Personal Musings category archive

This post from Mithras is worth reading.

It gives another reason to support Obama’s health care plan:

The complete and total destruction of the Republican Party as it currently resists exists.

A consummation devoutly to be wished.

According to the TV listings, Christmas movies start tomorrow.

This

is

not

right.

I don’t think there is a Little Golden Book of Torture.

. . . to this post.

Update here, via Raw Story.

There is still no evidence that any information found in the searches was put to any public use.

Those who would claim that this is Misuse of State Power, as opposed to misuse of office–seemingly in the form of succumbing to curiosity–by state employees, are still without evidence.

Let alone without proof.

Why not bring back convoys?

70 Fahrenheits on Saturday. 30 Fahrenheits with gusting cutting winds and snow showers today. Even the Yankee I was with was complaining.

My body’s in shock.

Why anyone would willingly choose to live north of the Mason-Dixon Line (which runs just north of here) is beyond me.

I am not a winter person.

Every once in a while I succumb to the darker side of my nature and get sucked into some celebritart news.

In one such weak moment, I read this:

In essence both these looks are comprised of a ponytail, a tank top and a casual pant, but swapping baggy sweats for a flattering pair of jeans takes Hilary Duff’s look from a sloppy don’t to a classic fashion do.

Pant.

I hear that atrocity as a term for “pants” used more and more frequently, especially in conversations about women’s fashions (which are often atrocities in and of themselves).

Pant.

That’s what dogs do.

It’s not what persons wear.

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Unfortunately, I know far more about the dark side of human relationships than I ever wanted to.

But I really do not have the words to express my reaction to this.

Thought I was out of capers. Can’t make chicken piccata without capers.

Capers are the difference between dull and sublime.

I don’t pay too much attention to traffic here at the old website. In fact, the hit counter for the main website rolled over and played dead a while ago and I haven’t bothered to resurrect it. I do this because I like making computers do things. And if I can in so doing annoy some persons in public, that’s even better.

I know that there are a few persons who come here regularly. I appreciate every one of them.

There are also occasional persons who stumble on me.

But what amazes me is that this post generates more traffic than anything else here through searches.

Guys.

Calm down.

It’s a picture.

And she’s dressed.

More dressed than most of the celebutarts I see in the local rag everyday.

What’s all the fuss about?

The Booman Tribune looks at the next logical step.

Personally, I think we must go back to testing for the proofs of virginity after the wedding night.

Lots of rain.

Hoping it knocks all the rest of the leaves off the trees so I can get out my mulching mower and chop them up.

I try to wait until all the leaves are down because I’m too lazy to do it twice.

It is good to see it rescued.

Rescue is only as good as the work we do tomorrow.

And tomorrow.

And tomorrow.

For evil always lurks at the door.

Here.

And the fight goes on.

Via Andrew Sullivan.

Jury Duty December 1.

I’ve wondered how they missed me all these years.

First Daughter got called three times while she was living in Georgia and Alabama.

First Son got called when he was in Iraq.

They finally noticed me. Guess I’ll get to finish that long boring book on CSS after all. Or that other long boring book on MySQL.

I’m not saying I agree with its premise, but it’s worth thinking about; I commend the column from this morning’s local rag to your attention.

The Big Three automakers want the federal government to fix them even before regulators buy their first distressed mortgage-backed security. It’ll only take $25 billion to $50 billion to get the motor started again.

Why consider a bailout for the automakers when we have a perfectly adequate system for restructuring companies in dire financial straits? It’s called bankruptcy.

The nation’s steel industry, long considered crucial to “national security,” has been totally reorganized through bankruptcy and consolidation. It’s a much smaller domestic industry now and much of it is foreign-owned.

What makes General Motors, Ford and Chrysler any different from Bethlehem Steel, LTV and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel?

(Here’s an opposing view.)

Clearly the American auto industry has done little more than demonstrate its incompetence and its inability to see farther than the next quarter’s returns. Autoworkers are already taking it on the chin; why protect the empty suits?

Frankly, I think a lot of the hysteria over the auto industry is as much a result of Americans’ emotional attachment to big, loud, fast Detroit Iron (even though, these days, much of it is Mexican and Canadian Detroit Iron–the cars may be assembled in the US, but many of the parts are manufactured abroad) as it is a rational attempt to protect jobs and industrial output.

All the infusions of money in the world won’t help the American auto industry unless someone figures out a way to infuse some smarts into auto executives’ heads.

I think that dried habanero I just added to the chili was the final touch.

Now to keep my hands off it for half and hour or and let it just simmer in its own juices.

It’s November 9. I have neglected my roses for the past couple of months. And they are still hanging in there. I picked these today.

The last time I visited Pine View Farm, I took down the flag. (I already have a new one in my truck to raise on my next trip.)

According to the Flag Code, burning is the only proper way to dispose of a flag, although, as an alternative, it may be donated to the American Legion or the VFW. (The American Legion would not have been an option, because of this.)

(I urge you to follow the link and read the Flag Code. It is not proper to wear flag-patterned clothing. Nor to autograph the flag, as both George the Wurst and Candidate McMaverick have been photographed doing.)

Now, there was no problem with its being up all the time, as it was permanently illuminated by a mercury-vapor light, but the flag was too tattered to be left in place.

So Second Son and I have folded it up as best we could, as it is no longer regulation length. When we have our first fire of the winter, we will burn it ceremoniously.

Click to read more.

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Someone I know wants me to mail her a copy of today’s paper.

The first four places I went, all the newspapers, local and imported, were sold out.

I would have expected that if the Iggles had won the Superbowl. Guess it says something about how people feel about this election.

At one place, I walked past an unhappy looking guy sitting in a pick-up. I could hear Rush Limbaugh’s dulcet tones through the closed windows. (I tend to avoid purveyors of hate such as that; I see enough hate without inviting it into my life.)

I wonder whether Limbaugh was explaining how 52% of American voters must hate America.