Chamblee54

There is some chattage recently about whether waterboarding is torture. There are some studies showing that the press called WB torture before 2004, when the USA began to practice WB as a part of the GWOT. Now, PG maintains that it doesn’t matter much what the press calls WB…these people are terrorists, and they deserve whatever is done to them. That is how Amerika sees things.
This is one of the corollaries of a blogfest going on today at obsidian wings . The blogfest quotes a previous post at Unqualified Offerings .
The thesis that generated this term paper is : “Across a whole range of problems there’s a class of responses I’ll dub the “low road” and another class I’ll call the “high road.” Examples of the former include war, torture, sanctions and blockades, imprisonment, aversive conditioning of all types (spanking; “dominance”-based animal training). Examples of the latter include diplomacy, rapport-building, civil disobedience, the free exchange of goods and ideas, decriminalization and rehabilitation, positive conditioning (of humans and animals).”
The basic concept here is that the low road is seen as strength, and the high road as weakness, even when the high road is tougher to take, and arrives at the destination. The idea is that people are wild animals, who get off on combat. The goal of the aggression is not as important as proving how bad you are. It is a touch more complex than that, and if you have the time the seminal post and the comments are worth your time.
This avalanche was set in motion by an (subscription required to read) editorial in the Wall Street Journal about, of all things, Cuba . In an era when Communist regimes the world over are imploding, the one 90 miles from Florida continues to operate. This is in spite of an undeclared war by the USA, and much political shenanigans. The bottom line is, after fifty years of low road conflict by the USA, the commies are still in charge of Cuba. (There are rumors of drug smuggling protected by the commies, with nod and wink approval of the yankee regime. Sometimes the status quo, no matter how many lives are ruined, is too convenient for the powers that be.)

Chamblee54 has avoided, until now, comments about the Dave Weigel/journo list affair. It all seems a bit too “inside baseball”, not to mention the whole liberal/conservative mudfight. Whoever selected the bits to leak has talent…the thing about Matt Drudge caught the eye. While the rumors about Mr.D come and go, setting yourself on fire is just a bit too kinky.
This does not deter Andrew Breitbart (spell check suggestions:Breathing, Breadbasket )from mixing things up. Mr. Breitbart is number 15 on the worst conservatives list. He facilitated an expose of ACORN, which has largely been discredited. This is part of what he is squealing about in the video above. At the very least, he seems like a very unpleasant, loud, showboat.
Mr. Breitbart offered $100,000 for anyone who had the archives of the now defunct Journo List. When Andrew Sullivan (who has a skeleton or two in his own closet, and possibly a fire extinguisher) heard about this, he had a few harsh words to share with his close electronic friends.
Where it gets bizarre is the counter response of Mr. Breitbart. After some huffing and puffing, he wonders : “Why was Mickey Kaus not excoriated for breaking the sacred JournoList bond when he posted a series of leaked emails that showed collusion against not-liberal-enough New Republic editor Marty Peretz for his crime of sticking up for Israel?” Hmm, maybe because no one reads his column. ( PG looked through some of these messages, and could not make heads or tails of them. Anything about Israel was stuck in a message after PG gave up. Maybe the Israel thing was a red herring to get a few more people to pay attention.)
The “hypocrisy” piece by Mr. Brietbart is not well written. There are some ninety degree turns, like when he says, out of nowhere, “I would never divulge an individual’s sexual secrets.” ( perhaps Weigel and Drudge had a “hot” romance).
The article goes completely out of control two paragraphs down. The section about to be quoted is above a (possibly posed) picture of Sarah and Trig Palin playing.
“The election of Barack Obama was facilitated by a corrupt Fourth Estate. It didn’t get corrupted by accident. The political left, on its self-proclaimed Long March Through the Institutions, walked in the front door, took control, and since has done everything in its power to keep it, including secretly massing on the Internet, sharing notes, sharing ideas.. and wishing death to their political enemies.”
Holy rhetoric, Batman.

To paraphrase Ru Paul, the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest is. A function of the english department of San Jose State University, in California, the contest awards “a pittance” to the winner. The idea is to submit the opening sentence to a horrible novel, and give the winner to the worst of the worst, the scum of the the skimmer, the Milhous of the Nixon. Email entries are accepted, preferably in Arial 12.
The award is named for Edward_Bulwer-Lytton . Mr. B-L was the model for Monty Python’s English Upper Class Twit. The opening words of his novel “Paul Clifford” are “It was a dark and stormy night”. Entrants in the contest are discouraged from saying ” It was a stark and dorky night”.
As a public service, chamblee54 has reviewed all of the entries on the web page, and selected a handful to reproduce below. If you want to see who won this year, go to the bottom of the barrel. HT to Andrew Sullivan . Pictures are from the ” Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library” The beauty queen is Miss Agricultural Ammonia for 1957.
In honor of America’s independence, from the nation that gave us Edward Bulwer-Lytton, this post is imaged in red, white, and blue. If you must read a white entry, highlight it with your mouse. It probably won’t be worth the effort. Through the verdant plains of North Umbria walked Waylon Ogglethorpe and, as he walked, the clouds whispered his name, the birds of the air sang his praises, and the beasts of the fields from smallest to greatest said, “There goes the most noble among men” — in other words, a typical stroll for a schizophrenic ventriloquist with delusions of grandeur. When Hru-Kar, the alpha-ranking male of the silver-backed gorilla tribe finished unleashing simian hell on Lt. Cavendish, the once handsome young soldier from Her Majesty’s 47th Regiment resembled nothing so much as a crumpled up piece of khaki-colored construction paper that had been dipped in La Victoria chunky salsa. She walked into my office wearing a body that would make a man write bad checks, but in this paperless age you would first have to obtain her ABA Routing Transit Number and Account Number and then disable your own Overdraft Protection in order to do so. The band of pre-humans departed the cave in search of solace from the omnipresent dangers found there knowing that it meant survival of their kind, though they probably didn’t understand it intellectually since their brains were so small and undeveloped but fundamentally they understood that they didn’t like big animals that ate them.
The dark, drafty old house was lopsided and decrepit, leaning in on itself, the way an aging possum carrying a very heavy, overcooked drumstick in his mouth might list to one side if he were also favoring a torn Achilles tendon, assuming possums have them. The wind whispering through the pine trees and the sun reflecting off the surface of Lake Tahoe like a scattering of diamonds was an idyllic setting, while to the south the same sun struggled to penetrate a sky choked with farm dust and car exhaust over Bakersfield, a town spread over the lower San Joaquin Valley like a brown stain on a wino’s trousers, which is where, unfortunately, this story takes place. The Zinfandel poured pinkly from the bottle, like a stream of urine seven hours after eating a bowl of borscht. She purred sensually, oozing allure that was resisted only by his realization as an entomologist that the protein dust on the couch from the filing of her crimson nails was now being devoured by dust mites in a clicking, ferocious, ecstatic frenzy. Cynthia had washed her hands of Philip McIntyre – not like you wash your hands in a public restroom when everyone is watching you to see if you washed your hands but like washing your hands after you have been working in the garden and there is dirt under your fingernails — dirt like Philip McIntyre. t’Bleen and Golxxm squelched their way romantically along the slough beach beneath the three Sommodian moons, their eye-stalks occasionally touching, and tenderly belched sweet nothings like, “I don’t think I’ve ever had such a charming evening,” and, “Say, would you like to gnaw that hunk of suppurating tissue off my dorsal appendage—it really itches.” Wearing his new slacks from L.L. Bean, and entering the pen to feed his three big dogs their usual three cans of dog food, some of which ended up on his new pants, Kevin then left the house to attend a revival screening of ‘Serpico’ with Alpo chinos. He walked into the bar and bristled when all eyes fell upon him — perhaps because his build was so short and so wide, or maybe it was the odor that lingered about him from so many days and nights spent in the wilds, but it may just have been because no one had ever seen a porcupine in a bar before. His chest glistened like a pumpkin seed, either one fresh out of the pumpkin but with all the orange strands of pumpkin flesh removed, or one straight out of the oven after being coated in just the right amount of oil and then baked; the point is that it was smooth, fairly shiny, and that color. Living next door to the Lesters for nearly twelve years now, Mrs. Nestor, fully aware of her husband’s fondness for pulchritudinous posteriors, was unable to deter Chester Nestor’s constant quest for Mr. Lester’s sister Hester’s monster keister. And the winner is…For the first month of Ricardo and Felicity’s affair, they greeted one another at every stolen rendezvous with a kiss–a lengthy, ravenous kiss, Ricardo lapping and sucking at Felicity’s mouth as if she were a giant cage-mounted water bottle and he were the world’s thirstiest gerbil.

One of the things people say about the ouster of General McCrystal is amazement at the part in the drama played by Rolling Stone. The once vital publication has been gathering moss for quite a while. Maybe this controversy will breathe life into the old turkey, but few would bet on it. Here are two more random thoughts about this business:
1- David Hastings should worry about more than losing access to his sources. His is an embedded reporter in a combat zone. It would be very easy for bad things to happen to him. The real risks of combat are bad enough, but when you have McCrystal loyalists looking for revenge, it may be fatal.
2- When McCrystal was installed as commander in Afghanistan, it was not mentioned that he was one of the players in the Pat Tillman cover up. This is another thing that came out with the Rolling Stone article. How a man could be involved in a mess like that, and be rewarded with command of a major operation, is a mystery.
The second part of this entertainment is a repost . The pictures are from the Dragon Con Parade.

PG has been reading “The Rolling Stone Interviews”. It is a slick collection of interviews from the magazine, published in 2007. It is not an original work of literature. A great deal of “entertainment” is recycling past product. For a slacker at the library, it is still a good deal.
As Jann Wenner tells the story, The Who played a show in San Francisco, and Pete Townsend did not smash his guitar. Wenner went backstage to ask him why. The result was the first Rolling Stone Interview. Modeled after the Playboy Interview, this became a feature of the magazine.
PG bought his first copy of Rolling Stone in 1971. It had the interview with John Lennon. This became a part of the Lennon legend, with its comments about Mick Jagger and his fag dancing.
Rolling Stone was different in the early days. It was printed on cheap newsprint, and had a lot more to read than today. It was the Great Speckled Bird on steroids.
Thirty eight years later, a slick compilation of interviews turns up at the library. The book has a few highlights.
RS hired Truman Capote to cover a tour of the Rolling Stones (the band). For whatever reason, he never produced any product. So, Andy Warhol goes to visit, and brings a tape recorder. They go to Central Park. Mr. Capote does not think Mick Jagger can sing. Later, they go for drinks. Capote gets J&B on the rocks, Warhol gets a Grand Marnier.
Neil Young was drunk when he made “Tonights the Night”.
Oriana Fallaci would ask Jesus if he slept with Mary Magdalene. Miss Fallaci would like to find the grave of Jesus, and see if it is occupied.
Joni Mitchell played Bob Dylan a tape of “Court and Spark” and he fell asleep.
David Letterman is asked what he is like in a relationship, and he says “moody drunk”.
Bill Clinton talked to Richard Nixon a great deal. Nixon admired the way Clinton dealt with the press.
And on and on. The library wants the book back tomorrow. It is not worth an overdue fine.

There is a common surgical procedure called rhinoplasty , or nose job. When nature gives too much of a good thing, the plastic impulse is to reshape and reduce. This is the opposite of the boob job, where the general concept is the add on. What nature has forgotten, stuff with cotton.
Rhinoplasty sounds like RINO, or republican in name only. While purists might want those with inconvenient opinions surgically stricken, this only sounds the same. There is an H in the mix…where rinoplasty would get the h out, the nose job has the h left in. It is from the same origin as Rhinoceros.
PG read a good story about rhinoplasty yesterday, and it reminded him of  more. As Erica Jong once noted, if you place the bobbed noses in Los Angeles end to end, it might go all the way back to Poland.
Going in reverse order, a botched nose job played a key role in a Carl Hiassen story. (All his books tell the same story, with different weirdos and ecological outrages). A doctor was performing a “routine” r-plasty, while listening to a Miami Dolphins game on the radio. At the point of the procedure when he breaks the patients nose with a hammer, someone scored a touchdown. The doctor celebrated by slamming the hammer down a bit too hard, the chisel went into the persons brain, and killed him. The body was disposed of, by a landscaper with a grinder.
Which brings us back to “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues”. While Tom Robbins has similar books, only one has Sissy Hankshaw Gitche, the girl with the huge thumbs. When Sissy was a girl, her parents took her to a plastic surgeon, with the hopes of making her normal. A normal person in a Tom Robbins novel ?
After many adventures, Sissy returned to her hometown, and looked for the plastic surgeon. He had been forced into early retirement, under embarrassing circumstances. It seems the artist in his soul took control of the technician in the employ of providers. On a “routine nose job”, he gave a young man a three ridge, six nostril nose. It looked at you dead on, from whatever angle he chose to pose. His parents were not amused. Pictures from The Library of Congress.

There is a story in the fishwrapper today about renovating the Georgia Dome. The Falcons want to have a “state of the art” facility. (They are far away from a “state of the art” team.)PG does not know where to begin with this.
In the late eighties, the Falcons were tired of Atlanta Fulton County stadium. This was understandable, but at the same time, the Falcons were the joke of the NFL. A scheme was proposed where a domed stadium would be built, connected to the world congress center, a state of Georgia facility. The governor at the time, Joe Frank Harris, ran on a campaign pledge of “NO TAX INCREASES”.
As the project moved ahead, it became obvious that tax money would be needed. A hotel motel tax was put in place. Since the residents of the state do not see this on their tax bills, many don’t notice it. This hotel motel tax was supposed to end in 2020, but will possibly be extended to pay for either renovations to the dome, or a new facility for the Falcons.
The Falcons recently had back to back winning seasons, for the first time since 1966. They have played better since Arthur Blank bought the team from the estate of Rankin Smith. There is hope for the future, but there are still signs that, yes, this is still the Falcons. A few years ago, they had the top draft pick in the NFL. They got the most exciting athlete in recent memory. He played a few years, until HE WENT TO PRISON FOR DOG FIGHTING. This is how the Falcons operate.
The needs of the State of Georgia, and City/Metro Area of Atlanta, are immense. There is a real possibility of Atlanta becoming a ghost town because of a water shortage. The schools and transportation systems are crying poor. With the Gulf Coast poisoned by BP, we can expect an influx of refugees. So what is the plan…build a new stadium for the Falcons.
When it comes to schools and infrastructure, the governments never seem to have enough money. The “conservatives” want to have a smaller government, and lower taxes. However, when a privately owned football team needs a new facility, the money is there. Why can’t we use this hotel motel tax to build a pipeline that brings water into metro Atlanta?
America may be entering a period of austerity. The triple whammy of War in Babylon, Massive Bank Fraud, and the Deepwater (spell check suggestion:Dishwater) Horizon is going to be tough to overcome. At some point, the idea of spending a billion dollars to build a football stadium is going to be seen for the atrocity that it is.
Pictures are from The Library of Congress. .

PG has been reading Even Cowgirls Get The Blues , and needs to return it to the Chamblee library today. However much he enjoys the tail tale of the cowpokettes, it is not worth an overdue fee. Add to this a book, unopened, about the tales behind popular rock songs, and you have a double delinquent charge, which the owner of this non revenue producing blog can ill afford.
This is the second time around the block for the tale of Sissy Hankshaw Gitche. The first time was in 1978, a couple of years after publication. The action of the story takes place in 1974, more or less. As the newsman on the peppermint colored portable radio said, the world situation is d******e as u***l. Today, this is as true as ever before, and the radio station does not play a polka tune to follow.
In 1974, Richard Nixon was on his way out, OPEC was in control of the world’s oil, and economic disaster seemed to be just around the corner. Mr. Gitch looks forward to the 1976, and the election of a liberal democrat to put things back in order. While few non republicans would call Jimmy Carter a liberal ( even then, the squabbling twin sisters, liberal and conservative, were spending way too much time with each other)…, smiling Jimmy, despite the best of intentions, and the lust in his heart, did not make everything ok.
One of the things that was a fevered vision in 1974 was amazon . A computerized book seller, with a cash register in every back pocket telephone, was just too fantastic for those more innocent times. It was just five years after man walked on the moon! Back to amazon, they have a web page dedicated to sales of Even Cowgirls Get The Blues . See, if you don’t believe me, just double click on the link. It will open in a separate tab, and you can go back to reading the aromatic tale of the “Rubber Rose” ranch.
If you look down the page of the Amazon thingie, you will see two lists of “key phrases”. Now, the key is a decidedly masculine device, and ECGTB is, at the core, a book about the historic role of females, i.e. running the whole doggone show. Of course, the key needs a lock to do it’s chore of controlling access, to whatever is behind the door. There is all of three part religion ( father son holy doober, yin yang tao, curly larry moe) in a form that we can all understand…key, lock, door. And you wonder why people some worship doorknobs.
When PG was a kid, there were relatives of in laws who wanted to word to use as an insult. The only trouble was, this word could not be profane, referring to either body parts, body functions, or deities. The word that these people chose as an insult was “dirty doorknob”. Somehow, that just doesn’t have the same punch as calling someone a body part.

Ok, back to the key phrases. ( If this sort of verbal derring do is confusing, unenjoyable, or makes you wonder who is winning the world cup, then maybe ECGTB is not the book for you. The author, Tom Robbins, goes off on all sorts of tangents and wordplay. When paddling upriver, his canoe never met a tributary he didn’t want to explore. To people like PG, this is great fun. However, there is always the first sentence, of the first comment on the Amazon page…”This book is not for everyone.) There are two types of key phrases listed here…Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs) and Capitalized Phrases (CAPs).
As per the help page on CAPs : “Capitalized Phrases, or “CAPs”, are people, places, events, or important topics mentioned frequently in a book. Along with our Statistically Improbable Phrases, Capitalized Phrases give you a quick glimpse into a book’s contents. Click on a Capitalized Phrase to view a list of books in which the phrase occurs. You can also view a list of references to the Capitalized Phrase in each book.”
The first CAP listed is “Rubber Rose”. We are going to ponder this phrase, end this post, and eat lunch. PG walked to the hong kong supermarket the other night, and bought a bag of dried beans. After the requisite soaking, the beans were cooked for a half hour on a gas stove. After lunch, it is time to walk to the library and return the books. You need not worry about the inevitable by product of the beans, unless you are behind PG when he gets to the library.
If you click on “Rubber Rose”, you get a list of books that use that phrase. The first is ECGTB, and the second is a book about Tom Robbins. The third is a book about movies, possibly referring to the movie version of ECGTB, which is reputed to be unwatchable. The fourth book to use the phrase “Rubber Rose” is Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides (Left Behind No. 4). On page 379, the RR word is used.
The simple unadulterated truth is the a “Rubber Rose” is a douchebag (spell check suggestion:debauchery ). One of the key characters in ECGTB sells female hygiene products, and the RR is a key player in his band. To use baseball language, in the batting order (odor) of the Countess, the “Rubber Rose” is the fourth batter, the clean up hitter.
One of the more curious developments of the last 32 years is the use of the word douche as an insult. Yes, it packs more of a punch than dirty doorknob, but why is a hygiene appliance considered a dirty word? Could it be the use of this device with two body parts, connected by the taint?
Ah the taint. The first chakra (spell check suggestion:chakra ), the bottom of the torso, the spot between the devices nature intended for elimination and reproduction, shipping and receiving, helter and skelter. Why, the taint was recently in the news. As worldclassstupid (spell check suggestion: upperclasswoman ) tells the tale: “An ad on TV just promoted tonight’s news with the line, “At this year’s G20 summit, rioting taints talk.” I’m gonna make sure to watch it. I didn’t even know taints were there.”
Pictures for today’s entertainment are from the ” Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library” . The bug eyed copyright mongers at Random House have not replied to a request for permission, hence there are no quotes from ECGTB.

Numbers two and three of the worst conservatives in america have recently made public statements about the alliterative custom of dumpster diving. This custom of recycling from a green box has enriched the lives of millions, and Oxy Contin abuser Rush Limbaugh thinks there should be more.
… Now that school is out, where to find food. …There are also things in what’s called the kitchen of your house called cupboards. And in those cupboards, most likely you’re going to find Ding-Dongs, Twinkies, Lays ridgy potato chips,…. There’s the Dollar Menu at McDonald’s and if they don’t have Chicken McNuggets, dial 911 and ask for Obama.
There’s another place if none of these options work to find food; there’s always the neighborhood dumpster. Now, you might find competition with homeless people there, but there are videos that have been produced to show you how to healthfully dine and how to dumpster dive and survive until school kicks back up in August. Can you imagine the benefit we would provide people?
A google search for these videos proved fruitless. (There were no twinkies and ding dongs either. This is from a man who hired Elton John to sing at his wedding.)
Apparently, Sarah Palin does not share this enthusiasm for green box recycling. Mrs. Palin was hired to speak at a California college recently, and some were offended by the honorarium. Students found the contract for the Palin show in a trash can, and publicized the details.
In her speech, Mrs. Palin said “Students who spent their valuable, precious time diving through dumpsters before this event in order to silence someone … what a wasted resource,” She did not express her opinion of students looking for twinkies and ding dongs in the refuse facility.

This diavlog on religion and science was fun to listen to. I was (of course) multi (spell check suggestions:mulch,mufti) tasking, and suspect that I missed a good bit of the show by not seeing the expressions on the two faces. Mr. Martin especially seemed to be chewing on a plug of tobacco. In a case like this, I wonder what we could learn from the body language, the way they conduct themselves out of the sight of the camera.
This was between two proponents of the Catholic path. As a recovering Baptist living in the south, this is not the viewpoint I am familiar with. The type of Jesus that gets shoved in your face in Georgia, on a daily basis, is more emotional, less intellectual, and with even less appreciation of silence.
Yes, the modern Jesus Worship church is in dire need of silence. Many of these people are, imo,(spell check suggestion:imp,limo, moi afraid of silence. They keep shouting, as if they were afraid of what will happen when they no longer have the floor. It is good to remember that prayer is talking to G-d, and meditation is listening. This has a chicken and egg relationship with our society as a whole…people love to talk, but don’t like to listen.
Another difference with these two men, and the Jesus mongers that poison our society, is the emphasis on G-d rather than Jesus. Up to a certain point in the diavlog it occurred to me that neither man had even mentioned Jesus, and in the next minute someone did mention J-boi. It should be noted that the first commandment says to have no other G-d before you. This does not say anything about a so called son of G-d. At the very least, the hysterical shouting about Jesus, and his death, takes attention away from G-d. It also creates ill will, both for G-d and Jesus.
I may recycle this comment on chamblee54, along with some historic pictures. The pictures from the last hour were taken in depression era California by Dorothea Lange . Since they were sponsored by the US government, they are public domain. Anyone who says big government is good for nothing should check out the pictures collection at the The Library of Congress. . Or just look at my blog, for a few tweaked shots a day.

PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON
I am sending this to you to see how many actually read their e-mail. Your response will be interesting. Pay attention to what you read. After you have finished reading it, you will know the reason it was sent to you. Here goes: People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime. Send this to every friend that you have on-line, including the person who sent it to you.
0 Replies – you may need to work on your “people skills”// 2 Replies – you are nice but probably need to be more outgoing// 4 Replies – you have picked your friends well// 6 Replies – you are downright popular// 8 Replies or More – you are totally awesome (and that’s why you’re on MY list) Thank you to the person that sent this email. Pictures are from the ” Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library” .

There are stories coming from Afghanistan. Here is one more.
Now as then, the problem is not hatred of the west, so much as a dislike of foreign troops swaggering around and making themselves odious to the very people they are meant to be helping. On the return journey, as we crawled back up the passes towards Kabul, we got stuck behind a US military convoy of eight Humvees and two armoured personnel carriers in full camouflage, all travelling at less than 20 miles per hour. Despite the slow speed, the troops refused to let any Afghan drivers overtake them, for fear of suicide bombers, and they fired warning shots at any who attempted to do so. By the time we reached the top of the pass two hours later, there were 300 cars and trucks backed up behind the convoy, each one full of Afghans furious at being ordered around in their own country by a group of foreigners. Every day, small incidents of arrogance and insensitivity such as this make the anger grow.
Thank you the newstatesman and obsidian wings .

Those thoughtful patriots at townhalldotcom have compiled a list of 100 Americans ( or, 99 Americans and Rupert Murdoch) that “the left hates”. PG is not sure if he is a leftover or not, but finds hating someone he has never heard of to be a bit silly. Seeing Amboy Duke (72) and Joe Buck (71) on the list was  bizarre. Then again, there was  the pride is seeing Macon’s Erick Erickson (96) making good.
A couple of years ago, PG drove a delivery truck, and listened to talk radio. The announcers he knew then did not do well. Neal Boortz did not make the list. Laura Ingraham was 17, which is a shock to anyone who has listened to her. Michael Medved, the rudest person this side of Bibi Netanyahu, was 73, and Mike Gallagher was 90.
Anyway, as a public service to any leftist who has forgotten who to hate, here is the list. HT to the fishwrapper for telling PG about this list. Pictures are from that organ of big government, The Library of Congress.
01 GLENN BECK 02 SARAH PALIN 03 RUSH LIMBAUGH 04 GEORGE W. BUSH 05 ANN COULTER 06 MICHELLE MALKIN 07 THE TEA PARTY PATRIOT 08 DICK CHENEY 09 BILL O’REILLY 10 MICHELE BACHMANN 11 KARL ROVE 12 SEAN HANNITY 13 MATT DRUDGE 14 NEWT GINGRICH 15 ANDREW BREITBART 16 MARK LEVIN 17 LAURA INGRAHAM 18 ROGER AILES 19 CLARENCE THOMAS 20 RUPERT MURDOCH 21 JAMES O’KEEFE & HANNAH GILES 22 ANTONIN SCALIA 23 MITT ROMNEY 24 MARCO RUBIO 25 JIM DEMINT 26 MICHAEL SAVAGE 27 CHRIS CHRISTIE 28 BILL KRISTOL 29 JOHN ROBERTS 30 DONALD RUMSFELD 31 SCOTT BROWN 32 GROVER NORQUIST 33 PAT BUCHANAN 34 JAN BREWER 35 LIZ CHENEY 36 JOHN BOEHNER 37 THOMAS SOWELL 38 JAMES DOBSON 39 PAUL RYAN 40 JOHN BOLTON 41 DICK ARMEY 42 MICHAEL STEELE 43 SAMUEL ALITO 44 MIKE PENCE 45 JIM INHOFE 46 DAVID HOROWITZ 47 BOB MCDONNELL 48 CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER 49 ED MORRISSEY 50 ERIC CANTOR 51 MIKE HUCKABEE 52 TOM COBURN 53 RON PAUL 54 TONY PERKINS 55 DICK MORRIS 56 CONDOLEEZZA RICE 57 HUGH HEWITT 58 FRANK LUNTZ 59 DAVID PETRAEUS 60 MITCH MCCONNELL 61 JOHN STOSSEL 62 JONAH GOLDBERG 63 FRANKLIN GRAHAM 64 RAND PAUL 65 ALLAHPUNDIT 66 CHUCK NORRIS 67 BOBBY JINDAL 68 WAYNE LAPIERRE 69 RICK PERRY 70 HALEY BARBOUR 71 JON VOIGHT 72 TED NUGENT 73 MICHAEL MEDVED 74 TIM TEBOW 75 DON IMUS 76 RUDY GIULIANI 77 PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY 78 BILL BENNETT 79 MARC THIESSEN 80 TUCKER CARLSON 81 JEFF SESSIONS 82 GEORGE WILL 83 BRENT BOZELL 84 DENNIS PRAGER 85 KEN BLACKWELL 86 TIM PAWLENTY 87 PEGGY NOONAN 88 JEB BUSH 89 PHILIP ANSCHUTZ 90 MIKE GALLAGHER 91 WALTER WILLIAMS 92 STEVE FORBES 93 BERNIE GOLDBERG 94 ED FEULNER 95 JASON MATTERA 96 ERICK ERICKSON 97 ROY SPENCER 98 S.E. CUPP 99 JOHN FUND 100 MICHAEL BARONE