We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Well, it looks like Bird Dog's having a good time taking a few days off to finally catch the riveting last and final season of 'All My Children'.
I couldn't believe Melissa turned out to be Harry's long-lost sister from his mother's fifth marriage to her second cousin on her father's side! This whole thing is just tearing my emotions apart!
Finally! After all the money we've thrown into the Defense Department, it's nice to see them actually doing a little defense for once, rather than all that 'offensive defense' they're always doing overseas. As this 'comfort blanket' eventually covers and protects the entire nation against attacks from British, French and North Korean missile attacks, we can all sleep more soundly knowing that our 'big brother' is watching over us.
In international news, those clever Israelis pulled another fast one as they snuck a spy (or 'bird' in Mideast lingo) into Turkey and then got him back out on a legal technicality when he obviously should have been put up against a wall and shot for the spy he is.
You'd think Turkish officials would have at least worked out a prisoner exchange.
In late night television news, there's an interesting article on Jay Leno's impending retirement here. As you might have seen, he's come out with a number of Obama zingers in the past few months — quite a change from the past — so maybe the author's onto something when he says:
I will not be surprised if he pops up in some way in late-night television — possibly on Fox.
While there have certainly been the occasional big band orchestras that played together into their dotage, none of them ever pranced madly about the stage to the adulation of millions of screaming fans around the world while actually in said dotage.
In yet more good news, the movement to turn northern Colorado into the 51st state is making headway:
More than four dozen people showed up Thursday at the first public meeting to discuss a proposal to form a 51st state. Nearly all of them said they support secession.
More than four dozen! When you see this kind of groundswell support, you know you're getting in touch with the people's true wants and needs.
And those kooky kids in Hollywood are at it again. First Hitler, then Chavéz, then...
Every time Hollywood lets costs get completely out of hand, something comes along to save it. In the early 1980s it was videotapes, in the 1990s it was the DVD market. Now it’s China, but unlike the home-video market, China makes specific political demands on films. If “WWZ” is any indication, simply removing negative implications about China isn’t enough: The studios have to go out of their way to paint China in a flattering light.
Well, at least this means we won't be hearing any more of those tired "Jews are running Hollywood" stories.
In Dire Global Warming (DGW) news, I'm sure you've seen this terrible truth spread across the news sites recently:
I tracked down a handful of sites that had the article and left this in the comments:
Boy, I'll say! Every time I see one of those fake global warming articles, it makes my blood boil!
So I'm living proof the article is spot on in its analysis.
Lastly, I'm going to end on some really horrific news, figuring that the rest of your day will be much rosier after reading it since emotionally there won't be anywhere to go but back up.
Given what a splendid job California-bashing sites like Maggie's Farm have done in indoctrinating its readers into believing everyone in CA is a drooling, frothing-at-the-mouth liberal and that you pray nightly for the Big One to come along and drop the whole thing into the ocean, it will come as a severe shock to learn that California might actually have some value after all:
If California were to disappear, what would the American diet be like?
Expensive and grainy. California produces a sizable majority of many American fruits, vegetables, and nuts: 99 percent of artichokes, 99 percent of walnuts, 97 percent of kiwis, 97 percent of plums, 95 percent of celery, 95 percent of garlic, 89 percent of cauliflower, 71 percent of spinach, and 69 percent of carrots (and the list goes on and on).
As cruel and horrific as this news is, I figured you'd rather hear it from me than see it splashed across some left-wing site as further proof of the right wing propaganda machine failing once again in its daunting task. Last week they lost the Bible, food stamps and Planned Parenthood — and now this.
But Bird Dog will be back tomorrow and I'm sure these horror stories will end.
As for the Stones, I've always been a fan, but man those guys look like they're in their hundreds. They still 'got it' on stage, tho. And that's what counts.
Okay, although it goes strongly against the grain to say anything nice about an obviously hard-core liberal ideologue, I have to admit -- those little paws ARE adorable! And Higgy brought up a good question -- don't most dogs have ankles? Or, perhaps more properly, 'workable' ankles?
As for our new drone overlords and this becoming a 'surveillance society', did you see Drudge this morning and the two 'traffic camera' articles?
"Seattle Police Cameras Collected 7 Million License Plates Last Year..."
"Georgia Scans 1,000 Cars in 10 Minutes..."
You put the whole thing together and Snowden was just the tip of the iceberg.
"I couldn't believe Melissa turned out to be Harry's long-lost sister from his mother's fifth marriage to her second cousin on her father's side!"
Neither could I! Well, the good news is that when the show (finally!) ended, Everyone Lived Happily Ever After, so we should see a bright and cheery Bird Dog show up tomorrow after his arduous ordeal.
That Hollywood article was actually kind of sickening.
I just started watching the Leno vid. Those scratchy VCR lines on the screen brought back a load of memories! All bad, I might add! But I really like the guy and it'll be interesting to see what he does next. "Fiddle with his car collection" would be a pretty good guess.
You're right, I've been too hard on California. Their legislature has been moving with such admirable lethargy that it has not yet succeeded in destroying the state's lucrative but environmentally incorrect agricultural industry.
I'll try to be more patient. They've made great strides in the San Fernando Valley.
re Proposed New State In Northern Colorado Gains Traction
The article reported:
"More than four dozen people showed up Thursday at the first public meeting to discuss a proposal to form a 51st state. Nearly all of them said they support secession."
That many..... 48 out of a population of 250,000 in Weld county. Well. I am convinced. The support is overwhelming.
I wish them well but the dems in DC will never let it happen if it were to ever get that far.
My comment about the list of failed leaders is related to the comment that Americans honor their defeats (Alamo, Pearl Harbor, Little Big Horn) more than their victories.
I think failures often deserve focus, and in a sense, honor.
We pay attention to them because we learn from them. Usually.
Sometimes a big failure is the best thing to learn from, after all. If Rommel or Hitler had paid attention to the Maginot Line, the Atlantic Wall and all those wasted resources would have potentially been put to use in a better way.
Which is basically what happened with Pearl Harbor. Left with carriers rather than battleships, the nature of how the navy would proceed was altered rather dramatically. Perhaps fortuitously.
Honoring failure is another way to aggregate emotion. I doubt "Remember Little Big Horn" was ever shouted, but we sure did remember the Maine, the Alamo, and Pearl Harbor as our soldiers rushed into battle.
So yes, we do honor our defeats, because often our defeats lead to greater victory.
I take exception to the defamatory inclusion of George Custer in the all time list of incompetent military leaders. He was promoted from temporary staff captain to brigadier general and appointed to command the celebrated Michigan Cavalry Brigade. This unit suffered heavy casualties because it was a hard fighting, very successful brigade. I know, he kicked my ass at the Battle of Tom's Brook.
The failure of the 7th Cavalry at the Little Big Horn was clearly the consequence of inadequate intelligence from the War Department and incompetent leadership of subordinate battalion commanders.
I am, etc., etc.,
Tomas L. Rosser (Maj. Gen., CSA, ret.; Brig. Gen. USV, ret.)
PS you yankees can get stuffed.
PPS I'm serious, we don't want your kind around here.
The simple answer is that it's easier in Cali not that it's impossible elsewhere. Only 40 years ago there were 'truck farms' growing veggies in abundance all over southern Cook County Illinois.
There are enormous acres in IL alone that could grow plenty of vegetables but don't. Comparative advantage you know.
Well, according to the two state depts of Ag, California farms/ranches 24.5M acres and Illinois farms/ranches more than 28 million acres.
Also, I can't find that stats, but my sister [she's VP for Ag loans in an IL federal land office] says something like 10-15% of arable IL acres aren't farmed, mostly because it is currently unprofitable for one reason or another.
That's part of the comparative advantage. Veggie farms in CA already have markets, transport, etc that would have to be developed in other states. When the price goes high enough, the Midwest and other states will begin producing those products again.
And southern Il has poorish soil but very good weather. A lot ground there has never been farmed but could be.
Well, in all fairness to the article, it didn't claim we'd be eating "expensive and grainy" foods forever. The point was simply how valuable CA is today. Or, to ask it conversely, what other state would have such an impact if it suddenly vanished?
"Pennsylvania vanishes, paper clip industry in turmoil"
"Oregon vanishes, Staples raises prices of paper goods 3% to make up for devastating loss"
"Connecticut vanishes, insurance agencies relocate to Rhode Island"
"Vermont vanishes, nation takes weeks to find out, President Obama calls for national minute of mourning"
Doc, here's another California gummint-worker perk:
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2013/08/05/equality-in-california-magical-plates-protect-public-employees/
There was great book named "From the Jaws of Victory" about the worst generals in history. published in the early 70s.
Any list of worst generals/leaders that fails to include Ambrose Burnside is worse than incomplete. The above author also had a great take on the Roman Triumvir Crassus as a lousy general.
Looks like the DC blimps will just be an updated version of Fat
Albert. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/23/3196194/drug-tracking-fat-albert-blimp.html
Well, let's start off on an upbeat note:
Speaking of history, we have this little phenomenon occurring for the first time in 10,000 years of human endeavor: