The world is good-natured to people who are good natured.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Tweet of the Day
I am deeply saddened by the terrorist attacks in Paris. Please join me in prayer for the victims and their families. #PrayersForParis
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 14, 2015
@realDonaldTrump's appeal is a misguided belief in the State. It's all about the power, stupid! Power enables plunder by corruptible force.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
To rephrase Tina Turner: "We don't need another hero; we don't need to know the way home; all we want is life beyond the Capitol Dome."
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
@realDonaldTrump's dubious war against immigration is morally corrupt megalomaniac madness (unauthorized immigrants are down since 2007).
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
If @realDonaldTrump was smart, he would have noted that increases in unauthorized immigration followed a breakdown in guest worker programs.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
If @realDonaldTrump was smart, he would know it's a lot cheaper to fix federal guest worker policy than to throw money at border walls.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
Protectionist policy didn't work for Hoover and FDR, and it won't work for @realDonaldTrump and his fellow Democrats, Clinton and Sanders.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
@realDonaldTrump's new crusade will be against those nefarious job killers like Google's driverless cars, industrial robots and the Internet
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
We pro-liberty conservatives need to invert George W. Bush's famous quote: We have to abandon State principles to save the American economy.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
What we need in a President is not another bread and circuses authoritarian, but an optimist who believes in freedom and the invisible hand.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
How stupid does @realDonaldTrump have to be in order to engage in nonstop character attacks on his competitors? Money can't buy character.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
@realDonaldTrump cultists: if you wouldn't bring a foul-mouthed, impulsive jerk to meet your family, why would you want him to be President?
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 14, 2015
Univ of MO asst professor of propaganda Melissa Clark violated the non-aggression principle by calling for muscle. https://t.co/ssHCPmETSB
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 15, 2015
Straight from the Communist playbook: Univ of Missouri President Tim Wolfe apologized and then fell on his sword. https://t.co/bZFv7axgVc
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 15, 2015
As a former professor I'm personally tired of academic fascists using politically correct codes to intimidate free expression in academia.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 15, 2015
The Paris terror attacks are unforgivable, and France has a right of self-defense. But do not let the fearmongers exploit the tragedy.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) November 15, 2015
Image of the Day 
Eat 'Em Up, Coogs!
Of course, I'm not responsible for the success or lack thereof of my alma maters on the athletic field. (My BA was at OLLU, which did not have athletic teams; I knew from an email list they have a men's basketball team now (and other sports, including female teams); it apparently resurrected 3 years ago. It took a bit of digging on the OLLU website, but it turns out that they did have a basketball team roughly during the period I worked and studied for my 2 graduate degrees at UH.) But I've mostly followed baseball, basketball, and football at UT and basketball and football at UH. UT did win the College World Series shortly after my arrival in Austin and won the football championship several years back against USC in one of the best football games I've ever seen.
Houston, on the other hand, blew the NCAA basketball finals in one of the hugest coaching blunders I've ever seen against NC State. With the Cougars running away with the game, Lewis for some insane reason decided to go conservative and slow down the game to put it on ice--which took the Cougars out of their rhythm. Unfortunately, the Cougars couldn't hit foul shots, and NC State hacked and clawed their way back to the win--on an improbable last-second layup. Houston's football team has been inconsistent--I can still remember Houston snapping a long home winning streak while I was at UT. After I left UH, they had a phenomenal run and shoot offense under then Coach Pardee, in one notable game beating SMU 95-21 on over 1000 yards of offense, an NCAA record. But the Cougars have been inconsistent since then.
This season has been different; I'm writing this after Houston just extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games. I was fortunate to see the last 2 on cable as they stood back a furious Cincinnati comeback and won by a field goal last week, and this week as they, led by the backup quarterback came from 20 points behind Memphis in the fourth quarter to grab a 1-point lead (despite the officials taking back a wide open touchdown catch in the process) with just over a minute left. They then staved off a long field goal attempt by Memphis to regain the lead. It just doesn't get better. Houston has another game against 50/50 UConn, before meeting their undefeated division rivals, Navy. Their biggest problem in the bowl system is they haven't played top-ranked teams--but the last two teams were very credible.
Fascism in Contemporary Academia
Chefs and Waffle House
No lie, when I moved earlier this year to South Carolina, after 10 hours on the road, the first thing I did after checking into a motel was head to the open Waffle House (I ordered a combination platter with eggs). (I know McDonald's has made a splash recently by starting to serve breakfast all day long, but I remember years ago commuting to a suburb of Milwaukee from California before moving back to Illinois, I hadn't had eggs for about 2 weeks, and I went to a diner near the Best Western and ordered an egg platter (the waitress seemed annoyed; she probably thought she wasn't going to get a good tip but I've always been a good tipper).) I believe I ordered my hash browns at the Waffle House with jalapenos--I can't get my fill of jalapenos--Mexican food, omelets, salads, burgers: you name it. I buy several jars yearly.
It was good, filling food. I haven't been to one since, although there was one less than 100 yards away from a former employer's parking lot in a business park (it had more to do with my ongoing diet, not the food). It's odd where you can find surprisingly tasty food. When I worked as an EPA contractor in downtown Chicago, there was this hole in the wall restaurant within walking distance where for a bargain price you could order a decent burger with caramelized/sauteed onions (nice touch), excellent fresh french fries and a can of soda. But the best breakfast egg sandwich ever I had at an airport during a redeye flight connection home. It was basically overflowing, with perfectly prepared bacon--not just a skimpy one or 2 slices, but generous portions of egg and bacon in every single bite.
Familiar readers know that I would rather eat in a diner than any exclusive restaurant. It probably dates back to UIL competitions during my high school days. We would travel to meets and we typically stopped at a diner; my perennial favorite was chicken-fried steak or Mexican food. I would later discover, I think on an Oklahoma project, the comfort food chain Grandy's; that location had an all-you-care-to-eat breakfast bar with its famous biscuits/rolls, which were delightful with the application of small tubs of butter and honey--as irresistible as the Olive Garden's famous breadsticks. And when I go home to Texas, I'll always visit Bill Miller's for iced tea, BBQ, and perhaps a slice of pecan pie. I haven't had a Whataburger (heavy on the mustard) in ages, and one of Dad's favorites was takeout breakfast tacos (I hesitate to list a particular chain; I think he used to frequent a mom and pop place for a few years which has since moved or shutdown).
Of course, I'm still partial to my Mom's cretons, although she hasn't made it in years due to dietary restrictions. (It's a ground pork spread seasoned with spices like cinnamon and bay leaf--unbelievably tasty. I'm also partial to Mom's tourtière, a similarly savory pork pie. If you've never tasted these, you're missing out.) But I've always loved eggs, and a simple boiled egg sandwich, with mustard, mayonnaise, and salt to taste, has been a personal favorite; Mom used to pack a breakfast for me at a Catholic elementary school. The Church used to have strict dietary restrictions before receiving communion, and we would start the school day with going to Mass and ate our boxed breakfasts in homeroom. Except for fast food buns (because I'm not given a choice), I haven't touched white bread in years, but I used to inhale cretons or boiled egg sandwiches on white. I suspect they would also taste spectacular on sprouted grains or whole wheat.
Choose Life: Daddies Are Heroes (With Great Reflexes)
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of Ken Catalino via Townhall |
Aretha Franklin, "You're All I Need To Get By"
