Mouse on the Sofa, Enjoying the Sunny Spot

Taken by the Lovely Misses with the Canon 20D.
Scaled and touched up with The Gimp.

Around the buddleia

Hummingbird clearwing (Hemaris thysbe)

fl: 82mm (macro); exp.: 1/1000s, f/6, ISO 200; NEF file processed with the Gimp 2.2

This Monarch is a little tattered but still taking care of business...

fl: 82mm (macro); exp.: 1/640s, f/6, ISO 200; NEF image processed with the Gimp 2.2

Tag: photography

Surveilling the domain

fl:70mm; exp: f/4.5, 1/200s, ISO 200; NEF image processed with the Gimp 2.2

Tag: photography

Foo Foo has a snack

fl: 70mm; exp: f/4.5, 1/100s, ISO 200; NEF image processed with the Gimp 2.2

Tag: photography

New living room grouping with Isobell

Our other cat, Isobell, has adopted the center cushion on the new sofa as her own. Go ahead, try to sit there. I dare you.

Update: Now with Contrast!

Mouse One Month Ago and Today

Taken about a month ago. The fur was just starting to cover over where they had shaved her.


Taken today. Her fur is starting to fill in nicely.

Mouse

This is Mouse, our 10-and-a-half year old chocolate mitted ragdoll. She was diagnosed with a sarcoma that developed at the site of her rabies vaccination. We don't know how long she has left, but so far she's been doing pretty well.

(Canon 20D, cropped and scaled with The GIMP)

UPDATE: Well, it's almost 4 months since the initial post, and now just over 2 months since we went through with the surgery to amputate her cancerous right rear leg. It was disarticulated at the hip and she hasn't had any trouble... well if you don't count the 'bed sore' on her OTHER side. That still has about a 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm piece of scab + matted fur that is tenaciously hanging on.

Mouse gets around in fine tripod fashion: front left, front right, hop. Her back left leg is now--more or less--her back center leg, but it works better than it sounds.

The cancer was stage 3, so there is still work for the folks at the VCA Referral Clinic: every 6 months we need to take her in for a chest x-ray to see if anything has spread to her lungs. Thus far her incision line is clean, and that is very good news. At the rate her tumor was growing it would be positively ginormous by now. Similarly, there have been no signs of breathing difficulties.

After a heart-to-heart with her, My Lovely Wife announced that there was an agreement in principle for 10 more years. Let's hope.

just spiffing up a bit

I'm still playing with the font.

Behold the rudbeckias

Exposure: 40mm, f/4.5, 1/50s, ISO 200; NEF file processed with the GIMP

There is a purple coneflower peaking 'round the back. Can you see it?

Thoughts On Crusader Lutheran Chuch....

...as filtered through the mind's eye of one of those Old School Lutheran Church ladies.

"Crusader? Uff! What sort of name is that? Oh, Shepherd of the Hills, or Shepherd of the Prairie or Shepherd of the Valley: those are good names! Even Trinity or Prince of Peace! But what kind of hotdish can you expect to get at Crusader Lutheran Church anyway? Uff da!

UPDATE: My dear wife says I forgot "Good Shepherd". And so I did.

Riviera BallroomLake Geneva

Shutter: 1/1000s, f/16; FL: 22mm; NEF file processed with the GIMP 2.2

Tag: photography

Popeye'sLake Geneva

Shutter: 1/1000s, f/16; FL: 22mm; NEF file processed with the GIMP 2.2

Tag: photography

I'm wit' Mitt

Mitt's catch phrase doesn't have the same cachet as "I like Ike." Sort of like it's coming from the lower east side.

Sigh...

Palm with rain drops

Nikon D70, FL: 82mm, Shutter: 1/40s, f/6; Processed with the GIMP 2.2

Tag: photography

Robin at the bath

Nikon D70, FL:180mm, Shutter: 1/500s-f/5.6, Processed with the GIMP 2.2
Tag: photography

Red Azalea

A friend of ours, a Maryland native, said that no self-respecting Marylander has a yard without an azalea. Well, after a year in the house, we are finally self-respecting.
Canon D20, scaled with The Gimp

Arlington Memorial Bridge (detail)

Detail of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, from the deck of the Odyssey on the Potomac.
Taken with the Canon D20, Cropped and scaled with The Gimp

First Rose of 2007

photo credit: The Lovely Mrs. with the Canon D20; scaled with The Gimp

Lucky kid...

Kyle and Paul Konerko, May 12, 2007.

Big FallsSo. ForkJump River, WI

Tag: photography

Tulips, stately Larson Manor

Behind the pansies and between the tufty, lily-like plants and the cotoneasters that our builder left us, we planted a selection of tulips. The first two colors to emerge are the purple (negrita) and yellow. Coming later this spring (or rather sooner) Queen of the Night 'black' tulips. (Hopefully they'll have some overlap.)

The Black and Gold represent St. Olaf College and the Purple and Black represent Northwestern University. Alas, there aren't any blue ones, so my alma mater's colors weren't available.

Canon D20, shot JPEG-only. Scaled with the GIMP

One of Last December's Pansies Returns for Spring

Outside Stately Larson Manor, the bed of pansies we planted last November or early December have come back up this spring. Here's one of them, up close and personal.

It's odd that "pansy" has become a pejorative term. These are pretty tough little flowers to make it well into winter and still have enough oomph to return in the spring.

Taken with the Canon D20. Bandwidth-saving crop done with the GIMP

After Much Deliberation and Research...

...The Missus and I have purchased a Canon D20. Even after adding a 2GB Compact Flash, carry-bag, sales tax and so forth, we came in under the price of the new D30 before tax.

For me, the deciding factor was comfort. I had to bend my finger rather radically to reach the shutter button on the Digital Rebel XTi. The D20, being a little wider, felt very natural in my hands.

We hope to have some photos to add in the coming days.

Dolomite FormationCave Point County Park

Formation, normally submerged, offshore from Cave Point County Park near Bailey's Harbor.
Tag: photography

Hickory Dickory Dock

Tag: photography

Just On General Principle

I'd like to see Bush fire all the remaining Clinton appointees among the US Attorneys (if any).

(UPDATE)
What perplexes me is that how Bush who can take a Never Appease the Enemy approach with Islamic totalitarians acts like such an appeaser on the home front. His entire presidency has been marked with attempts to suck up to Democrats. The only non-negotiable is the war--and even then he threw Rumsfeld under the bus after the 2006 midterms.

A puzzlement!

Misadventures in Whale Saving

Then again, maybe the whales should just be left alone:
Japanese Fisherman Killed Trying to Rescue Whale

Remember: Whales are wild animals. Really, really, freaking huge, wild animals. Please don't try this at home.

Tagged: Whales, Why Do They Hate Us

Old Rail CarStumphouse Mtn, SC

Detail of an old rail car at the entrance to the Stumphouse Mountain tunnel, South Carolina.

Tagged: photography

[fixed the tag - Ed.]

Oconee Station FallsOconee Station SP, SC

Tagged: photography

So That Congress May Hear...

...what our men and women in uniform think of their 'non-binding resolution', there is a site which Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard military personnel may sign an Appeal For Redress. Here is the wording:

As an American currently serving my nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat. I also respectfully urge my political leaders to actively oppose media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home. The War in Iraq is a necessary and just effort to bring freedom to the Middle East and protect America from further attack.

Too often our Congress acts as though our Armed Forces cannot hear them. If you are serving and have been disturbed by the actions of certain Congressmen, have a look at the site.

(h/t The Thunder Run)

Skyline DriveShenandoah National Park

Merry Christmas

For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,* Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (New Living Translation)

Making Blades, Toledo Style

Toledo, España, that is. Mark in Mexico shows how it was done back in the 16th century.

It is also somewhat of a buying guide to blades in Mexican markets.

Mark promises a future article on the Damascus steel method; I had thought that method was lost. Stay tuned... I know I will.

Bill Roggio in Anbar, IQ

Bill Roggio is reporting from Anbar province. Here are his latest dispatches:
Fallujah Today, and on Route Mobile
A Day Inside Fallujah
Hearts & Minds

Daschle Decides Not to Run

With a tip of the Internet hat to Carol Platt Liebau, here is the announcement a good dozen or so people were waiting for: Tom Daschle is not going to run for President.

I, too, am not going to run.

There. I said it, and I now yield the microphone to the next of the 299,999,900 (give or take) of us with the good sense not to bother running for President to announce his non-plan to a non-caring public.

What's Up In Iraq?

Dunno. But Bill Roggio is there now to help us find out "the rest of the story".

"Can Republicans embrace Hagel?"

Is the question asked by the WashingPost's David Ignatius. The PowerLine guys mention it here.

Now I'm no expert in philosophy, so I'm not exactly sure about him. Given that there were both Right and Left Hegelians make it a tougher call. The Left (or Young) Hegelians' more revolutionary view of the man's work, and their advocacy of atheism, would lead me to conclude that Hegel would be a tough sell for Republicans.

Hm? Hagel?! The Senator from Nebraska? Embrace him for what?

Let's see... from Ignatius's article: "WASHINGTON -- A month ago, the idea that Sen. Chuck Hagel would make a serious run for the Republican presidential nomination would have been a nonstarter."

And it still is. No need to read further.

(See here for Carol Liebau's take)

"Botched Joke" Redux

John Kerry stuck to his lame "it was a botched joke" excuse when he got called to the carpet to explain why he was slagging the armed forces right before the election.

(UPDATE: Kerry is now dead last in "likeability" survey... gee, I wonder why.)

Well, now here comes Charlie Rangel:

I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq.

A few weeks AFTER the election we can see that the Left End of the Democrat Party really DOES think the military is made up of nothing but the poor and desperate.

What kind of dimwits continue to support Charlie Rangel?
(HT: Rantburg, via Little Green Footballs and Hot Air)

Protein Wisdom has this article. Among the comments, a charge of "swiftboating" Charles Rangel. To review: "To Swiftboat" is "to tell the truth about your opponent's record or history." This isn't "swiftboating" this is plinking a congressjerk who richly deserves it.

Powerline has the video.

Scientists say it is now okay to pull my finger

Here's the headline from our neighbors to the north:
Methane levels no longer rising, say scientists

There you go: SCIENTISTS say so.

From the story: "Methane levels have stayed nearly flat for the past seven years." Seven whole years? That's not a very impressive interval given a geologic timescale. Indeed it is only a little longer than the Bush administration. Someone must have slipped up in allowing this to be reported.

(h/t: Rantburg)

Big Brave Rosie?

Rosie O'Donnell declared that we should not fear the terrorists since they are just mothers and fathers.

The terrorists we are concerned with are young, Muslim men of Middle Eastern background. Just to keep the record straight.

Diane Sawyer in the DPRK

Diane Sawyer, the former weather girl from Louisville, is in North Korea making a show of interviewing people on the street. (I'm assuming that she isn't naive enough to believe anyone she meets can speak freely in a Stalinist dictatorship.)

Here are some photos that Li'l Kim would rather you not see. They were taken by a Russian web designer. A translation to English is here. Check out the 'computer' on the first page.

I doubt Diane will ever try to slip her handlers and get into the countryside. I wonder if she would even consider it. We'll see, but I'm not holding my breath for anything earthshaking from Big Media.

UPDATE: The link to the Russian website. The Military Photos link I provided above sources the photos from the Russian site... and occasionally they fail to show up next to the English translations.

New(ish) Iraqi Government Getting in the Swing of Things

Headline at Rantburg that made me chuckle: "Iraqis Form Special Committee to Deal with Illegal Militias".

We'll see how much they've learned from the American Model if they name George Mitchell to chair it.

(The story's real headline is "Iraqi Government Fights Back Against Insurgent Violence". You can view the story here.)

Could this Be Why...

...young Mohammedan youth decided to go on phone-buying binges, separating batteries and phones and such? (Article here.)

"How Qaeda Warned Its Operatives on Using Cell Phones":

When an aspiring Al Qaeda terrorist is buying a cell phone, it's best that he purchase the chip inside the device under a phony name or from a black market vendor that does not sell the accompanying documentation. If he has any reason to believe his phone has been tapped, he should sell it immediately to a stranger.

Might be interesting to know the browsing habits of the young men involved. I'm not saying... I'm just saying.

Travels Around DC

Takoma Park, MD
Located right next to the District's Northeast edge, its motto is (or rather should be)

You're Always Welcome to Takoma Park
Just be sure to bring it back when you're done with it.

Angel's Lady Wendella 'Wendy'

April 27, 1996—September 12, 2006

eLarson writes: She was a pretty good dog, albeit a little food-aggressive. I learned the hard way that her concept of food extends even to butter wrappers. Still, though, I'll remember the way she could devour a bowlful of kibble in under a minute. Or how she could catch fragments of Iams dog treats in midair. Or the way Dad would hide them around their house, letting her sniff her way to them.

She was bred from a line of agility trial dogs. And though she had no formal training, I'll remember the way she could jump all the way over the sectional sofa at my parents' house. Or walk along the back of it, tightrope style. I'll remember the time we discovered her standing on the dining room table after a holiday meal. No one saw her get up there, but some surmised that she may have jumped off the back of that sofa.

I'll remember the way she would tug on the sleeve of my sweatshirt to get me to play on days when I was staring at a computer screen. I recall that she was a little afraid of my Cannondale, but she did like going for rides in a trailer behind it. ("Daddy, look! There's a doggy in there!")

I'll remember the way she would sing along with certain songs. She liked Patricia Barber, in particular. Something about the tone of the guitar in the mix.

It was a relief that she went quietly and before there was any obviously debilitating pain.

I'll miss her.

She was a good dog.

Okay then... a round up of the news

Via Rantburg: Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) Prefers Saddam. Mass grave victims unavailable for comment.

With respect to intelligence prior to the latest Battle of Iraq--and really that is the focus of the CBS article--imagine the following alternative:
Tenant says "It's a slamdunk" inre: Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction. Instead of toppling the Hussein regime, however, Bush does nothing. Then, say, in late 2005 Sarin gas found it's way to the Washington, DC, Metro, killing thousands. What would Jay Rockefeller say in such a case? I doubt it would stop with "Bush Knew", as the the famous NY Post headline had it.

In what way did scurrilous accusations such as "Bush Knew!" shape the policy of pre-emptive warfare that has Democrats bent wildly out of shape?

Via Carol Platt Liebau: Former Clintonistas, Congressional Democrats Throw Tantrum Over Upcoming ABC Docudrama.
There has been so much whining and gnashing of teeth over this coming ABC miniseries that it is almost enough to make me open the 9/11 Commission Report PDF again. But only "almost". Sandy Berger's pilfering from the National Archive during the time of the Committee hearings alone should make him want to hide in a closet more than shout from the rooftops about the events of 1993 - 2000.

What do you reckon he may have walked out with? And what, if anything, took its place in the Archive? Perhaps all the crowing suggests that they are confident anything that may have corroborated events portrayed in the film would not be found? Just asking.

"What I Did On My Summer Vacation"

UPDATE 3: (via Little Green Footballs)
The Pittsburgh area.


UPDATE 2: (once again from Rantburg)
This time Middle Eastern youths in Tuscon buying up the prepaid phones from Sam's Club and Wal-Mart. As an anonymous commenter wrote: "Thanks for the publishing the surveillance tip, New York Times."

Another Rantburg commenter from Australia mentions that the phone he believes TracFone is using costs $160 there. A possibility for profit, true enough.

Let's just find out where these phones are going before letting the whole thing go, eh?

UPDATE: (via Rantburg)
Apparently it is a very popular passtime this year.

Last week, the Grafton police pulled over 24-year-old Hashem Sayed for a routine traffic stop. But what they found in his car was far from routine. Patrolman Daniel Laymon recalls the scene, "There were multiple cell phones, roughly 150 to 200 cell phones from multiple retailers," he said. Buying that many pre-paid phones is not a crime, but the police say it is unusual.

Or not so unusual in the peace-loving Muslim community....

From the Appleton (WI) Post-Crescent story about Dallas-area men apparently hoarding TracFone pre-paid wireless phones:

The Dearborn men, Ali Houssaiky and Osama Abulhassan, both 20, have been charged with two felonies - money laundering in support of terrorism and soliciting or providing support for acts of terrorism - and misdemeanor falsification. A preliminary hearing on the felony counts was set for Tuesday.

According to this story in The Arab American News, they were merely out buying the phones low and selling higher to a retailer. (Maybe WalMart really is the Lowest Prices. Always.) Interesting way to work your way through school.

Then there was this detail, as reported by AP: "The two had in their possession a dozen prepaid cell phones and more than $10,000. AP reported Thursday that officers also found airplane passenger lists and airport security information in the car."

Passenger lists? Where does someone go to obtain that? According to the Arab American News story: "Houssaiky's mother is an employee of Jordanian Airlines at Metro Detroit Airport," said Subhi. "It was her car that the two were riding in and the papers were related to her work."

I'm not sure that's a good answer. Isn't that sort of thing confidential? Why bring that home?

Given the ability of a mobile phone to detonate a bomb, I can see the concern that a huge number of phones being purchased with cash can raise.

The Arab American News story wanted to make sure everyone knew this:

Osama Abulhassan's father Subhi said he wanted the public to know the injustice that he believed his son is being put through..."I would say that every nationality and religion on the face of the earth has its good and bad people."

Yeah, we all do. It just happens the most notorious lot of lunatics belongs to your religion these days. Sorry about that.

I'm sure these two kids will skate once it can be shown that the phones aren't all heading to the Middle East and the cash they're using to buy them didn't come from some shadowy Al Qaeda financier. UPDATE 4: The terrorism case is not being pursued by Ohio prosecutors for lack of evidence. (Detroit Free Press)

Commonality:

The activity seems to be more than just a coincidence. All three men are from Dearborn, Michigan and all three gave similar reasons for buying the phones. Sayed said he was buying them to ship to California to sell for a profit.

Am I to understand from this statement that there are no Walmarts in California? Uhh... no. There are quite a few, actually.

A fine blue and gold evening

Perhaps Feeling Ignored, the Car Lobbies for Attention

I got in the car this morning, ready to take on the Outer Loop of the Beltway as I do each weekday morning.

I turned the key, and rather than starting in that normal, reliable Honda kind of way, the car rewarded me with a frantic, flickery dashboard light show accompanied by some pathetic clicking.

15 months old and a new battery already? We'll see.

The Saga of Our New House Continues

Today, moments from completing some paintwork, the builder's warranty department's contractor's men managed to spill a couple gallons of Antique White down the stairs. The paint soaked the carpet, spattered the walls, the woodwork... and some framed artwork. They managed to clean that up, but the carpet looks to be a total loss.

More light blogging ahead.

UPDATE: Looks like they've agreed that the carpet will need to be replaced. There will be some serious clean-up on the woodwork, too. The builder's warranty department sent over their usual house-cleaning crew, and reports from My Lovely Bride are that they've done a fine job. She hadn't been downstairs yet to see what they've been able to accomplish in the midst of yesterday's mess.

My Life as a Beagle, Part III

Ah, what a fine day this has been.
Oh, excuse me. I must be a little sleepy.
Tag: Photos

...and He's Not Going to Take it Anymore

Jeff Goldstein has had more than enough of Deb Frisch and is now seeking legal recourse against her.

(See this post here, and this one at Jeff's for background.)

Jeff has put out an appeal for screenshots of her bizarre comments and ip information for the poster of those comments. None here, thankfully, but I post it as a "get out the word" kind of assist.

The person in question has used a lot of pseudonyms, but she has a certain strange writing style featuring words like "phuque" and "ephu". If you need more, I can find more. UPDATE: She also seems fond of "pissant" and "anklebiter". On more than one occasion she's used the term "hump" and "humping". You can find more of her lexicon in the comments section over at Patterico's post on the subject.

So if you seen this woman's bizarre ramblings--particularly those about Jeff Goldstein's family--on your site, pass the ip information for the poster and a screen shot of the comments to Jeff.

Best of luck, Jeff. No one should have to put up with those kinds of comments about one's children.

UPDATE 2: Oh, and Ace's place at MuNu seems to be down right now, too.

UPDATE 3: There was some kind of weirdness with "guest bloggers" this past weekend at Ace's. Not sure what was up with all of it, but well, you can see it for yourself. Jeff's posting occasionally, too, which is nice. Illegitimi Non Carborundum!

A fine Saturday afternoon on the patio

My life as a beagle, Part II

Today was a pretty good day. After everyone left, I had my choice of sleeping places. I was still asleep on the living room couch when Grandpa came in. I am so embarrassed. But, all is well. After going out, I had my favorite snack: ground beef with rice.

All for now. I'm really sleepy again. I think I shall nap in the chair in the loft.

Tag: Photos

My life as a beagle, part I

My are my nails growing. I think I need a trim.

Well, here I am. Glaucoma has taken the sight of one eye but I can sort of see out of the other. Enough to find my water bowl.

I had a nice walk in the yard when Grandpa came home. He gave me a cookie when we came in but I spit it up. No problem. Grandma made me rice and beef for supper. Man, was that good.

All for now. I have to go out.

Tag: Photos

Social Security Numbers and Those Illegally in the USA

From BizzyBlog comes this piece from the Washington Times:

Since 2003, the SSA has issued Social Security numbers, dubbed “non-working,” to foreign nationals who need them to collect state or federal benefits, such as public assistance.

The problem is that the SSA isn't allowed to tell an employer that the person they just hired using that SSN is not authorized to work in the country. From the article:

Privacy concerns prevent the Social Security Administration from notifying an employer that a hired foreign national is not authorized to work in this country, including someone who may be a potential national security risk, says a government audit.

The audit, by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General, also found the agency fears employers will improperly terminate the illegal workers who have been issued Social Security numbers, leading to “adverse publicity.”

Hell's Bells! The SSA fears adverse publicity!

This also puts a crimp in my proposed "match/no-match" system for determining whether a proferred SSN matches the name and birthdate of the applicant. In the interest of doling out more Government welfare, people who aren't authorized to work now HAVE Social Security Numbers.

Well, digging a little further, I found the "How do I get a Social Security Card" page. It details three different kinds:

# The first type of card shows your name and Social Security number and lets you work without restriction. We issue it to:

* U.S. citizens; and
* People lawfully admitted to the United States on a permanent basis.

# The second type of card shows your name and number and notes, “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION.” We issue this type of card to people lawfully admitted to the United States on a temporary basis who have DHS authorization to work.

# The third type of card shows your name and number and notes, “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT.” We issue it to people from other countries:

I'm thinking the businesses that routinely hire illegal aliens aren't going to actually ask the guy standing in the 7-11 parking lot to fork over his card. (Hell, Mr. Contractor isn't likely to ask him to fill out an app.)

So if the SSA won't inform the employer that the number that was given--provided the employer even bothered to collect that number--what is the purpose of having three different cards? A search of their FAQ didn't turn up any references to "Undocumented Worker" or "Illegal Alien", so it could be fair game for their questions page. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for an answer.

Protein Wisdom Off the Air

After some seriously derranged blather--including what can be inferred to be a threat against Jeff Goldstein's child--from a poster who claims to be an instructor at the University of Arizona, Protein Wisdom seems to be down. The outage seems to have started yesterday afternoon and persists this morning.

It could be a DDOS against Jeff's host or something, but I hope Thursday night's weirdness hasn't escalated to something else.

UPDATE: PW is back as of 1658 EDT.

UPDATE 2: It's gotten scary in a Cape Fear kind of way. "Google satchel" might mean one of two things. One thing might have been some kind of urging to Mrs. Goldstein to examine their son for signs of abuse... a disturbing allegation with no evidence.

The other might be this. The murdered cheese shop owner's name is... Goldstein. The story mentions a satchel.

This is some bizarre kind of threat.

Jeff has contacted the authorities, and rightly so. Hopefully they will reach this lady before she hurts herself or someone else.

I love my Grandma

I can hear you and smell you. But I can scarce see you these days.

Tag: Photos

I just can't keep my eyes open

Tag: Photos

Yet another fine evening

Tag: Photos

I am so sleepy…

Tag: Photos

Must Read: Ledeen on Iranian Influence in Iraq Theater

(Via Rantburg)

It isn't (just) Ba-athists killing our troops in Iraq. There are a substantial number working for Tehran. This piece by Michael Ledeen details the nature of Iraqis, Iranians, Shi'ite Iraqis who fled to Iran during the Iran/Iraq War, and a schism within Shi'a Islam.

(Cross Posted at Potbelly Stove)

I Don't Miss Him Already

This one floated right under my radar: Norman Mineta has resigned as Secretary of Transportation.

Mineta, who served in the Clinton cabinet, was sort of a poster boy for George W. Bush's "New Tone" in Washington. (And a fat lot of good THAT's done for him. I would have been for waving buh-bye to every last holdover from the Clinton Administration. But that's just me.)

Perhaps now we can stop with the politically correct airport searches of Cub scouts and grandmothers.

Beagle Saves Man

This post at On Tap blog shows why it is that beagles really aren't "dumb". Willful? Yes. Selectively deaf? You betcha. But dumb? Not necessarily.

Excerpt:

Not only are beagles darn cute, make great cartoon characters, and prevent nasty diseases from ruining our farms and killing our livestock, they can also save your life...

Read it all here.

Another One Bites the Dust

Zarqawi's assistant and a liason between Al Qaeda in Iraq and the tribes south of Baghdad is now toast, too.

The Rantburg story points to a story in the Khaleej Times. The comments section at The Burg has a link to some before and after pix of one Mansur Suleiman al-Mashhadani.

A story yesterday had armed gangs of foreigners high-tailing it out of Iraq toward Syria. I wasn't familiar with the source of the story, but it is linked here. It really is a strange time for Democrats to redouble their "run-away!" efforts, isn't it?

A Midsummer's Eve

Another fine evening. Tag: Photo

Where's Trodwell & Co. Gone?

Once there was a very cool blog up in Canada. I'm not going to link to where it was, since someone is squatting on it now.

But it was the home to Trodwell, Pianoman, a Disaffected Minion and a Carniverous Beaver. I miss those guys. Anyone know where they've gone?

UPDATE: Rather than delete the post, I'll just update it with this link to North American Patriot--who also has hung up the keyboard. They're out for good. Or at least for the foreseeable future. I'm sure the next time Canada decides to veer back to the Libranos, Trodwell & Co. will be heard from in some forum.

Pictures from home

Zark's Dead

The headline is over at Rantburg. We got Zarqawi.

I fully expect videos to be delivered to the Arab satellite news networks showing him alive and well, but with no particular way to date them. Then perhaps some audio tapes that could well have been pieced together from older statements which attempt to make him look alive since he's "talking" about current events.

UPDATE: FoxNews.com has it here with a big photo and the word "Dead".

BBC has the story here.

Drudge makes with the big headline, but no flashy-thing as of 0639.

Here's Christopher Hitchens's piece (via The Hugh Hewitt Show, linked from RadioBlogger.com). From the piece comes this interesting tidbit:

Nick Berg's father, a MoveOn type now running for Congress on the Green Party ticket, has already said that he blames President George Bush for the video-beheading of his own son (but of course) and mourned the passing of Zarqawi as he would the death of any man (but of course, again).

I'm guessing that would make for an interesting campaign ad if anyone needed to bother to advertise against a Green Party candidate. If it were me, I'd be blaming the guy with the knife on the video, but then I'm not suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome.

It's Almost the 6th of June and You Know What THAT Means...

No, not the Mark of the Beast. That's not 6-6-6 anyway, it's 600+60+6 and it refers to Nero Caesar.

No. It means...

It was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June
And a Kenworth pullin' logs
Cab-over Pete with a reefer on
And a Jimmy haulin' hogs
We's headin' for bear on Eye-one-oh
'Bout a mile outa Shakeytown
I says, "Pigpen, this here's Rubber Duck
And I'm about to put the hammer down"

Yup. Convoy Day!

Facts about Convoy...
...There was no C.W. McCall. It was a pseudonym for Bill Fries, who cowrote the song with Chip Davis. (Yes, THAT Chip Davis!) And then there was the film that starred Kris Kristofferson and Ally McGraw and directed by Sam Peckinpah (yes, that Sam Peckinpah.) I haven't seen it in more than 20 years, and I don't think I want to see it now for fear that my general good feeling about it will dissipate in a cringe.

Places I Never Thought I'd Find Myself: Lynchburg, VA

As we headed down US-29 en route to High Point, NC for some serious furniture buying (see also: here), my lovely bride and I stopped off in Lynchburg, Virginia to eat. As we pulled into town, I remembered why it was I had heard of Lynchburg. It is Jerry Falwell's hometown, and Liberty University figures prominently, and I noticed a sign for Jerry Falwell Airport, as well, though we apparently didn't pass it.

As we pulled into the area close to Liberty for reasonably-priced eats, the kids walking around looked pretty much like any other college crowd. I'm not sure if I expected everyone to wear choir robes or what. Maybe it isn't all that different...but then, there it was, parked next to us outside a Mexican restaurant next to a big movie theater: a minivan covered with Bible verses and small, pictorial vignettes. I tried to get my camera phone ready, but sadly it was too dark, and the minivan was pulling away.

Now, I'm all for encouraging bold evangelism, but I've got to say, an over-the-top decoration of one's vehicle doesn't strike me as a good way to go. To paraphrase Hank Hill: You aren't making Christianity better, your just making your van look ridiculous. Too harsh?

As of Today...

...I am no longer on the payroll of the Lazy M. It's been a little strange getting paid to NOT work for a company, but if that's the way they want it, I'll take it. Thankfully, it hasn't precluded me from doing productive work elsewhere. Two pay checks at the same time: it's a good gig, if you can get it.

Some time in the next few weeks I'll get a massive severance check. And for that I wrote on my whiteboard at the old office: "So Long and Thanks for the Fabulous Cash and Prizes." Some of those are here and here.

Since there's still going to be some left over, I'm debating between the DeWalt DW735 and Ridgid TP1300 13" thickness planers. The Ridgid has been hailed in years psat as a good unit, and it costs $100 or so less than the DeWalt. However the Ridgid brand has been sold to the same parent company that owns Ryobi. Not sure if the unit still compares. Anyone know?

Congressional Earmarks: A Primer

Congressman Flake (R-AZ) has a great release on his website that talks about Congressional "ear marks" and what can be done to shine the light of day on them.

Read it here.

(H/T: Hugh Hewitt)

On Immigration After a Fence

Suppose that a fence is built that is able to greatly stem the tide of people illegally entering the country. By greatly, I mean at least by half and preferably by an order of magnitude (90% or so). Now what?

Well, here's a few points I'd like to see addressed:
1) untangle the path to a visa
Stories like that of jockey Edgar Prado's mother who had applied for a visa in order to obtain cancer treatment in the US, only to finally receive it the day before she died imply that the system is hopelessly inefficient. (Attacking inefficiency in government is to tilt at a windmill. Heigh-ho, Rocinante!) If it were possible to screen faster and still weed out the criminal element, so much the better. If the frustration at having to wait for years for a visa is eliminated, it should also reduce the need to run pell-mell for the border.

2) If we really need a horde of underpaid laborers from foreign countries, let us create a visa class especially for that. We have visas for skilled workers, such as engineers. Now we'll have one for ditch diggers, too. Who get's to stay longer? I'd say the engineer, since it is far less likely that he'll hurt his back and no longer be able to work.

3) Make sure the line to obtain such a visa begins in the home country only. Granted, embassies effectively are the home country so not everyone is going to high-tail it back to their literal home soil to stand in the line. (A line which should move somewhat faster, provided that (1) can be worked out.)

4) Abolish the minimum wage.
By having a horde of migrant laborers making very little--albeit more than they would have in their home countries--you effectively say "Minimum wage for Our Kind, Dear, but not for you." It would be better to not have a minimum wage at all.

5) Under no circumstances should voting be an option for someone who is here without a visa. Sorry, Democrats: your pool of "victims" to exploit for electoral gain is not going to be replenished by illegal aliens.

6) Take away the employer's "it's too hard" excuse for SSN verification.
The system should take a Social Security Number, a name and a birthdate. The system should return "match" or "no match". An SSN for an "anchor baby" born two years prior won't match the info for the applicant.

7) Come down on employers who still insist on hiring "no match" workers like a ton of bricks.

This still raises further questions:
How do you know if someone has overstaid their visa?
How could it be renewed? Would a trip to the home country be required, or just a hop over to, say, Canada do the trick?
Will we still care about language issues for migrant workers here legally?

Another Open Question

Whatever happened to SARS?

On Voter Fraud

Do you ever hear about voter fraud or "stolen elections" when it comes to something like the Mosquito Abatement District race?

Why do you suppose that is?

Last Days at the Lazy M: Wednesday

I returned to my Chicago-area office for the first time in 4 months yesterday.

My initial reaction was surprise at the paucity of cars in the parking lot. Normally by that time in the morning, I'd have to park in a far distant corner of the lot. Not so yesterday.

Upon entering the building, cubicles that had been occupied in January were vacant now. The tone was muted among the people having conversations in the hallway. Well, except for one.

"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here," called out someone that I never really liked.

"Good to see you, too," I muttered.

A loose leaf piece of paper was taped to a cube at the top of the row. My name had been removed as occupying the last cube, near the window, though my nameplate still hung there. The monitor was gone, but then again I had told them they could take the PC that had been parked there since I had a laptop. The phones were gone, but they had deactivated my office number months ago.

I kicked around that morning talking to the people who were still going to be working there. The rumor mill had it that another layoff was coming in July. "And it's gonna be bigger."

They are the Left Behind. They're holding on to what they have despite a far-from-certain future. I'd imagine they are looking for work elsewhere as a hedge against the day they get the cryptic looking meeting notice on their calendar. ("Work Discussion" was the title of mine back on April 4.)

I had my exit interview with HR yesterday. It was a briefing, mainly, on what was going to happen to my benefits come the end of this month, the end of next month. How the regular paychecks would continue to come up through the first week in June even though my services were no longer required after Friday, May 12. How I'd get a lump sum represented a large chunk of weeks if I signed the release stating that I wouldn't sue them for wrongful termination.

After speaking with the HR rep, they brought in a gentleman from "Right Services" which is an outplacement firm. I told him that I was living in Maryland now and that starting a discussion about the area. He had attended school first near Baltimore and then at a seminary in the District. I suppose I'll hear from them on Monday, but they weren't able to take any of my contact information yesterday.

After our chat, I went to lunch and then to my parents' home where I'm staying for these couple of days, skipping the mostly empty cubicle farm for the rest of the afternoon. I'm staying away today, too, since there's really nothing I need to do there, and my telecommuter agreement is still in force anyway. If they need me, I can go in, but I doubt it.

Tomorrow, I'll turn in my laptop, secure card and badge. I'll go to lunch and not go back ever again. It's a very liberating feeling, and one that I hope the Left Behind get to feel soon for the sake of their own sanity.

New State Motto for Pennsylvania

"Road Construction Next 162 Miles"

Actually it wasn't that bad of a drive yesterday, since I never had to actually stop for any of the work zones and there were gaps in between them. Maybe this will work better:

"Active When Flashing"

It would fit better on the license plates, no?

A Busy Weekend and Travel

This weekend I've had the opportunity to get to know a lot of the people involved with new membership at a big church in the District. Even though there are more than 2500 members on the rolls and over a thousand in attendance on any given Sunday, they still manage to maintain the feeling of a smaller "neighborhood" church.

For that, I'm going to be joining up in a few weeks.

(Thanks to Hugh Hewitt for encouraging me to look into it last year.)

I'll be posting a little tomorrow if the mood strikes and then I'll be on the road Tuesday. Next week I finish out my time with my employer of the last 11 and a half years. I'll be driving back on Saturday, resting on Sunday and starting my new gig on Monday.

Posting will continue to be sporadic for the next week or so, but if I manage to get a good rant on, I'll be sure to post it after suitable editing for grammar and punctuation. (Hah! -- Ed.)

May 5th

So it is the "Cinco de Mayo" on Friday. After all the scorn for El Gringo on May 1, I can't help but wonder how many of us will be bypassing the local Mexican restaurant in favor of something else.

Maybe the PGA Tour Grill?

Tag: Illegal, Immigration, backlash, Cinco de Mayo

Day's End

Perfect end to a perfect day.

Tag: Photo

It's May 1...

...the big Communist holiday. Not surprisingly, this is the day that the Stalinist organization "Workers World"--umbrella for "International ANSWER"--has chosen for the illegal immigrant amnesty rallies and general strike.

President Bush likes to remind us "They come to do the jobs that Americans won't do." Except of course when they don't show up. No whining if you're fired on Tuesday, okay?

UPDATE: 1400 EDT: lonewacko.com is compiling a list of supporters of this action here.

UPDATE 2: Beth no está cansada.

UPDATE 3: Atlas has her take here.

UPDATE 4: Dennis Dale at Untethered gets the final word on the Day Without an [Illegal] Immigrant. I believe the message is: "What you do? It ain't that hard."

New Job?

Might have a new job on the way, too.

That's nice, especially considering that I wasn't keen on finding out where the unemployment office is around here.

And It's Comcast By A Length!

Comcast has finally come through with our digital cable and broadband package. Not a peep from Verizon, so we may end up going with Comcast's VOIP, too. Not sure yet. (The next cell bill could help crystallize our thoughts...)

High Level Bill Clinton Staffer Fired for Leaking

Mary McCarthy, fired from the CIA for leaking sensitive information to the WashingPost, was part of Bill Clinton's National Security Council. (She succeeded Rand Beers, who went on to become John Kerry's advisor on foreign policy. Is that how John was able to skip out on the official intel briefings?) Ironically, McCarthy was part of the CIA's Inspector General's office. That's the office that investigates leaks. Who got her that gig? I'm sure we'll never find out.

As I posed earlier at Rantburg, every one of Clinton's former staffers who are presently in State, DOD, CIA or any other position that even sniffs foreign policy should be hauled in for questioning.

Harsh?

You've got former Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger caught filching papers from the National Archives (slapped on the wrist with a $10k fine). Former Clinton Justice Department official Jamie Gorelick sat on the 9/11 Commission when she should absolutely been testifying BEFORE that Commission regarding "the wall" that stood in the way of any kind of "dot connecting". (You do remember the "failure to connect the dots" talking point, don't you?) The star of the Plame Name Blame Game, Joe Wilson, was also a member of Clinton's NSC. He got to go off to Niger for a few days, made an oral report only (WTF?) and then loudly claimed that Saddam absolutely didn't try to buy "yellow cake" uranium there. You've got Al Gore, Madeline Albright and even Bill Clinton himself spouting off before foreign audiences about the current administration.

It sure seems like there's more going on than the usual bureaucratic bailiwick protection racket. Rush calls it the Democrats' Culture of Treason. Hard not to think in those terms, I must admit.

A Quick Post: This Day in History

On this day in 1979, President James Earl Carter was confronted by... a bunny. He fought bravely, unlike in Tehran.

(ht: Jeff Goldstein who takes a poetic turn on this occasion)

Ace tells the story here and invents a new word: "lepine", which makes sense in a Night of the Lepus kind of way. So maybe he didn't actually make it up.

What's been going on?

Well, around this blog, I'm sorry to say "not much."

I had been informed by my employer that I've been downsized as of the first week in June. Since I've become rather accustomed to gainful employment, I've put my energy toward finding a new gig here in Washington.

There is an almost bewildering array of jobs to be had around here. The limiting factors are "fit" and "commute". The job I interviewed for this morning would be about 30 miles away. An interesting job, to be sure, but the pay better be really good for it to be worth that kind of daily commute! Time will tell.

Also, we still don't have internet service at the house, and we have a couple of gaping holes in the drywall (heh) to allow the water from our leaky pipe to dry out.

Did I mention that this isn't some antebellum farm house we're talking about, but brand new construction? (Actually, I guess I did.)

Until I've got full time internet--I'm sponging off the WiFi at present--posting will continue to be light.

If you are in the Washington, DC Metro area and have need for a software engineer with experience in embedded systems using vxWorks and C, hit the comments. I'd love to hear from you.

Another Brief Intermission

I'm taking the Verizon Wireless access card back tomorrow.

In the interim, if you are wondering about Good Friday, have a look at Tom Blumer's post at BizzyBlog today.

Have a Blessed Easter. I'll see you on Tuesday (or so).

"Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation."

So said Iranian mullahs' sock-puppet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

On his blog, Hugh Hewitt asks a question (which is probably rhetorical):

At what point will opponents of military action against Iran begin to deal with the regime's statements?

I'll answer anyway, in a manner that I hope is not too flippant: why would they? Most of the no-war-at-any-costs crowd has a certain disdain for Israel. "No war for Israel" is, in fact, one of their favorite slogans, right up there with "No war for oil."

White Sox Spoil Tiger Home Opener

The White Sox won their second in a row, beating the front-running Detroit Tigers in their home opener, 5-3.

They beat the Royals on Sunday to snap a 4-game losing streak.

EDIT: 4/12 - Make it 3 in a row. Should they win tomorrow they'll get back on the good side of .500.

EDIT: 4/13 - You can put it on the board... YES! Thome homers in his 4th straight game, and the White Sox win their 4th straight, sweeping Detroit in their opening homestand of the season. John Garland evened his record at 1-1.

Must Read Post of the Weekend

Fjordman writing at Gates of Vienna:

I have heard some people say that Western popular culture will destroy Islam. That is possible, but we need to remember that this is not a one-way street. What if the opposite happens? Sometimes the barbarians also influence the civilized people, and there is a disturbing amount of “understanding” for terrorists in Western movies and media these days.

Syriana, anyone? Spielberg's moral equivalence in Munich? Fjordman cites V for Vendetta as well.

There's more--much more--at the link.

(via Rantburg)

Now You See How Harry Reid Got the Job

This bit from Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) via Michelle:

The Democrats have once again used parliamentary tactics to obstruct the Senate from pursuing its priorities. The only difference this time is that Senator Frist let them.

Reid may have the camera presence of a 3-days-dead fish, but he is pure parliamentary genius compared with Bill Frist.

Another post later regarding what's needed. (Yeah, I'm solving this "immigration" thing right here.) (*snicker* -- Ed.)

UPDATE 04072006: Too late. Charles Krauthammer appears to have said everything I planned to say. I'm not so sure I'd be too hasty in ditching employer sanctions, but Dr. Krauthammer's proposal has the heart of what I was planning to post: a fence. Or more particularly, a double fence with a road between for patrols, surveillance cameras and seismic sensors. (Like this 14-mile stretch between Tijuana and California.) (HT: Hugh)

Alternatives? How about using the National Guard to reinforce the border patrol? That was proposed by Barbara Boxer and Jane Harman back in 1993. Feel free to ask them what changed. While you're at it, ask Harry Reid what changed his mind about the borders having been "overflowed with illegal immigrants placing tremendous burdens on our criminal justice system, schools and social programs," which concerned him terribly in 1993. It hasn't gotten any better since then.

Among all the undoubtedly hardworking Mexicans skipping the immigration line and walking right in, you have others, what ICE calls "OTM"--Other Than Mexican. Here's word from Robert Mueller of a Hezbollah smuggling ring at the border:

"This was an occasion in which Hezbollah operatives were assisting others with some association with Hezbollah in coming to the United States,” Mueller told a House Appropriations subcommittee during a Tuesday hearing on the FBI's budget.
(source: NewsMax)

But don't worry. They're only doing the work that Americans won't do.

Fear the Turtle!

Congratulations to the University of Maryland Lady Terps on topping Duke in OT for the Ladies' NCAA basketball title.

Sox Win!

World Series Championship banners raised?
Check.
Beat the Indians?
Check. (After a 3 hour rain delay the Sox got it done, 10-4.)

Jim Thome hit a homer and drew a couple of walks. Welcome to town, Jim.

To put a face to the name

One sometimes wonders who is behind the nom de plume. Well, for those enquiring minds, here is eLarson at the wheel of a 1970 Buick Skylark...

Tag Photos

Welcome, hbl

On the heels of a RCP-lanche at Potbelly Stove, Howard Larson has joined the Board of Regents here at the Larsonian Institution. He'll continue blogging over at Potbelly Stove, of course, and I'll contribute there, as well.

Be on the look out for hbl's photography in the near future.

Centex, Verizon and Comcast

Here I am in a new house that has no cable service--and thereby no cable modem service--and no landline.

Thanks Verizon. Thanks Comcast. Thanks to Verizon-landline for lying to me the other day just to get me off the phone. That was REAL nice. And to Comcast for not calling back as promised.

And thanks to Centex for selling us this joint without mentioning at the time of contract that "oh by the way... you won't be able to get a landline until July and no cable until who knows when."

Centex complains that the utilities (Verizon and Comcast, in this case) aren't living up to their original schedule. Verizon has no excuse, but they say they won't be here until AT LEAST June 30 (I assume that's June 30, 2006, but I didn't ask. I Want To Believe.) Comcast has been evasive. The guy whose number I was given by Centex has been largely useless to date. I spoke with his manager who at least gave the illusion of action. But after failing to call back that day and the day after, I'm leaning toward filing him under Useless, too.

So how is it that I'm back? No, I'm not sponging off of Starbuck's WiFi. I'm using Verizon Wireless BroadbandAccess. It's not blindingly fast, but now I can haul my laptop down to the kitchen to browse the web. Or down to any place that has decent signal. Call that a silver-plated lining.

There will be a short intermission...

eLarson is currently setting up a new Intenet service provider. In the mean time, I shall attempt to keep things moving here.

I am Howard Larson, proprietor of Potbelly Stove. See you soon.

Well That Didn't Last Long

In the latest installment of Mr. Harrell Goes to Washington, Jeff discovers that driving 18th St. is no fun.

(See also "Jeff Harrell and Starting the Day With Awe")

Jeff, in case you're reading, here's a few other places around the District that really blow for driving:
I-66 within the confines of the beltway (the GOP nominee for governor of VA seemed to have widening 66 as the sole plank of his platform. If there was anything else, I never heard about it. But then again, I'm in Maryland.)
I-50 a lot of the time
the Wilson Bridge

Moving

Not from Blogspot (at least not yet), but in the actual world.

This is day 5 and I'm back in our apartment which has Internet access, and that will be ours through the end of the week.

So, er, what's been going on?