The Worry Gene

Roberta X has posted about her plumbing odyssey. (Well, actually her plumber is on an odyssey.)

I feel for her. And her travails reminds me of my concerns over plumbing, wiring, appliances, etc. etc. etc. You see, I inherited the 'worry gene' from my mother. She'd worry a lot that something wasn't working right or getting ready to break, or she'd hear a noise and become concerned that something wasn't right. It drove my father crazy. Well, I've inherited it. I worry about such things as well and things more often than not beyond my control. So leaky pipes? That's one of my worries. You never know when they might start leaking. . .but at least I have that home warranty. I should check and see if they're properly deducting my account for the monthly fee.

Dog Poo

I've just come in from clearing the back yard of dog poo produced by FatButt and BullyBoy*. I now suspect that while we sleep giant Shit Hounds leap the six foot fence and use our back yard as their private Crap Club. No two little cockers could produce that much poo in that short a time.


*For the uninitiated: our two cocker spaniels otherwise named Pumpkin and Pie.

Do I Have 'STUPID' Tattooed On My Forehead?

One thing that immediately and totally pisses me off is when someone plays me for a fool. My students will testify to this. Lying to me tells me you think I'm stupid. Bad lying to me tells me that you're stupid and you think I'm even more stupid than you.

One group that continually pisses me off are Palestinian photographers who work for the international press, particularly the AP*, who feel it's their job to at least misrepresent the news if not totally fabricate it. With the latest activity in the Gaza Strip, Little Green Footballs feels that they're at it again.



*Whose motto is, "The masses are asses."

December BlogMeet Post-game Report

Shermlock Jr. and I had a wonderful time! Roberta X has the details and a picture. Og was there and reports on his adventures getting to the meat. . .er meet. Old Grouch played Santy and handed out a CD of nice Xmas music.

December BlogMeet Reminder

Old Grouch reminds us that there's a BlogMeet tomorrow!

Woohoo! Mrs. Shomes has to work but Shermlock Jr. is up from Bloomington so may well join me tomorrow at the Broad Ripple Brew Pub at 3:00 PM.

Exodus Redux 8:16

And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become seeds throughout all the land of Egypt.

Actually, Egypt got lice, not seeds. But I can testify that seeds would have worked. Observe what I understand to be an ash tree seed:


Not large. Not heavy. Not a problem. Normally.

This last summer the ash trees lining the streets of our neighborhood decided to get it on and produce millions of these seeds that did not drop with the leaves. But the last few times the wind has blown this winter some have decided to let go. They now litter the sidewalks, decks, and cars of the neighborhood. And I just spent a nice hour this morning on my roof cleaning my gutters for a second time, digging out mounds of the little bastards. And there's still more on the trees.

Like shooting puppies in a barrel. . .

Saw this headline at Drudge:

Doctor powered SUV with fat from liposuctions...

Oh so many jokes. Too easy. . .too easy.

Merry Cthulhumas!

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

"In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming."

With visions of sugar-plums dancing in his head?


h/t Topless Robot

Indy On Ice

While, as Dylan observed, "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," it doesn't hurt to see how Tam sees the weather. She gives us a picture of our weather in Indy today.

And I wonder if, what with I-465 and I-69 being closed for some time due to (anticipated) icy conditions, Governor Mitch decided that saving some highway budget money by not prepping the roads was more important than saving peoples' lives.

More From The Church Of Global Warming

Heresy will not be tolerated in our religion!

Princeton Physicist Calls Global Warming Science "Mistaken"

Scientist fired by Al Gore was told, "science will not intrude on public policy".

The 'Warmies' are just as assured of their beliefs as are the Creationists.

Presidential Pardons

I just saw over at Drudge:

Bush pardons 19, commutes 1 prison term

and I just flashed on a somewhat likely headline with all the Blagojevich business:

Bush Pardons Obama So He Can Serve

Defend the defenseless and . . .?

Over at Call Me Ahab, Caleb points to an incident that just occurred here in Indy: a robber threatens shoppers with a firearm* and an employee of the store shoots and kills the robber. I imagine that the Marion Co. Prosecutor will find the shooting justified but I wonder if the store had a 'no firearms' policy and the brave employee will be fired? I always thought it completely idiotic that places of business find it far better to allow their employees and customers to be massacred rather than allow employees to defend themselves and those around them.


*I see the Official Colt's Propaganda Rag reports that the robber had a 'gun.' Thanks for the details. Very professional.

Cults That Threaten Our Children

I saw this tonight and was flabbergasted. A cult based on flawed, unproven, and just bad science is now mainstreamed to inculcate our children.

The Big Green Help

Doesn't anybody see just how fucked this is?

Gun Purchase = Racism

Another in the category of "I should have seen this coming." If you purchase, or even intend to purchase and assault rifle*, you may be considered a racist.

h/t SayUncle



*I prefer the term tactical rifle myself.

More Sunday Music

And just so Roberta X doesn't beat me to posting another of my favorite artists, here's Regina Spektor on Conan O'brien's show. Really nice performance.

Regina Spektor- Fidelity (Late Night)

Sunday Musical Interlude

Roberta X has discovered Imogen Heap. I offer up one of my favorite Imogen performances; live on Letterman:

Cold? Save us, Saint Al!

Tam comments on the weather.

This ol' Michigan boy points out that she could have taken a wrong turn and moved to Houghton, Michigan. 9 months of winter and 3 months of hard sledding.

News From The Future

Odd experience:

I got an E-mail from myself. From the future:

-----Original Message-----
From: Shomes, Shermlock
Sent: Saturday, July 4, 2009 3:40 PM
To: Shermlock Shomes
Subject: News from Obamaland

Dude! You gotta read this. Things are great in Obamaland. You must welcome your new socialist overlords!

http://www.nytimes-se.com/

Yourself

Woah!

h/t Power Line

RC Helicopter and 1911

This is one of those things that you know is wrong but still seems disturbingly cool. And it probably would require some ammendment to the Four Rules.

Parenting 101

Rule #1: Don't give your kid some silly-ass name.

Little 'Adolf Hitler' Denied Birthday Cake at N.J. Grocery

In part:

The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, denied a birthday cake with the child's full name on it by one New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance.

Yeah. You should have been at his Second Birthday party when little Adolf smeared cake in Benito Mussolini Smith's hair.

Car Control: Let's Save The Children!

Robb Allen calls for car control. Let's think of the children!

Geeky Stuff For Cats

I saw this and immediately thought of Roberta X and Tam, what with the mixture of cats and the geekiness at Roseholme Cottage:

GEEKitty Gear

With cool stuff like:


h/t Boing Boing

What Dogs Are Really Saying

Always wondered what dogs were really saying when they are insanely yapping at you?



Yep. I thought so.

Federal Reserve Stays Mum

Our new Socialist Overlords in the Federal Reserve feel that we don't need to know to whom they are loaning our money:

Fed Refuses to Disclose Recipients of $2 Trillion

Nice.

"Hell hath no fury. . ."

The online edition of the "We Love Jim Irsay And His Colts!" Fan Magazine had the following news item:

Anderson woman burns clothing of ex, causing $100,000 in damages

I thought, "Man, that guy had a lot of duds!" but in reading further discovered that this was not a 'dump the bum's stuff in the yard and set it afire' incident. No. She apparently decided to leave them in the storage unit and burn them there. "The fire fully engulfed one entire building and damage estimates are over $100,000, not including the contents of the buildings. . ." Oops.

I do like the explanation that the couple were involved in a "bitter domestic dispute." You think?

Kittens

Other than being tasty ('Cuter the critter, the better the taste!') kittens are. . .well, I saw this as wallpaper on the laptop of one of my part-time workers:

Harsh Justice. . .

. . .for everyone but the Only Ones:

Ex-cop's shakedown sentence: detention

So this cop betrays the public trust and preys on those least able to report such malfeasance and he gets. . .home detention. Nice.

Big Three Bail Out

h/t Boing Boing

"Light Up or Leave Me Alone!"

From the daily "We Love The Colts!" newspaper:

Woman lights wrong smoke in front of trooper

In part:

Police say a Muncie woman was arrested after asking a state trooper whether she could smoke -- and then trying to light up a marijuana joint.

My response:

The Video Challenge

In my mind Tam has thrown down the gauntlet with her video posting. Following the theme of "cheesy" and "love" I offer the following:

Woof! Woof!

Been there. Done that.



h/t LauraW. at Ace of Spades HQ

Word, Plaxico!

A Public Service Message from Plaxico Burress:



h/t JR at A Keyboard and a .45

Xmas Present for Breda?

Should we all chip in a buy this for Breda?

"Don't do as I do. . ."

". . .do as I say." - Grandma Husted

I wonder how Grandma would feel if that's become a standard with those in the government?

New England border protection chief charged with hiring illegal immigrants

Holiday BlogMeet

It's coming!

A "What the Fu....?!?" News Item

Perusing the Colts Official Propaganda Pamphlet I see:

Hoosier charged with trying to buy girl, 15

In part:

Authorities say a northeastern Indiana man attempted pay an undercover officer $500 for a 15-year-old girl who would then be taken out of state and forced into a marriage.

But that didn't cause me to blurt out "What the [f-bomb]?!?" It was the:

Steuben County sheriff's Detective Dale Murray says the department received a tip from a member of Stump's church that he had talked about his desire to buy an underage girl.

Oh, yeah. That's something I can see discussing with a fellow church-goer before services begin. "Yeah, George. I'm lookin' to buy a teenage honey for half a grand. Any leads?"

8 is enough . . . for a dress!

Why did I think of Breda when I saw this?

h/t Boing Boing

Indy BlogMeet for December?

No word yet on when (or if!) we'll be having an Indy BlogMeet for December. 14th? 21st? Maybe even the 28th?

Dec. 4, 5:00 AM: Roberta X is asking for possible BlogMeet dates. If you have a preference please let her know there.

Son of Return of the Musical Interlude

I admit it. I really like Burt Bacharach's music. His style goes a long way. Take something like The Flaming Lips' "She Don't Use Jelly:"



and Burt Bacharach-ize it like Ben Folds does:



and you have something nice to listen to.

The Return of the Musical Interlude

I walked into the house tonight to discover Mrs. Holmes watching The Sterile Cuckoo. Good movie! And it has one of my favorite songs in it:

The Rest Of The Story?

Certain news items in the Colts Rah Rah Rag intrigue me with what is NOT reported:

Officer may have saved taxpayers a costly repair

In toto:

A quick-thinking Indianapolis police officer worked to simultaneously protect public safety and taxpayer dollars Sunday when police on the Southeastside searched a red Ferrari for drugs.

The driver had led police on a brief chase after they tried to stop him for speeding, finally halting near Emerson Avenue and Stop 11 Road.

Officers at the scene radioed for a drug-sniffing dog. But one K-9 officer, estimating the car's value at a quarter of a million dollars, warned dispatchers that his aggressive dog might scratch the Ferrari -- and possibly leave the city liable for repair costs if the search turned up nothing. The officer's off-the-cuff valuation of the car wasn't confirmed, but his main point was that the car is expensive. So, a more docile dog was dispatched to the scene.

That dog found no drugs in the car, and the driver -- who turned out to be on his way to Community Hospital South with chest pains -- was not cited, said Sgt. Paul Thompson, spokesman for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

It's nice that the police saved us taxpayers some money but I don't think that's the story here. Did the driver of the Ferrari actually go to the hospital after being delayed by the cops? I suspect so as he wasn't cited. But I really wonder what was the race of the driver of the Ferrari? Was this a white guy (to the police obviously a doctor or a laywer) racing to the hospital with chest pains?

"Sir, do you want us to call for an ambulance or do you think you can make it? We'll put our lights on and you can follow us there."

Or was it a black guy (with that kind of car, to the police the guy is obviously a drug dealer)?

"Chest pains? Sure. Right. Do you have anything illegal in the car? You won't let us search it? Well, we'll have to call in the K-9 unit."

First Snowfall of the Year

Woke at my usual 6:00 AM to release Pumpkin and Pie (the chimp-dog-devils) into the backyard. Last night we had our first sticking snowfall and there appears to be an inch or two of wet snow on the ground. This was new to the dogs but they were out there running, sliding, and jumping around enjoying it.


Growing up in Michigan, going to school in Wisconsin, and teaching in Pennsylvania, I am very familiar with snow. And as they say, familiarity breeds contempt. I do not like snow now. As a kid, yes. As an older adult, no. Too much extra work and worries when it snows.

It will be interesting to see if that Southern Gal Tam has to anything say about this dusting of snow.

Holiday Cheer

Mrs. Shomes, I, and Ink'em and Stink'em joined friends and their dogs for T-day. We had a great meal and a nice time and the dogs visited their kin and wore themselves out. Shermlock Jr. remained in Bloomington and according to his report:

The gang and I had a meal with a few other folks that included turkey, stuffing, corn bread, pie, potatoes, etc. It was all very delicious and we all pigged out. Tomorrow we're going to go to a lighting downtown and Saturday there will be another festivity.

Now begins the Xmas season that brings out the 'best' in people. One of my favorite Xmas songs:

I want to be . . .

Roberta X asks the question and Alphaville responds:

I can tell by your eyes. . .

you're my waiter in disguise.



How cool is that? And they've learned Japanese! You know how hard it is to learn Japanese?

November Indy BlogMeet-Moronapalooza/Happy Hour Meet-Up

Another splendid time at the Indy BlogMeet with sixteen in attendance at Fionn MacCool's in Fishers (just a little North of Indy). We had a representative of the Ace of Spades HQ "Moronapalooza/Happy Hour Meet-Up (A very charming young woman!) to give us an even number. I'm hell with names and the challenge of getting sixteen right is beyond me (I never took careful notes!) but I'll post a group photo none-the-less:



Who's missing? Roberta X, who kindly took the picture for me. In way of thanks, I offer up:


CAPTION THIS PICTURE!

Another Episode of "That Can't Be!"

1 Dead in Seattle-Area Shopping Mall Shooting; Cops Search for Gunman

They've got to be mistaken. There wasn't a gunman because malls are Gun-Free Zones!

Natural Selection

Something for my Anthropology friends:



h/t Flopping Aces

Thoughts Of Home

While in Michigan this last weekend I made it a point to stop at the cemeteries where my great-great grandparents, great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents are buried. I never get a sense of anyone "being there" but feel an obligation, as my mother had, to check on the grave sites and make sure things were OK. Great-grandfather Aaron's headstone and been bumped a bit from the concrete slab on which it rested so I shoved it back in place. Dad and Mom's grave site up the road from there was in good shape so there was little to do there other than take a picture of the headstone on a distant relative's grave site that I've found. . .ahh. . .both disturbing and humorous:



Two very scary things together: graveyards and clowns.

They did get the plaque up indicating Dad's service in Korea:



and I ran across a couple more pictures of him from that time (either in Korea or at Fort Polk):




Shermlock Jr. ended up as skinny as Dad and is around the same age Dad was when these pictures were taken.

I didn't go to see the location of the house I lived in during my teens. It was on M20 just outside of Mt. Pleasant. There was an 80 acre field behind it where we would hunt pheasant in the fall with our neighbor, Virgil Melton:


My father wasn't inclined to hunt when I was growing up. At one time he did enjoy hunting but as a young man (after returning from Korea) he, his close friend Pat Rumbuski and their fathers were deer hunting when Pat's father was shot dead by another hunter. Dad and Granddad gave up hunting after that.

Anyway, the field behind our house in Mt. Pleasant, and the house itself, are no longer there, replaced by the Soaring Eagle Casino and the big electric sign advertising it.

This only reminds me that when I go "home" I can travel to its location but I can't go back thirty or forty years to where it really existed.

"You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood, ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time—back home to the escapes of Time and Memory."

Back from Michigan

Friday I drove up to Michigan to spend the weekend with by brother and his friends deer hunting. Didn't get a deer but had a nice, relaxing time and got to drop off his and his family's Xmas presents early. HA!

The drink of the camp was an "ObamaMama", AKA a Seven and Seven. I was surprised to find that to be the only mention of the recent election and You-Know-Who.

If You're Not Liberal In Liberal Arts

Here at IUPUI I'm fairly lucky that the people I regularly deal with are polite, nice people who treat me with respect despite my libertarian (and other) views that are contrary to their belief system. Note that I said 'belief system' and not 'politics.' That's the way I see the fervent liberalism and progressivism that is almost ubiquitous in higher education. Their liberalism and progressivism is their ultimate concern, their religion as Rudolph Otto had defined it. So it is no surprise to me that these otherwise intelligent, highly educated people I deal with hold beliefs (e.g. "The 2004 presidential election in Ohio was stolen by the Republicans! Bush said Iraq was involved in 9/11 to get us into war!") that have no basis in reality but still are 'true' and 'right.' This means that those who don't hold these beliefs are 'wrong.'

I've seen the attitude held by HEL's (Higher Education Liberals) evolve from bemused tolerance of the conservative or libertarian who is obviously not that intelligent ("Any smart person would have the same beliefs as I! I feel sorry for the weak-minded fool.") to, on the part of some, hostility ("People who don't belief as I do are haters because Liberalism wants whats best for everyone! I don't want to have anything to do with haters!") Now, thanks to race being injected into the politics surrounding Obama, it's a quick step from being a 'hater' opposed to Liberal/Progressive Democrat ideas to being a 'racist' by not supporting Obama and his liberal/progressive ideas. And we all know that racism is evil and we should confront and punish evil:

Politics prompted her assault, Augsburg student says

In part:

An Augsburg College student and Sarah Palin supporter from Alaska was beaten on election night while walking to her dorm and was called a racist by a group of four young women because she had on a McCain/Palin presidential campaign button

I predict we'll see more acceptance of the notion that opposition to Obama is racist. And of course racism is not to be tolerated in any way, shape, or form in higher education!

I wonder if, by criticizing Obama, I'll end up in a 'counseling' session mandated by our Affirmative Action office?

h/t Power Line

Shomes Family Reunion

Troopers search for sober family member

Veteran's Day

Wayne Husted 1927-2003
45th Infantry Division, 180th Infantry
Company H
Korea

And You Expected?

Professionalism from the Obamites? That's always been Bush's problem; expecting people to treat him as he treats them. Over at Drudge:

BUSH ANGER: OBAMA AIDES LEAK CHAT DETAILS

As it's a 'Developing' item, I'll reproduce it in toto:

BUSH ANGER: OBAMA AIDES LEAK CHAT DETAILS
Tue Nov 11 2008 09:28:10 ET

Just hours after President Bush and President-elect Obama met in the Oval Office of the White House, details of their confidential conversation began leaking out to the press, igniting anger from the president, sources claim.

"Senator Obama would be wise to keep close counsel," a top Bush source warned.

"BUSH AND OBAMA AT ODDS OVER AID FOR AUTO INDUSTRY," splashed the NEW YORK TIMES in an exclusive Monday evening, quoting "people familiar with the discussion."

The two met at the White House in private, without staff.

"Bush indicated at the meeting that he might support some aid and a broader economic stimulus package if Obama and congressional Democrats dropped their opposition to a free-trade agreement with Colombia," claimed the TIMES.

MORE

The ASSOCIATED PRESS quickly followed with details of the conversation, citing "aides who described the discussion on grounds of anonymity, citing the private nature of the meeting."

Bush advisers view the leaks as an effort to undermine the president's remaining days in office.

"Senator Obama may not be familiar with a long-standing tradition of presidents holding their private conversations, private," a senior adviser explained to the DRUDGE REPORT.

Developing...

"Senator Obama may not be familiar with a long-standing tradition of presidents holding their private conversations, private."

Yeah. Right.

November '08 BlogMeet!

New location for November!

Can't Get Enough Of Those Musical Interludes

Things are getting a bit gloomy here on Baker Street and I think we need to brighten things up. Shooting the Messenger gives us a blast from the past and I can only follow with one of my favorites:

Obamites Do It Again

I linked yesterday to evidence that Obama's transition site that gives us a view of Obama's America® transitioned verbiage from 'required community service' to 'encouraged community service.' NowVinnie over at Ace of Spades HQ points out that something's going on with Urban Policy page that included the anticipated AWB ban.

I think Obama is learning that if you're going to steal something from someone (i.e. one of their freedoms) you don't announce it ahead of time.

Loss of a faithful friend

I was up as usual this morning as the Pumpkinator and Mr. Pie need to be let out by 6:00 AM to do their thing in the back yard. It's always been my fear that they'll somehow get out of the yard (it's happened twice already) and get hit by a car. I pray it never happens. Xavier tells us, through Ilsa, of such a heart-wrenchingly sad event at his house.

My condolences.

Mandatory Service in Obama's America®

America will serve!

I wonder how this required service will be "encouraged?"

h/t Little Green Footballs

Update Saturday, November 8, 2008:

It appears the Obamites have backed away from required service and Gateway Pundit has caught them in their revision.

In other words. . .grab yer ankles

Xavier says, "BOHICA."

Where's your patriotism?

Breda links to news of disappointed and dissatisfied Obamites here in Indy.

My response:

Next Four Years

My plan for the next four years is to speak truth to power so that no one can question my patriotism.

Seriously I feel that it's my duty to question and yes, even challenge authority, be it governmental or otherwise.

Election Results: Sick

Literally. Woke up in the wee hours of the morning with a serious headache and upset stomach. Just starting to feel better. Psychosomatic?

Enemies of the State

State employee says she was ordered to check out Joe the Plumber

We'll see more of this in Obama's America® as those who criticize him (evil racists that they are) are rooted out.

The Inevitability of Obama

It hit me yesterday as I was running some errands and accidentally left the radio on NPR for too long.* One of the announcers was soliciting help in NPR's efforts to identify voting problems. I knew damn well they weren't asking for reports on ACORN irregularities and other such shenanigans. The leftist elites in the media and elsewhere are setting the stage so that if Obama looses at the polls there will immediately be a flurry of lawsuits and recounts until he is declared the winner. Get ready for it.



*Normally I can't listen to any talk on that station for more than a minute before the leftist bias forces me to turn it.

"Too late, too late, The World Shall Be Blue!"

Chris Muir reminds me of just how nasty the Blue Meanies were.

Lesson In Don't Treat The Gander Like The Goose

We saw this coming.

2 accused of hanging Obama effigy on Ky. campus

In part:

. . .the two men told detectives they decided to hang the effigy after seeing media reports about a Sarah Palin effigy in California.

Witnesses who saw the effigy Wednesday said it was life-sized with an Obama Halloween mask, a suit jacket and sweat pants. It was found hanging from a tree with a noose around its neck.

UK President Lee Todd said the effigy violates the university's code of ethics, and Fischer faces punishment that could include expulsion.

"As outrageous and offensive an act as the effigy was, I truly believe it has mobilized our campus, the community and the state in an effort to battle racism," Todd said Thursday.

Yessir, and I also predict that opposition to any of (soon to be) President Obama's policies will be greeted with the accusation, "Well, you just don't like it 'cause you're a racist!"

Socialism

Roberta forgot to include the welcoming in her link to an excellent essay on Obama and socialism.

Stock Market and Animal Husbandry

I figured out the perfect paradigm for the behavior of the stock market: the traders are just like turkeys! They all get crazy and run to one end of the yard and the next day get crazy and run to the other end. And sometimes they just stand there and gobble stupidly.

And for those of you from the city: Animal husbandry != farm sex. Sickos.

Son of More Political Dialogue. . .

Out in West Hollywood they've hung Sarah Palin in effigy.

In part:

Chad Michael Morisette, who lives in the house, told CBS 2 News that drivers and bus passengers have been stopping to snap pictures of the macabre scene.

Morisette says the effigy would be out of bounds at any other time of year, but it's within the spirit of Halloween.

Now if someone hung Obama in effigy would it be accepted in the same way? Hmmm?

October BlogMeet: Friends and Food and Fun!

Roberta has the report from yesterday's BlogMeet.

I wonder if I can take the little squirt gun I acquired onto campus? Hmmmm.

Readings

I thought I'd add another feature to the digs here at Baker Street: Suggested Reading. I'm not too critical about what I read outside my professional field. I read a fair amount of mind candy and now and then find a real gem (Malazan Book of the Fallen series for instance). I am critical about what I'd ask someone else to read. If I didn't like it, I won't ask you to read it.

More political dialogue. . .

. . .from Obamaster's supporters:

Republican HQ Manager's Home Shot Up Over McCain Signs

h/t The Jawa Report

A Romantic Interlude

This one warms my cockles.

"Star Star"

I am more than weary of the adoration people are showing for Obama and Palin.

We're going to be hiring a new technical support person here in my place of work. I'm 'point' for sifting through the applications. I hope we find a good employee and that they do the job we require. But I'm not going to hang their goddam picture on my wall. The same goes for any politician that, through the process of giving them my vote, I suggest that we hire for a trial period of four years. If they don't do the job I require of them, I'm going to suggest that we fire them and hire someone else. But I'm not going to hang their goddam picture on my wall.

By the way, right now I see no one that can do the job and I wouldn't hire any of 'em. And I'm not talking about my place of work.

Thank God For Breda

and guns.

It's not a hate crime. . .

it's political dialogue when you do it to an anti-Obama racist!

Owner Believes Lexus Vandalized Due To McCain Sticker

h/t Gateway Pundit

Let them drink beer!

While we may lose our drinking water (according to the propaganda arm of the Colts):

Emergency fix to keep drinking water flowing

at least we can drink beverages at the Lucre Oil Stadium as our tax dollars went there rather than fixing the city's infrastructure.

Biased Press? I still tell ya, no way!!!!

Rob at the Say Anything blog writes that "Obama Broke Illinois Ethics Laws As A State Legislator." and points out:

Just to sum up, the media can find Joe the Plumber’s tax woes within 24 hours of his having dared to question The One’s narrative, but they can’t find a clear ethical violation in the released records of a man who has been campaigning for President for two years now.

Another truth-telling moment brought to you by our fair and objective news media.

h/t Ace of Spades HQ

Conservative vs. Liberal (Socialist)

This cartoon has appeared in a number of places (Smallest Minority, Shooting The Messenger, and Mostly Cajun), but I still want to post it here.

The (non-)Feminist Media

I've thought for some time now that there is no stigma to being a hypocrite. My opinion appears to be supported by Roberta X's dead-on observation of how misogynistic the MSM can be when dealing with The Enemy. She also observes:

We should probably thank our lucky stars the Republicans didn't run Condoleezza Rice. I'd just as soon not find out the dinosaur media's real feelings about race.

I think we already know.

The High Road - Moved

Yesterday received the following from Oleg Volk:

Welcome to the new home of The High Road(tm) forum.

My name is Oleg Volk, and I am the owner of The High Road(tm). When I started the forum in 2002, my vision was to create a place where people from around the world could engage in cordial discussion of RKBA related matters. Since then, you have helped make The High Road(tm) one of the best places on the web for learning about firearms, for educating new shooters and for supporting effective advocacy of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Due to pending legal issues, I am moving the forum to a new home at TheHighRoad.us. This is the one and only official site at this time, owned by me. The same high standards of civility apply. In the near future, we will provide more than just a forum. The High Road(tm) is becoming an information and activism center for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

With the help of GeoVario, our new host, The High Road(tm) is now online in its new home. The new location of The High Road(tm) -- http://www.thehighroad.us -- will serve our members while the conversion of the .org domain name by THR's former sysadmin is being challenged in court (Copy of the complaint available: http://www.geovario.com/legal/Complaint1.pdf ).

Feel free to mirror this announcement on your blog (here is a link to mine with details of this matter and how you can help. http://olegvolk.livejournal.com/474369.html ). If you link to THR, please update the link to point to thehighroad.us Eventually, both .us and .org addresses will point to the same site again.

Thank you all
- Oleg Volk, Owner
The High Road(tm)

I see that the forums at the old and this new location have active participants.

The MSM Get Their Marching Orders

From the Obamaster's Press Secretary.

Via Drudge:

OBAMA CAMPAIGN ISSUES TALKING POINTS TO MEDIA AHEAD OF DEBATE

In toto:

OBAMA CAMPAIGN ISSUES TALKING POINTS TO MEDIA AHEAD OF DEBATE
Wed Oct 15 2008 11:13:03 ET

The Obama campaign issued a set of debate 'talking points' to media on Wednesday morning, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.

Press Secretary Sean Smith issued the directive in an email from Pennsylvania, 12 hours before the debate.

The memo oddly mirrors much of the main press analysis and theme of the current campaign:



-------- Original Message --------
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:37:27 -0500
From: Sean Smith [s***mith@barackobama.com]
To: Sean Smith [s***mith@barackobama.com]

* This is John McCain's last chance to turn this race around and somehow convince the American people that his erratic response to this economic crisis doesn't disqualify him from being President.

* Just this weekend the weekend, John McCain vowed to "whip Obama's you-know-what" at the debate, and he's indicated that he'll be bringing up Bill Ayers to try to distract voters.

* So we know that Senator McCain will come ready to attack Barack Obama and bring his dishonorable campaign tactics to the debate stage.

Obama continues to lead on the economic crisis with a rescue plan for Main Street.

* Over the course of the campaign, Barack Obama has laid out a set of policies that will grow our middle class and strengthen our economy.

* But he knows we face an immediate economic emergency that requires urgent action - on top of the plans he's already laid out - to help workers and families and communities struggling right now.

* That's why Barack Obama is introducing a comprehensive four-part Rescue Plan for the Middle Class - to immediately to stabilize our financial system, provide relief to families and communities, and help struggling homeowners.

* This is a plan that can and should be implemented immediately.

* Obama has shown steady leadership during this crisis and offered concrete solutions to move the country forward - and his Rescue Plan for the Middle Class builds on the plans to strengthen the economy and rebuild the middle class that he's laid out over the course of this campaign.

* Already in this campaign, he's unveiled plans to give 95 percent of workers and their families a tax cut, eliminate income taxes for seniors making under $50,000, bring down the cost of health care for families and businesses; and create millions of new jobs by investing in the renewable energy sources.

* John McCain has been erratic and unsteady since this crisis began - staggering from position to position and trying to change the subject away from the economy by launching false character attacks.

END



Developing...

Biased Press? No way!!!!

I continue to argue with a colleague who insists that there's no bias in the media but that they move on controversy as it 'sells.' Well, the question is asked over at Little Green Footballs,

"If a guy with a monkey doll gets national coverage, why doesn’t this?"

Colts get 1st win at Lucas Oil Stadium

McCain Graffiti at IUPUI

A bunch of pro-McCain graffiti has appeared on the sidewalks and streets at IUPUI to the point that it can be considered vandalism. From my vantage point the areas around Campus Center, Cavanaugh Hall, at Lecture Hall have been 'tagged.' My colleagues are looking funny at me when I say that part of me suspects that it could have been done by anti-McCain people to destroy whatever support there was for him around here. As I've made it a point of saying that I have no favorites in this horse-race, I'm surprised that I'm not taken seriously.

And following this line of thought, all it will take is a few anti-McCain Code Pink yahoos to attend his rallies and repeatedly shout the "N" word to get the MSM to publish article after article about the racist supporters of McCain.

Musical Interlude

As is done by many screen writers who run out of ideas, I'm throwing in a musical interlude. I was intrigued by the song behind one of the latest Geico commercials with the two 'cavemen' on motorcycles:



The song is "Hurt You" by The Sounds from their Dying to Say This to You CD (I was going to say album!). The full song (that contains the 'F' bomb):

October BlogMeet!

It's a comin'!

Extra-curricular Tutoring

I feel that I can comment on this as I was once a fifteen-year-old-boy:

Teacher gets 2 years' home detention for sex tryst with boy, 15

In part:

The 15-year-old boy's foster parents noticed improved study skills, better behavior and a more positive attitude during the few months he worked with Sheila Vasquez.

Motivation. It's all in the motivation.

Racism and the Campaign

I am going to be so, so, tired of people yapping 'racism' by the time the Presidential Election is over. Patterico shows us just how bad it is.

Guns on campus

This Tuesday, October 7 the Indiana Student Affairs Association (ISAA) meets across the street in the Campus Center. Two panels look interesting:

Increasing Campus Safety: Outlawing Guns at Universities

Abby Stott, Marian College
Anthony Masseria, IUPUI
Emily Ritter, IUPUI

Over the last thirty years, there have been too many incidences of gun use on college campus. Not only have students lives been taken, but countless others have been affected in the process. In this session, we intend to explore how outlawing guns will increase campus safety. We will examine campus safety court cases and the feasibility of outlawing guns on college campuses. We will discuss current gun policy for the state of Indiana. By the end, we will offer proposed gun legislation.

and

Increasing Campus Safety: Guns on Campuses: Yes, No ?

Abby Stott, Marian College
Jessica Blackerby, IUPUI
Christy Moede, Franklin College
Karen Whitney, IUPUI

Violence on our campuses occurs too often. Do guns help or hinder campus violence? Is there another approach that does not involve guns that would reduce violence on campus? In this session, three perspectives pro gun, anti-gun and an alternative gun approach will be explored. The session will conclude with a robust group discussion. Court cases, constitutional and statutory law will be included.

I plan to attend and report back here on my Adventures in Wonderland.

Classic Leading Man

Ahab did it so I had to, too!

Your result for The Classic Leading Man Test...

Jimmy Stewart

You scored 12% Tough, 14% Roguish, 62% Friendly, and 14% Charming!

Harvey agrees.

More of Shermlock's Advice on Fashion

There comes a point for a woman where tattoos go from being adornment to being a potential money-maker at the Side Show. I was reminded of this the other evening at WalMart when my wife and I spied a middle-aged woman in a sleeveless dress with a LOT of 'tat-s.' Mrs. Shomes was somewhat upset when I started singing:

Who said?

"In a democracy you have the right to elect those who oppress you."

I thought Tocqueville said it but I can't find it in Democracy in America.

Baby pics

Breda was asking for baby pictures. Well, here's me and my father. Probably taken around 1956.

Little Fascists

Yesterday our Chancellor Charles Bantz had a Chat with the Chancellor session over in the Campus Center. It was fairly well attended and a number of health and fitness issues were brought up by those in the audience. At the end mention was made of the Tobacco-Free IUPUI initiative. Now as a disclaimer I should say that I quit smoking in 2003 when our then Dean, Hermann J. Saatkamp, sent a notice around informing the School that Tony Sherrill, Chair of Religious Studies (one of my smoking buddies and a true gentleman and scholar) had been diagnosed with lung cancer. I spent the next year watching Tony slowly die. So anyway, I don't smoke. My wife does. My brother does. A number of people I know do. But I don't feel compelled to force them to stop or even nag them about how it's bad for them, it's expensive, it's a dirty habit, yadda yadda yadda. It's their own damn business. However the University feels that it's important to use all means possible to prevent smoking on campus. And when the issue came up in the Chat with the Chancellor session I was disheartened by how the administrators present, including Chancellor Bantz, expressed disappointment in their inability to prevent people from smoking on the city sidewalks (public property!) running through campus. I was also dismayed with the zeal with which a number of faculty and students in the audience rushed to voice their support for the removal of the rights of smokers "for their own good." The new Assist Dean of Students Jason Spratt went so far as to invite those interested in helping with the Tobacco-Free effort to see him after the chat to assist in forming squads to patrol the campus and confront those who are breaking the rules by smoking on university property. And it looked like he was getting a number of recruits. So I guess when President Obama starts up his National Service Plan he can come to IUPUI and get a number of recruits. I suspect IUPUI can't afford it but I bet Obama's National Service Corp will supply uniforms. Brown shirts, maybe?

Dow takes a dump

in the front yard of our retirement. After yesterday's performance of the Dow Jones industrial, things are getting desperate around here.

Boffo BlogMeet

Roberta X has the details. I had a wonderful time!

Racial Reflections

Friday night Mrs. Shomes and I joined friends for some dinner at the Rathskeller and then went to the second show of Bob & Tom's Comedy All-Stars. We had a pleasant time and there were a few jokes that I laughed out load at (it takes a really really good joke to make me do that). What I found interesting was that after getting seated I looked around at the crowd, leaned over to one of our friends who also teaches at IUPUI and said, "Damn, this crowd is white!" And indeed it was. It was the most white people I've seen in one place (with the exception of the State Fair, AKA the White Expo) than any other time I've been here. It seemed. . .abnormal. I think this perception comes from the circumstances in which I commute and my work environment. The Indygo bus line seems to be used by mostly African-Americans: I usually find myself one of five Caucasians amongst twenty African Americans on the ride to and from work. At IUPUI we have a large number of African American, South Asian and East Asian students with a growing number of Latino-s. It's nice.

Mutiny on The High Road

Xavier has the details. I'm both sad and angry. The High Road was an invaluable resource.

Update: See Oleg Volk's appeal for help here.

Xmas Dreams

I have one of these.

It would look good with one of these or these.

Yes! Mammoth ivory! Now if I can find them in the 'thin' type needed for the Commander/Defender/New Agent style Colts. And a wealthy Santa to buy them for me.

I'm not dead (yet)!

Work week from hell. Surrounded by stupidity. Muse has been beaten down. Looking forward to the blog meet this Sunday (see side bar) to reinvigorate me.

It's About Human Rights (Not 'Gun Rights')

Alphecca tells it straight:

It all comes back to basic human rights. The problem for the coastal elitists of the Democratic Party is that they refuse to acknowledge that personal defense is a basic right. Obama and Biden have near perfect records of voting against gun rights. One would think they would learn the lessons of Al Gore and John Kerry but they never do. Gun rights and the Second Amendment have NOTHING to do with duck hunting.

Though I would not limit this attitude to the coastal elitists of the Democractic Party.

Quote of the Day

Regarding Democrat or Republican:

"Will you be concerned about the brand of the jackboot as it smashes your face?"
- Shermlock Shomes

Socialist Democracy

Michelle Malkin notes the death of fiscal conservatism today, saying in part:

This is your Bush legacy — not Pelosi’s, not Reid’s, not Obama’s: A ginormous bailout of every last, failing, panicked financial institution’s illiquid assets that may reach into the trillions — TRILLIONS – when all is said and done.

I see today as the birthday of the United States as a socialist democracy.

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

I don't tolerate willful stupidity

The news of Whoopi Goldberg's asinine question to John McCain, “Should I worry about being a slave?” is old. But I still have to reply, "Do I have to worry about fighting another Civil War?"

The Plebes Must Pay More!

I knew this was coming. It appears that the Lucre Oil Stadium is gonna cost the city twice as much as much as was projected, according to the local Colts' Ra-ra Rag. I see more local taxes to keep Jim Irsay and the Colts rich. Thanks, boys!

Ike Droppings

We had some Hurricane Ike leavings come through Indy today, mostly in the form of high winds and some rain. The Official Newspaper of the Indianapolis Colts reports a gust of 63 mph at the airport. Well, it must of come through here, too, as one of the blasted ash trees next to the street shucked another limb. What it mostly means for me is cutting the dang thing into small enough pieces so that the trash guys will pick it up. And they're picky.

Why pay 'em as much as men. . .

[Sarcasm on] We all know women will just get pregnant and quit the job anyway. [Sarcasm off] Maybe this sort of thinking is there in Obama's Senate office. I read Deroy Murdock's latest column in the Colt's Official Publicity Brochure today and came away with the following:

- In his Senate office, Obama pays women 83 cents for every dollar his men make.
- Among Obama's top 20 advisors, only seven are women.

while on the other side:

- John McCain pays women $1.04 for every dollar his men make.
- Of McCain's top 20 highest paid employees, 13 are women.

Palin for President!

I might as well jump into the fray and let y'all know who I'm voting for!

PALIN FOR PRESIDENT

Quote of the Day

". . .I gather that liberals don't like Hitler because they're constantly comparing him to Bush."

- Ann Coulter

h/t Shooting the Messenger

Reach out. . .

and touch someone.

Verizon Tech Accused Of Making $220K In Sex Calls

Verizon estimated that out of a 40-week period, Vaccarelli spent 15 weeks talking on 900 chat lines, authorities alleged.

I think it'd be hard to keep your calls straight. Instead of asking, "Thank you for calling Verizon. My name is Joe. How may I help you?" Dialin' Joe could get confused and ask, "Are ya nekkid?"

Election Choices

Over at The Smallest Minority Kevin (who got it from rationalpassion) gets it:

Let's laff at the yokels!

A number of bloggers have pointed to Ben Smith's Blog in which he quotes a little speech Obama gave in my home state of Michigan:

Obama told the crowd that McCain and Palin spent most of the convention talking about their biographies.

Palin's bio is "compelling," Obama said.

The crowd booed. "No, it's an interesting story." More boos. "No, no, it is. I mean that sincerely. Mother, governor, moose shooter."

The crowd broke out in laughter. "That's cool. That's cool. That's cool stuff," Obama said.

I get this same sort of stuff at work when I speak of taking a few days off in November for deer season. "Oh, you're going to shoot Bambi!" they say, thinking themselves quite funny. But in my mind what Obama said, as well as what my hilarious colleagues say is on par with someone joking with Obama, "Hey Barry! Heading out to have some watermelon?" and having all the 'good ol' boys' yuck it up at his expense.

Now if only the trains ran on time. . .

Troubling report from over at Pro-Gun Progressive:

The Police State Pays A Visit

At least they didn't shoot his dog. But seriously, I think a lot of people don't recognize the principle of the Slippery Slope. The police visit mentioned above was done because the ". . .victim purchased and voluntarily registered handgun ammunition in a caliber that the Maryland State Police records did not show the citizen owned." So the government drew the assumption that this was a straw purchase and sent in the cops. What if the government started to do some data mining of all credit card purchases of ski masks done outside the months of December, January, and February and sending the police to visit the billing addresses of those credit cards? Obviously anyone buying a ski mask when it isn't cold outside is going to use it for robbing stores, banks, or doing hold-ups.

What's a little freedom when you can have all that safety and protection?

Return to Darujhistan

It was a bit like Christmas yesterday when I got home from work and opened the mailbox to discover that a book I had ordered, Steven Erikson's Toll the Hounds: Book Eight of The Malazan Book of the Fallen had arrived. I was working my way through this series a second time before this arrived. Gritty, with flawed but compelling and sometimes endearing characters written in a style to challenge the thoughtful reader, I highly recommend Steven Erikson's series to anyone who enjoys fantasy. For more on this series and the world that Erikson's created you can go to the Wikipedia entry, Malazan Book of the Fallen. We now return to our regular programming.

P.S. Written with Tam's ". . .nor any drop to drink." post in mind.

Mayor Thug does the frog march

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleads guilty and resigns.

Son of Quote of the Day

Funny that the media never thinks any Democrats' children are fair game.

- Ace

Quote of the Day

If a Democrat mom chooses public office, she’s a patriot Wonder Woman imbued with Absolute Moral Authority on children’s, health, and social welfare issues.

If a Republican mom chooses public office, she’s the child-neglecting spawn of Satan who has no business debating any domestic public policy because of alleged hypocrisy.

Ain’t feminism grand?

- Michelle Malkin

Sharks and Politicians

I want to start this post by observing that when I write I envision an audience of co-workers who I consider friends and bloggers who I consider acquaintances and potential friends. I'm worried that with this post I may irritate if not alienate some. It is not, however, my intention to demean or denigrate. I do, though, feel compelled to say my piece regarding the reaction to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as a running mate.

I don't look at the presidential election as a sports competition or an ongoing reality show (though I grant that the Press has a tendency to portray it along those lines.*) Thus I'm uncomfortable with the giddiness and glee that I see greeting the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. She seems to have a number of attractive points. But I remind myself that she was selected by a political machine that does not have our best interests at heart but ultimately has the goal of perpetuating its own power. Look at it another way: A shark swims, eats, and seeks to perpetuate its kind. Politicians are much the same. The Republicans are the current big shark in the lagoon. The Democrats would like replace them. I myself would much rather not have a big shark that controls our swimming in the lagoon. I would rather replace it with something closer to a dolphin that would protect our use of the lagoon from the marauding Democrat and Republican sharks.

*Or sometimes, in the case of Obama, leftist journalists use the tone of a Gospel writer.

Security Through Obscurity (and Lawyering Up)

Adam Savage tells of MythBusters and RFID at the start of this clip. (The rest is good, too.)



h/t to The Consumerist.

Does this mean. . .

that if I don't vote for McCain/Palin, I'm a sexist?

Willing to help

IUPUI POLICE
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
1232 W Michigan Street
Indianapolis IN 46202
ACTIVITY REPORT
August 29, 2008

08/28/08, 0800

08000854 Other

Lot 62 – 345 N. Lansing Street

An employee waved down an officer and turned over a box of ammunition she had found in her home. The ammunition had belonged to her ex-husband and she wanted to turn it over to police so that it could be safely destroyed.

Hey, I'm willing to help here. I'll make sure any unwanted ammo is safely destroyed particularly any .45ACP rounds and 12 and 20 gauge shotgun shells. I'll even take your .270 Winchester and .35 Remington rifle ammo. Deer season is just around the corner.

Quote of the next day

A reporter working for the Colts News Organization IndyStar reports that a family hit the $300,000 jackpot after suing a cemetery over a casket mishap in which they were exposed to the dearly departed who looked a bit the worse for wear after being dead for over a year. The quote comes from one of the plaintiffs:

"Now, maybe my brother can rest."

Yeah, right. He's at rest knowing that he was able to win ya the Big Bucks in the Litigation Lottery.

Quote of the Day

X-rated video shot in Bartlett park

And the quote of the day?

"I think I'm not letting my kids go down that slide anymore."

Getting Fortville's Goat

Saw this in the Colt's Official Publicity Brochure today:

Goats in the yard? Town officials say there ought to be a law

I seem to recall my father resigning his position on the town board of Shepherd, Michigan after finding some of the other members to be petty little Hitlers (not his words but mine.) I read that in Fortville, Indiana:

Sarah Brown [owner of the goats] said she believes town officials have a personal agenda against her and her family.

"We've got a bunch of bullies trying to take people's animals away," Brown said.

You think? I'm beginning to see that there's a plethora of petty little Hitlers in a lot of local government.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I had an urge for something sweet last night and made my favorite cookies: chocolate oatmeal no-bake cookies following a recipe that my mother used since I was a kid. The recipe:



And the results:



The only changes to the recipe that I might suggest are watch carefully as depending on the humidity/weather/pixies the cookies might be done after 6 minutes. If they get too done you can always add a bit of milk in to soften them up. The other change is you can use waxed paper on which to drop the cookies.

So see, I have something more going for me than just my good looks. I can cook, too!

Recycling "Green" Bags

I noticed that Roberta has mentioned that she was introduced to Mrs. Shomes project of Frankensteining "green" bags into something a bit more personal and pleasing to the eye. I thought I'd post a pic of a couple of the finished bags.

BlogMeet Triumvirate

After going to Target to purchase a pink collar and leash for Pumpkin (sister of the bug-eating Pie) Mrs. Shomes and I drove down to the Broad Ripple Brew Pub to join Roberta X and Old Grouch for food, beverages and conversation at Part Two of the August BlogMeet. Our numbers were small but I like to think it was due to the happenstance of the schedules of those absent and not the power the currenty-absent-at-Blackwater Tamara to cloud men's minds* and make them come to blogmeets.

*I admire the other person who was able to cloud men's minds, Lamont Cranston, for no other reason than his choice of weapon for concealed carry was not one but two 1911's!

Lucre Oil Stadium

Hmmm. The IndyStar, normally serving the role as the propaganda arm of the Colts and offering free advertising with every fluff 'news' item they write concerning TGS (That Goddam Stadium) give the taxpayers a small peak at the man behind the curtain:

New deal lets Colts rake in cash

The Colts ". . .could reap $1.4 billion over the next three decades in one of the sweeter stadium deals in the National Football League."

And what do we residents of Indianapolis get beyond the knowledge that the Colts' owner Jim Irsay will never be on welfare?

"Keeping the team in Indianapolis lends the city a certain prestige bestowed on few American cities."

Thanks, but you can keep it and instead give me a decent mass transit system, a real sewer system, better schools, etc. etc. You know. Stuff that actually benefits the citizens and taxpayers.

Son of Indy August BlogMeet

Roberta X has the graphic.

Aug. 24, 3:00 PM at the Broad Ripple Brew Pub. Be there!

Racism Outside the U.S.? That can't be!

Impossible! We all know that only we in the U.S. are racists. I don't know where the Consumerist found this. And Michelle Malkin must have photoshopped these.

File Under "Nut" and "Blind Squirrel"

Over at The Smallest Minority Kevin reports that in Newsweek (a magazine that I have little if any regard for) Patty Davis writes on the outrage that occurred to Mayor Cheye Calvo in Berwyn Heights, Md. Kevin promises to write more on this and I look forward to reading what he produces.

And reflecting on this, I note that the victim of this botched police raid was a photogenic white politician. I wonder how many non-white, not so photogenic common citizens have been victimized by the police in such raids and don't have Patty Davis to write about them?

Safe Sex in South Asia

Condom ringtone launched in India

Hmmm. I wonder how you say 'jimmy hat' in Hindi?

'Janu Topi?'

Ek miniT roko!
Barfadmi ek miniT roko, ek miniT!
Janu Topi chahiye!

There's immigrants and then there's

refugees.

Myanmar refugees wait months for aid in Fort Wayne

Now if I was a cynic I would observe the real problems the Burmese refugees are facing is that:

1. They're here legally and not illegally.

2. They're from Southeast Asia and not from South of the Border.

But thank heavens I'm not a cynic and would never say anything like that.

Too much, the Magic Bus

I saw in the IndyStar today:

IndyGo wants to raise bus fares by 25 cents a ride

In part:

Faced with rising fuel costs and higher demand for bus service, IndyGo has proposed increasing its fares by 25 cents per trip beginning in January.

The increase, presented Monday to a City-County Council committee as part of the agency's 2009 budget, would bump the cost of a bus ride to $1.75.

Now I can understand this. The rising price of fuel has boosted the price of just about everything. But when they say:

"We're doing everything we can to preserve what little service we have as it is," said Michael Terry, IndyGo's interim president and chief executive officer.

I lose it. As I said before, they just do not get it. Local politicians will fall all over themselves to hand money to Jim Irsay and the Colts, seeing the Lucas Oil Stadium as an amenity. But they don't see the bus system as an amenity. They could have pumped some of that $750 million spent on the Lucas Oil Stadium into IndyGo and advertised Indianapolis as a city where you can "park you car and never have to use it again" but instead chose the route of offering the plebes bread and circuses at that goddam stadium.

Bon Voyage BlogMeet Report

Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Shomes, Shermlock Jr. and I joined Roberta X, Tamara, Brigid and last but not least, Old Grouch to give Tam a send off to Blackwater. The beer was good, the Scotch Eggs were good and the company was great. I'm looking forward to this coming Sunday's repeat meeting at the Broad Ripple Brew Pub. Maybe I'll try the Scotch Egg pizza!

Reparations to Libya for Reagan's Air Strike

Just saw this at the National Review:

The Bush Administration Agrees to Pay Libya Reparations for Air Strike Ordered by President Reagan

Crap. What will we be paying the Germans for Dresden, much less the Japanese for Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Idiots.