The Happy Carpenter

A good day crabbin'

Yesterday evening, First Mate Mavich, Cabin Boy Noel, and I went out in the cold overcast evening to pull in our new wire style crab traps.  The best we've done so far was 32 claws.  Last night we came home with 47 stone crab claws and a nice by-catch of 30 blue crabs!  We also caught and released two trigger fish, another big puffer, a flounder, a sea horse, and a bunch of little purple crabs we'd never seen before.  We couldn't believe how far our traps had moved in a week; they'd drifted about 1/2 a mile!  We ran out of light before we could find the last three, but we also found and recovered three ghost traps, so it was a wash.

UUnidentified purple crabs

Let the feast begin!

Blue crabs steaming.  Yummmmmm.

Stone crab claws ready for the hammer!

Get ready for a wave of high quality immigrants from Venezuela

I really feel for those poor people.  Imagine how much it would stink to be living in a pretty good country and have the rug yanked out from under you.  The few Venezuelans I know are fine people.  I say let 'em in -- the more the merrier.

250 is apretty good day's work

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi forces killed some 250 gunmen from an apocalyptic Muslim cult on Sunday in a battle involving U.S. tanks and aircraft near the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, Iraqi police, army and political sources said....

According to one Iraqi political source, hundreds of fighters drawn from both Sunni and Shi'ite communities were still fighting. A Reuters reporter at the scene, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, saw U.S. tanks and heard blasts after dark and an Iraqi officer said F-16 jets were bombing the area.

Details of the day's fighting were sketchy and the origins of the fighters unclear. An Iraqi army source said some of the dead wore headbands declaring themselves a "Soldier of Heaven."

The governor of Najaf province said the group had gathered in orchards near the city and had been planning to attack the main Shi'ite clerical leadership on Monday. It is the climax of the annual Shi'ite rite of Ashura, marking a 7th century battle which entrenched the schism between Shi'ite and Sunni Islam.

Can those folks hold a grudge or what?  Still, a good day for the good guys.

UPDATE:  Make that 350.  A much better article is here.

Later counts put the number of enemy fighters killed at up to 350, with a minimal loss to Iraqi and U.S. troops. Three Iraqi soldiers were killed and 21 wounded, five police were killed and 19 wounded, and two U.S. soldiers were killed when their helicopter was downed. The leader of the Shia cult, Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni "who claimed to be the Mahdi, a messiah-like figure in Islam," was killed during the fighting, which lasted over 24 hours. The Iraqi Army fought what appears to be a well armed, well trained and organized force on its own turf, and deal the enemy serious casualties, while beheading the leadership.

28,200 square feet is too many, Senator

I'm not exactly green, but like any reasonable person I am a conservationist.  I'm also a general contractor (Florida certification GC C 059 250) and while most of my experience has been on the commercial side, I've given a lot of thought to houses.  And this house is just wrong.

It belongs to former senator and Democrat presidential candidate (Has he formally announced yet?  I confess I don't know) John Edwards.  I think building that kind of estate says something bad about a person.  How can anyone call themselves environmentally responsible if they've built a 28,200 square foot house for themselves? 

Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick caught with weed at Miami Int'l

Really.

Download vickreally.wmv

Vick isn't the only sports genius out there, but at least if anyone has to pay a price, he'll pay it himself, unlike Reggie Bush.

Dear Sister Brandy is spot on

Her post today was great:

January 25

Who proves whom wrong?

 

http://happycarpenter.blogs.com is my darling brother.  He just rocks and I love him very dearly.

But we don't agree on politics.  That is a HUGE understatement.  HUGE!

I used to think it was because we didn't agree on data sources.  He gets his news of Fox and suspects any other news source.  I don't trust Fox at all, and most of the time I would rather see the base numbers than have any new organization tell me how I should feel about things.  OK, I'm not so suspicious 50% of the time, but there is just too many people trying to spin things for me.

But my darling husband (http://mikegalos.spaces.live.com), who also just rocks and I love him beyond very dearly, said something the other night that has got me thinking.

I don't remember his exact words so I will use mine.

That the real difference is that when Bush speaks the Right will try to prove him right and the Left will try to prove him wrong.  And when somebody like Bidden speaks, the Right will try to prove him wrong and the Left will try to prove him right. 

So we are fundamentally divided and heading different directions before we even get to whose data should be trusted.  And since you can prove anything with statistics, our country is torn apart. 

So how does this end?

I don't think the populous should *ever* get into the mode of trying to prove their politicians are right. 

No person is perfect and groups of elected people even less.  And that is true before we even start to add in lobbyists.

So that leaves the that it's the duty of every person to attempt to prove their politicians wrong.   We unite behind the ideal that all politicians are created equal and NONE of them should be given a pass.

Wow.  That would change this country really quickly.

Indeed.  My comment was:

Except for the part about my getting my news from FOX, you're spot on. 

For the record, I don't get my news from any mainstream source.  I almost never watch TV news, and even less do I read my local paper.  The closest I get to mainstream is InstaPundit.  If I'm driving around, I'm probably listening to Dennis Prager, Laura Ingraham, Bill Bennett, or Michael Medved.  I'd like to listen to Hugh Hewit a lot more, but his signal is weak around my 'hood.   Can't stand Hannity or Savage, and I don't have anything more to learn from Rush.  I tried Air America, I really did, but it was un-listen-able.  The other websites I read regularly are all linked from my blog, and I admit it's past time to refresh that list.  Yon is back in Iraq, and although he doesn't update all that often, he's a genuine must-read.

The only lefty site I visit regularly is Emphasis Added, a thoughtful guy from your neck of the woods.  We have good respect for each other.  I plan to add your sites to my regular reading, and, what the heck, I might just check out Mike's as well.

As to my preferred candidates, the only one I've really supported through the primaries was old Phil Graham of Texas.  He was a hard nosed libertarianish Republican, but unfortunately just too short and ugly to get elected President.  There's plenty I don't l ike about President Bush's policies, but I do agree with the basic themes of his concept of the War on Terror.  My greatest fear there is that the Arabs may prove too psychotic to save, and I don't think the rest of the world is going to get with it until Tel Aviv and New York have been vaporized. 

I'd love to see Rooster's, Rick's, and Walt's thoughts on this.

Riots in Lebanon

Important news from Michael J Totten.

Worst joke of all time ;-)

I'm not even going to tell you who this is from!

The day after his wife disappeared in a kayaking accident, an Anchorage man answered his door to find two grim-faced Alaska State Troopers.

"We're sorry Mr. Wilkens, but we have some information about your wife," said one trooper.

"Tell me! Did you find her?" Wilkens shouted.

The troopers looked at each other. One said, "We have some bad news, some good news, and some really great news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Fearing the worst, an ashen Mr. Wilkens said, "Give me the bad news first."

The trooper said, "I'm sorry to tell you, sir, but this morning we found your wife's body in Kachemak Bay."

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Wilkens. Swallowing hard, he asked, "What's the good news?"

The trooper continued, "When we pulled her up, she had 12 twenty- five pound king crabs and 6 good-size Dungeness crabs clinging to her."

Stunned, Mr. Wilkens demanded, "If that's the good news, what's the great news?"

The trooper said, "We're going to pull her up again tomorrow."

SOTUS drinking game

Sent to me by my liberal friend Evil Clown:

George W Bush State of the Union 2007 Drinking Game

Will Durst - WorkingForChange.com

01.22.07 - What you Need to Play:


Four taxpayers: One rich white guy wearing a Suit. Cuff links are nice. Two people wearing jeans, one in a blue work shirt, the other in a white shirt. One person wearing clothes rejected by the Salvation Army. (Belt and shoelaces removed.)

One shot glass per person. Everybody brings their own from home and places it on table. Suit gets first pick for use during game. White shirt picks next, then Blue shirt. Suit takes last shot glass as well, and Rags has to beg a glass from other players when necessary, or drink out of own cupped hands.

Twenty buck ante for everybody, except Suit who tosses in a quarter.

One pot of Texas chili and one bowl of guacamole, in middle of coffee table with tortilla chips nearby. Rags has to prepare and serve the chili and guacamole.

A large stash of beer. Rags gets the cheapest stuff available. Suit gets whatever import he likes. White and Blue Jeans get any domestic brand as long as it's no more expensive than Bud. Jeans pay for all the beer, the chips and the ingredients for the chili and guacamole.
Rules of the Game:

1. Whenever George W uses the phrases "defending liberty," "enormous progress" or "challenges ahead," last person to knock wood has to drink 2 shots of beer. If he actually says "there are those who envy our freedoms and seek to destroy us," everybody drinks a whole beer.

2. The first time George W mentions the tragic events of 9/11, the last person to eat one dollop of chili off a tortilla chip must drink three shots of beer. The second time George W mentions the tragic events of 9/11, the last person to eat one dollop of guacamole off a tortilla chip must drink three shots of beer. Continue to alternate. If you mischip, drink two extra shots of beer.

3. If George W mispronounces Iraqi President Al- Maliki's name, drink two shots of beer. If he even attempts to pronounce the name of Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad, first person to stop laughing is exempt from drinking three shots of beer.

4. If George W makes up a word like "9/11ers or "deterrencism," last person to yell out "Strategerie!" drinks two shots of beer.

5. Every time senators Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama are shown in the audience, Suit drinks one shot of beer.

6. The first time George W talks about immigration, last person to finish three chips of guacamole has to drink three shots of beer.

7. If either the Vice President, Secretary of State or First Lady are caught napping, last person to make snoring noises drinks two shots of beer. If Senator Robert Byrd is shown awake, Blue and White drink two shots of beer.

8. Everybody drinks two shots of beer if President Bush mentions Scooter Libby. Three shots of beer if he mentions Jack Abramoff. Four shots of beer if he mentions Osama bin Laden.

9. Whenever George W quotes the Bible, last person to sing the first eight bars of "Amazing Grace" has to drink two shots of beer.

10. If George W smirks during a standing ovation, take turns throwing chips of chili and guacamole at TV. First person to hit Bush's head exempt from drinking three shots of beer.

11. If George W tells a folksy Texas tale with a deeper meaning about not leaving before the job is done, Suit has to drink out of beer-filled hands of Rags, who gets to dry his hands on Suit's jacket.

12. Predict the number of applause breaks. After the speech, drink number of shots of beer equal to the difference between your estimate and the real number.

EXTRAS:


Anybody who can identify the person giving the Democratic Response doesn't have to watch it.

If George W uses a heartfelt story about one of our brave troops, White gets to kick everybody once. Twice if the brave troop is a woman. Rags gets to kick Suit if Bush reveals the subject of the anecdote is in the audience. Twice if the brave troop is sitting next to an astronaut.

Suit takes home the $60.25.

Leftover beer, chili and guacamole go home with Rags, after he/she is finished washing the dishes

Could be fun.  Hope I'm not too late.  I'll be the suit.

Work it, baby!

To quote Captain Capitalism, "No wonder [Iranian men] are so pissed off and want to blow everything up."

Check out Iran's super models.

Remember the old Wendy's TV commercial mocking the old Soviet Union with their babuska skit?  "Is next!  Swimvear!"