Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Proving the point

Don't call Anna Mae Godfrey "fat."

Or she'll try to eat you.

Really. And not in that good way, either.

AP reports:

(Police spokeswoman Katie) Flood said officers later learned that the injured man and two others had been arguing with other people at the birthday party. Flood says the man told 21-year-old Anna Godfrey that she was fat.

Officers said Godfrey then tackled the man and took a bite.

Flood said the ear chunk was not found.

Let me make sure I got this straight: a fellow called her fat ... and she took a bite out of him.

And a picture of her does indicate she's a little chubby. I'm thinking she eats more than just ears.

Cartoons: This week's left-overs

Cartoons I saw this week that didn't accompany any particular blog post but that I still liked despite being too lazy to write anything about them...


[Source: Gary Varvel]



[Source: Glenn McCoy]



[Source: Michael Ramirez]



[Source: Gary Varvel]



[Source: Michael Ramirez]

Getting a new bumper sticker

Last week, Frank J. asked for help regarding voting for his Congressman. And that gave me the courage to ask for help. So here goes: I need a new bumper sticker.

Okay, I don't actually have a sticker on the bumper of my car. I have one on the window. And it really needs to come down.

Here's my current sticker. It's left over from the 2008 election.

Now, yes, I know, it's pretty lame to keep a bumper (or window) sticker up after the election. And I'm lame for still having it up.

But, I want to let people know this: I did not vote for Barack Obama.

Leaving the McCain sticker on was a way of saying that. But, it's still lame to have an election sticker after the election. Particularly 540 days after the election.

So, I need to change my bumper sticker. And I want something that, at a glance, can be seen to convey what I want to convey. Nothing wordy.

I thought about the Republican logo...

... but I'm not a Republican. I'm not a member of any political party. And I don't want to get any more letters or email from Michael Steele.

I don't think I want that.

So, I need some ideas.

I want to communicate the following ideas in as few words as possible:
  • No, I didn't vote for Barack Obama
  • Yes, you're an idiot if you did
Suggestions?

Coke, fire, pizza ... and other news

Being tired. Setting up an old computer. And just plain being a slacker.

That's my excuse ... or excuses ... for not doing much on teh Twitter or teh Blogger the past few days.

And now I'm all out of excuses. So, looking over what's been happening...

25 years ago last week, Coca-Cola dropped their old formula for New Coke. I celebrated by drinking an RC.

Did you see the story where a Black man beat, stabbed, and burned a White supremacist. Police are still seeking a motive. Really? They have no idea?

In Woodstock, Georgia, five townhouses burned by a flaming action figure.

Doctor told me I needed to lose weight. So, I went to Subway for lunch. You know they got pizza? Mmmm pizza. Losing weight never tasted so good.

I find myself fast-forwarding through ADHD commercials on TiVo. Should I get that looked at?

Are you following me on teh Twitter? No? You should. http://twitter.com/basilsblog

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Casablanca Quiz ... answered

I republished my Casablanca quiz the other day.

I suppose it's only fair to publish the answers. Here they are. And, of course, if you haven't seen the movie, this contains spoilers...


[Direct link]

The questions answered:
  1. Why did Rick tell Capt. Renault he came to Casablanca?
    For his health (also acceptable: for the waters)
  2. What did Rick tell Maj. Strasser when the latter asked his nationality?
    A drunkard
  3. What color did Ilsa wear that day in Paris?
    Blue
  4. Who wore grey?
    The Germans
  5. What about Ugarte did Rick object?
    That he was a cut-rate parasite
  6. Why was Capt. Renault unconcerned about the gun pointed at his heart?
    It's his least vulnerable spot
  7. Who is Ferrari going to pay for the cigarettes?
    Himself
  8. What were Capt. Renault's instructions following the killing of a character at the end of the film?
    Round up the usual suspects
  9. What did Capt. Renault say he was shocked (shocked!) to discover happening at Rick's?
    Gambling
  10. What kind of man is Capt. Renault?
    He's just like any other man, only more so
  11. What watch?
    Ten watch
  12. How much did Ilsa offer Rick for his thoughts?
    A franc
  13. If it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York?
    My watch stopped
  14. Where did Rick hide the letters of transit?
    In Sam's piano
  15. Which character said, "Play it again, Sam?"
    Trick question. No character in Casablanca said those exact words. Ilsa asked Sam, "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'" Rick said, "You played it for her, you can play it for me! ... If she can stand it, I can! Play it!"
So, how'd you do?

Saturday, April 24, 2010

The Casablanca Quiz

My favorite movie is Casablanca. Great film. If you haven't seen it, you should. That is your assignment: watch Casablanca.

There will be a test. If you watch the movie, you'll be able to answer these questions:
  1. Why did Rick tell Capt. Renault he came to Casablanca?
  2. What did Rick tell Maj. Strasser when the latter asked his nationality?
  3. What color did Ilsa wear that day in Paris?
  4. Who wore grey?
  5. What about Ugarte did Rick object?
  6. Why was Capt. Renault unconcerned about the gun pointed at his heart?
  7. Who is Ferrari going to pay for the cigarettes?
  8. What were Capt. Renault's instructions following the killing of a character at the end of the film?
  9. What did Capt. Renault say he was shocked (shocked!) to discover happening at Rick's?
  10. What kind of man is Capt. Renault?
  11. What watch?
  12. How much did Ilsa offer Rick for his thoughts?
  13. If it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York?
  14. Where did Rick hide the letters of transit?
If you can answer these questions without re-watching the film, you are a true fan.

Update: The answers (with video!)

New NewsBusted! Yay!


[Direct link]

Friday, April 23, 2010

When the cure is worse than the disease

McAfee went nuts. All kinds of PCs locked up -- actually, went into an endless loop of reboots -- when an update went haywire. The thing is, my MacBook wasn't impacted. Oh, yeah. Right.

Truth be told, I do run anti-virus protection on my MacBook: Intego.

"Why," you ask?

No, really; go ahead and ask.

Okay, then, since you asked. Because, despite what many people think, Macs are susceptible to viruses. There's a current threat to Macs called HellRTS.D (an update to the 2004 HellRTS), though isn't actually in the wild, as PC World reports:
The malicious software can now open a "backdoor" to your Mac by setting up its own server on a private port, complete with a password. The software duplicates and changes its name, identifying itself as other genuine Mac software (like "iPhoto"), making it even harder to spot. The new HellRTS variant can contact remote servers, and then, Intego says, "provide direct access to [the] infected Mac."

... The HellRTS.D variant isn't out in the wild; you can only be infected if you install the rogue software.
Since I don't do the illegal download thing, I'm not likely to be infected. But, one day, a Mac virus will be actually "in the wild," and a lot of people will be infected. I won't be one of those.

I also run Microsoft Security Essentials on my Mac. No, Microsoft doesn't make anti-virus software for OS X. But, I have dual-boot capability on my Mac. So, if I choose to boot my Mac to Windows XP, I'm running Microsoft Security Essentials.

I'm trying it out, and, so far, I'm liking it. It does okay. And, it's free.

For a paid security suite, though, I prefer the Norton security suite, although I also like the Kaspersky suite.

I loathe McAfee. In 2006, I had an installation that came on a computer, and I tried to remove it. It didn't want to be removed. And McAfee was no help. I still haven't forgiven them.

Now, the McAfee program that caused all the problems this week wasn't the one you use as a consumer. It was the business version. Which is harder to repair.

Think about it: you get to work and turn your computer on.

It stars booting, then reboots. And reboots. And reboots. Over and over and over.

How do you stop that?

Well, let's look at how it started. In a corporate environment, the network folks probably sent an update over the network. That messed-up McAfee update.

And, when the computers rebooted, they got into an endless loop of reboots.

And, the network people can't send the fix down the network. Because the computer never fully connects to the network, because when it tries to boot, it encounters the error and reboots. And, since it never connects to the network, the company can't send the fix to the computer on the network.

Which means a technician will have to come by to each affected computer.

They have to fix each one, individually, by hand.

McAfee is costing a lot of companies a lot of bucks.

And that's just another example of why I won't waste my money on McAfee.

Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, I burned and buried some used tires, returning them to the earth from which they came.

Has anyone thanked Iceland for allowing us a glimpse inside the earth on this Earth Day? 12 hours ago reply

We should celebrate Earth Day each year by burying terrorists under yards of earth. They are bio-degradable, after all.

I remember the first Earth Day. I was 12. Young and stupid. That was before I realized that humans can't hurt the earth. Humans can hurt humans, and make it hard to live, but the earth doesn't care. It was here 4-1/2 billion years before humans came around, and will be here 4-1/2 billion years after we're gone.

Now, certainly, we don't want to sh*t where we eat. We do want to take care of things. But we don't need to be enviro-wacko about it.

And, if you disagree, go away. And come back when you've grown up ... and smartened up.

Bias, noise, tires ... and other news

Mark McKinnon says the media has a double-standard about Bush and Obama (tip: Jake Tapper). Oh, and fire is hot. Also, water is wet.

That white noise that businesses pump into offices? Racist!

Milwaukee 20, Pittsburgh 0. Not only does Milwaukee not have a football team, Pittsburgh doesn't have a baseball team.

Spent over $800 on tires yesterday. Wife needed tires on her truck. So, we spent $800. Could have spent more, I guess. But the BF Goodrich tires that came on the truck lasted 7 years. So, we bought more BG Goodrich tires.

Went to supper when we went to pick the truck up from Sears automotive. Jason's Deli. Which is pretty good. And, I treated myself to ice cream when we were done. And, of course, I ate the ice cream too fast. So I was all, "Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia! Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia! Ow. Ow. Ow." Or something like that.

Then, when it cleared up, I ate some more. And the cycle repeated.

You know what else makes my brain hurt? People following me on teh Twitter. As well as people not following me on teh Twitter. So, either way, I'm in trouble. So, you can either make it better or worse, if you follow me on teh Twitter: http://twitter.com/basilsblog

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Cartoons: Priorities


[Source: Bob Gorrell]



[Source: Lisa Benson]



[Source: Steve Kelley]

Der Fuehrer's Face

Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Because they are.

Liberals think conservatives are stupid. Because stupid liberals think stupid things.

There's nothing -- nothing! -- that liberals and conservatives agree about.

Except Hitler.

We want our Hitler. And Constantin Film is taking our Hitler away.

I want Hitler parodies. Democratic Underground wants Hitler parodies.

Think about that.

There's a socialist in the White House, the U.S. might shoot down Israeli jets if they attack Iran ... but we agree that we want our Hitler?

Freakin' Bizarro World.

You think this will lower his share of the Jewish vote?

Obama has ruled out attacking Iran over nuclear development. (tip: Right Truth)

But the administration won't rule out shooting down Israeli jets if Israel takes a stand against Iran.

If this comes to pass, will Obama would end up losing any Jewish votes? Over 80% of Jewish voters cast ballots for Obama in 2008. Of course, Democrats have not been friends to Israel or our Jewish citizens for some time.

Now, sure, if this were to come to pass, the most important thing wouldn't be how most Jews vote. It would be a shooting war in the Middle East, where the U.S. is one of the countries doing the shooting. And, it would be a huge betrayal of a strong ally.

But that's what could happen when you put people like Barack Obama and other Democrats in charge. And everyone who voted for Barack Obama would be to blame. That includes 80% of Jewish voters.

Elections have consequences.

Jenn vs Breitbart

Though I've enjoyed reading and watching Andrew Breitbart, his videos and Websites, I gotta agree with Jenn on this one. She asks a fair question:
I asked Andrew, since Andrew offered $100,000 for proof of a Tea Partier calling the Black Caucus tools nigger, if he had video of the SEIU bastards saying the same. I mean I have watched the Gladney video many times. I heard the word asshole used repeatedly but never nigger. I'm not saying it wasn't said, just that I have watched the video numerous times and never heard it.
We can't hold the left to different standards. We have standards, after all; the left doesn't. And our standards apply to us, too.

Hitler complains about the YouTube crackdown on Hitler parodies

A while back, there were Hitler parodies where Hitler complained about Hitler parodies.

Seems that there's a crackdown on those Hitler parodies.

What until Hitler finds out...


[Direct link]

Or, maybe it'll go like this...


[Direct link]

More from Hot Air.

The story

A long time ago, when I was doing news for a small-town radio station, a reporter for the Savannah newspaper got into a brief spat with a city official in that small town.

I learned a lesson from that: When the reporter becomes the story, the real story suffers.

More experienced journalists need to understand that.

Maybe this will help one.

NewsBusted! Yay!

Oops! A new NewsBusted came out Tuesday, and I missed it. Until now...


[Direct link]

Thank you, Barack Obama?

Suppose I broke into your house. Suppose during my break-in, I took your TV, your computer, your jewelry ... but I left your silverware. And I left you a note telling you I left your silverware. Would you thank me?

No?

Why not? Because I'm not Barack Obama?

That's what Obama is doing: he and Democrats say people should say "thank you" to the government for leaving you some of your own money. Which they will end up taking from you later. And from your children. And from your grandchildren.

So, if you must thank him for not taking all of your money, you should thank someone who robs you, but doesn't clean you out.


[Source: Chuck Asay]



[Source: Lisa Benson]

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

What's in your wallet?


[Source: Michael Ramirez]

The government isn't exactly Capital One, but they seem to be asking the same question: "What's in your wallet?"

Only, Capital One wants to put something in your wallet: a Capital One credit card.

The government? They want to take something from your wallet: your money.

The government, particularly under control of Democrats, doesn't think of it as your money. They think it's the government's. And anything they don't take is their generosity to you. Like you should be saying "thank you" that they left you some of your own money.

I don't feel that way, but that's how Democrats, liberals, and other national socialists feel.

And they are empowered by people who want the government to take care of things.

As a Christian, I agree that we should help take care of one another. But it's not the government's job to enforce this. That's why I opposed the bailouts, cash for clunkers, socialized health care, and all the other things like that which the government is taking my money and your money to do.

The thought behind these things seems good on the surface: helping others. But that shows a lack of thought, an inability to understand what's going on.

The government shouldn't be running all these aspects of our lives. The government should provide for defense, and ensure that people's rights are not infringed. It should not be taking our money and subsidizing bad behavior.

So, what's in your wallet? Your money. And the government needs to keep its hands out of your wallet.

Islam

Atheist Pat Condell shares what he knows about Islam.


[Direct link]
Tip: 7 Deadly Sins

Insanity

Whether or not Einstein said it, it's true that doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is a definition of insanity. Keep that in mind...

So many problems are created by government. Not that government is a bad thing; it's not. But out-of-control government is a very bad thing.

The bailouts -- first begun when Bush was president, but under the direction of a Democrat Congress -- were something I opposed when they were proposed.

The bank failure was caused by government. And the bailout was government getting more involved.

Think about this: if you put a bunch of monkeys in a room and let them run loose, and they caused damage to the walls and furniture, would you then give those same monkeys hammers, nails, and paint, asking them to fix things?

No, you'd remove the monkeys and deal with the consequences. It might be a rough time for a bit, what with all the mess the monkeys made, in addition to all the collateral damage that will result. But that's what you'd do.

Of course, it was your fault for putting the monkeys in charge to start with.

In case you missed it, them monkeys? Democrats. Keep that in mind in November.

And keep in mind that insanity quote.

Cartoons: Big government


[Source: Dick Locher]



[Source: Gary Varvel]



[Source: Glenn McCoy]

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Campaign help

Why would Barack Obama be helping the Republican nominee for Senate in California?

He is.

He's campaigning for Barbara "Don't Call Me 'Ma'am'" Boxer.
"November is going to be tough. It is always a tough race if you're the incumbent in this kind of economic environment. Even though it is picking up, people are still hurting," Obama said on a campaign jaunt to raise money for California Senator Barbara Boxer, an ally who is in a tight race for re-election.
After the great job he did for Corzine, Coakley, Deeds...


[Source: Gary Varvel]

Believing the lie

Quick... who is responsible for the financial crisis?

If you said "Republicans who fought regulation," then, congratulations. Not to you,but congratulations to the Democrats and mainstream media for getting you to believe the lie.

Kathleen McKinley does a great job of debunking the lie that Republicans are to blame.
The Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org reported on how much money members of Congress had received from Fanny and Freddy since 1989. Their report on September 11 said that Maxine Waters had indeed receive $15,000 from Fannie and Freddie (and, as Michael Moore pointed out, so did Chris Dodd and Barney Frank). In fact current members of Congress received a total of $4.8 million from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with Democrats collecting 57 percent of that.
Unless you consider Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, John Kerry, Maxine Waters, and other Democrats to be Republicans.

With friends like Democrats...

Last month, I commented on how poorly Barack Obama has treated America's ally, Israel. I pointed out that 80% of the Jewish vote in 2008 went to Obama.

There's a poll that says that shows that it's not just Obama, it's Democrats that aren't friends to Israel (tip: Reliapunit):
85 percent of Republicans and only 48 percent of Democrats supported Israel rather that the Palestinians
What's it gonna take for people to realize who supports our country and our allies ... and who doesn't?

Death of a Marine

The Jawa Report's Dr. Rusty Shackleford lost his father, and the country lost a Marine.

Send your condolences. And, please consider helping with his request, if you are able.

Ash, golf, smoke ... and not much other news

A report says that volcano that's causing all the trouble won't actually change the climate. But driving an SUV will. Go figure.

Obama used Karl Rove's weather machine to make the volcano erupt so he could go golfing instead of to Kaczynski's funeral.

Those criticizing Obama for golfing forget that while on the course, he isn't bowing to any dictator. Or signing any tax bills.

Brooksville, Florida, wants to ban smoking by off-duty city employees. What's next? Don't Ask Don't Tell for tobacco next?

No, personally, I hate smoking. It stinks. It's unhealthy. And it stinks. Did I mention it stinks? And smells bad. And stinks. But, if you want to do that to your lungs, fine. Knock yourself out. But I really don't like it when you subject me to it. Or my children. Or my grandchildren. Ruin your own life, though.

But this city banning it for off-duty employees? That's too Big Brother for me.

However, the city should demand you follow me on teh Twitter: http://twitter.com/basilsblog

Monday, April 19, 2010

Where do you live?

Which America do you want to live in? The America this guy lives in?


[Direct link]
Tip: Flopping Aces

Or the America this gal lives in?


[Direct link]

If you had to think about it, go beat yourself in the head now. Beat yourself in the head hard. With a brick. And don't stop until the bleeding stops.

Why vote Democrat?

Stolen from American Digest (tip: Hyscience)

When your friends can't explain why they voted for Democrats, give them this list. They can then pick a reason.
  1. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.
  2. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
  3. I voted Democrat because Freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
  4. I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.
  5. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.
  6. I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies through abortion so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
  7. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits.
  8. I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the democrats see fit.
  9. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.
  10. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass it's unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.
Any other suggestions?

No comparison

A tale of two Democrats...


[Source: Michael Ramirez]

Remember when Democrats could actually say things that had meaning? Gosh, I miss those days.


[Direct link]

Cartoons

With Democrats, the only two things that are certain are debt and taxes...



[Source: Glenn McCoy]



[Source: Michael Ramirez]



[Source: Steve Kelley]

Rude, ash, freaks, ... and other news

Wearing a hat indoors is rude. Wearing a cap crooked is stupid. Wearing a cap crooked indoors should carry the death penalty.

So, does Iceland now have to buy a bunch of carbon credits from Antarctica?

Freaknik? As if I needed another reason to avoid Atlanta.

NBC's Olympics rating were up 14% from last Olympics. Of course, they paid 34% more for this year's. With mad math skillz like that, no wonder NBC loves Obama and the Democrats.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Truth in advertising

A local furniture store, JD Kinder's, is running a commercial featuring a huge chest. At least that's what the announcer says. And, the video backs it up...


[Direct link]

Friday, April 16, 2010

Cartoons


[Direct link]


[Direct link]


[Direct link]


[Direct link]

Oooh, look, a new NewsBusted!

Yay! A new NewsBusted!


[Direct link]

Crazies, perverts, idiots ... and other news

A Pennsylvania woman was convicted of piercing her cats and sentenced to one year of house arrest. Where she can spend more time with her cats.

A Columbus man gives up his teaching certificate after admitting have sex with a student. Now he has to find underage girls on Facebook like other perverts.

What is it with New Jersey teens?

Wikipedia profile on Leah Ward Sears cleaned up by ... LWsears1992.

Police are looking for Columbus woman wielding a bat. She's described as a woman carrying a bat.

I wish life was like a TiVo and I could just fast-forward to November 2, 2010.

Gosh, it's great to have a computer back, and have time to surf them internets. Yesh, it's been a rough week with computers and stuff. But it's all better now. For now.

But you should let technocracy run your life, too. Like following people on teh Twitter. Like me: http://twitter.com/basilsblog

Thursday, April 15, 2010

When a coma is better than real life

Playing catch-up, I'm just now watching In Plain Sight on the TiVo.

It's the episode where the ATF agent wakes up from a 3-year coma. He asked Mary who that guy was that was on all the TV channels. It was Barack Obama.

I don't know if they intended to, but I chose to see it as a swipe at Obama. When the agent went into a coma three years ago, nobody knew who Obama was. Somehow, he's now the president.

There is no good scenario where somebody that no one knows anything about goes from obscurity to president of the United States.

Which means that today's country is not a good scenario.

Ain't technocracy great!

It's been technology week from hell.

A week ago, my MacBook went into the shop. Problem with the battery swelling, as it turned out, causing it to push against the bottom of the trackpad, which caused phantom mouse-clicks.

Battery isn't covered by AppleCare, so it was $129 (plus tax) to fix.

Then, Wife's computer had issues. She was running out of hard drive space. So, Saturday, we bought a larger hard drive (upgraded from 60 GB to 160 GB; yes, it's an old laptop, well out of warranty), and more RAM. That, plus an adapter to help copy from one drive to another, ran that bill for that to over $200 (plus tax).

Couldn't find the original disks that came with the Dell, so I had to order them. They came the day after the Mac got back from the shop. But there was a problem the disc drive, so I had to find an external disc to reinstall all the software.

Then, the wifi drivers wouldn't work and I had to find new ones ... Okay, you get the point. It was one thing then another. But, finished restoring her computer tonight.

Of course, last night, the battery in my BlackBerry died. And wouldn't recharge. So, I had a dead BlackBerry until I went by the Verizon store this afternoon and bought another battery (yes, it was the battery; charger works on the new battery, just not on the old one). They're $39 (plus tax).

So, I've spent over $400 in the last week to have the same old two computers and same old phone running.

Like the man said, "Ain't technocracy great!"

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Mind vs mindless

When someone who thinks interacts with someone who doesn't, it's always nice when the person who thinks wins the encounter.

That happened to another Basil recently. Basil White called TiVo support, and ...
Basil White: Can I create a wishlist entry online?

Alfonso: Thank you for contacting TiVo! My name is Alfonso. So that I may better assist you, are you an existing customer?

Basil White: yes

Alfonso: Thank you! In order to verify your identity, can you please provide the following account information?:
* address
* phone number(don't worry about adding dashes)
* Also, is the e-mail you provided the current, up to date e-mail on the account?
But it has a happy ending.

And this isn't the worst example of trying to ask a simple question and getting a bunch of useless questions thrown at you. But it does show that when silly questions get thrown your way, you can win.

There's a Pulitzer in my Beer...

Guess who won a Pulitzer Prize?

Hank Williams.

No, really. (Tip: Doc's Political Parlor)
A posthumous special citation to Hank Williams for his craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life.

So, if there's something like "A Tear In My Beer" inside of you, trying to get out, go ahead and let it out. You could win a Pulitzer.

Another bow? Or just a weak spine?

Lots of reaction about Obama's latest bow. Oh, there's bunches and bunches. But, to tell the truth, I haven't seen them all. Computer has been in the shop, and I've only quickly reviewed the Websites I follow on teh Google Reader.

But here are a few that covered it well...
If you voted for Obama, you should feel really bad about what you did. Really, really bad. Now, apologize.

Rewarding losing

According to ABC's Jake Tapper, a new name has appeared on the president's short list of possible Supreme Court nominees: Leah Ward Sears.

Yes, the former Atlanta traffic court judge is on the short list.

Okay, sure, she also served as Superior Court judge, then state Supreme Court justice, and finally Chief Justice of Georgia.

But look at her career on the Supreme Court. Her major accomplishments include dissenting opinions on:
  • Club Southern Burlesque v. City of Carrollton (1995)
  • McIntyre v. State (1995)
  • Greene v. State (1996)
  • LaFontaine v. State (1998)
  • Lumpkin v. Johnson (1998)
  • Gibson v. Turpin (1999)
  • Wilson v. State(1999)
  • Howard v. State (2000)
  • Hill v. Head (2003)
  • O'Kelley v. Cox (2004)
  • Johnstone v. Thompson (2006)
  • Morrison v. State (2006)
  • Reaves v. State (2008)
  • State v. Davis (2008)
Keep in mind that "dissenting" means that she differed with the court. She was on the losing side.

What does this mean? Her legal rulings are wrong. Her judgment is poor.

But that's right up the alley for Obama and his socialist supporters.

Being legally correct isn't important in a Supreme Court justice. Blindly following a bad political philosophy is what they seek.

With that crew, being a loser isn't a bad thing. It's a thing to be honored.

Imagine if this same logic applied to the NFL. Who would have been in the most recent Super Bowl? St. Louis (1-15) vs Kansas City (4-12).

Who would have been in the World Series? Washington (55-103) vs Baltimore (60-98).

Loser gets rewarded. That's the liberal way.

John McCain's attack ad

This is funny. If you don't like John McCain, you might disagree. But you're not being honest.


[Direct link]

Some comments...

I don't like the idea of Republicans criticizing Republicans. So bad on McCain.

Why couldn't McCain have done more of that in the 2008 election?

Something about Hayworth bothers me. Can't put my finger on it. But he strikes me as ... not quite right. He'd probably be great with a show on AM radio, but I'm not sure about having actual responsibility.

Shopping, driving, ranting ... and other news

This weekend, we went to the Walmart at Hooterville (that area near Hooters in Columbus). Wife's flipped of somebody in the parking lot before we made it to the store. Probably something stupid I did while driving.

She hit the beer aisle three times. But only got water. Why it took her three times, though, I don't know.

Saw something odd. Mother-in-law had a tall step ladder set up in the middle of her yard. If she was gonna try to paint the clouds, she'll need a long brush.

Driving in to work yesterday, I passed Moses walking beside the road. Maybe not Moses; he looked like he'd been wandering over 40 years.

Today's shopping tip: stop chewing gum before you enter the pet store. Unless, of course, you like petstore-flavored gum. Just trust me on this.

That stupid son-of-a-bitch has bowed again. If you voted for this ass-clown, then you're an idiot. I told you not to vote for him. But did you listen? Noooooo! What did you learn? Listen to me, that's what.

You know what else I told you to do? Follow me on teh Twitter: http://twitter.com/basilsblog

Monday, April 12, 2010

I heart my MacBook, except ...

In August 2007, after having DOS and Windows computers for over 20 years, I bought a Mac. And I loved it.

Except when it broke. First time it went into the shop was a couple of months after I got it, when the White Screen Of Death appeared.

And, since August 2007, the MacBook has been in the shop 4 times.

This time, the trackpad was acting up. I thought it was the mouse. That new Magic Mouse. Which absolutely rocks, by the way. But it wasn't the mouse. Or the trackpad. Not exactly.

It was the battery. The battery was swollen, and that was pressing on the bottom of the trackpad, causing the problem.

The local Apple dealership, which is an Authorized Service Provider, fixed replaced the trackpad, but Apple said the battery isn't covered. I have no problem with the local Apple dealer. They've been great to work with over the last nearly three years. So, when I've had to take the Mac to the shop, they've been great. But I've had to take it to the shop 4 times.

The Applecare warranty has been very useful ... except for not covering the swollen battery ... and I'm glad I got it. But I've had to use it 4 times.

I like the screen on the Mac. But it's been in the shop 4 times.

I like the speed and ease of use of the Mac operating system. But it's been in the shop 4 times.

Things work so smoothly and easily on the Mac. When it's not in the shop, which is now 4 times.

I don't miss having to deal with constant security updates on Windows. I don't miss the complicated installation and removal process for Windows applications. I don't miss having to reboot because the operating system locked up.

But I do miss having a dependable computer.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Russians, gypsies, commies ... and other news

Did you hear about the adoptive parents that sent the child back to Russia because he was behaving badly and wouldn't be good? Really. Can we do that with Obama? He and the Russians seemed to hit it off. It's a win-win!

Why didn't gypsies steal Barack Obama when he was little? It just shows that gypsies are smarter than 52% of the American electorate.

So, which al Qaeda lawyer will Obama nominate for the Supreme Court?

Know who'd be great for the Supreme Court? Me! Here's how it would go...
Lib attorney: If it pleases the court...
Me: It does not. Now, get outta my courtroom.
See? I'm exactly what the Supreme Court needs. Just imagine the State of the Union if that jackass took a shot as the Court? Obama would realize just how nice Joe Wilson was.

Obama's been in office nearly 15 months. We did get the extended warranty, right? We can return him, can't we?

Oh, I so miss my computer. Yes, the MacBook is still in the shop. So, I'm entirely dependent upon my BlackBerry for communication with the outside world. Well, that and the Dell laptop ... when Wife isn't on it.

Maybe it'll be ready today. But this Dell -- I'm on the Dell right now -- hasn't been the the shop once. Sure, some Windows software aggravations, but the hardware has been very dependable. So, what have I learned? We'll find out soon enough.

Have you learned to follow me on teh Twitter? http://twitter.com/basilsblog

Friday, April 9, 2010

Bull, hockey and other news

On Monday, a bull gored a teen. This weekend: guess what's for supper?

Yesterday, I was working on four different issues via: email, instant message, telephone, BlackBerry ... all at the same time. Ain't technocracy great!

I haz a happy! Went to Firehouse Subs for lunch!

I haz a sad. MacBook is in the shop. Again. A new Dell is looking more attractive.

Oh, well. With the computer is in the shop, I figured I might as well go to the hockey races, or whatever it's called.

At the hockey rides, they had zamboni raffle tickets, but I ate before I went there, so I didn't get one.

Got ringside seats for the hockey dance.


You know who'd make a good hockey goalie? Jabba the Hut.

Most of the hockey players look like they're kin to Malcolm's older brother, or Stiffler.

I still don't understand why a team from Georgia and a team from Mississippi are playing hockey.

Some guy named Alan asked some chick named Ashley to marry him on the message board at the hockey game. And you thought romance was dead.

When I was in school, nobody played hockey. Lots played hooky, but it's not the same thing. Less beer in hockey.

Not that there wasn't lots of beer sold at the hockey game. But you need to know about my school. Hotels on Jekyll Island still won't rent to anyone under 30 from my home town. That's since 1976.

Instead of putting hockey players in the box as a penalty, they ought to make them wear a pink tutu.

After the big fight, they showed the whole fight again on the instant replay. Where's Gordon Solie when you need him?

I still don't know why Mississippi's no. 42 wanted to fight. Last time he played against Columbus, he got his throat cut. Really.

When the 2nd quarter was done, I was waiting on the halftime band. They never showed. Of course, it was gonna be hard for them to keep their footing on that ice, anyway.

After three, the visiting hockey team was leading, 4-2. I'm didn't stay for the 4th quarter.

Braves season has officially started: Chipper's hurt.

While I'm without a computer -- except when Wife lets me on her PC -- I'm back to just a BlackBerry. But I'm on teh Twitter: http://twitter.com/basilsblog

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Computer repair -- again

The MacBook is in the shop. Again.

I really like my MacBook. A lot. But I've never had a computer that needed as much repair work as it has needed.

When I got it in 2007, the hard drive went bad. Then, the replacement hard drive went bad. Then, something else went out. I don't remember what and I'm too lazy to look it up. Anyway, I've had to put it in the shop again.

This time, the mouse cursor was acting all strange. It was as if the mouse was "clicked."

Since I have the new Magic Mouse -- which is the coolest thing -- I was afraid it was the touch feature. So, last night, I turned the mouse off and used the trackpad. But the problem was still occurring. So, it wasn't the mouse, but the trackpad.

Only, it wasn't. But I wouldn't find that out until later.

I took the MacBook by the local Mac store (we don't have an Apple Store in Columbus, but there are two affiliated stores). Showed him was was happening, and he agreed it was the trackpad. (It wasn't; more in a minute.)

So, he verified the information on the MacBook, confirming it's still under AppleCare service program. To do that, he had to read some information that's under the battery. So, he took out the batter and read the info.

When he went to put it back in, he paused. The battery looked funny. It looked swollen. Because it was.

The swollen (and, therefore, deformed) battery was pressing against the bottom of the trackpad. So, there was nothing wrong with the trackpad, but the battery was causing it to be pressed from underneath.

He has it in the shop, looking it over, in case whatever is wrong with the battery has caused any damage. Plus, he's replacing the cover that has a crack.

Don't know how long all that will take. He does lots of Apple repairs -- I believe it, if others have had as many issues as have I -- so he'll get to me when he can.

In the meantime, I'm having to use the Dell laptop. My old computer. Wife uses it now.

I really like my Mac. But I've never had to send one of my Dells in to the shop for anything.

Windows sucks. OS X rocks. But the Dell seems more reliable than the Mac. And I can live with Windows. Apple needs to pay attention. I guess they're too busy boycotting the number two cable TV network to be bothered with making stuff that doesn't need to have to go to the shop all the time.

Cartoon: Sluggish


[Source: Chuck Asay]

Cartoon: Teachable moment


[Source: Steve Kelley/NOLA]

Cartoon: Winners and losers


[Source: Michael Ramirez]

Cartoon: Thou Shalt Not Steele


[Source: Gary Varvel]

Cartoon: Safe


[Source: Glenn McCoy]

Three douches

From iOwnTheWorld.com:

Obama a socialist? And there's gambling at Rick's?

New Zeal does an excellent job of laying out why we call Obama a socialist: he is.

Read the post at New Zeal: Obama File 101 Who's Been Fibbing Then? Evidence That Obama Was Deeply Involved in Socialist New Party "Sister Organization". (Tip: Gateway Pundit)

Now, if I knew he was a socialist all along, why is this news?

Well, just because I knew something doesn't mean others knew it. Some people watch NBC/MSNBC, ABC, CBS, or CNN exclusively. And they don't cover stories that don't fit their agenda.

So, for those occasional readers that are ill-informed, I suggest they read Trevor's post. And Jim's.

Maybe the, you won't be shocked -- shocked! -- to discover gambling at Rick's.

Cartoon: Media and the Catholic Church


[Source: Chuck Asay]

Related: mean ol' meany: My Thoughts on the Media Attacks on the Catholic Church