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Loving the new camera
The new D-80 quite nice. From the A-Sides show at A Capella books last night. That’s my guitar.
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RIP Milton Friedman
Instapundit has a good collection of links on his life and legacy. He was the first to think of many, many things in economics that seem blindingly obvious now but were heretical at the time. One of the larger intellectual giants of the past 100 years, on a purely technical level, outside of the politics (which I agree with).
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Quotes of the moment
- Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
- Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
- Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
From the quiet insightful Green Lantern theory comments
“Conan, what is best in life?”
“To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!”
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For those scoring at home
I won the open mic last night. I flubbed the Carter family song but the flatpicking on Ruby Ridge went over very well.
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The circle of life
We now have mega bright lights in the parking lot to dissuade potential car thieves. One side effect of the lights is that the wooded area is much darker since the trees shadow the lights in that direction. I was walking Drex around midnight and we walked to within 3 feet of a cat (who was in the wooded area, about to pounce on a field mouse) before Drex noticed his natural enemy.
Needless to say, he was overjoyed and pounced. I was just barely able to pull him back in time. This scares the cat out of the way, and the field mouse escapes.
Drex is still quite hyper two hours later.
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Why the long pause….
For anyone reading, I’m still swamped with work. And I’m grinding my teeth again. While I’m awake.
Random Commentary, regarding the song “Fluorescent Light Blues”
Sitting at a computer all day and you’d think I’d get the odd writing done, but those white tubes in the ceiling kill the muse with vibration shooting 20 rounds of white light every second right at your brain. May it’s creator burn one tier above Hitler, right next to the sonofabitch who gave us the child-proof cigarette lighter, while the inventor of the smoke detector gives them the finger from his cloud next to Lincoln.
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Of morbid interest
How hangings work, from Slate. I would require a drop of 5’ 1” by the 1892 rules, but a drop of 6’ 1” by the 1913 rules.
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Thoughts
As it seems Allen is going to concede (in an unexpectedly classy move for him) it would seem that I was wrong on both counts in my predictions.
Quote of the moment, via Instapundit:
The Republicans lost and the Democrats won for the same reason — they distanced themselves from their base.
I think we’ll like divided government. And the anti-Kelo measure passed, which is an unalloyed boon to America.
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Just got back from voting
It wasn’t crowded at all. One thing that surprised me was the Kelo inspired eminent domain constitutional amendment, I hadn’t heard anything about that.
The statue above was outside the polling place.
Cynical quotes about democracy
Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
H.L. MenckenBetter a third-rate fireman than a first rate arsonist.
Thomas SowellAh, elections, our biannual parade of tired whores.
Steve French -
My predictions – with no confidence
I’m honestly not sure of the outcome. Were I betting, I would say the consensus opinion is wrong, and the Republicans hold on to both houses by a tiny margin. If I remember correctly, the polls usually underestimate the effects of the Republican ground game. Also, widely held opinions on the future are usually wrong, most lately the 2006 hurricane season. The chattering classes have seen a gathering destiny over the Democratic party that I don’t think is there.
On another note, I am still quite please by the direction of the Dems this time around. Still very wrong with all the economic populism of course, but the baby boomer narcissism seems to be on it’s way out.
Speaking of that, John Kerry’s bit last week was (even if taken at face value) NOT insulting to the troops, it was condescending, which is why it had resonance as a criticism of him in particular and the Dems in general.