Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

We haven't done this for a while...

And I've dropped out, I've burned up, I've fought my way back from the dead.
I've tuned in, turned on, remembered the things that you said
I'll be your crying shoulder,
I'll be love's suicide
I'll be better when I'm older,
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

This is one of the better "one hit wonders" in my lifetime.  The Deity At Hand knows there are hundreds... if not thousands... of these one-hit artists out there but this tune resonates me with me.  Powerfully.

Yet More Thievery

From a link at the Shoebox Blog...

Them Fanbois... they don't remember what happened AFTER Snow White bit the Apple.

Update, 1100 hrs:  There are a TON of similar images out there.

Miscellanea

The 1099s are beginning to roll in; I've received two from My Favorite Uncle (the USAF one and the Social InSecurity one) already.  Private industry, which is supposed to be SO much more efficient and timely than the gub'mint, hasn't seen fit to send me their 1099s as yet... but they have until the end o' this month, right?  And I'm thinkin' they'll use every last day of the available time, too.

I'm also thinkin' I MIGHT do my taxes before the very last minute this year, on the off-chance I may get some money back.  That's because this is my year to take the one remaining child exemption I share with The Second Mrs. Pennington, which usually results in a modest refund rather than me writing a check to the Infernal Revenoo Service.  "Service?"  My ass...

―:☺:―

Did that sound bitchy?  I didn't mean to sound that way, if so.  Wait.  Mebbe I DID.  But, as long as we're bein' bitchy, there's this: I don't like Blogger's new default comment form, which takes ya to the bottom of the comments page.  Which means ya have to scroll back up to read previous comments (which I always do, so's I don't repeat what someone else said and look stoopid or redundant or both) and then scroll back DOWN to make your Astute Observation™.  Unless you're the first to comment, which is almost never the case for me, given that I lay around in bed until the crack o' noon.  Or thereabouts.  On most days, anyhoo.

WHY do coders feel compelled to fix shit that ain't broke?  That's one o' life's small yet enduring mysteries.

―:☺:―

This is interesting...

Air Force photo by A1C Ericka Engblom

F-15E Reaches 10,000 Flight Hours: An F-15E operating from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, became the first Air Force F-15 of any type to reach 10,000 flying hours, according to airmen at Bagram. The Strike Eagle, No. 89-0487, achieved the milestone on Jan. 13. A crew from Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., flew the aircraft on the historic mission. The F-15E, assigned to Seymour Johnson's 335th Fighter Squadron, has been flying for more than 21 years and is a veteran of combat going back to Operation Desert Storm. "It has taken more than 21 years of qualified maintenance technicians performing more than one million hours of inspections and repairs in all types of environments . . . to ensure aircraft #89-0487 was available," said CMSgt. John Parrott, superintendent of Bagram's 335th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit. He also credited all the other airmen, like weapons loaders, involved in keeping the aircraft operating. (Bagram report by TSgt. Vernon Cunningham)

That's from the Usual USAF Source, of course.  I wonder about the veracity of that claim, though.  I suppose it's true when one only considers the F-15, but I'm pretty damned sure each and every B-52 has at least 10,000 flight hours on the airframe, given the fact the BUFF has been in service for-frickin'-evah (read as: since 1954, the newest BUFF bein' procured in FY62).  The same could be said for the KC-135, the C-130, and god-only-knows how many other front-line airframes.  They're gonna be around a LOT longer, too, from the looks o' the budget situation. 

We Concluded Our Experiment

"What experiment," you may ask?  This (from an old post):

Speaking of...  I bought myself a box of Deep Dishes for Christmas and that box remains largely untouched, as I'm engaged in a lil experiment.  I read somewhere that aging a cigar has much the same effect as aging fine wine... as in "the older, the better."  That presupposes you keep the cigars properly humidified, of course, which I'm doing.  So, we pulled one of the now three-month old Deep Dishes out of the humidor yesterday, fired it up, and I couldn't tell if it was any better or not.  There may be two things in play here: (1) I haven't given the cigars enough time to age properly or (2) I just don't have an educated palate.  As far as (1) goes... I'm not sure if I have the will power to let the cigars age for a year or more.  And there ain't no fixin' (2).  It is what it is.

I published that about four months into the experiment.  I'm happy to report that (a) not only did we HAVE the willpower to see this thang through (there bein' three aged cigars left in the stash, as of yesterday) and (b) I got a second opinion from SN1 yesterday about the project.  His verdict?  Hard to tell, but the stick seemed more mellow... which meshes with my opinion, as well.  The only way to really tell is to smoke two sticks back-to-back, one fresh outta the box and one aged.  My bottom line is the project wasn't entirely without merit but it's also highly unlikely I'll ever repeat it.  My palate just isn't that refined to notice any differences.

I'm surprised that I let those cigars age for well over a year.  Why?  Simply because I'm not known for my will power... now or evah.

Mi Corazón...

... is HEALTHY.  Or it should be, at any rate.

2. A Stronger Heart 

A 2011 analysis of 16 earlier studies involving more than 200,000 people, conducted by researchers at Italy’s Fondazion di Ricerca e Cura, found a 31 percent reduced risk of heart disease in those who quaffed about a pint of beer daily, while risk surged in those who guzzled higher amounts of alcohol, whether beer, wine, or spirits.

More than 100 studies also show that moderate drinking trims risk of heart attacks and dying from cardiovascular disease by 25 to 40 percent, Harvard reports. A beer or two a day can help raise levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol that helps keep arteries from getting clogged.

That's from "10 Surprising Health Benefits of Beer," which might be surprising to some but not to us beer drinkers, who've known it all along.  I mean... how could something so GOOD fail to be good FOR YOU?  Other beer-bennies include protection from Alzheimer's, stroke, diabetes, and a longer life.  It must be said the key is moderation, of course, as immoderate intake just makes ya a drunk and those guys have an unfortunate tendency to die alone in alleyways.  Or worse.

Cheers!

Better Late

This was Saturday...

The SEALS look a lot better at 50 than I did.  Hell, the SEALS look a lot better than I EVAH did!

―:☺:―

The wind continues to howl here on The High Plains o' New Mexico.  SN1 and I managed an outdoor Happy Hour yesterday and did the UCR HH thangs, which included burning a couple o' cigars.  The wind wasn't all that bad at the time and Weather Underground sez it's about the same today as far as speed goes.  But I think the direction must have changed, or sumthin', because my lawn chairs were next door when I woke up this morning and it certainly SEEMS worse than yesterday.  The Bottom Line is... no al fresco Happy Hour TODAY, Gentle Reader.  Which is a shame, coz it's still in the mid-60s.

I'm an Idiot

Sooo... Hockey Night In Portales didn't happen last evening, mainly because the Beloved Wings played an afternoon game yesterday... beginning at 1230 EST, which was a solid hour before I rolled outta bed (the first time).  The weird thing is neither SN1 nor I checked the schedule and we BOTH missed the early start time... a classic case of dysfunctional synchronicity.  But that was alright; we went out and had prime rib and made a night out o' that.  But watching the game together would've been better; I can't recall the last time we did that and neither can Buck.

―:☺:―

In the "Confession is good for the soul" department (it IS Sunday)... I watched this last night:

I'm gonna have to quit sayin' I'm not a movie guy, coz I find myself watching at least two or three of the damned things a week now.  What's doubly embarrassing is a couple o' few of the movies I've watched are Chick Flicks... there's no OTHER way to describe them.  "It's Complicated" really rattled me, though, because of the similarities in timing and circumstance... chiefly because of the fact the protagonists had a 20-year marriage, were ten years divorced, and it all ended in 1999.  That's just freakin' eerie because MY little passion-play had those exact same circumstances but it wasn't as beautiful nor as funny as this movie.  Ms. Streep (I HAVE to see her in "The Iron Lady") and company held me from the beginning to the end and there were many, many "I can relate" moments in the movie.  The moral of the story... you can never go home again, in so many words... is something I should take to heart.

―:☺:―

This is good...

Except for the freakin' wind, which is gusting to 37 mph.  We may or may not sit outside on the verandah this afternoon, because that wind has the potential to ruin what would otherwise be a VERY nice day.

Sometimes It Bees That Way

Kinda-sorta like this, but different

SN1 & Co. are in town to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr's birthday with me (well... me and other members of the fam'bly) and we got off to a great start last evening.  Or rather, early this morning, to be precise.  The drive down from Leavenworth takes a lil bit o' time and the fam'bly pulled into town in the wee smalls... with Buck and Grandson Sean dropping in to El Casa Inmóvil de Pennington shortly after 0100 for a nightcap.  One nightcap turned into four and just by sheer coinkydink they departed the prem around 0415 this morning.  I finished the remains of my barley pop and retired around 0500.

So... it was another rather long night followed by yet another late start, but this one was much more pleasurable than most.  The world may not know it but a lot of what ails it got fixed last evening, with more fixing to follow tonight during Hockey Night In Portales.

Sometimes it bees that way.

Just Hockey

Tough Guys can score too... as the title sez:

Number Two, Bay-bee... Numbah TWO.  That's Darren McCarty scoring the game winning goal that gave the Beloved Wings their first Stanley Cup in 41 years.  It's also my personal all-time favorite goal.  Apropos o' not much... my only Red Wings jersey has 25 on the back, and that's an indication of just how much I like McCarty.

h/t:  The Usual Hockey Source.

The Deity At Hand

Longtime readers here at EIP know the post title is my way of referring to the Supreme Being, whose existence I acknowledge with the express caveat that I'm not sure what his or her name is.  I'm also fond o' sayin' that I hope the Supreme Being is a goddess and her name is Phoebe or Athena or something like that.  And I'm only half-joking... I'm pretty partial to the old gods and goddesses.  Thor would be in the running, too, for that matter.

But we digress.  I'm adding another candidate to the Deity Pool... this guy:

The 'toon came to me by way of a "special edition" of  Cigar Journal that was bundled along with this month's cigar re-supply.  Ya gotta like this deity's style.

Mixed Emotions

The NHL announced the All-Star game roster today, about which, this:

Added to the roster Thursday were five goaltenders, among them the Red Wings' Jimmy Howard, who leads the League in wins, and the Blues' Brian Elliott, who is second in the League in goals-against average and save percentage.

I mentioned the fact that Howard wasn't even on the All-Star ballot some time ago and expressed my outrage in a suitable manner.  That oversight's been rectified but I still have some outrage left:  Nick Lidstrom is NOT on the All-Star roster and that is unforgivable.  How the league justifies omitting a six-time Norris Trophy winner, currently ranked #14 among the NHL's 274 active defensemen, is beyond me.  Yeah, I know:  I'm a Homer.  But, seriously?  Dustin Byfuglien (-8 on the season, so far) gets in and Nick doesn't?  WTF?

Well, at least Pavel made the cut.  I suppose I should be grateful.  (/sarcasm) 

Yup

There's lotsa good stuff at the Usual Source today and I was hard-pressed to select just one 'toon from the many candidates.  But this one was the winnah:

Mr. Ariail ain't the ONLY guy who's thinkin' like this; the right side o' the blogosphere is just brimming with WTF? sorta screeds in this space.  There are lotsa thangs to take Romney to task for (some o' which, like flip-flopping, are noted above), but his performance at Bain Capital AIN'T one of 'em.  Shame.

I Shoulda Known...

Remember last week when I said I wrote my congresscritters about the FDA and cigars?  Well, today I got a response... the only response, so far... from Senator Tom Udall.  Here it is, in its entirety:

January 12, 2012

Dear Mr. Pennington,

Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 1461, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, yet every day thousands of children have their first cigarette.  Because of this and other statistics on the health risks, health costs and addictive nature of smoking, in June 2009 the Senate passed with my support S. 982, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA),  by a vote of 79-17.  The House version of this bill passed on April 2, 2009 and President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law on June 22, 2009.

This law gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authority to regulate the manufacturing, distribution, advertising, promotion, sale, and use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and other tobacco products, subject to clarification by future guidance.  The FDA subsequently issued strict restrictions on cigarette and smokeless tobacco sale, distribution, product labeling, marketing and advertising towards minors. 

In July 2011, the FDA indicated its intent to issue a proposed rule that would deem cigars, dissolvable tobacco, and e-cigarettes subject to the FSPTCA and the FDA's jurisdiction.  The FDA has not yet issued this rule, but expects to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking this fall.  Following publication of the proposed rulemaking, the FDA plans to accept and review public comments before issuing its final rulemaking.

In response to this, on August 1, 2011, Senator Bill Nelson (FL) introduced S. 1461, to exempt traditional large and premium cigars from regulation by the FDA and from user fees assessed on tobacco products by the FDA.  Upon introduction, S. 1461 was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where no further action has occurred.  I will be sure to keep your comments in mind should S. 1461 or any related legislation come before the Senate for a vote.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me.  Please feel free to contact me with your concerns regarding any federal issue by visiting my website at www.tomudall.senate.gov.  For more information, you may also visit my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Senator-Tom-Udall/106433512869 and receive up to the minute updates through my Twitter page at http://twitter.com/senatortomudall.

Very truly yours,

Tom Udall
United States Senator

Oh, my aching ass.  Thanks, Nanny.  I'm beginning to wonder about the wisdom of my decision to become a New Mexican, as my representative and both of my senators were solid, right-thinking Republicans when I was a Texan.  Now?  They're all frickin' Democrats.  I suppose that's incentive for me to get out and vote (which I ALWAYS do) but my county is decidedly RED, as are most rural constituencies in these United States.  It doesn't help my attitude to find out that S.1461 is languishing in committee, where bills go to die.  Today ain't off to a great start.  

What's For Lunch, Buck?

Oh, just the usual...

I like it.  It's been over 15 years since I was last in Scotland, but this brew meshes quite well with my memory of Scottish Heavy.  I don't think we'll do two of 'em, though, even if we are so very tempted.  This is a tasty beer.  Strong, too.

That fat stick o' incense to the left o' the beer is looks a lot like a Gurkha Status Natural in the torpedo size.  You might think that's a cigar, but who are ya gonna believe?  Me or your lyin' eyes?

Zut, Alors!

It made ME laugh.  Wait... I really mean Il m'a fait rire.

And Then There's This...

First... from yesterday's Shoebox blog:

Heh.

―:☺:―

I might be overdoing the indoor humidification program. 

It was a lot worse than this (as in the whole window was obscured by condensation) when I first got up this morning but I'm not seein' any mold anywhere, though.  Speaking o' indoor humidification... I found whole cloves at the commissary yesterday and McCormick is quite proud of their product, to the tune o' $2.07 for a .62 ounce package.  We paid the freight.

Much Ado About Not Much

We're back from running the day's errands... picked up our monthly meds, got our quarterly shearing, bought beer, and made a medium-to-large commissary run.  And picked up that certified letter, which was nothing more than a reminder from my (former) RV club that my mail service would be terminated if I didn't renew my membership.  Why they sent the notice via certified mail shall forever remain a mystery but that was a load off o' my mind.  I was expecting some sorta legal notice but we shan't go into detail about THAT.

I picked up a four-pack of Sammy Adams Wee Heavy which won't be cool enough by the time Happy Hour rolls around... mere minutes from now... as we just now put the beer in the fridge.  This won't be a session beer when I get around to drinkin' it, given the ABV is a whopping 10%.  "Normal" Scottish Heavy ain't NEAR that strong and was my brew o' choice back in the day when I ventured up to Scotland from London.  I'm looking forward to it, though.

The Class VI store also had 12-packs of Sammy Adams Winter Seasonal brews and I bought my fourth or fifth installment of same.  I really shoulda bought three 12-packs... beer keeps (for a while)... but I didn't.  I really, rilly like the Chocolate Bock and the Black and Brew that comes in those 12-packs and wish I could find those beers in something other than the 12-pack.  Alas... not HERE.

About that shearing... the Ol' Gal that cut my hair kept up a running commentary about how nice my hair was throughout the 15 minutes I was in the chair.  Words to the effect of "sooo thick!" and "you have beautiful natural highlights... wimmen pay BIG money to get that!" and so on and so forth.  Twenty years ago I mighta thought she was hittin' on me but these days I recognize that stuff for what it is: a ploy to increase the size o' the tip.  It worked, too.  I'm SO easy, if not more than a lil bit vain.

And now... Beer me!  On the verandah!

Placeholder

I gots nuthin' this morning, other than a feelin' o' dread.  There's nuthin' o' note from the Usual USAF Source and the Usual Source o' political cartoons and conservative screeds I never read looks pretty lame today, too.  I have just begun making the blog rounds (my lil version o' back fence gossip) and I don't see anything there... so far... that tickles my fancy or feeds the Muse.  

But I DO have a feelin' o' dread.  There was a lil "sorry we missed you" slip o' paper in the mailbox yesterday informing me that a uniformed agent o' the Federal Gub'mint had attempted to deliver a certified letter yesterday morning, with the "return receipt" box checked.  That cannot be good, NUTHIN' good ever comes by certified mail with the return receipt box checked.  NOT. A. THANG... unless some long-lost relative died and read me into their will.  I sincerely doubt that happened, but ya never know.

But... dread.  Now I have to get cleaned up and run down to the post office and then out to Cannon Airplane Patch to pick up this month's meds and more beer.  I may or may not buy some single malt, too.  Depending.

Why? Because I CAN

And there was JOY in P-Ville last night.  Leavenworth, too.

On a completely different (yet same, when it comes to joy) note...


Didja catch the Queen Wave at the end?  Perfect.

Fanboi Cat?

Yup.  They're freakin' EVERYwhere and even manage to cross the species line.  Jobs would be proud.

And then there's this, which I saw last week but neglected to post:

Yeah, I DO so wanna see where you can put your leg.  Really.  I do.  And I'm here to help, too.