Change is Hard

Via Loafer, Hitler gets the news about Favre:

They Both Had It

So, these worms are a KICK ASS bait off shore too. GD⁴ caught this 3 1/2 pound bass offshore at the same park we've been shore-fishing from for years.

Why is Scroo-Loo in the photo? Because 10 minutes before it was caught she snapped her line and insisted it had been something huge. She was right; upon further inspection this fish had a second worm and hook deep in its throat.

I caught a 2 1/4 pounder at the secret spot too, and we'll be eating that because the hook got it good. Damn. I hope bass is tasty.

Now With Real Photos

Crappy cell phone photos at Get the Net have been replaced with real ones. The jealousy factor is guaranteed to climb.

Confliction

Regarding possible CIA investigations, Glenn Reynolds puts my mind at ease:

"You know, I should feel bad about this, but given the CIA’s extensive efforts to undercut Bush, well, I hope they’re enjoying the new administration."

Don't you feel better too?

Worlds Colliding

My worlds violently collided in the last couple of weeks when I learned from Boz that Tom D. was having outboard issues.

They are my very best friends but, and despite living within about a mile of each other, until the fateful collision at both individuals' favorite superette only saw each other at officially sanctioned Teaparty functions and after-functions.

Boz was here a couple of weeks ago outfitting us with his throwaways - a new tower and laptop that for him are Jurassic but for us are sweet new computers; thanks Boz! And so it was that, in the middle of a conversation as typical as any over the last 25 years, he casually mentioned that Tom D., following a successful outboard tank test, was unable to reproduce a similar result in an actual lake. The words washed over me like ULF waves and I was instantly nauseous contemplating the enormity of the moment's significance.

I don't really know what happens now. I just know this bell cannot be un-rung. Imaginary boundaries existing only in my own head have been crossed. "Tomorrow" is an enigma.

In other Worlds Colliding news: They're chanting "Hide your beagle, Vick's an Eagle" in Philly.

Love Me Do

It's reality. My opinion?

I think it's a bad deal. We might win a few more games this season, but I don't think we'll win a Super Bowl despite assurances from Tom "This time I know we won't be disappointed" D.

Favre will eat time in the pre-season which means we won't be able to properly evaluate the quarterbacks that will be here past this season. So, we'll be right back here next year.

A surprisingly Un-Chili move. Until now he's been so good about bringing in long-term talent - Allen, Peterson, Greenway, Hutchinson, and many more - Favre has always seemed like an Achilles heel for Childress. And, he brings with him more negatives than positives.

I hope Favre has a great season, but that's all it will ever be. It's not the start of the "Brett Favre era" like the drooling news rubes are suggesting. Suggesting? What am I saying? I can't remember the last time the local media was so far in the tank. Apparently we are all beside ourselves on a level commensurate with New Yorkers when the Beatles landed. Chubby, purple-clad Miller Lite drinkers are fainting in the streets.

I know, I know. I'll probably eat these words when the Minnesota Vikings stomp the crap out of the entire league this year and take it all the way to The Show!

Super Bowl baby!
Ya!
2010 World Champs!
You know it!
Eat it Cheeselosers!

Whatever. I ain't drinking Miller Light.

Get the Net

We have arrived home from our vacation, and has become the tradition, I have fish pictures and stories for you. Unfortunately, I had my camera phone set on small so most of the images are grainy. Sorry.

We'll start with a story, and I swear every word is true. Pictured first is GD⁴ with a 5 1/2 pound northern he caught off the dock. He was bobber fishing with a sucker minnow when it struck. For gear he was using an ultra-light pole (made to make sunnies feel fun), four-pound test and no leader. By himself on the dock, he fought the fish boat-side, held his tiny pole in one hand and scooped the fish out using the net with the other. By the time he ran to the cabin and told us he had caught a "huge fish," the drama was over. Suffice to say the event spread resort-wide within hours and GD⁴ became a 10-year old fishing legend, a reputation that stuck all week.

Pictured below is LeAnn's first big fish of the week, a four-pound northern:



Below is a four 1/2 pound northern GD⁴ caught deep-water trolling with our neighbors, a wonderful family from Chicago. Bailey likes to set his drag light so he can say "big fish" whenever it starts spooling off. In this case the drag was so light the fish got fought out before he could get it to the boat, which actually had to go back to pick up the fish off the surface:



Louie and I were bored with northerns and really wanted to see if we could pull some bass out of the lake. After much investigation we discovered the Slop Monster Bait Co.'s green pumpkin Wacky Garlic Stick and the week got very interesting. Below is not only the biggest bass of the week (4 pounds) it was the largest either of us has ever caught. Louie - who was using a medium light rod - said she felt like the 19 inch fish was going to snap her pole:


About a half and hour later, she caught this three 1/2 pound fish:



My biggest catch of the week was this three-pounder:


We had a great time, and to celebrate I think we're going fishing later.

I'm Harry Ried and I'm a Rageaholic

This just keeps getting better. It has become increasingly clear that Democrats simply have no idea how to deal with opposition:

The Senate's most powerful Democrat on Thursday scolded health care protesters dogging his party's lawmakers at local meetings, arguing that some critics on the political right have run out of ideas—and ditched their civic manners. Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada accused the protesters of trying to "sabotage" the democratic process.

So, if you are taking part in the Democratic process - going to town hall meetings, legislative listening sessions, etc. - expecting to be heard, you are "sabotaging" the process. Funny, Reid wasn't much concerned about that when his party's lapdogs were throwing pies at Conservative speakers, shouting down war supporters, or stomping on little old ladies' crucifixes for supporting traditional marriage.

It is wrong now, of course, because single payer health care is good for us, whether we know it or not. So, essentially, Democracy is only a tool for those in power to be used when the masses agree. When they don't, you simply condemn the people you were sent to DC to represent and do what you want anyway.

Democrats have no idea how to lead. They have this health care system they think is going to save the country and the only talking point they can come up with is "don't listen to Republicans." If they could sell this program, they would. They can't because it sucks and everyone knows it.

They are hamstrung and sinking; which refers to the first sentence of this post.

Help Us Make People Understand

The White House is asking for people to turn in their neighbors:

“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.”

I wonder if White House director of new media Macon Phillips could have chosen a better e-mail prefix than "flag."

Sen. Cornyn covers the obvious with Obama:

“I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House. I suspect that you would have been leading the charge in condemning such a program -- and I would have been at your side denouncing such heavy-handed government action.”

Now that would have been a big story; an outrage, really.

UPDATE: Iowahawk has more from the White House:

...beware: though small in number the state health reform enemy is clever, and well trained in subterfuge and disguise by his monopolist paymasters.

Plus, tips for recognizing good and evil in the world of protest.

Where Have All the Good Times Gone?

Is it just me, or is the Obama administration in a flat-out free-fall?

His approval rating is in the tank, he's getting slaughtered on health care since most people actually like their insurance, Cash for Clunkers is a disaster. Meanwhile, Obama needs a do-over with Israel, his Gitmo solution lies in absolute shambles, and he drinks Bud Light. The only currently non-controversial moves seem to be his many affirmations of Bush policy.

He has become a cartoon character faster than he sheds campaign promises.

The Generic Congressional Ballot has Republicans up by five points, a lead almost equal their deficit in 2008. Then there's this:

Voters not affiliated with either party prefer Republicans two-to-one - 43% to 22%.

Deservedly to Bush or not, Obama took office with nowhere to go but up. That opportunity has slipped into disaster pretty steadily. Republicans up by five just seven months into 2009? That's an epic fail.

Something to keep in mind for the future: When the time comes the American people favor the Democratic party to lead, perhaps the time has come to let it.

"We, uh, kill the Batman"

During the Bush years it was common to see him depicted as a monkey, a Nazi, or in any number of humiliating ways, so why not?

Frankly, this depiction of Obama even made me cringe. It has the added churn of being devastatingly effective. No doubt myriad leftie activists world-wide are kicking themselves today, having not been hip enough to think of this when it's power could have been used to unite the world against right-wing tyranny.

I don't think this poster is going to sit well with the left. No siree.

UPDATE: I didn't see this earlier. Here's Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson:

"Depicting the president as demonic and a socialist goes beyond political spoofery," says Hutchinson, "it is mean-spirited and dangerous."

Dangerous. Like yelling fire in a crowded theater I suppose, this poster is a public safety issue!

"We have issued a public challenge to the person or group that put up the poster to come forth and publicly tell why they have used this offensive depiction to ridicule President Obama."

Depicter, expose thyself!

Earl has forgotten that dissent is the highest form of patriotism.

UPDATE II: Private health care has Batman-like approval ratings.

UPDATE III: Sometimes you can only take so much of the Rantings of Loafer. In this case, it is the confidence with which he makes the following statement:

Face it, if this depiction was of the Pope, or of her honor (former) Gov. Palin, all hockey sticks would be flying, with hours of "coverage" on the lack of lefty ethics by the RW Media.
Hmmm - The hypocrit meter just pegged.

I offer exhibit A, virtually the same depiction of Bush, which passed without comment, as far as I know. And don't get me started on all the "assassination chic" wear from the Bush era, which also passed with little comment. I don't know about the hypocrit meter, but it seems a bit late to be crying about this kind of stuff now.

All Hail the Backup

I was trying the get the mighty Johnson to cooperate this morning and not getting far. A lot of pulling on the rope, not much payoff. Covered in sweat, and heaving, I decided to give the other Johnson a try.

We had been told it was running rough and may need some work, but we dropped it in the barrel just to see. She fired on the third pull, and after a minor idle adjustment purred like a kitten for a half an hour.

Our outboard issues appear to be solved, and just in time for our coming fishing trip. I sure hope the fishing is as good as last year.