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August 30, 2008
Exodus
major dad and I spent a quiet ride home from Mobile, just now. On I-10 East, we were surrounded by Mississippi and Louisiana license plates, the shoulder was dotted with broken down vehicles carrying the same and the Welcome Center was jammed. Sobering. And terribly sad. We may be on the eastern edge of the official cone, but my heart's with Rob and everyone to the west of us. And the hard right Ivan took ~ when we all thought he was heading to Biloxi ~ has taught us to play this like we were dead center. It wouldn't take long for us to be, should Gustav exercise his capricious side.
Note to self: if the family chariot will be required to perform evacuatory maneuvers, ascertain it can go further than 200 miles without exploding. There is considerably less stress that way.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 06:26 PM | Comments (9)
Ho Boy
That didn't long
DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT GUSTAV CONTINUES TO RAPIDLY STRENGTHEN AND NOW HAS MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES GUSTAV A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE.
Not good at all if he's Three already.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:14 AM | Comments (3)
A Note Concerning Dave J. Vis a Vis Sarah Palin
Brilliant. Absolutely fucking brilliant.
Agreed. Once I got done crying (which has NEVER happened in a political sense EVER.) (Okay, when Fred! f*cked things up, but that was RAGE.), I thought "Dang! I can relate to this chick." I mean, I don't agree with some of her stances, but nobody ever agrees 100% with anyone. And if they DO... ::raised eyebrows::
But I was always a tomboy (and actually a beauty queen of some SMALL note, too) (they gave me a trophy and savings bonds, yo) ~ always with the guns and the woods and the hopped up car and the rough house with the brothers...and there were so few wimmens of my OWN acquaintance (less mind the manicured, helmet headed doyennes of politics) with whom I felt instinctively I could commune. So, yeah, the Marines was a natch match and while I might envy Liddy Dole for her polish, she and her kind had no real connection to MY life, however she might have my sympathies aligned with her views and my envy for elegant, food stain-free evenings.
But Palin?
Diggity dadgum. I could give a rat's ass about "experience" as defined by the chattering classes, because the definition morphs for the expediency of the attack at hand. I could also give a rat's ass about religion in ALL its aspects. There are points about her that the 'right'-est side of the party love and with which I respectfully disagree. But you know what? I can live with that. Actually doesn't bother me a bit. Because what we're being introduced to now is a person I find so refreshing and so normal, so decent and so secure in herself that, in a lot of ways, it's like looking in the mirror and saying with wry surprise/winkwinknudgenudgeyness, "I know you"...and I've never been able to say that before.
And I have a sneaking suspicion there's more girls than just me thinking that across the country tonight.
And that's pretty cool.
ths UPDATE: At Hot Air, a link to thoughts that sum it up perfectly:
...But ultimately, we are in completely uncharted territory here. Palin is the most manifestly ordinary person ever to be nominated for a major party ticket. In this year of bittergate and Britney-gate and McCain-has-seven-houses-gate, that could conceivably be a virtue; it's certainly less tone-deaf than a selection like Mitt Romney would have been.But Palin isn't merely playing at being ordinary, the way that Bill Clinton (Rhodes Scholar) or George W. Bush (son of a president) or Hillary Clinton (wife of a president) might. She really, really comes across that way -- like someone who had won a sweepstakes or an essay contest. Her authenticity factor is off-the-charts good; her biography sings.
But do Americans really want their next-door-neighbor running for Vice President, or rather someone who seems like one?
I'll take that bad-ass-normal/sister-in-spirit neighbor over a Beltway slicksuit IN A HEARTBEAT.
ANY.
DAY.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:40 AM | Comments (9)
August 29, 2008
What Else Did Bingley Bring Back With Him From Alaska?!?!?
Everyone is confirming it's Palin. And daggum. They had to call her parents while they were caribou hunting.
What a hoot.
Man.
I am CHARGED UP!
Bingley Update: She has more executive experience than McCain, Obama and Biden combined.
ths UPDATE: To quote the radar tech in Top Gun:
Way to go, Maverick!!I'm giddy. I hope it lasts....
Read her Wiki entry, before the nutroots start adlibbing in it. I'm getting screencaps right now. I was worried about the State Trooper thing, but Bingley pointed me to this entry on the Wiki page:
...In response to Palin's statement that she had nothing to hide, in August 2008 the Alaska Legislature hired Steve Branchflower to investigate Palin and her staff for possible abuse of power surrounding the dismissal, though lawmakers acknowledge that "Monegan and other commissioners serve at will, meaning they can be fired by Palin at any time."[49] The investigation is being overseen by Democratic State Senator Hollis French, who says that the Palin administration has been cooperating and thus subpoenas are unnecessary.[50] The Palin administration itself was the first to release an audiotape of Bailey making inquiries about the status of the Wooten investigation.[48][51]Wooten and the police union alleged that the governor had improperly released his employment files in his divorce case. However, McCann's attorney released a signed waiver from Wooten demonstrating that Wooten had authorized the release of his files through normal discovery procedures.
UPDATE: Oh, man! The Obama campaign stepped on their cranks with their statement.
"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same," said Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman.
Bitter, SMALL town folks clinging to guns again?
They're fools.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:46 AM | Comments (26)
Hannah, You Little Hussy
Behold the words of Avila
THIS PATTERN SHOULD FORCE HANNA ON A SLOW SOUTHWESTERLY TRACK BEYOND THREE DAYS...BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE UPPER-LEVEL WINDS SHOULD WEAKEN THE CYCLONE. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST SHOWS A LITTLE BIT OF THE SOUTHWESTERLY MOTION BUT DOES NOT GO AS FAR SOUTH AS SHOWN BY MOST OF THE MODELS. IN FACT...THE GFS HAS JOINED THE REST OF THE GLOBAL MODELS IN BRINGING THE CYCLONE SOUTHWESTWARD. I PREFER TO WAIT FOR MORE MODEL RUNS BEFORE FORECAST SUCH A RARE BUT NOT UNIQUE TRACK TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST.
At this point she *looks* to stay Cat 1 for the near term...
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:54 AM
Morning Gus
From our friends Blake and Avila
A HIGH OVER THE OHIO VALLEY IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE
GUSTAV TO GRADUALLY BEND TO THE LEFT. HOWEVER...THERE IS A LARGE UNCERTAINTY IN THE TIMING AND SHARPNESS OF THE BEND. THE UKMET AND GFS HAVE HAD LARGE CHANGES TO THEIR FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS RUNS...AND GIVEN THE INCREASING MODEL SPREAD...WE'VE OPTED TO KEEP THE FORECAST SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS ONE. HOPEFULLY A G-IV MISSION LATER TODAY WILL HELP RESOLVE SOME OF THESE DIFFERENCES.AFTER THE STORM MOVES AWAY FROM JAMAICA...SIGNIFICANT INTENSIFICATION IS POSSIBLE. VERTICAL WIND SHEAR IS FORECAST TO BE VERY LIGHT DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...AND COMBINED WITH THE DEEP WARM CARIBBEAN WATERS...COULD PRODUCE A STRONG HURRICANE VERY QUICKLY. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST WILL SHOW RAPID INTENSIFICATION BEFORE IT REACHES WESTERN CUBA AND COULD BE CONSERVATIVE AS SOME MODELS SHOW CATEGORY FOUR STRENGTH AT THAT TIME.
Get out of Dodge, folks.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:48 AM | Comments (1)
August 28, 2008
And a Good Time Is to Be Had By ALL
You all be careful out there...
UPDATE: In living color...
Adds to the drama, doncha think?
Good resources and discussions for those of us in the nervous-and-drinking-heavily zone:
NAVY page for Gustav, but has links to everything else going on. The upside to this vice the National Hurricane Center? The Navy updates in real time, the NHC on 3-5 hour cycles.
Weather Underground/Tropical page has all the models, forecast tracks, etc., laid out real pretty and accessible. For an interesting discussion, click on the "Dr. Jeff Masters' Wunderblog" column on the right hand side of the page. He offers up his expertise once or twice a day, PLUS there is an ongoing comment section that stretches out to thousands of entries under each post. The folks there are actual and/or ardent amateur meteorologists and I have learned tons from the back and forth there. If you want to read a REAL hurricane adventure (and have time for multiple pages of story with pics), try Dr. Jeff's "Flying Into Hurricane Hugo" link. What happens when a hurricane hunter loses an engine? Or two?
...The aircraft lurches out of control into a hard right bank. We plunge towards the ocean, our number three engine in flames. Debris hangs from the number four engine.The turbulence suddenly stops. The clouds part. The darkness lifts. We fall into the eye of Hurricane Hugo.
It's a great read.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:02 AM | Comments (1)
That Shifty Gustav
Now he's weaker and shifting westward
Keep dying, you Hun bastard!
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:12 AM | Comments (4)
August 27, 2008
He Never Would Have Gotten So Long, If He Hadn't LIED About Making It
...well...so long.
WHAT: Steve Warshak, founder of Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison.
"A sleighful of confidence and a sackful of pride!"
Never promise a guy a new thang if you don't have one to give him. Men are so pissy that way.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:23 PM | Comments (3)
Dear CNN: "Lowest On Record"...
...is not the same as "Lowest Ever"
Arctic ice at second-lowest level ever
WASHINGTON (AP) -- New satellite measurements show that crucial sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has plummeted to its second-lowest level on record.
No, really, they're impartial.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 03:28 PM | Comments (4)
Today's Joke
My Dad called a little while ago from his home in northern Alabama. He said that Walmarts all across the state have sold out of rifle ammunition, because
folks heard that the Russians invaded Georgia.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 03:03 PM
Ach, That Is The Hur'cane I Must Hav!
Gustav ist giffen der forecasters fitz
NOTWITHSTANDING...THERE IS VERY LITTLE...IF ANY...SKILL IN INTENSITY PREDICTIONS AT THESE EXTENDED RANGES. INDEED...IF ONE LOOKS AT THE LATEST WIND SPEED PROBABILITY PRODUCT INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE...IT CAN BE SEEN THAT THERE IS NEARLY AN EQUAL CHANCE THAT GUSTAV WILL BE A CATEGORY 1...CATEGORY 2...OR CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE AT THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD....ONE SHOULD
NOT READ MUCH INTO SUCH SHIFTS OF THE FORECAST TRACK SINCE THE
TYPICAL ERROR OF A 5-DAY PREDICTION IS OVER 300 MILES.
We have a long couple of days of weather pr0n ahead of us.
Bonus question: How quick a trigger will Mayor Noggin' have this time around?
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 12:56 PM | Comments (9)
Thoughts On The Dems
(don and I have been having a talk here about Obama/Biden et al and I thought to make life easier I'd post my latest reply here and broaden the discussion.)
I must confess that I haven't watched any of the convention, and I won't watch the Rep one either, as I find incessant pep rallies to be about as exciting as dental surgery. That being said, the reviews of Michelle's speech indicate that she did exactly what she needed to do, i.e. show she's a nice person who has sweet kids and loves both her husband and her country. I would imagine that for the next few weeks at least she will do her utmost not to be any type of a distraction and will appear mainly to smile and kiss babies so that Obama can focus on his message and his opponent and not have to answer any questions about something she has said.
Hillary is no dummy. As much as the media was trying to whoop up the idea of her fighting tooth and nail at the convention so they would have some fun stories to run there is no way in hell she was going to do so, as her sights are now on 2012. By making a strong speech in support of Obama it's a win-win for her. If he loses the election, the Dems will say "we should have chose Hillary." If he wins her help will have been key and so there will be some plum owed to her. If he wins and doesn't have a terribly successful term than she is the obvious choice for 2012.
As I said before I really don't see Biden as a positive, and it occurred to me last night that Biden clearly was not his first choice. Obviously, there's no way he would have chosen Hillary as his running mate. No way. The divisive, brawling horror show that would entail, trying to rein in both Hillary and Bill, would frankly ruin an Obama presidency. No, I think his first choice, the person who would have firmly solidified his 'Change' mantra and kept the "new" image projection alive would have been Edwards. While I may disagree with their policies I can't help but think that an Obama from the North and Edwards from the South would have been unbeatable combination. Unfortunately for the Democrats Edwards was more interested in other types of combinations, and that's why you're starting to see some vitriol directed at the Saintly Elizabeth as well now, for allowing the public charade to go on as long as it did since she knew about the canoodling at least since 2006. I can't help but think the Edwards implosion was a huge blow to the Dems, and forced him to reluctantly turn to a guy in Biden who's only 6 years younger than the 'dinosaur' McCain and fully 25 years older then Obama is and thus blunts part of his appeal.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:27 AM | Comments (9)
August 26, 2008
Great News on the "Gustav" Prep Front!
major dad's Vienna Snausages ~ absoLUTELY essential and stockpiled during the 2004 hurricane season ~ are expiration dated for Nov. 2009, saving us a whopping 33¢ ea. replacement cost.
Yeah.
Buddy.
Back to the inventorying...
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:42 PM | Comments (2)
August 25, 2008
North! To A-las-ka! Part 3: Do Juneau The Way To Taku Bay?
So after spending several hours toodling around in Disenchantment Bay in front of the glacier it was time to say "aw reservoir" and start the trip to Juneau, where we were scheduled to dock at 6 am or so.
So my Bride and I sat on our balcony and enjoyed the lovely mountainous scenery as it went by
(Toto, we ain't in Jersey anymore)
when we suddenly noticed a pod of killer whales right in front of us
How insanely cool was that? And how insanely crappy is that photo? All we could see were these fins slicing and Ginsuing through the water, I rush and take 5 or 7 photos and I don't capture squat in any of them.
Now I know how all those crazy old coots at Loch Ness feel: "Really! It was there! Look at the ripples, man...the ripples!"
Anyhoo, it was a formal night on the ship, and I looked positively mahvelous in my tux. After a delicious dinner and perhaps a tad too much wine I hit the sack and conked out, only to be awoken by some rather odd noises outside of the cabin the next morning...
Where the hell did that come from? Juneau! Capital of Alaska, squaged right up against a 3000' foot 'hill'
One of the cool things about Juneau is that, as the old saying goes, "you can't get there from here," for you see there are no roads to Juneau. The only way in is by boat or plane or both
Those seaplanes are zipping about constantly in all of these cities; I assume in the city harbors there's some sort of air traffic control but the number of planes taking off seemingly at random times and in random directions in these harbors reminds one more of folks just running out of a bar and hopping on their horse and galloping off in whatever way appeals at any given moment.
Juneau's not a booming megalopolis by any stretch of the imagination; all of the buildings are both pretty low
(yes, that's our ship the Celebrity Infinity towering over the port area)
and pretty low-key as well. For example, look at this High School building from the 50s
In fact that building is the State Capitol. No tarted up, gilded domed beastie building with naked blind Greek chicks wielding swords and scales adorning the front for Alaska, my friends, no sirree!
One other thing here in insane amounts are jewelry stores. I guess it is to be expected when cruise ships disgorge up to a million passengers over the course of the summer season (and this in a city that only has 30,000 residents) but my gosh the peddling of crap is incessant
First you get assaulted with all this advice on "where to shop" by employees on the ship and then when you get off the hustlers are everywhere. It's really really annoying. I mean, obviously, I took a cruise to Juneau solely to buy charm bracelets and t-shirts.
In point of fact, I came to Juneau to do this
A helicopter ride, gleefully sucking av-gas like a ravenously growing grizzly and spewing out carbon-based waste like, er, well, a ravenously growing grizzly cub, surging higher and higher over the pristine wilderness
searching for the place to land our two helicopters so we can gallivant about. There! The Taku!
Yes, this is the one!
The Taku laughs at Gerbil Warmening and is advancing at a blistering 50 feet per year, pummeling trees in its path
and calving gorgeous blue...river bergs
and upon her we shall soon stand.
But not here
as some of those crevasses fall to a depth of 1000'. That would suck.
A lot.
Luckily, our partner in carbon effrontery has found a perfect spot
and we soon land nearby...wind down the rotors...undo our various belts and safety gizmos...and step out
My eyes tear up at the deliciously tasty irony of taking a helicopter to visit a glacier. If only the Goreacle could see me...he'd be so proud of me following in his carbon footprints
"I hereby claim this land for Pope Prius the Offset"
Parked nearby is the air cavalry
Standing on the glacier it almost seems as if it is alive. It groans. It cracks. It creaks. Fluids run out of one part into another. It releases gas. It's very still and very quiet yet moving, in both the figurative and literal senses. Another one of those amazing places that words fail to describe until you step out on that puppy yourself.
After which words will still fail to describe but you will at least understand what I mean.
Still having lots of refined ANWR Water in our tanks we decided to saddle up once again and see more glaciery goodness
This one is called the "Hole In The Wall" glacier because it spills through that gap in the mountains up top
and tumbles down the steep slope in a crackling splintery cascade of aquamarine chaos
and surrealistic flows
rising higher, back over the Taku, you can see that there is indeed some beautiful orderly pattern as the sections split and bend and get shoved through the valley they are gouging out
as we climb even higher more glaciers come into view
and I swear I hear my Bride start humming "Kashmir"
(even I have to admit the "da-da-DUH, da-da-DUH" beat fits rather well with the sound of the rotors)
whilst below us another glacier tumbles off a cliff
and suddenly there! Nestled between two glaciers and glinting like the spires of Xanadu in the bright August sun lies that playground of the stars, Stalag Camp 17
Sadly our busy social calendar didn't allow us to stop and sample its many charms.
Perhaps next time.
As we head back to Juneau the mountains drop off steeply and the glacial runoff falls in torrents down the hillside
feeding the lakes and streams that are home to the many bear and other such critters that make all these trails
The Juneau Ice Field is really only a few miles from the city and within seconds we're back over the channel with the city in view
We soon land and return to the ship for our mid-afternoon departure and overnight cruise to Ketchikan.
An hour or so later we see a glacier that wouldn't be out of place in Mordor
and a short time after that we pass 15 or so humpback whales going in the opposite direction and my Pulitzer Prize Worthy photojournalism skills once again are displayed to their fullest advantage
Oh poo.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 10:06 PM | Comments (4)
Thinking INside the Box
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:25 PM | Comments (10)
And That's a Fact
...Jack.
"While air power, precision-guided bombs and missiles often receive all the glamour on the modern battlefield, cannon artillery still plays a critical role in today's fight by serving as the only 24-hour, all-weather reinforcement for the infantry soldier — a fact proven in recent conflicts."
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:22 PM | Comments (3)
But What If It Really IS a "Man on the Street"?
Council staff banned from saying 'man on the street'... in case women are offended
Well, I AM offended.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:31 AM | Comments (10)
This Also Seems to Be a Democratic Theme
Will stars in Denver help or hurt Obama?
Democrats weigh benefit of having ‘sparklies’ too close to candidate..."I don't think it's fair to lump all celebrities together," Sunshine adds. "Most serious celebrities don't pretend to be anything more than activists and good citizens. Why should Ben Affleck be penalized just because he's an actor and a director? He's smarter, more articulate, better read on foreign policy than 98 percent of us."
And so's Obama himself, Joe Biden will gladly tell you heis vis a vis La Streisand, while Madonna just puts on picture shows at her concerts so your average MOH-ron voter can figure it out. (Or Gwynnie, for that matter?)
If you don't acknowledge the omnipotence and inevitability of audacity, then you're acting like a mad Japanese soldier and it's really because you're just stupid. 98% stupider than Ben Affleck.
Told you so.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:33 AM | Comments (7)
August 24, 2008
I'm Sensing a New, Democratic
...theme today.
...One senior Obama supporter said the Clinton associates negotiating on her behalf act like “Japanese soldiers in the South Pacific still fighting after the war is over.”
Why do I say that? Well, I had a serious case of deja vu, considering Frank Rich's delusional eloquence in today's Sunday NYT.
...As Gen. David Petraeus returns home, McCain increasingly resembles those mad Japanese soldiers who remained at war on remote Pacific islands years after Hiroshima.
I seriously hope someone changes the analogy of choice.
Or at least spread it out over a couple weeks.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:57 PM
North! To A-las-ka! Part 2: Hubba-Hubba Hubbard Love
So we left Sitka in the early afternoon and slowly steamed our way north overnight towards the Hubbard Glacier. The next morning we got a special treat, for the day dawned warm and clear.
There she was, twenty miles ahead of us.
As we crept closer we started seeing high snowy mountains for the first time
Even from this distance the blue glacial ice was eerie
Who's the joker who put on Celine Dion?
Gulp!
The mountains surrounding the bay were a mixture of snowy crags, glacial flow, waterfalls, trees trying to maintain a grip and thousand-foot gravel slides
And the bergs kept getting bigger as we crept in
On board Infinity we had Brent Nixon, who gave daily talks on the various wildlife we might encounter and who today was narrating our approach to Hubbard. One thing he pointed out to us were these cafe au lait colored plumes in the water
It's called "glacial flour" and it is created by the weight of hundreds of feet of ice on the rock below. The pressure creates heat, which melts some of the ice and allows the glacier to 'slide' along, and the millions of tons of ice grind the rock surface into a talcum powder like substance, which flows along underneath the glacier and out eventually into the ocean. The powder is so fine that if you collected a glass of water from the bay with glacial flour in it it would take several days for it to settle out.
And still we crept closer. Now we could see where the glacier was advancing to close off Russel Fjord.
It last did that in 2002, and water rose to 45 feet above sea level behind the ice dam in the 40 mile long fjord before it broke; in 1986 the water rose to 80 feet above sea level before the dam broke loose with a tremendous volume of water.
The Hubbard is in fact advancing and they expect the chances are good that Russel Fjord will again be closed off.
The beautiful blue walls continued to rise before us, to some 300' in height...and some 400' below the water level as well
One goes to Hubbard not only for its beauty but also for its calving. 'Calving' is when gravity tears large pieces of the glacier off and they come crashing down with loud cracks and a smashing splashing roar
It takes some 400 years for the ice to travel from the origin of the glacier 75 miles away down to the sea, and its layers are slices of time
and then suddenly there's another loud 'crack'
The face of the Hubbard is something like six miles across where it meets the sea
and several other, much smaller, glaciers join it to dump into the bay
so it required careful ship handling as we closed to within a third of a mile of the Hubbard.
I can't imagine what these mountains must be like in January
The face of the glacier at times so clearly echoes the mountains of its birth
The beauty, the power...it's an over used phrase these days, but if you ever should need a definition for the word 'awesome' you need look no farther
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 05:51 PM | Comments (5)
North! To A-las-ka!
Vacation.
That magical word that conjures up images of endless hours stuck in traffic trying to get to the Shore, fighting with your siblings for precious square inches of backseat real estate, painful sunburns chafing under shirts that somehow aren't as soft now as they were but a few days ago, standing in long dismal lines in sweltering heat and humidity with thousands of people for a 45 second ride and wondering where the 'amusement' part of 'amusement park' comes from. Or perhaps it means going on a tour, hoping to see different cities and sights but instead mostly seeing different hotels as you endlessly pack and unpack every night at yet another new lodging...at times 'vacations' are more work than, well, work, which somehow seems to defeat the purpose.
With a cruise you get to take the hotel with you. Great in theory, but my fear has always been that once I got out to sea I would decide that it...sucked and then I'd be stuck. I've never been tempted by a Caribbean cruise. Oh sure, I've known lots of folks who have gone on them and loved them, but I find the Caribbean to be, well, boring (I also find the Caribbean by looking on a map, but that's a different thing entirely); I'm just not a sun or beach person.
I have been tempted, however, by the idea of perhaps a cruise in the Aegean amongst the Greek Isles, sniffing the vapors at Delphi, or perhaps a river cruise waltzing down the Blue Danube...or a cruise to Alaska. Ah, Alaska! That final frontier, bastion of manly man-ness, where the eagles fly free, the salmon always run and the polar bears are all sopranos. My Bride and I have always wanted to go there and when the chance appeared we booked a week-long cruise out of Seattle on the Celebrity Infinity.
As we'd never been there before, and to make sure we had no danger of missing the ship, we flew out a few days before to do some of that touristy thang, like dinner at the Space Needle. Great views
Crappy food.
There's a great museum on the Klondike Gold Rush that gives you an appreciation for the absolute hell that those folks went through, mostly for naught. The only lasting fortunes that came out of the Gold Rush were made by the people who sold the prospectors supplies, such as a fellow named John Nordstrom. There are also a hell of a lot of homeless folks and beggars in Seattle, at least in the main tourist area, a lot more than there are in New York. There are also many many stores selling a vast array of trinkety tourist crap...including little models of New Jersey Light Houses
And judging by the note of desperation in the shop owner's voice when I made the mistake of looking at that thing I can assure you that Jersey paraphernalia is not a big seller in the Pacific North West...shockingly.
So the time came for us to get on our ship, and the first thing they do to make you feel at home is conduct an evacuation drill
That bit of jolly fun out of the way it was time to say Bon Voy Agee to Seattle
and get started on the important things
The views as the ships leave Seattle and wander up the Puget Sound are lovely
especially for us East Coast types who aren't used to all this craggy mountain grandeur stuff; we thought "wow, it's so beautiful here!" Little did we know that we hadn't seen nothin' yet.
One thing that we noticed was that most of the cruise line itineraries followed more or less the same pattern, which makes sense when you realize that Friday to Friday or Saturday to Saturday cruises are the most convenient for folks. What this translates into is that there tends to be a bit of a conga line when you left a port
and when you arrive at one, as they all go to Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan at some point.
We left Seattle in glorious 85º weather on Friday and the weather got markedly cooler very quickly as we traveled north on the long sea leg to Sitka (which we wouldn't reach until Sunday morning); in fact, I woke up on Saturday to the serenade of the fog horn every three minutes
a sound which continued all day. Luckily, they started making Bloodies
at a very civilized 8 am which helped greatly in my appreciation of the view we had all day
At this point we were starting to get a little bummed, because while we knew it rained a lot here and we had seen the weather forecasts predicting basically 55º and misty rain for the entire trip we had hoped that we still had some of our magic left over from Scotland where we had an amazing 7 sunny days out of the 10 we spent there.
Sunday morning when we arrived in Sitka the fog lifted somewhat
and as the harbor pilot came aboard
we could see another ship had snuck in ahead of us
There are a bunch of neat houses scattered about on the islands
and once you take the tender ashore you are greeted by the first of many totems
Sitka has a long and important history but what I find striking is that with approximately 9,000 inhabitants it is the fourth largest city in Alaska...and it has the largest incorporated area of any city in the country at just a touch over 4,800 square miles. That's 3 times the size of Rhode Island and damn near as big as Connecticut.
Sitka's Russian Orthodox cathedral was established in 1848 and has many lovely original icons from that time
and it's still used to this day.
And next is one of those times when I get a strange feeling of connection to someone: Rev. Sheldon Jackson, 19th Century Presbyterian minister. He was born in NY state, went to Princeton Theological Seminary in NJ near where I used to live, he founded the church in Minnesota where my Bride and I were married...and he was instrumental in the creation of a college in Sitka for native students
Sadly, it closed this past June due to a lack of funds.
My Bride walked through the Sitka National Historical Park and thoroughly enjoyed the many totems placed amongst the towering spruces of the rainforest.
But by now it's time to head back to our ship
and say buh-bye to Sitka
because our overnight cruise to the Hubbard Glacier awaits!
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 12:07 PM | Comments (4)
August 23, 2008
Here's A Clue
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 02:26 AM | Comments (3)
I'm Back
(not that anyone noticed I was gone)
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 12:36 AM | Comments (6)
August 22, 2008
"I Agree With the Kids: Run Away NOW!"
"Anyone can see that's a f*cking carnivore!"
Real Live Dinosaur
Thanks to ebola for the animatronics in the hall.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:12 PM | Comments (1)
August 21, 2008
Well, Lord I HOPE So!!
...Conservatives say women at the wheel create situations for sinful temptation. They argue that women drivers will be free to leave home alone, will unduly expose their eyes while driving and will interact with male strangers, such as traffic police and mechanics.It is easier (and safer for all concerned) to get there when you can frickin' see, although judging by the picture accompanying the article...
...old girl came damn close to using the Braille method.
'Splain to me again why we need to keep sending these 7th century misogynist goat herders $700 billion a year? In the name of humanity, if ANY thing says "Drill Now!", it's that picture. Let them pull that sh*t on their own dime.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:50 PM | Comments (4)
There's Nothing More Terrifying Than a Mother Protecting Her Cub
...in the face of the unspeakable.
...Lilo [ed:Lindsey Lohan] was texting Billy Bush (???) the other day during Access Hollywood’s interview with Michael’s mom Debbie Phelps. Lilo wanted Billy to relay a message to Michael:“Tell him he’s f8cking amazing, and I want to meet him.”Best part is Billy decided to show this to Debbie who looked about as repulsed as a mother can get and spontaneously and hilariously vocalised her repulsion too:
"OK, Lindsay!!! -- Delete! Delete! Delete!"In other words – get your low classy, child star drama away from my son.
That would be my sentiments, exactly.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:27 AM | Comments (9)
I Guess There's No Price to Be Paid
...by foreign governments breaking U.N. sanctions.
Iraq and China will sign a deal next week to develop the Ahdab oil field, restoring an agreement that was canceled after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, an Iraqi spokesman said Thursday....Saddam Hussein's regime defied United Nations sanctions that limited direct dealings with Iraq's oil industry and signed a deal in 1997 with the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp.
That contract, worth $1.2 billion, gave a subsidiary of the Chinese company concessions to develop the field on a production-sharing basis for 22 years.
The new agreement will be a service contract, under which China will not be a partner in profits and instead will be paid for its work.
Once the contract is signed, it will be the first Saddam-era oil deal to be honored by the new Iraqi government. A number of companies say they signed deals with Saddam's regime and demand that those be honored, or the countries involved be given priority on new agreements.
How is it American companies are the only ones getting screwed, when we paid for the freakin' war to begin with?
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:01 AM | Comments (5)
August 20, 2008
To Be Fair
...Jimmy had Billy...
...and I have Bingley. So cut the Messiah a huss. You can't pick your relatives.
Barack Obama's 'lost' brother found in Kenya
The Italian edition of Vanity Fair said that it had found George Hussein Onyango Obama living in a hut in a ramshackle town of Huruma on the outskirts of Nairobi.Mr Obama, 26, the youngest of the presidential candidate's half-brothers, spoke for the first time about his life, which could not be more different than that of the Democratic contender.
"No-one knows who I am," he told the magazine, before claiming: "I live here on less than a dollar a month."
"One dollar, Louis!"
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:55 AM | Comments (11)
Yes We Can
Just hitting the wires, crude inventories for the week ended Aug. 16 rose a massive 9.4 million barrels, much larger than the expected increase of 1.0 million barrels.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:01 AM | Comments (1)
August 19, 2008
I Guess This Means
...things haven't changed much.
When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Sound depressingly, horrifyingly familiar?
Today's history slice brought to you by the Stone Age, a commenter over at HotAir...
...and Rudyard Kipling's "The Young British Soldier".
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:19 AM | Comments (3)
August 18, 2008
I Hope We ALL Heed This Lesson
Authorities cut open a slain bear and found a shoe lost by a Florida man while fighting off a bear that attacked his 8-year-old son in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.The footwear was discovered in the black bear's stomach during a necropsy at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center, Smokies spokeswoman Nancy Gray said Monday.
It leaves little doubt rangers killed the right bear.
No, not the "ask Manolo about fashion forward forest footwear" lesson. I mean the "don't tease bears when you smell like a bucket o' Popeye's spicy" lesson!
Authorities say the attack was unprovoked, though Pala said their clothes might have smelled like fried chicken from a meal an hour earlier.
Jeez louise, I've got a brain and an opposable thumb, and I'd still bite you for that!
Fried chicken is one of the world's least understood provocateurs. Makes anything with olfactory neurosensory cells lose it's mind.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:26 PM | Comments (12)
It Does Display a Certain Lack of Reverence and Respect
...for them.
The International Olympic Committee should punish Russia by moving the 2014 Winter Olympics out of Sochi, Russia, the co-chairs of the congressional House Georgia Caucus said.Reps. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., and Bill Shuster, R-Pa., said in a joint statement they plan to file a resolution declaring that Russia’s movement of troops into Georgia on the eve of the Beijing Olympics makes it an unacceptable country to host the games.
“It is practically and financially untenable to hold the 2014 Winter Olympic Games less than 20 miles from a zone of conflict, particularly when the prospective host country has played a significant role in the escalation of that conflict,” according to a draft of the resolution.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:39 PM
ebola Just Sent
...this.
I think the questioner needs to ask Roseanne Barr, as a map would be a waste of time.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:10 AM | Comments (3)
Watching the Track Types on the Olympics Last Night
...I was reminded of a magical vacation we took in the early 60's, when Bingley was just a Brussell sprout. He developed chicken pox while we were there. In answering a customs officer's question about the origin of the puling infant's pustules, mother described them as the result of "swarms of mosquitoes taking tender baby bites". They let us on the plane back to New York. Only afterward did she find out about the machete that Grinch had received as a parting gift from the gardener and tucked ~ unsheathed ~ into his golf bag. How the other customs guy shoved his hand down into the bag and came up with all his fingers is a mystery to this day.
Mountain Man and I, being all of 6 and 9 or so years old, had the best time. For instance, the garbage service consisted of one affable native, an ancient donkey and a well worn but servicable cart with a couple drums lashed to the back. Such as the times were, he offered to take the children and mother duly dumped us in the cart to help him with his rounds. EVERY OTHER DAY. ( I would happily have handed ebola off to the first stranger in a wheeled conveyance, had one wanted him, but none did and now you wouldn't dare. That's a shame.) (That you can't trust the cart man, I mean.) (Not about getting rid of ebola. What kind of mother do you think I am? He only gets given away if they bring him back.) (Pffft. And don't they always.)
So wonderful childhood memories sparked by the Jamaican uniforms.
And now I can't get the damn song out of my head.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:41 AM | Comments (5)
Example Ninethousandandeightysix WHY
...celebrities are mostly idiots. Guess which deep thinker said this:
“Aren't you supposed to be somewhat enlightened, or do you not know that the African daughter you hold in every picture had parents who suffered and died because of the Republican Party's worldwide economic assault on Africa over the last few decades since Reagan?”
Yup, you're right.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:38 AM | Comments (5)
August 17, 2008
Whoa. Wait. Go Back a Minute. WHAT
...was that forecast for Wednesday...?
Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:17 PM | Comments (5)
August 15, 2008
"A Giant Inflatable Turd"
No, not Al Gore, but the resemblance is striking.
And, on any given day, I'll bet you the turd makes more sense.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:46 PM | Comments (5)
Wanna Know How I Knew This Was a Hoax?
Sasquatch hunters claim hairy corpse is BigfootThese guys may have a freezerfull, but any red blooded American should recognize the suit...
Two men say DNA will prove that the frozen creature is legendary beast
(And how can you be a "legendary Bigfoot hunter" if you've never actually caught one?)
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:32 PM | Comments (5)
Along With the Hornblower Series
...one of my favorite summer treats has always been a re-reading of this:
Louis L'Amour's Haunted Mesa. It's just the right mix of mysticism, fantasy, detective story and old time Western.
The Navajo called them the Anasazi, the “ancient enemy,” and their abandoned cities haunt the canyons and plateaus of the Southwest. For centuries the sudden disappearance of these people baffled historians. Summoned to a dark desert plateau by a desperate letter from an old friend, renowned investigator Mike Raglan is drawn into a world of mystery, violence, and explosive revelations. Crossing a border beyond the laws of man and nature, he will learn of the astonishing world of the Anasazi and discover the most extraordinary frontier ever encountered.
Many of the plot devices were drawn from Mayan mythology ~ the portals between worlds, the underworld itself. I'm not sure you can imagine my absolute delight (and the source of a shreiking "holy CRAP!!!" email to ebola) when I came across this MSNBC article, but I was stoked.
Portal to mythical Mayan underworld found
Archaeologists discovered maze of stone temples in underground cavesMexican archeologists have discovered a maze of stone temples in underground caves, some submerged in water and containing human bones, which ancient Mayans believed was a portal where dead souls entered the underworld.
Clad in scuba gear and edging through narrow tunnels, researchers discovered the stone ruins of eleven sacred temples and what could be the remains of human sacrifices at the site in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Archeologists say Mayans believed the underground complex of water-filled caves leading into dry chambers — including an underground road stretching some 330 feet — was the path to a mythical underworld, known as Xibalba.
Part of the reason the book spoke to me was personal. I've spent weeks climbing over stones and up pyramids in places like Tikal, Chichen Itza and Uxmal, as well as using a candle for light in the excavation tunnels under Kaminal Juyú, visiting just unearthed sacrificial remains (nothing like confronting a Spielberg-ish silent, screaming skull with skeleton illuminated suddenly out of the dark, 20 feet underground). You hear voices in the jungle in those places, if you're any kind of spook at all, and I am a reluctant but consummate one. (In fact, Tikal translates to "place of voices" and I swear they're still there.)
Oh, man, I so enjoyed my time in the past.
And now Xibalba is real. DAMN.
That's cooler than shit.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:47 AM | Comments (3)
August 14, 2008
I Think I'm Turning Beijing-ese, I Think I'm Turning Beijing-ese
...I really sing-so.
Spanish basketball red-faced over slit-eyed Olympic photo
I never really quite get how Americans are always painted as the big, insensitive, racist cowboy ASSholes.
Really. I don't.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:47 AM | Comments (12)
Speed Kills
...except when it doesn't.
Highway crashes kill more than 41,000 in 2007Traffic deaths in the United States declined last year, reaching the lowest level in more than a decade.
Some 41,059 people were killed in highway crashes, down by more than 1,000 from 2006.
The fatality rate of 1.37 deaths for every 100 million miles traveled in 2007 was the lowest on record, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in its report Thursday.
"Every 100 million miles" means what, I wondered. How many miles did Americans travel in 2007 for those 41K deaths?
About 270 BILLION.
That's a lot of tires. And damn near a Qantas-type safety record.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:32 AM | Comments (10)
August 13, 2008
Ah...No. We Watched the WHOLE Thing
US team blame stadium official for gymnastics lossStrange to blame officials, since the Chinese team had just handed you an opening with their own balance beam bobbles.
While a transparent attempt at shifting the blame, it was completely the "falling-on-the-ass"pect that cost the U.S. the gold. And don't nobody do that but your ownselves.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:51 AM | Comments (3)
August 12, 2008
The Most Popular Part In Lower Manhattan
And I do mean "in" and not "of."
Seriously. I walk by here every day, and the crowd of tourists is many deep and never ending...and they are having a great time getting their pictures take next to it...embracing it...caressing it.
And, let's be honest: if you were a tourist in Manhattan, you'd be there too!
You know what I'm talking about...
Yeah baby.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:17 PM | Comments (10)
Once It Was Just a Big, Fuzzy Panda Bear
That would be the Archbishop of Canterbury's view of Communist China.
...But one of the things which struck me there was that we were not talking just about a moral vacuum in general, but a vacuum in what was once before the Cultural Revolution essentially something which guaranteed everyone's welfare.
The Evening Standard points out an inconvenient fact or two about cuddly communists.
..."During the Great Leap Forward of 1958-61, the guarantee ran out for 40 million Chinese, leaving them equally dead. Others survived by eating leaves and bark or, in remote provinces, babies."Walden, author of China: A Wolf in the World? goes on to observe with a note of sarcasm: "The regime guaranteed the welfare of intellectuals, too, notably when it encouraged them to speak out during the Hundred Flowers episode of 1956. Mao then scythed them down."
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:13 PM | Comments (7)
It Was Twenty Years Ago Today...
...(well nineteen actually) that my Bride made made me the happiest, luckiest boy in the world.
You ain't goin' nowhere, honey!
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 12:05 PM | Comments (15)
Russia Halts For The Moment
Medvedev says "Goals attained"
According to a statement, Mr Medvedev told his defence minister and chief of staff that "the goal has been attained"."I've decided to finish the operation to force the Georgian authorities to peace. The safety of our peacekeeping forces and civilian population has been restored," he said.
As has the fear of a resurgent Russia amongst European leaders.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:51 AM | Comments (5)
August 11, 2008
"Have You Ever Heard Him Talk So Tough?"
The CNN anchor is asking about the President who just used phrases like:
"...dramatic and brutal escalation."
...along with...
"...and is unacceptable in the 21st Century."
Tough talk. Raising tough questions:
"The question on the table is, if the U.S. cannot do anything to protect Georgia, do they [Poland, Baltics, Caucusas, etc.] then throw their lot back in with the Russians?"
Link as soon as I have one.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:25 PM | Comments (7)
This is HUGE If True
As well as HUGELY perplexing.
15:30 ET Dow +14.24 at 11747.18, Nasdaq +19.06 at 2433.16, S&P +4.47 at 1300.79:[BRIEFING.COM] Stocks attempt to turn higher but run into selling resistance. The major indices remain in positive territory.
The Dow is underperforming, as it has throughout the session. IBM (IBM 126.05, -2.76) and Boeing (BA 66.53, -1.34), which have heavy weightings in the price-weighted index, are the main drags. According to reports, Boeing may not bid on the $35 billion Air Force refueling tanker contract.
Great news for our neck o' the woods if it is.
WHOA!! It IS true!
Boeing Co is "strongly considering" not bidding on the upcoming competition for a $35 billion U.S. Air Force refueling tanker contract, Aviation Week, the aerospace industry magazine, reported on Monday, without identifying its sources.The No. 2 Pentagon contractor has not commented on the issue publicly, but some of its backers in Congress have argued that the revised terms of the competition, issued by the Pentagon last week, favor Northrop Grumman Corp and its European partner EADS.
Gotta get major dad started on that French Rosetta Stone course just in case...
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:46 PM | Comments (2)
FIGHT! For Your RIGHT!
When the state says neigh "nay"!
Md. woman sues state for right to massage horses
I'd say she's a shoe-in.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:25 AM | Comments (7)
I Think About Something Like This...
Every time I cross the Bay Bridge
The driver of a tractor-trailer was killed early yesterday in a three-vehicle crash that sent the 18-wheeler plunging into the Chesapeake Bay - the first time that a vehicle has plummeted from the bridge in its 56-year history, according to current and former officials of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.The early morning crash left a gaping hole in the wall of the bridge, forced the all-day closure of the eastbound span and created a virtual parking lot for miles on both sides of U.S. 50 leading to the westbound span.
Oh Nelly.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:53 AM
Russia Has No Problem With Blood For Oil
They know where the power lies
The war in Georgia escalated dangerously last night after Russian jets reportedly bombed a vital pipeline that supplies oil to the West.After a day of heightening international tensions, Georgian leaders claimed that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which transports oil from the Caspian Sea to Turkey, had been attacked. But it is thought the bombs missed their target.
Their claims came after Russian jets struck deep into the territory of its tiny neighbour, killing civilians and ‘completely devastating’ the strategic Black Sea port of Poti, a staging post for oil and other energy supplies.
But don't worry, because Obama said "war is baaaad, mm'kay?"
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:30 AM | Comments (5)
August 10, 2008
Ho Boy
Not good. Not good at all. The question of the hour is (to paraphrase Gary Coleman): "Whachoo gonna do now, Willis?"
Russia expanded its bombing blitz to the Georgian capital, deployed ships off the coast and, a Georgian official said, sent tanks from the separatist region of South Ossetia into Georgian territory, heading toward a border city before being turned back.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:38 PM | Comments (15)
With Apologies To Lou Gehrig
Look what my Bride and Daughter bought me
I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:13 AM | Comments (12)
Where's The Outrage?
Russia bombs apartment buildings and whole villages. They clearly are "shedding blood for oil." Time, of course, wonders "Has Georgia Overeached?" The NYT yawns and says "look at the big picture, the context."
Realistically, there's nothing we can do.
But where are the cries of condemnation, the street protests from those wonderfully superior populations of Europe?
Imagine the outcry had the US done something like this in, say, Chihuahua.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:00 AM | Comments (3)
August 09, 2008
Gosh, What A Beautiful Morning
Bright blue sky, low humidity, a perfect day to get some more staining done on the house
or...to make some Bingley Rabe for Daughter and myself as a lazy Saturday brunch
Guess which I'm doing?
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 10:47 AM | Comments (8)
August 08, 2008
War In Georgia
DZHAVA, Georgia (AP) - Russia sent columns of tanks and reportedly bombed Georgian air bases Friday after Georgia launched a major military offensive to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia, threatening to ignite a broader conflict.Hundreds of civilians were reported dead in the worst outbreak of hostilities since the province won defacto independence in a war against Georgia that ended in 1992. Witnesses said the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali was devastated.
... Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally, has about 2,000 troops in Iraq, making it the third-largest contributor to coalition forces after the U.S. and Britain. But Saakashvili told CNN that the troops would be called home Saturday in the face of the South Ossetia fighting.
Georgia, which borders the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia, was ruled by Moscow for most of the two centuries preceding the breakup of the Soviet Union. Georgia has angered Russia by seeking NATO membership—a bid Moscow regards as part of a Western effort to weaken its influence in the region.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 11:44 PM | Comments (3)
The National Enquirer?
Edwards Admits Sexual Affair; Lied as Presidential Candidate
In ABC News Interview, Edwards Says He Cheated, but Did Not Father Child
Not so silky now, are we?
UPDATE: Oh, God, it's Ace and it's rude, but it's also so damnably true.
He seems to be denying paternity in order to avoid confessing he was schtupping this woman while his wife was dying of incurable cancer."Hey, I just fucked her when Elizabeth was in remission. It's like the Area Code theory, you know? If you're in another Area Code, or your wife is in remission, it's not really 'cheating.'"
I thought it was more "The Two Americas" theory: it doesn't count when you're in one and your wife's in the other.
UPDATE Part Deux: Awwwww. Poor MSNBC.com says they didn't run the story because it was just tough as nuts to prove, and they didn't want to get it wrong.
Reporters don't like being beaten on a major political story, especially by a supermarket tabloid. And being beaten up over not reporting one is even less appealing.But a sexual affair can have just two people who know the truth. Without witnesses, documents, photographs or some form of irrefutable evidence pointing to the truth, news organizations will not endanger their own integrity.
That made it difficult to prove — and to print — the rumors that John Edwards had cheated on his seriously ill wife while running for president. Reporters were left to poke around the edges of a potentially career-ending scandal in search of an opening.
It's a shame they didn't extend that same sense of journalistic integrity to John McCain.
John McCain emphatically denied a romantic relationship with a female telecommunications lobbyist on Thursday and said a report by The New York Times suggesting favoritism for her clients is "not true."...The newspaper quoted anonymous aides as saying they had urged McCain and Iseman to stay away from each other prior to his failed presidential campaign in 2000. In its own follow-up story, The Washington Post quoted longtime aide John Weaver, who split with McCain last year, as saying he met with lobbyist Iseman and urged her to steer clear of McCain.
Hey! But, since it was a filthy Republican, they were keeping faith with the public's right to know and just reporting the news.
They could 'investigate' and 'prove' the allegations later.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:09 PM | Comments (18)
More Than Anything Obama Has Ever Said
...THIS has touched my soul and forced me to see my prejudice in a truly new light.
Yub, yub ~ it's ashamed I am.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:48 AM | Comments (12)
A Site That Appeals To The Voyeur In Me
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:45 AM
A Really Hate The Outrageously Over-Used Word "Outrage"
But this story sure as hell deserves it if anything does
When the shooting stopped, two dogs lay dead. A mayor sat in his boxers, hands bound behind his back. His handcuffed mother-in-law was sprawled on the kitchen floor, lying beside the body of one of the family pets that police had killed before her eyes.After the raid, Prince George's County police officials who burst into the home of Berwyn Heights' mayor last week seized the same unopened package of marijuana that an undercover officer had delivered an hour earlier.
What police left behind was a house stained with blood and a trail of questions about their conduct. No other evidence of illegal activity was found, and no one was arrested at Mayor Cheye Calvo's home in this small bedroom community near College Park.
Read the whole thing. These police SWAT raids, especially the "No-Knock" ones, have got to stop.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:36 AM | Comments (6)
More Oil Found In Brazil
I heard on the radio the find could be as much as Libya's fields
LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - British gas producer BG Group Plc (BG.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Friday it had made a material new oil discovery off the coast of Brazil.BG said its exploration well Iara, around 230 kilometeres off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, had discovered light crude oil and was the third well to find hydrocarbons in the area. (Reporting by Jonathan Cable; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Oil's already down $2.50 this morning.
Update: Some more info. And crude's down $3.50.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:49 AM
August 07, 2008
The Mostest Studliest Jarhead and Bestest Husband IN THE WORLD
...turns 50 today. And DAMN if he isn't on a business trip to N.C..
But he'll be back here around 5 or so and I've got the birthday cards from his mom and aunt...sitting right next to the AARP membership mailer he got.
He'll get over it.
I love you, honey.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:20 AM | Comments (22)
Brett The Jet
Geesh, I didn't see this one coming. $12.5 million for a 38 year old guy. Not bad.
I wonder what they'd pay for a 44 year old?
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:14 AM | Comments (3)
August 06, 2008
For The Man Who Has Everything
Nice how my beloved Bride conveniently missed this thoughtful gift for my last birthday
1978 MIG 23
* Worlds Fastest civilian owned aircraft - 1978 Mig 23.
*This Mach 2+ speedster has only 1403 hrs since new.
* Only 157 hrs since complete overhaul both airframe
& engine.
* Garmin 250XL.
* King KX155 with GS.
* Intercom.
* Garmin 327 TXP
* HOT SEATS.
* If you want the fastest THIS IS IT
* Check out for Qualified pilots included
* $750,000.00
That would shorten my commute somewhat.
Well, Christmas is coming up...
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 01:53 PM | Comments (9)
Those Happy Couples Ain't No Friends...
...Of mine
Testimony Wednesday afternoon revealed his wife, 25-year-old Rebecca Bargy, tied up her husband for sexual pleasure Thursday night after he asked her to, and then went to the airport to pick up a man from Arizona she had met on MySpace.com.After spending the night at a Columbia hotel with the man Thursday, Rebecca Bargy returned to the couple's Jacob's Lane home Friday and found her husband had become untied.
At his request, Bargy tied him up again and left.
He was found dead the next day. Autopsy results show he suffocated.
The body of her husband, 29-year-old James Bargy, was found late last month. He was gagged, wearing panty hose and his hands and feet were strapped behind his back.
Monday, Dr. Thomas Derring, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Bargy, explained there were multiple reasons for his death, one of which being the gag ball in his mouth and the strap attached to it.
Sam Patterson, attorney, said, "Basically this was not intentional at all and she feels terrible that this happened and feels bad about it."
When asked about her intent, James Bargy's only comment was "Hmmmpf-mah-ruh-rooh-rah!"
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:20 AM | Comments (2)
August 05, 2008
He's 'The One' and There's No Spoon?
He can change his mind.
©
ebola strikes again.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:36 PM | Comments (4)
Shelob
Well, this explains where all the small children in the neighborhood have gone...
Dang, those suckers grow big sometimes.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:45 AM | Comments (4)
Roadside Chicken
One of the things I love about my Weber Bullet is that it's got me hooked on a phenomenal cooking resource: The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board. The folks there are amazing cooks, and while most of the cooking centers around smoking foods and BBQ there is also a ton of great, hands on information about grilling, side dishes, appetizers, etc. One of the most popular recipes is Bryan S.'s Roadside Chicken, which frankly to me makes the best grilled chicken I've ever had (and I believe my Bride and Daughter agree). I have modified the recipe very slightly, and I think I like it better after it marinates for up to 24 hours, which is a bit longer than Bryan suggests (or may be longer than he can wait!).
First off, the marinade:
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 TBS Sea or Kosher salt
1 TBS white sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp white pepper
3/4 TBS celery seed
Combine all the ingredients in a pourable container and mix well and set to the side.
For this batch I bought a 7lb whole chicken. I always use whole chickens these days and cut them up my self; it's so much cheaper and it is not at all hard to do. You just get a good pair of poultry shears and cut off the drumsticks, thighs and wings and then cut off the Pamelas, leaving them on the ribs but cutting through the center breastbone so they are separate. Just keep your fingers clear because the shears, bless their heart, do not discriminate between human bones and chicken ones.
Put the cut up buzzard into a thick 1 gallon ziplock freezer bag, stir the marinade and dump it in.
And pop that momma into the fridge for as many hours as you can spare, turning occasionally to make sure everything is evenly enjuicified.
Now, on Saturday I was a little tired so I didn't want to make anything too complex, so I decided to just grill some corn and make plain buttered rice to go with the chicken.
I got some reasonable ears of corn that the shucking gremlins hadn't attacked at the store (and why oh why do people feel the urge to waste twenty ears of corn at the store, half-shucking them all to find the 'perfect' ones? Damn, that annoys the bejeebus out of me)
and I peeled back the husk carefully and removed the silk
then folded the husk back up, sprinkled on a little water and wrapped the ears loosely together in a big piece of foil
I prefer to sort of grill/steam them in the husk like this, as I like the sweet caramelized flavor it imparts, and, as they go on the grill with the chicken it cuts down on dishes and heat in the kitchen, but YMMV.
Anyhow, on to the grill it all goes
As you can see the Pamelas are enormous, so I have them in a different area over somewhat higher heat. You just have to keep watching everything and turn fairly often. The recipe calls for basting every few minutes, but frankly I'm too lazy for that.
And, hell, I prefer to, um, attend to my own liquid requirements while things are cooking, anyway.
So, close the lid, check and turn every few minutes and 20-some-odd minutes later voila
The rich, mellow tang from the chicken is balanced by the sweetness from the corn which plays nicely with the slight buttery rice. Yum
Sometimes simpler beats high falutin'.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:32 AM | Comments (4)
Happy Birthday Crusader!
The bestest little brother I ever had.
The only little brother, too.
Not that that affected your ranking...much.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:41 AM | Comments (5)
August 04, 2008
What I'm Drinking Tonight
Saw this at the Bottle King the other day. Rated a 90 by Parker and only $8.99?
I'm not quite sure how it got that high a score, frankly. Don't get me wrong, for the price it is an excellent shiraz, but it is a little out of balance for my taste; the tannins and alcohol are too forward, so there's a combination of slight bite and burn immediately on the palate, followed by good cassis and plum fruit. Like I said, for $8.99 it is quite good, and I've bought several more bottles of it, but in an ideal world I don't make it a 90.
And I'm not sure how they got that picture of Sis for the label.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:45 PM | Comments (7)
"And There's a Sort of Magic Man"
Oh, yeah he is.
GAH-RRRrrroowwwwlllllllllllllllllllllllllll
The "Henry V" soundtrack they're using doesn't hurt one bit, either.
Now, if he could only unfreeze Kidman's expressionless mug, I'd add miracle worker.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:03 PM | Comments (1)
Always Looking Out
...for Number 1.
To Daryl Johnson of Orange, Tex., work as a rigger on pipe-laying barges seemed like a pretty sure bet. The pay was good -- $18.50 an hour -- and with oil exploration booming, Johnson felt secure with Houston-based Horizon Offshore Contractors, which had hired him in 1999. But Johnson, speaking through his attorney, says he got concerned when managers told him there were no openings for friends whom he referred for jobs, even while Horizon continued to hire Mexican and Malaysian nationals. Then, in 2007, Johnson lost his job. "They gave me no explanation," says Johnson.However, in Johnson's mind and in those of other oil workers in the Gulf, the connection to the cheaper foreign workers is clear. His allegations are part of a lawsuit moving forward in federal court in Texas, which claims that a group of U.S. energy services companies operating in U.S. waters on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico are using workers recruited from Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, and other countries to displace U.S. workers, at less than half of the pay. According to the lawsuit, the staffing is illegal because non-U.S. workers are working without proper visas aboard foreign-flagged vessels that are in fact controlled by American companies.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:54 PM
Semper Paratus
Happy Birthday and 218 years of "Thanks" to the US Coast Guard.
Thanks and God bless!
THS update: Had to share this little Coastie hi-lite film as part of the celebration.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:02 AM | Comments (4)
August 03, 2008
I Doubt the Arab World
...would be as obliging.
More than 180 Fatah supporters who fled into Israel from the Gaza Strip were in Israeli custody Sunday, after a dramatic escape from a Hamas crackdown that left nine people dead in fierce fighting....The incident punctuated one of the new realities of the conflict:
Palestinian infighting has become so bitter that some Palestinians fear Israel less than they do each other.
What ever would Imadinnerjacket say about that?
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:39 PM | Comments (3)
Filed Under: "Huh?"
Obama surrogate Robert Rubin on "Face the Nation" this morning. It was a masterful example of pin point parsing and cagey cozening. Click the pic to read this exchange in particular:
He becomes even more incomprehensible later in the interview, but Obama saying "Yes" to drilling just 48 hours after calling it a "scheme" sounds like some 'mind changing' to me.
Woof. These guys are slippery eels. 
Makes my head spin.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:47 PM | Comments (2)
"The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous"
...foams again.
...Schlitz was the top-selling beer for much of the first half of the 20th century. But recipe changes and a series of snafus made the beer — in many a drinker's opinion — undrinkable, turning what was once the world's most popular brew into little more than a joke.But after decades of dormancy, the beer is back.
Schlitz' owner, Pabst Brewing Co., is recreating the old formula, using notes and interviews with old brew masters to concoct the pilsner again. The maker of another nostalgic favorite, Pabst Blue Ribbon, it hopes baby boomers will reach for the drink of their youth, otherwise known as "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous." They also want to create a following among younger drinkers who want to know what grandma and grandpa drank.
Just in time for the Budweiser boycott!!
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:57 PM | Comments (6)
August 02, 2008
Sunday Smoked Brisket
Last Sunday, since I hadn't played with the Bullet in way too long, I decided to smoke a brisket and make sandwiches for dinner.
I got a 3 1/2 lb flat cut from Costco and slathered that puppy up with worchestershire
and then some deee-lish rub from Texas BBQ Rub
I let that sit for a bit whilst I fired up the Bullet. I decided to use a mix of cherry and hickory for the smoke
Once she was smoking I put the Bullet together, filled the water pan
added the brisket
and sealed her up
Having few duties for the next few hours while she cooked I looked for a creative and useful way to occupy the time
Unfortunately it started to Pour Like Hell
which started to cause me all sorts of problems keeping the temperaure at 250º in the Bullet; in fact I could barely keep it at 200º, which meant my target internal temp of 190º was going to be very tough to get. I ended up pulling it off after 4 hours or so when the internal temp was around 160º, which is certainly safe to eat but is not high enough to really tenderize the meat. But I figured that since I was slicing it for sandwiches the world wouldn't end. There was a nice smoke ring
So I sliced her thin, put the slices on some hero rolls that had been swathed with some melted garlic butter, poured on some homemade bbq sauce
cracked a few more beers and ate away.
Life is ok.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 04:30 PM | Comments (8)
Tree Rat Cookout
We have a big pine tree right next to the deck, and man do the tree rats love to make a mess when they eat Pine Cone on the Cob
Little bastards
We hates them.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 03:49 PM | Comments (7)
August 01, 2008
I Don't Know Anything About Canadian Press Standards
But something about this National Post story was very...odd. I mean, obviously the subject matter was the horrific slaying on the Greyhound bus. But subject matter aside what is somewhat glaring is the way Mr. McLean is referred to.
At the top of the article is a picture of him and a caption with his name, so obviously they knew his name when the story was published. But in the body of the article his name is never mentioned; he is only referred to by his race or as "the victim."
...Among them was an aboriginal man in his early twenties, listening to headphones and headed home to Winnipeg....When the bald man returned to the bus, he moved to the back, tossed his bags in an overhead bin and sat down beside the aboriginal man with the headphones, who had fallen asleep with his head against the window.
It's as if you wrote a story about Obama and McCain but only talked about the "black guy" and the "white guy."
I find it very strange; of what possible relevance is Mr. McLean's race?
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 10:11 PM | Comments (5)
A Little LATE to the Party
Shame Nancy didn't get the word before she scuttled out of town.
Obama would consider off-shore drilling as part of comprehensive energy planU.S. Sen. Barack Obama said today he would be willing to open Florida's coast for more oil drilling if it meant winning approval for broad energy changes.
"My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 06:39 PM | Comments (1)
I'll Leave It to You to Decide
As it's already been a long day.
Plant Drops Labor Day For Muslim Holiday
More Than Half Of Tyson Plant's Workforce MuslimSome workers at a local plant will no longer to be able to take their Labor Day holiday because of religious reasons.
Workers at the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day but will instead be granted the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr.
According to a news release from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a new five-year contract at the plant included the change to accommodate Muslim workers at the plant.
But I'd be calling the ACLU if I was an AMERICAN union worker who just lost a paid Labor Day.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:40 PM | Comments (1)
So I Just Called the Local Office for Our Congress Critter
...to see if he was on the floor and to pass along a BRAVO!!! to the fellows when the receptionist called D.C. to check. And a big Sierra Hotel to Politico for typing like mad men to keep us all up on it. (Hit "The Crypt" for updates)
Update 6: Rep Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) just pretended to be a Democrat. He stood on the other side of the chamber and listed all of the GOP bills that the Dems killed.
He then said, "I am a Democrat, and here is my energy plan" and he held up a picture of an old VW Bug with a sail attached to it. He paraded around the House floor with the sign while the crowd cheered.
Sounds about right.
You might want to hoot at your own, if you think it's as grand as I do.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:06 PM
Let's Start Another Fight: Pop Quiz of the Day
WHAT is this quote referring to?
"...You know what else it's resistant to? You getting laid."
Now. Just to make it tougher, eliminate Bingley, Canadians, Rambo, world peace or bus trips from your short list of answers.
Stumped?
*For those MEWLING COWARDS among us, it's a Hasselhoff-free answer. I swear.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:09 PM | Comments (2)
A Crusader Consumer Alert
Watch what your pet Deere eats.
Rick Kitchings has been a small-engine mechanic for about 30 years, and he’s been busier than ever lately.Recently, a customer came into his shop in Savannah, Ga., with a string trimmer that had barely been used. “It looked like it just came off the showroom floor, but the motor was absolutely shot, absolutely worn out,” Kitchings said.
The owner had fueled the trimmer with an gasoline-ethanol blend, which is becoming increasingly common thanks to a federal mandate to convert to biofuels.
THAT could get pricey...
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:52 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Theme Song Chosen for Obama's Economic "Plan"
A Swill Salute to Men in Tights for the heads up.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:57 PM | Comments (1)
I'm Sorry, But Unless The Bus Was Loaded With 75 Year Old Ladies...
...I can not see how Dudley Do-Right can say this
(Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Steve) Cowell said there was no immediate indication of what prompted the attack. He said he didn't know how many times the victim was stabbed. Witnesses described the weapon as a large butcher-type knife.Colwell praised the "extraordinary" level-headedness and bravery of the bus driver and passengers.
"What you saw and what you experienced would shake the most seasoned police officer. And yet I'm told that each of you acted swiftly, calmly and bravely in running away like a bunch of little pussies," Colwell said. "As a result, no one else was injured."
Ok, maybe I edited that a little bit, and I freely admit that it is easy to armchair quarterback on something like this, but my god, 30+ of you on that bus and no one thought to kick that piece of crap from behind as he was hacking that poor guy? You could have thrown suitcases, books, purses, fire extinguishers; there were tons of things. But you all managed to swiftly, calmy and, oh yes, bravely flee so that beast could continue to butcher that poor man undisturbed.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:18 AM | Comments (224)
What A Drag It Is Gettin' Old
I played in the church Manna softball game last night, where everyone who plays brings canned or boxed food that the church then distributes to folks in need. This is probably only the second time in 20-odd years that I've played softball (with last year's game being the first) and my 'skills' were...rusty, I guess is a good way to phrase it. Oh, I played fine, really; had three or so hits and pitched for three innings, only dropped one ball in the outfield, etc. Ok, well, it was also the only ball hit towards me. Anyhow, I also managed to scrape the bejeebus out of my knee when I fell. As in totally completely unassistedly tripped over my no longer-fleet-of-foot feet while running from 3rd to home in the top of the second inning. So I played the rest of the game with blood running down my knee, which made me look mighty bad-assed.
I am sore as poop today.
I need a drink.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:06 AM