Back At the Pub

Cammie Henry's Bedroom at Melrose

About to Tour Melrose

At The Pub!

American Cemetery

We Have Arrived!

O.J. Confesses?

What in the world would OJ have to gain by confessing now to Oprah (to Oprah?!) that he did in fact kill Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman? 

Is he just trying to stay relevant? 

Has someone promised him something?

Is he just, after all these years, feeling the need to clear his conscience? 

It sounds weird to me.  I know he did it.  I watched every single minute of that exhaustive trial.  He did it.   But why confess now?

Because of double jeopardy he, of course, can't be tried again.  He's already lost a civil suit filed against him by the Goldmans so he'll never have any substantial assets again.  So again, I wonder, what's he got to gain by this sudden confession?

How's his health? 

(H/T:  Memeorandum)

Excuses

Blogging has been light this week.  We're heading out to Natchitoches tomorrow and I've been busy getting some things ready around here for that. 

We had Steve's son and his girlfriend over for dinner last night and that kept me busy yesterday.  I made spaghetti and that takes all day for me!  I make the sauce from scratch and it takes a while.  And meatballs!  We ate too much.

I've been battling a nasty computer virus/trojan on one of the laptops and I'm not sure I have it licked yet.  I'm attempting to get rid of it myself before I resort to taking it into Merlins.  I hate crap like that. 

We finally got rain here at SIGIS!  The yard is green again and my water bill is oh so grateful!

That said, and excuses made, I'll be in and out here until late Friday or Saturday so feel free to talk amongst yourselves.  I'll be posting from the iPhone from Natchitoches, just in case I see anything cool like this to share with you.  Or if we do something stupid like this, again.

Huntsman and Harry

Seems like Jon Huntsman's campaign would be a little more credible if he just ran as a Democrat.  Between his praise of Obama and Harry Reid's endorsement of Huntsman, you'd think that would be bad enough for the former ambassador, but now we find his family has made generous financial donations to Harry Reid.

Just run as a Democratic challenger to the incumbent, already.

Another Example of the "New Civility" from the Left

In another example of "the new civility" from the left, Rolling Stone has a vitriolic profile of Michelle Bachmann in it's July 7 issue.  The woman who is now leading the pack in the latest Zogby poll of Republican contenders is described by Rolling Stone as

Michele Bachmann, when she turns her head toward the cameras and brandishes her pearls and her ageless, unblemished neckline and her perfect suburban orthodontics in an attempt to reassure the unbeliever of her non-threateningness, is one of the scariest sights in the entire American cultural tableau. She's trying to look like June Cleaver, but she actually looks like the T2 skeleton posing for a passport photo.

Nice, hunh?  There's more:

And Bachmann is exactly the right kind of completely batshit crazy. Not medically crazy, not talking-to-herself-on-the-subway crazy, but grandiose crazy, late-stage Kim Jong-Il crazy — crazy in the sense that she's living completely inside her own mind, frenetically pacing the hallways of a vast sand castle she's built in there, unable to meaningfully communicate with the human beings on the other side of the moat, who are all presumed to be enemies.

You can read the rest if you wish.  As for me, I don't think I'll be taking any more lessons from the left on civility in political discourse.

Bank Robbery = Free Health Care

From the WTF files, aka The New York Times, a man in North Carolina attempts to rob a bank in order to get free health care:

James Verone, an unemployed 59-year-old with a bad back, a sore foot and an undiagnosed growth on his chest, limped into a bank in Gastonia, N.C., this month and handed the teller a note, explaining that this was an unarmed robbery, but she’d better turn over $1 and call the cops. That, he figured, would be enough to get himself arrested and sent to prison for a few years, where he could take advantage of the free medical care.

Because he only asked for $1.00, the crime isn't going to carry the three year sentence he was hoping for.  Mr. Varone describes himself as a "logical person":

In a television interview last week with a local news station, WCNC, Mr. Verone explained that he was hoping for a three-year sentence, which would give him a place to live and free health care until he was old enough to collect a Social Security check and buy a condo on the beach. “I’m sort of a logical person and that was my logic, what I came up with,” he said.

Good grief.  He should have just attempted to be an illegal.  Or at least done some research on the charity hospitals in North Carolina.

The "Republican Vacuum"

Do you think the Republican field is "a vacuum"?  The New York Times does.  They LOVE Huntsman.  Are you surprised?

Here's a lengthy profile of Obama's (former) man in China from the upcoming NYT magazine.

And how about that subtitle, eh?  "Someone has to win the nomination...".

You've Been Served: Mexico Sues the United States

In an attempt to continue the infiltration of the United States by hoards of illegal immigrants, Mexico, "and the governments of several Central and South American countries filed court papers…in support of efforts to halt Georgia’s tough new immigration enforcement law," according to this post at Big Government.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and several other civil and immigrant rights groups filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Georgia's law this month and are now asking a judge to halt the measure pending the outcome of their case. They argue the measure – also known as House Bill 87 – is preempted by federal law and is unconstitutional.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has been busy protecting illegals lately.  The Alabama state legislature has passed a bill that  makes it a misdemeanor to rent property to illegals:

The provision is contained in a single sentence: “It shall be unlawful for a person to harbor an alien unlawfully present in the United States by entering into a rental agreement … with an alien to provide accommodations, if the person knows or recklessly disregards the fact that the alien is unlawfully present in the United States.”

Once a violator collects ten violations (TEN!), the charge is upgraded from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony.  This doesn't sit well with the SPLC:

Sam Brooke, an attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center, says, “If you were a [landlord] found to have a number of properties and apartments with more than ten individuals, you could face up to 20 years. … [I]t’s incredible that they would have the audacity to do this.”

Hey Mr. Brooke, how about seeing to it that these people have proper papers?  If you want to help them, help them get proper documentation.  

The SPLC mission statement says:

The Southern Poverty Law Center is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education and other forms of advocacy, we work toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality. 

No objections here to fighting hate and bigotry; the SPLC should be using its resources to help illegals get legal papers rather than filing suit against lawfully passed legislation that upholds the United States Constitution.

Meanwhile, in Georgia, farmers are lamenting the lack of Hispanic farm workers now scared by the new bill.  Georgia Governor Nathan Deal suggests paroles take up the slack.

In Georgia there are those who support the law:

Supporters of the law say that shows it is already working. They want the law to clear the state of illegal immigrants, who they say are taking advantage of Georgia's schools, hospitals and workplaces, draining public funds as they take jobs that could help the unemployed.

"I think we're the only country that allows people to come in and take over," said Sheila Bryan, 58, who cleans homes around Tifton, a farming community in South Georgia. "I'm sure there are enough legal people to do the work."

...and those who don't:

“This law is hurting us very badly because many workers are afraid and as Georgia is one of the few states that have this kind of law, they prefer to simply avoid Georgia and go to another state, Gary H. Paulk, owner of Paulk Farms & Vineyards, told Efe.

Paulk, who runs the farm with his father and brother, usually hires around 300 workers every year to harvest his grapes, blueberries and blackberries, but is currently short more than 100 field hands.

“Never before have we had problems getting qualified workers for our fields like now, and not only I, but all the other farmers are having problems and I think it’s due to the law,” he said.

Mr. Paulk laments the lack of "qualified workers" for his fields?  What are the "qualifications" that make blueberry picking so challenging?  I wish he'd explain "qualified" to me.

At any rate, now it seems that the courts will have to decide if Georgia's law will stand:

Nevertheless, Clinton appointee U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash will ultimately decide, and has indicated that he “might rule from the bench …on the plaintiffs’ request to halt the law” on the first day of the hearing. The way Judge Thrash rules will determine whether Georgia, on behalf of the United States of America, wins or loses a battle against the unrelenting influx of illegal immigrants, the dictates of foreign countries, and the insane demands of liberal organizations that are oblivious to the safety and security concerns of America.

The law is scheduled to go into effect July 1.

Added:  You will remember that Obama felt free to espouse his opinon of the Arizona immigration bill; will he opine on the Georgia or the Alabama bills?  Memeorandum links to this report that Hispanics are miffed at Obama's non-appearance at their annual conference. 

New Kid in Town

Joy McCann and Dan Collins have launched a new site:  The Conservatory:

The Conservatory is meant to be a lot more than a news-aggregation site: it’s intended to provide free-market types with a sense of community, which can be sorely lacking for many of us.

We will offer right-minded folks a place to get together and engage in online fellowship. Though our emphasis is on communications, new media, books, and video/films, we also serve as a place for think tanks and traditional publications to make their presences known.

At the end of the day, most of us would rather do business with people who share our values. And we all know plenty of people in creative fields who won’t use their real names for any activity or event that’s considered too “free markety.” The potential impact on their professional lives would be too dire. This is a shame; our site aims to connect people who have useful new media talents with the folks who can use their services, while providing news and commentary, and pointing the “lay reader” to some of the best memes and information out there.

Looks good!   I've added it to the blogroll.

The Full Metal Jacket Reach Around: the Father's Day 2011 Edition

It's a lazy Father's Day here at SIGIS.  I'm remembering my Dad and am so aware of friends who have lost their dad.  I'm also remembering a Dad who lost his son this year.  Happy Father's Day to all!  That's my dad pictured left, and Steve's dad is below right.

We're kicked back on couches, sipping a beer (me) and a Coke Zero (Steve); dogs curled up sleeping nearby and baseball is on the television.  For Father's Day dinner?  Cajun stuffed chicken breasts, fresh butter beans from Ed Lester Farms, and fresh corn on the cob from Lesters.  It's a short work week for Steve this week as we head down to Natchitoches Thursday for a bit of a getaway.

Stay cool wherever you are (it's 103 today in Shreveport) and checkout these SIGIS recommended links:

Check out American Power's Father's Day post and his look at the influence Obama could wield should he choose to.

Ed Driscoll notes an item that saddens me immensely: the passing of Clarence Clemons. 

Paco calls attention to the intellectual prowess that is Sheila Jackson Lee.  Hey, she's never boring.

The Pirate's Cove has a post on the lack of illegal farm workers in Georgia.  Jobs Americans won't do.

The governor in Missouri vetoed a bill that would require ID at the voting booth because old people might not be able to comply?  PoliticaljunkieMom has the story.

Doug Ross hilariously follows Obama around the country on his Summer of Recovery Tour; but seriously, check out the California post.  It's all the Republicans fault.  Shocker.

The Other McCain shares his adventures at the Right Online conference.  Bob Belvedere has commentary.

Little Miss Attila wonders if we should be exporting natural gas.

Reaganite Republican made me laugh.  The Sundries Shack has a related story.

The Lonely Conservative has a Troopathon post.  It's a good cause!  No Sheeples Here has one as well.

Oh hey!  Did you hear?  Legal Insurrection has new digs!  Gotta love AOL - it took six hours for my password to get to me.  Not LI's fault.  Good ole' AOL.  However, go check it out over there.  It's lovely.

Michelle Bachmann referenced this story in her speech in New Orleans this week and now Left Coast Rebel has the links.  Russia gets it.

Do you know about the Lily Ledbetter Index?  Fishersville Mike will tell you.

Pundette offers her traditional Father's Day post.

Go to Adrienne's Corner to watch Rick Perry's speech in New Orleans.

Saberpoint is watching the Amanda Knox appeals trial and says the conviction is falling apart.

And so it goes.

I'm off to watch some baseball and read about the history of American glass making. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

What I Bought at the Flea Market

Steve and I went out to the Greenwood Flea Market yesterday with a friend.  I haven't been out there in years and years and years.  As it turns out, it was pretty cool and I'll definitely go back.  In fact, I think we need a "Take A Trip to the Greenwood Flea Market" post, but alas, I left my camera at home yesterday.  Which just means I'll have to go back.

There were some 100 vendors, I'd say.  Probably more.  The market is set up in an "air-conditioned" building but when it's 103 outside, "air-conditioning" in a flea market is relative.

We strolled along and I hit the glass people up; everyone out there was very nice and all willing to make "a good deal!"  There was one booth in particular that I went back to three times; he had lots of art glass and he really knew his business.  I wish I'd gotten his name, but I will next time.  He was more than willing to share information with us and educate us about his pieces.

Of course I bought something from him...

It's about five inches tall and has this lovely applied decoration to it...

And I love the cased interior...

And it has a beautiful, delicate handle...with bubbles!

As is the norm with a piece like this, I don't know who made it.  The dealer suggested it could be Mt. Washington, and it could be Thomas Webb and Sons.  It could be someone else.  Back then, (late 1800s), most glass was not marked.  This is the aspect of glass collecting that drives me bonkers; my obsessive, compulsive personality wants to know for sure! 

But I'll have to deal with that and just enjoy how pretty it is.

(Click on the pictures for better viewing.)

Now, if I can just find room in the china cabinet for it...

Clarence Clemons 1942-2011

Rest in peace, Big Man.



More at Memeorandum.

Happy Father's Day!

Friday's Found Treasures

I made my weekly Friday estate sale trek today, but it was slim pickins'.  There were three estate sales today and this was all I got.  But, I'm pleased with my mini-haul.

Those little mugs have handles on them, but they're to the back so you can see the imprints.  They're each 2-1/4 inches tall and are cute as can be with their little beer logos.  I also got this small "Service Testament" which was printed in 1941.  The serviceman that owned it wrote his name in it and dated it July 1942.  It's cool to think it might have gone with him into war or that he carried it through his service.  I know by other items at the sale that he was retired Air Force.

I stopped at a flea market but that was a bust.  I poked through an antique mall too, but didn't see anything I just had to have. 

So.  My haul was small today, but worthwhile.  Total expenditure?  $5.00.

Onward to the weekend!

Planning a Trip!

Steve and I are planning a trip to Natchitoches next week. 

Yes, I have called ahead this time to be sure The Pioneer Pub is open; what heartache last year! 

I'm going to pull out all my brochures and things tonight and see what adventures we can get into this time.  Last year we visited Oakland plantation and it was absolutely wonderful.  I wouldn't mind doing that again, but we like to do something different each time we go.

I've never been to Melrose; it's a bit further down that river road than Oakland. 

I'll definitely try to find some out of the way antique stops!

Excited!

The Rising Misery Index

The misery index is on the rise.  Via Investors Business Daily:

As if the picture weren't bleak enough, here's one more data point to worry about — the Misery Index is on the rise.  Conceived by economist Arthur Okun in the early 1970s, the Misery Index simply adds together the inflation and unemployment rates to create an effective indicator of real-world suffering.


It gained notoriety under President Carter, whose growth-choking, easy-money policies pushed the index to its post-World War II high. Now, under President Obama's equally disastrous economic policies, the Misery Index is making its return.

 It's easy to see why.  I posted earlier this week on the dismal economic numbers.  Unemployment is up.  Retail sales are down.  Inventories are up.  Auto sales are down.  All taken together it is a dismal picture:

The annual inflation rate for May climbed to 3.6% as price spikes spread beyond oil and food. At the same time, May's unemployment rate edged up to 9.1%, yielding a Misery Index of 12.7.

That marks the fourth straight monthly increase in the index, which is now 62% higher than it was when Obama took office, and 57% higher than it was when the recession officially ended.

Obama's Misery Index average of 10.37 is higher than George W. Bush's (8.11) or Bill Clinton's (7.8).

Ace of Spades posted this video of Obama from 2009 in which he says, "I'm at the start of my administration.  One nice thing about the situation I find myself in is that I will be held accountable.  I've got four years....If I don't have this done in three years then there's going to be a one term proposition."

Of course it's still all George Bush's fault.  If Obama is a one-termer it will be because Bush left him such a mess he just couldn't fix it in one term.  That will be the narrative.  "Oh it was much bigger and much worse than we thought!" 

Obama is at -19 on Rasmussen today.  Not his lowest, but low enough.  Just 27% of those polled think that America is headed in the right direction.  I wonder about those 27%, seriously.  What exactly do they think Obama is doing that is right? 

The IBD editorial breaks out by category what has led us to this point, including Obama's seeming war on private enterprise.  The devastation, for example, his moratorium in the Gulf caused in south Louisiana is unmeasurable as you consider all the business related to drilling that have been washed under:  diners, restaurants, oil field supply, even down to the simple sno cone vendor.  It's a huge ripple effect.

This election will be about the economy.  It will be about jobs and what the candidate can do to get things  moving again.  Obama will plead that he needs more time, but I think it's clear that his policy of growing government, high spendng, and rewarding his cronies is not the way to lower our misery index.

I believe Obama was right.  He's going to be a one-termer.

(H/T:  Memeorandum)

Weiner is Out

It looks like there could be a winner today in the No Sheeples Here Weiner Roast Pool.

It won't be me.  My guess was yesterday at 5:10 CST. I figured it would be some time after Huma got home.  I wonder if she'll be at his side when he makes the announcement.  Does anybody care?  I don't, really.  Just go away.

The resignation isn't official yet, but word is that it is coming.  His staff is leaving with their belongings.

Stay tuned for updates at The Other McCain who has been diligent in reporting this story since the very beginning.

More Rick Perry Buzz...

... From the WSJ:

My guess is he's in. Why? He got clearance from what obviously has become the second-most powerful force in American politics—a candidate's wife. In the governor's telling, his wife, Anita, sat him down and said this was no ordinary presidential election for the country. Rick, you've gotta run.

She's right about the race. There may be lots of reasons not to put oneself through the modern presidential gauntlet, but not this time. Four more years of below-average economic growth and above-trend unemployment and it'll take a generation for the U.S. to climb out. The betting here is that Anita Perry wins this argument. They usually do.

This is true.  Absolutely true.  This will be no ordinary run.  This is why it has so thoroughly ticked me off that Paul Ryan isn't running.  He could win.  Step up!   

Can Perry win?  I have no idea.  This report seems optimistic:

Onstage, the governor gives you passion. He gives you emotion. Compared to the seven GOP contenders at CNN's 30-seconds-only Twitter debate this week, Rick Perry would be the most animated by far—rocking back, his arms tossed out in broad sweeps. Which brings us to the "swagger problem." Can America handle Rick Perry's Texas swagger?

And then there's his record:

Texas. Without the details of the Texas economic boom, this is a normal candidacy. But the details are impressive. Texas is a zero income-tax state, and Mr. Perry gives the impression he'd die at the Alamo before allowing one. The state is historically business-friendly. I recall attending the 1992 GOP convention in Houston, visiting from New York, and feeling as if I were in a capitalist utopia. You could argue that many of the state's new companies are mainly fleeing intolerable hells, such as California. But Texas and Mr. Perry keep producing new welcome mats, notably the recent passage of a loser-pays tort-reform bill. Mr. Perry says Haley Barbour told him they'd need turnstiles on the border if that tort bill passed, and indeed the in-migration of doctors to Texas is significant.

I don't know if he can (or shoud) win, but if he runs, I'm at least glad he had the gumption to try.

Once You've Lost the ATM Industry...

...seriously, who is left to ... well.  You've pissed off pretty much everyone by the time you get to the ATM industry:

President Obama should never use ATMs as an example of how technology replaces human labor because ATMs today play a critical role in providing extensive employment in the ATM and cash-in-transit industries. In addition, ATMs provide an indispensible range of services to customers, including all-hours access to their own banked cash.

Read the rest.

Hint to Obama:  there are PEOPLE behind those machines.  My mother used to tell me that flying monkeys dispensed the money, but I knew better.  Real people run that industry.  Somebody has to make those machines for crying out loud.

Un-Shovel Ready