"Never Apologize, Never Explain"*

*Widely quoted, and most often attributed to John Wayne, in the 1949 film She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, written by Frank S. Nugent and Laurence Stallings. The line is spoken by The Duke and the exact quote is "Never apologize and never explain--it's a sign of weakness." But there are many others who have used the line, and its original source remains debatable. Being the anal-retentive pedant that we ARE, we just had to get that out of the way right up front. But, like Lucy when confronted by Ricky, I feel a lil bit o' "splainin" is in order about Saturday's post. There will be no apologizing, however.

First: It was a lil over three and a half years ago when I went on the record with this statement:

"The Second Mrs. Pennington almost literally saved my life. I was headed down a bad road when I met this woman; she turned me around and is, in large part, responsible for who I became and who I am today."

That's a true fact. Those anecdotes of mine in Saturday's post that illustrated blatantly illegal and/or immoral behavior (immoral in the Judeo-Christian sense, more about which below) happened before I committed to TSMP, for the most part… the one glaring exception being The Great European Divorce Tour of 1999. The Divorce Tour seemed like a good ideer at the time (like most foolhardy adventures) and it was… in large part. I wasn't in anything like my right mind after all that crap went down and it was good to get away… "clear the mind," "lose yourself," all that psychobabble stuff. It was, however, arguably bad judgment to think I could re-live some of the seamier aspects of my misspent youth.

The foregoing does NOT include hanging out in A-Dam's coffee shops, by the way. That was as enjoyable as it ever was, but only for the conversation that was in it, yanno? (tongue, meet cheek... cheek, tongue) The other salient fact is that most of life is spent in the vertical rather than the horizontal plane. And I had never seen Prague before… or drank a Budvar. Make that many Budvars, and other interesting brews. The Czechs know beer. And now I do, too... as well as knowing many other things about that lovely city.

 
Second: About that Judeo-Christian morality thing, or more specifically the Judeo-Christian sexual mores we Americans… and to a much lesser extent, other Western cultures… live under and much more specifically, the practice of contracting for sexual services. I'm not going to do a deep-dive here as I'm basically a shallow person* and this sorta thing just ain't my style… unless it's over a few beers and/or single-malts, where there can be an extended and frank exchange of opinion… but most certainly not on a blog. Suffice it to say other cultures have radically different views on this subject.

Just as an example, there were reputedly over 400 brothels in Chiang Mai, Thailand when I went TDY there back in the mid-'70s. This, in a town of approximately 100,000 people at the time… and Chiang Mai wasn't a "sex tourism" destination. Speaking of "tourism," I don't think anyone has even attempted to count the number of whorehouses in Bangkok. Or Taipei. Or Manila. OTOH, I'm sure the Dutch authorities know exactly how many houses of ill repute there are in Amsterdam, given such establishments are licensed by the gub'mint there… and inspected, too. Not a bad idea… that inspection thing (Can you say "Nevada?").

My basic point is the old "when in Rome" argument, with only one caveat: all activities would be between consenting adults… with acute and forceful emphasis on the last two words.

So much for the splainin'.

* my favorite Woody Allen movie quote, evah. It's become a watch-phrase for life in these parts.

Inertia... and Related Stuff

So. A couple of things. In my previous post I mentioned "Inertia" and I don't want you Gentle Readers to think inertia is a bad thing… because it isn't. Not in the slightest. At this stage in life "low and slow," or inertia is most definitely a GOOD Thing. Mainly because things as they are these days are eminently predictable and safe. We've had our fill… and then some… of "experience" in this life; these days we are more than comfortable with the sedate and mundane.

Which brings us to our next point. Most of you are familiar with those Facebook or Blogger memes that ask you to list 25, 50, or 150 "things" that you may or may not have done at this point in your life's journey. I've posted a couple of them, and they're kinda-sorta mundane. But only in the sense that those things are ALL safe… meaning they are stuff that one could have done without fear of intervention on the part of The Authorities or condemnation from one's peers. I'm thinking it would be interesting to deviate (ahem) from the safe and predictable and post a list of stuff we've done that goes beyond the pale… things that transcend, in a manner of speaking, the usual "swam with dolphins" and "watched a meteor shower" sorta stuff. So, without further ado, a list of life experiences you may or may not relate to… but most probably do NOT… and in no particular order.

1. Reclined naked on a verandah whilst watching low clouds scud across the night sky... periodically obscuring a waxing moon... enjoying sweet sweat emanate from your body… and hers… San Miguel in hand, with a "for hire" sweetie in the wee small hours in the oh-so-sultry Philippine Islands clime. It don't get no better than this, Gentle Reader. But you hadda be there to appreciate the fullness of the moment.

2. Gone "window shopping" in Amsterdam… for a week or more… followed up with a sojurn in Prague, doing more of the same. The event was a combination of pleasures of the flesh and aesthetic pursuits (think: museums, architecture, food, drink), none of which I skimped on. A subject for conversation over many beers, this. (The photo is of a friend and I in Prague, never before published.)

3. Been run over by a motorcycle not 25 yards off the starting line of a race. And enjoyed every minute of it.

4. Let your competitors at said racing events in the wilds of Hokkaido, Japan get you shit-faced drunk the night before the race… and enjoyed every minute of it. But not so much the race-day that followed… when our racing endeavors were less than impressive in our hung-over state.

5. Rejected the gift of a rice-bug from yet another "for hire sweetie" whilst vowing never to kiss her again… ever… but going back on that vow not four hours later. And loving every minute of it. Ooh, yes… we DID love every minute of it!

6. Stood on The Great Wall of China. Nothing too deviant about this… but an experience, none the less.

7. Spent an evening discussing US politics into the wee smalls with a Turkish courtesan in the Black Sea port of Samsun whilst disposing a couple of bottles of raki and incurring the wrath of my buddy… who had previously negotiated an assignation with said courtesan… only to watch said assignation slip away into an alcoholic fog. And awakening the following morning to find my clothes gone missing and me in the bed of a woman at least 80 years of age who could ONLY be described as "coyote ugly." With a world-class hangover. And laughing about it later. Much later. Payback, as they say, is HELL. I can testify…

8. Rode Mad Sunday across the top of Mount Snaefell well in excess of 100 mph and broke no traffic laws (there aren't any speed limits on the closed portions of the public roads... which double as the race circuit... on Mad Sunday). This is deviant only in the sense that this sort of thing could NEVER happen on public roads in the US of A. Yet it happens every year in the Isle of Man, and I'm proud to say I both partook… and survived.

9. Watched a Tucson monsoon thunderstorm from underneath the eaves of the Davis-Monthan AFB BOQ in the wee smalls with a woman I thought might could be my life partner but later decided otherwise. But… Omigawd… what a night!

10. Committed three felonies before breakfast once upon a time… ALL of which were victimless crimes and did the participants involved much good, including YrHmblScrb… and not getting caught. We shall forgo the details of this adventure, even though I'm quite sure the statute of limitations has long since expired. It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times… as Mr. Dickens said.

11. Sang karaoke in an after-hours bar in Singapore… in suit and tie… and lived up to the Capitalist Pig image in each and every respect. My co-worker and I delivered a spirited rendition of Barrett Strong's hit "Money"… and you hadda be there to understand where I'm coming from. (The "Singapore" link isn't karaoke related but it is me, pictured on that particular trip.)

So. Now do you see why we think inertia is good? We've "been there and done that" to an extent that causes me to wonder at my good fortune from time to time, not to mention marvel at the fact we managed to escape the foibles of our youth (relatively) intact. But I wouldn't change a thing, Gentle Reader. Not ONE. It is what it is… or was.

Just Thinkin'

And you may ask yourself-well...how did I get here?

- David Byrne, "Once In A Lifetime"

Well, the answer is pretty easy in a physical sense, much less so in the metaphysical sense... but let's not go there. Let's be entirely physical... and speaking of such... here's the view of my new home... the general area, anyway... on my last leg into Portales on the the three (or was it four?) day trip out from California: December 16, 2002:

This windshield pic was taken south of Santa Rosa and north of Fort Sumner on US 84. I remember thinking "How desolate... nothing but miles and miles of miles and miles... but interesting in an other-worldly sorta way." And then, one week later, to the day:

Note the California plate on The Green Hornet. This was the first time I'd seen serious snow... and experienced serious cold... in over two and a half years. But I was thinking "Hey, I can deal with this. I'm only gonna be here for a couple of weeks... maybe a month."

Speaking of serious cold:

This shot was taken a mere three days after the snow pic above, on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas), 2002. Here I am... ten days into my stay in P-Ville and freezing my ass off. But, it was only a temporary situation, right? And visiting with SN1 & Co. compensated for the weather, in spades.

Fast forward to today... over six and a half years later... I'm still here in P-Ville, the temp is 96 degrees, and we're getting ready to call Happy Hour.

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

Inertia... it's what's for dinner. And breakfast. And lunch.

When the Goin' Gets Tough...

... the semi-tough steal shit from other bloggers. THIS is truly awe-inspiring and flat-out AMAZING:



Now, izzat cool, or what? The hat-tip goes to Gordon.

Guaranteed to Make Ya Feel Small

This vid has the most amazing graphics when viewed full-screen in HD. And it discusses "things" that few of us can even begin to comprehend, given the distances and mind-boggling numbers involved. Yet still... aren't you glad such information exists and can be freely had, just for the looking? I find this sort of stuff SO much more enlightening and entertaining than the freaking health-care brouhaha. YMMV, of course.

It Just Kinda Fits Today

Well, you're drunk in the alley, baby
With your clothes all torn
And your late night friends
Leave you in the cold grey dawn
Just seemed too many flies on you
I just cant brush them off

Angels beating all their wings in time
With smiles on their faces
And a gleam right in their eyes
Thought I heard one sigh for you
Come on up, come on up, now
Come on up, now

May the good lord shine a light on you
Make every song you sing your favourite tune
May the good lord shine a light on you
Warm like the evening sun

We're not in any of the above spaces today... physically. But the tune has been going through my head... can you say "earworm?"... ever since I woke up this morning. We're kinda-sorta pondering why this is and haven't arrived at any answers yet. But we've most definitely had worse earworms in the past. This one is better than most.

Bric-a-brac

Yesterday I had another installment in my Adventures in Modern Dentistry, but this time it was kinda cool: LANAP.

After LANAP, most patients experience new root surface coating (cementum) and new connective tissues (periodontal ligament) formation (collagen) on tooth roots, preventing tooth loss. Pocket depth reduction is excellent and comparable to that achieved by conventional resective osseous or pocket reduction surgery, but without the gingival recession normally associated with osseous surgery. Significant post-operative reduction in gingival indices, gingival inflammation, and bleeding on probing are also desirable results of LANAP.

The patient experience is also generally positive. As LANAP is tissue-sparing and contrary to the old fashioned resective paradigm, patients enjoy a smile with minimal post-operative recession and attendant disfigurement or root sensitivity. Minimization of post-therapy gingival recession also reduces the future risk of root caries/dental decay of the tooth root. Through the natural analgesic biostimulatory effects of laser irradiation, patients usually have minimal post-operative discomfort. This discomfort is easily controlled through the use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (over the counter NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen.

Laser-assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP) is head and shoulders above the alternative treatment for gum disease… by which I mean the traditional cut 'n' stitch slash approach… most specifically in its after effects. I've had the old slash and burn bit done two or three times and it ain't fun, Gentle Reader. Oh no, not at all. Recovery from that experience is measured in weeks, not hours or days, and there are on-going after-effects (like root sensitivity) that take a year or more to resolve. My biggest issue with LANAP was waiting for the anesthetic to wear off, which took a good four hours. My second biggest issue is the fact we cancelled Happy Hour yesterday and will probably do so again today. I'm thinking cigar smoke probably isn't a good idea after surgery… even laser surgery. And me with a new shipment of Big Dirt Torpedoes, too. (Sigh)

Well, we might have a beer or two this afternoon. We'll just dispense with the cee-gars. It's been done before, albeit not often.

―:☺:―

Speaking of coolness… in both the literal and figurative sense… Here's a short video from the Discovery Channel on how ice is made… at a hockey rink. And I find the process rather fascinating. But I would, ya know.

h/t: Kukla's Korner

―:☺:―

Well… there goes the housing market here on The High Plains of New Mexico… (from the usual source of these sorts of items)

Accommodating the Buildup: As Cannon AFB, N.M., continues to grow into the Air Force Special Operations Command's second hub of operations—along with Hurlburt Field, Fla.—the desert base is expected to run out of on-base dorm rooms and housing units by around the end of the year for the new throngs of arriving airmen and their families. So reported KVII TV news of Amarillo, Tex., last week. And, according to the news station, leases for off-base housing will end in 2012 or 2013. Together, these two factors are causing the Air Force to reach out to the city commission of Clovis, N.M., which is near the base, to seek assistance in dealing with the pending housing dearth. The commission is reportedly going to mull options.

This means THPoNM might be one of the very few housing markets in America that could be considered a "sellers market." I may (or may not) have mentioned at some point in the past I've been entertaining buying another house, particularly since Cannon Airplane Patch survived BRAC and looks to live longer than I will. And it certainly looks like I missed my window of opportunity in this space. While housing prices around here won't begin to approach California levels… even in the post-real-estate-collapse market… they will escalate beyond "real" value. In other words, we shall have our own "mini-bubble." It'll happen: supply and demand. Works every time.

―:☺:―

Today's Pics, Self-Indulgent Division: Well, Hell… Virtually ALL my pics are self-indulgent in one form or another. But today I'm posting the full-sized, unedited version of the pic I use on both my Blogger and Twitter profiles, plus an outtake from the same session.

Both pics were taken at an RV park just outside Oklahoma City in the Spring of 2000 (in April, to be exact). Note the old technology… which is to say humongous… cell phone sitting on the picnic table. And speaking of old technology, both pics are first-generation digital pics... taken with my old one-megapixel Kodak point and shoot, with a quality commensurate with the age.

These pics were taken back in the day when the view from the verandah changed on a frequent basis… like every week or so… sometimes more, sometimes less. It all depended on how much fun I was having wherever I happened to be…

Cheesy Videos XI: No Scotch on the Verandah Tonite!

We had some pretty heavy weather here on The High Plains of New Mexico this evening. Here's a view of the storm moving in:



And here's a view of intense rain on my bathroom window:



And here's the aftermath, sorta:

I say "sorta" coz Ma Nature is still making a lot of noise and there's LOTS of rain to the east of us. The rainbow happened during a lull in the action. I love this stuff.

You might be reading/watching tomorrow's post today... yanno?

Heh

A friend sends this along...

Yow. That IS remarkable, innit? (Y)Ezhov is a relatively obscure Rooshian, but here's what The Wiki sez about him, in part:

Yezhov was known as a determined loyalist of Joseph Stalin, and in 1935 he wrote a paper in which he argued that political opposition must eventually lead to violence and terrorism; this became in part the ideological basis of the purges. He became People's Commissar for Internal Affairs (head of the NKVD) and a member of the Presidium Central Executive Committee on September 26, 1936, following the dismissal of Genrikh Yagoda. Under Yezhov, the purges reached their height, with roughly half of the Soviet political and military establishment being imprisoned or shot, along with hundreds of thousands of others, suspected of disloyalty or "wrecking". Yezhov also conducted a thorough purge of the security organs, both NKVD and GRU, removing and shooting many officials who had been appointed by his predecessors Yagoda and Menzhinsky, but even his own appointees as well. He maintained that it was worth having ten innocent people suffer rather than letting one spy get away. (Miscellaneous links removed)

Well, Dang! The similarity doesn't end with appearances, does it?

Here... or Hair-Ray

Google thinks I live in France. No shit:

I normally never specify a place when I create these sorts of reminders for my calendar (in this case it's a reminder to pay my credit card bill), but this time I entered "here," just for grins and giggles. The above is a screen-shot of the result. And the place is basically In The Middle Of Nowhere, France, as well... in a burg named "Here." I suppose that would be pronounced "Hair-Ray." Or some such.

Heh. Next time I'll specify "There."

Sorry...

... but I seem to be getting political again. Wazzup with that, I wonder? To answer my own question: I'm thinking the general sense of anger abroad in the land is infectious — at least I seem to have caught it, anyway. And so has C-SPAN Washington Journal caller Leah from New Hampshire, who let go with both barrels (just hit play; it's under four minutes):



I used to be a real Washington Journal junkie over the last few years, and most especially in the run-up to the election last year. But I've been off it of late... mostly because of my upside-down sleeping habits (the program begins at 0500 hrs local). That said, I also found myself hitting the mute button on a lot of callers in the recent past. Leah, on the other hand, is unlike most Journal callers in that she's organized, succinct, and above all: passionate and truthful. We're rapidly reaching a point in this country where we're ALL fed up with the gub'mint, and MOST especially our congresscritters. (Not mine, though... all three are Texas Republicans, and not one is named "Ron Paul." Or "Sheila Jackson Lee," for that matter. Nuff said?)

"Interesting times." Yes, indeedy.

h/t: Ed Morrissey at Hot Air.

―:☺:―

One more item of a political bent... General Merrill McPeak (former USAF Chief of Staff, 1990 - 1994) in yesterday's WSJ:

High-end conventional war is characterized by the clash of industrial forces. It’s armored, mechanized and increasingly air-power centric. Few are equipped by training or temperament to understand the phenomenon, especially as it concerns air warfare, a relatively recent aspect of the human experience. (In this regard, Saddam Hussein had plenty of company.) But the bottom line is that in high-end conventional war, neither our Army nor Navy can be defeated unless someone first defeats our Air Force.

For high-end conventional war we’ve built an Air Force that, for now, is virtually unbeatable. Anyone looking at our air-power capabilities knows there is little hope they can concentrate conventional forces for decisive engagement of our Army or Navy. We will track them and pick them to pieces. When Saddam Hussein tried us on for size in the early-1990s, the ground war was a four-day walkover that followed the initial 39 days of aerial combat.

So today, no one in his right mind wants to fight us in a conventional war. Many are saying this another way: that we have no “peer competitor,” that there is no threat of high-end conventional war. I wouldn’t bet the ranch on that, but, if it is so, it is a desirable condition and one that didn’t happen by accident.

[...]

The future air combat capabilities we should build are based on the F-22, a stealthy, fast, maneuverable fighter that is unmatched by any known or projected combat aircraft. But the F-22’s production run may soon come to an end at just 187 planes, well short of establishing the fleet size we need. After all, it’s expensive, and getting more so as the number contemplated has been repeatedly reduced. In an argument they seem to think makes sense, critics say the aircraft has no worthy opponent—as if we want to create forces that do have peer competitors.

It’s been more than half a century since any American soldier or Marine has been killed, or even wounded, by hostile aircraft, a period roughly coincident with the existence of the Air Force as a separate service. Even during the Korean War—the Air Force’s first engagement wearing new, blue uniforms—enemy air attack was primitive and rare. The main air battle was fought along the Yalu River, just as in Vietnam it was fought over Hanoi, and in Desert Storm, over Baghdad. Our guys on the ground had hard work to do, but when they looked up, they saw only friendly skies.

For the life of me, I can’t understand why we should wish to change this.

Way t'go, Tony! Attaboy! In one fell swoop you've nearly (but not quite) erased the world's greatest, all-time and forever "Aw Shit." I'm referring, of course, to the fact General McPeak was a national co-chair of "Obama For President." Now THAT'S an "aw shit" of epic proportions, innit? But good on him for going against The Boss and advocating for the F-22. Not that it'll change anything... I think The Fat Lady done finished singin'.

―:☺:―

Apropos of nothing... SN1 will be disapproving, if not appalled, by my familiarity in the above paragraph. Yet again. I asked him in one of our discussions Friday evening if he'd happened to catch Tony Zinni's appearance on Charlie Rose this past week... specifically, Zinni's opinions on Afghanistan and more specifically, Kandahar (to summarize Zinni: "Kandahar is the most dangerous place in Afghanistan at the moment."). All I got was a quizzical look in return and a "Who's Tony Zinni?" "Only the retired CENTCOM CinC," sez I (actually I said "former Commandant of the Marine Corps," but I was wrong. First time ever.) "OH!" sez he... "GENERAL Zinni! I'm not in the habit of calling four-stars by their first names."

Heh. I guess I've been away from the military way too long. But it has been nearly 25 years now... Still and even, I guess I was being a bit cheeky. But you know damned well that if I ever should meet General Zinni in the flesh I WILL address him as "General." Yes, Sir!

―:☺:―

Finally: On this day in 1675 – The foundation stone of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, today the basis of the Prime Meridian, was laid in Greenwich, London. How 'bout that? Rule, Britannia! (from The Wiki, of course.)

Astroturfing

We were gonna take today off (in the blogging sense) since we (a) got an incredibly late start today due to an incredibly sleepless night and (b) just coz everyone needs a day off every so often. But I just can't resist this... click for larger:

Of course, this all has to do with Madame Pelosi's comment about the insurance industry "astroturfing" all the health care town-halls and the like where real people happen to turn up with real questions. Astroturfing, my ass.

But then again... as many folks have noted in many other spaces on these here intertubes... it's a standard liberal ploy to accuse your opposition of doing just what you yourself are doing. Or have done... see the "my ass" link above. And thanks to commenter ManlyDad at Lex's place (August 9th, 2009 at 12:32 pm) for the image link.

Found...

... while checking out a link to a link in comments on that water-slide vid at Lex's place. More fake stunts, but this one is way-cool:



Now just imagine being a passenger on that train were this REAL.

Apropos of Nothing

I mentioned in comments SN1 is in town, bedding the family down before he heads out to Kandahar. We fixed the world for quite a while last evening whilst sitting on the verandah knocking back more than a few barley pops and assorted other adult beverages. Some of last night's remnants:

I'll spare you a view of the empties, Gentle Reader. And yes, I feel fine today.

A Lil Light Reading for a Friday Afternoon...

That's a screen shot from memeorandum, date/time as noted in the upper right-hand corner (click for larger). The reddish links are things I've read, the blue yet-to-be-read... but I probably won't read even half of this stuff. I'm just killing a lil bit o' time waiting for SN1 & Co. to arrive so we can begin Happy Hour... which has been seriously delayed. I'll have to counsel the boy about punctuality once he arrives. But we digress.

You'll note from the headlines in the image that it is getting VERY ugly out there. Assaults. Intimidation from union goons and thugs... and that's from our friends on the Left. Wasn't it supposed to be the conservatives who were/are the mob at these town-hall meetings? I won't be at all surprised if I read about riots in the coming days and weeks...

Ugly.

Another Stolen Bit...

Via Lex, who posted the link with the pithy post title "Math," followed with an oh-so-accurate summation: "It really is important." And that was it... all, end of report.

Heh. But that IS way-cool, no?

Further...

Remember The Smoking Hot Cigar Chick I posted the other day? Well... here's a counterpoint:



Kim is... ummm... much more like it, no? And by "it" I mean "down to earth." That's my Bud Tim on the right (I use the term "Bud" loosely, but he takes great care of me). As a matter of fact, I got off the phone with him about five minutes ago... after ordering a box of these:

They should be here on Monday, accompanied by another five of those Nica Libres. My cigar consumption rate has gone through the roof now that summer is here. Well... that's not entirely true. It's only doubled... from one to two. Sometimes three. What the Hell... life is short, and getting shorter.

Twitter Still Down?

It looks like it... at this writing... coz what you see on the right is what I see in my G-Mail box.

This was a BIG DoS attack... from a Russian hacker. From CNet News:

A Georgian blogger with accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal, and Google's Blogger and YouTube was targeted in a denial-of-service attack that led to the sitewide outage at Twitter and problems at the other sites on Thursday, according to a Facebook executive.
The blogger, who uses the account name "Cyxymu," (the name of a town in the Republic of Georgia) had accounts on all of the different sites that were attacked at the same time, Max Kelly, chief security officer at Facebook, told CNET News.

[...]

Twitter was down for several hours beginning early Thursday morning, and it suffered periodic slowness and time-outs throughout the day.

[...]

In the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on the sites, computers that have been compromised by viruses or other malware are instructed by the attacker's computer to visit the specific Web sites all at the same time and repeatedly. The barrage of connection requests overwhelms the target sites, making it so that legitimate Web traffic can't get through.
Such coordinated attacks require the efforts of tens of thousands or more of hijacked computers, which together form a botnet. Spammers send e-mails with malicious attachments or URLs to millions of people to create botnets. Criminals also can lease existing botnets for specific campaigns for as little as 5 cents to 10 cents per bot.

Facebook and YouTube were hit, too. I dunno about Facebook (I deactivated my account a couple of months ago) but I had no trouble with YouTube yesterday. I still can't log in to Twitter, though.

MUCH more at Techmeme, including how Google was impacted by the DoS attacks. There must be 50 different articles on this subject. And you thought Twitter was just a toy, didn't you? (/snark)

Update, 15 minutes later: I reloaded G-Mail and TwitterGadget came alive. Twitter was probably up all along... it's me that's the twit. Heh.

Today's Funny

I've not had any comment on the "Birther" (or lately: Nirther, whatever the Hell THAT means) phenomenon here at EIP... but I've dropped comments on the subject at the few political blogs I still read... and they (political blogs) are indeed few and far between these days. That said... I agree with folks who say Birthers ain't doin' nuthin' but making Republicans/conservatives look like a bunch of mouth-breathers without the sense God gave a pissant. Just frickin' stop it, already... there are other, bigger fish to fry.

And about political blogs, in general: at some point in time I might post a rant on this subject, but it would be hard to top... or equal... what some of my daily reads (most especially Andy, Daphne, and Alison) have said on this subject in recent days. This "same ol', same ol'" boring crap from both the left AND the right just ain't good for your health, yanno? But it seems to be worse on the right, who appear much more adept at... and prone to... flogging dead horses than I would have believed possible. I never thought I'd say that...

And that was much more than I intended to say, come to think on it. I need a beer. (insert smiley-face thingie here)

Toon credit: the same, as always.

Update, 2100 hrs: Just in from an extended after-dinner whiskey session on the verandah... and I read this in comments:

Oh, Buck, please let us not fall into the trap of applying adjectives to other people's concerns. We live in America (some of it even a free state) and have the right to voice our views on anything. As for myself, were I in the unenviable position BO is, I'd haul out that real birth certificate and end the hue and cry. Only reasons I can think of that he doesn't? 1. It is not real. 2. Creating enmity instead of friendship is a goal of some.
But I'm going for a lager. The only I don't like is an unopened one.

Well. We can agree on the beer. But as for the other? I can think of at least two other plausible reasons The One doesn't want his birth certificate made public.

(a) Suppose Mr. Obama is a legal bastard? Which is to say his mother and father weren't married when he was born... wouldn't YOU want to preserve your dead mother's dignity? Especially in America, where one can easily imagine the hue and cry about a "love child" occupying the White House. This is NOT beyond the pale.

(b) To continue to give the Lunatic Fringe enough rope to hang themselves, as if they haven't done so already. But this approach, if it is indeed the case, is simply clever politics. And it seems to be working.

Those are just two plausible reasons. But, yes, this is indeed America... where one is free to believe whatever stupid shit one chooses to believe. Cases in point: there are hundreds of thousands of Americans alive today who fervently believe the CIA was behind JFK's assassination. There are tens of thousands of Americans who believe Dubya was behind 9/11. ALL of these people are asshats, but they are asshats who are free to exercise their right under the First Amendment to believe what they want to believe and shout it from the rooftops (or their blogs) if the spirit so moves them. As are the Birthers.

And I'm free to call it as I see it, too. IMHO ALL conspiracy theorists are... in general... asshats, the Birthers included. But I repeat myself to an extraordinary degree (it's the Glenfiddich, more than anything). YMMV.

That aside... it was a most beautiful evening under the stars here on The High Plains of New Mexico. Tonight's sunset was moderately spectacular, in that there was enough dust aloft after a day of exceedingly brisk winds to cast the most remarkable pink glow across the entire visible sky. The winds subsided enough around dusk to make an extended stay outdoors (which is to say: two whiskeys rather than the usual, customary, and reasonable one) not only desirable but almost mandatory. So we listened to our Inner Drunk and complied. And we're glad we did.

Just Poured My Second Cup...

... and I spent the entire time it took to drink my first cup (after answering comments) looking around on YouTube for the studio version of this tune:



... which (1) apparently doesn't exist and (2) is apropos to at least ONE comment made to yesterday's "Odds and Ends" post.

No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along when ya slide on down...

In one respect: Heh. In another: still a favorite tune, on a favorite album.