Jason Linkins

I do enjoy Jason Linkins of the Huffington Post quite a bit. Here are some of my favorite excerpts from this past weekend's liveblog of the Sunday morning talking heads:

"He also thinks reconciliation would be a ruinous tactic, but I'll point out once again: PASSING BILLS THROUGH RECONCILIATION HAS NEVER EVER PROVEN TO BE A RUINOUS TACTIC! Laws have been passed through reconciliation plenty of times. I made note of four in this here liveblog. The laws may have led to to someone's political ruin, but the reconciliation process did not. Know why? Because only Beltway wonks and media types take that point of view of reconciliation. Out in the real United States of America, if you tell a person that a bill passed 51 to 49, they say, "YEP. THAT'S EXACTLY HOW THE SENATE WORKS, LEARNED IT IN JUNIOR HIGH."

"Rendell and Schwarzenegger say that the GOP will have to compromise at the health care summit, because otherwise the ancient Celts will come over Hadrian's Wall and impose a single payer system on the Gauls, or something."

"And seriously, why is Tiger Woods apologizing to me? I don't care if he wants to plow every IHOP waitress from here to Saskatoon! This is a free country! He can do what he likes. His wife should probably leave him, but if she doesn't want to, that's fine too. I guess what I am saying is that I have lived a full and rich life of not giving a tinned shit about what Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren do in their homes and in their lives, and I think that Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren should, with all deliberate haste, retreat to their previous state of not requiring me to have to confront their private lives."

Too funny.

Why Indeed.

This is an article about a subject that I have spent some time thinking about in recent months/years. I cannot fathom the American voting public at times. They are a mystery to me, and I do not imagine anyone will be hiring me to run their political campaign any time soon.

Not Exactly How I Would Have Advertised

If I Had a Hammer...

Dateline Riverside...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: Monday, January 11, 2010
Contact: Lt. Chuck Griffitts, Dayshift Watch Commander
Phone: (951) 353-7900

Home Invasion ends with suspect arrested
Juvenile Male subdued by victim’s roommate

Riverside, CA -- On Monday January 10, 2010, a little before 1 o’clock in the morning, Officers responded to the 11100 block of Norwood Ave in the City of Riverside answering a phone call reporting a home invasion robbery.

At the scene, Officers learned that a juvenile male tried to steal a car that was parked in the driveway of a single family residence. The lone juvenile male could not get the car started so he broke into the residence through a window and woke up the sleeping homeowner at knife point.

The suspect ordered the victim into the kitchen and demanded car keys and money while threatening him with a knife. The victim told the juvenile male that he did not have and money and as a result received a cut on the hand by the male juvenile. The victim sustained a minor wound and was eventually treated and released.

The victim’s roommate, a carpenter, heard the commotion and came out of his bedroom. Seeing what was going on and fearing for the victim’s safety, he hit the male juvenile in the back of the head with a hammer. The male juvenile was detained by the victim and his roommate until Police arrived on scene. The knife was recovered at the scene. The male juvenile was transported to Riverside Community Hospital for treatment of the head wound, was treated and released for booking. Officers booked the male juvenile into Riverside Juvenile Hall for home invasion robbery.

The arrested male's identification is being withheld due to his age; he is described only as a male juvenile, 17 years from the City of Riverside.

There is no further information available at this time.

Happy New Year

This is a typical front door decoration (o-kazari) for the New Year 2010 or Heisei 22, as the Japanese have traditionally recorded the year of the current Emperor.


As I have previously blogged, the Colonel's KFC is a frequent Christmas Eve meal, and our family was no exception getting a bucket to go this year. Inside were some fun stickers with which we decorated the calendar appropriately, I think:


Yeah, I don't think I'm going in there.

Me and my sister assembling the kagami mochi decoration for the front entrance. Looks more like a Dalek or a mochi helmet to me, but who am I to say?


Happy New Year!

Emperor's Birthday Photos

Well, we got downtown, and the weather was fine. The palace grounds are really beautiful. Lots of people were running through the park area even though it was crowded with well wishers. It's probably a great place to exercise or just take a walk on a nice day. The part of the castle that is open for the birthday celebration is not open the rest of the year except tomorrow (New Year's Day), however.

First, we entered from Sakuradamon station on the west side of the grounds. Boy and girl scouts were waiting to give us paper Japanese flags to wave. After that, we got in the queue to be scanned and searched by security. It looked like every cop in Japan was out that day, and they appeared to have deployed the best looking female police to the front lines, I must say.

Then, on through the gates with the masses:

Lots of press was waiting for the big moment:

And after 20 minutes of patient waiting, the crowd goes wild as the royal family appears in their little bullet-proof box:

The Emperor spoke for about 5 minutes wishing everyone well and thanking us for coming to celebrate his 76th birthday. Then, we all had to leave so the next crowd could come in. He was scheduled to make 3 appearances that day.


Security was patrolling the moat, as well. Just a beautiful place, though.


And, of course, the Right Wing Nutter fan club was on hand to play their nationalistic music over the speakers in their custom vans.

Apparently, they have palace guards similar to Buckingham. These guys stare straight ahead and do not move or talk. I think they need some big furry hats to complete the ensemble, however. Not quite impressive. Just sort of creepy.

All in all, a fun day in a beautiful part of Japan, right in the heart of Tokyo. I would go again.

Happy Birthday

So, we're headed down to Tokyo to wish the Emperor a happy birthday tomorrow.

In Japan, the Emperor's birthday is always a National Holiday that moves around with each different Emperor over time. There are only two times a year when the general public can go to his Imperial Palace Grounds in Tokyo to view him and his royal family; his birthday and New Year's Day. The current Emperor's birthday happens to be the 23rd, so it's two times in two weeks during his reign.

It sort of reminds me of Groundhog Day in the U.S. Perhaps it's irreverent, but if you've seen photos of the Emperor, it's like he's a little groundhog guy who comes out of his palace to wave for a few minutes to his adoring masses, then goes back inside until next year. Probably not something I'd go and do every year like the Nationalist black van driving wing-nuts, but something I figure a cat ought to do at least once. They hand out little Japanese flags and everyone goes crazy waving them and yelling greetings to the royal family. There is also a guest book which "will be duly forwarded to its highest destination as the expression of your warm congratulations". I guess you can also leave a business card, so maybe I'll do that. He'll probably give me a call to say thanks later. Right.

In any case, we'll see if we can get a few photos that aren't too crappy and far away to post.