first thing that hit my mind falls into the “I walked two miles to school every day, barefoot in the snow, and it was uphill both ways” category.I spent a few years living in the barracks dorms (sorry; lost my head there) during my career, even after I married (remote tours, TDYs, etc.). I always had a room mate or two, and we always shared a common latrine (dang.Lost it again!) bath.Always… at least until I hit the senior NCO ranks.I ate in the chow dining hall (why does this keep happening?) and I did my laundry in Laundromats run by the Exchange, there were no “free” washers and dryers (except at remote sites).I can’t comment on big-screen teevees and cyber cafés, for what should be obvious reasons. We usually had one wonky color teevee in our day room, albeit with flesh tones more commonly associated with psychedelic drugs.And so it went…
Finally… Here’s one other approach I thought about taking:“Eatcher HEARTS out, Navy!”
Today’s Pic:SN2’s living quarters aboard ship in the way-back.What ya see is SN2 in his “quarters” aboard the USS Rodney King M Davis. Sam was a full Lieutenant at the time, or the equivalent of an Air Force captain (O-3).I don’t have pics of how the Navy’s enlisted swine live, unfortunately.You may draw your own conclusions, based upon how their ossifers live. The junior ossifers on Davis lived three to a room and shared a common head. (See... I can speak "Navy!")
Today’s Pics:Yesterday’s major accomplishment:I finally got around to defrosting my fridge and it needed it... badly.It needed defrosting two or three months ago, actually, but procrastination is my way of life.This particular task takes about an hour of mind-numbingly boring work, mostly consisting of holding a hair dryer running on “high” about two inches from the accumulated ice and watching it melt and fall into the catch tray below the cooling fins (you can see the residual ice in the "after" pic).What fun.And then there’s the general mop-up following the actual defrosting.More fun, even.
There are only a handful of people in these United States who still have to defrost their refrigerators manually… and I’m one of ‘em.Someday I’ll graduate into the Middle Class and get a frost-free fridge like Mom had back in the day.And a washer and dryer of my very own, too.(My tongue is firmly planted in my cheek as I write…)
The biggest complaint from most of us who oppose The One is his demonstrable lack of experience, his opaque track record, and the fact he seemingly hasn’t done anything of consequence during his four years in the Senate — and that would be the US Senate, not the Illinois State House.Well… it’s come to light that this didn’t just happen, it’s by design.Here’s Tom Daschle, speaking about His Boy Barack:
In 2006 ... he talks to you about the possibility of running for the presidency. What do you tell him?
I tell him he should do it. We went to my favorite restaurant and took the kitchen table in the back where nobody could see us. We had a bottle of wine and a great meal and what was supposed to be a conversation that lasted about an hour I think went over three.
And during that time I told him that I thought his lack of Washington experience was one of his greatest assets. And I argued that windows of opportunity for running for the presidency close quickly. And that he shouldn't assume, if he passes up this window, that there will be another. I had that experience, and I wouldn't want him to see the same thing happen to him.
Why the 2008 window for Obama?
I think the window is important for a couple of reasons. One, it was an open opportunity -- that is, he wasn't running against an incumbent; and secondly, because the longer he's in Washington, the more history he has, and the more history he has, the more he's going to be explaining his votes and his actions and his statements and his positions that undermine his message. His message is one of change, his message is one of new direction, and it's harder to do that after you've been in Washington for a long time.
The passages above were taken from the PBS/Frontline web site, specifically from the text of the interview with former senator Daschle.The web site is an adjunct to the Frontline program “The Choice 2008,” a two-hour show that ran last evening.I watched the whole thing and was more than a little surprised at the even-handedness and objectivity of the program. Frontline tends to have a decidedly Left point of view, and I expected the program to be a puff-piece for The One. And it wasn’t… much to my surprise.
But… back to the main point.There was also another interview during the program last evening where a Talking Head claimed a conscious decision was made by Obama and his staff to keep the junior Senator from Illinois away from any and all issues that might be the least little bit controversial.I looked high and low for that quote, but it’s either been edited out of the interviews, or eliminated entirely.But… the point remains: The One’s track record is thin, by design.I find that particularly troubling.
I really liked “The Choice 2008.”Frontline usually re-runs its Tuesday show on Thursday evenings (in my market, anyway) and oftentimes again on Saturday.I heartily recommend watching the show if you haven’t made up your mind about who you’ll vote for on November 4th.MY mind has been made up for months now, and I think it’s a testimony to the quality of the Frontline presentation that I felt my decision was reinforced by watching that show.In other words, Frontline’s “The Choice 2008” validated my judgment… and that’s no small feat for a bunch of left-wing documentary producers.You can also watch the program in its entirety on the web site… but I don’t know anyone who has the patience to watch two hours of teevee on a computer screen.I certainly don’t, but your mileage may vary.
Digital cameras are wonderful things… and one of the major reasons is the metadata included with each and every photo you shoot.What this really means is you know the exact date and time you took a particular shot (among a lot of other techie-type info), so there’s no wondering “where/when was THIS taken?” as you browse through your archives.Which is quite unlike going through an old shoebox full of photos, believe me.
So… the foregoing is an intro to a minor celebration of sorts:The Green Hornet is eight years old today.I’ve owned one other car longer than the Green Hornet and that was my Baby Beemer…which I kept for ten years.I obviously liked that Beemer and I really like the Miata, too.Both cars have served me well, both cars were/are great good fun, and I see no reason why the Green Hornet won’t tie my personal record for auto longevity and maybe even break it. So… in celebration, here are a few “then and now” pics… both of the Green Hornet and her driver.
Top to bottom: (1) GH on the day I bought her, in the Oakland Hills above... you guessed it... Oakland, CA. (2) GH a couple of months ago after a wash and wax. (3) YrHmblScrb in his place of business at 44 Montgomery Street, SFO (October 12, 2000). (4) YrHmblScrb with Blog-Buddy Lou and husband Toby, taken last month (the latest pic I have).
I think the car has held up better than its owner over the past eight years, nu?
On October 12, 2008, traditional Columbus Genocide Day, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Navy’s Blue Death and the Canadian Snowbirds terrorized San Francisco, with the Blue Death criss-crossing the City from San Francisco General Hospital to the Bay, flying over St. Francis Hospital repeatedly, and low enough to read the words on the bottom “US Navy.“
For 25 years, it has been impossible to enjoy AquaticPark’s beach or swim in the bay during Columbus Genocide weekend as the criminal air show and the deafening noise from the radio station broadcasting at AquaticPark make enjoying this area impossible for those who love to swim and sunbathe. The beautiful 60 degree very clear sunny days are shattered by the deafening, nerve-wracking noise of these death machines, all brought to us courtesy the Democrat-Republican Parties. The fact that anyone, much less hundreds of thousands of Americans can find this madness entertaining is a sign of both a profound lack of education and widespread criminal insanity in this society. The only sane response is outrage at the utter contempt the Democrat-Republican Parties have for us, and to never vote for any of their candidates at any level.
The Canadian Snowbirds, the Canadian military’s death machines, have had many accidents, with the latest being October 9, 2008.
[…]
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP THE NAVY’S BLUE DEATH
1. CINDY SHEEHAN FOR CONGRESS
The nightmare Navy’s Blue Death flights and Fleet Week represent the obvious contempt the Democratic Party machine of San Francisco has for the people of San Francisco and our response must be to support a peace candidate for Congress, Cindy Sheehan.
OK, everyone in SFO isn’t as addled as the twits at SFO Indymedia.But common sense in SFO is heavily outweighed by the presence of the nation’s most concentrated population of moonbats, literally hundreds of thousands of ‘em.Which, of course, is one of the main reasons I left there back in 2002.About which:Great restaurants and the best city-vistas in the Free World cannot begin to make up for an ugly population.
So… today is the season's first “heating day” here on The High Plains of New Mexico.It was 44 degrees when I awoke this morning (I use the term “morning” quite loosely) and it’s supposed to hit a high of 58.I don’t think we’re gonna make that, but I could be wrong.It’s been known to happen.One thing I DO know:no beer and cigars on the verandah today.Nosiree, Bob.
―:☺:―
I’ve been wrong about a lot of things in my life, as noted above, but it appears I wasn’t wrong about the McCain campaign.Here’s Bill Kristol, writing in yesterday’s NYT (“Fire the Campaign”):
It’s time for John McCain to fire his campaign.
He has nothing to lose. His campaign is totally overmatched by Obama’s. The Obama team is well organized, flush with resources, and the candidate and the campaign are in sync. The McCain campaign, once merely problematic, is now close to being out-and-out dysfunctional. Its combination of strategic incoherence and operational incompetence has become toxic. If the race continues over the next three weeks to be a conventional one, McCain is doomed.
He may be anyway. Bush is unpopular. The media is hostile. The financial meltdown has made things tougher. Maybe the situation is hopeless — and if it is, then nothing McCain or his campaign does matters.
But I’m not convinced by such claims of inevitability. McCain isn’t Bush. The media isn’t all-powerful. And the economic crisis still presents an opportunity to show leadership.
Mr. Kristol goes on to lay out a roadmap of sorts for a McCain recovery and come-from-behind win.It’s really late in the game for Mr. Kristol’s prescription (or anyone else’s, for that matter) to work, but God knows the current campaign isn’t working… at all.
I was looking for the transcript of yesterday’s Fox News Sunday panel discussion, in which Mr. Kristol gave the closing remarks… all about the sorry state of the McCain campaign.Those remarks were short and to the point, whereas Mr. Kristol’s op-ed in the NYT tends to wander a bit.But the op-ed will have to do, in the absence of a published FNS transcript.I’ll keep watching for those remarks and will post them when and if they become available.
In the same vein (kinda-sorta), here’s Victor Davis Hanson, writing at Real Clear Politics (“Jumping Ship…”):
Obama, as I have said ad nauseam, has brilliantly prepped the battlefield to such a degree that a Farrakhan endorsement or surrogates calling Palin a quasi-Nazi or a bimbo, or smearing McCain as near senile is irrelevant; yet one screamer in a crowd of tens of thousands is proof of McCain's and Palin's racism and hatred.
Again, most conservatives know this paradox, but for some being outraged, as the conservative voice of reason, at McCain's supposed low road ensures a CNN spot, or some future rehabilitation during the expected Obama regnum of the next eight years. I think should I write a column suddenly taking the "high road", praising Obama's wit, taste in books, and metrosexuality, I would be dubbed principled rather than cynical, 'even-handed' rather than self-serving, and a maverick rather than toadish.
Yet for a self-acclaimed conservative to vote Obama would mean that higher taxes, larger government, more entitlements, more of a UN-centered foreign policy, dialogue with an Iran, less coal, oil, and nuclear energy production at home, more "oppression" studies and "reparations", leftish Supreme Court judges, open borders (I could go on) were the truly conservative positions, or perhaps suddenly truly the 'right' positions. And as far as ethics go, in fact, a cursory review of the past Obama campaigns would reveal a ruthlessness never seen in any of McCain's efforts. Obama's record is far more left than McCain's is far right. Obama the healer has proven to be the most partisan in the Senate, McCain one of the most bipartisan.
The foregoing isn’t so much a treatise on the failures of the McCain campaign as it is a warning to conservatives who have jumped ship for The One.Yeah… I’m looking at you, Doc and Barry.Just imagine… for a moment… The One, Pelosi, and Reid discussing tax policy over dinner, mmm-kay?Or, Hell… discussing anything else of import for the nation, for that matter. That doesn't scare ya?
―:☺:―
Good news… the Dow Jones Industrials are up 700 points or so about a half hour away from the market close; the other indices are also up.So, we’re spared a ninth consecutive down day on Wall Street.We certainly needed a breather, eh?
―:☺:―
And finally… a new, self-explanatory, tongue-in-cheek video of that ol’ ‘80s hit “Take on Me” has surfaced and is making the rounds of these here inter-tubes.It’s pretty cute, so I thought I’d pass it on.Me and about 379 other people, according to ViralVids.Here we go…
Yup.Some people SHOULD stay home rather than exercising their right to vote.What on earth gives you the right to vote if, like in the video, you can’t recognize a photo of Joe Biden?My gut tells me the majority of those hopeychange voters don’t have a frickin’ CLUE what their candidate stands for… or doesn’t stand for.Not all, mind you, just the majority.Particularly those people who were most recently registered by ACORN.Yep.Now there’s a real case of “civic involvement” and “doing the right thing,” even if that Right Thing kinda-sorta violates the law, yanno?But, Hey!Whatever it takes.
The world's most famous "hockey mom" can now join the ever-growing list of icons booed by Philly fans. Move over, Santa Claus and Mike Schmidt, Sarah Palin was booed tonight in front of Willow and Piper as she was introduced to drop the first puck at the Flyers' home opener against the New York Rangers.
Despite pleas from the scoreboard at the Wachovia Center, which read "Flyers fans, show Philadelphia's class and welcome America's No. 1 hockey mom, Sarah Palin," ABC News' Jake Tapper reports that the booing was so prevalent that the music had to be cranked up to "deafening" levels in order to compete with the fans from the city of Brotherly Love.
Yeah… the Flyers fans are a tough crowd, if one wants to be kind.I can think of other descriptive phrases, but I won’t go there… mainly coz I try and keep EIP clean, ya know?There’s more at Sports Illustratedand various Lefty blogs… if ya wanna go there.I, personally, don’t.Go to the Lefty blogs, that is.Not today.
Via Blog-Bud Morgan... a video he claims is old, but it's new to me. And hopefully you, as well, Gentle Reader. A helpful lil animation about men and women and the differences between us. I especially find the bit about shopping to be as true as true gets. The other stuff? Well, maybe...
The old guard delivered the banner to the new guard, the grizzled champions meeting the fresh ones on the ice.
The full richness of the Red Wings’ fabled hockey empire bloomed in red and white Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena, as the 2007-2008 Stanley Cup champions were crowned again, this time with a banner that made a long, slow, spot-lit journey from the ice to the rafters to celebrate the franchise’s 11th Stanley Cup.
The banner was brought out by Production Line alums Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay and fellow former Wings Alex Delvecchio, Johnny Wilson, Dennis Hextall and Doug Brown. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom grabbed hold; his alternates – Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper and Henrik Zetterberg – joining him.
“That was special to see the old players, the former players come out for the celebration and handing over the banner to the current players,” Lidstrom said. “It was enjoyable and fun to be a part of.”
The ceremony lasted barely 20 minutes; a blink, really, compared to what it took to earn it.
Yep… a short ceremony to cap off a quest that began in September of 2007 and culminated in the Wings winning the hardest fought, most cherished trophy in sports… nearly ten months later (June 4, 2008).I watched the entire ceremony, from beginning to end, and Versus did a very good job of televising the event.Good on ‘em.
If you want to see an amazing photographic image of the banner-raising (and Joe Louis Arena — in high-definition), you should go to this Detroit News web page:“Panoramic image: A 360-degree view of the Stanley Cup championship banner raising.”The image is truly spectacular in full-screen mode.Almost…but not quite… like being there.
Oh, yeah.There was a game, too.And that lil event was much less impressive than the banner-raising ceremony.From The Detroit News:
DETROIT -- One loss doesn't qualify as a Stanley Cup hangover, but the Red Wings could use a couple aspirin.
The supposedly inept Toronto Maple Leafs negated the Wings' puck possession with their young legs and determination, stunning the defending champions, 3-2, Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.
The night started with the Wings raising their 11th Stanley Cup banner and it ended with a disappointing upset.
"We were set up to have a real nice night here," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We didn't do our part."
The Red Wings, who never had the lead, turned the puck over a whopping 19 times to five giveaways by the Maple Leafs.
Well, now.This isn’t the way to begin a new season, especially a season where you’re the defending Stanley Cup Champions.But… there are 81 games left to play, and the Wings ARE the Wings.A loss in the opener hurts, but it ain’t fatal, by any means.
And the Wings weren’t the only home team to lose last night.Versus did a double-header last evening, and the B’s beat the Avs in the nightcap by a 5-4 score… which, all things considered, was the better game of the evening.Both teams played hard, the lead changed hands more times than I can remember, and the game was close… right up to the very end.Most entertaining, that was.
NEW YORK – President George W. Bush will honor the 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings during a ceremony in the East Room of The White House on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 2:30 p.m., ET.
Members of the 2008 Red Wings, led by team captain Nicklas Lidstrom, will gather at The White House for the ceremony. National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman, Red Wings Owners Mike and Marian Ilitch, General Manager Ken Holland and Detroit Head Coach Mike Babcock also are scheduled to attend.
Doubtless you’ve seen this… IF you’re a hockey fan.So that makes three of us, nu?But, for the rest of all y’all… a lil blurb from the Philly Flyers’ web site:
World's Most Popular Hockey Mom Sarah Palin to Drop Puck
Palin to Join Flyers Hockey Mom Contest Winner on Ice Before Game
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the nation’s most popular hockey mom, will join the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers regional search for the “Ultimate Hockey Mom” contest and drop the puck at the ceremonial opening face-off as the home team Flyers host the New York Rangers at the WachoviaCenter on Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m.
“Because of the tremendous amount of publicity she has brought to our sport, we invited the most popular hockey mom in North America to our home opener to help us get our season started,” said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider who founded the Flyers in 1967. “We are very excited she has accepted our offer and we are very proud of the publicity she is generating for hockey moms and the sport of hockey.”
The Flyers have been searching for the ultimate hockey mom in the Greater Philadelphia Region through an on line contest which asked hockey players or hockey moms themselves to submit their hockey mom poster to the team.
Hockey moms and players were encouraged to submit posters showing their hockey mom pride and their loyalty and dedication to the sport via the team’s website, philadelphiaflyers.com, by October 7. The team will award all hockey moms entered into the contest with a free "puck-er peach" lipstick and four tickets to a Philadelphia Phantoms hockey game. The winner will appear on the ice with Palin for opening face-off.
Well, now.This item sorta flies (ahem) in the face of what I posted below… which goes to prove (I hope) that it’s really NOT too late.Good On the Flyers, for making the move… blatantly political as it is... and Good On Governor Palin for recognizing an opportunity, especially in Pennsylvania... an important battleground state.
Blog-Bud Doc put up a thoughtful post earlier this week entitled “Why I’m Leaning Toward Obama.”His very first line is this:
“Leaning, mind you. Much can change in the next few weeks.”
And then Doc launches into a well-reasoned explanation for his leanings, which basically involve contrasting Senator McCain’s character with that of Senator Obama’s.And Doc obviously finds flaws with Senator McCain, or rather with Senator McCain’s campaign, and to a much greater extent, some of Senator McCain’s idiot supporters… the sort of people who send out idiotic rants like this in the hope of swaying opinion.
(Short parenthetical digression: people who send out videos like the one at the link aren’t so much McCain supporters as they are Obama haters… and there are a LOT of haters out there, sad to say.I’ve noticed there’s a tremendous amount of bad information — which is to say info that is factually inaccurate or outright lies, as in the “Obama is a Muslim” meme — being circulated via e-mail, and I’ve received way too much of it.But the point is… the “hate” stuff is out there and it’s having a NEGATIVE effect on some of the undecideds.)
This, I suppose, plays into my point that McCain is running a very inept campaign.I’ve not articulated that point in a main blog-post here at EIP, but I’ve left comments to that effect in my friends’ blogs when the subject comes up.One such comment:
I'm of the opinion that the McCain campaign has been... to date... one of the most inept, tone-deaf, and incompetent presidential campaigns... ever. One expects this sort of thing from the Dems (witness: Dukakis and Kerry), but from the GOP? McCain's descent into faux populism ("Greed and corruption on Wall Street!") turns my stomach, and the "handling" of Palin has simply been a disaster... of incredible and potentially devastating proportions.
I'm thinking it's too late to save it, but I HOPE to God I'm wrong.
So.Back to Doc.If I’m reading him correctly, Doc believes Obama has run a more principled campaign while McCain has opted for traditional mud-slinging.Or… McCain is doing the classic “whatever it takes” maneuver so common to our politicians (especially when they fall behind), thereby sacrificing his principles.Doc does have a point with the direction he’s taking here, and that point is “character matters,” where the tone of a campaign is concerned. This is something of an explanation as to why otherwise rational people might choose to vote for The One.I’m sensing there’s a lot of disgust over the state of our political process, but I’m of the opinion that The One is most certainly NOT the answer.But to give the Devil his due, Obama has played this discontent like a freakin’ Stradivarius.And McCain has not.
It ain’t over ‘til it’s over… and The Fat Lady ain’t gonna sing until the wee small hours of November 5th.Doc, in closing to this particular post, makes the point that American politics has (seemingly) always been about choosing the lesser of two evils.I’ll agree with that.You have to go back to Reagan to find an example of someone worth voting for, rather than someone to vote against.But… that said, McCain is the lesser of two evils in this election cycle, which is obviously one of the more important elections of our time.The One is just be SO wrong and SO detrimental to the success and prosperity of America it’s scary.
Uh-Oh. It's the Big Four-Oh. The Beginning of The End.And all that other horsepucky.But I suppose Age 40 IS a milestone, as The Culcha seems to have made it so.That said, I’m sure Sam will agree with me that turning 40 is, in the end, much ado about nothing much… speaking strictly about the age thing, of course.His birthday is rather special to me and a lot of other folks, as well.
About the pics… The top pic is Sam and the Love of His Life… Alisa.I purloined this pic from Sam’s blog, so you’ll have to ask him when and where the photo was taken… but you’ll note the pic is most definitely seasonal.The second pic is Sam and four of his shipmates from the USS Monterey (CG 61), taken in 2004… somewhere on station in the Gulf.I got a kick out of the facial hair… definitely NOT “in regulation,” but allowed and encouraged, even, while deployed.The beards came off with the first port call, if I remember what I was told correctly. The Navy pic is a re-run, first posted (along with other Navy-type pics) back in 2006.
It's very late in the day, and to quote someone (I dunno exactly who): I got nuthin'. I DID make an effort last evening to begin today's post, and what follows is that half-assed attempt.
{Golem voice} But we must check the box, mustn't we, Precious? {/Golem voice}
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I was watching a re-run of The Discovery Channel’s remarkable “Planet Earth” series last evening… and although Planet Earth is in re-runs, one of last night’s installments was new to me… the one on caves.Part and parcel of that segment was about ten minutes devoted to LechuguillaCave in Carlsbad CavernsNational Park, right here in New Mexico.And a most amazing place this is!The PBS Nova page has an article on Lechuguilla , along with a companion piece featuring 12 amazing photographs of the cave complex and their crystal formations (here); you see one such photo from that set on the left.I only wish the photos were available in a larger format, as these small pictures just don’t do the subject justice.But don’t let that nit-pick discourage you from a taking a look, Gentle Reader.It’s well worth the minute or three it will take you to browse through the pics and read the captions.
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Well… the foregoing is a perfect lead-in (albeit in a most left-handed manner) to Today’s Pic… which features SN3 and Grandson Sean standing next to a HUGE stalagmite in… guess where?… Carlsbad Caverns.It’s just fortuitous coincidence that I have a pic (a great number of them, actually) that’s associated with something I wanted to post about.It doesn’t happen all that often, ya know!But, Hey!It doesn’t take much of an excuse to get me to post pics of the kids (a couple of whom are no longer “kids,” by ANY stretch of the imagination) and the grand-kids, now does it?
And while it is neither my natural disposition, nor indeed my job, to look on the bright side, I am honour bound to say this: the National Hockey League's second excursion into Europe has been a peach.
Last year the league brought its bandwagon to London, starting the 82-game regular season with two fixtures between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks (whom I liked a great deal more when they were known as the Mighty Ducks) at the 02 Arena. I can still vividly recall the thrill I felt that these two teams were visiting my adopted home city. Even so, the part of me that I would sometimes like to keep quiet knew that the league's first overseas adventure was only a partial success. The teams were an odd choice, the games were not classics, the atmosphere was stilted. It wouldn't be true to say that hockey is to England what cricket is to Canada, but it wouldn't be entirely untrue either.
For the start of the 2008 campaign, the NHL has taken more care. With two games in Prague (where yesterday the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning by two goals to one) and two here in Stockholm (Pens and Sens, the latter captained by Swede Daniel Alfredsson) the world's best league took one of the world's best sports to two countries that understand and care about 'the on-ice product'. For the National Hockey League, this is a product which they're hoping to sell; their spokesman doesn't need much prompting before he's turning on the marketing speak, making it clear in the slickest possible way that this enterprise is about brand awareness and global positioning.
This it may well be, but here's the thing: no amount of corporate business plans and entrepreneurial buzzwords can obscure the fact that last night in Stockholm's fabulously upholstered Globe Arena, 14,119 people saw a game that is part of their national culture played at a level that most here will only have seen on television. And as you know, hockey on TV is not really hockey at all. How can it be? You can't even see the puck.
[…]
The majority of people within an arena that looks like a giant bonbon wanted to see a victory for the Ottawa Senators, a victory for their Swedish captain. Midway through the first period I predicted the evening would end with the Canadian team in therapy. But this didn't last, and the Sens rallied, prospered and entered overtime with the scores tied at three goals apiece. But with less than 60 seconds of the five-minute fourth period remaining, Tyler Kennedy pounced on Jason Spezza's errant pass and blasted home. Game over.
Only the game has just begun. This time tomorrow the Penguins and the Senators, the Rangers and the Lightning, will be on their way home, to continue the work that started here. But while the NHL will always be North America's league, on loan to Europe for the briefest of glimpses, tonight proved that hockey also has a home on the continent to the east. The great players may work abroad, but their audience is everywhere.
I’ve excerpted this piece much more heavily than I usually do… but only to emphasize the universal appeal of the game, which is significant.We who live on the North American continent can only be glad that we’re treated to the best hockey has to offer, day in and day out.For that I’m eternally grateful.
The Wings play their opener on October 9th, in a game that will be nationally televised on the Versus network.I’ll be there, with bells on.The game itself will be secondary, Gentle Reader, as it’s early days in a long, long season.Nope… what I’ll REALLY be tuning in to watch is the raising of the “2008 Stanley Cup Champions” banner to the Joe Louis Arena’s roof.And hoping for a repeat in 2009.
That would be the day, Gentle Reader, as one can plainly see by only a casual glance at the two pictures accompanying this post.Methinks there will be no cigars and adult beverages on the verandah today.OTOH, things might change, weather being weather and all that. “Don’t like the weather?Wait 15 minutes…it’ll change” is a truism, no matter where you live.But I doubt a change is in the works today, what with Happy Hour’s traditional start time being only three hours away, as I write.And the fact that it’s been like this all day.
But… rain is good in this part of the world, no matter how much or how little we receive.It’s ALL good.I especially enjoy rain at this point in life, because anything other than a bona fide gully-washer makes very pleasing sounds on the roof of El Casa Móvil De Pennington, and those sounds are most conducive to sleeping in, or taking a nap, etc.
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I’m kinda-sorta responsible for today’s rain, as I got the car washed yesterday.“Washing the car” is a mundane sort of experience, but yesterday was something special.I found out last week that an acquaintance of mine’s sister-in-law was recently diagnosed with breast cancer at the tender age of 29. But there’s more, as if this isn’t bad enough… which it most certainly IS.The woman in question doesn’t have health insurance.Breast cancer isn’t an automatic death sentence these days, given the strides our medicos have made in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.As a matter of fact, there are two breast cancer survivors in my immediate family, so I know a little bit about the disease… enough to know that survival is common these days.
But part of what I know about breast cancer is that treatment, while effective, is also horrendously expensive.So while a cancer diagnosis my not be literally life-threatening to the woman in question, it most assuredly IS a death sentence for family finances in the absence of health insurance.But here’s the great part:The woman’s extended family is rolling up their sleeves and helping as best they can… and one of those ways was holding a car wash yesterday to raise money for the family.No complaining, no “poor me” victimology, just a family getting together to raise money as best they can.
That, Gentle Reader, is America at its best… from my point of view.
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So.Aside from getting the car washed and running a couple of other errands, yesterday was a typical Fall Saturday here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington, which is to say:all football, all the time.There weren’t any huge match-ups yesterday that may or may not affect the great scheme of things in college ball, barring a massive upset.And there weren’t any upsets, really.The closest one could come to that would be Vanderbilt’s win over Auburn, but that was the 19th ranked team defeating the 13th ranked team… hardly earth-shaking (outside of the SEC).But:that game was arguably the best game I watched yesterday.With the exception, of course, of Notre Dame’s win over Stanford.That game looked like a rout at half-time, but Stanford mounted a comeback in the second half that almost… but not quite… resulted in a win.But Hey!ND is 4-1 now… which is a MAJOR improvement over last year’s performance.Not quite deserving of a Top 25 berth yet… but who knows?
Oh yeah… I DID watch Big Blue get thoroughly thumped by Illinois at The Big House.And I watched Missouri similarly thrash Nebraska at home, too.O! How The Mighty Have Fallen!Those two games were MOST embarrassing for the home teams… so much so that Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said:
"I'm not used to losing. I'm not used to getting beat soundly. It's my fault," said first-year Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. "Damn right, yes, I'm embarrassed. I apologized to the team. I apologize to the state of Nebraska. I apologize to everyone associated with Nebraska football.
"It's my responsibility. I was hired to do a job and I didn't do the job tonight. Anything else need to be said?"
Ummm… nope, Coach.I think that sez it ALL.Dontcha wish “real life” were like football, if only occasionally?When it comes to “personal responsibility,” I mean.Think: politicians.
In other football news... a certain service academy lost to another service academy yesterday. But I don't wanna talk about it, self-inflicted wounds being the worst sort. Aiiieee.
Blog-Bud Jim, aka Suldog, has launched his second annual “Thanksgiving Comes First!” campaign… and has asked those of us who agree with him… and who are the proprietors of blogs… to join the campaign.Well, I can’t think of anyone who actually approves of seeing Christmas sales, Christmas advertising, Christmas-this, or Christmas-that, before Thanksgiving has come and gone.NO ONE… period, end of report, full-stop.I’m quite sure even the employees and management of those businesses who launch Christmas before Thanksgiving is even here have a distaste for the project at hand.I mean… how could you NOT?
So.I’m on board with this.I hope you are, too.Jim has great narrative reasons and not a few rants on the subject at the link above and here, as well.Do go read.
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Light blogging today.I spent one and a half hours in the dental chair yesterday getting a root canal, and I’m still a bit sore today and jes a lil bit short on what I’ll euphemistically call “good attitude.”The procedure itself is relatively painless thanks to really good anesthetics, liberally dispensed.But the length of time the procedure takes tends to take a bit out of ya… if’n ya know what I mean.An hour and a half is a long time to be flat on your back with various and sundry implements coming and going in your mouth, not to mention the interesting and unusual sounds associated with this event.It’s a little trying.
I’ve often said I’m blessed with relatively good health… in that I don’t have a weight problem, my “numbers” are all excellent, there’s no arthritis, no rheumatism, and I have none other of the minor ailments (or major ones, either) that seem to afflict us all as we grow older.Except for this “bad teeth” gene.I really should count my blessings in this space, but it’s real hard to keep one’s perspective intact… occasionally.
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One final thought… or thoughts… before I go back to couch.I watched the debate last evening and I thought Sarah Palin won.Biden was a little better here and there, but Sarah scored the most points and was the more convincing of the two.Gwen Ifill did a passable… but only just… job of moderating.I would have preferred Jim Lehrer over Ifill, but who am I to say?I DO have an issue with the McCain campaign and the way they’ve “run the show” during the time since the GOP convention's been over.And rather than reinvent the wheel, I’ll just give ya what I left over at Phlegmmy’s place on the subject:
I had mixed emotions about Sarah's performance last evening. She did as well, or better, than could be expected... given her constraints. And by that I mean she was obviously instructed by the campaign to "stay on message." Her BEST moments were when she cut free from "the message" and talked about her direct experiences as governor and mayor. The woman connects with people... easily and sincerely... and the frickin' "campaign" isn't using her strengths to their advantage.
I'm beginning to think the McCain campaign is one of the most inept I've EVER seen. Missed opportunities abound... like a failure to hammer home the point HE (McCain) went after Fanny/Freddie with a vengeance while the usual suspects were at the trough... and so on.
McCain's finger-in-the-wind, focus group driven, faux populism just irritates the livin' HELL out of me, too. If I hear this "greed and corruption on Wall Street" generality without specific examples... including what he's gonna DO about it, assuming it exists... one more time I'm gonna... oh, well. I'm sure you get my drift. Very disappointing. I expected better from McCain than this. And we deserve better, too.
I have more to say on this subject, but I’ll save it for another time when I’m better able to convert thought into text.I’m at something of a nadir in this regard at the moment.Methinks more… and better… drugs are called for.
WASPs Gather One Last Time: The final reunion of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots took place Sept. 25-28 in Irving, Tex., bringing together women aviators from different generations to pay tribute to the courage and dedication of these female pilots of World War II. "It's important we get together with the WASPs, that we honor them for what they have done for us," said Maj. Gen. Linda Hemminger, the mobilization assistant to the Air Force deputy surgeon general. Maj. Jennifer King, a C-17 pilot with the Air Force Reserve Command's 315th Airlift Wing from Charleston AFB, S.C., added, "They broke through so many barriers and enabled women to serve their country in the military and in the air." At the reunion, the formal WASP organization officially disbanded. "The WASPs said that their age is starting to catch up with them, the youngest being 83," said MSgt. Rodney Hage, AFRC liaison for the reunion. In its place, a new group was formed called Wingtip to Wingtip that "will help the ladies continue to keep in touch with one another and help get WASPs to various events to speak," Hage said. During the reunion the WASPs made their last official flight when they to the skies in a C-130 transport flown by an all-female aircrew from AFRC's 302nd Airlift Wing from Peterson AFB, Colo. (Irving report by Capt. Wayne Capps)
(Air Force photo TSgt. Dawn Price)
The Wiki also has a good article on WASPs.Doesn’t it make you sad, Gentle Reader, when you read “The final reunion...” about these magnificent women and their comrades in arms… both male and female… from World War II?We’re losing more and more of this generation by the day, but their memory will live on.Case in point:
This is the WASP display at the Hill Aerospace Museum, located on HillAFB near Salt Lake City, Utah.Note the rapt expressions on the faces of these kids (click for larger, of course)… they’re watching a video about the WASPs and their service.The video was quite good… I watched it, too.
My trial period with Google Chrome is over… after using it as my default browser for not quite two weeks.I’ve reverted back to Firefox, for a number of reasons.First and foremost: Chrome doesn’t play well with others, and most specifically Google’s own Blogger application.It’s come to my attention (through trial and error, with the emphasis on “error”) that the browser you use affects how Blogger handles your attempts to post.Firefox seems to behave better than Chrome in this regard.
Secondly… I noticed Chrome doesn’t handle some instances of embedded video well… not at all, actually.The example I’m speaking of is when a web site provides you with a clickable link to a video in Windows’ Media Player format.Clicking that link in Firefox activates the video (using Windows’ Media Player); clicking that same link using Chrome gives you a dialog box that asks where you want to save the video.Well… I don’t want to save every damned multi-hundred-megabyte video file I come across… I want to watch it, and I want to watch it now!But… I can’t, using Chrome.There are other nits about Chrome as well, but I can’t think of any at the moment.The foregoing two reasons are enough to make me retreat to Firefox.
Internet radio stations threatened with closure in the US are on the verge of securing their future, after a groundswell of support from users.
Tim Westergren, who founded popular online music service Pandora, said that phone calls from thousands of fans helped to repel a "sneak attack" by media industry lobbyists who were attempting to derail new legislation.
"We emailed all our listeners and said to them to call their representative, and buried the Hill in phone calls," Westergren said yesterday. "We beat back a concerted attempt to knock us out."
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A new proposal which gives internet radio stations more time to renegotiate the settlement was put forward, but organisations including the National Association of Broadcasters had attempted to scupper the deal.
However, with grassroots campaigners swamping senators and representatives over the issue, Westergren said he was confident the new deal would succeed in the next few days.
He also suggested that the incident could be a breakthrough moment for those who want to harness consumer power online to fight established Capitol Hill lobbyists.
People Power!Yes!We Can!(oops.I think The One has trademarked that last comment.So… never mind.)This is great good news.I’ve worried about the future of internet radio for quite some time now.
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I owe ASW a big “thank ya!” for turning me on imeem.com… a pretty cool social networking site that’s all about music… which is why I signed up for their service this morning.A few months back ASW gave me a link to a song by Collective Soul I was looking for… or rather a specific version of the song I was looking for.And I just now got around to signing up.I’m pretty slow, sometimes.(ed:Sometimes?)
So… my inaugural imeem post is my favorite song from John Hiatt… lyrics below.
Down here the river meets the sea
And in the sticky heat I feel ya' open up to me
Love comes out of nowhere baby, like a hurricane
And it feels like rain
Underneath the stars lying next to you
Wondering who you are baby
How do you do?
When the clouds blow in across the moon
And the wind howls out your name
Feels like rain
We'll never make that bridge tonight
Across Lake Ponchartrain
Feel like rain
Batten down the hatches
But keep your heart out on your sleeve
A little bit of stormy weather, that's no cause for us to leave
Just stay here baby, in my arms
Let it wash away the pain
Feels like rain
“Duckman” noticed it and made mention of it on the OC Register’s Ducks blog page during Wednesday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.
