After being away for over four years, I went on a short trip to Farmingville, New York and Alexandria, Virginia the week I came back to America. I went to the former for a Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band concert at the Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater and the latter to check out Old Town and a piece of Virginia I hadn’t seen before. I also managed to spend a bit of time in Manhattan where the Metropolitan Museum of Art had an exhibit with very beautiful looking pistols called “The Art of London Firearms.”
The first day of the trip was pretty busy. I landed at Long Island MacArthur Airport and a couple hours later, I was on the way to the concert. It was a pleasure to see my favorite living Beatles member in the flesh (my all-time favorite is George Harrison, but I digress) along with Toto’s Steve Lukather, Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Santana’s Gregg Rolie, Average White Band’s Hamish Stuart, David Lee Roth Band’s Gregg Bissonette, Kansas’s Warren Ham, and Mark Rivera. Some songs they played were, “Don’t Pass Me By”, “Black Magic Woman”, “Yellow Submarine”, “Who Can It Be Now?”, and “Hold the Line”. All in all, it was a very pleasant and chill concert and Mr. Starr and his crew were happy and energetic.
Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band
The next day, I went to Manhattan to check out the exhibit at the Metropolitan I mentioned while I was waiting for the night train to Washington D.C. The museum had gone through quite a few changes since the last time I went in 2005, but all-in-all, the place still felt familiar to me. The firearms they had on display in the “The Art of London Firearms” exhibit were mostly pistols that belonged to the Prince of Wales who would later be King George IV. The dueling pistols were quite beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. They were not the most elegant of pistols, but I believe they were a good blend of both practical and luxurious in design. The flintlock pistols on display were mostly designed and crafted by the likes of Durs Egg, John Manton, and Samuel Brunn. After spending some time there, I then made my way to Penn Station to catch the train down south then caught an Uber from D.C. to Alexandria.
S&W .44 Double-Action Revolver
Flintlock Dueling Pistols of the Prince of Wales, Later King George IV
Collier Second Model Five-Shot Flintlock Revolver
For the third and final day of the trip, I spent time exploring the Old Town district of Alexandria. Unfortunately, it was a Monday when I went and as such, a lot of the museums were closed then. However, I was still able to see a few sites and a couple places of historical significance that were still open. My first stop was the Basilica of Saint Mary. It’s the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Virginia, having been founded in 1795. It was also the first time I stepped foot in a church for a few years so it was quite the experience for this lapsed Catholic.
After some prayer and meditation, I made my way to have lunch with my mother at Gadsby’s Tavern. The tavern was built in 1785 and also has a museum where the 1792 expansions were. The dining area of the tavern is the same as it was back in its founding and the food is also based on the food available back then. I had their Braised Hessen Beef which consisted of sweet & sour beef braised with red wine & bacon, rotkraut (red cabbage), and applesauce. To drink was a Belgian witbier (called Optimal Wit) from the local brewery Port City Brewing Company. It was a very nice and smooth beer with a slight citrus taste that paired quite well with the entree.
After lunch, we were offered a tour of the museum where we learned about what made Gadsby’s special as well as see how the facility offered its dining, entertainment, and accommodations services. Apparently, Gadsby’s had an extraordinarily big 62-ton ice well that allowed the tavern to preserve their harvests and supplies longer than the rest of the competition in the area. They even had enough to sell ice when other local companies ran out of their stock. Another note of the tavern was that some Founding Fathers such as Washington, Adams, Madison, and Jefferson were guests and even held balls there from time to time.
After these adventures, I then went to the Waterfront Park where I saw the Potomac up close and then the Episcopal Church, Christ Church. It was quite simple-looking in the inside, but it was still a wholesome, interesting experience to be in the place where George Washington and later Robert E. Lee would pray. Finally, I went to the Lyceum which would serve as a hospital for Union troops during the Civil War and would later become a museum of Alexandria history. Also nearby was the Confederate Statue which was dedicated to the fallen Confederate soldiers from Alexandria. A fun fact about the statue is that the direction it’s facing is towards the old battlefields. It was also placed at the intersection of two streets where the Confederate soldiers set out from to get to their trains. A number of the men from the 17th Virginia Infantry are honored on the statue who were mainly from Companies A, E, G, H, and I. So far the statue is still in the same place as it has been since it was dedicated in 1889, but with things nowadays, I can’t be sure how long that will last. Regardless, it was still quite a moment to see the statue and an opportunity to think about all those local boys who would go out and never make it back home from that war.
Overall, it was a pleasant albeit short vacation. I only moved back to the States just a few weeks ago, but I left these places more appreciative of how blessed and culturally rich the country is. I hope to have more time to visit Long Island. I also hope to spend more time in Alexandria especially since Mount Vernon is nearby as well as the Alexandria Black History Museum and the Carlyle Club among other places. Now that I’m firmly back in the States, I wish to explore much more of the country as a whole while I can.
Welcome back.
The grip on the S&W does not look comfortable at all.
It looks kind of like a dual purpose device. Hold it this way to shoot people, flip it over and it’s a pipe.
Or a club.
Ribbed for your pleasure.
“her”
Thats why I turn the rubber inside-out.
Nice, History served with beef and beer is double plus good.
Nice article. One thing I’ve found traveling through the South is that if you ever lose your bearings, find the nearest small town and look for the Confederate war memorial. The soldier will almost always be facing north.
Or just look at your phone… 😉
The mossy side of the phone faces north.
He downgraded to a clamshell for emergencies. If it’s worth saying, it’s worth saying face to face.
My compass cost $14.
So long as I get out of the car, it works fine. (The car’s structural steel messes up the magnet’s response)
I just wait til nightfall and look for the North Star.
Keep your damn hands off my astrolabe!
I learned something new. Thanks!
I had their Braised Hessen Beef which consisted of sweet & sour beef braised with red wine & bacon, rotkraut (red cabbage), and applesauce – I knew you Americans put sugar in everything. Suspicion confirmed! Also witbier sucks. Come at me!
seriously though, nice post.
That is the most German of German food combos.
That’s what I thought too.
Missing some spaetzle.
^ this ^
He said German…not Swabian!
Its true Americans in general had a sweeter palate but I’ve read the trend is moving towards savory.
Cheaper / chain restaurants load up on the sugar and obviously things like barbecue contain sugar or molasses. But looking at the menu of my favorite local restaurant, there is very little added sugar until you get to dessert.
That has been a pet peeve of ours for years Pie. If a recipe calls of sugar we will use a substitute, but few do.
I just whipped up a batch of crawfish bisque, incredibly delicious and savory and not one grain of sugar.
I usually substitute a little honey if a recipe calls for sugar.
I miss crawfish. Also, merliton.
Which is a bit ironic since sugar was Louisiana’s original cash crop.
Mmmmm, crawfish bisque……most of the time I don’t miss the Gulf Coast that much (too damned hot), but I do miss the food. I don’t know why fried crab claws haven’t made it to the rest of the country yet.
Aside from teriyaki, desserts, and some breads I’ve honestly never seen a recipe that calls for sugar. I’ve heard of people putting sugar in tomato sauce, but I’ve never done it myself.
It’s almost as if a lot of food was developed before sugar became cheap and widely available…
Do you count molasses as non-sugar? Because there are BBQ sauces that use it.
No, I’d count molasses, but I rarely make barbecue sauce. I’m more of a dry rub or marinade guy, and in both cases I don’t typically use anything sweet.
crawfish bisque
That. Sounds. Utterly. Magnificent.
Possibly second only to crawfish etouffee. Last time I was in New Orleans I became pretty much a crawfish junkie. To the point that I was eating crawfish pie slathered in crawfish etouffee.
I’m looking forward to my trip down there over Halloween.
Welcome back and great write up/pics!
What a great trip, Raph!
As a lapsed Catholic myself, I can appreciate your visit to the Basilica. I still like to occasionally sit in an old, empty church. I still dig the smells of old incense and candles.
The concert sounds great, too – I never thought too much of Ringo, but I like him more and more the older we get.
Thanks for sharing your travels with us!
Life-long atheist but Notre Dame and Christchurch blew my 14 year-old brain when I visited.
I have all my mom’s old Beatles albums. She was in her teens when they broke and the sleeves are festooned in adorable girl-graffiti saying things like “Ringo is the gearmost living end!” with wee hearts for the dots of the lower case ‘i’.
True fact. I was conceived the night that the Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan show. My Mom was a huge Paul fan. My Brother was spermed on New years Eve 1962.
Tundra, if you ever find yourself in Pittsburgh, I’d recommend stopping by this church. It’s old, but not empty.
Praise God!
Thanks Neph!
There’s a church in Lakewood, OH that was supposed to get a similar treatment, but the city dragged their feet on approval, so they had to go into another location. It didn’t help that the Catholics in the area were protesting the diocese closing the church (while leaving another one nearby open).
I’m sorry you had to endure the White Supremacists rasing the gadsen flag.
*clicks Like button*
Are you sticking around NoVa, or were you just passing through?
I’ve not spent a ton of time in Alexandria, but this is motivating me to make it a point to do so.
Old Town is nice.
Alexandria? I’m sorry.
I like Old Town but I don’t get out that way often. It’s that awkward distance where it’s close enough to not warrant a stay but far enough to be somewhere I’d have to plan to drive.
Nice write up Raphael, Never been to the East Coast, lots of history there
Never been anywhere on the east coast? How is that possible?
Same as the reason I’ve never been anywhere on the west coast – never got that far yet.
I’ve been everywhere, man.
https://youtu.be/WoIfglXAbh0
Other than changing planes at airports, I’ve never been in the Midwest (meaning to me the non-coastal states north of Oklahoma)
It’s actually kind of an interesting question – how many states have you spent more than a day in?
ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, VA, WV, KY, TN, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, AR, TX, AZ, CA, NV
FL, GA, AL, NY, SC, NC, KY, OH, MN, VA, WA, CA, AZ, NM, NV, TX, LA, CO, TN & MA.
NY, PA, CT, OH, MD, VA, NC, AL, MS, TX, MI, KY, TN, IN, MN, WI, ND
It feels like I’ve spent more than a day in GA, but that was just traffic jams (and not all in Atlanta)
Being so close to VT, and MA, I don’t need to stay overnight if there’s something there I need to attend to.
Oh, wait, I forgot NJ.
Easy mistake to make.
AK, CA, CO, ID, IL, IN, GA, KY, LA, MA, MO, NC, OK, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA
Day trips to AZ, FL, MD, MN, NY
I noticed I have a gap in the northeast for Rhode Island.
Anyone have any recommendations for something to visit there?
Same. Never been there, never saw any compelling reason to go.
Just watch me, myself and Irene and say you’ve been.
There’s all the mansions built by NY millionaires in the 19th century.
Also, the Newport Tower because, you know, it was built by the Knights Templar when they brought the Ark of the Covenant to America.
My family vacationed there for a week last year. Providence is a nice enough place, decent number of historic places and good shops, but not enough to justify a trip in and of itself. Good place to use as a base if you want to explore the southern new England coast, it’s a bit cheaper and more welcoming than Connecticut or Massachusetts.
Nope.
I’ve been to the airport in Rhode Island, that was about it.
I was raised there. I’m partial to the southern end of the state, but Newport, Jamestown, and Bristol are all worth driving through. Bristol is quaint as hell, especially when they have their 4th of July parade. Old town Americana at its best. Westerly at the far southern end of the state, has the best beaches, although the folks in Narragansett might argue with you. East Greenwich’s main street used to be the perfect picture of a New England town, celebrating its tri-centennial when the US celebrated its bi-centennial, when I lived there as a kid. It’s gotten more developed, but still maintains its charm, especially the back streets near the Varnum House.
NB – “The Witches of EastWick” was based upon East Greenwich and nearby Wickford, another great little touristy town. (Have something to eat at one of the restaurants on the bridge). Gilbert Stuart house is only another 15 minutes south on Rte 1 from there on the way to Westerly.
Thank you.
Stayed overnight for a wedding there.
My number of state’s list is about 25 or so. I’ve totally missed the Southwest.
Forgot WA, I visited a friend in Seattle once a long time ago.
I forgot Michigan. Went to Detroit for the big car show.
36
Oops, 37.
ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, MN, IA, WI, MI, IL, CT, MT, CA
FL, GA, AL, MS, LA, VA, WV, PA, CA, TX, NM, OK, AR, NY, NJ, WA. My biological father lives in AZ and I would really love to get out there to see him.
It’s easier for me to list those I’ve not spent a day in: AK, AR, DE, LA, MS, NC, ND, and SC.
The Carolinas being on the list is weird, since a whole bunch of my ancestry came from NC, and I have a cousin in SC.
MA, ME, NH, VT, NY, CT, NJ, PA, IL, KS, LA, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, TN, TX, NV, CA
And PR if that counts.
I don’t have RI either because why bother?
Oh yeah, forgot MN – my brother went to school there.
PA, NY, NJ, DE, WV, VA, ME, NH, VT, RI, CO, CT, NC, SC, MA, MI, MD, KY, TN, GA, FL, AL, LA, TX, CA, OH, IN, IL. I’m sure there is more.
Easier to list the one state I haven’t gotten yet: South Dakota… I’ll go after they add Trump to Rushmore. [runs out of the room cackling]
Let’s see. This will be roughly in order of duration…
MD, PA, VA, WV, LA, TX, CA, NJ, TN, FL, GA, NY.
There’s a lot of the country I haven’t seen. For that matter, there’s a lot of the places I’ve spent time in that I haven’t seen; for instance, I spent a few days in upstate NY but it was at a lake house of a friend of a friend. Aside from the lake we went to Niagara Falls. When I was younger there were a bunch of countries I wanted to travel to, but for the past fifteen years or so the only places I’ve ever really wanted to go were in the states. Even now, I’d happily spend ten years driving around the country checking out the sights and never run out of places to go.
Oh, shit, forgot DE. Sorry, DE.
Nearly OK but it wasn’t quite a day.
I forgot DE too. I have family that lives not far from there, and I drive the length of that state every time I go visit them, and made occassional day trips to DE from their house.
I don’t normally think about DE because the only times I’ve been there to stay were going to the beach, and I don’t know that that really counts. Like aside from the food sucking, the lack of a sales tax, and people having the Innsmouth look, there was nothing especially “Delaware” about being there.
I’ve been to all 57 states and D.C. And the heck with the one day rule, or slept there rule , or spent money there, or put foot on the ground. With today’s fast means of transport, there are many states you can go through (like half of New England) between breakfast and dinner.
Ca,nv,az,or,wa,il,ma,ny,mn,fl,ga,tx,WI nm , ut and most of Canada. That’s leaving out europe and mexico.
With the one day rule – about half the states. There are a bunch I can’t say for sure as I’ve driven across the US three times and Some places I stopped for more than just the night, just can’t remember.
But – even with the one-day rule I’ve been to about as many countries as states.
LA, TX, Ok, AK, MS, AL, GA, NM, AZ, CA, MO, IO, MN, MI, IN, OH, IL, KY, TN, NC, SC, FL,
I think that’s it.
WA, NV, MO, LA, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH, KY, TN, AL, MS, FL, GA, SC, VA, DC, MD, PA, NY, CT, NC
Without the 1-day rule, add on NJ, DE, WV, TX, UT, AZ
I probably have spent more than 24 hours total in WV, but it is just a place you drive thru going from KY to VA.
For countries, I have: Canada, US, Mexico, The Bahamas, St Martin, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Switzerland, Italy.
The 1-day rule excludes France, Liechtenstein, Barbados, and Vatican City.
I realize I have been in France twice without showing my passport. First, the boat on Lac Leman docked in France. I didn’t get off, but we were in France. The second time was from the independent southern part of St Martin, to the northern part, which is part of France. No passport required for the border crossing on the island. it wasn’t even obviously marked.
If you include countries, I’ve been in the US, the UK and Canada.
If you ignore the 1 day rule, I get to add VT, NH, MA, SC, GA, OK, WV, IL, AK, and FL.
Oh, and KS and DE
You were in AK for less than a day? That is interesting is there a story?
Seconded. Alaska doesn’t seem like a place you’d cut through to get somewhere else real quick. Like if you’re in Alaska that’s an endpoint of an itinerary.
States are boring.
Countries where I have spent at least one night in a hotel: Canada, Ireland, England, France, Netherlands, Germany, Russia, China, Hong Kong (before the Brits gave it back), Singapore, and Australia.
I was in Malaysia for a 4-hour meeting one day (we flew in from Singapore and left the same day).
Collier Second Model Five-Shot Flintlock Revolver
Fake news. It is well known that repeating firearms did not exist at the time of the musket.
Welcome back. Enjoyed the article and pictures.
You might also enjoy Fredericksburg. Let me know if you ever venture there or Richmond and want to meet up.
Fredericksburg was always a nice little town, but the DC virus has really started to take hold there, no?
It’s totally been absorbed into NoVa. Like Alexandria, Old Town is nice.
Excellent, I’ll let you know and keep an eye out for over there too!
Excellent article, Raph! I remember being blown away at the sheer age of some of the buildings and cemeteries that I visited in Montreal when I was a pup. Everything around me is built with sticks, not brick and stone. I’d like to go back there some day.
One of the problems with Louisiana is the climate. It is brutal. Stuff doesn’t last here. We have a veery long and rich history but given that wood was the preferred building material and most of the state is prone to flooding we just don’t have that much in the way of physical reminders of history.
We had a dog-trot cabin on some family land that was built in 1802….yeah, I know, but it was made of pine heart and it burned a few years ago. Stuff just doesn’t last here.
California earthquakes, nothing lasts longer there,
Up here the boreal forest endures. I can’t keep the aspen and cottonwood out of my yard. Pine (when it recovers) and spruce take over everything, eventually.
Same here but different species. It is a constant battle to keep nature at bay. Leave a patch of land alone for two years and it will grow up so thick a snake cant crawl through it.
We had an infestation that has killed about 90% of the pine forest up here. It all started in a Park (mind you, some of our parks are larger than some states) and the lefty government at the time wouldn’t let them do a controlled burn or even log the bad trees. Ten years later, everyone is pulling their hair out about the problem. Twenty years later, the logging industry has been wiped out. I worked “fall and burn” for a number of years. We’d cut down the marked trees right to the stump, cut them up and burn them. All the while you could see every unmarked tree was infested. All because the NDP wouldn’t allow logging in a park.
Canada’s geography is wild, man. Literally, in a sense. It always trips me out to see a nighttime satellite image of Canada: huge, huge spaces and then everybody’s kind of squished down at the bottom. There aren’t many parts of the US where you look at a map and can’t find a town in the general area, but it seems like that describes most of Canada.
At least we have St Augustine if I want to look at old stuff.
Houston is the same way. Between the heat, sun and humidity, everything decays. Wood, metal, plastic, cement — it all rots.
Fantastic article indeed and may I also offer a hearty welcome back to the USA.
Agreed!
Two OT thoughts –
1 – The quality control in the illicit THC cartridge industry sucks. I have a big sticky mess on my hands.
2 – I just had a paw-paw for the very first time. Holy Mackerel! They are delicious. Why aren’t they more widely available?
#1 – they are going to be the cause of banning of ALL e-cigs.
#2 – I really want to try paw-paw. And I’d love to grow them, but so far I’m a bit to north. However, there are people working on cold-hardy varieties.
#1 – Yes, I truly fear that is going be the inevitable result. The alignment of revenue seeking tax-leeches, prohibitionists of all flavors, existing cigarette manufacturers, and soccer-moms thinking of the children is very powerful.
My uncle makes paw paw ice cream. If I can figure out a way to ship that to NoDak I’ll send you a pint.
Oh wow. I would pay you for that. Pack it in dry ice and ship it in January? Is dry ice expensive and/or hard to find?
No it’s easy to find, I’m just not sure what container you’d put it in; too tight and it might explode, too loose and the dry ice would evaporate to quick and it would melt. I have some stuff to ship out to my aunt in SoDak, though none of it is food, so I’ll ask ups what they’d recommend.
Order something from Omaha Steaks and use the styrofoam cooler they ship in.
Or get an Igloo Max.
Good idea. They come in later up here since we’re in the northern part of their range, usually mid October. Remind me in 3 or 4 weeks and I’ll get some out.
My former employer shipped pints anywhere in CONUS using Styrofoam iceboxes filled with pelletized dry ice which are then taped tight, packed into cardboard boxes, and sent 2-day via FedEx.
For #2, you just missed the Ohio Paw Paw Fest (with surprise guest on the logo). A couple of breweries use them for beers, unfortunately the best of the beers was from a brewery that shuttered its doors a couple years back.
I would absolutely love to go to that. Regional food festivals are always a good choice.
I need to make it down to South East Ohio again at some point. I’ve got a $50 gift certificate for a brewery down there I won in a silent auction (with other stuff for ~$30). They do make a Paw Paw wheat beer that I’ve seen make it up to my neck of the woods as well.
One of the oldest preservation techniques… ferment it!
That’s some manner of tropical fruit, right? Not some nocturnal visit from Grandpa?
Do you mean papaya?
No sir. The paw-paw; imagine a citrusy, mangoey, banana flavored, mushy fruit. https://www.wildedible.com/pawpaws
Huh. Does not grow in Florida.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba
I bet you can get them to grow there if you have low, rich, damp soil.
I have planted from seed and transplanted small saplings. The trick is that they cant tolerate direct sun, at least not for the first three years of their life. They are an understory small tree.
I will collect some seed from raccoon poop. My neighbor wants some. If you have a place as I described I will send you some seed also if you like.
I surprised y’all all don’t know this one time chart topper.
Picking up pawpaws puttin em in a basket
Picking up pawpaws puttin em in a basket.
Early in the mornin
Thank you for the offer, but my yard is mostly sand below the required St Augustine grass.
Paw paw is a fruit native to North America. Unfortunately it ships like hot garbage so it isn’t really available outside of its native range. It’s also a bit particular with its growing requirements and the range is from southern Pennsylvania to northern Georgia, and west to Missouri.
Yeah, they go bad really quickly. You pretty much have to eat them within a day or two of being picked or they’ll be rotten.
I ate some interesting fruit when I was in Peru and wondered why I’d never heard of any of them. Most likely for the same reason I’ve never heard of paw-paw, doesn’t ship well.
If it tastes good but is only locally available, it either ships poorly, is hard to cultivate, hard to harvest, or some combination. Paw paw grows well but is finicky about where so it’s mildly difficult to cultivate, really hard to ship, but easy enough to harvest.
#2, good question. I have 100 yard wide strip on a mile or so on either side of a creek that has paw-paw growing like grass on it. Occasionally I get luck and get one. As long as there is fruit on the trees the possums and coons come every night and check them for ripeness. Two seconds after one is ripe it is gone.
The thought of a possum getting fat and happy on delicious fruit brings quite a smile to my face. I love possums and their tick eradicating ways.
Same with my fig tree. It’s filled with birds, beetles,possums, raccoons and squirrels when it ripens. Had a cat that would wait at the bottom for hours for the one stupid bird to get low enough. Hours laying motionless.
Welcome back to the USA, Raph. And excellent article. I’d love to read about any future trips you make, as well.
Yes, this one has the “Shine”.
Climate Strike
Activists across over 150 countries are participating in an international strike Friday to protest climate change. High profile protesters – such as Greta Thunberg, who helped inspire the student-led protests by starting school walkouts in her hometown – are leading dozens of mass rallies across the United States.
The global strike, set just days before September 23’s U.N. Climate Action Summit in New York, is expected to draw millions of activists, who believe human activity is contributing to climate change and that drastic measures – such as limiting meat consumption, reforming the transportation sector, and banning plastic straws – need to be taken in order to combat the looming threat.
I’m sure they will leave all of those protest places cleaner than they found them.
“The Pentagon will float this time! I promise!”
You ever want to know how the German government was able to convince so many millions of people to assist in the massacre of millions of jews? You’re seeing it repeated right in front of our eyes with this hysterical bullshit.
A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.
Hi Raphael – a bit OT – were you aware of this bit of history?
Exhibition traces history of Okinawa tattoo tradition that became a mark of shame
Okinawa has always had a bit of strained relationship with Honshu since the end of its independence.
I did know that, but now I do. Very interesting and sad about the whole becoming a taboo deal.
I did not*
I have something to say: $#@!@ Powerapps with a rusty chainsaw.
That is all.
What brand would you recommend?
*of rusty chainsaw.
I have a lovely Stihl 041V from the 70s that has never failed me.
Not rusty, though.
Yea, sure.
Canadians already suspicious of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax are likely be even more suspicious given a report by Ottawa-based Blacklock’s Reporter that Environment Canada omitted a century’s worth of observed weather data in developing its computer models on the impacts of climate change.
The scrapping of all observed weather data from 1850 to 1949 was necessary, a spokesman for Environment Canada told Blacklock’s Reporter, after researchers concluded that historically, there weren’t enough weather stations to create a reliable data set for that 100-year period.
“The historical data is not observed historical data,” the spokesman said. “It is modelled historical data … 24 models from historical simulations spanning 1950 to 2005 were used.”
These computer simulations are part of the federal government’s ClimateData.ca website launched by Environment Minister Catherine McKenna on Aug. 15.
She described it as “an important next step in giving our decision-makers even greater access to important climate data for long-term planning. The more each of us uses this type of information, the more it will help.”
Observations schmobservations. We’ve got models, people.
My guess is that they couldn’t get the tuning to reliably hindcast the whole historical record. Which is what happens when you make CO2 sensitivity much higher than it actually physically is.
there weren’t enough weather stations to create a reliable data set for that 100-year period.
But somehow using zero weather stations gives you a reliable data set.
Trust the science! – Greta
So they are scrying.
Three day weekend!
That was for the climate kiddies on strike
Yeah noticed a whole bunch of kids at the mall foodcourt today when I was mall walking. Very unusual for a Friday. Schools were open, so the school buses ran and spewed carbon dioxide, but probably were half empty. So the kids celebrated opposition to fossil fuels by burning even more fuel by going to the mall.
Virtual signaling can be fun.
When I was in 7th grade the school I attended announced the switch from an 8 bell day to a 7 bell day effective the next year. The Seniors, for some reason, decided this was worthy of protest, so they called a walkout/sit in for the afternoon. I joined the protest, having no opinion on the subject of bells, but having a decided opinion on the subject of not going to class, I joined. I suspect 99.9% are doing likewise.
Thanks and welcome home, Raph! I like Old Town, but for the location pinned against the water between DC and Springfield. I suppose it’s not the location so much as it is how much traffic you have to endure to get to it, but a great place nonetheless.
Welcome home, Raph. Nice write-up
“Another note of the tavern was that some Founding Fathers such as Washington, Adams, Madison, and Jefferson were guests and even held balls there from time to time.”
You know who else held balls from time to time ?
AC/DC?
The barmaid?
Nick Sarwark?
Welcome home!
That Collier revolver is a really neat old thing – a practical flintlock revolver. I’ve always kind of wished someone would make a replica.
GD you Tres. It was my turn to make a ball holding joke.
I love visiting historic ball holding venues.
Jefferson once held his balls here?
Did you know Washington’s balls were made of wood?
The term, “Adam’s apple” comes from his memorable balls
Madison’s balls were always a smooth affair
Thank You
By Madison Im guessing you mean Ashley ?
The enstupidation of America* continues apace:
“Frederick Douglass photos smashed stereotypes. Could Elizabeth Warren selfies do the same?”
I’ll buy that Douglass’s photos were part of an intentional scheme to show that blacks could be more than just laborers, and had some effect. I would imagine that many people had never seen a well-dressed black man.
But the idea that selfies of a white woman are anything remotely unfamiliar to a single person on the planet is . . . not well thought out.
*sorry, original WaPo story is firewalled, so no linkee.
She’s presenting a public image of herself as somebody who is presidential,
Yeah, because nothing says presidential more than a narcissistic attention-whore insisting that the world perpetually pay attention to their every waking…
Nevertheless, I’m pretty sure that, if Douglass could be time-machined to today, he’d consider Warren a commie bitch.
I, too, am baffled by how selfies with sycophants projects a “Presidential” image. No dignity, no gravitas, no seriousness at all. I guess we’re not even pretending that being Presidential is any different than being a celebrity of some kind.
Unless Trump does it, of course. Then its a national humiliation.
I guess we’re not even pretending that being Presidential is any different than being a celebrity of some kind.
The age of the republic is over. We’re just waiting for Caesar.
It might be Warren. The
ChiefEmperor has no robes!I just had a vision of Warren, disrobed…
*pours lye in ear to clean brain*
At least Ceasar could inspire the loyalty of soldiers, organize legions in a campaign, and win battles. None of these morons could oeganize a bar crawl without their staff.
I never knew white women did selfies, my mind is blown and I’m pulling the lever for Warren. God bless America.
One might say that Douglas was “articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy”.
One might truthfully say, etc.
Without actually doing the calculation, I wonder which 2 glibs cover the most of the country with the least overlap?
UCS and Yusef
Walmart dumps e-cigarettes: Largest store in America will no longer sell vaping products amid growing health fears as death toll in the US hits
OUR KIDS IS SAFE!
Thank goodness! Just sell them safe cigarretes.
And nicotine patches/gum
And spray paint.
In typical contrarian fashion I started vaping yesterday.
Prediction: you’ll be dead within a week.
OMG Red Flag Red Flag! Crusty is totes threatening me.
I don’t have any firearms because I my wiener is like huge and stuff.
Pics or . . . actually, I’ll take your word for it.
You don’t want to see what a late stage syphilitic dick looks like?
Walmart was a place where I could buy alcohol, firearms and tobacco. Wokemart is a place where I can by cheap food, clothing and tools. I wonder how long those items will be safe.
It’s getting harder to find stores to shop at. But Wal Mart is definitely on my do not shop list
I rarely buy tools at Walmart. Walmart is mostly food, clothes and toiletries for us.
Walmart is often criticized for being the death of small businesses, but they have now single handedly revitalized mom and pop vape stores and gun shops. MAIN STREET THANKS YOU WALMART!
I wonder if a single vaping product sold by Walmart has killed anyone.
Actually, no I don’t. Of course not. Pure quill signalling, nothing more.
But they still sell tobacco
White House officials consider diverting billions MORE dollars of military funding to Donald Trump’s border wall in bid to get 500 miles built by November 2020
Right in the middle of World War 3…
Good. Maybe we can concentrate on the border and sit this one out.
Better to spend it there rather than spending it to bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran.
Spending the defense budget to secure the border?!? Outrageous!
Doesn’t he know that money is for bombing brown kids!
A government project that goes over budget?!? Shocking!
For yall who are okay with tgis, Obama and the Pentagon have already set up Climate change as a national security threat, so don’t be shocked when president Warren uses military funds to enact the green keep leap forward.
They would have done it anyway even if Trump didn’t try this tactic.
So, what you’re saying is that we’re fucked no matter what?
Agreed.
Thanks for the kind welcome back comments and glad y’all enjoyed the piece.
OT and narcissistic as hell, but whatever:
I raged about my XY TD the other day.
Well, I finally found the right words to get him to straighten up and fly right. Our house has been very peaceful and attitude-free since our come-to-Jesus meeting.
I’ve gotten my sweet little boy back.
So what’s the magic word? Did you make him file his own estimated quarterly taxes? 😉
She threatened to do a dramatic reading from Cuntes and Cods to his class
That would get me put on the sex offender registry. I think not.
I told him that if he could legally get a job I would emancipate him immediately.
Mr. Mojeaux is not on board with that idea, but XY doesn’t know that.
I was very independent teenager, and was probably the child that got the most mad at my mother than any other. But now we have a fairly good relationship. Teenage boys can be tough, but worth it.
I like that he is independent. I do NOT like that he thinks he can be independent without me and his dad and treats us like shit.
Now there is no more treating us like shit. Very calm, very respectful.
And yes, I tell him so very often and make sure I have noticed and that I am grateful.
For sure. Discipline must be maintained within the ranks. I’m just saying that with some guidance it is something he will grow out of.
From my observation (and experience), teenage boys can be a massive pain in the ass, but it generally is truly a phase, and once they are out of the house and more independent, they typically have good relationships with their parents. I was within millimeters of being actually kicked out of the house as a high school senior. When I came back from college for my freshman Christmas break, it was a different scene.
Now, women, on the other hand, seem much more prone to having strained relations with their mothers, in particular, their whole lives.
My mother and I really just never had a relationship until my dad died (she was 50, I was 25). Getting through that to a relationship was rough.
She and I were screaming at each other over something and she screamed, “I AM NEVER GOING TO BE THE KIND OF MOTHER YOU WANT!”
I said, “Oh. Well okay. You coulda just said that to begin with.” And that was when we started becoming friends.
Now I’m 50 and she’s 75 and we’ve got a great relationship.
The old adage remains true in our case: A daughter is a daughter all of her life. A son is only a son until he takes a wife.
XY is 13.5 and I did not want to deal with this for another 5 years.
That warms the wee lump of coal that resides in my heart place.