ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©

Ahem, Pinko...

2012-01-27T10:40:00.000-05:00

Forget your S.O.P.A. and P.I.P.A.

It's all about the M.O.P.A.: Massive Online Pinko Ahemorrhage.

The question has been asked, "Who is this "pinko" and how is this babbie associated with socialism, besides the fact that babbies require it?"

Here are all the answers.

In other news, the mango survived being left all alone for almost a month again. (Not to mention, the tropical weather we're accustomed to in Ohio at this time of year.)

Meanwhile, TCWNN remains behind in West Virginia. He made it this far in life with little apparent human intervention, so I'm sure he'll be fine. And now he has a roof over his head.

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Travel Today?

2012-01-26T12:58:00.000-05:00

Why not, it's cold and rainy and has to be done.

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Lookin' Out My Backdoor

2012-01-23T15:38:00.001-05:00

Snow Day

2012-01-21T19:31:00.000-05:00

The Usual Suspects

The Cat With No Name

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Whiskey, all you want!

2012-01-20T15:24:00.002-05:00

Whoops! Looks like Thers didn't set out any whiskey last night.

Let's see what's in the cupboard.

There was a Republican Debate Summary in Charleston, S.C. last night. Here's a fine summary from whateveritisimagainstit (h/t BDR).

Stephen Colbert puts the overall race into context, and highlights Sweater Vest's couch problem.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

As for Pig Newton, Dusty, take it away.

I've thought since the beginning that Mittens would be the gooper nominee. Perhaps "A 25% tax rate for thee, but at most 15% for me" will be a deal-breaker. We might as well enjoy our schadenfreude now.

I hope I'm wrong, but this is my prediction. The banksters and the Military Industrial Commission win, and we lose. As usual.

P.S. Don't tell Thers!

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Photo of a photo session

2012-01-18T18:29:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 3:33:21 PM

Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 3:31:59 PM

Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 3:33:37 PM

Ginger cat orbs (I don't know what this kitty in the woods...I almost never see cats here on the mountainside).

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Paws for alarm

2012-01-17T13:56:00.003-05:00

In other news, here's a Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus.

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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fire and rain

2012-01-12T19:17:00.001-05:00

For best results, I recommend playing all the videos at the same time.

Yes, some woodpeckers stopped by today to say, "Hello."

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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birds, moon, lake

2012-01-10T19:23:00.001-05:00

Halping fish

2012-01-08T14:35:00.001-05:00

Because feesh needs all the halp he can get.

Other Beesness: A White-breasted Nuthatch, assorted Hairy Woodpecker pics, Lake Siri, and the moon.

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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There Can Be Only One (1)!

2012-01-04T12:51:00.001-05:00

Other Business: Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker

P.S. I blame fish, of course.
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New Years Day 2012

2012-01-01T23:50:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: Pictures taken with the benefit of alien tripod technology.

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Favorite Pics of 2011, Part II

2011-12-31T17:51:00.001-05:00

Theme 177 from Carmi of Written, Inc.: Favorite photos of the year. Second installment, July through December:

July: Some Enchanted Ducky Evening and Cardinalis cardinalis, concerned mom

August: Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus, Eastern Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes - Schiller Park, and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus

September: Cacapon Mountain and deer orbs!

October: hibiscus at Frank Fetch Park and can a kitty get some petting around here?

November: Bambi don't rake and helping zrm

December: MEESE, ROCK, and Potomac River 2

Thanks for viewing and common-tating, people. And HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Favorite Pics of 2011, Part I

2011-12-29T13:53:00.002-05:00

Theme 177 from Carmi of Written, Inc.: Favorite photos of the year. First installment, January through June:

January: Orbs from Friday Night

February: This Is Our House - Let Us In!

March: A Suet Day For Golf

April: We're going for a two point conversion...fish versus bird and Mourning Cloak butterfly.

May: David Brooks' Raptor Jesus scoop

June: Clouded Sulphur, Colias philodice

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Christmas Presence

2011-12-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

I brought you a house,

a birdie,

a rooster,

some horses,

juniper berries for gin,

and some eerie deer.

And a napkin!

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Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T12:50:00.003-05:00

Have some pics of the Columbus sky, and of a hawk that might be the same one I saw flying around here last month.

The Sparrow Commission meets to discuss the hawk.

A Hearty War On Christmas Happy Holidays! to everyone, brought to you by Pink Saturday Cab.

I see you and raise, Tengrain!

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus

2011-12-23T11:57:00.004-05:00

Meanwhile, the flimsy, reassembled half-a-suet-feeder has bitten the dust. Time for a new model.

UPDATE: For the Porpoises of Comparison

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It's beginning to look a lot like orbmass II

2011-12-22T11:03:00.001-05:00

From West Virgina:

And Columbus, Ohio:

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Downy at Dusk

2011-12-20T18:14:00.002-05:00

It was getting near dusk, the G12 was downstairs, and my old Canon A710 was on the table. So here's a couple shots of a bold Downy Woodpecker at dusk, taken with the A710.

It seems I haven't retrieved the pictures from this camera in a while. This photo was taken in Columbus back in November.

Does anyone remember when it was green and sunny? These are from October.

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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It's beginning to look a lot like orbmass

2011-12-18T22:59:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: Please note the newest additions to the Blog Roll:

Also, Charles Pierce with the latest from zrm-land.

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White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

2011-12-16T23:23:00.005-05:00

The movie is a little shaky and off-center. As an excuse, I'm blaming the cold and windy weather, and the need to hide behind the bird blind.

UPDATE: Via BDR, I've learned that Captain Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet, died Friday, one year ago.

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White House Will Not Veto Banana Republic Bill

2011-12-14T23:30:00.001-05:00

Surprised?

If you imagined that it was Joseph Isadore Lieberman who was sworn into office on Jan 20, 2009, then nothing this Administration has done would come as a surprise.

P.S. Scott Horton

And now for some relief:

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Moose

2011-12-13T15:11:00.001-05:00

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Higgs boson versus the G.O.P. Primary

2011-12-11T23:34:00.003-05:00

Jeff Forshaw

I have been waiting more than 20 years for this. Personally, I am most excited by the possibility that there is no Higgs particle and that nature has chosen a different path. If that is the case, then we are going to have to be patient for a little longer. It will be worth the wait.

Jeff Forshaw is a professor of theoretical physics, University of Manchester, and co-author with Brian Cox of The Quantum Universe: Everything That Can Happen Does Happen (Allen Lane)

Mary and Ian Butterworth, Imperial College London, and Doris and Vigdor Teplitz, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA

How Particles Acquire Mass

The Higgs boson is a hypothesised particle which, if it exists, would give the mechanism by which particles acquire mass.

Matter is made of molecules; molecules of atoms; atoms of a cloud of electrons about one-hundred-millionth of a centimetre and a nucleus about one-hundred-thousandth the size of the electron cloud. The nucleus is made of protons and neutrons. Each proton (or neutron) has about two thousand times the mass of an electron. We know a good deal about why the nucleus is so small. We do not know, however, how the particles get their masses. Why are the masses what they are? Why are the ratios of masses what they are? We can't be said to understand the constituents of matter if we don't have a satisfactory answer to this question.

Rick Santorum:

Discussing controversial classroom subjects such as evolution and global warming, Santorum said he has suggested that “science should get out of politics” and he is opposed to teaching that provides a “politically correct perspective.”

Any Questions?

Summary:

CERN operates the Large Hadron Collider

The G.O.P. operates the Large Hardon Collider

UPDATE: I finally got around to trying to fix the suet feeder.

I'm guessing Downy.

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Saturday Night Moon Blog

2011-12-10T23:51:00.002-05:00

First, the Potomac River just after sunset:

We didn't get to see the lunar eclipse here on the east coast. Nonetheless, the moon was still spectacular this evening.

In other news, there was yet another gooper debate tonight. It was amusingly live-blogged at the Guardian.

Having spent three days in Iowa at various election events, there seems to be little enthusiasm for any of the candidates and there did not appear to be much at this event either. I sat next to a WW2 navy guy exasperated with candidates on offer, muttering "God damn" at various points made by Gingrich, Santorum and Perry.

Santorum said he had served ... for eight years on the Senate armed services committee. As Santorum was leaving, the vet blocked the aisle and told him if he wanted bloodshed in Iran, he should put on a uniform and go there.