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Swine flu has been in the news lately. In fact, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebalius, has even given us a lesson about the "proper" way to sneeze to avoid spreading the flu. (The "proper" way to sneeze, if one does not have a handkerchief or tissue, is to sneeze into one's sleeve, according to the DHHS; never mind the idea that you may be wearing a short sleeved shirt)

Your faithful correspondent is not a doctor. Nor does he play one on television. But it seems to him that all this swine flu talk is a bit "chicken little". One would think that those in control seem to see a modern version of the Black Death coming over the horizon and that state workers will be going from door to door daily collecting the dead in wheelbarrows.

This writer remembers the last outbreak of swine flu and remembers that more people were harmed by the vaccine than by the disease. One can never be too careful, but one can be too fast in being too careful.

The following article carries on the panicky claims by those in the world health and money grabbing industry:

Swine flu could kill millions | World news | The Observer

Has it ever occurred to anyone in a position of authority that perhaps the best way to deal with out-breaks of the swine flu is quarantine to prevent the thing from spreading to other areas? And perhaps quarantine of ares that have not had any cases of the swine flu. There were four locations in the United States that did not have any cases of the Spanish flu in 1918 and the reason they did not have any cases of the flu was because they prevented anyone from outside their areas of authority from entering their towns or commands until the flu had run its course

Egypt, in an attempt to prevent an outbreak of swine flu, as well as stick it to the Coptic Christians in that benighted nation, several months ago ordered the slaughter of all pigs and hogs in Egypt. They have reaped the rewards of their idiocy and one cannot help feeling a sense of schadenfreude. In instead of dealing with swine flu they will find themselves dealing with cholera and stench and trash:

Belatedly, Egypt Spots Flaws in Wiping Out Pigs - NYTimes.com

We here at Bloody Nib Manor have not been regular attendees of the cinema for quite a few years, and have always held to the view espoused by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius that the words "actor" and "whore" are almost synonymous. This is not to say that we did not have our favorite movie stars. We are only human, after all, and sinners by nature. The ever-lovely Lady Nib was especially fond of Tyrone Power and Sam Elliot, while this writer was especially smitten with Ava Gardner (a crazy chick if ever there was one, but those green eyes...) and Catherine Zeta-Jones. We grew up in the days when "stars" pushed the box office receipts. People would go to the movies to see their favourite star. Nowadays "star" status seems to mean less and less to the movie going public. "Stardom" seems to mean popularity in cheap magazines (US, People, Okay!, National Enquirer, et al) more than is means in pulling in money for the movie studios:

Box Office Poison

The nation seems to have become a nation of awful gawkers at the lives of people who really don't account to much in the life and direction and culture of the Great Republic. "Stars" seem to reflect the worst aspects of the national character and, this writer believes, are popular because they show that despite their fame and fortune, they live lives that are more low and paltry than the average American. The guy working at construction or the gal working as a hairdresser can look at the "star" and say to his or her self and say, "My life may be rather boring and my marriage may be a little rocky and my kids may be a little bratty, but my life is a lot better than this or that 'star' who is a drunk/addict/adulterer/just plain idiot."

It's similar to the popularity of Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Sara Jessica Parker among women. The Hollywood studios and publicity machine sold these women as beautiful to the public, when in fact, if any or all of the three had been cashiers at the local Wal-Mart nobody would bother to give them a second look. Women like them because they think that if Julia, Jennifer or Sara are considered "babes" then they, who look a bit horsey or plain, are just as beautiful. Most men do not find Julia Roberts or Sara Jessica Parker beautiful, or even attractive. And Jennifer Aniston appeals to men who think she looks like their junior high school girlfriend.

While writing about actors and actresses let this writer be clear as glass about something. Most British actors and actresses working in Hollywood are insufferable. There are a few exceptions. Gary Oldman and Tim Roth come immediately to mind. The problem with the Brits is that they pretend that they, in their performances in Hollywood movies, are practicing a form of "art".

Two examples are Hugh Laurie (he of the television program "House") and Kate Beckensale (she of the movie "Van Helsing", several other vampire movies and the new movie about a monster in the Antarctic). This writer remembers when Laurie and Beckensale acted in British productions ("Much Ado About Nothing", "Emma")and small American movies (Beckensale in the "Last Days of Disco") in which they portrayed characters instead of caricatures. There is no acting art in American television series and there is no art in performing wearing rubber body hugging suit that appeal to latex fetishists. Laurie says that he misses Great Britain, but he still works in the US. Why? Money. Not art.

Beckensale, several years ago, stated that she was going to return to Great Britain because her child started using the word "elevator" instead of "lift". But she's still living here. Why? Money. Not art. Whenever you here an actor, no matter what the nationality, talk about their "art" be assured that what that person is saying is that since that person considered his or herself an "artist" that person should be paid more than another actor/actress who considers acting a job. In other words, the long green, as is evinced by their actions, is more important than their "art". And if that isn't a whore this writer does not know what the word means. A busker outside a subway station has more dignity.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Back in the days when your faithful correspondent was a wet-behind-the-ears youth there were two stores for men that were considered the plus non ultra for men: Brooks Brothers and Abercrombe and Fitch.

Brooks Brothers specialized in clothing the proper man with tailored suits, overcoats, custom-made shirts and hats, as well as accessories. The style of clothing was conservative, but classic. One could be married in a Brooks Brothers suit and buried fifty years later in the same suit. But since this writer never had the ready cash to give his custom to Brooks Brothers for a suit or shirt, the only Brook Brothers items he own are two bow ties and a pair of suspenders.

And now that this writer is a middle-aged man with expendable income he finds that Brooks Brothers has really become not much more than an Old Navy with virgin wool.

But times changes and one gets accustomed to being called a stick in the mud for wearing a double-breasted pin-strip suit instead of a pair of baggy dungarees and a dirty sweatshirt to church.

Abercrombe and Fitch was, at one time, the complete outfitter. It was a combination of Brooks Brothers and REI co-op and more. If one intended to go on safari in Africa one could be outfitted with clothes, guns, tents, portable kitchens, first-aid kits,maps for the journey. The same held true for treks to Tibet, fishing in New Zealand or dogsledding across Antarctica.

Now A & F has become a rather gay-ish trendy clothing store of metrosexuals and the women who love them. Instead of serving the needs of the explorer or adventurer of the physical world it seems to service the desires of those who are not quite such about the state of their sexuality. The catalogues and ads seem to feature an inordinate number of gay looking men, so one a=can only assume that the company is trying to appeal to the sexually confused. And the company's attention is well known.

So one wonders why this young woman, who claims to be a religious Muslim, would want to work there? Could it be a set-up for a lawsuit to prove the "intolerance" of a company?

Tulsa World: Teen at center of rights suit

Government Waste

One sometime wonders what "archeology" really means. We here at the Manor assume that it those site deserving of an archeology study should be akin to the received definition of "antique", meaning one hundred years old or older.

Well, apparently the term "archeology" means a the study of a "culture" or occurrence of near forty years. But that's what happens when "Baby Boomers" (among which this writer is a member, unfortunately) defines what is and is not historically important:

Groovy artifacts from 1960s Marin County commune sorted - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Let's face it. All that nonsense that went on in the late 60's and early 70's in popular culture was all nonsense and would best be forgotten. Archaeologists would be much better employed searching for bearing and skateboard wheels on Venice Beach. Who remembers hippies as anything but freaks? But kids are still skateboarding on your stair rails.

Hot Air Links and More!

Up until about thirty years ago the model for the television cop show was Dragnet starring, and created by, Jack Webb. At the time the show was being first broadcast it was a favorite among the thin blue line in Los Angeles because it was, compared to much of the competition, realistic and always showed the LAPD in a good light.

Jack Webb passed away many years ago and the television cop show has descended into soap opera with murder. But from beyond the grave Joe Friday gives Our Dear Leader a little dose of wisdom:

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Quote of the day

The "health care" debate goes on and concerned citizens who doubt the viability of the proposed health care plans have made it a point to attend town hall meetings to express their opposition to the various forms of health "reform". Here a young woman challenges her congressman to take her money after expressing her skepticism toward anything that the Congress or White House attempt to push through:

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: Constituent lectures Congressman on executive power

When this writer was an apprentice machinist and a young journeyman in the trade he worked in a shop making parts for both civilian and military nuclear reactors. In order to perform the tasks he was required to have several security clearances -- one from the Department of Defense and a second from the Atomic Energy Commission. Despite the fact that your faithful correspondent had already been issued a Secret clearance while in the Navy, an investigation of his background was performed, including conversations by the investigators with people this writer had never spoken to. The investigation was a lot of work to assume the various governmental entities that this writer was not a Communist, a Nazi, a member of the Industrial Workers of the World or the Sons of the Rising Sun.

The One decided to appoint another czar (I fell sleep in the good ol' USA and woke up in pre-revolutionary Russia. In spades), and apparently didn't even bother to have the man's background investigated. Or perhaps Mr. Obama, in his almost divine wisdom, decided that the man's communist background was meaningless and that the Yankee public was such a bunch a rubes that he could hide the fact that the man he named as a czar was a goddamn nut.

Charles Krauthamer has a few things to say about the deal:

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Krauthammer: Van Jones Truther allegations “devastating”

For the past couple of months there has been a crisis of sorts in Honduras. Basically the story is this:
The man who had, up until recently, Zelaya, been president of the nation decided that he had the right to change the constitution of Honduras so that he could run for another term as president. The Honduran constitution is adamant concerning presidential terms. The number and length of presidential term cannot be changed at all by anyone including the president or the legislative branch. When Mr. Zelaya decided that an exception should be made in his case the Honduran Supreme Court decided that Mr. Zelaya was violating the Constitution and should probably, for his own good, take a vacation in neighboring Nicarauga. Some people, most of them outside of Honduras, have decided that the removal of Mr. Zelaya was not an enforcement of the Constitution but, rather, a coup. Among those who think that Mr. Zelaya was given a bad deal are the Messiah and Lady Hillary.

Mr. Zelaya is a man heavily influenced by Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who is influenced by Fidel Castro of Cuba. In other words, Mr Chavez (a man who is not loathe to shut down radio and television stations that are critical of his Marxist agenda) is a Mini-Me to the Beast of Cuba (Castro), and Mr. Zelaya is a acolyte of Mr. Chavez. Or to put it in the terms of the popular culture and preceding metaphor, a Micro-Me. Or an imitation of an imitation, which is the most flattering form of flattery.

Our Dear Leader seems to forget that one of the great platitudes mentioned in the United States is that we are a country not of men but law. The Honduran Supreme Court and Congress have followed the law. Mr Obama wants the nation to hitch its self to a man. Perhaps in the same way that he wants the United States to hitch its self to him instead of the Constitution, which he has violated many times in the past nine months.

The National Review has a good essay concerning the problem:

Stop Bullying Honduras by The Editors on National Review Online

We here at the Manor are considering mounting a campaign called, "Buy Your Congressman and Senator a Skateboard." The whole idea is based on the idea that if we, as a public, can convince our elected rulers to take up skateboarding we can expect either one of two things. The first is that the clumsy will fall and break their necks (or at least their hips). The second is that they will discover that there is something more fun than sticking their noses into other people's business. Then they might leave us alone.

This Is Interesting

Many years ago a man named Oswald Spengler wrote a book entitled The Decline of the West.
The economist Thomas Sowell has sounded the same warning in a lot fewer words:
Suicide of the West? by Thomas Sowell on National Review Online