Posts Tagged ‘history’

Joe & Mika down the memory hole with Ted

Posted: September 1, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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School is back and I have to be up with the youngest so that means I’m up and turned it on Morning Joe.

And I couldn’t believe my eyes:

First of all my irony meter is going off the scale.

They started with teasing Mika about this headline:

Disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been privately talking with friends about a possible comeback, and is considering a run for statewide office next year, several sources told The Post.

Less than 18 months after he left Albany in a prostitution scandal, Spitzer has held informal discussions in recent weeks about the possibility of making a bid for state comptroller or the US Senate seat currently held by Kirsten Gillibrand, sources said.

They were teasing Mika about the “second coming” headline pretty bad. Then they were outraged over Chris Brown first didn’t remember his assault of his girl, then Did remember after the bad press from the interview.

Barnicle commented how people were outraged by Michael Vick over his dogs while this guy didn’t serve a day for beating a woman.

These are all valid points but I have one question for these people:

WEREN’T YOU THE SAME GUYS WHO JUST SPENT THE LAST WEEK LIONIZING TED KENNEDY? WEREN’T YOU THE SAME PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T COMPLAIN ABOUT HIM NOT SERVING A DAY IN JAIL? Didn’t you not bring up his womanizing in the 80’s and stuff? Not a one of you would have suggested he shouldn’t have been re-elected over this stuff.

Ted Kennedy is the patron saint for celebs who are not punished and for pols who don’t have to resign. Spitzer, Brown and Sanford can trace their legacy directly to the unwillingness of anyone to act on Kennedy and the honor he was given. If Ted didn’t even lose his senate seat and missed the democratic nomination by a hair why should any of these guys go away no matter what they do?

MSNBC, NBC, CBC, CNN, CNBC, ABC et/al have no business being upset about anything. If they want to know why these people feel they can do what they want and get away with it without punishment, watch your tapes from last week then ask who are their enablers.

Update: David Price Jones shows why his is paid to write and why I’m typing in my pajamas:

Normally speaking, ordinary people would never tolerate someone like him as their elected representative. To present himself as a tribune of the people was the only possible protective covering available to him. That he was successful in this respect, and comes to be buried in Arlington with the president speaking at the graveside, is really the only arresting feature of his career. He has enjoyed the sort of lifelong allowance that once would have been made for a corrupt eighteenth-century English duke. It is hard to believe that he was ever sincere in the populist causes he took up, declaiming about righting wrongs only to go home and commit plenty more wrongs of his own without having to account for them. That’s champagne socialism for you, and it seems a taste everybody and anybody can get drunk on.

Nit Picking

Posted: August 31, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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There are plenty of reasons to hit Olberman, but I think this is nitpicking:

The man who believes he’s got the top rated news program on cable told his tiny audience Thursday that the eldest Kennedy brother was “shot down in World War II.”

In reality, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. was part of an experimental program called Operation Aphrodite that attempted to turn a bomb-laden plane into a remote controlled explosive device.

Kennedy was one of many pilots who lost their lives trying to make this program a reality.

I frankly never heard of Operation Aphrodite but if you watch the clip embedded in the link it is apparent that it was considered even more dangerous than a regular run.

As the clip shows the plane was on an offensive “bombing” mission (with the plane as a bomb) when it blew up. It is a really minor difference and wasn’t the focus of the segment.

And it certainly wasn’t a question of trying to pump up Joe. The danger of the mission actually enhances his rep.

I can’t see how it rates a Newsbusters post. Olby is wrong enough lets not sweat something like this.

Update: Now this is interesting but old.

You Vill sign! …and we thank you for your support

Posted: August 30, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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Some interesting tactics being used to gin up support for Obama/Kennedy care.

These green shirts blocked the north entrance to the high school parking lot. All who wanted to enter to hear Representative Perlmutter had to go approximately 1/4 of a mile to the west entrance. They said everyone had to sign in for security reasons.

Apparently the security was for the security of the democratic party because once things got started the congressman Ed Permutter…

…who thanked all who had signed the clipboard form and stated that all these signatures would go on to to Washington showing support of the Obama Health Care Plan.

Well hey it not as if they were trying to move the event or something to keep people from showing up…Oh wait:

What should also be mentioned is that the location was changed at the last minute from the Aurauria campus to this high school. It was only the determination of the anti obamacare activists who were on top of this fact that any of our counterdemonstrators showed up at all.

The late breaking news on the OFA website the night before was noticed by one of the freedom groups and he alerted as many people as he could. No doubt, many showed up to protest at the other location and never knew of the change.

Well its not like they are kicking out people for questioning the presence of the Union astroturfers…Oh Wait again

He challenged Shea-Porter on the appearance of SEIU protesters in the room, one of whom got up and disrupted his question. When the first man then challenged the residency of the SEIU rep, police swooped in and removed him.

After all there is nothing more dangerous than an elderly retired policeman. You’d think it ain’t America no more?

Gee phony security, bussed in demonstrators, moving events, removing people who question them. The tactics used by the administration and its supporters seem old style soviet odd to an observer. It’s almost as they were part of some sort of Culture of Corruption or something.

A few photos from Mighty Subs and Old North Bridge

Posted: August 29, 2009 by datechguy in hobbies, personal
Tags: , , , ,

Here are a few shots from the family day out.

You need food for a picnic so first stop was Mighty Subs

This is Needham

This is Needham

We came at lunch, there is always a line then:

At lunch hours the line will stretch out the door into the street

At lunch hours the line will stretch out the door into the street

Art and Karen have been doing this for 20 years. He is always a friendly face at the register:

4 a.m. every weekday Art is there

4 a.m. every weekday Art is there

You know that a marriage is strong when you can work together 20 years every day while being married:

Karen hates having her picture taken, I can't see why.

Karen hates having her picture taken, I can't see why.

It is one of the hardest working teams you will ever see:

This is a well oiled machine that handles crowds quickly and correctly

This is a well oiled machine that handles crowds quickly and correctly

Once the Subs are in hand it was off to Concord and the Old North Bridge:

This is the first info plaque you will see

This is the first info plaque you will see

Before this was any “official” place the citizens put up this monument.

This the oldest monument in the place

Here is the inscription:

Old concord monument inscription

Park Rangers give a regular talk about every half hour or so. The young lady who gave the talk was from Indiana and had previously worked in National Parks in Montana:

A very nice and knowledgeable young lady

She is a very nice young lady

She informed up that the actual grave of the British soldiers killed at the bridge in the first actual exchange of fire is unknown as people were worried about grave robbers:

I've always been struck by the inscription

I've always been struck by the inscription

The bridge and the river are things of beauty a great place to picnic

The old north bridge in concord

The old north bridge in concord

Or Canoe:

I saw more canoes on this river Friday then I ever have before

I saw more canoes on this river Friday then I ever have before

Or relax and Paint:

The shot was almost iconic

The shot was almost iconic

A thing of beauty:

You can't get more iconic that this

You can't get more iconic that this

Another thing of beauty 22″ of pure perfection!

The best sub you will ever eat 22 inches of perfection!

The Monument on the “American” side of the bridge went up at the 100th anniversary of the battle:

The most iconic monument

The most iconic monument

Several views and the inscription:

From our picnic area

From our picnic area

The most famous inscription of the concord minuteman statue

The most famous inscription of the concord minuteman statue

It's quite a sight

It's quite a sight

The main building is across the river and up the hill. It is where the colonial force mustered. When they thought the town was being burned they came down and attacked.

Part of the diorama at the visitors center

One of the primary targets of the British expedition were 4 brass cannon that the colonists managed to snatch from the British Army. They were hidden at Barrett farm one mile from the bridge. They were not found by the British but two of them were later captured during the Canada campaign. One was located at the Boston navy yard in storage when it was being torn down:

This is one of the actual cannons the British were trying to seize

This is one of the actual cannons the British were trying to seize

The barrel was inscribed in the late 18th century:

This inscription was the first "monument" to the battle

These are some of the weapons. Even though a total of 500 men were engaged at the bridge only 5 men were killed 2 colonists and 3 British regulars. The volunteer described firing smoothbore muskets as throwing knuckleballs and just as reliable.

Brown bess

It was as always a very pleasant day. Strangely enough I’ve never visited the primary visitor center about 5 miles to the east along the battle road. I’ll hit it in the next few weeks. I’ve also never been here on Patriots day when they have the reenactments. The place is really packed then.

It proved that you can have a very nice day without a PC anywhere near you. Minute Man park and Concord Bridge are a wonderful place to visit. Consider making it part of your Massachusetts Vacation.

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