Thursday, April 30, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-30

Things on my mind recently...


  • Would the Obama admistration use the swine flu scare to restrict large crowds of people? Like tea parties? #tcot #

  • Alert I want to see: CDC says avoid Joe Biden during the current health crises. #tcot #

  • Alabama suspends high school sports over swine flu scare http://bit.ly/fZ9Ua #

  • CNN: GOP set to launch rebranding effort http://bit.ly/6BZrD Unless they embrace conservative principals, it's just lipstick on a pig #tcot #

  • CNN: Kenyan women ban sex over political reform http://bit.ly/6zmpo If only we could stop govt from screwing us until there's reform #tcot #

  • Chrysler files bankruptcy http://bit.ly/VZsiO If Obama rescues Chrysler, the first new car will (the Dodge Responsibility #tcot #

  • Which is a bigger threat: the swine flu or the swine in Congress? #tcot #

  • WaPo: Marri Admits Conspiring With Al-Qaeda http://bit.ly/N4MwW No extreme interrogation methods used and it only took 7-1/2 years #tcot #

  • InformationWeek: Twitter Employee Account Hijacked http://bit.ly/arNlJ #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-29

Things on my mind recently...


  • How does Specter's switch to Dems make the Dems filibuster-proof? He was voting with them already. What did they gain? #tcot #

  • Now that the Dems have bought the cow, will the milk dry up? #tcot #

  • Scientist clone glowing dogs http://tinyurl.com/c3yfry I bet they'd make good watchdogs; I used to have a watch that glowed at night. #

  • Two events: 1) Chihuahua carried off by gust of wind; 2) reunited with owner http://tinyurl.com/cqzlug I know which I'd rather see #

  • Specter's departure means that the GOP is suffering as bad from the RINO virus. #tcot #

  • (Fixed:) Specter's departure means that the GOP is not suffering as bad from the RINO virus. #tcot #

  • 100 days? Does this mean we have until tonight to return him and get our money back? #tcot #

  • US GDP shrinks worse than expected http://preview.tinyurl.com/caezx5 When does it become Obama's economy? #tcot #

  • Houston Chronicle reports toddler who died in US from swine flu was Mexican seeking treatment http://bit.ly/9Qns2 #tcot #

  • At a day baseball game. Life is good. #

  • CNN compares Obama candidate vs president http://bit.ly/4dTJJ Let me fix it for you: no experience vs bad experience #tcot #

  • If they can't stop full-grown Mexicans from crossing the border, how will they ever stop tiny little flu bugs? #

  • Judge orders Sam Lufti to stay away from Britney Spears http://bit.ly/1afokm Don't worry Sam, you can have my turn. #

  • Why I hate the Chicken Dance http://bit.ly/p7f85 #

  • Egypt kills pigs to stop swine flu http://bit.ly/LmIdw What would they do if the Hong Kong flu broke out? #

  • Obama wants lighter sentences for crack dealers http://bit.ly/OnCrack Makes sense: you'd have to be on crack to have voted for Obama #tcot #

  • Wife just finished reading her last book. Now she has to watch the baseball game. Or watch me on the Twitter. #

  • Girl at game yells to get drunk's attention: "Hey asshole!" Asshole next to drunk answers. Hmm. If you yelled "Hey RINO" who would answer? #

  • Just got past by some girl driving and texting. What's wrong with these people? #

  • We just passed Miss Swan outside Marietta. #

  • A Crossfire. The perfectly named car for driving downtown Atlanta. #

  • "Western" is code word for "White?" http://bit.ly/AcR43 How does our western-most state feel about that? #

  • SCOTUS may strike down Voting Rights Act http://bit.ly/PfQRg If not, why not expand it from 16 to 50 states? #

  • Some SOB backed into my car at the gas station in Union City. FL tag. Calling On*Star. #

  • Good response time from UCPD. Other driver admitted fault. My car being in park with engine off made his admission unnecessary. #

  • Old rust-and-white Chevy van in front of us. Classic Car tag. GA doesn't have Raggedy Piece Of Sh*t tag, it appears. #

  • Darn it! Walked out and left the power adapter for the MacBook at the hotel. Arrggh! #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

TV Guide

I saw somewhere that the president was going to be on TV this week. Had you heard that?

Anyway, I thought I heard tonight at 8:00 or something. So, I checked the TV Guide, and saw that "Lie To Me" was on.

Hey, that could be it.

But I kept scanning and saw other shows this week that could have been an Obama news conference:

  • Fringe

  • The Biggest Loser

  • Damages

  • Trust Me

  • Psych

  • Criminal Minds

  • American Idol

  • Lost

  • Foulups, Bleeps & Blunders

  • The Celebrity Apprentice




I never did find out when he was on.

Was anyone else confused about it? Were there any TV show listings that you thought might have been the president's news conference?

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-28

Things on my mind recently...


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Monday, April 27, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-27

Things on my mind recently...


  • Obama as Christ http://tinyurl.com/obamessiah1 http://tinyurl.com/obamessiah2 #tcot #

  • Much better breakfast crowd at HGI this AM. Business types. All the riff-raff from weekend have gone. Except us. #

  • Okay, I spoke too soon. Didn't notice Miss Monkey Banana Pajamas in the corner. Still, step up from yesterday. #

  • Not buying much from the gift shops in Chattanooga. I'm not too big on Chinese-made Americana. #

  • Symptoms of Swine Flu include uncontrollable shaking: http://foxnews.proteus.com/content.html?contentId=34011 #

  • Even CNN blames Dems for lack of bipartisanship: http://tinyurl.com/partisancnn #

  • Europeans urged not to travel to US/Mexico http://tinyurl.com/noeu2usmx See? Every cloud has a silver lining! #

  • Just saw IMAX "Under the Sea," loaded with Climate Change warnings. What is carbon footprint of IMAX theatre? #tcot #

  • Fox to air "Lie To Me" on Wed night. Yet to announce if it's the Tim Roth show or a typical Obama news conference. #tcot #

  • I'm thinking the Chicken Dance has just about run its route. The rest of the crowd is no more excited about it than I am. #

  • Lucas May (former Catfish player) hit HR vs Huntsville http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6J4Jn6X9tyE #

  • Tell the truth: who is really surprised that a plane under authority of someone named "Obama" would fly at a building in NYC? Anyone? #tcot #

  • Why don't the Dems just pass a law making swine flu illegal? That's what they do for everything else. #tcot #

  • Craigslist killing suspect can't afford lawyer. http://tinyurl.com/dm9moh Can't he find one on Craigslist? #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-26

Things on my mind recently...


  • Ass of the day: Wearing t-shirt with f-word in restaurant around kids. http://tinyurl.com/c9z7sy Oh, and a hat indoors. At the table. #

  • Upset over white love for black heroine in Disney pic http://tinyurl.com/dcfnjp Reverse colors and complaints would be called racist #tcot #

  • Pope names 5 saints. None named "Barack." Racist. http://tinyurl.com/racistpope #tcot #

  • Sunny at ballpak in Chattanooga. Would turn cap sideways to protect ear, but then pager would start going off. #

  • Sun's starting to bother me. Which would look more stupid: paper towels tucked under cap, t-shirt over head like a pharaoh? #

  • Why is it that more educated people are liberals, but more knowledgable people are conservative? #

  • Swine flu emergency so bad, POTUS goes golfing. http://tinyurl.com/flugolf #tcot #

  • No kissing in Mexico. Donkey shows still okay. http://tinyurl.com/mexikiss #tcot #

  • Always loved the Chop House in Chattanooga. Supper tonight will be yummy. #

  • Poor Ugandan security at US bases in Iraq. http://tinyurl.com/securitybad Why isn't security by US personnel? #

  • No broccoli cheese soup on menu tonight, darn it. And the bread needs a chainsaw to cut it. *sigh* Nothing is like I remember. #

  • No soup, hard bread, but salad and steaks were yummy. Yay, Chop House. #

  • OMG she has found a Wal-mart! Life sucks so bad. #

  • Just found first mirror since ballgame. Sunburned on half of face. Like the guy in Close Encounters. #

  • Viagra alternative can be applied directly to skin. http://tinyurl.com/hard2resist Side effects include swelling and slight discoloration. #




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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-25

Things on my mind recently...


  • It's Malaria Day, not Swine Flew Day. Get it right, Mexico! #

  • If you can't use a fly swatter, you probably can't use a mosquito net. #

  • Yes, I screwed up the Swine Flu joke. I'm a dumbass. #

  • If I'm going 20 mph over the speed limit, and the new road is 10 mph over the current, do I speed up or slow down? #

  • Tofu Village? Let's not stop there. #

  • Going 75 MPH on I-75 and passed by some monkey-fighter like I was sitting still. #

  • Neither one of us brought cash for the trip. Now to find a bank. #

  • We just got passed by Pee-Wee Herman's motorcycle. #

  • Yay! We're at the hotel. And have a wonderful view of ... the air conditioning unit! #

  • My favorite t-shirt of the day: Meat Is Murder. Tasty, Tasty Murder http://tinyurl.com/cv6enl #

  • Sitting in the stands, under the umbrella. No rain; I just burn easy. #

  • AT&T Park designed by Grace Bros. The escalator takes you to the stairs. #

  • Did the PA announcer just advertise ServPro for crime scene cleanup? #

  • Many others are now using their giveaway umbrella to keep the sun off. Wife says I'm not the only girly-man at the ballpark. #

  • Player we were hoping to see play for Chattanooga tonight (#25-Lucas May,C) isn't playing. #

  • A full 1/4 of crowd did Obama salute to National Anthem (http://tinyurl.com/obamasalute hands clasped on lap). Deeper into the abyss we go. #

  • Seeing how some of the girls are dressed at the ballgame in Chattanooga. Hope my daughter doesn't dress that way. Except at Hallowe'en. #

  • Hillary says attacks won't derail stability. http://tinyurl.com/ddq7ks Because Bush isn't president I suppose. #

  • Tweeting about Hillary during a baseball game? Yes, the team I'm pulling for is losing. #

  • Baseball team lost. Supper gave me gas. And Obama is still in office. Life sucks. #

  • Obama greeted by man who died of flu http://tinyurl.com/obamaflu #TCOT #

  • Why we had to take an alternate route this morning: 6-million gal of water on road http://preview.tinyurl.com/cgah2ofail #

  • Ever notice that those that say we have a "living Constitution" are brain dead? #tcot #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

The Church of Obama

Let's get serious for a minute.

ABC News reports that CIA agents that the Obama administration doesn't give them the support they need to do their job:

"We ask these people to do extremely dangerous things, things they've been ordered to do by legal authorities, with the understanding that they will get top cover if something goes wrong," (Dr. Mark M. Lowenthal, former Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Analysis and Production) says. "They don't believe they have that cover anymore."


This is important. Very important.

Back in the 1970s, in the post-Watergate era, the Democrats overreacted to everything. They hated Richard Nixon -- to a degree not seen until their hate of George W. Bush. And they were going to wreak vengeance, no matter the cost.

It cost us a lot.

I remember it well. I recall when Idaho Senator Frank Church chaired a committee (the United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities) that effectively gutted the U.S. intelligence community.

One of the effects of the Church Committee was a drop in morale in the intelligence community.

Being a spy -- a field agent -- isn't all James Bond. It's not any James Bond. It's mostly being where you don't want to be, with people you don't want to be with, risking imprisonment or death if exposed.

But, knowing you have the support of your country helps.

After the Church Committee, many felt they didn't have that support.

Couple that with the restrictions placed on the intelligence agencies, and suddenly it's very hard to do the job.

What could go wrong?

Well, for one thing, the CIA could be caught flatfooted should the government of a friendly nation be suddenly overthrown by Islamic radicals. Such as happened in Iran in 1979.

Think about that one event. Had we seen it coming, could we have prevented it? Maybe. And imagine the world today had the Islamic Revolution not happened.

The intelligence community still hasn't recovered. Though morale is better, many of the restrictions still in place have made it hard for intelligence to be verified to the proper degree. It's never easy, but the restrictions make it harder.

Credit goes to Frank Church for the situation today.

And we're about to have part two of that whole situation.

The Obama administration is poised to hang CIA agents out to dry.

Look for a drop in morale in intelligence agencies.

And look for Congressional committees to "clean up" the intelligence community.

Then look for something to happen because of a failure of the intelligence community, because of the agents not being able to do their job.

Frank Church hurt this country greatly with his committee's work that hurt our spies. And he was a Senator.

Imagine what damage the current president will do.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-24

Things on my mind recently...


Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

Obama's first 100 daze

















Obama magazines
Time magazine covers of Barack Obama since April 1, 2009


Am I the only one who can't go anywhere without hearing about Obama's first 100 days?

It's on every Website you visit. And not just news Sites like CNN or Fox News, but other Websites too. Like... 



The list goes on and on. Obama's first 100 days everywhere.

And on magazines. Every magazine on every news stand has Obama's picture on it, and a story on his first 100 days.



Then, there's the McDonald's First 100 Days Happy Meals, Hallmark First 100 Days Christmas Ornaments ... oh, the list goes on and on.

I, for one, will be glad when Obama's first 100 days are behind us. Then there will be only 1,361 days to go.

What a Croc!

I bought some Crocs a few months back. And not just the typical Crocs that you see on the beach, but also some "dress Crocs" that I can wear to work.

I like them. They're comfortable. Very comfortable.

And, I signed up for their newsletter.

Fast-forward a few months. I bought a Blackberry. And set it up to get my email. And it does.

Previously, I checked email when I got home. Everything would come in all at once, including the newsletters I signed up for.

The Blackberry changed that. When someone sent me an email -- JC Penney, Sears, CNet, Apple, Crocs, ScrappleFace, whoever -- I got it when they sent it, not when I got home at night.

That was a shock to my regular routine.

So, since I own my own domain name, I could set up a sh*tload of email addresses. And I did.

A separate email address for each newsletter subscription.

Actually, at first, I set up a single address for subscriptions, changed all the email accounts on file with the email senders, and got them there. At night. When I got home. Not on my Blackberry.

Then, spam showed up. That meant that someone who I was subscribing to was a spammer, or had been compromised by a spammer.

That's when I set up separate email addresses for each subscription, and changed the email addresses again.

Only, some won't cooperate.

Crocs, for instance.

I've logged in to my Crocs account and changed my email address. But the still send the stuff to my standard email address.

So, I clicked the unsubscribe link. It bounced.

Now, I've filled out an online form, explaining the situation. I'm waiting for a response.

We'll see what happens.

And I have my next move in mind.

If they keep sending emails to my standard account, I'm going to set up a filter to forward every email they send me to vp@crocs.com.

Now, will that help? I don't know. I'll keep looking for more email addresses for Crocs people and forward every email they send me to the entire Crocs staff and board members, if I can find their email addresses. Home addresses, too, if I can find them.

But that's only if escalation is needed.

However, if you have any ideas on what to do next -- if they won't quit sending me email, that is -- let me know. The more devious, the better.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-23

Things on my mind recently...


  • If a man dressed like a ninja carrying a sword enters your dry cleaning store, watch out! http://tinyurl.com/c65f3q #

  • Beware of existentials. They're sneaky. And a threat. http://tinyurl.com/dzg5lq #

  • IMF says economy won't recover until 2010. But Obama's term ends in 2013. Unless... OMG, they threatened the POTUS http://tinyurl.com/cl7kbs #

  • Maybe ninjas are existential. #

  • Apple drops Baby Shaker game from iPhone after 2 days. http://tinyurl.com/d3ssut Would Terrorist Shaker game have lasted as long? #

  • First, 21 Venezuelan horses dead. Now, three vials of Venezuelan equine encephalitis missing. Just a coincidence. http://tinyurl.com/cr8lal #

  • Biden calls Obama "a cross between Denzel Washington and Franklin Roosevelt." How about Roosevelt Franklin? Preacher or muppet, either one. #

  • The View. Isn't that like Oprah? But with white women? #

  • What did Pelosi know and when did she forget it? http://tinyurl.com/ce68oj #

  • Americans high on Obama: http://tinyurl.com/mustbehigh I agree, they must be high #

  • RT @pmgreco: Obama & Socialist Party http://bit.ly/2gcEh #

  • Next episode of The Barack Obama Show is Wednesday http://tinyurl.com/totusblah When will networks cancel that awful show? #

  • POTUS saves Earth by burning jet fuel. CBS: http://tinyurl.com/dlrmxg #tcot #

  • RT @jmp5329: The GM bailout wasn't to "save mid-america" but to save the unions who helped put Dear Leader in office #tcot #

  • Geithner says downturn may be easing. Reuters: http://tinyurl.com/dljj29 Economy at terminal velocity, will fall at constant rate now #tcot #

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Magazine doctored pix of Obama

CNN reports that a magazine recently doctored some pictures of the president:

Washingtonian Magazine changed the color of the president's shorts and made a few other touch-ups, but media critic Howard Kurtz calls the small adjustments "unethical."

"While the alternations of this picture might seem to some people to be kind of minor, it is absolutely unethical," he said.


Our crack research team has found the original pictures. And, sure enough, the color of the president's shorts was changed. As were "a few other touch-ups."

Here's the picture that Washingtonian Magazine published:



Here's the original:

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-22

Things on my mind recently...


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Blame Canada

Janet NapolitanoLet me be the first Right Wing Extremist® to go on record and say that not all Obama administration members blame everything on America.

Take U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, for instance.

Monday, she spoke with CBC reporter Neil Macdonald, and repeated the false perception that Democrats such as Charles Shumer have perpetrated, that the 9/11 hijackers came across the Canadian border to the United States:

(JN:) Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there.

NM: Are you talking about the 9/11 perpetrators?

JN: Not just those but others as well.


Macdonald, to his credit, called her on it. Something you often don't see in the American media.

But, this seems to sum up the Obama administration ... and most Democrats ... today. Blame America for everything, which is wrong. When they don't blame America, they blame a friend of America, and are wrong.

See what's common? It's that they're wrong.

At least they are consistent.


"Right Wing Extremist" is a registered trade mark of the Department of Homeland Security and is used with permission. Copyright © 2009, all rights reserved.

Obama to right past CIA wrongs, blow up Los Angeles

WASHINGTON (AP) - Following recent revelations of harsh interrogation techniques during the Bush administration, coupled with the release of a CIA memo stating that those techniques were effective, the Obama administration has decided to "right past wrongs" and accomplish what the terrorists couldn't: blow up Los Angeles.

"High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qa'ida organization that was attacking this country," Adm. Dennis C. Blair, the intelligence director, wrote in a memo to his staff last Thursday.

Admiral Blair sent his memo on the same day the administration publicly released secret Bush administration legal memos authorizing the use of interrogation methods that the Obama White House has deemed to be illegal torture. Among other things, the Bush administration memos revealed that two captured Qaeda operatives were subjected to a form of near-drowning known as waterboarding a total of 266 times.

"We were shocked when we learned the full extent of the inappropriate techniques approved by the CIA under the previous administration," White House press secretary Robert L. Gibbs told reporters. "That's one of the reasons we made the memos public. We want everyone to know what was done, supposedly in our name, and that this administration does not condone such actions."

Nakatomi Plaza
Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles was the first building destroyed in the Obama administration's attempt to right past wrongs.
The president plans to go even further, Gibbs said.

"It would be unconscionable for this administration to look the other way, just because those tactics achieved results. It was wrong to use them, and we should not benefit from their use," Gibbs stated. "The president had directed that, since those tactics obtained information that prevented a major attack on Los Angeles, it is only right that we carry out the attack on ourselves."

Late last night, the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles was destroyed. It was one of the high profile targets of the operatives that were to carry out the attacks on the west coast.

"We have transcripts of all the information obtained from Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Abu Zubaydah. They listed all the targets and the time frames of the scheduled attacks," Gibbs said. "We are looking to compile a list of all those who were at or near the targets on the dates in question. Their deaths were prevented by these illegal interrogation tactics. The president seeks to correct that."

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Earth Day



Hello, world. It's Earth Day.

Let's talk a little bit about Earth Day, its history, and why it's important to...



You're a racist.

Thoughts for 2009-04-21

Things on my mind recently...


  • Dispute over age of pirate http://tinyurl.com/cpdxkn -- If his birth records, will they find Obama's? #

  • Cosmo: 50 fun things to do naked. What are the other 49? Besides blogging, I mean. #

  • Lunch is one of my favorite mid-day meals. #

  • Restrooms are so quiet. I just hope I don't drop my #

  • Just kidding! I'll never drop my Blackberry in the restroom. #

  • I had something really clever to sau that I thought of while driving to the house. But I forgot what it was. #

  • Ah, tomorrow is Earth Day. I remember when I was a stupid liberal hippie. I grew out of it. #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

Fred Thompson ripping into POTUS and AG

Fred Thompson says yhis is what happens with a weak President and a weak Attorney General: Why, oh why, didn't the GOP get behind Fred?

Monday, April 20, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-20

Things on my mind recently...


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The media made him; will they break him?

Barack Obama isn't real.

He's made up.

Oh, sure, he was born ... somewhere on Earth (we think it was Earth) ... and grew up in a comfortable home after emigrating to the U.S. as a child.

We really don't know much about him because he's following the story.

And no one tells the story better than those that wrote it. And the writers of the Barack Obama story include the media.

Well, suddenly, some in the media are starting to question Obama.

That smacks of heresy, sure. But think for a minute. Is it really heresy of those that invented the religion (Obamatology) stray?

Here's what happened.

Jennifer Loven of the AP questioned White House press secretary Robert Gibbs about the $100-million (that's 1/100 of 1% of $1-trillion) budget reduction target (H/T RealClearPolitics)



Link: AP, Tapper Confront Obama Admin Over $100 Million

ABC's Jake Tapper joined in.

Oh, sure, that's only two reporters. But it gives hope.

Perhaps some of the so-called journalists that cover the White House will actually be journalists.

I'm not holding my breath. But I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-19

Things on my mind recently...


  • The cat doesn't like change. I think I like the cat. #

  • Twitter on the Blackberry is acting all stupid. I can't post or read others' twits. Um, tweets. Anyway, it's weird. #

  • Okay, I just finished watching the last "Lord of the Rings" movie and -- wait, it's still got 24 minutes. Never mind. #

  • Does Obama like gladiator movies? #

  • Great. A tornado watch until 10 PM #

  • Great. Tornado warnings. Not one, but two. #

  • Good news. We're down to just one tornado warning now. #




Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

Bush and Obama vs the U.N.

Did you notice that the Obama administration did a couple of things recently that smacked of the Bush administration?

First, the decision by Obama to boycott the U.N. conference on racism. Back in August 2001, the Bush administration did the same thing, and was roundly criticized. The left said that it showed just how much contempt Bush had toward the world community and how insensitive it was to issues of race.

But now, Obama did the same thing -- for the same reason Bush gave: wording in the text for the conference were out of line:

The United States, under the Bush administration, and Israel walked out over attempts to liken Zionism -- the movement to establish a Jewish state in the Holy Land -- to racism. The reference was later dropped, but concerns about anti-Semitism remained in the final text.

Plans to reaffirm the 2001 document were of particular concern to the Obama administration.

"(It) singles out one particular conflict and prejudges key issues that can only be resolved in negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians," (State Department spokesman Robert Wood) said.


Follow that up with Obama's decision to not pursue prosecution of CIA operatives that used interrogation methods that Obama sees as torture that Bush saw as reasonable.

The U.N.'s top torture investigator doesn't like that:

Manfred Nowak first made the remarks to an Australian newspaper and later to the Associated Press.

According to Nowak, it's illegal under International Law for the U.S. government to announce that it has no intention of prosecuting low-level CIA officers.


Bush was roundly criticized for not bowing to the U.N.

Obama might bow to the king of Saudi Arabia, but apparently is yet ready to bow to the U.N.

Good for him.

And I'm looking forward to what's next. That is, those on the left who won't be able to get over Obama acting like Bush on two key issues. They love Obama. And they love the U.N. But what do they do now?

Do they applaud Obama? Or do they support the U.N.?

I’m going to watch the liberals’ heads explode as they try to figure out what to do.

I hope I get pictures.

Oh, brother

I don't have any brothers. Got three sisters. One older, two younger.

The Big Sister (who's 5'4'') is one we all pick on from time to time. We call her "Big Sister" because she's older (of which she hates being reminded) and because she's the smallest of the four of us (of which we hate being reminded).

The Little Sister (who's 6'0'') is also sometimes called the "Baby Sister" by us. She hates that, therefore, we say it. She's also the tallest of the sisters, and shorter than me by a mere 2 inches.

The Middle Sister (who's 5'6'') is the most devious of the group. I'm a little devious myself, but I'm not sure I can out-do her. We call her The Mean One. Her students (both when she was a teacher and now that she's a principal) would agree.

Like brothers and sisters, we enjoy each other, often at each others' expense.

Like yesterday.

I met The Little Princess in Atlanta. She's been having problems with her computer, and I went to help. That's what daddies do.

She drove over to Atlanta from Athens on Friday night to meet some friends and spend the night. I drove over to Atlanta yesterday morning. What with traffic being screwed all up by construction and wrecks, it took a bit longer to get there than I had hoped.

Okay, now you're wondering what all that has to do with picking on my sister.

Well, it turns out that she was in Atlanta, along with her daughter, my niece, Miss Columbus Outstanding Teen 2009. She's competing in the Miss Georgia Pageant coming up in a couple of months. They'll have the regular Miss Georgia Competition, as well as the Teen competition, for which my niece will compete, representing Columbus, even though she lives a ways away.

Anyway, they were there for voice lessons and some other things. And, when I called them to see what they were up to, they were able to meet The Little Princess and me for a quick visit.

I had something in the car for Miss Columbus Teen -- actually something of hers she left the last time she was visiting -- and The Mean Sister said she'd run go get it while the cousins visited and I worked on the computer.

Did I mention that we were at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta? No? Well, we were.

And did I mention about traffic all buggered up because of wrecks? Yes? Well, there was one not far from Lenox Square, and that impacted my approach.

Anyway, I ended up parking at the first place I could, and that was outisde Macy's.

We were meeting in the food court on the bottom floor of the mall, which is about as far from Macy's as you can get and still be in the same mall.

Told the Mean Sister that: "Go out Macy's, cross the street, go to the right, and I'm in that lot."

I guess she thought I was telling some secret code or something, because she called four times, trying to find out where the car was.

She was everywhere but near Macy's.

And she didn't call me. No, she called Miss Columbus Teen, and asked her where my car was. And Miss Columbus Teen asked me. And I told her "Go out Macy's, cross the street, go to the right, and I'm in that lot." Which she repeated to her mother. Who wasn't thrilled with that. So, she'd ask a question, which Miss Columbus Teen would repeat, and I'd answer, which Miss Columbus Teen would repeat.

Don't ask me why. That's just the way it happened.

"Where's the car?"

"Across the street from Macy's, in the lot to the right."

"What level are you on?"

"What? I'm parked outside."

"Do you see sky above you?"

"When I get out of the car, there's nothing but sky. And clouds. Maybe a bird."

"What door do you go out to get to the car?"

"The one by Macy's."

"What store did you pass when you came in?"

"Macy's."

"Mom, he's being snarky with me now. Macy's. That's what he said."

It went on. And on.

It was frustrating, sure. But, when I parked, I look at the mall, saw Macy's right there, walked over to the building, and went in the door by Macy's. So, that's what I said I did.

Anyway, as frustrating as it was for me, I was heartened by the fact that The Mean Sister was getting the worst of it.

She eventually found the car.

It was parked across the street from Macy's, in the lot to the right. Just like where I left it.

It's good to be the brother.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-18


  • Going to Atlanta. #

  • In Atlanta. Sending my sister in a scavenger hunt for my car. I hid it in plain sight outside Macy's. #

  • What the heck is a "Windows Easy Transfer Cable?" #

  • Working on daughter's computer. #

  • Really busy. #

  • Got 3/4 way through a full backup ... when it failed. I hate Windows! #

  • Need more caffeine. Caffeine for everybody! #

  • Oh, did I mention that Windows is the devil? #

  • Transfer cables are 'spensive! #

  • Taking over Starbucks. Drinking up all their sweet tea and eating up all their pound cake. #

  • If Bush had done this, he'd have been called "racist" http://tinyurl.com/d65669 #

  • If Bush had done this, he'd have been called a war criminal: http://tinyurl.com/dxym9w #

  • Done with computer work. For the night. Now, the 2-hour ride back to the house. #

Friday, April 17, 2009

Taking a stand against piracy

The UK is finally taking a stand against piracy.

This week, France -- France! -- captured 11 pirates. And, of course, the U.S. Navy took out the pirates that had captured the Maersk Alabama.

With all the problems there are around the world with pirates, there need to be more countries taking a stand against piracy.

And the U.K. is doing just that. They just sentenced four pirates to jail.

According to the report ....

Um.

Wait a second.

Ah.

Hmm.

It seems that they are battling software pirates, not seafaring pirates.

Okay, the whole world has turned upside down.

France protects world commerce ... and the U.K. protects iTunes.

I want my reality back.

Thoughts for 2009-04-17


  • When Fear Factor and Survivor use insects, it's entertainment; when CIA does, it's torture. #

  • Place where The Girls work was robbed at gunpoint last night. They weren't there. Nobody hurt. But I've just about had enough this week. #

  • Drudge: "Journalists get PTSD." I knew they had some kind of disorder. #

  • If you pray for patience, the Lord may send a liberal for you to talk to. #

  • I'm having Sealtest milk with lunch. Last time I had anything "Sealtest" it was after a trip to the IGA. Good times. #

  • Microsoft Expression SuperPreview. Help from writers of crappy browsers for coding for those crappy browsers. #

  • Need to go to Atlanta. Maybe tomorrow. #

  • U.S. Flags made in the U.S... What a concept! http://tinyurl.com/cv7jw8 #

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Thoughts for 2009-04-16


  • Work. Almost like normal. #

  • Cable is back. #

  • Phone is back. Now we'll again be able to get those 3:00 AM wrong numbers looking for the tow company. #

  • Working late. #

  • Now the fish tank has leaked 30 gallons of fish water on the carpet. #

Butt heads

Right up front, I need to let you know that I don't like smoking. If you smoke, I don't like that you smoke.

However, I understand that it's your decision to smoke. I just figured you were smarter than that. Obviously, I was wrong about some of you.

You don't need me preaching to you about all the things that are bad about smoking. You've heard it all. You know all the reasons.

And, if you still smoke, that's your decision. I just don't want to have to smell it.

I don't want to have to pick up your cigarette butts, either.

And that's my quandary.

When I was in the Army, one of the duties I hated most was having to police the area around the barracks or around the company or battalion headquarters.

Not that I minded picking up trash so much. Things would blow in -- candy wrappers, Burger King bags, paper napkins, and such -- and they'd need to be policed up.

But the wind doesn't really blow cigarette butts very far. When we picked up cigarette butts, it was because some butt head had tossed it on the ground.

Being a non-smoker, I didn't like picking up the butts. But it needed to happen. Soldiers often go in and clean up other people's messes. Whether it's something some politician screwed up somewhere, or someone's cigarette butts on the ground, soldiers end up cleaning it up.

So, when I read about Deb Schallert and her crusade to make it a crime in Oregon to toss cigarette butts on the ground, I understood from whence she came.

But I disagree with her.

It's already a crime to litter. Even in Oregon. I suppose another law is supposed to make people stop?

And that's the mentality of lots of folks. "Hey, let's pass a law making it illegal, and people will stop."

Passing laws has certainly stopped other things like:

  • Drinking and driving

  • Smoking dope

  • Robbing banks

  • Rape

  • Speeding

  • Murder

  • Kidnapping

  • Running red lights




I mean, nobody does any of those things since they've been made illegal, right?

Oh, I'm certainly not saying that we shouldn't have laws preventing these -- and other -- things. I'm saying that if one law doesn't stop it, why would another law stop it?

That's the thing about that mentality: pass another law.

You end up with a United Nations that passes resolutions and follows up with more resolutions -- resolutions that rouge nations will just ignore.

You end up with more and more laws that make it harder for law-abiding citizens to do simple things -- laws the criminals are going to ignore anyway.

You end up making a bunch of noise and not solving the problem.

Somebody throw a cigarette butt down in front of you? Hit them in the nose with a newspaper.

Yes, that's what you do with a bad puppy. But most folks that throw cigarette butts on the ground aren't any smarter than a puppy. And not nearly as cute. 

It also give newspapers a purpose.

All a-Twitter

Frank J. has decided to try Twitter again.

He likes it. And he's using a plug-in to automatically pull his Twitter posts ("Tweets"? "Twits"?) into a daily wrap-up.

Many of the commenters at IMAO don't like it.

Here's the thing.

Most of the commenters at IMAO like Frank's "Random Thought" posts. A lot. They get lots of comments and lots of 4- and 5-star ratings.

Folks hate Frank's Twitter posts, but love his Random Thoughts. Which are essentially what Twitter updates are.

I think people just don't like Twitter, though they like what Twitter is and does.

Imagine if Frank removed all reference to "Twitter" in those posts...

Suppose he called the daily updates "Today's Random Thoughts"?

And put them in the "Random Thoughts" category?

And edited the "aktt_credit" class in the stylesheet to not display?

Then, it'd be not just be -- but also look like -- a daily Random Thoughts update.

I bet most of the readers at IMAO would love that.

Am I right?

And what does that say about us?

When the French call you weak...

Drudge reports that the president of France has called the president of the U.S. "weak" and "meek."

The source of that, an article at the Times Online, says that Nicolas Sarkozy was critical of Barack Obama's performance at the G20, specifically in relation to his stance regarding Turkey:

Mr Obama was meekly yielding to Turkey's refusal to endorse Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the alliance's new Secretary-General. It took pressure from Mr Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel of Germany to stiffen him up and change his mind, say the French.


France and Germany working together against the Americans? That hasn't happened to this degree since the July 1940 to August 1944 time frame.

But is it really the Americans they are against? Or just this intern that occupies the Oval Office?

I'm actually going to enjoy this.

No, not another country criticizing the president of the United States. That's the job of right-wing extremists like me.

What I'm going to enjoy is watching my liberal friends (yes, I have a couple) and acquaintances try to sort this out.

They absolutely love Europe. And they love the French most of all the western European countries.

They also love Obama.

I'm going to watch the liberals' heads explode as they try to figure out what to do.

I hope I get pictures.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Normal. Or what passes for it around here.

After several days, the situation at the house has improved.

We're now to the point where there's just a hole in the roof.

And, yes, that's an improvement.

The tree is still down in the back yard. Or what's left of the tree after getting it cut up to get it off the roof.

The phone line is still down. Oh, the phone works. Mostly. Touch tone doesn't work, for instance. Pulse dialing does, as do incoming calls.

And the DSL works. Mostly. Download speed is supposed to be 6 Mbps. It's 3.5 Mbps, which is on the low end of what passes for acceptable. Normal for here is between 5 and 6 Mbps.

But, like I said, the phone line is down. On the ground. It runs from the house, across the yard, to the road, across the road on the asphalt, and to the pole on the other side of the road. We still have Internet access, though. For now.

The cable is still down. Oh, we are picking up the channels on the TV and TiVo. But the cable is down. It runs from the side of the house, across the ground, until about half-way to the road, where it droops from the other lines running across the yard.

But, we have power.

The electrician got the box on the wall yesterday. And the building inspector signed off on the work today. The power company reconnected the house and got power back to us late this afternoon.

Still waiting on the insurance company to send someone by. But the delay isn't entirely their fault. So, I'm trying to be patient.

Hope to hear from them soon. The cable folks said they'd have a man by Thursday to fix the cable. The phone company said they'd have the line fixed by Monday upcoming. And, yes, they know the line is laying on the road.

So, the good news is that 5 days after the storm, there's a hole in the roof, we haven't heard from the insurance company, the phone line is laying on the road, and the cable is down.

Yes, that's the good news.

That sums up what kind of week it's been.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

What's the point of being homeless if you have to go to work anyway?

First, let me thank Frank J. and everyone at IMAO for their kind words of support.

Okay, not everyone had kind words of support. Still, it was touching. At least they spelled my name right, even if some pronounced it wrong.

With those niceties out of the way, I must say that this whole getting displaced by a tornado is starting to get on my nerves.

First, the good news. On Friday night, the Weather Channel online (on my CrackBerry) said that we were under a tornado warning, and that one would be in our area at 9:17.

They nailed it. At 9:17, the sound of the rain gave way to a gosh-awful noise, and the lights went out.

That's the good news: we got hit with a tornado when they said we would. Aint' technocracy great!

The rest, though, falls under the category of "bad news." The tornado tore down the large tree in the back yard and put in on the house, knocking the power lines down and ripping the power meter box from the wall.

Of course, on Easter weekend, there's no getting an electrician to come by. Especially until that tree and the accompanying debris was out of the way. Saturday and Sunday, we got the side of the house cleared, but still no electrician.

Rather than spend the night in a power-less house, we stayed in a hotel. That was Saturday night. And Sunday night. And Monday night. And now, Tuesday night.

There's still no power at the house. Oh, the electrician got the power box and meter up. But there's no line running from the pole to the house. That's awaiting the power company, who's awaiting the inspector signing off on the electrician's work.

So, we've been having to stay in hotels since the storm.

Being homeless isn't fun.

But, having to get up and go to work? While homeless?

That's just not right.

I think, first thing in the morning, I'll put on dirty clothes, head to the Piggly Wiggly and grab a shopping cart, then wander around town, picking up trash bags full of thrown out bread from Subway.

Then I'll go register to vote as a Democrat. Several times.

After all, in for a penny, in for a pound.

I'm wondering what else I should be doing, now that I've joined that elite group.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Wx Pix

This whole being without electricity is not fun.

I never imagined the Blackberry would be my emergency communication conduit to civilization, but that's what it's been. More about that in a minute.

First, though, some pictures.

Friday night, we knew that the storm has set a tree against the house. But, being dark and all, I couldn't get good pictures.

Saturday, though, I was able to get a great view of the tree ... from the bathroom.

Not a view I recommend.

Outside, though, we could tell a bit more about things.

I've never seen the bottom of a tree before. Well, not one this size.

Okay, that's not true.

Growing up in southeast Georgia, we got some storms. Tornadoes would sometimes hit the area. Heck, turn on TV and watch the news crews anytime a series of storms hits. They are in the south, and talking to somebody who's "1 green, 1 brown." That refers to their socks, their eyes, and their teeth.

Yeah, we wuz just sittin' there when it sounded like this freight train come through. Got us thinking 'bout my Boxcar Willie 8-tracks. Then, alluva sudden, the winders busted in, and next thing I knew, I was sittin' underneath the dually.
That's not quite what it was like for us, of course. But still, growing up in areas frequented by tornadoes and hurricanes (and hurricane-spawned tornadoes), I'd seen big oak trees uprooted before.

But never up close. And never in the back yard.

The tree wasn't quite horizontal.

The house broke its fall.

The limbs caught the edge of the house, and did damage there. Broke through the roof, letting the rain in. Got water stains in the bathroom. But no actually breaking through the ceiling.

Knew that Friday night, after the worst of the storm passed.

After everyone left -- oh, I didn't mention that, did it?

Right after the tornado did its little part, the family nearby loaded up in their pickups and came over to the house. Seems the storm was upsetting folks, what with all that loud racket that sounded like a tornado, and the lights going out, and the thunder and lightening and all.

So, they came over to our house, where it was safe.

Of course, our house was the only house in the immediate area with a tree on it. So, I'm still trying to figure out what passes for "safe" around here. But, I'll learn, I'm sure.

Anyway, after everyone departed, the flashlights finally gave out. Don't know how old the batteries were, but they died.

So, in order to do a walk-though of the house, I had to use the only light I had: the screen on the Blackberry.

If you open up "Contacts" or "Messages" you get a mostly-white screen. And that can be used as a bit of light. Not a lot of light, but, after being in the pitch-black dark for a while, it's actually useful.

The walk-though showed no limbs through the ceiling or anything. Did see what looked like a slight discoloration, as if an area of the bathroom ceiling was damp. It was.

The next morning, we could see why. What with the tree sitting partially inside the roof.

We could also see why the lights went out.

The tree, although it's downward path was obstructed by the corner of the roof, was large enough so that its limbs extended the 10 or so yards from the house to the power pole that runs through the yard.

Limbs were on the lines there.

Oh, and the limbs between the main trunk (sitting on the house) and the peripheral limbs (sitting on the power lines)? Well, that little line that runs from the power line to the house ... no longer runs from the power line to the house.

No, it sits on the ground.

And, in order for that to happen, the power meter and box had to go. So, the tree took it out, too.

When the lights went out, the TV stopped playing. It does that. I had no idea if the cable went out, or just the lights.

But, Saturday, it became obvious. The power box was right above the cable box.

Cable's that black thing in the photo. The black thing that's hanging off the wall.

Oh, and that gray thing below it? Telephone box.

Which means, like I said Friday, "no phone, no lights, no Internet, not a single luxury."

Except for the Blackberry.

And, of course, the local hotels where we're staying, so we can wash, sleep comfortably, and such.

Today, it's off to Electrician Land to find an electrician. Got to get that power box back up, so the power company can get us power back to the house.

I've got stuff on the TiVo I still haven't watched.

At least I got my priorities straight, huh?

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Easter 2009

Chapter 24
  1. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
  2. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
  3. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
  4. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
  5. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
  6. He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
  7. Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
  8. And they remembered his words,
  9. And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
  10. It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
  11. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
  12. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
  13. And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
  14. And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
  15. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
  16. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
  17. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
  18. And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
  19. And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
  20. And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
  21. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
  22. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
  23. And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
  24. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
  25. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
  26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
  27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
  28. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
  29. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
  30. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
  31. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
  32. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
  33. And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
  34. Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
  35. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
  36. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
  37. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
  38. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
  39. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
  40. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
  41. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
  42. And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
  43. And he took it, and did eat before them.
  44. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
  45. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
  46. And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
  47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
  48. And ye are witnesses of these things.
  49. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
  50. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
  51. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
  52. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
  53. And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Roughing it

It was nearly 24 hours ago that the tornado took out the tree that took out the corner of the roof ... and ripped the power meter off the wall.

Today, the power company trimmed the tree off the power lines and restored power to those nearby. We're still without power.

We got someone to get the tree off the house and cover the hole in the roof, like the insurance company said do.

He and his crew didn't take the tree away; they just got it off the house. They did turn most of the tree into little tree pieces. And some large tree pieces. And left them in the yard. Right where the power company will need to get to restore our power.

Spent the late afternoon toting off tree limbs. About dark, decided enough was enough, and packed a bag.

We're staying at a hotel uptown.

Trying to get used to having electricity and air conditioning. And hot water.

The Wife just spent about 30 minutes in the shower. I'm about to charge the Blackberry; this whole blogging via telephone is taking some getting used to, but I'm just too tired to break out the laptop.

Oh well. Time to wash my nasty self.

I might get used to this whole running water and electric lights lifestyle again.

Yeah, I think that's for me.

Update: Got pictures posted.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Stormy weather

Well, here I sit on Friday, in the dark.

Big storm just went through and took out the power.

Big storm.

No phone, no lights, no Internet ... not a single luxury.

Well, okay, I do have the Blackberry. So, I guess I do have a phone. And Internet, through Blackberry service. And it's the only light I have, since the flashlight died a few minutes ago.

There's also a tree on the house. But not in the house, thankfully. I took a picture, but it's too dark to make anything out. But I'll have pictures when the sun comes up in the morning.

Maybe we'll have power by then.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Bow? What bow?

Hello, my name is Tommy Flanagan, White House spokesman. I wanted to clear up some misconceptions about the president's meeting with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. You see this picture? Some have said that the president is bowing to King Abdullah. Well, that's just not true. The president did not bow. No, he, um... he was bending down. Yeah. Bending down so he could look King Abdullah in the eye. Yeah. That's what he did. Then he ... saw a ninja. Yeah, a ninja. The ninja was hiding and the president feared for King Abdullah's safety. So he dove after the ninja and beat him up. With one han... one finger. That how powerful Barack Obama is. He beats up ninjas. With one finger. His pinkie finger. Look at the picture again. See the ninja? Of course you don't! It's a ninja! But the president saw him. Because he has x-ray eyes. He can see ninjas. Yeah. Then he saw the king choking. And gave him the Heimlich Maneuver. Yeah. See? He's giving him Heimlich Maneuver from the front! It's a secret, special Heimlich Maneuver. And I taught him how to do it. Yeah. It's called the "Flanagan Maneuver." That's the ticket. The president is a hero. Because he saved the king. King Abdullah will probably give him his daughter to marry. Kings do that, you know. Then, to top it off, he auditioned for Dancing with the Stars right there on the spot. See? He's dancing. And he won! The president is the best dancer ever. Yeah. So I hope this has cleared things up. The president didn't bow to the king of Saudi Arabia. No, he would never do such a silly thing. Barack Obama knows what he's doing. He's ... experienced! Yeah, that's the ticket. He's the smartest, bravest, most qualified man ever to sit in the Oval Office. Or my wife's name isn't ... Morgan Fairchild.

I wonder whose pants these are I'm wearing

I take my work shirts -- dress shirts -- to the laundry. Pants, not so often.

So, it was a little unusual when I found a pair of my khaki pants ... two pair, actually ... on hangers with the laundry plastic around them this morning.

I figured I had taken them the last time I dropped off clothes. I only have two pair of khaki pants; the rest of the pants I wear to work are black. So, I took the plastic off and took out one of the pair of pants.

When I put them on, I went back to the closet for a shirt. That's when I saw the other pair of khaki pants.

I paused.

Okay, I'm wearing khaki pants. That's one.

There's a hanger with khaki pants that had the laundry tag. That's two.

Then, there's the other pair I just saw. That's three.

Three out of two.

I look around in the closet. There's more khaki pants. That's four.

Out of two.

Okay, where did I get four pair of pants?

The Wife left for work early, so she wasn't around. I couldn't ask her about them. So, heck, the pants fit. And they actually were in better shape than the two pair of khakis that I've been wearing. So, I wore them to work.

But I wondered where they came from.

And whose they are.

The good news is, whosever pants these are, he and I share the same taste in pants.

Perhaps, women too.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Secretariat

My nephew (The Wife's sister's son) is over at the house this evening, doing work for school.

With his computer out of service because of the fire, he's using the Dell to research some stuff online.

The topic? Icons. His and his parents'. Comparing them.

And sports was mentioned. His sports icons were Tim Tebow and John Smoltz. His parents' were Nolan Ryan and Andrés Galarraga.

That got me to thinking about sports icons.

Sure, there's Babe Ruth, Muhammed Ali, Jim Thorpe, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, Gordie Howe, Hank Aaron ... oh, I could go on and on.

But there's one icon that is different.

Secretariat.

I watched the 1973 Belmont Stakes on TV, falling for all the hype of the matchup between Secretariat and Sham, who had finished 1-2 in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

The Belmont Stakes wasn't close.


[The YouTube]

The image that I remember is the camera pulling back as far as it could, trying to get Secretariat and another horse ... any horse ... in the frame. But Big Red's lead was so great (winning by 31 lengths) that the cameraman gave up and focused on the only horse in the race. Secretariat wasn't racing Sham, Twice A Prince, My Gallant, or Private Smiles (the only other horses in that race). He was racing himself.

ESPN called the horse one of the top 50 athletes of the 20th century.

I'm not a fan of horse racing. So, my opinion don't mean much. But to me, Secretariat will always be horse racing.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Comrade

Comrades Barack Obama, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Comrades Barack Obama, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
"My new comrade."

That's what Russian president Dmitry Medvedev called Barack Obama.

Heck, we've known his as Comrade Obama for some time.

I'm just waiting on a bailout bill to include a provision for a new song to replace the Star Spangled Banner.