Monthly Archives: November 2012

Behind the Bowling Alley – Imgur

Admittedly, I’m no bowler. I don’t do it often, and even when I did I wasn’t that good at it.

That said, it interests me. I enjoy it on those rare occassions I get around to doing it. There’s just something about the environment and the arcane technology behind it.

Hell, I sat around one night in a bar in Dubuque, Iowa listening to pinsetters-in-training discuss what they were learning at a school they had there in town.

Here is a glimpse behind that curtain.

Sharpening our knowledge of pencils – CBS News

This is probably the coolest midlife crisis I’ve ever heard of.

Incidentally, he’s on a roll of late. Here is a recent Reddit Ask-Me-Anything segment.

An neat write-up from earlier this year.

Also, there’s the following video. If nothing else, you absolutely owe it to yourself to watch his stance on mechanical pencils around the 10 minute mark. No, really, do that.

Daily Kos: John McCain rewrites his epitaph

No one person can ruin John McCain’s credibility any more the man himself.

Me? I already thought he was pond scum years ago. The real icy on that mud pie was when Bush the Lesser and the gang decided to attack McCain’s adopted daughter in the 2000 primary and then McCain not only campaigned for Bush but eventually gave the cretin a big ol’ bear hug.

I’ve said it before: you attack my family, you’ve got an enemy for life. You ain’t getting a hug. Ever.

He’s wrong about things. Often. Damn near always. Don’t take my word for it. Think about all the crazy shit he’s said. The erratic positions. The insane decisions. That is a whole lot o’ crazy.

This Benghazi thing is just the one more thing before his next “one more crazy ass thing”.

People take him seriously. And they shouldn’t. And they should stop putting himself in front of a camera like he’s capable of coherent thought or policy.

Maddow mentioned this crap the other day.

EIGHTEEN MONTHS TO HISTORY: How the Minnesota marriage amendment was defeated — money, passion, allies | Minnesota Public Radio News

This is a very, very good writeup about this state’s fight against the marriage amendment defeated last week.

Minnesota Public Radio goes WAY out of its way to not appear partisan, to the point of giving credibility to crazy people and their crazy ideas, but they really put on their common sense hats when it came to covering this issue. They deserve credit for it, if not for other things.

Give it a listen.

But also check out the video of the story. An interesting slideshow of the key players and those invested in defeating bigotry.

The end of a long, ugly road for the GOP’s Southern strategy

I think this is way too optimistic of an article, but one hopes the GOP stops embracing racism as a central core of their platform.

Do not get me wrong, that bridge is well burnt to a toast for me. I remember the slights and will not ever turn to them as an option. I know that sounds a bit hidebound, but I seriously do not see them turning this page in the remaining span of years I have left. Oh sure, overtures will finally be made – and soon – but the party that welcomed in southern racists before I was born, embraced them during the Nixon years, and became them fully from 2008 to today just is not going to change from that course overnight.

So, yes, please do this as a necessary move to improve our nation. Just don’t count on me – or tens of millions of others – to believe, much less endorse, the party of David Duke, Trent Lott, Jan Brewer, et al. Do it because it is the right thing to do. Just understand why it will never be enough.