Monthly Archives: November 2010

Heart of Gold

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Had a very fine Thanksgiving day feast at Dolce Vita.  As is our tradition, we followed up with a nice little darts tourney.  Caught a cab on the way home and much to my surprise the cabbie began playing a miniature guitar (ukulele size, but with the deep rich tones of a full size guitar).  The tune was hauntingly familiar and then he began to sing the Neil Young classic “Heart of Gold”.

Being as how I’m a big Neil Young fan, and since it was so twilight zone-esque to hear a Korean taxi driver perform the tune live in the front seat, it seemed appropriate for me to sing along.  Oh yeah, I was pretty drunk as well.  It was a short ride home, but I tipped large and thanked him for the experience.  He said something about finding ways to enjoy your life whatever it is you may be doing and he went on his way.

I’d actually been a bit melancholy as I reflected on my last Thanksgiving in Korea.  So being reminded that real happiness is found within, not where you are, was a timely gift.

No worries

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Hearing from family and friends wondering if there is cause for concern about my safety here in Korea.  No more than normal I’d say.  Just another day in paradise with some crazy people living next door.  Although it would be ironic if war were to break out just as I’m fixin’ to retire.  Of course, as with any provocation that is a chance that things will escalate.  I’m not thinking that’s likely though.

Great info on the situation at ROKDrop and the Marmot’s place.

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Courtesy of ROKDrop is a map showing the current hot spot.

Again, I’m hearing nothing that leads me to believe that this is anything more than an extreme version of business as usual.

Aunt Pat’s “World Famous” Fruit Salad

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Back when I was a kid in Southern California we used to always visit Uncle Sam and Aunt Pat up in the foothills of La Crescenta.  What I always loved best about Aunt Pat’s spread was her fruit salad.  No, I don’t mean ambrosia or some other facsimile that folks may think of as a fruit salad.  IMHO, honest-to-goodness fruit salad absolutely MUST have a sour cream base. 

Anyway, for the past 30 years or so I’ve incorporated Aunt Pat’s recipe into my own Thanksgiving holiday tradition.  Folks do seem to enjoy it too.  I call it “world famous” now, because I’ve been serving it up here in Korea to friends and co-workers since 2005 and if the empty bowl is any indication it’s a popular treat.  So, without further adieu, I’m going to put the recipe right here on the internet.

For a Family-size serving:

30 oz can of fruit cocktail

15 oz can of mandarin oranges

1 apple (I prefer granny smith)

3 bananas

5 oz of pecan pieces

3/4 cup coconut

1/2 cup baby marshmellows

16 oz sour cream

open and drain fruit cocktail and manadrin oranges.  cut apple into small chunks.  slice bananas into bite-size pieces.  place them all in a bowl and stir in sour cream until fruit is well covered.  mix in pecans.  add coconut and marshmellows and stir until all are well blended.  add additional coconut and/or marshmellow to sweeten to taste.

Best when chilled for two or three hours before serving.

That’s all there is to it.  Enjoy!

 

Regarding public service

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If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you’re a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind.

I’m not sure the context for this quote by Kurt Vonnegut.  I mean, I have no reason to believe he was referring to those of us who have spent our working life in civil service.  I certainly am not saying it even remotely applies to me.  But still, I must admit to having had occasional encounters with individuals in positions of power and authority far beyond their level of skill and competence.  I mean, I’m pretty sure that Peter Principle was a government employee.  And so is the President.
Just sayin’.

And all that jazz…

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Back in Korea.  Longer than usual trip.  A two year old in the seat behind me spent the 13 hours between Detroit and Seoul alternately crying and kicking my seat.  Pretty irritating, but the poor mother traveling with three small children was harassed enough so I didn’t give her any additional shit.

It was good to play darts Friday although I was somewhat rusty.  Gonna go practice tonight in preparation for tomorrow’s playoff match against Gecko’s.

Jet lag is a funny thing.  I think I slept 20 hours yesterday, but didn’t go to bed until 6 a.m.  Plus, I never took off my robe.  Internet and crappy TV filled my waking hours.

Counting down the days now and have made some decisions.  More on that later.

“What we’ve got here is–failure to communicate”

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Coincidentally, I happened to watch the classic 1967 Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke the other night.

I’m sure y’all will recall this classic scene.

Well, it looks like it’s gonna be deja vu all over again on 60 Minutes Sunday.

“Making an argument that people can understand,” Mr. Obama continued, “I think that we haven’t always been successful at that. And I take personal responsibility for that. And it’s something that I’ve got to examine carefully … as I go forward.”

President Obama may be many things.  But one thing he is most assuredly not is Strother Martin.

Reviews of election night news coverage are in…

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…and it turns out Fox News is, well, fair and balanced.

Who knew?

If you believe that the cable news landscape is symptomatic of our two-party political system, then you also probably, and predictably, saw a different tone in last nights election results. Fox News presented its coverage with a patina of celebration, while MSNBC’s took a more gloom and doom approach. But there was one important distinction between the two outlets: Fox News offered a far more balanced set of analysts for the election coverage than did MSNBC.

Read the rest at the link…

Say it ain’t so Olby!

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Based on the clips from election night coverage I saw, I find it hard to believe that NBC even had standards.  I really don’t give a care that Olbermann made campaign contributions, I just think MSNBC trying to demonstrate journalistic integrity is hilarious!

Yes, MSNBC is forever trying to distinguish itself from Fox as a “real” news organization — and forever failing miserably. Again, compare the coverage on Tuesday night. (Mediaite did!) A few weeks ago, Griffin noted that Fox lets its guests fundraise on air and crowed, “Show me an example of us fund-raising.” Whereupon Johnny Dollar quickly compiled a bunch of examples. Media Matters has also been whining on MSNBC’s behalf about Fox giving too much airtime to particular candidates, like Rand Paul. Johnny Dollar turned that one around too in a big way. It’s not that one network has a slant and the other doesn’t; it’s that, as Jon Stewart said the other day to Chris Wallace, MSNBC is “double-A ball.” And suspending Olby for this nonsense is a weak, transparent attempt by them to convince people that they’re not.

By the way, this is the inaugural post in my “oh, THAT liberal bias” category.

From the police files

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Reader Kevin passes along this gem outta West Virginia:

According to investigators, Williams–who lives four doors down from her estranged husband at the 77 Motor Inn–showed up at his door and asked Danny Williams and another man to “eat my pussy.” At this point, Williams, pictured in the mug shot at right, “commenced to undress herself,” reported Deputy Ross Mellinger.

While Danny Williams “declined said invitation,” the other man, Adam Watson, told cops that he “agreed to perform at her request.” However, as Watson approached Williams, “he became overwhelmed by horrible vaginal odor emitting from Melissa Williams.” Watson, understandably, “declined to proceed any further.”

This is when Melissa Williams allegedly “produced a lock-back folding knife,” opened it, and pointed the weapon at her estranged husband. She then reportedly uttered a line never before memorialized in a police report: “Somebody is going to eat my pussy or I’m going to cut your fucking throat.”

Actually, after viewing the mug shot I think I’d cut my own throat first…

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And for the record, West Virginia was one of the few places that bucked the trend and elected Democrats.

Just sayin’.

Welcome to the unemployment line

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Well, it was certainly heartening to see so many scumbag losers Democratic incumbents tossed out on their sorry asses held accountable by the uneducated angry masses American voters.

My favorite amongst these recently unemployed individuals is NC Representative Bob Etheridge.  You remember him, don’t you?

Anytime an arrogant ignorant asshole like this is removed from a position of power and authority it’s a good thing.  What makes this particular case all the sweeter is that it represents a big victory for new media over the corrupt gatekeepers of the liberal press.

This was also a victory for New Media. As we’ve seen time and again, the same corrupted MSM that endlessly looped the assault on that MoveOn crazy woman at the Rand Paul (I mean, Senator-Elect Rand Paul) event would’ve most certainly ignored the video of Etheridge’s assault like they do most stories that might create a narrative damaging to the left.

But YouTube and these here Inter-Web-Dot-Nets make it possible for truth-tellers to go around the self-appointed MSM Gatekeepers and get the word out. And when something goes viral, as this did, it can have the same effect it would have if the MSM weren’t corrupt and did their jobs honorably. 

I don’t want to say that New Media took a scalp with Etheridge, because it’s not about that. It’s about breaking the MSM monopoly and letting the American people decide what information is important and relevant and what isn’t.

The masses are not asses, the MSM knows this, which is why they so desperately want to control the flow of information. The rise of righteous New Media may not be fast enough for some but just take a moment to remember what the media landscape was like just ten years ago — and it’s only going to get better.

Oh yeah, the best is yet to come.  The jig is up folks.  There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

Comedy gold on MSNBC

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Chris Matthews says the thrill is gone:

While she spoke, a member of the crowd behind her came into view of the camera, holding a sign that read, “How’s The Tingle, Chris?” The sign referenced Matthews’ famous comment in 2008 that he “got a thrill up my leg” when listening to a speech by President Obama.

That’s when Matthews lost patience.

“Congresswoman Bachmann, are you hypnotized tonight?” he asked. Has someone hypnotized you? Because no matter what I ask you you give the same answer. Are you hypnotized? has someone put you under a trance tonight?”

“We’re coming out of our trance, really we’re coming out of our nightmare,” Bachmann responded. “I think people are thrilled tonight. I imagine that thrill is probably not so tingly on your leg anymore.”

After the interview was over, Matthews and his fellow MSNBC panelists reacted to the “How’s The Tingle” sign. Rachel Maddow said it was a way for people to charge that MSNBC was “in the tank” for President Obama. Matthews himself stressed that he had never actually used the word “tingle,” but that he reacted physically when people, such as Obama, stirred his feelings of patriotism about the United States.

“They’re making fun of me, fine, for saying that. I can live with that,” he said.