Still here.

Overnight the combo of artic air and moisture slowed down abit to one another, allowing the rain to become a near monsoon here. But it is right now just barely at freezing. I'm anxiously watching the creek across the road as it is almost over it's banks. Eeek! Hate when this happens. I don't know which is worse-having it happen during the dark of night, so you're just really shocked at first light and then mildly panicked or have it rise during the day and then you nervously check outside every 10 minutes and watch the water go up...up...up...spill onto the road...begin to engulf your yard...
Oy!
I hate to say it, but: Hurry up and freeze!!!!
As long as it stays liquid, we're screwed.
Of course, if it HAD been all snow, it would probably be about 3 feet now.
So which is worse?

Gotta go check the creek again.

Batten Down the Hatches

From the KYTV Weather page on their site:

"A major winter storm is taking shape for the Ozarks. Cold Arctic air combined with a potent upper level storm system could bring more snow to the Ozarks Thursday than the past two winters combined. A WINTER STORM WATCH has been issued for almost all of the Ozarks beginning late Wednesday and lasting through Thursday.

The Ozarks has not seen winter weather this early in quite some time. Residents should review winter safety rules and make plans should travel become hazardous. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ICE AND SNOW ARE EXPECTED SO BE PREPARED!

A cold front is currently advancing across Kansas a bit faster than expected tonight. The Arctic air is lagging this boundary by about 100 miles but once the temperatures begins to drop it will do so rapidly. Thunderstorms are already forming along the cold front with some storms being capable of producing small hail and brief gusty winds. Additional storms are possible later today and those storms too have a chance of producing large hail and damaging winds. Cold air will begin catching the rain late Wednesday evening in the far northwestern counties of the viewing area. The shield of ice will advance slowly southeast with time reaching Springfield around 3am. The ice will continue moving southeast and reach West Plains and Mtn. Home AR. by mid to late morning. At that time the cold air will become deep enough to change the ice over to snow northwest of I-44. Not only could there be heavy accumulations of ice but also snow on top of the ice. Speaking of temperatures highs on Wednesday will reach the upper 60's but begin falling early evening and cooling to freezing around 3am. Temperatures will never recover on Thursday dropping to the low 20's by late afternoon. In addition winds will blow out of the north at 15-25 mph making the day really miserable. The cold air will stick around through the weekend with highs in the 30s and lows in the teens."

This is looking alot like the Great Ground Hog Day Ice Storm back in '89 or so. That was awful! A freak warm front blew in and by 9 am on that day, Feb. 2nd, it was close to 70 degrees, by nightfall it had dropped to nearly 30 degrees and sleeting to beat the band. By midnight everything was covered in a thick coat of ice and it was in the 20's and still falling. I remember it well because I spent a good chunk of that entire night out in my drafty old barn assisting my goats who, possibly because of the extreme barometrics, all went into labor. All of them were within a week or so of their due dates, so I was ready for that part...but not for the extreme weather! That was a hell of a night!
When it was all said and done I had a quartet of baby kids dozing in a makeshift enclosure on my back porch/laundry room because it was too darn cold to leave them out in the barn, even with their mothers-had one lil' buck with frostbit ears already. I had a trio of freshened and exhausted mama goats bellowing to be milked and I had been up all night doing the work of three people between keeping the woodstove stoked, tending to other critters and being a reluctant doula to my goats.
Oy!
I will admit it did look mighty purty come dawn-my world was encased in ice that glittered like glass in the morning light. But that was a hell of a month. It got cold and stayed cold, like single digit cold, for weeks. I think I spent the rest of that February in my Carhart insulated coveralls and barn boots.

I know weather guys have a shakey reputation, but honestly, these Ozark forecasters rarely make a bad call, if they say shit's fixin' to happen, you best pay attention!
They've been talking this one up for a couple of days now, so I've had time to do what I can to prepare. We got enough groceries, propane and toilet paper to hunker down til Monday at the least. Stocked up on hot cocoa and coffee. Got all the gutters cleaned out-finally!- and did all the other preps for cold bad weather inside and out. Now if the power doesn't go out for extended periods of time, we'll be alright. That's what worries me the most. No power means no water pump working which equals frozen pipes!
Another bummer is that my eldest has 2 Christmas parades this Saturday to march in...that's a wait and see sitch. If we're iced in, even a ballsy 4 wheel drive ain't gonna get us out of this hollow. We're stuck for the duration.

This is the earliest that I can recall that we've got winter weather this extreme.
So, I may or may not be posting here after today, depends on how weird it gets.
I think my persimmon seeds were right!

(pssssst! Don't Tell the ACLU...)

From now on I'm gonna top any Christmas related post with a graphic such as this. These are from the PeoplesCube.com one of the funniest "socialist" parody sites out there (like there's a bunch of them in the first place.) I love those guys.

Anyway...
One evening last week, just before Thanksgiving, my youngest was going about the house, singing to herself. Her lovely little girlvoice almost angelic as she sang: "Glorrrrrr-orrrrrr-rrrrrr-ia, in excelsis deo...."
She belted out that whole part of the carol we know as "Angels We Have Heard On High" several times, taking joy in that she could hold the notes and stay on key. And I complimented her on such. Then I asked if she was practicing for the Christmas program at church. I mean, c'mon, it was obvious, right? A song such as that HAD to be for church.
"Nope," she casually answered, "It's for school, that's our song for the Christmas concert."
"Really?!"
"Yep, I like it." she smiled and wandered off to the kitchen, singing the rest of the carol as she went.

Now at this point in the story I guess I'm supposed to say I was amazed and dumbfounded that the school would make such a controversial decision. But I can't.
Maybe just a bit amused and pleased would have better described my reaction.

See, where we live this isn't such a big deal. Even last Christmas when the Happy Holidays war was reaching a fever pitch, our school allowed the students to sing "Silent Night" at the concert and even had the lyrics printed on the programs so that everyone could join in. There was even (gasp!) a Christmas tree all lit up in the gym where the performance was held. And no one, NO ONE, filed a complaint with the school. There were no indignant folks storming out of the gym. No burning of the school principal in effigy. No hysterical calls to the ACLU. If anyone objected, they kept their opinions to themselves. But I really don't think anyone did object.

Last year, as in years past, the school struck a balance with the religious and secular of the Christmas season. Because for every "religious" carol there was also the usual "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland" and "Up on the Rooftop".
And that's how it should be, I think.

The public schools should reflect the values of the community they are in. Just like if by some odd circumstances me and my kids were the only goyim in a Jewish neighborhood I wouldn't be the least bit outraged that they were learning Hannukah songs at school.
Rather, I would think it was kinda cool and wouldn't consider it "prozelytizing" in the least. Nor would I be offended.
Our county is a predominately Christian area-third notch on the Bible Belt, as I often say-so naturally, a few Christmas carols of a traditional religious nature will find their way into the school program.
Yet for some people that is the most scariest thing in the world.
That sucks and that's sad.

I'm just glad me and my younguns live where common sense still has a foothold.

Maybe We Should Just Call It "Non-Specific Deity-Mas"

Thanksgiving's over, so time to fire up the universal collective civic stupidity that we've come to know so well.

"CHICAGO — A public Christmas festival is no place for the Christmas story, the city says. Officials have asked organizers of a downtown Christmas festival, the German Christkindlmarket, to reconsider using a movie studio as a sponsor because it is worried ads for its film "The Nativity Story" might offend non-Christians..."

Via FoxNews, full article.

I don't claim to be a full-on biblical scholar by any means, but there's a passage in Acts that comes to mind here and it does come to mind almost every Christmas season lately for me.
Acts 17:23: (from the more looser, more "hipper" "Message" version)

"It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, "To the god nobody knows". I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with."

Yes, I know, it was the words of Paul, and I have in the past pretty much blown him off as a windbag-but in this case I think his observation is just as timely now as then.


It's time to break this puppy out for the season:

Welcome to Istanbul, "Mr. Pope"

Y'know when I first saw this photo I almost suspected that sign had been 'shopped. Something about the edges of the font looked tweaky to me. But since then I have seen other shots from other sources of this welcome wagon mob and the same sign is scattered throughout, so I have to go with it being kosher.
I ain't Catholic, but I am keeping an eye on this visit to Turkey by the Pope, as I imagine everyone else is.

I can't repress my inner junvenile delenquent any longer, I'm in a tit for tat mood this morning. OK, we'll let you say that-as offensive as it may be to some of us-that was the point, to outrage and offend the western infidels.
But I would like to say this in response, if I may.

"MOHAMMED WAS NOT A PROPHET OF ISLAM. HE IS THE SON OF

Put that in your hookah and smoke it. There. We're even now.

The thing is y'all would get far more apoplexic over my statement than us of yours. What does that tell you?

Stupid P.C. Coinage, Take 3

The U.S. Mint is all set to float yet another metallic turd in the punchbowl of the nations' monetary system.

What part of Please, for the love of God, wouldja make it noticibly BIGGER than a stupid quarter for once?! don't they understand??

Let's see, we had the Anthony dollar in the late '70's-and we all know what a howling success that was.
Then once again in the 90's, some bright bulb at the Mint figured that we loved the Anthony dollar so much let's do it again. Only now let's throw that Indian chick on it and OH! Let's make it brass!...the public just love shiny things that look kinda "gold-ish". The result very well could have been a slots token from an Indian casino.
I know I have a couple of them slowly turning black with age in my sock drawer.

So, completely undaunted by past criticism and refusing to even consider the folks who would actually be using this coinage-namely us, the humble citizens of this nation- the Mint now combines everything that they have learned with the previous failures: Awkward, confusing size, brass coating and adds even yet another fabulous twist to assure failure! The famous motto: In God We Trust has been relegated to along the EDGE of the coin, almost assuring that it will be the first thing to be rubbed away...that is if it stays in circulation long enough, which, probably it won't. Once again , the "new " dollar will be "a little bigger than a quarter". That's the part that pisses me off the most. If you're gonna do it, do it right. The perfect size would be about the size of a 50 cent piece. That can never be mistakened for a quarter! And since 50 cent pieces aren't in heavy circulation (I haven't got one in my change in ages!) that combined with a faux gold finish would guarantee that it just might get used, other than as a punchline.

I am just gobsmacked at the overwhelming, blantant stupidity of the Mint.
Oh, sure the states quarters and the retooled Jefferson nickles have been a hit-but that's because they were essentially the same, just had different designs on them. Like giving a classic old car a new paint job with flames-you haven't changed the car beyond all recognition, just hipped it up some. It's still user friendly.
But to come out with yet another dollar coin design that is doomed to fail even before it's struck...well, boy howdy. I bet someone at the Mint got a big bonus for coming up with that one.

I'll be setting aside another little spot in my sock drawer for this latest token of the March of the Stupids.

A Book My Kids & I Would Love to Read

Unfortunately, we'll never get the chance.
The religion of perpetual outrage is seeing to that.
Implying that muslims could be terrorists? HOW DARE HE??!!

We'll just put a stop to that!:

"A LEADING children's publisher has dumped a novel because of political sensitivity over Islamic issues.

Scholastic Australia pulled the plug on the Army of the Pure after booksellers and librarians said they would not stock the adventure thriller for younger readers because the "baddie" was a Muslim terrorist.

A prominent literary agent has slammed the move as "gutless", while the book's author, award-winning novelist John Dale, said the decision was "disturbing because it's the book's content they are censoring".

"There are no guns, no bad language, no sex, no drugs, no violence that is seen or on the page," Dale said, but because two characters are Arabic-speaking and the plot involves a mujaheddin extremist group, Scholastic's decision is based "100 per cent (on) the Muslim issue".

This decision is at odds with the recent publication of Richard Flanagan's bestselling The Unknown Terrorist and Andrew McGahan's Underground in which terrorists are portrayed as victims driven to extreme acts by the failings of the West.

The Unknown Terrorist is dedicated to David Hicks and describes Jesus Christ as "history's first ... suicide bomber".

(y'know, I had always been told that the King James bible had been heavily edited...reckon that part about Christ blowing up the temple to protest the presence of the moneychangers was one of those details that got cut. Damn. Who knew?)

In McGahan's Underground, Muslims are executed en masse or herded into ghettos in an Australia rendered unrecognisable by the war on terror.

Scholastic's general manager, publishing, Andrew Berkhut, said the company had canvassed "a broad range of booksellers and library suppliers", who expressed concern that the book featured a Muslim terrorist.

"They all said they would not stock it," he said, "and the reality is if the gatekeepers won't support it, it can't be published."

(Oh, Gatekeepers! Is that what quislings prefer to be called nowadays?!)

In March 2004, Scholastic commissioned Dale to deliver "a tough, snappy thriller", with then publisher Margrete Lamond saying they wanted their child readers to "break out in sweats and their eyes to bulge without giving them actual nightmares". Dale, director of the Centre for New Writing at the University of Technology, said he wanted Army of the Pure to be a contemporary action adventure that would appeal to his son, "a book he could not put down".

(Ah! They came to him! I'm sure at that time noone said to him "Oh, by the way, no islamic terrorists as characters, please.")

Scholastic described his writing as "almost flawless" and the story about four children chased by Afghan terrorists after discovering a plot to blow up Sydney's Lucas Heights nuclear reactor a "gripping page-turner".

Dale's agent, Lyn Tranter, yesterday branded the move "a gutless" publishing decision. "I am appalled that this is censorship by salesmen," she said."


As ol' whatshisface says: Indeed!

HT: Free Republic, LGF, ReligionofPeace.com
Original article, here.

I went to the Scholastic Books/Austrailia site and although they have numerous contact addresses for all branches of the company, none for the head honcho mentioned in the story.

My kids and I have had a long ongoing affair with Scholastics Books, I daresay that 98% of the books they own are from that company. I hate to be pulling a "guilt by association", but dangit, this is the last straw for me.

I'm not spending another dime on Scholastic Books!

The Mt. Home Bombers Make Their Macy's Debut

Even though it has become just too showbiz-y and phony in the past several years, we still watch the Macy's parade every Thanksgiving morning. Personally, I prefer CBS's coverage over NBC, but both have gotten just pathetic. But my girls like the overdone Broadway dance numbers that clog the first hour of NBC's coverage. But this year we had an incentive to watch: we had a local band in the parade! (well, ok, they're from a town just past the stateline in Arkansas, but relatively speaking, in this sense they are local.)

The Mountain Home Bombers marching band was one of the last bands featured, but the kids did good and I'm sure all these students had a trip to the original Big City that will last a lifetime.

If you did watch the parade and saw them, here's an interesting fun fact-
one of the tuba players is blind.

Yep, totally blind.

Here's the story, here.

A Doxology of Thanksgiving

That short, old hymn was sung at the end of every Sunday service when I was a kid in church. It has a simple beauty that I still love even today as an adult.
It's been on my mind these past few days and I can think of no better Thanksgiving Day greeting to you all than that.

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow..."


I think this old hymn's opening line sets the tone for Thursday just right.
You all have a wonderful day, enjoy who you are with and be thankful for friends and family.
I know we will.

"They Get Offended Very Easily."

Last night, Nonie Darwish, author and speaker...and former Muslim (she converted to Christianity-that alone is a death sentence in some circles.) spoke on the Glenn Beck show about her recent "disinviting" by Brown University. Apparently, third time is not a charm when you have the audacity to speak out about Muslim repression and terrorism at an American university.

We pick up the transcript of the interview just as Beck is wrapping up his opening monologue:


"...Here's what I don't know. I don't know what Nonie Darwish was going to say at Brown that has people so afraid, but they wouldn't give her a forum. I will.

Joining me is Nonie Darwish. She is the author of "Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel and the War on Terror".

Nonie, this is the third time you have been disinvited from an event. Am I correct?

NONIE DARWISH, AUTHOR, "NOW THEY CALL ME INFIDEL": Correct. A lot of people in America are asking where are the Arab voices? Where are the moderate voices from the Middle East who are speaking against terrorism?

Unfortunately, when we try to speak out, there are very powerful voices who are trying to silence us.

BECK: Why do you suppose -- why do you suppose that is? It took an act of God to get our special on television last week. It was the highest rated show on all of cable news, and it -- to me, it was nothing about me or anything else. It was about people are starving for the truth on this.

Why are you shut down every step of the way?

DARWISH: There are very powerful Muslim voices and organizations in America who actually call us even and tell us you have crossed the line.

BECK: OK. So why is that? Are they -- are they the bad Muslims? Are they good Muslims with a misunderstanding of what you are saying? Why?

DARWISH: I don't think they're bad. I think what happened is we grew in a culture that forbid us from speaking or criticizing our own culture. My culture is very sensitive to criticism. They get offended very easily.

I'm not speaking about -- against the Koran itself. I'm not speaking against Islam, the book. But I'm speaking and the few of us are speaking against terrorism.

BECK: Right.

DARWISH: And against tyrannical Islam, who suppress the voices of not just here in America, they are suppressing voices in Europe, in the Middle East. There are many people who are speaking out in the Middle East, and they're right now in Arab jails, in Muslim jails, and we have to bring these voices out, because these are the voices of the new Middle East.

BECK: All right.

DARWISH: We want progress and want democracy.

BECK: So how did this come down that you were silenced at Brown University? How did that thing come about?

DARWISH: Well, I was invited to speak at Brown on the 30th. And I was -- I was disinvited just a couple of days ago because what I heard was that the Muslim preacher there and the Muslims student organization claim that I was too controversial and that I shouldn't speak on their campus. And I never speak against the book itself, Islam. I speak against terrorism.

BECK: OK. Why is it -- because you were also sponsored by a women's organization. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why every woman in the world is not standing up against Islam the way it is practiced by extremists where they just shut women down. What was the excuse from the women?

DARWISH: I don't know. They just gave up in front of the angry Muslim student organization, who can't tolerate criticism. I'm not criticizing -- I love my culture. And I want to make sure this message is out.

But I am against the discrimination of Muslim women. Sharia law is totally discriminating against us. There are so many women who are suffering in the Middle East, and in the court systems of Sharia law we practically have no rights. Our speaking and the women -- the department was sponsoring me, but apparently, nobody defended my right to speak, and they just disinvited me.

BECK: OK. Nonie, thank you very much. We'll talk to you again soon.

DARWISH: Thank you."

Full transcript of the last night's show, here.

The Lovely Michelle has more about the spinelessness of B.U. here.

Talking Out His Butt

The Land of Oz is on a roll this weekend with peculiar news!
This one is comp to The Courier-Mail.

A SELF-proclaimed British multi-millionaire named Mohammed Islam who was arrested on the Gold Coast with almost $120,000 in cash is under investigation as to whether he has terrorist connections.
Queensland police yesterday refused to comment on their investigation into the man, 22, but at this stage there is reportedly no evidence to link him with terrorist activity.

Islam allegedly had $118,000 in $50 notes in a suitcase and a mobile phone concealed in his rectum when he was arrested at a Surfers Paradise bus station on Thursday night.

Islam faced Southport Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with possessing tainted property ( boy, is THAT an understatement!!) but police prosecutor Sarah Fox said more serious charges could be laid.

Constable Fox said Customs officers in Sydney had found no large sums of money in Islam's luggage when he arrived in the country and he had not declared any.

A check with Interpol revealed Islam had supplied police with a false address in London.

Constable Fox told the court Islam had a criminal history in England relating to fraud, theft, public disorder and drug offences.


Hmmmm, bet it was one of those spiffy new "Browntooth" models...

Alright, I'm just gonna stand back now and let the oneliners begin!


Give it your best shot!

"Would You Like To Super-Jihad That?"

Meanwhile, down in Oz...

McDONALD'S latest bid to attract more customers -- Muslim fast-food lovers -- has caused uproar among customers.
The fast-food chain has introduced halal products at two Melbourne restaurants, significantly boosting sales.

However some non-Muslim customers are furious they were not told their hamburger meat was slaughtered and blessed in accordance with Islamic rules laid down in the Koran.

McDonald's consulted Muslim leaders before introducing halal products at its Brunswick East and St Albans stores.

Halal meat is from animals that have been killed facing Mecca and blessed using the name of Allah. [ Man, and I thought the Kosher Laws got nitpicky! At least y'all don't need a compass or GPS before butchering.]

Brunswick East store assistant manager Nicholas Yacoub said the move had attracted a surge of new customers.

"It has pretty much doubled our sales," Mr Yacoub said.

The store does not tell drive-through customers about the change and has only one small sign inside advertising the move.

Coburg resident Miriam McLennan was stunned to discover the hamburger she bought from the Brunswick East store was blessed.

"Just as a Muslim would not want to eat anything that isn't halal . . . I should have my rights to eat normal, ordinary food that hasn't been blessed," she said.

A Catholic Church spokesman said non-Muslims deserved to know if the food was halal before buying. But he said there was no biblical reason for Christians to avoid halal food.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said customers who did not want halal food should buy from any of its other stores.

From the Sydney Herald-Sun.

My kinda day!

Man, I love it when I see a profit without hardly doing a thing!
This morning I was sorting through some of Mom's things that my brother had sent me and I found her "treasure bag". It was just an old velvet drawstring bag that she kept her coin collection in. Mom fancied herself a collector of valuable coins. Truth is all she did was save anything that was of interest to her or coins and paper money she thought might be worth something. She didn't understand the finer points of collecting, like condition and rarity. But it made her happy, so what the hell.

There were gobs of Susan B. Anthony dollars (OMG!), handfuls of Eisenhower dollars, a bunch of silver Kennedy half dollars, some Liberty dimes almost wore bare, some red seal 2 dollar bills, bicentennial coins and some real live old silver dollars. Circa 1920-ish. And some Canadian pennies and nickles. Some chinese yen (maybe from Dad's Navy days) rounded it all out. Also tucked away in there were 2 big pieces of finished, matched jade that looked like they had been meant to be set in maybe a pair of earrings. Both were the size of nickles. Cool. No doubt a long ago gift from Dad.

So, just for the heck of it I thought I'd check and see if this oddball lot was worth anything. The Kennedy coins were only worth the silver value, barely a buck. The 1920 dollar coins were probably worth betwen 5 to 8 dollars, depending. Pretty much what I had expected. But seeing the spot price on silver on one site surprized me-I didn't know the price of silver had gone up. The last I had seen it was about 8 something an ounce. Now it was about 12 bucks! I knew I had some silver stashed away, so that led to another little house search to find it, since I couldn't remember how many coins I had.
Rummaging through the dresser drawers yielded no silver. (It's around here somewhere!) But instead, something even better!
Way in the back of a drawer I found an old bank drive-thru envelope.

In it was 150 bucks!!! One 50 and five 20's!
Thank ya Jeezuz! Hot Dog!
I never did that...but my husband was one to squirrel cash away.
Thanks, Babe!

After I recovered from my happy dance, the mail arrived. Since all the statements are out, I figured it would just be the usual credit card inticements and other junk.

Hot Dog again!
One of my dead beat clients FINALLY sent in their payment, with a little extra thrown in for me being "so understanding" according to their note. WooHoo!!!

So, without any effort on my part really I had just come out ahead by 250 bucks!
And the day wasn't even half over.

I need more days like this!

New Version of Blogger?

For about a week now everytime I pop over here to post I get a splash on my dash urging me to switch to "the new blogger". I'm hesitant until I hear from anyone else who has taken the plunge.
I'm just a crabby old fart who hates change; especially with such a program that has such a stellar track record of reliability like Blogger & Blogspot!

So, what's so bitchen about it? Anyone using it?
Anyone???

Since I'm such a no-frills type person I'm wondering if all the bells and whistles they allude to on the new version are to any benefit.

Straight to the "Duh!!" File...

VIENNA, Austria — New traces of plutonium and enriched uranium — potential material for atomic warheads — have been found in a nuclear waste facility in Iran, a revelation that came Tuesday as the Iranian president boasted his country's nuclear fuel program will soon be completed...

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a two-hour news conference in Tehran, asserted the world has no choice but to "live with a nuclear Iran," although he conceded his country was "still in the first stages" of its uranium enrichment program...

Ahmadinejad remained defiant. "I'm very hopeful that we will be able to hold the big celebration of Iran's full nuclearization in the current year," he said. Iran's calendar year ends March 20..."

(Why, I am just shocked! Shocked, I tell you!)

The rest here.


And the March of the Stoopids trudges on...

Coinsidence?

The Dread Pundit Pluto had this pic from the movie "Mars Attacks!" on a totally unrelated post but I couldn't help but notice that there something about that pic that reminded me of dear Nancy....









And another!










Heh!

UPDATE: Updated : The morphin' .gif is outta here! It was boggin' the joint down. I try to run a quick and snappy dive here in deference to my enslaved brethern of the dial-up (Hey, we're a valid, marginalized minority). The page load was intolerable for me.

A Worst Case Scenario (just one of way too many)

Misha has once again hipped us to one hell of a scary (and tragically, all too plausible) read.

Dang...and just when I was starting to feel ok again.

Save it for well after breakfast or lunch if you don't want to ruin your day altogether.

And those who just think it's the rantings of some paranoid- just keep Louie Armstrong's rendition of "What a Wonderful World" running through your head as you read it...that'll make it allllll better.

HT: The Rott


(I tend to be of the school of thought that the Almighty is in control and ain't ready to pull the plug on us just yet, but it's still a good idea to consider any possibility.)

A Breach of Etiquette?

Between the Marines anniversary and Veteran's Day this weekend, I wandered about the blogs and read all the posts and some comments on the topics.
There was a comment by someone on one of the usual blogs I visit that made me stop and momentarily feel ashamed at myself and it's still buggin' me!

I wish I could pull up the exact comment, but I can't find it now in my history. But simply it was a humorous accounting of just what will get your ass kicked for disrespect by any one in the military. It was pretty funny up to the end where they closed by saying that anyone who had never served in the military and used the words Jarhead, Squid, Grunt or any other slang word considered to be a term of endearment amongst those in the armed services would get their ass kicked by a serviceman if used in their presence.

Huh?

I have and I my butt is still unkicked. Is it because I'm female?

I've never used it maliciously. When I was growing up that's the words that were used in my home. Those are phrases my Dad used. I don't think he ever called a Marine a Marine. They were Jarheads. And the Marine Depot downtown was the "jarhead factory". Cute funny names. No harm intended.
Squid is alittle new to me, though. Is that preferable to Swab now? Dad always used swabs or swabbies. So that's what I know.

As for the Coast Guard...I won't even repeat that one! And it was a phrase my Dad never used...I picked that one up from my brother. Now that one is ugly and malicious, no matter how or who says it! That one WILL get a bar brawl started, I would think.

So am I in the wrong? Have I been unknowingly insulting our guys (and gals...note to Pamela!) all these years by invoking those nicknames in conversation and here on this blog? If so, I am truly mortified.
I could cop a pass by saying I am the child of a serviceman. But technically I'm still a civilian. I do feel a kinship, though, by proxy.
If I'm in the wrong here I do sincerely apologize.

Ah! Deer Season!

I awoke early Sunday morning to the sound of gunfire ringing all around, rolled over and went back to sleep.
Yep...it's Deer Season in the Ozarks.

The first weekend seems to always be the noisiest. Saturday wasn't so bad here, but Sunday was. I guess it took the city boys awhile to traisped out my way.
All day long trucks and SUVs were rolling down our dirt roads. One truck went by with about 6 hunters in the back, all in their orange vests, riflebutts on their knee, barrels pointing upward. Quite a sight. Whenever I see stuff like that I just can't help but reflect back on my days being a city kid-Gawdalmighty, folks would freak right the hell out if they saw that rolling down their block. Here, it's no big deal. It's deer season. Hell, it wouldn't even draw much comment here if it wasn't deer season.
Jeez, I love it here.

I used to go out in my woods. But after numerous seasons of seeing, hearing but never bagging one I just gave up. Other than a set of camo that I kept in the buck shed so it'd get nice and stinky to mask the human stink, a stout hunting knife and a halfway decent rifle and ammo I had no other essential deer hunter accessories and one of my major concerns as I wiled away the early morn out in the woods was: 'Man! What IF I do get one? Then what?'
How would I get it back to the shack? The damn thing would nearly be as big as me! Sure, I could field dress it and lighten the load somewhat, but I would still have to haul it in by foot. Anyway,it was those kind of thoughts that put a kabosh on my big white hunter days. I kept to game I could manage easily-squirrels, rabbits, the occasional possum and whistlepig. I ain't sneaky enough for turkey.

In these parts commerce just about comes to a complete standstill during deer season.
One factory just goes ahead and shuts down for the first week, knowing that noones gonna show up anyway. Several local sawmills do the same. When Bill was around there was a noticible drop in calls for his services at that time. And those that did call were scheduling for after deer season. Suited him just fine-because he was out in the woods, too.

I can't help but be alittle apprehensive this time of year, though. Nearly every year we get a close call. A shot ringing out just alittle too close. We had one of those late yesterday afternoon. The younguns were out back, I was inside getting dinner ready and suddenly there was this thundering crack of a rifle. Enough so that it made me flinch and then the younguns came flying in through the backdoor, hollering that it sounded pretty close, like up on our hill.
"Stay inside" I told 'em. "I'll go check." That kinda crap pisses me off. Our land isn't posted, but dangit, good manners demand that if you want to hunt on someones land, please have the decency to ask. Don't just hop the fence like some big city rube...unless you are one, of course.
A good chunk of our property borders a dirt road, so I drove up it to see if anyone was up there, since the shot sounded like it came from that side of the property. We've had "road hunters" before, but it's been confined to a couple of locals we know. Not that that makes it OK, it's still wrong.

No sign of any vehicles-our stretch of the road was clear. I sat there for abit to see if I could hear any voices in the woods or anything else that would indicate folks was up in there.
Nothing.

I went back to the shack and just chalked it up to yet another 'deer season thang'.
Stray shots are a known hazzard this time of year here. But that one, I swear sounded so close, almost right in my driveway close. I had heard 4 wheelers tearing past the house about 5 minutes before I heard the shot, so I know whoever it was, they had to have been within less than a mile, maybe closer.

Y'know, I got almost 30 acres of woods and pasture that anyone would be welcomed to hunt on with my blessing-I wouldn't even ask for a deer ham in return. But, dangit! Ask first! It's a no brainer. Our house is right here. It'd only take a minute or 2.

What More Can I Say?

Can Y'all Wait 'til The Clintons Are Back In?

Al Qaeda Vows Not to Rest Until White House is Blown Up


Hells Bells, at this point I dare say there are some folks about here who would gladly do it for them!

Dingey Harry and Pelosi will insist that we go ahead and blow it up to settle the dispute "peacefully".

The Iraqi Al Qaeda grand poobah referred to the White House as "the filthiest house".

See, We all tried to tell Bubba them stains wouldn't come out of the carpet!


HT: Stop the ACLU

Betcha It'll Be A Big Cake!

Happy Birthday, All You Jarheads!

I Was Hoping These Would Gather Dust-

But I gotta boatload of 'em, and I'm handing them out to the GOP!




And that's all I gotta say about that.

And the WINNER Is......

Shortly after 6pm (CST) last night the 10,000 visitor to The White Trash Republic stumbled across the county line, down my road and collapsed in a drunken stupor on my porch. Scared the hell outta me. Almost called the Sheriff.
But we pulled 'em up, cleaned 'em up some, got the dead leaves and gravel out of their hair and proceeded to go through their pockets to ascertain who they were. (and to snag any spare change..hey, we're like that.)

When we saw the obviously faked voter i.d. and the expired out of state driver's license, well, you coulda knocked me over with a feather!

Our Lucky Dog is:

"Uncle Mac" McPherson, late of "Uncle Mac is Pissed" and now grand imperial pooh-bah of the omnimedia soon-to-be-powerhouse BEAST MEDIA.

Just Damn.

Congratulations, Mac! That stalking/lurking paid off!

Yes, yes, we know... you love the Ruling Class because you so totally Rule!

Mac will be getting a Thank You gift shortly...I'll get it in the mail next week.
Hey, I wasn't jiving. There really was a prize involved!

Thanks for your support, Mac. Quid pro quo and all that.

And to the Born Again Redneck, Patrick- I'm sorry dear. I know you were hoping to win.
But hey, there's always the 20,000th!

WHY WE LOST-An Essay From TCRLAF

This "nobody" from Indiana pretty much expresses my thoughts right now in a post at Free Republic.

WHY WE LOST-An Essay From TCRLAF


"I did my part....

I am just a nobody. An unknown schmuck in a cornfield in Indiana.

I donated as much as I could afford,(and even some I couldn't), to the candidates I thought could make the best use of it.

Yet, I told anyone that would listen why Republicans had to win. I took friends to the poll, and made phone calls to others.

And in our sphere, we didn't do badly. We kept our Statehouse seats, and we had a local candidate that nearly ended the carreer of a leading Racist Democrat Moonbat with little or no help from the national Party.

But that same National Party let us down. They let our sons and daughters doing the fighting down, they let everyone who donated time and money down...

And they did it long before we ever geared up for this election.

We have faced a 24/7 propoganda onslaught from the left since the day the attacks on the Trade center.

Bush has TRIED to lead, but the Radical Left and the Dem Washington Elites refused to allow it. The media pushed LIE AFTER LIE, and we couldn't gain traction.

We allowed the Left and thier willing media allies to drive the Agenda, instead of driving it ourselves through ideas, logic, and a sense of hope.

An idiot behind me in line to vote yesterday was telling the guy in front of me that he was voting Dem because "Bush Lied" about Iraq.

We KNOW this is a LIE, we HAVE THE PROOF that this is a lie, and yet the Dem Media Machine has driven this point home so often that it is now an accepted FACT...

VOTE FRAUD has become a Dem Institutional Right, but it's REPUBLICANS that are acused of "Stolen Elections"..

REPUBLICANS MUST GROW SOME STONES, AND FAST....

We have been fighting against a 24/7 propoganda machine for 6 years now, that has been willing to use everything out of the Geobbel's playbook, from hatred and racism, to outright LIES to attack us, regardless of the cost in AMERICAN LIVES it has created, and our leaders in large part have simply failed to respond.

You can't win a "War of Ideas" if yours are not getting out, and our leaders have failed to use the bully pulpit to it's best advatage.

There was no unifying theme, no single idea that we could get behind, and trumpet, that didn't require an eyeglossing explanation of why it was the right thing.

We took for granted that the American sheeple were smart enough to figure it out, when we should have been COUNTER-CAMPAIGNING from the very beginning.

What we need is a MESSAGE...

A single, uniting, easily delivered idea that doesn't take 5 minutes to explain to the average person of why it's good for them....

Reagan had those visions, so have many others.

And we can no longer live in the bubble of assuming the Netroots leads the way, when in reality it's the MASS MEDIA that does..

The Media may be turning to the blogs for Info and opinion, and even breaking news, but THEY still drive the message that gets through to the sheeple.

And they heard it LOUD AND CLEAR this election, even if it was almost entirely a LIE based on leftist hatred.

We MUST take bold stances for the principles we believe, be it the Border, The War on Terror, the Unborn, Taxes, Government, etc, and damn the Lib Media torpedoes.

We MUST Counter-attack every single time a leftist spews a lie, we must hold the media's feet to the fire of TRUTH, and we must hold people accountable for activities that border on TREASON.

Otherwise, we will be saying "Hello, Madam Dictator" in just two short years from today.

As much as I'd like, I simply cannot do it from a cornfield in Indiana, all alone.

It takes NATIONAL LEADERSHIP, and we better find some soon.....

We got DAMNED LUCKY this time.

If we had faced anything even resembling a competent Democratic Party this time, we would be counting these numbers as a massive victory.

Incompetent Democrats have bred Milquetoast Republicans, bland and careful people who easily got smacked with a big stick because of it.

Will we LEARN FROM THIS? Or will we repeat the same mistakes of allowing the left to control the battle of ideas?"

Art Imitating Life Imitating Art

As I drifted off to sleep at 3 am this morning, I saw and heard this in my mind:



















"You maniacs! You blew it up! Oh, damn you! God damn you all to hell!'"

(The last line in Planet of the Apes, spoken by Charlton Heston.)

*****************

To his credit, Talent, a class act to the very end, did give a humble and gracious concession speech. CNN opted to bail out when he dare invoke God and so I hopped over to a local channel to see the whole thing.

What really fascinates me is how close all the races were.
I'm still trying to assimilate all this at this early hour.
There were some curious results, statewide-like the stem cell thing passed, but the cig tax didn't.
Very odd.
I guess the reasoning was that we could continue to huff away on what are almost the cheapest smokes in the country and if we get sick, stem cells will save us.
Madness, I tell you...utter madness.

Gut reaction right now?
Ben Dover.
Nancy's got a big, fat "Nude Erection" for this country.

Going As Planned...

Halfway through the day and already things are going by the playbook. All manner of peculiar hijinks unfolding.

I'm off to do my civic duty and see if I can rustle up a riot at our poll.
Surely I can rile some farmer up about something!

Why should the Dems have all the fun?

9,942

That was the Visitor Count as of 12:42 pm today.
Lucky 10,000 could happen at any minute!

The suspense is killing me!
And on Election day, to boot.
My Gawd, I'll need my smelling salts. I feel a case of the vapors coming on!

Our Token White Trash Republic Honey Sez:

And just for Pamela...and any other gals out there-
The Token White Trash Republic Hunks implore you:

Big Fat Liar

Back in September I mentioned a McCaskill ad that featured an Iraq vet pissin' & moaning about his "busted ankle". I said then that my B.S. meter was going off.

HehHehHeh.

Over the weekend I was reading Gateway Pundit, and he's all over the Josh "Jim Talent Made Me Break My Ankle!" Lansdale story like a monkey on crack. Here, here, & here.

Long story short, Josh is a big fat liarhead poopybutt.
Well...ok, let's be fair and say he stretched the truth. Stretched it alot. OK,Quite abit!

Now the lovely Michelle has picked up the story and giving it even more exposure.
As all big fat liars should get.
Mr. "I'm a cry baby tool for the Democrats" Lansdale seems to be unavailable for any comment.
And the McCaskill camp is STILL running ads here that feature Lansdale. Saw one just this morning.
Despicable weasels...every. last. one. of. them.

That Light at the End of the Tunnel is an Oncoming Train

24 hours to go.
My prediction?
Rampant voter fraud on a scale that this country has never seen. It'll be mayhem right out of the gate. All the factors are there for a Perfect Storm. Electronic voting-which has known inheirent problems, and no set standard. Dead voters still on rolls, which are being exploited. Unspeakable weaselry going on everywhere...and that's just the issues we know about NOW. Lord knows what sort of hijinks will be revealed as tomarrow unfolds. And I'm just talking Kansas City and St. Louis.

What really pisses me off is that MY vote- my friggin' God Given sacred right as a citizen of this country- will be marginalized, trivialized, bastardized, and possibly, very well wasted in these elections. I have not lost hope on the process. It's the amoral weasels who game the process that have my utmost comtempt.
They have reduced it to a high school Homecoming King and Queen election, where stuffing the ballot box is encouraged and the results are relatively meaningless.

I also see it as a test run for how the elections in 2 years will go. Let's get the trickery down, let's see what and what not we can get away with.
Conversely, though, if things do go badly and it most certainly will, then it will be a call to make an honest effort to "fix" what went wrong. But in doing so, I fear it will just force the weasels to get even more creative with the cheating.

I'm not worried about the elections on a local level. Here, in the land that time forgot, we still have paper ballots that are fairly idiot-proof. Just ink in the oval. Pretty straight forward. Never been a problem. OK, so we may not have an accurate tally until midnight, but what's the hurry? At least we know it's an accurate count. No "hanging chads", no electronic screw-ups with shakey software or touchscreens that even the election officials can't even comprehend how to operate, let alone correct when someone messes up and has to restart.
Our microwave mentality will be the death of us. All these innovations in voting technique have not a damn thing to do with accuracy. It's all in the name of NOW, NOW, NOW! We want the results NOW! Not 6 hours from now, not 3...NOW!
Our impatience as a society has led to this.
It sucks and that's sad.

But I'll be there. I'll show up at the old church house at the resort. Go through the motions of proving who I am to the guys behind the folding table, even though they have been my neighbors for over 20 years. Chit chat for a bit, ask about the turn-out so far, sign the book, get my big paper ballot, and my "I Voted!" sticker, go over to a table with a tri-folded red, white and blue cardboard shield atopped it, so you can openly, yet privately mark the ballot and do what I have done since I was 18.
Vote.

Because I can. Because it is my duty. Because my conscience demands it.
Y'all do the same.
Don't let the bastards get ya down.

Going Dark for the Weekend

Might as well, since I'm STILL in the dark for the most part anyway. (Yes, the ceiling light issue still is not resolved. Funny what you get used to, though. Long story.)

But quite frankly, I'm burnt to a crisp. My brain is gellifying. My whole being is wore out. I've had it with all of it and I know this weekend will be a total non-stop onslaught of madness. The campaigns are reaching their crescendo. The blood spurting shreiks of "Talent wants to KILL sick people" and "Clare lets old people die", all republicans are sex crazed, drug addled, transgendered pedophiles, all dems are drug addled sex crazed bigoted gays, this libertarian will kill this puppy if you don't vote for them and all the other hysteria that this season has become is just too much. My B/S meter is pegged and shorting out. Aside from some local races, I pretty well had my mind set on how I was gonna vote over a month ago. So, I've decided to enjoy this weekend. I haven't been able to do much visiting, so when I'm not hanging out with the younguns and attending to the other duties here at the shack, I'm gonna drop by some of my favorites and see how y'all are coping. Hopefully, you'll have some funny stuff up. Cuz lord knows, I need teh funny right now.

Y'know, I just realized something. This past month or so I've had a glimpse of what it must be like to be a lib every stinkin' day of their life! Waking up to outrage, seething with paranoia and rage. Seeing nothing but abject misery and rancor. Never, ever being genuinely happy about anything or anyone.
Scary.
I'd kill myself if I had to live like that everyday.
So, I must get back to normal, if only briefly, before that long night's journey into day come Tuesday.
Call it soul restoration.

See ya all on Monday.

You kids play nice, now.
Don't make me turn this blog around!

Who the #%$& is Haggard?

The only Haggard I've ever heard of is Merle. But hearing the news today I guess being a Christian and all I'm suppose to immediately know who he is. Like we're all part of the same club, shop at the same stores, follow the same rules, dress alike, have sooper sekrit handshakes. Like he's the grand poobah, the big mucky muck, the fearless leader of the pack. And I'm also suppose to be outraged, incensed, shock and dismayed and feel compelled to stay home on Tuesday.
Sorry.
Not a clue who this poor schmuck is.
Nope. Nice try. But I'm completely unfazed by this.

I'm still pondering the phrase "evangelical Christian".
I must be a bad one, cuz I dunno what that means.
Sounds like someone who stands on a street corner shouting and wailing with a big sign that says "The End Is Near!" and hands out leaflets that everyone tosses into the nearest trashcan. Bordering on a snake shakin' pentecostal.
I believe in Christ, ergo, I'm a Christian. Period. I didn't think any other labels were needed.
You say evangelical Christian and it's like saying 'vegetarian Christian' or 'cannibal Christian' to me. It's nonsense.
See...I really don't know all the sooper sekrit code words or handshakes!

I don't watch nor pay any attention to the Sunday TV preachers-which I get a feeling he is. But since I don't know for sure, I really shouldn't comment on that.

Now if you had said Graham...well that's a whole 'nuther kettle 'o' fish. Instant name recognition there. Haggard? Naw, I just think of Willie and the boys.

Now I do recall hearing an almost IDENTICAL scandal early this summer, I believe. Kinda went nowhere. Same deal-male hooker claims evangelist is a drugging and plookin' queer whorebeast...IS it the same story? I'm trying to hunt it down. But since I was only halfass listening when I heard it it'll be tough. But I'll try. Cuz even though I could give 2 hoots in a handbag for this guy, I really think this is recycled old news, trotted out for the elections.
(Who the hell would give any credibility to a male hooker, fer Christ sakes, in the 1st place?? What? Was his conscience buggin' him? Oh please!)

I'm just waiting for the tearful "Ah have sii-iined agaist you!" moment ala' Swaggert...or was it Roberts? Jeez, I can't tell these TV preachers apart.


(Wow. Ace of Spades concurs.)

Prez Comes to Town, I Forget to Bake a Cake

Dub blew into town early last night. He's here to stump for Talent. Giving a speech around 9 this morning at the Expo Hall in Springfield.

I thought that was kinda unusual that he showed up the night before. There aren't any really "presidential" digs here in Springfield, so I wonder which hotel he stayed at.
And I certainly hope the Expo Hall is more spruced up than when I saw it last. That joint is a wore out dive.

All the usual media campaign stringers are swarming all over downtown Springfield. Gives the folks something to talk about.

This was an invitation only event, Drat!

Dub's gonna be blasting over to Joplin right after the speech. The Joplin/Springfield hop is a quickie, one of those deals where you barely get your seat belt buckled and *poof* you're getting ready to land. Jeez, I didn't even know Joplin had an airstrip big enough for Air Force One!

Update: Local channels broadcasted the speech live, they just got done. Dub was on fire. Great rousing speech. The Prez spoke for about 40 minutes. As many have pointed out, this is what he should have been doing frequently these past 4 years. When I first started seeing the "campaign-mode" of the Prez a couple months back I wondered aloud "Where has this guy been??"
Dub was preaching to the choir and in friendly territory, so he really shines in those situations.
Really played up the fact that the Dems don't have a clue. "Ask a Democrat," he said, "What's your plan?" He had everyone shouting that outloud by the time he was done with that part. I realize that his speech today was simply a variation on what he probably has been giving these past few weeks, but dang, it was good. No awkwardness, no hemming and hawing or stammering (well, initially there was a some, but once he got rolling he just let everything flow.)
I like seeing Dub like this. We need it. But I'm sorry he just does this for fellow Republicans at campaign time.

I've also updated the pic...Hell, ya can't leave Springfield without a BassPro sticker for your car!

The Emperor Comes Out Swinging

Oh, you just knew it was gonna be good when Misha weighed in on the man-whore Kerry.

He has and IT IS!

Deliciously foul and wicked, as only Misha can do, he takes John-boy to the woodshed and clubs him unmercifully with the shining Cluebat of Blunt Truth.

(Thank You, Sir! May I have another?!)

Muuuuu-hahahahaha!

Uncle Mac is Soooooo Pi$$ed...

That he's started a new blog. Actually, it's the start of what he hopes will evolve into a venture into mass media.
Mac's teamed up with some other bloggers to launch Beast Media.
No obscenities here. Just straight writing. Hey, the cat can actually write without cussing like a sailor...who knew?

Anyway, he has lofty goals for the future and I really wish him well. Ah, if only I had such gitupngo.
So go check it out, you'll be pleasantly surprized!

His take on the Kerry kerfluggle, here.

Prepubescent Partisan Politics & 'Trickertreating'

The younguns plundered the town last night.

It was really a last minute decision to even go. The eldest is teetering on the verge of being "too old" and the youngest had yet to think of a costume.
But finally after some rummaging about and some brainstorming (more like a drizzle than a storm) they had both pulled outfits together and were ready.

My eldest actually had the more practical costume. She was a frazzled housewife. 'Jammies, a bathrobe, hair done up in a towel and a liberal application of a facial mask-all she had to do once home was wash her face and she was ready for bed!
The youngest decided to be the "husband" to the housewife, an Elvis wig, a small pillow stuffed into a sweatshirt for that potbelly and an eyebrow penciled mustache and she was good to go. An old pair of sunglasses from the 80's completed the look.
Not their best costumes, but my sewing machine is boogered up, so we had to do with what we had on hand. My kids have never had a "store-boughten" Halloween costume. I've always created them from scratch and materials on hand.

Anyway, we hit the hilly streets of town and I would wander down to a corner while they and gaggles of other townie kids would go door to door. Halloween is still an innocent and fairly safe kids night out in these parts, so I didn't feel the need to hover, escourting them to the front doors. I did when they were little, but they were big kids now and all the rules were set in their noggins. Besides, safety in numbers, right? But I noticed a few times they didn't go to certain houses, whereas the rest of the kids they were with did. They would both skip those houses and eagerly run to the next.

I asked about this on the way home.
"Oh, those were the houses that had McCaskill yard signs, Mom." My eldest said. "We figured they probably had crappy candy."

I didn't ask about what the take was at the homes sporting Talent signs.
I should have, though, in the interest of science and all that.