A moonbat fantasy. A compendium of fantasies, actually… it’s the whole nine yards. I’ll hand it to ‘em: this parody is VERY good. The print edition had to be pretty slick if it was half as accurate in the “look and feel” department as the ersatz web site is. Even the real NYT took note. Refresh the page a couple of times when (if) you go and pay attention to the faux ads in the lower right column… they’re howlers. Unless you’re of the Leftish persuasion, of course. In which case… there’s nothing funny about ‘em at all… just truth, as you know would like it.
―:☺:―
Do you use SiteMeter?If so… do you remember the gnashing and thrashing when they cut over to the “new and improved” SiteMeter that WASN’T?Wanna have some input on their latest proposed updates?You can test drive mock-ups of various reports and provide feedback to the development team by taking their survey here (you’ll need your SiteMeter ID handy).I think I spent maybe 20 minutes taking the survey… and I’m happy to report the new stuff looks pretty good.Much better than the flaming pile o’ crap they tried to roll out last September.I could live with it.
―:☺:―
Today’s Pics… or Broadening Our Horizons, Part Deux.The pics above were taken just before I grabbed up all the important bits and hit the verandah for Happy Hour yesterday afternoon. The last pic is a close up of one of my favorite beer vessels... purloined from the quintessential dive bar... and the very act of drinking from it makes me think of many, many good times, Gentle Reader.
But we digress. Some time ago I said I wanted to try Budweiser’s new American Ale once it became available in this part o’ the world.Well… it’s here in P-Ville and a sixer of same resides in my fridge.Check that: four bottles remain in my fridge after yesterday’s Happy Hour.The verdict: it’s not bad.You’re an astute person, Gentle Reader, if you think “not bad” is damning American Ale with faint praise.American Ale earns a passing grade with me, but only just barely.The folks at Beer Advocate have a higher opinion of the brew (collectively and on average) than I do.Witness:
That’s a pretty high grade! I’d give the beer a grade of “C.” Average, in other words… nothing special and nothing to write home about, but most definitely better than run-of-the-mill Bud. (Ed: Nothing to write home about? So why are you writing?) The beer is lovely to look at (I love the red-copper color and the way it positively shines in strong light), has a great malty aroma, but lacks substance… at least as I define substance. Overall it seems a little watery on the palette, and I prefer stronger tasting ales. Trippel, 1554, and Fat Tire are in absolutely NO danger of being replaced as the Beers of Choice here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington.
SAN FRANCISCO — There is a new common symptom of the flu, in addition to the usual aches, coughs, fevers and sore throats. Turns out a lot of ailing Americans enter phrases like “flu symptoms” into Google and other search engines before they call their doctors.
That simple act, multiplied across millions of keyboards in homes around the country, has given rise to a new early warning system for fast-spreading flu outbreaks, called Google Flu Trends.
Tests of the new Web tool from Google.org, the company’s philanthropic unit, suggest that it may be able to detect regional outbreaks of the flu a week to 10 days before they are reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In early February, for example, the C.D.C. reported that the flu cases had recently spiked in the mid-Atlantic states. But Google says its search data show a spike in queries about flu symptoms two weeks before that report was released. Its new service at google.org/flutrends analyzes those searches as they come in, creating graphs and maps of the country that, ideally, will show where the flu is spreading.
There are caveats and discussions/explanations on related issues (e.g., how Google addresses privacy concerns) at the link, but overall? “Flutrends” is an imaginative and useful application of technology.
(Flu virus image from National Geographic.com... where there's more great flu-related photography.)
(Ed note: Originally posted yesterday (11/11/2008)… but the post formatting was hosed and screwed up the blog for Internet Exploder users. Revised and reposted today; I removed yesterday's badly formatted post.
And Andy... I apologize, but your comments to yesterday's post are gone along with the offending post.)
An appropriate post for Veterans Day. Sent by SN1 this morning…more pics from the AOR.Captions as provided by SN1.
These are some of my troops…
MSgt Gena Harris on the right is the base engine manager, me, TSgt Jocelyn StDenis is the wing scheduler, TSgt Timmy Waters is a C-130 analyst, SMSgt Clark Sato is my superintendent, and TSgt Roger Perry is my wing analyst.
We’re in front of the Army “Hunter.” Crazy little airplane…toylike…
A bunch of MRAPs…About which SN1 sez:“We had a Veteran’s Day “Capabilities Display” over here…it was fun to walk around and see a couple of the interesting things the Army has going on…”Note the “photography restrictions” poster in front of the MRAP on the left.I couldn’t read the print in the large version of this photo, but the restrictions look pretty extensive!
And finally... this pic was taken by one of Buck's co-workers: Sunrise at Balad. Pretty nice, innit?
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.
From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.
Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.
With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America's veterans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2008, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15, 2008, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Note 1: You can read the original Veterans Day Proclamation issued by President Eisenhower in 1954 here.
Note 2: Downloadable files of the official 2008 Veterans Day poster are available at the Department of Veterans Affairs web site (in various resolutions, up to an image suitable for printing at 11 x 14 inches, 300dpi).
Note 3: Sticky post (remains on top all day)... scroll down for updates.
A lot of folks… me included… typically respond with “Who gives a shit?” when Euro-Weenies opine on American politics. But there ARE exceptions to the “Who gives a shit?” rule, especially when it comes to the Brits. It’s that “special relationship” in play, in large part, and the fact that the Brits tend to look at America and see the best in us, rather than the worst (other Europeans do, too, although they’re in the minority on “the continent”). One such exception appears in today’s Daily Mail, under the heading of “The night we waved goodbye to America… our last best hope on earth.” Excerpts:
Anyone would think we had just elected a hip, skinny and youthful replacement for God, with a plan to modernise Heaven and Hell – or that at the very least John Lennon had come back from the dead.
The swooning frenzy over the choice of Barack Obama as President of the United States must be one of the most absurd waves of self-deception and swirling fantasy ever to sweep through an advanced civilisation. At least Mandela-worship – its nearest equivalent – is focused on a man who actually did something.
I really don’t see how the Obama devotees can ever in future mock the Moonies, the Scientologists or people who claim to have been abducted in flying saucers. This is a cult like the one which grew up around Princess Diana, bereft of reason and hostile to facts.
It already has all the signs of such a thing. The newspapers which recorded Obama’s victory have become valuable relics. You may buy Obama picture books and Obama calendars and if there isn’t yet a children’s picture version of his story, there soon will be.
Proper books, recording his sordid associates, his cowardly voting record, his astonishingly militant commitment to unrestricted abortion and his blundering trip to Africa, are little-read and hard to find.
If you can believe that this undistinguished and conventionally Left-wing machine politician is a sort of secular saviour, then you can believe anything. He plainly doesn’t believe it himself. His cliche-stuffed, PC clunker of an acceptance speech suffered badly from nerves. It was what you would expect from someone who knew he’d promised too much and that from now on the easy bit was over.
He needn’t worry too much. From now on, the rough boys and girls of America’s Democratic Party apparatus, many recycled from Bill Clinton’s stained and crumpled entourage, will crowd round him, to collect the rich spoils of his victory and also tell him what to do, which is what he is used to.
Dang.That’s harsh. Author Peter Hitchens (Christopher Hitchens' brother, oddly enough) goes on at some length, and his op-ed is pretty much on the money, for the most part.I tend to disagree with his evaluation of The One’s acceptance speech, but NOT with his views on The One’s qualifications for office. I’m also in semi-agreement with his views on how things are likely to unfold in an Obama administration, but less so with his gloomy outlook on what this all means.Peter Hitchens delivery tends to be a little hyperbolic, but he does articulate my objections to The One fairly accurately.The op-ed is worth a read.
Let us bend over and kiss our ass goodbye. Our 28-year conservative opportunity to fix the moral and practical boundaries of government is gone--gone with the bear market and the Bear Stearns and the bear that's headed off to do you-know-what in the woods on our philosophy.
An entire generation has been born, grown up, and had families of its own since Ronald Reagan was elected. And where is the world we promised these children of the Conservative Age? Where is this land of freedom and responsibility, knowledge, opportunity, accomplishment, honor, truth, trust, and one boring hour each week spent in itchy clothes at church, synagogue, or mosque? It lies in ruins at our feet, as well it might, since we ourselves kicked the shining city upon a hill into dust and rubble. The progeny of the Reagan Revolution will live instead in the universe that revolves around Hyde Park.
[…]
It's not hard to move a voting bloc. And it should be especially easy to move voters to the right. Sensible adults are conservative in most aspects of their private lives. If this weren't so, imagine driving on I-95: The majority of drivers are drunk, stoned, making out, or watching TV, while the rest are trying to calculate the size of their carbon footprints on the backs of Whole Foods receipts while negotiating lane changes.
People are even more conservative if they have children. Nobody with kids is a liberal, except maybe one pothead in MarinCounty. Everybody wants his or her children to respect freedom, exercise responsibility, be honest, get educated, have opportunities, and own a bunch of guns. (The last is optional and includes, but is not limited to, me, my friends in New Hampshire, and Sarah Palin.)
Reagan managed to reach out to blue collar whites. But there his reach stopped, leaving many people on our side, but barely knowing it. There are enough yarmulkes among the neocons to show that Jews are not immune to conservatism. Few practicing Catholics vote Democratic anymore except in Massachusetts where they put something in the communion wafers. When it comes to a full-on, hemp-wearing, kelp-eating, mandala-tatted, fool-coifed liberal with socks in sandals, I have never met a Muslim like that or a Chinese and very few Hispanics. No U.S. immigrants from the Indian subcontinent fill that bill (the odd charlatan yogi excepted), nor do immigrants from Africa, Eastern Europe, or East Asia. And Japanese tourists may go so far as socks in sandals, but their liberal nonsense stops at the ankles.
We have all of this going for us, worldwide. And yet we chose to deliver our sermons only to the faithful or the already converted. Of course the trailer park Protestants yell "Amen." If you were handling rattlesnakes and keeping dinosaurs for pets, would you vote for the party that gets money from PETA?
In how many ways did we fail conservatism? And who can count that high? Take just one example of our unconserved tendency to poke our noses into other people's business: abortion. Democracy--be it howsoever conservative--is a manifestation of the will of the people. We may argue with the people as a man may argue with his wife, but in the end we must submit to the fact of being married. Get a pro-life friend drunk to the truth-telling stage and ask him what happens if his 14-year-old gets knocked up. What if it's rape? Some people truly have the courage of their convictions. I don't know if I'm one of them. I might kill the baby. I will kill the boy.
[…]
But are we men and women of principle? And I don't mean in the matter of tricky and private concerns like gay marriage. Civil marriage is an issue of contract law. A constitutional amendment against gay marriage? I don't get it. How about a constitutional amendment against first marriages? Now we're talking. No, I speak, once again, of the geological foundations of conservatism.
Where was the meum and the tuum in our shakedown of Washington lobbyists? It took a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives 40 years--from 1954 to 1994--to get that corrupt and arrogant. And we managed it in just 12. (Who says Republicans don't have much on the ball?)
Our attitude toward immigration has been repulsive. Are we not pro-life? Are not immigrants alive? Unfortunately, no, a lot of them aren't after attempting to cross our borders. Conservative immigration policies are as stupid as conservative attitudes are gross. Fence the border and give a huge boost to the Mexican ladder industry. Put the National Guard on the Rio Grande and know that U.S. troops are standing between you and yard care. George W. Bush, at his most beneficent, said if illegal immigrants wanted citizenship they would have to do three things: Pay taxes, learn English, and work in a meaningful job. Bush doesn't meet two out of three of those qualifications. And where would you rather eat? At a Vietnamese restaurant? Or in the Ayn Rand Café? Hey, waiter, are the burgers any good? Atlas shrugged. (We would, however, be able to have a smoke at the latter establishment.)
Those are lengthy excerpts from an article that is long, and I’ve barely scratched the surface.Yes, the article is long, but more importantly… it’s GOOD.I don’t believe I’ve read a more perceptive (and humorous) catalog of conservative failings… ever.There’s more than one reason I claim P.J. as one of my favorite authors… not the least of which is his sense of humor… but I love him primarily because of his sensibilities and his uncanny ability to put his finger directly on the pulse of sensible conservatives. “Sensible conservatives,” of course, is defined at El Casa Móvil De Pennington as me and those who think like me.My tongue isn’t completely in my cheek as I write this, ya know. I've been having friendly discussions (heh) with other, more strident conservatives in this space throughout the election season. To no avail, mostly.
I know a lot of folks who visit EIP don’t chase all the links I post. We all have limits on our time… understood. But if you read anything I link at all, then please read this. Especially if you claim to be a conservative… and even if you’re not (Lori!). You may disagree with O’Rourke in the end, but I’ll wager he’ll give you a LOT to think about.
Brevity is the soul of wit Saturday… since it’s Football Day and I’m otherwise occupied. But here are a few items for my politically-minded readers (both of ya!) that you’ve probably already read. First… the inimitable Charles Krauthammer with “The Campaign Autopsy” (via memeorandum and Real Clear Politics). Excerpts:
WASHINGTON -- In my previous life, I witnessed far more difficult postmortems. This one is easy. The patient was fatally stricken on Sept. 15 -- caught in the rubble when the roof fell in (at Lehman Brothers, according to the police report) -- although he did linger until his final, rather quiet demise on Nov. 4.
In the excitement and decisiveness of Barack Obama's victory, we forget that in the first weeks of September, John McCain was actually ahead. Then Lehman collapsed, and the financial system went off a cliff.
[…]
We don't yet appreciate how unprecedented were the events of September and October. We have never had a full-fledged financial panic in the middle of a presidential campaign. Consider. If the S&P were to close at the end of the year where it did on Election Day, it will have suffered this year its steepest drop since 1937. That is 71 years.
At the same time, the economy had suffered nine consecutive months of job losses. Considering the carnage to both capital and labor (which covers just about everybody), even a Ronald Reagan could not have survived. The fact that John McCain got 46 percent of the electorate when 75 percent said the country was going in the wrong direction is quite remarkable.
Senator McCain might as well have had one of those “Born to Lose” tats on his shoulder after the financial meltdown.As Krauthammer notes, even Reagan couldn’t have pulled this one off after the financial system…not just “the market”… tanked.Mr. Krauthammer has more and it’s good stuff… as usual.
Few will claim that "big government Republicanism" — or, as Goldwater referred to it, a "Dime Store New Deal" — is the wave of the future. Conservatives know that competing for the affection of voters by leasing their souls to corrupt lobbyists has been a fool's errand. Within days will come a restatement of minimalist government principles, especially by the economic right.
This will resonate immediately as President-elect Obama has espoused the most collectivist philosophy of any presidential candidate since George McGovern in 1972. As the newspapers are filled each day with articles detailing the failures and corruption of government at every level, it will be easy to hang the Democrats with this issue.
[…]
The social right will have a more difficult time putting the genie back in the bottle after eight years of being promised that the national government could achieve what they had been working for years to achieve at the state level. Yet again, since the national levers of power are now gone, practicality will force the social conservatives to go back to basics, and win the war for the culture at the local level.
From a practical standpoint, the results of the Nov. 4 election should not be disheartening for the Right. When Obama stuck to his teleprompter, he talked about tax cuts, family values, the Second Amendment and strong national defense. Without his teleprompter, he talked about a national police force, overturning state conceal carry laws, how health care is a "right" while his supporters salivate at the prospects of censoring, smearing and criminalizing conservatism.
Unlike Republicans, the Democratic leadership of Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid understand power. Liberals will move to shut down talk radio, dressed up in the nicest of language of course. Only a few days ago, Schumer equated Rush Limbaugh with pornography.
I agree with nearly all of what the IBD has to say in this space, particularly with its view on the social conservatives’ agenda.State and local gub’mint is the place to go for this sort of stuff, not the federal gub’mint.But then again I’ve always thought this way… when I think about a “social agenda” at all, which is rare, indeed. I’ve never taken the trouble to lay out my political beliefs in detail (who the Hell cares, anyway?), so I’ll just repeat what’s in my Blogger profile:“Politically moderate, I'm conservative on foreign policy and national defense issues (surprise!) and liberal on social issues.”It all comes back to that ol’ saw:“You can’t legislate morality.”You shouldn’t even try.My mini-rant aside… there’s much to like in the IBD op-ed.
President Bush will soon be heading home and for many that day cannot come soon enough. Count me among those who will miss him and his bedrock decency.
He had a rough road from day one. His first inauguration struck me as a portent. I was there, shivering in the grandstands on Pennsylvania Avenue. At the exact moment the president heard "Hail to the Chief" for the first time and was announced to the audience, a sleet storm descended from the skies.
It has never let up.
Through it all Mr. Bush kept his head up and soldiered on. He took the criticism in stride.
Today is the birthday of one of my favorite chirps*… Joni Mitchell. The lovely Ms. Mitchell is (gasp!) 65 years old today. In celebration here are a couple of my very favorite Joni Mitchell tunes, beginning with “A Case of You” (which also features a very nice slide-show, with lotsa great vintage photos):
And… “Both Sides Now:”
No less an august institution than the Wall Street Journal was compelled to commemorate the occasion of Joni’s birthday. (Lengthy parenthetical aside: The credit goes to great good friend Lori, who tipped me to this article. Lori and I share a love of and for Joni... Ms. Mitchell was a bond between she and I in the way-back, and that bond remains. Joni got Lori and I through some pretty long and cold North Dakota nights all those many years ago and those nights are among my fondest memories.) So. Here are a few excerpts from that WSJ article (“A 65th Birthday Tribute to Joni Mitchell”):
Joni Mitchell turns 65 years old on Friday. As a milestone, reaching that age doesn't mean what it once did, but any opportunity to celebrate Ms. Mitchell and her work is worth seizing. Gifted and fearless, she remains among the finest singer-songwriters of the rock era, a title that doesn't quite accommodate the breadth of music and the audacity of her career. As David Crosby told me when I called him last week, "In a hundred years, when they ask who was the greatest songwriter of the era, it's got to be her or Dylan. I think it's her. And she's a better musician than Bob."
Mr. Crosby produced Ms. Mitchell's first album, "Song to a Seagull" (Reprise), which was released in 1968. Though she had a democratic approach to music, enjoying Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Edith Piaf and the scat-singing trio Lambert Hendricks and Ross, among others, she developed her skills playing folk in coffeehouses in western Canada, Toronto, Detroit and New York's Greenwich Village. On "Song to a Seagull," she's presented as fully formed -- a thrilling folk singer and gifted songwriter.
"It was the quality of her songs," Mr. Crosby said when I asked him what he found appealing about young Ms. Mitchell. "And the singing, and the instrumental ability. She was beautiful and intriguing, but the songs were so good." Her early catalog was so strong that she chose to omit from her debut album three of her compositions that had already been recorded by a variety of other singers -- "Both Sides Now," "The Circle Game" and "Urge for Going."
I’ve been a fan since 1970, at least, and perhaps slightly longer than that. Ms. Mitchell provided the sound track for a good portion of my life and most certainly the soundtrack for some memorable love affairs. Some Joni songs still bring a tear to my eye when I hear them… the memories are that strong, that vivid, that lasting. Part of that effect is the person (or persons) with whom I associate the memories, but it’s Joni that invokes the feeling. I owe the woman a lot… a whole helluva lot.
Apropos of something… The First Mrs. Pennington also turns 65 today. It would be churlish of me to not mention this… even though TFMP has never read EIP, to my knowledge. Her boys do read, though, and I don’t want either to think poorly of me.
Happy Birthday, Ramona. And many happy returns to you, too.
The First Mrs. Pennington (circa 1969) in our very tiny apartment in Wakkanai, Japan. That’s SN2 in the high chair.
So… I’m still in a bit of a funk today.I’m having the hardest of hard times coming to grips with the reality of the nation’s political situation, truth be told.Here’s part of an e-mail exchange I had with SN1 earlier today:
Me:So... here I am, waiting for the coffee pot to finish its magic. Yesterday was SUCH a strange day. I was up until 0400 yesterday morning, watching all the election returns (Missouri and N. Carolina still "too close to call" as I write), and up again just after noon. When I say "strange," I mean the feeling I get whenever I see The One's smiling face and hear people refer to him as "President-elect Obama." I've even said "President Obama" out loud a couple of times and it simply doesn't work for me. At all. I'm still in something akin to a mild state of shock. In my heart I knew McCain would lose, but the reality is very hard to accept.
What's the temp like among the troops? Most of the milbloggers I read have the typical military attitude... Obama will be the CinC, and that's that. Salute smartly and move on...
SN1:As for the local mood regarding the election…you hit it spot on. Here’s an excerpt from an email I wrote the kids:
Ok...now that the initial shock has worn off...
The beauty of our country is our ability to have an election, peacefully transfer the greatest power on the planet, and press on with our lives.
We'll be ok. I don't agree with the man on a lot of things...but he'll be the president and I'll support him, because he is our nation's leader. That's what we in the military do...we follow our leaders.
So you nailed my sentiments…and those of most around here…right on. I’m having a hard time imagining him as the CinC as well…I really don’t want to retire while he’s in office…another reason to stay in…
I’ve noticed in my ramblings around the ‘net… through the (primarily military) blogosphere… that the above opinions are nearly universal, and that comes as NO surprise to me.As SN1 stated… “that’s what we in the military do… we follow our leaders.”The key point is left unsaid, of course.But, just to clarify for readers of little or no military experience, there are two salient points in play here.
First and foremost: everyone who puts on the uniform of our country swears an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and “I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me” (there are minor differences between officer and enlisted oaths, but let us not quibble over details).I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this oath, as it ends with the words “So help me God.”You swear the oath, you make a commitment in the presence of the Deity and invoke His help.This is NO small thing.It’s the very essence of what it means to be in the military and that essence remains a part of you as long as you live.Or it should, at any rate.There are always a few outliers.
Point Two:The President of the United States isn’t the President of the Democrat/Republican/What Have You Party… he’s the President of the United States, duly and lawfully elected to that office by the people.As such, the incumbent is OUR president, and that’s no small matter, either.I could launch a huge tangential rant about how annoyed I was with the Left for failing to realize this fact over the course of the last few years, but I’m sure you know where I’m coming from, Gentle Reader.And I flat REFUSE to become the right-wing equivalent of a moonbat by saying shit like “Obama isn’t MY president.”The people have spoken, for better or worse, and we’ll have another go at this four years on.In the meantime… I suggest any malcontents out there suck it up and get with the program.Otherwise?Vote with your feet.There are airplanes departing these shores every single day.Get on one and be gone, as you obviously don’t “get” what this country is all about.I’ll end this part of the rant right here… or, ‘nuff said.
One last point… I agree with what Cassie has to say on this subject:
It remains for us now to find a way to reconcile our political differences, for despite the rhetoric of hope and change our differences are stark and will not give way to the fuzzy talk that wins votes. This will require grace and magnanimity from the victors as well as restraint and willingness to forget old grudges from the losers in this contest. We need not forebear to criticize, but we should never undermine policy once Mr. Obama takes his oath in January.
And above all, let us respect the dignity of the office of the President. He has earned it by dint of the campaign he ran, as well as by virtue of the thousands of votes cast for him. It is well that there will be no unseemly haggling over the vote counts, as happened in 2000 and 2004. This has been a long contest and with two wars going on and an economic turndown to deal with, our energies will be best directed to the conversation about the America we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.
The good news is that we all still have a voice in that America. Let's roll our sleeves up and make it a better place.
John McCain's concession speech, just in case ya missed it (10:00 min):
My initial reaction to this speech last evening was there has to be just a little bit of buyer’s remorse amongst some Obama voters. Not the hardcore Obamanons, mind you... I'm thinking more of the cross-over vote and/or newly registered “Independents.” Senator McCain is a class act… a man of courage, integrity, and values.He would have made a great president.
I also watched Obama’s acceptance speech last night and it wasn’t all that bad.There wasn’t any substance in the speech (as usual), but he did say a few of the “right” things.Once again, in case ya missed it, here’s Obama’s acceptance speech (17:00 min):
I was up until 0400 this morning watching all the brouhaha.I’m tired, disappointed, and emotionally hung-over today (no alcohol hangover, thankyouverymuch).But I need to say one thing:I was SO very proud to be an American last night.Our democratic political system played out as it has so many, many times in the past.There will be yet another peaceful transition of power, with no blood in the streets, no riots, no threat of a coup d’état.There will be a recount or two where the results were close, but that’s about it. My bottom line:I may not like the results but I LOVE the process.
Flavia Nasini is an owner of A Tutta Birra, a shop in Milan that stocks many of Italy's great craft beers, as well as rare brews from around Europe. (Photo: Dave Yoder for The New York Times)
When you think of Europe and beer in the same space, most people think “Germany.”A few will think “England” (including YrHmblScrb), and the cognoscenti immediately think “Belgium!”But beer and Italy?You might think that’s a non-starter, as I did.If so, you need to read “Savoring Italy, One Beer at a Time.”Excerpts:
We celebrated our arrival with a couple of the brewery’s pilsner-style beers, a ubiquitous, often-overlooked style that Birrificio Italiano’s brewmaster, Agostino Arioli, has attempted to redeem with hoppier, more flavorful versions, traveling to Germany to select his own hops.
As we sipped our lagers, commenting on their vibrant bitterness, a jazz band set up on the pub’s small stage, beginning to play just as our appetizers arrived: a plate of poppy-seed toast with rich toma cheese and a sticky, gooey beer jelly, accompanied by a glass of the brewery’s Scires, a wine-like strong ale flavored with local cherries. Our main courses quickly followed: a chunky, inch-and-a-half-thick pork chop, and scottata alla piastra, a plate of paper-thin grilled pork fillets, both of which were marinated in the brewery’s malty Bibock ale, which made an excellent accompaniment. The same flavors showed up in our shared dessert: a panna cotta made extra sweet and slightly bitter with a dose of Bibock, which combined perfectly with the light dusting of chocolate on the pudding’s top.
As I finished the meal, I found myself thinking: If this is what Italy’s craft beers are like, they can keep the wines.
I keep finding reasons to renew my passport, and this is one of the best I’ve seen lately. Some of the descriptions of the food and drink in this article literally made my mouth water. The article also made me wish I lived in a place with good liquor stores, as well. I’d like to sample a few of the beers named in the article but that’s not even remotely possible here on The High Plains of New Mexico, where Bud, Miller, and Coors rule the roost… such as it is. Well, with the possible exception of the Class VI store out at Cannon Airplane Patch. Thank God for small favors.
―:☺:―
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… or however that saying goes. And in the hockey world, the Red Wings are drawing their share of flattery, beginning with the league-leading (at the moment) San Jose Sharks (“New-look Sharks out-Winging their opponents early on in season”). A few excerpts from the linked story:
The reverberations of the 2007 Stanley Cup victory of the Anaheim Ducks, it is fair to say, are still being felt.
The Ducks partially brawled their way to that title, and last season much of the Western Conference added muscle with which to confront Anaheim.
[…]
The Detroit Red Wings, needless to say, proved there was another way last season, riding skill, speed and Tre Kronor power to an impressive Stanley Cup title. The Wings hardly fought at all, didn't carry an enforcer and roared through the postseason.
That left the San Jose Sharks, to name one team, in a bit of a conundrum.
Follow the Ducks or follow the Wings?
Simply being the Sharks, after all, wouldn't do. That had become synonymous with strong regular seasons -- 418 points in four seasons -- and disappointing playoff pratfalls.
Well, for better or worse, the Sharks chose to imitate the Wings.
In fact, beating the Red Wings 4-2 in Silicon Valley on Thursday night boosted the Sharks to 9-2 on the season, the best start in San Jose franchise history. It was a game that came on the heels of an impressive win over the Eastern Conference defending champs from Pittsburgh, in which Sidney Crosby and Co. were held to just 11 shots by the stingy Sharks defense.
The Wings, it's fair to say, left town thinking they'd just played themselves.
[…]
"Not only are they the Stanley Cup champs," said San Jose winger Ryane Clowe. "But we stole their assistant coach."
That, of course, is the most concrete evidence that San Jose plotted to copy Detroit this season. Detroit assistant coach Todd McLellan was hired by the Sharks to replace the fired Ron Wilson, who was canned somewhat reluctantly by Doug Wilson and was immediately snapped up by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Well, hiring Detroit’s assistant coach certainly goes a long way towards implementing the Wings’ style, doesn’t it? The Sharks have been an impressive regular season team these past few years, yet have consistently failed to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs, come spring. This year might be a different story… and as noted above they’re certainly beginning the season with an impressive showing.
Yeah, it’s early days and a LOT can happen between now and the playoffs. And a lot can happen DURING the playoffs, as well. As Damien Cox says in his closing sentences: “It looks great now. When it comes to the spring, however, it will be a lot tougher to out-Wing the Wings.”
Today’s Pics… or Broadening Our Horizons, Part Deux. The pics above were taken just before I grabbed up all the important bits and hit the verandah for Happy Hour yesterday afternoon. The last pic is a close up of one of my favorite beer vessels... purloined from the quintessential dive bar... and the very act of drinking from it makes me think of many, many good times, Gentle Reader.
Today’s Pics… or Broadening Our Horizons, Part Deux. The pics above were taken just before I grabbed up all the important bits and hit the verandah for Happy Hour yesterday afternoon. The last pic is a close up of one of my favorite beer vessels... purloined from the quintessential dive bar... and the very act of drinking from it makes me think of many, many good times, Gentle Reader.
