Monday, January 31, 2005
reply to anon
Your government schools at work.
U.S. students say press freedoms go too far
If I were a parent these days, I wouldn't even consider sending a kid to the abortion the government schools have become. That link from USA Today, if read completely, makes me wonder about the quality of the HR at USAT. Hell, even I, the total disconnect, could have done a better job of that story.
* * * * * *
I'm not sure who anon is but since today is/will be spent fiddling with minor items like financial survival (questionable), reviewing 2 of last Spring's projects (one needs some money, the other LOTS of money), and paying bills, I often take breaks. Lots of breaks. One does that a lot when one is broke. anon wrote:
Interesting ramblings on "No Teacher Left Behind" Uncle Rev. Do ya think that if people would pay teachers their equivalent salary in the business world this problem would still exist? Name another professional field where you can expect to start at $30 with a Master's degree. Um,right. There's an enormous shortage of teachers all over the country and indeed the globe. Problem being that the salary is not very good for the hours that they put in, all the extras that are written into their contracts. In fact the money sucks!
Truly, with a PhD at a Community College I can expect to start at $62,200. Wonder what I'd make in business with that kind of qualification. Why do articles always insist that it's the teachers unions campaigning for their own selfish issues, like normal hours and a decent salary. Never mention that their salaries *should* be higher *as a given*, not as something that needs to be fought for!
I think if they make the salaries higher, competition for teaching positions will ensue and you'll be left with happy, well qualified candidates who you shouldn't need to evaluate.
You wanna try to explain that higher property taxes are a good thing? :)
# posted by Anonymous : 5:03 AM
Well, I didn't excerpt from the article, mostly because there are so many damning instances of the devolved public school system. One doesn't even need to have children in it anymore to be a bit disappointed with the results.
Those of you not in Florida are probably not familiar with the FCAT. It's something like the old CAT and SAT testing except it automatically assumes the children taking it are just slightly smarter than a possum. The possum child (at last observation) had to pass with a newly minted and seriously downgraded score of 58% on a test one would expect any talking unit with 12 YEARS of very expensive ($97,500 Florida dollars) to breeze through.
* * * * * *
5460 - REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION GRADES 9-12
Brevard County (Florida)
Administrative Procedures
"D. Passed both the reading and math sections of the 10th grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test."
Do you want to launch your lunch? I'm just starting.
Flexing for FCAT"Time to Train for the 10th Grade FCAT
"Did you know that you’ve been working out since kindergarten? Forget about your quads and pecs, we’re talking about your brain cells. Did you know that you’ve
been exercising your brain since you started school? All of that mental exercise is going to pay off, now that you are planning ahead and gearing up for the FCAT.
Pumping up for the FCAT
The FCAT is an important high school graduation requirement, and students who want to do well on the FCAT do it by flexing their mental muscles before they enter the test-taking arena.
The more study reps you do — study your course work, practice sample test questions — the more comfortable you will become with the test content and format. Your confidence level is sure to rise.
Keep reading for more training tips to get you pumped (pimped?) up for test day."
(shnipt)
Yeah. Wanna take the 10th grade FCAT? I did several years ago and despite not being very bright, I'd most assuredly have passed it somewhere between Mrs. Demotropolis's second grade and Mrs. Sanders' third grade classes.
Want to view some totally fictitious graphs? They are all right here, all in pdf of course (.edu wouldn't have it any other way). Sarasota County seems to have figures at odds with the above. I picked it because it is probably the most neutral as far as voting in Florida gets. Mostly rich, mostly old, mostly DINO and RINO. In other words, floor-sweepings. Retired yankees with boats in the slip and a grandkid or so floating around in the system.
It has been quite interesting cruising the net for information about FCAT so far. Not one link with potentially useful information has been other than a pdf file. Whyso?
..from the Florida Department of Education of course..
Latest FCAT scores show improvement
By MATTHEW WAITE and ALISA ULFERTS
Published May 10, 2004
"Florida's public school students fared better on this year's FCAT in most grades, with a majority of students scoring at or above grade level in reading for the first time.
Only 8th and 10th grade reading scores dipped on average when compared to last year, state education officials said Monday. In math, sixth graders were the only class to fare worse than last year's counterparts."
I don't give a damn if you read it or not. Numbingly useless. Most of the rest of this post is pretty-much the same.
* * * * * *
Yeah. And since the totally NEA-generated FCAT has a top score of 1,000 and one only needs a 10th grade "score" (pdf as usual) of 582, even a total moron should be able to make the grade. In 2002, Florida graduated 55% of it's high-schoolers. Read that link. Weep. I wonder how many of that 55 per cent were actually literate? A 58 would be a F back before the NEA started writing the rules. So now a 10th grade F is fittin' fer graduation from the Peepels Republick Scuule Sistim?
Go take the tenth grade FCAT math test . You will be instructed on how to use your calculator. 32 page, 1.8 MB pdf (what did you expect?). I just did, it's substantially different than the one posted in 2003, contains one glaring error, and is much more fun. The tenth grade writing test is only a 24 page, 1.2 MB pdf with the first 5 pages just instructions and TOC. Be sure to fill in the answer bubbles correctly. Do not make any stray marks around answer spaces.
* * * * * *
Back to anon. Whoever you are, did you actually read Terry's article? He was suprisingly succinct for a California academic. Also quite candid. It's worth another pass and this time I'll just post the entire column.
No Teacher Left Behind
Unions don't have children's best interests at heart.
BY TERRY M. MOE
Saturday, January 22, 2005 12:01 a.m.
(Editor's note: This article appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 13.)
The teachers unions have more influence over the public schools than any other group in American society. They influence schools from the bottom up, through collective bargaining activities that shape virtually every aspect of school organization. And they influence schools from the top down, through political activities that shape government policy. They are the 800-pound gorillas of public education. Yet the American public is largely unaware of how influential they are--and how much they impede efforts to improve public schools.
The problem is not that the unions are somehow bad or ill-intentioned. They aren't. The problem is that when they simply do what all organizations do--pursue their own interests--they are inevitably led to do things that are not in the best interests of children.
To appreciate why this is so, consider the parallel to business firms. No one claims that these organizations are in business to promote the public interest. They are in business to make money, and this is the fundamental interest that drives their behavior. Thus, economists and policy makers fully expect firms to pollute the water and air when polluting is less costly (and more profitable) than not polluting--and that is why we have laws against pollution. The problem is not that firms are out to destroy the environment. The problem is simply that their interests are not identical to the public interest, and the two inevitably come into conflict.
Teachers unions have to be understood in much the same way. Their behavior is driven by fundamental interests too, except that their interests have to do with the jobs, working conditions, and material well-being of teachers. When unions negotiate with school boards, these are the interests they pursue, not those of the children who are supposed to be getting educated.
The resulting contracts often run to more than 100 pages, and are filled with provisions for higher wages, fantastic health benefits and retirement packages, generous time off, total job security, teacher transfer and assignment rights, restrictions on how teachers can be evaluated, restrictions on nonclassroom duties, and countless other rules that shackle the discretion of administrators. These contracts make the schools costly to run, heavily bureaucratic, and extremely difficult for administrators to manage. They also ensure that even the most incompetent teachers are virtually impossible to remove from the classroom. The organization of schools, as a result, is not even remotely the kind of organization one would design if the best interests of children were the guiding criterion.
Exactly the same can be said about the design of government education policy, which is tilted toward teacher interests through the unions' exercise of political power. The sources of their power are not difficult to discern. With three million members, they control huge amounts of money that can be handed out in campaign contributions. More important, they have members in every political district in the country, and can field armies of activists who make phone calls, ring doorbells and do whatever else is necessary to elect friends and defeat enemies. No other interest group in the country can match their political arsenal. It is not surprising, then, that politicians at all levels of government are acutely sensitive to what the teachers unions want. This is especially true of Democrats, most of whom are their reliable allies.
When the teachers unions want government to act, the reforms they demand are invariably in their own interests: more spending, higher salaries, smaller classes, more professional development, and so on. There is no evidence that any of these is an important determinant of student learning. What the unions want above all else, however, is to block reforms that seriously threaten their interests--and these reforms, not coincidentally, are attempts to bring about fundamental changes in the system that would significantly improve student learning.
The unions are opposed to No Child Left Behind, for example, and indeed to all serious forms of school accountability, because they do not want teachers' jobs or pay to depend on their performance. They are opposed to school choice--charter schools and vouchers--because they don't want students or money to leave any of the schools where their members work. They are opposed to the systematic testing of veteran teachers for competence in their subjects, because they know that some portion would fail and lose their jobs. And so it goes. If the unions can't kill these threatening reforms outright, they work behind the scenes to make them as ineffective as possible--resulting in accountability systems with no teeth, choice systems with little choice, and tests that anyone can pass.
If we really want to improve schools, something has to be done about the teachers unions. The idea that an enlightened "reform unionism" will somehow emerge that voluntarily puts the interests of children first--an idea in vogue among union apologists--is nothing more than a pipe dream. The unions are what they are. They have fundamental, job-related interests that are very real, and are the raison d'être of their organizations. These interests drive their behavior, and this is not going to change. Ever.
If the teachers unions won't voluntarily give up their power, then it has to be taken away from them--through new laws that, among other things, drastically limit (or prohibit) collective bargaining in public education, link teachers' pay to their performance, make it easy to get rid of mediocre teachers, give administrators control over the assignment of teachers to schools and classrooms, and prohibit unions from spending a member's dues on political activities unless that member gives explicit prior consent.
These reforms won't come easily because the unions will use their existing power, which is tremendous, to defeat most attempts to take it away. There is, however, one ray of hope: that the American public will become informed about the unions' iron grip on the public schools and demand that something be done. Only when the public speaks out will politicians have the courage--and the electoral incentive--to do the right thing. And only then will the interests of children be given true priority.
Mr. Moe, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, a member of the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education, and a professor of political science at Stanford, is the winner of this year's Thomas B. Fordham Prize for distinguished scholarship in education.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110006192
anon: "Do ya think that if people would pay teachers their equivalent salary in the business world this problem would still exist? "
self: anon, I've enjoyed a large number of teachers over the last half-century. There were three I would consider absolutely brilliant, knew exactly HOW to teach and even the slowest in their classes benefited as much as the best. One in particular always comes to mind. He had a blue alphanumerical tattoo on his remaining arm. He got paid the same as the required phys-ed "coach" that always had us strip in the exercise room before he turned the lights out for 30 minutes of "contemplation". Yeah. Right. He got a major-league knuckle sandwich when he fondled MY balls. I did not pass his required course.
anon: "..equivalent salary in the business world"
self: You'll have to find me "equivalents" in the business world.
anon: " Name another professional field where you can expect to start at $30 with a Master's degree."
self: Define "professional" for me. I just scanned the offerings from UC Berkeley and there seems to be quite a lot of things with no real use other than amusement easily afforded by a low-priced internet connection. It's hard to think of a paying job for a Ph.D. in "Folklore" or what I consider a horror, "Political Science". The latter should be brought around back and shot as soon as possible.
There are really no equivalents in the "business world". The very best teachers are those that part-time FROM the business world. Been there on both sides. Wonderful both sides except it costs too much on one, pays too little on the other! ;o)
anon: "Truly, with a PhD at a Community College I can expect to start at $62,200. Wonder what I'd make in business with that kind of qualification."
self: PhD in what? Bean sprout cultivation? If it was a field I'm familiar with such as electronic engineering, the chances of teaching at a CC would probably be quite low as the call for such in a young, competent state is quite high and those that are actually competent often get offers over $40 K a year!. It's best to make plans with EE much prior to 34. 35 is corporate cutoff. I imagine that the gummit would pay that enormously ridiculous amount using the usual stolen monies to someone teaching the fine art of cooking turkin.
$62,500 plus the normal state benefits (usually around 40% of base salary) to "teach" CC gummit "students" is quite nice. Did you get a teacher's certificate with the PhD? Most gummit skuuls require such these daze.
anon: "I think if they make the salaries higher, competition for teaching positions will ensue and you'll be left with happy, well qualified candidates who you shouldn't need to evaluate."
self: Now why would you even think that could make a tiny difference? What competition? There is NO competition allowed by the NEA. More pay for the same old NEA crap? Sorry, it doesn't play, not without accountability. Good teachers; priceless. Third-gen trash teachers, can't even fire them. Hence, what we've got and what will remain except for the few parents that pay the government schools while sending their kids to private schools and the few percent that can and do the best by home schooling. Think about it. An average classroom in Florida costs around $200,000 per year per teacher. Pitifully few "graduate" and the ones that do, well, met any of those "college-ready" kids recently? Weep.
anon: "You wanna try to explain that higher property taxes are a good thing? :)"
self: Hopefully the smiley at the end means you have remembered I'm a hard-core libertarian. Property taxes are unconstitutional. Read it. There isn't even a possibility of any sort of a post, phone call, letter, radio messege, pony express, nothing, nada, nyet, zip, zilch, that would have me attempting "higher property taxes are a good thing". Thoughts of that nature remind me I like fava beans and a nice Chianti. Liver is optional.
U.S. students say press freedoms go too far
If I were a parent these days, I wouldn't even consider sending a kid to the abortion the government schools have become. That link from USA Today, if read completely, makes me wonder about the quality of the HR at USAT. Hell, even I, the total disconnect, could have done a better job of that story.
* * * * * *
I'm not sure who anon is but since today is/will be spent fiddling with minor items like financial survival (questionable), reviewing 2 of last Spring's projects (one needs some money, the other LOTS of money), and paying bills, I often take breaks. Lots of breaks. One does that a lot when one is broke. anon wrote:
Truly, with a PhD at a Community College I can expect to start at $62,200. Wonder what I'd make in business with that kind of qualification. Why do articles always insist that it's the teachers unions campaigning for their own selfish issues, like normal hours and a decent salary. Never mention that their salaries *should* be higher *as a given*, not as something that needs to be fought for!
I think if they make the salaries higher, competition for teaching positions will ensue and you'll be left with happy, well qualified candidates who you shouldn't need to evaluate.
You wanna try to explain that higher property taxes are a good thing? :)
# posted by Anonymous : 5:03 AM
Well, I didn't excerpt from the article, mostly because there are so many damning instances of the devolved public school system. One doesn't even need to have children in it anymore to be a bit disappointed with the results.
Those of you not in Florida are probably not familiar with the FCAT. It's something like the old CAT and SAT testing except it automatically assumes the children taking it are just slightly smarter than a possum. The possum child (at last observation) had to pass with a newly minted and seriously downgraded score of 58% on a test one would expect any talking unit with 12 YEARS of very expensive ($97,500 Florida dollars) to breeze through.
* * * * * *
5460 - REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION GRADES 9-12
Brevard County (Florida)
Administrative Procedures
"D. Passed both the reading and math sections of the 10th grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test."
Do you want to launch your lunch? I'm just starting.
Flexing for FCAT"Time to Train for the 10th Grade FCAT
"Did you know that you’ve been working out since kindergarten? Forget about your quads and pecs, we’re talking about your brain cells. Did you know that you’ve
been exercising your brain since you started school? All of that mental exercise is going to pay off, now that you are planning ahead and gearing up for the FCAT.
Pumping up for the FCAT
The FCAT is an important high school graduation requirement, and students who want to do well on the FCAT do it by flexing their mental muscles before they enter the test-taking arena.
The more study reps you do — study your course work, practice sample test questions — the more comfortable you will become with the test content and format. Your confidence level is sure to rise.
Keep reading for more training tips to get you pumped (pimped?) up for test day."
(shnipt)
Yeah. Wanna take the 10th grade FCAT? I did several years ago and despite not being very bright, I'd most assuredly have passed it somewhere between Mrs. Demotropolis's second grade and Mrs. Sanders' third grade classes.
Want to view some totally fictitious graphs? They are all right here, all in pdf of course (.edu wouldn't have it any other way). Sarasota County seems to have figures at odds with the above. I picked it because it is probably the most neutral as far as voting in Florida gets. Mostly rich, mostly old, mostly DINO and RINO. In other words, floor-sweepings. Retired yankees with boats in the slip and a grandkid or so floating around in the system.
It has been quite interesting cruising the net for information about FCAT so far. Not one link with potentially useful information has been other than a pdf file. Whyso?
..from the Florida Department of Education of course..
Latest FCAT scores show improvement
By MATTHEW WAITE and ALISA ULFERTS
Published May 10, 2004
"Florida's public school students fared better on this year's FCAT in most grades, with a majority of students scoring at or above grade level in reading for the first time.
Only 8th and 10th grade reading scores dipped on average when compared to last year, state education officials said Monday. In math, sixth graders were the only class to fare worse than last year's counterparts."
I don't give a damn if you read it or not. Numbingly useless. Most of the rest of this post is pretty-much the same.
* * * * * *
Yeah. And since the totally NEA-generated FCAT has a top score of 1,000 and one only needs a 10th grade "score" (pdf as usual) of 582, even a total moron should be able to make the grade. In 2002, Florida graduated 55% of it's high-schoolers. Read that link. Weep. I wonder how many of that 55 per cent were actually literate? A 58 would be a F back before the NEA started writing the rules. So now a 10th grade F is fittin' fer graduation from the Peepels Republick Scuule Sistim?
Go take the tenth grade FCAT math test . You will be instructed on how to use your calculator. 32 page, 1.8 MB pdf (what did you expect?). I just did, it's substantially different than the one posted in 2003, contains one glaring error, and is much more fun. The tenth grade writing test is only a 24 page, 1.2 MB pdf with the first 5 pages just instructions and TOC. Be sure to fill in the answer bubbles correctly. Do not make any stray marks around answer spaces.
* * * * * *
Back to anon. Whoever you are, did you actually read Terry's article? He was suprisingly succinct for a California academic. Also quite candid. It's worth another pass and this time I'll just post the entire column.
Unions don't have children's best interests at heart.
BY TERRY M. MOE
Saturday, January 22, 2005 12:01 a.m.
(Editor's note: This article appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 13.)
The teachers unions have more influence over the public schools than any other group in American society. They influence schools from the bottom up, through collective bargaining activities that shape virtually every aspect of school organization. And they influence schools from the top down, through political activities that shape government policy. They are the 800-pound gorillas of public education. Yet the American public is largely unaware of how influential they are--and how much they impede efforts to improve public schools.
The problem is not that the unions are somehow bad or ill-intentioned. They aren't. The problem is that when they simply do what all organizations do--pursue their own interests--they are inevitably led to do things that are not in the best interests of children.
To appreciate why this is so, consider the parallel to business firms. No one claims that these organizations are in business to promote the public interest. They are in business to make money, and this is the fundamental interest that drives their behavior. Thus, economists and policy makers fully expect firms to pollute the water and air when polluting is less costly (and more profitable) than not polluting--and that is why we have laws against pollution. The problem is not that firms are out to destroy the environment. The problem is simply that their interests are not identical to the public interest, and the two inevitably come into conflict.
Teachers unions have to be understood in much the same way. Their behavior is driven by fundamental interests too, except that their interests have to do with the jobs, working conditions, and material well-being of teachers. When unions negotiate with school boards, these are the interests they pursue, not those of the children who are supposed to be getting educated.
The resulting contracts often run to more than 100 pages, and are filled with provisions for higher wages, fantastic health benefits and retirement packages, generous time off, total job security, teacher transfer and assignment rights, restrictions on how teachers can be evaluated, restrictions on nonclassroom duties, and countless other rules that shackle the discretion of administrators. These contracts make the schools costly to run, heavily bureaucratic, and extremely difficult for administrators to manage. They also ensure that even the most incompetent teachers are virtually impossible to remove from the classroom. The organization of schools, as a result, is not even remotely the kind of organization one would design if the best interests of children were the guiding criterion.
Exactly the same can be said about the design of government education policy, which is tilted toward teacher interests through the unions' exercise of political power. The sources of their power are not difficult to discern. With three million members, they control huge amounts of money that can be handed out in campaign contributions. More important, they have members in every political district in the country, and can field armies of activists who make phone calls, ring doorbells and do whatever else is necessary to elect friends and defeat enemies. No other interest group in the country can match their political arsenal. It is not surprising, then, that politicians at all levels of government are acutely sensitive to what the teachers unions want. This is especially true of Democrats, most of whom are their reliable allies.
When the teachers unions want government to act, the reforms they demand are invariably in their own interests: more spending, higher salaries, smaller classes, more professional development, and so on. There is no evidence that any of these is an important determinant of student learning. What the unions want above all else, however, is to block reforms that seriously threaten their interests--and these reforms, not coincidentally, are attempts to bring about fundamental changes in the system that would significantly improve student learning.
The unions are opposed to No Child Left Behind, for example, and indeed to all serious forms of school accountability, because they do not want teachers' jobs or pay to depend on their performance. They are opposed to school choice--charter schools and vouchers--because they don't want students or money to leave any of the schools where their members work. They are opposed to the systematic testing of veteran teachers for competence in their subjects, because they know that some portion would fail and lose their jobs. And so it goes. If the unions can't kill these threatening reforms outright, they work behind the scenes to make them as ineffective as possible--resulting in accountability systems with no teeth, choice systems with little choice, and tests that anyone can pass.
If we really want to improve schools, something has to be done about the teachers unions. The idea that an enlightened "reform unionism" will somehow emerge that voluntarily puts the interests of children first--an idea in vogue among union apologists--is nothing more than a pipe dream. The unions are what they are. They have fundamental, job-related interests that are very real, and are the raison d'être of their organizations. These interests drive their behavior, and this is not going to change. Ever.
If the teachers unions won't voluntarily give up their power, then it has to be taken away from them--through new laws that, among other things, drastically limit (or prohibit) collective bargaining in public education, link teachers' pay to their performance, make it easy to get rid of mediocre teachers, give administrators control over the assignment of teachers to schools and classrooms, and prohibit unions from spending a member's dues on political activities unless that member gives explicit prior consent.
These reforms won't come easily because the unions will use their existing power, which is tremendous, to defeat most attempts to take it away. There is, however, one ray of hope: that the American public will become informed about the unions' iron grip on the public schools and demand that something be done. Only when the public speaks out will politicians have the courage--and the electoral incentive--to do the right thing. And only then will the interests of children be given true priority.
Mr. Moe, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, a member of the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education, and a professor of political science at Stanford, is the winner of this year's Thomas B. Fordham Prize for distinguished scholarship in education.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110006192
anon: "Do ya think that if people would pay teachers their equivalent salary in the business world this problem would still exist? "
self: anon, I've enjoyed a large number of teachers over the last half-century. There were three I would consider absolutely brilliant, knew exactly HOW to teach and even the slowest in their classes benefited as much as the best. One in particular always comes to mind. He had a blue alphanumerical tattoo on his remaining arm. He got paid the same as the required phys-ed "coach" that always had us strip in the exercise room before he turned the lights out for 30 minutes of "contemplation". Yeah. Right. He got a major-league knuckle sandwich when he fondled MY balls. I did not pass his required course.
anon: "..equivalent salary in the business world"
self: You'll have to find me "equivalents" in the business world.
anon: " Name another professional field where you can expect to start at $30 with a Master's degree."
self: Define "professional" for me. I just scanned the offerings from UC Berkeley and there seems to be quite a lot of things with no real use other than amusement easily afforded by a low-priced internet connection. It's hard to think of a paying job for a Ph.D. in "Folklore" or what I consider a horror, "Political Science". The latter should be brought around back and shot as soon as possible.
There are really no equivalents in the "business world". The very best teachers are those that part-time FROM the business world. Been there on both sides. Wonderful both sides except it costs too much on one, pays too little on the other! ;o)
anon: "Truly, with a PhD at a Community College I can expect to start at $62,200. Wonder what I'd make in business with that kind of qualification."
self: PhD in what? Bean sprout cultivation? If it was a field I'm familiar with such as electronic engineering, the chances of teaching at a CC would probably be quite low as the call for such in a young, competent state is quite high and those that are actually competent often get offers over $40 K a year!. It's best to make plans with EE much prior to 34. 35 is corporate cutoff. I imagine that the gummit would pay that enormously ridiculous amount using the usual stolen monies to someone teaching the fine art of cooking turkin.
$62,500 plus the normal state benefits (usually around 40% of base salary) to "teach" CC gummit "students" is quite nice. Did you get a teacher's certificate with the PhD? Most gummit skuuls require such these daze.
anon: "I think if they make the salaries higher, competition for teaching positions will ensue and you'll be left with happy, well qualified candidates who you shouldn't need to evaluate."
self: Now why would you even think that could make a tiny difference? What competition? There is NO competition allowed by the NEA. More pay for the same old NEA crap? Sorry, it doesn't play, not without accountability. Good teachers; priceless. Third-gen trash teachers, can't even fire them. Hence, what we've got and what will remain except for the few parents that pay the government schools while sending their kids to private schools and the few percent that can and do the best by home schooling. Think about it. An average classroom in Florida costs around $200,000 per year per teacher. Pitifully few "graduate" and the ones that do, well, met any of those "college-ready" kids recently? Weep.
anon: "You wanna try to explain that higher property taxes are a good thing? :)"
self: Hopefully the smiley at the end means you have remembered I'm a hard-core libertarian. Property taxes are unconstitutional. Read it. There isn't even a possibility of any sort of a post, phone call, letter, radio messege, pony express, nothing, nada, nyet, zip, zilch, that would have me attempting "higher property taxes are a good thing". Thoughts of that nature remind me I like fava beans and a nice Chianti. Liver is optional.
monday nooner
Something has bothered the hell out of me all morning. Woke up at my usual 4:30 AM time and turned on the tube to see what the MSM had to say in follow-up to yesterday's history-making election. Surfed between the big three for two hours without hearing word one about it. What the hell? Did I miss something when changing channels? When J-Lo and that Affleck critter split the pre-nup sheets, it was impossible to find much of anything else on the tube. The largest coverage noticed this AM was on the upcoming Superbowl (who's playing? Ask me if I give a damn).
What in the Hell is going on?
Thank Algore for the internet otherwise it seems possible today would just be another information-free day. What little the MSM presence has had to say on the net this morning appears akin to visiting a leukemia patient in the hospital and saying "good news, your platelet count is up but you're going to die anyway". Why not a little cheerleading? The folk in Iraq certainly gave a huge mandate to their desire for self determination yesterday. Lead with hope, not with 'buts' and 'despites'. It is possible that this will fail, why make something so hopeful appear doomed?
* * * * * *
Gotta just chuckle! Poor Teddy. He and his bud, the late and missing brain parts Kerry, tend to cause me to consider that the Socialist Peoples Republic of Massachusetts really ought to be separated from the United States. I've just finished reading what both had to say yesterday. Kerry's interview transcript with Tim Russert on yesterday's "Meet the Press" is here if you have the inclination to read it. Since it is fully overcast at this time (12:03 PM) and 37 degrees outside, plus being Monday (used to only work Tuesday thru Sunday, Monday's were outlawed), I read all 19 12-point pages of it. Glad I didn't bother to watch the thing yesterday. One point though, I really hope he runs for prez again in 2008. He just thought 2004 was bad. Lunchmeat.
Ted the Swimmer? He's so far over the edge even the DU has a problem with him. Could it be he has run out of the good Cutty his Nazi-symp daddy used to 'import' during Prohibition and he's been on antifreeze and radiator 'shine? Sheesh.
I don't know if you want to read this off of Teddy's senate site. 14 pages from the 27th. I did and wondered which moonbat wrote it for him. He has a one page yarf post-election. It's your choice but if you've time to read that, I would recommend reading what Mr. Likeks has in this morning's Bleat.
* * * * * *
For good news, go revisit yesterday's links. Me, I'm just happy with purple fingers!
What in the Hell is going on?
Thank Algore for the internet otherwise it seems possible today would just be another information-free day. What little the MSM presence has had to say on the net this morning appears akin to visiting a leukemia patient in the hospital and saying "good news, your platelet count is up but you're going to die anyway". Why not a little cheerleading? The folk in Iraq certainly gave a huge mandate to their desire for self determination yesterday. Lead with hope, not with 'buts' and 'despites'. It is possible that this will fail, why make something so hopeful appear doomed?
* * * * * *
Gotta just chuckle! Poor Teddy. He and his bud, the late and missing brain parts Kerry, tend to cause me to consider that the Socialist Peoples Republic of Massachusetts really ought to be separated from the United States. I've just finished reading what both had to say yesterday. Kerry's interview transcript with Tim Russert on yesterday's "Meet the Press" is here if you have the inclination to read it. Since it is fully overcast at this time (12:03 PM) and 37 degrees outside, plus being Monday (used to only work Tuesday thru Sunday, Monday's were outlawed), I read all 19 12-point pages of it. Glad I didn't bother to watch the thing yesterday. One point though, I really hope he runs for prez again in 2008. He just thought 2004 was bad. Lunchmeat.
Ted the Swimmer? He's so far over the edge even the DU has a problem with him. Could it be he has run out of the good Cutty his Nazi-symp daddy used to 'import' during Prohibition and he's been on antifreeze and radiator 'shine? Sheesh.
I don't know if you want to read this off of Teddy's senate site. 14 pages from the 27th. I did and wondered which moonbat wrote it for him. He has a one page yarf post-election. It's your choice but if you've time to read that, I would recommend reading what Mr. Likeks has in this morning's Bleat.
* * * * * *
For good news, go revisit yesterday's links. Me, I'm just happy with purple fingers!
monday smile
Serious to be saved for sit-down after sorry start.
Webb: "This is the City. Los Angeles, California. Some people rob for pleasure. Some rob because it's there. You never know. My name's Friday, I'm a cop. I was working the day watch out of Robbery when I got a call from the Acme School Bell Company. There'd been a robbery."
Carson: "There's been a robbery."
Webb: "Yes sir, what was it?"
Carson: "My clappers!"
Webb: "Your clappers?"
Carson: "Yeah, you know, those things inside a bell that makes them clang?"
Webb: "The clangers?"
Carson: "That's right, we call them clappers in the business."
Webb: "A clapper caper."
Carson: "What's that?"
Webb: "Nothing sir. Now, can I have the facts? What kind of clappers were stolen on this caper?"
Carson: "They were copper clappers."
Webb: "And where were they kept?"
Carson: "In the closet."
Webb: "Uh huh. You have any ideas who might have taken the copper clappers from the closet?"
Carson: "Well, just one. I fired a man. He swore he'd get even."
Webb: "What was his name?"
Carson: "Claude Cooper"
Webb: "You think he'd..."
Carson: "That's right. I think Claude Cooper copped my copper clappers. Kept in the closet."
Webb: "You know where this Claude Cooper is from?"
Carson: "Yuh. Cleveland"
Webb: "That figures. That figures."
Carson: "What makes it worse, they were clean."
Webb: "Clean copper clappers."
Carson: "That's right."
Webb: "Why do you think Cleveland's Claude Cooper would cop your clean copper clappers kept in your closet?"
Carson: "Only one reason."
Webb: "What's that?"
Carson: "He's a kleptomaniac."
Webb: "Who first discovered the copper clappers were copped?"
Carson: "My cleaning woman, Clara Clifford."
Webb: "That figures. Now let me see if I got the facts straight here. Cleaning woman Clara Clifford discovered your clean copper clappers kept in a closet were copped by Claude Cooper the kleptomaniac from Cleveland. Now, is that about it?"
Carson: "One other thing."
Webb: "What's that?"
Carson: "If I ever catch kleptomaniac Claude Cooper from Cleveland who copped my clean copper clappers kept in the closet..."
Webb: "Yes?"
Carson: "I'll clobber him!"
Carson and Webb "copper clappers" (453 KB wma)
Webb: "This is the City. Los Angeles, California. Some people rob for pleasure. Some rob because it's there. You never know. My name's Friday, I'm a cop. I was working the day watch out of Robbery when I got a call from the Acme School Bell Company. There'd been a robbery."
Carson: "There's been a robbery."
Webb: "Yes sir, what was it?"
Carson: "My clappers!"
Webb: "Your clappers?"
Carson: "Yeah, you know, those things inside a bell that makes them clang?"
Webb: "The clangers?"
Carson: "That's right, we call them clappers in the business."
Webb: "A clapper caper."
Carson: "What's that?"
Webb: "Nothing sir. Now, can I have the facts? What kind of clappers were stolen on this caper?"
Carson: "They were copper clappers."
Webb: "And where were they kept?"
Carson: "In the closet."
Webb: "Uh huh. You have any ideas who might have taken the copper clappers from the closet?"
Carson: "Well, just one. I fired a man. He swore he'd get even."
Webb: "What was his name?"
Carson: "Claude Cooper"
Webb: "You think he'd..."
Carson: "That's right. I think Claude Cooper copped my copper clappers. Kept in the closet."
Webb: "You know where this Claude Cooper is from?"
Carson: "Yuh. Cleveland"
Webb: "That figures. That figures."
Carson: "What makes it worse, they were clean."
Webb: "Clean copper clappers."
Carson: "That's right."
Webb: "Why do you think Cleveland's Claude Cooper would cop your clean copper clappers kept in your closet?"
Carson: "Only one reason."
Webb: "What's that?"
Carson: "He's a kleptomaniac."
Webb: "Who first discovered the copper clappers were copped?"
Carson: "My cleaning woman, Clara Clifford."
Webb: "That figures. Now let me see if I got the facts straight here. Cleaning woman Clara Clifford discovered your clean copper clappers kept in a closet were copped by Claude Cooper the kleptomaniac from Cleveland. Now, is that about it?"
Carson: "One other thing."
Webb: "What's that?"
Carson: "If I ever catch kleptomaniac Claude Cooper from Cleveland who copped my clean copper clappers kept in the closet..."
Webb: "Yes?"
Carson: "I'll clobber him!"
Carson and Webb "copper clappers" (453 KB wma)
Sunday, January 30, 2005
8 million purple fingers
PICTURES YOU WILL NEVER SEE IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA (~900 KB)
What a wonderful day for the Iraqis and such a dismal one for our moonbats! Poor Teddy, Kerry, Boxer, Feinstein, etc. 72% turnout?!! All the good stuff is over on Power Line, Redstate, Silflay Hraka (neat graphic there), Belmont Club, Mudville Gazette, just all over the place! Wonkette is being very quiet and poor Kos, well, someone ought to go over and re-diaper him.
..and what a miserable morning for Dan Rather! I made an exception this morning and watched cBS's "Sunday Morning" knowing he was in Iraq and wanted to see how he was going to handle the bad (for him) news. Poor guy, he tried sooo hard to get those "buts" in there. Then I had to listen to PBS's McLaughlin Group especially to hear what that Clift creature had to say. Pitiful. I've finally figured out what she sounds like. A duck in extremus. Hurts my ears. Sounds like a critter that needs to be put out of it's misery.
* * * * * *
You've probably heard Barbara Boxer is publishing a novel. Well, here's an 'excerpt'! (kinda ;o) If you enjoyed that, well, there's more.
No! I can't believe it! Surely he was forced, possibly made to put panties on his head? ..oh, the humanity..
Kofi Annan’s son admits oil dealing
* * * * * *
Friday, January 28, 2005
bothersome, want my shoulder back
Have you read this yet?
Border security alert
Ask me if I give a one bean fart.
U.S. Travel Alert Irritates Mexico
The 1990 US Census indicated 417 folk of Hispanic origin (of any race) in this county. The 2000 indicated Hispanic or Latino (of any race) as 1,703. I was selected to get the full census profiling in person and it was rather delightful. Back then old Dina(saur) and Cookie were the main greeters, lovely gals, people pooches. A rather attractive smallish lady was intercepted wandering down the lane into the swamp and directed toward my abode, announced herself (she liked good-mannered dawgs), and I invited her in. Tea service and required information done, she answered many of my questions of what she had encountered on her travels. Why she elected to brave on foot the trip down the lane into the swamp 'guarded' by free-ranging sheps wasn't asked. I also never saw her back where she probably had a .357 parked!
Part of our conversation was the census folk not having much success at counting the Mexicans. They had a huge compound in the middle of the county that was impossible to get into, the best they could do without some sort of armed invasion was from traffic in and out plus aerial photography. Their estimate back then was 3,500 Mexicans with only 2 known families in the compound that had filled out census forms.
That was 5 years ago. Amazing influx since. Not too sure what language to learn but my high school Castilian Spanish (mostly unused and dim) isn't even close. Mayan?
It is a rather miserable experience to walk the streets of Live Oak. The youth gangs of Mexicans seem to travel in tight packs of no less than five, run all folk off the sidewalks, they just make that old town rather miserable. One can go over to the welfare office and enjoy the fact that these days it is 3/4's full of Hispanic girls, usually with a few minis running around, one at the teat, and one in the belly, now far exceeding the black girls. The state has expanded the CFDC enormously. The total staff for this small county was 21 6 years ago, all black female. 2 years ago I was informed it was up to 27 plus a ranging crew of 15-17 (not sure) and they had hired a token white man who was promptly canned. I'm going to have to acquire some sort of press liberal credentials and use my 'Southern charm' (read: bs when req'd) to interview a few of the folk inside that welfare office. No stats, I've just counted heads in the past.
Press Pass. I've had a few in the past. All pre-Watergate. One from PBS that was rather marvelous back in San Francisco, 3 from the Washington Post, a passle after until the nasty crap desired from Caltech. Back then a press pass got one into just about anything. Much fun for a 20-something but when the 20-something has a degree of ethics, not amusing anymore. I write and report what I see and experience. Of all the failures of the human race, the one I hold in the very worst contempt is lying. Opinions, the finestkind! ...all sorts, even happier if one fixes a problem in my thoughts. Probably the most poignant moment(s) for me has been when someone(s) has delivered to me a bit of information (fit to number) that caused me to eruct "oh".
I'd like legit press credentials for a bit of investigation involving interviews. Small story, small town, large impact as it is the same all over Florida and probably endemic over the entire country.
Border security alert
Ask me if I give a one bean fart.
U.S. Travel Alert Irritates Mexico
The 1990 US Census indicated 417 folk of Hispanic origin (of any race) in this county. The 2000 indicated Hispanic or Latino (of any race) as 1,703. I was selected to get the full census profiling in person and it was rather delightful. Back then old Dina(saur) and Cookie were the main greeters, lovely gals, people pooches. A rather attractive smallish lady was intercepted wandering down the lane into the swamp and directed toward my abode, announced herself (she liked good-mannered dawgs), and I invited her in. Tea service and required information done, she answered many of my questions of what she had encountered on her travels. Why she elected to brave on foot the trip down the lane into the swamp 'guarded' by free-ranging sheps wasn't asked. I also never saw her back where she probably had a .357 parked!
Part of our conversation was the census folk not having much success at counting the Mexicans. They had a huge compound in the middle of the county that was impossible to get into, the best they could do without some sort of armed invasion was from traffic in and out plus aerial photography. Their estimate back then was 3,500 Mexicans with only 2 known families in the compound that had filled out census forms.
That was 5 years ago. Amazing influx since. Not too sure what language to learn but my high school Castilian Spanish (mostly unused and dim) isn't even close. Mayan?
It is a rather miserable experience to walk the streets of Live Oak. The youth gangs of Mexicans seem to travel in tight packs of no less than five, run all folk off the sidewalks, they just make that old town rather miserable. One can go over to the welfare office and enjoy the fact that these days it is 3/4's full of Hispanic girls, usually with a few minis running around, one at the teat, and one in the belly, now far exceeding the black girls. The state has expanded the CFDC enormously. The total staff for this small county was 21 6 years ago, all black female. 2 years ago I was informed it was up to 27 plus a ranging crew of 15-17 (not sure) and they had hired a token white man who was promptly canned. I'm going to have to acquire some sort of press liberal credentials and use my 'Southern charm' (read: bs when req'd) to interview a few of the folk inside that welfare office. No stats, I've just counted heads in the past.
Press Pass. I've had a few in the past. All pre-Watergate. One from PBS that was rather marvelous back in San Francisco, 3 from the Washington Post, a passle after until the nasty crap desired from Caltech. Back then a press pass got one into just about anything. Much fun for a 20-something but when the 20-something has a degree of ethics, not amusing anymore. I write and report what I see and experience. Of all the failures of the human race, the one I hold in the very worst contempt is lying. Opinions, the finestkind! ...all sorts, even happier if one fixes a problem in my thoughts. Probably the most poignant moment(s) for me has been when someone(s) has delivered to me a bit of information (fit to number) that caused me to eruct "oh".
I'd like legit press credentials for a bit of investigation involving interviews. Small story, small town, large impact as it is the same all over Florida and probably endemic over the entire country.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
If one sets mouse traps, one should check them daily even if they have been empty for weeks at a time (no, that peculiar smell wasn't my socks).
Just another beautiful day down in the boondocks. This morning not long after sunrise, little Rima the Sheet-eating Dawg, was napping next to the greenhouse fence. The first of the male mockingbirds this season made an aggressive appearence, ran off the little Carolina Wren that has had this spot staked out since before Christmas, landed on the fence directly over Rima's head and shat on her. Statement made!
It's still early but the Sandhill Cranes are deciding to move North, could mean an early thaw. This year I've got to rig up some way to audio record the huge massing of owls down in the East creek valley when they have their annual mating sing-fest. If I succeed, I'll post it. 10,000 lunatics. That's the best description, has to be heard to be believed.
Ever use one of those vertical rotisseries advertised all the time on teevee? I inherited one a few months ago and decided to try it out night before last with a whole fryer. Dried-out jerky on the outside, rather raw in the middle. I de-boned the poor bird and made a good meal for the critters with the jerky and a pot of stock with most of the rest. Tonight I'm simmering up fresh carrots, onion, garlic, celery, peppers, mushrooms, tarragon, and pepper in the fat, adding the cut-up chicken and thickening to fill a couple of pie crusts. Lately it's been difficult to get in to cooking but a couple of nights with zeroed ambition and canned tuna & crackers for supper ain't making it. The pie will last me until Saturday and since it's supposed to be drizzly all day, it's probably time for mass meal making. Big batches of curry & sweet and sour sauces, fire up the old Wedgewood and bake a batch of various pot pies, maybe a pork pot roast simmered in hard cider (excellent), and a kettle of catfish gumbo. Freeze in single servings after LABELING and DATING! A few weeks ago I was exploring the geology of the chest freezer trying to determine what was in the various layers of frost-bitten mysteries and if a labeled bag was found in a particular strata, it was a fair chance the adjacent layers were of a similar epoch. There were quite a few mystery meals circa AD 1996. The dawgs ate well..
* * * * * *
If you haven't read '60 Minutes' Document Expert Slams CBS Report, it's hardly worth the time. I found it far more interesting that Marcel Matley's last big job was authenticating the Vince Foster suicide note for the Clinton administration. If you want to play around with that, here's a pre-typed Google search you can start with. Poor Vince, he shoulda kept better company.
* * * * * *
Put your coffee down. Click link. Enjoy!
Hillary Clinton gets religion and an AK47
* * * * * *
Jonah Goldberg always has something interesting to say and this missive fits in well with the Frontline program I linked in the last post.
Don't take the president's word for it - take Zarqawi's
* * * * * *
Kiddie prOn? Actually I think she has it on backwards.
Prom princess or porn queen?
Just another beautiful day down in the boondocks. This morning not long after sunrise, little Rima the Sheet-eating Dawg, was napping next to the greenhouse fence. The first of the male mockingbirds this season made an aggressive appearence, ran off the little Carolina Wren that has had this spot staked out since before Christmas, landed on the fence directly over Rima's head and shat on her. Statement made!
It's still early but the Sandhill Cranes are deciding to move North, could mean an early thaw. This year I've got to rig up some way to audio record the huge massing of owls down in the East creek valley when they have their annual mating sing-fest. If I succeed, I'll post it. 10,000 lunatics. That's the best description, has to be heard to be believed.
Ever use one of those vertical rotisseries advertised all the time on teevee? I inherited one a few months ago and decided to try it out night before last with a whole fryer. Dried-out jerky on the outside, rather raw in the middle. I de-boned the poor bird and made a good meal for the critters with the jerky and a pot of stock with most of the rest. Tonight I'm simmering up fresh carrots, onion, garlic, celery, peppers, mushrooms, tarragon, and pepper in the fat, adding the cut-up chicken and thickening to fill a couple of pie crusts. Lately it's been difficult to get in to cooking but a couple of nights with zeroed ambition and canned tuna & crackers for supper ain't making it. The pie will last me until Saturday and since it's supposed to be drizzly all day, it's probably time for mass meal making. Big batches of curry & sweet and sour sauces, fire up the old Wedgewood and bake a batch of various pot pies, maybe a pork pot roast simmered in hard cider (excellent), and a kettle of catfish gumbo. Freeze in single servings after LABELING and DATING! A few weeks ago I was exploring the geology of the chest freezer trying to determine what was in the various layers of frost-bitten mysteries and if a labeled bag was found in a particular strata, it was a fair chance the adjacent layers were of a similar epoch. There were quite a few mystery meals circa AD 1996. The dawgs ate well..
* * * * * *
If you haven't read '60 Minutes' Document Expert Slams CBS Report, it's hardly worth the time. I found it far more interesting that Marcel Matley's last big job was authenticating the Vince Foster suicide note for the Clinton administration. If you want to play around with that, here's a pre-typed Google search you can start with. Poor Vince, he shoulda kept better company.
* * * * * *
Put your coffee down. Click link. Enjoy!
Hillary Clinton gets religion and an AK47
* * * * * *
Jonah Goldberg always has something interesting to say and this missive fits in well with the Frontline program I linked in the last post.
Don't take the president's word for it - take Zarqawi's
* * * * * *
Kiddie prOn? Actually I think she has it on backwards.
Prom princess or porn queen?
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
I see good old Neal Boortz was on his anti-smoking crusade again yesterday.
FIRE SOMEONE FOR SMOKING?
Sounds like a real can of worms. Since blacks commit murder 7 times more often than whites and are 6 times more likely to be murdered, should it be lawful to discriminate against them? Male homosexuals are extremely promiscuous as a group and participate in the riskiest practices. Put them on the list? How about promiscuity in general? Fire everyone with fever blisters? Speeding tickets? Women during their child-bearing years? Folk in the National Guard or Reserves? Skydivers, motorcycle riders, maybe even old swamp-hikers? All are voluntary practices, well, except for the getting killed part! The stats are shaky on obesity being as great or greater cause of death than smoking but to be fair, it does belong on the list.
* * * * * *
This is an awesome article. Read it. Weep.
No Teacher Left Behind
Unions don't have children's best interests at heart.
BY TERRY M. MOE
Saturday, January 22, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST
* * * * * *
Last night I watched "Frontline : Al Qaeda's New Front" on PBS. The hour was not time for more than a reasonably decent introduction but they have a lot more information available at Al Qaeda's New Front. Haven't had the time to more than scan the site but it looks promising (and disheartening). Basically what I got out of it was damned if we do and damned if we don't. Appeasement or hammer the bastards, won't matter, they are in it for a new caliphate and nothing less than submission to allah and sharia will do. Since the 3 main forms of islam, sunni, shi'a, and sufi, don't get along very well (he says mildly), and the wahhabists seem to wanna chop off all infidel heads, the future bodes poorly for a new caliphate. It was bad enough back in the bad old days when they just ran around on camels and horses poking holes in everybody with spears, swords, and arrows, nut-cases with nukes or bioweapons promises to make it mighty miserable to be a conservative Christian.
* * * * * *
Speaking of Frontline, here's a pre-9/11 video clip worth watching again.
"The Survival of Saddam"
FIRE SOMEONE FOR SMOKING?
"This morning on CNN, Jack Cafferty was a bit exercised over reports that more and more companies are not only refusing to hire smokers, they're firing them. They're getting fired not for smoking on the job .. but for just being smokers. Bad? No ... Good!(snip)
In Michigan, Weyco, Inc. has a new policy. They won't hire smokers. They're also requiring all current employees undergo testing to see if they are currently smokers. Presumably this will be a step toward firing all smokers. Employment lawyers say this reeks of discrimination. Well, duh! Of course it's discrimination! It's discrimination against people with unhealthy lifestyles who are going to send your health insurance costs even higher. It's discrimination against people who have been shown to have poor work habits and higher absences from the job. Oh .. and it's discrimination against the stupid and ignorant ... and people who stink. Now don't you think that these are all perfectly good reasons to discriminate?"
"So there. If you're a smoker, don't direct your anger at me. I'm not your problem. YOU are your problem. You need to figure out why you hate yourself and why you're so bent on self-destruction. I don't know the answer to that question. You do. Start figuring it out.(snip)
Next ... lard asses."
Sounds like a real can of worms. Since blacks commit murder 7 times more often than whites and are 6 times more likely to be murdered, should it be lawful to discriminate against them? Male homosexuals are extremely promiscuous as a group and participate in the riskiest practices. Put them on the list? How about promiscuity in general? Fire everyone with fever blisters? Speeding tickets? Women during their child-bearing years? Folk in the National Guard or Reserves? Skydivers, motorcycle riders, maybe even old swamp-hikers? All are voluntary practices, well, except for the getting killed part! The stats are shaky on obesity being as great or greater cause of death than smoking but to be fair, it does belong on the list.
* * * * * *
This is an awesome article. Read it. Weep.
No Teacher Left Behind
Unions don't have children's best interests at heart.
BY TERRY M. MOE
Saturday, January 22, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST
* * * * * *
Last night I watched "Frontline : Al Qaeda's New Front" on PBS. The hour was not time for more than a reasonably decent introduction but they have a lot more information available at Al Qaeda's New Front. Haven't had the time to more than scan the site but it looks promising (and disheartening). Basically what I got out of it was damned if we do and damned if we don't. Appeasement or hammer the bastards, won't matter, they are in it for a new caliphate and nothing less than submission to allah and sharia will do. Since the 3 main forms of islam, sunni, shi'a, and sufi, don't get along very well (he says mildly), and the wahhabists seem to wanna chop off all infidel heads, the future bodes poorly for a new caliphate. It was bad enough back in the bad old days when they just ran around on camels and horses poking holes in everybody with spears, swords, and arrows, nut-cases with nukes or bioweapons promises to make it mighty miserable to be a conservative Christian.
* * * * * *
Speaking of Frontline, here's a pre-9/11 video clip worth watching again.
"The Survival of Saddam"
Saturday, January 22, 2005
shopping day
Didn't make it into town last Sunday as planned, every day has to go with the morning. Didn't really think Sunday would be possible but there was always hope. Miserable old mangled shoulder was down to less than 30% usefulness and lifting anything was out of the question. Legacy from 'undocumented workers' full of cocaine 19 years ago. Scoff-laws are just the most wonderful people. 'nuff.
Another awesomely foggy morning down here in the holler and it didn't lift until after 10. There's lots of interesting similes that come to mind, won't use them but when I went out just at daybreak, it swirled. Neat. The "Hound of the Baskervilles" feels about right! Dead calm, 57 degrees, totally quiet except for the trees dripping condensation. Saturday is supposed to be reserved for scraping out the weekly mung, not today. The arctic blast that some of you have been enjoying is due to do a bit of doo down here tomorrow and I'm a wuss. Don't like the cold too much anymore. Things cease to work, hurt, or fall off. I can scrape mung off tomorrow when the high is predicted with a wind chill of 25. Since there is now enough seasoned firewood all split and stacked inside the house for 3 days below 20, the mung is in danger. Not really. I'm not that motivated. Girl wimmin-type people motivate me to cleanliness and it has been a loooong time since such was down here in the swamp. I stay out of the studio apartment except to add goodies due to it being so tempting to actually use it, but then it would begin to look like my actual living quarters.
* * * * * *
...writing too fast, not decently coherent. Parked the other stuff. Today was unusual and, for me, quite nice. Old friends from years ago re-met, ever-so-busy commerce seen, lovely ladies looked at, and a most enjoyable encounter. Ageless. Wonderful. Worthy of a real writer. I've only known her for the last 28 years when she was probably only around 60 or so. She would be perfect for a video shoot. I love that gal! Give me grief? Always! Love me? Yup. Little white boys are just as good.
My link and comment collection gets edited by time and interest. The collection is rather vast. What do you do between 4:30 AM and dawn?
There's a few that will survive 'popular' interest and I'm probably going continue with not posting quickie stuff. Airhead pols will always be a target, airhead media, only if Dan admits to being the second gunman on the grassy knoll. ...or a bit of true stupid like the "Face the Nation" show last Sunday with Rudolph the Red-nosed Kennedy making a total ass out of himself. I saw that listed on the guide, had to watch him. Don't know how long it has been since I've seen someone make such a fool of himself. Sad, actually. 70-some-odd years of living on his daddy's money, the 'reputation' of his bros, and having access to dad's well-aged cellar. Massachusetts still wants a king and royalty. Too bad they selected Irish bandits, womanizers, scofflaws, and drunkards. Rich by scofflaw, noble by being rich. Lovely people.
* * * * * *
Another awesomely foggy morning down here in the holler and it didn't lift until after 10. There's lots of interesting similes that come to mind, won't use them but when I went out just at daybreak, it swirled. Neat. The "Hound of the Baskervilles" feels about right! Dead calm, 57 degrees, totally quiet except for the trees dripping condensation. Saturday is supposed to be reserved for scraping out the weekly mung, not today. The arctic blast that some of you have been enjoying is due to do a bit of doo down here tomorrow and I'm a wuss. Don't like the cold too much anymore. Things cease to work, hurt, or fall off. I can scrape mung off tomorrow when the high is predicted with a wind chill of 25. Since there is now enough seasoned firewood all split and stacked inside the house for 3 days below 20, the mung is in danger. Not really. I'm not that motivated. Girl wimmin-type people motivate me to cleanliness and it has been a loooong time since such was down here in the swamp. I stay out of the studio apartment except to add goodies due to it being so tempting to actually use it, but then it would begin to look like my actual living quarters.
* * * * * *
...writing too fast, not decently coherent. Parked the other stuff. Today was unusual and, for me, quite nice. Old friends from years ago re-met, ever-so-busy commerce seen, lovely ladies looked at, and a most enjoyable encounter. Ageless. Wonderful. Worthy of a real writer. I've only known her for the last 28 years when she was probably only around 60 or so. She would be perfect for a video shoot. I love that gal! Give me grief? Always! Love me? Yup. Little white boys are just as good.
My link and comment collection gets edited by time and interest. The collection is rather vast. What do you do between 4:30 AM and dawn?
There's a few that will survive 'popular' interest and I'm probably going continue with not posting quickie stuff. Airhead pols will always be a target, airhead media, only if Dan admits to being the second gunman on the grassy knoll. ...or a bit of true stupid like the "Face the Nation" show last Sunday with Rudolph the Red-nosed Kennedy making a total ass out of himself. I saw that listed on the guide, had to watch him. Don't know how long it has been since I've seen someone make such a fool of himself. Sad, actually. 70-some-odd years of living on his daddy's money, the 'reputation' of his bros, and having access to dad's well-aged cellar. Massachusetts still wants a king and royalty. Too bad they selected Irish bandits, womanizers, scofflaws, and drunkards. Rich by scofflaw, noble by being rich. Lovely people.
* * * * * *
Friday, January 21, 2005
..con't.. Wednesday morning had another thing to annoy me besides her. It seems when lapsing into the normal coma, my specs were still on. Found them in the middle of the bed with one arm at 90 degrees from any direction that would be normal. They are 26 years old, been bent one time too many, and when carefully bent back into position, became geek taped specs. *sigh* I'm a bit overdue for an eye exam anyway. After Nina, my former spouse, had her cataract surgery a few years ago, she gave me her nearly-new titanium alloy frames. They were hideously expensive and are supposed to be nearly unbreakable. I'm tempted even if they do have burgundy and mauve tortoise-shell trim. ..ought to go well with the huge, grey beard!
When I went looking for the frames, I came across a stash of foreign currency, some that came back with me, some from who-knows-where and I scanned in a bunch of it. The collection includes NZ dollars, Jamaican dollars, Japanese yen, pre-war Hungarian pengos, 'nam military script, and Vietnamese dongs. There should be a lot more including coins and currency from Australia, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela but it's possible that went bye-bye a few years ago.
Since most of the paper money is so detailed, the images require most of 250K to be decently viewed. I've shrunk a few of them (running outa free storage) and especially like the 100 Pengo from 1930. Such a grim bill.
The back isn't any better.
Compare with the back of the NZ $2.
The 10 Pengo note is a bit better. I'll find space for it and a few others eventually.
Might as well post the Vietnamese 50 Dong note! It's worth just under 1/3rd of a US cent. Brings a new meaning to the phrase, "not worth the paper it's printed on".
* * * * * *
And how about a cute VW commercial?
Polo. Small but strong.
When I went looking for the frames, I came across a stash of foreign currency, some that came back with me, some from who-knows-where and I scanned in a bunch of it. The collection includes NZ dollars, Jamaican dollars, Japanese yen, pre-war Hungarian pengos, 'nam military script, and Vietnamese dongs. There should be a lot more including coins and currency from Australia, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela but it's possible that went bye-bye a few years ago.
Since most of the paper money is so detailed, the images require most of 250K to be decently viewed. I've shrunk a few of them (running outa free storage) and especially like the 100 Pengo from 1930. Such a grim bill.
The back isn't any better.
Compare with the back of the NZ $2.
The 10 Pengo note is a bit better. I'll find space for it and a few others eventually.
Might as well post the Vietnamese 50 Dong note! It's worth just under 1/3rd of a US cent. Brings a new meaning to the phrase, "not worth the paper it's printed on".
* * * * * *
And how about a cute VW commercial?
Polo. Small but strong.
Interesting morning. Old Rustbucket is parked less than 25 feet from my sittin' spot and it never looked so good. Probably has to do with the thickest fog I've seen in a while. I'd take a photo but the windows are too dirty to make it worthwhile from here and since it's 37 degrees, going outside is out of the question. Kinda hard to believe I used to go for week-long solo hiking/camping trips in the High Sierras in January. Total wimp.
Wednesday didn't start out too well. Tuesday night I finished up a halfway decent day with a bowl of my combination swamp chili/vermicide properly augmented with extra morning delight, an old Mack Bolan shoot 'em up, and turned on the teevee for the late local news. As expected, coma promptly set in and everything would have been OK except for leaving the teevee on. At my normal 4:30 wake-up time, instead of gradually regaining my senses, blaring at me was that totally excreable creature, Barbara Boxer. The preferred method in the morning is just to lay there for a bit and digest any dreams that might have occurred, stretch like a old hound, then slowly apply the feet to the floor. Wednesday morning triggered the fight or flight reaction, couldn't get to the "off" knob fast enough. I'd much rather have stepped in puppy squat than start the day with an earload of that moonbat's crap.
Speaking of moonbats, I wonder how Michael Newdow took the inauguration yesterday. No I don't. Not really. To tell the truth, I could give less than a one bean fart how he and his ilk took it. Don't think I've heard as much prayin' and singin' since the last tent meeting!
More moonbattiness? Why not. I've kept the email subscription for Slate since it was first offered as it gives me such a wonderful view of lefty opinions. Monday, Jack Shafer had the most splendid eulogy for Marjorie Williams.
Washington's most dangerous profiler.
"Among the many lucky breaks George W. Bush can count in his charmed life add this one: Marjorie Williams fell sick with liver cancer in the summer of his first term, so he and the popinjays and courtiers of his administration never felt the full wicked wattage of her penetrating gaze.
Marjorie, who died yesterday at 47, possessed a scary and unerring talent. She could see character the way most of us see the visible spectrum. She could have been a detective or a psychotherapist, a novelist or a professional poker player, a businesswoman or a platoon leader. But after dropping out of college and working as a book editor, she chose journalism, much to the benefit of our profession and her readers.
As one who felt the Williams gaze in its friendly, playful form, I can only guess how it unsettled the Washington operators who absorbed its power full-beam. One minute Marjorie could be conversing like any normal person—listening, nodding, responding, and asking tame questions. Then without warning, her checkmate gaze might reach out and tap you, giving you a nanosecond's warning of an incisive question that would cut to the essence—usually of a personal matter. Most of her subjects found that they couldn't evade the question because 1) they'd never heard it before; and 2) they were as interested in learning the answer as she was." (snip)
Yeah. Right. I'm certain her "reporting" was faultless. Such a lovely eulogy.
* * * * * *
Time to go outside and play with the chainsaw for a while. How about a cute little video clip to de-sour the tongue?
Kelly Ripped
Wednesday didn't start out too well. Tuesday night I finished up a halfway decent day with a bowl of my combination swamp chili/vermicide properly augmented with extra morning delight, an old Mack Bolan shoot 'em up, and turned on the teevee for the late local news. As expected, coma promptly set in and everything would have been OK except for leaving the teevee on. At my normal 4:30 wake-up time, instead of gradually regaining my senses, blaring at me was that totally excreable creature, Barbara Boxer. The preferred method in the morning is just to lay there for a bit and digest any dreams that might have occurred, stretch like a old hound, then slowly apply the feet to the floor. Wednesday morning triggered the fight or flight reaction, couldn't get to the "off" knob fast enough. I'd much rather have stepped in puppy squat than start the day with an earload of that moonbat's crap.
Speaking of moonbats, I wonder how Michael Newdow took the inauguration yesterday. No I don't. Not really. To tell the truth, I could give less than a one bean fart how he and his ilk took it. Don't think I've heard as much prayin' and singin' since the last tent meeting!
More moonbattiness? Why not. I've kept the email subscription for Slate since it was first offered as it gives me such a wonderful view of lefty opinions. Monday, Jack Shafer had the most splendid eulogy for Marjorie Williams.
Washington's most dangerous profiler.
"Among the many lucky breaks George W. Bush can count in his charmed life add this one: Marjorie Williams fell sick with liver cancer in the summer of his first term, so he and the popinjays and courtiers of his administration never felt the full wicked wattage of her penetrating gaze.
Marjorie, who died yesterday at 47, possessed a scary and unerring talent. She could see character the way most of us see the visible spectrum. She could have been a detective or a psychotherapist, a novelist or a professional poker player, a businesswoman or a platoon leader. But after dropping out of college and working as a book editor, she chose journalism, much to the benefit of our profession and her readers.
As one who felt the Williams gaze in its friendly, playful form, I can only guess how it unsettled the Washington operators who absorbed its power full-beam. One minute Marjorie could be conversing like any normal person—listening, nodding, responding, and asking tame questions. Then without warning, her checkmate gaze might reach out and tap you, giving you a nanosecond's warning of an incisive question that would cut to the essence—usually of a personal matter. Most of her subjects found that they couldn't evade the question because 1) they'd never heard it before; and 2) they were as interested in learning the answer as she was." (snip)
Yeah. Right. I'm certain her "reporting" was faultless. Such a lovely eulogy.
* * * * * *
Time to go outside and play with the chainsaw for a while. How about a cute little video clip to de-sour the tongue?
Kelly Ripped
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
oddness
Do you need a giggle? This is scary. Who was the last Democrat president of the United States in the last 50 years to garner more than 50% of the popular vote?
This is painful.
Jimmy Carter. 50.1%. Obviously a clear mandate to really be the most incompetent prez in US history. Hey, I LIKE Jimma, good old fart. Jus' about as useful as POTUS as a box of rocks. Clear backlash at Nixon's VP and the pardon. Ford was even dumber than Carter and that was probably the most unusual pair of candidates in US history (my lifetime). Both equally incompetent. I voted for Pat that year.
I don't know if this is funny or not. Personally, it gave me a grin.
Making It Legal
If you've been fornicating in the Old Dominion, you no longer need fear criminal prosecution. "The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down an ancient and rarely enforced state law prohibiting sex between unmarried people," the Associated Press reports from Richmond.
Actually, "rarely enforced" overstates the case; the law was last applied to consenting adults in 1847. How, then, did the matter end up before the state high court? The AP explains:
*** QUOTE ***
The ruling stemmed from a woman's lawsuit seeking $5 million in damages from a man who infected her with herpes. She claims the man did not inform her that he was infected before they had sex.
Richmond Circuit Judge Theodore J. Markow threw out the lawsuit, ruling that the woman was not entitled to damages because she had participated in an illegal act. The Supreme Court reinstated the lawsuit.
*** END QUOTE ***
This column is no fan of trial lawyers, but let's give credit where due: Thanks to them, now Virginia really is for lovers.
The above is from James Taranto's "Opinion Journal" yesterday. Subscribe. No, I don't get paid. I only get paid for my animal nature. That, and my extreme prowess at throwing the caber.
This is painful.
Jimmy Carter. 50.1%. Obviously a clear mandate to really be the most incompetent prez in US history. Hey, I LIKE Jimma, good old fart. Jus' about as useful as POTUS as a box of rocks. Clear backlash at Nixon's VP and the pardon. Ford was even dumber than Carter and that was probably the most unusual pair of candidates in US history (my lifetime). Both equally incompetent. I voted for Pat that year.
I don't know if this is funny or not. Personally, it gave me a grin.
Making It Legal
If you've been fornicating in the Old Dominion, you no longer need fear criminal prosecution. "The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down an ancient and rarely enforced state law prohibiting sex between unmarried people," the Associated Press reports from Richmond.
Actually, "rarely enforced" overstates the case; the law was last applied to consenting adults in 1847. How, then, did the matter end up before the state high court? The AP explains:
*** QUOTE ***
The ruling stemmed from a woman's lawsuit seeking $5 million in damages from a man who infected her with herpes. She claims the man did not inform her that he was infected before they had sex.
Richmond Circuit Judge Theodore J. Markow threw out the lawsuit, ruling that the woman was not entitled to damages because she had participated in an illegal act. The Supreme Court reinstated the lawsuit.
*** END QUOTE ***
This column is no fan of trial lawyers, but let's give credit where due: Thanks to them, now Virginia really is for lovers.
The above is from James Taranto's "Opinion Journal" yesterday. Subscribe. No, I don't get paid. I only get paid for my animal nature. That, and my extreme prowess at throwing the caber.
left-overs from yesterday
Yesterday required a change in my normal radio listening habits. As much as I enjoy the wind whispering through the jungle, the 24 hour endlessly variable voices of the woodland critters (the Sandhill cranes are slowly headed back North), I still seem to need people sounds. Didn't matter where one went yesterday, there was seemingly endless paens of praise for Saint MLK or conversely, strident condemnation of same. I spent the first 18 years of my life in the deep, deep rural South with occasional visits to relatives in Northern places like Birmingham, Atlanta, or (gasp!) Virginia. Can't recall any of my aquaintances black or white paying much attention to the Rev. He was just another rabble-rouser of which there were always plenty of be they Carrie Nation types, yellow dog pols, global cooling (yep, the ice age is coming!), John Birchers, the CPUSA, scads of others. Just like it is now. Imminently ignorable. Just like it is now. Surprisingly, the Klan was invisible. I'm sure they were around but in all of my young life I never came across a single instance or person involved.
Had that asshole not shot King, my guess is that he would have wound up with about as much cred as a couple of other "Revs.", Jackson and Sharpton. King, by being a huge proponent of LBJ's "Great Society" did his race the single largest disservice possible. As far as segregation, it was properly made illegal by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Forced integration, i.e., across districts, was resisted by both blacks and whites, integration by location was a fact before I ever started school. I wrote a couple of essays on this subject a number of years ago and rather than spending the time re-writing, I'll dig in the archives and try to find them. Hopefully they got transferred to CD from floppy or tape (mag media has a very short life in the swamp!).
As to folk that should be considered true black heros, two immediately come to mind. We studied them in grammar school and their lives make excellent reading. I re-read Up from Slavery: an autobiography by Booker T. Washington a couple of years ago. That link takes you to the text download on the Project Gutenberg site but if you would like a cleaned up rtf file in 12 point Arial, drop me a note. It's 119 pages and 900 KB. Really worth reading.
The other is George Washington Carver. As an alumnus of Iowa State, he's got a really good site there.
Another interesting read is also available from Project Gutenberg. The Future of the Colored Race in America was written by abolitionist preacher William Aikman in 1862 and is fascinating. I've also got it available as a 29 page, 88 KB rtf for the price of an email.
I've no idea who Nicholas Stix is, but he doesn't seem to hold MLK in high esteem. Hard to find anything to refute anything he wrote but he's certainly not gonna win any awards from Jesse or Al!
'nuff for now.
Had that asshole not shot King, my guess is that he would have wound up with about as much cred as a couple of other "Revs.", Jackson and Sharpton. King, by being a huge proponent of LBJ's "Great Society" did his race the single largest disservice possible. As far as segregation, it was properly made illegal by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Forced integration, i.e., across districts, was resisted by both blacks and whites, integration by location was a fact before I ever started school. I wrote a couple of essays on this subject a number of years ago and rather than spending the time re-writing, I'll dig in the archives and try to find them. Hopefully they got transferred to CD from floppy or tape (mag media has a very short life in the swamp!).
As to folk that should be considered true black heros, two immediately come to mind. We studied them in grammar school and their lives make excellent reading. I re-read Up from Slavery: an autobiography by Booker T. Washington a couple of years ago. That link takes you to the text download on the Project Gutenberg site but if you would like a cleaned up rtf file in 12 point Arial, drop me a note. It's 119 pages and 900 KB. Really worth reading.
The other is George Washington Carver. As an alumnus of Iowa State, he's got a really good site there.
Another interesting read is also available from Project Gutenberg. The Future of the Colored Race in America was written by abolitionist preacher William Aikman in 1862 and is fascinating. I've also got it available as a 29 page, 88 KB rtf for the price of an email.
I've no idea who Nicholas Stix is, but he doesn't seem to hold MLK in high esteem. Hard to find anything to refute anything he wrote but he's certainly not gonna win any awards from Jesse or Al!
'nuff for now.
Monday, January 17, 2005
monday nooner
Hmmmmm... The last update to this blog kicked the counter to '666'. Got me. On Nov. 2, the ballot collecting machine incremented to, yep, 666 when my ballot went in. That's two. Last Spring my digital outdoor thermometer died. The display froze at 66.6. I took the battery out. Do you think it would be wise to leave the old Ouiji board where it rests on the top shelf, waaay in the back of the pantry?
There's a whole bunch of Titan image goodness here. Can't say which I like best but this one is kinda nice. Reminds me of the approach to LAX!
And, to add to the old images links, you might enjoy the Popular Science Magazine Covers Collection. My personal favorite in the 'aircraft' collection is this wonderful steam powered airplane. Wonder if it was to be wood-fired? ;o)
Rand Simberg has done it again with this satire. Go read.
It's a rare day when I watch national broadcast news simply due to the constant "hate America and all it stands for" spin but I will watch again when Drudge announces that Dan is gonna come clean and confess to being the second gunman on the grassy knoll. Last night I was perusing Blackfive and came across this article by By LTC Tim Ryan. Runs 7 very good pages.
Aiding and Abetting the Enemy
* * * * * *
Lunch time's over. Time to go mess up for a few more hours.
* * * * * *
Q: Why do lawyers wear ties?
A: To keep the foreskin down.
There's a whole bunch of Titan image goodness here. Can't say which I like best but this one is kinda nice. Reminds me of the approach to LAX!
And, to add to the old images links, you might enjoy the Popular Science Magazine Covers Collection. My personal favorite in the 'aircraft' collection is this wonderful steam powered airplane. Wonder if it was to be wood-fired? ;o)
Rand Simberg has done it again with this satire. Go read.
It's a rare day when I watch national broadcast news simply due to the constant "hate America and all it stands for" spin but I will watch again when Drudge announces that Dan is gonna come clean and confess to being the second gunman on the grassy knoll. Last night I was perusing Blackfive and came across this article by By LTC Tim Ryan. Runs 7 very good pages.
Aiding and Abetting the Enemy
* * * * * *
Lunch time's over. Time to go mess up for a few more hours.
* * * * * *
Q: Why do lawyers wear ties?
A: To keep the foreskin down.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
section 8
Somehow, things have not improved one bit since LBJ's "Great Society" put the black folk of the US on a permanent path to slavery. There can be no worse self-image than being totally dependent on handouts from massa. After many generations with the females breeding the next batch starting soon after menarche, the 5th gen is already being warmed up for the Families with Dependent Children welfare roles. It goes on and on and on..
As of 2001, government transfer payments (pdf) were 1.111,8 trillion dollars. $1,111,800,000,000. That's $3,900 from each man, woman, and child in the country. Considering just HHS and HUD, they suck up $618,800,000,000 per year ($2,100 each m, w, & c) and for it we get the most amazing paid-for underclass. Johnson bought himself a permanent block vote. Waaay more than we pay for defence and NASA, our showcase tech, receives 1.35% of that amount for ALL operations. That's another fuss. Don't worry, I'll get around to it. Been writing it for a number of years.
This is amusing.
Md. Judge Rules to Desegregate Housing
"Shanna Smith, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance, said suburban whites often are afraid city transplants will bring increased crime, devalue property and force schools to divert resources to children who speak foreign languages.
"People take an initially negative view because, quite frankly, they think blacks are leaving Baltimore city and coming to their community," she said. "All of these stereotypes contribute to a hostile attitude in a community, and these hostile attitudes are passed to public officials, who often try to stop the plan." (snip)
"Previous efforts to move people from city housing projects to less segregated areas have met strong resistance.
Kurt Schmoke was mayor of Baltimore the last time such a plan was proposed, 10 years ago. The program, called Moving to Opportunity, would have allowed more than 1,300 black families from Baltimore's public housing projects to move to predominantly white suburbs using government subsidies.
"What happened was that some people who were not familiar with the plan thought all that we were trying to do was take the concentration of poverty in the city and reconcentrate it in certain jurisdictions," said Schmoke, now dean of Howard University's law school. "That was the furthest thing from the truth, but, unfortunately, fears and certain prejudices were aroused."
Baltimore County residents rallied at a public meeting, shouting the program down." (snip)
From the US Department of Justice:
Homicide trends in the U.S. - Trends by race
The DOJ site is probably one of the easiest and most useful government sites to navigate.
Amazingly, this is from the Boston Herald.
Blacks ponder MLK legacy
``Forty years after the march to Selma, we're living in a post-civil rights epoch,'' said the Rev. Eugene Rivers, known for his own unorthodox activism. This month, he spoke to Bush about faith-based initiatives and invited Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to Boston Wednesday to discuss the same issue.
``The challenge to blacks and whites is to develop a post-civil rights framework,'' he said. ``The problems that confront the black community are primarily, but not exclusively, internal.''
He cited black-on-black crime, teen pregnancy, the violent aspects of hip-hop culture, and academic underachievement.
``The most important spokesmen to reflect where we are now are possibly Bill Cosby and Chris Rock,'' Rivers said, citing the comedians' biting criticism of black failures. Meanwhile, he said the traditional ``paleo-liberal'' leadership of groups such as the NAACP and the Democratic Party, ``is completely marginalized.'' (snip)
I suppose this bit of liberal dreck from LA deals with "marginalization". Makes me want to move right next door to the "unfortunate".
L.A.'s Budding Mogadishus
I see the LA Times has pulled the above page. I've saved the text and will email it on request. It's a worthy read and does a lot to explain Great Society success and liberal plans for the future.
Last on the list for the day is this little essay from Fred Reed. I've more than likely read all of his columns over the years, some are humorous, some touching, many just plain good, but occasionally he'll piss me off! This one is especially good.
Portrait Of A Literate American
* * * * * *
A woman is talking to her doctor and asks if she can get pregnant from anal sex.
"Sure" the doctor said. "Where do you think lawyers come from?"
As of 2001, government transfer payments (pdf) were 1.111,8 trillion dollars. $1,111,800,000,000. That's $3,900 from each man, woman, and child in the country. Considering just HHS and HUD, they suck up $618,800,000,000 per year ($2,100 each m, w, & c) and for it we get the most amazing paid-for underclass. Johnson bought himself a permanent block vote. Waaay more than we pay for defence and NASA, our showcase tech, receives 1.35% of that amount for ALL operations. That's another fuss. Don't worry, I'll get around to it. Been writing it for a number of years.
This is amusing.
Md. Judge Rules to Desegregate Housing
"Shanna Smith, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance, said suburban whites often are afraid city transplants will bring increased crime, devalue property and force schools to divert resources to children who speak foreign languages.
"People take an initially negative view because, quite frankly, they think blacks are leaving Baltimore city and coming to their community," she said. "All of these stereotypes contribute to a hostile attitude in a community, and these hostile attitudes are passed to public officials, who often try to stop the plan." (snip)
"Previous efforts to move people from city housing projects to less segregated areas have met strong resistance.
Kurt Schmoke was mayor of Baltimore the last time such a plan was proposed, 10 years ago. The program, called Moving to Opportunity, would have allowed more than 1,300 black families from Baltimore's public housing projects to move to predominantly white suburbs using government subsidies.
"What happened was that some people who were not familiar with the plan thought all that we were trying to do was take the concentration of poverty in the city and reconcentrate it in certain jurisdictions," said Schmoke, now dean of Howard University's law school. "That was the furthest thing from the truth, but, unfortunately, fears and certain prejudices were aroused."
Baltimore County residents rallied at a public meeting, shouting the program down." (snip)
From the US Department of Justice:
Homicide trends in the U.S. - Trends by race
The DOJ site is probably one of the easiest and most useful government sites to navigate.
Amazingly, this is from the Boston Herald.
Blacks ponder MLK legacy
``Forty years after the march to Selma, we're living in a post-civil rights epoch,'' said the Rev. Eugene Rivers, known for his own unorthodox activism. This month, he spoke to Bush about faith-based initiatives and invited Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to Boston Wednesday to discuss the same issue.
``The challenge to blacks and whites is to develop a post-civil rights framework,'' he said. ``The problems that confront the black community are primarily, but not exclusively, internal.''
He cited black-on-black crime, teen pregnancy, the violent aspects of hip-hop culture, and academic underachievement.
``The most important spokesmen to reflect where we are now are possibly Bill Cosby and Chris Rock,'' Rivers said, citing the comedians' biting criticism of black failures. Meanwhile, he said the traditional ``paleo-liberal'' leadership of groups such as the NAACP and the Democratic Party, ``is completely marginalized.'' (snip)
I suppose this bit of liberal dreck from LA deals with "marginalization". Makes me want to move right next door to the "unfortunate".
L.A.'s Budding Mogadishus
I see the LA Times has pulled the above page. I've saved the text and will email it on request. It's a worthy read and does a lot to explain Great Society success and liberal plans for the future.
Last on the list for the day is this little essay from Fred Reed. I've more than likely read all of his columns over the years, some are humorous, some touching, many just plain good, but occasionally he'll piss me off! This one is especially good.
Portrait Of A Literate American
* * * * * *
A woman is talking to her doctor and asks if she can get pregnant from anal sex.
"Sure" the doctor said. "Where do you think lawyers come from?"
Well, didn't get back to the 'puter after supper. It's not Vidalia onion season yet so after slicing up a couple of the thermonuclear orbs sold presently and getting them started (slowly steamed in the skillet to cut them down!), made my weekly green martini. Eversogood. After the onions were tamed, raised the heat and sauteed them till golden, then added the lightly floured and herbed slices of liver for a few minutes, then turned them. For the first time, they did not stick. Had all to do with a super Ultrex pan that UPS left outside of my gate. Gee, wonder where that came from? ;o)
Fork-tender, totally delicious. Made enough for 2, ate it all, then followed it with a Georgia fried pie. Life is good! No wonder I didn't make it back to the keyboard.
* * * * * *
I really enjoy old commercial art. Don't ask me why, don't have the foggiest idea unless it helps recall a pleasant previous life! James Lileks has a bunch of neat stuff under his flotsam project heading but be prepared to get lost navigating.
Last week I stumbled on to this commercial art of mid-century America and had to click through most of it. Very good images but most are quite large, ~150 K or so. It's hard to keep text readable in most cases with much less. I hadn't gone far before coming across this one:
For 1935: General Electric refrigerators with the "ageless" Monitor Top mechanism
I happen to have one but the serial plate indicates it was built in 1934. The old gal worked just fine until 1999 when she developed a refrigerant leak. One small difficulty with that type of failure, the refrigerant used was sulfur dioxide. Kinda rendered this place uninhabitable for a while! She's repairable and I understand with only a relatively minor modification, Freon-22 will serve instead of SO2. Unfortunately, if you live in the United States, F-22 is banned. It causes tsunamis or somthin'. (you don't want to get me going on the banning of efficient refrigerants in favor of lousy, poisonous, fuel-hog replacements unless you've got your beneficiaries named.)
This morning I scanned a few pages of my Grandad's Popular Science, August, 1944 magazine.
This magazine has been in the same drawer of the same desk I built in 1970. The article on the P-51 is excellent and is probably why I wound up with the mag in the first place. The back page cover art is, well, see for yourself!
Carole Landis probably smoked Camels.
The Table of Contents was worth scanning and was just about all I could scan without danger of breaking the spine. To save bandwidth, they are just linked.
TOC page 1
TOC page 2
* * * * * *
Q: What is the ideal weight of a lawyer?
A: About three pounds, including the urn.
Fork-tender, totally delicious. Made enough for 2, ate it all, then followed it with a Georgia fried pie. Life is good! No wonder I didn't make it back to the keyboard.
* * * * * *
I really enjoy old commercial art. Don't ask me why, don't have the foggiest idea unless it helps recall a pleasant previous life! James Lileks has a bunch of neat stuff under his flotsam project heading but be prepared to get lost navigating.
Last week I stumbled on to this commercial art of mid-century America and had to click through most of it. Very good images but most are quite large, ~150 K or so. It's hard to keep text readable in most cases with much less. I hadn't gone far before coming across this one:
For 1935: General Electric refrigerators with the "ageless" Monitor Top mechanism
I happen to have one but the serial plate indicates it was built in 1934. The old gal worked just fine until 1999 when she developed a refrigerant leak. One small difficulty with that type of failure, the refrigerant used was sulfur dioxide. Kinda rendered this place uninhabitable for a while! She's repairable and I understand with only a relatively minor modification, Freon-22 will serve instead of SO2. Unfortunately, if you live in the United States, F-22 is banned. It causes tsunamis or somthin'. (you don't want to get me going on the banning of efficient refrigerants in favor of lousy, poisonous, fuel-hog replacements unless you've got your beneficiaries named.)
This morning I scanned a few pages of my Grandad's Popular Science, August, 1944 magazine.
This magazine has been in the same drawer of the same desk I built in 1970. The article on the P-51 is excellent and is probably why I wound up with the mag in the first place. The back page cover art is, well, see for yourself!
Carole Landis probably smoked Camels.
The Table of Contents was worth scanning and was just about all I could scan without danger of breaking the spine. To save bandwidth, they are just linked.
TOC page 1
TOC page 2
* * * * * *
Q: What is the ideal weight of a lawyer?
A: About three pounds, including the urn.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Done gone and gotten all nippish on me again. After most of a couple of weeks of mid-70's and a couple of days in the 80's I'd forgotten it's only January.
Finished all the Saturday cleaning I'm gonna do, all set for a foray into the mighty city tomorrow with some visitin' goodness thrown in. Decided to blog a while about a bunch of stuff that has crossed my alledged mind this week and discovered the brain functions poorly whilst running Devo and ACDC tunes maxed out. Next up, ZZ Top.
* * * * * *
Much better now . I needed that. Chillin' with Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" album. Good stuff. Somewhere in this vast pile of stuff, I should have a Mike Curb Congregation album for more ear candy. If it can't be found, it'll be a Jimmy Buffett evening.
* * * * * *
There's still hope for me yet..
And, apparently there were more Clint Eastwood comments to Michael Moore. Pretty clever, actually!
* * * * * *
Ever check to see what you can expect from Social Security? The Heritage Foundation has a calculator you might want to try. Interesting, especially if you're an old fart like me.
* * * * * *
Time to go start supper. Calves liver and onions sauteed in olive oil with a slice or 2 of homemade cider bread. Besides, gotta reboot the 'puter in order to get the 1988 scanner to run. It and XP have serious issues!
* * * * * *
Q: Why are lawyer's eyes always red after sex?
A: The mace.
Finished all the Saturday cleaning I'm gonna do, all set for a foray into the mighty city tomorrow with some visitin' goodness thrown in. Decided to blog a while about a bunch of stuff that has crossed my alledged mind this week and discovered the brain functions poorly whilst running Devo and ACDC tunes maxed out. Next up, ZZ Top.
* * * * * *
Much better now . I needed that. Chillin' with Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" album. Good stuff. Somewhere in this vast pile of stuff, I should have a Mike Curb Congregation album for more ear candy. If it can't be found, it'll be a Jimmy Buffett evening.
* * * * * *
There's still hope for me yet..
And, apparently there were more Clint Eastwood comments to Michael Moore. Pretty clever, actually!
* * * * * *
Ever check to see what you can expect from Social Security? The Heritage Foundation has a calculator you might want to try. Interesting, especially if you're an old fart like me.
* * * * * *
Time to go start supper. Calves liver and onions sauteed in olive oil with a slice or 2 of homemade cider bread. Besides, gotta reboot the 'puter in order to get the 1988 scanner to run. It and XP have serious issues!
* * * * * *
Q: Why are lawyer's eyes always red after sex?
A: The mace.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
You might have already caught this but I thought it was cool!
Moore is in the line of Clint's ire
"Clint Eastwood squinted like Dirty Harry Tuesday night as he took aim at Michael Moore.
"Michael Moore and I actually have a lot in common - we both appreciate living in a country where there's free expression," Eastwood told the star-dotted crowd attending the National Board of Review awards dinner at Tavern on the Green, where Eastwood picked up a Special Filmmaking Achievement prize for "Million Dollar Baby."
Then, the Republican-leaning actor/director advised the lefty filmmaker: "But, Michael, if you ever show up at my front door with a camera - I'll kill you."
The audience erupted in laughter, and Eastwood grinned dangerously.
"I mean it," he added, provoking more guffaws." (snip)
* * * * * *
Iowahawk has the real skinny about the Rathergate Affair. Put your coffee down before reading!
And, of course our Ann Coulter has to check in on poor Danny!
* * * * * *
..back to work. It's 79 degrees, big storm front moving this way, and got to button down the outside stuff. Wind gusts hit just right a few hours ago - opened up the big glass door in the studio just in time to funnel all the remaining leaves in the jungle directly into the joint. Compost or cleanup?
* * * * * *
"Show me a lawyer with his heels six inches off the ground, and I'll show you an honest lawyer."
- Andrew Jackson
Moore is in the line of Clint's ire
"Clint Eastwood squinted like Dirty Harry Tuesday night as he took aim at Michael Moore.
"Michael Moore and I actually have a lot in common - we both appreciate living in a country where there's free expression," Eastwood told the star-dotted crowd attending the National Board of Review awards dinner at Tavern on the Green, where Eastwood picked up a Special Filmmaking Achievement prize for "Million Dollar Baby."
Then, the Republican-leaning actor/director advised the lefty filmmaker: "But, Michael, if you ever show up at my front door with a camera - I'll kill you."
The audience erupted in laughter, and Eastwood grinned dangerously.
"I mean it," he added, provoking more guffaws." (snip)
* * * * * *
Iowahawk has the real skinny about the Rathergate Affair. Put your coffee down before reading!
And, of course our Ann Coulter has to check in on poor Danny!
* * * * * *
..back to work. It's 79 degrees, big storm front moving this way, and got to button down the outside stuff. Wind gusts hit just right a few hours ago - opened up the big glass door in the studio just in time to funnel all the remaining leaves in the jungle directly into the joint. Compost or cleanup?
* * * * * *
"Show me a lawyer with his heels six inches off the ground, and I'll show you an honest lawyer."
- Andrew Jackson
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
evening meander
Old Wellborn Cemetery
Don't know how long this wonderful spring-like weather is going to last. I've been re-rigging the shop thinking I may start up the old Irradiator project since there may be a little interest in it again. The shop has mostly been ignored except for the studio construction for many years and I'm really enjoying the mild weather allowing me to keep the place wide open while sorting "stuff" and raking out years of moldy old sawdust (plus less agreeable mung). Cookie and Rima have been helping, mostly by parking their carcasses directly behind me so when I step back from a bench, they can listen to me cuss.
Took some time this afternoon to crank the buggy and go to the post office and mail out a very overdue bill. I was also supposed to go pick up some equipment from a friend's porch. He forgot. Since it was too damn pretty to head directly back to work, decided to go visit the old Wellborn Cemetery as I hadn't been there in probably 15 years. It dates from around 1800 and I've been wanting to go record the information from a 1842 headstone of a 17 year-old girl that had an interesting role in the Indian War. It's no longer there. Actually the cemetery has taken a lot of damage, many of the ancient old cedars have been toppled, all of the 20' high azaleas have been cut to the ground, and some of the family plot fences have been damaged.
I meant to take a bunch of headstone photos but I haven't recharged the camera batteries in a while. Got a couple before it fizzled and this one was my favorite although it is fairly recent.
The one thing I had forgotten about the place were the enormous number of infant graves. One family plot in the mid-1800's had ma, pa, 4 infants, and 2 children.
...and there are scads of McClellans. I'll go back with a fresh charged camera and a note pad soon.
* * * * * *
I don't know if it's worthwhile to try and read that "independent" report about Rathergate. It runs 234 pages and the first 10 are index. Think I'll read a good Koontz book instead. Probably less fictional. BummerDietz at Scylla & Charybdis and Hindrocket at Power Line, The Thornburgh Report: What It Says, and What It Doesn't Say did the deed for me.
* * * * * *
You've probably heard of the comic book the Mexican government has issued to ease the way for illegal aliens. Well, there's another version.
Illegal Immigration Made Easy
There's some interesting information and links on that site as well.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
totally unfair
...this getting old crap, that is. Got along just fine for the first 53 years of my life being all but totally immune to bug bites of all variety. Wasps hurt but most all others either died when munching or just left a tiny mark that faded within hours. Got my britches full of ticks Wednesday without knowing it and the histamine reaction was something to purge from the memory. It's also not supposed to be 80 degrees in January. Kerryboot season passed when it first hit the teens. Says it right here in the book...
The other "unfair". I wandered into town today even if it wasn't necessary. Went to one grocery store and two flea markets. Got to see my favorite book vendor that I've not seen since last Summer (her 41 year old daughter just had her first kid) and enjoyed a little old-style country music at the second. And, the "unfair" part, one family enjoying the music and free feed was a gal that is the spittin' image of Emmy Lou Harris when I first saw her in '73. I wanna be young again so I can get in trouble some more. ..one pass thru the young and foolish. Use it well. Old and foolish doesn't play.
* * * * * *
I'd love to teach again. Terribly doubtful, years ago when it was firmly known I was permanently crippled, a friend suggested that I get back into teaching again. He'd done it years past, I had been doing it until being mangled by a batch of wetbacks and the few years of useless rehab. Unfortunately, the government rules had changed. With the "de-funding" provided by judge Cain Kennedy and a cohort of slackjawed, hideously expensive shysters in three states, that was not possible even if it would have been useful. The government "book" required a bag of "teaching" certificates by folk that I'd rather not talk about. Nearly all of my previous experience was post grad material, most on quantum limit sensors and always delightful. Minor stuff on vacumn physics. I'd gotten the chalk-talk down to high school and let me tell you, THAT was a treat! Damn! It's a kick having kids SEE the orbital jump and emission! That's kewl! That also happened prior to kewl being a word. Obviously this is just a knob, there is sooo much that's fun in physics. Ask me why your meat loaf pan glows blue in sunlight! ;o)
* * * * * *
'nuff for the moment. The previous post got bagged by me. I'll leave the marker up to remind me to be more careful. Poorly written, full of typos, no errors otherwise. The meat will probably be put back up with only a minor purge. Bastynastard happens and thank ___________________ and __________ for telling me I'm fulla shit. I was full of aggravation and homebrewed spirits. Translates directly into bullshit. Should be the last one until next Thanksgiving.
The other "unfair". I wandered into town today even if it wasn't necessary. Went to one grocery store and two flea markets. Got to see my favorite book vendor that I've not seen since last Summer (her 41 year old daughter just had her first kid) and enjoyed a little old-style country music at the second. And, the "unfair" part, one family enjoying the music and free feed was a gal that is the spittin' image of Emmy Lou Harris when I first saw her in '73. I wanna be young again so I can get in trouble some more. ..one pass thru the young and foolish. Use it well. Old and foolish doesn't play.
* * * * * *
I'd love to teach again. Terribly doubtful, years ago when it was firmly known I was permanently crippled, a friend suggested that I get back into teaching again. He'd done it years past, I had been doing it until being mangled by a batch of wetbacks and the few years of useless rehab. Unfortunately, the government rules had changed. With the "de-funding" provided by judge Cain Kennedy and a cohort of slackjawed, hideously expensive shysters in three states, that was not possible even if it would have been useful. The government "book" required a bag of "teaching" certificates by folk that I'd rather not talk about. Nearly all of my previous experience was post grad material, most on quantum limit sensors and always delightful. Minor stuff on vacumn physics. I'd gotten the chalk-talk down to high school and let me tell you, THAT was a treat! Damn! It's a kick having kids SEE the orbital jump and emission! That's kewl! That also happened prior to kewl being a word. Obviously this is just a knob, there is sooo much that's fun in physics. Ask me why your meat loaf pan glows blue in sunlight! ;o)
* * * * * *
'nuff for the moment. The previous post got bagged by me. I'll leave the marker up to remind me to be more careful. Poorly written, full of typos, no errors otherwise. The meat will probably be put back up with only a minor purge. Bastynastard happens and thank ___________________ and __________ for telling me I'm fulla shit. I was full of aggravation and homebrewed spirits. Translates directly into bullshit. Should be the last one until next Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Monday, January 03, 2005
gaia and the UN
"Beware of altruism. It is based on self deception, the root of all evil."
"Being generous is inborn; being altruistic is a learned perversity. No
resemblance--"
"If tempted by something that feels "altruistic," examine your motives
and root out that self-deception. Then, if you still want to do it,
wallow in it!"
- Robert Anson Heinlein
* * * * * *
Good old Bob. I didn't realise until after his death that I had lived less than 50 miles from him for nearly 7 years. I'd loved to have met him. We lost another good 'un yesterday with the death of Frank Kelly Freas, the artist.
The purpose of the quotes was kind of a dig at the endless harping I've heard from the MSM about how selfish Americans are in this tsunami aftermath. Libs seem to just love depreciating the US. T'ain't true McGee. The one thing I do fret is how our aid will be used. Obviously the aid provided by our military will be extraordinary (as usual) but through other agencies, well, how would YOU like to be "assisted" by the UN? Hey, maybe we can finally get them moved to Fangataufa now so they can be nearer the sites that need them! OK, I'll be nice. They can move to someplace more civilized like the Democratic Republic of Congo where they've already got a good start doin' things they're good at.
Neal Boortz is just back from Christmas vacation and he had a lot to say on this subject. His excellent rantings for today, Jan 3, haven't been permalinked yet so if you want to read them, just click the link on the right and navigate the archives to the date if you're reading this after tomorrow morning. He has a photo on the bottom of that post you should see. Gives one a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Visualizing the areas impacted by the 16-20 foot waves is greatly improved by viewing this Sumatra earthquake animation from some outfit called the International Oceanic Commission. The animation is 645 KB so it's not too bad if you're on dial-up.
150,000 dead people is a huge disaster. That represents 0.009% of the approximately 1.6 billion people in the affected nations and around 32 hours of their people production. It's a heck of a lot higher than the 0.00072% of the population of Florida that were killed by this year's hurricanes, mostly we just took a $42 billion kick in the teeth unless one of yours was part of that tiny percentage. Messes can be cleaned up, "stuff" replaced and rebuilt.
* * * * * *
How 'bout another aviation site? Back in the mid-60's I was at an airshow that had a B-58 on display. I got to climb into the cockpit and my first thought was "hey, this fits!" I was just a kid back then and at my tallest many years ago, was 1/8" shy of 5' 5" so you can imagine there wasn't a lot of room in that craft! Here's a good site and I recommend the "Crosswind Landing Attempt" quicktime movie to be watched before your next commercial flight and "Supersonic Shockwave" for a bit of badass boogie. Both are tiny files. The funnest parts are the audio files linked under "Wild Blue Yonder". I'll let you judge for yourself!
THE B-58 “HUSTLER”
"Being generous is inborn; being altruistic is a learned perversity. No
resemblance--"
"If tempted by something that feels "altruistic," examine your motives
and root out that self-deception. Then, if you still want to do it,
wallow in it!"
- Robert Anson Heinlein
* * * * * *
Good old Bob. I didn't realise until after his death that I had lived less than 50 miles from him for nearly 7 years. I'd loved to have met him. We lost another good 'un yesterday with the death of Frank Kelly Freas, the artist.
The purpose of the quotes was kind of a dig at the endless harping I've heard from the MSM about how selfish Americans are in this tsunami aftermath. Libs seem to just love depreciating the US. T'ain't true McGee. The one thing I do fret is how our aid will be used. Obviously the aid provided by our military will be extraordinary (as usual) but through other agencies, well, how would YOU like to be "assisted" by the UN? Hey, maybe we can finally get them moved to Fangataufa now so they can be nearer the sites that need them! OK, I'll be nice. They can move to someplace more civilized like the Democratic Republic of Congo where they've already got a good start doin' things they're good at.
Neal Boortz is just back from Christmas vacation and he had a lot to say on this subject. His excellent rantings for today, Jan 3, haven't been permalinked yet so if you want to read them, just click the link on the right and navigate the archives to the date if you're reading this after tomorrow morning. He has a photo on the bottom of that post you should see. Gives one a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Visualizing the areas impacted by the 16-20 foot waves is greatly improved by viewing this Sumatra earthquake animation from some outfit called the International Oceanic Commission. The animation is 645 KB so it's not too bad if you're on dial-up.
150,000 dead people is a huge disaster. That represents 0.009% of the approximately 1.6 billion people in the affected nations and around 32 hours of their people production. It's a heck of a lot higher than the 0.00072% of the population of Florida that were killed by this year's hurricanes, mostly we just took a $42 billion kick in the teeth unless one of yours was part of that tiny percentage. Messes can be cleaned up, "stuff" replaced and rebuilt.
* * * * * *
How 'bout another aviation site? Back in the mid-60's I was at an airshow that had a B-58 on display. I got to climb into the cockpit and my first thought was "hey, this fits!" I was just a kid back then and at my tallest many years ago, was 1/8" shy of 5' 5" so you can imagine there wasn't a lot of room in that craft! Here's a good site and I recommend the "Crosswind Landing Attempt" quicktime movie to be watched before your next commercial flight and "Supersonic Shockwave" for a bit of badass boogie. Both are tiny files. The funnest parts are the audio files linked under "Wild Blue Yonder". I'll let you judge for yourself!
THE B-58 “HUSTLER”
Sunday, January 02, 2005
a good start
The gals were sure happy when I walked out of the house on New Year's Eve wearing boots. Boots mean Night Hike! Admittedly only Cookie is left of my old night hike crew but Rima will catch on some day. Down the valley, across the creek, up the hill and down the ridge, then cut East a ways until getting to the sittin' and thinkin' spot. Not much of a hike but it was where I wanted to be. The girls ranged around and gave some poor woodland critters a bad time whilst I savored the evening.
New Year's day was wonderful. Chilly, foggy morning turning off with full sun and low 70's. Did absolutely nothing! Read, fed, scratched dawg heads, should be sooo ashamed. Nope.
Today did my Saturday (yesterday) chores (kinda), then went grocery shopping and to 2 flea markets. The first was a bust, no vendors and no traffic. The second, a little bitty one out on a back road was cool! Books! My first book buy since June. All fiction, Dean Koontz, Michener (Poland, "loaned" it out 8 years ago, want to re-read it), Michael Crichton, Stephen King, Arthur Clarke, and James Herbert. The cool part of that flea market was the live band. They were playing 50's country and Elvis, damn well actually. The gal that runs the market also has a BBQ set up with free feed and I also ran into another gal I'd met a couple or 3 years ago when her younger son was in Russia assisting in the dismantling of their nuke missles. Nice babble. That kid is now in California, just got married to the "wrong" sort, bought a condo in LA, plus a new car! It was all I could do to try to keep from laughing out loud! Mama, he's 20-something, been a world-ranger for a bunch of years. Just wish him luck!
About the live band. How about a photo. Note the fellows strumming on the far left and right. They are GOOD!
Suzanne's 2 Jan thread on the Garden Party is full of flight. Those that know me know how involved I've been, literally since birth. My father took his WW II GI benefits to become a pilot. I was born 5 years later. For those of you so inclined, there is a site with some pretty wonderful video of the SR-71, the first couple are best if you have broadband but you can do a all night load on dial-up. The last 2 will kick you back about 40 years. It worked for me! Just for kicks and giggles, the soundtrack for the "Blackbird Tribute" is Kenny G with "The Sound of Silence" and the "Touch and Go" is Los Bravos and "Black is Black". It rocks!
I've got a hatful more good mil vids, some don't remain hosted very long and I don't own enough bandwidth to host them myself. With the p2p fiasco, don't wanna mess with that anymore either. I'll go check them out if any of you would like. When I find those I like, I promptly save them and burn them to disk.
Damn. I uploaded this stuff and forgot the link. I was enjoying the AC-130 Spectre video with AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" (perfect for THAT video) and small things like < a href = eluded me. Here it is:
SR-71 Video Archive
New Year's day was wonderful. Chilly, foggy morning turning off with full sun and low 70's. Did absolutely nothing! Read, fed, scratched dawg heads, should be sooo ashamed. Nope.
Today did my Saturday (yesterday) chores (kinda), then went grocery shopping and to 2 flea markets. The first was a bust, no vendors and no traffic. The second, a little bitty one out on a back road was cool! Books! My first book buy since June. All fiction, Dean Koontz, Michener (Poland, "loaned" it out 8 years ago, want to re-read it), Michael Crichton, Stephen King, Arthur Clarke, and James Herbert. The cool part of that flea market was the live band. They were playing 50's country and Elvis, damn well actually. The gal that runs the market also has a BBQ set up with free feed and I also ran into another gal I'd met a couple or 3 years ago when her younger son was in Russia assisting in the dismantling of their nuke missles. Nice babble. That kid is now in California, just got married to the "wrong" sort, bought a condo in LA, plus a new car! It was all I could do to try to keep from laughing out loud! Mama, he's 20-something, been a world-ranger for a bunch of years. Just wish him luck!
About the live band. How about a photo. Note the fellows strumming on the far left and right. They are GOOD!
Suzanne's 2 Jan thread on the Garden Party is full of flight. Those that know me know how involved I've been, literally since birth. My father took his WW II GI benefits to become a pilot. I was born 5 years later. For those of you so inclined, there is a site with some pretty wonderful video of the SR-71, the first couple are best if you have broadband but you can do a all night load on dial-up. The last 2 will kick you back about 40 years. It worked for me! Just for kicks and giggles, the soundtrack for the "Blackbird Tribute" is Kenny G with "The Sound of Silence" and the "Touch and Go" is Los Bravos and "Black is Black". It rocks!
I've got a hatful more good mil vids, some don't remain hosted very long and I don't own enough bandwidth to host them myself. With the p2p fiasco, don't wanna mess with that anymore either. I'll go check them out if any of you would like. When I find those I like, I promptly save them and burn them to disk.
Damn. I uploaded this stuff and forgot the link. I was enjoying the AC-130 Spectre video with AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" (perfect for THAT video) and small things like < a href = eluded me. Here it is:
SR-71 Video Archive
