So What?

Please tell me people aren't really getting excited about drinking and cavorting at a private party? Please tell me this post by Michelle Malkin is some sort of a joke.

I mean, really, a bunch of military folks get rowdy and uncivilized in their off-hours. BFD.

I am the Queen of the Prudes . . truly, the world's dullest woman. I am (say it loud!). . . Out of it and Proud of it!

I think Justin Timberlake should be hung by his balls for last year's half-time fiasco. I personally would no more flash my tits than . . well, I can't think of anything I'm less likely to do, offhand. If someone put a gun to my head and said "Flash your tits or paint your house purple with orange trim," I'd probably go with the paint. Really. I don't even jaywalk.

But - really - the world is full of two-bit whores and boorish, piggish men. Always has been, always will be. Even the more refined are inclined to let loose when under pressure. If you work hard, you have to play hard and all that. The best of us make asses of ourselves from time to time and 'we all have to eat a little dirt before we die.'

In my prudish opinion, the partiers were harming themselves. But that's hardly my business, is it?

This is a non-story being hyped up by the media in the hopes of getting conservatives type to dislike the military and the idea of defense. That's all, just attempted manipulation.

barf.

Bikers and Ginger Ale Punch with a Raspberry Ice Ring

I read Please Pass the Cake, a Tech Central article pointed to by the Instapundit,. Unfortunately, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines put out by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, although lame and silly, aren't quite as bad as Ms. Swarzc makes out. The guidelines are full of disclaimers. Presumably anyone who reads the damn things at all will read the disclaimers as well.

Why unfortunately? Well, I was hoping the feds and 'Central Control' had finally jumped the shark.* Really, really bad food laws and advice might finally get people riled up. Food brings people together in ways that nothing else does. & We need to come together and grab back some of our lost freedoms.

Lefties, for instance, need to come down on the unmitigated bastards at the ACLU and come down on them hard. Righties need to dump a few buckets of cold water on various loud and unpleasant sub-sects of their own. Left & Right need to read and cherish our rapidly vanishing declared rights.

See, I had a nifty story to share with you about small town politics, bikers, and church suppers - all mushy and happy endings and how diverse groups can work together for the good and freedom of all. True story - but why bother? Who cares?

Freedom in America is a pipe dream anyway, anymore. I don't know how people like Kevin and Ravenwood can keep it up. Most US citizens are frightened of freedom, and want to live under a bureacratic dictatorship, and so that is the type of government we are getting. The government can throw you in handcuffs for not wearing a seatbelt; in most states, it can take your house if it wants the higher property taxes generated by a shopping mall that wants to build over your bathroom; it takes your money to care for forests and meadows that it won't let you use; and on, and on, and on.


& We the People refuse to come together enough to fight it. Socialism is ingrained in this country now - it's self-styled 'progressive' because it sounds better, but it's the same old socialism that slaughtered over 100 million people in the 20th century, and it will slaughter more still in this century, and apparently until the same old slaughter under the shiney new name actually occurs, very few people outside the right sector of the blogosphere will care. I don't think we can stop it now - maybe we can just keep the ashes of freedom alive, and in 30 or 50 years, those who haven't been executed For The Good of the People can fan the coals and light the fire one more time.

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and in our travels on that road we've passed all the exits and turn-arounds. Now we'll just have to go through it and hope we can come out the other side.


* I know the term 'jumped the shark' has jumped the shark; does anyone have a substitute?

What is it?

Definitely not a samovar. I've never seen such a thing!

Thursday is Kick-a-fashion-designer Day!

Isn't it? Well, if it's not, it should be!

You may have deduced by now that I went shopping yesterday. What with the Christmas cookies, the holster, and Steve's book, my wardrobe's been a bit snug. So off I go . . .

I hate shopping for clothes. Have you seen the crap they expect women to wear? Stretchy, tight, no pockets, itchy-scratchy man-made material that doesn't breathe ... FAUGH!! Would you wear it? No, of course not. No sane person would. The blouses are as bad - stretchy, clingy, airless and impractical. Jiminy!

Have you eyeballed the few woman who are actually wearing these clothes? Maybe one in 53 can pull it off - maybe. The 1st thing I notice on these poor, misguided souls is their bad posture. Ladies, if you're going to show everything that the Good Lord gave you, at least stand up straight and suck in that gut.

So, okay, I'm no fashion queen. I do things - you can't do things and wear useless, airless, pocketless clothes. & yes, I'm pudgy. There are times when it's more merciful to conceal than to reveal and, well - 'nuff said.

Anyway, I decided cross-dressing was the way to go. I went to the men's department for some sensible apparel. Found some jeans or khakis or whatever they are with lots of pockets!! But even then, they're kind of weird. They're whaddayacallem pants - parachute pants? They have big pockets on the leg. They also have long strings hanging off the pockets and I can't for the life of me figure out what they're supposed to be for. To strap down your six-gun? In case you want to be tied to the bedpost fully clothed?

Well, I tied them into pretty little bows, added that feminine touch doncha know. I suppose I'll just cut them off but I would like to know their purpose.

What drugs are fashion designers on? or are they just passive-aggressive haters of the human race?

Anyway, if you see a fashion designer, spit in their eye and tell 'em Persnickety sent ya.

P.S. Not that this has anything to do with the price of tea in China, but this is why I find male cross-dressers so strange. Why, o why, would anyone voluntarily submit themselves to the torture of heels, itchiness, eye-watering hairspray and the whole nine yards, when society not only doesn't demand it of the male, but actually frowns on it a bit? What else do cross-dressers do for fun? Stick themselves under the toenail with an icepick?

Yet another aspect of life that is completely over my head, I guess.

O well.

Peace.

Madison Avenue Resistance

Some friends got me a set of plastic glasses for Christmas. I guess it comes from reading James Lileks, but I fell in love with the box. It looks like the only change they made to it since 1941 was to add 'dishwasher safe!'

If you've been through the Lilek Gallery, and still want more, check out Tervis Tumblers!

Works like magic!

Too darn lazy to come up with New Year's Resolutions?


I know I am!! Luckily, Acidman finds the modern technology to help us out!

Your New Years Resolution Should Be: Wake up before noon

You've been accused of sleeping your life away And it's a little bit true - you are really into your pillow In fact, it may be years since you've seen a sunrise at the *start* of your day Sleep a little less. Some sunshine would do you good.

What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be?

from the same site:

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you awy from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Well, that's all for now, folks! It's past my bedtime.

Jeb goes to the Indian Ocean

"Bush is sending a a delegation to the region Sunday led by Powell and his brother, Fla. Gov. Bush, to assess aid needs.
from Friday's Wall Street Journal

You go, Jeb!

There is probably no one on the planet better equipped to contribute to relief coordination than Jeb Bush. I don't know what the etiquette is of sending your brother and/or a governor on something like this; I've no doubt that cries of nepotism and dynasty and yada yada blah blah will be just around the corner. Notwithstanding the inevitable yapping of the pocket dog contingent, Jeb is the best man to go.

He's not George. If Jeb were president, Mineta would've been fired probably before Sept. 11, but certainly after. Jeb will actually fire people who do a crappy job. If he doesn't have the authority to fire someone who deserves it, he just steps out of their way and lets them have enough rope to hang themselves.

He'll have a far more difficult time with the tsunami than with the hurricanes; the scale is much greater and the cooperation will be much, much, less. Instead of honest concern from one southern US state to another, he'll be dealing with nasty, petty, puffed-up daughters of a horseleech. With the hurricanes, he had advance warning, real authority and a reasonable knowledge of what tools were available. He'll have none of those things with the tsunami efforts. & of course he won't be running the show; he'll just one of a committee in a sea of egos. So he won't be as useful as he would under other circumstances.

Poor Jeb. I really got the feeling during the hurricanes that 'this is not what I wanted to be when I grew up.' But he stepped up to the plate.

Anyway, time to deal proactively with the pocket dog contingent:

"Why isn't George Bush going himself? 'The people' need the symbolism of the actual President, not some surrogate!"

ACtually, no, you're mistaken. People who are homeless, hungry, and helpless need food, shelter and clothing. People who are physically traumatized need physical help. People who are emotionally traumatized can suck it up. No offense to George, but Jeb will be more useful than his brother. Honestly, between security and yes-men, the presence of a US President would probably just muck things up.

and furthermore,:

"In countries like India or Indonesia, where family ties are more significant to personal success or even survival, the presence of First Family member will be taken seriously, . ." (RTWT)

so quit being so damn ethnocentric.

Dynasty!! Royalty!! Nepotism!!

Give me a list of US officials with comparable experience and expertise, and then we'll talk. Neither George Bush nor Rudy Guliani make that list, by the way. September 11 was physically concentrated in a way that hurricanes and tsunamis are not; the logistics have to be very different.

Of course, the Red Cross and Salvation Army have experience in these areas, but they are already there and are not US officials.

Yeah, well, Florida still hasn't recovered from the 2004 hurricanes. Jeb isn't so great.

Hell, there are parts of Florida that still haven't recovered from Andrew, for pete's sake. Hurricanes are big and devastating. You can't wave a magic wand and undo what's happened. You can, however, minimize the damage and move on.

Godspeed, Governor. We'll keep the homefires burning.

I am perverse

'Deed I am. I don't like, or approve of, or donate to, the Red Cross. I'm wishing someone would sue them for false advertising and make them either take the 'Cross' out of their name altogether, or insert 'Double' in front of it.

And yet I get unspeakable pleasure watching this number rise.

"That unit is a woman."

"A mass of conflicting impulses."

O Yeah. Now I remember why I used to be feminist.

Because Superman was an asshole.

Polipundit links up with Accordion Guy to introduce us to a 1959 blog. Very cute, very fun so far as the word 'blog' goes.

But, ya know what? Superman was a smug, smarmy saboteur. Lois had her situation under control (sort of), and because Superman's precious little ego was hurt, he fucked with her. Not in a fun, carnal way - in a nasty, slimy, underhanded manipulative way.

I was just thinking yesterday about how long it's been since I heard the term 'delicate male ego.' Oooooo, we had to be so careful of the delicate male ego. Really, truly, I kid you not. Girls were actually told (and tragically, some believed it) to appear dumber and clumsier than they were, so as not to tread upon the delicate male ego. I was lucky in my tender years - my dear old Dad pointed out the obvious:

"If you have to pretend to be less than you are to attract a man, you'll spend your life stagnant and undeveloped to please an insecure, inferior man who's not worth pleasing."

Thanks, Dad.

Gosh, I'd like to kick Superman in the nuts right about now. My inner feminist is raging. Feminism's gone overboard in many spots, but it surely was needed way back when.

Harold Fish has still not gone to trial. Since it's a trumped-up charge initiated by a vicious mob, perhaps it's just as well.

I keep him in my prayers.

And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, everyone.

Merry Christmas!

Hap-Hap-Happy Birds

It's enough to make me wish I was technically competent so I could record this and let you hear it. There's about 90 gazillion birds singing up a storm outside my window.

I was going to say that they sound as happy as larks, but then I realized that would be a silly thing to say.

Origin of the word "Christmas'

This is for the people who are coming here by search engine.

Christ's mass. A day set aside for contemplation of God's gift to us - His Son. Sometimes (cough, cough) gifts are exchanged among humans as a sort of tribute to the gift we received from God.

Sometimes abbreviated Xmas. In a bunch of languages, the X is pronounced Kh, (the hard C is Christ with a little more throat thrown in), so the 'X' is just an acronym for Christ, same as the 'U' is USA stands for United. Additionally, the X is also a symbol for the cross, which Christ died on for your sins. So Xmas is not sacreligious sacril disrepectful towards the Christian religion.

The Naughty Seasonal Post

On Dasher, on Dancer, on Comet and . . . hey! What happened to Comet?

It's too cold to blog.

Private Citizens fill gap left by Government

Raise a glass to The Coalition to Prevent Assault Weapon Violence, who've stepped in to help pick up the slack now that the AWB has expired. It's citizen-leaders like these that make America great.

hat tip: Robert at The Backroad Blog.

An ounce of prevention, and all that

There's an interesting discussion going on at Geocaching.com, one with arguments and concerns that will probably sound familiar to gun owners.

The original poster brings up the 'what if' possibility of the government trying to ban or regulate geocaching. The most common response is that geocaching will simply go underground if need be. People would try to follow the letter of the law, but circumvent the spirit. Good for them. But the posting developed into a long, thoughtful discussion of could it happen, how could it happen, why would it happen, can we prevent it and how? Maybe it's a discussion gun owners should have had in 1934.

Mom told me about a letter to 'Dear Abby' or one of her equivalents, in which the writer suggested hunters abandon hunting those poor widdle animals and go geocaching instead. I suspect there's a tremendous difference between hunting a moving creature and hunting a stationary box, but leaving the merits of the letter-writer's argument aside, it's just interesting that that type of mind (animal rights fluffy-fluff) would be involved in geocaching.

OK, so I'm making a big leap here - automatically placing 'animal rights' people inside the 'gun-grabber' box. But it seems a fairly safe assumption to make 9 times out of 10. I wonder, would a left-leaning geocacher start to understand gun-owner concerns if Big Gov put the screws on geocaching as it has on guns?

What if, what if? I'd hate to find out the hard way, by seeing govt actually tax and regulate geocaching to death. But it would be interesting to watch in an alternate universe.

Weedon Island Mangrove Tunnel



Besides great kayaking, Weedon Island is also reknowned for the first discovery/classification of the Weeden Island Culture, a culture in existence about 1,700 to 1,000 years ago in the Northern Florida/Georgia area and responsible for 'construction of some of the earliest dated flat-topped platform (or temple) mounds' in North America. The name 'Weedon/Weeden' got misspelled somewhere along the way. Ironically, Weedon Island is at the very outer reaches of Weeden Island culture.

You're Betty Grable!


What Classic Pin-Up Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Ah, Betty! or sometimes Bette

"The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there"

Have a Coalition Christmas!

Who's in the Coalition of the Willing, and what kind of neat stuff can we buy from them?

A train or wine buff (& the two are not mutually exclusive) might enjoy this Amtrak wine carafe set, made in the Czech Republic. James, posting at Chicago Boyz, (busy man, that James!) also points to CZ Firearms from the Czech Republic. Mmmmm, firearms. If you happen to be the recipient of these Czech wine carafes and Czech guns, remember not to use them both at the same time!


For a variety pack of United Kingdom stuff, try Hamper.com of Oxfordshire, UK, Bespoke Hampers for Corporate Clients and Winner of the Queen's Award for Enterprise International Trade 2003!

omigod look at the baubles from Poland. I want it. If you want to add to the flavor, put your recipient's Polish name day on their tag.

This Slovakian Renaissance vase is less flamboyant than the Polish, but quite elegant and a bit unusual. This would be nice to float roses in.


For your most demanding mustard needs, naturally nothing will do but the finest. And lucky for you, mustard from Azerbaijan is available from the Mount Horeb Mustard Museu . . there's a mustard museum?? Ye gads, they offer "free, confidential, condiment counseling." Sorry, I digress . . but, um, what sort of deep, dark, confidential condiment secrets do people have??

Finally, when your back hurts from all that shopping, you'll need a little massage. Shop Australia online for a little
Emu massage oil.


& there's STILL all these other countries to go shopping in:

Spain
Portugal
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Iceland
Italy

Baltic States:
Estonia #
Latvia #
Lithuania #

Central Europe:

Balkans:
Albania #
Macedonia #
Romania #
Warm, fuzzy, gramma-knitted sweaters from Bulgaria

Turkey puts out some very nice copper and brass items. I actually purchased one of these copper samovars about a month back. It's great fun if you're a serious tea drinker, and fascinating simply because it's the most efficient wood/charcoal stove in existence. Russia claims to be the inventor of the samovar, but it may actually have originated in Azerbaijan.

Croatia #
Slovenia #

Eastern Europe
Ukraine


Moldova needs all the help it can get. The only product I could find from Moldova is wine, which seems to be available from a New Jersey dealer. I can't stand wine, and I may buy a couple bottles for myself. Lord have mercy. I've been poor and down, but never had to consider selling my kidney just to get by. More on Moldova here. Ya know, the whole idea behind this post may seem silly, or frivolous, or oh-so-american-consumer . . . maybe it is, whatever. It started out as just as fun way to learn about some of these countries . . but . . hell, if you do nothing else, if you care about nothing else, sneer if you like, but say a prayer for Moldova anyway. You don't have to believe in God to pray; God believes in you.

More on Moldova and its wine here. On e-bay, there seem to be lot of Moldovan coins and stamps for sale.




Japan
South Korea
Singapore
Philippines
Afghanistan
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Georgia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Solomon Islands
Mongolia
Tonga
Thailand

United States of America

South and Central America:
El Salvador
Colombia
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Honduras

I hunted for Palau, but apparently the island itself is such a lovely gift that it has no need to manufacture anything for export. They'll be having an Underwater Photography event in March '05, and celebrating 11 years of independence in Oct. '05.

Costa Rican Peaberry coffee is superb, by the way. Beats Colombian hands down, no contest.