The reason for the season
by Ripley
I'm normally not one to go off into Lileks territory, complaining about the kids with their rock music and short skirts and jitterbugging and sideways baseball caps. No, I generally leave that kind of talk to the professionals, who have far more experience in harumphing and a sharper eye for fashion than I.
But when you get to be a (youthful and terribly handsome!) 42 yr. old man, such as I am, sometimes you do get to reminiscing. You think back to simpler times and happier days - times when a fella could still get his favorite music on a Compact Digital disc instead of "signing up on top of the internets", or buy a tank of gas without taking out an equity loan. Heck, back then a guy could ignore a warning of impending terrorist attacks and concentrate on important things like BBQ and clearing brush. (And what's with the kids today? Have any of them ever cleared brush? We're raising a nation of wimps. Wimps, I tell ya!)
In those days, a simple "You've covered your ass!" was as good as a handshake. Vacations were about relaxing with the family, and a fella didn't have to take his work along with him or worry about the goings-on back at the office. Those were the days, my friend. Those were the days...

Graphic by tengrain
Happy PDB Day, kids! Enjoy some BBQ, a couple cold beers and time with your family and friends. And if you can, find time to squeeze in a little brush clearing.
Rip -


It really does seem like the age of innocence when you look back on it, doesn't it? Seven years ago today, Bush was just an ineffectual, relatively harmless dope on semi-permanent vacation. It's pretty sad that the summer of '01 looks so rose-colored in hindsight.
Posted by: Me | August 06, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Gotcha covered, Rip!
Posted by: iamcoyote | August 06, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Yeah, I wouldn't have expected such an intellectual gnat to turn into such an incompetent bull in a world-wide china shop. And that would be bad enough, but he decided to screw us all so his friends could live the high life.
It'll take quite some time to unfuck our nation, I'm afraid.
Posted by: Ripley | August 06, 2008 at 01:44 PM
you kids get off of my administration!
Posted by: skippy | August 06, 2008 at 03:50 PM
I just sent that picture on my anniversary cards to all on my e-mail list. History Channel was running some sort of Bin Laden show earlier today, I have to remember to send them a thanks for reminding everyone about this day. Oh wait, they didn't mention 8/6/01? Oh well, at least we got to see the ever elusive Bin Laden again to remind us how the Repubs will protect us.
Posted by: | August 06, 2008 at 05:57 PM
Ay, Rip...
perhaps the pipples here may want to think about posting that picture on their own blogs, no?
Posted by: ¡El Gato Negro! | August 06, 2008 at 06:39 PM
Nice work as always, rip.
Here's a variation on the theme.
Posted by: Sinfonian | August 06, 2008 at 07:11 PM