Politics, schmolitics! How many more scandalous revelations will hit before Labor Day? Ah, we've got all summer to talk about that. So let's take a break from all the revelatory fun and talk summertime fun!
So what's on your summertime bucket list? Is it a trip to exotic lands or just mellowing out by "going to Denver"? Maybe you are planning to take a class to learn a new skill like mixology or yarn bombing (Dear IRS and NSA, this is "harmless" fun with yarn, okay?). Could it be scuba diving in the Caribbean or an archeological dig in China?
Okay, maybe your plans aren't as exotic as yarn bombing [Again, IRS and NSA, harmless, okay?] Maybe it's barbequeing in the backyard next to the inflatable kiddie pool or finally getting to that stack of Andrew Price novels [Shameless plug!] to read by the beach. Seriously, is anyone planning to do anything fun, dangerous, exciting or just sedate and harmless?
Let us know or feel free to talk about anything.
Bev, It's funny how new phrases get born. LOL! We should call Websters and get them to include "going to Denver"!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shameless plug! :)
For my summer fun, I'm thinking of going to the Fed and asking for a check. I'll tell them I'm from Commentarama Bank. Sounds real, right? $1.5 billion should do nicely. I'm good for it.
Andrew, I'm thinking of joining the ACLU's class action against Obama and the NSA, but what if the my data wasn't seized? I would be so sad...
ReplyDeleteBev, That would be sad. But then you could sue Obama for discrimination! :D
ReplyDeleteBev, As an unrelated aside because I won't defect until the Fed's check clears....
ReplyDeleteA Reuters poll says that 31 percent of Americans believe Snowden is a patriot, while 23 percent say he is a traitor. Some 46 percent of respondents say they have not decided.
I like the fact that the public is withholding judgment. I think that suggests that the public is a lot more thoughtful than people want to believe. It also means that the full-court press by the MSM/Establishment that tried to call him a traitor right away hasn't worked. The public is clearly queasy about what he's revealed. That's what a lack of trust in the government will get you.
I'm afraid this summer, I'm just trying to get healthy. And that is not necessarily a bad thing mind you. May give me more time for internet :)
ReplyDeleteJed, Take your time and get healthy!!!
ReplyDeleteToo much work. I don´t have the energy to go on vacation. All the relaxation I get is reading and gardening. In case you think that doesn´t sound very manly, note that I am also reading gun reviews :-)
ReplyDeleteThere will probably be some barbequeing. Have to buy furniture.
Note that all of this can be done offline and without the help of phone companies. Nice, low profile stuff.
I'd like to go overseas this year. Someplace exotic and off the beaten track but not too expensive where I can just kick back and check out the action. Maybe Turkey, Pakistan or Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteBev.......More and more recently I'm becoming wistful of getting out of the game and going someplace off the grid, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI've had my eye on a nice little shack on an island somewhere where I can catch my dinner and just think. Unfortunately, if I want to keep in touch with family and friends, then the "grid" (NSA, IRS, ISP's, etc.) will know where I am.
Anyone know any ways to get off the microscope and become anonymous, while still being able to stay in contact with those you love?
WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG TO BRING YOU A
ReplyDeleteSCOTUS ALERT***
The SC is set to hand down several ground breaking decisions today that might be of interest:
Warning: my descriptions may be simplistic
Fisher v. UT-Austin - Affirmative Action/racial preferences in application process.
Shelby County v. Holder - voting rights laws/voter ID
Hollingsworth v. Perry - CA Same-sex marriage law
US v. Windsor - DOMA
This is what I predict: the SC will strike down both CA's Same-sex marriage laws and the Defense of Marriage Act as discriminatory;
and to strike down affirmative action/racial preferences in college application process;
and to uphold voter ID laws, but strike down Voters' Rights Act.
Oh something like that anyway. But then, I didn't think they could possibly uphold any part of Obamacare, so who knows. I will keep you posted.
//End Alert
TennJ - You relax and get well! Take as long as you need. We need you around and healthy for when we take over the countr...er...uh..so that we can all learn the art of yarn bombing!
ReplyDeleteEl Gordo - Too much work these days is a good thing. And who says that gardening isn't manly. That's hard work!
ReplyDeleteK - If you want to go sight-seeing in a war ravaged location, have you thought about Chicago?
ReplyDeletePatriot - I don't blame you. I just spent a long weekend in a small town in California (beautiful, btw - Cambria - lots of wine and vistas) that was supposed to be "off the grid". I was expecting to have no cell service and certainly no internet access as it was advertised that way. But I was sadly disappointed. My cell and Ipad worked just fine.
ReplyDeleteIt is alot harder these days to go off the grid. And it is hard to remember how we survived all those years without being able to be in constant contact. Were we happy and more relaxed? The grid has certainly changed how people vacate.
**SCOTUS UPDATE***
ReplyDeleteOkay, you can stand down. The SCOTUS just handed down their decision that companies cannot patent human genes. That's a relief. Now I won't be afraid of leaving my genes around willy-nilly for anyone to patent.
The SCOTUS will most likely hand down their decisions for the others at the end of the month. Which will no doubt ruin SOMEONE'S 4th of July celebrations.
Gee, I never knew "going to Denver" was a euphemism for....anything.
ReplyDeleteBev, That's a good thing. I was not going to pay royalties for my own existence... oh wait, I do pay taxes. :(
ReplyDeleteBev, it's just a ban on human patents, right? They didn't say anything about patenting cat genes? Because if they did, that's going to put a kink in one or two summer projects of mine.
ReplyDeleteEl Gordo, Gardening with guns... very manly indeed! :)
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, Yep. Bev has decided that's a euphemism.
T-Rav - I believe it just pertains to human genes, so you are free to use your cats in any way that is not mean. No cat-gene splicing to create glow in the dark kitties with laser eyes that can kill in a single glance. No weaponized kitties! Promise me!
ReplyDeleteNothing planned. My in-laws have a cabin in CO that is close to off the grid. They have satellite tv but no cell or internet access. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteI did like John Woo's take on whether to prosecute Snowden.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/350676/prosecute-snowden-john-yoo
Personally, where I agree that the program was worrisome his approach to whistle-blowing is concerning. I see it the same as not following an order in the military. You can refuse but you will be court martialed and if you don't have a good reason (Your honor, I think an order to kill widows and orphans is unethical) you will pay for it. We can't have people in national security decide willy-nilly what they agree with and what they don't, leak the information, and then run to China.
The word for the day is..."Willy-nilly"!
ReplyDeleteKoshcat - What is most concerning is how did this kid get a high level security clearance anyway? By all accounts, he's a dropout slacker with some computer skills. Is this really the type of person our government gives high-level top secret clearance to? ***NEW SCANDAL ALERT*** Oh, well, yeah...it is...LINK
And We The People can't get answers out of the IRS...
Koshcat, I have no thoughts on whether he's a good guy or a bad guy at this point. I just think it's interesting that the public is waiting to make up its mind. I find that encouraging on several levels.
ReplyDeleteFor one thing, I am seeing the public being more patient these days in pronouncing guilt. That's a good thing, especially as the media gets more obsessive about convicting people the moment they hear about whatever the issue is.
Secondly, I think it's encouraging that even as ALL of Washington is calling this guy a traitor, that only 23% agree so far.
He may ultimately be a villain, but I'm glad people aren't just buying without information.
"...I was not going to pay royalties for my own existence."
ReplyDeleteAndrew - I think the prudent thing to do would be to patent yourself and all your genes and then you could COLLECT royalties! It could have been a whole new emerging industry except for the SCOTUS...
Bev, It's about time we shut down the IRS and start over. Or better yet, let's just round them all up and put them in a "Happiness Camp" to re-educate them with extreme prejudice!
ReplyDeleteGood thinking Bev! After all, I had these genes before whatever company it is!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI see both your points and I agree that at least in the past anyone with significant security access had the equivilant of a rigid colonoscopy...twice before getting clearance. Therefore, I doubt he knew much.
ReplyDeleteIf he really thought that there was wrong-doing, why did he run? He is a coward and we will probably find out that he is also an attention whore.
I just like the fact that the administration is once again finding themselves in a contradictory situation. If getting the search order for the media was critical for national security than getting this dude certainly is even if it isn't "popular".
Watch 'em squirm!
Bev, you just said I could use my cats in any way that's not mean. Giving them glow-in-the-dark laser eyes is not mean if it doesn't hurt them. So there.
ReplyDeleteBev: have you thought about Chicago?
ReplyDeleteToo corrupt.
Patriot: If getting off the government grid interests you, check out this gentleman's books:
LINK
Natually, his writing is for entertainment purposes only and not to be taken as a recommendation of any actions or lifestyles, present or future.
You may have some difficulty in finding the books but they're out there.
a weekend trip here, a family reunion there...
ReplyDeletein between: wrapping up this job (packing, sorting nearly complete), THESIS, cleaning my hazmat-warning-in-waiting of a room, THESIS, decide on job-hunting, THESIS...
Then it'll be August and time for thesis proposal, data collection, writing, and defense. Then GRADUATION.
Then Christmas.
Oops, went too far!
T-Rav, as long as the cats are happy with glow-in-the-dark laser eyes, go for it.
I just looked at "yarn bombing" (harmless)
ReplyDeleteThat's a LOT of nutty knitting!!!!!!!!!
K, "too corrupt" LOL! Bravo!
ReplyDeleterlaWTX, I'm sensing a pattern. Something about a thesis... not sure what though... just a feeling I get from your comment.
SCOTUS just handed down their decision that companies cannot patent human genes.
ReplyDeleteThat's something I've been following and I'm very pleased with the decision. For one, it upholds the standard that one cannot patent a discovery. Until now, the status quo has been that only the discoverer of a gene could work with it. That would be akin to the only oil company being the one that discovered oil. It's also a boon for consumers because it means that multiple companies can work with the same genes in pursuit of drugs and treatments, i.e. competition.
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Gardening with Guns -- is that, like, in lieu of a plow?
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Koshcat, it'll be interesting to see how this shakes out. I heard this morning that the NSA director wants to release more information to prove that what Snowden leaked about is completely legal. I can't help thinking that such a move would severely dilute any case against Snowden.
Frankly, I believe Snowden when he says he left the country of necessity. Having security clearances, I suspect he knows better what to be afraid of than we do.
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It's about time we shut down the IRS and start over.
I have the perfect argument, though I must confess it's a bit borrowed. The IRS turned 100 this year. Think about how different the world is today from 100 years ago. When the IRS was set up, its creators couldn't possibly have imagined all the advances that we've experienced since then. E-commerce, online-banking, micro-trading. The IRS is just too old to be relevent to today's world. Like that musty old Constitution.
rlaWTX - I think the yarn bombs are beautiful, but I can't get passed the waste of yarn and energy to knit that otherwise could be used to keep some child or some elderly person warm and comfortable. Bicycles and trees do not need knitted apparel. I know, I'm a curmudgeon and hate "Art for Art's Sake". Blech.
ReplyDeleteLike Andrew, I too am sensing that there is something big happening for you that may preclude you from "summertime fun". Don't forget to stop and smell the roses along the way...
I want to take the summer off and move to an island. That's not going to happen, but I can dream. :D
ReplyDeletetryanmax, Excellent argument about the IRS! Where have I heard that one before! LOL!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree about the genes. I think it would be really bizarre if someone could patent something found naturally in nature. Their process for doing whatever, sure, but not the gene itself.
Bev, Where in the world did you hear of yarn bombing?
ReplyDeleteYes, Bev, where DID you hear of yarn bombing?
ReplyDeleteBev, Don't mind them. Just use our secret communications weapon. Start your sentence with, "Well, according to the Constitution..."
ReplyDeleteThey tune out anything after those words and the rest of the sentence will seem like gibberish to them.
Trust me, it works every time.
Um, Andrew, for obvious reasons, I cannot reveal my sources...I know nothing...I plead the 5th!
ReplyDelete[I'll put this in brackets, so the IRS and NSA can't read...Actually, I have friends who are avid knitters. And a couple of years ago there was a knit bombed bicycle near my office. It has been around for a long time, but has really taken off in the last few years. It was the brainchild of an artist in Houston. Here, you can read about it...Yarn bombing ]
Andrew, from now on, I think I will start EVERY conversation, especially when I talk on the phone, with "Well, according to the Constitution..." just to be sure. I mean, I AM one of those Tea Partiers, you know...;-D
ReplyDeleteBev, That is hilarious! It really is. Deadly Knitshade. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI guess the next time I see some old lady measuring a tree, I will know what she's up to... domestic knitorism. :)
Trust me, mentioning the constitution is like a total scrambler for all liberals.
Oh, btw, apparently Al Qaeda is no longer our enemy as it has just been announced that we are now going to arm the Al Qaeda sympathetic Syrian rebels. Yey...
ReplyDeleteBev, Al Qaeda did agree not to use the weapons against us... and they have agreed to sign up for Obamacare.
ReplyDeleteHey, are you in any danger with the wildfires in Colorado Springs? Stay safe. And, you know, you can always "go to Denver" to escape, if only in your mind...
ReplyDelete"According to the Constitution" only works on the NSA. You use that phrase too much and the IRS will audit you...to death!
ReplyDeleteBev, Nope, no danger. This is about 10 miles north in a quasi-wooded part of the county. I'm told around 400 homes were destroyed, which doesn't surprise me -- it's all brush and dry pines and, again, people shouldn't be living there. It's the kind of place they ask you to put up a pool on your property so the fire engine will have water if your place catches on fire... because there's no other water.
ReplyDeleteMy parents actually have a friend staying with them because her house was in the path. She refused to leave until the flames appeared across the street.
As an aside, "going to Denver" is probably what caused it... or we angered the fire gods by using natural gas to heat our homes.
Hmm. Good point. Perhaps you should say,
ReplyDelete"Well, I heard this on my Obamaphone, but according to the constitution..."
Good point, Tryanmax! Though, I've decided my retirement plan is to stop paying my taxes around age 62. Then maybe they'll put me in Tax jail with 3 hots, a cot, and all the healthcare I need paid for by the good people of the USA, right?
ReplyDeleteBev, Excellent idea! You should try getting elected to Congress first though. They have better benefits than prison and it's all paid for by that vast slave army known as American taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteBut Andrew, if I don't pay my taxes as a Congressman, I'll just have to stay in Congress or get elevated to Secretary of the Treasury. That doesn't work for me. Tax prison is better. I won't have to work and can workout all day and read books. Or better yet, WRITE a #1 NYT best-seller about being a political prisoner! I should really reconsider my take on yarn bombing. I could be the Bill Ayers of knitting!
ReplyDeleteBev, I think you overestimate how much "work" Congressmen and Treasury Secretaries do!
ReplyDeleteThat said, I love your idea. LOL! Power to the knitters!
Favorite statement of the day from a Politico article in regards to the pending Obamacare mandate for federal employees. Having to give up their present taxpayer supplied healthcare plans might just be too expensive for them and they don't want to give it up (and shouldn't have to):
ReplyDelete"Rep. John Larson, a Connecticut Democrat in leadership when [Obamacare] passed, said he thinks the problem will be resolved.
If not, I think we should begin an immediate amicus brief to say, ‘Listen this is simply not fair to these employees,’” Larson told POLITICO. “They are federal employees.”
Really? Poor federal employees. We feel your pain, but we don't care...
Oh, those poor federal employees. My heart bleeds for them... actually, it's my wallet, but what's the difference?
ReplyDeleteLarson is clearly pandering because there is no possibility that the court would care that they get singled out. They aren't a protected class anymore than coal miners or sheep buggerers.