MONK RULES
WELCOME to the Thelonious Sphere Monk Memorial WebLog
Wanna listen to Just A Gigolo by Monk.
Or Play "Some Other Toonz" by Monk
Go to

My page on Saatchi Gallery: Go HERE.

Good News/Bad News
The good news is: Our Koi have bred. Last night I saw 3- 2" little fishies down in the vegetation.
The bad news is: I can not go on naming them once they have gotten to be above a dozen. So, we'll call all the new ones Bois Of Roi & Boi Toi.

MacDries says, "And with that, Thelonious Sphere Monk and Yers Truly MacDries are officially on hiatus for the month of August. Our email is indicated above if there is anything pertinent you need to express. Frankly, I doubt it cuz I hardly ever hear from any of you.
Cheers and stay kewl & cool. Vote in November and on August 8th if you live in CT and dump Joe.
From WlfSng
Thought for the week: Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.
Biking In Bunker City
CodeFred and MacDries used to ride our bikes everywhere for transportation and recreation but we were never this foolish. Go HERE.

MacDries says, "I gave it up after a few accidents. Now I just walk, when I have to get some exercise and take the subway when I have to go above 14th street."
This Years Crop

About 1/3 of the Chanterelles up the hill.
Wonder Boys
You can see I was doing a bit of YouTubing last night. If you've never seen the video of Bob's Academy Award Winner, You've Changed: Go HERE. It's got himself, Rip Torn, Toby McGuire, Katie Holmes, Michael Dougles, and Robert Downey.
While there, don't miss Not Dark Yet: Go HERE.
And Hard Times In NYC: Go HERE.
Little Wing
Can't get enough versions of this Hendrix gem. Clapton/Crow. And ya got some David Sanborn blowing his ass off. Watch Clapton, he can't quite believe what Sanborn is doing. And neither can Sanborn. Go HERE.
and while you're there check out the rest of Clapton. Nuthin' bad.
Can't Do Art @ MoMA
Go HERE.
Don't Be A Grouch!
This will seem very familiar. Go HERE.
"Remember, you're fighting for this woman's honor. Which is more than she ever did."

20th Centrury Blunder*
"The greatest mistake Israel could make at the moment is to forget that Israel itself is a mistake. It is an honest mistake, a well-intentioned mistake, a mistake for which no one is culpable, but the idea of creating a nation of European Jews in an area of Arab Muslims (and some Christians) has produced a century of warfare and terrorism of the sort we are seeing now. Israel fights Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south, but its most formidable enemy is history itself. "
-- Richard Cohen
Go HERE for the whole Op-Ed.

*MacDries says, "The single worst piece foreign policy of the 20th century (committed out of guilt by a fledgling United Nations) and everyone, Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, atheists and agnostics are still paying for it. Not to mention at least three generations children growing up in hatred.
I thought no one else knew this or at least were afraid of being labled anti-semitic. And, by the bye, when did semitic become synonymous with Judaism? Is an anti-semitic Arab the same as a self-hating Jew?"
(Def. 2. Of, relating to, or constituting a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic language group that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic.)
Yer Gonna Wanna...
Go HERE for more.
Meanwhile

© 2006 Ram Rahman
My friend Ram and his posse marched to the Israeli embassy in Delhi. For all the good it will do. Probably no one home anyway. Ram Rahman is an agnostic Hindu/Muslim and if those two can get along, there doesn't seem to be any reason Jews and Arabs can't do it. All they need is a Gandhi, or two.
New Sculptures

Horse Head (for Deborah Butterfield

Disco
For Grupp
Make your own Simpsons cahracter. Go HERE.
Silly Guys

Campaign Finance Reform
John "Absolut Straight Shooter" McCain has lost interest in reform. Wonder why? Not too helpful in the long run, eh John.
The Jack Daniels Defense
Floyd Landis blames a bottle of jack for his testosterone spike.

MacDries says, "I've blamed my old buddy Jack for a few things in my day too, but never anything good, like winning the tour de France."
19 More Children Dead
Israelis killed 54 more in Lebanon, including 19 children. Wayda go boys and girls!

Heads Up!
Fair warning! I've begun to feel I'm wasting a whole bunch of time on the internet, blogging, surfing, emailing. I'm very tired of politics. Thus, in 2 days, I will be taking the month of August off (the month of my 65th b-day) to see if I can get something creative done, like finishing some writing and doing some sculpture.
Anyway, my audience has disappeared from about 500 per day to just 200. So, maybe they are all tired of this dribble, or on vacation, and the rest of you are as addicted to the web as I feel.
Something To Look At

Blue Moon Once. From last June.
Old Grey Lady

NYTimes will endorse Lamont over Old Joe (What, Me Worry?) in CT primary. Go HERE.

MacDries says, "Looging Goo Man."
Carlins's Rules For 2006
New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days: mowing my lawn.
More Heffalump Shamboozle
Reprobates offer minimum wage increase is we get rid of the estate tax. Go HERE.
And Go HERE.
Clinton vs. McCain - 2004
The two obvious 2008 rivals had a pissing vodka drinking contest in Estonia. John says Billary is one of the guys. Go HERE.
Another Pit Bull Murder
Go HERE.

Sinead O'Connor
She do something to me. Go HERE.
Finally
Got the gully washer that's been destroying my driveway. So I went out in the rain softened area and watched where it was washing it away. I took a hoe and directed it the way I wanted it to go, along the edge, and the water helped me in a very Zen-like fashion. Then I was also able to scrape the dirt and fill in some of the worst areas. Except for the god-damn mosquitoes pestering me the whole time it was very successful.
Then as it began to pour down again, I quit and took a modified country shower; shorts only in deference to the 13 year olds in the house watching a dubious Jack Black video.
Early Grupp

For more: Go HERE.

MacDries says, "Why isn't early spelled erly?"
House Full Of Girls
Ann is on her way up with Ava and Claire, two of Emma's posse.
Lucky me. I'm the chef.
Second That!
"The biggest threat which exists in the world is the empire of the United States. It is a senseless, blind, stupid giant which doesn't understand the world, doesn't understand human rights, doesn't understand anything about humanity, culture and consciousness."
-- Hugo Chavez, after Russia sold Venezuela some snazzy killer airplanes. To protect him from who? Cuba? El Salvador? Is he gonna invade Florida?

MacDries says, "So it continues. U.S. sells billions of arms to our "friends" and Russia sells billions to their "friends". Insanity is all around. It is commerce on a huge scale and it will kill countless humans."

Democrazy
Stephen Colbert explains it. Go HERE.
Second That!
The poor man who is currently our president has reached such a point of befuddlement that he thinks stem cell research is the same as taking human lives, but that 40,000 dead Iraqi civilians are progress toward democracy.
-- Molly Ivens
Just Cuz I Love It

Momma's Boy.
Remember This One?
Go HERE.
Gotta Piss Him Off
Cindy Sheehan bought 5 acres in Crawford, near The Shrub's "ranch". Protest is set for August 16th.
Go if you can.
Get Yo Mojo Workin'
Muddy Waters & Sonny Boy Williamson on YouTube. Go HERE.
And with Johnny Winter. Go HERE.
And a bunch more.
Money, Money, Who Got The Money?
Exxon posted $10.36 billion in profits this quarter, the second-largest quarterly profit ever recorded by a publicly traded U.S. company. Royal Dutch Shell pocketed $7.32 billion, a 40 percent rise from the same period last year. BP Plc, Europe's biggest oil company, reported a 30 percent jump in second-quarter profit to a record.

MacDries says, "And it only costs me $41 to fill up my Jeep."
Got Nuthin' Today
Bored with war and want some good news.

Share The Difficulty
You know what is really, reely hard? For so many of us, the constant, daily reminder that George W. Bush is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. And he will be so for a full 8 years. It does not help that all is falling to shit under his administration. There is no vindication in that. The only thing that would help would be if he were impeached and Dick Cheney went to jail.
Delusion Of The Day
Saddam Hussein says, "Shoot me if I'm found guilty." And some of us say, don't give up. They might acquit you, Saddam.

MacDries says, "Why are pathetic despots always so stupid, and funny? And still want to control the outcome."
Insanity!!!!
Bomb Bomb, who's got the bomb? And how many you got? And how many do you need? And what are you gonna do to get rid of them when they're obsolete. And especially, who is "allowed" to have them. And who decides? Latest chapter: Go HERE.
Wanna Puke?
Go HERE.
Out Of Control
Israel bombs U.N. facilities in Lebanon for hours after being warned. Go HERE.

MacDries says, "These guys act like they're George W. Bush."
Banned Cover Art

Go HERE.
I have one of these Original SF for sale if you are interested.
Steely Dan Dis Owen Wilson...
for his You, Me & Dupree. My current fave Steely Dan, Cousin Dupree. Hillarious. Go HERE.
Carlins's Rules For 2006
New Rule: There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket, water, but without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water.
Artist Of The Day
Herb Ferris, New England sculptor. Go HERE.
The Movies
Super-size Me was last night's DVD. The effects of eating every meal at McDonalds for a month. Explains a lot about American obesity.

And, In Other Parts Of The World

What Goes Around, Comes Around

God Save The King (George)
We all know that Rock'n Roll is subversive, thus it shouldn't surprise us that the Canadian band The Grey was stopped at the border and is now banned for 5 years. Yes, 5 years. Time in which to change their terrorist ways and start playing a bit of Christian pop or White Gospel music. Go HERE.

MacDries says, "Everyone know how radical those Canadian musicians can be; Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Oscar Peterson, Diana Krall, those guys in The Band, not to mention my man, Niel Young."
Extend That Feeling, Please
White House press secretary Tony Snow said yesterday that he "overstated the president's position" during a briefing last week but said Bush rejected the bill because "he does have objections with spending federal money on something that is morally objectionable to many Americans."

MacDries says, "A majority of Americans object to spending federal money on the Iraq war and find it morally objectionable. Real people are dying, not tissue. Please veto that."
Timeless
"The tragedy of our day is the climate of fear in which we live and fear breeds repression. Too often, sinister threats to the Bill of Rights, to freedom of the mind are concealed under the patriotic cloak of anti-Communism."
-- Adlai Stevenson

MacDries says, "Another man who should have been President or at least VP under Ike. My Ma cried when Adlai lost to Ike."
Count 'em- 14
How many countries has the U.S. of A unilaterally overthrown in the past 100 years? Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama, Chile, Iran, Grenada, Afghanistan, and ... Iraq.
And that does not include Germany, Italy, Japan & Palestine, where we had a bit of help. And then there was the 2nd failed attempt at Cuba. Plus Vietnam.
Go HERE for more on this.

MacDries says, "America sure does love peace."
Coincidence
A guy named Henry Alford wrote an endpaper piece in last week's NYTimes Book Review called Chamber Plots. The subject was: What sort of books people keep to read in their toilets. As it happened, I read that article in the toilet.
My toilet bookshelf includes: The Portable Curmudgeon and an outdated copy of National Geographic.
Too Late
Wanna party like it's 1999? Go HERE.
Gitmo
Wanna learn how to be a Gitmo Interrogator? Go HERE.
The Movies
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was a bit long but packed with great tid-bits. Davey Jones and his cohorts were the most outrageous characters ever created in the make-up room. Unfortunately the sound in our local house was awful and 75% of the dialogue was lost. Thus the details of the story will have to wait until the 2nd or 5th viewing. Well worth the $4 entrance fee.
And Captain Jack finally gets a long juicy kiss from Kiera before... Well, go see it.
Big Bird
Out to the pond last night to do my promenade as a Little Blue Heron flew off. Have to check it out in the bird book. Saw Roi, Dori and White Boi. Then off to the movie.

More Ray Johnson
Go HERE.
And if you like his stuff remember I have a couple pieces of his framed, FOR SALE.
Question
What the hell is the United Nations doing? All you ever hear is Kofi thinks this, Kofi thinks that. Bush's Bolton is doing what? We've got wars every where, nations expanding nuclear capabilities, human rights abuses everywhere. What business are they actually conducting?
Pirates Of Columbia County
Sparkler and I watched the first Pirates Of The Caribbean on DVD last night in preparation for the 2nd edition tonight at The Crandell downtown. We don't care what the critics have said. We love Johnny Depp, Emma loves Orlando Bloom and I'm fond of Kiera Knightley (even though I suspect she's had minor lip implants). I also love Geoffrey Rush and there have been hints that he may be resurrected at some point.
Whatever.
C.M. Grupp And Fish Story

Carl Sr. and a halibut. Looks like a fake photo to me but I stole it off Lil' Sis Dee's blog and she don't lie. Go HERE for her blog.
Artist Of The Day

If you're in the Sioux Falls area, check out this show. Jerry is an L.A./Sioux Falls Artist/Musician/Furniture Maker, multi-talented, friend of Carl and me. Pushing 70 and still going strong if he'd stay off his motorcycle.
More Parody Mac Commercials
Mac Is Gay. Go HERE.
Even Bill Buckley
Buckley denounces everything about The Shrub. He's right for the wrong reasons. But I'll take it. Go HERE.
Bubba Stumps For Joe
Here's what Joe thought about Bubba. But Bubba forgives him.
"The transgressions the President has admitted to are too consequential for us to walk away and leave the impression for our children and for our posterity that what President Clinton acknowledges he did within the White House is acceptable behavior for our nationąs leader. On the contrary, as I have said at length today, it is wrong and unacceptable and should be followed by some measure of public rebuke and accountability."
-- Joe Lieberman

MacDries says, "Guess what tat Joe will give Hillary for Bill's tit?"
Sunshine
The rain finally broke and it looks like a nice day ahead. Just me and My Sparkler up here now. Kate got in some practice driving on the way back.

Why Not India?
If India decided to retaliate on the terrorist training camps in Pakistan for the bombings in Mumbai, would the U.S. approve? Would we tolerate it the way we have the Israeli war machine's retaliation for the capture of 2 Israelis by Hezbollah? Would we cynically allow it to continue for x amount of days/weeks.
It reminds me of kids fighting until one of them has to say "give up". But pride won't allow that to happen. The kids know they have to live in the same town and can't do this every day. It hurts.
The creation the state of Israel may have been the worst mistake of British/American foreign policy in this century (excuse me, the last century) but it is now fait a'compli and everyone should move on. Live with it. Palestinians are not going to go away. Neither are the Israelis.
India has a huge population. Israel is very small. India has a small war machine but does have nuclear capability. Israel has a huge war machine, backed by the U.S. of A and nuclear capability. The differences are: Israel has a substantial supportive Jewish population in the U.S. India has very little political punch. Jews are somewhat righteously paranoid. Post-Gandhi Indians are a somewhat peaceful sort bent, towards fusion and reconcilliation between Hindus and Muslims.
If India did get uppity it would truly inflame the mid-east and we would indeed have a regional religious war. And as a so-called Judeo-Christian nation we have very little to contribute to understanding the conflict. We are better off and wiser to back-off and stop supplying the armaments to these nations.
The best thing we have done for Africa is to not supply weapons on a massive scale and thus expanding the problem on that beautiful continent. The worst thing we have done is to not be positive and develop health and education to the poor, starving, HIV infested population.
Bill Gates is proving to be wiser than most of our politicians. Get a clue America.
The Daily Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart takes on Stem Cells again. Go HERE.
Mapping
Google's got a new mapping system that seems pretty good. Some quibbles on From/To function but it's fast. Go HERE.
Surprise!!!!

*Courtesy of WlfSng.
Marilyn Monroe's 6 Toes

Kate passed on the old story about MM's toes. Who knows where it began? But here is the end.

Steely Dan
This comes from CodeFred Re: my query. Don't know where he got it or if he made it up but it does solve a literal question.
"Well, the charmer was a guy who lived under Donald's apartment when we were in Brooklyn. And the song is just a bunch of things that the guy and his wife had coming to them, you know, for the indignities that they suffered living in Brooklyn, sitting on the stoop and just shooting the shit about the Mets and that kind of thing for 20 years. So, you see, the song does yield to a valid interpretation."
All The Girls
Rain up and back to the Poconos and supposed to BBQ some of Paul's ribs tonight for N & R & A and us. It remains to be seen if we get a window of opportunity. Anyhow it's nice to see all my girls in one place again. Kate had a great time in Paree and London, Emma had a great time at Camp Oneka and Ann enjoyed her brief time alone in the city. Welcome home.
Tomorrow Ann and Kate go back to Bunker City to work and The Sparkler and I start putting together a Tag Sale to get rid of Trash & Treasures.

The Archives
If you get bored while I'm off to Camp Oneka, search the archives for old news & links to outdated stuff. They're at the bottom of this page. Sorry for any dead links. I can't help that; that is the WWW.
They Are Breeding
Last night I spotted White Boi who is now about 7" long. No sign yet of Dreamsickle, his partner this year. Tonight I spotted 2 Koi at about 2"; smaller than anything we planted. One is Orange and one is white.
We are a success! Last night the pond was looking rather scummy but after the brief rain this afternoon it looks fresh again. I'm thrilled. Ann can swim to her hearts content.
John Prine
There's a great DVD of John Prine @ 54th Street available on Amazon. It's got Iris DeMent too. I'd get it if I were you.
Brothers Derb & Dennis & I watched it last month @ Carl's Media Center and Derb called wanting to know where he could get it. Go HERE.
Steely Dan
If any fans out there know the meaning of the title phrase Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me); please tell me. I love Steely Dan but don't always know what the songs are about.
I do know what Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More is all about.
Cloning Gone Awry (repeat)
Some Photoshop fun. Go HERE.
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge. Click on enlargement to return to the index.
The Girls
Ann & Kate are heading up here tonight with Kate at the wheel, practising for her driver's test. And then tomorrow Kate and I drive to the Poconos to pick up My Sparkler from camp. Kate may practice more on the way.
Face time. Telephones, email and letter just don't cut it.
Thus, the T Monk WebLog will be on hiatus tomorrow. My audience is disappearing anyway; down to 2-300 a day. Perhaps everyone is at the beach.
Carlin To Me
These came to me in an email. They sound like George Carlinisms.

1.Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2.Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3.If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4.If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5.Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?
6.Why does "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
7.Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
8.Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
9.Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?
10.Why are they called "stands" when they are made for sitting?
11.Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
12.Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
13.Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
14.Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
15.Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
16.If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
17.If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
18.If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
19.If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
20.Why is bra singular and panties plural?
21.Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?
22.Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
23.How come abbreviated is such a long word?
24.Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
25.Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
26.Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?
27.Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks?
Chanterelle Time
Last nights dinner was a 3 egg omelet with butter sauteed red peppers, chanterelles and a bit of fresh chopped tomatoes. Delicious as usual. I often alternate with a bit of Jalapeno peppers which is even better.
Gates The Mensch

The Gates Foundation is giving 1/4 of a billion dollars to foster AIDS research. You gotta applaude Bill & Melinda for this. Redemption for his often ill-gotten gains is paid in full. Bill hanging out with Mr. Buffett (not Jimmy) seems to have paid off in many ways.

MacDries says, "Hope the Capitalist Pigs get at least a little of the message."

TelevIdiots
If you have any doubt how vacant the average TV journalist/reader is: Go HERE and watch the graceless Nancy Grace interview Elizabeth Smart.
Impeach The Shrub

For a list of cities, states and organizations that have passed resolutions of Impeachment: Go HERE.
Or, for an Impeach Bush Coilition Blog: Go HERE.
Colbert Does Stem Cell Veto
Go HERE and scroll down.
Chanterelle Season

Not a good year for one of my fave shrooms. I found about a pound or less and mostly tiny ones. Haven't had enough rain in the last couple weeks. A good downpour this week might still save the harvest but it doesn't look good. Friend Larry has the best field in the world behind his house so I may have to make a trip over there. He found some black Chanterelles around the 4th and they were delicious. He has to get down and crawl to spot them cuz they are neither bright yellow-orange nor large.
Goodbye Joe

...you gotta go, me oh my oh. Lamont leads 51-47 in poll. Go HERE.
Republican donors supporting Lieberman. Go HERE.
Remember Bubba?
Back in those days, the economy soared, there were no protracted wars and certainly no pre-emptive invasions of sovereign nations. The buidget was balanced, welfare was eliminated if not poverty, deficits declined and the budget was in surplus.
None the less the Reprobates controlled Congress and tried to impeach Bubba for a BJ or two. It didn't work and Bubba left office as one of the more popular Presidents since Roosevelt.
Go figger.
Since then we've had an election settled by The Supremes, a campaign of exploiting terror followed by a popular invasion of one country and a pre-emptive unpopular invasion of another. The economy has totally tanked and the deficits are the largest ever. Two out of the three nation declared as the axis of evil who actually have WMD are rattling their sabres and shooting off rockets. A second close election with widespread corruption, at best, if not theft extended the tyranny.
The attempt to stablize the mid-east in a mis-guided reverse domino theory has now erupted into at least an unstable regional war.
And there is no end in sight. Even the Dems can't bring themselves state the obvious: America has to begin to atone for its mistakes, if not for its Imperialistic drift. You end war by stopping war. You bring home the troops. If Iraq is better without Saddam, then let the Iraqis settle it.
The first step has begun with The Shrub's diminishing numbers in the polls. The second step is for rational people to take over congress. The third is to impeach the little bastard for his facist corruption of Democracy.
Or, at least to elect someone with an ounce of intelligence. Hell Dan Quale could do a better job than The Shrub has done. (well, maybe not)

IMHO
The Daily Show is the only TV News you need to watch. Go HERE for The War? or The War.
And Go HERE to see him cut the guys on Crossfire a new one.

MacDries says, "Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are the only TV I miss up here. However, my daughters are filling up the TiVo in the city with Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill so I'm left to catch a few videos on YouTube."
Stem Cells
Not many people really know what stem cells are or how they will do what so many scientists believe is possible. But that's not really the point. The Shrub is The Decider and much is being made of this being his first veto. He doesn't really need to veto anything because he has his so-called "Signing Statements" which he believes allows him to ignore or interpret any bill, any way he wants to. He has used these statements whenever Congress passes a bill he doesn't like. And the weinies in Congress don't seem to care; they would rather just whine a bit about separation of powers and then capitulate.

MacDries says, "Stem cell research will go on in most of the other more enlightened countrys and Bush will have his political gravy with the Christian zealots. It remains to be seen in November how thick or thin that gravy still is."
Top 10 Bush Video Moments
From The Letterman Show. Go HERE.
For The Hell Of It

The Movies
The Lords Of Dogtown was last night's DVD. Lots of action, based on true events, good music, good acting, Heath Ledger has capped teeth, even a bit poignant, not too dirty.
Snow Job
Little Old Helen Thomas has Tony Snow on the ropes, flustered and ill-informed.
SNOW: "No. There hasnąt been a resolution at the V.N. ‹ the U.N., whatever it is. There haven't been any...(LAUGHTER) There hasnąt been. (LAUGHTER) Iąve been at (inaudible) in Germany too long. There has been no resolution at the U.N."
This guy is out of his FOX element where someone writes out everything he has to say. Thus he sputters and stumbles and still...

MacDries says, "I predict this guy is out of here within months as WWIII proceeds."

Domino Theory
We've all played this game but take it to a higher level. Go HERE.
PC Clones Fight Back
If you like the latest Mac vs PC commercials Go HERE.
The clone-heads from the evil empire have been duly "served" and now try to get their dignity back.
It only sort-of works, nome sain?
The Movies
Watched a (3 hour & 6 minutes) Special Edition of Stanley Kraamer's Judgement At Nuremberg last night. Special, meaning they added a lot of extra stuff. Such as a 3 1/2 minute opening with the white on black word OVERTURE on the screen while a dramatic piece of militaristic music played. Then 3 more minutes of credits rolled. I remember seeing the non-special version a few times and always thought it was a very good film. The acting in this movie is impecable; especially Montgomery Clift, Maxmillian Schell, Spencer Tracy and Burt Lancaster. The screenplay by Abby Mann was politically informed and the documentary footage was graphic enough to spell out the horrors of that war to anyone not around at the time. Stanley Kramer, never one to pull punches, is as usual, right on target. The way he filmed the problem of translation in the bi-lingual court was especially subtle.
If you've never seen it, go for it. It will help explain the current Israeli paranoia playing itself out today in the mid-east.
Everyone Is Doing It
The press is sure having a time of it with that little 4 letter scat word. Everyone, does it daily if they're lucky. Everyone has said it or heard it said nearly as often as they have done it. Many people even pick it up daily when their dogs do it. Kids think it is funny and call it by a 4 letter kids word. Duchamp said art = **it. As for me, I walk around my property and see all kinds of it and try to identify which species of beast dropped it. We've got coyotes, deer, turkeys, many kinds of birds, rabbits, a tenant's dog and one suspected bear which I've never seen.
And when I read the paper the only kind that seems awful is the kind of shit that The Shrub is up to day by day. And who is going to clean it up?
Graffiti
Graffiti can be great art and also a very trite, hostile form of aggression. Go HERE if you like the better kind.
Porsche Fanatic

My son Aaron has his own Porsche shop in Minneapolis. Go HERE to see some of his projects.
Cream In Your Coffee
Clapton, Baker & Bruce do Crossroads via YouTube. Go HERE.

Holy Crap!!!!! Redux
The more you read about Newt Gingrich's inflamatory rhetoric yesterday the worse it gets. The man ought to be put away; in a looney bin if not in jail. He is clearly talking politics to gain punch for this November and then '08.
One simple move would settle the mid-east crisis: Stop selling weapons to all the countries in the area. Then economically pressure all other nations to do the same. No jets for Pakistan. No scuds for Israel. Let them conduct their grudges with rocks and brick-bats. Sling shots and shovels.

MacDries says, "I expect Newt is too old this time and won't need a deferment like he did from Vietnam. Go HERE for others in The ChickenHawk Database."
Out My Window

What's Going On?
Marvin Gaye knows. Go HERE for a great live video.
Street Artist
Dan Witz. Go HERE.
Heat Advisory
The State of NY says I should avoid strenuous activity today. Good thing I checked cuz I was out splitting cord wood.
Gonna find an air conditioned pool hall and shoot a few racks.
That's Just Totally Mean
Australians are using Barry Manilow to spoil the party in the park. Go HERE.
What's The World Coming To?
"See, the irony is what they really need to do is to get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this (expletive)."
-- George W. Bush to his pal and fellow warmonger, Tony Blair
The Shrub was frustrated, according to CNN but they couldn't print that awful word.

MacDries says, "And that folks, is Foreign Policy at it's highest."
More On IBC
Go HERE.
*Courtesy of CodeFred.

Older Art

Not doing much art up here so I'll refer you back to the archives. Go HERE for a Daily Dose of Dries.
Holy Crap!!!!!
Newt Gingrich tells us that we are now in World War III. Damn! We better get crackin', them damn Scandinavians and Fins and Swiss are probably plotting World domination as we lay around like couch taters. And I don't trust New Zealand at all. Then there is Patagonia, always looking for trouble.

MacDries says, "Looks like Old Newt is looking to take the mantle of Terror Monger from The Shrub and run with it."
Bubba Backs Joe
Say it ain't so Bill. Joe has got to go. Even Billary Rodman won't support him if he loses the primary. But we know why, don't we?

MacDries says, "Have you forgotten he was the 1st Republicrat to chastise you for your little Monica?"
Hot & Humid
Not a day to mow the lawn but I got the house yard accomplished in a few sessions with a big break in the middle and a bit of a liedown. Then I watered the flowers and now I'm done.
All in the name of exercise.
Bushisms
"I've reminded the prime minister -- the American people, Mr. Prime Minister, over the past months that it was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship."
-- George W. Bush
Go HERE for more.
Forwarded E-mail
I don't forward or link to forwarded emails anymore because I've had to retract a few posts. This one comes from an old Art School friend and warns of a little known form of breast cancer. I've checked it out on a few hoax sights and it seems to be legitimate. Anyway, better safe than sorry.
Inflamatory Breast Cancer is a legitimate disease, it affects men and women, young and old. I'd go HERE if you know any such people.

Here are four such sights for reference. Bookmark them. Remember if it sounds a bit inflamatory, or bizarre or un-believable; it most likely is.

Urban Legends: Go HERE.
Truth Or Fiction: Go HERE.
Break The Chain: Go HERE.
Hoaxes: Go HERE.

Dinner Tonight
For breakfast I had cereal with milk and fresh white peaches and 1 1/2 cups of coffee.
For lunch I had a few pieces of pickled Herring in Wine sauce and a small cup of red Jell-o with fruit.
For dinner I'm having a plate of steamed Asparagus sprinkled with Lemon and dipped in mayonaise. Gotta say it was all delicious but I'm still waiting for the first good (meaning GREAT) tomatoes.
All tomatoes other than fresh grown July-August tomatoes ought to be called something else. Whenever 2 Drieses get together in the warmer months the subject will come up.
My brother Daryl actually dragged a couple bushels of Iowa dirt down to Austin believing that none other will do.
I recall Fred's dad once shipped a box from St. Louis, each individually wrapped in paper and flawless; not a bruise, perfectly rippened. Those were the best tomatoes I ever ate.
Existentialism
What do Dragonflies do? I know what flies and ticks and bees and hornets and mosquitoes do; they pester and bite people. But those countless hundreds of little blue helicopters just hover around the surface of the water and look beautiful. They seem not to be eating; perhaps an occasional dip for a sip of water.
Nome sain?
CodeFred says: "Watch closely, dragonflies eat while flying. They catch a lot of stuff that is walking around on the water, as it flies. They use their feet like hands."
My reply: "How do you know this s***? (***I'm censoring my obscenities to see if I can get my kids schools to unblock me.)
And CodeFred explains: "We had zillions of them when we were kids... they were like live helicopters. my brother was always trying to catch them. The really like still muddy ponds like we had on our farm."
I say: "We had gazillions too but my eyes were not that acute to see there tiny hand-like feet. I'll take your word for it. East coast ones are different, smaller, than mid-west dragonflies."
A Cheap Drunk
Peter Coors got his driver's license revoked on a DUI. Blood Alcohol level of .088. Legal limit is .05. He said he had "a" beer 30 minutes before at a wedding. Says his company advocates drinking his products responsibly.

MacDries says, "Bet that single beer was a 40. I know I used to have a beer, only to notice the 6-pak was gone and there was no one else in the house. I'd dig curiously through the re-cycle bin and find the other 5 empties there."
Art: Process

Working on a frieze for the front of the garage, under the eaves. The piece needs to be outside because its large. These are a few of the first parts.
I Repeat

Time to go, Joe.
Go HERE.
Different Strokes/Different Folks
My brother-in-law, an entertainment lawyer in the movie biz was reputed to have recently said that Superman, the latest version, was the best movie of the year (this far, I'm assuming). So, since we have a nice Uno-Plex in downtown Chatham called the Crandell, and they were showing this flik for $4 (no Senior discount) I took a chance. There were at least 5 minutes of Super-Graphic credits and then a couple minutes of un-intelligable expostion, then a few more inexplicable stuff until Eva Marie Saint came on... I like Eva Marie Saint and was happy to see she was still alive. Then a few more minutes and I'd about had it. I blew the 4 bucks and walked out.
Sorry John. Super piece-o-crap.
Luckily I had an Al Pacino DVD on the cue.
Even German Babies Hate The Bastard

Why doesn't that surprise us?

Early Reminder
"There will be no early withdrawal as long as we run the Congress and occupy the White House."
-- The Shrub
Carl's Green & Yellow Thumb

© 2006 Carl Grupp
Steven Colbert Does Lieberman
Go HERE.
John Stewart Does Novak
Go HERE.
Wilson-Plame Support Fund
If you would like to contribute to the fund: Go HERE.
A Red Paper Clip For A House
Go HERE.
Lucas Does Benny il Papa
Go HERE.

Yeah, Right!

Wilson & Plame sue Cheney, Rove and Libby. Wanna start a pool on how long this goes on? I don't know how a pool works but it usually involves clorine to kill the germs. Dun'it?

MacDries says, "I predict it will go on a while and the press will be on it like flies on s***. That Plame is a babe. How come they haven't been showing her picture much. Looks like a good version of Britney Spears. And Cheney, Rove Libby are all butt ugly."
A Husband's Desire
Angela Magdaleno had two children when she gave birth to triplets by in vitro fertization because her husband wanted a bunch of kids. Then it got interesting. Go HERE.
A Little Lack Of Perspective
Rev. William Lawson, pastor emeritus of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, compared Ken Lay to James Byrd. Byrd was a black man who was dragged to death in a racially motivated murder about eight years ago.
"Ken Lay was neither black nor poor, as James Byrd was, but I'm angry because Ken was the victim of a lynching." The Rev. also predicted that history will vindicate Lay.

MacDries says, "Kenny Boy will be a tiny footnote when the history of corporate malfeasance is written."
The United States Of Whatever
Go HERE.
A Republican Voice In The Wilderness

"I would have trouble arguing that he's been a Constitutional President, and once you violate the Constitution and be proven to do that I think these people should be removed from office."
-- Ron Paul (R-TX)
Go HERE for more.
The Movies
Last nights DVD, another Lasse Halstrom flic, Casanova with Heath Ledger and Oliver Platt. Shot in Venice with a bunch of beautiful women, it was a hoot in the manner of Tom Jones. I don't usually like period movies unless they have a sense of humor and this one does. Plus a surprising and happy ending.
I'd see it again and tell my girls to watch it too.
Here's That Rainy Day

Finished my latest projects. Perfect day for a bit of couch time and a nap or two.
My Sparkler
My perfectly proportioned little baby writes from camp to tell me she's losing weight. Total exercise every day; water-skiing, swimming, soccer, a little tennis and not enough of dad's pasta will do that.
She's running out of books too; already finished 4 of 5 she brought along. The kid goes through a book a day and requested one called Uglies which I found used on Amazon and sent off to her.
Kate's in London now living the good life care of Mom's frequent flyer hero's badge and the beneficience of Nana, Aunt Carolyn and a bit of cash from the "rents". She's due back on Saturday.
Friday The 13th...
comes on a Thursday this month.

No, this is not an Elizabeth Murray painting. It's an illustration of a stem cell but I have no idea what it represents. Pretty though. Oughta do some research in them stem cells. No?

Country Shower
Stripped buck naked except for my Muck boots and took my evening promenade out by the pond as a nice summer rain fell. Nothing more refreshing unless it would be a nice G&T on a hot summer day.
Emma would not approve. She gets embarrassed to even hear of Mom skinny dipping, much less to witness the evil deed.
I don't trust myself swimming any more but Ann can do laps for 45 minutes, easy.
Who Makes What?
Not a single person in the White House makes minimun wage. Go HERE for the list.

MacDries says, "What is an Assistant Shift Leader without an Shift Leader?
Pond Flowers

©2006 Danny Dries
Planted these pond flowers for a bit of variety but had no idea they blossomed. This one grew 6 inches overnight and blossomed.
The Dangers Of Cyberspace
You might not wanna: Go HERE.
Buckets Of Rain
Every time it rains I realize I'm gonna have to spend some buckets of money on drainage or my long curving driveway is going to wash away. That's all the art I'm getting done.
Love/Hate
Today's project was refinishing a chest of drawers I gave to Ann for Xmas last year and a nice rocking chair I got at a tag sale for $5. I hate doing such stuff but love the accomplishment.
Pix to come.
Pileated Woodpecker

Working in the shop, I heard Woody Woodpecker across the drive. Then I walked down, without my damn glasses, and he flew off. So I saw him in flight but didn't catch his red-head.
Next time.
Movies & Art

Cider House Rules wasn't too bad but Rivers & Tides was awesome. Don't understand why Goldsworthy does what he does but it sure is amazing. Check him out.

Sorry
My server has been down for quite a few hours. Mail came back first and now your favorite blog is online again.
The Shrub's Staff Includes:
Deborah Nirmala Misir - Ethics Advisor $114,688
Erica M. Dornburg Ethics Advisor - $100,547
Stuart Baker Director for Lessons Learned - $106,641
Melissa M. Carson Director of Fact Checking - $46,500

MacDries says, "I thought Ethics 101 was taught at Yale. Lessons Learned? That's a new one. Fact Checking? that might have been done prior to the invasion of Iraq2. just my opinion."
Tonight's Movie
Double Bill: got Cider House Rules cuz I love Lasse halstrom even though I hate the grasping little twit John Irving. Then there is Rivers & Tides about Andy Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy is sui generis and thus one of the best artists (photographers) around.
Out! No, You're Out! Am not!
Why isn't this Novak guy in jail? He now outs former CIA spokesman, Bill (Wm.) Harlow for outing Valerie Plame.
Songs
"Songwriting is like fishing in a stream; you put in your line and hope you catch something. And I don't think anyone downstream from Bob Dylan ever caught anything.
-- Arlo Guthrie
Dignity Dies

But then Wimbeldon has enough to spare.
The Cosmic Cowboy
Albert Einstein, in addition to marrying his cousin, actually had a bunch of girlfriends who gave him favors on the cheating side. 10 or 12 girlfriends pestering him and sending gifts. The number is finite.

MacDries says, "It's all relative, ain't it.
Bumper Snickers



It ain't funny but: Go HERE for more.
June Allyson, 88 - R.I.P.

She was a sweetheart with a great husky voice: "I have big teeth. I lisp. My eyes disappear when I smile. My voice is funny. I don't sing like Judy Garland. I don't dance like Cyd Charisse. But women identify with me. And while men desire Cyd Charisse, they'd take me home to meet Mom."
-- June Allyson
The Movies
Last night's DVD was An Unfinished Life. A seriously good movie and what I want to know is: How do such movies slip under the radar? It's got Redford and Freeman and the under-rated (as an actress) Jennifer Lopez. It's directed by Lasse Halstrom who brought us Casanova, Chocolat & My Life As A Dog and others. The latter film is on my all time best list.
Makes me want to go find a copy of another from my list: Jonah Who Will Be 25 In The Year 2000. Time for a sequel to that masterpiece. Show us Jonah, now, as a 31 year old man. Is Alain Tanner still alive? Hope so.

Evil Beliefs
"In their innocence, I thought they would go to heaven. I just - since they were so young...
-- Andrea Yates, stammering before starting to cry.

MacDries says, "Makes ya just wanna get some religion, doesn't it?"
Remind Me...
not to do that again. I did 3 hours of heavy work this morning, mowing and moving gravel to patch the driveway washout and it took 3 hours to recuperate. Now I'm sore and whupped, rode hard and put up wet.
I keep thinking that exercise is good for a geezer; that I will get back in shape. Doesn't seem to be true, even though my blood sugar is pretty good these days.
Busey/Butterfield & Danko
See the boys do Stay All Night. Go HERE.
And some Nitty Gritty & A Bunch Of Friends do Will The Circle... Go HERE.
Phantom Candidates '08
The press keeps touting various candidates for Prez that no one knows anything about. A partial list: Bayh, Allen, Warner, Vilsack, it goes on.

MacDries says, "Add my name to the list you guys. Nobody heard of Jimmy Carter either, back in the day."
Richard "Kinky" Friedman

Kinky will be on the Texas ballot for Governor.
The latest: Go HERE.
Full Moon & Fireflies
Last night's feature presentation; how many times do you see that in the city?
Dem Damn Divided Dems
They just can't get together and are doomed to blow it again. And this sort of coverage from the "Liberal Press" do not help.
Go HERE.

MacDries says, "You know damn well the Reprobates will have their message together come November. I can hear Rove cackling all the way up here in the woods. And it ain't funny."

Sioux Falls Oasis

©2006 Carl Grupp
This is where I spend most of my time when I go to Sioux Falls: Carl's house. Not that we spend any time in his wonderful garden. Mostly we are indoors in the Media Center, consuming mass quantities. At breakfast we discuss where to have lunch. At lunch we discuss dinner plans. Jack Nicholson famously said, "Only in the midwest is over-eating still considered an act of heroism."*
But I wish I had his skills at gardening. He and Lil' Sis Dee both seem to have green thumbs.
*Quoted in one of my favorite books by Jim Harrison, The Raw & The Cooked.
Yeah, Captain Jack
Pirates tops Superman in All-time High B.O. Socko. $132,000,000 in 3 days and that doesn't include my Senior Citizen ticket, nor Sparklers, nor Kate's.
Second That
"If a preacher secretly accepts a bucket of money from a saloonkeeper to organize a temperance rally at a rival saloon and maybe send in a gang of church ladies to chop up the bar with their little hatchets, this would strike you and me as sleazy, but others are willing to make allowances, and so Ralph Reed's political career is still alive and breathing in Georgia. He has bathed himself in tomato juice and hopes to smile his way through the storm."
-- Garrison Keilor
I Repeat

Time to go Joe.
"I find the behavior of a large segment of the Jewish community to be reprehensible and outrageous," said John Droney, a former chairman of the state party who is advising Lieberman to run as an independent. "When he's in trouble like this, they all ought to rally to him. It's too bad that you have to listen to an Irish-American to realize that you've got to support your own home cooking."

MacDries says, "Yes, yes. Jews For Joe."
Go HERE for Ned Lamont's site.
Movies
Prarie Home Companion is a very cute movie. And Meryl Streep can actually sing. Is there anything she can not do?
Stupid jokes by Dusty & Lefty were a hoot.
Supposed To Rain
But it's not. Maybe later.
My teneant is not here much on weekends but she leaves her sleep alarm programmed. So yesterday we were awakened at 6:60 with what sound like a distant phone off the hook. Yesterday it seemed to quit after a while but today it didn't. So, pissed as I was, I got up and tracked it down. Nobody home except her dog who didn't like my attention, so I just started popping circuit breakers until I hit the right one.
I'll deal with her later.

The New Tom Cruise
David Chappelle. Anyone else getting tired of reading about him. Shall we start a pool on when he will self-imolate?
I've only ever seen one little piece of his humor and he ain't no Richard Pryor.
Vietnam Redux
Ann just told me of an article about Irag soldiers deserting and heading for Canada. Sound familiar? I thought she was getting it from the NYTimes. But no, it's is in our local (Albany) alternative paper. Go HERE.
More On Weeds
I just asked Ann what the nice big leaf plant in our rock garden is. She said, "That's a weed, I was thinking of pulling it out".
I'd just as soon leave it.
Tag Sailing
Biggest day of the summer for Tag, Garage, Lawn Sales. Must have hit 20 of them in and around Chatham, looking for a nicee bench for the pond. Instead I found an antique post and beam auger for $2. Some sort of heavy hasp without a handle for a buck and a hand powered grass trimmer for 25˘; the kind we use battery powered weed whackers to do our trimming today. Oh yeah, and a grass sythe for another $2. I'm a sucker nice pieces of steel and wooden items that are now all made of plastic.
The biggest single item that folks are trying to sell off are stuffed animals; the kind we all threw bags full away when our kids no longer needed them. Next in line are humidifiers; the kind that we used when our kids got the "snerbles"* every other week.
Lots of outmoded software as well. It's crazy how much people think such junk is worth. TVs without any inputs for VHS or DVd players. Could have bought 20-30 of those today.
And my lord the tschotkes and sets of dishes. But it is more fun than going to The Dollar Store.
* I coined that word. It stands for dribbly snot. You can use it if you like. It is not yet in the OED.
Grass
Time for the next go round of mowing grass. Wish I has some of the other kind.
Ann's in the kitchen writing something and the weather is perfecto.
1st Patriots

Huh?
"We shouldn't fear a world that is more interacted." (sic)
-- George W. Bush
Music On Transbuddha
The Band does Makes No Difference
Go HERE.
Wilco does Ashes Of American Flags
Go HERE.
David Bowie does Queen Bitch
Go HERE.
Headline
Bush says: "I'd Rather Be Right Than Popular".

MacDries says, "Sorry Shrub but you're neither."
Woody Woodpecker

I've got a Pileated Woodpecker up in the woods that is coming closer and closer. I can hear it but I've never spotted it yet.
I Repeat

Time to go Joe. Lieberman supports the approach of the Catholic hospitals when it comes to contraceptives for rape victims. Lieberman said he believes hospitals that refuse to give contraceptives to rape victims for "principled reasons" shouldnąt be forced to do so. "In Connecticut, it shouldnąt take more than a short ride to get to another hospital," he said.
Biden and Boxer are coming to Joe's rescue. You can add them to the list of Democratic weinies. Plus who would listen to a man (Biden, not Sinatra) who bleaches his teeth and has hair implants?
Pirates Of The Caribbean
Dead Man's Chest is opening today and I can't decide if I should wait two weeks for My Sparkler to get home from camp or just go for it. And then go a second time.
Record Stuck
In the morning as I'm waking and trying to snatch a few extra winks, my mind has the aggravating tendency to go over and over some tedious thought. This morning it was about pre-buying fuel oil for the winter and how the price has jumped from 1.99 last year to 2.78 this year. And it's all The Shrub's fault.
It's enough to make a man get up.

Hot Head McCain
Conservatives are going after McCain for having a bad temper when s***heads disagree with him or don't do what he wants he tells them to f*** off. Such crybabies. Go HERE.
Maria?
Can she do it again?
That sucks. Mauresmo beat her.
Update
Finished my projects for the day and checked in with what's going on in the world. Found out that the Israelis and Palestinians are still killing each other. Some people are still interested in whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry each other. Ken Lay is still dead and Joe Lieberman is still an ass. North Korea is doing what a whole lot of other countries did before; shooting missiles, developing "nukular" energy. Some people are upset about this. The Shrub is confused about it but doesn't like it at all. And Hey! How about that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt thingy? What ever happened to Tom Cruise? And I don't know when was the last time we heard from Oprah.
Apartment tenant moves out August 1st and I found a new one in one day. Too easy. She'll probably turn into another horror story.
Gonna rent out the main house for Fall and Winter vacationers on a weekly or monthly basis. Wanna check out the leaves, do a little skiing? Sign on the dotted line.
Kate just called from Paree, happy as a clam in wet sand. She went to Versailles today and EyeFull Tower tonight. Time for my daily email to my Sparkler at camp.
Woody-Woody
Watched Melinda & Melinda last night and have to say Woody is getting more tedious every year. Wallace Shawn doing Dinner with Andre opening and then Will Farrell doing Woody's usual roll, trying to get laid. Close your eyes and you can hear Woody spouting his usual wisecracks. The babe playing Melinda is a real hottie however. Almost worth the time spent. Almost.
Then I watched the 1st disk of Mark Bittman Dueling With Great Chefs which is pretty damn good. Amazing cooking.

I Repeat

Time to Go Joe.

I know, first Hillary and now Joe.
Frosty 4th In Sioux Falls

Carl Grupp & Carol Wright.
Kenny Boy
The Grim Reaper snatches Lay before he spent a day in jail. Same age as yours truly. And of course it was a "massive heart attack". They're always massive if they kill you. Mine were silent ones and I'm still around. So far.
Fireworks
Managed to get through the 4th without seeing a single one. Heard a few pops though, off in the distance. I can tell now this is gonna be a slow day. Maybe even a nap day after I finish my coffee.

Huh?
"It should make people nervous when nontransparent regimes, that have announced that they've got nuclear warheads, fire missiles. This is not the way you conduct business in the world. This is not the way that peaceful nations conduct their affairs."
-- George W. Bush

MacDries says, "The correct way to do it is to bomb the shit out of smaller nations and impose "democracy" on them."
Did I Offend?
I just noticed I've lost about 200 viewers per day. Summer vacation? Bored with all this? I feel bereft.

© Richard "Lucky" Avedon

MacDries says, "This will bring them back."
Laughable
Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Alice Walker and Danny Glover and other celebrities will join Cindy Sheehan in a protest fast to end the war in Iraq. For 24 hours each, that is. It's called a rolling fast and each will "refuse" food for 24 hours and then pass their sacrifice on to another.
Someone Had Too Much Time

Shrub/Lieberman
Go HERE.
No Joke

Happy 52nd Birthday Ann

Kate-17, Emma-13, Ann-52, Danny-64, Lois (Nana)-78
Looking good, Mom. Nana is back in San Marino, Kate is off to Paree, Emma is in the Poconos at camp, Mom is in NYC and Dad is up country. All on the internet however.
Also happy 106th birthday to Louis Armstrong. Happy 230th birthday to the (not so) U.S. of A.

I Repeat

Time to Go Joe. Lieberman plans to run as an Independent in case Lamont whups him in the primary. Joe says, he "has loyalties stronger than the Democratic Party".

MacDries says, "I'm sure you do, Joe. Can you spell Israel?"
Miltiary/Industrial/Complex?
WASHINGTON -- The Bush Administration said on Monday that it planned to sell Pakistan up to 36 advanced F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp. in a weapons package that could be worth more than $5 billion.

MacDries says. "Need more proof? go watch Why We Fight.
Last Night's DVD
Odd-ball, quirky little movie called Me, You & Everyone We Know. Worth checking out if you like such things. Good acting. Many little stories linked to one cab-driver-artist's struggles.
WlfSng Is Nuts (about planes)

These guys restored the P-59 in the background. The P-59 was the first jet the U.S. produced. The funny hats are another story.
According to WlfSng: "Here is the funny story about the P-59 (and explains the funny hats the guys are wearing). In 1942, this was a Top Secret airplane. It was at Edwards AFB, and when they had to transport it, (when the dry lake got flooded) they disguised it with a phony wood propeller on the front -and covered it in a shroud.
One time, on a test flight out of Edwards, it was spotted by pilot's getting checked out in P-38s out of Van Nyes Airport. When they reported seeing an airplane with no propeller, no one would believe it. The story kept circulating, so the test pilot of the P-59 decided on a great plan. He dressed up in a gorilla mask, put on a derby hat and a cigar. Then he made a point to fly next to the P-38 pilots and waved at them. When they got back to the base, they told everyone they had seen a plane with no propeller, flown by a gorilla, wearing a derby and smoking a cigar. Naturally, NO ONE would believe that one, so it stayed a secret until after the war."
Sweet Corn & Tomatoes
These are two reasons summer is so nice. Just had my first of the year for lunch. The sweet corn was fine but the tomatoes are not yet there. Saw some nice looking "organic" ones but they were priced at $5.99 per pound.
The Dylan Interviews
Bob Dylan is as transparent as he is elliptical. It is so obvious, as you read through this collection, who Dylan likes, hates, admires and despises. The refeshing family man Dylan you discovered in Chronicles is seldom available in this book. What you will read is a collection of Bob on good days and bad. This is about what you would get if someone interviewed you over a period of 30 years, drugged, drunk and sober, pleasnt and obnoxious. Welcome to the real world. The man is still making music worth listening to and a new CD is coming out in the fall.
I can't wait.
4 Koi

Dori- 10", Roi- 14", Firewater- 12", Boi Toi- 7".
Whoops!
Forgot to wish CodeFred Happy Birthday on the 1st. Happy 60th BD Fred.

Frogs, etc.
Just spotted a huge conglomeration of frog eggs in one spot. Musta been a few thousand little black spots all ready to become tadpoles, then polliwogs and then more bellowing cow and bull frogs. Dragged them suckers up into the weeds to dry. Cruel? Perhaps, but I am the lord of these 20 acres and have to keep it tidy.
That's my theory and I'm sticking to it until the bugs come. So far the pond is the buggiest place on the property and that's where all the froggies are. I won't touch the toads that hang out in my garden.
Also heard that you can buy human urine (and other species output) to keep the deer away from certain flower beds. So I've begun to relieve myself there to see if it works.
Second That!
"What kind of god gets upset at a cartoon in Danish."
-- Salman Rushdie
8 & 1/2 Mile
Eminem meets Fellini. Makes me wanna go rent a bunch of old fave Fellinis.
Go HERE.
Equal Pay For Equal Play
Only one problem with the womens cry for equal pay at tennis tournaments. Men play 5 sets and women play 3.
I think certain women players (say Navratilova or Graf) could beat certain men players on certain days. Perhaps it's time to have a mixed Grand Slam tournament. 5 sets, same pay.
Quebec T-shirt

Another Missed Photo
I have a brain-sized brain coral sitting on the deck railing. This morning a chipmunk was resting on top of it, snoozing. As I picked up my camera, it ran off.
That picture was worth 32 words.
Cloudy Day
And humid. I'm feeling lazy. Israel is up to it's dirty tricks again. Time for us to take all their high-tech toys away and arm them with slingshots. Rove and Co. have started their soft on terror campaign early. Dems affraid to talk back. What goes around, comes around, so watch them blow the election once again.

Grupp Humor
Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have ....
Jim and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there.
Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out.
When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna's heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.
When she went to tell Edna the news she said, "Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of the person you love, I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness. The bad news is, Jim, hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he's dead."
Edna replied, "He didn't hang himself. I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home.
Lost Photo
I'm pretty pissed. I just missed a great photo. Driving down Angell Hill Road I spotted a Mama Mallard leading a flock of ducklings across the road, nice light, so cute, Emma would love to see it. But... I didn't get it. I always remember the photos I missed more than the ones I catch.
Farewell Andre
Raphael Nadal knocked Andre out in the 3rd round of Wimbeldon. Sorry Andre. Look forward to watching you in the U.S. Open.
Asked Google
What is a weed?
Weed is the generic word for a plant growing in a spot where it is not wanted. Weeds become of economic significance in connection with farming, where weeds may damage crops when growing in fields and poison domesticated animals when growing on pasture land.
An uninvited and usually unattractive plant that surfaces in gardens. Usually seeds are delivered by winds, but not always.
To a gardener, any plant which grows where it is not wanted. To a rancher, any plant which is especially prolific and which usually has no evident use to cattle or other livestock (or is even poisonous for livestock to eat). To the botanist, a plant which is especially adept at quickly colonizing areas disturbed by human beings or our livestock. Most weeds, by this latter more objective definition, happen to be non-native.
New Month
Last night's DVD was Why We Fight. I have to say that every child and adult in America, indeed the world should see this documentary and rise up against this country. We are the enemy. There can be no doubt that the scale of our power and influence makes us the worst terrorists in history.
As a teenager, I was told that Eisenhower was a know-nothing, and do-nothing but play golf, President. Turns out he was not only a war hero when Congress still declared the wars but post-war, the prescient political thinker of his time.
Does Military-Industrial-Complex ring a bell?
I rant and rave whenever one of my girls tell me they are watching movies in history class; Oliver Stone's JFK for instance. I'd maybe approve Inherit The Wind for a primer on the Scopes Monkey Trial but nothing by Oliver Stone. Please.
Rent Why We Fight and make your kids watch it. My daughter Kate told me to watch it and I just got around to it.
After that rent Paradise Now and you just might begin to understand what's going on in the Middle-East.

Back at'cha Shrub. You little twerp!
Go HERE to see the whole tape.

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I've never actually watched an episode of The Simpsons (I'm more of a Pixar kind of guy) butt...
*Dislaimer

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