An Ill Wind

About which (Investor's Business Daily -- "Meet the New Boss"):

A president of the United States orders the chief executive officer of General Motors to resign. The same president is further ordering Chrysler to merge with Fiat, the Italian firm specializing in flimsy cardboard boxes on wheels.

This new reality should send a chill down the spines of all Americans. The federal government has begun to run U.S. companies.

President Obama said Monday, "my team will be working closely with GM to produce a better business plan."

To that confident assertion he added these stern sentiments:

"They must ask themselves: Have they consolidated enough unprofitable brands? Have they cleaned up their balance sheets, or are they still saddled with so much debt that they can't make future investments? Above all, have they created a credible model for how not only to survive, but to succeed in this competitive global market?"

Who is in a better position to know the answers to these questions? Rick Wagoner, the GM CEO for nine years and former GM chief financial officer who has been with the automaker since the late 1970s, even running one of its foreign affiliates in Brazil, and who holds a Harvard Business School MBA?

Or President Obama, a former community activist from the south side of Chicago with a great rhetorical gift?

The president answered that question this week by ordering Wagoner's firing.

Who'd a thunk it? I knew things weren't going to be good under an Obama administration but I really didn't think it would be this bad. And to add insult to injury... The One has the incredible chutzpah to chide GM about their balance sheet and debt... after submitting a budget to Congress that guarantees the largest deficits in our history. Just how we... the United States... are going to finance this debt remains to be seen, but let's not go down that road. Let's think about other things, such as going to the DMV (or some other to-be-announced Fed agency) to file a warranty claim on your GM car. Yeah. THAT will be fun, dontcha think?

―:☺:―

In other news... You know how I'm always going on about the wind here on The High Plains of New Mexico? Aside from being a real pain in the a$$ as far as comfort goes, the high winds can have real negative effects. Case in point (from the Portales News-Tribune.):

After wind knocked down a transmission line serving parts of Portales on Monday, 3,136 customers were without power for as long as almost 2 1/2 hours, Xcel Energy spokesmen said.

Spokesman Troy Foos said the power went off in stages, but the longest time before it was restored was two hours and 20 minutes. Spokesman Wes Reeves said power was back by about 5 p.m.

“We’ve had some wind issues across the whole system today,” Reeves said.

The wind caused several outages at once in the Portales and the Texas Panhandle, he said.

I was without power for about an hour and a half yesterday afternoon. It could have been worse, as it's said.

One Good Thing and a Few Variations on "Worst"

Here’s a pretty cool piece on Twitter from Ed Driscoll which contains everything you ever wanted to know about Tweeting, and then some:

If you moused over the Ed Driscoll link you probably saw it takes you to a piece Ed wrote called “Twitter: ‘The Worst Person in the World.’” And yeah… that’s a nod to one of Olbermann’s signature shticks, wherein he names a daily “Worst Person” on his “show”… which is nearly always someone like Dubya, Cheney, Newt, Ann Coulter, or any other conservative who happens to pop into his ever-so-short attention span. Being named as “Worst Person” is a Badge Of Honor for conservatives, ya know.

Well, Dear Keith put his foot in it last week, BIG Time, by claiming... on air, in a “Worst Person” segment, no less!... his @countdownMSNBC Twitter account was a false-flag op by none other than Fox News. In the words of Red State: “Epic Fail!” The whole story, if’n ya missed it… is here… complete with Olby video and screenshots of the now-closed @countdownMSNBC Twitter account.

Heh. This couldn’t have happened to a more deserving asshat. Long time readers know I used to beat up on Olby quite often in the way-back… I’ve since discovered I (generally) have better things to do with my time, but this is TOO good to let slide…

―:☺:―

Apropos of “worst”… this weekend was a serious downer for YrHmblScrb. First there was the weather, wherein Ol Man Winter made a curtain-call here on The High Plains of New Mexico on Friday and Saturday… complete with freezing rain, snow, wind, and other undesirable weather thingies. Sunday was a little better in that our temps got back up into the 70s… but there was that howling wind… ever-present at this time of year. Here’s what we looked like last Friday morning:

I took that screenshot and went directly back to bed and stayed there until around 1400 hrs. It wasn’t only the weather that drove me to return abed though, Gentle Reader. I’m still not healing as well from the latest Adventures in Modern Dentistry as I think I should be and there’s a distinct possibility I may be nursing an infection of sorts. I’m scheduled to have my stitches removed late this week but I may go in earlier if The Good Doctor is available (he’s on his annual, well-deserved Spring Break at the moment).

So… there’s all that and more. I spent the entire day Sunday down with an absolutely miserable case of gastric distress, of the type where one cannot be more than a few feet from The Little Room at any given point in time. Nothing… not even water… would remain in my gut longer than about six minutes. Pepto-Bismol normally works pretty well for me when I’m so afflicted, but NOT yesterday. Whatever gut-bugs are resident in my frame simply drank The Pink Stuff up and sent it on its way… quickly. This also tells me I may be nursing some sort of infection.

This, too, shall pass.

Unbelievable... Unthinkable...

... yet it happened. From ESPN:

DETROIT -- Joey MacDonald made himself right at home at Joe Louis Arena.

The former Detroit goalie made 42 saves for his first NHL shutout, and Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey scored goals in the lowly New York Islanders' 2-0 victory over the Stanley Cup champion Red Wings on Friday night.

New York, which broke a three-game losing streak, has the worst record in the NHL, while Detroit is tied with San Jose for the league lead.

I listened to the radio feed of the game last night, thinking this one was a "gimmee." I mean... it was the Islanders, playing the Mighty Wings at home, right? What chance could the lowly Isles... with their pathetic 56 points going into last night's game, dead last in the NHL... have against the Wings? Plenty, as it turned out, and as the score shows.

I'll not make any excuses here. It just goes to show that virtually any team can win in the "new" NHL, on any given night. Detroit needed those two points last evening. At stake is first place in the West (the Wings are tied with San Jose for the conference lead) and a possible President's Trophy, the latter which, if won, would guarantee Detroit home ice all the way to the Stanley Cup Final (Presumptions 'R' Us). Not that home ice made any difference last night... at all.

Cheesy Videos V: "It's Just the Normal Noises In Here"

We’re having a bit of a wind event here on The High Plains of New Mexico tonight (33 mph, gusting to 48). I thought it would be interesting (if only to me) to check out the MinoHD’s low-light capabilities and give all y’all a taste of what it’s like to rock ‘n’ roll inside an RV during high winds. The results are a little short of spectacular… or even acceptable… in that the Mino’s mic didn’t quite pick up the sounds of the wind like I hoped it would. But that obviously isn’t stopping me from posting the results… as I have no shame and very little taste. (Watch in HD if'n you have the connection speed to do so.)

The title of the vid (and one part of my lame commentary therein) is a hat-tip to Tom Petty. “Damn the Torpedoes” was in heavy rotation back in Former Happy Days... specifically those in Oregon and Ol’ Blighty... which is where I happened to be when the album hit Number One on the charts (Oregon in '79, England in '80). I spent more than a few minutes listening to selected cuts off this album while waiting… oh-so-patiently… for YouTube to finish processing this vid. Entertaining, that was.

Fat Tire Snow Gauge

Soo... Fat Tire has uses beyond drinking. The bottles, anyhoo. Denver is undergoing a Spring blizzard as we speak and one guy has a GREAT snow gauge.





The whole story is here... with more vids, including an on-foot beer run. These guys are dedicated NB fans!

When I'm Sixty-Four

Back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth (i.e., 1967), Sir Paul McCartney sang:

When I get older, losing my hair,
Many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?

If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

The answer, alas, turned out to be “no” for both Sir Paul and YrHmblScrb. The song, however, remains a classic. Here’s the original version, coupled with a wonderfully well done animation.

So… yeah. We’re 64 today and it’s funny-strange how things come to pass. There was once a time when we were quite sure we’d never reach this age… what with choosing the profession of arms as our first career, the nature of our hobbies, and a habit of taking more risks than were sensible or prudent up until late middle-age. It all seems rather tame now, in retrospect.

And so here we are… a lil worse for wear (and only a little, mind you!) in nearly every dimension, save one. And that one dimension? We’ve come to realize we’re not nearly as smart as we thought we were 40, 30, or even 20 years ago. Progress.

Truth In Advertising

Sent via email from Blog-Bud Lin. Click for larger, of course.

Methinks the seller is a newlywed. Anyone who's been married for longer than a month or two knows exactly what that sort of comment means... and the prudent husband (or wife, for that matter) would never let a conversation get to that point. But, Hey! The ad is clever, innit?

Cheesy Videos IV

Or… “There and Back… A Short Journey Through Portales.” There’s no other kind, actually.

Some notes on the video…

First: What you see is one of two videos I shot yesterday; there were issues with the outbound video (MUCH more about which below) and I didn’t upload it. I apologize for the shakiness of the video. I tried to stabilize the camera by holding it firmly against the steering wheel and was only moderately successful. It’s somewhat exciting to steer, shift a manual transmission, and film at the same time. I’m thinking I should include a “don’t try this at home” disclaimer but it ain’t all THAT hard, especially in a town the size of P-Ville.

Second: You just experienced a one-way trip from Wally-World (on the north side of Portales) through the totality of P-Ville… southbound on Second Street, the main drag… also known as US 70. On a good day I can drive all the way through town without stopping even once. This happens about two or three times a week.

Third: The soundtrack is selected cuts from Collective Soul’s “Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid” (1993), a favorite album from Former Happy Days.

Fourth: I’m surprised the cop (briefly visible in the vid, on the right as we come into town proper) didn’t pull me over. I didn’t see him until I was nearly past him, but I was only going about ten-over… my usual, customary and reasonable speed. One of these days, tho…

Fifth: It was a beautiful day (in the low 70s) and the top was most definitely down. Today was the first day where I felt like I might actually recover from last week’s Adventures In Modern Dentistry… and I briefly, oh-SO-briefly… considered doing a lightweight version of Happy Hour on my return. But I didn’t; we’ll hold off for another few days. I’m Jonesing in the worst way for a beer and a cigar, given it’s been a week today that I’ve been both alcohol- and tobacco-free.

Last: I added titles and credits to the video but decided not to use that version, as the aforementioned additions added well over 300 MB to the final file size (!!), an increase that also is probably associated with converting mp4 files to wmv format. So… what you see is raw, unedited video… the file sizes are MUCH smaller that way (but they are in HD; that’s something). FWIW… it takes FOR-FRICKIN’-EVER to upload a 600+ MB file to YouTube.

―:☺:―

Issues

Be advised: this is long. I thought long and hard about (a) writing about this at all and (b) posting the piece if I DO write about it. The issues I mentioned about the first of the two videos I shot yesterday weren’t technical in nature, they were social. And terrifying on at least two levels… so much so that I’m still shaken today, more than 18 hours after the events I’m about to relate transpired.

I got back from Wal-Mart around 1630 hrs and set to transferring the two videos I shot to the computer, played around with the Mino FlipShare movie-maker software, and began to upload the raw files to YouTube after the movie-maker thing proved unworkable. Around 1800 hrs there was a knock at my door and I got up to answer it. I opened the door and saw two guys standing there, one in his mid-40s or so and the other considerably younger. Both men had a sort of Aryan Nation look about them… powerfully built, short hair, black Harley tee shirts and that “I’ll kill you” look on their faces that Victor Davis Hanson was on about in that piece I posted yesterday… except the looks on their faces were “I’ll kill you,” meaning me... in frickin’ spades.

I said “hello” and asked how I could help them. The older of the two men said “My name is John (Something). You took some pictures today of some kids in a (vehicle). I want to see the pictures AND the camera.” This wasn’t a request, it was a demand, and in no uncertain terms. The younger man stood next to the older guy, silent with his arms folded over his chest, glaring at me. My first thought was “WTF?” And then I replied: “There are no pictures. I used a video camera today and I’ll show you the video, if you like.”

“Show me” was the reply.

I let the two of them into the RV and we went to the computer, whereupon I brought up the video. I began shooting the first video in the trailer park yesterday to give all y’all a bit of a flavor of my environment. I turned the camera on after I dropped off my trash at the dumpster, turned around, and proceeded towards the highway. In so doing I passed the mail kiosk, where there was a vehicle parked. A young girl of perhaps six or eight years of age was in the back seat, hanging out the window. She was smiling and waving so I pointed the camera at her as I passed and smiled back. The elapsed time couldn’t have been more than three seconds, if that, and given the shakiness of my videography skills… compounded by the fact I was in a moving car… her face was barely on-screen at all.

Older Aryan Guy growls: “I want you to put that video in my hand.”

“I can’t do that,” I replied.

“Do it or I’ll take the whole computer.” This was getting uglier by the minute, if not the second.

“What’s the problem here?” I asked.

“I don’t want pictures of my kids on the internet for perverts to look at. I spent 15 years in (some military organization) and I KNOW anyone can identify the exact place this video was shot.”

More conversation went down… him demanding, me refusing, Younger Guy standing by looking menacing. I don’t remember all that was said verbatim but it finally came down to “Let’s call the police.” Which was fine with me, as any fool could plainly see there was ZERO evil intent in play here, especially in the context of the rest of the video, which was me providing running commentary as I drove through Portales towards Wal-Mart. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed 411, asking the operator for the Portales police department’s number. My two friends said they would wait outside, and I went to the door with them, cell phone to my ear.

I proceeded to wait to be connected after assuring the 411 operator this wasn’t an emergency. A couple of minutes passed and no connection. I told the older man I had no idea what was going on; he replied “Call 911.” I refused, saying this wasn’t an emergency and there are laws about using 911 inappropriately. It was about this time I made a suggestion.

Me: “Look, that video doesn’t mean a damned thing to me and I can always re-shoot it, anyway. It obviously bothers you, so let’s go back inside and I’ll delete it. You can watch me do it.”

Him: “OK.”

So… we go back to the computer, which has Windows Explorer open from when I first showed them the video, and I do the shift-delete thing, which deletes the file rather than sending it to the trash. “Bong” goes the computer… “cannot delete file as it’s in use by another program.” I’d forgotten I was uploading to YouTube. I explained the issue to my two friends, canceled the YouTube upload… making damned sure they saw me do just that… and deleted the file.

Older Guy sez “You sure you deleted it? It’s gone?”

“Yes. It’s gone”

“I better not see that video anywhere,” sez he. And then they left.

I closed the door, relieved they were gone. I was pretty shaken up by this time, so I took one of those Acid C-Note cigarillos out of my humidor and fired it up… stitches be damned. I stood in the kitchen for about 20 minutes and smoked that cigarillo down to a nub, replaying the events of the last hour in my mind. I calmed down enough to return to the computer and began uploading the vid you see above.

Fast forward an hour… to around 2000 hrs; there’s another knock on the door. I open the door and there’s a police officer standing there. He says “I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes.” “OK, sez I… “Would you like to come in?” “Please,” he says.

This is where I’ll make a long story short. The police officer identified himself and why he was there… and it was all about the video. He asked me for identification. I gave him my drivers license, he called it in, I came back clean (Wow. Surprise!). I then I spent about 15 minutes explaining myself in great detail, answering his questions fully, accurately, and as simply as possible. It was about that time I wished I hadn’t deleted the damned video because I was now in a position of having to defend myself without incontrovertible proof of my innocence. And I told the officer that. He replied he thought the video wasn’t really gone and it could be recovered, if need be. I acknowledged that and told him that was certainly true but that I was no forensic PC specialist.

Fifteen more minutes had elapsed by that time and it appeared I had successfully convinced the officer that I was NOT a pervert, all this crap went down innocently enough, and my two Aryan Friends had grossly over-reacted. He agreed somewhat but allowed as how there are a lot of perverts in the world. I replied that I was offended at being accused of being one of them, when I’m clearly not. He simply nodded.

But wait… there’s more.

“Is there any marijuana in here?”

“No!”

“I smell marijuana smoke.”

“What you smell is the remnants of that cigarillo in the ashtray at your elbow.”

“Is there any marijuana in that?”

“No… let me show you.” I reached into the cabinet behind me, pulled out my humidor, and took the package of C-Notes out, handing them to the officer. He examined them closely.

“Is there any marijuana in these?”

“No” is what I said… “Do you think for a frickin’ minute I’d hand those to you if there was?” is what I thought.

The officer sniffed the cigarillo and handed it back to me.

“That could be what I smelled. Thank you and have a nice evening.”

And with that he left. It was now nearly 2100 hrs and I’m a complete frickin’ wreck. I remained a frickin’ wreck for the rest of the night. I couldn’t sleep. I tried, but I just kept replaying these events in my mind’s eye… they would NOT go away. I finally got up around 0330 after watching a LOT of teevee, made a half-pot of coffee and finished messing around with the YouTube video. I went back to bed around 0830 and finally fell asleep just after 1000 hrs. I slept exactly three hours.

So. All’s well that ends well, I suppose. But it’s a sorry state of affairs when a guy is accused of being a pedophile… and that’s what this was ALL about… for just pointing a video camera at a laughing, smiling little girl sitting in the back of a car. I’m still shaking as I type this, because there are VERY few things that are worse than what I went through yesterday. But, yeah… it COULD have been worse.

Too Easy

This ad… a Bridgestone tire commercial featuring Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Super Bowl XLIII 43 2009)… is in heavy rotation in my market right now, and I think it’s just THE Best Thing Since Sliced Bread (or whatever superlative you choose, Gentle Reader)…

Would it were THAT easy to silence your companion on a spirited drive through the countryside, eh?

"A Certain Coarseness"

I haven’t quoted or linked one of my favorite pundits in quite a while, and it’s past time I do so. Recommended… highly recommended… for your perusal is Victor Davis Hanson’s “Thoughts about Depressed Americans.” Excerpt:

3.) A Certain Coarseness. We also are wearied by a certain crassness in American society in ways we have not seen before—or at least since the mid-19th century. Sorry, I don’t want my President joshing about the Special Olympics on Leno. I don’t want him on Leno at all in his perpetual PR mode. I don’t want him drawing out his picks for the final four on TV. I don’t want him paid for rewriting/revising/ condensing/whatever his earlier book while he’s supposed to be President, or ribbing Gordon Brown about his tennis game in patronizing fashion, or giving the British a pack of un-viewable DVDs after they, in exchange, offered a tasteful gift of historic importance.

I was always an advocate of informality, of casualness, but now when on a plane, in a restaurant, at Starbucks, I am struck by the rare well-dressed person who does not crowd. How odd the extra-polite woman, who conducts herself with charm and grace at the counter, or the gentleman who opens doors, says excuse me, and whose intelligent conversation I enjoy listening in on—like a dew drop to someone thirsting in the desert. In contrast, when the punk walks by, with radio blaring, mumbling obscenities, flashing the ‘I’ll kill you’ stare,” it all leaves me in depression.

Worse still, on the opposite end of the scale, is the master of the universe who elbows his way onto a plane while he blares on the telephone and blocks the aisle. I feel creepy after walking through an electronics store and seeing some of the video game titles and covers.

In short, I don’t want to hear any more Viagra or Cialis ads, no more douche commercials—please no more talking heads about penises that are enlarging, hardening, stimulated on the public air waves.

The sum of these foul parts is smothering us. I don’t want to know that there is a new sex clinic opening in Fresno, or hear another ad about how I can skip out on my credit card debt, or that some sort of food is stuck to my intestinal walls like spackle and paste unless I buy some gut cleansing product.

At some point, we need to say enough is enough, and try to find some sense of honor and decorum in these times of crisis. My god, the entire country has become some sort of Rousseauian nightmare, as if the Berkeley Free Speech Area circa 1970 is now the public domain, as if the culture of the Folsom cell block is now the national ethos.

Just so. At considerable risk of sounding like the proverbial Cranky Old Man… I’ll just say Mr. Hanson speaks for me. It’s always been true that the current “older generation” has harped on the habits and foibles of the upcoming young; I know MY father never tired of pointing out how clueless and stupid my generation was, at the time (which would be during the '60s and '70s).

The unfortunate aspect of my Ol’ Man’s harping and carping was that he was right in so many respects. A great deal of the problems we’re experiencing today have their roots in the attitudes and mores of The Boomers… the ultimate “me first” generation. But I digress, and there’s been a veritable sea of ink spilled on this topic. I don’t have any unique insights to add in this space, other than the fact I witnessed, first hand, a lot of the madness as it “went down.” And to vouch for the veracity of my father’s observations.

That said… “things” DO seem worse today… a LOT worse… than they did five or ten years ago. Or, Hell… even eight months ago, for that matter. I know I can chalk some of my angst up to nostalgia for a “more simpler time,” but that ain’t all of it. All one needs to do is re-read the excerpt I posted above and remember that we weren’t exposed to even a third of those things Mr. Hanson is on about in the near past. Depressing, indeed.

The excerpt above is but one out of five items… and I encourage you to “read the whole thing” if you haven’t already. All of Mr. Hanson’s points ring true to me, and I’m on a semi-crusade to change things for the better. Well, except for giving up my well-worn jeans and tee shirts. There are SOME things My Generation refuses to abandon.

Resourceful

Capt. Matthew Jaeger, Senior Airman Mckayla Dick, and 1st Lt. Vance Feavel stand before the KC-135 Stratotanker that they safely landed using GPS when the navigation system failed during a refueling sortie from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, March 16.

From the AFA's Daily Report... a story of a resourceful USAF tanker crew who averted disaster:

Innovative Tanker Crew: A KC-135 tanker crew operating out of Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, as Shell 73 on an aerial refueling sortie March 16 lost both its flight navigation systems. The three-person aircrew from Fairchild AFB, Wash., found no answers as they went through checklists and had no visual cues because of dense cloud cover below. Aircraft commander Capt. Matthew Jaeger, who knew that Manas was socked in by rain and clouds and that the aircraft was flying high enough to avoid mountains, opted to head south to Afghanistan, where he knew Bagram Air Base was open. He told boom operator SrA. McKayla Dick to get the handheld GPS from the aircraft survival kit. Using it to verify their heading to avoid flying into Chinese or Iranian airspace, the crew flew over Afghanistan, where they could get help from other coalition aircraft. Co-pilot 1st Lt. Vance Feavel said, "For about five minutes it was pretty tense, but once I knew we were on a vector south toward Afghanistan, that's when it started to calm down." Jaeger explained that they contacted Kabul air control and were able to rendezvous with a C-17 that diverted from its airdrop mission to lead them through a hole in the clouds for a visual approach through the mountains that surround Bagram. Lt. Col. Patrick Rhatigan, commander of the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, praised Jaeger, a junior aircraft commander, for his "level of maturity and quick thinking" in a situation that Rhatigan hasn't seen in 18 years of flying. (Manas report by TSgt. Harry Kibbe)

OK... is it just me? That KC-135 was being flown by children!! You know I jest, of course. But still...

Heh

Stolen from SN1's Facebook photo album... "The Red Wings Game." This is Grandson Sean, who apparently is well on his way to living up to the Pennington Male Image.

Sean was 4 years old in ABQ when he learned about Hooters...from Big Daddy if I recall. Been a running joke ever since!

As captioned by SN1. I have NO idea who "Big Daddy" is.

Embarrassments

It’s not unknown in hockey but this sort of thing (Canucks vs. Coyotes, last night) IS rare, not to mention embarrassing beyond belief:

The “own goal” I remember most… and with GREAT pain… is this one (from The Wiki):

Detroit Red Wings' Paul Coffey accidentally swiped the puck into the Wings' own net during Game 1 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Avalanche. The goal proved costly as it forced the Wings to tie the game late to force overtime, where they would eventually lose. Colorado went on to win the series 4-2.

Yup. That one hurt. A lot. It hurt Coffey more than it hurt me (and all other Wings fans), tho. Coffey was traded to the Hartford Whalers in the off season that year after a reported falling out with Wings coach Scotty Bowman. Coffey’s “own goal” could well have been the beginning of the animosity between the two. But that one moment of ignominy shouldn’t be the basis for judging Coffey as the man had a damned fine career, all things considered. “Stuff happens,” to everyone.

―:☺:―

"Spuck Bennett, left, owns two Harley-Davidson dealerships, one in Delaware and another in Maryland. "I haven't seen anything like this in the 33 years I've owned a dealership," he says. "We're just trying to survive." At Mr. Bennett's dealership in Seaford, Del., Terry Willey Jr., center with hat, Terry Willey and Justin Chambers, right, were checking out the bikes."

Photo: Daniel Rosenbaum for The New York Times

Hard times in Milwaukee… and elsewhere (NYT: “Harley, You’re Not Getting Any Younger”):

SPUCK BENNETT’S dealership just outside Ocean City, Md., is cluttered with 65 shiny Harley-Davidson motorcycles, including the chrome Sportster and the sleek V-Rod. Last year, Mr. Bennett, 79, sold 200 bikes, down from 280 the year before. This year, sales have slowed to a crawl.

“I haven’t seen anything like this in the 33 years I’ve owned a dealership,” he says. “We’re just trying to survive.” He has cut expenses by trimming hours and overtime, and laid off 7 of his 49 employees.

After riding high for two decades, the company that makes the hulky bikes that devoted riders affectionately call Hogs is sputtering. Harley’s core customers are graying baby boomers, whose savings, in many cases, have gone up in smoke in the market downturn. Few are in the mood to shell out up to $20,000 or more for something that is basically a big toy, and the company, in turn, has not captured much of the younger market.

Well… all that is interesting and more than a little predictable. We are in a recession — toys are usually the first things to go in times like these — and a mo’sickle ain’t nothing but a toy in these United States. But what caught my attention is Harley’s very own sub-prime crisis:

As much as one-fourth of the $2.8 billion in loans issued by Harley-Davidson Financial Services last year were subprime, with interest rates as high as 18 percent. As the downturn took hold, some borrowers started defaulting on loans and investors stopped buying the securities, forcing Harley to write down $80 million of debt last year, analysts said. Although it recently tightened lending standards, the company is still chasing buyers by offering credit.

“It’s an unsustainable strategy to continue financing this way,” says Robin Farley, an analyst with UBS. “In the last few months, they’ve been running into a liquidity wall.”

Tom Bergmann, Harley-Davidson’s chief financial officer, defends the company’s lending practices. “It’s not easy in this environment,” he said. “We have to give loans to customers, but only to those worthy, and we’ve been disciplined and prudent in granting credit to our customers.”

In large part because of loan problems, though, profits at Harley fell 30 percent last year, to $654.7 million on revenue of $5.6 billion. Operating income of the financial subsidiary fell 61 percent, to $83 million.

Interesting, eh? It ain’t just subprime real estate loans… it’s bikes, too. I’m betting there are similar situations in the boat and RV markets as well, or any other industry requiring the significant financing of a purchase. This, of course, tempts me to drag out my soap box and talk about things such as self-restraint and financial responsibility in the sense of “we have met the enemy and he is us.” And to re-post the famous Walt Kelly cartoon which I will do, yet again.

The cartoon is as far as I’ll go down this path, other than to say the collective “we” brought a LOT of the current economic crisis upon ourselves through our instant-gratification culture. The sales, marketing, and finance asshats who encourage and exploit that attitude ain’t helping things, either. I really don’t know which is worse…the clue-free consumers who really DO believe they deserve every damned thing in life… NOW! … or the aforementioned blackguards who make mindless acquisition possible at exorbitant cost to everyone involved (bike loans at 18-frickin’ percent?), including those who hold more reasonable and prudent values.

One is tempted to think we might deserve to reap this economic whirlwind… but I keep reminding myself there ARE responsible people left in America. Somewhere…

Well, now. I should remind you that the Harley article isn’t about values and financial peccadilloes… it’s mostly about the bike bid’niz and its product. And the article IS a good read, regardless of the fact most of us bikers have seen this movie before… like back in the early-80s when Harley was on the brink and cajoled temporary tariffs out of President Reagan and the Congress on imported bikes over 700 cc displacement while management saved the firm. Forgive me my massive digression and pontification, Gentle Reader.

This Modern Age...

The Red Wings played the Thrashers in Atlanta last evening... and SN1 and crew were at the game. I didn't lack for updates as the game progressed... as evidenced by this screen-shot of my in-box:

That would be three cell phone pics and ten status updates, all in real-time. Ain't technology grand? And note one other thing... Buck sez there were as many Wings fans as Thrashers fans in attendance. That's NOT at all unusual as the Wings have about as wide and loyal a fan base as any team in hockey and most other pro sports, as well (I'd say "more than most," but there's no sense in belaboring a point).

Spring

Photo Credit: Anita Martinz from Klagenfurt, Austria (via Wikipedia)

It won't be long until we see tulips, daffodils, and other Spring bulbs bursting from the ground, what with today being the first day of Spring. The crocuses have already come and gone in some places...I've seen them bloom in the snow oftentimes in other parts of the world where I've lived... but for most of us the glories of Spring are just now arriving.

My all-time favorite memory of Spring flowers involves rounding a bend and swooping down a stone-walled lane into a tiny Cotswold village not far from where I lived in High Wycombe, England back in the early '80s. It was on a chilly Sunday morning in early Spring and I was out for a morning ride, alone. This village couldn't have been home to more than 500 souls, but there were literally thousands of bright yellow daffodils in full-bloom lining both sides of the lane leading into and out of the village. It was a breath-taking sight, and that is understatement of the highest order.

I immediately headed back for home after trundling through the village, parked the bike outside the house upon arrival (leaving it running), and burst into my living room, surprising the living HELL out of The Second Mrs. Pennington. I simply said "Grab your helmet, put on your jacket, and come with me! Now!", my outburst being more of an order than a request. She complied... albeit in a somewhat perplexed manner... asking where we were going. I only replied "You'll see."

And see we did. I retraced the exact same route I had taken about a half hour earlier, except this time I approached the village just a little slower while reaching back and tapping TSMP's leg just as we entered the village. I could hear her "Ooooh!" exclamation over the noise of the bike's motor and rush of wind as I slowed to a veritible crawl. We pulled over to the side of the lane, parked the bike and spent about a half-hour walking the lane, drinking in the beauty of the flowers and the tiny thatched-roof houses in the village. And there wasn't a soul to be be seen anywhere, strangely enough. Just the two of us, amid a riot of daffodils on a quiet Sunday Spring morning in Britain.

It doesn't get much better than that, Gentle Reader.

―:☺:―

Today's Pic: Our mount on that glorious Spring morning... my old RD350LC, on the day I sold her... the week before I left Ol' Blighty. Notice my pallor. That comes from living in a country where I might have seen full sun on perhaps seven occasions over the course of three years. OK... I exaggerate... but not by a whole helluva lot.

News Item

I know all y'all probably saw the news footage of the White House fountains on St. Pat's Day. But just in case you didn't...

I like Mr. Ramirez' idea MUCH better, don't you? "Chicago Politics," indeed. Might as well have appropriate colored water in the fountains, coz the deficit is gonna haunt us for frickin' years and years and years...

I KNOW Some of Y'all Get Tired of This...

... but it's MY blog and hockey is my LIFE from now until mid-June when The Cup is hoisted and skated around the ice, hopefully in Dee-troit. But a road win clinching The Cup (see: last year in that city somewhere in Pennsylvania) would be almost as good.

That said... there's this, from The Hockey News:

This week the THN Top 10 counts down the NHL’s 10 best lines.

Now before everyone gets all in a tizzy over the combinations listed below, let it be known we worked off the depth charts sent to us last week by our 30 NHL correspondents – all of whom cover their respective teams for major dailies in those cities. So although you might think you’ve got the finger on the pulse of your favorite club, these are the guys who watch every game, go to every practice and have access to players and coaches almost daily.

We’ve also gone with just one line per team, because we didn’t think it fair for Detroit and Philadelphia to take up 40 percent of the list. Finally, this list is both subjective and objective, the former because we took into account intangibles such as leadership and all-around play, the latter because we also looked at pure numbers. But needless to say, any team in the league would take any of these 10 lines on their team.

Lines are listed as left wing–center–right wing.

1. Johan Franzen – Pavel Datsyuk – Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit Red Wings
The choice in Hockeytown was even tougher than the one in Philly. But Datsyuk is the premier defensive forward in the league and has a 24-point lead in the Red Wing scoring race. Plus the line owns a cumulative plus-63 rating and has scored 29 power play goals and 11 game winners. As for its No. 1 position on the list, when you’re the best line on the deepest team in hockey, which also happens to be the defending Stanley Cup-champion, you deserve it.

I couldn't have said it better myownself. Read the whole thing and see if you agree. Jimmy T's prediction of a Dee-troit - Philly Final might come to pass. That wouldn't be a BAD thing in my book... no sir, not at ALL.

(h/t: The BEST hockey blog in all of Christendom... Kukla's Korner)

Perfection

Ya know how things just come out RIGHT, every once in a while? Case in point... the perfect three-egg-and-cheese omelet, in progress:

And as served... and even though the pic is out of focus the taste was NOT, Gentle Reader.

Can you tell I love my salsa? The soft-food thing ain't all that bad, with the right condiments at hand.

Temptation

Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise

You have to either be "of a certain age" or a REAL Beatles freak to get the quote... but we digress, sorta. One of my favorite ladies in all the world... this lovely woman...

...awoke me from my frequent and periodic slumbers a while ago to put these in my hot lil hands:

Smiles, indeed. Followed immediately by a frown... as full-blown Happy Hour, which by necessity includes a good cigar... has been put on hold until sometime next week at the VERY earliest. I think mebbe I've grown up, as deferred gratification has NEVER been our method of operation in the past unless it was absolutely, positively required. Deferred gratification is most certainly required given my current situation, Gentle Reader. To do otherwise would be really stupid, and although I might look dumb...

About the second pic... After much experimentation, which includes the lovelies you see above, my former "cigar of choice," the immaculate Partagas Spanish Rosado (in the Familia size), has been replaced by most anything from Drew Estate. My last three orders from cigar.com have been two 14-cigar Acid samplers and a box of Acid Liquids, and each and every one of those cigars have been MOST excellent. The only size or version of Drew Estate cigars I'm not particularly fond of is the C-Note, which is a cigarillo and not a cigar, anyway.

All that said, isn't the packaging just lover-ly?

The cigars are packed in slightly crushed and dried tobacco leaves. I've never seen that before. Pretty cool, eh?

Just Checkin' In...

Thank you all for the kind thoughts you posted here today and yesterday. I'm happy to report that all is well and good at El Casa Móvil De Pennington... or at least as good as can be expected under the circumstances, said circumstances being "a mouth full of stitches."

Dr. Thompson picked me up around 0745 hrs today and I returned home shortly before 1400 hrs. I proceeded to sleep until 1730 hrs, having had the presence of mind to set my alarm so as not to miss the days' second-most important event, which was the Wings-Flyers game, which came out as well as my surgery: Wings 3, Flyers 2. In regulation; NO OT here. And so there was no need for additional doses of 400mg Motrin to dull that pain, Gentle Reader, as said pain never materialized. I will admit there were some tense moments near the end of the second period when the Flyers were up, 2-0. But... enter the Dee-troit Scoring Machine (which is NOT at all like the Miami Sound Machine) and the rest, as it's said, is history. GOOD history... unless you happen to be a Philly fan. In which case, better luck next time. You guys do good against the Wings at home. Too bad this game was at The Joe... where you haven't won in something like...oh... over 20 years. But... who's counting? ;-) <=== a wink 'n' grin.

And now... back to bed.

WTF?

I feel like that running joke in Airplane... where Lloyd Bridges sez "I picked a bad week to...", shortened to a day, in my particular case. I feel like three thugs sneaked into El Casa Móvil De Pennington last evening, rendered me unconscious and proceeded to beat the living dogsnot out of me. I hurt ALL over today... legs, back, shoulders, arms... you name it. I woke up this morning (I use the term "morning" oh-so-loosely) wondering what the Hades happened, coz events like this are exceedingly rare to non-existent for me.

I toughed it out until about 20 minutes ago and then took two Aleves. The temptation to get horizontal is overwhelming, but I just can't do that. I need to stay awake until at least 2200 hrs tonight and then get a good night's sleep. Coz we have our surgery on the morrow, Gentle Reader, oh yes we DO.

Gotta be well-rested for that.

Go Wings!

From the AP (Red Wings top 100 points for NHL-record ninth straight season):

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No need to hit the panic button, Detroit fans. Despite some bad games, rocky times and nagging question marks, the Red Wings are right back atop the heap.

Chris Osgood made 23 saves for his 49th career shutout, and the Red Wings beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 on Sunday to become the first team in NHL history to top 100 points in nine straight seasons.

[…]

The victory came eight days after the Blue Jackets humiliated the reigning Stanley Cup champions 8-2 on their own ice, with Osgood surrendering seven goals -- also on 23 shots.

"Anytime you're embarrassed it is [motivation]," Babcock said. "They're big boys, they're smart. They were up for the game. They suffered humiliation, just like anybody else. We needed to respond here today."

[…]

The Red Wings broke a tie with Montreal (1974-75 through 1981-82) for the NHL mark for consecutive 100-point seasons.

Highlights:

No one I know has hit the panic button but there has been some cause for concern… specifically the Wings’ problems in goal. Both Ozzie and Conklin have been inconsistent (to say the very least) and the defense have had their problems as well. Still and even, last night’s game is cause for celebration. It’s good to see Hossa back, too, and on form.

It's also worth noting the Wings clinched a playoff berth with the win, as well. And why is this significant? Because it's also another record... the Wings will be making their 18th consecutive playoff appearance this year, the best record in ALL of US professional sports. No one team in any sport has ever done this before. Period.

Post Happy Hour Haiku

Warm sun on my face

Stevie Ray plays just for me

It’s bliss… of a sort.

Yeah... like that. Even considering the 5-7-5 structure is SO limiting...

(OK, Doc... I just HAD to try it.)

♫♪ Happy Days Are Here Again... ♫♪

OK... so it ain't perfect (see: wind) but at least it's WARM. We shall now prepare for Happy Hour, scheduled to commence in about six minutes... or so. Read as: as soon as I can cut a ceegar and uncap and pour a 1554. Life is GOOD.

Decline, In Two Parts

At Time magazine… “Detroit’s Beautiful, Horrible Decline.” A couple of the photos, as captioned in the magazine:

Remains of a City (reliques_10)
On their website, the photographers write, "Ruins are the visible symbols and landmarks of our societies and their changes...the volatile result of the change of eras and the fall of empires. This fragility leads us to watch them one very last time: to be dismayed, or to admire, it makes us wonder about the permanence of things."

And…

United Artists Theater (reliques_05)
This spectacular Spanish Gothic theater, built in 1928, was closed in the 1970s.

The photos pain me greatly, speaking as a guy who lived in Detroit for ten years and came to love the city, warts and all. Detroit is dangerous, dirty, and decayed. It was that way when I arrived there in 1985, it was that way when I left in 1996… only just that much worse. Still and even, Detroit has wonderful people with wonderful traditions and parts of the city and its near suburbs remain breathtakingly beautiful… elegant, even. Detroit has its legacy, its past glories… which were and remain considerable… and perhaps not much else. One doesn’t much speak of “the future” in conjunction with Detroit, and there’s reason for that. In the headlines everyday. And now I’ve come full-circle, returning to pain. Decline is painful and so very, very sad.

We owe Detroit something but I don’t know what. Encouragement, perhaps, and respect, at the very least.

(h/t: Cory Doctorow @ boingboing.)

―:☺:―

Also via Doctorow, a rant I agree with:

Doctorow sez:

Here's Penn Jillette -- a teetotaller for all substances -- calling for the legalization of marijuana on the incredibly sensible grounds that a) Many presidents, including recent ones, have smoked pot; b) Lots of other happy, well-adjusted people smoke pot; c) Imprisoning pot smokers by the millions costs a lot of money and ruins the lives of millions of otherwise fine Americans.

[…]

But hell, if you want to change your state of mind with a chemical, it's your goddamned state of mind to change. What liberty could be more fundamental than the liberty to choose how you think? Taking mood-altering substances is, in and of itself, victimless (though the drug trade that's sustained by drug prohibition has plenty of victims, and people can certainly destroy their lives with drugs, a tragedy that is vastly exacerbated by prohibition). I've lost several dear friends to drug overdoses and none of them were suicidal: they died because street dope varies wildly in potency and the heroin they took was purer than they'd anticipated.

As far as I'm concerned, everything that we call "drugs" -- including crystal meth, heroin, crack, and other drugs that destroy lives in vast swaths -- should be legalized and brought into the light of day so that the people who have problems with them can get help without the stigma of criminality and so that the people who don't have problems with them can get on with doing their thing.

Pre-freakin’-CISE-ly. The US Gubmint’s anti-drug industry… from the Feds, to the “consultants,” to the “educators,” to state and local law enforcement, the courts system, and the prison industry… is a fantastic and non-productive drain on resources that could be better applied to something else… like buying F-22s or operating another Navy carrier group. Literally, because we’re talking billions and billions of dollars here. And just what the HELL do we have to show for all this wasted time, effort, and money? The largest percentage of incarcerated citizens in the industrialized world. That’s it. Oh, and a lot of gainfully-employed bureaucrats.

Dang, I’m impressed!

"The Road to Ensenada" - Lyle Lovett

You can offer to the righteous
The good that you have won
But down here among the unclean
Your good just comes undone...

In the "You Can't Make This Shit Up" Category...

From "Bad Paintings of Barack Obama.com." The only downside of this website is you MUST click through on all the images... there are no thumbnails or "back" function on the site. But... take my word for it... it's worth the visit. Assuming you (a) aren't seeing enough tacky Obama images in the check-out line at Wally-World and (b) have some minor masochistic tendencies. Some of these images are just flat frickin' FUNNY.

(h/t: The Telegraph [UK])

Apropos of Not Much...

Our weather radar pictures have been quite colorful today. I'd prefer solid green or dark blue, when ya come right down to it. Ice does nothing for me unless it's in a tumbler surrounded by single-malt... and similar such liquids some sort of alcohol concoction, like margaritas. (Edited in the spirit of "full disclosure." See comments.)

Right Now...

My beautiful cherry tree... all wet, cold, and semi-forlorn.

The t-weeds behind the car are a nice touch, dontcha think?

It ain't much in the way of snow (by comparison), but we'll take it. If only for the moisture what's in it, ya know.

Do ya think I should cancel Happy Hour? Or tough it out? Heh...

Today's Ramirez... A Two-fer

Just let me know if you get tired of these. I'll be sure to ignore you. (insert smiley-faced thingie here.) Via The Usual Suspects.

Exaggerations

In today’s Christian Science Monitor: “Reports of America's decline are greatly exaggerated.” Excerpts:

Norfolk, Va. - Is America really in serious decline?

Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear someone say so. Even President Obama captured this anxiety in his inaugural speech, pointing to a "nagging fear" that America's "decline is inevitable."

Of course, America's problems – from banking and debt crises to foreign security threats – are very serious. But, as bad as things are, here are six reasons why America's starring role on the world stage isn't over.

1.The United States still has the most competitive economy in the world. Despite the recession, the US still has the greatest potential for cutting-edge economic growth. It ranks atop the World Economic Forum's latest global competitiveness study. And its companies remain the best.

According to the most recent Fortune Global 500 report, the US hosts more of the world's major companies (153, to be exact) than any other country. Even Japan lags way behind with just 64, while China is home to a meager 29.

The percentage of US companies in the Global 500 has averaged about 30 percent for most of the years from 1992 to 2008. That doesn’t suggest decline. [Editor's note: The original version included an inaccurate percentage of US companies that make up the 2008 Fortune Global 500 report. Accidentally, the author's revision was not implemented.]

[…]

3. The US military is without parallel. To be sure, it has been stretched thin by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But it remains the strongest fighting force in the world.

As just one indicator of its high-tech advantage, it has mastered stealth flight, while the Russians and Chinese are still in the theoretical planning stages for such technology – far behind America.

4. America's competitors lack good allies. Russia and China are suspicious of each other. Iran is at odds with key Arab countries. North Korea is a pariah. Libya is still in political rehab. Syria is trying to find itself in a globalized world. Meanwhile, the US has cautious but real allies in NATO, the European Union, the G-7 industrialized countries, and elsewhere that help it meet its national and international goals.

Three more reasons at the link, of course, and the article ends with the de rigeur reference to Mark Twain’s famous quote: “reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” The brief article cites six reasons to believe in America, and I most certainly do… in spite of my trepidation concerning Our President’s wrong-headed policies.

In the same vein… I note with considerable pleasure that the Dow Industrials are up over 100 points as we go to press. This is the third consecutive day of gains on Wall Street (as I cross my fingers and touch wood); Good News, indeed.

―:☺:―

I joined the Facebook group “I judge you when you use poor grammar” last evening at the invitation/recommendation of Blog-Bud Barry. For stuff like this:

HATE MAIL:

"Hey, maybe later you can change my spellings and put this in you hate mail or something. Your pretentious group is pretty silly. There are much bigger issues at stake, and if you love America you should examine your motives for making this group and maybe try to do something about its problems that in a less one demensional manner." -- Jordan Blakey

"ur group is so gay and i dont see why is it ur prob that other ppl make mistakes in their shit...btw some of the stuff in the pics wasnt even wrong dumbass...hope this letter bugs the shit out of you...i was trying to misspell half the shit alrigh
get a life and quit making fun of ppl who cant spell cause sum ppl jus cant" -- Courtesy of Roman Rogers, Rabun County Mid / High School '08

"hye abooout yor group aboooutt u judjin poepl woh cnt spel, fcuk u! im vrey dislxeic" -- Garrett Lindenmann

"dear superior supervisor of "I judge you when you use poor grammar", it's "BAD" grammar, not "poor" grammar. just so you know, judgey." -- Emma Morris


FAN MAIL:

"I'm pretty sure you're some kind of deity or something." -- Fabian Bonfy

"Yes, yes. You are my idol because of your group. You can have, like, your own 'Sharonettes.'" -- Evyn Rossi Sparkk

"Would you like to have my babies?" -- Ishan Ramdewar

"I would love to talk dirty to you in bed... with perfect grammar, of course." -- Alan Borowsky

"'I judge you when you use poor grammar' is my mecca. I come at about 5 o'clock every day and pray in whichever direction the nearest computer is in." -- Remer Rietkerk

While I don’t necessarily judge folks who make grammatical errors (in the most literal sense of the word), misuse of the Mother Tongue has always been a hot button of mine. I’m a pedant… pure and simple… minus the condescension. I’m also of the opinion that it really doesn’t take a whole helluva lot of effort or formal education to become proficient in the language; it’s simply a matter of paying attention and caring.

―:☺:―

A correction: Last week I mentioned SN2 is on his way to his new assignment as the commanding officer of Naval Recruiting District Pittsburgh. While that is technically true, the reality is Sam will not assume command until the Fall of 2010; he will be NRD Pittsburgh’s Executive Officer (XO) in the interim. That’s the way the Navy does things, and I stand corrected. Please accept my apologies, Gentle Reader.

Yet ANOTHER Re-Run...

Blog-Bud Barry has a post up that caused me to go searching in the archives for some photo back-up for a statement I made in comments at his place. The particular post I was looking for contains a war-story that folks who are new in these parts more than likely haven't read. So... just for grins 'n' giggles...

A Lightweight Post for a Sunday

Via Kris, another one of those quiz thingies. This time, it’s “What Book Are You?”

You're Siddhartha!
by Hermann Hesse

You simply don't know what to believe, but you're willing to try anything once. Western values, Eastern values, hedonism and minimalism, you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in. This makes you an individualist of the highest order, but also really lonely. It's time to chill out under a tree. And realize that at least you believe in ferries.

Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

This one is closer than most, aside from the fact the test results say I’m really lonely. Au contraire. I’m alone, true, but I am not lonely. Big difference. Boy-Howdy is it ever true when they say “you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in.” That statement really nails it! And I do believe in ferries, having been on quite a few. The book selection is interesting in one other aspect: check out this photo of my USAF-issued dog tag (click for larger). I’m Buddhist, by an official act of the US Gub’mint. The story behind that lil bit of trivia goes like this…

Once upon a time while I was still on active duty it came to pass, via directive, that all personnel had to have Official ID tags in their possession, at all times. Those of us who had lost their ID tags were ordered to report to the CBPO and get re-issued. So, I took my ol’ self down to the personnel shop, found the ID-tag foundry and presented my ID card to the airman in charge. He looked at it in a bored manner and asked “What’s your religion?” “No preference,” sez I. “No go,” sez he, “You have to choose a religion…pick one from this list…” and he shoves a list of about 25 religious denominations across the desk to me. I scan it quickly, and he’s right: there are no “No preference” or “Agnostic” categories. So I said “I’m Buddhist.” The airman didn't bat an eye and proceeded to pound out my dog tags. Ten minutes later I walked out of the personnel shop with my newly-minted dog tags and a brand-new religion. The Second Mrs. Pennington was most impressed when I got home, she being a closet Buddhist and all.

Siddhartha, indeed.

Today is brilliantly clear and cold. It almost, but not quite, hurts to gaze upon the fields of snow outside the window. The park’s roads are still white, what with the cold and lack of traffic. We haven’t progressed to that slushy-gray muck yet. But it will come. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the view.

Here are a few quick P-Town snow facts, courtesy of the Portales News-Tribune. They say:

A winter storm that lingered over the middle of New Mexico dumped more than 10 inches of snow across parts of Clovis and eastern New Mexico Saturday.

[…]

Snow facts
—Portales averages 9.2 inches of snowfall each year.
—The city's snowiest season on record was 1972-73, when 26.9 inches fell.
—Portales recorded 22 inches of snow in December of 1997, a record for one month.
—Portales received one-half inch of snow last season, all of it in March.
—Saturday's snowfall was the most in Portales since March of 2005, when the city saw 10.5 inches for the month.

How about that?

(Originally posted January 21, 2007)

And you got some P-Ville weather facts, too! A two-fer... or mebbe even a three-fer, if ya do the quiz.

Coffee Break's Over... Back on Your Heads!

Winter returns... for the next three days, anyway.

Snake Bit

Snake-bit. That describes my attempts to get suitable pictures of that ornamental cherry tree outside my door that is in full-bloom… for the first time in two years… three, if one counts this year. The weather has simply not been cooperative, what with multiple cold fronts marching down from the north like Sherman through Georgia. Our normally brilliant, bright, sunshiny days and indescribably blue skies have been replaced with an oppressive, smothering sort of gray that varies from a full-blown darkest-of-dark overcasts to thin gray-white clouds, with predictable impact on available light.

Cherry blossoms are ephemeral things with the shortest of lives, so I’m feeling time-constrained when it comes to capturing the images I want. I’m somewhat surprised the blossoms have lasted as long as they have, what with the first fragile pink blooms appearing one week ago today. Speaking of today… the tree is probably just a wee bit beyond full bloom at the moment, yet remains in what I would call a glorious state. Here are a couple of less-than-impressive shots I took a few minutes ago.

The images above were mildly Photoshopped to increase contrast and adjust the color balance in an attempt to overcome the washed-out quality of today's light. That said... it’s clearing up a bit as I post. Perhaps the light will be better this afternoon and I can realize the goal.

―:☺:―

In other snake-bit news… my rescheduled titanium screw implant procedure was supposed to happen tomorrow but has been put off again. This time it’s on me and not the Good Doctor. I’ve come down with another one of those recurring, irritating, and mildly discomforting oral infections that makes oral surgery inadvisable, as there's no sense in tempting fate... such as the spread of said infection to the areas scheduled for slicing and dicing. So: next week, yet again.

Stolen...

... from Lex, who got it from one of the regulars (ASM826) via e-mail:

I'm not even close to being a Star Wars kinda guy... but this is just too danged good to pass up. In the same vein... today's Michael Ramirez toon, from Townhall.com:


Dang... Ramirez just impresses the HELL out of me.

Now For Something Completely Different

Found in Grampa’s sock drawer… click for larger as always.

That would be MY Grampa, Gentle Reader, not yours. A genre of erotic art formerly known as “naughty French post cards,” from the very early 20^th century… like 1910 ~ 1930, or thereabouts. The phrase “it was a more innocent time” is shop-worn to say the very least, but I think the photos above beat the SI swimsuit issue all to Hell and back... at least from an artistic perspective. YMMV, especially if you're male and thirty-ish or under. Maybe even if you're older.

More examples here… scroll down. I think this sort of thing is work-safe, but be advised there are nudes at the link. Tastefully done, of course.

―:☺:―

Yesterday’s (Monday) weather was completely different, too. I’m certain we didn’t reach 60 degrees and it looked like it was gonna snow all day long… thanks to a rather depressing dull gray overcast that never went away. It might have snowed, too, if it had been 30 degrees colder. We actually did get a trace of rain yesterday… enough to make me switch on the windshield wipers while I was out and about running errands in the afternoon… but not nearly enough to do any good. Hell, the streets didn’t even look wet. It was a depressing sort of day, though, if one is prone to be overly influenced by the weather.

The lack of rain is a serious problem. We’re in about as bad a drought as I can remember in the seven years I’ve been in P-Ville. Drought brings an increased danger of wildfire and with the way our winds have been lately, the dryness is cause for concern. Then there are the farmers and ranchers, of course. I know they’re not pleased.

Who Pays? Wanna Guess?

Last week I launched the first of what probably will be many rants in this space. In so doing I began with “This lil brouhaha isn't getting NEAR enough press… but it’s coming, and you can bet there will be more in the VERY near future.” And, lo... the lead item on today's WSJ Opinion Journal page: “Who Pays for Cap and Trade? Hint: They were promised a tax cut during the Obama campaign.” Excerpts:

Cap and trade is the tax that dare not speak its name, and Democrats are hoping in particular that no one notices who would pay for their climate ambitions. With President Obama depending on vast new carbon revenues in his budget and Congress promising a bill by May, perhaps Americans would like to know the deeply unequal ways that climate costs would be distributed across regions and income groups.

Politicians love cap and trade because they can claim to be taxing "polluters," not workers. Hardly. Once the government creates a scarce new commodity -- in this case the right to emit carbon -- and then mandates that businesses buy it, the costs would inevitably be passed on to all consumers in the form of higher prices. Stating the obvious, Peter Orszag -- now Mr. Obama's budget director -- told Congress last year that "Those price increases are essential to the success of a cap-and-trade program."

[...]

The Congressional Budget Office -- Mr. Orszag's former roost -- estimates that the price hikes from a 15% cut in emissions would cost the average household in the bottom-income quintile about 3.3% of its after-tax income every year. That's about $680, not including the costs of reduced employment and output. The three middle quintiles would see their paychecks cut between $880 and $1,500, or 2.9% to 2.7% of income. The rich would pay 1.7%. Cap and trade is the ideal policy for every Beltway analyst who thinks the tax code is too progressive (all five of them).

But the greatest inequities are geographic and would be imposed on the parts of the U.S. that rely most on manufacturing or fossil fuels -- particularly coal, which generates most power in the Midwest, Southern and Plains states. It's no coincidence that the liberals most invested in cap and trade -- Barbara Boxer, Henry Waxman, Ed Markey -- come from California or the Northeast.

I also mentioned that I think Cap & Trade is the ultimate solution in search of a problem, but it’s worse than that… much worse. It’s a stealth tax… and a hefty one, at that… while it also foists yet another massive bureaucracy upon America… all in the name of solving a problem we can’t even agree exists. Cap & Trade is an economy killer, as well. Note (from an article — “Not all senators warming to Obama cap-and-trade emissions proposal” — in The Hill):

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who opposed cap-and-trade last June, said that Obama’s plan would lead to an increase in energy costs and would drive American firms abroad.

“It really does say to manufacturing, ‘Go to China, where they have weaker environmental standards,’” Brown told The Hill. “And that’s a very bad message in bad economic times — in any economic times.”

That’s a Democrat senator speaking, no less, and I suspect the Michigan congressional delegation will join the opposition to Cap & Trade, along with other Democrats. So… perhaps there IS hope, at least in this space. Keep the change… we don’t want it and we most certainly don't need it... not now, not ever.

Heh

This Guy Might Be...

... the future of the Republican Party. I, for one, would like to think so. Here's Newt, appearing on today's "Meet the Press."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I like Newt's closing comment..."not particularly," in response to the same ol', same ol'. Speaker Gingrich probably has way too much negative personal and political baggage for a serious run at the presidency and that's a shame. The man is conservative, a serious thinker, and a pragmatist. In other words, exactly what the GOP needs right now and for the foreseeable future.

Three Years Ago Today...

...it was Wednesday. And here's what was on my mind (the links still work, and are highly recommended in a fantasy sorta way):

Another Hump Day...

Ah, lottery fantasies. This one is just a week or so late, courtesy of Lileks. Assuming (a) I’d bought a ticket for that big Powerball drawing and (b) assuming I’d won, MY fantasy was (seriously) just a little place in NYC to hang out for a while. A place something like this. The floor plans are not that easy to see, but the interior views and photos of the facilities are pretty good, as are the cityscape views. If you opt for one of the penthouses, you get a free gratis interior design consultation with Armani/Casa. Wanna see what Armani’s interior designers can whip up? Take the virtual tour here. It’s cool, no doubt.

Lileks also has another treat, if you’re so inclined (and there’s a pun there, if you follow the link). What may be the world’s largest Varga Girl, ever. A newspaper photo of a 124-foot long Varga girl serving as an ad for a WW II vintage movie, photographed in April of 1944. So VERY cool. I mean that. The entire “Acme” series is a treat if you’re into vintage newspaper photography. (I consider all these links to be work-safe, but there are tastefully done bare breasts in a couple of thumbnails, so be advised.)

Those Vargas links fired off a few long-dormant synapses in my aged, addled brain. Alberto Vargas was responsible for my earliest introduction to artistic renditions of the female form. Ol’ Alberto’s work was ubiquitous during Big Bang Two, what with simple Esquire pin-ups decorating the most modest of GI living accommodations to elaborate nose art on all sorts of combat aircraft. There were numerous examples of Vargas’ work to be found in my house as a child, but none so dramatic as the Vargas-inspired lithograph that hung above my parents’ bed. I don’t remember if the picture was an original or a copy, nor do I remember if it was an actual Varga Girl…there were many, many artists doing Vargas knock-offs in the ‘50s. At any rate, this large lithograph was probably four-feet square and featured a full-frontal view of a long and lithe blonde standing on a beach, flanked by two Afghan hounds, one on each side. The blonde wore a transparent bikini, and that was it. It was a stunning piece of work, let me tell you, and it was also the first picture that got hung every time we moved, which was often (remember, my father was career USAF: we moved a lot). The other salient fact? My mother hated that picture. But she put up with it. “Father Knows Best,” the 50s, and all that. I think my step-mother still has that picture.

We’re under a wind-advisory all day, until 1800 this evening, and we’ve cooled off a bit…what with the high only going up to 70, at most. Still no rain, but the forecast says there’s a slight possibility.

Cheesy Videos, Part Trois

And here it be, Gentle Reader... Your very own personally guided tour around a limited portion of Beautiful La Hacienda Trailer Park during one of our prototypical Spring maelstroms (see the post immediately below). Best viewed in HD... if the option appears and your connection speed supports that sort of thing. Even better: full screen.



So... it took six minutes and 18 seconds to shoot the video, about three minutes to transfer it to the computer, and just slightly over TWO AND A HALF freakin' hours to upload and "process" at YouTube. But I'm being hypercritical, nu? The simple fact we're ABLE do this sort of thing is amazing in and of itself, regardless of the time it takes.

I (heart) technology... even if it makes me look somewhat inept and wholly vacuous at times.

Update, 1745 hrs: Just noticed this at YouTube: "This video is still being processed. Video quality may improve once processing is complete." I was wondering why there wasn't an HD viewing option. Now I know...

It's Another One of THOSE Days...

... where "miserable" doesn't even come CLOSE to describing the conditions at the moment. I may go outside with the MinoHD and attempt to capture some of the blustery "goodness" on video. Then again...

Farewell, Mrs. Hockey

Photo: LIZ RAFFAELE/Special to the Free Press

Colleen Howe, wife of the legendary Gordie Howe, died yesterday in Detroit. From the Detroit Free Press:

Before Colleen Howe came along, women didn't negotiate contracts for professional athletes, or build post-playing career businesses for their husbands through autographs and appearances, or manage brands of America's most iconic sporting figures. In those days, wives of superstar athletes tended to stay in the shadows.

But not Gordie Howe's. By the time the Red Wings Hall of Famer finished playing, Colleen Howe had earned an iconic moniker of her own: Mrs. Hockey.

"Colleen was way ahead of her time," said former Wings coach Scotty Bowman. "She had a great business sense and was very instrumental in Gordie having a good post-hockey career."

Mrs. Hockey died Friday at her home in Bloomfield Hills. She was 76.

"Obviously a great wife, a wonderful mother, a great hockey mother," said Wings general manager Ken Holland. "Between her and Gordie, Mark and Marty, they were hockey's first family for a long, long time. A big loss."

Holland said there would be a moment of silence before today's game against Columbus to honor Howe. Doctors diagnosed a rare kind of dementia in Colleen Howe in 2002. The disease -- known as Pick's -- slowly chipped at her memory and her ability to take care of herself.

More at the Freep link above and at NHL.com.

RIP, Mrs. Hockey... you will be sorely missed.

A Minor Moan and Some Military Stuff

Up in the middle of the night… and it’s ALL PBS’ fault. It’s Pledge Week on PBS, that semi-annual BegFest wherein PBS suspends most of its usual programming… with the notable exceptions of The News Hour and Charlie Rose (thank God!)… and substitutes “special programming,” interspersed with way too damned many Talking Heads going on waaay too often about the wonders of Public Broadcasting, all while asking you to send in money. So… given as how my normal viewing habits have been seriously disrupted, I read for a bit and retired quite early this evening… like just after 2000 hrs. And my eyes popped open around 0200 hrs and refused to shut again. So, it’s up in the dead of night, it is. Damn you, PBS!

Apropos of nothing, but on the same subject… You know you’ve achieved Geezerhood when said PBS Special Programming consists mainly of YOUR music… and by that I mean specials featuring Doo-Wop Bands, Roy Orbison, The Police, and other such acts. Pledge Week used to be all Lawrence Welk, Stagedoor Canteen, Benny Goodman, Perry Como, and the odd country act here and there… and now it’s Rock ‘n’ Roll for Geezers. This is NOT a Good Thing.

(I’m obviously ignoring the recent additions of “Celtic Woman” specials, “Three Tenors” performances, and various and sundry classical music oddities… coz they don’t fit my narrative, ya know. Those and the “Grow Your 401(k) with Pop Bottle Deposits” and the “Be Your Own Best Friend” crap… which I kinda-sorta just made up. But you know what I mean.)

I hate Pledge Week.

―:☺:―

Interesting… Back at the end of January I published a lil story about seeing an MC-12W Project Liberty aircraft out at Cannon Airplane Patch on one of my forays out to the base. Most of the material for that post came from short articles linked in the Air Force Association’s Daily Report newsletter. Much to my surprise, that little article has become the highest rated search term here at EIP, right after “Exile in Portales.” I’ve had about a hundred googlers come visit over the course of the last month or so (illustration above) after searching for “MC-12W,” “Project Liberty,” or other variations on that theme. I certainly didn’t expect that sort of response to what I considered relatively obscure subject matter. It just goes to show… ya never know what will float the reader’s boat.

―:☺:―

Speaking of the AFA’s Daily Report… I’ve been watching a NIMBY episode unfold down in the Florida Panhandle with a certain interest and no small amount of amusement. First there was this (02/09/2009):

The Eglin ROD Goes Halfway: The Air Force announced Friday that it will bed down 59 F-35s at Eglin AFB, Fla., and allow associated construction to establish the Joint Strike Fighter Initial Joint Training Site there per BRAC 2005 guidance. This allows USAF to move the joint/international schoolhouse forward—partly. The service has deferred the decision on whether or not to beddown additional aircraft—reaching a total of 107—until it completes a supplemental environmental impact statement by September 2010. Kathleen Ferguson, USAF’s deputy assistant secretary for installations, signed the record of decision Feb. 5. The first F-35 is scheduled to touch down at Eglin in March 2010, and aircraft will continue arriving through 2014, Air Force officials said during a teleconference with reporters Feb. 6. The 59 aircraft will constitute one Air Force, one Marine Corps, and one Navy training squadron with 24, 20, and 15 assets, respectively. The ROD also imposes temporary operational restrictions on the aircraft to avoid and mitigate noise. Concerns expressed last year by some residents of Valparaiso, Fla., over the F-35’s noise levels held up USAF’s final decision. As the service progresses through the SEIS, Ferguson said, “We will ensure affected communities are involved through public scoping meetings, know what to expect, and understand timelines for development.”

Followed by (03/02/2009)…

No Clear Resolution to Eglin's F-35 Problem: It is too soon to tell if the city of Valparaiso's attempts to halt F-35 basing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida will affect training plans for the Joint Strike Fighter, Gen. Stephen Lorenz said Feb. 27. Under BRAC 2005, Eglin would host a joint and international F-35 training center. But noise concerns meant plans to deploy 113 training aircraft to Eglin were scaled back to just 59 initially until the Air Force could complete a satisfactory supplemental environmental assessment. However, last week the Valparaiso city council voted to sue the Air Force to halt the initial deployment. Lorenz, head of Air Education and Training Command, said in an interview that this is a "very fluid and dynamic situation," with so many variables that it would be foolish to speculate on how it might affect AETC's training plans.

Then… (03/03/2009)

Eglin F-35 Saga Continues: On Feb. 18, less than two weeks after the Air Force issued a record of decision to base 59 F-35s at Eglin AFB, Fla., initially and perhaps more later, after the service conducts a supplemental environmental impact analysis (see below), the Valparaiso city commission voted to proceed with a lawsuit against the Air Force. The Northwest Florida Daily News reported that Valparaiso Mayor Bruce Arnold, one of the commissioners, said there wasn't any alternative as more than 93 percent of Valparaiso residents would be affected by the higher noise levels of the F-35s. "The city would collapse," he said. The commission's vote was 3-0, but two more commissioners who have been opposed to litigation were not present. The lawsuit could delay military construction efforts at Eglin for the beddown. More than $160 million in initial MILCON work was announced last month after the ROD, according to a release from Rep. Jeff Miller (R), in whose district Eglin falls. Miller called that work "a tremendous spark" for the local economy. He told the NFDN that the Valparaiso decision "borders on municipal blackmail."

And today there’s this:

For All to See: Chris Hughes, a resident of Okaloosa County, Fla., which includes Eglin Air Force Base, wants to get the pro F-35 message out in a big way, literally. The Destin Log reported March 4 that Hughes has purchased a 10'6" x 22'8" billboard near the east gate of Eglin in the city of Valparaiso on which he intends to post the signatures of local residents who support the Air Force's recent decision to base F-35s there as part of the initial training schoolhouse for the stealth fighter. He is scheduled to bring the billboard on a truck to a local event today to allow residents to sign it and have their voices heard—and seen. "It is time to for you and me, the taxpayers of Okaloosa County, to let the world know that the F-35's home needs to be right here at Eglin Air Force Base," he said. The basing decision has not been without controversy as the Valparaiso city leadership, citing concerns over the noise levels of the new fighter, voted last month to sue the Air Force in federal court. That lawsuit must be filed by April 5. This has prompted some residents to come forward at the grass roots level to show their support for the F-35 mission and stop the lawsuit.

All this would be funny if it weren’t so danged tragic. Whatever happened to “The Sound of Freedom?”

―:☺:―

In other service news… Indulge me a moment of fatherly pride if you will, Gentle Reader.

I got a call from SN1 last evening with some good news, to wit: Buck has a line number for Major. He’ll be pinning on his oak leaves some time later this year, which will almost bring him up to grade parity with his younger brother, who is currently a Lieutenant Commander in The Squid Service. I say “almost” because SN2 is on his way to his first command billet… whereupon he will become the commanding officer of Navy Recruiting District Pittsburgh at some point in the very near future, after completing a couple of preparatory service schools/courses in Pensacola, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island. Enter the “almost.” SN2’s new job is an O-5 billet, which means he’ll be pinning on the silver oak leaves of a Commander very soon, and more than likely before SN1 puts the gold ones on. And the sibling rivalry continues.

But… all that esoteric military stuff aside… I’m VERY proud of both boys. They’ve achieved SO much more than their Ol’ Man ever did during his military career. Sam will soon equal his grandfather in rank, what with my Ol’ Man retiring as a USAF Lieutenant Colonel. I’m the non-performing entity in this military family… (insert big ol’ grin here)

―:☺:―

Today’s Pic: Sam, YrHmblScrb, Buck, and Grandson Sean on the occasion of Buck’s commissioning. Offutt AFB... May, 2000.

Things ARE Different in the Military These Days

You've seen this... if'n you've been to Lex's house in the last 24 hours or so. But it's TOO good not to share.



Dunno 'bout you, Gentle Reader... but I think there's a message here.

P.S. The comment thread at Lex's is MOST interesting.

On Top... and Not

If only for one brief, shining moment…

DENVER -- Ty Conklin laughed off his last outing, refusing to dwell on one bad performance.

The Detroit goalie was much sharper Wednesday night, making 25 saves to help the Red Wings take the overall NHL lead with a 3-2 victory over the faltering Colorado Avalanche.

Here’s what we’re on about:

The Wings lead by but a single point… and the Sharks have three games in hand on the Beloved Wings, Boston one. Still and even, the Wings have been lurking in third place overall in the league standings nearly all season and have been threatening to take the lead for a couple of weeks now. And why does this matter? Home ice in the playoffs. There’s a lot of back and forth as to whether home ice really matters or not but I think it does… especially in the Western Conference, where the travel distances are considerable.

―:☺:―

This lil brouhaha isn't getting NEAR enough press… but it’s coming, and you can bet there will be more in the VERY near future. From the Detroit News (“Editorial: Cap-and-trade plan will sink Michigan”):

President Barack Obama's proposed cap-and-trade system on greenhouse gas emissions is a giant economic dagger aimed at the nation's heartland -- particularly Michigan. It is a multibillion-dollar tax hike on everything that Michigan does, including making things, driving cars and burning coal.

The president is asking for a system of government limits on carbon emissions. The right to emit carbon would be auctioned off to generate revenue for more government spending programs.

The president's budget projects receipts totaling $646 billion through 2019 from the sale of these greenhouse gas permits.

The goal, according to the president's budget outline, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide to 14 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

Doing so will drive up the cost of nearly everything and will amount to a major tax increase for American consumers.

Such a tax will hit the Midwest particularly hard, which is why House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, told the New York Times, "let's just be honest and call it a carbon tax that will increase taxes on all Americans who drive a car, who have a job, who turn on a light switch, pure and simple."

[…]

The nation's gross domestic product contracted at an annualized rate of 3.8 percent in last year's fourth quarter -- the worst economic record in nearly three decades. Is this really a good time to be talking about a carbon tax? How will such talk impact investment decisions?

Obama promises to use some of the revenues for tax relief for certain workers and some of the rest for subsidies for alternative energy. But that won't make up for the damage this huge new tax will do to the economy, especially in Michigan.

A similar program in Europe hasn't worked. European automakers complained about carbon dioxide limits the European Union proposed in 2007 as damaging to the economy.

The Obama cap-and-trade program will place even more of the economy under the control of the federal government. The only upside is that the negative impact it will have on economic growth and job creation will take care of the carbon emissions problem, for sure.

I’m sure that last bit was tongue-in-cheek, but it’s none the less true. The thing that really ticks me off is this damned cap-‘n’-trade economy-killer is THE classic solution looking for a problem. I don’t give a big rat’s ass what The One or Algore say… the science is NOT proven nor is it settled. Here’s a “tip of the iceberg” article that addresses exactly what us naysayers are on about:

In testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Dr. Michaels testified on the little known fact that the scientific models used to predict global warming are starting to fall outside acceptable scientific limits. They have been unable to accurately predict temperature increases and when used to model historical increases, they fail as well.

This is significant because if the models on which nations are basing policy decisions on are incorrect, a great deal of money and effort is wasted. Further, any further analysis that is based on those models such as trying to gauge the impact of temperature increases is thus invalidated as well. It therefore points to the fact that while some would say that the ‘science is settled’, it is anything but.

The IPCC uses 21 different models for its calculations and projections of climate change and global warming. In analyzing the results of the models projections, it becomes readily apparent that these models are greatly overstating the amount of temperature increases actually seen.

Figure 4. Climate model 95% confidence range of projected surface temperature trends of varying lengths (gray area) and the expected values for these trends assuming the temperature in the coming year is similar to the temperature in 2008 (black line). (Dr. Patrick J. Michaels)

Much more here (“Climate models falling outside acceptable scientific boundaries”)… including a slideshow from which the graphic above was taken. And “The High Cost of Climate Lies” is a most interesting article, as well.

{sigh} How many more idiotic, counter-productive examples of “elections have consequences” must we endure?

Placeholder

Real life and oversleeping intrudes on blogging today. There are things I have to go and places I have to do... So, just to fill space... here's something from the Golden Age of Lip-Synching before Milli Vanilli took the gild gilt off the lily. (Hey! Alliteration 'R' US!)



That's The Sanford-Townsend Band... in case you missed the Big-Ass, eight-foot-tall red letters behind them... a one-hit wonder sort of band with their biggie from about 1977 or so. The song was in heavy rotation Chez Pennington during that era but has an ENTIRELY different meaning in this day and age. Still a catchy tune, tho.

Back in a bit. In case I'm not lying. But not, if I am.

Spring?

or... confused? Taken about four minutes ago... the ornamental Cherry tree just outside my door.

I'm thinking the third of March might just be a lil bit... umm... early. But, Hey! We'll take it, Gentle Reader. And now it's back out to continue with Happy Hour... already in progress. It's quite the lovely afternoon here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington, what with it being 80 degrees and all. Loverly. To say the VERY least.

A Reprieve of Sorts

I was supposed to undergo surgery today to get the titanium screws for my dental implants inserted into various places in my jaw bones... an event I've been looking forward to for about a year now. "Looking forward to" is understatement, Gentle Reader, as I've been longing for a good steak for over a year now... and the culmination of my Adventures in Modern Dentistry will enable me to indulge that desire. So, there's that anticipation. But there's also a certain amount of dread involved as well. Oral surgery ain't no picnic, even given the fact that the administration of World Class Drugs means no pain during the procedure itself. As a matter of fact, one undergoes general anesthesia... which means you're well and truly OUT for about four hours, less recovery time. One also remains loopy for about ten hours after you wake up, and that's not all that bad... all things considered. It's the week or so after the procedure that's rather unpleasant... but it's the price one pays, eh?

But. We DID say we got a reprieve, didn't we? The call came in at oh-dark-thirty this morning, about five minutes before my alarm went off. My dentist was taken ill last evening and had to cancel today's appointments. So... I accepted the cancellation and rescheduling with mixed emotions. On the positive hand... the day's normal amount of coffee was brewed and consumed with great pleasure (one must be caffeine-free on the day of the procedure) and Happy Hour will proceed apace this afternoon. On the proverbial other hand... we'll have to go through the (very minor) pre-op angst yet again next week.

But we MOST definitely can live with that. Oh yes... we CAN.

(No... there weren't any runway models involved in today's reprieve. I just liked the image. A lil too thin for my tastes, but pleasing, nonetheless.)

Staff Sergeant Zachary Rhyner

From the March 3rd edition of the Air Force Association's Daily Report:

Pope Airman to Receive High Honor: SSgt. Zachary Rhyner, a combat controller at Pope AFB, N.C., will receive the Air Force Cross March 10 at a ceremony in the Pentagon. Rhyner, a member of Air Force Special Operations Command's 21st Special Tactics Squadron, is being honored for his heroic actions on April 6, 2008, in Afghanistan's Shok Valley, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz Feb. 26 during his address at AFA's Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. Rhyner, a senior airman at the time, was with a group of US and Afghan special forces that deployed in rugged high terrain to assault an insurgent stronghold. Approaching the target, "all hell broke loose," as the team came under devastating fire on all sides from a large group of insurgents in elevated and protected positions, said Schwartz. "Courageously moving into position without regard for his own life, [Rhyner] returned fire with his rifle to cover his wounded teammates while they were extracted from the line of fire," explained Schwartz. And, although shot three times and seriously wounded in his leg, Rhyner called in more than 50 air strikes during the six-hour battle to prevent the team from being overrun. "Zack, it's a wonderful thing you did and how proud you make us all," said Schwartz. (For more, read the Fayetteville Observer's Feb. 27 report and December 2008 AFPS report) (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Brian E. Christiansen)

And from the Fayetteville Observer article linked above:

About 100 Special Forces and Afghan soldiers each were carrying more than 60 pounds of equipment when they jumped from helicopters onto icy, jagged rocks and waist-deep running water in 30-degree temperatures to assault a terrorist stronghold in Afghanistan. Their objective was at the top of the mountains surrounding the valley.

They were ambushed by 200 enemy fighters, and Rhyner was shot within the first 15 minutes, according to an account from the Air Force Special Operations Command. The team came under fire from all directions from snipers, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

Capt. Kyle Walton, the Special Forces team leader, treated Rhyner for his injuries as the airman called in Apache attack helicopters.

Rhyner called in 4,570 rounds of cannon fire, nine Hellfire missiles, 162 rockets, 12 500-pound bombs and a 2,000-pound bomb, Air Force officials said.

The Army awarded ten Silver Stars to members of Team 3336 of the 3rd Special Forces Group from Fort Bragg, NC in this same engagement. Further details of the battle are here, and it's quite the story.

The Air Force Cross is the service's second highest decoration, second only to the Medal of Honor.

Adolescent Humor...

...that's RIGHT up my alley, mainly coz it's OH-so-funneee! Heeere's... Titan the Horny Pug!



A BIG hat-tip to Blog Bud Phlegmmy, who finds the kewlest stuff!

On Salsa... Oh So Briefly (and Other Things, Too)

There’s one thing I just have to say before I even get started… home-made is BEST. It’s always been so, and probably will always BE so… with just a couple of caveats: (1) you gotta know what you’re doing and (2) you have to have the proper ingredients. Number Two is key, yanno. Some folks can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but that ain’t the case when it comes to salsa and its prime ingredient: chile. The ol’ IT saw… garbage in, garbage out… applies to salsa, in spades.

I might could be a salsa connoisseur, but I’m reluctant to bill myself as such. Let’s just say my experience with the art form goes back well over 40 years and I’ve eaten a tremendous number of varieties of this essential condiment… ranging from the exquisite to the mundane (and worse). And speaking of “exquisite,” The First Mrs. Pennington is a past master at creating the most delectable salsa you can imagine. Apropos of nothing, the lady kept me supplied with it (the salsa) during my one-year sojourn in Beautiful-Sinop-By-The-Sea via frequent Care Packages containing Mason jars of her salsa. That salsa was jealously guarded… believe me… and accompanied me to the chow hall every morning to grace my eggs and every evening to make other things edible (Army food SUCKS). Her salsa was also much in demand from friends who knew about the wonderfulness of salsa in general and hers, in particular. A few friendships were made because of her salsa, but let us not digress further.

One of the absolute worst periods of my life where salsa is concerned was spending over ten years in the Great Salsa Desert, also known as the northern tier (read as: Detroit and Rochester, NY). People in that part of the world have absolutely NO idea about salsa… and their concept of “good salsa” is limited to Pace or Old El Paso. Blech. Either of those two brands are to salsa as ketchup is to marinara sauce… i.e., they’re both red, but the resemblance begins and ends right there. And you know what’s strange? I can go to Wally-World right here in P-Ville and BOTH of those brands are featured prominently on the shelves. Go figure…

One of the reasons I make my bi-weekly trips over to The Big(ger) City^TM is to pick up a couple weeks’ supply of El Pinto, my current favorite salsa. El Pinto used to be available in P-Ville but for some reason the managers at Wally-World decided to discontinue it… more than likely because it ain’t the cheapest brand available, and Wally-World is ALL about cheap. But we digress… yet again. I truly believe El Pinto is the absolute BEST commercial salsa I’ve ever tasted and comes awfully danged close to home-made. It’s also available in several different formulas, from the usual mild to hot, to various permutations of red, green, and other varieties. And there’s good news for those folks who aren’t privileged to live in New Mexico, otherwise known as The Capital of the Chile Universe: you can buy El Pinto salsa on-line. My two favorite flavors are illustrated at left.

So… just as life is too short to drink bad beer, it’s most definitely too short to tolerate less than the best salsa. You DO have options. Use ‘em.

―:☺:―

Via Johnny Dollar at Olbermann Watch… a most excellent segment from last Friday’s Red Eye:

The whole Halftime Report is here… if’n ya wanna go. It’s worth the trip.

―:☺:―

While we’re on about politics, there’s this:

Looking for all the world like the sweating floor manager on the late afternoon shift at Larry Flynt's Hustler Club in an unbuttoned shiny black shirt and undersized sport coat, Rush Limbaugh leaned his meaty hands on the lectern at the CPAC conference and slipped a greasy dollar bill into the G-string of the writhing conservative dead-enders packed into garishly lit Omni Shoreham in Washington DC.

Jowls rolling like thunder from the right via CNN's unfortunate high-definition feed, Limbaugh took control of the sad and tattered remnants of the mainstream conservative movement, and urged continued allegiance to the noble Lost Cause of Reagan, metaphorically carrying his rebel-yelling followers into the hills like modern-day Quantrill's Raiders standing firm against change.

Judas Priest. The above takes the proverbial cake in the Purple Prose Sweepstakes. Isn’t there some sort of web site dedicated to over-reliance on one’s handy-dandy thesaurus and bad writing, in general? Why, yes… yes there IS. I’m thinking you’re seeing the 2009 Bulwer-Lytton winner, just above. All others should just give it up… there’s NO topping Mr. Watson. Elementary, and all that.

After Thinking Long and Hard...

... and even discussing the subject with SN1 a lil bit last night on the phone, I've decided "what the Hell... why not?" and will post yet another cheesy video. This time it's a trip through the car wash in Clovis this past Friday:



YouTube apparently doesn't recognize the format as HD. The video quality is MUCH poorer than the original... there's no pixelation whatsoever when viewed locally, i.e., direct from my videos folder to "play." All that said... I broke a promise, too. I said I wasn't going to sing, didn't I? Well... sometimes I just can't help myself, yanno?

Newt at CPAC

Rush got all the headlines and soundbites but Speaker Gingrich delivered the substance... in my book... and in about half the time, as well. Here's Newt, in his entirety (courtesy of C-SPAN's YouTube channel, 46 minutes):



And yeah... I DID watch Mr. Limbaugh, too. He was OK, in his inimitable Red Meat, stem-winding manner. It's hard to disagree with the points Mr. Limbaugh makes... or even the way he makes those points, coz the man IS funny and he's also accurate most of the time. It's just that I'm not nearly as taken with the man as a lot of my Fellow Travelers on the right side of the 'sphere. The term "Ditto Head" isn't in vogue these days, but I still remember it from the late '80s and early '90s... and that's an association I don't care to have, thank you very much. But Newt? Yep. Associate away.

And for the record: I did NOT watch Coulter. Period. Full stop. End of report.