I feel gypped

Dog makes overnight cross-country trek to rejoin owner

I was expecting a cross country trip — like the dog was left behind in Oregon or someplace and came back to Alabama. But no, it only wandered 18 miles home from a car accident.

On the other hand, “Big Boy” is half chihuahua (and half, it appears, some kind of hound) and for a chihuahua-size dog, I guess 18 miles is a long way. But come on, don’t tease us.

What is this, Japan?

Publix Home Page

They opened a Publix down the road from me a couple of days ago — on my birthday, in fact. I went down there tonight for my weekly shopping trip, and it was weird. Everyone there was so nice! They said “Hello, sir” to me, like I was a Congressman or something — not just the managers, but the stockers and the cashiers and everyone. Not only did someone take my bags out to my car (I don’t know the last time this happened to me — it may never have happened before) he wouldn’t even let me tip him.

Obviously, this isn’t good for me. I’m sort of in a service profession in the same market, and if people go around expecting everyone to be nice to them, I’m going to be under a lot of stress.

He doesn’t appeal to me

No decision this week in Roy Moore appeal

The original removal of St. Roy took only two days from the trial commencing to a judgment. The appeal, meanwhile, was held February 25 and the earliest it might come will be March 26. I know the appeals court is made up of retired judges, but do they have to run the case (figuratively) as a 1972 LTD driving 26 MPH in the left lane with the blinker on? (That’s a long way to go for a metaphor, huh?)

Tempest in a pisspot

Blair Bliar - In which the confessed liar and plagiarist protests my review of his book. By Jack Shafer

I couldn’t care less about the whole Jayson Blair stuff or Jack Shafer’s attacks on him or the rest. I just want to point out that in the current version of this column there is a correction to the spelling of the first name of Josef Mengele. Because God forbid we offend Dr. Mengele’s memory.

Valley of the trolls

War Liberal: Another reason to hate Germany

I’ve linked to this entry before, but it’s really something special this time. “John” says “I’m Britain”, apparently meaning to claim to be British even though (a) he clearly doesn’t speak English as a native language and (b) he has an Amsterdam ISP address. And he wants to nuke Washington.

Aye! Hic! [Passes out]

Conecuh Ridge whiskey gets lawmakers’ vote

A resolution to name a whiskey (made in Kentucky, but the guy swears he wants to build a distillery in Alabama) the “official state spirit” has passed both houses of the state legislature. Governor Riley vetoed the measure, saying he didn’t want the state to endorse a commercially sold product (or maybe he doesn’t like the idea of official state booze) but was roundly overridden in the House. The Senate may override as well. Says a Riley spokesman, “Somewhere down the road is the official state potato chip.” Yeah, Golden Flake. Duh!

Oh, it’s all our fault, is it?

N. Carolina petitions 13 states to clean air

The North Carolina AG says that pollutants from 13 other states — including Alabama — are the reason his state can’t meet clean air rules. Hmmm. Or maybe it’s the choking miasma of cigarette smoke?