john edwards, this is not goodbye

I just finished reading John Edwards’ speech that he made when dropping out yesterday. For some reason, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of him. Here’s an excerpt,

“All of you who have been involved in this campaign and this movement for change and this cause, we need you. It is in our hour of need that your country needs you. Don’t turn away, because we have not just a city of New Orleans to rebuild. We have an American house to rebuild.”

Does that sound like a man who has thrown in the towel? I am waiting for his endorsement. He might surprise us all…

ron paul racing, no really

This cracks me up, truly. I mean 1st the blimp, now this. I can just picture the reaction of some of my NASCAR friends, “Who’s that Ron Paul guy?” He’s so fringe he makes Kucinich look like a winner. I just love election year, the drama, the action, the wierdos.

I spy a spy

This Friday an important surveillance bill expires. From the State of the Union address:

“To protect America, we need to know who the terrorists are talking to, what they are saying, and what they are planning. Last year, the Congress passed legislation to help us do that. Unfortunately, the Congress set the legislation to expire on February 1. This means that if you do not act by Friday, our ability to track terrorist threats would be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger. The Congress must ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. The Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America. We have had ample time for debate. The time to act is now.”

Well, I don’t know about you, but I feel safer. We don’t live in a police state, we live in a state of paranoia. And those companies that “assisted” to “defend America” sold us out. What those companies did was illegal! They should be punished not protected. I like this article from Wired by Bruce Schneier,

“We’ve been told we have to trade off security and privacy so often — in debates on security versus privacy, writing contests, polls, reasoned essays and political rhetoric — that most of us don’t even question the fundamental dichotomy.

But it’s a false one.”

” The debate isn’t security versus privacy. It’s liberty versus control. “

Of course we all know that people with liberty are out of control.

for the love of god

Dear neighbors,

Please, please get some sleep tonite. Get stoned early and just crash out or whatever works for you. I don’t want to hear your stereo at 3am. I don’t want to hear your ass talking on the cell phone. Just kindly shut-up and go to bed. I don’t know what was so damned funny last night, I couldn’t hear the joke. I heard everything else mind you. You barfing. You blowing your nose. You pissing. You thundering across the floor on the way to the fridge. Just please stop, please. Get it all out of your system earlier in the evening so that I look like less of a zombie during the day.

Thank you,

Your asshole neighbor

hillary clinton

This is as close as i could get after hours of studying facial features. that’s why i had to label it.

i found the tutorial

In the interest of sharing…here is a great tutorial on making your own photoshop brushes. so easy my 3 year old neice could do it.

where i discover photoshop brushes

I suspect I’m a little late to the dance on this one, but if you want some cool stuff, go here.

or here. There’s too much stuff out there. You can make your own too (again late to the dance), but I haven’t found a good tutorial yet.

you mean the bush admin. lied?

yes they did. The Center for Public Integrity put together a non-profit study. It’s a bit of a slog and it pretty much reiterates what we all already knew anyway, but to see it broken down this way is impressive.

greenhouse gases

oh those crazy swedes. just give me the $590,000 and I’ll fart and belch all day.

gas tax: part deux

I found a news report from The Dallas Morning News that explains more about the federal commission’s plans to raise the gas tax by 40 cents over the next 5 years.

The proposal for a 40-cent increase over five years touched off a stormy debate in Washington that is expected to last until at least 2009, when legislation governing scores of transportation programs expires and must be rewritten……

The panel wants Congress to raise the federal gas tax – currently at 18.4 cents a gallon – by 5 to 8 cents a year for five years, and then allow the rate to grow with inflation after that. By then, drivers would be paying $6 extra for every 15-gallon tank. The panel also wants state gas taxes increased.

So there’s the scoop kids, now who needs a ride?

parking the donkey

This post from Aunt B got me thinking about gas prices again. It’s a recurrent theme when you’re poor

I am fortunate that I live very close to where I work and I can walk most days, but walking to the grocery store I might need to pack a sack lunch or get a donkey. I’m not that energetic and I don’t know where I would be able to park my donkey. I take the truck. It’s an old Ford Ranger and she has some miles and has been all over the southeast US. I know that there are vehicles out there that use less gas and get better mileage, but I can’t afford them. Ethanol can’t be found in my town. The Ranger can’t use biodiesel. So, it’s not because I’m not willing to try to help the environment with my mode of transportation, it’s just not possible.

Besides all that, stop taxing me for crap already! Here ya’ll are trying to stop the recession on one hand and then getting all set to send us another bill. Stop! For the love of Pete man!

Side point: I’ve noticed that a lot of gas stations within walking distance have started carrying basic grocery items , bread & milk mostly, are they on to something? BTW anyone know how much square acreage you would need to keep a donkey? Just keeping my options open.

huckabee

I knew it by God! I knew he couldn’t keep his nasty little hands off of our constitution. Little creep! Listen carefully the video volume is crap.

stewman!

i couldn’t believe my ears so i thought the radio said $2,000. The actual money raised was closer to $10,000.

$10,000! Wow! Hooterville rocks!

Babes in Space

Go ahead….awwwwww.

National Security at work

Ohhhh nice job guys. Damned scary those 5 year olds.

Tom Brokaw: gives Chris Matthews a come to Jesus talk

Anyone who watched the New Hampshire coverage knows that MSNBC was terrible due mostly to the things that Brokaw says here.

John Edwards: Forgotten Candidate?

Just seems to me that someone got left behind in the midst of all this Clinton-Obama tempest in a teapot. I guess most voters are not 100% convinced of his sincerity, but honestly I’m not worried about your sincerity here candidates. I’m worried about “Are you going to throw our constitution under a bus, like the current pres? Are you going to make me grit my teeth painfully every time you get up to speak because I’m afraid you’ll say something stupid or dangerous? Will you uphold the law of the land and make your staff do the same?” See that’s what I truly care about. If our current president could’ve given us that our country would have had some comfort during this rough period. If you want my vote assure me that I won’t have to go through 4 years of more crap like the last 8.

Vermin Supreme in ‘08

This guy is a trip. Yes that is a boot on his head. He’s a presidential candidate, crazy but a genuine candidate. Well hell, why not maybe he’ll cheer Hillary up. I wonder if he has signs I’d like one for my yard. Oh and here’s his platform, ha!

Hillary Clinton: Grace under pressure

I’m not going to go the way most cartoonists have gone, giving Hill a hard time, I’m actually going to give the girl props for the way she handled these jerks. Nice work, keep your head up it won’t be the last time someone asks you to iron your shirt.

The Widow of the South

Above: The McGavock cemetary with Carnton in the background.

Just finished reading Robert Hicks’ novel “The Widow of the South,” it takes place during the 2nd battle of Franklin November 30, 1864. On the Union side there were 2,326 casualties. The Confederate total was 6,261. There are 1,481 of the Confederate dead buried behind the Carnton mansion which is where “Widow” was set.

Right now the battlefield itself is under siege by developers. I’ll be the first to say I don’t get all misty eyed when I hear Dixie (there’s a lump in my throat, but it’s bile) but I do feel like we need to preserve more of our historic places no matter how unpleasant the memory. Didn’t someone say “If we don’t remember our history we are doomed to repeat it.”

From Wikipedia: “Much of the rest of the Franklin battlefield has been lost to commercial development. The spot where Gen. Cleburne fell, for instance, was covered until late 2005 by a Pizza Hut restaurant. Although the restaurant was purchased by a preservation group and demolished…”

Above: The battlefield today from Winstead Hill.

This site has letters and reports from actual soldiers from both sides that fought in Franklin.