I'm just sayin'

I know, I know.

But as everyone goes through, you probably don't want to know the color version right now.

Discovering More WWII French Music

You all know I speak French, heck, I'm proudly Alsatian :) And I love WWII and pre-WWII French music. Jacqueline Francois, Lucienne Delyle, Mistinguett, Maurice Chevalier, I love the old songs.

I adore Lucienne Delyle, and today, I was introduced to Lucienne Boyer....

Parlez-Moi d'Amour

Un Amour Comme le Notre

C'est Toujours la meme Chanson

French music makes me think of my roots, peut-etre des autres vies, and of course, it makes me think of my Mom, who introduced me to the language through music.

Right now, through the magic that is my employment, I'm being offered further training in French. I think there is nothing easier for practicing your accent quite like imitating any of the above, especially the sassy, sexy Mistinguett.

Normally about this time of year I switch from French music to Spanish (Cuban, and other South American). I can sing both. But I'll linger just a little longer this year.

Not Just Scared, F'ing Scared

This afternoon I went skating at the lakefront. I've long said that if something happens to me long before my time, that I should be cremated and my ashes spread out over Lincoln Memorial Drive.

I drove back towards home, realizing I had about 24 on the DTE meter. So I figured on getting my car washed and putting some gas in the tank. Not so fast. My car started, right on the freeway, to choke on me. Downshifting, I pulled into the exit lane for 35th street. It's amazing I had anywhere near enough power to pull into the BP station on 35th.

I got out of my car. Now mind you, I grew up and went to an inner city high school. Being the only white person within miles is not intimidating to me. Never has been. But today as I stepped out of my car, my heart was in my throat. My stomach felt like ice. My normal comfort was not there and I couldn't talk myself out of it. I was very, very very ...f'ing scared. For the first time.

(and if you're an out-of-towner, please Google "Scott Huggins" for context.)

Jennifer Grey is Not Allowed to Turn 47

I just felt like sayin' it.

What's yours is ours...

CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez announced Sunday that his government's sweeping reforms toward socialism will include the creation of "collective property."

...

"It cannot be production to generate profits for one person or a small group of people that become rich exploiting peons who end up becoming slaves, living in poverty and misery their entire lives," he said.

Oh yeah. That'll stop it.

Better yet why don't we all just work for the government, instead?

So glad I was born here.

A Fab Day

What a great day.

It was so great, I think I'll say it again.

What a great day.

I started out getting over just a little bit of drinking I had done last night by getting out on the porch with some iced darjeeling tea. Then I texted Aaron to see how he was doing. An hour later I joined Aaron, Kelly, and baby Cole for an afternoon in Newburg walking through the woods and seeing different demonstrations about maple syrup. It was a great time.

Then we hit Cabela's. The Man Mall. Too bad we missed the wild game deli, but there is always next time.

Thanks guys - it was super!!!

Phel

Would You, and Do You?

I'll open up comments to the "anonymous" setting for this post.

I have a question, and it's one that is becoming more and more relevant. And if you agree with me that it's relevant now, just you wait 'till summer.

Wisconsin, one of the only states in the union that doesn't allow concealed carry, isn't going to change its laws anytime soon. In fact with the rise of crime in SE WI, it's nearly a sure thing that it won't be allowed. Crazy logic - yes - but this is an an urban area that seems to defy normal and acceptable rules. I'm surprised the law of gravity still applies.

Here is the setup to my question.

You can die pretty quickly in this city, whether you are putting yourself in the position or not. I don't need to list the instances of where and when and how often it happens that people are shot, beaten, or hit by drivers who don't have licenses. This city IS a death trap.

Being that the state of Wisconsin does not allow law abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon, I believe the state is putting those law abiding citizens in peril. Each human being put upon this earth is, in effect, responsible for making decisions that protect their lives. If you are shot or beaten, nobody can predict the chances of your survival. With the right to bear arms protected by the constitution nobody should have to be faced with having to "get over" or "heal" from a gunshot wound or attack.

Given that this is the situation in Milwaukee, and if you are not in a position to take yourself out of the situation ("yet", for financial reasons, either temporarily or otherwise); and being that the law does not allow protection through concealed carry, and cannot protect you directly due to the randomness and volume of crime in the city:

Should you, and do you, take it upon yourself to bear arms despite the law.

Moon in all your splendor...

...know only my heart...

Call back my Rose, Rose of San Antone...

I Hear Him

Sometimes it doesn't take a whole lot of words to get the point across.

Stop by James for his take on the Scott Huggins murder.

I have to blot it out too, James. Not only because this is where I am from, but because these are the children of the women I went to high school with. Their moms were the ones that everyone had no business criticizing. Their fathers were cool. Both were popular for those few brief years in high school. Look at them now. Look at all of us, now.

And because we have to blot it out sometimes in order to deal with it, well, those of us who care can't make any headway because there is simply too much. It's ambient and it's consuming.

Hey Hey Hey.... Settle Down Over There

Sean Hackbarth sounds off on the upcoming Blog Summit. Sean's been in the game for a long time, so give it a check-out. Hack, is it possible that your name should have been included in that last paragraph????

I however, am encouraged that Gene Kane will be participating. He's opening himself up to the in-person scrutiny of those who scrutinize him on a sometimes daily basis.

A live "Comments" section added to Gene's "blog"? Carpool, anyone?

I guess we can't all have our name in lights.

h/t to Casper and Pete Fanning.

Well, If It's Good Enough For the Hippies To Eat

Then it's probably good enough for their dinky little cars that top out at 45 mph.

Soybean ethanol might, in theory, be the ticket. To bad we use it for everything else, too. Hmmmm.

Wait I have the perfect answer.

Start making ethanol from weed. See how quiet they are about that.

(Ps, The Confidentials does not endorse eating soy products. Or corn products that aren't corn on the cob. It does, however, endorse hemp protein. Which is some good sh*t)

I Hate When I Accidentally Delete Something

Especially when I didn't have the sense to back it up. Or if I'm at my employer and by chance they don't have a backup process or a backup server. Even if there was a safety measure like other backups. Because that's normal IT practice. Especially if by chance that file might need to be viewed sometime under the freedom of information act. I mean, what are the chances the timing would be so right, even if I was so wrong?

Oh wait. Even if the files are a couple of years old and had to exist on a backup, somewhere. I forgot that one.

Potential Employers

I'm with Cantankerous on this one. So much so, that I would like to reprint her post here so that if a potential employer googles a candidate, they will see it not once, but twice:

Scum of the Earth

By Cantankerous

In case these despicable idiots, ever decide to apply for jobs, it's my hope that their to-be employers google their names. If they do, they will learn that these disrespectful morons are not worthy of employment at reputable institutions. Unless, that is, the institution has a respect for those who vandalize, terrorize and disrespect our uniformed countrymen.

So, be it known, that the following individuals are, in my opinion, scum of the earth. And, may google always remind you, and your potential employers of your errant ways:

Kelsey M. Kazik, 20, Milwaukee; Sara Keiza, 17, Milwaukee; Jillian Duckwitz, 21, Milwaukee; Richard A. Ketcham, 22, Milwaukee; Amy M. Barger, 19, West Bend; Jessica L. Brooks, 18, West Bend; Craig R. Barringer, 20, Waukesha; Jonathon W. Wilson, 17, Wauwatosa; David W. Clerkin, 21, Madison; Derek W. Johnson, 17, West Bend; Nathan J. Bartelt, 20, West Bend; Thomas P. Buckholt, 17, Milwaukee; Jeffrey G. Lavato, 18, West Bend; Andrew L. Ortlieb, 24, Milwaukee; and Kathryn E. Jacobs, 20, Milwaukee.

How's that stunt feeling, now?

It was recently pointed out to me that things can be written in newspapers, and aired on tv and radio, but eventually they go away. The internet, however, is a different animal. Thanks to google, it's a lot easier to remember who did what to whom. Not so convenient for the idiots of the world.

PS. I'll let you kids know how often my stats get hit.

A Thought on Fred Thompson

Yes, it would be great if Fred Thompson decided to run.

But I can't help but think his attributes and talent would be wasted on the current lot of "republican" lawmakers.

Most of them simply don't deserve his leadership, because in the lack of leadership, they've shown they have no ability to do the right thing.

At a transitional time....

The last year of my life has been anything but easy. Health issues, work issues, life issues. It's been a year mixed with highs and lows and experiences that put things into perspective.

The last month of my life in particular, has been more personal. As I come to terms with what's right and what's healthy, and what's honest, my life has become even more topsy turvy. There are two things that I experience with this: feelings of pain and feelings of relief. Doing what's been painful has often provided the most amount of relief. And I don't feel more of one than the other. But I do know that where interpersonal experiences are concerned - which is about 99% of the time - I am doing the most amount of growing and at times, the most amount of ducking.

Because change will happen to you whether you're prepared for it or not. Whether you're holding on to it, or not. It's very painful. I equate it to losing objects of extreme importance. How could I have lost that thing? I've had it for so long.

So needless to say, as I become more honest about who I am and stop being passive, the amount of difficulty in my life has increased. And not everyone has been kind about it in return. I don't know how you folks without confrontation issues do it. Although confrontation is only 10% of the problem for me. Back to that difficulty thing. There has been no shortage of it. But in the midst of that, someone has shown me an incredible amount of kindness and I don't exactly know how to express how much I appreciate it. This person knows who they are. I just want to say that I really appreciate you, and I miss you.

Something Said Should be Said Again

h/t to Dad29.

This is good stuff.

I thought this was an interesting picture.

h/t to Drudge

A Must Read

Don't miss today's column by Daniel Clark of the National Ledger, "Global Warming: Moving Towards Metrosexuals".

Gems. It's all gems, my friends.

This is more of a humor point aside from the major points that Clark makes, but I thought it deserved an honorable mention:

"For Wolf to tell Gore that he'd become an 'alpha male' just by wearing the right clothing is a little like a mother patronizing her young child. She probably got the idea when Gore put a bucket over his head and said, 'Look, Ms. Wolf, I'm an astronaut,' and she replied, 'Yes, of course you are, dear.'"

Alright. That's Enough

And enough of the people I was hanging with.

And enough of the drunks. Especially the guy who was asking me where I live. And when I wouldn't tell him said "What, do you think I'm going to follow you home or something?"

Yep. Exactly.

I'm a Lotus Elise!

You believe in maximum performance and minimum baggage. You like to travel light and fast, hit the corners hard, and dance like there's no tomorrow.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

h/t to Scott Feldstein. Nothing better than being a lotus....

Adventures in Literary Flow

I jest.

But I'm not jesting when I say that this New York Times article about Barack Obama is nearly unreadable. I couldn't tell who was living where, whose daddy was involved, whose mommy was involved, and whether or not Barack Obama was actually liked or disliked on his home island of Hawaii.

Get my red pen.

So What's Your St. Pat's Plan?

I'm still in the "what are we doing" phase with the group I run with, what are you all up to? Do you start with breakfast? Any particular bars you like to go to, any events?

Mayor Barrett: Unfit for Office

The mayor must step down.

This statement does not require a lot of explanation, because Barrett's own words and actions have already demonstrated why.

If you've not read the letter from Bob Donovan - someone who actually has some ideas and solutions - you should. You can download the letter from the Early Spin blog. Instead of considering Donovan's ideas, he's casually dismissed it as if Donovan interrupted his pedicure. Furthermore, Barrett wasn't mayoral or enough of a leader to make a statement himself, instead he sent one of his spokespersons:

"The mayor wants to have the Milwaukee Police Department on the streets of Milwaukee, rather than the National Guard," [spokesperson] Force said, adding any such request would only come after consulting the police chief, police union and others."

"Force termed the announcement an 'alarmist, sky-is-falling, unproductive news release.'"

Since when is facing the facts, the seriousness of the situation, alarmist? Is everyone lying about the extreme, spiraling violence and crime?

Does Barrett have to be a victim of crime for him to see it as serious? Because his own neighborhood is rotting out from underneath him. I know. I live within blocks of the mayor. I know what summer will be like.

There's more:

"She said Donovan's plans typically do not include a way to pay for them.

"Obviously, funds are an issue," Force said. 'Never mind the need to maintain the (other) services people expect.'"

What services? Do you mean getting a police officer to respond to a call in my area? Do you mean getting my garbage picked up and my snow plowed? Do you mean getting potholes patched?

You all don't understand the role of government. You must step aside. Our only hope is if you are recalled or if the decent, sensible citizens of the city band together and shout at you or recall you. Because loudmouth protesting and signs and losing your perception of power seem to be the only thing you understand.

Hillary vs. Obama: It's a drawl!

The newest Camille Paglia column is out at Salon.com.

It's always nice to read an opposing political view that isn't... unreadable. Love her wit, her insight, her approach - especially because she exposes the blind spots of the left. The first, second, and first part of the third pages are the most worthwhile.

My Condolences to Patrick

...who lost his best friend today.

New Mexico, You're Next

Alright, I Know It's Relative, But...

I grow a little weary of these weight loss commercials and ads that show fat women in dresses. These are supposed to be the "look at you now" pictures. They're not models with just a little extra so they look like people of a normal or proportionate weight - they're fat chicks in dresses. I have a real problem with weight loss companies "celebrating success" by showing pictures of people who are still fat. These are people who have probably done pretty well in their efforts towards reaching their goal, but they are by no means done. And I've got a problem with these advertisers trying to paint "still fat" as "oh! you did it!"

Don't distort success.

It's a big job, but someone's gotta do it

And that someone is about six blocks west.

I'm utterly uber-beat. This past weekend, I helped my parents prepare their 2600 sq ft home for its first open house. They've lived there for 33 years.

I give my parents a lot of credit. They picked one heck of a house when they moved into my childhood home. Once about half of the contents were removed, I could for the first time see how incredibly huge the place is. It will make some nice family very happy, and apparently, family is the key word. Today's open house yielded about 16 couples, 6 of whom were expecting a child or had newborns. This surprised the heck out of the realtor. There must be something very fertile about the place, and I told my mom it was a good thing I didn't get knocked up while living there. As if I could have gotten lucky in high school. You laugh, but it's true.

Clearing someone else's house is one thing. Clearing your own is entirely another. There is no doubt in my mind that the energies of years past are firmly stored in a house. And these energies are processed as you go through different rooms, piles of stuff, decisions, and as you rinse rags in the utility basin.

And when you start to look at anything through a new lens, a new idea, a new vision, something is going to shake loose. It's not easy, it's sometimes painful, but it's not without benefit to everyone involved - even to those who hang on tightly.

Va Sarko...

Glad to see Chirac getting out of the way. I can only hope that the French won't elect uber-socialist Segolene Royal (who the media will crown princess), and that the current social issues will persuade them to vote for in the direction of conservative Nicolas Sarkozy.

It would by no means be an easy task for him to be president.

But he is popular. And he might be able to help France tremendously.

What's It Worth To You?

This morning at Starbucks, I dealt with some serious attitude. And I'm a regular there. All I'm saying is that I spend approximately $1,275 at Starbucks every year, give and take a tip or two. So point being, is that if that's what it's worth to you to be an ass, then that's what it's worth to you.

BFF!

Poor Patrick. Jr. McGee (the fart in the elevator of Peter DiGaudio's life) has totally like denied him and stuff on his myspace page. I mean, he was like, so mean about it and stuff...

And like, people must think he's all stupid and stuff for acting like, five...

myspace rocks!!!!

Cead Mille Failte

Going to the parade this morning and I am uber psyched for it. I've never seen the downtown parade before and it should be utterly splendid. No idea where we're going to attempt to park quite yet, but I'm sure it can be done. Legally.

Alright, is it wrong for me to be so psyched???

Up Early, and Often

I got up at nearly my normal time today so that I can hit the sack at a decent hour and adjust to the time change. Sometimes I hear complaints about Spring Forward, but nothing makes me happier than the thought of having more daylight. But what makes me happier than that, is the thought of the impending spring and summer.

Nucking Futs!!!!

I love Dave Obey.

I'm just sayin', a bad day of PMS beats a good day with Obey. Or are they one in the same? Chicken or the egg...chicken or the egg...

...outstanding :)

h/t to Dan at the Early Spin blog

Blogger Jr.!!!

Details at Subject to Change!

His silent pardner

His silent pardner, originally uploaded by Dill Pixels.

Too good not to share... via flickr.

Yes, The Gun is Still Smoking

Via thesmokinggun.com and h/t to Drudge:

Feds Seek To Gag D.C. Madam
Prosecutors fear leak of sensitive client, escort information

MARCH 7--Federal prosecutors want to gag an indicted former Washington, D.C. madam who has recently threatened to go public with details about her former customers. In a motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court, investigators are seeking a protective order covering discovery material to be provided to Deborah Palfrey and her lawyers. Palfrey, 50, was indicted last week on racketeering and money laundering charges stemming from her operation of the Pamela Martin & Associates escort service, which closed last summer after 13 years in business. In their motion, a copy of which you'll find below, government lawyers claim that some discovery documents contain "personal information" about Palfrey's former johns and prostitutes that is "sensitive." The prosecution filing does not detail the nature of this confidential information, though the identity of Palfrey's D.C. customers would surely be cloaked if the protective order was signed by Judge Gladys Kessler.

I'd be very interested in knowing what information is in question. Surely there would be few surprises. And I mean few. But if the Feds are stepping in, they have to have been summoned or threatened to do so. Bet your little black book on it.

It's About Time

...that iTunes got on it with some of the hidden classics. Some of the more obscure tunes are finally starting to hit their list.

Case in point. For about four years I've been trying to get ahold of two very early CDs by the original Bob Marley band - called the Wailing Wailers. It's no secret that I love very early ska music. It's ska, but it's closer to alternative R&B from the early to mid 60's.

They've finally compiled a great list of these early tracks on a CD called One Love At Studio One (probably a takeoff on one of the original LPs called "Simmer Down at Studio One". It's 40 early tracks for 19.98. Now, I wish I could make a penny or two off of a referral to iTunes but I don't - I just want to share the music that I really love and iTunes is a good format! Although I wouldn't be opposed to burning a copy if asked nicely.

Some great tracks to check out. I guess a better title of this post would have been simply "old ass Bob Marley". These links are updated to play in a new window

Rude Boy

Teenager In Love

Do you remember

There She Goes

One Love (not the version you are used to hearing...)

Wages of Love

I'm Gonna Put It On

Rolling Stone

Ska Jerk

Amen

Thank Goodness for the French Media

...because who would film all the violent acts in their society? Forget calling 911 (or neuf un un), if you happen to witness a violent act. And don't dare film it on your cell phone - nope you must call the media to film a violent act in France now.

Zut alors....

From MacWorldonline...

The French Constitutional Council has approved a law that criminalizes the filming or broadcasting of acts of violence by people other than professional journalists. The law could lead to the imprisonment of eyewitnesses who film acts of police violence, or operators of Web sites publishing the images, one French civil liberties group warned on Tuesday.

The council chose an unfortunate anniversary to publish its decision approving the law, which came exactly 16 years after Los Angeles police officers beating Rodney King were filmed by amateur videographer George Holliday on the night of March 3, 1991. The officers’ acquittal at the end on April 29, 1992 sparked riots in Los Angeles.

If Holliday were to film a similar scene of violence in France today, he could end up in prison as a result of the new law, said Pascal Cohet, a spokesman for French online civil liberties group Odebi. And anyone publishing such images could face up to five years in prison and a fine of €75,000 (US$98,537), potentially a harsher sentence than that for committing the violent act.

How long before our own media wants a monopoly on [fill in the blank].

Wistful

Wistful (Wist"ful) (?), a.
[For wishful; perhaps influenced by wistly, which is probably corrupted from OE. wisly certainly (from Icel. viss certain, akin to E. wit). See Wish.]

1. Longing; wishful; desirous. "Lifting up one of my sashes, I cast many a wistful, melancholy look towards the sea." Swift.

You Mean The Potawatomi Can't Chip In To Save The Coast Guard Building?

3.5 Mil, you're trying to tell me they can't step up?

Give back to the community?

The tribes who planned to restore the old Coast Guard building at the lakefront just can't come up with the money to do it. Their plan was to have an Indian Cultural Center. Now the tribes who have been on this are not Potawatomi, in fact they are from a few tribes, but the use of the word "Indian" in the title of the project is Plural.

What's the problem here? It's a landmark. Preserve the city's history and your own, get on it Potawatomi. And your friend Doyle, too.

Does Anyone Hear The Resemblance...

When I heard Shrillary's audio from the weekend, my first thought was not "gee, she sounds like she's trying to be Southern". Because I didn't think she sounded Southern - in fact - I have Southern family so I know of what I speak.

My first thought was, her voice cadence sounds remarkably like Forrest Gump.

Here's The Real Question

I wasn't surprised when DHL delivered body parts to a home in Michigan, an incorrect delivery can happen anytime. Although if you're not expecting a package, isn't your first instinct to see where it came from?

But that's not what bothered me about this story. What bothered me is the fact that body parts were being sent internationally from China. It's no secret that there are human rights abuses taking place and that organ harvesting has gone on there. Wasn't anyone else alarmed by this?

I Missed My Own Blogiversary

I've been blogging for two years, but February 28th was the anniversary of The Confidentials. The original post was in draft form because one search term kept getting hit so I took it offline in December. I put it back up for the time being but...happy belated blogiversary to mee....

Kitchen Adventures

It's been a long time since I last blogged about what goes on in my kitchen. And for a while, very little went on in my kitchen, but I've been picking up the tempo on cooking again and it's a nice, happy little return.

So the other evening I stopped at a restaurant that I have wanted to try for the past, oh, 12 years: Abu's Jerusalem of the Gold on Farwell. Now I'm a sucker for trying new foods, so this isn't an appeasement move or anything. So I ordered a vegan combo - it's lent after all. Falafel, hummos, baba ghanouj, mediterranean salad, fava beans, and ...tabouleh.

So I open it and among the delicacies that I have, to date, not tried before - I see this very green, green salad. Well, that can't be the tabouleh right? Sho 'nuff, it's tabouleh. Apparently our over-carbed version of it in the states is just that.

Number one: Everything was fantastic

Number two: Well, you can probably predict number two. In fact, I'm sure you were far ahead of me on that one.

Anyhow. Back to the kitchen. Recently I subscribed to www.cooksillustrated.com - this is the group that does the America's Test Kitchen show, and is a true measure of the Cooking Geek. They more geek elements associated with preparing food than you can shake a wooden spoon at. Well they had a very tasty little recipe for tabouleh, which consists of copious amounts of parsely (main ingredient, in fact), some fresh mint, tomato, a little bit of bulgur wheat, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Now this might seem like a harmless or tasteless little treat, but I assure you it's the exact opposite. It's nothing like sitting down to rabbit food. Parsely makes a hearty and filling salad (if you're so inclined, or trying to maintain size). Now, if y'all will excuse me, I think I'm going back for seconds.




(Furthermore, I like my food to be prepared at home with simple, unadulterated ingredients. I hate additives, preservatives, anything soy based or corn anything that isn't corn on the cob. Soy and corn, to me, are political statements or the result of lobbying and should have nothing to do with the magic and joy and the love that comes out of my kitchen and into the stomach!)

Sunday Morning Funnies

Not sure how I missed this one, but I was at a cafepress.com store called "Right Wing Stuff". If I was married and bought multiple shirts, I'm sure he wouldn't ask if they were on sale...

And If I Didn't Mention It

I've posted more pictures from my trip at my Flickr account.

Mighty Glad I Shoveled All That Slush The Other Night

It sucked at the time, but watching my neighbor try to get up his frozen driveway was painful for me. And it made me very glad that I bit the bullet and got it done.

No Wonder The Climatologists Can't Handle It.

...because Solar Warming makes a hell of a lot more sense than Global Warming. One based on fact, such as the Sun's activity governing temperature throughout the universe. And... one based on emotion....

Fred has reprinted a must-read from the National Geographic about Solar Warming - which is presently also warming Mars. Polar icecaps and all. I'm sure their Martian Polar Bears aren't chasing photographers off their gaseous icecaps.

...it's all an inconvenient truth after all, isn't it?