Open Thread - 11-29-24 - Ruminations from the Texas Hill Country
It's Thanksgiving Day as I write this from a cabin in the Texas Hill Country. It's beautiful here, rolling and rocky hills full of cattle, wildlife, friendly people and great music. The Texas Hill Country (Central Texas), and especially Austin, have long been known as a hub for an eclectic blend of country, rock and folk music, best known as Cosmic Cowboy music, or more in modern terms, Americana Music. The Austin Music Scene, as it's also known, became a thing in the early 70s shaped by music greats, Jerry Jeff Walker, Gary P. Nunn, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Michael Martin Murphey and many more. Although the Austin Music Scene isn't as vibrant as it once was many of the progenitors are still with us and playing great music.
Last night we went to Luckenbach, just a few miles away from the cabin, and enjoyed a show by Dale Watson, another of the icons of the Austin Music Scene, at the Luckenbach Dance Hall for the annual Thanksgiving Day Ball. We had an absolute great night of dancing (if you can call what I do dancing), libations and fine company. This was the third time we've seen Dale Watson, and the second time we've been here for the Thanksgiving Day Ball featuring Mr. Watson and His Lone Stars. He and the band were on fire, we consider this the best show of the three that we've seen. We left at 11:00 PM full of memories, tee shirts, autographs and photos.
We're staying here through Thanksgiving Day and we'll head back to Southeast Texas tomorrow, Friday. We're forgoing the traditional turkey dinner for barbecued baby back ribs. Yesterday we saw a large rafter of turkeys pass close by the cabin, probably about 100 feet away. I joked with otc that she should have grabbed one for Thanksgiving dinner, but instead we opted for the delicious ribs, being the rebels that we are.
Photos from Outside the Cabin
My wife and I have much to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving Day. Even though Thanksgiving is supposed to be a happy occasion, there's plenty of unhappiness and misery about, both here and abroad.
The recent election has left many in a state of discontent. The internet is abuzz with those opposed to the results of the recent election, just a few short weeks ago. They call for people to disavow family members this Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is supposedly about people of different walks of life coming together as illustrated by the early pilgrims, who were near starvation, and the Native Americans that inhabited the land, who supplied a huge feast as a peace offering. Ever since that first feast, Thanksgiving should be a means to bring families together rather than dividing them.
There's much consternation across the land about the direction the new administration wants to lead the country. It amazes me how intolerant we've become, even as "tolerance" was touted as campaign slogans, that's proof of the effectiveness of political manipulation.
No, wait a minute, it doesn't amaze me. That's the crux of the modern political climate.
How well those that wish to rule over us all have sown the seeds of division. They take satisfaction turning us against one another as the world burns in their vainglorious vanities. Much of the world has experienced the American concept of unity, as opposed to division, much like the Native Americans at the first Thanksgiving ultimately experienced, after the fact. As have the inhabitants of Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon and every other strife worn nations around the globe that have been touched by supposed American democratic ideals. Watch out, here comes some democracy! You can rest assured they are not celebrating the notion of Thanksgiving this year.
So, yeah, Thanksgiving is a mixed bag for me.
Michael Martin Murphey: Cosmic Cowboy (3:55)
Comments
Good morning Free Rangers...
Sorry if this is a bit disjointed. I had to put it together on a laptop without regular wifi, we have to use a cellphone set up with a mobile hotspot to get a computer connected to the internet out here in the hills. It complicates things, but I get by on getting by.
We should be home by late afternoon, central time, I'll catch up on comments later.
Looks good from this perch
Wouldn't know a hot spot from a spatchcock.
Glad you could get away for a bit. Helps sometimes.
Say hey to the wild turkeys that survived.
Good morning JtC et. ux. et. al. and gracias, JtC, for the
OT and music. T-Day is a very mixed bag for me, I'm pretty negative about it overall, so I'll just side step the whole thing except to note that the "first thanksgiving" wad called by the "pilgrims" to give thanks for safely arriving at the shores of the land they intended to colonize, and most of the early subsequent ones were for one or another triumph in the conquest of said land and its inhabitants.
Gnus - Sputnik has a buncha good stuff today; first - Syria:
https://sputnikglobe.com/20241129/syrian-army-eliminates-hundreds-of-ter...
that article, in passing makes note of al qaeda/al nusra and like that, setting the stage for:
https://sputnikglobe.com/20241129/syrian-army-eliminates-hundreds-of-ter...
Many await the other shoe dropping in Ukiestan, and, though this probably isn't that, still
https://sputnikglobe.com/20241128/russia-target-ukraines-western-weapons... --
and the Rus seem to be doing OK cleaning up the crap launched into the Kursk area:
https://sputnikglobe.com/20241129/russian-specialists-destroy-300-atacms...
Meanwhile, RT quotes Orban as saying that all the western fighters in Ukietown are a serious escalation: https://www.rt.com/news/608401-orban-ukraine-mercenaries/ (after all, we know that the specialists aren't really mercs)
That should be enough for one dose, heh.3
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
call me slow on the uptake
.
.
does this mean the west is losing another fruitless war?
Today is turkey jerky day (not Black Friday)
breakfast was dirty rice dressing with pooched eggs
and a side of brandied cranberry chutney
(about 15 minutes ago) washed down by a Belgian
blonde (not the wife). Leftover paradise it is.
Cheers!
Unbelievable…l
.
Shitlibs are cheering the hostilities in Syria? Why?
Also too
This was after the first false flag chemical attack and Obama got bailed out from attacking Syria by Putin. Syria gave up all its chemical weapons. The false chemical attack during Trump’s time they complained that he only hit empty buildings and gave Russia a heads up. They wanted blood and they were upset when they didn’t get it.
We can thank that ***** Obama for killing the anti war movement.
Speaking of false flag events:
Are they planning a false flag event in London?
With Biden giving Ukraine permission to use ATACMS even after Putin’s warning I can see them being desperate enough to do it.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Groan…
For those who prefer video
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
So, if I were a cosmic cow-girl. would it help to make you feel
less lonely?
Manno, I feel like shit. Depressed so to speak. No person around who knows anything about the US in my direct neighborhood. Just sickly people and evil-doers who use their power to split families apart. I hate them.
I need a mood lifter.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Fun(ny) article in RT
https://www.rt.com/news/608402-merkel-us-nord-stream-narrative/
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --