Waking Up

It's no great revelation that blogging isn't as popular as it one was - - Facebook and other social media outlets make it easy to post the details of your life there instead of on a blog; but increasingly, Facebook and Twitter are suppressing speech from everyone that doesn't approach the world from a leftist direction. I've been banned by Facebook twice already, and by Twitter a couple of times, also. I don't appreciate it, it pisses me off, and increases the resentment I have toward leftists to the level of hatred.

So I'm going to wake the blog up, based on Brigid's (Home On the Range) example. She was the victim of leftist trolls and hate mobs, and took her blog offline for a while, blogging as a guest at Borepatch's place instead. Now she's back, and since I see my blog listed on her sidebar, I can only man up and do what she's already done, and try to start posting regularly again. I'll try to start out slow. Can't make any promises.

Most of my leisure hours are spent taking refuge in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth, via the game Lord of the Rings Online. I literally waited decades for the technology to come along so I could spend time in Middle-Earth; I purchased a lifetime subscription while it was possible to do so, a decision that I've never regretted. The game is over 10 years old now, and people still play it daily, just as they do World of Warcraft or other online games. The developers bring new content online regularly - - North Mirkwod and the Lonely Mountain most recently - - and some of my happiest hours are spent exploring these new places. Being a game there is too much killing required for levelling up, which would probably horrify Tolkien; remember that Frodo Baggins never killed anyone in The Lord of the Rings, Sam Gamgee is noted as killing only a single orc, and the other hobbits have similar low body counts. So I'm not really comfortable to be constantly killing stuff in game. I like wandering the landscape, exploring. Crafting. One can farm in the game,raise crops - - pipeweed included. And one can smoke a long pipe, and blow smokerings. Or play music - - there is a robust system for playing music in game, and there are many very talented bands that regularly give "concerts" in game.

I have a full stable of various characters, including a family of dwarves, the Stoneskulls, named after the patriarch of the clan, Blarni, who survived an orc bashing his helm in during the battle of Azanulbizar. Blarni has four sons: Sporki (named after an eating tool that Blarni invented), Snarki (the wiseass), Corki (likes to drink), and Tardi (a little slow, perhaps, or maybe it's because he's often late to appointments). There's a hobbit burglar, Asbo Stabbins (an ASBO is an Anti-Social Behavioral Order in the UK, given to minor criminals and delinquents), three men: Animbecil, Thoronwe, and Pinkrandir the Transwizard (he likes to be called Trandalf; he's pink now, but once was blue). And a couple of Elves, Feleg and Linroth. Blarni Stoneskull the dwarf is my main character, the one I've played the most; the rest are just there to provide a bit of relief from time to time.

Probably more information than you wanted, but it's my current main interest. Lord of the Rings Online can be played free in a limited way, so if you want to visit Middle-Earth, you can do so. I play on the Brandywine server, if you want to meet up in game.

Quote of the Day

LeGuin identifies all capitalism as "growth capitalism," and is concerned that, like cancer, it requires endless growth to survive. By her definition, she's right. I'd point out that government efforts to regulate it, to channel it, have resulted in many of the deleterious effects she lays at its door: corporations are actively discouraged from looking much past quarters, or single years at best -- "What's good for General Motors is good for the county" once carried the implicit assumption that GM was in it for the long haul, century after century, in the kind of way that we now call "sustainable." It no longer does, and has not for quite some time. Other regulations encourage rent-seeking, regulatory capture and the use of regulations to stymie new entrants and thwart competitors. And vast defense budgets ensure many corporations have a vested interest in war. This does not strike me as a wise long-term strategy.

A mess like that, is that "capitalism?" Karl Marx said it was -- but he was defining an enemy. When I go to a hamfest, a farmer's market, an antique mall, a gun show or the Feast Of The Hunter's Moon, what is that selling of things you've got plenty of for tokens that will let you buy what you need and want, if not capitalism? And does it not manage to achieve an equitable -- or at least mutually-acceptable -- distribution of goods and services? To limit "capitalism" to the goons of Wall Street, to a game best played by those with money to gamble that doesn't risk their physical survival, is to ignore all those regular people, getting by selling loose cigarettes for a penny profit each, selling excess honey from their backyard hive to buy Christmas presents (or, like my Mom, simply giving the honey as gifts -- how she missed her hive when she and Dad moved to a subdivision that was shocked, shocked at the notion of a tiny home apiary, and forced her to rehome it) and a jillion small businesses and minor exchanges.

via Roberta X.

Who's Doing the Leading, Exactly?

Pope Francis teaches about a line from the Our Father, "Lead Us Not Into Temptation."

I've been saying the prayer by rote all these years, but never really thought much about the line, choosing to interpret it as meaning "Do not allow us to fall into temptation," which would make more sense that the actual wording, which seems to indicate that God the Father is wayward and must be nagged to keep us on the path of righteousness.

Did Someone Leave a Ladder Around, Or What?

Just how did Tyrone get out on that roof to begin with?

A man has been apprehended after he fled onto a roof to avoid arrest.

The incident occurred on Thursday morning. According to officers, the man, who was identified as 35-year-old Tyrone Singleton, was wanted on charges of domestic violence and armed robbery.

In order to further avoid police, Singleton climbed on top of a roof at the location. Officers from the CMPD as well as detectives surrounded the area and attempted to negotiate the suspect to safety. Authorities were at the scene from 10:20 a.m. to approximately an hour later when officers climbed onto the roof with the suspect and brought him under arrest without further incident.

Um...Polyester Poontang?

Apparently the late singer Anthony Newley was not only a pedophile, but a wannabe pornographer:

Sacha recounted how an off-color and unabashedly autobiographical X-rated film his dad produced in 1969 was “a confession of pedophilia” that led to his folks’ messy divorce the next year.

In the flick — “Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?” — Anthony plays a middle-aged musician who recounts his sexual exploits to his wife and children, including his obsession with the apparently underage Mercy Humppe.

[Newley's actress wife Joan] Collins played his wife, Polyester Poontang, in the movie. Sacha and his sister played the couples’ kids. Former Playboy model Connie Kreski took the role of Humppe, and though her character’s age is not revealed in the film, “It falls within the Polanski thing,” Sacha said, referring to director Roman Polanski’s alleged rape of a 13-year-old in 1977.

Describing Joan Collins as "Polyester Poontang" is somehow...appropriate, don't you think?

I Don't Want My Blog To Turn Into An Obituary Column...

...so I'll just note here in passing that 70's teen idol David Cassidy has died at 67. His mother Shirley Jones has outlived him at 83.

If It Weren't For Fake Hate...

...would there be any hate at all?

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. – Officials at Parkway Central High School said a student has confessed to writing a racial slur and the phrase ‘White Lives Matter’ on a mirror inside a campus bathroom.

In an email to the 'PCH Community,' Principal Timothy McCarthy said the student's actions violated the school discipline code and that the guilty party would be punished. The Parkway School District would only identify the student as "non-white," but stressed that "does not diminish the hurt it caused or the negative impact it has had on our community."

School officials did not disclose the student's motive for the graffiti. The motive is called feeding the narrative or perpetuating the stereotype or attention-seeking.

I'm inclined to think that a faked hate crime claim should, at the very least, be added to the student's permanent transcript so that future claims receive the skepticism that they deserve. If significant disruption is done by the faked hate claim, the student should also be disciplined for it.

Chris Matthews Has a Moment of Lucidity

Via Gateway Pundit:

“Ever since we started this Archie Bunker thing in the early ‘70s, making fun of white working people, we kissed them goodbye. You make fun of people, you look down on them, they get the message. You call them ‘deplorables,’ they hear it. You bet they hear it.

“You say they cling to their guns and religion? Oh yeah? I cling to my religion. OK. I’m a little person, and you’re a big person. Thank you, I’ll be voting for the other guy this time.”

Thanksgiving Shopping Is Done

Did my Thanksgiving shopping at the local Food Lion. While there I saw this advertisement:

I guess they're not quite ripe yet?

A tractor-trailer arrived as I was leaving, it was full of Christmas trees.

Probably Supports Single-Payer Health Care

Irony alert:

"‘It’s Too Expensive:’ Alabama Democrat Doug Jones Comes Out Against Trump’s Border Wall."

By the Way...

If you wish to note Manson's death without the usual "R.I.P." (requiescat in pace, or rest in peace), instead use "I.I.A." (In Infernum Aderet, or Burn In Hell).

Charles Manson Begins His Eternity In Hell

Finally Dead:

Manson, the man who struck a violent coda to the era of peace and love, met his end in a Bakersfield hospital at 83.

Mel Tillis, 1932-2017: R.I.P.

Mel Tillis, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and a Florida native, has died at age 85.

Tillis was born in Pahokee, Florida, near Lake Okeechobee.

His best years were the 1970's. He was a stammerer, which he worked into his road show - - his musicians would helpfully finish his sentences and he would yell "Shut up!" Like many individuals with stammers, it would vanish when he sang. It also vanished if he had memorized his lines, as in a film cameo he did in the Burt Reynolds film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings, where he played a gas station attendant.

The second concert I ever went to was a Mel Tillis concert with my father at the old Alligator Alley basketball arena at the University of Florida.

Here's one of his early 1970's hits:

Robert D. Raiford, 1928-2017: R.I.P.

Robert D. Raiford, long-time radio and TV news announcer and resident curmudgeon at Charlotte's "John Boy & Billy Big Show" radio show, has died at age 89 after a stroke took his speaking voice seeral years ago.

Raiford in his early career worked with legendary newsman Walter Cronkite and was one of the reporters who narrated the funeral of John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery.

At the John Boy and Billy show on WRFX-FM he would read the news and do commentary, á la Paul Harvey. Some of his catch phrases included "Who says that? I say that!" and "Why don't somebody step on him?"

He'll be missed.

Book Recommendation: Heretics of St. Possenti

I'd like to draw your attention to SF author Rolf Nelson's new book, The Heretics of St. Possenti. It's a sequel to his first novel, The Stars Came Back. Don't let that put you off, though. Heretics of St. Possenti is a stand-alone novel in its own right, a near-future novel about the formation of a new order of Catholic monks, most of them military veterans, who take as their patron Gabriel Possenti, an Italian who saved his village with his use of a handgun.

I was one of the beta readers and helped the author with much of the Catholic content. I'm not really happy with the editing by Castalia House - - they apparently left that to the beta readers - - but it's a fun story and, if you're a gun aficionado, a Catholic, or just a conservative, you'll be entertained by this book.

It's only available in Kindle version right now, but paperback should be out eventually. At Amazon.

Malcolm Young, 1953-2017: R.I.P.

The rhythm guitarist for AC/DC has died after a years-long battle with dementia. Here's the family statement that was published on Facebook:

It is with deepest sorrow that we inform you of the death of Malcolm Young, beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother. Malcolm had been suffering from Dementia for several years and passed away peacefully with his family by his bedside.

Renowned for his musical prowess Malcolm was a songwriter, guitarist, performer, producer and visionary who inspired many. From the outset, he knew what he wanted to achieve and, along with his younger brother, took to the world stage giving their all at every show. Nothing less would do for their fans.

Malcolm is survived by his loving wife O'Linda, children Cara and Ross, son-in-law Josh, three grandchildren, sister and brother. While thanking all for their overwhelming support and heartfelt condolences, the family ask that you respect their privacy during this time of heartbreak and grief.

For those wishing to send messages to the family please visit the Sydney Morning Herald Malcolm Young Memorial website which will be available next week.

The family have asked instead of flowers to send donations to The Salvation Army.

New Belt

New as in "it was only a strap in Tandy Leather yesterday." 1.75", I did the work myself. The border stamping took almost two hours - - a lot of hammering. Also shown is my Randall bowie knife, which features basketweave stamping that I did several years ago.

Barbecue Experiment

I've been thinking for a while now that North Carolina-style barbecue, which is usually chopped fine and topped with slaw, is a bit messy eaten as a sandwich, so I wondered if it would be neater if made like a burrito, so I bought some tortillas and a pound of barbecue from my local BBQ joint, and gave it a try:

Lessons learned: these are too thick, I used too much filling. I also added too much vinegar-based BBQ sauce to the mix of meat and slaw, which made them drippy. Next time I'll use much less filling per tortilla, and less sauce in the mix. I tried one burrito made that way, and it ate neatly and easily.

Oops.

Forgot to spray non-stick in the pan of brownies I'm baking at 3 a.m. Yes, I've been known to bake in the wee hours of the morning on weekends.

Update to add: they came out perfect, and there was no sticking issue per se. I used an entire bag of Fisher Walnut Pieces in the making, so there is walnut in every delicious bite. Over 2" thick.

Bioethicist

If you see that word in a news story, reach for a gun, because that person is going to propose something horrible, on the order of euthanising senior citizens as unproductive, or "aborting" babies up to two years after birth.

Here's a recent example from the news: "Science proves kids are bad for Earth. Morality suggests we stop having them." Never mind that if everyone practiced that, the human race would extinguish itself. For some environmentalists who view humans as a "disease" infecting the Earth, that would be perfectly acceptable.

Bioethicists. The human equivalent of vermin.