Would your grandfather have done this for you? Mine would have, for me.
Can't help wishing that they'd put the girl in a life jacket as a routine part of entering the boat, though. You don't have to buy those old orange kapok things anymore, you know.
Monday, September 17, 2012
What a Picture
Trolltunga - - Troll's Tongue - - Norway.
With the vertigo that I suffer I'm afraid you'd never get me up there; it's absolutely gorgeous though, isn't it?
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Stupidest Man In the US Army
That would be Specialist Francisco Perez:
The Army is preparing to prosecute a soldier for the death of Pfc. Neil Turner, a Lincoln High School graduate, at an outpost in eastern Afghanistan early this year.
Army officials initially called Turner’s death a “training accident,” but now are bringing charges of manslaughter against Spc. Francisco Perez, who’s accused of firing a rocket at Turner inside their forward base at Combat Outpost Kherwar in Afghanistan’s Logar province.
Perez allegedly killed Turner, 21, on Jan. 11 with a light anti-tank weapon, a shoulder-fired rocket launcher designed for use against armored vehicles and other hardened targets. The weapon did not detonate, but was fired at close range and pierced Turner’s upper chest, according to Turner’s family and Army charging documents.
Perez’s assignment called on him to store weapons as soldiers returned to their base from missions. Witness reports in documents reviewed by Turner’s mother, Charlotte Cox-Turner, suggest Perez had been scolded more than once for “horseplay” with weapons in his charge.
Apparently Perez wasn't chastised sufficiently for the previous violations to have learned a lesson; or perhaps he was, in which case he deserves the title I assigned to him.
I've said this more than once, and I think that Jeff Cooper should have included it in his rules for gun handling: A gun (or in this case, rocket) is not a toy; don't play with it!
The Army is preparing to prosecute a soldier for the death of Pfc. Neil Turner, a Lincoln High School graduate, at an outpost in eastern Afghanistan early this year.
Army officials initially called Turner’s death a “training accident,” but now are bringing charges of manslaughter against Spc. Francisco Perez, who’s accused of firing a rocket at Turner inside their forward base at Combat Outpost Kherwar in Afghanistan’s Logar province.
Perez allegedly killed Turner, 21, on Jan. 11 with a light anti-tank weapon, a shoulder-fired rocket launcher designed for use against armored vehicles and other hardened targets. The weapon did not detonate, but was fired at close range and pierced Turner’s upper chest, according to Turner’s family and Army charging documents.
Perez’s assignment called on him to store weapons as soldiers returned to their base from missions. Witness reports in documents reviewed by Turner’s mother, Charlotte Cox-Turner, suggest Perez had been scolded more than once for “horseplay” with weapons in his charge.
Apparently Perez wasn't chastised sufficiently for the previous violations to have learned a lesson; or perhaps he was, in which case he deserves the title I assigned to him.
I've said this more than once, and I think that Jeff Cooper should have included it in his rules for gun handling: A gun (or in this case, rocket) is not a toy; don't play with it!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
So...Happy Ending Then, Right?
Charlotte cop shoots a suspect.
CP understands that the suspect has a history of violence including a manslaughter charge in the death of his father in law.
CMPD has confirmed that the suspect fatally shot by CMPD Officer Swenson, has be identified as Clay McCall age 26. McCall had a history of mental illness and violence.
Oh, don't give me that John Donne shit.
CP understands that the suspect has a history of violence including a manslaughter charge in the death of his father in law.
CMPD has confirmed that the suspect fatally shot by CMPD Officer Swenson, has be identified as Clay McCall age 26. McCall had a history of mental illness and violence.
Oh, don't give me that John Donne shit.
Can I Interest Anyone In a Buggy Whip?
The demise of Wolf Camera.
Remember the process for taking a picture with a manual 35mm camera? It was like the goddamned Spanish Inquisition, if you ask me:
Remember the process for taking a picture with a manual 35mm camera? It was like the goddamned Spanish Inquisition, if you ask me:
Is the Pope Catholic?
Does a monk shit in the woods?
"Bavarian monk found ALMOST as God intended… naked, wandering in the woods and hallucinating after eating toxic berries."
"Bavarian monk found ALMOST as God intended… naked, wandering in the woods and hallucinating after eating toxic berries."
Sounds Like a Lost Monty Python Episode
"A drunken dandy. A Spitfire hero fuelled by Spam. And a colonel pickled in rum. The very fruity secrets I found in my family tree."
The "colonel pickled in rum" would be the late Graham Chapman, of course:
The "colonel pickled in rum" would be the late Graham Chapman, of course:
Yet Another Reason To Go Heeled
"Monster Spanish slugs that feast on dead RABBITS and grow to 15cm are invading Britain and threaten to decimate crops."
That's about a 6" slug, friends and neighbors.
Is Another Crusade...
...inevitable?
Hell, we don't even have to muster armies, anymore. Just paint Deus Vult! on some ICBM's and send them on their way.
Hell, we don't even have to muster armies, anymore. Just paint Deus Vult! on some ICBM's and send them on their way.
Meanwhile, In the Raleigh News & Observer...
...comes a sad story of a woman with an abusive husband:
Kathy Bertrand did everything we tell an abused woman to do.
She divorced her husband. She got a protective order against him. She got an apartment and a job outside the home after homeschooling her three children for years. She moved on.
A woman with a law degree, Kathy was not unskilled and was looking for work in the legal world.
And yet she was still horrifically murdered in a public shopping center this week by her former husband, who later killed himself.
I can’t even type that without crying for this devoted mother with whom I worked at our cherished neighborhood swim meets, her short hair always held back with headbands, her clear eyes sparkling. My heart is broken for her children, her two cute-as-button girls who swam on the team, and her freckle-faced boy.
What more could she have done? What kind of man kills the mother of his children and himself and leaves them orphans?
What more could she have done? She could have acquired a handgun and training in how to use it. Was that option even discussed with her?
Feel free to join in the commentary at the newspaper. I've already contributed.
update: As is common practice at leftist websites, my comment has been flushed down the memory hole.
Kathy Bertrand did everything we tell an abused woman to do.
She divorced her husband. She got a protective order against him. She got an apartment and a job outside the home after homeschooling her three children for years. She moved on.
A woman with a law degree, Kathy was not unskilled and was looking for work in the legal world.
And yet she was still horrifically murdered in a public shopping center this week by her former husband, who later killed himself.
I can’t even type that without crying for this devoted mother with whom I worked at our cherished neighborhood swim meets, her short hair always held back with headbands, her clear eyes sparkling. My heart is broken for her children, her two cute-as-button girls who swam on the team, and her freckle-faced boy.
What more could she have done? What kind of man kills the mother of his children and himself and leaves them orphans?
What more could she have done? She could have acquired a handgun and training in how to use it. Was that option even discussed with her?
Feel free to join in the commentary at the newspaper. I've already contributed.
update: As is common practice at leftist websites, my comment has been flushed down the memory hole.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Could Somebody Please Tell Me...
...why the CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF of the US military is calling a Florida preacher to plead with him not to piss off Muslims?
And why the preacher isn't justified in telling the General to go take a flying leap?
And why the preacher isn't justified in telling the General to go take a flying leap?
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Well, Watson, I Deduce That...
...Curt has been hacked.
Or has suddenly succumbed to a mid-life crisis and has become an expert on haircuts.
The "Captain of a Crew of One" blog undergoes a sudden transformation.
Or has suddenly succumbed to a mid-life crisis and has become an expert on haircuts.
The "Captain of a Crew of One" blog undergoes a sudden transformation.
Musical Interlude
Johnny Cash's cover of Nick Cave's The Mercy Seat.
I actually sat in the Florida electric chair on a school field trip to Raiford State Prison around 1978. It was the old chair, with the original equipment all still installed. We were told it had been made by inmates of native Florida live oak. The tour guide told us that to test the chair's electric leads, they were dropped into a 55-gallon oil drum full of salt water and the switch turned on, and if the water didn't boil instantly (tour guide snapped his fingers at this point) it wasn't working properly. We were told the chair worked on a 2-minute cycle of varying voltages: a short burst of high voltage followed by a longer period of lesser voltage, repeated several times over 2 minutes. The executioner worked in an alcove with a slit through which he could peer out at the condemned man (or woman, since the women's prison at Lowell, Florida, didn't have its own electric chair).
I actually sat in the Florida electric chair on a school field trip to Raiford State Prison around 1978. It was the old chair, with the original equipment all still installed. We were told it had been made by inmates of native Florida live oak. The tour guide told us that to test the chair's electric leads, they were dropped into a 55-gallon oil drum full of salt water and the switch turned on, and if the water didn't boil instantly (tour guide snapped his fingers at this point) it wasn't working properly. We were told the chair worked on a 2-minute cycle of varying voltages: a short burst of high voltage followed by a longer period of lesser voltage, repeated several times over 2 minutes. The executioner worked in an alcove with a slit through which he could peer out at the condemned man (or woman, since the women's prison at Lowell, Florida, didn't have its own electric chair).
He Struck Out Babe Ruth
"Olney Ray ‘Lefty’ Freeman, 98, struck out Babe Ruth during Fayetteville exhibition in 1935."
Ruth, in his final game in North Carolina, walked twice, hit into a double play and was struck out by Freeman, who recently had begun experimenting with what he called his “underhand delivery.”
His first pitch in the sixth inning almost struck Ruth in the head, and the aging star dove to avoid being hit.
The next two pitches were wide, and the fans booed Freeman for not throwing a strike. Ruth missed a 3-0 sidearm curveball, fouled off another sidearm curve and swung so hard at the third strike, an overhand curveball, that he fell down.
I hope that goes on his tombstone: He Struck Out Babe Ruth. That's one select group of men, my friends.
And maybe, up in baseball heaven, the Bambino has bat in hand, saying, "Let's just try it again, Lefty." After which he and Lefty would have a beer and a hot dog, and swap yarns of their Earthly lives.
Ruth, in his final game in North Carolina, walked twice, hit into a double play and was struck out by Freeman, who recently had begun experimenting with what he called his “underhand delivery.”
His first pitch in the sixth inning almost struck Ruth in the head, and the aging star dove to avoid being hit.
The next two pitches were wide, and the fans booed Freeman for not throwing a strike. Ruth missed a 3-0 sidearm curveball, fouled off another sidearm curve and swung so hard at the third strike, an overhand curveball, that he fell down.
I hope that goes on his tombstone: He Struck Out Babe Ruth. That's one select group of men, my friends.
And maybe, up in baseball heaven, the Bambino has bat in hand, saying, "Let's just try it again, Lefty." After which he and Lefty would have a beer and a hot dog, and swap yarns of their Earthly lives.
Oops, Wrong Navy
During the last evening of last week's Democrat National Convention, a retired US Navy Admiral took the podium to lead a salute to US Military veterans, while slides of military scenes played on the screen behind him. One, showing several warships, turned out to be a photo of...Russian warships.
Well, hell, Russians can be veterans too, right? And we were all allies in World War II, right? And it's not like we're at war with Russia, right?
Look, over there! Romney's tax returns!
Well, hell, Russians can be veterans too, right? And we were all allies in World War II, right? And it's not like we're at war with Russia, right?
Look, over there! Romney's tax returns!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
9/11 Musings
I've always thought that it would have been much easier in the long run if we'd just nuked the major cities of Afghanistan, and thrown Mecca in for good measure. Afghanistan because they were the country that gave refuge to Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, and Mecca because the hijackers were all Muslim, and because Al Qaeda was a Muslim organization that Saudi Arabia bribed to leave it alone rather than dealing with it themselves.
A few days of falling nukes, and a warning to the Muslim world to not piss us off again. No American soldiers killed, no nation building; over and done with before 2001 ended. The bombs might or might not have gotten Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, but the warning would have been sent, and intelligence efforts would have located Bin Laden in whatever country he traveled to after Afghanistan was rendered uninhabitable, at which point he would either be turned over by the host country or the threat of nukes renewed.
Just my opinion. Yours may be different. That's fine.
A few days of falling nukes, and a warning to the Muslim world to not piss us off again. No American soldiers killed, no nation building; over and done with before 2001 ended. The bombs might or might not have gotten Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, but the warning would have been sent, and intelligence efforts would have located Bin Laden in whatever country he traveled to after Afghanistan was rendered uninhabitable, at which point he would either be turned over by the host country or the threat of nukes renewed.
Just my opinion. Yours may be different. That's fine.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Look, It's Wile E. Coyote
Well, it's actually a Taliban jihadi, acting like Wile E. Coyote:
Bet you just said No he didn't! He did.
When he's jumping on that IED he looks like ol' Wile E. after swallowing the Earthquake Pills:
h/t Weasel Zippers.
Bet you just said No he didn't! He did.
When he's jumping on that IED he looks like ol' Wile E. after swallowing the Earthquake Pills:
h/t Weasel Zippers.
Since It's a Carwashing Sort of Day...
...I went out and washed the car. The old-fashioned way, with hose, bucket and rag. Tried a couple of hose nozzles that came in a gardening kit I got as a grocery purchase incentive, and damn, they both suck. The appear to have flow restrictors fitted; I can piss a stronger stream than these useless pieces of crap put out, and I'm fifty years old.
In other news, it's Return To Britannia time for anyone who has ever played Ultima Online. Just for old time's sake I downloaded the client, logged on, and soon the familar music from the town of Skara Brae was drifting out of the laptop speakers. If you ever played UO back in the day, Return To Britannia allows you to return to the UO world for the month of September, absolutely free.
In other news, it's Return To Britannia time for anyone who has ever played Ultima Online. Just for old time's sake I downloaded the client, logged on, and soon the familar music from the town of Skara Brae was drifting out of the laptop speakers. If you ever played UO back in the day, Return To Britannia allows you to return to the UO world for the month of September, absolutely free.
Filial Piety
An example from Anderson, South Carolina:
Authorities say a 15-year-old Anderson teen died in a one-car crash after visiting his father's grave.
Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Charlie Boseman says Matthew McClellion was speeding when he lost control of his 1998 Mercedes convertible, and the car flipped several times. Boseman says the teen died on impact about 8 p.m. Friday. Matthew was the only person in the car.
Wikipedia has a substantial entry on the subject of filial piety, the act of honoring one's parents.
You know, as tragic as it is when a young teenager dies, this example is a hell of a lot more inspiring than the usual kid being gunned down in a senseless killing, or a kid killed from a drug overdose.
Authorities say a 15-year-old Anderson teen died in a one-car crash after visiting his father's grave.
Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Charlie Boseman says Matthew McClellion was speeding when he lost control of his 1998 Mercedes convertible, and the car flipped several times. Boseman says the teen died on impact about 8 p.m. Friday. Matthew was the only person in the car.
Wikipedia has a substantial entry on the subject of filial piety, the act of honoring one's parents.
You know, as tragic as it is when a young teenager dies, this example is a hell of a lot more inspiring than the usual kid being gunned down in a senseless killing, or a kid killed from a drug overdose.
Yours Is Still Just a Fungus Fiddle, Dear Boy
Scientists have developed a method of treating a violin with a fungus that alters the wood's molecular structure to make it sound as sweet as a Stradivarius.
Which probably won't even affect the market for the old violins a bit, since at this point the simple rarity of the ancient instruments will guarantee them a market even if modern violins can duplicate their sound with 100% fidelity.
Which probably won't even affect the market for the old violins a bit, since at this point the simple rarity of the ancient instruments will guarantee them a market even if modern violins can duplicate their sound with 100% fidelity.
Treasure Blog: Lost Renoir Painting
Bought at a flea market for $7, expected to sell for $100K.
Pic:
Look at that frame, identifying the painting as a Renoir. How the hell did the various owners during the years that it was lost not wonder if it was genuine? Did they all just collectively shrug and say, "Nah, couldn't be?"
Saturday, September 08, 2012
Pre-Dawn Musings
It's foggy this morning here in the Charlotte area. The air is still and moist as I step out onto the back porch while the dog goes about her business. Over in the bushes a catbird squalls. It's not cool yet here in the first week of September, although a cold front approaching promises cooler weather in the next couple of days.
Summer lingers. The lawn needs mowing, but is so wet from the frequent rain that it's a chore to cut, and seems to spring back up almost overnight. The neighbors to one side of us seem to have surrendered to the grass and are apparently waiting for fall to take care of it. They're transplants from Pennsylvania with a Pittsburg Steelers banner displayed from a pole on their front porch. My sister refers to them as Yo Gabba Gabba and Yo Gabba Mama.
The quiet here in this new neighborhood is pronounced compared to our old house, sited on a main road. No tractor-trailers shake this house, as they did the old one. Going out to the mailbox isn't a case of taking your life into your hands here, and it's unlikely the mailbox will be knocked over by careless motorists as the one at the old place was more than once. And no, no one ever had the common human courtesy to stop, apologize or even leave a note; hit and run, and a murdered mailbox lying in the grass to be replaced.
Hurry up, fall. Summer's been miserable.
Summer lingers. The lawn needs mowing, but is so wet from the frequent rain that it's a chore to cut, and seems to spring back up almost overnight. The neighbors to one side of us seem to have surrendered to the grass and are apparently waiting for fall to take care of it. They're transplants from Pennsylvania with a Pittsburg Steelers banner displayed from a pole on their front porch. My sister refers to them as Yo Gabba Gabba and Yo Gabba Mama.
The quiet here in this new neighborhood is pronounced compared to our old house, sited on a main road. No tractor-trailers shake this house, as they did the old one. Going out to the mailbox isn't a case of taking your life into your hands here, and it's unlikely the mailbox will be knocked over by careless motorists as the one at the old place was more than once. And no, no one ever had the common human courtesy to stop, apologize or even leave a note; hit and run, and a murdered mailbox lying in the grass to be replaced.
Hurry up, fall. Summer's been miserable.
Musical Interlude
Johnny Cash's cover of Gordon Lightfoot's classic If You Could Read My Mind.
Recorded toward the end of Cash's life, his voice frail and weak, and all the more affecting for that:
Recorded toward the end of Cash's life, his voice frail and weak, and all the more affecting for that:
Shipwreck Blog: Hey, Look, It's the Rachel
Oh? Must have been another hurricane blow through here.
Driven ashore by a tropical storm in 1923, the remains of the schooner Rachel have been uncovered in decades since by various hurricanes, only to be re-covered with sand by the waves of the Gulf of Mexico in succeeding years.
Camille, Frederick, Ivan, and now Isaac: the Rachel seems to be linked to the hurricanes of the Gulf.
Pic:
Friday, September 07, 2012
Invoking Chapter 68
We've been accommodating airline crews this week at the hotel I work at, apparently because the regular hotel they stay at has some DNC issues (I work in the Charlotte metropolitan area). Well, the airline crews have been a pain in the ass to deal with all week, and last night was the capper: a crew showed up that was not on my list of scheduled arrivals. Fortunately I had a few vacant rooms left and was able to accommodate them, but it was looking grim for a few minutes, and I was reminded of Chapter 68 of The Rule of St. Benedict: When a Brother Is Asked To Do the Impossible:
A brother may be assigned a burdensome task or something he cannot do. If so, he should, with complete gentleness and obedience, accept the order given him. Should he see, however, that the weight of the burden is altogether too much for his strength, then he should choose the appropriate moment and explain patiently to his superior the reasons why he cannot perform the task. This he ought to do without pride, obstinacy or refusal. If after the explanation the superior is still determined to hold to his original order, then the junior must recognize that this is best for him. Trusting in God's help, he must in love obey.
To invoke Chapter 68, here is what you do: You say to the individual asking the impossible, "Sir/Ma'am, Chapter 68 of the Rule of St. Benedict is titled "When a Brother Is Asked To Do the Impossible." Benedict says that "Trusting in God's help, he must in love obey." Fortunately for me, I am not a monk and this is not a monastery. Go figure it out yourself."
A brother may be assigned a burdensome task or something he cannot do. If so, he should, with complete gentleness and obedience, accept the order given him. Should he see, however, that the weight of the burden is altogether too much for his strength, then he should choose the appropriate moment and explain patiently to his superior the reasons why he cannot perform the task. This he ought to do without pride, obstinacy or refusal. If after the explanation the superior is still determined to hold to his original order, then the junior must recognize that this is best for him. Trusting in God's help, he must in love obey.
To invoke Chapter 68, here is what you do: You say to the individual asking the impossible, "Sir/Ma'am, Chapter 68 of the Rule of St. Benedict is titled "When a Brother Is Asked To Do the Impossible." Benedict says that "Trusting in God's help, he must in love obey." Fortunately for me, I am not a monk and this is not a monastery. Go figure it out yourself."
If You Have a Pet...
...take a moment to read Mr. Completely's A Pet's Ten Commandments.
If you can read No. 10 without tears coming to your eyes you're a tougher individual than me.
And I'll send out a "Thank You!" to the blog spammer who tried to comment on my original post of it, and thus reminded me where I had seen it.
If you can read No. 10 without tears coming to your eyes you're a tougher individual than me.
And I'll send out a "Thank You!" to the blog spammer who tried to comment on my original post of it, and thus reminded me where I had seen it.
Charlotte Man Arrested For Threatening President Obama
A 21-year-old Charlotte man was arrested after he sent a Tweet threatening to assassinate President Obama.
Wow, you might say. Of course it's some racist, Tea Party redneck skinhead, right? Probably a fag-basher, too.
You'd be wrong.
Dude probably voted for Obama four years ago, and will probably vote for him in November if he doesn't get a felony conviction out of this.
I can't even reasonably call him a Usual Suspect, because for this particular crime he's not the usual suspect. Any other violent crime, yes. Nevertheless I'll tag him with it, so he can go into the Hall of Shame.
See what a low native IQ and marijuana use will do for you?
Wow, you might say. Of course it's some racist, Tea Party redneck skinhead, right? Probably a fag-basher, too.
You'd be wrong.
Dude probably voted for Obama four years ago, and will probably vote for him in November if he doesn't get a felony conviction out of this.
I can't even reasonably call him a Usual Suspect, because for this particular crime he's not the usual suspect. Any other violent crime, yes. Nevertheless I'll tag him with it, so he can go into the Hall of Shame.
See what a low native IQ and marijuana use will do for you?
Thursday, September 06, 2012
After Ugliness, Beauty
To get the taste of the DNC out of my mouth (I've avoided posting on it because I'd just start gibbering and waving my arms around), this lovely piece that I saw at The Anchoress blog; Russian Orthodox singing of Psalm 136:
DNC Tickler
Over at The Anchoress.
Yesterday, the DNC had to pretend it had a 2/3 vote to assert that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and for the inclusion of the phrase, “God-given gifts” into their national platform, because three attempts to vote couldn’t bring it. Whether it was the “God” language or the “Jerusalem” language they resisted more is hard to say. But the nays seem to have it it.
And then, of course, the mob boo’ed, jeered and hissed.
Later, Bill Clinton came out and did what Bill Clinton does better than almost anyone.
This morning, appeared on my Facebook wall the cleverest remark about it all:
“So, after they denied God three times, the cock crowed; what next?”
LOL.
Yesterday, the DNC had to pretend it had a 2/3 vote to assert that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and for the inclusion of the phrase, “God-given gifts” into their national platform, because three attempts to vote couldn’t bring it. Whether it was the “God” language or the “Jerusalem” language they resisted more is hard to say. But the nays seem to have it it.
And then, of course, the mob boo’ed, jeered and hissed.
Later, Bill Clinton came out and did what Bill Clinton does better than almost anyone.
This morning, appeared on my Facebook wall the cleverest remark about it all:
“So, after they denied God three times, the cock crowed; what next?”
LOL.
Pandering To the Polydactyls?
Or is it just another example of Democrats being bad at math?
Six-fingered illustrations at the DNC:
h/t Daily Caller.
By the Beard of the Prophet!
A judge orders Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood murderer, to be shaved.
Please Lord don't let it turn out like this.
(Not that I think it will, but that immediately popped into my mind).
And yah, I notice that more appeals are required before Maj. Jihadi gets shaved. If ever.
h/t Weasel Zippers.
Please Lord don't let it turn out like this.
(Not that I think it will, but that immediately popped into my mind).
And yah, I notice that more appeals are required before Maj. Jihadi gets shaved. If ever.
h/t Weasel Zippers.
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Learn Something New Every Day
This episode finds us discovering the facts on North Carolina's very own version of the Boston Tea Party: The New Hanover Barbecue Party.
A similar but less remembered event took place seven years earlier in North Carolina. At the time, tensions were high over the recently enacted Stamp Act, which levied taxes on legal documents, newspapers, and magazines. Carolinians weren’t particularly receptive to the measure, and in 1766, the militia companies from several counties expressed their discontent by marching to the town of Brunswick and refusing to let a cargo of stamped paper be brought ashore.
Alarmed by the unrest, Governor William Tryon chose a conciliatory path. At the next militia muster in New Hanover, he prepared a feast for the troops that included a whole barbecued ox and several barrels of beer. Now, that seems like a pretty crafty move to me, but as it turns out, it wasn’t nearly enough. When called to the feast, the soldiers mocked Tryon’s hospitality, poured the beer onto the ground, and pitched the ox, untasted, into the Cape Fear River.
Well, I guess the alligators had a fine supper that night. New Hanover County is the area of North Carolina that includes Wilmington. I'm guessing that the Barbecue Party took place in or around Brunswick Town, which was the colonial capital for several decades before moving to New Bern.
A similar but less remembered event took place seven years earlier in North Carolina. At the time, tensions were high over the recently enacted Stamp Act, which levied taxes on legal documents, newspapers, and magazines. Carolinians weren’t particularly receptive to the measure, and in 1766, the militia companies from several counties expressed their discontent by marching to the town of Brunswick and refusing to let a cargo of stamped paper be brought ashore.
Alarmed by the unrest, Governor William Tryon chose a conciliatory path. At the next militia muster in New Hanover, he prepared a feast for the troops that included a whole barbecued ox and several barrels of beer. Now, that seems like a pretty crafty move to me, but as it turns out, it wasn’t nearly enough. When called to the feast, the soldiers mocked Tryon’s hospitality, poured the beer onto the ground, and pitched the ox, untasted, into the Cape Fear River.
Well, I guess the alligators had a fine supper that night. New Hanover County is the area of North Carolina that includes Wilmington. I'm guessing that the Barbecue Party took place in or around Brunswick Town, which was the colonial capital for several decades before moving to New Bern.
Arrival
Douk-Douk:
(Photo via Garrett Wade Tools.)
The Douk-Douk is the lesser known of France's two famous knives for working men, the other is the Opinel. You can read more about Douk-Douks at Wikipedia. I bought mine from Amazon, $23.50, shipping was free.
That's a Rape Defense I've Not Heard Before.
Any prosecutor will tell you that there are only three defenses offered in rape prosecutions. They are:
1. Attack the victim's honesty (Bitch Lied);
2. Mistaken identity (some other dude did it, aka "SODDI");
3. Consent (Bitch wanted it).
Now a fellow in Lake City, Florida, has offered what I'll call the Flip Wilson defense: demonic possession.
A man who police said tried to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl told arresting officers that “the devil tried to rape her in my body,” according to a report.
His mother got involved, too:
He told the girl to stop resisting,’ the report stated, but she was able to shove him to the ground and escape. He went after her but he was stopped by his mother.
Note that mom didn't stop the attempted rape itself, but only his attempt to catch the fleeing victim. Didn't want Sonny Boy wearing himself out running in the summer heat, no doubt.
And yeah, he's a Usual Suspect®, according to his Columbia County booking photo.
1. Attack the victim's honesty (Bitch Lied);
2. Mistaken identity (some other dude did it, aka "SODDI");
3. Consent (Bitch wanted it).
Now a fellow in Lake City, Florida, has offered what I'll call the Flip Wilson defense: demonic possession.
A man who police said tried to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl told arresting officers that “the devil tried to rape her in my body,” according to a report.
His mother got involved, too:
He told the girl to stop resisting,’ the report stated, but she was able to shove him to the ground and escape. He went after her but he was stopped by his mother.
Note that mom didn't stop the attempted rape itself, but only his attempt to catch the fleeing victim. Didn't want Sonny Boy wearing himself out running in the summer heat, no doubt.
And yeah, he's a Usual Suspect®, according to his Columbia County booking photo.
Damn Them Watermelon Thieves!
Coyotes in Onslow County, NC, I mean.
What? You thought I was going to say something racist?
Well, hell. I'm nothing if not obliging:
Monday, September 03, 2012
Well, I Called That One, Didn't I?
A few days ago, I predicted it.
And now, as I predicted, so it has come to pass.
Except for the chicken part, and I'll bet I'm not far off the mark there, either.
h/t Weasel Zippers.
And now, as I predicted, so it has come to pass.
Except for the chicken part, and I'll bet I'm not far off the mark there, either.
h/t Weasel Zippers.
Sunday, September 02, 2012
How Home Defense Works In UK
You catch burglars/home invaders breaking into your house and shoot them, YOU are arrested and charged with inflicting Grievous Bodily Harm.
What do they have in UK a Burglar's Union? This crap was supposed to cease when Labour got voted out of office.
What do they have in UK a Burglar's Union? This crap was supposed to cease when Labour got voted out of office.
Yet Another Reason To Go Heeled
Donkeys crazed by lust.
The stomping of the hooves, the horrible hee-haw! hee-haw! ringing in your ears...
The stomping of the hooves, the horrible hee-haw! hee-haw! ringing in your ears...
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Blogging Note
Borepatch noted that you can decrease blog spam via a very simple method, so I'm going to give it a try. From here on out, if any of you wish to comment here it had best be a fairly recent post; the old posts I'm going to turn off commenting on as the spammers visit them. Let's face it, if you're commenting on a months-old post you're living in the past and there's no help for you.
Increase the Dane-Geld, Please
Because it isn't enough to meet my needs.
An 82-year-old Usual Suspect® with a rap sheet dating back to 1955 tells police, "wouldn’t do all this nonsense if the government gave us more money."
Kipling:
It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say: –
"Though we know we should defeat you,
we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."
And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we've proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.
It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say: --
"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!"
h/t Sipsey Street Irregulars.
An 82-year-old Usual Suspect® with a rap sheet dating back to 1955 tells police, "wouldn’t do all this nonsense if the government gave us more money."
Kipling:
It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say: –
"Though we know we should defeat you,
we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."
And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we've proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.
It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say: --
"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!"
h/t Sipsey Street Irregulars.
Free Tickets and Chicken!
"Team Obama Vows To Fill All 73K Seats At Bank Of America Stadium For Obama’s DNC Speech…"
They won't have any problem filling the stadium here in what has been called "Detroit-On-the-Catawba."
They won't have any problem filling the stadium here in what has been called "Detroit-On-the-Catawba."
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The New York Times/CIA Collaboration...
...exposed and detailed by Glenn Greenwald:
The rightwing transparency group, Judicial Watch, released Tuesday a new batch of documents showing how eagerly the Obama administration shoveled information to Hollywood film-makers about the Bin Laden raid. Obama officials did so to enable the production of a politically beneficial pre-election film about that "heroic" killing, even as administration lawyers insisted to federal courts and media outlets that no disclosure was permissible because the raid was classified.
Thanks to prior disclosures from Judicial Watch of documents it obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, this is old news. That's what the Obama administration chronically does: it manipulates secrecy powers to prevent accountability in a court of law, while leaking at will about the same programs in order to glorify the president.
But what is news in this disclosure are the newly released emails between Mark Mazzetti, the New York Times's national security and intelligence reporter, and CIA spokeswoman Marie Harf. The CIA had evidently heard that Maureen Dowd was planning to write a column on the CIA's role in pumping the film-makers with information about the Bin Laden raid in order to boost Obama's re-election chances, and was apparently worried about how Dowd's column would reflect on them. On 5 August 2011 (a Friday night), Harf wrote an email to Mazzetti with the subject line: "Any word??", suggesting, obviously, that she and Mazzetti had already discussed Dowd's impending column and she was expecting an update from the NYT reporter.
Mazzetti obligingly sent a copy of the column to the CIA, pre-publication, along with a caution: "this didn't come from me … and please delete after you read."
And The reaction from Times management?
"New York Times Managing Editor Dean Baquet called POLITICO to explain the situation, but provided little clarity, saying he could not go into detail on the issue because it was an intelligence matter.
"'I know the circumstances, and if you knew everything that's going on, you'd know it's much ado about nothing,' Baquet said. 'I can't go into in detail. But I'm confident after talking to Mark that it's much ado about nothing.'
"'The optics aren't what they look like,' he went on. 'I've talked to Mark, I know the circumstance, and given what I know, it's much ado about nothing.'"
See the sales technique employed there? It's a law of advertising that, when you want something embedded in an individual's memory, you repeat the pertinent information three times; thus, car advertisers (among others) announce the dealership's phone number three times in a 30-second commercial. Here, repeated three times, are the words: much ado about nothing.
Suuure. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Of course it's no secret that The New York Times collaborates with the Obama administration, but I thought I'd mention it becausea friend an acquaintance of mine likes to cite the Times as a trustworthy news source. Well, it is - - for sports scores. Raw facts. "Truth" is quite another matter.
h/t The Drudge Report
Update: Bad link before, fixed now. Thanks to NotClauswitz for pointing it out.
The rightwing transparency group, Judicial Watch, released Tuesday a new batch of documents showing how eagerly the Obama administration shoveled information to Hollywood film-makers about the Bin Laden raid. Obama officials did so to enable the production of a politically beneficial pre-election film about that "heroic" killing, even as administration lawyers insisted to federal courts and media outlets that no disclosure was permissible because the raid was classified.
Thanks to prior disclosures from Judicial Watch of documents it obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, this is old news. That's what the Obama administration chronically does: it manipulates secrecy powers to prevent accountability in a court of law, while leaking at will about the same programs in order to glorify the president.
But what is news in this disclosure are the newly released emails between Mark Mazzetti, the New York Times's national security and intelligence reporter, and CIA spokeswoman Marie Harf. The CIA had evidently heard that Maureen Dowd was planning to write a column on the CIA's role in pumping the film-makers with information about the Bin Laden raid in order to boost Obama's re-election chances, and was apparently worried about how Dowd's column would reflect on them. On 5 August 2011 (a Friday night), Harf wrote an email to Mazzetti with the subject line: "Any word??", suggesting, obviously, that she and Mazzetti had already discussed Dowd's impending column and she was expecting an update from the NYT reporter.
Mazzetti obligingly sent a copy of the column to the CIA, pre-publication, along with a caution: "this didn't come from me … and please delete after you read."
And The reaction from Times management?
"New York Times Managing Editor Dean Baquet called POLITICO to explain the situation, but provided little clarity, saying he could not go into detail on the issue because it was an intelligence matter.
"'I know the circumstances, and if you knew everything that's going on, you'd know it's much ado about nothing,' Baquet said. 'I can't go into in detail. But I'm confident after talking to Mark that it's much ado about nothing.'
"'The optics aren't what they look like,' he went on. 'I've talked to Mark, I know the circumstance, and given what I know, it's much ado about nothing.'"
See the sales technique employed there? It's a law of advertising that, when you want something embedded in an individual's memory, you repeat the pertinent information three times; thus, car advertisers (among others) announce the dealership's phone number three times in a 30-second commercial. Here, repeated three times, are the words: much ado about nothing.
Suuure. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Of course it's no secret that The New York Times collaborates with the Obama administration, but I thought I'd mention it because
h/t The Drudge Report
Update: Bad link before, fixed now. Thanks to NotClauswitz for pointing it out.
Meanwhile, Here In Charlotte...
...life is apparently so cheap that you can kill a woman in a barroom brawl and get off with 45 days jail time and probation.
This case was remarkable for The Charlotte Observer's coverage of the crime, in which the words gay and lesbian were never to be seen, and indeed, aren't to be seen in the present story.
This case was remarkable for The Charlotte Observer's coverage of the crime, in which the words gay and lesbian were never to be seen, and indeed, aren't to be seen in the present story.
The Sows are Happier Than the Boars
"Harris-Teeter alters pig-breeding method."
No more gestation crates. Now the boars will have to chase the sows down, like the redneck chased down Ned Beatty in Deliverance.
No more gestation crates. Now the boars will have to chase the sows down, like the redneck chased down Ned Beatty in Deliverance.
Probably Not Fair To Point Out...
...the similarities between music written for the movie The Road and the movie The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford, now is it?
Judge for yourself:
Both written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
Judge for yourself:
Both written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
Adrift For 98 Years...
...a message in a bottle from 1914, found in the waters off Scotland.
The story seems to indicate that it stayed in the same general area for all that time, thus being remarkable for its long preservation in the sea rather than any lengthy voyage.
Next time you are at the beach, why not toss one out yourself? Use a plastic soda bottle. See where it ends up. I've done it several times; one of mine journeyed several hundred miles south from off Carolina Beach, NC to off Myrtle Beach, SC. Click the label below for details.
The story seems to indicate that it stayed in the same general area for all that time, thus being remarkable for its long preservation in the sea rather than any lengthy voyage.
Next time you are at the beach, why not toss one out yourself? Use a plastic soda bottle. See where it ends up. I've done it several times; one of mine journeyed several hundred miles south from off Carolina Beach, NC to off Myrtle Beach, SC. Click the label below for details.
Beaten, Raped, Burned...*Yawn*
It's no big deal, she was just a drug-abusing whore.
A story that should be getting more attention than it is: the horrifying last hours of Celeste Fronsman.
"I caught her and picked her up in my arms," the man said. "I told her I was going to lay her in the grass and knew then that God had put me there for her."
As the man laid Fronsman down in the grass, he said she kept crying for him to help her.
"I assured her that I wouldn't leave her, but I wanted to get the blanket out of the truck to cover her with," he said. "She didn't want to let go of my hand and she was gasping for air. Her skin was just hanging off her."
After getting the blanket and a bottle of Gatorade, the man gently held Fronsman's head so she could drink the Gatorade.
"She was still gasping for air, and I noticed that she had a 2-inch strap wrapped around her neck that had burned into her," he said. "I told her that I was going to loosen the strap so she could breathe better, but knew not to take it completely off because I knew the police would need it."
Click the link to read more. More information here.
So far, only USA Today and ABC News have covered the story, and it happened on Sunday. Is the value of a whore's life in the US so low that it's only a local outrage?
Jesus wept.
A story that should be getting more attention than it is: the horrifying last hours of Celeste Fronsman.
"I caught her and picked her up in my arms," the man said. "I told her I was going to lay her in the grass and knew then that God had put me there for her."
As the man laid Fronsman down in the grass, he said she kept crying for him to help her.
"I assured her that I wouldn't leave her, but I wanted to get the blanket out of the truck to cover her with," he said. "She didn't want to let go of my hand and she was gasping for air. Her skin was just hanging off her."
After getting the blanket and a bottle of Gatorade, the man gently held Fronsman's head so she could drink the Gatorade.
"She was still gasping for air, and I noticed that she had a 2-inch strap wrapped around her neck that had burned into her," he said. "I told her that I was going to loosen the strap so she could breathe better, but knew not to take it completely off because I knew the police would need it."
Click the link to read more. More information here.
So far, only USA Today and ABC News have covered the story, and it happened on Sunday. Is the value of a whore's life in the US so low that it's only a local outrage?
Jesus wept.
So What's Charlotte Going To Be Like For DNC?
Cedar Posts has the skinny.
"Ballantyne" is the area south of town where many of the area's wealthiest (and whitest) people live. In recent months there has been talk of Ballantyne "seceding" from the rest of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County to escape the onerous property taxes used to fund the (mostly black) urban schools. Unfortunately for me the Ballantyne area is just south of where I work, so I may get caught in DNC-related traffic on my way home from work in the mornings. Hopefully not.
"Ballantyne" is the area south of town where many of the area's wealthiest (and whitest) people live. In recent months there has been talk of Ballantyne "seceding" from the rest of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County to escape the onerous property taxes used to fund the (mostly black) urban schools. Unfortunately for me the Ballantyne area is just south of where I work, so I may get caught in DNC-related traffic on my way home from work in the mornings. Hopefully not.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Treasure Blog: "Floating Gold"
Ambergris, a substance vomited by sperm whales.
It's valuable to the perfume industry as a fixative.
Pic:
This One's For Killing, This One's For Fun*
In UK, police were called because a man was reported carrying a "gun" that turned out to be a sex toy.
*Bonus points given for identifying where I got the blog post title. No Googling, please.
(Actually, the entire reason I blogged this was an opportunity to use that title).
*Bonus points given for identifying where I got the blog post title. No Googling, please.
(Actually, the entire reason I blogged this was an opportunity to use that title).
Quote of the Day
In our various degrees, we are all sinners. To acknowledge and accept that load is good. Perhaps even to acknowledge and accept it and not entertain either shame and regret may also be required of us. If we find we must still say: Yes, I would do the same again, we are making a judgement others may condemn. But how do we know that God will condemn it? His judgements are inscrutable.
In the end there is nothing to be done but to state clearly what has been done, without shame or regret, and say: Here I am, and this is what I am. Now deal with me as you see fit. That is your right. Mine is to stand by the act, and pay the price.
You do what you must do, and pay for it. So in the end all things are simple.
Taken from here.
In the end there is nothing to be done but to state clearly what has been done, without shame or regret, and say: Here I am, and this is what I am. Now deal with me as you see fit. That is your right. Mine is to stand by the act, and pay the price.
You do what you must do, and pay for it. So in the end all things are simple.
Taken from here.
Get Into a Pissing Contest With a Panda...
...and the panda is very likely to win.
Strange ritual behavior from a strange creature:
Well, I've reached bottom. I'm posting videos of urinating pandas. Somebody kill me.
Strange ritual behavior from a strange creature:
Well, I've reached bottom. I'm posting videos of urinating pandas. Somebody kill me.
Turn In Yer Man-Card, Hershel
The actor who plays Hershel Greene on The Walking Dead was caught driving under the influence of alcohol by police.
A couple of strikes against actor Scott Wilson, who plays Hershel: he was driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser when he was caught; and, when asked to perform a sobriety test, offered to do a yoga pose instead.
I'd still like that infinite-ammo shotgun, though:
A couple of strikes against actor Scott Wilson, who plays Hershel: he was driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser when he was caught; and, when asked to perform a sobriety test, offered to do a yoga pose instead.
I'd still like that infinite-ammo shotgun, though:
Monday, August 27, 2012
It'll Sound More Effective...
...if you add the words you pussy to that statement:
"Stop blaming my brother for the lousy economy, you pussy."
"Stop blaming my brother for the lousy economy, you pussy."
Oh, Yes He Did
To commemorate the death of astronaut/moonwalker Neil Armstrong, Barack Obama posted a picture of himself gazing at the moon:
Hmm, that moon and star look familiar...oh, yeah:
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Well, That Did It
If you're a fan of slow, melancholy fiddle tunes, try starting a Jay Ungar channel on Pandora. You won't be disappointed.
Now excuse me while I go wallow in self-pity...
Now excuse me while I go wallow in self-pity...
Saturday, August 25, 2012
"Time After Time, Christopher Has the Last Word"
Carol Blue recalls the final months in the life of her husband, Christopher Hitchens.
I miss the man so much. I know he'd have little or nothing good to say about Mitt Romney or his religion, but even as he exasperated me, he'd also enlighten me.
h/t Ann Althouse.
I miss the man so much. I know he'd have little or nothing good to say about Mitt Romney or his religion, but even as he exasperated me, he'd also enlighten me.
h/t Ann Althouse.
Irony of the Day
It looks like the massacre at the Empire State Building was mostly the result of cops; the shooter himself showed fire discipline and trigger control (and his 1911 jammed).
Bloomberg and the NYPD will have a hard time justifying this abortion kit of a response.
Bloomberg and the NYPD will have a hard time justifying this abortion kit of a response.
Not To Put Too Fine a Point On It...
Vice President Joseph Biden, to a mostly black audience: They want to put y'all back in chains!
MSM: heh heh heh.
Mitt Romney: “No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place where both of us were born and raised.”
MSM: rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb.
MSM: heh heh heh.
Mitt Romney: “No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place where both of us were born and raised.”
MSM: rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Musical Interlude
Song For Bob, by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. From the soundtrack to the movie The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford.
And Yet Another Modest Proposal
Since there are at least 1,544,634 felons in the USA but only 960,000 farmers, I propose that the Future Farmers of America be renamed the Future Felons of America, and instead of the FFA's blue corduroy jacket, that Future Felons be issued orange jailhouse jumpsuits.
Future Felons, instead of going on field trips to farms and ranches, could instead go to the local state prison to learn crime tips first hand - - often from their very own daddies!
And, while I'm thinking about it, might as well rename the Future Homemakers of America, as well. Again, we'll just keep the same initials, and call them the Future Ho's of America.
Jonathan Swift ain't got nothin' on me.
Future Felons, instead of going on field trips to farms and ranches, could instead go to the local state prison to learn crime tips first hand - - often from their very own daddies!
And, while I'm thinking about it, might as well rename the Future Homemakers of America, as well. Again, we'll just keep the same initials, and call them the Future Ho's of America.
Jonathan Swift ain't got nothin' on me.
What Was His Momma Thinking?
She named her little future felon after America's most famous Confederate general.
All you white boys here in the South know someone named after General Lee, I'm sure, and even novelist Stephen Hunter named his most famous creation after the General.
I guess that those who forget history - - or who never learned it to begin with - - are doomed to be embarrassed by it.
All you white boys here in the South know someone named after General Lee, I'm sure, and even novelist Stephen Hunter named his most famous creation after the General.
I guess that those who forget history - - or who never learned it to begin with - - are doomed to be embarrassed by it.
Some Mighty Fine Snark, There
John Lilyea over at This Ain't Hell brings it regarding the Usual Suspects working overtime in Chicago:
General Allen called to tell us that those shootings happened because of Ramadan and the resulting Eid al-Fitr celebration, despite the fact that probably none of the victims or shooters are Muslims. Allen went on to say that folks in Chicago need to drink more water to prevent further shootings. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III could be heard in the background blaming tattoos for the shootings.
Afghan President Hamad Karzai emailed to tell us that it was probably because of Canadian intelligence officers who have been infiltrating Chicago.
General Allen called to tell us that those shootings happened because of Ramadan and the resulting Eid al-Fitr celebration, despite the fact that probably none of the victims or shooters are Muslims. Allen went on to say that folks in Chicago need to drink more water to prevent further shootings. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III could be heard in the background blaming tattoos for the shootings.
Afghan President Hamad Karzai emailed to tell us that it was probably because of Canadian intelligence officers who have been infiltrating Chicago.
R. Crumb Reflects On...
...Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon Johnson, Tom Waits, John Steinbeck, et.al.
In the discussion on Steinbeck, Crumb talks of how success changes an individual:
You get successful, you give a lot of interviews, you're constantly dealing with business and money and all that stuff I talked with you about when we were in Chicago. You just slowly lose touch with your original source of inspiration. It has something to do with being involved with real, common life; that's what makes any kind of story writing interesting to me. And then you get successful and you get separated from real life. It just happens. When I say real life, I'm talking about the common, everyday life of most people. Then you start getting treated like royalty — like you're something special — and it's not the same. And you're no longer the observer, you are the observed. That puts you in a whole different position in society; a whole different perspective. Now you're hunted, you're looked at, you're watched, you're admired, you're vilified, whatever. But you can't just go out and be part of the world as an observer anymore. It's hard. It's hard for me anyway.
Click the link to read the rest. In the sidebar at the Crumb website are the other parts of this extended interview (this is part 4).
In the discussion on Steinbeck, Crumb talks of how success changes an individual:
You get successful, you give a lot of interviews, you're constantly dealing with business and money and all that stuff I talked with you about when we were in Chicago. You just slowly lose touch with your original source of inspiration. It has something to do with being involved with real, common life; that's what makes any kind of story writing interesting to me. And then you get successful and you get separated from real life. It just happens. When I say real life, I'm talking about the common, everyday life of most people. Then you start getting treated like royalty — like you're something special — and it's not the same. And you're no longer the observer, you are the observed. That puts you in a whole different position in society; a whole different perspective. Now you're hunted, you're looked at, you're watched, you're admired, you're vilified, whatever. But you can't just go out and be part of the world as an observer anymore. It's hard. It's hard for me anyway.
Click the link to read the rest. In the sidebar at the Crumb website are the other parts of this extended interview (this is part 4).
Sorry, That Particular World Ain't Worth Saving
"We Can Save the World by Eating Bugs and Drinking Urine."
It’s only a matter of time before Earth’s growing population faces a critical shortage of potable water. Luckily, science has a foolproof solution. A process called reverse osmosis can convert wastewater into H20 that’s as pure as the distilled stuff—even cleaner than what we usually drink. There’s just one problem: persuading people to drink liquid that used to be urine. After all, humans tend to pooh-pooh (pun intended) anything they find disgusting.
That repulsion response evolved to help us avoid ingesting things that are potentially dangerous. (Rotten food grosses us out for a reason.) But if humanity is going to survive, we may have to learn to overcome the ick factor.
Click the link to read the rest.
It’s only a matter of time before Earth’s growing population faces a critical shortage of potable water. Luckily, science has a foolproof solution. A process called reverse osmosis can convert wastewater into H20 that’s as pure as the distilled stuff—even cleaner than what we usually drink. There’s just one problem: persuading people to drink liquid that used to be urine. After all, humans tend to pooh-pooh (pun intended) anything they find disgusting.
That repulsion response evolved to help us avoid ingesting things that are potentially dangerous. (Rotten food grosses us out for a reason.) But if humanity is going to survive, we may have to learn to overcome the ick factor.
Click the link to read the rest.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Yep, That's One Famous...Revolver
Hermann Goering's Walther PPK resurfaces.
Pic:
And, from the text of the article:
The golden gun ceremoniously handed over by high-ranking Nazi Hermann Goering when he surrendered to a soldier at the end of the Second World War has been revealed in public for the first time.
The famous revolver has come to light 67 years after the SS officer gave it to Lieutenant Jerome Shapiro in a symbolic gesture as he fled from Germany in the final days of the Third Reich.
Yes, I know. Bless their little hearts. They can't help it.
She Has Done What She Could
An 80-year-old Spanish woman ruined a fresco of Jesus in a church in a misguided attempt to restore it.
Here's the fresco before her work:
And after:
And, of course, a hue and cry has gone up at the destruction of such a priceless work of art. And so it should.
But...
What would Jesus of Nazareth say?
A similar occurrence happened in his life:
Mark 14:3-9
King James Version (KJV)
3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
The old woman is probably frightened and ashamed, and doesn't need condemnation. She needs compassion and empathy, as well as your prayers.
OMG It's a JayG Mask!
Black robbers who disguised themselves as white cops by using lifelike latex masks were caught after they sent a thank-you note to the mask manufacturers.
Look at the mask, though, and tell me if it resembles a well-known Massachusetts blogger:
For comparison, here is Jay's NRA convention photo, taken from his blog:
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Now That's a Knife
And I'll tell you now, that a bowie knife that big is really too heavy to carry or wield one-handed. I have a Smithsonian Bowie made by Randall Knives, and I know whereof I speak.
If you're going to carry a blade for zombie killing, you're better off with a katana or a Chinese dadao war sword. Those at least can be wielded with two hands and get you some force behind the blow.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Yer Groan-Inducing Post of the Day
Prices for foodstuffs and other staples in 1942:
Aug. 10, 1942: Anyone remember shopping for groceries in Wilmington during World War II? Here are some items listed in an ad for the Colonial Store: All popular brands of cigarettes, 13 cents a pack or $1.20 a carton; Post Toasties, 6 cents a pack; Campbell's tomato soup, two cans for 15 cents; No. 2 can of Whitehouse apple juice, 9 cents; pot roast, 29 cents a pound; bacon, 31 cents a pound Pillsbury flour, 61 cents for 12-pound bag; eggs, 41 cents; bleach, 9 cents per quart bottle; peaches, $1.98 per bushel; fresh shrimp, 33 cents a pound.
Aug. 10, 1942: Anyone remember shopping for groceries in Wilmington during World War II? Here are some items listed in an ad for the Colonial Store: All popular brands of cigarettes, 13 cents a pack or $1.20 a carton; Post Toasties, 6 cents a pack; Campbell's tomato soup, two cans for 15 cents; No. 2 can of Whitehouse apple juice, 9 cents; pot roast, 29 cents a pound; bacon, 31 cents a pound Pillsbury flour, 61 cents for 12-pound bag; eggs, 41 cents; bleach, 9 cents per quart bottle; peaches, $1.98 per bushel; fresh shrimp, 33 cents a pound.
Where Have All the Fireflies Gone?
Long time passing...
The season for fireflies is over now here, they are a spring-midsummer phenomenon.
The season for fireflies is over now here, they are a spring-midsummer phenomenon.
Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother
A distressing story from my hometown of Gainesville, Florida.
A Gainesville man dumped his 75-year-old father out of his wheelchair, beat and kicked him repeatedly, then left him lying on the floor for three days, police said.
Click the link if you wish to read the rest. It's a sordid tale that happens all too often.
A Gainesville man dumped his 75-year-old father out of his wheelchair, beat and kicked him repeatedly, then left him lying on the floor for three days, police said.
Click the link if you wish to read the rest. It's a sordid tale that happens all too often.
Why Do We Make...
...the musical choices we make? For the last month, my Pandora internet radio has been set exclusively to the Aimee Mann channel. Something about her voice that just gets me, and the music is lovely; the guitar playing on her songs has a 70's sensibility to it that I like.
Here's some favorites:
Goodbye Caroline:
The Moth:
Humpty Dumpty:
Today's the Day:
Enjoy!
Here's some favorites:
Goodbye Caroline:
The Moth:
Humpty Dumpty:
Today's the Day:
Enjoy!
He Should Name It Piss Off, Colorado
Because visitors are most certainly not welcome:
The Denver Post offers a fascinating story today on a billionaire's newly built replica of an Old West town -- complete with saloon, church and livery -- that will never be open to the public.
It's the brainchild of Bill Koch -- brother of billionaires David and Charles Koch -- who will use it as a repository for his vast collection of western memorabilia.
We have something like that here in North Carolina - - Love Valley - - but visitors are welcome to Love Valley.
The Denver Post offers a fascinating story today on a billionaire's newly built replica of an Old West town -- complete with saloon, church and livery -- that will never be open to the public.
It's the brainchild of Bill Koch -- brother of billionaires David and Charles Koch -- who will use it as a repository for his vast collection of western memorabilia.
We have something like that here in North Carolina - - Love Valley - - but visitors are welcome to Love Valley.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Podunk, Please
The town of Podunk Indian Trail, North Carolina (my own little town, although the mail says Matthews, NC) wants to be noticed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation:
Some Indian Trail leaders say it’s time their town gets some representation on Interstate 485.
Past attempts have failed to convince the N.C. Department of Transportation to install signs along the outerbelt informing drivers about Indian Trail.
Now, town leaders say, Indian Trail has grown and is a sign-worthy destination.
“We just have a lot going on, and we want to be represented on 485,” said Indian Trail council member Chris King, who also represents the town on the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Hell, most Americans aren't even familiar with Charlotte, the major city just north of here, and confuse it with cities in South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
Some Indian Trail leaders say it’s time their town gets some representation on Interstate 485.
Past attempts have failed to convince the N.C. Department of Transportation to install signs along the outerbelt informing drivers about Indian Trail.
Now, town leaders say, Indian Trail has grown and is a sign-worthy destination.
“We just have a lot going on, and we want to be represented on 485,” said Indian Trail council member Chris King, who also represents the town on the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Hell, most Americans aren't even familiar with Charlotte, the major city just north of here, and confuse it with cities in South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Meanwhile, Over In Colfax, NC...
...a blacksmith hammers out "mule hooks."
From his cinder block blacksmith’s shop, Don Dillon hammers a red-hot iron bar into the shape of a comically exaggerated mule – his nose jutting out like a mailbox , his ears bent and waving like a bug’s antennae.
In a week’s time, Dillon can turn out 40 of these decorative beasts, each one fitted with a hook at the bottom that’s perfect for hanging a hat.
But mostly, Dillon would like all Democrats to notice that mules are practically donkeys and that North Carolina will be crawling with donkeys come Sept. 4, and a custom-made donkey hook might make a dandy convention souvenir.
For some reason, he can't sell elephant hooks:
You might have seen Dillon demonstrating at the State Fair. He used to make lamps. Then the furniture factory shut down. So now he makes mule hooks – mixing humor and politics with lop-eared metal.
One version comes equipped with a crank, which Dillon calls a wind-up key for a liberal Democrat. You’re supposed to insert the mule end where the sun doesn’t shine. Another serves as a toilet-paper holder. Another hook combines the ears of a mule with a pachyderm’s trunk.
“This is a donkey-phant,” Dillon explained. “That’s for the undecided voter, the split-ticket man, the quiet man that don’t make a lot of racket. I made a few elephant hooks, but couldn’t sell any of them.”
Pic:
You can buy his mule hooks, should you want one, for $25, click the link for his address.
From his cinder block blacksmith’s shop, Don Dillon hammers a red-hot iron bar into the shape of a comically exaggerated mule – his nose jutting out like a mailbox , his ears bent and waving like a bug’s antennae.
In a week’s time, Dillon can turn out 40 of these decorative beasts, each one fitted with a hook at the bottom that’s perfect for hanging a hat.
But mostly, Dillon would like all Democrats to notice that mules are practically donkeys and that North Carolina will be crawling with donkeys come Sept. 4, and a custom-made donkey hook might make a dandy convention souvenir.
For some reason, he can't sell elephant hooks:
You might have seen Dillon demonstrating at the State Fair. He used to make lamps. Then the furniture factory shut down. So now he makes mule hooks – mixing humor and politics with lop-eared metal.
One version comes equipped with a crank, which Dillon calls a wind-up key for a liberal Democrat. You’re supposed to insert the mule end where the sun doesn’t shine. Another serves as a toilet-paper holder. Another hook combines the ears of a mule with a pachyderm’s trunk.
“This is a donkey-phant,” Dillon explained. “That’s for the undecided voter, the split-ticket man, the quiet man that don’t make a lot of racket. I made a few elephant hooks, but couldn’t sell any of them.”
Pic:
You can buy his mule hooks, should you want one, for $25, click the link for his address.
Time To Leave
The welcome is definitely worn out.
Should have never bothered with nation-building in the first place in Afghanistan. Should have bombed the place thoroughly and warned the survivors not to associate themselves with Al Qaeda ever again.
Should have never bothered with nation-building in the first place in Afghanistan. Should have bombed the place thoroughly and warned the survivors not to associate themselves with Al Qaeda ever again.
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