The Watering Hole. Hump Day. 5-30-12. Giving up.

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Why don’t you just give up. You know you’re gonna lose.

The bad guys win for most of the movie. Yeah, in the end, the good guys prevail, but look at the relative portions of joy v. angst. The last few seconds v. 2 hours? And how many good guys die in the process.

Thus is the weighing of good v. evil in our story telling. It has been so for thousands of years. We miss the lesson, that good prevails, and, instead, learn that bad guys have the most fun.

Sociologists have noted that attractive girls are drawn towards the baddest boys. Think cheerleaders & football players in high school/college. The “nerds” are left on the sidelines, in the band. It’s in the genes.

Bottom line is – good will win out – eventually. Meanwhile bad enjoys a hell of an opulent life style. The sad thing is, this has played out since, at least, the time of the Pharoahs.

99% serve, and die, for 1%.

Oh… and Romney clinches the Repuklican Abnomination with his “win” in Texas.

O
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95 thoughts on “The Watering Hole. Hump Day. 5-30-12. Giving up.”

    • Fabulous. Reminded me instantly of a couple of lines by James Lovelock from his book entitled The Gaia Hypothesis:

      “Could we, by some act of common will, change our natures and become proper stewards, gentle gardeners taking care of all of the natural life of our planet? I would sooner expect a goat to succeed as a gardener than expect humans to become responsible stewards of the Earth.”

      “As individual animals we are not so special, and in some ways are like a planetary disease, but through civilisation we redeem ourselves and become a precious asset for the Earth; not least because through our eyes the Earth has seen herself in all her glory.”

      It is life itself that has made the earth such an amazingly beautiful place. Human life is of course parcel to the beauty, but also enigmatic in that it’s able to both see and perceive the beauty … and destroy it. One wonders, in result, the reason, if there is one, for the egregiousness that has driven evolution’s most glaring error.

      Or more simply stated in today’s terms, Why do Republicans exist when the entire planet would be so much better off if they didn’t? A question for the ages.

  2. Video with, accompanying music, of the GGB celebration.
    Fireworks lighting up and spilling over the bridge.

    • I have a book on the construction of the bridge.
      I think is “Spanning the Gate”
      The South Tower was an incredible feat.
      They had to make a pressurized casement over 300 feet long to reach the bedrock at the sea floor.
      The footing of the south tower had be anchored on solid ground
      The workers had to go through decompression after being down there..
      OSHA?
      What’s OSHA?

      • lol – I have that book too. Got it in a souvenir shop right at the entrance to the bridge. Then I walked across it. It’s a long walk.

    • We were in SF last summer for Turtlegetaway ….. needed a change from the EAC. AndytheTurtle still talks about the bridge (he has a snow globe of the GGB and Alcatraz), the rest of them were hot for the Ghiardelli factory.

    • I’d lose against Romney, but I’m sure there’s a large segment of the population would enjoy seeing him c***-punched?

        • I assume Fox will just have a cardboard cut-out of Obama standing there made to look like Hitler or something, and then they will play back answers made from splicing individual words Obama has said at some point during the presidency. To you or I, all of this will be obviously faked; to a Fox Viewer it will be the gospel.

  5. from C&L – Jon Stewart was on fire last night in this piece about socialism

    BTW, NASCAR fans, isn’t NASCAR socialist too? I mean they all have to kind of drive the same car and isn’t the race stopped if someone gets to far ahead (so they follow the pace car until they all get bunched up again) – House can you help me out?

  6. Another misleading Mail headline on climate change

    Look at the headline and you think that the ice was melting faster in the 30s than now. But you read the article and two things emerge:
    1. That the mid century cooling period is acknowldged due to high levels of particulates in the atmosphere from coal and such – why is it possible that climate-deniers can accept that we can change climate cooler but not warmer?
    2. The overall rate of ice melt is higher today – the sample size is much smaller in the 30s.

    Misleading. Another small manipulation by The Man of the sheeple.

    • Just now perused – great images. Some remind me a bit of M.C. Escher.
      I like the avian portrayals.
      All have great imagination. Need to actually study each illustration – there’s much going on.
      Sad for you gummitch to know his life’s work has ended.Yet you are reminded of his talent each time you gaze upon a piece of his art.

    • The person responsible for putting it on the app has been sacked.
      The person responsible for proof reading has been sacked.
      The person responsible for the misspelling has been sacked.
      The person who hired the responsible people has been sacked.
      The person who hired the hired help has been sacked.
      The person at the top will be sacked in November!

  10. While checking out the front page at Media Matters it becomes clear that FAUX”News” has dropped all pretense and, now that Mittens has that magic number of delegates, begun campaigning for Mittens.

    • A Decathalon?
      That looks like a needle valve protruding from the cowl.
      Is this one gas?

    • The targeted kill list is a horrible, dangerous idea. And here’s why:

      “Brennan and other officials interviewed by the Times and Newsweek said that Obama had enormous faith in himself. It would be more responsible, though, if he had less—if he thought that he was no better than any other President we’ve had or ever will. The point isn’t just the task, or burden, he takes on, but the machine he has built for his successors to use. Perhaps, just to suggest a range, he could picture each of the Republican contenders from this past season being walked through the process, told how it works, shown some of those video clips with tiny people and big explosions, and taking it for a test drive. Never mind whether Obama, in particular, sighs or loses sleeps or tosses a coin when he chooses a target: What would it mean for a bad, or craven, or simply carelessly accommodating President to do so? In the end we are not really being asked to trust Obama, or his niceness, but the office of the Presidency. Do we?”

      http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/05/the-presidents-kill-list.html

  12. Outstanding, this is good news for justice.

    Culpeper Police Officer Charged in Fatal February Shooting

    A police officer in Virginia faces a murder charge in the February shooting death of an unarmed motorist.

    The “apple didn’t fall too far from the tree”:

    The grand jury also indicted Harmon-Wright’s mother, 55-year-old Bethany Sullivan, of Orange, on three counts of uttering and three counts of forgery of public documents. Their investigation revealed her alleged role in attempting to purge negative information from her son’ personnel file. She had been an administrative secretary to the chief of police when her son was hired.

    She was arrested without incident Tuesday night and released on $5,000 bond per count.

      • It’s when you say things out loud. But that’s not important right now. :)

        (Sorry, a reference from to the movie Airplane.)

      • When in doubt, the Wikipedia answers all…
        Uttering – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

        In the law of countries whose legal systems derive from English common law, uttering is a crime similar to forgery. Uttering and forgery were originally common law offences, both misdemeanours. Forgery was the creation of a forged document, with the intent to defraud; whereas uttering was merely use — the passing — of a forged document, that someone else had made, with the intent to defraud. In law, uttering is synonymous with publication, and the distinction made between the common law offences was that forgery was the fabrication of a forged instrument (with the intent to defraud) and uttering was the publication of that instrument (with the intent to defraud). Statute law offences of forgery replace the common law offences nowadays, often subsuming the offence of uttering, and forgery is usually a felony rather than a misdemeanour.[1][2]

        • something new every day – thanks, zxbe!

          Diverse definitions:

          utter 1 |ˈətər
          adjective [ attrib. ]
          complete; absolute: Charles stared at her in utter amazement.

          ORIGIN Old English ūtera, ūttra ‘outer,’ comparative of ūt ‘out’; compare with outer.

          utter 2 |ˈətər|
          verb [ with obj. ]
          1 make (a sound) with one’s voice: he uttered an exasperated snort.
          • say (something) aloud: they are busily scribbling down every word she utters.

          2 Law put (forged money) into circulation.

  13. But this would make him an activist judge…

    Do you agree with Texas judge’s decision to jail truant honor student? | Fox News

    Criticism mounts over Houston-area Judge Lanny Moriarty’s decision to make an example of Diane Tran and jail the 11th-grade honors student for missing school — though she did so to work two jobs to support two siblings. A Texas attorney tells FoxNews.com that the judge likely had no discretion because the state’s Compulsory Education Laws requires confinement of truants for 24 hours.

    Do you agree with Texas judge’s decision to jail truant honors student?

    Not sure. The judge followed the law, but isn’t there some wiggle room? 10.07% (7,050 votes)

    Yes. She may work hard, but there’s also a lesson in following the law. 6.3% (4,409 votes)

    No. This is a harsh punishment — give her a break. 83.63% (58,521 votes)

    • Mandatory sentencing is bullshit.
      If a Judge wants to rule his/her way they will.
      They can then let the legal food chain that follows make appeals.
      Any portion is this debacle could have been defused.
      The judge wants publicity for something he’s up to.
      I wonder how this would have played out if the judge were female?

  14. I’ve always made it a habit to give myself a day’s leeway with big projects, and once again it’s worked out. The truck was supposed to come get the furniture today, and then the carpet cleaners — then I’d be done.

    Well, the truck wants to go South today, so they called to say they’d be here tomorrow. Joy. At least I planned an extra day, right? *sigh*

  15. Neighborhood Watch:

    Friend down the street moved out last weekend, his house bought by Iranians (and by Iranians I mean “speak virtually no English and are Iranian citizens.”) His former neighbors at the house next door, who are Armenians (and by Armenians I mean “speak limited English and came here as adults from Armenia”) asked my friend if the Iranians are Christian or Muslim. The Armenians are Christian, the Iranians are Muslim. Good times.

    Bonus:

    The Iranian apparently takes regular trips to Iran. I anticipate my neighborhood to become a headline some day.

    • Watch out for the “inconspicuous” windowless vans parked along the street.

      • We have a wifi hub called ‘FBI Van 034′ in our neighbourhood. :) – we also have new Russian neighbours…….

    • You can be the neighbor interviewed that says, “They were a quiet bunch.”

  16. From wipe out homophobia:

    Hate Mail ; WARNING- Do NOT drink liquids over your keyboard whilst reading this page.

    Sherlock

    Hater #4:

    “If you don’t remove Wipe Out homophobia from Facebook I will make it my life’s crusade to track you down and kill you. I have investigated you and I know who your mother is, she will be first on my list. You have 1 hour.”

    Reply:

    Well done on your investigative work, please remember to bring a shovel with you as my mother has been dead for 23 years.

    Please be sure to read

    Duty Free

    Hater #14

    well worth the read (a bit lengthy to post at the Zoo).

  17. Epic goal celebrations … that go off the rails a bit toward the end.

  18. Best flying day yet. Since I now have a better charger I’m able to charge one battery while flying with the other. 5X15-20 minute flights and, for the last, 37 minutes with a 20 second motor run. Alas, in retribution for kicking her off my desk chair, my cat tried to kill me. She ran under my feet and tripped me so I kicked the wall and broke off a toenail so far back it’s bleeding. Ouch!

    • Painful just to read that…cleanse with soap and water to prevent infection!
      Glad to read your flying skills are getting honed to a fine edge!

      • It’s been a rough year for my toes. It doesn’t hurt too bad now that i got through clipping off the rough edges but I’m medicating myself so I don’t scream when I risk a little peroxide before bed.

        • Oh gawd, there are a lot of nerve endings in the feet and toes. I’d almost rather go through childbirth again, than have another toenail removed. At least with the toenail removal, you only leave with a limp — not a baby.

    • Pete, if you want to email me (jetschneider@comcast.net) your mailing address, I’ll send you some things for your toe. I assume that it was your big toe?

      • Thanks, Jane. Actually it’s my little toe and it will be alright. I didn’t break it or even jam it badly I just peeled the nail back. If I need to take a walk I still have a splint from the last time I broke a toe or I could probably just hobble around in my sandals. Beer helps!

  19. Ahhhhhh, I’m situated in my comfy little room in the Captain Cook Inn, with my free wifi and squishy top king-sized bed. Time for some relaxation…which may turn into a nap — and y’all know I never nap.

  21. I find it deeply disturbing that this guy is back and bigger than ever. It’s bad enough for one judge to defy another but this freak is so full of Holy Crap that I wouldn’t trust him to judge a bake off. I wonder how many people have suffered from his decisions because they weren’t “good Christians” and how many guilty parties have avoided punishment because they Believe the same crap as this alleged judge. His insane claim that secularism will lead to Sharia shouldn’t even be an issue because he doesn’t belong within 5 miles of a courtroom.

    http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/ten-commandments-judge-roy-moore-secularism-

  22. So Mittens released his birth certificate, huh? A “certificate of live birth” — like Obama’s; showing a father born in another country — like Obama’s.

    The teabagger wingnuts are going absolutely insane over this.

    Oh wait…

  25. Sometimes I have trouble understanding what you smarty pants are talking about but when I read from the end to the beginning I don’t have an effing clue.

      • I almost always read the comments here from end to the beginning. Don’t know why. Don’t know why I sometimes try recipes backwards. I tried writing backwards but it gave me this uncontrollable tic on the right side of my head. Why do I do these things?
        Welcome to my effing world.

          • No, but I was a retailer for over 30 years, so LIFO may be an accurate take on my pecularity; also a copywriter, and advertising manager. I always proofed by reading backwards to trick my mind into concentrating on specific words rather then reading what it should be.

            • Interesting! hmm, never thought about proofing reading backward!
              Makes sense – since our brain does have a tendency to ‘correct/correctly’ read what misspelled words should be!

            • of course that would be “proof reading”…
              which obviously I didn’t do before hitting the “Post Comment” button.

        • I bet you read magazines backward as well. :)

          BTW, anyone else having problems with this stupid site this evening?

          • Not having difficulty with the Zoo this evening.

            (I think nwog only looks at the pictures in certain mags so doesn’t have to worry about reading backward)

            • Oh, racy. ;)

              The site keeps coming up as text only for me. Maddening. I better get some sleep, since my eyes really won’t focus anymore. See yo tomorrow.

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