Saturday, April 30, 2011

Those traditional rivals

The second round of the NBA playoffs begin Sunday afternoon.
Memphis at Oklahoma City. Such traditional NBA rivals.
At least Dustbury will be busy the next week or two.

Why aren't people more like me?

KathyinBlacksburg didn't enjoy the royal wedding Friday.
At least the fact that more people showed up to watch it than come out for political causes.
People live their lives. Every now and then, they enjoy the spectacle that the British monarchy provides.
Friday was a cool day, linking the past history of the kingdom with hope for the future - the future King and Queen, and thoughts of their future heirs.
You can blame the media, but it's a cool party for them too. Instead of world trouble spots, they get to hang out together with the best and brightest. It's an event you know will happen on a certain day, so you can plan your coverage instead of doing things on the fly.
I thought the media overdid the day, so I ignored it. But I don't blame those who enjoyed it for doing so.
If you want to lead people, you need to know where the people are at and meet their needs. Not whine about their decisions.

Saturday song


At work Friday, I saw the name Hamilton. And this song popped into my head.
I figure it's okay to use the video with the Japanese album cover.

Bring on the birth certificate

The youngest plays on a soccer team for 4th and 5th graders. At this age, there can be a big difference in size between the players.
One of our guys is big and athletic. Toward the end of Saturday's game, a player on the other team yelled during play "that kid's not a fourth or fifth grader."
Unfortunately, dad didn't bring the birth certificate to the game.
Birthers start early.

Facebook quote of the week

‎2 questions - while I was away did it rain grass seed and fertilizer every day? also why am I cutting the grass when I have a 17 and 19 year old here at home with me. For my best friends... you are not allowed to comment.

Friday, April 29, 2011

"You changed your clothes"

How much unhappiness is there about the Republican budget?
Democrats need repeat business to have enough protesters at Paul Ryan's town halls.
There's upset voters - mostly the usual suspects.

Fighting the scourge of traffic suckage

The Daley Gator gets the weekend off to a flying start.
Wombat will have the Other McCain's Rule 5 fest up shortly, just in time for National Offend a Feminist week.

Ryan's run

It looks like Ace is getting on the Paul Ryan for President bandwagon.
I think Ryan is going to realize that no one, no one will run on his plan, because no one else can. They will give it, at best, weak-tea "I'll look at it" statements like Boehner does ("I'm not wedded to it").

This is not purely a matter of courage. Ryan has spent eight or ten years becoming an expert on budget and entitlements and fiscal policy. No one else can simply become an expert in a few short months.
No one can answer the questions he can. He's looked at them all and has answers for them.

"An exquisite bind"

Jonah Goldberg looks at the trap President Obama is in - due to liberal policies.
Obama and the greens are in an exquisite bind. Without economic recovery, Americans won’t support Obama’s “investments,” but Obama’s investments are a hindrance to recovery.
Green jobs leave the current economy blue.

Weekend watchdog

We have a 2011 NFL schedule. This weekend, we have the 2011 NFL draft. Will we have a 2011 NFL season on time?
Ask the lawyers about the coming season. There's plenty of questions due to the lockout, but nobody locks out Mel Kiper Jr. He got to fill the airtime Thursday as the teams made their first 32 picks.
There's two more rounds on Friday starting at 6 p.m. on ESPN and NFL Network and the final four rounds Saturday beginning at noon.
Then it's back to the negotiating table. And more waiting for fans.
The Capitals advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs, and begin play Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast and Versus. Game 2 against the Lightning is set for Sunday at 7 p.m.
The NHL's second round began Thursday and the second West semifinal begins Friday at 10:30 p.m. on Versus with Detroit heading to San Jose.
NBC shows the opener of the Bruins-Flyers series Saturday at 3 p.m., and Game 2 from San Jose Sunday at 3 p.m. Versus has the second game from Vancouver Saturday at 9 p.m.
In the NBA playoffs, ESPN has Game 6 between San Antonio and Memphis Friday at 9 p.m. There's a Game 7 sometime Sunday, if necessary, and Oklahoma City awaits the winner.
The first East semifinal kicks off Sunday at 3:30 p.m. when the Heat take on the Celtics on ABC.
NASCAR heads to Richmond for the weekend, with the Sprint Cup race Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on FOX. The Nationwide racers take the track Friday for the Bubba Burger 250 on ESPN2.
For a more exotic locale, the IndyCar drivers are in Sao Paulo Sunday at noon on Versus.
FOX Saturday baseball goes early this week, with the Mets visiting the Phillies at 1 p.m. Other games in the time slot are Angels at Rays and the Cardinals taking on the Braves. The Mets and Phillies meet again Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, while the Yankees host the Blue Jays in the afternoon on TBS.
The Orioles go to Chicago this weekend on MASN2, while the Nationals host the Giants on MASN.
Comcast has ACC baseball this weekend, with Florida State at Miami Saturday at 7 p.m. Saturday afternoon at 1, Georgia Tech visits Clemson.
Comcast goes to the Sun Belt Saturday at 4 p.m. for Arkansas-Little Rock taking on Louisiana-Lafayette.
ESPN2 has SEC baseball between Arkansas and Georgia Saturday at 1 p.m. and Auburn-South Carolina Sunday at 3 p.m.
ESPN showcases college softball Saturday at 8 p.m., with Oklahoma facing Texas.
The PGA tour visits New Orleans this weekend, with CBS providing coverage Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 p.m.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

How about an "arugula tax"

When looking to increase taxes, politicians often look to things their opponents use more than they do.
Gas tax? Works if you're in New York, not in Montana.
Megan McArdle looks at some trade-offs to a gas tax.
If we're going to solve our country's problems, we will not do so by finding proposals that primarily take money from "them".  Nor will we do it by each side, after a lot of yelling, grudgingly agreeing to let the other folks of the hook as long as they don't have to pay either.
I'm waiting for the tax on Arugula and other things President Obama and his friends like.

In the grocery line

Instapundit rounds up the latest bad economic news, and snares a great letter from Pennsylvania.
The interesting thing to me is that everyone used to be very reluctant to speak out in public against Obama. You were always afraid some leftie whackjob would hear you and tear into you. You know what I mean.

But now the gloves are off, people are freaking out and Obama can raise FIVE billion dollars for his campaign and organize until the cows come home and call everyone in the country a racist until he turns blue but it’s not going to convince anyone that they’re not paying an arm and a leg for half a cart worth of food.
Read the whole thing.

Geraldo's still got a job

Everybody was writing about the birth certificate Wednesday. What could I say to stand out?
I remembered the great over-hyped search from the 1980s - Geraldo Rivera's "Mystery of Al Capone's Vault."
Jim Geraghty liked the thought and added it to the Morning Jolt - since it had a Chicago connection.
For those who hope the revelation of the birth certificate will make Republicans look foolish - remember Geraldo is still working on TV. Doing much the same thing he did before Al Capone.
That Obama was born in Hawaii doesn't defeat the Republicans who pushed the idea. It means we can now focus on Obama's present failures instead of past history. We know his future prospects look more bleak every day.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Rule 5 from 1980

Long ago, I signed up with Classmates.com. Thus, I get emails to join their premium service.
This week, they sent a photo of Jaclyn Smith to remind us of the good old days in 1980.
UPDATE: Wombat likes the quality of the post.

Where they found Obama's birth certificate

Al Capone's vault.
UPDATE: Linked in NRO's Morning Jolt.

Today's Tied with me

Want to take Homer Simpson with you on your trip?
GadgetsandGizmos.org tells of a new app for Tom-Tom that lets you buy Homer sound files for your travels.
Don't know if I want to be lost with Homer.

Next

President Obama was born in the United States.
We can now all concentrate on the lousy job he's doing.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Jesus and taxes

Ace notes the MSNBC take on Jesus and taxes, as Lawrence O'Donnell attempts to take on Rush Limbaugh.
"What would Jesus take?" Limbaugh countered, answering "nothing." O'Donnell vehemently disagreed, going on to cite Scripture references -- divorcing them from context -- in order to argue Jesus was a fan of "progressive taxation," among other things.
Ace's take on that take.
Let's also see: Jesus is speaking of an ideal to aspire to, voluntarily. I don't see him just taking money from people and then telling them, "It's for your own good, trust me."
My takes on those takes.
1. Jesus is coming back soon. You can ask Him then.
2. Jesus got Peter's taxes paid - with a coin in the mouth of a fish Peter caught.
Lawrence O'Donnell can run his government on all the money in any fish he catches. No problems with that.

Why I don't like moderate Republicans

Ezra Klein's column - Obama revealed: A moderate Republican. The policies didn't work for them, and won't work for him.

Parade of candidates

Another Saturday morning, another candidate announcement in the SWAC area - Jason Bibeau for Augusta County Treasurer.
Senate candidate George Allen will be in town Monday for lunch.
Both events will have dutch-treat meals. No Obama-treat meals.
Guess no Democrats will show up.

Writing on the wall

The Other McCain features a great graphic.

Blue Virginia, Huff Post join the Tea Party

Blue Virginia highlights a Huffington Post article about the "for-profit education" industry.
With this great line.
An industry that derives a vast majority of its revenue from federal funding is actively using that money to fight government efforts for accountability.

Sarah Palin could not have written that line better.
Groups say they want government money to help people, but it's their people they help.
Government money brings the need to keep more government money flowing.
The "for-profit education" industry isn't the problem. They are just a group of people going where the money is.
The more money going into Washington, the more problems that can arise.
And the answer is not having the right people in charge. It's limiting the temptation of big money to bring big corruption.

More information

Troglopundit highlights a new site - Trending Right - that compiles the top conservative stories on Twitter.
I signed up for Twitter but haven't used it to promote my blog. I get my links the old-fashioned way - luck and begging.
Click over and see what's hot. Tell them Trog sent you.

Monday, April 25, 2011

More loans, less money

Our local bank, Dupont Community Credit Union, reported its first quarter numbers last week.
More loans are being made, but the total loan portfolio has slipped.
Good news for the economy? Or are more people paying down those loans - and planning to hoard that money.
It's hard to tell which see the economy is going. I still see lots of houses with for sale signs in front. Some have had the signs for a long time.

First look at Republican strategy

President Obama and the Democrats have a first look at their 2012 presidential campaign out Monday.
Here's a first look at the Republican strategy - our guy did something before running for president.

The War of Ryan's Aggression

The majority of my ancestors arrived in the United States after the Civil War. So I don't have the family ties that can cloud views of the "War of Northern Aggression."
But I spent three years working in Georgetown, S.C. - probably the area hardest hit by the end of slavery. Rice cultivation ruled that area's economy in the 1840s. Many whites became extremely wealthy on the back of their slaves.
Family have pride in their ancestors, in their heritage. Over 150 years later, how to do correlate love of past generations with our knowledge of the pain they caused?
Mostly, we fight. Southerners emphasize their families and the strong characteristics of the struggle - the military, the courage of individual soldiers in the field who held off a foe with superior logistical support. Opponents point to slavery - how do you defend that? Can't you see people are people?
Today, we face a choice about our fiscal future. Democrats are fighting against "Paul Ryan's aggression."
Ryan has looked at the budget numbers, and sees - like slavery - a system that can not last in its present form.
But partisans on the other side not only believe it can last, but is the way to do things. Ryan's plan will harm their lives, and the lives of those they care about.
Decisions made today will impact how future generations look at us. Questions we struggle with will become clear with time and events.
Like the south of the 1860s, we'll be judged by people of the future - who will be harmed or helped by what we do today.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Christ the Lord is risen today

Happy Easter. This hymn popped into my head and I decided to share it.



UPDATE: Paco enjoys the post.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Disrupt the Narrative

Ace has a lengthy post on the "Narrative" - the way a candidate is framed by the media.
The Narrative felled Fred Thompson - he didn't "have the fire" in 2008.
The Narrative dominates Dan Quayle - there won't be a potato famine in his obituaries.
Did Ronald Reagan beat the Narrative, or was Jimmy Carter just such a bad president that the Narrative didn't drag Reagan down?
The Narrative tries to beat down Sarah Palin - a quitter, not really serious, too crazy to be president. Can she overcome it in 2012? Does she even try, in an election where the media Narrative will be severely tested.
The Narrative puffs up President Obama. No matter how little he does or how poorly it goes, it's still seen above the fray.
Read the piece and look for the Narrative. Here's the biggest clue.
We all -- but especially the media -- make up The Narrative to paper over our insufficient knowledge.

If a Narrative has a strong through-line, as they say about scripts and fictions, then the momentum of that through-line, that main driving plot, will tend to carry the story over any plot-holes or weakly-motivated actions. If the through-line is strong enough, it will carry you over such logical gaps and Deleted Scenes and and Scenes Scripted But Never Shot because you're getting the big picture well enough to miss the fact that the little details are either absent or a muddle.

Predictions for 2023

Mark Steyn looks at the world at the end of President Obama's budget window - 2023.
He forgot the easiest prediction - Democrats still will be blaming George W. Bush for the problems.
At least Steyn updates his Twitter dictionary for the Obama generation.
OMG!!! LOL!!!!!!! ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!

Overly Massive Government!!! Legislating Official Largesse!!!!!!! Requiring Offering Foreign Lenders More American Ownership!!!!!!!!!

Happy Easter

I posted this video last year for April. Easter's late this year, but the song is still great.
Keith Green's Easter Song.

Facebook quote of the week

Note to self...don't do an early morning MRI with a slight hangover....wow..not good

Friday, April 22, 2011

Facebook vs. moms

Cruising Facebook today, I found a list of "10 things killing Facebook." My mom will never join, so I can post the problem for those who have their moms as Facebook friends.
I'm just saying, I've heard, anecdotally, that perhaps some people's moms are embarrassing the life out of them on Facebook. My mom, the way you post all messages as a status update, even the ones complaining about me and/or my childhood IN ALL CAPS .... adorable.

Take a picture

Slate has an interesting story about photographer David Hobby - bringing hobby photography up to professional standards.
By teaching a horde of novices the skills necessary to shoot photographs of a quality that was until very recently only within the grasp of an elite few, Hobby has played a significant role in the transformation of the profession. In the last few years, the market rate for many types of professional photographs has dropped by as much as 99 percent.

I learned photography on the fly, when I worked as a reporter in South Carolina - back in the days of film and chemicals.
Technology changes, and many people benefit. But those who had the past monopolies suffer.

Those SAT words

Ace uses some big words to talk about President Obama's big current problems.
He's getting truculent and petulant and other SAT words that have a bad connotation and not so much laughing and taking it without any reaction.

Earth Day recycling

Work closed early Friday, so I got to do my Earth Day can recycling instead of waiting for Saturday.
The price was 45 cents per pound, stable for a while. But still below the highs of 65 cents a few years ago.

High gas prices - good for bloggers?

Gas prices keep rising, as we approach Easter and the summer driving season.
Higher gas prices mean people will likely travel less this summer, and spend more time at home.
Stuck at home, maybe they'll fire up the computer and read blogs to fill their time.
That will slow the usual blogger summer slump.
And since most conservative bloggers will be blaming President Obama for higher gas prices/drifting economy, the multipier effect kicks in on Obama's poor performance.
He'd better be more concerned about that than the wild-goose chase for speculators causing the current price spikes.

Weekend watchdog

Easter Sunday means NASCAR Sprint Cup takes a rare week off. But other sports continue their marches.
The second weekend of the NBA playoffs starts Friday when ESPN offers a pair of games. The Celtics head to New York at 7 p.m., then the Lakers visit the Hornets while the Hawks play the Magic at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
Saturday, TNT has the afternoon doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m. The Pacers host Chicago in Game 4 of that series, followed by the Mavericks at Portland. ESPN shows a pair of games, with the Spurs taking on Memphis at 7:30 p.m. then Thunder and Nuggets play at 10.
ABC has an Eastern Conference doubleheader on Sunday. The 76ers host the Heat at 1 p.m., then it's Celtics-Knicks. TNT has coverage starting at 7 p.m. with the Magic at Hawks, then the Lakers take on the Hornets.
Then it's a week of "if necessary, while the NHL enters the "if necessary" zone this weekend. Versus found it necessary to find some programming early Friday - Detroit won in four straight. Thus, Game 5 of the Sabres-Flyers will be on at 7 p.m., followed by the Predators going against the Ducks in Game 5. There's four games on the Saturday schedule. NBC shows the Capitals against Rangers in Game 5 at 3 p.m., with three other games on Versus - Lightning at Penguins at noon, Canadiens-Bruins at 7 p.m. and the Kings facing the Sharks at 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, NBC has Game 6 of the Flyers-Sabres series at 3 p.m.
The NL Central battle between Cincinnati and St. Louis take centerstage this weekend, on FOX Saturday afternoon and ESPN Sunday night. FOX also shows the White Sox at Tigers and Braves-Giants, while TBS has the Dodgers at Cubs Sunday afternoon.
The Orioles host the Yankees this weekend on MASN, while.the Nationals head to Pittsburgh for a series with the Pirates on MASN2.
ACC baseball gets coverage on Comcast Friday, as Miami visits North Carolina at 7 p.m. Saturday, Virginia hosts N.C. State at 1 p.m. and Louisiana-Monroe visits Middle Tennessee. ESPN2 offers Alabama against Florida Saturday at 8 p.m. and LSU-Vanderbilt battle Sunday at 3 p.m.
Since it's Easter weekend, the Nationwide Series goes it alone - racing from Nashville Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN.
The PGA tour heads to Hilton Head for the Heritage this weekend, with coverage of the final two rounds on CBS at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
MASN has Saturday lacrosse, with Yale visiting Georgetown at 1 p.m. Comcast has the ACC women's lacrosse championship at 1 p.m., followed by the men's title tilt at 3:30 p.m.
For an SEC softball doubleheader, it's Alabama vs. Friday Saturday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 and Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.

Batting birther

The birther cause includes the Baltimore Orioles. Outfielder Luke Scott made comments doubting President Obama's birthplace over the winter, earning an ESPN feature.

Jump and run

Via IOwntheWorld, a great high school baseball play.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Whatever

Via Ace, the nine words you don't want to hear in an argument with a woman.
If you read this and learn, you might be a lucky person.

Earth Week cruise-in

Iowahawk has the best gaz-guzzlers and the people who love them as we get ready for Earth Day Friday.
Onward into the carbon fog.

"Amazingly shallow man"

Powerline blasts President Obama for his historical ignorance.
Obama's historical ignorance could be a full time beat for somebody who does this work for a living, and it tells us something truly important about Barack Obama. His ignorance is as broad as it is deep. Not that you couldn't deduce that on your own from his performance on the job.

From the 14-year-old

Ann Althouse posts a letter from the 14-year-old speaker heckled at Saturday's tea party rally in Wisconsin.
I liked this takedown.
I can truly say that I am not offended in the least by that man’s comments. He obviously was not saying what he said to my speech (since he wasn’t listening at all to it), nor was he saying it to me. He was saying it to a member of the opposing side and couldn’t even string together an intelligent piece of criticism.
via Instapundit

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Best picture I could find

IOwn the World creates a good picture to fight unemployment.
The original photos aren't at the link anymore.
Guess the creator is now unemployed.

The Gaga saga

I had to click this headline - Lady Gaga vs. Weird Al.
It's a fast-moving story. Weird Al wrote a parody of a Lady Gaga song, asked permission to release it, and thought he was denied.
But it seems that Lady Gaga didn't make the decision - and likes the song.
While we await the full video, here's the saga from 12 years ago.

Obama's baseball team

MLB has taken over financial operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I didn't know President Obama liked the Dodgers.
We'll know Bud Selig is serious when he puts Rep. Paul Ryan in charge.

I just lost my appetite for breakfast

GrandpaJohn passes along a new cereal - guaranteed to make you lose your lunch.

Is it "traffic suckage season" already?

Tax Day is past.
The weather is warmer.
School is about out, especially at colleges across the country.
The sitemeter numbers are starting to look a little scrawny.
The climb to 100K may take a while. May need a few more rule 5 posts.
At least the fall looks promising.

NFL picketing schedule

The NFL released the 2011 season schedule Tuesday.
Will there be games?
Or empty stadiums?
Or picketing stars for some kind of replacement games?
Keep your eye on the negotiations.
Whatever happens, the Harbaugh brothers will be together Thanksgiving Night.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Today's Tied with Me

Today, I share a Technorati ranking with insidethemagic.net, which gives you the latest from Disney.
Like the updated Star Tours ride with a new set of characters and 54 different ride combinations. More ride combinations mean more happy annual passholders.

Flag day

My uncle's funeral was today. Since he served in the Coast Guard, an American flag draped the coffin at the cemetary.
The man my dad was talking to mentioned his wife was interested in getting a new flag.
"As long as it's not a seven-foot long flag," dad said.
"I hope that's not what she's thinking," the man replied.

Little Miss AMillion

Little Miss Attila crosses the million hit threshold.
Congrats, and on to the next million.
UPDATE: Smitty joins the celebration.

A new country Darling

The CMT countdown show this weekend started with Sarah Darling's song "Something to Do With Your Hands."
Good name.
Good song.
Good video.

UPDATE: Part of Rule 5 Sunday.

While waiting for Game 4

The Capitals play the Rangers Wednesday in Game 4 of their playoff series.
We'll see more of his commercial as the playoff progress.



Maybe, this year the Capitals win it all. And erase some of the past bad memories.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Getting Rand-y

Blue Virginia has taken a major interest in Ayn Rand.
With the emphasis - I bet those "Teapublicans" don't know the truth about this person.
An interesting tact.
Horribly wrong, but interesting.
So the package makes the ideas bad? Ideas can be tainted by their association with someone?
How about the opposite?
Republicans know about Rand's personal life. But her ideas and philosophy are so powerful that her personal life doesn't matter. We know who she was - and still agree with the philosophy.
For every idea under the sun, you can find saints and sinners agreeing with the view.
Does some pastor's hypocritical behavior overcome the salvation message of Jesus? Never.
Ideas are ideas. People are people.
People have flaws, not the ability to make truth a lie. Or a lie the truth.

Passing of a legend

Former Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor William Donald Schaefer died Monday evening.
He spent 25 years in those positions, and earned novel publicity by swimming in the seal pool in 1981 when the National Aquarium in Baltimore failed to open on time.
I couldn't find the video on his swim, but I bet it will show up soon enough.

Kurt Michael vs. the Coffee Party

SWACgirl had great coverage of Kurt Michael's candidacy announcement this weekend.
Over 30 supporters attended the event.
Then I saw the Instapundit link to the Coffee Party protest in Chicago. An amazing 20 vocal protesters.
Obviously, Kurt Michael is 50 percent more awesome than the Coffee Party.
Or Fishersville is 50 percent better than Chicago.
Or the News Virginian is 50 percent better than the Chicago Sun-Times.
Definitely SWACgirl is a 50 percent better promoter/publicist.

Kaplan konfusion

I'm often amused by Blue Virginia's calling the Washington Post the "Kaplan Post."
Politico looks at a teacher's union pushing the meme at the Post.
It's nice to think about the bosses, concerned about the bottom line, pushing reporters toward certain viewpoints. But it's a long way from the corporate offices to the newsroom.
Kaplan's profits may keep the Post alive financially. But like most Democrats, the bottom-line doesn't matter to reporters. Just pay me for my work.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Tea-day weekend

Got your taxes done?
We got an extra three days this year due to Emancipation Day in D.C.
Thus, there can be Tea Parties in South Carolina on Friday and Monday in Richmond.
Three years of tax day Tea Parties. Bet this will be real big in 2012, too.

When there's a funnel cloud in Duck, duck

Lots of tornadoes in North Carolina Saturday, with big ones around Raleigh and several deaths across the state.
The last of the tornadoes/funnel clouds hit the Outer Banks after dark, around 9:36 p.m. Going right over the beach house in Duck where my parents and brother's family were staying.
The house suffered several blown out windows, and a chair went through a window and busted a TV and bedroom door. The back window of my sister-in-law's car broke as well.
My brother's family got down to the lowest level before the cloud hit. My parents were in the main part of the house, and my dad got a few minor cuts from the flying glass. EMTs came through the neighborhood and he checked out okay.
The day dawned clear, and damage boarded-up until replacement windows can arrive. I'm awaiting pictures, and glad everyone was safe in the storm.

Democrats and kildeer

For the second year, a family of Kildeer has made their home in our backyard.
Kildeer nest on the ground, and they've found a part of backyard to their liking - a rocky area with little grass near the drainage area.
Unfortunately, nesting on the ground means young Kildeer are basically defenseless as eggs and young hatchlings. That's what makes me think Kildeer should be the official bird of the Democratic party.
How do Kildeer parents protect their young?
Distraction and making loud noises. Just like Democrats.


Today, I mowed my back lawn for the first time this year. I knew where the nest was, so I avoided that. But the nest was empty.
I decided to mow an area away from the Kildeer nest. But as I cut through that area, I saw two little heads struggling to walk in the tall grass.
I cut off the mower for about 15 minutes, and as I resumed I kept a close eye out for the young ones. The parent Kildeer kept squawking and trying to distract me, even though I meant their youngsters no harm.
I think the young Kildeer went to the edge of the property, which I don't mow.
Checking last year's posts, I think I'll be watching out for Kildeer hatchlings for a few more weeks while I mow.

Cuccinelli - doing what he does best

Should it be a surprise that Ken Cuccinelli plans to run for re-election as Attorney General?
He's done well in his time in office - issuing legal opinions and driving Democrats crazy. If he runs for another term as AG, he can keep doing that.
With Bill Bolling as a likely Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2013, there's no reason to rush ahead.
It's quite possible the senators from Virginia in 2015 will be Republicans George Allen and Bob McDonnell. Why leave a job he likes in two years to be put in a holding pattern in 2017 - finished with his term as governor and no senatorial jobs opening up.
Sure, he can work in the upcoming Palin administration. But until that offer comes, it's good he's happy as Attorney General.
And it's good liberals remain unhappy with him.

Rides to the sounds of the guns

Dan Riehl offers true praise of Sarah Palin, going into battles where other politicians fear to tread.
It's ironic to watch so many so called establishment Republicans who seem to want to be leader of the free world dance their way around the more serious political battles of our time. They criticize, they pontificate, or editorialize, yet from ObamaCare to a budget deal, they're also careful to not too directly engage. The same can be said of them for what has played out in Madison, Wisconsin over the past month.

Whether it's talking about death panels, or blood libel, to now showing up in Madison - that's not former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. As I said to a friend and colleague tonight, wherever the current battle is, that's very often where you can find Palin. One of the first requirements for leadership is to show up out front. No one will ever accuse Palin of not doing that. Doing so also has an interesting side benefit for any would be leader. When you lead, people tend to follow and support you, even if not at first.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Wild weather, here to the beach

I was getting ready to watch the news - and hear about today's bad weather locally - when my brother called. He and his family are in the Outer Banks with my folks, and a tornado came through the area they are staying in.
A quick call to say everyone's okay - just a few minor cuts for Dad - and we'll get more information later. Just a few houses are occupied this time of the year, although more today due to spring break vacations.
Areas just south of Fishersville reported 95 mile per hour winds.
There will be more information with the new day, but looks like no major injuries.

Dude, where's my cool president?

The Republican campaign slogan for 2012 gets more apparent by the day.
President Obama - Does he really want a second term?
Sure, we likes the power. But all he does is complain about the life lately.
Pundette has the story of his phone gripe.
Golfing? It's the only way he can get outside.
He wishes he could just watch the people go by. The public has already gone by him.
Here's another slogan:
Give Obama his greatest wish - more free time. Vote Republican.

Try this Lady Liberty

There's been some fuss over the new Statue of Liberty stamp - didn't they notice the casino chips on her shoulder?
Visiting NoSheeplesHere, this past post popped up. A much better vision of Lady Liberty.

Facebook quote of the week

Kept smelling an unusual,pungent odor for a 1/2 hour!!!! Found the culprit-three hard-boiled dyed eggs in Sarah's backpack!!! Not too sure how long they have been there. From the smell I'd say...about a day or maybe two!!! Guess I'd better start unzipping inside pockets on her backpack from now on!!!!

Pack of history

A Facebook friend posted a short article on the 60th anniversary of my childhood Cub Scout Pack.
I didn't go far in Cub Scouts, just two years. And I assisted with the oldest during his three years as a scout.
Fishersville's Boy Scout Troop has its own website. It's always a good Saturday when they fire up the portable cooker and sell barbecue chicken to raise funds for their projects.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Ace is on fire

A great trio of Obama smackdowns at Ace of Spades today.
The most recent ends with a great line.
As I've always said, it's a false choice to ask if Obama is stupid, or if he is evil; such a question is a distraction from the deeper American value of (dramatic whisper) knowing in our bones that he's both.

That followed this gem.
If you're hoodwinking the public because they're gullible and have a general preference for Symbolic Ciphers over genuine accomplishment and qualification, maybe you should keep quiet and not draw attention to that, rather than confess out loud that your supporters are self-deluded naifs.

Check out the polls and follow Ace's conclusion.
In all objective aspects, about anything that can be quantified and measured, Obama's presidency is a failure. A miserable failure. And a failure producing more and more misery -- persistent, grinding unemployment, skyrocketing gas prices, and soon the bite of inflation -- for more people than any other miserable failure since Jimmy Carter, and quite likely before him, too.
Happy Friday, President Obama. And Saturday's going to be too wet for golf.

Candidate and a breakfast

SWACgirl has the news of Kurt Michael's candidacy announcement Saturday morning.
Looks like the announcement will be indoors, with lots of rain in the forecast.
Afterwards, there's a Dutch treat breakfast.
I'm glad it's not an Obama-treat breakfast (you go through the line and the guy behind you has to pay for your stuff).
That works for the first person in line. Definitely not for the last.

Huzza! She spurns the Northern scum

The Other McCain highlights my favorite verse of "Maryland, My Maryland."
Back in my College Republican days, we had space at the bottom of a page of our (only) newsletter. We had room for three verses of the song - the first, second and ninth.
The sentiment reminds strong in Baltimore -six times each baseball season, when Boston and New York play the Orioles.
All throughout the city, natives "spurn the Northern scum" who invade our stadium to root for their teams. Like next weekend when the "Damn Yankees" come visiting.

The buck stops there

David Brooks praises President Obama's speech - for its vague, "choices must be made - but not by me" feel.
The president, meanwhile, hit the political sweet spot with his speech this week. He made a sincere call to reduce debt, which will please independents, but he did not specify any tough choices. He called for defense cuts and asked the Pentagon to find some. He called for a reduction in tax credits but didn’t point to any that should actually go. He called for reductions in Medicare costs and asked his board of technocrats to come up with some.

Thus, saying what people want to hear - but will fail in the near future - makes Obama's speech a political success.

Weekend watchdog

When the NFL playoffs begin, Tuesday Morning Quarterback mournfully notes that there's only 11 more games left.
You can't count the number of games in the NBA and NHL postseasons.
The two-month long marches to championship began in the NHL Wednesday and start Saturday in the NBA.
The Capitals, top seeds in the Eastern Conference, got things going Wednesday against the Rangers - a come-from-behind overtime victory. Game 2 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast, and NBC has Game 3 in New York Sunday at 3 p.m.
NBC shows Game 2 between Phoenix and Detroit Saturday at 1 p.m.
Versus has the majority of the ice hockey action. Friday, they show the Capitals-Rangers nationally before heading west for the Blackhawks against the Canucks. Saturday, it's Game 2 of Montreal at Boston at 7 p.m., then the California battle between the Kings and Sharks.
Chicago, the 2010 Stanley Cup champion, hosts Vancouver on Sunday at 8 p.m.
The NBA show begins Saturday on ESPN. The Pacers visit the top-seeded Bulls at 12:30 p.m., then ABC gets LeBron, D-Wade and the gang against the 76ers at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN returns to the action at 7 p.m. when the Hawks meet Orlando, followed by Dallas hosting Portland.
The other four series start on Sunday. ABC features the Hornets at Lakers at 3:30 p.m, and TNT has the rest - Memphis-San Antonio at 1 p.m., Knicks facing the Celtics at 7 p.m. and the Thunder hosting Denver at 9:30 p.m.
Basketball and ice hockey - on TV almost every night for the next two months.
NASCAR goes to Talledega this weekend. FOX has the Sprint Cup race Sunday at 1 p.m. while the Nationwide race is Saturday on ESPN2 at 3 p.m.
Versus has the Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
The Yankees get another appearance on ESPN's Sunday night baseball, hosting Texas at 8 p.m. Early in the day, the Red Sox and Blue Jays meet on TBS.
FOX offers three contests on Saturday afternoon - Twins vs. Rays, Angels at White Sox and Mets visiting the Braves.
The Nationals face Milwaukee this weekend on MASN, while the Orioles continue the road trip at Cleveland on MASN2.
Comcast offers a pair of college baseball games Saturday - Florida State at Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. and Vanderbilt visits South Carolina at 7 p.m. Sunday, there's more SEC baseball as Florida takes on Georgia at 1 p.m.
ESPN2 shows Vanderbilt-South Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m.
The PGA tour heads west this weekend for the Valero Texas Open. CBS has coverage Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 p.m.
ESPN2 offers SEC college softball Saturday at noon, with Tennessee facing LSU. Sunday on ESPN, Oklahoma plays Missouri at 4 p.m.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Nice near the ice

The Washington Capitals finished first in the Eastern Conference in the regular season.
Will they keep up the good play through the playoffs?
Will the Red Rockets get to spend more time at the Verizon Center?
UPDATE: Rule 5 Sunday was on Sunday this week. Thanks, Wombat.

Sign of the times

How do Fishersville boys get dates for the prom?
This one hung a sign on the fence at the tennis court.
If President Obama sees this, he might get an idea for his own sign.
On the White House fence, we'll find this
"America, will you pay more taxes for me? - Barack"

Keeping my job is job one

Instapundit links a great column on latimes.com about poor President Obama and his travel plans Thursday.
This is the big bucks kickoff for what Obama aides gleefully predict will be a $1 billion political extravaganza of "Vote for me."
A billion bucks. Think, a president once suggested, what that kind of money could do for the most vulnerable members of our society.
But it's more important right now that sum goes to people like television station owners for the broadcast and cable time to convince Americans over the remaining 572 days that they should disregard Obama's profound desire to return to private life in that faux Hyde Park.

Downhill racer

I'm glad President Obama gave a speech Wednesday.
It gives columnists another chance to bundle his blunders into a neat package.
Jay Cost looks at the campaigner who's lousy at politics.
Obama has been demonstrating his political tone deafness since he emerged as the frontrunner in early 2008: his comment about how “bitter” rural Pennsylvanians “cling” to guns and God, how Hillary Clinton is “likeable enough,” the “vero possumus” seal, the arrogant trip to Europe that summer, the grand Barackopolis, and the weirdo artwork. All of these were politically short-sighted comments or images that the media intentionally overlooked. When you get right down to it, Obama hit his high point at Iowa’s Jefferson Jackson Dinner in November, 2007. It’s been downhill ever since – with one verbal gaffe or policy misstep after another.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Talk about bizarro

It doesn't get more bizarre than this quote from TheGreenMiles.
Of course, what no one talks about is that the deficit will fix itself if we make sure the economy recovers, allow the Affordable Care Act to take effect & let the Bush tax cuts expire.
The plan?
Pay up and shut up.
Our plan works. Your plan stinks.
Look at the numbers instead. This plan is a little too bizarre for me.

Tax view from Oklahoma

Dustbury pulls a great headline out of the dust bowl.
Where the gripes of Roth are stored

Dropping back to punt

It's been a busy day, so I've been mercifully spared hearing about President Obama's speech.
Mark Steyn takes the whacks. Enjoy.
There’s something sad about a man so carelessly revealing himself as entirely inadequate to the moment. Government spending is an existential threat to the United States. Whether or not anyone at the White House knows this, the viziers decided to shove the sultan out on stage with a pitifully unserious speech retreating to all his lamest tropes – the usual whiny, petty and unpresidential partisan snippiness, and the ponderous demolition of straw men even he barely bothered to pretend he believed in:

Politicians are often eager to feed the impression that solving the problem is just a matter of eliminating waste and abuse –that tackling the deficit issue won’t require tough choices.
Yeah, right. Why don’t we start by eliminating whatever dope got paid to write that sentence?
Hurry up, November 2012.

Today's tied with me

Weekend Watchdog has helped boost my sports rank in Technorati.
Today, I'm tied with nonohitters.com - a blog about the fact that no New York Met pitcher has thrown a no-hitter in franchise history.
It's a blog that will be thrilled to see it's run end.

Twenty years and still waiting

If you live in Bluefield, WV and want to get to Huntington quickly, it's a three-hour ride on the interstate via Charleston.
But 20 years ago, people in the area between those two cities, connected by U.S. 52 through the mountains, decided to seek a new interstate through their areas.
They are still seeking money, and have very little to show for it - a few bridges and small stretches of barely usable roads.
Sen. Byrd is gone, and spending on road projects - hoping they would bring development - is out of vogue. Especially when there's congested cities begging for more help.
The roads would be nice for me, speeding the visit to the in-laws. But I doubt I'll ever see these roads completed. And it's doubtful my unborn grandchildren will see them either.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Keep dreaming

Blue Virginia touts a poll that he thinks is good news for Democrats.
When you look at the range of possibilities, I think it's more likely President Obama wins 10 states or fewer than that the Democrats regain the House after the 2012 election.

I support the Instapundit tax hike

Instapundit offers a great idea to raise revenue for the government.
Here’s my proposal: A 50% surtax on anything earned within five years after leaving the federal government, above whatever the federal salary was. Leave a $150K job at the White House, take a $1M job with Goldman, Sachs, pay a $425K surtax.
I'd like to tax the use of the word "Teabagger," but I'll join this effort for fairness.

I can drive --- 135

Dustbury publishes a photo.
Is it proof of breaking the speed limit?
On the other hand, if I’m driving that fast, and as a general rule I’m not, I’m also not simultaneously grappling with a frigging camera.
Sorry officer, it's a photoshop.

Remembering Charleston

For the 150th anniversary of the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the Charleston Post and Courier has a large section of articles.
The Other McCain compares the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with the 100th - a different era.
The Georgetown Times reports on citizens traveling 60 miles south for the Charleston commemoration - with a quote some angry progressives might use.
“It’s part of history, and we are just celebrating when South Carolina said heck no to Washington, just like today,” Wolf said. “We had someone 500 miles away, telling us what to do and taxing us.”

Monday, April 11, 2011

What's going on in Japan

One of my high school classmates lives in Japan.
Her family's school put together a video, answering the questions of a California school that sent relief supplies and questions about what happened.

More wisdom from Scott Adams

The Dilbert creator looks at higher education in the weekend Wall Street Journal.
And his experiences could help today's students.
My college days were full of entrepreneurial stories of this sort. When my friends and I couldn't get the gym to give us space for our informal games of indoor soccer, we considered our options. The gym's rule was that only organized groups could reserve time. A few days later we took another run at it, but this time we were an organized soccer club, and I was the president. My executive duties included filling out a form to register the club and remembering to bring the ball.

By the time I graduated, I had mastered the strange art of transforming nothing into something. Every good thing that has happened to me as an adult can be traced back to that training. Several years later, I finished my MBA at Berkeley's Haas School of Business. That was the fine-tuning I needed to see the world through an entrepreneur's eyes.
When I look back at my college career, I remember a little about the classes. More about time with my friends, working with the college newspaper, being in College Republicans and my four years in Campus Crusade for Christ.
It's nice to learn about communications and journalism. It's more important to learn about real life.

About time

Virginia is thinking about adding truck lanes on I-64 over Afton Mountain.
Glad to see it. I've often wondered why I-64 is only two lanes on the long climb up the mountain.
And don't get me started about two-lane I-64 between Richmond and Newport News. Especially on summer weekends.

Who's better? Ike or Patton?

Since the Friday settlement to avoid a government shutdown, the right side has been battling about the deal.
Was it a good deal or not good?
DaTech Guy gives a good view why it's a good deal, and good to have unhappy conservatives.
But his post from Saturday got me thinking. He talked about Civil War battles and strategies, and this weekend's argument reminded me of the supporters of World War II generals Eisenhower and Patton.
Whoever you like, our side is winning.
The other side is spent, nothing left.
Patton would have been more aggressive getting to Berlin, but we got there by May. The war ended, we won and our troops came home.
It would be great to win quickly, but the opposition has to give up the fight as well. They've got a few rubber bands in their pockets while we've got guns.
It's a step in the march toward fiscal responsibility. We're moving in the right direction.

Two days before the deluge

The best month for ice hockey fans looms.
The first two rounds of the playoffs mean ice hockey basically every night.
Usually two games a night.
Lasting through the conference semifinals.
Sure, some series will end in four games. But most go six or seven, filling your nightly schedule.
Enjoy.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Listen to Mr. Arithmetic

I like this quote from George Will. Newsbusters provide the transcript.
Medicare is doomed as we know it, not by Mr. Ryan, but by Mr. Arithmetic. It just doesn't work anymore.

Who's the boss

Don Surber hails the new chief - Rep. Paul Ryan.
Presidents control the agenda. This one didn’t. Paul Ryan took control.
Hail President Paul Ryan.

Neighborhood sweep

Saturday, members of the Maryland State police and volunteers searched for a missing teenager in the state park near my parents' house. A part of the park I've walked my times in the past 38 years.
They found the body of one missing person, but not the teen.
Her mom remains hopeful.
The now 17-year-old disappeared from her half-sister's Northwest Baltimore apartment on Dec. 28 while visiting from Monroe, N.C. Reached by telephone, her mother Janice Sallis called the results of the search "good news. It's good news that they didn't come up with anything. My baby might still be out there."

15 years on the net

Dustbury celebrated the 15th anniversary of his blog Saturday.
The first newspaper I worked at traced its roots back to 1797. Dustbury has had the same author all those years, but it's been a long trip on multiple platforms and coding.
Here's to many more good years.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Robert Stacy Smith? Nah

Smitty trumps Planned Parenthood - a blog post from the uterus. Amazing pictures of the little one. Amazing what our medical technology can see. I remember the excitement of the ultrasound of my oldest, now almost 14. Looks what they can do now. Best wishes to young Smitty, with momma and daddy separated by half the globe. UPDATE: Linked among the name choices by Smitty.

Georgia vs. D.C.

In Augusta, the Masters.
In Washington, the Disasters.

Cuts now, more cuts in the future

Instapundit has a short roundup on the budget deal.
DaTech Guy takes the long view.
Ride Right through them, they’re demoralized as hell!

Right, Blue Virginia?

Facebook quote of the week

Could somebody please just KLUNK me on the head with a cast iron skillet for drinking a cup of coffee at 10:30??? I am WIDE AWAKE.

Friday, April 8, 2011

We need cleanup in D.C.

Watching Capitals ice hockey, you get to see this ad for Hadeed Carpet. Reminds me of Congress this week.

Good thing there's good internet in Kabul

Smitty spreads the word about SWACgirl's post on the 2012 Virginia Senate race poll.
Third link of the month. From halfway around the world and back to Augusta County.

Aborting the budget

Twelve hours until the government shutdown.
Planned Parenthood or bust.
If the difference is only a few billion dollars, why don't the Democrats give in to what the Tea Party wants? After all, in 2010, we won.

Weekend watchdog

Amen Corner.
The Azaleas.
The walk to the 18th green.
It's time for the Masters.
CBS has its coverage Saturday and Sunday, through the winner's interview at Butler Cabin.  And don't forget the late-night highlights Friday after your local news.
ESPN gets to show the second round, starting Friday at 3 p.m.
Another rite of the spring is the start of baseball.
The Yankees and Red Sox have their first series of the season this weekend, so they get coverage Saturday afternoon on FOX and Sunday night on ESPN. The Phillies' visit to Atlanta is the other game on FOX Saturday, and the TBS game Sunday afternoon.
The Orioles host Texas for the weekend on MASN2. The Nationals visit the Mets on MASN - Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
On the other end of the schedule, the NBA and NHL are winding down. The Bulls visit Orlando Sunday at 1 p.m. on ABC, while the Celtics face the Heat at 3:30 p.m.
At the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, the Wizards visit Boston Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. and host Atlanta Saturday on Comcast-plus.
The Capitals close out the regular season against the Panthers Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. Versus has a Friday night special - Blackhawks against Red Wings 8 p.m. NBC has the rematch Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in the regular season finale.
Having withdrawal from the Final Four? Saturday at 8 p.m. NCAA offers the Frozen Four finale on ESPN as Minnesota-Duluth faces Michigan.
NASCAR heads to Texas for the weekend. FOX has the Sprint series drivers Saturday at 7 p.m., while the Nationwide racers hit the track Friday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
ACC college baseball gets coverage on Comcast Saturday at 1 p.m., with Boston College taking on Duke. Sunday, Comcast goes to the SEC for Auburn at Kentucky.
LSU spring football gets coverage on ESPN Saturday at 4 p.m.
The tennis tour hits South Carolina this week, with ESPN2 showing the Family Circle Cup Friday through Sunday starting at 1 p.m. each day.
Virginia hosts North Carolina in college lacrosse Saturday at noon on ESPN.
MASN shows the Illinois Derby Saturday at 5 p.m.

Idol chatter

The people at Dialidol.com are not happy today.
They predicted Pia was one of the three contestants who was safe this week.
Instead, she's gone.
Dialidol had Paul with the lowest score.
Votefortheworst.com likes him. He's still singing on the show.
Wonder what Simon's thinking about this?

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Obama-Trump debate

Wouldn't you watch that?
Whether you like Donald Trump or not, he's got the buzz.
And he's already got his Election night speech written.
"Barack, you're fired."

More on the poll

The story of the Roanoke College poll on the Senate race caught our attention.
Looking deeper, the poll had approval ratings for Gov. McDonnell and President Obama.
McDonnell - 66 % approve.
Obama - 34 % approve.
How's Obama going to win Virginia in 2012 with that level of approval?
The poll may be flawed, but that's a big mountain for Democrats to climb.

Bring on the shutdown

A Facebook friend finds a bright side to a government shutdown.
Dear IRS:

I will make payment when I know you will be open for business!

If Obama read Instapundit...

...he'd be smart.
He doesn't which is why we're in trouble.

Government shutdown - it's environmentally friendly

A government shutdown might be a good thing - for the environment.
Close the national parks - let nature grow without being bothered by man.
Non-essential employees stay home - less commuting. Less use of gas to move people around.
If man causes all these environmentally problems, then keeping them home can help the earth.
By the way, IRS agents are non-essential. Right?

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

We're thinking of a trade-in

Did President Obama really say people should think about car trade-ins when asked about higher gas prices?
Instapundit gives him a good blast.
I'm definitely ready for a trade-in of this president in 19 months.

The great debate

The transcript of the debate between President Obama and Paco.
The best exchange?
Obama: This sounds like bait and switch to me.

Paco: You mean like your 2008 campaign strategy?
Obama: Hey! I promised hope and change, and that’s what the people got.
Paco: Well, they’re sure hoping for change now.
I'll take fries with that.

Today's tied with me

Checking Technorati today, the blogs with the same rank as mine include PixarBlog.
What's up with them?
Monsters University has been pushed back to 2013. Looking forward to more Mike and Sulley.

Tell those stories

Momma-2-Momma shares the importance of telling the next generation about their ancestors.
I would not know any of these stories if my parents and grandparents did not have the good sense to tell them. But since they did, I do. I have a heritage, a geneaology filled with names and dates, but much more importantly, a history filled with real flesh-and-blood people who carried deep sadnesses and dreams, who loved and sorrowed, who laughed, who killed themselves slowly. And I am so grateful.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Ryan's plan - a real fine place to start

Is Paul Ryan's budget too tough or too tame?
Probably not as tough as it needs to be, but tougher than some can handle.
You can't stop the runaway spending in an instant. You've got to slow it down first to a manageable pace.
It's a good start, Rep. Ryan. If others follow your vision, we can make progress.
Yes, we can.

Name calling?

With Tim Kaine entering the race for Senate, I see Blue Virginia has a post blasting "name-calling" by the George Allen campaign after the announcement.
No links to whatever "terrible name-calling" has been done.
Guess I'd better check out GeorgeAllen.com to see what's going on.
What's the terrible name-calling?
  • Liberal allies
  • Nancy Pelosi
  • Harry Reid
Feel the burn.
Man, it's going to be a long, long election season.

Happy Paul Ryan day

Paul Ryan vs. the spending world.
Some support him.
Some really support him.

Monday Night 24

Two weeks ago, Augusta County elementary school students competed in a 24 tournament.
Monday, the best of the region gathered. Good to see the newspaper notice.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Ready for "One Shining Moment?"

Are you going to stay up after the NCAA championship game ends?
Ready for another edition of "One Shining Moment?
Some of us have to work in the morning.
That's why we have YouTube. To warm up for the game with last year's video.

Ace on Obama 2012

Lots of comments on President Obama's re-election video. Ace stomps him pretty good.
Good ad? Even given the facts-on-the-ground difficulties Obama faces, in as much as the economy is awful and Obama has, if anything, exacerbated that, no, the ad is still cloying, empty, and flat. And you do notice the dog that didn't bark -- the man's had coming on three years; where are all these Magic Beans we were promised.
Oh, right. He can only actually perform as promised in his second term; his first one was a mulligan. Odd that he never told us that in 2008.

4 and O's

The Orioles won their home opener to get to 4-0.
If it's a dream, don't wake me up.

Be jealous of me

My work offers several employees the opportunity to work from home.
Today's my first day of teleworking. After a few glitches getting going, things have gone well.
It's cool to be attached to computers and printers over 30 miles away to work.
It's a good day.
Sunny day in the 70s.
Orioles in first place.
And when it's 5 p.m. here, I'll be done instead of heading over the mountain home.
Obama would have to ruin it by announcing the start of his re-election campaign.

Obama's other bracket

We've fussed at President Obama for picking an NCAA men's basketball bracket for ESPN during a time of global trouble.
He also picked the women's bracket.
He did get two of the Final Four teams right.
But they both lost Sunday.
Good job, Texas A&M and Notre Dame.
Sorry, President Obama. You can concentrate on your brackets in 2013 when you have more time to watch college basketball.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Remembering 1986

Don Surber posts a story remembering Jack Nicklaus' 1986 win at the Masters.
A few months later, Nicklaus visited my part of South Carolina to talk about a new golf course he designed. And I asked the worst, most rambling question of my career.
I remember thinking, "I'm asking Jack Nicklaus a question." I don't remember focusing on the question.
I did get to take his picture with my co-worker. Just no more questions.
I look forward to Thursday morning, when Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer serve as honorary starters.

Your first-place Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles are one of four baseball teams that finished the first weekend undefeated.
I have to mention that before it changes.

If you're going to San Francisco....

...pack a lunch, you can't afford to eat there.
Why?
Nowhere in the nation have restaurants been harder hit than in San Francisco, said Frank Klein, a national restaurant consultant in Palo Alto. Besides the problems plaguing the industry during a recession, restaurateurs here are further burdened with the city's payroll tax, mandatory healthcare subsidies, sick-leave pay and a higher minimum wage, which must be paid to workers in addition to their tips - not always the case in other cities.

Sad anniversary coming

Tuesday is the first anniversary of the Montcoal mine explosion, which cost the lives of 29 miners in Raleigh County, West Virginia.
This site lists the men and their stories.
We'll be remembering and thinking about them and their families throughout the week.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Lots of basketball

VCU's season is over - 40 games played but one short of the national championship game.
Forty games is a lot of college basketball.
But how about the referees? How many games do they do in a season?
When I worked in West Virginia, Mike Eades was making his way up the referee ladder. This website says he worked 96 games this season, including Wednesday's final of the CollegeInsider.com tournament. I can't imagine watching that many games on TV a season, let alone traveling around the nation to work that many.

Twenty percent done

Bible Summary notes his progress - 238 chapters of the Bible done.
He's doing a tweet of a chapter every day and he's made it to 1Samuel.
Just 951 chapters to go.
We know the Bible will still be the same in 2013. Will Twitter still be the same?

New at Nationals Park

Watching the Nationals play the Braves, I see a new addition to the box seats - a Lexus logo.
Nice to see they made some extra money for a ad on the empty seats behind home plate.
Lexus is a good brand.
But is it good branding to have an "L" on all those seats?
When your best season was 81-81 in 2005?

Facebook quote of the week

I wonder what would happen if I walked through Sea World with a fishing pole.

Why youth soccer is popular

The youngest has a soccer game this morning. I awake to 39 degree temperatures and winds blowing 13 mph.
At least it's just an hour outside in the cold for the game for soccer parents.
For youth baseball, it's usually a two-hour game. And likely two games a week instead of one.
If you're a parent thinking of shivering outside in the spring, which would you encourage your child to play?
Besides, they're out there running instead of standing in the outfield - waiting for a ball to be hit.

Friday, April 1, 2011

"My farmer died"

Powerline looks the size of government vs. the real world, thanks to Stephen Moore's article in the Wall Street Journal.
How big is government? Moore tells us.
Every state in America today except for two—Indiana and Wisconsin—has more government workers on the payroll than people manufacturing industrial goods.

Best news of the day

The New York Times has a new owner - going from Pinch to Punch.
Staff reductions at the Times were immediate and brutal. "I went down to the parking garage and fired everybody whose car had an Obama bumper sticker on it. And for the 20 or so cars with Kerry/Edwards stickers, those guys I shot on sight."
Chris Wysocki - emphasis on the "sock." A media mogul to be feared.

Da Sick Day

DaTech Guy is sick today.
Links make you feel better.
So link. Now.
He'll need all his strength in the morning to moderate between the Other McCain and Little Miss Attila.

New feature - tied with me

Time for a new blog feature.
Technorati ranks blogs across the world, and by clicking my page I can find blogs with the same authority and rank.
Those tied with me Thursday include beefjack.com, which looks at gaming.
And has a post that Sony may introduce the PlayStation 4 in December 2012. The boys will be happy to hear about that.