Saturday, November 29, 2008
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The Conservative Wahoo
The Blog: A compendium of thoughts on politics, world affairs, economics, pop culture and social issues, from the center right perspective of me--Bryan McGrath--a University of Virginia graduate who spent a career in the world's greatest Navy keeping my mouth shut about politics and social issues (ok, publicly keeping it shut). Those days are over! Pull up a chair and chime in where you will. Keep it clean, civil, concise and relevant.
The Fish: The fish is a "coat of arms" for the blog, symbolizing three formative influences in the life of the blog founder. The first is his experience at the University of Virginia--symbolized most importantly by the fish itself, or a caricature of a "Wahoo", the fish we have acquired as an informal nickname. Additionally there is the sword, the sword of a Cavalier. It is not wielded in a threatening manner, as this is a civil blog. But it is there, should it be needed. Thirdly, there is the influence of 21 years in the Navy--symbolized by the anchor on the Wahoo's fin (and again, the sword) . Finally, there is the bowler, tuxedo, and monocle, symbols of a refined, intellectual conservatism, or what I seek to encourage here.
The Policy: I take FULL responsibility for what I write. I will not be held responsible for the content of my comments section--as long as it is civil and passes my own inscrutable sniff tests, it will appear. If the comment offends you, that is on you.
The Fish: The fish is a "coat of arms" for the blog, symbolizing three formative influences in the life of the blog founder. The first is his experience at the University of Virginia--symbolized most importantly by the fish itself, or a caricature of a "Wahoo", the fish we have acquired as an informal nickname. Additionally there is the sword, the sword of a Cavalier. It is not wielded in a threatening manner, as this is a civil blog. But it is there, should it be needed. Thirdly, there is the influence of 21 years in the Navy--symbolized by the anchor on the Wahoo's fin (and again, the sword) . Finally, there is the bowler, tuxedo, and monocle, symbols of a refined, intellectual conservatism, or what I seek to encourage here.
The Policy: I take FULL responsibility for what I write. I will not be held responsible for the content of my comments section--as long as it is civil and passes my own inscrutable sniff tests, it will appear. If the comment offends you, that is on you.
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2008
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November
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- On Pre-emptive Pardons
- The Economics of a Cartel
- Portrait of a Rising Republican Star
- Va Tech 17 UVA 14
- This Story Makes Me Angry
- A Friendly Oyster Roast
- Oil and Gas Leases Pose No Problem for Obama
- Larry Lindsey with a Great Idea for the Mortgage C...
- Steyn on Islamism
- Brooks, Krugman on the Financial Situation
- Bombay Terror
- Someone Please Verify This is Real
- Those Randy Mid-Westerners!
- Things for Which I Am Thankful
- Bombings in Bombay
- A Bit of Ayn Rand on Thanksgiving
- On Obama Keeping Gates
- Goldwater's Ghost Now a Blogger!
- NYC--Mission Accomplished
- I am a Sexist Pig
- In the Big City
- Boy Am I Glad I'm Not in School Anymore!
- An Interesting Week in Grapevine, Texas
- First African-American......
- Obama Making Good Moves with Economic Team
- Is Proposition 8 Un-American?
- Clemson 13 UVA 3
- A View of Our Soldiers from a French Soldier
- Remembering a Really Cool Day
- FREE FOR ALL FRIDAY
- Obama Team Leaking
- Obama Team Lowers Expectations
- The Life of an Expat
- Bad News in the House
- Using the Marines to Solve a Problem
- Education Sinkhole
- Modern Day Piracy
- Interesting Electoral Map
- Joe Lieberman to Attend Re-education Camp; Will Be...
- The Current Economic Crisis
- George Will on the Auto Bailout
- President-Elect Obama on 60 Minutes
- President Obama Should NOT Foreswear Executive Pri...
- Another Instance of NYT Silliness
- The Most Ridiculous Babble I've Seen in Quite a Lo...
- DC Schools Look to Buck the Union
- George Will at His Best
- Detroit is an Addict
- Second Life Affair Ends in Divorce
- The Press, the Wars, and the Obama Administration
- Economically conservative social liberals?
- David Brooks on the Auto Bailout
- Tell Congress to "Kiss My Ass" Mr. Hedge Fund Manager
- My First Hunting Trip
- A Conservative Manfiesto By PJ O'Rourke
- To Not Vote is to Vote
- How Much Longer Will the Press Give Obama?
- Woman Pregnant with Second Baby
- Navy Victory in the Supreme Court
- Obama Out to Get Osama
- Strategy Smategy--Here are Some Tactics for Republ...
- 500 Posts!
- Stem Cell Compromise
- New Energy in Alaska
- A Veterans Day Special--Pat Conroy's Eulogy of the...
- The Sound of War
- On Veterans Day
- Thank You
- The Class of the Bush Administration
- What Will President Obama Do?
- The Plans of One Small Business Owner
- Russian Sub Accident Kills 20
- A Very Funny Video from The Onion
- What Are Fannie and Freddie For?
- The Russian Testosteracracy
- Bush Should Call Hoyer's Bluff
- Blog Status
- Which Way Will Conservatism Go?
- FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL!!!!!
- Taxes and Patriotism--An Interesting Proposal
- Reading the President's Daily Briefing
- The Decline of the Old Dominion
- The Obama Team
- California and Prop 8
- Where Will The New President Send His Kids to School?
- The Transition Begins
- A Sign of Things to Come With Emboldened Dems?
- The Morning After
- Maryland First Congressional District
- To the Loyal Opposition With Us!
- ELECTION DAY FREE FOR ALL!!!!!
- Hold On Now...No One Told Me Barack Would Do This....
- The Stock Market and the Economy
- Colonel John Ripley, USMC (Ret.) RIP
- A Deal with Pakistan?
- Election Day
- If Obama Wins, The Press Will Eventually Turn On Him
- Obama Readying to Bomb Iran?
- Miami 24 UVA 17
- Sunday Morning Thoughts
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November
(100)
15 comments:
It's a shame and I wonder why it doesn't happen more often. The part that gets me is why is an eight month pregnant woman out in that crowd knowing she's going to be jostled? All for a cheap video game.
The almighty consumer is king and his thirst for more stuff must be quenched. This is the confluence of two problems: an economy driven by untenable consumption and what can be summed up as "I guess that's how they were raised." I am also surprised that this has not happened more frequently.
This is why economic models are wrong half of the time - economists simply can't factor for human greed and stupidity.
This happens every year (perhaps to a lesser extent)- but amid the current economic climate, it makes for better storytelling...
What is being left out in the news reports is; given the size of the typical Wal-Mart shopper, it only took 3 gals to trample the poor guy to death.
This bargain mob mentality is just a very fine notch above looting mentality, the distinction being only that one occurs during a legal activity and the other an illegal one. But the mentalities associated with the two acts are otherwise identical. I have no desire to coexist with such people.
I was watching a new Walmart commercial last night where the employees are playing bells with the checkout lights. Then this morning, I was going through the Sunday Walmart circular and I have a question to ask. How come those people featured in the print ad and commercial, don't work or look like the employees at any of the Walmarts near me?
SamShapiro - And in the TV ad, all checkout lines were manned weren't they?
Doc, they certainly were but I think that is what the commercial was about, that they would have more check out people this season. More check out people with their blue shirts tucked in, without cell phones to ears and greeting you with a smile.
I have a problem with the ones who don't say A WORD to you at all. These folks check you through and then don't even tell you the amount of the total bill. That is what the little monitor is for, I guess. I ALWAYS then ask, "oh, how much is the total?". Some will even turn the monitor closer to you without saying a word. Makes my blood boil. I guess I should exercise my right NOT to shop there, but until TARGET makes an appearance in this town...
Roger, ahh! You have hit on what was once one of my easiest buttons to push. Then, I finally decided to retaliate. Here is what I do when someone fails to recognize that I am the customer he or she is supposed to be serving (almost always it is a she who does this...and almost always a she who appears to hold me accountable for some injustice her predecessors experienced nearly a century ago). I just stand there, smiling, until the person acknowledges me. Then, as I begin talking, if she looks away, I again stop. My record for this has been about 12 iterations. But even that determined stalwart finally broke. I derive a great deal of pleasure in breaking someone of using her customer service position (especially in government customer service positions--where they know they can't be fired) as a forum for exacting some sort of personal vengence for whatever perceived connection I might have to her self-imposed misery. Of course, it is also good to go explain my behavior to the person's manager afterwards. Another related fun activity is to go to some high-end clothing store wearing clean, blue collar "work clothes" (which is what I wear when working around my home and other properties). Please note, I don't do this just for the sake of testing people, I really do wear such clothing most of the time and I have a job where I need to have business suits so I often wear my normal clothing when shopping for office clothing. When the clerk indicates his or her (about even distribution I have found) perceived superiority to me, and only when it is clear that the clerk would rather show me the door than the merchandise for fear of being soiled by proximity to someone who might work with his hands, I like to inquire as to what other accomplishments, besides being a store clerk, this self-important servant to the well-heeled has to warrant addressing me with such royal snubbishness. Then I also like to visit the manager thereafter. It is even more fun to do this with a wad of $100s in my wallet which I count through as I relate to the manager that I was hoping to do some shopping there but clearly the staff would prefer I leave. I will know that I have achieved success in this scenario when the manager replies: "Sir, I can see that you are not only a handsome man, but a powerful man as well."
I love it when Mudge gets up on his hind legs like that.
I know, I really should learn to control myself. It's not a pretty sight when I unleash my stand-there-and-smile-until-they-acknowledge-me combination. Perhaps a good anger management program would help.
Mudge...."Would you like your change?"
Dan - That's more like it.
I just deleted an Anonymous post in which the writer rendered an uncivil opinion of another correspondant.
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