Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Assigning Motives

First, I should say that I've held writing this for several days, awaiting an email response. Receiving none, I'm getting this off my chest:

One thing that really bothers me is when people assign motives to other people. And I need to be careful here that I don't do the same.

Here at this little blog, we occasionally do the "Open TrackBack Parties" as so other blogs. I wrote a little about it the other day in this post.

I didn't mention the first time I realized I was writing posts about other people's posts. But here's where I discovered what I was doing.

So, I didn't intentionally start listing other people as a way of getting links back. And it never developed into a way of getting links back.

I found that people responded postively to the listings. Which surprised me.

Then I found that people responded postively to getting linked. Which surprised me. (Well, one didn't like my listing him, but he's a hate-filled left, so there.)

And when I skipped a listing, people responded with things like "Where's Breakfast?" Which surprised me.

Now, unless I'm reading something wrong, bad motives have been assigned to what I've been doing. Which has surprised me.

Here's what NZ Bear emailed to Glenn Reynolds:
the blogosphere is a community, and the more the community as a whole shuns stunts such as "open trackback parties" that exist for no reason other than to exchange link counts, the less I'll have to worry about figuring out the latest algorithmic way to filter such exploits out. I can handle the obvious out-for-profit spam blogs --- it's the "real" bloggers who like to skirt the grey areas that I need the community's help to dissuade from bad behaviour.

Perhaps I'm unclear on what he's saying. When he says "'open trackback parties' that exist for no reason other than to exchange link counts" does he mean:
  1. That's what all Open TrackBack parties are? Nothing more than to exchange links? And that's what wrong with them all?
  2. That's what some Open TrackBack parties are and those are the one that are bad? But those that serve another purpose are okay? Or all are bad because some are bad?

I think he meant the former. And that's where I need to be careful. I don't want to assign the wrong meaning to what he said.

But if he said that all Open TrackBack parties exist for "exchange link counts" then he's sadly mistaken.

I can't speak for other bloggers. But Beth (MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy) has often said that she was "too lazy" to write something and just threw an "Open TrackBacks" post together. And bloggers will do that. Frank J. (IMAO) once threw out a "make up your own headlines" kind of post and it was the genesis for the Headline News feature on this little blog. So, asking the readers to supply content isn't new. Or bad.

But I'm reading what NZ Bear wrote as assigning bad motives. And if I'm reading him right, I take exception.

You want to do some research? Go check my "Articles of Interest" posts and see how many I link to don't accept TrackBacks. I'm curious, because I haven't done the research. But I do know that there is usually one, often two, and sometimes five links to posts that don't accept TrackBacks. So, I'm not getting a link back. And I could easily skip those if that's what I was after. It's not.

So, if NZ Bear didn't mean that all Open TrackBack posts "exist for no reason other than to exchange link counts" then I think a clarification is in order.

Or, if it's clear to all but me, then I owe him an apology.

But, if he meant what he said, he needs to understand that not everyone has bad motives. And he owes several blogs an apology.

Headline News 11-30-2005

From CNN:
Bush: 'America will not run'
Democrats angry at being called 'not American'

From CNN:
Father suspect in opera singer death
Charges against Bugs Bunny dropped

From ABC News:
TSA to OK Scissors, Tools in Air
Flying with scissors okay, running with scissors still bad idea

From ABC News:
Brilliant Bush Has NFL Swooning
President to play for Cowboys in 2009

From ABC News:
Man Accused of Deliberate Finger Severing
'Man From The South' arrested*

From ABC News:
States Restrict Use of Autopsy Photos
Christmas parties not as much fun this year

From ABC News:
Astronomers in Chile discover new planet
Planet Hollywood Santiago opens

From ABC News:
War Resisters Remain in Canada with No Regrets
Americans don't miss them either

From ABC News:
Saturn's Largest Moon Has Dramatic Weather
Bush blamed

From ABC News:
Monkey Gene Chip May Help Researchers
Also available in Barbeque, Sour Cream & Onion

Supper 11-30-2005

Try one of these specials with your supper:

  • Acidman is taking it one day at a time

  • Sisu posts a picture of a cock

  • Sean Gleeson lites a Bonfire

  • The Therapist John from WuzzaDem says Ron will be back soon. One day. Maybe.

  • Bob Parks (Black & Right) says disabled vets are being overlooked

  • Blackfive hosts a lively discussion

  • BlameBush! looks at Dicks *

  • Tiffany nearly blows a fuse over a departing employee

  • SpaceMonkey is nearly ready to start shaving, based on that picture

  • Taleena (Sun Comprehending Glass) goes on a rant, just in time for the holidays

  • The Blog Interviews continue ... taking your questions for The Florida Masochist and Gennie from Dizzy Girl.

Lunch 11-30-2005

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Happy Birthday Winston Churchill

Winston ChurchillSir Winston Churchill was born on this day in 1874.

Americans have always thought more of him than the British. Why was that? Do they know something we don't know? Or do Americans see the bigger picture?

Some quotes:

"I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents."

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."

"It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required."

"Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events."

"One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half."

"The price of greatness is responsibility."

"When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber."

"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."

"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope."

Yes, we Americans like Winston Churchill.

Cross-posted at Pyjamas Media

Breakfast 11-30-2005

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Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Football Season Ending

White Trash Wednesdays

Yeah, in case you ain't figured it out, football's pretty big in this part of the country. Some say football is a religion. Other say it's as important as life and death.

Lots of folks talk big about their high school football teams. In Georgia, the high school that has the biggest tradition is Valdosta High. Football fans in Georgia that have never been to Valdosta still know about Wright Bazemore and Nick Hyder. They was coaches, in case you didn't know that.

Valdosta seems to always make the playoffs. They don't always win State, but they've won it more than anybody.

But not this year. They got beat a couple of weeks ago by Camden County, which was one of the top teams in the country this year. Until they got beat. And the team that beat Camden County, plays for state against ... get this ... Lowndes County.

You don't get it, do you? Lowndes County is the county where ... Valdosta is located!

So, Valdosta gets booted out of the playoffs, and another team from Valdosta plays for the state championship.

It seems that Valdosta just keeps pumping out the football players.

Used to be, when a family had a good, strong football player in the household, they'd change the city limits to include that property and drop the property of someone whose boy had graduated. That way, the good players went to Valdosta, and Lowndes County High got the leftovers.

Don't believe me? Look at this map of Valdosta.

See how funny-shaped the grey area is? That's caused all the football players didn't live next door to each other.

That's how folks build football teams around here.

Or at least how city councils build them.

But high school football ain't the only football in Georgia. We gotcha college football, too.

In the big colleges, there's the University of Georgia, who's playing for the SEC title against LSU. That game's going to be in Atlanta at the Dome.

Last weekend, the Dawgs beat the Humble Bumbles of Georgia Tech in Atlanta. That game was at the Dome, too.

And if Georgia whups up on LSU, they'll play in the Sugar Bowl ... at the Dome in Atlanta.

So the Dawgs got a chance to play three straight road games in the same stadium in the same season ... and it's not their stadium. Only in Georgia.

Still, not everybody's happy with college football in Georgia. Seems that down in Statesboro, Georgia Southern gone and fired their coach. Mike Sewak got the boot ... and his whole coaching staff did too.

Hard times in Statesboro. On the college level. At the high school level, they're doing okay in the 'Boro. Statesboro High plays for state this weekend.

Football is life and death? Nope. It's much more important than that.

Headline News 11-29-2005

From CNN:
France threatens Iran with U.N.
Iran's regime resigns, democracy breaks out

From CNN:
Vatican issues gay policy document
New policy gayer than old policy

From CNN:
China aims for the moon
Premier says "One of these days ... POW! To the moon!"

From WEWS:
Man: OJ contained toilet deodorizer
Murder of Nicole and Ron explained

From WDIV:
Piece of airplane damages house
Wing had been in trouble as a youth

From CNN:
New Orleans launches free wireless Internet network
Homeless forget trouble by surfing porn

From CNN:
S. Korea's education under new microscope
World smallest college opens

From ABC News:
Iran Trying to Bolster Its Space Program
Developes three-stage camel

From ABC News:
Highest Wages in East, Lowest in South
Proof that you'd have to pay someone a lot to live up there

From ABC News:
Fugitive Who Asked 'What's Up?' Arrested
Bugs Bunny collared

Supper 11-29-2005

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Lunch 11-29-2005

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Breakfast: 11/29/2005

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Monday, November 28, 2005

Judge Not…

It's that time of year!

No, not Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the like.

I'm talking about the Weblog Awards.

Nominations have closed and the finalists are being chosen in 37 categories. A lot of good blogs were nominated. And that means a lot of good blogs are going to be left out of the finals.

Last year was my first year reading blogs, and it was my first year voting in the Weblog Awards. I wondered why some of the blogs I liked weren't listed.

Well, this year, I've looked at the list of nominees in some of the categories, and in a couple, tried to narrow the list down to 15-20.

That's hard to do. Very hard.

While it would be easy to just select my favorite 10-15 of a category, the judges in the process have to try to keep an open mind about things and leave their personal biases aside.

For example, if I were to try to pick the Best Blog finalists, I'd have to include some blogs that I really don't like. I don't care for Kos, Eschaton or Huffington Post, but I honestly think they should be a finalist. I wouldn't vote for them, but if I was a judge for that category, I'd have to include them in the finals.

It's one of those things that you don't want to do, but you do because you know it's what you should do. Ya' know? I'm glad I'm not involved in picking the Best Blog finalists!

Anyway, the finalists in all the categories will be announced over at Wizbang soon. Or at the Weblog Awards site.

And I imagine there will be a lot of people not happy with the finalists in just about every category. But you know what? If you don't like how things turn out, why don't you offer to help out next year?

I'm certain it was hard for all the judges to make the picks. Keep that in mind.

But, when the finalists are announced, go vote. Have fun with it. Remember, if you're not having fun blogging or reading blogs ... don't.

Headline News: 11/28/2005

From ABC News:
Thanksgiving in the CIA's Secret Prisons
Americans thankful terrorists are locked up

From ABC News:
Baltimore Museum of Oddities to Close
No plans on where city's conservatives will live now

From ABC News:
Thousands Attend New Orleans Zoo Reopening
Homeless no longer homeless

From ABC News:
Bigfoot-Sized Ape Lived Alongside Humans
Michael Moore's early years explained

From ABC News:
Opera Fans Eager for 'American Tragedy'
New Andrew Lloyd Webber show "W" to open in January

From ABC News:
Feingold: U.S. Due for 'Cheesehead' Prez
Dems to continue to stop running chowderheads

From ABC News:
Inmates to Process Moose Meat for Charity
Money raised will finance scholarship to Wassamatta U.**

From ABC News:
Sons Pay $119,400 for Ginseng to Help Mom
Don't remember why

From ABC News:
Many cancer patients continue to smoke
But not for long

From ABC News:
Iraq a Tricky Issue for Dems Eyeing 2008
Dems just realize they won't be able to run against Bush

Lunch 11-28-2005

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Breakfast: 11/28/2005

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Sunday, November 27, 2005

Guard Duty

A little over a week ago, I was fighting a cold by taking Zicam and watching college football. I also had the laptop fired up. I ran across a post I had missed from A Fistful of Fortnights. It reminded me of something.

When I was in the Army, my first duty station was Ft. Stewart. There I was, a 33-year-old enlisted man in the Army, pulling guard duty. How I got to be a 33-year-old enlisted man is another story for another day.

Since my hometown wasn't that far from Ft. Stewart, I didn't live on post. I lived at home. With the wife (now ex-wife) and kids. Not on post.

So it surprised me when I saw my name on guard duty on the barracks. I casually asked about it and was told that all the soldiers in the barracks had a responsibility to guard the barracks. "But I don't live on post," I said. And I was told that it was my choice to not live in the barracks and that they had a spot for me. My family didn't seem to enter into the equation.

So, finally my night to pull barracks duty came. And I showed up as scheduled for my four-hour slot. At midnight. On a weekend.

I got my instuctions and began guarding "everything within the limits of my post." So, I decided to take my job seriously. So, I walked the area all around the barracks and the parking lot.

The parking lot? The parking lot. THE PARKING LOT!

A plan formed in my evil little mind.

So, on my next round in the parking lot, I decided to check to ensure that all the doors were locked. All the car doors. On every car.

Now, you got to remember that the parking lot was full of cars bought by 19-year-old privates off from home for the first time, making more money than they had ever made before. Not that the Army paid a lot, but it sure out-pays McDonald's.

So, what's a kid with money and no responsibilities (other than being prepared to die for his country) going to do? I'll tell you what. He's going to buy a car. And put a car alarm on it.

Yes, a car alarm.

And almost all of them will do it.

So, when some 33-year-old smart-aleck has to pull guard duty on a weekend for barracks he doesn't live in, he's going to check every car door. Every last one of them.

So, for four hours, I walked around the barracks and parking lot, setting off every car alarm in the lot. After four hours of that, my shift ended.

For some reason, I never pulled barracks duty again at Ft. Stewart.

Brunch: 11/27/2005

Try one of these specials with your weekend brunch:

Oddybobo

The Blog Interviews continue. Today, it's a pleasure to welcome Oddybobo...



It looks like the questioners are ready ...


So we begin...

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Bush Bashers Blow It

If it looks too good to be true, it is.
I shouldn't oughter do it, but a lefty blog called: "AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth" posted a story:
FOX News: Bush approval now at 28%
But the trouble was, that was not true. Turns out the blog picked it up from another Web site, the Canadian-based faux al-Jazeera site (that is doubly bad; I fell for that fake al-Jazeera site once myself).
AmericaBlog corrected the error.
My point is not to mock the left, but to remind people: Double check. Especially if it is something you want: Double check.
Thus Drudge fell in spring 2004 for the false report on John Kerry's "affair." Thus CBS fell in fall 2004 for the forgery on George Bush's honorable military service.
Cross posted at Don Surber.

Saddam's Evil From Jail

The evil of the regime of Saddam Hussein continues from the political grave, the Times of London reports.
Saddam faces chrges of the slaughter of 143 people in Dujail, at least 46 of whom were tortured in prison before execution. Yet this incident has not been given 1% of the coverage given the dick-mocking by Lyynndie England.
Witness intimidation is evident as those who testify on behalf of the prosecution. One leaflet found around Dujail translates into:
"Anyone who testifies in the court against the leader Saddam Hussein and his colleagues will receive something from us that will not please him and that goes to that person’s brothers, sons, daughters, cousins and entire tribe."
No doubt Saddam will get the fair trial that he denied tens of thousands. But whether there is justice is another matter.
Had we listened to the Left, Saddam would still be running things, bribes would still be paid the French and the UN and instead of facing random bombings by Baathists, the people would face random state-sponsored torture and execution.
My contempt for the Left grows with each report like this. They whine about the FBI looking at the Overdue List at the library while greeting with utter silence the atrocities of this regime -- which they wanted kept in power.
Cross posted at Don Surber.

Christmas Parade

The mayor of Encinitas, Calif., is today's hero. Tired of all the politically correct nonsense, Dan Dalager has changed the name of the town's annual parade back to the Christmas Parade. Woo-hoo.
"There is a Christian holiday called Christmas that is celebrated in churches, and there is a Christian holiday called Christmas that is about Santa Claus and reindeer and snowmen and getting together with family and friends and having parades and all this stuff. We are celebrating the American holiday called Christmas."
Anyone who doesn't like it can sue and prepare for a court hearing at 6 a.m., Friday, Dec. 25, to prove standing in the case (that way city officials don't have to show up).
This is not about forcing a religion down the throats of anyone in a secular society. This is a recognition of the reality that some want to distort.
It is Christmas. Call it what it is or Santa will leave a lump of coal in your stocking.
He follows my Canadian Hero who earlier this week got Boston to call its Christmas tree a Christmas Tree.
Cross posted at Don Surber.

Brunch: 11/26/2005

Try one of these specials with your weekend brunch:

Wal-Mart Man

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Meet the next Wal-Mart millionaire. This unidentified man is charged with the high and hideous crime of linejumping. Who does he think he is? John Kerry?

Store security immediately pounced upon the guy and wrestled him to the ground. But they were undercover store security. So the guy could claim he was just defending himself against hoodlums. He was charged with trespassing and let go. Trespassing? At a store? What next, loitering at a library?

I figure he gets a lawyer and collects big bucks. After all, we live in a country where a jury awards $2.9 million to a woman who spilled coffee on herself.

Cross posted at Don Surber.

Friday, November 25, 2005

The Steel Deal

Time again for another weekend of Blog Interviews. And this weekend we have some great ones lined up. Today, it's Steel, from The Steel Deal...


The questioners are ready ...


So let's do this thing!

Supper: 11/25/2005

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Lunch 11-25-2005

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How To Be A Dumbass, Part II

Have you ever felt like an ass? I have. Recently. Very recently.

While looking for spelling errors in some recent posts, I noticed a content error in one. An error of omission.

Over a week ago, I began preparing a "Thanks" post regarding the move of this little blog from TypePad to a WordPress platform. But one thing or another happened and I never did finish it. I had it saved as a "draft" for days. Then, at Thanksgiving, it occurred to me that I should go ahead and post it. So, I scheduled it for today (the day after Thanksgiving).

But I didn't finish the post.

So, when it showed up this morning at a minute after midnight, it was an unfinished post.

And I failed to mention a thanks to someone who helped me through the move: Don Suber, who blogged a lot ... a lot ... here.

I've gone and corrected that post. I probably should write more, because others helped me through the move and were also left out. But, if it were not for Don, this little blog would have withered away.

Thanks, Don!

Breakfast: 11/24/2005

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Thursday, November 24, 2005

NZ Bear, TTLB, and TrackBacks

There's been lots and lots of discussion in the blog-o-sphere about NZ Bear's decision to stop counting TrackBack links in his Ecosystem. Not to mention his most recent decision to consider "weighing" outgoing links.

Since this little blog is one with lots of TrackBack links posted, this little blog would quite possibly be affected by the decision.

So what?

Back in February, when this little blog began a large jump in the Ecosystem (from nowhere on to #332 in 57 days), I said:
If you have been to those sites I listed, you'd know that there is no way I should be ranked above them in any way whatsoever.That means there is a flaw in the rankings.

As I understand it, the Ecosystem reads links on the front page of Web sites to other Web sites. Then totals them up and ranks them. This counts BlogRolls. Here's where something bothers me. Let's say I'm on the Alliance BlogRoll (I am). Let's say I'm on the Homespun Bloggers BlogRoll (I now am). And let's say Goober's Blog (not to be confused with the Goober Queen) is also a member of both. Does TTLB count that at 2 links for me? I'm thinking that, at most, one BlogRoll link should be all that's counted. But, that may not be possible. Still, I can join a bunch of BlogRolls and move up in the Ecosystem. That doesn't seem right.

Likewise, I'll post little link-dumps listing stuff I saw that day that was interesting or funny or something. I'll also send TrackBacks to the posts I link. Is that a breach of etiquette? Should I only send them if I'm writing a full post and not a little "go read this" kind of thing?

I still feel that the Ecosystem needs tweaking. And it looks like Bear is tweaking it. And, I hope, for the better.

Now, would this little blog drop like a stone? Maybe. So what? We ain't got no business being in the top 100 -- much less top 40 -- anyway.

Now, just why have we had those Open TrackBack posts anyway? Some folks seem to like them. Quite honestly, they're a pain. But a little background on how they came about. Here anyway.

Thanks!

I want to publicly thank some people for the help with this little blog.

First, some background (I'll try to make it quick).

I got fed up with TypePad's reluctance to accept that problems (and some still are) present in their TrackBack system. So we moved to a WordPress setup.

Thanks to phin, Beth, and Jo for being the first to really press WordPress. Others also sang the praises of WordPress, but those three -- all at around the same time and prior to the TypePad TrackBack issue -- had mentioned WordPress to me. So thanks.

Next, thanks to Bruce at Conservative Cat for his help in locating the behind-the-scenes problems with TrackBacks at TypePad. The man knows his stuff! He helped me confim it wasn't me with the problem, but TypePad.

Also, a huge thanks goes to Travis Benning. He put me in touch with DreamHost, and provided much in the way of assistance, tips, guidance, and support in setting up with them.

Since I manage many Web sites other than blogs (plus some blogs), and since I needed a host for those anyway, and since he helped me with a discount on hosting, I went with DreamHost as a Web host.

A special thanks to Matt at GoingToday.com for helping me acquire hosting equipment and for help with Windows 2003 Server setup. He is also a sponsor of this little blog. Go visit GoingToday.com and see what today's special is.

Despite running my own server, I've experienced some performance issues. Running six sites and two blogs from my own server has put a strain on it, and taken up lots of bandwidth. So, I've moved this little blog from my own server to DreamHost.

And moving from IIS to Apache has caused some issues because of how PHP is handled. Yeah, I wrote about that issue earlier. And one of the worst issues -- to me anyway -- is that I had to change the filename of all my posts. Which meant as many as 13,892 links (according to Technorati) could be broken.

Well, Christian Doeleman, answering my question on the DreamHost discussion forum, provided me with the solution. And it works! Thanks, Christian!

Now, have I left anyone out? Sure. Lots of folks. Like Richard at Hyscience (who gets so many e-mails that his mailbox keeps filling up and mine get rejected when I tried to thank him). And Kimberly. And ... okay, the list goes on and on. So I'm going to leave others out.

But I can't thank Don Surber enough for blogging for me while I was making the move.

But I do wish to thank everyone that has helped us limp through this moving process.

State Budgets

Jack Kennedy surrounded himself with great writers. The rising tide lifts all boats is one of the best explanations of why capital gains taxes should be rolled back. Now as the best Christmas shopping season is about to hit, NYT points out Bushonomics is helping states. The 5% unemployment rate means states are cashing in. (Hat tip: Lucianne.com)

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, is that only five states were forced to make midyear budget cuts, totaling $634 million, in the fiscal year that ended, for most states, on June 30.

That's a bass-ackward way of saying 45 states are on target or rolling in money. The New York Times story buries the fact that the five states include Louisiana, which basically was killed by Hurricane Katrina.
But states face major problems. Medicaid (health insurance for the poor) and public employee pension plans are torpedos headed for their bows. Projections in Florida is Medicaid will consume 61% of its budget in the next 10 years, up from 24%. Attempts to rein that sucker in will require political fortitude that sadly is lacking nationally. The Terminator going oh-fer-eight on his ballot initiatives in California is not encouraging.
Still, the national economy is strong. Now is the time to fix these internal problems. I doubt that will happen.
Cross posted at Don Surber.

Cranberry News

Picking up on some intellectual journal (Caries Research -- on your magazine stand between FHM and Maxim) Reuters reports that cranberries may prevent tooth decay.
It trots out Hyun Koo, an oral biologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.

"There's potential to find compounds there that prevent dental cavities. ... The biggest problem with any cranberry product is the (food) industry -- they add sugar. Sugar is the main enemy in causing cavities."

They load them up with sugar because cranberries taste like crap.
But sure, for now cranberries prevent caries. Then we will start eating them year-round, get hooked and then some scientist will say they cause cancer.
Hat tip: Lucianne.com

Cross posted at Don Surber

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

All Day Open TrackBacks: 11/24/2005

If you have a Thanksgiving Day post to share via TrackBack, use this post instead.

If you have an interesting post -- unrelated to Thanksgiving -- that you'd like to share, please leave a TrackBack to that post, and please link to this post so that others can enjoy the fun. If you need help with TrackBacks, Harvey of Bad Example has an excellent primer here, or check out my post about TrackBacks here. If your blog can't generate TrackBacks, use either the form here or here.

Thanks Giving

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It's a day set aside for giving thanks for the many blessing we have received. Many families will gather together, many good times will be shared, and many meals will be consumed.

But there are people who don't have families with whom to gather together, who are suffering hardships and having trouble making ends meet, and are cold and hungry. Think about these people. While there are some people that you just can't help, there are many, many more you can. Find a way to help others as you recoginize all the blessings you have received.

And don't forget to give thanks for what you have. Don't worry about what you don't have. The Good Lord has been very kind and gracious to use, allowing us to reap the benefits of living in the United States of America. Let's don't lose sight of that fact.

Thank God for all the things He has placed on this world for us.

Thanksgiving Day, 2005

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Thanksgiving Day is a time to remember our many blessings and to celebrate the opportunities that freedom affords. Explorers and settlers arriving in this land often gave thanks for the extraordinary plenty they found. And today, we remain grateful to live in a country of liberty and abundance. We give thanks for the love of family and friends, and we ask God to continue to watch over America.

This Thanksgiving, we pray and express thanks for the men and women who work to keep America safe and secure. Members of our Armed Forces, State and local law enforcement, and first responders embody our Nation's highest ideals of courage and devotion to duty. Our country is grateful for their service and for the support and sacrifice of their families. We ask God's special blessings on those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.

We also remember those affected by the destruction of natural disasters. Their tremendous determination to recover their lives exemplifies the American spirit, and we are grateful for those across our Nation who answered the cries of their neighbors in need and provided them with food, shelter, and a helping hand. We ask for continued strength and perseverance as we work to rebuild these communities and return hope to our citizens.

We give thanks to live in a country where freedom reigns, justice prevails, and hope prospers. We recognize that America is a better place when we answer the universal call to love a neighbor and help those in need. May God bless and guide the United States of America as we move forward.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 24, 2005, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship with family, friends, and loved ones to reinforce the ties that bind us and give thanks for the freedoms and many blessings we enjoy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.

GEORGE W. BUSH



If you have an Thanksgiving post that you'd like to share, please leave a TrackBack to that post, and please link to this post so that others can enjoy the fun. If you have a non-Thanksgiving post to share, use this post instead. If you need help with TrackBacks, Harvey of Bad Example has an excellent primer here, or check out my post about TrackBacks here. If your blog can't generate TrackBacks, use either the form here or here.

Headline News: 11/23/2005

The holidays seems to mean a slow news day. I've checked the news sites and there's not much inspiring for Headline News.

For me anyway.

So, what about you?

Check the headlines on news sites and make a comment or something. Funny preferred, but not necessary (if you've read mine before, you know what I mean).

Oh, and post your Headlines in the comments. Or leave a TrackBack to your Headline News post.

And you can usually find Headlines here.

Covered Dish Supper: 11/23/2005

If you have an interesting post that you'd like to share, please leave a TrackBack to that post, and please link to this post so that others can enjoy the fun. If you need help with TrackBacks, Harvey of Bad Example has an excellent primer here, or check out my post about TrackBacks here. If your blog can't generate TrackBacks, use either the form here or here.

Picnic Lunch: 11/23/2005

If you have an interesting post that you'd like to share, please leave a TrackBack to that post, and please link to this post so that others can enjoy the fun. If you need help with TrackBacks, Harvey of Bad Example has an excellent primer here, or check out my post about TrackBacks here. If your blog can't generate TrackBacks, use either the form here or here.

Breakfast: 11/23/2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

Pajamas Media

I'll let Basil make his announcement. I'm too lazy to write a good press release for my announcement. Let's just say the Open Posts continue and I have changed my name.
Posted at my blog

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Thanksgiving Holiday

White Trash Wednesdays

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! And if there ever was a holiday for men, it's Thanksgiving.

There's food, football, and farting. And it just don't get no better than that.

However, over the years, there have been mishaps at the house when it come time to prepare Thanksgiving dinner.

When we was little, we didnt always have turkey to eat. It's be ham, sometimes. Or whatever was on the menu at Denny's where mom worked on Thanksgiving. Or the Huddle House, when she got fired from Denny's/

STill, mom finally decided she wanted to do up Thanksgiving right one year. I think it was becasue she had got laid off from the Huddle House and pop had brung home a turkey from work (he bagged groceries at the Piggly Wiggly).

Anyhow, first time I remember her trying to cook a turkey, she told me to wash it while she went to the store for Marlboro's and some tampons.

I used SOS pads to clean it up and it done good. But it was hard as hell to get all the metal shavings out.

Mom beat my ass over that. But she gave me a chance to redeem myself.

The next year, I knew better. And she had me wash it so she'd have it ready to cook when she got off work at the club.

She still was mad, because the Clorox bleach left an awful taste in the bird.

Not every year, though, did I mess up the turkey. One time, I forgot to take it out of the icebox like mom said. So, that morning, I got up and had to work on the truck. I got it running quick and noticed how hot the engine was getting. So I went back inside and got the bird and put it on the engine so it's thaw out quick.

It worked to. But I probably should have done a better job of cleaning off the engine. Still, it didn't taste all that bad.

Anyway, this year, we got us a turkey but I sent it over to Gladys' house yesterday. she's cooking dinner this year. It should be good. She's a pretty good cook.

I hope y'all all have a good time this year with Thanksgivign and everybody has a good time.

Go Falcons@!

Headline News: 11/22/2005

From ABC News:
Police Hit Man in Genitals With Taser
Authorities say the man was nuts

From ABC News:
World's Ugliest Dog Dies at 14
Still smells the same

From ABC News:
Nestle Recalls Baby Milk From 4 Nations
Milking babies legal in France, Portugal, Spain and Italy

From ABC News:
For Clooney, 'Syriana' was torture
For viewers, too

From CNN:
Man guilty in Bush assassination plot
Now Democratic frontrunner in 2008

From CNN:
Germany gets first woman leader
Hitler's habit for wearing dresses not counted by authorities

From CNN:
Toys major cause of child deaths
Playskool's "My First Hand Grenade" tops list

From KGTV:
City council to elect first president
George Washington not expected to accept office

From WTAE:
Suspect arrested in theater slaying
Theatre left behind wife, three children

From KETV:
Malcolm teen not guilty by reason of insanity
Reese, Dewey not surprised by verdict

Bu-Bye, Iraq

I don't know how Basil feels about this, but my thoughts are:
After Congress voted down Jack Murtha's ridiculous call for an "immediate redeployment" (meaning retreat) it was time to reassess the situation. I did. In "End The Mission Creep: Bring Them Home"
My argument was well if the north is safe and the south is safe, bring the troops home. We are building schools, hospitals and roads? Why? We didn't break them? 30 years of corruption destroyed that nation. Ask Jack Chirac to give his bribes back to pay for it.
Now, that is what the Iraqis are saying: Go home. Nice of you to step in, take our dictator out and let us try our hand at democracy, but don't let the door hit you on the way out.
We won. Iraq is stable. It has plenty of oil to pay for its own infrastructure, thank you.
Cross posted at Don Surber

Covered Dish Supper 2005-11-22

If you have an interesting post that you'd like to share, please leave a TrackBack to that post, and please link to this post so that others can enjoy the fun. If you need help with TrackBacks, Harvey of Bad Example has an excellent primer here, or check out my post about TrackBacks here. If your blog can't generate TrackBacks, use either the form here or here.

Picnic Lunch: 11/22/2005

If you have an interesting post that you'd like to share, please leave a TrackBack to that post, and please link to this post so that others can enjoy the fun. If you need help with TrackBacks, Harvey of Bad Example has an excellent primer here, or check out my post about TrackBacks here. If your blog can't generate TrackBacks, use either the form here or here.

Breakfast: 11/22/2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

Monday, November 21, 2005

More About TrackBacks

BlogTipsBasilYes, we've talked a lot about TrackBacks recently. And we want to cover a little more today. A lot of this is repeated information. But some is new or expands of something that needs expansion.

Briefly, here's some background about TrackBacks.

Headline News: 11/21/2005

From ABC News:
Sony BMG Sued Under Anti-Spyware Laws
Microsoft Internet Explorer named as co-conspirator

From ABC News:
GM to Ax 30,000 Jobs, Close 12 Facilities
GM employees hear news, have BM

From CNN:
Woman admits trying to open jet door for a smoke
Bush blamed

From ABC News:
Mirrors to Banish Town's Winter Darkness
Homer Simpson claims idea was his, sues

From CNN:
Bad horoscope prompts PM to ban reporters' questions
Nancy Reagan dating again

From CNN:
'Nightline' farewell approaches for Koppel
Farewell wishes include the phrase "and the horse you rode in on"

From CNN:
Will fish lure tourists to Atlanta?
Small tourists to be thrown back

From ABC News:
Accused Bank Robber's Sons Turn Him In
Payback for 9:00 PM curfew

From ABC News:
Is Wildlife Going the Way of McDonald's?
Over 12 Billion Served

From ABC News:
Nike Corporate Jet Makes Safe Landing
Addidas to try again

Covered Dish Supper: 11/21/2005

If you have an interesting post that you'd like to share, please leave a TrackBack to that post, and please link to this post so that others can enjoy the fun. If you need help with TrackBacks, Harvey of Bad Example has an excellent primer here, or check out my post about TrackBacks here. If your blog can't generate TrackBacks, use either the form here or here.

Lunch: 11/21/2005

Try one of these specials with your lunch:

Breakfast: 11/21/2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Now You're Cooking

We knew we were going to lose a family member soon. It was inevitible. Still, when the end came, you are never quite prepared. And then, that day came. The stove died.

With two grandchildren's birthdays coming up (today, but the party was Saturday) and "Mee-Mee" needing to bake the cakes, plus with Thanksgiving coming up, plus ... well you get the idea. Besides, we gotta eat on regular days anyway.

So that meant we had to get a new stove.

And that meant, "Put on your Sunday best, we're going to Sears!"

So, to Sears we went. And I had to take a long lunch, because it was a workday.

When we got to Sears, we had to find the appliances section. You see, we don't go to Sears much. Not that there's anything wrong with going to Sears. It's just not that convenient.

But Sears makes good appliances. Or so I hear. We have a Sears riding mower. And I've experienced Sears/Kenmore appliances before. So, Sears seemed like a good place to look for a stove. Besides, I've seen the Sears catalog. A "free-standing range" is under $300.

Or so I thought.

So, we made it to Sears and found our way upstairs. Ah, there they were. Behind us. So, we headed in that direction. So, I'm seeing one for $399 standing right there. But the wife had other ideas. And so did the German lady that works there.

Helga (that was her name, okay) came over and was a nice as could be. Knowing how it would all end up anyway, I deferred to the wife. Because no matter what I think or say, if it's not something she likes, I'll never hear the end of it.

So, they start talking and of course, it comes out that we currently have a drop-in. And the wife wants a drop-in. So we don't have to cut anything, you see. So, Helga takes us over to where they have drop-ins on display.

I didn't see the first one for $400. Or $500. Or $600. Or $700. Or $800. Or $900. They had lots that started with a "1" though.

So, Helga and the wife did their little "oh, look at that!" thing that women do when they get together in a store. Meanwhile, I'm on my lunch hour. And, because of a project at work, I have a daily 1:00 call I need to be on.

Now, I don't carry a cell phone. I have. But I don't. I don't like 'em. The wife carries one. But I don't. So I need to use the phone. But the wife left the phone on the charger. But Helga lets me use the phone over in the corner by the refrigerators.

So, while I'm on the call, explaining to the boss why I'm calling in from the Sears appliances section, the wife and Helga are talking about stoves.

When I finish my participation in the call, I head back over there and they are finishing up deciding on a stove. Helga says she doesn't have that in stock, but can get it, but then she thinks they have something in stock in the back or somewhere. So, she leaves and comes back with the good news.

Oh, it's not exactly like the one on the floor, it's got this here and that there, but it's essentially the same thing. And the wife is happy. So, it's a go.

Because of some discount ticket the wife has (10% off) and some other kind of discount that Sears has running, and all, it takes three or four times to enter it into the computer, but it gets done. We finish up the paperwork and she tells us that Freddy will call us before he comes out to deliver it.

The wife drops me back at work and heads to the house to await Freddy.

Freddy calls and says he'll be by the next day. So, they have it in stock, but won't deliver it that day.

The next day, Freddy calls and I leave work early to meet him at the house since the wife is at work that day and I'm closer to the house than she is. So, I get home and Freddy's getting everything ready.

In short order, I hear a saw running. Anyway, Freddy gets everything done and the range installed. And it's a slide-in, not a drop-in.

Remember the $400 stoves they had? They were unacceptable because they were slide-ins. We had to have a drop-in. And they cost a lot more. But the one she picked out while I was on the phone was a slide-in.

I'm not sure just how all that happened. But we ended up with a $1,400 slide-in cooking appliance.

She still hasn't baked me a cake or cooked me a casserole or anything.

Sunday Brunch: 11/20/2005

Try one of these specials with your weekend brunch:

Saturday, November 19, 2005

The Cotillion

Oh, my! I'm amazed at how well these interviews have gone. And today promises to be no exception. Today, we have the ladies of the Cotillion...


They're ready to go.

The interview panel is ready to go ...


Let's go!

Fighting A Cold

Fighting a cold. Taking Zicam. Sneezing. Sore throat. Headache.

But it's a great day.

Harvey from Bad Example

Today, we are pleased to continue The Blog Interviews. And we've had some great interviews so far. But today is a little special to me. We're interviewing my mentor, Harvey from Bad Example ...


The interview panel is ready ...


So now we'll begin


You've handled dollar bills that have been subjected to the most idiotic defacement. Have you ever handled ones with bizarre odors?


Not bizarre, exactly, more like familiar. My bank was in farm country, and when someone walks in with pig crap on his boots, and hands you a wad of bills with his pig-crap-covered hands, it's not hard to guess what the smell on the bills is.

Other fragrant bills I've handled: musty basement, dusty attic, buried in the garden, and some that were in close contact with exceptionally high grade marijuana.


Where do you find all of that money with the graffiti on it? Is it something you specifically ask for when you go to the bank?


I worked as a bank teller for 5 years, and - at a rough guess - I looked through about $4000 in singles every week. Graffiti currency is relatively scarce - maybe 1 bill in 1000, but it adds up over time


When you were an MM in the military, did you carry around a big wrench? *wink, wink*


1 7/8 diameter was as big as it got. Women always tell me circumference is more important than length, anyway.

bachman
Who is your favorite author?


Probably Basil of Basil's Blog. If I've ever read anyone better than him, I certainly don't remember it.

Running a close second, though, would be Stephen King. I've read nearly everything he's written - most of it more than once. Although he's more famous for his grisly horror writing, his books also usually contain particularly poignant passages describing those silly, tiny things that you remember about a woman when she's not around. Those parts always get to me, because it's exactly right. In fact, my favorite picture of my wife is of her with her hair in a sloppy ponytail, in stained, baggy clothes, holding a paintbrush. I talked about that here.


If you had to choose...who would you rather be...Elvis. or John Wayne?


Can't I be someone living?

If not, I'll pick John Wayne. Elvis was about flash and image. John Wayne was more about self-confidence. He had a presence about him.


What is your obsession with Michael Gross?


It's either that I bear a remarkable resemblance to the man or I have a fetish for thin, bearded, balding guys. Either way, you've GOT to admit he absolutely ROCKED in "Tremors".

basil
Who's the most famous person you've ever met?


While in Vegas a couple years ago, I got to speak ever-so-briefly with Penn Gillette of Penn & Teller fame after the show. While waiting in line, I tried to think of something to say to him that he hadn't heard before, so I mentioned that I thought that he and Teller were the perfect choice for Rebo and Zooty on Babylon 5.

He was singularly unimpressed by the comment :-/

Richmond
What's your favorite part about having such a large blog family?


The warm fuzzy feeling I get from the knowledge that these people didn't have to dive into a cold, indifferent blogosphere when they started out, like I did. Nothing sucks worse than spending months with nothing but zeros in your comments section. It eats at your soul.

That, and all the psychotic love they show in my comments if I go on vacation.

Oh, and the peculiar sensation of having women who are older than I am calling me "daddy". Since my wife is younger than me, I don't get to experience that at home.


are you really a pervert, or a regular guy pretending to be?


See answer to previous question.

Mostly it's just that I was a nerd/geek/loser in high school, meaning I was incredibly sex-obsessed during my formative years. Joining the Navy - where crude sexual banter is considered polite conversation - didn't help matters. My mind now habitually slides into the gutter at the slightest provocation, and I don't bother fighting it. At least on the blog. I'm a little more reserved in person, although I have my moments.

Besides, light bondage isn't REALLY a perversion, is it?


You have had quite the perch as the emerging blogosphere steamrolls the natonal psyche and delivers the death blows to the mainstream media. My question is, what is the one defining/ shocking/ memorable/ important blog moment that blew you away?


Being more of a humor and smut blogger than plugging away on the front lines of politics, I must say that my perch, such as it was, still left me on the sidelines for most of the important events in the rise of blogs. Still, watching the implosion of Dan Rather during the Memogate scandal was mindblowing. Blogs went from "what's a 'blob'?" to a household word seemingly overnight. It was the closest I've ever come to being on the cutting edge of a trend.

Still, I was mostly a bystander for that.

From a more hands-on aspect, there's the trend of Blog Communities. These days, there's dozens of them being tracked by the Truth Laid Bear, and a lot of people are in one group or another. But what most people don't know is that that really all got started with the rise of the Alliance of Free Blogs, which was the first Community that the Bear actively tracked (thanks entirely to the tireless efforts of Susie of Practical Penumbra, the official Charming Hostess of Alliance HQ and Keeper of the Alliance Blogroll). The full story of how Communities went from one to dozens is tale full of links and painful details which is beyond the scope of this interview, to be written at a later date.

Finally, on a personal note, the thing that still boggles my mind was watching the meteoric (yet well-deserved) ascension of Matty O'Blackfive. I first stumbled across him when he was just a tiny Blogspotling with broken permalinks (a common problem before Google bought Blogger and transformed it into a fairly decent web ap). His readership was maybe double-digits on a good day, and he blogged mostly about his prodigious drinking talents. I distinctly recall him mentioning that he thought he'd "made it" when he finally broke the 100-hits-per-day barrier.

Now he's THE source for all good things Milblog, and a national resource for giving our troops the honor and respect they deserve. He's even been on TV.

Really an odd feeling. Sorta like having gone to high school with John Travolta, except with less Scientology and more beer.


Do you really have a thing for unicorns?


Unicorns are my brothers, in the sense that the word "horny" is a fitting adjective and we both have a tendency to attract beautiful vigins.


Who is my mommy?


I don't remember her name, but I think she's still working at the Casa de Bootie in Tijuana. Bring lots of dollar bills and tell her I said "Hi".


How many hippies would you deport to North Korea if you could deport hippies to North Korea?


Surprisingly, none of them. It's hard to get news out of North Korea, and it's easier to mock their wacky antics if they're out caterwauling their slogans on the Mall in D.C.

I'd be a fool to throw away comedy gold like that.

bachman
What's the best thing about blogging?


Indulging in witty rejoinders with intelligent people in my comments or theirs.

When I was working at the bank, I was mostly surrounded by folks, who - while nice people - were barely bright enough to turn on a computer without electrocuting themselves. Most of the clever remarks I made went sailing over their heads without causing even the tiniest twitch of an eyelash on their part. It's painful to be alone in a roomful of people. It's a nice change of pace to hang with a group of folks (either virtually or in person) whose presence doesn't necessitate my having to use short words & simple sentences.

More about that here.

Richmond
If you could go anywhere in the world for a day, where would you go?


Paris - just long enough to pee on the Eiffel Tower

Richmond
For a week?


Vegas, baby - just long enough to lose the house.

Richmond
For a month?


Jamaica - drunk and naked on a beach is the ONLY way to spend February.

Richmond
For a year?


Australia - it's a big country, so I'd need a lot of time to see all the sights, plus I'd come back with a sexy accent.


I need a wine to go with filet mignon. Red or white?


Guinness


Will you ever play soccer again?


No, I learned my lesson after that game in third grade. My groin still has a dent from blocking that goal.


Why do you have a shrine to Michale Gross hidden in your closet?


Well, I used to have it on the front lawn, but it kept getting vandalized by those heretics from the Church of Michael J. Fox. There is only one true star of Family Ties.


Thongs or granny panties?


Thongs. You can't make a slingshot out of granny panties.


Is it wrong to touch yourself while on public transportation?


Not according to the teachings of the Church of Michael Gross.


What would you do if you were:
A) Attacked by some sort of soaring celestial simian?


Feed him space-bananas while groping for a rock with which to smash the faceplate of his space helmet.


B) Sane.


Listen to Air America until the feeling passed.


C) Your favorite flavor of ice cream.


Get licked by pretty girls


D) Attacked by the soaring celestial simian in A. but he's somehow figured out your original defense?


Go crying to SarahK, begging for protection.


E) All of the above


Convert to Michael J. Foxism.

basil
Sorry about the multiple questions there. You know how them monkeys are.

Now, if you could beat one person with a clue bat, who would it be?


George W. Bush. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, but he promised me stolen Iraqi oil for supporting the war effort, and he needs to learn to keep his promises.

Call it "tough love"


What is your feelings on divine intervention, and parking tickets?


I believe that "God told me to park in the handicapped space" IS a legitimate excuse. Screw the judge. Stupid robe-wearing gavel-banger.

Richmond
What is your favorite vice?


Hand-rolled cigars. From Cuba when I can get them, from Honduras when I can't.

basil
What's that smell?


*sniff, sniff*

A combination of leather polish and strawberry-flavored edible panties.

Which does NOT make me a pervert.


I'd like to thank Harvey for taking the time to agree to the interview. And I want to thank everyone who asked questions. This has been a blast!

Tomorrow, the fun continues as we bring in the hottest, smartest, sexiest, bestest babes in the blogosphere: The Cotillion!

Tune in here for all the fun.