Summering in the Berkshires....

This weekend the Ski's and some good friends met up in Lenox Ma to take in a James Taylor show at Tanglewood. Mr. Taylor put on his "One Man Band" show and it was quite good. It was a nice Friday evening out on the lawn with a few bottles of wine and some imported cheeses surrounded by Liberal New York Yuppies listening to some fantastic music. What a fulfilling cultural experience that was.

Saturday was spent touring the Berkshires with a stop at a Wine Tasting Show and a used book yard sale. Then to top it off we all took in "A MidSummer Night's Dream" at the Shakespeare & Company the next evening. The adaption of the play was quite entertaining although girlski thought they were a little too in touch with their sexuality and tried to hard to make the play comical.

Overall it was a fun, relaxing and entertaining weekend.

I believe in supporting the American farmer - whatever it takes.

Interesting article in today’s Christian Science Monitor.

From rock cocaine to watermelons, these felons are finally putting in an honest days work on family farms throughout the West. As farmers are continuously put under increased Federal pressure to not hire ‘undocumented’ workers, farmers have begun using inmates to help bring in the harvest. While it is not exactly the best solution to the problem, it is nonetheless a potential answer to the diminishing pool of laborers not afraid to get their hands dirty.

One thing that caught my attention in this article was that the unions are horrified at the notion that farmers are even considering using felons. Give me a break, how many ‘documented’ workers or non incarcerated persons are you going to find that would be willing to work a 10 hour day in 100 degree heat doing real farming? Even if you pay them twice the minimum wage? Not very many.

“We Won Didn’t We?”

TNT's ''The Company,'' a six-hour, three-part documentary/drama about the CIA, the KGB and the Cold War ended last night, and let me tell you something, it was quite good. Based on Robert Littell’s novel “The Company,” the show revolves around the lives of three idealistic Yalies that each take different paths during the Cold War. For a t.v. show, it did a really good job covering the actual history of both the CIA and the Cold War. And what’s more, it did a great job explaining the deceptions and treachery about the art of espionage.

For those that are interested in history, this series was a decent “outline” of the Cold War. Sure some things were made up or left out (Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames for example), but it sure makes one think about how we ever managed to win the Cold War. The U.S. was certainly plagued with KGB moles throughout the Cold War. Anyways, the show is worth watching. Trust me.

My favorites of the show:

I’m not a big fan of Michael Keaton, but he did a superb job acting as James Jesus Angelton (codenamed “Mother”), the CIA’s legendary quirky mole hunter who had a long, obsessive search for a Soviet agent he was convinced was hidden inside the CIA foiling the CIA's every move (quite true and quite an interesting story).

The other all star of this show was Alfred Molina of whom played Chris O’Donnell’s mentor within the CIA and was quite the cowboy and quite determined to “hold back the Goths at the Gate.” My type of guy. I could only wish to be like him. Alas, I grew up in the wrong decade.

Favorite quote of the movie:

“Don’t get lost in the wilderness of mirrors” – J.J. Angleton

sounds like a blast

a company out of arlington, tx makes a living shuffling wacko-storm-loving-tourists around the great plains looking for tornadoes.

save your money, folks. buy a trailer in perryville, mo and you'll see one within a year of moving.

a couple outdoor disasters

another flightseeing plane goes down in alaska.

1) i'm glad my mom didn't hear about these incidents before we took our trip!

2) what a terrible accident -- in the article, notice that the little girl survived, but her brother and both parents didn't. horrible.

climber killed by thrown rock.

1) think about this if you're tossing a rock off a cliff -- is there any chance someone is below.

2) i think i feel as bad for the the thrower as the climber... that is a terrible thing to live with the rest of your life.

Operation Decrease Moving Fraud

For those planning on moving, take a look at the following resource as it's quite helpful.

Right at Your Door

Take a look at this upcoming movie. Looking past the "24" subplot the movie brings forth quite the concept. What would you do if this happened to you one beautiful morning? Live or Die?

A complex father son relationship

An interesting article about the John Adams of the 21st Century can be found here.

worst skateboard fall ever

this is just ridiculous. you'll cringe when you see this.

Jihad the Musical

What in the bloody poppycock are the Brits doing now? Bollocks!!

Partnership for the Ages

"Separated -- yes -- by an ocean, we are still united by the
streams of history and the strengths of our ideals. Standing together on this
foundation we will prevail in the greatest struggles of our times."

I get all weepy eyed when I hear people talk like this. Prime Minister Brown's remarks may be found here.

Out of the Stone Age

Well folks, I finally left the dark ages and joined the 21st Century. My beloved wife bought me an IPOD. And I love it! So now besides listening to Pancho and Lefty and to Hank Williams croon away, I can also listen to my Podcasts of Face the Nation, ArmChairGeneral and National Geographic! Awesome! Taking the "T" will never be the same.