In this writer's last post regarding the passing of the news man Walter Cronkite, reference was made to the news man Eric Sevareid (who's name was mis-spelled due to this writer's ignorance of the spelling of Norwegian names).
Mr. Sevareid was not so much, in his later years, a news reader or news man as he was a televised essayist. He was one of Murrow's Boys and spent much of World War II as a correspondent in the Asian Theatre, and as a European correspondent in Europe after the War.
Mr. Sevareid was a literate man of the type not seen on television today.
Below are two links showing Mr. Sevareid. As you watch them ask yourself if any news man or woman would take for granted the literacy of the viewing public that Mr. Sevareid did.
YouTube - Eldridge Cleaver returns to the U.S.
YouTube - Eric Sevareid Farewell Nov 30, 1977
While watching and listening to the videos of Mr. Sevareid your faithful correspondent was reminded that at the time the broadcasts were first made there was talk of professional boxing in the United States dying out because of the lack of a fan base. Boxing was considered brutal and barbaric.
Nowadays boxing looks tame compared to Ultimate Fighting.
We did not know it then, but, apparently we were experiencing a breather before the barbarians crashed through the gates. Guy Grand (refer to the novel The Magic Christian) has proven his point and we continue to suffer for the media's appeal to the lowest common denominator. If the promise of the late 1970s had held truth there would be no such thing as the Jerry Springer or Maury Povitch shows except as local programs produced by local stations looking for the leftovers from the networks.
How far we have fallen. And we continue to fall.
When will we hit bottom?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Walter Cronkite
The television news reporter/reader Walter Cronkite passed away this week. The man lived a very long life. He died at the age of 92.
For some reason, the news organs of the nation have deigned him the "Dean of Television news", when, in fact, his real claim to fame was being one of "Murrow's Boys" during WW II. Mr. Cronkite's fame lies much with his longevity i.e., he outlived his contemporaries. John Cameron Swayze was, if anything, the Dean of Television News because he was there first.
But, a generation and a half grew up with Cronkite on the television at six o'clock in the evening, so he got the title.
And, while Mr. Cronkite was a good news reader, and ad-libber, he was, during his on-camera career, no more special than the new readers on the other television networks. Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, and Eric Severide were as good or better. Severide was especially good. He was a news reader who, in his reading, demanded some thought from his audience. Cronkite, on the other hand, appealed to the middle-brow who took his word for Gospel.
But, let's face it. What is a television news reader but a herald or town crier standing in a village public square ringing a bell and crying that five sheep have been stolen from Mr. Jones' field or that a footpad is abroad?
We here at the Manor hope that Mr. Cronkite rests in peace, but we do not feel that his death is the death of journalism.
For some reason, the news organs of the nation have deigned him the "Dean of Television news", when, in fact, his real claim to fame was being one of "Murrow's Boys" during WW II. Mr. Cronkite's fame lies much with his longevity i.e., he outlived his contemporaries. John Cameron Swayze was, if anything, the Dean of Television News because he was there first.
But, a generation and a half grew up with Cronkite on the television at six o'clock in the evening, so he got the title.
And, while Mr. Cronkite was a good news reader, and ad-libber, he was, during his on-camera career, no more special than the new readers on the other television networks. Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, and Eric Severide were as good or better. Severide was especially good. He was a news reader who, in his reading, demanded some thought from his audience. Cronkite, on the other hand, appealed to the middle-brow who took his word for Gospel.
But, let's face it. What is a television news reader but a herald or town crier standing in a village public square ringing a bell and crying that five sheep have been stolen from Mr. Jones' field or that a footpad is abroad?
We here at the Manor hope that Mr. Cronkite rests in peace, but we do not feel that his death is the death of journalism.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Porkpie Hats
Your faithful correspondent has never been a big fan of the porkpie hat.
In modern times the porkpie hat has been indicated by two elements.
1.) The crown of the porkpie hat is round with a round crease around the top of the hat instead of a longitdutinal crease. In other words, the crease on a porkpie hat follows the crown. In other words, the crown of a porkpie looks much like, when looked at from above, the crust of a pie.
2.) The brim of a porkpie hat usually narrow. Occasionally the brim of a porkpie is wide, as is the case of Buster Keaton or the old comic strip character Hipshot Percussion, but mostly the brim is narrow.
Wearers of the porkpie have been Gene Hackman in his character of Popeye Doyle in The French Connection, Buster Keaton in many of his films, and Mickey Spillane
.Mostly the porkpie has been worn, in movies and television, by characters who are rather questionable in
morals, but not really bad. They have been men who have not quite figured whether they want to be real criminals or law abiding.. In other words, they are apprentices who haven't quite made up their minds whether to be bankers or three card monte men or zoot suiters.
What's Wrong With This Picture?
In the past few weeks the following events have taken place:
Iranians (many Iranians) have protested against the results of their national elections claiming that that the results, given by the government, have been bogus. The results of the protests have been the disappearances and deaths of more than a few protesters.
The validly elected government of Honduras decided to eject the president of the nation because the president was violating the Honduran constitution.
Uighers (natives of Turkmenistan which is in the area now known as Western China) have protested and have been victims of Han Chinese suffered under the anvil of Peking for the reason that they (the Uighers) have demanded fair treatment. The result has been the disappearance of more than 1,500 Uighers and the deaths of more than 150 of the same.
What's wrong is that out Dear Leader had protested the constitutional action of the Honduran congress and supreme court while ignoring the situation in Iran and in Western China.
In other words, The One seems to think that the overthrow of a nation's constitution is a more favorable action than the exercise of protest against violators of human rights.
Once again. Follow the money.
Iranians (many Iranians) have protested against the results of their national elections claiming that that the results, given by the government, have been bogus. The results of the protests have been the disappearances and deaths of more than a few protesters.
The validly elected government of Honduras decided to eject the president of the nation because the president was violating the Honduran constitution.
Uighers (natives of Turkmenistan which is in the area now known as Western China) have protested and have been victims of Han Chinese suffered under the anvil of Peking for the reason that they (the Uighers) have demanded fair treatment. The result has been the disappearance of more than 1,500 Uighers and the deaths of more than 150 of the same.
What's wrong is that out Dear Leader had protested the constitutional action of the Honduran congress and supreme court while ignoring the situation in Iran and in Western China.
In other words, The One seems to think that the overthrow of a nation's constitution is a more favorable action than the exercise of protest against violators of human rights.
Once again. Follow the money.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
America's Loss
Some people consider the residents of the Manor as Luddites despite the fact that we regularly use computers. The reasons for these accusations may be due to the fact that this writer prefers to use manual typewriters or pen and ink for his serious writing, that we do not have an automatic dish-washer, our (by contemporary standards) overuse of commas, semi-colons and dashes, or the fact that we have neither cable nor satellite television.
Your faithful correspondent suspects that the main ground of accusation lays with the television matter. The idea of receiving television signals over the air and not paying for the "privilege" seems, to some, as quaint as the idea of sitting in the front room (called by those with aspirations of appearing sophisticated the "living room" or by others, mostly long dead, "the front parlor") listening to a Philco or Dumont radio waiting for John McCormick to start singing Ave Maria.
But, believe it or not, we here at the Manor at one time received cable television back in the days when we, and MTV, were young. We saw the first Michael Jackson music videos. In fact, this writer's brother The Honorable Mister Daniel, worked with Mr. Jackson as a sound editor on several of Mr. Jackson's early music videos. And to tell the truth, during our days being connected to the cable teat and thereafter, we have never been particularly enamoured of Mr. Jackson. He was a good dancer, but no Fred Astaire, a decent singer of his type (meaning of the frenetic hard breathing style) and an entertainer who depended more on technology than real talent. In other words, he was a busker who made a lot of money and fooled a lot of people.
Mr. Jackson died this past week and the world seems to have gone into the type of mourning that is saved for the trivial. The same type of thing happened when Diana Spencer, John Belushi and James Dean et al died. The logic behind this mourning seems to be based on the idea that the dead were mis-understood., when, in fact, the deceased were really not much more than parasites.
To paraphrase Bryan Suits, entertainers and celebrities are remora and the public is the shark. Celebs feed off the public and really never give anything of value back to the public and the culture. Celebs, including Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon and David Carradine, as well as Mr. Jackson, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and others, were nothing more than officially sanctioned court jesters, actors or talkers. They made us laugh, tap our feet or were nice to look upon and they expected money in exchange. Meanwhile, the guy or gal you work with who tells good jokes or stories that make you think or laugh five days a week gets nothing but a pat on the back; and the guy you work with is working at a job of work making something.
There was a day when professional entertainers were suspect by the public. And the reason is because entertainers fed off the lower desires of the public. Music and story-telling were a part of daily life among one's peers and done to pass the time, not something done to make more money than the audience.
It is a sad thing that Mr. Jackson died at a relatively young age. But the man was a pederast and a man who, probably without knowing it, strove to lower the datum of civilized behavior during a time when the criterion should have been raised. Not to put a religious bent on the matter, but Mr. Jackson, Mr. Carradine and Mr. Belushi were evidence of de-evolution. They appealed to the basest part of the human experience. Ms. Fawcett, while pretty and a sex symbol for some, was, in reality, on the level with Nell Gynne and Lillie Langtry.
Billy Mays, America's greatest pitchman, died today. If you do not recognize the name Billy Mays perhaps you might look in your pantry and find a bucket of Oxy-Clean, a bottle of Orange-Glo or a tube of Mighty Putty. Mr. Mays, with his solid body and square bearded face and cry, "Billy Mays here!" was the cause of a lot of scrambling for the remote control by certain segment of society, but his death, was, in fact, a much greater loss to the Great Republic than was the death of Mr. Jackson. Billy Mays was an example of a man who had come from nothing and had risen to a level in his various pitches in county and state fairs, and television that he had made for his various employers something to the tune of a half billion dollars. When one sent money to a phone number that Billy Mays announced for a product one could be assured that one would soon get a tangible thing in one's hand within as week or two. Billy Mays, whether the products he pitched were good or bad, Mr. Mays carried on a long, long tradition of medicine men in America in a way that Mr. Jackson did not. Mr Jackson sold himself. Mr. Mays sold something you could use.
So when the funerals of Mr. Jackson and Ms. Fawcett (at the Taj Mahoney: this writer did not know that she was a Catholic) take place this week, please remember Billy Mays. He was better, in his life, for the nation, than the others.
Your faithful correspondent suspects that the main ground of accusation lays with the television matter. The idea of receiving television signals over the air and not paying for the "privilege" seems, to some, as quaint as the idea of sitting in the front room (called by those with aspirations of appearing sophisticated the "living room" or by others, mostly long dead, "the front parlor") listening to a Philco or Dumont radio waiting for John McCormick to start singing Ave Maria.
But, believe it or not, we here at the Manor at one time received cable television back in the days when we, and MTV, were young. We saw the first Michael Jackson music videos. In fact, this writer's brother The Honorable Mister Daniel, worked with Mr. Jackson as a sound editor on several of Mr. Jackson's early music videos. And to tell the truth, during our days being connected to the cable teat and thereafter, we have never been particularly enamoured of Mr. Jackson. He was a good dancer, but no Fred Astaire, a decent singer of his type (meaning of the frenetic hard breathing style) and an entertainer who depended more on technology than real talent. In other words, he was a busker who made a lot of money and fooled a lot of people.
Mr. Jackson died this past week and the world seems to have gone into the type of mourning that is saved for the trivial. The same type of thing happened when Diana Spencer, John Belushi and James Dean et al died. The logic behind this mourning seems to be based on the idea that the dead were mis-understood., when, in fact, the deceased were really not much more than parasites.
To paraphrase Bryan Suits, entertainers and celebrities are remora and the public is the shark. Celebs feed off the public and really never give anything of value back to the public and the culture. Celebs, including Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon and David Carradine, as well as Mr. Jackson, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and others, were nothing more than officially sanctioned court jesters, actors or talkers. They made us laugh, tap our feet or were nice to look upon and they expected money in exchange. Meanwhile, the guy or gal you work with who tells good jokes or stories that make you think or laugh five days a week gets nothing but a pat on the back; and the guy you work with is working at a job of work making something.
There was a day when professional entertainers were suspect by the public. And the reason is because entertainers fed off the lower desires of the public. Music and story-telling were a part of daily life among one's peers and done to pass the time, not something done to make more money than the audience.
It is a sad thing that Mr. Jackson died at a relatively young age. But the man was a pederast and a man who, probably without knowing it, strove to lower the datum of civilized behavior during a time when the criterion should have been raised. Not to put a religious bent on the matter, but Mr. Jackson, Mr. Carradine and Mr. Belushi were evidence of de-evolution. They appealed to the basest part of the human experience. Ms. Fawcett, while pretty and a sex symbol for some, was, in reality, on the level with Nell Gynne and Lillie Langtry.
Billy Mays, America's greatest pitchman, died today. If you do not recognize the name Billy Mays perhaps you might look in your pantry and find a bucket of Oxy-Clean, a bottle of Orange-Glo or a tube of Mighty Putty. Mr. Mays, with his solid body and square bearded face and cry, "Billy Mays here!" was the cause of a lot of scrambling for the remote control by certain segment of society, but his death, was, in fact, a much greater loss to the Great Republic than was the death of Mr. Jackson. Billy Mays was an example of a man who had come from nothing and had risen to a level in his various pitches in county and state fairs, and television that he had made for his various employers something to the tune of a half billion dollars. When one sent money to a phone number that Billy Mays announced for a product one could be assured that one would soon get a tangible thing in one's hand within as week or two. Billy Mays, whether the products he pitched were good or bad, Mr. Mays carried on a long, long tradition of medicine men in America in a way that Mr. Jackson did not. Mr Jackson sold himself. Mr. Mays sold something you could use.
So when the funerals of Mr. Jackson and Ms. Fawcett (at the Taj Mahoney: this writer did not know that she was a Catholic) take place this week, please remember Billy Mays. He was better, in his life, for the nation, than the others.
Men in Hats
Summer time is here, unfortunately, and the weather has gotten hot. What is the man man of style to do to find relief from the oppression that unrelenting sunshine presents to one without wearing a pith helmet?The answer is: The Boater. Among the uninitiated the hat is called a "straw hat" (too broad a term) or a "skimmer" (a slightly different hat -- skimmers are worn by students at Eton).
Unfortunately, the boater has taken a beating from popular culture. It has become a vaudeville staple for hoofers, an institution (in its foam plastic incarnation -- a truly blasphemous creation on the level with the plastic green derby worn by drunks on St. Patrick's Day) at political conventions and pizza parlors, and a joke when the crown is punched out by a comedian.
But the boater is a serious and useful item of headgear for the man. It's lightweight, offers shade, and looks good when worn properly. When worn level and square the hat says that is a serious man not to be taken lightly, as in the photo above of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. When worn with a sideways tilt the wearer comes across as a bit of a rake or a joker. When worn tilted back one appears either young or as a sailor (the boater was based on the canvas and tar hats that sailors wore in the 1800's).
The boater is one of the few men's hats that women can wear and not look ridiculous. But a woman wearing a boater can only look not silly if she is either wearing a middie blouse and long skirt or a striped pullover and sailor pants. Preferably the ribbon on the hat should be long and drape over the back of the hat. Hot pants, Levis and mini-skirts never look good with a boater.
So, if you are suffering from the oppression of summer weather, consider buying yourself a boater. It's a great hat and works well.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Not Your Dad's ....
This writer is an occasional reader of blogs and websites containing reviews of beer and pipe tobacco.
The interesting thing about the reviews is the constant refrain of, "This isn't your Dad's beer". or "This isn't your Dad's pipe tobacco."
The unstated implication is that you Dad had no taste at all in matters of beer or tobacco because he drank Miller High Life instead of Hog's Head Summer Special Ale, and smoked Carter Hall in his pipe instead of Frog Morton or Three Noggins. In other words, your Dad was a dope and a philistine and a tool of corporate America and the blanding of beer and tobacco.
Well, guess what? You're wrong. Your Dad was a man. A real man. Your Dad was a Stoic in a way that you, the reviewer, aren't. Your Dad took what was there and made the best of it. He wanted beer and he chose Schlitz over Hamm's. He wanted pipe tobacco and chose Velvet over Prince Albert. His beer and pipe tobacco needs were satisfied by easily available products and he didn't pretend to be a connoisseur. Your Dad knew what beer and tobacco were for; relaxation and fellowship. He did regard beer and tobacco the same way that a Frenchman regards wine and cheese. Your Dad had no time for such nonsense. He was a working man and a family man, and any time he had left over was spent doing manly things like fishing, hunting or working on the car.
Your Dad didn't bother to spend the extra money to buy a six pack of St. Pauli Girl unless he was a German, or buy a can of Balkan Sobranine unless he was an Englishman. Your Dad drank American lager or pilsner, or smoked American Cavendish or Virginia blends. He didn't bother with the foreign stuff cost too much and the experience only lasted five minutes after the last quaff or puff. And he figured that the extra cost was not worth the experience.
Your Dad was a guy who helped build the nation. He wasn't a dilettante. He worked to make the highways or airplanes or buildings that you use to buy your fancy beers or tobacco. And he probably never has had the chance to engage in you little hobbies. You Dad drank Rolling Rock or Pabst and, smoked Sir Walter Raleigh or Prince Albert, and he was satisfied. He didn't bitch about the beer being "thin" or the tobacco having a bite.
Your Dad, probably without knowing it, was a student of the Roman philosopher Epictetus, while you seem often to be a student of Epicurus. Ask yourself which philosopher's teaching will result in a strong nation.
Next Sunday is Fathers' Day. If your Dad is still living call or visit him and tell him how much you appreciate what he has done for you and that you pray that you will be the man for your children that he was for you. And if your Dad has passed on take the time to remember him and thank the memory that you have of him. Crack a Bud and fill your pipe with Barking Dog and try to live up to what your Dad was.
And if your Dad was a jerk, an idiot and a rounder, make it a point to be a better man. Fancy beer and fancy tobacco will not make you a better man than your Dad. It'll just make you a snob.
The interesting thing about the reviews is the constant refrain of, "This isn't your Dad's beer". or "This isn't your Dad's pipe tobacco."
The unstated implication is that you Dad had no taste at all in matters of beer or tobacco because he drank Miller High Life instead of Hog's Head Summer Special Ale, and smoked Carter Hall in his pipe instead of Frog Morton or Three Noggins. In other words, your Dad was a dope and a philistine and a tool of corporate America and the blanding of beer and tobacco.
Well, guess what? You're wrong. Your Dad was a man. A real man. Your Dad was a Stoic in a way that you, the reviewer, aren't. Your Dad took what was there and made the best of it. He wanted beer and he chose Schlitz over Hamm's. He wanted pipe tobacco and chose Velvet over Prince Albert. His beer and pipe tobacco needs were satisfied by easily available products and he didn't pretend to be a connoisseur. Your Dad knew what beer and tobacco were for; relaxation and fellowship. He did regard beer and tobacco the same way that a Frenchman regards wine and cheese. Your Dad had no time for such nonsense. He was a working man and a family man, and any time he had left over was spent doing manly things like fishing, hunting or working on the car.
Your Dad didn't bother to spend the extra money to buy a six pack of St. Pauli Girl unless he was a German, or buy a can of Balkan Sobranine unless he was an Englishman. Your Dad drank American lager or pilsner, or smoked American Cavendish or Virginia blends. He didn't bother with the foreign stuff cost too much and the experience only lasted five minutes after the last quaff or puff. And he figured that the extra cost was not worth the experience.
Your Dad was a guy who helped build the nation. He wasn't a dilettante. He worked to make the highways or airplanes or buildings that you use to buy your fancy beers or tobacco. And he probably never has had the chance to engage in you little hobbies. You Dad drank Rolling Rock or Pabst and, smoked Sir Walter Raleigh or Prince Albert, and he was satisfied. He didn't bitch about the beer being "thin" or the tobacco having a bite.
Your Dad, probably without knowing it, was a student of the Roman philosopher Epictetus, while you seem often to be a student of Epicurus. Ask yourself which philosopher's teaching will result in a strong nation.
Next Sunday is Fathers' Day. If your Dad is still living call or visit him and tell him how much you appreciate what he has done for you and that you pray that you will be the man for your children that he was for you. And if your Dad has passed on take the time to remember him and thank the memory that you have of him. Crack a Bud and fill your pipe with Barking Dog and try to live up to what your Dad was.
And if your Dad was a jerk, an idiot and a rounder, make it a point to be a better man. Fancy beer and fancy tobacco will not make you a better man than your Dad. It'll just make you a snob.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Be Careful of "Students of History."
Have you ever run across someone who claims to be a "student of history" who makes stupid claims? The example of Dan Brown in his novels comes to mind. Not only are his contentions ridiculous, his history is awful. The most cursory study of the Knights Templar will show that the Templars were real Christian knights and not adherents of Gnostic "wisdom" or that the Italian sculptor Bernini could not have been a member of the Illuminati because he was long dead by the time Adam Weisphat concocted his scam.
Our Dear Leader (the One, the Anointed, the O), has several times in the past claimed to be a "student of history". One example that comes to mind is his claim that the automobile was invented in the United States. As any car head can accurately state, the automobile, as we know it, was invented in Germany by a man named Daimler (he also invented the motorcycle). The O also spoke, in a praising manner, about the Model T Ford as if the solution to America's energy and pollution problems lies with the Model T. Truth to tell, the Model T was, for its engine size, a gas hog, gross polluter and so unsafe in its construction and features as to be considered more a dangerous toy than a mode of transportation.
The One, in his bum kissing Cairo speech, spoke again as a student of history. And he either lied or showed his ignorance of history:
Pajamas Media » Obama Flunks History at Cairo U
And add to the false claims of the Muslim world the fact that chess was not invented in Iran or the Arab world. It was invented in India.
Our Dear Leader (the One, the Anointed, the O), has several times in the past claimed to be a "student of history". One example that comes to mind is his claim that the automobile was invented in the United States. As any car head can accurately state, the automobile, as we know it, was invented in Germany by a man named Daimler (he also invented the motorcycle). The O also spoke, in a praising manner, about the Model T Ford as if the solution to America's energy and pollution problems lies with the Model T. Truth to tell, the Model T was, for its engine size, a gas hog, gross polluter and so unsafe in its construction and features as to be considered more a dangerous toy than a mode of transportation.
The One, in his bum kissing Cairo speech, spoke again as a student of history. And he either lied or showed his ignorance of history:
Pajamas Media » Obama Flunks History at Cairo U
And add to the false claims of the Muslim world the fact that chess was not invented in Iran or the Arab world. It was invented in India.
The Difference Between Then and Now
There was a time when actors, singers and such behaved with a modicum of class and politeness. Now it seems that now the sign of affection to the public by a professional performer is to give it the finger. Instead of the public giving the finger back by not buying the product by the performer it seems to crave a big "F--- you" from their favorite star.
What the heck happened? The actor, the singer, the performer, is coming to the public with a begging bowl held out. In a logical world the performer would be performing on a street corner or in a park and would pass the hat to get the reward for their labor. Instead, the performer feels owed and the public is insulted. The world has truly been turned upside down.
Consider this article about times past and times now:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Hollywood, Music, and the Death of Class
What the heck happened? The actor, the singer, the performer, is coming to the public with a begging bowl held out. In a logical world the performer would be performing on a street corner or in a park and would pass the hat to get the reward for their labor. Instead, the performer feels owed and the public is insulted. The world has truly been turned upside down.
Consider this article about times past and times now:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Hollywood, Music, and the Death of Class
Saturday, May 30, 2009
What a Refreshing Ex-Athlete!
How many times have you read stories about ex-sports stars doing something really, really stupid? The answer is, too many times. Once out of their particular sport they seem to think that they are still, at the age of 40, the stars they were at the age of 24. For some reason their famous touchdown, goal, home run, et al is supposed to give them a cache to behave badly when they are middle aged men or women. One thinks of John D. MacDonald's charter, the Arkansas Tiger, who, after a pro sports career, carried on a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week party on his boat at the Bahia Marina in Florida.
Here's a story of an exception, and an exceptional woman:
Former Tennis Player Andrea Jaeger Shows Compassion to Cancer-Stricken Children - washingtonpost.com
Here's a story of an exception, and an exceptional woman:
Former Tennis Player Andrea Jaeger Shows Compassion to Cancer-Stricken Children - washingtonpost.com
Men in Hats -- Panama Edition
Above we have a photo of Sean Connery wearing a Panama hat.. Connery, in his films, was never known as a hat wearer except for those awful narrow brimmed atrocities he wore in the first two Jame Bond Movies. By the time the above photo was taken the great Scot came to his senses and bought a decent hat with a decent width brim.
For an older and more classic example of the Panama hat we have a still from the old movie Macao starring Robert Mitchum and the ever-breath-taking Jane Russell. Mitchum, coming from a generation of American hat wearers, wears his hat more naturally and casually than does Connery; it's tilted up, it's tilted down. It shades his eyes when needed and acts as an exclamation point when needed. Mitchum, coming from the last of the hat wearing generation, regards the hats as part of him. The hat IS him.Now that Summer is near and the weather is warming it is time to bring out the straw hat, whether Panama, boater or cowboy and coolly pass the time in the shade and put the old fedora or homburg in mothballs.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
You Owe Us and We Own You
As all who are regular readers of this journal are well aware, we at Bloody Nib Manor live pretty simply. Some would say on the edge. We've not managed to come up with the cash to clean out the moat for several years and the results is the growth of all sorts of noxious plants far too close to the house. And we've been forced to use standard-bred horses for our foxhunting instead of lurchers and thoroughbreds. Never mind the dogs. It was difficult to give up our kennel of proper English Foxhounds in favor of Shih-Tzus and mongrels. But, in the current economic climate sacrifices must be made.
The late Baron Nib, a great man in every way, and the still living Baroness Nib, always made it a point to impress upon their scions that to be in debt was to be in a form of slavery. In other words, if you owe a person money you are at their beck and call until you re-pay the debt.
We have, as far as practicable, worked to keep out of debt. Whenever possible we pay cash because we do not want some busybody from American Express or the bank telling us that we are living in a manner that they do not approve. We, the ever lovely Lady Nib and myself, desire freedom more than luxury. We try to be, a much as possible, self-sufficient and self-responsible. We are, in that sense, rather old-fashioned, despite the fact that we just had our Wolsley sedan re-painted with a rather shocking hot pink paint job.
The Baron's comment concerning debt has been proven true recently. Some American banks which had received TARP (in other words, bail-out loans) from the United States government have stated that they have the cash, right now, to pay off their loans. They have told the government that they want to pay off the loans. And the government has told the banks, "Don't bother. We'd rather control you and set your policies and salaries."
There are two things wrong here.
The first is that the government wants to control private institutions. The last time this writer checked, there was no such thing as a national bank outside of the Federal Reserve. Now we find that the federal government wants to run as much of the banking system as it can; not for the protection of the bank customer, but for the idea of controlling the economy because the federal government "knows best." It's a frightening thought and a frightening reality.
The second matter of concern is that the federal government would rather not be repaid a debt in favor of control of the banks. In other words, instead of the money that was loaned to the banks being repaid to the taxpayer and the treasury, the federal government would rather spend your money to control something that really means nothing to you. The idea of control goes beyond the idea of being responsible to the customer (the taxpayer).
He who owns the debt owns he who is in debt. There is something almost Mafia-like about the whole thing.
On a second front, consider this: Michelle paints herself as the queen of arts - Times Online.
We here at the Manor have always been leery about government supported arts programs simply because such programs put the impretuer of official approval on said art. What business does the government have approving one type of art over another or on artist over another? The answer is, in the United States, none. There is no,and should not be, any official art,whether graphic, theatrical, literary or spoken word. The very idea of a national poet laureate is loathsome. The only art that the federal or state governments should even be remotely involved in is the architecture of government buildings and monuments. Consider the fact that even during the age of kings in Europe the said kings used their own money for art projects. Not that of their subjects.
But now we have an administration that seems to hold to the Stalinist theory of art. In other words, the government says what is art and anything outside of that is trash.
Get ready for the new opera, The East is Obama.
The late Baron Nib, a great man in every way, and the still living Baroness Nib, always made it a point to impress upon their scions that to be in debt was to be in a form of slavery. In other words, if you owe a person money you are at their beck and call until you re-pay the debt.
We have, as far as practicable, worked to keep out of debt. Whenever possible we pay cash because we do not want some busybody from American Express or the bank telling us that we are living in a manner that they do not approve. We, the ever lovely Lady Nib and myself, desire freedom more than luxury. We try to be, a much as possible, self-sufficient and self-responsible. We are, in that sense, rather old-fashioned, despite the fact that we just had our Wolsley sedan re-painted with a rather shocking hot pink paint job.
The Baron's comment concerning debt has been proven true recently. Some American banks which had received TARP (in other words, bail-out loans) from the United States government have stated that they have the cash, right now, to pay off their loans. They have told the government that they want to pay off the loans. And the government has told the banks, "Don't bother. We'd rather control you and set your policies and salaries."
There are two things wrong here.
The first is that the government wants to control private institutions. The last time this writer checked, there was no such thing as a national bank outside of the Federal Reserve. Now we find that the federal government wants to run as much of the banking system as it can; not for the protection of the bank customer, but for the idea of controlling the economy because the federal government "knows best." It's a frightening thought and a frightening reality.
The second matter of concern is that the federal government would rather not be repaid a debt in favor of control of the banks. In other words, instead of the money that was loaned to the banks being repaid to the taxpayer and the treasury, the federal government would rather spend your money to control something that really means nothing to you. The idea of control goes beyond the idea of being responsible to the customer (the taxpayer).
He who owns the debt owns he who is in debt. There is something almost Mafia-like about the whole thing.
On a second front, consider this: Michelle paints herself as the queen of arts - Times Online.
We here at the Manor have always been leery about government supported arts programs simply because such programs put the impretuer of official approval on said art. What business does the government have approving one type of art over another or on artist over another? The answer is, in the United States, none. There is no,and should not be, any official art,whether graphic, theatrical, literary or spoken word. The very idea of a national poet laureate is loathsome. The only art that the federal or state governments should even be remotely involved in is the architecture of government buildings and monuments. Consider the fact that even during the age of kings in Europe the said kings used their own money for art projects. Not that of their subjects.
But now we have an administration that seems to hold to the Stalinist theory of art. In other words, the government says what is art and anything outside of that is trash.
Get ready for the new opera, The East is Obama.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Dick Cheney. Private Dick?
Those who may be unfortunate enough to be readers of this blog may be old enough to recall the great age of the Private Detective novel or Private Detective television series. Such names as Mike Hammer, Shell Scott, Lew Archer, Phillip Marlowe, Peter Gunn, Jim Rockford, Richie Brockleman, or Magnum, may tug at one's heart strings in mourning for the days when the P.I. was the example of traditional American enterprise and "get it done-ness".
The P.I. was an example of what America was all about. The P.I. was an entrepenteur, an independent operator, and a man suspicious of the the government. He was a cynical man. He was cynical of the stated mores of society and of the government. He searched for truth and justice; not the niceties of law. Often, during his search for justice he found that the law was inadequate regarding justice. And while he searched, and suffered, during his search for justice and right, he often showed his flaws and sins. His life seemed to be have been made up of nothing more than booze, babes and bullets. His needs were simple. His life was simple. He looked at a world he thought cracked and crazy and saw himself as a normal man; not a man in the throes of angst. His personal life was private except for the occasional fling with a female client, female suspect, or his secretary. His weaknesses were for a shot of rye and a well-turned ankle (actually, more often a heaving full bosom). Introspection and self-flagellation was for the client; not him. He was a man comfortable in his skin. And because he was comfortable in his skin he was able to focus his attention on the problem. He always found the root of the problem despite the fact that his reward was a few hundred bucks, a shot of leg, a shot of bourbon and a Lucky Strike. He got spat upon, beat up, drunk, screwed (in more ways than one). And he worked for himself and his client in the search of justice (not government justice, but real justice).
The P.I. was, in fiction, the knight errant. He was a man looking for a cause despite his own flaws and sins. And he did so despite rotten pay and a lot of beatings. His cause was justice. And when the law conflicted with justice he chose justice.
Things have changed.
Now look at modern crime fiction and crime related television. Almost every one features a cop working for a government of some sort: CSI: Whatever, NCIS, Law and Order: Whatever, Without a Trace. Each television program shares a common thing: they all represent government agencies. They, along with all too many current crime novels, appeal to the government for justice and righteousness. In other words, the government says what is right and wrong instead of the moral right and wrong. The idea behind the programs and novels is that the government knows what is best, and that one should rely on the government to right legal wrongs. Forget about moral justice. The government knows all and if your adult sister is missing, and there is no legally found evidence that she is working in a Nevada brothel against her will , there is nothing the government sanctioned cops will do about it to rescue her. The law trumps all. The law is codified. It's a blueprint and it gives the CSI, Law and Order crowd indications of what to do and takes the burden of defining justice off their shoulders. And despite not having the burden of defining justice, the characters in current cop novels and series are so psychologically screwed up that it's a wonder that they can function. They drink too much occasionally and feel guilty about it. They bed a co-worker and feel guilty about it. They don't spend enough time with their wife and kids and feel guilty about it. They do the jobs for which the state has hired them and they feel conflicted about it. And when they perform acts of justice in favor of acts of law they do not only not celebrate the triumph of right over wrong, they crawl under the covers of their beds and fight through depression.
How times have changed. The great fictional French police detective, Jules Maigret, was a simple man with simple tastes (a good beer and a good meal), who sought justice and right and wrong and never lost a wink of sleep over it. Even the Swedish police detective, Martin Beck, probably the first of the depressed detectives and the precursor of what we have now, was more interested in justice than his own problems or the niceties of the law. Both detectives occasionally worked outside the system and felt no guilt about it. The only suffering that either character experienced from drinking too much were hangovers. Most of their suffering, in the trade, was based on dealing with the governments the worked for.
What we have come to is the dearth of the P.I. or cowboy in favor of the government paid salary man. Every damn thing is based on what the government says is right instead of what is right. The search for justice has become a slogan among government officials. The searchers for "truth" are expected to have more empathy for the perpetrator than the victim. One's inner demons are things to be embraced in the name of being "genuine." Instead of listening to jazz and watching the ponies run at the track, today's crime fighter watches Oprah and drinks Evian water. Perhaps that's the problem. The modern government sanctioned crime fighter drinks so much water that he or she has become diluted in every way.
The only characters in modern fiction approaching the classic private detective are historical detectives such as Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael, Elizabeth Peters' Victorian Egyptologist mysteries and Lindsey Davis' Marcus Dido Falco series of detective novels. The P.I. has become passe', a museum piece.
It's enough to gag a maggot. And this maggot is gagging. Hard.
So we come to Dick Cheney versus Barack Obama.
Dick Cheney is the P.I. Dick Cheney is a hard man in search of justice and he is willing to twist an arm to get it. Dick Cheney sees the world as a cracked and crazy place and the survival of the American experiment depends on seeing those you would do us harm as the Other; the dangerous Other. He regards those who would attack the U.S. as rabid dogs to be put down. Mr.Cheney is close to the old Patriots -- suspicious of those values and traditions that are not American. And in this way he is like the P.I. who saw a black and white and called things black and white.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, is the Without a Trace government guy. Mr. Obama is conflicted about his identity. Is he a citizen of the United States or is he a citizen of the world? Do the laws of the United States trump those of the World Court? Is there such a thing as justice? Is the idea of buying the world a Coke imperialist? Mr. Obama seems to think that naivete in the matters of dealing with those who would do us harm a good thing. The excuse, when something bad happens will probably be something like, "They (the perpetrators) were true to their values, which are not our values, but are still valid nonetheless." One wonders if a crime were perpetrated against him or his family if his empathy would be the same. Mr. Obama seems to take Stalin's view: One death is a tragedy; a thousand deaths are a statistic.
Who do you want to help you when things get tough? A guy interested in justice or a guy interested in the niceties of law?
There is a right and a wrong, and the codified law of the United States has nothing to do with it.
If, during a Thanksgiving supper, would you rely on the cranky uncle (Dick Cheney) or the smart-assed nephew (Obama) as to what action to take against your asshole neighbor? Who would you rather try to find your missing sister? Mike Hammer? Or the CSI crew?
The P.I. was an example of what America was all about. The P.I. was an entrepenteur, an independent operator, and a man suspicious of the the government. He was a cynical man. He was cynical of the stated mores of society and of the government. He searched for truth and justice; not the niceties of law. Often, during his search for justice he found that the law was inadequate regarding justice. And while he searched, and suffered, during his search for justice and right, he often showed his flaws and sins. His life seemed to be have been made up of nothing more than booze, babes and bullets. His needs were simple. His life was simple. He looked at a world he thought cracked and crazy and saw himself as a normal man; not a man in the throes of angst. His personal life was private except for the occasional fling with a female client, female suspect, or his secretary. His weaknesses were for a shot of rye and a well-turned ankle (actually, more often a heaving full bosom). Introspection and self-flagellation was for the client; not him. He was a man comfortable in his skin. And because he was comfortable in his skin he was able to focus his attention on the problem. He always found the root of the problem despite the fact that his reward was a few hundred bucks, a shot of leg, a shot of bourbon and a Lucky Strike. He got spat upon, beat up, drunk, screwed (in more ways than one). And he worked for himself and his client in the search of justice (not government justice, but real justice).
The P.I. was, in fiction, the knight errant. He was a man looking for a cause despite his own flaws and sins. And he did so despite rotten pay and a lot of beatings. His cause was justice. And when the law conflicted with justice he chose justice.
Things have changed.
Now look at modern crime fiction and crime related television. Almost every one features a cop working for a government of some sort: CSI: Whatever, NCIS, Law and Order: Whatever, Without a Trace. Each television program shares a common thing: they all represent government agencies. They, along with all too many current crime novels, appeal to the government for justice and righteousness. In other words, the government says what is right and wrong instead of the moral right and wrong. The idea behind the programs and novels is that the government knows what is best, and that one should rely on the government to right legal wrongs. Forget about moral justice. The government knows all and if your adult sister is missing, and there is no legally found evidence that she is working in a Nevada brothel against her will , there is nothing the government sanctioned cops will do about it to rescue her. The law trumps all. The law is codified. It's a blueprint and it gives the CSI, Law and Order crowd indications of what to do and takes the burden of defining justice off their shoulders. And despite not having the burden of defining justice, the characters in current cop novels and series are so psychologically screwed up that it's a wonder that they can function. They drink too much occasionally and feel guilty about it. They bed a co-worker and feel guilty about it. They don't spend enough time with their wife and kids and feel guilty about it. They do the jobs for which the state has hired them and they feel conflicted about it. And when they perform acts of justice in favor of acts of law they do not only not celebrate the triumph of right over wrong, they crawl under the covers of their beds and fight through depression.
How times have changed. The great fictional French police detective, Jules Maigret, was a simple man with simple tastes (a good beer and a good meal), who sought justice and right and wrong and never lost a wink of sleep over it. Even the Swedish police detective, Martin Beck, probably the first of the depressed detectives and the precursor of what we have now, was more interested in justice than his own problems or the niceties of the law. Both detectives occasionally worked outside the system and felt no guilt about it. The only suffering that either character experienced from drinking too much were hangovers. Most of their suffering, in the trade, was based on dealing with the governments the worked for.
What we have come to is the dearth of the P.I. or cowboy in favor of the government paid salary man. Every damn thing is based on what the government says is right instead of what is right. The search for justice has become a slogan among government officials. The searchers for "truth" are expected to have more empathy for the perpetrator than the victim. One's inner demons are things to be embraced in the name of being "genuine." Instead of listening to jazz and watching the ponies run at the track, today's crime fighter watches Oprah and drinks Evian water. Perhaps that's the problem. The modern government sanctioned crime fighter drinks so much water that he or she has become diluted in every way.
The only characters in modern fiction approaching the classic private detective are historical detectives such as Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael, Elizabeth Peters' Victorian Egyptologist mysteries and Lindsey Davis' Marcus Dido Falco series of detective novels. The P.I. has become passe', a museum piece.
It's enough to gag a maggot. And this maggot is gagging. Hard.
So we come to Dick Cheney versus Barack Obama.
Dick Cheney is the P.I. Dick Cheney is a hard man in search of justice and he is willing to twist an arm to get it. Dick Cheney sees the world as a cracked and crazy place and the survival of the American experiment depends on seeing those you would do us harm as the Other; the dangerous Other. He regards those who would attack the U.S. as rabid dogs to be put down. Mr.Cheney is close to the old Patriots -- suspicious of those values and traditions that are not American. And in this way he is like the P.I. who saw a black and white and called things black and white.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, is the Without a Trace government guy. Mr. Obama is conflicted about his identity. Is he a citizen of the United States or is he a citizen of the world? Do the laws of the United States trump those of the World Court? Is there such a thing as justice? Is the idea of buying the world a Coke imperialist? Mr. Obama seems to think that naivete in the matters of dealing with those who would do us harm a good thing. The excuse, when something bad happens will probably be something like, "They (the perpetrators) were true to their values, which are not our values, but are still valid nonetheless." One wonders if a crime were perpetrated against him or his family if his empathy would be the same. Mr. Obama seems to take Stalin's view: One death is a tragedy; a thousand deaths are a statistic.
Who do you want to help you when things get tough? A guy interested in justice or a guy interested in the niceties of law?
There is a right and a wrong, and the codified law of the United States has nothing to do with it.
If, during a Thanksgiving supper, would you rely on the cranky uncle (Dick Cheney) or the smart-assed nephew (Obama) as to what action to take against your asshole neighbor? Who would you rather try to find your missing sister? Mike Hammer? Or the CSI crew?
Sunday, May 17, 2009
It's For the Children!
How many times in your life have you heard the cry by a politician, union official, or general busybody that the passage of a certain law (usually involving a tax raise) or spending measure (usually involving a tax raise) that the bill or measure was, "for the children." The issues that "are for the children" range from free medical care, government paid pre-school, midnight basketball, computers for schools and on and on and on ad infinitum.
The current administrations of both the United States and the State of California are pulling out the "for the children" card in a big way. And if one were to look closely at the matter, what both those entities are creating for the children is a big. big debt. Some one has to pay for these programs and there is just not enough money flowing now to pay for them. The result is that the payments for programs "for the children" will be paid for by the children and their children and perhaps their children.
In California, because of the budget deficit, there is a movement afoot to raise taxes to pay for educational programs and give teachers (California teachers are the highest paid in the nation) a pay raise. They seem to get a pay raise every year while people in the private sector are now lucky to get one every two or three years. In Los Angeles a number of teachers mounted a demonstration protesting projected lay-offs by the school district crying that the demonstrations were "for the children." It should be noted that the demonstration was organized by the Los Angeles teachers' union (United Teachers of Los Angeles). In other words, the action as a union action and not a grassroots action.
Years ago the president of the Associated Federation of Teachers (a nation-wide umbrella union for teacher), Albert Shanker, said that everything he did and every action he organized was not for the children. It was for union members. He said, "I'll start representing the concerns of students when students start paying union dues."
Remember that. Remember it well and expand the thought. Most of the cries of programs and concerns "for the children" are really actions benefiting those who work with children.
In Japan the cost of educating students is much less than it is in the lowest spending district in the US, but the Japanese educational system produces a better product than the average American school district. If the rulers of this nation had any damn sense at all they would outsource education to Japan instead of putting up with the nonsense that the airy-fairy pedagogues that determine educational policy here.
When you hear the cry, "It's for the children!" just reply, "Who cares? It's not my kid. I take care of my kid and don't expect the stated to do it."
The current administrations of both the United States and the State of California are pulling out the "for the children" card in a big way. And if one were to look closely at the matter, what both those entities are creating for the children is a big. big debt. Some one has to pay for these programs and there is just not enough money flowing now to pay for them. The result is that the payments for programs "for the children" will be paid for by the children and their children and perhaps their children.
In California, because of the budget deficit, there is a movement afoot to raise taxes to pay for educational programs and give teachers (California teachers are the highest paid in the nation) a pay raise. They seem to get a pay raise every year while people in the private sector are now lucky to get one every two or three years. In Los Angeles a number of teachers mounted a demonstration protesting projected lay-offs by the school district crying that the demonstrations were "for the children." It should be noted that the demonstration was organized by the Los Angeles teachers' union (United Teachers of Los Angeles). In other words, the action as a union action and not a grassroots action.
Years ago the president of the Associated Federation of Teachers (a nation-wide umbrella union for teacher), Albert Shanker, said that everything he did and every action he organized was not for the children. It was for union members. He said, "I'll start representing the concerns of students when students start paying union dues."
Remember that. Remember it well and expand the thought. Most of the cries of programs and concerns "for the children" are really actions benefiting those who work with children.
In Japan the cost of educating students is much less than it is in the lowest spending district in the US, but the Japanese educational system produces a better product than the average American school district. If the rulers of this nation had any damn sense at all they would outsource education to Japan instead of putting up with the nonsense that the airy-fairy pedagogues that determine educational policy here.
When you hear the cry, "It's for the children!" just reply, "Who cares? It's not my kid. I take care of my kid and don't expect the stated to do it."
Men in Hats
It's been a while since this writer has offered a new edition of the Men in Hats feature. To make up for the neglect of this feature, he offers two photos of men from the Old West wearing hats.
The first image is of Wild Bill Hickcock -- scout, Indian fighter, lawman, gun fighter, gambler and some one you really wouldn't want your daughter to marry. He was killed by being shot in the back while playing poker. The poker hand he held at the time he was shot was Aces and eights; since known at the Deadman's Hand. The hat he wears in the photo is of the old sombrero type cowboy hat with a flat crown and very broad brim; a good hat to wear in the sun, though of questionable value in high winds.
The second photo is of the great William F. Cody i.e., Buffalo Bill Cody. Cody was an Indian fighter, buffalo hunter, scout and showman. With his Wild West shows he brought the Wild West to the East and Europe complete with Indians, cattle stampedes and shooting exhibitions. He, unlike Hickcock, died well-off and peacefully. The hat he wears in this photo is more of a dress/dude type of hat with the right side of the brim tilted up like an Aussie digger hat. It's not a bad hat, but the tilted brim makes it not much good for being in the sun. It does give clearance for the carrying of a rifle at shoulder arms, though.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Your Tax Dollars at Work
Your faithful correspondent takes no back seat to anyone in his love and desire for Asian women. After all, the every lovely Lady Nib was born and partially raise in Yokohama.
But this is really going too far: CNSNews.com - U.S. Will Pay $2.6 Million to Train Chinese Prostitutes to Drink Responsibly on the Job
But this is really going too far: CNSNews.com - U.S. Will Pay $2.6 Million to Train Chinese Prostitutes to Drink Responsibly on the Job
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Just links. No Comments
Consider this:
It's time lily-livered Europe stood up to Muslim bigots | Opinion | The First Post
And this:
The Spectator
And finally, this:
Cheney: Obama endangers the nation - Washington Times
It's time lily-livered Europe stood up to Muslim bigots | Opinion | The First Post
And this:
The Spectator
And finally, this:
Cheney: Obama endangers the nation - Washington Times
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Men in Hats
It's been a while since your faithful correspondent has offered a Men in Hats post. So please consider the following. the above is of the popular Buffalo Bill (the lower photo). Note the rakish tilt of the brim. And if anyone should make a denigration of Mr. Cody, please remember that Mr. Cody was not only a buffalo hunter, but also an Indian fighter.
The top photo is Wild Bill Hickock. A killer, to be sure, but a killer of the right sort. He wears a broad brimmed sombrero proudly as a man should wear his hat. It's just too bad that he didn't die in bed instead of on a bar room floor.
Life just isn't fair sometimes.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
This and That
When this writer was a sprite people (usually men) who wrote news stories for newspapers or reported the news on television and the radio were called either "newspaper men" or "news reporters." The word journalist was reserved for writers who had done a bit of research after an event and generally took the long view of a story or issue. Newspaper men wrote the first version of a story. Journalists usually looked at the story after the dust had settled.
Nowadays every damn one who can wield a pencil, pound a keyboard or text-message and get their scribblings published on paper, broadcast over the air or appear on an Internet site thinks that they are a journalist and are cultural descendants of Richard Harding Davis, Jack London or Heywood Broun. Of course they are not. They are akin to people who perform in pornographic films and then call themselves "actors." And the present day "journalist" sees him or her self as brave courageous and true and consider themselves akin to Ambrose Bierce covering the Mexican Revolution or Ernie Pyle covering the Battle of Saipan i.e., telling the truth in spite of danger for the sake of getting the story out to the reader. But when push comes to shove, the present day scribes are really not as brave or heroic as they claim they are. Is there really anything brave about questioning the President's statements or positions. It's not like the Secret Service is going to arrest the scribe for asking the One about why he didn't adopt a shelter mutt instead of getting a purebred as a gift from that paragon of morality Ted Kennedy (more on him later).
Most journalists claiming to try to get the scoop from closed societies end up modelling Walter Duranty, who spent the 1930s reporting from the Soviet Union that Stalin was a pussycat and that the average worker in Russia was living better than the average worker in the US. For an example of the children of Duranty just read any mainstream media story about Cuba, Vietnam or Mainland China. If the stories were printed in Excelsior in Mexico City or La Opinion in Los Angeles there would not be an illegal alien problem in the Southwest. All the wetbacks would be running to Cuba, Vietnam or China.
Recently three journalist with more ambition than sense have found themselves under arrest and, in one case, convicted of espionage while attempting to report from nations that are hostile, not only to the Western way of life, but to almost everyone except themselves:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Why is Hollywood Silent on Roxana Saberi?
US journalists to face criminal trial in North Korea | World news | guardian.co.uk
All three women involved probably got into the situations they find themselves in for what they saw as the best of journalistic intentions; they wanted to report a truth from Iran or North Korea and they seem to have thought that their jobs as journalists would protect them from the bad intentions of the nations they hoped to write about. They forgot that in some nations a card stuck in the hatband of a fedora reading "Press" means to some people that they will report what the host country wants. Wielding a pen and notepad doesn't do much when one is in handcuffs. Refugees from Korea and Iran have told many stories about life in those two nations and none of them have been good. One wonders why these reporters decided that it would be a good idea to run to a place that other people risk their lives to escape. They did not seem to realize that not all oppressive governments are as friendly as Cuba.
But the lack of wisdom on the part of the three reporters is no reason for arrest and/or conviction. The reporters are now being used as tools by the Norks and the Iranians. And the only comment that your faithful correspondent has heard from the Obama administration concerned the case of Roxana Saberi ; "This is troubling." That's all. No outrage. No statements about the sanctity of the free press. No loud protests about the illegal arrests of American citizens. The lack of a strong stand on the part of the administration is troubling and makes one more convinced that our Chief Executive is a soft man willing to ditch three reporters in an attempt to make nice with our enemies. Even more troubling is the lack of coverage of the stories by the mainstream press. But the press has, for years, shown themselves to be the whore that we all knew they were.
The other day our Dear Leader declared that from now on September 11 will be federally recognized as a National Day of Service and that the signing of the proclamation would be known as the Edward Kennedy Act. The idea behind the proclamation is that every September 11 all citizens should volunteer to do something to make life better for the nation, whether it be cleaning a vacant lot, feeding the homeless, painting over graffiti, et al. It's a nice little bubblegum factory thought arrived at by a nice little bubblegum mindset. The problem is that the declaration of a National Day of Service come damn close to a mandatory volunteerism (an oxymoron if ever there was one) burdened upon the citizens of the United States. And the declaration shows a great lack of understanding of what the United States and the Constitution is all about. Historically, the citizens of this great nation have not been loath to volunteer to help their neighbors or the nation. But this volunteerism has been voluntary. It has not been mandatory. No one, in the past, held the threat of jail or a fine over some one's head to make them shore up a levee or work in a soup kitchen. Volunteerism is a matter of conscience, not law. Or at least it used to be. We are entering a new world with newspeak.
For some reason the One named the volunteer act after Edward Kennedy. Those of us of a certain age know that Mr. Kennedy is not exactly a paragon of virtue or morality. He has been in the past at least partially responsible for the death of a youth woman he is suspected of having an affair with, a drunk, a liar an, adulterer, a spender of other peoples' money while he sits on his own, a hypocrite and a bad Catholic pretending to be a good Catholic. Ted Kennedy is a living example that if one has the right name and lives long enough a scoundrel can become a saint in the public eye. One wonders how Errol Flynn would have been regarded if he had lived into his seventies. So, if you plan to live a long life and behave badly, don't bother to reform. You'll become known as a sweet old man or old woman with a past, and thus a colorful character like Charles Bukowski. Or Ted Kennedy.
This writer is a man and is able to write only from a male point of view, so if any women are unable to relate to the following he apologizes in advance.
Have you ever been walking or driving down the street and seen a pretty young woman walking down the street? In your dotage you say to yourself something like, "What a lovely young woman." Then she reaches into her back pocket or purse, pulls out a cellular phone and starts yakking on the damn thing, either receiving or making a phone call. For your faithful correspondent this particular action turns a lovely young woman into a yakker. Even worse is when she starts texting. And the reason is that such actions show that the young woman has no interior life. She is a person who feels the need to be "connected"n with her friends to such an extent that she is unable to go more than a couple of hours without telling her pals something like: "M @ Nordies lking @ shus" or hearing that her friend is at the library studying Pride and Prejudice. Can you imagine being married to such a woman? She feels that she has to share everything with her friends and share everything from her friends. God help the man who marries this woman. One can almost read the text message to her friends on the wedding night: "Had sex w/ Brad. Premature ejaculation! Again! LOL!"
Nowadays every damn one who can wield a pencil, pound a keyboard or text-message and get their scribblings published on paper, broadcast over the air or appear on an Internet site thinks that they are a journalist and are cultural descendants of Richard Harding Davis, Jack London or Heywood Broun. Of course they are not. They are akin to people who perform in pornographic films and then call themselves "actors." And the present day "journalist" sees him or her self as brave courageous and true and consider themselves akin to Ambrose Bierce covering the Mexican Revolution or Ernie Pyle covering the Battle of Saipan i.e., telling the truth in spite of danger for the sake of getting the story out to the reader. But when push comes to shove, the present day scribes are really not as brave or heroic as they claim they are. Is there really anything brave about questioning the President's statements or positions. It's not like the Secret Service is going to arrest the scribe for asking the One about why he didn't adopt a shelter mutt instead of getting a purebred as a gift from that paragon of morality Ted Kennedy (more on him later).
Most journalists claiming to try to get the scoop from closed societies end up modelling Walter Duranty, who spent the 1930s reporting from the Soviet Union that Stalin was a pussycat and that the average worker in Russia was living better than the average worker in the US. For an example of the children of Duranty just read any mainstream media story about Cuba, Vietnam or Mainland China. If the stories were printed in Excelsior in Mexico City or La Opinion in Los Angeles there would not be an illegal alien problem in the Southwest. All the wetbacks would be running to Cuba, Vietnam or China.
Recently three journalist with more ambition than sense have found themselves under arrest and, in one case, convicted of espionage while attempting to report from nations that are hostile, not only to the Western way of life, but to almost everyone except themselves:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Why is Hollywood Silent on Roxana Saberi?
US journalists to face criminal trial in North Korea | World news | guardian.co.uk
All three women involved probably got into the situations they find themselves in for what they saw as the best of journalistic intentions; they wanted to report a truth from Iran or North Korea and they seem to have thought that their jobs as journalists would protect them from the bad intentions of the nations they hoped to write about. They forgot that in some nations a card stuck in the hatband of a fedora reading "Press" means to some people that they will report what the host country wants. Wielding a pen and notepad doesn't do much when one is in handcuffs. Refugees from Korea and Iran have told many stories about life in those two nations and none of them have been good. One wonders why these reporters decided that it would be a good idea to run to a place that other people risk their lives to escape. They did not seem to realize that not all oppressive governments are as friendly as Cuba.
But the lack of wisdom on the part of the three reporters is no reason for arrest and/or conviction. The reporters are now being used as tools by the Norks and the Iranians. And the only comment that your faithful correspondent has heard from the Obama administration concerned the case of Roxana Saberi ; "This is troubling." That's all. No outrage. No statements about the sanctity of the free press. No loud protests about the illegal arrests of American citizens. The lack of a strong stand on the part of the administration is troubling and makes one more convinced that our Chief Executive is a soft man willing to ditch three reporters in an attempt to make nice with our enemies. Even more troubling is the lack of coverage of the stories by the mainstream press. But the press has, for years, shown themselves to be the whore that we all knew they were.
The other day our Dear Leader declared that from now on September 11 will be federally recognized as a National Day of Service and that the signing of the proclamation would be known as the Edward Kennedy Act. The idea behind the proclamation is that every September 11 all citizens should volunteer to do something to make life better for the nation, whether it be cleaning a vacant lot, feeding the homeless, painting over graffiti, et al. It's a nice little bubblegum factory thought arrived at by a nice little bubblegum mindset. The problem is that the declaration of a National Day of Service come damn close to a mandatory volunteerism (an oxymoron if ever there was one) burdened upon the citizens of the United States. And the declaration shows a great lack of understanding of what the United States and the Constitution is all about. Historically, the citizens of this great nation have not been loath to volunteer to help their neighbors or the nation. But this volunteerism has been voluntary. It has not been mandatory. No one, in the past, held the threat of jail or a fine over some one's head to make them shore up a levee or work in a soup kitchen. Volunteerism is a matter of conscience, not law. Or at least it used to be. We are entering a new world with newspeak.
For some reason the One named the volunteer act after Edward Kennedy. Those of us of a certain age know that Mr. Kennedy is not exactly a paragon of virtue or morality. He has been in the past at least partially responsible for the death of a youth woman he is suspected of having an affair with, a drunk, a liar an, adulterer, a spender of other peoples' money while he sits on his own, a hypocrite and a bad Catholic pretending to be a good Catholic. Ted Kennedy is a living example that if one has the right name and lives long enough a scoundrel can become a saint in the public eye. One wonders how Errol Flynn would have been regarded if he had lived into his seventies. So, if you plan to live a long life and behave badly, don't bother to reform. You'll become known as a sweet old man or old woman with a past, and thus a colorful character like Charles Bukowski. Or Ted Kennedy.
This writer is a man and is able to write only from a male point of view, so if any women are unable to relate to the following he apologizes in advance.
Have you ever been walking or driving down the street and seen a pretty young woman walking down the street? In your dotage you say to yourself something like, "What a lovely young woman." Then she reaches into her back pocket or purse, pulls out a cellular phone and starts yakking on the damn thing, either receiving or making a phone call. For your faithful correspondent this particular action turns a lovely young woman into a yakker. Even worse is when she starts texting. And the reason is that such actions show that the young woman has no interior life. She is a person who feels the need to be "connected"n with her friends to such an extent that she is unable to go more than a couple of hours without telling her pals something like: "M @ Nordies lking @ shus" or hearing that her friend is at the library studying Pride and Prejudice. Can you imagine being married to such a woman? She feels that she has to share everything with her friends and share everything from her friends. God help the man who marries this woman. One can almost read the text message to her friends on the wedding night: "Had sex w/ Brad. Premature ejaculation! Again! LOL!"
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Grumpasauris
Have you ever awoken one day in a bad mood and the bad mood seems to go on from day to day to day? After awhile the people you live with and work with start commenting that you are a grump and that you willfully refuse to see the good side of anything.
Let's face it. No one wants to be known as a grump or a curmudgeon for more than five minutes because to exceed the five minute limit is to pretty much close one out from invitations to lawn bowling parties, quiz nights at the local pub, and the attentions of young lovelies wearing tight sweaters and tight skirts (the latter does not apply in France where the young have been indoctrinated into Sartrean Existentialism, and thus a state of depression lasting from the ages of eighteen to twenty-eight). One finds one's self sitting in the corner of the local King's Head with other grumps and joykillers, both male and female, in an aura of too many too strong beers and pipe tobacco smoke talking to one another like the Finnish Debating Society i.e., "The world is going to hell." "Uhm." "Ah." "Ja."
No one wants to spend time with a grump, especially jeune filles wearing tight sweaters and tight skirts, and it ends up for the grump being a pretty lonely life filled with the conversations of other grumps. One becomes known as a "character" or an "eccentric." Truth to be told, one would probably be much happier and more appreciated by the public at large (especially by the local jung freulien wearing a tight sweater and tight skirt) if one decided to try to spool knit the longest spool knitting piece ever known to man or if one donned tan tights and leotard with brown hood and cape and called oneself Captain Beano: Super Hero.
It must be admitted by this writer that some thirty years ago he woke up one day in a bad mood and it has since that day thirty years of grumpiness. It hasn't been easy being the wet towel on the party, but, after so many years of the disease, this writer has finally realized that there is a value to being a grump. That value is a damping of irrational exuberance. Exuberance is fine when the dawn arrives with rosy fingers promising a fine day, but more often than not there are storm clouds that the optimist refuses to see. It's not the grump's fault that the optimist is soaking wet and cold by noon. The grump gave his warning. The grump realizes that in front of every silver lining is a cloud.
Burt Prelutsky, a writer this correspondent has read on and off for many years, seems to appreciate the value and the state of being a grump much better than the average Pollyanna:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » We Should All Be a Little Cranky
And if any lassies who like wearing tight sweaters and tight skirts and who ride Raleigh 3-Speed bicycles should read this entry, please do not hesitate to ride by the Manor to comfort an old grump. The fragrance of lilac or lavender on a woman has always managed to soften this writer's sharp edges.
Let's face it. No one wants to be known as a grump or a curmudgeon for more than five minutes because to exceed the five minute limit is to pretty much close one out from invitations to lawn bowling parties, quiz nights at the local pub, and the attentions of young lovelies wearing tight sweaters and tight skirts (the latter does not apply in France where the young have been indoctrinated into Sartrean Existentialism, and thus a state of depression lasting from the ages of eighteen to twenty-eight). One finds one's self sitting in the corner of the local King's Head with other grumps and joykillers, both male and female, in an aura of too many too strong beers and pipe tobacco smoke talking to one another like the Finnish Debating Society i.e., "The world is going to hell." "Uhm." "Ah." "Ja."
No one wants to spend time with a grump, especially jeune filles wearing tight sweaters and tight skirts, and it ends up for the grump being a pretty lonely life filled with the conversations of other grumps. One becomes known as a "character" or an "eccentric." Truth to be told, one would probably be much happier and more appreciated by the public at large (especially by the local jung freulien wearing a tight sweater and tight skirt) if one decided to try to spool knit the longest spool knitting piece ever known to man or if one donned tan tights and leotard with brown hood and cape and called oneself Captain Beano: Super Hero.
It must be admitted by this writer that some thirty years ago he woke up one day in a bad mood and it has since that day thirty years of grumpiness. It hasn't been easy being the wet towel on the party, but, after so many years of the disease, this writer has finally realized that there is a value to being a grump. That value is a damping of irrational exuberance. Exuberance is fine when the dawn arrives with rosy fingers promising a fine day, but more often than not there are storm clouds that the optimist refuses to see. It's not the grump's fault that the optimist is soaking wet and cold by noon. The grump gave his warning. The grump realizes that in front of every silver lining is a cloud.
Burt Prelutsky, a writer this correspondent has read on and off for many years, seems to appreciate the value and the state of being a grump much better than the average Pollyanna:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » We Should All Be a Little Cranky
And if any lassies who like wearing tight sweaters and tight skirts and who ride Raleigh 3-Speed bicycles should read this entry, please do not hesitate to ride by the Manor to comfort an old grump. The fragrance of lilac or lavender on a woman has always managed to soften this writer's sharp edges.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Links Galore!
Here are some links from people how know more than your faithful correspondent does:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » You’ve Been Warned
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Apocalypse Near? Liberal Actresses Line Up to Star in ‘Atlas Shrugged’
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Are We a Nation of Serfs?
Regarding the second link, this writer's grandfather, Baron Bill of Talequa, was a man who liked women. He was a shameless flirt and asked every waitress. nurse or shopgirl he ever met for a date even after he was married, though it has been assumed that he was faithful to his wife. He just liked women and enjoyed talking to women. But one type of woman he had no use for was actresses. He liked movies and liked looking at actresses on the screen, but he had a low opinion of the species. When asked why he had such a low view of female thespians his reply was, "Because they're whores. They care for nothing but money."
Baron Bill was not an educated man, but he knew the score.
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » You’ve Been Warned
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Apocalypse Near? Liberal Actresses Line Up to Star in ‘Atlas Shrugged’
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Are We a Nation of Serfs?
Regarding the second link, this writer's grandfather, Baron Bill of Talequa, was a man who liked women. He was a shameless flirt and asked every waitress. nurse or shopgirl he ever met for a date even after he was married, though it has been assumed that he was faithful to his wife. He just liked women and enjoyed talking to women. But one type of woman he had no use for was actresses. He liked movies and liked looking at actresses on the screen, but he had a low opinion of the species. When asked why he had such a low view of female thespians his reply was, "Because they're whores. They care for nothing but money."
Baron Bill was not an educated man, but he knew the score.
Marooned Without a Hope (But Lots of Change)
In the 1930s the character actor made a couple of films that took place during the Age of Sail.
The most famous film was Treasure Island co-starring Jackie Cooper as Jim Hawkins in which Beery played the part of pirate/mutineer Long John Silver. The second film was called Slave Ship co-starring Mickey Rooney.
In one of the films the character played by Beery, in describing when he and several other sailors were castaway or marooned, said, "All they left us was a bag of salt and a little black boy."
It is the opinion of this writer that, since the inauguration, we, the working citizen of this great Republic, have been left with a bag of salt and a little black boy. To make matters worse, our elected leaders have deigned to tax away our bag of salt and the little black boy has somehow taken command of the lifeboat.
As you faithful correspondent has written previously, we are a nation now led by children. Do you remember the student council elections in grade school. During those elections the students running for student body president promised that, if elected, they would have Kool-Aid squirting out of the drinking fountains. Our Dear Leader came close to promising the same thing and the result was that the voting population drank the Kool-Aid a'la Jonestown. Why wait for the Second Coming of Christ when we have the first coming of The One? What the Hell? We might as well party like it's 1999 and let our kids and grand kids pick up the tab.
Now O has decided that the nation is ready for "mandatory volunteerism". If the preceding phrase seems an oxymoron consider the fact that modern politics is a concrete oxymoron. Just prepare yourself for the sight of thousands of brown-shirted youth (more likely rainbow-shirted youth) coming into your neighborhood insisting that they help you even if you don't want the help. And all the time they will be chanting something to the effect of, "We're from the government and we're here to help you by the kindness of the Messiah whether you want it or not."
You have two choices: Build a deep moat and fill it with piranhas or pretend that you're not home when they knock on your door. There is one other option, if you're not willing to submit to the benevolent dictatorship of President Hopeandchange. Buy a sailboat and head to the Marquesa Islands.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
The most famous film was Treasure Island co-starring Jackie Cooper as Jim Hawkins in which Beery played the part of pirate/mutineer Long John Silver. The second film was called Slave Ship co-starring Mickey Rooney.
In one of the films the character played by Beery, in describing when he and several other sailors were castaway or marooned, said, "All they left us was a bag of salt and a little black boy."
It is the opinion of this writer that, since the inauguration, we, the working citizen of this great Republic, have been left with a bag of salt and a little black boy. To make matters worse, our elected leaders have deigned to tax away our bag of salt and the little black boy has somehow taken command of the lifeboat.
As you faithful correspondent has written previously, we are a nation now led by children. Do you remember the student council elections in grade school. During those elections the students running for student body president promised that, if elected, they would have Kool-Aid squirting out of the drinking fountains. Our Dear Leader came close to promising the same thing and the result was that the voting population drank the Kool-Aid a'la Jonestown. Why wait for the Second Coming of Christ when we have the first coming of The One? What the Hell? We might as well party like it's 1999 and let our kids and grand kids pick up the tab.
Now O has decided that the nation is ready for "mandatory volunteerism". If the preceding phrase seems an oxymoron consider the fact that modern politics is a concrete oxymoron. Just prepare yourself for the sight of thousands of brown-shirted youth (more likely rainbow-shirted youth) coming into your neighborhood insisting that they help you even if you don't want the help. And all the time they will be chanting something to the effect of, "We're from the government and we're here to help you by the kindness of the Messiah whether you want it or not."
You have two choices: Build a deep moat and fill it with piranhas or pretend that you're not home when they knock on your door. There is one other option, if you're not willing to submit to the benevolent dictatorship of President Hopeandchange. Buy a sailboat and head to the Marquesa Islands.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Growing a Spine?
For some time this writer has wondered if the term, "the village atheist" should replaced with the term "the village Christian."
While you faithful correspondent is aware that most of the population of the United States is nominally Christian, he is also aware that the media, many popular Christian leaders and many vocal Roman Catholic clerics belong to the "kumbaya" school of Christianity , i.e. widely ecumenical with a view that traditional Christianity is oppressive, non-accepting, ignorant, blah, blah blah, while Islam is misunderstood, paganism is loving and atheists are just the cat's meow because they call Baptist idiots and Catholics tools of Rome.
Finally some Christian leaders are saying, "No pasaran!"
Bishop of Rochester resigns to become defender of persecuted Christians - Telegraph
Archbishop confronts BBC Director General over its treatment of religion - Telegraph
Now, a U.S. cardinal denounces Notre Dame's Obama invite | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times
One wonders how long it will be before an archbishop or bishop or well-known priest or pastor will challenge PBS on it's religion coverage. Don't hold your breath.
While you faithful correspondent is aware that most of the population of the United States is nominally Christian, he is also aware that the media, many popular Christian leaders and many vocal Roman Catholic clerics belong to the "kumbaya" school of Christianity , i.e. widely ecumenical with a view that traditional Christianity is oppressive, non-accepting, ignorant, blah, blah blah, while Islam is misunderstood, paganism is loving and atheists are just the cat's meow because they call Baptist idiots and Catholics tools of Rome.
Finally some Christian leaders are saying, "No pasaran!"
Bishop of Rochester resigns to become defender of persecuted Christians - Telegraph
Archbishop confronts BBC Director General over its treatment of religion - Telegraph
Now, a U.S. cardinal denounces Notre Dame's Obama invite | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times
One wonders how long it will be before an archbishop or bishop or well-known priest or pastor will challenge PBS on it's religion coverage. Don't hold your breath.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The Czechs Get It. We Don't
As you watch these three videos ask yourself if such a story would be shown on American television.
Gates of Vienna: Undercover as a Muslim in Prague
And after you've watched the videos ask yourself, "What the Hell's happened to the culture of this country?" We can't even stand up for our values and heritage without some idiot trying to make us feel guilty for what we are and hold dear.
Gates of Vienna: Undercover as a Muslim in Prague
And after you've watched the videos ask yourself, "What the Hell's happened to the culture of this country?" We can't even stand up for our values and heritage without some idiot trying to make us feel guilty for what we are and hold dear.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
The Children's Hour
Many years ago the singer/comedian/television personality Tennessee Ernie Ford used to perform a comedy routine in which he would open a road map, find the route to his destination and then attempt to properly re-fold the map. The end result of the effort was an angrily balled up sheet of paper thrown into a trash can and a forgotten journey.
Something tells me that we are about to experience the same thing as a nation because we are being governed by impatient shallow thinking children. The accomplishment of small tasks reflect the ability to accomplish large tasks.
Our Dear Leader has shown himself to be able to insult our British cousins several times and attempt to brush it off by saying that he is tired and preoccupied:
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Great news: Obama fumbled Brown visit because he’s in over his head
Now, admittedly, The One cannot be expected to look after all matters of diplomatic protocol when dealing with foreign leaders. That's why he has a director of Diplomatic Protocol. But, apparently Mr. Obama hired a slacker for the job. His office's reaction to Prime Minster Brown's visit seems like an episode of King of the Hill i.e. " Peg! The Browns are coming over for supper. Rustle up some Hamburger Helper and I'll go by Wal-Mart and buy some DVDs for them and a couple of Tonka truck for their boys."
Meanwhile, our Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham-Clinton, has shown herself to be as clueless as her boss:
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Hillary competes with Geithner for competence nadir
When she's not forgetting the names of world leaders or using Babble-fish instead of a proper Russian translator, she's bemoaning the lack of privacy that she's allowed herself. She's not Tallyrandian. She's Oprahatic.
And that makes this writer sleep soundly at night because the only way he can sleep well with this bunch of jokers steering the ship of state is to take sleeping pills. Lots of them.
Something tells me that we are about to experience the same thing as a nation because we are being governed by impatient shallow thinking children. The accomplishment of small tasks reflect the ability to accomplish large tasks.
Our Dear Leader has shown himself to be able to insult our British cousins several times and attempt to brush it off by saying that he is tired and preoccupied:
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Great news: Obama fumbled Brown visit because he’s in over his head
Now, admittedly, The One cannot be expected to look after all matters of diplomatic protocol when dealing with foreign leaders. That's why he has a director of Diplomatic Protocol. But, apparently Mr. Obama hired a slacker for the job. His office's reaction to Prime Minster Brown's visit seems like an episode of King of the Hill i.e. " Peg! The Browns are coming over for supper. Rustle up some Hamburger Helper and I'll go by Wal-Mart and buy some DVDs for them and a couple of Tonka truck for their boys."
Meanwhile, our Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham-Clinton, has shown herself to be as clueless as her boss:
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Hillary competes with Geithner for competence nadir
When she's not forgetting the names of world leaders or using Babble-fish instead of a proper Russian translator, she's bemoaning the lack of privacy that she's allowed herself. She's not Tallyrandian. She's Oprahatic.
And that makes this writer sleep soundly at night because the only way he can sleep well with this bunch of jokers steering the ship of state is to take sleeping pills. Lots of them.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
We're free (to act badly)
Your faithful correspondent has made it a point to avoid mentioning the policies and ideas put forth by Mr. Barack Obama since his inauguration as President of the United States. The reason for this reluctance to address President Obama's silliness is the same as giving a rookie a pass in baseball early in the season.
The normal period of time for the Presidential rookie pass is 100 days. But Mr. Obama has shown himself to be such a busy termite that yours has no choice but to comment before out Dear Leader decides to take control of the Internet and blogs.
So here's the deal from Nib Manor.
In the past month Mr. Obama has done a dire dis-service to the American people. In his desire to level the playing field of life he has denied the American people the freedom of personal responsibility. He has denied them the freedom to succeed and he has denied them the freedom to fail.
What more need be said?
The normal period of time for the Presidential rookie pass is 100 days. But Mr. Obama has shown himself to be such a busy termite that yours has no choice but to comment before out Dear Leader decides to take control of the Internet and blogs.
So here's the deal from Nib Manor.
In the past month Mr. Obama has done a dire dis-service to the American people. In his desire to level the playing field of life he has denied the American people the freedom of personal responsibility. He has denied them the freedom to succeed and he has denied them the freedom to fail.
What more need be said?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
When your faithful correspondent was a tyke one of the indications of moving from being a "baby" to being a "big boy" was the ability to tell time using an analog clock or watch. In those days there really was no such thing as an analog timepiece. A watch or a clock always hand the numerals 1 through 12 placed in a roughly circular fashion around the face and hand two or three hands to tell the hour, minute, and sometimes second of the day.
Telling time was a tricky thing for a kid; big hand, little hand, second hand were often confused. After all, an hour is bigger than a minute and a minute is bigger than a second, so the hour hand should be the longest hand (The second hand) the minute should be the middle length hand (the minute hand) and the shortest hand should be the second hand (the hour hand). But most kids got through it and learned that instinct, especially in measurement,was not always the best guide and that the resisting of instinct in favor of certain rules, whether man-made or God proclaimed, were, and are, the mark of a human.
This writer's first watch was awarded to him at the age of five. The watch was a Zorro watch. The face of the watch was black and the numerals and hands were white. Emblazoned just above the center of the face was the word "Zorro." Zorro was a popular children's television program starring Guy Williams at the time. And while yours, at the time of the receiving of the watch, was still a little shaky on the concept of time telling, he enjoyed wearing, winding and listening to the watch.
Upon graduation from high school, this writer was awarded a Gruen chronometer. which was a real prize. Four dials in one watch! It was used several times at the drag races to measure the speed of cars and was used in the Navy to estimate the distance of 5 inch guns being fired from nearby destroyers.
It was at this time that digital watches (first invented by Hughes Aircraft) became popular and it was assumed that the dreary display of numerals on an LED or LCD watch face would soon take over the the analog watch market. At first the digital watches were rather expensive, but new technology always starts out dear. The arguments for buying a digital watch were that the watches were more accurate than digital watches (whether spring driven or electric) and that they could (at least the LED watches) could be easily read in the dark.
At the time such watch companies as Timex (probably the maker of more watches than any other company in the world) and Seiko started tooling up to make digital watches and pretty much considered their analog watches as supply for a niche market. New companies such as Citizen and Casio popped up to make digital watches and seemed to fully expect that everyone would be walking around and telling time by looking at looking at their wrists and seeing LCD or LED numerals telling them that it was 12:35:54 instead of at an analog watch telling them that it was about twelve-thirty.
But guess what? The digital watch, as a wrist watch, pocket watch or even clock, lost out. Well, really it didn't lose out, but it took second place to the analog watch after a short period of supremacy. If one goes to a department store, jewelry store or watch store one will see that the vast majority of watches are of the analog type. Some of them are spring driven and others are electronically driven, but they have hands that point to numerals. Those digital watches that are offered are either very cheap (this writer has seen digital watches for as little as five dollars) or are specialty watches for sailors, runner or hikers. Or anal retentive geeks.
What happened to the great digital watch revolution? This writer posits that the reason is that digital watches are seen as cheap and that they are, in fact inhumanly ugly. Compare the the face of a Casio Yachtsman to a Movado or Rolex Submariner. Also, they represent nothing. They're displays are nothing more than bare numerals that really mean nothing outside the watch or clock. An analog watch, one the other hand, and in a sense, represents the rotation of the earth.
A wrist or pocket watch is a piece of jewelry as well as a time keeping device. The watch says something about the owner and most people are content to know the time of day within plus or minus five minutes and have no need to split seconds while they are driving to work.
This, to your faithful correspondent, shows the triumph of the common man. Despite the ubiquity of digital clocks in cars and on bank buildings, the average man and woman prefers an analog watch or clock to the geekness of digital display. It is a triumph of common sense over marketing, though one sees young people using the clocks on their cell phones instead of watches when one asks them the time of day despite the fact that they are wearing an analog wrist watch. But young people are foolish and are blinded by shiny things and one can only hope that they get some about time. Being within fifteen minutes of the correct time is good enough for most things.
Telling time was a tricky thing for a kid; big hand, little hand, second hand were often confused. After all, an hour is bigger than a minute and a minute is bigger than a second, so the hour hand should be the longest hand (The second hand) the minute should be the middle length hand (the minute hand) and the shortest hand should be the second hand (the hour hand). But most kids got through it and learned that instinct, especially in measurement,was not always the best guide and that the resisting of instinct in favor of certain rules, whether man-made or God proclaimed, were, and are, the mark of a human.
This writer's first watch was awarded to him at the age of five. The watch was a Zorro watch. The face of the watch was black and the numerals and hands were white. Emblazoned just above the center of the face was the word "Zorro." Zorro was a popular children's television program starring Guy Williams at the time. And while yours, at the time of the receiving of the watch, was still a little shaky on the concept of time telling, he enjoyed wearing, winding and listening to the watch.
Upon graduation from high school, this writer was awarded a Gruen chronometer. which was a real prize. Four dials in one watch! It was used several times at the drag races to measure the speed of cars and was used in the Navy to estimate the distance of 5 inch guns being fired from nearby destroyers.
It was at this time that digital watches (first invented by Hughes Aircraft) became popular and it was assumed that the dreary display of numerals on an LED or LCD watch face would soon take over the the analog watch market. At first the digital watches were rather expensive, but new technology always starts out dear. The arguments for buying a digital watch were that the watches were more accurate than digital watches (whether spring driven or electric) and that they could (at least the LED watches) could be easily read in the dark.
At the time such watch companies as Timex (probably the maker of more watches than any other company in the world) and Seiko started tooling up to make digital watches and pretty much considered their analog watches as supply for a niche market. New companies such as Citizen and Casio popped up to make digital watches and seemed to fully expect that everyone would be walking around and telling time by looking at looking at their wrists and seeing LCD or LED numerals telling them that it was 12:35:54 instead of at an analog watch telling them that it was about twelve-thirty.
But guess what? The digital watch, as a wrist watch, pocket watch or even clock, lost out. Well, really it didn't lose out, but it took second place to the analog watch after a short period of supremacy. If one goes to a department store, jewelry store or watch store one will see that the vast majority of watches are of the analog type. Some of them are spring driven and others are electronically driven, but they have hands that point to numerals. Those digital watches that are offered are either very cheap (this writer has seen digital watches for as little as five dollars) or are specialty watches for sailors, runner or hikers. Or anal retentive geeks.
What happened to the great digital watch revolution? This writer posits that the reason is that digital watches are seen as cheap and that they are, in fact inhumanly ugly. Compare the the face of a Casio Yachtsman to a Movado or Rolex Submariner. Also, they represent nothing. They're displays are nothing more than bare numerals that really mean nothing outside the watch or clock. An analog watch, one the other hand, and in a sense, represents the rotation of the earth.
A wrist or pocket watch is a piece of jewelry as well as a time keeping device. The watch says something about the owner and most people are content to know the time of day within plus or minus five minutes and have no need to split seconds while they are driving to work.
This, to your faithful correspondent, shows the triumph of the common man. Despite the ubiquity of digital clocks in cars and on bank buildings, the average man and woman prefers an analog watch or clock to the geekness of digital display. It is a triumph of common sense over marketing, though one sees young people using the clocks on their cell phones instead of watches when one asks them the time of day despite the fact that they are wearing an analog wrist watch. But young people are foolish and are blinded by shiny things and one can only hope that they get some about time. Being within fifteen minutes of the correct time is good enough for most things.
Termites and termite fighters
Our Mussalman friends keep do a good job of keeping a bitch going and a good job of getting those who should know better consider their nonsense seriously:
Islamic fundamentalism promoted on websites at some Muslim schools in the UK, think tank finds - Telegraph
In the above article note that there are some UK officials who defend people who want to do nothing but bury the Union Jack under a pile of rubble.
British Muslims 'providing Taliban with electronic devices for roadside bombs' - Telegraph
One wonders if the British officials are looking for the British orcs who are cooperating with the Afghan orcs in trying to kill British soldiers and marines. Or are they bureaucrats afraid of hurting the feelings of the Islamic "disenfranchised" youth?
Meanwhile, there are several governmental agencies and politicians who are willing to take on the burrowing of the Islamic termite:
Man arrested who has possible tie to bin Laden | charges, authorities, taken, custody, immigration - News - OCRegister.com
Admittedly, the above arrest has more to do with an immigration violation than an attack on the traitorous nature and ramblings of one of our Islamic brothers, but it's a start on the right road.
Gates of Vienna: Viennese School Draws the Line at Schnitzel
Let's think a moment. Pretend for a moment that you want to make a living as a plumber. During your training in the program you are expected to learn how to install and repair toilets and sewage lines. You tell your instructor that you only want to repair sinks and bathtubs and that you find toilets disgusting. Do you think that you'd be receiving your journeyman's card anytime soon?
Gates of Vienna: Geert Wilders’ Speech in Rome
Wilders is one of the few Dutch and European politicians who seem to understand that Islam is a threat to the Western ethos, and he has been treated badly by the Quislings who run the EU. Recently he was barred entry into the U.K. because a Muslim member of the House of Lords pitched a bitch about a film that Wilders produced. Oddly enough, the film was made up of nothing much more than clips of Mohammedans making statements about the West and the Jews.
Sometimes it seems that all is lost, but occasionally there is cause for hope.
Islamic fundamentalism promoted on websites at some Muslim schools in the UK, think tank finds - Telegraph
In the above article note that there are some UK officials who defend people who want to do nothing but bury the Union Jack under a pile of rubble.
British Muslims 'providing Taliban with electronic devices for roadside bombs' - Telegraph
One wonders if the British officials are looking for the British orcs who are cooperating with the Afghan orcs in trying to kill British soldiers and marines. Or are they bureaucrats afraid of hurting the feelings of the Islamic "disenfranchised" youth?
Meanwhile, there are several governmental agencies and politicians who are willing to take on the burrowing of the Islamic termite:
Man arrested who has possible tie to bin Laden | charges, authorities, taken, custody, immigration - News - OCRegister.com
Admittedly, the above arrest has more to do with an immigration violation than an attack on the traitorous nature and ramblings of one of our Islamic brothers, but it's a start on the right road.
Gates of Vienna: Viennese School Draws the Line at Schnitzel
Let's think a moment. Pretend for a moment that you want to make a living as a plumber. During your training in the program you are expected to learn how to install and repair toilets and sewage lines. You tell your instructor that you only want to repair sinks and bathtubs and that you find toilets disgusting. Do you think that you'd be receiving your journeyman's card anytime soon?
Gates of Vienna: Geert Wilders’ Speech in Rome
Wilders is one of the few Dutch and European politicians who seem to understand that Islam is a threat to the Western ethos, and he has been treated badly by the Quislings who run the EU. Recently he was barred entry into the U.K. because a Muslim member of the House of Lords pitched a bitch about a film that Wilders produced. Oddly enough, the film was made up of nothing much more than clips of Mohammedans making statements about the West and the Jews.
Sometimes it seems that all is lost, but occasionally there is cause for hope.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Juicers Up!
Professional football season has thankfully come to an end. Some team won the Superbowl game and another team has won the Pro Bowl game and now those with any lick of sense, and appreciation for beauty, drama and athleticism, can concentrate on the upcoming baseball season without being accused of being premature in our pondering of how will our favorite team do during this year's campaign. The intelligent person knows many things and one of those is that in team sports Only Baseball Matters. All others are chaff mistaken for grain.
But, as usual, modern life and and science have inserted themselves into the sublimity of the Great Game. It was revealed this weekend that Alex Rodriguez (aka A-Rod) tested positive for the use of steroids during the 2003 season. There's really no surprise in this revelation for those of us who have watched the man over the years. He's shown himself to be hungry for money and for glory, going so far as to attempt to make himself the unofficial leader of the Yankees during his first year with the team.
Mr. Rodriguez, in reply to a query from Sports Illustrated concerning the matter replied that the writers should talk to the players' union about the matter and that he had nothing to say.
In other words, he had neither the courage and honesty to 'fess up and claim that he made a youthful mistake nor the brass to deny the findings of the test and call the charges damnable lies. He, in effect, ran to Mommy and hid behind her skirts. He sees the players' union as his protector instead of manning up, getting on the horse and riding it until he defeats it or falls off.
Now, admittedly, A-Rod is not the most popular members of the Yankees. Noo Yawkers have long known him to be a preening would-be usurper of the Black Adder type without the humor. A-Rod now joins the company of Clemens, Sosa, McGwire, Canseco, Bonds et al who have been proven or heavily suspected of being juicers and thus who's hard work and talent are suspect because the relied on better living through chemistry. And he, and they, have helped to besmirch the great game.
One finds one's self wishing for the days of good, honest cheating: cheating that risked instant detection such as throwing spitters, using corked bats, not touching base. The use of steroids is more underhanded than physically cheating and is thus to be more condemned.
This writer has no solution to the problem. The club owners, in their search to pad their bank accounts, are loathe to enforce the anti-steroid rules. The only thing that would make the owners pay attention to the rule would be if the club were heavily fined for steroid use by its team members as well as the players being fined and/or suspended. But the union covers for the players and greed drives the owners to the expense of the game.
The only thing that the fans can do is shun and mock the juicers and praise and support the clean players. Instead of talking about Roger Clemens' record we should look at the heroic performances of Curt Schilling, razz A-Rod and praise Garrett Anderson, forget McGwire and remember Ted Williams.
Despite what one would think, baseball is not the property of the MLB, the Steinbrenners, the McCourts or the Morenos. Baseball is, and always has been the people's game from the days when it developed from rounders. We may not be able to control the professional game, but we can influence it. We can demand that the game be played clean. Otherwise, if the owners and the dirty players prevail our game will turn into professional wrestling.
But, as usual, modern life and and science have inserted themselves into the sublimity of the Great Game. It was revealed this weekend that Alex Rodriguez (aka A-Rod) tested positive for the use of steroids during the 2003 season. There's really no surprise in this revelation for those of us who have watched the man over the years. He's shown himself to be hungry for money and for glory, going so far as to attempt to make himself the unofficial leader of the Yankees during his first year with the team.
Mr. Rodriguez, in reply to a query from Sports Illustrated concerning the matter replied that the writers should talk to the players' union about the matter and that he had nothing to say.
In other words, he had neither the courage and honesty to 'fess up and claim that he made a youthful mistake nor the brass to deny the findings of the test and call the charges damnable lies. He, in effect, ran to Mommy and hid behind her skirts. He sees the players' union as his protector instead of manning up, getting on the horse and riding it until he defeats it or falls off.
Now, admittedly, A-Rod is not the most popular members of the Yankees. Noo Yawkers have long known him to be a preening would-be usurper of the Black Adder type without the humor. A-Rod now joins the company of Clemens, Sosa, McGwire, Canseco, Bonds et al who have been proven or heavily suspected of being juicers and thus who's hard work and talent are suspect because the relied on better living through chemistry. And he, and they, have helped to besmirch the great game.
One finds one's self wishing for the days of good, honest cheating: cheating that risked instant detection such as throwing spitters, using corked bats, not touching base. The use of steroids is more underhanded than physically cheating and is thus to be more condemned.
This writer has no solution to the problem. The club owners, in their search to pad their bank accounts, are loathe to enforce the anti-steroid rules. The only thing that would make the owners pay attention to the rule would be if the club were heavily fined for steroid use by its team members as well as the players being fined and/or suspended. But the union covers for the players and greed drives the owners to the expense of the game.
The only thing that the fans can do is shun and mock the juicers and praise and support the clean players. Instead of talking about Roger Clemens' record we should look at the heroic performances of Curt Schilling, razz A-Rod and praise Garrett Anderson, forget McGwire and remember Ted Williams.
Despite what one would think, baseball is not the property of the MLB, the Steinbrenners, the McCourts or the Morenos. Baseball is, and always has been the people's game from the days when it developed from rounders. We may not be able to control the professional game, but we can influence it. We can demand that the game be played clean. Otherwise, if the owners and the dirty players prevail our game will turn into professional wrestling.
The Baseball Fan's Prayer
Heavenly Father, most High and Powerful, all Knowing and perfect Umpire,
We confess to Thee our manifest fouls and errors and beg forgiveness through our most gracious Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ.
We thank Thee for all the blessings Thou hast deigned to give us, especially for the game of baseball, which Thou mentioned in the first words of the Scriptures (In the big inning).
We beseech Thee to give us a season of good, clean baseball and pray that our ash wielding warriors of the diamond will fairly and cleanly defeat our enemies. Lead us not into the temptation of band wagonism, but deliver us from the evil ones called the Yankees. Give us patience during loss and humbleness during victory.
We ask these things in the name of our most blessed Savior, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
Amen and Play Ball
Heavenly Father, most High and Powerful, all Knowing and perfect Umpire,
We confess to Thee our manifest fouls and errors and beg forgiveness through our most gracious Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ.
We thank Thee for all the blessings Thou hast deigned to give us, especially for the game of baseball, which Thou mentioned in the first words of the Scriptures (In the big inning).
We beseech Thee to give us a season of good, clean baseball and pray that our ash wielding warriors of the diamond will fairly and cleanly defeat our enemies. Lead us not into the temptation of band wagonism, but deliver us from the evil ones called the Yankees. Give us patience during loss and humbleness during victory.
We ask these things in the name of our most blessed Savior, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
Amen and Play Ball
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Some Are Starting To Get and Some Ain't
During the recent Gaza action by Israel resulted in demonstrations in the US, Great Britain and Europe. In Great Britain, France and parts of the US the demonstrations in favor of the Palestinians became violent against against both people and property. The French and the British handled the demonstrations badly. The usual burning of car in Paris and Orcs running through Golders Green in London threatening Jewish owned businesses and smashing windows. The usual Islamic run-a-mok.
In Italy, on the other hand, while there were demonstrations, they remained remained fairly peaceful. But the Orcs managed to push the Italian into taking action against the creeping infestation of non-verbal threats to the Italian way of life: Islam In Action: Italy:Talks of Deportations.
Great Britain, on the other hand, seems to be unable to recognize a threat to it's heritage and form of government. And leading the charge toward the English monarchy becoming a satrap to Mecca is the Church of England, as evinced by the following: Church vows to keep faith with its schools, despite Muslim majority - Times Online. Be not fooled by the title of the piece. The very fact that a C of E school would accept Muslim students and not carry out the religious instruction for all students, Christian or not, in deference to the Muslims shows that the C of E schools have become private schools and not religious schools. The parents of the Muslim students are using the frame work of a Christin education, without the Christianity to give their children superior educations while Christian students, who cannot afford the schools, are abandoned to the state school system.
To get an idea of the gravity of the C of E school problem imagine yourself the parent of a child who you have decided to enroll into a Catholic or Calvary Chapel school. Naturally you expect your child to be given religious instruction. That's part of what you paid for. But suddenly there is an influx of a large number of Muslim students who are not interested in learning the truth of Christianity, but only in the fact that their children will receive a better education than they would at a state school. The school, decides that they prefer the tuition fees instead of the stated goal of the school (Christian education). Religious instruction, Christian prayers and Christian ethos are chucked out the window in order not to offend the Muslim students. In fact, the Muslim students are given opportunities for prayer that the Christian students are not. One can only assume that the school will soon abandon all vestiges of Christianity (examples are Harvard, Georgetown and USC; all founded as religious schools and now secular)and will become nothing but money makers and perhaps elite alternatives to the awful state schools.
It must be remembered that in India, during the days of the Raj, the best educated Indians were educated at C of E schools and underwent Christian education. Not all the Indians who attended the schools became Christians, but they learned a Christian ethos that neither Hinduism, Buddhism nor Mohammedism have. Christian education, explicit Christian education, bears interest for society in a way that secular or Muslim education does not. Namely, the students are urged to behave like Christians.
One wonders if, in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, there were an influx of the children of Christians into madrassas the the religious education would change to avoid offending the Christians. Not likely.
While reading the article about the C of E schools note the statement of one of one C of E woman priest concerning the withdrawing of her child from the local C of E school and the third e-mail response to the article.
It appears that the C of E and the C of E schools are bound and determined to commit religious and cultural suicide.
In Italy, on the other hand, while there were demonstrations, they remained remained fairly peaceful. But the Orcs managed to push the Italian into taking action against the creeping infestation of non-verbal threats to the Italian way of life: Islam In Action: Italy:Talks of Deportations.
Great Britain, on the other hand, seems to be unable to recognize a threat to it's heritage and form of government. And leading the charge toward the English monarchy becoming a satrap to Mecca is the Church of England, as evinced by the following: Church vows to keep faith with its schools, despite Muslim majority - Times Online. Be not fooled by the title of the piece. The very fact that a C of E school would accept Muslim students and not carry out the religious instruction for all students, Christian or not, in deference to the Muslims shows that the C of E schools have become private schools and not religious schools. The parents of the Muslim students are using the frame work of a Christin education, without the Christianity to give their children superior educations while Christian students, who cannot afford the schools, are abandoned to the state school system.
To get an idea of the gravity of the C of E school problem imagine yourself the parent of a child who you have decided to enroll into a Catholic or Calvary Chapel school. Naturally you expect your child to be given religious instruction. That's part of what you paid for. But suddenly there is an influx of a large number of Muslim students who are not interested in learning the truth of Christianity, but only in the fact that their children will receive a better education than they would at a state school. The school, decides that they prefer the tuition fees instead of the stated goal of the school (Christian education). Religious instruction, Christian prayers and Christian ethos are chucked out the window in order not to offend the Muslim students. In fact, the Muslim students are given opportunities for prayer that the Christian students are not. One can only assume that the school will soon abandon all vestiges of Christianity (examples are Harvard, Georgetown and USC; all founded as religious schools and now secular)and will become nothing but money makers and perhaps elite alternatives to the awful state schools.
It must be remembered that in India, during the days of the Raj, the best educated Indians were educated at C of E schools and underwent Christian education. Not all the Indians who attended the schools became Christians, but they learned a Christian ethos that neither Hinduism, Buddhism nor Mohammedism have. Christian education, explicit Christian education, bears interest for society in a way that secular or Muslim education does not. Namely, the students are urged to behave like Christians.
One wonders if, in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, there were an influx of the children of Christians into madrassas the the religious education would change to avoid offending the Christians. Not likely.
While reading the article about the C of E schools note the statement of one of one C of E woman priest concerning the withdrawing of her child from the local C of E school and the third e-mail response to the article.
It appears that the C of E and the C of E schools are bound and determined to commit religious and cultural suicide.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
3 Links
So this is what it has come down to:
1 in 3 'Christians' say 'Jesus sinned'
Christians are becoming social pariahs in Britain, claims Jeremy Vine - Telegraph
Obama prayer leader from group US linked to Hamas - International Herald Tribune
But after Jan. 20 everything will be "O-tay."
Back to the catacombs.
1 in 3 'Christians' say 'Jesus sinned'
Christians are becoming social pariahs in Britain, claims Jeremy Vine - Telegraph
Obama prayer leader from group US linked to Hamas - International Herald Tribune
But after Jan. 20 everything will be "O-tay."
Back to the catacombs.
Monday, January 12, 2009
A Headline You Won't See in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times Raises Newsstand Price by 50%:
Minorities and Poor Most Affected!
Minorities and Poor Most Affected!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
This Is Your Enemy
For some reason there are people in the civilized world who support Hamas in the current military action by Israel in Gaza. These are probably the same types of people who adopt rattlesnakes and then are surprised when said snakes have the audacity to bite them despite the fact that the snakes have been fed a nice diet of mice.
Here are two videos showing what Hamas, and, indeed, Islam, is all about:
YouTube - Hamas terrorists kill innocent Palestinian in Gaza (Rare Video) (Must See)
YouTube - Hamas use UN ambulance to smuggle terrorists in Gaza
Also, an interesting thing happened in Italy. As you read the link ask yourself what your local mosque leaders' reaction would be is your church's youth group or prayer groups did the same thing as these people did:
Muslim apology over prayers outside Milan Cathedral - Telegraph
One sometimes wishes that the 1% motorcycle gangs would gather together at a mosque and give the Turks a big moon.
Here are two videos showing what Hamas, and, indeed, Islam, is all about:
YouTube - Hamas terrorists kill innocent Palestinian in Gaza (Rare Video) (Must See)
YouTube - Hamas use UN ambulance to smuggle terrorists in Gaza
Also, an interesting thing happened in Italy. As you read the link ask yourself what your local mosque leaders' reaction would be is your church's youth group or prayer groups did the same thing as these people did:
Muslim apology over prayers outside Milan Cathedral - Telegraph
One sometimes wishes that the 1% motorcycle gangs would gather together at a mosque and give the Turks a big moon.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
What's Wrong With This Picture?
For many years people in the Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside Counties) in California have complained that people moving there from South Central and East Los Angeles to escape crime have done less than escape crime than bring crime with them. The opinion has been met with charges of racism against the Honkie McGills that used to be the mainstay of those counties.
Here is an example of the same thing happening faster in a smaller area. And the reaction is the same.
My Way News - Influx of black renters raises tension in Bay Area
It seems that everyone is wrong but the problem.
Go figure.
Here is an example of the same thing happening faster in a smaller area. And the reaction is the same.
My Way News - Influx of black renters raises tension in Bay Area
It seems that everyone is wrong but the problem.
Go figure.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
A Useful Idiot and an Escape From Idiocy
We here at the Manor have, for the past twenty years or so, considered Rosanne Barr (aka Rosanne or Roseanne Barr Goodman)to be a rather off-putting and stupid woman. She has shown herself to be a classic "celebutard" who thinks that because she has a platform addressing the public as an entertainer she should use the platform to express her political and social views. She has over the years claimed that she was a sexually abused girl-child (claiming that her father was the abuser) but has never taken any legal action, she has claimed to be a lesbian, but has never been seen in public with a girlfriend, she claims to be a practitioner of the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbala, but has never been seen reading any Kabbalistic books or even speaking intelligently on the philosophy.
With the current action by Israel against the Hamas Palestinians in the Gaza she has deigned that the world should listen to her views of the action.Roseanne Barr blasts Israel as 'Nazi state'
This writer will not bother to cast aspersions on her comments or thoughts. They speak for themselves and they reveal a woman who has the same ability to reach conclusions based on morality and logic as a nutria. In her comments take time to consider that Our Lord Jesus Christ was a practitioner of Kabbala without any supporting documentation. The woman is just plain dumb. And she hasn't been funny in years.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has made a move that is a compliment to it's role as a leader of Roman Catholics: BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Vatican divorces from Italian law To put it in short and easy words, the Vatican has decided that it will not automatically recognize all Italian laws. but will review them and only recognize them when they agree with Roman Catholic law and teaching.
Would that the Christian churches here, whether Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant do the same thing instead of making excuses to lick the hand of the secular master. Christians are to obey secular laws in their secular lives, but they are to hold to a higher law among themselves that is beyond the ken of the heathen.
With the current action by Israel against the Hamas Palestinians in the Gaza she has deigned that the world should listen to her views of the action.Roseanne Barr blasts Israel as 'Nazi state'
This writer will not bother to cast aspersions on her comments or thoughts. They speak for themselves and they reveal a woman who has the same ability to reach conclusions based on morality and logic as a nutria. In her comments take time to consider that Our Lord Jesus Christ was a practitioner of Kabbala without any supporting documentation. The woman is just plain dumb. And she hasn't been funny in years.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has made a move that is a compliment to it's role as a leader of Roman Catholics: BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Vatican divorces from Italian law To put it in short and easy words, the Vatican has decided that it will not automatically recognize all Italian laws. but will review them and only recognize them when they agree with Roman Catholic law and teaching.
Would that the Christian churches here, whether Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant do the same thing instead of making excuses to lick the hand of the secular master. Christians are to obey secular laws in their secular lives, but they are to hold to a higher law among themselves that is beyond the ken of the heathen.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Two Blogs Worthy of Your Consideration
Those who are personally acquainted with this writer are aware that Bloody Nib Manor is within shouting distance of the Mexican border. There was a time, during your faithful correspondent's youth, that it was not unusual for a person from the Southern California to travel to Tijuana (or Tia Juana or TiaJuana or just TJ) to have one's car re-upholstered, buy cheap junk like flocked ceramic bull figurines or velvet paintings of Mexican banditos, busty putas or Elvis, or look for a little under-aged drinking or to have one's photo taken sitting on a zebra-striped burro while wearing a comical sombrero.
Those days have long passed and the drug wars in Old Mexico have taken their toll on the cheap wallet/belt and strip show market in TJ. The finding of headless bodies in town squares and school yards tends to put a bit of cold water on the tourist trade.
Here's a link to a blog that keeps track of the Mexican Drug Wars: Blog of the Gods
If you do not think that the Mexican Drug Wars have anything to do with you keep in mind that the kidnappings and killings have moved north of the border.
There are some who claim that what Mexico needs to get the situation under control is a strong man on a white horse. Your faithful correspondent is of another opinion. What Mexico needs is nothing less than a moral and religious reformation. This is not to say that this writer thinks that Protestantism will save Mexico from anarchy. But the Mexican people will have to take their Christianity seriously and abandon the quasi-paganism that many of them practice.
We don't think of Russia much anymore except when Putin does something silly. But be aware that Russia and Eurasia are of concern to the US. Check this out and keep informed: WindowonEurasia
There is more to worry about than your shrinking 401(k). We have enemies within who are enemies because of their greed. But we also have enemies without who do not want us to be poor. they do not want us to be.
Those days have long passed and the drug wars in Old Mexico have taken their toll on the cheap wallet/belt and strip show market in TJ. The finding of headless bodies in town squares and school yards tends to put a bit of cold water on the tourist trade.
Here's a link to a blog that keeps track of the Mexican Drug Wars: Blog of the Gods
If you do not think that the Mexican Drug Wars have anything to do with you keep in mind that the kidnappings and killings have moved north of the border.
There are some who claim that what Mexico needs to get the situation under control is a strong man on a white horse. Your faithful correspondent is of another opinion. What Mexico needs is nothing less than a moral and religious reformation. This is not to say that this writer thinks that Protestantism will save Mexico from anarchy. But the Mexican people will have to take their Christianity seriously and abandon the quasi-paganism that many of them practice.
We don't think of Russia much anymore except when Putin does something silly. But be aware that Russia and Eurasia are of concern to the US. Check this out and keep informed: WindowonEurasia
There is more to worry about than your shrinking 401(k). We have enemies within who are enemies because of their greed. But we also have enemies without who do not want us to be poor. they do not want us to be.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Indians Do Something that Liberal Americans Won't Do
Liberal Americans often, when they feel that their rights have been transgressed, ask "Where's the outrage?" Examples are such things are the rejection of homosexual marriage by the voters of California or "man-made global warming." Their interests are very insular and they seem to see themselves as not a part of the larger American culture. They expressed a bit of outrage for about two weeks after September 11, 2001, but it wasn't long before they started calling for the understanding of the terrorists' grievances. In other words, they seem to be bound and determined to commit slow motion cultural suicide. This is the result of people who feel guilty of their comfortable lives and one often wishes that the wealthy and comfortable would take the same stance as European aristocrats in regarding foreigners and other cultures as charming as long as they stay where they are.
During the Thanksgiving weekend a group of Muslim men wrought havoc in Mumbai (nee Bombay), and the Indian elite were not slow in condemning the action. They, and the government, named the men as Muslims and did not try to parse words by calling them "evil doers."
In this way the Indians have shown themselves to be much more men with chests than the average craven American politician. There's something wrong here. The American political and social elite have become so soft and so caring that they are useless for the maintenance of the nation. Everything goes as long as the Muslim hordes don't pee in their pool while the rest of us are subjected to law-fare from CAIR for proclaiming our traditional Judeo-Christian values.
But to get to the point, a group of Indians and Indian-Americans have protested in front of that cancerous institution known as the United Nations against the Muslims involved in the Mumbai massacre.
Atlas Shrugs: INDIA: Protesting Jihad at the UN
Note the placards pointing out the murders of the Chabad rabbi and his wife. And while looking at it ask yourself when was the last time you heard about Leonardo Di Caprio or Peter Coyote protesting the murder of innocents by radical Muslims? There are bastards by intention and bastards by default. American liberals fall into the latter category. They care more for a snail darter or an invert than they do for a family man or woman working an honest eight at a crappy job.
The reader may not care for country music, but there is something in old country music that speaks of the traditional American soul. Here's Granpa Jones singing a song that is more American than anything by Bruce Springsteen or any of the current crop of political singers because it addresses the American love of dogs (which Muslims hate) in an American style: YouTube - Grandpa Jones Old Rattler
The nation has, according to the media elite, become a nation that cares more for the feelings of our enemies than our dogs. That's not right. Our enemies are not only less than dogs. They are less than termites. And they are just as dangerous.
During the Thanksgiving weekend a group of Muslim men wrought havoc in Mumbai (nee Bombay), and the Indian elite were not slow in condemning the action. They, and the government, named the men as Muslims and did not try to parse words by calling them "evil doers."
In this way the Indians have shown themselves to be much more men with chests than the average craven American politician. There's something wrong here. The American political and social elite have become so soft and so caring that they are useless for the maintenance of the nation. Everything goes as long as the Muslim hordes don't pee in their pool while the rest of us are subjected to law-fare from CAIR for proclaiming our traditional Judeo-Christian values.
But to get to the point, a group of Indians and Indian-Americans have protested in front of that cancerous institution known as the United Nations against the Muslims involved in the Mumbai massacre.
Atlas Shrugs: INDIA: Protesting Jihad at the UN
Note the placards pointing out the murders of the Chabad rabbi and his wife. And while looking at it ask yourself when was the last time you heard about Leonardo Di Caprio or Peter Coyote protesting the murder of innocents by radical Muslims? There are bastards by intention and bastards by default. American liberals fall into the latter category. They care more for a snail darter or an invert than they do for a family man or woman working an honest eight at a crappy job.
The reader may not care for country music, but there is something in old country music that speaks of the traditional American soul. Here's Granpa Jones singing a song that is more American than anything by Bruce Springsteen or any of the current crop of political singers because it addresses the American love of dogs (which Muslims hate) in an American style: YouTube - Grandpa Jones Old Rattler
The nation has, according to the media elite, become a nation that cares more for the feelings of our enemies than our dogs. That's not right. Our enemies are not only less than dogs. They are less than termites. And they are just as dangerous.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Scatter Shooting (Hoping to Hit Something)
As those who are familiar with us here at Nib Manor may be aware, we have always been Christians of the Protestant sort. Specifically, this writer is a hard shell Baptist and the ever lovely Lady Nib leans more toward the Evangelical Anglican version of Christianity.
This has not always been the case. A a young man your faithful correspondent was a member of the United Methodist Church. There was a time when the Methodist Church, in the United States, was a very conservative and Protestant church. They had no truck with Roman Catholic liturgies or Roman Catholic practice. The displaying of images of saints or members of what Catholics call the Holy Family (Baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary) on anything but lawn displays during Christmas or on Christmas cards, were considered as indications of idolatry.
Over the years things have changed. The United Methodist Church, in an effort to stem the flowing away of their members to other denominations, has decided to take a stand by not taking a stand. They have decided that sodomy is not such a bad thing, that divorce is just a part of marriage, that abortion is pretty much okay and that Jesus Christ is more of a role model than God Incarnate.
The UMC has also made an effort to attract Latin American immigrants to the denomination has undertaken to change the traditional Protestant Methodist practices to those of a more Latin American Catholic bent. In other words, the UMC is beginning to move toward a "Catholic Lite" theology and practice to attract Latin Americans instead of pointing out the traditional theology of the Reformation and its truth in Spanish. One wonders if the leaders of the UMC think that Latinos are not capable of understanding the Three Solas. Or perhaps the UMC is, in certain geographical ares, sailing under false colors.
What brings this up is that the church that this writer used to attend is now offering a La Posada celebration for its Spanish speaking members. La Posada is a uniquely Latino Roman Catholic celebration. It has never been part of Protestantism.
There used to be a joke that Methodists aspired to be Anglicans once they made enough money to buy a pew. Now it seems that they want to be Latino Catholics without the Pope. One wonders what Wesley and Fletcher would make of it.
Earlier this week a Marine Corps F18 jet fighter, while on practice maneuvers off the coast of San Diego, crashed into a residential neighborhood killing a woman, her mother and her two infants children. It was a tragedy, to say the least. The woman's husband made a public statement that he did not blame the Marine Corps for what happened; it was an accident. The two Senators from California, on the other hand called for an immediate and fast investigation of the incident in order to affix blame.
Here's the problem. Do these two women, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, not think that the Marines will not investigate the causes of the crash without their urging? And do they think that a fast investigation will be better than a thorough investigation? Is there a point at which a politician will not stop grandstanding?
Finally, today an Iraqi journalist threw a pair of shoes at President Bush. The throwing of shoes, in Iraq, is considered a grave insult. Mr. Bush handles the incident well and went as far as to joke that he thought the shoes were size 10. One wonders what Mr. Obama's reaction, as well as the American press' reaction, would be in the same situation. But this writer forgets: no one would throw a shoe at The One.
This has not always been the case. A a young man your faithful correspondent was a member of the United Methodist Church. There was a time when the Methodist Church, in the United States, was a very conservative and Protestant church. They had no truck with Roman Catholic liturgies or Roman Catholic practice. The displaying of images of saints or members of what Catholics call the Holy Family (Baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary) on anything but lawn displays during Christmas or on Christmas cards, were considered as indications of idolatry.
Over the years things have changed. The United Methodist Church, in an effort to stem the flowing away of their members to other denominations, has decided to take a stand by not taking a stand. They have decided that sodomy is not such a bad thing, that divorce is just a part of marriage, that abortion is pretty much okay and that Jesus Christ is more of a role model than God Incarnate.
The UMC has also made an effort to attract Latin American immigrants to the denomination has undertaken to change the traditional Protestant Methodist practices to those of a more Latin American Catholic bent. In other words, the UMC is beginning to move toward a "Catholic Lite" theology and practice to attract Latin Americans instead of pointing out the traditional theology of the Reformation and its truth in Spanish. One wonders if the leaders of the UMC think that Latinos are not capable of understanding the Three Solas. Or perhaps the UMC is, in certain geographical ares, sailing under false colors.
What brings this up is that the church that this writer used to attend is now offering a La Posada celebration for its Spanish speaking members. La Posada is a uniquely Latino Roman Catholic celebration. It has never been part of Protestantism.
There used to be a joke that Methodists aspired to be Anglicans once they made enough money to buy a pew. Now it seems that they want to be Latino Catholics without the Pope. One wonders what Wesley and Fletcher would make of it.
Earlier this week a Marine Corps F18 jet fighter, while on practice maneuvers off the coast of San Diego, crashed into a residential neighborhood killing a woman, her mother and her two infants children. It was a tragedy, to say the least. The woman's husband made a public statement that he did not blame the Marine Corps for what happened; it was an accident. The two Senators from California, on the other hand called for an immediate and fast investigation of the incident in order to affix blame.
Here's the problem. Do these two women, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, not think that the Marines will not investigate the causes of the crash without their urging? And do they think that a fast investigation will be better than a thorough investigation? Is there a point at which a politician will not stop grandstanding?
Finally, today an Iraqi journalist threw a pair of shoes at President Bush. The throwing of shoes, in Iraq, is considered a grave insult. Mr. Bush handles the incident well and went as far as to joke that he thought the shoes were size 10. One wonders what Mr. Obama's reaction, as well as the American press' reaction, would be in the same situation. But this writer forgets: no one would throw a shoe at The One.
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