Spring Creek

Nikon D70, f/l:28mm, exp: f/9, 1/250s, composite: hugin/autopano-sift

6 Months Later...

...we brought Mouse back to the VCA Referral Clinic for a checkup today.

I'm pleased to report that she is doing fine with no signs of recurrence. All the lymph nodes were normal (couldn't feel them, in other words), her musculature around her lumbar area is holding up great and her weight is actually quite good.

We'll take her back in another 6 months for blood work, but so far... so good!

Poinsettia

Last year's poinsettia after a summer outdoors.

f/l: 28mm; exp.: f/3.5, 1/60s; NEF file processed with Capture NX 1.3

Yes, Really...

So we were walking back down Broadway toward Times Square and I happened to look up while standing at 54th. There it was: Senor Wences Way. They really named a section of street in New York for a man who made a living talking to his own hand. It's a good gig if you can get it, I guess.

'Sallright.

Times Square

Taken by The Lovely Missus with the 20D. Scaled with The Gimp

November Clouds

Shot with the Canon 20D, scaled to size with The Gimp

Shooting Canons

Michael Yon has a dispatch up in which he discusses his Canon Mark II 1DS. The body alone cost more than 7 of our 20D.

Nikon fans may be more interested in part I, in which he talked a little about his Nikon D70 in a warzone.

While you are there, check out the story the New York Times/Washington Post/LA Times/Chicago Tribune will never print: Come Home, in which the Church of St. John's in Baghdad is re-opened, with the help of the Christians' Muslim neighbors.

Taking Flight

f/l: 135mm, exp: f/6.3 - 1/650s, NEF file processed with Capture NX

Tag: photography

51 years

The time elapsed since the last time the University of Illinois has beaten a #1 ranked opponent.

8 minutes, 9 seconds: the amount of time at the end of the game that the Illini held onto the football.

Congratulations to Isaiah "Juice" Williams and the rest of the Fighting Illini on a spectacular game in Columbus yesterday.

Sunset on Egg Harbor

Lull-Abi Inn, Egg Harbor, Wisconsin

f/l: 112mm (eq.); exposure: 1/160s, f/8, ISO 200; RAW file processed by the GIMP 2.2

Tag: photography

Condolences

Condolences to Chris Muir and family on the passing of his sister from cancer. Requiescat In Pace

More here.

Migrating through

Monarch refueling at the buddleia

f/l: 82mm (macro); exposure: f/6.3, 1/160s, ISO 200; NEF file processed with Capture NX

Tag: photography

Autumn

Red maple in Autumn

f/l: 82mm (macro); exposure: 1/320s, f/6, ISO 200; NEF file processed with Capture NX

Tag: photography

Katie

Our visitor, Katie beagle

f/l: 82mm (macro); exposure: 1/60s, f/6, ISO 200; NEF file processed with Capture NX

That's It... I'm Starting a New Institute...

...just so I can get grants. I'm thinking of calling it the "Institute for the Study of the Incredibly Apparent" so that I can get grants to study stuff like this: Earth-Shattering Study: Men Like Good-Looking Women

From later in the article: "The scientists said women were aware of the importance of their own attractiveness to men, and adjusted their expectations to select the more desirable guys."

Who could have seen that one coming? I'll bet the scientists in question are busily working on their next grant application involving "younger, hotter women with older, richer men."

Ain't science grand?

The Lovely Missus Goes 5-for-5

The Montgomery County Maryland Agricultural Fair finished this past Saturday. I am very pleased to announce that My Lovely Bride won a ribbon in each of the 5 baked goods categories she entered. Yes, yes I am a very lucky guy.



This was the first fair she ever entered anything and is already plotting her strategy for next year.

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?