We get the army men set home and he recruits me to help him set it up. It's a fairly good sized kit for $12.99. In it there were the army men in both green and tan (opposing sides, don't you know) and each side also has its own tank and jet fighter-bomber. And for some reason the green guys also get an attack helicopter, tipping the otherwise perfect balance of arms.
Anyway, I was struck by how the army men were the exact same guys we used to play with 40 years ago.
You remember them, the guy leaning back getting ready to throw the grenade, the dude with the bazooka, the nut standing up firing only a pistol (my son let me know that he had figured out that guy had a gun and wasn't just pointing), the soldier kneeling over the mortar ready to drop in a shell, etc. The exact same WWII style infantry I can become so familiar with as a kid. You'd think that they would update them to reflect current weapons and helmets and such. But I guess a classic is a classic.
The pirates are getting increasingly bold because they are actually getting paid ransoms in the millions of dollars. The only way to stop this, it seems, is by force. I don’t blame the various commercial interests for wanting their ships and crews back, but paying the ransoms is only validating the pirate’s tactics.
Texting’s biggest advantage is its stealthiness. Cell phones are great for communicating when you are out and about, but when you need to communicate quietly, texting is the way to go. It’s also more private and less annoying to everyone around you. And unless you are driving, there really is no downside to using text messages over voice communication (other than maybe talking is quicker).
Then there is the “Tax All Foreigners Living Abroad” solution from Alderman Gail Simpson:
Sadly, part of that interest, for lot of people, comes from a sort of rubbernecking-the-train-wreck urge where you can’t believe this woman actually came this close to being this close to being president and that she doesn’t get how silly that is. Watching her pontificate is just fascinating because you never know what she might say. And for Palin’s part, she can’t get enough of the attention. Pretty soon we’ll all have her convinced she really does matter. At that point, everyone laughs I unison and she fades from the scene. 
See, we can do this. Yes we can.
Note: I know if you're reading this you don’t really need to be told, but let’s not take any frustrations about this situation out on the local AIG workers who had nothing to do with anything.
I guess putting up a plaque now would suffice, and we could always do something a little more grand later (if appropriate). After all, it can be argued Springfield should be cashing in on Obama right away given how profitable presidential tourism has been to the city. Still, I’d be more comfortable with waiting to see the full measure of the man’s greatness (or lack thereof) before we erect anything too permanent.
I mean, why the fuck does anyone need an entire paid holiday to go vote? The rest of us have to make time during our work day due to the hopelessly antiqued law from centuries ago that placed voting day on a Tuesday (time to change that one, folks). I say State workers should be made to vote 
It struck me the other night how you never see that anywhere but a few locally owned restaurants (locally to wherever you are, not just Springfield). So it’s all kind of nostalgic to me. I suppose that the chain restaurants don’t do it because you can “ruin you appetite” before even ordering an appetizer. It’s just plain bad for business for m, I’m guessing. So hurray for Saputo’s and the crackers & butter.
