After our brief interlude to celebrate Earth Day Lenin’s Wyatt’s Birthday, we return to our list of 100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About and turn our attention to The Internet. My comments will be in italics.

36. NCSA Mosaic.
37. Finding out information from an encyclopedia.
38. Using a road atlas to get from A to B.
39. Doing bank business only when the bank is open.
40. Shopping only during the day, Monday to Saturday.
41. Phone books and Yellow Pages. I’m sure we have a phone book around here somewhere. I’m not sure when I used one last.
42. Newspapers and magazines made from dead trees.
43. Actually being able to get a domain name consisting of real words.
44. Filling out an order form by hand, putting it in an envelope and posting it.
45. Not knowing exactly what all of your friends are doing and thinking at every moment. I’m not sure going back to that would be a bad thing.
46. Carrying on a correspondence with real letters, especially the handwritten kind. Someone asked me yesterday the current price of a stamp. I had no idea. I guess I could have looked it up on the internet.
47. Archie searches.
48. Gopher searches.
49. Concatenating and UUDecoding binaries from Usenet.
50. Privacy.
51. The fact that words generally don’t have num8er5 in them.
52. Correct spelling of phrases, rather than TLAs.
53. Waiting several minutes (or even hours!) to download something.
54. The time before botnets/security vulnerabilities due to always-on and always-connected PCs
55. The time before PC networks.
56. When Spam was just a meat product — or even a Monty Python sketch.

Today’s Lass is the star of The Net, and personal favorite, Sandra Bullock.

More below

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We interrupt our look at 100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About for a different list today.

When I started this blog almost 5 years ago (5/24/05) I knew little to nothing about blogs, bloggers, or anything to do with this strange avocation. I didn’t realize how much time it could involve, or how addicting it could become. I didn’t know about the thrill of having someone link to what you wrote (or about having your sitemeter code on single pages so when someone comes to an individual post you don’t miss counting their visit).

But the biggest surprise, considering all the talk about bloggers being lonely recluses hiding in their parents basement, is the great camaraderie among the blogging community. I’ve exchanged hundreds of emails, IM’s, and phone calls with other bloggers. I’ve received help and support from them, and have tried to support them where I can.

Today’s list is Bloggers I’d Like to Meet In Person.

• Michelle Malkin — She was the first big blogger to link to a post of mine (the one where I discovered the need for sitemeter code on individual posts). She is also incredibly hard working and prolific, extremely kind, and undeniably talented.
• Ed Morrissey — Captain’s Quarters was one of my very first daily reads. In the years since I’ve discovered what most people in the blogosphere know, that Ed is one of the nicest people around. I would think that even those who disagree with him the most like him.
• John Hawkins — The man is tireless. He is also engaging and an example of someone who make blogging work.
• William Teach — The King of cross-posting. Not to mention smart and friendly.
• Sister Toldjah — Sharp, kind, and witty.
• Steveegg and Shoebox — I get to blog with Steve at Blogs.4Bauer.com and make a point to read what both of them write at No Runny Eggs. They are good, smart, and a lot of fun.
• There are many, many more, but this list can’t include all of them. It can’t even include most of them since I have to go get ready for work. I’ll have to add to this list when I have more time.
• Still, I have to include one more, Wyatt Earp — Another B4B blogger and very good blog friend. He is also today’s birthday boy. The Lass of the day is in his honor.

Today’s Lass — Christina Hendricks.

Happy Birthday Wyatt.

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Time for a new feature here at bRight & Early – The Lunchtime List & Lass. While I would like this to be a daily thing, I am quite a slacker at times, so no promises. Here’s how it works: Each day (or at least each day I’m not too lazy) I’ll post a list of things on any topic. They may be from someone or somewhere else, or they may just be from my weird-wired brain. It will also feature a lovely lass to make sure that I am in full compliance with Rule 5. That takes care of the List & Lass, the Lunchtime comes from scheduling it to post around noon.

You are allowed, encouraged even, to add your comments. Add your suggestions for future postings (lists and lasses) in the comments as well. On with the show.

5 Places I want to visit

• Las Vegas — I am almost half way through my 50′s and I’ve never been further west than Tulsa. Everyone I’ve talked to that has been to Vegas says you have to visit.
• Alaska — Again, this is on recommendation. I’ve been told that an Alaska cruise is unbelievably gorgeous.
• Ireland — The land of my forefathers. At least some of them. To hit all the lands would require a major tour of the old country that would include England, Poland, Germany, and others.
• Cooperstown — I am a big baseball fan, and any fan worthy of the title needs to see the hall of fame.
• Glassboro, NJ — That’s the town where I grew up, and I really want to see it again. I know that it’s changed, but I would really like to see it again.

OK, you’ve waded through the list, so here’s the lass you’ve really been waiting for. It’s Miss Ireland for 2009, Diana Donnelly.

The comments are open. Have at it.

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The Bower in Chief made what is arguably the most clueless statement on America’s superiority ever.

It’s there, about a minute in.

“whether we like it or not, we (United States) remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, we get pulled into it.”

(video via Freedom’s Lighthouse h/t Ed Morrissey)

Ed says,

The phrase “whether we like it or not” usually connotes a negative to which an audience has to resign themselves. To give one example, no one ever hears, “Whether you like it or not, you’re going to get a banana split with your choice of toppings,” or “Like it or not, I’m going to get naked now.”

Now, I might argue with Ed on the second example. If the phrase was uttered by, say, Nancy Pelosi or Helen Thomas, then it would be entirely appropriate, while spoken by someone like Catherine Bell, not so much. That small difference aside, Ed is exactly right in another use of the phrase.

Because whether we like it or not, we’re stuck with Obama as C-in-C for the next two years, nine months, and five days.

The fact is, most of us are thrilled that we are a “dominant military superpower” and that being so helps keep us safe. It is disturbing that our President finds that to be a negative.

So, what are some other inappropriate uses of the phrase whether we like it or not? Leave yours in the comments.

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Rusty and the rest of the outstanding crew at The Jawa Report received a bit of recognition regarding the work they do “combating violent Islamist material and support on the Web“.

For all their hard work, I think they deserve a reward. This, my friends, is for you.

How often do you get to post an islamist takedown Rule 5 post? Sweet!

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I know, most of you probably didn’t realize I wasn’t around. After all, when you’re just looking for pictures of Cote de Pablo, Liv Tyler, and Gabriel Anwar you may just miss the fact that I haven’t posted anything in a week. Well to keep you folks happy:

For the rest of you, a brief explanation. I will freely admit that it started with a mistake on my part. A mix-up with due dates and payments made and I didn’t pay Brighthouse on time. I really didn’t realize we were behind. Beyond that, we missed, or didn’t get, any notice that the bill was due. That’s where I stop taking the blame.

I was given the impression that I needed to go into their office. The problem was I was at work on Friday and couldn’t get off in time to get in there before they closed, besides which they decided to shut everything off mid morning. No Phone, no television, no internet. Still thinking, erroneously it turns out, that I needed to go into the office I went the weekend without being able to get online, missing my bRight@Night show, and missing the weekends playoff games. The cruelest cut was not seeing the premier of 24 season 8.

Of course it doesn’t end there. Monday was Martin Luther King day — another day for their office to be closed. And another two hours missed of the latest Jack. As you can imagine I was there first thing Tuesday morning. That’s where it get really good.

I was told two things that really got my blood pressure elevated. One, I never needed to go into the office (despite what we were first told). I could have taken care of things online or over the phone. Of course the facts that I couldn’t get online or use the home phone were just cruel irony. The second thing I learned was that the earliest they could get out to cut the service back on was Wednesday. Now understand that cutting service back on involved the complicated process of opening a box on the side of the house and reattaching a coaxial cable. When they finally did that (the good part is coming next) the procedure took a hot minute. So now you can add to the list of things missed the Massachusettes Massachusetts election returns. I didn’t find out about Brown’s great win until Wednesday morning when I got to work.

I was told that they were going to make sure that someone would hook things back up by 8pm. Around seven, with nothing going yet, I got on my cell and gave them a call. After listening to the same 60 bars of hold music over and over I was told that the note to come out on Wednesday never made it to dispatch and that there was no way anyone would be out that night.

I made it very clear that that was unacceptable. They made it very clear that there was nothing I could do about it. Turns out they were right.

Well, yesterday morning before noon they fixed things. In less than 60 seconds.

So, I’m back. I spend last night catching up on, well, everything. I watched the first three out of four episodes of 24 (I still have to catch up with the Blogs4Bauer liveblogging), read (and deleted) a ton of email, and tried to catch up on the items in my feed reader.

Thanks for listening to my rant. And for the Rule 5 rest of you:

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Good morning, and welcome to 2010! The old meme for the new year used to be how long would you be writing 2009 on your checks. In 2010 the question is, do you still write paper checks?

One conversation at work yesterday was about not just how quickly 2009 went by, but how it seems like such a short time ago that we were welcoming 2000 (when we weren’t worried about Y2K bringing the world to an end).

2009 was a very interesting year in many ways. Of course the biggest story has been the year of the unprecedented presidency. Why it’s been one historic moment after another. Then you remember that the Hindenburg and Little Big Horn were also historic moments and hope that 2010 can fix some things.

Politics, of course, will be a big part of 2010. The mid-term elections, and the primaries preceding them, will interesting to watch (and blog about). In addition to following the national races, I am going to watching the Rubio-Crist race here in Florida very closely.

One very important story here in the very first moments of 2010 is will Fox and Brighthouse/Time Warner resolve their dispute?

The negotiations between Fox and Time Warner Cable were extended a second time early this morning.

The original midnight deadline first was pushed back to 3 a.m., then a second time to 7 a.m. The two parties are negotiating in Los Angeles.

As of 8:44 local time Fox is still on. Why is this important? For many people it’s today’s Sugar Bowl between Florida and Cincinnati and Tim Tebow’s last college game. Beyond that, for me at least, is the fact that Season 8 of 24 starts in just 2 weeks, 2 days, 11 hours and 11 minutes. I need Fox so I can continue to contribute to Blogs.4Bauer.com

So, what are my blogging plans for 2010?

• More, and more regular, posting here at bRight & Early. Sure, I make this a goal every year, but this year I’m going to do it.
• I’ve posted over the past few days about The Regiment. I’m going to work very hard to develop the site as a great social network and resource for conservatives.
• Reclaim Conservatism also deserves some attention.
• FloridImagine.com is my hosting reseller site. There’s no excuse to neglect an opportunity to generate some revenue.
• I’ve made some halfhearted attempts to get Blog News Co-op off the ground. Perhaps a wholehearted attempt is what’s needed.
• Aside from working on the various sites I contribute to, I absolutely have to be a more active visitor and commenter on my friends and favorite blogs. Like:
  • Support Your Local Gunfighter
  • Sister Toldjah
  • No Runny Eggs
  • Common Sense Political Thought
  • Flopping Aces
  • Ace of Spades HQ
  • Pirates Cove
  • Brian Pickrell
  • Michelle Malkin
  • Hot Air
  • Right Wing News
  • Confederate Yankee
  • The Jawa Report
  • And so many more that I shouldn’t have even started a list like this.

And, to make this a Rule 5 post remember that 2010 is the year the Danica Patrick joins NASCAR.

Happy New Year!

2010 image by freeimageslive.co.uk – christmashat

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It’s not often that you get to combine so many tasks in one post.

Natalie White was the winner of Survivor: Samoa

Natalie White won the $1 million prize Sunday night by outwitting, outplaying and outlasting an oil company owner and a doctor in the final episode.

Of course that’s only part 1. Part 2 is turning this into a Rule 5 post.

And if you look at the beginning of this post you’ll see a thumbnail image of our winner completing the trifecta.

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I was surfing around the upper regions of the cable box (all these cable channels and all they show on Saturday morning is infomercials) waiting for College Game Day to come on and found a rerun of one of my old favorite shows — JAG.

I’d almost forgot why it was one of my favorite shows. Catherine Bell is smokin’!

It may be a long holiday weekend, but Rule 5 still applies. More reasons to salute below.

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