Saturday

It must be because it's August... the Usual Source for viral vids didn't update again this week.  So it's off to the alternate source for this:

Want.  I've destroyed at least three keyboards in my lifetime, mostly with alcohol.  A washable keyboard would be a Good Thing, fer me.  Coz I'm klutzy.

Help!

So, there I was... batting down I-40 at 80 mph yesterday when this quote/bit/piece o' monolog comes on XM/The Loft in between songs that made me laugh right the hell out loud.  Some dude sayin' sumthin' like this:

Things I don't have to do...
Get up before noon.
Finish what I'm doin'.
Quit drinkin'.

And there might have been one other, but by the time I began paying SERIOUS attention the thing was gone and the music started up again.  I've spent about an hour googling this and searchin' the Tube O' You but I've come up empty.  I REALLY want to hear this piece again coz it's SO me.  Does anyone recognize this?  Is it from a movie?  What?  Help!

Good Stuff In the Mail This Morning

First, from My Buddy Ed In Florida... Tech Support:

Heh.  OK, it's a stereotype but it's cute.  That said, SOME of us superannuated types don't need no tech support, thank ya.

Occasional Correspondent Lin sends along the following for us Anglophiles...

Once again, cute.  But I wouldn't have one of those Mini thangs if you GAVE me one.   Reason:  it's a front-driver and Daddy don't do no FWD.

And now it's time to hit the shower, and then the road!

Yum! (And Other Thangs)

Apropos o' everythang, this:

I say that coz we're off to ABQ tomorrow to spend time with DIL#1 and fam'bly.  Mayhap I could talk her into having dinner at El Pinto while I get a half-bag o' chiles, roasted especially fer ME...

―:☺:―

We were gonna take off and go to ABQ this past weekend but I was held hostage by the USPS.  That's coz SN1's birthday is tomorrow and I was waiting for Godot... err... a shipment o' cee-gars from cigar.com that never arrived... until yesterday.  I had ordered a box o' SN1's favorite smokes, half o' which I intended to re-ship to him for his birthday.  But those kind and oh-so-efficient folks at the post office decided it would be a Good Thang to send my shipment to Puerto Rico, the upshot o' which was I didn't actually receive said shipment until yesterday, when it was far, far too late to re-ship.  But we had a Plan B, whereby we contacted the ever-helpful Tim at cigar.com and got him to ship directly to SN1 at his Undisclosed Location^TM in the desert.  Then I find out from SN1 that he's gonna go off on a TDY to yet another Undisclosed Location^TM on his birthday, which is tomorrow.

You just can't win sometimes.  But I guess his birthday present will be waiting for him when he returns early next week.  And then we should see a photo like this:

SN1 at Kandahar, in the near wayback.

Hopefully.

―:☺:―

In other news... we made a Command Decision: we're gonna go the implant route on our upcoming Adventures In Modern Dentistry, Part Deux.  We briefly flirted with getting a partial plate... at half the cost of implants... as an option, but we decided against that and are goin' to go the full-implant route.  I just don't wanna mess with false teeth and all the hassle that option involves.  It's a "quality o' life" decision and one that I HOPE I'll live to appreciate, which might could be problematic given my advanced age.  But, Hey!  Whatevah.  Ribs and corn on the cob will be viable options in future, dontcha know.  The launch date for our latest AiMD is set for 09/06/2012, when we'll lose six teeth in preparation for the follow-on implants and stuff.  But his latest adventure should only take a maximum of 45~60 days, or so I'm told... not like the two year journey o' times past.  We takes what we gets.

I Got Nuthin'

Well, little or nuthin', actually.  This got a wry grin outta me:

It really pains me to throw food away but it DOES happen from time to time.  Cooking for One will do that to ya, especially when most food packaging is designed for families rather than single people.  That said, I don't come CLOSE to throwing 40% of my food away.  The high end estimate would be quite a bit less than ten percent, if I had to guess.

And I'm not fat, either. 

This Shit Pisses Me Right Off

That would be this:

Blogger asks us to "prove you're not a bot" while Wordpress just gives us indecipherable words that sometimes takes up to three tries to get right (Blogger's WV is indecipherable at times, too).  It's ALMOST enough to make a body decline to comment on the blogs that use this shit.  My biggest problem/issue is the fact bots don't type... so WHY does the word picture have to be so fucked up?  Why not use straightforward text?

There's no reason to use word verification if you're on Blogger.  Google has got that spam-catching thang down to a veritable, fail-proof science.  I can't recall the last time an actual spam comment made it on to EIP. 

Interesting

One hopes this might could be a harbinger of Election 2012...

You can find the interactive map and explanations here.  I'm hopeful, but at the same time ya gotta consider that Righties are more thoughtful... and better read... than Lefties.  Generally speaking.

Via a tweet from Blake Hounshell.

A Boon!

Verily...

Blessed relief from all those triple-digit temps we've had of late.  It's just sooo nice outdoors at the moment that I think we'll have an extended Happy Hour this afternoon... just because.

"F*ck Yeah!"

Hockey Players

Yeah, they're like that... God Love 'Em!

From an amusing lil article titled "10 of the worst acting performances by NHL players in commercials" (and that WASN'T one of 'em).

Get 'Em Early

I thought this was cute...

Air Frame: A young visitor, flanked by two airmen, gives the thumbs-up sign after donning a pilot's helmet at the B-52 heritage exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum pier in Manhattan during Air Force Week in New York City, Aug. 20, 2012. (AFA staff photo by Lois O'Connor) (Click on image above to reach wallpaper larger version.)

From the Usual USAF source, of course.  I was curious about the major's patch, so I googled it.  Here's a larger version:

Me likee.

A Toast!

One of the newer additions on the blog-roll is the "Beer and Whiskey Bros" blog, for reasons that should be immediately... if not sooner... apparent.  So... I was reading this post this weekend and put my suggestion in the comments, for what that's worth, and it ain't worth a whole helluva lot.  But their point is well-taken: we, as Americans, don't have a "national toast," and I think we should.  My suggestion:

Ahem. “F*ck Yeah!” should be the official toast, with or without the preceding “America!” Using “America” would depend on the circumstances, of course.

That said, I almost always use the British "Cheers" when clinking glasses with friends and fam'bly (coz I'm an Anglophile of the highest order).  I've NEVER used the Irish "Slainte," nor has "à votre santé" ever crossed my lips.  Same thang for "Prosit!", but I will admit to using "Kampai!" and "Salud!" on occasion, mostly depending on present company, especially in the way-back when we lived in Nippon.

And you, Gentle Reader?  How do you toast?  Further... do you have a suggestion for a typically AMERICAN toast?

(Illustration stolen from the Beer and Whiskey Bros.)

Serendipity

Serendipity, in the sense that Blog-Bud Jim has an amusing post today about this:

So... go read!

"Umm... No, Officer... How Fast WAS I Goin'?"

Book 'em, Danno.

From a Homestead ARB press release, via the Usual USAF Source...

Members of the Homestead Police Department and Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. transport an F-4 static display to the base, Aug. 4. The process of moving the aircraft, which took more than five hours to complete, started at 5 a.m. and involved coordination between the base, local law enforcement, a crane company, and a truck company. The static display, which normally resides near the intersection of U.S. Highway 1 and Southwest 304th Street, will undergo a three-month process consisting of repairs and repainting. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jacob Jimenez)

This isn't the first time we've posted sumthin' like this. From three years ago:

Umm... No, Officer... How Fast WAS I Going?

The SR-71A Blackbird that is part of the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum at Edwards AFB, Calif., is towed over public roads to the base’s corrosion control facility for refurbishment, Aug, 8, 2009. This aircraft, serial number 17955, will have its sun-damaged paint redone in time for Edwards’ air show and open house in October 2009. Air Force photo by TSgt. Trisha Winters

Plus ça change, and all that.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack, In Which We Contradict Ourselves

I said this, in the post immediately below...

It’s a personal thing for me. I will not ever, ever spend my money to directly or indirectly support views I hold to be reprehensible. And that goes for Neil Young, too.

Well... in my defense... I haven't bought any of Neil's stuff in about ten years or so.  But that doesn't mean I've trashed all his stuff I bought in the wayback.. Oh, Hell no!  Further... there was once a time when Neil and I were on the same page, politically.  And therein lies the difference: I grew up, he didn't.  So, with all that in mind... there's this, which still has a place in my heart o' hearts:

One more thang and then we'll go.  Churchill supposedly said sumthin' to this effect:

Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains. - Winston Churchill

Just a brief, brief comment in this space.  The Second Mrs. Pennington had a lot o' influence in my conversion from moonbat to sensible conservative.  That's sorta interesting, in that the girl was but 19 years of age when we met and of a sort that used to be described as a "good Catholic girl," with ALL that term implies.  She remained so for as long as we were together, which was about 23 years or so.  And then the strangest thang happened, as exemplified by this exchange:

She: I'm VERY liberal.
Me: I know.  What I don't understand is how a good conservative girl like you could go so wrong, so quickly.
She:  I used to follow directions well; I don't any longer.
Me:  What does that mean?
She: (Standing up abruptly... and departing, leaving me with my mouth hanging open)  I shared too much and I don't want or need YOU to tell ME about me.

Well, now.  What was that Winston said about "no brains?"  If the shoe fits...

"Return With Us Now to Those Thrilling Days o' Yesteryear," Or, the Sunday Re-Run

I'm taking a lil different approach today, to wit: instead of choosing an entire post from our back pages I'm gonna post some excerpts.  Coz there WAS a time when my daily post covered a lot o' ground... oftentimes two or three or four topics.  First, from 09/21/2006:

Time for a lil culture commentary in the form of “commercials I hate.” The last ad I ranted about was that supremely irritating “Head On” ad, with its obnoxious, thrice-repeated female voice over. But…it’s only irritating. This ad from Ford, however, hits me where I live and goes beyond irritating into the realm of cultural impact. Have you seen it?

I’m not the only one that’s upset. The Family Scholars Blog (dead link) has this to say:

‘Course the whole thing is “good divorce” fantasy. Mom and dad split up but still take the kids to the beach and the farmer’s stand. The only note from the child’s point of view is the telling (and surprisingly accurate) look of apprehension on the son’s face right before they drop off dad. I wonder, is Ford trying to reach divorced moms with this ad? Perhaps. But I think the viewers even more susceptible to it might be moms who imagine themselves unhappily married and fantasize that a “good divorce” will make it all better. And Ford understands!

Well, that and the “mainstreaming” of divorce. It’s acceptable these days…Hell, it might even be better than staying married, ya know? That woman driving doesn’t look all that unhappy, and Dad? Well, he’s just grateful Mom “invited him this weekend.” So, damn the impact on the kids. Damn the impact on either Mom or Dad, whichever one didn’t want the divorce, and I submit that most divorces involve one party that is less than thrilled at the thought of the emotional and/or financial devastation divorce brings.

I understand reality. I understand 50% of American marriages end in divorce. I understand “when love goes missing,” and I know not every marriage can be saved. I don’t understand why a frickin’ car company would use an all-too-common modern-day tragedy to flog their products. I can’t imagine the focus group that nodded appreciatively when shown this ad, and I can’t imagine any executive with just the normal amount of common sense approving the ad for broadcast. If this ad, with its “sensitive” depiction of a divorced couple, tips just one family into divorce court then Ford has done the country a major disservice.

“See you next week, Dad.” Damn.

And there's this from 06/17/2006:

Natalie Maines, quoted in The Telegraph (UK) (another dead link):

"The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism," Maines resumes, through gritted teeth. "Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don't see why people care about patriotism."

You’re free to express yourself as you please, Darling Natalie, and I, in turn, am free to not buy your frickin’ music. Ever. 

 

Insulting the President of the United States before an audience on foreign soil is, in my eyes, relatively small potatoes compared to questioning the very concept of patriotism. By making that statement above, Natalie Dear revealed a shocking lack of understanding of one of the most basic American moral values, to wit: personal responsibility to, and respect for, the nation. In a time of war, patriotism may also be defined as the personal obligation to support and defend the country. In other words, patriotism is the deep-seated feeling that what we have…our traditions, our history, our values, our laws, our society…is not only worth defending, it’s something we must defend. And Natalie apparently doesn’t believe that is true.

 

I suppose our collective memory as a nation is short, because the Chicks new album was number one on the Billboard charts the week after its release. On the other hand, I have read that dates on the Chicks’ current tour are being cancelled due to poor ticket sales, one of those cancelled dates was supposedly in Houston. The fact concerts are being cancelled due to poor sales is good news. 

 

The three Dixie Chicks are still popular, highly visible entertainers. And, like it or not, entertainers are powerful role models in our culture. Entertainers achieve power through sales. Less sales, less power. Poor sales, little or no power. Recording contract cancellations follow, as do interview opportunities, appearances on late night talk shows, and other publicity, thereby denying these people a platform for spreading their views. Patriotism has been under assault for a while; the three Chicks are just part of a small, albeit very vocal group of folks assailing patriotism. I don’t care to support people who denigrate the core values of our country, and I damned sure don’t believe the Chicks’ values in this one specific but important area are worthy of respect or emulation. In this regard the Chicks are not suitable role models, period.

 

It’s a personal thing for me. I will not ever, ever spend my money to directly or indirectly support views I hold to be reprehensible. And that goes for Neil Young, too.

The Wiki has a pretty good recap of the whole Dixie Chicks brouhaha just in case yer memory needs refreshing.

Back in the day when I first started blogging I posted a "Pic of the Day" which was usually found at the bottom of the day's post.  That was if I posted a photo at all... my posts for the first year or so are strangely devoid of photos.  But then again: we were learning, weren't we?  Here's one of those photos of the day, from 07/26/2007:

Today’s Pic: For the Children! This is perhaps my absolute favorite pic of SN3 and I. I may have posted this before, but whatever…everyone goes into re-runs occasionally.

Key West, FL. March, 1998. And my our (? - The Second Mrs. Pennington took the pic) 52^nd digital photo…ever.

Dang... aren't they (BOTH!) just the cutest lil buggers?  This might be the 52nd time I've posted this photo, too.

Saturday

Today we make an exception to our rule about hip-hop, which is to say "We DON'T do none.  Ever."  Except for this:

From the Usual Source o' such thangs.  Apropos o' everything... I want the machine head in the stars and stripes bikini.  She's right smack dab in the middle of my envelope.  Please... seven minutes o' terror.  Just once.

Well, OK Then

Sumthin' else from The Shoebox Blog... "Why Are Americans So..."  in which the blogger lets Google auto-complete a statement about each of the 50 states.  Fascinating stuff, this, and you should go... coz there are all sorts o' fun facts and graphics.  And you KNOW what my favorite excerpt had to be, eh?

The single most common result of all was “boring,” which appeared for 18 states with no particular regional concentration. Other popular terms (returned for >10 states) were “humid”, “windy”, “expensive”, and “liberal”. Strangely, Connecticut and Pennsylvania both returned “haunted”; apparently there are a lot of ghost sightings (and related walking tours). My favorite result of all was “enchanting”: New Mexico is beautiful.

Well, PARTS o' New Mexico are beautiful.  Less so in my particular neck o' the woods, where there are no woods to speak of... just lots and lots o' empty spaces, which have a beauty all their own once you learn to appreciate it.  And have I ever mentioned our sunsets and the night sky?  Why, yes... I do believe I have.

This Is the Kinda Day I'm Havin'...

Yup.  All I wanna do is break stuff and just be generally disagreeable.

Tonight's ADWH Soundtrack... In Two Parts

First... The Lovin' Spoonful:

You and me underneath the roof of tin
Pretty comfy feelin' how the rain ain't leakin' in
We can sit and dry just as long as it can pour
'Cause the way it makes you look makes me hope it rains some more

Yeah, well... it ain't QUITE like that, more like this:

This makes the third day in a row we've had "cow (doin' sumthin') on a flat rock" rain in the afternoon/evening.  And I ain't complainin'... not one lil bit.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack and Broadening XLVIII

The music, first.  Anders Osborne with a brilliant suggestion...

Well, yeah... why dontcha meet me in New Mexico?  Hell, I'll even drive up to Santa Fe if'n ya don't wanna hang in P-Ville.

On the broadening front... I'm looking forward to tonight's after dinner whiskey hour, because o' this:

Yup.  We scored our bottle o' Bulleit Rye this afternoon when we went out to Cannon Airplane Patch for to do the UCR bi-monthly commissary run and likker-locker re-supply.  And yeah, that would be our second bottle o' Bulleit bourbon.  I kinda like this stuff.

I asked the manageress at the Class VI about the possibility of stocking Bulleit Rye as a "normal" offering and got a "I'll ask our manager" in reply.  I also expressed my displeasure at the recent price increases on all their scotch and told her in no uncertain terms that I was NOT willing to pay those inflated prices.  I got a nod and sympathetic look in response, along with another "I'll try and find out why those increases happened."  Well, OK... I suppose that's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

And now we must consider what's for dinner.