sisu

"And run down the streets all redneckèd"

Erato, Muse of lyric poetry, by British artist Edward John Poynter, watercolor 1870.

We were a-Muse-d to have inspired our favorite lyric poet, Elisson — who knows what women like — to wax poetic in the comments over "I am tea party woman, hear me roar!:

It's no fun when men are henpeckèd
Or when their nice cars all get wreckèd
Let them take off their clothes
Protest liberal woes
And run down the streets all redneckèd.

I am tea party woman, hear me purr!

Peggy Noonan is following us

Terry Teachout and Sissy Willis are now following Peggy Noonan on Twitter and vise versa (see below for more). Our Twitter logo above is detail of "a many-colored cotton Ralph Lauren outsourced to India, air-drying in the shade of the Silver Maple, a bumped-up version of the madras plaids that were all the rage in our salad days."

"Two kinds of people," Twitters A-list critic, biographer and blogger Terry Teachout, who blogs at About Last Night:

I'm the kind who straightens up his hotel room before going out to dinner.

That's two things we have in common with the estimable Mr. Teachout — drama critic of The Wall Street Journal and music critic of Commentary — the other being that Teachout and ourselves were the first two, among 194 Twitterers notified this morning that Peggy Noonan "is now following [our] updates on Twitter," to respond by clicking on "follow" at her Twitter site:

We tried explaining to Tuck what it all means but had to admit that we ourselves still don't quite get this Twittering thing. As Karl Rove  — who follows us and 41,197 others on Twitter — was reported to have Twittered when he first signed on last January:

In one Tweet he confesses that he is "no new media ninja" but is being shown the ropes by an assistant, adding: "I like it so far!"

That's about how we feel, minus the assistant. Back to why on earth Peggy Noonan is following us on Twitter, we're probably in her email address book from a brief correspondence we had four years back over our post "Peggy Noonan almost gets it," a critique of her column "The Blogs Must Be Crazy," wherein she proposed that Big Media "get our own bloggers to challenge our work":

Why don't we invite bloggers who already exist into the tent? Why not take the best things said on blogs each day and print them on a Daily Blog page? We'd be enhancing our rep as an honest news organization, and it will further our branding!

As we pointed out in a follow-up post at the time:

… the jury is still out about the integrity of a blogger's being paid by big media to tell it like it is. Probably not possible. Either you is or you isn't my baby.

Checking back with Noonan's Twitter page before going to press, we note that since we started writing late morning, she's up from the initial two —Terry T. & Sissy W. — to 26 followers, and counting. We've got 59 followers after being on Twitter a coupla months. Any takers?

"The best cat pictures on Facebook"

Tiny reflects upon her name in the early morning light.

"I wanted you as a friend because I know you will have the best cat pictures on Facebook," Rick Moran of Right Wing Nut House — who is also associate editor at The American Thinker and Chicago editor for Pajamas Media — wrote on our Facebook "Wall" this afternoon. Facebook, you ask? Wikipedia defines it as a "free-access social networking website" with "more than 150 million active users worldwide." Founded in October of 2003 by a Harvard student "blogging about a girl and trying to think of something to do to get her off his mind," it "has been blocked intermittently in several countries including Syria and Iran, so it can't be all bad. As Rick wrote on his own Facebook Wall earlier today, "Rick is struck dumb by how many people he knows on Facebook. Is he the only human who didn't know about this?" We kind of stumbled into it ourselves a few months back when our totally awesome non-blogging heartland niece Mabs "SuperPoked" us.

Turn the image 90˚and you've got a Rorschach Test to read your own preoccupations into. Tiny's inner cat brooding over the issues of the day?  The shadow of the smile of her late brother tormenting her soul?

Our blogging juices jogged by Rick's request for Facebook friendship, we Googled "sisu Rick Moran" and were delighted to find a couple of 2007 posts incorporating the ailurophilic words of Mr. Moran in our headlines [Cute cat pictures alert!]:

1. "More cat pictures, please," a quotation from an email Rick had sent us.

2. "The uses of 'a well modulated meow,'" a reference to Rick's post "THE INEFFABLE “EFFABLE EFFANINEFFABLES.”

"I wonder when they developed the ability to tug at our heartstrings with a well modulated 'meow?'" Rick asked rhetorically in that last-referenced post:

At what point did they realize that the simple act of looking us right in the eye, showing a face that defines animal beauty and comeliness, would make us fall in love with them? Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out when cats discovered they could get more by giving less; that the ability to manipulate us, wrap us around their paw meant that they could dole out their affections by the teaspoon rather than the bushelfull as lesser creatures like dogs do?

A friend, indeed.

Update: Lots more heartstring tugging at Modulator's Friday Ark #230.

Navel gazing R us

The importance of being noticed. An ur theme of this blog that explains so much of human behavior that might otherwise baffle us. We've always loved the eclecticism and artistry of Ann Althouse's blog, a sweet and savory mixture of political, cultural and legal commentary with occasional fleeting glimpses of what may be "the me nobody knows," interspersed with striking visual compositions we call "Althouse Moments." Above, a Photoshopped Althouse Moment of the Professor herself from her blog profile page.

"On the other hand, it does encourage her readers to click over to this blog," writes the estimable Ann Althouse in her latest post, headlined with a quotation from our previous offering, "Ann has her reasons, discernible in a parsing of her own comments following her post." Her take:

I'm not sure if I like that or not. On the one hand, Sissy Willis not bothering with my reasons, as she rolls along, lavishing praise on the project she has already bound herself to. ("Roger L. Simon is a genius.") On the other hand, it does encourage her readers to click over to this blog:

Screenshots of Althouse and sisu Site Meter Stats mid morning. Thanks to our concurrent Instalanches, Althouse had gotten 124 hits from us at that point, while we had gotten 75 from her. Thanks all around.

You link my blog, I'll link yours. Althouse enjoys a Sisulanche and sisu enjoys an Althouselanch (above), even as both experience the aftershocks of separate Instalanches of our own. As we blogged in "Some bloggers will do anything to be noticed" back in May of 2005:

We get our blog hits where we can. As George M. Cohan said, "I don't care what you say about me, as long as you say something about me, and as long as you spell my name right."

In fact, forget about the spelling. Just come visit, early and often!

Roger L. Simon is a genius

We caught Tiny in a Rembrandt Moment this afternoon as she stared atop Tuck's computer at things we don't see in the countdown to supper. Update from Tuck in the comments: "Here is a masterpiece. This portrait speaks to the wonder of our beloved companions; here is a thinking, compassionate, responsive, introspective being."

Alpha blogger Ann Althouse may protest — too much? — but we have never felt prouder of our association with Pajamas Media than we are at the thought of Roger L. Simon & Company's inspired decision to hire Joe the Plumber as Israel war correspondent for PJTV. Once there, JTP's hooking up with our sub rosa blogfriend Richard Landes and Danny Seaman, Israel’s GPO (Government Press Office) director, reports Roger. Being a bit behind in our blog reading, we happened to first hear about it all last night from the lips of Bret Baier, cutie-pie new host of Fox News's "Special Report with Brit Hume,"** and delving further today were delighted to see that everyone's talking about it, from the straight-reporting Times of India to a predictably snickering NYT. The usual suspects are horrified, as Roger explains:

This has created quite a brouhaha in the media — cable television, newspapers, wire services, etc.  Everyone from CNN to gawker.com has something to say about Joe heading for the Middle East …

To be honest, some (maybe much) of this reportage is pretty snotty. Nora O’Donnell of MSNBC — herself an MA in international relations, lahdeedah — fairly frothed at the mouth at the prospect of the unqualified Joe having the temerity to report news in a foreign land. Those hipoisie over at Gawker weren’t too charitable either.

Evidently, a lot of people are annoyed that Joe’s fifteen Warhol minutes aren’t quite over yet. Or perhaps they’re threatened that a common man can be a reporter simply by asking common sense questions — no Columbia J-school degree required.

Self Portrait as a Young Man by Rembrandt van Rijn. 1634, Oil on canvas. Uffizi, Florence, "It shows the artist with a strong-willed expression, in an extremely natural, uneffected three-quarter pose; the figure is illuminated by a light coming from the left whose spreading glow enlarges the space which serves as a background." Compare Tiny's natural, uneffected three-quarter pose with light coming from the right, above.

We totally agree with Althouse commenter ricpic, who asks rhetorically why Ann is not amused:

Why? Because he isn't credentialed? Intelligence and good sense — which Joe has in abundance — are fungible. He'll make an excellent war correspondent.

Ann has her reasons, discernible in a parsing of her own comments following her post, but we haven't been so energized since the moment last summer when Sarah Palin sprung full blown into our consciousness in a Larry Kudlow interview we stumbled upon at YouTube when rumors were rumbling that the Alaska Governor would be McCain's VP pick. And now Garbo Palin talks in a totally awesome exclusive interview with John Ziegler of howobamagotelected.com, featured today at Andrew Breitbart's spanking new run-against-the-cultural-herd Big Hollywood. Ziegler leaves Gibson and Couric and their fellow-traveling Northeast Corridor conservatives in the dust.

Now back to the cultural left's apoplexy at the idea of Joe the Plumber in Israel, from an imail conversation this evening:

We: You are known by your enemies. They feel threatened.

She: I am heartsick for Israel. I hope they stick to their rockets, and continue to STAND AND FIGHT!

We: They MUST.

She: The lying spinning that has become the mantra … "Israel is inhumane." The world has, indeed been co-opted by insane ideologies.

We: It is SO medieval. It is more important for leftists to be in solidarity with their "tribe" than to seek truth.

Speaking of truth seekers, here's Roger L. Simon with the next-to-the-last word:

I must say I find amusing the idea of Joe lined up with all the telephoto cameras at that Gaza media overlook with Cooper, Amanpour, et al. It’s certainly the stuff of Frank Capra.

And now the last word, from a post of ours back in March of 2005:

The importance of being noticed makes the world go 'round, from al-Queda types who intimidate through cold-blooded murder of innocents to impress their "brothers," to internet hackers who wreak havoc amongst online innocents to impress their own fellow travelers. On the good side, each one of us seeks, through our accomplishments, to earn a place of honor among our peers. The real issue is, whom do we select as our peers.

We're throwing in our lot with the brothers and sisters of Pajamas Media and Big Hollywood.

Update: Roger tickles our funny bone in the comments:

Thanks, Sissy. I have sent this post to my mother.

That's her Barney!*

Update II:  Ziegler's Palin interview at Breitbart's Big Hollywood gets the red-link treatment at Drudge (screenshot above). You go, boys!

Update III: Unlike Althouse, Instapundit is amused:

WELL, DUH. Still, there’s a value to stating the obvious.

Thanks for the link, Professor.

Update IV: Michelle Malkin asks — and answers —"Who’s afraid of Joe the Journalist?"

Update VI: Lots more amusements at Modulator's Friday Ark #225.

*"That's my Barney" is one of our sis's favorite quotations from her favorite musical, "The Music Man," the words every proud mother calls out when she sees the flesh of her flesh doing her proud.

** Thanks to readers kimsch of Musing Minds and megrez 80 in the comments for FoxNews corrections.

"Gawd, I hate the sleet"

"Chelsea-by-the-Sea at Christmastime" we captioned the above photoshop-enhanced image we used on our Christmas card that year, published here in our very first blogpost way back on December 12, 2003. Our commentary then set the tone for our ongoing crusade to keep the homefires burning:

The tidings that dare not speak their name.

We wish you a Merry Christmas.

Our poet in residence, the "ineffable effable effanineffable deep and inscrutable singular" Elisson weighs in in the comments to our earlier post on the ice storm that was:

The ice comes

On little cat feet.

It sits, encrusting

the harbor and city

with glittering beauty

and then knocks out the power throughout the region.

Gawd, I hate the sleet.

(Apologies to Carl Sandburg)

Also, three more ineffable effable effanineffable things to contemplate this day:

1. Sissy's 64th birthday. We would NEVER be that old at home. Tuck took us out to the local bistro across the Creek, Kelly Square Pub in East Boston, for a totally awesome two-martini lunch with burger and fries. We walked over and back. Way to go.

2. Our blog, sisu's 5th anniversary fell last Friday, forgotten amidst ice storms and cat asthma crises now resolved. Tiny's had asthma all her life and now is on steroids and Flovent inhaler with plans to taper off the steroids. Babe, meantime, recently developed chronic allergic rhinitis, diagnosed after CAT scan, tracheal wash and other disagreeable "procedures" at state-of-the-art Angell Memorial MSPCA. We're now fine tuning his maintenance meds. Had read recently that asthma in humans is in the genes. Same with cats? We DO have a lot of dust around this old house (above photo), but electrostatic filters are way beyond our budgetary means. When the going gets dusty, the dustmasters get out the vacuum cleaner?

3. Goomp's power and internet access restored this evening. You go, Energizer Bunny!

Gasp. Exhausted at the thought of it all.

"Just ready for a post-election break"

Tiny poses with the White House Christmas card in the countdown to supper yesterday afternoon. Nice colors all around.

"YEAH, IT’S BEEN A LITTLE SLOWER THAN USUAL, writes the Professor:

I’m taking a semi-vacation from blogging this week. Still online some, but less than usual. Email in particular, isn’t getting the usual attention. Just ready for a post-election break.

The view from the front porch early morning as the faux Alps across the street at Eastern Salt catch the sun's early rays.

Yah. That's kind of how we feel of late. 'Been reading a lot of stuff — with an eye out especially for rumblings of burgeoning Palin power — thinking and discussing with Tuck and Goomp and our sis but not writing so much. We hear tell our old love Fred Thompson may be getting the Alaska Governor up to speed on foreign relations and such:

There's some low-level buzz among the Palinisti that Fred may already be quietly tutoring Sarah on FR and federal gov't waste (he wrote the book). Jeri Thompson has taken a leading role in Team Sarah, a group of mostly women that's supporting Palin, and there's speculation that Jeri has persuaded Fred to help mentor the governor.

One thing our friends on the other side of the aisle — and their fellow travelers in academia and the media — are missing big time: Sarah isn't just for evangelicals and social conservatives.

Update: More election-break opportunities, with and without backbones, at Modulator's Friday Ark #220.

"This isn't the first time my cat has managed to muck up my display"

Tiny pauses in a crazy-hour moment high above the floor atop the kitchen cabinets, where she ended up during halftime of a rousing game of superball this morning.

"Imac suddenly screens move around" we typed into a google search this morning when our computer out of the blue started adding insult to the injury of last night's election returns by making all the open windows on our screen move around en masse every time we moved the mouse.

Did someone say mouse? Note the baseball-mitt effect of the kitty katcher's paw.

Fellow ailurophiles can imagine our delight when the search turned up the following exchange in something called the maccast forum:

Problem: My cat must have walked across my keyboard and hit a magic combination of keys and now my screen has been resized and moves around when I use my mouse … This isn't the first time my cat has managed to muck up my display. [It's the virtual version of a cat's sitting on the book you are trying to read so as to cause you to give the furpiece your full attention]

Answer: Sounds to me like Zoom is enabled and it's set to center on the cursor. Command-option-minus key (or dash key) to return to normal.

Note: It's command-option-plus key (or shift equal) to enable.

Where'd that ball go?

We tried it and were back in business. Feeling our oats, we typed in "command-option-plus" to re-enable the annoying feature, just to show we could, confident that relief was only a "command-option-minus" click away. And it was.

When you're hot, you're hot

When Dr. Helen popped up on our blog in the PajamasTV ad, left, promoting her recent "Who is John Galt?" interview with Pajamas Media alpha males Roger L. Simon and Bill Whittle, that other hottie, Sarah Palin, came to mind. Separated at birth?

I prefer to read

"Two of my most handsome friends are now on video: Erik Svane and TigerHawk," writes Fausta. Above, Erik Svane explains Sarah Palin to his cat. It doesn't get any better. The cat steals the show, of course, but Erik isn't half bad for a human companion animal.

"I enjoyed the cat [in Erik Svane's inspired video above], but I seldom like YouTube. I prefer to read," imails Goomp. Same here. That is why Pajamas Media's awesome new online TV just doesn't float our boat. Especially as they charge for access. Some of it is free, and we've dipped in from time to time. Good stuff, but again, as Goomp says, "I prefer to read."