Northern Exposure

Here’s a story that’s been floating around in various versions for at least a couple of years. It describes a possible scenario if Sarah Palin exceeds everybody’s low expectations of her in the debate tonight.

From the MANITOBA HERALD

A flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The possibility of a McCain/Palin election is prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they’ll soon be required to hunt, pray, and agree with Bill O’Reilly. Canadian border farmers say it’s not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.

“I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn,” said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. “He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken.”

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves. “A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions,” an Ontario border patrolman said. “I found one carload without a drop of drinking water. They did have a nice little Napa Valley Cabernet, though.”

When liberals are caught, they’re sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the McCain administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to shoot wolves from airplanes, deny evolution, and act out drills preparing them for the Rapture.

In recent days, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers. “If they can’t identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age,” an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies.

“I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can’t support them,” an Ottawa resident said. “How many art-history and English majors does one country need?”

Back in the running

Excellent news! Other than normal wear-and-tear for someone my age, the MRI of my spine shows a “slight protrusion” — no rupture — between the L3 and L4 vertebrae, resulting in L4 touching the right nerve root.

After some physical therapy and, to my chagrin, weight loss, I should be fine and able to run again. This whole episode — which left me crippled with blinding pain — was caused by playing fast and loose on a 6-ft. step ladder while working outside, leaning way over and wielding an electric hedge trimmer.

Getting away from it all

Denro says this one has it all — Tommy Dorsey’s band with Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines, and Jo Stafford. From June, 1941, six months before Pearl Harbor, this is ‘Let’s Get Away From It All.’ It starts with Jo’s pure, clean voice and the Pied Pipers, then Frank and Connie, with her distinctly different sound, come in.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/SEP/LetsGetAway.mp3]

Mad Men merry-go-round

On DVD, Carol and I have finished watching the first season of Mad Men, the Emmy winner for best drama. Last week, on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, a scene from Mad Men was featured, where ad man Don Draper pitches an idea to Kodak, suggesting another name for a new slide projector caddie, other than The Wheel.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/SEP/MadMen.flv 448 252]

In response to a question from Terry Gross, the show’s creator, Matt Weiner, said the idea in the opening is that when Don Draper has a fall — and he has many — he manages to land safely and look good.

I never cared much for Robert Morse when he was young, but he’s excellent in Mad Men as the aging co-founder of the ad agency.

Neighborly Advice to Washington

Our neighbor across the street sent this tidbit. I won’t give his name, because he doesn’t know I’m posting this.

I’m not usually into this politics crap but I happened to see this interesting editorial from the Chairman of the FDIC that was written back on 10/19/2007:

“A government bailout is not the answer. Bailouts erode market discipline, raising the likelihood of repeat episodes. And efforts to expand refinancing options will help only those borrowers who have enough equity to refinance.”

http://www.fdic.gov/news/letters/lte_10192007.html

Interesting article from a year ago. Seems like Georgie and friends decided to make as much money as they could before they decided to go for the bailout plan. Maybe no one in the banking industry or in Georgie’s administration ever looks at the FDIC website….

There it is. The FDIC, the agency in charge of insuring bank deposits, saw what was coming and proposed a solution a year ago.

The writing’s on the wall

Want to dress up your drab walls? Handy with a Sharpie pen? Get doodling!

Man decorates basement with $10 worth of Sharpie

One has to wonder how a media outlet becomes aware of something like this. Well, having been in the news biz a long time ago I can tell you — somebody calls up and says, “I’ve got something (or done something) I think you’ll be interested in.” Yes, shameless self-promotion is the safe assumption. But, then, with this blog, who am I to talk?