It’s Those Stolen Moments

I was on my way out the door an hour ago… on my way to a quickly arranged lunch date with my wife. (See also, “The Monday After“, in yesterday’s postings)

On my way out of the shop, I passed through Midtown Plaza, since I park under Midtown. While doing so, I happend to hear a song on the store speakers; Oddly, it was one I’d been playing at my own desk’s MP3 player just prior to leaving… Weather Report’s “Birdland”, off the “Heavy Weather” album. I know the album well, having owned it for years and having played it on the air several times when I was doing jazz radio, years ago.

All this led me to the thought; You know you’re in serious trouble with age, when music you grew up with gets moved into the area of Muzak. This is particularly true when the music is considered cutting edge jazz for the day. (sigh)

Good Lord!! Have things moved on that much? At what point did I lose track of the process?  You could hear my bones creaking and groaning as I walked down to my truck.

I met my wife at home, and we had a nice lunch together… (Chinese)… It’s good to remind yourself why you’re working, once in a while. We gave each other a hug, and started back toward work, each in our own vehicle… me in Bit’s Box, and her in her Escape. 

Some time ago, I wrote in these spaces about Niagara Falls, which is about 70 miles west of here. The Falls has, over the years, taken on the quality of an old freind for us; We who know all it’s secrets don’t conisder it a real vacation spot for us… it’s more like a day trip, if we bother going at all. I wrote at the time that the real kick for me these last number of years when going there for a day, was the way strangers, particularly people who have never seen the the area before, react to the sights and sounds of the Falls and all that it is, there. Often, it’s in the eyes of strangers or the young, that well-known things take on a newness, a freshness, that have long been… welllll… ordinary. Some people report Christmas is like that, too, for them… and looking at it through the eyes of children is their way of refreshing their point of view.

I had a similar experience with my wife today.

Leaving home following lunch, we both needed gas, and so went to the local gas station on our way out to the freeway. After that we’d go seperate ways, given we each work on opposite ends of town. While standing there pumping gas, each in our own lane, I noted the guy with the pickup in front of me checking my beautiful wife out as she took care of her fuel, next island over. She, of course, never noticed it, but I did. He had no way of knowing who she was, or who I was for that matter. Had he known who I was, I doubt he’d have done it. As it was, I let him look, and kept my thoughts and comments to myself.

Sometimes though the eyes of strangers…

I glanced over and it came to me…. Yep; that’s a pretty girl, all right.

Of course, she would think I was a liar was I to tell her of it. (Shrug) In any event, it was a reminder that perhaps I’m not doing so badly after all. No doubt about it… I got lucky with this girl.

Apparently, I was more right than I knew, yesterday; It’s those stolen moments that make it worthwhile for us.

There’s a few problems with your conclusions, here, BillyFirst, how the hell you got that conclusion out of the topic you started with is amazing to me. Granted that situation certainly didn’t call for trying to talk that particular someone out of it. But it’s quite a leap from there to :

“It is madness to hope that the divisions in America can be reasonably, rationally ‘healed’. It is of a piece with attempting to discuss the ethics of a murderer while he is attempting murder.”

The difference here, and the problem I see with your conclusion, is that it makes the assumption that the socialists among us are willing to take that violent step.. of having the courage of their supposed convictions. And I don’t see that happening. Given the aversion to violence, given the wishy-wshy state of the convictions on the part of the left as a whole, given their wn internal sqabbling which I don’t see them ever coming out of as a unified force… I don’t see them ever being able to mount any kind of movement toward violence. They will lean whichever way the wind blows. A look at John Kerry should tell you that much.

Given that, then, it comes down to the lower level of political action… and that is an action I think the group of people who make up what I’ll call the “Center to Right” can WIN… assuming we actually commit to the path, and are willing to take action within it.

“ FALLUJAH, Iraq — US forces dropped a pair of 2,000-pound bombs early yesterday morning on a bunker complex believed to be an insurgent training facility on the southern edge of this city, where the most dedicated and best trained rebel fighters are making a last stand.

The bombs shook the ground of the former insurgent stronghold and set off secondary explosions that went on for 45 minutes but could not be seen above ground, persuading officers of the Army’s First Infantry Division that there were large stockpiles of weapons underground.”

Gee, ya think?

A larger oddity is how the press except fot this report I’ve linked, has been utterly silent on the matter. Our people are quite successful at doing their jobs, and this is one big indication. Clearly the intel we’re getting is good and the bombing accurate, and this is a major hit against the insurgents. Yet… silenceo from the press. They who have ears to hear….

Link via Aldaynet

It’s time I stole an idea from James Joyner over at OTB. In an effort to cross-promote freindly Blogs, I’m going to steal James’ idea of a daily link fest. Fellow Bloggers are invited to post links to their best stories of the last couple days in the trackback section of this post.

I want to see what you folks think is your best work of late.
Future link festivals like this rather depends on the (numbers) success of this one.

“SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) –: A fight broke out near the stage at the Vibe awards ceremony as rapper Snoop Dogg and producer Quincy Jones were preparing to honor Dr. Dre., and one person was stabbed, authorities and witnesses said.”

Can anyone come up with big name Jazz acts having this kind of reputation? Bigtime Rock acts? When’s the last time we heard of a knife fight at the Philharmonic? I don’t recall anything like this at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in all the years that’s been running, do you? I’ve been unable to find records of anything of the like happening down at the theatre district in Branson, MO. I haven’t seen anything like this on the Gospel Music circuits, or the Modern Christian music circles, either.

Ya know, at some point, someone’s going to figure out that there’s a rather well-established pattern, here. And no, this is not a ‘racial profiling’ thing. This is a ‘rap profile’ thing, and it’s getting as predictable as the outcome of tossing a can of gasoline on a campfire.

Prevention of this nonsense permeating our society is not something that requires government intervention.
It doesn’t even require ‘black leaders’ to mouth their nonsense. What it WILL require is individuals to walk away from the rap scene as self-destructive.

And I wonder if those still following these thugs, have the smarts to walk away like that.

Sadly, I tend to doubt it.

And it’s even money I’ll get called a racist for saying this.

So the President, to the shock and amaze of just about nobody, picked Dr. Rice as his Secretary of State.  A solid choice, given the woman’s track record, particularly the last several years.

Of course the left apparently having not heard the news about how they lost the election, and all, are screaming that with Powell gone and Rice being so like minded to the president our foreign policy will tilt sharply to the right.

Well the first thought that comes to mind is, “That’s a bad thing”?

Secondly, do they really want to object on the grounds that the nominee actually agrees with her popularly elected Boss? Seems an interesting objection to a nomination, and possibly a costly one politically. I wonder, for example, what they would say if the American people ever trust them with the White House again, and their opposition tries to block a nomination based on the grounds that the nominee similarly agreed with their presdient? I suspect the fallout would be much different.

The third thought is one I’ve expressed here often enough; Bush, despite what the left will tell you, is by no means a right-wing idealouge. In fact, Mr. Bush’s largest flaw, is that he’s far too willing to tilt left. On that basis, I tend to doubt we’ll see the kind of problems the left is saying they fear. (Note the way that’s worded… I doubt their concern on this point is geniune, but is, rather, more of the stuff we heard during the election… object to everything regardless of it making sense or not.)

And the bonus thought; Here we have the first black woman nominated for so lofty a position. Can you imagine a Democrat… say a Bill Clinton, making such a move, and not being lauded by the press and the Democratic leadership, for his dedication to diversity? Yet the press and the Democratic leaders are grumpy. Odd, that.

Come to think on it, if it were Clinton, the question would be if he didn’t have a little action going on the side… him being an expert on foreign affairs, and all.

Personally, I’d like to see the Democrats fillibuster this nomination, they way they’ve been treating Bush’s judicial nominees. I really would. That they’re even raising such objections as we’ve seen so far to Rice tells me that the former Minority leader getting the boot taught the Democrats nothing at all.

Those are John Kerry bumper stickers, gang.Link through LegalXXX

It’s not as bad as the Full-sized Chevy I saw a around Rochester and Buffalo as well, few months ago. Someone had painted it Red, White, and Blue with a hand-brush and housepaint, with hand-lettering all over it, complete with a lighted pizza delivery sign that looked like it had been stolen from somewhere, and re-lettered to read “Bush=Hitler”.

Blithering idiots.

Bruce Horbsby wrote a song a while ago called “The Red Plains” that had a rather interesting line… and it’s one that reminds me to some degree that I’m back at work today…

“Get up on Sunday morning
Repent for Friday night
Don’t let ’em tell you it’s gonna be a fair fight”

And boy, do I feel like that today.

Back to work, though.

Oh, don’t misunderstand; I like my job, and the folks I work with. It’s days like last Friday, though, juxtiposed against “everyday” days like today, that make me very aware that it’s the stolen moments… those fleeting times… that give us the best memories. Sad that we can’t slow them down to enjoy them while they’re here.

My family and I do tend to travel rather a lot. My doing, I suppose. Our boys like to ‘go’ just about anywhere. My wife started out as a homebody, but is becoming increasingly tolerant of the wanderlust I’ve always had, and that I’ve started imparting to our two sons. Perhaps part of the reason behind that wanderlust is that we’re trying to make special memories, while underway. It’s one reason I bought the long-haul van, and why we own the camper.

They’ve started to learn that every journey is an adventure, and that all journeys, are better than their ending. (Save one… that being Heaven itself.) And that, I think, is among the most important lessons one can teach; cherish what times you have…. while you have them.

Last Friday, though recharged our batteries, as it were.
And I’m planning our next road trip.

Liberals: Go here. Now.

Check this one…

OK, I know, I know… you never won “The Award.”

Now, through, the magic of the free market system, you can buy it and display it in your front window. This is your link No, I’m not making any money here… I just thought the thing was too good a chuckle to pass up. (Link by way of my wife who apparently has moved into Christmas Anticipation mode)

In measuring how far out of kilter France’s global vision is from our own, need we look any farther than this?

AP says:

OK, no big shock here. Nice job, General, and thanks.

Political asperations? I doubt it. Problems with Bush policy? I doubt that too, and for the same reason; Powell’s 67 years old.

The one thing the Democrats are not making mention of as regards the amount of popular support they got this most recent election, I’ll express as a question:

What would the election outcome have been like, had George Soros not pumped in 27 million dollars of his own money, attempting to buy the election?

All that money and all the Democrats could do was within %5 on popular votes, and losing in about every single category?

Clearly the Democrats have becme the Yugo of politics. Despite all the money spent on promoting them, nobody wants ’em.

My TTLB chart has been showing me as a “Large Mammal” for several weeks now. Today it shows I’ve regressed to the role of a “Marauding Marsupial”.

Sheesh, I take a couple days off, and….

Seriously, after the election was over I guess I always expected some traffic drop-off, but….Oh, wait. What’s this?
(Snort!)
Will someone please tell me what the heck happened on 10-26 of this year to flip-flop my indicators inside of 24 hours?

Gotta drop the Bear a note, I guess.