It Is Finished

What Happened to the Yardarm?

Unbelievable. The greatest superpower on Earth is being held at bay by four Jack Sparrow Wannabes in a dead-in-the-water lifeboat. I'm sure that's improving our image with the rest of the world.

From the Yahoo! news article:

The U.S. brought in FBI hostage negotiators to work with the military in
trying to secure the release of Capt. Richard Phillips of Underhill, Vt. An
official said the bandits were in talks with the Navy about resolving the
standoff peacefully.

How about, "Let him go and we let you live -- THIS time". Even that's a bit generous in my book, but for the sake of the captain's life, it may be necessary. But just like Terrorists, You don't negotiate with pirates -- ESPECIALLY not from a position of weakness. This isn't new territory -- our first foreign war was against African pirates associated with militant Islam.

Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, said more ships
would be sent to the area because "we want to ensure that we have all the
capability that might be needed over the course of the coming days." U.S.
officials said the guided-missile frigate USS Haliburton was among the ships en
route.

The additional ships will serve as a show of force following an
increase in the number of attacks and the first one on a U.S.-flagged ship. The
vessels would give the U.S. military more eyes on the threatened area and make
the pirates think twice before trying to seize another ship, but it was not
enough to mount a blockade, according to a senior U.S. defense official who
spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss
operational matters.

We don't need more EYES on the threatened area, we need more FISTS. The pirates aren't going to think twice about JACK just because they know we're watching -- they'll only think twice if we make it demonstrably and patently clear that we're watching, and ready and willing to lower the boom on them if they act up.

"These people are nothing more than criminals and we are bringing to bear a
number of our assets, including naval and FBI, in order to resolve the hostage
situation and bring the pirates to justice," said Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton.

Nothing more? They're something far LESS than criminals, Madame Secretary. While historically captured pirates were given criminal trials, they often never made it to trial due to being sunk at sea, and they were often treated the same as spies and non-uniformed combatants in wartime: summary execution was often the norm.

I'm not necessarily advocating summary execution, but I also believe that while pirates are under arms, they are not merely civilian criminals -- they are enemy combatants, and the appropriate response to their violent force is superior violent force.

President Barack Obama was getting regular updates on the situation, said
spokesman Robert Gibbs. Attorney General Eric Holder says the United States will
take whatever steps are needed to protect U.S. shipping interests against
pirates.

Sink them. destroy their vessels, shoot them dead, bomb their docks. Follow Jefferson and Decaturs example -- make vigorous, enthusiastic war on them. Make them understand that the end of piracy is death, and that the only hope of survival lies in lowering their flag, laying down their arms, or better yet, never take them up in the first place.

Update (5:46 PM Saturday):

An American
skipper held hostage by pirates tried to swim to freedom Friday but was
recaptured seconds later when the bandits opened fire within view of a U.S.
destroyer.

According to the article:

He was in the water only a matter of seconds — not enough time for sailors
aboard the Bainbridge to do much to help him, the defense officials said.
Because both the lifeboat and the Bainbridge are moving, no swimmers or divers
could have been standing by in the water, the officials said.

No swimmers or divers -- but what about GUNNERS? Why the HELL didn't they have small arms trained on these guys so that the instant he was in the water, they were taken under fire? *sigh*

Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em

This last weekend was glorious here -- weather in the 50's Saturday, 60's on Sunday, and pushing 70 on Monday. We spent Sunday picnicing, going for a drive in the country, and grilling bison burgers. It felt more like June than April.

I also managed to get the grill and smoker cleaned up and ready to go for the coming summer, and I'm kicking things off THIS Saturday (regardless of the weather) with a rack of spare ribs. I'm thinking I'm going to smoke them dry the first half of the day, just to get plenty of smoke on them, but I'm definitely finishing them wet -- I love sticky, sweet-hot wet ribs with layers and layers of cooked-on sauce. in fact, I prefer a thicker sauce with ribs than with either brisket OR pulled pork (in fact, I like my pulled pork sauce to be very Carolina-inspired). Of course I'll be continuing my practice of making the sauce from scratch, and giving them an Oregon twist -- the sweet base will be blackberry jam (strained to remove the seeds, of course) from blackberries picked in my own back yard. And I'm making a batch of my Killer BBBBBBBeeans (That's Blackberry, Bourbon, Beer, & Bacon Barbecue Baked Beans). Sunday we're out to my aunt and uncle's place in Veneta for Easter dinner.

Quote of the Day

"North Korea and Iran going nuclear is not the same as Norway and St. Lucia going nuclear. "

- Mark Steyn

Why the HELL haven't I been reading this guy all along?

Quote of the Day

OK, so I just posted one. That was Sunday (barely). It's now Monday (by 14 minutes). A Tip of the Toque to the Ace of Spades Open Blog:

"If the pen is mightier than the sword, then criminalizing words is a way of disarming potential opposition..."

- Mark Steyn

Neil Cavuto is All Out of Bubblegum.

A Tip of the Toque to Aitch.

If you think that the government is our savior and the Nanny State is Utopia, you might find this video a bit unpleasant.

If, howver, you agree with Ronald Reagan that "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'", you'll share with Neil Cavuto in his anger as he hands congressman Alan Grayson (S - Florida) his socialist head.

The current government -- both the executive AND the legislative branches -- want us to sign away our rights to them, and the only reassurance and justification they offer is "Trust us -- it's for your own good". No thanks, I've seen from history where that path leads, and if my country is to go down it, by God, it won't be without a fight from some of us.

Everything Old is New Again

I've decided to go back to my old blog name, for several reasons. First of all, it matches the URL. Second of all, it reminds me, and the occasional reader, of somthing we all need to remember. Thirdly, I'm hoping the change will jar me out of my blogging doldrums and get the expressive juices flowing again. Finally, I just plain like it, always have, and miss it.

I'll still go by A Boy Named Sous as my Nom De Pixels, but the blog is, once again, Memento Moron.

Let's see how this goes.

Quote of the Day

I'm not usually a big fan of bumper stickerisms -- liberal OR conservative -- because they tend towards strawmen and false dilemmas, two fallacies that irk me probably more than any others. But today I saw a bumper sticker ona very nice Ford F-250 in Eugene that I believe actually hits the nail on the head. It's today's quote of the day:

"Don't spread my wealth -- spread my work ethic."

Quote of the Day

"If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with
inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just power from
the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made
beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth and their
soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not
forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of
the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that
direction cannot lay claim to progress. They are reactionary."

- Calvin Coolidge, 5 July, 1926

A Tip of the Toque to Mike at South Texian.

Soylent Dumb

A Tip of theToque to Ken, the Fifth String on the Banjo of Life:

Really?

All Things to All Men

As anyone who knows me or reads my blog knows, I'm incredibly fond of my home state, an equally proud of it -- despite my frustration with the political atmosphere here, it's a beautiful place, and outside the cities (especially Eugene and Portland), quite down-to-earth.

Also, despite what people think, Oregon, and the Northwest in general, is not one continual rainfall. One of the things that I've been proud of for quite some time, as it directly relates to the beauty of this place, is its incredible geological and climatic diversity, and the surprising way that diversity stacks Oregon up in comparison to other regions of the country.

I do not deny that there is beauty to be found across this great nation, nor do I imply we hold a monopoly on it. But what is amazing is the way in which so many diferent places in Oregon compare to so many different parts of the rest of the country. With the exception of a few very extreme examples (The Everglades, or the Grand Canyon, for instance), if you pick a specific place in America known for its geology, climate, and scenery, I can, with some effort, find somewhere in Oregon with similar features -- in some cases, admittedly, the Oregon version is a second-best copy, but in other cases, I'd happily stack Oregon up for comparison with confidence that we'd come out on top.

Let me give you a few examples. For copyright reasons, I am not posting any of the gorgeous pictures I found online here -- rather, I'm posting links and letting you see for yourself:

Hudson River Valley, New York
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon/Washington Border

Arizona's Painted Desert
Oregon's Painted Hills

The Blue Ridge Mountains
The Coast Range

A Maine Lighthouse
Oregon's Heceta Head Lighthouse

Grand Tetons, Wyoming
Wallowas, Oregon

Napa Valley, California
Willamette Valley, Oregon

See what I mean?

Change We Can No Longer Suspend Disbelief In

I've been watching with a mixture of sadness, fatalistic amusement, anger, and a bit of regretful vindication the Obama administration's handling of things, especially the financial crisis, and was inspired to create the following image:

What He Said

Robert the Llama Butcher has posted a YouTube video of Representative McCotter (R - Michigan) lambasting the Dems over the AIG flap. Go watch it -- I couldn't have summed up my own feelings on this any better.

While We're At It

Found this quize at The Bow Ramp too:

I am a: Glock Model 22 in 40 cal

What kind of handgun are YOU?

Serendipity

I took a "What Beer Are You?" quiz, and guess what I scored? You, you guessed it:

Your result for The If You Were A Beer Test...

Guinness

(100% dark & bitter, 67% working class, 100% genuine)

Okay, we all know Guinness is the best possible score on any "What Kind Of Beer Are You" test, so you can just go on and pat yourself on the back now. Like the world's most famous brew, you're genuine, you've got good taste, and you're sophisticated. What else can I say, except congratulations?

If your friends didn't score the same way, get ready for them to say: Guinness is too heavy; it's an acquired taste; it's too serious--and they probably think those things about you at times. But just brush 'em off. Everybody knows Guinness is the best. Cheers.

Take The If You Were A Beer Test at

A tip of the Toque to William Powell at The Bow Ramp.

Self-Evident

A Tip of the Toque to Mike at South Texian:

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Free Marketeer, also known as a fiscal conservative. You believe in free-market capitalism, tax cuts, and protecting your hard-earned cash from pick-pocketing liberal socialists.

Take the quiz at http://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html

I'm not so sure I agree with the results -- I DO believe in the free market, but I also believe that it is merely a tool to be used to secure even more basic freedoms, and is itself dependent on other important freedoms in order to function properly. But I did my best to answer the questions frankly and accurately, and that's what came up, so there you go.

Pop Quiz

Four Questions:

1. Which of the two main presidential candidates, , during the election, claimed that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong", despite the current crisis?

2. What was his critics' response?

3. Which of those candidates is now maintaining that claim?

4. Which of them are we to believe?

Qoute of the Day

"If Michelle Obama doesn't lay off all this "giving back" stuff pretty soon, she's going to find herself in Warren Buffett's tax bracket. "

- Ann Coulter

(A Tip of the Toque to Mike LaRoche at South Texian.

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

Where was the deal made on a dark and stormy day?