NOTICE: Water in rest-rooms and janitor sinks not fit for human consumption. For sanitary use only.
I'm not suprised to have seen a sign like this in Bermuda or in parts of Europe. I an suprised to see it New Jersey.
Found a bowl of green bean casserole leftover in the fridge. What is it with that side dish?
Every Thanksgiving, nearly every holiday dinner in fact, some one brings it. Can't have a pot-luck cook-out without a few dishes of it. What is it about that dish that makes it seemingly so appealing. I mean, I don't dislike it, but I never said 'Boy! I could go for some green-bean casserole right about now!'
Maybe its an easy dish to make, I don't really know.
After an almost 3 month hiatus, the comic Day By Day returns tomorrow. The artist, Chris Muir, was forced to place the strip on the shelf in September due to some unfortunate health issues at home. For the last 2 weeks or so, visitors to his site (or feed) were told of the strip's return today, and we, the loyal fans, have been patiently waiting.
I came across the strip last year and found it's biting commentary from a decidedly right of center approach refreshing. It will be good to read the humor once again.
This Blog heralds the return of Damon, Jan, Sam, Zed (and of course Chris): you have been missed but are far from forgotten!
In 1984, after all the receipts were added up, the cost of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" would have set you back $12,623– the goods alone accounting for 62 percent of your total bill. Today, the numbers tell a different story. The total cost has climbed to $17,297, a 1.6 percent annualized increase over 20 years, but services now account for 74 percent of the index, indicating a steady rise in the cost of skilled labor while the price of two turtle doves and three French hens may be a little easier on your wallet.
The supply and demand lessons of "Economics 101" are also apparent in this year’s Index. Take, for example, the 29.4 percent decrease in the price of the five gold rings. International demand has driven the commodity price of gold to all-time highs, but demand for plain gold rings in the U.S. has seen a significant drop, forcing retailers to lower prices in order to move merchandise. So those considering a trip to the jeweler to find that special gift this year may want to consider adding a little sparkle or you could find yourself standing in the return line on December 26th.
and hints for where to get the best bargains:
As in the past, most items are more expensive to buy over the Internet, primarily due to the cost of shipping, which continues to go up because of rising fuel costs.
All in all, anyone who intends on keeping the tradition of the carol alive with their wallet better have a hefty charge card. The price tag for the 364 items this holiday season is $66,334 up from $65,264 last year.
Ho-ho-ho!
Sphere: Related Content
There has been much talk that if the Iraqi election is held and some Sunni Arab provinces (perhaps three of the 18) do not participate, the election will be illegitimate. Nonsense. The election should be held. It should be open to everyone. If Iraq's Sunni Arabs -- barely 20 percent of the population -- decide they cannot abide giving up their 80 years of minority rule, ending with 30 years of Saddam Hussein's atrocious tyranny, then tough luck. They forfeit their chance to shape and participate in the new Iraq.
In 1864, 11 of the 36 states did not participate in the presidential election. Was Lincoln's election therefore illegitimate?
In 1868, three years after the security situation had, shall we say, stabilized, three states (not insignificant ones: Texas, Virginia and Mississippi) did not participate in the election. Was Grant's election illegitimate?
Anyone who claims going ahead with the election would cause civil war is blind: there IS a civil war raging already; to postpone the elections means the terrorist backed minority wins; is that what critics want?
Sphere: Related Content
SCENE: At home Thursday (Friday?) with the sounds of TBS's EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND marathon going on in the background. Ray Barrone has just displayed his characteristic foolishness on some issue:
Me: How can anyone be that idiotic?
Made me long for the departed Rodney...
She: Looks who is talking!
I am a LOT of things... but ordinary??
You Are Mashed Potatoes
Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictable
You're the glue that holds everyone together.
And once again I raise the question: what does comforting mean (regarding food)? What is this 'comfort food' I hear about? I don't get it.
Whatever.... hope yours was a good one!
Just announced by Sean Hannity on the radio: a California judge upheld a ban on the Declaration of Independence in Public Schools. More later, or go now to www.drudgereport.com
Sphere: Related ContentWell the time draws near to begin wishing my readers, and any accidental visitors the seasons' greetings.
I know some families have long ago sworn off the turkey dinner: gotta be ham! And I applaud those who are more concerned with the family time spent around the table than in the kitchen, and for whom have ordered-in the traditional dinner. True, the family rituals and traditions of cooking can't be handed down in this fashion, but I believe the families that do order-in their turkey are from families where such traditions do not exist. Still others make reservations, and that has the benefit of giving mom a break, and after so many holidays, it is often a well deserved rest.
Thanksgiving at the "on the Pennsylvania Turnpike" home will be a little reserved this year; getting geared up for the holidays does take so much time and effort that we're hoping to be ready for Christmas by starting now! So while we are thankful for a great many blessings, we'll not be doing the huge turkey shin-dig tomorrow. To some, I know, this is an absurdity, but we're happy enough to have a quiet day, free from the insanity that is (all too often) family (and if you knew MY family....). On Saturday we'll dine with my much-better-half's sister, and we'll call it a holiday.
I am thankful for my family, and after the road we've traveled these last several years, that thanks can't be said enough. My much-better-half deserves a lot of thanks (if you think its a chore READING this blog, imagine LIVING with him!) And while this summer has put a severe dent in all things related to out-of-pocket expenses, I do know well things could be far worse, and for that I am grateful.
I am thankful for those people who have given of their time and lives to protect and defend this nation. I'm thankful that there are people who will suffer the slings and arrows of a political campaign to even consider running for office (and I regret the nature of the beast has deteriorated so). I am thankful we live in a nation so free, so prosperous, and unlike any in the world.
I am grateful to those reading these words right now. That's right, you. To those who read and comment, to those who read and e-mail their comments, to those who have flamed me in e-mail, and to those casual readers who say nothing at all. If you come back, that's some veiled evidence to me that you are at least casually interested in what I am saying, and that is a compliment in itself.
I am thankful of so many other things, things that like so many of you, are near and dear to us, and yet fail to be properly expressed in words.
So if your holiday meal is turkey, chicken, ham or other main course, may it be everything you expect (and more). And thank YOU for reading.
Not fair.
Here you go Charlie, here's your temporary office space. We're almost
finished building the lab and office space, but until then you'll work here.
You'll stay in a roughly 10'x10' interior office with two other people, only one
of which is on your team. Right, and there's one phone you'll have to share.
Your desks are the surplus kind we had laying around, so don't be
surprised if two of the drawers are completely useless. Oh, and that desk chair?
Well, it wobbles a little. OK, a LOT! If you never have been to a chiropractor
before in your life, you'll want to make an appointment right quick!
The PC you have on your desk isn't really yours, so we're not giving you
Admin rights. Nope. Sorry. I know, that means you're stuck waiting for tech
support if you need software installed. Right. Oh, and no, since it's not your
assigned PC, you can't change the sound card drivers, so if your CDs and
streamed audio sound like The Chipmunks, you're out of luck.
Tonight I had to work late. Instead of leaving at 4 Ibm 4 I am* out just before 6.
It isn't that I've never put in extra hours before; but tonight I am missing tae kwon do class with my son.
I do adhe ache from the workouts but I do wish to keep up with him as he progresses. It is only one might but I worry about a pattern may develop.
------
*I often blog with WAPBlogger on my cell phone. Despite the ability to spell using a T9 input method, typos are sometimes apparent.
Sphere: Related ContentIn Boston school district officials want to install GPS locators on school buses so they can ensure that drivers are keeping the bus on route and to avoid incidents like this one.
Sounds like a good idea, right? Apparently the bus drivers union doesn't think so.
Boston Herald - Hub school bus drivers blasted city councilors as racists and segregationists yesterday for not approving their contract, delivering another salvo in an escalating war of words between the two. "It's political payback from those councilors like Jimmy Kelly and John Tobin who have based their entire political careers on trying to roll back the civil rights movement,'' said Steven Gillis, president of the Boston School Bus Drivers Union. The comments made at a press conference were the latest battle that began with a City Council hearing about installing global
positioning system tracking devices on school buses. Union steward Andre Francois was more blunt, saying the City Council was attacking bus drivers to try to get rid of busing. "Almost 50 years later we still have to deal with these guys who want to keep the black down,'' he said.
Last week I chronicled racism in the editorial comics. Today is an example of something much more threatening:
NY TIMES: Awakened by a loud bang and the ring of their doorbell, an interracial couple peered out the front window of their Long Island home at 3 a.m. yesterday and saw a cross burning on the front lawn. They said they immediately called the Suffolk County police, but by the time officers arrived, rain had doused the fire. The police removed the cross, which was three feet tall and made from the slats of a picket fence. By yesterday afternoon, the only remaining trace was a charred circle of grass outside the building, a two-family house in the southwest corner of Lake Grove.
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!!!"
-- Arthur Carlson, WKRP in Cincinnati
The above quote is from the famous “WKRP in Cincinnati” episode whereA RealAudio clip of the episode can be found here, along with the actual event that inspired this scene!
Station Manager, Arthur Carlson (played by Gordon Jump), arranged to have live
turkeys dropped from a helicopter as an advertising stunt.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be a serious miscalculation. The poor birds plunged to earth, never even having a chance. Their tragic "last flight" was relayed to WKRP listeners by reporter Les Nessman, played by Richard Sanders:
“It's a helicopter, and it's coming this way. It's flying something behind it, I can't quite make it out, it's a large banner and it says, uh - Happy... Thaaaaanksss... giving! ... From ... W ... K ... R... P!! No parachutes yet. Can't be skydivers... I can't tell just yet what they are, but - Oh my God, Johnny, they're turkeys!! Johnny, can you get this? Oh, they're plunging to the earth right in front of our eyes! One just went through the windshield of a parked car! Oh, the humanity! The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement! Not since the Hindenberg tragedy has there been anything like this!”
From WIRED:
The New Hampshire vote recount requested by independent presidential
candidate Ralph Nader is still in progress, but preliminary results show no
significant changes in the numbers.
Nader requested a recount of a small number of wards, or voting precincts,
after Michigan programmer Ida Briggs produced statistical
analysis showing that President George Bush received many more votes in some
wards than expected. Most of the wards used optical-scan machines made by
Diebold Election Systems, which came under scrutiny this year after computer
scientists discovered flaws in the company's touch-screen machines.
--snip--
Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese said the recount showed that having a paper
trail is critical to help dispel worries about voting machines
--snip--
Zeese said that ruling out voting machines as the problem in New
Hampshire's results means "the problem was probably the Democrats.""If we rule out the scapegoat of the machines, it just means more soul-searching on the part of the Democrats to figure out why they lost to the worst president in
history," Zeese said. "You cannot assume that inconsistencies between exit polls
and trends in voting or registration are going to turn out to show machine
fraud. The Democrats really can be (just) as bad as they look."
Why is it so hard to believe the simple fact: MORE people voted for President Bush than did Senator Kerry.
Hat tip to PoliBlog
WashingtonPost
There are shirts that are puffy and there are puffy garments that are
shirts, but there is only one Puffy Shirt, the one Seinfeld wore in Episode 66
of his eponymous show, the episode titled "The Puffy Shirt." It's a very puffy
shirt indeed, with a flamboyant ruffle draping from the neck and sleeves that
puff and pouf. The Puffy Shirt made him all puffed out, made him look like a
buccaneer, like someone who should, as Elaine put it, "swing in on a
chandelier." It made Jerry wail: "But I don't want to be a pirate!"=snip=
The Puffy Shirt will go on display today near the popular culture collection's holy grail, Judy Garland's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz." Seinfeld also donated the Puffy Shirt script, written by the show's co-creator, Larry David.
It's a good thing Jason Alexander didn't donate a copy of Cosmopolitan ...not that there's anything wrong with it, of course!
Isn't it sad that people can be so hateful yet act so innocent? Is it the act of a manipulative person or is it just stupidity?
USAToday: Linda Ronstadt (news) has been many things to many people: a rock 'n' roll pinup girl, a rootsy balladeer, a traditional pop crooner and, recently, a vocal Michael Moore supporter.
=snip=
Don't get her started on the recent presidential election. "People don't realize that by voting Republican, they voted against themselves," she says. Of Iraq (news - web sites) in particular, she adds, "I worry that some people are entertained by the idea of this war. They don't know anything about the Iraqis, but they're angry and frustrated in their own lives. It's like Germany, before Hitler took over. The economy was bad and people felt kicked around. They looked for a scapegoat. Now we've got a new bunch of Hitlers."
Reality Hammer suggests (commands, really) we all take a quiz:
http://www.okcupid.com/politics
My results:
Social Conservative (35% Permissive)
Economic Conservative (70% Permissive)
= Republican.
What's your score?
The hateful Liberals are at it again. Yes, that's right: hateful!
We were told for months it was the Bush Campaign that said hateful things towards Senator Kerry. That the Republicans would try to block the black vote. Etc.
So where is the outrage at the racism shown in several political cartoons, notably Jeff Danzinger's shown at Rush Limbaugh.com ?
I read Gina's shopping experience and it caused me to reflect on my own shopping habits.
Christmas Shopping, in my unique way of seeing things, involves multiple steps.
Step One generally involves spending an afternoon in early December, walking in a mall... not actually with any gift or any person in mind, just walking. Acquiring ideas. I don't do a lot of mall walking any other time; indeed if I need something, I'll buy it (or more likely, order online/catalog). So step one is pretty much the only time I get to find out what is in a mall. I try to get my thought focused on the holiday shopping project at hand, but invariably the thoughts turn to seemingly insignificant items, like "where is the Orange Julius shop?" and "why don't they add egg anymore?"
Step Two is more involved. I am actually LOOKING for gifts for the people on my list. Having been married almost 15 years, my much-better-half has long ago relieved me of most of my shopping duties. I just don't do it right, she'll say. She shops almost year-round, with gifts being squirreled away in closets from about January through November (unless its something completely impulsive or forgotten, she won't go near the stores during November or December). So while step two is more involved because the act of shopping is practically taking place, my gift list generally has three people on it: my much-better-half, and my parents (she will tell you that she ends up buying something for my folks, but that is another story).
In Step Two I am looking at gifts and considering how well they'll go over when opened.
You have to admit, that 4' tall hour-glass shaped neon-green lava-light is an eye catcher... but will she like it? Wait, wait, will she like it as a Christmas present? Ahhh.... you're right. Put it back.
WHOA!!! A 32" diamond-tip bench saw with laser-guide and duct work for the shop vac! I haven't a clue what I'd do with such a thing, but looking at it makes you grunt! But... would she like it...? Put it back....
There's little chance I'll actually buy anything at step two. No, I am merely getting an idea of the stuff that she wouldn't like.
Step Three rolls around, and by now I am well into the holiday spirit, bopping around the mall in my Santa hat(note: in case there's any doubt, my much-better-half won't let me wear said Santa cap if I am seen any where in public with her). By now I know where the Orange Julius shop is, and I am likely to buy a thing or two. Not the real gifts, mind you, but the stocking stuffers and tchtockes. Gotta have tchtockes!
December 22nd rolls around and that's when Step Four kicks in. Time start shopping. For real.
What do you mean sold out?? What's up with that?
By this time, I am left with a stop at Kay jewelries, for another piece she'll love (or so I hope), but as we rarely get all gussed up anymore, it won't likely get to be shown around much. But hey, at least I made the effort!
On Sunday I walked into the living room and found my much-better-half on the phone, pressing the touch-tones in some rhythmic style that she seems to know all too well. After a moment she hung up, kissed me and announced I just now bought her a pair of earrings for Christmas.
So now what I am supposed to do at Step 4???
The Reality Hammer strikes again...
The current controversy over a shooting in Fallujah demonstrates the ability of
the MSM to miss the forest for the trees.Unless you've been in combat, it is impossible to judge what the troops pictures were going through. Indeed, we have only a short snippet of their entire weeks-long campaign in Fallujah. We do know, for example, that the terrorists used deception to kill our troops, including "playing dead" and using the bodies of the dead as booby-traps.
What we do not know is the full story behind why those bodies were in that building,
what contact they had with allied troops before that, or why the Marines were
called upon to sweep the building for combatants, apparently for the second time
in as many days.The MSM has rushed to call the person shot a "prisoner". However, we do not know whether this person had indeed surrendered to allied forces. Bodies lying in a room are not likely to be prisoners, whether regular army or illegal combatants. We are not sure whether these bodies were found earlier, whether they were treated by allied forces for their injuries, and if so, why they were left unattended overnight.
This is a situation where the military judicial process needs to be allowed to run its course. Any outside observation by people who were not on the scene, much less by civilians unfamiliar with the conduct of war, is worse than idle speculation. Our enemies are of course using this 15 seconds of video as proof that Americans are barbaric war criminals. It is getting hard to tell the difference between Al Jazeera and the American MSM on that point.
Out of the thousands of hours of combat footage and all the tales of horror committed by the terrorists that we have uncovered in Fallujah the MSM has decided that this 15 seconds is indicative of allied combat operations over the past couple of weeks and the most important view of Iraq at present.Ironically, as the MSM replayed this event over and over again word leaked out that one of the female hostages being held by the terrorists had been executed. Video of a terrorist shooting her in the head had surfaced. Isn't it telling that the MSM chooses to air the video of a Marine in order to impugn the U.S. military while refusing to air video of a hostage being executed in cold blood by the terrorists who are the alleged "victims" of U.S. aggression?
At this point, the MSM is the best weapon the terrorists have. Smarter organizations would have initiated a sanity check by now.
It's time to take a stand! Having been preoccupied with my own headaches this summer/fall, I missed this one.
Lisa at Just A Girl brought to my attention an act that must be stopped at all costs! There is a move to make mental health screening of all children a government mandate. This must be prevented! The very last thing we need is a wholesale psych exam which will most probably involve prescription drugs that aren't needed.
To learn more, start here. We must protect our children from this 'feel good' legistlation.
I just left a local gas station where a Kripy Kreme usual was unloading tomorrow's doughnuts at 9:30 PM
Stale doughnuts are the exact opposite of what made Kripy Kreme famous. The knowledge I could get one still warm made the treks to their few shops worth it. I always figured the trucks rolled up to the gas stations somewhere around 3-4 AM to make their deliveries. I never imagined 9:30PM.
As far as I'm concerned, if it doesn't come directly from a Krispy Kreme shop, I won't buy it.
The title of this post has nothing to do with chat room titles, but it is something I've had on my mind for sometime.
What is it about fund raising? The title refers to a box of candy left in the coffee room of the building which is where I temporarily work (strike that: new space is being provided nearby, so this office is my temporary workspace). It is a parent looking to sell Hershey candies to support his/her child cheerleading (or whatever).
Now understand: I am well aware of fund raisers. I have a boy in Cub Scouts. I spent 10 years in Scouting myself, and I went through 8 years of Parochial schooling, so I've sold all sorts of candy bars (Worlds Famous), popcorn, magazine subscriptions, first aid kits, flares, Christmas wreathes, etc., etc. I sold school fund-raising raffle tickets, like the other products, door-to-door, in front of supermarkets, and on street corners. OK, I get it.
What I don't get is how the child gets anything from the endeavor by handing Mom and/or Dad the box of goods and then sits back and waits for the returns. Work places are infamous for selling whatever goods for whatever fund raiser for who ever's kid. But where's the effort on the kids part? More importantly, how is it fair to the kids who parents cannot bring these goods to their offices (as was the case in one office where I worked years ago), or to the single employees or to the childless employees? Sure, there aren't any web cams checking on who buys and who doesn't, but the whole intent is to entice people to buy (it is a good cause, after all!), but it invariably falls unfairly on those without kids.
Back in my day, I did sell my wares at my father's place of business; after school or on Saturday I walked there, sold my stuff, and walked out. End of story. Meanwhile, today's kids get Dad to bring in the box and it sits on the table for a week or more, and then it disappears. With that much attention drawn to the fundraiser, you'd think photos of the outcome would be provided at the end.
Sure, I understand: kids can't be expected to toll door-to-door anymore, especially after that poor kid who was lured into the house of a psychopath. Who's asking the kid to do that? 30 years ago I wasn't allowed to walk the streets with good under one arm, an envelope to hold cash under the other, without an older brother or parent following behind. Why can't the parents (or siblings) walk along with the kids to do this stuff? (and before you hit me with the need to for two parents working, busy schedule, or other excuses, save your breath; if I can make it work, so can anyone else).
In my son's Cub Scout Pack, the annual popcorn sale has just concluded. One kid's mom brought in over $350. in sales. The average for the rest of the Pack (some 80 boys) is $40. (and believe me: considering the cost of the product, that is impressive). Why should the boy contribute any effort in the fund raising if Mom gets him the 'big prize' from selling at work? Where is the sense of doing for himself, which is part of the Scouting experience?
As mean as it may sound, the idea put forth by my former employer (no active fund raising at work) makes a lot of sense. Make the kids work for their rewards.
A few months ago a group from a school was raising money to go on a European trip. It was another cheerleading group. Now I can get behind fund raising for non-profits for operating expenses or new equipment (as in a volunteer ambulance corps, fire-fighters, etc.). But why should I be expected to help a bunch of kids afford a vacation that I can't, myself, afford? Sorry, boys and girls, find someone else. Or hey! Ask mom & dad!
That's my rant for the day. Have your say below.
And now: can anyone tell me what a Jr. Midget Cheerleader is??
For many people, the idea that AirAmerica is still on the air is greated with the response 'Really?' I've made some comments about them in the last year, but I haven't checked up on them in quite some time.
Lest there be any doubt, yes, it is still on the air. TC at the LeatherPenguin (don't ya love that name?) has been charting their ratings from the beginning, and gives a glimpse of how they are doing in the NYC metro area according to the latest Arbitron ratings:
They'll crow they've bumped up numbers on some of the underperforming little graveyard stations where Clear Channel decided to plug in Franken and some other hosts, during the heat of the Presidential campaign, to see if they could build a left leaning talk radio cicuit among smaller stations in the Clear Channel stable. With the election over, I'll bet the experiment will lose ground as people forget about politics for awhile, burned out from the craziness of the seemingly endless campaign season that, thankfully, is over . Folks need a rest. Air Idiot is now at the mercy of the biggest corporate dog in their medium if they really intend to stay in the radio game. CC will drop them in a heartbeat if the ratings slip on those small market stations, and plug in locally-aimed niche programming, which is what the Air Idiot experiment usually replaced.
There are friggin' layers to how much I enjoy that reality.
You know what is annoying? When you commute takes over 50% longer than normal.
Now, when you consider my normal commute takes about 2 hours you can imagine how my night is going.
It's not over yet. And it's raining, too.
Hey, don't blame the messenger (in this case, me), blame The New Republic:
The lack of message clarity hurt morale and sapped support for Kerry among his own people. "One thing I would always tell people is that I don't know shit about John Kerry," says a campaign official. "I had an opportunity to work on his campaign last December and I said, 'Well, I don't really know that guy.' I still don't. I don't know what he stood for, other than an alternative to George Bush." That Kerry lacked a clear message isn't just a convenient postelection critique. It was a mantra during the campaign. Says a junior staffer, "I remember one day [Joe] Lockhart saying, after watching the evening news, 'We have no message.'" It didn't help that the Bush team was extremely effective in pushing its own message. "I don't think we ever came up with a frame to define Bush in the way they did with Kerry," says a senior official. "They woke up every day and said, 'We're going to call John Kerry a flip-flopper.' We did not wake up every day and call Bush 'X.' We never gave voters a positive reason to vote for Kerry."
It's been months since I've done any meme. Time for a Friday Feast. Add your own, either in comments or in your own blog (be sure to let me know where yours is).
Appetizer
Name 3 cosmetics/toiletries that you use on a daily basis.
Soap, Shampoo, Toothpaste.
Oh wait, brand names?
Soup
Approximately how much exercise do you get per week, and what type of exercise is it (walking, running, swimming, etc.)?
Since starting Tae Kwon Do lessons with my son, I've exercised more in one year than I have my entire life. Figure no less than 2 hours each week since Jul '03
Salad
Write a sentence including your favorite color and your favorite food.
It would be a red-letter day for me if I had a pizza delivered to my cubicle.
Main Course
What famous person/celebrity do you think you look like?
The world of celebrities and other people of fame are indeed safe! I look like no one, and no one looks like me. And trust me, this is a very good thing.
Dessert
Name 2 simple things that never fail to make you happy.
Comedy: good, timeless humor.
hmmmm.... will have to get back to you.
Sphere: Related Content
The American people arguably did not pick the more interesting man in the race. Mr. Kerry strikes me as a complicated and intelligent person, and the one time I spent any time with him he seemed to be bright, and to have an interesting range of thoughts on many issues. Mr. Bush, on the other hand, does not strike me as the most interesting man in the world. That's one of the things I love about him. I sort of have a theory that Americans don't necessarily desire terribly interesting men as presidents. "Interesting" tends to bring with it a whole bunch of other attributes--"complicated," "hard to figure," "unknowable," "startling," even sometimes "tortured and tragic." A lot of us are Republicans, and we just hate tortured and tragic. Or rather we like it in our plays and novels and TV characters and even in our friends. But not in the guy with his finger on the button.I think Mr. Bush, the better man in terms of character, was also the more normal man. And we like normal. He loves sports and business and politics, and speaks their language. Normal. His wife is important to him, and his kids seem a bit of a mystery to him, and perhaps even to some degree intimidating. Normal. He thinks if bad guys attack New York City and the Pentagon, we go after them and kill them--normal. He thinks marriage is between a man and a woman--normal. He thinks if Baptist preachers in a suburb of Louisville have an after-school plan that has an excellent record of turning kids from juvenile delinquency to thinking about college, those Baptist preachers should be helped and encouraged every way we can, and it has nothing to do with "church and state." Normal. He thinks if there's an old plaque bearing the Ten Commandments on the wall of the courthouse you should leave it alone--it can't hurt, and it might help. Normal.
On what his opponents think of President Bush:
Some liberals, misunderstanding Mr. Bush's support, think that in the red states they think Bush is a god. They do not. They do not think he is perfect; they do not think he is Pericles; they do not think he has the subtlest political mind since Harry Hopkins (if Hopkins was subtle--I forget). They just like him, and respect him. Some love him, but they all make teasing jokes about him. This is a man whose very White House called its political strategy shop "strategery." The American people are in their own way fiercely sophisticated. They know the history of second terms: woe and error. They expect Mr. Bush to make mistakes. But they don't expect him to make amazing out-of-character mistakes. They expect him to make George Bush-type mistakes. They can live with that.
Indeed we can! Now all we need to see if those who voted against President Bush can live with it; with reports of the Canadian immigration website being hit voraciously by Americans, with reports of George Soros leaving the country (SAY! Didn't he pledge to spend his entire fortune, some $1B US, to defeat President Bush?? Hasn't anyone taken him to task on that yet?), you have to wonder if these same people who supported MoveOn.org have yet to accept the electorates decision, and simply move on.
On the occasion of Veterans Day, I wanted to take a moment to thank those who have served.
I've never served in the military, but I've worked for Defense Contractors for the last +8 years; not sure if that fits the definition of irony or not. However, I don't feel particularly guilty about that; anyone who knows me in person can probably guess I may have very likely been passed over for induction. This much I have told to a number of veterans with whom I worked with in the Defense Contracting area, and no one has disagreed with me.
Regardless, had I been drafted (assuming, of course, there was a active draft provision, I was old enough, etc.) I would have likely burst out laughing the first time I was told to 'drop and give me 20', knowing well that would probably be the last time I ever laughed in uniform. In the end, I would have made a good ol' fashioned 'dog face,' I would have done my duty and that would be it; I have no delusions of grandeur that I could be officer material.
Those same colleagues who know me, when they heard me say this, chuckled appreciatively and agreed.
In college, I saw students in ROTC, and while others found it easy to joke about, insult, or in other ways disrespect them, I knew they had more courage than the rest to wear their uniforms on campus, in spite of the narrow minds around them.
Back in May, on the occasions of Memorial Day and the opening of the WWII Memorial I wrote a piece dedicated to my uncles:
Anthony, one of my father's 3 older brothers, was called to service in March of 1942, just less than 3 months after Pearl Harbor. He served the US Air Force in crash recovery, piloting a PT boat, recovering the many who were downed during the battle of Midway.
Unlike the average GI who served about 2 years (with furloughs), Tony served for 3 years and almost 10 months; no breaks, no furloughs.
A year later, Gasper - my father's oldest brother - was drafted. He first guarded German POWs as an MP and later served as a medic, providing triage in France.
My father and his other older brother, Vincent, had poor eyesight and were not eligible for the draft. They, like the majority of others, fought the war on the homefront, with war bonds, scrap drives, and victory gardens.
6 or so years later, John, my father's brother-in-law, spent years defending liberty in Korea.
To these men, and to the countless others who have served this nations military, and especially to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, I salute you. My uncles all came home, and it was just last Spring we said our last farewell to Gasper, but the work they performed should never be forgotten.
The WWII monument came not a day too late, although I do wish Uncle Gap could have lived to see it.
The men and women of the US Military -- and their families -- have given in ways that only they can understand. We, who have never served, and can not fully comprehend, are asked to do nothing more but to remember, and to respect their sacrifices. Anyone who attempt to denigrate or insult those soldiers, in peace or in war, deserve the disdain of the rest of us.
As George Orwell wrote, "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
Thank God for the brave members of the United States Armed Forces.
Brrrrrr
Heard on the radio that Sanford, Maine's temperature is 11F, apparently the coldest spot in the country.
Well, in my corner of PA it is 18F: guess the coal stove will need to be started this week!
Senator Zell Miller on Imus in the Morning:
NEWSMAKER QUOTE OF THE DAY
Georgia Senator Zell Miller: "I never could figure out why Kerry and his advisors never tried to reach beyond just the Democratic base. I thought that if he had gone up on stage at Radio City Music Hall and instead of saying that they were the heart and soul of America, if he had grabbed that wine bottle out of Whoopi's hand and told them that he disagreed with them sort of like what Bill Clinton did with Sister Souljah at the Rainbow Push Coalition, that would have pushed him up there a whole lot. I don't understand this. From the time that he was a young man, I think in Newsweek they said fourteen, his entire being has been centered on someday running for President. His total existence was running for President of the United States. Well, why didn't he take the time, sometime during that long life to learn more about the South and more about those people, us, who live in the red states. I mean the South today has now got 141 electoral votes in. That is more than half of what you need and yet from the very beginning just like Al Gore did, they wrote off the American South. In my book that you helped make a bestseller, I said that Democrats like Franklin Roosevelt used to look South and say I see one third of the nation, and today our national leaders look South and say I see one third of the nation and it can go to hell. That one third of the nation came roaring back and said what they thought about this kind of attitude."
NEWSMAKER QUOTE OF THE DAY #2
Imus: "Here is a thing that I think Senator Kerry should have done. People through the country, and if you look at a county by county map of how people voted in this country, it is remarkable how much red there is in California and how much red there is in New York. Even the people in this country whether they were in the red areas or the blue areas, whether or not they were Christians, that had nothing to do with it, whether or not they went to church or not, just on the fundamental facts of the life of Jesus. Whether you think he was the son of God or not, just based on how he conducted his life, people thought that Jesus was a better role model than Michael Moore."
I couldn't agree more!
Georgia Senator Zell Miller: "There is no doubt about that. The more Maureen Dowd (New York Times) gets on Meet the Press and writes those columns, the redder these states get. They don't want some high brow hussy from New York City explaining to them that they are idiots and telling them that they are stupid."
NEWSMAKER QUOTE OF THE DAY #3
Imus: "If Senator Kerry had won the election, when he was sworn in, he would have been Charles' President and he would have supported him. Now that President Bush has won the election even though I didn't vote for him, he's my President and I am going to support him and that doesn't mean that you can't disagree. So if we could get more people in this country to be less angry about what happened and be more supportive of recent common ground, we would be much better off."
Miller: "I could not agree with you more. I hope that the red haired woman over at the New York Times (Maureen Dowd) is hearing what you are saying instead of going out there and mocking people for a living. That is another thing people like her do not understand. Here is the thing that I don't understand, we don't ask Maureen Dowd to come to the Fist Baptist Church in Young Harris, Georgia, and play with us. But we do ask her to not mock our religion, not to make fun of us and not to call us stupid."
For the second time in a week Yasser Arafat has been declared dead.Sean hits the nail on the head again.
"Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is dead, senior Palestinian
political sources said today, but.."
Also for the second time in a week:
"...this was denied by the hospital where he is being treated."
It would be a lot easier to tell who to believe if it weren't the French and Palestinians we had to choose between.
Chevy Chase: [ talking into the telephone ] No.. I love it when you make noise. Remember when.. [ notices the audience, hangs up telephone ] Good evening, I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not!
Our top story tonight: Generallissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
Out on my car just now was snow!
Not even enough to be called a dusting, but it was snow just the same.
Another reader writes, "Jay, I just realized whom the GOP should nominate in '08 Â? George W. Bush! Paul Begala and the rest of the lefty talking heads have been saying all week that 2004 is the first election that GWB actually won, since he 'stole' the 2000 election Â? so let's agree with them, and go ahead and make this Bush's first official term!"
Sphere: Related Content
We were in the middle of food shopping. My much-better-half sent our two sons and me in one direction and told us to meet her in this area. I was certain this was the area she said, near dairy, right off of frozen foods.
"Daddy, what is that?"
My oldest son turned 9 this weekend, and his tone sounded a tad impatient. I made a note to remind him of his manners and kept searching for my spouse.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah? Oh...."
She was in her mid 30's, I'd say. Not too tall but not petite. Her hair was dark brown. My son was fascinated at her when she bent down to get a carton of milk from the refrigerated case. It could have been juice, who knows.
This gal, however, displayed for the whole world to see, not to mention my son, that she was wearing a thong under her jeans.
"Um.... "
Think fast. Make it sound fatherly.
"Well, I don't know... lets keep looking for mommy." So much for fatherly.
She bends down again, and again it is there in plain site. Look! Black lace and everything.
"Do you think its her underwear?"
Great. He's still working on it. Despite being bright, he sometimes can't find the socks in the open drawer in front of him. But this, THIS he keeps finding.
Try again for something fatherly.
"Hmmm.. Maybe. Didn't your mother say she would meet us here?"
"Maybe she doesn't know its sticking out."
"Ummm, Maybe... lets..."
"Can I tell her we see her underwear?"
"Ya know, I bet your mom is in produce. Lets go!"
REALLY NOW!! What is it with women who show their thongs? I've seen them in stores, and in the office place. Don't get me wrong! I'm not mortified or offended (with the possible exception of what would have happened HAD my son asked her that question). But I have to know: is it intentional?
Reports today say there is a huge increase of visitors to the Canadian
Immigration website, presumably by those unhappy with the election
results. It sounds to me like theyre taking their ball and going home.
If the DNC thinks the RNC isnt thinking of ways to reach out to more
blue counties, they deserve their fate. Instead of leaving, why not try
to find a way to reach the rest of the country? Instead of voting to
get a candidate OUT of office, give us real, practical reasons to vote
FOR your man.
___
Sean has provided some insightful comments and comparison between those who get it and those who don't:
Quoting Senator Zell Miller:
But the Democratic Party is no longer a national party. As difficult as the challenges are ? both real and fabricated ? Democrats offered no solution that was either believable or acceptable to vast regions of America.
This was not an election. This was station identification. I'd bet anything that if the election ballots hadn't had the names Bush and Kerry on them but simply asked instead, "Do you watch Fox TV or read The New York Times?" the Electoral College would have broken the exact same way.
Jon Stewart Late last might I caught part of The Daily Show. Admittedly I've never seen much of the show before this. Jon's guest was Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard and a Fox News Contributor. It was a great interview and both gents were witty and carried on an interesting discussion. I didn't comment on Stewart's CNN appearance because I think the network overall is over rated. I will have to watch more of the Daily Show here on out.
Comments and repetitive posts
I want to thank those who have added comments, especially those who wrote long rebuttals and had to break them up. It may be time for me to upgrade.
I'm encountering firewall issues blogging at work, and WAPBLOGGER has its own headaches. Fortunately I'm in a temporary office while new space is being built, furniture delivered. The PC I use is also a temp. so I expect to be able to resolve my connection issues.
Sphere: Related Content
Happy Birthday!
Laura Bush, First Lady
Loretta Swit, actress, M*A*S*H
Thank you Senator Kerry.
Thank you for not subjecting the nation to the same nonsense Vice President Gore gave us four years ago. You are had the backing of many (not a majority, certainly, but many) who would have wanted you to go to the mat; a look at your own blog confirms this.
You may cringe at the comparison, but as Gary Trudeau stated today, you now have shown to have the same class as Richard Nixon.
You have run a long, hard race. I will dispute quite a number of accusations you made against President Bush. I will take exception to the free-pass you were given in the media over the scandalous charges you made against your fellow soldiers 30 years ago. But you remain a member of the US Senate, and you came close to winning the highest office in the land. You deserve the gratitude of the nation for embarking on this race, because it is not an easy one for anyone to run.
Thank you for serving the nation. Thank you for conceding.
I find myself compelled to make some comments regarding another's blog entry. For very practical reasons, the COMMENT feature on this person's blog was disabled, because rabble-rousers aren't limited to a single party affiliation.
Today she posted her dismay (dare I say disgust?) over the re-election of President Bush. I don't wish to take glee over her disappointment for I truly believe she wouldn't gloat had the votes gone the other direction.
From her own postings :
>While I don't get how a middle-class parent and a civil servant, can be happy about, nay, have voted for, four more years of this, I didn't let myself get bated... even when said sibling called me a "liberal elitist". I don't think being educated on the issues and smart about our future makes me elitist, but if it does, than it's a badge I wear with pride. <
I may not be what some would call a 'civil servant' but I am employed by a defense contractor. Recently I was laid off due to, largely, budget shortfalls. I am a middle class parent, and I am the sole support for my family. I am educated, I read considerably about the issues, and I want nothing but the best for my children, their future, and the future of a nation as whole. I am Republican by party affiliation, because the Conservative party has yet to be established in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
I would not call Kathleen an elitist, but perhaps in time we can each learn what the other sees so desirable in the opposing party.
>And, though I know you don't do domestic campaigns anymore James
Considering I received DNC related e-mails from Mr. Carville (at least so said the header, with the return address of issues@dscc.org) with the subject line 'Throw the bums out' I doubt severely if he will ever stray far from domestic campaigns.
Comments on Kathleen's reposts of others (note: I can extrapolate she may agree with these posts in principle, but I wish to state she merely reposted them, and has not specifically endorsed them):
>One wonders how this happens. One wonders how people drive past their out-of-work neighbors and believes this to be an election about terrorism, of all things. Posted by Grimace at http://grimace.blog-city.com/read/892807.htm <
Clearly, it is about terrorism. Too many people have been misguided to think Iraq is about revenge or other scheme, and not part in parcel of the bigger picture. A democratic foothold will lead to a safer world. Had the WMD data from the CIA, UK Intel, Russian Intel been placed on your desk, would you have done anything different? Besides, Sen. Kerry saw the same data and voted for the authorization, so he cannot be held to no blame.
As for out-of-work neighbors, time and time again the stats don't reflect this. Growth in the economy: 3.7% Home ownsership is at an all-time high, Unemployment at record low levels. Yes, people are out of work, but no more so than any time in our recent history (the depression a notable exception). I don't buy the argument that some people 'stopped looking for work'; if they have, they are lazy. Even a piss-poor job (say: fast-food work for an out of work mill worker) is better than NO work. I did a menial job: it sucked, but I never stopped looking. It can be done.
>Okay so there is no reason to go into what is going on with the presidential race. My only thought at this point is that if Bush wins hopefully he will get the message that half of America does not like what he has been doing. If this election outcome proves to be his win, let it also serve as a report card for him - a progress report from the people if you will. - Go Go Boy Diary
{Kathleen's} Note: I doubt the aforementioned message will be received.<
That about 50% of the nation disapproves of the President is not exactly news. Think about it: a difference of some 538 votes would have had Vice President Gore elected 4 years ago; would the message of half the nation disapproving gotten through to him?
Evidence suggests Mr. Gore wouldn't have gotten the message: President Clinton never had 50% of the nation behind him in either of his two elections, yet he never seemed to let it get to him. He often uttered the phrase ‘a mandate from the people’, yet this supposed mandate never came from a majority.
Regardless, since when is it encumbered on the winner to see things the way the loser sees things? Clearly, more American's agree with the President, so maybe the minority of voters ought to consider what they others see. Tell me honestly: if this were 1992, would you tell the newly elected President Clinton to see things the way President George H. Bush does? Somehow I doubt it.
>* Pray that no one that I know and love needs a treatment for a degenerative disease that could be cured using stem cell research.
* Find a job that can't be outsourced to another country - Counting Sheep
I take strong exception to the first comment: no disease has yet been helped directly/indirectly by embryonic stem cell research (as opposed to umbilical cord or adult stem cell research). President Bush signed into law funding for stem cell research; although he placed a cap on it, it isn't illegal. If you are so concerned with embryonic stem cell research, raise money on your own to aid in that investigation. Think of the Jerry Lewis Telethon: No one tells MDA how/when/where they spend their money. Stop placing the blame on the President; it is simply myopic.
And as a matter of I do have some one I love who is affected by spinal chord and nerve damage; this doesn't give me any more Carte Blanc to an opinion than any one else, but I am directly involved, so please hold your preaching; I am well aware of what is possible, what is feasible, and what is still in the realm of fantasy.
All this time I've been told the President is some how personally responsible for outsourcing jobs. The tax breaks that encourage this have been on the books before President Bush took office; exactly what bills has Sen. Kerry sponsored to curb these breaks?
>I mean, the religious-right is growing stronger by the day (as evidenced by yesterday's election) and their Christian-based, holier-than-thou mentality is using fear and damnation to coerce people into thinking the world will end if people don't follow their beliefs. This church/state combination is just too similar to what's going on in the middle-east for me. It's turning people away from each other and more strongly dividing this country into "us" (the northeast and coasts) versus "them" (south and heartland). And now I fear I'm guilty of being of that mentality. - Adventures in Gastronomy
<
To assume that only the so-called Religious Right is responsible for the re-election is to ignore the entire demographics of those who voted for him. So, yes, you are guilty of the mentality you accuse the country of being enveloped in.
Here's another opinion: perhaps the DNC has tooled it's message to the wrong people. They've already won over the big cities, but clearly their message is lost in middle America. Is it the people's fault there message is lost? Sen. Zell Miller has put forth a statistic that states Southern states had 20 Democratic Senate seats in 1984. Today, it is the Republican's that hold those 20 seats. Why is it so hard to accept that one party is addressing the needs of the people in those areas?
What do I think was the root cause of the DNC collapse? HATE. Not hate towards Democrats (at least not in a large part; there are those extreme partisans). It was the unabated hate towards President Bush. The seemingly non-stop BUSH=HITLER signs, the lies about the National Guard issue (thank you Dan Rather), the consistent repetition by Sen. Kerry of the lies regarding the alleged missing ammo in Iraq, the lies about the draft, the lies about the President's alleged lies about Iraq, the lies about the RNG plans to block minority voting. People get tired of lies, especially when all you have to say in your favor is 'I have a plan.' With a 20 year record of little accomplishment, you need to show the people something more than the phrase "I have a plan."
Every tax payer got a tax cut; that is a result that can seen, touched and felt: THAT'S what wins a election, with a majority.
Unless the likes of Sens. Lieberman and Miller can influence the Democratic Party, I predict the Republican Majority will hold firm for the near future. Simply saying "Anyone but HIM" didn't work for Sen. Bob Dole in 1996, and with two complete Presidential election cycles in the can (not to mention the interim elections), it's obvious it isn't working for the DNC.
Once again my posts have gone astray. This time a lengthy one thanking Sen. Kerry for doing the right thing. Reposts from home tonight.
Sphere: Related ContentCan't argue with him.
Don Imus just quipped: the two people who are happy today are President Bush and Senator Clinton.
How do you know your cause is lost?
You know it's time to hang it up when two fellow senators, both from Ohio -- Democrats no less -- urge Sen. Kerry to concede.
EDITORS NOTE: Thanks to a Comment posting by Anonymous, I have redlined this post. I had heard this on the radio, and WAPBlogged it. Apparently, I either misheard the comment or it was wrong from the start. Either way, it has been strickened, and the matter is OBE
By far, President Bush has earned the right to say he has won the Popular vote, and the more important Electoral College vote!
Congratulations to Sen. Kerry, who made this a tight race. A special congratulations to the President, who stayed firm in his commitment to the people and to the voters.
Condolences to the Kerry supporters who gave it their all! Your man came close, that much can be said,
Now, Senator Kerry: look at the margin of that victory and do what is right!
This is it! If every legally entitled vote of every legitimate voter is counted, I predict a certain reelection for President Bush. If I am wrong, or if there is fraud of some kind, I pledge to provide the respect the office holder deserves, along with reasoned and mature criticism of the policies put forth by Mr. Kerry; I can't say there are many critics of Pres. Bush who have acted in this manner in the last 4 years.
As my 2 hour commute requires me to get SOME sleep, I won't be posting anything more until after 4:30 AM ET.
The Senate is in safe hands once again, as is the House. Arlen Spector pulled it out, apparently, and while not anything I would call 'Conservative', he does vote in favor of many items I agree with.
Florida's margin is so much in Bush's favor, the ACLU challenge might not make a dent (and was anyone surprised the ACLU filed a challenge? Anyone?)
With the west coast closing up shop, the current talley is 210-199. Not the margin I would hope for, but I'll take it. I remain confident the voters decided to stay the course and keep the nation safe.
I say again: I pray no one gets away with voting fraud. On either side!
11:00pm report
Good news: in EC Votes, Bush leads Kerry 197 - 133
Sad News: Fox News predict Pennsylvania to go to Kerry. If this holds, it will once again be a case of Philadelphia & Pittsburg vs. the rest of the state.
2004 not the breakout year for youth vote after all
This was not the breakout year for young voters that some had anticipated.
Fewer than one in 10 voters Tuesday were 18 to 24, about the same proportion of the electorate as in 2000, exit polls indicated. Still, with voter turnout expected to be higher overall, more young people appeared to have come out.
Surprisingly, Senior Senator from Pennsylvania Arlen Spector is in a tight race against Democratic challenger Joseph Huffel.
Several major items of Sen. Spector have always bothered me (I voted for his challenger during the primary), but he is light-yeras ahead of his challenger.
Can't help but feel up!
As of 10:00pm ET, things are certainly sounding like a win for George Bush!
171 - 112
That felt good!
Despite having voted absentee, I spent one hour on line and proudly casted an official vote to reflect re-elect (damned WAPBlogger!) George Bush!
Lest there be any doubt, my other ballot was voided.
DATELINE: Harrisburg, PA
Poll watchers for Sen. Kerry's campaign refused to leave polls despite having invalid or forged credentials. Police escorted the illegitimate watchers off site.
Some early news is good...
Tom Daschile is doing poorly in exit polls, while reports are coming that brutes from MoveOn are displaying signs calling "Bush = Hitler" Add to that the stories of the tires being slashed in Wisconsin and you get a good idea of the character of people who support Sen. Kerry.
I will be able to live with a Kerry Presidency. But what tortures me is theThanks to Gilly for pointing out this very well-written post. Essential reading? Find out for yourself.
thought that this country is no longer capable of doing hard, dirty work -- that
we have reached the point where nothing difficult is attainable because the cost
is something less than free.
WAPBlogging is a troublesome feature; sometimes things post, sometimes not. Other times (like today) a post from last week re-posts!
Regardless, today is the day! I confidently predict the following: assuming all legitimate votes are counted (and only those cast by legitimately registered voters), President Bush will be re-elected.
If I am wrong, or if there is a clear case of fraud (i.e.: "suddenly, a truckload of absentee ballots appeared in the driveway", or "Oh yeah, I found this voting desktop in the trunk of my car...") I will give the new president all the respect the office deserves. And I will give to him my honest opinion on any and all of his policies - pro or con - in a mature and respectful manner.
This is how I have always conducted my political debates. It is indeed a pity there are many (on both sides of the aisle) that cannot claim the same.
In other news, DAY 2 of work is going well! How glorious it is to be in IT again!!
I could expound again about the growing economy, but to borrow a phrase: 'there's none so blind as those who will not see'.
GET OUT AND VOTE! Sure the line may be long, but remember those who have died for your right to speak your mind!
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