Thursday, June 28, 2007

Becks meets Reggie! Hilarity ensues...

(Thanks, Autumn!)

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

The other day I said that "Summertime" by the otherwise fatuous Kenny Chesney was the only country song I'd sing along to. Well that's not entirely true.

I've sung along to this sweet number, often and loud...(The only way I can figure out to play the thing is to click on the Windows Media Player, second icon from the right)

Go ahead, listen to it twice and see if you're not singing along in no time:
"See that man, he can't hear the whistle,
The damned old fool's caught out on the trestle...

It won't be long until I make up my mind..."

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Summertime! (And by the way, that's the only country song I'd be caught dead singing along to out loud -- "perfect song on the radio, sing along cause its one we know, its a smile, its a kiss, its a sip of wine, its summertime!" And the rest of it...).

At the Cape, of course, reading this, listening to this, and drinking this. Just previously read this, so I'm especially enjoying my Nantucket Sound and Bass River views on a pluperfect summer day, but I suspect I'll like the wind farm just fine...

Thursday, June 21, 2007

I just can't get over my death-watch of Europe. I'm standing by my initial predictions that go back about 4 years now: Europe as something other than a place on maps will cease to exist in another generation. How a society that once energized the globe with science, commerce, arts, and ideals, managed to get itself so lost, staggers anyone willing to take two steps back to study it.

Here's a fine book review on The Last Days of Europe.

Key bit:
"The Dutch are probably the best-educated people in the world. Many Dutch have a vocabulary in English that exceeds that of native speakers in Britain and America. And for many years, the Dutch prided themselves that theirs was a country in which nothing ever happened. The business of Holland was business—plus social security with a bit of anti-Calvinist decadence thrown in. The country was so tranquil, contented, and firmly established that, failing a rise in the level of the North Sea, it seemed the idyll would continue forever."

Then there's this:
"There are three threats to Europe’s future. The first comes from demographic decline...The second threat comes from the presence of a sizable and growing immigrant population, a large part of which is not necessarily interested in integration...The third threat comes from the existence of the welfare state and the welfare-state mentality. A system of entitlements has been created that, however economically counterproductive, is politically difficult to dismantle: once privileges are granted, they assume the metaphysical status of immemorial and fundamental rights..."

Yep, that's the Europe-off-the-Rails trifecta (tm) alright...

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

It's a Europe-off-the-Rails(tm) post! The Europe that's soon to be demographically non-viable and irrelevant, that is, as this article reveals...

I love this bit:
“The greatest thing anyone in Britain could do to help the future of the planet would be to have one less child.”

Ya. The greatest thing Britain and the rest of Europe could do is to find their courage...
I've just ordered one. For the reason given and a multitude more.
A scream. Literally.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

It's been quite some time since I've posted a Europe-off-the-rails update, partly because it's so easy (Fish. Barrel. Gun.), partly because there are too many examples, and mostly because Europe's so far off the rails there's no real pleasure in it anymore. Besides, other people do a much better job at it than I ever could.

But here's a report that amuses, informs, sobers, and infuriates, all in one swoop.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

It's an almost-summertime edition of the Carnival of the Recipes. Grill edition. Niiice -- news I can use...

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Look, I really like my job -- it's a dynamic and growing organization -- a little intense sometimes, but still...once, just once, I'd love to do something like this at our office.

(Via Treacher.)

Treacher also offers a comment on Paris's not so excellent new adventure...

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

The mystery over why our boy "socca" Becks only has ink on his right arm -- Revealed!!
Well, I'm not going to let this day pass without a post -- it's June 6, the anniversary of D-Day, the day the US Army went to it's martyrdom in 1944...

More here.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Here's an interesting little tidbit -- this year's spelling bee winner is homeschooled. Guess he doesn't have to spend as much time learning junkscience and unscience and touchyfeelydrivel.

The spelling bee was not entirely without drama, caused by a whiny parent, of course.
Nancy has a little fling, which turns into obsession, and finally into full-on snobbery. Until the fourth martini, that is...