31 Dec 2006
Fare Thee Well, 2006

The last hour of the year has arrived - I suppose I should wax poetic and reflective, but naw - I think I'll pass. Lot's has happened this year, some good, some bad, some of as yet unknown propensity. Some things blogged, and some on which I've remained silent.

But I do want to thank my loyal readers: it took three years to reach 500 comments, and less than 11 months to double that number. My server logs show that this humble effort is being read, and surprisingly widely. According to The Truth Laid Bear I'm a Flappy Bird, and ranked 3628th in link popularity. Not bad for an old code writin' heathen farmer, if I do say so myself.

Being back in the corporate world has had an impact here: I've not been posting with nearly the frequency I'd like. But I will try to get better about that, if for no other reason than my own sanity.

So 2007 - bring it on!

23:37 /Home | 2 comments | permanent link

Capra classic 'commie propaganda'

Go figure ...

The all-American film classic It's a Wonderful Life was slammed as communist propaganda by US government officials in the 1940s.

(link) [The Register]

23:27 /Politics | 1 comment | permanent link

Animal sacrifices maim 1,400 in Turkey

Animal sacrifice, eh? If you've read this blog for any length of time at all, you should be well aware that I harbor only the worst of suspicions about the Muslim religion (although I count individual Muslims as friends) but in this case they're getting a bum rap. These animals (sheep and goats, mostly) are not "sacrificed" in the sense that modern Americans envision animal sacrifice, they're being slaughtered for meat using the religiously prescribed method called halal. I wonder if this writer would consider kosher slaughtering of animals a "sacrifice"? Probably not ....

In point of fact, halal, kosher and even heathen methods of animal "sacrifice" are more humane than modern commercial slaughterhouse techniques. They basically involve making sure that the animal doe not suffer needlessly, and in praying before the slaughter.

I guess that's the definition of "sacrifice" in modern America: praying over the animal before you take it's life to feed your kith and kin. If you pray over it after you've killed it, it's called "Thanksgiving"...

AP - Over a thousand Turks spent the first day of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha in emergency wards on Sunday after stabbing themselves or suffering other injuries while sacrificing startled animals.

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

23:25 /Asatru | 2 comments | permanent link

Next big test of power to seize property?

Is there anyone out there who still believes that government has anything to do with fairness or justice? Mr. Didden should've asked Suzette Kelo about his investment opportunity. After having her property seized to build a new campus for a private company (Pfizer), she directed a Yule card to those folks responsible, including five Supreme Court justices. The cover showed Ms. Kelo's former home. It read:

Here is my house that you did take
From me to you,
this spell I make
Your houses, your homes
Your family, your friends
May they live in misery
That never ends.
I curse you all
May you rot in hell
To each of you I send this spell
For the rest of your lives
I wish you ill
I send this now
By the power of will

One of the receipts did not find it very amusing:

"It's amazing anyone could be so vindictive when they've made so much money," said Schwenker-Mayer on Tuesday, after receiving her card.

From this comment I can only assume that a passerby could sexually proposition Ms. Schwenker-Mayer, and they'd only have to discuss price... because everything has a price. We have become a society where the only measure of wealth is money and everything is for sale to the highest bidder. But for some of us, there are some things money can't buy, and MasterCard can't help with: some things are not for sale.

I've quoted a guy named Ed Howdershelt as saying "There are four boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order." In these court cases we're seeing the use of the jury box, to no avail, in a defense of liberty.

I leave it as an exercise for the reader to discern the next step, should this ultimately fail.

Bart Didden wanted to put a CVS pharmacy on his property in Port Chester, N.Y. He even obtained approvals from the local planning board.

(link) [Christian Science Monitor | Top Stories]

23:15 /Politics | 1 comment | permanent link