More Post-Christmas

Last year, we got the kids a Wii, with a few assorted games that I (being an old fart) haven't felt the slightest temptation to play.

This year, since they've been "OOooo"-ing and "Ahhhh"-ing over "Guitar Hero", we went ahead and got them one - with two "guitars".

Imagine my pleasure when their favorite track is a Creedence Clearwater Revival tune!

Makes me think that somewhere, somehow, Mr. Bad Influence (Professional Division) must have done something right.... Now, if I can just get them to like bagpipes, Bach organ music, and the Moody Blues....

UPDATE: MeelieNoh (The 10-year old) kicked my butt around the block. Twice. I can see I'm gonna have to practice a bit...

Post-Christmas

I'll leave it up to Mrs. OWW to describe the goings-on at my In-Law's, with one exception: Watching Chickie (14) and MeelieNoh (10) open packages and go "Oooo" and "Ahhh" as they got some stuff that they really wanted.

Instead, let's look at one of the sillier things that went on this week - in Seattle.

It seems that a large winter storm dumped large amounts of snow in places that get very little snow. But wait a minute, Seattle has snow removal equipment, right?

Kinda-sorta. The snowplows that they do have (not many) have rubber blades to avoid damaging the roads AND they do not use salt on the roads at all, because.... (wait for it) the run-off would damage Puget Sound - which is a salt-water body of water!

Read the editorial HERE.

In summary, Seattle blew the call. Granted, Seattle doesn't normally have to deal with huge amounts of snow - but the planning should have been in place, and extreme conditions allowed and planned and stocked for.

I live in a hurricane zone, and my local government DOES plan and DOES equip itself to deal with a hurricane's aftermath.

So, Seattle gets a "D" grade for violating the "Five P" principle.

Meanwhile, I'm suffering through mid-seventies temps - why, I even felt moved to turn on my truck's air-conditioning yesterday.... Ò¿Ö

Congress-critters at the Trough

These are the same folks that spend YOUR money.

Money that YOU have earned.

Is it any wonder that public confidence in the Congress is at an all time low?

As Americans across the country grapple with one of the worst financial crises since the Great Depression, members of Congress quietly are getting a pay raise. Each lawmaker's annual salary is due for a $4,700 cost-of-living increase starting in January, which will amount to a cost to taxpayers of $2.5 million in 2009, infuriating watchdog groups. ... Members of Congress make an average of $169,300 a year, with Congressional leaders making slightly more. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Cailf., makes $217,400, while the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate each make $188,100. The raise will increase the average salary to about $174,000, up 2.8 percent.

Twits and Lawyer-Twits

Oh, for Christ's Sweet Sake!

Read THIS, then tell me why public humiliation for this twit isn't a Good Thing.

She should be required to stand on a street corner at rush hour with a sign enumerating her crime, AND specifying that she and her lawyer daddy had the gall to sue!

Convicted last year of intoxication manslaughter for the death of her boyfriend, the 21-year-old daughter of a state district judge is suing the truck driver she ran into during a drunken driving crash. Elizabeth Shelton, the daughter of juvenile judge Pat Shelton, is accusing truck driver Lance Bennett of negligence in the Oct. 23, 2007, wreck that killed her boyfriend Matthew McNiece. Shelton had a blood alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit, two tests showed. She was sentenced to eight years' probation and had to serve four months in jail. Shelton, her family and the family of the boyfriend who was killed are suing for $20,000 for the destruction of the Lexus SUV she was driving and an undetermined amount for mental anguish, pain and suffering. Bennett was driving the box truck that Shelton rear-ended on the Southwest Freeway near Kirby around 2 a.m.

Elizabeth Shelton is a twit. A drunk driver twit, and therefore very dangerous to herself and all those within fifty miles of her miserable location. Pat Shelton, her lawyer daddy, is a daffy-down-dilly, i.e., a Lawyer-Twit (caps intended), and therefore to be regarded with the utmost scorn.

"American Patriots"?

See the story HERE.

The Marine Corps motto means "always faithful," but the union says some reservists working out of a base on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit have been decidedly unfaithful to their fellow Americans by driving import cars and trucks. So the UAW International will no longer allow members of the 1st Battalion 24th Marines to park at Solidarity House if they are driving foreign cars or displaying pro-President Bush bumper stickers. "While reservists certainly have the right to drive nonunion made vehicles and display bumper stickers touting the most anti-worker, anti-union president since the 1920s, that doesn't mean they have the right to park in a lot owned by the members of the UAW," the union said in a statement released Friday. Shocked and disappointed, the Marines are pulling out. "You either support the Marines or you don't," said Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge

I go with Col. Rutledge.

These Marine Reservists are "citizen soldiers" - and when you call, they come.

They don't care if you drive a "union" car. They don't care if you're from Detroit, or Michigan, California, or Georgia.

If you call for help, they drop what they're doing in the civilian world, and they come.

The United States Marine Corps Reserve doesn't care if you are Republican or Democrat. The USMCR doesn't care if you're male or female. The Marines don't care if you're straight, bent, or mutilated. The "jarheads" don't care if you're "pro-union" or "anti-union".

"Semper Fidelis" means that they are always there.

The United States Marine Corps Reserve has sworn to protect YOU - even if you are a no account loser like the UAW.

Even if you are a miserable little "union" pissant.

I go with Col. Rutledge - you can take your stinkin' little parking lot and put it where the sun don't shine.

Note: I'm not "management". I'm not "rich". I'm not "union". I'm just an American who's "been there", and "done that" - USN 1969-1973, and a proud son-in-law to a "China Marine". And yes, the UAW has once again managed to really get me grumpy.

Grrrr.....

Wreaths at Arlington

Back around 1995, Worcester Wreath Company started laying Christmas Wreaths on the headstones of graves at Arlington National Cemetary. Now, that project has been picked up by Wreaths Across America.

A worthy endeavor, indeed!

Merry Christmas, boys. We're thinking of you....

(Image shamelessly lifted from BlackFive )

The Chicago Political Machine

Barry Obama (I refuse to use his full name, now that it's OK to do so) "came up" through the Chicago political world.

Barry, of course, is Shocked and Dismayed that Hizzoner the Gov'nor tried to auction Barry's Senate seat to the highest bidder.

The "Shock" and "Dismay" rings just a little hollow.

It's awfully hard to believe in the "New Politics" when it comes from a guy who "came up" through the Chicago politcal machine. There's no doubt in my mind that Barry knew in his bones about the sorts of shenannigans that Chicago politicos are capable of.

There's no doubt that I will find myself looking somewhat skeptically at the next President of the United States when he speaks of morality and ethics in public service.

Edit: I should note that Blago's predecessor, named Ryan, currently doing time for corruption, is/was a Republican. This is not a Dem/Pub thing, it's a Chicago Politics thing.

The "New Politics" of Chicago Politicians

The "new politics". The "Change We Can Believe In".

Rep. William "Cold Cash" Jefferson (D - La) not only indicted for corruption, but loses his re-election bid to a Republican, Joseph Cao - a Viet refugee!

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) arrested and charged with selling the Senate seat that President-elect Barack Obama (D) resigned in order to accept the Presidency of the United States.

Cripes, we ain't even through December yet!

I just can't wait to see what kind of entertainment the Dems are going to serve up next....

Moderate Muslims Get Some Backbone

The moderate, law-abiding Muslims of India have a clue, and a backbone. See the complete news story HERE.

This story shows me, at least, that some of the Muslims of the world really do believe that terrorism is not the way.

The bodies of the nine dead gunmen lie in a morgue awaiting last rites. The sole surviving militant, Pakistani national Ajmal Amir Kamal, 21, is being questioned by police. Unclaimed bodies thought to be Muslim are traditionally given to the nearest Islamic graveyard for burial after three days. But the Muslim Council issued orders to cemeteries that the nine should not find a resting place in India. Even before the council's orders, a Muslim graveyard in the heart of Mumbai broke with Islamic tradition and refused to bury the bodies of the nine terrorists. The influential Muslim Jama Masjid Trust, which runs the 3ha Badakabrastan graveyard, said it would not bury the gunmen because they were not true followers of Islam. Hanif Nalkhande, a spokesman for the trust, said: "People who committed this heinous crime cannot be called Muslim. Islam does not permit this sort of barbaric crime."

Text Messages

Just got a text message to my cell phone from Chickie (14-year-old daughter) -

"can you come tuck me in?"

I'm in the kitchen. She's in her bedroom, not 30 feet away.

So... what's a big, strong, hero-type Daddy to do?

I go into her bedroom, and, literally, tuck her in.

"Daddy, tell me a story about you and the Navy, please?"

So I tell her about me, Poor Dumb Randy, and The Chief (that would be our Chief Petty Officer).

Keep in mind that PDR and OWW were about 22 at the time. The Chief was a rather ancient 40-something.

PDR and OWW had to carry The Chief back to the ship. And no, alchohol or drugs were not involved. Also not involved was The Captain, nor the Blonde Japanese Go-Go Dancer.

We never should have taken the bet about how many pounds the anchor weighed (not including the anchor chain).

Our Japanese hosts were much amused by the antics of the crazy Eastern Barbarians.... and so was Chickie.

True story... and I'm pleased that Chickie wants to hear my stories about ancient history - and Very Pleased that Chickie, at 14, STILL wants to be "tucked in" by her Dear Old Dad...

Notable Quotes

From time to time, at OWW's Own Discretion (hereafter OWWOD) I may post what I consider to be "Notable Quotes", aka "Jeez, I Wish I'd Said That".

His Lordship the Earl of Sandwhich: "I don't know whether you will die upon the gallows or of the pox" (the "pox" referring to syphilis).

John Wilkes, English radical (NOT relate to John Wilkes Booth): "That depends on whether I embrace your Lordship's principles or your mistress."

Travails with Tech Support

First, go and read THIS.

Trust me, when Mrs. OWW can't post, or even see her blog, she is... cranky. Irritated. Ready to remove heads with MY bare hands ("Kill 'em Honey - I know just where to hide the bodies...").

It seems that one of our friends has a friend with access to 2500 acres of woodlands. This friend of a friend also has a backhoe.

I think he (the friend of a friend) may also know exactly where Jimmy Hoffa is.

Actually, I suspect that my friend (not the friend of a friend) may also have some... knowledge that I. Don't. Want. To. Know.

Fortunately for my nightmare situation, Mujibar-The-Tech-Support-Weenie managed to fix things to my beloved's satisfaction, thereby sparing me the trauma of removing some of Mujibar's important body parts with a dull paring knife.

I will sleep soundly this evening, knowing that the paring knife will stay safely in it's appointed place...

Oh, So Civilized...

.... and tolerant, and cultured, right?

Go to this YouTube video, and then tell me that again!

Do you know how to measure a mob's mentality? Take the IQ of the stupidest member of the mob, divide by the number of people in the mob, and there you have it.

Those clowns are idiots.

Ad-Ware

Currently chasing a nasty ad-ware thingie that's infested a co-worker's home PC.

There is a special place reserved for these folks. And if I ever manage to meet one of them, the Jury of My Peers will return "Not Guilty".

AssHats!

More on Veteran's Day

For those that have defended it, freedom has a taste that the protected will never know...

Veteran's Day

This is the 11th Day of the 11th Month, the day that guns fell silent in 1918.



The 11th of November was originally called "Armistice Day". In America, it later became "Veteran's Day", in England and the Commonwealth, "Remembrance Day".



Like a lot of Vets, I have a bit of a difficult time with Veteran's Day. I didn't do much, just floated around on a couple of US Navy ships, worked hard most of the time, and partied when I could. So, when the politicians say all these nice things about Vets, I have a hard time believing that they could possibly be referring to me.



They're talking about the guy two doors down the street. He's a Navy CPO, a submariner ("bubblehead" to those in the know), who's currently in Afghanistan of all places, making sure that some SpecOps folks get the gear they need to operate.



They're talking about Butch and Dan, who spent twenty-plus years running around in various submarines, doing whatever they were told to the very best of their ability. Since they're pretty bright and determined guys, there's no doubt in my mind they did it well.



They're talking about my Father-In-Law, one of the last of the China Marines. He served in China from 1946 right up to the time the last Marine was pulled out.



They're talking about John, who did two tours in Viet Nam in the US Army. He was, according to him, "Dinged a couple of times".



And my Dad, of course. US Army (Infantry) 1941-1946, France and Germany. Dad never talked much about his war. But he always knew that we were proud of him. Dad isn't around this year, as he passed away in July, aged 85.



Thanks, Guys.

The "Second Bill of Rights"

There's been some talk about a "Second Bill of Rights". The enumeration of these "Rights" goes all the way back to 1944, to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's fourth Inaugral Address.

Here they are, lifted from Wikipedia:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

So, here's the problem, as I see it: These are all admirable goals, but WHO decides?

WHO decides what a "good education" is, and who gets the "good education"?

WHO decides what "adequate medical care is", and who gets it?

WHO decides what a "decent home" is, and who gets it?

And... WHO decides the method of paying for all this, and WHO pays the bill?

More Politics

It's pretty evident that Sen. Obama wants higher taxes. You can see the actual numbers HERE.

We (Mrs. OWW and my humble self) would get hammered by an Obama administration. These are hard numbers, folks.

Just from the expiration of the "Bush Tax Cuts" Mrs. OWW and HimSelf would get hammered. And trust me - we ain't even low-end "rich".

We're not hurting, right now, but with Obama, our charitable giving would get a hard second look.

Why? Look at the numbers, and think - If the Gummint is taking over, the Gummint can damned well try to pick up the slack.

Without my help, ThankYouVeryMuch.

Reading Rob Smith

I had a post in my mind, all tightened up and ready to go, about politics and public policy and international relations. All reasoned out, logically organized, and just about perfect, when I made a Big Mistake.

I have a nasty habit. I talk to myself while I'm thinking about things. And I said to myself, "Bejus! That's some GOOD stuff, OWW!"

"Bejus?" I thought to myself. Where'd that come from?

It came from HERE.

I met Rob once, at a blogmeet. The "Wreckle in Jeckyll". 'Nuff said. Google it - then you'll know.

After re-reading some of Rob's posts, my carefully crafted, logical, rational and thoughtful construction went right out the window.

Just dayum!

Laptop Computers

I acquired a Compaq Presario laptop last year - a gift from my Dad.

It came with Windows Vista Home Premium (and ain't that a mouthful?) and a suite of the usual crapola - "trial" software and "special offers" for high-speed internet access.

Most of that had been eliminated by my Sis, whom Dad had deputized to be the System Configuration Wizard.

Over the past year, Vista has been getting "flaky" - it would lock up with the busy whirlythingie if I left it just sit there for five minutes. I know this 'cause I timed it. Three or four times, five minutes every time.

I spelunked around the web, and found Gizmo's Best Freeware (HIGHLY recommended by OWW), and once there, found THIS, which led to THIS, which are also both HIGHLY recommended by OWW, with the caveat that if your system is running well, DON'T FUSS WITH IT! If it ain't broke....

Alas, none of these tweaks helped.

At least three other people with identical laptops didn't have this problem, so I decided to do the dreaded System Restore To As-Shipped condition.

The System Restore took most of yesterday (after backing up my data), and most of that time was spent in very carefully removing the stuff I didn't want on the system, such as Office 2007 Student (I use Office 2003 Professional) and adding in the stuff that I use.

So far, so good - I'm back up and running, and it doesn't lock up after five minutes of idle time.

So far.... after all it IS Windows, neh?

Birthdays

In my side of the family, birthdays tend to run together.

My Mom, my two sisters, and I all have our birthdays within a month of each other.

I've carried on that tradition with my middle daughter, Chickie. It makes for a chaotic two days.

Of course, it starts much earlier, like about two weeks earlier.

Below is a text message conversation between Chickie (now 14, as of yesterday) and Moogie (aka "Moooooom!")


Text messaging with Chickie the other morning:


Me: Good morning sunshine! Happy Wednesday. We are half way there!
Her: Yay! Only 10 more days to go!
Me: I still don't have your list. :)
Her: Just an IPOD, and a card.
Me: But what kind? Color pref? Etc.
Her: Blue :)
Me: Yes, blue. But what is the name of the IPOD you want?
Her: Ipod nano, 3rd generation.
Me: Oh, and blue. :)
Her: Yep
Me: Ok, Blue Shuffle, got it.
Her: No. Ipod NANO 3RD GENERATION.
Me: What's that?
Her: What i want for my birthday!
Me: What do you want?
Her: Omg. a blue ipod nano, 3rd generation.
Me: What's that?
Her: Look it up.
Me: Look what up?

For some reason, she wouldn't answer my text messages any more. I wonder why?

So, of course, my bad self had to get in on this. I kept making references to "Shuffle, 2nd Generation, Red" which of course was hidden somewhere in the house (it wasn't).

Drove her freakin' nuts for seven (7) looooong days.

Heh....

What I'm afraid of is that what goes around, comes around.

Today is MY birthday.

I gotta wonder what Chickie has in mind for Me......

Bed-Time Stories

My almost-14-year-old daughter, Chickie, still has a pretty good case of "Hero-Daddy-Worship".

She just poked her head into my office and asked me to "tuck her in", and "tell a story" about when I was young.

I try to dredge up, from the dim mists of memory, stories about how it was, 'way back when, or even not so far back.

I do try to keep them entertaining, albeit with lessons from life.

She seems to like this "tucking-in" routine.

She's a Good Kid, and I'm very pleased with her.

Except when I'm sorely tempted to resort to regular beatings...

She is, after all, 'mostest 14....

"Liberal"?

What's so liberal about a "Liberal"?

More gas taxes - so I don't drive so much, thereby using less gasoline, and when I do fill up, the gummint gets more of my money.

More income tax - so the gummint can "take care of the less fortunate" twerps who wouldn't learn anything while they were in school, WHEN they bothered to attend school.

Censorship - also known as the "Fairness Doctrine", which means that the liberals from "Air America" get to hijack air-time from Limbaugh/Hannity/Boortz/any-conservative-at-all, because "fairness" means that "Air America" failed outright in the market-place of ideas.

More Censorship - "Free speech on college campuses" - unless you're Republican or Libertarian.

Bias in the Media - Dan Rather. MSNBC. CNN. CBS. AP. Reuters. Most newspapers, especially the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the L.A. Times.

The list goes on and on.

So, the Big Question remains - why, oh why, are McCain/Palin doing so well?

Could it possibly be that Lincoln was right when he said, "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time. You can't fool all of the people all of the time."

The Political Season

We are now entering the "political season".

For about one month, every four years, most American voters actually give a hard look at the candidates for President.

These American voters will look at a candidate's positions and proffered policies, and decide which candidate to vote for.

Above all, these voters will look past the pictures and the sound bites, and try to discern the bones and the body of the man (or woman, should that ever come to pass), and try to divine what's in that person's mind.

They will give a hard (though cursory) look at the record.

Then they will go out and vote.

Should be interesting, this time around, don't you think?

Hurricane Ike Missed Me By A Bunch!!

Of course, I'm VERY glad that Ike didn't come anywhere near us here in SouthEast Jawja.

On the gripping hand, my heart goes out to those folks who heeded the warnings and ran to a safer place. They're going to come back to flooded and destroyed homes and towns.

For those that chose to stay, my sympathy is, ummm.....limited?

How's about non-existent?

You knew that Ike was coming - and you stayed. You rolled the dice, and you lost.

My sympathy is reserved for the folks who have (because they've solemnly sworn to do so) to go in and either rescue your dumb butts, or remove your corpses.

Domestic Discussions

We've been here in SouthEast Jawja for five years, almost, and in the same house for four and a half. And now, we're thinking about having a place built for us - to our specifications.

Hooo-boyoboy!

Do we really want to do this?

Well, on the one hand, we get to specify exactly what we want, right down to the light-bulbs.

On the other hand, we get to bleat and moan at the construction people until it's what we want, and done right.

On the gripping hand, if it doesn't turn out well, we have only ourselves to blame.

Of course, we could just stay put, and expand/remodel to make what we have better suit what we think we want.

But the idea of getting exactly what we want is.... seductive.

Get thee behind me, temptation!

Dodging Hurricane Bullets

First there was Fickle Fay - who slow-danced her way up Florida, raining like Billy-be-Damned - and did zippo (comparitively) to us here in SouthEast Jawja. Some of our folks who lived near rivers, who weren't required to get flood insurance, are having a very rough time indeed. But the monster floods that we might have had didn't happen.

Now Horrible Hanna is churning her way up to the Carolinas, bypassing Jawja entirely. Hard, very hard on the Carolinas - but here in Jawja we be counting our blessings.

The projected track for Itchy Ike puts him out into the Gulf of Mexico. Presuming that happens, no one has a clue as to what he'll do next. Ike has been up to a Cat 4 in strength, and if he gets into the Gulf, he could turn back into one of those monster storms again, and go to who knows where?

We've got our supplies in. We're ready to ride it out if we can. We're ready to run if we have to. And we're ready to help out as we can.

Mexicans Going Home???

So, the illegal aliens are going home in "Record Numbers".

The returnees have "put pressure on social services".

And "advocates" for illegal aliens are "disturbed by the trend".

See the story HERE.

Advocates for immigrants are disturbed by the trend. Albert Ruiz, an organizer for the League of United Latin American Citizens, agrees that more undocumented immigrants are going home — but says families are being torn apart in the process. If a father is deported, Ruiz says, his family members in America are forced either to fend for themselves or follow him to a country where they've never even lived.

Well, boo freakin' hoo. I may weep in my cerveza.

These clowns (the illegal aliens) have been costing us (that's the US citizenry) a butt-load of money for a long time - much more than they contribute to the economy.

So Jose and Maria have to haul their cute little family back to Jalisco, or wherever doesn't cause me one bit of heartburn.

Now, let's finish that blasted fence and really put the screws to the Mexican government to solve their problems instead of exporting them.

Fickle Fay The Tropical Storm, Or...

... How my teenage daughter managed to make me forget about the crappy weather we're having here in the beautiful, genteel Souf.

Shall I explain?

Can you say "Thirteen-year-old female"?

Sheesh... I really don't want to go there.

Ostensibly, this is about Chickie's retainer - which is a gizmo that one uses after one's braces are removed from one's teeth - which Chickie has managed to lose, somewhere, somewhen in the last 12 hours.

In reality, this is Chickie being... thirteen years old.

Read "Monumental pain in her parents nether regions".

By the way, we're having all kinds of other fun with Tropical Storm Fay - who has decided to park her moldy self's northern edge right over my house for the next thirty-six hours.

It's going to be a lonnnng weekend, neh?

More on Weather

In the post below, please keep in mind that hurricanes affect weather hundreds of miles from the center of the storm.

Looking at the scale, you will see that we are within 100 miles of the CENTER of where Fay is projected to be - right in the "pink" zone.

Not just a sigh - more like what Achmed the Dead Terrorist said, in that high-pitched voice: "Holy Crap!" (See Achmed HERE... and Achmed is definitely NSFW!)

What Can You Do About Weather?

Not too much - you just get to suffer through it.





I rather suspect that we're going to have a Very Interesting Time over the next few days...

Sigh....

Not A Good Day

When I got back to Georgia after watching my Dad die (Not fun, but I'm glad that I was there), I had a number of things to deal with besides my own personal grief.

Just getting me out to Washington (State, NOT D.C., thank goodness!) was Very Expensive. Not to mention the costs of just being there, what with hotel and food, etc.

Then there was the simple stress.

Simple?

Riiight.

And when I got back, well, I guess that grief doesn't show much on me.

I've been getting some... odd, shall we say, looks and comments.

Listen up, people. Death and stress and grief and sadness manifest themselves in many different ways with different people.

I miss my Dad. I love him, and miss him. And my Mom. And my grandparents.

The me you see every day is not the me that's inside.

I don't beat my breast, and weep and wail.

I just do what Mom and Dad would expect of me.

I get on with it. I hug my girls. I hug my wife. I treasure each day, from beginning to end. I do my best. As Mom and Dad would expect me to do.

So, what don't you see?

You don't see the hole in my heart. You don't see my tears, when I'm alone. You don't see the aching endless void that is the place that my Mom and Dad hold. The ones who always could be counted on for a wise word or three when I needed advice, or when I neede a little propping up when I was unsure of myself. Or a swift kick in the ass when that is needed.

What you do see is OWW getting himself together to meet the day. To cope. To do the best I can.

Because that's what's expected.

Family

Just had a chat with brother Tom.

We strolled down Memory Lane about The Old Man and a few of his friends.

When Dad was dying, his fried Joe would come over to play the piano, and sing a little bit, some of the stuff that Dad grew up with. Joe is also in his 80's, and God Willing, will be around for a few more years.

Dad and Dr. Wylie, between them, kept me out of jail more than once.

I paid, oh Lord, did I pay - in sweat and humiliation - but I learned, Oh, My, did I learn.

In later years, Tom, Mike, Bob, and I would draw on The Old Man's store of knowledge and logic, and request advice - which we mostly followed.

We all have "Dad Stories" - and all of the stories have a point.

We all have "Mom and Dad Stories" - and all of them have a point.

Most of them have pointy, sharp, and "Oh, You Dummy!" type of points.

We miss you...

Fairness Doctrine My Aching Patootie!

An interesting poll by Rasmussen (see the article HERE)

Fifty-seven percent (57%) say the government should not require websites and blog sites that offer political commentary to present opposing viewpoints. But 31% believe the Internet sites should be forced to balance their commentary.

That 31%? They can KMA...

Or maybe da Gummint can force what's his name that runs the Daily KOS to provide free access to me so I can get my viewpoint across to his audience?

Naaaa...

A Visit Home

Kevin showed up today. Flew in on the Great Iron Bird.

From the 'Stan.

In one piece.

For the next two weeks, we (all of us) shall treasure "The Pleasure of His Company".

Until then we'll sweat bricks until this USN "Box Kicker" comes home to stay.

In five minutes we talked about hide-out guns, Afghan Army troops, K9 dogs & Handlers, mortars, close air support, and artillery. And .. other stuff.

Back Home Again

Well, I finally made it home on Tuesday, after more than 24 hours of dinking around airports and riding on heavier-than-air contraptions.

Dad's death has weighed on me for a few days now, causing much reflection and thought, but surprisingly little pain.

It is a comfort to know that he died the way he wanted surrounded and attended by family. My sisters Connie and Rosy, who cared for him in his last months, especially Rosy who lived with him. My eldest daughter, who visited frequently. My brothers Bob and Tom. His lady-friend Norma, with whom he had a morning telephone call at 8AM, "Just to make sure we're both still around". And myself, making the trip from South Georgia to Olympia on what I expected to be a "normal" 3-day visit that turned into an "in the nick of time" sort of thing.

This quote, from Gerber Daisee, summed up the way that Dad approached life, from his time as an Infantryman in WW2 to the last days of his life.

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well-preserved piece. Rather, it is to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly worn out and shouting,

"WOW - What a ride!!" "

Dad was always a gentleman. Unless you were a complete clot, he always had a kind word and a place at the table for you. He wasn't perfect, by any means, but he could be remarkably tolerant of the foibles of others - as proof, I offer the fact that he let me live past my 15th birthday.

His acts of kindness and generosity were and are legendary. His curiosity of the world around him remarkable. His command of the English language was a marvel. And when angered, his command of invective (not necessarily swearing) was awe-inspiring (and frightening, if you were on the receiving end!).

Mrs. OWW wrote him a letter, HERE.

So long Dad. I'm missing you more every day....

Stuck In Seattle

And sleepless, too.

The blasted airplane broke some gizmo in the Engine Dept. (Caps intentional), so here I am at Seattle-Tacoma International. We had backed away from the gate at 7:50AM PDT, and were just starting to taxi when one of the 737's two engines was shut down. We went back to the gate, the airplane mechanics looked at it (and scratched and belched, no doubt), then they declared the engine unfixable for an undetermined amount of time, and that they would reschedule us, and would we please go to Carousel #9 to retrieve our bags so we could go through the ticketing/bag check-in process all over again?

(snark) Thank you for flying Continental! (/snark)

I shouldn'g bitch, I guess. At least the damned engine didn't quit during take-off.

I've had a pretty good grouch going since 9:30AM, but I'm mostly over it now. I rolled out at 4AM to get from Olympia to SeaTac in plenty of time, since I knew that I was going to have to deal with TSA people for a while (more on that in a later post).

My new flight takes off at 9:30PM and I arrive at Jacksonville at 10:30AM tomorrow morning, presuming the weather doesn't get in the way.

Sigh.

You just gotta know it's going to be a bad week when....

Status Check From The West Coast

I'm still around, just haven't had much spare time recently.

Due to my father's death on the 23rd of July (about which I'll write at a later time due to raw nerve-ends on my heart-strings), I'm out here in Washington (State, not D.C.) to help take care of the various things that have to be done.

Watch This Space in about two weeks, when all the stuff should be completed, and I should be back home.

In the meantime, look HERE for good advice on "How To Be Taken Seriously As A Blogger". The context is the "BlogHer" convention, but the advice applies to any "serious" blogger.

Of course, I don't care whether I'm taken "seriously" or not - I write this thing to please me and a few other people. Read my masthead up above for the basic rules.

San Fran's Idiots Strike Again!

The latest whacko proposal out of San Francisco ( HERE ) is not just "misdirected", but if the GOP has any smarts at all, can be used to play Whack-A-Mole with any Democrat dumb enough to stick his/her head up.

"SAN FRANCISCO - A measure seeking to commemorate President Bush's years in office by slapping his name on a San Francisco sewage plant has qualified for the November ballot.

The measure certified Thursday would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

Supporters say the idea is to commemorate the mess they claim Bush has left behind."

Let's start out with what GW had to clean up when he entered office:

1. The Clinton Administration's economic mess - remember the "Dot-Com" implosion?

2. The Clinton Administration's foreign policy fiascos - North Korea and the Sudan.

3. The Clinton Administration's non-handling of the Taliban and their Al Quaida allies, which culminated in the attacks of September 11th, 2001.

Independence Day

We did our burgers and 'dogs.

We did do beer/wine/soda/water, depending on age and preference.

We did do a quick reading of the Immortal Words. Took a whole ten minutes. Chickie asked the hardest question: "Daddy, what does 'sacred honor' mean?"

I didn't even stutter. "That means you do the right thing, even if it hurts you."

Then came the good part.

Meelie Noh and I went out for fireworks on July 2nd, and she's been frantic with wanting to make things go bang for Two Whole Days. She started counting hours and minutes at 9 this morning.

So, we (being Chickie, Meelie, Mrs. OWW, Hose-B, Mrs. Shopping, and assorted kid-friends set off sparklers, and poppers, and whiz-bangs, and screechers, and fountains, and googly-eyes, and more whiz-bangs.

Did I mention beer/wine/soda/water/lemonade?

We had a SPLENDID time!

John Adams

In addition to being America's second President, he was also a signer of our Declaration of Independence.

On the 3rd day of July, 1776, after the Declaration had passed the Continental Congress, but before he signed, he wrote the following to his wife Abigail.

It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Day's Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

Here at OWW's house, we shall have a reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by food, fireworks, and other sorts of merriment and celebration.

And a moment of quiet reflection on the true words of John Adams, who pledged his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor, that I might live free.

Prelude

It's two days before Independence Day.

July 4th is the day that Americans celebrate as the birth day of our country.

This is the day that a group of men signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Keep in mind that these men were British citizens, subjects of the Crown of England. That by signing the Declaration they were committing High Treason.

Why would they do this?

These men were The Power Structure of the Colonies - doctors and lawyers, big-time land-owners, publishers and merchants.

Can you see one or two of our current big-time heavy hitters doing this? Knowing that if the Government caught them, they'd be hung by the neck until dead?

Not bloody likely.

So, the question still stands.

Why did these men do this?

Figure it out for yourselves. Put yourself in their shoes.

Would YOU sign? Knowing that if they caught you, they'd string you up?

Would YOU "pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."?

Well, Where are They?

Lifted from Kim duToit. I would have filed off the serial numbers, but... Here they are.

Why aren’t all of the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons and asking for help in restoring Iowa and helping the folks affected by the floods? Where are the Dixie Chicks, and Sean Penn in his rescue boat? Why isn’t the media asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn’t solved the problem? Where are all the FEMA trucks and trailers? Why isn’t the Federal Government relocating Iowa people to free hotels in Chicago? When will Spike Lee say that the Federal Government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines? Where are all the 24/7 lurid news tales of cannibalism and unnecessary drownings? Why did Iowans evacuate so prematurely; why are they not holed up in deathtrap sports centers? Where are all the pics of White looters stealing high-end tennis shoes and big screen television sets? When will we hear Governor Chet Culver say that he wants to rebuild a “vanilla” Iowa, because that’s the way God wants it? Where are the people declaring that George Bush hates rural White people? Why are the Iowans not complaining more and demanding to be saved? How come in about 2 weeks, you will never hear about the Iowa flooding ever again?

I think these are all fair questions. Not comfortable questions, no, not at all.

But I think that they are fair questions.

OxyMorons

Just think about "oxymoron". Makes one think of real dummies on oxygen, right?

I received this list from my in-laws, and got a chuckle or two or three out of them. However, I have a few comments on most of them, which I hope will be good for a grin or two.

Subject:Top 35 Oxymorons


35. Government worker.
(I have seen gov't workers actually working. At least twice.)

34. Legally drunk.
(Oh, it's allowed, as long as you don't drive/walk/talk.)

33. Exact estimate.
(Had one of those once. An auto mechanic. He lied.)

32. Act naturally.
(Tried that. Got arrested.)

31. Found missing.
(Tried that. Almost got drafted.)

30. Resident alien.
(Tried that. Scully didn't find me. Darn, she's cute!)

29. Genuine imitation.
(I do a pretty good imitation of normality, most of the time.)

28. Airline food.
(Eaten only by roaches and rats and desperately bored travellers.)

27. Good grief.
(Defined as given to an enemy. I've arranged that, at least once.)

26. Government organization.
(Not an oxymoron. Gov't IS organized to a fare-thee-well.)

25. Sanitary landfill.
(Consisting of Joey from Jersey, Frank from Chi-town...etc)

24. Alone together.
(Only when I forget to take my medicine...)

23. Small crowd.
(See 24 above)

22. Business ethics.
(No argument.)

21. Soft rock.
(Yech. I once heard a Muzak rendition of Magic Carpet Ride.)

20. Butt head.
(Like Artesians. "I seen 'em! They's ugly!")

19. Military intelligence.
(See 20, 32, 33)

18. Sweet sorrow.
(No argument)

17. Rural Metro (ambulance service)
(Carries candidates for Darwin Awards?)

16. "Now, then..."
(Well, "now and then I gets an idea...")

15. Passive aggression.
(Like the guy in Tianmen Square who stood up to the tank? Brave, but not too bright.)

14. Clearly misunderstood.
(I stood up instead of shutting up.)

13. Peace force.
(See 32, 31)

12. Extinct life.
(See 33, 34, 35 and the Darwin Award Honorees)

11. Plastic glasses.
(I wear 'em. So what?)

10. Terribly pleased.
(Only for Cosmic Calamities and other special occasions.)

9. Computer security.
(It can be done. But it IS unusual.)

8. Political science.
(Right up there with Social Science.)

7. Tight slacks.
(Can be a Good Thing, on the right person, which I'm not.)

6. Definite maybe.
(I use this one all the time! Got it from my Dad.)

5. Pretty ugly.
(No argument, it's an oxymoron)

4. Rap music.
(No argument again. "Rap Crap" comes to mind.)

3. Working vacation.
(If the Prez does it, it must be possible.)

2. Religious tolerance.
(Guaranteed by the Constitution. Of course, these days,
in America, it probably IS an oxymoron.)

1. Microsoft Works.
(Actually, it does, and fairly well. Microsoft's products
are unfairly hammered for lots of alleged failures which are
actually the result of Microsoft being the big guy on the
block, and therefore the biggest target around.)

Not-so-modern Husbandry

Evidently, I'm a superior sort of fellow - by the standards of days gone by.

142 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

I regret to inform you that I'm not always well-turned-out, shaved and in a suit on Sundays, nor am I silent in my sleep. In most other respects I'm quite acceptable, which I put down to my late mother's methods of correction - trust me, gentlemen, a wooden spoon alongside the noggin ensures attention to manners and other matters! Also trust me on this: when Mom decided that Dad had to know about my shortcomings, things were decidedly "bad". This was a rare occurrence, God be praised - Dad let me live.

Mrs. OWW and I have applied the principles above as imparted by our parents. Reports from the parents of our childrens' friends are encouraging - "Delightful", "Very nice", and "No trouble at all" come back to us.

Of course, we are properly shocked, and ask, "What'd you do with our kid?"

Darwin Award Contender

First, read the story HERE.

Then, think just a little bit.

Young Master Wesley, 17 years of age, can't get out of the way of a large, noisy, train that's coming right down the railroad tracks.

After reading the story, my instant reaction is: Why doesn't CSX (the railroad in question) sue the daylights out of Ms. Whiddon for:

1. Failing to teach her son that trespassing is illegal.
2. Failing to teach her son that choo-choo trains on tracks ALWAYS have the right-of-way.
3. Failing to teach her son that trying conclusions with large moving vehicles is a losing proposition.
4. Causing psycological trauma to the people operating the train, due to 1, 2, and 3 above.

Ms. Whiddon is supposed to be an "Educator" - so why didn't she teach her own son?

On the other hand, her son won't be able to spread his defective genes around, will he?

And yes, I'm an insensitive clot, with a bad attitude and a rotten disposition.

So, go ahead. Sue me.

I'll clean your clock.

On this Day...

This is what the Boys (including my Dad) saw.

Thanks, guys.....

Battle of Midway

Today marks the start of the Battle of Midway in 1942.

The Imperial Japanese Navy wanted to secure Midway as a springboard to invade Hawaii.

Alerted by a team who had broken the Japanese codes, the US Navy moved USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, and USS Saratoga and their escort groups to intercept the Japanese task force.

In a battle lasting for three days, the outnumbered US Navy sank four major Japanese carriers, and stopped the Japanese fleet.

One US carrier was sunk.

USS Saratoga (photographed by Robert Ballard's team) now lies at rest, three miles down.

The Way Life Is

Life is what happens when you're making plans for your life.

Plan: Spend some time with your Dad.

Life: Be with him while he gets a stent put in for a heart condition. Then, AFTER the stent, find out that he's not doing well.

Plan: Manage Mrs. OWW's diverticulitis so that surgery is not required.

Life: Riiiiight! Probably surgery is going to happen, RSN (Real Soon Now).

Plan: Hillary and Barak beat each other up so bad that McCain wins in November.

Life: Who knows?

Plan: Not run out of beer tonight.

Life: Got neighbors?

Memorial Day

Monday will be Memorial Day - when we remember all those of us who have died in the preservation of freedom.

By "us" I include men that I knew, whose names are carved upon The Wall.

By "us" I include those who went before me, in WW2, Korea, the 'Nam, WW1, and followed me in Panama, Greneda, and the Sand Box - all the wars and skirmishes that have preserved and protected the United States.

By "us" I include all those who fought and died with us - the Filipinos, Brits, Poles, Canadians, Viet Namese, Chinese, French, Belgian, Dutch, Kuwaiti, Norwegian, Danish, Czechs, and many more.

On this, our Memorial Day, I remember you all.

God Bless, and remember, so long as just one remembers, your spirit will never die...

Holocaust Remembrance Day

During the time that I was growing up, and through my young adult-hood, the 1st of May meant the day that all of the Iron Curtain countries "celebrated" the Victory of The Masses over the Czars.

Now, it's a little different.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The day where I, an American citizen, a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP), get up on my hind legs and say, "Never Again".

You think I'm kidding you?

Just remember, all you haters, just remember who the greatest killers in the history of the world really are.

We really did flash Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Had we deemed it necessary, Berlin and Munich would have met the same fate.

So, Damascus and Tehran, do you really want to get frisky?

Do you?

And yeah, I'm feeling very cranky this evening. It's been a long week so far...

Another Acronym

In Jawja, in April, any man's fancy turns to... boats.

My friends Charley and Ken acquired a 19-foot Boston Whaler a while back, which they now want to sell.

There's only one little problem - when the motor is run at full tilt, after about fifteen seconds, the outboard motor just... stops. BlaaaahhhhhThud.

Awww...crap.

Much discussion about probable causes ensues, with a collective opinion that there's a fuel-feed problem.

Ken sighs, and mutters to himself.

"What's that, Ken?" Says Charley.

"B.O.A.T. spells 'Bring Over Another Thousand' " says Ken.

So there you have it....

Not-happy Tax Day

I've already paid my damned taxes.

Actually, we're getting a "refund" of the interest-free loan that we've been compelled to make to the gummint, blast their miserable hides.

My wife and I make enough that Los Federales take a large chunk, the Staties take another, smaller chunk, and then they oh-so-graciously deign to "refund" some to us.

What "they" keep would pay ALL of our bills (plus two nice dinners for four at Outback) for three months. ALL of our bills include food, electric, gasoline & insurance, but NOT clothing, telephone & cellular or satellite TV.

Once again, I am severely pissed off.

Grrrr.....

Taxes and Friends

Now that my travails with the truck appear to over, it's time to comment on Taxes and Friends.

Taxes first, on the theory of getting the unpleasant stuff out of the way.

Presuming that you actually pay attention when you are doing your taxes, work out the percentage that the Feds, State (and maybe city) keep of your money. Then, factor in sales, excise, and property taxes. Assuming that you are actually in the taxpaying class, you'll be dismayed. If you're like me, you'll then be totally cranky. THEN, if you're as annoyed as I am, do a quick-and-dirty analysis of what your money gets spent on.

Grrr.....

On to more pleasant subjects.

What's a friend? Who are they? How can you tell?

OWW's definition runs like this:

My friend will come over to my house and open my fridge (He/She either has a key, or knows where the key is, and uses it whenever they please. I trust He/She - and He/She doesn't abuse that trust), see that I'm out of beer, and call me on my cell to let me know. Ten minutes later, he calls back to say that he's on his way to the store anyway, so don't worry about the beer, and what do I want for dinner?

My friend will listen to me babble on about something about which I know next to nothing, and will call bullshit on me right to my face.

My friend, when I call yelling for assistance, drops whatever he's doing and comes a-running. I'll also get a very hard time later for being semi-stupid in public. If it's really bad, I get a great silence about my stupidity.

When I'm feeling down and melancholy, my friend tries to move me along.

When I get too full of myself, my friend brings me back to reality.

When things go really well, my friend celebrates with me - without envy.

When things go sour, my friend commiserates with me - and not even one "I told you so". (Unless it involves a car's mechanical workings - which generates a few "Dummy" and "Idiot" comments. The favor is generally returned at a later date. What goes around, comes around!)

I have many nice, pleasant acquaintences.

I have a few dear and close friends.

Bob, Charley and Sharon, Tom and Kathy, Mikey, Bud, Brad and Susan.

So, today, when I was sniveling and moaning about our tax bill, Charley says "Hey! You should be happy! You're making enough money to complain about your taxes!"

Yah.

I think I said pretty much the same thing to him last week...

Car Stuff

Actually, it's that double-de-damned truck.

My Dodge Dakota decided that it no longer liked it's radiator.

Sigh.

Replace the radiator, plus the coolant. $248.57 and four hours later, I'm good to go, right? Plus however much it's gonna cost 'cause the A/C radiator/condenser had to be removed, making necessary an airconditiner service. (Trust me, if you live in Jawja, and summer-time is coming up, you NEED an air-conditioner in your car.)

Nope.

Then I find that in addition to the radiator, the thermostat's gasket was el-sucko.

Awww....CRAP!

$5.94 plus $0.36 tax plus two more hours got me a truck that doesn't puke coolant all over the place.

Ah, well.

When you own a vehicle with 99,548 miles on it, you have to expect something is going to break. So far, the rest of the bits and pieces seems to be holding up OK. With a little care, I should be able to get at least another 50K miles out of the engine/trans/rear-end.

I hope...

There is one good thing to come out of this.

My neighbor Charley was kind enough to lend me a car for the last two days.

A Jaguar XJ6, the sedan with that gorgeous 4.2 litre DOHC in-line 6-cylinder beast under the hood. NOT a stop-light Grand Prix vehicle. Not at all. But, at 75 MPH, when you stick your foot into the throttle, you sink back into the seat under a fairish accelleration which continues in a rather ghastly almost-quiet until you look at the speedometer and find that you're moving along in vigorous violation of any speed law in the land (unless you're in Montana).

That Jag has over 150,000 miles on the odometer.

I think I want one....

Geno's Cheesesteaks Rules!

From Fox News, HERE:

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia agency has ruled that English-only signs at a famous cheesesteak shop are not discriminatory. The Commission on Human Relations says in its Wednesday ruling that the sign at Geno's Steaks does not violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance. Joe Vento posted the signs at his shop in October 2005. They read "This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING 'PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH."' Critics allege the policy discourages customers of certain backgrounds from eating there. They say the signs discourage non-English speakers from going to the shop. Vento says he has never refused service to anyone because they couldn't speak English.

Commentary: I guess the "Commission on Human Relations" listened to the various comments that the citizenry made, and decided that "English" is indeed the language of the land...

Arthur C. Clarke

Author and visionary Arthur C. Clarke has died.

There were two giants of Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century - Clarke and Heinlein.

Renowned for 2001:A Space Odyssey, a better look at his story-telling would be a collection of short stories: Tales from the White Hart, of which my favorite would be "The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch".

We'll miss you, Mr. Clarke. Perhaps you can continue your conversations with Mr. Heinlein now...

Friday Exhaustion

Since my last post HERE, we have completed the Great Server and Workstation Move, mostly.

There have been little bumps and excursions along the way, but nothing major came to a screeching halt. Except for the external email that didn't work for two days, that is.

On the Tuesday, all the Really Big Stuff worked. Our depositors never noticed a thing. Their money was there when they wanted it, our website was up and running with their account information, it just flaming-well worked.

Our email system runs on Microsoft Exchange, and it worked just fine - as long as you were working within the Small Financial Institution. But from the outside? Nada, zip, zero, bupkis and nothing.

As it turns out, our firewall didn't want to know about a change in IP addresses for email. Everything else was OK, the firewall just had a snit about SMTP from the outside.

Grrrr.....

After much heartburn, and an outside and very expensive consultant who really did earn every dime of his outrageous hourly fee, email came back up on Thursday. And we didn't lose a single email message. Because of Proper Prior Planning, we didn't lose ANYTHING. Not permanently anyway, it was just delayed a bit.

If this all sounds a little vague, that's my intent. I am NOT giving out any further info - and not for CYA, just for basic security.

I've been very busy for the last 3 weeks, and I am one tired puppy.

"So, OWW, why are you up at this late/early hour?"

Glad you asked! It seems that our Voice Response system decided to pick tonight to be a PITA about it's backup routines.

CP&C (Crap Pee and Corruption).

It's fixed - but now I'm REALLY tired.

G'night....

Moving A Data Center

Granted, it's a very small data center - about twenty servers, plus assorted routers, switches and other paraphenalia.

The SFI (Small Financial Institution) that I work for decided about a year ago to plan ahead for the next ten years, and build a brandy-new Administration building to serve our five current branches.

That includes a brand-spanking-new server room (my term) or "data center" (our Marketing Guy's term).

We have raised floors (to keep the cable mess to a minimum), CAT6 wiring (for Very Fast data flow - can you say "gigabit"?), and some new switches (also for gigabit). All this "giga" stuff makes my geek heart just giggle...

So now it's all ready - and we've been moving servers and switches and routers, Oh My! And changing IPs and wrestling with cable and sweating bullets to get all this stuff in place and running.

'Cause Tuesday, if it don't work, the handy-dandy wall out back will be ready for it's first bullet marks, after the hapless IT geeks have been stood, "Up Against The Wall".

So, that's where OWW has been for the last couple of weeks.

It's kinda like marriage - BEING married is great, GETTING married is... not so great.

Sigh. More Politics...

I see that Kim duToit and Emporer Misha, among others, are somewhat... irritated with John McCain.

Hell, I ain't too thrilled with him myself.

To be blunt, Senator, McCain-Feingold irritated me, and McCain-Kennedy flat-out pissed me off at you AND at one G.W. Bush.

But that does not blind me to reality.

Reality: There are alleged humans out there who will blow themselves, children, and retarded women up to terrorize and disgust us, and to make us give up.

There is at least one Islamist state out there which is actively pursuing nuclear weapons, and has indicated very strongly that they will use those nukes against Israel.

So, Kim has already stated that while he may puke all over the ballot box, he'll vote for McCain, probably.

Misha (and all the rest of the True Conservatives) really need to correct your cranial-rectal inversion and THINK about what a Clinton or Obama sitting in the Oval Office might mean for you and me, and for our children.

We, the "Party", need to get up on our hind legs and do two things:

1. Hold our collective noses, and vote McCain in November.

2. Presuming he can whup Clinton or Obama, we can and should hold his toes to the fire until he sees the sweet light of reason.

The Clinton/Obama (or vice-versa) would be a much bigger disaster, wouldn't it?

And, once again, to Mr. Fred Thompson: "Damn your eyes, Sir, for running a suck-ass campaign!"

Life It's Ownself

I've been debating a change in the way that OWW runs things on this mostly restrained place.

Lately (like for the last two freakin' years) I've been more politically oriented than personally oriented.

Something's not right with that.

Of course, my personal life has been pretty quiet, Thank Gawd!

No divorces, no jail time, no lawsuits, no alarums OR excursions.

Hmmm...

I could comment about the whackos that I work with, except that they're not whackos.

I could raise all kinds of hell about my weird-ass neighbors, but except for Charley, they're nice folks. And even Charley's a good guy, until he and his daughter who's visiting from New Yawk get into the red wine and stay awake until 3 AM playing the music too loud and laughing even louder which pisses off their immediate neighbor, but not me 'cause I'm across the street and two houses down so I don't hear that stuff. I just hear about it later....

Of course, there has been the usual minor dramas of Life It's Ownself...

My thirteen-year-old daughter having a melt-down and tear-flood.

Or the nine-year-old daughter getting cross-eyed mad.

Or the idiot doggies being idiot doggies.

Or, on this fifth day of February going out and voting in the primary election, in my shirtsleeves, because it hit 82 F today, and is currently 68 F at midnight, which absolutely breaks my heart!

Primary Day

Tomorrow is Primary Election Day, "Super Tuesday".

Finally, after all the preliminary hoo-haw, I will be able to render my choice for whichever candidate best matches what I like.

I don't like Madame Hillary, or Mr. Obama - they're dyed-in-the-wool moonbats.

I ain't thrilled with McCain - McCain/Feingold and McCain/Kennedy come to mind.

That leaves Romney or Huckabee.

Romney it is.

Blast your eyes, Fred Thompson, for running a crappy LOSER campaign!

Peace-time Military

I don't know why I'm surprised by THIS:

Many people in the military now perceive a "generation gap" that is marked by a specific date; September 11, 2001. Those who joined after that day, were more likely to have done so for patriotic reasons and were in to fight. The pre-911 troops had served in a peacetime military. The 1991 Gulf War lasted only four days. The Balkans peacekeeping operations of the 1990s involved very little combat. In other words, the pre-2001 troops had seen very little action. A lot of the pre-2001 officers and NCOs had a hard time adapting to wartime.

There are people in the military who aren't really comfortable with the military's prime mission, which is to kill people and break things.

This shouldn't surprise me.

Ten years after I left the Navy, I ran into a couple of peace-time sailors who were still in the Navy, as a career, who hated going to sea, and resented the Navy for sending them to a ship that by definition, goes to sea!

The peace-time military acts much like a large corporation. You follow the peace-time rules and sing the company song, and you get promoted, especially if all of your paperwork is in order and your subordinates don't pee in the potted palms.

In wartime, all of a sudden the rules change, and the "routine" that you've been following, the simulated "war games" that you've been doing, the immaculate paperwork that you thought were the "real reason" you joined, are supposed to be actually put into real mud and blood practice.

And so, some of the peace-time military gets moved aside, and is "encouraged" to find something else to do.

And the newspapers, who are not staffed by war-time vets, "view with alarm" the number of mid-level officers and NCOs who are leaving the services.

Of course, once the war is over, the guys who do the heavy lifting, and are good combat leaders make the politicians uncomfortable. They are shuffled aside as quickly as can be arranged, because after all, we have to be "politically correct" while we're "preparing our military for the next "humanitarian mission" in Kosovo or wherever...

What Was That Al Sharpton Said?

This irony is just delicious - not to mention mind-boggling!

Yes, my mind is boggled!

The biggest mouth in America telling Bill Clinton to "be quiet", to "stop", to "shut up"?

Gawd, tell me it's true, please!

Al Sharpton: “But I think that it’s time for him to just be quiet. I think it’s time for him to stop. As one of the most outspoken people in America, there is a time to shut up, and I think that time has come.”

It is alleged that the Reverend Al said that on The View.

Got it from Fox News, HERE.

Un-Freakin'-Believable!

Now, you've all heard and seen the reports and informed opinion about the "Clinton Machine" getting all geared up to clobber Sen. Obama. Well, it appears that there's a bit of trouble in the "Machine", some sand in the gears, and perhaps a lack of lubrication.

Now, all we need is little screeching from Senator Clinton about the VRWC to make my day complete....

Monday, PITA Monday

It is generally acknowledged throughout the civilized industrial world that Monday is the "worst bloody day of the bleedin' week."

It is my personal opinion that all of the previous week's sneaky little gremlins have managed to hide all during the previous week, merrily plotting their weekend's activities, so that when the poor, humble, down-trodden IT geek shows up on Monday, it's "Surprise! We've been busy!"

Sheesh.

I shoulda got sick and stayed home, in bed, with a bottle of whiskey.

Good whiskey.

No, NOT the idiot dog that some misbegotten mongoloid named "Whiskey".

Y'all are a bunch of preverts.

And I'm a grouch.

Grrr....

Memories, PC and Fear

'Way back there, when OWW was a kid, the "Walt Disney Show" used to broadcast some of the Disney movies as specials, running for two hours, including commercials.

One of those marvelous movies was "Song of The South" - great music, and a good story line.

When "Song of The South" was released, in 1946, the critics loved it, and movie-goers went to the local theatre to see it.

Now, with every movie under the sun available on tape/DVD, you can't find a legit copy of "Song of The South".

Why?

One theory that has the ring of truth is that the Disney Corporation looks at "Song of the South" as causing great controversy - if they release it to home video, it will be widely condemned as "racist" or "inappropriate".

That's very sad, from my point of view.

Because I just remember "Song of The South" from a kid's perspective. Great songs, good characters, and a decent story line.

What else do you need, eggs in your beer?

Self Defense

First, follow the link HERE.

Second, by all means, do the Happy Dance.

Third, send a contribution to Mr. Taylor so that he NEVER runs out of fresh ammo.

Folks, "right between the eyes" is synonomous with "gun control".

I went out in the front yard and did the Happy Dance.

Twice.

Monday Came on Tuesday This Week - For a Moron

I've been stumped, recently, for things to blog about. Call it "blogger's block".

Politics, although interesting in the abstract, just doesn't have any zing.

I've already touched on the GHIP (Great Home Improvement Project), and I'm pretty sure that nobody is all that interested in my dog's "Kennel Cough", which is under treatment and going away.

How about one of my Christmas presents? Y'know, the headphones for my iPod, which have sent those pukey earbuds right into the trash?

Nahhh.

Well, how about "You Can't Make This Stuff Up"?

From Fox News...


Moron Arrested After Driving Truck Into House
Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Note to Mr. Moron: Don't act like one.

Bryan Scott Moron, 20, of Burleson, Texas, was arrested Friday after he lost control of his truck and struck a mailbox, then a house, MyFOXDFW.com reports.

Living up to his surname, Moron failed sobriety tests, the station said. The arrest report showed his blood alcohol level to be more than twice the legal limit.

Moron, a restaurant server, was also driving at an excessive speed, according to the report.

Iowa, Hillary vs. Barck, and the Future

After thinking it over for a little bit, I have my own advice for Hannity, Limbaugh, and Associates: "Be careful what you wish for!"

Just ask any Republican: "Who would you rather run against? Hillary or Barack?"

The Clintons (Hill 'n Bill) have a boat-load of negatives. In the general campaign, any half-decent campaign could load Hillary's record, her and Bill's documented record and political positions into the old political scattergun and have a ball. And beat the stuffing out of her/their candidacy, no innuendo or half-baked accusations required.