The Wine Commonsewer

Fireworks: Statue of Liberty + Iwo Jima Memorial

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

For many of us out west, fireworks of any kind are prohibited because of the extreme fire danger that arrives with our nation’s birthday. To help mitigate that grievous misfortune The Wine Commonsewer offers a rather creative alternative complete with exciting visual and sound effects (Rated G for the entire family).

This is kind of a cool take off on Lady Liberty.

UPDATE: Here's one take on fire hazards and fireworks.

TWC: Not sure how a good libertarian such as myself feels about the outright ban in this county, where the fire danger is extreme. A blanket ban that stretches from the fire prone foothills to the sand and rock of the Colorado river area where fire danger is minimal.

DD: Seems to me that you make people responsible for their actions- if they start a fire, they pay...for the fighting and for restitution.  And if they don't have enough $$ to pay, they'd better not play.  If not enough to cover the bill, how about bringing back debtor's prison?

As Ever,

The Wine Commonsewer

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

For many of us out west, fireworks of any kind are prohibited because of the extreme fire danger that arrives with our nation’s birthday. To help mitigate that grievous misfortune The Wine Commonsewer offers a rather creative alternative complete with exciting visual and sound effects (Rated G for the entire family).

This is kind of a cool take off on Lady Liberty.

UPDATE: Here's one take on fire hazards and fireworks.

TWC: Not sure how a good libertarian such as myself feels about the outright ban in this county, where the fire danger is extreme. A blanket ban that stretches from the fire prone foothills to the sand and rock of the Colorado river area where fire danger is minimal.

DD: Seems to me that you make people responsible for their actions- if they start a fire, they pay...for the fighting and for restitution.  And if they don't have enough $$ to pay, they'd better not play.  If not enough to cover the bill, how about bringing back debtor's prison?

As Ever,

The Wine Commonsewer

Best Drill Ever

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Last minute gift ideas for your dad are a dime a dozen but I'm throwing my two cents in. TWC has done a couple of projects in his day and, hands down, the best drill I've ever owned is this one:

Just finished installing new blinds in That Boy's room and I kept thinking: Man, this is one sweet drill. [hear that in a Tim Allen voice] Specs here.   

That keyless chuck thing is not that new fangled anymore but it makes you wonder why it took so long for somebody to figure it out. And these days driver bits for drill motors are as common as dry wall screws. But it wasn't always true.

In my forward-thinking yet vagrant yoot I bought Yankee Screwdriver bits to use in my drill. Not fooling neither, nobody else was doing that. Didn't connect the dots though and I missed out on making big bucks.

From Desert Center to the River was ninety plus scorching miles of two-lane blacktop bisecting a desolate desert valley. We'd sometimes stop at Rice for gas and a cold drink and I'd think: wouldn't it be the hot cigar if you could buy a six pack of cold water just like you could buy a sixer of Bud or Coke?

We all know where that ended up. Eco-fascists tag teaming with Old Guys to whine about these kids carting bottled water around in their backpacks because they're too good to drink out of a garden hose like when we was kids. Plus TWC didn't make no money on that neither.

Sidebar: My kids love hose water.

Former Union 76 Station & Store, Rice Ca

Treat your Old Man right, after all, when you were a kid you thought he owned stock in the electric company.

DeWalt is a proud sponsor of TWC.

As Always,

TWC

Flag Day

We Are The Dead

“The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.”—General John A. Logan

As Ever,

TWC

A Down Home Memorial Day Parade

Guesting today from Shelter Island New York, Dee Dee.....

We had our Memorial Day Parade today. Now this is a small island with a permanent population of under 2,500. The parade consists of the American Legion (membership about 75, ambulatory about half that); the fire company (about 75 guys and 40 or so in the auxiliary and every truck they've had since 1912); the Daisies, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts; the school band (total graduating class this year is 21, the band has a lot of middle schoolers in it); and the ambulance.

They form up at the Center firehouse, march down 114 to the Legion Hall, turn left for a block, left for another block, left again, back to the firehouse. And then they do it once more. I was told they do the route twice because the band feels rooked when they only march for 15 minutes or so. The old legionnaires in the vintage fire trucks have the same grins on their faces the second time around.

Best part of Memorial Day is that the Manhattan summer residents are here to open up the big houses, put their boats in the water, and drive their often rather exotic vehicles around for our delectation (Austin-Healy, Morgan, and a very nice Bentley made the tally this morning). I left the Taurus in the driveway and walked to town.

Memorial Day 2008: Bring Sunscreen

Gentle Readers,

Got several emails wondering about a Memorial Day post. To which I respond, please check back on Memorial Day, which is May 30th.

No, no, no, THIS weekend is a CONgressionally mandated three day weekend set aside to ensure that the roads will be clogged up like a two inch sewer line in a hundred year old house. For days. Or at least for hours.

Doubt any So Cal denizens are headed for the beach on what has turned out to be a breathtakingly gorgeous winter week end. Rest assured, however, that Glamis, the Colorado River, and Lake Havasu are packed with bronze beauties and various and assorted others who are partying heartily. DISCLAIMER: partying link not appropriate for kids or for parents whose kids are at The River this weekend. 

Wait. No bronze beauties. Yet. Being Day One of Summer 2008, today will be Bleach Beach and by Monday? Lobster City. Pretty sure that El Jeronimo de Crow was the first to observe that phenom.

As Always,

TWC

Happy Mother's Day

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

One warm day in 1939, someone in St Paul accorded us a peak into the life of three barefoot girls. Later on they'd be wives, moms, and aunts, but my cousins and I would never know the little girls plunked on the stoop that day, wiggling their toes in the cool grass.

My mother is in the middle with Buff. That's my Aunt Jeanne shushing everyone up. At six or seven years old, Aunt Betty didn't know she was destined to learn the accordion, a talent that fascinated me as a child.

TWC didn't realize that the House Blond favors Ma until I saw this picture. There's something a bit unnerving yet profoundly moving about seeing a bit of your child’s face in your mother’s. That something may well be deeply rooted in the biology of family or it may just be important because we value it for it's own sake.

When I was a wee lad church services on Mother's Day always saw a big turnout. Everybody wore a flower in honor of the moms. Fine so far, but tradition dictated a red flower, rose or carnation, if your mother was living and a white flower if she had passed. I always thought: what the heck? Not quite on par with digging up bones for a picnic, but still, just a bit morbid for my childish sensibilities.

May this day be just what you imagined it might be.

As Always,

TWC

Cosby On Mom

And tired always followed sick. Worst beating I ever got in my life.....

My mother said, Well I am just sick,

and I said And tired.

I don't remember anything after that.

I'm The Mom

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

This makes it around the email circuit about this time every year. It also happens to be Storytellin' Mama's mantra.

Happy Mother's Day.

As Always,

TWC

Tip of the glass to Noelle for the nudge.   

Milton Friedman Does Cinco de Mayo

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Although the revelry is largely confined to the Great American Southwest, Cinco de Mayo, like St Paddy's Day, is an American holiday that spontaneously evolved within the culture, irrespective of the fact that CONgress never officially legislated it into existence.

Despite the significance of Zaragosa's tequila inspired victory over the Frogs, south of the border, public school is in session and nobody but tanked Americans in places like Cabo celebrate the Fifth of May.

Bonus: A couple of years ago TWC had the opportunity to spend Cinco de Mayo with the godfather of free market economics and school choice.

That's Uncle Miltie and Cato's Andrew Coulson. Is that a GREAT shirt? Or what?

 

As intriguing as the idea was, jawboning with Milton Friedman was kinda out of the question. I felt intrusive enough just taking his picture. Besides, what the heck do you say to Milton Friedman?

Uhhh, Good Job, Dude. How's the wine?

Lot's of fringes to being hooked up with Mrs TWC, one of which was the Los Cabos tag along. And, the night before at Villa Penasco, where TWC had THREE gracious and well dressed waiters to himself.....

Oh, Señor TWC, you look like you need a leetle more wine. Eh?

......our friends Shikha and Arthur actually found something to say to the Nobel Laureate and I suspect it had to do with Arthur's long ago summer camp counselor, a brash young man named David Friedman. That's Mrs TWC to the right, sliced nearly in half, vertically.

Milton Friedman bio here.

As Ever.

TWC

Oh yeah, and it's also Linda R's birthday! Happy, Happy!

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Although the revelry is largely confined to the Great American Southwest, Cinco de Mayo, like St Paddy's Day, is an American holiday that spontaneously evolved within the culture, irrespective of the fact that CONgress never officially legislated it into existence.

Despite the significance of Zaragosa's tequila inspired victory over the Frogs, south of the border, public school is in session and nobody but tanked Americans in places like Cabo celebrate the Fifth of May.

Bonus: A couple of years ago TWC had the opportunity to spend Cinco de Mayo with the godfather of free market economics and school choice.

That's Uncle Miltie and Cato's Andrew Coulson. Is that a GREAT shirt? Or what?

 

As intriguing as the idea was, jawboning with Milton Friedman was kinda out of the question. I felt intrusive enough just taking his picture. Besides, what the heck do you say to Milton Friedman?

Uhhh, Good Job, Dude. How's the wine?

Lot's of fringes to being hooked up with Mrs TWC, one of which was the Los Cabos tag along. And, the night before at Villa Penasco, where TWC had THREE gracious and well dressed waiters to himself.....

Oh, Señor TWC, you look like you need a leetle more wine. Eh?

......our friends Shikha and Arthur actually found something to say to the Nobel Laureate and I suspect it had to do with Arthur's long ago summer camp counselor, a brash young man named David Friedman. That's Mrs TWC to the right, sliced nearly in half, vertically.

Milton Friedman bio here.

As Ever.

TWC

Oh yeah, and it's also Linda R's birthday! Happy, Happy!