YOU CALL THIS A STORM?

January is supposed to be one of the wettest months of the year in this part of Nevada but the precipitation totals last month were dismal, to say the least. So you can emote with the sheer giddiness of the weather people when a series of "storms" lined up out in the northern Pacific. I couldn't help but laugh though, when I got up the other morning and saw all our little buddies out back, undaunted by the not so blizzard like conditions. It reminded me of the scene in Forrest Gump where Gary Sinise is tied to the mast of the shrimp boat during a hurricane. There was Cheeks, doing his impersonation of Lt. Dan, "You call this a storm?" And not to be left out, the woodpecker chimed in, "Blow, you sonofabitch, blow!" Pretty soon, everyone was getting in on the act, even Ginger. Big storm-doo! I have posted my favorite scene from the movie and a song from a USO show with Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band. Enjoy.

A NUTTY DAY AT THE POOL

After an exhausting election cycle, I have spent the last two months avoiding any and all things political. While relaxing at a wild animal preserve (our backyard) I have been trying to lure our resident squirrel out from under the shed where he has lived since we moved in, over a year ago. Finally, with the help of some Christmas nuts, I have gained his trust enough to entice him all the way up to the patio where he now drinks out of the bird bath Marie set out for our feathered friends. On this particular day, just as I was snapping his picture, he was scared off by a group of sparrows who decided it was time for a dip in the pool. Nutcheeks, as we call him, then "hightailed it" for the barn. I always wondered where that term came from.Can you cram any more in there, "Nutcheeks"?

Bellying up to the bar.

What the.........????The lull before the storm.....

Group bath!!!!!!!
Cannonball!!!!!!

Hey! Where'd everybody go??????

Election Fatigue

If anyone is like me and suffering from election fatigue, I have a few suggestions.

First, find a couple of friends and commiserate.

Then, run out and buy yourself a big-assed gun.
And last, but not least, pray.

Palin Rally Dudes

Palin may have drawn 60,000 people in her Florida rally, but she had two very special guests at her rally in Carson City, NV. Alas, their call for diverse unification or unified diversity, went unheeded. They did, however, raise enough dough to buy a few brewskees and a pack of smokes.

Why Do They Call It Golf?

On the eve of the Ryder Cup, I thought it would be cool to revisit the origins of the game through the mind of one of the world's funniest people, Robin Williams. There is an old joke that asks, "Why do they call it golf? Because, fuck was already taken!" Laugh on.

MONEY

Is it just me, or is anyone else put off by the irony of two politicians and their respective minions spending a billion dollars in a campaign for the white house while the economy collapses around our collective asses? Can I see a show of hands? Am I here all alone? What the fuck, over? I'm not very good at math but, I think I could pay more than a few months rent with a billion dollars. I could even buy some stock. Oh, my mistake, the stock market crashed quietly while we were all concentrating on the amount of money being spent on our behalf by the benevolent ones. So maybe I could just stock up on some cheap wine and forget that I am just a heartbeat away from the shopping cart down by the river. What the hell, Ollie?
Campaign finance reform (McCain/Fiengold) was supposed to be a "buy" partisan fix to the big, corporate domination of our national political process. Everybody in the "game" seems to be happy with the way it is working out for them. So I'm wondering, what's going on here? People are losing their shirts, major corporations are failing, the government is forking out billions in bailouts and all the while, fund raising records are being set each and every month by both political parties. Where is all the money coming from when everyone is in such dire straights? How can two men raise so much cash when, supposedly, there is no cash to be had? I know, I ask a lot of questions.
I'm beginning to think money is like energy-it's never really lost, it just changes hands. Not only is it never lost, it is manufactured like candy or tires or computer chips. When you need more, make more. Supply and demand. The people need money. Supply them. Whoa! Wait a minute, I'm going to start asking questions again. Who runs this store, anyway? There's nothing on the shelves but the back room is full of goods. Please take a number and you will be seen in the order of your contribution. Chrysler, Lockheed, Continental, Washington Mutual, AIG-not necessarily in that order.
Back to the show of hands. Does anyone see a pattern here? Let me rephrase that-does anyone see a change of hands here? And yet, so many have so much to give to so few. Meanwhile, I've posted links to a couple of articles that make you wonder why and two new, (old but still relevant) tunes to my playlist. Engage.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/-The-billiondollar-race-for.4490697.jp
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13435.html

Lipstick On A Pig