Words escape me.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Tim Conway's Elephants
Seeing that Harvey Korman passed away I was searching Youtube for some old Carol Burnett videos. I came across my favorite outtake from that show. This is a scene from a Momma's Family skit and, even though, it doesn't have Harvey in it, you gotta watch it. Watch it to the end. The punchline is killer.
Seeing that Harvey Korman passed away I was searching Youtube for some old Carol Burnett videos. I came across my favorite outtake from that show. This is a scene from a Momma's Family skit and, even though, it doesn't have Harvey in it, you gotta watch it. Watch it to the end. The punchline is killer.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A Nice Quote
"Which of us knows for sure whether any war ever be 'good?' The conclusion one might well draw from the story told in different ways by these books is that there may never be good wars or just wars, but that there may be necessary wars; and that the war i which Churchill led his country, awful and inexcusable as its means sometimes were, and grim as many of its consequences, really was a 'war of necessity," just as much as the present war in Iraq was not. We should almost be grateful to George Bush and Tony Blair for illuminating the distinction."
"Which of us knows for sure whether any war ever be 'good?' The conclusion one might well draw from the story told in different ways by these books is that there may never be good wars or just wars, but that there may be necessary wars; and that the war i which Churchill led his country, awful and inexcusable as its means sometimes were, and grim as many of its consequences, really was a 'war of necessity," just as much as the present war in Iraq was not. We should almost be grateful to George Bush and Tony Blair for illuminating the distinction."
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Hugging the Idiot
If you click this link you will see our President, George W. Bush hugging the mother of recently deceased soldier. You know if this jackass had been half as concerned about doing his job as he was of staying in power then that woman's son would still be alive. I don't know how she could stand it. If someone I knew and loved had died in Iraq recently and that goofball came to the funeral and tried to hug me I would bite his ear off and spit it back at him and then say, "Mission accomplished, bitch." Now there would be a photo op.
If you click this link you will see our President, George W. Bush hugging the mother of recently deceased soldier. You know if this jackass had been half as concerned about doing his job as he was of staying in power then that woman's son would still be alive. I don't know how she could stand it. If someone I knew and loved had died in Iraq recently and that goofball came to the funeral and tried to hug me I would bite his ear off and spit it back at him and then say, "Mission accomplished, bitch." Now there would be a photo op.
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Lord Loves a Workin' Man
Since I work tomorrow I was off today. I spent a good chunk of the day working outside. This may surprise many people that know me but I am finding puttering around outside here fun and fulfilling. Of course, mowing the lawn is a pain in the butt but planting things in our little garden is satisfying. Lord knows if what I planted will grow but I am giving it a shot. Initially, Melanie and I just planted some sunflower seeds and since they sprouted quickly and are still growing I felt confident enough to put in some vegetables.
Last week I bought to stout looking tomato plants and put them in the ground in the only place here that gets any real direct sunlight, next to the chain link fence to nowhere that is between the driveway and the street.
This week at work Charlie gave us some extra plants he grew from seed and I put them in the ground today. I planted three more tomato plants and two squash out by the fence and put three small sage plants in a pot. The plastic pot I purchased at Home Depot didn't have any drain holes in the bottom so I attempted to poke a few holes in it with the forked hoe I have. What I didn't realize was that the plastic was brittle and I knocked about a third of the bottom out. It was good for a laugh. I stuck a disposable plate in the bottom and used it anyway. As long as we never move the thing it should be OK.
While at Home Depot I also bought a cucumber plant. What's a garden without cucumbers? I stuck that in ground near the squash. All I need now is a couple of green pepper plants and I'll be set.
We've also been having a bit of a squirrel problem at the bird feeder we fill with sunflower nuts. I caught a squirrel this morning hanging from the shepherd's hook by his back legs with his face buried in the bird feeder. Melanie's mother greases up the pole of her shepherd's hook with petroleum jelly. Supposedly that works and I did that today. I don't mind feeding squirrel but the little buggers can clean out a bird feeder in an afternoon if left to their own devices. Can you injure a squirrel if you shoot it with a BB gun or does it just sting?
While at Home Depot I looked for bird baths. I was told by an employee that Home Depot doesn't carry bird baths. What kind of nonsense is that? They have everything you could possibly need for your yard from ground cover plants to riding lawnmowers but they can't carry bird baths? I need to remember to just go to Lowe's. They seem to have a better selection of yard junk than Home Depot. I tend to go to Home Depot because that store is closer to my local beer store. From now on I am driving the extra five miles to Lowe's.
Speaking of driving: I have a 1989 Honda Civic and it cost me $40 to fill up the other day. What's the deal? This is America, why should we start having to pay the same price for gasoline as the rest of the world. I mean, we invented car culture. For that we deserve cheap gas.
Since I work tomorrow I was off today. I spent a good chunk of the day working outside. This may surprise many people that know me but I am finding puttering around outside here fun and fulfilling. Of course, mowing the lawn is a pain in the butt but planting things in our little garden is satisfying. Lord knows if what I planted will grow but I am giving it a shot. Initially, Melanie and I just planted some sunflower seeds and since they sprouted quickly and are still growing I felt confident enough to put in some vegetables.
Last week I bought to stout looking tomato plants and put them in the ground in the only place here that gets any real direct sunlight, next to the chain link fence to nowhere that is between the driveway and the street.
This week at work Charlie gave us some extra plants he grew from seed and I put them in the ground today. I planted three more tomato plants and two squash out by the fence and put three small sage plants in a pot. The plastic pot I purchased at Home Depot didn't have any drain holes in the bottom so I attempted to poke a few holes in it with the forked hoe I have. What I didn't realize was that the plastic was brittle and I knocked about a third of the bottom out. It was good for a laugh. I stuck a disposable plate in the bottom and used it anyway. As long as we never move the thing it should be OK.
While at Home Depot I also bought a cucumber plant. What's a garden without cucumbers? I stuck that in ground near the squash. All I need now is a couple of green pepper plants and I'll be set.
We've also been having a bit of a squirrel problem at the bird feeder we fill with sunflower nuts. I caught a squirrel this morning hanging from the shepherd's hook by his back legs with his face buried in the bird feeder. Melanie's mother greases up the pole of her shepherd's hook with petroleum jelly. Supposedly that works and I did that today. I don't mind feeding squirrel but the little buggers can clean out a bird feeder in an afternoon if left to their own devices. Can you injure a squirrel if you shoot it with a BB gun or does it just sting?
While at Home Depot I looked for bird baths. I was told by an employee that Home Depot doesn't carry bird baths. What kind of nonsense is that? They have everything you could possibly need for your yard from ground cover plants to riding lawnmowers but they can't carry bird baths? I need to remember to just go to Lowe's. They seem to have a better selection of yard junk than Home Depot. I tend to go to Home Depot because that store is closer to my local beer store. From now on I am driving the extra five miles to Lowe's.
Speaking of driving: I have a 1989 Honda Civic and it cost me $40 to fill up the other day. What's the deal? This is America, why should we start having to pay the same price for gasoline as the rest of the world. I mean, we invented car culture. For that we deserve cheap gas.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Positive Polarization
This is chilling:
"Nixon was coldly mixing and pouring volatile passions. Although he was careful to renounce the extreme fringe of Birchites and racists, his means to power eventually became the end. Buchanan gave me a copy of a seven-page confidential memorandum—“A little raw for today,” he warned—that he had written for Nixon in 1971, under the heading “Dividing the Democrats.” Drawn up with an acute understanding of the fragilities and fault lines in “the Old Roosevelt Coalition,” it recommended that the White House “exacerbate the ideological division” between the Old and New Left by praising Democrats who supported any of Nixon’s policies; highlight “the elitism and quasi-anti-Americanism of the National Democratic Party”; nominate for the Supreme Court a Southern strict constructionist who would divide Democrats regionally; use abortion and parochial-school aid to deepen the split between Catholics and social liberals; elicit white working-class support with tax relief and denunciations of welfare. Finally, the memo recommended exploiting racial tensions among Democrats. “Bumper stickers calling for black Presidential and especially Vice-Presidential candidates should be spread out in the ghettoes of the country,” Buchanan wrote. “We should do what is within our power to have a black nominated for Number Two, at least at the Democratic National Convention.” Such gambits, he added, could “cut the Democratic Party and country in half; my view is that we would have far the larger half.”
The Nixon White House didn’t enact all of these recommendations, but it would be hard to find a more succinct and unapologetic blueprint for Republican success in the conservative era. “Positive polarization” helped the Republicans win one election after another—and insured that American politics would be an ugly, unredeemed business for decades to come."
Just stick the names Karl Rove and George W. Bush in there in the proper spots and you got a good description of the sleazeballs that have been running things for the last 7 years.
This is chilling:
"Nixon was coldly mixing and pouring volatile passions. Although he was careful to renounce the extreme fringe of Birchites and racists, his means to power eventually became the end. Buchanan gave me a copy of a seven-page confidential memorandum—“A little raw for today,” he warned—that he had written for Nixon in 1971, under the heading “Dividing the Democrats.” Drawn up with an acute understanding of the fragilities and fault lines in “the Old Roosevelt Coalition,” it recommended that the White House “exacerbate the ideological division” between the Old and New Left by praising Democrats who supported any of Nixon’s policies; highlight “the elitism and quasi-anti-Americanism of the National Democratic Party”; nominate for the Supreme Court a Southern strict constructionist who would divide Democrats regionally; use abortion and parochial-school aid to deepen the split between Catholics and social liberals; elicit white working-class support with tax relief and denunciations of welfare. Finally, the memo recommended exploiting racial tensions among Democrats. “Bumper stickers calling for black Presidential and especially Vice-Presidential candidates should be spread out in the ghettoes of the country,” Buchanan wrote. “We should do what is within our power to have a black nominated for Number Two, at least at the Democratic National Convention.” Such gambits, he added, could “cut the Democratic Party and country in half; my view is that we would have far the larger half.”
The Nixon White House didn’t enact all of these recommendations, but it would be hard to find a more succinct and unapologetic blueprint for Republican success in the conservative era. “Positive polarization” helped the Republicans win one election after another—and insured that American politics would be an ugly, unredeemed business for decades to come."
Just stick the names Karl Rove and George W. Bush in there in the proper spots and you got a good description of the sleazeballs that have been running things for the last 7 years.
The Dexateens
Regular scanners of this blog may have noticed that Melanie and I went to Greenville, SC last week to see the Drive by Truckers. We had a good time. Walked around downtown Greenville a bit, had a nice dinner, took a cab to the club and saw a great show. You know you are in for a good time when the opening band doesn't suck. Opening for DBT that day was a young band from, I think, Alabama called the Dexateens. We were sharing a room with a guy I met on the Drive by Truckers mailing list and he told us earlier the Dexateens reminded him of Creedence Clearwater Revival. We went inside the club when the Dexateens started and they were putting on a good rock and roll show. You know you are putting on a good show when several hundred people who are there to see the Drive by Truckers hoot and applaud when you finish a song. The band was really getting off on the crowd's enthusiasm and got better as their set went on. To me they didn't sound like CCR. I heard a little bit of the Neckbones but not as punky as the Neckbones and with less jumping around than the Neckbones but still, there was a similarity to me.
That night the band was handing out post cards with a link printed on them that directed you to the band's website where you could download their new album for free. I downloaded and we've played it a few times while having a beer on the back porch and it's growing on me. Since they are passing out their album for free I thought I would share a track. I present to you Enough of Nothing by the Dexateens.
Regular scanners of this blog may have noticed that Melanie and I went to Greenville, SC last week to see the Drive by Truckers. We had a good time. Walked around downtown Greenville a bit, had a nice dinner, took a cab to the club and saw a great show. You know you are in for a good time when the opening band doesn't suck. Opening for DBT that day was a young band from, I think, Alabama called the Dexateens. We were sharing a room with a guy I met on the Drive by Truckers mailing list and he told us earlier the Dexateens reminded him of Creedence Clearwater Revival. We went inside the club when the Dexateens started and they were putting on a good rock and roll show. You know you are putting on a good show when several hundred people who are there to see the Drive by Truckers hoot and applaud when you finish a song. The band was really getting off on the crowd's enthusiasm and got better as their set went on. To me they didn't sound like CCR. I heard a little bit of the Neckbones but not as punky as the Neckbones and with less jumping around than the Neckbones but still, there was a similarity to me.
That night the band was handing out post cards with a link printed on them that directed you to the band's website where you could download their new album for free. I downloaded and we've played it a few times while having a beer on the back porch and it's growing on me. Since they are passing out their album for free I thought I would share a track. I present to you Enough of Nothing by the Dexateens.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Yikes
If you were photographing a young couple on their wedding day and an earthquake started would you have the presence of mind to keep taking pictures?
If you were photographing a young couple on their wedding day and an earthquake started would you have the presence of mind to keep taking pictures?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Downtown Panorama
Originally uploaded by zzazazz
Yesterday I went downtown for a meeting at the Main Library. I parked at the top of the parking deck called Seventh Street Station. I took seven pictures for a panorama. Got the meeting early, dumped the files onto my lapttop's hard drive, stitched them together with Autostitch and uploaded them to Flickr using the library's wireless connection. I had to redo the panorama later after I noticed that a portion of the photo was out of focus. This should be a wider view but I had to scale it back because one of the photos was no good.
This shot is looking north.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Pat Robertson
If you read one article about Pat Robertson and the rise of the Christian right, please, make sure it's this one.
As I mentioned below in my diatribe about our worthless president, is it scarier for one of these guys to be using this far right Christian strategy for what it can achieve or if he believes every crazy word he says? To me it's more frightening if he believes such nonsense. As an American I have the normal amount of respect for the swindler, like the king in Huckleberry Finn. It's the true believer that freaks me out.
If you read one article about Pat Robertson and the rise of the Christian right, please, make sure it's this one.
As I mentioned below in my diatribe about our worthless president, is it scarier for one of these guys to be using this far right Christian strategy for what it can achieve or if he believes every crazy word he says? To me it's more frightening if he believes such nonsense. As an American I have the normal amount of respect for the swindler, like the king in Huckleberry Finn. It's the true believer that freaks me out.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Our president, the simpleton
From his speech in front of the Israeli government: “Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along,” Mr. Bush said. “We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: “Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.” We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.”
What simplistic and naive baloney. Again, one has to ask oneself, "Does he really believe this crap or is he just masturbating his base?" The constant reference to World War II by these jackasses is infuriating. Bush always wants to compare himself to Churchill, and in one way, he is very much like Churchill. Both Bush and Churchill enjoy war. So, there you go, George, you are like Churchill in your enjoyment of war. If you don't believe me find that video of Bush's comments after the July 7, 2005 London subway bombings. The jackass is practically dancing because he's so happy to play war president again. This ridiculous attitude explains why Syria and Iran are doing pretty much what they please. He thinks communication is appeasement. Rolling over and giving a future adversary anything they want because you are unprepared militarily (England in the days before WWII) is appeasement. Sitting down and negotiating with potential future adversaries is not appeasement, you fear mongering piece of crap, it is diplomacy. You know diplomacy, it's that thing Condi rushing around trying to do in the Middle East so your presidency doesn't end up looking like the complete failure that it is.
From his speech in front of the Israeli government: “Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along,” Mr. Bush said. “We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: “Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.” We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.”
What simplistic and naive baloney. Again, one has to ask oneself, "Does he really believe this crap or is he just masturbating his base?" The constant reference to World War II by these jackasses is infuriating. Bush always wants to compare himself to Churchill, and in one way, he is very much like Churchill. Both Bush and Churchill enjoy war. So, there you go, George, you are like Churchill in your enjoyment of war. If you don't believe me find that video of Bush's comments after the July 7, 2005 London subway bombings. The jackass is practically dancing because he's so happy to play war president again. This ridiculous attitude explains why Syria and Iran are doing pretty much what they please. He thinks communication is appeasement. Rolling over and giving a future adversary anything they want because you are unprepared militarily (England in the days before WWII) is appeasement. Sitting down and negotiating with potential future adversaries is not appeasement, you fear mongering piece of crap, it is diplomacy. You know diplomacy, it's that thing Condi rushing around trying to do in the Middle East so your presidency doesn't end up looking like the complete failure that it is.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Drive by Truckers
Shonna and Cooley from the Drive by Truckers
Originally uploaded by zzazazz
Melanie and I went and saw the Drive by Truckers in beautiful Greenville, SC on Monday. It was an incredible show (I haven't seen an average DBT show). I took a bunch of pictures, especially after Mel found a nice close spot to the right of the stage. This picture is the favorite one of all I took that night.
We were really impressed by downtown Greenville. There were nice restaurants and shops all up and down Main St. Not only that, we saw what can only be called controlled development. There was a condominium development right outside of downtown tucked in along the river. The condos looked looked well made and fit in with the neighborhood. As a resident of Charlotte I always get jealous when I see a city practicing smart growth.
Mel also pointed out that I spelled "hallowed" incorrectly. I can't seem to change it because I used the 'blog this photo' option on Flickr.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Hollowed Ground
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Plant and Krauss
I'm sure I have mentioned here how much I like the album Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. I read in a comment on a writer's website that they performed The Battle of Evermore at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. I had to check Youtube and see if a video exists. It does and it is below. You have to watch it until around the four minute mark when they get to the "bring it back" part. It'll rock your world.
For a little background information on the project you can see an interview with the two below.
I'm sure I have mentioned here how much I like the album Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. I read in a comment on a writer's website that they performed The Battle of Evermore at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. I had to check Youtube and see if a video exists. It does and it is below. You have to watch it until around the four minute mark when they get to the "bring it back" part. It'll rock your world.
For a little background information on the project you can see an interview with the two below.
Dig the Ant
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Thunderstorm vs. Volcanic Plume
Coolest thing I've seen this week. It's a series of photos so be sure to click the right arrow to see the rest of them.
Coolest thing I've seen this week. It's a series of photos so be sure to click the right arrow to see the rest of them.
Monday, May 05, 2008
I used to find Ben Stein amusing
Check out what Ben Stein says about science in this excerpt from interview. I know I've said it before but I love how people like Stein pick and choose their science. Microphones, tv cameras and broadcast towers? Created by God. Evolution? Voodoo and god killing mumbo jumbo. It would be funny if so many people didn't believe he was right.
Check out what Ben Stein says about science in this excerpt from interview. I know I've said it before but I love how people like Stein pick and choose their science. Microphones, tv cameras and broadcast towers? Created by God. Evolution? Voodoo and god killing mumbo jumbo. It would be funny if so many people didn't believe he was right.
Original Spiderman
Looks like someone donated the original drawings of Spiderman's first appearance. You can read about it on the Library of Congress' blog here.
Looks like someone donated the original drawings of Spiderman's first appearance. You can read about it on the Library of Congress' blog here.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Saturday, May 03, 2008
It's the blimp!
This weekend there is a PGA tournament taking place here in Charlotte. It's the Wachovia Championship. On the way to work today I saw the Metlife blimp on its way to cover the tournament. I had some time to spare and chased it around Freedom Park and took a few pictures which you can see here.
This weekend there is a PGA tournament taking place here in Charlotte. It's the Wachovia Championship. On the way to work today I saw the Metlife blimp on its way to cover the tournament. I had some time to spare and chased it around Freedom Park and took a few pictures which you can see here.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Do people really still watch Fox "News?"
Fox News mixes up it historical figures. Watch it here here.
Fox News mixes up it historical figures. Watch it here here.
Another wall smashed down
I am sitting in the Panera Bread down the street from where I work and I am hooked into their wireless network. Blogging on a public connection. I feel like I should be living on the moon. All I can say is that I am glad I have lived to see the day that Man can blog while at lunch.
I am sitting in the Panera Bread down the street from where I work and I am hooked into their wireless network. Blogging on a public connection. I feel like I should be living on the moon. All I can say is that I am glad I have lived to see the day that Man can blog while at lunch.
Another sports heartbreaker
That story I linked to the other day about the softball player being helped around the bases by her opponents reminded me of the video I once saw of an Olympic runner named Derek Redmond that pops a hamstring while running a sprint in the 1992 Barcelona summer games. He's in a lot of pain but decides that he's in the dadgum Olympics so he's going to finish the race. His father can't take watching his son struggle alone and runs out and helps him finish. Amazing. You can view it below.
That story I linked to the other day about the softball player being helped around the bases by her opponents reminded me of the video I once saw of an Olympic runner named Derek Redmond that pops a hamstring while running a sprint in the 1992 Barcelona summer games. He's in a lot of pain but decides that he's in the dadgum Olympics so he's going to finish the race. His father can't take watching his son struggle alone and runs out and helps him finish. Amazing. You can view it below.
Gas prices adjusted for inflation
I can't say for sure how accurate the chart it but you can view it here. I guess one reason that gas prices feel so high right now is that for a good while there we weren't paying all that much for gasoline. We didn't know how good we had it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Lincoln
Holy cow.
I can't say for sure how accurate the chart it but you can view it here. I guess one reason that gas prices feel so high right now is that for a good while there we weren't paying all that much for gasoline. We didn't know how good we had it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Lincoln
Holy cow.
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