Five More Days...

...until Oktoberfest 2010 at Barksdale AFB!

Boston Herald's The Big Picture shares some fabulous photos from the Munich version:

(Lots of Rule 5 action in these pictures!)

I'm ordering a costume and am READY!!!

Be sure to check out the pictures linked here, and if you can come join us at BAFB on Friday I can promise you it will be tons of fun; not Munich, but tons of fun!!

More here.  (Yes, they have food at Oktoberfest.)

And, Oktoberfest Official Site.  Become a fan on Facebook.



Some pics from last year at BAFB here and from 2008.

Live webcam from this year's Oktoberfest in Munich.

A Birthday Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden, La.

We're back from our latest excavation of Second Hand Rose!  Fun day and we brought home the goodies!  Milly was home today, under the weather, but "Mr. Milly" was there and I see why they're such a good match!  He's as entertaining a story teller as she is!  When Milly is there, her Boston Terriers Heidi and Rosalea come to work with her,.  Today her husband was there with HIS Boston, Fats.  Fats is a beautiful dog, about nine years old,  and the daddy of several of their Bostons.  He told us a hilarious story about Fats fighting a raccoon for his dog food.  Good times!

When you walk up to the store, welcoming wicker seats await you if you'd like to just sit outside in the shade a bit; Raggedy Ann will keep you company:

I brought home my lamp Milly had been holding for me; Steve bought it for my birthday.  I was kind of disappointed that the vase I'd had my eye on for so long was gone.  I guess I dallied around too long on that one.  I just couldn't decide where I'd put it, but now that it's gone, I'm wishing I'd gotten it last time!  But, Steve went ahead and jumped on the beer stein I spotted last time.  Once he picked it up and saw it is a Gerzit, which he collects, he was all over it.  Plus, that pretzel handle is kind of cool!  And you KNOW I bought the green cross I'd been coveting.

I also brought home three of these dolls...

I got the tiny one with the red and white checked head dress on the far bottom left, the other one right next to it (she has a baby hanging off her arm!) and the one in front on the far right, which is a corn husk doll.  They all have strings on their heads like Christmas ornaments, so I'll put them on my tree this year.  They're adorable!

What else did I see?  Well, Charlene asked to see some china tea cups, and the prettiest two I saw turned out blurry; they looked pretty good in my camera, but once I got them to bigger size, not so much.  But I did see this one:

and this one:

...which is really a mug and not a delicate cup, but I liked it.

And this one didn't have roses...

.
...but it was neat.  I liked the sort of pedestal aspect to it.

As long as we're looking at drinking vessels, how about some martini glasses?  Pretty!

Or you could take in the huge selection of jiggers and shot glasses:

Coffee?

These miniature teapots are cute:

Last time we were in there, there was a lady VERY interested in these blue and white pieces.  I have no idea what the collection is called, its make, or origin, but apparently a lot of people collect these, sort of like I collect Belleek china (shamrocks, especially!).

I thought these guys were funny:

Since I'm a Libra, do you think I need this?

While I'm poking about, Steve made friends with Fats:

How about some rolling pins:

Or this cute cat...

...who comes with his own hat!

Do you know these people?

I wonder if they read books like this?

Not into hard backs?  You need some comic books?

Irons!

I don't think these skis were here last time I visited...

What time is it?

Time to head over to the jewelry case, I guess.

You like cameos?

What is this weird pin in the sort of upper right?  Looks like a face?  Weird:

Glasses...

and more glasses...

No  comment:

Okay, this made me laugh.  A pig in a scuba suit.  It's a bank.

I thought about getting one of these...but...the advertising on it held me back.  I don't know.

What in the hell is this?

I mean, I can tell it's a brass man, in an arch...but ...what IS it?

So what am I coveting for next trip?  This:

It's a beautiful eggshell porcelain piece; you can almost see your hand through it.  The glazing on it is gorgeous, but you can't really see that so well here.  Milly and I talked about this one last time, and I've left it there today.  I'm hoping it's still there when I go back and we can wheel and deal because Steve has another beer stein he has his eye on.

All in all, it was a super fun trip, but I did miss Milly.  All the more reason to head on back over there before too long!

Remember, if you see something you like here or in either of my previous pictorials, give Milly a call and see what she can do for you (318.371.9830).  If you're around Minden, her shop is at 509 Main Street and her website is here.  Your best bet though is to call her or drop by and have a Coke and a visit!  Tell her I sent you and maybe she'll cut me a deal on that vase!

We're off now to watch LSU and West Virginia and have catfish.  Happy Trails!

Previously:

Take a Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden
Take Another Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden

Full Metal Jacket Reach Around: The Happy Birthday 2010 Edition

This'll be quick; today's my "hoppy bird day" as Steve might say, and we're headed to Minden to explore Milly's new purchase of goodies at Second Hand Rose!  My camera is recharging so come back later for pictures and see what's new.  And again, if you want me to scope out something for you, leave a comment and I will.  I have a couple of requests already!

Here we go:

Professor Jacobson wants you to know that John Kerry thinks you're dumber than a box of hammers.

Pirate's Cove is giving Obama credit where credit is due.

Doug Ross posts on the shenanigans at DOJ and also has a nifty pic for his Links today.

Stacy McCain encourages Christine O'Donnell to use some of the mud slinging to her advantage; she sort of is already...she was spot on this week when she brushed off the "witchcraft" nonsense with, "If I was a witch, Karl Rove would be a fan by now!".  Heh!

Pundette posts on the ridiculous Colbert testimony before Congress.

Yukio is headed to my neck of the woods!  I'll buy you some tea at Yeero, Yeero Yukio!  Give me a call!

This is a wonderful post from Bob Belvedere; sad he has to write it, but spot on.

 Carol has a must see video.

Mind Numbed Robot is in a mess.

Godspeed, Red!

And finally, Bride of Rove tries to think like a liberal.  Well, sort of.

Why in the hell does lightening not strike these lying liars dead on the spot when they lie like that? Why? Where is God when such evil speaks? My second thought was: Why does Mark Levin hate me THIS MUCH that he continues to torment me with sound bites of President Obama and Robert Gibbs?

And with that I've got to hit the showers and hit the road.  Happy Saturday to you!

The Forgotten Man

You've probably seen this video already, but I just did, so I'm posting it.  And before the liberals heads explode, note the part where he says, "...Barack Obama and other presidents..." because I did.   There's a long line of errors that have occurred and you know, that's what the Tea Party is yelling about.  Anyway, it's a cool painting.



More of his work here.

Friday Sift

Quick Friday morning sift:

Busy weekend ahead!  I'm giving a huge To Kill a Mockingbird final today so I'll be drowning in papers all weekend.  Today is my mother's birthday so I'm headed out to The Glen to see her this afternoon; tomorrow is MY birthday and we're headed to Minden to see Milly, the dogs, and do some antiquing.  LSU is having a football game for my birthday tomorrow, against West Virginia, and surely will win it for me.  Sunday I'll probably hang low and recuperate. 

On the news sift, Peggy Noonan notes the enraged and exhausted; while Ms. Noonan is often eloquent, she leaves ME exhausted much of the time.  I used to adore her but I read her with more skepticism now.

Krauthammer is anticipating an electoral tsunami this fall.  I still adore Krauthammer despite his railing against O'Donnell.  We differ sometimes, but I still think he's brilliant.

BoR has a quote which is sad, but true.

One week from today is OCTOBERFEST!   I'll try to get some practice in this weekend IYKWIMAITYD.

Ron Ross at Am. Spectator tells you how to beat liberals.

U.S. delegates walked out on I'mANutJob's speech at the U.N. but I'd like to know what took 'em so long.  Seriously.  And there was Obama with his olive branch, once again, and once again I'mANutJob takes his chain saw to it.  Will he never learn?  Ever? 

Have a great Friday and I'll check in later this afternoon.  What are your weekend plans?

Moonrise

From Hangar 2. A B52 had just passed right in front of the moon but I was too slow. You can just barely see it to the farrrrrr right (no, not the streetlight! Up and to the right...)

Thai Beef Salad

Guess Where...

...I'm going Saturday?

Yes, yes, I'm headed back to Minden.  I got an email from adorable Milly Rose this week who tells me she's purchased a new load of French and German items.  Can't WAIT to go check it out!

She's holding this cool lamp for me so Steve promised to pick it up for my birthday this weekend!  That leaves the money I was going to spend on it ... to spend on something ELSE!

Hey, if you want me to scope something out for you, let me know.  I'll be taking pictures.

Woot!

Previously:

Take a Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden
Take Another Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden

Sick (UPDATED)

The buzz this morning is about Bob Woodward's new book, Obama's Wars, coming out next week.  The New York Times has excerpts as does The Washington Post.

This one...

"We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever . . . we absorbed it and we are stronger." 

....just makes me nauseous.

"Everything we can to prevent it"?  Really?  Like closing Gitmo and setting terrorists free?  Oh wait...that hasn't worked out yet.  Like inviting an attack by attempting to hold the KSM trial in Manhattan?  I could go on...but I won't.  

We sure aren't "stronger" because of anything Obama has done.

Update:  Woah Nellie!  I was being restrained when I first posted this this morning but Victor Davis Hanson most definitely was NOT.  With regard to the above Obama quote, VDH calls it "a very callous and cruel editorial about the 3,000 who were so savagely killed and are no longer with us."

 You betcha.

Read the whole thing, but he finishes strong:

When all this is collated with the arbitrary withdrawal dates, the McChrystal mess, the confusions and flip-flopping on everything from Guantanamo to the KSM trial, the plethora of regional czars at the expense of the secretary of state’s traditional portfolio, the weird remarks like “allegedly” after the Mutallab attempt, the deliberate distortions of the issues involved in the Ground Zero mosque, the Cairo speech myth-making, the initial al-Arabiya review, the silence after the Iranian protests last years, and much more — then we, our allies, and our enemies all get the impression that Obama is uninterested in national-security issues, resents the position that he is put in by a war against terror and operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and seems to think that at some abstract level past American culpability has provoked radical Islamists to lash out, requiring us to absorb rather than preempt their blows. This trumps even Carterism and is a prescription for national suicide.

See!  If I didn't have to rush off to work this morning, I'd have explained it just like that.  Well, close to that.  He's more eloquent.



(H/T:  Memeorandum)

An Update on the Obamatorium

I did many posts on the BP/Gulf situation this summer and the Obama imposed moratorium that followed. 

The Wall Street Journal posts an editorial that updates the current situaiton:

Today, 15 of the Gulf's 46 shallow-water rigs are idle, due to a lack of new permits. The industry estimates that, at this rate, by Halloween 70% of shallow-water drillers will be idle. The Administration did not include any of these figures in its analysis. 

The "jobs lost" figures provided by Team Obama are predictably lower than the analysis from most everyone else. Once you idle 70% of the shallow-water rigs, well, that's lots of jobs.

And there's the rub. The real fear is that the Administration is using the oil spill as an excuse to shut down the drilling that the enviro left finds so offensive. The President stacked his oil-spill commission with antidrilling environmentalists, who will be predisposed to recommend that any lifting of the ban be accompanied by a severe regulatory regime. The result would be a moratorium in everything but name. 

Oh ye dirty politics, you.  What was that Mike Spence said?

The president is not our teacher, our tutor, our guide or ruler. He does not command us, we command him. We serve neither him nor his vision. It is not his job or his prerogative to redefine custom, law and beliefs; to appropriate industries; to seize the country, as it were, by the shoulders or by the throat so as to impose by force of theatrical charisma his justice upon 300 million others. It is neither his job nor his prerogative to shift the power of decision away from them, and to him and the acolytes of his choosing.

Indeed.

Be sure to check out the Press-Register's series profiling victims of the oil spill.


So as we celebrate the long-awaiting killing of this particular well, let's also remember that Team Obama's political and arbitrary moratorium is costing the Gulf region some 20,000 jobs and the American oil supply some 30 million barrels in 2011 (NOT purchased from foreign sources).

Is He Running?

I might have to do some more research on Mike Pence.  Is he running in 2012? 

American Specator has text of Pence's speech last night at Hillsdale College.  It's a must read.  Here's a teaser:

The presidency has run off the rails. It begs a new clarity, a new discipline, and a new president. The president is not our teacher, our tutor, our guide or ruler. He does not command us, we command him. We serve neither him nor his vision. It is not his job or his prerogative to redefine custom, law and beliefs; to appropriate industries; to seize the country, as it were, by the shoulders or by the throat so as to impose by force of theatrical charisma his justice upon 300 million others. It is neither his job nor his prerogative to shift the power of decision away from them, and to him and the acolytes of his choosing.

Yeah!  Read the whole thing.

The speech is loaded with good stuff.  Is he running?

More Pence:  Here he is at the 2010 Value Voters Summit:

Retreads

I'm not really liking my choices here:

Romney's in first place with 22% followed by Mike Huckabee at 21%, Newt Gingrich at 18%, Sarah Palin at 17%, and Ron Paul at 6%.

...How about you?

Hey! Let's Blame it all on the Tea Party!

When Obama's popularity plummeted as he pushed one power grabbing policy after another, The White House decided to blame Bush.  When that didn't achieve the desired response they blamed the GOP in general, "the party of no!" for blocking all their initiatives (when, in fact, the Dems have a majority...).  Now the strategy is apparently going to be "Blame the Tea Party" because they are "shouting loudly" and are mysteriously funded, and are extreme!

Jay Cost has an excellent response to this tactic:

For the swing voters who determine elections, it's clear by now that the midterm is going to be about the deeply unpopular policies of President Obama.  Attacking the Tea Partiers is not going to distract them because the Tea Partiers have had nothing to do with those policies.  

Buy they can try it.  In fact, go for it.  I'm betting it will backfire on them.  People are sick and tired of Team Obama blaming everyone else for his missteps.  So, go for it. 

Vodkapundit has the best quote response to this strategy, and Stacy McCain, the best video.

Meanwhile, I'll be over here ticking off the days until November.

Maureen Dowd's Irrational Rationality

Is Maureen Dowd attacking Christine O'Donnell in her latest column or Barack Obama?  It's hard to tell.  Both?  Probably.  She begins with one thesis and ends with another and I completely miss the rationale that ties them together.  Did she write two columns and a poltergeist in her computer blended them?  I don't know.  She tries to tie it together but it just doesn't work.

She begins clearly enough mocking Christine O'Donnell and her "Palin Mini-Me" look, (because that's what matters so much about politicians, right?  Their looks?) then picks up the witchcraft and Tolkein threads that have moved through the blogs this week. 

This is the line where Dowd attempts to ties her two threads together...

She’s also smart to think of politics in terms of passion and myth — two elements Barack Obama was able to summon during his campaign that are sorely missing from his presidency.

 ...because now she's mentioned Barack Obama and now she can spend the rest of her column about him without another word on O'Donnell (which isn't necessarily a bad thing.)

The last third of  Dowd's column deals with Obama's lack of passion and empathy.  She spends two thirds of her column mocking O'Donnell's passion yet then bemoans Obama's lack of it.  Which way do you want to go, Maureen?

This is actually the closing line which Dowd seems to believe ties it together:

The insane have achieved political respectability while the sane act too good for it all. The irrational celebrate while the rational act bored and above-it-all.

Is she calling O'Donnell "insane" or just people with passion?

If this is best high dollar talent the New York Times can offer, there's hope for us all when it comes to making the big bucks.

(H/T:  Memeorandum)

Full Metal Jacket Reach Around: The Oktoberfest Is Coming Edition

Will wonders never cease!?  I'm getting my FMJRA up on Saturday morning instead of Sunday night!  Maybe the routine is returning, after all!  This is the Barksdale edition today because there is a bigggggg event coming up in a couple of weeks:  Oktoberfest!*  Time to make your plans to attend if you live around here and have base access!  I have it from a reliable source that 200 tickets were sold the first day sales opened.

Steve and I got a little prepped for the festivities last night by going over to the Barksdale Club for prime rib night, then walked over to Hangar 2 for a cold Octoberfest* in our new mugs.  We apparently stumbled into a promotion party because the DJ was there and so were lots and lots of folks in a celebratory mood, dancing, singing karaoke, and cracking jokes.

The bar at Hangar 2 is really a neat place because there's a lot of history there.  There is the obligatory graffiti and signatures on the walls; the ceiling tiles are signed and decorated by various units that are there and have been through, there are emblematic sashes and patches nailed to the exposed beams, and of course, your own personalized mug (if you so choose) hanging from hooks from the beams.  The huge deck outside is where we do "cook your own steak night" in the summer and where we sit and watch the leaves in the fall.  There's a neat table out there made out of a bomb rack that's quite unique.

The best thing about the place is the people we meet there, not the least of which is Joy, the "bar guard" as one fellow called her, but she's got a heart of gold.  She takes care of  "her boys" on steak night by taking their cooked steak and whipping it into a delicious Thai beef salad.  She brooks no nonsense, though!  We met some fun guys from Minot AFB last night who, sadly, will be leaving before Oktoberfest on the first.

I took some pictures last night on my phone, but out of propriety I think I'll just leave them in my phone!  Besides, if you get caught with your cellphone at the bar, and someone sees you and rings that brass bell on you, you've got to buy drinks for the house.  That would have been a lot of drinks last night.  I was trying to be careful.  At any rate, Here's the info link on how to get to Oktoberfest 2010; the date this year is October 1, a Friday night.  Two weeks.  I'm totally there.

Rounding up the blogs this week:

Fishersville Mike's handy dandy Weekend Watchdog returns!

Pirate's Cove has excerpts and commentary from Palin's speech in Iowa.

Obi's Sister has the coolest feel good video I've seen lately!  Loved it!

Don't miss Doug Ross's post on the Waxman-Weiner hearings on talk radio.

Da TechGuy is outraged.

Bride of Rove has an excellent series going on life married to a G-man.  You'll learn something.

The Other McCain has concerns over Murkowski's grasp of reality.

Grandpa John is already calling the 2012 election and the good news is that I get to be beer czar!

Everyone's read the "quote" by FLOTUS about the job being "hell"; Ed Driscoll has a roundup of the whole thing, including the walkback.  Takeaway line:  Obama has lost control of the narrative of his presidency.  Yeah.  I'd say so.

...And some related thoughts from Little Miss Attila.  (Love the new subtitle on her header; probably been there a while, but I just noticed it.  Awesome!)

The Camp of the Saints noted Constitution Day with a couple of fabulous prints and No Sheeples Here posted a video.  Mind Numbed Robot also noted the day and has some handy links.

Jimmie Bise covered the Democrats rebranding this week.

Legal Insurrection did some research on that "Buckley Rule" Krauthammer tossed about this week; I'm glad because I'd already pulled my Buckley off the shelves to start plowing through.

Ruby Slippers has excerpts from Christine O'Donnell's Values Summit speech. Pundette has the commentary.

Oh dear.  Reaganite Republican is polling the 2012 Top Five Republican options.  Head on over and speak up now.  C'mon back when you're done.

Sippican Cottage is posting some great stuff these days.

Critical Narrative, and Thomas Sowell, address the idea of political labels.

A Cop's Watch posts on the end of global warming!

Sandy posted the viral Facebook letter from the ER doctor which you should read, if you haven't.  He's real and so is the letter.  I saw something akin to what he writes about when my mom was in the ER.  A young man came in to the ER for treatment of a rash that he'd had on his forehead that he first noticed two weeks ago.  WTF? 

Okay, I'm off to lay low and do Saturday stuff.  Might sit on the swing outside and finish a book.

Ahhh, maybe not.  Might stay in today.  Y'all have a wonderful weekend.


*Spelling note:  I spell Octoberfest with a "c" when referring to the beer, because that's the way Sam Adams labels it.  I spell Oktoberfest with a "k" when referring to the event because that's the way BAFB markets it.

O'Donnell Will Have to Represent Delaware, Not the Tea Party

The party fallout over Christine O'Donnell's victory in Delaware continues to dominate the blogs and Memeorandum.  Charles Krauthammer, for example, in his column today reaffirms his statements from earlier in the week that her election is a win for the Democrats and the the Palin and DeMint endorsements were reckless and irresponsible

Can O'Donnell win in the general election?  This article in the CSMonitor suggests that she has become a more mature candidate over time, which seems to indicate that should she run a smart campaign, she could indeed win. Linda Feldman, author of the piece quotes political scientist Joseph Pika who says:

“Democrats could be overconfident,” he continues. “Democrats could be overaggressive – she could quickly become a more sympathetic candidate if everyone seems to pile on. If Democrats seem to practice politics as usual – be seen as committing character assassination, for example – they could confirm the basic appeal she has of challenging the establishment and ‘politics as usual.’ ”

What is important to remember, Tea Party or not, is that the Senator from Delaware must represent the interests of Delaware, not the Tea Party.  If the Tea Party got Christine O'Donnell to the general election, she will still need to convince Delaware voters that she will represent their interests.  She may have to, at times, cast an unpopular vote if it's in the best interest of her state as Scott Brown has had to do for his state.  However, Delaware voters cast their ballots for her so there is apparently some longing for a more conservative track.

Maybe is it just all an anti-incumbent, anti-establishment backlash.  Either way, O'Donnell can still carry the day in November.

Peggy Noonan today explains that Tea Party candidates are being elected partially because voters want them to go to Washington and temper the out of control spending.  Noonan constructs an elaborate yardstick and clock analogy, but she makes a valid point when she says:

"So there's a sense that dramatic action is needed, and a sense of profound urgency. Add drama to urgency and you get the victory of a Tea Party-backed candidate".

The left is already throwing everything they can at Christine O'Donnell, who incidentally has hit the money bomb since Tuesday.  TPMDC, in particular, is dredging up every word and utterance O'Donnell has made in the past twenty years, and O'Donnell is, so far, handling this gracefully.   In a candidate forum yesterday she said

“I was in my twenties and very excited and passionate about my newfound faith. But I can assure you, my faith has matured and when I go to Washington, D.C. it’ll be the Constitution on which I base all of my decisions, not my personal beliefs,” she explained Thursday to cheers.
 

She is definitely a candidate that can win; she's proven that now.  It the end it is important to remember that the Republicans dug the hole they're in themselves and did it a long time ago.  To place the peril of a potential Senate majority in the lap of Christine O'Donnell just isn't fair.  And at this point, I'm not sure if the Republican establishment just may be doing her a favor by railing against her.  While one would hope that the Republican party could unite and come together for the good of the party, it appears that the time for some pruning may be in order.

Christine seems to be doing just fine without them.

(AP Photo)

Chopped Liver

Sigh.  I guess I'm chopped liver, once again.  Granted, I've been off my game for a few weeks; hell, I can't even get linked at Memeorandum anymore. 

But, a great blogger once said, "chopped liver doesn't have feelings," so I'm okay.

*Sniff*.

Mug Club

We finally got our Hangar 2 Club mugs and how better to initiate them than with Octoberfest! Mine has a P47 on it and the Army Air Corps logo to honor my dad. Steve's has both the Army and the Air Force logo as he served in both. Now our mugs will hang from the ceiling hooks at Hangar 2 and will be here whenever we need a refill!
All cheers steak night!

The Fallout Begins

Primary night got even wilder after the Delaware race was called, it seems.  I shut everything down and tried to go to bed (not very successfully, I might add - UP every hour for one thing or another...) but I did see Karl Rove trashing O'Donnell on Hannity.  It was, of course, a sign of things to come. 

Never mind the "let's unite" philosophy that normally takes place after an election like this.  Never mind pulling together for November.  Now we have Rove acting like a sore loser trashing the winner.  We have Rachel Madow who, in the absence of a Christine O'Donnell Sex Tape, is pulling out a Christine O'Donnell TALKING about sex tape.  Michelle Malkin reports that the NRSC is refusing to back O'Donnell in the general election, a move Professor Reynolds calls "dumb" more than once.

And it hasn't even been 24 hours since the victory in Delaware.

Oh, and Charlie Rangel held off his challengers in New York.  Go figure.

The good news?  Rubio is trouncing Crist in Florida.