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.