thirteen days and five million miles after blasting off, discovery and her crew glided back into fla today, with the usual giant thud of a sonic boom that always catches me by surprise even when i knew it was coming.
call it a flying greyhound bus, a garbage scow, or whatever...but it still amazes me that this thing can ride piggyback into space, function like a giant mobile workshop/travel trailer, and fly back home with pinpoint precision.
only a few more missions to come for these awesome machines, hard to believe they've been flying with almost no configuration changes for nearly three decades...i hope their retirement won't spell the end of our space program.
welcome home.
jtc
Saturday, March 28, 2009
wow...
sham guy pinched for pummeling prostitute...
damn, dude; you gotta let the "makeup guy" do his thing before the "camera guy" does his.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
apparently it's been decided...
that this free-market capitalism thing just ain't working out...
i guess we've been doing it wrong the past couple of centuries.
jtc
i guess we've been doing it wrong the past couple of centuries.
jtc
Saturday, March 21, 2009
race day in sebring...
the twelve hours of sebring race is under way here, about an hour and a half to go...i just took ozzie the dachshund for a walk and with the stiff easterly breeze i could hear the racers going through the gears even though the track is a good ten miles from my home. those grand prix prototype cars along with the normal contingent of ferraris, porsches, and corvettes running in their respective classes are deafening when you're at the track, but at this distance it sounds a bit like an angry gaggle of crotchrockets.
i haven't been out to the race in a few years; for one thing since i semi-retired we've been spending most of our time up at the north georgia place and haven't been in town for the mid-march madness, but also i don't see all my old buds with the sheriff's office that used to toss me hundred-dollar supertickets which made it feasible for me to drive out and check out the craziness for a few hours on raceday. most race fans know that sebring is serious business for the teams and the sponsors; several indy-500 winners are driving this year along with all the big names in lemans-style roadracing and the usual batch of celebrities-cum-racers, but for the fans, it's all about the party which lasts for a solid week with camping, drinking, cruising, and flashing being the main attractions. that's not my cup of tea (anymore), but it's still a trip to take it all in once in a while.
and even if you don't go out to the track, the event is unescapable in this little town, as all the restaurants, hotels, and the main highway are loaded with racers and fans...you'll never see more ferraris, porsches, audis, vettes, and other exotic vehicles driven by rich wannabes in such a concentrated place than at sebring during race week...quite a change from the normal winter crowd of snowbird q-tips driving forty mph in the left-hand lane in their caddys and towncars, and a pretty cool change of pace.
well, i'm going to watch the final laps on speed-tv; they're covering the race flag to flag, and for an old fart it's a hell of a lot more comfortable. the audi turbo-diesel has had a lock on the overall for several years (although porsche shocked them last year), but in the last few races, the peugeot has given them a run. and this year everyone was surprised when acura's brand new entry won the pole with one of those indy champs as the anchor driver. should be an interesting finish.
jtc
update: race just ended at 10:30 p.m., and surprise! audi wins again...those krauts can build a hotrod; ho hum.
i haven't been out to the race in a few years; for one thing since i semi-retired we've been spending most of our time up at the north georgia place and haven't been in town for the mid-march madness, but also i don't see all my old buds with the sheriff's office that used to toss me hundred-dollar supertickets which made it feasible for me to drive out and check out the craziness for a few hours on raceday. most race fans know that sebring is serious business for the teams and the sponsors; several indy-500 winners are driving this year along with all the big names in lemans-style roadracing and the usual batch of celebrities-cum-racers, but for the fans, it's all about the party which lasts for a solid week with camping, drinking, cruising, and flashing being the main attractions. that's not my cup of tea (anymore), but it's still a trip to take it all in once in a while.
and even if you don't go out to the track, the event is unescapable in this little town, as all the restaurants, hotels, and the main highway are loaded with racers and fans...you'll never see more ferraris, porsches, audis, vettes, and other exotic vehicles driven by rich wannabes in such a concentrated place than at sebring during race week...quite a change from the normal winter crowd of snowbird q-tips driving forty mph in the left-hand lane in their caddys and towncars, and a pretty cool change of pace.
well, i'm going to watch the final laps on speed-tv; they're covering the race flag to flag, and for an old fart it's a hell of a lot more comfortable. the audi turbo-diesel has had a lock on the overall for several years (although porsche shocked them last year), but in the last few races, the peugeot has given them a run. and this year everyone was surprised when acura's brand new entry won the pole with one of those indy champs as the anchor driver. should be an interesting finish.
jtc
update: race just ended at 10:30 p.m., and surprise! audi wins again...those krauts can build a hotrod; ho hum.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
now lemmee get dis straight...
you puts de lime in de coconut...sorry, i can't write that first line without my pea brain adding the second.
what i meant was, let me get straight just how it is a capitalist economy works: apparently the stock market zoomed up 380 today based largely on the head of citibank saying they're showing a profit for the first quarter...and all it took was taking a few bil from sam, burning through that, and coming back and saying, hey listen, why don't you just buy into this great biz, you know, gimmee another decade's worth of national output, and we'll give you this here certificate saying you own a third of the joint -wink,wink-.
then we'll get the head of the big printing press to say that "we won't allow the big banks to fail..." so, hell, we can't go wrong. we'll just keep on keepin' on and those taxpayer patsies will keep us propped up; what could possibly go wrong?
what...the...fluck is going on? lenin must be grinnin'.
well, back to the music...you puts de lime in de coconut and drink 'em bot' toget'er,
you puts de lime in de coconut den you feel better...
nah, i'm gonna have to have something a little stronger than that.
jtc
what i meant was, let me get straight just how it is a capitalist economy works: apparently the stock market zoomed up 380 today based largely on the head of citibank saying they're showing a profit for the first quarter...and all it took was taking a few bil from sam, burning through that, and coming back and saying, hey listen, why don't you just buy into this great biz, you know, gimmee another decade's worth of national output, and we'll give you this here certificate saying you own a third of the joint -wink,wink-.
then we'll get the head of the big printing press to say that "we won't allow the big banks to fail..." so, hell, we can't go wrong. we'll just keep on keepin' on and those taxpayer patsies will keep us propped up; what could possibly go wrong?
what...the...fluck is going on? lenin must be grinnin'.
well, back to the music...you puts de lime in de coconut and drink 'em bot' toget'er,
you puts de lime in de coconut den you feel better...
nah, i'm gonna have to have something a little stronger than that.
jtc
Monday, March 9, 2009
war in the mountains and desert...
and i don't mean afghanistan or iraq.
this is just f'n stupid. the only reason for the existence of this shit is the ignorant, misguided, and self-serving "war on drugs"...a misnomer if there ever was one for what in reality is the "war for drugs".
so let's throw a few billion at it...yeah, that'll work; who the hell do they think is going to wind up with that money, those supplies, and all that training? actually, they know who will and say so right in the story:
"The violence that most concerns U.S. authorities is the rivalry between Gulf cartel thugs known as Los Zetas — many of them former military and police officers trained in counternarcotics tactics in the United States — and Los Negros, the Sinaloa cartel’s narco-military brigade."
so let's just train up some reinforcements for when their "internecine" wars have depleted their supplies, right?
and while we're at it, let's go ahead and throw the blame for all that firepower on the right of Americans to own the means to protect themselves from these thugs as they "extend their network from inner U.S. cities to suburban and rural areas.”
decriminalize the possession and use of personal amounts of this shit, and this entire "problem" dries up and blows away...and all those "overlords" can then just get in line to swim the rio grande like proper wetbacks should. and that two billion bucks? that would build a helluva wall, wouldn't it?
jtc
this is just f'n stupid. the only reason for the existence of this shit is the ignorant, misguided, and self-serving "war on drugs"...a misnomer if there ever was one for what in reality is the "war for drugs".
so let's throw a few billion at it...yeah, that'll work; who the hell do they think is going to wind up with that money, those supplies, and all that training? actually, they know who will and say so right in the story:
"The violence that most concerns U.S. authorities is the rivalry between Gulf cartel thugs known as Los Zetas — many of them former military and police officers trained in counternarcotics tactics in the United States — and Los Negros, the Sinaloa cartel’s narco-military brigade."
so let's just train up some reinforcements for when their "internecine" wars have depleted their supplies, right?
and while we're at it, let's go ahead and throw the blame for all that firepower on the right of Americans to own the means to protect themselves from these thugs as they "extend their network from inner U.S. cities to suburban and rural areas.”
decriminalize the possession and use of personal amounts of this shit, and this entire "problem" dries up and blows away...and all those "overlords" can then just get in line to swim the rio grande like proper wetbacks should. and that two billion bucks? that would build a helluva wall, wouldn't it?
jtc
Sunday, March 8, 2009
a year done come and gone...
yesterday was a year since i decided to blather a bit here as well as in comments on some of my preferred blogstops. i'm not very prolific, and i don't really write for others to read (good thing since few do), but it's nice to have a place to throw down a few thoughts now and then and have them saved; for what possible purpose i have no idea.
it's been a pretty shitty year in a lot of ways that are worldly, but personally i can't complain too much. my son sold his business in north georgia and started a new one back here in fla which i'm helping him get off the ground, so we're spending most of our time here and not in the ga mountains that i greatly prefer; we're selling both of the houses up there (great timing for that, eh?) but we'll still spend time in that area in the summer to escape the stifle here.
i'm old enough that most of the bad decisions being made on a national and global scale right now won't have a huge effect on me, unless of course one of the kettle of krazies on the world stage decide that it's their "time". but it's hard to have much confidence in the future for my kids and grandkids...i guess my parents must have had similar thoughts during my youth in the tumultuous 60's and early 70's; we can only hope and pray that these difficult times, too, will pass.
i doubt i'll do much posting in the coming year; i'll have to be pretty active in eric's business, and we hope to sell both the ga. houses and maybe even the fla. house this year and find a small acreage place around ocala/gainesville so the kids and grandkids can get to us conveniently, and us to them. but i'll still drop my two cents now and then here and in the few places i like to follow. bless us all as we meander through this phase of life in what is still the greatest nation in the world.
jtc
it's been a pretty shitty year in a lot of ways that are worldly, but personally i can't complain too much. my son sold his business in north georgia and started a new one back here in fla which i'm helping him get off the ground, so we're spending most of our time here and not in the ga mountains that i greatly prefer; we're selling both of the houses up there (great timing for that, eh?) but we'll still spend time in that area in the summer to escape the stifle here.
i'm old enough that most of the bad decisions being made on a national and global scale right now won't have a huge effect on me, unless of course one of the kettle of krazies on the world stage decide that it's their "time". but it's hard to have much confidence in the future for my kids and grandkids...i guess my parents must have had similar thoughts during my youth in the tumultuous 60's and early 70's; we can only hope and pray that these difficult times, too, will pass.
i doubt i'll do much posting in the coming year; i'll have to be pretty active in eric's business, and we hope to sell both the ga. houses and maybe even the fla. house this year and find a small acreage place around ocala/gainesville so the kids and grandkids can get to us conveniently, and us to them. but i'll still drop my two cents now and then here and in the few places i like to follow. bless us all as we meander through this phase of life in what is still the greatest nation in the world.
jtc
Saturday, March 7, 2009
hey, it's the thrifty thing to do...
if you're in the midst of an argument with some dink over right to carry, and all the obvious reasoning just doesn't take, tell him you just want to save him some money...
jtc
jtc
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
"hold the eulogies..."
yeah, i don't blame you, teddy...it must be hard listening to all those gilded accolades knowing that at any moment mary jo's folks might show up to offer their version of your uh...heroism.
besides, there'll be a nice "eulogy" waiting for you in the hereafter; of course it'll probably be more like a "roast"...heh.
oh, and have a real happy 77th birthday today...ms. kopechne would have been 69 come july, but thanks to you she was granted the wistful wish of so many; to be forever 29...i guess folks should be careful of what they wish for, eh? but i can't help but wonder, as all your friends and comrades sing your praises, what would have been the life story of the only child of joseph and gwen kopechne if, you know, you had been man enough to try to save her and not just your sorry, sorry self?
politics is politics; a man can choose to be an admirer and disciple of jefferson or lenin, but you're either a man or you're not. you? not. you were and are a heartless, spineless, cowardly bastard...but then you know that, don't you, teddy?
jtc
besides, there'll be a nice "eulogy" waiting for you in the hereafter; of course it'll probably be more like a "roast"...heh.
oh, and have a real happy 77th birthday today...ms. kopechne would have been 69 come july, but thanks to you she was granted the wistful wish of so many; to be forever 29...i guess folks should be careful of what they wish for, eh? but i can't help but wonder, as all your friends and comrades sing your praises, what would have been the life story of the only child of joseph and gwen kopechne if, you know, you had been man enough to try to save her and not just your sorry, sorry self?
politics is politics; a man can choose to be an admirer and disciple of jefferson or lenin, but you're either a man or you're not. you? not. you were and are a heartless, spineless, cowardly bastard...but then you know that, don't you, teddy?
jtc
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
that's the way ya do it, see? just pucker up and...
like i said, this old girl (and bo himself of course), are gonna ride this thing all the way home!
it's easy! just go to a bo revival, keep your hand in the air, cry when he calls on you, and swoon when he lays hands (and lips!) on you...and all your dreams come true. man, he's potentate, messiah, and the wiz all rolled up in one big tootsie roll wrapper!
jtc
it's easy! just go to a bo revival, keep your hand in the air, cry when he calls on you, and swoon when he lays hands (and lips!) on you...and all your dreams come true. man, he's potentate, messiah, and the wiz all rolled up in one big tootsie roll wrapper!
jtc
Thursday, February 12, 2009
hell, turns out i was the one doing it all wrong...
well, sonuvabitch! if i'da known this i never would have used up my cash to pay off the mortgage on my florida house and a make big down payment on the mountain place so as to, you know, prevent foreclosure!
who knew the cool thing to do was borrow 110% of value (which equates to more like 150% of value now), and agree to a mortgage that "resets" to a rate and payment equal to more than i made per month?
my question now is, when do i need to stop making payments to time it just right so that father "o" will pay off the balance for me? gosh, he's a lot wealthier and more generous than i would have thought a career lowlevel politician and "organizer" could be...what a guy!
jtc
who knew the cool thing to do was borrow 110% of value (which equates to more like 150% of value now), and agree to a mortgage that "resets" to a rate and payment equal to more than i made per month?
my question now is, when do i need to stop making payments to time it just right so that father "o" will pay off the balance for me? gosh, he's a lot wealthier and more generous than i would have thought a career lowlevel politician and "organizer" could be...what a guy!
jtc
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
ya'll are doing it wrong!
tam has a post hilariously mocking some pathetic sheeple...i mean people...who just can't go on living 'cause they can't get barryo to give 'em the time of day...but they need to watch how one old florida girl did it...change your strategy, ya'll! let bo get some airtime out of the deal and it'll all be okay...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
those folks are just going about it all wrong...just caught the local teevee news wherein the focus was on bo making an appearance in the fort myers, fl neighborhood called lehigh acres, about an hour from us here in sebring.
lehigh got some national focus because it's a vast lowland (swamp) area that was semi-developed during the sixties fla land boom but sat dormant until the recent fever that swept the nation had thousands of houses being built for folks with no money and no job; and surprise, now a shitload of them are in foreclosure...so a great venue for the one to get some airtime for himself.
and to really capitalize on the limelight, ol' barry went around the room calling on some folks to relate their tales of woe, saving one old girl for last who said she was homeless, but "we need more than just a park to pitch a tent in, we need our own kitchens and our own bedrooms in our own homes" (no mention of how she planned to pay for it, but it was pretty obvious that she thought bo should just "provide" it).
so, anyway, she finishes her whiney spiel, and he ends his little meeting by going out to her in the crowd, hugging her, and telling her "we're going to see what we can do for you". ain't he just the sweetest angelic thang?
as the news story closed, the reporter said after the cameras were off and barry had gotten his exposure, the lady was crowded with people falling all over themselves to find out how they can "help" her.
so those worshippers you linked to just need to take her as a guide; wait for the cameras, hold up your hand for an hour or so, and cry on cue...that's how to get barry to lay hands on 'em, and get some great freebies to boot.
now the national news is coming on, using a snip of this same meeting in their preview...let's watch and see their take. this old girl (and bo himself of course), are gonna ride this thing all the way home!
jtc
---------------------------------------------------------------------
those folks are just going about it all wrong...just caught the local teevee news wherein the focus was on bo making an appearance in the fort myers, fl neighborhood called lehigh acres, about an hour from us here in sebring.
lehigh got some national focus because it's a vast lowland (swamp) area that was semi-developed during the sixties fla land boom but sat dormant until the recent fever that swept the nation had thousands of houses being built for folks with no money and no job; and surprise, now a shitload of them are in foreclosure...so a great venue for the one to get some airtime for himself.
and to really capitalize on the limelight, ol' barry went around the room calling on some folks to relate their tales of woe, saving one old girl for last who said she was homeless, but "we need more than just a park to pitch a tent in, we need our own kitchens and our own bedrooms in our own homes" (no mention of how she planned to pay for it, but it was pretty obvious that she thought bo should just "provide" it).
so, anyway, she finishes her whiney spiel, and he ends his little meeting by going out to her in the crowd, hugging her, and telling her "we're going to see what we can do for you". ain't he just the sweetest angelic thang?
as the news story closed, the reporter said after the cameras were off and barry had gotten his exposure, the lady was crowded with people falling all over themselves to find out how they can "help" her.
so those worshippers you linked to just need to take her as a guide; wait for the cameras, hold up your hand for an hour or so, and cry on cue...that's how to get barry to lay hands on 'em, and get some great freebies to boot.
now the national news is coming on, using a snip of this same meeting in their preview...let's watch and see their take. this old girl (and bo himself of course), are gonna ride this thing all the way home!
jtc
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
BREAKING NEWS:
Obama administration says it will cancel 77 drilling leases near Utah parks...
well, it might be news to some, but it sure ain't no surprise. 'cause how in the hell are we gonna get people to support wind-up cars, windmills, and zee greeen technology with two dollah gas?
gotta cancel drilling and kill exploration (especially in alaska where it'll piss off the governor there) so we can jack up that oil price and justify all of our admirable causes, yes?
bonus! robert redford offers his expert opinion...snicker.
jtc
well, it might be news to some, but it sure ain't no surprise. 'cause how in the hell are we gonna get people to support wind-up cars, windmills, and zee greeen technology with two dollah gas?
gotta cancel drilling and kill exploration (especially in alaska where it'll piss off the governor there) so we can jack up that oil price and justify all of our admirable causes, yes?
bonus! robert redford offers his expert opinion...snicker.
jtc
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
rule five: "you can't fix stupid"*
when four rules just ain't enough...
how can you be this dumb and still make it through eight frickin' decades? why tempt fate? leave the firearms alone...even when they're "not loaded".
jtc
*apologies to ron white.
how can you be this dumb and still make it through eight frickin' decades? why tempt fate? leave the firearms alone...even when they're "not loaded".
jtc
*apologies to ron white.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
looking forward with "hope"...
anybody who's ever even casually glanced at this blog knows that the "o" was not my first choice to be the new elected leader of the free world...in fact in my view he ranks near, if not at, the very bottom of the very long list of erstwhile candidates.
that being said, he is indeed the new elected leader of the free world, meaning he is my president too. and once i am able to stifle the autoresponse of regurgitation that is the normal reaction to being forcefed something extremely unpalatable, i'm going to do my best to support him and his policies as they relate to our relationship with the rest of the world...because we are all Americans, and united we stand.
but i do fervently hope, and even somewhat believe, that the realities of the office and the world will bring a necessary and cautious deliberation to the euphoric mantra and mission of "change" that was the centerpiece of his campaign. indeed, that has already begun, as witnessed by the recent disclaimers as to the difficult road ahead and the need for patience and controlled "expectations" as we move forward into the new reality, here in the brave new world.
congratulations, Mr. President, may God bless you, your administration, and most especially, the United States of America.
jtc
Monday, January 19, 2009
in honor of dr. king...
i'm not a fan of mlk day being a national holiday. it devalues the honor that is implied by setting aside such a day to honor and observe far more significant milestones in our history...
but i'll say this: listening to his speeches now, with the retrospect and maturity gained as this country worked through the turmoil and did the right thing in respecting the rights of all citizens, makes me realize that this peaceable man was far more deserving of the honor of being the first black man to hold our highest office than the "one" who will be crowned tomorrow.
not that either of them possess(ed) the experience and capabilities required to be the leader of the free world...just that of the two, mlk would be far and away the better, less divisive, and probably far more effective choice.
r.i.p., martin luther king jr....let's hope your vision and methods will live within the hearts and minds of those who follow.
jtc
Sunday, January 18, 2009
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