Friday, December 15, 2006

Our Buley's Birthday!

Today is Clare's 17th birthday and we wanted the entire blogosphere to know it! She's off today to spend the weekend in NYC with her big sister. Happy birthday to our wonderful, talented, smart, and ebullient last-but-not-least daughter!
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Well. at least someone is reading this...

I have had the same experience with Amazon, actually. A few years ago, when my apple crop at the farm was particularly prodigious, I went searching for books on long-term storage of fruits and vegetables(root cellar sort of stuff). Now whenever I go to Amazon they confidently offer me treatises and tracts on subjects ranging from survivalsim, to how to build your own nuclear bunker, to the by-laws of the Posse Comitatus. Makes you wonder who is out there, doesn't it?
Anyway, take a look at the google ad box at the top of the page. Ever since I wrote the piece on my trip to D.C. they have been sending ads for online "Intelligence Degrees," whatever that is, and, now, ads for bomb-detecting chemicals!!
If Amazon and Google ever get together and send their dossiers on me to the big guys, I am going to be in a world of hurt.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Kofi's final swim in the bay

As someone who commented on the this piece by Jules Crittendon said, "that disgraceful man should be in prison." I mean just how long are Americans willing to be lectured about our responsibilities in the world by a man who understands his own responsibility to be stuffing his pockets and those of his family and friends with the resources he has blithely stolen from the most wretched and vulnerable on the globe? How ironic that this disgraceful little man makes these outrageous comments (this time) on the same day we learn of the death of one of the greatest statesmen(to be gender sensitive here would be to diminish her stature) of our time, Jeanne Kirkpatrick. The contrast is beyond my capacity to describe.
And we are going to replace John Bolton with George Mitchell ????

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Mrs T goes to Washington

Okay - so I admit it....I am a complete, and unrepentant political fool(aka junkie). As such, I might be forgiven in describing my evening in Washington D.C. last week as a sort of apotheosis. But, how would YOU describe an evening spent at a small dinner party in the company of Mark Steyn. Ted Olson, John O'Sullivan, George Will, and Robert Bork, among other incredibly charming and intelligent guests? How would you describe a dinner conversation with these eminent gentlemen and the other guests that ranged from Borat to Medicaid, Rudi and John McCain and the Iraq panel, to the Byzantine and Italian legacies of political poisonings? And, by the way, how would you describe an evening that took you from discussing government entitlement programs, to travel to Hanoi, to the merits of(or lack thereof)vodka martinis...with the same individuals?? When you come up with the description, I want to hear it, because I was there and I am at a loss for words. ( and you KNOW that doesn't happen often) All I can say is that I had the time of my life and I have our dear Ellie to thank for the whole thing. In her position as Assistant to the Publisher of The New Criterion, she was in charge of the entire event which included a much more public cocktail reception at the Hay-Adams Hotel with guests from the Hudson Institute and other friends of conservatism in attendance. She had worked with Mary Ellen Bork on the event - though I suspect that Mrs. Bork did a lot of signing of checks whle Ellie did all the organizing. (Note: After having written that, clearly out of my prejudice in favor of my own, Ellie informed me that Mrs. Bork did a great deal of the legwork, particularly in D.C. and at the hotel. I must be fair.) Imagine a mother's swelling pride as her daughter is introduced to all the movers and shakers in the room as the brains behind the event! And besides she had on the cutest suit!!!
Here are some pics from the two glorious days spent there - temperatures in the 50s and abundant sunshine. I only noticed the Xmas lights on the columns when I downloaded the shots...what a shame - nice pics otherwise.  
 
 
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Friday, December 01, 2006

Snow Day!

Started snowing here around 4 am - heavy, wet, stick-to-everything kind of snow. Pictures don't do it justice. It is definitely looking a lot like Krippy. Puppies are making snow angels in the back yard. Abig mess this morning, with schools closed, etc. It is such a treat! 
 
 
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