Friday, August 13, 2004

From the Home Office in Pistol River, Oregon

Top ten reasons I am out eating at Denny's and blogging from Kinko's instead of at home watching the Olympics:

10. Opening Ceremonies: 8 PM to 12 AM
9. Pregnant Wife's current level of food-in-the-house tolerance: -12
8. It's all Greek to me.
7. Opening Ceremonies: 8 PM to 12 AM?????
6. Singing and dancing keeps getting sillier and sillier.
5. No Gyro places are open in Eugene tonight.
4. Opening Ceremonies: 8 PM to 12 AM!!!!!
3. The only part I want to see is the Torch Lighting, and it's usually last.
2. Don't want to be there when the irony of the international crowd booing American athletes while cheering free Afghan and Iraqi athletes rips a hole in the fabric of the Universe.
1. If I have to spend four freaking hours listening to Katie Couric blathering away in some vain* attempt at relevance, I swear to you I will put a bullet through my head!

*Double meaning intentional

Seared in His Sense of Direction

Kerry was in town last night. A coworker of mine sent me the following story of his encounter with the campaign:

So... I live in Eugene, Oregon. I affectionately (??) refer to it as "the lion's den." It's not easy being a conservative Republican here. I had a nice meal at our local mall and went for a little drive. Well... there I am, on a residential street and the traffic is going at a snail's pace. I look up and see some busses. As they turn, I see what's holding us up... the Kerry caravan (Kerryvan!). They go up a couple of blocks, stop, then turn around. They had missed the turn to the street I just came from so they could get to their stop for the night, the Valley River Inn.

As I realized they were lost, I was SOOO hoping they would ask me for directions... hehehe. "Sorry, I don't know the way to Gehenna." No such luck... just keep moving, Rick. Then I thought to myself... "What a perfect metaphor! The Kerry busses... lost." Seems like the Demo candidate is missing the mark in a lot of areas, including his position on the travel industry. LOL.

You'd think with $400M, he could afford up-to-date navigation software?


Maybe this explains the confusion about if and when he was in Cambodia.

Hat Tip to Rick V.

Bon Apetit, Angels!

Via TacJammer:

Julia Childs has passed away. All those who love to cook will mourn her passing.

The modern craze of cooking shows can be traced back to a handful of pioneers, among them the Galloping Gourmet and Julia Childs.

I used to love to make fun of her, doing my own "a little more wine" routine lampooning her. But once I started watching cooking shows, and saw what a gracious, patient, good humored lady she was, I shut up. I remember watching her appear as a guest on Martha Stewart's show, and thinking how maddeningly condescending Martha seemed towards her. But Julia took it all in stride. She was unflappable, calm, and a damned good cook. She was Yoda with a skillet.

She taught America how to cook. She will be missed.

Update:
The Food Network will be airing a Tribute to Julia on Sunday, August 22. I'll be watching. So should you.

Go Greyhound (and Leave the Idiocy to Us)

Hat Tip to reader LC Veeshir over at the AIR for this article over at Fox News:

Marine Denied Bus Ride

The clincher line is this comment by the Marine's mother: Carol says, "I don't think the driver intended to let him on from the very beginning."

I wouldn't be surprise, ma'am. How sad. This young man is giving up at least four years of his life, foregoing the usual freedoms associated with being young and American. If need be, he will risk and even sacrifice his life to defend the safety and freedom of the rest of us, including this jerk of a driver. At best he will be subjected to some of the most rigorous and arduous training known to man. But he isn't worthy of boarding a bus to get there.

Maybe the driver thought this young man would infect his other passengers with some nasty disease, like patriotism, or valor. *shudder* It might become epidemic. Or maybe he's just some aging hippie who didn't get a chance to spit on a vet after Viet Nam. Either way, he should be ashamed of himself.

Those of us who did not or could not serve owe those who did and do a debt of gratitude. At best, we should thank them, honor them, make sure that while in uniform they never have to pay for a drink in our presence, mourn them when they fall. At the very least, we can keep our mouths respectfully shut in their presence, and refrain from treating them like crap.

Greyhound has failed even that minimum level of respect. Guess how much respect I have for them in return.

Update:

Lord Spatula over at Spatula City BBS has an even more thorough rant on this. He even improves on the title of the rant.