The Countertop Chronicles

Sit in a bar, watch a great Dallas vs Green Bay game, while drinking bourbon (Bookers, Bakers & Basil Hayden) with the CEO of one of the nation’s world’s largest corporations.

So, apparantly, there were a bunch of great questions asked at the debate tonight.

Problem is, I had a work related event I needed to attend. And when I go to the YouTube Republican Debate page, it shows me the questions, but leaves video of the answers conspicuously absent.

Almost like no one wants to make it easy to find out what the answer really is.

So, where can I find them.

Sorry if I don’t get all the false tears over the death of Sean Taylor. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, we ought to be celebrating one less criminal from society.

Remember

Taylor began his N.F.L. career with the Redskins inauspiciously. He was fined $25,000 by the league even before he played a single down. After signing a 7-year, $18 million contract, he left a rookie symposium early and was reprimanded by the league. There was a gun incident in June 2005 and that on-field spitting incident in the 2006 playoffs, as well as fines for illegal hits and uniform violations.

An $18 million dollar contract and they thought a 21 year old would care about a piddling $25,000 fine? Come on!!

And about those other run ins . . .

Since the Redskins drafted Taylor, the safety has had several brushes with the law and National Football League rules. Taylor was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault with a firearm for allegedly brandishing a gun in a Miami neighborhood in 2005.

Taylor reached a plea agreement and avoided jail time, but was fined $71,764 by the NFL for violating the personal conduct clause of his contract.

The NFL also has fined Taylor for illegal hits, uniform violations and spitting on Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman during a playoff game in January 2006. In 2004, Gibbs suspended Taylor for one game after he was arrested for driving under the influence; those charges were later dropped.

Think maybe he would have straightened himself out if he actually suffered some real consequences for being a thug??

Peter King at Sports Illustrated said

it’s another example of senseless gun violence robbing America of another citizen, and we’re all poorer for it.

No, this isn’t about senseless gun violence. Its about free will and the intelligence to make choices in life and suffer the consequences of those choices. Sean Taylor never did suffer for his earlier poor choices. When it finally came time to make amends, it was too late and the results are not only tragic, but all too predictable.

I feel bad for his daughter, but can’t feel sorry for him.

When you play with fire, when you dance with the devil, your going to get burned!

Now back to the beach!

UPDATE

Apparently, some Redskins board linked to this post. Thanks for the traffic guys!!

I’ve allowed a few of the comments to go through, but there’s about 20 which I decided not to simply because they had nothing to say other than variations of “fuck you” or “I hope someone kills you.”

Real classy guys. If you have something relevant to say, say it. You can even swear and say Fuck You, just have something more to your comment.

Regarding the substance of these other comments I let through, as I stated – I feel bad for his daughter and his family. And indeed, its sad when anyone dies. But I think the head in the sand reaction of these guys is just reinforcing my larger point about society willing to strain to look the other way when all is obvious.

Don’t expect to see much in the way of blogging here the next two weeks. I leave tomorrow morning for a gorgeous tropical paradise along the Southern Gulf Coast of Florida. My biggest concern?? Do I fish offshore or in the backwater???

The following week, of course, I head to lovely Aberdeen, South Dakota and proceed to do what I can to control that states run away pheasant population!!

Of course, the homo attention is being placed on Trent Lott right now. I don’t believe it, I think he’s a world class asshole, but he never struck me as gay. Rather, I think he’s leaving to lobby and make money. Lots of it.

In any case, at one site discussing the gay Lott rumor, someone posted this comment

Oh, Lott was a cheerleader like George Bush, too. Could the President be the next one being forced out of the closet. Kitty Kelly’s book on the Bush family speculated that George had an affair with Victor Ashe, one of his Yale roommates. Bush appointed Ashe, the former mayor of Knoxville, Tenn.; as ambassador to Poland. My mother is from Knoxville and she says all the police knew Ashe was gay. This is like Tom Cruise, though, like Kathy Griffin says, “Now that Tom has gone batshit crazy, the gays don’t want to claim him!” I feel the same about the worst President ever.

So, the bigger question in my mind is – Does anyone know if this is true? Is Victor Ashe really gay?!?!?!?

Gallagher that is. Of the band Oasis.

You see, while I lived in London in the mid-early 90s, I continued in my attempts to make it as a semi professional photographer. Part of this experience involved taking a fair number of experimental photography classes, where I trained with some of the best your studio photographers in London at the time. I was also something of a music head, and was constantly out and about on the Indie scene. Among the many omni present bands were the rapidly exploding Oasis.

Now, I wasn’t particularly a fan (truth be told, I was much more into what Acid Jazz records was doing with The Mother Earth, The Emporers New Clothes, the Sandels, and Jamiroquai as well as Paul Weller and the hippy tripsters in Ozric Tentacles) but was still around and out and about.

Fast forward 6 months. Oasis has conqurered the world, staring in porns, claiming to be bigger than the Beatles, and generally ruling the music world. They have also embarked on a tour of the States that brings them to Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island. I, of course, don’t know this. Instead, with some friends, we go to the Met Cafe (literally, a hole in the wall bar on the backside of the building, it holds no more than 50 people. I saw Dave Mathews there once, before he was huge. 1000 people showed up to the show and packed the bar, the ally its on, and the street the ally is off of) to catch Gregg Piccolo and Heavy Juice – legends on the Providence blues scene. After the show, we hear some familiar music coming through the wall, and so we head to the back billiards room and sneak in through a hole in the wall into Lupos.

Oasis is just finishing their set as we make our way to the bar. Me and my buddy’s order up some beer and I proceed to tell them that Oasis was one of the bands I used to see on occasion in London. Next thing we know, they come out for an an encore of I Am The Walrus. I kid you not when I say it was about 10 minutes of the most rocking, psychedelic, feedback driven hard rock I’ve experienced. I’m totally blown away, and about 4 or 5 minutes into, Liam Gallagher hops off the stage and makes his way to the bar. Next thing you know, he’s sitting next to me and goes – “Do I know you chap?”

Of course, he doesn’t, but its cool he recognizes me, and we sit there for the rest of the song and about 30 more minutes reminscing about some of the people we knew in common. Then the porn stars/models showed up an he went his way and me and my buddies went my way.

Not that you care about this story. Its just an excuse for me to play I Am The Walrus. This one, from Chicago, I am going to assume happened on the same tour (its about the same time, but my memory of those years is a bit fuzzy)

I Am The Walrus

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together
See how we run like pigs from a gun, see how we fly, Im cryin
Sitting on a cornflake, Im waiting for the van to come
Corporation t-shirts, stupid bloody tuesday, man youve been a naughty boy
You let your face grow long

I am the egg man
We are the egg men
I am the walrus
Coo coo ca choo

Mister city, policemen city, pretty little policemen in a row
See how they fly like lucy in the sky, see how we run, Im cryin
Im cry, Im cryin, Im cry
Yellow mound of custard, dripping from a dead dogs eye
Grab a locker fish-wife, pornographic priestess, man youve been a
Naughty girl you let your knickers down

I am the egg man
We are the egg men
I am the walrus
Coo coo ca choo, coo coo coo ca choo

Sitting in an english garden waiting for the sun
If the sun dont come you get your tan from standing in the english rain

I am the egg man
We are the egg men
And I am the walrus
Coo coo ca choo, ca coo coo ca choo

Experts sexperts, choking smokers, dont you think the joker laughs at you?
See how they spy like pigs in the sky, see how they snide, Im cryin
Semelena pilchards, climbing up the eiffel tower
Elementary penguins singing hare krishna, man you should have seen him
Kicking edgar allan poe

I am the egg man
We are the egg men
I am the walrus
Coo coo ca choo, ca coo coo ca choo
Coo coo ca choo, ca coo coo ca choo coo coo
A tu-tu-tu baw, a tu-tu-tu baw, a tu-tu-tu baw, a tu-tu-tu baw, a tu-tu-tu baw

Not that the miserable drizzle DC experienced today could ever be compared to a real rain event (let alone a Hurricaine like Katrina) but if you ever sit in, and experience, the complete breakdown of civil orderly process that occurrs in DC when there is so much as a hint of moisture in the air, then you’d never credibly be able to argue I should trust the Government to keep things running (let alone protect me and mine).

Geeze, its like every traffic light in the city is malfunctioning.

Quiet Riot singer Kevin Dubrow was found dead yesterday in his Las Vegas home.

RIP Kevin.

In 1983, this was one of the biggest song in America, reaching #5 on the billboard charts and propelling Metal Health to the #1 sales slot (knocking off The Police’s Synchronicity) and selling 6 million albums.

So you think I’ve got an evil mind
I’ll tell you honey
I don’t know why
I don’t know why
So you think my singin’s out of time
It makes me money
I don’t know why
I don’t know why
Anymore, oh no

So come on feel the noise
Girls grab your boys
We’ll get wild, wild, wild
wild, wild, wild
come on feel the noise
Girls rock your boys
We get wild, wild, wild
Til dawn

So you say I got a funny face
I got no worries
And I don’t know why
I don’t know why
you say I’m a scum bag well it’s no disgrace
I’m in no hurry
And I don’t know why
I don’t know why
Anymore,

So come on feel the noise
Girls rock your boys
We’ll get wild, wild, wild
We get wild, wild, wild
Come on feel the noise
Girls rock your boys
We get wild, wild, wild
Until dawn

well think we have a lazy time
you should know better
I don’t know why
I don’t know why
And you say I got a dirty mind
well I’m a mean go-getter!
I don’t know why
I don’t know why
Anymore, oh no

So come on feel the noise
Girls rock your boys
We get wild, wild, wild
We get wild, wild, wild
So come on feel the noise
Girls rock your boys
We get wild, wild, wild
Until dawn

That would be PETE THAMEL and THAYER EVANS who, in reporting on the incredible turnover we’ve witnessed at the top of college football and that it looked like Missouri and West Virginia might play for the national championship, stated (in the 2nd paragraph of their story)

With one week remaining in the regular season of this most unpredictable of college football campaigns, a similar possibility may await. The University of Missouri and West Virginia University are each one victory from playing for college football’s national title. Neither university has won a national title in football. Rarely has either one come close.

Well, thats certainly true of Missouri, but not West Virginia.

Over the last 20 years, in fact, West Virginia has fielded a fairly competitive team, playing for the National Championship twice (which, while not at the level of performance of say Florida State, is nothing to sneeze at). If they make it, this will be the third National Championship game they’ve played in (which, for instance, is better than my team the University of Tennessee)

Generally speaking, WVU is the winningest college football program that has never won a National Championship.
Following the 1988 season, AN UNDEFEATED West Virginia, led by All American superstar Major Harris lost in the Fiesta Bowl (and with it, the National Championship) to the only other undefeated team in football, Notre Dame.
Following the 1993 season, AN UNDEFEATED West Virginia, lost in the Sugar Bowl (and with it, a share of a split National Championship) to Florida
In Week 10 of the 2006 season, A THEN undefeated WVU team was ranked #3
Overall, WVU has participated in 25 bowl games; their record stands at 11-15. Major bowls include the Sugar Bowl (3 times), Peach Bowl (4 times), Fiesta Bowl (1 time), and the Gator Bowl (6 times).

1st, I’ll be getting a Nikon d40 for Christmas. Yipee!! We went with the 2 lens kit package for $569. It included the usual 18-55 mm lens AND a 55-200 mm lens. Strangely, I can’t find the listing for it at amazon, Must have been a black Friday deal.

Anyway, I used to be quite the photographer, and semi supported myself working for a paper and doing some freelance concert stuff. Its been awhile though, so I am really looking forward to finally making the leap into digital.

Here’s the bleg, whats the best site for hosting and setting up a semi-pro portfolio? I used photobucket for this blog, but I want something a bit nicer, and easier for folks to access and view “only” my stuff. I really like Ken Rockwell’s approach and was wondering if there is something similar for folks who lack the programming ability (and time).

2nd, December is just swamped with stuff (in addition to Christmas) and I’ll be traveling for work the next 3 consecutive weeks Long story short-dont exoect too many posts. When I get back after the New Year, I’d really like to re imagine the blog. Look for some consolidation and new categories.

Till then . . . . .

updates
Per comments, Gallery looks like just what the doctor ordered.

Preliminary new categories (including, hopefully, the transfer of all of my old blogspot posts) would be as follows:

Guns and the Outdoors
- Firearms
- Hiking
- Hunting
- Kayaking
- Skiing

Government
- State
- Local
- Federal
- Election
- Incompetence

Football and Baseball
- Football
- Baseball
- Fire Phil Fulmer (if he hasn’t been fired yet)

Entertainment
- Book Reviews
- Movie Reviews
- Music Reviews
- Television Reviews
- Howard Stern
- The Dead
- Lyrics

Food and Travel
- Location Review
- Airline Review
- Hotel Review
- Restaurant Review

Any thoughts? Any suggested additions?
I’d also like to start posting about guns again, as opposed to becoming what this is now, a blog of my hunting failures with the occasional Dead video.

That would be me.

Up early, back to a reliable spot, where I have seen tons of does lolling about in the past.

What happens today, on the doe day??

Nada, Zip, Zilch.

Nothing. Well, I saw a fricken ton of squirrels (of course, I didn’t have a .22) and enjoyed a gorgeous sunrise and the tranquility of leaves falling like snowflakes. It was unnervingly loud, and with all the movement, heck there could have been deer, I wouldn’t have known.

Oh yeah, and a guy tried to set up a tree stand 10 yards behind me. Seriously.

But, as they say, a bad day hunting is better than a good day at work (or something like that) and, not that it was a bad day, it was simply an empty handed day. I was still smiling the whole way home.

And I got to enjoy the morning with another new hunting/blogging buddy, VMIJPP at Rule 308.

Btw, he’s got a sweet rifle.

Win or lose (right now, with 5 minutes left, it sure does look like Da Vols are gonna blow a huge first half lead) isn’t it time we Fired Phil Fulmer?

UPDATE

Well, I’ll be damned! Fulmer blows a 24-7 halftime lead and still manages to win in the 4th Overtime 52-50.
Think we can beat LSU???

Think we even deserve to be in Atlanta???

Heck no. Fire Phil Fulmer

btw, Ainge had a hell of a game. 400 yards and 7 touchdowns passing. Holy Cow!

Here’s one of the pics I promised!

Lots more, including some quality gun Pr0n below the fold!

and the best line

I also thank everybody who voted online to choose the names for our guests of honor. And I’m pleased to announce the winning names. They are “May” and “Flower.” They’re certainly better than the names the Vice President suggested, which was “Lunch” and “Dinner.”

(more…)

Heh!

This is pretty damn on point and yet, no one who hears me speak ever places me as being from the New York area – I’ve been asked if I was English and Australian and Southern and from Boston but no one has ever asked if I was from New York or New Jersey (probably cause I don’t say Joisey)

and Thank You Jerry!

Althea
Lyrics by Robert Hunter

I told Althea I was feeling lost
Lacking in some direction
Althea told me upon scrutiny
my back might need protection

I told Althea that treachery
was tearin me limb from limb
Althea told me: now cool down boy -
settle back easy Jim

You may be Saturday’s child all grown
moving with a pinch of grace
You may be a clown in the burying ground
or just another pretty face
You may be the fate of Ophelia
sleeping and perchance to dream -
honest to the point of recklessness
self centered to the extreme

Ain’t nobody messin with you but you
your friends are getting most concerned -
loose with the truth
maybe it’s your fire
but baby…don’t get burned
When the smoke has cleared, she said,
that’s what she said to me:
You’re gonna want a bed to lay your head
and a little sympathy

There are things you can replace
and others you cannot
The time has come to weigh those things
this space is getting hot -
you know this space is getting hot

I told Althea
I’m a roving sign -
that I was born to be a bachelor -
Althea told me: Ok that’s fine -
So now I’m out trying to catch her

Can’t talk to me without talking to you
We’re guilty of the same old thing
Talking a lot about less and less
And forgetting the love we bring

and Thank You Cowboy Bob!

Me & My Uncle
Lyrics by John “Pappa” Phillips

Me and my uncle went ridin down,
South colorado, west texas bound.
We stopped over in santa fe,
That bein the point just about half way,
And you know it was the hottest part of the day.

I took the horses up to the stall,
Went to the barroom, ordered drinks for all.
Three days in the saddle, you know my body hurt,
It bein summer, I took off my shirt,
And I tried to wash off some of that dusty dirt.

When texas cowboys, theys all around,
With liquor and money, they loaded down.
So soon after payday, know it seemed a shame;
You know my uncle, he starts a friendly game,
High-low jack and the winner take the hand.

My uncle starts winnin; cowboys got sore.
One of them called him, and then two more,
Accused him of cheatin; oh no, it couldnt be.
I know my uncle, hes as honest as me,
And Im as honest as a gamblin man can be.

One of them cowboys, he starts to draw,
And I shot him down, lord he never saw.
Well I grabbed a bottle, cracked him in the jaw,
Shot me another, oh damn he wont grow old.
In the confusion, my uncle grabbed the gold,
And we high-tailed it down to mexico.

I love those cowboys, I love their gold,
I loved my uncle, God rest his soul,
Taught me good, lord, taught me all I know
Taught me so well, I grabbed that gold
And I left his dead ass there by the side of the road.

Mexacali Blues
Lyrics by John Perry Barlow

Laid back in an old saloon, with a peso in my hand,
Watchin’ flies and children on the street,
And I catch a glimpse of black-eyed girls who giggle when I smile,
There’s a little boy who wants to shine my feet.

And it’s three days ride from Bakersfield and I don’t know why I came.
I guess I came to keep from payin’ dues.
So instead I’ve got a bottle and a girl who’s just fourteen,
And a damn good case of the Mexicali Blues. Yeh!

Is there anything a man don’t stand to lose,
When the devil wants to take it all away?
Cherish well your thoughts, and keep a tight grip on your booze,
Cause thinkin’ and drinkin’ are all I have today.

She said her name was Billy Jean and she was fresh in town.
I didn’t know a stage line ran from Hell.
She had raven hair, a ruffled dress, a necklace made of gold,
All the French perfume you’d care to smell.

She took me up into her room and whispered in my ear,
“Go on, my friend, do anything you choose.”
Now I’m payin’ for those happy hours I spent there in her arms,
With a lifetime’s worth of the Mexicali Blues.

Is there anything a man don’t stand to lose,
When the devil wants to take it all away?
Cherish well your thoughts, and keep a tight grip on your booze
Cause thinkin’ and drinkin’ are all I have today.

And then a man rode into town, some thought he was the law.
Billy Jean was waitin’ when he came.
She told me he would take her, if I didn’t use my gun,
I’d have no one but myself to blame.

I went down to those dusty streets, blood was on my mind.
I guess that stranger hadn’t heard the news
Cause I shot first and killed him, Lord, he didn’t even draw
And he made me trade the gallows for the Mexicali Blues.

Is there anything a man don’t stand to lose
When he lets a woman hold him in her hands?
He just might find himself out there on horseback in the dark
Just ridin’ and runnin’ across those desert sands.

and Thank You Phil!!!!!!!

Box of Rain
Lyrics by Robert Hunter and Phil Lesh

Look out of any window
any morning, any evening, any day
Maybe the sun is shining
birds are winging or
rain is falling from a heavy sky -
What do you want me to do,
to do for you to see you through?
this is all a dream we dreamed
one afternoon long ago

Walk out of any doorway
feel your way, feel your way
like the day before
Maybe you’ll find direction
around some corner
where it’s been waiting to meet you -
What do you want me to do,
to watch for you while you’re sleeping?
Well please don’t be surprised
when you find me dreaming too

Look into any eyes
you find by you, you can see
clear through to another day
I know it’s been seen before
through other eyes on other days
while going home –
What do you want me to do,
to do for you to see you through?
It’s all a dream we dreamed
one afternoon long ago

Walk into splintered sunlight
Inch your way through dead dreams
to another land
Maybe you’re tired and broken
Your tongue is twisted
with words half spoken
and thoughts unclear
What do you want me to do
to do for you to see you through
A a box of rain will ease the pain
and love will see you through

Just a box of rain -
wind and water -
Believe it if you need it,
if you don’t just pass it on
Sun and shower -
Wind and rain -
in and out the window
like a moth before a flame

It’s just a box of rain
I don’t know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
or leave it if you dare
But it’s just a box of rain
or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long long time to be gone
and a short time to be there