Happy New Year

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for another year of this old blog. Your readership and comments mean more than you can imagine.

Go out and celebrate the end of 2009, good riddance, I say. I am sure many of you agree.

If you drink, let someone else drive. Be safe. Have fun. I will see you next year!

Just Because

Cooking with the Hoosierboy

I do most of the cooking around the old Hoosierboy homestead. I won't pretend I am a gourmet or top chef, but I get the meals done. I have mastered the art of timing, my dishes nearly all finish within a minute or two. I make a mean white gravy and those who have eaten my cooking rarely complain. Aside from from posts about my lunches or what I have eaten for supper this is no way a cooking blog.

That said, the wife brought home a recipe last week that is intriguing. When I read it, I thought it was one of the worst concoctions I have read. Upon tasting, this salad is excellent. I made it for the Hoosierboy family feast at Christmas and all who tasted it loved it.

Chili Corn Salad

2 cans of corn drained
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 bag crushed chili cheese Fritos

Mix it all up.

There you have it. All I might add next time is maybe a dash of Tabasco or hot sauce and maybe use green onions instead of sweet yellow onion.

Let me know if you try it.

The year that was

It is just too much. The incompetence of the current administration and Democrat leaders in Congress leaves me just depressed. Can anyone point to one single example of something good that has been accomplished this year?

We spent nearly a trillion dollars on a stimulus that did not stimulate.

We spent billions of dollars destroying perfectly good used cars.

We took over two Auto companies and completely ignored the standards of bankruptcy law in the process.

We managed to insult some of our closest allies, including Great Britain and Israel.

We apologized to our enemies.

We failed to support democracy in Iran and Nicaragua, instead siding with despots.

We failed to bring home the Olympics, but managed to give American Taxpayers money to Third World Despots. I suggest President Obama not make any more trips to Copenhagen.

Obamacare is on track to pass, even though it will do nothing to reduce the cost of healthcare.

Unemployment has hit double digits with no end in sight.

Housing values are still falling.

We have had two terrorist attacks in recent weeks. Obama is determined to bring terrorists to the continental US, in spite of the wishes of teh People. He is going to conduct a civilian show trial for the mastermind of 9/11.

His administration has excused domestic criminals who denied votors access to the polls because of their race.

Seriously, has this year been better for anyone than 2008? Do you think 2010 will be a good year? Are you confident about your future?

We got the change Obama promised. It is our hope that has been destroyed.

Sports Commentary

Here's the reality: Some teams don't just play for championships, they play to be the best there has ever been. Others are just satisfied with doing what's required. The Colts decided that resting is more important than making a run at history.

--Teddy Bruschi ESPN

Yesterday the Colts had a shot at perfection and let it slip through their fingers. There was no reason to tank the game. There was hardly any chance the Jets could win against the Indy front-line players.

I get the arguments for resting the players. What if someone gets hurt, blah blah. If that is the concern then the starters should have been picking splinters for weeks now. Why are they playing a half at all? Look, they get a week off when the playoffs start. They can rest then, plus they just had ten days between games. I agree with the decision to hold out any injured player. That is smart, but to take out your best healthy players? That is not trying to win, that smacks of "I hope we don't lose".

The decision to rest the starters makes the come-from behind and hard-fought games the past few weeks a waste of time. The team is paid to win.

Here is a conspiracy theory for you. Had the Jets lost, there would be no team in the playoffs from NY, Chicago, LA, Houston or Miami -- some of the largest markets in the Country. The owners share TV revenue. It is in the owner's best interest to have lots of people watching the games. Did some of the owners put pressure on Colts owner Jim Irsay to rest his players? Not to lose on purpose, mind you, but to give the Jets a chance to win?

I do not pretend to have one-one millionth the football knowledge of the Colts management. I do know that the past two times they rested players, they were knocked out of the playoffs. The time they played through the end of the season they won the Superbowl. Pundits always talk about that team that goes into the playoffs on a roll as the team to beat. Recent Superbowls uphold that maxim (Pittsburgh, Arizona, Indy, The Giants,New England, etc,). Who was the last team to win the Superbowl entering the playoffs with a two game losing streak?

Christmas Hangover

Good Morning, I hope you all had a great Christmas. Even those of you who do not celebrate, I hope your day was good. Mine was. I got some fine gifts including a Cubs coffee mug and a new Colts hat, I cooked up a fine meal, enough food for a dozen people. The oldest boy is taking most of the leftovers with him back to school today. School does not start for a week or so, but he has to work. Yes, I am an evil parent, I make my kids work while they go to college. It has been great having him home.

Thank you for your kind comments and wishes for a Merry Christmas.

We are off to do the Hoosierboy family Christmas later today. I have some food to fix, so be good. Regular programing will resume on the morrow. Or maybe not. Tune in to see...

Merry Christmas

Santa Claus is coming tonight

Who was the most hated President in History?

I read something interesting this morning. You can read it too here. It seems that in the latest polls, 46% percent of the respondents report they strongly disapprove of President Obama's job performance.

At the end of his Presidency, George W Bush, the most loathed President ever according to the big-time media. had a disapproval rating of 43%. It took him eight years to become that unpopular. The Obama has accomplished it in less than a year.

How is that Hope and Change working out so far?

I cannot wait for certain liberal bloggers to eat their words and write my favorite sentence -- 'I was wrong and you were right" when, as I predicted, Conservatives again take control of Congress in 2010. And do not think I will not remind her of it when the time comes.

Just Because

This will mark the first year my daughter will not be home for Christmas. We will celebrate with her and her fiancee on the 26th. I keep telling myself it is just a day on the calender, but Christmas morning will still be strange. The wife and two boys and I will open our presents. I will fix a nice breakfast. Later I will bake a turkey and all of the trimmings. But something will still be missing. There are phone connections between Farmville and Chicago. We will have to make the best of the situation. Next year his parents will get the alternate day. I guess that is part of ever-growing families. Soon the boys will find loves of their own and go their separate ways too.

I am baking some pecan tassies later this morning. My daughter is coming this afternoon to bake Christmas cookies and candy with my wife. It is a long-time girl tradition around here.

Thanks George Bush

That whore Ben Nelson was not the deciding vote to move forward opn the worst piece of legislation to ever grace the halls of the Senate. You can blame the politician who only cares about keeping the perks and privledges of his office -- Arlen Sphincter. If GW had not campaigned for him last time he would not be in office, and not able to switch parties to be the key 60th vote. I hope the people of Pennsylvania are proud.

Me, I am calling out Senator Evan Bayh, He was a fairly conservative Governor. He lost all sense of the people of Indiana when he went to Washington, massing a very liberal voting record. Other so-called moderates got something for their votes. You, Sen. Bayh, are just the local slut -- giving it away for nothing. I suspect you will find your upcoming election bid a little tougher than you thought, especially if you continue your support for Cap and Trade and Card Check.

And that piece of shit Harry Reid claiming someone just died because he lacked insurance while Reid was pontificating. Yep, this is so urgent it will go into effect in five years. I hope we can elect some people with balls and courage come November of 2010 that will dismantle this big government boondoggle before it goes into effect.

That is my Christmas wish.

Go. Read.

Go over to Doug Ross' place and scroll through his posts the past 24 hours. There is a terrific rant by Victor the Contractor. Learn how the trial lawyers and excessive lawsuits are what is driving the cost of health care. Roughly 75% of your health insurance premium goes to fighting malpractice suits. Does Congress want to reform healthcare -- the answer is easy, except the Trial Lawyers are among the largest donors to the Democratic party. Educate yourself and act accordingly.

Dear Senator Evan Bayh

Do not sell us out. At least Ben Nelson and Mary Landreau got something for fucking over the people of their states. They may be whores, but that is a step up from giving it away for free. That just makes you a slut.

Please remember you are there to represent the people of Indiana, not the Democrat Party. Your Pop forgot that and he got stuffed by a Quayle. I am sure you are aware this is an election year.

You phones have been off the hook with calls the past two weeks, polls are overwhelmingly against moving forward with Obamacare. Represent the wishes of the people. Stand up and be a man. All politicians want to be remembered by history. Future generations will thank you for standing strong and doing what is right. Do not be afraid to make your mark for the people of Indiana and the citizens of the United States.

You proud Americans out there, those who favor limited, fiscally controlled Government. Write and call your Senator now. Here is a service that will fax your letters free. The vote is tonight. If you have ever considered letting your voice be heard, the time is now. Tomorrow is too late to stop this nonsense in its tracks. Let your Senator hear your voice.

If, like the good Senator Bayh, he/she ignores your will. Do everything in your power to vote him out of office.

Click here to send a free fax to your Representative. You must act today.

A Saturday Tale

Good morning Blog World. Hope all is well in your corner of the forest. We have a skiff of snow on the ground. For you non-Hoosiers that would be a dusting. The weather quacks claim we will have 2 inches by 9:00 in the morning. Mother Nature better get busy. I am not sure it is even still snowing.

After a very wet summer, we have seen little to no snow so far this season. It has been cold, but I can live with that. Maybe the dry spell will continue through January and February? That is some climate change I can get behind.

I met a buddy yesterday evening for a couple of cigars and a couple of beers. I had a nice time. It has been a long time since I went out. These days my extremely rare Boy's Night Out are pretty mellow. That is a far cry from my younger days when I lived the true redneck lifestyle, drinking, fighting and raising Hell. Somewhere in my archives is the story of my fight in a third rate strip club. I will offer a brief version here.

I was working the graveyard shift and a few of us went for drinks after work one Saturday morning. Some of you might find pounding beer at 7:00 in the morning a little strange, but those of you who have worked the third shift understand. Morning turned to late afternoon and only my pal Duane and I were left. We found ourselves in the infamous Combo Lounge, a dank strip club where aging and ugly strippers went to end their careers. Working a strip club in a farm town of 16,000 is not anywhere close to the road to fame and fortune.

There were about ten people in the bar on this Saturday afternoon. I was ignoring the strippers, as was my custom. I honestly have never really seen the point of getting yourself all flustered with no chance of release. Admittedly there was slim chance of that with this crop of females. The saturday afternoon crowd is not probably the place to make a lot of tips. My buddy Duane went to the restroom. A few minutes later I heard a commotion.

Suddenly the door to the head flew open and I see Duane, a big stocky linebacker in high school, deliver an overhand right to some guy's face. The stranger back peddled right at me. At the last minute he gained his balance and turned, just in time to meet my own right hand. In classic pack mentality, I figured if this guy had done something to deserve a punch from my friend, I was in it too. I am sure you guys will understand.

The stranger fell back from my punch only to get another smack from Duane. The guy was like a human version of one of those bumper cars you had as a kid. Every time it hit the wall it went in the opposite direction.

The guy offered no further resistance and Duane and I paid our tab and left at the suggestion of the management. After we staggered to our car, I asked Duane what the guy had done to warrant the mild beating. Duane said that he had pissed on the stranger's shoes while they were standing at the urinal (on purpose) and the guy had called him a mother fucker. "No one is calling me a mother fucker." Duane said.

Like Archie and Edith used to sing, "Those were the days"...

I know, let us borrow money to give to United Way

Imagine you have a neighbor. He is a nice guy, a Ned Flanders type. Old Ned has a mortgage, car payment, bills, the typical debt load. Ned learns the local food pantry needs donations, so he spends his grocery budget to help out the less fortunate. Our good Samaritan learns the homeless shelter needs donations and repairs. He bites the bullet and takes out a second mortgage to finance the repairs.

The economy sours and he has to borrow a little more to make his payments. He takes out credit cards to pay his credit card bills. He takes some items to the pawn shop. He has some unexpected medical bills. He is drowning in debt, but imagines he will survive somehow.

Our Hero decides to "adopt" a kid based on a late-night commercial. A local family's house burns down and there is a plea for donations. Ned sends three thousand dollars. He goes to the bank to discuss a third mortgage. He pleads with his boss for more hours.

Good old Ned has good intentions. He cares about his fellow man, but he is an idiot. He is bankrupting himself. I think most of us would agree.

The US is broke. We have a staggering national debt. The current administration has borrowed more money than all of the previous administrations combined. They are promising more debt and borrowing in the future.

Yet now we are promising we will borrow $100,000,000,000 -- that is one hundred billion dollars -- to give to Third World Countries to assuage our guilt over having advanced industrial capacity. We are going to pay these poor nations, many run by greedy despots, for our evil carbon usage. Our factories may spew CO2, a natural gas that makes farms more fertile, but the plight of the Third World is our fault somehow.

Just think, Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration just signed that third mortgage in your name for a payment of $333 for every man woman and child in this country, plus interest -- every year. I am all for helping out others, but when we are borrowing money to give as charitable donations, we need to take a step back.

I have been asked to leave better places

Why is it some liberals cannot take anyone questioning their belief system? The big pussy over at Cosmic Navel Lint has asked me to go away.

Boo Hoo, can you see my sadness? Blame any misspellings on the tears blurring my eyes.

It seems it is to inconvenient to answer the Constitutional issues presented in the Health Care debate. It is too inconvenient to present that the US Constitution limits the powers of the Federal Government.

Now I have dared to question his sheep-like devotion to the religion of Global Warming. That was going to far, and I have been asked to vacate the premises.

Here is the post and associated comments. I guess my joke hit a little close to home, eh?

I get it, it is Fluffly's blog (and he is about as substantive as a piece of lint) and he can do as he pleases. I will also state unequivocally that he is typical of most liberals, honest debate is not in the DNA. I guess that is why they want the Government to regulate everything; they will not have to think. They will just follow the State directives.

I posted my parting shot, and will not visit the place any more. Somehow I do not think my life or intellect will be a bit poorer for the decision.

Riddle me this

Many of my liberal readers consider me a moron. Here is your chance to educate me.

How is it possible to provide goods and services to twenty million, thirty million, or even one hundred people without adding any cost? Funny, most of you ridicule the Bible, where the only example of getting something from nothing is told in the loaves and fishes story.

I await your response.

Keen insight

You would not think so, but I have nothing so far today.

Keep checking in. You never know when inspriation will hit.

In the meantime, go on over to James Old Guy's place. He has been sick. Wish him a speedy recovery. Some of you think he has no heart, clearly that is not the case.

Ord till Tisdag

I am late getting a post up this morning. I went back to bed after the boy went to school and the wife to work. The joys of vacation. I got up early to make a taco dip plate for the wife to take to work. I know what you are thinking, and you are right. She does not deserve me.

As I type I am having a bit of breakfast. Three fig newtons, two pieces of cold bacon and one can of root beer. It almost sounds like some redneck version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. The bacon was left over from supper last night. I made a pot of potato soup and BLTs. Reheated soup is on the menu for lunch today. It is even better when reheated. If you do not believe me, come on over around noon.

It appears a decision was made in the dark of night to bring the Gitmo terrorists to Illinois. I am not a genius, so can anyone explain the difference in holding terrorists, caught on the battlefield in civilian clothing, prisoner in Illinois compared to Gitmo? The only difference is now they are on US Soil should they escape. And yes, prisoners do escape from prisons.

Has there ever been an administration and Congress so hell-bent on defying the wishes of the People? No wonder 40+ percent of those polled recently said they wish that worthless GW Bush was back in office. That, my friends, is a pretty sad commentary on Hope and Change.

Not a bearded clam, a bearded Hoosierboy

I last sported facial hair back in my college days. I had a full beard, but no mustache -- Amish style. I kept it about a month or six weeks. I went a week or so a few years back and my wife bitched like you cannot imagine. I shaved it mostly because the itchy phase was tough.

I am now on day two of not shaving. I am thinking about growing a beard over the next few weeks, since I am on vacation. I am certain it will be very gray, if not white. It may make me look older.

Since I base my entire life on the opinions of others (sarcasm alert), what do you think? Grow the beard or shave? If I go with the beard I will post a pic.

Pretend you are a Democrat -- vote early and vote often.

I will 'splain it, Lucy

The Democrats Health Care proposal includes taxes on business and "Cadillac plans". Without those taxes, the trillion dollar budget for this boondoggle will be passed to taxpayers of future generations. At this point we will not point out that the only way the plan does not cost us in the first ten years is we are taxed for it for four years before the plan takes effect. BTW, those of you who are wringing your hands that we must fix Health Care now, 'cause people are like, dying,could you explain this delay to me?

Anyway, when people are taxed for having really excellent coverage figure this out, what do you think they will do? Unless they are completely clueless, they will take out a policy that does not earn them a tax penalty. They will save that money and use it to pay under the table for better coverage.

I am going to type this next sentence for the one thousandth time, somehow, someway, those of you who are determined to punish Corporations for making a profit will finally understand. Businesses do not pay taxes. This cost is part of doing business and is passed to the consumer. If the Widget Corporation is taxed an additional three percent to help pay for Government run health insurance they will add three percent to the cost of their product. YOU will pay more. Thus, The Obama's pledge to never raise taxes on the 'middle class' will be just another lie.

Like Big Dick says, leave those Obama bumper stickers on your Prius. It will make it easier to identify whom to blame.

Hope and change

The Democrats passed a new debt bill last night. Government workers will all get a 2% raise. Did you get a raise this year? Remember the Feds only get money from one place to give these raises -- from taxing YOU.

Keep that in mind the next time you go to the polls.

I descended into Dante's second ring...

Holy crap.

I went with the wife Christmas shopping yesterday. It is the first time I have been to the mall on a weekend during Christmas season in many years. I always take a day off during the week and do my shopping, when it is not too busy. Anyway, you could not even get into the mall. Not the building -- the parking lot. Cars were backed up just trying to turn in. The access road around the parking lots was so backed up there was nowhere for the incoming cars to go. I will not even talk about finding a place to park.

We did get a lot done. We have only a few little gifts for distant family members to do. I still have some stuff to get my wife.

While the spouse was in the candle store, a place I refuse to visit since the various smells make me nauseous, I found a vacant spot on a bench. Not long after, the biggest family I have ever seen tried to squeeze onto the bench opposite. Big as in size, not numbers. The old guy sitting next to me leaned over and whispered "We now know those benches are well built". Yes, I laughed. Out loud.

Big day for some football. The Colts put their undefeated team and a shot at history on the line against the Broncos. It should be fun.

I think I have reinstalled Blogger commenting correctly. I guess the Haloscan comments are lost to memory. I have them saved in a file, so if some genius figures out how to import them, please let me know.

Shoot me a comment so I know if it is working.

All right, I know the commenting is working, but I am a whore for comments. Help me out anyway, 'K?

I'm in the mood for love...

but not for writing.

I have discovered Holoscan is going away. I have exported my comments, but I have no idea how to get rid of haloscan and how to turn blogger comments back on. Should I use a different service? Can anyone help me with this? I am not very good at the HTML thing.

I feel better

I grabbed a couple hours wink time on the couch. I feel a little better about taking on the day now.

The local news sends out a reporter to cover human interest stories. He was at a bakery that makes nutritious, natural, organic treats for dogs. Whatever. Some people treat their dogs like they are part of the family. If you ant to spend 10 bucks on a dog treat, it is certainly none of my f-ing business. That is just the way I roll.

I do not have a dog anymore. When I did, it was known to eat just about anything -- old used Kleenexes, trash. garbage, Rival dog food, cat food, cat turds from the litter box, a chair, table scraps, bones, a bunk bed, used tampons and pads, grass, old diapers, roadkill, and occasionally his own shit. My dog was not unlike most dogs I have known when it comes to its eating habits. Do we really need to make sure the ingredients in the dog treats are organic and natural?

*#@*&^%

It is Friday, and I am on vacation. I had an unexpected and unwelcome visitor last night. It was my old buddy insomnia. It really pisses a person off to wake at 4:30 in the am when you are supposed to be on vacation. Such is life.

Since I was up, I did manage to find the promo code to preorder tickets to see Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy in February. Merry Christmas to me, eh?

I changed my work phone message so the customers will not keep calling, put an out of office message on the work email, and checked out some morning news and Sports Center. Not a bad morning's work so far.

It is time to get the boy up for school.

More later.

Random Ramblings

Happy Thursday to you out there in winter wonderland. Baby it is cold outside. Here we find ourselves at Thursday already. Don't you find Thursday as the most worthless day of the week? That is a pretty sad comment on the day named after the el Supremo of Norse gods. Think about it. Monday sucks, we know it and are mentally prepared. Tuesday you hit your stride. Wednesday is hump day, you are almost there. Friday heralds the weekend. Thursday is just an "ughhh, gotta make the donuts" kind of day. I bet if you were to do a survey, Thursday brings more problems to the workplace than any other day. But for me Thursday is not so bad this week. I am on vacation tomorrow, so this is my Friday! As an added bonus, I am off all of next week too. I rolled into December with 8 days of vacation, and it is use 'em or lose 'em where I work. I know, reason 237 you wish you were me.

Did you learn anything from yesterday's post? I knew Cardigan lead the Charge of the Light Brigade, but I did not know he was considered such a piece of crap as a human being. Here is a fun fact for you to nibble on today -- Andrew Jackson's tombstone makes no reference that he ever served as President. Don't look at me that way. You will spring this bit of trivia on someone before the holidays are over.

What, you do not believe me? Imagine yourself at the family gathering. After the ham or turkey is gone everyone is sitting around waiting on the gossip girls to get their act together so the screaming kids can open their presents. There you are, stuck on the couch with Uncle Bruce and Aunt Petunia. You see your Uncle Bruce is wearing a pumpkin-colored cardigan sweater. You have already talked about the weather and if he made good time on the drive up. Conversation is lagging, and you know he is a liberal dipshit from way back, so you do not want to talk politics, and he is rather an effeminate pussy, so a frank discussion on the NFL playoff situation is out. Uncomfortable silence is creeping in.

You shoot from the hip. "Hey, Uncle Bruce, that is a nice sweater you have there. Did you know the cardigan was named after Lord Cardigan, the leader of the famous Charge of the Light Brigade?" He will admit he had no such knowledge. You continue. "I read all about Lord Cardigan at this very interesting, fascinating, and entertaining blog the other day. Apparently the guy was a real piece of work, a real asshole." His wife, bossy Aunt Petunia chimes in, telling you that the conversation is boring her to death. In the past, you would slink off to the kitchen to see if the women needed help with the dishes, or to the garage to grab a beer. Now you can look obnoxious Aunt Petunia and Uncle Bruce right in the eye, and say, "Well, speaking of dying, did you know Andrew Jackson's tombstone makes no reference that he ever served as President?" Game, set and fucking match. You never liked those stuck-up pricks anyway.

See, I am here to help. Speaking of help, I need some. I am usually pretty good with spreadsheets, but I am stymied by the math and formulas on one I am working on (I know, bad grammar).

I have a series of data points that have changed every week. I am tracking a customer's weekly forecast for the past six months. I am looking to see the cumulative change. Let us say there are ten lines. To get the cumulative change do I subtract A10-A9-A8-A7-A6..., or do I use the following format (A2-A1)+(A3-A2)+(A4-A3)...? Or am I completely off base? Remember I am looking to find the cumulative change. Hell, if I get the accurate number does it even matter? All I know is I have been key punching numbers for three days and I just want this spreadsheet to go away.

See, you think this is just random words thrown together by a chimpanzee with a laptop. Instead, we come right around to the work that needs to be done on this cold, dismal Thursday. I ask again, is there a single workday more disheartening than a Thursday?

Legacy

As you may be aware, I like to dabble in the study of history. Every now and then I pick up my well-worn copy of the Wordsworth Dictionary of Military Biography. My paperback version was published in 1997. I have used this reference numerous times and I have gotten far more value from this book than the measly $2.99 I paid.

I opened the book at random last night and read the entry on Lord Cardigan. Here is what I read:

Cardigan, James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of (1797-1868)

Lord Cardigan, one of the most unattractive personalities ever to hold a senior command in the British Army, has gone down in history as the leader of the 'Charge of the Light Brigade'. A man of undoubted physical courage but very few other admirable qualities... (page 44)

Time usually gives us a clear picture of an individual. Admirable and irascible qualities are usually leveled out to give a fairly neutral portrait of a person.

Lord Cardigan must have been an unmitigated asshole. It appears his only redeeming quality was the design of the woolen sweater that still bears his name.

More research into Lord Cardigan shows some similar flaws. According to Wikipedia (always a suspect source), Cardigan was a jerk in his love life:

In 1823, Brudenell fell in love with Mrs. Elizabeth Tollemache Johnstone (8 December 1797 - 15 July 1858). Her husband, Lt.-Col. Christian Johnstone, started divorce proceedings in June 1824 and the divorce was finalised in June 1826. Johnstone was apparently happy to be rid of her, calling her “the most damned bad-tempered and extravagant bitch in the kingdom”. She and Brudenell married on 19 June 1826. It was not a happy marriage; they separated in 1846, and had no children.

After scandalising society by leaving Elizabeth, on 20 September 1858 he married Adeline de Horsey, achieving still greater notoriety as he had been conducting an affair with her as his wife was dying. This, however, was a happy union, notwithstanding the disparity in their ages. Adeline, harshly excluded from fashionable society for the rest of her days, accustomed herself to life in the country while James spent large sums of money making their home together comfortable. Adeline even remained on good terms with James's principal mistress, Maria Marchioness of Ailesbury, and tolerated his other affairs.[3]

In 1841 Cardigan was prosecuted for "cheating" in a duel with one of his former officers. He was accused of using a rifled pistol with a hair trigger. He escaped through a legal technicality.

As a military commander Cardigan routinely court marshalled and reprimanded his officers for petty discrepancies. He once forbade a certain kind of wine in the mess because he thought the bottle was too common.

His blame for the disastrous charge of his Brigade at Balaclava remains controversial. The officer who gave the order to charge died in the attempt, so what Cardigan was told remains a mystery. Eyewitness reports claimed Cardigan fled the field before reaching the Russian guns, an accusation he denied to his death.

A contemporary of Lord Cardigan, Cecil Woodham Smith, described him as follows:

He had in addition to courage another characteristic which impressed itself on all who met him. He was, alas, unusually stupid; in fact [he was] an ass. The melancholy truth was that his glorious golden head had nothing in it.

source

That, my friends, is quite a legacy.

Dear Harry Reid,

I am confused. The Democrats have majority control of the Senate. The Republicans are unable to filibuster or prevent any bill from passing. How can the Republicans be responsible for the failure to pass a Health Insurance bill?

Either you are a liar, or you are not intelligent, or irresponsible on a level unseen in American Politics. Perhaps you are just stupid,brainless, dazed, deficient, dense, dim, doltish, dopey, dull, dumb, foolish, futile, gullible, half-baked, half-witted, idiotic, ill-advised, imbecilic, inane, indiscreet, insensate, irrelevant, laughable, a loser, ludicrous, meaningless, mindless, moronic, naive, nonsensical, obtuse, out to lunch, pointless, puerile, rash, senseless, shortsighted, simple, simpleminded, slow, sluggish, stolid, stupefied, thick, thick-headed, trivial, unintelligent, unthinking, and witless.

Maybe you are historically ignorant and a piece of shit altogether.

Or maybe you just cannot count.

Your Friend,

Hoosierboy

Now this is climate change

Experts agree that in the far distant history of this small blue planet we call Earth, huge chunks of the surface were covered with ice. Some even estimate these giant sheets of ice (glaciers) extended at times as far south as the equater. I would guess that the surface temperature was pretty cold.

Eventually all if that ice melted. Something caued the Earth temperature to change dramatically over time. I am pretty sure it was not the activities of man. Evil SUVs and coal-burning plants did not cause the ice sheets to receed.

Right here in the rustbelt, ice covered the landscape. According to Wikipedia,the last ice age brought ice sheets below 45 degree of latitude. This galciation occured 26,000 to 13,000 years ago. Experts refer to this time as the Wisconsin Glaciation.

This Wisconsin glaciation left widespread impacts on the North American landscape. The Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes were carved by ice deepening old valleys. Most of the lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin were gouged out by glaciers and later filled with glacial meltwaters. The old Teays River drainage system was radically altered and largely reshaped into the Ohio River drainage system. Other rivers were dammed and diverted to new channels, such as the Niagara, which formed a dramatic waterfall and gorge, when the waterflow encountered a limestone escarpment. Another similar waterfall, at the present Clark Reservation State Park near Syracuse, New York, is now dry.

The area from Long Island to Nantucket was formed from glacial till, and the plethora of lakes on the Canadian Shield in northern Canada can be almost entirely attributed to the action of the ice. As the ice retreated and the rock dust dried, winds carried the material hundreds of miles, forming beds of loess many dozens of feet thick in the Missouri Valley. Isostatic rebound continues to reshape the Great Lakes and other areas formerly under the weight of the ice sheets.

-- source

This ice was estimated to be 1.8 to 2.5 miles thick. I am no scientist, but if I understand chemistry at all, it would take a bit of warming to melt that much ice.

So here is my question,Copenhagers, if Nature managed to change the temperature in the past, what makes you so convinced man is responsible now? How can you justify your draconian proposals to limit and change my standard of living? Tell me agian the whole issue is not about social engineering.

You are killing the Earth, you bastard

Quit breathing. You are poisoning the planet. You are major pollutant. CO2 is a contributor to the coming mini-ice age, global warming, fuck it, let's call it climate change so we will always be right. The EPA is going to drastically change the way you live. Not to make our air more clean, but to advance a certain social policy. That it may wreck the economy, destroy your standard of living is just the point. The socialists in charge do not care about science, about reason, about anything but their agenda. It is about power. It is about people who think they know more than you. It is about punishing the rich, and redistribution of wealth. It is about bringing down the wealthy, even if it means giving up American Sovereignty.

There is no science that proves man has caused climate change. Consensus is not science.

If you hearken back to your days when you studied biology, you might remember that plants "breath" CO2. If we reduce Carbon emissions, then plant life will not thrive. These same alarmists cry about global hunger, yet try to regulate and destroy the very mechanism that encourages plants to grow and reproduce.

This stuff is not that hard. Logic will always win the day. This is about money, control and power. Nothing more.

December 7

To the Congress of the United States

Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Franklin Roosevelt

Weekend Funny

George W. Bush, Queen Elizabeth, and Vladimir Putin all die and go to hell.
While there, they spy a red phone and ask what the phone is for. The
devil tells them it is for calling back to Earth.

Putin asks to call Russia and talks for 5 minutes. When he was finished
the devil informs him that the cost is a million dollars, so Putin
writes him a check.

Next Queen Elizabeth calls England and talks for 30 minutes. When she
was finished the devil informs her that cost is 6 million dollars, so
Queen Elizabeth writes him a check.

Finally George W. Bush gets his turn and talks for 4 hours. When he was
finished the devil informed him that there would be no charge for the
call and feel free to call the USA anytime.

When Putin hears this he goes ballistic and asks the devil why Bush got
to call the USA free. The devil replied, "Since Obama became president
of the USA , the country has gone to hell, so naturally it's a local
call."


h/t my big brother

We know who you are

I do not think even The Obama's most ardent supporters will deny that the President's political philosophy is liberal. His policies are true children of the 1960's. No matter how much personal contact they may have had, Obama has clearly read and admired William Ayres and his radical ideas. He is following the teachings of Saul Alinsky and the political strategies of Cloward and Piven (at least some of his "Czars" are).

For those who were alive, or studied the history of the times, no single person embodied all that was wrong with America (according to the 1960's radicals) than Richard Nixon. Tricky Dick was vilified and hated long before Watergate. Even as the name of George W. Bush creates an almost visceral hatred among those of the liberal stripe, Nixon evoked even stronger emotions.

Now, we have the darling of the Left, the last hope for a compassionate America, He who will return America to respect, He who will reduces the seas, and lower the temperature across the fruited plains (his claim, not mine), He who will give health care to us all, adopting Richard Nixon's very strategy for prosecuting the war in Vietnam, as his own in Afghanistan. Yes, my friends, Obama has become Nixon.

Nixon instituted a policy in Vietnam that can be be described as a "do not lose the war" policy. We certainly did not try to win. And if you listened to The Obama's speech earlier this week you did not hear the words win or victory. In fact, you heard about winning the hearts and minds and getting out of the place. After the speech a single image continued to creep forward in my brain; that of the Marine helicopters circling the American Embassy in Saigon in April of 1975. Do you remember what happened in May and June of 1975 in Saigon and the former South Vietnam? Those who supported the Americans were rounded up and shot by the patient North Vietnamese.

What support can we expect in Afghanistan going forward when we have a;ready announced to our enemies our intentions? Like visitors who stay too long, we are reaching for our coats and telling those last jokes. Our hosts know they can hold our for a little longer. Already the Taliban are starting a whispering campaign among the villages and warlords -- we know who is with us, and who is supporting the Americans.

Obama says we will be gone in 18 months. The Taliban can wait. They have been fighting this war for centuries. A year and a half is nothing to people who are looking forward from the Seventh Century.

Obama, our man in charge. He has the leadership skills of Jimmah Carter. He has adopted the economic strategies of Herbert Hoover. He is trying give us the guns and butter policies of LBJ. Obama is adopting the battlefield tactics of Nixon. I will not be surprised if we see a return to price and wage controls when inflation creeps into the economy.

It has been said we do not know who Obama is. We do. He is the embodiment of every negative aspect of the worst Presidents we have elected. Silent Cal, where are you?

Do do do doo

I had a root beer and a baked potato for breakfast. I slathered the spud in sour cream and butter. Do you think I really care if you approve?

Perhaps I spent too much time alone this week, windshield and hotel time leave the brain open for thought. How about this scenario for a Sci-Fi tale or movie? Feel free to flesh it out, just toss a little credit my way.

A secret cabal of powerful politicians is intent on creating a one-world Government. They know that for a certain segment of the global population this will be a difficult task -- namely the pesky Americans. They succeed in getting their man elected, in spite of his apparent lack of qualifications. They create a run on the American financial system, leading to a takeover of the banks and various essential industries. The wheels are put into motion to destroy the capitalistic base of the American economic system. The Government is poised to enact stringent laws that will affect energy, medicine and additional crisis are planned to allow Government control over every aspect of our lives.

Fake scientific reports are created to convince the people that business, industry, petroleum and the Western way of life are endangering the planet, that we will die if radical changes are not enacted.

In spite of the cabal's best efforts,the American people rebel. They stand up and say no. Decades of work by the secret power brokers is in danger. They dream up a fake health scare. For years they have prepared the public for the aspect of mutating viruses, killer germs, and epidemics of massive, deadly proportions. A new disease is created, the media is fed reports of large-scale deaths, even though the numbers do not back up the fear mongering. We are told that if we do not get this "killer" disease under control, untold numbers of kids and elderly will die -- a modern bubonic plague.

Just in the nick of time, the Government comes up with a vaccine! We are saved. Every school child is encouraged to get vaccinated, the teachers and health workers and police and military are given first crack at this new wonder drug that will save us all. The young adults are next. Those from 20 to 50 are vaccinated. By coincidence, these are the ones who could have made up the armies to fight tyranny and oppression.

Unknown to us all, included in the vaccine is a secret mind-altering drug. When the leaders of the various nations speak to us in frequent public speeches, code words are used that activate the secret drugs within the vaccine. The drugs brainwash those who have taken the vaccine to accept and believe the words of the leaders....

I cannot concentrate to finish the story. Black helicopters are hovering around the house and black Escalades and Tahoe SUVs are erupting with armed men. The Government is after someone in the neighborhood....

On an unrelated note, have you gotten your H1N1 vaccination yet?

It did not work the first time, so let us try it again

I read in the paper this morning that Pelosi,that economic genius, wants to improve the unemployment situation by giving another stimulus to cities and towns to build "shovel-ready" infrastructure projects and to hire teachers, firemen, and public servants (all of whom just happen to be union employees!).

1. Isn't that what the last stimulus was supposed to do?
2. I love firemen, policemen, and especially teachers. We cannot possibly hire enough of these wonderful professionals to reduce the unemployment ranks in any significant manner.
3. None of these ideas create jobs. The only way to significantly create jobs is to create an environment that encourages a businesses to hire.

GuyK has harped on this for a long time. I even tried to make some of you economically challenged folks understand. I will try again. Businesses do not exist to provide jobs. They are in business to make money. Profit is not a dirty thing. Profit allows a company to buy new equipment, buildings and do the research and development that increases sales. Profit is what allows the business to hire people. When faced with increasing taxes and regulatory costs, businesses will not hire additional personnel. They will reduce the ranks of their workers to make a profit.

On the other hand, the Government produces nothing. It cannot create revenue without confiscating it from another source. Government workers, including teachers, firemen, and policemen do not create wealth. They do not create profit. They do nothing but add cost to government. By the same token I am also mere overhead to my company. I add no direct profit to the bottom line. Like the firemen, I am a cost for the company. We may both be essential (I hope), but in the end we are just costs.

I am always amazed that we elect leaders that have so little understanding of how businesses work. Perhaps, when your entire life consists of spending other people's money with no repercussions, you lose a little perspective.

It is time, my friends

Good morning blog world. I am transmitting to you from a secret remote location.

the rocking chair is red.

John needs his diaper changed

Storm clouds are churning

I spent the day yesterday in the Michiana area and then proceeded slightly SE to my current hideout. It is very much like a fort. Even if your name was Tony, you would be mad to try and determine my current whereabouts. Just ignore the code phrases above if they were not meant for you.

Rest easy, my followers, I will be back on station -- and on vacation-- on Friday.

Feel free to ignore this silly post.

the fox is in the hen house
the bucket has been upturned
I repeat, the bucket has been upturned

At your peril....

Don't worry Afghanistan Terrorists, we will be gone soon. Unless you want to give up before we leave.

I did not serve in the military. What I know about guerrilla warfare and counter-insurgency I learned from watching John Wayne in The Green Berets and reading books by Richard Marchenko. But I was gifted with a little common sense.

If the Generals say we need more troops on the ground in Afghanistan, I am all for it. They know their business. But the nonsense about pulling out in 18 months is pure idiocy. It demonstrates a complete ignorance of human psychology, history, and war. Didn't the Clown-in-Chief even read the Cliff Notes version of Clausewitz (I read the whole thing)?

Let us look at it a different way. Say you are skinny kid with big ears and a funny name who just moved to the hood from Hawaii or Jakarta or who knows where. The local bully decides he is going to make you whipping boy. He declares he will smack you around every day for 18 days. You can put up with just about anything for 18 days, you can avoid him and hide at least half the time. What makes The Obama think they Taliban and other assorted evil ragheads won't bide their time in Pakistan, or the mountains of Wiziristan until we get tired of the game, or 18 months passes and go home? In chorus now -- that is what they will do.

Maybe you are the terrified high school girl alone in the spooky house. You keep finding blood dripping on the walls. The electricity goes out. You are terrified. The phone rings. "hello" you say. You hear deep breathing and a sinister laugh. "I am going to kill you" a deep raspy voice whispers in the phone. "But I have to leave in 18 minutes."

You cannot put a timetable on war. You fight until you win. You do everything in your power to win (The idiotic rules of engagement are another matter). It is a good thing the Powers In Charge did not put a three year time-table on WWII, Hitler would have hit us hard in the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and we would have taken our ball and gone home. Maybe someone should brief the Commie bastards about Vietnam. At least someone should give Obama a copy of Stephen Coonts' Flight of the Intruder.

With all of the cries about GW's incompetence, he is starting to look sharp beside this guy. Hell, Carter is starting to look good.

And I will tell you another thing...

Gotdamn Obama is going to pre-empt Charlie F-ing Brown tonight.

I ain't happy about it.

Afghanistan is important. So is the economy. I guess we need to discuss health care, since every time The Obama opens his mouth about health care the public hates the idea even more.

But we are talking about missing the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. You know, where the kid in the upper right corner of the dance party in the school auditorium dances so cool. Where Linus tells us the true meaning of Christmas. Remember Pig Pen and Schroeder and the puny Christmas tree? That Charlie Brown?

Thanks for making my life even more miserable, Mr. President.

Urgent update

I was hungry this morning. I threw together some tuna salad and slapped a bit on some white bread. I washed it down with a root beer. Other than those boring and mundane details, I have nothing.