Something for Andrew

Crouching Dallas.

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It's Priceless.

Bright Idea

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Originally uploaded by miles10001.

I guess I wasn't the only person who thought it would be a good day to take in the views.

Unfortunately, I had not at all planned on hiking. I thought I'd just go up to the Observatory, shoot a few from the base and head home. But, being that the Observatory is being expanded, it was completely fenced off. My only choice was to walk up the trails. And once I started, I figured that I had to go all the way to the top -- Dante's Peak.

Every turn was a more beautiful view. Once I headed back down, though, I took a wrong turn and ended up on an old fire road. I eventually -- thru the help of the actor who played Michael J. Fox's father in FAMILY TIES (Michael Gross, thank imdb) -- found my way back to the main road and my car.

Drove back down, stopped at new cafe at bottom that's inside the park and that has gotten rave reviews. Unfortunately, they only took cash. So, I settled for solid diner food at Astro Family Restaurant along with an alternative paper and some strong coffee.

It was a great start to the afternoon.

Aha

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Originally uploaded by miles10001.

Two more reasons to love L.A. -- and that's not even counting the beautiful vistas from the park after a storm.

Post-storm clouds and plane

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Originally uploaded by miles10001.

Los Angeles After a Storm

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Originally uploaded by miles10001.

Fierce

Fierce
Originally uploaded by miles10001.

Sabrina & Cooper

Sabrina & Cooper
Originally uploaded by miles10001.

At play

At play
Originally uploaded by miles10001.

Sabrina gives chase.

Carl and Cooper

Carl and Cooper
Originally uploaded by miles10001.

A moment of peace. Just a moment.

At play

At play
Originally uploaded by miles10001.

Sabrina and Cooper go at it...but, more importantly, how does anyone sit in that chair on the left?

Sabrina

Sabrina
Originally uploaded by miles10001.

Cheney Shoots 3 Presidents

Well, Steve Martin thinks it could happen.

WTF

Oil companies made record profits last year and continue to make billions of dollars in profit this year and what does the government intend to do? Give them a tax break to drill for oil and gass on federal land so that they can make even higher profits?

Enough is fucking enough.

I miss the snow

This from the NY Times...

For many indoors, it was a day to relax by a window, perhaps with a glass of wine and soft jazz on the radio, and take in the unreal loveliness of winter — the panes frosted like glass from Murano, the sills drifted with flourishes of lacework, and, out in the storm, dreamscapes of snow blowing down a street, curtains of snow falling in great sweeps, snow settling like peace in the parks and skeletal woodlands.

I wish I could be there or in Boston to experience it.

Shoe bombs

I hate terrorism, but is anybody -- anybody! -- amused at the concept of shoebombs? I mean, come on, already. Shoebombs! It's like we've finally caught up to Get Smart.

Max: Do you have a shoebomb in a wingtip, size 9?

Atrios has little more.

Looking for a Photographer

Try Fin. Check out his new site.

I Love Puns

Because there is no pun that I cannot get, ahem, behind, please see, ahem, #2 on this list from Curbed L.A.

Say Goodbye to Gay Tolerance and Hello to the American Taliban

The Department of Health and Human Services has completely (well, not completely, as nothing this government does is done without a litany of errors) removed a portion of its website which expressed "toleration" of gays.

Of course, we expect more than just "toleration" anyway, but, nonetheless, it was something. And, who do you think might have requested this removal? Why, I'm glad you asked. The good ol' Family Research Council takes credit.

The Rude Pundit has complete details including links to a google cache version of the old site and links to the newly whitewashed site.

Sure makes you wonder what side of the "War on Terror" (tm) they're really on, doesn't it?

Jack Abramoff

Yes, he is an admitted felon, idealogue and conspirator, but is there more to his story. Who else was involved. What other issues? Why do Native Americans play such an important role in all this? Is one of Jack's larger goals being lost amid the sound and fury of the plea bargain?

Perhaps. Read this accounting.

the State of the Union

Yikes. Just looking at the man makes me cringe. I still cannot tell if he's pure, undoctored evil or just a soulless puppet. Either way, we're probaby fucked.

The Rude Pundit has the best take on the so-called speech. Here's a brief excerpt:

So there it was. Bush barely bothering to say anything worthwhile. Commissions to study shit. Vague monetary promises. The vow to keep spyin' because otherwise, apparently, America will become bombapalooza. The entire evening was like Bush had gone to the doctor to have his prostate examined: "Here, sir, bend over this podium and it'll be over before you know it and you don't have to it again for another year."

The only thing significant in the entire evening was the treatment of two mothers who lost children in the Iraq War. Bush recognized the parents and widow of Sergeant Dan Clay, killed in Fallujah last month (didn't we secure Fallujah by leveling it?), who stood to applause and cheers from the slavering politicians. Meanwhile, Cindy Sheehan was arrested and led out of the gallery for revealing a t-shirt that read, "2245 Dead. How many more?" She didn't even get to hear Bush promise to kill more soldiers like Dan and Casey, as well as more Iraqi civilians, in order to honor them. He may as well have dug up their corpses and made them dance, dance, grotesquely, horribly, in celebration.

Read it all.