Mazurland Blog

Season's Greeblings

Is there no way around the pre-Christmas onslaught to our senses and our spirits? The offenses seem to start earlier every year. It's certainly hard to find aid from the popular culture to get oneself ready for the birth or our Savior. One can always take comfort in the Church, which offers a proper preparation for Christmas. There are no Christmas carols until Christmas, and the music of Advent is among the most beautiful of all liturgical music. Or one can take the assault in stride, and even vent one's spleen from time to time regarding the profanations of the season.

But perhaps you are of the manor born, with an estate in the English countryside, and no concern about money. You live in a world insulated from time and the tides of culture. You've led a colorful life, and are now sought after for your reminiscences. And despite your lack of need, people come bearing you gifts. Then Christmas becomes an extended amusement, taken with several large glasses of sherry.

The rest of the series:

Two Turtle Doves

Three French Hens

Four Calling Birds

Five Golden Rings

Six Geese a-Laying

Seven Swans a-Swimming

Eight Maids a-Milking

Nine Drummers Drumming

Ten Pipers Piping

Eleven Ladies Dancing

Twelve Lords a-Leaping

[Note: Peter Cook, who created the character of Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling, has been called "the funniest man who ever drew breath". He was part of the line of absurdist British humorists that included Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Marty Feldman, Dudley Moore, and Monty Python. Sir Arthur was a character that Cook created early in his career, though Sir Arthur's appearances in "A Life In Pieces" is the pinnacle of Cook's art. Cook died in 1995. Cook's Christmas series is, aside from a joke Brother Chris told me several years ago (which is the funniest joke in human history, from which I nearly died laughing), the funniest thing I have ever seen.]

Now That The Pie Is Gone

Holiday cuisine is full of stuff we don't eat much through the year. Strange things, some recalling the "waste not, want not" ethos of our immigrant and agrarian forebears. When else do we eat gravy made with diced organ meat? At what other time of year do we eat pies made from a pureed gourd and a half dozen eggs? Or from chopped game meat, suet, and raisins? After Christmas, when will you partake of a drink made of eggs, spices, booze, and cream?

But it's good to recall that, as good as this stuff may taste, none of it is any good for you, at least not the way you lead your life in today's world. The high-fat fare was a real treat for people generations ago, when people only feasted a few times a year. But we live in a food-rich age and even blue-collar workers lead relatively sedentary lives. People regularly dine out on over-sized portions, and think nothing of making their morning coffee a Mocha Frappuccino.

So, now that you've had your fill of turkey and stuffing at least a couple of times, and had pie for breakfast, and "second breakfast", for the last two days, it's probably safe to remind you of where some of this delicious, rich food comes from. Maybe the picture on the left will help you stay on your diet until Christmas.

Thanksgiving Remembrance

Thanksgiving is a day that was set aside by President Lincoln during the Civil War so all citizens could take a step back and thank God for their country, families and our way of life in America.

I sure hope all of Mazurland are enjoying the holdiay, around hearth and home with family.  We're having kind of a mellow day here in NC.

What I want to tell you about actually happened yesterday.  It was Boy Scout Popcorn delivery day,.  One of my co-workers decided the BSA popcorn was too expensive for the family, but spent 15.00 to send some to one of our warriors overseas.  I didn't know she had until we were both in our boss's office to pay for the stuff we ordered on Wednesday.

I went to get some coffee, and she was sitting back at her desk.  And this is what I said to her.

"You did a very nice thing.  You have no idea how much that will be appreciated. Normally those gift packs will go to a warrior who doesn't get a lot of care packages from home, or maybe not much mail of any kind.  I can tell you that at times like Thanksgiving and Christmas, being 10K miles from home and away from all that is familiar to you is very tough. Your gift is going to make someone you never met real happy they did decide to risk their life to protect your family and our country  A gift like this won't ever be forgotten".  

This particular lady, as far as I know--- voted for President Obama. One of 3 out of the 50 employees who actually admitted they intended to.  When I went by her desk a few minutes later, she was wiping her eyes---and she told me "you got me choked up".   I told her she did a patriotic thing and shouldn't be upset, rather proud of herself. No need to get choked up. I also think she's got a bad case of buyer's remorse with that vote.

And so I ask you---While enjoying yourself today---remember the people out there, kids mostly, who are providing us this a peaceful and safe day to give thanks.  It's sure not like that for them---they're in the armpit and asshole of the universe, and life sucks everyday there's people trying to kill you because you fight for freedom.

Eat up, and give your impressions of the day in comments.

Animals Give Up, Join Democrat Party

When I was a Boy Scout in WNY, we used to sing a song about a Bear.  I don't remember any of it except the first verse.

"Out in the woods, there was a Bear, out in the woods, a way out there,

Out in the woods there was a Bear, out in the woods a way out there"

Bears have had it tough as a group, foraging for enough chow to keep them healthy through the winter hibernation period.  I guess some of them have been watching too much TV.   They have decided that they have had enough of fending for themselves, and have decided to join the Democratic Party, so they can get in on riding in the cart that the humans have to pull.   They've even elected a leader,   His name, not so strange, is Bearack Obama

Bearack Obama was elected on a program of  Hope And Change-----Bears Hope to change the way that they get the food they need to live---They have requested Food Stamp EBT Cards, Mother Bears have requested AFDC, and the cubs will qualify for Head Start, and Free School Breakfasts and Lunches.  

Bearack says---Why should we work? Let's follow the example the Human government in America has set for the humans!!!  We are a protected class, and we want some hope and change to come for us!!!

Trail of Broken Promises

From the WAPO @ 0852 this morning

BEIJING -- President Obama directly acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay will not close by the January deadline he set, but he said he hoped to still achieve that goal sometime next year.

Obama refused, however, to set a new deadline.

********************************************************************************* 

Another in a trail of empty promises made to American Liberals.

Gay Marriage? NOPE--But thanks for your vote!!!!!

All Bills on the Internet for the public to see, and the "Most Transparent Administration Ever!"  Well, if you consider obsidian transparent, it is.

This Stimulus Bill will keep unemployment under 8%----I guess if the new math has 10 before 8 on the number line---perhaps Marty can clarifiy.

Look at this 2 trillion dollar debt----I can fix it---If you consider adding 10 trillion to it as "fixing it".

Now "I WILL CLOSE GUANTANAMO BY THE END OF 2009"   NOT.

But, he is young, and black, and charismatic, so the MSM and the Liberals still love him with iconic worship.   The libertarians and independents that voted for him----not so much. 

If you watch video of THE ONE, look closely at his face---there's a definite change in his face--the self confidence that was in his facial demeanor last year at this time is just about gone.  

As I told the wife last night when I told her to look at Barry and see if she noticed it-----Finally, after 11 months in office, he has been whacked between the horns enough to know that he's in way over his head, he's screwing the pooch weekly, and his support is ebbing away quickly daily.  He's poised to lose the Congress to the Republicans, who will stop the Odumbo express dead in its tracks.

Under Covers

A couple of weeks ago, I went out with some people from my running club to a local bar. We caught the early act (the place gets taken over by students after about 10). It was a duo that did covers, one guy on an acoustic guitar and the other who switched between a mandolin and a strat. They were quite good singers, and a lot of fun with the Happy Hour crowd of grad students through middle-agers. They ran through everything from folk and gospel numbers to songs by the Beatles, the Stones, Bowie, and Elvis Costello. And they were pretty good-natured with the loud table near the front (that would have been us), even when I yelled a request for Swedish Death Metal.

I like cover bands, but I like it best when they're not mimics. I'm not one to go see a tribute band. An enjoyable cover has to do something different, add a twist. One of our fine local blues combos does a cover of the Stones' Last Time with a tuba intro followed by a rendition of the song much punchier than the Stones, with the added flavor of a resophonic guitar. Sometimes a good twist can be done by the same artist who did the original. The Beatles put out two different versions of Revolution. The Stones did two different takes on Honkey Tonk Woman. And I like both versions that I've seen Nick Lowe do of What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding? (as well as Costello's cover of the same, even though it's similar to Lowe's first shot).

So here's a cover that I've never heard before, though it made the rounds on YouTube a couple of years ago. If you don't recognize it right away, it might be because you're not into hip-hop music. The song is Hey Ya by OutKast, a huge, high-energy hit about 5 years ago. The folky cover of that song went viral and was copied by dozens of YouTubers, kids at high school talent shows, and even had a stint on the TV show Scrubs. I feel sorry for Matt Weddle of the folk combo Obadiah Parker, the poor guy who first did it. He's got some talent and a great voice, but he's still trying to figure out how to cash in on his moment of viral fame. For now, here's a shout-out to you, Matt. Hope this helps. Hey Ya!

[HT - John W.]

Advertising In Post-Racial America

It's been bad news for President Obama for some months. Though his administration has continued (and upped the ante on) the enormous economic stimulus packages begun by his predecessor, these policies have achieved little and indebted the country greatly. The tone he set with his campaign and later his World Apology Tour has brought him the admiration of the European elites, including the Nobel Prize Committee, yet has only earned the contempt of enemies and the dismay of allies. And much of the rest of his foreign and domestic policy agendas have not gotten much past the starting gate. It is early in his term, but it seems the blush has already faded from the bloom of Obamania. But President Obama has one great accomplishment to his credit. I am sure that Brother Hank can verify, from his perch in central North Carolina where the commercial below was made, that President Obama really has ushered in a "post-racial America".

[Note: The duo that made this advertisement loves bad local commercials and proudly advertises that they will make your business its own really bad commercial.]

For Brother Hank

This year, the celebration of Veteran's Day is overshadowed by the recent horrific shootings at Ft. Hood, Texas, and also tainted by the muddled response of our Armed Services (and their Commander-in-Chief) to it and to the disturbing revelations of the systemic breakdown that lead to it. We can only hope that the light that is being shed (and, yes, the heat generated) will result in a reform and curtailment of what seems to be the absurd institutional political correctness that endangers our society and the lives of those we have charged to protect it.

Now, let's take a moment to be thankful to those who have served our country in the Armed Forces over the years. Happy Veteran's Day, Brother Hank!

Dylan Dismantled

I'm thankful that I was born just a few years too late to get on the Bob Dylan bandwagon. While he was definitely part of my time growing up, he'd probably made most of his important contributions to popular music and culture, had gone through most of his controversies, and, in short, was mostly spent as an artist by time I was critically aware.

Don't get me wrong. I tried to get into him when I was younger. I had a copy of his most influential early electric album, Highway 61 Revisited. I think the guy wrote some decent songs, and I even liked some of his "symbolist" nonsense, like Desolation Row, if only for the mood it evoked. But even as a youngster, I had the impression that Dylan was pulling something over on his audience, of which he was not a little bit contemptuous. That's something I never liked in an artist: contempt for his audience. (It's something I'm glad Elvis Costello, for instance, seems to have outgrown.)

And so much later, I put Dylan in his own small niche in my personal musical constellation, and have rarely thought it necessary to revisit my evaluation. To me, Dylan was a smart-ass, a jester, a provocateur, and maybe a bit of a poseur, if not a fraud. He had a small talent as a melodist, and a small gift for lyrical evocation, yet little as a musician (In fact, he was often purposely grating as a singer and player.) He was not a prophet, not even a poet. His best stuff was his small-scale stuff, songs with some sparseness to the lyric, like Lay Lady Lay, Just Like A Woman, I Want You, and Forever Young. The longer attempts, except for a few iconic hits such as Like a Rolling Stone and All Along the Watchtower, wore thin. Who could now call Desolation Row poetry? Who can sit through the thing?

Well, Andrew Ferguson has apparently never had any patience for Bob Dylan. Ferguson is a Senior Editor at the Weekly Standard, and seems never to have been taken in by Dylan. And in this piece in the Weekly Standard, he produces one of the most thorough dismantlings of an artist that I've ever read. Ferguson gives a brief history of Dylan Idolatry, and demolishes much of Dylan's aura. He takes my sense of Dylan's contempt for his audience, and goes farther, saying that "Dylan's fans are the battered wives of the music industry." It's a great read, something you won't regret reading if you have a thought of buying Dylan's new Christmas album. (Actually, just listening to a few of the samples at Amazon should stop you from making that mistake.)

All The News That Fits In Print

By now, I'm sure all of you are aware of the shooting at Fort Hood.  As of right now, 8:00 a.m. on the day after the shooting, the "facts" seem to be:  a single shooter, Major Malik Nadal Hasan, an Muslim army psychiatrist, has shot and killed 12 people, wounded dozens more, and is presently alive and in custody.  Are those facts completely accurate?  Well, follow the chain of events, much of which I am piecing together from memory:

1) Shooting reported with no information
2) Army (or possibly law enforcement) spokesflacks swiftly announce that there is no connection to terrorism
3) Number of dead reported at 7 people with roughly a dozen wounded
4) Reports that one shooter is dead with one more in custody
5) Reports that one shooter is dead with (at least) two more in custody
6) Reports of second shooting in a movie theater
7) Non-Fox MSM swiftly unifies around PC-friendly PTSD diagnosis, apropos of nothing
8) Number of dead rises to 12
9) Dead shooter ID'ed as Maj. Hasan.
10) Maj. Hasan ID'ed as a Muslim.
11) Maj. Hasan ID'ed as a Muslim convert.
12) Maj. Hasan reported to have sympathized with Islamic terrorists, resented pending Iraq (Afghanistan?) deployment, cheered on bombings (so much for PTSD and no connection to terrorism!)
13) Number of dead revised to 13
<I went to sleep at this point, but by morning:>
14) Ft. Hood commanding General announces that Maj. Hasan is alive and in custody, and was the only shooter
15) Maj. Hasan comes from a family of life-long Muslims, and is not a convert
16) Number of dead re-revised to 12
17) 13th victim dies of wounds

So there we are, so far.  Still no definite motive, although now that he's in custody I expect we'll get one soon, depending on how much the government wants to keep under wraps (I don't have particularly high hopes there).  I think several lessons are borne out here:

1) The media (all of it, sorry, not just the MSM) absolutely sucks at its job in a time of major crisis.  Has this always been the case?  I don't know.  Maybe there was a "golden age" where it didn't suck so much, and now they've lost their edge.  This is not to say that anyone else could do it better -- I think it's fair to say that if anyone could do it, it should be the news media (both new and old).  But considering the "facts" that were let fly so quickly, as outlined above, it's frightening how little confirmation of anything was done, and how much speculation, rumor, or misinformation was reported as "emerging fact".  The Punditry, on both sides of the fence, were all to quick to believe the reports from the very Media (MSM on the right, Fox on the left) they deride, as well.  The real lesson here is:  don't believe one red cent that anyone reports as objective fact until well after the smoke has cleared.

2) It's not like most of us who spend time around these parts didn't know this already, but:  the MSM will carry water for Islamic Extremism until the sun burns out.  It always seems like the immediate reaction is "THERE IS NO CONNECTION WITH ISLAMIC TERRORISM", regardless of the amount of information available.  And yes, such a statement, in the complete absence of information, might be technically true (well, vacuously true), it is also true to say "there is no reason to believe the incident is not connected with Islamic terrorism".  It is particularly laughable that the MSM jumped on the PTSD diagnosis at a time when it was thought that there were up to three shooters -- has "group PTSD" ever been an observed malady?  Anywho, apart from the punditry at NRO and other places, even after the (supposedly dead) shooter's name was revealed, I still failed to hear any connections to Islamic terrorism, which is astounding.  How could he have PTSD if he hadn't even been in combat yet?  So far his entire military experience was apparently a string of government-funded medical training fellowships! 

Particularly considering that the "suspect" is still alive, I will be very interested in seeing how things unfold.  Expect the media to paint Maj. Hasan as a victim, and for Pres. Bush to somehow take the blame.  Because Obama, of course, has already ended all wars and made the Ummah love us.  Assuming the reports of Maj. Hasan's "cheering on" of US troop deaths and justification of Islamic extremism bear out, I will be paying close attention to any policy changes the US Military makes to Muslims in its own ranks -- failing to censure (or outright court martial) an officer who cheers on the enemy seems like a pretty big deal to me.