Ten Years on

Ten years ago today, I woke from surgery missing a goodly portion of my intestinal tract. After being cut up, I'd spend the next year being burned and poisoned and mutilated some more. Cancer sucks, but the treatment can definitely be a humbling experience. When it's finished you find you've lost any remnant of modesty and are left with a sense of dread that (I guess) will remain 'til the final moment of your life; but happy to still have one to live. As Molly Ivins once said, "The only reason to have a positive mental attitude is that it makes you a better person. It doesn't cure cancer." She was right.

It's a strange coincidence that, on that same day ten years ago, she passed away; ironically, from cancer.

I wonder if she would still be able to have her sense of humor after what we've seen over the past few months and the days since the coronation. I know that her acerbic wit would still be with her and shared with us. So much of what she said still resounds today. We've grown older; but sadly, no wiser.

                                                             Raise hell - big time. I want y'all to 
                                                          get out there and raise hell about damned
                                                   near everything. My word, there's a world out there 
                                                       that needs fixing. Get out there and get after it. 
                                                                               Molly Ivins

RIP Molly, we'll try to do better.

Geography Div (Extra Special, read all about it !)

In light of Kim Il Don's actions over the week end, It might be instructional to remember that he can't possibly have any conflicts of interest. He can be totally fucked up, but not conflicted.

Geography Div (Google subsection)

Past posts have shown what each state Googles most, etc, but, never from this perspective, eh ?

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Another "long set" presentation. Here are the original Country Gentlemen from 1992 doing:
East Virginia Blues, Sad & Lonesome Day, Bringing Mary Home, Eddie's Bounce, Tom Dooley, Casey's Last Ride, Sunrise, Dark as a Dungeon, Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor andAmelia Earhart.



The Country Gentlemen" John Duffey - Mandolin, Eddie Adcock - Banjo, Charlie Waller - Guitar and Tom Gray - Bass.

Fifty Years On Div (Tragedy Subsection)

Fifty years ago today, "Gus"Grissom, Ed White II and Roger Chaffee died at Cape Kennedy's Launch Complex 34 while testing the command Module for the first planned Apollo Program mission.

Twenty-two months later, in October of 1968 Apollo 7 became the first manned Apollo mission. Coincidently, at the same time, the University of Colorado's AFROTC Honorary (the Arnold Air Soceity) dedicated their cadet lounge to Col Grissom and named it in his honor.

So what, you might ask. Well, I was there along with our chapter Commander, and my friend, Cadet LtCol Ellison Onizuka.

RIP all ........

Geography Div (Really Yuge subsection)

On this day in 1556 a devastating earthquake in Shannxi Province,  China killed an estimated
830,000 people ...... that's about the entire population of South Dakota.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Dead Presidents subsection)

In honor of yesterday's ceremony,  here's the Del McCoury Band doing White House Blues.



Del McCoury - Vocal and Guitar, Rob McCoury- Banjo, Ronnie McCoury - Mandolin, Jason
Carter - Fiddle  and Alan Bartram - Bass

Coronation Day Div (Past President Reaction subsection)

... and you should see what happened on the backside of the mountain.

h/t: JS

Well, Everybody Needs a Hero Div (coulda been written by Sarah Palin subsection)

Kim Il Don was asked by the Times of London:

Trump was asked if he has any heroes. Answer: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/full-transcript-of-interview-with-donald-trump-5d39sr09d …

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza has his own take.

The Stoopid here is sooo deep.

How far we once went Div (RIP Gene Cernan subsection)

Now the first and the last are gone ...... safe journey Gene

Geography Div (well, someone elected him)

Come Friday, Kim Il Don gets sworn in as presnit .... I shudder to think.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

A reunion  performance of Rebecca from 1990 by the Shenandoah Cut-Ups. Recorded at the Cody Creek Bluegrass Festival.



Herschel Sizemore - Mandolin, Tom Mckinney - Banjo, Tim Smith - Fiddle, Wesley Golding - Guitar and
John Palmer - Bass

Family Bidness Div (gonna turn it all over to my sons subsection)**

I think it's been tried before. ... but hey, they're all wearing ties in red, white and/or blue,eh ?
** any comparisons are up to the individual reader - - just sayin'.

                                                         

    

                                                                                 

 

Well, that was interesting Div (PresssortaConfrence subsection)

                                                           

  

Seems like Kim Il Don got everyone together there in NYC and agreed to answer questions.
Of course he started off by saying he wasn't really there to answer any questions and followed up with repeated, unsubstantiated superlatives and glowing testimony on how smart, rich and powerful he was ...... the press ate it up.
I watched what I could and then turned off the teevee in disgust. I didn't hear any answers.

I'm sure "Beltway Blonde" will be out there later today telling us what he really meant.

What I did hear was that he thinks he's exempt from civilized behavior, will turn his bidness over to his sons Uday and Qusay (oops, must have been thinking of someone else who figured he was above the law) Eric and Don and never talk to them again  (I'm not really sure how that part will work).

It seems to me that since his name IS the bidness, maybe he should just change it. There have been several good suggestions (scroll down for the A-Z listing). That oughta do it, eh ? Problem solved.

Of course, here's another take. (update -7 pm in fly-over 'murica)

Geography Div (well, it's been colder elsewhere subsection)

Today in 1909 Sir Ernest Shackleton reached his furthest "south" in his quest for the Pole. As he said at 88 degrees South latitude, "we've shot our bolt." The next Englishman to attempt to reach the Pole was Sir Robert Scott and he and his party died on the return.
In 1914 Shackleton attempted to cross Antarctica but his ship, Endurance,  was trapped in the ice. What followed was one of the most heroic tales of exploration ever accomplished.
Shackleton never lost a man on any expedition he commanded.

A Little (actually a lot of) Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Thought you'd like an hour's worth to start off the year.

The more things change, the more ,,,,well anyhow, Div

Saddam gave is "Baghdad Bob"                                    Kim Il Don gives us "Beltway Blonde"

                       

Geography Div (Drink up subsection)

Well, here it is 2017 and we all know just who our new BFF is going to be, eh ??
So, perhaps Kim Il Don will encourage another way to make 'murica grate .......

Heaven only knows it seems we'll have plenty of reasons to do so

Alice in Wonderland Div** (now it begins subsection)

It seems that the editor of the Wall Street Journal has abrogated one of the most sacred tenents of journalism (and I use the word disdainfully in this instance) that is Truth.  Wadayamean you can't call them "lies?"
Didn't Rupert Murdoch tell you what the dictionary sez ??? (or are you simply afraid for your job?)

verb \ˈlī\

Definition of lie

lied

lying

 play \ˈlī-iŋ\

1. intransitive verb

2. 1:  to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
3. 2:  to create a false or misleading impression

4. transitive verb

5. :  to bring about by telling lies <lied his way out of trouble>

Origin and Etymology of lie

Middle English, from Old English lēogan;akin to Old High German liogan to lie, Old Church Slavic lŭgati

First Known Use: before 12th century

Synonym Discussion of lie

lie,  prevaricate,  equivocate,  palter,  fib mean to tell an untruth. lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty <lied about where he had been>. prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue <during the hearings the witness did his best to prevaricate>. equivocate implies using words having more than one sense so as to seem to say one thing but intend another <equivocated endlessly in an attempt to mislead her inquisitors>. palter implies making unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises <a swindler paltering with his investors>. fib applies to a telling of a trivial untruth <fibbed about the price of the new suit>

The fact that someone (unnamed in this instance ) is incapable of telling the truth is not a reason to abandon the long history of journalistic integrity.

Oh well, another nail in the coffin of "journalism" as it goes down the rabbit hole.

** 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.' Lewis Carroll - Through the Looking Glass

HAPPY NEW YEAR Div (and a little old news subsection)

Well, here it is 2017. Hope everyone had a nice celebration. Mrs Bear and I went to bed early while the mini-bears partied.

Now we get to face the coming of the imperial presnitcy of Kim Il Don and his band of not-so merry men.

To give us a preview of what's to come, it seems that Kim don't like folks who've said anything "bad" 'bout him (even over 20 years ago) to play golf at a club where he's playing. Hell, 'pears he even pissed off one of the Koch brothers.

Get used to it folks. We've only got 19 more days of governmental sanity to look forward to.