What are you thinking about? Care to share your thoughts, questions, opinions? This is your thread, and the topic is yours to choose.
fnord
Wednesday, 06/10/09, Public Square
Filed under The Public Square
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What are you thinking about? Care to share your thoughts, questions, opinions? This is your thread, and the topic is yours to choose.
fnord
Filed under The Public Square
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Good morning all. I can assure you that I’d rather eat a big bowl of dirt this morning than go to my job at wingnut central.
If I have an auction and move, will you all come help me then? 🙂
Seriously. I think I’ve had about all of kansas I can stand.
Maybe instead of Austin, I should go to Spain…
Of course we’ll help. BTW, if you do move to Spain, can you get me Generalissimo Francisco Franco’s autograph?
Damnit Pondie, you should check out SEK. You could buy a spot near Bender’s mound!
I’d be happy to help where I could, but if moving to Spain is it, that help may not be much. But I do know someone who lives in Spain, a foreign exchange student from when I was in high school. 😀
Hey you know we bought 75 mandolins from Austin Texas. Friggin eBay. Some dude was getting rid of 75 antique mandolins in one big lot…they are now in boxes in our office! We also bought the domain name …whoops I bought 75 mandolins.com … We intend to send one into space …where you can’t hear it pluck! It’s all true !
Loon, I had a 100+ year old banjo. Original cowskin head and all. An older cousin has been a professional musician all his life, so I gave it to him and he plays it in his act. Well along with 10 or 12 other instruments.
He happens to work out of Branson Missouri though.
Heh Loon. Given that Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World, I’m not surprised someone there would collect instruments of any kind. Geez, you can hear live music in Austin at McDonalds on a Wednesday night!
And Jammer? According to Chevy Chase, the generalissimo is still dead….
Damn!
PP,
I have a friend whose son is planning to open a recording studio in Austin in the future.
The other motto for Austin, in addition to LMCW and “Keep Austin Weird” is “city of ideas”.
So you can imagine my horror living in kansas after sixteen years in The City of Ideas.
I am a life long Kansas native. I remember moving to Ellis, KS in 1979 and experiencing some pretty traumatic culture shock. There was one local T.V. station out of Hays and when I first turned on the set I was treated to a live show called “Big Joe’s Polka Show”. I called my friends in Wichita and Winfield and told them, “you can’t imagine what it’s like out here.”
Don’t get me wrong there are some good people out in the hinterlands, but I noticed right away how nearly every person in western Kansas had a well formed view on people of African American heritage. I seriously doubted if many had even seen a black person in their entire lives.
Living in Western Kansas is definitely not for sissies. While Wichita is hardly the bastian of liberal thought, there are less enlightened places out there.
As I have prattled on about before, I was born in KY and lived there until I was six when I was unceremoniously dumped on an unsuspecting Detroit. I left MI when I was 27 for Western NC, but then was transferred to KS when I was 30 and have been here for most of the past 27 years.
It STILL is culture shock for me living in KS!
Heh yesterday I was thinking that Kansas was a cancer within the body of the Untied States.
My youngest and his wife wants us to move to N. C. my uncle wants us to move to Jacksonville Fla.
My oldest said we would love Washington St. All the kids think it would be great for their mom and I to move to Florida. Most times I think of just turning off the computer and TV. and setting in a darken room.
The grass is green outside the window and the chair is comfortable, I get to see my grandsons about twice a week.
I once told a brother-in-law who was moving to Arkansas in hopes of finding happiness. I told him happiness was not a place you can move to. It is where ever you can find it.
I want to live on the coast of Oregon.
tstb,
Too many hurricanes in FL. 😉
Too many rednecks in N.C. 😉
My next home will probably be under the Douglas St. bridge, the way things are goin.
To me the problem with Florida is (1) it’s flat as a pancake and at about 3′ above sea level, and (2) it has way too many itinerants. That and the hurricanes, you’re right (and 1 & 2 have got to make even minor hurricanes insufferable).
North Carolina is actually quite lovely, imo. The west half is Appalachian (and gorgeous), but the east near the ocean is definitely not redneck country (it’s also gorgeous). I don’t think anybody will ever accuse the Outer Banks of being a bastion of redneck thought. A bastion of old fashioned hippies, no doubt; the redneck faction is badly outnumbered near the ocean.
I work and live in SE Virginia, but I am giving serious thought to moving to eastern NC and commuting.
My sister lives in Huntersville, a suburb of Charlotte and spends weekends in Ocean Isle — a quaint seaside village down near the South Carolina line. She is an old hippie, and one of my closest friends. Her plan is we will move there. Don’t know how she figures this since our Mother just moved here and needs me. Maybe she is looking real long range?
I retract my comment on NC. It’s obviously been too long since I was there and I wasn’t in the right place. Even worse, I researched Charlotte for a book and the son of a friend lived there for a while.
But I’ll still take the coast of Oregon over NC. LOL
Some nut case just shot a guard at the holocaust museum. Watching TV, the usual pundits are already speculating on his purpose. Understand, nothing is known about the individual, but the going reports are it was nothing more than an incident of hate directed at the holocaust.
Our instant gratification society seems to demand some sort of explanation, whatever it may be. I can think of about a dozen other reasons this guy started shooting, none connected with the holocaust, but far be it for the pundits to attempt to actually learn something prior to spouting off.
Our society has gone from innocent until proven guilty, to guilty via instant television, radio and blogs. Does anyone else see this, or am I just getting a bit cynical in my old age?
Jammer, was Lee Harvey Oswald innocent until proven guilty?
Under the constitution, of course. Why? Would you have it some other way? I don’t quite understand the question in that regard.
Alright, a bit of movie trivia to lighten the load on a soon to be stormy afternoon.
John Cazale was an actor who died in 1978, having starred in the first two Godfather movies, Dog Day Afternoon and the Deer Hunter. What many don’t know was the he was engaged to Meryl Streep (also in the Deer Hunter) when he died of cancer. The Godfather was his film debut, along with Al Pacino. Cazale died before the filming of the Deer Hunter was completed.
Robert Redford was the studio’s original choice (can you imagine) to play Michael Corleone. It was only after the Louie’s Restaurant scene was filmed did Pacino formally get the part. Also testing for that role were Robert De Niro and James Caan.
In the 1970 movie Bloody Mama (about crime family matriarch Ma Barker) , with Shelley Winters, Robert De Niro is shown driving a car recklessly down a steep dirt road. What’s the big deal, you say? That was the first time that De Niro, a New York resident, had ever driven a car. It scared the bejeezus out of all involved – no one knew.
De Niro won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the young Vito Corleone in Part II. What is noteworthy? He was the first actor to win the award while speaking mostly a foreign language and he and Brando won an Oscar for playing the same character – two years apart.
Jammer it tends to be human nature to jump to conclusions often based on our own pre-justices and
pre-conclusions. The shooter must be anti-Jews as it was at the Holocaust museum. If the victim happens to be Gay then that is the first thought as to why they are assaulted.
Sometimes it is based on past incidences, it was this cause the last time so it must be the same this time.
We want to understand the why of things that shock or sadden us, the school shooting is the classic.
We want to be able to find out why it happens but that is a fool’s arrant for a sensible mind could never understand something that is totally senseless.
My dad use to tell those who complained about its those foreigners who are screwing up the U.S. every time
there was something wrong they could not control. Dad would say to them “Yeah its all you damn foreigners I wish you would go back to where you came from. So we could get the good land back!”.
One more for you……………………………….. in Part II, Michael Corleone orders the murder of Hyman Roth. What is the connection with De Niro?
Hyman Roth was played by Lee Strasberg. Robert De Niro played Micheal’s father in Part II. De Niro studied under Lee Strasberg at his Actor’s Studio in the Sixties.
The pupil’s son orders the killing of the professor?
HuffingtonPost blog has this to read….
LOS ANGELES — Miss California USA Carrie Prejean, who stirred up trouble for herself when she said gays shouldn’t be allowed to marry, got two dreaded words from pageant poobah Donald Trump on Wednesday: “You’re fired.” Trump and other pageant leaders said Prejean was being sacked not because of the remarks but because she hadn’t been holding up her end of the agreement she signed when she entered the pageant.
“Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests,” Trump said.
Prejean spokeswoman Melany Ethridge declined to comment, saying she hadn’t been able to reach the former beauty queen since the announcement of her ouster.
“This was a decision based solely on contract violations, including Ms. Prejean’s unwillingness to make appearances on behalf of the Miss California USA organization,” the California pageant’s executive director, Keith Lewis, said in a statement.
He had complained at a news conference last month that Prejean was skipping Miss California USA events while speaking out against gay marriage at unsanctioned appearances.
After the complaints reached Trump, who owns Miss California USA’s parent organization, the mogul decided to give her a second chance and keep her on. On Wednesday, he changed his mind.
“I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA Organization and I gave her the opportunity to do so,” Trump said in a statement. “Unfortunately it just doesn’t look like it is going to happen.”
—
I guess her 15 minutes of fame actually did end? Or perhaps she will join forces with Sarah Palin since they are now BFF’s? I will bet Miss Carrie will be showing up somewhere in the GOP’s current crop of speakers – since Joe the Plumber dissed the GOP.
From HuffingtonPost blog:
Andy BorowitzBorowitzReport.com
Posted: June 8, 2009 03:40
Gingrich Accuses Sotomayor of Faking Broken Ankle
Newt Gingrich accused Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor today of faking a broken ankle in order to get sympathy votes during her Senate confirmation.
“She’s only wearing that fake cast to help her rack up votes,” Mr. Gingrich said. “The minute she’s confirmed, she’ll whip it off and start dancing a jig.”
While Ms. Sotomayor reportedly broke her ankle while rushing to catch a plane, the former House Speaker said, “The fake-ankle-cast thing is the oldest trick in the book.”
Mr. Gingrich said that if Ms. Sotomayor was counting on arousing the empathy of Republican senators by faking a broken ankle, she was “sorely mistaken.”
“Ms. Sotomayor needs to brush up on her law,” he said. “Last time I checked, empathy was unconstitutional.”
—
If this the best and brighest the GOP has to offer for one of their leaders, I think Obama and the Democrats are safe for many years to come.
Okay, another bit…………………
Robert De Niro holds two somewhat bizarre weight distinctions in movie history…….
For his role of Jake La Matta in Raging Bull (he won the Oscar) De Niro first got himself in fighting trim to play a middleweight contender, then gained forty (some say sixty) pounds to play the aging fighter. They shut down film production and De Niro traveled Italy for three months to gain the weight.
(Italian Tourist Board: You too can gain sixty pounds by visiting Italy!)
For his remake role of Max Cady in Cape Fear (originally played by Robert Mitchum) De Niro exercised and dieted down to four percent body fat.
His method acting was suspect however, all of his full-body tattoos were fake.
“The fake-ankle-cast thing is the oldest trick in the book.”
Maybe Robert Bork should have tried it…….
Apparently, the Newt is doing everything in his power to dis everybody who doesn’t totally agree with him. He said, in a recent speech, Republicans were surrounded by pagans and people who wanted religion out of government. If he hadn’t dissed Palin, she could help him cast out them dang witches.
What’s with this “New-improved” Republican party? Are they looking to bring back the dark ages? It sure seems so.
Laugh O’ the day:
Click to access palin-cbl-policy-inst-fundraiser-letter.pdf
I’d like to send a letter back to “Clare Booth Luce” (can they use her name?), asking for $1000 to support my cause for ending stomach cramps from laughing at Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin is a joke. A bad joke, but a joke nonetheless.
Any person of whatever political leaning who thinks Sarah Palin has enough brains to hold any representative office has proven him or her self to be not worthy of listening to! How is it possible to be that deluded?
How is it possible to be that deluded?
Simple answer? Join the Republican party.
Opps . . . qualify that with join the new-improved Republican party.
You know I just joined the Republican Party, don’t you? 😉
You are now new and improved. Congratulations!
I worked the Symphony Orchestra’s fundraiser all day. I stood for seven hours straight and the bottom half of me doesn’t feel new or improved.
I will have a say in electing the newest Senator from Kansas and since I think that decision will be made at the primary election I will vote a Republican ticket. I really don’t like Tiahrt!
Amen to that sister. I am also now registered as a Republican for that very reason – and I just realized that if Ron Thornburgh (?) runs against Sam Brownback for governor – I will have the pleasure of voting against Sammy in the primary too!
Hey – getting two birds with one distasteful act of registering as a Republican – it is worth it, isn’t it?
Man, you guys are going to have to buy disinfectant in the industrial size.
I made myself a very healthy dinner tonight – I steamed a batch of vegetables with a new steamer I bought at a garage sale.
(Okay, I stole it from my daughters garage sale – didn’t pay for it.)
Carrots, broccoli, onions (for fresh breath) green peppers, parsley, cauliflower.
Then I slathered that plate with cheese, ranch dressing and hot sauce.
Steamed veggies are great – except when you are trying to impress a new girlfriend and you have a broccoli tree stuck in your front teeth or a wedge of carrot jammed in an incisor.
For Sekan, he just yanks his teeth out and says”would you mind cleaning these for me?”
(Hey, no flame Sekan – I am next on the list for teeth-pulling – I have ground my teeth for fifty years!)
But you know, there all sorts of dating/eating issues, like when you are stuck in traffic with a first date and you have a sudden attack of revenge from the “ham ‘n’ beans” you made last night for dinner. What is she going to do? Jump off a bridge?
My neighbors hate it when I make “ham ‘n’ beans.”
Rattles their windows.
wicked – I certainly had to hold my nose while signing the voter registration form.
Lilac,
I almost had to hold my nose reading Biker’s last post. 🙂
“I almost had to hold my nose reading Biker’s last post”
Ah, come on, Iggy, we have all had the revenge of “ham ‘n’ beans!”
The law of physicality says “everybody toots.”
I am not making fart jokes here – way past that – but “ham ‘n’ beans” – as much as I love them with hot sauce and a little red pepper flakes – are the WORST source of flatulence in the ENTIRE universe.
Just having some fun, Biker…
Having too little of that these days.