Thursday, December 31, 2009

Hither and thither 12/31/09

Another batch of very varied variouses as we gather to bid "adieu" to 2009.
  • While The Season is still fresh in our minds (and straining our seams), my DAOD shares with us a Christmas food timeline
  • In case you missed it in the previous meta, Julie's boys did an excellent lego Nativity last year.
  • In that same spirit, would you like to hear President Obama explain the true meaning of Christmas to a bunch of kids? Let it load without playing, then listen from about 12:24 to 14:25.

  • If I had harbored any notions of doing a year-in-review — I hadn't — Dave Barry's year in review would have blown it out of my mind. Hysterical; had me in tears. Sample: "On the domestic front, the struggling Chrysler Corp. declares bankruptcy, but its CEO confidently predicts that the company will come back 'bigger, better and stronger than ever' thanks to its 2010 product line, spearheaded by the all-new Dodge Despair." And "President Obama, in the first serious test of his presidency, announces that he will send U.S. troops to rescue Democratic members of Congress pinned down in town hall meetings by constituents firing hostile questions concerning the administration's health-care plan, which turns out not to be wildly popular outside of the immediate Capitol Hill area."
  • Of course you om nom nom. But do you om nom nom properly? Here's how.
  • Tom Hanks has been many things. But... James Bond? Cracked me up, anyway. (Includes one brief hand of hand-cupped, implied nudity.)
  • No point in me saying poorly what others have already said better. Here's Charles Krauthammer on Obama's response to terrorism, and then Victor Davis Hanson on the same. And while Obama smugly awards himself a grossly-inflated (but probably modest, to his mind) "B+," here is one British writer who awards him a more appropriate "F."
  • It's no wonder the Washington times is calling this "the pooh-pooh presidency."
  • More blistering still, the man, Dick Cheney: "...it is clear once again that President Obama is trying to pretend we are not at war. He seems to think if he has a low key response to an attempt to blow up an airliner and kill hundreds of people, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if we bring the mastermind of 9/11 to New York, give him a lawyer and trial in civilian court, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if he closes Guantanamo and releases the hard-core al Qaeda trained terrorists still there, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if he gets rid of the words, “war on terror,” we won’t be at war. But we are at war and when President Obama pretends we aren’t, it makes us less safe. Why doesn’t he want to admit we’re at war? It doesn’t fit with the view of the world he brought with him to the Oval Office. It doesn’t fit with what seems to be the goal of his presidency – social transformation—the restructuring of American society. President Obama’s first object and his highest responsibility must be to defend us against an enemy that knows we are at war."
  • When will I say "The system worked well"? When this bunch of ideologically-lunatic juveniles hands the two branches of the US government back to some adults who read and respect the US Constitution... even a little! However...
  • ...since, unfortunately for the US, O and the Dems will remain in power for months, some common-sense ideas for cutting personal spending might be appropriate at this juncture.
  • Change in mood: here are two for my DAOD/BSIL's cats in the not-too-distant future:


  • This cracks me up —  but don't use any terms you don't recognize without looking them up first, cuz.
  • Omigosh. Ugliest. Shoes. Ever? Reader Susan alerted me to these. Three models refused to wear them in a fashion show, and were excluded.


  • Hm; how do I get one of these for my posts?
  • Something every set of parents in the world — except one — can be thankful for: this isn't your kid.

  • Very cool Lego commercial, in case you haven't seen it.
  • Some rugby player decided to tell the world he's embracing ruinous, sexually perverted desires, and goes on and on about himself and his feelings about himself and about himself sacrificing his wife on the altar of his perversion... and British pastor Gary Benfold doesn't view any of it very sentimentally. Benfold, of course, is right.
  • I sympathize with (almost) everyone who has trouble making decisions. Is that you? You're in luck. Here's a flowchart to help you in your produce selections.
  • New pc you got for Christmas giving you problems? Watch your temper. Srsly.
  • Umm, I like to hike, but... pass.

  • Perhaps you weren't brave enough (or dumb enough) to endure the entire two-hour Star Wars Holiday Special. Who could blame you? However, you still have a chance. You can see two hours of cringes crammed into about five minutes right here. No need to thank me.
  • There are great reasons for home delivery, and great reasons for hospital delivery. Here is a couple who's glad they had a hospital delivery. Amazing story.
  • As you think about returning to your mundane, imperfect job, consider that even the best job in the world has its perils.
  • Then with these lovely parting images, I wish you a Happy New Year.




 
 
 

 
 


    25 comments:

    Al said...

    a cat photo so nice, you had to post it twice...

    Happy New Year Dan! May you serve the Lord with gladness as you continue to press forward to the mark; that high calling in Christ Jesus!

    al sends

    Fred Butler said...

    Ah yes, Mr. President, Jesus was a liberating socialist.

    give me a break.

    DJP said...

    Well, Fred, you know that's true.

    Except for all those detail-thingies.

    Mark Patton said...

    Who knew the President was such a great "PC" dancer. (I guess I - along with a lot of others - did back in 2008)

    Dave Berry is a must read!

    After I figured it out, it does seem pretty black and white to me also.

    Thank you for all your hard work in sharing with us. Have a blessed New Year!

    Chris H said...

    You know, if the President would just take his words and apply it, maybe he wouldn't have hands that are slippery with the blood of the unborn. After all, if it's important to do nice things for others, murdering them probably couldn't be included on that list.

    On another note: try as I might, I can't figure out the picture with the Lego dude and the RCA cables. Little help for a legendarily thick Canadian?

    Brad Williams said...

    I only read the Dave Barry thing because, well, I'm on vacation in Louisiana. And, it took me a while to digest it in all of its beauty.

    The funniest thing is that he didn't even have to mess with the facts much to make it funny. At least, I decided that I would laugh instead of cry since I'm in CC's Coffee surrounded by latte sipping people who probably don't want to see me cry.

    SolaMommy said...

    Yet another example of the President not knowing anything about Scripture...

    The Dave Barry thing was great :-D

    sem said...

    That video was horrifying. His teleprompter would have done a much better job.

    Herding Grasshoppers said...

    Dan...

    You rock.

    The boys, hovering over me, insisting I show them today's offerings, were flattered to get a mention - thank you.

    They also loved the pic of the trampoline at the bottom. Mega FAIL.

    And the lego guy with the cables... a nod to "Back to the Future"?

    It's getting to where I get a sick feeling in my stomach every time I hear Obama's voice. True meaning of Christmas blah. And the, "Who agrees with me?" Nothing like a little pressure, is there? Some of the kids seemed to have a clue. Too bad he was too busy talking instead of listening.

    LOVE Dave Barry's YIR :0) And the Christmas miracle mom/baby. She says she's got a second chance at life; I wonder what she'll do with it.

    And Dan, those shoes, those shoes... they're so awful I don't have words.

    Happy New Year!

    the Grasshoppers

    Aaron said...

    Happy New Year to Dan and all his fellow readers! 2009 was a great year, because it's the year I started reading Dan's blog and Pyro. I've gotten to know a few of you a bit more, adding many to my facebook friends list. I've had a chance to pray for many of you in your times and need and know that many of you would do the same for me. I feel very blessed in that in addition to my local church family, I have a connection to believers all over the country and the world.

    May the Lord bless us and keep us in 2010.

    Paula said...

    Obama's rich, powerful wise men story fits well with the left's 'Jesus was a homeless child born to homeless parents narrative. Who care's if it's not true, it fits with their redistribution of wealth theory of economics. The younger you can indoctrinate the the better.

    DS is taking Micro-econ at the local state-funded university next semester and I was perusing his textbook by liberal Paul Krugmann. It lists the causes of poverty as:

    1. Lack of educational opportunities,
    2. Racial discrimination, and
    3.....ready for this? I can think of 3 or 4 off the top of my head starting with oppressive government policies that stifle the free market and create unemployment......








    3. .....BAD LUCK!!!

    No kidding! Indoctrination at every level.

    TAR said...

    Gotta love that 3 RICH wise men shared their wealth with a poverty stricken child

    Rachael Starke said...

    Couldn't bear to watch Obama mess with impressionable little yoots' minds any more than he already has (I was already mad at him today for taking his considerably younger than thirteen year old daughters to a PG-13 movie. I'd ask what he was thinking, but.....).

    But, yep, the Barry piece was pure gold. I really appreciate how evenly he disperses the satiric wit; I'm going to hazard a guess that he's liberal as most other successful comic journo writer types, but you wouldn't know it from this piece. And I'm with you Brad - I was left thinking "Good grief. You couldn't make up this year if you tried."

    And why, yes, I did know that New Zealand has knights. :) Pretty much all historically Commonwealth nations/protectorates do. The Queen even occasionally, in fits of largesse, bestows such honors on Americans. Their titles don't of course mean anything here, but when they're in England, they get Sir'd and Lady'd to their hearts content. And yes, you've hit upon pretty much the major requirement for such a title. I thus note with interest that Her Majesty has not seen fit yet to bestow such an honor on this year's Nobel Peace prize recipient. I'll hazard a little wager that a certain hot place will freeze over before that happens on her watch; can't vouch for her squirrelly son. (No disrespect to our own beloved Squirrel, of course. :) )

    Jay said...

    You know, other than runway models, the only person who I've ever seen wear those hideous shoes is Lady Gaga, but that poor woman is so deranged I think she'd wear a trash bag and consider it "art."

    SandMan said...

    Dave Barry has been one of my favorite writers since my 10th grade English teacher put us on to him in 1992. I frequently get his books at the library and usually devour them in about an hour. Light, light-hearted reading.

    Obama talking about Jesus looks about as comfortable as a duck in duck sauce with medallion potatoes, and just as dead.

    CR said...

    I have to chuckle a little bit at the picture of the Boys and Girls Club picture falling down. One could wonder if the Lord wanted to show a little disgust? Ok, ok, not saying that's what really happened. Could have been just gravity.

    The better correct answer of why we celebrate Christmas is not just the birth of baby Jesus but the giving of a Son.

    CR said...

    Rachael: I thus note with interest that Her Majesty has not seen fit yet to bestow such an honor on this year's Nobel Peace prize recipient.

    My understanding, Rachael is that only British citizens can be knighted but foreign nationals can receive honorary knighthoods.

    Fred Butler said...

    Okay. Still zoning with the lego guy holding the two cables. Humor my muddled brain, please my friend.

    Or at least shoot me an email.

    DJP said...

    Hint: notice where the picture came from.

    threegirldad said...

    You can see two hours of cringes crammed into about five minutes right here. No need to thank me.

    That's a relief. Cuz if you thought I was planning to, well...;-)

    Dave Barry is from Mars AND Venus -- so, of course he has unique insights into our world.

    ;-)

    CR said...

    Anyone know if the Star Wars Holiday Special is available in high-definition or Blue Ray?

    Susan said...

    That "Chanukah FAIL" pic reminded me of a joke that had a Jewish friend of mine nodding with understanding when he heard the punchline:

    Q: What is the Jewish dilemma?

    A: Cheap ham.

    Solameanie said...

    hand-cupped nudity...

    Now that's a description. Somehow, I feel very, very chilled.....

    Peter Eddy said...

    Hi Dan,

    Sorry that I'm showing you my newbyness, but what does DAOD mean? And while you're at it, what does BSIL stand for.

    I don't have clue for the first one, but my best guess for the second one is baby sister-in-law.

    Thanks,
    Pete

    DJP said...

    Beloved son in law

    Dear and only daughter