Of course no politician would survive after having publicly rejected stimulus funds, then using them to renovate his mansion – while spending millions on a temporary residence while that work was going on, right? Oh, but then there’s TX and its Perry who, you know, did just that.

Y’all just don’t understand America’s two-tiered ethical system.

They may look like bloated criminals to you, but these guys are Of The Lord. Many of them live in special houses in Washingtion DC, where their vile proclivites are nurtured and encouraged.

Unlike the wicked Democrats, these folks can do anything and get off free. If Dick Cheney shoots someone in the face, it’s a charming anecdote. If Joe Biden shoots someone in the face, it’s a big f-ing deal.

Hooverville

Good morning, pups. It’s Brooks and Herbert today. Bobo is telling us all about “The Sidney Awards, Part II,” and gives us the second batch of winners of the 2010 Sidney Awards. He says it seems as though turbulent times produce good essays. Mr. Herbert, in “The Data and the Reality,” says despite optimistic economic forecasts, a national survey highlights the deep and continuing pain experienced by millions of jobless Americans.

Here they are.

The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and I’ve got a variety of bagels with cream cheese. We’re back in the deep freeze, at 25° this morning, but it’s supposed to end later this week. I hope all the pups in the path of the eastern blizzard are safe and warm, and manage to get dug out. Have a great day.

thanks Marion, and bobo’s got his hook now. We need to make those hard times roulez, for the great prose, do us all good.

Mornin’ Marion hope you had a delightful holiday time. Colder than a republican’s heart here this morning 14° with howling winds resulting in a wind chill of 4°. We missed most of the snow as we frequently do here on the water. All around us there was 18″ or more while here we got 6″ at most, not unusual for us. Weather from the south gets pushed out to sea while weather from the west great broken up by the bay and weather from the north gets split by a little “mountain”.

THere are stacks of books under the tree so winter should pass pretty easily.

Glad that you’re not up to your eyebrows in snow. We actually had a few flurries as we were leaving church on Sunday — it didn’t stick, but the kids were thrilled anyway. They got to run out and catch flakes on their sleeves to prove to themselves that yes, they are all different. Stay warm, and enjoy those books!

Our band, the Flaming Baluns, never took off. Probably a marketing problem, I think we just had the wrong name. If we can get together again, i’d like your permission to christen the group, “the Vile Proclivities”.

Good morning all.

Still windy here, but about 10 degrees warmer at 32. Didn’t think it was going to be that ‘warm’ so early in the morning.

Just heard about how terrible that your big storms … kept the shoppers home. arrrgggghhh.

top of the AM to ya firepeeps

denver is 28 and clearing – should be in the 50′s today, and I will water the lawn. weird.

G’Morning all. Night before last, the deep freeze popped the fitting on the water line to the bathtub upstairs. Last night, the same phenomena but for a different reason, an ice dam by one of the dormer windows over the bathtub. The dry firewood (ash) is keeping me warm. Winter is sometimes a battle with the cold. Reading about the unemployed (Herbert) this morning has made me sad. E.L. says that we are ruled by “borderless arbitrageurs” who no longer care about us because we are not making them any money.

One of the advantages of an historic house is that all the plumbing is in the center of the house, having been retrofitted. That is, none near any outside walls, and thus cannot freeze.

I did forget to turn off the outside water one winter. The pipe froze & then when it thawed, it started spewing water all over. I was a weekender at the time, but luckily my yard/plow guy came by for some reason, saw it & turned off the water in the basement before it could do a lot of damage.

I hope your plumbing problems are easily repaired.

Good Morning
It’s currently 44 here in Sylmar and is supposed to get up to 64. The harsh winds have died down. We’re forcasted to have heavy rains tomorrow, so I best get outside today and Do Something. Maybe I’ll take a walk and take some pictures of the hills.

Who’s E.L.?

Marion – I tried that peanut butter cookie recipe, and they turned out very well. Gave them all away. Think I’ll make another batch for my house.
Nice about the kids and the snowflakes. Good lesson. We people are all different too.

At the house next to me in Chincoteague the owner had had a feud with his handyman, and when it froze I heard a sound like windchimes, finally checked and found the outside shower pipe had burst, it looked like an enchanted ice forest over there. Called the owner and he told me how to turn the water off.

I am learning as I am going along. First you break it, then you learn how to fix it! Stay warm.

Sorry Demi, the log off gremlin in this machine disconnected me and I had to clear the cache to get back here! E.L. is a person whom I do not have permission to quote. His full quote is thus:

“If they were interested in “investing” in the future of this country, they would have no problem with, for example, a very gradual raising of the payroll tax rate, combined with raising the cap on taxation of benefits. This is quite obviously an investment in the quality of life for retirees, survivors, and the disabled. Which equalizes a major household burden from today’s (and tomorrow’s) working families. The economic logic is impeccable. But a borderless class of arbitrageurs doesn’t think this way.”

Well, I’m not sure it’s all good. Sanford did loose his family, and while I’m sure he’ll get over it, he endured a fair amount of ridicule, and I think he’s lost any hope of higher office. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

Both he and Ensign were once considered 2012 presidential timber — I seem to recall that they actually polled better than, say, Tim Pawlenty. And that may have been after they got caught at their respective peccadilloes.

Sanford’s wife certainly came out of it all ahead by several necks/noses.

Thass okay, Turk: Mark’s gonna travel the country lecturing on family values and trail-hiking.

HEY! Here’s a thought: Since we’ve got the greatest republian rehabber ever, sitting in the Oval Office, how about Obama sets up some joint press conferences with Sanford.

They can share their trickle-down theories with everyone, while specifically busting ass on us fucking retards.

Myrtle Beach was 22 last night. Coldest winter here in many, many, years.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one.
Mark Sanford was misunderstood by an aide. Sanford called his office to say he was leaving for some Argentinian tail and the aide thought he said Appalachian Trail.

Aren’t there any grown-ups in South Carolina? It’s as if the entire state is so distracted by the man’s affair (and of course, their own Christian charity in “forgiving him” [as if it were any of their business]) that the part where he’s too freaking stupid, inept and/or self-centered to conduct an affair without it landing in the national news blew right by them.